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M.  Ui 

977.201 

W59ka 

1406385 


GENEALOGY  COLLECTION 


WnWiNmWn!,f'iT,)'.f.UBUC  library 


3  1833  00827  9116 


HISTORY 


c/ 


OF 


WHITLEY    COUNTY 


INDIANA 


— BY- 

S.  P.  KALER 


R.  H.  MARING 


ILLUSTRATED 


1907 
B.  F.  BOVVEN  &  CO. 

PUBLISHERS 


14060S5 

PREFACE 


All  life  and  achievement  is  evolution ;  present  wisdom  comes  from  past 
experience,  and  present  commercial  prosperity  has  come  only  from  past  exertion 
and  suffering.  The  deeds  and  motives  of  the  men  that  have  gone  before  have 
been  instrumental  in  shaping  the  destinies  of  later  communities  and  states.  The 
development  of  a  new  country  was  at  once  a  task  and  a  privilege.  It  required 
great  courage,  sacrifice  and  privation.  Compare  the  present  conditions  of  the 
residents  of  Whitley  county,  Indiana,  with  what  they  were  one  hundred  years  ago. 
From  a  trackless  wilderness  it  has  come  to  be  a  center  of  prosperity  and  civiliza- 
tion, with  millions  of  wealth,  with  systems  of  intersecting  railways,  grand  educa- 
tional institutions,  marvelous  industries  and  immense  agricultural  productions. 
Can  any  thinking  person  be  insensible  to  the  fascination  of  the  study  which  dis- 
closes the  incentives,  hopes,  aspirations  and  efforts  of  the  early  pioneers  who  so 
strongly  laid  the  foundation  upon  which  has  been  reared  the  magnificent  prosperity 
of  later  days.  To  perpetuate  the  story  of  these  people,  and  to  trace  and  record  the 
social,  political  and  industrial  progress  of  the  community  from. its  first  inception,  is 
the  function  of  the  local  historian.  A  sincere  purpose  to  preserve  facts  and  per- 
sonal memoirs  that  are  deserving  of  preservation,  and  which  unite  the  present  to 
the  past,  is  the  motive  for  the  present  publication.  The  work  has  been  in  the  hands 
of  a  corps  of  able  writers,  who  have,  after  much  patient  study  and  research,  pro- 
duced here  the  most  complete  history  of  Whitley  county.  Indiana,  ever  offered  to 
the  public.  A  specially  valuable  and  interesting  department  is  that  one  devoted 
to  sketches  of  representative  citizens  of  this  county  whose  records  deserve 
perpetuation  because  of  their  worth,  effort  and  accomplishment.  The  publishers 
desire  to  extend  their  thanks  to  these  gentlemen  who  have  so  faithfully  labored 
to  this  end.  Thanks  are  also  due  to  the  citizens  of  Whitley  county,  Indiana,  for 
the  uniform  kindness  with  which  they  have  regarded  this  undertaking  and  for 
their  many  services  rendered  in  the  gaining  of  necessary  information. 

In  placing  the  "History  of  Whitley  County,  Indiana,"  before  the  citizens, 
the  publishers  can  conscientiously  claim  that  they  have  carried  out  the  plan 
as  outlined  in  the  prospectus.  Every  biographical  sketch  in  the  work  has  been 
submitted  to  the  party  interested  for  correction,  and  therefore  any  error  of  fact. 
if  there  be  any,  is  solely  due  to  the  person  for  whom  the  sketch  was  prepared. 
Confident  that  our  efforts  to  please  will  fully  meet  the  approbation  of  the  public, 
we  are, 

Respectfully, 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


INDEX 


Formative    Period 17 

First   Animals    IS 

Oldest    Known    Rocks 19 

The    Laurentian    Rocks 19 

The    Cambrian    Era 19 

The   Ordovician   Age 20 

Trenton   Rock    20 

The  Silurian  Age 21 

The  Niagara  Epoch 22 

The    Devonian    Age 24 

The    Corniferous   Epoch....  24 

The   Genesee   Shale 25 

Knobstone  Epoch    26 

The    Mitchell    Limestone...  27 

The   Huron    Limestone 27 

The    Carboniferous    Era....  28 

Location,    Size,   Geology. ...  32 

Blue   River   Valley 37 

The      Lakes      of      Whitley 

County    38 

The  Drainage  System 38 

Elevations    40 

Organization  and  Changes 
in  County  and  Town- 
ships      41 

LaSalle,   as   a    Trader 41 

Front  enac  Governor  Gen- 
eral  of   Canada 41 

Marquette     Discovered     the 

Mississippi    41 

Sieur    Courth  em  a  n  c  h  e  '  s 

Diary  of  16S1 42 

Governor  Alexanders  Spotts- 

wood   in   1714 42 

Sir    William    Johnson 43 

First  Attempt  at  White 
Man's  Civil  Local  Gov- 
ernment   1788 44 

Governor      William      Henry 
Harrison's    Establishment 
of  Indian  Territory,  1S00.  45 
The    Entire    Original    Coun- 
ty   of    Whitley 46 

Government's  Price  of  Land  47 


Col.   William   Whitley 4S 

Samuel   Smith    48 

Robert  Starkweather  48 

Otho    W.    Gandy 50 

The  First  Official  Act 50 

Taxable    Property 50 

Location  of  Columbia  City..  ^54 

Minor   Civil   Divisions 56 

Indian    History 63 

The  First  White  Man 64 

The  Domain  of  the   Miamis  65 
The    Origin    of    the    Potta- 

wattamies    65 

Little    Turtle 67 

Rev.       Stephen       Theodore 

Badin     67 

Captain    Trent 68 

George    Crogan 68 

Campaign    of    Gen.    Harmar 

in    1790     69 

Coesse's     Wife     and      Two 

Daughters     70 

Charles    Seymour 71  75 

Little    Turtle's    House 72 

The   Island    73 

The   Burned   Cabins 75 

Paige's    Crossing 76 

Turtle  and   Turtle's   Village  77 

Seek's    Village 78 

The   Portages  or  Trails 79 

Kilsoquah     79 

Me-tek-kah    81 

Chief    John    Owl SI 

Anthony    Revarre,    Jr., SI 

Tony      Revarre      or     White 

Loon    82 

More's    Farm    S3 

LaBalme's     Campaign S3 

Archaeology     S5 

The    Flora     SS 

Political    History    101 

Majorities    102 

Congressional     105 

Senators     and     Representa- 
tives       106 


Clerks    of    Court 10S 

County    Auditors     10S 

County    Recorders    109 

County    Sheriffs     109 

County    Treasurers 109 

County    Coroners 110 

County    Surveyors    110 

County    Commissioners  ....   110 

Probate    Judges     Ill 

Circuit    Court   Judges Ill 

Early  Reminiscences    112 

Echo  of  Seventy  Years  Ago  114 
Comments   by   John   R.   An- 
derson       115 

Another    Pioneer's    Story...   116 

Old    Settler's    Story 118 

Forty    Years   Ago 120 

Canals   and   Railroads 123 

The  Wabash  Erie  Canal 123 

The    Pennsylvania    Railroad  125 
Detroit,  Eel  River  &  Illinois 

Railroad     12S 

The  Nickel  Plate  Railroad.   130 
The  Fort  Wayne  &  Wabash 
Valley    Tra  c  t  i  o  n    Com- 
pany       130 

Public  Buildings   and  Build- 
ers       131 

First     Court     House 135 

The  First   Jail 135 

The    Present   Jail 135 

Postoffices,    Postmasters....    136 

South   Whitley 137 

Columbia    City 138 

Coesse     WO 

Summit     (Larwill ) 141 

Hecla    (Popano-Etna) 141 

Churubusco    142 

Collamer     143 

Loran     (Later    Lorane)  .  .  .  .    144 

Thorncreek    145 

Laud     145 

Washington    Center 146 


IXDEX. 


Fuller's    Corners 14(j 

Saturn     146 

South    Cleveland 147 

Alma    147 

Collins     147 

Taylor     148 

Ormas     148 

Peabody    14s 

Dunfee    148 

Raber     149 

Tunker    149 

Cresco    149 

Luther    (Sawdust    Hill) 149 

Sells     149 

Wynkoop    150 

Columbia    City 150 

Chimfbusco     150 

Larwill     150 

South  Whitley    150 

The    Newspapers    150 

Indian   Incidents    155 

Chino     150 

John    Turkey    150 

Sanford    Mosher    150 

Joseph    Pierce    156 

Allen    Hamilton     157 

John    Wauwaessa 15S 

Bambookoo    15S 

The   Squaw   Buck   Trail 159 

Telephones    159 

The        Midland      Telephone 

Company    159 

Whitley    County    Telephone 

Company    160 

The    Churubusco   Company.   161 

The  Luther  Company 161 

The  Farmers'  Mutual  Tele- 
phone   Company 161 

The  Old  Settlers'  Associa- 
tion and  Historical  So- 
ciety  of  Whitley   County.    163 

Judge   Adair's   Address 164 

The  Whitley  County  Offi- 
cials' Fraternal  Associa- 
tion        169 

Medical     Profession 175 

Whitley  County  Medical  So- 
ciety         192 

Hell's    Half    Acre 193 

Roads    19S 

History     of     Education     in 

Whitley    County    203 

Military    History 213 

Company  E,  17th  I.  V.  I 218 

Company   E,   44th   I.    V.    I..   219 


Company  B,  74th  I.  V.  I 219 

Company  K.  88th  I.  V.  I...  220 
Company  F,  100th  I.  V.  I .  .  221 
Company  D,  129th  I.  V.  I..  221 
Company  I,  152d  I.  V.  I....  222 
Fifth  Indiana  Battery  (Ar- 
tillery)        222 

Company  G,  I.  X.  G 223 

Cost    of   the    Civil    War 225 

Banks  and  Banking 226 

National    Banks     227 

Columbia       City       National 

Bank      22S 

First    Depositors 229 

The    New     Building 229 

The  First  National  Bank  of 

Columbia    City 230 

The     South     Whitley     Bank 

(John   Arnold   &   Co.) 232 

The  Arnold  Criminal  Trial.  236 
The  Bank  of  Churubusco..  237 
O'Gandy  &  Co.  Bank,  South 

Whitley     239 

Foust,    Remington    &    Com- 
pany    239 

The    Provident    Trust    Com- 
pany         240 

Etna    Township 241 

Whitley   County  Granges...   247 

Troy   Township    249 

Recollections  of  Early  Troy  253 

Columbia   Township 255 

The   Bench   and   Bar 259 

Early    Courts    259 

Memorabilia     279 

Smith  Township    2S0 

Reminiscences    290 

Collins     302 

Roll  of  Honor 303 

Keep    a    Pullin' 303 

Churubusco    304 

Ladies  of  the  Maccabees  of 

the   World    311 

Modern    Woodmen 312 

Cleveland    Township    313 

Union   Township    316 

Hazel    Cot   Castle 31S 

Washington    Township 320 

Jefferson    Township     334 

Raccoon   Village    344 

Public     Highways 345 

Saw    Mills 346 

Postal     Affairs 347 

Political    Matters 349 

Educational    Facilities     ....   351 


Early    Preachers 360 

The   Barkdall   Murder 363 

The   Singer   Murder 364 

Interesting    Incidents 366 

The    Village    of   Forest 367 

The   Village  of  Raber 372 

The   Village  of  Dunfee 372 

Richland    Township 373 

Organizations  and  Elections  373 

First    Settler 376 

Useful   Occupations    3S5 

Summit     389 

Township    School    Library.  .   39  4 

Safe  Blowing    394 

Oil    Wells     395 

Cady's   Trial   for   Murder...   396 

Indian   Graves    397 

Deaths   by  Accident  or  Sui- 
cide        397 

Some   of  the   First   Things.   399 

Local    Names     40m 

Independent    Order    of    Odd 

Fellows     401 

Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica        402 

Free   and  Accepted    Masons  402 
Grand   Army   of   the   Repub- 
lic        403 

Patrons    of    Husbandry 404 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church 

at    Larwill 405 

Union  Christian  Church...  406 
The      Eel      River      Baptist 

Church    407 

The      Wesleyan      Methodist 

Church    4U8 

Larwill    Baptist    Church    at 

Larwill    409 

The   Gutcher   Sanitarium...   413 

Reminiscence    414 

Pole    Raising    416 

Thorncreek  Township  ....  417 
Manufacturing  Interests  . . .  424 
Agricultural    Conditions    . .  .   420 

Lakes     426 

Education     428 

Religion    432 

Highways     433 

Officers    433 

A  Day  of  Sport 434 

Hon.   Joseph  Wilson  Adair.   437 

Samuel    P.    Kaler 442 

Matthias    Slesman    444 

Burdette  F.  McNear 445 

Franklin    Pierce    Bridge....   446 


IXDEX. 


Rosanna    Crider .   447 

Col.    Isaiah    B.    McDonald..   44S 

Ferdinand   F.    Morsches 452 

Edward    L.    Gallagher 453 

Whitney    &    Luckenbill 454 

Otis    W.    Stair 455 

Gideon    Wright    Wilcox 456 

Jacob    A.    Ruch 457 

John   T.   Clapham 45S 

Cleon  H.   Foust 459 

John    C.    Miller 460 

Robert   Hudson    460 

Stephen    O.    Bnggs 461 

William   H.    Magley 462 

William   A.   Clugston 463 

Robert    F.    Hood 463 

James    S.    Collins 464 

Eliza    J.    Collins 466 

Daniel    Daniel    467 

Asher    R.    Clugston 46S 

Clinton   Wilcox    469 

August    Erdmann    470 

William  Henry  Hildebrand.   471 

John   Hanson    472 

Joseph    H.    Ruch 473 

John    W.    Waterfall 474 

Oliver  H.  Diffendarfer 474 

John    F.    Lawrence 475 

Emil   Doriot    476 

Benjamin   Raupfer    477 

Samuel    S.    Miller 479 

Franklin    H.   Foust 4S0 

Isaac    Mason    Swigart 482 

James   M.   Harrison 483 

Frank   Meitzler    485 

John    D.     Sherwood 4S6 

Heber   A.    Beeson 4S7 

Frank  E.   Kenner 487 

Thomas    R.    Marshall 4SS 

Arthur  S.   Nowels 491 

Benton   Eli   Gates 492 

John    Edward    North 492 

Joseph   R.   Harrison 494 

Rev.  Anthony  M.  Ellering.  .   495 

Henry   McLallen    496 

Jesse  A.   Glassley 501 

Levi    M.    Meiser 502 

Henry   D.   McLallen 504 

Andrew    A.    Adams 505 

Vallorous    Brown    506 

Frederick    Magley     509 

Dorsey  Jagger   510 

Daniel   Pressler    511 

Simon   J.    Peabody 512 

Henry    W.    Miller 515 


Charles    W.    Hively 517 

George  W.   Miller 518 

Howard     Simmon 519 

James    M.    Leaman 520 

Jonathan    Monroe    Hartman  521 

Henry   Schrader    522 

Henry    Vogely    523 

Samuel    Hively 525 

Henry    J.    Pressler 526 

John    E.    Kates 527 

Alice  B.  Williams,  M.   D...   528 

Ambrose    Gerkin     529 

Charles    E.    DeVine 530 

F.   Marion  Grable 531 

William   R.   Hively   532 

Elisha    Swan    532 

Frederick    Wolfangel 534 

Enos   Goble 535 

Octavius    Phelps 536 

J.    W.    Smith 537 

0.  J.    Crowel 539 

Andrew    Kenner    540 

Beal    F.    Taylor 541 

James    Compton 542 

Sylvester    Wilkinson 542 

Washington  Long 543 

David   B.   Clugston 544 

Thomas   T.   Pentecost 546 

William    Snodgrass 547 

1.  L.    Merriman 548 

Urias   Hosier    549 

Henry  J.  Gunder 550 

Francis    Marion   Wright. . . .   551 

Miles    W.    Bristow 552 

Alfred   F.   Evans 553 

Ira    Crow 554 

John    DeLano 555 

Jones   L.  Salts    556 

William  Johnso-i  McConnell  557 

John    Born     558 

Charles    C.   Weimer 559 

David   Goff   Linvill 560 

Jesse    Miller 563 

William    C.    Long 565 

Benjamin    Franklin    Cooper  566 

Isaac    Wynkoop 567 

James   P.    Bills 568 

Wesley    Staples 569 

Thomas    Estlick 570 

John   R.   Watson 571 

Christopher    Judd 572 

Fred    N.    Hunt 573 

Simon   W.   Hire 574 

Warren  R.  Wigent 575 

Richard    H.    Maring 576 


Thomas    Gaff 578 

Moses    M.    Trumbull 579 

DeWitt    Noble 579 

George    L.    Hanes 5S2 ' 

Caldwell   W.    Tuttle 583 

William    F.    King 585 

Bernard  A.  Widup    586 

Carl    L.    Souder 586 

Charles  Lemuel  DeVault...   5S7 

David   August   Walter 5SS 

Theodore  Garty 589 

Adam   E.    Hively 591 

Martin   L.    Galbreath 592 

Robert  R.  Scott 592 

George   Allen   Pontius 594 

Lewis   Hartman 596 

Rev.    David    A.    Workman. .   598 

James   L.   Maloney 599 

John    M.    Smith 600 

Martin    Kocher 601 

Ovin    Boggs     602 

John    A.    Bryan 603 

Lavina   Pence   Richey 603 

James  W.  Burwell 604 

Jonn    W.    Claxton 605 

John    W.    Smith 606 

John    M.    Deem 607 

John    A.    Pressler 607 

George   H.   Tapy 608 

Francis    M.    Sonday 610 

George    R.    Hemmick 611 

Bri  e'D.   Hart 612 

Isaac    Humbarger 612 

Louis    Festus    Metsker 613 

Augustus    W.    Jeffries 615 

^Samuel    E.    Geiger 615 

Benjamin    F.    Magley 616 

George    W.    Ott 617 

William    Lewis    Deem 618 

William    R.    Anderson 619 

James   E.   Witham 620 

Irving   J.   Krider 621 

Jacob  E.   Pence 621 

Rev.    Charles   S.   Parker 623 

Frederick    G.    Binder 624 

James   M.   Crone 625 

Joseph  J.  Pence 626 

David  L.  Pence 627 

William    A.    Leech 628 

Daniel    Zumbrun 629 

Albert   A.   Demoney 630 

George    Sheckler 632 

George    Judd 633 

Jacob    Paulus 634 

Isaac    Judd 635 


INDEX. 


W.  H.  Carter 635 

Milo    Harshbarger 636 

Charles  Willard   Reese 638 

William   J.   Sell 63S 

Hiram  L.  Foster 639 

Benjamin    Franklin    Shull..    640 

David    Miller 642 

Robert    B.    Boyd 642 

William    H.    Miner 643. 

John  Henry  Snyder 644 

John  S.  Snyder 645 

Samuel    H.    Flickinger 640 

John   A.   Hammer 647 

Henry    Sievers    649 

Frank    E.    Miner 650 

Robert    Jacob    Emerson 651 

Thomas    L.    Hildebrand 652 

John  W.   Baker 653 

Logan    Staples 654 

Henry    Edson    Baker 655 

Bayless    Lower 655 

Francis   Marion   Magers 65li 

Elias   Lantzer    0o  i 

William  J.   Dunfee 658 

Edmund    Jones 659 

William    C.    More 660 

Ambrose    Kiester 661 

George    H.    Herrick 663 

Herbert   B.   Clugston 664 

John    Henry    Zumbrun 664 

James    Garrison ooa 

William   Henry   Betzner....   660 

Willis    Rhodes 60S 

Wesley    Kiser    66i> 

W.    S.    Smith 669 

I.    R.    Conner 670 

Thomas   D.    Watson 671 

Abraham   Elder    672 

George    F.    Kisler 674 

Daniel   Berry    675 

John    Ummel    670 

Joshua   N.   Anderson 077 

William    Brubaker    67S 

William    E.    Magley 679 

Elisha    Lyman    McLallen...    079 

Benjamin    Hively 6S2 

Richard    Herron    684 

David    Hyre    685 

William   Henry   Coolman...   0S6 

John    L.    Miller 6S(j 

C.    D.    Stickler 6S7 

Wells    Trader    Gradless....   6N,s 
William    A.    Hauptmeyer. . .   690 

Peter    Chavey 691 

Thomas   Emery    '691 


August    Licke 692 

George    W.    Cox 693 

Fred    Dreyer 694 

Frank    E.    Cox 695 

George   Kneller    695 

Rufus    W.    Burns 696 

William    Sell    697 

Josiah    Haynes 69S 

Virgil    Hyre    699 

D.    C.    Fisher 700 

George    W.    Laird 701 

Dennis    Walter    702 

Nathan    Roberts 703 

Henry    H.    Lawrence 704 

Fletcher    Goodrich    706 

William    H.   Hamilton 707 

Daniel    Baker     70S 

Franklin   Shilts    709 

William    Marsh    Bower 709 

James    M.    Smith 710 

Henry  Huffman 711 

John    A.    Snyder 712 

William    Adam   Snyder 713 

Lewis    Halterman 713 

R.    B.    Bolinger 714 

Gottlieb    Kunberger 715 

Daniel     Fisher 716 

John    H.    Shilts 717 

Thomas   E.   Adams 71S 

Harcanis    C.    Leaman 719 

Franklin    P.    Loudy 720 

Ernest   S.   Cotterly 721 

James    Staples 722 

Alvin   M.    Hire 723 

Elmer  J.   Nei 724 

Michael    Lawrence 725 

Ephraim   Kyler   Strong 726 

John    W.    Brand 727 

John   H.   Maxwell 729 

Daniel    Stiles    730 

George  W.   Shroll 731 

George    Bauer 732 

John    Wilson   Adams 733 

Cyrus    Henry   Keiser 735 

Isaiah   W.   Johnston 736 

William  M.  Hughes 737 

Richard    M.    Paige 73S 

Hugo     Logan 739 

Isaac    Brenneman 740 

William  V.   Hathaway 741 

Albert     D.    Webster 742 

A.    L.    Lancaster 743 

Henry    Norris     744 

Newton    F.   Watson 745 

Isaac    M.    Harshbarger 746 


Thomas  M.   Hughes 747 

Benjamin    Franklin    Thomp- 
son        74N 

Asher  D.  Hathaway 749 

Alexander    Goff 751 

John    P.    Jackson 752 

Aaron   Mishler    753 

Lewis    Mishler 754 

Robert    T.    Smith 755 

Charles    E.    Weybright 755 

Hon.    John    W.    Orndorf 756 

Jonathan    Ulrey 757 

Adam   S.   Warner 75S 

Henry    Sickafoose 759 

H.    H.    Warner 760 

Martin  H.   Briggeman 761 

David    Gable     763 

John    W.    Eastom 763 

Ozias    Metz 764 

John    Kreider 766 

Fred    Harshbarger    767 

William    S.    Nickey 76S 

Perry    M.    Williamson 769 

Henry   H.   Williamson 

John    Rose    Anderson 

Wallace  W.   Williamson..., 

Walling  Miller   

Chester  Lotspiecn  Cone..., 

Benjamin   H.   Domer 

David    Schannep 778 

Lewis    Huffman 779 

John    Huffman      781 

Harry    Kreider 780 

Owen    M.    Smith 782 

Nelson   Keller    7S3 

Thomas   Sheckler    784 

Lewis   H.   Keller 7s5 

L.   E.   Planner 786 

David   Spohnhauer    787 

John   F.   Bentz 787 

Perry   L.   Bentz 78S 

Ruben    F.    Judy 7N9 

Francis    M.    King 790 

Webster    Sickafoose     791 

George    A.    Bowers 792 

James    Collett 794 

David    V.    Whiteleather.  . .  .   795 

Alexander   More    796 

Charles   E.    Lancaster 798 

Carl    Edward    Lillicti 799 

Marcus    Gillespie 800 

Sylv-auus    Koontz 800 

David   Swan   Linvill 801 

George    Boyd    802 

J.  William  C.  Scott 803 


INDEX. 


Franklin    Hunt S04 

Albert   B.    Tucker S06 

William   S.   Lancaster 807 

Jesse   Howard   Briggs SOS 

Hiram    B.    Whittenberger. .   S10 

George    W.    Kichler Sll 

Oscar   C.   Crowell Sll 

Merrit    W.    Crowell S12 

Peter  V.   Gruesbeck S13 

Simon    Bennet Sll 

Daniel    Redman S15 

John    T.    Fry 816 

Edward    C.    Schoenauer. . . .   S17 
Rev.   Daniel  W.    Sanders...   SIS 

George   Wilson   Kelsey S19 

Jacob    Kichler    S20 

James    B.    Grawcock S21 

Franklin    Stamets S21 

Leonard    R.    Schrader S22 


David    N.    Hart 822 

James   Washburn    S24 

Philemon  H.  Clugston S25 

George   H.   Fosler S27 

Samuel   Frazier  Trembley. .  S2S 
Joseph    Lawrence    William- 
son     S29 

Melvin    Blain 830 

William    I.    Mowrey S31 

George    Lee 832 

Charles  Harrison  Jones....  S33 

Abraham    D.    Green 834 

John    Magley 835 

Charles    F.    Marchand 836 

John    F.    Mossman 837 

Eli    L.    Eberhard S39 

Monroe    W.    Webster 840 

David  W.    Nickey S41 


Benjamin    Franklin    Hull...   842 

George   W.    Lawrence 843 

Sylvanus    H.    Mowrey 844 

Albert  Bush    S45 

Louis  W.  Emerick 847 

Francis   E.   DePew 84S 

Edwin    H.    Click 849 

Jesse    Selleck    Oman S50 

Alfred    Grace 851 

William    Krider     852 

Martin  D.   Crabill 853 

Lewis    W.    Tennant S55 

David   Rouch    856 

Charles    P.    Kime S57 

William    H.    Harsman 857 

Oscar  Gandy  85S 

Elmer    E.    Stites 859 

I.    N.    Compton S60 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


HISTORICAL. 


THE  FORMATIVE  PERIOD. 

RY  S.   P.   KALER. 

For  millions,  perhaps  trillions  of  years, 
as  time  is  estimated,  this  earth  has  been 
moving  around  its  parent  orb,  the  sun,  pro- 
pelled by  an  unseen  and  uncontrollable 
force,  always  in  the  same  pathway,  while  un- 
dergoing wonderful  changes  in  bulk  and 
form.  '  At  first  a  vast,  irregular  mass  of 
burning  gaseous  matter  thrown  off  from  that 
sun,  about  which  it  ever  has  and  now  re- 
volves, this  planet  gradually  cooled,  con- 
densed and  assumed  a  spheroidal  form.  Its 
gaseous  elements  rearranged  themselves  to 
form  new  compounds,  at  first  liquid,  then 
solid,  until  in  time  it  came  to  be  a  solid 
globe,  or  at  least  one  with  a  solid  but  uneven 
crust.  The  process  of  cooling  and  contrac- 
tion still  continued.  The  ocean  of  vapor 
which  formed  a  large  portion  of  the  atmos- 
phere about  the  planet,  condensed  and  fell 
and  formed  an  ocean  of  water  which  filled 
the  depressions  in  its  crust.  Above  the  rim 
of  this  ocean  there  showed  in  places  large 
areas  of  land,  bare  igneous  rock,  absolutely 
devoid  of  life,  as  for  millions  of  years  the 
temperature  of  both  rock  and  ocean  re- 
mained too  high  for  living  things.  When 
the  mean  temperature  of  its  oceanic  waters, 
by  continued  and  oft-repeated  evaporation. 


cooling  and  condensation,  was  reduced  to 
about  150  degrees  F.,  there  occurred  the 
grandest  event  in  the  history  of  the  planet. 
In  some  unknown,  unknowable  manner,  life 
came  to  be.  Within  the  waters  of  its  ocean 
there  was  brought  about  a  combination  of 
matter,  a  living  thing,  which  could  take 
from  the  water  and  from  the  air  above  cer- 
tain elements,  and  by  their  aid  increase  in 
size  and  reproduce  its  kind.  The  first  lowly 
parasites  upon  the  face  or  surface  of  the 
planet  were  thus  aquatic  plants,  algae,  fungi 
and  kindred  forms.  In  the  course  of  ages 
there  evolved  from  them  other  and  higher 
plants  which  could  live  on  land,  for  the  de- 
cay and  erosion  of  the  igneous  rocks,  added 
to  the  remains  of  the  aquatic  plants  thrown 
upon  the  beaches  of  the  ocean,  produced  a 
soil  from  which  the  higher  land  plants  could 
derive  a  part  of  their  nourishment.  As  the 
centuries  and  the  aeons  rolled  by,  the  plants, 
true  parasites  that  they  were,  found  their 
way  to  every  part  of  the  planet's  surface,  on 
to  the  tops  of  the  loftiest  mountains,  into  the 
abysses  of  the  deepest  oceans,  they  made 
their  way;  their  province  being  the  conver- 
sion of  inorganic  matter,  earth,  air  and  wa- 
ter, into  a  form  of  food  suitable  to  the  needs 
of  a  higher  type  of  parasite,  which  mean- 
while was  coming  into  existence  upon  the 
planet's  surface,  for  as  the  temperature  of 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


the  ocean  gradually  decreased  the  era  of  an- 
imal life  was  ushered  in. 

The  first  animals  on  the  planet  were  also 
lowly  aquatic  forms,  scarcely  differing  from 
the  first  plants,  but  possessing  a  freedom  of 
motion  which  enabled  them  to  procure  a  bet- 
ter supply  of  air  and  water.  Then  evolving 
into  higher  and  more  varied  forms  as  they 
became  adapted  to  new  environments,  they 
spread  far  and  wide  through  ocean  depths 
and  over  plain  and  mountain,  until  the  whole 
surface  of  the  planet  was  peopled  by  them. 
But.  ever  and  always,  from  the  time  the  first 
animal  came  to  be  upon  the  planet,  until  the 
last  one  finally  disappears  into  the  darkness 
of  everlasting  night,  the  growth  of  animal 
life  will  depend  upon  living  food  prepared 
by  the  plant,  the  motion  of  animal  life  upon 
energy  stored  within  the  cells  of  the  plant. 
The  sun,  which  in  the  beginning  first  cast  off 
the  matter  of  which  the  planet  is  formed, 
still  controls  it,  still  rules  over  it  and  its 
destinies  with  an  iron  will.  Both  plant  and 
animal  parasite  must  forever  bow  before  its 
power.  Of  the  vast  floods  of  energy  which 
stream  forth  from  that  sun's  disk  in  the 
form  of  heat  and  light,  an  insignificant  frac- 
tion falls  upon  the  surface  of  its  satellite. 
Of  the  minute  portion  that  the  planet  thus 
arrests,  an  equally  insignificant  part  is 
caught  up  by  the  plants  and  used  directly  in 
their  growth.  Yet,  the  entire  productive 
force  of  the  living  portion  of  that  planet 
turns  on  this  insignificant  fraction  of  an  in- 
significant fraction.  The  vegetable  cell  is 
thus  a  store  of  power,  a  reservoir  of  force. 
It  mediates  between  the  sun,  the  sole  foun- 
tain of  energy,  and  the  animal  life  on  the 
planet.  The  animal  can  not  use  an  iota  of 
power  that  some  time,  either  directly  or  in- 
directly,  has  not  been   stored  in   the  plant 


cell.  Thus  of  the  two  great  groups  of  para- 
sites upon  the  surface  of  the  planet,  the  plant 
must,  per  force,  have  preceded  the  animal. 
For  thousands  of  centuries,  each  type  of 
animal  and  plant  parasite  upon  the  planet 
was  content  if  it  could  secure  food  enough 
to  reach  maturity  and  then  a  mate  to  repro- 
duce its  kind.  All  the  energies  put  forth,  all 
the  variations  in  organ  and  form,  all  the 
adaptations  to  modified  environment,  were 
but  means  toward  the  better  accomplish- 
ment of  these  two  ends.  Sometimes  a  type 
would  reach  a  culmination  or  highest  point, 
beyond  which  it  could  not  advance.  Then 
a  degeneration  would  occur  along  side  lines, 
or,  in  many  instances,  even  total  extinction 
of  the  race  or  group.  Finally,  after  the 
planet  was  hoary  with  age,  a  race  of  animal 
parasites  evolved  from  the  lower  forms, 
whose  variations  were  ever  concentrated  to- 
ward the  head  or  cephalic  region.  During 
untold  ages,  their  brains  slowly  but  surely 
increased  in  size  until,  in  time,  they  became 
possessed  of  the  power  of  reason  and  of  ab- 
stract thought.  In  that  age  the  "Prince  of 
the  Parasites"  was  born.  From  then  on  he 
began  to  rule  not  only  the  other  animal  and 
plant  parasites  about  him,  but  to  discover 
and  control  the  powerful  forces  of  nature, 
heretofore  wholly  latent.  As  he  grew  in 
brain  power,  he  grew  in  greed  and  in  ego- 
tism. He  came  to  think  that  the  planet,  on 
which  he  was  but  a  parasite,  was  created  for 
him  alone;  that  all  other  plants  and  animals 
were  put  there  for  his  special  benefit,  though 
many  of  them  outdated  him  by  millions  of 
years.  He  began  to  modify  the  surface  ol 
the  planet  in  all  ways  possible,  to  change, 
as  it  were,  its  every  aspect  to  conform  to  his 
ideas.  He  imagined,  vain  creature  that  he 
was,   that  he  could   improve  on  the  works 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


[9 


of  nature.  In  time  he  divided  up  the  entire 
land  surface  of  the  planet  by  using  some- 
times imaginary  lines  and  again  natural 
boundaries.  Acres  and  sections,  townships 
and  counties,  kingdoms  and  empires,  states 
and  republics  were  the  terms  he  used  to  de- 
note his  subdivisions,  and  over  all  lands  and 
seas  he  proclaimed  himself  chief  ruler — for 
that  planet  is  the  earth — that  prince  of  para- 
sites is  man.  To  36,350  square  miles  of 
the  earth's  surface,  lying  between  the  imagi- 
nary lines  thirty-seven  degrees  and  forty-one 
minutes  and  forty-one  degrees  and  forty-six 
minutes  north  latitude,  and  between  eighty- 
four  degrees  and  forty-four  minutes  and 
eighty-eight  degrees  and  six  minutes  west 
longitude,  man,  in  time,  gave  the  name  "In- 
diana." How  came  this  area  to  be  where 
it  is  ?  Of  what  kind  of  matter  is  its  surface 
composed?  What  was  its  condition  at  the 
time  of  the  advent  of  the  white  race  ?  These 
ought  to  be  interesting  questions  to  every 
resident  of  the  Hoosier  state. 

The  oldest  known  rocks  on  the  American 
continent  are  those  of  Archaean  time,  laid 
down  during  the  Azoic  or  lifeless  aeon  of 
the  earth.  They  are  known  as  the  Lau- 
rentian  System  of  Rocks  and  consist  mainly 
of  coarse  granites,  thick  bedded  gneisses 
and  syenites,  serpentines,  schists  and  beds  of 
modified  sandstones,  limestones  and  clays. 
They  were  formed  from  the  debris  of  other 
rocks  still  older  than  themselves;  these  in 
turn  having  been  derived  ages  ago  from 
those  original  igneous  or  primary  rocks 
whose  molten  sands  rose  first  above  the  boil- 
ing floods  and  cooled  and  crusted  into  a 
chaotic  continent.  For  Archean  Time 
comprised  those  millions  of  years  which 
elapsed  while  the  crust  of  the  earth  was  cool- 
ing down  to  a  point  where  life  was  possible. 


The  Laurentian  rocks  are  thus  devoid  of 
fossils  or  contain  only  the  remains  of  the 
simplest  aquatic  forms.  In  North  America, 
they  comprise  the  surface  of  a  vast  "V" 
shaped  area  of  2,000,000  or  more  square 
miles  which  lies,  filled  with  wild  lakes,  pine- 
clad,  rugged,  almost  impassable,  spread  in 
savage  sleep  from  Labrador  to  the  Arctic 
ocean.  This  area  embodies  the  general 
form  of  the  North  American  continent,  and 
was  the  nucleus  of  all  the  land  which  was 
afterward  added  to  it.  From  these  old 
Laurentian  rocks,  came  the  debris  and  sedi- 
ment which  was  laid  down  in  the  bed  of  a 
shallow  ocean  to  form  the  rocks  comprising 
the  surface  of  what  is  now  "Indiana." 

At  the  close  of  the  Azoic  or  lifeless  aeon, 
during  which  the  Laurentian  rocks  were 
formed,  the  Paleozoic  or  Aeon  of  Ancient 
Life  was  ushered  in.  At  its  beginning  the 
entire  area  of  what  is  now  known  as  In- 
diana was  covered  by  a  broad  ocean  which 
stretched  far  away  to  the  south-west,  while 
to  the  north  and  north-east  it  extended  be- 
yond the  present  sites  of  the  great  lakes. 
This  ocean  is  known  to  geologists  as  the  In- 
terior Paleozoic  Sea.  Into  it  was  carried 
the  sediment  derived  from  the  erosion  and 
destruction  of  the  old  Laurentian  rocks  by 
water  and  air,  which  agencies  then,  as  now, 
were  ever  at  work.  The  Potsdam  sandstone 
of  the  Cambrian  era,  which  probably  under- 
lies the  Trenton  limestone  of  the  Lower  Si- 
lurian beneath  the  greater  portion,  if  not 
all  of  Indiana,  was  one  of  the  first  strata 
to  be  laid  down  in  this  sea.  But  as  none 
of  the  surface  of  Indiana  is  represented  by 
the  Potsdam  stone,  it  will  be  passed  with 
this  mere  mention. 

Following  the  Cambrian  came  the  sec- 
ond grand  subdivision  of  Paleozoic  Time, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


the  so-called  Lower  Silurian  or  Ordovician 
Age.  At  its  beginning,  the  sea  covering 
Indiana  and  the  area  to  the  north  and  east 
was  of  course  more  shallow,  as  1,000  feet 
or  more  of  Potsdam  sandstone  had  been  de- 
posited on  its  floor.  This  first  great  stratum 
of  Ordovician  rock  to  be  laid  down  in  this 
sea,  which  is  of  interest  to  us,  was  the  Tren- 
ton limestone,  which,  during  the  past  two 
decades,  has  become  so  noted  in  Indiana  as 
the  source  of  natural  gas  and  crude  petro- 
leum. It  is  a  well  known  geological  fact 
that  most,  if  not  all,  limestones  owe  their 
origin  to  the  presence  of  minute  organisms 
in  the  water  in  which  the  limestone  was 
formed.  The  animals  from  whose  remains 
the  Trenton  limestone  was,  for  the  most 
part,  derived,  were"  probably  very  low  forms, 
the  polypo  and  bryozoans  of  the  ancient  Si- 
lurian seas.  In  untold  numbers  they  ex- 
isted, and  the  carbonate  of  lime,  which 
makes  up  eighty  per  cent  of  the  unmodified 
Trenton  rocks,  is  largely  the  remains  of  their 
secretion  and  incrustations.  Associated 
with  these  lower  forms  were  myriads  of 
higher  ones,  crinoids,  brachiopods,  trilo- 
bites,  gastropods  and  even  fishes.  The  pres- 
ence of  such  swarms  of  animal  life  made 
necessary  the  existence  of  an  abundance  of 
plants ;  since  the  plant  must  ever  precede  the 
animal  and  gather  for  the  latter  the  energy, 
and  form  for  it  the  food,  the  living  proto- 
plasm, necessary  to  its  existence.  These 
plants  were  mostly  marine  algae  or  sea  weeds 
and  fucoids,  though  doubtless  many  other 
forms  existed  of  which  no  remains  have  been 
preserved  in  the  rocks  of  that  age.  The 
Trenton  limestones  were  evidently  formed 
in  rather  clear  waters,  at  moderate  depths. 
Near  the  bottoms  of  these  shallow  seas  great 


beds  of  calcareous  sediment  were  gradually 
collected,  and  were  swept  to  and  fro  by 
the  tides  and  currents.  Rivers  from  the 
older  -  Cambrian  rocks  brought  down  their 
eroded  particles  and  added  to  the  thickness 
of  the  ocean  floor.  Within  these  beds  of 
sediment  both  plants  and  animals  found  a 
grave,  their  bodies  in  vast  numbers  being 
buried  beneath  the  slowly  accumulating  de- 
posits of  centuries.  Once  buried  in  such 
deposits,  they  did  not  decay,  as  do  animals 
on  land,  because  by  the  waters  above  and 
the  calcareous  ooze  around  them,  they  were 
shut  off  from  free  oxygen,  which  is  the  chief 
agent  in  decay.  Gradually  this  ooze  of  fine 
sediment  was,  by  the  agency  of  the  sea- 
water,  cemented  and  consolidated  into  lime- 
stone. In  this  manner  that  great  layer  of 
Trenton  rock  which  underlies  all  of  Indiana 
at  variable  depths,  was  formed.  From  it 
has  been  derived,  directly  or  indirectly,  more 
wealth  than  from  any  other  one  formation, 
either  underlying  or  forming  a  portion  of 
the  surface  of  the  state.  In  time  the  waters 
of  the  ocean  containing  this  vast  stratum  of 
Trenton  limestone,  with  its  enclosed  accu- 
mulations of  undecayed  plants  and  animals, 
became  turbid,  and  instead  of  calcareous 
sediment,  deposited  mud  and  clayey  sedi- 
ment in  thick  beds  on  top  of  the  limestone 
strata.  These  deposits  of  mud  and  silt  were 
afterwards,  by  later  deposits,  compressed 
into  the  fine  grained,  impervious  Utica  shale, 
ioo  to  300  feet  in  thickness,  which  thus 
effectually  sealed  the  Trenton  limestones  and 
so  retained  within  them  the  oil  and  gas 
derived  from  their  enclosed  organic  remains. 
This  oil,  and  its  more  volatile  portion,  the 
natural  gas,  was  not  formed  in  a  short  time, 
but  is  the  result  of  a  slow  decomposition  or 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


■destructive  distillation,  carried  on  through 
thousands  of  centuries.  Accumulating  in 
vast  reservoirs,  the  more  porous  portions  of 
the  Trenton  limestone  or  mother  rock,  it 
there  remained  until  man  came  with  his  iron 
drill  and  furnished  a  vent  through  which  it 
could  rise.  Then  by  combustion  he  caused  it 
to  yield  up  the  stored  energy,  conserved  since 
the  sun's  rays  fell  on  the  plants  of  the  old 
Silurian  seas. 

After  the  Utica  shale  had  been  laid  down 
as  a  thick,  impervious  cover  above  the  Tren- 
ton limestone,  there  followed  the  Hudson 
River  epoch,  during  which  200  to  600  feet 
of  alternating  beds  of  shale  and  limestone 
were  deposited  in  the  old  sea  bottom  where 
now  is  Indiana'.  These  form  the  uppermost 
division  of  the  lower  Silurian  age.  During 
the  myriads  of  years  necessary  to  their  depo- 
sition, marine  forms  were  excessively 
abundant,  and  the  advancement  in  the  scale 
of  animal  life  was  correspondingly  great. 
All  the  principal  groups  of  marine  inverte- 
brates which  came  into  existence  during  the 
Trenton  epoch  were  represented,  but  the 
species  were  widely  different.  In  addition 
to  life  in  the  sea,  there  came  also  to  be  life 
on  land.  Acrogenous  plants,  forerunners 
of  the  ferns  and  mosses,  harbingers  of  the 
vast  forests  of  future  centuries,  came  into 
being  along  the  moist  waterways  of  the 
growing  continent,  while  insects,  the  first 
winged  creatures,  began  to  traverse  the  air. 
As  yet,  no  part  of  Indiana  was  above  old 
ocean's  level,  but  at  the  close  of  the  Ordovi- 
cian,  after  the  Hudson  River  limestones  and 
shales  had  been  laid  down,  a  great  upheavel, 
caused  by  some  subterranean  force,  brought 
above  the  sea  a  large  island  of  Ordovician 
rock   which  ever  since  has  been  drv  land. 


This  upheaval  was  greatest  over  the  point 
where  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  is  now  located,  and 
the  "Cincinnati  uplift"  is  the  name  given  by 
geologists  to  the  island  and  the  broad  belt 
of  shallowly  submerged  land  which  extended 
from  its  northern  shore  in  a  north-westerly 
direction,  diagonally  across  the  area  of  the 
future  Indiana.  The  main  portion  of  that  is- 
land comprised  the  south-western  corner  of 
what  is  now  Ohio  and  a  part  of  north-east- 
ern Kentucky.  It  also  included  a  small  part 
of  what  is  now  Indiana  and  formed  the  first 
and  the  oldest  portion  of  the  surface  of  our 
state.  The  area  whose  surface  rocks  be- 
long to  this  Hudson  River  formation  com- 
prises part  or  all  of  Wayne,  Union,  Fayette, 
Franklin,  Dearborn,  Ripley,  Ohio,  Switzer- 
land and  Jefferson  counties.  Over  this  area 
the  exposed  rocks  are  composed  of  a  series 
of  bluish,  thinbedded  limestones  intercalated 
with  bluish  green  limey  shales,  while  at  the 
top  are  massive  sandy  limestone  beds  of  a 
brownish  color.  The  shales  are  soft,  easily 
weathered  and  very  fossiliferous,  while  the 
bluish  limestones  are  in  places  largely  com- 
posed of  fossils. 

Whitley  county  is  included  in  that  part 
of  Indiana  covered  by  Hudson  river  lime- 
stones and  shales  at  the  close  of  the  Lower 
Silurian  time.  As  a  part  of  an  island,  there- 
fore, upheaval  from  the  Ordovician  seas, 
was  the  first  born  land  of  Indiana;  and  to 
that  little  corner  all  other  portions  of  our 
noble  state  were  added  in  their  turn  by  the 
workings  of  nature's  forces  during  after 
ages. 

At  the  end  of  the  Ordovician  or  begin- 
ning of  the  Upper  Silurian  age,  the  Interior 
Paleozoic  Sea  had  greatly  diminished  in 
area.     A  broad  belt  of  land  had  been  added 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


to  the  southern  border  of  the  old  Laurentian 
crest,  especially  over  what  is  now  Wisconsin 
and  a  portion  of  northern  Illinois;  while, 
extending  from  what  is  now  Labrador  down 
to  Georgia,  was  another  broad  belt,  follow- 
ing the  general  trend  of  the  present 
Alleghany  mountains.  By  the  raising  of 
several  large  islands  above  its  surface  at  the 
time  of  the  Cincinnati  Uplift,  aided  by  the 
broad  belt  of  shallowly  submerged  land  al- 
ready noted,  the  area  of  the  Interior  Sea 
was  still  further  diminished  and  to  that  por- 
tion covering  what  is  now  the  north-eastern 
part  of  Indiana  and.  the  greater  part  of  Ohio, 
West  Virginia,  New  York  and  Pennsyl- 
vania, the  name  of  "Eastern  Interior  Sea" 
is  given.  This  was  simply  a  great  bay  or 
eastward  extension  of  a  greater  "Central 
Interior  Sea,"  which,  at  that  period  covered 
most  of  Indiana,  southern  Michigan,  Illi- 
nois and  a  large  portion  of  the  present 
United  States  west  of  the  Mississippi  river. 
The  most  north-eastern  limits  of  the  Eastern 
Interior  Sea  were  the  present  sites  of  Albany 
and  Troy,  New  York.  The  rock-making 
material  which  was  deposited  on  the  floor 
of  both  it  and  the  Central  Interior  Sea,  was 
derived  in  part  from  the  land  along  their 
borders,  but  mainly  from  the  limey  secre- 
tions of  the  life  within  their  waters.  The 
dry  land  draining  into  them  was  small  in 
area  and  hence  there  were  only  small  streams 
for  the  supply  of  sediments.  Yet,  in  the 
course  of  countless  years,  sufficient  material 
was  deposited  to  form  the  thick  layer  of  Ni- 
agara limestone  which  now  forms  the  sur- 
face rock  over  much  of  northern  and  eastern 
Indiana. 

The  epochs  of  the  Upper  Silurian  age,  as 
represented  in  Indiana,  are  three  in  number, 


namely :  the  Clinton,  the  Niagara  and  the 
Water  Lime,  or  Lower  Helderberg.  Each 
is  represented  by  its  characteristic  rocks, 
bearing  the  peculiar  fossils  of  its  time.  The 
'  Clinton  epoch  is  represented  in  the  state  by  a 
close-grained,  salmon-colored  limestone, 
varying  in  thickness  from  a  few  inches  only 
to  about  seven  feet.  It  outcrops  in  a  very 
narrow  strip  along  the  western  edge  of  the 
area  of  the  Hudson  River  limestone,  already 
mentioned  as  the  oldest  rock  in  Indiana,  and 
overlies  that  formation  beneath  the  surface 
of  at  least  the  eastern  third  of  the  state.  It 
it  has  no  economic  importance,  and  serves 
only  as  a  line  of  demarkation  separating  the 
older  Silurian  rocks  from  those  great  beds  of 
Niagara  limestone  which  were  afterward 
laid  down  in  the  Upper  Silurian  seas. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  Niagara  epoch, 
the  waters  of  the  Central  and  Eastern  In- 
terior Seas  were  laden  with  sediment  and 
beds  of  bluish-green  shales,  known  as  the 
Niagara  shales,  and  varying  in  thickness 
from  two  to  forty  feet,  were  first  laid  down. 
Owing  to  the  gradual  changes  in  the  level  of 
the  sea  bottom,  and  a  consequent  shifting 
of  its  tides  and  currents  a  clearer,  deeper 
water  then  resulted,  within  whose  depths 
there  existed  life  of  great  variety.  Corals 
and  bryozoans  were  especially  represented, 
and  from  their  remains  and  those  of  other 
marine  forms  were  gradually  constructed 
those  beds  of  gray  and  buff  Niagara  lime- 
stone, varying  in  thickness  from  one  hun- 
dred feet  along  the  Ohio  river  to  four  hun- 
dred and  forty  feet  in  the  northern  and 
north-western  portions  of  the  state. 

Near  the  close  of  the  Niagara  epoch,  a 
gradual  uprising  of  a  portion  of  the  Eastern 
and  Central  Interior  Seas  took  place.     From 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


23 


their  bottoms  there  emerged  a  long  penin- 
sula-like strip  of  land,  whose  general  trend 
was  north-west  and  south-east.  In  the 
former  direction  it  was  imperfectly  attached 
to  those  portions  of  Wisconsin  and  Illinois 
which  had  come  into  existence  during  the 
Ordovician  era.  At  its  lower  extremity  it 
merged  with  that  old  island  of  the  Cincinnati 
Uplift  which  had  formed  the  first  land  of 
our  present  state.  The  surface  rocks  of  the 
north-western  corner  of  Indiana,  a  narrow 
and  probably  interrupted  strip  extending' 
diagonally  across  the  state,  a  wide  area  in 
the  central  third  and  a  narrow  southern 
prolongation  along  the  western  border  of 
the  pre-existing  Hudson  River  group,  were 
thus,  for  the  first  time,  brought  above  the 
level  of  the  sea.  It  appears  that  the  force 
which  caused  this  upraising  of  the  Niagara 
sea  floor  was  more  pronounced  at  certain 
points  than  at  others,  and  so  caused  a  num- 
ber of  dome-like  ridges  or  crests  resembling 
true  upheavals  in  the  Niagara  beds.  These 
domes  are  present  in  an  area  extending  from 
the  Illinois  line  in  Newton  county,  through 
the  Upper  Wabash  Valley  nearly  to  the  Ohio 
line,  being  especially  prominent  near  Wa- 
bash, Delphi,  Monon,  Kentland  and  other 
points  in  the  region  mentioned.  In  them 
the  Niagara  strata,  elsewhere  nearly  hori- 
zontal, are  strongly  tilted  and  show  other 
evidence  of  a  true  upheaval.  These  domes 
were  at  first  probably  small  islands  whose 
crests  remained  permanently  above  the  sur- 
rounding sea.  They  thus  formed,  for  a 
long  period,  a  more  or  less  broken  or  inter- 
rupted connection  between  the  larger  area 
of  the  Niagara  to  the  south-east  and  that 
area  in  north-western  Indiana  which  was 
from  now  on  a  part  of  the  continent  proper. 


The  Water  Lime  and  Lower  Helderberg 
are  too  closely  related  limestones  of  the 
Upper  Silurian  age  which,  in  Indiana,  so 
merge  as  to  be  difficult  to  distinguish.  They 
represent  an  epoch  between  that  of  the  Ni- 
agara limestone  and  the  lowest  or  oldest 
rocks  of  the  Devonian  era.  Their  texture 
and  composition  show  them  to  have  been 
laid  down  in  very  shallow  seas,  close  into 
the  shores  of  the  recently  upraised  Niagara 
limestone.  The  Water  Lime  is  an  impure 
magnesian  hydraulic  rock,  ranging  in  thick- 
ness in  Indiana  from  twenty  to  ninety  feet. 
It  out-crops  near  Kokomo  where  have  been 
found  numerous  fine  samples  of  its  most 
characteristic  fossils,  gigantic  crustaceans, 
two  feet  or  more  in  length,  closely  related 
to  the  king  crabs  of  the  present  seas.  Over 
the  extensive  mud  flats  of  the  closing  period 
of  Upper  Silurian  time  they  were  the  un- 
doubted rulers,  while  in  the  nearby  waters 
sported  descendants  of  those  mail  clad  fishes 
which  first  appeared  in  the  Trenton  period 
of  the  Lower  Silurian  era. 

The  Lower  Helderberg  represents  the 
final  epoch  of  Upper  Silurian  time.  In  In- 
diana its  rocks  form  a  buff  to  gray  cherty 
limestone  twenty-five  to  250  feet  in  thickness 
and  often  irregular  and  uneven  in  its  bed- 
ding. It  directly  overlies  the  Niagara  lime- 
stone where  the  water  lime  is  absent.  Out- 
crops occur  at  Logansport  and  other  points 
to  the  north-west  and  drill  holes  sunk  for  oil 
and  gas  show  that  it  probably  forms  a  por- 
tion of  the  surface  rock  beneath  the  deep 
drift  covered  area  of  the  northern  third  of 
the  state. 

The  advance  in  life  during  the  Upper 
Silurian  era  was  not  proportionately  as 
great  as  that  of  the  preceding  age.      The 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


earliest  of  Arachnids,  the  scorpion,  came 
to  be,  their  first  remains  being  in  the  water 
lime,  showing  that  they  were  neighbors  of 
the  giant  Eurypterid  crustaceans.  Cock- 
roaches and  progenitors  of  dragon  flies  were 
also  present,  but  remains  of  other  terrestrial 
forms  are  few  or  lacking.  Among  marine 
invertebrates,  cephalopods  reached  the  acme 
of  their  development,  the  gigantic  ortho- 
ceratites  of  this  group,  whose  remains  are 
so  common  in  the  Niagara  limestones  of 
Wabash  and  adjoining  counties,  being 
worthy   of   special   mention. 

We  have  seen  that  by  the  beginning  of 
the  Devonian  Age  or  era,  which  succeeded 
that  of  the  Upper  Silurian,  the  waters  of 
the  great  bay  known  as  the  Eastern  In- 
terior Sea  had  become  farther  separated 
from  those  of  the  Central  Interior  Sea  by 
the  uprising  of  the  Niagara  limestone  area 
of  eastern  Indiana  and  western  Ohio,  and 
also  by  the  deposition  along  the  margin  of 
this  formation  of  the  sediment  comprising 
the  water  lime  and  Lower  Helderberg  lime- 
stones. A  probable  connection  still  existed 
between  the  waters  of  these  two  basins  across 
the  broken  or  interrupted  strip  connecting 
the  main  body  of  Niagara  limestone  in  east- 
ern Indiana  with  the  main  land  area  of  the 
same  formation  in  north-western  Indiana 
and  northern  Illinois. 

The  Devonian  rocks  of  Indiana  may  be 
roughly  classed  as  representing  two  great 
epochs,  the  Corniferous  and  the  Genesee, 
the  former  being  represented  by  beds  of 
more  or  less  pure  limestone,  ranging  up  to 
fifty-five  feet  in  thickness;  the  latter  by  beds 
oi  black  or  brownish  bituminous  shales, 
which  reach  a  known  maximum  thickness 
"f   105   feel.      The  waters  in  which  the  ma- 


terials of  the  Corniferous  limestones  were 
deposited  were  clear  and  comparatively  pure 
and  in  them  sponges,  corals,  crinoids,  trilo- 
bites  and  lower  animal  forms  existed  in 
great  profusion.  From  the  lime  secreted 
by  these  marine  forms,  the  upper  and  purer 
beds  of  the  Corniferous  rock  are  mainly 
composed.  The  great  abundance  of  coral 
life  during  the  period  is  grandly  shown  at 
the  Falls  of  the  Ohio,  opposite  Louisville, 
Kentucky,  where  the  Corniferous  beds  have 
a  notable  outcrop.  Here  "the  corals  are 
crowded  together  in  great  numbers,  some 
standing  as  they  grew,  others  lying  in  frag- 
ments, as  they  were  broken  and  heaped  up 
by  the  waves ;  branching  forms  of  large  and 
small  size  being  mingled  with  massive  kinds 
of  hemispherical  and  other  shapes.  Some 
of  the  cup  corals  are  six  or  seven  inches 
across  at  the  top,  indicating  a  coral  animal 
seven  or  eight  inches  in  diameter.  Hemis- 
pherical compound  corals  occur  five  or  six 
feet  in  diameter.  The  various  coral-polyps 
of  the  era  had  beyond  doubt,  bright  and 
varied  coloring  like  those  of  the  existing 
tropics ;  and  the  reefs  formed  therefore  a 
brilliant  and  almost  interminable  flower 
garden." 

Near  the  close  of  the  Corniferous  epoch 
deposits  of  silt,  mud  and  sand  began  to  be- 
cloud the  clear  waters  and  put  an  end  to  the 
life  of  many  marine  forms.  The  upper  beds 
of  rock  then  laid  down,  known  as  the  Ham- 
ilton, contain  in  places  quite  a  percentage  of 
magnesia  and  clay,  and  embody  those  vast 
deposits  of  hydraulic  limestone  which,  in 
southern  Indiana,  have  been  so  extensively 
used  in  making  natural  rock  cement.  The 
Corniferous  rock,  when  raised  above  the  sur- 
face and  added  to  the  pre-existing  land  of 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


2S 


the  state,  formed  along  the  western  margin 
of  the  latter  an  irregular  strip  five  to  forty 
miles  in  width,  extending  from  the  pres- 
ent bed  of  the  Ohio  river  at  Jeffersonville 
northward  to  the  present  site  of  Logansport 
and  Monticello.  North  of  the  Wabash  it 
has  been  found  to  be  the  surface  rock  in  a 
number  of  the  deep  bores  sunk  for  oil,  but 
on  account  of  the  thick  mantle  of  overlying 
drift,  its  exact  limits  are  unknown.  It  is 
probable,  however,  that  at  the  close  of  the 
Corniferous  epoch  a  strip  twenty  miles  or 
more  in  average  width  and  extending  nearly 
across  the  state  was,  in  this  region,  raised 
above  the  floor  of  the  old  Devonian  sea, 
to  become  a  part  of  the  permanent  land  of 
the  future  state.  The  south  line  of  this  strip 
ran  through  Whitley  county  from  the  east 
to  the  west  in  a  north-westerly  direction, 
putting  all  the  county  in  the  strip  except  a 
small  part  of  Jefferson,  a  larger  part  of 
Washington  and  perhaps  the  half  of  Cleve 
land  township,  along  the  south  side  of  the 
county. 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  Devonian 
Era  those  lowly  acrogenous  plants  known  as 
Rhizocarps  flourished  in  vast  numbers  in  the 
fresh  waters  and  brackish  marshes  of  the 
time,  and  their  spores  by  countless  millions 
of  tons  were  carried  out  as  sediment  into  the 
surrounding  seas.  Mingling  with  the  mud 
and  silt  and  sand,  brought  down  by  erosion 
from  the  rapidly  increasing  land  surface, 
they  formed  those  vast  mud  flats  which 
have  since,  by  age  and  pressure,  been 
consolidated  into  the  thick  beds  of  brown 
and  black,  finely-laminated  shales  which 
form  the  rocks  of  the  Genesee  epoch 
in  Indiana.  At  New  Albany  the  outcrops 
•of  this  shale  are  104  feet  in  thickness  and 


especially  prominent,  so  that  the  local  name, 
"New  Albany  black  shale,"  has  been  given 
it  by  geologists  of  the  state.  Along  the 
western  edge  of  the  Corniferous  limestone, 
this  shale  forms  a  continuous  strip  three  to 
thirty-five  miles  in  width,  reaching  from  the 
present  site  of  New  Albany  north  and  north- 
westerly to  Delphi  and  Rensselaer.  Over 
much  of  this  strip  it  is  covered  by  a  thick 
mantle  of  drift,  but  everywhere  within  the 
area  wells  or  the  eroding  streams  have 
proven  it  to  be  the  surface  rock.  The  black 
shale  has  also,  by  deep  bores,  been  found  to 
be  the  rock  immediately  underlying  the  drift 
over  much  of  the  area  embraced  within  the 
two  northern  tiers  of  counties  in  the  state. 

The  Genesee  shale  is  rich  in  bitumens,  de- 
rived from  the  spores  of  the  ancient  Rhizo- 
carps, which  also  give  it  color.  When  kin- 
dled, it  will  bum  until  they  are  consumed, 
and  it  is  therefore,  by  the  uninitiated,  often 
mistaken  for  coal.  These  bitumens  are,  by 
natural  processes,  sometimes  separated  from 
the  shale  and  in  the  form  of  gas  or  petro- 
leum are  collected  in  reservoirs  in  it  or  in 
the  underlying  Corniferous  limestone. 

During  the  thousands  of  centuries  of 
the  Devonian  Period,  a  great  advancement 
took  place  in  the  flora  and  fauna  of  the 
times,  especially  in  the  vegetation  of  the  land 
and  the  development  of  the  higher  aquatic 
vertebrates.  Among  the  acrogens  growing 
on  land,  ground  pines,  tree  ferns  and  equi- 
seta  or  horse-tails  came  into  existence  and 
flourished  in  vast  numbers.  Their  remains 
are  often  found  in  the  corniferous  limestone, 
into  the  sediment  of  which  they  were  drifted 
and  preserved.  The  first  Phanerogams,  con- 
ifers of  the  yew  and  cycad  families,  were 
also  evolved,  their  leaves  and  branches  be- 


26 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


ing  found  in  the  upper  or  Hamilton  beds 
of  the  Corniferous  epoch.  As  the  land 
plants  increased  in  number  and  variety,  in- 
sect life  became  more  varied  and  numerous. 
Many  Hies  abounded  and  the  first  musicians 
of  the  earth  appeared  in  the  form  of  Or- 
thopterans  which,  by  means  of  their  shrilling 
organs,  enlivened  the  solitudes  of  the  strange 
old  Devonian  forests  with  their  love  calls 
and  wooing  notes.  Among  fishes,  the  Ga- 
noids and  Selachians,  of  which  our  gar- 
pikes,  sturgeons  and  sharks  are  degenerate 
descendants,  reached  the  acme  of  their  de- 
velopment ;  while  gigantic  species  of  Dip- 
noans,  or  lung  fishes,  now  only  represented 
by  the  dog  fish,  or  "John  A.  Grindle," 
abounded  in  the  bays  and  bayous  about  the 
ancient  Genesee  flats. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  Lower  or  Sub- 
Carboniferous  Era,  which  followed  the  De- 
vonian in  regular  sequence,  we  find  more 
than  half  of  Indiana  above  the  level  of  the 
sea.  By  the  deposition  and  subsequent  rais- 
ing of  the  rocks  of  the  Corniferous  and  Gen- 
esee epochs,  the  gap  between  the  large  era 
of  Niagara  limestone  in  the  eastern  part 
of  the  state  and  the  mainland  to  the  north- 
westward had  been  filled,  and  that  portion 
of  the  future  Indiana  became  for  the  first 
time  a  part  of  the  slowly  growing  North 
American  continent.  The  rocks  which  were 
afterward  added  on  its  western  side  were 
deposited  on  the  sloping  floor  of  the  Central 
Interior  sea  which  stretched  far  away  to 
the  south-west,  and  they  consequently  have 
a  notable  dip  in  that  direction.  The  lower- 
most stratum  of  the  sub-carboniferous  rocks 
in  Indiana  is  a  thin  but  very  persistent  bed  of 
green  i  si  i  limestone,  known  as  the  Rock  ford 
Goniatite  limestone.    It  is  but  about  two  feet 


in  thickness  at  its  most  notable  outcrops,  and 
hence  forms  but  a  very  narrow  area  of  the 
surface  rocks  of  the  state.  It  serves  well, 
however,  as  a  line  of  demarkation  separating 
the  Upper  Devonian  shales  from  the  thick 
beds  of  Knobstone  which  represent  one  of 
the  early  and  important  epochs  of  Lower 
Carboniferous  time.  These  Knobstone  rocks 
consist  at  the  base  of  a  series  of  soft,  bluish 
shale,  which  gradually  become  more  arena- 
ceous or  sandy,  until  toward  their  western 
horizon  they  merge  into  massive  beds  of  im- 
pure grayish  sandstone.  The  formation 
ranges  in  known  thickness  from  440  to  650 
feet.  The  name  "Knobstone"  was  first 
given  it  by  that  eminent  geologist,  David 
Dale  Owen,  because  its  siliceous  strata 
weather  into  those  peculiar  conical  knobs  or 
hills  which  are  so  prominent  a  feature  of  the 
topography  in  the  southern  unglaciated  por- 
tion of  its  area.  By  the  deposition  and  up- 
raising of  the  knobstone  a  strip  of  territory, 
three  to  thirty-eight  miles  in  width,  extend- 
ing from  the  Ohio  river  south-west  to  New 
Albany  north  and  north-westerly  to  a  point 
a  few  miles  south  of  the  present  site  of  Rens- 
selaer, Jasper  county,  was  added  to  the  ex- 
isting land  of  the  future  state.  Deep  bores 
have  also  shown  the  knobstones  to  immedi- 
ately underlie  the  drift  in  a  strip  of  varying 
width  along  the  extreme  northern  border  of 
the  state.  By  its  deposition  and  subsequent 
upraising  over  this  area,  all  of  the  north- 
eastern portion  of  the  state  became  for  the 
first  time  dry  land,  and  the  waters  of  the 
Eastern  Interior  Sea  were  forever  banished 
from  the  future  Indiana.  (  her  much  of  the 
northern  part  of  its  main  area  in  Indiana,  the 
Knobstone  is  at  present  more  or  less  covered 
by  glacial  debris,   its  strata  being  exposed 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


27 


only  in  the  stream  valleys.  The  shales  of 
the  basil  or  eastern  third  of  its  unglaciated 
portion  are  exceedingly  adapted  to  the  mak- 
ing of  vitrified  wares,  as  paving  brick,  sewer 
pipe,  etc.,  as  well  as  for  the  clay  ingredient 
of  Portland  cement,  though  as  yet  their  pos- 
sibilities of  service  for  these  products  have 
been  largely  ignored. 

Following  the  Knobstone  epoch  came 
that  of  the  Lower  Carboniferous  limestones. 
Four  distinct  horizons  of  these  limestones 
are  recognized  in  Indiana,  namely :  the  Har- 
rodsburgh,  Bedford,  Mitchell  and  Huron, 
in  the  order  named,  each  representing  a  dis- 
tinct period  of  deposition  in  the  slowly  re- 
treating Central  Interior  Sea.  Their  total 
thickness  is  nearly  600  feet,  and  together 
they  form  the  surface  rocks  over  an  area 
forty  miles  wide  on  the  Ohio  river,  but 
which  gradually  narrows  northward  until  it 
disappears  beneath  the  drift  in  the  vicinity 
of  Crawfordsville,    Montgomery   county. 

Of  the  four  horizons,  that  of  the  Bed- 
ford is  by  far  the  most  noted,  since  from  it  is 
obtained  that  famous  Bedford  or  Indiana 
oolitic  limestone  which  is  now  widely  recog- 
nized as  the  finest  building  stone  on  the 
continent  of  America.  It  is  mainly  com- 
posed of  the  globular  shells  of  microscopic 
foraminifera  or  Rhizopods,  minute  one- 
celled  animal  organisms,  which  must  have 
swarmed  in  untold  myriads  in  the  sea  waters 
of  the  time.  The  shells  or  cell  walls  of  these 
animals  were  composed  of  a  very  pure  car- 
bonate of  lime,  and  when  they  died  and  sank 
on  the  old  sea  bottom  these  shells  were  ce- 
mented together  by  the  same  material. 
Under  the  lens  they  resemble  a  mass  of  fish 
eggs  soldered  together,  hence  the  name 
oolitic,  meaning  like  an  egg.     The  Bedford 


stone  is  noted  among  architects  for  its 
strength  and  durability,  and  for  the  ease 
with  which  it  may  be  sawed  or  carved  into 
any  desirable  form.  For  many  years  it  has 
ranked  as  one  of  the  principal  natural  re- 
sources of  the  state. 

The  Mitchell  limestone  overlying  the 
oolitic  is  composed  of  a  series  of  close- 
grained  limestones,  shales  and  cherts.  Its 
outcrop,  five  to  thirty  miles  in  width,  is  a 
fairly  level  plateau  which  is  pitted  with  a 
great  number  of  sink  holes,  many  of  which 
form  the  openings  into  underground  caverns 
and  the  beds  of  subterranean  streams.  The 
thick  beds  of  Mitchell  limestone  taken  in 
connection  with  the  underlying  Bedford  and 
Harrodsburg  limestones,  afford  a  series  of 
rocks  which  are  more  or  less  jointed,  and 
therefore  easily  eroded-  by  underground 
waters.  As  a  result,  large  caves,  some  of 
them  possessing  great  vaulted  rooms,  deep 
pits,  high  water  falls  and  streams  of  water 
large  enough  to  allow  the  ready  passage  of 
a  boat,  are  found  throughout  this  area.  All 
of  these  caves  are  due  to  the  action  of  water, 
that  greatest  of  nature's  solvents  and 
abraders,  its  work  of  a  day,  a  year,  a  century 
upon  the  solid  limestone  not  appreciable  to 
the  eye,  yet  by  slow  unceasing  action 
through  the  ages  which  have  elapsed  since 
that  limestone  was  raised  above  the  sea,  it 
has  carved  every  room  and  passage,  con- 
structed every  pillar  and  stalagmite  existing 
beneath  the  surface  of  southern  Indiana. 

The  Huron  limestone  or  Huron  group 
of  rocks,  represents  in  Indiana  the  latest 
epoch  of  the  Lower  Carboniferous  Era.  It 
is  composed  of  three  beds  of  limestone  with 
two  intervening  beds  of  sandstone,  their 
combined   thickness   being   about    150   feet. 


2& 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


The  sandstones  carry  in  places  concretions 
of  iron  ore  and  thin  beds  of  coal,  the  latter 
being  the  forerunners  or  harbingers  of  those 
vast  veins  of  stored  energy  which,  in  south- 
ern Indiana,  represent  the  Carboniferous 
and  final  era  of  Paleozoic  time. 

The  Carboniferous  Era  is  noted  as  one 
of  gentle  oscillations  in  the  surface  of  those 
shallow  seas  bordering  the  land,  these  caus- 
ing successive  more  or  less  wide  emergen- 
cies and  submergencies,  the  former  favoring 
the  growth  of  boundless  forests  and  jungles, 
the  latter  burying  the  vegetable  debris  and 
other  terrestrial  accumulations  beneath  fresh 
water  or  marine  deposits.  During  the  era, 
that  cryptogamous  land  vegetation  which 
had  sprung  into  existence  in  the  Devonian 
Era.  advanced  with  wonderful  strides.  The 
temperature  was  mild,  the  atmosphere  moist 
and  heavy  laden  with  carbon  dioxide.  As 
a  result,  the  vast  lowland  marshes  were  over- 
grown with  great  trees  of  Sigillaria,  Lepi- 
dodendron  and  Calamites ;  while  at  their 
base  grew  dense  thickets  of  fern  underbrush, 
inhabited  only  by  insects  and  amphibians. 
For  the  first  examples  of  the  latter,  evolved 
during  this  period  from  some  mud-loving, 
fish-like  creature,  no  flowering  plant  had  as 
yet  unfolded  its  petals,  no  bird  had,  as  yet, 
winged  its  way  through  the  buoyant  air,  no 
animal  was,  as  yet,  a  denizen  of  earth  or  sea. 
rhose  dim  watery  woodlands  were  flower- 
less,  fruitless,  songless,  voiceless,  unless  the 
occasional  shrill  of  a  cricket  or  grasshopper 
could  be  called  a  song.  Yet  in  the  cells  of 
the  semi-aquatic  plants  and  trees  of  those 
•  ild  forests,  there  was  stored  that  heat  which 
was  destined  in  after  ages  to  be  freed  by 
man  and  used  in  doing  the  work  of  the 
-world.      The-    rocks    laid    down    during   this 


era  were  alternating  beds  of  sandstone,  shale, 
clay  and  limestone  with  occasional  beds  of 
compressed  vegetation  which,  during  after 
centuries,  has  been  changed  into  coal.  The 
basal  formation  of  the  carboniferous  era  in 
Indiana,  as  generally  elsewhere,  is  a  bed  of 
coarse-grained  sandstone,  known  as  the 
Mansfield  sandstone  or  "Millstone  Grit."  It 
has  a  total  thickness  of  150  feet  and  forms 
the  surface  rock  over  a  strip  two  to  twenty- 
two  miles  in  width,  extending  from  the 
northern  part  of  Warren  county  in  an  east 
of  south  direction  to  the  Ohio  river,  a  dis- 
tance of  175  miles.  In  Martin  and  Orange 
counties  it  occurs  with  an  even,  sharp  grit, 
furnishing  a  most  excellent  material  for 
whetstones  and  grindstones. 

Above  this  sandstone  are  the  Productive 
and  Barren  Coal  Measures,  which  comprise 
7,500  square  miles  of  the  land  surface  of 
the  state.  At  the  time  of  their  deposition 
or  formation,  the  area  which  they  cover,  as 
well  as  a  large  part  of  Illinois,  was  a  great 
basin  or  depression,  but  little  above  the  level 
of  the  sea  and  surrounded  on  every  side  ex- 
cept the  southwestern  by  the  higher  lands 
of  the  older  formations.  By  successive  al- 
ternations of  upheaval  and  subsidence,  car- 
ried on  through  thousands  of  years,  this  de- 
pression was  at  times  an  area  of  the  south- 
western sea,  again  a  fresh  water  lake,  and 
then,  for  a  period,  a  vast  swamp  or  marsh. 
When  raised  high  enough  to  form  a  marsh, 
the  luxuriant  vegetation,  above  mentioned, 
sprang  up  from  the  ooze  and  mud  at  its  bot- 
tom, flourished  for  centuries,  the  newer 
growths  springing  from  between  the  fallen 
masses  of  the  older,  as  in  the  peat  bogs  to- 
day, and  so  formed  a  mighty  mass  of  car- 
bonaceous   material.      Bv    subsidence,    the 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


29. 


level  of  the  marsh  was,  in  time,  lowered  until 
it  became  a  lake  into  which  rivers  from  the 
surrounding  highlands  flowed,  bearing  with 
them  millions  of  tons  of  clayey  sediment  and 
disintegrated  quartz,  the  remains  of  the 
older  decayed  rocks.  This  sediment  was 
spread  out  over  the  mass  of  submerged  vege- 
tation, compressing  it  into  the  hard,  mineral 
coal ;  the  clayey  sediment  itself  being  in  time 
compressed  into  vast  beds  of  shale,  and  the 
particles  of  quartz  into  sandstone.  In  some 
places  a  more  prolonged  subsidence  took 
place,  sinking  the  floor  of  the  lake  below  the 
level  of  the  sea,  and  allowing  the  waters  of 
the  latter  with  their  accompanying  forms 
of  marine  life  to  flow  in.  In  time  beds  of 
limestone  were  then  formed  over  those  of 
the  shale  or  sandstone,  but  none  of  these 
cover  an  extensive  area  or  are  of  great  thick- 
ness. After  each  subsidence  with  its  result- 
ing beds  of  coal,  shale  and  sandstone  or 
limestone,  had  taken  place,  an  upheaval  fol- 
lowed. The  floor  of  sea  or  lake  was  again 
raised  so  near  the  surface  that  the  semi- 
aquatic  vegetation  for  a  new  coal  seam 
could  spring  up  and,  in  time,  the  processes 
above  detailed  were  again  undergone.  Such, 
in  brief,  was  the  origin  and  formation  of 
those  five  great  veins  of  coal  which  form 
to-day  the  chief  mineral  wealth  of  our  state, 
and  of  those  vast  beds  of  overlying  shale 
which,  in  recent  years,  have  come  to  be  used 
for  so  many  varied  products. 

We  have  now  traced  the  growth  of  the 
area  comprising  Indiana  through  Paleozoic 
time.  We  have  seen  how  that  area  grad- 
ually appeared  above  old  Ocean's  rim.  But 
it  was  not  yet  the  Indiana  of  nature,  the 
finished  product  of  the  ages  ready  for  the 
advent  of  man.    Centuries  untold  had  yet  to 


come  and  go  before  it  was  complete,  centu- 
ries during  which  changes  of  momentous 
importance  were  to  come  and  to  pass,  for  as 
yet.  no  palm,  no  angiosperm  or  flowering 
plant  with  seeds,  no  osseous  or  common  fish, 
no  reptile,  no  bird,  no  mammal  had  come  to 
be  upon  the  surface  of  the  earth.  All  these 
were  evolved  from  pre-existing  forms  dur- 
ing the  age  or  era  immediately  succeeding 
the  carboniferous  or  final  period  of  Paleozoic 
time.  This  age  is  known  as  that  of  the 
Mesozoic  or  Middle  Time,  represented  by 
the  Triassic,  Jurassic  and  Cretaceous  eras. 
For  our  purpose  there  may  be  combined  with 
these  eras  the  Tertiary  of  Cenozoic  or  recent 
time. 

During  the  myriads  of  years  ascribed  to 
these  eras,  while  vast  changes  were  taking 
place  in  other  parts  of  the  American  conti- 
nent, the  surface  of  Indiana  probably  all 
remained  above  sea  level.  On  it  there  grew 
the  plants  and  over  it  there  doubtless  roamed, 
in  their  turn,  the  animals  of  each  successive 
era,  but  as  its  surface  was  above  the  sea, 
they  left  no  fossil  bone  or  foot-print  to  tell 
us  of  their  presence.  All  this  time,  however, 
the  silent  processes  of  nature  were  unceasing 
in  their  labor,  and  wrought  great  changes 
in  the  surface  of  the  future  state.  Decay 
and  erosion  were  in  action  then  as  they  are 
to-day.  Sunshine  and  rain,  wind  and  frost, 
trickling  rills  and  strong  streams  were  ever 
at  work,  softening  and  sculpturing  and  wear- 
ing down  the  exposed  rocks,  forming  clays 
and  sand  and  gravel  and  bearing  them  away 
to  lowel  levels.  At  the  close  of  the  Tertiary 
Era,  the  entire  surface  of  what  is  now  In- 
diana resembled  that  of  to-day  in  the  drift- 
less  area  of  its  southern  part,  being  cut  up 
by   erosion    into   a   complex   net   work    of 


3Q 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


valleys,  ridges  and  isolated  hills.  In  certain 
portions  of  the  northern  half  great  streams, 
of  which  there  are  now  no  surface  indica- 
tion, had  worn  their  channels  a  half  mile  in 
width,  two  hundred  feet  or  more  down  into 
the  solid  Niagara  limestone.  The  Ohio 
river  valley,  a  trench  from  one  to  six  miles 
wide  and  four  hundred  feet  deep,  was  mainly 
eroded  during  this  period,  as  was  also  the 
greater  portion  of  the  Wabash  valley,  from 
Columbia  City  to  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash. 
Everywhere  over  the  surface  was  a  thin  soil, 
formed  from  decaying  rocks  and  vegetation,  ■ 
poorer,  perhaps,  than  much  of  that  which 
at  present  covers  the  surface  of  the  drift- 
less  area,  where  the  underlying  limestones 
and  shales  have  been  the  parent  rock.  In  this 
soil  grew  the  cedar  and  the  sassafras,  the 
willow  and  the  maple,  the  oak  and  the  beech, 
while  over  its  surface  spread  many  of  the 
coarser  grasses,  sedges  and  mosses  of  the 
present  day. 

During  these  long  periods  of  erosion  and 
decay,  mild  climate  conditions  had  prevailed. 
But  near  the  close  of  the  Tertiary  a  change 
in  these  conditions  came  gradually  to  pass,  a 
change  which  was  most  sweeping  and  far- 
reaching  in  its  final  results.  For  some,  as 
vet  unknown  reason,  the  mean  annual-  tem- 
perature of  the  northern  hemisphere  became 
much  lower.  The  climate  of  the  regions 
to  the  east  and  south  of  Hudson  Bay  be- 
came similar  to  that  of  Greenland  of  to-day. 
or  even  colder,  The  snow,  ever  falling. 
never  melting,  accumulated  during  hundreds 
of  centuries  in  one  vast  field  of  enormous 
thickness.  Near  the  bottom  of  this  mass  a 
plastic,  porous  sort  of  ice  was  gradually 
formed  from  the  snow  by  the  pressure  from 
above.     This  ice  mass  or  glacier  took  upon 


itself  a  slow,  almost  imperceptible  motion 
to  the  south  or  south-westward,  until  it  cov- 
ered three-fourths  or  more  of  what  is  now 
Indiana.  As  it  moved  slowly  southward, 
great  masses  of  partly  decayed  rock  and  clay 
from  hillsides  and  jutting  cliffs  rolled  down 
upon  it  and  were  carried  on  and  on  until, 
by  the  melting  of  their  icy  steed,  they  were 
dropped  hundreds  of  miles  from  the  parent 
ledge.  Large  irregular  masses  of  rock 
from  the  region  in  which  the  glacier  was 
formed  were  either  frozen  into  its  nether 
portion  or  rolled  along  beneath  it,  and  as 
the  ice  sheet  moved  they  served  as  great 
stone  drags,  grinding  down  and  smoothing 
off  the  hills  and  ridges  and  filling  up  the 
valleys,  until  the  irregular,  uneven  surface 
of  the  old  preglacial  rocks  was  planed  and 
polished. 

From  the  strata  formed  by  these  im- 
prisoned boulders  and  from  other  evidence 
which  it  is  difficult  to  otherwise  explain, 
it  is  now  believed  that  there  were  several 
distinct  epochs  in  the  glacial  period.  The 
great  ice  sheet,  which  was  at  first  formed, 
several  times  advanced  and  as  often,  by  an 
increase  of  the  temperature  of  the  region 
which  it  entered,  melted  and  receded ;  its 
retreat  or  recession  being  each  time  as  grad- 
ual as  its  advance  had  been.  Like  a  great 
army  which  has  attempted  the  invasion  of  a 
country  and  has  been  compelled  to  withdraw, 
it  would  again  assemble  its  forces  and  start 
in  a  slightly  different  direction.  But,  per- 
chance, before  it  had  reached  the  limit  of  its 
former  invasion,  a  force  of  circumstances 
would  render  a  retreat  necessary.  Its  ad- 
vancing  margin  was  thus  not  in  a  straight 
line,  but  in  lobes,  or  long,  gradual  curves. 

When  the  first  ice  sheet  reached  its  great- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


3i 


est  advance  into  the  region  now  comprising 
Indiana,  the  ice  was  at  least  500  or  600  feet 
deep  over  the  present  site  of  Terre  Hante 
and  nearly  as  deep  over  that  of  Indianapolis, 
and  it  thickened  gradually  northward,  reach- 
ing .a  depth  of  perhaps  700  feet  over  present 
Whitley  county.  If  an  observer  could  have 
stood  on  one  of  the  hills  in  Brown  county 
•at  that  time,  he  would  have  seen  to  the  east 
of  him  the  great  wall  of  the  ice  front  extend- 
ing south  toward  Kentucky,  while  toward 
the  west  it  would  have  been  seen  in  the  dis- 
tance stretching  away  toward  the  south- 
west. For  hundreds  of  miles  to  the  east 
and  west,  and  for  2,000  miles  or  more  to 
the  north,  the  glaring,  white  desert  of  snow- 
covered  ice,  like  that  seen  in  the  interior  of 
Greenland  by  Nansen  and  Peary,  would 
have  appeared,  stretching  away  out  of  sight, 
with  not  a  thing  under  the  sun  to  relieve  its 
cold  monotony. 

By  the  incursions  of  the  various  ice 
sheets,  all  the  so-called  "drift  soils"  of  north- 
ern and  central  Indiana  were  accumulated 
where  thev  lie.  Derived,  as  they  were,  in 
part,  from  the  various  primary  and  igneous 
rocks  in  the  far  north,  ground  fine  and  thor- 
oughly mixed  as  they  were  by  the  onward 
moving  force  of  a  mighty  glacier,  they  are 
unusually  rich  in  all  the  necessary  constitu- 
ents of  plant  food.  Principally  to  them  does 
Indiana  owe  her  present  high  rank  as  an 
agricultural  state.  All  the  level  and  more 
fertile  counties  lie  within  this  drift  covered 
area,  and  its  southern  limit  marks,  practical- 
ly, the  boundary  of  the  great  corn  and  wheat 
producing  portion  of  the  state.  But  few  of 
the  present  inhabitants  of  Indiana  realize 
how  much  they  owe  to  this  glacial  invasion 
of  our  domain  in  the  misty  past.  It  not  only 
determined    the   character   of   the   soil,    the 


contour  of  the  country  and  the  minor  lines 
of  drainage,  but  in  manifold  other  ways  had 
to  do  with  the  pleasure,  the  health  and  the 
general  prosperity  of  the  present  popula- 
tion. 

When  the  final  ice  sheet  gradually  re- 
ceded from  the  area  now  comprising  In- 
diana, the  surface  of  the  glaciated  portion 
was  left  covered  with  a  sheet  of  drift  or  till 
composed  mainly  of  clay,  gravel  and  bould- 
ers, and  varying  in  thickness  from  100  to 
400  feet  or  more.  Over  the  greater  portion 
of  this  area  the  surface  of  the  drift  was 
comparatively  level,  but  in  the  northern 
fourth  of  the  state  it  was  in  numerous  places 
heaped  up  in  extensive  ridges  and  hills,  due 
to  irregular  dumping  along  the  margins  and 
between  the  lobes  of  the  melting  ice  sheets. 
In  the  hollows  or  low  places  between  those 
ridges  and  hills,  the  waters  of  the  melting- 
ice  accumulated  and  formed  those  hundreds 
of  fresh  water  lakes  which  are  to-day  the 
most  beautiful  and  expressive  features  of 
the  landscape  in  the  region  wherein  they 
abound.  At  first,  all  of  those  yet  in  exist- 
ence were  much  larger  than  now,  while  for 
everyone  remaining  a  score  have  become 
extinct. 

A  new  vegetation  soon  sprang  up  over 
the  land  left  desolate  and  barren  by  the 
retreating  ice.  The  climate  gradually  be- 
came much  warmer  than  it  is  to-day.  The . 
great  expanse  of  water  in  lakes  and  rivers, 
aided  by  the  increase  in  temperature,  gave 
rise  to  excessive  moisture.  Fostered  by  the 
rich  soil  and  the  mild,  moist  atmosphere,  a 
vast  forest  of  deciduous  trees  spread  over 
the  larger  portion  of  the  state.  Through 
this  forest  and  about  the  margins  of  the 
lakes  and  marshes,  there  wandered  for  cen- 
turies the  mammoth  and  mastodon,  the  giant 


3* 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


bison  and  the  elk,  the  tapir  and  the  peccary, 
the  mighty  sloth  and  that  king  of  rodents. 
Castoroides  ohioensis.  Preying  upon  these 
and  smaller  mammals,  were  the  great  Amer- 
ican lion,  and  tigers  and  wolves  of  mam- 
moth size.  The  bones  and  teeth  of  all  these 
species  of  extinct  animals  have  been  found 
buried  beneath  the  surface  of  former  bogs 
and  marshes,  in  various  portions  of  the 
state.  It  is  not  improbable  that  with  them 
was  also  that  higher  mammal,  man,  in  all 
the  nakedness  of  his  primitive  existence. 
But  over  this  phase  in  the  evolution  of  the 
future  Indiana,  there  came  again  a  change, 
for  nature  knows  no  such  thing  as  rest. 
The  o-reat  rivers  which  had  borne  south  and 


south-westwardly  the  floods  and  debris  of 
the  melting  glaciers,  gradually  diminished 
in  size  and  filled  but  a  small  portion  of  their 
former  valleys.  Extensive  shallow  lakes  in 
the  north-western  part  of  our  present  area 
gave  way  to  marshes  and  these,  in  time,  to- 
wet  prairies,  possessing  a  rich  black  soil 
derived  largely  from  the  decay  of  aquatic 
vegetation.  The  climate  gradually  grew 
less  moist,  more  cool.  The  mammoth,  mas- 
todon and  contemporaneous  mammals  dis- 
appeared, and  in  their  stead  came  countless 
thousands  of  buffaloes  and  deer.  With  them, 
came  too,  that  son  of  nature,  that  descendant 
of  the  naked  barbarians  of  centuries  before, 
the  noble  red  man. 


LOCATION,    SIZE,    GEOLOGY. 


Whitley  county  originally  comprised 
townships  30.  31,  and  32  in  each  of  the 
ranges  8.  9  and  10  east  of  the  second  prin- 
cipal meridian  in  Indiana,  government  sur- 
vey, or  a  territory  eighteen  miles  square, 
containing  nine  congressional  townships. 
each  six  miles  square,  a  total  area  of  324 
square  miles.  To  this  was  later  added  the 
south  third  of  congressional  township  33, 
range  8  (Washington  civil  township,  No- 
ble county),  making  its  present  area  336 
square  miles.  This  territory  is  entirely  oc- 
cupied by  the  great  Saginaw  Erie  interlobate 
moraine,  two  members  of  which  are  dis- 
tinguishable within  its  limits,  the  outer  or 
third  and  fourth  Erie  moraines.  The  crest 
of  this  morainic  system  forming  the  water 
shed  between  the  Tippecanoe  and  Eel  rivers, 
passes  through  Troy  and  Thorncreek  town- 
ships, thus  leaving  the  greater  part  of  the 


county  upon  the  Erie  side.  Topographers 
locate  the  western  line  of  the  Maumee  River 
Basin  along  Eel  river,  placing  all  of  the 
county  east  of  that  stream  within  that  great 
valley.  This  is  not  technically  correct  but 
is  used  for  want  of  an  accurate  line  laid 
down  by  engineers.  The  only  recorded  bor- 
ings of  considerable  depth  into  the  earth 
are  at  Larwill  and  Columbia  City,  made 
about  the  year  1886;  a  later  boring  about 
the  year  1904,  at  Larwill,  confirms  the 
former.  These  borings  pass  through  about 
220  feet  of  drift,  and  its  thickness  can  not 
be  much  less  in  any  part  of  the  county  ex- 
cept in  the  south-east  corner  of  the  county 
where  it  touches  the  Wabash-Erie  channel. 
Perhaps  nowhere  else  in  the  whole  north- 
west, within  equal  limits,  does  the  surface 
of  the  drift  present  aspects  so  strongly 
marked  and  contrasted  in  character ;  yet  no- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


33 


where  else  in  the  state  is  it  more  difficult  to 
differentiate  and  correlate  the  various  mem- 
bers of  the  morainic  system.  There  are  at 
least  five  distinct  topographical  types  which 
agree  only  in  strong  features,  limited  area 
and  confused  arrangement.  These  will  be 
described  and  afterward  an  attempt  will  be 
made  to  arrange  them  in  accordance  with 
the  general  plan  of  the  morainic  system  of 
north-eastern  Indiana. 

In  the  townships  of  Washington,  Jeffer- 
son and  the  southern  third  of  Union,  the  sur- 
face is  best  described  by  the  word  flat.  It 
forms  a  part  of  the  great  level  plain  of 
east  central  Indiana,  except  that  in  the  south- 
east corner  of  Jefferson  township,  near  the 
old  Wabash-Erie  canal  the  surface  is  much 
broken,  equal  to  the  most  rugged  parts  in 
the  north  and  western  part  of  the  county, 
while  generally  in  this  flat  part  of  the  county 
the  slopes  are  sufficient  for  drainage,  they 
are  usually  imperceptible  to  the  eye,  and  can 
be  determined  only  by  the  general  course 
of  the  streams.  The  surface  resembles  that 
of  a  sheet  of  paper  which  has  been  wet  and 
dried,  the  depressions  and  elevations  having 
very  slight  relief  and  no  definite  boundaries. 
The  concavities  are  perceptible  only  because 
the  water  stands  in  them  like  puddles  on  a 
flat  tin  roof.  The  only  relief  from  un- 
broken monotony  is  afforded  by  the  chan- 
nels of  the  streams,  which  have  been  eroded 
to  a  considerable  depth  and  which  grow 
deeper  as  the  stream  descends  towards  its 
mouth.  The  marshes,  now  almost  eradi- 
cated by  drainage,  are  like  a  platter  having 
only  an  insignificant  depth  and  no  definite 
margins.  The  soil  contains  very  few  bould- 
ers and  requires  understanding  to  realize 
its  full  fertility.     It  is  a  part  of  that  enor- 

3 


mous  mass  of  fine  mud,  which,  as  the  ice 
melted,  settled  quietly  to  the  bottom  of  the 
glaciers  and  is  known  as  ground  moraine. 
From  this  region,  several  streams  flow  east 
and  south  and  south-west,  all  toward  the 
Wabash-Erie  channel.  Indian  creek  and 
Big  Indian  creek  flow  in  parallel  courses 
eastward  to  join  the  Aboite,  just  above  its 
mouth  in  Allen  county.  Where  they  enter 
the  Aboite  valley,  they  are  bordered  by  bluffs 
forty  to  fifty  feet  high.  Along  the  southern 
boundary  are  the  headwaters  of  Calf  creek 
and  Clear  creek,  which  flow  south  through 
Huntington  county  to  the  Little  Wabash, 
commonly  known  as  Little  river.  Out  of 
the  marshes  of  northern  Washington  and 
north-west  Jefferson  townships.  Sugar  creek 
and  Stony  creek  wind  sluggishly  westwardly 
to  join  Eel  river.  Both  these  streams  have 
been  opened  up  of  late  years  by  county 
ditches,  adding  untold  wealth  to  the  agri- 
culture of  that  region.  The  drainage  of 
Sugar  creek,  with  its  numerous  branches, 
caused  a  great  deal  of  litigation,  and  the 
work  was  not  systematically  done,  but  was 
of  untold  value  and  increased  the  value  of 
the  real  estate  very  much.  The  perfecting 
of  this  drainage  is  now  being  agitated,  which 
will  make  it  of  more  value  than  any  other 
system  of  drainage  in  the  county,  not  even 
considering  the  dredging  of  old  Eel  river. 

This  whole  region  seems  characterized 
chiefly  by  its  want  of  character.  A  slight 
but  perceptible  ridge  along  the  east  tier  of 
sections  in  Washington  forms  the  water 
shed  between  the  Indian  and  Calf  creeks  on 
the  east  and  Clear  creek  and  the  Eel  river 
tributaries  on  the  west.  In  summing  up  the 
results  of  the  survey,  this  ridge  is  found  to 
possess  more  importance  than  its  appearance 


34 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


seems  to  warrant.  Passing  west  into  the 
southern  part  of  Cleveland  township,  a 
marked  change  is  discernible.  Here  the  sur- 
face is  no  longer  Hat,  but  corrugated  with 
gently  sloping  ridges  which  are  elevated 
above  the  general  level  and  extend  north- 
east and  south-west.  These  ridges  grow 
successively  higher  to  a  summit  two  to  four 
miles  east  of  the  west  county  line,  whence 
they  fall  away  more  rapidly  to  the  Eel  river 
valley  in  Wabash  county.  Hurricane  creek 
and  other  small  streams  cut  across  them 
almost  at  right  angles  and  flow  westward 
through  deep  channels.  These  ridges  are 
also  pitted  with  frequent  kettle  holes. 

At  the  west  line  of  the  county,  the  sandy 
and  gently  undulating  valley  of  Eel  river 
is  encountered,  here  about  one  mile  wide, 
the  slopes  on  either  side  being  gradual  and 
without  bluffs.  In  the  four  or  five  miles 
of  its  course,  east  of  South  Whitley,  the 
river  flows  at  the  bottom  of  a  much  deeper 
and  narrower  valley.  The  hills  upon  either 
side  rise  to  a  greater  height  and  have  more 
abrupt  slopes.  In  section  i,  township  30. 
range  8.  two  very  curious  depressions  ex- 
tend back  from  the  river  into  the  hills.  One 
is  narrow  and  over  a  half  mile  long,  the 
other  smaller,  but  separated  from  the  first 
by  a  narrow  ridge  like  a  canal  tow-path. 
They  are  now  occupied  by  swamps,  but  were 
originally  lakes  exactly  similar  to  some  of 
those  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county. 
They  are  the  southernmost  specimens  of 
morainic  or  kettle-hole  lakes  to  be  found 
upon  the  Erie  side  of  the  Saginaw-Erie  sys- 
tem. The  ridges  of  Cleveland  township 
form  a  part  of  the  Mississinewa  or  fourth 
Erie  moraine,  through  which  Eel  river,  fol- 
lowing   the    example    of    so    many    other 


streams  in  this  region,  here  cuts  transversely. 
In  the  north-west  half  of  Columbia  and 
the  east  half  of  Richland  townships,  the 
fourth  moraine  assumes  a  character  which 
words  are  powerless  to  picture.  The  coun- 
try is  entirely  occupied  by  deep,  irregular, 
elongated  valleys  with  narrow  sharp  wind- 
ing ridges  between,  all  in  inextricable,  in- 
describable and  almost  unmapable  confusion. 
In  a  somewhat  extensive  study  of  the  great 
morainic  belts  of  North  America,  by  per- 
sonal observation  and  published  reports. 
Prof.  Charles  Dryer  says  he  has  never  seen 
or  found  described  anything  nearly  resem- 
bling this  area.  It  covers  in  all  about  forty 
square  miles  and  the  greatest  distance  of 
level  probably  does  not  exceed  100  feet,  yet 
this  little  patch  of  the  earth's  surface  is 
unique.  The  roads  through  it  were  origi- 
nally very  crooked  to  avoid  the  marshes  and, 
though  somewhat  improved  by  drainage  and 
good  graveling,  will  always  remain  of  the 
crooked  type.  In  whatever  direction  one 
travels,  it  is  one  continuous  succession  of 
steep  descents  and  ascents.  The  ridges  are 
composed  of  rather  barren  clay  and  the  val- 
leys occupied  originally  by  marshes  and  tam- 
arack swamps.  The  relief  might  be  imitated 
by  taking  a  block  of  plastic  clay  and  gouging 
it  with  some  blunt  instrument  in  the  most 
irregular  manner  possible,  somewhat  as  the 
ancient  Babylonians  did  their  bricks.  It  is 
one  of  nature's  cuneiform  inscriptions,  and 
as  difficult  of  interpretation  as  those  of  the 
Euphrates  valley.  This  type  of  topography 
may  he  called  chasmed.  It  is  now  impossi- 
ble to  imagine  with  any  definiteness  of  de- 
tail the  process  by  which  this  little  bit  of 
the  face  of  the  earth  was  put  in  its  present 
shape.     Another  strange  peculiarity,  is  that 


1406385 

WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


35 


a  country  which  so  abounds  in  depressions 
is  almost  devoid  of  lakes.  This  condition 
continues  to  and  beyond  the  west  line  of 
Richland  township  to  about  the  center,  north 
and  south,  or  the  entire  west  side  of  town- 
ship 31,  range  8. 

Black  lake,  section  27,  and  Wilson  lake, 
section  35,  township  32,  range  8,  lie  upon 
the  north-western  border  of  this  region. 
The  former  originally  covered  about  forty 
acres,  is  shallow  and  almost  free  from  vege- 
tation. An  unusually  high  and  precipitous 
ridge  separates  the  two.  From  these  lakes 
Spring  creek  flows  southward  through  the 
chasms  to  Eel  river  near  South  Whitley. 
North  of  the  middle  of  Richland  township, 
the  surface  smoothes  out,  decidedly  retain- 
ing similar  features  in  a  much  milder  form, 
and  may  be  called  gently  sloping.  This 
comparatively  smooth  interval  extends  west- 
ward nearly  to  the  county  line,  and  to  the 
north  occupies  the  greater  part  of  Troy  and 
Etna  townships.  Although  the  contrast  be- 
tween the  precipitous  chasms  on  the  east 
and  the  gentle  undulations  on  the  west  is 
very  strong,  it  is  impossible  to  draw  more 
than  an  approximate  line.  The  village  of 
Larwill  is  situated  upon  this  boundary, 
which  extends  thence  south-ward  and  south- 
west and  toward  the  north-east,  passing  be- 
tween Loon  and  Crooked  lakes.  On  the 
west  side  of  the  interval  and  in  Kosciusko 
county,  the  surface  becomes  again  tumbled 
and  broken,  assuming  the  usual  characters 
of  a  moraine.  This  type  of  typography, 
which  may  be  fitly  designated  as  crumpled, 
touches  Whitley  county  near  Robinson  lake, 
section  18,  Troy  township.  This  lake  with 
an  original  area  of  about  150  acres  has  an 
average  depth  of  thirty  feet  and  a  maximum 


of  fifty-two  feet  near  the  south-west  end. 
It  is  drained  north-westward  into  the  Tip- 
pecanoe. Etna  township  and  the  northern 
part  of  Troy  have  the  appearance  of  an 
elevated  tableland,  a  smooth  plain,  not  level, 
but  slightly  inclined  to  the  west.  Ridges 
and  gorges  are  wholly  absent.  It  is  a  coun- 
try of  long,  gentle  slopes  and  wide  vistas, 
from  which  woods  beyond  fields  may  be  seen 
stretching  away  to  a  horizon  dim  in  the 
distance.  It  is  remarkable  that  this  com- 
paratively level  interval  should  be  found 
upon  the  very  crest  of  the  Saginaw-Erie 
interlobate  moraine,  the  slopes  on  either  side 
being  much  more  rough  and  irregular.  Like 
the  valley  of  Upper  Pigeon  creek  in  Steuben 
county,  and  a  portion  of  north-western  De 
Ivalb  county,  it  looks  as  though  it  once  might 
have  been  a  wide  and  deep  valley,  subse- 
quently filled  by  overwash  from  either  side. 
This  impression  is  made  stronger  by  the  fact 
that  in  both  cases  the  interval  is  found  to 
contain  extensive  sand  streams.  The  one 
described  as  lying  south  of  Fremont,  Steuben 
county,  is  matched  by  the  deposits  of  sand 
south  and  west  of  Loon  lake,  sections  t  and 
2,  Troy. 

In  Whitley  county  the  interval  contains 
several  lakes.  Cedar  lake,  sections  10  and 
11,  Troy,  originally  of  about  150  acres,  has 
been  lowered  ten  feet  by  a  ditch  and  has  a 
sand  beach  nearly  all  around  it,  in  some 
places  ten  rods  wide.  The  deepest  place 
found  is  forty-five  feet.  Goose  lake,  in  sec- 
tion 12,  resembles  Cedar,  but  is  only  about 
half  as  large.  In  this  region  also  is  Loon 
lake,  one  of  the  largest  in  the  county.  It 
occupies  parts  of  sections  36,  Etna ;  1,  Troy ; 
and  6,  Thorncreek;  and  about  one-half  its 
area  is  comprised  in   Noble  county.     It  is 


36 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


broadly  bottle-shaped,  with  a  short  neck 
to  the  north,  one  mile  and  a  quarter  long 
by  a  half  mile  wide.  The  shores  are  low 
but  clean,  without  marsh  except  at  the  north 
and  south  ends.  The  water  is  so  clear  that 
the  bottom  can  be  distinctly  seen  at  depths 
of  thirty  or  forty  feet.  Between  the  south 
shore  and  a  small  island,  depths  of  thirty- 
five  or  forty  feet  are  found.  From  the  island 
a  gravel  bar  covered  with  small  boulders 
extends  westward.  The  main  body  of  the 
lake  has  a  depth  varying  but  little  from 
seventy  feet.  One  sounding  north-west  of 
the  island  reached  the  very  unusual  figure  of 
1 02  feet,  thus  placing  Loon  lake  among  the 
list  of  the  deepest  lakes  in  the  state.  Tribu- 
tary to  Loon  lake  are  Old  lake  and  New 
lake,  each  of  about  eighty  acres,  the  latter 
interesting  from  the  fact  that  within  a  few 
years  it  has  been  drained  and  diminished  to 
one-half  its  size.  The  wide  beach  of  sand 
and  shells  are  almost  bare  of  vegetation,  but 
the  little  lobelia  Kalmii  is  rapidly  taking 
possession,  with  only  Lysiwachia  ciliata  and 
Cassia  Marilandica  for  competitors.  The 
country  around  these  lakes  is  moderately 
uneven,  but  its  irregularity  is  not  at  all  com- 
parable with  that  of  the  regions  on  the  east 
and  west  of  it.  The  lake  basins  are  great 
depressions  in  a  surface  otherwise  compara- 
tively smooth. 

The  remainder  of  Whitley  county,  in- 
cluding the  townships  of  Thorncreek  and 
Smith  and  the  portions  of  Columbia  and 
Union,  present  the  usual  features  of 
crumpled  moraine  topography  in  moderate 
strength  and  great  variety.  It  is  divided 
diagonally  from  north-east  to  south-west  by 
the  valley  of  Blue  river,  which  here  serves 
to  separate  the  third  and  fourth  Erie  mo- 


raines. The  latter  contains  a  group  of  lakes, 
which  for  beauty  and  general  attractiveness- 
may  challenge  comparison  with  any  of  their 
Indiana  rivals.  Shriner,  Cedar  and  Round 
in  Thorncreek,  are  as  pretty  a  trio  of  lakes 
as  one  can  wish  to  see.  They  occupy  paral- 
lel valleys  separated  by  slight  ridges.  On 
these  ridges  are  several  cottages,  and  the 
whole  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  regions 
to  be  found  anywhere.  Shriner  is  a  mile 
and  a  quarter  long  by  a  quarter  wide.  Its 
level  was  lowered  many  years  ago  by  a  ditch 
cut  through  the  ridge  to  Round  lake.  The 
stream  connecting  the  two  rivals  the  most 
beautiful  trout  streams  of  the  mountains. 
The  cutting  of  this  ditch  was  the  occasion 
for  one  of  the  early  cases  of  litigation  in 
the  county.  The  present  shores  of  Shriner 
lake  are  remarkably  clean  and  present  many 
most  beautiful  landing  places.  The  water 
from  the  shores  deepens  rapidly  and  is  very 
clear.  At  either  end  the  banks  are  low,  at 
the  east  very  sandy,  at  the  west  marshy, 
while  along  the  central  part  on  either  side 
are  beautiful  high  bluffs  covered  by  native 
forest  trees.  The  depth  varies  from  forty- 
five  to  seventy  feet. 

Cedar  is  much  like  Shriner  but  more  ir- 
regular. The  lower  fourth  is  separated 
from  the  main  body  by  narrows.  Its  level 
was  raised  by  a  dam  at  the  same  time  Shrin- 
er's  was  lowered  and  the  shallow  space  thus 
gained  is  entirely  occupied  by  aquatic  vege- 
tation, chiefly  nuphar.  These  two  lakes 
furnish  an  illustration  of  the  law  that  lower- 
ing a  lake  leaves  clean  shores  and  raising  it 
results  in  the  formation  of  a  marshy  border. 
The  depth  of  Cedar  lake  varies  from  forty- 
five  to  seventy-nine  feet  in  the  center  of  the 
upper  basin.     Round  lake  occupies  an  area 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


37 


of  about  1 60  acres,  lies  at  the  same  level  as 
Cedar,  connected  by  the  strait  or  ditch 
already  described.  Its  axis  is  at  right  angles 
with  that  of  Cedar  and  its  depth  thirty-five 
to  sixty  feet.  These  lakes  are  drained 
through  Thorncreek  into  Blue  river. 

Separated  from  the  west  end  of  Cedar 
by  a  divide  a  quarter  of  a  mile  across  and 
twenty-five  or  thirty  feet  high  is  Crooked 
lake,  which  empties  westward  into  the  Tippe- 
canoe river.  Its  axis  continues  the  general 
direction  of  Shriner  and  Cedar,  south-east 
and  north-west,  but  it  is  nearly  as  large  as 
the  other  two  and  much  more  irregular  in 
outline  and  bottom.  The  upper  basin  is  small 
and  partially  separated  from  the  central  by 
a  narrow  gravel  ridge.  The  central  basin 
is  half  a  mile  in  diameter  and  near  its  center 
is  found  among  the  deepest  soundings  ever 
made  in  an  Indiana  lake:  107  feet.  The 
lower  end  extends  into  Noble  county.  The 
shores  are*  clean  and  gravelly  and  the  hills 
on  either  side  probably  form  the  highest 
ground  in  Whitley  county.  The  group  of 
lakes  comprising  Shriner's,  Round,  Cedar 
and  Crooked,  furnish  five  or  six  miles  of 
boating  and  offer  attractions  for  the  camper, 
sportsman,  fisherman  and  artist,  such  as  are 
equaled  by  few  places  in  the  state. 

Blue  River  Valley  contains  one  lake 
which  is  distinguished  as  being  inter-mo- 
rainic  rather  than  intra-morainic.  Blue 
River  lake,  in  sections  9,  10,  15  and  16, 
Smith,  has  a  basin  one-half  mile  by  a  mile 
and  a  half,  with  low  shores  and  a  very  uni- 
form depth  of  forty  to  fifty-five  feet. 
Aquatic  vegetation  in  great  variety  and  pro- 
fusion furnishes  a  botanist's  paradise.  The 
shores  are  nearly  surrounded  by  a  broad  belt 
of  plants  arranged  in  distinct  zones,  accord- 


ing to  the  depth  of  the  water.  On  ap- 
proaching the  shore,  the  first  zone  appears 
at  depths  between  six  and  eight  feet  and  con- 
sists of  Brasenia,  Potamogeton,  species  with 
filiform  leaves  being  very  abundant,  Utricu- 
laria  and  Myriophyllum.  At  a  depth  of 
four  feet,  Nuphar  covers  the  water  with  its 
leaves,  the  spaces  between  being  filled  with 
a  dense  mass  of  Chara  covered  with  a  mantle 
of  Lemna.  Here  navigation  becomes  diffi- 
cult. At  a  depth  of  three  feet  Pontederia 
appears  with  Polygonum  Amphibium.  At 
two  feet  the  water  passes  gradually  into  a 
jungle  of  Decodon.  Typha,  Polygonum 
nodosum,  Phragmites  and  Salix,  passable 
only  by  birds  and  reptiles.  This  lake  is  the 
only  locality  in  north-eastern  Indiana  where 
the  splendid  Nelumbo  lutea  occurs,  and  here 
it  is  as  abundant  as  Nymphse.  Flowers 
are  difficult  to  procure  because  they  are 
gathered  by  numerous  visitors  as  fast  as 
they  open,  but  the  leaves  rolled  up  and  rock- 
ing like  a  boat,  or  expanded  into  an  orbicu- 
lar shield  twenty  to  thirty  inches  in  diameter 
and  flapping  in  the  wind,  present  an  inter- 
esting and  attractive  sight.  The  water  in 
mid-summer  has  the  appearance  of  muddy 
coffee,  and  through  the  whole  season  teems 
with  plant  and  animal  life.  Such  a  lake 
as  this  would  repay  a  thorough  and  pro- 
longed biological  examination  and  would 
furnish  the  naturalist  with  material  enough 
for  several  years'  study.  Here  also  the 
artist  finds  a  rich  and  unworked  field.  He 
would  transfer  to  his  sketch  book  the  dark, 
glossy  green,  triangular  leaves  and  showy 
purple  spikes  of  the  pickerel  weed,  the  sym- 
metrical oval  crimson  shields  of  Brazenia, 
the  boat-bell  shaped  saucers  of  the  Nelumbo, 
the  Victoria  regia  of  the  North,  the  grace- 


38 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


ful  dignity  of  the  reed  grass,  the  swaying 
stems  and  densely  whorled  capillary  leaves 
of  the  water  milfoil  and  numberless  forms 
of  Chara,  pond  weed,  and  bladderwort, 
which  would  be  new  to  decorative  art,  and 
in  place  of  the  conventional  cat-tail  and 
pond-lilly,  would  astonish  and  delight  not 
only  the  natives  but  the  world. 

The  lakes  of  Whitley  county  are  not  nu- 
merous, but  they  include  some  of  the  bright- 
est gems  of  their  class;  delightful  to  the 
sportsman,  the  naturalist,  the  artist  and  the 
lover  of  nature  in  her  most  charming  aspects. 

The  surface  of  Smith  township  and  the 
greater  part  of  Union  is  greatly  undulating, 
of  a  subdued  morainic  type.  The  long 
slopes,  large  fields  and  open  forests,  give  to 
many  portions  of  it  the  appearance  of  an 
English  park.  Around  Coesse  it  is  more  ir- 
regular, with  sharper  ridges  and  numerous 
tamarack  swamps.  Southern  Union,  north- 
ern Jefferson  and  north-eastern  Washington 
are  very  flat.  Mud  creek  is  very  nearly 
the  dividing  line  between  the  flat  and  the 
crumpled  country.  One  feature  of  this  re- 
gion, not  in  itself  obtrusive,  is  of  special 
significance  to  the  geologist.  A  mild 
boulder  belt  can  be  traced  from  section  34, 
Smith,  in  a  south-west  direction  to  section 
32,  Union,  beyond  which  it  is  lost  in  the 
thickly  wooded  swamps.  It  is  about  seven 
miles  long  and  from  a  half  mile  to  a  mile 
in  width,  with  well  defined  edges  and  as  un- 
mistakable as  a  highway.  The  boulders 
are  chiefly  granite,  rounded  and  sub-angular, 
averaging  two  or  three  feet  in  diameter,  and 
the  largest  twice  that  size.  This  belt  bears 
directly  toward  the  divide  in  sections  35 
and  36,  Washington,  where  also  boulders 
are  large  and  numerous.     This  line  extended 


southward  would  pass  near  the  city  of 
Huntington  where  the  immense  accumula- 
tion of  boulders  has  long  been  a  puzzle  to 
geologists.  W'hether  a  distinct  boulder  belt 
exists  in  northern  Huntington  county  has 
not  yet  been  determined. 

The  drainage  system  of  Whitley  county 
does  not  conform,  except  in  the  most  general 
way,  to  the  chief  topographical  features. 
The  great  divide  between  the  tributaries  of 
Eel  river  and  the  Tippecanoe,  in  the  north- 
western part  of  the  county,  is  a  compara- 
tively level  table  land;  in  fact  an  interval 
between  the  Saginaw  moraine  in  Kosciusko 
county  and  the  fourth  or  outer  Erie  moraine. 
Through  the  valleys  and  gorges  of  the  latter 
flow  the  north-western  tributaries  of  Blue 
and  Eel  rivers.  The  principal  drainage  line 
of  the  region  of  Blue  river,  which  rises  near 
Avilla,  Noble  county,  and  passes  through 
a  tortuous  and  varied  course  to  its  junction 
with  the  Eel,  in  section  23.  Columbia.  Most 
of  the  way  it  has  occupied  a  channel  much 
too  big  for  it,  bordered  by  a  marsh  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  wide,  but  in  some  portions,  as  at 
Columbia  City,  the  valley  is  no  wider  than 
the  stream.  The  dredging  of  this  river 
through  the  north-eastern  part  of  the  county 
recently  and  the  completion  of  the  same  at 
this  writing,  to  its  mouth,  has  left  Blue  river 
but  a  big  ditch  and  much  straightened.  The 
wide  parts  of  this  valley  are  undoubted  frag- 
ments of  a  once  continuous  glacial  drainage 
channel,  or  system  of  channels,  from  one 
to  another  of  which  the  present  river  has 
cut  its  way  in  past  glacial  times.  In  doing 
so,  it  has  left  here  and  there  an  old  bayou 
at  one  side,  the  largest  of  which  is  the  marsh 
extending  from  the  bend  of  the  river  in 
section  17,  Smith  township,  southward  two 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


39 


miles.  The  valley  of  Blue  river  marks  the 
interval  between  the  third  and  fourth  Erie 
moraines. 

Eel  river  rises  in  the  interval  between  the 
second  and  third  Erie  moraines  in  north- 
western Allen  county  and  flows  across  the 
third  moraine  to  the  mouth  of  the  Blue. 
Thus  far  it  is  geologically  a  younger  and  less 
important  stream  than  the  latter.  Three 
miles  below  their  junction  in  section  32, 
Columbia,  the  united  streams  turn  west- 
ward and  cut  directly  through  the  fourth 
moraine,  after  passing  which,  they  resume 
their  original  south-westerly  direction. 

The  following  is  from  the  seventeenth 
report  of  the  Indiana  state  geologist :  "The 
first  and  second  Erie  moraines  have  already 
been  described  in  a  previous  report  under 
the  name  of  the  St.  Mary's  and  St.  Joseph 
and  Wabash-Aboit  moraines.  Since  that 
report  was  submitted,  two  more  morainic 
lines  have  been  distinguished  north  of  the 
Wabash  river,  as  belonging  to  the  Erie  sys- 
tem and  corresponding  to  similar  lines  south. 
of  the  Wabash.  The  existence  of  these 
moraines,  and  the  general  plan  of  the  system, 
was  indicated  and  outlined  in  the  previous 
report  (Sixteenth  Report,  P.  123-4).  A 
private  letter  from  Mr.  Frank  Leverett,  of 
the  United  States  geological  survey,  who  is 
engaged  upon  an  extensive  examination  of 
the  drift  of  Illinois,  Indiana  and  Ohio,  con- 
firms and  supplements  the  predictions  there 
made  in  a  very  gratifying  manner.  The 
third  or  Salamonie  moraine  follows  the  right 
bank  of  the  Salamonie  river  through  the 
counties  of  Jay,  Blackford  and  Wells  into 
the  south-eastern  part  of  Huntington  count}'. 
According  to  Leverett  its  features  are  weak, 
irregular  and  discontinuous.     The  fourth  or 


Mississinewa  moraine  follows  the  right  bank 
of  the  Mississinewa  river  through  the  coun- 
ties of  Jay,  Delaware,  Blackford  and  Grant 
into  the  eastern  part  of  Wabash,  where  ac- 
cording to  the  same  authority  it  is  very 
strong,  crossing  the  Wabash  river  at  Lagro 
and  passing  northward  to  the  south-east  cor- 
ner of  Whitley  county.  The  counties  of 
Steuben,  Lagrange.  Noble.  Dekalb,  Whitley 
and  Kosciusko  have  long  been  known  to  be 
occupied  by  a  broad  and  strong-featured 
mass  of  drift,  the  joint  product  of  a  tongue 
of  ice  proceeding  from  Saginaw  Bay  and 
another  thrust  forward  from  Lake  Erie  and 
known  as  the  Saginaw-Erie  interlobate  mo- 
raine. From  this  great  mass  it  has  been 
the  privilege  of  the  writer  to  distinguish 
and  separate  two  morainic  lines,  forming 
continuations  of  the  Salamonie  and  Missis- 
sinewa ridges.  While  the  work  of  differ- 
entiation and  correlation  has  been  in  some 
places  difficult,  in  others  it  has  been  so  easy 
as  to  leave  no  doubt  in  regard  to  the  general 
conclusions.  South  of  the  Wabash  river, 
the  Erie  moraines  are  separated  by  intervals 
of  ten  to  fifteen  miles,  while  north  of  that 
river,  owing  to  the  obstruction  offered  by 
the  Saginaw  glacier,  they  are  so  crowded 
together  as  to  be  almost  contiguous.  While 
it  is  thus  rendered  impossible  to  fix  then- 
exact  dividing  lines  throughout  their  whole 
extent,  certain  features  here  and  there  are  so 
obvious  and  suggestive  as  to  be  unmistak- 
able. The  third  moraine  extends  from  the 
north-eastern  comer  of  the  state  through 
eastern  Steuben  and  north-western  Dekalb, 
the  south-eastern  corner  of  Noble,  the  north- 
western corner  of  Allen  and  the  eastern  part 
of  Whitley  counties.  In  the  south-eastern 
part  of  the  latter  county,  it  ceases  to  be  a 


40 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


prominent  topographical  feature,  but  is  rep- 
resented by  a  mild  boulder  belt.  The  in- 
terval between  the  third  and  fourth  moraines 
is,  in  Steuben  county,  from  three  to  six- 
miles  wide,  but  in  Dekalb  county  the  two 
moraines  are  contiguous  and  undistinguish- 
able.  Tn  Noble  and  Whitley  counties  they 
are  very  close  together,  but  separated  by  the 
valley  of  Blue  river.  The  fourth  moraine 
is  very  strong  in  north  central  Steuben  and 
the  line  of  demarkation  between  the  Erie  and 
Saginaw  drift  is  very  distinct.  In  south- 
western Steuben  and  in  Noble  county,  this 
line,  if  it  exists,  has  not  been  determined. 
In  Whitley  county  a  level  interval  of  three 
or  four  miles  bounds  the  outer  Erie  moraine 
on  the  west.  The  present  divide  between 
the  basins  of  Lake  Erie  and  Lake  Michigan 
lies  in  Steuben  county,  between  the  third  and 
fourth  moraines,  in  Dekalb  and  Noble  coun- 
ties, along  the  crest  of  the  fourth,  while  in 
Whitley  county  the  divide  between  the  Eel 
river  and  the  Tippecanoe  lies  in  the  interval 
outside  of  the  fourth.  The  following  tables, 
gleaned  from  various  sources,  give  a  general 
idea  of  the  elevations  of  these  moraines  : 

Elevations   of    the    Salomonie   or   third 
Erie  moraine: 

Altitude. 
One  mile  north  of  Reading,  Hillsdale 

county,    Mich 1,220 

Ray  (Michigan  and  Indiana  line) .  .  .    1,073 

Fish  Lake,  Steuben  county,  Ind 887 

Summil  Station,  Dekalb  county,  Ind.  1,001 
Summit   west  of  Corunna,   Dekalb 

county,   Ind 991 

Swan.  Noble  county,   Ind 905 

Potter's,    Noble   and   Allen   counties, 

Ind 881 

Churubusco,  Whitley  county,  Ind.  .  .       899 


Summit  near  Coesse,  Whitley  county, 

Ind 877 

Huntington,  Huntington  county,  Ind.  741 

Plateau  south  of  Huntington 813 

Keystone,  Wells  county,  Ind 895 

Summit  west  of  Portland,  Jay  county, 

Ind 955 

New  Bremen,  Mercer  county,  Ohio.  .  1,038 

St.  John's,  Auglaize  county,  Ohio.  .  1,063 

Elevations  on  the  Mississinewa  or 
fourth  Erie  moraine : 

Altitude. 

Fremont,  Steuben  county M42 

Angola 1 ,052 

Summit,  three  miles  south  of  Kendall- 

ville    1,017 

Columbia  City 837 

South  Whitley 805 

Divide    between    Eel     and    Wabash 

rivers,  Wabash  county 829 

La  Gro,  Wabash  county 698 

A  confusion  of  these  elevations  with 
those  of  the  first  and  second  Erie  moraines 
given  in  the  sixteenth  report  of  the  state 
geologist,  pages  115  to  122,  shows  the  same 
general  descent  in  each,  from  the  extremities 
toward  the  apex  and  a  progressive  eleva- 
tion of  the  extremities  and  a  depression  of 
the  apices  from  the  first  to  the  fourth.  The 
first  and  second  are  composed  of  the  same 
material  as  the  general  ground  moraine  of 
the  region,  a  stiff,  gravelly  clay,  kettle  holes, 
lakes,  domes,  peaks  and  the  usual  features 
of  moraine  topography  being  almost  wholly 
absent.  The  third  and  fourth,  north  of  the 
Wabash  river,  contain  large  masses  of  sand 
and  gravel  and  present  all  the  peculiar  mo- 
rain  ic  characters  in  strong  development. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


4i 


In  north-eastern  Indiana  the  story  of  the 
advance,  the  struggle  and  the  retreat  of  the 
glaciers  is  .written  in  characters  so  plain 
that  he  who  runs  may  read. 

The  borings  for  gas  or  oil  at  Larwill 
and  Columbia  City  are  as  follows : 


Columbia  City..   224     526     400     217     40 

Larwill   220     565     512     250     82 

No  gas  or  oil  were  found  in  either.  At 
Columbia  City  a  strong  flow  of  excellent 
water  with  a  temperature  of  forty-five  de- 
grees F. 


EARLIEST  HISTORY. 

ORGANIZATION     AND     CHANGES     IN     COUNTY    AND   TOWNSHIPS. 


BY   S.    P.    KALER. 


The  early  claims  of  European  monarchs 
to  large  portions  of  the  western  continent 
were  based  upon  first  discoveries  by  their 
subjects,  and  were  maintained  upon  very 
slender  threads  of  fact  interwoven  with  su- 
perstitious fancy.  Boundaries  were  hardly 
approximately  defined,  and  such  terms  as 
headwaters,  portage,  tide  water,  fort,  Indian 
villages  and  residences  of  white  or  red 
men.  were  described  in  early  records  as 
monuments  from  which  lines  ran.  Many  of 
them  were  run  by  parallels'  extending  in- 
definitely into  the  undiscovered,  unexplored 
and  unknown.  The  country  was  so  vast,  wild 
and  unknown,  lakes,  rivers  and  mountains 
so  mythical  and  indefinite,  that  there  were 
no  facts  upon  which  to  base  contentions  and 
no  one  to  raise  dispute.  It  will  never  be 
known  to  a  certainty  when  the  foot  of  white 
man  first  pressed  the  soil  of  Whitley  county, 
or  who  that  white  man  was. 

La  Salle  established  himself  as  a  trader 
with  the  Indians  in  Canada,  in  1669.  As 
grew  his  business,  so  grew  his  ambitions  as 
an  explorer.  He  conceived  the  plan  of 
seeking  a  northwest  passage  to  the  Pacific. 


that  is,  to  a  sea  he  felt  must  lie  beyond  the 
land,  and  he  believed  not  far  off.  He  sup- 
posed Lake  Superior  near  that  sea,  if  indeed 
not  an  arm  of  it  extending  into  the  land. 

Frontenac,  governor-general  of  Canada, 
joined  in  the  golden  dream,  and  gave  en- 
couragement to  an  exploring  expedition  to 
find  the  sea,  but  before  it  had  gotten  under 
way  the  west  shore  of  Lake  Michigan  was 
discovered  and  explored  as  far  as  present 
Chicago.  Marquette  discovered  the  Missis- 
sippi and  navigated  it  far  to  the  south,  re- 
turning by  way  of  the  east  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan,  in  1673.  These  things  caused 
explorations  to  be  made  into  the  interior, 
and  La  Salle  found  and  descended  the  Ohio, 
and  we  have  reason  to  believe  was  in  north- 
ern Indiana  in  1671.  Marquette  ascer- 
tained by  his  voyage  that  the  Mississippi 
emptied  into  the  sea  far  beyond  the  claims 
of  Spanish  territory,  and  that  it  could  be 
reached  by  way  of  Green  Bay  and  the  Wis- 
consin river  by  a  short  portage  or  by  way 
of  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Illinois  river  by 
way  of  the  Chicago  portage.  La  Salle 
learned  also  that  it  could  be  reached  easily 


42 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


by  the  St.  Joseph  and  Kankakee  rivers,  by 
means  of  a  short  portage  at  South  Bend, 
and  believed  other  streams  could  be  found 
by  way  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Ohio  much 
farther  east.  He  was  dazzled  with  the  hope 
of  a  vast  and  magnificent  realm  added  to  the 
French  crown.  His  dream  of  empire  was 
great,  of  federation  of  and  control  of  Indian 
tribes,  of  wealth  and  honor,  of  a  line  of 
French  military  posts  girdling  this  great 
area.  There  is  no  doubt  that  if  indeed  La 
Salle  did  not  traverse  this  region  in  person, 
he  did  by  his  couriers  and  explorers,  from 
1679  to  1683.  In  1679,  ne  crossed  the 
South  Bend  portage  and  descended  the 
Kankakee  to  the  Illinois,  and  some  mem- 
bers of  the  party  explored  every  river  and 
stream  that  would  carry  a  canoe,  at  least 
as  far  east  as  the  Maumee.  In  the  public 
archives  at  Paris  is  an  ancient  map,  a  copy 
of  which  may  be  seen  in  the  public  library 
at  Detroit.  It  purports  to  have  been  made 
by  d-Anville.  in  1686,  and  to  show  La  Salle's 
explorations.  It  represents  remarkably  well 
most  of  our  Indiana  streams.  The  inscrip- 
tion claims  it  was  drawn  under  the  personal 
direction  of  La  Salle  himself.  The  Wabash 
is  given  its  true  course,  as  is  also  the  Tip- 
pecanoe and  Kankakee.  Almost  as  accu- 
rately as  shown  on  our  maps  to-day,  is  the 
location  of  both  Blue  and  Eel  rivers,  Blue 
river  the  largest  and  most  prominent.  This 
accords  with  the  theory  of  geologists  thai 
Blue  river  was  originally  the  larger  and 
most  important  of  the  two  streams.  A 
portage  is  drawn  from  the  Maumee  forks  at 
Kekionga  (Fort  Wayne)  to  Blue  River 
lake.  Perhaps  the  first  fort  he  established 
was  Maumee  City,  on  the  Maumee  river. 
in  J 680,  ami  in  the  same  year  La  Salle  him- 


self gave  personal  direction  to  the  building 
of  the  fort  at  the  confluence  of  St.  Mary's 
and  St.  Joseph's  rivers,  now  Fort  Wayne. 
Enterprising  Frenchmen  at  once  established 
themselves  and  carried  on  a  large  trade  with 
the  Indians,  having  a  water  route  direct  to 
Lake  Erie. 

The  earliest  commandant  was  Sieur 
Courthemanche,  and  in  his  diary  for  1681 
he  speaks  of  the  superior  otter  skins  pur- 
chased from  the  Indian  tribes  living  north 
and  westward  about  thirty  miles  from  the 
post,  and  remarks  the  hospitality  with  which 
the  Indians  received  his  men.  There  can 
be  no  doubt,  therefore,  that  white  man 
visited  Whitley  county  in  1681. 

The  story  of  La  Salle's  return  to  France, 
the  royal  favor  and  assistance,  his  return,  his 
discouragements  amid  rising  hopes  and 
finally  his  death  by  violence  in  1687,  are  not 
pertinent  to  this  narrative. 

In  1 7 14,  Gov.  Alexander  Spotswood,  of 
the  colony  of  Virginia,  a  man  of  energy 
and  foresight,  viewed  with  alarm  the  push- 
ing of  the  French  into  this  undefined  coun- 
try. He  urged  on  the  English  king  and 
ministry  measures  to  reach  into  this  country 
and  take  possession,  as  against  France.  The 
king  and  his  advisers  were  slow  to  act,  and 
the  aggression  first  assumed  shape  through 
private  capital  and  enterprise,  and  as  early 
as  1716  they  attempted  to  bribe  the  In- 
dians to  their  standard  against  the  French, 
Naturally,  the  French  used  the  same  weap- 
ons, and  thus  white  men  encouraged  and 
bribed  the  Indians  into  inhuman  barbarism 
and  treachery,  and  were  the  real  cause  of  the 
trail  of  blood  and  savage  warfare  that  per- 
vaded this  country  for  more  than  a  hundred 
vears.  during  the  claim  and  counter-claim  of 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


43 


these  countries,  kept  up  until  after  the  ces- 
sion of  the  country  to  the  colonies,  indeed 
lingering  until  after  the  second  war  with 
England  in  1812. 

In  June,  1759,  three  hundred  French 
militia  and  six  hundred  Indians  marched 
from  the  Illinois  country  to  the  Mississippi, 
thence  the}'  went  by  canoes  down  that  river, 
then  by  way  of  the  Ohio  and  Wabash  to 
its  confluence  with  Eel  river,  thence  up  Eel 
river  to  a  point  near  the  headwaters  of  the 
Maumee  (Fort  Wayne),  thence  to  Lake 
Erie.  This  great  army  came  up  Eel  river 
to  some  point  in  Union  township,  Whitley 
county,  and  across  to  Fort  Wayne  on  the 
trail    already    established    by    the    traders. 

French  dominion  practically  ceased  over 
the  territory  in  1761,  though  peace  was  not 
concluded  with  England  till  the  following 
year,  but  the  state  of  affairs  in  this  country 
practically  remained  the  same,  the  French 
contending  after  the  treaty  of  peace  that  they 
were  to  have  possession  of  the  Maumee,  Eel 
and  Wabash  rivers.  George  Crogan,  of 
Pennsylvania,  Sir  William  Johnson's  sub- 
commissioner,  visited  the  country  with  an 
escort  in  1765,  traveling  from  Logansport 
along  Eel  river  to  the  Union  township  port- 
age to  Fort  Wayne.  He  records  of  his 
trip  through  what  is  now  Whitley  county, 
as  follows :  "We  traveled  along  Eel  river, 
passing  through  fine  clear  woods  and  some 
good  meadows,  though  not  so  large  as  some 
we  passed  a  few  days  before.  The  country 
is  more  overgrown  with  woods,  the  soil  is 
very  fine  and  rich  and  well  watered  with 
springs.  This  stream  runs  through  as  fine 
country  as  the  world  affords." 

Throughout  the  English  and  French 
claim  and  occupancy   of  the  territory,   the 


missionary  priest  was  an  occasional  visitor 
to  Whitley  county,  traders  from  Fort 
Wayne  and  from  the  Elkhart  country  came 
and  went,  soldiers  and  adventurers  passed 
through,  but  no  record  or  monument  is  left 
of  their  doings.  Within  our  limits  was 
neither  fort  nor  stockade,  though  we  were 
not  far  from  the  protected  ramparts  of  Fort 
Wayne.  Even  the  once  busy  carrying  place 
between  Blue  and  Elkhart  rivers,  known  to 
French  records,  is  lost  and  will  never  be 
found,  though  used  by  white  men,  and  a 
veritable  highway  for  the  Pottawottamies 
for  perhaps  centuries,  and  entirely  aban- 
doned little  more  than  a  hundred  years  ago. 
Gathering  the  fragments  of  history  relating 
to  this  once  important  thoroughfare,  study- 
ing the  topography  of  the  country,  giving 
importance  to  early  tradition  and  evidences 
as  late  as  1840,  we  feel  quite  sure  the  route 
struck  Whitley  county  at  or  about  Cold 
Springs  and  followed  the  little  stream  to 
Loon  lake  and  wound  deviously  among  our 
chain  of  lakes  by  way  of  Shriner  lake,  then 
a  place  of  importance  among  the  Indians, 
and  that  from  Round  lake  it  led  almost  di- 
rectly to  the  north  line  of  section  17,  in 
Smith  township.  The  proof  is  not  suffi- 
ciently conclusive  to  positively  state  this 
was  the  route,  but  all  evidence  obtainable 
warrants  the  belief  that  it  was. 

At  the  treaty  of  peace  between  England 
'and  the  colonies,  the  mother  country  insisted 
on  fixing  the  western  boundary  of  the  L  nited 
colonies  at  the  Ohio,  but  unaware  of  the 
richness  that  lay  between,  tired  of  the  long 
war  and  with  humbled  pride,  finally  agreed 
on  the  Mississippi.  The  treaties  by  which 
the  Indians  were  divested  of  their  title  to  this 
section,   are   all   of   record    in   the   nation's 


44 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


archives,  but  would  be  too  tiring  and  con- 
fusing if  attempted  to  be  followed  here, 
many  of  the  monuments  having  long  ago 
perished.  The  most  important  and  the  one 
worth  considering  in  a  general  historical 
article,  is  that  of  Greenville,  Ohio,  August 
3-  1795- 

The  first  attempt  at  white  man's  civil 
local  government  over  this  territory  was  in 
1778,  during  the  war  of  the  Revolution, 
when  the  English  organized  the  county  of 
Kent,  Upper  Canada,  with  seat  of  govern- 
ment at  Niagara  Falls.  The  north  and  east 
boundaries  of  this  county  were  characteristic 
of  the  period ;  understood  by  those  who 
made  them  perhaps  at  that  time,  but  now 
indefinable  by  anyone,  but  the  southern 
boundary  was  the  fortieth  parallel  and  the 
western  the  ninetieth  meridian,  so  that  pres- 
ent Whitley  county  is  surely  within  the  lim- 
its of  the  original  county  of  Kent,  Upper 
Canada.  An  election  was  held,  and  Wil- 
liam Grant  and  William  McComb  were 
elected  as  members  from  Kent  county  to  a 
legislature  that  soon  after  convened  at  Ni- 
agara Falls.  There  is  scant  record  in  exis- 
tence of  the  work  of  that  legislative  body, 
and  nothing  that  in  any  way  concerns  us. 
It  is  likely  they  did  but  little  than  resolve 
fealty  to  the  crown  in  the  impending  strug- 
gle. After  Great  Britain  had  relinquished 
her  sovereignty  over  us,  her  subjects  har- 
rassed  the  few  settlers  for  many  years,  as- 
suming to  control  them  in  their  helplessness. 
The  colonies  were  thoroughly  imbued  with 
the  fact  that  they  were  so  many  little  sov- 
ereignties, independent  of  each  other.  They 
had  fled  from  oppression  of  various  forms 
in  the  old  world.  Their  thoughts  of  govern- 
ment,    religion     and    even     family    control. 


were  widely  divergent,  and  it  required  the 
best  statesmen  and  patriots,  with  the  blood 
of  the  Revolution  yet  upon  their  clothes,  to 
secure  among  them  that  tranquillity  for 
which  they  had  fought  so  hard  and  endured 
so  much. 

There  were  different  colonial  claims  of 
ownership  over  the  newly  ceded  territory 
not  within  the  original  limits  of  their  re- 
spective colonies.  Especially  was  this  so 
in  regard  to  this,  the  northwest  territory, 
north  of  the  Ohio  river  and  west  of  Penn- 
sylvania. The  question,  after  vexations, 
quarrels  and  delays,  was  finally  settled  by 
ceding  all  these  claims  to  the  general  govern- 
ment, and  the  newly  acquired  domain  be- 
came national.  Massachusetts  claimed  this 
particular  territory  as  against  Virginia,  but 
never  attempted  to  exercise  political  con- 
trol, and  ceded  it  to  the  general  government, 
April  19,  1785.  Virginia  did  exercise 
authority  and  control,  and  we  were  clearly 
a  part  of  that  sovereignty  from  the  time 
British  control  lawfully  ceased  till  the 
creation  of  the  northwest  territory  with  a 
territorial  government. 

October,  1778,  (Vol.  IX,  P.  557,  Stat- 
utes at  Large)  the  general  assembly  of  Vir- 
ginia organized  the  territory  west  of  the 
Ohio  and  adjacent  to  the  Mississippi,  into 
the  county  of  Illinois,  and  appointed  Col. 
John  Todd  commandant,  who  exercised  un- 
disputed authority  and  therefore  settled  the 
title  in  Virginia.  Todd  transferred  certain 
powers  to  a  Mr.  Le  Gras  and  a  court  was 
held  at  Vincennes.  Thus,  in  October.  1778, 
we  were  Illinois  county,  Virginia,  or  Kent 
county,  Canada,  as  the  fortunes  of  war 
might  decree  between  England  and  America. 
English  title  extinguished  and  Virginia 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


45 


title  ceded  to  the  general  government,  July 
13,  1787,  congress  passed  an  ordinance  for 
the  government  of  the  Northwest  Territory. 
It  provided  for  the  appointment  of  a  gov- 
ernor for  three  years  unless  sooner  revoked. 
He  must  reside  in  the  territory  and  own  at 
least  one  thousand  acres  of  land.  A  sec- 
retary was  to  be  appointed  for  four  years 
and  must  reside  in  the  territory  and  own  at 
least  five  hundred  acres  of  land.  A  seal  was 
also  provided,  a  rude  form  of  government 
established  and  recognized.  The  creation  of 
a  national  territorial  government  over  the 
Northwest  Territory  dissolved  the  county  of 
Illinois,  state  of  Virginia. 

On  April  30,  1802,  congress  passed  a  law 
that  when  the  territory  within  certain  limits 
should  adopt  a  constitution,  it  should  be  ad- 
mitted as  the  state  of  Ohio  and  thus  Ohio 
became  a  state  in  the  Federal  Union  in  1803, 
without  ever  having  had  a  distinct  territorial 
government.  Ohio  as  it  now  is  was  never 
a  territory  except  as  originally  a  part  of 
Northwest  Territory.  August  15,  1796,  in 
the  absence  of  Gov.  St.  Clair,  Secretary 
Winthrob  established  Wayne  county,  and  it 
was  the  third  county  in  Northwest  Terri- 
tory. This  action  caused  some  ill  feeling 
between  the  governor  and  his  secretary,  the 
former  believing  such  county  government, 
so  far  away  from  the  seat  of  territorial  gov- 
ernment, might  bring  about  a  clash  of 
authority,  but  the  county  was  established 
with  seat  of  government  at  Detroit  and  we 
became  Wayne  county,  Northwest  Terri- 
tory. The  southern  boundary  began  at  the 
southernmost  point  on  Lake  Michigan  and 
ran  south-eastwardly  to  Fort  Recovery, 
Ohio,  passing  through  present  Huntington 
county,  taking  in  present  Whitley  county. 


but  the  line  was  quite  near  the  south-west 
corner  of  Whitley  county.  From  Fort  Re- 
covery the  line  ran  almost  due  east  through 
Ohio  to  the  western  reserve. 

Upon  the  establishment  of  Indiana  terri- 
tory, in  1800,  Gov.  William  Henry  Harrison 
thought  best  to  define  the  line  anew,  and  by 
proclamation,  January  14,  1803,  he  declared 
all  that  part  of  Indiana  territory  lying  north 
of  a  line  drawn  from  the  southernmost  point 
of  Lake  Michigan  to  Fort  Recovery,  to  be 
Wayne  county,  Indiana  territory,  and  we 
were  changed  from  Wayne  county,  North- 
west territory,  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana 
territory,  the  seat  of  government  still  being- 
at  Detroit,  that  territory  still  being  a  part 
of  Indiana  territory.  January  11,  1805. 
Michigan  territory  was  cut  off  from  In- 
diana territory  with  line  as  now  between  the 
states.  There  was  no  legislature  in  Indiana 
territory  until  after  Michigan  was  taken 
off  in  1805,  but  on  the  7th  day  of  March. 
1803,  Governor  Harrison,  by  proclamation 
and  without  warrant  of  law,  and  it  was 
openly  charged,  for  the  purpose  of  further- 
ing some  financial  schemes  of  relatives,  laid 
off  the  county  of  Dearborn,  the  line  ex- 
tending from  the  Ohio  river  to  the  north 
line  of  the  state,  and  at  least  far  enough 
west  of  the  east  line  to  include  all  of  Whit- 
ley county.  The  county  seat  was  Lawrence- 
burg.  In  1810,  the  legislature  formed  a 
county  in  the  north-east  part  of  the  state  and 
far  enough  south  to  include  nearly,  if  not 
all  of  Huntington  county,  and  to  it  was 
given  again  the  historic  name  of  Wayne,  and 
we  were  included.  In  1S18,  the  county  of 
Randolph  was  created  by  legislative  act  and 
we  fell  within  its  limits.  In  1823,  the 
county  of  Allen  was  created  and  we  became 


46 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


a .  part,  with  Fort  Wayne  as  county  seat. 
The  only  record  in  Allen  county  affecting 
this  territory  was  the  naming  of  all  original 
Whitley  county,  Murray  township,  Allen 
county,  and  the  survey  of  the  Goshen  road 
through  present  Smith  township.  In  1834, 
Huntington  county  was  created,  and  by  the 
same  legislative  act  the  original  boundaries 
of  Whitley  county  were  defined,  but  the  act 
recited  that  we  were  attached  to  Hunting- 
ton county  for  judicial  purposes. 

The  second  record  pertaining  to  Whit- 
ley county  is  in  Huntington  county.  In 
1834,  Whitley  county  was.  by  the  legisla- 
ture, defined  and  described  as  nine  congres- 
sional townships,  and  was  attached  to  Hunt- 
ington county  for  judicial  purposes.  As 
there  was  no  organization  of  any  kind  here, 
there  was  no  reason  for  any  jurisdiction  be- 
ing extended  over  the  few  straggling  settlers 
except  to  protect  their  persons  and  property 
with  law,  should  any  occasion  present,  but 
this  jurisdiction  carried  the  right  to  extend 
local  government  over  the  territory  should 
necessity  arise.  Allen  county,  in  1830.  had 
located  the  Fort  Wayne  and  Goshen  road 
across  its  territory  and  through  this  county 
over  the  trail  and  substantially  as  it  runs 
to-day  through  Churubusco,  but  few  of  the 
monuments  by  which  it  was  marked  exist 
to-day  and  no  surveyor  could  ascertain  at 
this  time  just  where  it  did  run,  there  having 
since  been  many  changes  of  record  in  both 
counties. 

The  entire  original  county  of  Whitley 
was  surveyed  in  the  years  1828  to  and  in- 
cluding 1840,  and  books  for  entry  were 
opened  at  Fort  Wayne  in  March,  1830.  The 
survey  began  in  the  south-west  corner  of  the 
county,   and   all   that  part  of  township  30, 


range  8  (now  Cleveland  township),  south 
of  Eel  river,  was  surveyed  in  1828,  by  Basil 
Bentley.  In  1834,  John  Hendricks  sur- 
veyed all  of  range  8,  north  of  Eel  river, 
being  the  remainder  of  Cleveland,  all  of 
Richland,  Troy  and  Etna  townships;  the 
latter  at  that  time  was  not  a  part  of  this 
county.  Washington  township  was  sur- 
veyed by  Basil  Bentley  and  William  Brook- 
field  in  1834.  All  of  Columbia  township, 
except  the  Reserve,  was  surveyed  in  1834, 
by  John  Hendricks.  The  Reserve  of  four- 
teen sections,  at  Seeks  Village,  were  sur- 
veyed in  a  whole  tract,  and  report  made  and 
work  concluded  in  October,  1827,  by  Chaun- 
cey  Carter,  and  in  1840,  the  same  man  sur- 
veyed the  reserve  into  sections  to  conform 
with  adjoining  lines.  John  Hendricks  sur- 
veyed the  whole  of  Thorncreek  township  in 
1834.  Basil  Bentley  surveyed  all  of  Jef- 
ferson township  except  the  reserve,  in  1828, 
and  Chauncey  Carter  surveyed  the  reserve 
in  1840.  John  Hendricks  surveyed  all  of 
Union  township  except  the  reserve  in  1834, 
and  as  before  stated,  Chauncey  Carter  sur- 
veyed the  reserve  in  1840.  David  Hill  sur- 
veyed all  of  Smith  township  in  1829.  All 
the  lands  in  the  county  were  entered  or  sold 
by  the  government  at  the  Fort  Wayne  land 
office,  except  that  ceded  by  the  general  gov- 
ernment to  the  state  as  swamp  lands,  and 
these  were  disposed  of  by  the  state  from  the 
Indianapolis  land  office  and  ran  through 
many  years  up  to  comparatively  recent  time. 
Much  of  these  swamp  lands,  considered 
worthless,  have  become,  through  drainage, 
the  very  best  in  the  county.  In  [833,  Jesse 
W.  Long  entered  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  and  George  Slagle  eighty  acres,  all  in 
section    36,    Smith    township,   and    Absalom 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA.  47 

Hire  forty  acres  in  section  35,  same  town-  Henry    Swihart Inspector. 

ship,  and  this  comprised  all  the  entries  of  Palmer  Cleveland, judge. 

that    year.      In    1834,    the    entries    covered  Samuel    Obenchain, Judge. 

three  thousand  four  hundred  seventeen  and  Benjamin  H.  Cleveland, Clerk. 

five-tenths  acres,  all  in  Smith  township,  ex-  David   H.   Cleveland, Clerk. 

cept  the  north-west  quarter  of  section  13.  in  The  above  six  persons  cast  their  votes 
Cleveland  township,  entered  by  M.  P.  C.  for  Jesse  Cleveland :  there  were  no  other 
Wood,  and  the  north-west  fractional  quarter  votes  cast.  This  election  was  held  at  the 
of  section  7.  in  same  township,  by  Morse  P.  house  of  either  Jesse  or  Benjamin  Cleveland ; 
C.  Wood,  undoubtedly  the  same  person.  By  the  weight  of  evidence  is  that  it  was  at 
the  first  of  January,  1836,  there  were  one  Jesse  Cleveland's  home,  which  was  also  the 
hundred  and  twenty-one  tracts  entered  in  home  of  Benjamin  H.  At  the  time  of  hold- 
Cleveland  township,  sixty-six  in  Richland,  ing  this  election,  it  was  decided  to  name 
twenty  in  Washington,  twenty-six  in  Colum-  the  congressional  township  30,  range  8, 
bia,  fourteen  in  Thorncreek,  ninety-six  in  Cleveland.  Henry  Swihart,  many  years 
Jefferson,  thirteen  in  Union,  fifty-five  in  after  a  resident  of  the  county,  proposed  the 
Smith  and  none  in  Troy.  name,   which   was   seconded  by  Obenchain, 

The  price  at  which  the  land  was  sold  by  and  Swihart  put  the  vote,  himself  and 
the  government  was  one  dollar  and  twenty-  Obenchain  voting  aye,  and  no  one  voting 
five  cents  per  acre,  in,  lots  to  suit  purchaser  nay.  The  four  Clevelands  refrained  from 
of  not  less  than  forty  acres,  and  first  come  voting.  On  January  2.  1837,  Henry 
had  first  choice,  but  to  us  of  to-day  it  would  Swihart  was  allowed  by  the  Huntington 
seem  the  early  purchasers  selected  the  county  board  three  dollars  for  making  re- 
poorest  instead  of  the  best  lots.  Such  turn  of  the  aforesaid  election, 
change  has  clearing  and  drainage  made,  that  On  Monday  morning,  May  15,  1837, 
much  of  the  first  entries  are  the  very  poorest  the  Huntington  justices,  John  F.  Merril 
of  our  farms,  and  that  so  long  rejected  the  and  Leander  Morrison,  met  to  do  business 
very  best.  as  a  county  board,  but  Jesse  Cleveland,  from 

Whitley  county  being  defined  in  bounds  Whitley   county,    had   not   arrived.     Partly 

and  by   congressional   townships,   but   with  jn  pleasantry  and  also  to  show  the  exercise 

no  record  distinctly  its  own,  the  residents  0f  authority,   these  officers  ordered  an   at- 

of   township    30,    range   8,    applied    to    the  tachment  to   issue   for  Cleveland.     At   one 

commissioners  of  Huntington  county  at  their  o'clock   he  was  present,   and   after  making 

September  term.  1836,  for  an  order  to  hold  fu]]   explanation,   was  purged  of  contempt, 
an   election  in  said  congressional  township  After  reciting  in  their  record  that  these 

for  justice  of  the  peace,  which  was  granted,  three  were  the  only  justices  within  the  two 

The  date  of  that  election  is  not  preserved,  but  counties,  they  elected  Jesse  Cleveland  presi- 

return  of  same  was  made  to  Huntington,  on  dent  of  the  board.     They  ratified  the  name 

November  3,  1836,  as  follows:  of  Cleveland  for  township  30.  range  8,  and 

Jesse    Cleveland Candidate,  as  there  were  no  other  township  organiza- 


48 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


tions,  ordered  that  Cleveland  township,  in 
Whitley  county,  embrace  all  that  part  of 
Huntington  county  known  as  \\  hitley 
county,  and  all  of  Whitley  county  became 
Cleveland  township,   Huntington  county. 

Whitley  county  was  named  in  honor  of 
Col.  William  Whitley,  who  was  killed  at  the 
battle  of  the  Thames,  in  Canada,  in  the  war 
of  1 812,  and  the  legislature  at  its  session  in 
1833  and  1834  defined  its  boundaries. 

On  June  10,  1834,  Samuel  Smith 
entered  the  south-east  quarter  of  section  34, 
in  township  32,  range  10,  and  in  October 
of  the  same  year  located  on  his  land  and 
lived  on  it  till  his  death  in  1863.  The 
largest  early  settlement  was  in  the  south-east 
corner  of  Smith  township,  and  the  few  set- 
tlers gathered  at  the  home  of  Samuel  Smith 
on  the  20th  day  of  August,  1837,  and  all 
signed  a  petition  to  the  Huntington  county 
board  asking  that  the  township  be  name:! 
in  his  honor.  Therefore,  at  its  September 
term,  1S37,  it  was  ordered  by  the  Hunting- 
ton county  board  that  township  32  north, 
range  10  east,  be  organized  and  known  by 
the  name  of  Smith  township,  and  that  the 
remaining  east  half  of  Whitley  county  be 
added  to  Smith  township  and  that  the  west 
half  of  Whitley  county  remain  Cleveland 
township.  An  election  was  ordered  to  be 
held  in  said  Smith  township  (east  half 
Whitley  county)  on  the  last  day  of  Novem- 
ber, 1837,  to  elect  a  justice  of  the  peace. 
Richard  Baughan  was  appointed  inspector 
of  said  election  and  George  Penn  was  ap- 
pointed road  supervisor  of  said  township. 
At  this  session  it  was  ordered  that  all  that 
part  of  the  Fort  Wayne  and  Goshen  state 
road  running  through  the  north-east  part  of 
Whitley  county  comprise  the  first  road  dis- 


trict of  Whitley  county,  and  that  all  persons 
living  in  the  aforesaid  Smith  township  (east 
half  Whitley  county  J  be  attached  to  said 
road  district. 

Robert  Starkweather,  of  Whitley  county, 
was  appointed  commissioner  to  survey,  re- 
locate and  properly  define  said  Fort  Wayne 
and  Goshen  road  through  the  county. 

During  the  month  of  October,  1837,  Na- 
thaniel Gradeless  wrote  a  petition  asking  the 
Huntington  county  board  to  organize  town- 
ship 32,  range  9,  into  a  civil  township  and  or- 
der an  election  for  justice  of  the  peace.  This 
was  signed  by  Benjamin  F.  Martin,  Adam 
Egolf,  Joseph  Egolf,  John  H.  Alexander, 
Martin  Overly,  Peter  Shriner,  Daniel  Hive- 
ly,  Jacob  Shearer  and  Jacob  Brumbaugh. 
Opposite  each  name  was  given  the  choice  of 
name  for  the  township  by  each  subscriber. 
Five  chose  the  name  of  Thorncreek,  in  honor 
of  the  little  stream  in  the  north-west  corner 
of  the  township,  already  called  by  that  name. 
Two  chose  the  name  of  Lake;  two  others 
had  no  choice.  Accordingly,  on  November 
6,  1837,  the  Huntington  county  board 
ordered  that  township  32,  range  9,  of  Whit 
ley  county,  be  organized  and  known  and 
designated  by  the  name  of  Thorncreek  town- 
ship, and  that  Nathaniel  Gradeless  be  ap- 
pointed inspector  of  an  election  to  be  held 
at  his  house  on  the  first  Monday  of  Decem- 
ber, to  elect  one  justice  of  the  peace. 

In  view  of  the  coming  organization  of  theV 
county  the  few  citizens  of  township  31,  range 
8,  began  to  bestir  themselves  for  a  township 
organization.  The  principal  movers  were 
William  Rice  and  Edwin  Cone.  They  per- 
sonally invited  all  the  settlers  to  meet  at  the 
home  of  William  Rice  on  the  east  half  of  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  5,  on  the  15th 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


49 


day  of  October,  1837,  for  the  purpose  of  nam- 
ing" the  township  and  asking  for  an  organiza- 
tion. David  Harden  lived  at  the  extreme 
north-west  corner  of  the  township.  Just  as 
he  was  entering  the  opening  in  front  of  the 
Rice  cabin  lie  met  William  Corded  and 
Zebulon  Birch  and  they  began  an  animated 
discussion  of  the  richness  of  the  soil.  Each 
insisted  he  had  the  richest  land.  Arriving 
at  the  house,  the  discussion  assumed  a  gen- 


first  duty  was  to  call,  advertise  and  cause  to 
be  held,  elections  at  such  places  as  he  would 
deem  most  easily  of  access  for  the  voters, 
for  the  purpose  of  electing  a  county  clerk, 
recorder,  two  associate  judges  and  three 
county  commissioners.  There  were  but 
four  organized  townships,  Cleveland,  Smith, 
Richland  and  Thorncreek,  and  four  places 
of  voting  in  these  townships  were  desig- 
nated   as    follows:     One    at    the    home    of 


eral  form,  and  several  others,  each  with  just  Lewis   Kinsey  in   Cleveland  township;  one 

pride,  told  of  the  richness  of  his  own  laud,  at  the  house  of  Andrew  Compton  in  Rich- 

Finally,   Edwin  Cone  said   he  thought  the  land  township;  one  at  the  house  of  Richard 

matter  for  which  they  came  together  was  Baughan  in  Thorncreek  township,  and  one 


already  settled,  that  each  man  had  very  rich 
land,  that  was  all  rich  and  that  they  had 
already  unconsciously  named  it  Richland 
township.  The  remark  was  so  timely  that 
each  good  naturally  passed  the  pet  name  he 
intended  to  insist  upon  and  all  acquiesced 
in  a  name  that  had  not  been  thought  of  be- 
fore. Therefore,  on  November  6,  1837, 
(same  day  Thorncreek  was  named)  it  was 
ordered  by  the  Huntington  county  board 
that  township  31,  range  8,  he  organized  and 
known  anddesignated  by  the  name  of  Rich- 
land township,  and  an  election  was  ordered 
at  the  home  of  Ezra  Thompson  on  the  second 
Monday  in  December,  1837,  and  William 
Rice  was  appointed  inspector  of  said  elec- 
tion.    This  election  was  held  near  the  north- 


at  the  house  of  John  X.  More  in  Smith 
township.  This  election  was  held  the  first 
Monday  in  April,  1838.  There  was  no  fear  of 
repeaters  or  illegal  voters.  Voters  residing  in 
organized  townships  were  required  to  vote  in 
such  townships.  Voters  living  in  unorgan- 
ized townships  were  ordered  to  vote  at  Such 
designated  places  as  might  best  suit  their 
convenience.  There  were  no  newspapers  in 
which  to  give  notice,  but  notice  was  required 
to  be  posted  at  twenty-five  conspicuous 
places  in  the  county,  at  least  one  in  each  con- 
gressional township.  They  were  placed  on 
trees  along  Indian  trails,  and  on  the  doors 
of  settlers'  cabins.  A  few  days  before  the 
election,  a  caucus  of  convention  was  called 
at   the   home  of  Calvin   Alexander,   on    the 


east  corner  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  sec-      creek    in    north-east   quarter   of   section    33 
tion  9,  and  just  west  of  the  old  family  bury- 
ing ground  of  the  Thompson  family. 

The  legislature  of  Indiana,  at  its  session 
of  1837  and  1838,  declared  Whitley  to  be 
an  independent  county  from  and  after  the 
first  day  of  April,  1838,  and  Governor  Wal- 
"  lace  appointed  Richard  Baughan  sheriff 
to    serve    until    after    the    election.        His 


in  Thorncreek  township,  for  the  purpose  of 
considering  candidates  for  the  offices. 
About  twenty-five  citizens  attended.  It  was 
not  like  the  latter  day  political  caucus.  All 
politics  was  eliminated  and  the  settlers  met 
to  become  acquainted,  to  discuss  questions 
concerning  the  future  of  the  new  county 
and  to  select  candidates  fitted  for  the  offices 


5o 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


and  vote  with  concert  of  action.  Abraham 
Cuppy  was  selected  for  clerk,  Joseph  Par- 
rett.. Jr..  Nathaniel  Gradless  and  Otho  W. 
Gandy  for  commissioners.  Benjamin  F. 
Martin  and  Jacob  A.  Yanhonten  for  associ- 
ate judges.  The  election  a  few  days  after 
ratified  this  action.  If  there  were  any  votes 
for  any  other  persons,  there  is  neither  record 
or  tradition  of  it.  The  place  designated  by 
the  state  precept  for  holding  courts  was  the 
house  of  James  Parrett.  Jr..  but  there  being- 
no  such  person  in  the  county  Richard 
Baughan  notified  the  persons  elected  to  meet 
at  the  house  of  Joseph  Parrett.  Jr.,  on 
ground  now  covered  by  South  Whitley,  on 
the  7th  day  of  May.  In  the  presence  of  the 
officers  elect  and  other  citizens  assembled. 
Baughan  opened  the  election  returns,  de- 
clared the  candidates  duly  elected  and  ad- 
ministered to  them  the  oath  of  office  on  the 
7th  day  of  May,  1838.  The  board  of  county 
commissioners  organized  by  electing  Otho 
W.  Gandy  as  president  of  the  board  and 
adopting  the  eagle  side  of  the  dime  as  the 
seal  of  the  board  of  commissioners  of  Whit- 
ley county.  The  present  seal  of  the  board  of 
commissioners  was  adopted  January  4.  1840. 
and  the  organization  was  completed. 

The  first  official  act  was  to  appoint 
Henry  Pence  assessor  for  the  county  for  the 
year  1838;  John  Collins,  treasurer:  Benja- 
min H.  Cleveland,  three  per  cent,  fund  com- 
missioner, and  Henry  Swihart,  county  agent. 
The  first  tax  duplicate,  made  in  1838,  is  still 
in  perhaps  as  good  state  of  preservation  as 
when  closed  from  active  use  and  laid  away 
in  [839.  It  consists  of  the  straw  board 
covers  of  a  well  worn  atlas  by  Thomas  T. 
Smiley,  teacher,  and  published  by  the  author 
in    Philadelphia    in    1825.      It    is    eight    by 


eleven  and  one-half  inches.  It  consists  of 
eight  leaves  of  a  fairly  good  quality  of 
foolscap  paper,  sewed  in;  only  three  (six 
pages)  of  which  are  used  for  names  and 
taxes  and  the  other  five  are  scribbled  over 
with  figures,  making-  calculations  no  doubt, 
to  insure  tax-payers  that  no  mistakes  were 
made  in  their  computation.  The  handwrit- 
ing is  unquestionably  that  of  Richard  Col- 
lins, whose  name  is  inseparably  connected 
with  the  early  history  of  the  county.  He 
was  the  deputy  of  his  brother-in-law,  Abra- 
ham Cuppy.  Descriptions  of  lands  are  not 
given  nor  is  there  any  way  to  designate  what 
persons  are  the  owners  of  realty  and  who 
owned  personal  property  only.  The  amount 
of  taxable  property  is  given  in  one  column, 
in  another  the  amount  of  county  tax  to  be 
collected,  and  in  another  the  amount  of  state 
tax  to  be  collected.  The  amount  of  county 
tax  totals  two  hundred  twenty-two  dollars 
and  sixty  cents,  and  state  tax  eighty  dollars. 
thirty-two  and  one-half  cents.  The  follow- 
ing is  the  list : 

TOWNSHIP    30,    RANGE    8.    CLEVELAN  1». 

Amount  Taxable     Total 
Property  Tax 

Collins.   John 529.00  6.oSy2 

Collins.  Aaron  M 70.00  2.05}^ 

Collins,    Richard 70.00  2:0^/2 

Chapman.  Charles 70.00  2.05J/2 

Chaplin,   Stedman   A..  70.00  2.05^2 

Chaplin.  Moores  P.  .  .  .  70.00  2.05^ 

Circle.    Peter 70.00  2.05^ 

Creager,  Samuel 34-QO  1 .64 

Creager.    Peter 181.00  2. 08 ]/2 

Cleveland.  B.  H.  &F...  65.00  3.24 

Creager,    Adam 65.00  1.25 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


oJ 


4' 


48 
62V2 


Cunningham.  John.  .  .  .  65.00 

Hapner.  William 65.00 

Kinsey,    Lewis 84.00 

Lesley,    Daniel 14.00 

McOuigg,   Abnef   T. .  .  14.00 

Oliver,   John 14.00 

Obenchain,    Samuel .  .  .  288.00 

Parret,  Elias 288.00 

Parret.  William 20.00 

Parret.  Joseph.  Jr 515.00 

Parret,  John 288.00 

Parret,  David  D 288.00 

Parret,  Anderson  D. .  .  288.00 

Swihart,  Henrv 1 10.00 


TOWNSHIP    3O,  RANGE    t). 

(  Afterward  named  Washington  township. ) 

Ecker,  Joseph 21.00  24^ 

TOWNSHIPS  31    AND    7,2,   RANGE  8. 

(Richland :  and  32-8,  afterwards  Troy.) 

Anderson,    John 288.00  1.25 

Cuppy,    Abraham 120.00  2.63 

Burch,    Zebulon 97.00  2.37 

Burns,  John 97.00  1 .25 

Cordill,  William 97.00  1.25 

Cone,  Edwin 97.00  1,25 

Cone,    David 18.00  .20^4 

Curtis,   Levi 50.00  i.82>4 

Compton,   Andrew....        75-oo  2.11% 

Estlick,   Thomas 52.00  185^2 

Hayden,  David 88.00  2.26^ 

Hartsock,  Samuel 158.00  3-o6^ 

Jones,  John 18.00  1-4524 

Kistler.   Jacob 94.00  1.09 

Kistler.  Jacob,  Jr 94.00  1.25 

Laing.  Adam 94.00  1.25 

Martin.   Stephen 114.00  1.31 

Perrin,  Jesse  S 17500  3-4r/4 


Payne,    David 250.00 

Rice.  William 250.00 

Rine.    Joel 1 10.00 

Snodgrass,  John 169.00 

25          Thomson,   Ezra 50.00 

25          Thomson,   John 50.00 

56^4      Tinkham,  Joseph 130.00 


12^ 

25 
5i 
19 

57K> 

25 

75 


THORNCREEK  TOWNSHIP    7,2,  RANGE  9. 


Egolf.   Adam 146.00 

Egolf.   John 65.00 

Egolf.    Henry 65.00 

Egolf.  Joseph 81.00 

Alexander.    John    H. .  .  81.00 

Boughan.    Richard....  405.00 

Gradeless.   Nathaniel...  130.00 

Gradeless,    Milo 130.00 

Grable,    Benjamin 255.00 

Grable,  John 255.00 

Hively.   Jacob 18.00 

Hively,  Daniel 58.00 

Johnson.   James 70.00 

Marcell,  Jacob 70.00 

Martin,  Benjamin  F. .  .  200.00 

McDonald,  William...  200.00 

Oberly.   Thomas 200.00 

Oberly,   Zachariah 200.00 

Suavely,   Jacob 200.00 

Salts,.  Frederick 200.00 

Shriner.    Peter 140.00 

Neeper,    James 140.00 

Shearer.  Jacob 140.00 

TOWNSHIP    32,  RANGE     1 

(Smith  Township.) 

Byran.    John 

Brumbaugh,  Jacob.  .  .  .  1O0.00 

Briggs,   Jesse 267.00 

Blair,   William 267.00 


93 
00 

25 

i8y2 

25 

9°3A 

74/2 

25 

93 

25 

4524 

9iM 

05  V2 

25 

55 
25 
25 
25 
25 
25 
61 

25 

25 


'•25 
309 
4-32 
1  25 


52 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Braddock,  John  G 52.00         1.85 

Crow,   Joseph 55-°o           -63/4 

Crow,   James 55-0°         I-25 

Comperit,   Francis 1,920.00  23.08 

Dungan,  Samuel 130.00         2.74*^ 

Davis,    Isaac 130.00         1.25 

Ehnandorf,  Jacob  E. ..  20.00          1.48 

Fulk,    Solomon 20.00          1.25 

Garrison,  Zachariah.  .  .  79.00         2.16 

Garrison,  Artimess.  ..  .  79.00          1.25 

Gordon,  James 113.00  2.55 

Giger,  Thomas 14.00         1.41 

Gandy,   Otho  W 150.00  2.97 

Godfrey,   John    B 132.00          1.52 

Harter,  George 98.00  2.38 

Jones,  Benjamin 92.00  1.06 

Jeffries,   Wyatt 100.00          1.15 

Jones,  James 100.00  1.25 

Kruzan,   Benjamin....  100.00  1.25 

Lucas,  Seth 100.00  1.25 

Long,  David  E 100.00  2.48 

Long,  Jesse  W 300.00  4.70 

Long,   C.   W 50.00  1.82^ 

Miner,  Byram  D 50.00  1.25 

Miner,    Samuel 324.00  3-72  ^ 

Mayo,   John    R 324.00  1.25 

Noble,  Silas 1.25 

Nott,  Thomas 324.00  1.25 

Pence,    George   C 238.00  3.99 

Pence,   Henry 238.00  1.25 

Rousseau,   James   H. ..  238.00  1.25 

Sipe,    William    K 238.00  1.25 

Smith,    Samuel 7S-°°           .8634 

Spear,  Jesse 75°°  J-25 

Sine,  Jacob 250.00  4.123^ 

Tulley,  Francis 127.00  2.70^4 

Turner,  John 13500  2.80 

Vanhouten,  Jacob  A...  37-00  i-67>2 

Vanmeter,  William. .  .  .  228.00  3.87 

Weller,  Isaiah 210.00  2.41^2 


Wolf,  David 236.00  3.96 ]/^ 

Wood,   Philetus 210.00  1.25 

Zulman,  James 210.00  1.25 

Zulman,  John 210.00  1.25 

Roebuck,   James 236.00  1.25 

More,  John 165.00  3.15 

Miller,  Daniel 16.00  M3H 

Nickey,   Samuel 97.00  2.37 

Norris,  John 97.00  1.25 

TOWNSHIP    31,    RANGE    9. 

(Afterward  named  Columbia.) 
Shoemaker,  Asa 65.00         1.25 

TOWNSHIP   31,   RANGE    IO. 

(Afterward  Union  township.) 

Bruce,   George 1.25 

Cleveland,    Horace....        37-00  1.68 

Gardner,   Benjamin....      109.00  2.505/2 

Oman,  George 109.00  1.25 

Perry,   Talcott 117.00  2.59*% 

Pierce  &  Starkweather.   1,765.00  20.29^4 

Pierce,   Joseph 1,765.00  1.25 

Starkweather,   Robert. .        65.00  2.00 

Smith  township  was  the  most  populous, 
Cleveland  next,  Richland  next,  and  Thorn- 
creek  close  on  the  others.  There  was  but 
one  person  assessed  in  Columbia  township 
and  one  in  Washington,  but  two  in  Troy. 
Martin  and  Perry,  Jefferson  being  the  only 
township  in  the  county  with  no  representa- 
tive on  the  tax  list.  Union  had  eight.  The 
levies  as  recorded  were  one  per.  cent  for 
county  purposes  and  fifty  cents  per  poll. 
For  road  purposes,  seventy-five  cents  or  one 
day's  road  work,  for  each  one  hundred  dol- 
lars of  valuation.     For  state  purposes,  fifty 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


53 


cents  for  each  poll.  On  June  26,  1838,  the 
board  of  commissioners  established  the  com- 
missioners' districts,  one,  two  and  three  of 
said  county ;  all  of  range  8  to  be  the  first 
district ;  all  of  range  9  to  be  the  second 
district;  all  of  range  10  to  be  the  third  dis- 
trict, each  to  have  one  county  commissioner, 
all  to  be  elected  by  the  voters  of  the  county 
at  large.  The  fifth  township  to  be  organ- 
ized and  the  first  organized  after  the  Whit- 
ley county  machine  was  put  into  operation 
was  Troy. 

On  the  3d  day  of  April,  1839.  Jesse  S. 
Perrin  and  Stephen  Martin  met  at  the  house 
of  the  latter  to  name  congressional  township 
32  in  range  8.  Perrin  was  the  first  settler 
and  lived  at  the  extreme  south  line  of  the 
township  near  present  Larwill.  and  Martin 
at  the  extreme  north  line  of  the  township. 
Martin  said  :  "You  are  an  older  settler  than 
I  am  and  have  honored  me  by  having  the 
meeting  at  my  house.  You  may  name  the 
township."  He  named  it  Troy,  after  the 
township  in  the  state  of  New  York  from 
which  he  came.  A  petition  was  drawn  ac- 
cordingly and  signed  by  these  two  men  only, 
was  presented  to  the  board  of  commissioners 
of  Whitley  county  at  their  regular  session 
on  June  6.  1839,  and  an  order  entered  of 
record  that  township  32,  range  8,  should 
be  organized  as  a  separate  township,  to  be 
known  as  Troy,  and  that  Price  Goodrich 
should  be  appointed  inspector  to  hold  the 
first  election.  Following  directly,  or  the 
next  day,  came  the  record  establishing 
Union  township.  Early  in  1839,  two  peti- 
tions were  circulated  in  township  31,  range 
10,  for  the  organization  and  naming  of  the 
township.  One  by  George  Oman,  asking 
that  the  township  be  called  Union,  and  the 


other  by  Talcott  Perry,  asking  that  it  be 
named  Adams,  in  honor  of  President  John 
Adams.  Quite  a  rivalry  was  manifested, 
but  Oman  secured  the  most  signatures  and 
asked  that  Perry  be  appointed  inspector  to 
hold  the  first  election.  Perry  fearing  that 
any  opposition  before  the  board  of  com- 
missioners might  endanger  the  organization, 
withdrew  his  petition  and  on  the  7th  day  of 
June,  1839,  an  order  was  entered  organizing 
the  township  and  naming  it  Union. 

Madison  Switzer,  David  Bennett,  Wil- 
liam H.  Coombs  and  Daniel  R.  Bears  were, 
by  act  of  the  state  legislature  of  1838,  or- 
dered to  proceed  to  Whitley  county  and  lo- 
cate the  county  seat.  They  were  to  meet 
at  the  house  of  Joseph  Parrett,  Jr.,  on  the 
first  Monday  in  May,  1838.  Switzer  only 
appeared,  and  the  board  of  commissioners 
adjourned  till  June  18th,  at  which  time  Swit- 
zer, Coombs  and  Bennett  met,  and  after 
spending  ten  days  examining  sites  and  hear- 
ing arguments  and  offers,  located  the  county 
seat  on  section  19,  Union  township,  on  lands 
now  principally  owned  by  William  A.  Clug- 
ston.  The  court  house  lot  was  to  be  near 
the  center  of  the  section  about  a  half  mile 
due  east  of  the  present  Compton  brick 
church.  Lot  Bayless,  the  owner  of  the  lands, 
agreed  to  give  the  county  $500,  pay  all  ex- 
penses of  surveying  and  location,  and  pur- 
chase a  set  of  record  books  costing  $100. 
The  action  of  these  special  commissioners 
was  very  unsatisfactory,  and  the  feeling  was 
quite  bitter.  Corruption  was  charged 
against  Bayless  and  others-.  A  petition  was 
signed  by  four-fifths  of  the  people  of  the 
county,  protesting  against  the  action  and 
presented  to  the  legislature  in  1839.  The 
protest  was  so  strong  that  the  report  of  the 


54 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.   INDIANA. 


commissioners  was  set  aside  and  Isaac  Co- 
vert, Samuel  Edsall,  John  Jackson  and  A.  S. 
Ballard  were  appointed  a  new  set  of  com- 
missioners. These  men,  after  a  week's  ex- 
amination and  three  adjournments,  on  the 
1 6th  day  of  October,  1839,  made  the  follow- 
ing report,  which  was  accepted  by  the  people 
of  Whitley  county: 

"We,  John  Jackson,  A.  S.  Ballard.  Isaac 
Covert  and  Samuel  Edsall.  after  being  duly 
sworn,  proceeded  to  the  discharge  of  our 
duties  assigned  us  by  law.  After  examining 
the  several  sites  presented  by  those  wishing 
to  offer  donations,  and  after  making  exami- 
nation of  the  several  sites,  do  hereby  estab- 
lish the  permanent  seat  of  justice  in  and  for 
said  county  on  section  1 1 ,  town  3 1 ,  range 
9  east,  as  the  best  situation  that  can  be  had. 

"Given  under  our  hands,  this  16th  day 
of  October,  A.  D.  1839. 

(Signed.)  "John  Jackson, 

"Samuel  Edsall. 
"Isaac  Covert, 
"A.  S.  Ballard." 

And  the  county  seat  was  located  as  it 
stands  to-day.  The  lands  on  which  it  was 
located  belonged  to  Elihu  Chauncey,  a  resi- 
dent of  Philadelphia.  It  was  fractional  sec- 
tion 1  r ,  containing  443  acres.  He  was  to 
donate  half  of  said  lands  to  the  county  and 
build  a  saw  mill  within  the  limits,  on  Blue 
river,  which  he  did.  Chauncey's  deed,  ex- 
ecuted  February  1.  1840.  in  Philadelphia, 
recites : 

"Whereas,  Elihu  Chauncey  is  the  owner 
hi  :i  certain  tract  of  land  situate  in  Colum- 
bia township,  Whitley  county,  Indiana, 
which  has  been  selected  by  commissioners 
duly  appointed,  as  the  location  of  the  county 
seat  of  Whitley  county:  and. 


"Whereas,  Elihu  Chauncey  hath  agreed 
to  appropriate  and  convey  to  and  for  the 
use  of  said  county,  one-half  of  the  lots  into 
which  the  site  of  said  town  has  been  laid 
off;  and, 

"Whereas,  a  plat  or  map  of  the  said  site 
has  been  made  containing  twenty-eight 
squares,  each  square  being  sub-divided  into 
eight  (8)  lots,  except  squares  twenty-one, 
twenty-two  and  twenty-eight,  which  are  di- 
vided into  four  lots  each,  which  map  had 
been  certified  and  acknowledged  : 

"Now,  in  consideration  of  said  premises 
and  one  dollar  to  him  in  hand  paid,  the  said 
Elihu  Chauncey  releases  and  quit-claims  to 
Richard  Collins  all  the  lots  numbered  3.  4. 
7  and  8  in  all  the  squares  except  21,  22  and 
28,  and  in  21  and  22  lots  3  and  4,  and  in 
28,  lots  r  and  2,  to  have  and  to  hold  the 
same  forever  to  the  use  of  Whitley  county 
as  and  for  the  location  of  a  county  seat." 

Upon  the  first  location  of  the  county 
seat  on  the  lands  of  Lot  Bayless,  he  caused 
a  survey  and  plat  to  be  made  by  the  surveyor 
of  Huntington  county,  but  the  acts  of  the 
commissioners  being  set  aside,  it  was  never 
put  mi  record.  He  subsequently  filed  a  bill 
against  the  county  for  $246,  services  of  the 
commissioners,  surveys  and  procuring  of  the 
reci  >rd  books.  The  commissioners  allowed 
and    paid    him   the  hundred   dollars   for  the 

1 ks  and   took  and  used  them:  also  $102 

paid  the  locating  commissioners,  lint  noth- 
ing For  survey  or  other  expenses,  and  he  ac- 
cepted the  allowance  without  appeal.  At 
their  regular  term  at  Parrett's  house  in  No- 
vember, 183c),  the  board  of  commissioners 
appointed  Henry  Swihart  county  agent,  and 
agreed  to  meet  on  the  site  of  the  new  town 
on    November   2^th    of   the   same   vear.    to 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.   [NDIANA. 


adopt  measures  for  laying  off  the  new  town. 
The  board  of  commissioners.  Clerk  Cuppy 
and  the  sheriff  appeared  on  time,  but  Henry 
Swihart  not  appearing.  Richard  Collins  was 
appointed  in  his  place.  He  being  present, 
accepted  and  gave  bond  at  the  temporary 
county  headquarters  on  outlot  j6,  on  the 
west  bank  of  Blue  river,  just  north  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  and  almost  directly 
west  of  the  Tuttle  flouring  mill.  Asa  Shoe- 
maker's house,  more  than  two  miles  to  the 
north-west,  being  the  nearest  place  of  habi- 
tation, the  weather  being  cold  and  the 
ground  covered  with  snow,  the  session  oc- 
cupied but  one  day.  Richard  Collins  was 
ordered  at  once  to  proceed  with  the  survey 
and  plat.  The  few  straggling  settlers  who 
came  in  were  invited  to  assist  in  naming  the 
new  town  and  it  was  done  before  adjourn- 
ment that  day.  Asa  Shoemaker,  whose  wife 
was  named  Elizabeth,  wanted  it  called 
Elizabethtown  ;  Richard  Collins  wanted  it 
called  Beaver  in  honor  of  the  Indian  Bvho 
once  owned  the  nearby  reserve;  Little  Tur- 
tle was  also  suggested.  Finally  at  the  sug- 
gestion of  Abraham  Cuppy,  ably  seconded 
by  Vanhouten,  the  name  Columbia  was 
adopted  and  the  new  town  was  given  that 
name  of  record  on  that  25th  day  of  Novem- 
ber, 1839,  and  before  any  survey  had  begun, 
and  the  board  adjourned.  This  was  Thurs- 
day. On  Friday,  Collins  began  preparations 
for  the  survey,  and  on  Saturday,  under  his 
direction,  George  Cromer,  surveyor  of  La- 
Grange  county,  began  work  and  prosecuted 
it  vigorously.  Just  when  it  was  concluded 
we  do  not  know,  but  it  was  finished  before 
the  spring  of  1840.  This  first  survey  in- 
cluded only  the  town  site.  The  remainder  1  >f 
the  section  was  surveyed  bv  the  same  man 


in    January.     1841.    the    county    and    Elihu 
Chauncev  each  paying  half  the  expense. 

David  E.  Long  bought  from  Collins, 
county  agent,  in  January.  1840,  the  lot  on 
the  north-west  corner  of  Main  and  Van  Bu- 
ren  streets  at  a  very  low  price,  with  the  ver- 
bal agreement  that  he  erect  a  building  at 
once.  He  did  put  up  a  two-room  frame 
building  and  had  it  open  as  a  boarding  house 
and  hotel  by  the  middle  of  May.  1840,  the 
first  house  in  the  town.  On  the  7th  day  oi 
April.  1840.  the  commissioners  held  a  spe- 
cial session  at  the  house  of  Zebulon  Birch 
ami  ordered  that  the  county  agent  be  directed 
to  advertise  and  sell  or  offer  for  sale  as  man) 
lots  as  he  may  deem  advisable  on  the  25th 
day  of  May.  This  was  the  last  session  out- 
side the  county  seat.  On  the  4th  day  of 
May,  1840.  the  board  met  at  the  hotel  of 
I  >a\  id  I-"..  Long,  in  the  town  of  Columbia,  the 
county  seat  of  said  county  of  Whitley.  On 
the  following  day  it  was  ordered  that  con- 
gressional township  31,  range  9.  be  organ- 
ized and  called  Columbia  township,  all 
other  names  having  now  disappeared.  ( )n 
the  8th  day  of  September.  1840,  there  was 
filed  with  the  commissioners  a  petition  con- 
taining seventeen  names,  asking  that  con- 
gressional township  30.  range  9,  be  organ- 
ized as  a  civil  township,  to  be  called  Wash- 
ington, and  it  was  so  ordered.  Daniel  Les- 
ley was  appointed  inspector  to  hold  the  firsi 
election  at  the  house  of  Abraham  Lesley,  on 
Saturday,  the  sixth  day  of  the  month.  Thus 
Washington  township  held  her  first  election 
two  days  after  being  admitted  to  the  sister- 
hood of  townships. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1844.  citi- 
zens of  township  30.  range  10,  began  cir- 
culating petitions  asking  an  organization  of 


56 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


the  township.  One  asked  that  it  be  called 
Raccoon,  another  Jefferson,  another  Fair- 
field, and  the  fourth  Polk.  The  competition 
became  so  animated  that  fears  were  enter- 
tained the  commissioners  would  not  author- 
ize organization.  Finally,  all  names  were 
withdrawn  and  a  new  petition  circulated, 
leaving  off  the  name  and  asking  only  for  or- 
ganization, with  the  understanding  that  the 
supporters  of  the  different  names  would  ap- 
pear before  the  board  and  argue  the  cases. 
The  petition  was  filed  March  5,  1845,  and 
the  contestants  agreed  to  appear  the  next 
da}'.  Chauncy  Hadley  was  the  last  to  sign 
and  endorsed  on  the  back,  Jefferson  town- 
ship.    On  the  day  of  filing,  the  commission- 


ers, having  heard  of  the  jangle,  concluded  to 
pass  upon  it  at  once.  Daniel  Rice,  president 
of  the  board,  made  the  order  on  the  back  of 
the  petition  calling  it  Jefferson  and  it  was  so 
entered  of  record  on  the  5th  day  of  March, 
1845,  and  an  election  was  ordered  held  on 
the  first  Monday  in  April.  Michael  C. 
Crowell  was  appointed  inspector  and  the 
organization  of  Whitley  county  and  all  its 
townships  was  completed.  The  population 
of  the  county  was,  in  1840,  1.237;  1850. 
5,190;  i860,  10,730;  1870,  14,399;  1880. 
16,941;  1890.  17,768:  1900,  17,328. 

The  following  tabulated  statement  gives 
the  population  of  minor  subdivisions  from 
t86o  to  1900,  the  last  census. 


Minor  civil  divisions.  1880. 

Cleveland  township,  including  South  Whitley  town 2,295 

South   Whitley  town 408 

Columbia  township,  including  Columbia  City 3083 

Columbia    City 2.244 

Ward    1 

Ward   2 

Ward   3 

Etna  township 577 

Jefferson   township L523 

Richland   township l-9l7 

Smith  township,  including  Churubusco  town 1,892 

Churubusco   town 720 

Thi  Tiicreek  township 1.488 

Troy    township 924 

Union    township 1 ,263 

Washington   township 1-479 


Mim  >r  civil  divisions. 

Total. 

Cleveland    2,041 

Columbia    (b)    1,271 

Columbia    1.663 

First    Ward 355 


■187c 


Native. 
i,999 
1,177 
J, 400 

327 


Eor'ign. 

42 

04 

263 

28 


White. 

2,041 

1.269 

1,663 

355 


Col'd. 


1890. 

2,516 

720 

4.396 

3.027 


580 

i,577 
1,683 
2,060 
869 
1,322 

945 
1,169 
i.q2o 


1900. 

2,774 
i,"3 
4,364 
2,975 
1,081 

1 -045 

849 

535 

1,468 

1,490 

i,956 

884 

i,338 

847 

1  -043 

1. 513 


— 1860— 

White.  Col'd. 

1.379 

1,016 

885 


(c) 

2 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  57 

Second    Ward 255               217  38               255 

Third   Ward 240              213  27              240 

Fourth  Ward 217               182  35               217 

Fifth    Ward 213               168  45               213 

Sixth   Ward 383               293  90               383 

Etna   (d)    429               427  2               429 

Jefferson  1,263           M99  64           1,263                            8/1 

Richland   1,723           1,659  64           1>72Z                         I-257 

Smith    1,232            1,211  21            1,138           94              974           90 

Thorncreek 1.343           1,253  90           1,343                          1.037 

Troy   894              886  8              893             1            1,140 

Union    1,294            1,204  9°            :-294                           1.105 

Coesse 192              168  24              192 

Washington    1.244            1.138  108            1.246                             974 

(  b )      Exclusive  of  city  of  Columbia. 

(c)  Also  one  Indian. 

(d)  In  September,  i860,  Etna  organized  from  the  township  of  Washington,  in  Noble 

county. 

We  deem  it  worth  the  while  of  our  read  -  many  cases  a  distance  had  to  be  traveled 
ers  to  inquire  into  the  causes  that  impelled  two  or  three  times  that  of  an  air  line  or  see- 
the south  one-third  of  Washington  town-  tion  line,  and  roads  almost  impassable  in 
ship.  Noble  county,  to  separate  from  that  many  places.  The  county  was  infested,  nat- 
county  and  join  its  future  with  Whitley  urally,  from  the  condition  of  the  surface, 
countv  in  1859,  Washington  township  being  with  thieves  and  robbers,  who  operated  all 
the  south-west  corner  of  Noble  county.  over  northern  Indiana,  north-western  Ohio 

Noble  county  was  organized  in  1836,  and  southern  Michigan.  The  Noble  county 
two  years  prior  to  our  organization.  Sparta  regulators,  a  combination  of  citizens  for 
was  its  first  county  seat,  but  there  is  neither  the  purpose  of  protecting  life  and  property 
record  nor  tradition  of  any  court  house  or  from  these  criminals,  has  a  record  of  dar- 
other  county  buildings  ever  having  been  ing  well  worthy  of  historical  preservation, 
built  at  that  place.  In  1843,  the  county  seat.  In  one  or  two  cases  they  did  execute  ob- 
or  seat  of  justice,  as  it  was  called,  was  re-  noxious  outlaws.  A  county  seat  anywhere 
located  at  Augusta.  Without  an  unkind  located  was  almost  inaccessible  from  other 
word  for  our  neighbor,  it  is  just  to  say  No-  parts  of  the  county,  and  there  was  continu- 
ble  county  was  almost  covered  with  lakes  ous  agitation  for  changes  that  were  not  en- 
and  swamps,  especially  the  south  and  south-  tirely  settled  until  commissioners  appointed 
west  portion.  A  wild  fastness,  scarcely  by  the  governor  in  1886,  appraised  the  prop- 
equaled  by  the  jungles  of  the  tropics,  and  erty  at  Albion  and  settled  the  matter  for  all 
to  this  day  not  entirely  cleared  away.  Roads  time.and  the  present  court  house  was  finished 
were  run   without  regard   to   lines,  and   in  in  1887  at  a  cost  of  $114,000.     In  March, 


5« 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


1843.  almost  immediately  after  location  at 
Augusta,  the  court  house  was  burned  by  an 
incendiary.  Again,  in  1844.  the  county  seat 
was  located  at  Port  Mitchell  and  a  court 
house  and  other  buildings  erected  at  a  cost 
of  $1,350.  This  was  unsatisfactory  to  all 
but  the  nearby  residents,  and  finally  the  lo- 
cation was  fixed  by  vote  of  the  people  at 
Albion,  in  August.  1847.  ar>d  on  tne  I^th 
day  of  September.  1S47.  tne  county  com- 
missioners ordered  the  records  and  offices 
removed  from  Port  Mitchell  to  Albion  and 
into  a  court  house  costing  $4,045.  A  jail 
was  also  built  costing  $1,300.  This  court 
house  was  destroyed  by  an  incendiary  fire 
in  [859  and  all  the  records  in  the  clerk's 
1  iffice  were  destroyed  except  one  order  book 
which  Samuel  E.  Alvord,  then  clerk,  had  at 
his  home.  Also  a  very  valuable  law  and 
miscellaneous  library.  Matters  were  fur- 
ther complicated  by  the  building  of  the 
Lake  Shore  Railroad  through  the  comity  in 
1858,  building  up  the  rival  towns  of  Ligo- 
nier  and  Kendallville,  near  the  extreme  east 
and  west  lines  of  the  county,  each  clamoring 
for  the  county  seat  or  some  upheaval 
or  change  in  count)  boundaries  that  would 
make  them  county  seats.  From  1854 
until  the  final  building  of  the  Grand  Rapids 
Railroad  in  1873,  north  and  south  through 
the  county,  near  the  east  line,  there  was  an 
agitation  for  the  voting  of  subsidies  which 
was  ver\  obnoxious  to  the  people  on  the 
west  side  of  the  county.  Preparations  were 
being  made  for  the  building  of  a  new  court 
house  at  Albion,  entailing  a  heav)  tax;  and 
it  was  buill  in  t86i,  at  a  cost  ol  $t  1,000. 
The  people  were  thoroughly  disgusted  with 
paying  foi  court  houses  and  having  to  hunt 
a  new  one  every  time  they  paid  their  taxes. 


sometimes  two  or  more  days'  travel  among 
swamps  and  robbers,  who  were  especially 
active  at  tax  paying  times. 

Columbia  City,  with  her  Pittsburg.  Fort 
Wayne  &  Chicago  Railway  completed,  was 
the  natural  trading  point  for  the  people  of 
south  and  south-western  Noble  county;  was 
nearer  than  isolated  inland  Albion,  and  a 
good  road  led  to  it  from  present  Etna  town- 
ship, almost  air  line.  The  route  was  well 
populated  and  travel  over  it  safe.  These 
and  other  questions  were  thoroughly  dis- 
cussed, and  an  animated  campaign  began 
early  in  1858  and  continued  through  the  win- 
ter. Petitions  were  circulated,  speeches 
made  and  opponents  to  the  change,  mostly 
from  other  parts  of  the  county,  were  almost 
driven  out  of  the  territory.  A  decided  ma- 
jority of  the  voters  signed  the  petition  for 
the  change,  and  petitions  were  filed  in  both 
counties  in  March.  1850.  In  Whitley 
county,  the,  exact  date  was  March  9,  1859, 
and  was  laid  over  to  the  next  term  of  the 
commissioners'  court  as  the  law  directs.  On 
June  10th.  the  board  having  heard  all  the 
proof  and  being  satisfied  the  petition  was 
signed  b\T  a  majority  of  all  the  qualified  vot 
ers,  and  that  the  law  had  been  complied  with 
in  both  counties,  ordered  that  the  south  third 
of  Washington  township,  Noble  county,  be- 
come a  part  of  Whitley  county,  namely: 
Sections  25  to  36,  inclusive,  in  township 
33,  range  8.  The  signers  of  the  petition 
w  ere : 


L.   Lampson, 
William  Graves, 
Silas  Scott, 
Robert  Blain, 
John  Blain, 


Jonathan  Trumbull, 
1).  K.  Chandler. 
I ).  J.  Bowman, 
Thomas  Blain, 
lames   Blain, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,   INDIANA. 


59 


Jacob  Kile, 
D.  S.  Scott, 
Robert  Scott,  Sr., 
Simon  Trumbull, 
Jacob  P.  Prickett, 
S.  Trumbull,  Jr., 
William  A.  Plain, 
S.  Penton, 
Benjamin  Poyer, 
Thomas  Gaff, 
W.  P.  Cunningham, 
Samuel  Pennet, 
Fielding  Scott, 
J.  C.  Matthew, 
Abram  Straight, 
Henry  Myers, 
Eli  R.  Jones, 
John  A.  Miller, 
Alex  McKendry, 
John  W.  Long, 
Lyman  Robinson, 
M.  C.  Scott, 
Samuel  Garrison, 
J-  P.  Long. 


Levi  Kile, 
J.  F.  Cunningham, 
Abraham  Straight,  Sr. 
A.  P.  Gandy, 
John  Kisler, 
Thomas  Hartup, 
Aaron  Pennet, 
Alanson  Tucker, 
Washington  Jones, 
Alex  M.  Plain,  Jr., 
Franklin  Hunt, 
Joseph  Welker, 
Thomas  Scott, 
F.  Al.  King. 
J.  D.  Goble, 
A.  M.  Plain, 
Isaac  Sheafer, 
William  Crow, 
James  McKendry, 
Jacob  Fashbaugh, 
John  Long, 
John  Pennet, 
Frederick  Sheets, 
Francis  Kind, 


This  change  met  with  great  opposition 
from  the  board  of  commissioners  of  Noble 
county  and  every  possible  obstacle  was 
thrown  in  the  way  to  prevent  it.  James 
Long,  one  of  the  county  commissioners,  re- 
sided in  the  district,  and  it  was  only  through 
the  great  friendship  of  one  of  the  other  com- 
missioners for  him  that  he  finally  consented 
to  vote  with  Long  for  the  change.  Prior  to 
the  change,  Lafayette  Lamson  had  laid  out 
the  little  town  of  Etna,  naming  it  after  the 
town  and  township  from  which  he  came  in 
Ohio.  It  was  the  wish  of  the  citizens  that 
the  new  township  take  this  name.  Accord- 
ingly, on  the  1 2th  day  of  September,  i860. 


the  commissioners  entered  of  record  an  or- 
der that  it  be  called  Etna,  and  on  the  fol- 
lowing day  they  appointed  A.  W.  Myers  to 
draft  the  field  notes  from  the  records  of  No- 
ble county  and  to  transcribe  the  names  of  the 
owners  of  land  therein  and  place  all  on  rec- 
ord in  Whitley  county  with  the  valuations. 
Also  to  make  copy  of  deed  records  of  said 
lands  and  to  secure  from  Noble  county  the 
part  of  Congressional  school  fund  to  which 
Etna  township  was  entitled,  all  of  which  was 
promptly  done.  The  county  auditor  did  on 
the  19th  day  of  September,  i860,  appoint 
T.  P.  Cunningham  trustee  of  Etna  town- 
ship, to  serve  until  the  ensuing  general  elec- 
tion. This  change  was  followed  by  two 
other  attempts  soon  after. 

On  the  9th  day  of  March,  i860,  Moses 
Trumbull.  John  P.  Rowland,  H.  A.  Adair. 
Leander  Nicholas,  James  A.  Nicholas,  Rob- 
ert Bowlesby,  Andrew  S.  Carill,  C.  B. 
Wood,  Michael  Bowman.  Thomas  Kern,  J. 
Brown,  Clayton  Fisher,  Charles  Hanson, 
Noah  Cripe,  L.  Makemson.  J.  S.  Hindbaugh 
and  John  Ruggles.  filed  petitions  in  both  No- 
ble and  Whitley,  representing  that  they 
were  a  majority  of  the  voters  in  sections  iu 
to  24,  inclusive,  in  Washington  township. 
Noble  county,  a  strip  one  mile  wide  across 
the  township  adjoining  that  part  set  off  the 
vear  before  as  Etna  township,  and  asking 
that  they  also  be  set  off  to  Whitley  county 
and  made  a  part  of  Etna  township.  After 
due  course  of  law,  the  board  of  commission- 
ers  of  Whitley  county  entered  an  order  on 
the  9th  day  of  June,  i860,  finding  the  mat- 
ters and  things  contained  in  the  petition  to 
be  correct  and  solemnly  declared  the  strip 
to  be  a  part  of  Whitley  county.  It  was  to 
be  expected  that  Noble  county  would   not 


6o 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ratify  the  action,  and  as  it  did  not  the  order 
of  Whitley  county  became  inoperative  and 
no  further  action  was  taken. 

On  March  10.  i860,  a  petition  was  filed  in 
both  Allen  and  Whitley  counties,  by  sun- 
dry citizens  of  Allen  county,  residing  in 
the  twelve  most  westerly  sections  of  Lake 
township,  Allen  county,  asking  that  two 
miles  off  the  west  side  of  that  township  be 
declared  a  part  of  Whitley  county  and  made 
a  part  of  Union  township,  as  it  lay  adjacent 
to  Union  township.     This  was  signed  by — 


William  Thorp, 
Luke  Dugan, 
J.  C.  Springer, 
A.  Hyre, 
Nathan  Smith, 
AY.  Raley, 
A.  W.  Ruby, 
J.  G.  Vandewater, 
W.  G.  Miner, 
John  Owens, 
H.  D.  Vandewater, 
Patrick  Roe, 
M.  Bowerman, 
William  Tracey, 
John  Fry, 
Charles  Crary, 
James  Lawrence, 
C.  Gearman, 
William  Sternberry, 
Thomas  Tracy, 
M.  Waugh, 
Thomas  Tracey, 
Dennis  Gorman, 
William  Brown, 
Thomas  Larimore, 
John  Thorp, 
John  H.  Gratcer, 


Edward  Ruby, 
M.  Smith, 
William  McManus, 
A.  M.  Long, 
John  W.  Therbond, 
Jac.  Diffendarfer, 
John  Owen, 
G.  Stahel. 
David  Tawney, 

A.  Vandewater, 
Samuel  Nickey, 
M.  Dugan, 
Patrick  Leslie, 
E.  Hyre. 

B.  J.  Upp, 
James  Ralby, 
Basil  Butts, 

M.  R.  Vandewater, 
Joseph  Finch, 

C.  Lemley, 
James  Tucker, 
Octavius  Baff, 
Robert  Hanna, 
William  Miller, 
William  Stamboy, 
1  'atrick  Donan, 
A.  Ryan, 


Bernard  McLaughlin,  Dennis  Gearing, 
William  Thorp,  Jr.,      Thomas  Ouicksell, 
David  Gorman,  William  McMahan, 

H.  Diffendarfer,  Wm.  C.  Vandewater. 

On  the  9th  day  of  June,  i86o;  the  board 
found  that  the  legal  provisions  had  been 
complied  with,  and  ordered  that  said  strip  be 
attached  to  Whitley  county  and  made  a  part 
of  Union  township.  Counties  are  always  loth 
to  yield  up  any  part  of  their  territory,  and 
under  ordinary  conditions  never  do  so.  Al- 
len county  never  granted  the  change,  and 
therefore  the  action  of  our  county  was  void. 
The  line  between  original  Cleveland  and 
Richland  townships  was  at  the  very  north- 
ern part  of  South  Whitley.  The  line  be- 
tween the  original  Richland  and  Troy  town- 
ships was  directly  through,  the  center  of  Lar- 
will.  It  will  also  be  remembered  that  up 
to  1882  there  was  but  a  single  voting  place 
in  a  township.  Consequently,  about  the 
close  of  the  war,  both  the  villages  having 
grown  to  a  pretentious  size,  residents  on  the 
north  line  of  Cleveland  township,  practically 
in  South  Whitley,  resented  the  idea  of  go- 
ing three  miles  north  into  the  country  to 
vote  and  several  miles  into  the  interior  to  do 
township  and  school  business.  On  the  north 
line  ©f  Richland  the  feeling  was  greater. 
More  than  half  the  voters  of  Larwill,  then 
a  larger  town  than  South  Whitley,  were 
obliged  to  go  three  miles  north  and  one  and 
a  half  mile  east  to  the  center  of  Troy  town- 
ship to  vote,  and  anywhere  to  do  local  offi- 
cial business.  Roads  were  bad  at  any  season 
of  the  year,  and  by  the  time  of  October  and 
November  elections  almost  impassable.  At 
both  ends  of  Richland  township  there  was 
desire    for    change.      Cleveland    would    of 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


61 


course  be  gratified  to  have  her  territory  in- 
creased by  one-third  its  original  size,  and 
Richland  perfectly  contented  to  have  the 
change  made  by  gaining  as  much  to  the 
north  as  was  lost  at  the  south  side.  Troy 
only  would  be  the  loser  of  one-third  its  ter- 
ritory. At  the  September  term,  1867,  a  pe- 
tition was  presented  to  the  board  of  com- 
missioners asking  that  a  voting  precinct  be 
established  in  Larwill,  at  which  place  the 
voters  residing  in  the  south  two-mile  strip 
of  Troy  and  north  one-mile  strip  of  Rich- 
land mig-ht  vote.  This  was  granted,  but  the 
privilege  could  only  be  available  for  general 
county  and  state  elections  and  not  for  town- 
ship elections.  Then  this  required  the  ex- 
pense of  having  a  voting  place  additional  in 
both  Troy  to  the  north  and  Richland  to  the 
south  and  created  the  names  of  New  Rich- 
land Center  and  New  Troy  Center.  This 
was  an  unsatisfactory  makeshift.  On  the 
1 2th  day  of  December,  1868,  the  people  of 
Cleveland,  Richland  and  southern  Troy 
were  almost  unanimously  in  favor  of  at- 
taching' two  miles  across  the  south  end  of 
Richland  to  Cleveland, '  and  two  miles  off 
the  south  end  of  Troy  to  Richland.  The 
north  two-thirds  of  Troy  was  appeased  by 
joining  Etna  township  to  them,  giving  them 
again  a  full  township  six  miles  square.  Ac- 
cordingly, all  this  was  done  by  order  of  the 
board  of  commissioners  on  the  12th  day  of 
December,  1868.  It  was  supposed  the  peo- 
ple of  Etna  township  would  be  more  than 
satisfied  with  the  change,  as  they  would  be- 
long to  a  full-size  township  and  expenses  of 
township  administration  be  lessened.  As  a 
concession  also  the  town  of  Etna  was  des- 
ignated as  the  place  of  holding  elections, 
which  was  much  more  convenient  for  the 


people  of  that  township  than  those  living  in 
Troy. 

Albert  Webster  was  trustee  of  Richland, 
William  H.  Liggett  of  Cleveland  and  Ben- 
jamin Wooden  of  Troy,  and  as  the  residence 
of  each  of  these  officers  still  remained  in  the 
townships  as  they  stood  before  the  change, 
it  was  ordered  that  they  hold  office,  as  offi- 
cers of  the  new  townships,  until  their  suc- 
cessors should  be  elected  at  the  April  elec- 
tions, 1869.  With  the  abolishment  of  Etna 
township,  her  offices  were  declared  vacated. 
The  assessors  of  Troy  and  Cleveland  resided 
in  the  new  townships  of  same  name,  but 
James  Runkle,  assessor  of  Richland,  now  a 
resident  of  Cleveland,  his  office  was  vacated, 
until  the  new  election  of  the  next  spring. 
The  people  of  Etna  township,  however,  re- 
sented the  change.  For  what  reason  does 
not  appear  of  record,  but  tradition  says  they 
were  proud  of  their  independence  and  de- 
sired to  be  left  alone.  The  officers  held  their 
books  and  papers,  and  under  protest  ceased 
to  perform  the  functions  of  their  offices.  No 
election  was  held  for  officers  in  April,  1869. 
The  assessor  of  Troy  reported  to  the  com- 
missioners that  nearly  every  resident  of  Etna 
township  refused  to  list  their  property  with 
him,  whereupon  the  board  ordered  him  to 
return,  demand  the  listing  of  their  property 
and  advise  them  that  any  further  refusal 
would  put  them  in  contempt  of  court  and 
that  they  would  be  fined  under  the  law  pun- 
ishing persons  for  refusing  to  list  their  prop- 
erty. The  case  was  acute.  At  the  March 
term,  1869,  the  trustee  of  Etna  township 
reported  to  the  commissioners  his  levies  for 
township  and  school  purposes  for  the  year, 
which  the  board  refused  to  consider,  but  an 
order    was    finally    entered    admitting    the 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


levies,  but  that  they  should  be  vacated,  and 
the  auditor  not  to  compute  taxes  on  them 
unless  the  action  making  them  a  part  of 
Troy  should  be  rescinded  and  vacated,  the 
people  already  having'  taken  action  toward 
this  aid. 

On  June  jo,  1869,  the  board  found  that 
it  was  the  unanimous  wish  of  the  people  in 
this  strip  that  the  functions  of  a  township 
should  be  restored  to  them  and  it  was  given 
them  and  the  township  of  Etna  was  restored. 
Since  that  time  there  has  been  agitation  for 
the  consolidation  of  the  two  townships,  but 
it  came  more  from  people  outside  than  with- 
in either  of  them.  Some  of  this  was  polit- 
ical. Both  townships  are  strongly  Repub- 
lican, each  having  a  trustee,  and  while  poli- 
tics dominated  the  election  of  a  county 
school  superintendent,  there  was  Democratic 
sentiment  for  consolidation  and  Republican 
sentiment  against  it.  This  is  practically  the 
only  political  advantage  of  the  office  of 
township  trustee.  This  has  so  much  abated 
under  the  superb  management  of  the  schools 
by  the  present  superintendent.  George  H. 
Tapy,  a  Democrat,  that  with  him  as  the  issue 
at  the  November  election  1904,  only  Troy 
and  Etna  townships  elected  Republican 
trustees,  though  President  Roosevelt  carried 
the  county  by  seventy-eight,  and  each  party 
elected  part  of  its  county  ticket. 

At  the  loss  of  Etna  township,  the  people 
of  New  Troy  tell  very  much  aggrieved  over 
the  final  outcome  of  the  boundary  upheaval 
of  [868.  They  had  another  serious  and  just 
cause  of  complaint.  It  was  inserted  in  the 
order  making  the  change,  insidiously  they 
believed,  that  each  new  township  should  as- 
sume  all  debts  contracted  by  the  township 
of  that  name  before  the  change.      This  was 


m  no  way  objectionable  to  Cleveland,  for 
the  two  mile  strip  would  help  them  pay  all 
debts  for  improvements  of  which  the  people 
in  the  strip  got  no  benefit.  It  was  particu- 
larly pleasing  to  the  people  of  Richland,  be- 
cause old  Troy  township  had  built  a  new 
frame  two-story  school  building  in  Larwill 
which  was  not  yet  paid  for.  Richland 
township  and  Larwill  got  the  building  and 
New  Little  Troy  was  obliged  to  pay  for  it. 
Troy  lost  her  school  building,  but  with  loss 
of  one-third  her  territory  and  at  least  half 
her  taxable  property  she  must  pay  for  it. 
Everyone  saw  the  rank  injustice.  If  an  at- 
tempt was  made  to  enforce  this  order,  the 
courts  might  annul  the  whole  proceeding', 
and  the  change  of  territory  being  more  de- 
sirable to  the  citizens  of  Richland  than  get- 
ting rid  of  their  just  share  of  debt,  they  were 
in  a  conciliatory  mood.  The  county  com- 
missioners therefore  appointed  Alexander  S. 
McNagny  on  behalf  of  Richland  township, 
and  Ambrose  M.  Trumbull  on  behalf  of 
Troy,  to  arbitrate  and  reach  a  satisfactory 
settlement.  I.  B.  McDonald,  county  school 
examiner,  was  appointed  the  third  member 
of  the  arbitration  board  and  the  commission- 
ers bound  themselves  to  ratify  any  agree- 
ment reached  by  any  two  of  the  arbitrators. 
The  arbitrators  met  at  Larwill  March  18, 
[869.  McNagny  and  Trumbull  agreed  that 
McDonald  should  act  as  referee,  president  of 
the  board,  and  manager  of  the  proceedings. 
Henry  McLallen.  now  president  of  the  hirst 
National  Bank  of  Columbia  City,  was  se- 
lected as  secretarv  to  the  hoard  of  arbitra- 
tion. Mr.  Mel. alien  says  that  McDonald 
explained  the  situation  so  clearly  and  figured 
out  a  settlement  so  just,  that  it  was  accepted 
without   even    suggestion   of   a   change. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA.  63 

The    debt    due    on    school     house    was  from    the   total    debt    on    the    school    house, 

$695.43.      There    was    special    school    funds  would  leave  $329.43.      This  sum  of  $329.43 

in    hands    of    county    treasurer.    $1,100.    of  was    assumed    by    Richland    township,    but 

which    amount    one-third    or    about    $366  Troy     township    paid     Richland    township 

equitably  belonged  to  that  part  of  the  town-  $34.     And  thus  for  the  period  of  thirty-five 

ship  now  Richland,  for  they  had  paid  in  it  as  years  there  have  been  no  changes  made  in 

residents    of    Troy.      Deducting    this    $360  the  civil  subdivisions  of  Whitley  county. 


INDIAN  HISTORY. 


BY   S.    P.    KALER. 


Ages,  perhaps  centuries,  before  the  era  of 
Columbus,  the  interior  of  this  vast  country, 
especially  along  the  streams  and  lakes,  was 
densely  populated.  Research  proves  that  it 
was  inhabited  long  before  the  advent  of  the 
red  man,  by  a  people  whose  history  is  lost 
forever,  and  of  whom  we  can  never  know 
but  little  beyond  conjecture.  We  have 
reason  to  believe  they  had  fixed  habits  and 
places  of  abode,  in  a  degree  surpassing  their 
dusk\-  successors.  To  this  people  has  been 
given  the  name  of  Mound-Builders.  North- 
ern Indiana  has  many  proofs  of  the  presence 
of  this  race,  but  not  so  extensive  as  found 
in  some  other  regions. 

Some  writers  have  sought  to  establish 
proofs  of  their  works  in  Whitley  county. 
but  all  these,  on  close  analysis  and  investiga- 
tion, have  proven  to  be  the  work  of  the  In- 
dians beyond  all  question.  If  they  were 
here  and  left  evidences,  they  have  since 
disappeared. 

From  out  of  that  dark  night  which  hangs 
forever  over  all  we  know  or  shall  know  of 
early  America,  came  the  Indian,  a  waif  flung 
by  the  surge  of  time  to  these  later  ages  of 
our  own.      With  the  advent  of  the  red  man. 


the  Indiana  of  nature  was  complete,  perfect. 
It  possessed  that  primeval  savage  beauty  of 
a  world  unmarred  by  man.  Lakes,  streams, 
forests,  prairies,  stored  fuel,  noble  game,  all 
here  untouched.  For  centuries,  the  Indian 
lived  in  peace  within  its  bounds.  The  forest 
yielded  him  deer  and  bear,  the  prairies  buf- 
falo and  wild  fowl.  On  the  higher  ridges 
overlooking  the  larger  streams  and  lakes, 
he  had  his  principal  village  sites.  Over 
their  placid  waters  he  paddled  his  dug-out 
and  bark  canoe.  From  their  depths  he  se- 
cured with  rude  hook  and  spear  fishes 
sufficient  to  supply  his  needs,  while  the  skins 
of  muskrats,  otter  and  beaver  which  he 
trapped  about  their  marshy  margins,  fur- 
nished him  protection  against  the  cold. 
Through  the  forest  glades,  when  returning 
from  the  chase,  his  cries  of  triumph  were 
echoed.  Here,  in  a  land  of  plenty,  his  wants 
were  few  and  easily  satisfied,  his  ambitions 
lowly,  his  hopes  eternal.  But  to  this,  as  to 
all  things  peaceful,  there  was  an  end.  From 
across  the  seas  came  that  "prince  of  para- 
sites," the  white  man,  self-styled  heir  to  all 
the  ages,  conqueror  and  civilizer,  in  reality 
the    greatest    devastator    nature    has    ever 


64 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


known.     First,  as  a  discoverer  came  he,  then 
as  a  trapper  and  trader  among  the  Indians, 
last  as  settler  of  the  future  state,  always  a 
despoiler  of  the  land  the  natives  loved  so 
well.     True,  there  were  noble,  self-sacrific- 
ing souls  who  came  as  early  missionaries 
to  befriend  the  natives,  to  point  them  the 
way  of  the  Christian  religion,  to  win  them 
by   the   example   of   perfect    self-sacrificing 
lives,  but  even  this  zeal  was  tinctured  with 
the  hope  of  the  enlargement  and  aggrandize- 
ment of  some  particular  creed.     But  little 
good  or  even   history  came   from  all  this. 
except  it  leaves  to  us  the  story  of  the  general 
disposition   of   these   savages.     Lives   they 
lived  of  barbarian  simplicity,  gentleness  and 
hospitality.     Their   later   treachery,    savage 
brutality   and   general   devilishness,   though 
latent  in  their  uncivilized  nature,  were  de- 
veloped by  their  contact  with  white  men,  and 
they  were  apt  scholars.     The  intense  hos- 
tility of  the  French  and  English  governments 
toward  each  other,  transmitted  to  their  sub- 
jects in  the  new  world,  inspiring  them  with 
love  of  conquest  and   spoil,   and  later  the 
hostility  toward   all   white   races   who   had 
become    Americans,    by    both    French    and 
English;    these    things   are   principally    re- 
sponsible for  the  final  development  of  those 
characteristics   of   the   Indian   we   have  all 
learned   to    despise   and   which   our   earlier 
ancestors  learned  to  fear.     The  history  of 
the  Indian   from  his   discovery   to   his   ex- 
tinction, covers  but  an  infinitesimal  portion 
of  the  world's  history,  but  it  sees  this  race, 
educated  from  uncivilized  simplicity  to  sav- 
age brutality;  and  yet,  withal,  there  were 
many  notable  characters  who  have  left  les- 
sons of  faithfulness,  devotion  and  self-sacri- 
fice* to  the  world,  ever  worthy  of  remem- 
brance and  emulation. 


The  first  white  man  lived  much  as  the 
natives ;  their  places  of  habitation,  their  food, 
their  clothing  and  environment  being  neces- 
sarily the  same.  But  from  the  larger 
streams  and  lakes,  and  the  frontier  he  grad- 
ually pushed  into  the  interior,  until  in  less 
than  two  centuries,  a  mere  second  compared 
with  those  measureless  eternities  before  he 
came,  the  white  man  has  changed  beyond 
recognition  the  face  of  the  land.  From  its 
bounds  he  has  driven  forever  the  buffalo, 
bear,  panther,  elk,  deer,  wild  turkey,  ivory- 
billed  woodpecker,  paroquet  and  wild  pigeon, 
and  obliterated  forever  the  picturesque  trails 
and  woodland  paths.  What  the  Indians 
were  before  Capt.  John  Smith  met  them  in 
1607,  or  the  Pilgrims  found  them  that 
dreary  winter  of  1620,  we  know  not  and 
shall  never  know.  When  they  occupied  all 
this  vast  country  and  had  never  to  do  with 
white  man,  they  had  a  history,  but  it  is 
neither  preserved  or  disclosed.  We  are  sure 
they  had  federations,  some  rude  kind  of 
governmental  management  in  their  tribal 
lives,  and  exercised  control  or  ownership 
over  certain  territory  and  defended  it  against 
their  neighbors,  as  white  men  in  all  lands 
and  all  stages  of  civilization.  That  these 
tribes  were  at  war  with  each  other,  proved 
them  to  be  in  the  one  respect,  at  least,  equal 
to  the  christianized,  enlightened  and  fore- 
most nations  of  white  people  with  their 
centuries  of  intellectual  growth. 

Misunderstanding  and  inevitable  conflict 
must  come  with  the  co-mingling  of  races, 
causing  prejudice,  clannishness  and  event- 
ually a  war  of  extinction.  Intertribal  com- 
munication, what  we  call  news,  was  slow 
and  uncertain,  but  was  not  liable  to  lose  any 
of  its  intensity  by  transmission.  A  race  by 
nature  inclined  to   imagination,   excitement 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


and  hyperbole,  would  not  suffer  a  story  of 
wrong  to  lose  force  on  its  journey,  and  the 
acts  of  a  slowly  but  surely  conquering  race 
must  raise  a  spirit  of  hostility  and  bitterness 
among  the  conquered  whether  black,  red  or 
white.  And  so,  while  the  fight  was  going 
on  along  the  Atlantic  coast,  the  natives  were 
gradually  forced  back  and  from  their  origi- 
nal territory  there  must  come  a  mingling 
of  tribes  with  race  sympathy  and  growing 
hatred  for  the  invaders.  But  the  character- 
istics of  the  Indian  and  his  history,  during 
the  two  centuries  of  his  extinction,  have  been 
fully  set  out  in  numberless  histories,  differ- 
ing in  many  essentials  and  seldom  agreeing 
in  detail,  and  we  are  only  concerned  with 
the  history  of  the  red  man  in  Whitley  county, 
going  beyond  this  only  as  it  may  be  neces- 
sary to  make  plain  that  local  history. 

In  at  least  the  last  half  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  this  territory  was  occupied  jointly 
by  the  Miamis  and  Pottawattamies,  though 
the  former  made  stout  claim  to  all  of  it, 
and  it  must  be  considered  that  interwoven 
with  these  two  great  tribes  were  many 
smaller  ones,  such  as  the  Weeas  and  Eel 
rivers,  and  these  were  mostly  branches  of 
the  Miamis. 

The  domain  of  the  Miamis  was  de- 
scribed by  Little  Turtle  at  the  treaty  of 
Greenville,  June  16.  1795,  as  follows: 
"My  fathers  first  kindled  the  fires  at  Detroit 
and  covered  the  territory  to  the  headwaters 
of  the  Scioto,  thence  down  the  same  to  the 
Ohio,  thence  down  that  river  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Wabash,  and  thence  to  Chicago  on 
the  south-west  end  of  Lake  Michigan,  and 
from  thence  back  to  Detroit,  and  all  within 
these  boundaries  is  Miami  territory."  This 
bombastic  speech,  spoken  by  the  leader  of 
5 


the  federation,  was  no  doubt  inspired  by  the 
determination  of  himself,  his  people,  and 
his  federated  allies,  to  make  the  best  possi- 
ble terms  with  his  white  conquerors,  and 
especially  for  himself  and  the  Miamis  to  re- 
tain his  capital.  Fort  Wayne,  the  very  golden 
gate  of  the  country ;  and  he  must  claim  far 
beyond  that  to  the  westward,  and  not  allow 
this  much  coveted  place  to  fall  in  the  out- 
posts on  the  extreme  western  portion  of  the 
frontier.  To  this  General  Wayne  replied 
that  the  territory  claimed  practically  covered 
all  that  claimed  by  all  the  tribes  represented' 
in  the  convention  and  a  few  small  ones  not 
represented,  intimating  that  Little  Turtle 
was  imbued  with  the  doctrine  asserted  by 
statesmen  and  politicians  uf  our  own  time, 
"claim  everything,"  and  gave  him  little  hope 
to  expect  the  convention  would  recognize 
occupancy  much  to  the  west  of  Fort  Wayne. 
The  origin  of  the  Pottawattamies  and 
their  first  location  on  the  continent  have 
never  been  ascertained.  They  were  known 
to  the  French  in  south-western  Michigan. 
They  were  probably  first  known  by  white 
men  about  Lake  Michigan,  in  Wisconsin 
and  northern  Illinois.  They  were  described 
as  a  somewhat  vagrant  and  unambitious 
tribe,  with  little  or  no  organization,  wander- 
ing almost  aimlessly  about,  and  were  often 
destitute  while  and  when  other  tribes  reveled 
in  savage  luxury.  They  were  driven  east- 
ward by  the  more  western  tribes  until  they 
were  practically  confined  to  north  and  west- 
ern Indiana  until  they  came  among  the  Mi- 
amis, with  whom  they  fraternized  fairly  well. 
Indeed  we  may  say  they  met  and  overlapped 
the  Miamis  about  and  along  Eel  and  Blue 
rivers  in  Whitley  county.  In  the  west  part 
of  our  county   and   beyond,   they   occupied 


66 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


the  territory  practically  ale  me.  In  the  east- 
ern part  of  Whitley  county,  practically  east 
of  the  rivers,  we  find  none  but  the  Miamis, 
including  a  few  Eel  rivers  and  predatory 
bands  of  Weeas  and  others  not  definable. 

About  1790,  the  Miamis  could  muster 
1,500  warriors.  They  were  at  this  time 
always  at  war  with  the  whites  until  their 
disastrous  defeat  by  Gen.  Anthony  Wayne 
in  1795.  the  year  prior  to  the  Greenville 
treaty.  After  that,  they  rapidly  declined. 
By  a  series  of  treaties  between  that  date 
and  1809,  they  ceded  lands  extending  from 
the  Wabash  river  to  the  Ohio  state  line. 
The  annuities  proved  fatal  to  them,  intro- 
ducing intoxicating  liquors,  resulting  in  in- 
dolence, dissipation  and  violence. 

In  the  war  of  1812,  they  sided  with 
England  and  being"  defeated  by  General  Har- 
rison sued  for  peace,  and  a  treaty  was  made 
on  September  15,  1815,  and  their  war  spirit 
was  broken.  War  had  broken  up  the  prog- 
ress they  had  made  in  peaceful  arts,  and 
drunkenness  and  debauchery  again  over- 
whelmed, leading  to  internal  rights  in  which 
nearly  500  of  them  perished  in  about  fifteen 
vears.  In  [822,  the  census  showed  they 
numbered  from  2.000  to  3,000  on  three  res- 
ervations. The  Weea  or  Piankeshaw  bands 
of  them,  numbering  384,  removed  themselves 
in  1833  and  1N35  to  a  reservation  of 
160.000  acres  in  Kansas. 

The  Pel  river  tribe  were  Miamis  who 
had  located  near  Eel  river,  perhaps  about 
1760,  about  twelve  miles  from  Logansport. 
wandering  up  and  down  that  river  into 
Whitley  county.  They  were  removed  with 
-the  Pottawattamies  in  1837,  by  Col.  Abel 
Pepper  and  Alexis  Coquillard.  Those  in 
Whitley,  northern    Huntington  and  eastern 


Allen  counties  were  loaded  on  canal  boats  at 
Raccoon  Village,  Whitley  county,  May  18, 
1837.  The  Miamis.  then  reduced  to  about 
1,100,  sold  to  the  government  117,000  acres 
in  Indiana  for  $335,680,  still  retaining  con- 
siderable land  in  reservations,  but  by  treaties 
made  in  1838  and  1840,  ceded  to  the  govern- 
ment practically  all  these  reservations  and 
were  removed  to  near  Leavenworth,  Kansas. 
At  this  time,  they  had  dwindled  to  a 
wretched,  dissipated  band  of  250,  each  in- 
dividual being  paid  a  life  annuity  of  about 
$125.  In  1873.  they  numbered  about  150. 
and  now  that  once  powerful,  boastful  na- 
tion, dominating  a  great  part  of  Ohio,  In- 
diana and  Michigan,  is  extinct  as  a  tribe. 
Under    the    treaty    stipulation    made    in 

1836,  the    Pottawattamies    were    in    July, 

1837,  removed  to  a  tract  of  country  on  the 
Osage  river,  south-west  of  the  Mississippi, 
under  directions  of  Abel  C.  Pepper,  United 
States  commissioner.  The}-  had  become 
much  nearer  civilized  than  the  Miamis  and 
had  some  good  farms  and  mills  and  showed 
many  signs  of  becoming  citizens  of  tolera- 
tion, if  not  of  usefulness.  Record  is  made 
of  all  the  incidents  of  their  removal,  and  a 
most  pathetic  one  it  is.  They  were  gathered 
from  over  the  territory  to  Twin  Lakes, 
Marshall  county,  and  the  present  village  of 
Kewanna,  in  Fulton  count}-,  where  the  prin- 
cipal settlements  were.  The  day  before 
their  departure  they  visited  the  cemetery 
where  reposed  their  dead,  and  their  lamen- 
tations were  indescribable.  Turning  their 
faces  away  from  the  hallowed  spot  forever, 
they  did  not  look  back.  The}-  complained 
bitterly  of  deceit  in  the  treaty,  but  went 
peaceably.  On  the  way,  dry  and  hot,  many 
of  them  perished  and  were  buried  beside  the 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


67 


trail.  About  two  days  on  their  journey 
they  were  overtaken  by  a  priest  who  had 
spiritually  administered  to  them,  and  he 
came  as  a  glorious  benediction.  Their  joy 
at  having  him  with  them  on  their  journey, 
seemed  to  mitigate  their  sorrows  and  hard- 
ships as  nothing  else  could.  Nothing  more 
pathetic  is  recorded  in  history  than  the  re- 
moval of  the  Pottawattamies  from  northern 
Indiana. 

In  the  contest  at  Greenville  there  met 
two  diplomats  who  would  have  been  able 
to  cope  with  the  most  sagacious  ministers 
of  an  European  court.  They  were  General 
Wayne,  appearing  for  the  government  of 
the  United  States,  the  white  man ;  and  Little 
Turtle,  the  representative  in  chief  of  the 
allied  federation  of  the  red  men.  To  the 
learned  wisdom  of  General  Wayne  Little 
Turtle  was  always  ready  with  an  answer  full 
of  argument  and  diplomacy. 

He  was  the  leader  who  overthrew  the 
Federal  armies  in  1790  and  1791,  which 
struck  with  terror  and  dismay  the  white  in- 
habitants on  the  exposed  frontier.  He 
planned  and  executed  the  work  of  destroy- 
ing the  regulars  and  militia  under  Harmer 
and  Armstrong,  on  the  line  between  Whitley 
and  Allen  counties.  At  Greenville,  he  had 
the  double  task  of  competing  with  General 
Wayne  and  keeping  the  confidence  of  his  sub- 
ordinate allied  chiefs,  who  were  ever  dis- 
trustful of  his  ability  and  integrity  in  settling 
to  the  best  advantage  what  were  really  the 
terms  of  capitulation  of  the  year  before,  and 
its  disaster  to  their  cause.  His  final  appear- 
ance in  the  field  of  diplomacy  was  at  the 
convention  held  in  Fort  Wayne  on  June  1, 
1803. 

About  1793  to  1795,  Rev.  Stephen  Theo- 


dore Badin,  said  to  be  the  first  Catholic  priest 
ordained  in  the  United  States,  visited  the 
Pottawattamies  at  Twin  Lakes.  Marshall 
county,  established  a  church  and  built,  for 
the  age,  a  presumptuous  log  house  of  wor- 
ship. Here  he,  with  two  co-laborers,  min- 
istered for  some  time  to  the  spiritual  want 
of  the  Indians  and  made  many  excursions 
over  northern  Indiana.  To  the  records  of 
these  people,  now  resting  in  the  archives 
of  a  monastery  in  France,  we  are  indebted 
for  much  that  is  interesting. 

Describing  one  of  his  trips  to  the  east- 
ward, giving  description  of  various  points 
and  distance  as  he  could  measure  it,  with 
the  topography  of  the  country;  leaves  no 
doubt  that  in  the  summer  of  1796  he  visited 
a  Pottawattamie  village  in  Richland  town- 
ship, Whitley  county,  near  where  now  stands 
the  village  of  Larwill.  The  lake  commonly 
called  Kerr's  he  locates  accurately,  and  gives 
a  good  account  of  the  surrounding  hills  and 
general  topography  of  the  region.  The  vil- 
lage he  says  was  on  the  hills  on  the  east  bank 
of  the  lake.  He  found  a  village  of  some 
300  Indians,  and  labored  with  them  about  a 
fortnight  and  some  of  them  professed  great 
interest  in  the  doctrines  of  Christianity,  but 
his  visit  must  have  been  barren  of  results 
as  he  does  not  tell  of  a  second  visit.  He 
describes  a  well  traveled  pathway  along  the 
outlet  of  this  lake  to  another  small  lake 
southeastward  about  two  miles,  meaning 
no  doubt  Souder  lake,  which  is  near  the 
center  of  section  11.  Along  this  little 
connection  and  about  the  lakes,  he  says 
many  beaver,  otter  and  other  fur  animals 
were  taken.  From  these  points  he  traveled 
northward  about  six  miles  where  he  had 
learned  there  was  another  village,  but  found 


68 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


it  abandoned  and  most  of  the  huts  burned. 
The  spot  is  not  sufficiently  defined  to  be 
located  now,  but  was  evidently  in  either 
Troy  or  Etna  township. 

Father  Badin's  visit  to  Richland  town- 
ship is  confirmed  by  another  account  from 
an  entirely  different  source.  The  com- 
mander of  the  fort  at  Fort  Wayne,  in  his 
diary  of  a  year  or  two  earlier  (Goodman 
historical  papers)  gives  an  account  of  a  trip 
to  the  west  and  slightly  north,  a  distance  of 
about  thirty  miles,  and  the  purchase  of  more 
than  a  hundred  bear,  otter  and  beaver  skins, 
at  a  Pottawattamie  village  on  the  east  bank 
of  a  small  lake,  and  his  topography  and 
description  of  route  traveled  over  confirms 
the  place  as  before  described. 

As  early  as  1771,  the  English  com- 
mandant at  Fort  Wayne  tells  of  a  visit  to 
the  Miamis,  distant  westward  about  twenty 
or  twenty-two  miles  to  a  point  at  the  con- 
fluence of  two  rivers,  one  starting  some  fif- 
teen miles  north-east  in  a  large  bayou,  marsh 
or  lake,  evidently  meaning  Blue  river,  and 
the  spot  described  is  undoubtedly  the  point 
about  two  miles  south  of  present  Columbia 
City,  where  Blue  river  empties  into  Eel 
river,  right  on  the  line  between  Seek's  Vil- 
lage and  Beaver  reservations.  While  at  the 
place  he  witnessed  a  green  corn  dance 
(Papers  of  the  Western  Reserve  Historical 
Society).  Old  residents  say  there  were  still 
evidences  of  such  village  as  late  as  1840. 

In  the  famous  journal  of  Captain  Trent, 
covering  the  year  1773,  he  speaks  of  an 
Indian  mill,  north-west  of  the  fort  at  the 
headwaters  of  the  Maumee,  distance  the 
journey  of  a  day  and  a  half.  The  mill  was 
on  a  short  neck  of  water  connecting  two 
lakes    and    another    lake    a    short    distance 


north-west  and  almost  parallel  with  the 
higher  of  the  two,  which  was  the  west  one. 
In  this  mill  the  Indians  ground  corn ;  quite 
a  quantity  was  raised  by  them  in  the  vicinity. 
He  also  describes  a  race  track  entirely 
around  one  of  these  lakes,  with  a  log  bridge 
covered  with  earth,  over  the  marshy  part  at 
the  west  end. 

Mrs.  David  Plummer,  of  Richland  town- 
ship, says  that  when  her  father  settled  near 
Shriner  lake  in  Thorncreek  township,  a  race 
track  around  that  lake  was  still  in  a  pretty 
fair  state  of  existence.  There  can  be  no 
doubt  in  the  mind  of  any  person  who  has 
ever  visited  the  three  lakes  in  northern 
Thorncreek  township,  that  this  is  the  place, 
and  that  the  mill  was  near  the  present  sum- 
mer residences  of  Judge  J.  W.  Adair  and 
Col.  I.  B.  Rush.  Trent  says  farther,  that 
the  Indians  gathered  at  this  spot  for  many 
miles  in  the  spring,  and  again  in  the  fall,  for 
a  week's  sport  of  pony  racing  and  other 
games  and  amusements.  There  were  foot 
races  by  both  bucks  and  squaws,  swimming 
matches,  wrestling  bouts,  tests  of  endurance 
in  many  ways  and  contests  which  the  captain 
would  not  attempt  to  describe.  It  was  fa- 
mous all  over  north-eastern  Indiana,  and 
several  hundred  natives  visited  the  place  at 
each  week's  entertainment.  There  were 
both  Miamis  and  Pottawattamies,  but  his 
record  is  silent  as  to  which  tribe  owned  or 
controlled  the  place,  or  what  it  was  called, 
if  it  had  a  name. 

George  Crogan  on  his  trip  up  Eel  river 
in  1765,  of  which  an  extended  account  is 
given  elsewhere  in  this  work,  visited  a  vil- 
lage of  Miami  Eel  river  Indians  on  a  stream 
flowing  from  the  north-west  into  Eel  river 
and  about  a  mile  from  Eel  river,  and  about 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


69 


twelve  miles  from  the  portage.  This  must 
have  been  on  Spring-  creek  just  east  of 
where  it  is  joined  by  Clear  creek  in  Cleve- 
land township,  perhaps  half  a  mile  north- 
east of  present  South  Whitley.  There  were, 
as  he  estimated,  about  300  Indians,  and  they 
were  very  hospitable  and  entertained  his 
men  with  a  good  supply  of  parched  corn, 
venison  and  wild  turkey.  He  spent  a  half 
1  lay  with  them. 

The  student  of  our  country's  history  is 
familiar  with  the  campaign  of  General 
Harmar  in  1790,  against  Fort  Wayne. 
October  14th  Colonel  Hardin  was  detached 
with  one  company  of  regulars  and  six  hun- 
dred militia  in  advance  of  the  main  army, 
and  being  charged  with  the  destruction  of 
the  Indian  towns  on  the  forks  of  the  Mau- 
mee  (Fort  Wayne).  On  the  arrival  of  this 
advance  party,  they  found  the  towns  aban- 
doned and  the  principal  one  burned.  There 
were  seven  villages  at  the  forks  of  the  Mau- 
mee:  the  larger  or  Miami,  being  directly  in 
the  forks  of  the  river,  contained  eighty 
houses.  The  army  burned  all  the  villages 
and  destroyed  about  20,000  bushels  of  corn. 
Appearances  indicated  the  Indians  had  gone 
westward.  General  Harmar  sent  eighty 
militia  and  thirty  regulars  in  pursuit,  John 
Armstrong  commanding  the  regulars  and 
Colonel  Trotter  the  militia.  The  following 
day  Colonel  Hardin  assumed  entire  com- 
mand. This  small  army  moved  westward 
along  Turtle's  trail  until  they  found  them- 
selves near  the  enemy.  The  encampment 
was  flanked  on  each  side  and  in  front  by 
deep  swamps.  The  front  morass  was 
promptly  crossed  by  the  soldiers  under  a 
galling  fire  from  a  body  of  savages.  The 
militia    broke   and    fled   and    could   not   be 


rallied.  Fifty-two  men  were  killed  in  a  few 
minutes.  The  regulars  bore  the  brunt  of  the 
battle,  one  sergeant  and  twenty-two  privates 
being  killed.  While  endeavoring  to  hold 
their  position  the  same  became  more  pre- 
carious by  the  fleeing  militia  breaking 
through  their  ranks  and  throwing  away  their 
guns  without  firing  a  shot.  Armstrong  es- 
timated the  Indians  at  only  about  a  hundred. 
This  gallant  officer  broke  through  the  band 
of  pursuing  Indians  and  plunged  into  the 
swamp,  where  he  remained  all  night  up  to 
his  chin  in  mud  and  water  and  concealed 
by  a  tussock  of  high  grass.  He  was  com- 
pelled to  hear  the  nocturnal  orgies  of  the 
savages,  as  they  danced  around  the  dead 
bodies  of  the  soldiers.  As  day  approached  the 
Indians  fell  asleep,  and  he  extricated  him- 
self, retired  to  a  ravine  and  built  a  fire  by 
which  he  recovered  the  use  of  his  limbs. 
He  had  with  him  his  watch  and  tinder  box. 
This  battle  was  fought  near  where  the  Gosh- 
en road  crosses  Eel  river  and  was  partly  in 
Whitley  and  partly  in  Allen  counties. 

The  different  treaties  were  principally 
made  with  the  Miamis  and  Pottawattamies. 
Indeed,  the  other  smaller  tribes  were  ad- 
mitted rather  by  the  insistence  of  the  general 
government  than  the  request  of  the  two 
powerful  tribes.  In  1826,  the  only  Indian 
villages  in  Whitley  county  were  a  small 
one  in  section  4,  Smith  township,  on  what 
is  now  the  Goshen  road,  then  only  a  trail ; 
one  on  the  Chapiene  reservation  in  Union 
township ;  one  on  the  Beaver  reservation  in 
Columbia  township ;  two  in  central  and  west 
Columbia  township;  one  at  the  raccoon  res- 
ervation in  the  south-east  corner  of  Jeffer- 
son township,  and  Seek's  Village  near  the 
line  between   Chapiene  and   Seek's  Village 


?o 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Reserve  and  one  on  Coesse's  section,  in  all 
only  about  300  Indians,  men,  women  and 
children. 

By  1833,  when  the  settlers  began  to 
arrive  there  were  fewer  than  200  Indians  in 
the  county,  about  seventy-five  or  eighty  at 
Seek's  Village,  a  small  band  at  Blue  River 
lake  in  Smith  township,  perhaps  fifty  at 
Raccoon  Village,  about  sixty  in  west  Colum- 
bia township,  a  small  number  in  Beav- 
er's Reservation  and  a  still  smaller  number  in 
Coesse's  section  immediately  south  of  Colum- 
bia City.  Coesse  died  in  1854  and  his  only 
son  died  the  year  before.  The  son  was 
buried  at  his  home,  now  the  Stoufr  farm. 
Coesse  died  at  Roanoke  and  lies  in  an  un- 
marked grave  in  a  field  farmed  over  for 
many  years. 

Coesse's  wife  and  two  daughters  re- 
mained on  the  farm  till  the  spring  of  1868, 
when  they  sold  it  and  removed  to  Roanoke, 
and  from  thence  joined  some  of  their 
kindred  farther  down  the  Wabash  valley, 
and  the  Indian  population  was  forever  ex- 
tinct in  Whitley  county. 

Whitley  county  has  a  rich  Indian  his- 
tory, but  it  has  been  so  long  neglected  that 
to  gather  the  fragments  of  tradition,  reports 
of  discoverers,  journals  of  traders,  remem- 
brances of  early  settlers,  surface  evidence 
and  information  of  a  collateral  character, 
and  sift  out  the  truth  and  arrange  all  in 
chronological  order,  leaves  a  small  narrative 
for  the  perusal  of  future  generations. 

Much  more  could  be  added  to  this  chap- 
ter, if  we  were  to  set  down  as  historical  fact 
fanciful  theories  and  romantic  stories.  Here, 
practically  along  the  Eel  river,  came  the 
great  tribes  of  Miamis  from  the  east  and 
north,  meeting  the  almost  equally  powerful 


Pottawattamies  from  the  west  and  north- 
west; and  intermingled  among  these,  indi- 
vidual squads  and  larger  bodies  of  other 
tribes,  sometimes  under  the  leadership  of 
chiefs.  Before  there  were  white  men  with 
which  to  contend,  there  was  war  among  the 
tribes,  often  to  the  point  of  extermination, 
or  destruction  of  tribal  relation,  and  the  in- 
corporation of  the  remnants  into  other  tribes 
and  a  commingling  of  individuals.  It  is 
needless  to  say  that  much,  if  not  the  greater, 
part  of  the  mass  of  literature  upon  this  sub- 
ject is  very  meagre  in  fact. 

As  to-day,  some  portions  of  our  country 
are  much  more  densely  populated  than 
others,  for  reasons  easily  discernible,  so  in 
those  days  before  the  foot  of  white  man 
pressed  the  soil,  some  portions  of  the  coun- 
try were  more  thickly  settled  with  Indians 
than  others.  If  Whitley  county  to-day  can- 
not boast  of  its  fine  and  populous  cities, 
dense  population  and  metropolitan  improve- 
ments, it  can  say  its  rich  hunting  grounds, 
small  stretches  of  prairie,  its  streams  and 
lakes,  once  made  it  a  very  important  part 
of  the  red  man's  domain. 

Many  pages  have  been  written  to  prove 
when  a  fort  was  first  erected  at  what  is 
now  Fort  Wayne;  but  it  is  quite  sure  there 
was  a  French  fort  at  that  place  long  before 
1730.  The  establishment  of  the  fort  proves 
a  previous  discovery  by  white  men,  as  well 
as  a  necessity  for  its  erection.  Money  was 
not  expended  and  lives  risked  without  an 
object,  and  in  this  case  the  purpose  is  easily 
found.  Its  strategic  and  commercial  im- 
portance, lying  at  the  headwaters  of  the 
Maumee  to  the  lake,  and  in  the  other  direc- 
tion by  a  small  portage  to  either  Little  river 
or  Eel  river,  and  a  highway  into  the  vast 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


interior.  The  country  was  rich  in  what  the 
natives  had  to  barter  or  traffic.  It  was  the 
largest  and  most  central  of  all  the  villages 
or  points  in  the  Miami  possessions.  Capt. 
Vincennes  visited  it  as  early  as  1740,  and 
pronounced  it  "The  Key  of  the  West."  Lit- 
tle Turtle  named  it  the  "glorious  gate" 
through  which  all  the  good  words  of  their 
chiefs  had  to  pass  from  the  north  to  the 
south  and  from  the  east  to  the  west. 

Before  the  erection  of  that  fort,  the  local 
historv  of  this  region  is  unknown ;  and  for 
many  years  thereafter,  we  only  know  that 
the  Indians  of  this  region  traded  and  bar- 
tered there,  that  they  had  portages  or  trails 
from  Eel  river  to  the  fort,  and  that  the 
portages  and  river  through  this  county  be- 
came what  we  would  liken  to-day  to  a  trans- 
continental railroad;  this  county  was  trav- 
ersed by  a  great  national  highway. 

From  the  Great  Lakes,  over  which  for 
two  centuries  must  come  the  advance  guard 
of  civilization,  during  the  terrors  of  treach- 
ery and  trails  of  blood,  of  French  and  Brit- 
ish claims,  and  until  after  the  second  war 
with  Great  Britain  and  the  final  breaking 
down  of  Indian  prowess,  through  the  Whit- 
ley county  portages  and  Eel  river  must  a 
great  part  of  these  hardy  pioneers  pass  as 
though  hemmed  in  by  a  barbed  wire. 

On  the  26th  day  of  July,  1906,  a  small 
number  of  citizens  of  Whitley  county  set 
out  with  the  avowed  purpose  of  ascertain- 
ing all  that  could  be  obtained  by  personal  ex- 
amination and  evidence  of  witnesses  of  the 
Indian  history  of  the  county.  They  visited 
the  Island,  the  spot  of  executions  thereon, 
the  battle  ground  of  the  two  dominant  tribes, 
Miamis  and  Pottawattamies,  the  spot  of  the 
"burned  cabins,"  Indian  cemeteries,  the  spot 


of  the  massacre  at  Page's  Crossing,  the 
bridge  across  Beaver  run.  Little  Turtle's 
Village,  Seek's  Village,  and  the  location  of 
the  homes  of  both  these  chiefs.  The  day  was 
a  summer  ideal,  and  when  they  sat  down  to 
picnic  on  historic  ground  on  Silas  Briggs' 
farm,  there  were  nearly  200  people.  Some 
came  to  hear,  others  to  tell,  others  because 
they  felt  interested,  and  many  out  of  idle 
and  listless  curiosity,  and  these  unconscious- 
ly assisted  by  inspiring  those  who  came  to 
add  their  testimony  to  their  most  vivid  rec- 
ollection. 

Such  an  array  of  witnesses  will  never 
gather  again.  Even  before  these  pages 
have  reached  the  publishers,  some  of  them 
have  gone  to  take  their  places  in  their  last 
narrow  homes.  As  we  inspected  a  place, 
each  would  come  fonvard  and  relate  what 
he  himself  had  seen  of  or  on  this  spot ;  what 
father  or  mother  or  other  friends  had  told 
him,  and  out  of  all  this,  corroborated  from 
all  possible  sources,  comes  the  following  nar- 
rative, which  may  well  take  its  place  in  the 
literature  of  Whitley  county  as  authentic 
history : 

In  that  notable  gathering  were  Charles 
Seymour,  who  lived  on  the  island  much 
more  than  half  a  century  ago,  and  saw  the 
things  of  which  he  spoke ;  John  F.  Moss- 
man,  to  whom  Indians  were  familiar,  and 
who  fed  them  in  his  father's  house;  George 
Aker.  who  as  a  boy  played  with  Indian 
boys ;  Sanford  Mosher,  whose  recollection 
of  Indians  and  their  day  is  as  vivid  as 
though  'twere  yesterday :  Silas  and  Andrew 
Briggs,  who  came  as  the  Indian  sun  was  set- 
ting, and  who  carved  beautiful,  fertile  farms 
out  of  the  Indian  wreckage,  built  magnifi- 
cent homes  and  reared  large,  intelligent  fam- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ilies  on  the  spots  of  former  Indian  habita- 
tions, both  in  possession  of  all  their  facul- 
ties and  able  to  speak  intelligently  of  what 
was  to  be  seen  in  former  days,  and  of  rapidly 
dissolving-  evidence ;  William  and  Alexander 
Ah  ire.  raised  right  here  on  Eel  river  on  a 
spot  hallowed  by  historic  scenes,  both  have 
raised  worthy  families,  who  have  gone  forth 
to  fill  places  of  prominence  in  the  world.  All 
these  men  were  yet  fully  able  to  tell  of  the 
stirring  scenes  of  early  days.  These  and 
many  others  gave  evidence  of  incalculable 
historic  value.  Without  overshadowing  the 
value  of  the  testimony  of  any  of  these,  it  is 
but  truth  to  say  that  Alexander  More  was 
in  position  to  give  more  information  than 
any  other;  an  intelligent  citizen,  possessing 
a  beautiful  home  and  some  leisure,  and  being 
raised  on  the  most  interesting  Indian  ground 
in  the  county,  and  having  made  a  study  of 
local  and  historic  conditions  all  his  life,  he 
is  better  able  to  speak  than  any  other  in  the 
county.  Mr.  More  has  known  from  child- 
hood the  exact  habitations  of  Little  Turtle 
and  the  route  of  the  trails  or  portages,  and 
is  desirous  of  having  them  marked  for  per- 
petuation during  his  life.  He  had  not  for 
many  years  visited  the  spot  of  Little  Tur- 
tle's house  at  the  bend  of  the  river,  and  yet 
his  description  of  it.  from  his  own  recollec- 
tion and  that  left  by  his  father,  enabled  every 
man  in  the  party  to  walk  directly  to  the  spot. 

To  the  events  of  this  26th  day  of  July, 
[906,  and  a  few  subsequent  trips  over  the 
county  by  nearly  the  same  people,  are  we 
mainly  indebted  for  what  follows: 

What  is  known  as  Little  Turtle's  trail 
or  portage  through  the  county  will  be  here- 
after described.  At  this  time,  we  shall  only 
refer  to   it    as  going  through   the  farm  of 


Alexander  More  in  the  northeast  corner 
of  section  1 1  and  the  north-west  corner  of 
section  12,  in  Union  township.  Eel  river 
at  this  point  formerly  cut  almost  a  curve  out 
of  the  corners  of  these  two  sections.  Since 
dredging,  the  short  curves  are  taken  out, 
but  are  so  small  as  not  to  be  discernible  on 
the  map,  or  change  the  location  of  the  places 
of  interest  with  reference  to  the  river.  The 
trail  coming  from  the  west  runs  almost  paral- 
lel with  the  river  and  about  200  feet  from  it. 
The  road  running  north  through  More's 
land,  coming  from  the  Yellow  river  road, 
runs  about  sixty  rods  west  of  the  east  line 
of  section  1 1 .  and  parallel  with  it  until 
about  seventy  rods  from  the  north  line  of 
the  section,  then,  on  account  of  the  river,  an- 
gles to  the  east.  Perhaps  ten  rods  south 
of  the  angle  is  More's  house.  Directly 
north  and  about  the  angle,  stands  his  large 
barn.  Directly  north  of  the  barn  is  the  trail, 
in  many  places  still  plainly  visible.  About 
fifty  feet  north  of  the  trail,  almost  where 
the  bluff  descends  to  the  river,  is  the  spot 
where  stood  Little  Turtle's  house.  He  had 
two  houses,  and  of  course  it  is  not  known 
whether  he  occupied  both  of  them  at  one 
time  or  not.  He  had  three  wives,  but,  we 
are  told,  not  "simultaneously;"  so  that  it 
can  hardly  be  that  two  families  were  domi- 
ciled at  this  place.  The  houses  were  about 
eighty  feet  apart.  The  first,  supposed  to  be 
the  larger,  stood  to  the  north  and  slightly 
west  of  the  other.  This  was  the  last  habita- 
tion of  this  famous  chief  in  the  county,  from 
whence  he  went  to  Fort  Wayne  in  the  spring 
or  early  summer  of  1812  and  died  in  mid- 
summer. 

The    most    remarkable    feature    of    this 
place  is  the  fortification.     About  fifty  feet 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


73 


east  of  Turtle's  cabin  is  the  intrenchment  be- 
ginning at  the  river  on  the  east  side,  and  al- 
most circular  in  form,  except  the  west  side 
is  flattened  before  it  again  strikes  the  river. 
It  is  plainly  visible,  covered  with  the  vegeta- 
tion of  summer,  and  much  more  so  in  win- 
ter, though  we  are  quite  sure  it  was  dug  a 
century  and  a  quarter  ago.  The  distance 
around  this  intrenchment  is  360  feet.  At  its 
farthest  point  from  the  river  it  is  120  feet, 
and  has  about  150  feet  on  river  front.  The 
river  front  all  along  here  is  quite  a  little 
bluff,  but  near  the  east  line  of  this  artificial 
ridge,  is  cut  down  a  road  to  the  river,  by 
which  horses  coming  across  the  river  might 
come  directly  into  the  enclosure.  Fifty  years 
ag"o  the  embankment  stood  up  fully  four  feet, 
and  forty  years  ago  the  stations  could  be 
easily  seen  where  each  man  stood  to  throw  it 
up.  and  there  were  more  than  a  hundred  such 
stations.  The  large  timber  had  been  taken 
from  within,  and  some  distance  outside  the 
intrenchment,  save  one  tree  inside  and  an- 
other about  fifty  feet  south  and  east  of  where 
the  east  line  of  the  embankment  strikes  the 
river.  The  one  outside  is  gone.  There  were 
marks  on  the  outside  showing  that  it  had 
been  struck  in  several  places,  presumably 
with  axes.  Mr.  More  himself  cut  to  the 
inside  scar  and  counted  the  growths,  and  had 
others  do  so,  and  they  counted  back  to  1 780. 
The  inside  tree  is  dead,  but  still  stands,  a 
stub  perhaps  twenty  feet  high.  It  died  fif- 
teen j-ears  ago,  and  by  count  of  the  growths 
by  different  persons,  to  the  interior  scar, 
makes  the  time  of  the  cutting  into  it  either 
1780  or  1781. 

Across  the  river  and  extending  some  dis- 
tance to  the  east,  were  yet  standing  forty 
years  ago,  from  fifty  to  a  hundred  trees,  all 


burned  on  the  side  next  to  the  river.  Had 
these  been  burned  by  a  fire  running  over  the 
ground,  or  by  any  other  means  than  by  per- 
sons encamped  along  the  river,  they  would 
not  all  have  been  burned  on  the  one  side  next 
the  river. 

At  a  point  on  the  north  line  of  section  12 
where  the  road  strikes  the  section  line,  run- 
ning thence  east  a  few  rods  on  the  line,  there 
was  noticed,  but  a  few  years  ago.  unmistak- 
able evidence  of  a  great  charnel  house. 
Either  it  had  been  the  scene  of  a  battle  or 
the  pestilential  ravage  of  disease.  Bones  of 
human  beings  could  have  been  picked  up  by 
the  barrel.  Pigs  turned  on  the  ground 
plowed  it  all  over  with  their  noses,  and 
crunched  the  bones  for  months.  A  buckle, 
bridle  bit  and  spur  were  also  plowed  up.  On 
this  ground,  Mr.  More  found  a  round  ex- 
cavation about  the  size  of  a  very  large,  old- 
fashioned  dug  well,  walled  with  stones.  In 
this  was  crowded  endwise  all  the  timber  it 
would  hold,  and  it  was  almost  burned  to 
charcoal.  Mr.  More  dug  it  out,  and  it  ex- 
tended down  six  to  seven  feet. 

At  a  point  on  the  trail  about  sixty  rods 
east  of  the  fortification,  about  the  same  in- 
dications of  a  battle  ground  were  found, 
and  two  large  mounds,  the  outlines  still  to  be 
seen,  were  quite  plain  but  a  few  years  ago. 
Mr.  More  opened  them  and  took  out  quite 
a  few  human  bones,  and  one  entire  skeleton. 

THE  ISLAND. 

What  was  known  to  the  Indians  and  the 
early  settlers  as  "The  Island,"  is  that  part 
of  Columbia  township  between  Eel  river  and 
Mud  run,  the  latter  emptying  into  the  for- 
mer almost  on  the  west  line  of  Seek's  Vil- 


74 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


lage  reserve.  The  streams  thus  form  the 
island,  except  the  east  side,  which  was  a 
prairie  or  marsh,  so  wet  that  at  most  sea- 
sons of  the  year  a  canoe  would  readily  float 
over  it.  The  island  was  in  area  300  or  per- 
haps 400  acres.  The  road  south  from  the 
city  through  the  center  of  sections  14  and 
23,  Seek's  Village  reserve,  strikes  the  island 
as  it  crosses  Eel  river.  The  margin  of  this 
island  along  Eel  river  is  high  and  bluffy  di- 
rect to  the  river  for  a  short  distance  east  of 
the  road.  West  of  the  road  the  bluff  recedes 
some  distance,  but  follows  nearly  the  same 
lines  as  the  river,  leaving  what  was  formerly 
a  low,  marshy,  dense  thicket  ten  or  fifteen 
rods  wide  between  bluff  and  river.  Except 
along  Eel  river  the  island  sloped  gradually 
into  marsh  and  stream  scarcely  distinguish- 
able. As  the  road  from  Columbia  City 
south  crosses  the  river  and  ascends  to  the 
bluff,  it  strikes  the  higher  part  of  the  island 
of  perhaps  eighty  acres,  that  at  no  time  ever 
witnessed  an  overflow. 

On  the  margin  of  Eel  river,  on  each  side, 
was  a  trail  which  the  Indians  had  so  con- 
structed with  earth  and  timber  that  at  low- 
water  it  was  a  well  worn  highway.  East  of 
the  road  some  thirty  rods,  was  a  splendid 
spring,  and  near  it  the  bluff  was  cut  down  by 
a  trail  or  portage  to  the  river,  and  a  crossing 
was  established  for  some  fair-sized  craft  of 
the  canoe  variety.  About  midway  between 
the  road  and  the  junction  of  the  rivers  was 
the  trail,  portage  or  crossing,  so  arranged 
with  stones  and  timbers  as  to  be  passable 
except  in  high  stages  of  water.  This  was 
the  only  regular  rind  well  defined  approach 
to  the  island. 

Anthony  Seymour  purchased  the  forty 
acres  of  the  island  directly  south  of  the  river 


and  east  of  the  road  from  James  Compton  ire 
1848,  and  moved  upon  it.  His  son,  Charles 
Seymour,  who  spent  much  of  his  boyhood  at 
this  place,  accompanied  the  expedition  and 
gave  the  principal  information. 

At  that  time  information  was  readily  ob- 
tained from  Coesse's  family,  and  other  scat- 
tering Indians  and  early  settlers.  It  was 
one  of  the  principal  strongholds  of  the  Mi- 
amis  on  Eel  river,  and  predatory  bands  of 
Indians  or  whites  could  reach  it  only  at  a 
great  disadvantage  to  themselves.  It  was 
a  natural  fortification. 

There  was  a  legend  among  the  Indians 
of  a  white  man  on  a  white  horse  being  on  the 
island.  This  pale  rider  on  his  pale  steed, 
kept  concealed  like  a  spirit,  except  when  on 
a  mission  against  the  Indians  or  planning 
some  harm  to  them.  He  could  ride  like  the 
wind,  and  his  sight  was  dreaded  as  a  pesti- 
lence. When  he  appeared,  they  were  sure 
some  calamity  was  about  to  befall  them  by 
storm,  fire  or  human  foe. 

The  island  was  a  well  kept  Miami  In- 
dian garrison  up  to  1812.  and  Little  Turtle 
exercised  supervision  over  it  during  his 
chieftainship. 

The  island,  when  it  came  into  the  hands 
of  the  white  man,  was  denuded  of  most  of 
its  heavy  timber.  There  were  scattering 
trees  and  unmistakable  evidence  of  the  red 
man's  agriculture,  but  grown  over  with 
hazel  brush. 

On  the  west  side  of  what  is  now  the  road, 
some  forty  rods  south  of  the  river,  were  six 
oak  trees  standing  near  each  other  and  alone. 
when  the  Seymours  came.  These  showed 
marks  on  the  west  side  of  frequent  burning 
against  them,  from  the  roots  up  to  a  little 
more  than  the  height  of  a  man.  and  there 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


75 


were  many  scars  of  tomahawk  or  hatchet. 
About  the  roots  were  many  charred  bones  of 
human  beings.  Mrs.  Seymour  inquired  and 
was  told  by  Mrs.  Coesse  that  it  was  the  spot 
where  the  Miamis  tortured  and  burned  their 
prisoners,  brought  sometimes  many  miles, 
and  she  also  told  of  witnessing  the  burning 
of  some  Pottawattamies  there  when  she  was 
a  little  girl.  There  were  several  trees  over 
the  island  that  were  similarly  burned,  but 
this  seemed  to  be  the  principal  place.  The 
expedition  placed  a  red  stake  by  the  road- 
side forty  rods  south  of  the  center  of  section 

23,  township  31,  range  9.  The  trees  stood 
five  rods  north,  forty-five  degrees  west  from 
this  stake. 

Charles  Seymour  related  that  while  liv- 
ing here  he  knew  Coesse's  son  Simon  very 
well,  and  often  played  and  hunted  with  him, 
but  could  never  get  to  see  old  Coesse  him- 
self. He  says :  "Once  Simon  came  over  to 
our  patch  and  ate  cucumbers  until  I  thought 
he  would  kill  himself,  and  told  him  so :  and 
he  replied,  'Nothing  kill  Indian."  The  next 
spring  he  took  sick  and  died,  but  I  guess 
the  cucumbers  did  not  kill  him ;  I  took  care 
of  him  a  great  deal,  saw  the  autopsy  per- 
formed and  helped  bury  him.  This  was  the 
spring  of  1852.  Once  I  went  over  to 
Coesse's  when  Simon  and  his  mother  were 
unloading  poles  off  of  a  wagon ;  he  told  me 
something  to  say  to  his  mother,  and  I  re- 
peated it ;  she  picked  up  a  root  and  came  at 
me  so  savage  that  I  ran  toward  home  like  a 
deer;  I  afterward  learned  that  I  had  said 
to  her,  'Squaw  can't  run,'  and  she  showed 
me  that  I  was  mistaken." 

Mr.  Seymour  led  the  expedition  to  a  spot 
about  sixty  rods  west  of  the  center  of  section 

24,  township  31,  range  9.  not  far  from  the 


river,  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  John  W. 
Koch.  He  was  sure  it  was  the  scene  of  a 
battle  between  the  Miamis  and  Pottawat- 
tamies. He  had  tended  a  field  of  corn  on 
the  spot  sixty  years  ago,  and  saw  many- 
human  bones  and  arrow  heads.  Coesse  had 
told  his  father  about  the  battle  and  of  Little 
Turtle's  ability  as  a  warrior  commanding  the 
victorious  Miamis,  and  that  several  Potta- 
wattamies were  executed  on   the  island. 

Mr.  Seymour  has  always  been  familiar 
with  the  spot.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that 
this  was  the  expedition  of  the  Pottawatta- 
mies against  the  Miamis  in  1801,  mentioned 
in  several  histories.  It  came  about  by  individ- 
ual depredations,  back  and  forth  between  the 
tribes,  aggravated  into  feuds  between  the 
two  great  bodies.  Six  of  the  Pottawattamies 
crossed  the  island  one  night  and  killed  two 
squaws  and  took  away  three  ponies.  The 
Miamis  retaliated  in  kind.  Then  came  the 
Pottawattamies  in  legion  to  the  island  and 
ran  them  off  to  the  east  until  Little  Turtle 
rallied  them  and  gained  the  day.  No  doubt 
the  execution  Mrs.  Coesse  witnessed  was 
one  of  the  Indians  who  killed  the  Miami 
squaws. 

THE  BURNED  CABINS. 

On  the  line  between  Columbia  and  Union 
townships,  on  the  west  line  of  section  19. 
Union,  and  about  forty  rods  north  of  the 
Reserve  line,  is  Compton  church,  with  cem- 
etery to  the  south.  The  roads  at  this  point 
form  five  points,  the  brick  church  in  the 
triangle. 

This  place  has  been  referred  to  by  old 
settlers,  from  time  immemorial,  as  the  place 
of  the  burned  cabins,   because  the  ground 


76 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


was  covered  with  cabins  partly  burned  when 
first  seen  by  the  new  comers.  There  is  tra- 
dition of  buried  treasure  thereabouts.  Even' 
possible  source  has  been  exhausted  to  ascer- 
tain the  history  of  the  place,  resulting  only 
in  finding  that  an  Indian  village  once  occu- 
pied the  grounds ;  that  there  is  an  Indian 
burying  ground  on  the  bluff  of  the  creek  to 
the  west.  Who  they  were  or  what  became 
of  them,  will  never  be  ascertained.  The  evi- 
dence of  Mrs.  Revarre,  elsewhere  in  this  his- 
tory set  out,  is  given  for  what  it  is  worth. 
That  she  knew  a  family  there  and  that  they 
all  died  off  naturally,  does  not  account  for 
the  burned  cabins.  Were  we  to  set  down 
probability  for  history,  we  would  say  that 
Col.  Simrall  on  his  expedition,  destroying 
Turtle  Village  September  17,  1812,  de- 
scended this  short  distance  farther  and 
burned  this  village. 

PAIGE'S  CROSSING. 

To  the  northwest  of  Compton  church  is 
Paige's  Crossing,  where  the  road  from  Co- 
lumbia City,  after  crossing  the  river, 
branches  in  three  directions.  On  the  west 
bank  of  the  river,  north  of  the  road,  Mrs. 
Coesse  was  born.  Mrs.  Revarre's  romantic 
story  of  the  killing  of  Coesse's  father  at  this 
point  is  corroborated  by  Henry  N.  Beeson, 
who  says  Coesse  told  him  he  always  shud- 
dered when  he  thought  of  the  battle  at  this 
point,  and  that  he  saw  the  river  filled  with 
dead,  among  whom  was  his  own  father. 
There  is  also  a  tradition,  now  but  a  rumor 
of  tradition,  that  the  white  men  came  along 
to  a  point  between  Paige's  Crossing  and 
Compton  church,  and  being  repulsed  bv  the 
Indians,  retired  to  the  north,  leaving  a  large 


quantity  of  whiskey.  That  the  Indians  got 
it,  became  dead  drunk,  and  then  were  all 
slaughtered  by  the  invaders. 

If  Coesse  saw  this  bloody  massacre,  then 
it  must  have  been  Simrall  and  his  men. 
Coesse  was  too  young  to  have  seen  any 
earlier  expedition  of  this  character,  and 
there  has  been  none  since  SimraH's.  The 
further  fact  that  neither  Coesse  nor  Mrs.  Re- 
varre mention  the  name  of  their  illustrious 
grandfather.  Little  Turtle,  in  connection 
with  this  battle,  indicates  that  he  was  dead. 
He  died  two  months  before  Simrall's  expedi- 
tion. If  such  battle  occurred,  it  was  un- 
doubtedly between  Simrall  and  the  Indians, 
and  before  burning  their  village  at  Compton 
church.  Though  history  does  not  record 
it,  there  is  nothing  to  indicate  the  contrary. 
In  fact,  it  is  highly  probable. 

At  this  point,  it  may  be  well  to  observe 
that  Seek's  Village  reserve  was  not  Chief 
Seek's  reserve.  He  and  Turtle  and  others 
had  individual  reserves  in  Allen  and  Hunt- 
ington counties.  Seek's  Village  reserve  was 
given  to  the  Indians  at  Seek's  Village.  Ad- 
joining Seek's  Village  reserve  to  the  east 
is  Chapiene  reserve,  a  section  a  mile  square 
being  given  to  that  chief.  If  he  ever  lived 
in  the  county,  we  do  not  know  it.  He  was 
a  characterless  Indian,  of  whom  history 
knows  but  little.  He  lived  about  Fort 
Wayne,  and  died  unrecorded.  It  is  said  of 
him  that  he  traded  his  reserve,  one  mile 
square  of  the  finest  land  in  Whitley  county, 
to  some  Fort  Wayne  traders  for  an  old  white 
stallion  and  two  barrels  of  whiskey.  The 
stallion  died  on  the  commons  soon  after,  but 
not  before  Chapiene  and  his  friends  had 
drank  all  the  whiskey. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


77 


TURTLE  AND  TURTLE'S  VILLAGE. 

The  names  Little  Turtle  and  Turtle  are 
interchangeable  in  this  narrative.  The 
chief's  name  was  Little  Turtle,  and  his  vil- 
lage was  properly  called  Turtle  Village.  It 
had  some  other  name  before  he  became 
prominent,  but  it  being  the  place  of  his  resi- 
dence, and  he  the  greatest  of  all  the  Mi- 
amis,  it  took  his  name. 

Turtle  Village  was  mostly  on  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  4,  Union  township, 
and  north  of  the  sharp  curve  or  bend  in  the 
river.  Turtle  was  born  here;  so  were  his 
sons  and  daughters,  and  likewise  his  father 
before  him.  It  was  the  home  of  the  family 
as  far  as  Indian  tradition  could  carry. 

Historians  who  have  copied  after  each 
other  without  research,  say  he  was  born  in 
1747.  In  fact,  and  beyond  contradiction, 
he  was  born  in  1751.  Historians  have  also 
added,  one  after  the  other,  that  his  mother 
was  a  Mohican,  when  in  truth  she  was  a 
Miami. 

He  attained  to  the  chieftainship  at  an 
early  age.  not  by  heredity,  for  heredity  is  in 
the  maternal  line,  and  his  mother  was  not 
of  a  family  of  chiefs;  but  he  arose  to  the 
position  because  of  his  superiority  over  his 
fellows  in  statecraft,  military  ability,  sagac- 
ity, plainness  and  forcibility  of  speech,  and 
ability  to  gain  and  hold  the  confidence  of  his 
people.  His  courage  and  sagacity  became 
proverbial ;  neighboring  tribes  shrank  from 
him  as  an  adversary,  but  drew  courage  and 
achieved  success  under  his  leadership. 

The  campaign  of  Wayne  in  August. 
1794,  was  too  much  for  him.  He  realized 
the  foolishness  of  undertaking  to  keep  up 
the  warfare  against  the  United  States,  as 


did  Lee  at  Appomattox.  He  accepted  the 
situation  as  meaning  the  extinction  of  the 
red  man,  either  by  war  or  peace,  and  he 
chose  the  latter. 

He  returned  to  his  village  in  Whitley 
county,  and  tried  to  teach  his  people  the 
arts  of  peace.  By  act  of  congress,  he  was 
given  about  $1,000  in  money  to  erect  him- 
self a  house.  It  has  been  said  that  he  built 
a  brick  house,  but  that  is  not  true.  He  was 
economical,  and  built  but  a  log  cabin  on  the 
bluff  above  the  bend  of  the  river,  as  above 
stated. 

By  the  same  act  of  congress,  $1,200  was 
appropriated  to  clean  off  lands  about  his 
village  for  his  people.  This  he  expended, 
hiring  his  own  people  to  do  the  work,  and 
by  1801  had  about  250  acres  cleared  and 
burned  off  about  and  around  the  village. 
His  people  were,  however,  not  inclined  to 
work,  and  it  made  fuel  too  far  for  the 
squaws  to  carry,  and  many  of  the  tribe  de- 
serted him  and  went  above  to  Seek's  Vil- 
lage, and  others  drifted  to  the  villages  far- 
ther down  the  river.  He  abandoned  his  vil- 
lage in  1802  and  moved  up  the  trail  to  the 
fort,  now  More's  farm,  as  fully  set  out 
elsewhere  in  this  work. 

The  next  year  he  went  before  the  legis- 
lature of  both  Ohio  and  Kentucky,  and  made 
personal  appeals  against  selling  liquor  to  his 
people.  He  was  the  first  to  introduce  vacci- 
nation among  his  people  for  the  prevention 
of  small-pox,  which  was  so  fatal  among 
them.  He  learned  to  vaccinate  from  the  fort 
surgeon  at  Fort  Wayne,  was  himself  vacci- 
nated there,  and  next  performed  it  on  his 
own  children  at  Turtle  Village.  With  his 
removal  from  the  village,  the  place  passed 
into  history. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


Turtle  went  from  his  home  at  More's, 
in  the  spring  of  1812,  to  Fort  Wayne,  to  be 
treated  by  the  fort  physician.  He  died  July 
14,  1812,  of  what  was  then  called  gout,  be- 
cause of  swelling  in  the  feet,  but  of  a  dis- 
ease now  termed  Bright's  disease  by  the  pro- 
fession. He  was  buried  with  military  hon- 
ors, about  the  center  of  the  old  orchard  at 
Fort  Wayne.  He  kept  well  informed  as  to 
the  events  leading  up  to  the  war  of  1812, 
which  was  declared  but  a  month  before  his 
death.  Had  he  lived,  and  his  counsel  been 
followed,  the  disastrous  campaign  of  Har- 
rison against  his  people  had  not  taken  place. 
Gen.  Harrison  reached  Fort  Wayne  Sep- 
tember 12,  1812,  the  Indians  beat  a  hasty 
retreat,  and  their  villages  were  destroyed. 
On  the  17th.  Col.  Simrall  arrived  with  a  reg- 
iment of  320  dragoons,  and  Col.  Farrow 
with  a  company  of  mounted  riflemen.  The 
next  day  their  combined  force  was  sent  to 
destroy  Turtle  Village,  but  with  strict  or- 
ders not  to  molest  the  dead  warrior's  home 
at  More's.  History  only  says  they  faith- 
fully performed  their  work  and  returned. 
Were  the  history  given  in  detail,  and  cor- 
rectly, it  would  be  about  this  way.  It  was 
the  intention  of  Gen.  Harrison  to  break  the 
power  of  the  Indians  forever.  Turtle's  Vil- 
lage was  supposed  to  be  the  only  place 
worthy  of  destruction,  when  in  fact  it  was 
practically  deserted.  They  passed  along  the 
trail  and  the  fort  and  Turtle's  home  at 
Mi  ire's,  burning  all  the  cabins  except  Tur- 
tle's house,  and  followed  this  trail  to  his  vil- 
lage, and  perhaps  burned  it  as  stated.  Find- 
ing they  had  performed  a  feeble  work,  what 
more  natural  than  that  they  passed  a  little 
farther  down  and  performed  the  work 
which  has  heretofore  been  set  out  as  prob- 


ably   occurring    at    Paige's    Crossing    and 
Compton  church? 

SEEK'S  VILLAGE. 

Whatever  slight  history  has  been  writ- 
ten of  the  Eel  river  country  draws  no  dis- 
tinction between  Turtle's  and  Seek's  villages. 
The  terms  are  interwoven  together.  The 
writers,  knowing  no  difference,  have  sought 
to  leave  the  matter  as  much  unsettled  in  the 
minds  of  the  reader  as  in  their  own.  Our 
late  investigation  has  not  only  settled  the 
distinction,  but  has  located  each  place  and 
their  connection  with  each  other. 

Like  Turtle's,  no  man  knows  when 
Seek's  Village  was  first  occupied  by  the  red 
men,  but  as  it  existed  long  years  after  the 
destruction  of  the  former,  we  know  more 
about  it.  Of  the  26th  day  of  July  expedi- 
tion, there  were  a  number  of  living  witnesses 
on  the  spot  who  could  tell  of  it.  They  all 
agreed  that  it  was  on  the  north  side  of  the 
river  instead  of  the  south,  as  shown  on  our 
government  charts.  At  first  there  seemed 
confusion,  as  one  witness  pointed  out  a  spot 
where  the  village  stood,  another  a  few  rods 
away,  and  still  another  a  short  distance  in 
another  direction.  Summing  it  all  up,  they 
were  all  correct.  Seek's  Village  did  not  oc- 
cupy  a  spot  ten  rods  square,  but  was  scat- 
tered over  perhaps  a  hundred  acres  on  Silas 
Briggs'  magnificent  farm,  at  the  very  east- 
ern edge  of  Seek's  Village  reservation,  and 
overlapping  into  Chapiene's.  really  the 
south-west  quarter  of  section  3.  Union  town- 
ship. Tt  was  called  Seek's  Village,  or  In- 
dian Green,  said  all  the  witnesses  The  ex- 
act spot  of  Seek's  home,  the  cemeteries  and 
the  trail  hetween  the  two  villages  were  lo- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


79 


<cated.  Old  Seek  is  described  as  a  big  In- 
dian with  a  monstrous  bull  ring  in  his  nose. 
The  portage,  or  crossing  of  the  river  on  the 
trail  to  Fort  Wayne  is  yet  plainly  visible. 

Referring  to  Mrs.  Revarre's  story  of  the 
death  of  her  husband,  John  Owl,  Jr.,  at 
Seek's  Village,  Otis  Miner  and  Rufus  Hull 
were  present  and  helped  bun'  him.  Years 
afterward  Miner  told  Briggs  he  had  found 
an  Indian  in  a  ground  hog  hole,  and  they 
went  to  the  place,  and  Miner  pointed  to  the 
skeleton  of  John  Owl,  nearly  uncovered  by 
ground  hogs. 

Referring  to  the  Simrall  expedition 
against  the  Eel  river  Indians,  we  found  that 
a.  white  man's  bridge  over  Beaver  run  about 
forty  rods  from  the  road  running  north  and 
south  between  sections  9  and  10.  Union 
township,  lands  now  owned  by  James  A. 
Mossman.  had  been  dug  up  by  the  Mossman 
boys  in  1850;  another  link  to  the  chain  of 
circumstantial  evidence  that  Simrall.  after 
destroying  Turtle  Village,  passed  to  Paige's 
Crossing  and  Compton  church,  crossing  on 
this  particular  bridge. 

THE  PORTAGES  OR  TRAILS. 

In  a  country  so  densely  populated  as  this 
was  by  Indians,  there  must  necessarily  be 
trails  or  roads  through  the  forest  every- 
where. They  did  not  run  by  compass,  nor 
were  they  permanent.  They  might  change 
every  month  for  many  reasons,  as,  better  and 
more  solid  ground,  or  to  reach  other  places. 
An  attempt  to  follow  many  of  these  has  be- 
come so  tiresome  and  confusing  that  we 
have  entirely  abandoned  them. 

There  are  two  exceptions :  The  great 
highway  from  Eel  river  to  Fort  Wayne — in 


fact,  the  connecting  link  from  the  Great 
Lakes  to  the  great  west.  To  Alexander 
Mure  alone  are  our  readers  indebted  for 
the  location  on  the  accompanying  map  of 
this  great  highway.  No  other  man  living 
could  give  it.  Moore  has  kept  trace  of  it 
all  these  years,  noting  and  marking  every 
change  made  by  man  to  obliterate  it.  This 
is  one  of  the  most  important  things  in  this 
history.  The  trail  or  portage  is  from  Tur- 
tle's Village  through  the  county,  after  which 
it  practically  follows  the  Goshen  road  to 
Fort  Wayne.  Also  the  trail  starting  from 
Seek's  Village,  Briggs's  farm,  striking  the 
other  and  crossing  it,  and  moving  toward 
Fort  Wayne,  practically  on  the  Yellow  river 
road. 

KILSOOUAH. 

On  August  3,  1906,  M.  L.  Galbreath, 
John  F.  Mossman,  Alexander  More  and 
myself  drove  to  Roanoke  to  visit  the  only 
Indians  living  this  side  of  Peru,  Mrs.  An- 
thony Revarre,  and  her  son,  Anthony  Re- 
varre,  Jr.,  now  fifty-seven  years  old  and 
quite  an  intelligent  man  with  a  high  school 
education.  Pie  was  married  to  a  white  wo- 
man, with  whom  he  lived  about  ten  years, 
when  she  died,  childless.  They  lived  peace- 
ably, amicably  and  happily  together,  say  the 
neighbors.  He  now  lives  with  his  aged 
mother,  who  cannot  possibly  survive  another 
year,  says  her  family  physician.  The  old 
lady  does  not  speak  English  at  all,  but  un- 
derstands quite  a  great  deal.  Her  son  acted 
as  interpreter,  speaking  in  an  ordinary  tone 
of  voice,  and  she  understood  and  answered 
very  readily.  In  propounding  questions  to 
her,  she  would  show  by  her  expression  that 


So 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


she  understood  much  that  was  asked,  and 
frequently  replied  without  having  the  ques- 
tions asked  in  her  language. 

The  following  was  what  was  told  by  her : 
"My  name  is  Kil-so-quah.  In  American 
language  I  am  Mrs.  Anthony  Revarre.  I 
was  born  near  Markle,  in  Huntington 
county,  in  May,  1810.  We  did  not  keep  ac- 
count of  days,  and  I  cannot  give  the  day  of 
the  month.  I  am  a  granddaughter  of  Little 
Turtle,  the  greatest  of  the  Miami  chiefs,  and 
the  one  most  loved  and  respected  by  all  our 
people.  They  always  felt  his  counsels  were 
safe  and  that  they  could  not  lose  a  battle 
when  he  commanded.  My  father  said  our 
people  had  occupied  this  country  for  ages, 
and  Eel  river  and  the  Maumee  and  its  trib- 
utaries were  the  heart  of  our  possessions. 
The  Pottawattamies  and  some  others  came 
among  us,  but  the  country  was  ours.  Tur- 
tle's grandfather  was  a  chief  in  the  Eel  river 
country.  His  father  was  a  Frenchman 
about  half  blood,  so  that  Turtle  was  but 
three-quarters  Indian.  Before  my  father 
died  some  one  read  to  him  in  a  history  that 
his  grandmother,  that  is,  Little  Turtle's 
mother,  was  a  Mohican  Indian.  Father  was 
much  pained  to  hear  this  mistake,  for  he  said 
he  knew  his  mother  was  a  pure  Miami,  as 
was  his  grandfather's  first  wife.  No,  Little 
Turtle's  father  was  a  half-blood  Frenchman 
and  his  mother  a  pure  Miami.  I  know  my 
father  could  not  be  mistaken.  He  was  an 
intelligent  Indian  and  took  great  pride  in  his 
ancestry  and  often  talked  about  it. 

"They  tell  me  I  saw  my  grandfather, 
Little  Turtle,  though  I  was  only  two  years 
and  two  months  old  when  he  died. 

"Turtle  had  two  wives,  the  first,  my 
grandmother,    was  the  sister  of   Mak-wah, 


who  lived  on  St.  Mary's  river  near  Fort 
Wayne.  Turtle  then  lived  at  Turtle  Vil- 
lage at  the  bend  in  Eel  river,  where  he  was 
born  and  his  father  before  him.  She 
died,  leaving  two  sons  and  one  daughter, 
and  he  could  not  stay  there  after  that,  so 
he  moved  up  on  the  trail  to  the  Fort,  and 
then  married  Mak-wah's  daughter,  niece  of 
his  first  wife.  I  do  not  know  of  any  chil- 
dren by  the  last  wife,  nor  do  I  know  about 
any  of  his  first  wife  except  my  father  Mak- 
e-sheu-e-quah,  and  Coesse's  father  Kat-e- 
mong-wah,  and  one  daughter  Ma-cute-mon- 
quah,  who  married  the  Great  White  Loon. 
Turtle's  second  wife  was  many  years  his 
junior,  and  after  his  death  she  married  a 
Shawnee,  and  went  to  their  reservation  in 
the  west,  and  was  back  once  on  a  visit,  when 
I  saw  her. 

"Turtle  was  much  devoted  to  Mak-wah,. 
who  was  both  brother-in-law  and  father-in- 
law  to  him,  and  stayed  much  at  his  house; 
but  always  lived  on  Eel  river.  His  three 
children  were  born  at  Turtle  Village,  and  my 
father  went  to  the  reservations  on  the  Aboite 
and  married  and  lived  there;  but  he  and  his 
family  often  visited,  and  I  was  familiar  with 
the  Eel  river  country  from  childhood.  My 
aunt  married  White  Loon  at  Turtle  Vil- 
lage, and  they  settled  at  his  place  of  abode 
on  the  Aboite  and  always  lived  there.  Uncle 
Kat-e-mong-wah  always  stayed  about  Eel 
river,  and  was  killed  in  some  battle.  I  do 
not  know  the  place,  but  it  was  on  Eel  river, 
and  near  the  spot  where  Coesse's  second 
wife  was  born.  I  have  often  heard  that 
Mrs.  Coesse's  father  took  the  body  and 
buried  it  on  the  bluff  near  their  cabin,  and 
an  intimacy  sprung  up  between  the  families, 
resulting  in  the  marriage  of  the  dead  man's 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


son  to  the  daughter  of  the  man  who  buried 
his  body. 

"My    cousin's    name    was    Me-tek-kah, 
meaning  'burning  the  woods.'     Coesse  was 
a  nickname  given  him   when  a  child,   and 
even  the  family  came  to  call  him  by  that 
name.     He   has   told   me   he   was   born   at 
Turtle  Village  at  the  bend  of  Eel  river.     He 
was  married  twice,  the  first  time  to  'White 
Loon's  sister   (but  they  had  no  children). 
He   is   buried   here   beside   that   first    wife. 
After  her  death  he  married  Me-tek-on-sac. 
and  they  had  two  daughters  and  one  son. 
The  oldest  daughter  was  Chic-un-sac-wah, 
meaning  'stump  cut  off  short,'  but  she  was 
nicknamed   Liz  or  Lizzie;  the  second  was 
Pac-oc-u-sae-quah,   meaning  'straight  tree,' 
and  she  was  nicknamed  Louisa.     There  was 
one  son,  nicknamed  Simon,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  sixteen.     He  died  at  their  farm  near 
Columbia     City     and     was     buried     there. 
Coesse  came  to  visit  me  here  in  the  fall  of 
1853,   and  the  next  day  he  fell  sick   of  a 
fever.     I   wanted  to  get  a   doctor,   but   he 
would  not  have  any  and  would  take  no  medi- 
cine.    He  had  some  trouble  in  the  family 
and  said  he  did  not  care  to  live.     He  died 
delirious  in  less  than  two  weeks,  in  the  log 
house  which  stood   where  this  one  stands. 
He  died  on  Sunday  morning,  and  on  Tues- 
day  forenoon   we  buried   him   between   his 
first   wife  and   my   husband   on   our    farm. 
There  were  no  services.     Being  very  lonely 
here  I  took  my  two  children  and  went  up  to 
Coesse's   family   and   stayed   there   a    year, 
after  which  I  came  back  here  again.     Jacob 
Slessman   came   from   Columbia   City   and 
moved  me  up;  he  also  moved  me  back  the 
next  summer.    Mrs.  Coesse  and  family  lived 
on  the  farm  up  at  Columbia  City  about  ten 

6 


years  after  her  husband's  death,  when  they 
sold  out  and  moved  to  Peru,  and  they  are 
now  all  dead  except  an  illegitimate  son  and 
half  breed,  George,  who  was  born  after 
Coesse's  death. 

"Prior  to  1820,  Chief  John  Owl,  his  wife 
and  one  son,  came  to  the  Eel  river  country 
and  stayed  most  of  the  time,  building  a  cabin 
at  Seek's  Village.     His  wife  died  and  was 
buried  at  the  village.     Chief  Owl  soon  after 
went  back  to  the  Illinois  country,   leaving 
his  son  John  Owl  with  Seek,  and  he  raised 
him.     On  one  of  our  visits  up  there  I  be- 
came acquainted  with  him,  and  afterwards 
he  came  down  here,  and  we  were  married 
in  1826,  and  moved  up  and  lived  at  Seek's 
Village.     My  husband  was  a  good   Indian 
and  did  not  drink ;  and  as  there  was  much 
dissatisfaction  with  Seek,  there  was  talk  of 
my  husband  taking  his  place  as  chief;  but 
my  husband  took  sick  some  months  after 
we  were  married,  lingered  more  than  a  year 
and  died.     We  had  no  children.     My  hus- 
band was  buried  beside,   or  very  near  his 
mother  at  Seek's  Village.     After  my  hus- 
band's death,   Seek  was  unkind  to  me  and 
I  came  back  to  my  father's;  and  in   1832, 
four  years  after  my  first  husband's  death,  I 
married  Shaw-pe-nom-quah,  who  was  half 
Indian    and    half    French.      His    American 
name  was  Anthony  Revarre.     Six  children 
were   born   to   us,    four   dying   in   infancy. 
My  son,   Anthony  Revarre,  Jr.,   who  lives 
with  me,  is  the  youngest,  and  was  born  on 
Christmas  day,  1849,  Just  two  months  after 
his    father's    death.     His    Indian    name    is 
Wa-pe-mung-quah,.  meaning    White   Loon, 
and  he  was  named  after  Great  White  Loon. 
My  daughter  Wan-nog-quan-quah,  meaning 
snow,  mist  or  fog.  nicknamed  Mary,  went  to 


82 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


Oklahoma  about  twenty  years  ago  and 
married  there.  Both  Mary  and  Tony  at- 
tended the  common  schools  and  the  Roanoke 
Academy  and  have  good  English  educations. 
Mary  expected  to  teacli  out  there,  but  was 
married. 

"Indians  name  their  children  as  white 
people,  but  an  Indian  does  not  have  a  family 
and  given  name :  but  one  name :  and  as 
there  would  result  great  confusion  in  naming 
them  after  friends,  no  two  names  are  alike. 
Thus,  Anthony  Revarre  is  named  after 
Great  White  Loon,  but  he  is  only  White 
Loon.  If  it  is  desired  to  name  a  child  after 
Full  Moon,  it  must  be  changed  to  Old  Moon, 
or  Half  Moon.  Names  are  most  frequently 
taken  from  nature.  American  names  are 
given  to  Indians  by  their  associates,  and  are 
regarded  only  as  nicknames. 

"Coesse.  Revarre  and  a  great  number  of 
other  Indians  are  buried  on  what  was 
formerly  the  Revarre  farm  but  is  now  in  the 
hands  of  strangers  and  covered  by  a 
cornfield." 

We  visited  this  spot  with  Tony  Revarre, 
or  White  Loon,  and  lie  is  quite  sure  be 
knows  "the  exact  spot  where  lay  his  father 
and  Coesse.  There  is  now  some  agitation 
in  the  neighborhood  as  to  taking  up  the 
remains  and  placing  them  in  some  cemeterv. 
Mrs.  Revarre  is  a  devoted  Catholic,  but 
Tony  is  not  religiously  inclined  in  any  di- 
rection. Being  specially  interrogated  about 
some  tbings  in  this  county,  she  answered 
quite  readily.  The  government  charts  lo- 
cate Seek's  Village  mi  the  south  side  of  the 
river,  while  all  the  evidence  we  have,  and 
which  is  perfectly  conclusive,  locates  it  on 
the  north  side.  When  asked  in  regard  to 
this;    she    replied    "on    the    north    side"    as 


readily  as  though  she  could  not  understand 
why  any  one  should  ask  such  a  settled  ques- 
tion. As  to  the  fortifications  at  More's 
farm  in  Union  township,  she  said  it  was  a 
fort  built  under  the  direction  of  her  grand- 
father. Little  Turtle,  by  the  Miamis  for 
protection  against  hostile  tribes  as  well  as 
against  white  invaders.  That  it  was  posi- 
tively built  by  the  Indians  she  knew,  because 
her  father  had  often  told  her  all  about  it. 
She  knew  the  place;  it  was  just  east  of 
Chapienes'  reserve  and  was  the  only  place 
in  all  the  country  where  there  was  a  fort 
or  fortification  except  at  Fort  Wayne,  and 
that  at  this  point  was  her  grandfather's  last 
residence.  She  knew  of  two  fights  at  the 
place,  both  by  other  tribes  besieging  the 
Miamis;  one  was  the  Delawares,  the  other 
she  could  not  name  in  English,  and  the 
Indian  name  was  unintelligible  to  us.  The 
Miamis  were  in  each  case  victorious.  Her 
father  became  enthusiastic  in  relating  the 
success  of  his  father.  Little  Turtle,  in  these 
battles. 

Asked  about  the  battle  where  the  Aboite 
river  crosses  the  canal,  in  Aboite  township. 
Allen  county,  three  quarters  of  a  mile  from 
the  line  of  Jefferson  township,  Whitley 
county,  she  said  they  fought  with  white  men 
from  Marion.  Wabash  and  all  along  the 
way  clear  up  to  Fort  Wayne,  but  that  the 
largest  battle  was  the  one  above  mentioned. 
This  is  the  battle  the  histories  speak  of  in 
connection  with  La  Balme's  expedition, 
which   is  incorrect. 

Asked  as  to  the  place  called  Burned 
Cabins,  at  Compton  church,  she  readily  re- 
membered and  located  the  place,  but  did  not 
think  there  was  ever  a  battle  there.  A  gen- 
eration lived  and  died  there,  and  there  was 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


83 


neither  war  not  pestilence.  The  chief  was 
Ok-o-los-she-mah,  and  his  mother  was  half 
Pottawattamie.  She  also  described  the 
burying  ground  on  the  bank  of  the  creek, 
and  said  it  was  about  a  mile  south  of  Eel 
river. 

She  said  Seek  was  a  usurper,  and  never 
was  chief  by  right.  He  was  half  white  and 
had  no  right  to  the  chieftainship  and  never 
gave  his  people  satisfaction ;  that  he  was  de- 
posed from  the  office  and  Coesse  was  chief. 

Asked  by  Mr.  Mossman  where  Coesse 
got  his  uniform  and  trappings,  he  had  seen 
him  wear,  she  replied  that  Little  Turtle  took 
them  from  Seek  and  gave  them  to  Coesse. 

Asked  as  to  Frances  Slocum,  she  said 
she  had  seen  her  and  talked  with  her.  She 
is  much  interested  in  the  story,  and  they 
have  the  book  in  the  house,  from  which 
Tony  often  reads  and  interprets  to  her. 
She  said  that  about  the  same  time  another 
white  girl,  Becky,  was  also  stolen,  whose 
history  is  similar  to  that  of  Frances  Slocum, 

The  Revarres  have  many  Indian  relics, 
though  the  greatest  store  of  them  was 
burned  when  the  cabin  was  burned  nearly 
a  half  century  ago.  Among  those  preserved 
are  several  armlets,  leggins,  moccasins,  dag- 
gers, a  silver  cross  from  Quebec,  and  above 
all,  a  pair  of  buckskin  mittens  that  Little 
Turtle  himself   wore. 

MORE'S  FARM. 

LTp  to  this  time,  no  historian  has  ever 
attempted  to  give  an  account  of  the  affairs 
at  More's  farm.  After  months  of  research 
and  examination  of  the  records  in  the  war 
department  and  congressional  library  at 
Washington,    the    Pennsylvania    Historical 


Society  at  Philadelphia,  and  all  available 
records  in  Indiana,  we  present  to  our  readers 
a  correct  account.  Every  statement  made 
herein  is  fully  verified  by  record  evidence  of 
the  highest  character. 

In  1769,  there  were  many  French  traders 
at  Ke-ki-on-ga,  Fort  Wayne.  The  trade  in 
this  year  amounted  to  5,00x3  pounds  sterling. 
The  best  of  this  trade  came  from  the  Eel  river 
and  about  the  headwaters  of  that  stream. 
The  trade  gradually  grew,  and  each  year 
more  traders  came.  As  early  as  1761, 
traders  went  into  the  country  to  secure  skins 
from  the  Indians  rather  than  wait  for  them 
to  be  brought  in  to  a  competitive  market. 
In  1762,  there  was  a  sort  of  trading  place 
established  at  this  point  where  the  traders 
met  the  Indians  at  stated  periods.  This 
place  on  the  trails  was  in  fact  the  head  of 
canoe  navigation,  and  the  real  point  on  Eel 
river  where  the  portage  began,  or  the  place 
of  overland  travel  between  Eel  river  and 
Kekionga  (Fort  Wayne).  It  grew  rapidly 
in  importance,  and  in  1779  and  the  early 
part  of  1780  the  embankment  was  built  by 
the  Miami  Indians  for  their  protection 
against  other  tribes  as  well  as  from  white 
invaders.  By  this  time  a  large  village  had 
grown  about  the  place,  all  under  the  chief- 
tainship of  Aque-nac-que,  the  father  of  Little 
Turtle,  who  still  had  his  place  of  residence 
at  what  is  called  Turtle  Village.  This  trad- 
ing post  was  called  by  the  French  and  Eng- 
lish, and  is  known  in  their  records  as  "The 
Post  on  Eel  River."  There  is  no  Indian 
name  to  be  found  for  it. 

In  midsummer  of  1780  La  Balme  began 
his  ill-fated  campaign  against  Kekionga  and 
Detroit.  Historians  who  might  have  ascer- 
tained all  the  facts  in  relation  to  this  expe- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


dition,  have  followed  each  other  in  giving 
short  and  inaccurate  accounts  of  it.  They 
say  he  came  with  a  few  followers  and  took 
Kekionga ;  soon  after,  elated  by  his  success, 
moved  on  and  was  overtaken  and  annihilated 
at  the  Aboite  in  Allen  county  where  the 
Wabash  &  Erie  canal  crossed  that  river, 
about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  nearly  east  of 
the  south-east  corner  of  Whitley  county. 
The  first  historian  placed  the  battle  at  this 
place  without  information  further  than  his 
own  imagination,  never  having  been  at  the 
place  and  guessing  that  it  was  on  a  line 
with  La  Balme's  march  toward  Detroit,  in- 
stead of  being  more  than  ten  miles  in  the 
rear.  Other  historians  have  blindly  fol- 
lowed this  mistake. 

La  Balme  was  a  Frenchman  who  came 
over  with  LaFayette.  He  held  a  commis- 
sion as  colonel  from  the  state  of  Virginia, 
and  was  with  Colonel  Clarke  on  his  expedi- 
tion at  Vincennes.  Restless  and  impulsive, 
he  could  not  endure  the  policy  of  Clarke, 
and  first  went  to  Kaskaskia  and  secured  a 
few  followers.  From  that  point  he  went 
to  Vincennes,  and  his  force  was  augmented 
to  about  two  hundred  men,  with  whom  he 
started  for  the  conquest  of  Fort  Wayne  and 
Detroit.  His  motive  was  no  doubt  more 
mercenary  and  personal  than  patriotic,  and 
his  expedition  was  without  authority,  civil 
or  military.  He  cautiously  approached 
Kekionga,  alarmed  the  garrison  and  Indians, 
and  scattered  than  in  all  directions,  and  took 
the  place  without  trouble  about  the  first  of 
October.  After  occupying  it  about  ten  days 
or  two  weeks,  enjoying  with  his  men  the 
spoils,  he  started,  fully  elated,  hoping  to 
complete  his  expectations  early  in  the  winter. 
He  left  less  than  twenty  men  in  possession 


of  the  Fort  at  Kekionga,  and  proceeded  ore 
the  14th  of  October,  out  on  the  portage  or 
trail  to  More's  farm,  expecting  to  take 
what  valuables  he  could  secure  there  and  be 
guided  by  impulse  as  to  what  to  do  with 
the  place.  He  had  scarcely  left  Kekionga. 
when  the  traders  and  Indians  having  rallied, 
killed  the  guard  left  behind  and  followed 
up  the  command,  overtaking  them  near  the 
county  line,  and  a  running  fire  was  kept 
up  until  La  Balme  and  his  men  reached  and 
entered  the  embankment  or  fortification. 
Here  he  remained  for  three  days,  while  a 
large  force  of  Indians  gathered  about. 
Finally,  he  was  induced  to  abandon  the  place 
with  all  his  spoil,  on  promise  by  the  traders 
that  he  and  his  men  might  be  allowed  to 
leave  the  country  divested  of  everything  but 
the  clothing  they  had  on.  They  marched  to 
point  "E"  on  map,  where  they  were  to  leave 
their  arms.  Arriving  at  that  point,  they 
found  themselves  surrounded  by  Indians  so 
hostile  they  could  not  have  been  restrained 
by  the  traders  had  they  desired  to  do  so. 
Instead  of  delivering  their  arms,  they  at 
once  prepared  for  battle,  and  the  Indians 
fled  to  the  fort.  So  matters  remained  for 
at  least  four  months,  or  until  some  time  in 
February,  1781 ;  La  Balme  with  about  one 
hundred  and  eighty  men  fully  armed,  en- 
camped and  awaiting  they  knew  not  what 
Small  parties  went  out  each  day  and  secured 
game  in  abundance  for  their  subsistence. 
Fires  were  kept  burning  against  trees  next 
the  river  night  and  day,  that  Indians  might 
be  discovered  if  they  attempted  an  attack : 
these  were  the  burned  trees  elsewhere 
described.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
old  well  or  excavation  which  has  been  re- 
ferred to,  was  a  well  planned  heated  place 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


85 


Tjy  the  officers  of  the  expedition.  Finally 
the  Indians  rallied,  and  early  in  February 
surrounded  the  camp  and  killed  all  but  four 
men.  Two  finally  reached  Vincennes  to  tell 
the  story,  and  the  other  two  probably 
perished  before  reaching  a  place  of  safety. 
And  thus  ended  in  inglorious  defeat  the  ex- 
pedition of  La  Balme  in  Whitley  county. 

There  were  no  doubt  other  engagements 
during  the  next  thirty  years  at  the  place  by 
the  Indians.  Mrs.  Revarre  says  the  Miamis 
were  besieged  by  the  Delawares  and  some 
other  tribe,  and  that  the  besiegers  were  in 


each  case  unsuccessful,  but  there  is  no  au- 
thentic account  of  such  engagements. 

The  bones  and  other  articles  found  at 
point  "E,"  More's  farm,  where  the  remains 
of  La  Balme  and  his  men. 

The  extinction  of  the  Indians  was  rapid 
during  the  last  quarter  of  the  eighteenth 
century  and  the  first  two  decades  of  the 
nineteenth.  Turtle  Village  had  almost  dis- 
appeared by  the  year  1800,  and  the  village 
at  the  fort  was  nearly  in  the  same  condi- 
tion when  Turtle  changed  his  residence  to 
that  spot  in  that  year. 


ARCHAEOLOGY. 


BY    JOHN    H.    SHILTS. 


Archaeology  is  a  subject  that  is  receiving 
much  attention  from  devoted  scientists  at 
this  time.  The  antiquities  of  man  are 
receiving  the  attention  which  they  deserve. 
Most  states  have  their  archaeological  so- 
cieties with  members  all  over  their  own  and 
other  states.  Some  counties  have  made  it 
a  part  of  their  historical  society.  I  am 
pleased  that  an  interest  is  being  manifested 
in  this  county  to  preserve  the  relics  and  land- 
marks of  antiquity.  Nothing  would  please 
me  more  and  I  believe  would  be  of  more 
interest  to  our  people  than  to  see  a  collec- 
tion of  our  county's  prehistoric  antiquities 
and  the  relics  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  our 
present  homes  at  one  of  our  old  people's 
future  gatherings.  We  all  know  that  the 
hand  of  vandalism  is  rapidly  destroying  the 
things  used  by  our  hardy  pioneers,  and  many 
of  our  so-called  Indian  relics  are  fast  dis- 
appearing by  falling  into  the  hands  of  per- 


sons who  care  nothing  for  them  except  to 
barter  and  sell  them,  and  in  this  way  they  are 
getting  away  from  us.  They  ought  to  be 
preserved  and  kept  in  our  county  with  much 
pride  and  reverence  for  the  people  who  made 
and  used  them. 

The  existence  and  antiquity  of  man  during 
prehistoric  times  here,  as  elsewhere,  has  been 
classified  into  the  paleolithic  or  old  stone 
age  and  the  neolithic  or  new  stone  age.  The 
old  stone  age  is  supposed  to  have  antedated 
the  ice  age;  all  this  is  shown  by  the  stone 
implements  which  have  been  and  are  still 
being  found.  I  know  from  my  own  finds 
and  specimens  in  my  museum,  that  there 
were  periods  of  advancement  and  progress 
during  man's  existence  prior  to  historic 
times.  The  first  implements  were  very  rude, 
were  chipped  only,  and  hardly  have  the 
semblance  of  being  made  for  any  special 
purpose.     Later  on  they  were  shaped  into 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


form  by  chipping  and  pecking  ;  but  were  not 
made  smooth  by  rubbing  and  grinding. 
Following  this  advancement  he  began 
smoothing  and  polishing  his  implements  by 
grinding  and  rubbing  them  until  they  were 
things  of  beauty.  He  then,  too,  began  to 
make  ornaments  for  his  person.  His  pride 
for  beautiful  things  increased  with  his  ad- 
vancement and  culture. 

That  there  was  a  prehistoric  race  in 
America  is  everywhere  admitted  and  good 
evidence  is  everywhere  at  hand.  The 
archaeologist  finds  these  evidences  in  mounds 
and  walls  of  earth  thrown  up  for  defense, 
for  worship,  for  burial  and  for  signal  pur- 
poses ;  in  the  many  shell  heaps  of  immense 
size  found  at  various  places ;  in  the  numer- 
ous and  curiously  fashioned  implements  of 
stone,  bone,  shell  and  copper  made  for  vari- 
ous uses  and  ceremonies.  In  some  regions 
these  archaeological  treasures  are  abundant, 
while  in  others  they  are  scarce,  the  latter 
fact  being  true  of  Whitley  county.  Nothing 
as  yet  has  been  published  in  the  state  publica- 
tions on  the  antiquities  of  our  county,  yet 
there  is  sufficient  material  to  be  of  much 
interest  to  the  interested  collector  of  these 
precious  heirlooms  of  an  extinct  but  grand 
prehistoric  people. 

The  implements  of  these  people  are 
various,  but  consist  chiefly  of  mortars  and 
pestles,  axes,  celts,  scrapers,  arrow  points, 
spear  points,  drills,  perforators,  hair  fasten- 
ers, knives,  saws,  awls,  pipes,  hammers, 
mauls,  or  mallets,  and  many  ornaments  and 
ceremonial  badges.  Their  mortars  are  not 
so  common,  and  but  very  few  have  been 
found  here.  There  was  no  necessity  for 
mortars,  as  the  people  here  lived  chiefly  upon 
the    products    of    the    chase.     In    localities 


where  they  depended  on  the  grains  and 
fruit  for  sustenance,  mortars  are  very  nu- 
merous, large  and  finely  formed.  The 
pestles  are  more  plentiful  here,  and  this  fact 
makes  me  conclude  that  the  aborigine  used 
a  cavity  in  some  fallen  tree,  instead  of  a 
rock  for  his  mortar.  The  pestles  and  mor- 
tars formed  the  mills  of  our  ancestors.  The 
general  form  of  the  pestle  is  cylindrical  and 
varies  very  much  in  size.  Those  in  my 
collection  vary  from  four  to  twelve  and  a 
half  inches  in  length  and  from  two  to  two- 
and  a  half  inches  in  diameter. 

Axes,  celts,  and  flint  implements  are 
more  numerous  in  our  county  and  are  found 
everywhere  on  our  farms.  These  are  the 
most  interesting  of  all  the  relics  we  find, 
because  they  show  great  ingenuity  in  manu- 
facture. They  are  of  various  size  and  form. 
Some  are  rudely  finished,  while  others  are 
beautifully  polished  and  finished  without  a 
mark  to  mar  the  marvelous  beauty  of  the 
implement.  The  Indian  must  have  felt 
proud  of  a  fine  axe  as  evidenced  by  the  great 
amount  of  work  it  necessitated  to  make  a 
fine  one.  The  Indian's  axe  has  a  groove 
around  the  pole  or  upper  part.  This  groove 
sometimes  encircles  the  axe  completely  and 
again  only  partially.  I  have  two  specimens 
that  have  a  groove  up  and  over  the  poll 
connecting  with  the  groove  around  the  axe. 
This  type  is  very  rare.  The  grooved  axes 
found  in  this  locality  do  not  differ  materially 
from  those  found  in  other  places  only  that 
they,  in  general,  are  not  so  large.  The  celt, 
commonly  called  a  hatchet,  or  tomahawk, 
is  as  numerous  as  the  axe  and  shows  as- 
much  workmanship  and  skill  in  its  manu- 
facture as  does  the  axe,  only  that  it  has  no 
groove.     Some     of     these      were      highly 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


87 


polished.  Axes  and  celts  were  used  for  va- 
rious purposes  but  chiefly  as  weapons  of 
warfare;  a  death  blow  being  struck  with 
either.  The  flint  implements  are  found 
everywhere  and  nearly  every  person  has 
found  some  of  them.  These  consist  of  arrow 
and  spear  points,  saws,  knives,  scrapers,  hoes, 
perforators  and  drills.  We  find  these  from 
the  tiniest  of  a  half  inch  to  eight  inches  long 
and  made  from  all  the  varieties  of  flint  and 
the  very  finest  moss  agate,  quartz,  obsidian, 
and  jasper.  In  fact,  they  are  made  from 
all  varieties  of  flint  or  stone  that  would  chip 
or  flake.  These  implements,  like  the  axes 
and  celts,  are  made  in  all  grades  from  the 
very  rude  to  the  most  finely  wrought. 
Scientists  have  classified  the  arrow  and  spear 
points  into  leaf  shaped  with  three  sub  classes, 
stemmed  with  three  sub  classes ;  peculiar 
forms,  with  seven  sub  classes  and  triangular. 
Where  all  these  were  made  and  where  the 
material  was  procured,  is  a  matter  of  con- 
jecture. They  may  possibly  have  been 
transported  long  distances,  in  fact,  we  know 
that  some  have  been  brought  from  places 
far  away.  It  is  different  with  the  axes, 
celts,  hammers,  pestles,  and  mortars,  for 
these  were  made  of  stone  and  boulders  like 
those  which  are  scattered  all  over  the  sur- 
face of  our  farms. 

There  is  another  class  of  objects,  wide- 
ly different  in  form  but  which  may  be 
classed  together.  Different  names  have 
been  given  to  them  which  may  have  been 
based  upon  their  appearance  or  upon  a 
theoretical  idea  of  their  purpose.  I  shall 
call  them  ornaments  or  ceremonial  objects. 
Some  have  been  called  banner  stones,  some 
drilled  ceremonial  weapons,  some  pierced 
tablets,     others     gorgets,     pendants,     bird 


shaped  objects,  boat  shaped  objects,  etc. 
Thomas  Wilson  in  his  work  says:  "The 
names  thus  given  may  or  may  not  be  correct, 
but  are  as  good  as  others  that  have  been 
suggested  in  their  stead.  They  should  be 
retained  until  something  more  correct  can 
be  given."  All  of  these  objects  are  found 
in  Whitley  county,  although  not  in  great 
numbers.  They  are  well  polished  and 
symmetrically  formed  and  made  of  slate 
often  beautifully  banded  or  striped.  They 
all  have  holes  drilled  in  them.  I  have  speci- 
mens which  are  partly  made  and  apparently 
were  rejected  or  lost.  These  show  that  they 
have  been  shaped  before  drilling  com- 
menced. Whatever  the  use  of  these  various 
objects  one  fact  is  certain,  the)-  were  never 
made  for  hard  usage,  but  rather  their  pur- 
pose was  to  have  been  as  an  ornament  of 
some  kind,  and  their  beautiful  symmetry  and 
fine  finish  entitles  them  to  be  classed  as 
objects  of  fine  art. 

It  is  admitted  by  all  that  prehistoric  man 
appreciated  the  luxury  of  a  pipe  and  en- 
joyed the  effect  of  tobacco  smoke.  Smok- 
ing was  probably  his  most  pleasing  occupa- 
tion. In  the  making  of  his  smoking  tube, 
he  displayed  the  greatest  care  and  ingenuity. 
They  were  made  to  represent  almost  every 
species  of  animal  and  bird.  Even  the  hu- 
man form  was  outlined  in  his  pipe.  In  must 
cases,  however,  he  simply  made  a  neat  pipe 
which  he  could  use  and  enjoy.  The  pipes 
and  tubes  found  in  our  county  are  of  the 
plain  kind  and  nearly  all  are  made  of  the 
red  sandstone  and  slate.  1  have  one  pipe 
made  of  green  stone.  This  was  found  on  a 
farm  adjoining  mine  and  is  a  very  rare  pipe 
for  this  locality. 

Very    little    pottery    is    found    in    this 


88 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


county.  I  have  some  fragments  of  it  found 
on  the  farm  lately  owned  by  D.  N.  Hart 
and  know  of  one  whole  piece,  a  bowl,  said 
to  have  been  found  near  Round  lake.  This 
is  now  owned  by  a  collector  in  an  adjoining 
county. 

Our  prehistoric  ancestors  also  used  cop- 
per and  iron  in  making  implements  and 
utensils.  There  is  not  much  to  be  found 
here  made  of  these  metals.  I  have  a  copper 
spear  point  which  was  found  on  the  farm 
formerly  owned  by  David  Miller  in  Thorn- 
creek  township,  also  four  iron  tomahawks 
picked  up  on  farms  in  this  county  and  one 
iron  spear  point,  barbed  on  one  side,  which 
was  dug  up  with  a  skeleton. 

1  know  of  no  discoidals,  plummets,  sink- 
ers, shell  implements  or  ornaments  ever 
being  found  in  this  county ;  neither  do  I 
know  of  any  mounds  or  earth  works  exist- 
ing here,  although  it  is  claimed  there  are 
some  in  the  county-  I  have  not  seen  them. 
so  I  can  neither  verify  nor  disprove  the  state- 
ment  at    this   time.     Occasionally   fire   pits 


or  ovens  are  found  near  the  lakes  and  rivers. 
These  are  merely  holes  dug  in  the  earth  and 
walled  up  with  stone. 

Remains  of  the  ancient  and  long  extinct 
animals  have  been  found  in  this  county. 
Bones  of  the  mastodon  have  been  found  in 
several  localities.  The  giants  of  the  animal 
kingdom,  while  gathering  grass  from  or 
near  the  swamps,  mired  their  huge  forms  in 
the  soft  earth  where  their  bones  have  lain 
for  centuries.  Remains  of  the  smaller  ani- 
mals are  also  found  in  the  swamps  which 
are  being  cleared  and  cultivated.  Horns 
or  antlers  of  the  elk  and  deer  are  somewhat 
plenty  on  the  water  covered  lowlands  of  our 
county. 

In  conclusion,  I  will  say  that  I  have  based 
my  article  upon  material  in  my  cabinet  of 
antiquities,  and  would  ask  all  those  having 
any  piece  or  small  collection  of  relics  or 
curios,  to  let  me  know:  and  now  again,  I 
appeal  to  the  citizens  of  Whitley  county 
not  to  let  these  things  get  out  of  the  county. 
Keep  them  here   for  future  generations. 


THE  FLORA. 


BY  ALBERT  BUSH. 


March  and  April. 

Trailing  Arbutus,  or  Mayflower — An 
early  pink  flower  of  rare  beauty  and  fra- 
grance. 

Scilla  or  Squill — A  pretty  blue  flower, 
a  visitor  from  Siberia  come  to  stay  in  this 
country.  It  is  perfectly  hardy.  We  have 
one  native  variety,  the  wild  hyacinth,  pale 
blue  and  very  early. 

Skunk  Cabbage — The  earliest  harbinger 


of  spring  is  the  skunk  cabbage.  It  belongs 
to  a  class  of  carniverous  plants  and  destroys 
many  insects.  It  is  related  to  the  calla 
and  Jack-in-the-pulpit. 

March  Marigold — A  familiar  spring 
flower,  sometimes  called  cowslip.  It  is  re- 
lated to  the  buttercup. 

Liverwort — -One  of  our  earliest  spring 
flowers  and  perhaps  one  of  the  most 
beautiful. 

Dog's  Tooth  Violet  or  Adder's  Tongue 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


— There  is  no  reason  why  the  adder's 
tongue  should  be  called  a  violet ;  it  is  really 
a  lily.  The  blossom  is  usually  russet  yel- 
low, and  the  upright  leaves  spotted.  It  is 
an  early  flower;  Sometimes  called  deer's 
tongue. 

Tulip — The  tulip  comes  to  us  from  Asia 
Minor  but  indirectly  from  Holland.  The 
varieties  are  simply  endless.  They  bloom 
successive  through  spring.  It  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  lily  family. 

Blood  Root — The  blood  root  is  like  a 
butterfly,  it  comes  and  goes  in  a  day,  like  the 
poppy  to  which  it  is  related.  The  blossom 
is  lovely  and  white  as  a  lily,  and  has  a  golden 
center. 

Spring  Everlasting — This  is  an  insignifi- 
cant, white,  cottony-stemmed  plant,  which 
lacks  beauty  altogether,  yet  is  common  in 
meadows  and  pastures. 

Ethiopian  Calla — The  so-called  calla  lily 
is  a  beautiful  white  relative  of  Tack-in-the- 
pulpit.  It  comes  from  Africa,  and  blooms 
in  the  spring. 

April  and  May. 

Bellwort — A  rather  insignificant  cream 
colored  flower.  The  stem  seems  to  pass 
through  the  base  of  the  leaf.  It  blooms  in 
April  and   May. 

Wood  Anemone  or  Wind  Flower — It 
really  belongs  in  the  half  lit  woods  of  spring 
but  it  is  often  found  beside  the  road.  The 
blossom  is  frail,  with  five  or  more  white 
sepals,  sometimes  suffused  with  a  delicate 
crimson  pink. 

Rue  Anemone — Bears  flowers  in  clusters 
having  six  or  more  white  sepals ;  it  is  very 
common. 


Spring  Beauty — The  little  pink  spring 
beauty  is  a  favorite  with  everyone  who  loves 
wild  flowers.  Like  a  great  many  other  deli- 
cate wild  flowers,  it  has  a  disappointing  way 
of  closing  as  soon  as  it  is  picked,  but  a 
tumbler  of  water  and  sunlight  soon  work 
a  change  in  the  shy  flower,  and  we  need  not 
throw  it  away  hopelessly  withered. 

Dutchman's  Breeches — This  pretty  little 
plant  is  common  in  thin  woods  where  shade 
and  sunlight  are  evenly  distributed.  In  form 
it  shows  a  relationship  with  the  common 
bleeding  heart  of  the  garden.  It  blooms 
in  April  and  May,  and  is  a  low-growing, 
ornamental  leaved  plant  of  a  rather  delicate 
appearance. 

Early  Saxifrage — It  flowers  in  April  and 
May,  is  not  a  conspicuous  plant.  We  find  it 
nestling  among  the  rocks  in  pastures  and  in 
shady  places  beside  the  wood.  The  leaves 
have  a  singular  ornamental  arrangement 
spreading  around  in  an  even  circle  like  a 
rosette.  The  flowers  are  tiny  white  and 
rather  insignificant.  The  name  means  "rock- 
breaker." 

Large  White  Trillium — This  is  consid- 
ered the  finest  of  all  the  trilliums ;  it  is  waxy 
white  in  color  changing  to  a  pinkish  tint  as 
it  grows  older.  It  is  distinctively  a  wood- 
land lily,  which  keeps  clear  of  the  moderate 
sunshine  of  April. 

The  Painted  Trillium — It  is  not  as  large 
as  the  white,  but  is  more  beautiful.  The 
edges  of  the  petals  are  wavy,  and  the  sharp 
V  shaped,  crimson  color  at  the  center  of  the 
flower  is  worth  a  close  study  under  the 
magnifying  glass.     It  blooms  in  April. 

Birthroot  or  Wake  Robin — This  Birth- 
root  is  one  of  those  pretty  aesthetic  red 
flowers,  whose  color  reminds  one  of  certain 


go 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


chrysanthemums.  Of  the  three  trilliums 
mentioned,  this  seems  least  attractive;  but  is 
nevertheless  a  handsome  wild  flower.  The 
trilliums  are  poisonous  to  taste. 

Star  Flower — The  tiny  star  flower  is 
found  in  woods.  It  delights  in  moist  places, 
beside  the  purple  violet.  It  has  a  shiny,  deli- 
cate looking  leaf  of  a  pale  yellow-green 
color.  The  perfect,  little  star-like  flowers 
are  dainty  to  a  fault.  Must  be  seen  under 
a  glass  to  note  its  fairy-like  beaut}'. 

Foam  Flower  or  False  Mitrewort — The 
foam  flower  grows  beside  the  little  star 
flower,  and  blooms  about  the  same  time, 
although  there  is  nothing  especially  attract- 
ive in  the  flower,  it  is  dainty  and  common 
enough  in  the  wooded  hills  to  command  our 
attention. 

Mitrewort  or  Bishop's  Cap — This  flower 
is  apt  to  be  found  beside  its  false  named 
relative.  The  star-like  blossom  of  the  true 
mitrewqrt  is  fringed  in  a  remarkable  manner, 
reminding  one  of  the  conventional  rays  sur- 
rounding the  five  pointed  figure  of  a  star. 

White  Baneberry — The  berries,  which 
appear  in  late  summer,  are  far  more  apt  to 
attract  notice  than  the  flower.  Thev  are 
waxy  white,  with  a  purple-black  spot,  and 
oval  in  shape :  the  stems  which  bear  the  fruit 
are  very  thick  and  turn  reel  when  the  berries 
are  fully  ripe. 

Black  Snakeroot  or  Bugbane — It  means 
"to  drive  away  hugs."  Strange  as  it  may 
seem,  the  plant  has  become  useful  in  a  far 
better  way.  It  is  used  in  medicine,  for  neu- 
ralgic rheumatism,  and  doctors  prescribe  an 
extract  of  the  rout   fur  that  purpose. 

W  inter  (  ireen  or  ( 'heckerberry — It  is  not 
common  here.  It  is  a  plant  that  bears  the 
berries  from  which  oil  of  wintergreen  is 
made. 


Flowering  Wintergreen — A  delicate  lit- 
tle plant.  It  is  no  relative  of  the  checker- 
berry.  Has  a  conspicuous  crimson  pink 
blossom  and  blooms  in  May  and  June. 

May. 

Yellow  Violet — The  yellow  violet  grows 
on  the  edge  of  the  wood  where  sunlight  and 
shadow  are  mixed.  The  blossom  is  very 
small  and  springs  up  from  between  a  pair  of 
leaves  which  start  from  a  bare  stem  about 
eight  or  nine  inches  tall. 

I 'tuple  Violet — A  common  spring  flower 
that  grows  best  in  a  cool,  shady  dell  where 
the  soil  is  rich  and  where  there  is  plentv  of 
spring   water. 

Bird-foot  Violet — The  bird-foot  leaf  is 
an  astonishing  contrast  to  the  heart  shaped 
leaves  of  the  other  violets.  Nothing  is  more 
attractively  symmetrical  in  plant  form  than 
this  particular  violet  leaf;  pressed  flat 
on  a  piece  of  paper,  its  delicate  outline  is  an 
interesting  study  for  one  who  loves  the 
decorative  side  of  nature.  The  flower  is 
rich  in  blue-purple  color,  and  sometimes  a 
violet  purple. 

Sweet  White  Violet — This  has  the  faint- 
est and  most  delicate  perfume  imaginable. 
The  blossom  is  tiny,  but  extremely  pretty. 

Solomon's  Seal — Solomon's  seal  is  easily 
identified,  as  it  grows  beside  some  woodland 
road  in  early  May,  by  its  light  green  leaves, 
and  its  long,  gracefully  curved  stalks,  from 
which  depends  on  the  under  side  a  series 
of  tiny,  greenish  or  creamy-white  flowers 
always  arranged  in  pairs.  The  name  had 
its  origin  in  the  pitted  appearance  of  the  root, 
which  bears  a  round  scar  left  by  the  broken 
off  old  stalk. 

False  Solomon's  Seal — The  false  Solo- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


9i 


mon's  seal  is  in  my  estimation  even  more 
beautiful  than  the  true.  Its  spike  of  fine 
white  flowers  and  its  bright  green  leaf  with 
parallel  veining  is  particularly  graceful. 
There  are  several  other  false  Solomon's  seals 
but  so  rare  as  not  to  be  strictly  classed  in 
our  flora. 

Jack-in-the-pulpit  or  Indian  Turnip — 
Jack-in-the-pulpit  is  a  happy  looking  flower, 
(if  a  flower  can  be  said  to  look  happy)  and 
its  striped  suit  reminds  one  of  the  conven- 
tional funny  circus  clown.  It  is  too  bad  to 
make  such  a  comparison,  but  I  must  let  it 
stand,  because  there  are  few  other  flowers 
which  are  so  suggestively  humorous.  The 
pretty  little  brown  club  inside  the  spathe 
reminds  one  of  a  miniature  bologna  sausage. 
In  the  fall  this  bears  a  cluster  of  splendid 
scarlet  berries.  The  root  has  a  sharp,  stingy 
taste,  without  any  reminder  of  turnip 
about  it. 

Pitcher  Plant — The  odd  tubular  shaped 
leaves  of  the  pitcher  plant  deserve  close  at- 
tention. Inside  of  the  leaves  there  is  a  sweet 
secretion  which  attracts  insects.  The  flowers 
are  oddly  colored  with  green  and  brownish 
purple.  The  plant  is  always  found  in  boggy 
places  where  the  sunshine  is  partly  obscured. 

May  and  June. 

Robin's  Plantain — The  robin's  plantain 
is  a  deceptive-looking  character;  it  is  easily 
mistaken  for  an  aster.  It  grows  about  a 
foot  high  and  the  lower  leaves  lie  prone  on 
the  ground.  There  is  a  hairy  look  to  stem 
and  flower  which  is  not  altogether  aster  like. 

Bluets — Of  all  the  dainty,  tiny  flowers 
that  bloom  in  late  spring,  the  little  bluets 
are  perhaps  the  daintiest.  It  is  such  an  at- 
tractive little  thing  that   Burpee,   the   seed 


man,  has  introduced  it  to  the  public  as  a 
cultivated  garden  flower. 

From  the  middle  of  May  to  the  end  of 
June  the  flower  continues  to  bloom  in  sun- 
shine and  shadow.  It  grows  everywhere 
but  in  the  dark  forest. 

Blue-eyed-Grass — A  flower  almost  as 
dainty  as  the  bluets.  Its  color  is  a  purplish 
ultramarine  blue,  darker  towards  the  center, 
where  there  is  a  touch  of  pure  gold.  There 
is  a  curious  notch  in  each  one  of  the  six 
divisions  of  the  perianth,  from  which  pro- 
trudes a  little  point  in  shape  like  a  thorn.  It 
is  a  relative  of  the  iris. 

Yellow  Star-grass — Star-grass  is  a  pret- 
ty little  yellow  flower  which  blooms  almost 
anywhere  in  meadows  in  May  and  June. 
The  outside  of  the  flower  is  greenish ;  the 
leaves  are  grass-like  and  hairy.  It  is  closely 
related  to  the  narcissus. 

Cinquefoil — The  very  common  cinque- 
foil  is  found  beside  the  country  highways 
and  byways,  and  in  pastures  and  meadows 
and  woodland.  It  is  often  mistaken  for  a 
yellow  flowered  strawberry,  but  the  cinque- 
foil has  five  divisions  of  the  leaf  while  the 
strawberry  has  but  three.  It  blooms  from 
June  to  September. 

Wild  Strawberry — Our  wild  strawberry 
is  so  well  known  that  it  scarcely  needs  men- 
tion here. 

Moss  Pink — Sometimes  planted  in  yards 
and  cemeteries  and  runs  over  everything 
in  the  neighborhood  where  it  is  placed.  It 
is  not  a  desirable  plant. 

Wild  Columbine — The  scarlet  and  yel- 
low columbine  is  one  of  our  most  beautiful 
wild  flowers.  It  grows  in  rich,  moist 
ground,  and  is  a  dainty  graceful  blossom. 
It  is  not  numerous. 


92 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Moccasin  Flower  or  Venus's  Slipper — 
The  flower  is  very  handsome,  in  fact  it  does 
not  look  like  an  ordinary  wild  flower  but 
rather  like  an  expensive  cultivated  orchid. 
The  point  of  beauty  in  the  flower  is  its  crim- 
son-pink pouch  or  sack,  and  its  purplish- 
brown  and  green  sepals  and  petals. 

Yellow  Lady's  Slipper — The  smaller  yel- 
low lady's  slipper,  sister  to  the  flower  just 
described,  is  found  in  similar  situations 
where  the  ground  is  moist,  and  has  the 
addition  of  a  slight  perfume. 

Snake's  Mouth — The  snake's  mouth  is 
a  pretty  little  orchid  of  a  most  delicate  pure 
pink  color,  which  may  be  found  in  swampy 
places  if  one  does  not  mind  getting  the  feet 
wet.     It  blooms  in  June. 

Purple  Azalea  or  Pinxter  Flower — Late 
in  the  spring  the  purple  azalea  will  be  found 
in  swampy  places  and  its  lovely  crimson  pink 
color  is  a  charming  foil  for  the  pale  green 
tints  of  May. 

Great  Laurel  or  Rhododendron — It 
grows  luxuriantly  in  the  softened  light  of 
the  half-lit  woods.  As  a  cultivated  plant 
it  is  grown  in  parks  and  public  gardens. 

Cranberry,  Large — The  large  cranberry 
grows  in  boggy  places  and  may  be  found 
in  bloom  in  early  summer.  The  berry  is 
ripe  in  early  autumn.  The  finest  berries 
come  from  the  buggy  district  of  Cape  Cod, 
but  many  places  grow  cranberries.  It  is 
curious  to  find  that  such  total  different  look- 
ing plants  as  the  rhododendron  and  the  cran- 
berry are  relatives ;  they  belong  t<  i  the  heath 
family. 

May,  June  and  July. 

Rattlesnake  Plantain — The  rattlesnake 
plaintain    is    a    most    interesting   character. 


Its  peculiar  wavy  edged,  dark  green  leaves 
are  covered  with  a  net  work  of  fine  white 
lines.  The  flowers  are  small,  white  and 
waxy-looking  and  the  leaves  are  circled  be- 
low in  a  rosette  figure.  They  are  ever 
green.     It  flowers  in  July. 

Showy  Orchis — Gray  says  this  is  the 
only  true  orchis  we  have.  It  is  a  pretty 
flower,  the  upper  part  purplish  pink,  and  the 
lower,  lip  white;  there  are  few  blossoms  on 
a  stem,  not  more  than  three  or  four.  The 
two  leaves  are  not  unlike  the  lily-of-the-val- 
ley.     Its  time  of  flowering  is  May  and  June. 

Golden  Senecia  or  Ragwort — The  gold- 
en senecia  has  a  delightful  bright  color 
which  illumines  the  meadows  where  the 
flower  happens  to  grow  with  an  amber  light, 
such  as  may  be  seen  in  some  of  the  paintings 
of  the  old  master,  Claud  Lorraine.  The 
flower  resembles  an  aster  in  form,  but  the 
leaves  have  an  individuality  of  their  own, 
and  are  variable  in  type. 

Shin  Leaf — The  euphonious  name  "shin 
leaf"  was  tacked  on  the  pretty  Pyrola  for  a 
reason  which  one  may  readily  guess ;  the 
leaves  were  used  as  a  cure  for  bruises  and 
the  old  custom  to  call  such  a  plaster  shin 
plaster.     It  flowers  in  June  and  July. 

Pipsissews — This  is  a  sweet  scented  little 
woodland  flower,  which  is  common  in  all 
dry  sandy  soil.  It  is  interesting  to  examine 
the  blossoms  under  a  magnifying  glass, 
where  the  beauty  of  the  frosty  pink  flower 
with  its  purple  anthers  will  prove  quite  a 
revelation. 

Yellow  Wood  Sorrel — The  little  yellow 
wood  sorrel  is  extremely  common  in  mead- 
ow, woodland  and  pastures,  and  the  tiny 
clover-like  leaf  may  be  recognized  anywhere 
snuggling  in  the  grass  from  May  to  Octo- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


93 


ber.  The  flower  is  rather  insignificant  and 
of  a  pale  buttercup  yellow. 

White  Wood  Sorrel — The  crimson- 
veined  white  wood  sorrel  is  quite  a  different 
character,  and  is  altogether  lovely.  It  likes 
damp  woodland  best.  The  flower  stem, 
which  grows  about  three  inches  high,  bears 
but  one  blossom. 

Sheep  Sorrel — Sheep  sorrel  is  a  wretch 
of  a  weed,  which  will  flourish  in  sand  or 
sterile  soil  and  is  the  bane  of  the  farmer  who 
tries  to  .raise  clover  for  his  cattle.  It  be- 
longs to  the  buckwheat  family  and  so  can 
claim  no  relationship  to  the  wood  sorrel, 
which   belongs   to   the  geranium    family. 

Blue  Flag — The  large  blue  flag  grows 
in  swamps  or  beside  the  sluggish  stream, 
and  shows  its  lovely  variegated,  blue  violet 
flowers  in  June  or  July.  Under  the  micro- 
scope its  coloring"  is  marvelously  beautiful. 

Arrow  Head — The  little  water  plant 
called  arrow  head  blooms  in  summer  beside 
streamlets  and  good  sized  rivers,  where  it 
chooses  a  locality  of  a  secluded  and  muddy 
nature.  It  is  well  adapted  to  decorative 
design. 

Sabbatia — One  of  the  most  beautiful 
wild  flowers.  Its  corolla  is  magenta  pink 
and  commonly  has  eight  divisions.  It  fre- 
quents the  edges  of  ponds  and  blooms  in 
summer. 

Sundrop  or  Evening  Primrose — Pale 
yellow  flower  found  beside  the  roadside  in 
summer. 

Evening  Primrose — Is  common  beside 
the  road  and  in  pastures.  The  peculiarity 
of  the  flower  is  that  it  opens  about  sunset, 
gives  out  a  faint  perfume,  and  then  when 
broad  daylight  returns,  looks  limp  and 
withered.     It  blooms  all  summer. 


Wild  Geranium — The  wild  geranium, 
which  the  English  usually  call  wild  cranes- 
bill,  is  a  pale  purple  flower  about  as  delicate 
as  the  evening  primrose.  The  plant  grows 
about  fifteen  inches  high  and  is  in  its  prime 
in  June. 

Herb  Robert — A  variety  of  geranium, 
quite  common.  The  flowers  are  nearly  ma- 
genta color,  that  is  a  deep  purple  brownish 
crimson.     The  stem  is  rudy. 

Indian  Poke,  or  False  White  Hellebore 
— About  the  end  of  May  or  the  beginning 
of  June  large  masses  of  light  green,  corru- 
gated leaves  are  seen  in  the  hollows  of  the 
meadow,  which  have  a  tropical  look.  The 
plant  is  the  Indian  Poke  and  is  poisonous. 
Sheep  and  pigs  have  been  killed  by  eating 
the  leaves.  In  late  summer  the  whole  plant 
withers,  blackens  and  disappears. 

May,   June,   July   and  August. 

Bunch  Berry — In  early  June  the  pretty 
little  flower  is  quite  interesting  for  several 
reasons ;  what  seems  to  be  two  white  petals, 
two  of  which  are  smaller  than  the  others, 
are  not  petals  at  all  but  involucre  leaves. 
The  flowers  are  tiny  little  greenish  things 
with  black  dots  in  between.  An  examina- 
tion of  the  flowers  under  the  microscope  will 
at  once  make  the  tiny  forms  clear.  The 
scarlet  berries  are  quite  insipid  to  the  taste. 

Shepherd's  Purse — The  commonest  kind 
of  a  weed.  The  small  white  flowers  hardly 
deserve  attention,  but  the  seed  pod  is  inter- 
esting on  account  of  the  triangular  pouch- 
shape  which  gave  rise  to  the  common  name. 
It  blooms  all  summer. 

Wild  Mustard — The  wild  mustard  is  a 
very  annoying  weed  with  small,  pale,  pure 


94 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


yellow  flower.  The  plant  is  not  interesting 
nor  beautiful. 

Sheep  Laurel— It  grows  in  poor  and 
rather  low  grounds  and  has  a  delicate  crim- 
son  pink  flower. 

Candytuft — The  cherry  garden  candy- 
tuft is  a  member  of  the  common  weed  shep- 
herd's purse.  It  is  a  captivating  little 
flower  which  is  in  constant  bloom  from  June 
until  October.  All  they  ask  is  that  their 
flowers  should  be  picked,  and  a  new  supply 
takes  the  place  of  the  old. 

Sweet  Alyssum — A  garden  flower  from 
Europe.  Small,  white.  honey-scented 
flowers  with  an  odor  like  that  of  buckwheat. 
It  blooms  all  summer. 

Corn  Flower,  or  Bachelor's  Button — 
The  bluest  of  all  blue  flowers,  vies  with 
the  gentian  which  Bryant  seems  to  consider 
a  most  perfect  blue.  But  a  flower  of  the 
true  blue  does  not  exist,  it  is  only  suggested 
by  the  forget-me-not. 

Mignonette  —  Our  common  garden 
mignonette  comes  from  the  Levant,  and  is 
an  annual  cultivated  for  the  sweet  scent  of 
its  tiny  rusty  and  greenish  white  flowers. 
It  blooms  all  summer. 

Phlox,  Drummondii  —  Phlox  is  the 
Greek  name  for  fire,  and  although  all  the 
phloxes  are  not  fierv-hued,  there  are  many 
of  them  brilliant  and  red  enough  to  deserve 
the  name.  The  range  of  color  in  the  Drum- 
nioml  phlox  is  extraordinarv.  There  are 
cream  white,  pale  yellow,  pale  salmon,  pink, 
deep  pink,  crimson  pink,  magenta,  purple 
lilac,  pure  red,  crimson  and  solferino. 

Caraway — The  caraway  has  found  its 
way  into  the  fields  and  pastures  from  the 
kitchen  garden  and  has  really  become  a  very 
familiar  wild  flower  in   many  parts  of  the 


country.  The  plant  grows  about  twenty 
inches  high,  and  blooms  about  the  middle  of 
June.  Its  aromatic  seeds  are  used  plenti- 
fully to  flavor  the  familiar  New  York  New 
Year's  cake. 

Wild  Meadow  Parsnip  —  The  wild 
meadow  parsnip  is  not  as  common  as  cara- 
way. The  fine  flowers,  similar  in  appear- 
ance to  the  caraway,  are  pale  golden  yellow, 
and  the  leaves  are  twice  compound.  The 
stem  of  the  plant  is  grooved,  and  the  leaves, 
toothed  at  the  edges,  are  dark  green. 

Bush  Honeysuckle — Common  flower  be- 
side the  roadside  and  in  hedges.  It  blooms 
in  early  summer  and  its  flowers  are  small 
and  honey  yellow. 

Indian  Pipe  —  Found  in  rich  woods, 
smooth,  waxy  white  all  over,  three  to  six 
inches  high,  with  one  rather  large  nodding 
flower  of  five  petals  and  ten  stamens.  It 
grows  on  the  root  of  other  plants  and  may 
be  found  beside  a  decayed  stump  of  some 
forest  giant. 

Common  Da)'  Flower — It  has  light  vio- 
let blue  flowers,  irregiilar  in  shape,  and 
three-petaled.  The  flowers  seem  to  grow 
out  of  an  upper  spathe  like  leaf,  and  the 
leaves  are  lance-shaped  and  contracted  at 
the  base.     Tt  is  related  to  the  spiderwort. 

Spider  Wort  —  Ts  an  attractive  little 
three-petaled  purple  blue  flower  with  orange 
yellow  anthers,  which  unfortunately  has  a 
very  short  life.  The  little  blue  clusters 
snuggled  at  the  base  of  the  narrow  green 
leaves  form  a  very  pretty  bit  of  color  har- 
mony.    Tt  blooms  in  earlv  summer. 

Buttercup  — -  The  child's  favorite  wild 
flower.  The  leaf  is  one  of  the  most  charm- 
ing instances  of  symmetry  in  nature.  There 
are   not   many    flowers   which    can   boast   of 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


95 


such  a  beautiful  leaf.  Then  the  brilliant 
yellow  of  the  corolla  is  almost  beyond  the 
power  of  pure  water  color  to  produce. 

Dandelion  —  The  common  dandelion, 
which  stars  the  meadow  in  May  and  June 
with  its  radiant  circles  of  gold,  would  be  a 
garden  favor  were  it  less  common.  A  big 
dandelion  placed  under  a  magnifying  glass 
is  one  of  the  grandest  studies  in  golden  yel- 
low that  can  be  imagined. 

Oxeye  Daisy — The  oxeye  daisv,  like  the 
dandelion,  was  brought  to  this  country  by 
the  white  man.  Its  presence  in  the  grass  is 
so  annoying  to  the  farmer  that  it  has  been 
called  the  farmer's  curse. 

Heliotrope — The  beautiful  sweet-scented 
heliotrope  comes  from  Peru  and  Chili.  It 
is  a  perennial,  held  in  high  esteem  by  all. 
The  name  comes  from  the  Creek,  and  means 
turning  to  the  sun.  The  essence  of  helio- 
trope is  used  as  perfumery. 

Milkwort — Milkwort  is  a  common  weed 
which  generally  grows  in  wet,  sandy 
ground  and  bears  pinkish  crimson  flowers 
in  a  head  somewhat  similar  to  a  clover,  but 
smaller.  It  was  thought  that  in  pastures  thev 
increased  the  milk  of  cows.  Tt  blooms  all 
summer. 

Seneca,  Snakeroot — Seneca  is  used  for 
medical  purpose,  and  is  often  given  in  the 
form  of  a  syrup  for  a  cough. 

Indian  Cucumber  Root- — Named  from 
the  taste  of  the  tuberous,  horizontal  and 
white  root  stalk.  It  flowers  in  early  sum- 
mer, but  the  blossom  is  not  attractive.  Tn 
September  the  beautiful  dark  purple  berries, 
three  in  a  cluster,  attract  attention. 

Nasturtium,  or  Indian  Cress— The  nas- 
turtium is  perhaps  one  of  the  most  satisfac- 


tory of  all  the  garden  annuals.  The  flower 
comes  to  us  from  South  America,  chiefly 
from  Peru  and  Chili.  It  can  stand  hot 
waves  and  drought  better  than  any  other 
denizen  of  the  garden.  What  a  glory  of 
color  it  brings  us! — golden  yellow,  palest 
straw  color,  rich  maroon,  burning  scarlet, 
intense  red,  scarlet  pink,  delicate  salmon, 
peach  bloom  pink,  and  a  great  list  of  varia- 
tion of  these  colors.  The  plant  wants  plenty 
of  water,  sunlight  and  sand  to  grow  in.  If 
the  ground  is  too  rich  it  grows  leaves. 

Lady's  Slipper — A  close  relative  of  the 
jewel  weed,  the  garden  balsam,  or  lady's 
slipper,  bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  the 
wild  species.  The  balsam  comes  to  us  from 
India.     It  blooms  in  summer. 

Geranium — There  are  a  great  many  vari- 
eties under  cultivation,  peppermint,  rose- 
scented,  pennyroyal,  ivy  leaved,  horseshoe. 
As  a  rule  all  the  mixed,  showy  flowered  are 
called  Lady  Washington  geraniums.  Gera- 
niums come  from  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and 
are  related  to  herb  robert.  sorrel,  jewel  weed, 
nasturtium,  canary  bird  vine.  All  are  at- 
tractive when  in  flower. 

Purslane  or  Pusley  —  A  troublesome 
weed  of  the  garden.  Once  a  much  relished 
dish  of  greens,  which  has  since  been  dis- 
placed by  spinach  and  young  beet  tops. 

Shrubby  St.  John's  Wort — This  plant 
can  hardly  be  called  beautiful,  and  it  is  con- 
sidered a  great  nuisance  in  farming  lands. 
Has  a  superstitious  name. 

Purple  Flowering  Raspberry — The  pur- 
ple flowering  raspberry  is  not  purple  at  all. 
This  is  a  popular  name  without  any  truth  in 
it.  The  flowers  are  crimson-magenta  in 
color  and  look  something  like  a  wild  rose. 


96 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


The  fruit  is  flat,  weak  red  color.  There  are 
no  thorns  on  the  stem.  It  blooms  in  June 
and  Jul}-. 

Yellow  Field  Lily — The  yellow  field  lily 
begins  to  hang  its  golden  yellow  buds  over 
the  meadows  in  June  and  in  July  the  pretty 
bells  are  in  their  prime.  It  has  a  pretty 
badly  freckled  face,  which  perhaps  is  the 
reason  it  hangs  its  head. 

Wild  Red  Lily — In  my  estimation  the 
wild  red  lily,  which  always  grows  in  shady 
places,  is  the  most  beautiful  one  of  all  the 
wild  species.  The  stalk  grows  about  two 
feet  high  and  generally  bears  but  one  flower, 
orange  yellow  outside  and  vermilion  inside, 
spotted  with  brown  madder. 

Black-eyed  Susan — The  black-eyed  Su- 
san, as  the  children  call  it.  Gray  says  is  a 
western  flower.  It  was  introduced  into  our 
meadows  with  clover  seed.  The  plant  grows 
about  eighteen  inches  high,  blooms  in  July. 
The  flower  rays  are  a  rich  golden  yellow, 
and  have  a  graceful  reflex  curve. 

Catch  Fly — The  catch  fly  is  common  in 
waste  grounds  and  is  easily  identified  by  its 
two  parted  white  petals.  It  is  the  most 
beautiful  imaginable  under  the  magnifying 
glass.  The  petals  are  not  so  remarkable, 
but  the  calyx  is  as  delicate  as  though  it  were 
molded  in  spun  glass. 

Field  Mouse-ear  Chickweed — It  is  one 
of  the  commonest  weeds  that  grow  by  our 
roadside.  It  blooms  from  April  to  August. 
It  has  an  Alpine  origin  and  does  not  stand 
the  hot  weather  well.  It  is  named  from  the 
shape  of  its  leaves  which  resemble  a  mouse's 
ear. 

Common  Chickweed  —  Common  chick- 
weed  is  very  common  and  troublesome  in 
every  garden.     It  likes  damp  ground  best, 


and  spreads  its  weak  stems,  covered  with 
fine  foliage,  all  over  the  garden  beds.  The 
tiny  white  flowers  are  very  insignificant. 
They  bloom  through  spring  and  summer. 

Verbena  —  Our  charming  garden  ver- 
benas are  many  of  them  indigenous  to  this 
country.  As  a  rule  the  flowers  are  purple. 
Other  garden  varieties  are  pink,  red  and 
white.  They  come  from  South  America. 
The  verbenas  flower  all  summer. 

Blue  Vervain — Blue  vervain  is  a  tall 
weed  with  tiny,  homely  flowers,  that  grow 
in  waste  places  and  beside  the  road.  The 
plant  begins  to  show  its  tiny  blossoms  in 
Jul\-.  It  is  a  relative  of  our  beautiful  gar- 
den verbenas. 

Water  Arum — The  water  arum  is  simi- 
lar in  appearance  to  the  cultivated  hot  house 
flower  called  calla  lily.  It  is  common  in 
boggy  places.  It  flowers  in  early  summer, 
and  is  pretty  enough  to  deserve  cultivation, 
but  the  calla  is  so  much  superior  that  the 
horticulturist  takes  no  interest  in  the  lesser 
flower. 

Wild  Sarsaparilla  —  The  wild  sarsapa- 
rilla.  which  must  not  be  mistaken  for  the 
true  sarsaparilla  of  soda  water  fame,  is  nev- 
ertheless often  used  as  a  substitute  for  the 
officinal  article.  Its  long  slender  yellow 
roots  are  as  aromatic  as  the  mucilaginous 
twigs  of  the  sassafras  tree. 

Hedge  Bindweed  —  In  appearance  the 
flower  is  exactly  like  a  pink  morning  glorv, 
to  which  it  is  closely  related.  It  is  a  South 
American  plant. 

Dodder  —  That  most  distressing  weed 
which  goes  by  the  name  of  dodder  is  a  plague 
which,  in  its  disintegrating  power,  can  only 
be  compared  to  sin.  The  little  vine  is  para- 
sitic, and  it  saps  the  energy  of  everv  plant 
it  can  fasten  itself  upon. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


97 


Poison  Ivy — Gray  says  it  is  a  vile  pest. 
It  poisons  some  people  dreadfully,  its  only 
redeeming  trait  being  its  berries  and  pretty 
red  leaves  in  the  fall. 

Clematis,  or  Virgin's  Bower — The  cle- 
matis is  among  the  lovely  vines  which  grow 
in  your  yards  and  gardens.  Nothing  is  pret- 
tier than  its  graceful  branches  decorating  a 
rustic  fence.  There  are  several  varieties, 
one  with  handsome  reddish  flowers,  one  with 
yellow,  another  with  blue. 

The  Poppy  —  The  poppy  family  is  so 
large  and  so  varied  in  tvpe  that  a  garden 
filled  with  all  the  different  varieties  would 
present  an  astonishing  picture  of  contrast- 
ing forms  and  colors  from  the  first  of  June 
until  the  middle  of  October.  All  come  from 
the  old  world.  The  poppy  is  an  extraordi- 
narily beautiful  flower :  the  variety  known 
as  Fairy  bush  excels. 

Pot  Marigold — It  is  a  common  garden 
flower  and  blooms  from  July  to  November 
if  protected  from  frost  or  all  winter  in  the 
green  house.  To  insure  this,  however,  the 
flowers  must  be  picked  continually  or  thev 
cease  to  bloom. 

Gaillardia  or  Blanket  Flower  —  In  the 
Gaillanlia  of  our  gardens  we  really  have  a 
cultivated  Mower  which  is  our  own — a  na- 
tive of  our  country.  The  lines  are  ileep  red 
and  pale  yellow,   gold,   rich   red   and   white. 

Summer  Chrysanthemum — A  charming 
annual  held  in  high  esteem  by  farmer's 
wives.  The  double  flowers  are  splendid  in 
golden  yellow  and  yellowish  white  and  the 
plant  blooms  with  prodigal  liberality.  There 
are  a  great  man}'  varieties,  single  and 
double. 

Love  in  a  Mist — A  strange  rather  than 
a  beautiful  flower,  old  fashioned :  from  the 
Orient. 


June,  July,  August  and  September. 

Four-leaved  Loosestrife — A  pretty  little 
golden  yellow,  star  shaped  flower.  It  grows 
in  wet  ground. 

Common  Loosestrife  —  The  common 
loosestrife  grows  in  low,  wet  ground,  and 
may  easily  be  distinguished  from  the  four- 
leaved  variety  by  its  branching  habit  and 
its  flower  clusters  which  terminate  the  stem. 
It  is  also  more  leafy. 

Turtle  Head — It  may  l>e  found  in  the 
same  surroundings  as  the  loosestrife  or  per- 
haps in  lower  ground.  Its  flowers  are  white 
or  pinkish  and  it  blooms  in  August. 

Tall  Meadow  Rue — The  beautiful  tall 
meadow  rue  Ijegins  to  show  its  plumes  of 
feather)'  white  flowers  in  earl}'  summer 
when  the  yellow  field  lily  is  in  full  bloom. 
It  has  ornamented  blue  green  leaves. 

Earl}-  Meadow  Rue — Has  unattractive 
brownish  green  flowers,  that  appear  in  late 
spring. 

Thorn  Apple — One  of  the  rankest  smell- 
ing weeds  in  existence.  It  is  common  in 
waste  places  and  hog  lots. 

Spreading  Dogbane  —  The  spreading 
dogbane  is  so  common  all  over  the  country 
in  thickets  and  woody  dells  that  one  cannot 
fail  to  find  it  without  the  aid  of  a  regular 
search.  The  flowers  are  quite  as  beautiful 
as  many  small  garden'  favorites. 

Common  Milkweed — The  common  milk- 
weed needs  no  introduction ;  its  prettv  pods 
of  white  silk  are  familiar  to  every  child.  It 
blooms  in  the  early  part  of  summer.  Its 
heavy  perfume  is  cloying,  as  it  is  too  sweet. 

Butterfly  Weed — A  variety  of  milk- 
weed, but  does  not  exude  a  stickv  "milk": 
the  shape  of  the  flower  is  like  the  milk-weed. 
It  grows  in  drv.  sandy  places. 


98 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Harebell — The  dainty  harebell,  which 
looks  so  frail  that  it  seems  as  though  a 
cold  gust  of  wind  might  wither  its  trans- 
parent blue,  is  one  of  the  hardiest  of  all 
our  small  wild  flowers  and  derives  its  name 
from  its  leaf. 

Self-heal — All  summer  long  this  tireless 
little  flower  blossoms  almost  anywhere  we 
may  happen  to  look.  The  bumblebee  is 
attracted  by  this  flower.  It  must  be  studied 
under  the  microscope  to  see  its  full  beauty. 

Common  Meadow  Sweet — A  soft 
plumed  plant  not  very  common.  It  is  culti- 
vated for  ornament. 

Hardhach  or  Steeple  Bush — Grows  in 
low  grounds.  The  flowers  are  pink,  the 
plume  sharp  pointed.  It  is  a  very  interest- 
ing flower  under  the  microscope. 

Jewel-weed,  or  Touch-me-not — The 
jewel-weed  is  common  everywhere.  The 
flower  is  scentless  and  is  only  pretty  in  color, 
which  is  a  spotty  orange  yellow.  It  is  like 
the  garden  balsam  and  one  is  not  surprised 
to  learn  that  it  is  related  to  this  favorite. 

Toadflax,  or  Butter  and  Eggs — A 
pretty  wild  flower  which  is  common  every- 
where. The  children's  name  for  it,  butter 
and  eggs,  so  far  as  colors  are  concerned,  is 
remarkably  appropriate.  The  flowers  have 
a  cherry  look,  like  the  flock  of  daffodils  on 
the  margin  of  the  lake  which  Wordsworth 
sang  about.  They  bloom  from  July  to 
October. 

Wild  Blue  Toadflax— Not  so  pretty  as 
its  orange  and  yellow  relative.  Toadflax  is  a 
first  cousin  to  the  beautiful  garden  snap- 
dragon, which  is  purple,  violet,  blue  and 
white. 

Common  Yarrow — The  commonest  kind 
<il   common  weed   whose  flowers  are  unat- 


tractive. Blooms  from  July  to  October.  It 
has  a  pleasant  smell. 

Indian  Tobacco — The  Indian  tobacco 
(from  which  is  obtained  a  noted  quack  medi- 
cine) is  one  of  the  least  interesting  of  our 
blue   wild    flowers. 

Cardinal  Flower — -The  magnificent  red 
of  the  cardinal  flower  fully  entitles  it  to  its 
name,  as  there  is  no  other  wild  flower  which 
approaches  it  in  color. 

Wild  Sunflower — The  plant  grows  about 
four  feet  high  and  has  rather  narrow,  dark- 
green  leaves  which  have  a  rough  feeling. 
My  impression  of  the  general  appearance 
of  this  wild  sunflower  is  that  it  is  prolific 
in  green  leaves  and  sparing  in  yellow 
flowers. 

Tansy — Tansy  is  the  very  common  yel- 
low flower  which  looks  like  a  thick  cluster 
of  ox-eye  daisies  with  the  white  rays  all 
picked  out.  It  blooms  and  smells  strong  all 
summer  and  if  dried  lasts  and  smells  stronger 
all  winter. 

Wild  Carrot — The  wild  carrot  is  a  fa- 
miliar flower  of  every  wayside  and  pasture. 
It  was  brought  from  Europe.  The  plant  is 
related  to  the  caraway. 

Mullein — A  common  troublesome  weed. 
It  is  a  native  of  the  Old  World.  Nothing 
is  softer  or  more  delicate  in  color  than  the 
pale  green  leaves  when  they  first  appear 
above  ground.  The  flowers  bloom  all 
summer. 

Chicory — One  of  our  prettiest  blue 
flowers.  It  is  blue  enough  to  call  it  blue. 
Along  road  sides  it  becomes  a  noxious  weed. 

Common  Everlasting — Everlasting  is  so 
well  known  by  everyone  that  it  needs  no 
description.  The  plant  is  conspicuous  in 
every  field  by  its  cottony  foliage  which  is 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


99 


pale  sage  green  in  color.  It  has  medical 
properties  of  value. 

Bur  Marigold,  or  Beggarticks — It  is  a 
wretched  weed  with  rather  pretty  conven- 
tional leafage,  but  a  pest. 

Bouncing  Bet  or  Soapwort — An  Eu- 
ropean plant  but  now  growing  wild  here. 
The  flowers  are  the  most  delicate  crimson 
pink  imaginable,  almost  pinkish  white. 

Petunia — The  garden  annual  petunia 
gets  its  name  from  petum,  the  aboriginal 
term  for  tobacco.  It  belongs  to  the  night 
shade  family  and  is  a  near  relative  of  com- 
mon tobacco.  The  finest  of  all  petunias  are 
called  Giants  of  California. 

Larkspur — The  larkspur  of  our  gardens 
comes  variously  from  Europe,  Siberia  and 
China.  It  has  a  lovely  spear  of  deep  blue 
flowers  which  gracefully  waves  to  and  fro 
in  every  passing  breeze.  Larkspur  is  a 
member  of  the   Crowfoot. 

Hollyhock — The  old-fashioned  holly- 
hock still  holds  its  place  in  modern  gardens. 
but  the  old  single  variety  is  being  displaced 
by  a  new  double  one,  which  is  as  full  as  the 
fullest  rose  and  quite  as  beautiful.  The 
colors  of  these  double  flowers  are  rose,  pink, 
salmon,  white,  lilac,  magnetia,  primrose,  yel- 
low, deep  red  and  maroon. 

Scarlet  Rose  Mallow — The  most  gor- 
geous of  all  the  plants  indigenous  to  the 
United  States.  A  glorious  red  scarlet 
flower,  and  scarlet  wild  flowers  are  extreme- 
ly rare.  The  swamp  rose  mallow  is  a  simi- 
lar flower  with  pale  pink  petals  which  grows 
in  the  north.     It  blooms  in  summer. 

Blazing  Star — A  beautiful  common  wild 
flower. 

Monkshood — Much  like  the  columbine, 
but  its  manner  of  growth  is  almost  vine- 
like.    It  is  not  common. 


Gladiolus — The  gladiolus  is  still  a  great 
favorite  of  the  garden,  but  it  has  been  so 
much  improved  that  the  old  red  and  pink  va- 
rieties are  supplanted  by  an  infinite  number 
of  brilliant  hued  flowers.  It  blooms  in  late 
summer  and  autumn. 

Tiger  Flower — The  charming  tiger 
flower,  which  looks  like  a  scarlet  or  yellow 
iris,  comes  to  us  from  Mexico.  It  is  a  pity 
the  blossoms  are  so  frail ;  they  rarely  last 
after  midday.  The  center  is  spotted  like 
an  orchid. 

Spanish  Bayonet — A  southern  plant,  cul- 
tivated in  the  north ;  cream-white  color. 
Blooms  in  summer. 

July,  August  and  September. 

Coreopsis  or  Calliopsis — Bright-eyed 
coreopsis  is  one  of  the  cheeriest  of  our  small- 
er garden  flowers  and  it  is  another  distinctly 
American  character.  It  blooms  all  summer 
as  late  as  September. 

Dahlia— The  common  garden  dahlia 
comes  from  Mexico.  Named  from  a  Swed- 
ish botanist,  Dahl.  It  blooms  through  the 
summer  until  October. 

Marigold — The  marigold  is  an  old  gar- 
den favorite,  but  has  been  greatly  improved. 
Plants  originally  came  from  South  America 
and  Mexico.  It  blooms  from  June  to  Oc- 
tober. The  colors  of  the  marigold  are  ex- 
traordinary; golden  yellow,  orange  yellow. 
pure  lemon  yellow,  russet  red  edged  with 
gold,  and  golden  yellow  spotted  with  brown- 
ish claret  color — these  are  all  rendered  in 
the  purest  tones. 

Zinnia — The  garden  zinnia  has  only  one 
palpable  fault:  it  is  unmistakably  stiff.  It 
has  an  astonishing  range  of  color,-  which 
comprehends  nearly  the  whole  scale — white, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


cream,  buff,  pale  yellow,  deep  yellow,  lemon 
yellow,  orange,  light  orange,  scarlet  crim- 
son, magenta,  three  pinks,  lilac,  dull  purple, 
dull  violet,  maroon,  and  an  intense  deep 
red,  jacquemont  color. 

Morning  Bride — A  favorite  of  the  old 
fashion  gardens,  but  has  of  late  been  greatly 
improved.     It  belongs  to  the  teasle  family. 

Sunflower — The  sunflower  is  distinctly 
American  and  comprises  a  large,  varied,  and 
interesting  division  of  the  composite  family. 
It  blooms  in  late  summer  and  in  September. 

Snow  on  the  Mountain — Snow  on  the 
mountain,  which  is  a  beautiful  plant,  is  rapid- 
ly coming  into  favor  as  a  garden  ornament. 

Fireweed,  Great  Willow  Herb — The 
fireweed  curiously  enough  flourishes  on 
ground  which  at  some  time  has  been  burned 
over.  One  may  easily  understand  why  it  is 
called  willow  herb,  as  its  leaf  is  exactly  like 
that  of  the  swamp  willow.  It  is  related  to 
the  veining  primrose. 

Boneset — This  is  a  favorite  plant  among 
the  country  folks,  for  whom  it  furnishes  a 
popular  medicine,  once  used  for  ague,  "bone- 
set  tea," — who  likes  it? 

Ladies'  Tresses — Toward  the  end  of 
summer  and  through  September  the  sweet 
smelling  tiny  flowers  called  ladies'  tresses 
may  be  found  in  swamps  or  wet  meadows. 
This  flower  belongs  to  the  orchis  family,  re- 
lated to  the  moccasin  flower  which  blooms 
in  the  spring  and  summer. 

Goldenrod — The  name  goldenrod  con- 
jures up  the  thought  of  an  immense  family 
of  flowers  thirty  odd  members  of  which  a 
person  with  a  fair  knowledge  of  botany  may 
easily  identify.  There  are  in  all  about  sev- 
enty varieties.  The  goldenrod  is  certainly 
our  representative  American  flower. 


Aster  or  Star  Worth — There  are  be- 
tween forty  and  fifty  species  of  wild  asters  in 
this  country,  so  I  can  only  draw  attention 
to  the  commonest  ones.  Most  of  these  have 
a  distinct  individuality,  which  will  be  im- 
possible for  one  to  mistake  who  will  closely 
follow  the  description. 

China  Aster — There  are  so  many  va- 
rieties that  I  can  only  mention  those  of 
prominent  type.  The  Victoria  is  an  old 
favorite,  then  Truffant's,  Betteridge's, 
Triumph,  Comet,  and  the  most  beautiful 
new  variety. 

September  and  November. 

Ironweed — Grows  everywhere  beside  the 
road  and  along  rivers.  It  blooms  in  August 
and  September. 

Bitter  Sweet — Bitter  sweet  is  a  beautiful 
climbing,  twining  shrub,  with  which  every- 
one who  sees  the  scarlet  berries  inside  the 
open  orange-colored  pod,  ought  to  be 
familiar. 

<  iarget,  or  Pokeberry — The  flowers  are 
conspicuous,  but  the  purple  berries  attract 
some  attention.  The  juice  has  been  used 
for  coloring  purposes  but  unsuccessfully,  as 
it  fades. 

Closed,  or  Bottle  Gentian — Is  an  inhabi- 
tant of  the  northern  woods.  Its  flowers 
are  like  tiny  thick  tenpins  in  shape  and  are 
often  a  very  good  blue.  It  is  of  the  latest 
fall  flowers. 

Fringed  Gentian — Bryant's  sky  blue 
flower,  by  no  means  common.  It  is  a  low 
ground  plant.  The  time  to  look  for  the 
flower  is  in  October. 

Fall  Dandelion — The  fall  dandelion  is 
not  nearly  so  beautiful  as  its  spring  rela- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


tive.  The  leaves  are  similar  to  the  spring 
dandelion,  but  blunt  toothed  and  very  small, 
growing  close  to  the  ground.  It  blooms 
from  July  to  November. 

Nightshade — The  little  purple  flowers 
grow  in  small  clusters,  and  appear  in  sum- 
mer. It  is  curious  to  learn  that  the  night- 
shade is  closely  related  to  the  potato,  the 
egg  plant,  and  the  pretty  ornamental  shrub 
called  Jerusalem  cherry. 

Winter  Berry  or  Black  Alder — At  the 
close  of  the  season  of  flowers  in  autumn  our 
attention  will  be  attracted  by  the  brilliant 
berries  of  the  black  alder,  which  dot  its 
gray  stems  and  cling  to  them  long  after 
its  leaves  have  dropped.  It  is  common  in 
swamps,   growing  as  a   shrub. 

Chrysanthemum — The  chrysanthemum 
is  an  oriental  flower,  which  comes  to  us 
from  Japan  and  China.  There  are  some- 
thing like  400  varieties  and  ever  increasing. 
but  the  florist's  chrysanthemums  are  not 
hardy.  They  are  mostly  of  the  Japanese 
class ;  it  is  the  older  Chinese  varieties  which 
stand  the  cold  of  our  northern  winters  best. 
The  chrysanthemum  is  indeed  the  last  and 


most  beautiful  flower  of  all  flora's  train ; 
and  whatever  we  may  say  of  the  rose  we 
must  acknowledge  the  lovely  golden  flower 
another  queen,  the  queen  of  autumn.  When 
the  summer  flowers  are  gone  and  the  birds 
have  flown  southward ;  when  the  chill  winds 
come  down  from  the  icy  regions  of  the  north, 
when  there  are  no  leaves,  no  blue  sky,  then 
comes  our  autumn  queen,  and  fills  our  laps 
with  a  wealth  of  bloom  the  like  of  which  we 
never  saw  in  June. 

Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  sweetly  sings 
about  the  golden  flower  as  though  she  were 
an  angel  queen — 

"The    fields    are    stripped,    the    groves    are 

dumb. 
The  frost  flowers  greet  the  icy  moon — 
Then  blooms  the  bright  chrysanthemum. 
Thy  smile  the  scowl  of  winter  braves, 
Last  of  the  bright  robed  flowery  train, 
Soft  sighing  o'er  the  garden  graves : 
'Farewell!     Farewell!  we  meet  again!' 
So  may  life's  chill  November  bring 
Hope's  golden  flower,  the  last  of  all 
Before  we  hear  the  angels  sing 
Wrhere  blossoms  never  fade  and  fall!" 


POLITICAL  HISTORY. 


BY   S.    P.    KALER. 


When  Whitley  county  began  her  polit- 
ical career  in  1838  a  convention  was  held 
for  the  first  county  ticket,  ignoring  politics 
and  selecting  competent  men  who  would 
consent  to  serve  the  people  in  the  various 
positions  for  the  pittance  they  would  receive 
from  their  fellow  settlers. 


By  1840  the  settlers,  scattering  as  they 
were,  lined  up  according,  as  the  people  of 
the  entire  nation  were  organizing  into  bitter 
partisan  warfare  that  reached  its  noonday 
during  and  after  the  Civil  war.  Good  roads, 
rural  mail  delivery,  telephones,  telegraphs 
and  agencies  of  rapid  transit  have  brought 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


the  people  so  near  each  other  that,  with  the 
county  seat  so  near  the  center,  the  people 
of  the  entire  county  mingle  together  each 
week  as  though  a  single  neighborhood.  A 
quarter  of  a  century  ago  a  journey  from 
many  parts  of  the  county  to  Columbia  City 
meant  a  day  going  and  a  day  returning,  and 
visiting  was  confined  within  small  circles. 
The  great  changes  have  entirely  done  away 
with  the  school  house  orators,  exaggeration 
and  falsehood  that  formerly  fanned  polit- 
ical campaigns  into  veritable  cyclones. 

The  political  parties  have  always  been 
pretty  evenly  divided  with  a  slight  prepon- 
derance in  favor  of  the  democrats.  In  1 840, 
Harrison  (whig)  received  98  votes  and  Van 
Buren  (democrat)  91,  a  whig  majority 
of  7,  and  not  again  until  1904,  when  Roose- 
velt carried  the  county  by  78,  was  there  a 
majority  adverse  to  the  democratic  candi- 
date for  president,  and  but  twice  in  the  sixty- 
eight  years  have  the  republicans  elected  their 
entire  county  ticket,  but  in  sixteen  of  the 
thirty-five  biennial  elections  they  have 
elected  part  of  their  local  ticket. 

Majorities  by  which  county  officers  have 
been  elected  would  average  considerably  be- 
low a  hundred.  Many  have  been  elected 
by  less  than  fifty  and  not  a  few  by  less  than 
ten  majority.  In  1878  the  democrats 
elected  a  county  treasurer  by  four  majority 
and  a  county  commissioner  by  three.  In 
1848  the  two  candidates  for  county  treasurer 
were  a  tie.  In  1890  the  republicans 
elected  a  clerk  by  two,  and  in  1900  one 
democratic  candidate  for  commissioner  was 
defeated  by  four,  while  the  candidate  for 
county  assessor  was  elected  by  one  majority. 
The  largest  majority  ever  given  a  candidate 
on  a  straight  party  fight  was  831,  majority 


for  Col.  I.  B.  McDonald  (democrat)  for 
representative,  in  1870  over  Ambrose  M. 
Trumbull  (republican).  McDonald  carried 
every  voting  precinct  in  the  county.  The 
like  never  occurred  before  and  is  not  likely 
to  do  so  again. 

In  1844  James  K.  Polk,  democratic  can- 
didate for  president,  received  219  votes,  as 
against  Clay  (whig)  216,  a  majority  of 
three. 

In  1848  Cass  received  355  votes  as 
against  318  for  Taylor,  a  democratic  major- 
ity of  thirty-seven. 

In  1852  Pierce  received  568  and  Scott 
497,  a  democratic  majority  of  71. 

In  1856  Buchanan  received  851  and 
Fremont  797,  a  democratic  majority  of  54. 

In  i860  Douglas  received  1133  and  Lin- 
coln 1067,  a  democratic  majority  of  66. 
There  was  also  three  votes  for  Breckenridge, 
southern  democrat. 

In  1864  McClellan  received  1337  and 
Lincoln  1074,  a  democratic  majority  of  263. 

In  1868  Seymour  received  1628  and 
Grant  1372,  a  democratic  majority  of  256. 

In  1872  Greeley  received  1650  and  Grant 
1401,  a  democratic  majority  of  249. 

In  1876  Tilden  received  2052  and  Hayes 
1660,  a  democratic  majority  of  392. 

In  t88o  Hancock  received  2229  and 
Garfield  1941,  a  democratic  majority  of  288. 

In  1884  Cleveland  received  2365  and 
Blaine  2007,  a  democratic  majority  of  358. 

In  1888  Cleveland  received  2325  and 
Harrison  2133,  a  democratic  majority  of 
192. 

In  1892  Cleveland  received  2222  and 
Harrison  195 1 .  a  democratic  majority  of 
271. 

In   1896  Bryan  received  2494  and  Mc- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


103 


Kinley  2242,  a  democratic  majority  of  252. 

In  1900  Bryan  received  2361  and  Mc- 
Kinley  2271,  a  democratic  majority  of  90. 

In  1904  Parker  received  2281  and  Roose- 
velt 2359,   a   republican  majority  of  78. 

At  the  first  presidential  election  in  1840 
there  was  a  whig"  majority  of  7  and  at  the 
last  presidential  election  there  was  a  re- 
publican majority  of  78.  Thus  opposition 
to  the  democrats  carried  the  first  and  last 
presidential  elections  at  an  average  majority 
of  42. 

The  democrats  carried  the  fifteen  inter- 
vening presidential  elections  at  an  average 
majority  of  189,  the  lowest  was  3  in  1844 
and  the  highest  392  in   1876. 

In  the  presidential  landslide  of  1904  the 
republicans  had  a  majority  for  their  state 
ticket  considerably  reduced  below  that  of 
Roosevelt  and  elected  their  candidate  for 
sheriff  by  97.  W  Tile  the  democrats  had  a 
majority  of  65  for  Robinson  for  congress; 
151  for  Green,  district  prosecutor;  145  for 
Depew,  joint  representative;  122  for  Brand, 
county  treasurer ;  151  fur  Walter,  surveyor ; 
13  for  Williams,  coroner;  105  for  Irwin, 
commissioner,  and  65  for  Mowery,  commis- 
sioner, an  average  majority  for  all  county 
and  district  officers,  except  sheriff,  of  102. 

During  all  the  vicissitudes  of  the  parties ; 
the  death  of  the  whig  party,  the  birth  of 
the  republican  party  in  1856  and  its  ascend- 
ancy up  to  1872 ;  the  rise  again  of  the 
democracy  to  a  majority  in  the  Lower  House 
of  Congress  in  1874  and  its  hand  to  hand 
conflict  with  its  competitor,  in  almost  equal 
battle  up  to  its  great  victory  in  1892,  and 
its  decline  again ;  during  all  these  times  the 
voters  of  Whitley  county  have  been  but 
little  swayed  from  their  moorings,  show- 
ing that  there  has  been  complete  organiza- 


tion on  both  sides.  There  are  few  counties 
in  the  country  where  there  has  existed  such 
complete  part}'  machinery  reaching  out  to 
each  school  and  road  district.  From  the 
democracy's  slender  majority  in  1844  to 
1874  it  held  the  county  offices  almost  ex- 
clusively, first  under  the  leadership  of  James 
B.  Edwards  and  later  that  of  Eli  W.  Brown, 
with  I.  B.  McDonald  and  others  as  able 
lieutenants. 

Against  this  compact  and  finely  balanced 
organization  there  was  a  revolt  in  1874.  re- 
sulting in  the  nomination  of  a  ticket  alter- 
nating candidates,  republican  and  demo- 
cratic, under  the  name  of  People's  Party, 
hut  keeping  hands  entirely  out  of  politics 
outside  the  count)-.  It  was  signally  suc- 
cessful in  that  year. 

In  1876  its  success  was  partial.  In  1878 
it  elected  three  candidates.  After  that, 
parties  lapsed  back  to  their  old  positions 
until  1886,  when  the  scheme  was  tried  again, 
resulting  in  complete  rout  and  failure.  For 
many  years  the  third  party  has  been  in  evi- 
dence under  name  of  Greenbackers  or  Pro- 
hibitionists but  not  in  number  sufficient  to 
warrant  a  place  in  history. 

Man}'  of  the  Greenbackers  were  perfect- 
ly sincere  in  their  action  but  their  leaders 
'were  mostly  adventurers  who  sought  to 
make  merchandise  of  their  following  in  a 
market  where  each  vote  was  a  great  factor 
in  determining  the  local  result,  so  that  it 
became  marketable  to  individuals  rather  than 
parties. 

While  the  Prohibitionists  in  the  main 
have  been  true  to  principle  and  have  voted 
their  sentiments  without  regard  to  the  bal- 
ance of  power  the}'  could  produce,  there 
have  been  notable  examples  to  the  contrary. 

In    1882   the   republican  party   made  its 


104 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


first  real  stand  for  a  tight  on  the  whole 
county  ticket,  though  it  often  before  made 
an  effort  for  some  individual  candidate  and 
sometimes  with  success.  Conditions  were 
not  auspicious  for  the  democrats  and  their 
opponents  entered  the  tight  with  an  advan- 
tage i  >n  their  side  and  a  ticket  of  good  strong 
men.  hut  lost  out  because  of  poor  manage- 
ment. The  highest  democratic  majority 
was  222  for  Harrison,  clerk,  and  the  lowest 
45  f<  t  Yontz  for  auditor. 

In  1884  the  local  contest  was  seemingly 
lost  in  the  national  campaign  and  the  demo- 
crats won  by  about  their  usual  majorities. 

We  have  already  noted  that  a  People's 
part}-  was  unsuccessful  in  1886. 

In  1888  the  republicans  elected  their  can- 
didate. W.  W.  Hollipeter,  for  sheriff  by  67 
majority,  and  the  democrats  all  the  balance 
of  the  ticket  by  majorities  from  247  down 
to   less   than  a    hundred. 

In  1890  the  democrats  elected  their  entire 
ticket  by  about  the  usual  majorities,  except 
clerk. 

tn  1892  William  F.  McNagny,  of  this 
count)-,  was  the  democratic  candidate  for 
congress  and  gave  a  stimulus  to  the  cam- 
paign. His  majority  was  t>2>7  and  the  low- 
est majority  for  the  democrats  was  191. 

In  1894  the  entire  republican  county 
ticket  was  elected  by  majorities  averaging 
114,  while  the  state  ticket  had  a  majority 
1  if  64. 

In  [896  the  entire  democratic  ticket  was 
again  elected  by  majorities  all  over  a  hun- 
dred, except  Meyers  for  treasurer  who  had 
73;  and  two  years  later,  in  1898,  the  demo- 
cratic majorities  were  quite  decisive,  averag- 
ing above  200. 

As  before  noted,  the  result  in   1900  was 


the  election  of  part  of  both  tickets,  so  also 
was  the  result  in  1902  and  1904.  the  former 
year  the  preponderance  was  with  the  repub- 
licans and  the  latter  with  the  democrats. 

In  1906  the  republicans  made  a  clean 
sweep  on  state  and  local  tickets,  except  that 
the  democrats  elected  the  coroner  and  sur- 
veyor. 

In  1897  experts  were  employed  to  go 
over  the  books  of  the  count)'  for  several 
years  past  that  the  people  might  know 
whether  or  not  their  servants  had  been  hon- 
est and  to  prove  or  disprove  the  many 
charges  and  counter-charges  that  had  been 
recklessly  made. 

The  result  was  most  satisfactory  and 
quieting  to  the  people.  Not  a  dishonest  act 
was  discovered ;  not  a  cent  had  been  misap- 
propriated or  stolen.  A  few  very  small  ir- 
regularities were  pointed  out  due  to  different 
methods  in  bookkeeping  which  were  readily 
adjusted  and  reconciled.  Whitley  county 
during  its  entire  history  has  been  a  storm 
center  of  politics  but  its  government  has 
been   honest  and    satisfactory. 

John  S.  Cotton,  democrat,  was  elected 
representative  from  Whitley  county  in  1868 
by  a  majority  of  238.  At  the  regular  ses- 
sion of  the  state  legislature  in  January,  1869, 
the  democratic  members  being  in  the  minor- 
it)-,  resigned  three  days  before  the  close  of 
the  session  to  break  a  quorum  and  prevent 
the  ratification  of  the  negro  suffrage  amend- 
ment. The  appropriation  bills  had  not 
passed,  which  gave  Governor  Baker  a  good 
excuse  to  call  an  extra  session  to  force  the 
negro  suffrage  amendment  to  passage.  A 
special  election  was  called  and  Cotton  be- 
came nominee  again  on  the  issue  of  negro 
suffrage.     Lewis  Adams,  up  to  this  time  a 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


io5 


democrat,  and  former  member  of  the  legis- 
lature, was  nominated  against  him.  Cotton 
was  elected  by  72  1  majority,  carrying  every 
township  but  Troy,  which  he  lost  by  15;  the 
republican  majority  at  the  fall  election  be- 
fore had  been  76.  Adams  lived  in  Troy. 
This  vote  is  significant  of  the  feeling  of  the 
people  at  that  time  on  this  question. 

The  following  persons  have  served  the 
county   officially: 

CONGRESSIONAL. 

On  the  organization  of  Whitley  county 
it  was  in  the  fifth  congressional  district, 
composed  of  the  counties  of  Union,  Fayette. 
Wayne,  La  Grange,  Randolph,  Henry,  Dele- 
ware.  Allen.  Grant  and  Huntington,  Whit- 
ley added  in  1838,  represented  by  James  H. 
Rariden  from  1837  to  1841 ;  and  by  An- 
drew Kennedy  from  1841  to,  1843. 

Under  the  apportionment  of  184 J  we 
were  placed  in  the  tenth  district  as  follows: 
Randolph,  Delaware,  Grant,  Jay,  Steuben. 
Blackford,  Adams,  Wells,  Huntington,  La- 
Grange,  Allen,  Whitley,  Noble  and  Dekalb 
and  at  the  August  election.  1842.  Andrew 
Kennedy  was  elected  from  the  new  district", 
and  by  re-election  held  till  1847.  William 
Rockhill  held  from  1847  to  J849-  Andrew  J. 
Harlan  from  1849  to  J85i-  Samuel  Bren- 
ton  from  185 1  to  1853. 

Under  the  apportionment  of  1852  the 
following  counties  comprised  the  tenth  dis- 
trict: Elkhart,  Kosciusko,  Noble,  La- 
Grange,  Steuben,  Dekalb,  Allen  and  Whit- 
ley. Ebenezer  M.  Chamberlain  was  the 
representative  from  1853  to  1855.  Samuel 
Brenton  from  1855  to  1859.  Charles  Case 
from  1859  to  1861.     William  Mitchell  from 


1 86 1  to  1863.  Joseph  K.  Edgerton  from 
1863  to  1865.  Joseph  H.  Defrees  from  1865 
to   1867. 

Under  the  apportionment  of  1867,  Allen 
was  taken  from  the  district  and  Huntington 
given  to  it,  making  the  tenth  district  as 
follows  :  Kosciusko,  Whitley,  Huntington, 
Noble.  Dekalb,  Steuben,  LaGrange  and 
Elkhart.  William  Williams  was  the  repre- 
sentative from  1867  to  1873. 

Under  the  apportionment  of  1872  the 
twelfth  district  was  Jay,  Blackford,  Hunt- 
ington, Wells,  Adams,  Allen  and  Whitley. 
This  apportionment  bill  was  approved  at 
a  special  session  of  the  legislature,  December 
2^,.  1872,  after  the  congressional  election. 
The  state's  apportionment  being  raised  from 
eleven  to  thirteen  representatives,  two  con- 
gressmen, Godlove  S.  Orth  and  William 
Williams,  were  elected  from  the  state  at 
large,  and  Henry  B.  Saylor,  of  Huntington, 
by  the  old  tenth. 

Andrew  H.  Hamilton,  from  Allen 
county,  was  representative  from  1875  to 
1879,  Walpole  G.  Colerick,  of  Allen  county, 
from  1879  to  1883. 

Under  the  apportionment  act  of  1879 
the  twelfth  district  was  LaGrange,  Steuben, 
Noble,  Dekalb,  Whitley  and  Allen.  The 
apportionment  acts  of  1885,  1891,  1895 
and  1 90 1  have  left  the  district  remaining 
the  same.  Robert  Lowry,  of  Allen  county, 
was  representative  from  1883  to  1887; 
James  B.  White,  of  Allen  county,  from 
1887  to  1889;  Charles  A.  O.  McClellan,  of 
Dekalb  count}-,  from  1889  to  1893:  William 
F.  McNagny,  of  Whitley  county,  from  1893 
to  1895;  Jacob  D.  Leighty,  of  Dekalb 
county,  from  1895  to  1897;  James  M.  Rob- 
inson, of  Allen  county,  from  1897  to  1905: 


io6 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Newton  W.  Gilbert,  from  1905  till  Septem- 
ber, 1906.  when  he  resigned.  Clarence  C. 
Gilhams.  of  La  Grange  county,  was  elected 
for  both  long  and  short  terms  in  1906. 

SENATORS     AND     REPRESENTATIVES     IN     THE 
GENERAL    ASSEMBLY. 

The  first  constitution  of  Indiana  adopted 
June  29,  1816,  provided  as  follows: 

ARTICLE    II. 

Sec.  2. — The  general  assembly  may, 
within  two  years  after  their  first  meeting 
and  shall,  in  the  year  1820,  and  every 
subsequent  term  of  five  years,  cause  an  enu- 
meration to  be  made  of  all  white  male  in- 
habitants above  the  age  of  twenty-one  years. 
The  number  of  representatives  shall,  at  the 
several  periods  of  making  such  enumerations, 
be  fixed  by  the  general  assembly,  and  ap- 
portioned among  the  several  counties  ac- 
cording to  the  number  of  white  male  in- 
habitants above  twenty-one  years  of  age  in 
each ;  and  shall  never  be  less  than  twenty- 
five  (25)  or  greater  than  thirty-six  (36), 
until  the  number  of  the  white  male  inhabi- 
tants above  twenty-one  years  of  age  shall 
be  twenty-two  thousand ;  and  after  that 
event,  at  such  ratio,  that  the  whole  number 
of  representatives  shall  never  be  less  than 
thirty-six,  nor  exceed  one  hundred. 

Sec.  3. — The  representatives  shall  be 
chosen  annually  by  the  qualified  electors  of 
each  county  respectively  on  the  first  Monday 
of  August. 

Sec.  5. — The  senators  shall  be  chosen  for 
three  years,  on  the  first  Monday  in  August, 
by  the  qualified  votes  of  representatives,  and 


on  this  being  convened,  in  consequence  of 
the  first  election,  they  shall  be  divided  by 
lot,  from  their  respective  counties  or  districts. 
as  near  as  can  be,  into  three  classes ;  the 
seats  of  the  senators  of  the  first  class  shall 
be  vacated  at  the  expiration  of  the  first  year ; 
and  the  second  class,  at  the  expiration  of 
the  second  year;  and  the  third  class,  at  the 
expiration  of  the  third  year;  so  that  one 
third  thereof,  as  near  as  possible,  may  be 
annually  chosen  forever  thereafter. 

Sec.  6. — The  number  of  senators  shall, 
at  the  several  periods  of  making  the  enu- 
meration before  mentioned,  be  fixed  by  the- 
general  assembly,  and  apportioned  among 
the  several  counties  or  districts  to  be  estab- 
lished by  law,  according  to  the  number  of 
white  male  inhabitants  of  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  years  in  each,  and  shall  never  be  less 
than  one  third,  nor  more  than  one  half  the 
number  of  representatives. 

NEW    CONSTITUTION   ADOPTED   FEBRUARY    IO- 

185  I. 

Jacob  Wunderlich  was  delegate  fronr 
Whitley  county  to  the  convention  that 
framed  said  constitution. 

ARTICLE  IV. 

Sec.  2.- — The  senate  shall  not  exceed 
fifty,  nor  the  house  of  representatives  1  me 
hundred  members ;  and  they  shall  be  chosen 
by  the  electors  of  the  respective  counties  or 
districts  into  which  the  state  may,  from  time 
to  time,  be  divided. 

Sec.  3. — Senators  shall  be  elected  for  the 
term  of  four  years  and  representatives  for 
the  term  of  two  vear-s  from  the  dav  after 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


107 


their  general  election.  *  *  *  One-half, 
as  nearly  as  possible,  shall  be  chosen 
biennially. 

At  the  first  session,  convened  November 
4,  1816,  there  were  ten  senators  and  thirty 
representatives.  The     senate     remained 

with  ten  members  until  1821,  when  it  in- 
creased to  twelve.  In  1822,  it  rose  to  16 
and  by  1838,  when  Whitley  county  was  or- 
ganized, it  had  risen  to  forty-seven  and  by 
1 84 1  it  has  risen  to  the  constitutional  limit 
of  fifty.  The  number  of  representatives  in- 
creased steadily  at  almost  every  session,  so 
that  by  1836  it  had  reached  its  limitation 
of  one  hundred. 

In  1835,  Ezra  S.  Trask  was  elected  state 
senator  for  the  term  of  three  years  for  the 
district  composed  of  Wabash,  Jay,  Grant, 
Huntington  and  the  territory  attached  there- 
to for  judicial  purposes  (meaning  Whitley 
county)  and  was  our  senator  at  date  of 
organization,  but  at  the  fall  election  of  1838 
James  Trimble  was  elected  senator.  From 
that  date  to  the  present  we  have  had  the 
following  senators : 

William  B.  Mitchell  (W.)  .  .    1841  to  1844 

Matthew  Rippey   (W.) 1844  "   1845 

( District  —  Elkhart,  Kosciusko         and 

Whitley.) 

A.  Cuppy  (D.),  Whitley.  ...    1845  to  1847 

Elias  Murray  (W.) 1847  "   1848 

Henry  Day  (D.) 1848  "   1851 

( District  —  Huntington       Kosciusko      and 

Whitley.) 

T.  Washburn  (D.), Whitley..    1851  to  1853 
(District — Noble,  Kosciusko  and  Whitley.) 


UNDER   NEW    CONSTITUTION. 

S.  D.   Hall   (D.) 1853  to  1855 

John   Weston    (D.) 1855  "    1858 

(  District — Xoble,  Kosciusko  and  Whitley. ) 

James  R.   Slack   (D.) 1858  to  1863 

A.  J.  Douglas  (D.),  Whitley.    1863  "    1869 
(District — Huntington   and    Whitley.) 

A.  Y.  Hooper  (R.)  Whitley.  1869  to  1872 

Charles  W.  Chapman  (R.)..  1872  "    1877 

Walter  Olds  (R.),  Whitley..  1877"    1881 

(  District — Kosciusko  and  Whitley. ) 

Robert  C.  Bell  (D.) 1881  to  1885 

E.  W.  Brown  (D.),  Whitley.    1885   "  1887 
I.  B.  McDonald  (D.).  Whitley  1887  "  1889 

Fred  J.  Hayden   (D.) 1889  "  1893 

Ochmig  Bird  (D.) 1893  "  1897 

Louis  J-  Bobilya  (D.) 1897  "  1899 

(District — Whitley  and  Allen.) 

F.  J.  Heller  (D.),  Whitley.  .  1899  to  1903 

H.  M.  Purviance  (R.) 1903  "   i9°7 

John  W."  Orndorf  (R.)  Whit- 
ley   1906  " 

( District — Whitley  and .  Huntington. ) 

REPRESENTATIVES. 

At  the  organization  of  the  county  in  1838 
William  Vance  was  representative  and  was 
re-elected  in  August,  1838. 
(District — Huntington,  Jay,   Wells,   Black 
ford  and  Whitley.) 

Lewis    W.    Purviance 1839101840 

Morrison   Rulon 1840  "    1841 

(District — Huntington,       Adams,       Wells. 
Whitley.  Blackford  and  Jay.) 


io8 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Peter  L.  Runyon 1841  to  1842 

Abraham  Cuppy 1842  "    1N44 

Stephen    H.   Culms 1S44  "    [845 

David   Rippey 1845  "   1846 

(District — Kosciusko  and  Whitley.) 

James  Gilleece 1846  to  1847 

Henry   Swihart 1847   "    1848 

Samuel    Jones 1848  "   1849 

John    S.    Cotton 1849   "    1850 

Henry  Swihart 1850  "    1851 

I  District — Huntington    and    Whitley. ) 

UNDER    NEW    CONSTITUTION. 

Whitley  now  becomes  entitled  to  a  rep- 
resentative of  her  own. 

David    Litchfield 185 1  to  1853 

Adams  Y.  Plooper J853   "  1855 

John  S.  Cotton 1855   "  1857 

Lewis   Adams 1857  "  1859 

(  District — Whitley.  ) 

John   B.   Firestone 1859  to  1861 

James  S.  Collins 1861   "   1863 

Samuel  McGauhey. 1863  "    1865 

John  R.  Coffroth 1865   "   1867 

A.  J.  Douglas 1867  "   1869 

( District — Huntington   and    Whitley.) 

Whitley  county  a  district  alone. 

John    S.    Cotton 1869  to  187 1 

I.   B.  McDonald 1871   "   1873 

Cyrus  B.  Tulley 1873   "    1875 

Thomas    Washburn 1875  "   1877 

William   E.   Merriman ^77  "   J879 

Cyrus  P.  Tulley 1879  "   1881 

William    Carr 1881   "    1885 

Martin  I ).  Garrison 1885  "  1889 

Andrew    A.    Adams 1889"  1893 


Jacob  S.   Schrader 1893  to  '895 

Edwin  L.   Barber 1895  "    1^97 

Solomon    Wiener 1897  "    1899 

(District — Whitley.) 

John  W.  Baker 1899  to  1901 

Levi  R.  Stookey 1901    "    1905 

Newton   F.  Watson !905  "   1907 

(District — Kosciusko  and  Whitley.) 

The  legislature  in  1905  made  the  district 
Kosciusko,  Huntington  and  Whitley,  and 
Newton  F.  Watson  was  re-elected  in   1906. 

CLERKS  OF  COURT. 

The  clerk  of  courts  was  ex-ofncio  clerk 
of  the  board  of  county  commissioners  from 
the  organization  of  the  county  to  1841,  when 
that  duty  was  transferred  to  the  county 
auditor. 

Abraham   Cuppy 1838  to  1842 

Richard    Collins 1842   "  1855 

I.   B.  McDonald 1855  "  1859 

William  E.  Merriman 1859  "  1863 

James  B.  Edwards 1863  "  1871 

Eli   W.   Brown 1871    "  1875 

James    Reider 1875   "  1879 

James  M.  Harrison ^79  "  1887 

Samuel  P.  Kaler 1887  "  1891 

William  H.  Magley 1891    "  1895 

Richard  H.  Maring 1895   "  1899 

Walter  J.  Tyree,* 1899  "  1904 

Jesse  A.  Glassley 1904  "  1908 

Hugo   Logan 1908  " 

COUNTY     AUDITORS. 

Abraham    Cuppy 1841  to  1842 

Richard    Collins 1842   "    1844 


*Ofhce    extended    from     November    to 
fanuary  1  st. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


109 


Charles  W.  Hughes 1844  to  1S44 

Thomas    Washburn 1844  "   1855 

Adams    Y.    Hooper 1855   "   1859 

John  S.  Cotton 1859  "    1863 

Simon  H.  Wunderlich 1863  "   1869 

Theodore  Reed 1869  "   1874 

Robert  A.  Jellison 1874  "    1877 

William  H.  Rutter 1877  "    1881 

William  E.  Merriman 1881    "   1882 

Manford   D.    Yontz 1882  "    1886 

Chauncey  B.   Mattoon 1886  "   1890 

Christopher    Souder 1890  "   1894 

Daniel  W.  Sanders 1894  "   1898 

W.    H.   Carter,* 1898  "    1903 

Charles  E.  Lancaster J  903  "    l9°7 

Samuel   F.  Trembley l9®7  " 

COUNTY    RECORDERS. 

Abraham   Cuppy 1838  to  1842 

Richard    Collins 1842  "   1855 

Charles  W.  Hughes 1855  "    1859 

Henry  Swihart 1859  "   1863 

Casper  W.  Lamb 1863  "    1867 

David    A.    Quick 1867  "    1871 

Jeremiah  S.   Hartsock 1871   "    1875 

John    C.    Wigent 1875  "   1879 

Wright  Lancaster 1879  "   1883 

Casper  W.  Lamb 1883  "   1887 

John  H.   Shilts 1887  "    1891 

John   W.    Golden 1891   "   1895 

Henry  Souder 1895  "   1899 

Frank  Raber 1899  "   1904 

Levi  M.  Meiser 1904  "    1908 

George  W.  Hildebrand 1908  " 

SHERIFFS. 

Richard    Baughan 1838  to  1838 

*Office  extended  from  November  22d,  to 
January*   1st. 


Richard  Collins 

James  B.   Simcoke 

Jacob  Thomson 

Jacob  Wunderlich 

James  B.  Edwards 

William  H.  Dunfee.  .  .  . 

John   Brenneman 

Adam  Avey 

John  Wynkoop 

Oliver  P.   Koontz 

Jacob  W.  Miller 

William  H.  Liggett.  .  .  . 
Adam  T.  McGinlev.  .  .  . 
Franklin  P.  Allwein 

Leander  Lower 

William   W.   Hollipeter. 

John   W.   McNabb 

Thomas  N.  Hughes.  .  .  . 

Benjamin   F.   Hull 

Edward  L.  Gallagher.  . 
Logan   Staples 


1838  to 

1840 

1840  •' 

1844 

1844  •• 

1846 

1846  " 

1850 

1850  " 

1854 

1854  •' 

1858 

1858 " 

1 86a 

i860  " 

1862 

1862  " 

1866 

1866  •• 

1870 

1870  " 

1S74 

1874  •• 

1878 

1878  " 

1880 

1880  " 

1884 

1884  " 

1888 

1888  " 

1890 

1890  " 

1894 

1894  •• 

1896 

1896  •• 

1900 

1900  " 

190S 

1905  " 

1909 

COUNTY     TREASURERS. 

John  Collins 1838  to  1840 

Benjamin    Grable 1840  "  1848 

Joseph  H.  Pratt '. 1848  "  1848 

Charles  W.  Hughes 1848  "  185 1 

Jacob  Wunderlich 185 1   "  1852 

Charles  W.  Hughes 1852  "  1854 

James  T.  Long 1854  "  1856 

Robert   Reed 1856  "  1858 

Jacob  Wunderlich 1858  "  i860 

Henry    Gregg i860  "  1862 

John    S.    Cotton 1S62  *'  1864 

William   Reed 1864  "  1866 

John  O.  Adams 1866  "  1870 

Henry    McLallen 1870  "  1874 

Jacob  A.    Baker 1874  "  1878 

Joseph    Clark 1878  "  1882 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Oliver  P.  Stewart 1882  to  1886 

Joshua  P.  Chamberlin 1886  "    1890 

Jacob  A.  Ruch 1890  "   1890 

John   Gross 1890  "   1894 

William  A.  Geiger 1894  "   1896 

William  E.   Myers 1896  "    1901 

Melvin  Blain 1901   "   1905 

John  W.  Brand 1905  "   1907 

Clinton  Wilcox 1907  " 

CORONERS. 

Seth  A.   Lucas 1838  to  1841 

Asa    Shoemaker 1841   "   1847 

David  Richmond 1847  "   1849 

William  Guy 1849  "   1851 

William  M.  Swayzee 1851   "   1853 

Adam  Avey 1853  "    1855 

Benjamin  F.  Beeson 1855   "   1863 

William  Walter 1863  "    1865 

Henry  H.  Hackett 1865  "   1867 

Abraham  Y.  Swigart 1867  "   1870 

John  B.  Firestone 1870  "   1874 

John    Richards 1874  "   1878 

William    Yontz 1878  "   1882 

Charles    S.    Williams 1882  "   1894 

Nathan   I.    Kithcart 1894  "   1896 

Charles    S.    Williams 1896  "    1905 

John  F.  Brenneman JQOS  "   I9°7 

Jesse  H.  Briggs 1907  " 

SURVEYORS. 

John  H.  Alexander 1839  to  [842 

Stephen   Martin 1842  "    184(1 

<  leorge  Arnold 1846  "   1848 

John    II.   Alexander 1848  "    1850 

Jonathan    Miller 1850  "    1851 

Richard   Knisely 1851    "    1854 

Alpha  A.  Bainbridge 1854  "   1854 


Levi  Adams 1854  to  1856 

Amasa  W.  Reed 1856  "   1858 

Eli   W.   Brown 1858  "   1864 

John  H.  Tucker 1864  "   1864 

Thomas  B.  Hathaway 1864  "   1865 

D.  A.  Quick 1865  "   1865 

Edward  A.  Mossman 1865  "   1867 

Cyrus    B.    Tulley 1867  "   1870 

Charles  D.  Moe 1870  "   1872 

James  E.  Dorland 1872  "   1874 

Herman  Thiele 1874  "   1876 

Levi  Adams 1876  "   1880 

R.  A.  Kaufman 1880  "   1882 

Herman   A.    Hartsock 1882  "   1888 

Edward  W.  Lilly 1888  "   1892 

Arvillus  N.  Miller 1892  "   1894 

Henry   Lahm 1894  "   1896 

Morton  A.  Gillispie 1896  "   1900 

Oscar  T.  Schinbeckler 1900  "   1903 

Alpheas  C.   More 1903  "    1905 

David  A.  Walter 1905  "   1909 

COUNTY    COMMISSIONERS. 

First  District — 

Joseph   Parrett,  Jr. 
Lorin   Loomis. 
James  L.   Henderson. 
John  S.  Cotton, 
Henry   H.   Smith. 
Price  Goodrich. 
Christian  H.  Creager. 
Alfred  J.  Koontz. 
William  Dunlap. 
John   Snodgrass. 
William  Dunlap. 
Benjamin  F.  Thompson. 
Henry   Snyder. 
Samuel  B.  Albright. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


John  Trier. 
Henry  Norris. 
Stephen  A.  Martin. 
George  A.  Bowers. 
Thomas  H.  Irwin. 

Second  District — 

Nathaniel  B.  Gradeless. 
John  G.  Braddock. 
Adam  Creager. 
Henry  Knight. 
Adam    Egolf. 
Adam  Creager. 
Henry  Swihart. 
Andrew  Adams. 
George  Eberhard. 
George  W.  Hollinger. 

Milton  B.  Emerson. 
Jacob  A.  Ramsey. 

William  Tannehill. 

Peter  Creager. 

Henry  W.  Miller. 

Peter  S.  Hess. 

Jacob  Paulus. 

Robert    B.    Boyd. 

Noah  Mullendore. 

"Third   District— 

Otho  W.  Gandy. 
Joseph  Pierce. 
Daniel  B.  Rice. 
Thomas  Neal. 
Daniel  B.  Rice. 


Jacob  Nickey. 
Richard  M.  Paige. 
James  H.  Shaw. 
George  W.  Lawrence. 
William  S.  Nickey. 
William  Walker. 
Frederick  Nei. 
Edward  Geiger. 
John  M.  Mowrey. 
Edward  Geiger. 

PROBATE  JUDGES. 

Christopher  W.  Long 1838  to  1846 

Charles  W.  Hughes 1846  "    1848 

Price    Goodrich,* 1848  "   1852 

CIRCUIT    COURT    JUDGES. 

Charles  W.  Ewing. 

John  W.  Wright. 

James  W.  Borden. 

Elza  A.  McMahon. 

Edward  R.  Wilson. 

Robert  Lowry. 

Elisha  V.  Long. 

Walter  Olds. 

Joseph  W.  Adair. 

Common  pleas  judges  were  Stephen 
Wildman,  James  C.  Bodley  and  William  M. 
Clapp.  Whitley  and  Noble  counties  con- 
stituted the  nineteenth  district. 


*Office  abolished  by  law  and  common 
pleas  court  established  in  185.2.  Common 
pleas  court  abolished  in  1872. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 
EARLY    REMINISCENCES. 

BY      JOHN     R.     ANDERSON. 


Told  September  i,  1905.  Interview  by 
S.  P.  Kaler. 

I  was  bom  in  Muskingum  county.  Ohio, 
October  7,  181 6.  the  son  of  Samuel  and 
Rebecca  Rose  Anderson,  natives  of  Ireland 
and  New  Jersey,  respectively,  and  of  Scotch 
and  German  extraction.  I  came  to  Rich- 
land township.  Whitley  county,  Indiana. 
October  9,  1837,  and  have  lived  continu- 
ously on  the  same  farm  I  entered,  ever  since. 
My  name  is  on  the  tax  duplicate  for  every 
year  that  one   was  made. 

Charles  \Y.  Harden,  son  of  David  and 
Alma  Hayden,  was  born  August  12,  1837, 
the  first  white  child  born  in  Richland 
township. 

The  second  child  born  in  the  township 
was  Evaline,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Eva- 
line    Ditton,    October    14.    1837. 

The  third  child  born  in  the  township 
was  Jacob  Kistler,  now  living  at  Larwill, 
the  son  of  Jacob  and  Sophia  Kistler,  and 
he  was  born  August  20,  1839. 

The  fourth  child  born  in  the  township 
was  Orilla,  daughter  of  Edwin  and  Celina 
Cone,  December  30,    1839 

The  first  death  in  Richland  township 
was  Samuel  Jones  in  February,  1837.  He 
died  al)out  the  place  afterwards  called  Sum- 
mit, one  mile  west  of  Larwill.  He  was  the 
father-in-law   of   Norman    Andrews. 

\liout  the  same  time  John  Jones  died 
at  the  home  of  Ezra  Thompson.  The  fam- 
ily was  moving  through  and  the  son  became 
sick  from  exposure  and  Thompsons  t<  11  >k 
them   in,   where  he  died. 


The  third  death  was  Mrs.  Evaline  Dit- 
ton, who  died  October  17,  1837,  and  she 
was  buried  on  the  farm  called  the  Henry 
Norris  farm,  now  owned  by  George  Miller. 
Her  casket  was  made  out  of  some  old  wagon 
box  boards,  by  her  father,  Mr.  Andrew 
Compton,  and  myself.  There  was  no  one 
to  hold  a  funeral.  The  grave  was  not 
marked  and  is  lost  and  plowed  over,  as  well 
as  the  graves  of  others  at  the  same  place. 

The  next  death  was  Mrs.  Anna  Ditton. 
wife  of  George  Ditton,  October  17.  1837. 
She   was   buried   at   the   same  place. 

The  next  deaths  were  Zebulon  Burch 
and  Anna  Burch,  his  wife,  and  some  chil- 
dren, among  whom  was  a  son  named  Joel. 
The  next  was  Mr.  James  Perkins,  father 
of  Mrs.  John  Graham.  His  bod}-  was  re- 
moved  some  years  after. 

The  next  death  was  that  of  David 
Welch,  the  man  who  died  at  South  Whitley.  , 
about  whom  so  much  has  been  said  and 
written,  as  being  the  first  man  to  die  in 
the  count}'.  An  effort  is  now  being  made 
to  find  the  tody.  I  have  recently  been  on 
the  ground  and  am  sure  I  know  the  exact 
spot,  for  1  have  always  been  familiar  with 
the  place. 

He  was  not  a  stranger  or  sojourner,  but 
lived  with  his  family,  consisting -of  a  wife 
and  four  children,  in  a  log  cabin  near  Clear 
Creelc.  north  of  South  Whitley.  He  was 
rather  shiftless,  and  worked  at  odd  jobs  and 
finally  took  his  turn  with  the  other  settlers 
going  after  provisions  and  to  mill  on  Tur- 
kev  Creek,   near  Elkhart. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


H3 


He  came  home  on  the  seventh  day  and 
had  been  drinking  heavily  and  to  sober  off, 
his  wife  told  me  he  drank  two  large  spoon- 
fuls of  turpentine  and  that  night  he  died. 
The  next  day  the  neighbors  gathered  in  and 
as  there  was  no  lumber  David  Payne  made  a 
casket  out  of  his  (Payne's)  wagon  box. 
There  was  no  funeral,  but  in  the  evening 
they  located  a  place  on  the  Goshen  road 
near  the  south-east  corner  of  John  Edwards' 
town  lot  in  the  alley  six  or  eight  feet  from 
the  road. 

The  first  cemetery  was  the  one  above 
described  on  the  George  Miller  farm  and 
it  is  all  plowed  over.  Though  I  helped  bury 
most  of  those  interred  there  I  cannot  find 
the  place. 

The  second  cemetery  was  Otto  Webb's. 
Six  or  seven  were  buried  there.  Some 
were  taken  up,  and  the  spot  is  plowed  over 
and  lost.  The  next  cemetery  was  started 
by  George  Clapp  on  section  24,  Richland 
township.  This  is  the  present  Oak  Grove 
cemetery.  This  was  the  fall  of  1839.  Clapp 
deecled  the  ground,  a  quarter  of  an  acre,  to 
the  county,  but  it  was  long  kept  up  by  the 
citizens,  but  of  late  years  the  county  has 
cared  for  it,  and  it  is  well  kept  and  has  a 
number  of  fine  monuments. 

About  1S38  an  Indian  was  buried  in  sec- 
tion 18,  near  Boonville,  and  about  the  same 
time  a  squaw  was  buried  near  the  door  of 
Monroe  Snyder's  resilience  and  two  Indians 
on  the  Trerabley  farm. 

In  1840  we  built  a  schoolhouse  at  Oak 
Grove,  in  which  were  the  first  church  serv- 
ices or  preaching  in  Richland  township. 

About  two  years  after,  we  built,  at  the 
same  place,  a  church  for  all  who  wished  to 
worship  and  it  was  called  Union  church.     It 


was  dedicated  by  Rev.  Anderson  Parrett. 
The  German  Lutherans  had  an  organization 
over  about  Eberhards,  and  their  preacher 
had  an  appointment  and  it  happened  that 
the  United  Brethren  had  an  appointment 
for  the  same  da)-  and  hour  and  the  Luther- 
ans got  the  start  and  would  not  let  the 
United  Brethren  take  a  part.  He  said  he 
did  not  want  his  services  broke  in  two  in 
the  middle,  so  the  United  Brethren  an- 
nounced he  would  preach  in  two  weeks  and 
retired,  but  in  two  weeks  they  came  together 
again.  The  German  started  in  to  take  full 
charge  and  after  he  had  given  out  the  first 
hymn  the  United  Brethren  announced  that 
it  was  the  first  time  he  had  ever  seen  a  hand 
car  get  ahead  of  a  locomotive.  He  retired 
but  gave  out  an  appointment  for  four  weeks 
and  told  the  Lutheran  he  would  not  again 
give  way  to  him.  In  four  weeks  the  United 
Brethren  came  and  also  a  Universalist  and 
there  was  a  clash  again.  The  Universalist 
said:  "Let's  hold  services  together;  there 
is  no  difference  between  us."  The  United 
Brethren  said:  "No  difference;  there's  as 
much  difference  as  between  a  hawk  and  a 
buzzard.  The  hawk  hunts  for  his  meat 
and  the  buzzard  steals  his." 

The  Methodists  finally  secured  the 
house  and  some  years  ago  built  the  present 
brick  church  and  it  is  a  successful  and  thriv- 
ing congregation. 

In  the  fall  of  1837,  William  Rice  went  to 
Huntington  and  got  a  commission  to  or- 
ganize the  township.  The  name  Richland 
had  been  agreed  upon  at  a  meeting  of  set- 
tlers at  Rice's  house  in  October.  In  Decem- 
ber the  first  election  was  held  at  the  home 
of  Ezra  Thompson  in  the  north-west  quarter 
of  section  9,  near  the  cross  roads  and  adja- 


H4 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


cent  to  the  old  Thompson  cemetery,  which 
is  yet  to  be  seen. 

The  voters  at  that  election  were  Ezra 
Thompson,  J.  R.  Anderson,  Edwin  Cone, 
David  Hayden,  William  Rice,  Otto  Webb, 
Zebulon  Burch  and  Andrew  Compton. 

The  Whitley  County  History,  published 
some  years  ago,  has  the  names  differently, 
but  this  is  correct.  I  was  there  and  have 
always  kept  the  list  of  the  voters. 

ECHO    OF    SEVENTY    YEARS     AGO. 

Historical  article  by  Rhua  Compton 
Mosher,  late  wife  of  Eliakim  Mosher.  Com- 
ments by  John  R.  Anderson. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  S.  P.  Kaler, 
The  Post  is  enabled  to  publish  a  valuable 
historical  article  written  by  the  late  Mrs. 
Eliakim  Mosher,  before  her  death,  with 
comments  upon  the  same  by  John  R.  Ander- 
son, who  still  resides  in  Richland  township. 
The  article  describes  their  nineteen  days'  trip 
from  Coshocton  county,  Ohio,  through  the 
wilderness  to  the  chosen  land,  where  both 
spent  their  long  lives,  Mrs.  Mosher  preced- 
ing him  upon  a  journey  he  will  yet  take. 

how  the  nap  was  made. 

Andrew  Compton  and  Mary  Stafford 
Compton,  his  wife,  with  two  men,  John  An- 
derson and  Sam  Holloway,  started  from 
Coshocton  county,  Ohio,  September  27, 
1837.  They  wandered  through  the  for- 
ests, picking  their  way  through  western 
Ohio  to  Pickaway  and  Black  Swamp  and 
then  011  to  Fort  Wayne.  As  there  was  no 
road  to  Whitley  county  they  took  the  tow- 
path  From  Fort  Wayne  to  Huntington.  It 
commenced  to  rain  soon  after  leaving  Fort 
Wavne  and  continued  to  rain  during  the 
whole   afternoon.      Near   Fort    Wayne   the 


first  Indians  were  seen.  They  were  still 
very  barbarous,  wearing  the  fetlock  and 
rings  in  their  noses.  As  night  came  on  we 
camped  in  the  woods.  Here  we  made  our- 
selves as  comfortable  as  possible.  A  fire 
was  the  first  thing  needed.  This  we  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  after  shooting  twice  into 
a  bunch  of  tow.  The  wind  roared  and  the 
fire  leaped  high  as  the  supper  was  being 
prepared.  Supper  being  over,  the  horses 
were  made  fast  so  they  could  not  get  away. 
Then  bed  quilts  were  hung  up  as  a  protec- 
tion from  the  wind.  All  slept  on  the 
ground  during  the  night. 

By  noon  the  next  day  we  reached  Hunt- 
ington. There  we  sought  to  provide  our- 
selves with  a  few  needful  provisions.  Fifty 
pounds  of  salt  was  secured  for  five  dol- 
lars. Other  articles  purchased  were  also 
very  costly.  After  leaving  Huntington  we 
drove  four  miles  to  Delvin  Hill.  Here  we 
camped  for  the  night,  enjoying  the  same 
accommodations  we  had  enjoyed  before. 

The  next  morning  we  started  on  our 
journey  again.  During  the  entire  day  we 
did  not  see  a  person  and  not  even  a  house. 
From  this  we  knew  that  we  were  getting 
into  extremely  new  country.  At  night  we 
again  camped  in  the  woods  during  a  storm. 
The  saplings  were  very  thick  and  therefore 
afforded  good  protection.  At  this  place  the 
wolves  were  very  thick  and  during  the  night 
they  commenced  howling"  and  became  very 
hold.  The  men  cut  trees  and  made  pens 
for  the  hogs  in  order  to  keep  them  from  the 
hungry  wolves.  The  next  day  was  Sunday, 
but  nevertheless  we  broke  camp  and  jour- 
neyed on  until  we  came  to  a  cabin  in  the 
woods.  The  woman  in  the  cabin  made  us 
very  welcome,  as  she  seemed  to  be  over- 
joyed to  sec  people  of  her  own  race.     She 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


"5 


was  especially  pleased  with  the  children  of 
the  party.  Here  we  secured  corn,  which 
we  kept  for  seed  on  our  new  farm.  As  we 
journeyed  on  we  came  to  the  river,  which 
was  deep  and  with  no  means  of  crossing. 
The  problem  of  crossing  was  a  serious  one, 
but  it  was  solved  at  last.  John  Anderson 
rode  over  on  the  one  horse  which  we  owned. 
He  drove  with  him  the  cattle  and  hogs,  but 
the  current  carried  the  hogs  down  the 
stream  for  some  distance.'  The  family  was 
secured  in  the  large  wagon,  to  which  were 
hitched  two  oxen.  The  oxen  moved  slowly 
down  the  bank  and  out  into  the  stream. 
In  a  short  time  they  were  dragging  the 
heavy  wagon  up  the  opposite  bank.  We 
were  now  across  Eel  river,  about  where 
the  old  mill  dam  is  near  South  Whitley,  but 
which  was  then  called  Springfield.  Near 
sundown  we  reached  Mr.  Burch's ;  this  was 
only  a  few  miles  from  the  land  which  we 
were  to  occupy.  October  16th  found  us  on 
our  chosen  ground.  We  had  completed  our 
journey  in  nineteen  days. 

COMMENTS    BY    JOHN    R.    ANDERSON. 

Sam  Holloway  went  to  Lafayette  and 
died  of  milk  sickness. 

We  began  the  Black  Swamp  at  St. 
Mary's  river  and  town  sixty-two  miles  from 
Fort  Wayne. 

We  did  not  see  any  Indians  till  we  got 
to  Vermilyae  (now  Roanoke),  where  we 
saw  thirty  or  forty,  as  it  was  a  little  village. 

We  camped  under  a  birch  tree  about 
forty  rods  from  the  canal  and  about  four 
miles  below  Roanoke  and  got  to  Huntington 
about  ten  o'clock  next  day. 

From  Huntington  we  drove  to  Delvin 
Creek  and  camped  on  a  little  raise ;  not  Del- 
vin Hill: 


Next  night  where  we  camped  must  have 
been  about  four  miles  below  South  Whit- 
ley. 

We  drove  thirteen  hogs ;  one  old  Jersey 
Blue  slab-sided  and  long-nosed  sow,  an  ani- 
mal that  would  kill  a  dog  or  a  wolf  or  a 
hare.  Everything  that  came  in  her  way 
she  would  grab  with  her  big  mouth  and 
dispatch  with  one  snap,  and  go  on  as  if 
nothing-  happened.  I  told  Compton  that 
rail  pen  would  not  hold  that  sow  a  minute 
and  it  didn't.  She  slung  it  to  pieces  in  an 
instant  and  the  hogs  all  got  out,  but  they 
staved  with  us  and  the  old  sow  protected 
the  hogs  and  us,  too.  The  next  morning  as 
we  were  starting  for  Edl  river  we  ran  over 
one  hog  with  the  wagon  and  killed  it. 
Compton  said  we  w-ould  take  the  carcass 
along  for  soap  grease.  Hollowav  and  I 
knew  we  would  have  to  dress  and  cut  up 
the  hog  and  we  put  up  a  job.  When  we 
heard  wolves  howling  we  said  they  smelled 
the  carcass.  That  settled  it,  and  the  hog 
was  thrown  away. 

At  Eel  river  a  council  was  held.  The 
river  looked  bad.  Compton  could  not  swim 
and  he  was  the  head  of  the  family.  This  is 
about  the  place  of  the  grist  mill  at  South 
Whitley.  We  only  had  one  horse,  an  old 
tacky  mare.  Someone  had  to  find  the  way 
across  and  the  lot  fell  to  me.  I  stripped  to 
shirt  and  pants  and  straddled  the  old  mare.  I 
rode  to  near  the  middle,  when  the  mare  went 
down,  but  I  got  her  up  and  got  across.  Then 
I  went  a  few  rods  farther  up  and  found  a 
better  place.  AYe  measured  how-  high  the 
water  came  up  on  the  mare  and  found  it 
would  come  above  the  second  sideboard  of 
the  wagon  and  wet  everything  in  it.  So  we 
cut  poles  and  put  on  top  the  sideboards,  and 
piled  the  goods  on  top.     All  the  partv  got 


n6 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


on  top  and  rode  across.  The  old  sow  kept 
close  to  the  wagon  and  led  the  others  across 
all  right.  One  of  the  cows  went  about 
eight\-  rods  below  and  came  near  being  lost 
and  was  got  across  with  difficulty.  I  rode 
the  mare  across  after  the  animals. 

We  got  to  Burch's,  where  Tom  Jellison 
now  lives,  after  night  and  in  the  rain. 
Burch's  cabin  was  only  16x18.  The  family 
consisted  of  seven  children  and  himself  and 
wife.  His  son-in-law,  Ditton.  and  wife  were 
there.  Mrs.  Ditton  was  very  sick  and  died 
next  day.  Into  this  distressed  family,  wet, 
cold  and  hungry,  came  Compton  and  wife 
and  four  children  and  myself  and  Holloway. 

ANOTHER    PIONEER'S    STORY. 

By  Joe  Pletcher,  told  August  5,  1905. 

Mr.  Joseph  Pletcher,  now  living  near 
Pierceton,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Whitley  county,  coming  here  from  Ohio  in 
1843.  Mr.  Pletcher  was  in  Columbia  City 
.  last  Thursday,  and  gave  Mr.  S.  P.  Kaler 
an  interesting  written  account  of  his  experi- 
ences. He  also  made  a  pleasant  and  all  too 
short  call  at  the  News  office,  extending  his 
subscription  another  year.  Although  over 
seventy  years  of  age.  he  is  still  very  active 
and  seems  to  be  nearer  fifty.  His  story  as 
given  to  Mr.    Kaler  follows : 

I  will  give  a  little  historical  sketch  of 
our  settling  in  Whitley  county.  My  father's 
name  was  John  Pletcher.  Wre  moved  to 
Whitley  county  from  Wood  county,  Ohio, 
in  1843,  June  10th  of  that  year  being  the 
first  time  T  saw  the  little  town  of  Colum- 
bia, now  called  Columbia  City.  Although 
father  was  a  Dutchman,  he  had  some  Yan- 
kee traits,  as  he  moved  here  with  two  yoke 
of  oxen  to  a  wagon. 

I  remember  fording  the  Maumee  river; 


an  Indian  took  mother  across  in  a  canoe, 
and  father  waded  across  by  the  side  of  the 
oxen,  and  had  hard  work  to  keep  the  lead 
cattle  headed  across  the  river  when  they 
came  to  the  place  where  the}-  had  to  swim. 
He  was  in  water  up  to  his  arms,  but  man- 
aged to  get  across  all  right. 

We  w-ere  on  the  road  about  fourteen 
days  and  had  lots  of  mud  to  contend  with. 
as  the  roads  were  new  and  rough.  When 
we  landed  at  Columbia  it  was  about  sun- 
down. There  were  two  taverns  in  the  town 
at  that  time;  taverns  they  were  called  then, 
and  if  anyone  used  the  word  hotel  he  would 
not  be  understood.  A  man  by  the  name  of 
Long-  had  his  building  where  Brand's  drug 
store  now  is.  but  it  was  not  vet  reach-  for 
business.  Jake  Thompson's  tavern  was 
about  where  the  Clugston  block  now  is  ami 
there  we  stayed  all  night. 

The  next  morning  we  pulled  out  to  our 
claim,  two  miles  west  of  town.  Father  had 
been  there  the  year  before  and  entered  a 
quarter  section  where  Dennis  Walters  now 
lives.  I  was  eight  and  a  half  years  old 
when  we  came,  and  can  remember  the  In- 
dians were  here,  a  part  of  two  tribes,  the 
Pottawattamies  and  the  Miamis.  I  don't 
remember  how  long  they  stayed  after  we 
came  here,  but  I  think  about  two  or  three 
years.  A  man  by  the  name  of  French  took 
the  contract  to  move  them  west  of.  the  Mis- 
sissippi river. 

As  much  as  I  can  remember  about  the 
town  of  Columbia  is  that  what  is  now  South 
Main  street  was  full  of  chuck  holes  with  a 
good  many  beech  and  sugar  maple  stumps  in 
the-  way.  There  was  one  store  in  the  place, 
owned  by  John  Rhodes.  Mr.  Rhodes 
worked  at  the  carpenter  trade  and  his  wife 
kept  the  store.     We  used  to  pick  roots,  such 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


as  seneca  snake  roots  and  ginseng,  and 
wild  berries  and  trade  them  for  goods.  In 
regard  to  the  seneca  snake  root,  I  don't 
think  any  of  the  middle-aged  people  of  the 
county  know  anything  about  it,  as  it  disap- 
peared a  few  years  after  we  came  here. 
More  about  the  town :  A  two-story  frame 
building,  west  of  the  public  square,  where 
the  engine  house  now  stands,  was  the  court- 
house, or  was  used  for  that  purpose.  It 
was  moved  down  on  East  Van  Buren 
street  and  the  last  I  knew  of  it,  a  few  years 
ago,  it  was  used  for  a  dwelling.  There 
was  a  jail  made  of  square  hewn  logs.  An 
interesting  incident  took  place  in  this  old 
jail  one  evening.  There  were  two  Indian 
prisoners,  John  Turkey  and  Penimo.  The 
latter  concluded  he  had  stayed  there  long 
enough,  so  he  piled  some  stove  wood  against 
the  wall  and  set  it  on  fire,  intending  to  burn 
a  hole  large  enough  to  crawl  out.  When 
the  fire  began  to  make  fair  progress,  Tur- 
key became  alarmed  and  began  to  gobble  for 
help,  awakening-  the  sheriff,  Simcoke.  He 
put  irons  on  them,  but  a  friend  gave  them 
a  file  and  they  took  their  cuffs  off.  One 
evening  when  the  sheriff  went  in  to  give 
them  their  supper,  they  made  a  spring  for 
the  door  and  made  good  their  escape. 

This  Penimo  was  a  Pottawattamie  and 
he  had  sworn  vengeance  on  the  Aliamis.  say- 
ing he  would  kill  the  whole  tribe.  He  did 
start  out  and  killed  two  or  three  and  the 
Miami's  got  so  they  were  afraid  to  go  to 
sleep  in  their  cabins.  They  called  on  the 
authorities  for  protection  and  said  they 
would  give  four  hundred  dollars  to  have 
him  captured.  This  reward  caused  him  to 
leave  the  neighborhood,  but  it  was  not  long 
till  he  was  taken  prisoner  down  at  Winamac, 
brought  back  to  Columbia  and  put  in  jail. 


The  Miamis  were  in  great  glee  over  it,  and 
I  remember  two  old  braves  being  at  our 
place  one  day  who  were  pretty  well  tanked 
up,  as  the  saying  goes,  and  were  telling  how 
white  men  were  going  to  hang  Penimo. 
They  would  go  through  the  motions  of  put- 
ting a  rope  around  his  neck  and  then  would 
jump  up  and  give  a  whoop.  But  when  the 
bad  Indian  broke  out,  they  did  not  jump  so 
high ;  they  said  thafs  the  way  the  white 
men  do,  feedum,  getumfat  and  letumgo. 
The}-  said  if  they  had  him  the}-  would  ti  >r- 
ture  him  to  death  in  a  very  cruel  way. 

Now  I  will  tell  of  an  experience  we  had 
with  Indians  on  our  farm.  My  brother  Eli, 
when  about  four  or  five  years  old,  happened 
to  fall  into  the  hands  of  two  young  Indians 
about  eighteen  or  nineteen.  He  had  started 
to  follow  mother  to  a  spring  that  we  carried 
water  from,  about  a  half  mile  south  of  the 
house.  She  told  him  to  go  back,  but  he 
waited  till  she  got  out  of  sight,  then  started 
to  follow  and  got  lost.  He  came  out  on  the 
road  that  ran  across  from  the  squaw-buck 
road  to  the  Warsaw  road  where  Levi  Mosh- 
er  lived.  The  boys  were  just  drunk  enough 
to  not  care  what  thev  did  and  when  he  saw 
them  he  hid  in  some  weeds.  They  decided 
to  have  some  fun  with  him,  so  they  caught 
him  and  used  various  means  to  frighten  him. 
Finally  one  of  them  held  him  while  the 
other  djeat  him  on  the  head  with  a  club. 
He  has  the  scars  yet  and  could  show  them 
if  he  were  here,  but  he  is  in  Pasadena,  Cal. 
When  mother  came  back  from  the  spring 
she  asked  my  sister  and  me  where  Eli  was 
and  we  told  her  he  followed  her  to  the 
spring.  My  sisters  and  1  started  out  to 
hunt  for  him.  but  we  did  not  find  him. 
Father  and  a  neighbor  were  stacking  marsh 
hay  down  on  what  we  called  the  big  marsh. 


n8 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


where  the  great  sink  on  the  Pittsburg  Rail- 
road is  now.  The  boys  came  along  to  where 
father  and  Mr.  Smith  were  at  work  and 
talked  with  them  a  little  and  offered  them 
something  to  drink.  They  went  south  about 
eighty  or  ioo  rods,  where  they  found  Eli. 
It  was  right  about  where  the  barn  now 
stands  on  the  Samuel  Scott  farm,  west  of 
town  two  miles.  'When  the  lad  got  up  after 
they  got  through  with  him,  he  happened  to 
take  the  road  to  where  father  and  Mr.  Smith 
were  working.  When  father  saw  him  bloody 
from  head  to  foot,  he  said  that  those  Indians 
had  been  handling  the  boy,  and  after  picking 
him  up  and  taking  him  home,  took  his  rifle 
and  hunting  knife  and  started  out  after  the 
Indians.  He  hunted  for  them  until  eleven 
o'clock  that  night,  but  did  not  find  them, 
and  it  is  well  that  he  did  not,  for  he  would 
have  killed  them  or  they  him. 

In  the  morning  the  boy  was  quite  well 
and  father  had  cooled  down,  but  he  went 
after  them  and  found  them  about  five  miles 
south  of  our  place,  on  what  is  now  the  Chris 
Kourt  farm,  where  they  had  a  big  dance  or 
dum-dum.  He  went  up  to  the  one  he  was 
acquainted  with  and  as  soon  as  he  began 
talking  the  boy  broke  down  and  was  very 
penitent,  laying  all  the  trouble  to  bad  whis- 
key. Father  said  he  would  forgive  him,  but 
his  companion  was  very  sullen  and  could 
not  be  made  to  apologize  or  say  anything. 
The  first  fellow  then  made  a  proposition  to 
settle  the  matter  by  giving  father  $10  and 
a  new  Indian  blanket.  My  brother  kept  the 
blanket  until  a  few  years  ago,  but  finally 
gol  1"  using  it  and  it  went  to  pieces.  T 
could  give  a  good  many  details  on  these 
hi'Jian   narratives,   but  will  cut  them  short. 

I  saw  the  account  Mr.  Liggett  gave 
aboul   the  wheal   crop   forty  years  ago,  and 


I  will  go  back  to  the  year  1852.  That  year 
the  wheat  was  good.  My  uncle,  Henry 
Mowrey,  had  out  forty  acres  on  the  Curtis 
farm  south  of  Larwill,  which  is  now  Press 
Patterson's  farm.  He  hauled  it  to  Fort 
Wayne  and  got  forty  cents  a  bushel  for  it. 

There  are  quite  a  number  of  birds  that 
used  to  be  here  that  are  gone  out  and  we 
will  hear  their  songs  no  more.  The  quails. 
tin  1,  will  soon  be  gone,  if  the  number  of  bird 
dogs  and  hunters  increase.  It  is  music  to 
the  ear  now  to  hear  one  lone  Bob  White 
whistling,  but  makes  one  feel  sad  not  to 
hear  a  reply.  If  I  could  have  my  way  there 
would  not  be  any  bird  dogs  in  the  state  at 
the  end  of  three  months.  I  often  think 
when  I  hear  boys  talking  about  hunting  and 
how  many  rabbits  they  killed,  that  they  don't 
know  anything  about  the  turkeys,  pheasants, 
black  and  gray  and  fox  squirrels  we  used  to 
kill  when  we  were  boys.  We  paid  no  atten- 
tion to  rabbits,  but  of  course  they  enjoy 
their  sport  now  as  much  as  we  did  in  the 
old  days.  Joseph  Pletcher. 

OLD    SETTLER'S    STORY. 

Christian  Creager,  who  came  to  Cleve- 
land township  in  1836,  tells  of  privations 
pioneers  endured. 

Told  July  16,  1905. 

Among  the  very  few  earliest  settlers  of 
the  county,  Christian  H.  Creager,  of  Cleve- 
land township,  lives  to  tell  something  of  the 
early  days.  Peter  Creager  with  his  wife 
and  children,  Adam,  Christian  H.,  Levi. 
Peter,  John  and  Lydia,  left  Montgomery 
county,  Ohio,  October  26,  1836,  and  after 
nineteen  days  of  travel  and  privation  ar- 
rived in  Whitley  county,  November  15. 
They  brought  along  four  horses  besides  the 
two  teams  they  drove.     Also  five  head   of 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


119 


cattle,  six  hogs  and  three  dogs  with  two 
wagons  and  one  tent.  There  were  no 
matches  and  all  fires  had  to  be  started  from 
striking  a  flash  on  a  flint  stone.  Wolves 
were  very  plentiful  everywhere.  Christian 
Creager's  story  was  told  to  the  writer,  as 
follows : 

"We  built  a  log  cabin  twenty-two  feet 
square  and  moved  from  the  tent  and  wagons 
into  it  on  Christmas  day.  There  were  six 
families  then,  in  all.  in  Cleveland  township. 
We  brought  along  a  full  supply  of  garden 
seeds,  apple  seeds  and  peach  seeds.  There 
are  still  some  apple  trees  standing  that  grew 
from  those  seeds.  We  succeeded  in  preparing 
eight  acres  for  crops  the  following  spring, 
during'  which  time  we  killed  twenty-eight 
rattlesnakes.  We  were  obliged  to  go  almost 
to  Marion  to  a  water  mill  on  the  Mississine- 
wa  river  to  get  any  bread  stuffs  but  our 
larder  was  easily  kept  filled  with  deer,  tur- 
keys, pheasants  and  other  game.  We  could 
be  a  little  choicy  as  to  our  kind  of  meat. 
Deer  would  graze  with  the  cattle  and  so  we 
had  plenty  of  venison  fresh  and  dried ;  the 
latter  we  called  "jerk."  The  cows  would 
drink  leeches  from  the  stagnant  water  and 
this  caused  "bloody  murrain"  and  this 
caused  us  to  lose  twenty-eight  head  of  cat- 
tle in  a  few  years. 

At  the  first  election  there  were  three 
votes  polled,  all  Democrats  and  no  struggle 
about  electioneering  or  counting'  votes.  In- 
dians were  very  plentiful  and  were  always 
friendly  with  us  and  the  other  settlers  and 
we  traded  with  them  a  great  deal.  Once 
we  went  to  Syracuse  to  Clawson's  mill  and 
the  round  trip  took  us  ten  days.  On  our 
return  we  met  about  150  Indians  and  they 
stopped  us  and  tried  to  hold  conversation 
but    we    could    not    understand.      We    soon 


came  up  to  their  camp  fire  which  was  still 
burning.  While  we  were  looking  around 
my  attention  was  drawn  to  some  fresh  chop- 
ping in  a  large  ash  log.  I  took  my  axe 
and  pried  oft  a  large  slab  and  there  was  a 
dead  papoose.  The  night  before  we  landed 
in  the  township  for  some  reason  the  other 
Indians  had  killed  a  large  male  member  of 
their  tribe  and  buried  him  by  digging  a  hole 
deep  enough  to  stand  him  up  and  this  way 
they  buried*  him,  leaving  him  with  head  and 
shoulders  above  the  ground.  They  left  with 
him  his  rifle,  butcher  knife,  tomahawk  and 
bottle  of  whiskey,  and  built  around  him  a 
log  pen.  These  things  did  not  long  remain 
with  their  late  master,  but  the  body  remained 
until  it  decayed  and  the  head  fell  off. 
Doctor  Joseph  Hayes,  of  Collamer,  picked  it 
up  and  kept  it  until  he  died.  His  son  then 
gave  it  to  a  doctor  at  Pierceton. 

The  first  white  person  who  died  in  Cleve- 
land township  was  a  man  named  Welch  who 
was  moving  from  Huntington  to  Goshen. 
He  occupied  a  vacant  cabin  over  night  and 
took  a  severe  case  of  colic  and  died  suddenly. 
They  made  a  rude  coffin  for  him  out  of  his 
wagon  box  and  buried  him  directly  in  front 
of  the  house  in  South  Whitley  now  owned 
bv  John  Edwards.  The  first  person  buried 
in  the  Cleveland  cemetery  was  Jesse  Cleve- 
land and  the  first  at  South  Whitley  cemetery 
was  Henry  Parrett. 

Wolves  were  very  thick.  Once  father 
started  me  a  little  late  in  the  afternoon  to 
take  some  fresh  pork  to  my  brother-in-law, 
John  Cunningham,  about  four  miles  from 
our  house.  There  was  a  trail  cut  through 
and  I  had  no  trouble  about  finding  the  way 
but  it  got  dark  before  I  got  there  and  the 
wolves  smelling  the  fresh  meat  followed  me 
in  legions.      I   could  see  their  eves  flash  in 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


the  dark  in  the  bushes  all  around  me. 
but  they  did  not  attack  me.  I  rode 
up  to  Cunningham's  cabin  and  tied  my 
horse  to  the  corner  and  we  hurried  the  meat 
into  the  house  but  the  wolves  followed  and 
howled  around  the  house.  We  sent  the 
three  dogs  out  and  they  succeeded  in  driving 
them  away  for  a  short  time,  but  the  wolves 
turned  on  them  and  ran  them  back  so  fran- 
tically that  the  dogs  came  against  the  door 
with  such  violence  that  they  broke  the  w<  "Mi- 
en latch  and  fell  over  each  other  rolling  into 
the  house.  The  wolves  remained  howling 
about  the  house  the  greater  part  of  the  night. 
\\  ild  turkeys  and  porcupines  were  very 
plentiful.  I  killed  twenty-eight  porcupines 
one  season  while  hunting  the  cows  and 
otherwise  going  about,  without  hunting 
them.  Squirrels  were  so  thick  we  had  to 
kill  them  oft"  to  save  our  crops.  I've  shot 
eight  off  of  one  tree  without  going  away. 
Once  we  had  a  squirrel  hunt  and  a  prize  was 
given  to  the  person  who  could  kill  the  most. 
Fred  Pence  killed  138  and  took  the  prize. 
Nothing  was  saved  of  them  but  their  hind 
quarters  and  from  that  day's  hunt  over  three 
barrels  were  hauled  to  Fort  Wayne,  besides 
everybody  had  all  they  wanted  to  eat  and 
many  were  wasted.  One  bear  was  killed 
in  what  is  now  South  Whitley  where  the 
VEaston  &  Burwell  hardware  store  stands. 
Ii  was  shot  by  Joseph  Parrett  and  when 
skinned  the  few  settlers  had  all  the  bear  meal 
they  wanted  to  eat.  It  was  a  change  from 
our  regular  diet  and  1  thought  it  was  the 
nd  besl  meal  I  ever  ate. 
treams  were  fairly  alive  with  fish 
and  it  was  no  trouble  for  any  one  to  get  all 
they  wanted  in  a  very  short  time.  Streams 
that  are  now  entirely  dried  up  and  plowed 


over  or  are  but  small  wet  weather  ditches 
then  abounded  with  fish.  There  were  many 
valuable  fur  animals,  among  which  were  ot- 
ter. I  killed  an  otter  and  sold  the  hide  for 
$8.50,  a  big  sum  of  money  for  the  times. 
Wild  ducks  and  geese  were  more  plentiful 
than  tame  ones  now.  Birds  were  so  thick 
and  sang  so  loudly  about  sunup  that  they 
drowned  out  the  ring  of  the  cow  bell." 

FORTY   YEARS  AGO '6?. 

W.  H.  Liggett  looks  over  files  of  the 
Post  of  that  year  and  gets  material  for 
interesting  article. 

(  Written  June  20.  1905.  by  W.  H. 
Liggett.) 

I  did  not  realize  what  a  task  I  had  set 
for  myself  when  I  undertook  to  write  an 
article  on  events  of  forty  years  ago.  Not 
because  there  is  a  lack  of  material  to  select 
from,  but  from  the  abundance,  to  select  items 
for  a  short  article,  that  would  he  of  most 
interest  to  my  readers. 

What  a  short  period  of  time  forty  years 
seems  to  the  old  people !  What  an  eternity 
forty  years  seems  to  the  young!  Forty 
years  ag'O  Whitley  county  was  woods, 
swamps,  and  mud — mostly  mud — black 
stick}'  mud.  The  roads  during  the  rainy 
season  were  something  awful  to  travel. 
The  forests  in  many  parts  of  the  county 
were  almost  untouched.  The  timber  that 
stood  on  what  are  now  fine  farms,  if  stand- 
ing to-day  would  he  worth  more  than. the 
farms  are  worth  with  all  the  improvements 
of  houses  and  barns,  and  beautiful  fields. 
Farming,  after  the  timber  was  cleared  away, 
was  no  joke  for  several  years  afterward 
either. 

Forty  years  ago  about  this  time.  June 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


26th,  the  wheat  crop  was  being  eaten  up  on 
the  stalk  by  the  red  milk  weevil.  What  the 
weevil  left  was  about  all  rotted  in  the  stack 
by  the  excessive  rains  after  harvest.  This 
damaged  and  weevil  eaten  wheat,  what  was 
left  of  it.  sold  for  $1.25  per  bushel  that 
fall.  Flour  sold  in  June,  1865,  in  Columbia 
City,  for  $7. 50  per  barrel.  Shelled  corn 
was  worth  eighty  cents  per  bushel,  ear  corn 
was  Si. 00  per  bushel.  Oats  were  worth 
sixty  cents,  potatoes  $1.25  and  salt  was 
worth  $3. 25  per  barrel.  On  June  13th,  gold 
was   worth  $1.42  r_.. 

In  1865  Alex  Hall  was  revenue  collector 
for  this  district.  Everybody  who,  after  de- 
ducting S600  and  taxes  and  insurance,  had 
an  income  above  these  deductions,  paid  five 
per  cent  income  tax.  A  large  number  of 
farmers  and  others  who  had  made  more  than 
a  living  were  called  upon  by  Mr.  Hall  and 
asked  to  donate  something  to  the  govern- 
ment in  the  way  of  income  tax.  The  list 
published  at  the  time  (August  2d)  contains 
some  interesting  reading,  perhaps  I  will  give 
the  list  later  on.  Almost  all  whose  names 
were  on  that  list  are  now  dead.  About  the 
largest  item  on  the  list  was  opposite  the 
name  of  a  farmer  in  Cleveland  township. 
The  question  that  was  most  discussed  by 
the  papers  forty  years  ago  was  negro  equal- 
it}-  and  negro  suffrage.  It  was  feared,  it 
seems,  that  the  negro  would  supersede  the 
white  man,  marry  all  the  pretty  girls  and 
run  things  generally.  The  expected  didn't 
happen,  of  course,  and  I  for  one  am  glad  it 
didn't.  It  surely  would  have  mixed  things 
up  considerably  if  the  white  women  had 
all  married  negroes  and  the  white  men  been 
compelled  to  marry  Chinese  and  Indians. 
Whitley  county  was  represented  in  the  legis- 


lature by  A.  J.  Douglas,  who  wrote  very 
entertaining  letters  to  the  Post  concerning 
the  doings  of  the  wise  men  who  sat  in  the 
legislative  halls  with  him.  Many  of  the  men 
who  made  history  in  our  county  were  in  the 
prime  of  life  in  1865.     I.  B.  McDonald  and 

E.  Zimmerman  edited  the  Post. 

I  have  not  now  at  hand  the  name  of  the 
editor  of  the  Republican,  the  organ  of  the 
Republican  party  in    1865. 

The  names  of  those  who  were  the  lead- 
ing citizens  of  the  county  at  this  time  can 
be  seen  better  perhaps  by  giving  the  pro- 
gram for  the  Fourth  of  July  celebration  in 
Columbia  City.  The  celebration  was  held 
in  Shinneman"s  grove.  The  program  shows 
the  following : 

President  of  the  day,  John  S.  Cotton: 
vice  presidents,  A.  M.  Trumbull  and  B. 
A.  Cleveland;  chaplains.  Revs.  Hutchison 
and  Wells :  orators.  A.  J.  Douglas  and  A.  Y. 
Hooper :  committee  on  toasts,  James  S  C<  il- 
lins,  E.  Zimmerman  and  Simon  H.  Wunder- 
lich;  marshals,  1.  B.  McDonald,  Charles 
Ruch,  A\ "illiam  Y.  Wells ;  finance  committee, 

F.  H.  Foust,  William  Walters,  Alexander 
Hall,  Mathias  Slessman  and  Dr.  C,  C. 
Sutton. 

At  the  June  session  of  the  county  com- 
missioners there  were  five  applications  for 
license  to  sell  whiskey,  only  one  of  which 
was  granted.  This  reduced  the  number  of 
saloons  in  Columbia  City  to  five,  two  in 
Fiddler's  Green,  as  across  the  river  was  then 
called,  and  J:hree  on  this  side  of  the  river. 
It  seems  we  are  a  more  thirsty  li  it  now  in 
Columbia  City  than  the  people  of  forty 
years  ago,  as  we  have  nine  saloons.  I  think, 
where  we  can  quench  our  thirst,  and  then 
there  is  Blue  river  also. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


The  year  of  1865  was  full  of  memorable 
events.  There  was  a  call  for  300,000  sol- 
diers early  in  the  year.  On  April  1st.  Sheri- 
dan won  a  victory  at  Five  Forks;  April  3d, 
Richmond  was  occupied  by  the  Union  army ; 
April  6th,  Sheridan  routed  Lee's  forces; 
April  9th,  Lee  surrendered  to  Grant  at  Ap- 
pomattox;  April  14th,  Lincoln  was  assassi- 
nated by  Booth;  April  19th.  Lincoln's 
funeral  at  Washington  city;  April  26th, 
General  Johnston  surrendered  and  about 
this  date  Jeff  Davis  was  captured.  In 
May,  William  Bowles  and  Horse}-, 
who  had  been  convicted  of  conspiracv 
by  a  military  court,  were  sentenced 
to  hang-.  The' day  fixed  was  May  19th.  The 
order  for  their  execution  was  signed  by 
Gen.  Alvin  P.  Hovey,  who  was  several  years 
after  elected  governor  of  the  state.  Alto- 
gether 1865  was  a  stirring  year.  The 
south  was  in  ruins  and  the  north  was  filled 
with  the  returning  soldiers.  There  was 
much  bitter  feeling  everywhere  and  Whitley 
county  had  its  full  share. 

Forty  years  ago  the  charges  of  corrup- 
tion in  "high  places"  were  as  fiercely  made 
as  they  are  today.  Grant  and  Lincoln  and 
Sherman  and  the  United  States  senators 
were  belittled  and  called  all  kinds  of  names, 
and  if  one  believed  the  half  that  was  said 
about  these  men  they  were  a  bad  lot. 

Grant  was  shamefully  abused  while  com- 
manding the  army,  but  it  was  nothing  com- 
pared to  the  abuse  heaped  upon  him  during 
his  candidacy  for  President  and  after  his 
election,  ll  takes  forty  years  before  a  man's 
less  is  recognized. 

.Every  movement  made  by  the  govern- 
ment to  reconstruct  the  southern  stairs  or 
punish  the  murderers  of  Union  soldiers  was 


severely  criticized.  How  the  government 
succeeded  at  all  with  all  the  opposition  and 
obstruction  placed  in  its  way,  is  beyond  un- 
derstanding. The  tariff,  the  money  ques- 
tions, the  rights  of  the  south  and  a  hun- 
dred other  questions,  big  and  little,  kept  the 
country  in  a  state  of  unrest,  that  to  one 
who  lived  through  it  all  makes  the  disturb- 
ances in  Russia  at  this  time  look  like  "thirty 
cents"  in  comparison. 

Great  Britain's  illy-concealed  hostility 
to  the  north  during  the  war,  now  that  the 
war  was  over,  claimed  a  good  deal  of  atten- 
tion during  the  closing  months  of  1865.  All 
during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  England 
had  permitted  cruisers  to  be  built  and  fitted 
out  in  her  ship  yards,  to  run  the  blockade 
and  prey  upon  our  commerce.  France  was 
not  much  behind  England  in  her  hostility  to 
the  north.  The  only  friend  in  the  old  world 
we  had  at  that  gloomy  period  was  Russia. 
We  have  as  a  people  paid  Russia  back  with 
interest  for  her  friendship  then,  by  turning 
our  backs  on  her  and  openlv  sympathizing 
with  Japan.  All  you  have  to  do  to  make  an 
enemy  of  a  man  is  to  befriend  him  when  he 
is  in  trouble.  Nations  are  like  men  in  this 
respect.  It  is  a  wonderful  thing  what 
changes  can  take  place  in  ten  years. 

In  1805  the  army  had  been  disbanded 
and  the  soldiers  had  come  home.  The  bit- 
terness of  the  fearful  strife  was  fresh  in 
every  one's  mind.  There  were  old  scores 
and  old  grudges  to  settle,  and  a  wound  still 
smarting  with  pain  had  not  time  to  heal. 
The  epithets  "negro  lover,"  "copperhead." 
"black  abolitionist."  "traitor,"  and  so  on. 
were  freely  used  in  the  papers  of  both  sideSj 
which  kept  up  for  a  time  an  ugly  feeling  all 
over  the  country.     Ten  years  later,  in   [875, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


123 


these  epithets  were  losing  much  of  their 
force.  The  war  spirit  was  dying  out.  The 
ill  feeling  only  broke  out  during  the  cam- 
paign years.  The  war  editors  were  replaced 
by  younger  men.  The  passions  of  the  people 
were  cooling  off.  The  fires  of  hate  had  died 
out  to  a  few  embers  and  a  good  many  ashes. 
These  ashes  were  blown  about  a  good  deal 
during  the  campaign  years  and  got  into  the 


eyes  and  down  the  necks  of  the  stump  speak- 
ers, which  caused  them  to  rear  up  and  paw 
the  air. 

There  are  so  many  things  one  could  refer 
to  which  took  place  from  1865  to  1875  that 
it  is  hard  to  find  a  stopping  place :  but  every- 
thing must  come  to  an  end  and  so  must  this 
article,  and  why  not  now  ? 

\Y.  H.  Liggett. 


CANALS  AND  RAILROADS     OF  WHITLEY  COUNTY. 


BY    S.    P.    KAI.ER. 


As  these  words  are  written,  the  people 
of  Whitley  county  are  much  interested  in 
the  proposed  building  of  two  interurban 
railways  through  Columbia  City  and  Whit- 
ley county.  The  one  from  Huntington  to 
Columbia  City,  thence  north-west  through 
the  county  and  on  to  Goshen.  The  other 
from  Fort  Wayne  to  Warsaw,  paralleling 
the  Pennsylvania  railway  and  through  the 
intervening  towns.  For  the  first  named 
road  subsidies  have  been  voted.  The  peo- 
ple are  skeptical  and  impatient  of  the  de- 
lay. That  they  may  know  the  vicissitudes 
through  which  other  railroads  and  the  canal 
were  constructed  across  the  county  we  have 
made  this  narrative  unnecessarily  full. 

THE  WABASH  ERIE  CANAL. 

Long  before  the  dawn  of  history,  during 
the  formative  period  of  the  earth's  surface, 
that  part  of  the  world  now  lying  between  the 
headwaters  of  the  Maumee  at  Fort  Wayne 
and  the  Wabash  valley  to  the  south,  through 
which  a  little  less  than  three-quarters  of  a 
century  ago  the  Wabash  and  Erie  canal  was 


dug;  it  was  occupied  by  a  stream  which 
carried  the  united  waters  of  Maumee  lake, 
St.  Joseph  and  St.  Mary's  rivers  into 
the  Wabash  river  below  Huntington.  This 
prehistoric  Wabash  Erie  river  was  thirty 
miles  long,  from  one  to  six  miles  wide,  cov- 
ering a  part  of  Whitley  county  to  the  south- 
east and  from  sixty  to  one  hundred  feet  deep. 
Little  River  is  but  a  reminder  of  its  powerful 
parent  that  was  once  comparable  to  the 
Niagara  and  Detroit  rivers  of  to-day. 
There  was  Blue  river,  the  large  stream  of 
this  region.  Eel  river  now,  and  for  nearly 
three  centuries,  the  most  important  of  the 
two  streams,  was  then  a  part  of  the  valley 
with  uncut  channel. 

In  the  earliest  historic  times.  Fort  Wayne 
was  the  gateway  from  the  Great  Lakes  to  the 
vast  interior.  From  Erie,  red  and  white 
men  came  down  the  Maumee  to  Fort  Wayne, 
thence  by  a  short  land  route  either  to  the 
Wabash  or  to  Eel  river  and  away  into  the 
unknown. 

Though  George  Washington  never 
visited  this  region,  his  far-seeing  vision  was 
of   an    artificial    waterway   connecting   Lakf 


124 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


Erie  with  the  Ohio  river.  Himself  one  of 
the  foremost  engineers  of  the  day,  he  sought 
all  possible  information  from  explorers  and 
others,  believing  that  in  the  future  such  a 
canal  would  be  cut  either  via  the  route  finally 
selected  or  by  the  way  of  one  of  the  more 
western  streams.  Blue  river  or  Eel  river, 
from   Fort  Wayne. 

In  the  summer  of  1824.  in  a  little  out 
kitchen  to  the  residence  of  David  Burr,  in 
Fort  Wayne,  Judge  Hanna  mentioned  to 
Burr  his  vision  of  such  a  canal.  Strange, 
but  the  other  had  witnessed  the  same  water- 
way in  his  day  dreams.  Then  and  there 
was  the  foundation  laid  broad  and  deep  in 
two  master  minds.  The)-  then  and  there 
decided  the  canal  must  be  excavated.  The1, 
consulted,  they  thought,  they  planned 
and  overcame,  but  it  was  almost  twenty 
years  thereafter  that  their  hopes  were  fully 
realized.  They  opened  correspondence  with 
the  Indiana  representatives  and  senators  in 
congress  and  secured  their  favor,  influence 
and  co-operation.  These  efforts  resulted  in 
1827  in  a  grant  by  congress  to  the  state 
of  Indiana  of  each  alternate  section  of  land 
for  six  miles  on  each  side  of  the  proposed 
line,  through  its  whole  length,  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  canal.  Strange  indeed,  bul 
a  powerful  opposition  to  the  acceptance  of 
this  -rant  by  the  state  was  organized  in 
some  parts  and  Judge  Hanna  was  elected 
i"  the  legislature  as  the  special  champion  of 
the  1  anal  policy.  The  contest  was  long  and 
bitter,  but  resulted  in  the  acceptance  of  the 
grant.  A  thousand  dollars  was  appropriated 
111  purchase  the  necessar)  engineering  in- 
struments and  procure  the  survey  and  lo- 
cation of  the  summit  level.  Judge  Hanna 
went    to    \Te«    York  and  purchased  the  in- 


struments, returning  by  way  of  Detroit, 
from  which  place  he  carried  them  on  horse- 
hack  to  Fort  Wayne.  Hanna,  Burr  and  a 
man  named  Jones  were  made  canal  com- 
missioners. Though  good  engineers'  were 
scarce,  one  was  procured  and  the 'work  be- 
gan on  the  St.  Joseph  river  six  miles  above 
Fort  Wayne  where  the  feeder  dam  was 
afterward  located.  Burr  acted  as  ax  man 
and  Hanna  as  rod  man,  both  at  ten  dollars 
a  month.  The  second  day  the  engineer  took 
sick  and  left  the  job  for  good,  but  Burr  and 
Hanna  completed  alone  the  survey  of  the 
summit  feeder.  Then  they  had  to  rest  for 
the  next  legislature  to  take  action.  Judge 
Hanna  being  again  a  member,  secured  the 
passage  of  an  act  for  the  construction  of 
the  Wabash  and  Erie  canal,  and  thus  origi- 
nated the  longest  continuous  line  of  artificial 
water  then  on  the  globe,  and  this  section  of 
the  country  was  placed  far  in  advance  of 
most  of  much  older  parts  of  the  United 
States.  Then  began  a  long  array  of  hopes 
and  discouragements  of  securing  money  and 
laborers,  contractors  and  managers.  The 
elevation  of  the  Maumee  above  the  level  of 
Lake  Erie  at  the  head  of  the  rapids  is 
sixty-two  feet,  at  Defiance  eighty  feet,  at 
the  state  line  one  hundred  thirty-five  feet, 
at  Fort  Wayne  one  hundred  sixty-three  feet. 
The  summit  level  of  the  canal  was  one  hun- 
dred ninety-three  feet  above  the  lake,  two 
feet  higher  than  the  marsh,  which  is  the 
summit  between  the  Maumee  and  Wabash 
rivers.  The  formal  breaking  of  the  -round 
was  performed  with  great  ceremony,  just  in 
time  to  save  the  land  grant  under  the  limita- 
tion of  the  act  of  congress. 

( )n  Washington's  birthday,  [832,  a  pub- 
he    meeting    was    called    in     Fort    Wayne. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


Henry  Rudisill  was  made  chairman  and 
David  H.  Colerick,  secretary.  A  procession 
was  formed  and  proceeded  across  St.  Mary's 
river  to  the  point  selected,  where  speeches 
were  made,  after  which  Commissioner  Yigus 
said  with  great  solemnity,  "I  am  now  about 
to  commence  the  Wabash  and  Erie  canal,  in 
the  name  and  by  the  authority  of  the  state 
of  Indiana."  He  then  struck  a  pick  into 
the  ground  amid  great  cheers.  Judge 
Hanna  and  others  threw  a  little  dirt,  after 
which  the  procession  moved  back  to  town. 
At  the  time  of  beginning,  $28,65 l  nad  been 
realized  from  the  sale  of  the  canal  lands.  A 
contract  for  the  first  fifteen  miles,  running 
westward  from  the  formal  point  of  com- 
mencing, was  immediately  let,  and  in  the  fall 
four  more  miles  were  let,  extending  the 
other  way  and  including  the  feeder  dam. 
Work  was  done  in  1832  to  the  amount  of 
$4. 180  dollars.  In  May,  1833,  the  remain- 
ing thirteen  miles  of  the  summit  division 
were  let,  and  in  1835  this  division  was  com- 
pleted to  Huntington.  On  the  3d  day  of 
July,  1835,  the  waters  of  St.  Joseph  river 
commingled  with  those  of  Little  River  at 
Huntington,  and  on  the  following  day,  July 
4th,  the  canal  boat  "Indiana"  arrived  at 
Huntington  form  Fort  Wayne,  with  a  large 
and  enthusiastic  crowd  of  people  from  Fort 
Wayne,  who  landed  at  the  upper,  or  Burke's 
lock,  and  were  greeted  by  the  firing  of  an  old 
cannon  which  Dr.  George  A.  Fate  had 
brought  from  Dayton,  Ohio,  for  the  occa- 
sion. Thus  the  old  Wabash  and  Erie  canal 
was  completed  through  a  corner  of  Whitley 
county  three  years  before  the  county  had  a 
separate  existence.  Previous  to  this,  the 
only  place  of  marketing  and  securing  sup- 
plies was  Fort  Wayne,  but  very  early  after 
the  establishment  of  our  county  seat  a  road 


was  opened  up  to  Raccoon  Village,  by  which 
ran  the  canal  at  the  south-east  corner  of  the 
county.  Much  of  this  air  line  road  remains 
to-day,  being  the  road  east  of  town  across 
Eel  river,  diagonally  past  Compton  church 
and  on  to  Jefferson  t>  iwnship.  The  canal 
was  completed  through  Huntington  county 
in  1836,  but  progress  on  the  other  end  was 
not  so  rapid.  Not  until  1S43  was  there 
navigation  from  Toledo  to  Fort  Wayne  and 
Huntington  and  to  the  west.  Early  in  1843 
a  line  of  packets  were  run  at  regular  inter- 
vals carrying  freight,  mail  and  passengers, 
and  continued  uninterruptedly  until  trains  on 
the  Wabash  Railroad  drove  the  canal  out  of 
existence,  in  1854.  About  the  middle  or 
last  of  July,  1854,  the  last  regular  run  of 
boats  was  made ;  after  that  it  was  used  as  any 
one  chose,  as  a  personal  ditch.  There  is 
dispute  as  to  when  the  last  boat  ran  between 
Fort  Wayne  and  Huntington.  Some  well 
informed  persons  say  in  1867,  while  others 
put  it  as  late  as  1S73.  So  gradual  was  their 
obliteration  that  there  is  no  way  of  ascer- 
taining the  exact  time  of  the  death  of  the 
canal.  In  1847  the  canal  passed  into  the 
hands  of  three  trustees,  under  the  state  debt 
act.  Two  of  these  were  appointed  by  the 
holders  of  the  bonds  and  one  by  the  legis- 
lature of  Indiana.  The  part  running 
through  Fort  Wayne  was  sold  to  the  Nickel 
Plate  Railway  in  the  winter  of  1880  and 
1881,  and  much  of  the  old  tow-path  from 
Fort  Wayne  to  Huntington  is  now  used  by 
the  Fort  Wayne  and  Wabash  Valley  Trac- 
tion Company. 

THE    PENNSYLVANIA   RAILROAD. 

On  the  24th  day  of  February,  1848,  the 
Pennsylvania  &  Ohio  Railroad  Company 
procured  a  charter  from  the  legislatures  of 


126 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


both  Ohio  and  Pennsylvania,  for  the  build- 
ing of  a  railroad  from  Mansfield,  Ohio,  east- 
ward!)-, by  way  of  Wooster,  Massillon  and 
Canton,  to  some  point  which  the  projectors 
might  select  on  the  Ohio  &  Pennsylvania 
line,  thence  to  Pittsburg.  Immediately 
after  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  the  region 
west  of  the  Alleghanies  began  to  populate 
very  rapidly.  First  came  the  tide  of  emi- 
gration over  the  mountains  to  western  Penn- 
sylvania, and  then  the  stream  did  not  stop 
until  farther  westward.  Mansfield  was  a 
village  in  1808.  and  by  1816  it  was  a  place 
of  some  importance,  and  by  1820  it  was  the 
gateway  to  the  west.  The  stream  of  emi- 
gration over  the  mountains  continued  to 
Mansfield,  and  all  the  Ohio  settlers,  north 
and  west  of  the  center  of  the  state,  came 
that  way.  From  the  first  it  was  an  enter- 
prising place.  At  the  date  it  received  the 
charter  for  the  above  named,  a  railroad  was 
in  operation  from  that  town  to  the  lake. 
known  as  the  Mansfield  &  Lake  Erie,  after- 
ward the  Sandusky,  Mansfield  &  Newark- 
Railway,  and  for  many  years  past  a  part  of 
the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  system.  Also  a  road 
was  under  construction  from  Cleveland  to 
Cincinnati.  Mansfield,  just  a  little  out  of 
the  route,  allowed  it  to  run  a  short  distance 
to  the  west  of  her.  building  up  a  rival  town 
at  the  crossing  of  this  line  and  the  Mans- 
field &  Lake  Erie.  Wounded  pride  de- 
manded that  something  be  clone,  and  her 
foremost  citizens  secured  the  charter  for  the 
Ohio  6t  Pennsylvania  Railway,  but  securing 
a  charter  was  far  from  building  a  railroad. 
Almost  simultaneous,  the  same  year,  prac- 
tically  the  same  people  secured  from  the 
1  Him  legislature  a  charter  for  the  Ohio  & 
Indiana  Railroad,  to  run  from  Mansfield  to 


Bucyrus  and  Cpper  Sandusky,  thence  to  any 
point  the  builders  desired  on  the  Ohio  & 
Indiana  line,  thence  to  Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 
Less  than  the  ordinary  amount  of  trouble 
was  experienced  in  building  east  from  Mans- 
field. Work  began  on  the  4th  day  of  July, 
1849,  at  Seller's  tavern,  a  point  several  miles 
west  of  Mansfield,  which  by  some  means  be- 
came the  western  terminal  of  the  Ohio  & 
Pennsylvania  Railway,  and  the  eastern  ter- 
minal of  the  Ohio  &  Indiana  Railroad.  The 
work  was  pushed  rapidly  and  on  the  nth 
day  of  April,  1853,  traffic  was  opened  be- 
tween Mansfield  and  Allegheny,  a  distance 
of  one  hundred  and  eighty-seven  miles.  It 
was  not  extended  across  the  river  and 
into  Pittsburg  until  1857.  when  it  was 
connected  with  the  Pennsylvania  Central. 
The  Ohio  &  Indiana  road  languished, 
but  the  other  end  overlapped  and  built 
on  about  three  miles  to  Crestline,  the 
crossing  of  the  Cincinnati  &  Cleveland-  road, 
completed  in  185 1.  The  ambition  of  the 
Mansfield  people  was  satisfied,  or  at  least  at 
rest.  Judge  Hanna,  of  Fort  Wayne,  the 
father  of  the  Wabash  and  Erie  canal,  came 
forward  as  the  savior  of  the  Ohio  &  Indiana 
Railroad.  He  induced  Allen  county,  In- 
diana, to  vote  $100,000  to  the  capital  stock 
of  the  road.  This  was  the  turning  point. 
Without  it  the  line  would  have  been  long 
delayed  and  probably  diverted  finally  over  a 
different  route.  The  project  was  strong  in 
merit,  but  weak  in  funds.  After  almost 
despairing  of  some  one  to  undertake  the 
work  with  its  chances,  in  1852,  Mr.  Hanna 
induced  Pliny  Hoagland  and  William 
Mitchell  to  join  him  in  taking  the  contract, 
which  they  did.  It  was  taken  in  the  name 
of  Mitchell,  from  Crestline  to  Fort  Wavne, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


127 


one  hundred  and  thirty-two  miles,  and  work 
began  immediately.  After  making  some 
progress  the  means  of  the  company  were 
exhausted  and  everything  at  a  standstill. 
Not  only  was  the  road  in  danger  of  defeat, 
but  the  private  fortunes  of  Hanna,  Hoagland 
and  Mitchell  were  in  great  peril.  A  meet- 
ing of  the  creditors  was  called  at  Bucyrus, 
but  the  prospect  presented  was  dubious  and 
dismal,  desperate  and  hopeless.  Dr.  Mer- 
riman,  of  Bucyrus,  the  president,  resigned 
in  despair  of  rendering  any  further  service. 
Hanna  was  immediately  elected.  He  rode 
the  same  night  on  horseback  from  Bucyrus 
to  Crestline,  thence  by  the  railroad  to  Cleve- 
land, and  thence  by  boat  to  the  east.  In 
three  days  he  was  in  New  York  pledging 
his  honor  and  fortune,  as  well  as  that  of 
his  coadjutors,  Hoagland  and  Mitchell. 
His  action  was  daring  and  reassuring,  and 
brought  the  needed  funds.  He  struck  far- 
sighted  capitalists  who  had  faith  in  him. 
With  this  arranged,  he  hastened  to  Montreal 
and  Quebec  to  redeem  iron  that  had  been 
forfeited  for  nonpayment  of  transportation. 
The  crisis  was  past.  Work  was  resumed, 
and  in  November,  1854,  the  road  was  com- 
pleted into  Fort  Wayne,  and  before  January 
1,  185*5,  there  was  regular  train  service 
from  Fort  Wayne  to  Crestline,  and  before 
June,  1855,  the  train  service  was  continuous 
to  Allegheny. 

In  1852,  the  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago 
Railroad  Company  was  organized  and 
chartered,  and  Hanna  was  made  president, 
while  straining  every  nerve  to  complete  the 
road  already  on  his  hands.  The  means  of 
building  the  road  were  to  be  derived  from 
the  sale  of  stock  and  bonds.  The  stock  sub- 
scriptions in  all  amounted  to  less  than  three 


per  cent,  of  the  cost  of  building  the  road 
and  were  mainly  paid  in  wild,  uncultivated, 
and  then  practically  worthless  lands,  town 
lots  and  labor.  This  real  estate,  however, 
was  mortgaged  for  a  million  dollars,  which 
was  a  great  part  of  the  cost  of  grading. 
Other  cash  had  to  be  derived  from  the  sale 
of  bonds,  and  as  it  was  a  recent  corporation 
with  an  unfinished  right  of  way,  these  were 
not  readily  sold.  The  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road Company  gave  the  enterprise  all  possi- 
ble encouragement  and  gave  it  some  credit, 
which  was  a  great  factor  in  its  success.  The 
road  was  completed  to  Columbia  City,  on 
the  22d  day  of  January,  1856,  and  on  the 
following  morning,  the  first  engine,  the 
"Mad  Anthony,"  came  into  town.  There 
was  no  station,  and  the  engine  bringing 
several  representative  citizens  from  Fort 
Wayne  in  an  open  freight  car  with  boards 
for  seats,  stopped  about  ten  rods  east  of  the 
present  passenger  depot.  They  were  met 
by  a  number  of  our  citizens  and  escorted 
up  town,  returning  about  noon.  On  Jan- 
uary 30,  1856,  the  following  time  card  was 
issued  and  posted  in  Fort  Wayne: 

"On  and  after  February  1st,  a 
passenger  train  will  leave  this  city 
daily  at  7:30  A.  M.,  arrive  at 
Columbia  9  A.  M.  Leave  Colum- 
bia at  5  P.  M.,  and  reach  this  city 
at  6:30  P.  M. 

The  fare  was  eighty  cents  each  way.  It 
was  before  the  time  of  round  trip  rates. 
When  the  road  was  completed  here,  con- 
siderable work  and  grading  had  been  done 
farther  west,  and  was  progressing-  at  many 
points    between    Columbia    and    Plymouth. 


uN 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


On  August  i.  [856,  at  a  meeting  of  the 
officers  of  the  three  minor  corporations,  they 
were  all  merged  into  one  corporation,  known 
as  the  Pittsburg,  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago 
Railway  Company.  This  merger  infused 
new  life  into  the  work,  and  early  in  No- 
vember flie  road  was  completed  to  Ply- 
mouth, and  before  Christmas,  1856,  there 
was  regular  train  service  through  Colum- 
bia from  Fort  Wayne  to  Plymouth.  At 
Plymouth  was  already  the  southern  termi- 
nus of  a  railroad  running  to  LaPorte,  and 
from  that  point  there  was  a  line  in  opera- 
tion to  Chicago.  Thus  there  could  be  train 
service  from  Plymouth  to  Chicago  by  this 
route.  There  was  some  disposition  to  allow 
the  western  terminus  to  remain  at  Plymouth 
for  awhile,  but  the  progressive  element  of 
the  new  corporation  pushed  it  rapidly  to 
completion  into  Chicago  in  the  spring  of 
i857- 

DETROIT,    EEL    RIVER    &    ILLINOIS    RAIROAD. 

As  early  as  1861,  an  agitation  began  for 
the  building  of  a  railroad  through  the  rich 
Eel  river  valley,  with  southern  terminal  at 
Logansport,  to  connect  with  the  great  Wa- 
bash system  for  the  southwest,  and  with  the 
northern  terminus  at  some  point  on  the  Lake 
Shore  Railway  in  DeKalb  or  Noble  county. 
The  war  between  the  states  sunn  absorbed 
all  attention  and  no  action  was  taken.  Just 
at  the  close  of  the  war,  the  Logansport  & 
Northern  Indiana  Railroad  was  incorpo- 
rated, and  a  survey  was  made  over  sub- 
stantially  the  route  the  railroad  finally  look. 
This  corporation  died  and  the  Toledo.  1  0- 
gansport  X-  Northern  Indiana  Railroad  was 
incorporated,  inheriting  from  its  predecessor 


the  survey,  some  books,  etc.  This  corpora- 
tion secured  the  right  of  way  over  a  number 
of  tracts  of  land  in  Whitley  and  other  coun- 
ties, terminal  grounds  at  Logansport  and 
also  did  do  a  small  amount  of  grading.  In 
April.  1869,  the  following  paper  was  filed 
and  recorded  in  the  auditor's  office  of  Whit- 
ley county: 

"Office  Detroit,  Eel  River  &  Illi- 
nois Railway  Company,  Columbia 
City.  Indiana. 

To  the  Auditor  of  Whitley  county: 

In  pursuance  to  an  order  of  the  di- 
rectors of  said  company,  passed  at  a 
meeting  of  said  board,  you  are  re- 
quested to  appoint  one  disinterested 
freeholder  of  said  comity,  under  an 
act  of  the  general  assembly  of  the 
State  of  Indiana,  approved  March 
11.  1867,  who,  in  connection  with  a 
like  freeholder  of  said  county,  to  be 
appointed  by  the  Logansport  & 
Northern  Indiana  Railroad  Com- 
pany, shall  constitute  a  board  of  ap- 
praisers to  make  a  true  and  impartial 
appraisement  of  all  the  rights,  privi- 
leges, interests,  rights  of  way,  fran- 
chises and  properties  of  the  Toledo, 
Logansport  &  Northern  Indiana 
Railway  Company. 

James   S.   Collins, 

President, 
Detroit,  Eel  River  &  Illinois  Railway 

Company. 

Michael  Si c k a  foose, 
Secretary, 
Detroit,  Eel  River  &  Illinois  Railway 

( 'ompany. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


129 


And  thus  was  established  the  new  cor- 
poration, the  Detroit,  Eel  River  &  Illinois 
Railroad,  from  Logansport,  in  Cass  county, 
to  Butler,  in  DeKalb  count)'.  The  offices 
located  at  Columbia  City,  and  two  of  our 
most  distinguished  citizens,  president  and 
secretary.  Judge  Collins  at  once  entered 
zealously  into  the  work,  traveling  on  foot 
many  times  over  the  entire  route. 

One  of  the  first  acts  was  to  show  the 
good  faith  of  the  people  at  home.  A  peti- 
tion was  circulated  and  numerously  signed 
asking  that  an  election  be  held  authoriz- 
ing the  county  to  pay  as  a  public  tax 
$100,000,  taking  stock  in  the  company  for 
the  amount.  It  was  found  that  $85,000 
was  the  limit  that  could  be  paid  under  the 
law,  with  our  amount  of  taxable  property. 
Therefore,  an  election  was  held  on  the  16th 
day  of  June,  1869,  for  and  against  the  pay- 
ment of  $85,000  with  the  following  result : 

For  Against  Total 

Cleveland   township.  .  .      346  10  356 

Richland  township....        75  225  300 

Troy   township 28  113  141 

Etna  township 6  57  63 

Washington    township.        31  57  88 

Columbia  township ....      604  4  608 

Thorncreek  township.  .153  3  156 

Jefferson  township....          1  187  188 

Union   township 75  125  200 

Smith  township 139  7  146 

Totals   1.458       788    2,246 

An  effort  was  made,  a  year  later,  to  have 
Columbia  township  taxed  for  an  additional 
$14,322,  but  it  being  unlawful,  the  commis- 
sioners did  not  call  an  election.     Our  people 
9 


paid  the  tax  and  received  certificates  for  the 
stock,  but  never  realized  any  money  in 
return. 

The  road  was  completed  from  Butler  to 
South  Whitley,  early  in  July,  1871,  and  on 
the  25th  day  of  July  the  contractors  ran  a 
free  excursion  from  Columbia  City  to  South 
Whitley,  carrying  over  five  hundred  people. 
The  train  moved  slowly  and  cautiously  and 
was  an  hour  and  a  quarter  making  the  trip. 
The  train  was  met  by  a  very  large  crowd, 
and  a  procession  was  formed  which  marched 
to  the  grove,  where  a  free  dinner  was  served 
and  many  enthusiastic  speeches  made.  The 
road  was  completed  to  Logansport  and  regu- 
lar train  service  installed  before  the  winter 
of  1 87 1  ;  and  until  it  passed  into  the  hands 
of  the  Wabash  Railway  Company,  it  ran  a 
passenger  train  from  Logansport  to  Butler 
in  the  forenoon  and  back  in  the  afternoon, 
and  such  freight  trains  as  were  necessary. 
In  January,  1881,  the  line  was  leased  by  the 
Wabash  Company  for  ninety-nine  years, 
and  they  quickly  built  an  extension  to  De- 
troit from  Butler,  connecting  with  their 
main  line  at  Logansport,  at  once  making  it 
a  trunk  line,  rivalling  the  best  in  the  country. 
All  the  through  passenger  trains  ran  over 
the  line  to  Buffalo,  Boston  and  New  York, 
and  so  continued  for  the  nineteen  years  they 
held  it.  No  sooner  was  the  old  Eel  river 
road  made  a  part  of  a  great  trans-conti- 
nental line  than  a  few  men  at  Logansport  de- 
termined to  ruin  it  ami  damage  every  town 
along  its  line.  They  brought  suit  on  the 
ground  that  the  Wabash  old  line  was  parallel 
and  a  competing  line  and  could  not  hold  it, 
terminating  after  nearly  twenty  years  in 
ousting  it.  In  December,  1890,  it  was  sold 
to  the  Vandalia,  and  on  December  31st  the 


13° 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


Wabash  ran  the  last  of  their  magnificent 
trains  over  it.  The  next  day  began  a  ser- 
vice as  antiquated  and  unsatisfactory  as  the 
old  Eel  river  management  could  have  possi- 
bly been,  and  is  likely  to  continue  indefinite- 
ly. They  have  made  it  from  one  of  the  best 
to  one  of  the  poorest,  if  indeed  not  the  very 
worst  in  the  whole  country.  Its  termination 
at  Logansport  is  north  of  Eel  river.  When 
the  Wabash  got  it  they  tried  to  get  a  con- 
nection through  the  city  to  their  line,  but 
were  spitefully  defeated  at  every  point. 
For  a  while  they  made  the  connection  a  few- 
miles  below  the  city  at  Clymers,  but  finding 
it  was  impossible  that  they  could  join  their 
main  line  anywhere  near  the  city  the}-  built 
from  Chili,  a  distance  of  six  miles  into  Peru. 
They  still  own  the  six  miles  of  rusty,  unused 
track.  The  Wabash  fought  the  litigation  for 
years,  but  finally  gave  it  up.  They  began 
from  their  main  line  at  New  Haven,  six 
miles  east  of  Fort  Wayne,  and  built  across  to 
Butler,  striking  their  Detroit  line,  and  be- 
gan their  service  over  it  the  day  they  quit 
the  Eel  river.  The  Wabash  bettered  itself. 
Logansport  did  itself  no  good,  but  the  towns 
along  the  old  Eel  river  line  were  damaged 
beyond  computation. 

THE     NICKEL     PLATE    RAILWAY. 

The  New  York,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis 
Railway  Company  was  organized  in  1880. 
It  parallels  the  Lake  Shore  Railway  from 
Buffalo  to  near  the  west  line  of  Ohio,  after' 
which  it  parallels  the  Pennsylvania  to  Chi- 
cago.  It  was  projected  by  the  late  Senator 
Brice,  of  Ohio,  and  his  associates,  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  sale  to  the  Vanderbilts, 
whid  1  objecl  was  finally  accomplished  after 


Vanderbilt  had  declared  it  a  "string  of 
worthless  dirt,  leading  from  nowhere  to  no 
place."  It  so  threatened  the  business  of  the 
Lake  Shore  that  its  sale,  the  object  of  its 
building,  was  accomplished.  It  was  first 
heard  of  here  in  January,  1881,  and  at  once 
agents  were  at  work  buying  the  right  of 
way  through  this  county.  Where  a  bargain 
could  not  be  readily  made  condemnation  pro- 
ceedings were  at  once  instituted.  It  was 
built  through  Whitley  county  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1 88 1,  and  before  the  spring  of  1882 
there  was  regular  service  over  the  whole  line. 
It  runs  almost  east  and  west  through  the 
county,  cutting  the  south  third  off  the 
county  from  the  north  two-thirds.  Along 
its  lines  were  soon  located  the  villages  of 
Dunfee,  Raber  and  Peabody.  It  also  strikes 
South  Whitley.  For  several  years  it  was 
considered  only  a  freight  road,  but  recently 
excellent  through  passenger  service  has  been 
inaugurated,  and  it  is  to-day  regarded  as  one 
of  the  great  trunk  lines.  It  strikes  no  towns 
of  size  from  Fort  Wayne  to  Valparaiso. 

THE   FORT    WAYNE   &   WABASH    VALLEY  TRAC- 
TION   COMPANY. 

The  last  of  the  railways  to  enter  Whitley 
county  is  the  Fort  Wayne  &  Wabash  Valley 
Traction  Line.  It  runs  from  Fort  Wayne 
to  Huntington,  practically  on  the  line  of  the 
old  canal  of  1835.  Through  the  corner  of 
this  county,  it  runs  along  the  tow  path  of  the 
canal.  It  was  built  in  1901  by  Townsend  & 
Reed,  a  construction  company,  and  they 
operated  it  for  a  time,  when  it  went  into 
the  hands  of  the  McKinley  syndicate  and 
they  built  011  t>>  Wabash.  November  4. 
1904,  it  was  acquired  by  the  Fort  Wayne  & 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


131 


Wabash  Valley  Traction  Company,  which  line.  The  right  of  way  in  Whitley  county 
still  own  and  operate  it.  From  the  beginning,  was  purchased  from  Straus  Brothers  &  Lee, 
it  has  given  hourly  service  over  the  whole      at  about  one  hundred  dollars  per  acre. 


PUBLIC  BUILDINGS  AND  BUILDERS. 


BY    S.    P.    KALER. 


The  first  public  building  erected  in 
Whitley  county  was  a  jail,  but  it  must  not 
be  presumed  that  the  early  settlers  were  so 
vicious  that  they  needed  a  place  of  incav- 
creation  more  than  a  place  for  public  busi- 
ness. The  officers  could  not  afford  to  oc- 
cupy a  court  house  had  one  been  ready. 
They  kept  their  meager  records  at  home  and 
the  sessions  of  court  were  easily  held  at  res- 
idences or  Thomson's  hotel  in  the  new  seat 
of  justice.  The  early  criminals  were  mostly 
drunken  Indians  or  traveling  professional 
outlaws. 

On  the  1st  day  of  June,  1840,  the  county 
agent  was  ordered  to  advertise  and  sell  on 
the  20th  day  of  the  same  month  the  build- 
ing of  a  jail  described  as  follows  :  Eighteen 
feet  long  and  sixteen  feet  wide,  of  hewn  tim- 
ber squared  to  eight  inches  thick  and  twelve 
inches  wide,  the  wall  to  be  sunk  three  feet 
in  the  ground  and  butt  up  even  with  the 
surface  of  the  ground,  with  a  single  wall, 
then  laid  with  hewn  timber  seven  inches 
thick,  double  crossed,  then  continue  the  wall 
double,  of  the  same  size  timber  ten  feet  high, 
with  a  partition  through  the  center,  of  the 
same  size  timber.  Door  to  be  cut  out  and 
hung  with  a  strong  shutter  of  oak  plank  one 
inch  thick  doubled.  The  shutter  made  with 
small  window  in  center,  four  inches  deep 
and  eight  inches  wide.     The  upper  floor  to 


be  laid  with  hewn  timber  eight  inches  thick, 
to  be  laid  upon  the  plaits.  To  be  covered 
with  good  joint  shingle  roof.  One  window 
in  the  outside  wall  two  feet  square  to  be 
checked  with  bar  iron,  bars  an  inch  and  a 
quarter  thick  and  four  inches  apart,  well 
fastened  in  wall.  The  outside  door  to  be 
made  of  inch  oak  plank,  double  and  crossed 
and  covered  with  sheet  iron.  This  building, 
put  on  the  south-east  corner  of  the  public 
square,  was  built  by  William  Blair  for  $490 
and  he  was  also  allowed  eight  dollars  for 
clearing  timber  and  brush  off  the  spot  and 
two  rods  beyond  each  way. 

The  board  of  commissioners  at  a  special 
session  held  June,  1841,  ordered  a  court 
house  built  on  the  north-east  corner  of  lot 
7,  in  block  15,  where  the  city  building  now 
stands.  This  building,  thirty-six  feet  long 
and  two  stories  high,  was  built  according 
to  specifications  of  the  very  best  timber  and 
strong  enough  to  endure  centuries.  It  now 
stands  on  lot  1,  block  12,  the  original  plat 
of  Columbia  City,  at  the  south-west  corner 
of  Van  Buren  and  Whitley  streets,  owned  by 
Charles  Eyansons'  sons  and  used  for  a 
dwelling.  It  is  in  a  good  state  of  preserva- 
tion ami  looks  like  a  comparatively  new 
building,  though  built  for  sixty-five  years. 
It  was  set  on  five  large  rocks  and  had  a 
stairs  go  up  on  the  outside.     This  first  court 


i32 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


house  cost  $41 1.50  and  was  completed  about 
the  first  of  December,  1841,  but  was  put  in 
use  as  a  court  house  in  October.  March  6, 
1S45,  tne  windows  were  ordered  filled  with 
glass,  the  fire-place  torn  out  and  a  stove  put 
in.  The  first  story  was  used  for  holding 
courts,  shows,  public  meetings  and  all  other 
purposes  and  at  one  time  by  Thomas  Wash- 
burn as  a  dwelling.  James  Washburn,  at 
present  one  of  the  substantial  business  men 
of  Columbia.  City,  was  born  in  that  court 
house  in  September,  1843.  The  upper  story 
was  used  for  various  purposes ;  one  room 
was  plastered  and  sealed  and  used  for  a  time 
by  the  clerk  and  recorder.  The  other  was 
used  by  the  treasurer,  sheriff  and  any  other 
person  who  desired,  and  for  almost  any 
purpose. 

On  the  9th  day  of  June,  1842,  Henry 
Swihart,  county  agent,  was  ordered  to  con- 
tract for  the  building  of  a  house  thirty  feet 
long  by  eighteen  wide,  one-story  high,  with 
two  rooms,  two  fifteen  light  windows  in  each 
room,  one  door  in  the  center  partition  and 
one  outside  door  to  each  room.  The  record 
ordering  the  building  does  not  say  for  what 
use,  but  it  was  always  called  the  "jury  build- 
ing" by  the  citizens  as  well  as  by  the  com- 
missioners in  their  dealings  with  it.  It  was 
on  the  south-west  corner  of  the  public  square 
or  court  house  lot.  It  was  built  by  Benja- 
min Grable  for  $197.  For  a  short  time  the 
treasurer  used  one  room  and  the  clerk  and 
recorder  the  other.  It  was  also  used  as 
a  jury  room  and  Warren  Mason  rented  it 
fur  three  months  and  taught  school  in  it. 
tin  jury  building  was  rather  a  general 
purpose  place  for  everybody  and  everything. 
It  was  sold  to  X.  1).  Torbet  tor  $13  in  [853, 
who  tore  down  and  removed  it. 


In  the  summer  of  1842,  Jacob  Frederich 
built  a  fence  enclosing  twenty-five  perches 
at  the  south-east  corner  of  the  public  square 
in  a  square  form,  the  east  side  and  south 
end  of  the  jail  to  form  a  part  of  the  fence, 
which  was  six  feet  high,  with  a  heavy  oak 
gate  well  hung  and  with  good  lock. 

June  8,  1844,  the  commissioners  ordered 
built  what  was  called  a  fire  proof  office  build- 
ing forty-eight  feet  long,  twenty  feet  wide, 
one-story  high,  ten  feet  in  the  clear,  built  of 
brick.  The  specifications,  too  long  to  be 
given  here,  read  like  it  was  to  be  a  fortress 
that  might  withstand  the  best  cannon  of  that 
day.  There  were  two  partition  walls  cut- 
ting the  building  into  three  equal  rooms, 
two  twenty-light  windows  in  each  room, 
with  shutters  of  sheet  and  bar  iron.  A  door 
to  each  room  opening  on  the  street  covered 
with  heavy  sheet  iron,  and  each  door  a  lock 
of  different  style  so  that  keys  might  not  be 
interchanged.  A  fire-place  in  each  room 
with  a  separate  chimney  for  each.  This 
was  located  on  the  north-east  part  of  the 
public  square.  To  be  accurate,  forty-eight 
feet  west  of  Main  street ;  the  south-east 
corner  of  the  building  six  feet  north  of  line 
running  through  the  center  of  the  public 
square  from  east  to  west.  This  was  built 
by  David  Shepley  for  $1,250  and  $2$  for 
extras,  and  completed  in  August.  1844.  and 
the  county  treasurer  at  once  occupied  the 
middle  room,  the  auditor  the  south  room, 
the  clerk  and  recorder  the  north  room.  The 
building  faced  to  the  east. 

The  new  county  officers'  fire  proof  build- 
ing was  not  completed  until  there  began  an 
agitation  lor  a  brick  court  house,  good  and 
substantial,  that  might  he  used  for  the  courts, 
conventions  and  general,  opera   house,  and 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


133 


that  might  also  hold  the  records  and  pro- 
vide offices  for  the  county  officers.  At  the 
regular  December  term  1847.  the  commis- 
sioners ordered  the  county  agent  to  procure 
plans  for  a  new  court  house  and  at  the 
March  term,  1848,  they  adopted  the  plans 
of  Hossler  &  Radcliff,  architects,  for  which 
they  paid  $15,  and  full  specifications  were 
put  on  record.  After  having  duly  adver- 
tised for  bids,  on  the  7th  day  of  June,  1848, 
the  contract  was  let  to  F.  Araline  &  -Rine- 
hart  for  $7,620.  They  failed  to  complete 
the  contract  by  filing  bond  as  required.  Ad- 
ditions were  then  made  to  the  specifications 
and  on  the  14th  of  June,  1848,  the  contract 
was  let  to  Henry  Swihart  and  Thomas 
Washburn,  who  completed  it,  and  on  the 
1 2th  day  of  October,  1850,  it  was  accepted 
and  paid  for  at  $7,747.50.  and  on  the  fol- 
lowing day  it  was  occupied  by  the  officers. 
The  bell  was  installed  in  March,  1853,  at 
a  cost  of  $250.  This  same  bell,  no  longer 
used  for  the  simple  purpose  of  making  use- 
less noise,  is  now  each  hour  struck  by  a 
hammer  from  the  court  house  clock  to  note 
the  passing  hours.  On  December  9,  1853, 
the  commissioners  made  a  solemn  order  as 
to  ringing  this  bell,  under  the  direction  of 
either  the  sheriff  or  auditor:  "To  be  rung 
during  the  setting  of  courts  or  any  other 
public  occasion.  May  be  rung  morn- 
ing, noon  or  night,  or  at  any  other 
stated  period  or  periods.  Any  other  per- 
sons than  auditor  or  sheriff  may  have  it 
rung  at  any  time  by  doing  the  labor  of 
ringing  it  themselves  or  paying  for  the 
same."  June  10,  1853,  an  order  was  made 
that  the  court  room  could  be  used  only  for 
the  following  purposes :  holdings  courts, 
political    conventions,    railroad    conventions 


and  all  other  meetings  for  secular  purposes 
interesting  the  people,  also  for  religious 
meetings  and  lectures  on  literary  and  scien- 
tific subjects.  Church  services  were  often 
held  in  it.  It  was  as  nearly  the  center  of  the 
square  as  the  engineer  could  locate  it.  It 
was  torn  down  in  April  and  May,  1889. 
From  the  beginning  there  was  trouble  with 
the  cupalo  leaking  and  the  records  show 
not  less  than  twelve  appropriations  for  re- 
pairing it  during  the  less  than  fifty  years 
it  was  occupied.  Otherwise  it  was  an  hon- 
est and  substantial  building,  in  a  perfect  state 
of  preservation  ..when  torn  down.  For  its 
day  it  was  a  first  class  court  house,  ranking 
with  the  best  in  Indiana. 

At  the  February  term  of  circuit  court, 
1 88 1,  court  was  forced  to  adjourn  because 
of  defective  chimneys.  Judge  Van  Long 
appointed  Richard  Collins  and  I.  B.  Mc- 
Donald to  repair  the  flues,  which  they  caused 
to  be  done,  but  with  little  effect.  At  the 
March  term  of  the  same  year  the  commis- 
sioners ordered  C.  H.  Pond  to  draw  plans 
and  specifications  for  enlarging  the  build- 
ing and  improving  it  in  several  ways.  The 
plans  suggested  an  outlay  of  about  $20,000. 
The  board  called  into  consultation  some 
thirty  heavy  tax  payers  from  all  parts  of  the 
county  and  agreeable  with  the  general  senti- 
ment it  was  not  deemed  worth  the  cost  and 
for  the  present  it  was  left  alone.  This 
started  the  agitation  for  a  new  building  that 
might  furnish  protection  from  fire,  vandal- 
ism and  burglary.  Soon  after,  the  country 
was  startled  by  the  stealing  of  the  records 
of  an  Illinois  county  and  hiding  them  until 
by  a  series  of  maneuvers  the  county  was 
obliged  to  pay  $25,000  for  their  restora- 
tion.    The  loss  of  the  records  of  Whitlev 


134 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


county  could  not  be  made  good  by  any 
money  consideration.  It  would  involve  the 
title  to  every  foot  of  realty  in  the  county, 
besides  being  irreparable  in  many  other 
ways.  Our  records  might  be  as  easily 
stolen  as  a  horse  from  a  good  stable  and 
they  might  burn  as  easily  as  a  common 
dwelling.  The  county  treasurer's  office  was 
so  small  that  not  more  than  three  or  four 
persons  could  occupy  the  lobby  at  a  time, 
which  was  a  great  inconvenience  to  the  peo- 
ple in  busy  tax-paying  time.  That  office 
had  a  little  safe  but  little  better  than  none 
and  it  could  be  easily  loaded  by  a  couple  of 
men  and  hauled  off  by  night.  True,  the 
treasurers  were  depositing  the  public  moneys 
in  the  bank  vaults,  but  frequently  hundreds 
of  dollars  were  taken  in  after  the  banking 
hours  as  an  accommodation  to  the  public 
and  it  was  recalled  that  at  one  time  over 
$40,000  remained  in  the  safe  over  night. 
In  December,  1865,  the  safe  then  in  the 
county  treasurer's  office  was  blown  up  by 
burglars  and  an  insignificant  sum  of  money 
taken.  A  new  safe  was  immediately  pur- 
chased, but  was  too  large  for  the  little  treas- 
urer's office  and  was  put  in  the  auditor's 
office,  where  it  remained  until  the  new  court 
house  was  built  and  in  1891  was  traded  on 
the  present  burglar  proof  safe  in  the  treas- 
urer's office.  There  was  no  sheriff's  office 
at  all.  In  the  clerk's  and  auditor's  offices 
the  room  was  all  occupied  and  many  valuable 
papers  had  to  be  packed  in  boxes,  almost  in- 
accessible to  the  public.  That  there  was 
most  urgent  necessity  for  something  was  ap- 
parent to  everybody.  The  agitation  went 
on,  but  politics  was  at  red  heat  in  a  close 
county.  The  building  of  a  new  court  house 
would  be  unpopular  and  the  politicians  dare 
not  advocate  it.     Finally  in  1888  the  com- 


missioners decided  to  build.  Several  citi- 
zens were  invited  to  make  trips  with  them 
to  see  a  number  of  court  houses  in  different 
parts  of  the  country.  Brent  S.  Tolan  was 
employed  as  architect.  The  rink  building 
across  from  the  south-east  corner  of  the 
square,  the  north  side  lots  3  and  4,  block  18, 
north-east  corner  of  Main  and  Market 
streets,  was  rented  from  Linvill  &  Mitten  as 
temporary  quarters  for  the  county  business. 
and  on  April  1.  1889,  everything  was  moved 
in.  The  rear  room  was  used  as  court  room, 
the  front  divided  into  two  rooms,  the  north 
side  was  used  by  the  auditor  and  treasurer, 
the  south  side  by  the  clerk  and  recorder,  the 
sheriff's  office  was  the  whole  building  at 
large.  The  court  house  was  sold  to  Hon. 
C.  B.  Tully  for  $150  dollars  and  torn  down 
and  .taken  away  in  April  and  May,  1889. 
On  the  1st  day  of  April,  1891,  just  two 
years  after,  the  new  building  was  occupied 
and  the  people  of  Whitley  county  will  have 
no  more  clamor  for  a  new  court  house  for  a 
century.  It  is  an  elegant  stone  building, 
built  without  a  job  or  a  graft  and  at  a  sum 
almost  half  of  what  it  would  cost  to-day.  The 
time  chosen  was  when  material  was  at  its 
lowest  point  since  the  organization  of  the 
county  and  lower  than  it  will  ever  be  again, 
unless  some  unprecedented  business  depres- 
sion should  strike  the  country.  It  was 
built  by  George  W.  Vanator  and  Joseph 
H.  Baker,  of  Warsaw,  for  about  $165,000, 
including  the  furnishing.  The  exact  price 
we  are  unable  to  give,  as  in  the  last  end  of 
the  work  some  things  like  grading  and  put- 
ting in  walks  were  included  in  the  court 
house  expenses.  The  cost,  however,  of 
building  and  furnishing  the  house  was  about 
the  sum  stated.  During  the  contracting  and 
building  of  the  court  house  George  W.  Law- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


rence  was  chairman  of  the  board ;  Chauncey 
B.  ■  Mattoon,  auditor,  and  William  F.  Mc- 
Nagny,  county  attorney,  or  advisor  to  the 
board.  These  gentlemen  determined  to 
save  every  cent  possible  to  the  tax  payers, 
to  see  that  the  work  was  honestly  done  and 
the  materials  just  as  specified  and  that  there 
should  not  be  one  cent  jobbing  in  it,  and 
they  succeeded  and  deserve  the  gratitude  of 
the  people. 

The  first  court  house,  the  old  frame  still 
standing  at  the  corner  of  Van  Buren  and 
Whitley  streets,  was  sold  at  public  auction 
December  9,  1853,  to  Sylvester  Knapp  for 
$35.25,  to  be  removed  by  May  1,  1854, 
which  was  done.  On  the  same  day  the 
county  officers'  fire  proof  brick  building  at 
the  north-east  corner  of  the  square  was  sold 
at  public  auction  to  Henry  S.  Cobaugh  for 
$60,  to  be  removed  by  June  1.  1854.  For 
some  reason  unknown  the  contract  was  never 
carried  out  and  the  commissioners  ordered 
it  removed  by  the  county  under  the  direction 
of  the  auditor.  About  the  cost  of  removing 
it  was  realized  from  the  sale  of  material. 

The  old  heavily  built  fence  around  the 
court  house  square,  the  only  one  ever  built 
around  it,  was  put  up  in  the  fall  of  1852. 
The  contract  was  let  to  Samuel  Brown  for 
$195,  but  he  failing  to  do  the  work.  Auditor 
Simon  Wanderlich  purchased  the  materials 
and  managed  the  labor  for  the  county  and 
the  total  cost  was  $187.50.  It  was  removed 
in  the  spring  of  1884.  In  March,  1842, 
David  E.  Long  and  Asa  Shoemaker  cleared 
the  forest  from  the  court  house  square  and 
to  the  middle  of  the  streets  adjoining  at  a 
cost  to  the  county  of  $52.50.  In  September, 
1852,  James  B.  Edwards  graded  the  grounds 
as  they  lay  until  1891  at  a  cost  to  the 
county    of  $271.50.       In    i860    Joseph   F. 


Shoemaker  planted  the  grounds  with  trees 
at  a  cost  of  $75.  These,  the  second  supply 
of  nature,  had  grown  to  a  beautiful  grove 
and  the  grounds  were  used  for  conventions 
and  all  sorts  of  gatherings  in  summer  for 
years  before  it  was  a  second  time  denuded, 
on  the  building  of  the  last  court  house  in 
1889.  The  losing  of  the  grove  from  the 
square  was  attended  with  great  regret  by 
all  our  people.  In  1891,  after  the  comple- 
tion of  the  present  court  house  the  grounds 
were  graded  to  their  present  condition  by  the 
county  under  the  direction  of  Eli  W.  Brown. 

The  first  jail  built  on  the  south-east  cor- 
ner of  the  public  square  was  partly  burned 
and  totally  disabled  by  John  Wheatley,  a 
prisoner  waiting  trial  for  larceny  in  March, 
1855.  Immediately  thereafter  a  jail  and 
sheriff's  residence  was  built  on  the  site  of 
the  first  court  house  removed,  to-wit,  on 
the  spot  now  covered  by  the  engine  house 
and  city  offices.  This  was  completed  No- 
vember 1,  1855,  built  by  James  B.  Edwards 
at  a  cost  of  $5,224.  It  was  constructed  on 
poor  plans,  was  insanitary  and  unsafe.  All 
criminals  charged  with  felony  or  grave  mis- 
demeanor were  for  years  conveyed  to  Fort 
Wayne  until  wanted  here  for  trial. 

In  1875,  the  present  jail  and  sheriff's 
residence  was  built,  completed  and  occupied 
early  in  1876.  The  contract  price  was 
$34,486.  The  architect  was  J.  C.  Johnson, 
of  Toledo,  and  the  contractor  was  James 
M.  Bratton,  of  Huntington.  This  was  sup- 
posed to  be  the  very  acme  of  safety,  but  in 
April,  1881.  a  prisoner  confined  one  after- 
noon had  by  the  use  of  a  case  knife  sawed 
off  the  grates  in  a  window  and  made  his  es- 
cape before  the  next  morning  and  steel  and 
iron  experts  were  called  to  examine  the 
grates  and  pronounced  the  iron  almost  soft 


i36 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


as  lead.  Extra  grates  were  immediately 
purchased  by  the  commissioners,  to  be  made 
of  homogeneous  steel,  of  alternate  layers  so 
soft  as  to  keep  the  bar  from  breaking  and 
so  hard  they  could  not  be  cut.  So  fearful 
were  the  authorities  that  the  steel  would  not 
be  right  that  on  the  arrival  of  the  grates 
every  blacksmith  and  metal  worker  in  the 
county  and-  one  from  Fort  Wayne  were 
called  to  test  them.  They  were  first  re- 
jected, but  on  securing  an  expert  who  had 
them  heated  and  cooled,  they  were  accepted 
and  placed.  They  have  since  defied  repeated 
attempts  to  saw  out.  Again  in  February, 
1884,  the  community  was  startled  by  the 
breaking  out  of  jail  of  Charles  W.  Butler, 
the  wife  murderer,  together  with  two  crimi- 
nals held  for  counterfeiting,  and  several  for 
minor  offences.  They  simply  broke  a  cor- 
ner out  of  one  of  the  stone  walls  of  the  upper 
tier  of  cells,  crawled  through  it  and  out  of 
a  hatch-way  or  opening  in  the  roof.  Exami- 
nation showed  these  walls  to  be  of  one  thick- 
ness of  stone,  eight  inches  thick,  without 
other  protection.  A  corner  large  enough 
for  the  men  to  crawl  through  was  easily 
broken  out.  These  cell  tops  and  all  other 
vulnerable  places  were  then  securely  covered 
with  heavy  boiler  iron  riveted  or  bolted  to 
the  stone.  Since  that  time  there  has  b?eii 
no  jail  breaking  and  the  building  bids  fair 
to  answer  the  county  yet  for  many  years  to 
come. 


In  March.  1857.  the  county  purchased 
from  James  T.  Long  the  north-east  frac- 
tional quarter  of  section  16.  in  Columbia 
township,  to  be  used  as  an  asylum  for  the 
poor.  The  buildings  then  on  the  farm  were 
used  until  the  completion  of  the  present  brick 
structure,  finished,  accepted  and  occupied  the 
first  Monday  in  March,'  1865.  The  plans 
were  drawn  by  C.  H.  Pond,  who  still  lives 
in  Columbia  City,  at  a  cost  of  Si  5.  The 
contract  was  let  January  30,  1864,  to  David 
J.  Silver,  of  Allen  county.  The  contract 
price  was  $11,900,  but  extras  were  added 
making  the  total  cost,  including  a  large 
cistern,  etc.,  about  $12,380.  The  old  build- 
ings were  given  to  Joseph  Yontz,  the  first 
superintendent,  for  taking  them  away.  The 
present  brick  hospital  building  was  erected 
in  1895.  The  superintendents,  as  near  as 
we  can  ascertain,  to  the  present  were  Joseph 
Yontz,  about  ten  years  and  Stephen  Haley 
one  year,  Asa  Meredith,  about  ten  years, 
Cyrenus  Coplen,  about  twelve  years,  then 
Charles  Dimick  and  William  Minor,  who  is 
at  present  holding  the  position.  The  su- 
perintendent holds  his  place  by  virtue  of  ap- 
pointment of  county  commissioners,  makes 
bis  reports  to  them  and  is  always  under  their 
control    and    subject    to   their   orders. 

The  earliest  physicians  employed  to  at- 
tend the  paupers  at  the  asylum  were  Dr. 
John  B.  Firestone,  Dr.  Martin  Ireland  and 
Dr.  Stephen  Major. 


POSTOFFICES  AND  POSTMASTERS. 


No  part  of  the  history  of  any  people  is  tied,  the  means  of  communicating  with  dear 
more  interesting  than  that  which  pertains  ones  left  back  in  the  eastern  states  was  very 
to  their  communication  with  the  outer  poor  and  also  expensive.  Contrast  our  two- 
world.      When  Whitley  county  was  first  set-  cent  letter  postage  with  that  of  the  'thirties. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


137 


when  there  was  no  uniform  rate  of  postage, 
charge  being  made  according  to  the  distance 
a  letter  was  to  be  carried,  and  it  being  speci- 
fied that  a  letter  was  to  consist  of  one  sheet 
of  paper,  two  sheets  requiring  double  post- 
age, three  sheets  triple,  and  so  on. 

The  charge  for  carrying  a  letter  any 
distance  not  exceeding  thirty  miles  was  six 
cents  per  sheet,  over  thirty  and  not  exceed- 
ing eighty  miles,  ten  cents;  over  eighty  and 
not  exceeding  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles, 
twelve  and  one-half-  cents;  over  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  and  less  than  four  hundred 
miles,  eighteen  and  three-fourths  cents.  For 
any  distance  over  four  hundred  miles  there 
was  a  flat  rate  of  twenty-five  cents  per  sin- 
gle sheet  letter. 

For  newspapers,  a  rate  of  one  cent  a  copy 
was  made  for  distances  not  over  one  hun- 
dred miles,  and  one  and  a  half  cents  for  any 
greater  distance,  except  that  any  newspaper 
0  mid  be  carried  to  any  point  in  the  state 
where  published,  without  regard  to  distance. 
for  one  cent.  Thus  any  weekly  newspaper 
cost  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  cents  per  an- 
num for  postage.  Few  could  afford  even 
a  weekly,  and  a  daily  paper  was  undreamed 
of  by  our  people. 

All  other  difficulties  of  frontier  life  out 
of  the  way,  the  expense,  where  money  was 
so  hard  to  get,  made  letters  between  fam- 
ilies and  friends  few  and  far  between.  Then, 
too,  the  means  of  transporting  letters  was 
so  slow  and  so  very  poor,  that  a  large  per- 
centage of  letters  sent  never  reached  their 
destination.  Who  has  not  heard  the  sad 
story  told  by  some  old  pioneer,  of  hearing 
of  the  death  of  a  parent,  relative  or  friend, 
not  a  hundred  miles  away,  weeks,  even 
months,  after  it  occurred.     Practicallv  were 


our  pioneers  shut  out  from  the  world,  their 
isolation,  their  loneliness  made  complete. 
The  early  years  were  strewn  with  deaths 
from  loneliness  and  homesickness.  How, 
in  their  desolation,  they  magnified  the  ad- 
vantages of  old  home.  And  again,  if  years 
afterward  they  were  permitted  to  revisit 
the  scenes  of  childhood,  how  different  from 
what  they  expected,  how  disappointing. 
Rapid  transit  has  almost  annihilated  that 
destroying  monster,   homesickness. 

Our  first  settlers  were  obliged  to  go  to 
Huntington,  Fort  Wavne,  Warsaw  or 
Goshen  for  mail,  if  they  ever  got  a  chance 
letter;  and  these  towns  were  not  accessible 
as  they  are  to-day.  It  took  days  of  travel 
to  reach  them. 

SOUTH  WHITLEY. 

At  the  organization  of  the  county,  there 
was  but  one  postoffice  in  existence  within 
its  limits.  The  settlers  on  Eel  river,  about 
what  is  nov?  South  Whitley,  made  applica- 
tion in  the  fall  of  1836,  for  a  postoffice.  The 
office  was  ordered  established  February  25, 
1837.  with  David  D.  Parrett  as  postmaster, 
but  the  government  could  not  and  did  not 

3IJJ[        'O^gl     lUUn    3DB[d    3ip    OJ    [IBUJ    .I3Aipp 

office  was  named  Whitley.  All  mail  ad- 
dressed to  Whitley,  Whitley  county,  Indi- 
ana, went  to  the  Huntington  postoffice  until 
the  Whitley  postmaster,  or  some  one  in  his 
place,  called  for  it.  So  with  outgoing  mail. 
If  deposited  with  Parrett  at  Whitley,  he  held 
it  until  he  could  go  or  send  it  to  Hunting- 
ton. 

On  the  14th  of  May,  1842,  a  postoffice 
was  established  at  Columbia  City,  and  it 
was   called   Whitlev   Court  House,   and   on 


US 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


the  same  clay  the  name  of  the  Whitley  post- 
office  was  changed  to  South  Whitley,  as  it 
still  remains.  Mail  for  South  Whitley 
still  came  by  way  of  Huntington,  but  the 
outgoing  mail  might  be  sent  either  to  Whit- 
ley Court  House  or  Huntington.  Later  it 
came  also  by  way  of  Columbia. 

July  i.  1850,  a  route  was  established 
from  La  Gro,  Wabash  county,  through 
South  Whitley,  to  Warsaw,  making  a  round 
trip  once  a  week.  A  branch  line  was  also 
established  from  South  Whitley  to  Colum- 
bia City,  making  a  round  trip  once  a  week. 

July  r,  1854,  a  route  was  established 
from  La  Gro,  by  North  Manchester,  Liberty 
Mills.  Collamer,  South  Whitley,  Clear 
Spring  and  Farmers  to  Warsaw,  forty-one 
miles.  Twice  a  week  from  La  Gro  to  South 
Whitley,  and  only  once  a  week  the  residue, 
with  a  weekly  branch  from  South  Whitley 
to  Columbia  City  and  back. 

July  1,  1858.  the  route  was  changed, 
making  Columbia  City  instead  of  Warsaw, 
the  northern  terminus.  It  ran  from  La  Gro, 
North  Manchester,  Liberty  Mills,  Collamer. 
South  Whitley  to  Columbia  City,  thirty- 
three  miles,  and  back  twice  a  week:  but  one 
of  these  weekly  round  trips  left  Liberty 
Mills  out.  This  service  continued  until 
July  1.  1866.  after  which  one  route  ran  from 
Columbia  City  to  South  Whitley  and  Colla- 
mer. making  a  round  trip  once  a  week,  and 
one  route  from  Fort  Wayne  to  South  Whit- 
ley, Collamer  and  intervening  points,  mak- 
ing a  round  trip  once  a  week;  and  this  serv- 
ice continued  until  the  mail  was  carried 
daily  to  South  Whitley  over  the  Eel  River 
Railroad.  The  postmasters  at  South  Whit- 
ley have  been : 

David  D.  Parrett,  February  25,  1837,  to 
September  7.   1840. 


William  W.  Arnold,  September  7,  1849, 
to  September  13,  1852. 

Samuel  A.  Sheibley,  September  13,  1852, 
to  December  21,  1854. 

Job  Dow,  December  21,  1854,  to  July 
18,  1856. 

Aaron  Metz,  July  18.  1856,  to  Septem- 
ber 1,  1857. 

Adam  Bitner,  September  1,  1857,  to 
October  12.  1857. 

Obadiah  Carper,  October  12,  1857,  to 
September  5,   186 1. 

John  Allbright,  September  5,  1861,  to 
January  7,  1862. 

Jesse  Arnold,  January  7.  1862,  to  April 

7.  1869. 

William  A.  Hitchcock,  April  7,  1869,  to 
May  Q.   1872. 

Samuel  Robbins.  May  9.   1872.  to  July 

8,  1885. 

Thomas  J.  Lafollette.  July  8,  T885.  to 
June  13,  1889. 

George  W.  Reaser,  June  13.  1889,  to 
February  15.   1892. 

Rena  Murray,  February  15.  1892.  to 
September  5,   1893. 

Stephen  D.  Dunlap,  September  5.  1893. 
to  August  4,  1807. 

Edward  E.  Hissem,  August  4,  1897.  to 
December  20,  1902. 

Cash  M.  Graham,  December  20,  1902. 

COLUMBIA     CITY. 

On  the  14th  day  of  May.  1842,  a  post- 
office  was  established  at  the  seat  of  justice 
of  Whitley  county.  The  citizens  asked  that 
it  be  called  Columbia,  but  the  department 
replied  that  there  was  already  a  postoffice 
by  that  name  in  the  •  state.  A  controversy 
then   arose  over  a  name.      Richard  Collins 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


139 


renewed  his  effort  to  call  it  Beaver,  the  name 
he  tried  to  give  the  town.  But  during  the 
dispute,  the  department  named  it  Whitley 
Court  House,  and  changed  the  already  exist- 
ing Whitley  postoffice  to  South  Whitley. 

While  Whitley  Court  House  postoffice 
was  established  May  14,  1842,  there  was 
no  mail  service  to  the  place  until  July  1st  of 
the  same  year.  During  these  six  weeks  or 
more,  mail  for  the  place  was  supposed  to 
lie  in  the  Fort  Wayne  postoffice  till  called 
for  by  the  postmaster  or  some  one  for  him, 
and  outgoing  mail  had  to  be  carried  to  Fort 
Wayne  in  the  same  manner.  Then  came  a 
confusion  between  the  two  Whitley  post- 
offices,  that  was  very  annoying  and  lasted 
until  long  after  Whitley  Court  House  had 
become  Columbia  City  postoffice.  Letters 
intended  for  either  place  often  went  to  the 
other,  and  many  found  their  way  to  the 
dead  letter  office  and  were  never  received 
by  the  party  intended.  As  the  business  of 
the  offices  grew,  this  became  SO'  annoying 
that  something  had  to  be  done.  The  long 
name  was  never  popular  and  was  not  chosen 
by  the  people.  Agitation  for  a  change  kept 
up  from  the  first,  but  did  not  take  definite 
form  till  the  winter  of  1853  and  1854. 
Finally,  somebody  called  a  meeting  or  elec- 
tion to  be  held  in  the  new  Court  House,  De- 
cember 16,  1853,  to  decide  the  name.  Rich- 
ard Collins  renewed  the  fight  for  the  Indian 
name  Beaver,  and  Dr.  Swayzee  led  the  fight 
for  Columbia  City.  If  it  could  not  be  Co- 
lumbia, it  could  be  that  name  with  city 
attached.  It  would  give  the  place  a  big 
name.  Considerable  acrimony  was  manifest 
before  and  during  the  caucus,  but  Columbia 
City  won  out,  was  certified  to  the  depart- 
ment at  Washington  as  the  choice  of  the 


people,  and  on  the  16th  day  of  January, 
1854,  the  day  Lewis  Dowell  took  the  office, 
the  name  was  changed.  The  railroads  car- 
ried the  name  Columbia  until  recent  years 
when  they,  too,  changed  to  Columbia  City. 
From  Jul}-  1,  1842,  to  July  1,  1846,  there 
was  a  weekly  mail,  onte  round  trip  a  week 
from  Fort  Wayne  to  Whitley  Court  House 
and  back.  The  next  year,  on  the  establish- 
ment of  Coesse  postoffice  along  the  route, 
it  was  included. 

From  July  1,  1846,  to  July  1,  1850,  this 
route  was  maintained  and  also  one  from 
Columbia  to  Plymouth,  by  way  of  Warsaw 
and  intervening  towns,  making  a  round  trip 
once  a  week,  distance  fifty-one  miles.  Also 
the  branch  line  from  South  Whitley ;  a 
branch  from  La  Gro  to  Warsaw. 

A  route  was  also  established  July  1, 
1850,  from  Metea  to  Columbia,  55.36 
miles,  but  October  1,  the  same  year,  this 
route  did  not  come  farther  north  than 
North  Manchester.  On  same  date,  two  more 
routes  were  established  out  of  Columbia. 
One  to  Elkhart,  one  round  trip  a  week.  One 
to  Wolf  Lake  and  back,  eighteen  miles,  one 
round  trip  a  week,  and  July  1,  1853,  one 
to  Albion  and  back,  twenty  miles,  one  round 
trip  a  week. 

Then  came  the  Pennsylvania  railway, 
and  from  July  1,  1858,  to  July  1,  1862,  we 
had  only  the  La  Gro-South  Whitley  route 
and  the  Wrilmot  and  intervening  offices 
route,  and  these  were  the  only  ones  up  to 
1866. 

From  1866  to  1S70,  the  Wilmot  route 
was  extended  to  Cromwell  and  we  had  the 
route  to  South  Whitley  and  Collamer,  this 
latter  continued  to  the  completion  of  the 
Eel  River  Railroad,  and  the  Cromwell  route 


140 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


was   changed   to   Ligonier.      The   following  Eli  \V.  Brown,  July  9,  1885,  to  June  29, 

is  a  complete  list  of  Columbia   City  post-  1889. 

masters:  George  S.  Meely,  June  29,  1889.  to  Sep- 

David  E.  Long,  May  14,  1842,  to  Octo-  t ember  28,  1893. 

ber  17.  1845.  John    Adams,    September   28.    1893,    to 

Simon     H.     Wunderlich,     October     17,  October   12,    1897. 

1845,  tn  December  9,   1845.  Wallace   W.    Williamson,    October    12, 

t 
James  B.  Edwards,   December  9,    1845,      1807,  to  January  18,  1906. 

to  October  21,   1847.  John  W.   Baker.  January  18,   1906. 

Joseph   H.    Pratt,  October  21,    1847,  t0 

T    , "  o  COESSE. 

July   II,   1849. 

James  Wallace,  July    11,    1849,   to  A.U-  The    third    postofnce   established   in   the 

gust  13,  1S50.  county  was  Coesse,  March  15,  1843.    It  was 

Adams  Y.  Hooper,  August  13,  1850,  to     named   after   the    Indian,    Coesse.      It   was 

April    12,    1852.  on  the  Ruckman  farm  on  the  yellow  river 

Warren  Mason,  April  12,  1852,  to  Janu-      road  and  remained  in  almost  the  same  loca- 

ary   16,    1854.  tion  until  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  was  put 

Lewis     Dowell,    January  '  16,    1854,    to      in  operation,  when  it  was  moved  down  to 

May  20,   1854.  the  town  that  took  the  same  name.     It  was 

Warren  Mason,  May  20,  1854,  to  Octo-     on  the  Fort  Wayne  and  Columbia  route,  the 

ber  28,    1854.  only  one  from  which  it  ever  got  mail  until 

Joseph  A.   Bern',  October  28,    1854,  to     located  on  the  railroad. 
June  12,  1856.  The  postmasters  have  been: 

Ignatius  Hook,  June  12,   1856,  to  Sep-  Horace   Cleveland,   March    15,    1843.   tn 

April  3,  1856. 

Joseph  H.  Root,  Jr.,  April  3,   1856,  to 
October  8,  1859. 

Simon  Aker,  October  8,   1859,  to  July 
10,  1 86 1. 

Joseph  H.  Root,  July  10,   1861,  to  Sep- 
tember 22,   1863. 

George  B.  Bonestel,  September  22,  1803. 
to  February  5,  1866. 

Leonard    Aker,    February    5.    1866,    to 
June  2~j,  1867. 

Margaret  M.  Kaufman,  June  27.   1867, 
to  November  4,  1867. 

Franklin  Dustman,  November  4,    1867, 
to  January  14,  1869. 

John    A.    Kaufman,   January    14.    1869, 
to  April  7.  T873. 


tember  24,  1856. 

Charles  Ruch.  September  24,  1856,  to 
March  27,   1857. 

Samuel  Miner,  March  2"j,  1857,  to  No- 
vember 16,  1859. 

Simon  H.  Wunderlich,  November  16, 
1859,  to  August  5,  1S61. 

Warren  Mason,  August  5,  1861,  to  April 
4,  1865. 

John  T.  Drury.  April  4,  1865,  to  Au- 
gust 28,  1866. 

Albert  F.  Ruch,  August  28,  1866,  to 
March  17,  1869. 

Orson  H.  Woodworth,  March  17,  1869, 
to  October  8.   1884. 

John  W.  Baker,  October  8,  ,  1884,  to 
July  0.    1885. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


141 


Israel  H.  Kinsey.  April  7,  1873,  to  Oc- 
tober 24,   1873. 

Wesley  W.  Allen,  October  24,  1873,  to 
April  17,   1878. 

Frederick  Smith,  April  17,  1878,  to  Au- 
gust 17,   1885. 

Moses  Winter,  August  17,  1885,  to 
March  29,  1887. 

William  A.  Allen,  March  29,  1887,  to 
May  14,  1889. 

Henry  Bentz,  May  14,  1889,  to  April 
17,  1893. 

Jackson  Byram.  April  17,  1893,  to  April 
29.   1897. 

•Francis  M.  Swartz,  April  29,  1897,  t0 
July  29,   1903. 

William  A.  Allen,  July  29.   1903. 

SUMMIT.        (LARWILL.) 

The  next  office  established  in  the  county 
was  Summit,  December  21,  1846.  It  was 
at  the  old  town  of  Summit,  half  a  mile  west 
of  present  Larwill.  where  the  Columbia  and 
Warsaw  state  road  crossed  the  Goshen  and 
Huntington  state  road.  Alexander  S.  Mc- 
Nagny,  still  living  at  the  same  place,  was 
first  postmaster,  from  December  21,  1846,  to 
August  6,  1850.  Then  Henry  McLallen  took 
it  and  held  it  till  December  30,  1851.  He 
kept  it  at  his  house  on  the  Kerr  farm,  eastern 
edge  of  present  Larwill.  It  was  not  a  de- 
sirable office  and  went  begging  to  any  one 
who  would  take  it  along  the  post  road,  the 
Warsaw  state  road.  Alonzo  Rodebaugh 
kept  it  from  December  30,  185 1,  to  June  11, 
1853.  George  D.  H.  Harris  held  it  from 
June  11.  1853,  ^11  February  18,  1854,  when 
Henry  McLallen  was  again  induced  to  ac- 
cept it  and  held  it  till  August  17,  1861. 
During  McLallen's  last  incumbency,  the 
Pennsylvania  Railwav  was  built.     McLallen 


had  moved  down  to  the  new  town  of 
Huntsville  and  the  office  had  become  de- 
sirable, attracting  trade  to  the  place  where 
kept.  The  Republican  part)-  having  come 
into  power.  Edwin  L.  Barber  secured  the 
office.  Barber  held  it  till  November  4,  1865, 
when  Abram  J.  Whittenberger  was  ap- 
pointed, holding  it  till  November  2,  1866, 
when  Andrew  Johnson's  change  of  front 
gave  it  to  Samuel  S.  Bonar,  a  Democrat. 

Up  to  March  28.  1866,  the  name  re- 
mained Summit,  though  many  letters  ad- 
dressed to  Huntsville  reached  the  proper  des- 
tination. On  that  day,  the  name  was 
changed  to  Larwill,  and  so  remains.  It  was 
on  the  Columbia-Plymouth  route  from  its 
establishment  till  the  route  was  discontin- 
ued when  the  railroad  was  completed.  Mail 
once  a  week  each  way.  Bonar  held  the  of- 
fice until  March  26,  1869,  when  Edwin  L. 
Barber  was  again  appointed,  and  held  it  till 
October   9,    1871. 

Hiram  B.  Whittenberger.  from  Octo- 
ber 9,   1871,  to  December  20,   1881. 

William  N.  Andrews,  from  December 
20,  1 88 1,  to  July  8,  1885. 

David  F.  Lower,  from  July  8,  1885,  to 
April  27,  1889. 

Alonzo  N.  King,  from  April  27,  1889, 
to  April  15,  1893. 

David  B.  Bonar,  from  April  15,  1893.  to 
January  20,   1806, 

Elmore  Everett  Rindfusz,  from  January 
20.   1806,  to  June  23.   1897. 

John  Trachsel.  June  23.   1897. 

HECLA. 

Popano — Etna. 

Popano  postoffice  was  established  April 
it.   T84S.  with  Thomas  B.  Cunningham  as 


142 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


postmaster,  near  the  north  line  of  Troy 
township,  each  early  incumbent  keeping  the 
office  at  his  home.  April.  4,  1849,  lames 
Blain  took  the  office  and  kept  it  till  June 
30,  1851.  Rufus  D.  Keeney  took  the  office 
from  Blain  June  30.  185 1,  and  kept  it  till 
June  23,  1855.  On  the  "th  of  October, 
1 85 1,  Keeney  removed  it  across  the  line 
into  Noble  county  (now  Etna  township), 
and  on  same  day  the  name  was  changed 
from  Popano  to  Etna ;  and  on  May  22,  1852, 
the  name  was  changed  from  Etna  to  Hecla. 
Eafavette  Lamson  having  laid  out  the  town 
of  Etna  and  living  there,  took  the  office 
June  23,  1855,  and  held  it  till  Daniel  H. 
Chandler  took  it  December  6,  1859. 

On  the  change  of  county,  by  which  Etna 
township  fell  to  Whitley  county  in  1859,  the 
office  again  came  into  Whitley  county.  The 
following  is  a  full  list  of  postmasters  from 
Chandler's  time : 

Samuel  Garrison,  October  7,  1861,  to 
April  24,  1865. 

William  W.  Graves,  April  24,  1865.  to 
June  7,  1865. 

Samuel  Garrison,  June  7,  1865,  to  July 
17,  1 866. 

James  Felt,  July  17,  1866,  to  January 
25.    i860. 

Curtis  Caskey,  January  25,  1869,  to  Sep- 
tember 28,  1869. 

Virgil  Barber,  September  28,  1869,  to 
November  7,  1878. 

Clarence  E.  Doane,  November  7,  1878, 
to  November  17,  1882. 

Peter  Moore,  November  17,  1882,  to 
(  let  iber  22,  1884. 

William  H.  Sellers,  October  22,  1884. 
to  June   ]6,  1885. 


Thomas  VV.  Blain,  June  16,  1885,  to 
June  20.   1889. 

Wesley  J.  Magley,  June  20,  1889,  to 
August  8,  1893. 

Frederic  Zinsmeister,  August  8,  1893,  to 
March   17,  1896. 

Frederick  W.  Kline,  March  17,  1896,  to 
October  9,  1897. 

Jesse  Miller,  October  9,  1897,  to  De- 
cember 28,    1900. 

John  A.  Jontz,  December  28,  1900,  to 
November  5,  1903. 

Madge  A.  Kline,  November  5,  1903,  to 
February  29,    1904. 

On  the  29th  day  of  February,  1904,  the 
office  was  discontinued,  the  patrons  being 
supplied  by  rural  delivery  from  Columbia 
City,  route  fourteen.  From  the  establish- 
ment of  the  office  April  11,  1848,  to  July  1, 
1850,  there  was  no  delivery  of  mail  to  the 
place.  Mail  for  Popano  remained  in  the  Co- 
lumbia City  office  until  called  for  by  the 
postmaster  or  some  one  for  him.  Also  out- 
going mail  had  to  be  carried  to  Columbia. 

July  1,  1850,  Popano  was  put  on  the 
route  from  Fort  Wayne  to  Elkhart,  but  in 
October,  1851,  it  was  put  on  the  Columbia 
City  and  Wolf  Lake  route.  From  that  time 
until  the  discontinuance  of  the  office,  it  was 
on  some  route  from  Columbia  City,  with 
various  terminations. 

CHURUBUSCO. 

Though  the  Goshen  road  through  Smith 
township  was  the  earliest'  thoroughfare,  and 
the  settlements  among  the  verv  earliest, 
there  was  no  postoffice  in  the  vicinity  until 
the  establishment  of  Churubusco  September 
11,    T848. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


H3 


Thomas  B.  Cunningham  was  the  post- 
master and  kept  the  office  at  his  house  on 
the  Goshen  road,  northwest  of  the  present 
town  of  Churubusco.  The  name  was  taken 
from  the  place  in  Mexico,  made  famous  by 
the  Mexican  war.  Just  how  it  got  the  name, 
remains  in  dispute.  Some  say  an  old  fiddler 
in  the  neighborhood  was  constantly  sawing 
off  a  tune,  Churubusco,  and  that  he  was  mak- 
ing his  home  with  Cunningham  at  the  time. 
When  the  town  of  Churubusco  started, 
there  were  two  plats  and  two  towns,  Frank- 
lin and  Union.  There  was  considerable  con- 
troversy as  to  which  of  the  three  names 
should  survive,  but  Churubusco  won  out, 
and  both  the  town  and  postoffice  settled 
down  to  it  many  years  ago. 

The  following  have  been  the  postmas- 
ters : 

Thomas  B.  Cunningham,  September  11, 
1848,   to   December  20,    1849. 

James  F.  Mason,  December  20,  1849, 
to  May  18,   1852. 

William  B.  Walker,  May  18,  1852,  to 
June   18,    1 861. 

Martin  Thomson,  June  18,  1861,  to  Oc- 
tober 10,    1863. 

Joseph  Richards,  October  10,  1863,  to 
September  10,  1864. 

Alfred  Jennings,  September  10,  1864,  to 
November  30,  1864. 

Lemuel  J.  Harding.  November  30, 
1864,  to  September  1,   1865. 

William  B.  Walker,  September  1,  1865. 
to  March  2,  1866. 

John  Deck,  March  2.  1866.  to  August 
25,   1868. 

John  A.  Stratton,  August  25,  1868,  to 
July   23,    1869. 


Gilbert  L.  Walker,  July  23,  1869,  to 
September  21,   1869. 

David  N.  Hughes,  September  21,  1869, 
to  January  24,    1870. 

Anes  Yocum,  January  24,  1870,  to  Sep- 
tember 3,    1883. 

George  W.  Ott,  September  23,  1883,  to 
May  19,   1885. 

Winfield  S.  Gandy,  May  19,  1885.  to 
December  17,   1888. 

John  W.  Leiter,  December  17,  1888.  to 
July  2,   1889. 

John  W.  Orndorf,  July  2,  1889,  to  July 

3-  i893- 

William  H.  Carter,  July  3,  1893,  to 
June  8,  1897. 

William  A.  Devault,  June  8,  1897. 

From  the  date  of  its  establishment  to 
Jul}-  t.  1854,  it  was  on  the  mail  route  from 
Fort  Wayne  to  Elkhart.  July  1,  1854,  the 
terminus  of  the  route  was  Goshen  instead 
of  Elkhart  and  continued  till  July  1,  1858, 
when  it  was  on  the  route  from  Fort  Wayne 
to  Albion  and  so  continued  until  July  1. 
1870.  when  the  old  route  was  cut  in  two 
parts.  Two  round  trips  per  week  from  Fort 
Wayne  to  Churubusco,  and  also  two  round 
trips  per  week  from  Albion  to  Churubusco, 
and  so  continued  until  the  completion  of  the 
Eel  River  Railroad.  • 

COLLAMER. 

This  postoffice  was  established  Septem- 
ber 18.  1849.  The  town  was  then  of  fully 
as  much  importance  as  to-day.  It  was  called 
Millersburgh,  in  honor  of  Ellis  Miller,  the 
merchant  and  proprietor.  The  petition 
asked  the  postoffice  be  called  Millersburgh. 
but  as  there  was  already  an  office  by  that 


144 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


name  in  Elkhart  county,  the  department 
named  it  Collamer  in  honor  of  Jacob  Colla- 
mer,  postmaster  general. 

The  following  have  been  the  postmas- 
ters : 

Robert  Reed,  September  18,  1849,  to 
December   21,    1854. 

Jacob  Butler,  December  21,  1854,  to 
May  24.   1856. 

Abel  Puffenbarger,  May  24,  1856,  to 
April  3.   1857. 

Abraham  Collett,  April  3,  1857,  to  June 
20.    1863. 

Daniel  Haines,  June  20,  1863,  to  Octo- 
ber 10.  1863. 

John  M.  Willits,  October  10,  1863,  to 
May  8,  1872. 

Edwin  Harter,  May  8,  1872,  to  March 
30,   1874. 

Henry  Bowser,  March  30,  1874,  to  No- 
vember 16,   1874. 

John  D.  Spurgeon,  November  16,  1874, 
to  October  19,  1875. 

James  C.  Grafton,  October  19,  1875,  to 
April   17,   1876. 

Joseph  A.  Schannep,  April  17,  1876,  to 
June  20,  1878. 

Alfred  Ross,  June  20,  1878,  to  Novem- 
ber 8,  1882. 

Joseph  A.  Schannep.  November  8,  1882, 
to  July  8,   1885. 

Alfred  Ross,  July  8,  1885,  to  August  20, 
1 889. 

Joseph  A.  Schannep,  August  20,  1889, 
to  October  2,  1893. 

Alfred  Ross,  October  2.  1893,  to  Octo- 
ber 20.   1897. 

Joseph  A.  Schannep.  October  20.  1897, 
i'  1  I  >ecember  1 1.  1902. 

Alfred    Ross,  December  n,   1902. 


For  thirty  years  there  has  been  a  run- 
ning fire  between  Ross  and  Schannep,  but 
the  latter  has  moved  away,  leaving  the  field 
to  his  rival. 

Reed  kept  the  ofrite  in  a  small  log  cabin, 
on  the  spot  where  Ross'  store  now  stands. 
Puffenbarger  kept  it  in  a  building  torn 
down.  Haines  in  a  cabinet  shop.  Since  that 
time  it  has  been  kept  in  some  business  house. 

The  office,  when  established,  was  on  the 
La  Gro- Warsaw  route,  and  on  that  being 
discontinued  was  from  and  to  Columbia 
City,  until  the  completion  of  the  Eel  River 
Railroad. 

LORAN. 

(Later  Lorane.) 

A  postofnee  was  established  at  the  little 
village  in  north-east  Richland  (then  Troy 
township),  called  Steam  Corners,  or  Buz- 
zard's Glory,  July  28,  185 1.  We  cannot  as- 
certain the  reason  for  the  name,  but  Wil- 
liam A.  Clark  was  the  postmaster  and  kept 
the  office  in  his  little  store.  He  sold  the 
store  to  James  Grant,  April  14,  1854,  and 
the  office  went  with  it.  The  store  burned 
March  24.  1855,  and  the  office  was  discon- 
tinued. 

It  was  re-established  under  the  name  of 
Lorane.  May  21,  1872,  and  the  following 
have  been  the  postmasters : 

Amos  J.  Landis.  May  21,  1872,  to  Janu- 
ary 5,   1875. 

Nathan  E.  Tinkham,  January  5,  1875,  to 
January  2.  1877. 

Charles  W,  Gruesbeck,  January  2,  1877, 
to  I  Jecember  19,  1881. 

Theodore  S.  Gruesbeck,  December  19, 
1881.  to  July  8.    1885. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


145 


James  Grant,  July  8,  1885,  to  May  14, 
1889. 

Rena  Gruesbeck,  May  14,  1889,  to  Feb- 
ruary 29.  1904. 

The  office  was  discontinued  February, 
1904,  on  establishment  of  county  rural  serv- 
ice. It  was  first  on  the  Columbia  City-Wolf 
Lake  route,  and  until  its  discontinuance  was 
on  some   route  out  of  Columbia  City. 

THORNCREEK. 

A  postoffice  was  established  at  Bloom- 
field August  18,  1853.  -"^s  Bloomfield  is 
now  off  the  county  map,  it  is  necessary  to 
state  that  it  was  located  on  the  line  between 
section  1,  Thorncreek  township,  and  sec- 
tion 6,  Smith  township,  and  on  the  center 
line  of  these  sections,  a  half  mile  north  of 
the  east  end  of  Round  Lake.  The  petition- 
ers asked  that  it  be  called  Bloomfield,  but 
there  was  already  an  office  by  that  name  in 
the  state.  They  then  sent  in  two  names, 
Thorncreek  and  Round  Lake,  and  the  form- 
er was  accepted.  It  was  generally  called 
Round  Lake  postoffice  by  the  people  of  the 
neighborhood.  Samuel  Kinsey  had  a  little 
store  at  the  place  and  secured  the  postoffice. 
He  tired  of  frontier  life,  sold  out  and  went 
back  to  Ohio.  Samuel  Deck,  from  over 
about  Ligonier,  bought  him  out  January  16, 
1854.  and  took  the  store  and  office  that  day. 
In  July  of  the  same  year,  Deck  fell  dead  in 
his  store,  and  was  buried  on  the  banks  of 
Round  Lake.  Warren  Mason,  postmaster 
at  Columbia  City,  went  up  next  day  and 
moved  the  office  to  Abraham  H.  Krider's 
cabin  a  half  mile  south  of  Bloomfield.  on 
the  east  bank  of  Round  Lake,  and  on  July 
2j,  T854.  Krider  was  commissioned  post- 
master. Krider  soon  sold  out  and  moved 
10 


near  Churubusco.  No  one  wanting  the  of- 
fice in  the  neighborhood,  Krider  bundled  up 
the  effects  and  took  them  to  the  Churubusco 
office,  that  being  the  nearest,  and  Thorn- 
creek postoffice  passed  into  history  after  an 
existence  of  a  year  and  eight  days. 

It  was  on  the  route  from  Columbia  City 
to   Albion. 


Postoffices  were  established  at  Laud  and 
'Washington  Center  on  the  same  day,  June 
2j,  1855.  Laud  postoffice  was  kept  at  the 
homes  of  three  different  postmasters  until 
the  business  grew  to  such  importance  that 
it  was  worth  keeping  at  a  place  of  business, 
in  the  little  town  of  Forest,  on  the  line  be- 
tween Washington  and  Jefferson  townships, 
stretching  a  mile  along  the  east  side  of  sec- 
tion 24,  Washington,  and  section  19,  Jef- 
ferson. 

The  postmasters  have  been : 

Thomas  Neal,  June  27,  1855,  to  June 
18,   186 1. 

Charles  Bechtel,  Jr.,  June  18,  1861,  to 
April  2j,  1880. 

Marion  G.  Wright,  April  27,  1880,  to 
June  j  1,  1 88 1. 

Edward  E,  Phelps,  June  21,  1881,  to 
May   15,   1882. 

James  W.  Burwell,  May  15,  1882,  to 
July  8,  1885. 

Perry  Long,  July  8,  1885,  to  January  9, 
r888. 

Jacob  C. '  Raber,  January  9,  1888,  to 
June  6,  1889. 

Leroy  L.  Kimmel.  June  6,  1889,  to  July 
3,  1893. 

Jacob  C.  Raber,  July  3.  1893,  to  June  8, 
1897. 


i46 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


Leroy  L.  Kimmel,  June  8,  1897,  to  April 
22,   1901. 

George  W.  Kelsey,  April  22,  1901. 

The  office  was  discontinued  on  account 
of  rural  mail  service,  February  28,  1903. 

When  established,  it  was  on  the  Fort 
Wayne  and  Liberty  Mills  route,  thirty-two 
miles,  making  one  round  trip  each  week ; 
also  making  quite  a  number  of  other  offices. 
This  route  was  discontinued  July  1.  1870. 
It  was  then  put  on  the  route  from  Aboite 
to  Bracken  (Claysviile),  a  distance  of  twen- 
miles,  making  one  round  trip  each  week ; 
and  this  continued  until  July  1,  1876,  at 
which  date  a  route  was  established  from 
Columbia  City  to  Laud,  ten  and  a  half  miles, 
making  a  round  trip  two  days  in  each  week, 
and  this  continued  until  the  Nickel  Plate 
Railway  was  put  in  operation,  after  which  a 
daily  route  was  established  between  Laud 
and  Peabody,  a  distance  of  four  and  a  half 
miles.  July  1,  1887,  the  route  was  changed 
to  run  daily  between  Laud  and  Raber,  a  dis- 
tance of  three  and  three-quarters  miles, 
which  was  soon  after  shortened  to  three  and 
a  half  miles,  and  so  remained  until  Laud 
postoffice   was    discontinued. 

WASHINGTON    CENTER. 

This  office  was  established  June  27. 
1855.  It  was  not  at  the  center  of  Washing- 
ton township,  as  its  name  would  suggest, 
but  at  different  farm  houses,  usually  about 
a  mile  south  of  the  center  of  the  township. 

William  Chamberlin  was  the  first  post- 
master, and  held  it  till  May  24.  1856.  Mar- 
tin P>echtel  then  held  it  until  January  19, 
[866,  almost  ten  years,  at  his  home  now 
owned    by    Charles    W.    Alexander,    at    the 


north-west  corner  of  the  cross  roads,  a  mile 
south  of  Washington  Center.  Then  Sylves- 
ter Alexander  took  his  turn  and  held  it  till' 
April  9,  1868,  at  his  home  on  the  quarter 
section  just  east  of  Bechtel's.  His  folks  said 
the  proceeds  of  the  office  did  not  pay  for 
scrubbing  the  mud  off  the  porch,  and  Andrew 
Clark  took  and  held  it  at  his  house  just  south 
of  Alexander's  and  across  the  road,  until 
December  22,  1874,  when  he,  too,  refused 
to  serve  longer  and  the  office  was  on  that 
day  discontinued.  It  was  on  the  Liberty 
Mills  and  Fort  Wayne  route  from  its  estab- 
lishment until  July  1,  1870.  and  from  that 
time  to  its  discontinuance  on  the  Aboite  and 
Bracken  route. 

fuller's  corners. 

This  place  is  no  longer  on  the  map  of 
Whitley  county.  It  is  on  the  line  between 
sections  29  and,  30,  Smith  township,  where 
the  north  and  south  road  is  crossed  by  the 
east  and  west,  about  eighty  rods  south  of 
the  north  line  of  the  sections.  A  postoffice 
was  established  in  this  neighborhood  July 
24,  1856,  with  Cornelius  Fuller  as  post- 
master, and  lie  held  until  November  29, 
1859,  when  Harrison  F.  Crabill,  who  still 
lives  near  the  Corners,  was  appointed.  He 
held  until  July  21,  1864.  when  he  resigned 
and  the  office  was  then  discontinued.  It 
was  on  the  route  from  Columbia  City  to  Al- 
bion, an  entire  distance  of  thirty-seven  miles, 
with    two  round   trips  a  week. 


This  office,  near  the  south-east  corner  of 
the  county,  and  in  Jefferson  township,  was 
established  January  21,  1857,  with  William 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


147 


T.  Jeffries  as  postmaster.  He  kept  the  of- 
fice in  his  log  cabin  near  the  south-east  cor- 
ner of  section  22,  until  he  delivered  it  to 
his  successor,  James  T.  Bayless,  April  5, 
i860,  and  he  moved  the  office  a  half  mile 
east  and  kept  it  at  his  residence  until  he 
turned  it  over  to  Eli  Hatfield  June  22,  1865. 
Hatfield  kept  it  at  his  residence  near  the 
north-west  corner  of  section  26,  on  the  Lib- 
efty  Mills  road,  until  he  turned  it  over  to 
James  Broxon,  December  5,  1867.  It  was 
kept  by  him  and  his  family  until  April  20, 
1895,  at  the  northwest  corner  of  section  25, 
diagonally  across  the  road  from  the  ceme- 
tery. Marcus  N.  Aker  held  the  office  from 
April  20,  1895,  until  it  was  discontinued 
November  15,  1900,  the  patrons  being  sup- 
plied by  rural  delivery  from  Columbia  City. 
Aker  kept  it  at  the  northeast  corner  of  sec- 
tion 27. 

It  was  always  on  or  near  the  Fort 
Wayne  and  Liberty  Mills  road,  and  from 
its  establishment  until  July  1,  1870,  was  on 
the  Fort  Wayne  and  Liberty  Mills  route.  It 
was  'then  put  on  the  Aboite  and  Bracken 
route.  July  1,  1876,  the  route  was  curtailed 
to  run  from  Aboite  to  Saturn  and  return, 
five  miles  and  back,  three  times  a  week,  and 
this  continued  until  the  Nickel  Plate  Rail- 
road was  in  operation  when  the  route  ran 
from  Dunfee  to  Saturn,  five  miles,  and  back, 
three  times  a  week. 

SOUTH    CLEVELAND. 

A  postoffice  named  South  Cleveland  was 

established  near  where  the  Fort  Wayne  and 

Liberty  Mills  road  crosses  the  Goshen  and 

Huntington  road  in  the  south-west  quarter 

.  of  section  25,  Cleveland  township.     It  was 


on  the  Fort  Wayne  and  Liberty  Mills  route. 
The  following  were  the  postmasters : 

James  H.  Lee,  July  20,  1857,  to  June 
14,   i860. 

Lewis  W.  Smith,  June  14,  i860,  to  Jan- 
uary 3,   1861. 

John  Sickafoose,  January  3,  1861,  to 
September  23,  1865. 

Jesse  Hissem,  September  23,  1865,  to 
December  24,  1870. 

John  Sickafoose,  December  24,  1870, 
until  the  office  was  discontinued. 


This  postoffice  was  established  Novem- 
ber 22,  1869,  with  George  Gaff  as  postmas- 
ter, and  was  kept  by  him  on  the  Goshen 
road  north-west  of  Churubusco,  until  it  was 
discontinued  December  20,  1886.  and  mail 
addressed  to  that  office  was  ordered  sent  to 
Churubusco.  It  was  in  section  4,  Smith 
township. 

COLLINS. 

This  postoffice,  on  the  Vandalia  Railroad, 
was  established  February  13,  1871.  The 
postmasters  have  been : 

David  Ruch,  February  13,  1871,  to  No- 
vember 2^,,  1872. 

Cyrus  J.  Ward.  November  2^,,  1872.  to 
December  15,   1873. 

Martin  Strouse,  December  15,  1873.  to 
February   25.    1874. 

Harrison  F.  Crabill,  February  25,  1S74. 
to  October  6,    1885. 

Robert  C.  Hemmick,  October  6,  1885, 
to  October  25,  1888. 

William  J.  McKown,  October  25,  1888, 
to  July  10,  1889. 


1 48 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Alice  A.  Hemmick.  July  10,  1889,  to 
March  4,   1892. 

Columbus  N.  Smith,  March  4,  1892,  to 
February  7,  1896. 

William  J.  McKown,  February  7,  1896, 
to  February   10,   1899. 

Columbus  N.  Smith,  February  10,  1899. 

Mr.  Smith  has  turned  the  office  over  to 
Mrs.  Knight,  who  keeps  it  at  her  house. 


An  office  was  established  at  what  was 
called  Taylor's  Station,  now  Wynkoop,  on 
the  Vandalia  Railroad,  March  14,  1S76,  and 
Simon  J.  Peabody  was  made  postmaster. 
Mr.  Peabody  at  that  time  ran  a  very  ex- 
tensive saw  mill  and  a  little  store  at  the 
place  and  quite  a  little  village  had  sprung 
up.  Mr.  Peabody  left  the  place  in  1880, 
and  by  1881  had  taken  his  interests  away, 
and  the  office  was  discontinued  April  28, 
1 88 1.  The  village  has  disappeared  almost 
entirely.  It  is  in  section  19,  Columbia 
township. 

ORMAS. 

This  office,  at  the  once  thriving  village 
of  Cold  Springs,  was  established  July  16, 
1880.  It  is  on  the  line  between  Etna  and 
Washington  townships,  Noble  county,  but 
in  Whitley  county.  It  is  a  mile  north  of 
the  north  end  of  Loon  lake,  in  the  north- 
west corner  of  the  north-east  quarter  of 
section  25,  Etna  township.  The  following 
persons  have  held  the  office: 

William  H.  Beal,  July  16,  1880,  to  Jan- 
uary 30,    1884. 

Alary  A.  Beal,  January  30.  1884.  to 
April  [2,  1893. 


John  D.  Banta,  April  12,  1893,  to  April 
19,  1897. 

Levi  H.  Todd,  April  19,  1897,  to  April 
14,   1902. 

Calvin  C.  Hyre,  April  14,  1902,  till  the 
office  was  discontinued  February  29,  1904, 
and  the  patrons  supplied  by  rural  route  four- 
teen, from  Columbia  City.  When  estab- 
lished, it  was  put  on  the  route  from  Colum- 
bia City,  by  Lorane,  Hecla,  Ormas,  Wilmot, 
Indian  Village  and  Cromwell,  to  Ligonier, 
three  times  a  week.  In  1884,  the  route  was 
shortened  to  take  in  Lorane,  Hecla  and  Or- 
mas, then  return,  three  times  a  week.  This 
route  was  later  extended  to  take  in  Cresco, 
and  so  remained  until  the  office  was 
discontinued. 

PEABODY. 

This  office  was  established  January  16, 
1883,  the  first  of  the  new  offices  on  the 
lately  finished  Nickel  Plate  Railroad.  It  has 
been  held  as  follows : 

Amos  E.  Redman,  January  16,  1883.  to 
July  7,  1885. 

Mary  A.  Gross.  July  7,  1885,  to  January 
24,   1888. 

Henrv  J.  Ummel,  January  24,  1888,  to 
July  29,   1889. 

Amos  E.  Redman,  July  29,  1889.  to 
March  26,  1892. 

Henry  J.  Ummel.  March  26,  1892. 


This  was  the  second  of  the  new  offices 
established  at  new  towns  on  the  Nickel  Plate 
Railroad.  It  was  established  April  6.  1883. 
and  was  held  by  George  M.  Singer,  who 
was  murdered  in  his  store.      It   was  turned 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


149 


over  to  William  McWhirter  November  21,      the    proper   name    for    Dunkard,    and    this 
1895,  and  he  still  holds  it.  was  a  Dunkard  settlement  with  a  large  brick 

church  situated  across  the  street  from  the 

RABER.  pOStoffice. 


The  third  new  town  on  the  Nickel  Plate 
Railroad  to  get  a  postoffice  was  Raber. 
Office  established  Apnl  1.  1884. 

Samuel  Clark  held  it  from  its  establish- 
ment to  October  1,  1890. 

Thomas  J.  Berry,  October  1.  1890,  to 
August  31,  1 90 1. 

William  Bogner,  August  31,  1901,  until 
the  office  was  discontinued  March  31,  1902, 
the  patrons  being  supplied  with  rural  deliv- 
ery from  Columbia  City.  This  is  the  first 
case  of  the  discontinuation  of  a  railroad  pi  >st- 
office  in  the  count}'. 


This  office  was  established  May  10,  1888. 
at  the  south-east  corner  of  section  8,  Thorn- 
creek  township.  Edmund  E.  Hoffer  kept 
the  office  at  his  little  store  until  he  sold  the 
same  to  John  J.  Cotterly,  and  Cotterly  be- 
came postmaster  May  28,  1903.  He  moved 
the  store  and  office  a  half-mile  east  and  held 
it  until  discontinued  on  account  of  rural  de- 
livery from  Columbia  City,  February  29, 
1904.  It  had  been  supplied  by  the  Colum- 
bia City,  Hecla  and  Ormas  route. 


This  office  at  the  north  center  line  of  sec- 
tion 19  and  south  center  line  of  section  18, 
in  Washington  township,  was  established 
September  3,  1886,  Henry  K.  Kitch  being 
the  postmaster  during  the  entire  life  of  the 
office.  It  was  discontinued  on  account  of 
rural  delivery  from  Columbia  City.  Feb- 
ruary 29,  1904.  It  was  supplied  by  a  route 
from  South  Whitley  and  back,  five  miles, 
three  times  a  week.  Later  the  new  office 
of  Luther  was  added  to  the  route.  The  ap- 
plication for  this  office  was  prepared  by  Eli 
W.  Brown,  then  postmaster  at  Columbia 
City.  He  was  told  to  name  it.  and  sent  in 
the  name  Vilas,  the  name  of  the  postmaster- 
general  under  the  then  first  term  of  President 
Cleveland.  The  department  reported  a  Vilas 
already  established  in  Indiana.  Mr.  Brown 
then  named  it  Tunker,  which  he  said  was 


commonly  called  "Sawdust  Hill,"  is  on  the 
Goshen  and  Huntington  state  road  near 
where  it  strikes  the  Huntington  county  line, 
section  36,  Cleveland .  township.  Luther 
postoffice  was  established  January  2,  1894, 
with  Myron  L.  Pray,  the  merchant,  as  post- 
master, and  continued  in  his  name  until  dis- 
continued on  account  of  rural  delivery,  Feb- 
ruary 29,  1904.  It  had  been  supplied  by  the 
route  from  South  Whitley  by  way  of 
Tunker. 

SELLS. 

This  office  on  the  river-road  from  Colum- 
bia City  to  South  Whitley,  where  it  crosses 
the  Nickel  Plate  Railroad  a  half  mile  west 
of  Eberhard  church  and  cemetery,  was  es- 
tablished June  25,  1898,  with  Rachael  Bren- 
neman  as  postmistress.     It  was  discontinued 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


October  23,  1899,  for  want  of  business  and 
because  the  postmistress  moved  to  Fort 
Wayne,  and  for  the  further  reason  that  the 
first  rural  route  out  of  Columbia  City  cut 
off  a  part  of  the  business.  While  in  exis- 
tence, this  office  was  supplied  from  the 
Nickel   Plate  Railroad. 

WYNKOOP. 

The  last  postoffice  to  be  established  in 
the  county  was  at  Wynkoop,  on  the  Van- 
dalia  Railroad,  June  25,  1898,  where  Taylor 
postoffice  had  given  up  the  ghost  seventeen 
years  before.  Henry  E.  Fague  was  post- 
master until  April  29,  1899.  Then  Stanley 
Smith  until  the  office  was  discontinued  No- 
vember 15,  1 90 1,  on  account  of  rural  deliv- 
ery from  Columbia  City  and  want  of 
patronage. 

The  rural  delivery  system  that  has  cov- 
ered the  county  since  March  1,  1904,  em- 
braces twenty-five  rural  routes.  Fourteen 
out  of  Columbia  City,  five  out  of  South 
Whitley,  three  out  of  Larwill  and  three  out 
of  Churubusco,  with  date  of  establishment 
as  follows : 

COLUMBIA    CITY. 

No.    1,  established  October  2,   1899. 
No.  2,  established  September  15.  1900. 


No.  3,  established  September  15,  1900. 
No.  4,  established  October  15,  1900. 
No.  5,  established  October  15,  1900. 
No.  6,  established  March  1,  1902. 
No.  7,  established  March   1,   1904. 
No.  8,  established  March   1,   1904. 
No.  9,  established  March  1,  1904. 
No.    10,  established  March   1,   1904. 
No.  11,  established  March  1,  1904. 
No.  12,  established  March  1,  1904. 
No.  13,  established  March  1,  1904. 
No.  14,  established  March  1.  1904. 

CHURUBUSCO. 

No.  i,  established  November  1,  1900. 
No.  2,  established  February  1,  1904. 
No.  3,  established  February   1,   1904. 

LARWILL. 

No.  1,  established  March  1,  1904. 
No.  2,  established  March  1,  1904. 
No.  3,  established  March  1,  1904. 

SOUTH   WHITLEY. 

No.    1,   established   October  2,    1899. 
No.  2,  established  December  15,  1900. 
No.  3,  established  December  15.  1900. 
No.  4,  established  March  1,  1904. 
No.  5,  established  March  1,  1904. 


THE  NEWSPAPERS. 


BY  S.   P.  KALER. 


Up  to  1853  not  a  word  of  printing  had  paper,  and  especially  the  people  of  Colum- 

ever  been  executed  in  Whitley  county,  but  bia  City  and  more  especially  the  politicians, 

for  three  or  four  years   there  had.  been  a  In  May,  1853,  Joseph  A.  Berry,  of  Steu- 

yearning  demand  by  our  people  for  a  news-  benville,  Ohio,  visited  the  place  on  a  tramp 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


westward  in  search  of  a  location.  He  met 
with  the  proper  encouragement  and  $200 
was  given  him  as  a  bonus  to  establish  a 
newspaper.  Consequently  on  the  13th  day 
of  July,  1853,  the  first  issue  of  the  Co- 
lumbia City  Pioneer  came  from  the  press 
to  the  joy  and  gratification  of  the  people. 
It  was  a  strictly  Democratic  organ  and  had 
a  circulation  of  about  four  hundred  nearly 
from  the  first  issue.  Prior  to  this  time  all 
our  legal  advertising  required  by  law  was 
published  mostly  in  Fort  Wayne,  but  an 
occasional  legal  notice  found  its  way  into  a 
Warsaw  or   Huntington  paper. 

Berry  was  a  very  noisy  and  blustery  in- 
dividual with  little  ability  of  any  kind,  not 
even  a  good  compositor.  He,  however, 
blundered  along,  scarcely  missing  a  weekly 
issue  until  August,  1856.  His  conduct  of 
the  campaign  was  not  satisfactory  to  the 
Democrats,  nor  was  he  satisfied  with  them 
or  with  the  proceeds  of  the  business. 

P.  W.  Hardesty  came  from  somewhere 
in  Ohio  and  purchased  the  office  and  closed 
the  campaign  more  radically  than  his  prede- 
cessor. He  was  a  man  of  considerable 
ability  but  lazy  and  shiftless  and  soon  be- 
came involved  in  trouble  with  the  county 
officers  and  outside  creditors  and  soon  after 
the  November  election  of  1856  he  moved 
the  office  to  Paulding  Center,  Ohio. 

For  nearly  two  years  Whitley  county 
was  without  a  Democratic  paper.  In  the 
summer  of  1858,  Col.  I.  B.  McDonald 
bought  at  sheriff's  sale,  from  William  Flem- 
ing, of  Allen  county,  for  $625  the  office  of 
the  defunct  "Jeffersonian." 

This  was  a  Democratic  paper  started 
in  opposition  to  the  "Sentinel"  by  Zephaniah 


Turner,  who  involved  himself  in  all  kinds 
of  trouble  and  was  nearly  killed  by  John 
Dawson,  a  prominent  Republican. 

McDonald  at  once  moved  the  office  here 
and  established  the  "Columbia  City  News." 
He  assumed  editorial  control  but  put 
Thomas  L.  Craves  in  charg'e  of  the  office. 
McDonald  was  then  clerk  of  courts.  William 
C.  Graves,  a  brother  of  Thomas  L.,  lived 
in  Warsaw  and  was  in  the  banking 
business  and  he  occasionally  wrote  an 
article  for  his  brother  and  being  interested 
in  him  came  over  often  to  see  him.  This 
gave  rise  to  the  old  story  that  Graves  owned 
an  interest.  Neither  of  the  Graves  brothers 
ever  owned  a  dollar  in  the  News. 

In  November,  1859,  McDonald  retired 
from  the  clerk's  office  and  assumed  entire 
management  and  control  and  Thomas  L. 
Graves  moved  to  Kendallville.  Englebert 
Zimmerman  was  the  foreman  printer  and 
gradually  grew  more  and  more  in  favor 
with  the  proprietor  until  in  May, 
1 861,  when  McDonald  was  preparing 
to  go  into  the  service  of  his  country  he 
sold  Zimmerman  a  small  interest  and  turned 
the  entire  business  over  to  him.  On  Mc- 
Donald's return  from  the  army  in  1864,  he 
again  assumed  control  of  the  paper  and 
though  relations  were  most  cordial  between 
them,  Zimmerman  retired  to  take  charge  of 
the  Fort  Wayne  Sentinel.  Frank  Zimmer- 
man then  took  his  brother's  small  interest 
and  took  charge  under  McDonald  and  after 
a  couple  of  issues  the  name  was  changed  to 
the  "Post"  and  is  continued  to  this  day  un- 
der that  name  and  with  the  identical  first 
head.  In  November,  1865.  McDonald  sold 
the   office   to   Eli     W.    Brown,    a     Whitlev 


l52 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


county  man,  though  he  had  heen  part  pro- 
prietor of  the  Fort  Wayne  Sentinel  for  a 
time. 

Brown  continued  sole  owner  and  pro- 
prietor of  the  Post  until  April,  1879,  when 
he.  sold  a  half  interest  to  John  W.  Adams. 
In  April,  1881,  Brown,  having  moved  on 
his  farm  just  west  of  town,  sold  the  other 
half  interest  to  Mr.  Adams,  who  still  owns, 
edits  and  publishes  the  paper.  September 
30,  1896,  a  daily  was  started  in  connection 
with  the  weekly  which  still  continues.  There 
had  been  earlier  issues  of  a  daily  during 
county  fairs  and  during  the  trial  of  Butler, 
the  wife  murderer,  in  18S4.  The  Post  and 
its  predecessors  have  always  been  the  Demo- 
cratic organs  of  the  count}'. 

In  July,  1854,  the  opposition  to  the  De- 
mocracy, crystalizing  into  the  Republican 
party,  felt  the  necessity  of  a  newspaper  to 
combat  the  influence  of  the  feeble  Pioneer 
and  secured  a  printing  office  and  placed 
Henry  Welker,  another  Ohio  man,  in 
charge,  and  the  Whitley  County  Republican 
made  its  appearance. 

The  outlook  was  not  promising  and  the 
road  on  which  it  traveled  was  a  thorny  one, 
though  for  a  couple  of  years  its  competitor 
was  out  of  business.  Adams  Y.  Hooper  had 
in  some  way  become  responsible  for  the  ma- 
terial and  soon  was  obliged  to  pay  for  it  and 
became  the  owner  and  really  was  the  owner 
during  all  its  vicissitudes  until  sold  to  John 
W.  Baker  in  1868.  At  times  he  thought 
himself  out  of  the  business,  but  the  sales  did 
not  stick  or  the  payments  were  not  made. 
After  acquiring  the  office,  he  sold  to  Welker. 
lint  he  could  not  pay  and  the  office  reverted, 
and  Hooper  worried  along  with  migratory 
assistants.     In  1859  he  sold  it  to  J.  O.  Shan- 


non and  W.  T.  Strother  and  they  changed 
the  name  to  the  Columbia  City  Argus,  hop- 
ing the  change  of  name  might  be  beneficial. 
These  parties  soon  failed,  and  Mr.  Hooper 
again  had  the  office  on  his  hands,  and  in- 
stalled S.  H.  Hill  as  publisher  and  part  ed- 
itor. After  one  issue  the  name  was  changed 
back  to  the  Republican.  In  February, 
186 1,  Hill  retired  and  George  W.  Weamer 
took  his  place.  In  September  of  the  same 
year  Weamer  tired  of  the  place  and  went 
to  war  and  was  killed.  During  the  war 
Hooper  managed  the  paper  and  edited  it 
himself.  In  1865  he  sold  it  to  John  Davis 
and  after  a  few  issues  it  again  passed  back- 
to  Hooper  and  then  for  a  few  months  it 
was  under  the  control  of  O.  H.  Woodworth 
and  Hooper  sold  to  W.  B.  Davis  and  Henry 
Bridge  in  1866,  and  it  again  passed  back  to 
Hooper.  In  1867  it  was  operated  by  A.  T. 
Clark  and  later  in  the  same  year  by  Frank 
J.  Beck,  who  continued  until  January,  1868, 
when  it  was  sold  to  John  W.  Baker  and 
passed  finally  out  of  the  hands  of  Hooper. 

Mr.  Baker  successfully  edited,  owned 
and  published  it  weekly  until  January. 
1005,  and  daily  from  1888  till  its  close  when, 
having  been  appointed  postmaster  at  Colum- 
bia City  he  sold  it  to  W.  W.  Williamson  and 
the  'ild  Commercial  ceased  publication,  be- 
ing incorporated  into  the  Mail,  the  other 
Republican  paper  under  the  name  of  the 
Commercial-Mail. 

When  Mr.  Baker  bought  it  he  called  it 
the  Whitley  County  Commercial,  which 
name  it  retained  until  about  January  I, 
1879,  when  it  was  changed  to  the  Columbia 
City   Commercial. 

The  next  venture  into  the  field  of  Whit- 
lev  countv   journalism  was  at  Larwill.     In 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


153 


March,  1876,  J.  W.  Torrey  and  W.  J.  Du- 
gar  came  to  Larwill  to  establish  a  business 
college.  After  an  effort  of  some  weeks 
Torre}'  retired  but  Dugar  remained  and  by 
midsummer  had  a  commercial  school  in  op- 
eration in  Shorb's  Hall,  but  it  languished, 
and  lang-uishing  did  live  about  a  year. 

In  order  to  help  his  waning  fortunes 
Dugar  bought  a  small  printing  office  that 
had  failed  at  Kewanna.  Fulton  county,  and 
brought  with  it  the  failing  editor,  O.  W. 
Snook.  The  first  issue  of  the  Larwill  Re- 
view appeared  Christmas  day,  1876.  S.  P. 
Kaler  had  secured  Dugar  on  a  note  for  part 
of  the  purchase  money  and  by  the  first  of 
March  had  the  note  to  pav  and  a  printing 
office  on  his  hands.  His  name  appeared  as 
editor  and  Snook  continued  as  publisher  un- 
til the  1st  of  May,  1877.  when  Kaler  sold  a 
half  interest  to  George  J.  Holgate  from 
Ohio,  a  practical  man.  The  paper  ran  under 
the  names  of  Kaler  and  Holgate  until  the 
1st  of  January.  1878,  when  finding  the  busi- 
ness unprofitable,  they  leased  it  to  W.  E. 
Grose,  an  employe,  and  had  it  moved  to 
Churubusco  and  the  Churubusco  Herald  ap- 
peared the  second  week  in  January,  1878. 
Holgate  returned  east  and  Kaler  looked  after 
it.  Grose,  like  many  others  under  the  same 
conditions,  soon  swamped  and  gave  up. 
when  Chase  Millice,  of  Warsaw,  took  the 
lease  and  his  management  was  worse  than 
his  predecessor's. 

In  July.  1878,  Kaler  sold  the  office  to 
D.  M.  Eveland  from  the  mining  districts 
of  Pennsylvania.  Eveland  soon  swamped 
but  by  making  some  political  deal  secured 
assistance  and  the  chattel  mortgage  was 
lifted  and  Kaler  and  Holgate  received  full 
payment. 


Thus  far,  at  Larwill  and  at  Churubusco, 
the  paper  was  strictly  neutral  in  politics. 

Eveland  pretended  first  to  run  an  inde- 
pendent Republican  paper,  then,  in  the  same 
campaign,  sought  to  make  it  the  organ  of 
the  Greenback  "party  then  at  the  very  zenith 
of  its  existence.  It  was  savagely  personal 
ami  its  pages  were  read  with  interest.  Eve- 
land was  a  man  of  mature  years  and  excep- 
tional ability  but  rash  and  vindictive. 

Having  run  through  the  campaigns  of 
1878  and  1880.  being  on  all  sides  of  all  ques- 
tions as  promised  support;  Eveland  was  as 
glad  to  shake  the  Whitley  county  dust  from 
his  feet  as  his  enemies  were  glad  to  have, 
him  do  so.  In  December,  1880,  he  sold  the 
Herald  to  I.  B.  McDonald  and  Henry 
Pressler,  the  latter  taking  but  a  small  in- 
terest which  McDonald  soon  after  acquired. 

McDonald  leased  it  to  William  Hall  and 
son  and  it  became  a  straight  out  Democratic 
sheet.  The  elder  Hall  was  a  Baptist  minister 
and  a  man  of  decided  ability.  Plis  editorial 
management  was  superb,  his  articles  as  able 
as  any  in  the  country,  temperate  and  argu- 
mentative yet  thoroughly  Democratic.  The 
venture  was  not  sufficiently  remunerative 
and  the  elder  Hall  soon  retired.  The  younger 
Hall  was.  like  many  others  of  his  profession. 
a  good  enough  printer  but  unsuccessful,  and 
McDonald  soon  had  the  paper  back  on  his 
hands.  It  was  then  leased  to  Charles  T. 
Hollis  and  son  and  Erank  M.  Hollis  took 
charge  of  the  office.  It  remained  radically 
Democratic  and  for  the  first  time  self-sup- 
porting until  November,  1S81,  when  it  was 
moved  to  Columbia  City.  Hollis  retired  and 
McDonald  took  personal  charge  and  suc- 
cessfully edited  and  published  the  Columbia 
City  Herald,  a  Democratic  paper.     In  May, 


154 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


1883,  McDonald  having  purchased  the 
Huntington  Democrat  and  having  other  in- 
terests demanding  his  attention,  ceased  pub- 
lication, selling  a  part  of  the  material  to  the 
Post  and  moving  the  balance  to  the  Hunt- 
ington office. 

Prior  to  the  appearance  of  the  Churu- 
busco  Herald,  about  the  first  of  the  year 
1877,  Anes  Yocum,  the  postmaster  at  Chur- 
ubusco, owning  and  operating  a  small  job 
printing  outfit,  began  publishing  the  "White 
Elephant,"  a  small  quarto  semi-monthly, 
more  as  a  pastime  than  anything  else.  It 
never  assumed  to  be  a  newspaper  of  preten- 
sions, but  ran  for  some  four  or  five  years. 

After  the  removal  of  the  Herald  from 
Churubusco,  Virgil  A.  Gieger  began  in  a 
modest  way  the  publication  of  The  Truth, 
which  has  grown  under  his  management  to  be 
a  first-class  weekly  newspaper,  noted  all  over 
northern  Indiana  for  its  wit  and  spiciness. 
It  is  independent  in  politics  with  Republican 
leanings. 

About  the  1st  of  June,  1878,  R.  B. 
Locke,  a  nephew  of  the  celebrated  "Nasby," 
opened  an  office  at  Larwill  and  began 
the  publication  of  the  Larwill  Blade,  but  in 
about  three  months  it  passed  into  the  hands 
of  Charles  T.  and  Frank  M.  Hollis,  who 
published  it  for  a  time  when  the  material 
was  sold  to  I.  B.  McDonald,  moved  to 
Churubusco  and  was  merged  into  the  Her- 
ald when  the  Hollises  took  charge  of  that 
paper. 

April  1,  1889,  Eli  W.  Brown,  after 
eight  years,  retirement  from  the  profession, 
bought  a  new  newspaper  plant  and,  locating 
"ii  the  west  side  of  the  square,  began  the 
publication  of  the  Columbia  City  Times,  a 
weekly      Democratic      newspaper.       After 


about  two  years  he  sold  it  to  Williamson 
and  Price,  who  changed  the  name  to  "The 
Mail"  and  to  a  Republican  paper. 

In  about  a  year  these  gentlemen  sold  it 
to  A.  R.  Thomas,  who  soon  after  sold  it  to 
John  C.  Wigent  and  son.  These  parties 
at  once  began  the  issue  of  a  morning  daily, 
in  connection  with  the  weekly  and  failed 
financially  in  1895.  A  receiver  was  appoint- 
ed who  ran  it  a  few.  issues,  when  it  was  sold 
at  public  auction.  J.  W.  Baker,  proprietor 
of  the  Commercial,  bought  the  material  and 
it  ceased  publication. 

In  January,  1896,  W.  W.  Williamson, 
with  a  new  office,  began  again  the  publication 
of  "The  Mail,"  a  weekly,  and  August  14. 
1904.  began  the  daily  Mail,  which  has  still 
continued,  absorbing  the  Commercial  as  be- 
fore stated. 

"The  South  Whitley  Magnet,"  the  first 
paper  published  in  South  Whitley,  started 
in  November,  1882.  by  W.  A.  Myers.  In 
1883  Mr.  Myers  also  started  "The  Beacon," 
a  publication  devoted  to  the  home  and 
household.  The  former  was  a  weekly  and 
the  latter  a  monthly  publication.  Both  were 
suspended  in  1885  and  the  entire  equipment 
was  moved  to  Kalamazoo.  Mich. 

On  April  1,  1887,  William  E.  Ashcraft 
started  the  "Whitley  County  News,"  which 
he  sold  in  February,  1889.  to  O.  H.  Downey, 
of  Churubusco.  Downey  soon  after  sold  an 
interest  to  Webb  Emerson  and  Emerson  la- 
ter acquired  the  entire  interest.  Emerson 
sold  to  George  Bumgardner.  under  whose 
ownership  it  was  edited  by  Dr.  W.  O 
Stauffer. 

Bumgardner  sold  to  Robert  J.  Emerson 
and  he  sold  to  F.  E.  Miner,  the  present 
owner,  Ausfust   1,   1888.     Under  Robert   T- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


155 


Emerson  it  was  called  the  South  Whitley 
News,  but  Mr.  Miner  changed  it  back  to 
the  Whitley  County  News. 

The  two  newspapers  at  Columbia  City, 


Post  and  Commercial-Mail,  are  both  daily 
and  weekly,  while  the  Whitley  County  News 
at  South  Whitley  and  the  Truth  at  Churu- 
busco  are  weeklies  only. 


INDIAN  INCIDENTS. 


BY  S.   P.   KALER. 


Mention  is  made  in  several  publications 
of  Coesse  having"  delivered  a  very  eloquent 
address  at  Fort  Wayne  on  the  memory  of 
his  distinguished  uncle,  Little  Turtle.     Some 
writers  have  said  it  was  at  the  funeral  of 
the  great  chief,  while  others  have  said  it  was 
on  the  Fourth  of  July,  and  the  time  or  times 
stated  vary  from  the  death  of  Little  Turtle 
in   1812,  up  to   1850.     This  is  entirely  er- 
roneous, and  shows  the  disposition  of  writers 
to  start  with  a  very  small  imagination,  and 
each  to  add  to  it.     The  few  persons  yet  liv- 
ing who  knew  Coesse  know  that  he  was  en- 
tirely   unfitted    by    disposition,     education, 
training  and  general  intelligence  to  deliver 
an  eloquent  or  any  other  oration.     Richard 
Collins   (shortly  before  his  death  in  1884) 
l-elated  to  the  writer  that  he  had  investigated 
and  found  the  truth.     On  July  4,  1846,  the 
people  of  Fort  Wayne  held  a  large  cele- 
bration  and  gathered  as  many  Indians  as 
they  could.     Coesse  was  invited,  as  the  guest 
of    Byram     Miner,    and    accepted.     As    a 
nephew  of  the  great  Little  Turtle,  he  was 
given  a  seat  on  the  speaker's  stand  and  after 
the  eulogy  on  the  chief  by  one  of  the  orators, 
Coesse  was  asked  to  get  up  and  say  some- 
thing, but  all  he  could  do  was  to  stand  up 
and  show  himself. 

Bv  the  treaty  made  upon  the  Wabash, 


near  the  mouth  of  the  Mississinewa,  October 
23.  1826.  all  the  lands  north  and  west  of 
the  Wabash,  in  Indiana,  the  Miamis  ceded 
to  the  United  States,  leaving  out  the  fol- 
lowing reservations  in  Whitley  county. 
"Seek's  Village,"  "Beaver's  Reserve," 
"Chapiene's  Reserve"  and  "Raccoon  Vil- 
lage." 

The  "Beaver,"  as  he  is  styled,  lived  near 
Peru.  As  far  as  can  be  gathered,  no  white 
man  in  Whitley  county  ever  saw  him,  and 
from  the  records,  we  feel  sure  he  died  as 
early  as  1830,  if  not  earlier.  There  was 
never  any  occupancy  of  his  lands  by  Indians, 
except  as  they  may  have  wandered  into  the 
public  domain.  His  heirs  or  descendants 
conveyed  it  to  white  settlers. 

About  the  year  1881  quite  an  excitement 
was  raised  in  Whitley  county  on  the  rumor 
that  the  Indian  title  was  not  extinguished 
by  failure  of  the  United  States  to  issue  the 
patents.  Third-rate  lawyers  from  different 
parts  of  northern  Indiana  swarmed  to  the 
recorder's  office,  with  troops  of  dilapidated 
looking  Indians  behind  them,  deluded  into 
the  hope  that  they  might  secure  a  second 
payment  for  their  lands  from  our  people. 
The  record  of  every  transfer  and  the  signa- 
tures to  it  were  carefully  gone  over,  and  at 
least  pretended  preparation  was   made  for 


156 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


preme  court  of  the  United  States,  soon  after, 
in  a  parallel  case,  set  all  these  matters  at 
rest. 

As  early  as  1826,  at  least,  a  Miami  In- 
dian named  Chino  lived  near  the  center  of 
section  17,  Columbia  township,  on  the  north- 
west quarter  of  that  section.  He  had  two 
daughters  and  one  son.  John  Turkey  fell 
desperately  in  love  with  one  of  the  daughters. 
so  much  so  that  it  seemed  almost  the  entire 
subject  of  his  conversation.  He  told  the 
Mosher  boys  that  he  would  have  the  squaw, 
in  some  way,  or  would  never  have  an}'  other. 
She  refused  to  accept  his  attention,  and 
when  he  pressed  his  suit  to  the  point  of  be- 
ing offensive,  she  went  away  to  Logansport, 
and  remained  a  long  time.  She  finally  came 
back  on  a  visit,  thinking  that  perhaps  time 
had  cooled  Turkey's  insane,  jealous  love, 
but  not  so.  While  he  did  not  molest  her  at 
her  home,  on  New  Year's  day,  1844.  he 
found  her  some  distance  from  her  mother's 
cabin.  It  was  well  toward  night  and  she 
fled  from  him  and  tried  to  hide.  A  man 
named  German  lived  on  the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  section  18,  Columbia  township,  where 
John  Betzner  now  lives.  After  he  had 
gone  to  bed,  about  nine  o'clock,  she  came  tc 
his  cabin  and  called  as  if  in  distress.  He 
was  a  German  in  fact  as  well  as  in  name 
and  could  not  understand  her  language  of 
English  badly  mixed  with  Indian,  and  sup- 
posing it  to  be  some  prowling  Indian,  per- 
haps bent  on  mischief,  would  not  open  his 
cabin  to  her.  Very  soon  he  heard  her  cries 
of  agony  and  springing  out  of  his  cabin 
found  her  lying  with  her  head  smashed  in 
with  a  tomahawk.  Turkey  beside  her  with 
the    weapon    in    his    hand    and    making    no 


attempt  to  deny  it.  German  took  the  toma- 
hawk from  Turkey  and  ordered  him  to  leave 
which  he  did.  German  then  aroused  his 
neighbor.  Sterns,  and  they  cared  for  the 
body  until  Indian  friends  came  and  took  it 
away.  Turkey  did  not  attempt  to  flee  the 
country,  and  was  soon  in  the  hands  of  the 
authorities  at  Columbia  City.  The  Turkeys 
were  Miamis  and  lived  at  the  village  in  sec- 
tion 17.  Penimo  was  a  bad  Pottawattamie, 
who  stayed  about  the  two  villages.  If  he 
had  a  home  it  was  at  the  same  village  with 
the  Turkeys.  There  was  a  deadly  feud  be- 
tween them. 

On  July  4,  1843,  Sanford  Mosher  and 
Joseph  Pierce  went  to  the  village  in  section 
17.  at  about  nine  or  ten  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing. As  they  came  down  the  trail,  near 
where  the  wagon  road  runs,  and  up  the 
hill  in  front  of  the  village,  they  heard 
loud  noises  and  the  terrible  Indian  "Whoop, 
Whoop,"  which  meant  bloody  fight.  Com- 
ing in  sight  they  saw  the  fight  in  progress 
between  the  Turkeys  and  Penimo,  and  the 
squaws  dancing  wildly  round.  The  boys 
ran  up.  when  Penimo  pulled  off  his  coat, 
showing  his  calico  shirt  covered  with  blood. 
Turkey  was  lying  stretched  out  and  the 
squaws  disarmed  Penimo,  and  requested  the 
boys  to  help  carry  Turkey  up  to  his  wigwam, 
which  thev  did.  laving  him  on  the  regula- 
tion couch  of  a  piece  of  timber  driven  in 
the  wall,  the  outer  end  supported  by  a  peg 
to  the  floor,  and  covered  with  skins  and 
blankets.  The  squaws  swarmed  around,  and 
the  bovs  went  to  the  door.  Penimo  came 
riding  up  on  a  black  pony,  as  if  to  ride  over 
the  boys.  Pierce  shrank  back,  but  Mosher 
raised  his  hickory  club  and  said:  "You 
black    devil,    go   awav   or   I    will   kill   you." 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


157 


He  then  rode  away.  They  then  went  and 
got  his  coat,  which  they  found  literally  cut  to 
pieces  by  Turkey's  knife.  Soon  the  Indian 
bucks  began  to  swarm  up  from  the  south, 
among  them  Mozette  Squawbuck,  a  Potta- 
wattamie. He  and  another  Indian,  and  the 
boys,  tracked  Penimo  for  some  distance. 
Soon  Orrin  Mosher,  George  Mosher,  Old 
Chestee  and  several  other  Indians  came  up. 
Chestee  grabbed  a  bow  and  arrow  from 
John  Turkey  and  drew  the  bow  to  kill 
Squawbuck.  thinking  that  he  was  the  mur- 
derer of  Turkey,  but  being  told  that  he  was 
mistaken,  he  dropped  his  bow  and  arrow  and 
extended  his  hand  to  Squawbuck,  which 
meant  in  the  words  of  the  white  man,  "I 
take  it  back."  Penimo  did  not  again  show 
himself  in  this  neighborhood  until  he  shot 
old  Turkey's  squaw,  John  Turkey's  mother. 
When  Benoni  Mosher  came  he  paid  his  at- 
tention to  Old  Turkey.  The  squaws  first 
protested  against  his  going  into  the  cabin, 
saying  that  it  was  "not  good  for  white  man 
to  see  Indian  die."  He  was  finally  admitted 
and  found  Dr.  Komota,  the  medicine  man, 
fanning  him  with  a  feather,  waiting' to  see 
the  last  breath.  The  knife  had  penetrated 
one  lung,  and  with  each  breath  the  blood 
gurgled  out.  Finally  Komota  saw  some 
sign  that  gave  him  hope.  He  took  a  small 
stick  and  probed  the  wound  and  got  its  exact 
depth ;  then  going  out  he  secured  a  small 
piece  of  yellow  bark  of  some  kind,  made  a 
plug  the  exact  length  and  large  enough  to 
fill  the  incision  and  stuck  it  into  the  wound. 
While  he  was  out  Dr.  McHugh,  from 
Columbia  City,  chanced  along  and  was  called 
in  and  looking  at  Turkey,  said :  "He  is 
stabbed  in  the  lung  and  will  die,"  but  he 
soon  recovered. 


In  the  spring  of  1843,  as  Mrs.  Turkey 
and  another  squaw  were  riding  ponies  to 
visit  friends  south  of  the  river,  when  near 
Squaw  Point,  in  section  32,  about  a  half 
mile  northeast  of  the  present  Eberhard 
church.  Penimo  came  suddenly  up  to  Mrs. 
Turkey  and  grabbed  her  pony  by  the  bridle 
and  bit.  She  gave  it  the  whip,  tore  loose 
from  him,  and  rode  on  into  the  river.  When 
well  into  the  river  he  shot  her  with  his  pistol 
and  she  fell  off  of  the  pony  dead  in  the 
water.  The  pony  stayed  with  its  mate,  car- 
rying the  other  squaw.  Penimo  ran 
through  the  waters,  caught  the  pony  and 
rode  away.  Allen  Hamilton,  the  Indian 
agent,  offered  a  reward  of  two  hundred 
dollars  for  the  capture  of  Penimo.  William 
Thorn,  of  North  Manchester,  followed  the 
latter  into  northern  Michigan,  caught  and 
brought  him  back.  He  and  John  Turkey 
were  both  incarcerated  in  the  Whitley  coun- 
ty jail,  and  both  were  indicted  for  murder. 
Each  plead  "not  guilty"  and  took  a  change 
of  venue.  The  cases  were  sent  to  Allen 
county  for  trial,  but  before  the  prisoners 
could  be  removed  they  escaped.  To  prevent 
escape  as'well  as  to  keep  them  from  fighting 
each  other,  Penimo  was  chained  to  the  floor 
in  the  corridor,  and  Turkey  was  confined  in 
a  cell  or  apartment.  Turkey  succeeded  in 
setting  fire  to  Penimo's  straw  tick,  de- 
termined to  destroy  his  enemy,  though  he 
should  perish  with  him,  but  the  fire  was  ex- 
tinguished. In  the  dusk  of  one  evening 
Sheriff  Simcoke  went  to  feed  them.  He 
went  in  leaving  John  Wrashburn  in  the  door. 
Penimo  had  loosed  his  chain  and,  dashing 
past  the  sheriff,  knocked  Washburn  out  of 
the  door,  and  both  Indians  escaped.  They 
ran  to  the  river,  swam  it  near  where  the 


158 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


brewery  stands  on  Whitley  street,  and  both 
escaped   and  were  never  re-captured. 

During'  the  winter  of  1843  and  1844, 
Minshaw,  a  Pottawattamie,  died  at  the  vil- 
lage in  section  23,  and  on  the  spot  where  is 
now  Korts'  garden.  He  was  set  upright  on 
the  ground,  with  a  blanket  over  his  drooping 
head,  and  beside  him  was  placed  his  bow 
and  arrow  and  a  dish.  Around  him  was 
built  a  pole  pen  perhaps  eight  by  ten  feet, 
where  his  body  was  left  to  rot  and  did  rot 
down  and  the  pen  with  it.  After  George 
Helms  bought  the  place  he  warned  the 
widow  several  times  to  take  the  bones  away, 
but  she  would  not,  until  Helms  subjected  the 
skull  to  great  indignity,  when  Komota,  the 
medicine  man,  gave  Helms  one  dollar  to 
bury  the  bones.  The  Whitley  county  In- 
dians never  buried  their  dead  in  the  ground 
until  white  people  taught  them  to  do  so ; 
the  practice  first  began  at  "Seek's  Village." 

John  Wauwaessa  became  enraged  at 
Chestee's  daughter  on  section  20,  Columbia 
township,  and  tried  to  kill  her.  This  time 
at  the  knoll  southeast  of  the  home  on  Pea- 
body's  farm,  on  the  road  running  north  and 
south.  His  brother,  Bill  Wauwaessa,  and 
others  interfered,  and  she  fled  to  the  swamp. 
In  the  fall  at  the  paying  of  the  annuities,  be- 
tween Huntington  and  Roanoke,  he  finally 
struck  her  on  the  head  with  a  club  and  killed 
her.  He  was  never  arrested,  and  stayed  at 
the  village,  section  17,  until  the  Indians  were 
removed. 

Bambookoo  was  a  bad  Pattawattamie. 
who  did  kill  Chino,  and  who  once  tried  to 
kill  Turkey  and  before  the  latter's  daughter 
had  been  killed  by  John  Turkey,  but  we 
cannot  learn  the  facts.  Mrs.  Chino  offered 
fifty    dollars    to    any    one   who   would    kill 


Bambookoo.  After  Chino's  murder,  Mo- 
zette Squawbuck  lived  with  Chino's  squaw 
at  section  17.  He  was  old,  but  a  good 
hunter  and  provided  well  for  her.  He  too 
was  a  Pottawattamie.  In  the  spring  of 
1845,  Mrs.  Chino  and  Mozette  were  mak- 
ing sugar  near  Eberhard's  schoolhouse. 
Mozette  was  helping  her  lug  the  sugar 
home  one  bright  warm  day  in  March,  and 
he  became  lazy  and  laid  down  along  the 
trail  and  fell  asleep.  Bambookoo  came 
along,  but  having  no  knife  himself  slipped 
Mozette's  from  his  pocket  and  tried  to  get 
a  hold  of  his  tongue  to  cut  it  off.  Mozette 
awoke,  regained  his  knife,  and  killed  Bam- 
bookoo, stabbing  him  eighteen  times  in  the 
breast.  Mozette  was  not  hurt  at  all.  His 
squaw.  Mrs.   Chino,  paid  him  fifty  dollars. 

There  is  an  old  tradition  of  quite  an 
amount  of  silver  being  buried  by  Chino  on 
the  north  half  of  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  17,  now  owned  by  S.  T.  Mosher. 
Chino's  wife  tried  to  find  it. 

Out  of  curiosity  Mr.  John  R.  Anderson 
twice  attended  when  the  Miami  Indians 
were  paid  their  annuity.  The  place  of  pay- 
ment was  in  the  thick  woods  about  a  mile 
east  of  Huntington.  The  government  pay- 
master was  there  with  the  money.  He  had 
erected  a  small  stockade,  or  rather  a  pole 
pen,  and  had  a  guard  of  several  persons 
about  him.  Indians  came  in  squads  or  by 
families,  and  received  their  cash.  There 
was  nothing  striking  about  this.  There 
was,  however,  a  regular  train  of  traders  with 
a  stock  of  groceries,  dry  goods,  trinkets, 
notions,  and  not  a  very  scarcity  of  whiskey. 
There  were  also  ponies  and  horses.  All 
with  the  result  that  the  bulk  of  the  money 
paid  the  Indians  was  not  taken  away  with 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


159 


them.  John  Wauwaessa  received  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars,  perhaps  not  all  his 
own,  and  paid  two  hundred  of  it  for  a  pony 
that  did  not  live  over  winter. 

The  Pottawattamies  were  always  anx- 
•  ious  to  marry  Miamis,  that  they  might  share 
in  these  annual  payments. 

The  Squaw  Buck  trail  from  Whitley 
county  to  Leesburgh  Prairie,  where  also 
the  settlers  went  for  corn  and  other  sup- 
plies, is  here  described.  Beginning  at  Lees- 
burg,  it  ran  southeast  past  "Bone  Prairie," 
crossing  the  Tippecanoe  river  between  the 
town  of  Oswego  and  the  lake,  thence  south, 
skirting  the  west  side  of  Round  lake,  thence 
southeast,  nearly  touching  the  south  end  of 
Barbee  lake,  thence  south  to  nearly  the  pres- 
ent Columbia  City  and  Warsaw  road,  strik- 


ing Whitley  county  at  Haydens  Lake  and 
nearly  following  the  said  road  eastward  to 
within  a  half  mile  of  present  Larwill,  at  the 
McNagny  farm,  section  4,  thence  angling 
to  the  southeast  across  the  east  half  of  sec- 
tion 4,  on  lands  now  owned  by  Thompsons 
and  James  B.  Kaler.  then  to  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  10,  across  the  lands  now 
owned  by  the  Patterson  brothers,  thence 
southeast  through  section  10  and  11,  cross- 
ing the  creek  near  the  west  line  of  section  13, 
land  now  owned  by  John  R.  Anderson, 
thence  nearly  east  through  sections  17  and 
18  and  part  of  16,  Columbia  township,  to 
Beaver  Reserve,  thence  southeast  to  the  Is- 
land. From  the  Island  another  trail  ran 
northeastwardly,  until  it  struck  Turtle's 
trail  and  on  to  (Kekionga)  Fort  Wayne. 


TELEPHONES. 


THE    MIDLAND   TELEPHONE   COMPANY. 


BY  S.   P.   KALER. 


The  first  telephone  service  in  Whitley 
county  was  in  November,  1880,  by  the  Mid- 
land Telephone  Company,  a  branch  of  the 
Bell  Telephone  Company.  At  this  time,  the 
Bell  company  controlled  patents  which  gave 
it  a  complete  monopoly  of  the  business. 
Toll  offices  were  established  at  Lanvill  and 
Columbia  City,  the  line  ran  from  Fort 
Wayne  to  Warsaw,  and  is  the  same  line 
now  owned  by  the  Central  Union  Telephone 
Company. 

On  the  first  of  January,  1881,  an  ex- 
change was  installed  in  Dr.  Mitten's  office, 
in    Columbia    City,    and    $48    a    year   was 


charged  for  the  rental  of  a  telephone  in- 
strument, with  toll  of  twenty-five  cents  for 
a  message  to  Larwill  and  larger  amounts 
to  other  towns.  Our  people  at  first  patron- 
ized it  quite  liberally,  but  as  the  novelty  wore 
off,  the  excessive  rental  became  a  burden, 
and  the  subscribers  dropped  off  until  the 
exchange  was  scarcely  self-supporting.  The 
legislature  of  Indiana,  in  January,  1885, 
limited  the  right  of  a  telephone  company  to 
charge  not  exceeding  $36  a  year,  and  soon 
after  this  law  went  into  effect  the  company 
withdrew  its  exchange  and  local  service,  but 
maintained  a  toll  line  by  which  our  people 


i6o 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


could  communicate  with  the  outside  world, 
and  this  was  maintained  until  the  Central 
Union  Company,  successor  to  the  Midland, 
effected  an  arrangement  with  the  Farmers' 
Mutual  Company.  The  legislature  of  1889 
repealed  this  act,  but  the  Midland  did  not 
take  advantage  of  it  here  or  in  other  towns 
of  about  the  same  size  from  which  it  had 
been  driven. 

WHITLEY    COUNTY    TELEPHONE   COMPANY. 

The  Whitley  County  Telephone  Com- 
pany, as  the  successor  of  the  Home  Tele- 
phone Company  of  Columbia  City,  had  its 
inception  from  a  desire  of  the  incorporators 
to  enjoy  the  benefits  of  telephone  service 
rather  than  with  the  idea  of  making  it  a 
distinct  business.  A  few  local  gentlemen, 
in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1895,  de- 
termined to  run  a  few  lines  connecting  their 
homes  and  places  of  business.  Upon  in- 
vestigation, it  was  found  that  this  plan  was 
impractical  without  a  central  switchboard. 
It  was  then  determined  to  establish  a  small 
exchange,  and  it  was  figured  that  $1,500 
would  supply  the  working  capital.  But  in 
order  to  meet  any  possible  demand  there 
might  Ix-  for  telephone  service,  it  was  de- 
cided  to  incorporate  with  an  authorized 
capital  stock  of  $3,000.  Articles  of  incor- 
poration were  filed  with  the  secretary  of 
state  on  the  10th  day  of  February,  1896, 
and  on  the  1 2th  day  of  February,  the  city 
council  granted  the  new  company  a  franchise 
to  operate  in  Columbia  City.  The  incor- 
p  irators  were  S.  J.  Peabody,  A.  A.  Adams. 
A.  A.  Pontius,  W.  H.  Magley,  A.  W.  North, 
A.  II.  Foust  and  J,  A.  Ruch.  The  officers 
were:      A.    A.    Adams,    president:    W.    II. 


Magley.  secretary :  A.  H.  Foust,  treasurer; 
and  J.  A.  Ruch,  superintendent. 

At  this  time  there  were  but  few  ex- 
changes in  northern  Indiana  outside  of  the 
large  cities  where  the  Bell  company  con- 
tinued to  operate.  There  was  a  small  ex- 
change at  Bluffton  and  one  at  Plymouth, 
before  the  home  company  was  ready  to  give 
service.  The  switchboards  and  instruments 
used  at  the  time  were  rather  clumsy  efforts 
to  get  around  the  Bell  patents.  The  Bell 
company  was  claiming  to  have  a  patent  on 
the  principle  of  the  transmission  of  sound 
by  means  of  an  electric  current,  which,  if 
well  founded,  made  every  user  of  any  other 
instrument  guilty  of  infringement.  It  was 
not  a  business  that  appealed  strongly  to  the 
investor,  but  the  local  incorporators  were 
willing  to  take  the  chances.  The  Bell  claim 
was  subsequently  held  to  be  unfounded  by 
the  courts,  and  from  that  time  the  business 
grew  by  leaps  and  bounds. 

The  $3,000  which  the  incorporators  at 
first  thought  to  be  sufficient  to  meet  the  fu- 
ture growth  of  the  business,  was  soon  found 
to  be  insufficient,  and  on  the  26th  of  May, 
1896.  the  company  was  authorized  to  in- 
crease its  capital  stock  to  $10,000.  On  the 
first  of  June,  1896,  it  began  giving  sendee  to 
about  seventy  subscribers  with  a  switch- 
board of  one  hundred  "drops."  This  was 
soon  found  to  be  inadequate  to  meet  the 
demand,  and  an  additional  board  of  two  hun- 
dred drops  was  installed.  The  central  office 
was  in  the  Rhodes'  building,  and  the  entire 
business  was  at  first  looked  after  by  Air. 
Ruch.  the  superintendent,  and  his  wife. 
Soon  after  opening  for  business,  the  com- 
pany constructed  t"ll  lines  to  South  Whit- 
li"  ,  <  liurubuso  1  and  Etna. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


161 


The  new  capital  stock  of  $10,000  was 
soon  used  up,  and  on  the  7th  of  June,  1901, 
the  secretary  of  state  authorized  an  increase 
to  $25,000.  About  this  time  a  demand  for 
farm  telephone  service  sprang  up,  and  to 
meet  this  demand  and  to  rebuild  the  Colum- 
bia City  exchange,  required  the  full  author- 
ized capital. 

In  1900,  an  exchange  had  been  estab- 
lished at  South  Whitley,  and  in  order  to  take 
over  the  properties  of  the  home  company 
and  the  South  Whitley  company,  the  Whit- 
ley County  Telephone  Company  was,  on 
the  8th  of  October,  1903,  incorporated  with 
a  capital  stock  of  $100,000.  The  incorpora- 
tors were  the  principal  stockholders  of  both 
companies,  and  all  the  property  and  con- 
tracts of  both  companies  were  assigned  to 
the  new  company.  The  directors  of  the 
Whitley  county  company  were  S.  J.  Pea- 
body,  A.  A.  Adams,  G.  A.  Pontius,  F.  H. 
Foust,  W.  F.  McLallen.  T.  R.  Marshall, 
J.  E.  Remington,  Robert  Wiener  and  A.  H. 
Krieg.  With  an  ample  capital  and  a  large 
demand  for  telephone  service,  the  company 
has  had  a  phenomenal  growth.  Exchanges 
have  been  established  at  Larwill,  Etna  and 
Laud,  and  all  the  exchanges  of  the  company 
are  connected  and  free  service  is  given  be- 
tween exchanges.  At  this  writing  (August 
1,  1906)  the  company  has  in  actual  service 
1,447  telephones,  representing  an  approxi- 
mate investment  of  $100,000.  Twenty-two 
young  ladies  are  employed  at  the  different 
exchanges  as  operators.  W.  H.  Magley  is 
the  manager  of  all  of  the  company's  proper- 
ties. The  business  rate  at  Columbia  City 
is  $24  per  year,  and  at  South  Whitley  $18 
per  year.  The  residence,  farm  and  village 
rate  is  $12  per  year. 
11 


THE    CHURUBUSCO    COMPANY. 

The  Churubusco  Company,  or  rather  the 
Geiger  Company,  first  began  operations  at 
Churubusco  in  the  fall  of  1900.  It  was 
owned,  built  and  operated  by  AVilliam  A. 
Geiger  and  his  son  Virgil,  and  is  still  owned 
and  operated  by  them  and  has  a  large  pat- 
ronage. The  Whitley  County  Company 
has  run  four  wires  to  Churubusco  and  has 
an  exchange  arrangement  by  which  the 
Geiger  Company  gives  its  patrons  the  service 
of  the  Whitley  County  Company  and  the 
Whitley  County  Company's  patrons  have 
free  service  over  the  Geiger  lines.  A  like 
exchange  has  been  effected  by  the  Whitley 
County  Company  with  the  Wilmot  Com- 
pany, giving  service  to  many  patrons  in  the 
north-west  part  of  the  county.  The  Geiger 
company  has  over  600  instruments  in  use 
and  its  service  extends  into  Noble  and  Allen 
counties. 

THE    LUTHER    COMPANY. 

A  company  was  organized  at  Luther,  on 
the  Whitley  and  Huntington  county  line, 
in  1902.  It  is  properly  a  Huntington  county 
local  company,  and  is  not  connected  with 
our  companies  and  has  less  than  half  a 
dozen  subscribers  in  Whitley  county. 

THE    FARMERS'     MUTUAL    TELEPHONE     COM- 
PANY. 

A  large  number  of  the  farmers  of  Whit- 
lev  count)-  met  at  Tuttle's  Opera  House,  in 
Columbia  City,  August  25,  1903.  and  or- 
ganized by  electing  L.  W.  Dunfee  tempo- 
ral^- president,   and   Robert   R.    Scott   tern- 


1 62 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


porary  secretary.  It  was  determined  to 
build  a  telephone  system  by  popular  sub- 
scription, for  the  purpose  of  giving  the 
farmers  communication  with  each  other  and 
with  the  towns.  The  capital  stock  was  put 
at  1,000  shares  of  $25  each,  and  150  of  the 
shares  were  sold  at  the  first  meeting. 

On  September  8th,  the  company  met  for 
permanent  organization,  adopted  rules,  reg- 
ulations and  by-laws  and  elected  a  board  of 
seven  directors,  as  follows :  Robert  R. 
Scott,  Henry  Norris,  Charles  R.  Banks, 
John  C.  Pentz,  Irvin  J.  Krider.  Frank 
Briggs  and  Lewis  W.  Dunfee.  Scott  was 
elected  president,  Dunfee  and  Stoner  vice 
presidents,  and  John  C.  Pentz  secretary  and 
treasurer. 

Work  began  in  November,  by  planting 
the  first  pole  just  south  of  the  Nickel  Plate 
Railroad  at  the  town  of  Raber.  A  line  was 
quickly  built  to  Laud  and  an  exchange  was 
installed  at  that  place  March  16.  1904,  with 
fifty  patrons,  all  that  could  be  accommo- 
dated, while  double  that  number  were  wait- 
ing for  service.  A  line  w-as  then  run  from 
Laud  through  South  Whitley  to  Lar- 
will.  and  an  exchange  put  in  Larwill  in 
June.  The  South  Whitley  exchange  was 
installed  September  I,  1904. 

A  franchise  was  granted  the  company 
to  enter  Columbia  City  October  1,  1904, 
and  lines  and  cables  were  quickly  built  and 
the  first  farmers'  phone  in  Columbia  City 
was  installed  in  democratic  headquarters,  on 
the  evening  of  the  presidential  election. 
1904,  and  gave  the  news,  which,  of  course, 
was  not  satisfactory.  Reference  here  is 
made  to  the  news,  and  not  to  the  tele- 
phone  service.  The  connection  was  made 
by  way  of  the  South  Whitley  exchange,  or 
over   the   line   to   South  Whitley. 


The  following  day  an  exchange  was  in- 
stalled in  Columbia  City,  and  on  the  same 
day  the  Central  Union  Company  abandoned 
their  toll  office  in  Columbia  City  and  con- 
nected their  toll  line  into  the  Fanners'  Mu- 
tual exchange.  It  was  the  policy  of  this 
company,  from  its  inception,  to  abolish  all 
t<ill  service  within  the  county.  This  had 
already  been  done  by  the  Whitley  County 
Company,  and  since  November  1,  1904.  all 
service  is  free  within  the  count)'  and  to 
many  patrons  outside;  except  regular  phone 
rental  which  is  uniformly  $1.00  a  month  to 
residences  and  $2.00  a  month  to  business 
houses. 

The  Farmers'  Mutual  Company  in- 
creased its  capital  stock  to  $100,000  at  its 
annual  meeting  September,   1904. 

It  had,  November  20.  1906,  1,152 
phones  in  operation  in  all  parts  of  the 
county,  except  that  it  has  but  two  in  Smith 
township.  Four  hundred  and  five  of  these 
are  operated  from  the  Columbia  City  ex- 
change. The  present  officers  are  Albert 
Bush,  president ;  William  H.  Carter,  secre- 
tary :  John  C.  Pentz,  superintendent  of  con- 
struction ;  Charles  R.  Banks,  treasurer. 
Robert  R.  Scott  has  charge  of  the  business 
as  general  manager.  There  are  now  over 
3,150  telephones  in  actual  use  in  Whitley 
county. 

Our  people  can  sit  in  home  or  office  and 
converse  with  any  one  of  more  than  three- 
quarters  of  the  homes  and  places  of  business 
in  the  county  and  the  number  of  phones  is 
rapidly  increasing.  If  it  is  desired  to  send 
sad  intelligence  or  good  tidings  to  any  part 
of  the  county,  if  the  exact  place  cannot  be 
reached,  at  least  a  near  neighbor  can,  and 
our  people  are  practically  at  home  with  each 
other  at  all  times. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


163 


THE  OLD  SETTLERS'  ASSOCIATION  AND  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 
OE  WHITLEY  COUNTY. 

BY    R.    II.    MARING. 


At  different  times  during  the  last  thirty 
years,  there  have  been  efforts  made  to  form 
an  Old  Settlers'  organization  in  Whitley 
county,  and  a  number  of  old  settlers'  picnics 
have  been  held  and  always  attended  by 
large  crowds  of  people ;  but  it  was  not  until 
the  autumn  of  1904  that  anything  like  a 
successful  effort  was  made  to  organize  a  per- 
manent Old  Settlers'  Association  and  His- 
torical Society.  A  meeting  for  the  purpose 
of  forming  such  an  organization  was  called 
to  meet  at  Loon  Lake,  on  Saturday.  Sep- 
tember 17,  1904,  and  the  meeting  was  a 
success  in  ever}'  sense  of  the  word  and  was 
attended  by  a  great  crowd  of  people.  A 
permanent  organization  was  effected,  and 
Judge  Joseph  W.  Adair  was  chosen  presi- 
dent and  Samuel  P.  Kaler,  secretary  and  his- 
torian. The  second  annual  meeting  of  the 
society  was  held  at  the  court  house  and 
on  the  court  house  lawn,  in-  Columbia  City, 
on  Thursday,  August  17,  1905,  and  was 
attended  by  one  of  the  largest  crowds  of 
people  ever  seen  in  Columbia  City.  Hon. 
John  W.  Baker  was  chosen  president.  R. 
H.  Maring,  secretary,  and  S.  P.  Kaler, 
historian.  Judge  Otis  L.  Ballon,  of  La- 
Grange,  delivered  the  oration  of  the  day. 

A  registration  of  all  persons  who  had 
lived  in  the  county  for  thirty  years  or  longer, 
was  taken,  which  revealed  that  Mrs.  Mary 
Gould,  of  Smith  township,  who  was  born  in 
Maryland,  on  January  30,  1814.  was  the 
oldest  person  in  the  county  to  register,  and 
William  Leslie,  of  Cleveland  township,  who 


had  lived  in  the  county  continuously  since 
1 83 1,  was  the  person  having  the  longest 
residence  in  the  county,  while  Mrs.  Rosanna 
Krider  was  the  oldest  person  to  register  who 
had  been  born  in  Whitley  county.  Mrs. 
Krider  was  born  in  Smith  township,  Sep- 
tember 15,  1834. 

John  R.  Anderson,  of  Richland  town- 
ship, was  presented  with  a  gold  headed 
cane,  for  being  the  oldest  tax  payer  in  the 
county,  he  having  the  distinction  of  being 
a  continuous  tax  payer  since  the  county  was 
organized  in  1838,  and  never  being 
delinquent. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  officers  of  the  as- 
sociation, September  30,  1905,  it  was  voted 
to  fix  the  third  Thursday  in  August,  in  each 
year,  as  the  date  for  holding  the  annual  Old 
Settlers'  reunion,  and  at  a  later  meeting  it 
was  voted  to  hold  the  reunion  for  1906  at 
Columbia  City. 

The  meeting  was  accordingly  held  on 
Thursday.  August  16,  1906,  and  again 
brought  a  great  crowd  of  people  to  Columbia 
City.  An  interesting  feature  of  the  meeting 
was  the  presence  of  Kil-so-quah,  the  noted 
Indian  squaw,  ninety-six  years  old.  and  her 
son,  Anthony  Revarre,  (White  Loon)  of 
near  Roanoke,  Ind.  The  Indians  were 
brought  to  Columbia  City,  in  the  morning. 
by  S.  J.  Peabody.  in  his  large  automobile. 
and  were  returned  in  the  evening  by  Fred 
Welshimer,  also  in  an  automobile.  Judge 
Lemuel  W.  Royse,  of  Warsaw,  delivered  the 
oration  of  the  dav,  and  Dr.  |ohn  W.  Morr. 


164 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


of  Albion,  and  Hon.  Clarence  C.  Gilhams,  of 
LaGrange,  democratic  and  republican  candi- 
dates for  congress,  respectively,  in  the 
twelfth  district,  were  also  present  and  ad- 
dressed the  crowd. 

A  registration  revealed  the  fact  that 
Mrs.  Mary  Gould,  of  Smith  township,  who 
was  ninety-two  years,  six  months  and  six- 
teen days  old,  was  the  oldest  person  to 
register,  but  as  she  had  taken  the  prize  last 
year,  the  prize  this  year,  a  silver  loving  cup, 
was  awarded  to  the  next  oldest  person  to 
register,  which  proved  to  be  James  Davis, 
of  Richland  township,  who  was  ninety-one 
years,  five  months  and  twenty-eight  days  old. 

The  second  prize,  a  large  Bible,  was 
awarded  to  the  person  who  had  lived  the 
longest  in  Whitley  county  and  this  proved 
to  be  Mrs.  Jane  Hull,  of  Smith  township, 
who  had  lived  in  the  county  since  January 
22,  1836,  and  was  eighty-five  years,  seven 
months  and  twenty-four  days  old. 

The  secretary  reported  that  there  had 
been  eighty-five  deaths  of  old  settlers  since 
the  meeting  one  year  ago,  and  a  suitable 
memorial  was  adopted. 

The  association  elected  the  following 
officers  for  the  next  year :  President,  Henry 
McLallen  secretary.  Melvin  Blain;  treas- 
urer, James  Wasburn ;  historian,  S.  P. 
Kaler. 

Previous  to  this  organization,  a  number 
of  Old  Settlers'  meetings  had  been  held  in 
the  county,  mention  of  which  may  be  made 
of  the  one  held  in  Columbia  City  in  the  au- 
tumn of  1877;  the  one  in  Troy  township,  in 
September,  1881,  and  the  one  at  Blue  Lake, 
in  1896. 

At  the  laying  of  the  corner  stone  of  the 
court  hmise  in  Columbia  city,  on  September 


21,  1888,  a  committee  of  Old  Settlers  had 
charge  of  a  part  of  the  exercises  of  the 
day.  The  committee  was  composed  of  the 
following  well  known  citizens,  nearly  all  of 
whom  are  now  dead : 

James  S.  Collins,  Benjamin  F.  Thomp- 
son, Joseph  Welker,  Leonard  S.  Maring, 
Jacob  Nickey,  Christian  H.  Creager,  Isaac 
Hartsock,  Martin  Bechtel,  Joseph  Douglas 
and  Solomon  Miller. 

At  the  Old  Settlers'  meeting  at  Loon 
Lake,  in  1904,  Judge  Joseph  W.  Adair  spoke 
as  follows : 

JUDGE    ADAIR'S    ADDRESS. 

\\  e  meet  to-day  to  live  over  again  some 
of  the  days  of  the  past,  and  though  many  of 
us  are  near  the  dead  line  of  the  psalmist's 
reckoning,  we  say,  "Come,  grow  old  with 
me:  the  best  of  the  days  are" yet  to  be." 

We  are  joined  by  bright  and  dutiful  sons, 
beautiful  and  loving  daughters,  but  all  these 
who  come  with  their  good  cheer  and  all 
their  wealth  of  affection  to  bid  us  good 
speed  and  happiness  as  we  near  the  end  of 
our  race,  can  only  renew  our  grief  for  those 
who  have  gone  before. 

There  is  one  common,  wholesome  cry 
springing  eternal  in  the  human  soul,  "Re- 
member me."  The  most  careless  soldier, 
in  his  weary  march,  feels  the  road  shorter 
and  better  and  his  load  lighter,  when  he 
thinks  of  a  home  some  place  where  he  is 
remembered.  Amid  the  din  and  roar  of 
the  great  battle  brave  soldiers  are  asking' : 
Is  mother  praying  for  me  to-day?  Is  wife 
appealing-  to  the  great  White  Throne  to  spare 
me?  Is  tlie  dear  girl  I  parted  with  at  her 
cottage  home  with  no  word,  but  a  sigh,  still 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


165 


waiting  for  my  return  ?  When  this  struggle 
lias  ended,  when  this  roar  of  battle  has 
ceased,  when  the  evening  shadows  fall,  and 
I  am  left  on  this  bloody  field,  will  they  miss 
me?  When  men  and  women  talk  of  wars 
and  battles,  will  they  speak  of  me  as  one  who 
loved  his  country  and  gave  all  he  had  to  save 
it?  This  is  all  the  reward  that  the  good 
soldier  asks  or  ever  expects  of  men,  and 
hopes  that  the  God  of  battles  will  overturn 
and  overturn,  till  he  whose  right  it  is  shall 
rule  and  give  rest  to  his  soul. 

Men  of  high  commercial  instinct  will 
plan  and  plan,  squeeze  and  squeeze,  wreck 
and  wreck,  and  bring  to  nought  all  opposi- 
tion, and  rob  the  thoughtless  and  improv- 
ident, that  they  may  be  remembered  in  the 
endowment  of  colleges  or  the  erection  of  a 
stone  library ;  and,  as  helpful  as  their  gifts 
may  seem,  we  cannot  resist  the  conviction 
that  it  is  unwarranted  flattery  to  call  such  a 
man  a  thief.  The  widow  with  her  mite 
will  live  longer  than  the  man  with  his  name 
etched  on  a  granite  slab. 

The  "Prisoner  for  Debt,"  described  by 
our  dear  poet,  will  live  longer  than  the  man 
and  his  one  hundred  and  sixty  millions. 

"What  has  the  gray  haired  prisoner  done? 
Has  murder  stained  his  hands  with  human 

gore? 
Not  so,  crime  is  a  fouler  one, 
God  made  the  old  man  poor." 

As  we  look  into  your  faces  to-day,  we 

read  the  hope  that  you  are  kindly  remem- 

*bered  now  and  will  not  be  forgotten  when 

you  go  to  that  land  of  the  unfailing  river 

and  the  unsetting  sun. 

In  the  busv  strife  of  life,  we  sometimes 


forget  to  think  of  friends  separated,  but  are 
never  willing  to  confess  that  we  have  for- 
gotten them.  We  have  unbounded  sympa- 
thy for  any  human  being  who  can  return 
to  his  old  home  and  hear  all  the  people  say : 
"We  have  forgotten  you."  Perhaps  you 
have  all  read  the  beautiful  story  of  Rip  Van 
Winkle,  and  some  of  you  have  seen  the 
master  artist  represent  him  on  the  stage. 
After  twenty  years,  he  returns  to  his  native 
village  to  learn  that  no  man,  woman  or 
child  remembered  him,  nor  his  dog  Snyder. 
When  Jefferson  exclaims  in  deep  pathos, 
"Are  we  so  soon  forgot?"  the  audience  must 
break  forth  in  tears  as  it  beholds  the  true 
picture  of  human  sadness  and  disappoint- 
ment. This  world  has  many  Rip  Van 
Winkles  in  it  and  some,  perhaps,  deserve  no 
better  fate. 

Your  committee  requested  that  this  ad- 
dress be  in  writing  and  largely  historical. 
This  was  the  first  time  that  I  had  ever  been 
accused  of  being  a  historian  and  I  believe 
it  will  be  the  last  time.  But,  a  few  things 
I  have  learned  and  will  tell  them  to  you  in 
a  very  few  words. 

Whitley  county  was  named  in  honor  of 
the  great  and  brave  Col.  Whitley,  of  Ken- 
tucky, who  fell  at  the  battle  of  the  Thames, 
in  Canada,  in  1812.  Peace  to  his  brave  soul 
and  may  the  sons  of  little  Whitley  ever 
emulate  his  honor  and  patriotism. 

We  belonged  to  Old  Allen  county  from 
1824  to  1837 — thirteen  years — when  the 
good  county  of  Huntington  took  charge  of 
us  and  nursed  us  till  the  first  day  of  April, 
1838,  when  we  began  business  for  ourselves. 
Richard  Baughan  was  appointed  first  sheriff. 
by  Governor  Wallace,  and  ordered  to  give 
notice  and  designate  suitable  places  for  hold- 


1 66 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ing  election  ;  he  gave  notice  for  election  to  be 
held  in  four  places  in  the  county.     One  was 

at  the  house  of  Louis  kinsey,  now  in  Cleve- 
land township;  one  at  the  house  of  Andrew 
Compton,  now  in  Richland  township;  one 
at  the  house  of  Richard  Baughan.  now  in 
Thorncreek  township:  and  one  at  the  house 
of  John  M.  Moure,  now  in  Union  township. 

The  tally  sheet  of  this  election  was  never 
filed  with  the  clerk,  but  there  were  not  more 
than  sixty  votes  cast.  There  being  no 
organized  townships,  for  the  election  of 
clerk,  recorder,  associate  judge  and  com- 
missioners. Sheriff  Baughan  gave  notice  of 
another  election,  to  fill  these  offices,  by  post- 
ing on  trees  along  Indian  trails  and  on  cabin 
doors,  of  an  election  to  be  held  at  the  house 
of  Calvin  Alexander,  near  what  we  n<  iw 
call  "Beech  Chapel,"  in  Thorncreek  town- 
ship. Fifteen  persons  met,  selected  and 
unanimously  elected  Abraham  Cuppy,  clerk 
and  recorder:  Jacob  A.  Vanhouten  and 
Benjamin  F.  Martin,  associate  judges;  Otho 
\V.  Gandy,  Nathaniel  Gradeless  and  Joseph 
Parrett,  county  commissioners. 

The  first  term  of  court  held  in  Whitley 
county  was  at  the  saw  mill  of  Richard 
Baughan,  in  Thorncreek  township,  on  the 
ijth  day  of  April,  [839. 

Whitley  county  is  one  of  the  best  coun- 
ties in  Indiana,  now  the  best  state  in  our 
union  of  states.  All  [ndianans  will  admit 
this.  If  the  stranger  denies  it.  we  will  con- 
vince him  with  ready  proof. 

The  present  generation  of  men  and 
women  living  in  northern  Indiana  ought 
I"  In-  the  best  that  any  state  can  show,  for 
yon  sprang  from  noble  men  and  women 
coining  from  the  east  and  from  the  south- 
land.      I  he  reason  for  the  possession  of  no- 


bility of  character  and  steadfastness  of  pur- 
pose of  the  pioneer  of  this  county  is  easy 
to  find.  They  were  men  of  courage  for  the 
coward  heard  of  the  savage  men  and  the 
savage  beast  had  not  yet  left,  and  said:  "I 
guess  I  will  remain  awhile,"  and  he  re- 
mained in  some  quiet  peaceful  home  among 
the  Xew  England  hills,  or  in  the  cotton  fields 
of  the  south.  They  were  men  and  women 
with  a  purpose  in  life,  and  when  they 
reached  the  conclusion  to  come,  thev  put 
their  children  in  the  wagon  and  started.  Xo 
lazy,  thriftless  couple  started,  or,  if  they  did, 
they  never  got  through  the  Black  Swamp. 

They  were  not  men  of  any  considerable 
amount  of  money — only  enough  to  buy  a 
little  home  at  one  dollar  and  twenty-five 
cents  an  acre  and  support  the  wife  and  chil- 
dren until  they  could  see  the  corn  silk  and 
potato  bloom  on  their  own  lands;  the  old 
man  of  the  barns  remained  at  home  and 
said,  "Soul,  take  thy  ease."  What  a  fool 
he  was.  This  was  no  country  to  attract  the 
worshiper  of  gold  or  the  idle  dreamer  of 
visions  of  ease  and  pleasure,  but  the  hard 
stern  facts  faced  them  that  they  must  labor 
and  wait. 

It  was  no  miracle  then  that  the  noblest 
type  of  God's  men  and  women  came  to  settle 
in  this  good  land. 

It  is  written  in  history  that  at  the  battle 
of  Gettysburg,  when  the  Confederate  line 
was  thrown  into  confusion  and  retreat  and 
the  whole  Confederate  army  was  in  danger 
of  stampede,  their  greatest  commander,  Lee, 
stood  on  the  retreating  line  and  simplv  said, 
"All  good  soldiers  will  stop  here."  The 
soldier  in  gray  heard  the  words  and  turned 
his  face  to  the  enemy,  and  order  was  re- 
stored in  the  Confederate  army.     So,  it  is 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


167 


no  miracle  or  incident  of  chance  that  the  best 
men  and  women  should  come  to  settle  this 
land,  or  that  their  children  should  be  men 
and  women  of  real  worth  and  bonor,  for  it 
is  a  fulfillment  of  the  laws  that-  God  has 
ordained. 

I  feel  that  I  am  but  a  boy  yet,  but  re- 
membering back  almost  sixty  years,  1  can 
think  of  some  of  the  things  that  I  now  feel 
that  the  pioneer  might  complain  about  with- 
out being  charged  with  ingratitude.  Those 
of  us  who  were  raised  on  ague  and  mosqui- 
toes would  naturally  think  of  these  as  the 
first  hardships.  I  cannot  explain  to  these 
young  ladies  and  gentlemen  what  the  ague 
was,  but  you  old  settlers  know  what  it  was. 
When  the  chill  first  came  on  we  were  afraid 
we  would  die.  but  when  the  fever  took  hold 
of  us  we  were  afraid  we  would  not  die. 
Talk  about  discouraging  conditions.  Go  to 
my  home  fifty-eight  years  ago.  Mother 
almost  dead  from  the  bite  of  a  rattlesnake, 
fourteen  children  with  the  ague  and  father 
away  from  home  hunting  for  bread.  These 
were  not  altogether  unusual  conditions 
found  in  the  homes  of  this  count)'  sixty 
years  ago. 

Roads — well,  we  had  none,  in  the  sense 
which  you  now  talk  about  roads.  Think 
of  going  from  here  to  Columbia  City  or 
Fort  Wayne,  through  an  undisturbed  forest, 
with  only  here  and  there  a  tree  blazed  or  a 
small  sapling  cut  away.  Well,  we  have  no 
time  to  talk  about  these  things  to-day,  and, 
that  they  are  now  past,  no  disposition  to 
complain,  for  they  might  have  been  much 
worse. 

Our  opportunities  to  acquire  the  most 
common  education  were  meager  indeed. 
Sixty  davs  school  in  the  year,  often  a  sub- 


scription school  ami  many  of  us  our  parents 
too  poor  to  pay  for  more  than  half  their 
children  of  school  age.  There  were  no  red 
schoolhouses  in  those  days — only  the  log 
schoolhouse  with  stick  chimney.  I  can  de- 
scribe to  you  my  first  school  and  my  teacher, 
which  I  believe  a  fair  sample  of  teachers  and 
schoolhouses  in  this  county  fifty-four  years 
ago.  The  house  stood  about  half  way  be- 
tween this  point  and  my  home,  four  miles 
from  here  and  was  called  the  "Scott  school- 
house" — a  plain  log  house  with  inverted 
slabs  for  seats  and  greased  paper  for  lights, 
situated  on  the  margin  of  a  beautiful  swamp  : 
and,  remember,  the  builders  were  no  re- 
spector  of  persons,  for  they  built  all  seats 
of  the  same  height.  My  first  teacher  was 
Elder  Fuller,  who  had  his  blacksmith  shop 
at  the  other  end  of  this  lake,  who  pounded 
iron  the  most  of  the  time,  preached  the  gos- 
pel on  Sunday,  and  pounded  the  bad  boys 
for  sixty  days  in  the  year,  and  with  all  his 
preaching  and  pounding  I  do  not  think  he 
realized  three  hundred  dollars  per  year. 
Oh,  how  well  I  remember  my  first  recitation 
— if  I  dare  call  it  that — "Come  here,  lad," 
he  said,  pointing  to  me.  I  arose  and  ap- 
proached. Taking  from  my  hand  the  old 
elementary  speller  and,  pointing  with  a  tun- 
ing fork  to  the  first  letter  of  the  alphabet, 
he  said,  "What  is  that?"  I  meekly  con- 
fessed I  did  not  know.  He  said,  "That  is 
the  letter  A.  it  looks  for  all  the  world  like 
the  gable  end  of  your  father's  barn.  Say 
"A."  I  said  "A"  and  he  said.  "Take  your 
seat."  And  I  have  ever  after  known  the 
letter  "A"  when  I  saw  it.  Elder  Fuller  was 
a  noble  specimen  of  good  manhood,  a 
preacher  of  force  and  learning.  Peace  to 
his  soul  and  may  we  meet  more  like  him. 


1 68 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


My  experience  was  your  experience,  and 
I  must  leave  most  of  it  with  you  to  think 
about  to-day. 

We  cannot  close  without  a  few  words  to 
the  young  ladies  and  gentlemen  who  have 
met  with  us. 

Young  friends,  you  have  a  right  to  be 
proud  of  your  ancestry  and  of  your  county. 
I  pit}-  the  man  who  has  ever  found  a  better 
woman  than  his  own  mother,  or  a  better 
country  than  his  own  country.  You  begin 
life  in  the  very  morning  of  the  world's  his- 
tory. I  would  rather  live  the  next  fifty 
years  than  to  live  the  nine  hundred  and 
sixty-nine  years  of  Methuselah,  who  did 
nothing  but  watch  oxen  eat  grass. 

If  you  would  be  happy,  try  to  make 
others  happy  about  you,  and  remember  that 

"No  soul  ever  entered  heaven  alone. 
But  save  another  soul  and  that 
Will  save  your  own." 

Do  your  duty.  This  is  the  only  way  to 
success.  When  the  boy  boarded  the  man  of 
war,  the  old  captain  said,  "Lad,  we  have  only 
two  things  aboard  this  ship :  one  is  duty  and 
the  other  is  mutiny." 

You  remember  the  story  from  "The 
Tales  from  the  Wayside  Inn,'*  where  the 
devout  monk  prayed  for  the  higher  and 
better  life,  and  as  he  prayed  the  angel  of  the 
Lord  appears,  and  as  he  listened  to  the  words 
of  the  angel  the  convent  bell  rang  out  call- 
ing him  to  feed  the  beggars ;  he  hesitated, 
but  the  angel  said,  "Go,  do  your  duty."  He 
went  and  fed  the  beggars,  and  on  his  return 
found  the  angel  still  there,  who  said,  "If 
you  had  remained  I  must  have  left." 

More  than  fifty  years  ago  I  learned  to 
recite  to  my  teacher,  that  good  and  brave 


soldier,    Capt.    Will    N.    Vorris,    now    of 

Albion,  this  almost  forgotten  poem : 

"How  dear  to  my  heart  are  the  scenes  of 
my  childhood 
When  fond  recollection  presents  them  to 
view : 
The  orchard,  the  meadow,  the  deep  tangled 
wildwood  and  every 
Fond  spot  that  my  infancy  knew. 
The   broad   spreading   river,    the   mill    that 
stood  near  it; 
The  bridge,  the  rock  where  the  cataract 
fell, 
The  cot  of  my  father,  the  dairy  house  by  it. 
Even  the  rude  bucket  which  hung  in  the 
well. 
The  old  oaken  bucket,  the  iron  bound  bucket, 
The  moss  covered  bucket  that  hung  in 
the  well. 

The    moss    covered    bucket    I    hailed    as    a 
treasure 
When  often  at  noon  returning  from  the 
field 
I   found   it  a   source  of  exquisite  pleasure. 
The  sweetest  and  best  that  nature  can 
yield. 
How  ardently  I  received  it  with  hands  all 
aglow : 
Soon  to  the  white  pebbled  bottom  it  fell. 
Soon    returning    with    the    emblem    of    life 
overflowing, 
All  dripping  with  coolness  it  rose  from 
the  well. 
The  old  oaken  bucket,  the  iron  bound  bucket. 
The  moss  covered  bucket  that  hung  in 
the  well. 

How  quick  to  receive  from  its  moss  covered 
rim 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


169 


As  it  poised  on  the  curb  and  inclined  to 
my  lips. 
Not  a  full  flowing  goblet  would  tempt  me 
to  leave  it 
Though  filled  with  the  nectar  that  Jupiter 
sips. 
Now  far  removed  from  the  scenes  of  my 
childhood 


A  tear  of  regret  intrusively  swells 
As  I  think  of  my  father's  plantation 

And  long  for  the  bucket  that  hung  in  the 
well. 

The  old  oaken  bucket,  the  iron  bound  bucket. 
The  moss  covered  bucket  that  hung  in 
the  well." 


THE  WHITLEY  COUNTY  OFFICIALS'  FRATERNAL  ASSOCIATION. 


W  hitley  count}7  has  an  organization  that 
is  unique,  and  the  only  one  of  the  kind  in 
the  state,  as  far  as  the  writer  has  been  able 
to  learn.  It  is  the  Whitley  County  Officials' 
Fraternal  Association,  and  all  present  county 
officers  and  their  deputies,  all  ex-county  of- 
ficers, their  deputies  and  all  persons  who 
have  held  an  official  position  in  the  count}'. 
are  entitled  to  membership. 

In  the  spring  of  1903,  it  was  suggested 
that  there  be  held  a  reunion  of  the  ex- 
sheriffs  of  \\ "hitley  county,  and  a  meeting 
for  that  purpose  was  called  to  be  held  at 
Sheriff  Gallagher's  office  on  the  19th  of 
March.  At  that  time,  ten  ex-sheriffs  of 
Whitley  county  were  living,  namely:  John 
W.  Wynkoop,  who  had  served  from  1 8(  >J 
to  1S66,  Oliver  P.  Koontz,  1866  to  1870, 
Jacob  W.  Miller,  1870  to  1874,  William  H. 
Liggett,  1874  to  1878,  Franklin  P.  Allwein. 
1880  to  1884,  Leander  Lower,  1884  to  1888. 
William  W.  Hollipeter,  1888  to  1890,  John 
W.  McNabb,  1890  to  1S94,  Thomas  N. 
Hughes,  1894  to  1896,  and  Benjamin  F. 
Hull,  1896  to  1900;  Edward  L.  Gallagher 
being  sheriff  at  that  time. 

The  meeting  was  accordingly  held,  and 
Oliver  P.  Koontz  was  chosen  president  and 
Edward   L.    Gallagher,    secretary-treasurer. 


At  the  meeting,  it  was  voted  to  organize  a 
permanent  association  and  invite  all  other 
county  officers  and  ex-county  officers  to  be- 
come members,  and  afterwards  it  was  voted 
to  extend  the  invitation  to  all  persons  who 
had  occupied  an  official  position  in  the 
county,  whether  principal  or  deputy,  and  it 
was  arranged  to  hold  an  annual  meeting  of 
the  association  on  the  second  Thursday  in 
October  in  each  year,  to  be  followed  by  a 
banquet  in  the  evening. 

The  first  annual  meeting  of  the  associa- 
tion was  held  at  the  circuit  court  room  on 
Thursday,  October  8,  1903,  at  which  time 
Oliver  P.  Koontz  was  re-elected  president 
and  E.  L.  Gallagher,  secretary-treasurer. 

An  incident  of  this  meeting  may  be  men- 
tioned here:  Rev.  A.  J.  Douglas,  who  had 
served  as  county  superintendent  of  schools 
for  ten  years  and  who  at  that  time  was  in 
quite  feeble  health,  was  reported  to  be  in  the 
basement  of  the  building  and  very  desirous 
of  attending  the  meeting,  but  unable  to 
ascend  the  stairs.  Accordingly,  the  presi- 
dent appointed  Frederick  Nei,  ex-commis- 
sioner, and  Richard  H.  Maring,  ex-clerk,  to 
assist  Mr.  Douglas  up  stairs.  He  was 
placed  in  a  large  chair  and  carried  up  stairs 
where  he  enjoyed  the  meeting  very  much. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


\  banquet  was  held  at  the  Clugston 
house  in  the  evening,  Hon.  A.  A.  Adams. 
ex-representative,  acting'  as  toast  master. 
Judge  Adair.  C.  S.  Williams,  coroner,  W. 
H.  Liggett,  ex-sheriff,  and  S.  P.  Kaler, 
ex-clerk,    making   the   principal    speeches. 

The  next  meeting  of  the  association  was 
held  on  Thursday,  October  13,  1904,  when 
Col.  I.  B.  McDonald,  who  had  served  as 
clerk  of  the  court  nearly  fifty  years  before 
and  also  had  served  the  county  as  representa- 
tive, state  senator  and  county  school  superin- 
tendent, was  chosen  president,  and  Jesse  A. 
Glassley,  present  clerk,  was  made  secretary- 
treasurer. 

A  banquet  was  held  in  the  evening,  the 
ladies  of  the  United  Brethren  church  serv- 
ing the  supper,  Benjamin  F.  Menaugh,  ex- 
mayor  of  the  city  and  ex-deputy  sheriff,  act- 
ing as  toast  master,  and  Henry  McLallen. 
ex-treasurer,  W.  H.  Liggett,  ex-sheriff  and 
George  H.  Tapy,  present  county  superin- 
tendent, making  the  principal   addresses. 

The  third  meeting  of  the  association  was 
held  on  Thursday  evening",  October  12. 
1005,  when  Jacob  W.  Miller,  ex-sheriff,  was 
elected  president,  and  Charles  E.  Lancaster, 
present  auditor,  was  made  secretary-treas- 
urer. The  ladies  of  the  I'nited  Brethren 
church  again  served  the  supper  at  the  ban- 
quet in  the  evening,  and  Hon.  Thomas  R. 
Marshall,  ex-notary  public,  was  toast  master. 
Judge  Olds  responded  to  the  toast:  "Early 
Recollections  of  the  Bench ;"  Col.  Mc- 
Donald  spoke  on  "Early  Recollections  of 
County  Officers;"  R.  H.  Maring  spoke  on 
the  "Pioneer,"  and  John  W.  Baker  re- 
sponded to  the  subject,  "Republican  News- 
papers." 

Ex-Sheriff  Liggett,  at  the  [904  banquet. 


had  for  his  subject:  "1X74:"  his  address 
was  1  if  a  historical  nature  and  is  as  follows: 

"I  am  only  human,  and  that  is  the  reason 
nothing  pleases  me  better  than  to  see  my 
name  in  the  paper.  When  1  saw  my  name 
in  the  paper  the  other  day.  as  one  of  those 
who  were  to  talk  to  you  this  evening  about 
"1 874,"  I  felt  first  rate — better  than  I  do 
now  that  the  time  has  arrived  to  do  the 
talking.  There  is  more  pleasure,  it  is  said. 
in  anticipation  than  in  realization. 

Beforehand.  I  always  imagine  a  good 
many  things  that  don't  come'  to  pass,  and  I 
get  puffed  up  over  the  nice  things  I  think  I 
am  going  to  say,  and  the  nice  things  that  will 
be  said  about  the  nice  things  I  have  said. 
I  make  amends,  by  feeling  extremelv  humble 
for  some  time  after,  however. 

Imagine  how  I  felt  thirty  vears  ago 
when  all  the  newspapers  of  one  side  anyway 
heralded  my  virtues  far  and  near.  I  felt 
pretty  good.  Did  I  step  high?  Yes.  sir: 
I  could  have  stepped  over  a  bank  barn. 
That  is,  along  at  first;  but  when  I  saw  what 
the  Post  said  about  me,  I  shrank  up  like  one 
of  those  rubber  balls  you  buy  on  show  days 
that  are  full  to  bursting  when  yon  buy 
them,  but  as_  soon  as  you  squeeze  them  a 
little,  thev  collapse  on  your  hands  to  about 
the  size  of  a  walnut. 

1  don't  see  how  the  newspapers  can  take 
just  a  common  man — or,  well,  a  mule,  and 
make  a  lion  of  him.  and  by  punching  him  a 
few  times  turn  him  back  into  a  mule  again — 
but  thev  can.  This  remark  is  not  intended 
to  reflect  in  any  way  upon  myself  or  any 
one  else.  Perhaps  the  newspapers  can  get 
some  consolation  out  of  it  and  will  comment 
on  it. 

The  year  1874  is  indelibly  fixed  upon  my 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


171 


memory,  for  in  1874  I  emerged  from  ob- 
scurity and  became  great.  Some  men  are 
born  great — some  achieve  greatness  and 
some,  like  myself,  get  into  the  hand  wagon 
bv  accident,  the  team  runs  away  and  carries 
them  to  the  front  of  the  procession. 

Becoming  great  is  like  getting  rich — it 
is  no  sign  of  mental  superiority — but  mostly 
luck.  Many  a  man  gets  all  skinned  up  in 
his  efforts  to  become  rich  or  great.  The 
chances  are  that  if  I  got  into  the  hand 
wagon  now,  the  mules  would  run  away  in 
the  wrong  direction  and  break  my  neck ;  and 
I  should  be  greatly  missed  ;  something,  too, 
I  should  greatly  regret. 

There  have  been  great  changes  in 
Whitley  county  since  I  burst  like  a  comet  on 
the  horizon  of  politics.  The  swamps  and 
swales  that  were  then  the  abode  of  the  mos- 
quito and  the  home  of  the  perfumed  cat, 
now  produce  thousands  of  bushels  of 
oderiferous  onions — not  very  much  differ- 
ence in  the  perfume  perhaps,  though  the 
"cents"  are  in  favor  of  the  onions.  But  I 
will  leave  this  matter  to  be  discussed  by  some 
of  the  other  speakers.  I  could  talk  to 
you  for  an  hour  on  skunks  and  onions,  but 
that  would  be  too  much  like  discussing  poli- 
tics, and  I  do  not  want  to  do  that  this 
evening. 

When  one  has  become  great,  either  by 
accident  or  design,  he  writes — or  has  some- 
body write  for  him — a  minute  history  of 
his  life,  beginning  with  his  childhood  and 
gradually  leading  up  to  his  magnificent  man- 
hood, when  the  newspapers,  for  considera- 
tion, take  him  up  and  so  advertise  his  virtues 
that  a  deluded  public  makes  him  its  idol. 

Most  of  the  great  men  of  the  nineteenth 
century  were  born  in  a  log  cabin  in  Ohio. 


They  were  born  poor,  but  always  burn 
honest,  they  tell  us.  1  am  not  an  exception. 
1  was  born  in  Ohio,  in  a  log  cabin,  pour  but 
honest.  I  remained  honest  until  1  was  two 
years  old — or  until  1  cut  my  first  set  of  teeth, 
when  I  became  wobbly.  I  am  still  reported 
wobbly  by  those  who  know  me  best.  The 
dentists  say  I  can  even  get  wobblyer  and 
wobblyer  every  time  I  cut  a  new  set  of  teeth. 
I  believe,  however,  if  the  other  fellow  would 
always  do  right  by  me  as  I  look  at  it.  I'd 
meet  him  half  way  and  be  good.  That  is,  if 
there  is  any  money  in  it  for  me,  I'd  be  good. 
At  my  time  of  life,  I  cannot  afford  to  be 
good  for  nothing.  Honesty  is  the  best  policy 
in  everything  except  politics. 

It  seems  to  me  I  am  not  able  to  stick  to  my 
text  this  evening — get  to  talking  about  my- 
self and  forget  it.  But  I  want  to  say  before 
I  get  to  rambling  again,  that  I  can  truthfully 
say,  as  I  lay  my  hand  on  the  place  my  heart 
used  to  be — before  I  was  married — if  there 
is  any  virtue  in  poverty,  I  am  IT.  I  in- 
herited most  of  my  poverty  from  my  folks : 
but  by  hard  work  and  close  attention  to  busi- 
ness and  by  some  assistance,  I  got  into  poli- 
tics, I  have  added  something  to  the  original 
stock  of  "no  assets"  I  inherited,  until  now  in 
my  old  age  I  have  quite  a  stock  of  calami- 
ties on  hand  which  I  would  like  to  exchange 
with  Mr.  Carnegie  for  some  of  his  cash. 
He  could  have  his  wish  perhaps  and  die 
poor  and  I  would  dye — my  whiskers. 

But  about  1874.  I  have  forgotten  some 
of  the  mean  things  I  did  in  1874,  and  since 
I  have  cultivated  the  habit  of  forgetting 
them  until  now  distance  has  lent  such  en- 
chantment to  the  view,  that  I  complacently 
look  upon  myself  and  the  campaign  of  1874 
as  being  perfectly  delightful.     Among  other 


172 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


things  it  did  this  for  me — it  made  it  possible 
for  me  to  know  most  of  you  gentlemen 
present  here  this  evening — something  that 
perhaps  I  am  prouder  of  than  you  are.  But 
your  friendship  and  good  will  are  something 
I  value  highly.  The  honors  of  office 
are  nothing.  if  to  get  the  office 
you  must  sacrifice  friends  or  self-re- 
spect to  succeed.  Ingratitude  is  not  one  of 
my  faults,  and  I  never  turn  my  back  to  a 
friend.  We  joke  each  other  a  great  deal 
during  a  campaign,  and  accuse  each  other 
of  many  things  we  do  not  mean,  but  so  far 
as  I  know.  I  have  never  lost  a  friend  by  any- 
thing I  have  done  or  said  about  him  because 
he  was  not  of  my  political  faith.  I  never 
intend  to  let  political  matters  interfere  with 
business  or  friendship.  If  I  have  ever  un- 
wittingly said  anything  at  any  time  you 
don't  like,  you  may,  if  you  wish  to  do  so, 
apologize  to  me  for  it  after  the  entertain- 
ment is  over  this  evening;  though  it  is  not 
absolutely  necessary. 

But  I  must  get  to  talking  about  1874 
pretty  soon.  In  1874,  on  the  25th  day  of 
July,  the  People's  party  of  this  county  nomi- 
nated a  ticket.  I  was  one  of  the  number  the 
People's  party  drew  as  a  prize  on  that  day. 
I  was  nominated  to  run  for  sheriff  and  I 
began  to  run  that  same  evening. 

My  diary,  if  I  had  one,  would  read  like 
this :  July  25th,  nominated  for  sheriff,  6  p. 
m. ;  shook  hands  with  about  two  million 
people;  got  home  late;  didn't  tell  my  wife 
about  it — no  use  for  her  to  get  stuck  up 
about  it — she  can't  be  sheriff  anyway.  July 
26th,  Sunday,  lot  of  people  here  to-day  to 
congratulate  me:  wife  knows  all  about  it 
now,  but  don't  seem  to  be  puffed  up  any — 
not  as  much  as  I  am,  in  fact.     July  27th,  still 


running  for  office;  wife  says  to  me,  "see 
here,  why  are  you  strutting  around  so  much 
anyway ;  why  don't  you  go  out  and  split 
some  wood ;  you  haven't  got  sand  enough 
to  split  kindlings,  let  alone  being  sheriff." 
August  2nd ;  still  running  for  office — been 
at  it  a  week  now.  I  like  it  better  than  plow- 
ing corn  ;  feeling  pretty  good.  August  9th; 
still  running;  don't  feel  so  good;  the  Post 
said  some  things  about  me  this  week  I  didn't 
know  anyone  knew  about ;  think  I'll  resign. 
August  16th,  running  some:  been  notified 
to  drop  $50  in  the  political  slot;  dog-gone 
politics  anyway;  August  23d,  the  Post  is 
still  at  it  and  I  don't  feel  well;  am  not  run- 
ning much  this  week;  if  the  Post  proves  the 
things  it  says  it  can,. I'm  a  goner:  weather 
pretty  warm.  Think  I'll  resign  and  go 
some  place  where  it  is  not  so  hot  all  around. 
August  30th,  moving  along,  but  pretty  slow  ; 
getting  too  hot  to  run.  If  all  the  Post  says  is 
true,  I  am  dog-gone  lucky  if  I  don't  land  in 
jail  without  being  elected.  September  3d. 
running  yet,  feeling  some  better,  our  paper 
has  been  giving  it  to  the  Post  like  Sam  Hill ; 
dropped  another  $50  in  the  slot;  wife  needs 
a  new  calico  dress;  she'll  have  to  patch  the 
old  one  again.  September  10th,  still  running. 
September  17th, ditto;  September  24th,  ditto, 
October  1st,  slowed  down  again.  The  Post 
has  proved  all  the  mean  things  it  said  about 
me  and  I  am  expecting  to  be  arrested  any 
minute.  If  ever  I  get  out  of  this  thing 
without  being  hung,  I'll  bet  nobody  will  get 
me  to  run  for  office  again.  October  15th. 
election  over:  I'm  IT.  Just  got  word.  I 
owe  the  committee  $25  more:  I've  a 
notion  to  let  the  committee  sweat  for  the 
money.  I've  been  worried  enough.  Oc- 
tober 20th,  dropped  $25  as  per  request  in  the 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


173 


political  slot;  just  like  losing  it.  Now  if 
ever  any  one  suggests  to  me  to  run  for  office 
again,  I'll  take  him  by  his  soft  white  hand 
and  gently  lead  him  out  behind  the  barn 
and  brain  him  with  the  meat  axe." 

This  is  the  last  entry  in  the  diary.  In 
1876  I  had  forgotten  all  this  and  entered 
myself  for  a  three  minute  trot  against  a  lot 
of  ringers,  and  came  pretty  near  being  left 
at  the  quarter  pole. 

After  the  election  they  had  a  big  jollifi- 
cation at  South  Whitley.  I  went  with  some 
fear  and  trembling,  felt  it  my  duty  to  go, 
but  was  afraid  maybe  I  would  have  to  make 
a  speech  or  get  my  hat  burnt.  Thought, 
though,  if  I  had  to  make  a  speech,  I'd  deliver 
my  inaugural  and  be  done  with  that  duty. 
There  was  a  big  crowd  and  everybody 
yelled,  and  everybody  tried  to  burn  every- 
body's hat  but  his  own.  Finally  they  burnt 
my  hat  and  I  yelled  some  too.  Then  they 
ran  a  big  wagon  out  in  the  street,  and  I 
was  caught  and  thrown  into  it — lit  mostly 
on  my  head  and  kind  of  on  all  fours.  As 
soon  as  I  got  on  my  feet  and  got  the  straw 
out  of  my  mouth,  I  yelled  some  more  and 
then  waved  my  hands  and  arms  and  shook 
my  head  and  kicked.  Everybody  was  yell- 
ing and  the  crowd  thought  I  was  making  a 
speech.  About  all  I  said  was :  "It  gives 
me  great  pleasure  (nit)  to  be  here  to-night 
and  get  my  best  Sunday  hat  burnt  and  have 
to  go  home  bareheaded.  If  during  my  term 
of   office   any    of   you   fellows   have   to   be 

hanged,  it  will  give  me ."     But 

just  then  the  crowd  quit  yelling  and  I  got 
down  out  of  the  wagon  and  slid  for  home 

Since  then  I  have  dwelt  among  you,  and 
my  life  has  been  as  an  open  book.  I  have 
been  careful  not  to  do  anything  the  papers 


could  get  onto  and  make  capital  out  of.  I 
don't  think  I  shall  ever  go  into  another  cam- 
paign as  the  people's  idol;  it's  too  risky; 
they  say  things  about  you  you  would  rather 
they  wouldn't,  and  make  you  uneasy. 

There  are  but  four  left  of  those  who 
composed  the  ticket  of  1 874 ;  James  Rider, 
John  Richards,  Levi  Adams  and  myself. 
The  others  are  gone.  The  history  of  theii 
lives  is  part  of  the  history  of  Whitley 
county.  The  ticket  of  1874  made  some  his- 
tory, and  it  did  its  share  in  clearing  up  the 
political  atmosphere  of  Whitley  county. 
The  survivors  of  that  ticket  are  getting  to 
be  old  men.  It  will  not  be  long  until  the 
closing  chapter  of  their  lives  will  be  written. 
and  at  the  bottom  of  the  page  will  be  written 
the  two  words — The  End. 

At  the  1905  banquet,  ex-Clerk  Richard 
H.  Maring  spoke  on  the  subject:  "The 
Pioneers,"  as  follows : 

The  subject  assigned  me  by  the  pro- 
gramme committee  is  rather  indefinite.  I 
might  assume  that  they  had  in  mind  J.  Feni- 
more  Cooper's  famous  book:  "The  Pio- 
neers," or  the  early  settlers  of  the  Lnited 
States,  or  the  state  of  Indiana,  or  Whitley 
county,  or  I  might  infer  that  they  desired 
me  to  say  something  about  the  pioneer 
county  officers  of  Whitley  county.  Vol- 
umes might  be  written  upon  these  subjects, 
but  in  the  very  brief  time  at  my  command  T 
will  only  allude  to  some  of  the  early  county 
officers,  and  especially  to  some  of  the  men 
who  in  the  long  ago  have  occupied  the  office 
of  clerk  of  the  circuit  court  in  this  count)-. 

Of  the  thirteen  men  who  have  occupied 
that  position  of  trust,  eight  are  still  living, 
and  there  has  not  been  a  death  in  the  ranks 
in  ten  years.     The  work  of  the  clerk's  office 


174 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


is  said  to  be  quite  laborious,  yet  it  cannot  be 
compared  with  that  of  the  governor  of  the 
state :  only  one  ex-governor  of  Indiana  is 
living  to-day,  I  believe.  The  clerk's  work 
is  n«  it  all  play,  yet  it  has  never  killed  any- 
one in  this  county. 

\\  hitley  county  was  organized  in  1838 
and  Abraham  Cuppy  was  the  first  clerk. 
Mr.  Cuppy  was  a  man  of  considerable  abil- 
ity, and  afterwards  represented  the  county 
in  the  state  legislature  and  was  a  member 
of  the  state  senate  at  the  time  of  his  death 
at  Indianapolis,  in  January,  1847.  Mr. 
Cuppy  held  the  clerk's  office  four  years  and 
was  succeeded  by  Richard  Collins  who,  ac- 
cording to  the  records,  served  thirteen  years. 
This  would  not  be  tolerated  to-day. 

The  third  clerk,  who  filled  the  office  from 
1855  to  1859,  fifty  years  ago.  was  our 
worthy  president.  Col.  I.  B.  McDonald.  Mr. 
McDonald  was  followed  by  William  E. 
Merriman.  who  served  four  years  and  was 
succeeded  by  James  B.  Edwards,  who  was  a 
two  termer  and  served  from  1863  to  1871. 
Eli  W.  Brown  was  Mr.  Edwards'  successor 
and  filled  the  office  four  years. 

These  men  can  truly  be  called  the  pio- 
neer clerks  of  Whitley  county.  How  dif- 
ferent were  the  conditions  then  from  now. 
Then,  court  was  first  held  in  private  houses, 
then  in  a  two-story  building  that  stood  on 
the  west  side  of  the  public  square,  then  in 
the  massive  brick  structure  that  preceded  the 
present  temple  of  justice.  In  1838  the 
count}-  was  sparsely  settled,  the  roads  were 
mere  Indian  trails,  the  streams  were  not 
bridged  and  many  of  the  townships  were  not 
organized.  Then  the  records  were  copied 
in  inferior  books  with  quill  pens,  and  it  is 
said  that  when  Richard  Collins  was  clerk, 


some  of  the  attorneys  could  read  what  he 
was  writing  by  the  squeaking  of  his  goose 
quill  pen  as  it  glided  over  the  pages. 

In  after  years  as  the  business  of  the 
courts  increased,  the  clerk  was  obliged  to 
w(  irk  at  nights  and  on  Sundays  to  keep  up  his 
records.  Now  the  records  are  made  with 
the  latest  improved  writing  machines  and 
the  clerk  can  keep  regular  office  hours. 
Then  if  the  sheriff  desired  to  serve  notice 
on  a  juror  living  in  a  remote  part  of  the 
county,  it  meant  an  all  day's  drive.  Now  he 
can  call  up  his  man  by  telephone  and  trans- 
act the  business  in  a  few  moments. 

In  the  beginning,  the  clerk  also  filled  the 
offices  of  auditor  and  recorder,  and  the 
sheriff's  office  had  to  seek  the  man  as  the 
compensation  of  the  offices  was  not  enough 
to  induce  any  man  to  seek  the  office.  In  an 
adjoining  county,  it  is  said  that  after  a  cer- 
tain man  had  been  elected  sheriff  and  quali- 
fied, he  traded  the  office  for  a  shot  gun,  and 
perhaps  the  consideration  for  the  transfer 
was  adequate. 

In  the  early  days,  time  evidently  hung 
heavily  upon  the  clerk's  hands,  and  I  find 
that  one  in  order  to  pass  the  time,  perhaps 
while  some  attorney  was  delivering  a  tire- 
some argument  before  a  suffering  jury, 
amused  himself  by  executing  a  pencil  draw- 
ing on  the  margin  of  an  old  order  book. 
The  drawing  represented  a  noble  red  man, 
and  under  the  portrait  he  had  written  these 
lines : 

"How  vain  are  all  things  here  below 
The  course  of  justice,  oh  how  slow !" 

Times  have  changed,  and  we  may  con- 
gratulate ourselves  that  we  are  living  in  an 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


1/5 


age  of  improved  utilities,  but  let  us  never  ally  pause,  look  back  and  learn  a  lesson  from 

forget   the   struggles   and   hardships   of   the  the  past.      In   the   language   of  John   Clark 

pioneers  whose  work  has  been  so  effective  Ridpath,     the     noted     Indiana     historian: 

in    the   advancements    that    have    followed.  "77k'  past  has  taught  its  lesson;  the  pres- 

Tn  our  rapid  strides  forward  let  us  occasion-  cut  has  its  duty  and  the  future  its  hope." 


MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


PREPARED   BY   S.    P.    KALER,   ASSISTED   BY   DRS.    FRANCIS  M.    MAGERS  AND  DAVID  G.   LINVILL. 


It  must  be  remembered  that  the  surface 
of  Whitley  county  was  originally  half  or 
more  covered  with  lakes,  swamps  and 
marshes,  the  remainder  with  heavy  timber 
and  fallen  and  decaying'  trees  and  vegeta- 
tion. The  rivers  and  streams  were  ob- 
structed and  in  the  heat  of  mid-summer  ma- 
laria held  high  carnival.  Bridges  and  cul- 
verts were  few  and  almost  altogether  of  the 
corduroy  type.  The  homes  were  -cabins, 
swarming  with  mosquitoes  and  other  insects. 
Screens  for  doors  and  windows  were  for 
years  after  unknown.  Everything  was  un- 
sanitary and  conditions  for  health  very  bad. 
the  property  of  the  inhabitants  consisting  of 
their  unimproved  lands  and  scarcely  any- 
thing else. 

Nearly  all  the  physicians  were  from  east- 
ern Ohio  and  other  eastern  states,  since  it 
could  scarcely  be  presumed  that  there  were 
at  that  time  any  parties  engaged  in  the 
study  of  medicine  preparatory  to  the  practice 
of  it.  It  might  be  proper  under  these  cir- 
cumstances to  give  a  brief  resume  of  the 
condition  of  the  profession  in  these  states 
east  of  us.  in  order  that  we  may  become 
better  acquainted  with  the  history  of  the  pio- 
neer doctors  of  the  country.  The  greater 
number  of  physicians  in  the  east  were  what 
is  called  regulars — those  who  bled,  blistered. 


gave  mercury,  antimony,  quinine  and  man- 
drake root,  etc.,  etc..  secundem  artem. 
Homeopathy  was  scarcely  known  this  side 
of  the  Atlantic,  Thomsonianism  was  in  its 
infancy,  and  hydropathy,  phisiopathy,  electi- 
cism,  chronothermalism  and  other  isms  had 
not  been  born  to  the  world.  In  the  year 
1822,  the  celebrated  Dr.  Samuel  Thomson, 
having  already  invented  a  system  of  medi- 
cine, had  it  patented,  as  the  following  docu- 
ment will  show : 

(Eagle,  etc.) 
No.  2144.  Fifth  Edition. 

Thomson  Patent. 
This  may  certify,  that  we  have  received 
of  Thomas  M.  Greene  twenty  dollars  in  full 
for  the  right  of  preparing  and  using  for 
himself  and  family  the  medicine  and  system 
of  practice  secured  to  Samuel  Thomson  by 
letters  of  patent  from  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  dated  January  28.  1823,  and 
that  he  is  hereby  constituted  a  member  of 
the  Friendly  Botanic  Society  and  is  entitled 
to  an  enjoyment  of  all  the  privileges  at- 
tached to  membership  therein. 

Dated  at  Locust  Grove,  this  27th  day  of 
August,  1834. 

Pike  Platt  &  Co., 
Aeents  for  Samuel  Thomson. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


The  great  joke  was  in  being  entitled  to 
enjoyment  of  the  system.  Several  settlers 
came  to  Whitley  county  up  to  1845  armed 
with  this  deadly  weapon  against  disease. 
The  holder,  for  the  consideration  of  twenty 
dollars,  who  became  possessor  of  this  docu- 
ment, agreed  in  the  "spirit  of  mutual  inter- 
est and  honor"  not  to  reveal  any  part  of  said 
information  to  any  person,  except  his  fellow 
purchasers,  to  the  injury  of  the  proprietor, 
under  the  penalty  of  forfeiting  their  word 
and  honor  and  all  right  to  use  the  medicine. 
Accompanying  the  letters  patent  was  a 
241110  book  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight 
pages  of  texts  and  a  supplement  of  twenty- 
eight  more,  which  was  supposed  to  contain 
all  that  was  necessary  to  know  in  the  depart- 
ment of  anatomy,  physiology,  materia  med- 
ica,  practice  of  surgery,  midwifery  and 
chemistry.  While  Hippocrates,  the  "Father 
of  Medicine,"  wrote  many  aphorisms,  Thom- 
son had  but  one:  "Heat  is<  life,  and  cold 
is  death,"  and  as  a  result,  all  that  was  neces- 
sary to  treat  a  case  was  to  keep  the  patient 
warm — in  fact,  hot.  This  was  mainly  ac- 
complished by  pepper,  lobelia,  and  steam. 
Thomson  and  his  confreres  used  six  prepa- 
rations in  particular,  which  were  applicable 
to  almost  any  disease  and  in  any  stage  of  it, 
which  were  numbered  from  one  to  six,  in 
order  to  avoid  confusion.  No.  T,  lobelia. 
Xo.  2,  cayenne  pepper.  No.  3,  bayberry 
root,  bark,  Whitepond  lily  root,  and  the  in- 
ner bark  of  the  hemlock.  No.  4,  bitters, 
made  of  bitter  herb,  bayberry  and  poplar 
bark,  one  ounce  of  each  to  a  pint  of  hot  wa- 
ter, and  a  half  pint  of  spirit.  No.  5.  cough 
syrup.  No.  6,  tincture  of  myrrh  and  cay- 
emu'  ]  >c'i >i  >er.     These  six  preparations,  with 


a  steaming,  were  supposed  to  be  competent 
to  cure  any  form  of  disease  curable  or  in- 
curable,— everything  from  consumption  to 
the  itch.  This  system  has  its  victims  in 
nearly  all  the  early  burying-grounds  of  the 
county.  The  following  case  actually  hap- 
pened in  Smith  township,  Whitley  county,  in 
1839,  and  will  serve  to  illustrate  the  treat- 
ment of  rheumatism :  The  doctor  ordered 
a  large  iron  kettle  to  be  filled  with  water 
and  brought  to  the  boiling  point,  the  kettle 
being  removed  from  the  fire,  and  the  patient 
being  divested  of  most  of  his  clothing,  a 
couple  of  sticks  placed  across  the  kettle  for 
him  to  sit  on,  and  a  blanket  thrown  around 
him  to  hold  the  steam.  Either  from  the 
quality  of  the  sticks  or  weight  of  the  pa- 
tient, the  sticks  gave  way  and  the  unhappy 
subject  of  treatment  found  himself  a  poste- 
riori at  the  bottom  of  the  kettle.  This  sud- 
den, excessive  and  untimely  application  of 
the  principles  of  health  heat — as  might  be 
inferred — aroused  all  the  evil  passion  of  the 
patient  and  the  fears  of  the  doctor,  who 
beat  a  hasty,  retreat,  followed  by  the  victim, 
and  the  race  was  only  concluded  when  old 
Eel  river  separated  the  pursuer  and  the  pur- 
sued. It  need  not  be  remarked  that  the 
treatment  was  so  successful  that  the  doctor 
needed  not  to  come  back. 

As  time  progressed,  other  vegetables  were 
added  to  the  materia  medica,  until  it  became 
fairly  extensive.  These  worthies  went  about 
the  country  abusing  the  calomel  doctors,  who 
were  killing  people,  as  they  said,  by  blisters. 
bleeding,  opium,  tartar  emetic,  etc.  Clearly 
a  case  of  the  pot  calling  the  kettle  black. 
Dr.  Thomson  believed,  with  the  ancient  phi- 
losophers,   that    there    were   only    four   ele- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


177 


ments,  fire,  air,  earth  and  water,  as  the  fol- 
lowing stanza  from  one  of  his  poems  will 
show : 

"My  system's  founded  on  the  truth, 
Man's  air,  and  water,  fire  and  earth. 
And  death  is  cold  and  life  is  heat, 
These.      tempered      well,      your      health's 
complete." 

Dr.  Thomson,  of  course,  condemned 
nearly,  if  not  every  remedy  used  by  the 
regulars,  especially  saltpeter,  which  he  said 
had  the  most  certain  deadly  effects  on  the 
human  system  of  any  drug  used  as  medicine. 
In  its  nature  cold,  there  cannot  be  any  other 
effect  than  to  increase  that  powerful  enemy 
to  heat.  An  elderly  physician,  still  in  the 
practice,  says  he  heard  a  celebrated  professor 
of  this  system  boast  that  he  never  graduated 
a  young  man  in  less  than  six  weeks,  but 
this  was  seemingly  too  long  a  course,  when 
the  average  boy  of  twelve  years  might  fa- 
miliarize himself  with  the  system  in  a  few 
hours.  This  aged  professor  was  also  a 
preacher  and  was  charged  with  being  some- 
what prodigal  in  his  statements  and  reckless 
in  handling  the  truth.  On  being  remon- 
strated with,  he  confessed  to  the  weakness, 
and  said  that  he  had  shed  barrels  of  tears 
on  account  of  it.  But  this  system  has  gone 
the  way  of  many  others. 

Another  "hoodoo"  of  the  early  days  was 
the  Uroscopian,  or  water  doctor.  These 
gentlemen  did  not  subject  the  urine  to  a 
chemical  or  any  other  test,  but  pretended  to 
diagnose  all  kinds  of  disease,  without  see- 
ing the  patient,  requiring  only  a  sample  of 
the  water.  This  he  shook,  smelled,  felt  of, 
and,  when  he  wanted  to  make  the  case  appear 
very  grave,  and  thought  the  pay  was  good, 
12 


actually  tasted  it.  This,  with  a  few  slight- 
of-hand  performances,  sometimes  putting  a 
drop  on  the  window  pane,  and  looking 
through  it,  and  varying  his  performances  to 
create  mystery,  constituted  the  examination. 
These  worthies  were  frequently  the  victims 
of  pretended  bearers  of  samples.  For  many 
years  there  was  a  current  joke  about  Colum- 
bia City  referring  to  an  unfortunate  female 
and  a  certain  county  official  in  which  the 
samples  became  disarranged. 

The  great  panacea  with  this  school  was 
"blood  physic,"  made  up  of  juniper  berries, 
epsom  salts,  senna  leaves  and  often  some 
other  herb  of  practically  no  medicinal  value. 
An  ordinary  dose  of  this,  properly  prepared, 
would  nearly  fill  a  gallon  pot.  The  late  Dr. 
Firestone  once  related  to  the  writer  that 
he  was  attending  a  case  in  Troy  township, 
of  a  low  grade  of  fever.  The  family  had 
been  persuaded  that  the  doctor  was  incompe- 
tent, and  sent  for  a  water  doctor  over  south 
of  Pierceton.  On  Firestone's  next  trip  he 
found  a  pot  of  this  mixture  ready  for  ad- 
ministration. He  advised  that  it  would  be 
fatal,  but  after  he  left  it  was  given  and  two 
hours  afterward  the  poor  patient  ceased  to 
require  the  services  of  a  physician.  He  had 
gone  to  that  place  "where  few  physicians 
go."  Many  so  called  regular  doctors  were 
the  veriest  frauds.  Young  men,  who 
thought  they  might  as  well  be  doctors,  would 
spend  a  few  days,  weeks  or  possibly  months 
in  the  office  of  some  physician,  "then  go  out 
west"  to  practice.  The  only  requisites  for 
this  kind  of  practice  was  a  horse,  a  few  bot- 
tles and  jugs  and  fewer  medicines  and  a 
goodly  amount  of  what  the  Arkansas  doctor 
called  the  three  "Fs,"  ignorance,  independ- 
ence and  impudence. 


i/8 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Two  young  men  brought  up  in  \\  ayne 
county,  Ohio,  happened  to  meet  not  many 
miles  from  here.  Mutually  recognizing  each 
other,  one  of  them  cried  out.   "For  God's 

sake,  H — .  don't  tell  on  me,  for  I 

can  purge  'em  and  puke  'em  as  good  as  any 
body."  The  other  replied:  "Don't  you 
think  I'll  tell,  for  the  people  would  then  find 
out  what  scamps  we  both  are,  for  I  am  prac- 
ticing below  here  at ." 

This  class  generally  relied  greatly  on 
their  experience — that  is,  they  had  taken 
during  their  lives  an  occasional  dose  of  pink 
and  senna,  calomel  and  jalap,  castor  oil,  had 
been  bled,  and  blistered  and  had  not  for- 
gotten the  effects  or  why  they  had  been 
given.  Happily  for  the  people  "out  west," 
there  came  an  end  to  this  kind  of  work. 
In  our  early  years  of  malaria  and' unsanitary 
condition  many  poor  souls  were  ready  to  ac- 
cept the  services  of  any  one  calling  himself 
doctor.  Some  of  these  doctors  began  busi- 
ness with  self-constituted  diplomas,  resemb- 
ling very  much  the  one  that  may  be  found  in 
the  Comedy  of  Moliere  entitled  "Le  Malade 
Imaginaire  or  the  Hypochondriac."  which 
reads  thus: 

Ego  cum  is  to  bonets, 
Venerabile  et  docto. 
Dono  tibi  et  concedo 
Virtutem  et  puisanciam 

Medicandi 

Purgandi. 

Seigandi. 

Percundi 

Taillandi 

Coupandi  et. 

<  Iccidendi. 
[mpune  per  i<  itam  terram. 


A  literal  translation  of  this  bastard  Latin 
and  French  would  seem  to  declare  that  the 
newly  fledged  doctor  is  fully  empowered  to 
dose,  purge,  bleed,  cut  and  kill  with  impunity 
unto  the  ends  of  the  earth. 

In  comparatively  recent  years  there  ap- 
peared in  Columbia  City  an  ignorant,  shab- 
by and  filthy,  long-haired  German,  who 
stvled  himself  as  Dr.  Schweitz.  He  came 
<  m  the  first  of  April  and  rightly  celebrated 
the  day  by  hunting  up  the  township  asses- 
sor and  listing  about  twelve  thousand  dollars 
of  notes,  accounts,  books,  surgical  instru- 
ments, rights,  franchises,  choses  in  action 
and  what  not.  This  gave  him  standing  as  a 
capitalist,  though  he  had  not  a  thing  but  his 
shabby  clothes,  and  long  before  tax  paying 
time  had  come  he  had  flown,  to  the  disgust 
of  man}'  creditors.  Did  we  say  that  he  had 
nothing.  He  had  a  diploma,  which  he  called 
a  "bluma."  He  was  always  prating  about 
it,  but  it  was  so  sacred  it  was  not  put  on  ex- 
hibition, excent  to  some  people,  who  did  not 
knew  what  it  was — except  the  doctor  made 
them  believe  it  was  something  sublime.  In 
fact  it  was  an  old  patent  for  a  piece  of  land 
in  Clark  county,  Ohio,  and  the  seal  was  a 
green  wafer  with  the  impress  of  the  United 
States  land  office.  Doc  had  a  case:  he 
had  several.  Such  characters  always  get 
them,  but  this  was  a  case  in  which  the  man 
refused  to  pay  the  bill,  because  of  the  utter 
incapacity  of  the  doctor.  Schweitz  secured 
the  services  of  a  lawyer,  who  still  practices 
in  Columbia  City,  and,  together  with  a 
ci  luple  of  witnesses,  made  the  trip  to  a  justice 
of  the  peace  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
county.  The  trial  began  with  all  solemnity, 
but  the  doctor  fell  flat.  He  did  not  even 
know  how  to  take  the  temperature  of  a  pa- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


179 


tient.  The  lawsuit  ended  in  a  farce  and 
ignominious  defeat.  Schweitz  did  not  pay 
the  livery  bill, — but  then  he  didn't  pay  any- 
thing else.  Finally  the  lawyer  said  to  him, 
"Doc,  if  you  don't  pay  that  bill,  I  will,  for 
I  am  getting  tired  of  being  dunned  for  it." 
The  reply  was,  "Well,  well,  I  think  that 
would  be  the  best,"  and  the  lawyer  paid  it. 
When  Schweitz  had  a  case  he  would  ascer- 
tain from  the  patient  the  seat  of  trouble, 
whether  of  the  head,  stomach,  liver  or  other 
organ.  Then  he  would  go  to  Dr.  Sand- 
meyer,  the  druggist,  and  ask  for  "five 
cents  liver,  or  stomach,  or  throat,"  etc. 
AA  nen  these  quacks  encountered  severe  forms 
of  disease,  they  were  about  as  successful  as 
the  celebrated  firm  of  Sangrado  and  Gil  Bias, 
the  latter  remarking  that  when  a  malignant 
form  of  fever  made  its  appearance  in  one  of 
the  cities  of  Spain  under  their  treatment  it 
was  never  necessary  to  visit  the  patient  but 
once,  for  before  time  for  the  second  he  was 
either  dead  or  moribund,  and  that  they  made 
more  widows  and  orphans  in  six  weeks  than 
were  made  during  the  siege  of  Troy. 

At  Coesse  during  the  building  of  the 
Pittsburg  &  Fort  AA'ayne  Railroad,  a  doctor 
was  called  to  see  a  drunken  man  and  he  pro- 
nounced it  Asiatic  cholera  and  the  scare  went 
all  over  the  country  for  miles  around.  A\  e 
must  not  forget  the  Indian  doctor.  Main- 
early  settlers  thought  that  while  a  white  doc- 
tor might  do  for  ordinary  ague,  it  t< » >k  a 
regular  untutored  red  man  of  the  forest  to 
deal  with  the  intricate  and  severe  diseases. 
probably  on  the  theory  that  the  fellow  said, 
his  dog  was  good  for  coon  hunting  because 
he  did  not  know  anything  else,  and  even 
white  men  who  had  been  with  the  Indians 
for  awhile  were  supposed  to  have  absorbed 


some  of  that  superior  intelligence.  The  In- 
dian doctor,  cutting  a  piece  of  poplar  bark 
to  plug  a  wound,  rubbing  a  palsey,  or  dropsy 
with  a  twig  or  herb  or  punishing  a  stomach 
with  a  nasty  decoction  of  weeds,  was  re- 
garded as  almost  a  superhuman  being,  en- 
dowed with  special  wisdom  from  on  high. 
And  who  has  not  heard  of  witches,  Hex, 
as  our  German  friends  styled  them.  Many 
neighborhoods  in  this  county  even  until  re- 
cent times  were  tinctured  with  the  belief  that 
many  forms  of  disease  was  due  to  "witch 
riding"  and  many  forms  and  ceremonies 
were  gone  over  to  rid  the  victim  from  the 
power  of  the  witch.  And  the  worst  was 
that  many  of  the  witches  were  not  only  sus- 
pected, but  really  known  and  there  was  a 
case  in  Richland  township  late  in  the  '40s 
in  which  a  witch  was  ordered  to  leave  the 
neighborhood,  and  she  forthwith  went,  fear- 
ing threatened  violence  if  she  did  not.  And 
who  has  not  heard  of  miraculous  cures  from 
laying  on  of  hands,  rubbing  and  blowing  of 
breath,  accompanied  by  some  jargon  of 
words.  The  power  could  be  transmitted, 
but  nut  to  one  of  the  same  sex.  It  must  be 
the  opposite.  AA'hy.  there  is  living  today  a 
man  in  Columbia  City,  a  prominent  business 
man.  who  when  a  buy  was  cured  of  con- 
sumption by  having  his  hair  cut  close  to  his 
head,  the  hair  burned  to  ashes  and  the  ashes 
put  into  a  hole  bored  in  a  living  oak  tree. 
When  the  hole  healed  over  the  patient  was 
cured.  Xot  over  twenty  years  ago  a  Colum- 
bia City  family  was  sorely  stricken  with 
consumption.  Several  members  of  the  fam- 
ily died  and  about  a  year  after  the  father's 
death,  a  son  was  stricken.  He  was  told  tint 
if  his  father's  beard  was  secured  and 
Inline-!  to  ashes  and  drank  bv  him  he  would 


[So 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


recover.  A  dark  and  uncanny  night  friends 
exhumed  the  father's  body,  secured  the 
w  hiskers,  and  re-interred  the  body.  The  si  in 
drank  the  whiskers  and  died. 

When  ague,  that  omnipresent  disease, 
that  was  always  stealing  hack  when  sup- 
posed to  be  cured,  was  invading  every  \\  hit- 
ley  county  home,  the  remedies  tried  could 
never  be  enumerated  and  if  by  chance  the 
victim  did  not  have  a  shake  for  some  time 
after  trying  the  remedy,  he  was  sure  that 
he  had  discovered  an  absolute  specific  and 
wras  desirous  of  having  it  tried  by  all  his 
fellow  sufferers.  We  have  heard  of  eating 
three  lemons  a  day,  eating  a  pound  of  raisins 
while  the  chill  was  on.  roasting  a  toad  and 
eating  while  the  fever  was  on,  walking  three 
times  around  a  circle,  with  the  eyes  fixed 
intently  on  the  new  moon  at  first  appearance, 
bathing  in  a  lake,  river,  or  swamp  at  sun- 
rise, but  perhaps  the  most  peculiar  and  far- 
fetched remedy  ever  suggested  was  com- 
municated in  all  confidence  to  Dr.  D.  G. 
Linvill.  A  man  moved  from  Pennsylvania 
and  located  about  a  mile  and  a  half  south  of 
Columbia  City.  The  whole  family  had  the 
shakes  of  course,  but  the  venerable  head  had 
the  worst  case.  Dr.  Linvill  would  break  it 
up.  hut  it  returned,  as  the  air  was  so  thick 
with  malaria  that  you  could  almost  cut  it 
with  a  knife.  Finally  the  old  man  struck 
the  remedy.  He  went  in  all  soberness  to  the 
doctor,  and  told  him  that  he  had  found  a 
sure  remedy,  but  said  he,  "If  I  were  to  tell 
yon,  von  would  make  fun  of  me."  The  doc- 
tor assured  him  that  he  would  not,  as  he 
was  anxious  as  anyone  could  be  to  know  it. 
After  a  double  assurance  that  he  would  not 
he  laughed  at,  he  told  it  with  as  much  con- 
fidence and  soberness  as  if  it  were  a  matter 


of  life  and  death,  which  he  really  thought 
that  it  was.  "I  trimmed  my  finger  nails, 
cooked  the  clippings  in  mush  and  fed  the 
mush  to  the  dog.  The  dog  was  not  par- 
ticularly affected,  but  when  time  for  the 
chill  came.  I  retched  and  vomited  awfully, 
throwing  up  a  large  quanity  of  gall  and  bit- 
terness, and  my  ague  was  cured."  But  it 
returned  and,  fully  disgusted,  he  returned  to 
Pennsylvania.  The  doctor  held  his  mirth 
until  away  from  the  house,  when  he  burst 
into  a  fit  of  uncontrollable  laughter,  that  did 
not  subside  till  he  reached  town;  not  so 
much  at  the  remedy,  but  at  the  sincerity  with 
which  it  was  told. 

Dr.  Francis  L.  McHugh  came  to  the 
county  in  1840  and  located  on  section  12. 
Richland  township,  from  which  place  he 
moved  to  Columbia  City  in  185 1.  He  was 
smart,  able,  affable,  courteous,  and  faithful. 
He  had  a  rich  Irish  brogue.  His  range  of 
medicine  included  eleven  remedies  only,  digi- 
talis, rhubarb,  jalap,  quinine,  aloes,  cayenne, 
calomel,  myrrh,  epsom  salts,  salt  and 
antimony.  He  had  a  perfect  knowledge  of 
the  properties  and  effect  of  these,  and  was  a 
good  practitioner  for  his  day,  riding  all  over 
Whitley  and  into  the  adjoining- counties. 
He  was  once  called  into  consultation  on  a 
case  in  the  north  of  Kosciusko  county.  The 
patient  had  been  sick  a  long  time,  and  was 
much  reduced  and  almost  bloodless.  Dr. 
McHugh  prescribed  common  salt,  and  told 
the  people  so.  instead  of  hedging  his  remedy 
about  in  mystery.  The  man  rapidly  recov- 
ered, and  then  refused  to  pay  because  he  was 
cured  by  salt  instead  of  a  lot  of  mysterious 
compounds.  Whoever  knew  Dr.  McHugh 
knew  his  failings.  He  would  get  drunk. 
hut  when  under  the  influence  of  liquor  would 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


never  attempt  to  diagnose  a  case  or  give 
any  medicine.  People  would  sometimes 
come  a  great  ways  and  get  him  while  drunk. 
Arriving  at  the  place,  he  would  take  a  nap, 
then  drink  some  milk,  and  assure  himself 
that  he  was  in  proper  condition  before  even 
seeing  the  patient.  His  appetite  for  liquor 
at  times  was  uncontrollable.  Dr.  Linvill 
once  came  upon  him  as  he  was  ready  to  begin 
a  drunk  and  with  a  glass  raised  he  said : 
"Doctor.  I  would  drink  that  if  I  knew  it 
would  kill  me  in  fifteen  minutes."  He  had 
a  noble  brown  mare  that  was  faithful  to  him 
and  seemed  to  know  when  he  was  drunk. 
She  has  been  known  to  stand  guard  over 
her  master  for  hours,  in  the  stable  or  at  the 
roadside,  until  he  recovered  from  a  drunk. 

He  moved  to  the  south  side  of  the  square 
in  Columbia  City,  where  he  lived  and  died, 
leaving  considerable  property.  Near  his 
residence,  directly  south  of  the  courthouse, 
was  a  little  building  that  served  as  postoffice. 
grocery,  tailorshop  and  Dr.  Linvill's  office. 
Dr.  Linvill  had  prepared  some  of  Hall's 
solution  of  strychnine  from  some  of  Kepner's 
whiskey  with  the  dog-leg  tobacco  leaves  in  it. 
Dr.  McHugh  came  in,  perceiving  it  was 
whiskey  took  a  good  swig.  He  then  ex- 
claimed,   'Strychnine,   by   G ,'    and    ran 

home  and  quickly  dosed  himself  with  a  large 
quantity  of  calomel  and  jalap.  When  Dr. 
Linvill  arrived,  he  already  had  slight  con- 
vulsions, but  by  heroic  treatment  he  was 
saved.  When  sober  he  never  made  a  mis- 
take. When  drunk  he  never  tried  to 
prescribe. 

Dr.  James  B.  Simcoke  came  in  1842. 
He  was  fairly  educated,  but  out  of  his  ele- 
ment as  a  doctor.  He  was  a  politician  and 
was  elected  sheriff.   After  his  bad  luck  letting 


the  Indians  charged  with  murder  get  away 
from  him,  he  left  the  place.  Dr.  J.  T.  Beebe 
came  from  Mount  Gilead,  Ohio,  in  1845 
and  in  1846  Dr.  A.  H.  Tyler,  a  cousin  from 
the  same  place,  joined  him  and  the  firm  did 
considerable  business.  They  were  good 
practitioners  and  business  men  and  made 
considerable  money.  They  sold  out  in  1849 
to  Swayzee  and  Linvill,  closed  their  ac- 
counts, with  money  where  they  could,  and 
traded  them  for  horses,  cattle  or  anything 
they  could  get  and  drove  it  away.  Beebe 
returned  to  Ohio,  but  we  do  not  know  what 
became  of  Tyler.  We  are  unable  to  ascer- 
tain anything  about  Dr.  Samuel  Marshall, 
who  came  in  1846,  except  that  his  stay  in 
the  place  was  short  and  uneventful.  Dr. 
William  M.  Martin  came  in  1848.  He  was 
a  bachelor,  not  overstocked  with  medical 
knowledge  or  skill  and  not  over  chaste  in 
his  morals.  He  became  involved  in  one  or 
two  domestic  scandals.  He  went  from  here 
to  Kendallville,  became  a  morphine  fiend,  and 
died  from  its  effects  during  the  Civil  war. 
While  he  was  here  he  was  once  called  upon 
to  pull  a  tooth.  Setting  on  the  turnkey  or 
rather  cant-hook,  he  gave  it  a  jerk  with  the 
most  shocking  expression  ever  coined  in 
words. 

Dr.  Peter  L.  Cole  came  in  1846.  He 
was  a  dandy — a  veritable  dude.  Dark  com- 
plexioned,  frisky,  clever  and  crafty.  He 
was  peculiar,  but  made  some  warm  friends. 
He  belonged  to  the  class  who  "came  west" 
to  practice  and  soon  moved  on  farther  west. 

Dr.  Francis  A.  Rogers  came  in  1S48. 
He  was  a  preacher  and  son  of  a  Methodist 
preacher  from  Ohio.  His  medical  knowl- 
edge was  gained  from  "Watson's  Practice." 
Like  the  fortune  teller,  he  was  a  pretty  good 


1 82 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


guesser  and  reader  of  character.  He  was 
smart  and  shrewd,  preached  a  little,  doctored 
a  little,  dabbled  in  politics,  and  loved  the 
women.  He  was  truly  a  mushroom  doctor, 
and  not  being  able  to  fool  even  a  part  of 
the  people  all  the  time,  he  soon  folded  his 
tent  and,  like  the  Arab,  stole  away. 

Drs.  William  M.  Swayzee  and  David  G. 
Linvill  came  in  the  fall  of  1849.  The  for- 
mer graduated  from  the  Western  Reserve 
Medical  College,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  1848. 
and  the  latter  in  1849.  In  addition  to  being 
thorough  graduates,  both  had  had  a  consid- 
erable successful  practice  at  New  Salem, 
Ohio,  and  were  thoroughly  equipped  for  the 
practice,  and  were  men  of  excellent  charac- 
ter. Dr.  Swayzee's  wife  was  the  youngest 
sister  of  Dr.  Linvill's  mother.  After  years 
of  success  Dr.  Swayzee,  like  many  others, 
fell  a  victim  to  the  wiles  of  a  woman.  He 
left  his  family  and  went  west,  with  the  red- 
haired  woman,  and  they  seemingly  lived 
happy  until  his  money  ran  out.  She  had 
no  farther  use  for  him.  He  came  back  and 
entered  the  practice  at  South  Whitley,  and 
from  there  went  to  Huntington,  where  he 
married  a  woman,  who  was  faithful  to  him, 
but  his  sun  had  set.  He  died  at  Hunting- 
ton. Dr.  Linvill  at  once  took  front  rank 
among  the  physicians  of  the  county,  and  has 
never  lost  his  place.  When  he  is  superseded 
as  "Dean  of  the  Faculty"  it  will  be  when  he 
answers  the  last  roll  call.  At  eighty-six,  al- 
though retired  from  active  riding  practice, 
he  is  in  full  possession  of  all  his  faculties  and 
fully  abreast  of  the  times.  It  will  never  be 
said  of  David  G.  Linvill  that  he  is  superan- 
nuated, antedated  or  unfit  to  prescribe  for 
any  form  of  disease.  His  spirits  are  as 
youthful  and  buoyant  as  when  he  first  rode 


the  wilderness  of  Whitley  county.  At  peace 
with  God  and  man,  when  the  hour  arrives 
he  will  "Wrap  the  drapery  of  his  couch 
about  him  and  lie  down  to  pleasant  dreams." 
His  son,  Lewis  M.,  became  a  physician,  but 
died  in  early  manhood.  His  son  David  S. 
is  one  of  the  active  practitioners  of  the 
county  and  his  son  Ben  is  nearing  the  end 
of  the  most  complete  course  of  the  profes- 
sion ever  taken  by  a  young  man  in  this 
count)'. 

Dr.  S.  G.  A.  Reed,  who  came  in  185 1, 
like  some  of  his  predecessors,  was  a  doctor 
and  yet  not  a  doctor.  He  came  here  holding 
a  commission  from  the  state  to  survey  the 
swamp  lands  of  the  county,  and  did  sur- 
vey part  of  them.  He  was  also  a  school- 
teacher, and  knew  much  more  of  mathemat- 
ics than  medicine.  He  was  a  man  of  good 
character,  prepossessing  and  educated.  He 
took  up  the  practice  of  medicine  here  with 
but  slight  previous  preparation.  He  built 
the  house  and  barn  where  F.  H.  Foust  now 
lives,  corner  of  Van  Buren  and  Wayne. 
His  wife's  father  hung  himself  in  the  Foust 
barn. "  He  was  also  something  of  a  politi- 
cian.    He  also  "went  west." 

Dr.  Myers  came  in  1852,  and  that  is  all 
we  can  learn  of  him.  He  certainly  cut  no 
figure  or  he  would  not  have  entirely  been 
forgotten.  Dr.  William  Morris, — yes.  Bill 
Morris  has  not  been  forgotten.  His  claim 
to  being  a  doctor  was  based  on  his  mother 
being  a  midwife.  He  was  a  uruscopian. 
bought  a  book  of  receipts  for  fifty  dollars 
and  started  up.  He  started  up  with  a  drug 
store  on  Tuttle's  corner.  He  weighed  about 
one  hundred  and  eighty  pounds,  could  talk 
glibly  and  smile  blandly.  A  worthy  Ger- 
man citizen  sized  him  up  correctly,  when  he 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


183 


said :  "Bill  Morris  is  de  biggest  liar  on  dis 
side  fun  hell."     He,  too,  soon  "went  west." 

Dr.  Henry  Gregg  came  in  1853  ancl  lo- 
cated first  in  Troy  township.  He  was  a 
graduate  of  medicine  and  also  a  teacher.  He 
taught  and  practiced.  Dr.  Gregg  was  a 
good  man  and  a  good  doctor,  but  an  ex- 
tremist and  a  spiritualist.  He  was  elected 
county  treasurer  in  war  times  and  secured 
the  enmity  of  his  brethren  by  denouncing  the 
practice  of  medicine  as  a  farce  and  humbug. 
After  his  term  of  office  he  moved  away,  but 
returned  and  successfully  practiced  medicine 
at  Coesse  for  some  time.  Dr.  Charles  Kin- 
derman  came  in  1853.  He  was  a  German 
scholar  and  aristocrat.  He  was  a  good  drug- 
gist and  made  but  feeble  attempt  to  practice 
medicine.  He  gave  to  the  Masonic  lodge 
the  north  half  of  the  block  extending  from 
the  Columbia  City  National  Bank  to  the 
Lutheran  church,  expecting  it  to  be  used  for 
the  building  of  a  school  to  educate  orphans 
of  Free  Masons.  His  body  lies  in  the  Ma- 
sonic cemetery,  enclosed  by  the  only  iron 
railing  to  be  found  there.  During  the  cru- 
sade in  the  early  '50s  against  liquor  he  was 
visited  by  a  delegation  of  ladies,  who  begged 
of  him  to  desist  from  selling  liquor  as  the 
saloon  did.  He  was  obdurate  and  insisted 
that  he  would  not  be  ruled  by  petticoats. 
To  all  argument  he  simply  plead  "not 
guilty"  of  being  ruled  by  petticoats.  The 
last  argument  and  appeal  was :  "Didn't 
Adam  listen  to  Eve?"  The  doctor  was 
dazed  and  did  not  see  the  good  sister  was 
arguing  his  side — but  the  rest  saw  the  joke 
and  quietly  filed  out. 

Dr.  Joseph  Harper  came  in  1854.  He 
was  a  "Thomsonian."  He  built  the  house 
on  Line  street,  just  north  of  Matthias  Sless- 


man's  residence,  now  owned  by  Slessmans. 
He  was  dirt}-,  slouchy,  ignorant,  repulsive 
and  a  poor  conversationalist.  He  had  hand 
bills  put  up  over  town  headed  with  the 
words  :  "Calomel  kills.  Give  no  person  calo- 
mel." Lobelia  was  his  principal  drug.  One 
day  in  a  crowd.  Dr.  Linvill  said  to  him : 
"You  say  that  calomel  kills.  Xow  I  propose 
to  you,  that  I  will  take  a  teaspoonful  of  cal- 
omel and  you  take  a  like  quantity  of  lobelia, 
and  that  we  continue  the  dose  every  hour 
until  one  or  both  of  us  is  dead."  That 
cooked  Dr.  Harper  and  silenced  his  bat- 
teries. He  soon  after  left  town,  presumably 
for  "the  west." 

Dr.  H.  Otto  Knause  came  in  1854  and 
connected  himself  with  Dr.  Kinderman. 
Mrs.  John  L.  Korn,  of  the  southeast  part 
of  the  county,  was  very  low  for  a  long  time 
and  no  one  thought  that  she  could  live. 
Knause  was  called  and  she  rapidly  recovered. 
It  was  considered  a  miracle  and  Dr.  Knause 
was  at  once  on  the  crest  of  popularity  and 
had  a  wonderful  business,  but  he  could  not 
endure  prosperity,  and  became  an  awful 
drunkard.  He  drifted  over  to  Napoleon, 
Ohio,  and  his  wife  followed.  He  died  over 
there  of  cholera. 

Dr.  Keller ;  such  a  man  was  here  during 
or  after  the  Civil  war.  All  we  can  learn  of 
him  is  that  he  practiced  most  about  Fuller's 
Corner. 

Dr.  John  B.  Firestone  came  in  1854  from 
Wooster,  Ohio.  He  was  a  nephew  of  the 
celebrated  Dr.  Firestone  who  was  of  the 
faculty  of  Western  Reserve  College  of  Med- 
icine and  a  noted  surgeon,  and  was  a  student 
of  Dr.  Firestone.  Dr.  John  B.  Firestone  was 
a  thorough  doctor  and  a  successful  practi- 
tioner up  t<>  within  a  short  time  of  his  death, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


when  failing  health  drove  him  out  of  the 
practice.  After  a  few  years  here  he  con- 
cluded Larwill  was  going"  to  be  the  leading 
town  of  the  county,  as  it  was  a  very  active 
business  point.  He  located  there,  and  re- 
mained until  his  death,  about  1883.  Dr. 
Martin  Ireland  came  in  1855.  He  was 
an  eclectic,  a  regular  graduate  in  medicine 
and  a  successful  practitioner  for  many  years, 
dying  at  his  home  on  Main  street  four  or 
five  years  ago.  Dr.  Purkey  was  a  nephew 
of  Dr.  John  B.  Firestone,  and  came  here 
in  1856.  forming  a  partnership  with  his 
uncle.  Dr.  Purkey  was  a  regular  graduate, 
a  thorough  practitioner  and  gave  promise 
of  becoming"  quite  prominent,  but  when  Dr. 
Firestone  concluded  to  go  to  Larwill  he  re- 
turned to  Ohio. 

Dr.  Stephen  Major  came  from  Defiance, 
Ohio,  in  1856.  He  was  more  a  druggist 
than  a  doctor.  He  located  on  Main  street 
and  practiced  until  age  forced  his  retirement. 
He  died  about  1880.  Dr.  James  Z.  Gower 
came  from  Rome  City,  in  1856.  He  located 
here  with  a  project,  the  building  of  a  rail- 
road from  Rome  City  to  Huntington.  He 
surveyed  the  line  himself.  He  was  bright 
and  shrewd,  but  not  very  stable.  He  gave 
himself  out  as  a  physician,  but  never  dis- 
tinguished himself  in  the  profession.  He 
soon  went  away,  and  we  learn  drifted  into 
railroading.  Dr.  James  Tollerton  came  in 
i860.  He  was  the  son  of  a  uruscopian  in 
Fort  Wayne,  but  Jim  was  educated  and  a 
graduate  in  medicine.  He  made  as  much 
fun  of  his  father's  bunco  system  as  anyone. 
He  was  not  very  successful,  soon  became 
discouraged  and  left. 

Dr.  Adolph  L.  Sandmyre  came  in  1863. 
He  was  a  thorough  and  competent  druggist. 


He  never  entered  into  the  regular  practice, 
but  often  assisted  in  cases,  with  other  doc- 
tors, and  often  prescribed  for  simple  ail- 
ments. He  went  to  Chicago  in  1881  and 
died  a  couple  of  years  later.  Dr.  William 
T.  Ferguson  located  here  in  1864.  He  had 
some  arm}-  practice  and  other  preparation. 
He  was  quite  successful,  and  a  few  years 
later  located  in  Fort  Wayne,  where  he  still 
stands  high  in  the  profession.  Dr.  Henry 
Safford  came  in  1864,  formerly  from  Ohio, 
but  came  here  from  Fort  Wayne.  His  fa- 
ther had  been  Dr.  Linvill's  father's  family 
physician  at  Zanesville,  Ohio,  many  years 
ago.  Dr.  Safford  was  bright  and  a  thor- 
ough graduate  in  medicine,  but  a  confirmed 
drunkard,  and  soon  left  town. 

Dr.  Franklin  McCoy  came  in  1865.  He 
was  a  polished  gentleman  and  had  kissed  the 
"Blarney  stone."  He  was  thoroughly 
versed  in  "mental  therapeutics"  and  his  per- 
sonality was  a  large  asset  in  his  success. 
There  was  a  case  of  hysteria  in  the  commu- 
nity, that  had  tired -out  most  of  the  other 
doctors,  and  they  thought  that  Dr.  McCoy 
might  help  her.  Her  hallucination  was  that 
she  had  no  one  tp  love  her.  Dr.  McCoy  fully 
posted,  came  into  the  room  in  raptures. 
How  well  he  loved  her,  no  one  could 
know  but  himself.  He  called  the  sun, 
moon  and  stars,  yea,  the  angels  in 
heaven  to  witness  this  wondrous,  raptur- 
ous love.  "You  are  the  man,"  she  ex- 
claimed; but  the  spell  did  not  last,  and  soon 
lie  said,  "Dang  if  I  can  afford  to  love  this 
woman  for  nothing."  Dr.  McCoy's  charac- 
ter was  above  reproach,  and  no  one  thought 
that  the  treatment  was  at  all  improper.  The 
lady  was  also  of  irreproachable  private 
character. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


185 


Dr.  John  Foster  came  in  1865.  He  was 
a  pretended  Methodist  preacher,  and  a  med- 
ical quack.  Was  not  of  good  appearance, 
and  of  very  moderate  tact  and  intelligence. 
He  made  no  headway.  Went  from  here  to 
Warsaw  and  died.  Dr.  C.  C.  Sutton,  who 
came  in  1864,  was  more  a  farmer  than  doc- 
tor. He  owned  land  in  Washington  town- 
ship and  in  Thorncreek  townshjp,  on  Blue 
river.  Did  not  pretend  to  practice  much  and 
no  one  seemed  advised  of  his  ability.  He 
was  quick,  sharp  and  a  thorough  business 
man.  With  the  selling  of  his  farms  he  left 
the  place.  Dr.  Allen  P.  Mitten  was  born 
and  raised  at  Huntington.  As  a  boy  he 
worked  at  the  carpenter  trade.  Studied 
medicine  with  his  brother-in-law.  Dr.  Leh- 
man, and  thoroughly  equipped  himself  by 
education  and  practice  for  his  profession. 
Came  to  Columbia  City  in  1867,  and  formed 
a  partnership  with  Dr.  Linvill.  Dissolved 
in  1872.  Mitten  took  post-graduate  course 
at  Bellevue,  New  York.  Dr.  Mitten  was 
at  the  very  head  of  the  profession  when. 
in  1885,  he  went  to  the  Pacific  coast,  and. 
practically  abandoning  the  practice,  he  has 
become  a  very  successful  business  man  and 
capitalist. 

Dr.  William  Weber  came  from  Hunting- 
ton, in  1870,  a  thoroughly  educated  physi- 
cian and  gentleman.  He  practiced  success- 
fully until  his  death,  about  nine  years  ago. 
Dr.  W.  W.  Walkup  came  in  1872.  He  was 
a  cancer  doctor.  Yen-  proficient  in  the  use 
of  words,  but  his  life  was  strewn  with 
wrecks  of  broken  promises.  He  died  here 
a  very  few  years  later. 

Dr.  Daniel  M.  Marshall  came  from 
Pierceton,  in  1873.  He  came  here  prac- 
tically to   retire  from  the  profession   after 


many  years  of  a  highly  successful  career. 
Dr.  Marshall  was  not  only  a  thorough  phy- 
sician, but  he  was  a  man  of  many  parts,  and 
high  intellectual  attainments.  He  died,  uni- 
versally respected,  about  1892.  His  only 
son.  Thomas  R.  Marshall,  remains  one  of 
our  most  successful  and  respected  lawyers. 
Dr.  Charles  S.  Williams  came  from  New 
York  in  1873  and  enjoyed  a  good  practice 
until  his  death  in  1905.  He  was  county 
coroner  from  1882  till  his  death,  except 
from  1894  to  1896.  His  daughter.  Dr. 
Alice  Williams,  is  now  a  successful  practi- 
tioner in  the  city.  Dr.  John  Maine  came  in 
18^6  and  with  his  son,  Jefferson  M.  Maine, 
conducted  a  drug  store.  Dr.  Maine  was 
very  old  and  never  entered  into  active  prac- 
tice. He  died  in  Fort  Wayne.  Dr.  C.  L 
Cass  came  in  1880,  but  after  a  short  medical 
career  went  into  the  woolen-mill,  business, 
which  he  closed  out  a  little  later  and  re- 
turned to  Ohio. 

Dr.  S.  D.  Amerman,  a  homeopathist. 
came  here  from  Pierceton,  about  1881,  and 
did  a  fair  business  for  about  ten  years,  when 
he  moved  to  Florida,  where  he  enjoyed  a 
good  business,  but  died  in  a  few  years  after 
locating  in  that  state.  Dr.  Frederick  F. 
Fisher,  a  practicing  physician,  located  at  Col- 
lamer,  died  in  1885. 

Dr.  Daniel  Kirkpatrick  came  from  Ohio 
and  located  at  Laud,  sometime  in  the  '50s. 
In  i860  he  located  at  Larwill  and  continued 
in  the  practice  until  failing  health  compelled 
his  retirement.  He  died  about  three  years 
ago.  Dr.  Christopher  Souder  was  horn  in 
Richland  county.  Ohio,  in  1842.  In  1846 
the  family  located  in  Richland  township, 
Whitley  county.  He  served  in  the  Forty- 
fourth  Indiana  Regiment  from  1861  to  1864. 


1 86 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


He  studied  medicine  under  Dr.  Firestone  and 
graduated  from  the  Cincinnati  Medical  Col- 
lege in  1870.  He  practiced  a  short  time  at 
South  Whitley,  then  went  to  Larwill,  and 
practiced  until  his  retirement  on  account  of 
failing  health.  He  died  about  eight  years 
ago.  He  was  elected  county  auditor  in 
1890,  but  never  moved  from  Larwill  and  did 
not  give  up  the  practice,  dividing  his  time 
between  practice  and  office.  His  son,  Carl 
Souder.  is  now  a  successful  practitioner  in 
Columbia  City. 

Dr.  Melvin  Lower,  a  native  of  Richland 
township,  studied  under  Dr.  Firestone  at 
Larwill,  graduated  and  located  at  North 
Manchester,  where  he  is  in  successful 
practice. 

Dr.  Henry  Swigart,  a  native  of  Thorn- 
creek  township,  studied  under  Dr.  Souder 
at  Larwill,  graduated  and  located  at  several 
places  in  Indiana,  after  which  he  went  to 
Nebraska  and  became  prominent  in  politics 
and  in  his  profession.  He  is  now  retired. 
He  was  a  soldier  and  enjoys  a  good 
pension. 

Dr.  Thomas  A.  Lancaster,  a  native  of 
Richland  township,  studied  under  the  tutel- 
age of  Dr.  Souder,  graduated  and  practiced 
a  while  at  Larwill,  then  went  to  North  Man- 
chester, where  he  was  very  successful.  He 
went  to  California  some  years  ago. 

Dr.  Paige,  "Old  Doctor  Paige,"  who  lo- 
cated very  early  at  Paige's  Crossing,  a  mile 
and  a  half  east  of  Columbia  City,  did  some 
practice  when  he  first  came,  but  with  the 
advent  of  more  regular  practitioners  gave 
it  up  entirely.  He  had  a  very  fair  general 
knowledge  of  ordinary  medical  remedies. 
Dr.  Joseph  Hayes  came  from  Dresden,  Lick- 
ing   county,    Ohio,    to    Millersburgh,    Col- 


lamer,  before  there  was  any  town,  about 
1838  to  1840.  He  had  been  Dr.  Brown's 
hostler  at  Dresden  for  some  years  and  had 
assisted  him  in  mixing  his  compounds,  tinct- 
ures and  pills.  There  is  a  secret  about  his 
coming  here,  which  was  not  to  his  discredit 
or  dishonor,  nevertheless  would  not  be  well 
now  to  unfold.  The  early  settlers  were  fa- 
miliar with  it. 

A  little  later  came  Joseph  Hayes,  brother 
to  William,  who  from  a  driver  of  mules 
on  the  canal  evoluted  into  a  Whitley  county 
doctor.  There  was  a  long  drawn  out  mal- 
practice suit  against  these  brothers,  brought 
by  a  Mr.  Neible  of  near  South  Whitley. 
He  lost  his  leg,  as  he  alleged,  because  of  their 
incompetency.  This  was  one  of  the  most 
celebrated  cases  of  litigation  in  the  county. 
Dr.  Joseph  Hayes  died  at  Collamer  and  Dr. 
William  Hayes  went  to  Pierceton. 

Dr.  Caleb  W.  Edwards,  a  teacher,  who 
had  studied  medicine  and  taken  a  one-year's 
course  at  Western  Reserve  College,  came  to 
South  Whitley,  in  the  early  '40s.  He  prac- 
ticed but  a  short  time,  and  went  into  busi- 
ness with  J.  K.  Combs  and  the  firm  was 
highly  successful.  He  died  at  South  Whit- 
ley about  twelve  years  ago.  Dr.  Elijah 
Merriman,  a  native  of  Ohio,  came  to  Whit- 
ley county  in  1843.  He  was  a  teacher, 
student  of  medicine,  and  on  graduation  set- 
tled at  South  Whitley  in  1853.  He  prac- 
ticed successfully  till  his  death  about  1904. 

Dr.  Thomas  J.  Lafollette,  a  native  of 
Ohio,  graduated  at  Miami  Medical  College, 
Cincinnati,  in  1873.  He  first  located  in  Wells 
county  and  came  to  Columbia  early  in  1876. 
A  very  short  time  thereafter  he  located  at 
South  Whitley.  He  was  in  successful  prac- 
tice   until     1893.     On    the    World's    Fair 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


i»7 


grounds  in  Chicago  he  was  stricken  with 
paralysis  and  lived  for  months  a  mental  and 
physical  wreck,  dying  at  South  Whitley. 
He  was  postmaster  at  South  Whitley  under 
the  first   Cleveland  administration. 

Dr.  Goshorn,  a  sort  of  traveling  physi- 
cian, practiced  in  the  south  part  of  the  county 
the  year  following  the  Civil  war.  He  finally 
located  at  North  Manchester  and  died  some 
years  ago.  Dr.  Alexander  McHugh,  son 
of  Dr.  Francis  L.  McHugh,  took  up  his 
father's  practice  at  his  death.  Alex  was 
fitted  for  a  business  man,  and  not  a  physi- 
cian. He  soon  cast  off  his  plug  hat  and 
saddle  bags  and  after  a  successful  business 
career  here  went  to  Iowa,  where  he  is  em- 
inently successful. 

Dr.  Stephen  S.  Austin,  a  native  of  New 
York,  graduated  from  the  Indiana  Medical 
College  in  1849  an&  located  at  Wolf  Lake. 
After  two  years  he  removed  to  Etna  and  was 
an  eminently  successful  practitioner  until 
his  death  in  1884. 

Dr.  B.  F.  Putt,  a  native  of  Ohio,  came 
to  Laud  in  1S77,  where  he  practiced  a  few 
years  and  then  moved  away. 

Dr.  William  H.  Coyle  graduated  in  med- 
icine soon  after  the  war.  Practiced  at  Etna 
many  years  and  then  moved  to  Columbia 
City,  where  he  died  about  three  years  ago. 
Dr.  David  E.  Webster,  a  native  of  Richland 
township,  graduated  in  medicine  at  Ann 
Arbor,  about  1879.  Practiced  in  Larwill 
until  Dr.  Mitten  left  Columbia  City.  He 
then  came  here  and  practiced  successfully 
until  his  death  about  eight  years  ago. 

Dr.  Eli  Pierce,  a  graduate  of  Jefferson 
College,  Philadelphia,  settled  in  the  north- 
east corner  of  Union  township  in  1844.  He 
bought  a  laree  tract  of  land  and  built  a  great 


mansion,  known  in  later  years  as  "Hazel 
Cot."  His  brother  Joseph  came  a  little 
later,  settled  near  by  on  section  I.  Eli  did 
not  practice  much,  devoting  his  time  mainly 
to  his  estate.  He  fell  dead  in  Areola  about 
1872.  Dr.  Joseph  Pierce  practiced  in  the 
neighborhood  for  some  years.  Dr.  John 
W.  Miller  died  at  Collamer  in  August, 
1872.  The  funeral  was  preached  in  Emer- 
son Grove,  then  called  Harter  woods,  and 
he  was  buried  in  Collamer  cemetery.  Dr. 
Banks  lived  in  the  northwest  corner  of 
Washington  township,  on  what  is  now  the 
Swihart  farm,  from  about  1858  up  to  and 
during  the  war,  where  he  practiced,  then 
moved  to  Fort  Wayne  and  became  a  special- 
ist.    He  died   at  Fort   Wayne. 

Dr.  F.  H.  Falkenberg  came  to  Columbia 
City  in  1852.  He  was  a  German  and  a 
partner  of  Dr.  Kinderman.  He  did  not  re- 
main long  in  the  county. 

Dr.  Noah  R.  Wenger  practiced  at  Co- 
esse  some  years,  then  removed  to  Fort 
Wayne,  where  he  is  now  a  specialist.  Dr. 
Owen  Gandy  was  born  in  West  Virginia,  in 
181 2,  and  graduated  at  Jefferson  Medical 
College,  Philadelphia,  in  1851.  Soon  after 
graduation  he  settled  at  Heller's  Corners,  on 
the  Eel  river,  in  Eel  River  township.  Allen 
county.  After  two  years  he  moved  one- 
half  mile  east,  just  east  of  Eel  river  ceme- 
tery, and  in  about  two  years  after,  or  in 
1856,  he  moved  to  Smith  township,  and  lived 
one  year  on  the  farm  of  Mrs.  Daniel  Miller; 
from  this  place  he  moved  back  to  Eel  River 
township,  about  a  half  mile  east  of  Churu- 
busco.  In  1864  he  moved  to  Churubusco, 
but  shortly  thereafter  he  moved  north  of 
Merriam,  Noble  count}-,  and  on  a  large 
farm.     He  lived  at  this  place,  practicing  and 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


superintending  his  large  farm  until  his  death 
in  1874.  He  is  buried  in  the  Christian 
Chapel  cemetery,  half  a  mile  east  of  his  farm. 
Dr.  Gandy  was  the  first  to  locate  and  prac- 
tice in  the  township.  He  was  a  hard  work- 
er, a  thoroughly  educated  gentleman  and 
physician,  successful  as  a  practitioner  anil 
a  good  financier.  His  first  wife  died  before 
he  came  here  and  he  brought  with  him  his 
four  children,  Melissa,  Luther,  Oscar  and 
Winfield  S.  He  married  Cynthia  Ann  Hire, 
a  daughter  of  Absalom  Hire,  who  was  the- 
second  white  settler  in  Smith  township  and 
to  this  union  was  born  Freedom,  John  Wes- 
ley, 'William  (deceased),  Nora,  Charles, 
Burton.  Nora,  wife  of  Judson  Smith,  lives 
in  Columbia  City,  Freedom  in  Columbia 
City,  and  the  others  in  Noble  county.  Dr. 
Gandy  was  an  ardent  Democrat,  and  while 
he  did  not  affiliate  with  any  church  was  a 
generous  supporter  to  all  and  made  many 
liberal  donations. 

Doctors  Spratt  and  Kelly  formed  a  part- 
nership and  located  in  Churubusco  in  1869 
and  lived  in  the  hotel  in  which  Jacob  Kich- 
ler  now  keeps  a  grocery  and  bakery.  They 
did  a  good  business  until  1871.  Dr.  Kelly 
decamped,  leaving  his  partner,  Dr.  Spratt, 
financially  embarrassed,  and  leaving  also  an 
unsavory  record.  Dr.  Spratt  remained  a 
year  or  two  but  never  recovering  from  his 
loss,  retired  to  his  son-in-law's  farm  (Henry 
Rich),  where  his  wife  died  in  1876.  Dr. 
Spratt  lived  in  retirement  till  his  death  in 
1 891. 

Dr.  George  Keller  came  to  Churubusco 
from  Bucyrus,  Ohio,  in  1877,  and  remained 
aboul  a  year,  returning  again  to  his  old 
home.     He  was  a  well  educated  man  and  a 


thorough  practitioner,  but  did  not  care  to 
enter  active  work.  He  lived  with  his 
mother  and  brother,  I.  N.  Keller,  at  Churu- 
busco. Dr.  Maurice  M.  Modricker  located 
in  Columbia  City  in  1872,  and  went  to 
Churubusco  in  1876.  He  was  a  fine  scholar, 
educated  in  Berlin,  a  fine  linguist,  and  com- 
plete physician,  who  might  have  distin- 
guished himself  in  the  profession,  but  for  his 
intemperate  habits.  He  would  practice  with 
complete  success  for  a  time  and  then  go  oft" 
on  a  drunken  spree  until  physically  and  finan- 
cially exhausted,  and  finally  left  the  county, 
keeping  up  his  habits  until  his  death. 

Dr.  P.  H.  Aldrich  came  from  Stryker, 
Ohio,  to  Churubusco  in  1877,  He  was  a 
graduate  in  medicine,  but  a  drunkard,  and 
made  no  headway.  A  couple  of  years  later 
he  went  to  Defiance  and  from  there  to  Sher- 
wood, Ohio.  Dr.  William  Burney  located 
at  Churubusco  early  in  the  '70s.  He  cele- 
brated his  departure  by  thrashing  his  wife, 
and  then  leaving'  her  destitute.  He  then 
went  to  Hannibal,  Missouri. 

Dr.  John  Ouincy  Adams  Banta  located 
north  of  Laud,  in  Washington  township,  in 
1843.  Of  his  success  or  the  time  he  re- 
mained we  are  not  advised. 

Dr.  Straus  located  at  Bloomfield  in  the 
early  sixties  and  remained  about  four  years. 
Then  came  Dr.  Orvis  to  the  same  place 
(1869),  but  he  soon  went  to  Huntertown. 

Dr.  J.  N.  Kester  located  in  Columbia 
City  in  1894  and  left  in  1896. 

Dr.  J.  N.  Hammond  was  located  at  Laud 
for  some  time,  leaving  in  1873. 

Dr.  J.  R.  Baker,  physician  and  politi- 
cian, was  located  at  Laud  and  at  Columbia 
City  a  few  years,  leaving  the  county  in  1875. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


189 


Dr.  James  Richards,  brother  of  Dr.  John 
Richards,  practiced  at  Laud  for  a  time,  then 
went  to  Omaha. 

Dr.  J.  W.  Squires  located  at  Churubusco 
in  1881  and  went  to  Fort  Wayne  in  1906, 
where  lie  is  now  practicing. 

A  Dr.  Reed  practiced  a  while  in  the  east 
part  of  Jefferson  township  just  after  the 
Civil  war. 


A  perusal  of  the  foregoing  shows  the 
necessity  for  some  kind  of  legislation  re- 
garding the  practice  of  medicine.  The  agi- 
tation by  a  long-suffering  public  as  well  as 
by  regular  educated  physicians  finally  pro- 
duced some  action,  though  it  was  feeble  at 
first.  The  legislature  of  1881  provided  as 
follows : 

Chap.  XIX,  Sec.  10,  Acts  1881,  Page  41. 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  all  physicans  and 
accouchers  in  this  state  to  register  their 
names  and  postoffice  address,  with  the  clerk 
of  the  circuit  court  of  the  county  in  which 
they  reside,  and  all  such  physicians  and  ac- 
couchers shall  report  to  the  secretary  of  the 
board  of  health  of  the  town,  city  or  county 
in  which  thev  may  occur,  and  within  fif- 
teen clays  thereafter  all  deaths  and  births 
which  may  occur  under  their  supervision,  etc. 

Any  physician  or  accoucher  failing  or  re- 
fusing to  comply  with  the  provisions  of  this 
section,  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a  mis- 
demeanor and  upon  conviction  thereof  shall 
be  fined  in  any  sum  not  less  than  five  nor 
more  than  ten  dollars. 

Sec.  11.  The  clerk  of  the  circuit  court 
of  each  county  in  this  state  shall  be  re- 
quired to  keep  a  book,  especially  prepared 


and  set  apart  fur  the  registration  of  name 
and  postoffice  address  of  physicians  and  ac- 
couchers of  their  county,,  etc. 

The  state  board  of  health  prepared  a 
form  for  such  book,  which,  in  addition  to 
the  legal  requirements,  had  a  large  space 
headed  "Remarks."  The  word  went  all 
over  the  state  to  physicians  to  register,  with 
their  names  and  postoffice,  the  college  from 
which  they  graduated,  with  date  of  diploma, 
etc.  Those  who  were  regular  graduates  of 
course  availed  themselves  of  this  privilege, 
that  the}-  might  set  themselves  right  in  a 
public  record,  and  at  the  same  time  put- 
quacks  ami  uneducated  members  of  the  pro- 
fession in  a  "hole,"  as  it  was  termed.  This 
caused  quite  a  commotion,  especially  in  the 
profession,  and  every  doctor's  registration 
was  made  the  subject  of  critical  examination 
and  discussion,  and  it  was  charged  that  many 
false  entries  were  made.  A  number  of  doc- 
tors availed  themselves  of  the  provisions  of 
the  law  and  made  no  entries  at  all  under  the 
head  of  "Remarks."  The  following  entries 
under  the  head  of  "Remarks"  were  actually 
made.  "Third  of  a  century  practice  in  the 
county."  "For  further  information  call  at 
office,"  "From  the  University  of  Ohio," 
"Came  March,  1856,"  "Charity  Hospital," 
"Pennsylvania  College,"  etc..  etc.  Some 

of  these  entries,  of  course,  meant  nothing  at 
all.  The  celebrated  Dr.  Shweitz  registered 
"Godlieb  Frederick  Joseph  Shweitz,  Yale 
College."  It  is  not  likely  he  could  have 
told  in  what  state  Yale  College  was  located. 
Graduates  registered  about  this  way: 
"Graduated  from  Jefferson  Medical  College, 
Philadelphia,  1876."  "Graduated  from  Cin- 
cinnati  College  of   Medicine  and   Surgerv. 


190 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


18/0."  Graduated  from  Medical  Depart- 
ment Michigan  University,  Ann  Arbor, 
1878."  The  following  is  a  list  of  registra- 
tions : 

Austin,  Stephen  S.,  Etna  P.  O. 

Burns,  A.  M.,  South  Whitley. 

Bainbridge,  Nettie  E..  Columbia  City. 

Ammerman,  S.  I).,  Columbia  City. 

Burney,  William,  Churubusco. 

Barnhill,  William  A.  D.,  South  Whitley. 

Cass,  C.  L..  Columbia  City. 

Christopher,  William  H,  (Non-resident 
of  county).  ^ 

Criswell,  John  F.,  Churubusco. 

Coyle,  William  H.,  Etna  P.  O. 

Egolf,  H.M.,  Collamer. 

Eberhard,  Eli  L.,  South  Whitley. 

Eckman,   George  W.,   Coesse. 

Fisher,  F.  F.,  Collamer. 

Firestone,  John  B.,  Larwill. 

Frost,  R.  F.  (Man-O-Tee),  non-resident 
of  the  county. 

Gregg,  Henry,  Coesse. 

Grisier,  F.  G.,  Collins. 

Hoagland,  J.  W.,  Peabody. 

Ireland,  Martin,  Columbia  City. 

Koontz,  Sylvanus,  Laud. 

Kithcart,  N.  I.,  Columbia  City. 

Kirpatrick,  Daniel,  Larwill. 

Kenner,  C.  A.,  Columbia  City. 

Kemp,  Joseph  M.,  Laud. 

Lawrence,  I.  E.,  Columbia  City. 

Linvill,  David  G.,  Columbia  City. 

La  Follette,  T.  J.,  South  Whitley. 

La  Rue,  E.  S.,  (non-resident  of  the 
county.  1 

Merriman,  Elijah,  South  Whitley. 

Mitten.  Allen  P.,  Columbia  City. 

Magers,  F.  M..  Churubusco. 

Marshall,  Daniel  M.,  Columbia  City. 


Putt,  Benjamin  F.,  Laud. 
Richards,  John,  Laud. 
Reid.  C.  B.,  Columbia  City. 
Souder,  Christopher,  Larwill. 
Scott,  J.  William  C,  Etna.  P.  O. 
Shweitz,      Godlieb     Frederick     Joseph, 
Columbia  City. 

Squires,  James  W.,  Churubusco. 
Stauffer.  W.  W.,  South  Whitley. 
Van  Houten,   Isaac,  Collins. 
Webber.  William,  Columbia  City. 
Williams,  Charles  S.,  Columbia  City. 
Webster,  David  E.,  Larwill. 
Wenger,  N.   R.,  Coesse. 
Webster,  Monroe  W.,  South  Whitley. 

The  legislature  of  1885  enacted  a  law 
that  it  should  be  unlawful  for  any  person  to 
practice  medicine,  surgery  or  obstetrics  with- 
in the  state  of  Indiana,  without  first  obtain- 
ing a  license  so  to  do,  under  the  penalty  of 
being  fined  not  less  than  twenty-five  dollars 
nor  more  than  one  hundred  dollars  for  each 
offense.  License  to  be  procured  from  the 
clerk  of  court  in  county  where  the  applicant 
desires  to  practice. 

The  requisites  for  a  license  were :  First, 
when  such  applicant  shall  file  with  such  clerk 
his  or  her  affidavit  stating  that  such  appli- 
cant has  regularly  graduated  in  some  re- 
putable medical  college,  and  shall  exhibit 
to  such  clerk  the  diploma  held  by  such 
applicant. 

Second,  or  when  such  applicant  shall  file 
with  such  clerk  his  or  her  affidavit,  and  the 
affidavits  of  two  reputable  freeholders  or 
householders  of  the  county,  stating  that  he 
or  she  has  resided  and  practiced  medicine, 
surgery  and  obstetrics  in  this  state  continu- 
ously  for  ten  years  immediately  preceding 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


191 


the  date  of  the  taking  effect  of  this  act, 
stating  particularly  the  locality  or  localities 
in  which  he  or  she  has  practiced  during  said 
period  and  the  date  and  length  of  time  in 
each  locality. 

This  law  actually  barred  from  practice 
all  persons  who  did  not  come  within  the  pro- 
visions of  one  or  the  other  of  the  two  requi- 
sites, except  mid-wives  practicing  obstetrics, 
who  were  expressly  exempt  from  the  provi- 
sions of  the  law.  The  licensees  under  this 
law  in  Whitley  county  were: 

Ammerman,  Samuel  D.,  Columbia  City." 
Balcom,  Del-a-Claire,1 
Bare,  George, 

Bainbridge,    Nettie   E.,    Columbia   City. 
Barnhill,  William  A.  D.,  South  Whitley. 
Criswell,  John  F.,  Churubusco. 
Coyle,  William  H.,  Hecla. 
Eberharcl,   Elijah  L.,  South  Whitley. 
Egolf,  Harvey  M.,  Collamer. 
Eckman,  George  W.,  Coesse." 
Fry,  Charles  W.,  Bracken,  Huntington 
county. 

Forden,  William  B., 

Fruth,   David   O., 

Frost,  R.  F.  Manotee,1 

Grisier,  Frederick  G.,  Collins. 

Geary,  John  K.,  Coesse. 

Goheen,  Charles  M., 

Grant,  Sarah  A.,  Lorane.2 

Hontz.  William  Cyrus,  Columbia  City. 

Houser,  James  A., 

Ireland,   Martin,  Columbia  City. 

Kithcart,  Nathan  I.,  Columbia  City. 

Kirkpatrick,  Daniel,  Larwill. 

Linvill,  David  G.,  Columbia  City. 

Linvill,  Lewis  M.,  Columbia  City. 

Linvill,  David  S.,  Columbia  City. 


Lawrence,  Isaiah  E.,  Columbia  City. 

Long,  Charles  R.. 

LaFollette.   Thomas  J..   South  Whitley. 

Longenecker,  O.  B.. 

Mitten,  Allen  P.,  Columbia  City. 

Merriman,   Elijah,   South  Whitley. 

Magers,  Francis  M.,  Churubusco. 

Mann.  Jesse  E..1 

Morrison,  Thomas  Ray,  Churubusco. 

McHenry,  Joseph  D.,  Larwill. 

Moody,  Theodore  F.,  Pierceton.1 

Morgan,  Samuel  E.,1 

Pagin,   Samuel.1 
■   Prizinger,  Lewis  A.1 

Scott.  J.  William  C,  Hecla. 

Souder,  Christopher,  Larwill. 

Squires,   James   W.,    Churubusco. 

Smith,  John  W. 

Stults,  Charles  E. 

Simon,  Joshua,  Churubusco. 

Stauffer,  Walter  O.,  South  Whitley. 

Secrist,  H.  C. 

Shuman,  Oliver  V.,  Columbia  City. 

Richards,  John,    Laud. 

Reid.  Charles  S.,  Coesse. 

Williams,  Charles  S.,  Columbia  City. 

Webster,  Monroe  W.,  South  Whitley. 

Webster.  David  E.,  Larwill. 

Wenger,  Noah  R.,  Coesse. 

Weber,  William,  Columbia  City. 

White,  Samuel  R.,  Laud. 

AVilliams,  Alice  B.,  Columbia  City. 

Wagner,  Philip  Matthews.1 

The  legislature  amended  this  law  in 
1  Si  >-.  that  those  in  practice  must  within 
ninety  days  from  the  passage  of  the  law. 
and  others  before  beginning  the  practice, 
must    obtain    a    certificate    from    the    state 


'Non-residents  of  the  county. 
Admitted  under  ten-year  clause. 


iw- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


board  of  health  before  being  licensed  by  the 
county  clerk.  If  such  persons  present  to 
the  state  board  of  health  a  diploma  from  a 
college,  whose  standards  said  board  shall 
approve,  the  certificate  is  issued  on  proper 
presentation  of  the  diploma,  but  if  the  diplo- 
ma is  from  a  college  which  the  state  board 
does  not  recognize  as  maintaining  a  suffi- 
ciently high  grade  of  standards  the  applicant 
may  be  examined  by  said  board  and  if  said 
examination  is  satisfactory,  the  certificate 
will  issue.  Persons  who  have  practiced  mid- 
wifery for  ten  years  in  the  state  were  en- 
titled to  a  certificate,  which  would  authorize 
the  county  clerk  to  issue  a  license  to  con- 
tinue the  practice  of  midwifery.  Violations 
of  this  law  are  punished  by  a  fine  of  not  less 
than  twenty-five  dollars  nor  more  two  hun- 
dred dollars..  The  state  board  may  revoke 
the  license  of  any  physician  at  any  time  for 
fraud  in  procuring  said  license,  for  being 
guilty  of  felon}-  or  gross  immorality  or  ad- 
dicted to  the  liquor  or  drug  habit  to  such  a 
degree  as  the  board  may  think  such  person 
unfit  to  practice  medicine  or  surgery.  The 
registrations  under  this  law  have  been  : 

Ammerman.  S.  D.,  Columbia  City. 

Albertson,  Charles.  South  Whitley. 

Barnhill.  William  A.  D.,  South  Whitley. 

Briggs,  Jesse  Howard,  Churubusco. 

Beach,  Charles  E.  C.  Coesse. 

(  riswell,  John  F.,  Churubusco. 

Coyle.  William  H..  Hecla.  . 

Eberhard,  Eli  L..  South  Whitley: 

Grisier.  Frederick  G.,  Columbia  City. 

Geary,  John   K..  Coesse. 

I  laiTold.  Revere  H.,  Peabody. 

Hart,  Bruce  D.,  Churubusco. 

Ireland,  Martin,  Columbia  City. 

Kithcart;  Nathan  I.,  Columbia  Citv. 


King,  William  F.,  Columbia  City. 
King.  James  R.,  Columbia  City. 
Kester,  R.   S.,  Columbia  City. 
Keefer,  F.  R..  Coesse. 
Kirkpatrick,  Daniel,  Larwill. 
Linvill,  David  G.,  Columbia  City. 
Linvill,  David  S.,  Columbia  City. 
Lawrence,  Isaiah  E.,  Columbia  City. 
Leedy,  Charles  E.,  Coesse. 
Merrim'an,  Elijah,  South  Whitley. 
Magers,  F.  M.,  Churubusco. 
Morrison,  Thomas  R.,  Churubusco. 
Richards,  John,  Laud. 
Schuman.  Oliver,  Columbia  City. 
Scott.  J.   William  C,  Hecla. 
Squires.  James  W..  Churubusco. 
Souder,  Christopher,  Larwill. 
Souder,  Carl  Lawrence,  Columbia  City. 
Swartz,  Douglas  A.,   South  \\ 'hitley. 
Tennant,    I  ewis   W.,    Larwill. 
Williams,  Charles  S.,  Columbia  City. 
Worden.  James  W.,  Columbia  City. 
Williams,  Alice  B..  Columbia  City. 
Weber,  William,  Columbia  City. 
Wilson,  Frank   D.,  Collins. 
Wells.  Henry  O.,  (non-resident). 
Webster,  Monroe  W.,  South  Whitley. 
White,  Samuel  R.,  Laud. 

WHITLEY    COUNTY    MEDICAL    SOCIETY. 

The  present  medical  society  dates  from 
[883,  but  the  minutes  show  a  previous  or- 
ganization, and  say  that,  "Whereas,  all  the 
papers  and  records  of  the  former  Medical 
Society  have  been  lost,  and  necessity  exists 
for  the  organization  of  a  new  societv. 
therefore,  we  do  organize  by  re-electing  the 
former  president,  Dr.  Stephen  S.  Austin, 
and  former  secretarv.  Dr.  Allen  P.  Mitten." 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


193 


A  long  constitution  and  by-laws  were 
adopted,  a  seal  procured  and  the  society 
given  a  corporate  existence  by  having  the 
constitution  and  by-laws  recorded  in  the 
recorder's  office  of  Whitley  county,  April 
4,  1884,  in  Miscellaneous  Record  "B,"  pages 
403  to  407.  This  was  signed  by  the  follow- 
ing- members : 


Stephen  S.  Austin, 
John  Richards, 

C.  Souder, 

E.  L.  Eberhard, 
T.  J.  LaFollettee, 

D.  S.  Linvill, 
H.  M.  Egolf, 
M.  Ireland, 
William  Weber, 
N.  R.  Wenger, 
C.  A.  Kenner, 
Monroe  VV.  Webster, 
C.  E.  Leedy, 


David  G.  Linvill, 
Francis  M.  Magers, 
S.  Koontz, 
L.  M.  Linvill, 
Daniel  Kirkpatrick, 
P.   M.  Wagner, 
D.  M.  Marshall, 
A.  P.  Mitten, 
N.  I   Kithcart, 
D.   E.   Webster, 
F.  G.  Grisier, 
T.  Ray  Morrison, 
I.  W.  Moran. 


The  by-laws  call  for  not  less  than  two 
meetings  a  year  on  call.  The  society  has 
had  a  rather  spasmodic  career  since  that 
time,  but   at  present  is  in  excellent  condi- 


tion and  its  meetings  are  productive  of  great 
good.  Many  peculiar  and  obstinate  cases 
are  fully  discussed  and  patients  are  often 
brought  before  the  society  that  all  may  ex- 
amine and  the  attending  physician  have  the 
benefit  of  the  combined  counsel  of  the  so- 
ciety. Its  work  is  almost  wholly  confined 
to  this  business  and  to  the  cultivation  of  a 
spirit  of  helpfulness  and  good  feeling  in  the 
profession.  Nearly  all  the  physicians  in  the 
county  are  members.  Dr.  O.  V.  Schuman 
is  president  and  Dr.  F.  G.  Grisier,  secretary 
at  this  time. 

PHYSICIANS  AT  LAUD. 

Dr.   Banta 1858  to  1859 

Dr.   Kirkpatrick 1859  "    i860 

Dr.   Banks 1864  "   1869 

Dr.    Johnson 1865   "    1869 

Dr.  Austin 1866  "   1870 

Dr.    Baker 1870  "   1871 

Dr.  James  Richards 1870  "   1872 

Dr.    Hammond 1871   "   1872 

Dr.   Koontz 1872  "   1887 

Dr.    Putt 1873   "    1884 

Dr.  Gregg 1877  "   1878 


'HELL'S  HALF  ACRE." 


BY  S.   P.   KALER. 


This  was  a  term  almost  synonymous 
with  Whitley  county  for  some  years  before 
the  Civil  war,  reaching  its  height  of  de- 
generacy during  the  war  period,  and  even 
yet  is  regarded  as  a  term  of  reproach.  Forty 
or  fifty  years  ago,  mention  of  this  fearful 
place  was  enough  to  scare  any  boy  of  fif- 
teen, under  the  bed. 
13 


Its  fame  extended  not  only  all  over 
northern  Indiana  but  into  other  states.  The 
exact  location  of  the  place  was  not  under- 
stood, but  the  swamps,  heavy  timber  and 
thickets  of  south-west  Columbia  township 
and  extending  into  Richland,  were  supposed 
to  be  alive  with  thieves  and  marauders. 

Three     different     vigilance    committees 


194 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


were  organized  and  incorporated  under  the 
laws  of  Indiana,  for  the  purpose  of  cleaning 
out  the  Half  Acre,  one  in  Richland  town- 
ship, one  in  Cleveland  township,  and  one  in 
Troy  township.  Each  member  was,  by  the 
authorities,  vested  with  the  rights  of  a  con- 
stable, to  make  arrests,  and  it  was  generally 
understood  that  if  he  abused  the  legal  right 
of  an  officer  and  overstepped  his  duty,  he 
would  in  no  way  be  brought  to  book  for  it. 
They  were  supposed  to  be  a  secret,  oath- 
bound  organization,  and  the  weird  story  of 
what  they  were  doing  was  overestimated  as 
much  as  were  the  fanciful  stories  of  what 
the  denizens  of  the  place  themselves  were 
doing. 

The  place  was  really  located  on  the  spot 
of  the  Indian  village  in  section  20,  Colum- 
bia township,  and  began  to  be  notorious 
about  the  time  the  Indian  history  was  dying 
out,  some  few  straggling  Indians  being  still 
about  the  place  to  add  to  its  mysterious 
horrors. 

George  Helms  moved  on  the  north-west 
quarter  of  section  20,  early  in  the  '40s. 
the  farm  now  owned  by  the  Korts.  Harri- 
son Dowell  lived  a  mile  south.  They  were 
always  quarreling  and  always  involved  in 
law  suits.  Helms  was  regarded  as  a  very 
desperate  character.  He  was  vulgar  and 
profane  to  the  extreme,  was  very  insulting 
to  women  and  was  charged  with  several 
very  serious  offences.  He  would  go  away 
for  weeks  at  a  time,  and  return  with  a  lot  of 
money.  Every  crime  in  the  catalogue  was 
imputed  to  him.  Others  might  commit  any 
crime  from  murder  to  counterfeiting  and  on 
down  to  petit  larceny,  and  George  Helms 
get  the  credit. 

Mam-  stories  have  gained  currency  from 


time  to  time  as  to  the  origin  of  the  expres- 
sion, when  and  how  it  came  to  be  called 
Hell's  Half  Acre.  The  exact  fact  is  this : 
In  the  early  winter  of  1849,  Sanford  Mosher 
came  to  Ben  Beeson's  blacksmithshop  on 
Main  street,  on  the  bank  of  Blue  river. 
Helms  and  Dowell  had  a  lawsuit  that  day  in 
Columbia,  which  was  the  general  topic  of 
conversation.  The  late  Harmon  Beeson 
was  also  at  the  blacksmithshop  and  began 
twitting  Mosher  about  his  quarrelsome 
neighbors  and  finally  said  :  "There  is  a  place 
down  in  Kentucky  they  call  'Hell's  Half 
Acre,'  they  must  have  moved  it  up  here." 
The  expression  raised  a  great  laugh  among 
the  bystanders,  which  Mosher  appreciated 
as  much  as  any  one,  and  the  neighborhood 
received  a  name  from  which  nearly  sixty 
years  has  not  divested  it.  Though  the 
family  name  of  Helms  was  very  intimately 
associated  with  the  Half  Acre  they  were  by 
no  means  the  only  ones,  but  it  was  left  to 
Howard,  son  of  George  Helms,  and  his 
cousin,  Sam  Helms,  to  give  the  place  a  repu- 
tation for  reckless  daring  and  public,  open 
and  notorious  defiance  of  law  and  law  offi- 
cers. George  Helms'  two  sons,  George  and 
Howard,  were  not  regarded  as  worse  boys 
than  their  neighbors.  Indeed,  in  contradis- 
tinction to  their  father,  they  were  generally 
called  good  boys,  and  their  natures  chafed 
seriously  under  the  tyrannical  domination 
of  their  father.  Early  in  the  Civil  war,  they 
both  enlisted  and  entered  the  service,  and 
had  they  not  come  home  on  a  furlough  their 
history  might  have  been  different,  but  they 
came  home  with  the  full  intention  of  return- 
ing. The  father  did  all  in  his  power  to  pre- 
vent their  returning  to  the  service.  They 
took'  counsel  from  Orrin  Mosher  and  others. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


195 


who  urged  them  to  return  to  duty  and  ob- 
serve their  oath  of  allegiance,  but  the  very 
atmosphere  was  surcharged  with  excitement 
engendered  by  war,  and  a  spirit  of  hostility 
to  the  cause  was  everywhere  apparent. 
There  was  something  tempting  to  persons 
with  hereditary  criminal  natures,  about 
being  deserters,  and  the  boys  chose  the 
wrong  course  and  became  at  once  fugitives 
and  outlaws. 

Now  began  an  era  of  crime  beside  which 
all  former  exploits  of  the  Acre  were  tame. 
Howard  Helms  was  captain,  his  brother 
George  an  able  lieutenant  and  the}-  had 
plenty  of  followers  and  assistants.  Withal, 
there  was  something  about  Howard  that  at- 
tracted men  to  him,  perhaps  his  reckless  dar- 
ing and  fidelityr  to  his  friends.  He  always  said 
he  had  as  close  friends  among  the  vigilance 
committees  as  he  had  inveterate  enemies,  and 
that  they  always  gave  him  warning  of  an 
attempt  to  get  him,  either  by  direct  word  or 
by  some  sign,  and  said  that  he  would  once 
have  been  caught  unawares  but  for  the  signal 
of  two  shots  as  near  together  as  a  pistol 
could  be  made  to  fire.  For  several  years  he 
defied  federal  officers  with  warrants  in  their 
pockets  when  they  knew  where  he  was  and 
he  frequently  went  from  the  fastnesses  of  the 
Acre  to  Columbia  City  and  other  towns. 
The  old  criminal  docket  of  Whitley  county 
is  burdened  with  causes  against  him  and  his 
associates,  and  constables  and  sheriffs  had 
their  pockets  full  of  warrants,  which  thev 
made  but  feeble  attempt  to  pretend  to  serve 
and  thus  crime  went  on  in  defiance  of  all 
law.  Indictments  for  larceiw,  resisting  offi- 
cers, assault,  riot,  etc.,  were  but  idle  mockery. 

George  Deer,  Joseph,  George  and  Mathias 
Slessman,  from  Columbia  City,  once  under- 


took to  arrest  Howard.  They  had  learned 
to  a  certainity  that  he  was  at  Lawrence 
Manier's  house,  section  20,  farm  now  owned 
by  Jules  Romey.  The  Eel  River  Railroad 
now  runs  directly  where  the  house  stood. 
It  was  torn  down  on  building  the  railroad, 
He  saw  them  when  within  a  few  paces  of 
the  house  and  struck  off  south-east  toward 
Harrison  Dowell's ;  they  rode  out  the  lane 
and  turned  south  toward  him.  They  called, 
halt!  but  he  moved  on.  Then  one  of  the 
party  shot  to  scare.  He  was  more  than 
twenty  rods  from  them  and  deliberately  took 
aim  and  shot  to  kill.  The  bullet  whizzed 
past  Joe  George's  head.  They  ran  out  of 
the  road  to  see  the  dust  raise  from  the  second 
shot  on  the  spot  where  they  had  stood,  and 
the  expedition  ended.  The  provost  marshal 
made  one  attempt  to  arrest  him.  With  a 
large  posse  of  mounted  men  and  with  the 
knowledge  that  he  was  at  Harrison  Dowell's 
house,  they  started  in  high  glee.  As  they 
neared  the  house  Dowell  came  rushing  in 
exclaiming:  "My  God,  Howard,  the  lane 
is  full  of  men  on  horses!  For  God's  sake, 
Howard,  go!"  He  walked  right  out  with 
a  big  navy  revolver,  his  finger  on  the  trigger, 
and  the  weapon  across  his  arm.  and  when 
the}'  came  within  a  rod- or  two  of  him  he 
said  calmly.  "Gentlemen,  what  do  vim 
want  ?"  The  marshal  said  :  "We  are  look- 
ing for  Jake  Long."  Harrison  retorted: 
"I  ran  the  Jake  Long  you  are  looking  for." 
The  marshal  said  again :  "No,  no.  we  want 
Jake  Long."  Howard  then  coolly  said : 
"Gentlemen,  turn  round  and  go  back.  I  am 
not  guilty  of  murder  and  don't  want  to  be. 
but  will  shoot  dead  the  first  man  in  your 
party  who  attempts  to  draw  a  gun.  I  have 
no  ill   will  against  you,  but  you'll  not  take 


196 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Howard  Helms  this  time.'"  They  all  quietly 
turned  and  left  as  they  were  bidden  to  do. 

Early  one  morning  as  Hiram  Mosher 
went  tu  the  field  to  work  he  heard  a  voice 
calling  him.  He  looked  around  and  saw 
Howard  Helms  sitting  cm  the  fence  stark 
naked.  "What  is  the  matter,"  said  the  boy. 
"Oh,  the  regulators  were  after  me  last  night. 
I  heard  the  signal  of  two  shots  from  one  of 
the  party  and  got  out  of  the  house  into  the 
woods.  They  "soon  swarmed  all  around  me 
and  I  just  had  to  crawl  into  an  old  elm  tree 
uprooted.  1  crawled  into  it  and  had  to  lay 
in  mud  and  water,  up  to  my  face.  John 
Anderson,  one  of  my  worst  enemies,  was  so 
near  me  twice  that  I  could  have  caught  him 
by  the  leg,  and  it  seemed  so  funny  I  had  a 
notion  to  do  it.  I  am  now  waiting  for  my 
clothes  to  dry,  but  some  of  them  may  yet  be 
prowling  around  and  as  I  am  not  in  good 
shape  to  defend  myself  I  guess  I'll  get  off 
the  fence  and  squat  by  that  log."  He  had 
not  thus  concealed  himself  three  minutes 
until  Erastus  Rollins  rode  up  and  accosting 
the  boy  said:  "When  did  you  see  Howard 
Helms?"  "Yesterday,"  said  the  boy,  which 
was  true.  "If  I  ever  get  sight  of  him  I'll 
sin  nit  him  on  the  spot,"  and  then  he  moved 
lift".  Howard  said  laughingly,  "I  had  a  no- 
tion to  come  out  naked  as  I  was,  with  a  stick- 
in  my  hand  and  point  it  at  him  and  scare 
him  white-headed,  but  I  was  afraid  there 
might  be  a  lot  more  of  them  around  and  1 
am  nut   just  now  hunting  trouble." 

The  store  of  Combs  &  Edwards,  at 
South  Whitley,  was  rubbed,  but  not  a  win- 
dow was  opened  or  door  unlocked  or  broken 
in.  Some  one  who  knew  all  about  the  place. 
conducted  the  thieves  under  the  floor  and 
up  through  an  opening.      George  Williams. 


who  was  said  to  be  a  "Hawpatch  horse  thief 
and  counterfeiter,"  was  supposed  to  belong 
to  the  gang.  He  was  taken  from  a  sick 
bed  to  the  "red  brush"  schoolhouse  in  Rich- 
land township,  a  rope  was  put  about  his 
neck  and  threatened  with  death  if  he  did 
not  tell  all.  The  best  they  could  get  out  of 
him  was,  "I  feel  sick  enough  to  die  anyhow 
and  you  can  just  finish  up  the  job  if  you 
want  to,"  but  they  didn't  and  they  learned 
nothing. 

A  few  davs  after,  as  Orrin  and  Sanford 
Mosher  were  striking  a  bee-line  below  Tay- 
lor's station  or  Wynkoop,  in  section  30. 
thev  heard  noises  in  the  swamp  and  listening, 
distinguished  who  they  were,  and  that  they 
were  quarreling  over  a  coat  and  other  things. 
Howard  and  the  fellow  the  regulators  didn't 
hang  were  two  of  them.  Orrin  went  quick- 
ly to  Peter  Snyder's  and  had  him  go  tc 
Combs  &  Edwards  at  South  Whitley  and  tell 
then  to  meet  Orrin  and  San  Mosher  at 
Eliakim  Mosher's.  just  after  dark,  and  they 
would  conduct  them  to  the  place  of  the  stolen 
goods.  Nobody  came,  perhaps  Combs  and 
Edwards  were  afraid  of  some  trap,  as  they 
went  instead  to  their  lawyer.  Three  days 
after,  Howard  Helms  appeared  at  Sanford 
Mosher's  and  brandishing  a  revolver,  said : 
"Some  Mosher  has  told  on  us,  and  if  I  can 
find  out  which  one  it  was  I  will  blow  his 
brains  out." 

Anderson  Grimes  had  a  fine  set  of  double 
harness  stolen,  and  the  regulators  offered  ten 
dollars  for  their  recovery.  Soon  after,  San- 
ford Mosher,  out  hunting,  saw  a  man  carry 
ing  a  set  of  harness,  but  he  soon  dis- 
appeared in  the  thicket.  The  next  day,  tak- 
ing Orrin  with  him,  they  found  the  harness 
concealed  in  a  hollow  tree.     Thev  sent  for 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


197 


John  Anderson,  leader  of  the  regulators,  and 
he  took  the  harness  and  paid  the  reward. 

These  are  but  a  very  few  of  the  incidents 
■of  the  terrible  years  when  "Hell's  Half  Acre" 
held  mad  riot  in  the  center  of  Whitley  coun- 
ty ;  but  with  the  coming  of  more  settlers  and 
the  strengthening  of  the  power  of  the  law, 
the  clearing  of  the  swamps  and  hiding  places 
the  on-rushing  tide  of  progress  must  neces- 
sarily clean  out  such  festering  places. 

No  one  knew  this  better  than  the  Helms 
boys.  George  left  some  time  before  How- 
ard and  went  to  Ohio.  Howard  went  from 
here  to  La  Otto.  Dekalb  county,  in  1867  or 
1868,  and  married  there,  George  going  there, 
too. 

There  began  a  new  era  of  depredation. 
They  gathered  about  them  other  thieves  and 
tribute  was  levied  by  night  on  the  country 
for  anything  that  could  be  hauled  to  Fort 
Wayne  and  turned  into  cash,  or  could  be 
used  by  the  gang  at  home ;  but  the  fame  of 
Helms  traveled  thither  and  the  ravishing  of 
that  neighborhood  was  not  of  very  long 
duration. 

One  night  as  Howard  was  out  scouting, 
as  he  termed;  crossing  a  road  he  found  him- 
self in  the  midst  of  a  troop  of  horsemen. 
They  asked  him  if  he  knew  Howard  Helms. 
To  say  he  did  not  would  be  to  arouse  sus- 
picion, for  his  terrible  name  was  on  the  lips 
of  all  the  settlers.  Yes,  he  had  heard  a  great 
deal  of  him,  but  never  saw  him.  "Well," 
said  the  leader,  "he  is  at  the  house  below  the 
cross-roads  two  miles  down  and  we  are  go- 
ing to  get  him  tonight."  He  could  easily 
save  himself,  but  all  thought  was  of  his 
brother  George,  whom  he  knew  was  sleeping 
in  that  house.  Quick  as  thought,  he  said  : 
"I  want  to  go  along  and  help  take  him." 


"We  want  all  the  help  we  can  get,"  the  lead- 
er said,  "but  you  have  no  horse  and  we  are 
in  a  hurry  and  it  is  nearly  two  miles  down 
there."  "If  you  don"t  ride  too  fast  I  will 
keep  up,"  said  Howard,  and  he  never  made 
two  miles  so  quick  in  his  life.  Arriving  at 
the  place,  the  captain  caused  the  men  to  sur- 
round the  house  some  thirty  rods  from  it 
and  then  move  cautiously  to  the  center. 
Howard  stayed  near  the  captain,  whom  ha 
took  for  a  coward,  and  he  felt  if  he  were 
out  of  the  way  the  others  would  flee  in  ter- 
ror. He  thought  the  time  had  come  to  kill 
his  man.  When  about  ten  rods  from  the 
house  he  gave  the  double  shot,  to  warn 
George  and  wound  the  captain  and  not  kill 
him  unless  further  events  necessitated  it. 
Two  shots,  frantic  yells,  and  the  captain 
wounded  in  the  leg  and  all  was  confusion 
and  excitement,  terror  took  the  place  of 
discipline.  Just  then  George,  fleeing  from 
the  house  ran  right  up  to  Howard,  and  be- 
fore the  frenzied  crowd  knew  what  had  hap- 
pened, the  brothers  were  out  of  their  reach 
and  made  their  way  to  Michigan.  Howard, 
later,  came  after  his  wife  and  they  made  their 
home  in  Michigan. 

After  he  had  gone  to  Michigan,  three 
Whitley  county  regulators,  armed  with  a 
belated  warrant  and  stimulated  by  the  prom- 
ise of  a  reward,  undertook  to  capture  him. 
He  was  at  his  uncle  Dowell's.  Just  after 
dark,  one  evening,  Dowell  came  in  and  said: 
"Howard,  there  are  three  men  from  Indiana. 
regulators,  right  here."  Howard  imme- 
diately jumped  out  of  the  back  window  and 
stood  there  with  his  navy  revolver  ready  for 
fire.  They  filed  in  the  house,  two  within 
range  of  his  gun.  His  first  impulse  was  to 
shoot  all  three,  so  enraged  was  he  that  they 


198 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


should  follow  him  for  the  reward  and  after 
all  deserters  had  been  freed,  and  he  waited 
till  all  would  come  within  range  so  he  might 
despatch  them.  Nothing  happened,  they 
stood  seemingly  amazed  and  he  stood  with 
cocked  gun  until  he  got  tired  and  walked 
away.  One  of  these  men  still  lives  in  Whit- 
ley county. 

Both  the  boys  settled  down  and  became 
good,  respectable  citizens.  George  was 
elected  sheriff  of  Lake  county,  Michigan,  a 
few  years  ago  and  made  a  good  officer.  He 
still  lives  in  that  county.  Howard,  after 
several  years'  respectable  residence  in  Michi- 


gan, moved  to  Wisconsin,  where  he  still 
lives.  By  an  accident,  while  out  hunting  a 
few  years  ago,  he  lost  a  leg. 

Hell's  Half  Acre  of  a  half  century  ago 
with  its  swamp,  morass  and  wilderness  has 
become  a  beautifully  cultivated  country  of 
elegant  farms  and  pretty  homes,  good,  in- 
telligent and  law-abiding  citizens,  and  life 
and  property  are  as  secure  as  anywhere  in 
the  world,  not  a  cabin  or  landmark  by 
which  to  remember  the  days  of  Indian  sloth 
and  drunkenness,  nor  yet  of  the  sterner  days 
when  Helms  was  a  name  to  be  feared  and 
dreaded. 


ROADS. 


BY  S.   P.   KALER. 


The  laws  relating  to  county  roads,  when 
\\  hitley  county  was  organized,  were  sub- 
stantially the  same  as  today.  Upon  proper 
petition  and  notice,  the  board  of  commis- 
sioners sent  out  three  viewers.  If  the  view- 
ers' report  was  favorable  and  no  remon- 
strances or  objections  were  filed,  the  road 
was  located. 

The  law  in  relation  to  state  roads  was 
practically  the  same,  except  that  where  it 
was  desired  a  state  road  should  be  located, 
which  meant  a  road  running  through  more 
than  one  county,  a  petition  was  filed  with  the 
state  legislature  and  they  appointed  a  com- 
missioner, usually  more  than  one,  to  locate 
and  lay  out  the  same  if  he  or  they  deemed 
ii  practical  or  advisable.  If  there  occurred 
a  vacancy  in  this  board  of  viewers,  the  com- 
missioners nf  the  county  where  the  vacancy 
occurred,  supplied  the  vacancy.     The  report 


of  such  commissioner  or  board  of  commis- 
sioners must  be  filed  and  recorded  in  each 
county,  and  any  objections  or  remonstrances 
were  passed  upon  and  adjudicated  by  the 
county  commissioners  in  each  county  just 
as  county  roads  were  adjudicated. 

There  was  also  a  township  road  law, 
applicable  only  to  the  counties  of  Carrol, 
Delaware.  Clay,  Madison,  Warren,  Clinton, 
Adams,  Jay,  Wells,  Huntington,  Whitley. 
Allen  and  Hancock. 

It  will  be  seen  that  while  this  law  was 
giiod  in  Whitley,  and  in  our  neighbors  to 
the  south  and  east,  it  did  not  apply  to  Kos- 
c  iwsko  on  the  west  or  Noble  on  the  north. 

There  were  then  three  township  trustees 
ami  the  township  road  law  was  as  follows: 

"That  when  any  person  or  persons  wish- 
ing to  establish  cartways,  or  any  township 
n  i,k1  or  to  change  a  road  in  any  of  the  town- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


199 


ships,  such  person  or  persons,  before  any 
road  can  be  thus  established  or  changed, 
shall  give  notice  of  such  application,  at  least 
twenty  days  preceding  such  application  to 
the  board  of  township  trustees,  by  setting  up 
advertisements  in  at  least  three  of  the  most 
public  places  in  the  township  in  which  such 
road  is  proposed  to  be  located  or  changed, 
and  shall  also  present  to  said  board  of  trus- 
tees a  petition  signed  by  at  least  twelve 
householders  of  the  neighborhood  through 
which  the  same  may  run,  setting  forth  their 
reasons  for  such  location  or  change.  And 
on  receiving  the  petition  the  board,  if  they 
deem  it  expedient,  shall  proceed  to  examine 
the  route  thus  proposed,  and  on  the  view  and 
examination  of  the  proposed  road  they  shall, 
if  they  conceive  that  the  public  good  require 
it,  establish  the  same  and  make  a  record  of 
the  proceedings  in  the  book  in  which  the  rec- 
ords of  the  township  are  kept,  and  when  so 
recorded,  shall  be  deemed  a  public  highway 
and  shall  be  opened  and  kept  in  repair  as 
other  roads  and  highways  in  the  township 
are." 

Thus  county,  state  and  township  roads 
were  worked  alike,  that  is,  by  a  regular 
township  levy  as  at  present  and  by  requiring 
all  male  persons  not  exempt,  between  the 
ag'es  of  twenty-one  and  fifty  years  to  work 
two  days  annually.  The  law  regarding  cart- 
ways was  as  follows : 

"Any  person  for  his  convenience  may 
have  a  cartway,  not  exceeding  eighteen  feet 
in  breadth,  laid  out  from  or  to  any  planta- 
tion, dwelling-house  or  public  highway,  on 
petitioning  to  the  proper  board  (having  ad- 
vertised his  intentions  as  required  by  this 
act),  which  board  shall  cause  the  same  to 
be  publicly  read,  and  if  they  think  proper, 


order  a  view  of  the  same.  Said  cartway 
shall,  at  the  discretion  of  said  board,  be  re- 
corded and  declared  a  common  cartway  for 
the  use  and  convenience  of  the  public,  and 
shall  be  opened  by  the  persons  petitioning 
therefor.  If  the  said  cartway  be  laid  out 
through  any  person's  land  objecting  thereto, 
the  damages  shall  be  assessed  as  provided 
in  case  of  objection  to  public  roads  and  high- 
ways, which  being  paid  by  the  persons  ap-> 
plying  for  such  way,  he  may  proceed  to  open 
the  same  agreeably  to  the  order  of  said 
board.  If  the  owner  or  owners  of  any 
land  through  which  such  cartway  passes, 
be  desirous  of  improving  the  same,  he,  she 
or  they  may  be  permitted  to  turn  the  same, 
on  as  good  ground,  not  increasing  the  dis- 
tance more  than  one  twentieth,  on  applica- 
tion to  said  board.  Any  person  may  be  per- 
mitted by  said  board  to  hang  swinging  gates 
on  said  cartway,  but  shall  keep  the  said  gate 
or  gates  in  good  order  and  repair,  under  the 
penalty  of  one  dollar  for  every  offense,  to  be 
recovered  before  a  justice  of  the  peace  of 
the  proper  count}-,  by  any  person  prose- 
cuting for  the  same,  one  moiety  to  the  prose- 
cutor and  the  other  toward  keeping  said 
way  in  repair." 

It  was  provided  that  any  person  who 
shall  be  found  horse-racing  along  or  across 
any  state,  county  or  other  public  highway 
or  1 'ridge,  or  be  found  shooting  at  a  mark 
along  or  across  any  such  highway,  shall. 
upon  conviction  before  a  justice  of  the  peace, 
be  fined  in  any  sum  not  exceeding  three 
dollars. 

The  statutes  of  1843  did  not  in  any  ma- 
terial way  make  any  change  in  the  foregoing 
laws  relating  to  state  and  county  roads,  but 
thev  stvled  what  had  been  known  as  cart- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ways,  private  roads,  and  ordered  the  record 
to  be  made  in  the  county  instead  of  the 
township.  But  one  private  road  was  ever 
located  under  this  law  and  that  was  by  Peter 
Haynes,  in  Thorncreek  township,  and  the 
description  is  so  indefinite  that  it  could  not 
be  now  located. 

By  a  perusal  of  the  foregoing-,  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  law  creating  township  roads 
was  a  special  enactment,  applying  to  only 
thirteen  counties,  among  which  was  Whitley. 
The  laws  of  1843  repealed  this  township 
road  law.  The  year  following,  that  is. 
1844,  four  township  roads  were  recorded  in 
the  commissioners'  records  of  the  county. 
There  were  cases  began  before  the  repeal  of 
the  township  law,  the  proceedings  being  had 
before  the  township  trustees  and  record  then 
being  made  in  the  county  as  township  roads. 

Under  the  new  constitution,  the  statutes 
of  1852  did  not  consider  roads  running  in 
more  than  one  county  state  roads,  and  did 
not  provide  for  viewers  appointed  by  the 
state  legislature.  It  also  slightly  amended 
and  changed  the  county  road  law  and  en- 
acted a  new  township  road  law  operative  all 
1  iver  the  state. 

In  case  of  roads  running  in  more  than 
one  county,  it  provided  that  if  twenty-four 
or  more  freeholders  of  any  county  should 
petition  for  a  road  running  in  more  than 
one  county,  the  petition  should  first  be  filed 
in  that  county  and  the  auditor  should  for- 
ward a  copy  to  the  auditor  of  each  and  every 
county  through  which  said  road  was  to  pass, 
and  these  auditors  must  place  this  before  the 
commissioners  at  their  next  session.  If  the 
commissioners  of  the  county  where  filed 
found  that  the  law  had  been  complied  with 
as  to  notice,  etc.,  they  shall  appoint  one  com- 


missioner and  notify  the  other  counties  of 
the  time  and  place  to  begin  the  work,  and  the 
commissioners  of  each  county  should  appoint 
one  commissioner  or  viewer.  Substantially 
the  same  proceedings  were  then  had  as  to 
laying  off  county  roads,  and  when  the  road 
was  established  each  county  took  care  of  its 
own  part  and  each  paid  its  share  of  the  lo- 
cation expenses. 

The  changes  in  the  law  regarding  roads 
in  one  county  were  only  as  to  the  manner 
of  legal  procedure  and  did  not  differ  much 
from,  the  former  law. 

The  township  law  provided  that  any  per- 
son may  have  a  highway  laid  out  or  a  change 
of  a  highway  in  any  township,  on  the  peti- 
tion therefor  of  twelve  freeholders  residing 
in  said  township,  six  of  whom  must  reside 
in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  such  pro- 
posed highway  or  change.  The  petition 
must  go  to  the  three  township  trustees,  and 
notice  must  have  been  given  for  twenty  days 
by  posting  up  notices  at  three  or  more  public 
places  in  the  vicinity.  The  trustees  after 
passing  on  the  sufficiency  of  the  petition  and 
notice,  and  finding  them  according  to  law, 
appointed  three  viewers,  and  did  not  view 
the  road  themselves  as  under  the  former 
law.  These  viewers  must  be  disinterested 
residents  of  the  township.  The  township 
clerk  issued  his  precept  to  said  viewers  as 
the  auditor  in  county  roads  and  they  must 
be  notified  by  a  constable,  as  viewers  in 
county  mads  are  notified  by  the  sheriff. 
When  said  viewers  made  their  report  to  the 
trustees,  if  a  majority  of  the  persons  affected 
remonstrate,  the  petition  must  be  dismissed; 
but  if  only  one  person  remonstrated  a  new 
set  of  viewers  must  be  appointed. 

The  manner  of  adjudication  was  similar 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


to  the  action  by  county  boards,  but'  any 
person  aggrieved  at  the  final  adjudication 
might  appeal  to  the  county  commissioners, 
when  the  case  became  a  county  one.  This 
statute  also  provided  that  viewers  should 
stare  the  width  of  road,  but  in  no  case  should 
a  township  road  be  less  than  twenty-five  feet 
or  a  county  road  less  than  thirty  feet.  This 
statute  also  provided  that  if  a  road  laid  out 
should  not  be  opened  up  and  used  within 
six  years,  it  should  cease  to  be  a  road,  and 
that  all  public  highways  which  had  been  or 
might  hereafter  be  used  as  such,  should  be 
deemed  highways.  The  changes  in  the  laws 
since  1852  have  not  been  fundamental,  ex- 
cept that  as  township  business  became  more 
and  more  simplified  until  but  one  trustee  did 
all  the  township  business ;  the  township  road 
law  was  years  ago  repealed. 

About  the  same  provisions  were  incorpo- 
rated in  the  township  road  law  of  1852  as 
were  in  the  former  one,  as  to  swinging  gates 
and  penalty  for  not  keeping  them  in  proper 
order. 

The  Indiana  Legislature  in  1836  entered 
upon  an  extravagant  era  of  internal  im- 
provements under  the  caption  of  "An  act 
for  a  general  system  of  interna!  improve- 
ments," and  authorized  the  governor  to  ap- 
prove a  board  of  six  persons  to  carry  out 
the  work.  The  White  Water  Canal.  The 
Central  Canal  to  commence  at  some  point 
on  the  Wabash  Erie  Canal  between  Fort 
Wayne  and  Logansport  and  run  to  Muncie. 
An  extension  of  the  Wabash  Erie  Canal 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Tippecanoe  river  to 
Terre  Haute.  A  railroad  from  Madison 
through  Columbus,  Indianapolis  and  Craw- 
fordsville  to  Lafayette.  A  macadamized 
turnpike  from  New  Albany  through  Green- 


ville, Paoli  and  Mount  Pleasant  to  Vin- 
cennes.  A  canal  if  practicable,  and  if  not, 
a  railroad  from  Fort  Wayne  by  way  of 
Goshen,  South  Bend  and  La  Porte  to  Mich- 
igan City.  Had  these  things  all  been  carried 
out,  the  state  would  have  been  bankrupted. 
But  a  small  part  of  the  work  was  ever  built. 
Three  surveys  of  the  Fort  Wayne-Mich- 
igan City  route  were  made,  all  three  through 
Whitley  count)-,  but  the  meager  record  left 
does  not  allow  us  to  state  with  any  certain- 
it}"  just  where  the  lines  ran.  However, 
one  was  substantially  along  the  Goshen  and 
Fort  Wayne  road,  through  present  Churu- 
busco ;  one  ran  near  the  present  town  of 
Collins,  and  the  other  nearer  Columbia  City. 
Two  of  them  crossed  Thorncreek  township. 
Had  this  canal  or  railroad  been  built,  the 
history  of  AAdiitley  county  might  have  been 
entirely  different.  The  state  roads  through 
the  county  were  the  Fort  Wayne  and  Gosh- 
en, through  Churubusco.  The  next  was  the 
Fort  Wayne  and  Yellow  River  and  from 
Columbia  City  east  is  practically  the  Colum- 
bia City  and  Fort  Wayne  road  east  on  Van 
Buren  street.  Yellow  River,  the  western  ob- 
jective point,  was  in  Elkhart  county.  The 
next  was  the  Goshen  and  Huntington  Road 
practically  as  it  runs  today  through  the  coun- 
ty. The  next  was  called  Fort  Wayne  and 
La  Gro  road,  but  is  substantially  the  Fort 
Wayne,  Columbia  City  and  Warsaw  road  of 
today.  The  next  was  the  Logansport  and 
Sparta  road;  but  little  of  it  was  built  anil 
it  cannot  be  traced  to-day.  Then  the  Lima 
and  Huntington  road,  which  is  practically 
the  Columbia  City  Line  Street  road  to  Hunt- 
ington, and  lastly  was  the  Fort  Wayne  and 
Oswego  state  road,  practically  the  north- 
west road  from  Columbia  City  to  Etna. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


These  state  roads  were  not  so  important 
as  we  might  think,  as  may  be  seen  by  the 
foregoing  narrative.  They  were  only  roads 
in  more  than  one  county.  An  attempt  to 
follow  the  location  and  changes  of  the  coun- 
ty and  township  roads  of  the  county  would 
only  lead  to  tiresome  confusion. 

The  soil  of  Whitley  county,  with  its 
early  swamps  and  streams,  made  the  road 
problem  a  great  difficulty.  It  is  often  said 
that  the  first  forty  years  of  road-work  went 
for  naught  and  that  the  highways  were  no 
better  in  1878  than  in  1838.  True  it  is 
that  for  forty  years  the  difficulties  were 
great,  corduroying  swampy  places,  draining 
highways  and  cutting  hills  so  vehicles  could 
get  over  the  roads  at  all,  and  we  were  a  long 
time  getting  roads.  Our  people  became 
quite  restless  over  the  road  situation  in  the 
seventies.  Huntington  county  had  built  two 
gravel  roads  from  the  city  of  Huntington 
to  the  Whitley  county  line. 

In  October.  1S78,  a  meeting  was  called 
at  the  Whitley  county  courthouse  to  con- 
sider the  graveling  of  the  road  from  Colum- 
bia City  to  meet  the  Huntington  gravel 
road  at  the  county  line.  The  estimated 
cost  seemed  appalling  and  taxpayers  shrank 
from  it.  and  old  residents  declared  there  was 
no  gravel  in  the  county  with  which  to  build 
roads  and  the  purpose  of  the  meeting  went 
for  naught,  but  the  agitation  went  on.  The 
legislature  at  its  January  session,  1881, 
changed  the  old  method  of  working  out 
property  road  tax.  and  the  two  days  by  each 
poll,  into  paying  all  in  cash.  Instead  of 
working  two  or  more  days  each  person  liable 
to  poll  tax  wis  required  to  pay  two  dollars 
in  cash,  rind  all  road  tax  must  be  paid  in 
cash.     The  supervisor  system  was  abolished 


and  a  road  superintendent  elected  for  each 
township  who  had  entire  charge  of  all  road 
work. 

The  law  went  into  effect  June  1,  1881, 
but  superintendents  were  not  elected  until 
the  first  Monday  in  April,  1882.  The 
change  caused  a  balling  up  of  road  matters, 
and  the  superintendents  having  no  road  poll 
work  and  but  little  money,  could  do  but  little 
work.  The  winter  of  1881  and  1882  was 
an  open  one,  and  the  roads  became  for  sev- 
eral months  practically  impassable.  Travel 
was  almost  abandoned,  and  when  spring 
came  the  highways,  full  of  holes  and  wash- 
outs, got  but  little  repair  from  the  superin- 
tendents and  a  spirit  of  utter  disgust  was 
everywhere  apparent.  The  legislature  at  its 
session  in  January,  1883,  quickly  repealed 
the  road  superintendent  and  cash  payment 
law.  going  back  to  the  old  system  of  working 
out  poll  and  property  tax  under  direction  of 
supervisors,  and  the  township  trustees  had 
a  good  big  cash  fund,  in  addition  to  the 
work  in  18S3.  They  now  began  work  on  the 
roads  as  it  had  never  been  done  before. 

At  the  June  term.  1883,  of  the  commis- 
sioners' court,  two  petitions  were  filed  for 
the  building  of  turnpikes  or  gravel  roads, 
both  in  Cleveland  township,  and  practically 
from  South  Whitley  to  the  Huntington 
county  line.  One  the  old  Goshen  and  Hunt- 
ington state  road  and  the  other  the  Claysville 
mad.  For  the  Claysville  road,  William  H. 
Lancaster,  George  Kaler  and  Alvin  H.  King 
nf  Richland  township,  were  appointed  view- 
ers and  made  their  report  at  the  September 
term,  1883.  Total  length  of  road  five  and 
seven  hundred  and  seventy-five  five  thousand 
two  hundred  and  eightieths  (775-5280) 
miles;    width    of    road    twentv-four    feet; 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


203 


width  of  gravel  twelve  feet,  average  depth 
of  gravel  ten  inches ;  estimated  cost 
fifteen  thousand  three  hundred  and  forty- 
five  dollars  and  eighty  cents.  The  report 
was  accepted  and  on  the  29th  day  of  Sep- 
tember, the  contract  was  let  to  Matter  &  Mc- 
Donald for  eleven  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars.  It  was  completed  and  ac- 
cepted September  29,  1 884. 

James  H.  Shaw,  Frederick  Nei  and 
Richard  M.  Paige  were  appointed  viewers 
for  the  Goshen  road,  and  they  reported  at  the 
September  term,  1883.  Length  of  road,  five 
and  three  thousand  one  hundre  five  thou- 
sand two  hundred  and  eightieths  (5  3100- 
5280)  miles.  Same  roadbed  as  the  Clays- 
ville  road,  and  an  estimated  cost  of  sixteen 
thousand  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  dol- 
lars and  fifty  cents.  The  contract  was  let 
to  Wilson  T.  Taylor  and  Jeremiah  Stiver 
for  twelve  thousand  five  hundred  dollars, 
and  was  completed  and  accepted  September 
2^,  1S84.  An  allowance  was  also  made 
for  extra  work  of  six  hundred  and  sixty-four 


dollars  and  sixty  cents.  There  were  two 
thousand  three  hundred  dollars  of  donated 
subscriptions  by  the  citizens  in  and  about 
South  Whitley. 

It  was  now  proven  that  there  was  plenty 
of  gravel  in  Cleveland  township  and  in  al- 
most all  other  parts  of  the  county.  These 
were  the  only  roads  ever  built  in  the  county 
under  the  free  turnpike  law.  They  were 
pretty  expensive  to  the  people  along  the  line, 
but  they  got  good  roads  quickly  and  the 
county  is  bound  to  keep  them  up  for  all 
time  to  come,  by  a  levy  over  the  entire  coun- 
ty for  the  purpose. 

Then  trustees  and  supervisors  began  to 
stir  themselves  and  the  graveling  of  the 
roads  began  in  earnest  with  tax  levies  to 
the  legal  limit 

The  work  has  gone  steadily  and  rapidly 
on,  until  to-day  nearly,  if  not  all  the  main 
roads  are  graveled,  and  side  ones  are  rapidly 
catching  up.  The  question  of  poor  roads 
in  Whtley  county  is  about  solved,  which 
wlli  be  a  relief  to  the  citizens. 


HISTORY  OF  EDUCATIO  N  IN  WHITLEY  COUNTY. 


BY  GEORGE 

The  history  of  education  in  Whitley 
county  is  the  story  of  a  struggling  people 
rising  from  infancy  to  approaching  man- 
hood. Most  of  it  is  the  common  story  of 
the  hardships  of  the  pioneers.  But  long  be- 
fore the  county  was  organized,  before  the 
actual  appearance  of  the  "log  cabin,"  the 
"puncheon  floor"  and  the  "oiled-paper  win- 
dow," the  county  came  into  an  inheritance 
that  has  proven  its  educational  wealth. 
Whether  the  fathers  "builded  wiser  than 
thev  knew"  or  were  p'ifted  with  the  vision  of 


II.   TAPY. 

the  Prophets  it  remains  true  that  while  yet 
the  Red  Man  roved  unmolested  through  the 
forests  wise  men  in  Indiana  were  agitating 
the  question  of  schools  and  colleges,  and 
statesmen  were  laying  deep  the  foundations 
of  one  of  the  greatest  school  systems  in  the 
world.  Education  in  Indiana  was  early  felt 
to  be  one  of  the  corner-stones  of  a  republic- 
an form  of  government. 

In  May.  1785.  congress  passed  an  act 
providing  for  the  survey  of  the  Northwest 
Territory.     In   17S7  the  famous  ordinance 


204 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


was  passed  to  which  we  trace  the  origin  of 
our  school  system.  It  provided  that  the 
territory  should  be  divided  into  townships 
six  miles  square,  each  towns-hip  to  be  sub- 
divided into  thirty-six  sections  one  mile 
square.  It  also  provided  that  section  six- 
teen in  each  township  be  set  apart  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  public  schools.  In  1816 
when  Indiana  was  admitted  to  the  Union  as 
a  state  the  provision  for  the  section  of  land 
in  each  township  was  reaffirmed  and  the  con- 
stitution declaring  its  faith  in  "Knowledge 
and  learning,  generally  diffused  through  a 
community,  being  essential  to  the  preserva- 
tion of  a  free  government."  further  provided 
for  the  establishment  of  a  system  of  schools 
consisting  of  a  gradation  of  common 
schools,  county  seminaries  and  a  state  uni- 
versity. 

When  on  the  seventh  day  of  May,  1838, 
Whitley  became  a  separate  county  it  at  once 
entered  into  a  rich  inheritance  of  school  of- 
fice's. In  1 818  the  general  assembly  of  In- 
diana enacted  a  law  making  it  the  duty  of 
the  Governor  to  appoint  a  seminary  trustee 
whose  duty  it  was  to  accumulate  and  invest 
funds  arising  from  exemption  moneys  and 
fines  and  looking  to  the  establishment  of  a 
seminar_\r  in  each  count}-  that  should  receive 
pupils  from  the  common  school  and  admit 
them  to  tlie  university.  In  May,  1830-  the 
county  commissioners  appointed  Henry  Swi- 
hart  seminary  trustee,  who  thus  became  the 
first  school  official  in  the  county.  In  1840  he 
was  reappointed  and  summoned  to  appear 
before  the  commissioners  and  file  a  sworn 
statement  of  the  condition  of  the  school 
funds  of  the  county.  The  report  shows  that 
he  had  received  the  sum  of  $15,121/  from 
Abraham   Clark,   who  had  previously  been 


appointed  for  Huntington  County,  a  perma- 
nent fund  to  remain  inviolate  for  school 
purposes.  Later  Richard  Collins  became 
the  seminary  trustee;  and  when  in  1852  the 
legislature  ordered  the  sale  of  all  county 
seminaries  "with  all  their  properties,  real 
and  personal,"  the  funds  became  a  part  of 
the  common  school  fund  of  the  state.  Whit- 
ley county  never  established  a  seminary  un- 
der the  provisions  of  the  law. 

In  1833  a  law  was  enacted  providing  for 
a  county  commissioner  of  education,  three 
township  trustees  and  three  trustees  for  each 
school  district.  It  became  the  duty  of  the 
school  commissioner  to  take  charge  of  the 
congressional  township  funds  in  his  county, 
to  make  sales  of  the  lands  belonging  there- 
to, and  to  hold  in  trust  the  funds  of  the  lo- 
cal corporations.  His  duties  were  entirely 
financial  in  their  nature  and  he  was  not  con- 
cerned about  the  actual  problems  of  teach- 
ing. In  August.  1839,  Andrew  Compton 
was  elected  the  first  school  commissioner  in 
Whitley  county.  On  November  19,  1841. 
he  made  the  first  sale  of  school  lands.  An 
eighty-acre  tract  belonging  to  the  sixteenth 
section  in  Union  township  was  sold  to 
James  Pringle  at  $3.75  per  acre.  During 
this  and  the  few  succeeding  years  the  school 
lauds  were  rapidly  sold.  In  August,  1845, 
James  B.  Edwards  was  elected  to  the  office 
and  served  one  term.  Henry  Hanna  succeed- 
ing him  in  1847.  Mr.  Hanna  served  until 
1850,  when  the  office  was  abolished  and  its 
duties  transferred  to  the  county  auditor. 
November  19,  1853,  exactly  twelve  years 
after  the  first  sale,  the  last  quarter  section  of 
school  lands  was  sold  from  the  sixteenth  sec- 
tion in  Smith  township  to  Berlin  Myers  for 
the   consideration   of  $4.00  an    acre.      The 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  LYDIAXA. 


205 


total  sales  of  all  these  lands  amounted  to 
$17,258.60,  or  a  trifle  less  than  three  dollars 
per  acre.  This  congressional  fund  still  re- 
mains the  same, — a  part  of  the  perpetual 
common  school  fund  "which  may  be  in- 
creased, but  shall  never  be  diminished."  The 
value  of  these  lands  at  present  leads  one  to 
speculate  upon  what  the  congressii  mal  town- 
ship funds  might  have  been  had  the  lands 
remained  unsold  to  the  present  day  ;  but  it  is 
gratifying  to  reflect  that  our  fathers  gave 
us  a  foundation  for  our  public  school  in  a 
fund,  though  small  when  compared  with  the 
millions  in  educational  endowments  today. 
yet  permanent  and  untainted  by  dishonesty 
and  the  odor  of  Standard  Oil. 

Naturally  the  first  schools  of  the  county 
were  conducted  in  the  most  primitive  way. 
In  this  educational  beginning  when  it  was 
said,  "Let  there  be  light,"  the  creative  proc- 
ess was  not  instantaneous.  Where  the  first 
struggling  settlements  appeared  there  slowly 
rose  the  "little  log  cabin"  where  the  true 
"brisk  wielder  of  the  birch  and  rule"  taught 
the  elements  of  "reading,  writing  and  ci- 
phering." The  story  is  familiar  to  all.  The 
wall  of  the  log  hut  lifting  its  roof  barely 
high  enough  to  admit  the  master  rod  and 
all,  the  puncheon  floor  and  seat,  the  holes  cut 
into  the  logs  for  window  and  door,  the  wide- 
mouthed  fireplace  with  stick-and-mud  chim- 
ney, the  slab  upheld  by  pegs  that  made  the 
writing  desk  against  the  wall,  forms  a  pic- 
ture that  often  before  has  been  painted  and 
is  yet  vivid  in  the  reader's  mind. 

Such  a  cabin  was  erected  in  the  fall  of 
1837  on  the  north  bank  of  Eel  river  just 
below  the  place  where  the  State  street  bridge 
now  spans  the  river  in  the  town  of  South 
Whitlev,  and  there  David  Parrett  the  fol- 


lowing winter  taught  the  first  school  in  the 
county.  Ten  pupils  made  up  the  enrollment 
and  the  term  lasted  probably  four  months, 
tuition  paid  entirely  by  subscription.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Miss  Elma  Thompson, 
who  in  her  turn  gave  place  to  Sarah  Sluves. 
The  following  year  the  early  pioneers 
elsewhere  in  the  count}-  made  their  first 
feeble  but  heroic  efforts  to  have  school.  John 
Strain  taught  school  in  Smith  township  in 
Ins  own  log  house,  and  Stephen  Martin  also 
taught  a  few  months  in  his  own  house  in 
Troy  township.  The  first  house  in  this 
township  was  built  at  Grant's  Corners  and 
Miss  Clarissa  Blanchard  taug'ht  in  it  the 
first  term.  The  same  year  Rufus  D.  Kinney 
taught  the  first  school  in  Etna  township  in 
a  house  built  for  that  purpose.  In  1839  the 
first  school  in  Union  township  was  opened 
two  miles  northeast  of  the  center,  and  Mrs. 
Cornelia  Bonestel,  a  widow  who  had  come 
west  from  Xew  York,  taught  for  several 
terms.  In  1841  William  W'idup  taught  a 
school  in  Thorncreek  township  in  the  Egolf 
district,  and  Charles  Hughes  the  same  year 
opened  a  school  at  Bethel.  The  following 
year  Jesse  Case  taught  the  first  school  in 
Washington  Township  south  of  the  center : 
and  when  in  1845  Mrs.  B.  F.  Davis  became 
the  first  teacher  in  Jefferson  township  near 
the  place  commonly  known  as  Saturn  settle- 
ments dotted  the  valleys  of  the  county  ev- 
erywhere and  the  little  schoolhouse  where 
teacher  and  preacher  held  forth  followed 
hard  upon  the  trail  of  the  pioneer.  In  1847 
the  first  brick  schoolhouse  in  the  county 
was  built  in  Columbia  City  on  lot  3,  block 
25,  original  plat. 

In    1837   in   addition   to   all    the   officers 
named  above  and  with  but  little  modification 


2o6 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


of  their  duties  the  circuit  court  was  author- 
ized to  appoint  annually  three  examiners 
whose  duty  it  should  be  "to  certify  the 
branches  of  learning  each  applicant  was 
qualified  to  teach."  During  the  next  decade 
no  changes  were  made  in  the  school  system 
when  in  1847  Caleb  Mills  of  Wabash  Col- 
lege, the  greatest  educational  statesman  In- 
diana has  produced,  published  in  the  "Indi- 
ana School  Journal"  his  famous  message  ad- 
dressed to  the  general  assembly  and  signed 
"One  of  the  People."  He  gave  his  views 
freely  and  forcibly,  criticising  the  governor 
and  other  officials  of  the  state  for  their  want 
of  interest  in  educational  matters,  and  point- 
ed out  the  need  of  efficient  state  and  county 
supervision  of  schools.  As  a  consequence  a 
law  was  enacted  in  1849  that  abolished  the 
office  of  school  commissioner,  retained  the 
three  examiners  in  each  county  and  the  three 
township  trustees,  but  substituted  one  trus- 
tee in  each  district  instead  of  three. 

The  new  constitution  of  1852  incorpo- 
rated this  law,  and  under  this  simplified  ma- 
chinery the  supervision  of  schools  in 
Whitley  county  practically  began.  Prior  to 
the  adoption  of  the  new  constitution  the 
primitive  conditions  in  the  county  made 
the  appointment  of  school  examiners  unnec- 
essary. 

Early  in  the  summer  of  1852  Joseph 
Stultz,  who  was  then  justice  of  the  peace  in 
Cleveland  township,  having  made  up  his 
mind  to  teach  school  within  the  year,  dis- 
covered after  some  investigation  that  a 
teacher  who  expects  remuneration  out  of 
the  public  funds  should  be  leg'ally  licensed 
by  a  properly  appointed  examiner.  He  came 
to  Columbia  City,  and  upon  failure  to  find 
such  an  official  made  his  wants  known  to  the 


board  of  county  commissioners,  who 
thereupon  temporarily  appointed  I.  B.  Mc- 
Donald, school  examiner  for  Whitley 
county.  After  a  brief  oral  examination  Mr. 
Stultz  was  placed  in  possession  of  the  first 
teacher's  license  issued  in  the  county.  Later 
in  the  same  year  Mr.  McDonald  was  regu- 
larly appointed  examiner  and  for  two  years 
he  served  in  that  official  capacity  alone.  In 
1854  S.  G.  A.  Reed  and  A.  A.  Bainbridge 
were  appointed  his  associates  for  one  year, 
and  the  following  year  C.  W.  Edwards  and 
A.  A.  Bainbridge  were  chosen;  but  these 
gentlemen  looked  to  McDonald  for  the  exe- 
cution of  the  duties  of  the  office  and  it  was 
under  his  management  that  the  teaching 
body  of  the  county  began  to  assume  form. 
For  the  succeeding  five  years  the  appoint- 
ments to  the  office  of  examiner  were  as  fol- 
lows: In  1856,  P.  H.  Hardesty,  William 
Bell,  A.  A.  Bainbridge;  1857,  J.  H.  Alexan- 
der, Henry-  McLallen,  Josiah  Brown;  1858, 
A.  J.  Douglas,  Josiah  Brown,  J.  H.  Alexan- 
der; 1859,  Isaac  Van  Houton,  A.  J.  Comp- 
ton,  A.  W.  Myers;  i860,  Isaac  Van  Houton, 
A.  J.  Compton,  A.  W.  Myers. 

In  1854  Reverend  Jacob  Wolf,  believing 
in  the  efficiency  of  learning  beyond  merely 
the  rudiments,  undertook  the  establishment 
of  a  colleg-e  in  the  county.  Whether  the 
early  activity  in  educational  matters  of  the 
people  of  Union  Township  helped  him  in 
the  selection  of  the  site  is  not  known,  but  he 
decided  upon  a  place  at  the  center  of  this 
township  and  there  erected  a  building  as  the 
nucleus  of  W^artberg  College.  He  brought 
to  this  place  A.  J.  Douglas,  an  intelligent 
and  enthusiastic  young  man,  and  the  two 
assumed  the  work  of  a  faculty.  A  number 
of  young  men  took  up  their  residence  here. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


207 


and  others  found  homes  among  the  farmers 
in  the  immediate  vicinity,  and  for  two  years 
the  school  seemed  to  prosper  with  a  fair  at- 
tendance. The  day,  however,  was  too  early 
and  the  "call  of  the  wild"  too  strong  for  the 
awakening  of  interest  in  Latin  and  Geom- 
etry, and  in  1856  the  school  was  disbanded 
and  the  property  willed  to  Wittenberg  Col- 
lege, at  Springfield.  Ohio.  Mr.  Douglas 
came  to  Columbia  City,  and  assisted  I.  B. 
McDonald  in  a  public  school  which  he  had 
opened  above  the  old  Baptist  church  where 
now  stands  the  Town  Hall. 

In  1 86 1  the  legislature  enacted  a  law 
providing-  for  the  appointment  by  the  county 
commissioners  of  but  one  school  examiner 
for  each  county  to  serve  for  a  term  of  three 
years,  and  H.  D.  Wilson  was  at  once  ap- 
pointed. He  was  a  man  of  considerable 
ability  and  served  the  people  in  a  credit- 
able manner  during  the  years  of  the  Civil 
WTar  holding  the  first  county  institute  in 
1863.  In  1864  I.  B.  McDonald  returned 
from  his  service  at  the  front  with  the  title 
of  Colonel  and  was  promptly  elected  exam- 
iner. He  held  the  office  for  two  terms  and 
entered  vigorously  into  the  spirit  of  the 
work.  His  large  problem  was  the  establish- 
ment of  school  districts  and  the  location  of 
schoolhouses.  The  early  pioneers  had  built 
log  cabins  for  schools  and  had  naturally 
located  them  at  the  best  convenience  of  com- 
munities regardless  of  geographic  lines.  To 
reduce  these  promiscuous  schools  into  the 
system  contemplated  by  the  state  of  having 
one  school  regularly  located  at  the  center  of 
four  sections  of  land  was  a  problem  that 
involved  no  end  of  rivalry  and  even  bitter 
feeling.  It  must  be  said  to  the  credit  of 
Colonel  McDonald  that  in  all  this  he  acquit- 


ted himself  with  honesty,  good  judgment 
and  dignity.  Time  has  proven  that  as  long 
as  the  little  district  schools  remain  their  loca- 
tion in  the  county  was  judiciously  deter- 
mined. 

Teachers'  examinations  then  were  infor- 
mal. The  examiner  held  an  institute  for  a 
week  or  two  at  which  such  topics  as  the 
"reduction  of  complex  fractions,"  "punctua- 
tion," or  the  "parsing  of  the  noun"  were 
taught,  and  at  the  close  he  held  an  oral  ex- 
amination under  whose  searching  fire  of 
questions  the  prospective  teacher  sat  in  fear 
and  trembling.  But  there  were  splendid 
young  people  in  those  days  who  aspired  to 
teach  and  whose  heroism  in  facing  priva- 
tions and  hardships  was  a  lesson  and  a  wor- 
th}- example  itself.  The  following  names 
are  taken  from  the  record  of  licensed  teach- 
ers :  Hugh  L.  Finley,  Rose  Nickey,  Mary 
Mag-ers.  Joseph  P.  Anderson.  John  C.  Chey- 
ney,  William  H.  Knisely,  W.  H.  Liggett, 
Ruth  McNear.  H.  C.  Widup,  William  Mc- 
Laughlin, Mattie  Best,  Nellie  M.  Coutz,  L. 
D.  Bevington,  Malissa  Bechtol,  James  A. 
Campbell,  Zilpha  E.  Hurd,  G.  W.  North,  H. 
W.  Spangler,  Jeremiah  Summers,  Lizzie 
Widup,  Joseph  E.  Stoner,  B.  F.  Stultz,  Fan- 
nie Thompson,  Hannah  Holm,  Jennie  A. 
Park,  Louise  Gregg,  Chester  L.  Cone,  Au- 
gusta Cleveland,  Millard  F.  Anderson, 
Charles  D.  Moe,  Frank  B.  Moe,  Valorous 
Brown,  T.  A.  Lancaster,  Alexander  Snvder, 
Jennie  Daniels,  Maggie  Daniels,  John  Fetro. 
Lizzie  McCoy,  George  W.  Reasor,  William 
H.  Swan,  W.  C.  Barnhart,  Samuel  D.  Mil- 
ler. A.  J.  Douglas.  J.  W.  Adair,  L.  D.  Tho- 
man,  W.  H.  Coyle.  Christopher  Souder. 
Jacob  Herr,  John  H.  Reider,  George  D. 
Trembly.    W.    C.    Rickey,    J.    D.    Allerton, 


208 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Amos  Coyle,  F.  M.  Ihrig.  W.  F.  McNag- 
ney.  C.  B.  Tulley,  M.  D.  Garrison,  F.  M. 
Searles,  Henry  Bridge.  D.  Dickey,  Isaac 
Herr,  T.  A.  Stewart,  J.  D.  Coverstone, 
Isaac  Van  Houton,  Alexander  Knisely,  Da- 
vid Webster,  Jennie  Hartsock,  Hannah 
Hartsock,  Augusta  V.  Ireland,  Alary  E. 
Lathrup,  Lucy  A.  Watson,  Almeda  Keni- 
son,  Mai-y  Jane  Swayne,  Amanda  D.  Ree- 
fer, Nancy  F.  Kaufman,  Josiah  F.  McNear, 
Amanda  Cassel,  David  Coyle,  James  E. 
Darland,  Richard  H.  Darland. 

One  day  in  July,  1867,  a  young  man  with 
all  his  earthly  possessions  in  a  satchel 
walked  into  the  Ritter  House  in  Columbia 
City  and  registered  under  the  name  of  W. 
C.  Bamhart.  He  was  a  teacher  from  Ohio 
and  came  to  this  county  with  the  intention 
of  teaching  a  private  school.  After  a  talk 
with  Examiner  McDonald  he  walked  the 
next  day  through  the  woods  to  South  Whit- 
ley. There  he  met  Dr.  E.  Merriman,  Dr. 
C.  W.  Edwards,  and  S.  A.  Sheibley,  trus- 
tees of  an  organization  that  had  joined  the 
township  trustee  in  erecting  a  schoolhouse, 
and  contracted  with  these  gentlemen  to  es- 
tablish a  school  to  be  known  as  Springfield 
Academy :  the  one  other  condition  in  the 
contract  being  that  the  school  should  have 
a  primary  department  sustained  by  the 
township  and  that  this  department  should 
be  taught  by  Mrs.  Nellie  Couts. 

In  August  Mr.  Bamhart  opened  his 
school  in  what  is  now  a  part  of  the  building 
occupied  by  the  Atoz  Printing  Company, 
and  fiir  two  years  with  the  assistance  of  M. 
S.  Tracy,  L.  D.  Bevington,  J.  M.  Fraze,  and 
G.  W.  Reaser,  as  teachers,  he  conducted  a 
prosperous  institution.  Most  of  the  work 
thai  known  as  the  "higher  branches"  was 


taught  by  Mr.  Barnhart  himself;  and  dur- 
ing" the  life  of  the  school  two  hundred  thirty- 
seven  pupils  attended  the  majority  of  whom 
registered  in  his  department.  After  the 
second  year,  finding  that  hard  work  and 
Eel  River  ague  were  laying  their  hands 
roughly  upon  him  and,  according  to  his  own 
statement,  that  the  mutations  of  local  poli- 
tics were  proving  equally  unkind  and  disas- 
trous, he  left  the  school  and  went  to  Lar- 
will.  Here  he  taught  a  short  term,  and  be- 
fore its  close  was  elected  superintendent  of 
schools  in  Defiance,  Ohio.  Meanwhile  the 
growing  movement  toward  the  high-school 
idea  all  over  Indiana  made  the  local  private 
school  more  and  more  difficult,  and  Spring- 
field Academy  was  absorbed  by  the  public 
school  system. 

At  the  regular  election  in  1870  Colonel 
McDonald  was  elected  a  member  of  the  state 
legislature  and  in  June,  1871,  he  resigned  the 
office  of  examiner  and  A.  J.  Douglas  was 
appointed  in  his  place.  Mr.  Douglas  served 
the  unexpired  term  following  the  policy  of 
his  predecessor  but  making  use  of  written 
examinations  upon  questions  provided  by 
the  state  department.  In  1872  State  Super- 
intendent Hopkins  and  other  leading  educa- 
tors of  the  state  recommended  that  the  office 
of  school  examiner  be  abolished  and  that  of 
county  superintendent  be  created.  As  a  re- 
sult the  general  assembly  in  1873  enacted  a 
law  providing  for  a  county  superintendent 
to  be  appointed  by  the  township  trustees  for 
a  term  of  two  years.  It  did  not  create  a  new 
office  but  changed  the  name  of  the  old  one 
enlarging  its  powers  and  increasing  the 
function  of  supervision.  A.  J.  Douglas  was 
elected  for  four  successive  terms ;  and  in 
addition  he  performed  the  duties  of  super- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


209 


intendent  of  city  schools  of  Columbia  City 
from  1869  to  1879.  During  his  administra- 
tion the  history  of  the  schools  was  marked 
by  a  slow  but  steady  growth  in  efficiency. 
Brick  houses  and  improved  desks  were  tak- 
ing the  place  of  the  log  structures  and  hewn 
benches  and  some  attention  was  being  given 
to  a  uniform  course  of  study.  School  meet- 
ings were  common,  and  the  "big  dinner"  at 
which  the  genial  county  superintendent  did 
the  honors,  and  where  conviviality  and  the 
school  spirit  were  happily  commingled,  kept 
parents,  children  and  teachers  close  to- 
gether. 

In  1873  Hon.  A.  Y.  Hooper,  a  gentle- 
man of  public  spirit  and  some  financial 
means,  established  Green  Hill  Academy.  He 
built  on  North  Line  street  in  Columbia  City 
a  small  frame  building  designed  for  school 
purposes  and  placed  in  charge  Misses  Lou- 
isa C.  Kinney  and  Sarah  A.  Nichols.  These 
ladies  were  teachers  whose  culture  and  re- 
finement appealed  to  many  of  the  best  fam- 
ilies in  the  city  and  here  they  conducted  a 
subscription  school  with  thirty  or  forty  chil- 
dren. In  1880  the  teachers  went  west,  and 
the  building  was  converted  into  a  dwelling- 
house  which  stands  as  a  memorial  "even 
unto  this  day." 

In  1879  the  growing  responsibilities  of 
the  city  schools  induced  the  board  of  edu- 
cation to  relieve  Mr.  Douglas  of  their  care 
and  oversight  and  Augustus  C.  Mills  was 
chosen  the  first  superintendent  of  city 
schools  with  distinct  duties.  The  high  school 
was  commissioned  under  his  charge  in  1880. 
While  serving  his  second  year  the  educa- 
tional waters  became  somewhat  troubled 
and  he  resigned,  W.  C.  Barnhart  being  cho- 
sen to  fill  his  place. 
H 


In  June,  1881,  the  administration  of 
school  affairs  in  the  county  passed  into  the 
hands  of  Joseph  W.  Adair  who  served  two 
terms.  Mr.  Adair  was  a  man  whose  intui- 
tions were  strong  and  accurate,  his  sympa- 
thies were  generous,  and  his  heart  big 
enough  to  feel  that  every  boy  and  girl  in  the 
county  was  his  own.  He  had  been  a  success- 
ful teacher  and  as  a  lawyer  had  proven  his 
ability  at  the  bar.  Normal  schools  were 
still  in  their  infancy,  and  the  tide  of  school 
literature  of  which  now  there  is  a  flood  had 
not  yet  begun  to  rise.  Every  year  he  con- 
ducted a  training  school  for  teachers  at  the 
county  seat  continuing  for  several  weeks 
and  the  progressive  teachers  depended  upon 
it  for  their  advancement  and  inspiration. 
Township  institutes  were  organized,  and  the 
"big  dinner"  feature  began  to  give  place  to 
the  discussion  of  school  questions.  Ques- 
tions for  the  examination  of  teachers  were 
provided  by  the  state  board  of  education 
and  imported  talent  began  to  be  used  in  the 
county  institutes.  Text  books  were  adopted 
by  the  township  trustees  under  the  advice  of 
the  superintendent. 

During  this  time  W.  C.  Barnhart  was 
showing  his  hand  as  an  organizer  in  the 
schools  of  Columbia  City.  He  made  no 
pretense  of  diplomacy  but  met  the  situation 
in  a  square  fight,  and  to  him  is  due  the  credit 
of  bringing  order  out  of  the  rather  chaotic 
state  into  which  want  of  organization  had 
permitted  the  city  schools  to  grow.  He  re- 
duced the  grades  into  a  definite  system  and 
reorganized  the  high  school  to  retain  its 
commission.  At  the  end  of  three  years 
though  doing  splendid  work  he  had  made 
enough  enemies  to  call  for  his  successor  and 
John  C.  Kinney  was  named  in  his  stead. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Near  the  close  of  this  administration 
James  B.  Humphreys  came  to  Churubusco 
and  was  employed  as  principal  of  the  town 
schools.  He  organized  a  few  classes  in  the 
"higher  branches" ;  taught  algebra,  rhet- 
oric and  natural  philosophy  to  the  students 
who  cared  to  do  "advanced  work"  and  to 
this  beginning  the  high  school  at  Churu- 
busco owes  its  origin. 

The  trustees  met  in  regular  session  in 
June  1885  and  elected  Alexander  Knisely, 
countv  superintendent  of  schools.  That  Mr. 
Knisely  was  the  right  man  in  the  right 
place  at  the  right  time  there  has  never  been 
the  slightest  doubt  in  the  minds  of  the 
people.  No  one  in  the  history  of  the  county 
has  ever  brought  to  the  office  hardier  cour- 
age, better  judgment,  and  a  keener  sense  of 
honor.  Gifted  with  a  personality  that  was 
positive  and  unflinching,  he  set  his  face  to 
the  task  of  making  teaching  a  distinct  and 
separate  problem  for  every  teacher  indi- 
vidually. He  outlined  and  published  the 
first  course  of  study  and  made  school  work 
throughout  the  county  uniform.  He  had  a 
unique  method  of  encouraging  self-criti- 
cism 011  the  part  of  teachers  by  putting  his 
observations  in  question  form,  and  the  terse 
and  pointed  letters  that  the  lagging  teacher 
might  expect  seldom  failed  to  hit  the  mark. 
Eighth  grade  commencements  were  held  in 
every  township:  competitive  declamatory 
exercises  grew  out  of  these  among  the  chil- 
dren ;  rousing  school  exhibitions  were  held 
at  the  count}-  seat :  and  in  every  way  the 
boys  and  girls  were  encouraged  to  do  their 
best.  County  institutes  were  held  during 
the  mid-winter  holidays  for  which  the  best 
instructors  were  employed  and  patrons  at- 
tended in  large  numbers  while  teachers  were 


required  to  render  punctual  attendance.  Mr. 
Knisely's  devotion  to  the  cause  of  education 
is  shown  by  his  spending  most  of  his  own 
salary  in  the  administration  of  the  office. 

The  South  Whitley  high  school  was  or- 
ganized in  1886,  and  G.  M.  Naber  was 
placed  in  charge.  The  following  year  the 
town  was  dignified  by  the  construction  of 
what  was  then  the  finest  school  building  in 
the  county ;  and  this  material  equipment 
made  it  possible  for  South  Whitley  to  main- 
tain educational  leadership  in  the  count}-  f<  >r 
a  number  of  years.  In  1888  L.  H.  Price 
was  chosen  principal,  taught  for  two  terms, 
and  was  succeeded  by  J.  D.  Merriman.  In 
1890  G.  H.  Tapy  organized  and  taught  a 
normal  school  in  the  G.  A.  R.  Hall  in  the 
town  of  Etna  and  began  work  with  fort}-  pu- 
pils. He  arranged  to  continue  the  school 
but  at  the  close  of  the  first  term  he  was 
elected  principal  of  the  South  Whitley  high 
school. 

W.  C.  Palmer  became  superintendent  of 
the  Columbia  City  schools  in  1885  and  for 
six  years  followed  a  vigwous  policy  in  the 
administration  of  school  affairs.  The  enu- 
meration of  children  for  school  purposes  in 
1887  was  6,005.  the  highest  mark  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  county;  and  this  evidence  of 
prosperity  made  imperative  the  construction 
in  1889  of  the  West  Ward  school  building. 
\Y.  W.  Williamson  in  1888  was  chosen  prin- 
cipal at  Churubusco.  He  believed  in  the  vir- 
tue of  discipline;  and.  quoting  his  own 
words,  "Government  more  or  less  civil  con- 
stituted the  center  of  the  course  of  stud}-." 
His  successor  was  A.  R.  Thomas,  who  held 
the  position  for  three  years. 

In  [89]  at  the  expiration  of  his  third 
term  Mr.  Knisely  was  succeeded  by  Guilford 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


M.  Naber.  Mr.  Naber  was  a  graduate  of 
the  State  Normal  School  and  during  his 
incumbency  gave  methods  of  instruction 
much  attention.  A  short  time"  prior  to  his 
election  the  new  text  book  law  became  oper- 
ative under  whose  provisions  uniform  books 
at  practically  half  their  former  price  were 
furnished  under  state  contract  upon  the 
requisition  of  the  township  trustees  and 
boards  of  education.  The  county  superin- 
tendent became  the  accountant  and  was 
made  responsible  for  the  record  of  sales  and 
remittances  of  these  books.  Mr.  Naber 
proved  a  faithful  official  and  devoted  much 
of  his  time  to  the  actual  "field  work"  among 
the  schools.  He  organized  the  "Teachers' 
Association"  which  held  its  annual  meeting 
<m  the  two  days  following  Thanksgiving 
Day,  and  he  changed  the  date  of  the  o  mnty 
institute  to  some  week  in  the  autumn  before 
the  opening  of  the  public  schools.  He  devel- 
oped the  Teachers'  Reading  Circle  in  the 
institutes  and  encouraged  the  establishment 
of  Young  People's  Libraries  in  every  school 
district.  In  continuing  the  policv  of  his 
predecessor  Mr.  Naber  intensified  the  work 
of  teaching  and  his  own  energetic  and  tire- 
less efforts  were  reflected  by  his  teachers. 
In  1 89 1  P.  H.  Kirsch  was  chosen  super- 
intendent of  the  Columbia  City  schools. 
Though  the  details  of  school  work  were  irk- 
some to  him  he  was  in  many  respects  an  able 
man.  having  made  original  researches  in  bi- 
ology and  becoming  an  authority  in  ichthy- 
ology. The  school  enjoyed  a  gradual  gr<  iwth 
under  his  supervision  and  he  was  followed 
in  1897  by  Miss  Luella  A.  Melhinch.  During 
this  administration  the  principals  at  Churu- 
busco  were  U.  W.  Keplinger.  Paul  Wilkie, 
L  F.  Chalfant,  and  G.  H.  Mingle.   Each  con- 


tributed to  the  organization  of  a  three 
years'  high  school  In  1895  G.  H.  Tapy 
was  promoted  to  the  superintendence-  at 
South  Whitley. 

Burnside  Clapham,  who  was  also  a  grad- 
uate of  the  State  Normal  School  was  elected 
county  superintendent  in  1897  and  held  the 
office  one  term.  He  was  decisive  in  char- 
acter, positive  in  his  convictions,  and  uncom- 
promising toward  opposition  when  he  be- 
lieved himself  to  be  right.  In  1897  a  'aw 
was  enacted  by  the  general  assembly  giving 
an  applicant  for  teacher's  license  the  option 
of  having  his  papers  graded  by  the  county 
superintendent  or  the  state  superintendent. 
•The  term  of  office  was  also  lengthened  to 
four  years.  Mr.  Clapham  gave  his  atten- 
tion largely  to  grade  work,  making  it  his 
policy  to  withhold  children  from  the  high 
school  until  they  had  thoroughly  mastered 
the  work  of  the  grades.  He  took  an  ad- 
vanced position  on  school  architecture,  as- 
sisting Trustee  J.  L.  Creager  of  Washington 
township,  in  constructing  in  district  No. 
two  the  finest  district  school  building  in  the 
county.  In  1898  the  South  Whitley  high 
school  was  commissioned  and  the  same  vear 
C.  L.  Hottel  was  chosen  superintendent  at 
Columbia  City.  He  held  the  position  seven 
years,  giving  the  schools  a  quiet  but  safe 
administration.  During  this  time  the  en- 
liillment  due  to  transfers  from  the  country 
and  promotions  from  the  rural  high  schools 
leached  one  hundred  twenty  pupils,  and  the 
hig'h-school  corps  was  correspondingly  in- 
creased from  two  to  five  teachers. 

In  1899  George  H.  Tapy,  a  graduate  of 
Wabash  College,  was  elected  count}-  superin- 
tendent. He  at  once  began  the  solution  of 
iwo   Cuming   problems; — the   establishment 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


of  local  high  schools  and  the  consolidation 
of  the  district  schools  that  had  become  too 
small  to  do  good  work.     Early  in  1902  the 
people  in  Washington  and  Jefferson  town- 
ships  held   mass   meetings   and   decided    to 
erect  a  high  school  building  at  the  center  of 
each  township. ""   The  following  year  meet- 
ings were  held  in  Etna  township  which  re- 
sulted in  a  petition  signed  by  ninety-five  per 
cent,  of  the  taxpayers  asking  the  trustee  to 
erect  a  commodious  schoolhouse  and  to  con- 
solidate all  the  schools  of  the  township.     A 
little   later  Trustee   Hugo  Logan   enlarged 
the  school  facilities  of  the  village  of  Colla- 
mer   by   building   a   modern   structure   and 
transported  to  it  the  children  of  the  adjacent 
districts.      Additional   teachers   were  added 
at  Collins  and  in   1906  Trustee  Elmer  Nei 
contracted  to  have  built  a  beautiful  and  com- 
modious building  at  Coesse  to  accommodate 
all  the  school  children  of  Union  township. 
A  high  school  had  been  previously  organ- 
ized at  Larwill  and  for  these  schools  a  uni- 
form course  of  two  years'  and  three  years' 
work  was  arranged  through  which  all  stu- 
dents could  be  regularly  promoted  into  the 
graduating    classes    of    the    commissioned 
schools  in  Churubusco,  South  Whitley,  and 
Columbia  City.     Bad  roads  are  yet  a  hin- 
drance to  transportation  but  the  intelligent 
and  prosperous  people  who  live  in  the  coun- 
try are  awake  on  the  subject  of  education 
and  are  demanding  school  facilities  for  their 
boys  and  girls  equal  to  those  of  the  city. 
During  this  administration  the  qualification 
of  the  teacher  was  gradually   raised   from 
proficiency  in  the  common  branches  to  grad- 
uation    from    the    high    school,     and     this 
broader  view   of   school    work   is   bringing 
with  it  better  results. 


In  1899  D.  H.  Richards  became  princi- 
pal at  Churubusco.     The  next  year  his  suc- 
cessor, Claude  Beltz,  was  given  the  title  of 
superintendent,    an   additional    teacher    was 
added  to  the  high  school,  and  in   1903  the 
high  school  was  commissioned  by  the  state 
board    of   education.      Mr.    Beltz   was    fol- 
lowed by  L.  L.  Hall  and  J.  W.  Colburn.    At 
South  Whitley  O.  H.  Bowman,  J.  W.  Cole- 
berd,  and  W.  W.  Strain  took  charge  in  the 
order  named.     In  1904  the  enlarging  school 
sentiment  in  the  county,  and  city  demanded 
the  construction  of  the  magnificent  building" 
in  Columbia  City  now  used  exclusively  for 
high-school  purposes,  the  schools  of  the  city 
at  once  leaped   into  a   class  with   the  best 
schools  of  the  state,  and  M.  W.  Deputy,  an 
energetic,  scholarly  man,  placed  in  charge. 
The  schools   of    Whitley   county  today 
rank    high    in    Indiana.      They   have   more 
than  kept  pace  with  the  material  develop- 
ment of  the  county.     When  we  look  back 
over  the  experiences,  trials,  failures  and  suc- 
cesses of  seventy  years  we  feel  an  honest 
pride    in    our   attainments    and    our    hearts 
grow  warm  in  the  faith  of  a  yet  brighter 
da}-.     Old  things  have  passed  away  and  all 
things    have    become    new.       Our    fathers 
looked    forward    to    the    realization    of    the 
thing's    contemplated   in    their   wise   system, 
and  we  can  prove  ourselves  worthy  or  our 
sires  only  by  keeping  our  faces  to  the  future 
in  the  anticipation  and  achievement  of  still 
better  things  for  our  sons  and  daughters. 

What  the  future  may  bring  does  not 
concern  the  historian  but  lies  within  the  do- 
main of  prophecy.  But  if  the  "signs  of  the 
times"  are  rightly  interpreted  the  day  will 
sometime  come  when  one  splendid  and  corn- 
hand   as   well   as   the   head,   and   above  all 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


213 


modious  school  located  in  the  midst  of  beau-  where  the  true  teacher  will  follow  the  pre- 

tiful  grounds  will  grace  the  center  of  every  cept  and  example  of  the  Great  Teacher  in 

township,  where  the  workshop  and  school  the   training  of   the   heart  that   makes   for 

garden  will  contribute  to  the  training  of  the  righteousness  and  more  abundant  life. 


MILITARY  HISTORY. 


BY  L.  D.  CLAPHAM. 


The  first  military  organization  in  Whit- 
ley county  was  a  company  of  cavalry,  of 
which  each  furnished  his  own  equipment 
and  mount.  Then,  1852  to  1855,  were  or- 
ganized a  company  of  infantry  and  a  bat- 
tery of  artillery  and  some  of  them  were  still 
in  existence  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
war.  They  were  for  home  protection  and 
amusement,  it  affording  the  "young  bloods" 
an  opportunity  to  meet,  have  a  good  visit 
and  show  their  ability  as  soldiers.  It  may 
be  said  that  it  was  largely  due  to  these  vol- 
unteer organizations  that  Whitley  county 
was  able  to  furnish  its  full  quota  of  soldiers 
during  the  Civil  war,  the  training  and  mili- 
tary spirit  of  the  former  organizations  had 
its  effect  and  a  strong  martial  spirit  ex- 
isted. 

After  the  Civil  war  there  was  organized 
in  the  county  a  company  of  infantry  with 
headquarters  at  South  Whitley  (Spring- 
field)  and  was  made  a  part  of  the  state 
militia,  the  equipment  being  furnished  by 
the  state,  though  each  individual  member 
supplied  his  own  uniform. 

Among  those  who  have  lived  in  Whit- 
ley county  who  served  in  the  war  of  18 12 
was  David  Hemmick,  who  was  orderly  un- 
der   General    Harrison.      Thomas    Walker. 


who  lived  west  of  Columbia  City,  served  in 
a  Virginia  regiment,  as  did  James  Jones. 
John  Jackson,  William  James  and  a  Mr. 
Maring  were  also  soldiers  in  that  memorable 
war. 

Mexican  soldiers  who  have  resided  in 
Whitley  are  Thomas  Keeley,  John  Slees- 
man,  William  Smith,  Joseph  Crow,  James 
Van  Ness,  Edward  McMahon,  Peter  Mc- 
Mahon,  William  McMahon.  Peter  Howell, 
James  E.  Sargent  and  a  Mr.  Disbrow. 

Without  attempting  to  analyze  the  vari- 
ous views  held  by  citizens  at  the  outbreak 
of  the  Civil  war,  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that 
the  great  body  were  in  accord  with  the  sup- 
pression of  the  rebellion  and  took  early  ac- 
tion toward  advancing  the  Union  cause. 
Stirring  editorials  in  the  Republican  and  the 
News,  a  Democratic  paper,  led  to  enthusi- 
astic meetings  where  patriotic  speeches  were 
made  and  resolutions  passed  pledging  loyal 
support  to  suppress  the  rebellion.  A  volun- 
teer company  was  enlisted,  its  roster  ap- 
pearing on  another  page. 

Liberty  poles  were  raised  in  every  town- 
ship, great  gatherings  of  people  attending 
and  dozens  of  flags  could  be  seen  flying  to 
the  breeze  from  a  central  point  of  vantage. 
May   7.    1 86 1,   the  ladies   presented   a   silk 


214 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


flag  to  the  volunteers  and  May  21  the  com- 
pany left  for  Camp  Morton  at  Indianapolis, 
being  mustered  into  United  States  service 
June  1 1 . 

This  company  was  attached  to  the  Sev- 
enteenth Indiana  Regiment  and  was  sent 
into  West  Virginia.  I.  B.  McDonald,  who 
went  out  as  its  second  lieutenant,  an  un- 
compromising Democrat  and  the  third  man 
to  enlist,  wrote  stirring  and  patriotic  letters 
that  produced  effect  when  read  at  home; 
and  soon  other  companies  were  being  raised. 
October  17th  Captain  Cuppy's  company, 
which  became  Company  E,  Forty-fourth  In- 
diana Volunteer  Regiment,  and  which  was 
raised  largely  in  Richland  township, 
marched  from  South  Whitley  to  Columbia 
City,  where  it  took  rail  for  Fort  Wayne,  the 
rendezvous  of  the  regiment,  and  was  mus- 
tered in  November  22,  1861. 

November  21,  1861,  Captain  Peter  Si- 
monson  secured  the  mustering  in  of  the 
Fifth  Indiana  Batten-  Light  Artillery,  which 
had  been  raised  largely  by  Judge  James  C. 
Bodley.  who  had  but  recently  served  as 
judge  of  the  district  court  and  who  became 
Captain  of  Company  K,  Eighty-eighth  In- 
diana, and  who  later  lost  his  life  by  the 
explosion  of  a  cannon  while  at  home  and 
assisting'  in  the  celebration  of  some  war 
victniw. 

At  the  time  of  the  first  draft  Whitley 
count\-  was  posted  as  being  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  men  short.  Though  by  special 
efforts  this  was  reduced  to  about  twenty- 
five,  who  were  provided  for  by  draft.  Scenes 
similar  to  what  were  witnessed  in  even- 
state  transpired  :  but  the  quota  was  filled 
without  serious  difficulty,  the  district  mar- 
shal keeping  the  necessary  machinery  in  mo- 
tion. 


Considering  the  influences  and  the  rabid 
condition  of  the  public  mind,  so  many  not 
yet  being  settled  in  policy,  no  future  citi- 
zen of  this  county  may  blush  for  failure  to 
thoroughly  perform  the  duty  demanded  of 
its  people.  Nearly  one  thousand  men  went 
from  the  small  county,  a  remarkably  small 
number  of  them  acting  otherwise  than  to 
reflect  credit  and  honor  upon  its  escutcheon. 

While  no  Whitley  county  men  attained 
remarkable  distinction,  a  few  were  pro- 
moted to  responsible  position.  I.  B.  Mc- 
Donald was  made  a  captain  in  the  regular 
army  by  President  Lincoln,  served  with  dis- 
tinction on  the  staff  of  General  Milroy  and 
final!}-  was  promoted  to  be  lieutenant  colonel 
of  the  Sixth  West  Virginia  Veteran  Cav- 
alry. 

Captain  James  C.  Bodley  was  advanced 
to  be  major  of  his  regiment.  Captain 
Stough.  the  first  man  to  enlist  in  the  count}-, 
was  a  man  of  great  patriotism  and  was 
made  major  in  the  field  for  gallant  service. 
He  was  captured,  confined  in  Libby  and 
while  there  was  promoted  to  lienteuant 
colonel,  but  never  wore  the  bars,  as  he  gave 
up  his  life  while  still  a  prisoner.  October 
29,  1863. 

Idic  drafts  of  Jul}-  and  December.  1864, 
demanded  four  hundred  and  eighteen  men 
from  Whitley  county.  Strenuous  efforts 
were  put  forth  by  the  citizens  and  the  bounty 
was  increased  so  that  $1,192  could  be  had 
for  one  year's  sen-ice.  As  drafted  men  re- 
ceived no  bounty,  the  inducement  was  such 
that  this  county  soon  filled  its  requirement 
and  these  drafts  did  not  affect  it. 

The  amount  of  $159,684  was  paid  by 
the  county  during  the  war  in  bounty  and 
relief  fund. 

December  4,  1862,  the  following  persons 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


were  appointed  superintendents  of  soldiers' 
families  and  to  provide  for  their  wants: 
Cleveland,  B.  H.  Cleveland ;  Richland,  A. 
F.  Martin;  Troy,  A.  M.  Trumbull;  Wash- 
ington, Martin  Bechtel ;  Columbia,  F.  H. 
Foust ;  Thorncreek,  H.  S.  Cobaugh ;  Jef- 
ferson, John  W.  Crowell ;  Etna,  Alanson 
Tucker :  Union,  Francis  Mossman ;  Smith, 
Francis  Tully. 

They  were  ordered  to  make  inquiry  into 
the  condition  of  soldiers'  families  and  re- 
port to  the  county  auditor  what  was  neces- 
sary for  their  support  and  should  register 
name  of  wife  or  other  person  in  charge  of 
the  family  and  auditor  then  to  draw  orders 
accordingly  each  month  as  long  as  the  neces- 
sity existed,  not  more  than  three  dollars  per 
month  for  wife  and  one  dollar  for  each 
child. 

In  addition  to  what  the  county  did  for 
soldiers'  families  nearly  every  township  had 
regular  organized  societies  looking  after  sol- 
diers' families,  furnishing  them  necessaries 
of  life  as  well  as  money.  Richland  township 
was  the  first  township  to  organize  such  a 
society,  October  23,  1861. 

When  the  war  ceased.  May  1,  1865, 
Whitley  county  had  put  ninety-two  more 
men  in  the  field  than  the  calls  of  the  Presi- 
dent had  required,  all  told.  Every  other 
county  in  northern  Indiana  was  seven  to 
eighty-nine  behind  their  quota. 

The  Eleventh  Indiana  Regiment  con- 
tained several  Whitley  county  men  and  did 
excellent  service  early  in  the  war.  particu- 
larly at  Forts  Henry  and  Donelson,  at  Shi- 
loh.  Corinth,  Yazoo  Pass,  siege  of  Vicks- 
burg  and  later  in  the  battles  of  Winchester 
and  Fisher's  Hill. 

The  Seventeenth,  with  Company  E  from 


Whitley  county,  first  fought  at  Greenbrier, 
Virginia,  and  then  at  Corinth,  Mississippi, 
against  Forrest  and  Bragg.  In  February, 
1863,  it  was  mounted  and  armed  with  Spen- 
cer rifles.  It  was  prominent  in  all  the  most 
sanguinary  battles  of  the  Atlanta  campaign, 
was  active  in  "the  Wilson  raid"  and  without 
aid  captured  Macon,  Georgia,  securing  one 
major-general,  three  brigadier-generals, 
three  thousand  prisoners,  sixty  pieces  of  ar- 
tillery, three  thousand  small  arms,  etc.  It 
had  a  glorious  record  anil  one  to  which  any 
descendant  of  one  of  its  soldiers  may  point 
with  pride.  It  was  and  is  an  honor  to  have 
belonged  to  the  Seventeenth.  Company  E 
received  seventy-five  recruits  during  its  ser- 
vice, as  is  seen  in  its  roster,  which  is  here 
appended. 

The  Forty-fourth  Regiment,  of  which 
Company  E  was  from  this  county,  had  also 
a  creditable  record.  Captain  Cuppy  was 
killed,  as  was  George  Weemer,  first  lieuten- 
ant. Oliver  P.  Koontz  and  William  H.  Hil- 
debrand   were   his   successors   in  command. 

The  regiment  was  mustered  into  service 
November  22,  1861,  under  Colonel  Hugh  B. 
Reed.  It  suffered  severely  in  the  attacks  on 
Forts  Henry  and  Donelson,  being  under  fire 
constantly  at  the  latter  place  from  the  thir- 
teenth to  the  1 6th  of  February  and  on  the 
evening  of  the  15th  it  forced  General  Buck- 
ner  back  into  the  fort  as  he  made  a  sortie 
to  escape  and  charging  up  the  works  where 
its  heaviest  loss  occurred. 

In  the  two  days'  battle  of  Shiloh  it  lost 
thirty-three  killed  and  one  hundred  and  sev- 
entv-seven  wounded.  It  had  long,  arduous 
marches  after  Perryville.  It  was  in  Stone 
River.  Chickamauga  and  Mission  Ridge, 
losing  eighty-two  killed,  wounded  and  miss- 


2l6 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ing  in  these  last  two  battles.  In  October, 
1863,  the  regiment  was  detailed  for  provost 
duty  at  Chattanooga  and  there  remained  till 
mustered  out  in  September,  1865.  It  lost 
three  hundred  and  fifty  killed  and  wounded 
and  fifty-eight  by  disease. 

Company  B,  Seventy-fourth  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  Captain  James  E.  Sar- 
gent, was  mustered  in  August  21,  1862. 
Captain  Sargent  was  a  Mexican  soldier,  be- 
came a  saddler  in  Columbia  City  and  was 
the  second  man  to  enroll  for  service  in  the 
rebellion  in  Whitley  county.  He  was  first 
lieutenant  of  the  first  company,  resigning  to 
raise  another  company,  which  he  command- 
ed until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  died  in 
recent  years  at  Fort  Wayne.  No  more  gal- 
lant man  is  credited  to  Indiana. 

The  Seventy-fourth  pursued  Bragg  in 
Kentucky  and  fought  the  famous  John  Mor- 
gan. It  occupied  Gallatin,  Tennessee,  and 
was  active  in  the  Tullahoma  and  Chatta- 
nooga campaigns.  It  was  one  of  the  first 
regiments  engaged  at  Chickamauga  and  one 
of  the  last  to  leave  the  field,  where  it  lost 
twenty  killed  and  one  hundred  and  forty 
wounded  and  missing.  It  lost  eighteen 
killed  and  wounded  at  Mission  Ridge.  It 
fought  at  Buzzard's  Roost,  Dallas,  Kene- 
saw  and  Lost  Mountain.  At  Jonesboro  its 
brigade  carried  the  enemy's  works,  captur- 
ing four  pieces  of  artillery  and  seven  hun- 
dred prisoners.  It  marched  with  Sherman 
to  the  sea,  on  to  Savannah,  Raleigh  and 
Richmond,  rounding  out  a  remarkable  rec- 
ord with  a  final  march  in  the  "grand  re- 
view." 

Company  K  of  the  Eighty-eighth  was 
mustered  in  August  29,  1862,  and  October 
8th   fought  like  veterans  at  Chaplin  Hills, 


where  it  suffered  a  severe  loss.  Its  action 
was  such  as  to  draw  commendation  for 
its  steadiness  and  good  conduct  from 
Rosecrans.  The  enemy  retreating,  the  regi- 
ment lay  at  Nashville  till  it  moved  in  De- 
cember to  participate  at  Stone  River  January 
1st,  2d  and  3d,  1863,  making  the  final 
charge  late  on  the  third,  driving  the  enemy 
from  its  cover,  its  colonel,  Humphrey,  being 
among  the  wounded.  Lying  at  Murfrees- 
boro  and  Winchester  it  was  ready  for  its 
brush  with  General  Polk's  command  at  Dug 
Gap,  Georgia.  Its  division  was  first  to  open 
the  battle  of  Chickamauga  on  September  19, 
forming  after  two  days'  engagement  Rose- 
crans's  rear  guard  on  the  retreat  to  Chatta- 
nooga. 

Its  charge  at  Mission  Ridge  brought 
compliments  from  General  Thomas,  it  being 
one  of  the  first  to  plant  its  flag  on  the  ene- 
my's works.  It  pursued  and  captured  a  bat- 
tery at  Ringgold,  Georgia. 

■  It  felt  the  heaviest  fighting  in  the  At- 
lanta campaign,  including  Tunnel  Hill,  Buz- 
zard's Roost,  Resaca,  New  Hope,  Dallas, 
Kenesaw,  Chattahoochie.  Peach  Tree  Creek. 
Atlanta,  Utoy  Church  and  Jonesboro.  It 
pursued  Hood  for  two  hundred,  miles,  re- 
traced its  march  and  on  to  Savannah.  In 
advance,  March  19th,  it  was  attacked  at  Ben- 
tonville,  where  it  experienced  one  of  the 
hottest  little  fights,  losing  thirty-nine  men. 
It,  too,  marched  before  the  national  offi- 
cials and  on  every  hand  drew  shouts  of 
praise. 

Company  F.  One  Hundredth  Indiana 
Volunteer  Regiment,  under  Captain  Abram 
W.  Myers,  Colonel  Sanford  J.  Stoughton, 
went  out  November.  1862,  was  in  the  Vicks- 
burg  campaign  and  with  Sherman  at  Jack- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


217 


son.  It  turned  the  flank  of  Bragg's  army 
at  Trenton,  Georgia;  at  Mission  Ridge  it 
lost  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  men  killed 
and  wounded.  In  the  Atlanta  campaign  it 
marched  and  fought  for  one  hundred  days. 

Company  D,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
ninth,  Captain  F.  M.  McDonald,  served 
creditably  the  last  year  of  the  war.  Its  se- 
verest service  was  in  pursuit  of  and  battles 
with  Hood,  losing  heavily  at  Franklin.  It 
was  transferred  to  Moorhead  City  and  after 
a  fight  at  Wise's  Forks  did  provost  duty  at 
Charlotte,  North  Carolina,  till  mustered  out 
in  August,  1865. 
•  John  H.  Slagle  commanded  Company  G, 
One  Hundred  and  Forty-second,  which 
served  in  the  battle  of  Nashville,  where  it 
did  duty  till  July,  1865. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-second  was 
organized  March  16,  1865,  under  Colonel 
Wheldon  W.  Griswold,  Company  I,  Cap- 
tain John  M.  Albright,  being  from  Whitley 
county-  Its  service  was  post  and  garrison 
duty  in  Virginia,  Charlotte,  Stevenson  Sta- 
tion, Summit  Point  and  Clarksburg  till  Au- 
gust 30,   1865. 

The  Fifth  Indiana  Battery,  Light  Artil- 
lery, Captain  Peter  Simonson,  Henry  Ran- 
kin first  lieutenant,  Alfred  Morrison,  second 
lieutenant,  consisted  of  six  guns  and  one 
hundred  and  forty-eight  men,  mustered  in 
November  22,  1861,  and  December  26th  was 
at  Louisville,  where  it  joined  Mitchell's  Di- 
vision, Buell's  army.  April  nth  it  occu- 
pied Huntsville,  Alabama,  capturing  stores 
and  three  railroad  trains.  Two  guns  were 
put  on  platform  cars,  run  ahead  of  engines 
for  seventy  miles  each  way  on  the  Memphis 
&  Charleston  Railroad,  destroying  bridges 
in  return.     Only  instance  on  record  of  re- 


connoisance  by  railroad  of  artillery  in  ene- 
my's country.  August  24th  had  six  hour  ar- 
tillery fight  at  Stevenson,  where  it  was  sent 
to  protect  removal  of  government  stores, 
which  was  done  under  its  cover.  Fired  six 
hours  at  Chaplin  Hills  and  November  31st 
at  Stone  River  lost  heavily.  The  command- 
ing general  reports :  "Captain  Simonson 
managed  his  battery  with  skill  and  courage, 
doing  good  execution.  Lost  two  guns,  but 
not  till  horses  had  been  killed  and  guns  ren- 
dered useless."  At  Chickamauga  lost  one 
man  killed,  nine  wounded,  two  prisoners, 
twenty-six  horses,  two  guns.  At  Waldron 
Ridge  had  to  haul  guns  and  caissons  up  hills 
with  ropes,  one  hundred  men  to  the  gun,  but 
made  three  and  a  half  miles  in  one  and  one- 
half  days.  Held  that  commanding  position 
till  February'  24th,  when  assigned  to  Stan- 
ley's division.  During  Atlanta  campaign 
battery  constantly  •  in  the  front — Tunnel 
Hill,  Rocky  Face  Ridge,  Resaca,  Adairs- 
ville,  Kingston,  Cassville,  Pine  Mountain, 
Kenesaw  Mountain,  New  Hope  Church, 
Peach  Tree  Creek.  Atlanta  and  Jonesboro. 

While  placing  battery  in  position  at 
Pine  Mountain  Captain  Simonson  was  in- 
stantly killed  and  was  succeeded  by  Captain 
Alfred  Morrison. 

Peters  Simonson  was  a  civil  engineer 
and  came  to  Columbia  City  to  assist  in  the 
survey  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad.  He 
was  in  command  of  all  artillery  in  General 
Stanley's  division.  No  braver  man  ever 
lived.  One  of  the  Rodman  guns  of  this  bat- 
tery fired  the  ball  at  Pine  Mountain  that 
killed  the  famous  Bishop  General  Polk. 

George  W.  Stough  Post,  No.  181.  Grand 
Armv  of  the  Republic,  Columbia  City,  was 
organized    June     1,     1883,    by    Allen     H. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Dougall.  mustering  officer,  and  Michael 
Sickafoose,  post  commander.  Comrade 
Daniel  Meyers  suggested  the  name  George 
W.  Stough,  which  was  accepted.  The  post 
has  continued  in  a  flourishing  condition,  its 
commander  at  present  being  D.  R.  Hem- 
in  ick. 

A  list  of  the  soldiers  who  enlisted  in  the 
Union  arm}-  from  Whitley  county,  Indiana, 
during  the  years  1861,  1862,  1863,  1864 
and  1865 : 

This  list  is  from  Col.  I.  B.  McDonald's 
private  record,  heretofore  unpublished,  and 
is  the  only  complete  roster  of  Whitley  coun- 
ty soldiers  in  existence.  The  Colonel  has 
spared  no  time  or  means  to  make  it  perfect 
and  complete.  It  has  had  his  great  care 
and  attention  for  more  than  forty-four 
years. 

COMPANY     E,     SEYENTEETNH     INDIANA     VOL- 
UNTEER   INFANTRY. 

April  21,   1 86 1. 


George  W.  Stough. 
James   E.    Sargent, 
Isaiah  B.  McDonald. 
Nimrod  Smith, 
James  K.  Ward, 
Cyrus  J.   Ward, 
John   T.   Drury, 
John  J.   Weiler, 
Edward  B.  Beeson, 
David   Carver, 
Edwd.  A.  Mossman, 
David  R.  Hemmick, 
William  L.  Birney, 
D.  M.  Shoemaker. 
Nicholas   Beesack, 
Jacob  J.  Conrad, 
Henry  Banta. 
Wm.  M.  Bamhill, 


Lewis  Hartman, 
Geo.  W.  Hartsock, 
Joseph  W.  Hiler, 
Wm.  F.  Johnson, 
Homer  King, 
Jesse  Kyler, 
Isaac  Leamon, 
Henry  Moore, 
Samuel  McDonald, 
Joseph  H.  Nelson. 
Samuel  Parks, 
Henry  R.  Pegg, 
Thomas  W.  Piper, 
Joseph  E.  Plummer. 
Joseph  A.   Poff, 
R.  O.  S.  Pumphrey. 
Henry  C.  Pressler. 
Ji  ihn  Raypole, 


Nicholas  Beer, 
Joseph  Beesack, 
Benj.  F.  Bennett. 
John   Bennett, 
William  Brubaker, 
Walter  S.  Collins, 
Jacob  Dinsmore, 
Oliver  Droud, 
Alvers  B.  Dudley. 
Joseph  Effert, 
John  W.  Elder, 
Simon  English, 
Frederick  Ford, 
James  Force, 
Franklin  Freese, 
Joseph  Fries, 
Otis  J.  Gaudy. 
Saml.  J.  Goodwin, 
William  Grimes. 
M.  V.  Hammond. 
Isaac  Harrison, 


Francis  L.  Rhoads, 
George  T.  Roley, 
Anthony  Seymour, 
John  T.  Sherrod, 
Solomon  O.  Shoup, 
1.  W.  Shinneman, 
Alex.  Showalter, 
John  H.  Slagle. 
Francis  M.  Slagle, 
Heriford  D.  Smith. 
Frederick  Smith, 
Henry*  Suavely. 
Andrew  Spear, 
David  Stough. 
Wm.  B.  Sumney, 
Sydney  S.  Tuttle, 
Lewis  R.  Whiteman, 
Milton  Whiteman. 
Charles  T.  Wilder, 
John  H.  Wireman. 


RECRUITS. 


John  H.   Appleton, 
William  A.  Allen. 
Jacob  Bolinger. 
Levi  D.  Bodley. 
Geo.  W.  Chapman. 
Sanford  Chapman. 
Mark  Coat, 
Henry  Cunningham, 
Edward  C.   Cutter, 
Josiah  C.  Cutler, 
Thos.  W.  Darragh, 
Samuel  Deems. 
Charles  Dunham, 
Frank  DeLacev, 
Chester  C.  Elliott. 
Richard  Francis. 
William  Ferris, 
Solomon  J.  Foust. 
LeRoy  Fi  mst. 
Jacob  S.   Foust. 
James  W.  Geiger, 
William  Geis'er, 


Hiram  Lantz, 
Jacob  S.  Lewis. 
Sydney  H.  Lee, 
Moses  R.  Leland, 
John  S.  Moore, 
William  Mineka, 
A.  J.  McDonald. 
John  Merrica, 
George  A.  Nichols, 
Selah  P.  North. 
Abraham  Paulin, 
Henry  Patton, 
M.  C.  Plummer, 
Othneal  Ouinn, 
John  Rice. 
Ezra  Rice, 
Joseph  Saylor, 
Henry  C.  Scott. 
Jacob  F.  Sharp. 
Charles  T.   Sherrod, 
Aaron  P.  Slagle. 
Edward  Smith, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


219 


David  Hyer, 

Reuben   Humbarger, 
Martin  Haynes. 
Eli  Haines, 
Otis  S.  Hurtsell, 
John  Hess, 
Henry  C.  Hively, 
James  L.  Johnson, 
John  H.  Kendal], 
David  Kime, 
Isaac  Kime, 


William  H.  Smith, 
Tilghman  H.  Snell, 
Dorman  Smith, 
Joseph  Swisher, 
Nathan  Swisher, 
David  Waugh, 
Joseph  Waugh, 
Lewis  M.  Watson, 
William  Walker. 
Geo.  W.  Williams. 


COMPANY    E,     FORTY-FOURTH    INDIANA    VOL- 
UNTEER INFANTRY. 


Ezra  Buschnell, 
Christ.  Burnsworth, 
Frederick  Bonta, 
Henry  Brenneman, 
William  F.  Bitner, 
Samuel  A.  Baker, 
Noah  Brubaker, 
Peter  Boblett, 
Joseph  W.  Compton, 
Thomas  Combs. 
Joseph  Karns, 
George  W.    Karns. 
Appleton  Cowen, 
John  M.  Collins. 
John  C.  Clapp. 


Henry  Rhoads, 
Barrett  Reckard, 
Elim  Robbins,    ■ 
Amos  Roadarmel, 
Michael   Sickafoose, 
John  Shaffner, 
John  D.  Spurgeon, 
William  Stiver, 
Jan  ib  Shorter, 
Harrison  Saver, 
Alfred   Snyder, 
James  W.  Samuels, 
David  Warts, 
George  Webster, 
William  Youst. 


November  22,  1861. 


William  H.  Cuppy, 
William  Hildebrand, 
Oliver  P.  Koontz, 
Isaac  L.  Compton, 
F.  M.  McDonald, 
John  D.  Spurg-eon, 
Stephen  J.  Compton, 
William   S.    Bitner. 
George  Sickafoose. 
Jerome  F.  Combs, 
Henry  Cray, 
Samuel  Havens, 
John  Y.   Robbins, 
Warren  Bonta, 
Hiram  Smith, 
Henry  Rupley, 
John  M.  Albright. 
Stephen    Circle, 
James  Collett, 
William  Clapp, 
Joshua  Shafer, 
Joseph  Anderson, 
Andrew  Arnold, 
Jay  B.  Baker, 
Adam  Barsh, 
Hiram  F.  Biddle, 
Isaac  Byers, 
Harvey  W.  Boaze, 
Amos  Bachtell, 


Solomon  Carpenter, 
James  Carpenter, 
Henry  Dillater, 
Randolph  Dimmick, 
John  Denny, 
John  Goucher, 
Asbury  Grable, 
Alexander  Goff. 
David  Hale, 
Nicholas  Hapner, 
George  Holloway, 
Win.  Holderbaum, 
Geo.  Hennemeyer, 
Martin  Hathaway, 
Job  Haynes. 
Samuel  Haze}', 
Alonzo  King, 
Oliver  P.  Koontz. 
William  A.  Kelsey, 
William  Lesley, 
Jackson   Lippencott, 
Allen  Myers, 
Theodore  F.  Nave, 
Simeon   Oberhalzer, 
Cary  Pimlott, 
Nelson  Parrott, 
Joseph  Parrott, 
William  Prugh, 
Andrew  Reed, 


Alfred  B.  Alton. 
John  Alton, 
John  H.  Biddle. 
Thomas  Biddle. 
Samuel  Creager. 
William  Fox, 
Alkanah  Fletcher, 
Noah  Fletcher, 


Win.  R.  Holloway, 
William  McKinney, 
Samuel  Pritchard, 
Israel  Rhodes, 
William  L.  Ransom, 
William  P.  Reed. 
Theo.  A.  Stewart, 
Henrv  Urich. 


COMPANY     '  B,       SEVENTY-FOURTH       INDIANA 
VOLUNTEER    INFANTRY. 

August  ;,  1862. 


Samuel  Keefer. 
O.  H.  Woodworth, 
James  E.  Sargent, 
James  A.  Spear, 
John  H.  Slagle, 
Josiah  F.  McNear. 
Edward  A.  Rowe, 
John  B.  Hiler, 
John  R.  Colvin. 
Nathaniel  Gordon, 
C.  L.  Kaufman. 
Samuel  Elder. 
George  W.  Triplett. 


Berij.  F.  Ginger, 
Josiah  Gradeless, 
James  Graves, 
\Yalter  Gruesbeck. 
Peter  Haynes, 
Tames  Huston, 
John  V.  Hiler, 
Frederick  Hively, 
Daniel  Howard. 
W.  E.  Hively, 
Benj.  F.  Hartman, 
James  D.  Jameson, 
Win.  C.   Tameson, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Henry  A.  Rice, 
Ephraim  A.  Smith, 
William  Huston, 
Francis  M.  Martin, 
John  C.  Brown, 
O.  W.  Hamilton. 
William  C.  Moore, 
George  Cummins, 
Samuel  Aker, 
John  Q.  Adams, 
Wesley  W.  Allen. 
Henry  R.  Bishop, 
Isaac  Billman, 
Emory  Bennett, 
Samuel  Butler. 
David  M.  Brown, 
James  Barber, 
William  H.  Brown, 
Allison  F.  Briggs, 
Alfred  Blanchard, 
William  Bowlby, 
William  H.  Bell, 
Seth  Cummins, 
James  Coyle,  • 
John  E.  Castle. 
Samuel  Castle. 
David   Churchill, 
Charles  Crury, 
William  G.  Daly, 
Stephen  Donnelly, 
John  Dowell, 
James  Dowell. 
Thomas  Edginton, 
Hugh  L!  Finley, 

Andrew  J. 


John  A.  Jameson, 
W.  L.  H.  Jackson, 
Solomon  C.  Kerns, 
Horace  S.  Klink, 
J.  W.  Loofborrow, 
Sigmund  Mosher, 
Jas.  G.  McDonald, 
Jasper  McNear. 
C.  C.  Morrison, 
Berry  Marrs, 
Jackson  Mosher, 
Gilbert  Norris, 
George  Neff, 
Henry  C.  Oman, 
Jacob  Plummer, 
Jesse  Revert, 
Charles  Richey, 
David  Smaller. 
Charles  A.  Scott, 
James  W.  Smith, 
William  H.  Sellers, 
Washington  Sivits, 
James  M.  Snyder, 
Linton   Shoemaker, 
John  A.  Shoemaker, 
Andrew  Tinkham. 
William  Tucker, 
William  I.  Wade, 
James  C  Watson, 
Wm.  D.  Whitesides, 
Gilbert  L.  Walker. 
Benjamin  Wooden, 
Nathan  Walton, 
William  Hutchcraft. 
Fox, 


COMPANY    K,    EIGHTY-EIGHTH    INDIANA  VOL- 
UNTEER IN'FANTRY. 

August  ii,   1862. 

James  C.   Bodley,  David   Engle, 

George  W.  Stough,  Daniel  Herr, 

Thomas   Hathaway.  Henry   Holvcross. 

David    Harshbarger,  Robert   Hanna, 


William  Forest, 
John  A.  Rovenstine, 
Caldwell  W.  Turtle, 
Daniel  Little, 
George  W.  Forest, 
John  Hildebrand, 
Simon  Harshbarger, 
Henry  Souder, 
James  Walker, 
Asa  Cook, 
George  W.  North. 
George  Bressler, 
William  H.  Coyle. 
William  Beard, 
John  Anderson, 
Omer  H.  Alley, 
Adam  C.  Brossman. 
Jacob  Braver, 
Robery  Blaine, 
William  A.  Blaine, 
Reuben  Barnes, 
David  J.   Bowman, 
Edwin  A.  Briggs, 
William  Boyd, 
Anderson  Burrell, 
Alexander  Bayman, 
William  Croy, 
A.    P.   Cunningham, 
A.  Cunningham, 
Amos  Coyle. 
Uriah  Clark, 
Charles   Cramer, 
Archibald   Carter, 
Jacob  Crum, 
Daniel  Doney, 
Samuel  Egolf, 
Robert  Forest, 
Wm.   H.   Gearhart. 
David   Gill  is. 
Phillip  Gordon, 
Jesse  B.  Grimes, 
John  P.  Grace, 
James  Hartup, 
Lewis  Hartup, 
H.  C.  Hammontree. 
Daniel  Hand. 


Wash.   Holderbaum, 
Joseph  W.  Howe, 
Hiram  Harpster, 
Adam  E.  Hively, 
Asher  D.  Hathaway, 
Orange  L.   Jones, 
Ephraim  C.  Kyle. 
David  L.  Kyle, 
William  H.  Loomis, 
Lewis  R.  Long, 
Wesley  Ladson, 
William  Marshall, 
William  Miller, 
Levi  P.  Miller. 
Abraham  Nicheles, 
Washington  Prugh, 
Daniel  Pressler, 
Eli  Fletcher. 
Judson  Palmer. 
William  H.   Pence, 
Noah  Pence, 
Abraham  Parrott, 
William  Rovenstine. 
Albert  Rovenstine. 
Joseph  Roberds, 
Albert  F.  Ruch. 
Harrison  Ricle, 
James  Ritter, 
G.  W.  Rittenhouse, 
Caleb  S.  Stewart, 
Howell  Scott, 
A.  Shinneman, 
A.  Y.  Swigart. 
Daniel  Shirley, 
Franklin  Simpkins. 
Isaiah  Smith, 
Benjamin  Shamley. 
Elijah  Sears. 
Parlev  Tritch, 
Wm.  R.  Vandeford. 
Abram  Walker, 
Josiah  Walker, 
Jesse  T.  Ward. 
Seymour  Whitman, 
Embra  Washburn, 
David  Sprinkle. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


COMPANY  F,  ONE  HUNDREDTH  INDIANA  VOL- 
l  ■  N  T  E  E  K   I X  F  A  NTRY. 

August  15,   1862. 


Leonard  Aker, 

Israel  Beers, 

Jacob  Stoler, 

Adam  H.  Swihart, 

F.  B.  Harris. 

Israel  Bierce. 

David  Snyder, 

C.  L.  Heaton, 

Seynour  Cole, 

Elijah  Graves, 

John  Mossman, 

Samuel  Cole, 

Isaac  Schrader, 

Joseph  Plummer, 

James  Bills, 

John  Bennett. 

David  J.  Lamb. 

Reuben  Hawkins, 

Washington  Acker, 

Henry  W.  Arnold, 

Nelson  Bugbee, 

Asa  Butler, 

Albert  Bell, 

Frank  Bloomery, 
Henry  Brown, 
Hiram  Burkholder. 
David  Crawford, 
William  A.  Clark, 
Abraham  A.  Croy, 
James  Cleland, 
Samuel  Deems, 
Jacob  Doag, 
Daniel  Decker, 
Geo.  W.  English, 
John  Egolf. 
John  W.  Falk. 
Isaac  W.  Falk, 
Leander  F.  Fouser, 
James  Fullerton, 
David  Finch, 


Adolf  H.  Hensley. 

Wm.  R.  Johnson. 

Lawrence  P.  Jacqua. 

Mathias  Kenaga, 

Adam  N.  Keirns. 

William  S.  Keirns. 

Wm.  W.  Lindley. 

George  Litehizer, 

George  Miller, 

Josiah  McCoy, 

Aaron  Miner, 

Calvin  Mellet, 

Andrew  Malone, 

Curtis  J.   Matthews, 

John  McNab. 

David  Mussleman, 

Henry  Mack, 
Charles  Noble. 
Edward  North, 
John  Owens, 
Anthony  dinger, 
Daniel  Olinger, 
R.  W.  Pumphrey, 
John  H.  Plough, 
Boyer  Pittman, 
Othina  Ouinn, 
James  Samuels, 
McArthur  Scott, 
William  Sterling, 
Charles  Swindel, 
W.  Stickler. 
Franklin   Shaffner, 
George  Simpkins. 
Henry  C.  Tuttle. 
Thomas  Thrasher, 
Danl.  Whitleather, 
Jos.  Winegardner. 
Wm.  T.  Walker. 
Jeremiah  Wolford, 
John  Weil, 


A.  J.  Forsythe. 
Isaac  H.  Goble. 
Daniel  German, 
Dennis  Harrington. 
J.  B.  Helms. 
John  Hush, 
Benjamin  Hush, 
George  Hills, 


Hiram  Young, 
Isaac  Groves. 
P.  H.  Ginger. 
James  Hinman, 
Benj.  F.  Kenaga. 
Henry  J.  Newcomb. 
Daniel  Richards, 
George  Simpkus, 


Samuel  Taylor. 


COMPANY    D,    ONE    HUNDRED    AND    TWENTY- 
NINTH  INDIANA  VOLUNTEER  INFANTRY. 


January  10,   1864. 


F.   M.  McDonald, 

Lemuel  M.  Richey, 

Ancil  Bloomer, 

George  Shoup. 

Heriford  Smith. 

Robert  Taylor. 

William  Deveny. 

Alonzo  Phoman. 

C.  L.  Carpenter. 

Lawrence  P.  Jacqua, 

Alexander  Snyder, 

Jesse  R.  Williams, 
Henry  Smith, 
Winfield  S.  Smith. 
William  Abbott, 
Andrew  Arnold, 
Albert  H.  Bell, 
James  Burnsworth. 
George  Bumgarner, 
Jesse  Bumgarner. 
Ellis  Bennett, 
C.  Burnsworth, 
Edmund  Busby, 
Matthew  Bennett, 
Benjamin  F.  Batey, 
Harrison  Baker, 
Patrick  Butler. 
Cornelius  Cauglan. 
Samuel  Crume. 
Theron  Clark, 
Elihu  Clark, 


Peter  Hess, 
Alexander  Hughes, 
John  Harbor, 
Silas  A.  Jackson, 
George  W.  Krider, 
Adam  M.  Kerns, 
Samuel  B.  Kerns, 
Jeremiah  S.  Kerns, 
John  W.  Kline, 
Richard  Kerns, 
William  Lipps, 
John  Leslie, 
Andw.  Landsdown, 
Benoni  Mosher. 
Thomas  McGuire. 
William  Mussehnan, 
Richard  T.  Nott, 
Benjamin  E.  Nott, 
Sylvester  Parrott, 
James  Plummer, 
Allen  Pence, 
Isaac  Percunier. 
Roderick  Bartlow, 
John  Bartlow, 
Edwin  Ream, 
Daniel  Rihart, 
Elijah  Ritter, 
John  E.  Sherrod, 
Benjamin  Strong. 
Enos  S.  Swisher, 
Henry  Swingart. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


George  Colling. 
Henry  T.  Crowell, 
John  Cooper, 
Isaac  Claxton. 
Gideon  Cobb, 
N.  Drawbaugh. 
Richard  Darragh, 
Jesse  A.  Denny. 
Orlando  Dillon, 
George  D.  French. 
William  Finley. 
Jacob  Greenwalt, 
Charles  Gable. 
George  W.  Gump, 
Thomas  J.  Graves, 
Isaac  Grimes, 
George  Hazen, 
Jacob  Huffer. 
John  D.  Harbor, 


John  Snyder, 
Alfred  Snyder, 
Isaiah  W.  Site, 
Henry  Stultz, 
Thomas  F.  Spacey, 
James  Sinclair, 
Samuel  W.   Scott. 
Henry  F.  Smith, 
Enos  Stanley, 
Lewis  Vamprey, 
Wilier  Watson, 
William  H.  Belcher. 
William  D.  Clark, 
William  Cochran, 
Willis  Dillon, 
John  Lemon, 
E.  Rodenburger. 
George  T.  Scales. 
John  A.   White. 


COMPANY      I,      ONE      HUNDRED      AND      FIFTY- 
SECOND  INDIANA  VOLUNTEER  INFANTRY. 


March  3.  1865. 


John  Albright, 
George  H.   Winters. 
Albert  J.  Koontz, 
James  Washburn, 
Thos.  B.  Hathaway. 
William  Brubaker, 
Reese   Pritchard, 
William    Tannehill. 
Henry  Norris, 
John  P.  Creager, 
John  Sickafoose. 
Wm.  Chamberlain, 
Moses  Beerbower, 
Lafayette  Bushness, 
John  Batz, 
Henry  Bash, 
Geo.  P.  Cullimore. 
J.  P.  Chamberlain, 
Alonzo  T.  Clark. 
Levi  A.  Creager, 
Isaac  F.  Circle. 
Thomas   Carpenter, 
Robert  Chase, 


■  John  Kreider, 
John  Kesling. 
Alfred  J.  Koontz, 
George  W.  Kales, 
David  Kyle. 
Samuel  W.  King', 
H.  W.  Landsdown, 
M.  B.  Merriman, 
Joel  More. 
John  H.  Mann, 
Daniel  Myers, 
Taylor  Newcomb, 
Thomas  Nichols, 
Levi  Phillips, 
Noah  Pritchard, 
Wm.  M.  Plough, 
John  W.  Perm, 
William  Priddy, 
William  Reese, 
George  W.  Souder, 
George  Shavey. 
Samuel  Stewart. 
Leander  Smith, 


Wm.  H.  Campbell. 
Thos.  Cavanaugh. 
James  W.  Dean, 
Jacob  Fox, 
Valentine  Gordon, 
Andrew  Hannen, 
John  Haas. 
James   Harshman. 
Wm.  V.  Hathaway, 
R.  Householder, 
Henrv  Humbarger, 
Wm'.  O. 


Martin  Sloan. 
Matthew  Sheffer, 
John   Smith, 
Jefferson   Scott, 
J(  ihn  A.   Scarlett, 
Anderson  Stanley. 
Benj.  F.  Seymour. 
Silas  Snavely, 
Winfield  S.  Smith. 
Georg'e  H.  Winters, 
Francis  M.  Wilson, 
Williams. 


FIFTH   INDIANA  BATTERY    (ARTILLERY). 

( Three-Year  Service. ) 
November  22,   1861. 


Peter  Simonson, 

Henry   Rankin. 
Alfred  Morrison, 
Jacob  F.  Ellison, 
George  A.  Briggs, 
James  Tollerton, 
S.  P.  C.  Freeman, 
John  Marshall. 
Joseph  M.  Allen, 
David  R.  P.  Donley, 
Smith  Brown, 
Josephus  Aumack, 
John  J.  English, 
Wm.  G.  Robertson. 
Wilson  Guisinger, 
Henry  Mock, 
Henry  Bricker. 
Luman  A.   Baker. 
Richard  P.  Miles. 
Henrv  M.  Kendall, 
B.  F.  MacCallum, 
Georg-e  Mayer. 
William  W.   hones. 
Claud  C.  Miller, 
William  L.  Hultz, 
Danl.  H.  Chandler. 
Sylvester  Knapp, 
John  R.  Spear, 
Jasper  X.   Kuntz. 
John  T.  Prickett, 


William  Henrv. 
Harrison  Imbody, 
Daniel  Jones, 
Benj.  F.  Johnson. 
.Alexander  Jordan. 
Jacob  Kurtz, 
William  D.   King, 
Xorhett  Keen. 
John  F.  Kates, 
Joseph  Kehlor. 
Anthony  Kramer, 
Stephen  Kelley. 
Charles  Knocksin, 
Michael   McCarty, 
Thomas  McGuire, 
Charles  W.  Miller. 
Curtis  V.  Milman, 
Daniel  Mellyers, 
Wm.  F.  Marshall. 
Adam  Malone, 
David  E.  Miller. 
John  Mendenhall, 
Stephen  McKinzie, 
Patrick  New 
Simon  Parker, 
Andrew  Pettit. 
Arthur  Peabody, 
Simon  Richards. 
John  J.  Roily. 
Daniel  Rickard, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


223 


Samuel  Broughton. 
L.  W.  Ackley, 
J.   M.  Armstrong-, 
Michael  Alms, 
George  C.  Acker, 
Wesley  Amos, 
Samuel  T.  Barth, 
Isaac  Barr, 
A.  Baumgartner. 
Joel  Beckner, 
Joseph  Blenk, 
Henry  Beckler. 
Harrison  Blowers, 
Conrad  Brucker, 
David  Bricker, 
Robert  Bolton. 
Nicholas  Brue, 
Charles  Backhaus, 
Alonzo  K.  Bodle. 
Thomas  Cole. 
McAdoo  Crance. 
Alexander  Craig. 
Michael  Crance, 
Harrison   Cramer, 
David  Cool, 
Daniel  Culver, 
Samuel  Culver, 
Nicholas  Cummins, 
Jacob  C.  Clark, 
Solomon  Castle, 
John  E.  Douglass, 
Joseph  Davis. 
Jos.   H.   Donnelly, 
Wm.  M.  Darlington, 
John  Eberhart, 
John  Eustice, 
Thomas  Evans, 
John  Eaton, 
Frederick  Ehrich, 
John  Eg-ner, 
Abraham  Forey, 
John  Fullerton, 
Harlow  Fisk, 
Jacob  Geiger, 
P.  V.  Gruesbeck, 
John  C.  Ginger. 
Henrv  Gwin, 


Samuel  J.  Rollins, 
Jacob  Shoemaker, 
David  Shaffer, 
Joel  Slump, 
Solomon  Shoup, 
W.  A.  F.  Swayze, 
John  H.  Stewart, 
Christian  Shaffer. 
George  Shaffer. 
William  Snyder. 
John  Sickafoose, 
Geo.  W.  Sickafoose, 
William  Sims. 
Solomon  Simons, 
George  Simons. 
George  Thomas, 
Leander  P.  Taylor, 
John  C.  Wigent, 
Samuel  Waters, 
Edw.  A.  Wallace, 
Oscar  Worley, 
James  M.  Waters, 
Alanson  Washburn, 
Perry  Ward, 
Fredk.    Wampner, 
John  C.  Walton, 
H.  J.  Weckerlin, 
Thomas  Watson, 
John  S.  Wade, 
Joseph   Wilson, 
Bouist.  Vizina, 
Albion  Bair, 
William  II.  Donly, 
James  Felt, 
Henrv  Gallentine, 
Abner  D.  Goble, 
William  Green. 
Omer  Gruesbeck, 
Toseph  Hughey. 
"William  Holt," 
lames  H.  Hufford, 
Geo.  W.  Harts. .ck, 
A.  M.  Kermaston, 
Alonzo  King, 
John  Kennedy. 
Wm.  G.  Lowman, 
Ephraim   Mullen, 


Phillip  Gaddis. 
Wallace  Gould, 
John  Houston, 
Ormond  Hupp, 
P.  L.  Hornebeck, 
Henry  Hackett, 
Otis  Heath. 
Albert  Homsher, 
Benj.  F.  Homsher. 
Nelson  W.  Hall, 
Alexander  Hall. 
John  Hutchison, 
Tames  R.  Harvev, 
David  D.  Holm,' 
Jacob  Hoffman, 


Squire  Mack, 
A.  J.  Parshall, 
William  Plummer, 
James  A.  Price, 
Walter   Rickard, 
Sylvester  Ruckman, 
John  W.   Roberts, 
Clark  Scott. 
John  P.  Schenier. 
Isaac  Swihart, 
David  M.  Shufler, 
Gabriel  Swihart. 
Geo.    W.    Wilcox. 
Theodore  Wilcox, 
fohn  Welker. 


COMPANY  G.  I.  N.  G. 

A  company  was  organized  through  the 
efforts  and  influence  of  John  Adams,  then 
postmaster  at  Columbia  City,  also  an  aide 
on  the  staff  of  Governor  Claude  Mathews 
with  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel.  In  the 
organization  he  spent  much  time  and  money 
and  can  feel  well  paid  for  his  efforts  as  the 
organization  still  exists.  This  company, 
consisting  of  three  officers  and  fifty  men, 
was  mustered  into  the  state  service  on  the 
28th  day  of  June.  1895,  becoming  Company 
C,  Fourth  Regiment  Infantry,  till  April  26. 
1898.  The  state  furnished  all  equipment 
and  paid  all  expenses,  but  the  officers  and 
men  received  no  compensation  unless  when 
called  into  active  duty.  During  the  spring 
of  1898,  when  the  call  was  made  for  volun- 
teers to  serve  during  the  Spanish-American 
war.  this  company  was  among  the  first  to 
respond.  The  call  was  made  at  1  1  :3c  p.  m., 
April  25th,  an,d  this  company  was  in  camp 
reporting  for  duty  at  Indianapolis  at  3:20 
p.  m.  April  26th.  It.  as  Company  G,  One 
Hundred  and  Sixtieth  Indiana  Volunteers, 
entered  upon  active  training  for  hard  field 


-'-'4 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


duty  and  was  examined  and  mustered  into 
the  United  States  service  on  the  12th  day 
of  May,  becoming  a  part  of  the  One  hun- 
dred and  Sixtieth  Indiana  Volunteers.  This 
regiment  served  till  the  close  of  the  war  and 
was  then  sent  to  Cuba  to  do  garrison  duty 
and  served  one  year,  all  told,  being  mustered 
out  of  the  service  on  the  25th  day  of  April, 
1899.  This  company  and  regiment  saw  no 
active  service,  but  has  the  distinction  of  be- 
ing one  of  the  best  regiments  called  for  the 
war.  Also,  the  regiment  traveled  more 
miles  and  was  in  more  camps  during  the 
war  than  any  other  volunteer  troops  in  the 
United  States  service  at  the  time,  with  the 
exception  of  those  regiments  that  were  after- 
ward sent  to  the  Philippines. 

After  the  muster  out  there  was  a  move- 
ment started  by  Captain  Harrison,  Lieuten- 
ant Clapham  and  others  to  reorganize  the 
old  company  and  the  same  was  mustered 
into  the  state  service  May  15,  190°-  and 
was  known  as  Company  G,  Third  Infantry, 
Indiana  National  Guard.  This  company  is 
still  in  the  service  and  through  the  efforts 
of  its  officers  has  the  reputation  of  being 
one  of  the  most  efficient  in  the  state. 

COMPANY  G. 

This  company  was  organized  at  Colum- 
bia City,  Whitley  county,  on  June  28,  1895, 
and  was  assigned  as  Company  G,  Fourth 
Regiment,   Indiana   National   Guard. 

214A — Bowen  Historical 

Captain. 

Harrison.  Joseph  R. 


First  Lieutenant. 
Linvill,  David  S. 

Second  Lieutenant. 

Clapham,  Lloyd  D. 

First  Sergeant. 

Gallivan.  Thomas. 

Quartermaster  Sergcan  t. 

Washburn,  John  L. 

Sergeants. 

Clapham,  Simon  P.        Reese.  Dr.  J. 
Malone,  Otis.  Erdman.  August  E. 

Corporals. 

Clapham,  John  T.  Brown.  Edwin  M. 
Gardner,  William  F.  Wallace.  Byron  P. 
Kronk.  Charles. 

Musicians. 

Fen-en,  Philip.  Myers,  Christian  D. 

Artificer. 

Waterfall.  Fred   S. 

Wagoner. 

Hoose,   William. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Privates. 


Anthes,  Adolph. 

Binkley,  Daniel. 
Binkley,  Lewis. 
Brenneman,  F.  R. 
Brown,  Erwin  L. 
Brown,  Simon. 
Bryan.  Howard. 
Chapman,  Carlos  D. 
Clark,  Walter  L. 
Connolly,  John. 
Corse,  Alfred  E. 
Cotton,  Elmer  K. 
Croxton.  Daniel  C. 
Croy,  Daniel. 
Crov,  Tames. 
Dull.  Charles. 
Erb.  Howard. 
Fullam,  John. 
Fuller.  Jethro. 
Graves.  Edward. 
Groesbeck.  Fred. 
Gross,  Raymond. 
Groves.  Laurtes  H. 
Haynes,  Jedd. 
Hammontree.  Jos. 
Harshbarger,  Paul. 
Holbrook,  Chas.  F. 
Jackson,  L.  E. 
Jellison,  Floyd  O. 
Jellison,  Robert  A. 
Johnston,  James. 
Kinney,  James  R. 


Long,  Peter  J. 
Lowry,  Albert  S. 
Markley,  S.  N. 
Miller.  Horace  W. 
Mitten,  Frank  L. 
Monroe,  Stephen  L. 
More,  Charles  H. 
Myers.  Ira  Sankey. 
Xott.  George  W. 
Norris.  Fred. 
Pence.  Elmer  E. 
Pickard,  Walter  H. 
Rapp,  Fred. 
Rapp,  John. 
Reid,  Ralph. 
Ruckman,  Chas.  F. 
Russell.  Earl  D. 
Shafer,  Calvin. 
Slentz.  Brodie. 
Slesman,  Wm.  H. 
Smith.  Mell  C. 
Smoots,  John. 
Souder.  El. 
Squires,  Horatio  H. 
Squires,  O.  P.  M. 
Vernon,  N.  E. 
Wallace,  Frank  M. 
Warner,  Wayman. 
Webber,  Harry  E. 
Whiteleather.  J.  F. 
Winegardner,  A. 
Yontz,  Ralph. 


Recruits. 


*Baker,   Tudson. 
Barr.  Alfred  F. 
Buntain,  Alva. 
Butler,  Richard. 
Brown,  Eli. 
Brand.  Charles  C. 


Garty,  Robert  W. 
Gilbert.  Willis. 
Kane,  John. 
Klingaman,   James. 
Klingaman,  Gid. 
Xott.  Frank. 


Clark,  Frank  L. 
Curtis.  Elmer. 
C rowel,  Sai. 
Crowel,  Charles  O. 
Easton,   Clarence. 
Fletcher,  Tames. 


Miller,  Harry  W. 
Xeiswonger,  Elza. 
Pine,  Charles  R. 
Prugh,  Raymond. 
Rindfusz,  Clyde. 
Waugh,  Harvev  E. 


*Died   December    14.    1? 
bus,  Georgia. 
15 


at   Colum- 


Ferguson.  Chas.  M. 

1 

COST    OF   THE    CIVIL    WAR. 

During  the  greater  part  of  the  years  of 
the  Civil  war,  the  government  expenses 
amounted  to  a  million  and  a  half  dollars  a 
day  and  at  the  end  of  the  war  the  public 
debt  amounted  to  $2,808,549,437.55.  This 
debt  must  be  extinguished  with  interest  ac- 
cruing. Indirect  or  tariff  tax  was  laid  at 
a  merciless  rate  on  everything  and  no  per- 
sons would  attempt  to  compute  the  tax  thus 
paid  by  a  county,  a  township,  municipality 
or  an  individual.  Direct  internal  revenue 
or  excise  tax  was  also  levied  upon  articles 
manufactured  within  the  country,  nearly  if 
not  quite  as  great,  and  in  addition  congress 
had  been  driven  to  enactments  to  provide 
revenue,  that  were  more  grievous  than 
either  of  the  others,  because  more  easily  as- 
certained and  more  directly  collected. 

In  the  year  1865  there  was  levied  and 
collected  in  Whitley  county  the  following 
revenue  taxes : 

Home  manufactured  products  .  .  $1,355.  I7 

Licenses     2, 188 .  24 

Carriages     105 .  00 

Watches    20 .  00 

Musical   instruments    14.00 

Incomes     2,875  •  7° 

Slaughtered  animals    134.35 

Auction  sales    45-97 

Legacies    43  .  84 


226  WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

Beer     136.00     assessed   for  that  year.     In  addition,  there 

SPints   9,130.00      was  levied   for  that  year  and  collected  on 

Revenue  stamps  sold 1,646. 14      . 1  „  .     4        1     i-    ^    r      ,1         ,.ri., 

1  •  -+       -+      the  county  tax  duplicate  for  the  relief  of  sol- 

diers   and    soldiers'     families,    $12,110.48. 
•     $17,694.41  .  ■     v     .      y-t 

These  two  items  alone  cost  almost  six  times 
Estimating  according  to  the  rule  em-  the  amount  levied  and  collected  for  the  sup- 
ployed  for  calculating  the  population  in  the  port  of  the  common  schools.  There  were 
middle  of  a  decade,  there  were  in  1865  other  large  expenditures,  such  as  bounty,  etc. 
12,564  people  in  the  county,  or  2,512  voters.  At  a  very  conservative  estimate,  the  Civil 
This  revenue  tax  levied  and  collected  within  war  cost  the  county  of  Whitley  at  least  one 
the  county  for  national  purposes  therefore  and  one-third  the  entire  assessed  valuation 
amounted  to  one  dollar  and  forty  cents  plus  of  all  her  real  estate  in  in  1865.  And  in  this 
for  each  person,  or  over  seven  dollars  for  estimate  we  do  not  consider  the  burden  of 
each  voter,  or  over  ten  dollars  for  each  poll  tariff  taxation. 


BANKS  AND  BANKING. 


BY   MARTIN  L.   GALBREATH. 


The  permanent  place  of  operation  or  the 
definite  locality  of  the  operator,  the  act  or 
operation  of  dealing"  in  money,  the  opera- 
tion or  business  of  a  banker,  the  method 
he  adopts  in  carrying-  into  execution  the 
various  operations  required  in  carrying  out 
the  details  of  his  methods  and  the  persistent 
and  strict  observance  of  these  principles  in 
the  conduct  of  monetary  operations  may 
well  be  styled  "Banks  and  Banking." 

However  interesting  and  instructive  as 
these  various  commercial  doings  may  ap- 
pear, it  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  article  to 
enter  this  broad  scope  of  useful  research, 
but  merely  give  a  brief  synopsis  of  the  time 
and  place  of  some  of  the  ancient  bank  opera- 
tions as  a  preliminary  to  the  more  detailed 
features  of  "Banks  and  Banking"  in  Whit- 
lev  county. 


Banking,  like  all  other  enterprises,  could 
not  have  been  much  needed  nor  required  un- 
til public  sentiment  and  commercial  neces- 
sity had  developed  to  a  degree  which  made 
it  possible  for  their  existence,  yet  the  origin 
dates  back  to  a  remote  time  in  the  world's 
history.  The  practice  of  loaning  money  for 
interest  is  a  part  of  the  old  Mosaic  law 
which  reads,  "If  thou  lend  money  to  any  of 
ni)r  people  that  is  poor  by  thee,  thou  shalt 
not  be  to  him  as  a  usurer,  neither  shalt  thou 
lay  upon  him  excess  usury,"  and  as  it  was  also 
said  by  the  Divine  Teacher  after  the  days  of 
the  Xew  Testament,  "Thou  oughtest  to  have 
put  my  money  to  the  exchangers  and  then 
at  my  coming  I  should  have  received  mine 
own  with  usury." 

Recent  discovery  which  is  highly  inter- 
esting to  the  student  of  finance  discloses  be- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


yond  the  shadow  of  a  reasonable  doubt  that 
there  was  a  banking  establishment  in  the 
ancient  city  of  Babylon  as  early  as  604  B.  C, 
which  did  a  commercial  business  of  the 
great  Euphrates  river  that  would  have  done 
no  discredit  to  the  Bank  of  England.  Not 
long  since  it  was  my  good  fortune  to  be  put 
in  possession  of  a  fine  series  of  articles  on 
this  subject,  showing  that  banking  was  well 
understood  at  Athens  nearly  as  early  as  at 
Babylon. 

Italy  was  one  of  the  leaders  in  banking 
in  the  middle  ages  and  in  fact  the  English 
word  "bank"  comes  from  the  Italian  word 
"banco,"  which  means  a  "bench"  and  points 
to  the  fact  that  while  the  first  bankers  were 
conducting  their  business  they  sat  upon 
benches  as  the  Hindoo  money  changers  do 
to  this  day.  All  of  us  know  more  or  less 
of  the  Bank  of  England.  It  was  founded 
by  the  greatest  financier  of  his  day,  Wil- 
liam Patterson,  on  July  2j,  1694.  This 
mighty  financial  concern  stands  practically 
alone  as  a  bank,  there  being  nothing  supe- 
rior to  it  in  the  civilized  world.  It  consti- 
tutes a  category  of  itself.  It  is  operated  and 
ruled  by  a  governor,  a  deputy  governor  anil 
twenty-four  directors.  Its  original  capital 
was  fi  .200,000,  or  about  $6,000,000.  It 
is  a  bank  of  issue.  It  is  often  called  upon 
to  help  the  government  in  its  need  of  finan- 
cial assistance,  and  in  return  the  government 
frequently  comes  to  the  monetary  rescue  of 
this  bank.  With  all  of  its  gigantic  power 
and  worldwide  possessions  it  has  seen  its 
days  of  distress  and  its  prosperous  seasons 
of  success.  Its  vicissitudes  have  been  fre- 
quent and  great,  and  the  day  of  adversity 
has  shadowed  at  times  its  prosperous  life. 
In   1696,  when  but  two  years  old,   it   was 


forced  to  suspend  payment  of  its  notes,  and 
in  1797  and  1820  it  was  restricted  from 
making  its  payments  in  gold.  The  directors 
of  this  bank  meet  every  Tuesday  for  the 
purpose  of  fixing  the  rate  of  discount  and 
for  the  adjustment  of  any  and  all  matters 
relative  to  its  successful  operation.  Com- 
ing nearer  home,  we  find  that  the  Bank  of 
the  United  States  was  established  in  1790, 
although  it  was  not  incorporated  until  1816. 
This  great  American  institution  passed 
through  many  and  varied  changes  as  the 
outgrowth  of  conditions  arising-  from  the 
development  of  the  country  in  general,  and 
from  the  rise  and  fall  of  different  political 
parties  springing  up  along  the  line  of  our 
phenomenal  expansion. 

NATIONAL    BANKS. 

During  the  stormy  times  of  the  Civil 
war  the  present  national  banking  system 
was  instituted,  which  is  based  upon  the  prin- 
ciple that  United  States  bonds  to  an  amount 
equal  to  the  capital  stock  of  the  bank  shall 
be  purchased  by  the  stockholders  of  any 
proposed  bank  and  be  placed  on  deposit  with 
the  comptroller  of  the  currency  at  Washing- 
ton, as  a  positive,  tangible  security  to  the 
issue  of  the  said  bank.  For  many  years  but 
ninety  per  cent,  of  the  amount  of  bonds  so 
deposited  was  issued  in  currency  for  the 
bank's  use.  but  of  more  recent  years  the 
entire  amount  of  the  face  of  the  bonds  thus 
deposited  has  been  issued  in  bank  notes  if 
desired  by  the  stockholders  of  the  bank : 
however,  five  per  cent,  of  the  issue  is  held  in 
reserve  by  the  comptroller  as  a  guarantee 
ag'ainst  losses  by  notes  not  returned  for  re- 
demption.    By  this  method  of  procedure  a 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


uniformity  of  bank  notes  is  maintained  and 
is  a  great  protection  to  the  government 
against  counterfeiting. 

The  individual  states  of  the  Union  had 
their  own  system  of  banking  prior  to  the 
great  Civil  war,  each  being  a  thing  of  itself 
and  a  bank  of  issue  and  in  many  cases  its 
notes  were  poorly  secured,  thus  making  sure 
a  great  loss  to  the  holder  thereof  at  the 
slightest  commercial  provocation  or  de- 
pression. 

We  think  it  will  not  be  amiss  here  to 
briefly  refer  to  our  own  state  banks  during 
this  period  of  financial  uncertainty  and  de- 
pression as  a  compliment  to  our  credit, 
and  to  those  in  charge  of  our  common- 
wealth at  this  critical  time.  The  notes  is- 
sued by  the  state  banks  of  Indiana  during 
this  perilous  season  had  almost  a  sterling 
value  everywhere. 

Our  bank  notes  were  never  rejected  by 
any  of  the  other  states  nor  by  any  individual. 
so  well  was  their  virtue  known.  They 
passed  in  payment  of  debts  at  all  times  and 
at  par. 

The  character  of  the  issue  of  our  banks 
was  practically  established  before  its  dis- 
tribution. The  state  had  agents  in  the  east 
busily  engaged  in  detailing  the  character  of 
our  securities  and  strengthening  the  faith 
of  the  money  centers  in  the  sincerity  of  our 
purpose.  This  good  work  was  due  almost 
in  the  entirety  to  the  efforts  of  two  men 
whose  names  the  financiers  of  today  hold  in 
reverence.  We  refer  to  the  late  Hugh  Mc- 
Culloch  and  I.  F.  D.  Lanier,  now  the  head 
of  the  great  financial  concern  of  Winslow. 
Lanier  &  Co.,  of  the  city  of  New  York. 
The  latter  was  a  state  agent  in  the  east  and 
in  a  position  to  come  in  direct  contact  with 


the  money  centers  and  their  operations,  thus 
fitting  him  well  for  the  directing  of  our 
monetary  affairs  toward  an  end  worthy  the 
dignity  of  a  state.  In  order  to  accomplish 
this  work  Mr.  Lanier  spent  liberally  of  his. 
own  personal  means  in  the  maintenance  of 
a  high  standard  of  excellency  in  our  state 
money,  and  the  fact  that  not  a  dollar  was 
lost  to  a  single  citizen  of  the  United  States, 
by  virtue  of  a  bad,  unsecured  bill  cropping 
out  from  a  bank  of  Indiana,  seems  to  have 
been  sufficient  gratifictaion  to  him  for  all  the 
money  and  effort  so  lavishly  bestowed. 

THE    COLUMBIA    CITY    NATIONAL    BANK. 

November  26,  1867,  marked  the  begin- 
ning of  the  banking-  business  in  Whitley 
county.  Before  that  time  no  one  was  doing 
a  strict  banking"  business  in  the  county,  al- 
thougii  Franklin  H.  Foust,  a  successful  mer- 
chant since  1852,  received  deposits  for  safe 
keeping,  issuing-  therefor  a  simple  receipt 
payable  on  demand.  This  was  followed  by 
making  settlements  for  traders,  stock  dealers 
and  local  merchants  of  their  eastern  ac- 
counts. But  it  was  not  until  1867  that  Mr. 
Foust  discontinued  merchandising  and 
turned  his  entire  attention  to  banking. 

The  close  of  the  war  and  the  return  of 
the  soldiers  gave  a  new  impetus  to  industry 
along  all  lines  in  Whitley  county  and  a  reg- 
ular banking  institution  was  one  of  the  needs 
of  the  time.  The  bank  was  opened  in  a 
room  fourteen  by  twenty  feet,  now  occupied 
as  a  part  of  the  Harter  restaurant.  Associ- 
ated with  Mr.  Foust  in  this  venture  was 
Adam  Wolfe,  of  Muncie,  Indiana,  and  the 
firm  name  was  F.  H.  Foust  &  Co.  Mr. 
Wolfe  retained  his  interest  in  the  bank  until 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


229 


his  death  in  1892.  The  office  equipment  of 
the  original  bank  consisted  of  a  large  Hall 
safe  and  some  plain  office  furniture,  but 
these  met  all  demands  for  the  time  being. 
It  was  a  private  bank  and  had  the  fortunes 
of  the  partners  behind  it. 


Brand,  Sr.,  J.  F.  Mossman,  David  James, 
Sanford  T.  Mosher,  Ephraim  Strong.  Sr.. 
Isaac  VV.  Prickett.  Dan  Daniel.  Alfred 
West,  Michael  Yohe,  R.  B.  Boyd. 

THE    NEW    BUILDING. 


FIRST    DEPOSITORS. 

The  first  depositor  was  James  Taylor. 
Other  depositors  within  a  few  days  of  the 
opening-  were  the  following  well  known  cit- 
izens of  Whitley  county:  C.  D.  Waidlich, 
H.  S.  Cobaugh,  James  S.  Collins,  J.  O. 
Adams,  Richard  Collins,  Nathan  Levi,  A. 
Y.  Hooper,  Taylor  &  Boyd,  Eli  W.  Brown, 
Linvill  &  Edwards,  Eyanson  &  Bro.,  Henry 
Swihart,  N.  D.  Torbert,  Samuel  Freidger, 
Josiah  Archer,  Dr.  M.  Ireland.  Jonathan 
Keirn.  Henry  Zumbrun,  Colonel  I.  B.  Mc- 
Donald, William  Reed,  M.  E.  Click,  Samuel 
Raber,  Augusta  V.  Ireland,  William  Wal- 
ters, Ben  Steinfield,  A.  Kramer,  Judge  Rich- 
ard Knisely,  Jeremiah  Stiver,  G.  W.  Harley, 
Samuel  Braden,  Warren  Mason,  S.  G. 
North,  Otha  Clark,  John  J.  Rhodes,  Jacob 
Pentz,  John  A.  Kaufman,  Solomon  Miller, 
Gove  Davenport,  H.  C.  Yontz,  William 
Walker,  William  W.  Kepner,  J.  H.  Kepner, 
F.  M.  McDonald,  Charles  Shuh,  W.  A. 
Geiger,  Dennis  Walters,  Zeph  Johnson, 
Julia  Mauk,  A.  L.  Sandmeyer,  F.  P.  Grues- 
beck,  A.  J.  Stouffs,  James  M.  Barnes,  Daniel 
Hively,  James  Shaw,  Fred  Magley,  Charles 
Compton,  Levi  Waugh,  M.  D.  Garrison, 
Joseph  Waugh,  W.  M.  Hughes.  A.  A. 
Ricker,  Francis  Tulley,  Sarah  Nickey,  Jo- 
seph Egolf,  George  K.  Hurd,  Christian 
Lucke,  W.  M.  Crowell,  K.  C.  Hamilton, 
Michael    Sickafoose,    B.    F.    Ream,    John 


By  the  year  1870  the  bank  had  out- 
grown the  quarters  in  which  it  was  started. 
Banking  was  no  longer  an  experiment  in 
Whitley  county,  it  had  become  a  necessary 
institution.  The  wealth  of  the  community 
was  rapidly  increasing,  a  new  railroad  was 
being  constructed  through  the  county,  and 
Mr.  Foust  and  his  partner  prepared  to  meet 
the  needs  of  the  public  by  providing  more 
commodious  quarters  for  the  bank.  The  re- 
sult was  that  in  1S73  the  handsome  brick 
and  stone  building  at  the  corner  of  Main 
and  Van  Buren  streets  was  erected  as  the 
permanent  home  of  what  was  then  known 
as  the  Columbia  City  Bank.  The  building 
was  planned  by  Mr.  Foust  with  special  ref- 
erence to  convenience  and  safety.  The  bank 
vaults,  constructed  under  Mr.  Foust's  per- 
sonal supervision,  were  fire  proof  and  bur- 
glar proof  and  at  the  time  were  the  best  and 
most  substantial  of  any  in  the  state  north 
of  Indianapolis. 

The  year  1873  was  one  that  the  old 
bankers  of  the  state  will  never  forget,  and 
the  resources  of  the  Columbia  City  Bank 
passed  through  a  trial  such  as  was  never 
known  before  or  since.  The  New  York 
correspondent  of  the  bank  failed  and  a 
large  reserve  deposit  was  tied  up.  The  Chi- 
cago banks  refused  to  do  business  with  the 
country  banks,  and  the  Fort  Wayne  banks 
held  all  the  currency  they  could  get.  Un- 
aided and  alone  Mr.  Foust  paid  every  check 


230 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


and  met  every  demand  during  the  entire 
time  of  the  great  panic,  and  came  through 
without  the  loss  of  a  dollar  to  a  depositor. 

BECOMES    A    NATIONAL    BANK. 

After  the  death  of  Adam  Wolfe  Mr. 
Foust  made  a  settlement  with  the  heirs  of 
his  deceased  partner  and  became  the  sole 
owner  of  the  Columbia  City  Bank.  He  con- 
tinued to  conduct  the  bank  as  a  private  in- 
stitution until  his  increasing  years  reminded 
him  that  if  his  life  work  was  to  live  after 
him  his  bank  should  be  organized  as  a  na- 
tional bank.  Application  to  incorporate  un- 
der the  national  banking  laws  of  the  United 
States  was  approved  by  the  comptroller  of 
the  currency  and  the  nth  day  of  April, 
1904,  the  Columbia  City  National  Bank 
opened  for  business  with  a  capital  stock  of 
fifty  thousand  dollars,  the  majority  of  which 
was  held  by  Mr.  Foust.  Other  stockholders 
and  directors  were  S.  J.  Peabody.  Andrew 
A.  Adams,  William  H.  Magley,  Benton  E. 
Gates  and  Cleon  H.  Foust.  The  officers 
were  Franklin  H.  Foust,  president ;  S.  J. 
Peabody,  vice-president;  William  H.  Mag- 
ley,  cashier,  and  Cleon  H.  Foust.  assistant 
cashier.  No  change  has  been  made  in  the 
officers,  but  Judge  Walter  Olds,  of  Fort 
Wayne,  and  Albert  B.  Tucker,  of  Etna,  be- 
came stockholders  and  were  in  January, 
1907,  elected  directors. 

CONDENSED   STATEMENT. 

In  the  report  to  the  comptroller  of  the 
condition  of  the  bank  at  the  close  of  busi- 
ness on  January  26,  1907,  the  bank  made 
the  following  statement : 


Resources. 

Loans  and  discounts $166,971.66 

Overdrafts   3,489.49 

U.  S.  Bonds,  for  circulation.  .  .  .  50,000.00 

U.  S.  and  other  bonds 32,788.10 

Banking  house,  real  estate,  fur- 
niture and  fixtures 22,495.80 

Due  from  banks 128,110.10 

Redemption  funds  with  U.  S.  .  .  2,500.00 

Cash   36,906.23 


$443,261.38 


Liabilities. 


Capital  stock   *.  .  .$  50,000.00 

Surplus  and  profits 8,321.54 

Circulation 48,800.00 

Deposits   336,139.84 


$443-261.38 

THE    FIRST    NATIONAL    BANK    OF    COLUMBIA 
CITY. 

This  popular  bank  has  the  pre-eminent 
distinction  of  being  the  largest  institution 
of  its  kind  in  the  county  and  was  established 
in  1873.  Realizing  the  need  of  greater  facil- 
ities for  local  banking  in  the  city  and  countv 
than  were  then  enjoyed,  Elisha  L.  McLallen, 
a  retired  merchant  and  capitalist  of  Larwill, 
his  brother,  Henry  McLallen,  of  the  same 
place,  then  county  treasurer,  and  Theodore 
Reed,  of  Columbia  City,  formed  a  banking 
association  named  E.  L.  McLallen  &  Co. 
Mr.  Reed  retired  at  the  end  of  the  first 
year,  disposing  of  his  interest  to  the  other 
members  of  the  firm. 

The  McLallen  brothers,  with  others,  had 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


23* 


previously  purchased  from  Hon.  Thomas 
Washburn  the  row  of  dilapidated  wooden 
building's  standing"  on  the  north  side  of  Van- 
Buren  street  opposite  the  court  house  and 
they  thereupon  erected  what  is  known  as  the 
Central  block.  The  banking  department  of 
this  building  was  designed  and  constructed 
by  the  members  of  the  firm,  who  spared  no 
means  to  make  it  the  best  protected  bank 
building  in  this  part  of  Indiana,  thoroughly 
equipped  and  modernized  for  commercial 
banking.  The  vault  in  this  structure  is  of 
solid  burglar-proof  masonry  extending  four- 
teen feet  below  the  ground  floor,  is  the 
first  vault  ever  built  in  the  county,  and  it 
contains  the  first  burglar-proof  steel  safe  in- 
stalled in  the  county.  After  having  made 
prearrangements  as  stated,  the  business  was 
launched  on  April  i,  1874,  and  that  "open- 
ing day"  found  the  new  firm  installed  in  its 
new  and  commodious  quarters  under  the 
name  of  "The  Fanners'  Bank,"  E.  L.  Mc- 
Lallen  &  Co. 

From  the  first  the  firm,  encouraged  by 
the  substantial  people  of  the  community,  met 
.with  confidence  and  success  and  its  growth 
has  ever  since  been  steady  and  continuous. 
Its  business  has  increased  with  the  develop- 
ment of  its  resources,  as  the  city  and  county 
have  progressed,  until  it  has  become  an  im- 
portant factor  in  maintaining  our  phenom- 
enal expansion.  The  fact  that  it  passed,  un- 
aided, through  varied  financial  depressions 
and  monetary  disturbances  for  the  third  of 
a  century  explains  in  a  measure  at  least  the 
magnificent  patronage  it  now  enjoys.  In 
the  latter  part  of  1889  the  junior  members, 
E.  L.  McLallen,  2d,  and  W.  F.  McLallen, 
were  admitted  to  partnership.  The  greatest 
blow   the  personnel  of  this  institution   has 


ever  sustained  occurred  in  March,  1895, 
when  without  warning'  the  senior  member, 
E.  L.  McLallen,  1st,  while  apparently  in 
perfect  health,  was  stricken  with  apoplexy 
and  fell  dead  at  the  door  of  his  private  con- 
sultation room  in  the  rear  of  the  offices.  His 
sudden  death  was  an  inestimable  loss  to  the 
institution  which  he  had  helped  found  and 
to  the  community  as  well.  In  the  summer  of 
that  year  H.  De  Witt  McLallen  became  an 
active  member  of  the  firm. 

For  three  generations  or  more  the  Mc- 
Lallens  have  been  bankers  in  a  true  commer- 
cial sense,  having  controlled  large  financial 
transactions  for  themselves,  and  they  have 
ever  bear  a  class  of  men  to  whom  the  less 
successful  could  appeal  for  financial  guid- 
ance. Perhaps  the  business  sagacity  and 
the  progressive  spirit  of  the  operators  of 
this  bank  has  in  no  instance  been  more  in 
evidence  than  in  a  change  of  their  affairs 
somewhat  recently  made.  Aware  of  the  un- 
stable character  of  a  private  bank,  uncon- 
trolled by  any  state  or  federal  authority, 
the  firm  decided  to  "nationalize"  the  insti- 
tution, which  was  accordingly  done  Feb- 
ruary 2,  1904,  when  the  Farmres'  -Bank  was 
reorganized  and  chartered  as  "the  First 
National  Bank,"  of  Columbia  City,  under 
No.  7132.  It  has  a  capital  stock  of  $50,000, 
all  fully  paid,  which  is  all  held  by  the  Mc- 
Lallens  except  an  allotment  which  was  fit- 
tingly apportioned  at  this  time  to  Thomas 
L.  Hildebrand,  who  has  been  identified  with 
this  bank  for  over  seventeen  years  and  who 
on  the  above  date  was  made  assistant  cash- 
ier. The  business  proportions  of  this  bank 
can  be  well  adjudged  from  an  examination 
of  its  last  current  statement,  which  was 
issued  at  the  close  of  its  business  hours  on 


232 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


January  29,  1907,  which  statement  we  here- 
with append : 

Resources. 

Loans  and  discounts $258,208.89 

U.  S.  bonds  for  circulation 50,000.00 

Other  bonds 51,842.60 

Real   estate,   furniture   and  fix- 
tures        15,000.00 

Cash  on  hand  and  in  banks.  .  .  .    165,198.20 


$540,249.69 


Liabilities. 


Capital  stock $  50,000.00 

Surplus  and  undivided  profits .  .        7,077.94 

Circulation   50,000.00 

DePosits   433,171.75 


$540,249.69 

The  officers  of  this  bank  are  as  follows : 
Henry  McLallen,  president ;  E.  L.  McLallen, 
vice-president;  H.  De  Witt  McLallen,  vice- 
president;  Walter  F.  McLallen.  cashier; 
Thomas  F.  Hildebrand,  assistant  cashier. 

THE    SOUTH    WHITLEY    BANK,    JOHN 
ARNOLD    &    CO. 

The  next  and  third  bank  organized 
within  the  limits  of  the  county  was  that  of 
the  bank  at  South  whitley  known  under  its 
firm  name  of  John  Arnold  &  Co. 

For  many  years  one  of  the  leading  fam- 
ilies of  South  Whitley  was  that  of  the  Ar- 
nolds. They  came  to  the  county  with  other 
pioneers  and  various  members  of  the  family 
located  at  different  parts  of  the  country  in 
and   about   the   village   of   Springfield,   now 


called  South  Whitley.  John  Arnold  located 
upon  a  tract  of  land  lying  on  the  south  bank 
of  Eel  river  about  four  miles  east  of  South 
Whitley,  which  had  been  given  to  him  by 
his  father. 

One  of  the  most  essential  needs  of  the 
early  pioneer  was  that  of  a  grist  mill  and 
accordingly  the  citizens  of  Springfield  early 
in  the  spring  of  185 1  started  a  subscription 
for  the  purpose  of  raising  a  fund  to  induce 
some  one  to  undertake  the  establishment  of 
a  flouring  mill  on  the  river  at  that  place. 
True  to  their  former  progressive  business 
instincts,  John  Arnold  and  some  of  his 
brothers  looked  upon  the  proposition  with 
favor,  and  as  an  outgrowth  of  their  discus- 
sion they  erected  a  saw  mill  during  the  year 
of  1852. 

This  venture  was  fraught  with  such  mar- 
velous results  and  was  productive  of  such 
indispensable  utility  to  the  settlers  of  the 
surrounding"  country  that  the  flouring  mill 
proposition  was  undertaken  the  following 
year  and  culminated  in  the  erection  of  a  mill 
on  the  present  site  of  the  mill  now  owned 
and  operated  by  the  South  Whitley  Mill 
Company.  In  conjunction  with  the  two 

enterprises  mentioned  the  Arnolds  erected 
a  fine  one-story  brick  business  house  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  Front  and  State  streets 
in  the  village  and  from  it  commenced  the 
retail  mercantile  business. 

The  country  store  flourished  under  their 
careful  management  like  their  previous  ven- 
tures, until  it  soon  became  apparent  that 
greater  facilities  were  extremely  necessary 
for  the  adequate  handling  of  their  commer- 
cial interests  and  accordingly  John  Arnold 
and  his  brother  Jesse  founded  a  private  bank 
at    North    Manchester    in    the    summer   of 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


'-33 


1871.  For  seven  years  this  bank  was  suc- 
cessfully operated  in  connection  with  their 
business  interests  at  South  Whitley,  until 
some  of  the  younger  members  of  the  family 
had  been  admitted  to  the  various  interests 
involved  in  their  operations  and  a  second 
private  bank  was  organized  and  opened  its 
doors  for  business  in  a  fine  two-story  brick 
building  built  for  that  purpose  and  located 
on  the  southeast  corner  of  Front  and  State 
streets,  just  opposite  the  Arnold  store. 

This  bank  was  not  organized  under  the 
law,  but  was  a  private  or  partnership  bank, 
the  partners  being  John  Arnold,  of  South 
Whitley,  and  Jesse  Arnold,  of  North  Man- 
chester. 

This  bank  enjoyed  the  confidence  of 
the  people  of  the  community  from  the  start 
and  had  become  an  important  factor  in  the 
commercial  interests  of  South  Whitley. 

About  the  time  this  bank  was  organized, 
or  in  1878.  the  Arnolds  divided  their  busi- 
ness interests  and  the  bank  at  North  Man- 
chester was  made  a  national  bank,  with 
Jesse  Arnold  as  its  president,  and  the  bank 
at  South  Whitley  was  managed  directly  by 
John  Arnold,  who  pursued  the  best  plans 
known  by  him  to  build  up  a  banking  business 
on  lines  to  maintain  the  confidence  of  the 
patrons  of  his  concern. 

In  October,  1880,  he  was  stricken  with 
a  fever,  resulting  in  his  death  after  a  brief 
illness.  His  death  was  a  great  shock  to  the 
community.  The  people  had  learned  to 
know  him  as  a  kind  hearted,  benevolent  citi- 
zen and  the  rectitude  of  his  conduct  had 
merited  him  an  everlasting  remembrance  by 
the  people  of  South  Whitley.  During  the 
quarter  of  a  century  of  an  active  business 
career  John  Arnold  had  accumulated  consid- 


erable property,  both  personal  and  real,  and 
by  the  terms  of  his  last  will  and  testament 
his  possessions  were  placed  under  the  con- 
trol of  his  wife,  and  his  son  James  was 
called  home  from  college  to  assist  in  the  ac- 
tive management  of  the  business.  After 
a  few  vears  some  changes  were  made  and 
the  bank  was  thereafter  operated  under  the 
name  of  James  Arnold  and  Company,  and 
was  known  as  the  South  Whitley  Bank,  but 
for  convenience  of  management  the  records 
of  the  bank  named  James  Arnold  as  presi- 
dent. Jesse  Arnold,  vice-president,  and 
Thompson  Arnold  as  cashier.  The  last 
named  was  a  son  of  Jesse  Arnold  and 
was  practicing  law  at  Marion,  Indiana,  but 
gave  up  his  practice  to  take  a  position  in  the 
bank  at  South  Whitley.  For  ten  years 
or  more  James  had  direct  charge  not 
only  of  the  bank,  but  led  in  the  business 
operations  of  the  flouring  mill,  besides  the 
handling  of  a  large  elevator,  which  had 
been  erected  by  the  Arnolds  in  conjunction 
with  the  mill.  Besides  the  foregoing  busi- 
ness enterprises,  James  became  interested  in 
some  personal  affairs  and  formed  a  part- 
nership with  Simeon  Huffman  in  the  lumber 
business  and  operated  this  business  from 
Grassy  creek,  Fulton  county,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Arnold  &  Huflman.  In  1887.  he 
was  elected  township  trustee  of  Cleveland 
township  which  greatly  increased  his  under- 
takings and  responsibilities.  During  his 
term  of  office  he  built  the  magnificent  public 
school  building  now  owned  by  the  corpora- 
tion of  South  Whitley  in  which  the  public 
schools  are  now  conducted.  During  the 
summer  of  1893  large  amounts  of  grain 
were  bought  and  shipped  by  the  Arnold  Mill 
Company  and  many  bushels  were  placed  in 


^34 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


storage  in  the  mill  and  elevators  owned  and 
operated  by  the  Arnolds,  all  of  which  neces- 
sarily required  large  sums  of  money.  So 
great  indeed  were  the  needs  of  the  bank  for 
ready  money  that  their  deposit  with  their 
correspondent  in  New  York  and  Chicago 
had  ebbed  to  such  a  low  tide  that  in  June 
two  drafts  drawn  on  their  Chicago  account 
went  to  protest.  This  unfortunate  and  most 
disastrous  occurrence  soon  became  known 
among  the  local  bankers  of  the  country  and 
ultimately  came  to  public  notice  which  was 
the  direct  cause  of  heavy  withdrawals  from 
the  bank  and  a  run  on  the  institution  was 
averted  only  by  the  assurance  of  the  Arnolds 
that  they  were  amply  able  to  meet  any  de- 
mand made  upon  them,  and  that  they  had 
three  dollars'  worth  of  assets  to  every  dollar 
of  liability,  and  by  the  further  action  of  a 
large  number  of  responsible  citizens  signing 
an  article  of  agreement  binding  themselves 
to  discharge  any  obligation  of  the  bank  that 
might  not  be  liquidated  by  it  on  demand. 
(This  agreement  was  soon  afterward 
rescinded.) 

The  action  of  the  citizens  of  the  town 
in  coming  to  the  aid  of  the  bank  in  June, 
in  a  measure  quieted  the  apprehensions  of 
depositors,  but  there  continued  to  be  a  quiet 
withdrawal  of  deposits,  until  October  fol- 
lowing, when  it  became  apparent  that  their 
little  financial  craft  had  drifted  so  far  from 
the  moorings  of  the  founders,  that  a  return 
to  the  golden  haven  of  splendor  and  plenty 
was  but  a  dream  of  idle  hope  and  on 
the  third  day  of  October,  1893,  James 
Arnold  went  to  Columbia  City  and  made 
a  full  statement  of  the  bank's  condition  to 
his  attorney.  A.  A.  Adams,  still  insisting 
that  the  bank  was  solvent.     It  was  the  judg- 


ment of  the  attorney  that  for  the  protection 
of  creditors  a  receiver  should  be  appointed 
without  delay,  and  accordingly  the  case  of 
Jesse  Arnold  vs.  James  Arnold,  for  the  ap- 
pointment of  receiver,  was  filed  and  the 
papers  were  taken  the  same  day  by  Mr. 
Adams  to  Albion  and  presented  to  Hon.  Jo- 
seph W.  Adair,  judge  of  the  thirty-third 
judicial  circuit,  who  was  holding  court  at 
that  time  in  Noble  county.  James  Arnold, 
the  defendant,  was  present  in  court,  admitted 
the  truth  of  the  facts  set  out  in  the  com- 
plaint and  consented  'to  the  appointment  of 
a  receiver.  William  B.  Fox,  of  South 
Whitley,  was  named  as  receiver  and  took 
charge  of  the  bank  on  the  morning  of  Octo- 
ber 4,  1893,  after  giving  the  required  bond. 
Ford  Grimes  and  Francis  B.  Moe  were  ap- 
pointed appraisers  and  spent  more  than  a 
week  in  listing  the  assets  and  liabilities  of 
the  bank.  The  assets  consisted  of  three  hun- 
dred and  nine  items  of  personal  property, 
real  estate,  notes,  mortgages,  overdrafts  and 
cither  claims.,  amounting  in  all  to  eighty-two 
thousand  eig-ht  hundred  thirty-five  dollars 
and  forty-five  cents  face  value.  Such  a 
large  part  of  the  listed  assets  were  consid- 
ered worthless  that  the  appraisers  valued  the 
same  at  nineteen  thousand  five  hundred 
twenty-eight  dollars  and  sixty  cents. 

The  liabilities  scheduled  embraced  six 
hundred  and  thirty-eight  items,  aggregating 
the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  thirteen  thou- 
sand seven  hundred  fifty-nine  dollars  and 
fourteen  cents,  showing  an  excess  of  liabil- 
ities over  assets  of  thirty  thousand  nine 
hundred  twenty-three  dollars  and  sixty-nine 
cents,  as  listed  and  an  excess  of  ninety-four 
thousand  two  hundred  thirty  dollars  and 
fifty-four  cents  as  appraised.  On  the  13th  of 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


235 


November,  1893,  Mr.  Fox  resigned  as  re- 
ceiver, and  Martin  L.  Galbreath  was  named 
by  the  court  as  his  successor  and  Hon.  A. 
A.  Adams  was  retained  as  council  for  the 
new  receiver.  No  sooner  was  the  task  of 
administering  said  trust  commenced  than  it 
appeared  that  the  appraisement  was  even 
too  high  and  that  the  inventory  was  inaccu- 
rate. Notes  considered  good  were  found 
to  be  copies,  the  originals  being  hypothecated 
to  secure  loans  or  depositors.  More  than 
four  thousand  dollars  of  good  notes  held  by 
the  bank  were  for  advances  made  to  farmers, 
who  had  wheat  deposited  in  storage  with 
the  Arnold  Mill  Company,  also  in  the  hands 
of  a  receiver  and  held  by  the  bank  as  security 
to  such  advances,  were  offset  by  wheat  re- 
ceipts after  a  test  case  had  been  broug'ht  on 
one  of  such  notes,  and  the  court  holding 
that  all  of  the  notes  marked  "secured  by 
wheat  in  mill"  could  be  paid  by  tendering 
to  the  receiver  wheat  checks  amounting  to 
the  value  of  such  notes,  allowing  fifty-six 
cents  per  bushel  for  the  wheat,  which  was 
selling  for  that  price  upon  the  day  the  bank 
failed,  and  consequently  by  this  decision  the 
available  assets  of  the  bank  fell  off  over  four 
thousand  dollars  and  the  resources  of  the 
mill  company  were  correspondingly  in- 
creased. It  also  developed  that  collections 
had  been  made  for  local  and  foreign  houses, 
and  remittances  delayed.  In  a  case  broug'ht 
to  determine  the  standing  of  such  claimants, 
it  was  held  by  the  court  that  all  such  col- 
lections constituted  a  trust  fund,  and  the 
claimants  were  preferred  creditors.  This 
further  depleted  the  small  cash  balance  with 
the  receiver,  and  in  the  end,  there  was  noth- 
ing for  the  regular  depositor. 

An  event  in  the  settlement  of  this  dis- 


astrous failure  was  the  sale  of  the  remain- 
ing securities  at  public  auction,  by  order 
of  court,  at  the  office  of  the  receiver  in 
South  Whitley,  which  occurred  on  Wednes- 
day, January  30,  1895.  This  was  an  event- 
ful day  in  the  history  of  the  Arnold  bank. 
David  L.  Shinneman  was  the  auctioner. 
This  day  of  all  others  was  one  of  universal 
sympathy  among  the  victims  of  this  ill- 
fated  bank.  No  strangers  sought  to  profit 
by  the  losses  of  those  now  in  distress  and 
the  bidders  were  simply  left  alone  to  pur- 
chase their  own  obligation  if  they  so  de- 
sired. One  judgment  of  three  hundred  dol- 
lars was  sold  for  twenty  dollars.  Another 
of  nearly  four  hundred  dollars  went  for 
thirty  dollars.  The  overdraft  of  James 
Arnold,  the  president  of  the  bank,  of  four 
thousand  four  hundred  sixteen  dollars  and 
twenty-eight  cents  and  appraised  at  seven 
hundred  dollars  was  knocked  down  for  the 
frightful  pittance  of  twenty-five  cents,  and 
was  regarded  upon  that  day  as  going  at  a 
premium.  The  overwdraft  of  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Huntington  which  had  been 
appraised  at  two  thousand  three  hundred 
fifteen  dollars  and  seventy-eight  cents  was 
shown  to  be  a  false  entry  on  the  books  and 
subsequent  developments  showed  that  in 
fact  James  Arnold  owed  the  said  bank  near- 
ly twelve  thousand  dollars.  The  overdraft 
charged  against  J.  L.  Snell,  of  Sidney, 
amounting  to  four  thousand  fifty-one  dol- 
lars and  appraised  at  two  thousand  dollars 
was  more  than  offset  by  wheat  receipts,  com- 
missions for  services  and  other  items  of 
indebtedness.  Snell  was  the  Arnold  agent 
conducting  a  grain  business  for  them  at  Sid- 
ney, a  little  town  over  in  Kosciusko  county. 
The  unsecured  notes  of  James  Arnold 


236 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


amounting  to  seventeen  thousand  five  hun- 
dred dollars  sold  for  sixteen  dollars  and 
fifty  cents.  Thompson  Arnold,  the  cashier, 
had  an  obligation  to  the  bank  as  shown  by 
the  books  of  nine  thousand,  three  hundred 
dollars  which  was  sold  for  fifty-nine  dollars 
and  twenty-five  cents. 

The  above  are  but  few  of  the  more  im- 
portant items  constituting  the  remnant  sale 
of  the  once  flourishing  banking  house  of 
James  Arnold  &  Company.  The  items 
sold  in  this  sale  had  a  face  value  of  forty- 
three  thousand  seven  hundred  three  dol- 
lars and  forty-two  cents  and  they  yielded 
to  the  creditors  the  paltry  sum  of  two  hun- 
dred thirty  dollars  and  eight  cents.  The 
bank  building  and  office  fixtures  were  sold 
to  Jerry  F.  Schell,  as  the  agent  of  Andrew 
Shorb,  for  three  thousand  dollars,  and  final- 
ly came  into  the  possession  of  F.  H.  Foust, 
I.  B.  Rush  and  F.  S.  Remington,  consti- 
tuting the  firm  of  Foust,  Remington  & 
Company. 

THE    ARNOLD    CRIMINAL    TRIALS. 

The  legislature  of  1891  enacted  a  law 
making  it  a  felony  for  bankers  to  receive 
deposits  after  insolvency.  Probably  the  first 
case  tried  under  this  law,  and  certainly  the 
first  case  reaching  the  supreme  court  of  the 
state,  grew  out  of  the  failure  of  the  South 
Whitley  Bank. 

Soon  after  the  truth  about  the  real  con- 
dition of  the  Arnold  bank  became  known, 
there  were  rumors  of  criminal  proceedings 
being  instituted,  and  during  the  last  week 
of  the  year  [893,  upon  an  affidavit  made  in 
Huntington  county,  a  warrant  was  issued 
for  the   arrest    of    lames   Arnold,    but   was 


never  served,  as  the  friends  of  Arnold  had 
advised  him  of  the  action  taken,  and  he 
hurriedly  left  the  state  and  has  never 
returned. 

The  grand  jury  called  at  the  February, 
1894,  term  of  the  Whitley  circuit  court,  re- 
turned a  large  number  of  indictments  against 
James  Arnold.  Jesse  Arnold  and  Thompson 
Arnold.  A  number  of  these  indictments 
were  for  receiving  deposits  after  they  knew 
the  bank  to  be  insolvent.  Lorenzo  D.  Flem- 
ing, of  Ligonier,  was  prosecuting  attorney 
and  appeared  for  the  state,  assisted  by 
Thomas  R.  Marshall,  as  special  counsel  em- 
ployed by  the  county  to  prosecute  the  Arnold 
cases.  Mr.  Marshall  retired  from  the  case 
near  the  end  of  the  trial  owing  to  the  serious 
illness  of  his  mother,  who  never  recovered, 
and  his  law  partner,  P.  H.  Clugston,  con- 
cluded the  prosecution  and  made  one  of  the 
best  efforts  of  his  life. 

For  Jesse  and  Thompson  Arnold,  H. 
S.  Biggs  and  L.  W.  Royse,  of  Warsaw,  and 
A.  A.  Adams,  of  Columbia  City,  appeared. 
The  attorneys  for  the  Arnolds  filed  a  mo- 
tion to  quash  the  indictments  for  receiving 
deposits  after  insolvency,  upon  the  ground 
that  the  act  of  1891  was  unconstitutional  by 
reason  of  an  incomplete  title.  Judge  Van 
Fleet,  of  Elkhart,  was  called  to  hear  the 
motion  and  after  hearing  extended  argu- 
ments, sustained  the  motion  and  quashed 
the  indictments.  The  state  took  an  appeal 
to  the  supreme  court,  where  the  case  became 
a  celebrated  one,  and  was  finally  reversed, 
the  constitutionality  of  the  act  being  upheld. 

Jesse  Arnold,  while  included  in  the  in- 
dictments was  never  molested  in  any  way. 
on  acocunt  of  his  age  and  a  very  general  feel- 
ing that  he  had  no  guilty  knowledge  of  the 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


-'37 


management  of  the  South  Whitley  Bank. 
Thompson  Arnold  was  by  the  same  grand 
jury  indicted  for  conspiring  with  James  and 
Jesse  to  fraudulently  procure  from  "divers 
citizens  of  Whitley  county"  money  to  be 
deposited  in  the  bank,  by  making  false  rep- 
resentations as  to  the  solvency  of  the  same. 
He  was  tried  at  the  November,  1894,  term 
of  the  Whitley  circuit  court  and  on  the  5th 
day  of  December,  1894,  was  found  guilty 
by  a  jury,  who  assessed  his  punishment  at 
one  year  in  the  state  prison  and  that  he  pay  a 
fine  of  twenty-five  dollars.  The  attorneys 
for  Arnold  presented  a  number  of  dilatory 
motions  all  directed  to  the  proposition  that 
the  jury  had  made  his  term  of  imprisonment 
one  vear  when  the  minimum  provided  by 
law  was  two  years.  The  result  was.  after 
much  argument,  that  the  court.  Judge  Wil- 
liam L.  Penfield.  declined  to  pronounce  sen- 
tence on  the  verdict  of  the  jury  except  as  the 
same  related  to  the  fine.  He  held  that 
the  verdict  imposing  imprisonment  for 
one  vear  was  void,  but  that  part  impos- 
ing the  fine  was  regular  and  therefore  the 
verdict  must  stand  as  to  the  fine.  Again  the 
state  appealed  to  the  supreme  court  and 
again  the  ruling  of  the  trial  court  was  re- 
versed, and  Thompson  Arnold  was  then 
sentenced  to  serve  one  year  in  the  state's 
prison. 

The  Whitley  circuit  court  has  probably 
never  known  a  case  which  excited  such  pop- 
ular interest  and  was  conducted  throughout 
with  such  skill,  as  the  case  against  Thomp- 
son Arnold.  After  the  expiration  of  his 
term  of  imprisonment.  Arnold  returned  to 
North  Manchester,  where  he  re-entered  the 
practice  of  law  until  his  death  which  oc- 
curred  April   3,    1903. 


THE  BANK  OF  CHURUBUSCO. 

Earl}-  in  the  summer  of  1888  a  well 
dressed  gentleman  made  his  appearance  in 
Churubusco  and  it  was  soon  learned  that 
it  was  a  well  educated  and  wealthy  mute 
looking  for  a  location  for  the  establishment 
of  a  bank.  Meeting  with  encouragement 
he  returned  to  his  home  at  Sturgis,  Michi- 
gan, and  arranged  his  business  affairs,  re- 
turning to  Churubusco  in  the  course  of  ten 
days  he  established  the  first  bank  of  the 
town  in  a  little  wooden  building  on  the 
present  site  of  the  meat  market  of  Emerick 
&  Madden.  This  little  private  bank  had  a 
capital  of  $10,000,00  and  did  a  nice  busi- 
ness, being  managed  by  Mr.  Thomas  Beals. 
cashier.  A  fire  broke  out  in  the  town  one 
day  and  Mr.  Beals  over-exerted  himself  in 
an  effort  with  other  citizens  to  extinguish  it, 
and  resulted  in  a  severe  case  of  pneumonia, 
from  which  he  died.  After  this  occurrence 
the  affairs  of  the  bank  were  closed  out  and 
the  business  was  suspended. 

Churubusco  now  fell  a  victim  of  the  no- 
torious Zimri  Dwiggins,  of  Rensselaer,  In- 
diana, who  formed  a  chain  of  banks  all  over 
the  country  and  drained  them  into  his 
Columbia  National  Bank,  established  in  Chi- 
cago for  the  purpose.  Dwiggins  was  the  clev- 
erest captain  of  high  finance  who  ever  oper- 
ated in  the  country.  What  happened  at 
'Busco  was  enacted  at  a  large  number  of  oth- 
er places  in  the  country. 

He  comes  with  a  little  safe,  a  little  furni- 
ture and  a  few  books,  rents  a  building  and 
calls  it  a  bank.  In  it  may  or  may  not  be 
ten  dollars  or  a  hundred.  It  isn't  business 
particularly  he  is  looking  for.  as  he  couldn't 
attend  to  it  if  he  had  it.     It's  confidence  he 


238 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


is  looking  for.  He  installs  a  bland,  modest, 
in  fact,  delightful  gentleman  who  is  faithful 
in  his  attendance  a  Sunday-school  and  pub- 
lic worship  and  sits  idle  the  entire  week. 
Finally  the  citizens  begin  remarking  what 
a  very  nice  man  he  is  and  once  in  a  while 
some  one  buys  a  draft  for  a  dollar  and  a 
quarter  and  another  deposits  fifty  cents  to 
the  account  of  his  little  boy.  Finally  Dwig- 
gins  comes  and'  calls  on  the  people,  attends 
Sunday-school  one  Sabbath  and  remarks 
how  much  better  he  is  doing  than  he  ex- 
pected, when  everybody  knows  that  he 
knows  he  hasn't  made  a  cent,  but  the  leaven 
is  working  and  he  is  making — headway.  So 
matters  go  along  until  the  bank  actually 
does  a  little  business,  but  the  profits  from  it 
for  a  month  would  not  buy  a  breakfast  for 
the  manager.  Dwiggins  comes  again,  more 
pleased  than  ever  with  the  business  he  is 
getting  and  is  now  ready  to  begin  opera- 
tions. He  suggests  that  while  he  is  doing 
well  he  proposes  to  organize  a  bank  under 
the  state  laws  and  give  the  offices  to  the 
citizen  stockholders.  In  fact,  put  the  man- 
agement all  in  their  hands. 

Many  whom  he  approached  did  not  have 
a  thousand  or  two  idle,  or  at  least  to  spare. 
Why  bless  you  it  isn't  their  money  he  wants 
doesn't  need  it,  has  plenty  to  run  the  bank 
but  wants  influence.  Just  draw  your  note 
to  the  bank,  deposit  it  and  in  a  year  or  two 
the  profits  will  pay  it  and  you  will  he  a 
banker — free.  Admirable  scheme.  The 
hank  is  organized,  directors,  president,  vice- 
presidents  and  all  are  citizens  who  give  the 
bank  credit  and  standing — but  Dwiggins' 
man  still  handles  the  money.  The  bank  now 
begins  to  do  business  in  earnest.  Officers 
and  stockholders  are  responsible  and  they 
and  their   friends  soon  see  deposits  running 


into  the  thousands.  The  same  is  going  on 
at  many  other  points.  The  morning  papers 
announce  the  closing  of  the  Columbia  Na- 
tional at  Chicago  and  our  friend  who  wields 
the  cash  at  Churubusco  with  tearful  eyes 
tells  that  nearly  all  the  local  bank's  cash  is 
up  there  and  if  it  is  true  he  is  ruined,  as 
everything  he  has  in  the  world  is  invested 
here.  He  calls  a  meeting  of  the  panic- 
stricken  depositors  and  stockholders  and 
tries  to  explain  why  all  the  bank's  cash  is  up 
there.  The  upshot  is  that  he  and  a  kindly, 
benevolent  old  gentleman  are  sent  up  to 
Chicago  to  investigate.  They  are  met  by 
Dwiggins  and  wined  and  dined  and  it  was 
fully  explained  that  the  Columbia  National's 
troubles  were  but  temporarv  and  it  would 
resume  in  a  few  days. 

The  committee  returned  fully  satisfied 
and  seemed  to  satisfy  others.  More  money 
was  raised  to  put  the  local  bank  on  its  feet, 
but  somehow  things  did  not  work  right, 
except  that  more  money  went  mysteriously 
to  Chicago  or  elsewhere  and  one  morning 
the  cashier  was  as  if  the  earth  had  swallowed 
him. 

Stockholders  who  paid  in  a  thousand 
were  liable  to  the  depositors  for  another  thou- 
sand under  the  double  liability  law  and  like- 
wise those  who  had  deposited  a  note  for  a 
thousand  must  pay  it  two  fold.  The  de- 
positors thus  got  their  money  and  the  stock- 
holders held  the  sack.  The  Columbia  Na- 
tional did  not  open  again. 

Among  the  assets  of  the  hank  was  the 
note  of  Ira  J.  Chase,  Governor  of  Indiana, 
for  fifteen  hundred  dollars.  This  was  the 
preacher  governor — of  course,  he  never  paid 
it  nor  did  he  or  Dwiggins  land  in  the  peni- 
tentiary. 

The  fixtures  and  remnants  of  the  bank 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA.  239 

were  bought  by  Oscar  Gandy,   who  estab-     Due  from  banks 35,096.80 

lisherl  the  bank  he  still  runs  at  the  place.  Bonds     898.50 

Cash  and  cash  items 9,792.10 

O.    GANDY    &    COMPANY    BANK,    SOUTH    WHIT-  

LEY.  $145,414.36 


In  March.  1894,  following  the  Arnold 
failure,  O.  Gandy,  of  Churubusco,  and  Theo- 
dore Mayer,  of  South  Whitley,  rented  the 
Arnold  bank  building  with  its  fixtures  and 
started  a  private  bank.  The  firm  occupied 
this  building  until  it  was  sold,  at  which  time 
the};  rented  the  Johnson  building  on  the 
west  side  of  State  street,  now  occupied  by 
the  Eastom  restaurant.  This  room  was  re- 
arranged and  new  and  complete  furniture 
and  fixtures  added.  These  quarters  were 
occupied  until  189S,  when  the  bank  was 
moved  into  the  Edwards  building  at  the  cor- 
ner of  State  and  Mulberry  streets,  where  it 
is  now  located.  This  bank  has  been  a  pro- 
gressive institution  and. has  taken  on  many 
side  lines,  among  which  is  the  flouring  mills 
at  Collamer,  the  grain  elevators  located  on' 
the  Nickel  Plate  tracks,  besides  handling 
real  estate  and  vehicles  of  various  kinds. 
This  bank  was  reorganized  in  1905  and  is 
now  operating  under  the  laws  of  Indiana  as 
a  state  bank  under  the  name  of  "The  Gaudy 
State  Bank." 

The  following  statement  will  show  the 
strength  of  this  bank  at  the  close  of  busi- 
ness hours  on  January  26.  1907,  and  the 
names  of  the  present  officers : 

Resources. 

Loans .$  93.045-°5 

Overdrafts   2. 081. 91 

Real   estate  and  fixtures 3,600.00 


Liabilities. 

Capital  paid  in $  25.000.00 

Surplus    2.861.85 

Deposits     117,552.51 


5I4S.4I4-36 


President,  O.  C.  Gandy ;  vice-president. 
Mose  Mayer ;  cashier,  Louis  Mayer. 

THE     WHITLEY     COUNTY     BANK. 

(Foust.  Remington  &  Co.,  of  South  Whit- 
ley. ) 

On  the  2 1st  day  of  March,  T895.  a  deed 
to  the  Arnold  Bank  Building  was  made  by 
Andrew  Shorb  to  Franklin  H.  Foust,  Fran- 
cis S.  Remington  and  Iredell  B.  Rush,  who 
had  organized  themselves  into  a  partnership 
under  the  name  of  Foust,  Remington  &  Co.. 
for  the  purpose  of  conducting  a  commercial 
banking  business   in   South    Whitley. 

This  building  had  been  occupied  by  the 
Gandy  bank,  which  now  moved  across  State 
street  into  the  Johnson  building.  The  new 
firm  remodeled  the  offices  and  built  a  splen- 
did large  burglar-proof  vault  in  the  rear  "I 
the  main  office  and  added  all  of  the  modern 
conveniences  necessary  to  complete  a  well  ar- 
ranged banking  house,  and  commenced  busi- 
ness soon  thereafter.  The  affairs  of  the  bank- 
were  placed   in  charge  of  Mr.    Remington. 


240 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


who  remained  in  control  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  on  June  2j,  1902.  After 
the  death  of  Mr.  Remington  his  son,  James 
E..  who  had  been  an  employee  in  the  bank 
for  some  years,  was  placed  in  charge  and  the 
affairs  were  continued  until  the  bank  was 
reorganized  into  a  state  bank  and  a  number 
of  farmers  and  other  business  men  were 
admitted  to  the  new  organization.  Mr. 
Rush  and  the  Remington  interest  retired  at 
the  time  of  the  new  organization. 

The  new  organization  is  operated  under 
the  name  of  "The  Farmers'  State  Bank" 
and  is  in  the  hands  of  careful  and  competent 
men  and  is  doing  a  splendid  business  for  its 
short  existence,  only  having  commenced  op- 
erations in  May,  1906.  The  last  statement 
made  by  this  bank  upon  call  of  the  state 
will  show  its  condition  at  the  close  of  busi- 
ness hours  on  the  26th  day  of  January. 
1907. 

Resources. 

Loans   and   discounts $  70.394.76 

Overdrafts    2,884.03 

Due  from  bankers  and  bankers.  14,394.76 

Banking   house 4,280.00 

Furniture  and  fixtures 1,755.00 

Current    expenses 1,560.68 

Cash  Currency 2.357.00 

Cash,    specie 3,592.87 

Cash    items 134.54 


Profits   and   loss 314.46 

Deposits  on  demand 73,641.09 


$101,353.64 


Liabilities. 

Capital  paid  in $  25.000.00 

Discounts,   exchange,   interest..        2.398.09 


$ioi.353-64 


The  officers  of  this  bank  are  as  follows : 
President,  John  Swihart;  vice-president, 
Harmon  H.  Warner ;  cashier,  Robert  Emer- 


THE  PROVIDENT  TRUST  COMPANY,  OF  COLUM- 
BIA    CITY. 


This  institution  is  the  only  one  of  its 
kind  in  the  county.  The  articles  of  associ- 
ation under  which  it  is  operating  were  filed 
with  the  secretary  of  state  on  the  22d  day 
of  December,  1899,  and  its  opening  was  on 
the  1 8th  day  of  January,  1900,  thus  it  com- 
menced with  the  new  century. 

Its  quarters  are  neat  and  commodious, 
located  at  No.  222  West  Van  Buren  street, 
in  the  new  Eyanson  building. 

It  has  a  capital  stock  of  $25,000.00  and 
arrangements  have  been  made  to  double  the 
stock  after  March  1st  of  the  present  year. 
All  of  its  stock  is  held  by  citizens  of  Whit- 
ley county.  The  present  officers  are  as  fol- 
lows and  have  been  in  control  ever  since  the 
original  organization : 

President,  David  B.  Clugston ;  first  vice- 
president,  S.  J.  Peabody;  second  vice-presi- 
dent. S.  P.  Kaler;  secretary,  Walter  F.  Mc- 
Lallen;  assistant  secretary,  W.  T.  Binder; 
general  manager.  M.  L.  Galbreath. 

Tn  the  report  made  to  its  directors  on 
January  16,  1907,  at  the  close  of  business 
on  that  day  the  following  statement  was. 
made : 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 
Resources.  Liabilities. 


241 


Mortgage    loans $170,506.00     Capital  stock   $  25,000.00 

Miscellaneous    loans 22,690.40      Surplus    5,000.00 

....  5,400.00 

....  900.00 

805.79      Savings                                                   41,538.97 

....         1.303.06      Trust    funds 6.490.95 

....  ^00.00 


Trust  fund  loans.  .  .  . 
Furniture  and  fixtures 
Current    expenses .... 

Interest  paid 

Bond    premium 


Certificates   of   deposit 138,196.13 


Cash  on  hand 20,507.88 


Tax  and  interest  reserve. 


2,589.67 


$222,413.13 


$222,413.13 


ETNA  TOWNSHIP. 


BY    THOMAS    \V.    BLAIX. 


Little  Etna  came  from  Washington 
township,  Noble  county,  to  Whitley  county, 
in  1859.  The  causes  which  impelled  the 
separation,  the  facts  and  proceedings  are  so 
well  set  out  in  the  chapter  on  organization 
that  an  attempt  to  detail  them  here  would 
be  useless  repetition.  Etna  is  the  smallest 
township  in  the  county,  two  miles  by  six, 
composed  of  sections  25  to  36,  in  towship 
33,  range  8.  It  was  surveyed  at  the  same 
time  as  that  part  of  the  county  lying  directly 
south  of  it.  When  Noble  county  was  or- 
ganized in  1836,  two  years  prior  to  the  or- 
ganization of  Whitley  county,  there  were 
about  a  dozen  settlers  in  Washington  town- 
ship. The  election  organizing  the  township 
was  held  at  the  home  of  Joseph  E.  Adair, 
father  of  Hon.  Joseph  W.  Adair,  judge  of 
the  Whitley-Noble  circuit,  and  was  held 
April  3,  1837,  and  Mr.  Adair  was  elected 
justice  of  the  peace.  His  residence  was  in 
that  part  of  the  township  remaining  in  No- 
ble county. 
16 


The  first  settler  was  Agard,  who  came 
late  in  1833  or  early  in  1834,  settling  near 
the  Noble  county  line,  north  of  Albert 
Tucker's  farm.  Following  him  came  Kin- 
ney, who  domiciled  on  what  is  now  the 
Tucker  farm.  Both  these  gentlemen  were 
from  Vermont.  Kinney  was  well  educated 
and  quite  intelligent.  His  word  was  taken 
on  all  questions  as  some  great  constitutional 
lawyer  in  the  United  States  senate.  He  ex- 
pounded chimney  corner  law  and  was  au- 
thority on  ecclesiastical  as  well  as  secular 
and  scientific  questions.  He  taught  the  first 
school  in  the  township  in  the  winter  of  1836 
and  1837,  in  his  cabin,  near  the  present  resi- 
dence of  Albert  B.  Tucker. 

Agard's  wife  died  in  a  few  years  and  was 
the  first  burial  in  the  cemetery  laid  off  by 
Stephen  Martin,  just  west  of  Dr.  Scott's 
present  residence.  Both  Agard  and  Kinney 
sold  out  and  left  the  country  many  years 
ago.  After  these,  settlers  came  thick  and 
fast  and  it  is  impossible  to  enumerate  their 


242 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


names  in  the  order  of  their  coming.  Hugh 
Allison,  Jacob  Gruemlich,  Abraham  Goble, 
John  Blain.  Joshua  Benton,  James  Campbell, 
Jacob  Frederick,  Robert  Scott,  John  Scott, 
The  weight  of  authority  is  that  the  Scotts 
were  first  after  Agard  and  Kinney. 
These  all  came  by  or  before  1836, 
and  by  1841,  all  the  land  in  the  town- 
ship was  entered  and  much  of  it  set- 
tled upon.  John  Scott  came  in  1833  and 
settled  on  the  spot  where  the  hamlet  of  Etna 
now  stands.  He  had  a  large  family  of  boys 
and  girls,  among  which  were  three  grown 
men.  The  same  year  they  made  a  dugout 
canoe  and  fished  in  a  little  nameless  lake, 
finding  fish  in  abundance.  The  next  year 
they  made  another  canoe  of  the  same  sort 
and  put  it  on  another  little  lake  to  the  south. 
When  they  would  talk  about  going  fishing, 
the)'  would  ask  "Are  you  going  to  the  old 
lake  or  the  new  one?"  and  thus  they  un- 
consciously gave  names  to  both  these  lakes. 
Jacob  Scott,  who  lived  many  years  on  the 
farm  now  owned  by  Ambrose  Keister,  may 
be  said  to  have  given  the  lakes  their  names. 
Benjamin  Blair  settled  in  the  township 
in  1836,  entering  a  piece  of  land  south  of 
Cold  Springs,  or  Ormas.  He  partly  cleared 
his  forty-acre  tract,  grubbed  it  and  built 
a  cabin.  In  1S38,  he  went  up  to  the  Haw 
Patch  above  Ligonier  to  help  harvest  wheat. 
He  was  a  most  excellent  cradler  and  could 
make  big  wages  for  several  weeks.  He  re- 
mained in  that  locality  for  a  couple  of  years. 
In  1840  he  married  Nancy  Hunt  and  came 
back  to  his  cabin.  He  soon  sold  and  moved 
to  Elkhart  county.  Mrs.  Blair  died  in  1846, 
leaving  two  daughters.  During  their  resi- 
dence in  Elkhart  county  he  was  converted  in 
a  Wesleyan  revival  which  was  said  to  have 


been  the  most  powerful  ever  known  in  north- 
ern Indiana.  From  this  time  he  was  men- 
tally unbalanced.  He  was  a  man  of  good 
character,  memory  and  natural  ability,  but 
very  limited  education.  He  soon  felt  him- 
self called  upon  to  preach,  but  his  church 
would  not  give  him  license  and  this  disap- 
pointment disturbed  him  very  greatly.  The 
death  of  his  wife  soon  after,  in  addition  to 
his  already  unbalanced  condition,  made  him 
hopelessly  insane,  and  from  that  on  "Old 
Ben  Blair"  was  as  frightful  a  scare  crow  to 
the  children  as  the  celebrated  fabled  "raw 
head  and  bloody  bone."  He  neglected  his 
children  and  became  a  roving,  noisy  maniac. 
One  daughter  lived  with  her  grandmother, 
Mrs.  John  Scott,  at  Etna,  until  the  age  of 
fourteen,  when  she  went  to  her  mother's 
people  in  Elkhart  count}-  and  died.  The 
other  lived  until  maturity,  married  and  went 
away. 

He  made  a  great  noise  and  frightful 
noise,  but  was  never  dangerous.  His  in- 
sanity took  form  in  preaching.  He  was 
always  talking  scripture  but  all  his 
harangues  were  without  point.  He  would 
approach  the  house  of  friend  or  stranger 
preaching  with  his  voice  in  the  higFest  key 
and  the  children  would  scamper  to  cover. 
He  would  preach  to  a  stump,  a  goose,  pig, 
cow  or  stone  as  quickly  as  to  a  human  being. 
He  found  welcome  in  many  homes  as  an 
unfortunate  insane,  yet  harmless  wanderer 
and  at  times  would  talk  intelligently  for  ten 
or  fifteen  minutes  and  again  break  out  in 
noisy  religious  harangue,  and  if  interferred 
with,  would  immediately  leave  the  house. 
His  favorite  salutation  on  meeting  friend 
or  stranger  was:  "By  the  Grace  of  God!" 
He  never  begged  but  the  people  furnished 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


243 


him  clothes  and  sustenance.  He  had  several 
canes  loaded  full  of  coins  of  small  denomi- 
nations, medals,  buttons,  etc.,  and  made  the 
late  E.  L.  McLallen  custodian  of  them. 
Some  of  these  may  still  be  seen  in  the  First 
National  Bank  at  Columbia  City.  Mr.  Mc- 
Lallen was  g'ood  to  him  and  secured  his 
undying  friendship.  He  never  belonged  to 
any  lodge  but  used  to  say  that  he  and  brother 
McLallen  were  the  two  highest  Masons  in 
the  world.  For  nearly  thirty  years  he  was 
a  wanderer  over  Elkhart,  Whitley  and  No- 
ble counties,  preaching-,  preaching,  always 
preaching.  He  died  in  the  earl}-  winter  of 
1S73  in  the  Noble  county  poor  house;  his 
mind  never  having  cleared,  even  in  his  last 
moments.  He  always  requested  to  be  buried 
•beside  his  mother  and  when  death  dame  to 
his  relief,  kind  friends  laid  him  beside  the 
dear  one  he  so  tenderly  loved,  in  the  Scott 
cemetery  in  Troy  township,  near  the  Etna 
township  line. 

The  first  mill  in  the  township  was  a 
saw-mill  built  by  Hugh  Allison  at  Cold 
Springs,  in  1837.  It  was  of  course  the  old 
up  and  down  saw  and  ran  by  water.  Crude 
though  it  was,  it  was  considered  a  great  im- 
provement. Hall's  mill,  in  Noble  township, 
Henshaw's  in  York  township,  furnished  the 
early  supplies  of  lumber  to  the  township. 
There  were  grist  mills  at  Oswego  and  North 
Webster  at  a  very  early  day,. antedating  the 
Etna  township  settlements  and  the  people 
of  this  part  of  the  county  were  more  fortu- 
nately situated  than  those  in  other  parts. 
The  Ryder  mill  at  Wilmot,  just  across  the 
county  line,  was  built  in  1848  and  for  many 
years  was  the  most  up-to-date  mill  in  the 
country  for  many  miles  adjacent. 

The   first   white   birth   in   the   township 


was  a  son  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert 
Scott. 

The  first  death  was  Mrs.  Agard,  the  sec- 
ond was  Jacob,  son  of  Robert  Scott.  The 
third  was  Sarah  Elizabeth  Long,  daughter 
of  James  W.  and  Katharine  Long  in  1838. 
The  first  marriage  was  Elisha  Moore  to 
Nancy  Scott,  in  1837,  at  the  Scott  home  on 
the  site  of  Etna  town.  The  first  wedding 
in  the  township  after  it  became  a  part  of 
Whitley  county  was  Adam  C.  Johnson  to 
Margaret   Long,   in    i860. 

The  Scotts,  Longs  and  Blains  have 
from  the  earliest  settlements  constituted  a 
large  and  respectible  part  of  the  community. 

The  first  steam  saw  mill  was  built  west 
of  the  village  of  Etna  and  the  next  on  the 
Hartup  farm  in  the  west  part  of  the  town- 
ship. Abraham  Goble  conducted  a  tannery 
at  his  home  in  a  very  early  day.  The  first 
school  building  was  a  log  one  built  on  the 
corner  of  Goble's  farm  and  was  first  used 
the  winter  of  1837  and  1838. 

The  first  church  built  in  the  township 
was  right  on  the  then  county  line,  being  in 
Noble  county,  now  Etna  township,  on  the 
south  line  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 31.  It  has  been  known  for  many  years 
as  the  Snodgrass  church.  It  was  built  in 
1840  and  was  on  the  farm  of  John  Blain. 
The  first  burial  in  this  cemetery  was  Thomas 
Long,  brother  of  William  C.  Long,  still  in 
the  township.  The  first  services  were  held 
at  the  homes  of  John  Blain  and  John  Snod- 
grass. The  church  building  yet  standing, 
was  built  more  than  sixty-five  years  ago. 
The  first  worshipers  here  were  the  families 
of  John  Blain.  John  Snodgrass,  Joseph 
Scott,  James  Scott,  Thomas  Kirkpatrick, 
Levi  Belch  and  others.     The  denomination 


-'44 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


was  called  Associate  Reform,  and  was  re- 
form from  the  old  seceecler.  It  is  from  the 
old  Scotch  Presbyterian  stock.  No  religious 
organization  had  a  more  noble  parentage, 
better  record  or  better  people.  They  were 
old  psalm  singers.  The  church  organization 
has  gone  down  but  the  building  never 
went  to  any  other  denomination.  The  so- 
ciety was  organized  by  Rev.  Robert  Kerr. 
who  lived  at  Oswego. 

One  of  the  very  earliest  burying  places 
was  on  the  Emanuel  Fashlaugh  farm  in 
the  southwest  corner  of  section  30.  It 
was  called  the  Grumlick  cemetery.  Most  of 
the  bodies  have  been  removed  to  Salem, 
across  the  line  in  Noble  county,  anil  to  other 
places.  Most  of  the  bodies  remaining  are 
of  the  Grumlick  and  Goble  families. 

The  town  of  Etna  was  surveyed  Septem- 
ber 11,  1849,  by  John  H.  Alexander,  for 
Lafayette  Lamson,  who  was  in  business  at 
the  place.  It  consisted  of  eighteen  lots,  num- 
bered from  one  to  eig'hteen.  The  plat  was 
acknowledged  by  Lamson.  and  recorded  in 
Noble  count}-,  September  29,  1849.  Though 
laid  out  by  Lamson  the  land  was  owned  by 
John  Scott,  and  on  the  2d  day  of  October, 
1849,  John  Scott  and  Elizabeth,  his  wife, 
conveyed  to  Lamson  the  entire  surveyed 
town  of  Etna  for  the  sum  of  forty  dollars. 
Lamson  named  the  town  Etna  in  honor  of 
the  place  he  came  from  in  Ohio,  and  when 
the  township  was  stricken  from  Noble  coun- 
ty it  also  took  the  same  name.  The  lots 
are  four  and  a  half  by  nine  rods. 

November  19.  1878.  Dr.  S.  S.  Austin 
platted  and  recorded  an  addition  to  the  town 
consisting  of  twelve  lots,  numbered  consecu- 
tively 1  to  1  _>.  Levi  Adams  was  the  sur- 
veyor.      Lots   i    to  6  are  ten  rods  bv   four 


and  four  twenty-fifths;  lots  7  to  12  are 
nine  by  four  and  four  twenty-fifths  rods. 
The  streets  are  West,  Line  and  Mechanic. 

Cold  Springs  was  laid  out  and  surveyed 
May  9,  1856,  by  Jacob  Keefer,  and  was 
surveyed  on  that  day  by  D.  \\  .  Myers,  sur- 
veyor of  Noble  county.  It  consists  of  lots 
1  to  16,  seventy-four  and  a  quarter 
by  one  hundred  forty-eight  and  a  half  feet. 
Keefer  did  not  acknowledge  and  record  the 
plat  until  November  19,  1856,  and  on  that 
day  he  and  his  wife,  Maria  Jane  Keefer. 
conveyed  lots  7  and  12  to  the  Free 
Will  Baptist  church,  the  consideration  being 
that  they  should  erect  thereon  a  church  fi  >r 
the  worship  of  Almighty  God  and  allow 
any  and  all  other  evangelical  denominations 
to  hold  services  therein,  without  charge, 
when  they  were  themselves  not  using  it. 
This  church  is  called  "The  First  Church  of 
Noble,  Free  W  ill  Baptist  Church."  It  was 
organized  in  1837,  by  Elder  Pullman  at  the 
residence  of  John  Prickett.  in  Washington 
township.  Services  were  held  in  dwelling- 
houses  and  schoolhouses  until  1853.  They 
began  building  the  old  frame  church  in  Cold 
Springs  in  185 1.  but  as  the  people  were 
poor  and  it  was  built  entirely  bv  donation, 
was  not  finished  until  1853.  It  was  built 
when  the  town  was  platted  and  three  years 
before  the  deed  was  made  to  the  organiza- 
tion bv  Keefer.  .The  congregation  continued 
to  worship  in  the  first  building  until  1888. 
when  the}'  erected  the  present  brick  veneered 
church.  The  charter  members  were  John 
Prickett  and  wife.  Nicholas  Prickett  and 
wife.  Paul  Beezly  and  wife.  Mr.  Graham 
and  wife.  Andrew  Humphrey  and  wife,  and 
Mrs.  Piper.  The  present  trustees  are  B.  F. 
Cooper,  M.  W.  Bristow  and  E.  E.  Knapp. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


245 


The  first  cemetery  was  laid  out  by 
Stephen  Martin  in  1835,  he  being  himself  a 
surveyor.  No  plat  of  it  was  ever  recorded 
and  but  little  of  it  is  now  left.  It  was  di- 
rectly west  of  Doctor  Scott's  farm  residence. 
There  were  quite  a  number  of  burials  at 
the  place,  but  quite  early  it  was  abandoned 
and  the  greater  part  of  the  bodies  were 
taken  up  and  moved  to  the  Scott  cemetery 
at  the  southwest  corner  of  section  1,  Troy 
township,  and  some  to  other  places.  As 
early  as  1838,  Robert  Scott  dedicated  a  plat 
on  his  farm  for  a  cemetery.  This  is  west  of 
Cold  Springs  and  in  the  center,  on  the  east 
line  of  section  26.  A  number  of  bodies 
were  removed  from  Martin's  to  this  place. 
There  are  still  a  few  burials  of  old  families 
at  the  place. 

The  people  of  Etna  have  always  been 
morally  and  peaceablv  inclined.  If  there 
were  no  more  litigation  in  the  county  than 
in  this  township  the  courts  would  close  and 
the  jail  remain  empty.  The  township  has 
always  been  well  supplied  with  churches  and 
never  had  a  saloon.  Three  different  at- 
tempts have  been  made  to  run  quart  shops, 
but  they  soon  suspended  for  want  of  patron- 
age. 

The  change  from  Noble  to  Whitley  coun- 
ty disarranged  the  school  districts  and  while 
Etna  is  exactlv  the  right  size  for  three 
schools  the  roads  are  and  always  have  been 
wrong  for  the  arrangement.  Soon  after  the 
change  five  school  houses  were  erected  and 
five  districts  were  maintained  until  the  con- 
solidation three  vears  ago. 

These  school  districts  were  oddly  ar- 
ranged and  no  one  seems  to  know  when  or 
how  they  came  by  their  location,  one  of  them 
being  right  on  the  Noble  county  line.     Until 


very  recent  years  the  five  schools  were  al- 
ways as  full  as  in  the  neighboring  town- 
ships where  four  square  miles  constitute  a 
district.  Many  pupils  were  from  time  to  time 
transferred  from  Troy  township  and  also 
from  Noble  county,  their  share  of  the  tui- 
tion fund  being  paid  to  the  trustee  of  Etna 
township. 

Three  years  ago  a  large  central  school 
building-  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  about 
twelve  thousand  dollars,  just  west  of  the 
town  of  Etna  with  four  rooms  and  main- 
taining a  high  school  with  good  standards. 
All  the  children  of  the  township  now  go 
there,  and  from  maintaining  five  schools 
and  five  school  houses  where  there  should 
have  been  only  three,  the  township  has 
changed  to  one  central  school  building  with 
four  rooms  and  four  teachers.  Quite  a 
number  of  pupils  from  Troy  township  and 
from  Noble  county  are  each  year  trans- 
ferred to  this  place  and  materially  assist  in 
furnishing-  the  revenue.  This  move  has  put 
the  township  deeplv  in  debt,  but  ten  or 
twelve  vears  will  pay  the  debt  which  leaves 
the  township  in  better  financial  shape  than 
most  town  and  city  school  corporations. 
The  outlay  was  great  in  the  start,  but  was 
fully  justified  bv  the  economy  in  the  present 
system,  together  with  the  greater  efficiency. 
Three  school  transfer  wagons  are  run  to 
carry  the  children  from  the  remote  parts  of 
the  township  to  school.  All  the  school 
houses  have  been   sold. 

Olive  Chapel,  United  "Brethren  church, 
was  organized  in  1844.  The  first  members 
were  the  Grumlich  family.  John  A.  Miller 
and  wife  and  Toseph  Welker  and  wife.  The 
first  minister  was  Rev.  Todd.  Other  early 
ministers  were  Snepp,  Hiker.  Shomas,  Had- 


246 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


ley,  Richeart,  Fast,  Forbs,  Freeman,  Slight. 
The  following  are  the  ministers  of  later  years 
in  their  order : 

J.  F.  Martin,  Seithman,  Simons  and 
Wood,  each  one  year;  Cleaver,  two  years; 
Eby.  one  year ;  Cummins,  three  years ;  Bell, 
two  years ;  W.  F.  Simons,  two  years ;  Butler 
and  Miller,  each  one  year;  Byrer,  Riley, 
Mattox  and  Showley,  each  two  years ;  Fet- 
ro,  three  years :  Sickafoose,  two  years ;  Dun- 
kle,  one  year ;  Hill,  two  years.  Rev.  G.  H. 
Hutchinson  is  present  pastor. 

Services  were  first  held  in  homes  and 
school  houses.  The  present  building  was 
erected  in  1880  at  a  cost  of  two  thousand 
two  hundred  dollars.  There  are  at  present 
forty  members.  The  present  trustees  are 
A.  C.  Brosman.  H.  Batz  and  A.  Hines.  The 
cemetery  is  known  as  the  old  Grumlich  ceme- 
tery and  a  Mr.  Grumlich  was  the  first  burial. 

The  Etna  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
was  organized  in  1867  by  Rev.  A.  Lacey. 
The  first  members  were  Virgil  Barber  and 
wife.  Jacob  Bowlby  and  wife,  William  Blain 
and  wife  and  Hannah  Scott. 

The  present  church  building  was  erected 
in  1888.  Rev.  S.  B.  Stuckey  is  present  pas- 
tor. 

The  Baptist  church  two  miles  west  of 
the  town  of  Etna,  called  the  First  Troy  Bap- 
tist church  because  it  was  organized  near 
Troy  Center  in  1847,  was  organized  with 
the  following  persons :  Samuel,  Sallv,  Al- 
mond and  Katharine  Palmer.  Joseph  and 
Martha  Walton,  James  Grant.  Samuel  El- 
der, J.  H.  Sowerman,  Elisha  S.  and  Lucinda 
Havens,  Alfred  and  Betsy  Jordan,  Hiram, 
Sarah  and  Sarah  A.  Lambkin,  Harvev  and 
Mary  Orcutt.  Samantha  Trumbull,  Jemima 
Palmer.     Elizabeth     Campbell,     James    and 


Eunice  Latson,  William  James,  Henry  and 
Frances  McLallen  and  Phebe  Barnes,  Field- 
ing, Eliza  and  Zachariah  Barnes.  Among 
the  early  ministers  were  Revs.  D.  Scott,  Ira 
Gratten,  E.  Barnes,  Worth  and  Coyle. 
There  was  never  a  church  building  in  Troy, 
services  were  generally  held  in  the  Troy 
Center    schoolhouse. 

The  church  was  reorganized  as  the  Etna 
township  Baptist  church  December  20,  1862, 
with  the  following  members :  Harvey  and 
Mary  Orcutt,  Joseph  S.  and  Sarah  Palmer, 
Saruch  and  Anna  Benton,  Anna  Jones,  Se- 
mantha  Trumbull,  J.  L.  and  Mary  McLeod. 
The  present  church  building  was  erected  in 
1869  at  a  cost  of  twenty-four  hundred  dol- 
lars. 

The  towns  because  of  their  isolation 
have  never  made  much  headway.  About  all 
there  is  of  Cold  Springs  is  the  church,  a 
general  store  and  a  few  dwelling  houses. 

Etna  has  two  general  stores,  drug  store, 
meat  market,  barber  shop,  hotel  and  black- 
smith shop.  Dr.  J.  William  C.  Scott  is  the 
only  physician.  The  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic  and  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  have  each  a  hall  and  lodge.  The 
lodge  of  Modern  Woodmen  use  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic  hall.  There  are  about 
sixteen  dwellings.  The  township  has  five 
lakes,  all  in  the  east  half  of  the  township. 
Loon  lake,  the  largest,  covers  the  greater 
part  of  the  east  half  of  section  36,  the  south- 
east corner  of  the  township.  It  also  skirts 
corners  of  both  Troy  and  Thorncreek  town- 
ships and  a  great  part  is  in  Noble  county. 
Dollar  lake,  about  the  center  of  the  south 
half  of  section  25,  is  small  and  almost  round, 
therein-  resembling  a  silver  dollar  from 
which  it  takes  its  name.     It  used  to  he  said 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


247 


it  had  no  bottom,  but  it  has  been  found  to  be 
comparatively  shallow,  from  twenty  to  thir- 
ty feet  deep,  with  a  few  quite  deep  places. 
Old  lake  covers  about  fifty  acres  in  sections 
36  and  35.  We  have  already  shown  how 
it  came  by  its  name.  It  has  an  average 
depth  of  twenty-five  to  thirty  feet.  Brown 
lake,  covering'  some  ten  acres,  is  in  the  cen- 
tral west  half  of  section  26.  It  is  shallow 
with  muck  margins  and  marl  bottom.  It 
takes  its  name  from  the  owner  of  the  adjoin- 
ing land.  Indian  lake,  about  the  same  size 
as  Brown  lake,  is  near  the  center  of  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  27,  and  is  also  a 
shallow  marl  muck  lake. 

On  Wednesday,  the  21st  day  of  August, 
1878,  Mr.  Halderman,  who  had  a  saw-mill 
near  the  west  bank  of  Old  lake,  desiring  a 
hired  girl,  Joe  Nickerson,  son  of  Elder  Nick- 
erson, of  Wolf  lake,  who  was  working  for 
him,  offered  to  go  and  get  one.  The  offer 
was  accepted  and  Nickerson  said  he  would 
stav  till  he  found  one.  He  went  at  once  to 
Hills,  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  north- 
east of  Loon  lake,  and  secured  Katie  Hill 


and  started  with  her  a  little  before  dark, 
going  in  a  boat  across  Loon  lake  and  thence 
through  the  channel  between  Old  and  Loon. 
When  near  Old  lake  a  dog  began  barking 
terribly  and  the  owner  listening  heard  a 
\\<uuan  scream  and  a  man  trying  to  pacify 
her.  This  was  about  nine  o'clock  Wednes- 
day evening.  Nothing  was  thought  of  their 
absence.  Hills  supposing  Katie  was  at  w.i  >rk 
at  Haldermans  and  Halderman  supposing 
Nickerson  had  not  got  the  girl  and  went  else- 
where. On  Friday  afternoon  some  boys 
fishing  found  the  boat  they  had  used.  Nick- 
erson's  coat  and  a  paper  of  tobacco  being 
in  the  boat.  Search  began  on  land  and  water 
and  it  was  now  first  discovered  that  they 
were  gone.  On  Saturday  evening  the  bodies 
of  the  two  were  found  in  ten  or  twelve  feet 
of  water  twentv-five  or  thirty  feet  from  the 
outlet  of  Old  lake.  There  were  no  marks 
of  violence  on  either  body.  The  two  had 
been  engaged  at  one  time,  but  owing  to  the 
dissolute  character  of  the  man  she  had  brok- 
en the  engagement. 


THE  WHITLEY  COUNTY  GRANGES. 


EY    HENRY    H.    LAWRENCE. 


The  Grange  had  its  origin  in  that  period 
of  general  depression  of  the  early  'seventies. 
Not  only  was  there  a  great  slackening  of  the 
commercial  pulse  but  it  extended  everywhere 
and  the  unrest  was  perhaps  greater  in  the 
rural  districts  than  anywhere  else.  Farmers 
felt  the_\-  were  not  having  what  is  now 
termed  the  "square  deal"  and  that  they  were 
getting  the  worst  end  of  the  bargain  in  all 


lines.  This  culminated  in  the  establishment 
of  a  great  farmers'  alliance  called  the 
grange  and  it  spread  with  lightning  rapidity 
all  over  the  land. 

Many  who  first  entered  the  order  were 
actuated  by  that  excitement  incident  to  great 
popular  movements  and  not  realizing  the 
importance  and  true  principles  that  formed 
its    foundation    soon    dropped   out    throug'h 


248 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


carelessness,  disappointment  and  other 
causes  so  that  the  order  in  man)'  places  dis- 
integrated as  rapidly  as  it  had  formed. 

The  first  general  move  in  Whitley 
county  was  in  the  early  spring  of  1874, 
when  it  swept  the  country  like  a  tornado. 
The  records  show  that  in  April  of  that  year 
there  were  eighteen  subordinate  lodges  or 
granges  organized  within  the  county,  named 
and  numbered  as  follows,  as  far  as  we  have 
been  able  to  determine  from  the  records : 
Thorncreek,  No.  278;  Union,  No.  649;  Eel 
River,  No.  689;  Richland,  No.  925;  Blue 
River,  No.  945  ;  Lynn,  No.  980 ;  Fair  Oaks, 
No.  991;  Sugar  Grove,  No.  1075;  Troy, 
No.  1 155;  Washington,  No.  1163;  Jeffer- 
son. No.  1256;  Sugar  Grove.  No.  1264; 
West  Union,  No.  1408;  Coesse,  No.  1625; 
Spring  Run,  No.  1892;  Collins,  South 
Whitley  "and  Pleasant  Lake. 

A  large  part  of  the  more  prominent  and 
influential  farmers  and  their  wives,  sons  and 
daughters  became  members,  some  to  remain 
true  to  its  principles  and  others  to  drop  out. 

Immediately  on  the  organization  of 
these  lodges  the  necessity  for  a  county  or- 
ganization with  general  supervision  was 
clearly  apparent.  A  meeting  was  called  in 
Columbia  City  and  a  county  council  was 
organized  to  have  general  supervision  of  the 
affairs  of  the  order  within  the  county.  We 
need  only  to  refer  to  the  ups  and  downs  of 
the  order.  Springing  so  rapidly  into  exist 
ence  the  rebound  was  sure  to  come,  but  the 
order  has  survived  and  is  today  a  living 
and  vital  factor  for  good. 

On  June  22,  1878,  those  who  were  yet 
members  of  the  council  met  in  Central  Hall. 
Columbia  City,  and  organized  in  its  stead  a 
County  Grange.  It  was  first  known  as  Co- 
lumbia City   Pomona  Grange,  No.  33,  but 


was  soon  after  changed  to  the  Whitley 
County  Pomona  Grange,  No.  33,  and  is 
still  in  good  working  order.  No  stated 
times  are  set  for  its  meeting,  but  it  meets  as 
the  business  may  require  on  the  call  of  the 
executive  committee,  which  consists  bf  a 
member  from  each  subordinate  lodge.  These 
meetings  are  held  as  often  as  three  weeks 
and  some  times  not  for  two  months.  They 
are  held  at  the  different  subordinate  lodges 
and  all  members  of  all  lodges  in  the 
county,  being-  members,  participate  in  the 
proceedings  and  assist  in  deciding  all  ques- 
tions. The  meetings  generally  discuss  ques- 
tions of  law  and  general  welfare.  The  meet- 
ings of  the  county  grange  were  at  first  called 
by  the  president  and  secretary. 

Of  the  original  eighteen  lodges  all  but 
three  have  passed  out  of  existence,  but  these 
three  are  in  good  condition.  They  are 
Spring  Run  Grange,  No.  1892,  held  at  their 
ball  near  Compton  church ;  Sugar  Grove 
Grange,  No.  1264,  with  hall  at  Laud,  and 
Thorncreek  Grange,  No.  378.  meeting  in 
the  upper  story  of  Thorncreek  Center 
schOolhouse.  This  last  one  was  for  a  long 
time  dormant,  but  was  recent lv  reorganized 
and  is  in  healthy  condition.  More  recentlv 
Richland  Grange  was  reorganized  and  be- 
ing- in  g"ood  condition  holds  its  meetings  in 
the  old  Odd  Fellows'  Hall  in  Larwill. 

The  executive  committee  of  the  county 
grange  consists  of  Elisha  Swan,  of  Sugar 
Grove ;  Daniel  Morrolf.  of  Spring-  Run ; 
Thomas  Briggs.  of  Thorncreek,  and  John 
Butler,  of  Larwill. 

Spring  Run  Grange  is  the  only  one  of 
those  organized  in  1874  that  has  never  been 
dormant  and  has  missed  but  very  few 
regular  meetings. 

Early  in  1906  a  committee  was  appoint- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


'-49 


ed  by  the  county  grange  to  try  and  secure 
the  meeting  of  the  next  state  grange  at 
Columbia  City.  This  committee  was  Henry 
H.  Lawrence,  Eugene  Chavey,  John  Butler 
and  J.  E.  Baer.  Through  the  united  efforts 
of  the  committee  and  the  members  through- 
out the  county  the  state  meeting-  was  held 
in  Columbia  City  December  n  and  14. 
1906. 

Eew  influences  have  done  more  to  ele- 
vate the  rural  districts,  allay  prejudice  and 


cement  the  cordial  relations  now  existing 
than  the  grange.  We  could  name  those 
who  were  prominent  in  the  movement  in 
the  early  days  of  the  organization  and  the 
few  of  the  pioneers  of  the  order  who  re- 
main with  those  who  are  today  bearing  the 
burden  of  battle,  but  so  man}-  c<  mid  demand 
mention  that  we  hesitate  to  do  so. 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

Henry  H.  Lawrence. 


TROY  TOWNSHIP. 


Troy  township,  the  middle  of  the  west 
tier  of  townships  of  the  county,  township 
32,  range  8,  was  organized  in  1839,  the 
first  township  organized  after  the  county 
organization,  and  the  fifth  in  the  county, 
Cleveland,  Smith.  Richland  and  Thorncreek 
having-  organized  in  advance  of  the  county 
organization.  The  matter  of  township  or- 
ganization was  simple.  Application  was 
made  by  written  petition  to  the  board  of 
county  commissioners  for  the  naming  of  a 
congressional  township  and  holding  an  elec- 
tion. 

At  this  time  there  were  but  five  voters 
in  the  south  third  of  the  township,  now  a 
part  of  Richland  township — Jesse  S.  Perin, 
Price  Goodrich.  Timothy  F.  Devinney,  Bela 
Goodrich  and  Nathan  Chapman. 

The  voters  in  that  part  of  the  township 
now  Troy  were  Samuel  Hartsock,  Thomas 
Estlick,  James  Lytle,  William  Doney,  James 
Keirsey,  Joseph  Tinkham,  Jacob  Scott,  Ste- 
phen Martin,  Henry  Moore.  Jonathan  Smith 
and  James  Joslin. 

This  was  the  election   for  organization 


and  the  only  officer  elected  was  a  justice  of 
the  peace.  Nathan  Chapman  received  nine 
of  the  votes  and  Price  Goodrich  the  other 
seven.  Each  candidate  voted  for  his  com- 
petitor. The  naming  of  the  township  was 
done  by  Jesse  Perin. 

No  settler  had  appeared  up  to  1836,  but 
very  early  that  year  Jesse  Perin  came  in  the 
si  >uth  part,  Stephen  Martin.  Samuel  Hart- 
sock  and  Thomas  Estlick  in  the  north.  It 
is  generallv  conceded  that  Hartsock  came 
first  and  Perin  next,  though  but  very  few 
days  elapsed  between  their 'coming. 

John  Snodgrass,  Nathan  Chapman. 
James  Keirsey,  Joseph  Tinkham,  T.  F.  De- 
vinney and  Jacob  Scott  all  came  in  [836  or 
quite  earl}-  in  1837.  Joel  Rine  came  in  [837, 
and  George  W.  Elder.  Price  and  Bela 
Goodrich  in  1838. 

The  Martin  family  came  from  Oneida 
count}-.  New  York.  They  came  to  Buffalo 
by  canal,  then  took  ship  on  the  bark  "Old 
Fulton"  for  Maumee,  but  were  driven  to 
port  at  Erie  for  twenty-four  hours  during  a 
violent   storm.      Arriving:   at   Maumee   Bav 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


the  goods  were  unloaded  on  the  river  bank, 
where  work  had  already  begun  on  the  Wa- 
bash-Erie canal.  They  hired  teams  to  haul 
them  above  the  rapids,  above  what  is  now 
called  Grand  Rapids,  some  twenty  miles  this 
side  of  Toledo.  There  they  hired  a  keel 
boat  to  bring  them  on  the  river  to  Fort 
Wayne.  They  arrived  at  Fort  Wayne  early 
in  the  morning  of  July  8,  1836,  where  they 
were  met  by  Mr.  Martin's  brother  and  a 
neighbor  with  teams  from  Wolf  Lake,  Noble 
county.  They  got  as  far  as  present  Chur- 
ubusco  the  first  night,  where  they  camped 
in  a  dense  forest.  It  took  two  days  more  to 
reach  Wolf  Lake  and  two  days  more  to 
reach  their  land  in  the  northeast  part  of 
present  Troy  township.  Mr.  Martin's  son, 
Stephen  Martin,  Jr.,  was  an  early  surveyor 
of  the  count}'  and  was  defeated  for  re-elec- 
tion because  part  of  the  tickets  were  Ste- 
phen Martin  and  a  part  Stephen  Martin,  Jr., 
Asa  Shoemaker  and  others  claiming  they 
had  voted  for  Stephen  Martin.  Sr. 

Stephen,  Jr.,  was  assessor  for  the  whole 
countjr  in  1847  and  took  sick  at  the  home 
of  Mr.  Fellows,  Mrs.  Dr.  Ireland's  father. 
Dr.  Pierce  was  called  and  helped  him  and  he 
sent  for  Beaver  Edwards  to  come  and  g'et 
him,  which  he  did  and  brought  him  to  his 
own  home,  the  house  still  standing  north  of 
the  county  jail.  Dr.  Tyler  was  called,  gave 
him  an  overdose  of  morphine  and  he  died  in 
that  house  without  waking. 

Abraham,  son  of  George  W.  Elder,  says : 
"We  moved  from  Seneca  county,  Ohio,  with 
a  team  of  oxen.  We  first  went  to  mill  at 
Syracuse  and  it  took  us  two  full  days  to 
go  and  return  with  our  oxen.  There  were 
no  regular  schools,  only  subscription  schools. 
1  first  went  to  Mrs.  Joel  Rine,  who  taught 
in  her  kitchen  in  1839.     I  now  own  the  land 


on  which  this  first  school  room  stood.  The 
first  death  I  know  of  in  the  township  was 
my  grandmother,  Elizabeth  Rine,  in  1839. 
We  buried  her  over  in  Kosciusko  county. 
We  did  not  do  much  store  trading,  nearly 
every  one  produced  what  they  used,  but 
what  little  trading  we  did  was  mostly  at 
Summit,  one  mile  west  of  present  Larwill, 
We  scarcely  ever  went  to  Warsaw,  Colum- 
bia or  Fort  Wayne,  but  did  sometimes  go 
to  Oswego.  One  morning  about  four  o'clock 
I  asked  my  father  if  I  might  go  that  day  to 
Grandfather  Rine's.  'Yes,'  said  he,  'if  you  go 
right  now.'  and  I  went.  He  was  more  afraid 
than  I  was  and  I  had  scarcely  made  the  mile 
in  the  dark  till  he  was  there  too.  I  think 
the  first  school  house  ever  built  in  the  town- 
ship was  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 15." 

Lorin  Loomis  came  in  1839.  Fielding 
Barnes  in  1843.  Settlers  came  slowly  to 
Troy  township  till  1840,  but  the  following 
came  before  1841  :  Robert  Adams,  Lewis 
Adams,  Jacob  Stackhouse,  Henry  Harpster, 
Samuel  Marrs,  James  Grant,  Samuel  Pal- 
mer. Henry  Roberts,  Levi  Adams,  Pearson 
R.  Walton,  James  Latoon,  John  J.  English, 
Almond  Palmer,  Hiram  Lampkins  and  Har- 
low Barber.  Alexander  Blain  came  in  1840, 
Thomas  A.  Elliott  and  Richard  Vanderford 
and  Carter  McDonald  in  1843,  Lorin  Loomis 
and  John  Harrison  in  1841  ;  Jonathan  Sat- 
tison  and  A.  M.  Trumbull  in  1842. 

The  first  taxes  assessed  in  1838  were: 
John  Burns,  $1.25;  Thomas  Estlick,  $1.85: 
Samuel  Hartsock,  $3.16;  Stephen  Martin, 
Sr..  $1.30;  Jesse  S.  Perin,  $3.40;  Joel  Rine, 
$2.51 ;  John  Snodgrass,  $3.17;  Joseph  Tink- 
ham,  $2.75.  Total,  $19.31.  The  taxes  lev- 
ied in  1906  amounted  to  $8,559.61. 

The  first  child  born  in  this  township  was 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


Thomas  Estlick.  The  next  was  a  daughter 
of  Joel  Rine,  and  this  child  was  the  second 
death.  The  first  marriage  was  Rev.  Samuel 
Smith  to  Clarissa  Blanchard ;  the  second, 
David  James  to  Eunice  Goodrich. 

The  first  school  in  the  township  was 
taught  by  Stephen  Martin,  Jr.,  in  his  own 
house  in  1838- 1839.  The  first  log  school 
house  was  built  at  Grant's  Corners,  and 
Clarissa  Blanchard  was  the  first  teacher; 
the  second,  Old  North  school  house,  on  A. 
M.  Trumbull's  land.  The  next  was  called 
Black  Rock  because  built  near  the  land  of 
Joel  Casey,  a  negro. 

The  first  church  organization  was  the 
Protestant  Methodist  in  1840.  Rev.  Bratt 
came  from  over  in  Kosciusko  county  and 
preached  in  the  cabins  of  the  settlers  in  the 
south  and  west  part  of  present  Troy.  This 
resulted  in  the  organization  of  a  class  of  the 
society  and  preparation  was  made  for  the 
building  of  a  log  church  on  section  18  in 
1 84 1,  but  it  fell  through  and  the  organiza- 
tion soon  after  disbanded,  as  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  denomination  had  organized  near 
the  center  of  the  township  in  1840.  They 
met  at  settlers'  cabins  and  in  school  houses 
until  they  built  their  first  house  of  .worship 
in  1849.  The  present  brick  church  was  built 
about  1879.  About  1844  a  Baptist  organi- 
zation was  formed  and  they  held  services  for 
several  years  at  private  houses  and  at  the 
Center  school  house,  but  never  erected  a 
house  of  worship  in  Troy.  The  Baptist 
church  in  Etna  township  is  its  successor. 

The  Presbyterian  church  was  organized 
in  1846.  Thomas  Elliott  was  its  real  found- 
er. The  society  now  worships  in  the  sec- 
ond house  built  on  the  same  spot.  It  is  at 
this  place  that  Rev.  W.  S.  Harker  died  on 


duty.  He  lived  at  Larwill  and  was  the  reg- 
ularly installed  pastor  of  this  church.  On 
the  first  Sunday  morning  of  August,  1869, 
he  was  on  hand,  and  just  before  going  into 
the  pulpit  remarked  that  he  was  in  a  perfect 
state  of  health.  To  John  Harrison  he  said, 
"I  am  as  heart}-  as  a  bear."  He  had  been 
speaking  for  a  few  minutes  when  he  weak- 
ened and  a  few  words  he  attempted  to  say 
were  a  rattling  ramble,  then  taking  a  deep 
breath,  he  said,  "Friends,  I  can  say  no 
more."  He  then  called  his  wife  and  sank 
into  a  seat.  She  ran  to  him,  ordered  the 
windows  opened  and  then  had  him  carried 
out  and  back  of  the  house  and  laid  on  the 
grass.  He  at  once  lost  consciousness  and 
never  regained  it.  Dr.  Kirkpatrick  was  sent 
for  and  bled  him.  but  it  did  no  good,  and 
he  died  in  about  two  hours  from  the  time  he 
was  stricken. 

The  Free  Methodist  church  was  built  in 
1879  on  the  farm  of  Jacob  Klingerman  at 
the  northeast  corner  of  section  34,  Richland 
township.  The  trustees  were  Thomas 
Pritchard,  Jacob  Klingerman  and  Jackson 
Tannehill.  The  building  was  torn  down  in 
1882  and  moved  to  Steam  Corners  or  Lorane 
in  Troy  township,  where  it  was  rebuilt  and 
was  rededicated  by  Rev.  Hammer.  It  now 
has  a  membership  of  nineteen.  The  trustees 
are  Edward  Russell  and  Charles  Sellers. 
The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  Perry  E. 
Morgan. 

Levi  Adams  settled  on  section  fourteen 
in  1842  and  in  1845  he  laid  off  a  spot  on 
his  land  for  a  cemetery  and  deeded  it  to  the 
county.  It  is  still  known  as  the  Adams 
cemetery.  The  first  burial  was  Mrs.  Lo- 
renzo Havens  in  1845,  and  the  second  was 
Levi  Adams'  first  wife  in   1846. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


Jacob  Scott  owned  the  southwest  quarter 
of  section  one  in  1847  when  his  wife.  Lydia, 
died,  and  he  buried  her  on  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  the  farm  and  dedicated  a  plat  for  a 
public  cemetery  and  it  is  still  known  as  the 
Scott  cemetery.  There  were  many  earlier 
burials  at  various  places  in  the  settlement 
but  most  of  the  bodies  were  taken  up  and 
reinterred  at  Scott's. 

The  Presbyterian  cemetery  was  laid  out 
at  the  time  land  for  the  church  was  secured 
and  we  are  not  advised  of  the  first  burial. 

June  3,  1867,  Samuel  and  William  Snod- 
grass  and  Adam  C.  Brosman.  all  of  Troy 
township,  and  Samuel  Firestone,  from  Kos- 
ciusko count}',  organized  themselves  as  Reg- 
ulators, and  were  incorporated  as  the  "In- 
vincibles"  and  given  the  power  of  constables 
to  make  arrests  of  persons  violating  the 
criminal  laws. 

Jacob  Scott  named  Xew  Lake,  because 
the  Scott  family  found  it  after  the  one  to  the 
north,  which  they  called  Old  Lake.  Thom- 
as Estlick  named  Loon  and  Goose  lakes.  In 
1837  he  shot  a  loon  on  the  former  and  had 
a  great  deal  of  trouble  to  get  it  ashore,  then 
gave  the  body  of  water  the  name.  He  named 
the  other  Goose  Lake  because  in  early  days 
he  shot  so  man}-  wild  geese  on  it.  Cedar 
Lake  took  its  name  from  the  larg'e  number 
of  cedar  trees  that  early  grew  on  its  banks. 

As  before  noted.  James  Lyttle  was  an 
earl_\'  settler  in  Troy.  He  was  a  negro. 
Soon  after  his  settlement  in  the  township 
his  wife  died,  leaving-  several  children,  all 
full-blood  negroes. 

There  was  a  family  named  Sutton  liv- 
ing on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  18, 
Thomcreek  township,  adjoining  Troy,  and 
one  daughter.  Charity,  lived  with  Nathan 
Chapman    in    the    strip    now    belonging    to 


Richland.  She  was  a  comely  maiden,  but 
the  family  was  rather  shiftless  and  not  of 
the  highest  order.  Lyttle  was  fairly  well- 
to-do  and  had  some  money  and  determined 
to  marry  Charity  Sutton  at  all  hazards, 
though  the  law  forbade  such  marriages  un- 
der severe  penalties.  It  was  evident  he  could 
not  marry  her  and  stay,  here,  so  he  arranged 
to  move  west,  promised  Nathan  Chapman 
$100  to  secure  the  girl's  consent  and  help 
consummate  the  deal.  He  also  secured  the 
consent  of  the  girl's  family  and  took  them 
along.  In  October,  1841.  the  Lyttle  family 
and  the  Sutton  family,  accompanied  by 
Chapman,  started  west.  In  Michigan  at  that 
time  no  marriage  license  was  required,  but 
the  laws  strictly  forbade  the  intermarriage 
of  whites  and  blacks.  On  October  30.  1841, 
Chauncey  May,  a  justice  of  the  peace  in  St. 
Joseph  county.  Michigan,  married  Lyttle 
and  Miss  Sutton.  What  he  got  for  disobey- 
ing the  law  is  not  known  and  as  the  parties 
moved  on  and  Chapman  returned,  the  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  was  never  brought  to  book. 

In  1888  a  letter  was  received  by  the 
clerk  of  the  Whitley  circuit  court  "from  a 
daughter  of  this  union  at  Pineville.  Oregon, 
offering  fiftv  dollars  for  a  certificate  of  the 
marriage  if  it  could  be  made  to  appear  the 
marriage  took  place  four  months  earlier 
than  it  occurred.  A  certificate  was  pro- 
cured from  St.  Joseph  county,  but  as  no  one 
wished  to  perjure  themselves  or  falsify  the 
record  the  Oregon  parties  would  not  pay 
for  it. 

There  has  never  been  a  saloon  in  Troy 
township.  The  people  are  industrious  and 
thrifty  and  a  greater  per  cent,  of  them  are 
church-going  people  than  of  any  other  town- 
ship in  the  count}'. 

It  is  a  fine  farming'  community  and  its 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


people  are  prosperous  and  happy.  Having" 
neither  town  nor  railroad,  it  is  somewhat 
isolated,  but  is  near  enough  to  Columbia 
City,  Larwill  and  Pierceton  that  the  people 
do  not  suffer  any  special  inconvenience. 
Neither  a  doctor  or  a  lawyer  has  a  residence 
in  the  township. 

RECOLLECTIONS  OF  EARLY  TROY. 

BY    MRS.    FANNIE    MARRS. 

This  brings  to  my  mind  the  scenes  of  my 
childhood  and  those  dear  old  faces  that  have 
nearly  all  passed  away.  If  I  could  only  re- 
member dates  I  could  give  you  a  great  deal 
of  interesting'  early  history.  My  father, 
Price  Goodrich,  landed  here  in  June,  1838. 
James  Joslin,  John  Black  and  Harlow  Bar- 
ber, with  their  families,  came  in  1839. 
Blanchard  and  Harry  Roberts  about  a  vear 
and  a  half  later.  Samuel  Marrs  came  in 
1837,  the  year  my  father  came  to  buy  land. 
They  both  picked  on  the  same  piece,  and 
Marrs  got  it.  but  I  got  one  of  his  boys.  I 
have  lived  on  the  place  for  fifty- four  years. 

It  was  Levi  Little*  and  not  James  who 
came  in  1838.  He  settled  on  the  bank  of 
"Wilson  Lake  and  the  lake  went  by  the  name 
of  Lyttle's  Lake.  Alex  Wilson  bought  him 
out  and  the  lake  took  his  name.  When  Lu- 
cie Billy  Jameson  came  to  the  count}-  he 
wanted  to  find  Lorin  Loomis.  The  trees 
were  marked  "L"  and  he  followed  them  and 
came  to  Lyttle's. 

I  was  present  at  the  Presbyterian  church 

*The  record  of  his  marriage  to  Charity 
Sutton  says  James,  but  he  may  have  changed 
it  for  that  occasion  to  better  avoid  trouble  if 
anv  came. 


when  Rev.  Harker  fell  and  died.  The 
church  was  organized  in  1846  by  Mr.  Sad. 
Lorin  Loomis,  William  Jameson,  Thomas 
and  Robert  Elliott,  John  and  William  Har- 
rison, Salmon  and  Lyman  Noble,  John  Mc- 
Keehan  and  Myron  Noble,  with  their  wives, 
constituted  the  first  membership. 

The  first  Methodist  I  heard  preach  was 
at  ni}'  father's  house,  Anderson  Parrett  and 
Edwin  Cone  alternately.  They  held  services 
around  in  the  homes  of  the  brethren. 

My  father  used  to  take  brother  Silas  and 
myself  by  the  hand  and  take  us  as  far  north 
as  Etna  to  Kinney's  and  as  far  south  as 
Benoni  Mosher's  and  as  far  west  as  David 
Hayden's.  I  remember  well  once  when  my 
father.  Aunt  Lucinda  Goodrich  and  myself 
went  down  to  Hayden's  to  meeting".  We 
had  only  one  horse,  which  we  took  turns  rid- 
ing. We  were  on  the  old  Squawbuck  trail 
and  I  was  walking"  ahead  and  I  saw  just 
ahead  of  me  in  the  roots  of  a  beech  tree  a 
little  fawn.  I  slipped  up  and  sprang"  after 
it,  but  it  was  too  quick  for  me.  I  think  it 
was  in  the  year  1850  that  the  first  old  Meth- 
odist church  was  built.  Among  the  first 
members  were  my  father  and  mother, 
Blanchard  and  wife,  Harlow  Barber  and 
wife,  Harry  Roberts,  Joseph  and  Robert 
Tinkham  and  wives.  Samuel  Smith  was  our 
first  circuit  preacher.  He  married  Clarissa 
Blanchard  for  his  second  wife,  and  my  fa- 
ther broke  his  team  to  sell  him  a  horse  so 
his  wife  could  ride  the  circuit  with  him.  I 
think  the  old  school  house  at  Grant's  Cor- 
ners was  built  in  the  vear  1840.  Clarissa 
Blanchard  was  the  first  teacher  and  among 
her  pupils  were  Edwin,  and  Joseph  Joslin. 
Delila  Loomis.  Jane,  John  and  Hannah 
Hartsock,  Henry  and  Ezra  Grant,  Sarah  I. 


254 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Black.  Permelia  Chapman,  my  brother  Silas 
and  myself.  I  do  not  know  sure,  but 
think  old  Mrs.  Hartsock  and  her  son  Wil- 
liam were  the  first  burials  at  the  Presbyte- 
rian church. 

My  grandfather,  Bela  Goodrich,  was  a 
feeble  old  man  when  we  came  here,  but  was 
able  to  hunt  and  fish  a  great  deal.  He  used 
to  hunt  young"  wolves  and  bring  them  in  the 
house  before  they  had  their  eyes  open  and 
lay  them  down  on  the  floor.  We  children 
would  want  to  keep  them  as  pets,  but  he  said 
he  would  pet  them  with  a  club. 

The  first  deer  my  brother  Silas  ever  shot 
was  when  he  was  eleven  years  old.  He  came  to 
have  me  go  and  help  hang  it  up.  I  went  with 
him  and  we  worked  and  worked  and  tried 
very  hard  to  bend  a  sapling,  but  finally  gave 
it  up.  I  want  to  tell  how  the  children  of  those 
days  had  to  work  for  a  living.  To  get  a  few 
cents  we  had  no  other  way  except  picking 
cranberries  and  digging  g'inseng  and  other 
roots.  Didn't  have  a  place  even  to  sell 
these  before  there  was  a  store  in  Columbia. 
I  remember  once  of  going  east  of  Columbia 
to  what  was  called  Polander's  store  at 
Heller's  Corners — a  neighbor  girl  and 
I  nil  horseback.  I  rode  a  three-year- 
old  colt.  Sometimes  we  crossed  Loon 
Lake  to  a  little  store  kept  by  a  man 
named  Richards  and  in  1843  I  think  the 
first  store  was  started  in  Columbia.  I  could 
give  a  perfect  history  of  the  early  Columbia 


if  I  could  remember  the  dates.  I  remember 
the  first  peaches  we  sold  in  Columbia.  We 
had  a  few  very  nice  red  and  yellow  ones, 
rare  ripes.  My  father  took  a  patent  pail  full 
to  town  and  sold  them  by  the  dozen.  Bever 
Edwards  bought  them  and  took  a  few  and 
tied  them  up  in  his  red  bandana  handker- 
chief and  started  out  and  I  watched  him  go 
across  the  way  to  old  Jakey  Thompson's, 
where  his  girl,  Beckv  Thompson,  met  him 
at  the  door.     She  was  his  wife  later. 

I  think  Horace  Tuttle  and  old  Dr.  Mc- 
Hugh's  place  of  settlement  was  about  a  mile 
southwest  of  where  Sam  Shoemaker  now 
lives.  Their  wives  were  sisters — Irish  wo- 
men. Once  when  I  was  down  at  Asa  Shoe- 
maker's their  girls  and  I  went  over  to  Tut- 
tle's  to  see  the  baby  and  they  let  us  hold  it. 
Mrs.  Tuttle  said  they  called  it  Colwell  Wol- 
cott.  I  never  forgot  his  name.  I  have 
heard  he  was  born  in  Columbia  City,  but 
that  is  not  true. 

Once  when  I  went  to  pick  swamp  goose- 
berries I  saw  a  rattlesnake  run  into  the  moss 
at  the  roots  of  a  willow  tree.  I  took  hold  of 
its  tail  and  threw  it  up  on  the  high  ground 
and  killed  it.  When  deer  were  plentv.  one 
day  the  children  came  in  and  told  mother 
her  geese  were  all  flying  away.  They  saw 
the  deer  jumping  the  fence  and  their  white 
tails  bobbing,  and  they  mistook  them  for  the 
geese. 

I  was  born  in  Delaware  county,  Ohio, 
November  5,  183 1. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 
COLUMBIA  TOWNSHIP. 


BY    G.     K.     MADISON. 


Columbia  township  was  organized  by  the 
board  of  commissioners  May  5,  1840,  the 
election  for  one  justice  of  the  peace  being 
held  on  the  3d  of  August  at  the  .house  of 
David  E.  Long  in  the  village  of  Columbia, 
and  resulted  in  the  selection  of  Elijah  C.  Os- 
born,  who  received  four  of  the  six  votes 
cast.  Failing  to  qualify,  Joseph  W.  Baker 
was  appoined,  being  succeeded  upon  his  res- 
ignation by  Horace  Tuttle  September  6, 
1841. 

February  1,  1840,  Elihu  Chauncey,  of 
Philadelphia,  laid  out  Columbia,  the  original 
plat  showing  two  hundred  and  twenty-eight 
lots  in  twenty-seven  whole  and  three  frac- 
tional blocks,  all  north  of  Blue  river.  It 
was  located  on  the  west  side  of  section  elev- 
en (il),  township  thirty-one  (31),  range 
nine  (9)  east.  See  Deed  Record  "A,"  pp. 
184-5-6. 

The  streets  surrounding  block  fourteen — 
the  court  house  square — were  niney-nine  feet 
wide  and  the  plat  shows  that  the  streets  are 
nut  of  the  true  meridian  (north  and  south) 
fiVe  degrees  and  thirty-five  minutes.  Elihu 
Chauncey's  first  addition  was  platted  April 
10,  1841,  and  contained  one  hundred  and 
thirty-six  regular  town  and  twenty-eight  out 
lots.  Deed  Record  "A,"  pp.  441-2.  Henry 
L.  Ellsworth  acted  as  attorney  and  agent  for 
Chauncey  and,  in  fact,  it  was  he  who  secured 
the  site  as  the  future  county  seat,  though  one 
mile  to  the  southwest  on  the  Beaver  reserva- 
tion would  have  been  a  much  more  suitable 
location,  it  having  a  gravelly  instead  of  a 
heavy  clay  soil.  Isaac  Shinneman  on  the  2d 
of  Tune,  1848,  recorded  an  addition  of  twen- 


ty-four lots  west  of  the  section  line,  now 
called  Line  street.  Deed  Record  "C,"  p.  417. 
The  original  town  was  surveyed  by  Richard 
Collins  during  the  last  week  of  November, 
1839,  assisting  the  commissioners,  Otho  W. 
Gandy,  Joseph  Parrett  and  Nathaniel  Grad- 
less.  Collins  was  sheriff  and  was  the  trustee 
to  whom  Chauncey  had  conveyed  one-half 
the  lots  in  the  town  site  to  the  county.  He 
lived  near  South  Whitley  and  in  riding  home 
after  his  survey  was  completed  was  lost  and 
found  himself  near  Fort  Wayne  upon  con- 
sulting his  compass. 

We  have  had  three  court-houses,  the  first 
a  two-story  frame,  which  stood  on  the  west 
side  of  the  square,  and  was  erected  about 
1842.  The  jury  room  was  in  a  separate 
nearby  building,  built  but  one  or  two  years 
after  the  court  house.  It  now  belongs  to  the 
Harter  family  and  stands  in  the  north  part 
of  the  town,  while  the  court  house  was  sold 
to  Dr.  Swayze  and  standing  opposite  Dr. 
Linvill's  is  owned  by  the  Eyanson  estate. 

The  second  court-house,  on  site  of  the 
present,  was  begun  in  1849  and  finished  in 
1851,  costing  $8,500.  and  was  constructed  of 
brick  and  stone.  Tt  was  sold  to  C.  B.  Tulley. 
who  removed  it.  In  1888  it  was  replaced 
with  the  present  building  costing  $165,000. 
B.  F.  Tolan,  of  Fort  Wayne,  architect.  Jo- 
seph S.  Baker  and  Washington  Yanator,  of 
Warsaw,  contractors. 

The  old  jail  standing  west  of  the  square 
on  the  present  site  of  the  city  building  was 
of  plank  and  finally  replaced  in  1^75  by  the 
present  commodious  structure  combining  jail 
and  sheriff's  residence,  costing  $35,000. 


o<> 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


The  name  Columbia  was  at  first  given  to 
the  county  seat,  but  "Whitley  Court  House" 
was  the  name  of  the  first  postoffice,  there  be- 
ing another  Columbia  in  the  state.  In  1854 
there  arose  a  desire  to  have  the  postoffice 
conform  to  the  town  and  a  heated  discussion 
resulted,  man}-  names  being  presented  and 
supported.  The  contest  narrowed  to  "Beav- 
er" and  "Columbia  City,"  the  former  being 
in  honor  of  the  noted  Indian  whose  reserva- 
tion occupied  much  of  Columbia  township. 
The  population  of  740  people  waged  a  wordy 
war.  a  final  vote  resulting  in  but  three  ma- 
jority for  the  present  name. 

In  1850  Whitley  county  had  nine  hun- 
dred and  thirteen  dwellings,  nine  hundred 
and  forty-one  families,  five  hundred  and 
twenty-two  farms  and  eight  manufacturing 
establishments.  The  first  of  the  latter  was 
a  corn  cracker  and  saw  mill,  which  was 
erected  in  the  autumn  of  1843  D>'  Henry 
Swihart  as  agent  of  Henry  Ellsworth, 
and  stood  near  the  present  Tuttle  &  Com- 
pany mill.  The  limited  water  supply  made 
its  operation  a  matter  of  considerable  uncer- 
tainty. 

In  after  years  the  Tuttle  &  Company 
flouring  mill  and  Liggett  &  Mills  mill  each 
contributed  in  no  small  way  to  the  industrial 
life  of  the  city  and  are  to-day  first-class  prop- 
erties. 

During  the  "forties  we  had  some  small 
stores.  Thomas  Ellis,  Thomas  Washburn. 
George  Arnold.  Eli  Meiser  and  Mrs.  John 
Rhodes  were  among  the  owners  as  was 
Tames  B.  Edwards,  whose  geniality  and 
readiness  at  argument  and  repartee  soon 
made  him  popular.  All  the  great  questions 
agitating  the  country,  slavery,  temperance, 
the  republic  of  Texas,  the  Mexican  war.  the 


gold  fever  were  ably  argued  pro  and  con 
around  his  fireside,  his  own  part  giving  him 
a  prominence  that  made  him  clerk  of  the 
courts  and  sheriff  of  the  county. 

The  first  bank  in  Columbia  City  was  es- 
tablished by  Franklin  H.  Eoust,  the  present 
president  of  the  Columbia  City  National 
Bank.  In  the  early  'seventies,  Elisha  L. 
McLallen  and  Theodore  Reed  started  the 
Farmers'  Bank,  now  the  First  National,  in 
the  Central  Building,  which  is  now  owned 
by  the  McLallen  brothers  and  their  father, 
Henry  McLallen. 

Probably  the  first  permanent  settler  in 
what  is  now  Columbia  township  was  Asa 
Shoemaker,  who.  in  1837,  settled  on  Big 
Spring'  creek,  where  his  son,  Samuel  F. 
Shoemaker,  was  born  October  18,  1838, 
without  question  the  first  white  child  born 
in  the  township. 

Joseph  M.  Baker,  who  designed  and 
built  the  first  courthouse,  settled  just  north 
of  town  and  Raymond  J.  German  became 
his   immediate  successor. 

April  8.  1841,  Henry  Swihart,  a  justice 
of  the  peace,  married  Elijah  Scott  and  La- 
vonia  Witt,  the  first  marriage  in  the  county. 

"David  E.  Long,  Entertainment  for 
Man  and  Beast,"  was  the  sign  that  swung 
on  its  creaking"  hinges  in  front  of  the  first 
tavern  in  the  town,  and  in  fact  it  was  the 
first  house  erected  in  Columbia  City,  its 
site  being  more  generally  remembered  ni  iw 
as  the  location  of  Brandt  &  Ireland's  drug 
store. 

In  1842.  a  second  tavern  was  started 
with  Jacob  Thompson  as  boniface.  Chris- 
tian Hoover  was  the  first  saloon  keeper  and 
was  succeeded  by  William  W.  Kepner. 
though  even  then  the  law  would  not  permit 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


the  sale  of  liquor  to  Indians.  As  in  many 
other  communities,  the  question  of  temper- 
ance demanded  and  received  much  attention 
by  both  men  and  women  in  Columbia  City. 
December  31,  1855,  a  Ladies'  Temperance 
League  was  organized  and  two  days  later,  J. 
A.  Berry,  publisher  of  the  Pioneer,  made  a 
terrible  onslaught  on  liquor  doggeries  and 
groceries,  though  no  names  were  mentioned. 
February  20,  1856,  articles  over  the  names 
of  "Copenhagen,"  "Fanny"  and  "Ouisical 
Quincoy"  came  out  with  criminations  and 
recriminations,  much  rabid  and  meaningless 
things  being  uttered.  This  agreement  was 
entered  up,  "We,  the  undersigired,  retailers 
of  spirituous  liquors  in  Columbia  City,  agree 
to  abandon  the  sale  of  intoxicating  drinks 
from  and  after  this  date,  December  31,  1855, 
3  o'clock  p.  m.  S.  Cole;  E.  Strong;  Peter 
Snyder;  S.  Trumbull:  Simon  Trumbull;  Z. 
Henderson." 

The  physicians  were  drawn  into  line  as 
witness:  "This  is  to  certify  that  we  believe 
the  sale  of  spirituous  liquors  is  injurious  and 
especially  for  the  fair  sex.  H.  F.  Falken- 
stine;  J.   B.    Firestone;   C.    Kinderman." 

January  3,  1859,  the  Good  Templars 
were  organized,  D.  R.  Hemmick  presiding 
and  becoming  worthy  master. 

March,  1859,  temperance  resolutions 
were  passed  "that  liquor  traffic  must  be  put 
down,  peaceably  if  possible,  forcibly  if  we 
must."  The  newspapers  sustained  it  and 
one  hundred  and  fifty  names  were  secured 
to  a  petition. 

January  23,   1856,  J.  C.  Bodley,  F.  A. 

Crabb  and  J.  R.  Baker,  justices  of  the  peace, 

recite  that  their  oath  binds  them  to  support 

the  constitution  and  agree  to  fine  any  one 

17 


who  will  swear  in  their  presence  and  ask 
others  to  file  affidavits. 

February  20,  1856,  one  hundred  and 
sixteen  advertised  letters  are  in  the  post- 
office. 

January  23,  1856,  "Mad  Anthony."  the 
first  locomotive  arrived  at  Columbia   City. 

March  31.  1859,  "The  News"  announced 
that  the  bottoms  at  Nolt's  Mill  was  impassi- 
ble for  some  weeks,  and  calls  on  the  county 
and  township  and  citizens  to  raise  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy-five  dollars  to  fix  road  and 
make  it  passable. 

In  1863,  the  county  poor  farm  on  north- 
east fractional  quarter  section  16,  bought  and 
poor  house  started. 

In  1872  I.  B.  McDonald  bought  the 
Washburn  lot  north  of  the  court  house  and 
gave  bond  for  $1,000  to  improve  it  in  two 
years.  The  next  year  McDonald,  Brown, 
Reed  and  C.  B.  Tulley  joined  to  build  Cen- 
tral Building.  It  was  necessary  to  have 
drainage  to  the  river  to  secure  dry  basement 
and  this  led  to  a  merry  war,  the  fight  that 
followed  resulting  after  a  long  and  hotly 
contested  battle  in  the  complete  overthrow 
of  the  opposition  and  the  establishment  of 
a  system  of  sewerage  that  has  made  this  city 
a  desirable  place  of  residence.  This  devel- 
oped a  spirit  of  improvement  which  has  not 
since  faltered.  Foust  and  Wolf  soon 
after  erected  the  bank  building  and  the  Foust 
block.  James  M.  Harrison  Mayor  and  mem- 
bers of  the  city  council  had  the  nerve  to  take 
hold  of  the  matter  and  stood  loyally  for  im- 
provement. Columbia  City  is  now  one  of 
the  best  towns  of  Indiana,  the  sewerage  is 
splendid,  the  paved  streets  are  a  credit  to 
the  city,  the  water-wnrks  and  fire  protection 


25§ 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


are  first-class,  the  electric  light  and  telephone 
systems  are  up-to-date,  the  public  schools  are 
excellent  and  in  every  respect  we  have  a  city 
of  which  every  citizen  may  well  he  proud, 
and  one  whose  future  promises  to  cast  added 
luster  upon  the  untarnished  name  it  bears. 

Levi  Myers  made  the  first  successful  ef- 
forts to  organize  a  Sunday-school,  which 
was  done  sixty-one  years  ago,  one  year  later 
being  known  as  the  American  Sabbath 
School  Union  at  Columbia  City,  and  as  such 
did  noble  work  until  various  religious  organ- 
izations each  established  its  individual  school. 
April  4,  1853,  a  Baptist  society  was  perfect- 
ed and  among  those  who  have  seiwed  it 
faithfully  are  Reverends  Wilder,  J.  L.  Mc- 
Leod,  R.  H.  Cook,  C.  B.  Kendall,  Adam 
Snyder,  John  Reider,  W.  W.  Robinson  and 
V.  O.  Fritts. 

Grace  Lutheran  organized  April  19, 
1847.  by  Rev-  J-  B.  Oliver  with  six  mem- 
bers. Rev.  Franklin  Templin  served  four 
and  H.  Wells  sixteen  years.  Other  ministers 
are  L.  Ritz,  A.  J.  Douglas,  A.  H.  Studeba- 
ker,  J.  B.  Baltzley,  J.  N.  Barnett,  C.  H. 
Rockey,  J.  Milton  Francis,  H.  C.  Haithcox 
and  F.  M.  Porch.  Present  church  erected  in 
1S73,  costing  including  additions  and  par- 
sonage, about  $25,000. 

The  Presbyterian  church  has  had  a  pre- 
carious existence,  much  of  the  time  having 
110  pastor  and  never  making  much  progress 
'or  numerical  strength. 

The  Free  Methodists  occupy  what  was 
the  former  Catholic  church  building,  sold 
by  them  to  the  Free  Will  Baptists,  who  dedi- 
cated it  Decembers,  1867. 

The  United  Brethren  church  was  organ- 
ized in  1880  by  Rev.  Wood,  assisted  by 
William  M.  Bell,  now  a  bishop,  a  native  of 


Whitley  county,  and  who  preached  his  first 
sermon  in  the  church  at  Columbia  City. 
The  pastors  have  been  Fletcher,  Thomas,  J. 
A.  Cummins.  A.  H.  Slusser,  C.  A.  Brigham, 
W.  F.  Parker.  C.  W.  Pattee.  Henry  Rup- 
ley,  E.  Seithman.  L.  W.  Love,  R.  Z.  Brown. 
J.  E.  Grimes,  J.  W.  Borkert,  H.  C.  Shaffer, 
and  S.  L.  Shaffer,  Air.  Love  serving  twice, 
two  years  from  1889,  as  also  ,  four  years 
from  1899  The  new  church  was  dedicated 
May  11,  1902,  and  including  parsonage  cost 
$8,000.  November  21,  1904.  a  marble  tab- 
let with  inscription  "Tulley-Crider  Memo- 
rial" was  installed  over  main  entrance  in 
honor  of  Mrs.  Rosanna  Crider  and  her  fa- 
ther. Francis  Tulley. 

The  German  Lutheran,  Rev.  Hess. 

The  German  Presbyterian.  Rev.  Zim- 
merman. 

The  Universalist  own  old  Methodist 
building. 

The  German  Baptists.  River  Brethren, 
or  Dunkards. 

September  15,  1878.  at  a  meeting  at 
court  house  to  consider  the  graveling  of  the 
road  south  to  the  Huntington  count}'  line. 
Eli  W.  Brown  and  James  S.  Collins  declared 
there  was  no  gravel  in  the  county  to  be  had. 

The  oldest  person  living  in  Columbia 
township  is  Jshn  Haas,  who  was  born  in 
Switzerland  December  2^,  1816.  Airs.  A. 
F.  Martin,  the  longest  resident,  came  Octo- 
ber 27,   1836. 

When  Rachel  Wagner  was  fifteen,  she 
rode  with  her  brother  Harmon  Beeson  to 
Warsaw  to  attend  the  wedding  of  another 
brother,  Benjamin.  Starting  to  return.  Ben- 
jamin's wife's  father.  Mr.  Sapp.  handed  her 
a  willow  switch,  saving-  "Stick  that  in  the 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


259 


ground,  it  will  make  a  nice  tree."  She  did 
so  and  today  it  is  a  landmark  at  least  four 
feet  in  diameter,  standing  close  to  the  walk 
on  the  main  street  as  you  go  to  the  Penn- 
sylvania   depot,    marking    the    site    of    Lee 


Bros',  blacksmith  shop,  which  is  just  being 
demolished  as  these  lines  are  written.  Janu- 
ary. 1907.  This  landmark  has  also  fallen 
beneath  the  hand  of  the  demolisher  since 
the  above  was  written. 


THE  BENCH  AND  THE  BAR. 


BY    P.    H.    CLUGSTOX. 


There  are  many  well  meaning  people 
who  profess  a  contempt  for  the  law,  and  if 
there  occasionally  occurs  a  miscarriage  of 
justice  in  its  administration  are  quick  to 
denounce  it  as  utterly  inadequate  to  do  jus- 
tice. The  fact  is  that  whatever  rights  of 
person  or  security  of  property  we  enjoy  is 
because  of  the  law.  It  is  because  certain 
prescribed  rules  of  conduct  are  recognized  by 
the  vast  majority  of  people  and  because  we 
believe  that  a  violation  of  those  rules  will 
result  in  a  vindication  of  the  law  that  our 
rights  are  not  more  frequently  invaded  in 
our  relations  with  our  fellowmen. 

As  much  of  crime  and  wrong  and  dis- 
honesty as  there  is  in  the  world,  a  careful 
study  will  reveal  that  the  cases  where  rights 
are  invaded  are  few  when  compared  with 
the  rules  that  are  recognized  and  observed 
every  day. 

There  has  been  no  more  potent  factor 
in  promoting  human  welfare  than  the  law. 
All  advancement  in  civilization  must  neces- 
sarily be  through  the  social  relations,  and 
only  wise  and  beneficent  laws  insure  perma- 
nency and  make  possible  such  relations.  The 
best  thought  and  the  best  effort  of  our  time 
have  been  devoted  to  the  development  of  the 


law.    The  wisest  and  best  of  men  have  given 
the  best  of  their  lives  to  its  construction. 

It  therefore  follows  that  in  studying  the 
history  of  any  count}-  or  of  any  state  or 
municipality  it  is  important  to  consider  the 
origin  and  development  of  our  system  of 
jurisprudence,  and  in  this  connection  to  con- 
sider the  lives,  character  and  work  of  that 
body  of  men  who  stand  as  the  distinct  expo- 
nents of  the  law — the  bench  and  the  bar. 

EARLY    COURTS. 

The  earliest  courts  in  the  Northwest  Ter- 
ritory, out  of  which  our  state  was  carved, 
were  held  under  the  French  rule.  By  a 
treat}-  made  in  1763  France  relinquished  her 
claims  and  Great  Britain  assumed  control. 
Under  her  rule  a  court  was  organized  to 
"settle  all  disputes  and  controversies  and  all 
claims  to  property,  real  and  personal."  This 
control  continued  until  Virginia  assumed 
sovereignty  and  organized  all  of  the  North- 
west Territory,  under  the  name  of  the 
count}-  of  Illinois. 

In  1784  Virginia  ceded  her  claims  to 
the  United  States  and  by  the  ordinance  of 
1787  a  governor  and  three  judges  were  ap- 


260 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


pointed  who  not  only  sat  as  a  general  court 
but  enacted  the  laws.  The  chances  are  that 
there  were  not  man}-  constitutional  ques- 
tions raised  in  those  days,  for  the  "general 
court"  which  enacted  the  law  would  prob- 
ably hold  it  to  be  good  law. 

After  organizing  the  judiciary  system  at 
Cincinnati  the  council  crossed  over  into 
what  is  now  Indiana,  and  at  Vincennes  or- 
ganized the  county  of  Knox,  with  Vincennes 
as  the  county  seat,  some  time  in  February, 
1790. 

Indiana  Territory  was  organized  as  a 
territory  of  the  first  grade  on  Jul}'  4,  1800, 
at  Vincennes,  which  was  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment of  the  territory. 

It  is  instructive  to  note  that  in  the  or- 
ganization of  each  new  territory  the  gen- 
eral government  recognized  the  threefold 
function  of  government,  the  executive,  leg- 
islative and  judicial,  and  that  these  depart- 
ments always  went  hand  in  hand.  When- 
ever there  were  enough  settlers  to  require 
the  appointment  of  an  executive  officer,  there 
were  enough  to  demand  the  organization  of 
courts  for  the  administration  of  justice. 
And  wherever  courts  were  organized,  there 
must  come  the  lawyer.  So  it  is  also  instruct- 
ive to  note  that  the  law-makers  of  1799  had 
an  exalted  idea  of  the  character  and  qualifi- 
cations of  the  members  of  the  bar ;  but,  as 
we  are  inclined  to  feel,  a  much  mistaken 
judgment  as  to  the  value  of  his  services. 
Fi  ir  we  find  them  enacting  that  he  must  be 
licensed  by  the  governor  as  attorney  or  coun- 
sellor, and  could  practice  during  good  be- 
havior, and  could  demand  only  such  fees  as 
might  be  established  by  law.  Before  he 
could  be  licensed  to  practice  he  must  show 
that  he  was  of  £ 1  moral  character,  that  he 


had  regularly  and  attentively  studied  law  for 
fi  lur  years  and  must  have  the  certificate  of 
si  nue  practicing  attorney  in  the  territory  that 
he  believed  him  to  be  of  sufficient  ability  and 
legal  knowledge  to  discharge  the  duties  of 
an  attorney  at  law. 

When  he  had  complied  with  these  re- 
quirements he  obtained  a  rule  of  the  general 
court  for  an  examination.  He  was  then  ex- 
amined by  two  or  more  judges,  or  such  per- 
sons as  they  might  appoint,  who  must  state 
truly  whether  or  not  they  believed  him  qual- 
ified. Even  after  this  the  court  held  him 
under  a  tight  rein.  The  judges  could  pun- 
ish him  for  contempt,  strike  his  name  from 
the  roll,  or  order  him  arrested  if  he  collected 
money  for  a  client  and  failed  to  turn  it  over 
upon  demand. 

The  lawyer  of  that  clay  "simply  had  to 
be  good."  But  the  worst  indignity  put  upon 
him  was  to  fix  the  limit  of  his  fees.  For  a 
civil  case  he  was  to  receive  two  and  one-half 
dollars,  unless  the  title  of  land  was  involved, 
and  in  such  case  five  dollars.  For  advice 
when  no  suit  was  pending  one  dollar  and 
twenty-seven  cents. 

When  the  state  was  organized  in  1816, 
the  constitution  then  adopted  provided  that 
"the  judiciary  power  of  the  state  shall  be 
vested  in  one  supreme  court,  in  circuit  courts 
and  in  such  other  courts  as  the  general  as- 
sembly may  establish."  The  supreme  court 
was  to  consist  of  three  judges  and  was  to 
have  appellate  jurisdiction  only,  except  that 
the  right  was  reserved  to  confer  upon  the 
supreme  court  original  jurisdiction  in  cap- 
ital cases  and  cases  in  chancery  where  the 
president  of  the  circuit  court  might  be  in- 
terested or  prejudiced.  It  further  provided 
that  "the  circuit  courts  shall  each  consist  of 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


261 


a  president  and  two  associate  judges.  The 
state  shall  be  divided  by  law  into  three  cir- 
cuits, for  each  of  which  a  president  shall  be 
appointed,  who  during  his  continuance  in 
office  shall  reside  therein."  The  president 
and  associate  judges  were  given  in  their  re- 
spective counties  both  common  law  and 
chancery  jurisdiction,  as  well  as  complete 
criminal  jurisdiction.  The  president  alone, 
or  the  president  and  one  associate  were  given 
authority  to  hold  court,  or  the  two  associate 
judges  were  authorized  to  hold  court  except 
in  capital  cases  and  cases  in  chancery. 

The  presidents  of  the  circuit  courts  were 
to  be  chosen  by  the  general  assembly  and  the 
associates  were  to  be  elected  in  each  of  the 
respective  counties. 

Under  this  organization  the  president 
judge  was  usually  a  lawyer  of  recognized 
learning  and  ability,  but  the  associate  judges 
were  ordinarily  elected  from  the  body  of  the 
people,  much  as  justices  of  the  peace  now 
are.  It  resulted  therefore  in  many  cases  that 
in  trials  of  importance  the  burden  fell  upon 
the  president  judge,  and  the  associates  were 
judges  only  in  name.  This  gave  rise  to  the 
remark  by  Jim  Campbell  that  they  practiced 
before  one  hundred  judges  sitting-  in  bank, 
one  judge  and  two  ciphers. 

Under  this  law  the  clerk  was  to  be  elect- 
ed by  the  voters  for  a  term  of  seven  years 
and  was  not  eligible  until  he  had  obtained 
from  one  of  the  judg'es  of  the  supreme  court 
or  from  one  of  the  presidents  of  the  circuit 
court  a  certificate  that  he  was  qualified  to  ex- 
ecute the  duties  of  the  office. 

The  first  general  assembly  elected  under 
the  constitution  convened  at  Corydon,  No- 
vember 4,  18 16. 

The  state  was  divided  into  three  judicial 
circuits.     The  counties  of  Wayne,  Franklin. 


Dearborn,  Switzerland  and  Jefferson  formed 
the  third  circuit,  and  court  was  provided  for 
once  in  each  county  during  each  year.  At 
this  time  Whitley  county  was  embraced 
within  the  limits  of  Wayne.  At  this  session 
of  the  general  assembly  provision  was  made 
for  justices  of  the  peace  in  each  county,  with 
jurisdiction  over  misdemeanors,  and  in  civil 
matters  to  the  amount  of  fifty  dollars.  At 
the  same  session  a  board  of  commissioners 
for  each  county  was  provided  for. 

At  the  second  session  of  the  first  general 
assembly  of  the  state  it  was  enacted  "that  the 
common  law  of  England  and  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,  ex- 
cepting certain  sections,  should  be  consid- 
ered in  full  force  in  this  state"  ;-and  this  pro- 
vision was  carried  into  each  revision  of  the 
laws  until  1852. 

The  effect  of  the  adoption  of  the  code 
was  to  abolish  the  distinction  between  ac- 
tions at  law  and  suits  in  equity  and  the  forms 
of  all  actions  theretofore  existing  and  to  pro- 
vide but  one  form  of  action.  While  the 
adoption  of  the  code  was  a  matter  of  vital 
importance  to  the  bench  and  the  bar  as  it 
was  an  absolute  reversal  of  all  forms  of  pro- 
cedure and  practice,  yet  as  it  did  not  serious- 
ly affect  the  people  it  need  not  here  be  en- 
tered into. 

The  whole  body  of  the  law,  whether  ad- 
ministered in  a  court  of  law  or  in  a  court 
of  chancery,  was  left  in  full  vigor.  The 
remedy,  not  the  rights,  was  changed,  and 
the  burden  fell  upon  the  lawyers  and  judges, 
who  were  compelled  to  adapt  themselves  to 
new  methods  of  preserving  the  rights  and 
redressing  the  wrongs  of  their  clients. 

In    1 8 18   the  county  of  Randolph   was 


262 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


formed  from  the  north  end  of  Wayne.  In 
1823  Allen  county  was  organized  with  its 
present  boundaries,  out  of  Randolph,  with 
all  the  territory  north  to  the  Michigan  line 
attached  to  it  for  jurisdictional  purposes. 

Following  this  date  the  counties  in 
northeastern  Indiana  organized  rapidly,  so 
that  by  1839,  when  Whitley  county  had  ar- 
rived at  the  dignity  of  holding  court  within 
her  own  borders,  it  was  part  of  the  eighth 
circuit,  consisting  of  Allen,  Cass,  Miami, 
Wabash,  Whitley,  Huntington,  Noble,  La- 
grange, Steuben  and  Delvalb  counties. 
Prior  to  this  time  the  time  and  place  for 
holding  the  first  session  of  the  circuit  court 
in  Whitley  county  had  been  fixed  on  the 
fourth  Thursday  of  September,  1838,  at  the 
house  of  James  Parrett,  Jr.,  in  what  is  now 
Cleveland  township.  At  this  time  Charles 
W.  Ewing  was  president  judge,  and  Thomas 
R.  Johnson  prosecuting  attorney  for  the 
eighth  circuit.  An  error  had  been  made  in 
naming  the  place  of  holding  the  court,  there 
being  no  James  Parrett.  Jr.,  in  the  county. 
The  judges,  clerk,  sheriff  and  attorneys  met 
at  the  house  of  Joseph  Parrett,  Jr.,  which 
was  evidently  the  place  intended,  but  after 
consultation  the  judges  concluded  that  a 
term  of  court  held  under  such  circumstances 
might  not  be  legal,  and  no  business  was 
transacted. 

The  first  term  of  the  circuit  court  was 
then  ordered  to  be  held  at  the  house  of  Rich- 
ard Baughan  in  April,  1839.  Richard 
Baughan  lived  in  Thorncreek  township 
aboul  two  and  a  half  miles  northeast  of  Co- 
lumbia (  'ity,  and  had  a  sawmill,  and  the  tra- 
dition is  that  for  the  better  accommodation 
of  the  crowd  the  court  was  held  in  the  mill. 
The  president  judge  and  associates  were  all 


present,  as  shown  by  the  following"  extract 
from  the  record : 

"At  a  regular  term  of  the  Whitley  cir- 
cuit court,  began  and  held  at  the  house  of 
Richard  Baughan  in  the  county  of  Whitley 
and  state  of  Indiana,  on  Tuesday,  the  9th 
day  of  April,  1839.  Present,  the  Honorable 
Charles  W.  Ewing,  president  judge  of  the 
eighth  judicial  circuit  of  said  state,  and  the 
Honorable  Benjamin  Martin  and  Jacob  A. 
Van  Houten,  associate  judges  of  said  court, 
as  also  Abraham  Cuppy,  clerk,  and  Richard 
Collins,  sheriff,  of  said  county  of  Whitley." 

Judge  Ewing  lived  in  Fort  Wayne.  He 
is  said  to  have  been  a  good  lawyer  but  some- 
what eccentric.  He  appeared  in  court  here 
after  his  retirement  from  the  bench  a  few- 
times,  but  at  a  time  when  he  should  have 
been  in  the  prime  and  vig-or  of  manhood 
came  to  an  unfortunate  death.  It  seems 
that  the  prosecuting  attorney.  John  A. 
Wright,  was  not  present  and  the  court  ap- 
pointed Reuben  J.  Dawson  prosecutor  for 
the  term.  Reuben  Jackson  Dawson  was  a 
Hoosier  by  birth,  having  been  born  in  Dear- 
born county.  He  studied  surveying  and 
law.  He  came  to  Fort  Wayne  with  his 
brother-in-law,  Colonel  John  C.  Spencer,  in 
1832,  and  was  employed  in  the  office  of  the 
receiver  of  public  moneys.  He  was  appoint- 
ed surveyor  of  Allen  county,  and  had  a  con- 
tract for  surveying  a  large  tract  of  land, 
now  part  of  Noble,  Elkhart  and  Kosciusko 
counties.  He  read  law  with  Thomas  John- 
son, and  subsequently  entered  into  partner- 
ship with  him.  The  firm  of  Johnson  &  Daw- 
son are  the  first  attorneys  noted  as  appearing 
in  any  case  in  Whitley  county.  He  platted 
the  town  of  Spencerville  in  DeKalb  county, 
conducted    a    store    and    mills    there.      He 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


26: 


moved  there  in  1841,  but  continued  to  prac- 
tice all  over  the  circuit.  He  was  a  great  big, 
genial  fellow.  His  business  was  flourishing 
and  he  was  well  fixed  for  those  days,  and 
enjoyed  mounting  his  horse  and  riding 
twenty  or  thirty  miles  along  the  Indian  trails 
to  Albion,  Fort  Wayne  or  Columbia  to  at- 
tend court.  He  served  as  representative  of 
DeKalb  and  Steuben  counties,  and  also  as 
state  senator  of  his  district.  Upon  the  res- 
ignation of  Judge  Worden  in  1858  he  was 
appointed  to  fill  out  the  unexpired  term.  He 
was  compelled  to  resign  in  November,  1858, 
on  account  of  sickness,  having  served  less 
than  one  year.  In  that  time,  however,  he 
had  proven  his  mettle.  In  both  Noble  and 
LaGrange  counties  he  found  awaiting  trial 
a  number  of  prisoners  who  were  charged 
with  horse  stealing,  counterfeiting-,  etc.,  and 
who  were  accused  of  belonging  to  a  regular- 
ly organized  gang  of  "blacklegs"  which  in- 
fested northern  Indiana.  Only  a  short  time 
before  the  Regulators  in  Noble  county  had 
taken  the  law  into  their  own  hands  and 
hanged  one  of  the  ringleaders.  The  public 
mind  was  so  inflamed  that  many  citizens 
were  present  ostensibly  to  see  the  law  en- 
forced but  with  the  purpose  of  overawing 
and  intimidating  the  court.  Judge  Daw- 
son acted  and  ruled  promptly,  firmly  and 
fearlessly,  and  law  and  order  prevailed. 

Judge  Dawson  entered  part  of  the  land 
on  which  Columbia  City  is  located,  after- 
wards selling  it  to  the  Shinnemans. 

The  grand .  jurors  summoned  by  the 
sheriff  were :  David  Wolfe.  Seth  A.  Lucas, 
James  Jones,  William  Van  Meter,  Jesse 
Spear,  Samuel  Creger,  Peter  Circle,  Chris- 
topher W.  Long,  Horace  Cleveland,  John  S. 
Braddock,  Adam  Egolf,  Levi  Curtis.  Wil- 


liam Cordill  and  Joseph  Tinkham.  They 
were  brought  into  court,  Christopher  W. 
Long  was  appointed  foreman,  they  were 
sworn  and  sent  out.  They  soon  reported  to 
the  court  that  no  business  had  been  brought 
before  them,  and  they  were  accordingly  dis- 
charged. 

There  were  but  three  civil  cases  on  the 
docket  at  that  term,  and  none  of  them  of  any 
importance.  The  petit  jury  was  also  sum- 
moned, but  no  cases  came  before  them  for 
trial.  The  petit  jury  consisted  of  B.  H. 
Cleveland,  John  W.  More,  Jesse  Briggs, 
Zebulon  Burch,  Jacob  Brumbaug"h,  Lewis' 
Kinsey,  J.  H.  Alexander,  David  Hayden, 
George  C.  Pence,  Thomas  Estlick,  Jesse  W. 
Long-,  James  H.  Russau,  Daniel  Hively, 
Benjamin  Gardner,  Benjamin  Grable,  Ben- 
jamin Krusan,  James  Zohlman,  John  Col- 
lins, Philetus  Wood.  Francis  Tulley  and 
William  Blain. 

In  the  case  of  Webster  et  al  vs.  Webster 
et  al  for  partition,  notice  was  ordered  given 
in  the  Fort  Wayne  Sentinel  and  in  the  Jef- 
fersonian  published  at  Richmond.  John  H. 
Alexander  was  appointed  count}'  surveyor. 
He  seemed  to  be  "Johnny  on  the  spot,"  for 
he  at  once  accepted  and  gave  his  bond. 

The  court  allowed  Richard  Baughan 
three  dollars  for  the  use  of  rooms  for  court 
and  grand  jury,  and  adjourned  until  court 
in  course  to  meet  at  the  same  place. 

When  the  time  came  for  the  October 
term  of  court.  Judge  Chase  and  Prosecuting 
Attorney  Wright  were  both  absent.  The 
associate  judges  again  appointed  Dawson  as 
prosecuting  attorney  during  the  term,  the 
grand  jury  was  charged  and  with  John  Sick- 
afoose  as  foreman  went  to  work.  They  lost 
no  time,  for  on  the  next  day  they  "return 


264 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


into  court  and  report  sundry  bills  of  indict- 
ment." 

The  first  one  was  against  Nathan  Chap- 
man for  vending  foreign  merchandise  with- 
out a  license,  and  charged  that  on  May  1, 
1839,  he  "sold  to  one  James  Lyttle  four 
pounds  of  tea  not  then  and  there  being  the 
product  of  the  United  States  without  having 
a  license  or  permit  as  required  by  law."  He 
entered  a  plea  of  guilty  and  was  fined  six  and 
one-fourth  cents." 

Joseph  Pierce  was  also  called  upon  to 
answer  similar  charges,  and  charges  of  sell- 
ing spirits  to  the  Indians,  and,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  records,  "it  being  demanded  of 
him  how  he  will  acquit  himself  of  the  said 
charge,  for  plea  thereto  he  says  he  is  guilty 
in  manner  and  form  as  he  stands  charged  in 
said  indictment." 

At  this  term  of  court  the  record  shows 
that  John  B.  Chapman  was  admitted  as  an 
attorney  at  the  bar  of  this  court.  The  only 
attorneys  who  had  so  far  appeared  in  any 
of  the  court  proceedings  were  Johnson  and 
Dawson.  Before  Chapman  left  he  filed 
complaints  in  three  new  cases,  and  before 
the  next  term  of  court,  actions  were  also 
bn  lught  by  Coombs  and  Colerick.  Chap- 
man had  formerly  been  prosecuting  attor- 
ney of  the  circuit,  and  resided  at  Fort 
Wayne.  After  the  first  year  or  two  bis  name 
docs  not  appear  on  the  records  here. 

William.  H.  Coombs  was  another  Fort 
Wayne  lawyer.  He  came  to  Indiana  from 
(  >hio  .-111(1  was  engaged  in  the  practice  both 
at  Connersville  and  Wabash  before  coming 
to  Fort  Wayne  in  1837.  He  was  prosecut- 
ing attorney  at  an  early  day  and  the  ac- 
quaintance thus  formed  brought  him  some 
business  in  this  county.     In   1849  ne  went 


to  California,  remaining  there  about  six 
years,  and  upon  his  return  resumed  the  ac- 
tive practice  in  which  he  continued  until 
his  death.  He  had  the  reputation  under  the 
old  common  law  practice  of  being  one  of 
the  best  special  pleaders  in  northern  Indiana. 

When  court  convened  in  April,  1840, 
John  W.  Wright  filed  his  commission  as 
president  judge  and  Lucien  P.  Fern-  as 
prosecuting  attorney.  Judge  Wright  had 
formerly  been  prosecutor  of  the  circuit,  and 
was  elevated  to  the  bench  in  1840.  While 
at  the  bench  he  maintained  the  dignity  of  his 
office,  but  in  his  intercourse  with  the  bar  was 
genial  and  affable  and  was  familiarly 
known  as  "Jack."  It  is  related  of  him  on 
one  occasion  in  Noble  county  that  a  "black- 
leg" having  passed  some  counterfeit  coin 
in  payment  for  a  horse,  a  posse  was  formed 
for  pursuit.  The  judge  adjourned  court, 
mounted  his  pony  and  stayed  in  the  front 
van  until  the  counterfeiter  was  captured. 
The  matter  was  taken  up  by  the  grand  jury, 
court  was  reopened  and  the  judge  was  ready 
to  try  the  case.  On  another  occasion  it  is 
told  that  one  citizen  had  partaken  too  freely 
of  the  cup  that  cheers  and  insisted  upon 
doing  a  little  cheering  himself.  The  judge 
ordered  the  sheriff  to  quiet  him,  but  the  sher- 
iff's order  was  of  no  avail.  "Take  that 
man  to  jail,"  ordered  the  judge.  "There 
is  no  jail,"  responded  the  sheriff.  "Then 
take  him  out  in  the  woods  and  tie  him  to 
a  tree  so  that  he  can't  disturb  the  court." 
It  was  done  and  order  prevailed.  He 
served  until  1842  and  was  subsequently 
elected  mayor  of  Logansport.  He  spent 
sonic  years  in  Kansas  before  the  war  and 
afterward  removed  to  Washington,  D.  C. 

At    this    term    of    court    no    important 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


26=; 


cases  were  tried,  but  it  is  interesting"  to  note 
that  the  grand  jury  were  diligent  in  their 
business,  returning"  eight  indictments  for 
betting.  James  Crowe  was  indicted  for 
winning  at  cards,  entered  a  plea  of  guilty 
and  was  fined ;  but  when  they  followed 
this  with  another  charging  him  with  losing 
a  game  of  cards,  he  "wouldn't  stand  for 
it."  It  was  submitted  to  the  summary  de- 
cision of  the  court,  and  he  "went  hence 
acquit." 

On  motion  of  the  prosecuting  attorney, 
it  was  suggested  that  the  office  of  school 
examiner  was  vacant,  and  the  court  ap- 
pointed Otho  W.  Gandy,  Abraham  Cuppy 
and  Edwin  Cone. 

The  associate  judges  allowed  themselves 
six  dollars  each  for  the  term  of  court  and 
adjourned  to  meet  at  the  house  of  David 
E.  Long  in  the  town  of  Coumbia.  By  this 
time  the  site  of  the  county  seat  had  been 
selected  and  Long  had  erected  a  one-story 
frame  house  at  the  northwest  corner  of 
Main  and  Van  Buren  streets  and  had  put 
up  a  creaking,  wooden  sign,  announcing 
"Entertainment  for  Man  and  Beast." 

\\ 'hen  court  met  in  October.  1840,  it 
was  evident  that  Long's  hotel  would  not 
accommodate  the  court  and  the  crowd,  and 
court  was  forthwith  adjourned  to  and  held 
at  the  house  of  Abraham  Cuppy,  the  county 
clerk. 

Henry  Cooper  is  the  next  attorney  who 
appeared  in  the  courts.  It  is  said  that  Coop- 
er was  one  of  the  best  lawyers  who  rode  the 
circuit  in  those  early  clays.  He  is  said  to 
have  been  master  of  all  the  books  contained, 
but  perhaps  did  not  appear  to  full  advantage, 
as  he  was  not  an  eloquent  or  fluent  talker. 
AVe  are  again  indebted  to  Nelson  Prentiss 


for  this  story  concerning  Cooper.  There 
was  also  in  the  circuit  a  pettifogger  by  the 
name  of  Powers,  whose  only  qualification 
was  his  ability  to  talk.  Like  necessity,  he 
knew  no  law,  and  his  abusive  tongue  made 
him  especially  obnoxious  to  a  man  of  Coop- 
er's temperament.  Meeting  him  one  day 
Powers  said,  "Cooper,  if  I  had  your  head 
or  you  had  my  tongue,  what  a  man  would 
be  the  result."  Quick  as  a  flash  Cooper  re- 
sponded, "Powers,  if  you  had  my  head, 
you'd  know  enough  to  keep  your  mouth 
shut."  Like  many  another,  he  was  his  own 
worst  enemy,  and  in  his  latter  days  was 
only  a  wreck  of  his  former  self. 

Richard  Collins,  sheriff,  now  produces 
a  metallic  seal  procured  for  this  court  by 
the  commissioners  of  Whitley  count}'  of  the 
following  description  and  design,  to-wit : 
"A  circular  metallic  seal  with  a  figure  of  a 
plough  and  a  sheaf  of  wheat  in  the  center 
and  the  words  'Whitley  Circuit  Court,  la.' 
in  a  circular  form  around  the  center,  which 
seal  is  now  adopted  by  the  c<  mrt  as  the  seal 
of  this   court." 

Charles  Ditton  made  application  to  be- 
come a  citizen,  renouncing  all  allegiance  to 
Queen  Victoria,  and  was  admitted  and  be- 
came the  first  naturalized  citizen  of  the 
county. 

One  of  the  sad  features  of  this  term  of 
court  was  that  the  bailiff  was  able  to 
draw    pay  for  only  one  day's  services. 

At  the  March,  1841,  term,  a  boy  was 
brought  before  the  court  on  the  charge  of 
vagrancy,  and  the  court  finding  that  he  came 
within  the  description  of  a  vagrant  and  that 
he  was  under  the  age  of  twenty-one  years, 
ordered  that  the  sheriff  should  bind  him  to 
some  person  of  useful  trade  or  occupation 


2  66 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


until   he  arrived  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years. 

At  this  term  was  tried  the  first  criminal 
case  of  importance,  the  case  of  The  State  vs. 
Alexander  Smith  for  forgery.  The  charge 
was  that  he  had  uttered  and  tendered  in 
payment  of  a  bill  for  lodging  to  one  John 
B.  Godfroy,  who  lived  on  the  Goshen  road 
near  Churubusco,  a  counterfeit  bill  of  the 
denomination  of  five  dollars.  Charles  W. 
Ewing,  of  Fort  Wayne,  was  appointed  by 
the  court  to  defend  him,  and  the  cause  was 
tried  before  Judge  Wright  and  a  jury.  The 
jury  found  him  guilty  and  fixed  his  punish- 
ment at  imprisonment  in  the  state's  prison 
for  two  years.  The  house  where  the  court 
was  held  was  on  the  northwest  corner  of 
Jackson  and  Main  streets,  where  Henry 
McLallen's  residence  now  stands,  and  Rich- 
ard Collins  tells  that  the  jury,  when  thev 
were  sent  out  to  deliberate  on  their  verdict, 
gathered  around  a  large  black  walnut  stump 
near  where  the  Lutheran  church  now 
stands.  Smith's  companion  at  the  time  the 
offense  was  committed  was  one  John  Adams, 
and  it  is  told  that  Adams  came  into  court 
as  a  witness  in  Smith's  behalf  and  was  or- 
dered by  the  judge  into  custody  until  the 
grand  jury,  then  in  session,  could  investi- 
gate his  case.  Within  an  hour  the  grand 
jury  returned  an  indictment  against  him 
for  perjury.  He  was  immediately  arraigned, 
and  Judge  Ewing  appeared  for  him  and 
asked  for  a  change  of  venue.  The  change 
was  granted  and  the  case  sent  to  Allen  coun- 
ty, and  the  following  week  was  tried  and 
Adams  was  convicted  and  sentenced  to  the 
state's  prison  for  two  years.  The  record 
shows  that  Ewing  was  allowed  the  munifi- 
cent sum  of  (en  dollars  for  defending  Smith. 


In  the  fall  of  1841  the  new  courthouse, 
a  two-story  frame  structure  on  the  west  side 
of  the  public  square  near  where  the  city  hall 
is  now  located,  was  so  nearly  completed 
that'  when  court  met  at  the  house  of  David 
E.  Long  it  forthwith  adjourned  to  the  court- 
house. I  am  not  aware  that  there  were  any 
dedication  services  or  any  speeches  made, 
but  it  must  have  been  a  proud  day  in 
Columbia. 

One  of  the  first  cases  at  this  term  was 
notable  for  being  perhaps  the  only  case  ever 
tried  in  the  county;  at  least  I  have  never 
heard  of  a  prosecution  for  the  same  offense. 
Claybourne  Pompey  was  indicted  for  usury. 
He  "acknowledged  the  corn,"  and  was  fined 
six  dollars  and  costs.  It  appears  from  the 
record  that  he  loaned  Richard  Baughn  fi  irty 
dollars,  and  took  ten  dollars  for  one  year's 
interest.  It  is  evident  that  the  jury  figured 
that  after  paying  six  dollars  fine,  it  would 
still  leave  him  four  dollars  interest,  making" 
ten  per  cent,  which  was  then  the  legal  rate. 

In  the  proceedings  of  the  September 
term,  1S41,  appears  the  case  of  The  State  of 
Indiana  vs.  Peter  Heller — indictment  for 
usurpation.  This  is  a  rather  unusual  charge, 
and  an  investigation  of  the  indictment  dis- 
closes that  it  charges  that  on  the  1st  day  of 
January,  1840.  the  said  Peter  Heller  "did 
unlawfully  solemnize  a  marriage  between 
Henry  Hull  and  Jane  Gardner — he,  the  said 
Heller  not  then  and  there  being  a  justice 
of  the  peace  in  said  county,  a  judge  of  either 
of  the  courts  in  said  county,  a  president 
judge  of  the  eighth  judicial  circuit  in  said 
state,  nor  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  com- 
monly called  Quakers,  nor  a  minister  of  the 
gospel  regularly  licensed  to  preach."  The 
indictment  was  quashed. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


26 


In  March,  1842,  James  W.  Borden  be- 
came judge,  and  William  H.  Coombs  prose- 
cuting attorney,  and  John  Wright  succeeded 
Benjamin  F.  Martin  as  associate  judge. 
Judge  Borden  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
New  York  in  1834,  and  in  1835  went  to 
Richmond.  Indiana.  He  went  to  Fort 
Wayne  in  1839,  and  in  1841  was  elected 
president  judge  of  the  circuit.  Fie  was  elected 
a  delegate  to  the  constitutional  convention 
in  1850.  and  resigned  his  office  as  judge. 
He  took  prominent  and  active  part  in  the 
deliberations  and  debates  of  that  convention. 
He  was  elected  common  pleas  judge  in 
1852,  and  served  until  1857,  when  he  was 
appointed  minister  to  the  Hawaiian  Islands.- 
On  his  return  he  was  again  put  on  the  com- 
mon pleas  bench  and  later  of  the  Allen  crim- 
inal court.  Judge  Borden  is  represented  by 
those  who  remember  him  as  a  tall  man  of 
commanding  presence,  rather  positive  in  his 
manner,  and  perhaps  too  much  of  a  politi- 
cian to  please  everybody  as  a  judge. 

The  jail  was  the  first  public  building 
built  in  the  county,  and  was  a  hewed  log 
structure,  located  on  the  southeast  corner  of 
the  public  square.  It  was  built  in  1840,  and 
at  the  March  term,  1843,  the  grand  j un- 
reported that  they  had  examined  the  jail 
"and  find  the  same  in  good  condition  with 
the  exception  of  the  doors  thereof,  which 
are,  from  the  settling  of  the  building,  not 
in  a  situation  to  be  closed."  We  presume 
if  the  sheriff  happened  to  have  a  prisoner, 
he  put  him  "on  honor"  and  left  the  doors 
open. 

At  this  time  there  were  still  many  In- 
dians in  the  county,  and  occasionally  one  of 
them  got  not  only  a  taste  of  the  white  man's 


whiskey,  but  a  taste  of  the  white  man's  law. 
Alexander  Bulkley  brought  action  in  as- 
sumpsit against  Pe-kash-ka,  Ke-Keo-qua 
and  Shap-en-dino  before  Horace  Tuttle,  jus- 
tice of  the  peace,  and  recovered  judgment  in 
each  case. 

At  the  March  term,  1843,  these  causes 
were  appealed  to  the  circuit  court  and  there 
was  judgment   for  the   red  men. 

The  first  case  of  any  note  in  which  an 
Indian  was  involved  was  also  the  first  mur- 
der case  in  the  county.  The  records,  of 
course,  only  give  the  barest  recitals  of  the 
charge  and  the  proceedings,  and  we  are 
indebted  to  the  older  inhabitants  for  the 
details.  It  has  been  more  than  sixty  years, 
and  naturally  the  old  settlers  do  not  agree 
in  all  the  details,  but  we  have  relied  largely 
upon  the  recollection  of  Curtis  W.  Jones, 
who  possesses  a  wonderful  memory,  and  an 
inexhaustible  fund  of  information  concern- 
ing the  early  days.  Peen-am-wah  ( the  name 
is  spelled  in  his  affidavit  for  change  of  venue 
Peen-am-wah  was  a  Pottawattamie  Indian 
and  was  a  bad  Indian.  One  day  in  the 
fall  of  1843  he  was  going  along  the  trail 
south  of  Columbia  when  he  met  a  Miami 
squaw — the  mother  of  Turkey,  riding  on 
a  pony.  Her  name  is  given  in  the  indict- 
ment as  O-way-so-pe-ah.  He  talked  with 
her.  and  after  she  turned  and  rode  on,  shot 
her  in  the  back  of  the  head  and  threw  her 
body  in  the  river.  The  place  was  known 
for  many  years  as  "Squaw  Point."  Be- 
fore any  action  was  taken  Peen-am-wah  de- 
parted. Allen  Hamilton,  at  Fort  Wayne, 
was  Indian  Agent,  and  offered  a  reward  of 
two  hundred  dollars  for  his  arrest.  \\ "il- 
liam  Thorn,  of  North  Manchester,  followed 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


him  into  Michigan  and  brought  him  back 
and  he  was  committel  to  jail  to  await  the 
action  of  the  grand  jury. 

On  January  I,  1844,  John  Turkey,  a 
Miami  Indian,  killed  a  squaw  of  the  Potta- 
wattamie tribe.  The  murder  took  place 
southwest  of  Columbia  on  what  was  known 
for  many  years  as  the  Martin  farm.  He 
was  arrested  upon  affidavit  of  Asa  Shoe- 
maker, coroner,  filed  with  Henry  Swihart, 
justice  of  the  peace,  charging  him  with  the 
murder  of  Saw-ga,  a  Pottawattamie  In- 
dian. He  was  tried  before  a  jury  and  found 
guilty  and  committed  to  jail  by  the  justice, 
as  he  says  in  his  transcript  "there  to  remain 
until  further  dealt  with  according  to  law." 

At  the  March  term,  1844,  indictments 
were  returned  by  the  grand  jury  against 
both  of  these  prisoners. 

Peen-am-wah  filed  an  affidavit  for  a 
change  of  venue  and  the  case  was  transferred 
to  Allen  county.  The  next  day  John  Tur- 
key's case  was  called.  He  entered  a  plea 
of  not  guilt)'  and  put  himself  upon  the 
country.  The  prosecuting  attorney  was  nut 
present  and  Lysander  Jacoby  was  acting  in 
that  capacity  under  appointment  of  the 
court.  He  asked  for  a  continuance  of  the 
cause  and  it  was  granted.  Before  the  close 
of  the  term,  one  evening  at  dusk  the  sheriff, 
John  B.  Simcoke  and  John  C.  Washburn 
went  to  the  jail  to  feed  the  prisoners  and  at- 
tend to  their  wants.  Peen-am-wah  for  safet) 
had  been  put  into  an  inner  room  of  the  jail 
which  was  called  the  dungeon,  a?id  chained. 
As  the  story  goes  the  other  Indians  had 
been  loafing  around  the  old  jail  and  it  was 
supposed  that  an  Indian  called  Davis  had 
passed  in  a  file  with  which  Peen-am-wah 
severed  one  link-  of  the  chain.     The  sheriff 


went  into  the  dungeon  and  Washburn  stood 
in  the  outside  door.  At  a  signal  Turkey  made 
a  rush  and  knocked  Washburn  out  of  the 
door  and  both  Indians  were  out  and  gone. 
The  woods  came  up  within  a  few  rods  of  the 
jail  and  they  were  soon  lost  to  sight.  They 
crossed  Blue  river  just  above  where  the 
brewery  now  stands,  and  being  expert 
woodsmen  and  knowing  every  foot  of  the 
country,  they  were  soon  beyond  reach  and 
were  never  seen  nor  heard  of  in  this  neigh- 
borhood afterward.  The  indictments  were 
carried  on  the  docket  for  several  years  and 
alias  writs  issued,  but  the  cases  were  finally 
dropped.  After  all  it  was  probably  the  best 
solution  of  the  trouble.  The  trial  of  these 
Indians  would  have  stirred  up  bitter  feelings 
among'  the  Indians  still  remaining. 

This  March  term,  1844,  was  marked  by 
the  presence  of  three  distinguished  visitors. 
ex-Governors  David  Wallace  and  Samuel 
Bigger,  and  General  James  R.  Slack,  all  of 
whom  were  admitted  to  the  bar. 

David  Wallace  was  Governor  of  Indiana 
from  1837  to  1841.  Upon  the  expiration  of 
his  term  of  office  he  entered  the  practice  of 
the  law  at  Indianapolis.  At  one  time  he  lo- 
cated in  Fort  Wayne,  and  was  in  the  prac- 
tice there  for  a  few  years,  but  later  returned 
to  Indianapolis.  At  that  day  he  was  well 
known  over  the  state,  but  to  the  younger 
generation  will  perhaps  be  more  generally 
remembered  as  the  father  of  General  Lew 
Wallace.  I  find  from  an  inspection  of  the 
old  bench  docket  that  he  is  noted  as  appear- 
ing with  Ferry  in  the  prosecution  of 
Peen-am-wah. 

Samuel  Bigger,  who  was  admitted  to  the 
Whitley  county  bar  on  the  same  day.  had 
also  been  governor  of  the  state,  and  his  term 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


26y 


had  probably  only  recently  expired,  as  he 
was  elected  in  1840.  It  is  probable  that 
lie  was  on  his  way  to  Fort  Wayne,  for  he 
is  said  to  have  located  there  after  his  term 
expired  and  remained  there  until  his  death 
in   1S47. 

Lysander  C.  Jacoby,  who  is  mentioned 
as  serving  in  the  capacity  of  prosecuting 
attorney,  lived  at  Fort  Wayne,  and  was  a 
lawyer  of  fair  ability.  He  was  quite  active 
in  the  practice  here  for  a  few  years,  being 
associated  with  J.  H.  Pratt  in  a  number  of 
cases  and  with  Worden  in  the  defense  of 
Samuel  Pegg.  It  is  said  that  he  had  some 
disagreeable  peculiarities  that  perhaps  re- 
sulted in  his  leaving  Fort  Wayne.  He  fol- 
lowed the  course  of  empire  on  its  westward 
way. 

For  the  first  five  years  after  courts  were 
organized  in  Whitley  county  the  little  busi- 
ness that  there  was  was  cared  for  hy  at- 
torneys from  other  places,  principally  by 
the  members  of  the  Fort  Wayne  bar.  But 
now  there  seemed  to  be  enough  to  justify 
some  local  attornev.  The  first  three  mem- 
bers of  the  local  bar  must  have  appeared  in 
a  short  space  of  time,  probably  within  a 
year.  They  were  Joseph  H.  Pratt,  James 
1..  Worden  and  James  S.  Collins,  and  as 
nearly  as  can  be  ascertained  were  admitted 
in  the  order  named.  The  records  do'  not 
show  the  date  of  Pratt's  admission,  but 
show  his  appearance  in  a  case  at  the  Sep- 
tember term,  1844.  At  this  term  James  L. 
Worden  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  ap- 
pointed master  in  chancery. 

Joseph  H.  Pratt  is  remembered  as  a 
man  of  education,  a  fluent  talker  and  what 
would  probably  be  called  a  good  "mixer." 
He  served  as  deputy  treasurer  and  upon  the 


town  hoard,  and  had  his  full  share  of  the 
local  practice.  He  left  here  about  1851  or 
1852,  locating  in  Wisconsin. 

James  Worden  was  horn  May  10,  1819, 
in  Rerkeshire  county,  Massachusetts.  He 
had  a  common  school  education,  and  devoted 
some  time  to  study  during  his  youth,  which 
was  spent  upon  a  farm  in  Ohio.  He  entered 
the  office  of  Thomas  T.  Straight,  of  Cin- 
cinnati, in  1839,  and  after  his  admission 
spent  some  time  at  Tiffin,  Ohio,  coming  to 
Columbia  City  early  in  1844.  In  1845  he 
married  the  daughter  of  Benjamin  Grable, 
then  county  treasurer  of  Whitley  county. 
In  the  fall  of  that  year,  becoming  convinced 
that  there  were  too  many  lawyers  in  Colum- 
bia and  seeing  an  opportunity  in  the  ad- 
joining county  of  Noble,  he  removed  to 
Port  Mitchell,  where  the  county  seat  of  that 
county  in  its  wanderings  had  temporarily 
located.  He  soon  took  front  rank  as  a 
lawyer,  followed  the  county  seat  to  Albion, 
and  acquired  a  good  practice  for  those  days. 
He  acquired  some  reputation  and  made 
many  friends  by  the  masterly  manner  in 
which  he  conducted  a  prosecution  for  mur- 
der which  had  been  sent  to  Allen  county  on 
a  change  of  venue.  Worden  was  only  a 
backwoods  county  prosecutor,  and  the  de- 
fense was  represented  by  Coombs,  wdio  was 
the  best  technical  lawyer  in  northern  Indi- 
ana, and  David  H.  Colerick.  whose  sway 
over  juries  was  such  that  he  was  credited 
with  having  cleared  men  charged  with  steal- 
ing hogs,  a  most  heinous  crime  in  those  days. 
Seeing  an  opportunity  for  extending  his 
practice,  and  under  the  influence  of  'his 
friends  he  removed  to  Fort  Wayne.  In 
1855  lie  was  appointed  by  Governor  Wright 
as  circuit  judge,   and  in    1858  resigned  to 


270 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


accept  an  appointment  from  Governor  Wil-  family  came  to  this  county  when  he  was 
lard  on  the  supreme  bench.  In  1859  he  was  about  seventeen  years  of  age.  At  that  clay 
elected    to    the    same    position    and    served      educational   facilities   were  meager,   but   he 


for  the  full  term  of  six  years.  In  1864  he 
was  again  a  candidate  for  the  same  position, 
but  went  down  to  defeat  with  his  party.  His 
term  closed  in  January,  1865.  and  he  re- 
turned to  Fort  Wayne  and  engaged  in  the 
practice.  In  1876  he  was  again  elected  to 
the  same  position,  entering  upon  his  third 
term  in  January.  1S77.  He  refused  to  again 
become  a  candidate  in  1882,  and  was  elected 
as  judge  of  the  superior  court  of  Allen 
county,  and  died  in  1884.  while  occupying 
that  position. 

Judge  Worden  has  an  enduring  place 
in  the  history  of  the  state.  He  had  not  the 
gift  of  eloquence,  the  power  to  sway  juries 
anil  wrest  verdicts  from  them,  but  was  clear, 
forcible  and  full  of  resources.  And  even  in 
those  days  when  fluent  speech  counted  much, 
he  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  ablest  lawyers 
at  the  liar.  But  it  was  when  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  bench  that  his  friends  recog- 
nized that  he  had  come  into  his  proper 
sphere.  He  was  pre-eminently  fitted  for  the 
discharge  of  judicial  functions.  Clear,  con- 
cise, analytical,  with  a  deep  sense  of  right 
and  justice  and  a  discernment  that  refused 
to  be  confused  or  befogged  by  unimportant 
matters,  or  led  away  by  side  issues,  he  went 
at  once  to  the  heart  of  the  question. 

He  n<>t  only  saw  things  clearly,  but  he 
expressed  his  convictions  clearly.  There  is 
no  sophistry  in  his'  opinions.  Xo  lawyer 
can  read  them  and  then  be  in  doubt  as  to 
what  the  court  decides.  They  constitute  a 
monument  to  his  memory  that  shall  endure. 

lames  S.  Collins  came  from  one  of  the 
pioneer    families   of    Whitley    count}'.      The 


devoted  his  spare  moments  to  the  few  books 
that  were  accessible.  It  is  told  that  in  1843 
he  studied  Blackstone  with  a  dictionary  be- 
side him  to  help  him  with  the  big  words. 
Afterward  he  read  law  for  a  while  with  L. 
P.  Ferry,  of  Fort  Wayne,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  this  county  in  1845.  Tne  '°t 
of  the  young  lawyer  in  those  days  was  not 
one  that  yielded  great  financial  returns. 
Worden  soon  left  the  county,  and  Pratt  a 
few  years  later,  but  Judge  Collins  continued 
in  his  profession  and  by  his  ability  and  perse- 
verance acquired  an  important  clientage, 
and  a  host  of  personal  friends.  He  con- 
tinued in  the  active  practice  until  a  very  short 
time  prior  to  his  death,  which  occurred  on 
August  J2.  1898.  and  is  entitled  to  rank- 
as  the  pioneer  lawyer  of  the  county.  He 
was  associated  in  practice  with  Joseph  W. 
Adair  for  several  years:  after  that  for  a 
number  of  years  with  Michael  Sickafoose. 
then  with  A.  A.  Adams,  and  up  until  the 
time  of  his  retirement  with  P>.   F.  Gates. 

At  the  time  of  the  building  of  the  Eel 
River  road  he  was  prominently  connected 
with  the  enterprise,  and  served  for  several 
vears  as  president  of  the  company.  He  also 
served  as  a  member  of  the  state  legislature 
one  term. 

An  inspection  of  the  records  discloses 
that  during  the  decade  from  1840  to  1850 
there  were  several  well  known  citizens  who 
appeared  promptly  at  each  session  of  court 
and  entered  a  plea  of  guilty  to  indictments 
for  retailing  without  license  or  selling  liquor 
to  the  Indians,  submitted  to  a  small  fine 
and  apparently  returned  to  their  homes  to 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA 


-71 


repeat  the  offense.  The  profit  in  the  busi- 
ness -was  evidently  greater  than  the  fine 
imposed. 

On  the  14th  of  November,  1844,  Samuel 
Pegg  filed  his  application  for  naturalization. 
He  evidently  did  not  become  a  good  Amer- 
ican citizen,  for  in  January,  1845,  ne  was  m~ 
dieted  for  murder.  The  charge  was  that 
he  had  killed  his  son,  who  is  described  in 
the  indictment  as  Samuel  Pegg,  the  younger. 
The  family  lived  in  Union  township. 

Worden  and  Jacob}-  defended  him  and 
William  H.  Coombs  prosecuted  the  case. 
He  was  found  guilty  of  manslaughter,  and 
was  sentenced  to  imprisonment  in  the  state's 
prison  for  eight  years  at  hard  labor. 

His  trouble  did  not  end  here.  At  the 
next  term  his  wife  brought  suit  for  divorce. 
There  seemed  some  difficulty  in  getting  ser- 
vice, as  he  was  clear  at  the  other  end  of  the 
state  at  the  Jeffersonville  prison,  but  finally 
in  March,  1848,  the  bonds  of  matrimony 
were  severed. 

At  the  March  term,  1845,  another  law- 
yer, who  afterward  became  well  known  over 
the  state  appeared  in  the  person  of  John 
U  Petit. 

At  the  September  term,  j 845,  Richard 
Knisley  and  Henry  Swihart  qualified  as  as- 
sociate judges.  Lydia  Tuttle  was  granted 
a  divorce  from  Ransom  Tuttle  and  this  was 
the  first  divorce  granted  in  the  county. 

Judge  Petit  is  said  to  have  been  as 
ardent  a  disciple  of  Isaac  Walton  as  ever 
graced  the  woolsack,  and  lost  no  opportu- 
nity of  indulging  in  his  favorite  sport. 
There  is  an  old  story  afloat  in  northern  In- 
diana concerning  one  of  his  fishing  expedi- 
tions. The  writer  does  not  pretend  to  give 
the  authority  for  the  storv  nor  fix  the  loca- 


tion. But  the  story  is  that  on  one  occasion 
■he  gathered  together  a  jolly  crowd  and 
started  for  the  fishing  grounds.  Thev 
had  proceeded  only  a  short  distance  when 
it  was  discovered  that  two  necessaries  had 
been  omitted  from  the  commissar}-  supplies 
— bread  and  whiskey.  The  company  halted 
under  a  tree  by  the  roadside  and  dispatched 
Sam,  the  colored  cook  and  factotum,  to  pro- 
cure these  essentials.  Sam  returned  in 
about  an  hour,  and  in  answer  to  the  judge's 
inquiries  reported  that  he  had  procured  a 
three  gallon  jug  of  whiskey  and  a  quarter's 
worth  of  bread.  "Boys,"  said  the  judge, 
turning  to  the  crowd  with  a  look  of  conster- 
nation 011  his   face,   "what  in  —  are 

we  going  to  do  with  all  that  bread!" 

The  record  for  October,  1845.  shows  the 
admission  of  Moses  Jenkinson.  He  is  an- 
other Fort  Wayne  lawyer  who  attained  con- 
siderable practice  at  the  Whitley  county  bar. 
He  entered  the  practice  at  Fort  Wayne  in 
1840,  and  was  a  man  of  considerable  force 
of  character,  and  not  only  met  with  success 
in  his  profession,  but  is  said  to  have  had 
considerable  business  capacity  and  was  en- 
gaged in  several  enterprises. 

On  the  29th  of  December,  1N45,  the 
chairman  and  clerk  of  the  election  filed  their 
certificate  showing  the  election  of  the  f<  >11<  >w- 
ing  named  trustees -of  the  town  of  Colum- 
bia, "said  town  being  districted  as  an  in- 
corporated town  for  the  better  regulation 
of  the  internal  police  of  said  town." 

District  No.  1,  Joseph  H.  Pratt. 

District  No.  _\  John  Rhodes. 

District  No.  3,  John  Gillespie. 

District  No.  4,  Alfred  K.  Goodrich. 

District  No.  5,  Abram  S.  Monger. 

Along  about  this  period  the  records  dis- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


close  indictments  also  against  prominent 
citizens  for  malicious  trespass.  These  un- 
doubtedly arose  over  disputes  as  to  property 
lines,  and  perhaps  ordinarily  arose  over 
charges  of  cutting  timber  on  another  man's 
land.  There  were,  however,  very  few 
convictions. 

At  the  March  term,  1846.  there  appeared 
in  court  two  gentlemen  whose  names  are 
familiar  to  the  younger  members  of  the  bar 
only  in  connection  with  the  criminal  prac- 
tice, John  Doe  and  Richard  Roe.  This, 
however,  was  a  civil  action,  and  was  en- 
titled, John  Doe.  on  the  demise  of  Milo 
Gradeless  vs.  Richard  Roe,  and  was  an 
action  for  trespass  in  ejectment.  Alas!  poor 
John  and  Dick !  Once  the  plaintiff  and  de- 
fendant in  much  important  real  estate  liti- 
gation, now  only  known  as  defendants  in 
prosecution  for  public  intoxication — (How 
have  the  mighty  fallen?) 

On  the  other  hand  we  note  the  rapid 
progress  made  by  one  young  man  in  pro- 
fessional life.  At  the  September  term,  184.7. 
on  motion  of  Joseph  Pratt,  "It  is  ordered 
by  the  court  to  be  certified  of  record  that 
Zenas  Brown  is  a  man  of  good  moral  char- 
acter." This  was  the  first  step  required  for 
admission  to  the  bar.  How  quickly  he 
sprang  full  armed  into  the  arena  may  be 
judged  when  we  read  just  a  year  later  that 
he  was  indicted  for  an  affray. 

Lorin  Loomis  succeeded  Henry  Swihart 
in  September,  1847.  The  grand  jury  as 
usual  inspected  the  jail  and  as  usual  re- 
ported that  it  was  in  good  condition  except 
that  the  outside  door  couldn't  be  locked. 
There  being  no  prisoner  on  hand,  that  didn't 
make  much  difference.  The  first  case  I  can 
discover  which   went   to  the  supreme  court 


from  Whitley  county  was  the  case  of  Rea- 
son Huston  vs.  Joab  McPherson.  This  was 
an  action  of  trespass  on  the  case  in  slander 
brought  by  McPherson  against  Huston  and 
tried  at  the  March  term,  1843,  and  resulted 
in  a  verdict  for  the  plaintiff  for  thirty  dol- 
lars. It  was  tried  again  in  September,  1846, 
and  the  plaintiff  recovered  twenty-five  cents. 
Huston  appealed  and  the  judgment  was  re- 
versed, the  opinion  being  certified  on  March 
8,  1848. 

Judge  Hiram  S.  Tousley,  another  fa- 
miliar figure  in  northern  Indiana  appeared 
at  the  bar  of  this  county  in  1849.  He  was 
living  at  that  time  at  Albion,  but  had  once 
been  a  resident  of  Whitley  county.  His  par- 
ents became  residents  of  Union  township 
about  1843.  The  young  man  worked  on  the 
farm  for  some  time  and  finally  accumulated 
a  few  dollars  by  making  "black  salts." 
With  his  little  fund  and  a  new  suit  of 
"jeans"  made  by  his  mother,  this  lanky 
young  fellow  went  to  Fort  Wayne  and  be- 
came a  student  under  L.  C.  Jacoby.  Some 
of  the  younger  fellows  were  inclined  to 
laugh  at  him,  but  David  H.  Colerick  said 
to  them,  "You  may  laugh  now,  boys,  but 
you'll  not  laugh  long."  He  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  and  entered  the  practice  at  Albion 
in  1848,  and  resided  there  until  his  death. 
In  1863  he  was  appointed  as  judge  of  the 
circuit,  and  was  twice  re-elected.  He  was 
recognized  both  as  a  profound  student  of 
the  law  and  of  history. 

Adams  Y.  Hooper  was  the  next  local 
attorney  coming  to  the  bar.  being  admitted 
in  1X50.  Adams  Y.  Hooper  was  born  at 
Athens.  Ohio,  in  1825.  After  completing 
his  literary  education,  he  read  law  and  was 
admitted  to  practice  at  Lancaster,  Ohio.     In 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


1849  he  went  to  Huntington.  Indiana,  but 
only  remained  there  a  short  time,  moving' 
to  Columbia  City  in  the  autumn  of  that 
year.  The  records  show  that  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  here  at  the  next  term  of 
court,  in  March,  1850.  and  here  he  lived 
and  labored  during  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  In  the  early  days,  in  a  small  county 
like  Whitley,  the  practice  of  the  law  alone 
was  scarcely  sufficient  either  to  occupy  the 
entire  attention  or  furnish  an  adequate  liv- 
ing to  an  ambitious  young  man  with  a  grow- 
ing family.  Shortly  after  his  arrival  Mr. 
Hooper  engaged  in  school  teaching.  Later 
he  served  as  postmaster,  and  still  later  he 
was  elected  and  served  as  county  auditor. 
In  1852  he  represented  Whitley  and  Noble 
counties  in  the  legislature,  and  in  1868  rep- 
resented Whitley  and  Kosciusko  in  the  state 
senate.  He  was  universally  esteemed  and 
respected  by  the  community,  and  was  re- 
garded as  a  wise  counsellor  and  a  just  and 
upright  man.  In  1869  he  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  Walter  Olds  which  existed  up  to 
the  time  of  his  death,  and  they  took  rank  as 
one  of  the  leading  law  firms  of  the  county 
and   commanded   a   large   clientage. 

At  the  April  term,  185 1,  William  Arnold 
and  Samuel  A.  Sheibley  filed  their  petition 
for  a  writ  of  ad  quod  damnum  and  the  court 
ordered  the  sheriff  to  summon  twelve  men 
and  view  the  site  of  the  proposed  mill  dam 
at  Springfield  (now  South  Whitley)  and 
appraise  the  damages.  After  much  jockey- 
ing the  inquest  was  returned,  damages  to 
adjoining  landowners  fixed,  and  the  peti- 
tioners granted  privilege  to  build  a  dam  six 
and  one-half  feet  in  height. 

At  the  succeeding  fall  term  of  court 
Elza  A.  McMahon  became  president  judge, 
18 


and  two  men  who  were  destined  to  appear 
many  times  in  this  court  were  admitted,  Jo- 
seph Breckenridge  and  Lindley  M.  Ninde. 
Judge  McMahon  came  from  Ohio  and  set- 
tled in  Fort  Wayne  about  1845.  His  first 
appearance  in  this  court  was  as  prosecuting 
attorney.  He  is  remembered  by  the  older 
members  of  the  bar  as  a  fair  lawyer,  an  in- 
telligent and  pleasant  gentleman  and  a  very 
satisfactory  judge. 

Joseph  Breckenridge  was  another  pio- 
neer lawyer  who  spent  his  life  in  Fort 
Wayne.  He  was  educated  in  that  city  and 
admitted  to  practice  in  1846.  He  served  as 
prosecuting  attorney  and  as  judge  of  the 
court  of  common  pleas  and  judge  of  the  cir- 
cuit court.  Early  in  his  career  he  became 
engaged  in  railroad  practice,  acting  first  in 
connection  with  Robert  Breckenridge  and 
later  by  himself  as  attorney  for  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad,  until  the  time  of  his  retire- 
ment. It  was  in  this  capacity  he  was  best 
known  by  the  bar  in  Whitley  county.  He 
was  characterized  by  an  irrepressible  fund 
of  good  humor  and  an  inexhaustible  fund 
of  good  stories,  and  perhaps  no  man  was 
ever  more  successful  in  dealing  with  bellig- 
erent attorneys  who  had  a  suit  for  damages 
against  the  railroad. 

Curtis  W.  Jones,  who  is  the  oldest  liv- 
ing member  of  this  bar,  was  admitted  at 
this  time. 

It  seems  that  with  the  advent  of  a  new 
judge  it  became  necessary  to  "spruce  up"  a 
little,  and  under  order  of  the  court  three 
dollars  was  spent  for  sawdust  for  the  court 
room,  paper-hanging,  etc.,  and  three  dollars 
and  seventy-five  cents  for  one  new  set  of 
chairs. 

Upon  the  taking  effect  of  the  constitu- 


'-74 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


tii  hi  of  1852,  the  offices  of  associate  judge 
and  probate  judge  were  abolished  and  the 
common  pleas  court  was  created.  At  this 
time  the  state  was  redistricted  for  judicial 
purposes,  and  Whitley  county  became  part 
of  the  tenth  district.  In  September  of  this 
year  Stephen  W  ildman  and  Isaiah  B.  Mc- 
Donald came  to  the  bar.  Judge  Wildman 
afterward  served  as  judge  of  the  court  of 
common  pleas.  Colonel  McDonald  has  been 
identified  with  the  Whitley  county  bar  since 
1 85 j.  In  the  same  year  in  which  he  was 
admitted  he  was  elected  as  prosecuting  at- 
torney, and  served  until  1855,  when  be  was 
elected  county  clerk.  He  served  with  dis- 
tinction during  the  Rebellion  and  at  its  con- 
clusion resumed  the  practice,  serving  also 
as  school  examiner  from  1864  to  1870. 
Later  he  was  identified  with  the  newspaper 
business  and  other  interests,  but  until  very 
recent  rears,  when  his  increasing"  infirmi- 
ties compelled  him  to  lay  aside  some  of  the 
burdens,  he  continued  in  the  active  practice. 

At  the  September  term,  1853.  there  ap- 
pears the  record  of  an  ex  parte  proceeeding 
of  some  note,  for  the  reason  that  it  is  rather 
out  of  the  ordinary.  William  McCutcheon 
presented  to  the  court  bis  petition  and  made 
proof  of  publication,  the  prosecuting  attor- 
ney  appeared,  and  after  due  consideration 
the  court  granted  his  prayer  and  decreed  that 
his  name  be  changed  to  William  Mills,  and 
thai  lie  he  hereafter  known  by  that  name. 

At  this  time  the  grand  jury  reported  that 
the  jail  would  do  until  a  new  one  could  he 
built,  it  not  being  worthy  of  repair. 

The  bar  of  the  present  day  perhaps  won- 
ders  how  they  got  along  in  the  early  days 
without  a  court  stenographer.  The  follow- 
ing entry   will   perhaps   throw  a  little  side 


light  upon  the  question.  The  case  of  The 
State  vs.  William  Logan  was  brought  to 
this  county  on  a  change  of  venue  from 
Wells,  was  tried,  and  Logan  was  found 
guilty  of  manslaughter.  "Ordered  that 
John  R.  Coffroth  be  allowed  ten  dollars  for 
taking  down  the  testimony  in  the  case  of  the 
State  of  Indiana  vs.  William  Logan,  to  he 
certified  to  the  county  of  Wells  for  pay- 
ment." 

At  the  March  term,  1855.  A.  W.  Myers 
was  admitted  to  the  bar. 

It  was  about  this  time  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  was  being  constructed.  This  of 
course  created  a  boom  for  the  new  town 
and  business  was  on  the  increase.  This  also 
perhaps  brought  the  first  newspaper.  It  was 
evidently  a  hard  struggle  for  the  paper,  for 
the  first  record  I  find  even  before  he  began 
to  draw  any  fees  for  legal  notices,  is  a  o  m- 
fession  of  judgment  by  the  proprietor,  Jo- 
seph A.  Berry,  in  favor  of  the  Cincinnati 
Type  Foundry  Company.  It  is  refreshing 
to  know  that  friends  came  to  his  rescue, 
staid  the  judgment,  and  he  remained  to 
wield  the  quill  for  several  years. 

John  W  neatlev  was  indicted  for  bur- 
glary and  larceny,  was  tried  and  the  jury 
failed  to  agree.  He  was  confined  in  the  old 
jail,  which  had  already  been  condemned  by 
the  grand  jury,  and  in  some  manner  man- 
aged to  set  it  afire.  He  was  at  once  in- 
dicted for  arson,  tried  and  convicted,  and 
sentenced  to  imprisonment  in  the  Jefferson- 
ville  prison  for  two  years.  I  imagine  not- 
withstanding" the  loss,  there  was  some  wag- 
ging of  the  wiseheads  and  a  large  number  of 
"I  told  you  so's."  At  any  rate  it  was  now 
necessary  to  have  a  new  jail.  Judge  Collins 
was    allowed     ten     dollars     for    defending 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


275 


Wheatley  on  the  first  charge,  and  Moses 
Jenkinson  the  same  for  defending  on  the 
second  charge. 

September  term,  1855,  P.  W.  Hardesty 
was  admitted.  Hon.  James  L.  Worden  pro- 
duced his  commission  as  judge  of  the  tenth 
circuit  and  entered  upon  the  discharge  of 
his  duties. 

For  the  first  time,  court  proceedings 
were  a  subject  of  comment  by  the  news- 
paper. The  Pioneer,  under  date  of  January, 
1856,  having  this  to  say :  "The  January 
term  of  the  court  of  common  pleas  for  this 
county  commenced  on  Monday,  the  7th  inst., 
and  is  still  in  session.  Much  mure  than  an 
ordinary  amount  of  business  has  been  lie- 
fore  the  court,  and  there  is  a  probability  that 
the  remainder  of  the  week  will  be  consumed 
in  the  disposition  of  cases  on  the  docket. 
The  case  of  Dr.  Linvill  vs.  A.  K.  Goodrich 
occupied  several  days  of  the  term  and  was 
submitted  to  the  jury  on  Monday  night,  who 
returned  a  verdict  against  the  plaintiff.  This 
was  an  intricate  case,  and  one  involving 
manv  nice  points,  and  called  out  the  best 
efforts  of  the  attorneys  engaged  thereon. 
Hardest}-  &  Myers  appearing  fur  the 
plaintiff  and  James  S.  Collins  for  the  de- 
fendant, all  of  whom  acquitted  themselves 
with  dignity  becoming  the  profession.  Dr. 
Linvill  also  made  an  argument  before  the 
jury  of  some  hours  length,  in  which  he 
advanced  many  good,  sound,  common  sense 
ideas.  The  charge  of  Judge  Wildman  to 
the  jury  was  an  able  one,  delivered  in  a 
very  plain  and  elaborate  manner." 

The  paper  of  this  date  contained  the 
cards  of  Hardesty  &  Myers  and  James  S. 
Collins,  resident  attorneys,  and  of  attorneys 
at  Angola,  Albion,  Lima.  Ohio,  and 
Liefonier. 


In  considering  the  early  courts,  we  must 
not  overlook  a  very  important  factor — the 
clerk.  As  heretofore  noted,  Abraham 
Cuppy  was  the  first  clerk.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Richard  Collins,  who  held  the 
office  until  1856.  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
I.  B.  McDonald. 

At  the  March  term,  1856,  A.  J.  Douglas 
was  admitted  to  practice.  He  had  been  a 
teacher  and  after  some  years  returned  to  that 
profession  and  was  also  ordained  to  the 
ministry.  He  taught,  was  city  and  county 
superintendent  a  number  of  vears.  retiring 
from  the  city  schools  in  1879  an<^  from  the 
county  superintendency  two  vears  later, 
after  which  he  devoted  his  life  to  the  minis- 
try until  failing'  health  compelled  his  retire- 
ment about  five  years  ago.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  Columbia  City  about  two  years 
ago. 

At  this  term,  also  J.  M.  Austin  was  ad- 
mitted, and  the  Pioneer  made  this  pleasant 
mention  of  the  fact:  "J.  M.  Austin,  of  this 
place,  was  admitted  to  the  practice  of  law  at 
the  Whitlev  circuit  court  vesterdav.  He  is 
a  young  man  of  some  promise.  May  he 
meet  with  unbounded  success."  Pioneer, 
March   12,   1856. 

lames  S.  Frazer  is  first  noted  as  ap- 
pearing in  the  Whitley  circuit  court  at  this 
session.  Judge  Frazer  lived  at  Warsaw  and 
soon  became  well  known  here.  He  was  en- 
gaged here  as  counsel  in  important  cases  and 
as  special  judge  many  times,  even  up  to  the 
time  of  his  retirement  from  active  work. 

lb.'  Pioneer  under  date  of  March  12th, 
again  made  a  mite  of  court  proceedings: 
'"The  March  term  of  the  Whitley  circuit 
court  is  now  in  session.  Judge  Worden  pre- 
siding with  his  usual  dignity.  Among  those 
of  the  legal  profession  present  from  a  dis- 


>76 


tance  we  observe  Hon.  J.  S.  Frazer 
Slack,  J.  R.  Cofforth,  Messrs.  M.  Jenkinson, 
Case,  Breckenridge  and  Dodge,  of  Fort 
Wayne,  and  H.  S.  Towsley,  of  Albion.  We 
are  not  able  to  report  tbe  cases  thus  far 
disposed  of,  but  let  it  suffice  for  this  week  to 
say  that  on  a  motion  to  quash  the  indictment 
against  Z.  Henderson  for  violation  of  the 
liquor  law  on  the  ground  of  unconstitution- 
ality, that  the  motion  was  overruled  by  the 
court." 

In  the  next  issue,  March  19,  1856,  the 
Pioneer,  at  the  request  of  all  the  members 
of  the  bar  published  the  opinion  of  Judge 
Worden  in  the  Henderson  case. 

On  April  9,  1856,  the  same  publication 
contained  a  new  advertisement:  "Marcus 
H.  Drown,  Attorney  and  Counsellor  at  Law, 
Columbia  City,  Indiana."  But  the  adver- 
tisement disappeared  after  a  few  months 
and  as  I  am  unable  to  learn  anything  about 
this  man  I  am  led  to  the  conclusion  that 
he  was  a  young  man  seeking  a  location  and 
that  the  long  vacation  from-  March  to  Sep- 
tember exhausted  his  resources  or  his  pa- 
tience, or  perhaps  both,  and  that  he  folded 
his  tent  and  departed. 

April  20.  1857,  a  new  seal  was  adopted. 
"I,  James  L.  Worden,  sole  judge  of  the 
Whitley  circuit  court,  being  fully  satisfied 
that  the  seal  heretofore  and  now  used  by  the 
clerk  of  said  court  is  so  worn  out  by  many 
years'  use  and  that  the  same  is  of  itself  al- 
most useless,  I  therefore  order  that  Isaiah 
B.  McDonald,  the  clerk  of  this  court,  do 
procure  a  good,  new  and  sufficient  seal  for 
said  Whitley  circuit  court,  with  the  follow- 
ing device,  to-wit:  A  circular  seal  with  the 
words  'The  Whitley  Circuit  Court,  Indiana,1 
in  the  outer  circle,  with  scales  or  balances 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA 
I 


in  the  upper  part  of  the  center,  and  directly 
under  the  said  device  of  scales  or  balances, 
and  within  the  inner,  or  centre,  the  words 
'Whitley  County.'  " 

September  1.  1857,  D.  T.  Davis  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar. 

Thomas  Johnson  came  from  Richmond 
to  Fort  Wayne  and  served  as  probate  judge 
and  later  as  prosecuting  attorney.  He  died 
while  still  a  young  man,  from  the  effects 
of  a  cold  contracted  on  his  return  from  at- 
tending court  at  Bluffton. 

Moses  Jenkinson  began  practice  in  1840. 
He  was  a  successful  lawyer,  his  practice  was 
extensive,  and  he  was  often  noted  as  appear- 
ing in  the  courts  of  this  county. 

John  C.  \\  igent  entered  the  practice  of 
law  late  in  life.  He  was  in  the  war  of  the 
Rebellion,  a  member  of  the  famous  Simon- 
son  Battery.  After  the  close  of  the  war,  he 
began  farming  in  Union  township.  At  the 
age  of  about  thirty-four,  he  was  elected 
county  recorder.  Upon  retiring  from  that 
office  in  1878,  he  engaged  in  the  abstract 
business,  and  gradually  took  up  the  practice 
of  law  in  connection  with  this  business.  He 
served  one  term  as  prosecuting  attorney. 
Later  he  took  interest  in  the  newspaper  busi- 
ness, and  the  latter  years  of  his  life  were 
clouded  by  financial  difficulties. 

Walter  Olds  read  law  in  the  office  of 
Olds  &  Dickey  at  Mt.  Gilead,  Ohio.  He 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1869  by  the  su- 
preme court  of  the  state  of  Ohio.  During 
the  same  year  he  came  to  Columbia  City 
and  formed  a  partnership  with  A.  Y. 
Hooper  under  the  name  of  Hooper  &-  Olds. 
They  acquired  a  large  business  and  con- 
tinued in  partnership  until  the  death  of  Mr. 
Hooper  in    1875.     Later  he  formed  a  part- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


nership  with  Michael  Sickafoose  which  con- 
tinued until  1884,  when  he  was  elected  judge 
of  the  circuit  court,  consisting  of  the  coun- 
ties of  Whitley  and  Kosciusko.  Judge  Olds 
was  the  first  judge  of  the  Whitley  circuit 
court  who  was  a  resident  of  Whitley  county. 
He  resigned  in  1889  upon  his  election  to  the 
supreme  bench  of  the  state  of  Indiana.  He 
resigned  from  the  supreme  bench  in  the  state 
of  Indiana,  and  entered  the  practice  of  law 
in  the  city  of  Chicago,  but  later  re- 
turned again  to  Indiana,  where  he  is  now 
enjoying  a  large  practice  in  the  city  of  Fort 
Wayne,  being  the  solicitor  for  both  the 
Nickel  Plate  and  Lake  Shore  Railroads. 

Elisha  V.  Long,  of  Warsaw,  was  by 
Governor  Hendricks,  appoined  Judge  of  the 
thirty-third  circuit,  composed  of  Whitley 
and  Kosciusko  counties.  He  was  elected  for 
a  full  term  of  six  years  in  1878.  On  his  re- 
tirement in  1884  he  was.  by  President  Cleve- 
land; appoined  chief  justice  of  New  Mexico. 
On  his  retirement  from  that  position  with 
the  incoming  of  the  Harrison  administra- 
tion, be  went  into  the  practice  of  law  at 
Las  Vegas,  where  he  still  enjoys  a  large  and 
lucrative  practice. 

Edward  R.  Wilson  was  only  about 
thirty-two  years  of  age  when  elected  circuit 
judge  in  1S58.  He  studied  law  with  Gov. 
Joseph  A.  Gage,  and  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice at  Indianapolis.  He  located  at  Bluffton 
in  1853.  In  1854,  be  was  appointed  prose- 
cuting attorney  to  succeed  Judge  Worden 
and  succeeded  him  also  as  judge  upon  bis 
resignation  to  accept  an  appointment  in  the 
supreme  bench.  Shortly  after  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term.  Judge  Wilson  removed  to 
Madison  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  the 
law  and  later  returned  to  Bluffton. 

Robert  Lowry  was  born  in  Ireland  and 


came  to  Fort  Wayne  in  1843.  He  studied 
law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  began 
practice  at  Goshen  in  1846.  He  was  elected 
circuit  judge  in  1864,  re-elected  in  1870. 
lint  resigned  in  1875  and  entered  the  prac- 
tice at  Fort  Wayne,  having  removed  from 
Goshen  in  1867.  In  1877  he  became  judge 
of  the  newly  created  superior  court  of  the 
city  of  Fort  Wayne.  He  served  two  terms 
in  congress  as  representative  of  the  twelfth 
congressional  district.  Judge  Lowry  was 
perbaps  one  of  the  ablest  judges  who  ever 
sat  at  Nisi  Prius.  He  was  honest  and  in- 
corruptible. He  was  a  man  of  large  mental 
attainments,  kindly  disposition  and  one  in 
whom  both  lawyers  and  parties  litigant  had 
the  utmost  confidence. 

Joseph  W.  Adair  was  born  and  spent 
the  early  years  of  his  life  in  Noble  county. 
After  his  appointment  as  judge  he  was 
elected  for  a  term  of  six  years  and  has  twice 
since  been  re-elected,  as  a  Democrat  in  a 
normally  Republican  district.  Judge  Adair's 
ability  as  a  circuit  judge  is  recognized  by 
the  bar  all  over  northern  Indiana.  His  clear 
conception  of  the  underlying  legal  principles, 
his  patience  under  all  the  trials  a  judge  is 
called  upon  to  endure  in  the  disputes  and 
questions  arising',  his  prompt  rules  and  Ins 
constant  and  uniform  good  nature  and  cour- 
teous treatment  of  the  members  of  the  bar, 
has  made  his  court  a  favorite  forum  for  the 
settlement  of  legal  battles.  This,  together 
with  the  tact  that  Whitley  is  a  small  county, 
and  has  been  able  to  keep  her  docket  clean 
and  secure  prompt  hearing-  of  pending  cases, 
has  made  his  court  a  Favorite  place  for  cases 
sent  from  other  counties,  so  much  so,  that 
it  is  sometimes  referred  to  as  the  "Whit- 
ley change  of  venue  court." 

Cyrus  P>.  Tullev  was  a  Floosier  and  to 


>;8 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


the  manor  born.  He  was  the  first  member 
of  the  Whitley  county  bar,  born  in  Whitley 
county.  His  parents  were  among  the  very 
earliest  settlers  of  the  county.  He  was  burn 
in  Smith  township  in  1839  and  had  only  the 
advantages  of  such  school  as  that  day 
afforded.  In  1865  he  came  to  Columbia 
City  and  began  the  stud}"  of  law  and  engaged 
in  surveying.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1869  and  followed  his  profession  until 
advancing  years  and  the  condition  of  his 
health  required  his  retirement.  In  his 
earlier  years  he  filled  numerous  positions  in 
the  city  and  county  governments,  having 
been  town  clerk,  town  trustee,  county  sur- 
veyor, city  marshal  and  representative  in  the 
state  legislature.  Mr.  Tulley  was  a  self-made 
man,  and  was  a  man  of  very  strong  likes 
and  dislikes.  His  unswerving  honesty  gave 
him  the  confidence  of  the  people  and  in  his 
prime  he  enjoyed  a  very  large  practice. 

David  H.  Colerick  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  at  Lancaster,  Ohio,  and  came  to  Fort 
Wayne  in  1829,  where  he  practiced  law  until 
he  retired  in  1872.  He  was  of  Irish  par- 
entage, and  possessed  in  an  eminent  degree 
the  powers  of  an  orator,  and  this  coupled 
with  his  education  and  thorough  prepara- 
tion, gave  him  at  once  a  high  rank  in  Indi- 
ana practice.  He  was  employed  in  many 
of  the  criminal  cases  in  the  early  days,  when 
a  plea  to  the  sympathy  and  emotion  of  the 
juror  were  deemed  of  value.  He  founded 
a  family  of  lawyer  sons  and  grandsons. 
Two  of  his  sons  are  yet  in  active  and  valu- 
able practice  in  the  city  of  Fort  Wayne: 
Walpole  G.  and  Henry. 

A.  \.  Chapin  read  law  and  located  at 
Angola,  after  completing  his  college  course 
al     \nn    Arbor.      Tn    1865    he    removed    to 


Kendall ville  and  in  1883  to  Fort  Wayne. 
In  i860  he  was  elected  and  served  one  term 
as  prosecuting  attorney  of  the  tenth  circuit 
which  then  embraced  ten  counties  in  north- 
western Indiana,  including  Whitley.  There 
were  two  terms  of  court  each  year  in  each 
county,  and  the  judge  and  prosecuting  attor- 
ney were  compelled  to  go  from  one  county 
to  the  other  and  hold  court.  In  1886  he 
was  elected  to  hold  the  office  for  one  term 
of  judge  of  the  Allen  superior  court.  Dur- 
ing the  latter  years  of  his  life,  his  hearing 
has  been  defective  and  he  has  been  compelled 
to  devote  his  attention  largely  to  patent  law. 
He  justly  merits  the  reputation  which  he 
has  attained,  that  of  being  an  honest  and 
safe  lawyer. 

Henry  Chase  was  about  forty  years  old 
when  he  went  on  the  bench  and  while  he 
served  this  circuit  only  a  short  time,  and 
never  held  a  term  of  court  in  this  county, 
was  said  to  have  been  one  of  the  best  judges 
in  his  day. 

F.  P.  Randal  was  identified  with  the 
history  of  Indiana  for  many  years.  He 
read  law  at  Williamsport,  Pennsylvania,  and 
after  his  admission  in  1838  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Fort  Wayne  and  remained  an  im- 
portant factor  until  his  death  in  1892.  He 
held  office  for  many  years  in  the  city  govern- 
ment and  was  five  times  elected  mayor  of 
the  city. 

The  later  members  of  the  bar  were  John 
Krider,  admitted  in  1S73:  Thomas  R. 
Marshall,  William  F.  McNagny  and  James 
A.  Campbell,  in  1874.  Then  came  Eph  EC 
Strong.    I'.   H.  Clugston,  Benton  E.  dates. 

D.  Y.    Whiteleather,   W.   H.   Kissinger.  O. 

E.  Grant,  F.  P..  Moe,  John  W.  Orndorf,  E. 
C.  Downey  and  C.  L.  Devault.     All  these 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


279 


gentlemen  are  yet  too  young  to  figure   in 
history. 

MEMORABILIA  : 
BY  THOMAS  R.    MARSHALL. 

In  1856  the  justice's  court  was  in  full 
tli  iwer.  As  witness  the  following  adver- 
tisement in  the  "Whitley  Pioneer:"  "Esq. 
Bodley  has  removed  his  office  to  the  build- 
ing opposite  the  Tremont  House  where  he 
is  prepared  to  discharge  any  duty  made  en- 
cumbent upon  him  by  the  statute,  nut  neg- 
lecting to  tie  the  marriage  knot  for  those 
disposed  to  commit  matrimony." 

At  the  March  term,  1844,  the  regular 
judge  of  the  court  was  indicted  for  assault. 
Instead  of  appearing  before  his  associate 
judges  he  endorsed  upon  the  indictment, 
"I  plead  guilty  to  this  indictment  and  wish 
the  court  to  examine  Mr.  Long  and  assess 
the  fine."  This  judge  was  James  L. 
Gordon. 

In  1856  a  communication  appeared  in 
the  "Whitley  Pioneer"  signed  by  three 
justices  of  the  peace,  to-wit :  J.  C.  Bodley, 
T.  A.  Crabb  and  J.  R.  Baker,  announcing 
that  the  law  against  profanity  was  in  force 
and  in  the  discharge  of  their  future  duties, 
they  were  bound  to  enforce  it,  and  gave 
notice  to  the  public  accordingly.  So  far  as 
heard  from,  this  is  the  last  time  that  the 
law  against  profanity  was  ever  known  to 
be    in    force. 

For  a  while  there  was  a  probate  court 
in  this  county.  It  met  at  the  house  of  Rich- 
ard Boughan  on  Monday.  November  1 1 , 
1839.  Hon.  Christopher  W.  Long,  sole 
judge,  Richard  Collins,  treasurer,  Abraham 
Cuppy,  clerk.     Charles  W.  Hughes,   father 


of  William  M.  Hughes,  was  in  1846,  judge 
of  this  court  ami  in  1848  Price  Goodrich 
was    its   judge. 

A  common  pleas  court  was  established 
in  1853  and  continued  until  its  abolition  by 
the  legislature  in  1873.  The  judges  of  this 
court  were  Stephen  Wilman,  James  C.  Bod- 
ley, H.  J.  Stoton  and  William  Clapp.  Con- 
cerning the  latter  judge,  Colonel  McDonald 
has  an  amusing  story  which  upon  occasion, 
he  can  be  prevailed  upon  to  relate. 

It  will  be  a  surprising  fact  to  many  peo- 
ple to  know  that  the  town  of  Coesse  once 
elected  officers  as  an  incorporated  village, 
but  the  records  in  the  clerk's  office  show  that 
on  September  13,  1867,  an  election  of  offi- 
cers for  the  incorporation  of  Coesse  was 
held,  resulting  as  follows  :  Marshal.  John  B. 
Imsie;  treasurer.  M.  E.  Doane ;  assessor, 
William  Greene;  trustees,  W.  L.  Barney, 
Fred  Smith,  Elijah  Depew,  Robert  Steele 
and  J.  H.  Root. 

We  cannot  close  this  article  without 
reference  to  the  only  execution  of  a  murderer 
in  the  count}-.  In  the  latter  part  of  1883, 
Charles  W-.  Butler,  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  fol- 
lowed his  wife,  who  had  fled  from  his 
brutality,  to  Pierceton  and  there  shot  her 
dead,  as  he  had  threatened  if  she  left  him. 

After  being  confined  in  the  Warsaw  jail 
for  a  time  he  secured  a  change  of  venue  and 
was  brought  here.  He  with  others  broke  jail 
but  was  recaptured  near  bis  home.  He  was 
put  on  trial  Monday,  .May  12.  1N84,  before 
the  following  jury:  Jacob  A.  Baker.  Josiah 
Archer.  Jacob  W.  Nickey,  John  1\  Depoy, 
Joseph  J.  Pence,  Lewis  Deem,  Alexander 
Ah  .re.  David  James.  James  Blain.  James 
Cordill,  Thomas  Jellison  and  Elijah  Depew. 
Judge  Van  Long  presiding.     Michael  Sicka- 


28o 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


foose,  assisted  by  William  F.  McNagny,  i  if 
Columbia  City,  and  Lemuel  W.  Royse,  of 
Warsaw,  prosecuted.  The  prisoner  was  de- 
fended by  Joseph  W.  Adair,  of  Columbia 
City.  Lee  Haymond.  of  Warsaw,  H.  J. 
Booth,  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  Thomas  E. 
Powell,  of  Delaware,  Ohio. 

He  was  convicted  and  sentenced  to  be 


hanged  on  the  ioth  of  October,  1884,  and  at 
exactly  12:08  p.  m.  of  that  day  he  was 
swung  into  eternity  in  an  enclosure  built  in 
the  jail-yard.  Frank  P.  Allwein,  sheriff, 
personally  attended  to  the  details  and  sprung 
the  trap.  The  law  was  soon  after  changed 
so  that  executions  now  take  place  in  the 
state  prison. 


HISTORY  OF  SMITH  TOWNSHIP. 


BY  DR.  FRANCIS  M.  MAGERS. 


Some  time  previous  to  1827  a  squatter 
in  the  person  of  Andrew  Mack  built  a  cabin 
near  the  Fort  Wayne  and  Goshen  trail  on 
section  4,  where  now  stands  the  frame  house 
owned  by  Martin  Kocher.  Andrew  Mack 
was  no  doubt  the  first  white  settler  in  the 
then  almost  impenetrable  wilderness  which 
abounded  with  bear,  deer,  wild  turkeys, 
wolves,  wildcats  and  many  other  smaller  ani- 
mals. It  appears  that  Mack  was  a  great  hunt- 
er and  spent  most  of  his  time  in  hunting,  trap- 
ping and  fishing.  His  cabin  frequently  gave 
comfort  and  shelter  to  the  wayfarer  during 
his  lonely  journey  from  Fort  Wayne  to  Go- 
shen, Elkhart  and  the  interior.  It  was  for 
some  years  the  only  haven  of  rest  between 
these  villages  separated  by  a  distance  of 
almost  eighty  miles.  The  "table  d'hote" 
of  this  primitive  hostelry  consisted  of  ven- 
ison, bear  meat,  potatoes  and  squash.  If  the 
epicure  should  ask  for  pie  he  would  be  po- 
litely invited  to  "go  way  back  and  sit  down." 
If  he  asked  for  devil's  food  or  angel  cake 
he  was  told  that  the  generation  that  gut 
up  such  food  and  pastry  was  yet  unborn  and 
that    his   fastidious    taste  must   be   satisfied 


with  corn  mush  and  the  dodger  roasted  in 
hot  ashes. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  place  An- 
drew Mack  came  from  and  whither  he  went 
are  unknown,  but  that  he  did  locate  at  the 
above  place  is  abundantly  verified  by  Jacob 
Baker  and  Jehu  Skinner,  both  of  whom  fre- 
quently related  that  they  had  partaken  of 
his  hospitality.  Alpheus  B.  Gaff,  a  man  of 
extraordinary  memory  and  unquestioned  in- 
tegrity and  who  had  the  great  honor  of 
holding  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  for 
thirty-six  years  in  this  township,  has  fre- 
quently related  to  his  neighbors  the  fact  that 
the  above  named  Skinner  and  Baker,  with 
whom  he  was  well  acquainted,  had  told  him 
of  stopping  at  Mack's  cabin  as  the  only 
house  between  Fort  Wayne  and  Goshen  and 
Elkhart  and  that  Baker  had  partaken  of 
.Mack's  hospitality  as  early  as  1S27  and 
Skinner  in  183 1. 

During  the  very  early  settlement  of  Ohii  >. 
Indiana,  Michigan  and  Illinois  the  French- 
Canadian  settlers  and  traders  spread  over 
nearly  all  that  vast  territory  as  traders  and 
merchants   among   the   Indians.      Knowing 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


the  wants  and  propensities  of  the  Indians, 
they  sold  them  powder,  lead  and  whiskey. 
John  Baptist  Godfrey,  a  Frenchman,  was 
the  second  white  man  to  settle  in  Smith 
township,  came  about  the  time  Andrew 
Mack  left  and  no  doubt  occupied  the  cabin 
Mack  had  vacated  and  with  a  small  stock  of 
goods  that  were  in  demand  established  a 
trading  post.  Godfrey  and  wife  were  not 
blessed  with  children,  but  an  adopted  son 
named  Gregory  Bundy,  a  tall  and  well  pro- 
portioned young  Frenchman,  lived  with 
them  and  afterwards  kept  tavern  and  sold 
whiskey  on  section  2,  near  the  Fort  Wayne 
and  Goshen  road  on  land  now  owned  by 
Val  Brown  and  known  as  the  old  Boggs 
farm.  Godfrey  in  a  few  years  found  his 
business  had  outgrown  the  capacity  of  the 
Mack  cabin,  erected  a  more  commodious  one 
on  the  north  side  of  the  Goshen  road,  where 
now  stands  Martin  Kocher's  barn.  Numer- 
ous settlers  coming  in,  it  became  necessary 
to  provide  more  room  for  his  increasing 
trade  and  he  built  the  most  elegant  and 
stately  house  in  all  "this  neck  of  woods." 
The  building  was  a  hewed  log  house  which 
some  years  afterward  was  weatherboarded 
with  three-quarter  inch  poplar  boards  and  in 
after  years,  up  to  about  1866,  was  occupied 
by  James  S.  Craig,  who  razed  it  to  the 
ground  and  built  a  substantial  modern  house 
on  its  site. 

It  has  been  the  gossip  of  many  that  J.  B. 
Godfrey  was  possessed  of  many  eccentricities 
and  that  in  his  later  years  he  lived  as  a 
recluse. 

The  facts  are,  as  told  the  author  by  Aunt 
Katie  Gordon,  nee  Hull,  that  Godfrey  be- 
came insane  and  for  several  years  retired  to 
a  room  and  was  under  the  watchful  care  of 


his  devoted  wife.  The  Hull  family  were 
very  early  settlers  on  Eel  river  in  Allen 
county  and  visited  back  and  forth  with  the 
Godfreys.  Adam  Hull,  a  brother  of  Aunt 
Katie  Gordon,  especially  being  a  frequent 
visitor  of  the  Godfreys  to  procure  his  sup- 
plies of  powder  and  lead,  became  almost  a 
confidant  of  the  Godfroys  and  during  his 
visits  was  always  admitted  to  Godfrey's 
room.  The  antecedents  of  Godfrey  and 
wife,  like  those  of  Mack,  are  unknown. 
They  died  in  1845  anc'  were  taken  to  Fort 
Wayne  and  buried.  Godfrey  once  traded 
horses  with  Daniel  Geiger,  father  of  Y\  il- 
liam  A.  Geiger.  Geiger  had  a  very  fine 
spotted  pony  and  Godfrey  said  he  wanted  it 
for  the  express  purpose  of  riding-  it  to 
heaven.  Whether  he  traveled  from  this  vale 
of  tears  on  the  spotted  pony  is  not  related  by 
his  neighbors. 

During  the  decade  from  1830  to  1840 
cheap  land  and  good  soil  began  to  attract 
many  settlers  to  this  territory  and  the  sturdy 
pioneers  began  settling-  here  and  there  with 
their  families,  rearing  their  pole  cabins  by 
the  united  effort  of  wife  and  children,  who 
were  helpmeets  in  all  the  interpretation  of 
the  word. 

Absalom  Hire,  the  third  settler,  reared 
his  cabin  in  the  virgin  forest  in  1833  en 
section  5  on  lands  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Da- 
vid W  .Nickey.  The  following  year  1  [834) 
Francis  Tulley,  Richard  Baughn.  Jesse 
Long,  John  More,  Samuel  Nickey,  Sam- 
uel Smith  and  Nelson  Compton  cast  their 
fortunes  in  the  wilds  of  this  township.  John 
W.  Mure  and  Otho  Gaudy  were  companion 
home  seekers  with  their  families  through  the 
unbroken  wilderness  of  western  Ohio  and 
eastern    Indiana,    but    unfortunately    Gaudy 


-82 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


became  swamped  near  Monmouth  and  was 
obliged  to  remain  there  with  his  family  till 
the  following  year.  On  arrival  at  his  des- 
tination he  was  greatly  surprised  to  find 
some  one  had  raised  a  patch  of  corn  for  him 
and  that  there  were  a  couple  of  well  filled 
potato  holes,  all  grown  on  his  own  prospec- 
tive ground.  William  Vanmeter  and  Jesse 
Briggs,  companion  home  seekers,  came  in 
1835  and  Zachariah  Garison  came  in  1836. 

At  the  close  of  1840  the  few  families 
who  had  settled  previous  to  1835  found 
themselves  surrounded  by  man}-  neighbors, 
whose  presence  was  frequently  revealed  by 
the  crack  of  the  rifle  or  the  sound  of  the  ax 
in  felling  trees  and  sometimes  by  the  clang 
of  a  strange  cowbell.  In  those  early  days 
the  pioneer  was  familiar  with  the  sound  of 
his  neighbor's  cowbell  as  well  as  his  own. 

David  Wolf,  James  Zollman.  James 
Gordon,  George  Pence,  William  Cleland, 
James  Crow  and  Jesse  Spear  took  up  their 
abode  in  the  wilderness  in  1836.  Daniel 
Miller  probably  came  the  same  year.  Then 
came  Jacob  Xickey  in  1839,  Appleton  Rich, 
George  W.  Slagle  and  Patrick  Maloney, 
1840. 

John  Blakely,  David  Gordon,  James  Ma- 
son, Simeon  and  Cinda  Nott  were  also 
among  the  earliest  pioneers  of  Smith  town- 
ship. Those  early  settlers  who  had  the  cour- 
age to  hew  out  their  fortunes  in  the  wilder- 
ness left  a  progeny  of  honorable  descend- 
ants scattered  over  the  township  and  sur- 
rounding country.  Many  of  them  in  after 
years  went  west  and  cast  their  lot  as  pio- 
neers in  reclaiming  the  prairies  beyond  the 
Mississippi  river.  There  is  probably  not  a 
state  in  the  Union  and  but  few  countries  in 
the  world  that  are  not  represented  by  a  de- 


scendant of  some  of  the  earlv  pioneers  of 
Smith  township. 

In  1835  one  Bryant  entered  that  part  of 
section  No.  22  known  as  the  Jerry  Krider 
farm  and  now  owned  by  Josiah  Wade.  Mr. 
Bryant,  more  fortunate  than  many  of  the 
earl}-  settlers,  brought  with  him  three  grown- 
up children,  who  assisted  him  in  raising  his 
pole  cabin  and  clearing  up  his  farm.  In  a 
few  years  the  old  folks  died  and  were  buried 
in  Hull's  graveyard  on  the  south  side  of 
Eel  river,  where  Mr.  Hull  and  several  of 
his  family  and  others  were  buried. 

The  young  people  went  away  after  the 
death  of  their  father  and  mother  and  left 
a  vacant  cabin  and  some  cleared  land  as  a 
memorial  of  their  unfortunate  bereavement. 
Enoch  Magart,  with  his  wife  and  children, 
moved  into  the  vacant  cabin  and  took  pos- 
session. Mr.  Magart.  like  Mr.  Bryant,  did 
not  long  endure  the  joys  and  hardships  of 
pioneer  life. 

Talcot  Perry  settled  in  Union  township 
just  across  the  south  line  of  Smith  town- 
ship on  the  Fanny  Vanmeter  farm.  The 
bill  of  fare  in  those  early  days  did  not  con- 
tain apple  pie  or  apple  sauce  and  other  deli- 
cacies to  please  the  fastidious  taste  of  the 
pioneer  or  to  diversify  the  routine  of  pork. 
venison,  wild  turkey,  cabbage,  potatoes  and 
corn  pone.  Soon,  however,  they  were  sup- 
plied with  maple  sugar  and  wild  honey,  and 
wild  blackberries,  raspberries,  gooseberries 
and  cranberries  were  the  sources  from  which 
the  delicacies  of  the  pioneer  came. 

One  bright  and  joyous  Sunday  morning, 
with  hearts  light  in  the  anticipation  of  the 
enjoyment  of  cranberries  and  wild  turkey, 
Mr.  Pern-  and  Mr.  Mag-art  set  out  in  quest 
of  cranberries,  which  grew  abundantly  in  a 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


283 


marsh  in  section  23,  on  lands  owned  now  by 
L.  F.  Metsker,  Mr.  Perry  on  horseback, 
carying  his  rifle,  as  was  the  custom,  and  Mr. 
Magart  on  foot.  Arriving  at  a  point  near 
a  swamp  in  section  22,  through  which  a 
road  now  runs  about  midway  between  B.  F. 
Krider's  farm  house  and  William  Deems's 
residence,  a  twig"  caught  the  hammer  of 
Perry's  rifle  and  drew  it  back  sufficiently  to 
discharge  the  gun.  the  ball  entering  Ma- 
gart's  back  and  making  its  exit  in  front. 
Perry  moved  him  near  to  a  poplar  tree  and 
by  the  assistance  of  Brinton  Jones  and 
other  neig'hbors  he  was  hauled  on  a  hand 
sled  back  to  his  humble  home  to  his  grief 
stricken  family.  Magart  suffered  great 
agony  surrounded  by  his  family  and  aided  by 
the  kind  hands  of  his  neig'hbors  until  night, 
when  death  released  him  from  his  terrible 
suffering  and  left  a  widow  and  orphans  in  a 
lonely  cabin  in  the  wilderness  where  howl- 
ing- packs  of  wolves  kept  vig-il  with  the  heart 
broken  widow.  Kind  neighbors  she  had,  but 
like  "angels'  visits"  they  were  few  and  far 
between. 

Talcott  Peri"}-  ever  kept  the  sad  incident 
vividly  in  his  memory  until  November  11, 
1845,  he  died  and  was  buried  in  Concord 
cemetery,  where  a  marble  slab  marks  his 
resting  place. 

The  pioneers  lived  in  peace  and  harmony 
although  surrounded  by  many  privations, 
yet  crime  was  hidden  in  the  secret  recesses 
of  some  breasts.  In  1837  a  Mr.  Bowls,  who 
had  settled  on  the  west  side  of  Blue  Lake, 
murdered  his  wife  with  a  hand  spike.  Mrs. 
John  More,  who  lived  on  that  part  of  sec- 
tion 27  now  owned  by  J.  W.  Jones,  known 
as  the  John  Jones  farm,  acted  as  the  good 
Samaritan  and  prepared  her  body  for  burial. 


Mrs.  More  found  upon  examination  that  the 
body  was  so  terribly  bruised  as  to  arouse 
suspicion  which  finally  culminated  in  the  ar- 
rest and  trial  of  Bowls.  Similar  to  many 
other  cases  of  the  kind  in  the  then  wild  west, 
no  autopsy  was  held. 

Mrs.  More  and  Mrs.  Francis  Tulley,  led 
by  the  hand  of  friendship  and  charity,  took 
a  prominent  part  in  the  preparation  and 
burial  of  Mrs.  Bowls  and  saw  and  heard  all 
that  was  to  be  seen  and  heard  by  any  one  ex- 
cept the  guilty  conscience  of  the  murderer, 
and  were  therefore  subpoenaed  as  witnesses 
at  the  trial  in  Huntington,  then  the  county 
seat. 

Being'  matured  in  hardships,  as  all  pio- 
neer woman  must  be.  and  determined  to  do 
their  part  in  bringing'  the  guilty  to  justice, 
they  mounted  their  sure  footed  horses  as  the 
rays  of  the  rising  sun  began  to  appear  and 
turned  their  faces  toward  Huntington, 
thirty-five  miles  distant,  through  an  almost 
unbroken  and  impenetrable  forest  and  no 
road  to  lead  them  to  their  destination.  But 
those  noble  women,  unmindful  of  wear  and 
weariness  of  mind  and  body,  guided  their 
horses  over  logs  and  brush,  through  streams 
and  bogs,  alert  always  to  the  growl  and 
snarl  of  wolves  and  the  shrill  snort  of  the 
nimble  deer  that  often  crossed  their  path, 
they  wended  their  lonely  way  to  the  temple 
of  justice,  which  consisted  of  a  log  cabin 
in  Huntington.  Who  can  imagine  the  dis- 
appointment and  chagrin  of  those  women 
when  they  learned  at  the  close  of  the  trial 
that  the  evidence  was  not  sufficient  to  con- 
vict Bowls. 

They  consoled  themselves  by  the  knowl- 
edge that  they  had  done  the  part  allotted 
to  them  and  if  the  guilt}'  went  unpunished 


284 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


it  was  not  their  fault.  Bowls  soon  after  took 
his  children  and  left  for  parts  unknown. 
William  Blair  about  this  time,  1837,  settled 
on  the  east  bank  of  Blue  Lake  and  was  a 
noted  trapper  and  hunter  and  followed  the 
occuptaion  of  trapping  and  hunting  and  dis- 
posing of  his  products  to  J.  B.  Godfroy  until 
about  1840. 

About  this  time  an  old  trapper  came  and 
stayed  with  Blair.  For  some  time  each  one 
followed  his  usual  occupation.  One  day 
when  Blair  was  perambulating  through  the 
woods  and  marshy  thickets  looking  after  his 
traps  he  saw  the  old  trapper  taking  and 
skinning-  animals  taken  from  his  (Blair's) 
traps  and  a  quarrel  ensued. 

Exasperated  at  the  treachery  of  the  man 
whom  he  had  taken  in  and  befriended,  Blair 
killed  him  with  a  club.  After  sinking  the 
body  in  the  river  near  a  log,  Blair  confessed 
to  the  crime  and  fled  the  country. 

At  this  time  the  reins  of  justice  were 
loosely  held,  as  is  usual  in  all  new  countries, 
and  legal  proceedings  were  of  difficult  ma- 
nipulation and  no  effort  was  made  to  bring 
Blair  to  justice. 

Some  time  after  this  a  great  flood  came 
and  is  memorable  by  the  early  settlers  as  the 
"biggest  rain  that  ever  fell."  The  body  of 
the  trapper  was  washed  out  from  its  hiding 
place.  Dogs  and  wolves  had  devoured  por- 
tions of  the  body  when  found,  which  was 
reinterred  by  the  neighbors.  The  sudden 
disappearance  of  Blair  from  the  neighbor- 
hood excited  a  great  deal  of  comment  among 
the  neighbors,  among  whom  was  Alexander 
More,  then  a  bo)  whose  curiosity  prompted 
him  to  ask  his  mother  one  night  while 
watching  al  her  bedside  during-  a  spell  of 
sickness  whal  was  the  cause  of  Blair's  sud- 


den disappearance.  She  told  her  son  Alex 
that  Mrs.  Blair  told  her  that  Blair  had  killed 
the  old  trapper. 

While  reciting  these  sad  accidents  and 
heartless  crimes  we  must  not  imbibe  the  no- 
tion that  crime  and  wickedness  was  in  ad- 
vance of  the  progress  of  good.  The  children 
of  early  settlers  were  growing  up  and  schools 
were  to  be  provided  for  them.  The  first 
schoolhouse  reared  and  dedicated  to  school 
purposes  was  on  the  northeast  corner  of 
Christ  Long's  farm  now  known  as  the  De- 
vault  farm  and  the  first  teacher  to  call 
"books"  was  Ira  Wiznar.  Wiznar,  being- 
human  and  like  other  teachers,  had  his 
troubles  and  tribulations,  taught  in  Francis 
Tully's  kitchen  the  next  winter  on  account 
of  petty  disagreements  among  his  patrons. 
The  second  schoolhouse  reared  and  dedi- 
cate to  purposes  of  showing"  "the  young 
scion  how  to  grow"  was  near  the  comer  of 
section  25-26  east  of  William  S.  Nickey's 
house.  This  temple  of  learning-,  a  log  cabin. 
was  built  by  the  voluntary  aid  of  surround- 
ing neighbors.  Jacob  Nickey,  Otho  Gandy, 
Jesse  Long,  Nelson  Compton,  Absalom 
Hyre  and  Mr.  Fellows  and  others  united  in 
building  the  cabin  and  furnishing  it  with 
puncheon  floors,  a  clapboard  d<  11  >r,  puncheon 
writing  desks,  slab  benches  and  a  magnifi- 
cent and  extensive  fireplace  in  one  end, 
and  lighted  by  eight  by  ten  window  lights. 
Sawmills  and  sawed  lumber,  it  must  be  re- 
membered, were  merely  heard  of  hut  not 
in  actual  existence  at  this  stage  of  the  de- 
velopment of  the  country.  The  first  teacher 
was  Joseph  Fellows,  who  afterwards  be- 
came a   doctor. 

Previous  to  the  building  of  these  school- 
houses,    however,    schools    had    been    taught 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


285 


in  different  parts  of  the  township  and  were 
called  "subscription  schools."  A  subscrip- 
tion paper  was  taken  around  the  country  by 
some  one  interested  in  school  work  and  ob- 
tained subscription  for  one  or  more  scholars 
at  a  stated  sum  per  month.  Sometimes  the 
prospective  teacher  wielded  the  "subscrip- 
tion paper"  among"  the  parents  of  the  neigh- 
borhood and  afterwards  wielded  the  "birch" 
among  his  scholars. 

These  schools  were  taught  in  vacant 
cabins  wherever  found,  one  of  which  was 
located  in  Churubusco  on  the  west  side  of 
main  street  near  where  the  Vandalia  Rail- 
road crosses,  another  on  Main  street  in  a 
log"  cabin  situated  on  the  lot  where  Misses 
Nettie  and  Annie  Keichler  now  reside.  Al- 
exander Craig"  taught  in  J.  B.  Godfrey's 
kitchen. 

All  1  if  the  schoolhouses  were  primitive 
and  supplied  with  the  crudest  paraphernalia 
and  the  ingenuity  of  the  teacher  was  taxed 
to  its  utmost.  Corporal  punishment  was  in 
vogue  those  days  and  the  teacher  put  in 
a  good  deal  of  his  time  wielding  the  gad 
across  the  backs  and  legs  of  the  recalcitrants. 
His  morning  hours  before  school  took  up 
in"  "books"  were  called  were  occupied  with 
his  keen  edged  penknife  in  making  and  re- 
pairing goose  quill  pens  and  "setting  cop- 
ies." A  popular  one  was  "Command  you 
may,  your  mind  from  play."  Steel  pens 
were  unobtainable  and  the  goose  quill  was 
always  on  the  market  and  in  good  demand 
during  the  winter  months. 

Isaac  Claxton,  who  taught  near  the 
crossing  of  Main  street  and  the  Vandalia 
Railroad,  was  the  first  to  introduce  the 
teaching  of  geography  by  singing.  He  es- 
tablished  geography   singing"  classes   in    the 


schoolhouses     of     the     neighborhood     and 

taught  these  at  night,  using  "Pelton's  Key 
to  Geography"  as  his  guide.  It  must  be 
remembered  that  in  the  building  of  dwell- 
ings and  schoolhouses  and  their  equipments 
nails  were  not  a  necessitv  and  main-  inge- 
nious shifts  were  made  by  the  early  settlers. 

Window  g'lass  and  other  hardware  were 
procurable  at  Piqua,  Ohio,  more  than  one 
hundred  miles  away.  Doors  were  hung  on 
wooden  hinges,  whose  squeaking  was  gen- 
erally prevented  by  an  application  of  a  little 
soft  soap  and  supplied  with  wooden  latch 
with  a  buckskin  string  alwavs  hanging  on 
the  outside.  Clapboards  riven  from  a  near- 
by straight  grained  tree  by  an  instrument 
called  a  "trow"  were  carefully  laid  on  "ribs" 
and  held  in  place  by  "weight  poles"  extend- 
ing the  full  length  of  the  roof,  formed  the 
covering  of  the  cabin. 

The  seats  or  benches  for  schools  were 
slabs  split  from  a  log  and  smoothed  with  a 
broad-ax  and  writing  desks  of  the  same  ma- 
terial supported  by  pins  driven  into  auger 
holes  in  the  logs  on  one  or. two  sides  of  the 
schoolhouse.  It  was  considered  bv  the 
smaller  scholars  quite  an  honor  to  occupy 
a  seat  at  the  "writing  desk." 

The  third  schoolhouse  was  on  the  Harter 
farm,  now  owned  by  L.  F.  Metsker  and  the 
fourth  on  the  Joseph  Pence  farm. 

About  this  time  the  movement  of  taxa- 
tion for  public  schools  was  agitated  and  be- 
came a  political  question  that  was  very  bit- 
terly discussed  between  all  classes.  The 
Democrats  in  opposition  and  the  Whigs  in 
favor.  The  Democrats  claiming  it  wrong  to 
tax  property  owners  who  had  no  children 
for  the  benefit  of  those  property  owners 
who    had    children    ami    for    the   benefit    of 


286 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


those     children     whose     parents     had     no 
property. 

The  Whigs  claimed  the  property  of  the 
country  should  he  taxed  for  the  benefit  of 
the  country  and  that  free  education  was  the 
greatest  benefit  to  the  country.  The  Whigs 
won  and  public  schools  were  established  and 
supported  by  taxation.  This  movement  was 
of  great  benefit  not  only  as  an  educational 
procedure  but  was  of  vast  help  to  the  man 
of  moderate  means  in  procuring  a  home. 
Great  tracts  of  land  at  that  time  were  held 
by  speculators,  who  refused  to  sell  the  land 
they  had  entered  at  one  dollar  and  a  quarter 
per  acre  at  a  reasonable  advance. 

The  tax  for  school  purposes  being  as- 
sessed on  their  lands  in  addition  to  other 
taxes  for  general  improvements,  caused 
many  to  sell  their  lands  in  small  tracts  for 
prices  ranging"  around  five  dollars  per  acre. 
Thus  the  Whigs  were  building  better  than 
they  knew,  for  that  aspect  of  the  question 
had  not  been  agitated. 

From  this  period  on  the  structure  of 
school  houses  took  on  a  more  pretentious 
appearance  and  a  frame  schoolhouse  occa- 
sionally appeared  here  and  there  as  a  mon- 
ument of  the  improvement  of  the  country. 

The  congress  of  the  United  States  had 
granted  section  16  to  each  township  for 
school  purposes  and  about  this  time  section 
in  became  renowned  as  the  guidepost  for 
the  home  seeker. 

These  were  the  days  of  old-fashioned 
spelling  schools,  when  to  be  the  best  spellers 
and  the  "lasl  one  down"  was  the  highest 
ambition  that  could  possess  a  boy  or  girl. 

The  tallow  dip  for  lighting  purposes 
was  a  vi  iluntary  d«  mat  ion.  A  block  with  a  hole 
bored  into  it  served  for  a  candlestick.     The 


chandeliers — their  description  is  one  of  the 
lost  arts.  The  teacher  with  a  greasy  tallow 
candle  in  one  hand  and  the  Elementary 
Spelling  Book  in  the  other  pronounced  the 
words.  O,  how  the  young  man's  heart 
would  throb  with  joy  when  the  school 
ma'am  would  ask  him  "please  snuff  my 
candle?"  but  how  humiliating  when  he 
would  snuff  the  light  out,  sometimes  inten- 
tionally. Spelling  schools  were  the  prin- 
cipal entertainments  and  attended  by  the 
parents,  who  generally  kept  g-ood  order. 

The  fond  mother  anxious  to  protect  her 
children  from  disease  and  sickness  pro- 
vided them  with  the  magic  charm  in  the  form 
of  a  little  sack  of  sulphur  or  asafoetida  sus- 
pended from  a  string  around  their  necks. 
This  talisman,  however,  did  not  ward  off  the 
omnipresent  itch  mite  nor  the  voracious 
louse.  The  itch  was  as  fashionable  a  disease 
as  lagrippe  or  appendicitis  of  to-day,  but 
afforded  much  more  pleasure  to  the  square 
inch  than  either  of  the  latter.  The  per- 
sistent enjoyment  of  scratching  was  contin- 
uous day  and  night  until  life  became  a  real 
torture,  mixed  with  less  and  less  of  pleasure. 
Its  possessor  was  shunned  and  abused,  vet 
heartily  pitied.  Xo  one  shared  his  seat  nor 
played  with  him.  He  was  lonely  and  for- 
lorn, with  everybody's  hand  against  him. 
The  pugnacious  louse  afforded  less  enjoy- 
ment but  was  as  persistent  in  attracting-  one's 
attention  to  his  specialty,  which  consisted  in 
burrowing  into  the  seal])  by  means  of  his 
proboscis,  armed  with  three  sharp  claws  on 
each  side. 

Who  does  not  remember  the  ordeal  of 
the  hue-toothed  comb  in  the  hand  of  his 
mother,  while  he  reluctantly  and  irreverently 
knelt  at  her  feet  with  head  bowed  between 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


>87 


The  loft,  and  the  puncheon  flore — 
The  old  fi-er-place.   with  the  crane  swung 
out, 
And  the  latch-string  thrugfh  the  door. 


her  knees  and  firmly  held  as  in  a  vise,  while 
she,  intent  upon  catching  every  living  thing 
upon  the  hair  or  under  the  hair,  upon  the 
scalp  or.  under  the  scalp? 

The  squirming  and  writhing  and  cry  of 
pain   unheeded,   the   process    went   on,   and      Tell  of  the  thing's  jest  as  they  was — 
with  unerring  presure  of  the  thumb  nail  pro-  They  don't  need  no  excuse! — 

duced  a  report  that  sounded  the  death  knell      Don't  tetch'em  up  like  the  poets  does. 
of   the   pesterous    "pediculus   capitis."     No  Tel  theyr  all  too  fine  fere  use! — 

church  bell's  funeral  toll  could  sound  it  bet-      Say  they   was  'leven   in   the   fambily— 
ter    than    that    familiar    "snap."     Like    the 
buffalo,   the   itch   mite   and   the  louse   have 
about  become  extinct,  and  we  should  appoint 
a  da}r  of  thanksgiving. 

The  old  "town  ball."  "bull  pen."  "sock 
ball,"  "three  or  four  hole  cat"  and  "shinny 
on  your  own  side,"  were  plays  of  the  larger 
boys.  Anxious  to  get  at  the  ball  game, 
every  one  swallowed  his  corn  bread,  cold 
buckwheat  cake,  sometimes,  about  "butcher- 
ing time"  the  meal  was  diversified  with  a 
piece  of  frozen  mince  pie.  spare  ribs,  back- 
bone and  maple  syrup,  which  was  carefully 
placed  in  the  dinner  basket  by  the  thoughtful      Blow  and  blow  tel  the  sound  draps  low 


Two   beds,   and   the   chist,   below. 
Ami  the  trundle-beds  that   each   belt   three. 
And  the  clock'  and  the  old  bureau. 

Then  blow  the  horn  at  the  old  back-door 

Tel  the  echoes  all  halloo. 
And  the  children  gethers  home  onc't  more, 

Jest  as  they  ust  to  d(  > : 
Blow  fer  Pap  tel  he  hears  and  comes. 

With  Tomps  and  Elias.  too. 
A-marchin'  home,  with  the  fife  and  drums 

And  the  old  Red,  White  and  Blue! 


mother. 

Oh!  tell  me  a  tale  of  the  airly  days — 

Of  the  times  as  they  us  to  be. 
"Filler  of  Fi-er"  and  "Shakespeare's  Plays" 

Is  a'most  too  deep  fer  me! 
I  want  plane  facts,  and  I  want  plane  words. 

Of  the  good  old-fashioned  ways, 
Y\  hen  speech  runs  free  as  the  songs  of  birds 

'Wav  back  in  the  airlv  davs. 


As    the   moan    of   the   whipperwill. 
And  wake  up  Mother,  and  Ruth  and  Jo, 

All  sleepin'  at  Bethel  Hill ; 
Blow  and  call  tel  the  faces  all 

Shine   out    in   the  back-log's   blaze. 

And  the  shadders  dance  on  the  old  hewed 
wall 
As  thev  did  in  the  airly  days. 

— Riley. 


Tell  me  a  tale  of  the  timber-lands — 
Of  the  old-time  pioneers : 

Somepin'  a  poor  man  understands 
\\  ith    his    feelins's   well    as   ears. 

Tell   of  the  old   log  house. — about 


The  15th  day  of  September,  1834,  was  a 
joyous  da}'  for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Francis  Tully. 
On  that  dav  a  little  cherub  in  the  person  of 
Rosana  first  saw  the  light  of  day  as  the 
first  white  child  born  in  Smith  township  and 


288 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


probably  the  first  in  Whitley  county.     Ros- 

ana  afterwards  married  John  Krider  and  is 
now  living  in  Columbia  City.  The  first  in 
the  township  to  mourn  a  loss  by  death  was 
Wyatt  Jeffries  and  wife  over  the  death  of  a 
child  in  [834.  The  first  potatoes  that  came 
into  the  possession  of  George  C.  Pence  were 
procured  at  Beach  Chapel  in  Thorncreek 
township,  which  he  and  his  two  sons,  Henry 
and  Abe,  carried  home  on  their  backs  a  dis- 
tance of  six  miles.  Henry  Pence  and  Rich- 
ard Bowhan  as  traveling  companions  made 
a  trip  to  Elkhart  to  procure  com  meal  and 
other  necessaries  of  life  and  all  went  well 
with  them  until  they  returned  as  far  as  the 
Indian  camp  on  section  No.  7,  near  where 
the  old  bridge  was.  Here  their  wagons 
broke  through  the  ice  and  they  were  com- 
pelled to  stay  over  night  with  the  Indians. 
Next  morning,  after  many  strenuous  efforts, 
assisted  by  the  Indians,  they  got  their  wag- 
ons across  the  river  and  proceeded  home- 
ward rejoicing. 

The  young  men  who  contemplated  en- 
tering the  state  of  matrimony  had  many  dif- 
ficulties to  face.  However,  there  were  no 
barriers  that  could  frustrate  his  plans.  And 
for  the  lack  of  lumber  the  little  cherub, 
when  he  made  his  appearance,  was  not 
rocked  in  the  fine  cribs  and  rubber  tired 
baby  cabs  of  today.  A  convenient  poplar 
tree  furnished  the  material  for  a  sugar 
trough  in  which  his  babyship  was  rocked 
and  put  to  sleep  by  the  sweet  lullaby  of  his 
fond  mother. 

When  Henry  Pence  convinced  himself 
that  marriage  was  not  a  failure  and  resolved 
to  try  it  he  walked  to  Huntington  to  pro- 
cure the  necessary  license.  Henry,  no  doubt, 
had  not    heard   of  the  laundered  shirt,   the 


ready  made  suit,  the  thoroughbred  horse  or 
the  rubber  tired  buggy.  His  homespun  and 
his  home  made  suit  was  good  enough  for 
him  to  stand  up  in  before  the  minister  and 
declare  his  intentions. 

Corn,  being  one  of  the  staples  of  food, 
was  often  g'otten  up  in  different  styles,  one 
of  which  was  hominy,  but  not  store  hominy, 
as  we  buy  it  today.  The  hominy  block  was 
one  of  the  necessities  of  every  house,  or  at 
least  every  neighborhood.  A  block  about 
three  feet  long-  was  cut  from  a  suitable  log, 
sycamore  or  gum  preferred,  and  set  on  one 
end.  On  the  upper  end  a  fire  was  built  and 
attentively  looked  after  until  a  bowl  shaped 
receptacle  was  burned  sufficient  to  hold  three 
or  four  gallons. 

It  was  then  thoroughly  cleaned  of  the 
adhering  charcoal  by  a  chisel  or  gouge. 

Sometimes  the  man  who  had  time  and 
was  esthetic  formed  them  with  their  crude 
tools  into  the  shape  of  an  hour  glass.  Into 
the  receptacle  or  hopper  the  corn  was  poured 
(generally  the  eight  rowed  or  flint  was  pre- 
ferred), upon  which  warm  water  was  poured 
and  covered  closely  so  as  to  soften  and 
loosen  the  husk.  After  a  certain  time  the 
corn  was  beaten  with  a  pestle  until  the  husk 
was  well  off  the  grain.  The  pestle  consisted 
of  a  stick  split  at  one  end  and  surrounded 
by  an  iron  ring-  and  into  the  split  end  an  iron 
wedge  was  inserted.  The  product  was  fin- 
ished by  winnowing  in  the  open  air  or  by 
a  fanning  mill.  The  hominy  was  put  into  a 
large  iron  kettle,  properly  seasoned  with 
salt,  early  in  the  morning  and  hung  1  <n  a 
"crane"  in  the  fireplace  and  cooked  until 
evening. 

This  was  generally  a  solicitous  day  f<  >r 
the   mother  lest   her  hominy   should   burn. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


The  finished  product  when  cold  was  cut  in 
slices  and  fried  or  otherwise  warmed  and 
made  a  dish  that  would  surely  satisfy  the 
taste  of  the  epicure. 

The  wool  was  clipped  from  the  backs  of 
the  sheep,  generally  by  the  wife,  and  well 
washed  and  hung  on  poles  and  fences  or 
spread  upon  the  green  grass  if  such  a  spot 
was  obtainable,  to  thoroughly  dry.  It  was 
then  put  into  blankets  and  folded  up,  using 
large  thorns  for  pinning  up  closely,  and 
taken  to  the  "carding  mill"  ran  by  water 
power. 

The  most  coonvenient  "carding  mill"  for 
the  pioneer  of  the  township  was  in  Thorn- 
creek  township  at  Beach  chapel.  The  wool 
was  formed  into  rolls  and  spun  into  yam 
on  the  "big  wheel"  and  woven  into  all  wool 
goods  or  with  cotton  chain  into  linsey,  which 
was  afterwards  taken  back  to  the  carding 
mill  and  "fulled,"  the  product  of  which  was 
called  "fulled  linsey."  Anxious  and  busy 
days  were  then  spent  by  the  family  in  antici- 
pation of  the  new  clothes  that  were  cut  out 
and  sewed  by  the  slow  process  of  the  needle 
and  thimble.  The  gray  stocking  yarn  made 
from  the  wool  off  the  old  black  ewe  was 
knit  into  stockings  by  the  light  of  tallow 
dip  or  old  iron  lamp  supplied  with  rag  wick 
and  fat. 

We  little  know  of  the  long  and  weary 
hours  our  mothers  spent  in  securing  com- 
forts for  their  children  while  they  lay  sleep- 
ing sweetly  in  their  trundle  bed. 

On  Sunday  mornings  in  well  regulated 
families  the  members  took  a  thorough  bath 
with  soft  soap  and  water,  after  which  they 
were  attired  in  their  cleanest  and  best  and 
started  to  Sunday  school  and  frequently  (as 
Uncle  Joe  Pence  tells  us)  with  the  motherly 
admonition  "to  not  get  your  feet  dirty." 
19 


Man_\'  amusing  incidents  happened  that 
ma}-  not  be  devoid  of  interest.  One  Joseph 
Fellows,  who  taught  the  first  term  of  school 
in  the  second  school  house  in  the  township, 
was  a  Sunday  school  teacher.  Ever}'  one 
had  a  sheepskin  in  lieu  of  a  saddle  for  horse- 
back riding.  Mr.  Fellows,  unfortunately, 
lost  his  sheepskin  for  several  months.  One 
day  Joseph  thought  he  saw  a  huge  snake 
coiled  up  in  a  clump  of  bushes  and  hurriedly 
procured  his  rifle  and  shot  at  it  several 
times,  but  his  snakeship  refused  to  budge  or 
exhibit  signs  of  distress.  Joseph's  father 
armed  himself  with  a  heavy  club  and  cau- 
tiously advanced  towards  the  snake  to  re- 
connoiter,  and  to  his  great  surprise  he  found 
the  object  to  be  his  long  lost  sheepskin  and 
exclaimed  with  delight,  "Joseph,-  it's  our 
sheepskin,"  which  from  exposure  to  rain 
and  sun  had  curled  up  into  a  firm  roll. 

For  many  months  Joseph  underwent 
jibes  and  jeers  of  the  neigfiborhood.  One 
Sunday,  while  instructing'  his  Sunday  school 
class  and  the  story  of  Joseph  being  clad  in 
various  colors  and  sold  in  bondage  was  un- 
der discussion,  he  asked  his  class  the  ques- 
tion, "What  did  Joseph  do?"  when  a  little 
fellow  rose  up  with  great  pride  and 
answered  '.'He  shot  his  father's  sheepskin." 
Joseph  Fellows  afterwards  became  a  doctor 
and  was  killed  in  Ohio. 

Although  the  pioneers  were  greatly  in- 
terested in  clearing  up  their  farms  and  the 
preservation  of  themselves  and  families, 
manv  of  them  were  not  negligent  in  their  re- 
ligious duties.  Samuel  Smith's  name  must 
be  transmitted  and  honored  as  the  first  to  or- 
ganize a  religious  congregation.  He  and 
a  few  other  early  settlers  met  at  Samuel 
Nickey's  cabin  and  organized  the  first 
church  in  the  township.     The  spiritual  wel- 


290 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


fare  of  the  organization  was  looked  after 
by  Samuel  Smith,  Otho  Gaudy  and  an  occa- 
sional itinerant  minister  until  1840.  The 
first  .meeting  house  in  the  township  and  also 
the  first  in  the  county  was  erected  at  Con- 
cord, it  being  a  log  building  which  served 
the  purpose  of  religious  meetings  until  about 
185 1  or  1852.  A  frame  building-  was  at 
this  time  erected  under  the  guidance  and  en- 
ergy of  David  F.  Striker. 

In  1S48  the  United  Brethren  erected  a 
church  house  on  the  southwest  corner  of 
Concord.  Both  of  the  houses  of  worship  at 
Concord  were  used  for  the  purpose  for 
which  the}-  were  built  for  many  years,  but 
they  were  finally  abandoned. 

Schoolhouses  becoming  more  numerous 
were  frequently  used  as  places  of  worship, 
at  which  many  exciting  religious  revivals 
were  held,  to  which  many  of  the  families  of 
early  settlers  are  indebted  for  the  good  qual- 
ities transmitted  to  their  posterity. 

The  women  of  those  days  were  not  im- 
bued with  the  eagerness  of  the  present  day 
to  exhibit  their  fine  and  costly  costumes. 
The  generation  to  use  the  plumes  of  the  os- 
trich and  skinned  birds,  costly  ribbons  and 
shirtwaists  with  wide,  flowing-  and  rustling- 
skirts  was  unborn. 

The  maiden  who  went  to  "meeting"  had 
abi  rut  sufficient  expansion  in  her  skirts  to 
enable  her  to  make  a  decent  step  in  walk- 
ing. The  ten  or  fifteen  yards  of  material 
for  a  skirt  of  the  present  day  was  unheard 
of  and  an  abomination.  The  young  man 
laid  by  his  sickle  or  ax  and  went  to  "meet- 
ing" clad  in  his  shirt  sleeves  and  "every  day 
The  worn  out  cow  hide  shoes 
were  zealously  preserved,  from  which  were 
made  buttons  which  his  mother  sewed  on  his 


trousers.  Saturday  was  the  busy  day  of  the 
g-ood  mother,  who  occupied  her  time  in  do- 
ing her  "Saturday's  work."  This  consisted 
of  baking  bread  and  pies  in  the  "out  oven," 
scrubbing  the  floors  with  sand  and  water, 
brightening  tinware  and  pewter  plates  with 
bulrushes  gathered  from  the  -nearby  stream, 
patching  and  darning  the  worn  and  thread- 
bare clothing  of  the  family.  The  clothing- 
store  or  the  boot  and  shoe  store  were  not 
established.  No  doubt  it  is  difficult  for  the 
present  generation  to  imagine  the  condition 
our  country  would  be  in  without  clothing 
stores  and  shoe  stores,  but  such  was  the  con- 
dition of  the  pioneers.  Here  the  reminis- 
cences of  Joseph  J.  Pence  will  illustrate  the 
life  of  pioneers  as  it  is  almost  a  counterpart 
of  every  settler.  It  is  given  below  in  his 
own  language. 

REMINISCENCES    BY   JOSEPH    J.    PENCE. 

"My  father  came  to  Whitley  county,  ar- 
riving November  18,  1836.  We  came  from 
Fayette  county,  Ohio.  He  had  bought  sec- 
tion 19  in  Smith  township  for  $1,200. 
There  were  ten  children,  of  which  I  was  the 
youngest,  being  five  years  old.  They  were 
Henry,  Abraham,  John,  Absalom,  Willis 
and  Joseph  J.  and  three  girls.  My  oldest 
sister  married  James  H.  Rousseau,  who  was 
on  the  first  jury  that  ever  sat  in  the  county. 
They  moved  west  and  are  both  dead.  Sister 
Elizabeth  married  John  Vanhouten  and  she 
lies  in  Concord  cemetery.  My  youngest  sis- 
ter. Catharine,  was  the  first  wife  of  Michael 
K.  Zorger. 

All  my  brothers  and  myself  had  farms 
in  section  19.  Four  of  my  brothers  and  one 
sister  lie  in  Blue  River  cemeterv. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


291 


The  only  settlers  in  Smith  township 
when  we  came  were  Francis  Tulley,  Richard 
Baughn,  Jesse  Long,  Samuel  Smith  and 
John  More.  More  came  a  few  months  he- 
fore  we  did.  He  was  out  hunting  near  Con- 
cord on  November  18,  1836,  and  came 
across  the  tracks  our  horses  had  made  and 
followed  the  tracks  to  see  what  new  settler 
had  come,  blazing  his  way  so  he  could  find 
his  way  back.  He  found  us  at  our  land  and 
said  our  horses  were  tied  to  bushes  and  our 
tent  up  and  habitation  established.  The 
snow  was  nine  inches  deep. 

Some  months  afterward  Jerry  Hart- 
sock's  uncle  came  to  our  hut  in  search  of 
flour;  said  he  had  hunted  two  days  without 
success.  \Ye  had  eighteen  pounds  and  could 
spare  none.  He  went  away  with  a  very 
heavy  heart  and  father  called  him  back  and 
divided  with  him. 

It  was  in  1838  that  Preacher  E.  Hold- 
stock  started  to  get  married  and  the  Indians 
stole  his  pony  and  he  had  to  go  afoot  or  miss 
getting  married.  He  went  on  foot  and 
stayed  over  night  at  Uncle  Nat  Gradeless'. 
Some  years  ago  he  was  stationed  in  Colum- 
bia City  as  Methodist  Episcopal  minister. 

The  year  after  we  came  we  had  several 
hog's  and  one  day  we  heard  a  great  noise  of 
dogs  and  hogs  about  eighty  rods  away. 
Father  and  a  couple  of  my  brothers  hurried 
there  and  found  the  Indians  had  already 
killed  one  of  our  hogs  and  one  Indian  was 
just  dragging  the  carcass  onto  his  pony 
when  father  shot  at  him  and  he  rode  hur- 
riedly away  with  a  great  yell.  They  all  get 
away  very  fast,  but  though  they  had  killed 
one  of  our  hogs  they  did  not  get  the  meat. 
Father  followed  them  nearly  to  their  village 
on  the  Silas  Brig'gs  farm  and  then  gave  up 


the  chase.  After  that  we  put  a  cowbell  on 
the  old  sow  so  we  could  tell  when  lost  or  in 
trouble. 

Father  gave  half  an  acre  of  land  for  a 
cemetery  and  Rousseau's  child  was  the  first 
burial  and  it  went  by  the  name  of  Rous- 
seau's graveyard.  My  brother  Absalom  is 
buried  there.  There  were  about  thirty  per- 
sons buried  there,  Benjamin  Harter  being 
the  last,  about  twenty  years  ago.  My 
nephew,  John  Pence,  the  butcher  in  Colum- 
bia City,  now  owns  the  land. 

In  those  early  days  in  the  summer  we 
cooked  on  a  fire  built  side  of  a  log  out- 
doors and  until  it  became  so  cold  we  could 
not  do  so,  then  by  a  fireplace  in  the  cabin 
built  of  sticks  and  clay  mortar.  We  had  a 
tub  made  by  a  neigLbor  out  of  oak  staves 
and  bound  by  hickory  hoops,  but  such  a 
thing  as  a  washboard  was  not  to  be  had 
till  brother  John  split  out  a  piece  of  slab  and 
with  his  knife  cut  irregular  grooves  in  it. 
I  often  helped  mother  wash.  She  would 
wash  the  garments  with  her  hands  in  the 
tub  and  I  would  then  take  them  and  facili- 
tate the  work  by  pounding  them  with  a  flat 
paddle  on  a  block.  One  day  I  got  tired  and 
turned  my  paddle  edgeways,  nearly  spoiling 
a  garment,  when  my  mother  proceeded  to 
use  the  paddle  on  me. 

Fortunate  was  the  family  who  had  an 
ox  team  to  go  to  meeting  when  there  was 
any  and  our  girls  would  cut  the  wool  from 
the  sheep  and  with  their  own  hands  put  it 
through  every  process  necessary  up  to  their 
clothing  and  I  think  they  were  better  looking 
than  1  he  girls  of  to-day. 

Our  clothes  lines  were  basswood  poles 
denuded  of  the  bark  or  ropes  made  of  bass- 
w 1  bark,  and  if  clothes  pins  were  used  at 


292 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


all  tbe_v  were  thorns  with  which  clothes  were 
pinned  to  the  pole  or  line.  Our  clothes  were 
all  made  by  hand  and  at  home,  from  fibre 
to  finish,  and  the  scraps  of  all  entirely  worn 
i  nit  boots  or  shoes  cut  into  buttons. 

Our  folks  managed  to  have  coffee  of  rye 
on  Sunday  mornings  and  later  we  had  it 
once  a  day.  All  other  hot  drinks  were  of 
spice  brush  or  sassafras,  the  latter  indis- 
pensable for  a  month  or  two  in  the  spring 
to  get  our  blood  in  order.  All  the  sugar  we 
had  was  made  from  maple  trees. 

One  day  father  and  myself  were  drop- 
ping corn  and  brother  and  two  sisters  were 
covering  it  and  the}'  sent  me  home  for  wa- 
ter and  the  sisters  wanted  something  good 
to  eat.  Mother  had  nothing  to  send  but  a 
piece  of  dry  corn  bread  about  four  inches 
square.  The  girls  were  not  pleased,  but  one 
of  them  said  philosophically:  "I  have  three 
articles  of  food — upper  crust,  lower  crust 
and  crumbs." 

Fort  Wayne  was  a  sort  of  market,  but 
food  was  scarce  there.  We  often  went  to 
the  Elkhart  Prairie  for  corn,  sometimes  pay- 
ing a  dollar  a  bushel  for  it.  Father  once 
drove  to  Michigan  City  for  supplies  and  was 
gone  a  long  time. 

The  first  mill  we  bail  was  Hall's,  in  No- 
ble county,  then  Richard  Baughn  built  one 
at  the  Barney  place.  I  often  went  there 
with  a  sack  of  corn  in  the  morning  on  a 
horse  and  waited  all  day  without  myself  or 
horse  having  anything  to  eat.  Once  in  the 
evening  I  was  lying  down  and  Baughn 
called:  "Get  up,  Joey,  the  last  grain  of 
your  corn  is  in  the  mill." 

I  In1  firsl  time  I  went  to  preaching  was 
to  reward  me  for  some  extra  labor  I  bad 
performed  the  week  before.     It  was  to  an 


old  log  school  house  in  Thorncreek  town- 
ship near  where  Charles  W.  Hivelv  now 
lives.  I  was  dressed  in  my  linen  pants  and 
shirt,  washed  clean  and  gallowses  properly 
sewed  in  place  and  my  feet  washed  good  and 
clean.  The  last  admonition  mother  gave  me 
was  to  be  careful  not  to  get  my  feet  dirty. 

At  this  same  school  house  at  a  night 
"meetin'  "  ten  boys  made  up  to  ask  ten  girls 
to  see  them  safe  home,  and  each  agreed  if 
he  got  the  shake  to  hollow  it  right  out.  The 
girls  found  out  what  was  going  on  and  fixed 
up  a  job  too.  The  boys  lined  up  in  front 
of  the  door  and  as  each  girl  went  out  the 
usual  question  was  propounded  and  in 
every  case  the  response  was  "No."  Every 
fellow  bawled  out.  "Got  the  mitten."  But 
when  the  girls  found  the  predicament  they 
were  in  thev  recanted,  livery  fellow  got  a 
girl,  but  perhaps  not  the  one  allotted  to  him 
in  the  deal. 

Mrs.  Lyman  Robinson  was  superintend- 
ent and  general  teacher  of  the  first  Sunday 
school  I  attended  at  Nathaniel  Gradeless' 
in  1841. 

The  first  itinerant  preacher  who  came  to 
the  neighborhood  was  Rev.  Samuel  Smith, 
father  of  William  Smith,  who  was  about  Co- 
lumbia till  a  few  vears  ago.  He  was  sent 
by  the  Methodist  Episcopal  conference  and 
preached  at  Uncle  Nat  Gradeless'  house.  He 
had  a  four  weeks'  circuit  and  preached 
every  day  or  night  at  a  different  place,  and 
I  heard  him  say  his  Monday  night  audiences 
were  generally  the  best.  He  preached  also 
at  South  Whitley  and  Summit  in  Richland 
township  in  this  county.  Then  came  a  man 
named  Flammens,  who  preached  several 
years. 

Uncle  Zack  Garrison  came  in  [836.     He 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


*93 


Avas  a  Methodist  Protestant,  and  was  a  good 
man  and  powerful  preacher  and  did  much 
good.  His  church  finally  played  out  and  he 
went  to  the  Church  of  God.  He  died  some 
twenty  years  ago  and  is  buried  at  the  Gar- 
rison  cemetery    near    Collins." 

In  1852  and  1853  religious  revivals  were 
in  progress  and  "camp  meetings"  were  held 
in  those  years  in  "God's  first  temples"  a  lit- 
tle north  of  Mrs.  D.  W.  Nickey's  residence. 
Otho  Gandy.  M.  Eaton  and.  Zachariah  Gar- 
rison and  others  were  the  local  leaders  in 
the  dissemination  of  religious  thought. 
These  meetings,  like  many  others  of  the 
kind,  were  the  scenes  of  many  affrays  and 
disorder.  Luther  Nott  and  Christ  Long  get- 
ting into  a  mixup,  Long  cut  Nott  with  a 
knife.  Abe  Pence,  acting  as  the  good  Samar- 
itan and  peacemaker,  bound  up  Nott's  wounds 
and  poured  on  him  the  oil  of  kindness  and 
induced  him  to  take  supper  with  him.  After 
supper  Pence  persuaded  Nott  to  join  with 
him  in  keeping  order,  which  he  did  to  the 
great  delight  of  everybody.  During  the 
meeting  that  evening"  a  drunken  man  came 
staggering  down  through  the  audience,  and 
being  unable  to  stop  tumbled  over  the  "bull 
pen."  as  it  was  then  called,  but  is  now  de- 
nominated as  the  "mourners'  bench"  or  al- 
tar. This  was  Nott's  first  opportunity  to 
show  his  ability  to  keep  order,  and  forth- 
with he  took  the  drunken  man  under  bis  pro- 
tection. However,  Nott  certainly  relaxed 
his  careful  watch  over  his  ward,  whose  name 
was  Ben  Madden,  the  Madden  who  was  aft- 
erward hanged  by  the  side  of  Keefer  in  Fort 
Wayne. 

About  the  year  1850  Jacob  Brumbaugh 
built  a  sawmill  run  by  water  power  and 
turned  out  a  exeat  deal  of  lumber  for  the 


neighbors  during  high  water  and  freshets, 
and  in  three  or  four  years  after  Alphus  B. 
Gaff  and  his  brother  George  built  the  sec  ind 
sawmill  in  the  township,  on  the  former's 
farm,  also  run  by  high  water  and  freshets. 
Both  mills  discontinued  business  about  1863 
or  1864. 

In  1855  Joseph  Brown  erected  a  steam 
sawmill  on  the  site  which  Val  Brown's  mill 
now  occupies  and  has  since  been  owned  by 
Thomas  H.  Hughes  and  Tom  Jones,  Doc- 
tor Gandy  and  T.  A.  Rhodes,  William  H. 
Hughes  and  Thomas  H.  Hughes,  S.  G. 
Clark,  Theodore  F.  Gilliland  and  Randolph 
&  Brown,  the  latter  of  whom  bought  out 
the  former  in  about  1884,  since  which  Valo- 
rous Brown  has  operated  the  mill  and  made 
a  large  fortune.  But  Mr.  Brown,  like  most 
other  men,  met  with  a  misfortune  in  the  to- 
tal destruction  of  his  mill  by  fire  on  the 
morning  of  June  16,  1906.  He  is  now  (Jan- 
uary, 1907)  building  a  large  mill  on  the  site 
of  the  old  one. 

Organization  of  Smith  township,  so 
named  in  honor  of  Samuel  Smith,  who  came 
in  1834.  originally  included  Union  and  Jef- 
ferson. Election  for  justice  of  the  peace 
on  the  first  day  of  November.  1837.  by  or- 
der of  the  Huntington  county  commission- 
ers. First  county  officers  elected  on  the  first 
Monday  of  April.  1838.  who  met  in  May  and 
organized.  In  1837  the  population  of  Smith 
township,  which  at  that  time  included  the 
territory  of  what  is  now  Union  and  Jeffer- 
son townships,  had  increased  so  much  that 
some  more  convenient  civil  and  judicial 
movement  became  a  necessity. 

The  county  commissioners  of  Hunting- 
ton county  authorized  an  election  for  justice 
of  the  peace  and  constable  on  the  first  day 


294 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


of  November,  1837.  Election  was  held  at 
J.  W.  More's  house,  which  is  now  known 
as  the  John  Jones  farm.  J.  \V.  More  was 
elected  justice  of  the  peace  and  Eli  McClure 
constable. 

John  W.  More  was  a  man  of  more  than 
ordinan-  muscular  strength  and  many  won- 
derful feats  are  told  of  him.  If  his  horse 
fell  through  a  bridge  or  in  a  bog  he  only 
had  to  take  him  by  the  tail  and  pull  him  out. 
He  was  also  a  man  of  honor  and  a  lover  of 
justice  and  peace  and  it  was  well  for  some  of 
his  neighbors  that  he  was  exceedingly  slow 
to  anger.  And  in  the  administration  of  his 
office  he  was  compelled  by  his  sense  of  jus- 
tice to  render  judgment  against  poor  pio- 
neers that  caused  his  heart  to  ache.  As  an 
instance  we  will  cite  one  case  in  which  he 
entered  upon  his  docket  the  following: 
"15th  of  January,  A.  D.  1840.  Execution 
issued  on  the  27th  to-wit :  The  plaintiff 
do  agree  that  execution  shall  be  stayed  for 
one  month  -from  this  date  by  the  defendant 
delivering  to  the  plaintiff  twenty  dollars' 
worth  of  property  which  the  defendant  doth 
agree  to  do,  and  delivered  to  the  plaintiff  the 
following  property,  to  wit :  One  side  saddle 
worth  $12:  three  quilts  and  one  coverlid 
worth  $8.00.  this  27th  day  of  January,  1840. 
February  29,  1840,  received  my  damages  on 
the   above  judgment.' Plaintiff." 

The  nth  day  of  March.  1840.  Justice 
Ali  11  ire  had  a  very  rushing  business,  as  we 
find  that  he  disposed  of  five  cases  similar  to 
the  following  except  names  of  parties,  which 
we  give  "verbatim  et  literatim,"  which  shows 
a  -cry  interesting  period  in  the  history  of 
Smith  township.  On  page  thirty  is  recorded 
as  follows:  "Be  it  remembered,  that  on  the 
ntli  day  of  March,  A.  D.   1840.  personally 


came  before  me  John  \Y.  More,  a  justice  of 
the  peace  in  and  for  the  county  of  Whitley, 
and  state  of  Indiana,  George  C.  Pence  and 
Jacob  Sine,  overseers  of  the  poor  for  Smith 
township,  and  made  application  for  a  sum- 
mons for  Benjamin  Jones  and  Winifred,  his 
wife,  to  show  cause  why  they  don't  comply 
with  an  act  concerning  free  negroes  and  mu- 
lattoes.  servants  and  slaves,  and  on  the  12th 
of  the  present  month  a  summons  is  issued 
directed  to  Eli  McClure,  constable,  return- 
able on  the  1 6th  of  March,  1840,  at  ten 
o'clock  a.  m.,  and  the  said  Eli  McClure  made 
return  thereof  on  the  12th  instant.,  served 
on  the  1 2th  of  March,  1840.  at  which  time, 
to  wit,  on  the  16th  of  the  present  month, 
came  the  parties,  and  the  cause  being  fully 
heard  it  is  adjudged  that  there  has  been  no 
cause  shown  why  Benjamin  Jones  and  Win- 
ifred, his  wife,  don't  comply  with  the  pro- 
visions of  an  act  concerning  free  negroes 
and  mulattoes,  servants  and  slaves.  And  on 
the  nth  day  of  April,  A.  D.  1840,  came 
Benjamin  Jones  and  made  application  for 
an  appeal  on  the  above  case,  which  was 
granted."  On  the  same  day  at  12  o'clock 
a.  m.,  "Wyatt  Jeffries  and  Eliza,  his  wife. 
Lucinda  Junes  at  2  p.  m.,  Brinton  Junes  at 
3  p.  m.  and  Claborn  Pompy  at  4  o'clock 
p.  m.,  were  required  by  the  overseers  of  the 
poor  to  show  cause  why  they  did  not  com- 
ply with  the  provisions  of  the  same  act. 

In  explanation  of  the  filing  of  the  above 
suits  it  may  be  well  to  say  that  the  legisla- 
ture passed  a  law  requiring  all  "free  ne- 
groes, mulattoes.  servants  and  slaves"  on  en- 
tering the  state  to  give  bond  for  five  hun- 
dred dollars  to  indemnify  the  state  against 
their  becoming  public  charges. 

On   the   22d   dav   of   March,    1S41.    the 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


295 


monotony  of  Justice  More's  court  was  in- 
terrupted by  the  filing  of  a  complaint  by 
James  Vaughn.  It  appears  that  a  couple  of 
men  in  passing  through  the  country  took 
lodging  with  Jacob  Sine  on  the  Goshen  road 
north  of  Churubusco,  and  in  payment  of 
which  one  of  them  proffered  a  five-dollar 
bill,  which  Sine  suspected  to  be  counterfeit. 
But  by  the  persistent  assertions  of  the  men 
the  bill  was  taken  and  the  two  companions 
went  on  their  way.  Sine  was  yet  unsatis- 
fied and  showed  the  bill  to  some  of  his  neigh- 
bors who  were  at  his  house,  among  whom 
was  James  Vaughn,  all  of  whom  pronounced 
the  bill  a  base  counterfeit.  Mr.  Vaughn 
went  to  Justice  More  and  filed  complaint  and 
a  posse  of  men  was  sent  on  to  keep  in  touch 
with  the  strangers,  who  had  left  the  main 
road  after  traveling  several  miles,  and  went 
into  camp  for  the  night.  With  as  much 
haste  as  possible  James  Vaughn  had  en- 
tered on  Justice  More's  docket  the  follow- 
ing: "State  of  Indiana,  Whitley  county, 
Set:  Before  me,  J.  W.  More,  a  justice  of 
the  peace  of  the  county  aforesaid,  this  day 
personally  came  James  Vaughn,  of  the 
county  aforesaid,  who,  being  by  me  duly 
sworn,  sayeth  that  on  the  22d  day  of  March, 
A.  D.  1 84 1,  at  the  county  aforesaid,  Alex- 
ander Smith  and  John  Adams,  late  of  said 
county,  did  on  the  22d  day  of  March,  1841. 
pass  spurious  money  to  the  amount  of  five 
dollars  in  one  bill  on  the  Ohio  Life  Insur- 
ance and  Trust  Company  purporting  the 
same  to  be  good,  and  further  deponent  say- 
eth  not.  James   Vaughn. 

"Subscribed  and  sworn  to  this  23d  day 
of  March,  1841,  before  me. 

"John  W.  More,  J.  P." 

On    the    same    day    a    warrant    issued 


against  the  said  Alexander  Smith  and  John 
Adams  on  the  aforesaid  charge  and  a  sub- 
poena for  one  witness  directed  to  L.  Nott, 
constable,  returnable  forthwith  and  after- 
wards, to  wit:  "On  the  same  day,  aforesaid 
warrant  was  returned  by  L.  Nott,  constable, 
executed,  and  the  bodies  of  the  said  Alex- 
ander Smith  and  John  Adams  brougfit  be- 
fore me,  who,  after  hearing  the  charge, 
pleads  not  guilty  to  the  charge.  After  hear- 
ing the  proofs  and  allegations  it  is  adjudged 
that  the  said  Alexander  Smith  is  guilty  of 
said  charge  and  be  recognized  in  the  sum 
of  two  hundred  dollars  to  appear  at  the  next 
circuit  court  for  the  county  of  Whitley  and 
answer  to  said  complaint  and  in  default  to 
recognize  to  be  committeed  to  jail  of  said 
county  to  be  dealt  with  according  to  law. 
And  that  the  said  John  Adams  is  not  guilty 
and  is  therefore  acquitted.  And  on  the  23d 
day  of  March.  1841,  a  mitimus  was  issued 
direct  to  L.  Nott,  constable,  March  the  27th, 
1841.  the  said  L.  Nott,  constable,  made  re- 
turn, T  have  taken  the  prisoner  to  the  jailor 
as  commanded.'  " 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  prisoner  was 
delivered  to  the  "jailor,"  there  being  no  jail 
in  the  county  at  that  time.  Rather  than  in- 
cur the  expense  of  transporting  the  prisoner 
to  Fort  Wavne  jail  he  was  allowed  his  lib- 
erty and  at  the  next  term  of  court  was  tried 
and  convicted  and  sentenced  for  two  years 
in  the  penitentiary. 

In  the  trial  of  this  case  John  Adams,  the 
pal  of  Smith,  let  his  anxiety  t>>  tree  his 
friend  overcome  his  better  judgment  and 
swore  that  the  bill  in  evidence  was  not  the 
bill  that  his  friend  Smith  had  passed.  The 
identification  of  the  bill  was  so  positive  that 
Adams  was  taken  from  the  witness  chair  and 


296 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


arrested  and  detained  until  the  grand  jury, 
which  was  in  session  in  an  adjoining  room, 
found  an  indictment  against  him  for  per- 
jury and  arraigned  before  court.  The  whole 
procedure  was  completed  in  less  than  one 
hour. 

The  prisoner  was  granted  a  change  of 
venue  to  Allen  county,  where  he  was  con- 
victed the  following  week  and  followed  his 
companion  in  crime  to  the  penitentiary  for 
two  years.  The  Smith  trial  was  the  first  of 
importance  in  Whitley  county  and  the  jury 
adjourned  to  a  big  black  walnut  stump  to 
deliberate  on  its  verdict.  Every  man  in  those 
days  was  more  or  less  a  hunter  of  wild  game 
and  the  barking  of  squirrels  and  the  gobble 
of  wild  turkeys  caused  the  bailiff  a  great 
deal  of  trouble  in  keeping  the  jury  together 
and  attentive  to  business.  The  jury  con- 
sisted of  George  C.  Pence,  John  L.  Hamil- 
ton, John  Buck.  John  Thompson,  Jesse 
Briggs,  Samuel  Andrews,  Joel  McPherson, 
Louis  Kinsey,  Robert  Gaff,  James  B.  Smock, 
George  Harter  and  Zebulon  Burch.  Justice 
More  terminates  his  official  career  thus : 

"June  14,  A.  D.  1843.  So  ends  the  time 
of  my  office.  J.  W.  More,  J.  P." 

In  the  year  1848  the  population  became 
quite  numerous  by  the  addition  of  new 
comers  and  the  establishment  of  a  postoffice 
began  to  be  agitated.  Huntington,  Fort 
\\  ayne,  Goshen  and  Elkhart  were  metropol- 
itan villages  of  the  country  where  mail  was 
received  and  distributed. 

The  name  of  the  new  postoffice  was 
seriously  discussed  by  (lie  neighbors  at 
Wl'ldon  Riche's  house  where  they  had  con- 
vened for  tlic  purpose  of  establishing  it. 
Manx  names  were  suggested  and  it  living 
about  the  time  of  the  Mexican  war.  the  bat- 


tle of  Churubusco  had  been  fought  and  won 
by  the  American  army  on  August  20,  1847. 

Miss  Eliza  Rich,  who  had  taught  school 
and  consequently  was  considered  authority, 
remarked  to  the  assembled  neighbors,  "Why 
not  call  it  Churubusco?"  So  it  was  unani- 
mously decided  to  christen  the  new  postoffice 
Churubusco  in  honor  of  the  achievements  of 
the  American  army  in  Mexico. 

Miss  Eliza  Rich  afterward  married 
Sampson  Jackson  and  resided  with  her  hus- 
band in  this  township  for  many  years. 
The}-  now  live  in  Fort  Wayne  with  their 
children.  The  first  postmaster,  Joseph 
Scott,  who  kept  a  store  on  what  is  known 
as  the  Jacob  Sine  farm,  who  built  a  brick 
house  near  the  site  on  which  the  postoffice 
and  store  house  stood.  This  was  the  second 
store  in  the  township,  J.  B.  Godfrey  having 
the  first  as  is  elsewhere  stated.  The  ox,  on 
account  of  the  two-toed  formation  of  his 
foot,  was  frequently  used  as  a  beast  of 
burden,  and  was  used  by  the  mail  carrier 
in  preference  to  the  horse  on  account  of  his 
ability  to  travel  through  deep  mud.  mire  and 
swollen   streams. 

This  was  certainly  very  slow  for  the  anx- 
ious lover  to  send  his  "billet-doux"  to  his 
sweetheart  in  the  east,  for  which  he  must  pay 
a  "fippenny-bit"  or  six  and  a   fourth  cents. 

Churubusco  postoffice  remained  where 
established  until  1853.  at  which  time  the 
Detroit,  Eel  River  &  Illinois  Railroad  was 
surveyed  and  on  which  a  great  deal  of  work 
was  done  during  [853  and  [854.  William 
Buchanan  Walker  about  this  time  laid  out 
the  town  of  Franklin  north  of  the  proposed 
railroad,  ami  David  Craig  laid  out  the  town 
of  I  ui.  m  on  the  south  side. 

On   account  of  the  prospect  of  the  two 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


297 


towns  becoming  the  emporium  of  the  coun- 
try, "William  B.  Walker,  a  Democrat,  was 
appointed  postmaster  under  the  administra- 
tion of  President  Pierce. 

The  new  postmaster  removed  the  post- 
office  and  all  of  Uncle  Sam's  paraphernalia 
in  a  red  bandana  handkerchief  into  his  log 
cabin,  the  only  house  in  town,  and  which 
stood  on  what  is  now  lot  No.  5,  Walker's 
first  addition  and  is  owned  by  W.  S.  Candy. 

Abraham  H.  Krider,  now  of  North  Man- 
chester, presided  over  the  destinies  of  the 
second  postoffice  in  Smith  township,  sur- 
prisingly, probably  to  the  present  generation, 
without  solicitation  on  his  part. 

Mr.  Krider  lived  on  the  east  bank  of 
Round  lake,  on  the  northeast  quarter  of 
section  7.  Thorncreek  postoffice,  frequently 
called  by  the  citizens  "Round  Lake"  post- 
office,  was  established  August  15,  1853,  with 
Samuel  Kinsev  as  postmaster,  who  came 
from  Ohio  and  soon  returned,  having  sold 
out  his  small  stock  of  goods  in  Bloomfield  to 
Samuel  Deck,  ( the  postoffice  going  with  the 
store)   on  January   16,    1854. 

On  July  loth  of  the  same  year,  Abra- 
ham Krider  and  others  were  cutting  wheat 
just  across  the  road  on  the  farm  now  owned 
by  McConnel.  He  heard  a  commotion  and 
calls  for  help.  When  they  arrived  at  the 
place  they  found  Mr.  Deck  laving  on  the 
floor  lifeless  in  his  store. 

He  was  hurried  in  Round  lake  ceme- 
tery. Warren  Mason,  who  was  postmaster 
at  Columbia  City,  took  possession  of  the 
postoffice  and  took  it  to  Mr.  Krider's  cabin, 
about  a  half  mile  south  of  Bloomfield.  The 
mail  was  carried  from  Columbia  City  b  > 
Albion  twice  a  week.  On  the  approach  of 
the  mail  carrier  he  would  proclaim  his  com- 


ing by  hollowing  at  the  top  of  his  voice, 
"Mail!"  "Mail!"  and  the  postmaster  would 
jump  from  the  log  on  which  he  was  chop- 
ping and  run  to  his  cabin  to  change  the  mail. 

It  being  unlawful  to  change  the  mail  in 
the  presence  of  others.  Postmaster  Krider 
was  compelled  to  hang  up  a  quilt  at  the  foot 
of  his  bed,  and  there  secure  from  the  scruti- 
nizing eves  of  his  wife  and  babies,  changed 
the  mail.  Krider  did  not  long  endure  the 
arduous  labor  of  postmaster.  He  sold  out 
to  Aaron  Hyre  in  August  and  no  one  want- 
ing the  honor  of  postmaster.  Mr.  Krider  took 
the  paraphernalia  and  mail  to  Churubusco 
postoffice. 

In  1871,  on  the  completion  of  the  Detroit. 
Eel  River  &  Illinois  Railroad,  the  town 
of  Collins  was  laid  out.  A  postoffice  was 
established  and  called  Collins,  in  honor  of 
James  Collins,  the  then  president  of  the  De- 
triot,   Eel  River  &  Illinois  Railroad 

This,  like  many  other  countries,  became 
the  resort  of  criminals  of  all  grades.  Noble 
county,  especially,  being  probably  more  in- 
fested with  horsethieves,  counterfeiters, 
highwaymen  and  thieves  than  any  other 
county.  To  such  an  extent  was  outlawery 
carried  on,  that  a  man  hailing'  from  Noble 
count)-,  was  suspicioned  and  shunned  from 
Maine  to  California,  and  from  the  lakes  to 
the  gulf.  Yet  Noble  county  was  not  more 
frequently  the  scene  of  the  depredations  oi 
blacklegs  than  other  counties.  Bui  from  its 
topographical  features  it  furnished  ideal 
hiding  places  in  her  heavy  timber,  marshes 
and  tamarack  swamps.  It  was  one  of  the 
headquarters  of  an  organized  hand  of  crimi- 
nals that  spread  over  adjacent  states.  in 
[856,  their  lawlessness  became  intolerable 
and  patience  ceased  to  be  a  virtue.     Organi- 


298 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


zations  of  regulators  were  made  with  the 
greatest  scrutiny,  lest  a  confederate  of  the 
blacklegs  would  be  admitted.  1857,  was  a 
serious  and  busy  year  for  Noble  and  adjoin- 
ing counties  in  organizing  and  working  out 
a  campaign  against  the  blacklegs. 

On  January  16,  1858,  a  demonstration 
was  made  in  Kendallville  by  the  Regulators 
of  the  surrounding  country.  The  next  day, 
January  17th.  active  hostility  began  by  the 
arrest  of  a  dozen  or  more  of  the  most  noto- 
rious blacklegs.  This  was  in  a  few  days 
followed  by  the  hanging  of  Gregory  Mc- 
Dougal,  a  tripple  murderer  and  an  all-round 
criminal,  on  Tuesday,  January  26,  1858,  at 
2  p.  m.,  on  the  banks  of  Diamond  lake,  near 
-Ligonier.  This  execution  broke  the  back- 
bone of  the  black-legery.  Smith  township 
was  represented  by  several  of  her  citizens  as 
Regulators,  but  unfortunately,  by  the  lapse 
of  time,  only  a  few  of  their  names  can  be 
mentioned.  Among  them  were  Sampson 
Jackson,  James  Jackson,  Western  Ackley, 
Nathan  Smith  and  Daniel  Geiger.  The 
writer  taught  school  in  the  winter  of  1856, 
near  Avilla,  and  in  1857  and  1858  in  Jef- 
ferson township,  Noble  county,  and  can  at- 
test that  it  was  safest  to  be  off  the  road  at 
night. 

In  approaching  the  matter  relating  to  the 
colored  population  of  Smith  township,  we 
find  man}-  perplexities  and  erroneous  views. 
It  has  been  the  general  opinion  that  those 
who  were  of  dark  skin  were  of  African 
blood,  and  in  funning  this  opinion,  physi- 
ognomy stature  and  actions  of  those  of  dark- 
skin  were  not  taken  into  consideration. 

To  such  an  extent  do  we  find  this  opinion 
that  in  give  all  parties  as  near  justice  as  pos- 
sible 11  is  necessary  to  separate  this  question 


into  two  divisions,  and  in  doing  so,  we  hope 
to  arrive  at  the  truth  as  nearly  as  can  be  at 
this  late  day. 

First.  The  original  pioneers  have  all 
died  and  but  few  of  their  children  are  left  in 
the  neighborhood.  Benjamin  Jones,  a  na- 
tive of  Greenville  county,  Virginia,  moved 
with  his  family  to  Greene  county,  Ohio,  in 
1825,  and  in  1835,  moved  to  Smith  town- 
ship. Benjamin  was  the  father  of  nine  chil- 
dren, of  whom  we  can  mention  Eliza  J. 
Brinton,  Peterson,  Curtis  B.,  James  and 
Hulda.  Wyatt  Jefferies,  a  native  of  Green- 
ville county,  Virginia,  came  to  Greene  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  where  she  married  Eliza  J.  Jones, 
daughter  of  Benjamin  Jones,  in  1835. 
Wyatt  Jeffries  was  of  Indian  and  French  ex- 
traction and  the  father  of  Augustus  W.  and 
Annie.  Clayborn  Pomp}',  the  uncle  of 
Fielding  and  Dawson  Pompy,  came  about 
the  same  time.  These  families  may  be  con- 
sidered the  original  stock  of  the  colored  pop- 
ulation. Their  zeal  for  religion  and  the 
elevation  of  themselves  was  manifested  in 
the  erection  of  a  small  frame  church  in  1861. 
and  the  establishment  of  a  very  neat  ceme- 
tery nearby.  The  church  was  dedicated  in 
December,  1865,  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Robinson, 
president  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Col- 
lege, of  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana. 

In  consequence  of  the  deaths  and  re- 
movals to  other  parts,  the  membership  be- 
came almost  annihilated,  and  religious  ser- 
vices and  Sunday-school  were  discontinued, 
the  house  abandoned  and  torn  down  many 
years  ago. 

Thev  were  industrious,  enterprising  and 
moral.  Some  accumulated  property  in  the 
form  of  real  estate  until  they  were  among 
the    largest    landowners    in    the    township. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


299 


They  were  imbued  with  a  moral  and  reli- 
gious spirit  that  prompted  them  to  be  good 
and  kind  neighbors. 

It  is  a  significant  fact  showing  the  won- 
derful mutations  of  time,  that  although  Ben- 
jamin Jones,  with  his  sons,  who  had  large 
families,  and  the  Pompys,  who  also  had 
large  families,  are  all  dead  or  left  the  town- 
ship, except  Mrs.  Peterson  Jones,  George 
Burdan  and  wife,  and  their  two  daughters, 
whose  African  blood  is  much  attenuated, 
and  three  grandsons  of  Wyatt  Jeffries. 
Mrs.  Peterson  Jones  (Eliza  Countee),  is 
seventy-six  years  old  and  was  born  in  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  and  was  married  in  Fort 
Wayne  fifty-five  years  ago  by  the  Rev. 
Ball,  a  Methodist  minister.  Peterson,  at 
that  time,  was  a  hostler  at  a  hotel,  and  after 
their  marriage,  they  moved  to  Smith  town- 
ship on  a  farm. 

Second.  Herbert  Jeffries,  a  native  of 
Greenville  county,  Virginia,  was  married  in 
North  Carolina,  to  Ridley  Pruitt,  a  French 
woman.  Herbert  was  of  French  and  Indian 
extraction  and  his  children  in  this  township, 
have  always  claimed  to  be  free  from  African 
blood,  which  their  stature  and  physiognomy 
does  not  belie.  Herbert  Jeffries  and  Ridley 
(Pruitt)  Jeffries  were  the  parents  of  Mar- 
tha, Mortimore,  David,  Marcus,  Nathan  and 
Amorilla,  all  of  whom  were  born  in  Green- 
ville county,  Virginia.  Amorilla,  the  young- 
est daughter,  being  two  years  old  when  they 
moved  from  Greenville  county,  Virginia,  in 
1832,  to  Green  county,  Ohio,  where  they 
remained  until  1843,  in  the  spring  of  which 
year  they  removed  to  this  township.  Being 
of  dark  complexion  and  settling-  in  this  town- 
ship as  neighbors  and  in  proximity  to  those 
who  were  of  African  extraction,  thev  were 


supposed  to  have  been  the  descendants  of 
Ham. 

To  such  an  extent  was  this  sentiment 
among  their  neighbors  that  the  right  of  suf- 
frage was  refused  them  until  i860,  when 
this  family  voted  for  Lincoln  against  the 
most  urgent  protests  and  demonstrations  of 
their  neighbors.  To  prevent  a  repetition 
of  their  again  exercising  the  right  of  suf- 
frage, the  citizens  of  the  township  elected 
Wells  Smith,  a  republican,  as  trustee,  who 
declared  that  if  elected,  he  would  prevent 
them  from  exercising  their  rights  by  refus- 
ing to  take  their  ballots. 

This  question  of  suffrage  in  connection 
with  the  strenuous  times  of  the  Civil  war, 
created  a  political  furor  among  all  parties. 
The  refusal  of  Mortimor  Jeffries'  ballot  by 
Trustee  Smith,  was  the  straw  that  broke 
the  camel's  back,  and  he  immediately  re- 
sorted to  the  intercession  of  the  courts.  The 
case,  on  change  of  venue,  was  taken  to 
Noble  county,  where  it  was  bitterly  fought 
by  the  best  legal  talent  obtainable,  but  Morti- 
mor lost  out. 

During-  the  trial  one  witness  assumed  to 
be  an  expert  in  distinguishing*  traces  of 
African  blood  by  a  critical  examination  of 
the  hair.  Mr.  Jeffries'  attorney  presented 
to  this  witness  a  lock  of  hair  clipped  from 
the  judge's  head,  which  the  witness,  after 
a  very  careful  examination  pronounced  to 
be  African  hair. 

Mr.  Jeffries  did  not  lie  down  supinely, 
but  being  more  determined  to  secure  his 
rights,  carried  his  case  to  the  supreme  court 
and  was  granted  suffrage  for  himself  and 
brothers,  which  they  afterward  exercised 
undisputed  under  the  scornful  eyes  of  some 
of     their     neighbors.     Mortimor      Teffries 


300 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


fought  his  legal  battle  for  the  rights  of  him- 
self and  brothers,  as  descendants  of  Indian 
and  French. 

Two  other  families  by  the  names  of 
Keen,  from  North  Carolina,  settled  in  the 
township  sometime  previous  to  1850,  who 
were  of  Indian  and  French  extraction,  a 
few  of  whose  descendants  are  now  living  in 
the  township.  In  industry,  progress  and 
education,  these  people  have  been  the  equal 
of  their  neighbors  and  as  for  morals  and 
religion,  have  held  equally  as  exalted  a  po- 
sition, having  many  obstacles  thrown  in 
their  path  in  school  privileges  until  Morti- 
more  Jeffries  and  his  brothers  achieved 
their  victory   in   the   supreme  court. 

In  early  days  the  water  used  for  drink- 
ing and  culinary  purposes  was  obtained  from 
dug  wells  of  various  depths.  The  country 
was  not  drained  and  shallow  wells  were 
quite  common.  They  were  generally  walled 
up  with  niggerheads,  sometimes  with  timber 
and  at  others  a  hollow  tree  was  upended 
into  the  well  and  served  for  a  wall. 

The  digging  of  these  wells  was  fre- 
quently attended  with  more  or  less  danger 
from  "damps,"  which  frequently  proved 
fatal.  A  fatal  occurrence  of  this  kind  hap- 
pened on  the  Wolf  farm,  where  now  lives 
Xai  Metsker.  Ebenzer  Maxwell,  in  about 
A.pril,  [842,  was  digging  a  well,  when  one 
morning  he  was  let  down  into  the  well  to  re- 
sume liis  work,  lie  did  not  reach  the  bottom 
until  he  gave  the  signal  tn  his  companions  to 
draw  him  up,  which  his  companions  did  with 
all  the  speed  they  could,  but  unfortunately, 
just  as  Mrs.  Wolf  (grandmother  Wolf)  was 
aboul  to  grasp  him  by  the  locks  of  his  hair 
to  pull  him  onl.  Maxwell  fell  out  of  the 
bucket   to  the  bottom  of  the  well   lifeless,   in 


full  view  of  his  co-workers.  His  body  was 
brought  to  the  surface  by  means  of  steel- 
yards. 

About  1865,  William  Coulter  brought  to 
this  township  full-blooded  Berkeshire  hogs 
and  sometime  after,  James  Jackson  secured 
Poland  China  and  Cheshire  and  the  im- 
provement of  swine  was  so  rapid  that  "elm 
peelers"  have  long  since  become  extinct. 

Mr.  Jackson  was  also  among  the  first 
to  introduce  the  Durham  cattle.  Scott  Van- 
meter  was  the  first  to  introduce  Polled 
Angus.  Through  the  efforts  of  Noah  Long 
and  Evan  Coulter,  the  imported  Percheron. 
Norman,  Clydesdale,  Belgean  and  Coach 
horses  have  been  introduced  for  man)'  years, 
so  that  the  surrounding  country  can  boast 
of  a   superior  grade  of  horses. 

As  an  agricultural  and  grazing  country. 
Smith  township  is  superior  to  many  and 
is  equalled  by  few. 

The  topographical  features  of  Smith 
township  may  be  briefly  described  as  hills. 
some  of  which  are  abrupt  and  interspersed 
with  fertile  prairies  especially  adapted  to  the 
culture  of  corn,  onions  and  potatoes.  These 
prairies  furnish  the  best  of  blue  grass  for 
grazing.  These  hills  and  prairies  are  prin- 
cipally confined  to  the  northern  tier  of  sec- 
tions. The  middle  and  southern  portion  is 
level  and  rolling,  furnishing  an  abundance 
of  fall  for  drainage,  systems  of  which  have 
been  inaugurated  all  over  the  township,  so 
that  many  acres  of  land  only  a  few  years 
ago  considered  worthless  are  now  in  a  prime 
condition  of  cultivation, 

Cereals  of  all  kinds  are  raised  abundant- 
ly and  to  perfection  in  Smith  township.  It 
is  also  pre-eminently  a  grazing  country.  A 
great   interest  in  the  graveling  of  roads  has 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


been  manifested  in  recent  years  and  must  of 
the  main  roads  in  the  middle  and  southern 
portion  are  well  graded  and  graveled,  so 
that  we  travel  over  the  old  "corduroy"  un- 
conscious of   its  presence. 

Blue  Lake,  a  beautiful  body  of  water 
about  one  mile  long  and  three  quarters 
of  a  mile  wide,  is  situated  in  the 
northern  part,  surrounded  on  the  north, 
east  and  south  sides  by  bluffs,  which 
make  ideal  sites  for  summer  cottages,  quite 
a  number  of  which  have  been  built  on  the 
east  end  by  Thomas  McGuire,  and  on  the 
south  side  many  others  erected  by  O.  Gandy. 
Mr.  Gandy  built  a  magnificent  cement  block 
residence  here  in  1906,  for  a  permanent 
abode.  Blue  lake  furnishes  a  pleasant  sum- 
mer resort  for  a  great  number  of  residents 
of  the  larger  towns.  Black  and  rock  bass, 
pike  and  perch,  blue  gills  and  sunfisb  fur- 
nish the  piscatorian  with  remunerative  re- 
wards. The  efforts  at  fish  culture  a  few- 
years  ago  is  being  rewarded  by  an  occasional 
catch  of  vvaleyed  pike. 

Although  Blue  lake  has  been  the  scene 
of  joy  and  pleasure  to  many  thousands,  it 
has  also  been  the  scene  of  the  saddest  hours 
of  man}-.  On  April  17.  1856,  Samuel  Mc- 
Clintock,  with  his  brothers  and  some  neigh- 
bor friends,  crossed  the  lake  on  their  way  to 
work  for  Pierce  Brothers.  After  crossing 
the  lake.  Samuel  and  Nathan  McGuire  be- 
gan a  scuffling  contest  in  which  Samuel's 
ankle  was  injured  so  that  he  returned  home 
accompanied  by  Nathan.  On  their  return 
trip  the  canoe  capsized  and  as  both  were  ex- 
pert swimmers,  each  one  felt  content  to  care 
for  himself.  Before  making  the  opposite 
shore  Nathan,  who  was  clinging  to  the  stern 
of  the  canoe,  heard  Samuel's  cry  for  help. 


On  looking,  Nathan  saw  Samuel  go  down 
and  never  to  rise  again.  Nathan  reached 
shore  overcome  with  grief  and  became  un- 
conscious until  the  next  day,  when  he  pointed 
out  the  exact  spot  where  his  friend's  body 
could  he  found,  which  was  hoi  iked  out  of  its 
watery  grave  by  Freeman  Ford.  Samuel 
AlcClintock  was  about  sixteen  years  of  age 
and  left  his  parents,  brothers  and  a  sister 
to  mourn  their  loss. 

In  April,  1893,  Blue  lake  was  the  scene 
of  another  sad  drowning,  in  which  J.  W. 
Powell,  a  popular  salesman  for  a  Toledo 
firm  but  living  at  Bryan,  Ohio,  lost  his  life 
and  ex-Auditor  Charles  E.  Lancaster,  was 
only  saved  from  a  watery  grave  by  the  most 
heroic  efforts  of  friends.  Air.  Powell  was 
standing  up  in  the  boat  and  fired  at  a  flock 
of  ducks  when  the  rebound  of  the  gun  threw 
him  out  and  capsized  it.  Being  loaded  down 
with  a  belt  of  loaded  shells  and  heavy  cloth- 
ing, he  was  rendered  unable  to  help  himself. 
He  sank  never  to  rise,  till  Robert  Dolin 
brought  him  to  the  surface  many  hours 
afterward,  during  a  terrific  gale  of  wind. 
Lancaster,  clung  to  the  capsized  boat  until 
his  last  desperate  effort  had  about  failed, 
when  he  was  rescued  just  in  the  "niche  of 
time." 

Again  in  the  summer  of  1898.  a  Mr. 
Koontz,  of  Fort  Wayne,  while  fishing  alone 
in  a  boat,  fell  overboard  and  was  drowned, 
ft  was  g-enerally  supposed  that  during  an 
attack  of  some  heart  trouble  he  suddenly 
lost  his  balance  ami  was  probably  dead  be- 
fore he   reached   the  bottom  of  the  lake. 

On  July  28,  1002,  a  pall  of  sorrow  over- 
spread the  country  around  about  as  the 
news  Ml"  one  of  the  most  popular  young  men 
1  if  the  neighborhood  bad  met  his  death  at 


302 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


the  bottom  of  Line  lake.  Patrick  Maloney, 
ever  joyful  and  sprightly,  but  an  inexpe- 
rienced boatman,  entered  a  leaking  boat  for 
the  purpose  of  fishing.  He  proceeded  but 
a  short  distance  when  he  found  his  boat  fast 
lilling  with  water  and  in  his  strenuous  ef- 
forts to  reach  shore,  he  rfell  overboard,  and 
being  encumbered  with  heavy  rubber  boots, 
he  arose  and  sank  the  third  time,  when  as- 
sistance was  almost  at  hand.  His  body  was 
recovered  after  persistent  seach  by  his 
friends  about  nine  o'clock  the  same  night 
by  his  uncle,  James  Maloney.  Patrick  Ma- 
loney was  twenty-eight  years  old,  the  son 
of  John  and  Mariah  (Hull)  Maloney,  and 
had  been  married  but  a  few  months  to  .Miss 
Maud  Nickey,  daughter  of  J.  W.  and  Mina 
Nickey. 

Louis  Turnbull,  a  n  experienced  saw-mill 
man.  was  operating  a  mill  near  Collins, 
when,  on  December  16,  1879,  the  explosion 
of  the  boiler  caused  the  most  horrible  and 
appalling  catastrophe  that  ever  happened  in 
the  history  of  Smith  townhsip.  Louis 
Turnbull,  the  proprietor,  and  his  two  sons. 
Robert  and  Wesley,  their  cousin  Lorenzo 
Turnbull,  and  Elzie  Gleen  were  the  victims. 
Their  bodies  were  torn  and  mutilated  beyond 
recognition,  except  by  the  remnants  of  their 
clothing.  Shreds  of  their  clothing  and 
bodies  were  found  hanging  upon  the  limbs 
of  trees  many  feet  distant  and  scattered 
broadcast  over  the  surrounding  debris. 
I  he  explosion  was  heard  for  many  miles 
and  when  the  near  neighbors  arrived  and 
beheld  the  horrible  and  ghastly  scene,  there 
were  bul  few  who  had  the  courage  to  render 
assistance  in  gathering  up  the  mangled 
arm-,  legs  and  bodies  of  the  unfortunate 
victims.     Small    shreds    of    mangled    flesh 


hung  dangling  from  almost  every  object  in 
the  immediate  vicinity,  which  were  carefully 
placed  in  baskets  for  burial.  What  re- 
mained of  the  bodies  was  neatly  wrapped  in 
sheets  and  decently  interred  in  Eel  River 
cemetery.  The  boiler  was  torn  to  pieces, 
some  of  which  were  thrown  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  distant,  which  attested  its  soundness. 
In  the  opinion  of  experts  the  boiler  was  dry 
and  the  escape  of  steam  prevented  by  the 
weight  of  a  heavy  scantling,  which  had  been 
frequently  used  for  that  purpose,  notwith- 
standing the  many  warnings  by  those  who 
frequently   visited   the   mill. 

The  schools  of  Smith  township  have 
always  hovered  around  the  apex  of  educa- 
tion under  the  efficient  management  of  F. 
P.  Loudy,  present  trustee,  E.  E.  Stites,  his 
predecessor  and  others  gone  before.  The 
corps  of  teachers  have  been  selected  with 
care  and  generally  from  home  talent. 
Among  the  more  recent  teachers  of  the  pub- 
lic school  may  be  mentioned,  P.  J.  Maloney, 
T.  B.  McGuire,  Zella  McLain,  Stella  Pence, 
Ollie  Pence,  Edith  Kent,  Fred  Metsker, 
Bulah  Tulley,  Ollie  Krider,  Bessie  Magers, 
Hale  Brubaker,  Ed  Beavers  and  others.  The 
present  corps  of  teachers  are:  No.  I,  Maud 
Griffith;  No.  J,  Ollie  Pence;  No.  3,  Hettie 
Zeigler;  No.  4,  Sadie  McLain;  No.  5.  Edith 
Lynch:  No.  6,  P.  J.  Maloney;  No.  7.  Zella 
McLain. 

COLLINS. 

In  the  two-story  brick  school  of  Collins 
is  taught  a  three-year  high  school  under  the 
following  corps  of  teachers:  A.  R.  Fleck, 
principal;  Tobe  J.  Krider.  intermediate: 
Stella  Pence,  primary. 

The  patriotism  of  Smith  township  cannot 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


303 


be  questioned  when  we  look  over  the  "Roll 
of  Honor"  and  see  the  names  of  those  who 
answered  the  call  of  their  country  during 
the  Civil  war,  in  which  may  be  mentioned 
the  fact,  the  population  of  the  township  dur- 
ing the  early  sixties  was  not  more  than  forty 
per  cent,  of  the  present  population. 

ROLL  OF    HONOR. 


Bose,  Philip. 
Brubaker,  William. 
Craig,  Alexander. 
Demony,  Albert. 
Geiger,  James  W. 
Geiger,  Jacob. 
Gaff,   George. 
Geiger,  Nathan. 
Hazen,  George. 
Krider,  George. 
Miller,  Daniel. 
McLain,    Samuel. 
McNear,  Josiah. 
Richey,  Henry. 
Rollins,  Zacariah. 
Pence,   Henry. 
Smith,  Joseph. 
Slagle,  Clayton. 
Slagle,  Aaron. 
Wauerh,  David. 


Birney,  William. 
Crabill,    Martin. 
Demony,  Albert. 
Geiger,  William  A. 
Geiger,  Edward. 
Garrison,  Levi. 
Gaudy,  O.  J. 
Hickman,  Joseph. 
Keller,  I.  N. 
Luthborrow,  John. 
McGuire,  Thomas. 
McMahan,  Peter. 
Rauche,  Edward. 
Richey,  Lemuel. 
Pence.   Anderson. 
Smith.  J.  W. 
Sumney,  William. 
Slagle,    Harvey. 
Wade,  O.  J. 
Waugh,  Joseph. 


Those    who    followed    the    flag    in    the 
Spanish  war  were : 

Baker.  Judson.  Dull.  Charles. 

Fullam  John.  Gilbert,  Willis. 

Jackson,  Lawrence.  (Iross,  Ray. 

Kronk,  Charles.  Knott,  Frank. 


Knott,  George.  Pence,  Elmer. 

Rapp,  John.  Rapp,  Fred. 

Russell,    Earl.  Squires,  Lloyd. 

Squires,  Morton.  Squires,   Horatius. 

KEEP   A    PULLIN'! 

"Ef  the  tide  is  runnin'  strong,  keep  a  pullin' ! 
Ef  the  wind  is  blowin'  wrong,  keep  a  pullin' ! 
'Tain't  no  use  to  cuss  and  swear — 
AYastes  your  breath  to  rip  and  tear — 
Ef  it  rains  or  ef  it's  fair,  keep  a  pullin'! 

"  'Though   it's  winter  or  it's  May,  keep  a 

pullin' ! 
Ef  you're  in  the  ring  to  stay,  keep  a  pullin' ! 
'Though  you  can't  see  e'en  a  ray 
Sun  is  bound  to  shine  some  day. 
Got  to  come  'fore  long  your  way.  keep  a 

pullin' ! 

"Fish  don't  bite  just  for  the  wishin',  keep  a 

pullin' ! 
Change  your  bait  and  keep  on  fishin',  keep 

a  pullin' ! 
Luck  ain't  nailed  to  any  spot. 
Men  you  envy  like  as  not 
Envy  you  your  job  and  lot !    Keep  a  pullin' ! 

"Can't  fetch  business  with  a  whine,  keep  a 

pullin' ! 
Grin  an'  swear  you're  feelin'  fine,  an'  keep 

a  pullin' ! 
Summin'  up,  my  brother,  you 
Hain't  got  no  other  thing  to  do : 
Simply  got  to  pull  her  through!     So  keep 

pullin'." 


504 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


CHURUBUSCO. 

In  [865  Churubusco  consisted  of  one 
store  building  owned  by  Joseph  Richards 
in  which  is  now  George  B.  Slagles'  meat 
market,  a  tavern  kept  by  W.  B.  Walker 
in  the  building  owned  by  Jacob  Keichler, 
used  as  a  grocery  and  bakery,  a  small  frame 
house  on  the  corner  where  the  Exchange 
Bank  now  stands,  an  old  shack  and  residence 
mi  the  southwest  comer  of  Main  and  Whit- 
ley streets,  an  old  frame  where  Geigers'  Tel- 
eph<  me  Exchange  is  located  and  a  frame 
building  adjacent  to  the  railroad  and  now 
occupied  by  Dr.  Bruce  Hart  as  residence 
and  office.  The  dilapidated  house  north 
of  the  electric  water  and  light  plant  was 
owned  and  occupied  by  Alfred  Jennings  and 
an  old  log  house  now  where  E.  E.  Gandy 
lives.  On  the  south  side  of  the  railroad,  the 
saw-mill  run  by  Thomas  H.  Hughes  and 
Thomas  Jones,  a  blacksmithshop  in  a  wood- 
house  on  the  lot  now  owned  by  Ed  Flane- 
gan.  Anos  Yocum  was  the  blacksmith  who 
afterwards  built  a  blacksmith  shop  and  resi- 
dence where  James  W.  Burwell  now  keeps 
hardware.  Grandmother  Wolf  lived  in  the 
house  now  owned  by  Joseph  N.  Richards 
and  a  small  house  north,  where  now  stands 
Ed  Flanegau's  residence,  was  occupied  by 
David  V.  Miller.  The  first  harness  shop  was 
opened  in  this  house  by  Alfred  Hosack,  who 
made  his  first  set  of  harness  for  Dr.  F.  M. 
Magers  in  1872.  Hughs  and  Jones  did  an 
extensive-  custom  sawing-  for  the  surround- 
ing country  and  hauled  the  product  of  their 
mill  to  Fort  Wayne,  where  it  was  difficult 
to  dispose  of  the  hest  of  it  at  ten  dollars  per 
thousand. 

Churubusco  remained  in  statu  quo  as  far 


as  business  and  enterprise  was  concerned  un- 
til about  1870.  The  grist  mill  now  owned 
by  Jacob  and  Michael  Keichler  (now  leased 
by  VV.  A.  Geiger  and  John  Deck),  was  built. 
A  brief  history  of  its  building  may  be  of  in- 
terest. About  1869  the  grist  mill  at  Heller's 
Corners  burned  down  and  was  a  total  loss. 
Jacob  Hose  and  Alexander  Hall  came  to  ask 
what  inducements  Mr.  Heller  would  offer 
them  to  rebuild  the  mill.  They  also  came 
to  Churubusco  to  investigate  the  prospect  of 
erecting-  a  mill.  The}'  asked  one  and  one- 
half  acres  of  land,  all  the  framing  timber 
and  stone  for  the  foundation.  Through  the 
energy  and  enterprise  of  James  M.  Harri- 
son, ex-mayor  of  Columbia  City,  who  was 
then  clerking  for  his  father-in-law.  Joseph 
Richards,  subscription  papers  were  circu- 
lated by  Samuel  Jackson  and  Alex  Craig, 
and  in  a  few  days  more  was  subscribed 
than  asked  for.  John  Deck  donated  one  acre 
of  land  and  James  M.  Harrison  held  himself 
as  security  to  Deck  in  the  sum  of  fifty  dol- 
lars for  the  half  acre,  which  afterwards  was 
paid  by  subscription. 

Dr.  James  McDuffy  donated  seventeen 
large  oak  trees  for  the  heavy  frame  and 
others  delivered  stone  for  the  foundation. 
Hose  and  Hall  contracted  with  J.  W.  lludsel 
for  the  construction  of  the  building.  Mr. 
Hudsel  worked  for  several  weeks  without 
pay  except  what  Mr.  Harrison  paid  from 
his  private  purse.  Finally  about  seven  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars  was  paid,  but  the 
project  became  more  visionary  and  un- 
certain. 

At  this. juncture  John  Deck  was  induced 
to  buy  out  Hall,  who.  with  Hose,  completed 
the  mill,  the  first  wheel  of  which  was  turned 
by  Joseph   Kichler,   Sr..  who  was   installed 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


as  the  first  miller.  David  Shillings  and  Wil- 
liam Waterson  afterwards  purchased  the 
property  and  sold  out  to  the  present  proprie- 
tors, Kichler  Bros. 

In  1 87 1  the  construction  of  the  old  De- 
troit. Eel  River  &  Illinois  Railroad  was  re- 
sumed and  completed  and  the  first  through 
train  was  run  in  October  of  the  same  year 
and  Churubusco  became  a  booming  town. 
Laborers  and  tradesmen  of  all  kinds  flocked 
in  faster  than  houses  could  be  built  for  their 
accommodation,  and  in  a  few  years  became 
the  second  town  in  population  in  the  count)-. 
It  soon  became  one  of  the  best  trading  points 
on  the  new  railroad,  and  still  maintains  that 
position. 

Among  those  who  took  an  active  interest 
in  the  upbuilding  of  the  town  may  be  men- 
tioned John  Deck,  Western  Ackley,  F.  M. 
Magers,  James  M.  Harrison,  H.  C.  Press- 
ler,  J.  E.  Criswell  and  W.  B.  Wralker,  etc.  The 
merchants  of  the  town  were  Harvey  McCul- 
lough  and  Joseph  Richards.  F.  M.  Magers 
built  the  store  room  now  occupied  by  J.  H. 
Grisamer,  and  with  William  Ross  opened  up 
a  dry  goods,  grocery,  clothing",  boots,  shoes 
and  drug's  store  about  the  time  the  railroad 
was  completed.  Business  houses  were  in 
great  demand  and  business  and  professional 
men  came  in  so  that  in  a  short  time  it  be- 
came unnecessary  to  drive  fifteen  miles  to 
Fort  Wayne  when  you  wanted  a  piece  of 
hoop  iron,  a  suit  of  clothes  or  a  fine  silk 
dress.  Ed  Geiger,  presait  county  commis- 
sioner, could  cut  your  hair  and  scrape  your 
face  with  a  razor. 

Among  the  substantial  brick  buildings 
which  have  taken  the  place  of  frames  and  the 
date  of  their  erection  may  be  mentioned : 
Keller  &  Kahn,  a  two-story  brick,  now  oc- 


cupied by  L.  Isay,  in  1881 ;  T.  A.  Rhodes, 
two-story  brick,  now  occupied  by  Arthur 
Bros.,  in  1888;  M.  Kocher,  1892,  occupied 
by  the  owner;  Ida  Forsyth,  now  occupied  by 
Stamets  &  Frazier,  in  1895;  Exchange 
Bank,  by  (  >.  Gaudy,  in  1898;  Smith  Bros., 
in  1899.  now  occupied  by  J.  W.  Smith;  Ort 
Bros.,  a  two-room  store,  now  occupied  by 
the  proprietors;  S.  Emerick,  now  occupied 
by  the  owner,  in  1903  ;  the  Truth  building, 
in  1903,  now  occupied  by  the  Geiger  Tele- 
phone Exchange  ;  Truth  Printing  Office  and 
Dan  Lung  on  first  floor  for  saloon,  restau- 
rant and  pool  room.  Besides  the  above, 
Churubusco  merchants  have  large  stocks  of 
goods  in  frame  buildings.  Churubusco, 
"Busco,"  "The  Blessed  City,"  has  become 
the  best  stock  market  on  the  Vandalia  Rail- 
road, which  is  carried  on  by  Emerick  & 
Madden  and  George  B.  Slagle  and  son 
Charles. 

The  sawmill  owned  by  Dr.  Gandy  and 
T.  A.  Rhodes  was  rushed  in  filling  orders 
for  the  railroad  and  building  material  for 
houses.  Land  was  platted  into  lots  by  Wil- 
liam B.  Walker,  John  Deck,  Western  Ack- 
ley, F.  M.  Magers  and  others.  Through  the 
lepresentation  of  railroad  officials  the  citi- 
zens purchased  about  four  acres  of  land  and 
presented  it  to  them  in  anticipation  that  the 
town  would  be  the  location  of  the  railroad 
shops. 

But  oh!  how  vague  and  dim  were  their 
ideas  of  railroad  manipulations.  In  place 
of  the  railroad  shops  they  built  a  grain  ele- 
vator and  stock  yards.  From  inability  to 
procure  brick  the  business  In  fuses  as  well  as 
residences  were  frame  structures.  The  first 
brick  house  was  built  by  Dr.  F.  M.  Magers 
of  brick  of  his  own  make  in  1874.  the  Meth- 


3°6 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


odist   Episcopal  brick  church   was  built   in 
1875  under  the  pastorate  of  I.  H.  Tobey. 

The  same  year  (1875)  under  the  trustee- 
ship of  George  Gaff  the  brick  school  house 
was  built.  For  some  years  previous  to  this 
the  old  school  house  in  the  south  end  in 
which  James  E.  Witham  resides  became  too 
small  for  the  increasing  population  and 
schools  were  taught  in  different  rooms 
wherever  procurable.  William  Knisely 
taught  in  the  room  over  Ed  Geiger's  store, 
also  in  the  room  over  S.  F.  Barr's  furni- 
ture store,  which  was  built  on  lot  No.  6, 
Walker's  first  addition,  at  which  time  the 
Corean  millionaire,  L.  S.  J.  Hunt,  was  a 
young  man  under  the  tutelage  of  A.  J.  Doug- 
las. County  Superintendent.  W.  S.  Gaudy 
and  George  W.  Maxwell  taught  in  the  old 
schoolhouse.  Afterwards,  W.  S.  Gandy 
taught  a  term  or  two  in  "Ammonia  Hall,"  as 
it  was  called  from  the  fact  that  a  livery  sta- 
ble was  kept  below  and  profusely  evolved 
the  fumes  of  ammonia.  From  the  fact  that 
there  were  different  schools  and  as  many 
teachers  and  their  adherents  a  great  deal  of 
controversy  and  jangling  was  indulged  in. 
On  the  completion  of  the  new  school  house 
with  four  rooms  a  systematic  grading  was 
organized.  The  new  school  house,  quite 
plain  on  its  exterior  and  devoid  of  any  at- 
tempt at  modern  architecture,  answered  its 
purpose  but  for  a  few  years,  when  remodel- 
ing of  its  interior  became  necessary  to  ac- 
commodate the  increasing  attendance. 
Finally  it  became  necessary  to  erect  the  two- 
n  m  im  frame  building  located  upon  the  same 
lot,  Churubusco's  schools  have  flourished 
under  the  superintendeucy  of  J,  B.  Hum- 
phry from  [883  to  [889;  W.  W.  Williamson 
in  1889  and  1800:  A.  R.  Thomas.  1890-OT  ; 


Paul  Wilkie,  1891-94;  L.  F.  Chalfant,  1894- 
95;  George  H.  Mingle,  1895  to  1899;  D. 
Hayden  Richards,  1899  to  1900;  Claud 
Belts,  1900-1904;  L.  L.  Hall,  1904-05;  and 
Joe  Colburn,  1906-07.  Under  Claud  Belts 
it  became  a  commissioned  four-year  high 
school  in  1902.  It  is  attended  now  by  com- 
mon school  graduates  of  all  the  surrounding 
townships. 

The  disciples  of  Esculapius  and  Hypoc- 
rates  who  have  at  various  times  located  here 
are  Drs.  Magers.  Kelly,  Spratt.  Criswell, 
Bimey.  Modriker,  Keller,  Aldrich,  Kester, 
Squires,  Morrison,  Briggs  and  Hart,  of 
whom  Drs.  Magers,  Criswell.  Morrison, 
Briggs  and  Hart  are  at  this  date  looking 
after  the  sick.  Among  the  followers  of 
Blackstone  are  Ed  A.  Mossman,  Frank  A. 
Brink,  W.  S.  Gandy,  J.  W.  Omdorf  and 
George  W.  Keichler,  and  Ed  C.  Downey, 
Ed.  C.  Benward.  notary  public,  real  estate 
and  insurance  agent.  Those  who  have  rep- 
resented the  profession  of  dentistry  are  F.  F. 
Cook,  L.  D.  Palmer  and  George  and  Sam- 
uel Keiser,  of  Bryan,  Ohio,  who  visited  one 
week  in  each  month  for  about  eighteen  years 
when,  in  1895,  F.  B.  Weaver  became  a  per- 
manent resident  and  dentist  now  doing  busi- 
ness over  L.  Isay's  store. 

Churubusco,  like  other  booming  towns, 
gave  the  aspiring  printer  his  opportunity, 
and  in  1876  William  E.  Gross  established 
the  "Churubusco  News,"  which  eventually 
passed  into  the  hands  of  Chase  Milice.  who 
changed  the  name  to  the  "Herald."  which 
almost  died  "a-bornin'."  but  was  revivified 
by  Daniel  M.  Eveland,  whose  political  pro- 
clivities overcame  his  business  judgment  and 
issued  a  "red  hot"  Republican  paper  and 
made  some  very  bitter  criticisms  of  his  Dem- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


307 


ocratic  patrons  and  their  "grindstone  con- 
ventions." Major  J.  R.  Harrison,  who  was 
just  out  of  his  short  pants,  while  entertain- 
ing' Mr.  Eveland's  daughter  Lizzie  in  the 
printing  office,  came  into  possession  of  cir- 
culars containing  very  serious  strictures  of 
some  Democrats  which  we  doubt  the  major 
ever  returned.  In  consequence  of  the  with- 
drawal of  many  Democratic  patrons,  Mr. 
Eveland  withdrew  from  the  field  of  journal- 
ism in  Churubusco.  Colonel  I.  B.  McDon- 
ald purchased  the  plant  and  installed  Wil- 
liam Haw  and  son  as  editors  and  publishers, 
under  whose  management  the  paper  became 
as  rabid  a  Democratic  paper  as  it  had  been 
Republican.  Haw  &  Son  controlled  the 
paper  for  a  short  time,  when  it  passed  into 
the  hands  of  Charles  and  F.  M.  Hollis, 
whose  careers  as  newspaper  men  were  of 
short  duration,  and  Colonel  I.  B.  McDon- 
ald removed  the  plant  to  Columbia  City. 

Charles  L.  Kinsey  and  Lizzie  Eveland  es- 
tablished the  euphoneous  "Sunbeam"  in  1878 
and  about  the  same  time  the  "White  Ele- 
phant," the  protege  of  Anos  Yocum,  the 
postmaster,  made  its  debut,  both  of  which, 
like  their  proprietors,  have  "folded  their 
tents"  and  left. 

It  remained  for  V.  A.  Geiger  to  make  a 
success  of  the  newspaper  in  Churubusco. 
He  purchased  the  "Sunbeam"  plant,  which 
bad  been  chang'ed  to  the  "Sunday  People," 
and  transformed  it  into  the  "Truth,"  which 
at  this  date  is  one  of  the  most  readable  local 
independent  papers  of  the  surrounding 
country.  "Virg,"  as  he  is  called  by  friends, 
assumed  control  of  the  "Truth"  during  his 
boyhood  days  and  has  grown  to  manhood 
in  its  sendee.  From  the  proceeds  of  his  lit- 
tle printing  plant  he  has  established  a  com- 


plete cylinder  printing  machine  run  by  a 
gasoline  engine,  with  all  the  paraphernalia 
belonging  to  a  first-class  printing  office,  all 
housed  in  a  two-story  brick  building  of  his 
own.  V.  A.  Geiger  and  his  father,  William 
A.  Geiger,  in  August,  1902,  established  a 
telephone  exchange  with  thirty  patrons, 
which  has  at  this  time  increased  to  six  hun- 
dred and  fifty,  with  toll  lines  at  Albion,  Gar- 
rett and  Fort  Wayne,  and  whose  lines  can  be 
used  to  all  parts  of  Ohio,  Indiana.  Illinois 
and  Michigan. 

About  the  year  188S,  William  A.  All- 
man,  of  Sturgis,  Michigan,  a  deaf  mute  but 
wealthy  and  of  good  business  qualities,  es- 
tablished the  first  bank  in  a  little  frame 
building"  where  now  stands  Emerick  &  Mad- 
den^ meat  market,  "The  Bank  of  Churu- 
busco." with  a  capital  of  $10,000.  Unfortu- 
nately by  the  loss  of  the  health  of  Thomas 
Beals.  the  cashier,  by  exposure  at  a  fire  the 
affairs  of  the  concern  were  amicably  settled 
and  the  bank  closed. 

Soon  after,  about  1889,  C.  K.  Hollings- 
worth  established  the  "Citizens'  Bank"  in  the 
came  building  with  John  Starbuck  as  cash- 
ier, which  by  the  retirement  of  Hollings- 
worth  and  Starbuck  was  resumed  under  the 
same  name  by  an  organized  stock  company, 
composed  of  leading  citizens  and  fanners, 
by  John  \\".  Paris  with  William  [Miller  as 
president  and  M.  L.  Campbell  cashier.  This 
being"  one  of  the  links  of  the  Zimri  Dwiggins 
chain  of  banks,  established  in  Indiana,  Ohio 
and  Michigan,  closed  its  doors  the  last  day 
of  May,  1893. 

On  September  11,  1893,  Oscar  Gandy 
established  the  "Exchange  Bank"  under  the 
firm  name  of  O.  Gandy  &  Co..  with  a  capital 
of  Si 0.000.     The  Exchnage  Bank  has   al- 


3o8 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ways  done  a  prosperous  business  and  is  con- 
sidered one  of  our  most  substantia]  financial 

affairs  ami  has  increased  its  capital  to  $25,- 
000.  The  present  officers  and  employes  are 
(  I.  Gandy,  president:  E.  E.  Gandy,  cashier; 
John  A.  Pressler,  assistant  cashier;  Ursula 
Magers,  bookkeeper;  Minnie  Anderson, 
stenographer,  and  George  Gump,  janitor. 

In  1872  John  Deck,  to  supply  the  in- 
creasing demand  of  the  traveling  public, 
built  the  hotel  near  the  depot,  which  he  sold 
to  Alexander  M.  Long',  who  for  some  years 
operated  it  and  sold  out  to  Thomas  Lari- 
more,  who  some  years  after  sold  to  George 
W.  Stites,  the  present  landlord. 

Among  those  who  acted  as  landlords 
during-  the  interim  between  Long  and  Lari- 
more  may  be  mentioned  William  Waterson, 
John  W.  Hutsel,  Jr..  Joseph  Parks,  I.  N. 
Keller,  Fred  S.  Shoof  and  John  Girdinck, 
and  Thomas  Larimore.  who  sold  out  to  the 
present  proprietor,  George  W.  Stites.  This 
hotel  has  been  operated  by  Air.  Stites  or 
some  of  his  children  since  188.2.  A  Mr. 
Smedlev,  a  traveling  man  from  Fort  Wayne, 
was  found  dead  in  his  room  one  morning 
with  a  bullet  in  his  bead  and  a  revolver 
clased  in  one  hand.  By  misrepresentations 
the  hotel  became  a  little  unpopular  among 
the  traveling  public  for  a  year  or  two. 

Patrick  Fullam  has  the  honor  of  being 
a  boarder  at  this  house  for  the  longest  time. 
Patrick  has  made  this  his  home  since  1881. 
and  has  paid  money  enough  for  board  to  pay 
for  the  whole  establishment.  I  lis  sojourn 
at  thi-.  hotel  has  been  about  twenty-six  years. 

In  18X2,  it  becoming-  necessary  for  the 
better  preservation  of  order,  uniform  im- 
provement and  for  the  betterment  of  the 
sell.  mis.  the  incorporation  of  the  town  was 
agitated  by  her  citizens. 


On  June  20th  and  21st  a  survey  was 
made  by  C.  P.  Tulley  of  the  territory  and 
contained  "one  hundred  and  eighty-six 
acres,  three  roods  and  twelve  rods  of  land." 
A  census  of  the  population  of  the  territory 
was  taken  by  Josiah  F.  McNear,  F.  M.  Ma- 
gers and  J.  W.  Orndorf  and  showed  786 
persons. 

A  petition  to  the  county  commissioners 
was  presented  September  9.  1882,  by  F.  M. 
Magers,  J.  W.  Orndorf,  George  W.  Max- 
well, J.  F.  Shoaff  et  alias  for  an  election  to 
decide  the  question  of  incorporation,  which 
was  granted,  and  said  election  was  held  on 
October  7.  1882,  at  the  office  of  J.  W.  Orn- 
dorf. J.  I1..  with  Charles  W.  Walkley.  in- 
spector; V.  P.  Loudy  and  De  Lavern 
Young,  clerks.  There  were  160  votes  cast, 
of  which  106  were  "yes"  and  54  "no." 

On  the  1 2th  of  January.  1883,  the  first 
election  for  officers  was  held  and  resulted  in 
the  election  of  John  Deck,  Lemual  Richey 
and  George  W.  Maxwell  as  trustees;  J.  W. 
Brand,  clerk;  William  C.  Smith,  marshal, 
and  W.  A.  Geiger,  treasurer.  On  January 
24.  1883,  the  town  board  at  an  adjourned 
meeting  elected  the  first  school  board  con- 
sisting of  John  L.  Isherwood,  John  F.  Cris- 
well  and  Jacob  Keichler.  The  town  and 
schools  were  carefully  looked  after  by  the 
two  boards  and  on  May  7.  1883.  in  accord- 
ance with  the  provisions  of  an  act  concern- 
ing incorporated  towns  an  election  was  held 
at  the  office  of  W.  S.  Candy  and  resulted  in 
the  election  of  W.  A.  Geiger,  hirst  ward; 
Lemual  Richey,  Seeond  ward;  George  W. 
Maxwell  Third  ward;  F.  M.  Magers,  clerk 
and  treasurer;  Charles  Erickson,  marshal. 
Political  strife  did  not  enter  this  election 
and  the  results  were  a  mixture  of  Demo- 
crats and  Republicans.    On  the  4th  of  Feb- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


3°9 


urary,  1886,  a  contract  was  entered  into  by 
George  W.  Orndorf,  George  Richards  and 
Edward  E.  Cutter  as  trustees  with  Charles 
Byers  for  the  construction  of  a  town  hall 
for  $820,  to  be  completed  on  the  1st  day  of 
June,  1886.  On  November  29.  1886,  an 
engine  and  hose  cart  were  purchased  of 
Rumsey  &  Co.,  of  Seneca  Ealls.  New  York, 
for  the  better  protection  against  fire,  for  the 
sum  of  $967.     The   1st  day  of  December. 


cent  of  the  people  were  in  opposition  to  the 
movement. 

The  vote  of  the  board  on  the  proposition 
is  recorded  as  J.  H.  Grisamer  and  T.  Ray 
Morrison  in  favor,  and  to  the  honor  of 
Alex.  B.  Craig  be  it  said,  he  voted  in  oppo- 
sition. It  was  not  long  until  the  proverbial 
"elephant"  was  on  hand  seeking  funds 
wherewith  to  be  fed.  Troubles  mountain 
high  came  swiftly,  litigations  numerous  and 


1886,  an  exciting  election  was  held  upon  the      expensive  with   C.   B.    Magers  as   receiver. 


question  of  stock  running  at  large,  resulting 
in  102  voters  who  thought  they  could  live 
without  milk  and  29  voters  were  sure  they 
would  starve  if  the  cows  could  not  run  at 
large.  The  first  fire  company  was  organ- 
ized on  March  31.  1887,  by  the  passage  by 
the  town  board  of  ordinance  39  and  after- 
wards Frank  P.  Loudy  was  chosen  first 
chief,  who  has  served  continuously  since. 

In  Jul}'  and  August,  1892,  Main  street 
was  graveled  and  has  proved  to  be  the 
greatest  improvement  Churubusco  has  made, 
the  contract  being"  let  to  O.  Gandy  and  the 
gravel  procured  on  the  farm  of  George  VV. 
Ott. 

In  1898  a  majority  of  the  board  of  trus- 
tees of  Churubusco  decided  that  the  town 
required  more  metropolitan  utilities  and  to 
that  end  passed  an  ordinance  and  entered  a 
contract  for  the  establishment  of  an  electric 
light  and  water  plant  at  a  cost  of  over 
$20,000. 

The  high  handed  manner  and  pugnacity 
with  which  the  majority  of  the  board  en- 
tered upon  this  unpopular  movement  pre- 
vented even  a  referendum  and  called  out 
from  the  public  the  most  bitter  criticism  and 
condemnations.      At    least    ninety-five    per 


who  by  order  of  United  States  court  sold  it 
to  Josie  Kingdon  for  about  $5,000,  who  is 
now  operating  the  plant. 

Churubusco  is  now  (in  the  beginning  of 
1907)  living  in  the  proud  expectation  of  an 
interurban  railroad  from  Fort  Wayne  to 
South  Bend.  The  route  has  been  surveyed 
and  resurveyed  with  a  subsidy  of  $10,000 
voted,  and  the  prospect  for  its  completion 
among  the  laity  is  good.  The  grain  market 
of  the  town  compares  most  favorably  with 
any  town  of  its  size  in  northern  Indiana. 
The  surrounding  country  also  compares  well 
with  the  best.  The  inhabitants  are  indus- 
trious and  prosperous.  Many  are  religious 
and  moral  and  some  are  "virtuous  and 
happy." 

In  the  summer  of  1892  the  body  of  Wil- 
liam Flicks,  an  old  soldier  who  had  recently 
received  his  pension,  was  found  lying  in  an 
old  lumber  shed  near  the  Vandalia  depol 
with  a  heavy  piece  of  timber  across  his  neck 
and  a  bloody  scalp  wound.  A  coroner's 
inquest  was  held,  traces  of  blood  were 
traced  to  a  low  resort  and  many  other  evi- 
dences of  a  foul  murder  were  established 
to  such  an  extent  that  suspicion  of  a  man 
was  almost  convincing.      The  case  was    in 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


the  charge  of  F.  J.  Heller  as  prosecutor  and 
W.  S.  Gaudy  as  justice  of  the  peace.  That 
the  perpetrator  of  this  horrible  crime  went 
unpunished  has  always  been  a  problem  un- 
solved by  the  public. 

On  the  morning  of  April  13,  1905,  the 
people  of  Churubusco  were  aroused  from 
their  slumbers  by.  a  terrific  report  of  the 
explosion  in  the  large  safe  in  the  Exchange 
Bank. 

When  the  surprised  citizens  made  their 
appearance  upon  the  streets  they  found 
themselves  held  up  in  real  western  style  by 
two  sentinels  passing  back  and  forth  in  front 
of  the  bank,  firing  occasionally  into  the  air 
and  sometimes  at  a  citizen  who  failed  to 
obey  their  command.  O.  Gaudy  and  wife, 
living  near  the  bank,  were  made  the  special 
object  of  their  firing,  Mrs.  Gandy  receiving 
a  flesh  wound  on  the  neck  while  standing 
in  front  of  her  house. 

It  required  but  a  few  minutes  to  com- 
plete the  business  by  the  two  men  who  were 
in  the  bank  and  join  their  pals  on  the  street 
and  hurriedly  left  with  a  buggy  and  horse 
stolen  from  G.  R.  Hemmick's  bam. 

After  the  robbers  took  their  leave  and  it 
became  safe  to  approach  the  building  it  was 
found  that  the  safe  was  blown  to  pieces,  the 
fixtures  and  furniture  broken  up  and  the 
building  badly  damaged.  The  robbers  in 
their  hurry  overlooked  the  greater  portion 
of  the  contents  of  the  safe  but  secured  over 
$4,700,  which,  with  the  loss  by  the  explo- 
sion, amounted  to  over  $6,000. 

The  debris  was  cleared  away  and  quiet 
rest'. red  and  at  10  a.  m.  the  Exchange  Bank 
was  dning  its  usual  business. 

The  commercial  and  industrial  enter- 
prises of  Churubusco  are  principally  repre- 


sented in  dry  goods,  groceries,  boots,  shoes 
and  clothing  by  Leslie  &  George  Arthur,  E. 
Geiger,  Leopold  Isay  and  S.  F.  &  F.  C.  Ort ; 
drug'  stores,  J.  F.  Criswell  &  Son  and  Miss 
Mary  Eikenberry  &  Co. ;  groceries,  Bert 
Brubaker,  Frazier  &  Stamets,  J.  H.  Gris- 
amer,  Jacob  Kichler,  grocery  and  bakery ; 
harness,  O.  Deerdorff;  meat  markets,  S. 
Emerick  &  Madden,  G.  B.  Slagle  &  Son  and 
Charles  H.  Long ;  millinery,  Mrs.  Mabel 
Frazier,  Mrs.  Amanda  Hemmick  and  Mrs. 
Eliza  Walters;  jewelers,  G.  R.  Hemmick 
and  W.  E.  Summers;  hardware,  J.  W.  Bur- 
well  &  Son  and  J.  W.  Smith ;  furniture  and 
undertaking,  F.  M.  Sonday;  wells,  pumps 
and  supplies,  Elvin,  Tompson  &  Stroh : 
plumbing,  Patrick  Fullam ;  lumber  and 
staves  manufacture,  Valorous  Brown ;  lum- 
ber, cement  and  lime,  James  B.  Grawcock ; 
blacksmiths,  Homer  Cutter,  George  W. 
Sefton  and  Frank  Witham  &  Charles  Har- 
ter  and  Harris  Ketchem ;  livery  and  feed 
barns,  Bair  &  McCurdy,  Lou  Long.  Carmi 
E.  (Tom)  Richey;  saloons,  A.  Anderson, 
Dan  Lung,  Joe  Throp  and  William  H. 
Wolf;  hotel,  W.  W.  Madden  and  C.  W. 
Stites ;  restaurants,  Dan  Lung,  Mrs.  Del 
Harter,  John  Deck;  butter,  eggs  and  poul- 
tiy,  Beyer  Bros.,  butter,  eggs  and  poultry. 
Clyde  Jones,  manager;  barber  shops.  Arthur 
Benward  and  Emery  Geiger. 

Under  dispensation  the  Ancient  Free 
and  Accepted  Masonic  Lodge  met  on  the 
nth  of  March,  1875,  and  on  May  25,  1875. 
the  first  meeting  under  charter  with  the  fol- 
lowing officers:  Ed.  A.  Mossman,  W.  M. ; 
Andrew  Anderson,  S.  W. ;  G.  W.  Fair.  J. 
W. ;  John  R.  Ross,  secretary;  S.  F.  Barr, 
treasurer;  I.  N.  Whellenbarger,  S.  D. ; 
Henry  M.   Wyatt.  J.  D. ;    Samuel  Hosack, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


3  H 


tyler,  and  George  W.  Slagle  and  Charles 
Erickson,  Stewarts.  William  Carr,  special 
D.  G.  M.,  on  July  29,  1876,  instituted  the 
lodge  as  Churubusco  Lodge,  No.  515,  An- 
cient Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  with  four- 
teen members. 

The  present  officers  are  W.  S.  Gandy, 
W.  M.;  A.  S.  Kline,  S.  W. ;  Frank  J. 
Gandy,  J.  W. ;  John  A.  Pressler,  secretary ; 
Jacob  Keichler,  treasurer;  George  R.  Hem- 
ick.  S.  D. ;  Pearl  Sible,  J.  D. ;  F.  P.  Loudy, 
tyler.  Number  of  members,  69  at  last  re- 
port. 

Oliver  P.  Koontz  instituted  Lodge  No. 
462,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  on 
August  18,  1875,  which  a  few  years  after- 
wards was  discontinued. 

Churubusco  Tent,  No.  113,  Knights  of 
the  Maccabees  of  the  World,  was  instituted 
April  12,  1895,  with  Francis  M.  Richards 
sir  knight  commander;  William  A.  Devault, 
sir  knight  record  keeper. 

The  present  officers  are  Lawrence  A. 
Boggs,  sir  knight  commander,  and  William 
A.  Devault,  sir  knight  record  keeper.  The 
lodge  is  now  the  owner  of  its  equipments. 

LADIES  OF  THE  MACCx\BEES  OF 
THE  WORLD. 

Churubusco  Hive,  No.  113,  organized 
19,  1900,  by  Sarah  Eliot,  with 
forty-six  charter  members,  with  Ettie  R. 
Diller.  post  commander;  Emma  Pressler, 
lady  commander;  Myrtle  Douglass,  lieuten- 
ant commander;  Caroline  Rich,  record 
keeper;  Sarah  A.  Smith,  finance  keeper; 
Almira  J.  Smith,  chaplain ;  Madge  Slagle, 
sergeant ;  Mildred  R.  Weaver,  mistress  of 
arms;    Effie  K.  Diller,  sentinel;    Ada  Hull. 


picket.  The  present  officers  of  this  lodge 
are  Amanda  Hemmick,  lady  commander; 
Katie  Ort,  record  keeper;  finance  keeper, 
Emma  Pressler ;  chaplain,  Katie  Geiger, 
with  nine  members. 

Oliver  P.  Koontz  instituted  Lodge  No. 
462,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  on 
August  18,  1875,  which  a  few  years  after- 
wards was  discontinued. 

Charles  G  Archele,  of  Kendallville.  in- 
stituted a  Knights  of  Honor  Lodge,  No. 
2,109,  on  March  11,  1880.  which  has  also 
discontinued. 

Churubusco  Tent,  No.  113.  Knights  of 
the  Maccabees  of  the  World,  was  instituted 
April  12,  1895,  with  Francis  M.  Richards 
sir  knight  commander;  William  A.  Devault, 
sir  knight  record  keeper.  The  present  offi- 
cers are  Lawrence  A.  Boggs,  sir  knight  com- 
mander, and  William  A.  Devault,  sir  knight 
record  keeper. 

Zion  Temple,  No.  177,  of  Pythian  Sis- 
ters was  organized  October  5.  1898.  with 
twenty-nine  charter  members  under  the  fol- 
lowing- officers :  Most  excellent  chief,  Mina 
Nicky;  excellent  senior,  Carrie  Leiter;  ex- 
cellent junior,  Mary  Devault ;  manager  of 
temple,  Jennie  Rhodes ;  mistress  of  records 
and  correspondence,  Nettie  Keichler :  mis- 
tress of  finance,  Katy  Ort ;  protector  of 
temple.  Allie  Wyatt ;  guard  of  outer  temple. 
Nora  Smith ;  past  chief.  Rose  Grisamer. 
Present  membership,  sixty-one,  with  the  fol- 
lowing officers  :  Past  chief,  Rose  Grisamer ; 
most  excellent  chief,  Etta  Ort ;  excellent 
senior,  Margerite  Coulter;  excellent  junior. 
Allie  Reed ;  manager  of  temple,  Nettie 
Keichler;  mistress  of  records  and  corre- 
spondence. Annie  Geiger:  mistress  of 
finance.     Maggie     Loudy ;      protector     of 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


temple,  Delpha  Richey;  yuan!  of  outer 
temple,   Lettie  Greenwalt. 

On  April  20.  1893.  Ephraim  K.  Strong, 

special  deputy,  assisted  by  the  Columbia  City 
Lodge,  organized  a  lodge  of  Eastern  Stars 
with  thirteen  charter  members,  with  the  fol- 
lowing officers:  Sarah  Morrison,  W.  M. ; 
Leopold  Isay,  W.  P. :  Katie  Geiger,  associ- 
ate matron  ;  W.  A.  Geiger,  treasurer;  Mrs. 
J.  A.  Pressler.  conductress;  Eva  Johns,  as- 
sociate conductress;  Myrtle  Kent,  Adah: 
Maggie  Loudy,  Ruth;  Tilly  Isay,  Esther; 
Amanda  Hemmick.  Martha  ;  '  Rachael  Ar- 
thur, Electa;  Ellen  B.  Baker,  warden: 
Charles  Erickson.  tyler. 

Present  officers  of  the  Order  of  the  East- 
ern Star:  Worthy  matron,  Tillie  Isay; 
worthy  patron,  V.  A.  Compton ;  assistant 
matron,  Emma  Pressler;  secretary,  Hettie 
Gandy;  treasurer,  Viola  Welsimer:  con- 
ductress. Edna  Cline ;  associate  conductress, 
Ocie  Hall:  chaplain,  Jennie  Orndorf;  mar- 
shall.  Emma  Stites ;  organist.  Ottie  Smith; 
Adah.  Veru  Potter;  Ruth,  Jessie  Sordlet ; 
Esther,  Georgie  Geiseking;  Martha,  Mary 
Devault ;  Electa.  Julia  Krider:  warden, 
Susan  Long. 

Simonson  Post,  No.  151,  Churubusco, 
Indiana,  was  organized  March  2,  A.  D. 
[883.  Charter  members :  \Y.  K.Anderson. 
William  Brubaker,  Isaac  Claxton.  E.  E. 
Cutter.  A.  T.  Esterbrook,  John  M.  Fowler, 
Edward  Geiger,  David  Glor,  II.  A.  Grim, 
George  Gaff,  Nathan  Cray,  D.  C.  Green, 
Joseph  Hood,  Joseph  Hosack,  George  Han- 
nan,  M.  <  i.  Heffelfmger,  Wesley  Johnson, 
G.  H.  Johnston.  C.  II.  Kreston,  Samuel 
Kissinger,  A.   K.   Krewson.   Ira  Kinney,  G. 


W.  Krider.  E.  P.  Loudy,  L.  A.  Millier. 
W.  C.  Moor,  Amos  Miller.  Charles  Rapp, 
George  W.  Stites,  William  Sible,  A.  D. 
Skidgel,  Frank  Stamets,  Abraham  Weaver. 
William  Watson.  Jonathan  White.  I.  Wiue- 
brenner. 

MODERN  WOODMEN. 

Chapter  8026,  Churubusco  Camp  of 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  was  organ- 
ized April  2j,  1900.  by  Deputy  W.  W.  Ren- 
ley,  with  thirteen  charter  members  with  the 
following  officers:  Consul,  E.  J.  Smith; 
adviser,  S.  E.  Brig'gs ;  banker,  J.  L.  Long: 
clerk.  J.  W.  Leiter;  escort.  H.  A.  Cutter; 
watchman,  Jess  Greenwalt;  sentry,  Elijah 
Kissinger ;  managers — C.  I.  Bechthol,  Ed 
Miller,  F.  E.  Long.  The  present  member- 
ship is  fifty-six  and  the  following  named 
officers:  Consul,  Albert  Jackson;  adviser. 
Log-an  Killworth;  banker,  O.  B.  Clase; 
clerk,  William  H.  Hawk;  escort,  Arlo 
Hawk ;  watchman,  Harry  Scarlet ;  sentry, 
Edward  Ramsey  ;  physician,  Jesse  Briggs  : 
managers,  E.  C.  Jackson.  Charles  Harter. 
E.  Bridegan.  Through  the  efforts  of 
William  A.  Devault  the,  present  postmaster. 
Rural  Free  Delivery  route  No.  1  was  estab- 
lished on  November  1,  1900.  with  Alfred 
Geiger  carrier;  No.  2  route  on  February  1. 
1904.  Walter  T.  Raypole  carrier  and  Har- 
vey Raypole  substitute:  No.  3  route.  Feb- 
ruary 1,  1004,  Edward  T.  Vorhees  carrier 
and  Lewis  D.  Strong  substitute:  No.  4.  es- 
tablished October  1,  0104.  Chancy  Bear 
carrier  and  Alfred  Bear  substitute.  The 
present  salary  is  $720. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 
CLEVELAND  TOWNSHIP. 


BY    S.    P.    KALER. 


By  reference  to  the  general  chapter  on 
organization  in  this  history  our  readers  will 
get  much  detail  information,  which  to  give 
here  would  only  be  a  repetition.  Cleveland 
township  was  organized  and  named  in  1836, 
more  than  a  year  before  the  organization  of 
the  count}'.  The  county  was  organized  in 
May,  1838.  A  year  before  this,  or,  to  be  ex- 
act. May  1,  1837,  Joseph  Parrett  caused  to 
be  surveyed  and  platted  forty-two  lots  on 
Eel  river,  and  called  the  town  Springfield. 

Before  this  time,  to-wit,  on  the  25th 
day  of  February,  1837,  a  postoffice  was  es- 
tablished in  the  locality.  In  view  of  the 
coming'  town  which  it  was  understood 
should  be  christened  Springfield,  that  name 
was  asked  for  the  postoffice  when  the  appli- 
cation was  made,  but  there  being  another 
Springfield  in  Indiana  at  the  time,  the  au- 
thorities named  the  office  Whitlev,  as  it  was 
the  only  place  in  all  the  new  and  unorgan- 
ized Whitley  count)'  that  made  any  preten- 
tions to  being  a  village.  All  other  present 
towns  in  the  count}'  were  a  dense  forest. 
Anything'  approaching  to  the  dignitv  of  a 
town  was  considered  synonymous  with 
Whitley  county.  This  action  of  the  depart- 
ment did  not  deter  Joseph  Parrett,  Jr.,  from 
naming  his  town  Springfield,  and  we  thus 
have  the  origin  of  the  two  names  that  have 
caused  so  much  confusion.  On  the  estab- 
lishing of  a  postoffice  at  the  new  county  seat 
a  little  later  it  was  called  Whitley  Court 
House,  and  Whitley  postoffice  was  changed 
to  South  Whitlev  on  the  same  date,  and 
this  caused  still  more  confusion. 


Though  Springfield  was  surveyed  and 
platted  May  1,  1837.  the  plat  was  not  ac- 
knowledged and  recorded  until  January  9, 
1840,  but  in  the  meantime  he  began  selling 
lots.  It  might  have  been  recorded  in  Hunt- 
ington county,  but  the  proprietor  wanted  to 
patronize  home  institutions  and  wait  to  have 
it  recorded  in  the  new  count}'  when  organ- 
ized, and  even  when  that  was  done  held  it 
from  the  record  nearly  two  years.  In  this 
later  day  of  abstracts  and  perfect  titles  peo- 
ple would  hardly  want  to  lake  deed  for  a 
town  lot  of  a  town  without  an  existence 
except  a  plat  on  paper  the  proprietor  carried 
around  in  his  pocket  or  kept  in  the  family 
Bible,  the  only  book  in  his  cabin. 

However,  on  July  8.  1837,  Parrett  sold 
to  Richard  C.  Meek  inlot  number  two  for 
sixteen  dollars,  and  this  was  the  only  con- 
veyance prior  to  the  county  organization, 
but  there  were  three  other  conveyances  be- 
fore, the  plat  was  recorded.  On  May  16. 
1838.  a  week  after  the  county  organization. 
lot  twenty-six  was  sold  to  Daniel  Lesley 
for  fourteen  dollars,  and  on  April  10,  1839. 
Samuel  Obenchain  bought  lots  four,  twenty- 
eight,  twenty-nine  and  thirty  for  seventy- 
four  dollars  and  twenty-five  cents,  and  on 
May  25,  [839,  Solomon  Stiver  bought  lot 
twenty-seven  for  twenty-five  dollars  and 
twentv-five  cents.  Prom  this  earl}'  and  small 
beginning  Springfield  has  grown  to  be  a 
fine  town  with  two  railroads,  and  has  held 
its  place  as  first  in  the  count}',  outside  of 
the  county  seat.  Twenty  additions  to  the 
original   plat  have  been  made   from  time  to 


314 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


time,  though  some  of  these  have  been  only 
the  platting  of  larger  outlots  or  subdivisions. 

On  the  9th  day  of  February,  1846,  Smith 
Rambo  procured  the  services  of  George  Ar- 
nold and  surveyed  and  platted  the  town  of 
Millersburgh,  and  on  the  23d  day  of  March 
following  acknowledged  and  caused  the  plat 
to  be  recorded. 

September  8,  1849,  a  postoffke  was  es- 
tablished. The  name  asked  for  was  Millers- 
burgh, but  as  there  was  already  a  town  and 
postoffice  by  the  name  in  Elkhart  county, 
the  authorities  named  it  Collamer,  in  honor 
of  Jacob  Collamer,  then  postmaster-general, 
and  it  is  now  known  as  Collamer.  There 
were  ten  lots  surveyed.  Lot  one  was  three 
by  eight  poles,  lot  ten  was  ten  poles  on  the 
north  line  and  bent  around  river.  The 
other  lots  were  four  by  eight  poles.  The 
first  lots  were  sold  on  February  6,  1847. 
On  that  day  Rambo  sold  four  lots  or  parts : 
To  Christian  Harter,  lot  one  and  a  rod  off 
the  south  side  of  lot  two  for  sixteen  dollars 
and  ninety-six  cents,  and  to  John  W.  Not- 
tingham, lot  seven  for  fourteen  dollars,  and 
lot  six  for  eleven  dollars  and  sixty-six  cents. 
The  next  sale  was  November  25,  1847,  lots 
four  and  five  to  Ellis  Miller  for  twenty-five 
dollars  and  fifty  cents.  Ellis  Miller  had 
built  the  dam  across  the  river  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1845  anc'  sometime  in  the  winter  of 
1845  anr'  1846  began  to  grind  corn  and 
shortly  after  wheat  and  other  small  grain. 
The  mill  and  dam  remain,  the  only  water- 
power  left  in  the  whole  county,  the  South 
Whitley  dam  having  gone  out  on  the  dredg- 
ing of  Eel  river  a  few  years  ago.  Millers- 
burgh,  nr  Collamer,  though  having  the  only 
water-power  mill  in  the  county  and  having 
the  Vandalia   Railroad,  and  being:  in  as  fine 


country  as  the  world  affords,  has  made  no 
headway  and  is  no  better  town  than  a  half 
century  ago.  The  railroad  station  has  been 
abandoned  and  it  has  been  hinted  that  the 
postoffice  will  soon  yield  up  the  ghost  before 
the  march  of  rural  delivery. 

The  place  has  two  churches,  the  Chris- 
tian and  Church  of  God,  and  a  few  years 
ago  an  attempt  was  made  to  erect  a  Univer- 
salist  house  of  worship,  but  on  the  theory  of 
being  saved  anyhow,  enough  force  could  not 
be  generated  to  get  even  a  foundation. 

While  the  first  town  and  postoffice  in  the 
county  were  at  South  Whitley,  and  Cleve- 
land township  was  the  first  organized,  there 
were  two  or  three,  perhaps  more,  settlers 
in  Smith  township  prior  to  the  Eel  river 
settlement.  It  is  impossible  to  ascertain 
who  was  the  very  first  settler  or  to  determine 
the  priority  of  several  of  the  first  ones. 
James  Chaplin  lived  on  section  7  in  1835 
and  blazed  a  trail  or  road  from  his  farm 
to  intersect  the  Squawbuck  trail  in  Richland 
township.  This  was  the  highway  to  Oswego 
and  Turkey  Prairie.  It  is  most  likely  that 
the  Clevelands,  Parretts,  Samuel  Obenchain 
and  John  Collins  were  all  settlers  before  Jan- 
uary 1,  1836.  Joseph  Creager  soon  fol- 
lowed. Creager  and  Joseph  Parrett  settled 
on  land  now  covered  by  South  Whitley.  The 
Goshen  and  Huntington  road  was  the  only 
established  road  in  that  part  of  the  county 
at  the  time  of  organization.  The  only  other 
in  the  county  was  the  Fort  Wayr.e  and  Go- 
shen road  in  the  northeast  part  of  the 
county,  though  there  were  several  applica- 
tions pending  at  the  time  of  organization, 
proceedings  began  in  Huntington  county 
and  concluded  in  Whitley.  Soon  after  the 
establishment  of  the  countv  seat  a  road  was 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


blazed  through,  practically  what  is  today 
called  the  "North,  Whitley  and  Columbia 
road."  It  was  blazed  almost  through  in 
1839  and  finished  early  in  1840.  Soon  after 
the  river  road  was  opened  up  to  what  is  now 
Collamer,  Liberty  Mills  and  North  Man- 
chester. 

There  were  no  Indian  habitations  or  vil- 
lages about  South  Whitley  when  the  set- 
tlers came,  the  villages  were  south  and  in 
Huntington  county  and  in  Columbia  town- 
ship. They  gave  some  trouble  as  beggars, 
but  the  settlers  forgave  this  propensity  so 
much  different  from  what  they  had  expected 
of  savages. 

Henry  Parrett's  remains  were  deposited 
in  what  is  now  the  South  Whitley  cemetery 
in  1845,  August  2 1st.  It  was  used  as  a  pri- 
vate family  burying  place  for  some  time  and 
gave  no  more  prospect  of  becoming  the  beau- 
tiful city  of  the  dead  it  now  is  than  several 
other  places  now  obliterated.  Some  time 
in  the  same  year  Benjamin  Cleveland  was 
buried  in  section  1 1 ,  what  has  since  been 
known  as  the  Cleveland  cemetery.  We 
omit  reference  to  the  burial  of  that  old  set- 
tler on  John  Edwards'  lot  in  South  Whitley, 
as  it  is  fully  detailed  elsewhere  in  this  book. 
The  old  cemetery  adjoining  the  South  Whit- 
ley cemetery  to  the  west  was  also  started  as 
a  family  burying  place  in  that  same  year — 
1845.  John  Collins'  body  was  the  first  de- 
posited therein. 

It  is  settled  that  the  first  death  in  the 
township  was  Roxina  Chaplin,  September 
18,  1836.  She  was  buried  on  her  father's 
farm  on  section  7.  The  first  birth  was  also 
in  this  same  family — Byron  Chaplin — born 
April  14,  1836. 

When     the    postoffice     was    established 


February  25,  1837,  Henry  Parrett  had  a 
little  store  on  the  west  side  of  State  street 
near  the  bridge.  The  street  now  runs  over 
the  exact  spot  where  it  stood,  in  the  Hunt- 
ington and  Goshen  road.  The  postoffice  was 
installed  here,  in  the  name  of  David  D.  Par- 
rett. This  rude  store  contained  a  few  no- 
tions and  curiosities  and  some  staples.  The 
supplies  were  mostly  brought  in  from  Fort 
Wayne  by  wagon,  but  were  sometimes 
shipped  by  canal  from  Fort  Wayne  to  a 
point  near  Huntington  and  hauled  in. 

In  the  summer  of  1839  Parrett  sold  the 
store  to  Arnold  &  Townsend,  from  Stark 
county,  Ohio,  and  Arnold  was  made  the 
postmaster. 

In  1838  another  small  store  was  started 
farther  north  on  the  same  road  and  did  a 
good  business.  This  was  the  beginning  of 
the  Combs  &  Edwards  general  store  that 
was  of  so  much  importance  to  the  commu- 
nity for  many  years. 

The  first  saw  mill  was  erected  by  Wil- 
liam Parrett  in  1841,  on  section  34,  just 
north  of  South  Whitley,  called  Wetzel's  mill 
for  many  years.  It  entirely  ceased  opera- 
tions in  1S72.  A  year  later  Milton  Grimes 
and  David  Clapp  built  a  saw  mill  a  mile 
southeast  of  South  Whitley. 

The  most  important  milling  enterprise 
ever  in  the  township  was  the  Arnold  water- 
power  mill.  Work  on  the  dam  began  in 
1848,  but  the  mill  was  not  put  in  operation 
until  about  January  1,  1851,  and  at  once 
the  Arnolds  came  to  the  front  as  millers, 
bankers  and  general  merchants  and  re- 
mained at  the  front  until  the  disastrous  and 
far-reaching  results  of  their  complete  fail- 
ure a  few  years  ag'o,  which  is  well  described 
in  the  article  on  Banks  and  Banking:  in  this 


316 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.   INDIANA. 


history.  For  many  years  this  mill  drew 
the  milling'  business  from  many  miles.  The 
writer  remembers  when  a  boy  of  being  sent 
t"  this  mill  a  distance  of  ten  miles,  starting 
in  the  night  and  arriving  at  the  mill  about 
the  time  it  opened  up  in  the  morning  and 
awaiting  his  turn,  got  his  grist  of  eight 
bushels  just  after  dark  and  making  the  re- 
turn trip  the  next  night,  the  roads  then  be- 
ing entirely  different  from  the  present. 

The  marriage  record  discloses  the  fol- 
lowing as  the  first  in  the  township :  Isaac 
H.  Collins  to  Nancy  Cuppy.  December  2~. 


iN^N:  John  Cuppy  to  Nancy  Hale.  February 
S.  1839;  A.  Rambo  to  Margaret  Collins, 
September  16.  1839. 

John  Parrett  began  the  hotel  business 
when  the  town  began  taking  on  airs  in  [837, 
furnishing  the  primitive  entertainment  for 
man  and  beast,  and  even  that  early  there 
was  considerable  travel  and  his  cabin  hotel 
of  two  rooms  below  and  a  loft  above  was 
often  taxed  to  its  limit,  and  at  no  time  could 
a  weary  traveler  get  a  room  to  himself  with 
steam  heat  and  bath. 


UNION  TOWNSHIP. 


T0IIX    F.    MOSS  MAX. 


The  most  interesting  incidents  of  Indian 
history  before  and  during  the  war  of  iNu 
center  in. what  is  now  Union  township;  but 
it  is  found  recorded  in  detail  in  other  chap- 
ters. However,  the  village  of  Coesse,  in 
which  the  first  house  was  erected  in  1855, 
by  Ji  >seph  Root,  preserves  the  name  of  one 
of  the  latter  chieftains  of  the  Miamis.  In 
[846  they  were  removed  to  Indian  Terri- 
tory, Coesse  accompanying  them;  but  he 
returned  and  died  while  visiting  near  Roa- 
noke Indiana,  where  he  was  buried.  Tal- 
COtt  Terry  was  the  original  settler  in  Union 
township;  coming  .-in  did  Benjamin  Gardner. 
Dr.  Joseph  Pierce,  Horace  Cleveland  and 
'  leorge  W.  (  >man,  in   [837. 

Terry  and  Oman  selected  the  name  of 
kvnship  at  the  first  election  held  July 
4,  1839,  at  which  Terry  was  chosen  jus- 
tice oi  the  peace,  an  office  to  which  he  was 
again  chosen   four  vcars  later.     Dr.    Tierce. 


the  first  physician,  had  a  Mr.  Starkweather 
associated  with  him  in  a  general  store  for 
some  years,  most  of  their  trade  being  with 
the  Indians,  it  not  being  an  unusual  sight 
to  see  three  hundred  of  them  in  and  about 
the  store.  Upon  the  death  of  a  little  son  of 
Starkweather's,  treated  by  Dr.  Pierce,  a 
quarrel  arose  between  the  two  men.  result- 
ing in  a  dissolution  of  partnership. 

The  first  saw  mill  of  the  township,  if  not 
in  Whitley  count}-,  was  built  by  Dr.  Tierce 
111  [839,  and  the  late  James  YVorden,  who 
had  come  from  New  York  to  work  fur  the 
doctor,  claims  that  he  and  William  Van 
Meter  hauled  the  first  saw  logs  to  that  mill. 
The  first  steam  saw  mill  was  erected  in  [854 
by  Nathaniel  Allen  and  John  Stagle  and 
James  Burton  built  the  first  grist  mill,  on 
Eel  ri\er  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  town- 
ship. A  distillery  was  operated  for  a  time 
by   a    Mr.    Kepler   in    the   southeast   pari    of 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


the  township  where  peach  brandy  was  a 
principal  output.  In  1852  J!.  A.  Cleveland 
sold  merchandise  for  a  couple  of  years. 
Freeman  and  Fuller  keeping'  a  general  store 
on  the  Yellow  River  road  and  later  one  mile 
east  of  the  present  site  of  Coesse.  This  vil- 
lage was  laid  out  by  Peter  Simonson  in  the 
winter  of  1854,  Joseph  Root  erecting  the 
first  building.  Christ  Rummel  had  the 
blacksmith  shop.  Very  little  growth  oc- 
curred for  ten  years.  The  first  goods  sold 
in  the  village  was  by  Simon  Ilerr  & 
Brother.  B.  A.  Cleveland,  Thomas  Mc- 
Cune.  F.  Smith,  J.  H.  Clark  and  J.  S.  Baker 
were  among'  those  who  have  sold  goods  at 
Coesse.  as  are  Luke  Tousley  and  William 
Swarts.  Kaufman  &  Levi.  I.  Kinsev,  Allen 
Bros  .  F.  Smith  and  W.  F.  Mossman. 

The  first  postoffice  was  kept  by  Horace 
Cleveland  on  the  Yellow  River  road,  its  re- 
moval to  Coesse  being  in  1856  with  ].  H. 
Root  as  postmaster. 

Cornelia  Bonestel  taught  the  first  school 
in  Union  in  1839,  receiving  $1.50  per  week. 
This  was  in  a  cabin  on  Horace  Cleveland's 
land,  though  the  "school  house  on  the  hill" 
standing  on  the  north  side  of  Beaver  Run 
was  the  first  school  building".  Mrs.  Simon 
Sherod  in  1845  taught  in  her  own  home  in 
the  extreme  northwest  part  of  the  township. 
Mary  Brown.  Amanda  Tousley;  Eliza 
Young,  Cornelia  Travis,  George  Lawson,  E. 
A.  Smith,  Riley  Merrill,  Maxie  Foust  and 
Miranda  Root,  all  of  whom  labored  faith- 
fully and  left  strong  impress  for  good  on 
the  minds  of  their  pupils. 

Esther  Omans  was  the  first  white  child 
born  in  Union  township,  though  it  is 
claimed  that  David,  a  son  of  Talcott  Perry, 
was  born  in  1836.  and  Whitlock,  son  of 
Benjamin  Gardner,  was  born  in   183". 


Henry  Hull  and  Jane  Gardner  were 
married  December  18,  -1839,  which  was 
doubtless  the  first  ceremony  of  this  kind. 

The  first  death  was  Robert  Starkweather 
in  the  fall  of  1838.  though  in  March. 
(839,  William  Clater  was  killed  in  a  barn 
raising  but  in  Lake  township,  Allen  county. 
James  Worden  helped  to  build  the  first 
bridge  not  only  in  Union  township  but  in 
Whitley  county.  This  was  over  Eel  river 
though  probably  the  same  year,  1838.  some 
movers  made  a  rude  log'  bridge  over  the 
stream  at  Akers.  G.  W.  Oman  kept  tavern 
on  his  farm  in  1837.  The  next  year  Isaac 
Taylor  began  to  accommodate  the  travelers 
though  it  was  four  years  later  that  he  hung 
a  sign. 

Rev.  Jacob  Wolf  was  doubtless  the  first 
minister,  organizing  a  Presbyterian  church 
October  15,  1841,  with  eight  persons. 
George  Walker  and  wife,  Jacob  Vanhouten 
and  wife,  Mrs.  Vance,  William  Park,  and 
James  Pringle  and  wife.  Rev.  Wolf  was  a 
graduate  of  Harvard  and  naturally  a  man 
of  finest-  impulses.  In  1854  he  erected 
"Wartburg  College,"  named  in  honor  of 
Wartburg  Castle  near  Eisenach  Saxe-Wei- 
mar.  founded  in  1067  and  renowned  as  the 
refuge  of  Martin  Luther  after  the  diet  of 
W  onus  and  where  he  finished  his  transla- 
tion of  the  Bible.  Wolf's  ambition  was  to 
educate  young  men  for  the  ministry  anil 
with  Rev.  A.  J.  Douglas  as  an  assistant 
conducted  a  school  for  two  years.  Mr. 
Wolf's  heart  was  right  and  to  advance  the 
cause  he  loved  so  well  made  provision  to 
have  most  of  his  property  go  to  Wittenberg 
College.  Springfield.  Ohio. 

In  1844  a  "hallelujah  band"  was  organ- 
ized by  the  Methodists  under  direction  of 
Rev.    Jesse    Sparks    and    held    worship    in 


3i8 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


school  houses  till  1S57  and  didn't  secure  a 
church  of  their  own  until  1870.  Rev.  Wells, 
an  educated  and  accomplished  gentleman 
and  an  orator  of  no  mean  ability,  organized 
a  Lutheran  church  in  1857.  A  Christian 
church  was  started  in  1854  by  Rev.  Van 
Sickle  baptizing  several  converts  in  a  hole 
cut  through  the  ice  on  Mud  creek. 

Judge  Hannah,  of  Fort  Wayne,  ad- 
dressed the  first  Sunday  school  picnic  and 
the  late  Bishop  Anthony,  of  California,  was 
present  as  a  pupil. 

The  first  candidate  for  congTessional 
honors  to  speak  in  Union  township  was 
Samuel  Brenton,  who  had  been  presiding 
elder  at  Fort  Wayne,  and  who  walked  with  a 
crutch  owing  to  paralysis.  The  meeting 
was  held  at  Oman's  home,  his  advent  being 
declared  by  the  hoisting  of  the  stars  and 
stripes  on  a  tree  still  standing  in  George 
Oman's  yard. 

John  Pecker  induced  J.  H.  Clark  to 
bring  several  paw  paw  bushes  from  Ohio 
mi  horseback  to  propagate  the  fruit.  His 
description  of  the  delicious  flavor  and  tempt- 
ingness  of  that  delicacy  being  such  that 
Clark's  mouth  watered  and  continued  to  do 
so  whenever  paw  paws  were  mentioned,  un- 
til in  his  haste  and  enthusiasm  he  tasted  the 
green  fruit. 

( rei  irge  Slagle  produced  the  first  brick 
used  in  the  township.  Making  a  circular 
box  five  feet  high  and  ninety  feet  in  circum- 
ference he  shoveled  in  clay  and  drove  a  yoke 
of  cattle  over  it  until  it  was  reduced  to  stiff 
mortal-,  when  it  was  molded,  dried  and 
burned. 

Many  beaver  dams  are  still  to  be  traced, 
indicative  of  the  thousands  of  those  indus- 
trious animals  that  must  have  existed  here. 


Social  conditions  among  our  forefathers 
were  such  that  there  ever  existed  the  warm- 
est community  of  interest.  Horseback  rid- 
ing was  the  usual  mode  of  travel,  a  young 
man  often  having  his  ladv  love  seated  be- 
hind him,  though  there  were  none  of  the 
ladies  but  could  ride  and  easily  control  the 
wildest  steeds. 

When  Rachel  Wagner  was  fifteen,  she 
rode  with  her  brother  Harmon  Beeson  to 
Warsaw  to  attend  the  wedding  of  another 
brother  Benjamin.  Starting  to  return  Ben- 
jamin's wife's  father,  Mr.  Sapp,  handed  her 
a  willow  switch,  saying  "stick  that  in  the 
ground,  it  will  make  a  nice  tree."  She  did 
so  and  today  it  is  a  landmark  at  least  two 
feet  in  diameter,  standing  close  to  the  walk 
on  the  main  street  as  you  go  to  the  Penn- 
sylvania depot,  making-  the  site  of  Lee  Bros, 
blacksmith  shop,  which  is  just  being  demol- 
ished as  these  lines  are  written,  January. 
1907. 

HAZEL  COT  CASTLE. 

In  1842  Eli  Pierce,  while  a  medical  stu- 
dent in  Philadelphia,  married  a  rich  Eng- 
lish lad}'  who  soon  purchased  a  large  tract 
of  land  in  the  northeast  part  of  Union 
township,  where  they  settled  in  1844.  Dr. 
Pierce  practiced  somewhat,  but  mainly  de- 
voted himself  to  the  clearing  of  the  land 
and  in  building  a  castle  after  the  style  of 
an  old  English  lord  and  which,  with  its  ex- 
tensive outbuildings,  became  the  wonder  ot 
the  entire  region.  The  house  had  broad 
porches,  sweeping  verandas  and  huge  col- 
umns, the  barn  being  also  pretentious.  In 
180.2  the  ruins  of  the  barn  were  cleared 
away  and  the  remains  of  the  house  a  year 
later.      Mrs.   Pierce  died  in    1868  or    1869 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


and  the  doctor  fell  dead  at  Areola  in   1872      Through  Union  township  it  was  at  an  angle 
or  1873,  both  being  buried  at  Lake  Chapel      of  about  thirty  degrees.     One  hundred  and 


cemetery,  it  having  been  a  portion  of  the 
farm.  Their  children  were  five  sons  and  two 
daughters.  Mrs.  Pierce  retained  her  old 
English  customs,  living  in  state  and  ever  ex- 
hibiting that  courteous  bearing  characteris- 
tic of  the  patrician  class.  Charles  Hughes, 
then  county  treasurer,  was  once  invited  to 
dinner  by  Dr.  Pierce,  and  when  asked  by 
Mrs.  Pierce  if  his  office  was  one  of  much 
dignity  he  replied,  "None  at  all."  She 
turned  her  attention  to  other  guests. 

Many  years  ago.  when  the  people  of  Ire- 
land were  said  to  be  starving  to  death,  T 
think  it  was  in  1846,  Union  township  peo- 
ple were  the  only  (Mies  in  the  county  to  re- 
spond. Although  the}'  were  poor  and  had 
about  all  they  could  do  to  take  care  of  them- 
selves, they  responded  liberally.  My  father 
gave  the  largest  amount,  five  dollars. 
George  Walker  led  in  the  movement,  and 
was  assisted  by  others  among  whom  was  the 
Rev.  Jacob  Wolf. 

I  remember  well  when  Wise  went  over 
the  country  in  a  large  balloon  before  the 
Civil  war.  He  started  at  St.  Louis  and 
landed  in  Canada.  He  passed  over  Coesse 
about  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  and  was 
so  close  to  the  ground  that  James  Worden 
and  Zebulon  Park  motioned  to  him  and  he 
responded.  He  crossed  the  county  from 
the  southwest  to  the  northeast.  Near  South 
Whitlev  an  old  woman  who  saw  him  ran 
into   the  house   crying,    "Jesus   is   coming." 

About  the  first  of  January,  1877,  a  large 
meteor  crossed  the  county,  making  a  belt 
of  fire  clear  across  the  heavens  and  a 
thundering  noise.  It  lighted  the  whole  sky 
and  seemed  to  e-o  over  the  entire  county. 


fifty  miles  north  of  here  it  seemed  to  be  at 
about  the  angle  of  seventy-five  degrees. 

On  Monday,  May  14.  1883,  a  cyclone 
seemed  to  gather  and  start  in  the  south 
central  part  of  Columbia  township,  at  about 
five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Clouds  seemed 
to  come  from  the  northwest  and  southwest 
and  to  meet  at  that  point.  The  first  damage 
was  near  Compton  church,  section  19, 
Union  township.  Tt  tore  down  the  brick 
church,  on  the  foundation  of  which  the 
present  one  was  built,  leaving  but  a  few 
brick  in  one  corner.  Shingles  and  debris 
were  scattered  for  more  than  two  hundred 
yards.  It  moved  northeast  to  the  corner 
of  Union  township  where  it  seemed  to  let 
go  its  force  and  drop  what  it  had  gathered. 
Its  path  was  more  than  a  half  mile  wide  and 
it  took  everything  in  its  way,  stripping 
forests,  moving  and  tearing  down  buildings 
in  its  path.  Simon  Akers'  barn  was  moved 
thirty  feet  off  of  its  foundation  and  demol- 
ished and  part  of  his  house  was  torn  down. 
The  damage  was  frightful.  Only  one  per- 
son was  injured,  Henrv  Schrader.  who  was 
hurt  by  a  flying  rail  striking  him  on  the 
head.  He  was  reported  dead,  lint  soon  re- 
covered and  is  living  vet. 

Before  closing  this  article.  I  want  to  re- 
mark the  difference  in  our  schools.  New 
branches  are  now  taught  and  the  course  is 
more  thorough,  hut  they  have  stopped  teach- 
ing courtesy  and  manners  as  we  were  taught 
in  the  old  log  schoolhouse.  The  children  of 
the  earlv  day  were  courteous  and  respectful 
to  older  persons  but  Young  America  is  in- 
dependent and  lacking  in  refinement  and 
manners. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 
WASHINGTON  TOWNSHIP. 


BY     R.     II.     MARING 


One  of  the  best,  if  not  the  best  township 
in  Whitley  county,  is  Washington,  which  is 
a  regular  government  township  of  thirty-six 
sections  and  is  the  middle  of  the  southern 
tier  of  three  townships  and  is  bounded  on  the 
north  by  Columbia  township,  on  the  east 
by  Jefferson  township,  on  the  south  by 
Clearcreek  township  in  Huntington  county, 
and  on  the  west  by  Cleveland  township.  It 
was  organized  September  8,  1840,  just  in 
time  to  participate  in  the  great  presidential 
election  of  that  year.  The  first  election  was 
held  at  the  house  of  Abraham  Leslie,  Si"., 
and  Daniel  Leslie  was  inspector.  At  this 
election  the  following  electors  were  pres- 
ent :  George  Rittenhouse,  David  Ritten- 
house,  George  D.  Rittenhouse,  Jr.,  Freder- 
ick Weybright,  Adam  Creager,  John  Oliver, 
Abraham  Leslie.  Daniel  Lesley,  William 
Leslie,  Enos  Miles,  Jacob  Ecker,  Joseph 
Ecker,  Samuel  Braden,  Reuben  Long.  Wil- 
liam Kates,  Jesse  Baugher  and  Henry  Bay- 
ler.  These  men  are  now  all  dead  except 
William  Leslie,  who  lives  at  South  Whitley, 
Indiana,  in  his  ninetieth  year.  For  several 
years  the  various  elections  were  held  at  the 
house  of  Abraham  Leslie,  who  was  always 
ready  to  receive  every  one  in  a  hospitable 
manner.  In  those  days  there  was  not  much 
political  antagonism  at  elections  but  a  gen- 
eral good  feeling  prevailed.  At  the  elec- 
tion held  at  the  house  of  Daniel  Leslie,  on 
the  first  Monday  in  April,  [845,  there  were 
eighteen  votes  polled  and  at  the  presidential 
election  on  November  8,  1904,  349  voters 
exercised  the  right  of  franchise  in  the  town- 
ship. 


The  township  was  named  in  honor  of  the 
father  of  our  country,  "Washington,"  but 
was  nicknamed  "Swamp  township,"  as  at 
the  time  of  the  first  settlements  and  for  many 
years  after,  a  vast  portion  of  the  township 
was  covered  with  almost  impenetrable 
swamps,  which  to  the  prospector  at  that 
time  did  not  seem  possible  ever  to  be  worth 
anything-.  But  now,  after  the  lapse  of  near- 
ly three-quarters  of  a  century,  these  swamps 
have  practically  all  disappeared  and  thriving 
farms  and  beautiful  homes  have  taken  their 
places,  and  where  once  the  muskrat  and 
bullfrog  held  kingly  sway,  nowr  seventy-five 
bushels  of  corn  per  acre  are  raised. 

The  first  permanent  settler  of  whom  any 
authentic  account  can  be  given  was  Joseph 
N.  Ecker,  who  settled  on  section  7.  in  the 
northwestern  part  of  the  township  in  the 
fall  of  1836.  He  was  the  first  man  assessed 
in  the  township,  the  amount  of  his  taxes  be- 
ing' twenty-four  and  one-half  cents.  The 
following  is  a  partial  list  of  those  who  set- 
tled in  the  township  prior  to  1845:  Joseph 
N.  Ecker.  Reuben  Long,  John  Oliver.  Adam 
Creager,  Samuel  Braden,  Frederick  Wey- 
bright, William  Sterling.  Abraham  Leslie, 
Daniel  Leslie,  William  Leslie,  Jonas  Baker, 
Henry  Emery,  John  Arnold,  Henry  Shank, 
John  Wise,  William  Kates,  Michael  Sicka- 
Eoose,  Martin  Bechtel,  George  Rittenhouse, 
David  Rittenhouse.  Enos  Miles,  Henry  Bay- 
lor, Philip  Maring.  Calvin  Maring.  Jacob  L. 
Maring',  Ira  Jackson  and  David  Jackson. 

The  first  marriage  to  take  place  in  the 
township  is  said  to  have  been  that  of  Adam 
Creasrer  and  Susan  Stoner,  who  were  mar- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ried  on  December  18,  1831),  by  Henry  Swi- 
hart,  justice  of  the  peace ;  the  second  was 
that  of  Levi  Creager  to  Margaret  Fulk,  De- 
cember 7,  1842,  by  Aaron  M.  Collins,  justice 
of  the  peace,  and  the  third  was  that  of  David 
Rittenhouse  to  Margaret  Fullerton,  April 
14,  1843,  by  John  Sickafoose,  justice  of  the 
peace. 

The  first  birth  in  Washington  township 
occurred  about  1S43  and  was  that  of  Jacob 
Shank,  who  died  in  infancy.  His  was 
probably  the  first  death  of  a  white  person 
in  the  township. 

Wdien  the  settlers  began  making  the  first 
improvements  within  the  limits  of  what  is 
now  Washington  township  their  methods  of 
procedure  and  the  tools  with  which  they 
worked  corresponded  with  the  general  order 
of  things  in  that  early  day.  In  clearing  the 
land  of  the  timber,  the  ax  was  about  the 
only  tool  worth  considering  in  felling  the 
trees  and  in  getting  the  logs  ready  to  roll. 
A  good  chopper  with  a  sharp  ax  could  cut 
off  a  log  or  fell  a  tree  in  a  less  space  of  time 
than  would  seem  possible  to  the  present  gen- 
eration. The  only  cross-cut  saws  in  use 
were  the  old  brier-tooth  saws,  the  very  re- 
membrance of  which  is  enough  to  make  an 
old  settler  have  the  backache.  There  were 
few  men  who  would  not  rather  chop  off  a 
log  than  to  help  saw  it  off  with  a  saw  of 
that  description.  A  tree  intended  for  saw 
logs  was  chopped  down,  butted  off  with  the 
ax  and  chopped  off  at  the  top  and  the  saw 
was  only  used  to  cut  the  body  of  the  tree 
into  sections.  Sawing  down  trees  was  not 
known  until  many  years  later. 

Oxen  were  used  almost  exclusively  in 
squaring  the  logs  ready  for  the  log  heaps. 
The  plows  were  rude  affairs.     In  plowing 


new  ground  the  one  side  shovel  plow  was 
generally  used  to  scratch  up  the  soil  among 
the  roots.  Corn  was  dropped  by  hand  and 
covered  with  a  hoe  and  in  cultivating  the 
shovel  plow  was  used,  but  the  hoe  was  more 
to  be  depended  upon  than  the  plow  in  keep- 
ing the  weeds  in  check  among  the  stumps. 
All  grain  was  cut  with  sickles  or  cradles  and 
bound  by  hand.  Grass  was  cut  with  scythes, 
raked  up  by  hand  and  the  only  use  for  horses 
in  making  hay  was  to  haul  it  to  the  barn  or 
stack. 

Jacob  L.  Maring  relates  his  experience 
in  taking  care  of  a  field  of  wheat  soon  after 
becoming  a  resident  of  Washington  town- 
ship in  1844.  After  the  wheat  had  been  cut 
and  shocked  he  and  his  father,  Philip  Mar- 
ing, cut  two  poles  about  ten  feet  long  and 
laid  them  on  the  ground  about  two  feet 
apart,  then  put  on  two  shocks  of  wheat  at 
a  time  and  carried  them  to  the  stack.  They 
worked  in  this  way  until  the  wheat  was  all 
taken  care  of. 

The  first  blind  ditches  were  made  of 
poles.  After  the  ditch  was  dug  two  straight 
poles  would  be  placed  on  each  side  of  the 
bottom  of  the  ditch  and  sometimes  a  third 
pole  would  be  laid  on  top  of  the  others  and 
sometimes  the  bottom  poles  would  be  cov- 
ered with  puncheons  that  were  split  out  of 
oak  timber.  Later  on  planks  in  the  shape 
of  an  inverted  hog  trough  were  used.  These 
ditches  answered  the  purpose  very  well  for 
a  few  years  until  the  timber  gave  out  or  the 
ditches  became  stopped  up  by  the  working  of 
crawfish  and  other  causes  and  they  had  to 
be  taken  out  and  reconstructed.  The  old 
timber  ditches  have  long  since  served  their 
time  and  now  the  soil  of  the  township  is  un- 
derlaid  with   miles   and   miles   of  tile   that 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


have  done  so  much  to  make  the  county  what 
it  is  to-day.  Several  county  ditches  have 
been  constructed  through  the  township, 
among-  which  are  Stony  creek.  Sugar 
creek,  etc. 

At  first  and  for  many  years  after  the  first 
settlements,  the  clearings  and  fields  were 
fenced  with  rails  that  were  split  from  the 
timber  and  many  rails  are  still  in  use  that 
were  made  fifty  and  sixty  years  ago:  but  the 
rail  fences  are  rapidly  giving  way  to  the 
modern  woven  wire  fence,  many  miles  of 
which  have  been  erected  in  the  township 
during  the  last  few  years. 

In  1S40.  there  were  no  permanent  roads 
in  the  township  but  mere  trails  and  wagon 
tracks  that  bad  been  cut  out  around  the 
swamps,  but  soon  after  a  number  of  roads 
were  surveved  and  located  on  section  lines 
as  far  as  possible.  "Work  on  the  roads" 
often  consisted  in  cutting  brush  and  laying 
it  across  the  mud  holes,  then  covering  the 
brush  with  dirt.  Later,  plowing  and  scrap- 
ing dirt  into  the  roadways  with  the  dump 
scoop  was  the  mode  of  grading  the  roads 
and  often  more  ingenuity  was  exhibited 
in  trying  to  see  how  the  time  could  be  ex- 
hausted with  the  least  work  than  there  was 
in  trying  to  give  the  roads  any  real  benefit. 
Undoubtedly,  enough  time  and  work  have 
been  expended  upon  the  roads  of  Washing- 
ton township  to  put  every  road  in  the  entire 
district  in  first  class  condition,  had  it  been 
properly  done.  Nevertheless,  the  roads  are 
in  good  condition  generally  the  greater  part 
Mt"  the  year  and  many  of  the  principal  ones 
have  been  graveled.  Once  where  the  only 
w,i\  to  cross  a  stream  was  by  fording  or  on 
a  fool  111;  now  there  is  an  arched  bridge  of 
ci  ni<  'in   and  stmie. 


The  New  York,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis 
Railroad  was  constructed  through  the  ni  >rth- 
ern  part  of  the  township  in  1881,  and  the  In- 
dianapolis, Huntington,  Columbia  City  & 
Northwestern  Traction  Company  have  sur- 
veyed a  line  through  the  central  part  of  the 
township  and  have  been  voted  a  subsidy  of 
seven  thousand  dollars  and  it  is  to  be  Imped 
that  the  road  will  speedily  be  built. 

In  earl_\'  times,  the  rualarial  fever  and 
ague  were  very  prevalent  among  the  settlers 
and  there  was  scarcely  a  family  in  which  one 
or  more  of  the  members  were  not  sick.  Dr. 
F.  M.  McHugh,  of  Columbia  City,  was  said 
to  be  the  first  physician  to  practice  his  pro- 
fession  in  Washington  township.  He  was 
an  Irishman  of  much  skill  and  learning. 
Doctor  Banta  located  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  territory  about  1843  an<^  f°r  several 
years  was  the  principal  physician  and  sur- 
geon in  the  community.  Notwithstanding 
the  sickness,  there  were  few  deaths  and  the 
settlers  braved  the  discouragements,  pushed 
1  m  ami  made  a  country  which  their  descend- 
ants are  now  enjoying.  All  honor  to  those 
brave  and  struggling  souls  who  have  done 
so  much  in  the  development  of  this  fair  land 
of  ours. 

Washington  is  strictly  an  agricultural 
township.  With  the  exception  of  lumber, 
brick  and  tile,  very  little  manufacturing  has 
been  done  in  the  township.  Grain,  hay. 
fruit  and  vegetables  have  been  produced  in 
large  quatities  and  considerable  attention 
has  been  given  to  raising  live  stock.  Some 
1  if  the  finest  horses,  cattle,  hogs  and  sheep 
in  the  country  can  be  found  in  this  township. 
Xo  large  towns  are  located  in  the  township. 
When  the  Nickel  Plate  Railroad  was  built 
in  1 881,  a  station  was  located  in  the  north- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


323 


ern  part  of  the  township  and  named  "Pea- 
body"  in  honor  of  S.  J.  Peabody.  Whitley 
county's  lumber  king  and  soon  after  a  post- 
office  was  established  at  the  place  and  Amos 
E.  Redman  was  the  first  postmaster.  Mr. 
Redman  also  conducted  a  general  store  in 
connection  with  the  postoffice.  Henry  J. 
Ummel  is  conducting  the  business  at  the 
present  time  and  is  the  present  postmaster. 
A  saw  mill  did  an  extensive  business  here 
for  many  years  under  the  management  of 
Lewis  Gross,  James  B.  Peabody.  Cox  & 
Sons,  etc.  George  W.  Irwin.  Henry  Lucke 
and  Noah  E.  Hoops  have  also  conducted 
stores  here.  Peabody  is  a  good  shipping 
point;  large  amounts  of  hay,  grain,  live 
stuck  and  lumber  have  been  shipped  from 
this  point. 

The  early  settlers  were  at  great  incon- 
veniences for  many  years  in  regard  to  postal 
matters.  Those  living  in  the  north  part  of 
the  township  were  obliged  to  go  to  Colum- 
bia City  or  South  Whitley  for  their  mail, 
while  those  living  in  the  southern  part  went 
to  Huntington  or  Liberty  Mills.  What  a 
contrast  now  when  most  of  the  residents 
have  their  mail  delivered  daily  at  their  gates. 
June  2/,  1855,  the  first  postoffice  was  es- 
tablished in  the  township  and  was  named 
"Washington  Center,"  and  Martin  Bechtel 
was  the  postmaster  and  kept  the  office  at  his 
residence  one  mile  south  of  the  center  of  the 
township.  He  was  succeeded  by  William 
Chamberlain  but  the  office  was  discontinued 
many  years  ago. 

A  little  town  had  sprung  up  in  the  west- 
er  1  part  of  the  township  in  the  Dunkard  set- 
tlement and  during  Cleveland's  first  term  as 
president  a  postoffice  was  established  there 
and  was  named  "Tunker."     Tunker  is  an 


old  town  in  years,  but  time  has  never  blessed 
it  with  a  great  population,  yet  it  is  proud  t" 
say  that  it  is  not  on  the  decline.  Frederick 
Weybright,  who  located  here  in  1839,  was 
the  first  settler  near  the  present  site  of  the 
village.  He  was  soon  followed  by  John  Wise 
and  Phillip  Holler,  Sr. 

The  first  store  in  the  village  was  started 
about  thiry-six  years  ago  by  Messrs.  Prich- 
and  Fisher,  of  South  Whitley,  in  a  resi- 
dence building  now  owned  by  Earl  Hossler. 
They  were  followed  by  Joseph  Holler,  Henry 
Benner,  William  Ollinger  and  R.  F.  Gard- 
ner and  in  1888  Henry  K.  Kitch  erected  a 
building  on  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
crossroads,  opposite  the  Dunkard  church,  in 
which  he  placed  a  stock  of  general  merchan- 
dise and  did  a  thriving-  business,  enlarging 
his  store  from  time  to  time  until  June  18. 
1903.  at  the  hour  of  midnight,  the  fire  fiend 
left  his  store  in  a  heap  of  ashes.  Early  in 
1889,  Mr.  Kitch  had  been  appointed  post- 
master and  the  office  thrived  until  December, 
i()00.  when  a  rural  mail  route  from  South 
Whitley  was  established  through -the  vil- 
lage but  the  citizens  were  loth  to  give  up 
the  postoffice  and  it  was  not  until  after  the 
fire  in  June.  1903,  that  the  office  was  discon- 
tinued. 

During  this  era.  other  enterprising  in- 
dustries have  been  carried  on  in  the  village. 
John  Benner  and  Philip  Holler  conducted 
saw  mills  about  twenty-four  years  ago  ami 
Levi  Connell  operated  a  tile  and  saw  mill 
until  a  few  years  ago  when  he  moved  his 
mill  to  Huntington  county.  At  present  Lew- 
is Holler  is  the  proprietor  of  the  saw  mill. 
Henry  K.  Kitch  operates  a  broom  factory. 
Chester  Snyder  and  M.  F.  Kemmel  are  the 
general  sti  >re-keepersand  Firmer  Snyder  con- 


3-4 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,   IXDIAXA. 


ducts  a  butcher  shop.  At  present  the  popu- 
lation of  the  village  is  about  eighty. 

Politically,  Washington  township  has 
alwavs  been  strongly  Democratic,  the  "Gib- 
raltar of  Democracy"  in  Whitley  county.  At 
presidential  elections  it  has  always  gone 
Democratic  and  since  1861  has  invariably 
elected  Democratic  township  officers.  In 
i  Son  Joseph  Stults,  now  of  Huntington, 
was  elected  trustee  on  the  Republican  ticket, 
defeating  Martin  Bechtel.  the  Democratic 
candidate.  Mr.  Stubs  was  re-elected  in 
1 8<  i  i .  defeateing  Enos  Goble,  but  at  the  April 
election  in  1862  Mr.  Goble  defeated  Mr. 
Stubs  for  trustee  and  held  the  office  until 
the  fall  of  1874,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
WiHiam   Chamberlin. 

At  the  last  presidential  election,  1904, 
two  hundred  and  tweny-three  votes  were 
cast  for  Parker  and  one  hundred  and  five  for 
Roosevelt,  making  a  Democratic  majority 
of  one  hundred  and  eighteen. 

Since  1859  the  following  citizens  have 
held  the  office  of  township  trustee:  Wil- 
liam E.  -Merriman,  Joseph  Stubs,  Enos  Go- 
hle.  William  Chamberlin,  Peter  Creager, 
John  Gross,  John  A.  Snyder,  Francis  M. 
Smith.  Joseph  Creager,  Charles  D.  Stick- 
ler and  William  A.  Hauptmeyer. 

Among  those  filling-  the  office  of  town- 
ship assessor  have  been  Jacob  A.  Baker, 
Lewis  (iruss,  John  <  in^s,  Enos  Goble,  Peter 
Regg  and    Frank    L.   White. 

Justice  of  tin'  peace:  George  D.  Ritten- 
bouse,  Jacob  Ecker,  Adam  Creager,  Joseph 
Stults,  John  Alexander,  Frederick  Richard, 
A.  F.  Chavey,  Francis  M.  McDonald, 
Charles  \\  .  Alexander,  Charles  D.  Stickler, 
Henn  M.  Keel.  Franklin  B.  Stallsmith,  D. 
V.  White  and  George  W.  Kesley. 


The  following  named  citizens  of  Wash- 
ington  township  have  been  elected  to  a  coun- 
ty office: 

Clerk  of  the  court:  William  E.  Merri- 
man,   [858. 

Treasurer:  Jacob  A.  Baker,  1874,  re- 
elected in  1876;  Joshua  P.  Chamberlin, 
[886,  re-elected  in  1888;  John  Gross,  1890. 
re-elected  in   1892. 

Commissioner:  Adam  Creager.  Milton 
!'..  Fmerson,  Peter  Creager  and  Noah  Mul- 
lendore. 

County  councilman  :  Isaiah  Lehman  and 
Elisha  Swan. 

The  pioneers  of  Washington  township 
were  God-fearing  men  and  women  and  as 
soon  as  they  were  settled  in  their  rude  homes, 
they  began  to  make  efforts  to  establish  reli- 
gious meetings.  At  first  the  ministers  who 
occasionally  visited  the  township  held  serv- 
ices in  the  settlers'  cabins  or  in  the  log  school 
houses  and  sometimes  in  the  shady  groves. 
The  first  church  organization  in  the  town- 
ship is  said  to  have  been  of  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic faith,  about  the  year  1845.  This  was 
in  what  was  called  the  "Nix  Settlement"  in 
the  southeastern  part  of  the  township.  The 
society  soon  after  built  a  church  which  some 
years  later  was  destroyed  by  fire.  The 
church  was  rebuilt  and  served  the  congrega- 
tion until  1899.  when  it  was  replaced  by  the 
present  large  brick  building  which  is  a  cred- 
it to  the  congregation  as  well  as  to  the  com- 
munity at  large.  Tt  is  known  as  "St.  Cath- 
arine's Church." 

Like  Pilgrims  of  old.  the  early  adher- 
ents of  the  Dunkard  faith  in  Washington 
township  met  in  the  homes  of  the  brethren 
and  worshiped  God  in  accordance  with  the 
dictates  of  their  own  consciences  and  in  the 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


325 


year  1866  they  erected  a  large  brick  church, 
f«irty  by  eight}',  in  what  is  now  the  village 
of  Tunker,  and  is  known  as  the  "Sugar 
Creek  Church."  The  house  was  erected  at  a 
cost  of  two  thousand  four  hundred  dollars 
and  the  present  value  of  the  property  is 
about  three  thousand  five  hundred  dollars. 
Rev.  David  Bear  preached  the  sermon  of 
dedication  and  David  Shoemaker  did  the 
carpenter  work  on  the  building.  About 
thirty-five  years  ago  Rev.  Kripe  manufac- 
tured the  seats  with  which  the  church  is  now 
furnished.  He  worked  at  the  seats  during 
the  day  and  preached  to  the  people  at  night. 

At  the  time  of  the  building  of  the 
church  the  members  were :  Messrs.  and 
Mesdames  Philip  Holler,  Sr.,  John  Wise, 
Martin,  Frederick,  Lewis  and  Jacob  Wey- 
bright,  Solomon  Kitch,  Joseph  Montz,  Reu- 
ben Long.  David  Arnett,  Jacob  and  Osias 
Metz.  The  church  is  now  in  a  flourishing 
condition,  having  a  membership  of  nearly 
one  hundred.  R.  B.  and  Isaac  Bolinger  are 
the  ministers  and  Henry  Kitch  is  the  in- 
structor in  music.  The  church  has  pros- 
pered during  all  these  years  and  has  been  a 
power  for  good  in  the  community. 

April  18.  1846,  a  Baptist  church  was  or- 
ganized in  the  Bechtel  neighborhood  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  township  under  the  min- 
istrations of  Elder  George  Sleeper.  The 
church  was  organized  in  the  old  log  cabin 
of  Martin  Bechtel  and  in  1869  the  society 
erected  a  frame  church  which  is  still  in  use. 
Andrew  Clark  was  the  contractor  and  the 
building  cost  about  one  thousand  four  hun- 
dred dollars.  The  dedicatory  sermon  was 
preached  by  Rev.  David  Scott.  Among 
those  who  have  ministered  to  this  congrega- 
tion have  been  Revs.  Fuller,  Dunon.  Collins, 


Wilder.  Price,  Worth,  Robinson,  Gooden, 
\\  ard  and  Sanders.  One  of  the  charter  mem- 
bers of  this  church  was  Bazaleel  Tracy,  who 
recently  passed  away  at  his  home  in  Hunt- 
ington, Indiana,  aged  nearly  ninety-one 
years. 

The  Washington  Center  United  Brethren 
church  was  organized  at  the  house  of  Mar- 
tin Penn  in  1866  by  Rev.  Fletcher  Thomas. 
The  charter  members  were :  Martin  Penn 
and  wife,  Peter  R.  Goble  and  wife,  John 
Smith  and  wife.  Peter  Wagner  and  wife 
and  Milton  B.  Emerson.  In  1873  the  society 
erected  a  large  frame  church  at  a  cost  of 
about  two  thousand  dollars,  which  was  dedi- 
cated by  Rev.  Cassel.  The  building  com- 
mittee was  composed  of  Peter  Creager,  Mil- 
ton B.  Emerson.  Levi  Sickafoose,  John 
Smith  and  S.  P.  Wagner.  The  contractors 
were  Samuel  Wolf  and  Samuel  Sickafoose. 
In  1905  this  church  was  replaced  by  a 
modern  brick  church  building  at  a  cost  of 
three  thousand  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars, 
and  was  dedicated  on  Sunday.  December  31, 
1905,  by  Rev.  H.  H.  Font,  D.  D.,  of  Dayton. 
Ohio.  Waterfall  &  Son,  of  Columbia  City, 
were  the  contractors  and  William  H.  Water- 
fall was  the  architect. 

Pastors  of  this  church  from  1873  to  1895 
were:  John  B.  Bash.  William  Simmons,  E. 
F.  Light.  Andrew  Wood,  Abijah  Cummins. 
John  Eby,  S.  C.  Norris,  George  T.  Butler. 
John  A.  Farmer.  J.  T.  Keasey.  Frank  Park- 
er, Charles  Parker.  C.  M.  Byerly  and  S.  H. 
Yeager.  Rev.  C.  A.  Spitler  is  the  present 
pastor.  The  church  is  in  a  flourishing  con- 
dition and  has  a  large  membership. 

About  forty  years  ago  ministers  of  the 
New  Light  Christian  church  began  holding 
meetings  at  the  school  house  in  district  No 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


i.  in  Washington  township,  and  afterward  a 
church  was  organized  which  maintained  serv- 
ices for  many  years  and  in  1888  the  society, 
assisted  by  the  community  at  large,  erected 
a  frame  church  building  just  across  the  road 
from  the  school  house.  A  few  years  after 
the  building  of  the  church  the  society  dis- 
banded and  the  property  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  United  Brethren  denomination 
and  a  society  of  that  faith  was  organized. 
This  society  remodeled  the  church  and  has 
since  held  regular  services  in  the  building 
which  is  known  as  "Maple  Grove  Church." 

The  third  United  Brethren  church  in  the 
township  is  located  in  the  eastern  part,  about 
one  mile  south  of  the  village  of  Forest,  and 
is  known  as  'Forest  Chapel."  This  society 
was  organized  at  the  Maring's  school  house 
in  Jefferson  township  and  its  history  ma)-  be 
found  in  the  history  of  that  township. 

In  1857  a  Methodist  class  was  formed 
in  the  vicinity  of  No.  9  school  house  in 
Washington  township, .  some  of  the  early 
members  being:  Michael  Holmn  and  wife, 
John  Smith  and  wife  and  Levi  Creager,  At 
first  the  meetings  were  held  in  the  log  school 
house,  but  in  1869  a  frame  church  was  erect- 
ed at  a  cost  of  about  $2,000,  the  building 
committee  being  Michael  Holmn,  Frederick 
Morrell  and  John  Decker.  Samuel  Sicka- 
foose  was  the  contractor,  and  the  house  was 
'lei heated  in  October,  1869.  by  Rev.  Mon- 
son,  and  was  known  as  "East  Bethel  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church." 

The  church  membership  was  never  large 
and  through  deaths,  removals  and  other 
il  gradually  dwindled  until  the  church 
could  no  longer  support  regular  preaching 
and  the  societ)  disbanded.  The  last  pro- 
tracted meeting  was  held  in  1903  and  in  the 


fall  of  1904  the  church  was  sold  to  a  con- 
tractor in  Huntington  and  the  building  was 
torn  down  and  moved  away.  The  lot  upon 
which  the  church  stood  was  sold  to  Charles 
Walker,  the  present  owner  of  the  Frederick 
Morrell  farm,  and  thus  the  old  East  Bethel 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  fades  from  the 
portals  of  action  and  the  history  of  what  it 
was  and  what  it  has  done  for  religion  and 
civilization  is  written. 

Not  many  public  cemeteries  have  been  lo- 
cated in  Washington  township.  In  the 
years  that  have  passed  the  people  living  in 
the  eastern  and  northeastern  part  of  the 
township  went  to  Evergreen  cemetery  in 
Jefferson  township  to  bury  their  dead,  while 
some  in  the  southeastern  part  went  to  the 
Lutheran  cemetery  in  Huntington  county, 
those  in  the  northern  part  to  the  Eberhart 
cemetery  in  Columbia  township  and  those 
in  the  western  part  to  South  Whitley. 

In  an  early  day  a  cemetery  was  com- 
menced where  the  Baptist  church  is  located 
on  section  28.  The  first  burial  here  was  a 
daughter  of  Walling  Miller  and  the  second 
was  Grandma  Alexander.  This  city  of  the 
dead  has  steadily  grown  and  among  the 
pioneers  buried  here  are :  Sylvester  Alex- 
ander. Martin  Bechtel,  William  Kates. 
James  and  Thomas  Merriman.  John  Stall- 
smith.  Elias  Smith,  etc.  The  place  is  kept 
in  q'ooil  repair  and  there  have  been  a  num- 
ber of  handsome  monuments  erected  to  mark 
the  burial  place  of  some  of  the  people  sleep- 
ing  here. 

About  the  time  the  first  Catholic  church 
was  built  in  the  Nix  Settlement  a  few  graves 
were  made  near  where  the  said  church  stood, 
which  was  some  distance  southwest  of  where 
the  present  church  stands.     When   the  sec- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  IXDIAXA. 


327 


ond  church  building  was  erected  at  the  cross- 
roads a  cemetery  was  laid  out  which  now 
contains  quite  a  number  of  graves. 

Cornering  the  farms  of  Daniel  Baker, 
Charles  Baker  and  Joseph  Stults.  on  section 
jo.  is  an  old  abandoned  cemetery  which  was 
started  about  the  year  1845.  Jonas  Baker 
owned  the  land  at  that  time  and  the  lot 
originally  contained  about  one-half  acre  of 
ground  but  at  the  present  time  the  space 
given  to  this  city  of  the  dead  is  a  lot  of  about 
seventy-five  by  one  hundred  feet.  A  recent 
visit  to  this  place  revealed  what  time  and 
neglect  have  done  for  man}'  similar  places  in 
Whitley  count}- :  it  is  overgrown  with  vines 
and  shrubs  and  not  one  of  the  monuments  or 
tombstones  that  had  been  placed  at  the 
graves  by  loving  hands  is  now  standing', 
but  all  are  leveled  with  the  earth,  and  the  in- 
scriptions, man}"  of  which  were  quite  artistic 
at  the  time,  are  now  deciphered  with  diffi- 
cult}". This  cemeterv  was  nicelv  located  on 
a  high  piece  of  ground,  at  the  foot  of  which 
winds  a  little  brook  and  had  it  been  con- 
tinued as  a  cemetery,  could  have  been  made 
a  beautiful  place.  As  near  as  could  be  as- 
certained from  the  inscriptions  on  the  time- 
worn  grave  stones,  the  first  person  buried 
here  was  Jacob  Shank,  a  young  son  of 
Henry  Shank,  who  died  in  February,  1845, 
and  as  before  stated  was  the  first  birth 
and  the  first  death  in  the  township, 
and  the  following'  April,  Susanna,  wife  of 
Hem-}-  Shank,  was  buried  here.  The  last 
person  buried  here  was  John  Shank,  who 
died  April  16,  1865,  aged  fourteen  years 
and  six  months.  The  oldest  person  interred 
in  this  place  was  Jacob  Ollinger,  who  was 
born  May  4.  1777,  and  died  in  1855. 

Some  of  the  names  of  persons  buried 
here   are:      Bills,    Shank,    Weyb right.    Har- 


ber  and   Karns.      About   thirty   years   ago 

the  remains  of  some  of  the  persons  buried 
here  were  removed  to  other  burial  places 
by  relatives  and  friends  and  the  place  was 
abandoned  as  a  cemeterv.  Fourteen  graves 
were  found  but  it  is  likely  that  there  .are 
several  more  which  were  never  marked  and 
are  now  grown  over  with  grass  and  weeds 
and  cannot  be  found. 

The  grave  of  an  Indian  child  was  found 
near  the  center  of  section  24  in  1844.  A 
cavity  had  been  chopped  in  a  large  pi  ip- 
lar  log,  the  remains  of  the  child  placed  there- 
in and  a  slab  of  wood  neatly  fitted  over  the 
place.  It  was  not  disturbed  further  than  to 
discover  what  it  really  was  and  the  log  laid 
there  until  time  reduced  it  to  mother  earth 
again. 

In  earl}-  times  wild  game  was  plentiful 
in  Washington  township  and  many  of  the 
earlv  pioneers  were  successful  hunters.  Deer 
and  wild  turkevs  were  quite  numerous  and 
occasionally  a  bear  was  seen.  Wolves  made 
night  hideous  with  their  howling  and  some- 
times,the  scream  of  a  panther  was  heard  at 
night  in  the  woods. 

Jacob  L.  Glaring,  who  lived  on  section 
24  from  1844  to  1S64.  has  the  record  of 
killing  fifty-seven  deer  and  it  said  that  he 
killed  the  first  ;wd  the  last  deer  at  which  he 
shot ;  they  were  both  bucks,  and  the  last  one 
was  shot  in  Ja>w*rs  Broxon's  cornfield  in  Jef- 
ferson township,  but  it  led  the  hunter  a  live- 
ly chase  and  it  was  in  the  vicinity  of  "Dev- 
il's Holler,"  in  Allen  county,  that  the  game 
was  finally  killed.  Anthony  Poinsett  and 
Robert  S.  Bell,  of  whom  mention  is  made  in 
the  history  of  Jefferson  township,  often 
hunted  in  Washington  township.  The  form- 
er had  a  double-barreled  shot  gun  and  when 
two  reports  in  quick  succession  were  heard 


328 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


in  the  woods  it  was  known  that  Mr.  I  '<  'in- 
sert was  in  the  vicinity. 

Robert  S.  Bell  related  that  in  1844  he 
went  hunting"  one  day  when  there  was  quite 
a  snow  on  the  ground  and  at  about  1  o'clock 
he  killed  a  deer  and  dressed  it,  then  hung 
the  carcass  on  a  bent  sapling  and  started  on 
his  back  track  for  home.  'It  was  getting 
■  lark  when  he  reached  home  and  the  next 
morning  he  got  one  of  his  neighbors  to  help 
him  and  it  took  them  nearly  all  day  to  get 
the  game  home,  for  they  had  to  follow  the 
tracks  of  the  day  before.  Afterward,  when 
Mr.  Bell  was  better  acquainted  with  the 
country,  he  found  that  he  had  killed  the 
deer  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  his  own 
cabin.  Mr.  Bell  also  related  that  about  two 
years  later  he  was  hunting  one  day  when 
the  snow  was  quite  deep  and  having  gone 
about  two  miles  from  home  he  saw  a  man 
with  his  sleeves  rolled  up  above  the  elbows, 
raking  and  digging  in  the  snow  with  both 
hands.  When  he  came  closer  he  saw  that  it 
was  Jacob  YanDorsen.  and  on  inquiring  the 
trouble,  Mr.  YanDorsen  said  that  as  he  was 
about  to  shoot  at  a  deer,  the  hammer  had 
fallen  off  his  gun  in  the  snow  and  he  was 
trying  to  find  it  but  before  the  hammer  was 
found  the  deer  was  gone. 

Bazaleel  Tracy  once  killed  a  wild  turkey 
gobbler  with  a  rifle  and  although  he  fired 
only  one  shot,  the  ball  passed  through  the 
turkey's  head  and  broke  both  legs  and  both 
wings.  There  was  only  one  way  in  which 
this  could  be  explained.  The  turkey  was 
strutting  and  at  the  moment  the  fatal  shot 
was  fired  it  was  about  to  pick  up  something 
between  its  feet. 

John  VV.  Johnson,  who  settled  on  section 
in  in  1853,  had  the  record  of  killing  thir- 
teen deer  after  he  came  to  the  township.  One 


evening  Mr.  Johnson  had  gone  to  a  neigh- 
bor's, and  on  his  return  and  just  after  he 
had  entered  his  cabin,  a  panther  screamed 
near  the  door,  having  followed  him  home. 
A  gun  was  fired  to  scare  the  animal  away. 
Soon  after  this  a  panther  killed  a  two-year- 
old  heifer  for  Mr.  Saunders. 

John  Kaufman  was  a  successful  hunter 
and  killed  a  number  of  deer  and  much  other 
game. 

An  old  resident  of  the  township  says  that 
the  last  successful  and  genuine  old-fashioned 
fox  hunt  in  Whitley  county  was  in  Washing- 
ton township  on  Saturday.  January  4.  1873. 
Captain  F.  M.  McDonald  was  manager  and 
Enos  Goble  secretary.  Several  hundred  men 
and  boys  formed  lines  entirely  around  the 
township  and  pressed  to  the  center.  The 
lines  started  under  the  lead  of  captains  at 
nine  o'clock  and  at  eleven  o'clock  they  had  a 
number  of  foxes  surrounded  in  Peter  Crea- 
ger's  field.  Six  foxes  were  killed  and  the 
carcasses  sold  at  auction.  The}'  brought 
from  one  dollar  and  five  cents  to  one  dollar 
and  thirty  cents  each  exclusive  of  the  scalp. 
At  that  time  the  count}-  paid  a  bounty  of 
two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  for  fox  scalps. 
This  law  remained  in  force  until  March, 
1883,  when  it  was  repealed. 

About  1867  David  Ummel  was  killed  by 
falling  from  a  wagon  while  going  to  Colum- 
bia City  and  on  February  8.  1877,  Luther 
Jones  was  killed  by  a  falling  tree  near  what 
is  now  Maple  Grove  church.  January  29, 
1889,  Lewis  Cupp  was  killed  by  a  log  rolling 
upon  him  while  hauling  logs  near  the  village 
of  Peabody  and  John  P.  Rittenhouse  was 
drowned  at  the  gravel  pit  near  the  north- 
western part  of  the  township  on  June  17. 
1888.  and  on  May  5,  1885.  John  Wolford 
was  killed  by  lightning-  at  Peabodv  station. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


329 


In  January,  1S80,  Mathew  Tracy,  a  res- 
ident of  Washington  township  and  a  son- 
in-law  of  Martin  Bechtel.  mysteriously  dis- 
appeared. He  had  gone  to  South  Whitley 
on  horseback  and  late  in  the  evening,  after 
taking  supper  at  Rev.  P.  J.  Ward's,  the 
Baptist  minister's,  had  started  for  home  and 
as  he  did  not  reach  home  search  was  insti- 
tuted the  next  morning,  which  resulted  in 
finding'  the  horse  in  a  corn  field  with  the 
saddle  still  on  but  no  rider;  further  search 
was  made  and  on  the  bank  of  Eel  river  a 
package  of  coffee  and  a  first  reader  that 
Mr.  Tracy  was  known  to  have  purchased  for 
his  little  boy  was  found,  also  indications 
of  a  struggle  and  marks  in  the  snow  that 
appeared  as  if  something  might  have  been 
dragged  into  the  river.  It  was  believed  by 
many  that  Mr.  Tracy  had  been  murdered 
and  his  body  thrown  into  the  river,  but  no 
further  evidence  to  prove  this  theory  was 
discovered  and  the  mystery  has  never  been 
explained.  It  lias  been  rumored  that  Mr 
Tracy  has  been  seen  in  the  west  and  there 
are  many  who  believe  that  he  voluntarily 
absconded  for  reasons  of  his  own  and  en- 
deavored to  leave  evidence  that  would  con- 
vey the  impression  that  he  had  been  mur- 
dered. 

In  educational  matters  Washingti  in 
township  has  had  about  the  same  experience 
as  her  neighboring  townships.  The  first 
schoolhouses  were  built  of  logs  with  punch- 
eon floors,  slab  benches  and  writing  desks 
along  the  wall.  At  first  the  schools  were 
sustained  by  subscription  and  usually  con- 
tinued for  eight  or  nine  weeks  during  the 
winter.  John  E.  Kates,  who  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Washington  township  on  October  2, 
1840,  says  that  his  first  experience  in  going 


to  school,  he  went  with  a  sister  and  two 
brothers  nearly  three  miles  from  home  to  a 
log  schoolhouse  in  Huntington  count}',  fol- 
lowing a  blazed  trail  through  the  woods.  In 
winter  they  started  about  daylight  and  did 
not  get  home  until  after  dark.  Once  it 
rained  all  day  and  in  the  evening  everything 
was  afloat  and  before  they  got  home  they 
had  to  wade  water  up  to  their  armpits  and 
their  clothing  was   frozen  stiff. 

Josiah  Kates,  Joseph  Stults.  William 
Stults,  Enos  Goble,  William  E.  Merriman, 
Milton  B.  Emerson  and  John  Alexander 
were  among  the  first  teachers  in  the  town- 
ship. The  first  order  to  pay  school  funds  to 
teachers  was  dated  April  11,  1853,  was  for 
$26.50  and  was  issued  to  John  Alexander. 
In  1858  the  township  was  divided  into  nine 
school  districts  and  each  district  had  a  log 
schoolhouse.  The  division  remains  the 
same  today,  but  each  district  is  now  pro- 
vided with  a  modern  brick  school  building, 
which  is  up  to  date  in  every  way.  The 
schoolhouses  are  located  just  two  miles 
apart  over  the  township. 

Under  the  old  law  all  children  between 
the  ages  of  five  and  twenty-one  years  were 
enumerated  and  in  March.  1858.  the  enu- 
meration of  children  amounted  to  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty-one  males  and  one  hundred 
and  fifty-seven  females,  making  a  total  of 
three  hundred  and  eight  pupils.  Under  the 
present  law  all  children  between  the  ages  oi 
six  and  twenty-one  years  are  enumerated 
and  the  number  enumerated  in  1906  were: 
Males,  two  hundred  and  twenty-nine:  fe- 
males, two  hundred  and  nineteen,  making 
a  total  of  four  hundred  and  forty-eight. 

The  old  "Hickory"  schoolhouse,  or,  as  it 
was  sometimes  called,  "Washington  Hall," 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


is  said  to  have  been  the  first  institution  of 
learning  to  be  planted  in  Washington  town- 
ship and  was  erected  about  sixty  years  ago, 
the  exact  date  cannot  be  given.  It  was  not 
a  building  of  extraordinary  facilities,  but 
the  way  in  which  it  was  built  and  the  mate- 
rial with  which  it  was  constructed  made  it 
famous.  In  dimensions  it  was  sixteen  by 
eighteen,  with  ceiling  about  seven  feet  high, 
and  was  constructed  entirely  of  peeled  hick- 
ory logs  or  nearly  eighteen  inches  in  diame- 
ter. The  floor  was  made  of  hickory  punch- 
eons; the  writing  desks  were  made  by  driv- 
ing pins  into  auger  holes  in  the  wall,  on 
which  a  wide  board  was  laid,  and  the  seats 
were  hickory  puncheons  with  pegs  driven  in 
for  legs.  A  horizontal  window,  eight  feet 
long",  containing  one  sash,  admitted  the  light. 
The  door  was  closed  with  a  latch  string  and  _ 
the  roof  was  clapboards  held  in  place  by 
weight  poles. 

The  first  teacher  was  Josiah  Kates  and 
he  was  followed  by  William  Stults,  Abner 
Hines,  Enos  Goble,  Zephaniah  Johnson, 
William  E.  Merriman  and  others.  Some  of 
the  pupils  were:  George  W.  Stults,  Melissa, 
Anna  and  Mary  Ellen  Bechtel.  Mathew 
Tracy,  George,  Henry,  John  E.  and  Eliza- 
beth Kates,  David,  George,  Benjamin,  Ja- 
cob and  Mary  Hennemeyer,  John  and 
Thomas  Sickafoose,  Thomas,  Sabina  and 
Mary  Emery,  Fanny,  Elizabeth  and  Henry 
Huffman,  Henry  Decker,  Martin,  Lewis  and 
George  Weybright.  Catharine  and  Elizabeth 
Shank,  Elizabeth,  Daniel,  Margaret  and 
Jane  Baker,  Elizabeth  and  Mary  stults  ami 
perhaps  others. 

In  winter  one  of  the  sports  of  the  chil- 
dren was  to  take  nne  of  the  puncheon 
benches  and  slide  down  the  large  hill  just 
south  of  the  schoolhouse,  which  was  located 


on  section  29,  on  the  farm  now  owned  by 
John  F.  Kepler. 

About  forty-five  years  ago  this  primitive 
schoolhouse  was  vacated  for  school  pur- 
poses and  a  frame  schoolhouse  was  built  on 
the  northwest  comer  of  the  farm  owned  by 
the  late  Frederick  Morrell.  This  house  was 
quite  modern  at  that  time  and  in  dimensions 
was  about  eighteen  by  twenty-two  feet. 
Harmon  Holmn  commenced  teaching  the 
first  term  of  school  in  the  building,  but  after 
continuing  about  two  months,  in  some  mys- 
terious way  the  building  took  fire  and 
burned  to  the  ground.  The  patrons  were 
determined  that  education  should  not  be 
abandoned  and  in  two  weeks'  time  they  had 
erected  a  hewed  log  house  and  school  was 
progressing  at  the  same  place  as  if  nothing 
had  happened.  The  teachers  in  this  house 
were:  Joseph  Stults,  Seneca  Heath,  Eliza- 
beth Kates,  John  Miller,  Miss  Henry  and 
Sabina   (Emery)   Wince. 

In  1874  the  log  schoolhouse  was  vacated 
and  a  frame  house  thirty  by  forty  was  erect- 
ed on  the  southwest  corner  of  the  Henry 
Emery  farm.  Enos  Goble  was  the  township 
trustee  and  Edward  Burch  and  Jacob 
Swartz  contractors.  This  school  district 
has  been  known  as  No.  ()  and  the  frame 
building  served  the  district  until  1905,  when 
the  patrons  of  the  school  voted  that  they 
should  have  a  new  school  building,  similar 
to  the  one  in  District  No.  4,  and  accordingly 
William  A.  Hauptmeyer,  trustee,  awarded 
the  contract  to  R.  F  Gardner,  of  Hunting- 
ton, for  $3,570,  and  a  brick  structure  with 
all  the  modern  improvements  was  erected. 
Miss  Florence  Essig-  taught  the  first  term  of 
school  in  the  new  building  and  Miss  Chella 
Kaufman  is  the  present  teacher. 

The    old    frame    schoolhouse    was    pur- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


33i 


chased  by  Thomas  Emery  and  lias  been  con- 
verted into  a  corn  crib  and  wagon  house. 
Some  of  the  teachers  who  held  forth  in  this 
building"  were :  Julius  A.  Vergon,  Louisa 
Goble,  Addie  Foster,  Alonzo  B.  and  James 
Joe  Goble,  Rufus  C.  Saylor,  Martin  Wag- 
ner, Frank  Douglas,  Lemon  A.  Conuell,  H. 
M.  Carson,  Robert  J.  Emerson,  Lesta  Em- 
erson, Carl  Souder,  H.  E.  Emery,  Lincoln 
L.  Lee,  Charles  E.  Weybright,  Bessie  Kep- 
ler and  J.  Lee  Emery. 

The  first  term  of,  school  in  what  is  now 
district  No.  1,  in  Washington  township, 
was  taught  by  Jacob  Hurler  about  1853  in 
a  log  house  that  belonged  to  Elijah  Johnson 
and  stood  about  eighty  rods  west  of  where 
the  present  schoolhouse  in  the  district 
stands.  It  was  a  subscription  school  of  two 
months  and  among  the  pupils  were  two 
young  ladies  who  were  taller  than  the 
teacher  and  at  the  beginning  of  the  term 
they  did  not  know  their  "letters,"  but  they 
learned  very  rapidly  and  at  the  close  of  the 
term  they  could  read  and  spell  quite  well. 

Abouttwo  years  after  this  a  log  school 
house  was  erected  on  the  southeast  corner 
of  section  2,  where  the  Maple  Grove  church 
now  stands,  which  was  used  for  school  pur- 
poses for  about  six  years  and  among  the 
teachers  who  taught  in  this  house  are  re- 
membered :  John  W.  Crowell,  John  Best. 
Simeon  Huffman,  Philander  Ginger,  etc. 
About  1862  the  log  schoolhouse  was  vacat- 
ed and  a  frame  schoolhouse  was  erected  for 
the  district  by  Enos  Goble,  trustee,  a  few 
rods  south  of  the  crossroads,  on  the  east 
side  of  the  road.  It  is  said  that  after  the 
building  was  completed  it  was  necessary  to 
put  in  a  center  post  to  keep  the  house  plumb, 
but  Mr.  Goble  declares  that  the  center  post 


was  not  in  the  contract.  Among  the  teach- 
ers here  were:  Miss  Adaline  Foster.  Miss 
Mary  Ellen  Bechtel,  D.  V.  White  and  oth- 
ers. In  the  early  'seventies  this  house  was 
destroyed  by  fire.  Miss  Irene  Haney  being 
the  teacher  there  at  the  time.  A  frame 
schoolhouse  was  then  built  on  the  corner 
where  the  present  school  building  stands. 
which  served  the  district  until  the  brick 
schoolhouse  was  built,  the  old  house  being- 
sold  to  John  Gross  and  moved  to  his  farm 
near  by.  Jacob  A.  Montavon  taught  the 
school  at  this  place  during  the  winter  of 
1 S77-78,  but  was  taken  sick  and  died  before 
the  term  was  finished. 

In  early  times  this  school  was  known  as 
the  "Poor  Hook"  school,  but  while  the  name 
might  have  been  appropriate  at  that  time, 
it  certainly  is  a  misnomer  now  and  is  justly 
resented  by  the  people  of  the  district  and 
the  school  is  now  known  as  the  "Maple 
Grove"  school.  Charles  R.  Stoner  is  the 
present  teacher. 

The  writer  has  been  unable  to  collect  any 
data  of  the  early  history  of  the  school  in 
District  No.  2  in  Washington  township, 
this  school  is  known  as  the  "Shafer"  school 
and  in  189Q  was  provided  with  a  modern 
brick  schoolhouse  with  all  the  up-to-date 
conveniences  of  this  progressive  age.  Jo- 
seph Creager  was  the  township  trustee  at 
that  time  and  John  Bennet  was  the  con- 
tractor. Miss  Dora  Goble  is  the  teacher  of 
this  school  at  the  present  writing. 

More  than  fifty  years  ago  a  log  school- 
house  was  built  near  the  center  of  section  8. 
in  Washington  township,  the  location  being- 
then  in  the  midst  of  a  virgin  forest  and  not 
near  any  public  road.  It  seems  strange  that 
a  schoolhouse  should  be  so  located,  but  the 


33- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


reason  given  is  that  it  was  the  most  con- 
venient for  the  pupils  attending. 

Reuben  Long  was  one  of  the  board  of 
trustees  at  that  time  and  Jacob  dinger  was 
the  first  teacher.  Some  of  the  pupils  at- 
tending this  school  were:  Mrs.  Lewis  Wey- 
bright. Washington.  Elijah.  Jacob  and 
Lewis  Long,  Mrs.  Catharine  Obenchain. 
John  and  Albert  Montz,  etc. 

This  building  was  finally  vacated  for 
school  purposes  and  a  'frame  schoolhouse 
was  erected  about  eighty  rods  west  of  the 
location  of  the  present  schoolhouse  in  dis- 
trict No.  3,  on  the  north  side  of  the  Illinois 
roa'd.  Joseph  Stults  says  :  "I  was  township 
trustee  at  that  time.  One  night  there  was  a 
meeting  of  the  patrons  of  the  school  and  by 
the  light  of  blazing  logs  a  decision  was 
reached  that  resulted  in  the  building  of  the 
little  'red  schoolhouse.7  " 

This  house  served  the  district  until  i88t, 
when  the  present  brick  schoolhouse  was 
built  by  William  Chamberlin,  trustee,  and 
is  the  only  one  now  standing  of  which  the 
history  of  Washington  township  of  1882 
says:  "There  are  at  present  four  neat  brick 
schoolhouses,  costing  about  $3,600."  D.  V. 
White  taught  the  first  term  of  school  in  the 
brick  schoolhouse  and  some  of  the  teachers 
who  have  served  the  district  in  the  past 
were :  John  W.  Stoner.  Noah  W.  Krider, 
Amos  E.  Redman.  Charles  E.  Weybright. 
Edward  Metz,  H.  E.  Emery,  Mrs.  Mac- 
Carter.  Wilbur  Miller.  J.  Lee  Emery.  B. 
Frank  Stickler  and  others. 

In  1862  Joseph  Stults.  trustee,  agisted 
by  the  citizens  of  the  community,  erected  a 
hewed  loo-  schoolhouse  where  the  old  brick 
schoolhouse  that  was  afterward  built  For 
district    No.   4.   in   Washington   township,   is 


still  standing.  Elizabeth  Stults  was  the 
first  teacher  and  she  was  followed  by  Frank 
Harber,  John  Bash,  Mary  (Emery)  Huff- 
man. Fanny  (Huffman)  Emery  and  others. 
The  log  house  was  vacated  for  school  pur- 
poses about  1872  and  a  brick  house  thirty 
by  fort}"  was  erected  in  its  stead  by  Enos 
Coble,  trustee,  David  Shoemaker  being  the 
contractor.  Martin  Wagner  was  the  first 
teacher  and  he  was  followed  by  Leroy  Tho- 
man,  Frank  Harber.  Rufus  C.  Savior.  Jo- 
seph Wagner,  Hattie  Shank.  Frank  Emer- 
son. Lemon  A.  Connell.  Sherman  Wey- 
bright, John  Lung,  George  W.  Laird. 
Charles  Lawrence.  Horace  S.  Kaufman, 
Charles  E.  Weybright.  Marion  Grable.  H. 
E.  Emery,  Earl  Henderson.  Asher  McCune. 
Rose  Coverstone  and  Maud  Obenchain. 

After  serving  its  purpose  about  thirty 
years,  a  more  suitable  building  was  needed 
and  the  patrons  of  the  district  voted  for  an 
up-to-date  building  with  all  the  modern  con- 
veniences. Charles  D.  Stickler  was  the 
trustee  and  the  contract  was  awarded  to 
Waterfall  &  Son.  of  Columbia  City.  The 
building,  which  was  erected  in  the  fall  of 
1903.  is  of  brick  and  is  heated  by  hot  air. 
Miss  Florence  Essig  was  the  first  teacher 
and  was  followed  by  Mrs.  Bessie  Reiser. 
The  school  is  in  a  prosperous  condition  and 
has  an  enrollment  of  about  forty  pupils. 

In  1878  Peter  Creager,  trustee,  erected 
a  substantial  brick  schoolhouse  at  the  cen- 
ter of  the  township,  which  was  provided 
with  an  ante-room  for  election  purposes; 
but  man  proposes  and  time  disposes,  and  in 
['882  the  county  commissioners  divided  the 
township  into  two  voting  precincts,  known 
as  north  and  south  Washington,  and  or- 
dered  that   elections  be   held   in    the   north 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


precinct  at  No.  2  schoolhouse  and  in  the 
south  precinct  at  No.  8  schoolhouse,  so  the 
election  room  at  the  center  was  no  longer 
used  for  election  purposes.  This  brick 
building-  replaced  an  old  frame  schoolhouse 
that  had  served  the  district  for  many  years. 
Among  the  early  teachers  here  are  remem- 
bered Oliver  P.  Koontz,  afterwards  county 
sheriff;  Rev.  J.  D.  Coverstone,  Miss  Mollie 
Glazier,  H.  H.  Wagner  and  others. 

The  brick  schoolhouse  served  the  dis- 
trict until  1 90 1,  when  it  was  replaced  with 
the  present  high  school  building  by  Charles 
D.  Strickler.  trustee.  Erdman  &  Wyankoop, 
contractors. 

Elisha  Swan,  who  was  one  of  Wash- 
ington township's  teachers  forty  years  ago. 
relates  the  following  experience : 

"I  taught  school  in  the  old  Red  Front 
schoolhouse  in  district  No.  6,  about  one 
and  one-fourth  miles  west  of  the  Maring's 
settlement.  The  house  was  made  of  planks, 
with  the  front  end  weatherboarded  and 
painted  red.  Some  of  the  schoolhouses  in 
the  township  at  that  time  were  log  houses. 
I  had  fifty-one  scholars  enrolled  and  an 
average  attendance  of  forty-seven.  One  cold 
morning,  soon  after  commencing  the  dav's 
w ■(  irk,  James  Merriman  opened  the  door  and 
told  ns  that  the  house  was  on  fire.  Every- 
body was  excited.  We  boosted  Adam  Metz- 
ler  up  through  the  scuttle  hole  in  the  ceiling, 
handed  him  a  bucket  of  water  and  a  tin  cup 
and  told  him  to  be  careful  to  get  the  water 
on  the  fire.  The  fire  was  soon  put  out  and 
Thomas  Merriman  and  Philip  Wince 
brought  an  iron  kettle,  made  a  fire  and  heat- 
ed some  water,  then  dug  up  the  frozen 
ground  and  made  mortar,  with  which  they 
built  a  flue  around  the  stovepipe.     We  went 


on  with  the  school  work  and  they  finished 
about  noon. 

"A  few  days  later  the  school  was  again 
thrown  into  a  state  of  excitement.  A  flock 
of  wild  turkeys  crossed  a  fence  a  few  feet 
from  one  of  the  windows  of  the  school- 
house.  Roscoe  Kaufman  ran  across  the 
lli  m  ir  and  asked  me  to  let  him  go  home  and 
tell  his  father  about  the  turkeys.  I  let  him 
go  of  course.  Mr.  Kaufman  went  after 
them,  but  did  not  get  any,  as  some  one  had 
gone  through  the  woods  and  turned  the 
course  of  the  birds." 

In  the  early  'seventies  the  old  "Red 
I  ront"  schoolhouse  was  replaced  with  a 
substantial  frame  building  by  Enos  Goble, 
trustee,  and  S.  G.  and  D.  C.  Robbins,  con- 
tractors. This  building-  served  the  district 
until  1891,  when  it  was  vacated  and  a  brick 
schoolhouse  was  built  for  the  district  and 
located  one-fourth  of  a  mile  east  and  one 
mile  north  of  the  former  location.  This 
school  is  known  as  district  No.  6,  and  Earl 
Mover  is  the  teacher  at  the  present  time. 

The  school  in  district  No.  7,  in  Wash- 
ington township,  is  known  as  the  "Catholic" 
school,  as  the  schoolhouse  is  located  across 
the  road  from  the  Catholic  church  and  the 
greater  portion  of  the  patrons  are  of  the 
Catholic  faith.  It  is  supplied  with  a  sub- 
stantial brick  schoolhouse  and  Miss  Maggie 
Ness  is  the  teacher  there  at  the  present  time. 

The  school  in  district  No.  X.  in  Wash- 
ington township,  had  about  the  same  experi- 
ence in  its  earlv  strug-gles  as  those  in  the 
other  districts  in  the  township.  Some  time 
in  the  'sixties  a  frame  schoolhouse  was  erect- 
ed for  the  district,  but  the  architect  evidently 
did  not  lay  his  plans  as  well  as  did  the  one 
who  designed  the  great  Mormon  temple  at 


334 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


Salt  Lake  City,  as  the  building  had  not  been  that    name   called    it    "Tracy"    schoolhouse. 
completed  very  long  until  it  became  badly  The  old   "Sway-back"   schoolhouse  has 

swagged  and  its  ungainly  appearance  gave  long  since  served  its  time  and  the  district  is 

it  a  name  that  clung  to  the  school  for  many  now   supplied  with  a  modem  brick  school 

vears  and  it  was  known  as  the  "Sway-back"  building  and  Miss  Grace  Alexander  is  the 

schoolhouse,  but  by  those  who  did  not  like  present  teacher. 


JEFFERSON  TOWNSHIP. 


r,V  R.   II.   MARING. 


Jefferson  township,  located  in  the  south- 
east corner  of  Whitley  count}',  is  the  young- 
est township  in  the  county  in  regard  to  both 
organization  and  settlement.  It  is  a  regular 
government  township  of  thirty-six  sections 
and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Union  town- 
ship, on  the  east  by  Aboite  township  in  Allen 
county,  on  the  south  by  Jackson  township 
in  Huntington  county  and  on  the  west  by 
\\  ashington  township. 

It  may  seem  strange  to  the  present  gen- 
eration that  the  first  settlements  in  the  coun- 
ty were  made  among  the  hills  of  the  northern 
part,  while  the  beautiful  level  land  in  Wash- 
ington and  Jefferson  townships  were  left; 
but  this  is  accounted  for  from  the  fact  that 
at  the  time  of  the  first  settlements  this  part 
of  the  county  presented  a  very  forbidding 
appearance,  a  great  part  of  it  being  covered 
by  swamps  and  swales  and  the  balance  or 
higher  portions  were  covered  with  a  heavy 
growth  of  timber.  Also  at  that  time  a  great 
deal  of  the  best  land  was  held  by  speculators. 
Lot  S.  Eayless,  of  Allen  count}-,  Samuel 
Hanna,  of  Fort  Wayne,  .and  Charles  Lewi'-. 
"I  Huntington,  were  among  the  large  land 
owners  of  the  township.  Another  reason 
why  settlers  avoided  this  part  of  the  count} 


was  that  the  "ague."  the  terrible  disease  of 
that  period,  was  not  so  severe  in  its  ravages 
among  the  hills  as  it  was  around  the  swamps 
of  Washington  and  Jefferson  townships. 

The  first  permanent  settler  was  Moses 
Fairchild.  who  was  born  in  Fairfield  count}'. 
Ohio.  July  19,  1811.  When  a  young  man. 
he  worked  by  the  month  until  he  had  ac- 
cumulated one  hundred  dollars,  and  in  1837 
he  joined  the  tide  of  western  emigration  and 
in  his  travels  visited  this  part  of  Indiana 
and,  being  pleased  with  the  appearance  of 
the  country,  entered  the  west  half  of  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  18,  in  what  was 
afterward  Jefferson  township.  He  im- 
mediately returned  to  Ohio,  where  he  re- 
mained one  year,  making  money  with  which 
to  begin  life  in  the  wilderness  of  Indiana. 
T11  September.  1838.  he  came  west  with  his 
Family,  which  consisted  of  his  wife  and  one 
child,  which  he  left  at  Lot  Bavless's,  who 
was  living  in  Allen  county,  near  the  line, 
until  he  could  build  a  cabin  for  their  re- 
ception.  In  order  to  reach  his  land  he  fol- 
low ed  a  road  cut  by  William  Plummer,  who 
was  located  in  the  southern  part  of  Union 
township,  and  from  Mr.  1'lummer's  he  cut 
his  vvav  south  to  his  land.     Here,  with  the 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


335 


help  of  three  men,  he  erected  a  rude  cabin, 
sixteen  by  eighteen  feet,  into  which  light 
was  admitted  through  one  small  window 
made  by  cutting  a  section  from  one  of  the 
logs.  Into  this  shelter,  with  no  floor  or 
fire-place,  he  moved  his  family,  and  shortly 
after  added  a  puncheon  flour,  a  fire-place 
with  a  stick  chimney,  and  a  table  made  of 
split  boards  and  fastened  to  the  side  of  the 
building".  At  this  time,  two  dim  Indian 
trails  were  the  nearest  approach  to  a  road 
in  the  township,  and  soon  after  his  settle- 
ment he  cut  a  road  about  seven  miles  east- 


direction  and  say,  "That  is  the  way  to  go," 
strike  right  out  and  soon  it  would  be  proven 
that  he  was  right.  Only  two  of  his  children 
are  living  at  this  writing  and  both  are  resi- 
dents of  Jefferson  township.  They  are  Mrs. 
Mary  Jane  Brock,  wife  of  Samuel  Brock, 
and  Solomon  Fairchild,  who  enjoys  the  dis- 
tinction of  being  the  oldest  permanent  resi- 
dent of  the  township,  having  been  a  con- 
tinuous resident  since  September,   1838. 

About  the  time  Fairchild  settled  in  the 
western  part  of  the  township,  or  perhaps  a 
vear  or  two  before,  a  man  bv  the  name  of 


ward,  along  the  blazed  section  lines  to  Lot      Dunlap  settled   in   the  eastern  part   on   the 

Bayless's.  thus  giving  him  a  nearly  direct 

route  to  Fort  Wayne.    This  took  twelve  days 

of  hard  labor,  was  the  first  permanent  road 

in   the  township,   and   has   ever   since  been 

known  as  the  "Fairchild  road." 

Mr.  Fairchild's  wife.  Eve,  died  August 
13,  1850,  leaving  a  family  of  six  children, 
an  infant  dying  soon  after  the  mother's 
death  and  a  daughter,  Ann,  dying  some 
years  later.  The  husband  and  father  sur- 
vived until  June  3,  1879,  when  he  died  at 
the  age  of  sixty-eight  years  ancfhis  remains 
lie  buried  in  Oak  Grove  cemetery,  three 
miles  southeast  of  Columbia  City.  Moses 
Fairchild  was  an  eccentric  character,  with 
no  book  education,  but  was  a  shrewd  busi- 
ness man.  a  successful  farmer  and  acquired 
considerable  property.  He  owned  the  first 
combined  reaper  and  mowing  machine  in 
the  vicinity.  The  writer  well  remembers 
seeing  him  on  horseback,  sowing  oats  broad- 
cast, with  a  covering  over  his  horse's  head 
to  keep  the  grain  out  of  its  ears.  It  was 
said  that  he  could  not  be  lost  in  the  woods 
in  the  day  time.  When  others  became  lost 
while  in  his  company,  he  would  point  in  a 


county  line  in  section  24.  on  the  farm  now 
owned  by  Michael  Oser.  He  erected  a  small 
cabin  and  cleared  a  few  acres.  If  the  meager 
accounts  concerning  him  can  be  relied  upon, 
he  remained  in  the  township  only  about  one 
year.  During  his  residence  here,  he  lost  a 
small  child  which  was  buried  in  Allen  coun- 
ty and  was  perhaps  the  first  death  of  a 
white  person  in  the  township. 

Nathaniel  Decker  became  a  resident  of 
Jefferson  township  abovrt  the  vear  1S40, 
and  occupied  the  cabin  vacated  by  Dunlap. 
He  was  a  remarkable  hunter  and  trapper 
and  was  known  as  "Hunter  Decker,"  or 
"Blood}'  Decker."  When  he  killed  a  deer, 
he  would  throw  it  across  his  shoulder  and 
carry  it  home;  thus  his  clothes  would  nearly 
always  be  bloody,  hence  his  name.  "Bloody 
Decker."  His  rifle  was  an  old-fashioned 
Hint  lock,  the  barrel  alone  weighing" 
eighteen  pounds,  and  one  pound  of  lead 
made  only  twenty  bullets  for  his  gun.  He 
was  an  expert  bee  hunter  ami  could  look 
squarely  at  the  sun  and  not  wink  an  eye. 
He  was  a  very  tall  man,  and  the  stumps  of 
the  trees  that  he  cut  down  were  from  twelve 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


to  sixteen  inches  higher  than  those  cut  by 
an  ordinary  man.  He  could  stand  erect 
and  touch  his  knee-pans  with  the  tips  of  his 
fingers.  Air.  Decker  was  a  man  of  family 
and  it  is  said  that  if  a  stranger  approached 
his  cabin  in  the  summer  time,  the  children 
would  scatter  to  the  woods  like  so  many 
pheasants.  Among  the  children  were  two 
girls  named  Alabama  and  Louisiana.  Air. 
Decker  and  his  family  left  Indiana  in  1851. 
going  to  Illinois  and  afterward  drifting  to 
Missouri.  It  is  said  that  during  the  war  of 
the  rebellion  he  and  one  son  wore  the  gray, 
while  two  of  his  sons  fought  under  the  stars 
and  stripes.  Mr.  Decker  was  an  expert 
oarsman,  and  during  the  war  he  was  hired 
to  row  some  men  across  the  Mississippi  river. 
When  he  reached  the  opposite  shore  the 
wind  was  blowing  so  hard  that  he  was  afraid 
to  undertake  the  return  trip.  He  laid  down 
in  his  boat  to  await  the  falling  of  the  wind 
and  being"  very  warm  from  rowing',  took  cold 
while  asleep,  which  developed  pneumonia 
from  which  he  died. 

While  living  in  Jefferson  township  he 
and  a  brother,  Levi  Decker,  who  was  stay- 
ing with  him  at  that  time,  cut  down  a  large 
oak  tree  for  bees.  The  tree  in  falling  bent 
■  low  n  a  hickory-elm  tree  until  the  top  nearly 
touched  the  ground  but  it  did  not  break 
it,  and,  becoming  loose  in  swinging  back, 
threw  a  large  limb  which  struck  Levi  Decker" 
and  killed  him  instantly.  This  happened 
in  the  winter  time,  when  a  big  snow  was  on 
the  ground,  and  Octavius  Phelps  hauled  the 
body  to  the  house  on  an  ox  sled.  He  was 
buried  on  a  knoll  somewhere  on  section  24, 
near  the  reserve  line,  but  the  place  is  now 
plowed  over  and  no  one  knows  the  exact 
Spot  where  sleeps  the  unfortunate  bee 
hunter. 


The  next  on  the  list  of  Jefferson  town- 
ship pioneers  is  Patrick  Clark,  of  Irish  na- 
tivity, who  settled  on  what  was  afterwards 
the  Illinois  road,  in  the  spring  of  1839.  It 
is  well  known  that  since  St.  Patrick's  Day 
frogs  and  snakes  have  been  unknown  in 
Ireland,  and  a  little  incident  which  this  fact 
explains  is  related  of  Mr.  Clark.  When 
moving  west  after  his  arrival  in  this  coun- 
try, he  passed  a  pond  where  a  chorus  of 
frogs  were  "singing,"  and  he  stopped  to  get 
"some  of  those  young  ducks,"  'as  he  sup- 
posed them  to  be.  He  continued  his  efforts 
until  a  man  came  along  and  gave  him  a  short 
lesson  in  natural  history.  A  number  of  Mr. 
Clark's  descendants  still  live  in  the  vicinity 
where  their  ancestor  first  settled  nearly  sev- 
enty years  ago. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  names  and 
experiences  of  all  of  the  old  settlers  cannot 
be  given  with  greater  accuracy  and  detail, 
but  the  following  list  contains  the  names,  so 
far  as  obtainable,  of  those  who  settled  in 
the  township  previous  to  its  organization  in 
the  spring  of  1845  :  Moses  Fairchild,  Pat- 
rick Clark.  Nathaniel  Decker,  Jonathan 
Chadeayne,  Israel  Poinsett,  Anthony  Poin- 
sett, William  Phelps,  James  Blee,  Thomas 
Blee,  William  Blee,  Latham  Blee,  Absalom 
Bayless,  Thomas  McGlaughlin,  Robert 
Gage,  Michael  C.  Crowel,  Leonard  S. 
Maring.  Clement  Deering,  Henry  C.  Crowel. 
Chancy  I  Pulley,  Benjamin  F.  Davis,  John 
Chandler,  John  McTaggart.  James  Mc- 
Dorman,  James  Kincaid,  Daniel  Barcus, 
Hiram  H.  Clark  and  Robert  S.  Bell.  As 
near  as  can  be  learned,  the  above  named 
pioneers  are  now  all  dead,  Henry  C.  Crowel 
being  the  la§t  to  pass  over.  Pie  died  in  Fort 
Wayne,  Indiana,  January  14,  1906,  in  his 
ninetieth  vear. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


337 


Jonathan  Chadeayne  was  a  blacksmith 
and  erected  the  first  forge  in  the  township, 
which  was  located  on  section  34.  Mr. 
Chadeayne  afterward  sold  his  property  in 
the  township  and  invested  his  all  in  a  canal 
boat  and  a  cargo  of  corn,  but  while  on  his 
way  to  Toledo  with  his  load,  the  boat  was 
sunk  near  that  city  and  the  corn  lost.  Soon 
after  this,  Mr.  Chadeayne  died  in  Toledo. 

Anthony  Poinsett  was  a  noted  hunter. 
He  owned  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
29,  a  portion  of  which  he  named  the  "Buck 
Patch."  He  had  married  in  New  Jersey, 
before  coming  to  Indiana,  but  his  wife  had 
died  and  left  a  little  daughter  in  the  east. 
Mr.  Poinsett  made  his  home  in  Whitley 
county  until  the  spring  of  1884,  when  a  niece 
came  from  the  east  and  took  him  home  with 
her. 

William  Phelps  settled  on  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  25,  in  November,  1841. 
He  emigrated  from  Franklin  county,  Ohio, 
ten  miles  north  of  Columbus,  making  the 
trip  in  a  wagon  in  which  he  hauled  his 
family  and  household  goods  and  drove  a 
number  of  cattle,  hogs  and  sheep.  Mr. 
Phelps  afterward  moved  to  Allen  c  ity, 
near  Fort  Wayne,  where  he  diec  He 
was  the  first  road  supervisor  in  Jeffe.son 
township  and  his  district  included  the  whole 
township.  His  son,  Octavius  Phelps,  still 
resides  in  Jefferson  township,  on  section  25, 
where  he  has  lived  continuously  since  1841, 
except  a  short  time  that  he  resided  in  Allen 
county.  He  was  born  June  8,  1825,  has 
taught  school  and  been  an  honored  and  use- 
ful citizen. 

The  Blee  brothers  settled  in  Jefferson 
township  in  December,  1841.  They  were 
born   in   Ireland   and   came  to   America   in 


1833.  The  brothers,  James,  John  and  Wil- 
liam, lived  for  many  years  in  a  large  brick 
house  on  their  farm  in  section  2$.  They 
never  married  and  lived  to  be  very  old. 

In  the  fall  of  1843.  a  company  of  emi- 
grants left  Richmond  county,  Ohio,  with 
ox  teams,  with  the  intention  of  making 
homes  in  the  western  wilderness.  Their 
first  stopping  place  in  Indiana  was  at  An- 
derson, in  Madison  county,  and  a  part  of 
the  company  spent  the  following  winter  at 
Marion,  Grant  county.  Leonard  S.  Maring 
and  his  brother,  Calvin,  and  two  brothers-in- 
law.  Ira  Jackson  and  Robert  S.  Bell,  pushed 
northward  to  Huntington,  where  they  were 
induced  by  Charles  Lewis  to  visit  some  land 
that  he  had  for  sale  in  the  southern  part  of 
Whitley  county.  Mr.  Lewis  accompanied 
them  on  their  prospecting  tour,  and  after 
looking  at  several  tracts  of  land,  they  re- 
turned to  Huntington,  not  very  well  pleased 
with  the  looks  of  Whitley  county.  How- 
ever, after  some  further  prospecting,  they 
returned  to  Whitley  county  and  each  pur- 
chased land  in  what  is  now  Washington  and 
Jefferson  townships.  Mrs.  Leonard  S. 
Maring  drove  the  oxen  and  wagon,  while 
her  husband  and  companions  cut  the  road 
through  the  woods  to  their  land.  Mr.  Mar- 
ing erected  a  log  cabin  on  the  piece  of  land 
purchased  by  him,  being  a  part  of  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  24,  in  Washington 
township,  and  moved  into  the  same,  January 
1,  1844,  in  the  meantime,  camping  out. 
sleeping  in  the  covered  wagon  and  cooking 
by  a  log  heap.  The  vicinity  was  known  for 
mam"  years  after  as  the  "Maring's  settle- 
ment," and  is  located  about  one  mile  south 
of  the  village  of  Forest.  Several  other  fam- 
ilies soon  located  here  and  in  1847  ^e  set- 


338 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


tlement  had  increased  to  quite  a  colony. 
Mr.  Maring  soon  disposed  of  his  land  to  his 
brother  Jacob,  and  purchased  the  west  half 
of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  18,  in 
Jefferson  township,  which  was  ever  after  his 
home  and  where  he  died  February  22,  1892. 
Up  to  this  time  the  township  had  not 
been  organized  for  the  transaction  of  busi- 
ness and  at  the  presidential  election  of  1844 
a  number  of  the  residents  went  to  Washing- 
ton township  to  cast  their  votes.  In  the 
spring  of  1845  a  number  of  the  residents  of 
the  territory  petitioned  the  board  of  county 
commissioners  to  organize  the  township  for 
civil  purposes,  and  when  the  petition  was  be- 
ing circulated  several  names  were  suggested. 
Some  proposed  "Raccoon,"  in  honor  of  Rac- 
coon Village  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
township  on  the  Wabash  &  Erie  Canal ; 
others  favored  "Polk."  as  James  K.  Polk 
was  then  the  newly  elected  President  of  the 
United  States;  Moses  Fairchild,  the  first 
permanent  settler  of  the  township  and  who 
was  a  native  of  Fairfield  countv,  Ohio, 
wanted  the  township  named  "Fairfield." 
Chancy  Hadley  was  the  last  to  sign  the  pe- 
tition and  after  writing  his  name,  he  wrote 
the  words  "Jefferson  Township"  on  the  out- 
side of  the  paper.  He  and  his  family  had 
recently  moved  from  Jefferson  township, 
Richland  county,  Ohio,  and  in  remembrance 
of  his  old  home  he  desired  that  the  new 
township  be  called  "Jefferson."  When  the 
petition  was  presented  to  the  board  of  com- 
missioners the  name  "Jefferson"  was 
adopted,  and  it  was  ordered  that  "the  cit- 
izens of  said  township  meet  at  the  dwelling- 
house  of  Michael  C.  Crowel,  in  said  town- 
ship, 'in  the  first  Monday  in  April,  1845, 
then  and  there  to  open  and  close  an  election 


according  to  law,  and  elect  a  justice  of  the 
peace  and  all  township  officers  that  the  law 
requires;  that  Michael  C.  Crowel  be  in- 
spector of  said  election  and  that  they  do  their 
civil  business  under  the  name  and  style  of 
Jefferson  township." 

Pursuant  to  the  above  order,  ten  voters 
met  at  Mr.  Crowd's  on  Monday,  April  7. 
1845,  and  set  running  the  political  machinery 
of  the  township.  Mr.  Crowd's  residence 
was  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  8, 
on  the  Illinois  road.  The  ten  voters,  as 
nearly  as  can  be  learned,  were :  Michael  C. 
Crowel,  Henry  C.  Crowel,  Moses  Fairchild, 
Patrick  Clark,  Jonathan  Chadeayne.  Leon- 
ard S.  Maring,  Latham  Blee,  James  Blee, 
Chancy  Hadley  and  Robert  S.  Bell.  For 
justice  of  the  peace,  Leonard  S.  Maring  re- 
ceived nine  votes  and  Jonathan  Chadeayne 
one  vote.  Latham  Blee  was  elected  one  of 
the  board  of  trustees,  but  the  names  of  the 
other  officers  elected  could  not  be  learned. 
Mr.  Maring  soon  after  filed  his  bond  with 
Michael  C.  Crowel  and  Moses  Fairchild  as 
sureties  thereon,  and  qualified  as  the  first 
justice  of  the  peace  of  Jefferson  township 
and  held  the  office  three  years :  he  was 
also  a  member  of  the  township  board  of 
trustees  from  1848  to  1851. 

In  1844  Benjamin  F.  Davis  and  his 
brother-in-law,  John  Chandler,  settled  on 
the  farm  now  known  as  the  Samuel  Braden 
farm,  which  is  the  southeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 23.  They  erected  a  double  log  cabin, 
Davis  occupying  one  room  and  Chandler 
the  other.  Mr.  Davis  and  his  wife  were 
well  educated,  and  here  in  the  spring  of 
1845.  in  the  room  occupied  by  the  family, 
Mrs.  1  >avis  taught  the  first  school  in  Jeffer- 
son township.     She  was  paid  by  subscrip- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


33'J 


tion  and  had  a  school  of  about  seventeen 
small  scholars.  Mr.  Davis  came  from  Cam- 
den, Jay  county,  Indiana,  where  he  had  an 
interest  in  a  nursery  and  it  is  said  that  he 
propagated  the  celebrated  "Ben  Davis"  apple. 
Mr.  Davis  soon  left  Indiana  and  it  is  said 
he  went  to  Arkansas,  where  he  died. 

Robert  S.  Bell  was  a  successful  hunter 
and  during  the  early  days  of  the  settlement 
killed  many  deer  and  it  is  said  that  he  killed 
the  last  one  seen  in  the  vicinity.  This  was 
killed  during  the  winter  of  1865-66,  in 
Moses  Stewart's  corn  field  on  the  farm  now 
owned  by  Dr.  S.  R.  White  in  Washington 
township.  Once  the  people  of  Maring's  set- 
tlement were  out  of  meat  and  Mr.  Bell  un- 
dertook to  supply  their  wants.  In  the 
evening  he  and  a  companion  made  their  way 
to  a  pond  nearly  a  mile  away  where  the 
deer  often  gathered  and  soon  the  report  of 
a  rifle  told  of  his  success.  Soon  it  became 
quite  dark  and  there  was  danger  of  the  hunt- 
ers getting  lost  unless  they  had  some  guid- 
ance. This  was  given  by  Mrs.  Philip  Mar- 
ing.  who  blew  a  conch  shell  until  the  men 
came,  one  carrying  a  deer  and  the  other  the 
gun.  Mr.  Bell  is  the  hero  of  a  wolf  story 
that  is  worth  relating  here.  He  was  roam- 
ing through  the  woods  one  day  with  his 
gun  when  he  found  a  hollow  log  in  which 
he  discovered  some  young  wolves.  At  the 
risk  of  an  attack  from  the  old  wolves.  Mr. 
Bell  crawled  into  the  log  and  secured  the 
young  ones.  The  county  offering  a  reward 
for  wolf  scalps  at  that  time,  he  took  them 
to  Columbia  City  but  was  told  that  he  must 
kill  them  before  he  could  collect  the  bounty. 
This  he  did,  but  they  were  such  innocent 
looking  little  creatures  that  to  kill  them  Mr. 
Bell  declared  was  about  the  hardest  work 


he  ever  did.  Mr.  Bell  claimed  to  have  killed 
four  hundred  and  eighty- four  deer ;  some  of 
them,  however,  were  killed  in  Ohio  before 
he  came  to  Indiana.  He  raised  a  family  of 
eight  children  and  the  game  killed  by  his 
trusty  rifle  was  a  great  help  in  supplying 
their  wants.  Mr.  Bell's  home  was  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  30.  which  was  his 
home  until  his  death.  January   18.   1878. 

Absalom  Bayless,  who  died  in  August, 
1843.  was  among  the  very  first  of  the  pio- 
neers to  pass  away.  His  remains  were 
buried  in  a  lot  on  the  southeast  corner  of 
section  24,  which  was  made  a  family  burial 
ground  and  some  tall  evergreen  trees  mark 
the  spot  to-day. 

Y\  hen  the  township  was  first  settled, 
Indians  were  quite  numerous  and  were  fre- 
quent callers  at  the  settlers'  cabins.  One  of 
their  trails  passed  near  the  cabin  of  Mr. 
Fairchild,  where  they  frequently  called  to 
beg  a  little  meal  or  salt,  or  to  borrow  a  ket- 
tle to  do  their  cooking.  He  always  treated 
them  kindly  and  in  return  they  would  some- 
times bring  him  a  piece  of  venison  or  some 
fish,  and  they  sometimes  stored  their  hides 
at  his  house  until  they  were  sold.  Leonard 
S.  Maring'  related  that  at  one  time  he  had 
killed  a  deer  which  he  had  hung  up  near  his 
cabin.  He  had  a  large  dog  which  he  left  to 
watch  the  deer.  Soon  an  Indian  approached 
and  Mr.  Maring"  had  hard  work  to  keep  the 
dog  from  attacking  the  Indian,  who  stood 
his  ground  and  kept  saying:  "Good  dog. 
good  dog."  He  evidently  admired  a  dog 
that  was  so  faithful  to  his  trust. 

Patrick  Clark  was  not  so  friendly  with 
the  Indians,  and  regarded  them  as  a  worth- 
less, good-for-nothing  set  for  whom  he  had 
no  use.    Tliev  would  roam  over  his  land  with 


340 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


their  dogs,  cut  down  trees  for  bees  and  coon, 
which  became  very  annoying  to  Mr.  Clark. 
At  cue  time  a  band  of  Indians  had  camped 
in  a  deserted  cabin  on  Clark's  land  and  he 
concluded  that  the  best  way  to  get  clear  of 
them  would  be  to  tear  down  the  cabin. 
Accordingly,  he  took  his  axe  and  commenced 
to  demolish  the  building  when  forty  Indians 
came  out  and  slunk  away  in  the  woods.  Mr. 
Clark's  son,  Thomas,  afterward,  in  relating 
the  incident,  declared  that  he  would  not 
have  done  what  his  father  did  for  all  of 
Jefferson  township. 

The  Indians  that  were  here  when  the 
first  settlers  came,  generally  were  harmless 
and  were  rarely  known  to  steal,  although 
their  begging  proclivities  were  equal  to  those 
of  our  modern  gypsies. 

In  the  earl}-  days  of  the  settlement  the 
roads  or  trails  were  so  obscure  that  they 
were  easily  lost  and  many  a  belated  traveler 
has  been  obliged  to  camp  out  and  build  a  fire 
to  keep  the  wolves  away.  Moses  Fairchild 
and  Patrick  Clark  once  attended  a  conven- 
tion at  Columbia  City,  where  the  excitement 
and  enthusiasm  were  so  great  that  it  was 
near  sun-down  when  tbev  started  for  home 
and  darkness  was  on  them  before  they  had 
gone  many  miles.  When  they  separated  to 
take  different  trails,  it  was  not  long  before 
the;\-  both  became  lost.  Mr.  Fairchild  finally 
tied  ln's  horse  to  a  tree,  built  a  fire  and  lay 
down  to  wait  for  coming  day,  with  the 
wolves  bowling  all  around  him.  When  day- 
light arrived  and  revealed  his  situation,  he 
found  himself  near  the  edge  of  his  own 
clearing. 

Came  of  all  kinds  was  plenty  and  the 
early  settlers  would  many  times  have  faced 
starvation    had    it   not    been    for   the   deer. 


turkeys,  squirrels  and  other  game  that  was 
brought  down  with  the  trusty  rifle.  Wild 
honey  was  in  abundance  and  added  a  luxury 
to  the  homely  fare,  while  maple  syrup  and 
sugar  were  depended  upon  not  only  to  sup-- 
ply  the  sweets,  but  to  exchange  for  clothing 
and  other  supplies  for  the  family. 

Going  to  market  and  to  mill  was  no 
pleasant  task  in  those  early  days,  as  the 
roads  were  but  wagon  tracks  through  the 
dense  woods  and  the  streams  all  had  to  be 
forded.  The  women  and  children  were 
often  left  alone  for  days  while  the  husbands 
and  fathers  were  gone.  Most  of  the  settlers 
went  to  Fort  Wayne  for  their  milling  and 
other  supplies,  and  would  often  have  to  wait 
a  day  or  two  for  their  turn  at  the  mill,  and 
in  coming  home  would  sometimes  be  obliged 
to  camp  out  two  or  three  days  until  the 
subsidence  of  the  swollen  streams  would 
allow  them  to  cross.  Sometimes  they  would 
plunge  through  with  cattle  partly  swimming 
and  wagon  and  grist  completely  under  water. 

F.xcepting  the  ague,  the  settlers  generally 
had  good  health,  but  sometimes  the  children 
sickened  and  the  anxious  parents  worried  in 
the  rude  cabins  until  relieved  by  returning 
health  or  by  death.  If  the  latter,  a  father 
would  sometimes  be  compelled  to  dig  a  grave 
in  the  woods  for  the  body  of  his  own  child. 
Who  can  describe  the  burial  scene  when  the 
parents  are  the  only  mourners?  But  these 
scenes  were  not  numerous:  for  although  the 
neighbors  were  few  and  widely  scattered, 
in  time  of  sickness  or  death  there  were  will- 
ing hands  to  assist. 

Sometimes,  perhaps,  a  sturdy  pioneer 
would  be  laid  low  by  the  falling  of  a  giant 
oak.  or  by  the  accidental  discharge  of  a  gun. 
and  some  spot  must  be  selected  in  which  to 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


54' 


bury  the  dead.  A  number  of  such  places 
were  marked  in  Jefferson  township  in  early 
days  which,  sad  to  say,  are  unknown  to-day, 
and  where  once  a  mound  of  fresh  earth 
designated  the  sacred  spot,  now  grass  and 
grain  are  growing  unmolested. 

Three  permanent  cemeteries  are  in  use 
in  Jefferson  township  at  the  present  time, 
an  account  of  the  beginning  of  which  will 
perhaps  be  of  interest  here. 

About  1850,  Samuel  Braden,  who  lived 
at  that  time  on  the  southeast  quarter  of 
section  23,  lost  a  small  child  which  was 
buried  near  the  southeast  corner  of  said 
section,  and  soon  after  Air.  Braden  deeded 
to  the  public  for  a  burying-ground  about 
one  acre  of  ground.  A  child  of  William 
M.  Gillespie  was  the  next  to  be  buried  there, 
and  Airs.  David  Aker  was  the  first  adult 
person  to  be  interred  in  the  new  cemetery. 
There  are  perhaps  between  two  or  three 
hundred  graves  in  the  place  to-day  and  it  is 
known  as  the  "Broxon  Cemetery."  A  large 
monument  marks  the  grave  of  Samuel 
Braden,  the  donator  of  the  ground,  and  there 
is  also  a  nice  monument  at  the  grave  of 
Andrew  Scott,  who  was  accidentally  killed 
at  z  wolf  hunt  on  February  1,  1854,  an  ac- 
count of  which  will  be  found  at  another 
place  in  this  history. 

The  body  of  Mrs.  Albert  Hatfield, 
mother  of  James  M.  Hatfield,  of  Hunting- 
ton, has  lain  in  this  old  cemetery  for  more 
than  forty  years,  and  a  few  feet  from  her 
grave  is  the  grave  of  her  mother,  Jane  Dyer, 
who  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1784,  and  a  few 
feet  further  away  lies  Sarah  Jeffries,  a  half 
sister  of  Mrs.  Hatfield,  who  was  born  on 
the  first  day  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Jane 
Dver  had  a  brother,   Robert  Buckles,   who 


was  a  soldier  in  the  arm}'  of  General  An- 
thony Wayne  in  his  campaign  in  1793-4 
against  the  forces  of  Little  Turtle,  when  that 
great  Indian  chieftain  was  defeated  and 
routed,  but  the  life  of  Robert  Buckles,  given 
up  on  the  banks  of  the  Maumee,  was  a  part 
of  the  price  paid  for  that  victory. 

Elza  Roberts,  one  of  the  pupils  at  the 
old  red  schoolhouse  near  by.  became  a  sol- 
dier in  the  war  of  the  rebellion,  but  died 
in  the  service  and  his  body  was  brought  back 
and  buried  in  this  cemetery. 

On  Saturday,  May  24.  1856.  Flora 
Catharine  Maring,  daughter  of  Leonard  S. 
Maring,  died,  aged  eight  years  and  one 
month.  The  parents  decided  to  bury  their 
child  on  the  home  farm  for  the  present  and 
perhaps  in  the  future  the  remains  could  be 
removed  to  a  more  desirable  spot.  Accord- 
inglv.  after  a  funeral  service  at  the  old 
family  residence,  on  a  beautiful  spring  Sab- 
bath morning,  conducted  by  Rev.  Keplinger, 
she  was  buried  in  what  was  then  a  corner  of 
the  woods.  Jackson  Ihrig  dug  the  grave 
and  this  was  the  beginning  of  Evergreen 
cemetery  on  section  18.  Soon  after,  James 
Dun  fee  and  several  others  were  buried  there 
and  it  was  decided  to  make  the  place  a  per- 
manent burial  ground,  and  Air.  Maring  and 
Minard  Lefever  each  deeded  to  the  public 
one-half  acre  of  ground  for  that  purpose. 
Some  bodies  were  removed  from  other  places 
and  re-interred  there  and  the  city  of  the 
dead  has  steadily  grown  until  it  now  contains 
several  hundred  graves. 

Four  soldiers  of  the  war  of  181 2  were 
buried  in  Evergreen  cemetery.  They  are. 
John  Ihrig.  who  died  April  19.  1867, 
Zephaniah  Bell,  died  March  29.  1876,  Philip 
Maring,  died  September  17,  1879.  and  David 


342 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Jackson,  who  died  in  August,  1883,  aged 
ninety-seven  years. 

Many  years  ago,  Anderson  Smith  laid 
off  a  plat  of  ground  near  the  northwest 
corner  of  section  15,  and  donated  it  for  a 
public  cemetery.  A  child  of  Mr.  Smith  is 
said  to  have  been  the  first  person  buried 
there,  which  was  the  beginning  of  what  is 
known  as  Sand  Bank  cemetery.  Among  the 
pioneers  buried  there  may  be  mentioned : 
James  Broxon.  Thomas  Kemp,  Rev.  Heze- 
kiah  Maddox,  John  Saures,  John  Robinett, 
Henry  Londt,  Oliver  Smith,  etc. 

Thomas  Kemp  was  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers of  Jefferson  township,  and  in  his  time 
was  quite  a  character.  He  served  a  term  as 
township  trustee  and  in  1873  he  was  the 
township  assessor  and  land  appraiser.  In 
politics  he  was  a  strong  Democrat  and  in 
religious  faith  he  was  an  ardent  Universalist. 
Mr.  Kemp  died  in  August,   1880. 

Rev.  Hezekiah  Maddox  was  another 
noted  character  in  the  early  history  of  Jeffer- 
son township.  He  was  a  minister  of  the 
New  Light  Christian  church  and  conducted 
a  large  number  of  funerals  in  the  surround- 
ing country.     He  died  in  March,   1890. 

For  some  years  after  the  first  settlement 
of  the  township,  it  was  customary  for  the 
settlers  occasionally  to  engage  in  a  wolf  or 
fox  hunt,  sometimes  called  a  circle  hunt, 
in  which  a  certain  territory  would  be  sur- 
rounded and  at  a  designated  hour  all  would 
march  to  the  center,  the  lines  being  under 
the  charge  of  captains.  All  game  that  was 
driven  in  would  be  corralled  in  an  open  field 
and  then  the  fun  would  begin.  The  last 
hunt  of  this  kind  in  Jefferson  township  was 
on  Saturday.  February  8,  1873.  When  the 
lines  came  together  near  the  center  of  the 


township  in  a  field,  it  was  discovered  that 
only  one  fox  was  in  the  enclosure  and  the 
fun  was  of  short  duration,  as  some  one 
threw  a  club  at  the  fox  which  struck  it  on 
the  head  and  killed  it  instantly. 

On  Wednesday,  February  1,  1854,  some 
of  the  settlers  residing  in  the  southeastern 
part  of  Whitley  county,  in  conjunction  with 
those  living  in  the  adjoining  parts  of  Hunt- 
ington and  Allen  counties,  engaged  in  a 
wolf  hunt  which  had  a  very  sad  ending. 
James  M.  Hatfield,  now  of  Huntington,  and 
who  as  a  small  boy  was  living  near  the  ter- 
mination of  the  hunt  at  the  time,  wrote  an 
interesting  account  of  the  incident  on  the 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  its  occurrence,  which 
was  published  in  the  Huntington  Herald  of 
February  6,  1904.  Through  the  kindness 
of  Mr.  Hatfield,  I  am  permitted  to  copy  the 
article,  which  is  in  part  as  follows : 

Fifty  years  ago  the  pioneers  of  the  north- 
eastern portion  of  Huntington  county,  the 
southeastern  part  of  Whitley  county  and  the 
adjoining  parts  of  Allen  county,  engaged 
in  a  wolf  drive  in  the  hope  of  exterminating 
that  pestiferous  creature. 

Considerably  more  than  a  township  in 
area  was  surrounded  by  lines  of  sturdy 
backwoodsmen,  each  armed  with  a  trusty 
rifle,  who  carefully  advanced  to  the  center 
of  the  encircled  territory,  making  every  ef- 
fort to  drive  in  such  game  as  then  abounded 
in  that  thinly  populated  district.  Late  in 
the  afternoon  the  lines  of  hunters  concen- 
trated about  a  small  tract  of  prairie  and 
woodland  some  little  distance  south  of  the 
Wabash  &  Erie  canal,  not  far  from  Aboite 
creek.  Within  the  lines  were  seven  or  eight 
deer  and  a  few  wolves  and  foxes.  Excite- 
ment became  great  as  the  opportunity  offered 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


343 


to  get  a  shot  at  the  game  thus  enclosed,  the 
deer  seeming  to  attract  the  greatest  interest. 
Men  would  shoot  into  the  ring  at  the  game 
without  taking  notice  of  the  fact  that  scores 
of  others  were  just  beyond  in  the  range  of 
the  bullet  being  fired,  and  the  danger  was 
increased  by  the  fact  that  "buck  ague"  made 
poor  shots  of  excellent  marksmen,  so  great 
was  the  excitement  prevailing".  Occasion- 
ally a  deer  would  fall  and  then  a  score  of 
hunters  would  claim  the  honor  of  bringing 
it  down.  At  one  time  knives  were  being 
drawn  by  some  of  the  excited  ones  with  the 
purpose  of  enforcing  their  claims  in  their 
assertions  of  ownership  in  a  slaughtered 
deer,  when  nearby  from  the  midst  of  a  num- 
ber of  friends  there  rang  out  the  sharp  report 
of  a  pistol  and  one  of  those  friends  sank  to 
to  the  earth  with  a  bullet  in  his  brain.  The 
deer  was  forgotten  and  all  gave  attention  to 
the  unfortunate  man,  but  help  was  unavail- 
ing, as  the  spirit  of  Andrew  Scott  took  its 
flight  but  a  few  hours  later.  The  pistol  was 
being  examined  by  a  friend  of  the  owner, 
who  could  not  use  it  on  account  of  something 
being  wrong  with  the  mechanism,  when, 
without  warning,  it  was  discharged  with 
deadly  effect.  The  unfortunate  turn  of  mat- 
ters put  an  end  to  the  wolf  drive  and  it  is 
nut  known  that  a  single  wolf  was  killed, 
but  those  driven  in  were  permitted  to  escape. 
Few  of  those  pioneer  hunters  are  left  to 
tell  the  story  of  that  day's  sport  and  sad 
ending.  So  far  as  known  Albert  Hatfield, 
the  C.  &  E.  caller,  is  the  only  one  of  them 
living  in  this  city.  The  next  morning,  on 
putting  his  hand  in  a  side  pocket  of  his  coat. 
he  brought  out  a  flattened  bullet  which  had 
struck  some  object  and  with  spent  force  had 
fallen    unobserved    into    the    place    where 


found.  Many  of  those  present  never  forgot 
to  the  last  hour  of  life  the  sensation  pro- 
duced by  whistling  bullets  coming  all  too 
close  for  comfort. 

But  a  few  rods  away  from  the  scene  of 
the  occurrence  here  related  is  the  battle 
ground,  on  the  banks  of  the  Aboite  river, 
where,  years  before,  a  band  of  Indians  com- 
pletely exterminated  an  armed  force  of 
whites.  Less  than  a  mile  from  this  place 
of  carnage,  just  north  of  the  traction  line, 
stands  the  old  brick  mansion  of  Ben  Ruffner, 
who  was  a  king  among  his  fellows  half  a 
century  ago,  and  whose  home  was  the  won- 
der of  the  hardy  backwoodsmen  of  that  day. 
The  artificial  waterway  which  permitted 
well  laden  boats  to  sweep  past  his  dour-yard 
from  spring  until  fall,  has  long  since  fallen 
into  disuse  and  in  its  place  the  traction  car 
flies  at  rapid  speed,  propelled  by  a  power 
then  unknown. 

The  pioneer  of  fifty  years  ago  conquered 
the  forest  and  planted  homes  for  succeeding 
generations  in  places  seemingly  for  all  time 
the  abiding  place  of  the  wolf.  His  unerring 
rifle  brought  down  the  last  of  the  fleet-footed 
deer,  ami  the  generations  are  wondering 
whether  the  stories  told  of  that  animal's 
presence  are  based  upon  facts,  or  whether 
some  wild  dream  has  been  taken  for  history. 
Ml  honor  to  the  few  remaining  sons  of  toil 
of  those  clays  and  their  comrades  who  have 
fallen  along  the  way.  Those  of  us  now 
living  and  our  successors  will  long  owe  them 
a  debt  of  gratitude  not  easily  paid. 

J.  M.  H. 

T.  W.  Rea  was  the  man  holding"  the  pistol 
when  it  was  discharged,  but  his  name  was 
not  mentioned  bv  Mr.  Hatfield  in  his  write- 


344 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


up,  as  Mr.  Rea  was  living  at  that  time  and 
was  doubtless  very  sensitive  at  any  mention 
of  the  matter,  although  the  shooting  was 
purely  accidental  and  he  was  wholly  without 
fault  in  the  matter.  Mr.  Rea  is  now  dead 
and  it  is  said  that  the  accident  cast  a  gloom 
over  his  life  and  for  more  than  fifty  years 
he  was  unable  to  forget  the  terrible  tragedy. 
Mr.  Scott  and  Mr.  Rea  were  neighbors  at 
the  time,  the  former  lived  on  the  farm  now 
owned  by  Joseph  Maddox  in  section  14, 
and  Mr.  Rea  on  the  farm  now  owned  by 
Samuel  Gipe  in  section  22. 

The  pistol  was  the  property  of  James  G. 
Dyer,  who,  being  unable  to  make  it  work, 
had  handed  it  to  Mr.  Rea  who  was  ex- 
amining it  when  it  was  discharged  with  such 
fatal  effect.  Mathew  Custer,  yet  living, 
helped  carry  the  wounded  man  to  a  nearby 
house  and  afterwards  he  was  taken  to  the 
home  of  John  Smith,  Mr.  Scott's  father-in- 
law,  near  the  Broxon  corners  and  he  was 
buried  in  the  cemetery  near  by.  Mr.  Scott's 
widow,  now  the  wife  of  John  \Y.  Grace,  is 
living  at  Andrews,  Indiana. 

RACCOON     VILLAGE. 

Raccoon  Village,  which  is  prominently 
identified  with  the  earlv  history  of  Jefferson 
township,  was  located  in  the  southeast  corner 
of  the  township,  on  the  north  bank  of  the 
Wabash  &  Erie  canal,  and  originally  con- 
sisted of  a  brick  house  with  two  rooms  and 
a  number  of  log  cabins,  all  erected  by  the 
government  for  the  occupation  of  the  In- 
dians. The  place  was  named  in  honor  of 
the  Chief  Raccoon,  who  occupied  the  brick 
house  referred  to.  After  the  advent  of  the 
white    people,    the   land    was   sold,    and    the 


brick  house  passed  into  the  hands  of  Jesse 
Vermilyea.  By  him  it  was  rented  to  differ- 
ent parties,  Thomas  McGlaughlin  being  the 
occupant  in  1843.  It  was  built  squarely  on 
the  count}-  line,  one  room  being  in  Whitley 
county  and  the  other  in  Allen  county.  It 
is  said  that  many  years  ago,  a  wedding  took 
place  in  the  brick  house,  the  ceremony  being 
performed  by  a  justice  of  the  peace  by  the 
name  of  Hamilton  who  held  a  commission 
in  Allen  county.  During  the  progress  of 
the  ceremony,  which  was  commenced  in  the 
west  room,  it  was  observed  that  the  justice 
had  no  jurisdiction  there,  so  the  party  ad- 
journed to  the  east  room,  in  Allen  county, 
where  the  matrimonial  knot  was  legally  tied. 
When  the  canal  was  built,  this  place  be- 
came a  landing,  to  which  the  farmers  hauled 
their  produce  for  shipment,  anil  spring 
usually  found  immense  piles  of  logs  and 
w<  i'  >d  here,  ready  for  transportation.  The 
place  was  also  a  favorite  resort  for  idlers, 
and  here,  on  a  pleasant  Sunday  in  summer, 
a  crowd  of  men  and  boys  would  generally 
be  found,  smoking,  discussing  the  topics  of 
the  day,  watching  the  deer  on  the  prairie 
t<  1  the  south,  or  waiting  for  a  packet  boat 
to  glide  by.  The  last  canal  boat  passed 
the  place  in  1879,  the  brick  house  was  long 
since  torn  down  and  time  has  obliterated 
every  trace  of  the  historic  village.  In  1901 
the  Fort  Wayne  &  Southwestern  Traction 
Company  completed  an  electric  railway 
which  occupies  the  site  of  the  old  canal. 
During  the  summer  and  fall  of  1906.  a 
gravel  pit  was  opened  on  the  site  of  Raccoon 
Village,  which  revealed  the  fact  that  Indians 
at  one  time  used  it  as  a  burying  ground, 
and  a  number  of  skeletons  ami  trinkets  were 
found. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


345 


About  1840  Thomas  Washburn  and 
some  of  the  early  business  men  of  Columbia 
City  petitioned  the  legislature  to  build  a 
state  road  from  Columbia  City  to  Raccoon 
Village,  as  that  was  the  nearest  point  to 
reach  the  canal  in  going  from  Columbia 
City  to  Fort  Wayne  and  other  eastern  points, 
and  in  shipping  goods  to  stock  their  stores. 
Accordingly,  the  road  was  ordered  built  and 
Lot  S.  Bayless.  was  appointed  commissioner, 
Richard  Knisely,  surveyor,  and  Octavius 
Phelps  was  one  of  the  axmen.  The 
road  was  completed  in  August,  1843. 
and  extended  in  a  northwesterly  direction 
from  Raccoon  Village  to  Columbia  City 
and  was  known  as  the  "Raccoon  Road." 
When  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  was  built, 
the  Raccoon  road  gradually  lost  its  use- 
fulness and  all  that  part  which  passed 
through  Jefferson  township  has  been  va- 
cated and  the  roads  placed  on  the  section 
lines.  From  a  point  in  Union  township, 
near  the  home  of  Adam  Yagel,  to  Colum- 
bia City,  the  road  is  still  in  use. 

PUBLIC     HIGHWAYS. 

Jefferson  township  is  now  pretty  well 
supplied  with  public  roads  and,  unlike  many 
other  townships,  they  are  nearly  all  on  the 
section  lines,  one  of  the  principal  exceptions 
being  the  eastern  part  of  the  Illinois  road 
that  passes  through  the  northern  part  of  the 
township.  Another  exception  is  the  road 
that  formerly  extended  along  the  north  side 
of  the  canal  through  section  34.  After  the 
electric  railway  was  built  along  the  site 
of  the  canal,  the  wagon  road  was  re-estab- 
lished a  short  distance  north  of  the  former 
site. 


The  main  roads  running  east  and  west 
through  the  township  are  the  "Illinois"  n  >ad. 
the  "Liberty  Mills"  road  and  the  "Fairchild" 
road.  The  latter  extends  through  the  mid- 
dle of  the  township,  and  was  first  opened 
by  Moses  Fairchild  as  has  been  previously 
stated. 

One  of  the  main  roads  passing  north  and 
south  through  the  township  is  the  one  run- 
ning parallel  with  the  west  line  of  the  town- 
ship and  one  mile  east  of  said  line  and  is 
known  as  the  "Columbia  City  and  Roanoke" 
road. 

About  the  only  by-road  still  in  use  is  the 
one  that  passes  east  and  west  through  sec- 
tion 18.  This  road  was  opened  in  an  early 
day  by  the  first  settlers  on  the  section  and 
has  been  kept  up  ever  since  and  is  at  the 
present  time  nearly  all  graveled.  For  many 
years  it  was  traveled  almost  as  much  as  any 
main  road,  as  nearly  all  the  travel  from  the 
village  of  Forest  and  vicinity  to  Columbia 
City  was  over  this  road  to  the  main  road 
known  as  the  Columbia  City  and  Roanoke 
road,  as  the  roads  west  and  north  through 
Washington  township  were  through  almost 
impenetrable  swamps  and  at  many  times 
during  the  year  were  impassable.  However, 
the  road  is  not  likely  to  be  abandoned  as 
there  are  three  permanent  farm  residences 
and  a  church  and  cemetery  situated  thereon 
and  United  States  Mail  route  No.  5.  from 
Columbia  City,  passes  over  this  road. 

The  legislature  of  1881  changed  the 
road  law  and  created  the  office  of  road  su- 
perintendent, said  officer  to  have  charge  oi 
the  roads  in  the  entire  township.  At  the 
April  election,  1882,  John  W.  McNabb  was 
elected  mad  superintendent  for  Jefferson 
township.     He  served  only  one  year  when 


346 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


the  law  was  changed  back  to  the  old  system 
of  district  supervisors. 

SAW-MILLS. 

In  1852  the  first  saw-mill  in  the  town- 
ship was  built  by  Daniel  German  on  the 
Illinois  road.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion,  Mr.  German  entered 
the  Union  service,  in  which  he  lost  an  arm. 
Returning  home,  he  settled  on  the  northwest 
corner  of  section  9,  on  the  farm  now  owned 
by  James  B.  Crowel,  and  afterward  served 
his  township  as  assessor.  He  took  a  great 
interest  in  potato  culture  and  originated  a 
number  of  new  varieties. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  township,  Lot 
Bayless's  saw-mill  in  Allen  county  supplied 
most  of  the  settlers  with  the  little  lumber 
required,  but  as  time  rolled  on,  the  great 
wealth  of  the  timber  gave  rise  to  nu- 
merous saw-mills.  The  German  mill  was 
after  a'  few  years  moved  a  short  distance 
eastward  and  was  purchased  by  Robbins  & 
Frantz.  In  1881  it  was  torn  down  and 
moved  to  the  southern  part  of  the  township 
by  the  above  named  firm,  where  it  was  in 
operation  many  years. 

The  second  saw-mill  in  the  township  was 
built  by  Bayless  &  Brother,  in  1856,  in  the 
•eastern  part  of  the  township  on  the  Liberty 
Mills  road.  This  mill,  with  a  "corn  crack- 
er" added,  continued  in  operation  until  i860, 
when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire.  It  was  im- 
mediately rebuilt  and  again  burned  in  1869. 
It  was  again  rebuilt  and  in  1S76  was  re- 
moved to  Michigan. 

In  1866  a  saw-mill  was  built  on  the 
southwest  corner  of  section  27,  by  Black, 
Dustman  &  Company.     It  was  erected  at  a 


cost  of  five  thousand  five  hundred  dollars, 
was  the  first  circular  saw-mill  in  the  town- 
ship and  did  an  extensive  business  for  many 
years. 

In  1868  a  circular  saw-mill  was  built 
by  Martin  L.  Stevens  on  the  Illinois  road 
on  section  6.  This  mill  was  afterwards  pur- 
chased by  Lewis  Gross  and  after  the  build- 
ing of  the  "Nickel  Plate"  Railroad,  in  1881, 
was  moved  to  the  town  of  Peabody  in  Wash- 
ington township. 

In  1867  a  shingle  factory  was  built  just 
south  of  the  village  of  Forest,  by  Miller  & 
Baker.  In  1871  a  stave  machine  was  added 
which  was  sold  in  1876  and  the  building 
enlarged  to  make  room  for  planing  ma- 
chinery. The  mill  was  afterward  destroyed 
by  fire  but  the  shingle  mill  was  rebuilt  and 
operated  for  several  years. 

In  1873  Sowers  &  Morrolf  erected  a 
saw-mill  on  the  southwest  corner  of  section 
16.  The  boiler  in  this  mill  was  blown  up 
on  March  4,  1875,  and  some  of  the  employes 
severely  injured  but  no  one  killed.  In  the 
fall  of  1875,  Oliver  J.  Crowel  purchased  an 
interest  in  the  mill  and  later  secured  the 
entire  property,  which  he  afterward  sold  to 
George  W.  Shipley,  who  operated  the  same 
until  1902,  when  he- sold  out  to  Shoda  «x 
Barger,  who  are  the  present  owners  of  the 
mill,  which  is  in  operation  only  a  part  of  the 
time.  On  April  16,  1894,  the  boiler  in  this 
mill  was  again  blown  up  and  Ami  Hively 
was  killed. 

In  1876,  Young  &  Metzler  erected  a  saw- 
mill at  Forest  at  a  cost  of  three  thousand 
dollars.  The  next  year  a  flouring  mill  was 
put  in  operation  in  connection  with  the  saw- 
mill, which  was  run  for  several  years,  but 
both  mills  ceased  operation  many  years  ag-o. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


347 


Soon  after  the  building  of  the  New  York, 
Chicago  &  St.  Louis  Railroad,  a  saw-mill 
was  built  at  the  town  of  Dun  fee  on  the 
Allen  county  line,  in  section  i.  by  William 
Walker,  who  soon  after  sold  out  to  Pence 
&  Hughes.  The  mill  did  an  active  busi- 
ness for  several  years. 

In  1872  a  saw-mill  was  erected  on  sec- 
tion 5,  on  the  Columbia  City  and  Roanoke 
road,  by  Boltz  &  France,  which  was  operated 
for  several  years  and  in  1880  was  moved 
about  two  miles  north  in  Union  township, 
where  it  remained  several  years  and  was  then 
moved  out  of  the  county. 

In  1884  Giddings,  Knowlton  &  Bond 
purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  in  the  south- 
east part  of  the  township  and  put  up  a  large 
mill,  and  while  the  timber  was  being  manu- 
factured into  lumber  cjuite  a  village  sprung 
up  and  a  large  number  of  men  were  em- 
ployed. After  the  timber  was  consumed, 
the  land  was  sold  and  the  mills  removed  to 
other  fields  of  usefulness. 

In  1889  a  saw-mill  was  established  at 
Raber  Station,  on  the  Nickel  Plate  Railroad, 
which  was  operated  by  different  firms  for 
about  twelve  years. 

About  1886  a  saw-mill  was  established 
by  Taylor  Brothers  on  the  "Nickel  Plate" 
Railroad  two  miles  east  of  the  town  of 
Raber,  where  it  was  in 'operation  a  year  or 
two,  then  moved  to  the  Taylor  farm  in  sec- 
tion 10,  but  soon  after  was  sold  and  moved 
out   of   the   township. 

A  saw-mill  and  feed-grinder  has  been  in 
operation  for  a  number  of  years  in  the  east- 
ern part  of  the  township  by  William  Press- 
ler,  and  several  portable  mills  have  operated 
in  the  township  during  the  last  fifteen  years, 
and  the  greater  part  of  the  lumber  that  is 


sawed  at  the  present  time  is  done  by  this 
kind  of  mills. 

From  the  above  brief  history  of  the  saw- 
mills that  have  been  in  operation  in  the 
township  since  the  first  settlement,  it  will 
be  seen  that  the  timber  that  once  stood  in 
Jefferson  township  was  of  almost  inestimable 
value,  and  it  is  freely  asserted  that  the  said 
timber  would  to-day  be  worth  more  than  the 
land  upon  which  it  stood,  with  all  the  im- 
provements, for  besides  the  lumber  manu- 
factured by  these  mills,  millions  of  feet  of 
logs  have  been  shipped  out  of  the  township 
to  Columbia  City,  Fort  Wayne,  Huntington, 
Roanoke,  etc.,  and  to  other  mills  in  the' sur- 
rounding country  outside  of  the  township, 
and  it  must  also  be  remembered  that  a  great 
amount  of  valuable  timber  was  made  into 
fence  rails  and  burned  in  log  heaps. 

POSTAL   AFFAIRS. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  settlement  of 
Jefferson  township,  the  postal  facilities  en- 
joyed by  the  settlers  were  in  keeping  with 
the  existing  order  of  things,  the  nearest 
postoffices  being  Fort  Wayne  and  Roanoke 
and  the  postage  on  a  letter  was  from  fifteen 
to  twenty-five  cents.  But  as  the  settlers  in- 
creased in  numbers,  they  began  to  demand 
some  improvement  in  this  respect  and  after 
considerable  agitation,  their  efforts  were  re- 
warded and  two  postoffices  established  in 
the  township  on  the  Liberty  Mills  road 
and  a  weekly  mail  service  followed  for  many 
years. 

The  office  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town- 
ship was  established  January  21,  1857,  was 

named    "Saturn"   and    William   T.    Jeffries 
was  appointed  the  first  postmaster  and  kept 


348 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


the  office  at  his  farm  residence.  The  other 
office  was  named  "Laud."  was  established 
June  2j,  1855,  and  was  located  in  the 
"Maring's  settlement."  Thomas  Neal  was 
the  first  postmaster  and  kept  the  office  at  his 
farm  residence  on  the  southwest  corner  of 
section  19,  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Fred- 
eri  :k  Brock.  The  mail  was  carried  first 
from  Fort  Wayne  to  Liberty  Mills,  the  car- 
rier making'  the  trip  on  Friday  of  each  week 
and  returning  on  Saturday.  Afterward  the 
route  was  changed  and  started  from  Aboite 
.Station  on  the  Wabash  Railroad  in  Allen 
count}'. 

Mr.  Jeffries  served  as  postmaster  at  Sat- 
urn for  about  three  years  and  was  followed 
by  James  T.  Bayless,  Eli  Hatfield  and  James 
Broxon.  Mr.  Broxon  held  the  office  from 
1867  until  April  20,  1895.  when  he  resigned 
and  Marcus  N.  Aker  was  appointed  and 
held  the  office  until  rural  free  delivery  was 
established  and  the  office  was  abolished  No- 
vember 15,  1900. 

Mr.  Neal  served  as  postmaster  at  Laud 
until  the  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln  in 
i860,  when  he  resigned.  Being  an  ardent 
Democrat,  he  would  not  serve  under  Repub- 
lican rule,  so  he  was  succeeded  by  Chris- 
tian Bechtel.  who  moved  the  office  to  his 
residence  across  the  road  from  the  former 
location,  in  \\  ashington  township,  and  in 
connection  with  the  postoffice  he  conducted 
a  harness  and  repair  shop. 

Thomas  Xeal  was  quite  a  character  in 
the  early  history  of  Jefferson  township  and 
besides  his  term  as  postmaster,  he  served  as 
one-  of  the  board  of  trustees  and  also  a  term 
as  county  commissioner  for  the  third  district. 

Christian  Bechtel  served  as  postmaster 
until  the  spring  of   [880,  when  he  resigned 


and  Marion  G.  Wright  was  appointed  to  suc- 
ceed him.  Mr.  Wright  moved  the  office 
to  his  drug  store  in  the  village  of  Forest, 
about  one  mile  north  of  the  original  loca- 
tion. Mr.  Wright  served  about  one  year 
when  he  resigned  and  sold  his  business  to 
his  brother-in-law,  William  Metzler,  who. 
being  a  Democrat,  was  not  eligible  to  be 
appointed  postmaster  at  that  time  and  the 
office  was  given  to  Mr.  Metzler's  clerk,  Ed- 
ward E.  Phelps.  Mr.  Phelps  held  the  office 
about  one  year  when  he  resigned  and  James 
W.  Burwell  became  postmaster.  Mr.  Bur- 
well  served  the  people  faithfully  and  well 
until  Grover  Cleveland  was  elevated  to  the 
presidential  chair,  March  4,  1885,  when  the 
principle  of  "to  the  victors  belong  the 
spoils"  was  carried  out,  Mr.  Burwell  re- 
moved and  the  office  given  to  Perry  Long. 
Mr.  Long  served  until  the  spring  of  1888. 
when  he  sold  his  business  to  Messrs.  Deems 
&  Raber  and  Jacob  C.  Raber  became  post- 
master. Mr.  Raber  served  until  the  admin- 
istration was  reversed  by  the  election  of  Har- 
rison and  L.  L.  Kimmel  became  postmaster 
in  July,  1889.  The  office  remained  in  Mr. 
Kimmel's  charge  until  the  summer  of  1893, 
when,  the  Democratic  party  having  again 
been  restored  to  power,  the  office  changed 
hands  and  J.  C.  Raber  was  again  postmaster. 
Mr.  Raber  served  until  the  return  of  Repub- 
lican rule  by  the  election  of  McKinley  in 
rSq6.  and  the  administration  of  the  post- 
office  was  again  changed  and  Mr.  Kimmel 
resumed  charge  for  a  second  time  and  served 
until  he  sold  his  business  in  the  spring  of 
1901,  when  he  resigned  the  postoffice  and 
( ici  irge  W.  Kelsey  was  appointed  postmas- 
ter and  served  until  the  office  was  discon- 
tinued February  28.  1903. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


349 


The  mail  was  carried  to  Laud  first  from 
Fort  Wayne  and  afterward  from  Aboite  Sta- 
tion until  1879,  when  a  tri-weekly  route  was 
established  from  Columbia  City  and  Joseph 
Yontz  was  the  carrier.  This  continued 
until  the  "Nickel  Plate"  Railroad  was  built. 
The  Columbia  City  route  was  discontinued 
in  1883  and  a  daily  mail  was  established 
from  Peabody  Station.  In  1890,  this  was 
changed  and  the  mail  was  carried  from 
Raber  Station  until  the  establishment  1  if 
rural  route  No.  6,  from  Columbia  City, 
March  1,  1902. 

In  the  spring  of  1883,  a  petition  was  cir- 
culated asking  for  the  establishment  of  a 
postoffice  at  Raber  Station  on  the  "Nickel 
Plate"  Railroad.  The  petition  was  granted 
the  office  was  established  and  Samuel  Clark 
was  appointed  the  first  postmaster.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Thomas  J-  Berry,  who  served 
until  his  death,  July  30,  1901,  when  Wil- 
liam Bogner  was  appointed  as  his  successor 
and  conducted  the  office  until  it  was  dis- 
continued, March  31,  1902. 

Soon  after  the  building  of  the  Xew  York, 
Chicago  &  St.  Louis  Railroad  a  postoffice 
was  established  at  Dunfee  Station  on  the 
count}'  line,  five  miles  east  of  Raber  post- 
office,  and  George  M.  Singer  was  appointed 
postmaster  and  served  until  he  was  murdered 
by  unknown  persons  on  the  night  of  Sep- 
tember 16.  1895.  Perry  Gaff  was  tempo- 
rarily deputized  to  take  charge  of  the  post- 
office,  and  settled  up  the  Singer  estate  as 
administrator,  and  on  November  21.  1895, 
William  McWhirter  was  appointed  post- 
master and  is  holding  the  office  at  the  present 
time,  and  "Dunfee"  is  the  only  postoffice  in 
Jefferson  township  to-day. 

The  people  of  the  township  are  pretty 


well  served  by  rural  free  delivery,  there 
being  three  routes  from  Columbia  Citv  and 
two  from  Roanoke  that  cover  territory  in 
the  township,  besides  a  route  from  Fort 
Wayne  that  covers  a  portion  of  the  county 
line  road  on  the  east  side  of  the  township. 

POLITICAL  MATTERS. 

Jefferson  township  has  always  been 
pretty  evenly  divided  politically.  At  the 
first  presidential  election  after  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Republican  party,  in  1856,  the 
Democrats  carried  the  township  by  a  ma- 
jority of  eleven  votes,  while  four  vears  later, 
in  i860,  Lincoln  had  a  plurality  of  nine  votes 
over  Douglas,  but  there  were  twelve  votes 
cast  for  Breckenridge,  Southern  Democrat, 
at  this  election.  Of  the  thirteen  presiden- 
tial elections  from  1856  to  1904,  the  Demo- 
crats have  carried  eight,  at  an  average  plu- 
rality of  fifteen,  while  the  Republicans  have 
carried  the  township  five  times,  at  an  average 
plurality  of  ten  votes.  The  largest  Demo- 
cratic plurality  was  in  1864,  of  thirty-eight, 
and  the  largest  Republican  plurality  was  in 
1872,  when  Grant  had  a  plurality  of  twenty- 
five  votes  over  Greeley,  but  at  this  election 
there  were  four  votes  cast  for  O'Connor, 
straight-out  Democrat.  At  the  last  presi- 
dential election,  in  1904,  Roosevelt  had 
thirteen  more  votes  than  Parker;  in  1888, 
Cleveland  had  two  more  votes  than  Har- 
rison and  in  1802.  Harrison  had  six  more 
votes  than  Cleveland:  in  1900.  McKinley 
had  one  more  vote  than  Bryan  in  the 
ti  iwnship. 

Jefferson  township  has  always  been 
known  as  a  close  township  with  the  odds 
"-enerallv  in  favor  of  the  Democrats,  which 


35° 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


accounts  for  the  fact  that  that  party  has  had 
a  majority  of  the  township  officers. 

When  the  township  was  first  organized, 
in  1845,  the  law  provided  for  a  board  of 
three  trustees  and  from  that  date  to  1859  a 
number  of  citizens  of  the  township  served  in 
that  capacity,  among  whom  may  be  men- 
tioned :  Latham  Blee,  Leonard  S.  Maring, 
Chancy  Hadley,  Thomas  Neal,  Samuel 
Braden,  William  M.  Gillespie,  Abram  J. 
Gillespie,  William  Callison,  etc.  When  the 
new  law,  providing  for  one  trustee,  became 
operative  in  1859,  David  Allen  Quick  was 
elected  trustee  on  the  first  Monday  in  April 
of  that  year  and  served  one  year.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Chancy  Hadley,  who  was 
elected  in  i860  and  re-elected  in  1861,  but 
he  resigned  in  March,  1862,  and  Abbott 
Green  was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy.  Mr. 
Green  was  elected  in  April,  1862,  and  served 
one  year.  Thomas  Kemp  was  elected  trus- 
tee in  1863  and  re-elected  in  1864,  1865  and 
1866,  serving  in  all  four  years.  George 
Jeffries  was  elected  in  1867  and  served  one 
year  and  was  succeeded  by  Otho  Clark,  who 
was  selected  at  the  April  election  in  1868,  but 
the  law  was  changed,  fixing  the  term  of  the 
township  trustee  at  two  years  and  providing 
that  the  election  of  township  officers  should 
be  at  the  regular  state  election  in  October. 
At  the  election  of  the  second  Tuesday  in 
October,  1870,  William  Bell  was  elected 
trustee,  defeating  Otho  Clark,  who  was  a 
candidate  fof  re-election,  by  a  majority  of 
one  vote.  Mr.  Bell  served  two  years  and 
was  succeeded  by  Frederick  Brock,  who  was 
re-elected  in  1874  and  served  four  years. 
Henry  Vogely  was  selected  trustee  in  Octo- 
ber. 187O,  but  the  law  was  again  changed 
and   provided    for  the  election  of  township 


officers  on  the  first  Monday  in  April.  Mr. 
Vogely  was  re-elected  in  April.  1878.  and 
served  four  years  lacking  six  months.  At 
the  April  election  in  1880,  James  Jeffries 
was  elected  trustee  and  served  about  one 
year  when  he  resigned  and  John  L.  Mc- 
Laughlin was  appointed  and  after  serving 
about  one  year  was  succeeded  by  Levi  Eber- 
sole.  Mr.  Ebersole  served  two  years  and 
was  succeeded  by  Joseph  B.  Plnmmer,  who 
held  the  office  two  years  when  he  turned  it 
over  to  James  W.  Burwell.  Air.  Burwell 
was  succeeded  by  Albert  Bush,  who  held 
the  office  two  years  and  four  months. 
Harvey  Beard  was  elected  trustee  on  the 
first  Monday  in  April,  1890,  but  there  had 
been  another  change  in  the  law  which  pro- 
vided that  the  township  trustee  should  hold 
his  office  four  years,  beginning  on  the  first 
Monday  in  August  following  his  election  in 
April.  Mr.  Beard  held  the  office  until  the 
spring  of  1894.  when  he  resigned  and  Wil- 
liam Schoenauer  was  appointed  to  fill  the 
vacancy.  At  this  time  the  law  was  changed 
again  and  provided  for  the  election  of  town- 
ship officers  at  the  regular  state  election  in 
November.  William  G.  Bowman  was 
elected  trustee  on  the  first  Tuesday  after  the 
first  Monday  in  November,  1894,  and  took 
charge  of  the  township  business  on  the  first 
Monday  in  August.  1895.  Mr.  Bowman  re- 
signed his  office  in  1899,  and  Thomas  J. 
Smith  was  appointed  as  his  successor. 
About  this  time  another  change  in  the  law 
provided  that  the  township  trustees  and  as- 
sessors should  hold  over  until  the  general 
election  in  November,  1900.  Owing  to  ill 
health,  Mr.  Smith  resigned  as  trustee  early 
in  1900  and  Oliver  J.  Crowel  was  appointed 
as   his   successor.     At   the   regular  election 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


in  November,  1900,  Louis  W.  Dunfee  was 
elected  trustee  and  held  the  office  four  years 
and  was  succeeded  by  Oliver  J.  Crowel. 
who  was  elected  in  November,  1904,  and  is 
the  trustee  of  the  township  at  this  writing 
and  is  the  twenty-first  trustee  of  Jefferson 
township  since  the  spring  of  1859,  when  the 
law  providing  for  one  trustee  for  each  town- 
ship was  adopted. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  note  the  major- 
ities of  some  of  the  trustees  that  have  been 
elected  in  Jefferson  township  since  1870, 
when  William  Bell  was  elected  by  one  vote : 
1872,  Frederick  Brock  6;  1874,  Brock  no 
opposition;  1876.  Vogely  19;  1880,  Jeffries 
21;  1882,  Ebersole  32;  1884,  Plummet-  39: 
1886,  Burwell  19;  1888,  Bush  2;  1890, 
Beard  51  ;  1894,  Bowman  27,;  1900,  Dunfee 
20:  1904,  Crowel  1  3. 

Of  the  assessors  that  have  served  the 
township  during  the  past  forty  years,  the 
following  is  believed  to  be  a  correct  list : 
William  McLaughlin.  Daniel  German,  Levi 
W.  Bell,  Thomas  Kemp,  Joseph  Clark, 
John  McLaughlin,  Samuel  Kaufman,  Henry 
Vogely,  Arthur  Gillespie,  James  L.  B. 
Ferrell.  Jacob  H.  Ihrig.  James  M.  Sbroyer 
and  W.  S.  Howenstine. 

Of  the  persons  who  have  held  the  office 
of  justice  of  the  peace  of  Jefferson  township 
may  be  mentioned :  Leonard  S.  Maring, 
Octavius  Phelps.  William  Bell,  James  Brox- 
on,  Isaac  C.  Dickerson,  Robert  L.  Pence, 
Israel  Biers,  Jacob  H.  Ihrig,  Jacob  Bowman, 
Harvey  F.  Connor,  Roland  P.  Jackson, 
Thomas  D.  Watson  and  Anderson  L.  Hasty. 
The  township  is  entitled  to  two  justices  of 
the  peace,  but  for  several  years  there  has 
only  been  one  as  it  is  difficult  to  get  any  one 
to  serve  the  people  in  that  capacity.     A  num- 


ber of  persons  have  been  elected  justice  of  the 
peace  for  the  township  but  have  failed  to 
qualify. 

The  following  citizens  of  Jefferson  town- 
ship have  been  elected  to  a  county  office: 
County  commissioner,  Thomas  Neal ;  county 
recorder,  David  A.  Quick,  1866;  R.  Frank 
Raber,  1898;  John  Richards,  coroner,  1874; 
Joseph  Clark,  treasurer.  1878;  Manford  D. 
Yontz.  auditor,  1882;  John  W.  McNabb, 
sheriff,  1890;  Richard  H.  Maring,  clerk  of 
the  court,  1894;  Morton  A.  Gillespie,  sur- 
veyor, 1896;  Oscar  T.  Shinbecker,  surveyor. 
1900;  Newton  F.  Watson,  joint  representa- 
tive, 1904.  and  Robert  Connor,  member  of 
the  county  advisory  board,  1906. 

EDUCATIONAL  FACILITIES. 

Sixty  years  ago,  when  the  people  of 
Whitley  count}-  were  struggling  to  clear  up 
their  farms  and  at  the  same  time  keep  the 
wolf  from  the  door,  the  educational  advan- 
tages enjoyed  by  the  children  were  few  and 
meager.  The  education  the}-  did  secure  was 
principally  acquired  during  a  two  or  three 
months'  winter  term  of  school  in  a  house 
that  corresponded  in  ever)-  way  to  the  order 
of  things  in  that  early  day,  and  in  the  case 
of  the  stronger  minded  youth  was  often 
dug  out  at  home  by  the  light  of  hickory 
bark  or  tallow  candle.  Yet  these  disadvan- 
tages were  largely  balanced  by  the  strength 
of  mind  and  self-reliance  that  they  tended 
to  impart,  and  it  was  under  such  circum- 
stances that  a  large  number  of  eminent  men 
of  the  country  acquired  their  early  educatii  in. 

The  first  schoolhouses  in  Jefferson  town- 
ship were  rude  log  affairs  with  puncheon 
floors,  stick  chimnevs,  etc..  and  were  erected 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


as  the  settlements  demanded,  the  work  being 
done  largely  by  the  settlers  without  com- 
pensation. Very  little  public  money  was  to 
be  had  and  usually  the  teachers  were  em- 
ployed by  subscription.  After  the  township 
became  more  generally  settled,  it  became 
necessary  to  rearrange  the  location  of  the 
schoolhouses,  and  finally  the  township  was 
divided  into  ten  school  districts  and  a  school- 
house  located  about  every  two  miles.  This 
caused  a  great  deal  of  opposition  and  strife, 
as  it  sometimes  became  necessary  to  aban- 
don a  schoolhouse  and  some  families  who 
were  used  to  having  a  schoolhouse  near 
them  were  obliged  to  send  their  children 
from  one  to  two  miles  to  school. 

On  the  first  Saturday  night  in  October, 
each  year,  the  school  patrons  were  expected 
to  elect  a  director  to  look  after  the  wants 
of  the  school  and  receive  applications  from 
teachers  who  were  desirous  of  a  position, 
and  usually,  after  a  number  of  applications 
were  received  a  "school  meeting"  would  be 
called  and  the  patrons  would  vote  by  ballot 
for  their  choice  for  teacher,  and  the  one 
having  the  largest  number  of  votes  would 
be  declared  elected  and  would  be  recom- 
mended to  the  trustee  as  the  choice  of  the 
district  for  teacher  and  accordingly  would 
be  hired  by  the  trustee  at  the  lowest  possible 
figure. 

Some  hard  electioneering  was  done  by 
the  candidates  and  their  friends  before  the 
school  meetings,  and  it  was  said  that  on  one 
occasion  at  a  school  meeting  where  there 
were  several  candidates  present,  some  one 
suggested  that  the  applicants  write  their 
names  on  the  blackboard  and  each  voter 
mark  for  his  choice  and  the  one  receiving 
the    most    marks    be    declared    the    winner. 


This  was  done  and  after  the  names  had  been 
placed  on  the  board,  it  was  some  time  before 
any  one  had  courage  to  cast  the  first  vote. 
Finally  an  old  man  marched  forward,  took 
the  chalk  and  marked  for  his  favorite,  and 
every  other  patron  present  followed  suit 
and  marked  for  the  same  applicant,  much 
to  the  embarrassment  of  the  other  appli- 
cants present. 

On  another  occasion,  a  young  man  was 
so  anxious  to  secure  the  position  as  teacher 
of  a  certain  school  in  the  township  that  he 
offered  to  teach  two  weeks  free  if  he  was 
given  the  school.  Always  ready  to  receive 
something  for  nothing,  the  patrons  elected 
him  as  their  teacher  for  the  winter  and  he 
made  his  word  good,  teaching  two  weeks 
longer  than  his  contract  called  for.  But  the 
young  man  was  perhaps  well  repaid  for  his 
extra  labor,  as  during  his  term  of  school  at 
that  place  he  became  acquainted  with  -a 
young  lady  in  the  community  who  afterward 
became  his  wife. 

In  the  fall  of  1845  the  first  school- 
house  in  Jefferson  township  was  erected  on 
the  banks  of  Big  Indian  creek,  on  the  Lib- 
erty Mills  road,  about  one  quarter  of  a 
mile  east  of  the  Broxon  corners.  It  was  a 
rude  log  affair,  about  eighteen  by  twenty 
feet,  with  a  large  fire-place  and  stick  chim- 
ney, and.  like  all  of  the  country  school- 
houses  of  that  day,  had  slab  benches  with 
no  backs.  One  large  horizontal  window  on 
each  side  admitted  the  light  and  here,  the 
following  winter,  James  T.  Bayless  taught 
the  first  school  in  the  building.  He  was  fol- 
lowed by  Mary  Phelps,  Frederick  Fulk, 
George  W.  Lawrence,  Frederick  Young, 
Orrin  Rogers,  etc.  The  Indian  Creek 
schoolhouse  was  used  for  about  eleven  years, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


353 


when  it  was  abandoned  for  school  purposes 
and  a  frame  schoolhouse  was  erected  at  the 
Broxon  corners,  on  the  southwest  corner 
of  section  24,  on  the  land  of  William 
Jeffries,  and  was  known  as  the  "Red  School- 
house."  It  was  built  in  1S56,  by  James  T. 
Bayless,  contractor,  and  Octavius  Phelps 
was  the  first  teacher  and  held  forth  in  the 
new  building  during"  the  winter  of  1856-57. 
In  the  spring  of  1857,  a  subscription  school 
of  three  months  was  taught  there  by  Miss 
Mary  Bowman.  Henry  C.  Crowel  was  em- 
ployed to  teach  the  school  during  the  winter 
term  of  1857-58,  but  after  a  trial  of  five  or 
six  weeks,  he  resigned. 

After  Mr.  Crowel  resigned  Henry  Zents 
came  into  the  neighborhood  and  held  what 
he  called  a  geography  school,  holding  night 
sessions,  teaching  geography  by  singing  the 
names  of  states,  cities,  rivers,  etc.,  as  loca- 
tions would  be  pointed  out  on  wall  maps. 
Mr.  Zents  was  employed  to  teach  the  re- 
mainder of  the  winter  term  and  has  as 
successors  Mr.  Brown,  of  Roanoke,  Amos 
Shoaff,  Octavius  Phelps,  George  Jeffries, 
Lucinda  Christy,  John  McCampbell,  Ruth 
Jeffries  and  Nancy  Jeffries. 

In  the  summer  of  1866,  a  schoolhouse 
was  built  one  mile  south,  and  the  next  sum- 
mer another  was  built  one  mile  north  of  the 
Red  Schoolhouse,  and  about  the  same  time 
another  was  erected  one  mile  east,  just  across 
the  line  in  Allen  county,  which  was  known 
as  the  "College  Hill  Schoolhouse."  These 
three  schoolhouses  so  divided  the  former 
school  district  that  the  Red  Schoolhouse  was 
vacated  for  school  purposes. 

The  schoolhouse  at  "Brimstone  Corner," 
district  number  six,  one  mile  north  of  the  old 
Red  Schoolhouse,  was  built  by  George 
23 


Jeffries,  trustee,  John  Hiler  being  the  con- 
tractor. William  Rickey  taught  the  first 
term  of  school  in  the  building  during  the 
winter  of  1867-68,  and  the  house  was  used 
for  school  purposes  until  the  night  of  De- 
cember 3,  1873,  when  it  was  destroyed  by 
fire.  An  old  log  house  that  stood  on  the 
farm  of  William  M.  Gillespie  was  fitted  up 
and  the  term  of  school  was  completed  in  this 
primitive  building. 

During  the  summer  of  1874,  a  frame 
schoolhouse  was  built  at  Brimstone  Cor- 
ners by  Frederick  Brock,  trustee,  and  the 
house  is  still  standing  on  the  original  loca- 
tion and  is  used  by  the  Free  Methodist  con- 
gregation for  a  house  of  worship.  James 
E.  McDonald  taught  the  first  term  of  school 
in  the  new  schoolhouse  during  the  winter  of 
1874-75,  and  was  followed  by  John  A.  Price, 
John  P.  Hornaday,  Alonzo  B.  Goble,  Bar- 
bara E.  Howenstine,  R.  H.  Maring,  Arthur 
M.  Gillespie,  Althea  M.  Dunfee,  J.  Monroe 
Baker,  Horace  S.   Kaufman  and  others. 

In  1890,  the  present  brick  schoolhouse  in 
the  district  was  built  by  Albert  Bush, 
trustee,  John  Bennet  being  the  contractor. 

I  am  told  that  while  the  old  Red  School- 
house  was  in  use  by  the  district,  one  mile 
south  of  the  present  location,  the  pupils  of 
that  school  were  never  defeated  in  the  spell- 
ing contests  that  were  so  popular  in  those 
days,  and  the  good  work  was  continued  in 
the  new  location,  the  school  seldom,  if  ever, 
being  "spelled  down"  by  pupils  from  other 
districts. 

In  the  fall  of  1847,  a  log  schoolhouse, 
similar  to  the  one  on  Indian  creek,  was  built 
in  the  Maring's  settlement,  in  the  western 
part  of  the  township  on  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  section  30,  and  William  Bell  was  in- 


354 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


stalled  as  the  first  teacher  and  taught  a 
school  of  twenty-five  pupils  the  mysteries  of 
the  three  R's,  having  but  one  scholar  who 
advanced  to  the  study  of  geography  and 
grammar.  Mr.  Bell  was  followed  by  Jane 
Wilier,  John  Alexander,  Milton  B.  Emerson, 
etc.  After  serving  its  purpose  for  about  ten 
years,  the  old  log  schoolhouse  was  torn 
down  and  replaced  by  a  neat  frame  build- 
ing which  was  used  for  school  purposes  for 
about  twenty-five  years.  William  Andrews 
was  the  contractor.  Some  of  the  teachers 
who  held  forth  in  this  building  may  be  men- 
tioned :  Lewis  Deems,  Mr.  Searls,  Reuben 
Houser,  Mr.  Trembly,  Joseph  F.  McNear, 
Thomas  Austin,  Miss  Sadie  Cobaugh,  James 
C.  Knisely,  D.  V.  White,  John  A.  Metzler, 
Miss  Nora  Jackson,  Joseph  Bowers,  John 
W.  Brock,  Hattie  Holt,  Solon  A.  Howen- 
stine,  John  Barsh,  etc.  The  building  was 
abandoned  for  school  pm-poses  in    1881. 

In  the  fall  of  1881  a  two-story  brick 
schoolhouse  was  erected  in  the  village  of 
Forest,  about  one  mile  north  of  the  location 
of  the  old  schoolhouse.  John  L.  McLaugh- 
lin was  trustee  of  the  township  at  that  time 
and  Benjamin  Haurand  was  the  contractor. 
The  first  term  of  school  in  the  new  building 
began  on  Monday,  January  16,  1882,  with 
R.  H.  Maring,  principal,  and  Miss  Mary 
Raber.  primary.  The  school  was  conducted 
as  a  graded  school  until  the  new  graded 
school  building  was  erected  at  Jefferson  Ceu- 
ter  in  1901,  when  the  upper  room  was 
abandoned  and  since  which  time  school  has 
been  conducted  in  the  lower  room  only. 
Ami  >ng  the  teachers  who  have  taught  in  this 
building  may  be  named:  D.  V.  White,  W. 
E.  Murray,  Miss  Hnldah  Hatfield,  Louis 
W.  Dun  fee,  Miss  Minnie  Howenstine.  Miss 


Jennie  Raber,  J.  J.  Kyler,  Charles  O.  Brox- 
on,  O.  E.  Grant.  H.  L.  Plummer,  J.  E. 
North,  Miss  Allie  Cass,  Clarence  Ihrig,  Or- 
ton  L.  Dunfee,  M.  A.  Grimes,  etc.  The 
school  district  is  known  as  number  ten. 

Some  time  in  the  early  '50s,  a  school- 
house  was  built  about  one-half  mile  north 
of  the  present  schoolhouse  in  district  num- 
ber four,  in  Jefferson  township.  The  build- 
ing stood  on  the  land  of  Jonathan  Dunfee, 
in  section  17,  on  the  east  side  of  the  public 
highway,  was  a  frame  structure  and  stood 
with  the  side  to  the  public  road  with  the 
door  in  the  south  end.  Three  windows  were 
placed  in  each  side  and  two  in  the  north  end, 
with  a  blackboard  between  the.  two  end 
windows.  It  was  a  frame  structure  about 
twenty  by  thirty,  and  the  room  was 
furnished  with  rude  desks  made  of  pop- 
lar lumber.  The  building  was  erected  by 
William  Andrews,  contractor,  who  also 
taught  the  first  term  of  school.  He  was  fol- 
lowed by  William  Bell,  Rufus  King,  Re- 
becca Swain,  Reuben  Priest,  Philander 
Ginger,  Mary  S.  Truman,  Henry  C.  Crowel, 
Zenhaniah  Hadley,  Levi  W.  Bell,  Elizabeth 
Shriner,  Nancy  Crissinger,  Francis  M. 
Ihrig,  Elisha  Swan,  Miss  Allie  Austin  and 
Miss  Sarah  Brown. 

In  early  days  this  building  was  used  for 
religious  meetings  and  the  society  known  as 
the  Evergreen  Bethel  Church  of  God  was 
organized  here  in  1857,  by  Rev.  David  Kep- 
linger.  The  old  schoolhouse  served  its  pur- 
pose until  in  February.  1871.  when  it  was 
destroved  by  fire.  William  Worden  had 
been  unmercifully  whipped  by  the  teacher 
the  previous  winter  for  tearing  up  one  of 
the  desks,  and  for  revenge  he  set  the  house 
on    fire.     As   the  fire   occurred   during   the 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


355 


night,  all  the  books  and  furniture  were 
destroyed.  Had  he  kept  his  own  counsel, 
Worden  would  perhaps  never  have  been 
found  out,  but  the  joke  was  too  good  to 
keep  and  he  told  some  of  his  boy  friends 
which  led  to  his  being  arrested  and  lodged 
in  the  old  jail  in  Columbia  City.  He  was 
indicted  by  the  grand  jury  but  managed  to 
make  his  escape,  and  Sheriff  Miller  found 
him  cutting  corn  for  a  farmer  in  the  western 
part  of  Ohio  and  brought  him  back  to 
Columbia  City.  Worden  had  his  hearing 
before  Judge  Lowry  at  the  next  term  of 
court  and  after  a  good  lecture  by  the  judge, 
he  was  given  his  liberty. 

When  a  new  schoolhouse  to  take  the 
place  of  the  one  destroyed  was  to  be  built, 
some  question  was  raised  as  to  the  location, 
but  the  majority  prevailed  and  the  trustee, 
Mr.  William  Bell,  located  the  house  upon 
the  site  of  the  old  one  and  awarded  the  con- 
tract to  D.  C.  and  S.  G.  Robbins,  who  put 
up  a  substantial  frame  building  quite  similar 
to  the  old  one  except  it  was  larger  and  stood 
with  the  end  to  the  road.  Mr.  Lewis  Bridge 
taught  the  first  term  in  the  new  building 
during  the  winter  of  1871-72,  and  Miss 
Sarah  Maring  taught  the  following  summer. 
Miss  Rilla  Haley  was  employed  to  teach  the 
term  of  the  winter  of  1872-73  but  the  school 
was  destined  to  meet  with  another  mis- 
fortune ;  on  the  evening  of  Monday,  Decem- 
ber 23,  1872,  the  building  was  destroyed 
by  fire. 

As  the  trustee  began  to  make  prepara- 
tions to  build  another  schoolhouse,  the  ques- 
tion of  location  was  again  raised  and  those 
favoring  the  location  at  the  cross-roads  gain- 
ing a  number  of  recruits  by  parties  being 
enumerated  at  this  school  who  had  formerly 


sent  to  other  schools,  and  being  further  en- 
forced by  the  trustee,  Frederick  Brock,  fa- 
voring the  cross-roads  location,  made  a 
strong  fight  and  succeeded  at  an  election 
held  to  decide  the  question  by  popular  vote 
in  carrying  the  day. 

But  the  other  side  would  not  give  up  so 
easily  and  appealed  the  case  to  the  county  su- 
perintendent. Prof.  A.  J.  Douglas.  Mr. 
Douglas  called  a  meeting  of  the  patrons  of 
the  school  and  after  hearing  the  evidence 
and  arguments  of  counsel.  Col.  I.  B.  McDon- 
ald, who  had  been  employed  by  the  parties 
favoring  the  cross-roads  location,  decided 
that  the  house  should  be  built  on  the  old 
location,  which  ended  the  matter  for  the 
time,  but  as  a  compromise  it  was  agreed  to 
build  the  house  on  the  hill  a  few  rods  south 
of  the  old  location.  The  contract  was 
awarded  to  W.  H.  Jackson  for  four  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars,  and  a  frame  structure  simi- 
lar to  the  last  one  destroyed  by  fire  was 
erected  in  the  fall  of  1873.  By  volunteer 
work  by  the  parties  favoring  that  location, 
a  stone  wall  was  placed  under  the  building 
and  some  shade  trees  planted.  The  build- 
ing is  still  in  existence  and  was  afterward 
purchased  by  Jacob  Tschantz  and  moved  to 
his  farm  near  by  and  is  now  used  for  a  store 
house  and  shop. 

Lewis  Bridge  again  taught  the  first  term 
of  school  in  the  new  building  and  was  fol- 
lowed by  Mrs.  Maggie  Bolts,  Pret  Swan, 
Edwin  Dickerson.  Miss  Lou  Gregg.  George 
Livenspargar,  R.  H.  Maring,  Barbara  How- 
enstine,  Mattie  Dunfee.  May  VanUrder. 
Levi  Bridge,  Althea  Dunfee,  Etta  Chaney. 
Orange  Ihrig\  Anna  Eversole,  Jacob  C. 
Raber,  Jesse  Kyler.  Amanda  Livenspargar 
and  Clara  Braden. 


356 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


The  schoolhouse  in  the  district  was  orig- 
inally known  as  the  Brandenburg  school- 
house,  as  Eliphalet  Brandenburg  lived  near 
by,  and  was  one  of  the  principal  patrons  of 
the  school.  The  district  is  number  four  in 
Jefferson  township,  and  is  now  known  as 
the  Grace  schoolhouse. 

During  the  summer  of  1888,  the  present 
brick  structure  in  the  district  was  erected 
by  Albert  Bush,  trustee,  and  John  Bennet, 
contractor,  and  the'  conditions  of  the  district 
had  so  changed  with  the  passing  of  the  years 
that  little  opposition  was  met  in  locating 
the  house  at  the  cross-roads.  Lewis  W. 
Dunfee  taught  the  first  term  of  school  in  the 
building  during  the  winter  of  1888-89,  an^ 
has  been  followed  by  a  large  number  of  com- 
petent and  worthy  teachers,  Emmett  Bridge 
holding  the  fort  there  at  the  present  time. 

About  the  year  1856,  the  settlers  living 
in  the  vicinity  of  what  is  now  school  dis- 
trict number  one,  in  Jefferson  township,  de- 
siring that  their  children  should  have  some 
opportunity  to  acquire  an  education,  the 
proper  steps  were  taken  to  secure  a  build- 
ing in  which  school  could  be  kept.  Accord- 
ingly a  small  frame  building  was  erected 
about  eighty  rods  west  of  the  location  of 
the  present  school  building  in  the  district, 
on  the  south  side  of  the  public  road  on  the 
land  of  James  Clark.  The  first  teacher  to 
hold  forth  in  the  new  building  was  Margaret 
Rhodes,  who  was  followed  by  Esther  Oman, 
Mary  Hartzel,  Lucy  Manning,  James  Bay- 
less,  Miss  White,  Miss  Bechtel,  William 
Rickey,  Caroline  Oliver,  Cynthia  Allen, 
James  M.  Hatfield,  etc.  The  old  school- 
house  served  its  purpose  until  1869,  when 
a  new  frame  building  was  erected  at  the 
cross-roads  on  the  southeast  corner  of  sec- 


tion 2,  where  the  present  school  building  in 
the  district  stands.  Otho  Clark  was  the 
trustee  and  the  contract  was  let  to  George 
Hupp  for  six  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 

The  next  teacher  to  follow  Mr.  Rickey, 
during  the  winter  of  1870-71,  was  Albert 
Smith,  of  Roanoke,  who  taught  only  three 
weeks,  when  he  was  taken  sick  and  died. 
William  Corey,  of  Allen  county,  was  em- 
ployed to  complete  the  term  of  school  and 
owing  to  the  delay  caused  by  the  sickness 
and  death  of  Mr.  Smith  and  securing  a  new 
teacher  the  term  did  not  close  until  Satur- 
day, April  1,  1 87 1.  Some  of  the  teachers 
to  follow  Mr.  Corey  in  after  years  at  that 
place  were  Frank  P.  Emerson,  Edwin  Dick- 
erson,  James  R.  Simon,  Minnie  Howenstine, 
Estella  Ihrig,  etc. 

In  1886,  James  W.  Burwell,  trustee,  built 
the  present  brick  schoolhouse  in  the  district, 
Benjamin  Haurand  being  the  contractor. 
D.  V.  White  taught  the  first  term  of  school 
in  the  new  building  and  was  followed  by 
Sherman  Byall,  M.  L.  Stephens,  Mattie  Ky- 
ler,  Annie  Kreig,  etc.  The  old  house  was 
moved  to  the  back  part  of  the  lot  and  for  a 
number  of  years  was  used  for  a  woodhouse 
for  the  school. 

The  history  of  the  schoolhouse  in  district 
number  two  in  Jefferson  township  begins 
with  the  erection  of  a  log  schoolhouse  about 
seventy  rods  west  of  the  present  schoolhouse 
in  the  district,  in  1855.  The  people  of  the 
community  volunteered  most  of  the  work 
and  Minerod  Shinbeckler  and  Samuel 
Barger  received  thirty  dollars  for  the  car- 
penter work.  Thomas  Neal  was  trustee  at 
that  time  and  Henry  C.  Crowel  taught  the 
first  term  of  school  in  the  building  during 
the    winter    of     1855-56.     This    primitive 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


357 


school  building"  was  used  for  school  purposes 
for  about  seven  years  and  besides  Mr.  Crow- 
el,  Rebecca  Swain,  Margaret  Lawrence  and 
several  others  conducted  terms  of  school 
there. 

In  1861,  a  frame  schoolhouse  was  erected 
at  the  cross-roads,  on  the  southeast  corner 
of  section  4.  Chancy  Hadley  was  trustee 
at  that  time  and  also  the  contractor  who 
erected  the  building,  having  had  it  bid  off 
by  a  man  by  the  name  of  Miller,  over  several 
competitors.  Gerosha  Page,  Matilda  Page, 
Ann  Smith,  Belle  Steel,  Joseph  Clark,  Philip 
Treichler,  John  Haley,  Crawford  L.  Cotton, 
Arthur  C.  Fast,  Charles  McDonald  and  Al- 
bert Bush  were  among  the  teachers  who 
wielded  the  birch  over  the  youths  in  the 
said  building  from  1862  to  1879.  Albert 
Bush  taught  the  last  term  in  the  building 
during  the  winter  of  1878-79.  After  the 
house  was  abandoned  for  school  purposes, 
it  was  sold  to  Isaac  Kime,  who  moved  it  to 
his  farm  and  it  is  still  in  use  as  a  dwelling- 
house. 

In  1879,  the  present  brick  schoolhouse  in 
the  district  was  built  by  Messrs.  Leitizer  & 
Hildebrand,  contractors,  Leitizer  doing  the 
brick  work  and  Hildebrand  the  carpenter 
work.  Henry  Vogeley  was  trustee.  The 
patrons  of  the  district  hauled  the  brick  gra- 
tuitously, and  the  building  did  not  cost  the 
township  over  one  thousand  dollars.  Al- 
bert Bush  taught  the  first  term  of  school  in 
the  new  building  during  the  winter  of  1879- 
80,  and  was  followed  by  Daniel  Haley, 
Newton  F.  Watson,  Jacob  C.  Raber,  etc. 

In  writing  the  history  of  the  school  in 
district  number  eight,  in  Jefferson  township, 
commonly  known  as  the  "Fair  Oak  School," 
it  must  be  stated  that  the  first  effort  to  pro- 
vide for  the  education  of  the  children  in  the 


community  was  the  erection  of  a  frame 
building  for  school  purposes,  one  mile  south 
of  the  present  location,  just  across  the  line  in 
Huntington  county,  which  was  known  as 
the  Huffman  schoolhouse.  The  building 
was  erected  in  the  summer  of  1861,  William 
Truax  being  the  contractor  and  Sarah  Jef- 
fries taught  the  first  term  of  school  in  the 
building.  After  being  used  for  school  pur- 
poses for  about  ten  years,  it  was  vacated 
and  is  now  used  as  a  dwelling-house  by  John 
Hart,  having  been  moved  some  distance  west 
and  north  of  the  original  location.  Of  the 
teachers  who  followed  Miss  Jeffries  may 
be  mentioned  Julia  Morrison,  M.  L.  Ste- 
phens, Lewis  Bridge,  etc. 

In  the  summer  of  1871,  a  frame  school- 
house  was  built  one  mile  north  of  the  Huff- 
man schoolhouse,  on  the  southwest  corner 
of  section  27,  by  William  Bell,  trustee,  and 
William  Truax,  contractor.  This  school  be- 
came district  number  eight,  and  the  building 
was  christened  "Fair  Oak,"  presumably  be- 
cause it  was  located  in  a  forest  of  magnifi- 
cent oak  trees.  Miss  Emma  Corkins  taught 
the  first  term  of  school  in  the  new  building 
during  the  winter  of  1871-72,  and  she  was 
followed  by  Theodore  Aker,  Levi  Bridge, 
William  McKinley,  A.  I.  Montz,  W.  E.  Cal- 
lison  and  others.  In  1887,  the  old  frame 
schoolhouse  was  abandoned  for  school  pur- 
poses, was  moved  some  distance  north  and  is 
used  as  a  dwelling-house.  The  same  year 
the  present  brick  schoolhouse  in  the  district 
was  built  by  James  W.  Burwell,  trustee,  and 
J.  C.  Cheney,  contractor,  since  which  time 
a  large  number  of  teachers  have  held  forth 
in  the  building,  Fred  Dunfee  being  the 
efficient  and  popular  instructor  there  at  the 
present  writing. 

Some  time  during  the  latter  '50s,  a  log 


358 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


building  was  erected  about  thirty  rods  south 
of  the  cross  roads  where  the  schoolhouse  in 
district  number  three,  in  Jefferson  township, 
now  stands.  The  building  stood  on  the  west 
side  of  the  public  road  on  Henry  C.  Crowd's 
land  and  was  intended  for  a  schoolhouse  but 
for  some  reason  was  never  so  used,  the  few 
children  in  the  vicinity  going  either  to  the 
Brandenburg  school,  about  one  and  one-half 
miles  south,  or  one  and  three-fourths  miles 
east  to  the  Riser  school.  A  few  years  after 
the  building  of  the  log  house,  a  frame  school- 
house  was  erected  on  the  southeast  corner 
of  section  6  and  was  known  as  "Crowel's 
Schoolhouse,"  Henry  C.  Crowel  being  the 
first  teacher.  During  the  summer  and  fall 
of  1877,  the  present  brick  schoolhouse  in  the 
district  was  built  by  Henry  Vogely,  trustee. 
The  old  schoolhouse  was  sold  to  Henry  C. 
Crowel  and  is  still  in  use  as  a  dwelling-house. 
The  first  schoolhouse  at  Jefferson  Center, 
in  district  number  five,  was  a  small  frame 
budding  erected  about  1858.  This  building 
was  known  as  the  "Town  House."  and  here 
the  elections  for  the  township  were  held. 
In  1874,  this  old  house  was  abandoned  for 
school  purposes  and  was  sold  to  Jacob  Berry, 
who  moved  it  across  the  road  and  for  many 
years  it  was  used  as  a  dwelling-house.  It 
is  still  in  existence  and  is  used  by  Eston 
Gilliam  for  a  shop,  summer  kitchen,  etc. 
The  same  year,  1874,  a  frame  schoolhouse 
was  erected  by  Frederick  Brock,  trustee. 
It  was  a  large  and  substantial  building,  the 
best  school-building  in  the  township  at  that 
time.  During  the  winter  of  1888-89,  this 
house  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  during  the 
summer  of  1889,  a  substantial  brick  school- 
house  was  built  for  the  district  by  Albert 
Bush,  trustee,  which  served  its  purpose  until 


it  was  torn  down  to  give  place  to  the  present 
high-school  building,  which  was  erected  in 
the  summer  and  fall  of  1901,  by  Lewis  W. 
Dun  fee,  trustee. 

Elections  were  held  at  Jefferson  Center 
schoolhouse  until  1882,  when  the  township 
was  divided  into  two  election  precincts, 
which  are  known  as  East  and  West  Jeffer- 
son precincts.  Elections  in  the  east  precinct 
have  always  been  held  at  the  schoolhouse  in 
district  number  six,  and  in  the  west  precinct 
they  were  held  at  the  schoolhouse  in  the 
village  of  Forest  until  1890,  after  which 
they  were  held  at  the  schoolhouse  in  dis- 
trict number  four  until  1898,  since  which 
time  they  have  been  held  at  the  schoolhouse 
in  the  village  again. 

In  the  year  1862,  the  people  living  in  the 
vicinity  of  what  is  now  school  district  num- 
ber nine,  petitioned  the  township  trustees  to 
erect  a  schoolhouse  for  their  accommodation. 
Accordingly,  the  trustee  put  up  a  frame 
building  on  the  southeast  corner  of  section 
29,  on  the  land  of  Jacob  Y.  Goodyear,  one 
mile  east  of  the  location  of  the  present 
schoolhouse  in  the  district.  After  a  few 
years  some  of  the  patrons  of  the  school  liv- 
ing in  the  vicinity  of  the  cross-roads,  one 
mile  west  of  the  schoolhouse,  circulated  a  pe- 
tition asking  that  the  house  be  moved  to  the 
said  cross-roads.  These  patrons  by  quietly 
and  secretly  presenting  their  petition  to  per- 
sons only  who  favored  the  move,  succeeded 
in  getting  the  desired  order  and  proceeded 
to  move  the  building  before  those  who  were 
opposed  to  die  house  being  moved  knew 
"where  they  were  at."  Henry  Swan  was 
teaching  there  at  the  time  and  the  house 
was  placed  on  rollers  and  started  on  its 
journey  westward  while  the  school  was  in 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


359 


session.  The  cunningness  with  which  the 
movers  proceeded  and  the  further  fact  that 
the  work  of  moving  the  house  was  com- 
menced on  the  2d  day  of  February,  gave  the 
school  a  name  that  has  clung  to  it  to  the 
present  day  and  it  has  ever  since  been  known 
as  "Ground  Hog  Schoolhouse."  The 
schoolhouse  remained  in  the  new  location, 
serving  its  purpose  until  1878,  when  it  was 
replaced  by  the  present  brick  building.  The 
old  house  was  sold  to  James  Tumbleson.  who 
moved  it  some  rods  north  of  the  cross- 
roads and  used  it  for  a  dwelling-house  in 
which  capacity  it  is  used  to-day  by  Charles 
White. 

The  beginning  of  the  history  of  the 
school  in  district  number  seven,  in  Jefferson 
township,  was  the  erection  of  a  hewed-log 
building  for  school  purposes,  on  the  north- 
east corner  of  the  Hine  farm  in  section  34,  in 
the  year  1856.  The  building  was  about 
twenty-four  by  twenty-six  covered  with 
hand-made  shingles  and  furnished  with  the 
proverbial  slab  benches  with  no  backs.  The 
house  was  known  as  the  "Swamp  School- 
house,"  so  named  because  there  were  so 
many  swamps  in  the  vicinity. 

In  the  year  1866.  this  old  house  was 
abandoned  for  school  purposes  and  the  same 
year  a  neat  frame  schoolhouse  was  erected 
on  "the  southeast  corner  of  section  26.  one 
mile  south  of  the  Saturn  postoffice  and  one 
mile  east  and  one  and  one-half  miles  north 
of  the  old  log  schoolhouse.  William  Mc- 
Laughlin taught  the  first  term  of  school  in 
the  new  building  and  it  is  said  that  he  named 
the  house  the  "Fenian  Schoolhouse,"  on  ac- 
count of  its  being  located  in  an  Irish  settle- 
ment and  man)-  of  the  patrons  took  a  deep 
interest  in  the  "Fenian"  movement  at  that 
time. 


During  the  summer  of  1885,  Joseph  B. 
Plummer,  trustee,  built  the  present  brick 
schoolhouse  for  the  district. 

In  1862.  a  frame  schoolhouse  was  built 
at  the  southwest  corner  of  Jefferson  town- 
ship, just  across  the  line  in  Huntington  coun- 
ty. This  school  was  established  for  the  ac- 
commodation of  a  number  of  families  living 
in  the  vicinity;  four  townships  were  repre- 
sented and  it  was  known  as  the  "County 
Line  School."  Among  the  families  repre- 
sented were  those  of  John  Lyons,  upon 
whose  land  the  building  stood,  John  Rich- 
ert,  Christian  Shepper,  Baltzer  Koontz, 
Jacob  Van  Dorsen  and  others. 

The  school  became  one  of  the  most  ad- 
vanced of  the  country  schools  of  that  day, 
having  a  number  of  pupils  in  studies  not 
then  included  in  common  school  work,  in- 
cluding algebra,  physiology,  United  States 
history,  etc.  About  fifteen  years  ago  the 
house  was  abandoned  for  school  purposes, 
was  sold  to  Roscoe  A.  Kaufman  and  moved 
to  his  farm  near  by  and  is  used  for  a  dwell- 
ing-house. 

Previous  to  the  building  of  this  school- 
house,  Samuel  Clark  had  taught  a  term  of 
school  in  an  old  log  house  that  stood  on  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  cross-roads  at  that 
place,  in  Jefferson  township.  Mr.  Clark 
also  taught  a  term  of  school  in  a  log  house 
that  stood  on  the  land  of  Otho  Clark,  about 
three-fourths  of  a  mile  south  of  the  said 
cross-roads,  in  Huntington  count}. 

Manv  years  ago  a  schoolhouse  was  built 
on  the  west  side  of  the  county  line  road  in 
Jefferson  township,  about  two  miles  south 
of  the  present  town  of  Dunfee,  in  the  Kelsey 
neighborhood.  The  house  was  used  for 
school  purposes  for  a  number  of  years  and 
anions'  the  teachers  who  taueht  there  was 


360 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


George  Jeffries  and  Abbott  Green,  both  of 
whom  afterward  served  as  township  trustee. 
On  the  re-arrangement  of  the  school  dis- 
tricts in  the  township,  this  schoolhouse  was 
vacated  for  school  purposes,  but  the  building 
is  still  in  existence  as  a  dwelling-house. 

EARLY     PREACHERS. 

Following  in  the  wake  of  the  tide  of  em- 
igration came  the  early  circuit  riders  and 
ministers  of  nearly  every  religious  denomi- 
nation, who  sought  out  and  united  in  spirit 
the  scattered  members  and  friends  of  their 
churches  wherever  they  could  be  found  and 
held  services  at  the  settlers'  cabins,  in  the  log 
schoolhouses  or  often  assembled  their  con- 
gregations in  one  of  "God's  first  temples." 
Probably  the  first  preaching  in  the  township 
was  in  1846,  by  Zachariah  Garrison,  who 
held  services  at  Zephaniah  Bell's  'in  the 
Maring  settlement  and  also  at  William 
Davenport's  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Wil- 
liam Yohe  in  section  5.  Part  of  the  time  he 
was  assisted  in  his  labors  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Worth.  At  that  time  Mr.  Garrison  was  a 
Methodist  minister,  but  he  afterward  sev- 
ered his  connection  with  that  church  and 
became  a  minister  of  the  Church  of  God. 
He  was  a  very  forcible  speaker  and  when 
he  warmed  to  his  subject  it  was  impossible 
for  any  of  the  congregation  to  go  to  sleep. 
Zephaniah  Bell  also  preached  some  about  this 
time.  He  was  a  minister  of  the  Wesleyan 
Methodist  church. 

Milton  Haun,  a  Methodist  minister,  com- 
menced preaching  at  the  log  schoolhouse  on 
Indian  creek  in  the  spring  of  1849.  The 
following  summer  a  class  was  organized, 
which   was  probably  the  first  religious  or- 


ganization in  the  township.  Daniel  Berry, 
who  is  still  living  in  the  township,  was  the 
first  class-leader,  which  position  he  retained 
for  nearly  fifty-  years.  In  the  fall  of  1849, 
Haun  was  succeeded  in  the  work  by  James 
Elrod,  who  held  services  there  monthly  for 
one  year.  He  also  preached  in  the  Maring 
settlement,  where  soon  after  a  class  was 
organized,  but  it  disbanded  after  a  few  years. 

For  some  reason,  Elrod  named  the  place 
"Sodom,"  and  the  name  clung  to  the  commu- 
nity for  many  years.  The  Methodists  have 
had  three  or  four  organizations  in  the  town- 
ship, but  at  the  present  time  they  have  only 
one.  For  many  years  they  held  services 
at  the  Jefferson  Center  schoolhouse  and  in 
the  summer  of  1895  they  erected  a  neat 
brick  church  at  Sand  Bank  cemetery,  one 
mile  north  of  the  center  of  the  township. 
This  church  is  known  as  "Jefferson  Chapel" 
and  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  about  one  thou- 
sand five  hundred  dollars.  Some  of  the 
ministers  who  have  served  the  congregation 
since  the  building  of  the  church,  are  Revs. 
Barton,  Calkins,  Hollipeter,  Woodruff,  etc. 

The  first  church  building  in  Jefferson 
township  was  what  was  known  as  the  "Al- 
bright Church,"  on  the  county  line  on  the 
southeast  corner  of  section  32.  This  church 
is  a  frame  building,  thirty-eight  by  fifty, 
and  was  built  in  1867.  The  society  had  been 
organized  a  number  of  years  before  the 
building  of  the  church  by  Rev.  Fisher,  an 
Evangelical  or  Albright  minister,  at  the 
residence  of  Jacob  Myers,  in  Huntington 
county.  The  following  named  persons  were 
among  the  charter  members :  Jacob  Myers 
and  wife,  William  Cormany  and  wife,  Ben- 
jamin Rupert  and  wife,  Jonathan  Dustman, 
Hiram   Dustman,   William    Smith,  etc.,   all 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


301 


of  Huntington  count}-.  After  being  used 
by  the  Evangelical  denomination  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  the  church  building  passed  into 
the  hands  of  the  United  Brethren  denomina- 
tion and  is  now  used  by  the  Radical  wing 
of  that  church.  Rev.  Migrant  was  their 
last  regular  minister. 

The  first  Catholic  services  in  the  town- 
ship were  held  at  Mr.  Hine's,  in  an  early 
day,  by  Father  Fowler,  of  Fort  Wayne,  and 
•chapel  exercises  were  held  monthly  for  many 
years  at  Mr.  Blee's  in  the  southeastern  part 
of  the  township.  Of  those  who  succeeded 
Father  Fowler,  were  Fathers  Fox,  Shaffey 
and  Harkman. 

For  a  number  of  years  before  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Church  of  God  in  the  township, 
David  Keplinger,  of  that  denomination, 
preached  irregularly  at  Maring  settlement 
and  other  places  in  the  township  and  in  1857 
"he  organized  a  church  of  twenty  members 
at  Brandenburg's  schoolhouse,  in  school  dis- 
trict number  four.  He  was  followed  by 
Revs.  Komp,  Slyter,  Thomas,  Andrews, 
Sands,  Bryan,  Shock,  Garrison,  Croy  and 
others.  In  1868,  the  organization,  assisted 
by  the  community  at  large,  completed  the 
Evergreen  Bethel  church,  at  the  cemetery 
on  section  18,  which  is  still  standing  and 
was  tbe  second  church  building  erected  in 
the  township. 

About  the  time  of  the  organization  of 
the  Church  of  God  at  the  Brandenburg 
•schoolhouse,  a  church  of  that  denomination 
was  organized  at  the  residence  of  William 
B.  Calhson,  on  section  32,  by  Elder  Fred- 
erick Komp.  Of  the  charter  members  of 
this  society  the  following  are  remembered  : 
William  B.  Callison  and  wife,  William  W. 
Callison  and  wife,  Robert  L.  Pence  and  wife, 
Michael  Roney  and  wife  and  John  Callison. 


Of  the  ministers  who  served  the  society  in 
its  infancy  may  be  mentioned :  David  Kep- 
linger, George  Thomas,  Zachariah  Garrison, 
Henry  A.  Croy  and  others.  After  the  build- 
ing of  what  was  known  as  the  Callison 
schoolhouse  on  the  southeast  corner  of  sec- 
tion 29,- in  1862,  the  society  held  their  meet- 
ings there.  In  the  summer  of  1874,  the  so- 
ciety erected  a  frame  church  building, 
twenty-eight  by  thirty-eight,  three-fourths  of 
a  mile  west  of  the  location  of  the  said  school- 
house,  at  a  cost  of  nine  hundred  dollars. 
The  house  was  named  "Sugar  Grove 
Church."  After  being  used  by  the  Church 
of  God  for  about  thirty  years,  the  society 
disbanded  and  sold  the  building  to  the  Free 
Methodists,  who  repaired  the  house,  erected 
a  belfry  and  re-dedicated  the  church.  Rev. 
Mathews  is  their  minister  at  the  present 
time. 

The  Free  Methodists  also  have  an  or- 
ganization in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town- 
ship and  in  1890  they  purchased  the  old 
schoolhouse  at  district  number  six,  which 
they  have  since  used  as  a  house  of  worship. 
Revs.  Cottrell,  Loring,  Galloway  and  others 
have  served  the  society. 

The  Christians,  or  Disciples,  desiring  to 
be  known  only  as  Churches  of  Christ,  have 
two  prosperous  organizations  in  Jefferson 
township  with  good  buildings.  The  first 
preaching  by  ministers  of  this  church  in  the 
township  was  by  G.  B.  Mullis,  of  Logan- 
sport,  Indiana,  on  the  first  Sunday  in  June, 


IS: 


August  2,  1 8=;S,  an  organization  of 


twenty-two  members  was  instituted  at  the 
"Red  Schoolhouse,"  in  the  Broxon  neigh- 
borhood by  William  Dowling.  The  first 
officers  were,  elders,  Samuel  Braden  and 
Tames  Broxon ;  deacons,  William  Jeffries 
and  Daniel  Swisher.     In   1874,  the  church 


362 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


building  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  township 
was  built  at  a  cost  of  one  thousand  five  hun- 
dred dollars.  It  has  since  been  repaired 
and  is  known  as  the  "Saturn  Christian 
Church."  Since  its  organization  there  have 
been  at  least  two  hundred  and  thirty  mem- 
bers enrolled  and  at  present  there  is  an  en- 
rollment of  sixty  members.  Of  those  who 
have  ministered  to  the  congregation  the  fol- 
lowing is  a  partial  list :  George  W.  Chap- 
man. James  Hadsel,  William  Dowling,  Z. 
W.  Shepherd,  B.  W.  Hendryx.  Aaron  Walk- 
er, Charles  B.  Austin.  T.  H.  McCormack, 
T.  M.  Barnau,  P.  Hasty,  O.  A.  Newton,  J. 
W.  Hunt.  H.  M.  Lambert,  William  Dunkle- 
berger,  Daniel  Dunkleberger,  J.  H.  Lacv,  S. 
C.  Hummel.  J.  M.  Pyle.  John  W.  Hayes, 
John  H.  Clark  and  A.  M.  Gillespie. 

In  1858  William  Dowling  began  preach- 
ing at  the  Maring  schoolhouse  in  the  western 
part  of  the  township  and  during  the  same 
year  organized  a  church  of  twenty  members 
at  that  place.  Regular  services  were  main- 
tained there  until  1878,  when  the  frame 
building  in  present  use  in  the  village  of 
Forest  was  completed  at  a  cost  of  three  thou- 
sand dollars.  The  first  officers  of  the  church 
were,  elders :  John  P.  Alexander  and  Lewis 
Deems :  deacons :  John  Ihrig  and  Xehe- 
miah  Gaskill.  At  present  the  church  has  a 
membership  of  about  sixty. 

This  denomination  also  has  an  organi- 
zation at  Walnut  Grove  schoolhouse  in 
I  nion  township,  which  was  organized  in 
June,  1903.  with  twentyrfive  charter  mem- 
bers. The  first  officers  were,  elders, 
Charles  Shaw  and  Charles  Beeching;  dea- 
cons, Samuel  Harshbarger  and  D.  Spangle. 
The  United  Brethren  held  services  at 
Maring's  schoolhouse  at  an  early  day  and 
also    organized    a    church    there.     Regular 


services  were  maintained  and  in  the  summer 
of  1875  they  built  a  substantial  frame 
church  a  few  rods  north  of  the  site  of  the  old 
schoolhouse,  in  Washington  township. 
Among  the  early  ministers  who  served  this 
church  may  be  mentioned :  Revs.  Thomas,. 
Seathman.  Wood,  Clark,  Martin,  Cummins, 
etc.  Rew  Spitler  is  the  pastor  of  the  church 
at  the  present  time. 

The  Christian  (  New  Light)  church  at 
Dunfee  in  Jefferson  township,  was  first  or- 
ganized in  a  log  schoolhouse  on  the  land 
of  Daniel  W.  Holt,  in  Union  township,  Oc- 
tober 29,  1854.  The  charter  members 
were:  Daniel  W.  Holt  and  wife,  Samuel 
Whistler  and  wife,  William  C.  Morse  and 
wife,  David  S.  Morse  and  wife,  Polly  Fos- 
ter, Eliza  Lake  and  Nancy  Tousley.  Rev. 
Peter  Winebrenner  was  the  first  pastor  and 
was  followed  by  James  Atchison,  Philip 
Ziegler.  William  Manville,  C.  V.  Strickland 
and  others.  In  1872,  this  society  erected 
a  frame  church  one  and  one-half  miles  south 
of  Coesse,  in  Union  township.  In  1892, 
this  church  was  torn  down  and  moved  to  the 
town  of  Dunfee  and  re-built  on  the  west 
side  of  the  county  line  road  in  Jefferson 
township.  The  church  is  in  a  prosperous 
condition  and  maintains  regular  preaching. 

In  early  times,  the  strife  between  the 
different  religious  denominations  was  almost 
equal  to  their  combined  efforts  against  the 
bulwarks  of  sin.  This  opposition  finally 
culminated  in  an  oral  debate  on  the  subject 
of  water  baptism,  between  Rew  Hugh  Wells, 
of  the  English  Lutheran  church,  and  Rev. 
Aamn  Walker,  of  the  Disciple  church,  which 
was  held  in  Edward  Beckley's  barn.  The 
exact  date  of  the  debate  could  not  be 
learned  but  it  was  sometime  in  the  '50s. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


363 


THE    BARKDALL    MURDER. 

One  of  the  events  that  attracted  the  at- 
tention of  the  people  of  Whitley  county  a 
generation  ago  was  the  Barkdall  murder, 
that  occurred  in  Jefferson  township  in  1871. 
Henry  Barkdall,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Wurtem- 
berg,  Germany,  October  15,  1805;  was  mar- 
ried there  and  in  the  year  1839.  he  emigrated 
to  America.  He  first  settled  in  Stark  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  three  miles  east  of  Canal  Fulton, 
where  he  remained  about  ten  years  as  a  rent- 
er on  a  small  farm.  He  then  moved  to  In- 
diana and  first  settled  in  Marshall  county. 
In  1865  he  came  to  Whitley  county  and 
settled  in  the  southeast  part  of  Jefferson 
township,  in  section  26.  At  the  time  of  the 
murder  the  family  consisted  of  Mr.  Bark- 
dall, his  wife,  who  had  been  blind  in  both 
eyes  for  a  number  of  years,  a  married  son, 
Henry  Barkdall,  Jr.,  and  his  wife,  Char- 
lotte; two  married  daughters  resided  in 
Ohio. 

Mr.  Barkdall  was  a  man  of  very  violent 
temper  and  on  the  evening  of  Tuesday,  May 
16,  1 87 1,  he  came  in  from  milking  the  cows 
and  in  straining  the  milk,  he  spilled  some  on 
the  floor.  Flying  into  a  violent  rage,  he 
kicked  the  table  over  and  broke  some  of  the 
dishes.  He  then  ordered  his  wife  to  pick 
up  the  pieces.  Being  blind,  she  got  down 
on  her  knee  and  began  feeling  around  on 
the  floor,  which  seemed  to  increase  the  old 
man's  rage  and  he  began  to  kick  and  beat 
her  in  a  most  brutal  manner,  continuing  un 
she  died  from  the  effects.  The  daughter-in- 
law  being  present,  was  a  witness  to  the  at 
fair  and  Barkdall  afterward  told  her  that  if 
she  would  not  tell  that  he  had  abused  his 
wife,  he  would  get  her  something  nice.     The 


son  had  gone  to  a  neighbor's,  Mr.  Price's, 
to  get  some  cabbage  plants  and  when  he 
came  home  his  father  told  him  that  his 
mother  was  dead  and  his  wife  had  gone  to 
inform  the  neighbors.  It  is  said  that  when 
some  of  the  neighbors  arrived  they  found 
the  old  man  reading  his  German  Bible,  some 
of  whom  he  told  that  the  old  woman  had 
had  one  of  her  spells  again  and  that  it  had 
taken  her  off  this  time.  To  others  he  said 
that  she  had  fallen  down  stairs. 

Dr.  John  B.  Firestone,  of  Larwill,  was 
county  coroner  at  that  time  and  a  coroner's 
jury  was  impaneled  and  sat  on  the  case. 
After  investigating  the  case,  the  jury 
brought  in  a  verdict  finding  that  Catharine 
Barkdall  had  met  her  death  by  injuries  re- 
ceived at  the  hands  of  the  said  Henry  Bark- 
dall, Sr.,  and  that  the  said  Henry  Barkdall 
was  guilty  of  murder  in  the  first  degree. 
Dr.  D.  G.  Linvill.  of  Columbia  City,  and 
Dr.  F.  M.  Ihrig,  of  Coesse,  a  young  physi- 
cian just  beginning  to  practice,  held  a  post 
mortem  examination  which  clearly  showed 
that  the  deceased  had  come  to  her  death  by 
violence. 

Mr.  Barkdall  was  at  once  arrested  and 
placed  in  the  old  jail  in  Columbia  City  to 
await  the  action  of  the  grand  jury.  Jacob 
W.  Miller  was  sheriff  at  that  time.  When 
the  grand  jury  met  in  November,  they 
promptly  indicted  Mr.  Barkdall  for  the  mur- 
der of  his  wife  and  he  was  tried  at  the  No- 
vember. 1871,  term  of  the  Whitley  circuit 
court,  before  Hon.  Robert  Lowry,  judge. 
The  jury  was  composed  of  the  following 
named  citizens  of  the  county  :  Levi  Adams, 
whi  1  was  foreman.  Jacob  Nickey.  John  Ho- 
sack,  Charles  Ruch,  Jacob  Cramer.  William 
H.   Widup.   William  A.   Clark.   Isaac  Cox, 


364 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Calvin  T.  Heaton,  Benjamin  Kiser,  Frank 
Alwein  and  John  Orr. 

Hon.  Joseph  S.  Daily,  district  attorney 
at  that  time,  assisted  by  Hon.  A.  Y.  Hooper 
and  Hon.  C.  B.  Tully,  prosecuted  the  case, 
while  Hon.  John  Colerick,  Col.  I.  B.  Mc- 
Donald and  Louis  Newberger  defended  Mr. 
Barkdall.  The  trial  began  on  Saturday 
morning,  November  11,  1871.  and  lasted 
four  days.  The  jury,  after  being  out  about 
one  hour,  returned  a  verdict  finding  Bark- 
dall guilty  of  murder  in  the  second  degree 
and  fixing  his  punishment  at  imprisonment 
for  life.  It  seemed  that  the  coroner's  jury 
believed  him  guilty  of  murder  in  the  first 
■degree  while  the  petit  jury  could  only  make 
it  second. 

Mr.  Barkdall  was  taken  to  Michigan 
City  by  Sheriff  Miller  on  Friday,  Novem- 
ber 17,  1 87 1,  where  he  lived  only  a  few 
years.  It  is  said  that  he  was  trusty  while 
at  prison,  was  let  come  and  go  at  will  and 
one  morning  he  was  found  dead  in  his  cell, 
lying  on  his  back  with  his  hands  folded 
across  his  breast. 

Mrs.  Barkdall,  the  murdered  woman, 
was  buried  in  the  Broxon  cemetery,  on  the 
•southeast  corner  of  section  23.  in  Jefferson 
township. 

THE  SINGER   MURDER. 

One  of  the  most  sensational  murders 
that  ever  occurred  in  northern  Indiana  was 
that  of  George  M.  Singer,  who  was  found 
murdered  on  the  morning  of  September  17, 
1895,  at  his  residence  at  Dunfee,  Indiana, 
a  little  village  on  the  line  between  Whitley 
and  Allen  counties,  on  the  Nickel  Plate  Rail- 
Toad,  ten  miles  west  of  Fort  Wayne. 


Mr.  Singer  came  to  Dunfee  some  time 
in  1882,  soon  after  the  completion  of  the 
railroad,  and  conducted  a  general  store  in 
which  he  also  kept  the  postoffice.  He  was 
rather  an  eccentric  character  and  at  the  time 
of  the  murder  was  living  alone,  sleeping  in 
a  room  above  his  store.  He  had  been  mar- 
ried but  was  divorced  from  his  wife.  Two 
daughters,  Mrs.  Nora  Northop  and  Lilllie 
Singer,  lived  in  Paulding  county,  Ohio. 

Mr.  Singer  was  a  very  active  member  of 
the  organization  known  as  the  "A.  P.  A.," 
and  was  very  outspoken  in  the  advocacy  of 
the  peculiar  doctrines  of  that  order.  But 
notwithstanding  his  eccentricities,  Mr.  Sing- 
er was  held  in  high  esteem  generally  by  the 
people  of  the  community  in  which  he  lived 
and  did  business.  At  the  time  of  his  death 
he  was  about  seventy-three  years  of  age. 

On  the  morning  of  Tuesday,  September 
17,  1895,  A.  D.  Whitman,  the  night  opera- 
tor at  Dunfee,  noticed  a  ladder  leaning 
against  the  building  below  the  window  of  the 
room  in  which  Mr.  Singer  slept,  and  upon 
investigation,  Mr.  Singer  was  found  dead, 
lying  upon  his  bed,  his  hands  and  feet  se- 
curely tied,  and  a  strip  which  had  been  torn 
from  a  bed  sheet  was  twisted  around  his  neck. 
Indications  were  that  he  had  been  knocked 
senseless,  as  the  murderers  supposed,  with 
a  heavy  hickory  club,  and  had  been  tied  so 
that  he  could  not  give  the  alarm  when  he 
revived.  But  the  blow  had  been  harder 
evidently  than  was  intended  and  death  had 
resulted.  The  club  was  found  on  the  bed 
and  was  afterward  exhibited  at  the  trial. 
Evidently  robbery  had  been  the  object,  but 
no  evidence  was  found  that  more  than  a 
small  amount  of  money  had  been  taken, 
though  there  were  some  who  alwavs  believed 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


365 


that  Mr.  Singer  had  more  money  in  his 
possession  than  was  at  first  supposed.  The 
murderer  or  murderers  had  entered  the  old 
man's  room  through  the  window  by  means 
of  the  ladder  above  mentioned,  and  had 
descended  to  the  room  below  by  means  of  a 
stairway.  The  old  ladder  was  a  very  rick- 
ety affair  and  had  been  brought  from  a 
slaughter-house  nearly  a  mile  away.  It  was 
afterward  on  exhibition  at  G.  B.  Widdi- 
field's  jewelry  store  in  Columbia  City,  and 
also  figured  in  the  trial.  Witnesses  who 
had  seen  the  ladder  on  the  morning  of  the 
discovery  of  the  murder,  swore  that  it  had 
been  cut  off  so  that  it  would  be  of  proper 
length  to  reach  the  window,  but  it  had  evi- 
dently been  "doctored"  as  the  ladder  exhib- 
ited at  the  trial  did  not  bear  out  the 
testimony. 

Excitement  ran  high  in  Dunfee  and 
vicinity  upon  the  discovery  of  the  murder 
and  if  the  guilty  persons  could  have  been 
captured  at  once  it  is  quite  likely  that  Whit- 
ley county  would  have  been  saved  the  ex- 
pense of  a  costly  and  useless  trial. 

Dr.  N.  I.  Kithcart,  county  coroner,  was 
notified,  and  with  the  assistance  of  Dr.  Mc- 
Googan,  of  Areola,  held  an  inquest  and  post- 
mortem which  clearly  revealed  that  Mr. 
Singer  had  been  foully  murdered  by  some 
person  or  persons  unknown.  The  building 
in  which  the  murder  was  committed  stands 
on  the  west  side  of  the  county  line  road  in 
Whitley  county. 

The  grand  jury  was  in  session  at  the 
time  of  the  murder  and  an  investigation  was 
at  once  commenced,  but  no  indictments  were 
found  at  that  time.  On  Saturday,  October 
12th,  James  Cunningham  and  William 
Thompson,  who  were  suspected  of  being  the 


murderers  of  Mr.  Singer,  were  arrested  at 
Fort  Wayne,  and  on  Saturday,  October  19th, 
they  were  brought  to  Columbia  City  and  had 
a  hearing  before  Benjamin  F.  Menaugh,  jus- 
tice of  the  peace,  who  bound  them  over  to 
the  circuit  court. 

When  the  grand  jury  met  in  November, 
they  again  took  up  the  case  and  a  great  many 
witnesses  were  called.  The  grand  jury  was 
composed  of  the  following  named  citizens 
of  the  county :  William  H.  Hughes,  who 
was  foreman,  Samuel  Kaufman,  Levi  Gar- 
rison, Lewis  Richard,  Joseph  Myers  and 
Adelbert  Barney.  After  thoroughly  investi- 
gating the  case,  the  grand  jury  indicted  the 
said  Cunningham  and  Thompson  for  the 
murder  of  George  M.  Singer,  and  an  ad- 
journed term  of  the  Whitley  circuit  court 
was  called,  mainly  for  the  purpose  of  trying 
the  said  Cunningham  and  Thompson  for  the 
said  murder. 

The  prisoners  demanding  a  separate  trial, 
Cunningham  was  placed  on  trial  first. 
Ivers  W.  Leonard,  deputy  prosecuting  at- 
torney, assisted  by  Hon.  W.  F.  McNagny, 
prosecuted  the  case,  while  Hon.  James  M. 
Robinson  and  Hon.  A.  A.  Adams  defended 
Mr.  Cunningham.  A  special  venire  of 
jurors  had  been  called  and  the  following 
named  men  were  accepted  and  sworn  to  try 
the  case:  Appleton  R.  Jackson,  who  was 
foreman,  Clinton  Wilcox,  Nicholas  DePoy, 
David  S.  Bechtel,  George  Belch,  William 
E.  Meyers,  Bayless  Lower,  Lewis  H.  Mow- 
ery,  John  Born,  Cyrus  Keiser,  John  S.  Nor- 
ris  and  Melvin  Blain.  Wilcox  and  DePoy 
were  the  only  members  of  the  regular  panel 
who  were  retained. 

There  was  a  large  number  of  witnesses 
called  and  the  trial  was  attended  daily  by 


366 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


crowds  of  people.  The  trial  lasted  nearly 
two  weeks,  the  arguments  of  counsel  con- 
cluding on'  Saturday  afternoon,  December 
14th.  Mr.  Robinson's  speech  defending 
Cunningham  was  a  masterpiece  of  oratory. 
He  said  that  it  was  the  first  time  he  had 
ever  known  a  witness  to  leave  the  witness 
stand  and  refuse  to  answer  any  more  ques- 
tions and  the  first  time  he  had  ever  known  a 
case  where  the  prosecuting  attorney  was 
sworn  as  a  witness. 

About  nine  o'clock  on  Saturday  night 
it  was  reported  that  the  jury  had  reached 
a  verdict,  and  Judge  Adair  was  notified  and 
proceeded  to  call  court.  Again  a  large 
crowd  gathered  in  the  court  room  and  when 
the  judge  read  the  verdict  of  the  jury,  "Not 
Guilty,"  a  mighty  cheer  was  given  and  many 
people  shook  hands  with  Mr.  Cunningham 
and  congratulated  him  upon  his  release. 
Cunningham  shook  hands  with  kis  attor- 
neys and  the  jury  and  seemed'  to  be  the 
happiest  man  in  the  court  room  at  the  time. 
Upon  motion  of  the  prosecuting  attorney, 
the  case  against  Thompson  was  dismissed 
and  thus  ended  all  prospects  of  bringing  the 
murderers  of  old  man  Singer  to  justice.  It 
was  pretty  generally  believed  that  Cunning- 
ham was  guilty  and  it  is  said  that  it  took 
four  ballots  for  the  jury  to  reach  their  ver- 
dict, three  voting  "guilty"  on  the  first  ballot, 
but  the  doubt  was  so  strong  that  he  was 
given  the  benefit  of  the  doubt.  The  old 
adage,  "Murder  will  out,"  seems  to  be  slow 
in  proving  itself  true  in  this  case,  but  if  we 
take  the  case  of  Eugene  Aram  and  other 
noted  criminal  cases  for  precedents,  there 
is  still  time  for  vindication. 


INTERESTING  INCIDENTS. 

A  colored  man,  whose  name  is  not  now 
remembered,  resided  in  the  southern  part  r>i 
Jefferson  township  for  a  short  time  in  1870. 
The  following  incident  is  related  in  connec- 
tion with  this  fact :  At  the  township  elec- 
tion in  October,  1870,  Otho  Clark,  who  was 
the  township  trustee,  was  a  candidate  for  re- 
election on  the  Democratic  ticket.  John 
Crowell,  although  a  strong  Democrat,  was 
opposed  to  the  election  of  Mr.  Clark  and  as 
the  Republicans  had  made  no  nominations 
for  township  officers,  on  the  morning  of  the 
election  Mr.  Crowell  went  to  William  Bell 
and  urged  him  to  be  a  candidate  for  trustee, 
assuring  him  of  his  support  and  influence. 
Mr.  Bell  consented  to  the  use  of  his  name 
and  when  the  ballots  were  counted  it  was 
learned  that  he  was  elected  by  a  majority  of 
one  vote  and  as  the  colored  man  had  voted, 
he  was  credited  with  Mr.  Bell's  election. 

William  Bell  was  one  of  the  best  edu- 
cated men  of  the  early  pioneers  of  this  part 
of  Whitley  county.  He  had  taught  school 
in  Ohio  and  after  coming  to  Indiana  he 
continued  teaching  for  a  number  of  years. 
Besides  his  term  as  trustee,  he  also  served 
two  terms  as  justice  of  the  peace,  and  as 
administrator  he  settled  a  number  of  estates. 
He  settled  in  Jefferson  township  in  1845  and 
resided  there  until  his  death.  March  19, 
1 89 1,  aged  nearly  eighty  years. 

His  widow,  Sarah  (Alexander)  Bell, 
died  July  19,  1906,  aged  ninety-one  years, 
seven  months  and  eighteen  days.  She  was 
born  in  Waldo  county,  Maine,  and  was  the 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


36; 


oldest  person  in  Jefferson  township  at  the 
time  of  her  death. 

William  M.  Gillespie  says  that  a  man  by 
the  name  of  Frank  DnPee  was  one  of  the 
early  pioneers  of  Jefferson  township.  He 
was  half  Indian  and  half  French  and  when 
the  Indians  were  sent  west  by  the  govern- 
ment from  Raccoon  Village,  DnPee  hid  in 
the  woods  until  the  excitement  was  over 
as  he  desired  to  live  with  the  white  people. 
Afterward,  DuPee  married  a  daughter  of 
Jonathan  Chadeon  and  lived  in  a  log  cabin 
on  the  land  afterward  owned  by  William 
Jeffries  in  section  24.  In  1851  he  loaded 
his  goods  on  a  wagon  and  started  west, 
saying  that  he  was  going  to  Marshall  coun- 
ty and  that  was  the  last  seen  or  heard  of" 
him  by  Mr.  Gillespie.  When  William  Jef- 
fries first  settled  in  the  township,  he  and  his 
family  occupied  the  cabin  vacated  by  DuPee. 

A  number  of  fatal  accidents  have  taken 
place  in  Jefferson  township,  some  of  which 
may  be  mentioned  here.  In  clearing  the 
land  and  felling  the  large  trees,  it  is  not  sur- 
prising that  a  number  of  men  lost  their  lives. 
Mention  has  already  been  made  of  Levi 
Decker,  who  was  killed  by  a  rebounding 
limb  when  falling  a  bee  tree,  and  his  death 
was  one  of  the  first  to  occur  in  the  township. 
In  the  fall  of  1880,  a  young  man  by  the 
name  of  Withrow  was  killed  by  the  falling 
of  a  lodged  limb  while  sawing  logs  with 
David  Geiger.  Withrow  was  buried  in 
Evergreen  cemetery  and  his  faithful  dog 
guarded  the  grave  for  several  days  after  the 
burial.  On  April  4,  1881,  John  Blake  was 
killed  by  a  falling  limb  and  in  the  summer 
of  1884  Louis  Jerome  was  killed  by  a  fall- 
ing snag  while  hauling  logs. 

November    15.    1880,   John    Brown    was 


killed  on  a  saw-mill  on  the  Illinois  road  and 
at  the  raising  of  Frederick  Schoenauer's 
barn  in  May,  18S1,  Jacob  Berry  was  killed 
and  Isaac  Dickerson  badly  injured  by  the 
falling  of  a  large  plate. 

October  6,  1879,  D.  C.  Robbins  was  in- 
stantly killed  by  falling  from  a  building  in 
the  village  of  Forest  and  in  the  autumn  of 
1885,  Christian  Bixler  was  killed  by  being- 
thrown  from  a  wagon  by  the  horses  run- 
ning away  while  returning  from  Fort 
Wayne. 

In  April.  1894,  Ami  Hively  was  killed 
by  the  explosion  of  a  boiler  at  Shipley's  saw- 
mill one  mile  west  of  Jefferson  Center. 

In  July,  1884,  Henry  Londt,  Jr.,  was 
killed  by  damps  in  a  well  that  he  was  digging 
for  Samuel  Aultom. 

THE   VILLAGE    OF    FOREST. 

The  history  of  the  village  of  Forest  be- 
gins with  the  erection  of  a  saw-mill  in  1854, 
by  Miller  Brothers.  This  mill  was  quite 
a  large  building,  the  frame  being  composed 
of  massive  timbers  that  were  hewn  by  hand. 
It  stood  on  the  west  side  of  the  public  road 
in  Washington  township  and  after  being 
operated  several  years  by  the  Millers  it  was 
sold  to  Beckley  Brothers  who  conducted  the 
same  until  1864,  when  they  sold  to  Charles 
Livenspargar,  who,  with  various  partners, 
operated  the  mill  for  man}-  years.  The 
building  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  February, 
1 89 1,  and  was  never  rebuilt. 

The  site  of  the  village  was  originally 
owned  by  William  Bell,  who  sold  to  Calvin 
Maring.  In  1854  Allen  Quick  purchased 
one-fourth  of  an  acre  of  land  of  William 
Bell    and    built    a    residence    which    is    still 


368 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


standing  and  is  a  part  of  the  house  occupied 
by  Charles  Livenspargar.  Mr.  Quick  also 
built  a  house  on  the  corner  where  Samuel 
Brock  now  resides  and  from  1859  to  i860 
he  was  the  first  trustee  of  Jefferson  town- 
ship under  the  new  law.  In  1866  he  was 
elected  county  recorder  and  filled  that  office 
four  years.  He  died  in  Columbia  City,  May 
13,  1903.  Meanwhile  Calvin  Maring  laid 
out  several  lots  and  in  1866  Myers  Brothers 
built  a  blacksmithshop  on  the  corner  opposite 
where  Dr.  White's  office  now  is  and  Henry 
Myers  erected  a  dwelling-house  on  the  same 
lot.  Soon  after  a  wagon  and  carriage  shop 
was  erected  in  connection  with  the  black- 
smithshop, but  both  buildings  were  destroyed 
by  fire  in  the  autumn  of  1870. 

In  the  spring  of  1867,  Elwood  Nichols 
erected  a  large  building  on  the  lot  now 
owned  by  Mrs.  J.  C.  Raber  and  soon  after 
sold  the  lot  and  building  to  James  S.  Baker, 
who  put  in  a  stock  of  dry  goods  and  gro- 
ceries valued  at  one  thousand  dollars.  Mr. 
Baker  conducted  the  business  for  about  three 
years  and  although  he  was  a  leader  in  the 
church  and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school,  tradition  says  that  he  kept  a  barrel 
on  tap  in  the  back  room  that  contained  some- 
thing stronger  than  cider.  This  store  build- 
ing, together  with  a  dwelling-house  adjoin- 
ing, was  destroyed  by  fire,  February  27, 
1875.  At  that  time  Marshal  Wright  was 
conducting  a  general  store  in  the  building. 
In  the  fall  of  1870,  Dr.  Richards  erected  a 
building  in  which  for  many  years  a  drug 
store  was  conducted  and  is  still  standing, 
being  occupied  now  by  Daniel  Redman  for 
a  harness  and  repair  shop.  Other  improve- 
ments slowly  followed  and  during  all  these 
years  the  place  had  been  known  as  "Sodom," 


"Lickskillet,"  etc.,  and  now  some  of  the  cit- 
izens began  to  think  the  place  should  have 
a  proper  name.  Accordingly  when  Dr. 
Richards'  building  was  completed,  a  meet- 
ing was  called  for  the  purpose  of  naming 
the  town.  An  oyster  supper  was  a  feature 
of  the  gathering  and  the  question  before  the 
meeting  was  settled  by  ballot.  Several 
names  were  proposed.  Charles  Livenspar- 
gar was  desirous  of  having  the  place  named 
"Canton,"  in  remembrance  of  his  native 
town  in  Ohio,  but  "Forest"  won  the  day  and 
as  Forest  the  place  has  since  been  known. 
When  Laud  postoffice  was  moved  to  the 
town  in  1880,  the  question  came  up  of  chang- 
ing the  name  of  the  town  so  that  the  name 
of  the  town  and  the  postoffice  should  be  the 
same.  The  postoffice  department  refused  to 
recognize  the  name  "Forest"  as  there  was 
already  a  postoffice  in  the  state  by  that 
name.  Another  meeting  was  called  and  an- 
other ballot  taken  with  the  same  result.  The 
people  refused  to  give  up  the  name  of 
"Forest"  and  so  the  name  of  the  postoffice 
remained  "Laud"  and  the  name  of  the  town 
remained  "Forest."  When  the  postoffice 
was  discontinued  in  1903,  it  was  supposed 
that  the  name  "Laud"  would  never  more  be 
heard,  but  not  so,  as  the  town  is  called 
"Laud"  about  as  often  as  it  is  called 
"Forest." 

In  1878  G.  M.  Bainbridge,  of  Columbia 
City,  erected  a  large  frame  building  in  the 
south  part  of  the  town  in  which  he  placed 
a  large  stock  of  general  merchandise  in 
charge  of  Manford  D.  Yontz,  who  con- 
ducted the  same  until  1882,  when  he  was 
elected  county  auditor,  when  Mr.  Bainbridge 
sold  the  building  and  a  two-thirds  interest 
in   the  goods  to  Leonard   S.   Maring,  and 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


369 


Simon  Bennet  became  the  manager  of  the 
business.  In  the  spring  of  1884,  Mr.  Bain- 
bridge  sold  his  entire  interest  in  the  store  to 
Mr.  Maring  and  at  Mr.  Maring's  death,  in 
1892,  Mr.  Bennet  came  into  possession  of 
the  store  and  is  still  conducting  the  business. 

In  1880  D.  V.  White  put  up  a  building 
in  which  Edwards  &  Anderson,  of  Colum- 
bia City,  put  in  a  stock  of  hardware.  They 
soon  after  sold  to  James  W.  Burwell,  who 
conducted  a  successful  business  for  several 
years.  In  1885  L.  L.  Kimmel  purchased 
a  lot  of  Lewis  Deems  on  the  west  side  of  the 
street  upon  which  he  erected  a  building  in 
which  for  several  years  he  conducted  a  gen- 
eral hardware  business,  having  purchased 
the  stock  of  Mr.  Burwell. 

The  first  drug  store  in  the  village  was 
started  in  the  autumn  of  1870,  in  the  build- 
ing erected  by  Dr.  Richards,  by  Blount  & 
Hoover,  of  Huntington,  and  was  conducted 
by  a  man  by  the  name  of  McGovney ;  the 
store  afterward  passed  into  the  hands  of 
Marshall  Wright,  then  to  M.  G.  Wright, 
William  Metzler,  Perry  Long,  Deems  & 
Raber  and  is  to-day  conducted  by  Warren 
J.  Deems  as  a  drug  and  general  store. 

At  one  time  James  G.  Dyer  conducted  a 
small  grocery  store,  as  also  did  Newton 
Boles,  Lewis  Deems  &  Son,  George  W. 
Irwin  and  George  W.  Baugher.  George  W. 
Kelsey  is  conducting  a  grocery  store  in  the 
town  at  the  present  time.  Brock  &  Coolman, 
Samuel  D.  Raber  and  William  Schoenauer 
have  been  engaged  in  the  hardware  business 
in  the  town.  Edward  C.  Schoenauer  con- 
ducted the  only  hardware  business  in  the 
village  for  several  years  and  recently  sold 
to  Daniel  Tachantz  &  Company. 

For  a  number  of  years  a  grist  mill  was 
24 


in  successful  operation  in  Forest,  but  it  has 
long  since  ceased  to  do  business. 

The  town  has  not  been  without  a  black- 
smithshop  since  Myers  Brothers  started 
their  shop  in  1866,  since  which  time  the  vil- 
lage "smithy"  has  been  operated  by  Erastus 
Witham,  Richard  White,  Louis  Lavine,  Vic- 
tor Vincent,  John  Bitner,  Frank  Zellers,  C. 
E.  Rothmel,  etc. 

In  1883  William  Tschantz  purchased  a 
lot  of  Charles  Livenspargar  and  put  up  a 
building  for  a  saloon.  After  the  building 
was  completed,  Mr.  Tschantz  obtained  a  li- 
cense and  started  his  business  of  retailing 
spirits  in  less  quantities  than  a  quart  to  the 
thirsty  citizens  of  Forest.  He  was  not  a 
very  shrewd  business  man,  evidently,  for 
there  were  soon  so  many  indictments  re- 
turned against  him  by  the  grand  jury  for 
violating  the  liquor  law,  that  he  could  not 
get  his  license  renewed  and  the  business  went 
into  other  hands.  William  H.  Pence  con- 
ducted the  business  for  several  years  and  it 
is  said  that  he  run  the  saloon  as  nearly  ac- 
cording to  law  as  such  a  business  can  be 
run.  Afterward  John  Runier  became  man- 
ager of  the  place  and  soon  the  saloon  be- 
came such  a  nuisance  that  the  people  began 
to  discuss  various  plans  to  get  rid  of  it. 
About  this  time  Mr.  Runier  sold  out  to  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Hamilton,  of  North 
Manchester,  who  sent  a  notorious  character, 
who  called  himself  a  "cow  boy,"  to  take 
charge  of  the  business. 

The  women  of  the  town  and  community 
organized  for  the  purpose  of  fighting  the  sa- 
loon and  held  many  meetings.  Upon  two  or 
three  occasions  they  went  in  a  body  to  the 
saloon  to  prevail  upon  Mr.  Hamilton  to  give 
up  the  business.     On  one  of  these  occasions 


3/0 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


the  "cow  boy"  made  some  great  boasts  and 
told  the  ladies  that  he  had  been  employed  to 
run  a  saloon  in  Forest  and  he  proposed  to 
do  it   if  it  took  blood. 

Soon  after  this  some  one  entered  the  sa- 
loon at  the  dead  of  night,  when  the  manager 
was  temporarily  absent  from  the  village, 
and  opened  every  barrel,  cask  and  bottle  in 
the  room  and  let  the  contents  run  out.  It 
was  said  that  the  slop  was  ankle  deep  on  the 
floor  the  next  morning.  Soon  after  this 
calamity,  Mr.  Hamilton  moved  his  furniture 
from  the  building  and  the  town  and  that 
was  the  last  of  the  saloon.  The  building 
in  which  the  saloon  was  conducted  is  now 
occupied  by  Warren  J.  Deems  as  a  drug  and 
general  store,  and  is  owned  by  the  1.  O.  O. 
F.  Lodge. 

Dr.  John  Quincy  Adams  Banta  settled 
on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Dr.  S.  R.  White, 
about  1843,  and  was  the  first  physician  in 
the  community,  where  he  practiced  his  pro- 
fession for  several  years.  Since  1863  Dr. 
John  Richards  has  practiced  medicine  here 
and  he  is  one  of  the  pioneer  physicians  of 
Whitley  county.  Dr.  S.  R.  White  has  been 
a  resident  of  Forest  for  thirty-six  years  and 
during  the  past  twenty-five  years  he  has  been 
a  practicing  physician  and  surgeon  and  has 
had  a  large  and  successful  practice.  He 
was  the  first  physician  in  Whitley  county  to 
purchase  an  automobile  which  has  been  used 
in  his  business  for  several  years  and  is  con- 
sidered indispensable  by  him. 

Dr.  James  Richards,  a  brother  of  Dr. 
John  Richards,  was  located  in  Forest  for 
several  years  and  Drs.  Hammond,  Koontz, 
Putt.  Gregg,  Kemp,  and  others  have  been 
located  here  at  different  times. 

Forest  lodge.  No.  546,  Independent  Or- 


der of  Odd  Fellows,  was  organized  May  5, 
1877,  with  the  following  charter  members: 
Marshall  Wright,  Francis  M.  McDonald, 
Edward  B.  North.  Moses  T.  Simon  and 
James  F.  Johnson.  The  lodge  is  still  in 
existence  and  at  the  present  time  is  in  a 
flourishing  condition. 

The  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  lodge  was 
organized  in  the  spring  of  1895  and  flour- 
ished for  several  years  but  finally  disbanded, 
some  of  the  members  transferring  their 
membership  to  the  lodge  in  Columbia  City. 

A  Grand  Army  Post  was  organized  in 
1886,  but  has  since  disbanded. 

Forest  Grange  was  organized  in  1874  at 
the  Kaufman  schoolhouse  in  Washington 
township  and  in  1892,  they  built  their  pres- 
ent hall  in  the  village,  which  was  dedicated 
July  2$,  1892,  Hon.  Aaron  Jones,  of  South 
Bend,   delivering  an  oration. 

♦Forest  is  a  divided  town,  "half  and  half" 
as  it  were ;  all  of  the  town  on  the  east  side 
of  the  highway  running  north  and  south  is 
in  Jefferson  township,  and  all  on  the  west 
side  is  in  Washington  township.  The  busi- 
ness places  are  about  equally  divided  on 
each  side  of  Main  street,  but  Jefferson  town- 
ship has  the  schoolhouse,  the  church  and 
most  of  the  dwelling-houses.  This  "Main 
street"  in  early  times  in  winter  was  a  series 
of  frozen  gorges  and  hummocks,  in  fall  and 
spring,  a  sea  of  mud  and  in  summer  a  con- 
tinuing dust  heap,  lined  on  each  side  by  the 
everlasting  dust-covered  rag  weed ;  but  it 
was  the  best  street  in  town. 

Almost  ever  since  the  first  settlements, 
Forest  and  vicinity  have  been  annoyed  by 
people  who  have  the  reputation  of  making 
their  living  otherwise  than  by  the  sweat  of 
the  brows.     Houses  and  stores  have  been 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


371 


burglarized  and  money  stolen,  but  the  favor- 
ite property  to  be  appropriated  seems  to  be 
poultry. 

One  day  during  the  presidential  cam- 
paign of  1864,  the  family  of  Moses  Fair- 
child  attended  a  rally  in  Columbia  City  and 
when  they  returned  in  the  evening  they 
found  that  the  house  had  been  ransacked 
and  robbed  of  some  money  and  quite  a 
quantity  of  goods  taken.  The  alarm  was 
at  once  given  and  watch  parties  stationed  at 
each  cross  roads  in  the  vicinity  during  the 
following  night,  hoping  to  intercept  the  rob- 
bers as  they  should  endeavor  to  get  out  of 
the  country  with  the  stolen  goods.  At  this 
time  a  family  by  the  name  of  "Empie,"  who 
had  the  reputation  of  taking  things  that  did 
not  belong  to  them,  lived  about  one-half  mile 
north  of  the  village.  The  family  consisted 
of  the  parents,  Joshua  Empie  and  wife,  who 
at  that  time  were  quite  aged,  and  four  sons, 
Washington,  William,  Peter  and  Andrew. 
They  were  partial  to  patriotic  and  scriptural 
names.  During  the  night,  the  parties  who 
were  stationed  at  Maring's  schoolhouse 
heard  a  wagon  approaching  from  the  south 
and  when  it  came  near  they  called  for  a  halt, 
but  the  driver  applied  the  whip  and  in  spite 
of  all  efforts  to  stop  them,  went  by  and  drove 
to  the  north  with  the  horses  on  the  run. 
The  parties  who  were  guarding  the  cross- 
roads in  the  village  hearing  the  wagon  com- 
ing and  the  parties  at  Maring's  corners  yel- 
ling, made  an  effort  to  stop  the  wagon  but 
without  success  and  it  continued  north  at  a 
furious  rate;  the  sound  of  the  rattling  of  the 
wagon  on  the  still  night  air  could  be  heard 
for  miles. 

The  parties  who  were  stationed  at  what 
is  now  Hyer's  corners  were  more  successful 


and  the  wagon  was  brought  to  a  stand  still, 
when  it  was  found  that  the  parties  in  the 
wagon  were  William  and  Peter  Empie  and 
that  they  had  a  load  of  cabbage,  potatoes 
and  other  forage,  but  not  any  of  the  goods 
taken  from  Mr.  Fairchild.  However,  they 
were  taken  in  charge  and  an  effort  made 
to  ascertain  if  they  had  committed  the  rob- 
bery. It  is  said  that  a  rope  placed  around  the 
neck  of  Peter  and  thrown  over  the  limb  of 
a  tree,  induced  him  to  confess  and  tell  where 
the  goods  were  concealed,  but  on  going  to 
the  place  nothing  was  found  and  it  was 
afterward  pretty  generally  believed  that  the 
Empies  had  had  no  hand  in  the  robbery  and 
that  Peter's  confession  was  the  result  of 
fright.  Mr.  Fairchild's  good  were  never 
recovered  and  the  robbers  never  brought 
to  justice. 

A  few  years  after  this  robbery,  the 
Empies  sold  their  land  and  in  1869  they 
left  the  country  and  it  was  said  that  they 
went  to  Michigan.  William  Empie  was  at 
one  time  convicted  of  stealing  a  sheep  and 
served  a  sentence  in  the  old  jail  at  Columbia 
City. 

When  Allen  Quick  was  township  trustee, 
his  house  was  burglarized  and  quite  a  sum 
of  money  that  belonged  to  the  township 
funds  was  stolen  and  never  recovered. 

Many  years  ago,  a  horse  was  taken  out  of 
Mr.  Ihrig's  field  and  never  recovered. 

On  the  night  of  September  16,  1884,  a 
large  safe  in  the  general  store  of  Leonard 
S.  Maring  was  blown  open  and  about  thirty 
dollars  in  money  taken  as  well  as  some  goods 
from  the  store  and  no  clew  to  the  robbers 
was  ever  found. 

Forest  has  not  been  growing  and  has 
practically  remained  at  a  standstill  for  many 


372 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


years.  If  it  could  get  that  blessing  so  great- 
ly desired  by  all  inland  towns,  a  railroad,  it 
would  soon  become  a  place  of  much  im- 
portance as  it  is  centrally  located  and  in  the 
midst  of  a  thriving  farming  community.  A 
number  of  lines  have  been  surveyed  at  dif- 
ferent times  through  or  near  the  town  but 
for  some  reasons  the  roads  have  failed  to 
materialize. 

THE    VILLAGE    OF    RABER. 

When  the  postoffice  was  established  at 
Raber  in  1883,  it  was  the  start  of  a  town 
that  has  since  grown  to  a  village  of  some 
importance.  Before  the  establishment  of  the 
postoffice,  the  place  was  known  as  "Mow- 
rey's  Crossing,"  and'  trains  stopped  there 
only  on  a  special  order.  For  a  brief  time 
Samuel  Clark,  in  connection  with  the  post- 
office,  conducted  a  small  grocery  store  which 
he  afterward  sold  to  Thomas  J.  Berry.  Mr. 
Berry  continued  the  business  until  his  death 
in  1901,  since  which  time  the  store  has  been 
conducted  by  William  Bogner,  Ben  Cotterly, 
Dunfee  &  Brahm  and  is  now  conducted  by 
Frank  C.  Brahm,  who  is  doing  a  good 
business.  From  1890  to  1893,  a  general 
store  was  conducted  in  the  village  by  Charles 
A.  Mowrey. 

In  1888,  William  M.  Crowell  erected  an 
elevator  and  for  a  number  of  years  bought 
and  shipped  grain  and  the  business  is  now 
continued  by  his  son,  Oscar  C.  Crowell. 
Mr.  Crowell  is  also  doing  a  good  business 
in  handling  coal,  drain  and  building  tile, 
fence  posts,  etc. 

For  many  years,  F.  M.  Kaufman,  now  of 
Fort  Wayne,  has  bought  and  shipped  live 
stock  from  this  place,  as  have  also  Quick  & 


Lawrence,  R.  L.  Crowell,  etc.,  and  Raber  is 
one  of  the  best  shipping  points  between 
Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago. 

THE  VILLAGE   OF  DUNFEE. 

Soon  after  the  building  of  the  New  York, 
Chicago  &  St.  Louis  Railroad,  a  station  was 
established  where  the  railroad  crosses  the 
Whitley  and  Allen  county  line  and  soon 
after  a  postoffice  was  located  there  which 
was  named  "Dunfee,"  and  George  M.  Singer 
was  appointed  postmaster.  Mr.  Singer 
served  until  he  was  mysteriously  murdered 
in  1895,  when  William  McWhirter  was  ap- 
pointed as  his  successor  and  has  served  until 
the  present  time.  Mr.  Singer  conducted  a 
general  store  in  connection  with  the  post- 
office,  which  business  has  been  continued  by 
Mr.  McWhirter.  Dunfee  is  quite  a  good 
shipping  point.  Considerable  live  stock  has 
been  shipped  from  here  by  F.  M.  Kaufman, 
W.  A.  Hiler  and  others.  A  saw-mill  did  a 
good  business  here  for  a  number  of  years, 
but  it  has  long  since  served  its  purpose. 

Dunfee  has  a  Christian  church  and  two 
lodges,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows and  Modern  Woodmen.  The  former 
was  organized  January  11,  1901,  with  six- 
teen charter  members.  The  lodge  is  in  a 
prosperous  condition  with  a  permanent  mem- 
ship  of  fifty  and  owns  the  building  in  which 
the  meetings  are  held,  which  is  located  on 
the  Whitley  county  side  of  the  county  line 
street. 

The  Modern  Woodmen  camp  was  or- 
ganized in  the  autumn  of  1901  and  is  now  in 
a  prosperous  condition  with  a  good 
membership. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 
RICHLAND  TOWNSHIP. 


373 


BY  CHESTER  L.  CONE. 


ORGANIZATION    AND    ELECTIONS. 

Richland  township  as  originally  organ- 
ized consisted  of  the  congressional  township 
31  north,  range  8  east,  and  contains  thir- 
ty-six sections  of  land.  Prior  to  1838  Whit- 
ley count}-  was  joined  to  Huntington  coun- 
ty for  court  purposes.  Townships  were  or- 
ganized by  the  county  board,  we  might  call 
them  commissioners,  but  the  record  shows 
that  while  we  were  a  part  of  Huntington 
county,  the  board  consisted  of  justices  of 
the  peace.  All  the  record  they  made  of 
township  organization  was  an  order  that 
such  congressional  township  be  organized 
and  named  as  a  civil  township.  They  called 
an  election  for  justice  of  the  peace  and  per- 
haps made  some  orders  concerning  the  roads. 
Cleveland  and  Smith  townships  were  or- 
ganized before  Richland  township.  October. 
15,  1837,  the  few  scattering  settlers  in  town- 
ship 31  north,  range  8  east,  met  at  the  cabin 
of  William  Rice,  then  a  young  bachelor, 
to  join  in  a  petition  for  township  organiza- 
tional^ select  aname.  There  seemed  to  have 
been  considerable  preliminary  talk  about  a 
name.  They  all  thought  they  had  the  richest 
land  and  so  expressed  themselves.  Finally 
Edwin  Cone  said  that  they  already  had  a 
name  and  call  it  "Richland"  and  the  name 
was  adopted  and  placed  on  the  petition.  It 
is  not  known  who  signed  the  petition,  but 
it  is  presumed  that  most  of  the  voters  in  the 
township  signed  it.  Therefore  on  November 
6,  1837,  the  Huntington  county  board  organ- 
ized  it  as   Richland   township  and   ordered 


an  election  for  justice  of  the  peace  at  Ezra 
Thompson's  house  on  the  second  Monday 
in  December,  1837.  At  this  first  election 
in  Richland  township  only  five  voted,  name- 
ly :  John  Jones,  William  Rice,  Zebulon 
Burch,  William  Cordill  and  Edwin  Cone — 
just  enough  to  form  an  election  board.  The 
first  three  were  judges  and  the  other  two 
clerks.  Edwin  Cone  received  four  votes  and 
William  Rice  one  vote.  We  do  not  know 
why  Mr.  Thompson  did  not  vote.  We  do 
not  know  the  date  of  Mr.  Cone's  commis- 
sion as  justice  of  the  peace. 

Thorncreek  township  was  organized  the 
same  day  as  Richland  township.  Therefore 
there  were  four  townships  organized  before 
the  county.    At  its  next  session  in  December. 

1837,  and  January,  1838,  the  general  as- 
sembly ordered  Whitley  county  to  stand 
alone.  Governor  Wallace  appointed  Rich- 
ard Baughan.  of  Thorncreek  township,  sher- 
iff. It  was  his  first  duty  to  advertise  and 
hold  an  election  for  county  officers,  and  to 
designate  places  for  holding  said  election. 
There  was  one  place  named  for  each  organ- 
ized township,  making  only  four  voting 
places  in  the  county.  Those  who  lived  out- 
side these  townships  voted  where  it  was 
most  convenient.  The  place  in  this  town- 
ship was  at  the  house  of  Andrew  Compton 
in  section  21.  where  elections  were  held  for 
several  vears.  The  officers  to  he  elected 
were  one  clerk  and  recorder,  two  associate 
judges  and  three  commissioners.  The  elec- 
tion  was  held   the  first    Monday   in    April. 

1838,  the  same  being  the  second  that  year. 


374 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


I  think  it  is  not  known  how  many  voted  at 
this  election  in  the  township,  certainly  not 
more  than  a  dozen.  It  is  safe  to  say  that 
the  "people's  ticket"  was  elected  unanimous- 
ly. The  commissioners  elected  were  Otho 
W.  Gandy,  of  Smith,  Nathaniel  Gradeless, 
of  Thorncreek,  and  Joseph  Parrett,  of 
Cleveland  township.  At  Parrett's,  on  Mon- 
day, May  7,  1838,  Baughan  canvassed  the 
ballots  formally,  and  declared  the  officers 
elected  and  the  county  organized.  It  seems 
that  the  commissioners  met  at  this  date,  took 
the  oath  of  office  and  proceeded  to  hold 
court.  Mr.  Gandy  was  elected  chairman. 
Their  first  act  was  to  appoint  John  Collins, 
treasurer;  Henry  Pence,  assessor:  (Mr. 
Pence  had  been  previously  appointed  by  the 
Huntington  county  board)  Benjamin  H. 
Cleveland,  three  per  cent,  fund  commission- 
er, and  Henry  Swihart,  county  agent.  Abra- 
ham Cuppy  had  been  elected  clerk  and  re- 
corder, as  had  been  Jacob  A.  Vanhouten  and 
Benjamin  F.  Martin  as  associate  judges. 
None  of  these  officers  were  from  this  town- 
ship except  Abraham  Cuppy.  At  the  ses- 
sion of  the  commissioners'  court  in  June, 
1838,  the  county  was  divided  into  commis- 
sioners' districts ;  range  eight  to  form  district 
one,  range  nine  to  form  district  two  and 
range  ten  to  form  district  three.  These  dis- 
tricts have  never  been  changed. 

It  appears  from  the  "Old  County  His- 
tory" that  Edwin  Cone  was  allowed  two  dol- 
lars June  25.  1838.  for  making  returns  of 
the  first  election  in  the  township.  We  pre- 
sume it  was  the  election  of  April  2,  1838. 
and  that  he  was  one  of  the  election  officers. 
Tt  also  appears  that  at  one  of  the  first  ses- 
sions of  commissioners'  court,  Zebulon  P. 
Burch  was  appointed  road  supervisor  of  this 


township,  the  whole  township  being  in  one 
district.  The  only  road  then  being  the  Hunt- 
ington and  Goshen  road,  within  the  town- 
ship, some  seven  miles  long.  At  the  same 
court  Edwin  Cone  and  Ezra  Thompson  were 
appointed  overseers  of  the  poor.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1838,  Ezra  Thompson  was  selected 
as  one  of  the  grand  jurors,  to  serve  at  the 
first  term  of  circuit  court,  and  Edwin  Cone, 
David  Hayden,  John  Jones  and  Zebulon  P. 
Burch  were  summoned  as  petit  jurors  at  the 
same  court.  Some  time  in  the  year  1840 
Zebulon  P.  Burch  was  appointed  three  per 
cent,  road  fund  commissioner  and  served 
till  the  office  was  abolished.  Mr.  Burch's 
services  were  in  demand  for  offices  of  trust. 
The  first  general  election  held  in  the  town- 
ship (the  two  elections  above  mentioned 
were  special  elections),  was  on  August  6, 
1838,  being  the  first  Monday.  It  was  held 
at  the  house  of  Andrew  Compton.  Eleven 
voters  appeared,  namely :  Otto  M.  Webb, 
Zebulon  Burch,  Levi  Curtis,  Ezra  Thomp- 
son, John  Jones,  Jackson  Gunter,  Abraham 
Cuppy,  Jacob  Kistler,  John  Thompson,  Da- 
vid Hayden  and  Edwin  Cone.  In  this  case 
as  in  the  election  for  justice,  we  do  not 
know  why  Mr.  Compton  did  not  vote.  The 
returns  of  this  election  showed  that  G.  W. 
Ewjng  received  four  votes  for  state  sena- 
tor. David  Colerick  three  and  Thomas  Swin- 
ney  one.  For  representative,  J.  F.  Murrill 
received  four  votes  and  William  Vance  sev- 
en. For  sheriff,  Richard  Collins  received 
eleven  votes.  For  county  commissioner.  Jo- 
seph Parrett  received  eleven  votes.  For  pro- 
bate judge.  Jesse  Cleveland  had  three  votes 
and  Joseph  Pierce  one.  The  next  election, 
T  think,  was  held  on  the  first  Monday  in 
April,    1839,  and  was  the  regular  township 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


375 


election.  Here  the  first  township  officers 
were  elected  as  follows  :  Otto  M.  Webb  was 
chosen  township  trustee;  Ezra  Thompson, 
town  treasurer;  Andrew  Compton,  town 
clerk ;  and  David  Payne,  fence  viewer.  Each 
received  fifteen  votes.  There  is  no  mention 
made  of  constable  or  supervisor.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  Henry  Pence  had  been  ap- 
pointed county  assessor,  and  that  there  was 
no  township  assessors  till  about  1852. 

The  "Old  County  History"  says  that 
Troy  township  was  organized  in  May,  1839, 
by  the  board  of  commissioners.  The  first 
election  was  held  July  4th  following.  It  was 
a  special  election  for  justice  of  the  peace. 
At  this  election  the  names  of  Jessie  S.  Perm, 
Price  Goodrich,  Timothy  F.  Devinney  and 
Bela  Goodrich  appear,  who  were  residents  of 
what  is  now  a  part  of  Richland  township. 
Price  Goodrich  was  inspector  and  Jesse  S. 
Perin  was  one  of  the  judges  and  Timothy  F. 
Devinney  was  one  of  the  clerks.  There  were 
twelve  votes  cast.  Nathan  Chapman  was 
elected  justice  of  the  peace  by  seven  votes ; 
Price  Goodrich  receiving  five  votes. 

The  first  presidential  election  held  in 
the  township  was  in  1840  at  Andrew  Comp- 
ton's  house  on  the  2d  day  of  November ;  the 
Harrison  campaign,  remembered  as  the 
"Log  cabin  and  hard  cider"  campaign.  The 
candidates  were  Harrison  and  Tyler  for  the 
Whigs  and  Van  Buren  and  Johnson  for  the 
Democrats.  Twenty-five  votes  were  cast ; 
fourteen  for  Harrison  and  eleven  for  Van 
Buren.  Those  twenty-five  votes  were  Dan- 
iel Cone,  John  Jones,  William  Rice.  John 
Wright,  Daniel  Cullamore.  Andrew  Comp- 
ton, Edwin  Cone,  Joshua  Helms,  John  An- 
derson, Elijah  Scott,  Zebulon  Burch,  David 
Hayden,  John  Thompson.   Reason  Huston. 


Levi  Curtis,  Charles  Ditton,  Samuel  L.  An- 
drews, Anderson  D.  Parrett,  William  D. 
Parrell,  Joab  McPherson,  David  Payne, 
George  Ditton,  David  Payne,  Jr.,  Ezra 
Thompson  and  Jacob  Kistler,  Jr.  The 
judges  were  William  D.  Parrett,  Ezra 
Thompson  and  Zebulon  Burch.  The  clerks 
wereAndrew  Compton  and  Edwin  Cone. 
They  were  not  so  particular  about  the  polit- 
ical complexion  of  the  board  then  as  they  are 
now.  The  clerks  were  known  as  Whigs, 
Parrett  and  Thompson  as  Democrats  and 
Burch's  politics  were  not  known.  In  the 
Troy  addition  of  the  township,  at  this  same 
election  there  were  eight  votes  cast  by  Jesse 
A.  Perin.  John  Buck,  James  Buck,  William 
Guy,  James  Grant,  Bela,  James  and  Price 
Goodrich.  At  least  five  voters  were  Demo- 
crats. The  Troy  elections  were  held  at 
Joseph  Tinkham's  shop.  Of  these  officers 
and  voters,  to  which  I  have  alluded,  none 
was  left  on  January  1,  1907.  except  John 
R.  Anderson,  who  alone  remains  as  the  last 
voter  of  1840.     He  is  now  past  ninety. 

Previous  to  1869  the  voters  of  the  old 
townships  of  Troy  and  Richland  had  to  go 
to  the  central  school  house  of  each  township 
to  vote.  On  December  5.  1868,  there  was 
held  a  meeting  in  Larwill  and  a  petition  gut- 
ten  up  to  be  presented  to  the  county  commis- 
sioners, praying  for  a  new  township  to  be 
named  Larwill  township  and  formed  of  a 
two-mile  strip  off  the  south  side  of  Troy 
township  and  a  two-mile  strip  off  the  north 
side  <if  Richland  township.  This  was  on 
Saturday  evening  and  by  Monday  evening 
the  petition  had  been  circulated  ever  the 
win  ile  territory,  and  on  Tuesday,  I  think,  the 
petition  was  presented  to  the  commissioners. 
It  seems  the  commissioners  granted  the  re- 


376 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


quest,  but  in  the  meantime  the  voters  in 
South  Richland  petitioned  for  a  two-mile 
strip  off  of  the  south  side  of  Richland  town- 
ship to  be  annexed  to  Cleveland  township. 
This  petition  was  granted  and  the  Larwill 
proposition  was  reconsidered,  which  result- 
ed in  the  two-mile  strip  off  the  south  side 
of  Troy  township  being  annexed  to  Rich- 
land township  and  the  remainder  of  Troy 
and  Etna  township  forming  one  township. 
The  date  of  these  proceedings  was  about 
December  n,  1868.  Since  this  time  Lar- 
will has  been  the  place  of  holding  the  elec- 
tions. The  township  was  divided  into  two 
precincts  in  1884.  since  which  time  there 
have  been  two  voting  places,  and  usually 
both  in  Larwill.  In  1905  and  since  there 
have  been  special  elections  held  in  each  road 
district  to  select  a  road   supervisor. 

FIRST    SETTLER. 

David  Hayden  was  the  first  settler  in 
Richland  township.  He  landed  here  March 
9.  1836.  He  brought  his  family  consisting 
of  his  wife  and  two  little  boys,  one  aged 
three  years  and  the  other  one  year  old.  He 
also  brought  along  a  hired  man  named 
Henry  Francis.  They  built  a  cabin  of  the 
primitive  style,  built  of  round  logs  and  cov- 
ered with  clapboards,  held  on  with  weight 
poles,  a  puncheon  floor,  or  perhaps  no  floor 
for  awhile,  arfd  a  door  made  of  split  stuff 
and  pinned  together  and  hung  on  wooden 
hinges,  and  the  windows,  well  I  don't  know 
whether  they  bad  any  windows  or  chimneys 
till  the  next  fall.  The  cabin  was  not  larger 
<>r  higher  than  was  really  necessary.  It  was 
all  built  perhaps  with  an  ax.  a  froe,  an  auger 
and  a  drawing  knife.     It  must  be  remem- 


bered that  nails  were  not  in  use,  except  what 
were  made  by  a  blacksmith.  The  cabin 
stood  between  .the  present  house  and  the 
road,  the  north  end  near  where  the  road 
now  is.  They  cleared  about  four  acres, 
where  the  barn  now  stands  and  southeast  of 
it,  planted  it  to  corn  and  fenced  it.  They 
stayed  till  some  time  in  June  and  then  went 
back  to  Ohio.  They  came  from  Franklin 
county.  The  reason  they  went  back  was 
on  account  of  not  having  all  their  goods.  I 
think  they  had  brought  no  stock,  except  a. 
team  of  horses.  I  do  not  know  whether  Mr. 
Francis  ever  came  to  Indiana  again 
or  not.  Mr.  Hayden  came  back  again  in 
September,  1836,  and  his  brother-in-law, 
Edwin  Cone,  and  family  came  with  him. 
They  landed  here  on  September  30th.  Mr. 
Cone's  familv  consisted  of  himself  and  wife 
and  one  little  girl  two  years  old.  They  came 
by  Fort  Wayne  and  then  followed  the  Wa- 
bash canal  to  Huntington,  and  then  the 
Huntington  and  Goshen  road  the  rest  of  the 
way  to  within  a  mile  of  where  Summit  used 
to  be.  and  then  by  a  trail  cut  through  the 
woods.  The}-  had.  I  think,  a  cow  apiece, 
some  calves  and  three  horses.  About  the 
time  they  left  the  Huntington  road  it  came 
night  and  they  had  to  leave  the  wagon  for 
the  night  and  Mr.  Hayden  and  the  two 
women  and  three  children  rode  through  on 
the  horses  to  the  cabin,  which  was  some  two 
miles  farther.  Mr.  Cone  stayed  with  the 
wagon  and  cattle  through  the  night,  and  T 
have  been  told  a  few  wolves  kept  company 
with  them.  Mr.  Hayden  entered  land  in  sec- 
tion (\.  now  owned  by  David  Dill.  Mr.  Cone 
entered  land  in  section  5,  now  owned  by 
Henry  Norn's.  Tn  about  three  weeks  after 
Ezra   Thompson   settled   in   section  9   some 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


37; 


two  or  three  miles  away.  Charles  Ditton  and 
Zebulon  Burch  settled  in  section  22  some 
three  miles  from  Mr.  Thompson's  and  this 
was  about  as  near  as  neighbors  were.  It 
-\vas  a  long  way  off  to  the  nearest  mill  some 
thirty-five  miles.  Wyland's  mill  in  Elkhart 
txninty,  not  far  from  Goshen,  was  the  nearest 
perhaps,  or  that  is  where  most  of  the  first 
settlers  went.  There  was  a  settlement  there 
and  corn  could  be  bought.  It  took  three 
days  to  make  the  trip  if  the  roads  were  not 
too  bad  and  were  lucky  in  finding  corn,  but 
It  sometimes  took  a  week.  An  ax  was  al- 
ways taken  along,  for  some  times  there 
"would  have  to  be  a  new  track  cut  to  get 
around  bad  places  in  the  road. 

The  first  settlers  were  friendly  and  ac- 
commodating and  were  glad  to  see  a  "new- 
comer," would  help  each  other  to  build  their 
cabins  and  roll  logs  and  such  things  as  a 
man  would  need  help,  and  never  keep  any 
account  of  the  time  or  expect  any  pay.  The 
chief  employment  was  clearing,  and  all  the 
time  that  could  be  spared  was  put  in  with 
the  ax.  The  clearings  were  hardly  ever 
"cut  off  smooth."  that  is.  all  the  timber  cut 
down,  but  usually  all  under  ten  inches  or  a 
foot  in  diameter  at  the  stump,  and  some- 
times all  the  beech,  sugar,  lind,  elm  and 
buckeye.  It  looked  like  something  had  been 
doing  to  see  the  long  rows  of  brush  heaps, 
and  the  logs  scattered  in  endless  confusion. 
Again  when  the  brush  had  dried  three  or  four 
months,  to  see  it  set  on  fire,  and  watch  the 
flame  and  smoke.  Again  to  see  two  good 
teams  of  oxen  and  two  gangs  of  men  hauling 
and  rolling  the  logs  into  heaps,  and  each  gang 
striving  to  be  ahead.  These  scenes  were  in- 
teresting, but  they  are  gone  forever.  The 
trees  left  standing  usually  were  deadened. 


that  is,  a  ring  chopped  around  each  tree,  and 
left  standing.  These  old  trees  were  a  con- 
tinual bother.  Nearly  every  windstorm  the 
limbs  and  bark  would  fall  and  frequently 
some  of  the  trees,  and  each  year  there  would 
be  a  lot  of  extra  clearing  and  fixing  fences. 
These  rail  fences  that  used  to  be  of  so  much 
service  are  about  all  gone.  A  man  called  it 
a  day's  work  to  chop  and  plit  two  hundred 
rails.  But  if  a  man  had  his  choice,  he  would 
pick  trees  that  would  make  three  or  four  cuts 
each  and  from  twenty-four  to  forty  rails  to 
the  cut.  To  build  forty  rods  of  rail  fence, 
eight  rails  high,  was  a  good  day's  work.  It 
was  worth  about  as  much  to  clear  the  land 
as  it  was  worth  before  it  was  cleared.  It  is 
said  that  William  Rice  sold  forty  acres  of 
land  each  to  Henry  Payne  and  Nathan  Bid- 
dlecome  with  the  understanding  that  thev 
would  pay  the  most  of  it  in  clearing.  The 
first  crops  sometimes,  if  wheat,  was  sown  on 
the  leaves  and  harrowed  in,  and  if  corn,  the 
ground  would  be  furrowed  out  with  a  "jump- 
ing" shovel  plow  and  then  planted.  The 
squirrels  and  'coon  used  to  eat  a  good  deal 
of  the  corn,  and  corn  that  stood  in  the  shock 
over  winter  would  not  have  much  corn  in 
them  in  the  spring.  There  were  no  rats  in 
this  country  till  about  1855.  Rats  and  rag- 
weed came  about  the  same  time.  Wheat  was 
not  raised  very  extensively  at  first  on  ac- 
count of  the'  work  to  harvest  and  thresh  it, 
and  the  market  was  poor,  from  twenty-five 
to  fifty  cents  per  bushel.  Wheat  and  rye 
were  cut  with  a  hand  sickle  almost  entirely 
till  1850  or  later,  when  cradles  were  used 
principally  till  1865  or  1870,  then  reapers 
were  used  mostly  till  about  1885.  and  since 
that  binders.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
most  of  the  people  were  poor  and  some  very 


37* 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


poor.  All  the  household  goods  could  be  put 
on  a  wagon  and  then  room  for  more.  The 
goods  perhaps  consisted  of  one  or  two  beds, 
a  home-made  table,  a  half  dozen  stools,  some 
cooking  utensils  to  use  around  a  fireplace, 
a  very  few  dishes,  a  tub,  a  split  or  home- 
made broom,  an  ax  and  a  gun.  The  bedv- 
steads  were  part  of  the  house  were  made  by 
placing  one  post  as  far  from  the  walls  as 
the  length  and  width  of  the  bed,  then  insert- 
ing small  poles  in  auger  holes  in  this  post 
and  in  the  logs  in  either  wall,  to  make  the 
bedstead,  then  by  placing  clapboards  on  one 
of  these  and  into  a  crack  between  two  of 
the  logs  would  complete  it. 

There  is  a  story  showing  how  destitute 
some  were.  Robert  Moyston  settled  in  sec- 
tion 8  about  1843.  There  were  five  girls 
and  two  boys,  the  older  boy  William  was 
nearly  grown.  In  the  summer  of  that  year 
the  meal  had  been  sifted  the  last  time,  which 
meant  the  bran  was  eaten.  There  were  no 
new  potatoes  or  green  corn,  for  it  was  too 
early  in  the  season.  The  elder  Moyston  bus- 
ied himself  with  the  work  he  thought  should 
be  done  and  sent  William  in  search  of  some- 
thing to  eat.  I  think  it  was  two  days  the 
family  were  without  food,  when  William 
brought  in  a  sheaf  of  wheat  he  had  taken 
from  a  field  without  asking.  They  threshed 
this  out  on  the  floor  and  saved  every  kernel, 
boiled  it  and  ate  it.  One  of  the  daughters. 
Mary  Philips,  told  me  this.  She  said.  "It 
was  pitiful  to  hear  my  little  sister  cry,  who 
was  only  about  two  years  old."  Mr.  Moys- 
ton offered  to  pay  the  man  something  for  the 
sheaf,  but  of  course  he  would  take  nothing. 

When  Richland  township  was  first  set- 
tled ii  was  covered  with  a  dense  forest  of 
beech,  oak,  sugar-maple,  ash,  walnut,  pop- 


lar, elm,  lind,  hickory,  wild-cherry,  butter- 
nut and  smaller  varieties  of  timber.  There- 
were  several  swamps  and  a  few  small  wet 
prairies.  There  are  five  or  six  small  lakes 
within  its  borders.  Spring  creek,  with  its- 
two  branches  in  the  eastern  part  and 
Cleark  creek  (sometimes  called  "Little 
Spring  creek")  in  the  western  part 
carry  off  most  of  the  surplus  .water. 
The  face  of  the  country  is  somewhat 
hilly,  but  nearly  all  of  it  can  be  farmed. 
The  make-up  of  the  the  soil  is  generally 
good  as  the  name  of  the  township  implies, 
a  good  depth  of  soil  underlaid  with  clay 
or  gravelly  subsoil.  The  lowlands  for  some- 
purposes  are  better  than  the  highlands. 
The  soil  of  these  lowlands  is  underlaid  in 
some  places  with  clay  and  other  places  with- 
muck  or  peat  to  considerable  depth,  and' 
marl  is  found  in  a  few  places.  There  is 
plenty  of  gravel  for  road  and  building  pur- 
poses. Some  parts  of  the  township  are  some- 
what stony,  especially  the  -western  part. 
They  are  of  the  boulder  variety,  many  of 
these  stones  have  been  used  to  good  account 
for  building  purposes.  A  great  deal  of  the 
lowland  has  been  ditched  and  brought  into 
cultivation.  There  are  a  good  many  springs, 
but  since  the  country  has  been  drained,  the 
springs  have  grown  weaker,  and  now  most 
of  the  water  for  house  use  is  obtained  from 
wells,  and  for  the  past  fifteen  years,  there 
has  been  man)'  tubular  wells  put  down, 
ranging  from  forty  to  two  hundred  feet  deep, 
and  in  many  places  wind  power  pumps 
adorn  the  landscape.  There  were  several 
Indian  trails  crossing  the  township  in  va- 
rious directions.  TheSquawbuck  trail  was  ' 
the  most  noted.  It  crossed  the  northeast 
corner  of  the  township.     It  was  named  for 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


379 


an  Indian  by  the  name  of  Bill  Squawbuck, 
a  Miami,  I  believe,  and  a  leader  of  a  gang 
or  faction.  It  is  said  there  was  a  trail  from 
the  Asa  Shoemaker  place  in  the  northwest 
corner  of  Columbia  township  through  in  a 
western  direction  past  where  Larwill  now 
stands  and  on  west  by  Hayden's  to  Koscius- 
ko county.  There  was  another  crossed  this 
somewhere  about  where  Summit  was,  in  a 
northeast  and  southwest  direction.  It 
crossed  sections  five  and  six,  but  in  the  other 
direction  I  am  not  certain  where  it  ran,  but 
I  suppose  to  the  Squawbuck  trail.  I  think 
these  trails  ran  by  springs.  The  Indians 
changed  camping  places  frequently  on  ac- 
count of  hunting.  There  was  a  camp  in 
section  6,  in  the  southeast  part.  There 
was  plenty  of  water  in  springs  nearby  and 
here  Bill  "Wois-see"  or  "Wa-wa-es-see" 
(with  the  accent  on  the  third  syllable)  and 
an  old  squaw  named  Mem-shaw,  and  some 
younger  Indians  camped.  They  also  camped 
sometimes  on  the  Perin  place,  in  section 
32  and  on  the  Lancaster  place  in  section  8 
or  in  section  17.  These  two  I  have  named 
were  not  transported  with  the  other  Indians. 
The  squaw  was  supposed  to  be  ninety  years 
old  and  was  know  as  "Granny  Meem-shaw." 
There  were  in  some  places  a  great  many 
maple  trees,  and  the  Indians  were  great 
lovers  of  sweets,  and  they  used  to  make 
sugar  (sis-ko-quet-see  they  called  it)  where 
the  maple  trees  were  most  plentiful.  I  never 
saw  an  Indian  sugar  trough  or  an  ax  that 
the  Indians  used  to  tap  the  trees.  I  think 
the  troughs  were  made  of  broad  pieces  of 
elm  bark,  about  ten  inches  or  more  wide 
and  about  two  feet  long.  The  ends  were 
gathered  together  and  tied  tight  enough  so 
it  would  hold  water.     The  tree  was  tapped 


with  a  hatchet  or  tomahawk,  by  cutting  a 
sloping  gash  in  the  wood.  I  suppose  they 
used  split-spiles.  I  have  seen  many  of  the 
trees  with  their  scars  on.  They  boiled  the 
water  in  their  little  camp  kettles.  They  were 
also  great  lovers  of  whiskey,  "Good-ney- 
tosh."  It  has  been  said  that  whiskey  was 
better  in  those  days  than  now,  that  it  would 
not  make  a  man  crazy  at  it  does  now.  But 
it  worked  differently  on  the  Indian,  he  would 
g'et  just  like  the  drunken  man  of  today. 

There  was  plenty  of  game  in  the  woods 
and  every  man  was  supposed  to  own  a  gun. 
I  believe  that  game  became  more  plentiful 
atfer  the  Indians  were  taken  away.  There 
were  many  good  riflemen.  The  old  flint- 
lock gun  was  all  they  had  which  sometimes 
would  flash  in  the  pan  and  was  not  quite 
as  sure  as  the  cap-lock  gun.  A  good  many 
had  their  old  guns  changed  into  cap-locks. 
In  the  winter  of  185  5and  1856  there  came  a 
deep  snow  and  then  a  crust,  and  a  deer 
would  break  through  the  crust  and  a  dog' 
would  not  break  through  so  much.  It  is 
said  that  the  Grimes  and  Norris  boys  and 
Newton  Compton  killed  eleven  deer  with 
Anderson  Grimes's  dog,  "Old  Range,"  that 
winter.  I  believe  the  dog  killed  the  most 
of  them.  Andrew  Compton  killed  the  first 
bear  in  the  township,  in  company  with  Zebu- 
Ion  Burch,  Charles  and  George  Ditton  and 
John  Anderson.  Edwin  Cone  treed  two 
young  bears,  but  had  no  gun  at  the  time. 
He  went  away  and  got  David  Hayden  and 
a  Mr.  Bennet,  and  Mr.  Bennet  shot  the  cubs. 
The  last  wild  bear,  that  I  have  any  knowl- 
edge of,  was  seen  in  the  fall  of  1862.  It  was 
in  the  woods  belonging  to  John  Steel  and 
Thompsons.  The  alarm  was  given,  but  it 
was  about   dark  and  the  ,beast  s'ot  into  a 


380 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


brush  swamp,  it  scratched  some  of  the  dogs 
and  they  would  not  follow  it,  so  it  was  lost. 
Zebulon  Burch  killed  two  wolves,  the  first  of 
which  we  have  any  account.  The  last  wolves 
seen,  of  which  I  remember,  was  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1855.  They  were  in  the  woods  now 
belonging  to  George  Steel.  It  was  about 
dark  and  nobody  followed  them.  There  was 
an  abundance  of  game  in  the  woods  at  one 
time,  such  as  deer,  wild  turkeys,  gray  squir- 
rels and  black  squirrels  and  wild  pigeons, 
but  they  have  passed  away  with  the  forests. 
There  was  a  great  deal  of  sickness  in 
those  early  times,  mostly  of  the  bil- 
ious or  malarial  nature.  Sometimes  whole 
families  would  have  the  ague.  The  ague 
was  of  two  or  three  different  kinds.  I  be- 
lieve the  kind  most  common  was  the  "every- 
other-day"  ague.  It  would  commence  with 
a  hard  chill,  usually  making  the  victim  shake 
for  about  an  hour,  and  then  would  be  fol- 
lowed by  a  fever  for  four  or  five  hours,  when 
the  sweat  would  start  and  the  patient  would 
get  better  and  the  next  day  would  feel  quite 
well,  only  a  little  weak.  But  the  next  day 
again  and  about  the  same  time  of  day,  usu- 
ally in  the  afternoon,  the  same  ordeal  would 
have  to  be  passed  again,  and  so  on  from  Au- 
gust to  cold  weather.  Some  would  have  the 
ague  every  day,  commencing  usually  in  the 
afternoon,  with  a  chill,  but  not  so  hard  a 
chill  as  the  other  kind.  The  person  did  not 
shake  so  much,  but  the  fever  was  generally 
higher  and  would  last  well  into  the  night. 
The  next  day  it  would  be  repeated.  A  few 
would  have  the  "third  day  ague."  Every- 
thing bitter,  or  nearly  so,  was  used  as  a 
remedy,  some  with  good  results  and  some 
without,  but  usually  whether  the  remedies 
were  taken  with  faith  or  without  faith  the 


ague  would  take  hold  again  in  a  week  or 
so.  It  will  be  remembered  that  quinine  was 
not  in  general  use  until  after  1850.  Mrs. 
McLallen  writes  of  the  ague  to  her  daugh- 
ter: 

"April  17,  1854. 

"My  Dear — We  have  all  had  a  few 
shakes,  more  or  less,  of  the  ague.  I  think 
you  would  have  smiled  a  little  to  see  me 
shake  last  Saturday  for  one  and  one-half  to 
two  hours  and  again  on  Monday.  But  the 
fever  was  less  than  usual  and  I  think  I  have 
broken  it  up  now,  as  I  have  had  none  since 

Monday.     Little  has  it  today. 

His  is  rather  hard  but  we  shall  try  Dr. 
Janes'  Ague  Pills." 

Again — 

"August  25,  1854. 

"Last  Wednesday  Gibson  received  a  let- 
ter- from  a  friend  in  Fort  Wayne  apprising 
him  of  a  good  situation  in  waiting  for  him. 
He  started  with  Mr.  Rice  the  next  morning 
for  Columbia,  where  he  intended  to  take  the 
hack  for  Forf  Wayne.  At  Columbia  he 
found  Peter  Simonson  sick  of  a  fever  and 
unattended.  He  stayed  with  him  and  waited 
on  him  about  two  hours,  when  Peter  re- 
quested him  to  take  his  horse  and  ride  into 
Fort  Wayne  and  send  George  (Peter's 
brother)  out  to  take  care  of  him.  He  felt 
pretty  well  and  started.  About  half  way 
there  he  was  taken  with  a  chill,  was  obliged 
to  dismount  and  lie  down  in  a  corner  of  the 
fence  and  'shake  it  out'  there.  Poor  fellow! 
^  nile  lying-  there  he  saw  Duftie  passing  with 
Peter's  wagon,  which  he  knew,  and  hailed 
him.  Duftie  said  he  was  going  to  Columbia 
for  Peter  to  go  back  to  Fort  Wayne  and 
take  care  of  George,  who  was  very  sick  of 
a  fever.     So  there  thev  were,  all  in  a  row. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


38i 


But  the  Simonsons  were  both  very  much  bet- 
ter the  same  evening.  Gibson  found  a  clerk- 
ship awaiting  him,  but  he  had  the  ague  every 
day." 

Calomel  is  mentioned  as  a  specific  for 
ague,  taken  in  heroic  doses,  which  some- 
times causes  salivation. 

The  first  dance  in  the  township  was  at 
Otto  M.  Webb's,  April,  1841.  Grover 
Webb  was  the  "fiddler."  People  in  those 
days  enjoyed  dancing  as  well  as  nowadays, 
and  many  a  "hoe-down"  came  off  in  the  cab- 
ins where  there  was  room  and  a  suitable 
floor.  It  was  generally  conceded  that  a 
puncheon  floor  was  not  quite  as  good  as  a 
floor  of  sawed  lumber.  Joel  Philips  was  an 
expert  dancer.  The  cabin  joists  would  in- 
terfere with  his  head  sometimes.  Biddle- 
comes  and  Comptons  also  were  experts  in 
the  art. 

Log  rollings  and  house  raisings  were 
the  chief  gatherings.  A  man  with  a  good 
yoke  of  oxen  would  put  in  about  as  many 
days  away  from  home  as  at  home  in  the 
spring  of  the  year.  The  price  for  man  and 
team  was  about  seventy-five  cents  per  day. 
At  raisings  it  was  necessary  to  have  four 
expert  cornermen — men  with  sharp  axes — 
who  could  notch  down  the  logs  to  fit.  It 
was  no  snap  to  be  a  cornerman.  The  tools 
necessary  at  these  raisings  were  axes,  hand 
spikes  and  forks.  These  forks,  if  good  ones, 
were  usually  kept  for  future  raisings,  mean- 
time serving  as  poles  for  chickens  to  roost 
on  in  somebody's  log  stable.  Joel  Philips 
and  Nathan  Biddlecome,  E.  S.  Scott  and  J. 
R.  Anderson  and  Joshua  Carder  and  Arthur 
Black  were  all  considered  good  cornermen, 
each  pair  in  a  separate  neighborhood.  The 
women's  gatherings  were  quiltings  and  wool 


pickings.  The  women  were  experts  in  these 
two  callings,  as  well  as  spinning  and  knit- 
ting. Sheep  shearing  was  done  as  early  as 
possible  so  as  to  get  the  wool  picked  and  off 
to  the  "carding  machine"  and  get  the  "rolls" 
as  nearly  first  as  possible,  and  then  the  merry 
song  of  the  "Old  Spinning  Wheel"  would  be 
heard  from  June  to  November,  but  not  so 
merry  to  the  ones  with  the  ague.  There 
were  several  looms  in  the  country.  I  can- 
not say  who  had  the  first.  Cloth  was 
woven.  "Linsey,  flannel  and  jeans"  were 
the  principal  kinds.  Some  of  these  cloths 
were  taken  to  Monoquet,  in  Kosciusko 
county,  to  a  fulling  mill,  where  it  was  col- 
ored, sheared  and  fulled  and  made  nice 
enough  cloth  for  any  one  to  wear. 

It  might  be  well  here  to  say  that  about 
1838  David  Hayden  went  to  Ohio,  near 
Dayton,  and  bought  a  lot  of  sheep,  which  he 
brought  to  this  township  and  sold  to  the  set- 
tlers. We  suppose  that  others  may  have 
brought  sheep  with  them.  I  have  learned 
that  some  of  the  hogs  were  bought  at  some 
of  the  settlements  in  Kosciusko  county.  A 
letter  from  Mr.  John  Galbreath,  who  used 
to  live  in  Kosciusko  county,  states  that  in 
early  times  there  were  some  traders  who 
came  out  from  Fort  Wayne  and  brought  ar- 
ticles to  sell,  among  which  were  leather  and 
salt.  It  had  been  arranged  previously  that 
they  would  buy  stock  or  whatever  was  for 
sale.  A  pen  was  built  of  rails  made  from 
timber  which  grew  on  the  ground  near  Hay- 
den's  lake,  also  near  the  Columbia  and  War- 
saw road.  Some  hogs  were  driven  here  and 
sold.  Each  hog  was  caught  and  weighed 
separately.  They  had  a  heavy  net  of  har- 
ness leather  and  a  large  pair  of  steelyards 
which  thev  used  to  do  the  weighing;.     He 


38; 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


mentions  that  his  father  sold  a  tubful  of 
honey  to  these  men.  They  drove  their  hogs 
to  Fort  Wayne.  Hogs  were  weighed  in  the 
way  mentioned  above  by  dealers  generally. 
Hog  buyers  sometimes  had  a  pair  of  hog 
tongs  to  catch  the  hogs  with.  They  were 
caught  by  a  hind  leg  and  drawn  to  the  fence. 
It  was  not  always  safe  to  go  into  a  pen  and 
catch  a  hog. 

The  first  marriage  in  the  township  (I 
here  copy  from  the  old  county  history)  : 
"This  is  no  doubt  the  first  marriage  in  the 
township,  and  probably  in  the  county: 
Charles  Dilton  and  Eveline,  daughter  of 
Zebulon  P.  Burch,  were  married  at  Z.  P. 
Burch's,  December  15.  1836.  Mr.  Dilton 
went  to  Goshen  for  his  license,  and  the 
preacher  came  from  near  Elkhart  to  per- 
form the  ceremony." 

The  next  is  not  mentioned  in  the  old 
history.  Horace  Hunt  and  Mar)-,  the 
daughter  of  John  Jones,  were  married  some 
time  in  1837.  The  relatives  of  this  couple 
have  been  questioned  concerning  the  dates 
of  this  marriage,  but  were  unable  to  give 
them.  We  think  the  license  was  procured 
at  Huntington.  Mr.  Hunt  and  his  wife  went 
to  northern  Ohio  soon  after  they  were  mar- 
ried and  died  there  and  their  children  still 
reside  there.  The  following  is  from  the 
county  history : 

"The  records  of  Whitley  show  the  fol- 
lowing first  entry  in  the  marriage  depart- 
ment : 
'State  of  Indiana,   Whitley  County : 

'Be  it  remembered  that  on  the  1st  day  of 
September,  1838,  a  license  was  issued  by  the 
clerk  of  Whitley  circuit  court,  authorizing 
the  marriage  of  Jacob  Kistler  and  Sophia 
Payne.'  And  the  following  certificate  of  its 
solemnization  : 


'State  of  Indiana,   Whitley  County : 

'To  all  persons  to  whom  these  presents 
may  come — greeting :  Know  ye,  that  on 
the  2d  day  of  September.  1838,  the  sub- 
scriber, a  justice  of  the  peace  in  and  for 
Whitley  county,  joined  in  the  holy  bonds 
of  matrimony  Jacob  Keistler  and  Sophia 
Payne,  both  of  same  county.  Given  under 
my  hand  this  8th  day  of  September,  1838. 
'Edwin  Cone,  J.  P.'  " 
The  above,  though  not  the  first  marriage 
in  the  county  nor  in  Richland  township,  is 
yet  the  first  in  the  county  after  its  organiza- 
tion. On  November  11,  1838,  Edwin  Cone 
married  Isaac  Collins  and  Nancy  Cuppy. 
On  January  17,  1839,  Edwin  Cone  married 
John  Thomson  and  Emily  Perin.  July  4, 
1839,  married  William  Rice  and  Harriet 
U.  Jones;  February  II,  1840,  Charles  Ditton 
and  Sarah  A.  Calhoun;  March,  1840,  Levi 
Curtis  and  Eunice  Andrews;  July  30,  1840, 
H.  Swihart,  justice  of  the  peace,  married 
A.  D.  Parrett  and  Susan  Perkins. 

The  first  born  white  child  in  the  town- 
ship was  Orella,  daughter  of  Edwin  and 
Salima  Cone.  The  family  record  is  as  fol- 
lows: "Orella  Cone,  born  January  30, 
1837,  was  married  to  Frank  Inlow,  April 
29,  1858,  died,  November  15,  A.  D.  1881. 
Frank  Inlow,  the  husband  of  Orella  Cone, 
died  August  12,  1892."  They  moved  to 
Missouri  in  February,  1865.  She  died  at 
Blue  Springs.  Missouri,  and  he  at  Kansas 
City.  Their  children  live  in  New  Mexico. 
The  second  birth  was  Charles  W.,  the  son 
of  David  and  Alma  Hayden,  who  was  born 
August  12,  1837.  He  grew  to  manhood  in 
this  township.  He  was  married  to  Ann 
Hoover,  in  January  of  1858.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Alfred  Hoover,  of  Kosciusko 
county.     He  moved  to  Missouri  and  tried  his 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


383 


fortune  there  for  several  years  with  varying 
.success,  his  health  failed  and  he  returned  to 
this  state  and  now  resides  near  Warsaw. 
He  and  his  wife  now  enjoy  pretty  fair 
health. 

The  third  birth  was  Eveline,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Charles  and  Eveline  Ditton,  who  was 
born  in  September,  1837.  In  a  few  years 
the  family  went  to  Lagro.  Miss  Eveline 
married  a  Mr.  Smith,  who  lived  but  a  short 
time.  She  married  second,  a  Mr.  Todd. 
They  resided  several  years  at  Lagro.  He 
died  there  and  a  few  years  ago  the  remainder 
■of  the  family  moved  to  Kansas,  where  Mrs. 
Todd  died. 

The  next  birth  we  have  any  information 
•of  was  Appleton  W.,  the  son  of  Edwin  and 
Salima  Cone,  who  was  born  March  14, 
1839.  He  grew  to  manhood  in  this  town- 
ship, was  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion.  He 
was  married  to  Martha  Hoover,  of  Kos- 
ciusko county,  February  26,  1868.  He  was 
a  carpenter  by  trade  and  moved  away  from 
this  county  several  years  ago  and  worked 
at  his  trade  in  several  different  cities  and 
towns  in  this  state  and  Michigan.  He  was 
never  very  successful  in  gaining  property. 
His  health  failed  a  few  years  ago,  and  he  and 
his  wife  now  live  with  their  daughter.  Mrs. 
Cleveland,  at  Dayton,  Ohio.  They  have  a 
son,  Clyde  C.  Cone,  whose  home  is  at  Wina- 
mac,  Indiana,  but  is  employed  as  a  job 
printer   at    Chicago. 

The  first  death  among  the  first  settlers 
was  Samuel,  the  son  of  John  Jones  and 
wife,  who  died  in  February,  1837.  He  died 
at  the  house  of  Ezra  Thompson,  where  the 
family  were  stopping  whilst  a  cabin  was 
made  ready  to  receive  them.  The  young 
man  died  from  exposure,  having  caught  the 


measles  while  moving  to  the  country.  He 
was  buried  in  the  woods  on  the  land  owned 
by  his  father  and  now  owned  by  Alexander 
S.  McNagny.  This  was  the  start  of  the 
Summit  cemetery.  A  few  years  later-  Mr. 
Jones  made  the  coffin  of  Mrs.  Andrews,  his 
own  sister,  who  died  about  1841  or  later. 
Mr.  Samuel  L.  Andrews  moved  to  this  town- 
ship in  the  fall  of  1839,  and  owned  land  in, 
section  4,  next  west  of  the  McNagny  farm, 
known  as  the  John  Steel  farm.  The  second 
death  was  that  of  Eveline,  the  wife  of 
Charles  Ditton.  She  was  the  first  bride  of 
the  township,  of  which  mention  has  already 
been  made.  She  died  about  October  1, 
1837,  leaving  a  little  girl  about  two  weeks 
old."  John  Thompson  and  other  neighbors 
made  for  her  a  coffin  from  the  boards  of 
a  wagon  box,  and  the  few  neighbors  there 
were  in  a  range  of  a  half-dozen  miles  gath- 
ered to  lay  her  at  rest."  She  was  buried  in 
section  22,  on  the  land  owned  by  her  hus- 
band, and  known  as  the  "old  Norris  place" 
and  now  owned  by  Mrs.  George  Miller. 

Another  death  but  perhaps  not  the  third, 
was  that  of  James  Perkins,  who  died  Sep- 
tember 14.  1839.  He  died  from  injuries  re- 
ceived by  a  wagon  overturning  and  break- 
ing several  of  his  ribs.  He,  too,  was  buried 
in  a  coffin  made  from  the  lumber  of  a  wag- 
on box,  and  buried  near  where  Mrs.  Ditton 
was  buried,  but  I  think  the  remains  were 
removed  to  the  Oak  Grace  cemetery.  Mr. 
Perkins  moved  to  this  township  in  the  fall 
of  1837.  and  settled  on  land  he  entered  in 
section  22,  on  Spring'  creek,  and  near  the 
Graham  bridge.  The  widow,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Susan  McCoy,  was  afterward 
married  to  Rev.  Anderson  D.  Parrett.  She 
has  been  dead  several  years.     Mr.   Perkins 


3§4 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


left  two  little  girls.  Nancy,  who  was  born 
in  August,  1836,  married  John  Graham  and 
is  still  living  on  the  land  her  father  entered. 
Percilla  was  born  in  this  township,  married 
Rev.-  Henry  Rupley,  has  been  dead  several 
years.  The  Indians  wanted  to  buy  these 
children  when  small.  The  postoffice  business 
was  very  uncertain  and  high-priced.  Let- 
ters were  as  much  expected  and  as  eagerly 
sought  after  as  now.  A  good  many  times 
letters  were  sent  to  persons  in  this  county 
by  some  one  who  was  coming  to  the  county 
on  a  visit.  The  address  would  be  the  name 
of  the  person  for  whom  the  letter  was  in- 
tended and  Whitley  county.  I  have  some 
old  letters  in  my  possession,  written  to  mv 
father  of  this  sort.  Letters  would  come  to 
Spring-field  or  Columbia  and  any  one  in  the 
neighborhood  would  bring  them  to  the  own- 
er, if  the  postage  was  paid.  It  will  be  re- 
membered that  postage  was  not  always  pre- 
paid and  the  postmaster  would  not  send  out 
letters  till  the  postage  was  paid.  The  post- 
age was  from  six  and  one-fourth  cents  to 
forty  cents  according  to  distance.  From 
Ohio  it  was  about  eighteen  and  three- 
fourths  cents,  from  western  New  York 
twenty-five  cents  and  farther  east  thirty-one 
and  one-fourth  cents  and  from  the  Pacific 
coast  forty  cents.  I  do  not  known  how  they 
made  the  change  for  a  quarter  of  a  cent.  It 
was  said  of  the  late  William  Rice  that  once 
he  rolled  logs  all  day  with  his  oxen1  and  re- 
ceived seventy-five  cents  for  his  work,  and 
when  lie  came  home  in  the  evening,  one  of 
his  neighbors  had  been  to  Columbia  and  had 
brought  him  three  letters,  for  which  the 
neighbor  had  paid  the  postage,  at  the  rate 
nf  twenty-five  cents  each.  But  the  rates  are 
lower   now.      The   first   stamped   envelopes. 


and  stamps  also,  I  saw  in  1853.  The  letter 
posage  was  three  cents.  The  first  postoffice 
in  the  township  was  at  the  house  of  A.  S. 
McNagny,  and  Mr.  McNagny  was  the  first 
postmaster,  and  is  perhaps  the  oldest  ex-post- 
master in  the  county.  The  date  of  his  com- 
mission was  March  10,  1847.  He  held  the 
office  from  1847  to  1854.  A  mail  route  was 
established  about  this  time.  John  Envin, 
an  old  settler  living  in  Kosciusko  county, 
was  the  contractor,  and  his  son  Andrew  was 
mail  carrier.  The  mail  was  carried  each  way 
once  a  week.  Andrew  carried  it  on  horse- 
back. He  went  to  Iowa  over  fifty  years  ago 
and  I  think  is  living  yet.  A  few  years  la- 
ter a  "hack  line"  was  established  from  Fort 
Wayne  to  Warsaw  and  perhaps  farther.  It 
carried  the  mail  and  passengers,  too.  I  re- 
member what  an  interest  was  taken  in  see- 
ing the  hack  and  hearing  the  hack  horn 
blown.  Mrs.  McLallen  writes  about  it  thus : 
"August  20,   1854. 

"We  have  a  mail  now  three  times  a  week. 
There  is  a  hack  running  from  Warsaw  to 
Fort  Wayne  carrying  the  mail.  Leaves 
Warsaw"  Mondays,  Wednesdays  and  Fri- 
days. Leaves  Fort  Wayne  Tuesdays, 
Thursdays  and  Saturdays." 

But  the  hack  days  came  to>  an  end  when 
the  Pittsburg,  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Rail- 
road was  put  through  in  the  latter  part  of 
1856.  I  mentioned  that  the  first  milling  was 
done  at  the  Wyland  mill  in  Elkhart  county. 
In  1839  there  was  a  mill  put  up  at  Monuquet 
on  the  Tippecanoe  river  in  Kosciusko  county, 
and  the  same  year  one  built  at  Liberty  Mills 
on  the  F.el  river  in  Wabash  county.  The 
mills  at  Collamer  and  South  Whitley  were 
built  a  few  years  later. 

The  hogf  market  was  not  very  g-ood  and 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


38; 


what  hogs  were  fattened  to  sell,  had 
to  be  butchered  and  hauled  to  Fort  Wayne. 
This  was  from  thirty  to  thirty-five  miles, 
and  the  weather  had  to  be  cold  enough  so 
the  meat  would  keen  several  days  without 
salting.  I  think  Reason  Huston  used  to  buy 
hogs  and  drive  them  to  Fort  Wayne.  The 
surplus  wheat  was  marketed  the  same  way. 
Store  goods  were  shipped  to' Fort  Wayne  on 
the  canal  and  hauled  on  wagons  to  where 
they  were  sold.  There  were  some  who  were 
thoughtful  brought  along  a  supply  of  apple 
and  peach  seeds,  and  it  was  not  many  years 
till  there  was  some  fruit.  The  trees  were 
seedlings,  but  the  fruit  was  better  than  no 
fruit.  Jesse  S.  Perin  and  William  Rice 
learned  to  graft  and  it  was  not  many  years 
till  there  was  a  pretty  good  variety  of  apples. 
People  used  to  do  a  good  many  things  to 
make  a  living.  Hunting  and  trapping  and 
selling  the  fur,  selling  maple  sugar,  tan  bark, 
woolen  yarn,  home  made  cloth,  dried  ap- 
ples, ginseng  and  ashes.  (There  was  an 
ashery  at  Springfield.)  These  were  some 
of  the  things  sold  or  traded.  The  supply  of 
books  was  not  very  large  and  books  were 
borrowed  and  read  by  a  good  many,  and 
some  books  showed  the  usage. 

The  settlers'  names  up  to  1840  have  been 
mentioned  so  often  they  need  not  be  repeated 
here. 

SOME   OF    THE    USEFUL   OCCUPATIONS. 

It  has  always  been  a  convenient  thing  to 
have  baskets  and  measures.  About  1840  or 
somewhere  near  that  time  a  man  named 
Adam  Phillips  moved  into  the  township.  He 
was  a  basket  maker,  also  a  manufacturer  of 
half-bushel  and  smaller  measures.  His  bas- 
25 


kets  were  made  of  round  splits  and  of  the 
best  of  oak  timber.  The  half-bushels  were 
made  of  one  broad  hoop,  like  a  drum,  with 
one  head  and  a  narrow  hoop  at  the  top. 
These  were  made  of  oak  also.  He  lived  on 
section  13  or  14.  He  died  some  fifty  years 
ago.  A  man  named  Walton  was  an  expert 
at  making  spinning  wheels.  He  lived  in 
Troy  township.  He  has  been  dead  several 
years. 

Bethany  Nickels  used  to  make  ropes. 
He  had  a  set  of  rope  tools,  the  only  ones  I 
ever  saw.  Of  course  he  believed  in  raising 
flax  and  had  a  flax-wheel  and  a  flax-break. 
He  had  a  foot-power  turning  lathe.  He 
could  make  a  drum.  He  lived  in  section  18. 
He  died  in  1879.  Truman  Hunt  had  the 
first  shingle  machine  I  knew  of.  I  think  he 
commenced  the  shingle  business  about  1850. 
He  lived  at  Larwill  in  section  4. 

James  Sears,  who  lived  in  section  8 
made  shingles  about  the  same  time.  They 
both  made  cut  shingles  of  poplar  timber. 
They  made  their  shingles  sixteen  inches 
long,  and  if  good  timber  was  used  a  good 
roof  might  be  had.  They  did  custom  work 
mostly.  I  do  not  remember  their  terms. 
These  men  have  both  been  dead  for  many 
years. 

William  Welker,  John  Craig  and  per- 
haps others  have  been  in  the  cut  shingle 
business. 

There  were  several  experts  at  making 
shaved  shingles,  among  which  was  John 
Jones,  who  entered  land  in  section  4,  moved 
there  in  1837  or  1838.  His  work  was  in 
great  demand.  He  went  from  place  to 
place,  and  made  the  shingles  where  they 
were  to  be  used.  He  too  passed  away  some 
thirty-five  years  ago. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


The  sawed  shingle  industry  never 
amounted  to  much.  Some  of  the  saw-mills 
cut  out  a  few  and  some  men  with  traction 
engines-  have  tried  the  business,  but  the 
shingles  usually  were  not  satisfactory. 

Making  brick  was  a  useful  industry. 
The  first  brick  made  were  what  was  called 
"slop",'  brick.  The  moulds  were  wet  instead 
of  sanded  to  make  the  brick  turnout.  The 
mud  was  sometimes  made  by  tramping  it 
with  oxen.  It  was  thought  best  to  have  a 
lot  of  clay  dug  up  in  the  fall  of  the  year, 
and  let'  it  freeze  and  thaw  through  the 
winter. 

The  first  brick  made  in  the  township  was 
made  on  the  farm  owned  by  Mrs.  Miller  in 
section  22.  Charles  Ditton  owned  the  land 
at  the  time.  Andrew  Compton  and  Mr. 
Ditton  made  the  brick  in  about  1842.  The 
brick  was  used  to  replace  some  of  the  stick 
chimneys. 

There  was  a  brick  yard  in  section  18, 
among  the  first.  It  was  owned  and  run  by 
a  Christian  preacher,  James  Atchison,  by 
name.  He  commenced  the  business  about 
1854.  He  made  brick  some  three  or  four 
years,  burning  two  or  three  kilns  each  year. 
The  kilns  were  small  but  the  supply  was  per- 
haps all  that  was  needed.  The  mud  was 
mixed  by  being  tramped  by  oxen.  The 
driver  would  stand  on  a  little  island  in  the 
middle  of  the  mud  and  drive  the  oxen 
around  him.  It  is  said  that  the  cattle  did 
not  like  the  business  and  would  get  balky 
and  turn  the  yoke  and  do  other  mean  things. 

About  [858  Andrew  Samuel  made  brick 
on  the  McNagny  farm  in  section  4.  He 
made  brick  only  a  year  or  so  and  quit  the 
business.  He  was  followed  by  Lewis  Ware 
in    1861,  who  run  the  yard  for  one  season 


only.  John  Steel,  who  lived  on  an  adjoin- 
ing farm,  commenced  making  brick  about 
1863  and  followed  the  business  for  some 
four  or  five  years.  He  made  some  very 
good  brick  of  full  size  and  what  is  called 
"sand  moulded"  brick. 

Joel  Barney  made  the  brick  for  the  Fire- 
stone house  in  Larwill,  in  1872.  The  brick 
were  made  on  the  farm.  He  also  run  a  yard 
on  the  Benjamin  B.  Salmon  farm  in  section 
29.  This  yard  was  run  for  two  or  three 
seasons,  commencing  in   1873. 

One  of  the  most  useful  industries  ever 
followed  in  this  township  was  the  manu- 
facture of  drain  tile.  George  Deeter.  who 
now  resides  in  Etna  township,  seems  to  have 
been  the  first  to  venture  in  this  business.  It 
was  about  1874  when  he  started  this  busi- 
ness. The  yard  was  on  the  Crosby  farm, 
just  west  of  Larwill.  The  tile  mill  was  run 
some  eight  years,  when  the  proprietor  bought 
a  farm  in  Etna  township  and  moved  the 
tile  business  there.  In  1876,  there  was  a 
tile  mill  started  in  section  30.  by  a  man 
named  Gleason.  In  1882,  he  moved  the  mill 
onto  the  Maryland  farm,  just  east  of  Lar- 
will. He  failed  the  next  year  and  Ream  & 
Whiteleather  bought  the  plant  and  run  it  two 
years.  They  made  brick  also  in  this  yard. 
The  brick  used  to  build  the  schoolhouses  in 
districts  5  and  7  were  made  at  this  mill. 
Price  Goodrich  made  brick  for  his  own 
house  and  some  to  sell  in  1S51.  The  yard 
was  on  his  farm  in  section  25. 

The  first  threshing  machines  were  what 
were  called  "chaff  pilers"  and  were  run 
some  time  prior  to  1848.  David  Clapp 
owned  one  of  the  first  and  Jim  and  Fred 
Elder,  from  north  of  Pierceton.  used  the 
same  kind  of  machine  some  in  this  town- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


38; 


ship.  A  Mr.  Finton,  also  from  Kosciusko 
county,  did  the  first  threshing  in  this  town- 
ship with  a  separator.  John  McCune  seems 
to  have  owned  the  first  separator  in  the 
township.  He  brought  it  from  Ohio  in 
1848.  He  was  a  young  man  then  and  fol- 
lowed the  business  nearly  all  the  rest  of  his 
life.  He  died  February  1,  1892,  at  the  age 
of  about  seventy.  The  machine  was  a 
Mount  Vernon  of  the  vibrator  kind.  He 
sold  this  machine  to  some  men  in  Kosciusko 
county  in  about  1850.  He  and  Andrew 
Compton  then  went  into  partnership  and 
bought  a  new  machine,  a  Mount  Vernon. 
He  and  Mr.  Compton's  eldest  son,  Isaac  N.. 
went  with  teams  to  Mount  Vernon.  Ohio, 
after  it.  Threshing  then  lasted  from  har- 
vest till  the  next  spring.  The  machines  were 
run  with  horse  power,  usually  with  eight 
horses.  Three  or  four  hundred  bushels  was 
a  good  day's  work.  But  Mr.  McCune,  like 
a  good  many  threshers,  could  not  quit 
the  business.  He  had  a  great  many  ma- 
chines, sometimes  three  good  separators,  a 
horsepower  or  so,  two  common  thresher  en- 
gines and  a  clover  huller  or  so.  He  went 
into  the  sawmill  business  about  ten  years 
before  he  died  and  finally  failed.  He  prob- 
ably run  the  first  clover  huller  in  the  town- 
ship about  1857.  He  had  one  engine  to 
blow  up  while  using  it,  but  no  one  was  hurt. 
The  first  blacksmith  in  the  township  was 
Samuel  Bamhouse.  His  shop  was  in  section 
15.  The  next  was  George  Clapp.  then 
George  Hower,  Sr.,  then  George  Hower,  Jr., 
and  then  George  Harris.  The  first  shoe- 
makers were  Harrison  Rodebaugh,  George 
G.  Allen,  David  King  and  Isaiah  Hammon. 
There  were  several  who  could  cobble.  The 
first  hamessmaker  was  Norman  Guv,  about 


1855.  The  first  tinner  was  Samuel  Bonar. 
about  1863.  The  first  mason  was  Price 
Goodrich,  who  laid  both  stone  and  brick  and 
could  plaster,  but  worked  mostly  at  brick- 
laying-. He  built  the  first  brick  house  in  the 
township  and  built  many  fireplace  chimneys. 
The  first  coopers  were  Anthony  Atchison 
and  a  Mr.  Fletcher,  both  in  section  18,  and 
before  1846  others  were  Albert  Webster. 
Mr.  Bastel  and  Peter  McGoldrich.  I  do  not 
know  that  there  ever  was  a  tanner  in  the 
township.  I  think  George  Clapp  and  Mr. 
Hower  used  to  fix' the  settlers'  guns.  John 
Erwin  and  Joel  Philips  were  the  first  car- 
penters. Making  sorghum  molasses  was 
first  commenced  about  1858.  Some  of  the 
first  to  make  molasses  were  Nathan  Biddle- 
come,  George  Souder  and  others.  I  think 
Uncle  Jesse  Perin  made  molasses  of  this 
sort ;  at  any  rate  he  made  sorghum  beer. 
John  Smalley.  Sr.,  could  tell  a  pretty  good 
story  about  helping  to  move  a  house  where 
there  was  some  of  this  same  beer.  Abner 
Prugh  was  an  expert  at  making  sorghum 
molasses  and  at  present  W.  H.  Buntain 
leads  in  the  business.  About  1847  Andrew 
Dodge  built  a  wool  carding  machine  in  sec- 
tion 30.  It  was  home  made  as  far  as  could 
be.  The  building  was  a  round  log  house, 
two  stories  high  (not  very  high  stories). 
The  machinery  was  mostly  on  the  second 
floor.  The  motive  power  was  furnished  1>\ 
a  horse  and  sometimes  two  horses,  which 
walked  on  a  large  tread-wheel  placed  under 
a  shed  at  the  side  of  the  building.  The 
wheel  was  like  a  gigantic  top  some  eighteen 
or  twenty  feet  across.  The  axle  was  about 
twenty-five  degrees  from  being  vertical. 
The  horses  traveled  near  the  outer  edge  of 
the  wheel.     On  the  under  edge  of  this  wheel 


;SS 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


were  large  wooden  cogs  which  run  a  large 
wooden  line  shaft,  which  run  the  machines, 
which  included  a  saw  for  sawing  lumber  and 
a  turning  lathe.  These  last  two  were  under 
another  shed  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
building.  This  machine  was  looked  on  as 
a  great  help  and  nearly  a  necessity  to  the 
early  settlers.  It  was  run  as  long  as  there 
was  wool  to  card,  which  was  from  May  to 
July  or  August.  This  machine  was  run  till 
about  i860,  since  which  time  it  has  been 
considered  cheaper  to  buy  cloth  or  ready 
made  clothing  than  to  manufacture  it  at 
home. 

The  first  water  sawmill  was  known  as 
Smith's  sawmill.  It  was  on  Spring  creek  in 
section  12,  some  sixty  rods  west  of  the  road 
bridge  on  land  now  owned  by  John  Dietrich. 
It  was  built  by  Henry  H.  Smith  in  about 
1849  an(l  was  run  by  him  and  David  Clapp 
and  perhaps  others.  The  whole  life  of  the 
mill  was  about  ten  years.  Mr.  Smith  was 
one  of  the  earliest  settlers,  was  a  favorite 
school  teacher,  was  elected  township  clerk, 
and  was  county  commissioner.  He  has  been 
dead  several  years. 

James  Grant  built  the  first  steam  sawmill 
in  the  township  (or  in  the  county  for  that 
matter).  It  was  situated  in  section  26.  I 
think  this  mill  was  the  start  of  the  village 
of  Lorane,  which  is  partly  in  Troy  town- 
ship. It  was  called  at  first  Steam  Corners. 
Some  wag  gave  it  the  name  of  "Buzzard's 
Glory,"  a  name  more  notorious  than  popu- 
lar. But  about  the  sawmill:  It  was  built 
in  1 85 1,  before  there  was  any  railroad.  The 
building  was  a  two-story  frame,  with  very 
heavy  timbers,  as  were  all  the  first  steam 
mills.  This  mill  had  a  brick  chimney.  It 
was  run  some  fifteen  or  twentv  vears. 


There  were  two  other  water  sawmills 
on  Spring  creek  that  should  be  mentioned. 
They  were  both,  I  think,  in  section  34.  The 
upper  one  was  near  Black  lake  and  was 
called  the  Harpster  mill.  It  was  built  by 
Solomon  Harpster.  I  believe  com  was 
ground  at  this  mill.  The  other  was  called 
the  Shuh  mill  and  was  built  and  run  by  John 
Shuh.  All  these  old  water  mills  passed  out 
with  the  coming  of  steam  mills  or  soon 
after. 

The  second  steam  sawmill  was  built  in 
1852  in  section  31,  near  the  railroad  and 
known  as  the  Carder  mill.  I  think  it  was 
built  by  Jacob  Philips  and  Arthur  Black, 
and  about  the  time  of  its  completion  Joshua 
Carder  bought  an  interest  in  it.  Soon  after 
this  Mr.  Philips  sold  out  and  in  a  few  years 
Mr.  Black  also  sold  to  Mr.  Carder.  Mr. 
Carder  was  very  handy  with  tools  and  could 
make  a  coffin  and  made  most  of  the  coffins 
for  several  years.  He  died  in  about  1861 
and  the  mill  went  into  the  hands  of  his  son. 
Wesley  J.,  who  run  it  some  six  or  eight 
years,  when  he  failed.  It  was  run  for  a 
while  by  Truman  &  Zartman.  The  whole 
life  of  this  mill  was  some  twenty  vears. 
Nathan  Chapman.  I  think,  built  a  mill  of 
the  old  style  in  section  36,  and  there  was  one 
in  section  18.  These  were  built  in  about 
1857.  These  old  mills  used  an  "up-and- 
down"  saw  and  made  very  nice  lumber,  but 
not  nearly  so  fast  as  a  circular  saw,  and 
were  all  changed  to  circular  saw  mills. 
There  were  perhaps  a  dozen  other  mills 
scattered  over  the  township.  Before  the 
railroad  gave  an  outlet  for  surplus  lumber, 
some  of  the  mill  men  used  to  take  half  the 
lumber  for  toll,  but  would  rather  have 
money.     From  about  i860  on  most  all  the 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


589 


lumber  sold  was  shipped  from  Larwill, 
which  made  it  a  lumber  town.  But  the  tim- 
ber is  gone  and  now,  1897,  there  is  but  one 
mill  in  the  township  and  a  great  deal  of  the 
lumber  used  here  is  shipped  from  other 
places. 

SUMMIT. 

One  mile  west  of  Larwill,  where  the 
Huntington  and  Goshen  road  used  to  cross 
the  Fort  Wayne  and  Warsaw  road,  once 
stood  Summit,  named,  perhaps,  by  Mr.  Mc- 
Nagny  or  Mr.  Steel,  both  Summit  county 
(Ohio)  men.  The  first  cemetery,  the  first 
meeting  house  and  the  first  postoffice  of  the 
township  were  here,  as  is  mentioned  else- 
where. The  first  schoolhouse  was  built  here 
in  1840  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Alex. 
S.  McNagny's  farm,  the  land  then  belonging 
to  John  Jones.  The  first  store  house  in  the 
township  was  built  on  the  southwest  corner 
of  the  crossroads.  The  store  was  kept  by 
John  Rodebaugh  and  son.  Alonzo.  The 
building  was  built  in  1850  and  was  of  round 
logs  and  was  about  as  nearly  burglar  proof 
as  the  store  buildings  are  now-a-days.  They 
afterward  put  up  a  frame  front,  which  made 
a  much  better  appearance.  The  elder  Rode- 
baugh died  in  1852,  and  Alonzo  continued 
in  the  business  a  couple  years  and  then  went 
west  and  became  a  doctor.  He  afterward 
practiced  at  Indian  Village,  Noble  county. 
Here  he  drowned  himself  while  insane, 
April  17,  1882.  A  saloon  was  kept  in  the 
same  building  about  1857  by  a  German 
named  Seibold.  Near  the  church  was  a 
blacksmith  shop,  run  at  first  by  George  Har- 
ris and  afterward  by  Henry  Chittenden. 
These  smiths  used  to  burn  their  own  char- 
coal. A  coal  pit  looks  like  a  small  volcano. 
This  was  before  there  was  a  railroad.     Chit- 


tenden built  a  shop  on  the  north  side  of  the 
road.  This  was  afterward  owned  by  T.  L. 
O'Brine.  He  was  a  good  workman.  He 
used  to  mend  nearly  all  the  breaks  that  iron 
was  subject  to.  He  shod  all  the  horses  and 
oxen,  too,  that  were  brought  him.  But  he 
would  drink.  He  sold  out  and  went  to 
Michigan  about  1864.  In  the  days  when 
the  "hack"  was  run  an  old  bachelor  put  up 
a  tavern  stand  on  the  north  side.  The  sign 
on  the  post  in  front  read,  "Summit  Ex- 
change, J.  Mies."  In  about  1853  Dr.  Wig- 
gins came  and  "practiced  medicine  on  the 
people."  He  had  a  melodeon  and  rode  on  a 
"buckboard."  These  were  the  first.  Dr. 
McHugh  also  practiced  medicine  at  Summit. 
He  was  considered  a  very  good  doctor  when 
sober.  The  first  "picture  car"  struck  the 
place  about  1856.  I  have  forgotten  the 
proprietor's  name.  He  took  daguerreo- 
types and  did  a  good  business  for  a  while. 

"When  the  railroad  was  built  and  the 
station  located  at  Larwill  the  postoffice 
transferred  there  and  improvements  were 
made.  The  new  center  became  more  at- 
tractive and  Tchabod'  was  inscribed  above 
the  door  of  Summit's  aspiring  greatness. 
During  the  struggle  for  the  station  feeling 
ran  high  and  much  strife  was  generated. 
Raw  heads  and  bloody  bones  were  not  in- 
frequent. But  time,  with  healing  on  his 
wings,  has  long  smoothed  over  those  dif- 
ferences and  the  best  of  relations  now  exist 
between  the  denizens  of  Summit  and  those 
of  Huntsville.  now  Larwill,  and  during  the 
year  1880  the  plat  of  Summit  was  formally 
vacated."  Of  the  promoters  of  Summit 
A.  S.  McNagny  alone  is  left  and  enjoys 
good  health  for  a  man  of  his  age,  he  being 
ninety-two  years  old. 

"Larwill,  formerlv  Huntsville.  was  laid 


39° 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


out  on  the  line  of  the  Pittsburg,  Fort 
Wayne  &  Chicago  Railroad  November  13, 
1854.  It  was  located  on  the  corners  of  four 
farms — H.  McLallen,  Sr.,  Truman  Hunt. 
Jesse  S.  Perin  and  Thomas  J.  Hammontree. 
At  that  time  the  site  of  the  village  was  an 
unbroken  forest  west  of  Center  and  north  of 
Alain  streets.  Mr.  Perin  had  a  fine  sugar 
camp,  with  the  boiling-place  where  the  de- 
pot now  stands.  Hammontree  bought  his 
place  December  15,  1S51,  built  a  log  cabin 
where  'Squire'  Wilson's  house  now  stands 
in  the  spring  of  1852  and  cleared  a  few 
acres;  this  was  all  that  was  amiss  of  the 
forest."  The  year  previous  to  this  Truman 
Hunt  tore  down  his  hewed  log  dwelling, 
which  stood  about  a  half  mile  farther  west 
than  the  village,  and  moved  the  timbers  and 
rebuilt  the  house  where  the  brick  mansion 
built  by  Dr.  Firestone  now  stands.  This 
was  in  the  days  of  stage  travel.  Mr.  Hunt, 
who  always  looked  out  for  number  one, 
knew  something  of  the  necessities  of  travel 
and  converted  his  house  into  a  tavern.  "On 
a  post  at  the  front  gate  was  an  oval  sign, 
with  a  fish  rampant  depicted  upon  it,  and 
below  it  three  letters — INN — only  this  and 
nothing  more."  About  the  completion  of 
the  railroad  or  a  little  later  James  Young 
built  a  house  on  the  corner  of  Center  and 
North  streets,  which  he  soon  changed  into 
a  hotel.  He  rebuilt  this  in  about  1880,  since 
which  time  it  has  been  used  as  a  hotel  and 
has  good  accommodations.  Its  proprietor 
died  in  April,  1905,  since  which  time  Al. 
Hatfield  has  conducted  the  business.  There 
were  others  who  tried  the  hotel  business. 
The  Washington  House,  run  a  few  short 
months  by  Stephen  Schnurr. 

"From  the  first  there  was  confusion  be- 


cause the  names  of  town  and  postoffice  were 
different  and  there  being  a  Huntsville  post- 
office  in  the  state  the  office  could  not  take 
the  name  of  the  town.  The  evil  was  borne 
until  the  increasing  traffic  made  it  unbear- 
able. The  citizens  began  to  canvass  for  a 
change  in  1866  and  two  names  were  select- 
ed, of  which  Larwill  seemed  to  be  first  and 
Halderman  second  choice.  They  according- 
ly petitioned  the  commissioners  to  change 
the  name  to  Larwill.  The  board  promptly 
granted  the  petition  and  the  same  was  offi- 
cially promulgated  March  8,  1866.  (See 
Commissioners'  Record  D,  page  89.)  The 
railroad  authorities  on  notice  promptly 
changed  the  name  of  the  station  to  conform 
and  a  petition  to  the  postoffice  department, 
setting-  forth  the  above  facts,  produced  a 
like  result. 

"The  name  selected  is  the  family  name 
of  two  of  the  resident  engineers,  William 
and  Joseph  A.  Larwill.  who  had  charge  dur- 
ing the  construction  of  the  Pittsburg,  Fort 
Wayne  &  Chicago  Railroad  of  a  division 
extending-  from  Columbia  City  to  Warsaw 
and  who  had  done  much  to  promote  the  in- 
terests of  the  place." 

"The  first  store  was  opened  by  Dodge  & 
McLallen,  R.  W.  Dodge  and  H.  McLallen. 
Sr.,  in  a  building  since  burned,  which  stood 
on  the  site  of  the  old  Washing-ton  House,  on 
the  southeast  corner  of  Main  and  Center 
streets.  The  stock  was  varied  and  assorted 
to  suit  the  times,  with  a  little  of  everything-. 
Barter  was  the  rule;  credit  was  generally 
asked  and  expected,  and  ready  pay  the  ex- 
ception. Dodge  went  out  after  one  season 
and  John  M.  Thomson  took  his  place.  lie. 
being  used  to  eastern  life,  and  the  Califor- 
nia   excitement    which    raged    made   it    too 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


391 


slow  for  him  here  and  he  went.  Mr.  Mc- 
Lallen  then  went  to  work  in  earnest  and 
built  on  the  opposite  corner,  the  northwest 
corner;  the  building  has  since  been  removed 
across  the  street  and  is  out  of  use.  The  edi- 
fice was  twenty-two  by  forty-four,  two  sto- 
ries, with  cellar  walled  up  with  hewn  tim- 
ber. Stone  was  then  out  of  the  question. 
This  building  his  neighbors  thought  entirely 
beyond  the  needs  of  the  place.  Here  he  con- 
tinued to  prosper  until  July  9,  1858,  when 
he  sold  out  to  E.  L.  McLallen  and  D.  B. 
Clugston,  who  carried  on  the  business  very 
successfully  for  several  years."  This  firm, 
besides  keeping  a  g'eneral  store,  bought 
wool,  grain,  slaughtered  hogs  and  nearly 
everything  the  countrv  produced.  "In  1869 
this  firm  built  the  fine  brick  store,  twenty- 
four  by  one  hundred,  two  stories  and  cellar, 
as  it  now  stands.  The  Masonic  fraternity 
took  and  paid  for  seventy-five  feet  of  the 
second  floor  for  lodge  rooms,  giving  twenty- 
four  by  seventy-five  feet  for  hall,  ante- 
rooms, etc."  This  store  has  changed  hands 
several  times  since  that  time  and  is  now 
owned  by  George  Ream,  who  has  owned  it 
for  some  ten  or  twelve  years.  Mr.  Ream 
also  buys  and  ships  all  kinds  of  live  stock, 
deals  in  grain  and  grinds  feed. 

"About  1861  Edwin  L.  Barber  built  and 
opened  a  store  just  north  of  the  store  now- 
owned  by  H.  B.  Whittenberger,  where  he 
flourished  as  merchant,  postmaster  and  gen- 
eral trader  until  about  1865,  when  he  sold 
store  and  stock  to  Whittenberger  &  Bro. 
and  the  next  year  built  the  fine  store  where 
H.  B.  Whittenberger  now  is."  The  build- 
ing is  a  two-story  brick  about  twenty-four 
by  seventy-five  feet  with  a  cellar.  The  upper 
floor  is  now  owned  by  the  Odd  Fellows  and 


is  used  as  a  lodge  room.  Mr.  Barber  in 
1881  removed  the  stock  and  again  sold  his 
building  to  Whittenberger,  who  has  since 
occupied  it.  Mr.  Barber  also  built  a  grain 
elevator  on  the  north  side  of  the  railroad, 
just  opposite  the  station.  Here  he  bought 
grain,  wool,  dressed  hogs,  apples  and  near- 
ly everything  that  was  offered  for  sale. 
This  Mr.  Whittenberger  bought  in  1881  and 
ran  this  business  till  about  1905.  when  he 
sold  it  to  George  Ream,  who  moved  it  across 
the  railroad  and  occupies  it  for  buying  grain. 
Young  Bros,  have  for  several  years  been 
doing-  a  good  business  in  dry  goods  and 
groceries  in  the  first  store  building  put  up 
by  E.  L.  Barber. 

Halderman  &  Co.  built  a  store  room  just 
north  of  the  hotel  and  commenced  a  trade 
in  the  dry  goods  business  in  1867.  They 
did  a  prosperous  business  for  several  vears. 
The  partners  of  the  firm  have  changed  sev- 
eral times  and  we  understand  that  the  busi- 
ness will  shortly  be  closed  out. 

Prior  to  1865  the  general  merchants  kept 
a  small  stock  of  hardware  and  tinware. 
About  May  1,  1865,  A.  F.  Martin  and  Mc- 
Lallen &  Clugston,  under  the  firm  name  of 
A.  F.  Martin  &  Co.,  started  a  hardware 
store  in  a  building  on  the  northeast  corner 
of  Main  and  Center  streets.  Mr.  Martin 
went  out  in  a  short  time  and  McLallen  & 
Clugston  continued  awhile  and  sold  to  Jerry 
Franklin.  In  about  1868  S.  B.  Clevenger 
built  a  store  room  on  North  Center  street 
and  he  and  Franklin  went  into  partnership 
in  the  hardware  trade  and  removed  the 
Franklin  stock  to  these  rooms.  In  a  year 
or  so  Franklin  sold  out  and  Clevenger  con- 
tinued the  business  till  about  1880,  when 
he  turned  the  business  over  to  Henrv  and 


392 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Lewis,  two  of  his  sons.  They  run  the  busi- 
ness for  several  years.  About  1868  L.  B. 
Snyder  and  McLallen  &  Clugston  formed 
a  partnership  and  started  a  hardware  store 
in  the  same  building  where  the  first  hard- 
ware store  started.  They  moved  to  a  build- 
ing on  the  southwest  corner  in  1869  and 
continued  to  do  business  there  under  the 
firm  name  of  L.  B.  Snyder  &  Co.  till  the 
fall  of  188 1,  when  D.  J.  Bowman  bought 
the  concern.  He  run  the  business  with  vary- 
ing success  for  several  years,  when  it  went 
into  the  hands  of  Samuel  Raber.  He  re- 
moved the  stock  to  the  southeast  corner  of 
Center  and  North  streets.  He  sold  to  E.  E. 
Rindfusz,  who  is  at  present  doing  a  thriving 
business. 

Previous  to  1864  the  general  merchants 
kept  a  small  supply  of  drugs,  such  as  dye- 
stuffs,  oils  and  patent  medicines.  In  the 
spring  of  i860  Dr.  Kirkpatrick  came  and  in 
1864  started  a  drug  store.     The  next  year 

D.  L.  Whiteleather  bought  a  half  interest. 
In  1868  they  erected  a  two-story  building 
on  the  south  side  of  Main  street,  which  was 
the  headquarters  for  drugs  for  several  years. 
In  1 88 1  Mr.  Whiteleather  bought  the  whole 
concern.  In  1891  he  sold  to  A.  I.  B.  Allen, 
who  run  the  business  some  four  years,  then 
sold  to  Charles  Essig,  who  moved  the  stock 
to  a  building  on  the  east  side  of  Center 
street,  where  the  drug  store  is  at  present. 
Prof.  S.  W.  Byall  has  owned  it  for  some 
three  years.  W.  N.  Andrews  opened  a  drug 
store  on  the  north  side  in  about  1878.  He 
and  Walter  Tyree  run  the  drug  business 
here  till  about  1891.     A  few  years  later  H. 

E.  Rice  started  a  drug  store,  but  run  it  only 
a  short  time. 

Soon   after  the   close  of  the   war,   per- 


haps in  1866,  Henry  Smith  moved  from 
South  Whitley  and  started  a  furniture  and 
undertaking  establishment.  His  son  Scott 
went  in  partnership  a  few  years  after.  The 
father  died  in  1870.  since  which  time  W.  S. 
Smith  has  run  the  business.  He  built  his 
present  store  building  about  four  years  ago. 
As  an  undertaker  he  has  all  the  modern 
appliances  and  conveniences  and  fills  the  re- 
quirements of  the  law  in  this  profession. 

The  harness  business  has  been  followed 
for  several  years.  I  think  Peter  Huffman 
was  the  first,  about  i860.  About  1866  John 
P.  Moore  set  up  shop,  but  was  not  a  success 
financially  and  quit  in  about  1869.  Soon 
after  this  C.  Benner  commenced  the  harness  * 
business  and  was  successful  from  the  start. 
In  1875  he  put  up  the  store  room  where  he 
held  forth  for  several  years.  He  retired 
from  business  in  1899.  Since  this  time  E. 
E.  Reindfusz  has  had  the  trade  with  Elmer 
Johnson  as  foreman. 

In  the  days  when  boots  and  shoes  were 
made  to  order  every  little  town  had  shoe- 
makers. David  King  was  among  the  first 
at  Larwill  and  was  nearly  always  found  in 
some  of  the  shops  at  work,  sometimes  as 
proprietor  and  sometimes  as  a  hand.  A  Rev. 
Mr.  Mayer  CI  believe  he  was  a  preacher) 
used  to  work  at  the  business.  Joe  Bruner 
came  about  1858  and  ran  a  shop  for  sev- 
eral years.  He  also  tried  selling  beer,  but 
the  two  businesses  did  not  seem  to  work 
well  together.  John  Bruner  had  a  good 
trade  for  several  years,  as  did  Christian 
Helfrich.  Jacob  Mosler  was  a  leading  shoe- 
maker for  a  while.  "Doc"  Yanwormer  was 
in  the  business  about  1874.  There  has  not 
been  much  work  done  to  order  in  the  last 
twentv-five  years.     Svlvester  Scott  did  the 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


393 


cobbling  for  several   years  and  now   John 
Helfrich  is  the  chief  cobbler. 

In  1854  Hugh  McLauren  built  a  log 
house  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Main  and 
Center  streets  and  commenced  a  traffic  in 
"wet  g'oods."  This  was  the  beginning  of 
the  saloon  business.  He  must  have  been  a 
violator  of  the  laws,  as  the  following  shows  : 
"McLauren  is  about  selling  out  as  the  time 
of  court  is  approaching."  This  quotation 
is  from  Mrs.  McLallen's  diary  of  June, 
1854.  I  know  not  how  many  have  had 
license  to  sell  drinks — the  commissioners' 
record  would  show — but  the  following 
names  are  some  of  them :  A  German  named 
Plitt,  Cutshall,  Steve  Schnurr,  Michael 
Goldsmith,  Jonas  Taylor,  Hatfield  &  Par- 
ish, Geore  Ream,  William  Ream.  Otis 
Bruner,  Fred  Maynard  and  others  whose 
names  I  have  forgotten.  A  circumstance 
happened  in  about  1869.  The  saloon  was 
in  the  old  Washington  House  on  the  south- 
east corner  of  Main  and  Center  streets  and 
I  think  Schnurr  was  proprietor  at  the  time. 
One  night  the  saloon  was  found  to  be  on 
fire  and  it  was  thought  it  was  done  by  an 
incendiary.  It  did  not  burn,  however.  The 
next  day  or  the  one  following  a  warrant  was 
sworn  out  and  Rev.  E.  P.  Church,  Daniel 
Weaver  and  George  F.  Birt  were  arrested 
and  taken  to  Columbia  City.  Of  course 
some  of  the  citizens  of  Larwill  went  along 
and  went  on  their  bonds.  The  trial  came  off 
in  due  time  and  the  prisoners  were  acquitted. 
In  November,  1894.  John  Worden  lost  his 
life  in  a  saloon  fig'ht,  mention  of  which  is 
found  elsewhere.  For  a  while  after  this 
there  were  remonstrances  against  the  licens- 
ing of  saloon  men  and  for  a  time  the  town 
was  dry,  but  the  monthly  meeting  of  the 


commissioners  and  the  number  of  "mi  iral 
men"  who  wanted  license  was  too  much  for 
the  temperance  people  and  they  gave  up  the 
fight. 

Of  manufactories  lumber  stands  first. 
In  about  1855  or  1856  Charles  Swindell 
built  a  steam  sawmill  just  east  of  town,  near 
where  George  Sterling  now  lives.  He  did 
a  pretty  good  business  for  some  three  or 
four  years,  when  it  burned  down  and  was 
never  rebuilt.  In  about  1859  Truman  Hunt 
built  a  sawmill  and  grist  mill  combined.  He 
run  this  awhile.  It  was  sold,  rented  and 
finally  ceased  to  be.  In  1870  Joseph  Essig 
boug-ht  the  site  and  put  in  milling  machinery 
and  ground  flour  and  feed  for  several  years. 
He  also  furnished  power  to  run  other  ma- 
chines, among"  which  were  a  stave  "bucker" 
and  fork  handle  lathe  and  a  baluster  saw. 
Isaac  Brode  undertook  the  sawmilling  busi- 
ness on  the  lot  where  the  school  house  now 
stands,  but  the  lack  of  means  put  a  stop 
to  the  enterprise.  He  made  and  sold  a  pat- 
ent churn  for  two  or  three  years.  A  few 
years  after  this  a  Mr.  Moore  built  a  stave 
factory  on  the  same  ground.  This  was 
about  1864.  It  was  run  successfully  for 
some  five  years  and  gave  employment  to 
several  men.  It  changed  hands  two  or 
three  times  and  finally  the  business  was 
given  up.  After  this  A.  F.  Johnson  built  a 
sawmill  on  the  same  ground,  but  run  it  only 
a  short  time.  About  1859  H.  C.  and  Denni> 
Van  Liew  started  in  the  sawmill  business, 
with  what  was  called  a  portable  mill.  This 
mill  soon  burned.  Dennis  then  went  out 
and  a  man  named  Writtenhouse  took  his 
place.  The  new  firm  put  up  another  mill 
on  the  same  ground,  with  a  planer.  This 
mill   burned   in   June,    1862.     They   rebuilt 


394 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


immediately,    but    left   out   the   planer.      In 

1865  or  1866  the  mill  was  moved  away.     In 

1866  J.  \Y.  .Miller  and  E.  C.  Cady  put  new 
machinery  in  the  old  building.  This  was 
run  seme  two  years  or  more,  when  S.  F. 
Robinson  became  its  owner.  It  was  burned 
about  1882.  was  rebuilt  and  was  purchased 
by  Val.  Brown  about  1895.  It  was  moved 
away  in  1897.  John  Trachsell  has  been  in 
the  business  for  a  number  of  years  and  runs 
his  mill  yet  as  the  business  demands. 

There  have  been  several  lumber  dealers 
at  Larwill  besides  the  mill  men.  Among 
these  were  Jacob  Halderman,  Sr..  William 
Gibson,  James  Young,  H.  B.  Whittenberg- 
er,  Michael  Gutcher,  John  Halderman  and 
George  Klinehance.  C.  T.  Hollis.  Air.  Ho- 
sack.  Rutter  and  others  were  in  the  wagon 
making  business.  I  do  not  remember  the 
first  blacksmith,  but  James  Cleland.  Alf. 
Miller,  Stansberry,  W.  H.  Guy,  F.  T.  All- 
wein.  A.  H.  McBricle,  B.  T.  McCrea,  George 
Shook  and  others  have  had  shops  here.  Of 
tinners  S.  S.  Bonar,  William  Scantling,  a 
Mr.  Starr,  Zene  Woods  and  Henry  Cleven- 
ger  have  been  in  the  business. 

INDIANA     TOWNSHIP     SCHOOL    LIBRARY. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  for  several 
years  l>>oks  and  other  reading  matter  were 
scarce  and  eagerly  sought  for.  Some  time 
in  the  early  'fifties  there  was  an  act  of  the 
legislature  establishing  a  library.  It  was 
called  the  Indiana  School  Library,  or  Town- 
ship Library.  The  books  were  in  use  in 
about  1854  or  1855  and  on  for  several  years. 
The  books  were  in  good  leather  binding.  I 
do  nut  know  how  many  volumes  each  town- 
ship had,  but  there  must  have  been  from  two 
hundred  to  five  hundred  volumes. 


There  were  rules  and  regulations  gov- 
erning the  circulating  and  care  of  these 
books,  a  copy  of  which  was  pasted  in  each 
b(  iok.  The  trustees  had  charge  of  these  books, 
which  were  usually  kept  at  their  houses, 
about  one-third  at  each  trustee's.  The  trus- 
tees would  exchange  books  every  year. 
Each  family  was  allowed  one  book  at  first 
and  afterward  two  books  at  a  time  and 
could  keep  them  thirty  days.  A  great  many 
of  these  books  were  read  and  some  were  in 
nearly  every  home,  and  there  is  no  doubt  but 
they  were  a  great  benefit.  There  has  been 
mi  account  kept  of  these  books  for  many 
years  and  the}'  have  been  mostly  all  de- 
stroyed. At  present  there  is  a  library  at 
Larwill  called  the  Larwill  School  Library. 
It  was  started  by  the  liberality  of  the  people 
in  about  1893.  There  are  several  hundred 
volumes  in  circulation.  These  books  are 
read  extensively.  There  is  a  small  library 
at  each  of  the  country  schools  belonging  to 
the  Young  People's  Reading'  Circle. 

SAFE  BLOWING. 

There  have  been  eight  attempts  at  safe 
blowing  in  Larwill,  must  of  which  were 
successful.  The  first  was  in  the  dry  goods 
store  of  Halderman  &  Co.,  about  the  year 
1882.  and  some  time  in  June.  The  door  was 
blown  to  pieces.  The  safe  was  a  total  loss. 
The  money  loss  to  the  firm  was  about  $450. 
besides  damage  to  the  goods  and  the  store 
room.  There  were  deposits  in  the  safe  in 
envelops  to  the  amount  of  $940,  which  were 
luckily  overlooked.  One  of  the  criminals, 
a  hoy,  afterward  was  conscience  stricken  and 
made  confession  and  was  sent  to  the  state 
reformatory  at  Plainfield.  He  got  the  con- 
fidence of  the  officials,  hut  finally  ran  away 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


395 


and   in   Illinois  he  was  again  convicted  of 
safe  blowing"  nad  was  sent  to  state  prison. 

Second,  at  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
station,  some  time,  perhaps,  in  January. 
1894.  The  door  did  not  open,  but  the  con- 
tents of  the  safe  were  damaged  considerably. 

Third,  at  the  postoffice  August  22,  1902. 
The  safe,  which  belonged  to  the  postmsater, 
was  a  total  loss,  besides  damaging  the  prop 
erty  to  a  considerable  extent.  Loss  to  post- 
office  department,  $322.18. 

Fourth  was  at  the  postoffice  again,  on 
January  30.  1903.  Losses:  On  safe,  about 
$42 ;  on  furniture  and  room,  $25,  and  to 
postoffice  department,  $321.40.  The  post- 
master's individual  loss  was  not  less  than 
$150.00. 

Fifth  was  the  same  night  as  the  fourth. 
January  30,  1903,  at  the  general  store  of 
George  Ream.  It  was  a  failure  as  far  as 
the  safe  blowers  were  concerned.  The  loss 
was  not  more  than  a  dollar  or  so  on  some 
'  things  that  were  stolen. 

Sixth  was  again  at  the  store  of  George 
Ream,  in  March,  1905.  The  damage  to  the 
safe  was  about  $75.  A  small  amount  of 
money  and  goods  were  taken. 

Seventh  was  again  at  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  station,  on  March  27.  1906.  Safe 
nearly  a  total  loss.  Loss  to  the  company 
in  money,  $1 1.47. 

Eighth  and  last  was  at  the  store  of 
H.  B.  Whittenberger,  on  June  23,  1906. 
The  safe  was  a  total  loss.  The  total  amount 
of  loss  and  damages  to  furniture  and  goods 
was  some  $250.  Some  scraps  of  paper 
money,  which  had  been  blown  to  pieces, 
were  picked  up  and  afterwards  were  re- 
deemed by  the  government. 

There  was  never  any  clue  to  the  out- 


laws, except  in  the  first  case  already  men- 
tioned, although  the  postoffice  department 
and  railroad  company  had  detectives  trying 
to  hunt  down  the  criminals  in  their  respec- 
tive cases. 

OIL    WELLS. 

Early  in  the  year  of  1887  the  gas  and 
oil  fever  struck  Larwill.  It  was  contagious 
and  there  were  many  victims. 

A  company  was  organized,  known  as 
"The  Larwill  Gas,  Oil  and  Coal  Company," 
with  a  capital  stock  of  $25,000.  each  share 
to  be  $2^.  The  articles  of  association  were 
entered  into  on  March  28,  1887.  with  sev- 
enty-nine names  signed  and  duly  recorded 
on  April  14.  1887.  The  directors  met  on 
April  23,  1887,  and  elected  the  following 
officers:  E.  L.  Barber,  president:  W.  X. 
Andrews,  vice-president ;  H.  B.  Whitten- 
berger, secretary :  D.  B.  Clugston,  treas- 
urer, and  John  Trachsel,  superintendent. 
The  stock  could  be  increased  to  $10,000  if 
thought  necessary.  In  May  the  directors 
entered  into  a  contract  for  the  lease  of  lots 
1  and  3  in  block  4  of  Halderman's  addition 
to  Larwill.  to  be  used  to  put  down  a  well. 
On  June  2,  1887,  a  contract  was  made  with 
the  Buffalo  Oil  Company,  of  Lima,  Ohio. 
Preparations  followed  and  the  well  was 
commenced  about  July  13.  1887.  The  rec- 
ord of  the  depth  of  strata  as  the  well  was 
sunk,  furnished  by  the  superintendent  : 
Clay,  90  feet:  gravel,  50  feet:  quicksand. 
75  feet;  coarse  gravel,  30  feet:  quicksand. 
40  feet;  clay  and  quicksand,  60  feet;  ce- 
mented gravel,  20  feet:  limestone  and  slate, 
550  feet:  limestone  shell.  29  feet  (here  salt 
water  rose  in  the  well  800  feet)  ;  went  in 
slate,  5  feet  (the  water  was  cased  off  when- 


396 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


ever  it  bothered  too  much)  :  went  38  feet: 
and  limestone,  43  feet:  slate.  135  feet;  light 
colored  slate,  "jj  feet ;  shale,  300  feet ; 
struck  Trenton  rock  at  1.542  feet;  went  in 
Trenton  rock  12  feet;  struck  a  little  oil.  but 
not  in  paying  quantities:  went  12  feet  and 
struck  Trenton  water:  went  2~  feet,  when 
the  water  rose  in  the  well  1,375  feet  and 
the  well  was  abandoned,  the  full  depth  being 
1.593  teet:-  Settlement  was  made  with  the 
Buffalo  company  for  S2. 540.50.  There  is 
226  feet  of  drive  pipe  in  the  well,  it  having 
pulled  in  two  at  depth  of  39  feet.  This  well 
was  in  northeast  part  of  town  and  about 
twenty  feet  higher  than  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  tracks.  There  were  some  who 
thought  that  maybe  the  oil  would  have  paid 
if  it  had  been  managed  right. 

The  second  company  was  organized  Jan- 
uary 2 j,  1903,  with  a  capital  stock  of 
S10.000  and  a  share  was  Sioo.  The  officers 
were :  C.  F.  Marchand.  president ;  H.  B. 
^Yhittenberger,  vice-president ;  E.  E.  Rind- 
fusz,  secretary:  J.  A.  Young,  treasurer. 
The  directors  contracted  with  McLaughlin 
&  Kiester.  of  Warren.  Indiana.  The  first 
well  was  commenced  in  June,  1903.  This 
well  was  on  Daniel  Dietrich's  land  and  about 
a  half  mile  north  of  town.  They  started 
with  an  eight-inch  drive  pipe,  as  is  used  in 
sinking  such  wells.  This  was  driven  down 
2(14  feet,  when  it  stuck.  A  six-inch  drive 
pipe  was  sunk  inside  for  358  feet  farther. 
A  record  of  the  strata  as  given  is  somewhat 
condensed:  After  first  12  feet  it  was  quick- 
sand and  cement  gravel.  At  920  feet  flint 
n  ":k  was  struck  and  at  a  depth  of  ab<  mt 
1. 000  feet  a  large  flow  of  water  was  struck, 
which  raised.  At  depth  of  1.561  feet  struck 
Trent<>n    rock,    went    21,    feet    farther   and 


struck  salt  sand  and  a  very  little  oil.  At  three 
feet  farther  struck  salt  water,  which  rose 
several  hundred  feet.  The  total  depth  of  the 
well  was  1,589  feet.  The  well  was  plugged 
for  several  hundred  feet  and  abandoned. 
The  cost  of  this  well  was  Si. 494.60. 

A  second  well  was  put  down  on  the  land 
belonging  to  Elgar  Thomson.  It  was  begun 
in  the  fall  of  1903  and  finished  in  1904.  It 
was  1.533  teet  deeP  ar,d  cost  $1,432.20. 
This  was  also  plugged  and  abandoned.  The 
stockholders  were  satisfied  to  quit.  It  would 
seem  that  oil  and  gas  prospecting  has  been 
pretty  thoroughly  investigated  about  Lar- 
will. 

cady's  trial  for  murder. 

On  the  night  of  November  21.  1894.  in  a 
drunken  row  on  the  streets  of  Larwill 
George  Cady  and  John  Worden  fought. 
^Yorden  was  badly  hurt  and  staggered 
through  a  saloon  into  the  back  yard,  where 
he  lay  till  morning.  He  was  taken  home 
and  died  the  same  morning.  The  coroner, 
N.  I.  Keithcart.  was  called  and  held  an  in- 
quest on  November  22,  1894.  and  found 
that  John  Worden  came  to  his  death  on 
that  day  by  a  blow  from  a  beer  bottle  on 
the  head  in  the  hands  of  George  Cady. 
Cad}  went  and  gave  himself  up  at  Columbia 
City,  where  he  had  his  preliminary  trial. 
and  was  lodged  in  jail.  On  February  7.  [895, 
he  was  indicted  by  the  grand  jury  and  the 
case  was  set  down  for  trial  on  the  second 
Monday  in  April  following.  He  showed 
he  was  too  poor  to  hire  a  lawyer  and  the 
court  appointed  W.  F.  McNagny  to  defend 
him  at  the  expense  of  the  county.  On  Mon- 
day, April  8.  1895.  trial  began  before  jurors 
as  follows:    Zachariah  Keel.  Franklin  Hunt. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


39/ 


Simon  Nolt.  David  I.  Rumsyre.  Allen  H. 
Pence.  Washington  Long.  Alonzo  Gaff.  Ja- 
cob Claxton.  George  VV.  Kreider.  Andrew 
Kenner,  William  A.  Haupmyer  and  David 
Clark.  On  April  13th  the  jury  found  him 
guilty  as  charged  in  the  indictment  and  as- 
sessed as  his  punishment  three  years  in  the 
state  prison  for  manslaughter.  He  was  sent 
to  Michigan  City  and  in  about  eighteen 
months,  by  a  petition  granted,  he  was  pa- 
roled. He  now  lives  at  Kokomo.  Indiana, 
and.  I  have  been  told,  is  trying  to  live  an 
honorable  life. 

INDIAN  GRAVES. 

Indian  graves  in  this  part  of  the  country- 
were  not  very-  plenty.  I  have  been  able  to 
hear  of  only  seven  in  the  township.  There 
was  one  buried  in  a  poplar  log  in  section  5. 
He  was  put  in  this  log  about  183 1.  The 
writer  remembers  of  hearing  his  mother  tell 
of  a  squaw  and  pappoose  who  came  riding 
up  to  their  cabin  one  day.  which  was  not 
far  away.  They  were  riding  one  pony  and. 
I  think,  leading  another.  The  squaw  and 
pappoose  belonged  to  the  dead  Indian  and 
had  beai  to  visit  the  grave.  The  Indian 
woman  said  her  man  was  a  good  Indian  and 
had  died  some  five  years  before  the  white 
people  came.  The  grave  or  sepulchre  was 
made  by  splitting  off  a  slab  from  the  top 
of  the  log.  which  was  some  two  feet  in 
diameter.  A  trough  was  dug  in  the  log 
large  enough  to  hold  the  body,  which  was 
placed  within  and  the  slab  replaced  and 
fastened  down  by  poles  laid  crosswise  and 
the  ends  fastened  with  stakes.  This  was  to 
keep  the  wolves  and  other  animals  from 
tearing  off  the  lid.     I  think  this  grave  had 


a  pen  around  it,  built  of  poles.  A  little  flag 
or  rag  was  fastened  on  a  stick  above  the 
grave,  the  only  decoration.  I  think  the 
skeleton  remained  undisturbed  till  after  the 
Indians  had  been  transported,  which  was 
about  1843.  The  old  trough  was  left  as  a 
relic  for  several  years.  I  have  made  some 
inquiry-  about  these  graves,  whether  the  In- 
dians dug  out  these  sepulchres.  Some  think 
they  did  and  some  think  white  men  dug 
them.  I  have  been  informed  that  it  made 
no  difference  which  direction  the  Indian's 
head  was  placed. 

Mr.  J.  R.  Anderson  tells  me  that  there 
was  an  Indian  buried  in  a  log  along  Spring 
creek,  about  three  rods  west  of  the  bridge 
in  section  12.  The  log  got  rolled  over  and 
the  bones  fell  out.  Dr.  Joseph  Hays,  of 
Collamer.  got  the  skull,  which  was  burned 
with  his  office  many  years  ago.  This  grave 
was  in  an  oak  log.  I  believe.  Mr.  Ander- 
son also  tells  of  a  squaw  who  was  buried  at 
Snyder's  door  on  Spring  creek  and  three 
Indians  buried  on  the  Trembly  farm  in  sec- 
tion 2.  near  the  Warsaw  and  Columbia  City- 
road.  These  last  four  were  buried  in  the 
ground. 

There  was  one  buried  in  the  ground  on 
land  now  owned  by  Richard  Smalley  in 
section  31.  I  believe  there  was  a  gun 
buried  in  this  grave.  I  have  been  informed 
that  Indians  did  not  carry-  their  dead  very- 
far  to  bury-  them,  but  usually  buried  them 
near  where  they  died.  But  perhaps  this  has 
already  been  written  about  in  this  book. 

DEATHS  BY  ACCIDENT  OR  SUICIDE. 

The  first  death  by  accident  was  James 
Perkins,  who  was  hurt  bv  the  overturning 


398 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


of  a  wagon.  He  had  several  ribs  broken 
and  died  in  a  few  days.  His  death  occurred 
on  September  14,   1839. 

The  little  daughter  of  George  Hueston 
died  in  the  spring  of  1844  from  the  bite  of 
a  rattlesnake. 

Mrs.  Essinger  hanged  herself  with  a  pil- 
lowslip to  the  third  rail  of  the  fence  of  her 
own  dooryard. 

John  Rodebaugh  shot  himself  in  the 
summer  of  1852.  He  was  at  his  own  home 
and  alone.    He  was  thought  to  be  insane. 

Bell,  the  three-year-old  daughter  of  Ab- 
ner  Prugh,  was  scalded  in  a  tub  of  hot 
water.     This  was  about  1855. 

A  stranger  was  found  dead  in  the  woods 
not  far  from  the  railroad  on  the  north  side. 
He  had  been  dead  several  days  and  could 
not  be  identified.  He  was  supposed  to  have 
been  a  railroad  hand.  The  cause  of  his 
death  or  his  name  was  not  known.  This 
was  in  the  summer  of  1856  and  was  on  the 
Trembly  farm  in  section  2. 

Alexander  Norris  was  struck  with  a 
limb  while  chopping,  March  14,  1856.  He 
died  on  March  20th  following. 

James,  the  son  of  Amos  Rodarmel,  was 
dn  wned  in  the  Harden  lake  in  section  6 
while  bathing  with  two  other  boys.  He  was 
about  eight  years  old.  This  was  August 
12.    1856. 

Thomas  Hathaway  had  a  leg  broken 
at  a  log-rolling  on  September  3,  1858.  His 
leg  was  amputated,  but  he  finally  died  on 
November  5,  1858.     He  lived  in  section  10. 

Clinton  Perin  had  a  leg  broken  about 
the  same  way  as  Mr.  Hathaway,  the  bone 
protruding  through  the  skin  in  each  case. 
This  was  about  April,  i860.     He  was  taken 


to  Cincinnati  to  be  doctored,  but  died  June 
30,   i860.     He  lived  in  section  32. 

John  Buck  was  struck  by  a  locomotive 
near  the  station  at  Larwill.  He  was  man- 
gled badly  so  he  died  in  a  few  days.  This 
was  July,  1864.  He  used  to  own  the  Bailey 
farm  in  section  30. 

Samuel  Aker  hanged  himself  to  a  lad- 
der in  his  own  barn  in  the  spring  of  1864. 
He  lived  in  section  1. 

Henry  Souder,  a  young  man.  was  in- 
stantly killed  by  the  bursting  of  a  grind- 
stone while  helping  to  gum  a  saw  in  Van 
Liew's  sawmill  at  Larwill.  This  was  in 
February,  1865. 

A  negro  who  had  criminally  assaulted  a 
white  woman  near  Pierceton  was  hunted 
down  by  a  mob  and  caught  in  John  Burns's 
barn.  He  was  afterward  taken  to  Pierce- 
ton and  was  killed  by  the  mob.  This  was  in 
December.  1866. 

Garringer  died  in  a  well,  in  which  was 
"damp."  He  was  living  at  Larwill.  This 
was  in  the  summer  of  about  1870. 

Marcellus  Thomson  shot  himself  in  a 
fit  of  insanity  in  Steel's  woods  in  section  4. 
This  was  in  the  winter  of  1870.  He  was 
a  young  man. 

Caroline  Greaven  was  burned  to  death  by 
the  bursting  of  a  lamp  at  Attica,  Indiana. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  William  Guy.  This 
was  the  latter  part  of  May,  1872.  She  was 
buried  at  Larwill. 

Tryphena,  the  wife  of  Philip  Ward,  was 
killed  by  jumping  from  a  wagon  when  the 
team  w:as  trying  to  run  away.  This  was  in 
Jul)'.   1872.     She  lived  in  section  7. 

Noble  Jones  and  Frank  Flinn  were  both 
killed  while  beating  their  way  on  the  rail- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


399 


road.  They  were  both  young  men.  living  at 
Larwill.  This  was  some  twenty  years  ago. 
.  Jacob  Long-,  .section  foreman  on  the 
railroad,  was  killed  by  a  locomotive  while 
trying  to  save  a  handcar.    This  was  in  1881. 

William  Finley  was  killed  by  lightning 
at  Samuel  Shoemaker's  barn  on  July  14, 
1 88 1.     He  lived  in  section  28. 

Walsingharo  J.  Smith  was  killed  by 
lightning'  about  June  16.  1886.  He  lived  in 
section  13. 

John  Compton,  a  young  man,  son  of 
Charles  H.  Compton,  was  killed  by  a  fall- 
ing tree,  January  19,  1883.  He  lived  in  sec- 
tion 16. 

Andrew  Prugh  committed  suicide  by 
drowning  in  the  lake  near  Larwill  in  July, 
1 891.  It  was  thought  his  mind  was  af- 
fected. 

Eli  Way,  an  old  man,  was  found  dead 
by  the  roadside  in  section  7  about  the  last 
of  May,   1893. 

John  Worden  was  killed  in  a  saloon  row 
in  Larwill.  November  22.  1904.  The  par- 
ticulars are  given  elsewhere. 

Amy  Harris,  a  boy  some  fifteen  years 
did,  was  drowned  in  King-'s  lake  while  bath- 
ing with  some  other  boys.  This  was  in  July, 
about  1894. 

Alice,  the  daughter  of  Henry  Norris, 
and  Nora,  the  daughter  of  Samuel  Norris, 
were  instantly  killed  by  a  locomotive  at  the 
crossing  at  South  Whitley.  They  were  in 
a  buggy.  This  was  on  January  19.  1895. 
They  resided  in  sections  22  and  16.  respec- 
tively. 

Fred,  the  eleven-year-old  son  of  Samuel 
Ward,  while  at  play,  hanged  himself  in  his 
father's  barn.  It  was  accidental.  This  was 
on  April  5,   1901.     This  was  in  section  31. 

Schuvler,  the  son  of  H.'B.  Whittenberg- 


er,  of  Larwill,  was  killed  in  a  railroad  wreck 
at  Broken  Bow,  Nebraska,  on  January  28, 
1904.     He  was  brought  home  for  burial. 

The  child  of  Adam  Steel  was  drowned 
in  a  vessel  of  milk  in  the  summer  of  1904. 

There  have  been  several  killed  who  were 
in  the  employ  of  the  railroad  within  the 
township  or  familiarly  known  here. 

There  was  one  other  death,  perhaps  not 
by  accident  or  .suicide.  It  was  about  1853 
a  man  came  to  Hunt's  Inn.  I  think  he  came 
on  the  hack.  He  took  sick  and  died  in  the 
night.  There  was  nothing  on  his  person  to 
tell  who  he  was  or  where  he  was  from — "a 
stranger  unknown."  There  was  a  cholera 
scare  at  the  time  and  it  was  thought  he  had 
the  cholera.  He  was  buried  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. He  was  buried  in  the  Summit  grave- 
yard. 

There  have  been  some  serious  accidents 
which  did  not  result  in  death.  A  man.  while 
chopping  wood  on  the  Perin  place,  near 
Larwill,  had  his  skull  broken  with  a  limb. 
Dr.  Firestone  removed  some  of  the  fraetured 
skull  and  put  in  a  plate.  The  man  finally 
got  well.  ( I  have  forgotten  his  name. ) 
Jacob  Stackhouse  had  both  legs  broken  at 
Jeremiah  Williams's  bam  raising.  William 
•R.  Curtis  lost  two  fingers  in  a  sawmill.  Con- 
rad Noss  lost  four  fingers  at  another  mill. 
Daniel  Stihvell  had  one  foot  badly  injured  in 
Robinson's  mill.  Sherman  Welker  and  Ty- 
ree  Firestone  each  had  a  leg  cut  off  on  the 
railroad.  A  boy,  the  son  of  J.  Graham,  had 
a  leg  cut  off  with  a   mower. 

SOME  OF  THE   FIRST   THINGS. 

Charles    Ditton    built     the    first     frame 
house  in  the  township.     Tt  was  about   1S4] 
This  was  in  section  22.     Shortly  after  this 


400 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


David  Hayden  built  a  frame  house  in  section 
6.  The  plastering  lath  was  rived  out  of  oak 
timber  and  the  sand  was  hauled  some  four 
miles,  when  there  was  just  as  good  sand  on 
his  own  place,  which  he  had  not  discovered. 
A  man  named  Smith  from  Kosciusko  count)' 
did  the  plastering.  In  1844  David  Hayden 
built  a  frame  barn.  This  was  the  first  in 
the  township.  The  house  still  stands,  but 
the  barn  has  been  superseded  by  a  larger 
one. 

Price  Goodrich  built  the  first  brick  house 
in  1852.  He  knew  something  of  brickmaking 
and  made  the  brick  in  185 1.  This  is  the 
only  building  I  ever  noticed  where  tile  or 
brick  eight  inches  square  were  used  for 
"headers." 

At  first  the  dead  were  buried  on  farms 
and  were  scattered  over  most  of  the  town- 
ship. But  now  most  of  the  remains  have 
been  removed  to  some  regularly  laid  out 
cemetery;  but  some  graves  have  been  lost. 
There  are  four  cemeteries  within  the  town- 
ship :  Larwill,  Boonville,  Oak  Grove  and 
Center   Schoolhouse.     • 

Dr.  Wiggins  had  the  first  melodeon, 
about  1853;  Mrs.  Lucinda  Mitchell  the  first 
sewing  machine,  about  i860.  John  Burns 
bad  the  first  reaper,  a  McCormick,  about' 
1861.  Elon  Maynard  had  the  first  binder; 
it  was  a  wire  binder,  about  1880.  I  do  not 
know  who  had  the  first  machine  to  separate 
cream.  There  is  not  an  automobile  owned 
in  the  township. 

LOCAL   NAMES. 

Boonville!  How  was  it  named?  In 
[857  there  was  a  young  man  named  James 
Bolton,  who  lived  with  his  father  in  section 
[8.     He  was  a  southerner,  a  good  chopper 


and  a  g"ood  hunter  and  loved  to  dance.  He 
got  the  name  of  "Boon"  for  some  of  the 
foregoing  reasons.  There  was  another 
young  man  named  Hendricks.  He  could 
sing,  but  was  not  as  handy  with  the  girls 
as  Boon.  It  is  said  that  Boon  "beat  his 
time."  Jake  had  said  something  about 
some  of  the  neighborhood  girls  and  Boon 
took  it  up.  Well,  there  was  a  Fourth  of 
July  celebration  at  Moore's  schoolhouse  in 
Kosciusko  county  and  the  boys  were  both 
patriotic  and  went.  They  had  some  hot 
words  and  made  threats.  The  next  day  was 
Sunday  and  there  was  some  kind  of  a  gath- 
ering at  the  church  and  as  they  were  going 
home  and  came  to  the  crossroads,  near  where 
the  church  now  is,  they  came  to  blows.  It 
is  said  that  Boon  got  "knocked  out,"  al- 
though he  got  the  "first  blood."  For  a  while 
it  was  called  "Boon's  Defeat,"  but  that  did 
not  sound  like  a  nice  name,  so  it  was  soon 
changed  to  "Boonville."  At  that  time  there 
was  a  cemetery,  and  a  sawmill  was  building. 
A  church  and  a  blacksmith  shop  were  not  far 
away.  In  the  course  of  ten  years  a  new 
church  was  built  near  the  cemetery  and  an- 
other sawmill  was  put  up  and  many  im- 
provements made.  But  now  all  the  public 
places  are  gone  except  the  church,  the 
schoolhouse  and  the  cemetery.  Both  the 
participants  in  the  duel  of  '57  are  far  re- 
moved. Hendricks  lives  at  Hobart  and 
Bolton  at  Alexandria,  both  old  and  gray. 

Buck's  Crossroads.  Now,  there  are  two 
versions  to  the  way  the  name  came  about. 
The  place  is  on  the  south  line  of  the  town- 
ship, one  mile  east  of  the  southwest  corner. 
It  is  said  that  there  was  a  "deer  lick"  some- 
where in  section  20  of  Richland  and  a  wet 
prairie  in  section  30  of  Cleveland  and  there 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


401 


was  a  deer  trail  between  the  places.  It  was 
a  good  place  to  hunt,  and  the  trail  was 
known  as  "Buck's  Crossing'."  When  the 
roads  were  laid  out  on  the  section  lines  be- 
tween these  four  sections — 19,  20,  29  and 
30 — it  was  found  the  roads  crossed  near 
where  this  trail  crossed  from  section  20  to 
section  30.  So  in  this  way  it  was  called 
Buck's  Crossroads. 

The  other  is  this:  In  1856,  when  Buch- 
anan and  Fremont  were  running-  for  Presi- 
dent, there  was  a  pole  raising  and  a  speech 
at  this  crossroad.  The  pole  was  hickory  and 
the  Democrats  had  a  good  time  and  they 
christened  the  place  "Buck's  Crossroads." 
We  favor  the  first  explanation.  There  has 
been  a  schoolhouse  at  this  place  for  several 
years. 

"Tadpole"  got  its  name  from  being  near 
a  swamp. 

"Hazel  Hill,"  named  from  there  being  a 
few  hazel  brush  near  the  schoolhouse. 

"Red  Brush,"  named  from  there  being 
plenty  of  oak  brush  in  the  vicinity. 

THE  INDEPENDENT  ORDER   OF   ODD   FELLOWS. 


Dodge;  treasurer,  F.  W.  Pattsman.  This 
lodge  is  worth  Si. 500  at  the  present  time. 
In  the  last  six  months,  from  July  1,  1906. 
to  January  1.  1907.  this  lodge  has  paid  out 
for  relief  work,  including  funeral  expenses, 
$176.50.  The  funds  on  hand  Januarv  1. 
1907,  were  $231.92.  The  lodge  owns  its 
own  hall,  which  is  the  second  story  of  the 
H.  B.  Whittenberger  building.  This  build- 
ing was  erected  in  the  fall  of  1866,  but  the 
lodge  did  not  own  an  interest  in  the  build- 
ing till  several  years  later. 

The  present  officers'  names  are  as  fol- 
lows :  Xoble  grand,  A.  J.  Bills :  vice-grand. 
L.  C.  Vance:  treasurer,  B.  F.  Osborne: 
recording  secretary,  J.  E.  Berry :  financial 
secretary,  W.  S.  Smith :  trustees,  G.  W. 
Prugh.  J.  A.  Norris  and  F.  D.  Cummins. 

There  are  at  the  present  time  seventv- 
four  members  in  good  standing.  The  lodge 
has  buried  only  sixteen  members  since  its 
organization,  in  1865,  which  is  very  re- 
markable for  so  long  a  time.  The  lodge 
meets  on  Wednesday  night  of  each  week. 

This  lodge  has  in  its  membership  some 
of  the  best  citizens  of  Larwill  and  vicinity. 


The  Larwill  Lodge,  No.  238,  of  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  was  or- 
ganized May  17.  1865.  A  charter  was 
granted  by  the  grand  lodge  of  the  state 
of  Indiana  at  the  above  date.  There  were 
siv  charter  members.  The  names  are  as 
follows :  William  Bonar,  Samuel  S.  Bonar. 
Rufus  W.  Dodge.  Jacob  Klingle,  John  P. 
Savior  and  F.  W.  Pattsman.  Eight  candi- 
dates were  initiated  at  this  organization.  Its 
first  officers'  names  were  as  follows:  Noble 
grand,  William  Bonar:  vice-grand,  S.  S. 
Bonar:  recording  secretary.  Rufus  W. 
26 


THREE      LINK      LODGE      NO.      46.      DEGREE     OF 
REBEKAH,    I.    0.    O.    F. 

This  society  was  instituted.  May  18, 
1870,  with  thirteen  charter  members  as  fol- 
lows :  Males — Samuel  S.  Bonar.  Daniel 
Kirkpatrick.  Henry  Smith.  Henry  McLal- 
len,  John  W.  Groves.  Isaac  Harrison  and 
Azariah  R.  Clugston.  Females — Madames 
E.  F.  Bonar.  Elizabeth  Smith,  L.  C.  Mc- 
Lallen,  A.  E.  Groves.  S.  S.  Clugston  and 
H.    Harrison.      Of   these   seven   have   died. 


4°2 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


The  present  officers  are :  Noble  grand,  Mrs. 
W.  S.  Smith ;  secretary,  W.  S.  Smith ; 
treasurer,  Mrs.  L.  M.  Osborne. 

MODERN    WOODMEN   OF  AMERICA. 

This  is  a  fraternal  beneficiary  society. 
Larwill  Camp,  No.  3367,  of  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America,  at  Larwill,  Idiana,  was 
organized  October  2,  1905,  with  twenty- 
five  charter  members,  names  as  follows : 
Wade  Sowder,  Fred  Beard,  A.  L.  McCrea, 

A.  E.  Kistler,  L.  Rhodarmel,  Charles  L. 
Klein,  F.  A.  Dietrich,  F.  A.  Curtis,  Alonzo 
Brunner.  L.  M.  Noble,  Alva  Buntain,  I.  C. 
Cornelius,  E.  M.  Cunningham,  L.  A.  Scott, 
Floyd   Souder.   G.   E.   Ream.  W.    A.   Kyle, 

B.  T.  McCrea.  F.  F.  Long,  F.  H.  Lancaster, 
H.  E.  Clock,  L.  W.  Tennant,  B.  L.  Bodle, 

C.  S.  Perin  and  H.  W.  Pletcher.  The 
names  of  the  first  officers  were  as  follows : 
Consul,  E.  E.  Rindfusz;  adviser,  W.  A. 
Kyle;  banker,  Alonzo  Brunner;  clerk, 
Charles  L.  Kline ;  escort,  L.  A.  Scott ; 
watchman,  B.  L.  Bodle ;  sentry,  C.  S.  Perin ; 
physicians,  Drs.  L.  W.  Tennant  and  H.  E. 
Clock;  managers,  L.  M.  Noble,  E.  M.  Cun- 
ningham and   N.   E.    Kistler. 

The  place  of  meeting  is  at  Dietrich's 
Hall,  in  postoffice  building.  The  regular 
time  of  meeting  is  Friday  evening  of  each 
week,  except  during  the  months  of  July  and 
August  of  each  year,  when  the  meetings  are 
the  second  and  and  fourth  Friday  evenings. 
No  deaths  have  occurred  since  the  organi- 
zation up  to  the  present  date.  Amount  of 
insurance  in  effect  when  organized,  October 
2,  1905,  seventeen  thousand  five  hundred 
dollars.  Total  amount  of  insurance  carried 
by  members  nt  present,  forty-two  thousand 
dollars.     Present  membership  is  fifty-five. 


The  names  of  the  present  officers  are  as 
follows :  Consul,  E.  E.  Rindfusz ;  adviser, 
Floyd  Souder;  banker,  Fred  Beard;  clerk, 
Charles  L.  Kline;  escort,  Fred  Betzner; 
watchman,  E.  M.  Cunningham;  sentry,  F. 
H.  Buntain;  physician.  Dr.  L.  W.  Tennant; 
managers,  J.  F.  Smalley,  F.  F.  Long  and 
F.  A.  Dietrich. 

The  date  of  this  report  is  January  23. 
1907. 

This  body,  although  young,  seems  to  be 
prosperous  and  useful  in  the  community. 

FREE   AND    ACCEPTED    MASONS. 

The  Due  Card  Lodge,  No.  278,  of  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons,  was  organized  under 
dispensation,  July  2,  1861  ;  charter  granted 
May  27,  1862:  organized  under  charter 
June  7,  1862;  by-laws  approved  by  grand 
lodge  May  29,  1872.  The  names  of  the 
charter  members  are  as  follows :  John  B. 
Firestone,  Elisha  L.  McLallen.  Ambrose  M. 
Trumbull,  Jonathan  Cunningham.  J.  J. 
Shorb,  William  M.  Thompson.  John  O. 
Adams,  Jacob  W.  Miller,  David  James.  Vir- 
gil Barber.  Edwin  L.  Barber.  Henry  C.  Yan- 
liew,  George  F.  Miller.  E.  L.  Barber  is  the 
only  charter  member  living.  The  first  offi- 
cers under  the  charter  were :  John  B.  Fire- 
stone, worshipful  master;  F.  L.  McLallen. 
senior  warden;  A.  M.  Trumbull,  junior  war- 
den ;  D.  B.  Clugston,  treasurer ;  H.  C.  Van- 
Hew,  secretary :  Virgil  Barber,  senior  dea- 
con ;  J.  W.  Miller,  junior  deacon:  E.  L 
Barber  and  T.  Cunningham,  stewards ;  John 
Maynard,  tyler.  Officers  for  1907:  Joseph 
W.  ( lompton,  worshipful  master:  John  Smal- 
ley, senior  warden  ;  John  R.  Smalley,  junior 
warden:  C.  F.  Merchant,  treasurer:  Lewis 
TT.  Clevenger.  secretary;  George  O.  Comp- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


40  i 


ton,  senior  deacon ;  William  McDonald,  jun- 
ior deacon ;  J.  A.  Young  and  Leander  Low- 
er, stewards;  and  Daniel  Smuthers,  tyler. 
The  present  trustees  are  Henry  S.  Cleven- 
ger,  George  James  and  David  F.  Lower. 
Present  membership,  sixty.  The  regular 
time  of  meeting  is  the  first  and  third  Tues- 
days of  each  month  in  the  evening. 

The  first  meeting  place  was  in  a  hall 
just  west  of  Ream's  store.  The  building 
burned  a  few  years  ago.  The  present  lodge 
room  was  built  in  the  summer  of  1869,  at  a 
cost  of  about  one  thousand  dollars.  It  is 
on  the  second  floor  of  the  Ream  store 
building. 

THE  GRAND   ARMY   OF   THE   REPUBLIC. 

The  Charles  Swindell  Post  of  Indiana. 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  was  organized 
at  Larwill,  Whitley  county,  on  August  31, 
1884,  with  thirty-seven  charter  members,  as 
follows :  W.  S.  Smith,  C.  L.  Heaton. 
George  Maguire,  D.  L.  Whiteleather,  W.  A. 
Prugh,  S.  A.  McKelvey,  W.  C.  Smith,  W. 
W.  Freeman,  Horace  Hammontree,  G.  W. 
Mott,  James  Worden,  A.  F.  Cunningham, 
Christopher  Souder,  H.  B.  Whittenberger. 
J.  W.  Zartman,  A.  T.  Steel,  A.  H.  McBride, 
A.  G.  Cornwell,  Jesse  Young,  J.  W.  Comp- 
ton,  G.  W.  Prugh,  S.  J.  Compton.  George 
James,  I.  N.  Compton,  G.  W.  Holderbaum, 
G.  W.  Zerbe,  A.  C.  Brosman,  W.  C.  Jame- 
son. G.  M.  Scott,  J.  W.  Groves,  Joseph 
Snodgrass,  H.  N.  King,  A.  B.  Heminger, 
Flam  Fletcher.  D.  C.  Stilwell,  J.  R  Bun- 
tain,  E.  S.  Johns.  The  list  of  members  was 
increased  from  time  to  time  to  sixty-two. 
The  first  officers  were  as  follows :  Com- 
mander, W.  S.  Smith  :  senior  vice-command- 


er, S.  J.  Compton;  junior  vice-commander, 

A.  P.  Cunningham ;  surgeon.  Dr.  C.  Souder ; 
officer  of  the  day,  H.  N.  King ;  chaplain,  H. 

B.  Whittenberger;  adjutant,  J.  W.  Comp- 
ton ;  quartermaster,  J.  W.  Zartman ;  officer 
of  the  guard,  C.  L.  Heaton  ;  sergeant  major. 
J.  W.  Groves ;  quartermaster  sergeant,  W. 
W.  Freeman ;  council  of  administration  or 
trustees,  D.  J.  Bowman ;  chairmen.  J.  W. 
Zartman,  H.  B.  Whittenberger. 

This  order  decorates  annually  the  graves 
of  all  the  dead  soldiers  buried  within  the 
township.  Soldiers  buried  in  Lake  View 
cemetery,  at  Larwill  are :  Henry  Smith, 
William  Sterling,  Martin  V.  Hammond, 
John  B.  Davis,  Jacob  Stoler.  Benjamin  Mc- 
Creary,  James  Worden,  Samuel  A.  McKel- 
vey. Chancy  L.  Heaton.  George  Maguire, 
Christopher  Souder,  David  L.  Whiteleather, 
Flam  Fletcher,  William  W.  Freeman.  Clyde 
O.  Rindfusz,  William  A.  Seymour.  Robert 
Guy. 

Soldiers  buried  in  cemetery  at  Summit : 
John  J.  Rice,  John  Fenters,  F.  M.  Smith, 
Eli  McKnight,  Orange  L.  Jones,  John 
Buck. 

Soldiers  buried  in  Boonville  cemetery : 
James  Harshman.  Silas  Atchison.  John  C. 
Stiver.  Sevmour  C.  Whitman.  Anthony 
Atchison. 

Soldiers  buried  in  South  Richland  near 
Center  school  house  :  Henry  Croy,  William 
Croy.  Solomon  Payne.  John  L.  Radcliff,  Eli 
W.  Vanwey,  Jesse  Radcliff. 

Soldiers  buried  in  Oak  Grove  cemetery  : 
Samuel  Parish.  Jonathan  D.  Witt.  George 
F^sig-. 

Civil  war  soldiers  living  in  Richland 
township:  George  W.  Prugh.  Joseph  W. 
Compton,    Isaac    N.    Compton.    Hiram    B. 


404 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Whittenberger,  James  Bullers,  Henry  Nor- 
ris,  William  Rouch,  George  W.  Webster, 
Winfield  S.  Smith,  John  R.  Buntain,  Henry 
Rindfusz,  Alonzo  N.  King,  William  V. 
Hathaway,  Daniel  Smethers,  Jeremiah  W. 
Zartman,  Homer  N.  King,  David  C.  Stil- 
well,  David  Bridentball,  William  A.  Prugh, 
Joseph  Grice,  Christian  Benner,  Alva  H. 
McBride,  David  S.  Klinger,  Uriah  H.  Clark, 
Charles  Palmer,  Milton  Bayman,  William 
Miller,  Warren  W.  Martin,  John  Beard. 

Spanish-American  soldiers  living  in  the 
township  are  as  follows :  Floyd  O.  Jellison, 
Charles  D.  Chapman,  Richard  Butler,  Elmer 
Curtis,  Alva  Buntain  and  Herbert  Reece. 
These  all  enlisted  in  this  township.  Besides 
these  there  were  fourteen  others  enlisted  in 
this  township,  two  have  died — Clyde  Rind- 
fusz and  William  A.  Seymour,  and  twelve 
have  left  the  township,  namely :  Robert  A. 
Jellison,  Fred  Norris,  Wayman  Warner, 
Gideon  Klingaman,  James  Klingaman, 
James  Fletcher,  Clarence  Easton,  Raymond 
Prugh.  Ulysses  S.  Maguire,  George  N. 
Cady,  Edwin  C.  Barber,  Eli  Davis. 

The  soldiers  in  the  Philippines  were 
Charles  Plummer,  Burton  R.  White,  John 
Secrist,  Harry  Snyder  and  Albert  Davis. 

The  post  surrendered  its  charter  and  dis- 
banded in  November,  1896.  During  the 
first  six  years  of  its  existence  it  prospered, 
giving  considerable  aid  to  sick  and  destitute 
soldiers  and  their  families,  and  had  mam- 
social  events.  Regular  memorial  and  deco- 
ration exercises  were  had.  Each  winter 
supper  was  had  by  the  post.  If  the  sim- 
per was  a  "farmer's  supper,"  the  people 
of  Larwill  and  vicinity  were  always  very 
liberal  in  their  contributions.  Either  farm- 
er's  shipper   or   oyster   supper   always   were 


good.  The  writer  remembers  well  that  at 
one  single  farmer's  supper,  the  post  netted 
sixy-two  dollars.  The  people  of  Larwill 
and  its  vicinity  always  had  and  have  yet  a 
warm  feeling  toward  the  "boys  of  '61  and 
'65."  No  blame  can  be  laid  to  the  people  of 
Larwill  and  country  about  for  the  early  dis- 
banding of  the  post.  Early  in  1886  the 
post  instituted  a  movement  to  raise  money 
by  public  subscription  to  buy  a  lot  in  Lake 
View  cemetery  at  Larwill  for  the  burial  of 
destitute  soldiers.  The  effort  was  a  success, 
for  in  a  very  short  time  the  money  was  at 
hand.  The  citizens  gave  a  very  large  per 
cent,  thereof.  A  lot  was  bought  and  one 
soldier,  who  had  been  buried  in  "free 
ground"  was  disinterred  and  reburied  on  this 
lot  by  the  post.  Since  then  a  number  have 
been  buried  therein. 

"Soldier,  rest,  thy  warfare  o'er." 

I  am  indebted  to  J.  W.  Zartman  for  the 
above  report,  most  of  which  has  been  copied. 

PATRONS   OF    HUSBANDRY. 

In  the  winter  of  about  1872  and  1873 
was  organized  a  grange  at  Robert  A.  Jelli- 
son's.  I  do  not  know  who  were  the  officers 
or  what  was  accomplished  by  this  grange. 
I  think  it  was  in  existence  about  two  years. 
A  little  later  a  grange  was  organized  at  the 
house  of  Henry  Bailev  in  section  30.  This 
organization  lasted  but  a  short  time.  There 
was  a  great  deal  of  ridicule  made  of  this  or- 
der,  led   bv  the   merchants. 

About  1903  a  grange  was  organized  in 
Larwill.  \  do  not  know  the  number  of  mem- 
bers   of   names    of    officers.      This    grange 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


405 


seems  to  be  prospering.  I  had  written  to  but 
received  no  response   from  this  order. 

Of  the  orders  that  once  did  business 
but  are  now  extinct  the  Independent  Order 
of  Good  Templars  organized  twice  and  each 
time  lived  some  three  or  four  years.  The 
first  was  about   1859. 

The  Union  League  had  an  existence  for 
a  time  when  the  Civil  war  was  going  on. 
but  they  ceased  doing  business  in  1863.  It 
was  said  there  was  a  lodge  of  the  Knights 
of  the  Golden  Circle  about  this  time,  but  1 
can  give  no  proof. 

This  is  all  the  lodges  I  ever  heard  of> 
and  not  being  a  member  of  any  order,  all  I 
have  written  is  second  hand. 

THE      METHODIST      EPISCOPAL      CHURCH      AT 
EARWILL. 

The  history  of  the  Methodist  church  in 
nearlv  every  section  of  the  country  begins 
with  the  settling  of  that  country,  or  wher- 
ever a  colony  of  pioneers  settle,  there  will 
Methodism  flourish.  The  first  class  of 
Methodists  formed  in  the  township  was  at 
the  cabin  of  Edwin  Cone.  ( I  here  copy 
from  the  "Old  History".)  "The  pioneers 
of  the  church  and  its  first  members  were 
John  Buck,  class  leader ;  Edwin  Cone  and 
wife.  David  Hayden  and  wife.  William  Guy 
and  wife,  John  Erwin  and  wife  and  John 
Burns  and  wife.  The  members  met  from 
house  to  house,  most  frequently  at  Edwin 
Cone's  and  John  Buck's.  Edwin  Cone  was 
a  local  preacher — 'An  Israelite  in  whom 
there  was  no  guile.'  The  itinerant  preach- 
ers, at  the  formation  of  the  class  in  1839, 
were  Revs.  Ackerman  and  Owen.  Their  vis- 
its were  few  and   far  between;  the  circuit 


was  large.  Succeeding  them,  Lemon  and 
Young,  Green  and  Anthony,  Holstock  and 
Miller,  Speer  and  Davis,  Jesse  Sparks,  Bam- 
hart."  We  think  that  Woodard.  Sewell, 
Metz  and  Blake  came  before  Barnhart.  "By 
1848  the  class  had  become  too  large  to  meet 
in  the  narrow  cabins  of  the  pioneers.  They 
took  title  from  Alex.  McNagrry  of  the  site 
of  the  'old  log  school  house,'  by  the  trustees, 
David  Hayden.  Andrew  Dodge  and  John 
Burns,  who,  aided  by  William  Mitchell,  a 
carpenter,  built  a  frame  meeting  house,  twen- 
ty-six by  thirty-four,  ten  feet  in  the  clear." 
This  was  called  the  Summit  church  and  be- 
longed to  the  Columbia  circuit  at  that  time. 
I  do  not  know  what  the  name  of  the  society 
was  prior  to  this  time.  Soon  after  this 
building  was  completed,  meetings  were 
held  by  Cooper,  the  circuit  preacher,  a  great 
revival  followed,  and  many  were  added  to 
the  church.  The  ministers,  as  I  remember 
them  after  the  building-  of  the  church,  are  as 
follows :  Barnhart,  Cooper  and  Snyder, 
Stright  and  Armstrong,  Bradshaw  and  Rup- 
lev,  McCarter,  Payton  and  Payton  ( one 
vear),  Payton  and  Smith  (one  year),  C.  W. 
Miller,  J.  H.  McMahon.  E.  M.  Baker  (two 
years').  H.  J.  Lacey  (two  years).  R.  J. 
Smith  (three  years).  During  the  ministry 
of  Baker  in  i860  and  186  r  the  Methodist 
parsonage  was  built  at  Larwill.  In  the  win- 
ter of  1866  there  was  the  greatest  revival 
perhaps  the  Methodists  ever  had  at  tins 
place.  H.  J.  Smith  was  pastor  at  the  time. 
The  meetings  were  begun  at  the  Summit 
church  in  February,  but  after  two  or  three 
weeks  were  removed  to  Larwill  and  held  in 
the  old  United  Brethren  church.  The  meet- 
ings continued  day  and  night  for  seven 
weeks,    and   the   membership   was    increased 


406 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


by  about  one  hundred.  The  people  never 
went  back  to  Summit  to  worship,  but  almost 
immediately  began  building'  the  present  brick 
church.  The  church  was  dedicated  March 
14,  1869,  by  Dr.  Bowman,  then  president 
of  the  Asbury  University,  but  afterward 
bishop.  The  building  committee  were  John 
Bums,  Abner  Prugh,  C.  W.  Hayden,  Dr. 
Kirkpatrick  and  E.  L.  McLallen.  The  edi- 
fice was  forty-two  by  sixty,  twenty  feet  in 
the  clear,  with  basement.  Estimated  cost, 
nine  thousand  dollars,  of  which  over  three 
thousand  dollars  was  subscribed  at  the  dedi- 
cation. E.  P.  Church  was  pastor  three  years  ; 
J.  H.  Slade,  two  years ;  S.  J.  McElwee,  three 
years ;  James  Greer,  three  years ;  S.  J.  Smith 
served  one  and  one-half  years,  when  differ- 
ences grew  up  and  a  part  of  the  members 
withdrew  and  formed  the  'Wesleyan  church,' 
the  parent  society,  however,  still  flourishing 
and  building  up.  Pastors  since  that  time: 
M.  H.  Smith  came  in  April,  1879,  to  1881, 
R.  S.  Reed  to  1883.  N.  T.  Peddycord  to 
1884,  John  Thomas  to  1885,  C.  F.  Cook  to 
September,  1885,  C.  H.  .Beechgood  to  April, 
1886,  N.  D.  Shackelford  to  1889,  R.  H. 
Smith  to  1891,  E.  P.  Church  to  1893.  J.  M. 
Stewart  to  1895,  XV.  B.  Freeland  to  Septem- 
ber. 1897.  M.  H.  Smith  to  November,  1897. 
A.  J.  Cary  to  April,  1899,  J.  W.  Tillman  to 
1901,  D.  S.  Jones  to  T004,  W.  L.  Singer  to 
October,  1904,  L.  B.  Stookey  to  the  present. 
The  Methodist  Episcopal  parsonage  was  re- 
built in  1895  at  a  cost  of  about  five  hundred 
dollars.  The  church  was  repaired  in  1901, 
at  a  cost  of  twelve  hundred  dollars.  The  re- 
pairs consisted  of  a  new  shingle  roof,  a  new 
belfry,  new  seats  and  windows,  an  elevated 
floor,  a  steel  ceiling  and  a  new  entrance.  The 
pastor's  salary  is  six  hundred  and  fifty-five 


dollars  and  parsonage.  The  Larwill  society 
pay  of  this  three  hundred  and  twenty  dol- 
lars. The  present  membership  is  one  hun- 
dred. The  trustees  are  H.  B.  Whittenber- 
ger,  Sylvester  Flickinger  and  Daniel  Diet- 
rich. The  stewards  are  T.  E.  Daniels,  Mrs. 
J.  T.  Wilson  and  Ella  Marchand.  Class 
leaders,  S.  Flickinger  and  H.  B.  Whitten- 
berger ;  recording  secretary,  J.  W.  Zartman ; 
treasurer,  H.  B.  Whittenberger;  superinten- 
dent of  Sunday-school,  Mrs.  S.  W.  Byall. 
The  name  Summit  was  given  the  church 
about  184S  when  the  house  was  built  at  Sum- 
mit, and  to  Larwill  about  1866,  when  the 
name  of  the  town  was  changed  from  Hunts- 
ville  to  Larwill. 

UNION    CHRISTIAN    CHURCH. 

This  church  (commonly  known  as  the 
"Boonville  church"),  was  organized  in  1845 
by  Rev.  James  Atchison  in  what  was  known 
as  the  Hand  school  house,  which  stood  about 
a  mile  west  of  the  present  location  of  the 
church  property.  The  old  records  of  the 
church  being  lost,  it  is  difficult  to  give 
many  of  the  facts  concerning  the  first  vears 
of  the  church's  existence.  John  Hand  and 
Silas  Atchison  were  deacons,  and  Anthony 
Atchison  church  clerk  at  the  time  of  its 
organization.  I  do  not  know  that  there  were 
any  trustees.  All  of  these  officers  have  been 
dead  several  years.  The  first  roll  of  the 
members  I  could  not  find,  a  few  of  the  first 
names  are  as  follows :  John  Hand  and  Har- 
riet Hand,  Silas  Atchison  and  Anna  Atchi- 
son, Cornelius  Hand,  John  W.  Smith  and 
Mary  Smith.  Anthony  Atchison  and  Han- 
nah Atchison.  These  nine  I  think  were  the 
charter  members,  but  T  will  give  a  few  mure  : 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


407 


Sarah  Cordell,  Olive  Bolton  and  Budd  Bol- 
ton, Susan  Fletcher,  James  Atchison  and 
Mary  J.  Atchison.  The  society  met  at  the 
Hand  school  house  and  Bethany  Nickels' 
barn  till  1854,  when  it  had  completed  a  meet- 
ing house  in  section  18  of  this  township, 
about  eighty  rods  north  of  the  present  chap- 
el. It  was  built  of  hewn  logs  and  was  about 
twenty -two  by  twenty-two  and  some  ten  feet 
in  the  clear.  This  served  as  a  place  of  wor- 
ship for  thirteen  years,  when  the  present 
frame  edifice  was  erected,  near  the  center  of 
section  18.  The  building  committee  was  com- 
posed of  Elder  Thomas  Whitman,  William 
H.  Lancaster  and  James  Bayman.  The 
building  is  forty  by  fifty  and  a  fourteen-foot 
story.  It  is  valued  at  about  twelve  hundred 
dollars.  It  was  dedicated  December  29, 
1867.  Up  to  this  time  it  is  not  certainly 
known  who  were  the  pastors,  but  Elders 
James  Atchison,  Thomas  Whitman  and  Phil- 
ip Zeigler  were  most  of  the  time.  Those 
who  served  as  pastors  since  are  Thomas 
Whitman,  Peter  Winbrenner,  William  B. 
Jones,  William  S.  Manville,  Lewis  Himes. 
David  Hidy,  W.  G.  Parker,  Hiley  Baker  and 
John  M.  Miller.  Others  who  have  served 
the  church  but  not  as  pastors  are  S.  H.  Mc- 
Gee,  James  Atchison,  Samuel  McNeely. 
Levi  Marks  and  perhaps  others.  This 
church  has  entertained  the  Eel  River  Chris- 
tian conference  four  times,  namely  1857, 
1869,  1880  and  1896.  The  church  at  present 
has  a  membership  of  seventy-one.  There 
has  been  Sunday-school  most  of  the  time 
since  1855.  A  Ladies'  Aid  Society  has  giv- 
en valuable  assistance  for  the  last  few  years. 
The  present  officers  are  as  follows :  John  F. 
McConnell.  Lewis  Bayman  and  Joseph  A. 
Norris,   trustees ;   Alexander    Bavman    and 


John  F.  McConnell,  deacons;  William  Bay- 
man,  treasurer ;  and  Chester  L.  Cone,  clerk. 

THE  EEL  RIVER  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

This  church  was  organized  in  1840,  at 
the  house  of  John  Collins,  in  Cleveland  town- 
ship. Among  its  first  members  were  John 
Collins,  William  Cordell,  John  Cordell,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hamilton  and  S.  A.  Chaplin.  To 
these  were  afterward  added,  by  baptism  and 
letter,  Edwin  Rambo  and  wife.  Margaret 
Rambo,  John  Cuppy  and  wife,  Mary  Cuppy, 
Jane  Collins  (wife  of  John  Collins),  Mrs. 
Martin  Collins,  Isaac  Collins  and  wife,  Nan- 
cy Collins,  Mrs.  Chaplin  (wife  of  S.  A. 
Chaplin),  William  Norris,  James  Chaplin 
(father  of  S.  A.  Chaplin),  and  Mores  P. 
Chaplin  (brother  of  S.  A.  Chaplin).  James 
Martin  was  the  first  pastor  of  this  little  flock. 
February  19.  1842,  S.  A.  Chaplin  was  li- 
censed to  preach  and  on  August  20.  1842, 
he  was  ordained,  and  for  some  time  preached 
for  them.  A  change  of  views  in  regard  to 
the  future  destiny  of  the  earth  as  well  as  of 
man's'  nature,  whether  immortal  by  nature 
or  redemption — the  view  of  earth  restored 
being  the  future  home  of  the  redeemed — in 
plain  English  Millerism  or  Second  Advent- 
ism — was  embraced  by  Elder  Chaplin  and  a 
number  of  other  members  of  the  church,  who 
dissolved  their  connection  with  it,  and  it 
languished  for  several  years.  The  church 
was  reorganized  at  the  house  of  John  Cuppy 
in  Kosciusko  county  in  December,  1845. 
William  Norris,  John  Cordill,  Esther  Cor- 
dill,  Norah  Hand,  Elizabeth  Cuppy,  Mich- 
ael B.  Kelly,  Rebecca  Ryerson,  K.  C.  Ham- 
ilton. Caroline  Hamilton.  Caroline  Collins, 
George  Gunter,    John     Cuppy    and   Nancy 


4o8 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Cuppy  were  members.  For  awhile  the  meet- 
ings were  held  alternately  at  the  houses  of 
William  Norris  and  John  Cuppy,  and  later 
at  the  Richland  center  school  house.  The 
present  church  house  was  built  in  1861,  at  a 
cost  of  twelve  hundred  dollars.  Father  Mar- 
tin again  took  charge  of  the  newly  organ- 
ized church  and  was  its  pastor  for  several 
years.  He  was  followed  by  Meredith, 
Scott,  Collins.  Denman  and  Barrett,  who 
was  pastor  when  the  church  was  dedicated, 
which  was  June  22,  1862.  Rev.  R.  H.  Cook 
preached  the  sermon  and  Rev.  J.  Barrett 
made  the  dedicatory  prayer  and  Father  Mar- 
tin gave  the  benedictory  blessing.  Rev.  Bar- 
rett was  a  revivalist  and  the  church  grew. 
The  next  pastor  was  W.  A.  Hitchcock,  fol- 
lowed by  W.  W.  Robinson,  W.  A.  Hitch- 
cock. R.  Childs,  R.  H.  Cook.  W.  A.  Hitch- 
cock,    Latham,  W.  D.   Sanders.  V. 

O.  Fritz,  J.  M.  Maxwell.  B.  W.  Harmon. 
H.  H.  Smith,  B.  F.  Tucker,  H.  H.  Smith, 
W.  S.  Kent.  A.  J.  Gage  and  Winans.  The 
church  has  not  been  prosperous  for  the  last 
twelve  or  fifteen  years,  and  at  this  writing-, 
January.  T907.  is  extinct.  The  trustees  last 
elected  were  Henry  Norris.  William  Cordill 
and  Benjamin  Bates.  The  last  clerk  was  Ola 
Norris. 

WESLEYAN    METHODIST   CHURCH. 

This  organization  was  made  at  Larwill. 
Indiana.  June  13,  1879.  by  Elder  A.  Worth, 
who  was  then  pastor  of  Albion  charge.  In- 
diana conference.  The  purpose  of  this  or- 
ganization was  to  promote  scriptural  holi- 
ness and  advance  the  cause  of  Christ.  The 
Bible  is  taken  as  the  rule  of  faith  by  which 
all  the  articles  of  the  church  discipline  are 
formed. 


The  charter  members  were :  C.  Benner, 
Elizabeth  Benner,  S.  F.  Robinson;  P.  H. 
Rindfusz,  Nancy  M.  Rindfusz,  Henry  Gick 
and  Fanny  Gick. 

For  about  one  year  prior  to  this  organi- 
zation meetings  were  held,  first  at  C.  Ben- 
ner's  residence,  then  in  a  rented  hall.  The 
present  church  edifice  was  built  A.  D.  1879, 
and  cost  eighteen  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 
It  is  a  neat  frame  structure,  situated  at  the 
corner  of  North  and  King  streets  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Larwill.  The  first  trustees  were : 
P.  H.  Rindfusz,  C.  Benner  and  S.  F.  Robin- 
son. The  parsonage  stands  on  the  same  lot. 
It  was  erected  in  1880,  and  is  valued  at  five 
hundred  dollars. 

The  following  conference  after  this  or- 
ganization was  made  it  was  joined  to  La 
Otto  circuit  and  Rev.  W.  H.  Kennedy  be- 
came its  first  pastor.  Under  his  labors  the 
membership  was  increased  to  about  forty. 
At  the  close  of  this  year  the  church  at  La 
Otto  withdrew  from  the  circuit  and  it  was 
then  changed  to  Larwill  circuit,  and  yet  re- 
mains so,  although  a  permanent  organiza- 
tion has  been  consummated  and  a  church 
built  at  Warsaw,  Indiana,  and  is  connected 
with  this  charge. 

Two  camp  meetings  were  held  in  the 
past.  One  at  Thompson's  grove,  one  mile 
south  of  Larwill,  in  1882.  Revs.  Rice  and 
Rowly,  of  Ada,  Ohio,  were  the  evangelists. 
The  other  near  Black's  school  house,  two 
miles  west  of  the  village,  conducted  by  Rev. 
J.  W.  Brown  and  others.  The  following  are 
the  names  of  the  past  ministers  in  order  of 
their  serving  as  pastors  of  this  charge :  W. 
H.  Kennedy.  C.  S.  Smith.  R.  M.  S.  Hutch- 
ins,  L.  Shatford,  Rev.  Hines.  E.  T.  Spohn, 
G.  W.  Zike.  E).  F.  Gordon.  C.  A.  Billheimer. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


409 


Robert  Jeffrey,  J.  W.  Brown,  S.  Kennedy. 
D.  L.  Tice,  E.  L.  Dickey,  W.  H.  Hopkins,  L. 
H.  Carter,  M.  M.  Worth,  W.  M.  Bailey. 
The  present  pastor,  W.  M.  Bailey,  serves 
also  as  pastor  to  Warsaw  charge.  He  is 
paid  by  tithing  and  receives  about  three  hun- 
dred dollars.  Larwill  class  paying  half.  The 
present  membership  is  about  thirty-nine.  The 
following  are  the  names  of  the  present 
church  officers :  Trustees,  P.  H.  Rindfusz, 
D.  S.  Klinger  and  Simon  Helfrich ;  class 
leader.  P.  H.  Rindfusz ;  steward,  Pressley 
Patterson ;  secretary,  Ralph  Rindfusz ;  Sun- 
day-school superintendent.  Elizabeth  Ben- 
ner.  The  church  is  in  a  prosperous  condition 
financially  and  spiritually  and  has  been  a 
benefit  to  Larwill  and  vicinity. 

"Mrs.   Chas.   Buntain.   Historian." 
The  above  was  written  by  Mrs.  Buntain 
and  is  copied  in  full. 

THE    BAPTIST    CHURCH    AT    LARWILL. 

The  first  organization  of  the  Baptist 
church  at  Larwill.  or  Huntsville,  as  the  place 
was  then  called,  was  on  February  14,  1857. 
by  Elder  Wilder,  with  ten  who  had  been 
members  of  the  Baptist  church  and  six  by 
confession  of  faith.  The  names  are  as  fol- 
lows :  Elisha  Havens,  Daniel  Hartsock. 
Henry  McLallen,  Sr.,  James  McLallen,  Wil- 
liam Stilwell,  William  Worth.  Frances  Mc- 
Lallen, Alice  A.  Mack,  Ann  Hartsock,  Flor- 
etta  Havens,  Henry  Mack,  Henry  McLal- 
len. Jr.,  James  McDonald.  Ann  McLallen, 
Samantha  Mack  and  Harriet  Stilwell.  This 
little  band  met  usually  at  the  first  school 
house  in  Huntsville  and  was  under  the  pas- 
toral care  of  Elder  McLeod  till  December  3, 
1859.  After  this  the  church  became  dor- 
mant. 


The  second  organization  of  the  Baptist 
church  was  April  22,  1880,  under  the  care 
of  Rev.  D.  W.  Sanders  as  pastor.  There 
were  ten  charter  members  as  follows :  Henry 
Bailey  and  wife.  Fielding  Barnes  and  wife. 
Mary  Barney.  Anna  Clugston.  Mary  Rad- 
cliff,  Margaret  Maston  and  D.  W.  Sanders 
and  wife.  The  first  trustees  were  A.  F.  Mar- 
tin, D.  B.  Clugston  and  Henry  Bailey :  clerk. 
Rev.  D.  W.  Sanders.  In  188 1.  they  built  a 
neat  little  brick  church,  at  a  cost  of  twenty- 
five  hundred  dollars.  They  prospered  fairly 
well  for  several  years,  although  the  member- 
ship has  never  been  large.  Rev.  Sanders 
continued  as  pastor  till  1883.  Then  Rev. 
Graham  was  supply  pastor  for  awhile,  there 
being  no  regular  pastor  for  four  years.  Rev. 
Charles  Bragg  became  pastor  in  June.  1887, 
and  remained  till  December.  1889,  then 
again  there  Tvas  a  vacancy  for  over  six  years 
— Rev.  George  B.  Beardsley  preaching  a 
few  times.  The  next  regidar  pastor  was 
Rev.  C.  J.  Gage,  from  March,  1896,  to  Sep- 
tember. 1897.  then  Rev.  C.  S.  Winans  to 
March,  T898:  then  Rev.  C.  G.  Rhodarmel 
till  September.  1899,  when  he  took  a  leave 
to  attend  theological  school.  He  resumed 
his  labors  with  this  church  ag'ain.  January 
1,  1901,  and  continued  pastor  till  December 
14.  1902.  At  this  date  Brother  B.  H.  Tru- 
man, one  of  the  members,  was  licensed  to 
preach,  and  was  employed  to  preach  for  an 
unlimited  time.  He  continued  to  preach  for 
about  a  year,  when  he,  too,  went  away  to 
school.  He  was  ordained  at  the  Larwill 
church,  September  6,  1004.  Rev.  D.  W. 
Sanders  again  became  pastor  in  March. 
1905,  and  continued  till  the  next  September, 
since  which  time  there  has  been  no  pastor. 
The  present  church  officers  are :     Trustees, 


4io 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


David  Bridenthall,  Henry  Norris  and 
Charles  F.  Marchand ;  deacons,  David  Brid- 
enthall and  Henry  Norris ;  clerk,  Jennie 
Norris. 

It  appears  that  the  old  Union  meeting 
house  in  section  24  was  built  in  1846,  which 
antedates  the  building  of  the  Summit  church 
by  Mime  two  years.  It  was  built  by  the 
Methodists,  United  Brethren  and  Lutherans, 
which  presupposes  that  each  had  a  society 
at  this  place.  If  the  United  Brethren  or  the 
Lutherans  had  an  organization  here,  we 
have  been  unable  to  find  out  anything  about 
them.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at 
this  place  was  organized  in  1849.  Some  of 
the  first  members  were  Rev.  A.  D.  Parrett 
and  wife,  John  Graham  and  wife,  Henry 
Rupely  and  wife,  John  Jones  and  wife,  Ed- 
mond  Parish  and  wife  and  Eliakem  Mosher 
and  wife.  Some  of  the  first  preachers  were 
Anderson  D.  Parrett,  Edwin  Cone  and 
Henry  Rupely,  these  were  all  local  ministers. 
This  class  was  part  of  a  circuit,  some- 
times of  Columbia  circuit,  sometimes  of 
Springfield  circuit  and  now  part  of  the  Lar- 
will  circuit.  This  society  has  usually  been 
prosperous.  In  1880,  they  built  a  commo- 
dious brick  church  at  a  cost  of  about  two 
thousand  dollars.  It  is  situated  in  section 
13  and  is  known  as  the  Oak  Grove  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church.  The  present  pastor 
is  Rev.  S.  B.  Stookey.  If  any  of  these  dates 
are  wrong  or  any  other  errors,  it  is  because 
we  have  been   wrongly  informed. 

I  here  have  been  several  church  organi- 
zations within  the  township  that  have  be- 
ci  mie  extinct.  The  German  Baptist  built  a 
frame  church  in  section  13,  at  a  cost  of  about 
<  >ne  thousand  dollars.  It  was  used  about 
five  vears  bv  the  society.     This  was  some 


twenty-five  years  ago.  It  has  since  been 
sold  and  is  now  doing  service  as  a  barn. 
The  principal  members  were  Peter  Bolinger 
and  wife  and  Jeremiah  Flickinger  and  wife. 

The  United  Brethren  organized  a  so- 
ciety at  the  old  schoolhouse  at  Larwill  about 
1856,  under  the  preaching  of  a  Rev. 
Thomas,  who  was  followed  by  Rev.  Plum- 
mer  and  others.  In  1858  they  erected  a 
meeting  house  where  the  YVesleyan  chapel 
now  stands.  The  society  soon  vanished. 
The  principal  members  were  Benjamin  B. 
Salmon  and  wife  and  Jeremiah  Welker  and 
wife.  The  building  was  used  for  several 
years  as  a  meeting  place  for  other  churches, 
also  for  lectures,  political  meetings,  one- 
horse  shows  and  for  a  while  as  a  school- 
house. 

The  Presbyterians  had  an  organization 
from  about  1866  on  for  a  few  years.  Rev. 
W.  S.  Harker  seems  to  have  been  the  first 
resident  pastor,  who  came  there  in  1867. 
The  meetings  were  held  in  the  old  United 
Brethren  church,  the  schoolhouse  and  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  after  that  build- 
ing was  completed.  Rev.  Harker  served  as 
pastor  till  August  8,  1869,  when  he  died  of 
a  stroke  of  apoplexy  while  filling  the  stand. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Beech.  The  last 
pastor  was  Rev.  Strvker,  who  left  in  about 
1880.  The  church  soon  after  this  went 
down.  Among"  the  first  members  were  Wil- 
liam Bonar,  Sr.,  and  wife,  John  Buntain, 
Sr..  and  wife.  Daniel  Weaver  and  wife,  A. 
II.  McBride  and  wife.  Dr.  Kirkpatrick, 
Mrs.  Lewis  Halderman,  Mrs.  E.  L.  Barber 
and   others. 

In  about  1880.  the  Evangelical  Associa- 
tion, or  "Albrights"  as  they  wree  called, 
formed  an   organization   in  Larwill.      They 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


411 


met  at  first  at  the  homes  of  the  members, 
but  soon  purchased  the  old  schoolhouse  at 
the  northeast  part  of  town,  which  the)-  con- 
verted into  a  church.  Its  pastors  were  J<  >hn 
Brukert,  Henry  Brightmire,  Holderman  and 
Wales.  Some  of  the  first  members  were 
George  Kiplinger  and  wife,  Michael 
Gutcher  and  wife,  Samuel  Ward  and  wife. 
Francis  C.  Guy  and  wife,  and  others.  In 
1884  they  held  a  camp  meeting  just  north  of 
town.  The}'  were  in  a  prosperous  condi- 
tion for  a  while,  but  some  financial  differ- 
ences arose  among  its  members,  litigation 
followed,  the  church  suffered  and  finally 
vanished.  Its  members  went  to  other 
churches.     This  was  about  1887. 

The  Free  Methodist  organized  a  society 
about  the  time  the  Albrights  disbanded 
and  some  of  its  members  went  into  the  new 
organization.  They  purchased  the  same  old 
schoolhouse  and  used  the  upper  story  for  a 
parsonage.  Some  of  the  pastors  were  W.  T. 
Loring,  who  organized  the  church,  Edinger, 
Robinette,  Laberteaux,  Hoover,  Kemp  and 
Fletcher.  They  held  camp  meetings  about 
ever)-  year.  Among  its  members  were 
Samuel  Ward  and  wife,  R.  W.  Burns  and 
wife,  Mrs.  Gutcher  and  daughter,  Mary  J  . 
Clifford  Cummins  and  wife,  Lester  Fletchei- 
and  wife  and  W.  H.  Guy.  It  was  never 
very  strong  in  members  or  in  means.  The 
church  went  down  in  about  1901.  Several 
of  the  members  were  transferred  to  the 
church  at  Lorane.  The  old  schoolhouse  was 
purchased  by  Samuel  Ward  and  has  been 
torn  down  and  moved  away.  There  were 
other  church  organizations  no  doubt,  but 
they  were  of  short  duration.  Most  of  the 
churches  have  maintained  Sunday-schools 
and  some  have  Ladies'  Aid  societies  and  one 


or  two  Christian  Endeavor  societies.  In 
years  gone  there  were  Sunday-school  pic- 
nics, but  they  have  ceased  to  be,  but  perhaps 
have  been  superseded  by  Sunday-school  con- 
ventions. There  was  a  society  of  "Mur- 
phies," a  temperance  society,  in  existence 
for  a  time  and  put  the  saloons  out  of  busi- 
ness for  a  while.  It  was  not  a  secret  society, 
but  of  a  religious  nature.  This  was  about 
1877. 

Of  the  soldiers  who  were  in  the  wars  for 
the  establishment  and  protection  of  this 
government  it  is  necessary  that  some  rec- 
ord should  be  made.  We  think  there  are 
no  Revolutionary  soldiers  buried  within  the 
borders  of  Richland  township.  Of  the  si  >1- 
diers  of  the  war  of  1812,  we  know  of  eight 
who  died  within  the  township  and  their 
burial  place,  but  know  nothing  of  the  regi- 
ment or  command  to  which  they  belonged. 
Zebulon  T.  Burch  is  buried  in  section  22  on 
the  land  belonging  to  Mrs.  George  Miller. 
The  site  of  the  grave  perhaps  has  been  lost. 
John  McPherson  died  about  1850,  at  the  age 
of  ninety-one  years,  is  buried  in  the  Dodger- 
town  cemetery,  in  Kosciusko  county.  Bela 
Goodrich  was  born  in  1776,  is  buried  in  the 
Adams  cemetery,  in  Troy  township.  An- 
thony Atchison  died  November  24,  1848. 
at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years.  He  is  buried 
in  the  Boonville  cemetery.  John  Buck  died 
in  1864,  is  buried  at  Summit.  George  W. 
Essig  died  in  1866.  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
three  years.  He  is  buried  at  the  Oak  ( rrove 
cemetery.  Robert  Guy  died  in  1845.  is 
buried  in  Larwill  cemetery.  Jesse  Radcliff 
is  buried  at  Center. 

Of  the  soldiers  of  the  Mexican  war  we 
know  of  only  two  who  are  buried  in  this 
township.     James  Worden  is  buried  at  the 


412 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Larwill  cemetery.  Jonathan  D.  Witt  died 
while  on  the  march.  He  was  in  General 
Worth's  command.  He  was  sent  here  for 
burial  and  is  buried  in  the  Oak  Grove  cem- 
etery. 

Of  the  soldiers  of  the  war  of  the  Rebel- 
lion a  complete  list  has  not  been  kept  to  my 
knowledge.  The  reader  is  referred  to  the 
report  of  the  adjutant  general  for  the  state 
of  Indiana  for  any  corrections  that  should 
be  made.  This  report  consists  of  eight  large 
volumes,  filled  with  thousands  of  names, 
and  large  numbers  of  men  are  there  re- 
corded without  any  indication  of  where  they 
were  enlisted  from.  The  vastness  of  this 
field  together  with  the  fallibility  of  memory 
of  the  older' citizens,  will  render  this  report 
incomplete.  The  number  of  the  regiment 
and  in  some  cases  the  company  letter  are 
given  : 

Seventeenth  Regiment,  Company  E — 
Homer  X.  King.  Anthony  Seymour,  John 
J.  Rice,  Isaac  Kimes,  Joseph  H.  Nelson, 
David  Kimes. 

Eightenth  Regiment — John  Craig. 

Twenty-ninth  Regiment  —  Jeremiah 
Welker. 

Thirty-fourth  Regiment — Charles  Comp- 
ton.  Charles  Seymour.  Brayton  Ricord, 
Walter  Ricord,  Joseph  A.  Parrett,  Wesley 
Parrett,  Solomon  Payne.  Peter  Hendrix. 

Forty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  B — 
George  S.  Cowgill,  James  L.  Cowgill.  Ja- 
cob Ream,  William  Gobal,  Ralph  Goodrich. 
Peter  Huffman,  James  Heaton.  David 
Goodrich,  Joseph  H.  Carder,  Clinton  Scoby. 
Company  E— Alonzo  King,  Stephen  Donley, 
Joseph  W.  Compton,  Isaac  X.  Compton, 
Stephen  J.  Compton.  Henry  Croy,  George 
W.     Webster,    Barrett    Ricord.    Joseph    P. 


Anderson,  G.  W.  Holloway,  Henry  Rupely. 
Amos  Rhodarmel,  Martin  Y.  Hathaway.  W. 
R.  Holloway,  Xelson  Parrett,  Randolph 
Dimmick,  William  A.  Prugh,  William 
Holderbaum,  Amos  Bechtel,  Joseph  Kling- 
erman,  William  Klingerman,  Christopher 
Souder. 

Seventy-fourth  •  Regiment  —  Henry 
Bishop. 

Eighty-eighth  Regiment,  Company  K — 
Archibald  Carder.  Andrew  Cunningham, 
Frank  Simpkins,  O.  H.  Alley,  Orange  L. 
Jones,  Alexander  Randall,  Hiram  Harpster, 
Eli  Pletcher,  Elijah  Sears.  George  W. 
Prugh.  George  W.  Halderbaum.  Abraham 
Xickeles,  Johnson  Roberts.  Joseph  Roberts, 
David  Gillis.  Asher  D.  Hathaway,  Alexan- 
der Bayman,  Seymour  C.  Whitman.  Wil- 
liam Croy,  William  Beard.  Jacob  Crumb. 
William   Marshall.   Warren  Howe. 

One  Hundredth  Regiment,  Company  F 
— Jacob  Stoler,  David  L.  Whiteleather,  Wil- 
liam Sterling,  Chancy  L.  Heaton,  Charles 
Swindell,  James  Cleland,  Henry  Mack.  H. 
R.  Kistler,  George  Simpkins,  James  Samuel. 

One  Hundred  Twenty-ninth  Regiment. 
Company  D — J.  W.  Briggs,  James  Garner, 
Adam  Kerns,  Samuel  Kerns.  Company  G 
— John  R.  Buntain,  Setli  T.  Hunt.  Alfred 
Curtis.  Samuel  Curtis,  Horace  Hammon- 
tree.  David  Klinger.  Appleton  W.  Cone, 
George  Stanley.  George  Whipple,  John 
Hammond. 

One  Hundred  Thirty-ninth  Regiment, 
Company  K — Justus  W.  Burns.  John  C. 
Salmon.    David    C.    Stillwell. 

One  Hundred  Forty-second  Regiment, 
Company  G — Wilson  Banning.  W.  L. 
Lamherson.  Warren  W.  Martin.  Samuel 
Parish.    Jacob    Essinger,    Elisha    K.    Cady, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


4i3 


Warren  Rollins,  John  Jones.  George  D. 
Trembly.     Company  E — Israel  Young. 

One  Hundred  Fifty-second  Regiment, 
Company  I — Henry  Norris,  B.  F.  Seymour, 
I.  N.  Pritchard,  Leander  Smith,  S.  P.  Cul- 
limore,  James  Harshman.  Thomas  Nickeles, 
Milton  Bayman,  William  V.  Hathaway, 
Jacob  Fox,  John  H.  Mann.  Alfred  J. 
Koontz. 

Fifth  Battery — John  Welker,  Michael 
Alms.  Squire  Mack,  William  Rollins, 
Thomas    Caldwell. 

Eleventh  Battery — Henry  W.  Caldwell. 
James  Webster. 

Fourteenth    Battery — Ervin    Whitman. 

Twelfth  Cavalry  —  Samuel  Crumb, 
James  M.  Kerr,  Richard  J.  Parrett,  Allen 
Sears. 

Regiment  Unknown — Wesley  Davis,  N. 
P.  Guffey,  Jeremiah  Franklin.  James  Crumb, 
Solomon    Garringer,    Henrv    Wager,    John 

Beard,  Harvey  Beard,  Jasper  Carder,  

Smith,  William  Buck,  Leander  Pinney, 
John  Goodrich,  Charles  Ward.  William 
Banning. 

Drafted.  Regiment  Unknown — Oren 
Tippy.    Weslev   J.    Carder,    Reizin    Beemer. 

There  were  a  few  others  who  were  away 
temporarily  when  they  enlisted  and  called 
this  township  their  home.  Their  names  are 
Michael  Long'.  Seventy-fourth  Indiana; 
Charles  Shuh,  Adam  T.  Steel.  Samuel 
Beard,  regiments  unknown.  Of  the  above, 
I  think  there  were  four  commissioned  of- 
ficers-: Isaac  XT.  Compton  and  Alfred  J. 
Koontz  were  first  lieutenants;  Stephen  J. 
Compton  and  Ervin  Whitman  were  second 
lieutenants. 

I  have  given  one  hundred  and  fifty-five 
names,  there  may  have  been  more.      It   is 


likely  that  some  are  misplaced.  I  have  done 
the  best  I  could. 

The  soldiers  of  the  Spanish-American 
war  were  as  follows : 

One  Hundred  Fifty-seventh  Regiment, 
Company  B — William  A.  Seymour.  Com- 
pany H — Edwin  C.  Barber.  Company  L — 
Eli  Davis. 

One  Hundred  Fifty-eighth  Regiment, 
Company  L — George  N.  Cadv. 

One  Hundred  Sixtieth  Regiment,  Com- 
pany G — Clyde  Rindfusz,  Elmer  Curtis. 
Alvah  Buntain,  James  Fletcher,  Richard 
Butler,  Gideon  Klingaman,  Clarence 
Eastom,  Fred  Norris,  Floyd  O.  Jellison, 
Robert  A.  Jilleson.  Raymond  Prugh,  Way- 
man  Warner,  Herbert  J.  Reece,  Carlos  D. 
Chapman,  James  Kling-erman.  Company 
H — Ulysis  S.  Maguire,  twenty  in  all.  Of 
these  two  are  dead,  Clyde  Reindfnsz  and 
William  A.  Seymour. 

The  soldiers  of  the  Philippines  were 
Burton  White,  Harry  Snyder,  Albert  Davis. 
Charles  Plummer  and  John  Secrist.  Five 
in  all. 

THE  GUTCHER   SANITARIUM. 

In  the  time  of  the  war  of  the  Rebellion, 
Michael  Gutcher  came  to  this  township. 
He  built  a  saw-mill  east  of  Larwill,  which 
he  run  a  short  time,  sold  out  and  went  to 
Larwill,  went  into  the  hotel  business,  then 
dealt  in  lumber,  kept  grocery,  sold  mills  for 
some  machine  manufacturers  and  set  up  the 
machinery,  then  dealt  in  chickens,  was  a 
vender  of  chicken  and  hog  cholera  medicine. 
and  finally  began  treating  people  afflicted 
with  rheumatism,  by  steaming  and  using- 
barks.     L'p  to  this  time,  about  1890,  or  a  lit- 


414 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


tie  later,  he  had  met  with  varing  success, 
sometimes  he  seemed  to  have  an  abundance 
and  other  times  would  be  hard  up.  Of 
course  his  manner  of  doctoring  and  the 
remedies  were  a  secret.  He  traveled  a  great 
deal  in  a  closed  rig  in  his  practice,  and 
would  sometimes  bring  some  of  his  patients 
to  his  home  for  treatment.  This  led  to  the 
building  of  a  sanitarium.  It  was  called  the 
East  Elkhart  Sanitarium  and  stood  about 
one  mile  east  of  Larwill.  The  main  build- 
ing was  erected  about  1895,  at  a  cost  of  some 
five  thousand  dollars.  It  was  a  two-story 
building  of  some  thirty  rooms,  well  equipped 
with  water,  heat  and  light.  The  location 
was  in  a  picturesque  part  of  the  country 
with  considerable  natural  scenery.  The  pro- 
prietor afterward  added  other  buildings  as 
the}"  were  needed  till  the  whole  institution 
would  have  cost  not  far  from  fifteen  thou- 
sand dollars,  or  perhaps  more.  He  graveled 
at  his  own  expense,  the  road  from  the  sani- 
tarium to  the  railroad  depot  at  Larwill,  and 
run  a  line  of  hacks  to  meet  the  trains. 
There  were  usually  two  hacks  and  sometimes 
there  were  more  patients  and  attendants 
than  could  be  hauled  and  a  second  trip 
w  1  iuld  have  to  be  made.  From  fifty  to  sev- 
enty-five could  be  accommodated  at  the 
buildings,  but  sometimes  the  quarters  were 
not  sufficient  and  some  would  have  to  be 
cared  for  at  town.  The  charges,  I  have  been 
told,  were  only  two  dollars  to  three  dollars 
per  day  and  board.  And  I  think  that  a  good 
main-  went  there  in  hot  weather  for  an  out- 
ing. The  manner  of  treatment  and  the  treat- 
ment itself  must  have  helped  a  great  man)'. 
I  believe  there  was  only  one  death  among 
the  patients  in  the  nine  years  this  institution 
was   run.      The  Doctor,   as  he  was  called, 


was  hated  by  all  the  licensed  physicians  of 
the  count}',  and  they  would  have  used  any 
honorable  means  to  have  him  put  out  of 
business.  He  accumulated  a  considerable 
property,  bought  several  farms  which  he 
deeded  to  his  children.  The  beginning  of 
the  decline  was  when  he  lost  his  wife.  Then 
after  a  time  he  married  again  and  this 
woman  seemed  to  be  after  the  money,  and 
got  a  good  part  of  it.  It  was  thought  these 
domestic  troubles  had  something  to  do  with 
his  death.  He  died  in  the  spring  of  1904. 
I  think  Mr.  Gutcher  was  a  native  of  Hol- 
land. The  property  went  into  the  hands  of 
an  administrator  and  all  had  to  be  sold, 
which  paid  only  about  thirty-five  cents  on 
the  dollar  of  indebtedness.  One  or  two 
have  tried  to  revive  the  business  but  with 
no  success. 

REMINISCENCE. 

In  about  1S47,  David  Payne.  Jr.,  and 
Sarah  Cray  were  married.  The}'  were  both 
working  out  at  the  time,  and  went  to  Ed- 
win Cone's  to  get  married.  Dave  had  been 
hoeing  corn  for  Joab  McPherson  and  Sarah 
was  doing  housework  for  Mrs.  Stephen 
Biddlecome.  The  bride  was  a  resident  of 
Kosciusko  count}',  and  Mr  Cone  was  not 
posted  as  to  the  law,  but  thought  it  would 
be  best  to  have  the  ceremony  in  the  county 
where  the  license  was  issued.  So  the  bridal 
part}-  went  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile 
through  the  woods  and  across  a  swamp  on 
a  foot  log  to  where  they  knew  they  were 
in  Kosciusko  county  and  were  married. 
They  were  afraid  of  being  "belled"  as  that 
was  a  custom.  They  wore  their  working 
clothes  and  slipped  back  to  their  work.  But 
there  was  an  old  ladv  who  always  wanted  to 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


4*5 


have  something'  going  on,  who  gave  the 
alarm  and  they  were  duly  "belled"  the  first 
night. 

When  Jacob  Kistler  and  Sophia  Payne 
were  married  in  1838,  Thomas  Webb,  Lige 
Scott  and  John  Anderson  made  two  "pad- 
dies" at  Andrew  Compton's  and  at  night 
carried  them  over  U >  Mr.  Payne's,  where  the 
wedding  was  and  set  them  up.  The  old 
gentleman  g'ot  up  the  next  morning  before 
it  was  light,  and  saw  the  hideous  things  in 
the  door  yard.  It  is  said  he  went  in  and 
got  his  old  gun  and  fired  at  the  paddies. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  prior  to  about 
1852  there  were  no  matches  and  the  people 
would  have  an  old  log  on  fire  not  far  from 
the  house  in  the  summer,  and  in  the  winter 
it  was  not  much  trouble  to  keep  fire,  al- 
though sometimes  it  would  go  out.  A  story 
is  told  of  a  widow.  Denman  by  name,  whose 
fire  had  gone  out  and  it  was  in  the  winter. 
Her  family  mostly  were  girls,  one  boy  about 
sixteen  years  old.  The  old  lady  started  him 
to  a  neighbor's,  about  a  mile  away  after  fire 
and  she  and  the  girls  intended  to  lie  in  bed 
until  he  got  back.  Well,  he  went  to  the 
neighbors  and  stood  around  their  fire  and 
warmed  himself  for  an  hour  or  so  and  never 
told  what  he  went  for,  but  presently  the  old 
lady  appeared  with  a  big  whip  and  reminded 
the  young  man  of  what  he  was  after. 

There  was  another  story  told  of  this 
same  voting  man,  Cornelius  Denman.  He 
was  going  to  school  one  winter  and  Edwin 
Cone  was  the  teacher  who  always  wore  his 
hat  in  cold  weather  on  account  of  being  bald. 
One  afternoon  they  were  having  a  spelling- 
contest.  Neal  could  pronounce  pretty  well 
so  Mr.  Cone  asked  him  to  take  the  floor  and 
pronounce.    So  Neal  got  up  and  deliberately 


walked  around  to  the  hat  pile  and  put  on  his 
hat  and  went  at  it. 

Many  years  ago  there  was  a  man  named 
John  Harris.  He  could  stand  more  hard- 
ships than  a  tramp.  He  went  barefooted 
nearly  all  the  time.  He  had  been  known  to 
go  barefooted  when  there  was  snow.  He 
loved  to  talk  and  the  cold  made  no  differ- 
ence to  him.  He  would  stand  on  one  foot 
and  hold  the  other  up  like  a  turkey  and 
would  change  once  in  a  while.  He  had  been 
known  to  carry  a  bushel  of  corn  to  More- 
head's  mill  on  Tippecanoe  river,  on  his 
shoulder  a  distance  of  eight  miles  or  more. 
He  was  a  strong  man  but  a  little  lazy.  He 
had  a  wife  and  several  children  and  was 
a  poor  provider.  He  was  bragging  about 
having  plenty  to  eat  at  his  house.  He  said : 
"All  that's  lacking  is  the  meat."  But  when 
it  was  found  out  the}'  had  only  corn  bread 
and  pumpkin.  He  went  into  the  army  and 
made  a  good  soldier.  He  could  eat  any 
kind  of  rations  and  stand  any  kind  of  hard- 
ships. He  told  about  being  run  over  with  an 
army  wagon  and  had  his  back  broken  and 
they  hitched  a  span  of  mules  to  each  end  of 
him  and  tried  to  stretch  him  enough  to  set 
his  back,  but  could  not  get  him  straightened, 
so  the  doctors  took  out  a  section  of  his 
backbone  and  he  got  well. 

In  1867,  Haldermans  had  a  lot  of  lum- 
ber at  the  mill  on  Spring'  creek  east  of  Lar- 
\\  ill .  There  had  been  a  switch  at  this  mill 
for  the  purpose  of  loading  cars  but  it  had 
been  taken  away.  They  made  arrangements 
with  a  local  freight  conductor  to  stop  the 
train  at  the  mill  long  enough  to  load  the 
lumber,  some  thirty  thousand  feet.  It  was 
all  walnut  lumber.  The  train  stopped  with 
five  empty   flat   cars,    and    Halderman   had 


4i6 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


about  thirty  men  ready.  The  lumber  was 
loaded  in  thirty-five  minutes.  The  cars 
were  set  off  at  Larwill  and  the  lumber  re- 
loaded and  sorted. 

In  April,  1S61,  just  after  the  call  for 
seventy-five  thousand  men  to  put  down  the 
Rebellion,  there  was  a  war  meeting  to  get 
men  to  enlist.  There  was  a  pole  raised  some 
sixty  or  seventy  feet  high.  This  pole  was  of 
lind  and  stood  somewhere  on  the  ground 
now  occupied  by  Whittenberger's  store  in 
Larwill.  In  the  evening  a  speech  was  made 
by  Lawyer  H.  D.  Wilson,  of  Columbia  City. 
There  were  other  meetings  and  the  excite- 
ment ran  high,  a  few  enlisting  in  the  army. 
But  the  war  went  on  and  differences  grew 
as  to  the  manner  in  which  it  was  being  car- 
ried on  and  how  it  ought  to  be  settled. 
Some  were  in  favor  of  putting  down  the  Re- 
bellion at  all  hazards  and  to  use  the  last 
man  and  the  last  dollar  if  it  was  necessary. 
Others  were  in  favor  of  compromise  and 
wanted  the  "Union  as  it  was  and  the  Con- 
stitution as  it  is."  I  do  not  think  the  strife 
was  any  worse  here  than  other  places  but  it 
was  bad  enough. 

POLE    RAISING. 

The  conservatives  raised  a  pole  on  the 
south  side  on  Main  street,  a  hickory  pole 
and  something  over  a  hundred  feet  high, 
a  nice  pole  for  the  kind,  and  placed  on  it  a 
large  flag  with  a  spread  eagle.  The  same 
motto  was  on  each  side  of  the  flag.  Francis 
G  Guy  says  it  was  "God  Speed  the  Right," 
but  does  not  remember  the  size  of  the  flag. 
1  do  not  know  who  made  speeches  when  this 
pole  was  raised.  Shortly  after  this  a  pole 
was  raised  by  the  other  party  or  faction,  on 


the  north  side  on  Center  street.  This  w:as, 
I  think,  of  ash  and  was  some  higher  than  its 
neighbor  across  the  way.  There  was  a  large 
flag  made  for  this  pole.  It  was  made  by 
Mrs.  Daniel  Mitchell  and,  I  think,  was  twen- 
ty by  thirty  feet,  although  Mr.  E.  L.  Barber 
thinks  it  was  only  twelve  by  eighteen  feet. 
The  motto  on  one  side  was,  "The  Union 
Must  and  Shall  be  Preserved,"  and  on  the 
other  side,  "The  Rebellion  Shall  be  put 
Down."  I  do  not  remember  who  made 
speeches  at  this  time.  This  did  not  end  the 
pole  raising.  The  conservatives  then  raised 
another  pole,  all  hickory.  I  think  part  of 
their  former  pole  was  put  in  this.  My  re- 
membrance is  that  this  pole  was  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty-six  feet  high  and  the  same 
flag  was  raised.  I  have  been  unable  to  find 
out  who  made  the  speeches  at  this  time. 
This  called  for  another  demonstration  from 
the  north  side.  This  last  pole  was  made 
of  hickory,  ash  and  tamarack,  and,  I  think, 
was  one  hundred  and  seventy-three  feet 
high.  Mr.  Barber  thinks  it  was  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty-five  feet  high.  This  pole 
was  so  long  that  it  was  feared  it  would  not 
stand  the  strain  in  raising,  and  there  was  a 
great  shout  went  up  when  the  pole  was 
straightened  up.  Then  again  when  the  flag- 
was  hoisted  by  a  half  dozen  young  ladies, 
dressed  for  the  occasion,  Colonel  Charles 
Case  and  "Pop  Gun"  Smith,  of  Fort  Wayne 
made  speeches.  These  last  two  poles.  I 
think,  were  raised  with  a  block  and  tackle 
and  by  an  expert  boss.  I  think  the  Pierce- 
ton  "sheepskin"  band,  aroused  the  patriot- 
ism of  the  people  with  music  on  most  of 
these  occasions.  This  band  was  composed 
of  Dwisrht  Nichols.  Allen  Downs  and  David 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


417 


Lichtenwalter.  The  flags  were  over  one 
hundred  feet  from  the  ground.  I  think  the 
last  pole  was  the  tallest  that  had  been  raised 
in  the  state  at  that  time.  The  Rebellion 
was  put  down,  the  Union  has  been  pre- 
served, the  eagle  is  still  an  emblem  of  free- 
dom, and  we  think  that  God  did  speed  the 
right.  These  poles  were  all  raised  in  the 
summer  of  1861. 

In  conclusion,  I  would  say  there  are 
some  things  of  importance  which  have  not 
been .  mentioned.  Some  of  these  are  the 
public  ditches,  the  draft  in  the  war  of  the 
'sixties,  the  bounty  paid  the  soldiers,  and  ear 
marks  on  stock.  They  have  not  been  for- 
gotten, but  I  have  not  had  the  time  to  in- 


vestigate these  matters  and  trust  some  <»ne 
else  has  touched  on  these  subjects. 

I  am  under  obligations  to  several  of  the 
citizens  of  this  and  Kosciusko  counties  for 
information  furnished.  Mention  should  be 
made  of  John  R.  Anderson,  Mrs.  Nancy  Gra- 
ham, Isaac  N.  Compton,  Henry  Norris, 
Mrs.  Orril  McBride,  Mrs.  Ann  Clugston, 
J.  YV.  Zartman,  W.  S.  Smith,  Charles  S. 
Kline,  Lewis  Clevenger,  H.  B.  Whitten- 
berger,  E.  E.  Rindfusz,  John  Trachsell, 
Mrs.  Lizzie  Buntain,  W.  E.  Young,  George 
Ream,  S.  P.  Kaler  and  Robert  T.  Smith,  of 
this  county,  and  Vincent  D.  Campbell,  John 
E.  Hayden  and  Clark  Little,  of  Kosciusko 
county. 


THORNCREEK  TOWNSHIP. 


BY  JOHN  H.  SHILTS. 


The  genius  of  the  civilization  and  the 
pursuits  of  the  citizens  of  a  country  or  any 
part  thereof  depend  largely  upon  its  geo- 
logical structure.  An  agricultural  pursuit 
depends  upon  a  fertile  soil ;  mining  results 
from  mineral  resources;  and  commerce  de- 
pends upon  navigable  waters  and  other 
modes  of  transportation.  It  is  known  that 
phases  of  life,  modes  of  thought,  moral  and 
intellectual  qualities  depend  largely  upon 
and  are  influenced  by  material  conditions. 
Where  the  soil  is  rich  in  the  bestowal  of 
wealth,  man  is  indolent,  but  where  effort 
is  required  to  live,  he  becomes  industrious, 
enlightened  and  virtuous.  The  civilization 
of  communities  is,  then,  to  a  great  extent, 
but  the  reflection  of  physical  conditions. 
27 


In  its  physical  conditions  Thorncreek 
township  is  very  interesting.  It  lies  in  the 
great  Saginaw-Erie  moraine,  and  the  crest 
of  this  moraine,  which  forms  the  divide  or 
water-shed  between  the  Tippecanoe  river  and 
the  Eel  river  drainage  systems  of  Indiana, 
passes  through  the  northern  part  of  the 
township.  The  surface,  inclination  and  the 
direction  of  its  drainage  system,  with  the 
exception  of  a  small  part  of  the  north  and 
northwest,  faces  the  south  and  southeast. 
The  greater  part  is  drained  by  Blue  river, 
which  crosses  the  southeastern  part  of  the 
township,  and  its  two  tributaries,  viz..  Blue 
Babe  creek  and  Thorn  creek.  Blue  Babe 
creek,  so  named  because  of  its  being  smaller 
than  Blue  river,  therefore  only  a  baby  com- 


4>S 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


pared  to  the  river,  rises  in  the  northwestern 
part  of  the  township  and  flows  in  an  irreg- 
ular southeasterly  course,  entering  Blue 
river  in  Columbia  township.  Thorn  creek, 
so  named,  it  is  related  by  old  residents,  on 
account  of  the  many  thorn  bushes  growing 
on  its  banks  when  the  township  was  in  its 
primitive  state,  rises  in  the  northeastern  part 
and  flowing  southward  empties  into  Blue 
river  near  Blue  River  church  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  township.  A  small  portion  of 
the  southwest  part  is  drained  by  ditches  to 
the  southwest.  The  rest  of  the  township  is 
drained  into  the  lakes  in  a  north  and  north- 
wester! v  direction  and  whose  outlet  is  the 
Tippecanoe  river.  The  surface  of  the  town- 
ship is  undulating  and  some  portions  of  it 
very  hilly.  In  some  parts  the  hills  are  gen- 
tlv  rolling,  in  others  rough  and  very  pre- 
cipitous. There  are  nowhere  any  consider- 
able areas  of  level  land  aside  from  the  lands 
which  were  once  swamps  and  marshes.  The 
surface  geology  consists  entirely  of  glacial 
material  which  became  subsequently  altered 
in  places  by  the  atmospheric  agencies  and  by 
erosion.  The  lowlands  along  the  streams 
and  in  the  valleys  are  of  sedimentary  mate- 
rial brought  there  by  erosion  of  the  uplands 
during  rainy  seasons.  Even  now  there  is  a 
tendency  of  the  uplands  to  wash  and  gully 
and  the  evil  must  be  guarded  against  in  the 
cultivation  of  these  lands.  The  soil  consists 
of  loam,  clay,  sand  and  gravel,  with  here 
and  there  small  areas  of  muck.  All  of  this 
glacial  material  was  originally  rock  and  de- 
rived from  the  original  earth  formation  and 
came  from  the  north  as  evidenced  by  the 
boulders  which  fill  and  cover  the  soil  in 
many  places.  These  rock  materials  have 
suffered    decomposition    and    disintegration 


like  everything  else,  and  this  decomposed 
rock  material  acted  upon  by  vegetation 
forms  the  fruitful  mold  of  the  surface.  We 
are  accustomed  to  look  upon  the  soil  without 
considering  its  formation,  its  wonderful 
properties  and  its  great  importance  in  the 
economy  of  all  life.  It  is  not  attractive  in  it- 
self, yet  its  productions  are  more  elaborate 
than  the  finest  works  of  art.  It  produces  an 
endless  variety  which  pervades  the  vegetable 
and  animal  kingdoms.  It  clothes  the  earth 
with  verdure  and  pleasant  landscapes.  Its 
mysterious  elements  bloom  in  the  flowers, 
load  the  atmosphere  with  fragrance,  blush 
in  the  clustering  fruit,  fill  the  fields  with  har- 
vests for  the  supply  of  food,  and  furnish  the 
tissues  which,  when  manufactured  into  fab- 
rics, decorate  and  protect  the  body.  From 
the  same  source  also  come  the  elements 
which  pulsate  in  the  blood,  give  the  cheek 
the  glow  of  health,  the  eye  its  sparkle,  the 
nerve  its  feeling  of  pleasure  and  pain,  and 
the  brain  its  reason  and  brilliant  fancies. 
Happily  for  Thorncreek  township  that  its  soil 
formation  precludes  the  possibility  of  sterile 
extremes  arising  from  local  causes.  The  en- 
tire surface. of  the  township  is  a  stratum  of 
glacial  drift.  This  immense  deposit  varies 
in  thickness,  and  in  places  has  become  cov- 
ered by  marshes  where  now  are  our  fertile 
muck  lands.  Most  of  the  surface  was  orig- 
inally covered  with  forests  of  heavy  timber 
consisting  of  oak,  ash,  poplar,  hickory,  ma- 
ple, sugar,  beech,  elm,  sycamore  and  bass- 
wood,  under  whose  branches  disported  the 
various  creations  of  animal  life.  Birds  war- 
bled their  sweetest  music  in  these  waving 
groves :  and  in  the  groves  the  demands  of 
the  pioneer's  meat  supply  were  always  filled 
without   exhausting   the   resources.      These 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


419 


primeval  woodlands  were  also  the  homes  of 
Indian  tribes  previous  to  the  advent  of  the 
white  man,  who  was  known  to  the  Indian 
as  the  "pale  face."  These  noble  forests  have 
disappeared  as  rapidly  as  the  settlers  ap- 
peared until  now  there  are  only  patches  of 
timber  here  and  there. 

Thorncreek  township,  known  and  de- 
scribed in  the  government  survey  as  town- 
ship 32  north,  range  9  east,  was  laid  off  and 
platted  as  a  congressional  township  in  1834 
by  (ine  John  Hendricks.  Land  entries  were 
made  the  following  year.  During  October 
of  1837,  while  it  was  yet  a  part  of  Hunting-- 
ton  county,  Nathaniel  Gradeless  circulated 
a  petition  among-  its  few  citizens  to  organize 
the  congressional  township  into  a  civil  town- 
ship. This  petition  was  signed  by  Benja- 
min F.  Martin,  Adam  Egolf,  Joseph  Egolf, 
John  H.  Alexander,  Martin  Overly,  Peter 
Shriner,  Daniel  Hively,  Jacob  Shearer  and 
Jacob  Brumbaugh,  all  residents  of  the  town- 
ship. Opposite  each  petitioner's  name  was 
to  be  written  a  name  for  the  civil  township. 
Two  had  no  choice,  two  wrote  Lake  and  five 
wrote  Thorncreek.  This  latter  name  was 
already  given  to  the  stream  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  township  for  reasons  as  stated 
and  was  now  also  given  to  the  township. 
Thus  the  township  was  named  from  the 
stream  which  is  the  outlet  of  a  group  of 
beautiful  and  interesting  lakes  which  will  be 
described  and  spoken  of  later  in  this  sketch. 
This  petition  was  presented  to  the  board  of 
Huntington  county,  and  on  the  6th  of  No- 
vember, 1837,  the  board  ordered  that  this 
township  should  be  organized  as  a  civil 
township  and  designated  as  Thorncreek. 
The  board  also  ordered  an  election  to  be  held 
on  the  first  Monday  in  December  following 


to  elect  a  justice  of  the  peace.  At  this  elec- 
tion Adam  Egolf  was  elected  and  thus  be- 
came the  first  justice  of  the  peace  in  the 
township.  This  township  is  the  center  one 
of  the  northern  tier  of  townships  in  Whitley 
county.  On  its  north  side  it  is  bordered 
by  Noble  county,  on  its  east  by  Smith  town- 
ship, on  its  south  by  Columbia  township, 
and  on  its  west  by  Richland  and  Troy  town- 
ships. 

The  first  settlers  of  Thorncreek  township 
were  John  H.  Alexander  in  1835,  John  and 
Joseph  Egolf  in  1836.  The  Egolfs  came  in 
July  and  were  followed  by  Martin  Overly 
in  the  fall  of  the  same  year.  The  Alexander 
family  settled  in  section  33,  John  Egolf  in 
section  1,  Joseph  Egolf  in  section  13  and 
Overly  in  section  11.  In  a  former  history  of 
Whitley  county  it  is  recorded  that  Mrs.  Mar- 
garet Egolf.  widow  of  Joseph  Egolf,  related 
a  circumstance  which  proves  that  the  Alex- 
ander family  came  to  the  township  eight  or 
nine  months  before  the  Egolfs  came.  The 
circumstance  recorded  is  as  follows,  viz. : 
"Mr.  Joseph  Egolf  soon  after  he  settled  in 
the  township,  being  out  one  morning  hunt- 
ing his  cows,  heard  voices  which  he  confi- 
dently believed  to.  be  the  voices  of  white 
people.  An  intervening  lake  and  the  want 
of  time  prevented  him  from  going-  just  then 
to  see  who  his  neighbors  were.  In  a  few 
days,  however,  he  and  his  wife  started  out  in 
search  of  them.  After  a  long  and  tiresome 
walk  they  found  the  object  of  their  search, 
which  proved  to  be  the  residence  of  John  H. 
Alexander.  The  distance  between  the  two 
families  was  not,  on  a  direct  line,  more  than 
two  miles.  By  the  circuitous  route  they  were 
oblig'ed  to  travel,  however,  which  meandered 
around  the  margin  of  the  lake,  it  was  prob- 


420 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ably  fully  twice  that  distance.  Mr.  Alexan- 
der's folks  told  Mrs.  Egolf  that  she  was  the 
first  white  woman  but  one  they  had  seen  for 
nine  months.  The  first  that  they  had  seen 
within  the  preceding  nine  months  was,  they 
said,  the  wife  of  an  emigrant  who  passed  by 
their  home  on  his  way  farther  west."  The 
lake  spoken  of  by  Mrs.  Egolf  in  her  narrative 
was  a  very  wet  cranberry  marsh  often  en- 
tirely covered  by  water  but  which  is  now  a 
very  fertile  field  on  which  are  raised  the  fin- 
est celery,  potatoes,  onions,  cabbage,  etc. 
There  is  a  discrepancy  in  Mrs.  Egolf's  nar- 
rative as  to  distance.  The  distance  between 
Joseph  Egolf's  place  and  John  H.  Alexan- 
der's place  was,  on  a  direct  line,  about  three 
and  one-half  miles  instead  of  two,  as  re- 
lated. 

The  farm  upon  which  John  H.  Alexan- 
der then  lived  is  now  owned  by  Mr.  Franklin 
Shilts.  Mr.  Alexander  subsequently  moved 
to  Columbia  City,  where  he  died  and  his 
remains  were  buried  on  the  farm  he  entered, 
and  his  grave  is  near  the  present  buildings. 
His  resting  place  is  marked  by  a  marble 
slab  upon  which  is  inscribed  the  following : 

JOHN    II.    ALEXANDER. 

Died 

September  2~,  1850, 

In  His  Thirty-seventh  Year. 

And  not  a  wave  of  trouble  rolls  across  my 

peaceful  breast. 

His  widow  married  a  Mr.  Bennett  and 
they  moved  to  California.  Mr.  Alexander 
was  the  surveyor  who  surveyed  the  Yellow 
River  mad  from  Fort  Wayne  through  to  the 
Yellow  river,  where  the  Michigan  road 
crosses  it.     This  road  was  established  and 


laid  out  during  1834  under  the  direction  of 
a  commissioner  appointed  by  the  state  legis- 
lature. This  commissioner  was  one  Fran- 
cis Comparet.  This  road  enters  the  town- 
ship near  the  southeast  corner  and  following 
a  northwesterly  course  passes  out  of  the 
township  about  two  miles  south  of  the  north- 
west corner;  and  it  at  once  became  an  im- 
portant highway  for  the  emigrants  into  this 
new  country.  It  was  on  account  of  a  spring 
on  the  south  side  of  this  road  just  west  of 
where  it  crosses  Blue  Babe  creek  that  Mr. 
Alexander  entered  this  farm  in  section  33. 
It  was  near  this  spring  that  he  built  his 
cabin  and  later  built  another  on  the  hill  to 
the  east,  near  which  site  he  is  buried.  Other 
early  pioneer  settlers  were  the  families  of 
Adam  Egolf  and  Henry  Egolf,  in  section 
26;  Jacob  Shearer,  in  section  14;  Peter  Shri- 
ner  and  Jacob  Hively,  in  section  9 ;  and  Dan- 
iel Hively,  in  section  1 1 ;  John  dinger,  in 
section  1  ;  Benjamin  F.  Martin,  in  section 
12;  Nathaniel  Gradeless,  in  section  24.  It 
is  related  that  the  mother  of  Adam.  Henry 
and  John  Egolf  came  at  the  same  time  with 
Adam  and  Henry.  This  was  in  June,  1837, 
and  this  pioneer  mother  died  in  a  very  few 
days  after  she  arrived  and  is,  without  doubt, 
the  first  white  person  dying  in  the  township. 
Adam  Egolf,  Henry  Egolf  (or  Harry,  as 
he  was  familiarly  known),  Solomon  Sum- 
ners  and  W.  H.  Widup  lived  for  many  years 
and  died  upon  the  same  lands  that  they  en- 
tered and  settled  upon  when  the)-  came  to 
the  township.  Some  of  the  other  early  set- 
tlers and  pioneers  of  the  township  who  still 
have  direct  descendants  living  about  here 
were  John  Olinger,  Daniel  Hart.  Adam 
Humbarger,  Benjamin  Grable,  Henry 
Knight,  William  H.  Widup,  Solomon  Sum- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


421 


mers.  David  Engle.  Isaac  Keirn,  Peter 
Haynes  and  Joseph  Waugh.  There  were 
eleven  land  entries  made  in  1835,  the  first 
by  Richard  and  Nathan  House,  August  10. 
In  1836  there  were  one  hundred  and  eleven 
entries,  and  most  of  the  land  wras  taken  up 
in  this  and  the  following  year.  The  last 
entry  on  record  was  by  Henry  Pomeroy  in 
1853.  Henry  L.  Ellsworth  on  June  1.  1836, 
took  up  one  thousand  five  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  in  sections  27,  29,  30  and  31 
of  this  township.  This  was  the  largest  num- 
ber of  acres  entered  by  any  one  person. 

The  first  settlers  in  this  new  region 
made  their  way  hither  in  wagons  from  their 
Ohio  and  other  eastern,  homes.  They  usu- 
ally took  up  land  where  water  for  domestic 
purposes  was  abundant,  generally  springs, 
near  which  thev  built  their  cabin  homes  re- 
gardless of  the  location  on  the  farm.  Many 
of  the  old  cabin  sites  are  marked  yet  to- 
day by  some  old  apple  trees  which  were 
planted  around  it  by  the  pioneers  of  the 
'thirties  and  'forties.  Near  these  old  trees 
can  always  be  found  an  old  spring  or  the 
evidences  of  one.  There  was  no  incentive 
in  those  days  to  clear  away  the  forests  and 
cultivate  the  soil  except  to  supply  the  family 
needs,  to  pay  the  taxes  and  to  support  the 
little  stock  they  had.  With  the  good  old 
trusty  rifle,  to  be  found  above  the  door  or 
fireplace  of  every  pioneer  home,  they  could 
supply  themselves  with  meat  from  the  abun- 
dant game  in  the  forests,  and  from  the  lakes 
and  streams  a  supply  of  fish  could  be  had  at 
any  time.  There  were  no  game  and  fish 
laws  then  to  violate.  The  few  hogs  they  had 
could  put  on  fat  and  bacon  from  the  rich 
nuts  and  acorns  which  they  gathered  in  the 
woods.     It  was  true  in  those  davs  that  the 


swine  must  either  "root  hog  or  die."  The 
little  corn  the  settlers  raised  they  used  for 
themselves  in  making  corn  bread  and  mush. 
There  were  no  local  markets  then.  The 
nearest  market  for  these  sturdy  pioneers  was 
Fort  Wayne,  and  the  only  mode  of  trans- 
portation was  by  wagon  over  the  Yellow 
River  road.  A  source  of  income  was  the 
furs  of  the  wild  animals  caught  during  the 
winter  season. 

The  first  impetus  to  agriculture  was  the 
building  of  the  Pittsburg,  Fort  Wayne  & 
Chicago  Railroad  through  Columbia  City  in 
1856.  The  first  engine,  called  the  "Mad  An- 
thony," arrived  in  Columbia  from  Fort 
Wayne  on  the  23d  day  of  January,  1856: 
and  on  the  1st  day  of  February  the  same 
vear  a  regular  train  service  began.  The 
service  was  very  primitive,  but  yet  of  ines- 
timable value  to  the  citizens.  This  road 
opened  a  market  for  the  lumber  of  the  for- 
ests which  had  to  be  cleared  away  before 
the  soil  could  be  farmed.  It  was  soon  after 
the  completion  of  this  railroad  that  steam 
saw  mills  were  built  to  convert  the  timber 
into  lumber.  With  this  improvement  in 
transportation  and  the  advent  of  better  saw 
mills  (the  first  being  water-mills)  the  set- 
tlers increased  and  the  uplands  were  gradu- 
ally cleared  and  prepared  for  cultivation. 
The  crops  grown  were  corn,  wheat,  rye. 
beans,  buckwheat  and  potatoes.  Flax  was 
also  grown  to  some  extent  and  made  into 
homespun  clothing.  The  ground  was  pre- 
pared by  what  was  known  as  a  "jumping 
plow"  or  "side  jumper.'  usually  drawn  by  a 
yoke  of  oxen.  The  grain  was  sown  broad- 
cast and  dragged  in  with  a  brush  when  a 
three-cornered  or  A-shaped  harrow  could 
not   be  afforded.      The   ripened   grain   was 


422 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


reaped  by  hand  and  threshed  with  a  flail.  As 
the  cleared  area  became  larger  in  extent  im- 
proved machinery  was  introduced  for  the 
putting  out  and  harvesting  of  the  crops. 
Threshing  machines,  too,  were  then  brought 
into  this  new  country.  As  agricultural  de- 
velopment progressed  new  and  more  mod- 
ern machinery  has  been  introduced  until  to- 
day the  few  tools  used  by  the  pioneers  are 
looked  upon  as  interesting  curiosities  and 
sought  for  by  the  antiquarian. 

Whitley  county  was  organized  as  a  sep- 
arate county  in  1838,  when  one  of  the  four 
voting  places  in  the  first  county  election  was 
at  the  house  of  Richard  Baughan,  in  Thorn- 
creek  township,  who  was  the  first  sheriff  of 
the  county  and  who  held  the  office  under 
appointment  by  Governor  Wallace.  This 
election  was  held  on  the  first  Monday  in 
April,  1838.  The  convention  of  the  citizens 
of  the  county  for  the  selection  of  candidates 
to  be  voted  for  at  this  election  was  held  at 
the  house  of  Calvin  Alexander  on  the  south- 
west quarter  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 33  in  Thorncreek  township,  the  land 
being  now  owned  by  John  Magley,  one  of 
the  few  remaining  pioneers.  It  is  stated  that 
about  twenty  assembled  at  this  caucus  and 
nominated  Abraham  Cuppy  for  clerk  and 
recorder,  Jacob  A.  Vanhouten  and  Benja- 
min F.  Martin  for  associate  judges  and  Otho 
W.  Gandy,  Nathaniel  Gradeless  and  Joseph 
Parrett,  Jr.,  for  county  commissioners. 
These  men  became  the  respective  officers  for 
which  they  were  nominated  possibly  with- 
out any  opposition,  for  in  pioneer  days  poli- 
tics were  laid  aside  in  the  selection  of  men 
to  fill  the  offices.  The  house  of  Richard 
Baughan  was  at  the  point  on  Blue  river 
where  the  Yellow  River  road  crosses  it  near 


the  present  homes  of  E.  A.  Barney  and  Jo- 
siah  Archer,  and  near  where  Mr.  Barney's 
barn  now  stands.  It  was  at  this  point  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river  and  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill  that  Mr.  Baughan,  about  the  year  1841, 
built  a  water-power  mill  in  which  to  do  saw- 
ing, and  also  grind  corn,  wheat  and  buck- 
wheat on  a  small  scale.  Mr.  Baughan's 
house,  it  seems,  was  a  prominent  place,  for 
it  is  said  that  here  also  the  first  courts  of 
the  county  were  held  and  justice  dealt  out. 

The  first  township  election  or  the  one 
ordered  held  on  the  first  Monday  in  Decem- 
ber, 1837,  as  previously  mentioned.avas  held, 
it  is  said,  at  the  house  of  Benjamin  F.  Mar- 
tin in  section  12.  As  near  as  can  be  ascer- 
tained the  voters  at  this  first  township  elec- 
tion were  John  H.  Alexander,  Henry,  Adam, 
Joseph  and  John  Egolf,  Martin  Overly,  Ben- 
jamin F.  Martin,  Peter  Shriner,  Jacob  and 
Daniel  Hively,  Jacob  Brumbaugh  and  Jacob 
Shearer.  It  was  at  this  election  that  Adam 
Fgolf  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  as  be- 
fore mentioned. 

The  general  assembly  of  the  state  of  In- 
diana, on  the  17th  day  of  February,  1838. 
passed  a  law  fixing  the  time  of  township 
elections  and  naming  the  offices  to  be  filled 
thereat.  The  act  provided  as  follows  con- 
cerning elections : 

Section  2.  The  qualified  electors  in  each 
county  are  hereby  authorized  and  required  to 
meet  in  their  respective  townships  at  the  us- 
ual places  of  holding  elections  on  the  first 
Monday  in  April,  annually,  and  proceed  to 
elect  three  township  trustees,  a  township 
treasurer  and  clerk,  two  overseers  of  the 
poor,  two  fence  viewers  and  as  many  con- 
stables as  there  are  justices  of  the  peace  in 
each   t( iwnship.   and  after  the  first  election 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


4^3 


under  the  provisions  of  this  act,  as  many 
supervisors  of  roads  and  highways  as  there 
are  road  districts  in  the  township. 

Section  5  provided  that  the  trustees  were 
to  meet  on  the  first  Mondays  in  March,  June, 
September  and  November,  annually,  to  tran- 
sact the  business  of  the  township,  and  at 
their  first  meeting  to  divide  their  townships 
into'  a,  suitable  number  of  road  districts  and 
appoint  a  suitable  person  in  each  district  as 
supervisor  of  highways. 

The  trustees  had  full  charge  of  the  town- 
ship affairs,  a  general  superintendence  of 
roads  and  highways,  had  to  assess  and  di- 
rect the  collection  of  township  revenues  to 
defray  the  necessary  expenses  of  the  town- 
ship. One  of  the  constables  was  to  be  ap- 
pointed township  collector.  This  law  af- 
fected only  certain  counties,  among  which 
was  Whitley.  This  law  remained  on  the 
statutes  for  twenty-one  years  and  one  day. 

On  February  18,  1859,  the  general  as- 
sembly of  the  state  of  Indiana  enacted  that 
one  trustee  should  be  elected  instead  of  three, 
and  his  duties  were : 

First.  To  keep  a  true  record  of  his  offi- 
cial proceedings. 

Second.  To  receive  all  monies  belong- 
ing to  the  township,  and  pay  the  same  out 
according  tn  law. 

Third.  To  divide  his  township  into  con- 
venient highway  districts. 

Fourth.  To  fill  all  vacancies  that  occur 
in  the  office  of  supervisor  of  highways  in 
his  township. 

Fifth.  To  see  to  a  proper  application  of 
all  monies  belonging  to  the  township  for 
road,  school  or  other  purposes,  and  perform 
all  the  duties  heretofore  required  of  the 
township  trustees,  clerk  and  treasurer. 


Sixth.  To  have  the  care  and  manage- 
ment of  all  property  belonging  to  the  town- 
ship. 

Seventh.  To  cause  a  record  to  be  made 
accurately  defining  the  boundaries  and  num- 
bers of  each  road  district,  and  all  alterations 
made  in  the  boundaries  in  such  district. 

Eighth.  Given  power  to  administer  all 
oaths  where  necessary  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duties. 

He  was  made  inspector  of  elections,  over- 
seer of  the  poor,  and  fence  viewer.  He  was 
to  levy  a  tax  on  the  property  of  his  town- 
ship for  township  purposes  which  was  to  be 
collected  by  the  county  treasurer.  He  could 
not  change,  vacate,  or  open  any  highway  in 
his  township,  for  this  power  was  now  vest- 
ed in  the  county  commissioners.  He  was  to 
receive  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  per  day 
for  all  the  time  necessarily  employed  in  the 
performance  of  his  duties.  This  law  re- 
mained on  the  statutes  until  1877,  when,  on 
March  3d  the  general  assembly  enacted  that 
the  election  of  township  officers  should  take 
place  on  the  first  Monday  of  April,  1878, 
and  every  second  year  thereafter.  And 
again  on  March  12,  1877,  the  general  as- 
sembly enacted  that  any  person  holding  the 
office  of  trustee  of  any  township  for  two 
consecutive  terms  at  the  general  election  in 
October,  1878,  shall  not  be  eligible  to  the 
office  for  the  next  ensuing  term,  and  cin 
not  hold  the  office  more  than  four  years  in 
any  six.  On  April  1,  1881,  the  state  legis- 
lature again  enacted  that  township  officers 
should  be  elected  on  the  first  Monday  of 
April,  1882.  and  every  second  year  there- 
after: and  on  March  ir.  1889,  it  was  pro- 
vided by  act  of  the  legislature  that  an  elec- 
tion should  be  held  on  the  first  Monday  of 


424 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


April,  1890,  and  every  fourth  year  there- 
after for  the  purpose  of  electing  township 
officers.  At  this  time  the  township  officers 
hold  for  four  years. 

A  general  demand  being  made  by  the 
voters  throughout  the  state  to  change  the 
time  of  holding  the  township  elections,  the 
general  assembly  by  an  act  approved  March 
2,  1893,  changed  the  time  of  the  election 
of  township  officers  from  the  first  Monday 
of  April  to  the  first  Tuesday  after  the  first 
Monday  in  November,  1894,  and  every  four 
years  thereafter;  and,  again  on  February 
25,  1897,  the  time  of  election  of  township 
officers  was  changed  from  1898  to  the  gen- 
eral election  of  1900.  The  last  change  up 
to  the  present  time  (1906)  is  that  the  town- 
ship trustees  and  assessors  elected  in  No- 
vember, 1904,  shall  begin  their  terms  of  of- 
fice on  the  first  day  of  January,  1905 :  and 
those  elected  at  succeeding  elections  shall  be- 
gin their  terms  on  the  first  day  of  January 
succeeding  their  election.  Thus,  briefly 
told,  is  the  history  of  the  law  governing  the 
elections  of  the  township  officers  since  the 
organization  of  this  county.  Since  the  year 
1877  the  township  election  law  and  the  law 
affecting  township  officers  has  been  manipu- 
lated and  changed  so  often  for  purposes  best 
known  to  the  politician. 

MANUFACTURING  INTERESTS. 

The  manufacturing  interests  of  the  town- 
ship have  alwavs  been  limited  to  saw  mills 
which  converted  the  valuable  timber  of  the 
woodlands  into  lumber  for  the  pioneer 
homes.  Manv  of  the  houses  and  barns  of 
this  township  in  use  at  the  present  time  were 
constructed    from    lumber  sawed     at     these 


mills.  Mr.  Baughan's  mill  has  been  men- 
tioned previously  as  being  the  first  one  in 
the  township.  Another  saw  mill,  and  a  card- 
ing machine  in  connection  with  it,  was  erect- 
ed on  the  south  bank  of  Round  lake  in  1846 
by  Solomon  Anspaugh,  who  then  sold  it  to 
Wesley  Hyre,  Sr.,  in  1849.  It  was  but  a 
small  affair,  and  Mr.  Hyre  rebuilt  the  saw 
mill  which  he  operated  until  i860,  when  he 
sold  it  to  his  son  Joseph.  The  mill  was  run 
by  water  power,  obtained  through  a  race, 
from  Round  lake.  During  this  time,  or 
about  1850,  another  saw  mill  was  built 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  south  of  the  Hyre 
mill,  on  Thorn  creek,  which  received  the 
water  that  operated  the  machinery  in  Hyre's 
mill.  This  same  water  was  used  to  operate 
this  second  mill.  Joseph  Hyre  sold  his  mill 
to  his  brother  Leonard  in  1865  ;  and  in  1867 
Leonard  sold  it  to  Frederick  Maglev.  who 
owned  it  until  it  became  only  a  ruin.  The 
third  saw  mill,  or  the  one  on  Thorn  creek, 
south  of  the  Hyre  mill,  was  built  by  Chris- 
tian Knaga.  After  Mr.  Knaga's  death, 
which  occurred  soon  after  he  built  the  mill, 
it  was  rented  to  Frederick  Humbarger  for 
five  years.  Afterward  it  was  operated  by 
Cyrus  Knaga.  a  sou  of  Christian  Knaga,. 
for  about  nine  vears.  then  it  was  sold  to  Sam- 
uel Coverstone,  who  operated  it  until  it,  too, 
became  a  ruin.  The  dam  constructed  near 
Round  lake  to  raise  the  water  at  the  upper 
mill  was  removed  some  years  ago  and  noth- 
ing now  remains  of  these  two  old  pioneer 
mills  except  some  willow  trees  growing 
along"  the  old  mill  race  which  mark  their  lo- 
cation. Likewise  nothing  now  remains  of 
the  mill  on  Blue  river,  which  was  erected  by 
Mr.  Baughan  except  an  old  relic  owned  by 
E.  A.  Barnev. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


425 


Soon  after  Joseph  Hyre  had  sold  his 
mill  at  Round  lake  he  built  another  one  near 
the  half  section  corner  of  sections  20  and  29, 
which  he  operated  by  steam  power  for  a  few- 
years.  He  then  sold  this  mill  and  it  was 
moved  away.  He  then  built  another  steam 
saw  mill  and  grist  mill  combined  at  the  same 
place,  which  he  operated  until  about  1879,  at 
which  time  he  sold  both — the  saw  mill  being 
moved  into  Noble  county  near  Big  lake,  and 
the  grist  mill  taken  to  Laud,  in  Whitley 
county.  This  was  Air.  Hyre's  last  venture 
in  the  mill  business. 

Another  steam  saw  mill  was  erected  on 
the  Role}-  farm  about  the  year  1862  by  Mr, 
Simonson  for  Harris  &  'Green.  These  par- 
ties sold  it  to  John  Null  in  1864.  This  mill 
was  built  on  the  west  half  of  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  $3.  Henry  Guise  and  John 
Magley  operated  it  in  1863  and  Mr.  Null  in 
1864-65.  Dr.  D.  G.  -Linvill  had  an  interest 
in  this  mill  for  many  years,  and  during  this 
time  it  was  ran  by  Mr.  Maxwell.  It  was  aft- 
erward owned  and  operated  by  James  W. 
Yontz,  who  subsequenly  moved  it  to  his  fa- 
ther's farm  about  a  mile  south  of  its  first  lo- 
cation. In  all  probability  this  mill  sawed  a 
greater  amount  of  lumber  than  any  other 
two  of  the  pioneer  mills  of  the  township.  It 
was  a  heavy  and  powerful  mill  and  the' 
largest  logs  were  handled  with  ease  by  it. 

A  steam  saw  mill  was  built  on  the 
Samuel  Miller  farm  about  a  half  mile  north 
of  the  center  of  the  township.  This  also 
sawed  up  a  lot  of  valuable  timber  into 
1  number. 

Robert  Smith,  Sr..  about  1866,  built  a 
saw  mill  near  Catfish  lake,  which  was  after- 
ward removed  and  rebuilt  about  one-half 
mile  west  and  was  for  many  vears  owned 


and  operated  by  John  E.  Smith,  a  son  of 
Robert  Smith,  Sr.  Many  of  the  present 
citizens  will  remember  seeing  Smith's  mule 
teams  hauling  logs  to  the  mill  and  lumber 
from  it  to  the  market  in  Columbia  City. 

Thomas  N.  Hughes  built  a  saw  mill 
about  1873,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town- 
ship, about  three  miles  north  of  the  south- 
east corner.  In  1881  it  was  removed  to 
Taylor's  station  on  the  Vandalia  Railroad. 

These  mills  converted  much  of  the  valu- 
able walnut,  poplar  and  ash  timber  into  the 
finest  lumber,  and  much  of  it  can  yet  be  seen 
in  the  older  dwellings  and  barns  of  this 
township.  The  products  of  these  mills,  like 
the  mills  themselves,  are  fast  going  to  de- 
cay, and  in  a  few  years  more  nothing  of 
either  will  remain.  The}-  were  an  important 
factor  in  the  development  of  the  township. 
Before  the}-  were  built  the  timber  was 
burned,  and  only  log  cabins  were  con- 
structed, but  after  the  mills  appeared  this 
good  timber  was  sawed  into  boards,  some 
of  which  were  used  in  the  houses  and  barns, 
and  the  surplus  sold  to  dealers  in  Columbia 
City,  and  often  hauled  to  Fort  'Wayne,  by 
ox  teams,  over  the  rough  roads  through  the 
woods  and  there  marketed. 

Several  tile  mills  were  operated  in  past 
vears.  One  on  the  Cotterly  farm  manu- 
factured drain  tile  for  several  years,  until 
1905,  when  it  was  sold  and  removed  to 
Columbia  City*.  This  mill  was  operated  by 
John,  Benjamin  and  Ernest  Cotterly  and 
John  Pontzius  at  various  times,  and  the  tile 
made  were  of  the  best  quality.  Another 
tile  mill  was  operated  northwest  from  this 
one  about  two  miles  by  John  Judd  and 
John  Fry  at  different  times,  where  also  tile 
of  fine  quality  were  manufactured. 


426 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


There  are  at  present  two  stationary  saw 
mills — one  owned  by  Christopher  Judd  and 
the  other  by  Emanuel  Harshbarger,  and 
three  portable  mills  in  the  township.  These 
mills  do  what  little  sawing  there  is  yet  to 
be  done. 

The  township  has  one  general  store 
which  is  in  the  northern  part.  This 
store  is  of  great  convenience  to  the  residents 
in  that  part.  The  business  was  started  by 
Edmund  E.  Hoffer  on  the  corner  of  his 
father's  farm.  He  sold  it  to  John  Cotterly, 
who  moved  it  to  his  farm,  a  half  mile  east 
and  a  half  mile  north  of  where  Mr.  Hoffer 
had  it.  Mr.  Cotterly  subsequently  moved 
it  a  half  mile  south.  A  postomce,  known  as 
Cresco,  Indiana,  was  established  at  this  store 
and  maintained  until  rural  free  delivery  was 
brought  about,  and  it  was  then  abandoned. 

AGRICULTURAL     CONDITIONS. 

While  Thorncreek  township  does  not 
rank  with  the  best  of  the  townships  of  Whit- 
ley  county  in  the  totals  of  its  agricultural 
wealth,  yet  its  farming'  interests  are  very  im- 
portant and  hi  ild  the  only  place  among  its 
people.  A  pleasing  feature  of  its  economic 
conditions  is  the  comparatively  equal  distri- 
bution of  wealth  among  its  farmers.  As  a 
general  rule  each  farmer  owns  the  land  he 
cultivates,  and  has  secured  on  his  farm  the 
necessary  buildings,  implements,  stock  and 
all  things  required  for  a  comfortable  living. 
The  barns  and  outbuildings  are  not  too 
large  or  expensive,  but  are  constructed  and 
built  suitable  to  the  needs  of  the  farm.  The 
dwellings  are,  as  a  rule,  all  comfortable 
frame  buildings,  there  being  only  seven 
brick    dwellings    in    the    township.      .Mam- 


new  houses  have  been  erected  within  the  last 
decade.  A  few  log  cabins  of  the  early  set- 
tlers may  yet  be  seen  in  different  parts  of 
the  township ;  and  in  some  of  the  earlier 
substantial  frame  dwellings  may  yet  be  seen 
the  old-fashioned  fire  place  with  its  old  fire 
dogs  and  crane.  Many  of  us  will  readily 
recall  the  cheerful  glow  of  the  fire  in  these 
dear  old  fireplaces;  of  the  family  sitting  in 
sweet  repose  around  them ;  of  mother  and 
grandmother  spinning  yarn  and  flax  for  our 
clothing;  and  of  father  making  spiles  from 
alder  bushes  to  be  used  during  the  maple 
sugar  season  in  the  spring.  The  present 
conditions  of  agriculture  are  fixed,  and 
naturally  favor  a  system  of  general  farming 
and,  in  connection  therewith,  the  raising  of 
cattle,  sheep  and  swine.  Interspersed 
throughout  the  township  are  small  areas  of 
muck  land.  Owing  to  the  nature  and  posi- 
tion of  these  muck  land  it  is  reasonable  to 
suppose  that  they  are  old  lake  beds  and 
ponds  which  have  gradually  become  filled 
with  decaying  organic  matter.  These  muck 
patches  were  covered  with  swamp  grass, 
huckleberry  bushes,  cranberry  vines,  wil- 
lows and  occasionally  larger  trees.  Drain- 
age is  necessary  before  this  muck  can  be  cul- 
tivated. When  it  is  drained  it  becomes  an 
ideal  soil  for  the  raising  of  onions  and  cel- 
ery. Many  onions  are  being  raised  in  the 
township  on  these  lands  at  the  present  time. 


Thorncreek  township  has  as  beautiful 
and  interesting-  a  lot  of  lakes  as  can  be  found 
anywhere  in  the  state  of  Indiana  in  an  area 
of  the  same  extent.  They  are  all  located  in 
the  northern  one-third  part  of  the  township. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


427 


Of  these  the  state  geologist,  in  the  seven- 
teenth report,  made  in  1891,  says :  "Shrin- 
er's  and  Cedar,  in  sections  2,  11  and  12, 
Thorncreek,  are  as  pretty  a  pair  of  twin 
lakes  as  one  can  wish  to  see.  They  occupy 
two  narrow  parallel  valleys,  separated  by  a 
ridge  scarcely  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide. 
Shriner's,  the  smaller  and  prettier  of  the 
two,  is  a  mile  and  a  quarter  long  by  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  wide.  Its  level  was  lowered 
several  feet  about  forty  years  ago  by  a  ditch 
cut  through  the  ridge  between  it  and  Round 
lake.  The  beach  thus  left  dry  is  several 
rods  wide  and'  covered  with  grass.  The 
present  shores  are  remarkably  clean,  bor- 
dered by  only  a  thin  belt  of  sedges  and 
rushes.  Outside  of  that  the  water  deepens 
rapidly,  and  varies  from  forty-five  feet  to 
over  seventy  at  the  upper  end.  The  water 
is  very  clear  and  furnishes  excellent  fishing 
grounds.  Moderately  high  bluffs  on  either 
side,  covered  to  a  large  extent  with  forest 
of  magnificent  beeches,  maples  and  lindens, 
form  a  fit  setting  for  this  charming  picture. 

Cedar  lake  is  much  like  Shriner's,  but 
more  irregular.  The  lower  fourth  is  separat- 
ed from  the  main  body  by  narrows  and  an 
island.  Its  level  was  raised  by  a  dam  at  the 
same  time  that  Shriner's  was  lowered,  and 
the  shallow  space  thus  gained  is  entirely  oc- 
cupied by  aquatic  veg'etation.  These  two 
lakes  furnish  an  illustration  of  the  law  that 
lowering  a  lake  leaves  clean  shores  and 
raising  it  results  in  the  formation  of  a 
marshy  border.  The  depth  of  Cedar  lake 
varies  from  forty-five  to  seventy-nine  feet 
in  the  upper  basin. 

Round  lake,  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  lies  at  the  same  level  as  Cedar,  with 
which  it  is  connected  bv  a  strait,  scarcely 


navigable  on  account  of  vegetation.  Its 
axis  is  at  right  angles  with  that  of  Cedar, 
and  its  depth  from  thirty-five  to  sixty  feet. 
These  lakes  are  drained  through  Thorncreek 
into  Blue  river. 

Separated  from  the  west  end  of  Cedar 
bv  a  divide  a  quarter  of  a  mile  across  and 
twenty-five  or  thirty  feet  high  is  Crooked 
lake,  which  empties  westward  into  the  Tip- 
pecanoe river.  Its  axis  continues  the  gen- 
eral direction  of  Shriner's  and  Cedar,  south- 
east and  northwest,  but  is  nearly  as  large 
as  the  other  two  and  much  more  irregular 
in  outline  and  bottom.  The  upper  basin  is 
small  and  partially  separated  from  the  cen- 
tral by  a  narrow  gravel  ridge.  The  central 
basin  is  a  half  mile  in  diameter,  and  near 
its  center  was  found  the  deepest  sounding 
ever  made  by  the  writer  in  an  Indiana  lake, 
one  hundred  and  seven  feet.  *  *  *  The 
shores  are  clean  and  gravelly  and  the  hills 
on  either  side  probably  form  the  highest 
ground  in  Whitley  county.  The  group  of 
lakes  comprising  Shriner's,  Round,  Cedar 
and  Crooked  furnish  five  or  six  miles  of 
boating  and  offer  attractions  for  the  camper, 
sportsman  and  artist,  such  as  are  equaled  by 
few  places  in  the  state." 

From  this  it  can  be  seen  what  the  state 
geogolist  thought  of  our  beautiful  lakes  at 
that  time.  The  dam  spoken  of  as  being  con- 
structed to  raise  the  level  of  Cedar  lake  also 
raised  Round  lake.  This  dam  has  been  re- 
moved and  the  shallow  space  spoken  of  as 
being  covered  by  aquatic  vegetation  is  now 
more  or  less  dry  and  covered  by  grass  and 
weeds  where  not  cultivated.  The  dam  was 
constructed  to  furnish  water  power  for  the 
saw  mill  built  by  Solomon  Auspaugh,  in 
1846,  and  it  was  removed  some  years  ago 


428 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


when  the  mill  at  that  place  became  a  ruin. 
By  ilc  liny  this  some  fine  soil  for  cultivation 
on  the  adjacent  farms  was  reclaimed. 
Where  the  island  and  narrows  were  in  Ce- 
dar lake  a  fill  has  been  made  and  the  small 
intervening  space  of  water  has  been  bridged 
over,  and  it  looks  now  mure  like  two  lakes 
than  one. 

There  is  another  small  but  nevertheless 
an  interesting  lake  known  as  Catfish  lake 
near  the  upper  end  of  Shriner  lake  lying 
in  the  same  valley  and  perhaps  not  more  than 
thirty-six  rods  distant  and  separated  from  it 
by  a  low  stretch  of  valley  between  the  hills 
on  either  side.  This  little  gem  of  water  is 
nestled  at  the  foot  of  the  largest  hill  in  the 
township  and  is  entirely  surrounded  by 
aquatic  plants  and  can  be  entered  upon  only 
at  one  place  and  only  upon  its  eastern  shore. 
It  is  almost  round,  and  is  beautiful  to  look 
upon  when  viewed  from  the  top  of  the  hill 
surrounding  it  on  its  northern  and  western 
borders.  Part  of  Loon  lake  lies  in  this 
township,  and  it  is  on  its  southern  shore 
in  this  township  that  is  located  the  Loon 
lake  summer  resort.  There  is  also  a  fine 
summer  resort  at  Shriner  lake.  All  of  these 
lakes  are  ideal  places  for  campers  during 
the  summer  season,  and  a  great  boon  to  the 
sportsmen  of  Whitley  county.  Picnics  and 
family  gatherings  are  held  in  the  beautiful 
groves  at  these  resorts  where  all  can  enjoy 
a   day  of  pleasure  and   recreation. 

EDUCATION. 

The  first  efforts  at  education  in  the  town- 
ship arc  said  to  have  been  made  by  William 
II.  Widup,  who  taught  in  a  private  house  in 
the  Egolf  neighborhood.  The  first  school- 
house  was  built  on  the  northwest  corner  of  the 


southwest  quarter  of  the  northeast  quarter 
of  section  14,  then  owned  by  Jacob  Hum- 
barger.  This  house  was  of  logs,  and  about 
1856  it  was  superseded  by  a  frame  building 
built  upon  the  southeast  corner  of  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  11.  About  1865  or 
1866  this  was  abandoned  and  another  frame 
building  built  upon  the  northwest  corner  of 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  14.  These 
last  two  were  known  as  the  Hively  school. 
and  about  1882  or  1883  this  last  one  was 
abandoned  and  a  brick  building  was  built  on 
the  northeast  corner  of  the  southeast  quarter 
of  section  14.  This  is  known  as  the  Hoops' 
school  or  district  number  six.  Two  of  the 
earl}-  teachers  in  this  school  district  were 
Harrison   Crabill  and  Nathan  Gradeless. 

In  the  Egolf  district,  at  present  district 
number  seven,  the  first  schoolhouse  was 
built  a  year  or  two  after  the  one  at  Hum- 
barger's,  also  of  logs,  and  near  where  the 
church  now  stands.  This  was  followed  by 
a  frame  building'  of  octagon  form  which  can 
be  seen  at  the  present  time  just  across  the 
way  from  the  church.  The  third  house  was 
built  a  half-mile  east  of  the  church,  also  a 
frame:  and  the  present  building,  built  of 
brick  and  in  modern  style,  stands  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  north  of  where  the  first  one  was 
located. 

In  the  Beech  Chapel  district,  or  district 
number  nine,  the  first  schoolhouse  was  built 
a  >hort  distance  west  of  the  Stough  ceme- 
tery, also  of  logs ;  the  second  house,  a  frame 
building,  was  erected  at  Five  Points  cross- 
roads  and  was  known  as  the  Linn  school- 
house:  and  about  1876  or  1877,  a  brick 
building'  was  erected  a  half  mile  east  at 
Beech  Chapel,  which  still  stands  and  is  used 
fi  ir  school. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


4-,(> 


The  first  house  in  district  number  eleven 
was  a  frame  and  stood  at  the  place  where  the 
brick  now  stands.  The  first  house  in  the 
center  district  stood  where  the  brick  build- 
ing" stands  at  this  time.  The  second  house, 
a  frame  building,  stood  across  the  road  to 
the  west  from  the  present  building".  Dur- 
ing the  trusteeship  of  John  Orr  the  present 
brick  building  was  erected. 

In  the  other  districts  the  same  progress 
was  made,  log  houses  being  superseded  by 
frame  buildings,  and  these  in  turn  by  sub- 
stantial brick  houses  until  all  the  school 
buildings  were  brick.  There  are  eleven 
schoolhouses  in  the  township,  and  this  num- 
ber makes  it  convenient  for  all  the  children 
to  attend  school  without  being  compelled  to 
travel  a  long  distance  as  was  necessary  dur- 
ing' pioneer  days. 

In  1855  Thorncreek  township  reported 
three  hundred  and  eighteen  children  between 
the  ages  of  five  and  twenty-one  years,  one 
hundred  and  seventy-two  boys  and  1  me  hun- 
dred and  forty-six  girls — of  which  only  two 
hundred  and  twelve  attended  school.  There 
were  only  six  school  districts  then,  taught 
by  five  male  and  one  female  teachers.  The 
men  received  an  average  of  twentv  dollars 
per  month,  and  the  lady  teacher  only  sixteen 
dollars  per  month.  Most  of  the  other  town- 
ships in  this  count)-  were  lower  than  this 
in  the  compensation  of  their  teachers.  The 
length  of  the  school  term  was  two  months. 
The  state  superintendent  of  public  instruction 
in  this  same  report  says  that  "educational 
improvements  and  progress,  that  were  an- 
ticipated three  years  since,  have  not  been 
realized  except  to  a  very  limited  extent. 
Instead  of  beautiful  and  commodious  school- 
houses  evincing  the  good  taste  and  generous 


patriotism  of  the  people  of  their  respective 
localities,  we  still  meet  with  primitive  struc- 
tures, unenclosed  school  premises,  unadorned 
grounds,  dilapidated  buildings,  types  of  a 
bygone  age.  still  lingering  in  the  pathway  of 
progress."  It  was  about  this  time  that  bet- 
ter buildings  were  being  erected  for  the  ac- 
commodation of  the  school  children. 

In  1856  the  report  was  substantially  the 
same  as  in  the  preceding  year.  The  whole 
number  of  children  was  three  hundred  and 
twenty-eight,  of  which  two  hundred  and 
fifty-two  attended  school  in  the  six  districts 
under  the  care  of  six  male  teachers.  The 
amount  expended  for  education  this  year 
was  only  two  hundred  and  forty-one  dollars. 
The  township  library  was  reported  to  contain 
one  hundred  and  seven  volumes,  to  which 
were  added  one  hundred  and  one  volumes 
during  the  year.  The  tax  assessed  for  build- 
ing school  houses  was  fifteen  cents  on  each 
one  hundred  dollars  and  fifty  cents  on  each 
poll,  and  the  whole  amounted  to  two  hun- 
dred and  thirteen  dollars.  The  whole  num- 
ber of  taxpayers  was  two  hundred  and 
thirty-eight,  of  which  two  hundred  and 
three  paid  on  five  hundred  dollars  and  less. 
From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  there  were 
but  few  rich  citizens  in  the  township.  Dur- 
ing" the  rears  1857  and  1858  the  number  of 
school  children  gradually  increased  while 
the  number  of  districts  remained  the  same. 
In  the  rear  1850  a  change  was  made  in  the 
number  of  districts,  another  one  being  cre- 
ated. There  were  then  seven  in  the  town- 
ship. The  whole  number  of  children  re- 
ported was  three  hundred  and  sixty-seven — 
two  hundred  and  one  boys  and  one  hundred 
and  sixtv-six  girls.  Six  male  teachers  res,~ 
one  female  teacher  taught  these  schoo'J'^m 


430 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


an  average  compensation  of  one  dollar  and 
eighty-two  cents  per  day  for  a  term  of  only 
forty-four  days.  The  new  house  erected 
during  this  year  was  at  a  value  of  only  two 
hundred  and  twenty  dollars.  The  tax  col- 
lected for  building,  repairing,  and  fuel,  was 
only  three  hundred  dollars.  The  township 
library  contained  two  hundred  and  sixty-two 
volumes,  all  in  good  condition. 

In  i860  there  were  three  hundred  and 
seventy-seven  children,  two  hundred  and 
eleven  boys  and  one  hundred  and  sixty-six 
girls,  and  the  ownship  contained  eight  dis- 
tricts, but  had  only  seven  schools  as  in  the 
preceding  year.  Of  this  number  of  children 
only  three  hundred  and  ten  attended  school 
with  an  average  attendance  of  only  two  hun- 
dred and  nine.  The  average  compensation 
per  da)'  was  only  eighty-seven  cents  for  a 
term  of  only  forty-four  days.  The  tax  col- 
lected for  building,  repairing,  fuel,  etc.,  was 
only  one  hundred  and  seventeen  dollars  and 
twelve  cents.  There  was  no  change  in  he 
library. 

About  this  time  the  school  law  underwent 
a  very  general  revision  and  re-enacment.  Up 
until  this  time  the  schools  made  but  little 
progress  and  the  reasons  came  in  answers 
from  almost  every  township  in  the  state, 
that  it  was  for  the  lack  of  teachers  trained 
in  their  profession,  and  acquainted  with  the 
approved  methods  and  art  of  teaching.  For 
this  purpose  the  state  superintendent  sug- 
gested the  establishment  of  a  normal  school 
fur  the  training  of  teachers. 

Tn  1861  the  count}-  school  examiner.  Al- 
exander J.  Douglas,  reported  for  this  town- 
ship four  hundred  and  ninety  school  chil- 
t|u.i.  of  which  two  hundred  and  fiftv-three 
housJ'">s  and  two  hundred  and  thirty-seven 


girls,  attending  school  in  ten  districts.  The 
township  library  contained  two  hundred  and 
thirty-six  volumes,  and  the  tax  collected  for 
building  and  repairing  was  five  hundred  and 
nineteen  dollars  and  seventy-seven  cents. 
It  would  be  interesting  if  the  examiner  had 
made  comments  on  the  condition  of  the 
schools  and  buildings  of  that  day,  but  this 
was  not  done. 

The  county  examiner.  H.  D.  Wilson, 
in  1864  reported  that  the  average  compen- 
sation of  teachers  in  Thorncreek  was  one 
dollar  and  twenty-three  cents  a  day,  and  the 
number  of  days  one  hundred  and  nine;  the 
number  of  school  houses  as  nine,  all  frame 
buildings,  valued  at  twenty-six  hundred  dol- 
lars, and  a  total  value  of  twenty-nine  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars  on  all  school  property 
in  the  township.  The  township  library  con- 
tained three  hundred  and  twenty  volumes, 
and  five  hundred  and  sixty-nine  were  taken 
out  for  use  within  the  year.  The  amount 
paid  to  trustee  for  managing  school  matters 
was  sixteen  dollars.  It  seems  as  if  there  was 
one  school  abandoned  during  the  past  year 
or  two. 

In  1866  County  Examiner  I.  B.  McDon- 
ald reported  five  hundred  and  six  school  chil- 
dren, of  which  two  hundred  and  fifty-eight 
were  boys  and  two  hundred  and  forty-eight 
were  girls,  in  Thorncreek  township.  Of  this 
number  only  four  hundred  and  twenty-three 
attended  school  in  the  eleven  districts — the 
number  of  districts  the  township  contains  at 
present.  These  schools  were  taught  by  four 
male  and  seven  female  teachers,  the  former 
receiving  an  average  of  one  dollar  and  forty- 
eight  cents  per  day  and  the  latter  one  dollar 
and  tweny-five  cents  per  day  for  one  hun- 
dred days.     At  this  time  Thorncreek  town- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


43 1 


ship  ranked  first  in  the  average  length  of 
schools  in  days.  These  eleven  school  houses 
were  all  frame*  and  the  total  estimated  value 
of  all  school  property  was  three  thousand 
one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  The  number 
of  volumes  in  the  library  was  four  hundred 
and  seventy-five,  but  only  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  were  read.  The  reports  from  all 
the  townships  show  a  great  falling  off  in  the 
number  of  volumes  read. 

The  county  examiner  in  1868  reported 
the  total  value  of  school  property  in  this 
township' at  only  two  thousand  three  hun- 
dred dollars  and  the  volumes  in  the  library 
at  two  hundred  and  ninety,  of  which  only 
forty  were  taken  out  during  the  year. 

The  township  library  has  been  on  the  de- 
cline for  some  years  past.  The  reason  for 
this  is  the  increase  of  newspapers,  and  the 
well  known  one  given  by  some  of  the  county 
superintendents  of  the  different  counties  in 
the  state.  Our  own  county  superintendent, 
the  beloved  and  revered  A.  J.  Douglas,  in 
1874,  said  of  these  libraries  that  they  "are 
not  very  well  cared  for  and  but  little  read. 
The  reading  material  was  intended  for  some 
other  generation."  This  seems  to  have  been 
the  opinion  of  every  superintendent  who  said 
anything  upon  the  subject. 

In  T870  the  report  shows  two  hundred 
and  seventy-eight  boys  and  two  hundred  and 
fifty  girls  of  school  age,  of  which  three  hun- 
dred and  seventy-one  attended  school  witli 
an  average  attendance  of _  only  two  hundred 
and  twelve.  In  this  report  it  is  stated  that 
there  were  only  ten  districts  in  which  school 
was  taught.  In  1872  it  was  reported  that 
one  new  school  house  was  erected  at  a  value 
of  six  hundred  dollars. 

About  this  time  brick  school  houses  were 


taking  the  place  of  the  frame  buildings  and 
Thorncreek  township  kept  up  in  this  ad- 
vancement until  today  all  its  school  buildings 
are  substantial  brick  structures,  and  some 
are  of  modern  architecture  and  arrange- 
ment. Better  locations  were  selected  as 
building  sites,  taking  into  consideration  the 
convenience  to  the  greatest  number  of  chil- 
dren. The  teachers  were  better  qualified  for 
the  profession  by  the  training  which  thev 
received  in  normal  schools  and  teachers'  in- 
stitutes. Parents  gradually  took  a  greater 
interest  in  the  schools  and  a  general  improve- 
ment became  manifest  which  has  been  main- 
tained until  the  present  time. 

During  the  years  1901  to  1905  consoli- 
dation of  districts  was  being  tried,  but  it 
did  not  prove  successful '  nor  popular,  and 
since  then  the  idea  has  been  abandoned. 
Each  district  desires  to  have  its  own  school. 
The  township  high  school,  which  was  started 
during-  those  years,  has  also  been  abandoned 
as  not  being  a  success.  At  the  present  time 
graduates  from  our  common  schools  are  be- 
ing sent  to  the  Columbia  City  high  school 
and  their  tuition  paid  by  the  township.  Dur- 
ing the  year  1906  the  sum  of  two  hundred 
and  thirty-nine  dollars  was  so  paid  out  for 
sixteen  pupils. 

Some  of  the  teachers  of  "ye  olden  times" 
in  Thorncreek  are  John  Magley,  Air.  and 
Mrs.  John  D.  Sherwood  and  Mrs.  S.  S.  Mill- 
er, of  Columbia  City ;  Mrs.  Henry  S.  Egolf. 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  K.  VVaugh,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
P.  F.  Widup,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.  F.  Magley. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  H.  Shilts,  J.  H.  Snyder  and 
sister  Lizzie,  now  Airs.  T.  M.  Orr.  and 
George  W.  Laird,  all  residents  of  the  town- 
ship. The  early  teachers  who  died  as  resi- 
dents of  this  township  were  the  Rev.  John 


43- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Miller,  Hon.  M.  D.  Garrison,  William  Wid- 
up  and  Nathan  Gradeless.  Other  teachers 
of  past  years  not  resident  here  now  are  Ben- 
jamin Humbarger,  John  M.  Deem,  Rezin 
Orr,  Mrs.  Cyrus  Reiser,  William  T.  Harrod, 
Mrs.  James  W.  Burwell,  Mary  Jane  Wade, 
Mar}-  Taylor,  Cyrus  Widup,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Isaiah  Brown,  Miss  Callie  Cotterly  and  John 
Pressler.  There  are  others  whose  names 
are  not  now  recalled  but  to  whom  all  due 
respect  is  given. 


The  citizens  of  the  township  manifest 
a  pleasing-  religious  disposition  as  evidenced 
by  the  six  neat,  substantial  and  commodious 
frame  churches  within  its  boundaries.  There 
are  some  who  worship  in  the  churches  of 
Columbia  City,  and  are  regular  attendants 
there.  Even  in  the  early  years  of  the  town- 
ship's growth  and  settlement  the  pioneers 
did  not  neglect  their  religious  duty,  but  per- 
formed their  Sabbah  worship  and  had  their 
Sunday-schools  in  the  school  houses  of  that 
day. 

The  Saint  John's  church,  better  known 
as  the  Hively  church,  was  built  about  1865  or 
1S66.  The  congregation  was  organized  be- 
fore the  church  was  built  and  services  were 
held  in  the  school  house  in  that  locality. 
This  church  was  remodeled  and  a  spire  built 
to  it  since  and  the  congregation  is  today  in 
a  flourishing  condition  financially  and  reli- 
giously. A  well  kept  cemetery  is  adjacent  to 
the  church,  and  in  it  are  at  rest  some  of  the 
sturdy  pioneers  o  fthat  neighborhood 

The  Church  of  Cod  or  Thorncreek  Beth- 
el, popularly  known  as  the  Egolf  church,  is 
without    doubt    the    most    commodious    and 


substantial  church  structure  in  the  township 
and  is  kept  in  the  best  condition.  It  is  gen- 
erally conceded  that  it  was  in  the  Egolf 
neighborhood,  and  at  one  of  the  Egolf 
homes  that  the  first  Sunday-school  was  or- 
ganized. Before  the  church  was  built  serv- 
ices were  "held  in  the  school  house  which 
stood  where  the  church  now  stands.  A  beau- 
tiful and  well  kept  cemetery  occupying  a  hill- 
side is  to  the  south  of  this  church  and  adja- 
cent thereto.  In  this  small  city  of  the  dead 
are  at  rest  all  that  is  mortal  of  the  Egolf s 
who  figured  so  prominently  in  the  early  his- 
tory of  this  township.  Lying  in  their  com- 
pany are  others  of  the  pioneer  settlers,  and 
gradually,  one  by  one,  those  good  old  pioneer 
fathers  and  mothers  are  gathered  together  in 
their  final  resting  place. 

Blue  River  church  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  township  is  maintained  by  the  Free 
Methodist  denomination  and  was  built  about 
1875.  The  first  pastor  was  the  Rev.  A.  F. 
Godwin.  This  is  also  a  commodious  church 
and  across  the  road  from  it  is  also  a  neatly 
kept  cemetery  in  which  also  lie  heroes  of 
the  early  days,  and  where  their  descendants 
are  being  gathered  about  them  one  by  one. 

The  Baptist  denomination  has  a  good  and 
neat  church  structure  in  the  southwestern 
part  of  the  township.  It  is  better  known  as 
the  Foster  church.  This  church  was  remod- 
eled and  a  spire  built  to  it  a  few  vears  ago. 
The  congregation  is  strong  and  flourishing, 
and  a  keen  interest  is  taken  in  religious  mat- 
ters by  all  its  members.  There  is  no  ceme- 
tery near  this  church,  but  many  of  its  de- 
ceased members  rest  in  the  Stough  cemetery, 
just  one  mile  east  on  a  straight  line.  This 
is  a  very  old  cemeterv  and  the  largest  in  the 
township.     In  its  embrace  are  sleeping  also 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


433 


some  of  the  honored  old  pioneers  of  this 
township. 

The  Christian  denomination  has  a  fine 
church  edifice  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
township  which  was  built  in  1887.  Prior 
to  the  building  of  this  church  religious  ser- 
vices were  held  in  the  school  house  one  mile 
north.  The  congregation  is  also  in  a  flour- 
ishing condition  and  has  some  very  zealous 
members.  The  structure  was  completely 
finished  and  is  of  good  size  and  has  a  fine 
church  spire. 

The  Dunkard  denomination  has  a  church 
in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  township. 
This  is  also  a  substantial  structure  without 
spire  or  ornament.  The  congregation  is 
composed  of  very  zealous  worshipers  who 
take  a  keen  and  lively  interest  in  their  reli- 
gious belief. 

Besides  the  cemeteries  mentioned  in  con- 
nection with  the  churches  there  is  one  in  the 
northwest  corner  of  the  southeast  quarter  of 
section  9.  Some  old  pioneers  are  also  buried 
here  but  the  cemetery  is  not  used  at  present 
and  has  not  been  for  some  years.  It  is  not 
abandoned,  however.  The  only  other  place 
in  the  township  where  any  pioneer  is  buried 
is  the  plat  of  ground  on  the  Franklin  Shilts 
farm,  in  which  lie  the  remains  of  John  H. 
Alexander,  the  first  settler  in  the  township. 

HIGHWAYS. 

The  highways  of  the  township  have  un- 
dergone many  changes.  When  the  first  set- 
tlers came  into  its  domain  there  were  no 
roads,  and  they  blazed  and  cut  their  way 
through  the  forests,  around  swamps  and 
hills.  In  this  manner  the  first  roads  wound 
around,  and  cut  diagonally  across  farms  and 
28 


sections.  But  very  few  were  on  section  lines 
at  first.  Gradually,  however,  they  began  to 
place  newly  opened  highways  on  the  section 
lines  and  straightened  those  already  opened. 
In  some  instances  where  farm  dwellings  are 
situated  some  distance  back  of  the  present 
highways  it  is  found  upon  investigation 
that  in  years  past  the  road  wound  around 
some  fancied  obstruction  and  passed  the 
site  of  such  buildings.  These  crooked  and 
diagonal  roads  have  about  all  been  changed 
with  the  exception  of  the  Yellow  River  road. 
This  will  very  likely  never  be  changed. 


This  township  has  furnished  some  coun- 
ty officers  from  among  its  citizens  as  fol- 
lows: Richard  Baughan,  sheriff,  from 
March,  1838,  to  August  23,  1838;  John  0. 
Adams,  treasurer,  from  November  24,  1866, 
until  Novembers,  1870;  A.  Y.  Swigert.  cor- 
oner, from  December  2,  1867,  until  Decem- 
ber 2,  1869.  The  following  as  county  com- 
missioners in  the  order  named :  Nathaniel 
Gradeless,  John  G.  Braddock,  Henry 
Knight,  Adam  Egolf,  Andrew  Adams,  Ja- 
cob Ramsey,  Henry  W.  Miller  and  Jacob 
Paulus.  John  H.  Shilts  served  as  recorder 
from  November  10.  1887,  until  November 
10,  1 89 1.  Logan  Staples  is  the  present  sher- 
iff. John  H.  Alexander,  the  first  settler  in 
the  township,  sewed  as  county  surveyor 
from  1839  to  1842,  and  again  from  1848  to 
1850,  in  which  year  he  died.  B.  F.  Magley 
is  at  present  a  member  of  the  county  ad- 
visory board. 

It  is  almost  an  impossibility  to  get  all 
the  township  trustees  from  the  beginning 
and  the  years  during  which  they  served.     It 


q jhr^fiZ    yt     fiLcZas^ 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 


HON.  JOSEPH  WILSON  ADAIR. 

No  profession  develops  with  so  much  ac- 
curacy and  vigor  man's  native  intellectual 
powers  as  that  of  the  law.  \\'hile  it  opens  a 
vast  field  for  profound  philosophic  inquiry 
and  research  it  at  the  same  time  imperiously 
demands  an  acute  and  close  observation  of 
the  daily  workings  and  practical  experiences 
of  nearly  every  phase  of  life.  In  its  record 
and  principles  it  reaches  back  into  the  mist 
of  ages  long  since  historic,  yet  in  the  appli- 
cation of  those  principles  to  daily  use  the 
possessor  must  keep  his  mind  constantly 
fixed  upon  the  stupendous  progress  of  mod- 
era  improvements  as  well  as  upon  the  far 
more  extended  and  complicated  machinery 
of  modern  society.  A  moment's  reflection 
will  serve  to  show  that,  aside  from  the  pa- 
tient and  laborious  task  necessary  to  accom- 
plish successfully  a  work  of  such  vast  pro- 
portions, he  who  would  rise  to  eminence  in 
this  most  arduous  and  far-reaching  of  call- 
ings must  possess  a  sound  mind,  keen  dis- 
cernment, and  clear  discrimination  and  prac- 
tical judgment.  He  must  be  capable  of  ex- 
tracting great  principles  of  jurisprudence 
from  amid  the  rubbish  of  ages,  and  stiff, 
stern  and  inflexible  though  they  prove,  they 
must  in  his  hands  be  made  sufficiently  mal- 
leable to  be  applied  to  the  rapidly  changing 


necessities  of  a  progressive  and  gradually 
developing  state  of  society. 

The  mere  disclaimer  and  sentimental 
dreamer  will  find  in  this  profession  no  field 
suited  to  his  talents  or  exertions.  The 
lofty  aims  of  a  practical  wisdom,  of  a  far- 
reaching  and  sagacious  philosophy  can 
alone  be  tolerated  in  an  arena  which  more 
perhaps  than  any  other  demonstrates  the 
law  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest,  and  it  is 
but  natural  that  those  who  have  thus  at- 
tained merited  distinction  should  possess  a 
charm  and  force  which  commend  them  to 
the  favorable  consideration  of  every  sound 
thinker.  There  is  a  growing  interest  in  trac- 
ing the  record  of  one  who,  by  sheer  force 
of  will  and  the  powers  of  a  native  genius. 
has  reached  an  elevated  position  in  public 
confidence  and  wielded  a  wide  and  whole- 
some influence  for  the  general  good.  Who, 
living  truth  and  integrity  for  their  own 
sakes,  has  undeviatingly  followed  his  dic- 
tates, regardless  of  personal  consequences, 
and  risen  to  a  commanding  place  at  a  bar 
long  distinguished  for  the  ability  and  high 
standing  of  its  legal  talent. 

Of  this  class  of  lawyers  the  Hon.  Joseph 
Wilson  Adair,  judge  of  the  thirty-third  ju- 
dicial circuit  court,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  one  of  the  leading  practitioners  of  the 
northern  Indiana  bar,  affords  an  illustrious 


438 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


example.  Like  the  majority  of  those  who 
have  attained  eminence  in  legal  circles,  his 
success,  both  in  the  practice  and  on  the 
bench,  has  come  to  him  as  the  reward  of 
profound  research,  energetic  action  and  hon- 
orable endeavor,  and  with  a  laudable  ambi- 
tion to  dignify  his  calling  and  make  it  what 
it  has  ever  purported  to  be — a  potential,  as 
well  as  an  active  agency  for  the  administra- 
tion of  justice  among  men — he  has  steadily 
advanced  along  the  line  of  distinguished 
service  until  now,  in  the  prime  of  his  phys- 
ical and  mental  powers,  and  the  largest  de- 
velopment of  his  professional  ability,  he 
stands  a  conspicuous  type  of  the  successful, 
self-made  man  of  to-day.  Judge  Adair  is 
a  native  of  Noble  county,  Indiana,  where 
his  birth  occurred  on  November  29,  1843. 
His  father,  Joseph  E.  Adair,  was  born  in 
Ireland  and  came  to  America  in  early  child- 
hood, settling  with  his  family  on  a  farm  near 
New  London,  Ohio,  where  he  grew  to  ma- 
turity, familiar  with  all  the  duties  that  usu- 
ally fall  to  the  lot  of  those  reared  in  close 
touch  with  nature,  amid  the  active  scenes 
of  rural  life. 

When  a  young  man  Joseph  E.  Adair 
married  Miss  Elizabeth  Winders,  of  Mary- 
land, and  subsequently,  in  1837,  removed 
to  the  new  and  sparsely  settled  county  of 
Noble,  Indiana,  locating  on  January  1st  of 
that  year  in  what  is  now  Washington  town- 
ship, of  which  they  were  among  the  earliest 
pioneers.  Here  Mr.  Adair  entered  four 
hundred  acres  of  land,  which  was  very 
heavily  timbered,  but,  nothing  daunted  by 
the  discouraging  prospect,  he  at  once  erected 
a  diminutive  log  cabin,  with  clap-boards, 
daubed  with  mud  and  furnished  with  a 
rough    puncheon    floor,    which    afforded    a 


fairly  comfortable  shelter  for  the  family 
until  replaced  by  a  more  commodious  and 
substantial  structure  in  after  years.  This 
frontier  cabin  commanded  a  beautiful  site 
on  the  banks  of  the  Tippecanoe  and  for  sev- 
eral years  was  frequently  visited  by  the  In- 
dians, between  whom  and  the  inmates  a 
spirit  of  amity  and  good  will  seems  to  have 
obtained.  The  country  at  that  time  was 
largely  as  nature  had  created  it,  the  few 
small  clearings  of  the  settlers  being  mere 
niches  in  the  dense  forests,  in  the  midst  of 
which  various  kinds  of  wild  animals  roamed 
in  large  numbers,  some  of  them,  like  the 
wolf  and  bear,  ferocious  and  during  certain 
seasons  destructive  to  live  stock,  and  not  in- 
frequently proving  dangerous  enemies  to 
man  himself.  Game  of  all  kinds  was  plentiful 
and  easily  procured  and  as  Mr.  Adair  was 
fond  of  hunting'  and  an  exceedingly  accu- 
rate marksman,  many  deer,  wild  turkeys. 
geese,  ducks,  squirrels,  etc.,  fell  before  his 
unerring  rifle,  in  this  way  the  table  being 
supplied  with  the  choicest  of  meats  during 
the  greater  part  of  the  year.  Immediately 
after  providing  a  .shelter  for  his  family  Mr. 
Adair  addressed  himself  to  the  more  for- 
midable task  of  clearing  his  land  and  pre- 
paring the  soil  for  cultivation,  to  accomplish 
which  required  hard  and  continuous  toil, 
such  as  the  present  generation  can  illy  con- 
ceive, much  less  realize  and  appreciate.  By 
persevering  industry,  however,  he  gradu- 
ally succeeded  in  removing  the  forest  growth 
and  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  had  a  good- 
lv  number  of  acres  under  cultivation.  By 
gradually  extending  the  area  of  tillable  land 
his  efforts  were  in  due  time  rewarded,  as  he 
finally  developed  an  excellent  farm  on  which 
were  made  some  of  the  finest  and  most  sub- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


439 


stantial  improvements  in  the  county,  and  in 
time  he  became  one  of  the  prosperous  and 
well-to-do  men  of  his  community.  In  con- 
nection with  agriculture  he  dealt  quite  ex- 
tensively in  live  stock,  which  he  purchased 
throughout  a  large  area  of  his  own  and 
neighboring  counties  and  drove  to  Cincin- 
nati, Columbus  and  other  shipping  points, 
where  he  disposed  of  his  animals  at  hand- 
some profits.  So  encouraging  was  his  suc- 
cess in  this  line  of  business  that  he  contin- 
ued it  as  long  as  he  lived  and  it  was  while 
on  his  way  with  a  herd  of  cattle  to  Cincin- 
nati that  he  was  stricken  with  cholera  and 
died  at  Wiltshire,  Ohio,  October  9.  1849. 
Joseph  and  Elizabeth  Adair  were  the  par- 
ents of  a  large  family,  thirteen  children  in 
all,  of  whom  five  are  still  living,  Airs.  Mary 
Correll,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Burke.  Toseph  W., 
subject  of  this  review,  and  Dr.  Thomas  E. 
Adair,  who  is  practicing  medicine  in  the 
town  of  Moline,  Kansas.  Some  years  after 
the  death  of  Mr.  Adair  the  widow  became 
the  wife  of  C.  B.  AYood,  but  both  have 
passed  from  the  scenes  of  their  earthly  strug- 
gles and  trials  to  the  land  of  silence. 

Reverting  to  the  personal  history  of  Judge 
Adair,  it  is  learned  that  as  a  youth  and  dur- 
ing the  earlier  years  of  his  boyhood  he  was 
subject  to  those  wholesome  family  influ- 
ences which  give  the  proper  direction  to 
moral  character;  and  to  parental  precept  and 
example  may  doubtless  be  traced,  in  a  large 
measure,  the  germs  of  the  honorable  and 
manly  ambition  which  now  distinguishes 
him  as  a  public  man.  He  was  reared  on  the 
old  family  homestead,  early  bore  his  share 
of  the  labor  required  to  clear  the  fields  and 
cultivate  the  same  and  grew  up  to  the  full 
stature  of  vigorous  young  manhood,  with 


the  conviction  that  labor  is  honorable  and 
that  success  in  any  line  of  endeavor  must 
be  the  result  of  patient,  energetic  individual 
effort.  While  still  a  mere  lad  he  entered  the 
district  schools,  where  he  pursued  his  studies 
until  the  age  of  seventeen,  when  by  reason 
of  his  advancement  he  engaged  in  teaching, 
which  profession  he  continued  during  the 
winter  seasons  for  several  years,  meeting  with 
success  as  an  able  and  painstaking  instruct- 
or. During  this  period  he  manifested  a  de- 
cided taste  for  books  and  such  was  his  desire 
to  add  to  his  store  of  knowledge  that  he 
eagerly  read  every  book  and  periodical  to 
which  he  could  lay  his  hands,  and  in  this 
way  not  only  laid  broad  and  deep  the  foun- 
dation of  his  subsequent  career  as  student 
and  lawyer,  but  also  became  widely  in- 
formed in  general  literature  and  the  leading 
questions  of  the  times.  His  earlv  and  strong 
manifestation  for  learning  induced  him  at 
the  close  of  his  first  term  as  teacher  to  strive 
for  still  higher  intellectual  attainments.  As- 
cordingly,  he  entered  a  .college  in  the  city  of 
Fort  Wavne,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  where  he  remained 
one  year,  and  subsequently  prosecuted  his 
studies  for  two  years  in  Wabash  College, 
Crawfordsville,  the  meanwhile  devoting  the 
winter  months  to  the  work  of  teaching. 
Having  a  decided  preference  for  the  law. 
which  early  attracted  him,  he  decided  to 
make  the  profession  his  life  work  and  in  due 
time  he  entered  the  office  of  Hon.  H.  D. 
Wilson,  of  Columbia  City,  subsequently 
judge  of  the  thirty-fourth  judicial  district, 
under  whose  instructions  he  continued  until 
his  admission  to  the  Whitley  county  bar  in 
1869. 

Judge  Adair  brought  to  his  chosen  call- 


440 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ing  a  mind  well  disciplined  by  intellectual 
and  professional  training  and  it  was  not 
long  until  his  abilities  were  duly  recognized, 
as  is  attested  by  his  rapid  rise  at  the  Co- 
lumbia City  bar.  He  practiced  alone  until 
1873,  when  he  became  associated  with  Judge 
James  S.  Collins,  the  partnership  thus 
formed  lasting  until  1883,  during  which 
time  it  achieved  marked  success  in  the  courts 
of  Whitley  and  other  counties,  the  two  gen- 
tlemen being  retained  as  counsel  in  the  ma- 
jority of  important  cases  adjudicated  in  this 
section  of  the  state.  Discontinuing  the  firm 
at  the  expiration  of  the  period  indicated,  Mr. 
Adair  has  since  been  alone  and  before  his 
elevation  to  the  bench  it  is  not  too  much  to 
assert  that  he  easily  stood  at  the  head  of 
the  bar  to  which  the  major  part  of  his  prac- 
tice was  confined,  and  for  a  number  of  years 
there  was  seldom  a  case  of  any  import  in 
which  he  did  not  appear  either  for  plaintiff, 
or  defense.  Perhaps  one  of  the  most  noted 
cases  in  which  he  was  engaged  was  the  trial 
of  Doctor  Gotwald,  of  Springfield,  Ohio,  for 
teaching  and  preaching  doctrines  contrary 
to  the  accepted  creed  of  his  church  and  for 
which  he  was  called  upon  to  face  a  charge 
of  heresy.  Judge  Adair  appeared  for  the 
defendant  and  it  was  through  his  efforts 
mainly  that  the  accused  was  acquitted,  but 
not  until  after  a  most  interesting  and  in  not 
a  few  respects  sensational  trial.  As  already 
indicated.  Judge  Adair  stands  in  the  front 
rank  of  his  profession  in  his  native  state 
and  his  record  as  a  practitioner  is  not  only 
brilliant,  but  is  above  the  suspicion  of  any- 
thing savoring  of  dishonor.  In  the  com- 
mencement of  his  legal  studies  he  made  a 
thorough  elementary  preparation  and  hav- 
ing a  retentive  and  disciplined  memory,  com- 


bined with  remarkable  quickness  or  readi- 
ness of  manner,  he  is  enabled  instantly  to 
render  available  all  his  learning  and  expe- 
rience. It  is  in  a  great  measure  owing  to 
these  and  other  equally  fortunate  circum- 
stances that  he  was  enabled  so  soon  to  at- 
tain a  commanding  position  in  the  profes- 
sion and  to  win  a  reputation  such  as  few 
achieve  in  a  much  longer  and  more  varied 
period  of  practice.  His  highest  ambition 
has  been  to  excel  in  the  line  of  his  calling, 
to  attain  a  thorough  mastery  of  the  legal 
science,  and  to  this  end  he  has  with  single- 
ness of  purpose  directed  the  untiring  indus- 
try and  energy  of  a  lifetime.  Shrewd,  keen, 
ever  on  the  lookout  to  detect  the  weak  points 
in  an  adversary's  position,  his  ready  expos- 
ure of  the  weakness  frequently  gives  force 
and  influence  favorable  to  his  cause  beyond 
the  power  of  the  severest  logic  or  closest 
reasoning.  Careful  and  judicious  in  the 
preparation  of  leg-al  papers,  painstaking  and 
thorough  in  their  presentation  to  the  court, 
he  leaves  nothing  undone  in  matters  con- 
fided to  his  charge  and  frequently  secures 
verdicts  at  the  hands  of  juries  by  skillful, 
and  elaborate  arguments,  presented  with 
power  and  great  magnetic  force.  Another 
marked  feature  in  his  professional  career  is 
his  faithfulness  and  untiring  devotion  to  the 
interests  of  his  client,  no  matter  how  trifling 
the  amount  or  how  uncertain  the  prospect 
of  remuneration  for  his  services,  he  works 
just  as  hard  and  with  the  same  zeal  as 
though  the  case  involved  large  interests  and 
abundant  rewards. 

In  addition  to  the  position  the  Judge  now 
holds  and  so  faithfully  fills  he  has  at  differ- 
ent times  been  chosen  to  other  stations  of 
honor  and  trust,  having  been  elected  super- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


44' 


intendent  of  the  Whitley  county  schools  in 
1880  for  one  term,  and  in  1889  was  made 
mayor  of  Columbia  City,  filling  both  offices 
with  credit  to  himself  and  to  the  entire  sat- 
isfaction of  the  public.  In  the  latter  year 
he  was  appointed  judge  of  the  district  com- 
posed of  the  counties  of  Whitley  and  Kos- 
ciusko, and  in  1890  was  elected  judge  of  the 
thirty-third  judicial  circuit,  which  position 
he  has  held  by  successive  re-elections  to  the 
present  time,  his  record  since  entering  upon 
the  discharge  of  his  judicial  functions,  fully 
sustaining  his  erstwhile  reputation  as  an 
able  and  brilliant  lawyer  and  justifying  the 
people  in  the  wisdom  of  their  choice.  Judge 
Adair  came  to  the  bench  eminently  qualified 
for  its  many  high  and  arduous  duties  and  he 
has  admirably  tried  to  prove  worthy  of  the 
important  trust  reposed  in  him  and  meet  the 
wants  of  the  people  of  the  circuit  in  all  mat- 
ters of  law,  justice,  and  equity.  Methodical 
in  the  disposition  of  business,  fair  and  es- 
sentially impartial  in  his  ridings,  clear  and 
unequivocal  in  the  enunciation  of  his  deci- 
sions, and  withal  gentlemanly  and  courteous 
to  members  of  the  bar  and  to  all  having  busi- 
ness in  court,  he  has  depoi'ted  himself  with 
such  becoming  grace  and  dignity  as  to  adorn 
the  high  station  to  which  called  and  earned 
an  honorable  reputation  among  the  most  dis- 
tinguished jurists  of  Indiana. 

It  would  indeed  be  anomalous  if,  with 
such  an  intellect  as  Judge  Adair  possesses, 
he  did  not  with  the  varied  subjects  that  have 
engaged  his  attention,  deeply  study  and  care- 
fully weigh  the  claims  of  revealed  religion. 
This  he  has  done  with  the  happy  result  of 
strengthening  and  every  day  making  bright- 
er and  surer  his  faith  in  an  all-wise  Father 
who  doeth  everything  well  and  in  his  son,  Je- 


sus Christ,  through  the  atoning  merits  of 
whose  sacrifice  he  expects  ultimately  to  en- 
joy in  a  far  greater  degree  the  consolation 
and  solace  which  have  been  such  potent  fac- 
tors in  moulding  his  character  and  shaping 
his  destiny,  not  only  for  the  life  that  now 
is,  but  for  the  far  more  abundant  life  be- 
yond death's  mystic  stream.  For  many 
years  he  has  been  a  firm  believer  in  the 
Christian  faith  and  as  a  faithful  and  zealous 
member  of  the  Lutheran  church  has  made 
his  influence  felt  in  every  laudable  activity 
for  the  moral  and  spiritual  advancement  of 
his  fellowmen.  For  thirty-two  years  he 
has  had  charge  of  the  same  class  in  Sunday 
school  and  during  this  time  has  never  been 
absent  from  his  place  nor  reached  the  school 
after  the  exercises  had  begun.  Upon  the 
minds  of  the  young-  he  has  left  an  influence 
for  good  which  time  will  never  erase  and 
by  his  consistent  Christian  life  and  upright 
course  of  conduct,  as  well  as  by  honorable 
professional  and  official  career,  he  has  won 
and  retained  the  warm  and  abiding  friend- 
ship of  all  classes  and  conditions  of  people 
with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 
Amid  the  multifarious  and  exacting  duties 
of  the  bench  the  Judge  finds  pleasure  and 
recreation  in  agricultural  pursuits,  owning 
a  half  section  of  fine  tillable  land,  on  which 
he  has  made  many  valuable  improvements. 
He  takes  great  interest  in  the  cultivation 
of  this  place  and  in  the  raising  of  fine  breeds 
of  stock  and  in  all  that  pertains  to  advanced 
agricultural  methods  he  is  justly  considered 
an  authority. 

On  July  27.  1867,  Judge  Adair  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Amelia  M. 
Young,  of  Wolf  Lake,  Noble  county,  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Sarah  Young,  the  union  be- 


44- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ing  blessed  with  two  children,  Jessie,  the 
wife  of  E.  K.  Strong,  and  Josephine,  now 
Mrs.  Clyde  Kein,  of  Kendallville,  Indiana, 
The  home  of  the  Judge  and  his  estimable 
wife  has  long  been  noted  for  its  free-handed, 
open-hearted  hospitality  and  their  children, 
as  well  as  themselves,  occupy  prominent  po- 
sitions in  the  best  social  circles  of  their  re- 
spective places  of  residence.  Judge  Adair 
is  essentially  a  man  of  the  people,  with  their 
interests  ever  at  heart,  and  proud  of  his  dis- 
tinction as  a  citizen  of  a  country  for  whose 
laws  and  institutions  he  has  the  most  pro- 
found admiration  and  respect,  while  his 
strong  mentality,  ripe  judgment  and  unim- 
peachable integrity  demonstrates  to  the  sat- 
isfaction of  all  his  ability  to  fill  honorably 
important  official  station  and  to  discharge 
worthily  high  trusts.  In  the  larger  sense 
of  the  term  he  is  a  politician  and  gives  his 
allegiance  to  the  Democratic  party,  but  at 
no  time  has  he  been  a  partisan  or  resorted 
to  the  questionable  methods  of  those  who 
make  politics  their  chief  aim  in  life.  Like 
many  truly  great  men,  he  shrinks  from, 
rather  than  courts,  notoriety,  his  becoming 
modesty  and  desire  to  keep  as  much  as  pos- 
sible from  the  public  gaze  being  among  his 
most  pleasing  characteristics.  He  has  long 
been  a  prominent  member  and  active  worker 
in  the  Masonic  fraternity,  in  which  he  has 
risen  to  high  standing,  being  past  master  of 
the  lodge  to  which  he  belongs,  besides  hold- 
ing for  a  period  of  thirteen  years  the  posi- 
tion of  high  priest  of  the  chapter,  and  is 
also  a  Knight  Templar  and  a  member  of 
the  Indianapolis  consistory,  S.  P.  R.  S. 

Thus,  in  a  brief  and  cursory  manner  have 
been  set  forth  the  leading  facts  and  char- 
acteristics in  the  career  of  one  of  Indiana's 


eminent  jurists  and  distinguished  men  of 
affairs  who,  by  a  life,  of  integrity,  laborious 
study,  energy,  activity,  and  devotion  to 
duty,  has  been  honored  by  his  fellow  citizens 
and  who  occupies  to-day  a  first  place  in  their 
affection  and  regard.  Beloved  with  a  fer- 
vent warmth  of  attachment  by  all  who  know 
him  personally  and  respected  by  men  of  all 
parties  he  now,  in  the  prime  of  life  and  the 
vigor  of  his  mental  powers,  stands  at  the 
head  of  his  profession  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  state  and  an  acknowledged  leader  in 
matters  of  public  import.  In  the  future, 
should  he  see  fit,  there  are  no  honors  to 
which  he  may  aspire  and  no  place  which  he 
would  not  fill  with  dignity  and  honor  to 
himself  and  credit  to  his  state  and  country. 


SAMUEL  P.  KALER. 

The  family  of  this  name  originated  in 
Switzerland,  where  its  representatives  fig- 
ured conspicuously  in  political  and  industrial 
life  during  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  We  first  hear  of  John  Kaler  as  a 
member  of  the  legislative  body  of  the  Swiss 
Republic,  in  which  he  was  evidently  a  man 
of  influence  as  he  served  as  its  president  dur- 
ing three  consecutive  terms.  He  seems  to 
have  held  other  important  official  positions 
and  to  have  achieved  reputation  as  a  prac- 
tical statesman  in  the  affairs  of  his  native 
country.  His  son  Henrv  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica near  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war 
and  as  a  servant  of  Gen.  Nathaniel  Green 
was  a  participant  in  the  stirring  scenes  that 
preceded  the  final  triumph  of  the  American 
arms.      After   the   cessation    of    hostilities. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


443 


Henry  Kaler  located  at  Baltimore,  Mary- 
land, and  through  the  influence  of  General 
Green  was  enabled  to  secure  special  employ- 
ment in  the  weaver's  trade,  in  which  he  had 
become  proficient  before  leaving  his  native 
land.  He  married  in  Baltimore  and  some 
years  afterward  removed  to  York  county. 
Pennsylvania,  where  his  remaining'  days 
were  passed.  He  had  three  sons,  but  the 
only  one  to  reach  maturity  was  John  Kaler, 
whose  activities  found  an  outlet  on  the  west- 
ern shore  of  Maryland.  We  find  him  during 
the  war  of  1812,  established  as  proprietor  of 
a  large  boot  and  shoe  store  at  Havre  de 
Grace,,  which  did  an  extensive  business  in 
supplying  the  government  with  foot-wear  for 
the  army.  This  commercial  enterprise,  how- 
ever, seems  to  have  met  with  eventual  fail- 
ure and  the  proprietor  returned  to  his  old 
home  in  York  county,  Pennsylvania,  where 
on  October  3,  182 1,  the  family  records  men- 
tion the  birth  of  a  son  named  George  Kaler. 
The  latter  learned  the  shoemaker's  trade  in 
youth  and  followed  this  calling  for  many 
years,  but  finally  abandoned  the  bench  to  be- 
come a  farmer.  In  March,  1875,  he  came 
to  Whitley  county  and  located  upon  a  farm 
near  Larwill,  where  he  spent  the  subsequent 
fourteen  years  in  agricultural  pursuits.  At 
length  feeling  the  approach  of  age,  he  decid- 
ed in  1889  to  give  up  active  business  and  re- 
tired to  a  home  in  Columbia  City,  where  his 
career  was  closed  by  death  in  1892.  In 
early  life  he  had  married  Kate  Traub,  a  lady 
of  talent  and  honorable  lineage,  who  through 
all  the  years  of  trial  or  triumph  proved  a 
loyal  and  loving  companion.  Her  grand- 
father. George  Traub,  was  one  of  the  clerks 
of  the  Continental  Congress  and  later  served 
as  private  secretary  to  Thomas  Jefferson,  by 


whom  he  was  tendered  a  diplomatic  position 
of  importance  which,  for  some  unexplained 
reason,  he  declined.  Other  members  of  this 
connection  achieved  political  influence  at  dif- 
ferent times  and  places  and  the  family  was 
always  regarded  favorably.  George  and 
Kate  (Traub)  Kaler  had  three  sons :  Samuel 
P.,  Dr.  William  A.,  now  deceased,  and  James 
B..  a  leading  business  man  of  Columbia  City. 
Samuel  P.  Kaler.  eldest  of  this  family 
of  promising  boys,  was  born  in  Crawford 
county,  Ohio.  February  17,  1853,  and  spent 
his  boyhood  in  the  place  of  his  nativity.  Be- 
ing ambitious  to  learn  he  made  the  best  of 
the  opportunities  afforded  by  the  common 
schools  of  his  neighborhood  and  at  the  age 
of  seventeen  began  teaching.  He  devoted  the 
next  nine  years  to  this  vocation,  in  Ohio  and 
Indiana,  but  meantime  worked  on  the  farm 
during  the  summer  vacations  and  studied 
law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1879.  In 
the  fall  of  1880,  Mr.  Kaler  was  appointed 
deputy  sheriff  of  Whitley  county,  served  two 
years  in  that  position  and  then  received  an 
appointment  as  deputy  auditor,  to  the  duties 
of  which  office  he  devoted  his  time  until  the 
expiration  of  the  four-year  term  of  his  prin- 
cipal. It  is  evident  that  he  had  attracted  at- 
tention and  gained  popularity  by  his  method 
of  discharging  these  deputyships,  as  we  find 
that  thev  resulted  in  a  promotion  of  impor- 
tance. In  1886,  he  was  nominated  by  the 
Democratic  party  as  candidate  for  the  office 
of  clerk  of  Whitley  count)-,  and  after  a  vigor- 
ous campaign  he  was  elected  by  a  decidedly 
complimentary  vote,  his  majority  exceeding 
the  largest  obtained  by  any  other  candidate. 
He  served  acceptably  for  four  years  and  dur- 
ing- this  time  greatly  extended  his  acquaint- 
ance and  knowledge  of  public  affairs.     It  is 


442 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ing  blessed  with  two  children,  Jessie,  the 
wife  of  E.  K.  Strung,  and  Josephine,  now 
Mrs.  Clyde  Kein,  of  Kendallville,  Indiana, 
The  home  of  the  Judge  and  his  estimable 
wife  has  long  been  noted  for  its  free-handed, 
open-hearted  hospitality  and  their  children, 
as  well  as  themselves,  occupy  prominent  po- 
sitions  in  the  best  social  circles  of  their  re- 
spective places  of  residence.  Judge  Adair 
is  essentially  a  man  of  the  people,  with  their 
interests  ever  at  heart,  and  proud  of  his  dis- 
tinction as  a  citizen  of  a  country  for  whose 
laws  and  institutions  he  has  the  most  pro- 
found admiration  and  respect,  while  his 
strong  mentality,  ripe  judgment  and  unim- 
peachable integrity  demonstrates  to  the  sat- 
isfaction of  all  his  ability  to  fill  honorably 
important  official  station  and  to  discharg-e 
worthily  high  trusts.  In  the  larger  sense 
of  the  term  he  is  a  politician  and  gives  his 
allegiance  to  the  Democratic  party,  but  at 
no  time  has  he  been  a  partisan  or  resorted 
to  the  questionable  methods  of  those  who 
make  politics  their  chief  aim  in  life.  Like 
niaii\  truly  great  men,  he  shrinks  from, 
rather  than  courts,  notoriety,  his  becoming 
modesty  and  desire  to  keep  as  much  as  pos- 
sible from  the  public  gaze  being  among  his 
most  pleasing  characteristics.  He  has  long 
been  a  prominent  member  and  active  worker 
in  the  Masonic  fraternity,  in  which  he  has 
risen  to  high  standing,  being  past  master  of 
the  lodge  to  which  he  belongs,  besides  hold- 
ing for  a  period  of  thirteen  years  the  posi- 
lion  of  high  priest  of  tine  chapter,  and  is 
also  a  Knight  Templar  and  a  member  of 
the  Indianapolis  consistory,  S.   P.  R.  S. 

'I  hus,  in  a  brief  and  cursi  try  manner  have 
been  set  forth  the  leading  facts  and  char- 
acteristics in  the  career  of  one  of  Indiana's 


eminent  jurists  and  distinguished  men  of 
affairs  who,  by  a  life,  of  integrity,  laborious 
study,  energy,  activity,  and  devotion  to 
duty,  has  been  honored  by  his  fellow  citizens 
and  who  occupies  to-day  a  first  place  in  their 
affection  and  regard.  Beloved  with  a  fer- 
vent warmth  of  attachment  by  all  who  know 
him  personally  and  respected  by  men  of  all 
parties  he  now,  in  the  prime  of  life  and  the 
vigor  of  his  mental  powers,  stands  at  the 
head  of  his  profession  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  state  and  an  acknowledged  leader  in 
matters  of  public  import.  In  the  future, 
should  he  see  fit,  there  are  no  honors  to 
which  he  may  aspire  and  no  place  which  he 
would  not  fill  with  dignity  and  honor  to 
himself  and  credit  to  his  state  and  country. 


SAMUEL  P.  KALER. 

The  family  of  this  name  originated  in 
Switzerland,  where  its  representatives  fig- 
ured conspicuously  in  political  and  industrial 
life  during  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  We  first  hear  of  John  Kaler  as  a 
member  of  the  legislative  body  of  the  Swiss 
Republic,  in  which  he  was  evidently  a  man 
of  influence  as  he  served  as  its  president  dur- 
ing three  consecutive  terms.  He  seems  to 
have  held  other  important  official  positions 
and  to  have  achieved  reputation  as  a  prac- 
tical statesman  in  the  affairs  of  his  native 
country.  His  son  Henry  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica near  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war 
and  as  a  servant  of  Gen.  Nathaniel  Green 
was  a  participant  in  the  stirring  scenes  that 
preceded  the  final  triumph  of  the  American 
arms.      After    the   cessation     of    hostilities. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


443 


Henry  Kaler  located  at  Baltimore,  Mary- 
land, and  through  the  influence  of  General 
( Ireen  was  enabled  to  secure  special  employ- 
ment in  the  weaver's  trade,  in  which  he  had 
become  proficient  before  leaving  his  native 
land.  He  married  in  Baltimore  and  some 
years  afterward  removed  to  York  county. 
Pennsylvania,  where  his  remaining  days 
were  passed.  He  had  three  sons,  but  the 
only  one  to  reach  maturity  was  John  Kaler, 
whose  activities  found  an  outlet  on  the  west- 
ern shore  of  Maryland.  We  find  him  during 
the  war  of  1812,  established  as  proprietor  of 
a  large  boot  and  shoe  store  at  Havre  de 
Grace.,  which  did  an  extensive  business  in 
supplying  the  government  with  foot-we  ar  for 
the  army.  This  commercial  enterprise,  how- 
ever, seems  to  have  met  with  eventual  fail- 
ure and  the  proprietor  returned  to  his  old 
home  in  York  county,  Pennsylvania,  where 
on  October  3,  182 1,  the  family  records  men- 
tion the  birth  of  a  son  named  George  Kaler. 
The  latter  learned  the  shoemaker's  trade  in 
youth  and  followed  this  calling  for  many 
years,  but  finally  abandoned  the  bench  to  be- 
come a  farmer.  In  March,  1875,  he  came 
to  Whitley  county  and  located  upon  a  farm 
near  Larwill,  where  he  spent  the  subsequent 
fourteen  years  in  agricultural  pursuits.  At 
length  feeling  the  approach  of  age,  he  decid- 
ed in  1889  to  give  up  active  business  and  re- 
tired to  a  home  in  Columbia  City,  where  his 
career  was  closed  by  death  in  1892.  In 
early  life  he  had  married  Kate  Traub.  a  lady 
of  talent  and  honorable  lineage,  who  through 
all  the  years  of  trial  or  triumph  proved  a 
loyal  and  loving  companion.  Her  grand- 
father, George  Traub.  was  one  of  the  clerks 
of  the  Continental  Congress  and  later  served 
as  private  secretary  to  Thomas  Jefferson,  by 


whom  he  was  tendered  a  diplomatic  position 
of  importance  which,  for  some  unexplained 
reason,  he  declined.  Other  members  of  this 
connection  achieved  political  influence  at  dif- 
ferent times  and  places  and  the  family  was 
always  regarded  favorably.  George  and 
Kate  (Traub)  Kaler  had  three  sons :  Samuel 
P.,  Dr.  William  A.,  now  deceased,  and  James 
B..  a  leading  business  man  of  Columbia  City. 
Samuel  P.  Kaler.  eldest  of  this  family 
of  promising  boys,  was  born  in  Crawford 
county,  Ohio,  February  17,  1853,  and  spent 
his  boyhood  in  the  place  of  his  nativity.  Be- 
ing ambitious  to  learn  he  made  the  best  of 
the  opportunities  afforded  by  the  common 
schools  of  his  neighborhood  and  at  the  age 
of  seventeen  began  teaching.  He  devoted  the 
next  nine  years  to  this  vocation,  in  Ohio  and 
Indiana,  but  meantime  worked  on  the  farm 
during-  the  summer  vacations  and  studied 
law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1879.  In 
the  fall  of  1880,  Mr.  Kaler  was  appointed 
deputy  sheriff  of  Whitley  county,  served  two 
rears  in  that  position  and  then  received  an 
appointment  as  deputy  auditor,  to  the  duties 
of  which  office  be  devoted  his  time  until  the 
expiration  of  the  four-year  term  of  his  prin- 
cipal. It  is  evident  that  he  had  attracted  at- 
tention and  gained  popularity  by  his  method 
of  discharging  these  deputyships.  as  we  find 
that  thev  resulted  in  a  promotion  of  impor- 
tance. In  1886,  he  was  nominated  by  the 
Democratic  party  as  candidate  for  the  office 
of  clerk  of  Whitley  county,  and  after  a  vigor- 
ous campaign  he  was  elected  by  a  decidedly 
complimentary  vote,  his  majority  exceeding 
the  largest  obtained  by  any  other  candidate. 
He  served  acceptably  for  four  years  and  dur- 
ing this  time  greatly  extended  his  acquaint- 
ance and  knowledge  of  public  affairs.     It  is 


440 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


carrier  on  the  rural  mail  delivery  service 
of  the  county.  He  is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil 
war.  having  served  throughout  that  struggle 
as  a  member  of  the  Seventy-fourth  Regi- 
ment Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  becoming 
lieutenant  of  his  company.  Burdette  F.  Mc- 
Near,  son  of  Josiah  F.,  was  born  at  Doug- 
las, Kansas,  January  7,  1872.  His  mother 
died  when  he  was  thee  and  a  half  years  old 
and  for  a  while  he  was  entrusted  to  the  care 
of  his  grandfather.  For  six  years  he  was 
in  the  family  of  George  Dice,  west  of  Churu- 
busco,  and  attended  school  at  the  latter  place 
for  two  years,  during  which  time  he  lived 
with  an  uncle.  Subsequently  he  attended 
school  at  Columbia  City,  took  a  course  in  a 
business  college  and  was  for  a  while  in  the 
commercial  department  of  the  Valparaiso 
Normal.  At  intervals  he  clerked  in  a  hard- 
ware store,  acted  as  reporter  for  the  "Mail" 
and  made  himself  useful  in  whatever  his 
hands  could  find  to  do.  For  a  year  he  was 
a  commercial  traveler,  selling  hardware  over 
Indiana  for  a  Fort  Wayne  firm,  and  event- 
ually entered  into  the  partnership  above  de- 
scribed, a  line  of  trade  to  which  he  seems 
peculiarly  well  adapted. 

October  31,  1900,  Mr.  McNear  married 
Miss  Edith,  daughter  of  Alfred  Ale,  a  cabi- 
netmaker. Mrs.  McNear,  who  is  a  native 
of  Kosciusko  county,  is  a  popular  lady,  tak- 
ing active  part  in  the  Coterie  Literary  Club. 


FRANKLIN  PIERCE  BRIDGE. 

The  Bridge  family  has  been  identified 
with  Washington  township  for  more  than 
hall'  a  century,  and  different  members  of  it 


have  made  their  influence  felt  in  connection 
with  farming  interests.  It  was  in  1845  that 
Levi  and  Rebecca  (  Hines )  Bridge  arrived 
in  Whitley  county,  coming  from  Cleve- 
land, Ohio.  Five  years  later  they  bought  a 
farm  in  Washington  township  near  the 
present  village  of  Laud,  and  their  remaining 
years  were  devoted  to  the  active  work  of 
improving  the  property.  The  father  died 
at  the  age  of  sixty-two,  while  his  wife  sur- 
vived until  her  seventy-seventh  year.  Of 
their  nine  children  to  reach  maturity,  three 
sons  and  two  daughters  are  living  in  1907. 
Franklin  Pierce  Bridge,  now  deceased,  was 
born  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  January  1,  1853. 
When  about  coming  of  age  he  learned  the 
carpenter's  trade,  but  after  working  at  the 
bench  several  years  took  charge  of  his  moth- 
er's farm  and  manag'ed  it  until  her  death, 
nearly  eight  years  later.  Upon  the  settle- 
ment of  the  estate  he  bought  out  the  other 
heirs.  He  made  expensive  improvements, 
including  an  open  ditch  through  the  place, 
beside  laying  a  great  deal  of  tile,  thus  mak- 
ing it  one  of  the  most  productive  farms  in 
the  township.  He  died  May  7,  1899,  as 
the  result  of  a  kick  from  a  horse  received 
twenty-seven  hours  previously.  In  politics 
he  was  an  ultra  Republican  and  was  also  an 
active  member  of  the  Knights  of  the  Mac- 
cabees, whose  impressive  burial  service  was 
used  in  paying  the  last  sad  rites  to  one  highly 
respected  by  all. 

May  20,  1880,  Mr.  Bridge  married  Miss 
Elsie  Lenwell.  whose  parents  were  pioneer 
settlers  of  Kosciusko  county,  and  who  later 
settled  in  Washington  township.  She  was 
born  in  1856,  was  seventeen  years  old  upon 
coming-  to  this  county,  and  twenty-four  at 
marriage.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bridge  had  four 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


447 


sons :  Arthur,  who  married  Rosa  Rupert, 
manages  the  old  homestead ;  Salathiel  Castle 
is  bookkeeper  in  the  First  National  Bank  at 
Columbia  City ;  Emmet,  having  finished  the 
high  school  course  at  Columbia  City,  is  a 
teacher  in  the  old  home  school ;  Clemmet, 
twin  brother  of  the  last  mentioned,  is  a 
student  in  the  freshman  class  at  Wabash 
College. 


ROSANNA  CRIDER. 

Indiana  was  still  a  young  state  when 
Francis  Tulley  was  married  in  Ross  county, 
Ohio,  to  Alary  E.  Nickey,  of  Augusta  coun- 
ty, Virginia,  and  came  with  his  bride  to 
Whitley  county.  This  was  in  1834,  and 
previous  to  that  time,  friends  had  already 
settled  in  the  same  vicinity,  Samuel  Smith 
had  built  the  first  cabin  in  the  township, 
subsequently  named  after  him.  and  this  rude 
structure  was  occupied  by  the  Tulleys  dur- 
ing the  owner's  temporary  absence.  Francis 
Tulley  built  the  second  cabin  in  Smith 
township,  and  here  he  made  his  home 
for  over  forty,  years,  meantime  accu- 
mulating four  hundred  acres  of  land 
most  of  which  he  distributed  among  his 
children.  In  1872,  he  removed  to  Columbia 
City,  where  he  lived  in  retirement  until  his 
death,  twenty- four  years  later,  in  1896,  sur- 
viving his  life  companion  one  year. 

The  children  of  this  pioneer  couple  were 
four  in  number:  Rosanna ;  William  A., 
proprietor  of  a  repair  shop  in  Columbia 
City;  Cyrus  B.,  lawyer  and  member  of  the 
legislature,  who  died  at  his  home  in  Colum- 
bia City,  aged  fifty-five;  and  Wesley  C.  who 
lives  on  the  old  homestead  in  Smith  town- 
ship. 


Rosanna  Tulle}-,  eldest  of  these,  was  born 
in  Smith  township,  September  15,  1834, 
this  being  the  same  year  in  which  her  par- 
ents came.  Neighbors  were  few  and  far  be- 
tween, wolves  were  plentiful  and  made  the 
lonesome  night  still  more  dreary  by  their  dis- 
mal howling,  it  being  the  custom  of  the  set- 
tlers to  fire  guns  to  frighten  them  away.  In- 
dians were  also  numerous,  though  not  hostile 
and  often  called  at  the  Tulley  cabin  for  food 
or  out  of  idle  curiosity.  If  Rosanna's  birth 
was  romatic,  her  youth  and  girlhood  were 
none  the  less  so,  though  they  did  not  differ 
materially  from  those  of  other  pioneer  chil- 
dren in  the  western  wilderness.  She  had  to 
"pitch  in"  to  help  clear  the  farm  and  many 
a  sturdy  blow  she  struck  with  ax  or  mattock, 
to  say  nothing  of  holding  the  plow,  feeding 
the  stock,  and  attending  to  the  household 
drudgery.  The  first  school  she  attended  was 
kept  in  the  kitchen  of  her  parents,  and  was 
taught  by  an  Eastern  man  named  Wisner. 
Her  father  had  to  work  out  to  secure  food 
for  the  family,  and  often  put  in  three  days 
of  hard  work  for  one  bushel  of  corn  meal. 
He  had  brought  with  him  from  Ohio  a  team 
and  cow  and  had  to  cut  a  road  through  the 
woods  to  his  land.  She  and  her  mother 
spent  many  weary  hours  spinning  and  weav- 
ing cloth  with  which  to  make  wearing  ap- 
parel for  the  household.  November  1,  1855. 
when  she  was  twenty-one  years  of  age.  there 
was  a  pioneer  wedding  at  this  rude  cabin 
in  the  woods,  the  contracting  parties  being 
John  Crider  and  herself.  The  groom,  who 
was  but  two  months  older,  had  come  into 
Smith  township  with  his  parents  when  about 
fifteen  years  of  age,  and  as  a  wedding  present 
his  father  gave  him  a  horse  and  cow.  The 
bride's  dowery  consisted  of  two  horses,  two 
cows,  a  sheep  and  forty  acres  of  wild  land. 


448 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


They  went  to  housekeeping  in  a  small  frame 
structure,  and  with  the  sturdy  courage  char- 
acteristic of  those  times,  faced  resolutely 
toward  the  future.  Before  marriage  Mr. 
Crider  had  taught  school  at  intervals  and  he 
kept  at  this  occupation  intermittently  for 
some  time  after.  He  was,  however,  of  an 
ambitious  turn  of  mind,  and  aspired  to  some- 
thing higher  than  grubbing  and  township 
teaching.  In  1872.  he  removed  to  Colum- 
bia City,  was  elected  township  assessor  and 
during  spare  hours  devoted  himself  to  the 
study  of  the  law.  Forming  a  partnership 
with  his  brother-in-law,  Cyrus  B.  Tulley, 
he  entered  actively  into  practice  until  1882, 
meantime  running  a  hardware  store.  His 
death  occurred  at  Churubusco  November  6, 
1903.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Crider  had  three 
children  :  Noah  W.,  the  oldest,  taught  school 
and  dealt  in  musical  instruments,  books  and 
sewing  machines  and  died  unmarried  at  the 
residence  of  his  mother  after  two  years'  ill- 
ness of  consumption,  aged  twenty-six  years. 
Rosa  May  died  in  infancy  and  Bertie  Wilson 
died  in  1885.  when  eleven  years  old,  just 
two  months  after  his  older  brother  had 
passed  away.  Since  1874,  Mrs.  Crider.  the 
bereaved  mother  and  widow,  has  lived  in 
her  residence  on  North  Line  street,  and  de- 
voted her  life  to  works  of  charity  and  re- 
ligion. A  lifelong  member  of  the  United 
Brethren  church,  none  have  done  more  than 
she  to  forward  the  interests  of  this  denomi- 
nation. The  structure  in  which  the  services 
are  held  is  situated  on  the  corner  of  Chaun- 
cey  and  Market  streets  facing  the  courthouse 
square  and  bears  the  name  of  Tulley-Crider 
Menu  .rial  church,  being,  as  the  name  would 
indicate,  a  building  put  up  in  honor  of  the 
family,  and  erected  largely  through  the  ef- 


forts of  Mrs.  Crider.  During  all  these  years 
she  has  continued  to  support  the  church 
liberally,  not  only  by  generous  contribution 
of  funds  but  by  individual  effort  and  all  her 
personal  influence. 


col.  isaiah  b.  Mcdonald. 

Born  of  a  martial  family  whose  mem- 
bers showed  in  the  time  of  its  imminent 
peril  that  they  were  ardently  devoted  to  the 
Union,  three  of  them  laying  down  their  lives 
on  the  altar  of  their  country  in  the  Civil  war, 
Col.  Isaiah  B.  McDonald,  of  Whitley  coun- 
ty, bore  well  and  bravely  his  part  in  that 
awful  struggle  between  the  sections  of  our 
then  unhappy  country,  and  made  a  military 
record  of  which  any  man  might  well  be 
proud,  sustaining  the  honor  of  his  family, 
his  state  and  his  county,  and  making  for  the 
credit  of  the  whole  body  of  American 
manhood. 

The  Colonel  is  a  native  of  Culpeper, 
Virginia,  where  he  was  born  on  September 
18,  1826,  and  is  a  son  of  Carter  and  Mary 
Elizabeth  (Carder)  McDonald,  who  were 
born  in  Scotland  and  came  to  the  United 
States  in  their  childhood.  They  obtained 
their  education  in  the  common  schools  of 
Virginia,  and  after  leaving  school  the  father 
became  a  blacksmith,  a  craft  which  he  fol- 
lowed industriously  to  the  end  of  his  life. 
In  1835  the  family  moved  from  Virginia  to 
Wooster.  Ohio,  and  seven  years  later  they 
became  residents  of  this  county,  in  which 
they  passed  the  remainder  of  their  lives,  the 
father  dying  in  1872  in  the  house  in  which 
the  Colonel  lives,  and  the  mother  passing 


Cu  vlaj  fcfaj--i+y\y#.     ^  Ltu^t- 


45° 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


acting  assistant  adjutant  general  on  the  staff 
of  Gen.  Joseph  J.  Reynolds,  serving  in  West 
Virginia.  General  Reynolds  resigned  in 
1862  and  Lieutenant  McDonald  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  staff  of  Gen.  Robert  H.  Milroy, 
then  at  Huttonville,  West  Virginia.  In 
April  of  that  year  he  was  appointed  captain 
of  commissary  of  subsistence  by  President 
Lincoln,  and  continued  on  the  staff  of  Gen- 
eral Milroy  until  June,  1863,  when  driven 
from  Winchester,  Virginia,  by  General  Lee. 
During  all  these  years  he  took  an  active  part 
at  the  front  under  Generals  Reynolds,  Mil- 
roy, Siegel,  Kelly  and  others,  at  Elkwater, 
Cheat  Mountain,  Green  Brier  River.  Camp 
Allegheny,  McDowell,  Strasburg,  Cross 
Keys,  Cedar  Mountain,  Waterloo  Bridge,  in 
the  second  Bull  Run  fight,  and  in  many  other 
engagements  in  which  the  contest  was  war 
to  the  knife  and  the  knife  to  the  hilt  on  both 
sides.  On  August  22,  1862,  he  had  his 
hardest  fight  to  save  the  army  trains  of  Mil- 
roy's  command  and  other  divisions,  at  Cat- 
lett's  station.  Virginia.  General  Pope's 
headquarters  and  trains  were  captured, 
sacked  and  burned  by  Gen.  J.  E.  B.  Stewart, 
and  Colonel  McDonald  had  only  ninety- 
four  men  with  whom  to  fight  off  Rosser's 
and  Lee's  commands  during  a  terribly 
stormy  night.  In  June,  1863,  he  took  an 
active  part  in  the  battle  of  Winchester,  from 
which  he  was  driven  into  Pennsylvania,  and 
in  the  ensuing  month  of  July  was  placed  in 
charge  of  military  matters  at  Hagerstuwn. 
Maryland,  where  he  remained  until  Decem- 
ber following,  when  he  was  ordered  to  re- 
port  to  Gen.  B.  F.  Kelly  at  Cumberland, 
Maryland.  In  April,  1864,  he  was  com- 
missioned lieutenant  colonel  of  the  Sixth 
West  Virginia  Veteran  Cavalry.     He  passed 


two  months  in  reorganizing  this  regiment, 
but  at  the  end  of  that  period,  owing  to  the 
state  of  his  health,  he  declined  to  muster  as 
lieutenant  colonel,  but  returned  to  his  home. 
Governor  Morton  afterward  offered  him  the 
command  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty- 
second  Indiana  Infantry,  but  he  was  obliged 
to  decline  the  proffered  honor  on  account 
of  the  state  of  his  health. 

Colonel  McDonald  was  slightly  .wounded 
twice,  but  was  not  disabled  from  service  an 
hour.  During  the  whole  of  his  long  and 
active  service  he  was  never  under  arrest  or 
reprimanded.  Entering  the  army  as  a  pri- 
vate soldier,  for  meritorious  conduct  and  ex- 
cellent service  he  received  promotions  from 
Governor  Morton  of  Indiana,  Gen.  J.  J.  Rey- 
nolds of  the  army,  President  Lincoln  and 
Governor  Boreman,  of  Wrest  Virginia. 
After  his  return  from  the  army  he  once 
more  entered  public  life  in  the  service  of  the 
people,  being  school  examiner  of  Whitley 
county  from  November,  1864,  to  December 
25,  1870,  and  on  the  date  last  given 
became  a  member  of  the  lower  house  of  the 
state  legislature,  receiving  a  majority  of 
seven  hundred  and  thirty-one  votes,  the 
largest  ever  received  by  any  candidate  in 
the  county.  In  1886,  he  was  elected  to  the 
senate  from  Allen  and  Whitley  counties. 
LJp  to  this  time  there  had  never  been  passed 
by  the  legislature  any  bill  originating  from  a 
Whitley  count)-  member.  But  this  record 
was  gloriously  reversed  by  the  activity  and 
influence  of  Colonel  McDonald.  He  was 
chairman  of  the  military  committee  in  the 
senate,  and  as  such  put  through  the  bill 
providing  for  the  erection  of  the  Soldiers' 
Monument  and  carrying  an  appropriation  of 
two  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  the  pur- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


45i 


pose  of  starting  the  monument.  This  bill 
he  succeeded  in  getting  every  senator  to  vote 
for,  and  as  the  monument  finally  cost  over 
six  hundred  thousand  dollars,  the  importance 
of  so  good  a  start  for  the  project  may  easily 
"be  realized.  He  afterward  secured  by  a 
unanimous  vote  from  the  Indiana  depart- 
ment of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic 
an  appropriation  of  nineteen  thousand  dol- 
lars for  the  foundation  of  this  monument. 
Other  legislation  of  great  importance  of 
which  he  may  properly  be  styled  the  father, 
was  the  law  locating  the  school  for  feeble- 
minded children  at  Fort  Wayne,  which  he  se- 
cured the  passage  of  after  a  stubborn  fight, 
and  the  reorganization  of  the  Knightstown 
Soldiers'  Orphans'  School.  In  this  behalf 
he  got  the  titles  to  the  real  estate  perfected 
and  an  appropriation  of  fifty-four  thousand 
dollars  for  putting  the  school  in  good 
condition. 

Colonel  McDonald  has  been  connected 
with  the  public  press  since  1859,  and  is  still 
in  the  harness.  He  established  the  Columbia 
City  News,  now  the  Post,  has  been  the  owner 
■of  the  Huntington  Democrat  and  the  Fort 
Wayne  Daily  and  Weekly  Journal,  and  is 
now   part  owner  of  the  Ligonier   Banner. 

Colonel  McDonald  was  first  married  on 
the  day  of  the  presidential  election  in  1852, 
when  he  was  united  with  Miss  Agnes  S. 
Kollar,  of  Wayne  county,  Ohio,  who  Uvea 
•only  eleven  months  after  her  marriage.  On 
November  28,  1854,  the  Colonel  married 
as  his  second  wife  Miss  Catherine  Brenne- 
man,  of  this  county,  who  died  ninteen  years 
ago.  Four  children  were  born  of  this  union, 
two  of  whom  are  living:  James  Eli,  who 
has  been  state  senator  for  DeKalb  and  Noble 
counties,  and  has  served  on  the  state  board 
of  agriculture  for  more  than  twenty  years. 


He  is  part  owner  and  the  managing  editor 
of  the  Ligonier  Banner.  He  is  an  active 
Democrat,  fifty-one  years  old,  and  has  three 
children.  Charles  Emmett  McDonald  was 
for  some  years  engaged  in  teaching,'  but  he 
is  now  the  managing  editor  of  the  Auburn 
Daily  and  Weekly  Courier.  He  is  a  fluent 
and  forceful  writer,  lives  at  Auburn  and  has 
three  children.  The  third  child.  Abraham 
C.  died  at  Ligonier  in  1866,  aged  twenty- 
three  years.  He  was  a  graduate  of  the 
Columbia  City  high  school  and  an  excellent 
printer;  and  the  fourth  child,  also  a  son, 
Frank  Warren  McDonald,  a  printer  and 
telegraph  operator,  died  of  hip  disease  at  the 
age  of  twenty-two.  The  Colonel  married 
his  third  wife  June  9,  1889.  She  was  Miss 
Clemenza  Bechtel,  daughter  of  Martin 
Bechtel,  of  this  county.  He  was  widely 
known  and  highly  esteemed  as  a  "grand  old 
man."  Mrs.  McDonald  is  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  First  Baptist  church  of  Columbia 
City  and  a  devoted  worker  in  the  Woman's 
Relief  Corps.  Colonel  McDonald  is  also  a 
zealous  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and 
one  of  the  trustees.  Out  of  his  earnings  in  the 
clerk's  office  he  built  the  first  church  for  this 
denomination  in  the  city  and  has  continued 
a  liberal  supporter.  He  was  an  Odd  Fellow 
from  1858  to  1888.  He  was  made  a  Free 
Mason  in  1863  and  is  now  a  Knight  Tem- 
plar. Ever  since  its  organization,  he  has 
belonged  to  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic 
and  in  this  organization  he  has  filled  every 
office  but  that  of  department  commander. 

In  1872.  the  first  effort  was  begun  toward 
the  making  of  a  new  up-to-date  residence 
town  of  Columbia  City.  Colonel  McDonald 
was  the  first  to  begin  a  system  of  sewerage, 
in  company  with  Eli  W.  Brown,  Theodore 
Reed    and    Cyrus    B.    Tullev.     The   matter 


45^ 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


was  contended  in  the  courts,  but  soon  other 
progressive  men  adopted  the  idea  and  it  was 
not  long  before  the  town  began  to  assume 
more  desirable  conditions.  He  has  ever 
stood  for  better  conditions  and  never  hesi- 
tated to  engage  in  battle,  either  in  the  news- 
paper columns  or  in  courts. 

Always  a  Democrat,  he  has  always  been 
active  in  the  party.  In  i860,  he  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the  Charleston  convention  that  was 
adjourned  to  Baltimore.  He  was  active  as 
a  campaign  speaker  and  has  probably  made 
more  speeches  than  most  men  in  Indiana. 
In  1876,  he  was  a  Tilden  elector,  receiving 
over  six  thousand  majority  in  his  district. 
In  later  campaigns  he  was  a  Bryan  man,  and 
keeps  in  touch  with  the  modern  tenets  of 
his  party. 


FERDINAND  F.  MORSCHES. 

This  name  has  been  made  familiar  in 
Whitley  county  by  reason  of  the  long  resi- 
dence and  prominent  business  connections 
of  the  founder  of  the  family.  The  latter 
was  William  H.  Morsches,  a  native  of  one 
of  the  Rhine  provinces  of  Germany,  who 
after  his  marriage  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1868.  Locating  in  Chicago,  he  took  em- 
ployment as  a  baker  and  brewer  and  con- 
tinued in  this  line  for  several  years.  In 
1 87 1,  he  came  to  Columbia  City  to  accept 
the  position  of  brew-master  of  the  present 
Walter  Raupfer  Brewing  Company,  and 
later  the  Strausser  Brewing  Company,  which 
he  purchased  in  1882  and  conducted  four 
or  five  years.  After  that  he  opened  a  bakery 
on  the  present  site  of  Eganson's  store,  and 
continued  in  this  business  for  seven  or  eight 


years,  at  which  time  he  retired.  He  died 
December  10,  1906,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-six  years,  leaving  a  second  wife,  Ger- 
trude Kempton,  as  his  widow.  By  his  first 
wife  he  had  two  children  and  eleven  by  the 
second  union,  of  whom  seven  are  living. 

Ferdinand  F.  Morsches  was  born  in 
Columbia  City,  April  14,  1873.  As  soon 
as  he  became  old  enough  to  work,  he  entered 
the  mill-yard  of  the  Peabody  Lumber  Com- 
pany as  a  laborer,  and  now  has  been  with 
that  company  eighteen  years.  For  seven 
years  he  has  been  manager  for  the  three  mills 
of  the  company,  which  employ  fifty  men  in 
the  Columbia  City  plant  and  about  sixty- 
five  in  all,  besides  teamsters,  timber  cutters 
and  miscellaneous  help.  Mr.  Morsches  is  a 
stockholder  and  vice  president  of  the  com- 
pany, being  in  direct  management  of  the  pro- 
duction of  the  lumber,  the  full  details  of 
the  immense  business  frequently  devolving 
upon  him,  especially  in  the  absence  of  the 
president  of  the  company.  He  has  a  fine 
business  standing,  is  full  of  energy  and  keen 
discernment  as  to  needs  in  the  mills  or  yards 
and  has  a  happy  faculty  of  eliciting  hearty 
co-operation  of  all  employes.  He  is  too 
busy  to  indulge  in  social  affairs  or  politics, 
but  is  fond  of  out-door  sports  and  during 
vacation  seasons  enjoys  an  outing  on  the 
lakes  with  his  rod  or  in  the  forest  with  his 
gun. 

October  3,  1896,  Mr.  Morsches  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mabel  Foust, 
a  lady  of  prominent  and  influential  social 
connections.  She  is  a  niece  of  Franklin  H. 
Foust  and  a  daughter  of  Albert  Foust,  de- 
ceased, both  well  known  citizens  of  Whitley 
county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morsches  have  two 
children,  who  have  been  christened  Eliza- 
beth and  Carl  F. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


453 


EDWARD  L.  GALLAGHER, 

contractor,  ex-county  official  and  one  of 
the  esteemed  citizens  of  Columbia  City,  is 
a  native  of  Trumbull  county,  Ohio,  where 
his  birth  occurred  on  April  2,  i860.  As  the 
name  indicates,  he  is  of  Irish  descent,  his 
parents,  Hugh  and  Anna  (O'Brien)  Gal- 
lagher, both  having  been  born  in  the  Em- 
erald Isle.  By  occupation  Hugh  Gallagher 
was  a  stone  mason.  He  came  to  America 
in  1 85 1  and  after  following  his  trade  for  a 
limited  period  in  the  city  of  New  York,  went 
to  Mahoning  county,  Ohio,  where  he  be- 
came manager  of  a  farm  near  Youngstown, 
which  position  he  held  until  earning  sufficient 
means  to  purchase  property  of  his  own, 
when,  in  1866,  he  moved  to  Whitley  county, 
Indiana,  locating  at  Columbia  City.  Short- 
ly after  his  arrival  here  he  purchased  a  lot 
and  in  due  time  erected  a  house,  after  which 
he  entered  the  service  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Railway  Company  and  still  later  took  con- 
tracts for  constructing  ditches  for  the  county 
and  private  citizens.  \\ Tiile  thus  engaged 
Mr.  Gallagher  demonstrated  marked  ability. 
He  died  May  5.  1895,  just  twenty-nine  years 
to  a  day  from  the  date  of  his  arrival  in 
Columbia  City.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gallagher 
had  eight  children,  the  oldest  of  whom, 
James,  died  in  1872;  Patrick  is  a  contractor 
in  the  state  of  Ohio ;  Thomas  G.  was  an 
agent  for  twenty-five  years  on  the  Wabash 
Railroad.  Both  himself  and  wife  are  dead,  ' 
their  five  children  being  kindly  cared  for  by 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edward  Gallagher;  the  fifth 
in  succession  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch: 
Mary,  married  Dennis  Galvin,  of  Columbia 
City;  Frank,  is  train  dispatcher  at  Joliet, 
Illinois,  and  Hugh  and  a  twin  sister  to  Ed- 


ward died  in  infancy.  Of  the  early  years 
and  experience  of  Edward  L.  Gallagher  the 
biographer  can  speak  only  in  a  general  way, 
there  being  nothing  of  the  tragic  connected 
with  that  period  of  life.  Lntil  his  eleventh 
year  his  time  was  largely  given  to  study  in 
the  public  schools  and  at  about  that  age  he 
took  his  first  contract,  which  was  the  piling 
of  a  large  amount  of  staves,  which  required 
a  month's  hard  labor,  and  for  which  he  re- 
ceived the  sum  of  seventy-eight  dollars.  He 
has  always  considered  this  the  most  satisfac- 
tory contract  he  ever  carried  out  and  recalls 
it  with  a  greater  degree  of  pleasure  than  any 
other  experience  in  his  business  career. 
After  assisting  his  father  for  several  years 
and  becoming  familiar  with  every  phase  of 
contracting,  Mr.  Gallagher  engaged  in  the 
same  line  of  business  for  himself  and,  with 
the  exception  of  the  period  devoted  to  his 
office  duties,  has  followed  the  same  to  the 
present  time,  meeting  with  a  large  measure 
of  success  and  earning  an  honorable  reputa- 
tion for  faithful  and  efficient  work.  Like 
his  father  before  him,  his  work  has  taken 
a  wide  range  and  while  doing  the  major 
part  of  the  contracting  in  his  line  in  Whitley 
county,  he  has  also  taken  a  number  of  large 
jobs  elsewhere.  It  is  a  matter  worthy  of 
note  that  throughout  his  entire  business  ca- 
reer as  a  contractor,  he  has  never  worked 
a  day  under  the  direction  of  a  superior,  a 
fact  of  which  he  feels  deserve'llv  proud,  and 
which  it  may  safely  be  said  is  a  remarkable 
exception  in  the  lives  of  the  majority  of  me- 
chanics and  business  men.  Mr.  Gallagher  is 
a  Democrat  and  for  a  number  of  years  has 
been  an  active  participant  in  political  af- 
fairs. In  1896,  he  was  appointed  deputy 
sheriff  of  Whitley  county,  under  B.  F.  Hull, 


454 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


the  duties  of  which  position  he  discharged 
in  such  a  creditable  manner  that  at  the  ex- 
piration of  his  four  years  of  service  he  was 
elected  sheriff,  being  the  only  deputy  that 
ever  succeeded  to  the  office  since  the  county 
was  organized.  He  took  charge  of  the  of- 
fice in  1900  and  two  years  later  was  re- 
elected for  a  second  term,  at  the  expiration 
of  which,  in  1904,  he  resumed  the  business 
which  he  had  temporarily  discontinued  eight 
years  before.  He  operates  a  steam  dredge, 
working  night  and  day,  and  employing  about 
eight  assistants  and  with  which  he  has  con- 
structed at  least  two  hundred  miles  of  drains, 
not  only  in  Whitley  but  in  many  other  coun- 
ties and  in  other  states.  The  business  is 
conducted  under  the  name  of  The  Raupfer  & 
Briggs  Drainage  Company,  consisting  of 
Benjamin  Raupfer,  S.  O.  Briggs,  Dennis 
Galvin  and  Mr.  Gallagher.  In  his  religious 
belief  Mr.  Gallagher  is  a  Catholic  and  an  in- 
fluential member  of  the  church  in  Columbia 
City.  He  belongs  to  the  Catholic  Knights 
of  America  and  the  Modern  Woodmen,  in 
both  of  which  organizations  he  has  been 
honored  with  important  official  positions. 

On  January  3 1 .  1 900,  Mr.  Gallagher  was 
united  in  the  holy  bonds  of  matrimony  with 
Miss  Emma  Adang,  who  was  bom  in  Fos- 
toria,  Ohio,  but  since  about  1896,  has  re- 
resided  in  Whitley  county.  Mrs.  Gallagher's 
ancestors  were  of  German  blood,  her  grand- 
father emigrating  to  America  in  an  early  clay 
and  settling  in  Seneca  county,  Ohio.  Her 
parents,  who  were  both  natives  of  that  state, 
mi  ived  to  Indiana  in  the  year  indicated  above 
and  are  now  residents  of  Columbia  City. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gallagher  have  three  children, 
Mary  Ann,  Edna  L.,  and  Hortense  Ber- 
nice.     Besides  these,  his  brother's  five  chil- 


dren have  found  a  suitable  home  with  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gallagher.  They  are:  Edward 
T.,  Bernard  G.,  Ida  M.,  Helen  and  Claudine. 


WHITNEY  &  LUCKENBILL. 

The  above  named  firm  of  funeral  di- 
rectors entered  into  business  at  Columbia 
City  in  November,  1904,  as  successors  to 
Maine  &  Whitney,  Mr.  Luckenbill  buying 
the  former's  interest.  They  occupy  com- 
modious quarters  in  the  Adair  building  and 
keep  a  full  supply  of  everything  appropriate 
to  this  line  of  business.  Rev.  Lewis  A. 
Luckenbill,  the  junior  member,  was  born  in 
Miami  county,  Indiana,  May  30,  1867.  His 
father  was  a  native  of  the  Keystone  state 
and  served  nearly  four  years  during  the 
civil  war  as  a  member  of  the  Ninety-third 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Infantry. 
Shortly  after  the  close  of  hostilities,  he  re- 
moved to  Miami  county  and  located  at  Den- 
ver. Lewis  A.  spent  his  boyhood  on  the 
farm  and  when  of  age  began  teaching  in 
the  common  schools,  which  occupation  he 
followed  for  eight  years.  When  thirty  years 
old  he  came  to  Columbia  City,  to  take  charge 
of  the  Oak  Grove  and  Evergreen  congre- 
gations of  the  Church  of  God.  For  two 
years  he  served  the  Blue  River  circuit  be- 
sides the  two  above  mentioned.  He  is  now 
serving  his  second  term  as  pastor  of  the 
home  Church  of  God,  in  connection  with 
Oak  Grove  and  Evergreen.  They  have 
prospered  under  his  care  and  have  a  fine 
membership.  The  local  church  is  out  of 
debt,  was  recently  re-decorated  and  now 
enjoys  the  luxury  of  electric  lights  and  other 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


455 


improvements.  Air.  Luckenbill  is  quite  ac- 
tive and  influential  in  connection  with  the 
general  business  features  of  his  church  or- 
ganization. What  is  known  as  the  general 
eldership  consists  of  about  one  hundred  and 
forty  members  elected  as  delegates  from 
each  of  the  subordinate  elderships  and  it 
meets  even'  four  years.  The  general  elder- 
ship elects  an  executive  board  of  five  mem- 
bers, which  meets  each  year  for  a  week  at  the 
commencement  of  the  college  of  the  church, 
at  Findlay,  Ohio.  This  board  has  charge 
of  all  business  of  the  general  eldership  and  is 
of  great  importance  in  the  affairs  of  this 
religious  organization.  Mr.  Luckenbill  was 
twice  elected  as  a  delegate  to  the  general 
eldership  and  in  June.  1905,  was  chosen  as 
a  member  of  the  executive  board,  and  was 
made  secretary  by  that  body.  He  has  also 
for  eight  years  been  financial  secretary  of 
the  eldership  composed  of  Indiana  and  part 
of  Michigan.  The  executive  board  is  in 
control  of  the  editorial  staff  of  the  church 
paper  published  at  Harrisburg,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  in  fact  has  supervision  of  all  the 
church  work.  Mr.  Luckenbill  is  secretary 
and  treasurer  of  the  Inter-state  Assembly  of 
the  Church  of  God  and  it  is  hardly  necessary 
to  add  that  he  is  one  of  the  busiest  men  in 
Columbia  City,  as  well  as  one  of  the  most 
useful. 

August  18,  1889,  Mr.  Luckenbill  was 
married  to  Miss  Laura  Alspach,  of  Miami 
county,  and  they  have  had  five  children. 
Charles  G.,  Ulysses  S.,  Jennie  Lind,  Lewis 
A.,  who  died  when  two  years  old,  and  Argel 
Rudyard. 

Charles  G.  Whitney,  the  senior  member 
of  the  firm,  was  born  in  Washington  coun- 
ty. New  York,  July  28,   1861,  being  a  son 


of  E.  G.  Whitney,  a  teacher  at  the  Fort 
Edward  Institute.  He  spent  his  boyhood 
on  a  farm  in  Franklin  county  until  his  fa- 
ther's death,  and  then  attended  school  at  the 
Franklin  Academy.  At  the  age  of  nineteen 
he  began  to  teach  and  spent  four  years  in 
this  occupation,  two  in  New  York  and  two 
in  Vermont,  being  subsequently  engaged  for 
twelve  years  as  a  contractor  and  builder. 
In  1894,  he  entered  into  the  undertaking 
business,  preparing  himself  with  a  course  in 
embalming.  He  was  for  two  years  at  No- 
blesville,  Indiana,  and  in  1902,  came  to 
Columbia  City.  He  was  in  partnership  with 
J.  M.  Maine  until  1904,  when  the  retirement 
of  the  latter  brought  about  the  firm  of 
Whitney  &  Lukenbill.  Mr.  Whitney  was 
married  in  1886  to  Miss  Grace  H.  Barnard, 
who  died  ten  years  later,  aged  twenty- 
eight.  By  this  union  there  were  four  daugh- 
ters, Ethel  E.,  a  teacher,  in  Whitley  county, 
Miry  E.,  a  pupil  in  high  school,  Grace  A., 
and  Gladys.  In  December,  1896,  Mr.  Whit- 
ney married  Miss  Bertha  A.  Hudson. 


OTIS  W.   STAIR. 


The  railroad  agent  at  an  important  ship- 
ping point  is  a  man  of  many  responsibilities, 
as  well  as  a  target  for  criticism  and  it  takes 
both  tact  and  judgment  to  gain  and  retain 
the  good  will  of  those  interested.  -  Few  men 
have  better  filled  this  role  and  achieved  those 
results  than  the  present  agent  of  the  Van- 
dalia  at  Columbia  City.  Taking-  charge  of 
the  station  at  South  Whitley  in  1896,  and 
coining  to  the  county  seat  in  1902,  he  has 
achieved  an  excellent  standing  with  his  com- 


456 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


pany  and  the  people.  The  Stair  family  in 
Indiana  came  from  Virginia  and  settled  in 
Tippecanoe  county,  where  the  father  entered 
and  occupied  a  farm  near  Lafayette.  To 
this  pioneer  was  born  a  son  named  Charles 
W.  Stair,  who  after  reaching  manhood,  mar- 
ried Savanna  Frances  Reed,  also  a  native  of 
Tippecanoe  county.  He  passed  his  whole 
life  on  this  farm  up  to  the  time  of  his  death 
in  1879,  and  his  widow  still  resides  on  the 
old  place.  Otis,  son  of  Charles  W.  Stair, 
was  born  on  this  farm  in  Tippecanoe  county. 
August  10,  1872.  At  the  age  of  seventeen 
he  entered  a  business  college  at  Lafayette 
and  after  graduating,  attended  the  school  at 
St.  Louis  conducted  by  the  Wabash  Rail- 
road. In  1 89 1  he  began  what  has  proved 
to  be  fifteen  years  of  continuous  railroad 
work,  as  night  operator  at  Fairmount,  Illi- 
nois, and  after  working  for  short  periods  at 
various  places,  he  took  a  position  at  Newton, 
Indiana.  Later  he  was  in  the  office  of  the 
superintendent  of  the  Wabash  at  Detroit, 
and  in  the  despatcher's  office  at  Peru.  In 
1893-4  he  took  a  course  in  civil  engineering 
at  Purdue  University,  but  was  soon  in  the 
railway  harness  again  as  agent  at  South 
Whitley.  He  came  to  Columbia  City,  No- 
vember 7,  1902,  being  placed  in  charge  of 
the  station.  In  1904..  the  depot  was  re- 
modeled, and  now  Mr.  Stair  has  three  as- 
sistants. He  has  a  clean  and  creditable  rec- 
ord, and  stands  well  with  the  company,  be- 
cause he  procures  business,  and  with  the 
people,  because  he  accommodates  them  in 
every  possible  way.  During  the  great  de- 
mand for  cars  in  which  to  ship  the  immense 
onion  crop  of  1906,  Mr.  Stair  managed  it 
so  that  his  supply  of  cars  never  failed,  thus 
affording   greater    satisfaction    to   shippers. 


Mr.  Stair  owns  his  home  in  Columbia  City, 
and  a  part  of  the  old  homestead  near  Lafay- 
ette. He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order, 
of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  Modern 
Woodmen. 

In  1894,  Mr.  Stair  was  married  to  Miss 
Minnie  Maud  Baer,  of  Buck  Creek,  Indiana, 
and  they  have  five  children,  Lucille,  Otis  W.. 
Carlvle.  Nina  Bell  and  George  Kenneth. 


GIDEON  WRIGHT  WILCOX. 

May  6,  183 1,  Gideon  Wright  Wilcox, 
now  deceased,  son  of  Gideon  and  Amanda 
Wilcox,  was  born  at  Worthington.  Franklin 
county,  Ohio.  At  eighteen  he  made  the 
overland  trip  to  California.  May  29,  1861, 
he  married  Nettie  Black  and  came  to  Whit- 
ley county,  where  some  years  before  her 
parents  had  settled.  His  wife's  untimely 
death,  August  13,  1862,  temporarily  inter- 
rupted his  plans.  March  6,  1866,  he  was 
married  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  to  Mary  Aston, 
a  native  of  that  city,  whose  father,  William 
Aston,  was  brought  from  Ireland  in  infancy 
and  became  a  soap  and  candle-maker.  Mr. 
Wilcox  then  brought  his  wife  to  the  house 
he  had  previously  built  but  had  not  as  yet 
occupied.  During  the  civil  war  he  and  his 
brother-in-law,  David  Weaver,  worked  for  • 
a  time  as  blacksmiths  for  the  government  at 
Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  having  put  substi- 
tutes in  the  field  to  exempt  them  from  mili- 
tary service.  His  life  was  unostentatious 
and  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  his  farm. 
He  voted  the  Republican  ticket  though  not 
active  in  politics.  His  only  lodge  connec- 
tion was  with  the  Odd  Fellows.     He  died 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


457 


July  12,  1 89 1,  in  the  sixty-first  year  of  his 
age.  But  two  of  three  children  lived  to  ma- 
turity. Clinton  is  the  county  treasurer  of 
Whitley  county,  and  Lucy  is  a  stenographer 
in  the  office  of  Gates  &  Whiteleather,  attor- 
neys, at  Columbia  City. 

In  1893,  Mrs.  Wilcox  came  to  Columbia 
City  for  a  permanent  home  and  resides  in 
a  pleasant  dwelling  on  North  Chauncey 
street,  where  she  enjoys  the  company  of  old 
friends.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church. 


TACOB  A.  RUCH. 


Jacob  A.  Ruch,  retired  business  man  of 
Columbia  City,  and  one  of  the  community's 
"well  known  and  greatly  esteemed  citizens, 
was  born  March  2,  185 1,  in  Smith  township. 
Whitley  county,  being  one  of  the  thirteen 
children  that  constituted  the  family  of 
Charles  and  Sarah  A.  (Fertig)  Ruch.  His 
paternal  grandparents,  Jacob  and  Hannah 
Ruch,  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  it 
was  in  Northumberland  county,  in  which  his 
father  was  born,  November  1,  1808,  and 
reared.  In  1838,  Charles  Ruch  married 
Sarah  Ann  Fertig,  born  July  7,  1819,  and 
in  1845,  moved  to  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana, 
where  he  worked  at  his  trade  as  cabinetmak- 
er until  1849,  when  he  came  to  Whitley 
county,  settling  in  Smith  township.  Six 
years  later  he  moved  to  Columbia  City, 
where  he  followed  painting  in  connection 
with  the  livery  business,  and  later  became 
a  merchant.  Charles  Ruch  was  a  public- 
spirited  man  and  a  leader  in  the  local  De- 
mocracy, serving  as  postmaster  of  Columbia 
'City,  during  the  administration  of  Pierce. 


He  died  April  8,  1895 ;  his  wife  died  Feb- 
ruary 8,  1902.  Of  the  large  family  that 
gathered  once  beneath  his  roof,  six  only  are 
living. 

Jacob  Ruch  was  three  years  old  when 
brought  to  Columbia  City,  and  he  assisted 
his  father  as  soon  as  his  services  could  be 
utilized  and  at  intervals  attended  the  pub- 
lic schools.  He  soon  became  a  painter,  in 
connection  with  which  he  helped  in  the  liv- 
ery, devoting  his  attention  to  these  lines  until 
the  organization  of  the  city  fire  department, 
when  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  same, 
as  well  as  the  construction  of  water-works 
and  all  other  city  utilities.  Mr.  Ruch  con- 
tinued at  the  head  of  the  department  at  in- 
tervals for  ten  or  twelve  years,  proving  a 
faithful  and  efficient  fireman.  He  became 
deputy  county  treasurer  under  Joshua  P. 
Chamberlain,  upon  whose  death,  while  in 
office,  he  was  appointed  by  the  board  of  com- 
missioners to  fill  out  the  unexpired  term. 
When  John  Gross  was  elected  custodian  of 
the  county  funds,  Mr.  Ruch  was  again  made 
deputy  and  continued  as  such  until  the  expi- 
ration of  that  term,  serving  eight  years  in 
all  and  gaining  the  confidence  of  the  public. 
Mr.  Ruch  was  then,  in  1892,  the  Democratic 
nominee  for  county  treasurer,  but  with  the 
rest  of  the  candidates,  suffered  defeat  in  the 
general  Republican  landslide  of  that  year. 
Mr.  Ruch  organized  the  Whitley  County 
Telephone  Company,  in  which  he  was  as- 
sociated with  Messrs.  Peabody,  Pontius, 
Adams  and  Magley,  the  construction  of  the 
line  falling  to  him.  On  the  completion  of 
the  enterprise  he  took  a  contract  to  operate 
the  same,  and  fitting  up  an  office  in  his  own 
business  block,  he  continued  in  full  control 
for  six  years,  during  which  time  he  also 
superintended  the  extension  of  the  line  and 


458 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


brought  it  to  a  high  state  of  efficiency,  mak- 
ing it  meet  the  expectation  of  the  promoters 
and  the  public  and  fully  answer  the  purpose 
for  which  intended. 

In  1892  he  resigned  his  position  and, 
disposing  of  his  interest  in  the  company, 
retired  from  business,  being  induced  to  take 
the  step  on  account  of  failing  health.  Oc- 
tober 26,  1875,  Mr.  Ruch  was  united  in  the 
bonds  of  wedlock  to  Miss  Edith  A.  Rhodes, 
daughter  of  John  and  Ann  (Whitney) 
Rhodes,  natives  of  Maryland  and  Ohio  re- 
spectively. As  already  stated,  Mr.  Ruch 
has  been  an  active  politician  and  for  many 
years  a  leader  and  influential  adviser  of  the 
local  Democracy,  besides  taking  a  prominent 
part  in  a  number  of  state  and  national  cam- 
paigns. The  Presbyterian  church  repre- 
sents his  religious  creed,  he  having  long 
been  a  valued  member  of  the  home  congre- 
gation, and  a  liberal  contributor  to  the  sup- 
port of  the  gospel  at  home  and  elsewhere. 
His  wife  also  belongs  to  the  same  church 
and  like  himself  is  deeply  interested  in  its 
success  and  progress.  Mr.  Ruch  is  an  en- 
thusiastic Mason,  and  as  a  Knight  Templar 
has  attended  among  others  the  triennial 
conclaves  in  California,  Denver  and  Louis- 
ville. He  and  his  wife  have  traveled  exten- 
sively throughout  the  United  States,  visiting 
all  the  leading  points  of  interest,  east,  west, 
north  and  south,  thus  becoming  familiar 
with  the  magnitude  of  their  country  and  the 
greatness  of  its  people  and  institutions. 

John  Rhodes,  Mrs.  Ruch's  father,  was 
born  at  Hagerstown,  Maryland,  November 
9,  1814,  his  father  having  been  a  soldier  in 
the  war  of  1812.  He  was  a  millwright  by 
trade  and  in  1841  moved  to  Columbia  City, 
and  purchasing  a  lot  at  the  corner  of  Chaun- 


cey  and  Van  Buren  streets,  started  a  gen- 
eral store.  He  was  an  active  and  prosper- 
ous business  man  and  did  much  to  promote- 
the  material  growth  of  the  city,  erecting  a 
number  of  buildings,  among  which  is  the- 
large  Rhodes'  brick  block,  containing  three 
store  rooms  on  the  ground  floor  with  several 
apartments  above,  which  was  put  up  in  the 
year  1890.  This  property  is  in  the  central 
part  of  the  city  and  is  one  of  the  most 
valuable  pieces  of  realty  within  the  corpor- 
ation. Mr.  Rhodes  will  long  be  remem- 
bered as  one  of  the  leading  men  of  his  day 
and  generation  in  Columbia  City,  having 
been  liberal  in  the  expenditure  of  his  means 
to  advance  the  interest  of  the  municipality 
and  public-spirited  to  the  extent  of  assist- 
ing all  enterprises  for  the  general  welfare 
of  his  fellow  citizens.  He  died  March  11, 
1904.  Of  the  four  children  of  John  and 
Ann  Rhodes,  but  one,  Mrs.  Ruch,  survives. 
Two  daughters,  Sarah  E.  and  Alpharitta, 
died  young,  and  a  son,  Francis,  who  died 
March  25,  1898,  aged  fifty-six.  Mrs. 
Rhodes,  whose  maiden  name  was  Ann  Whit- 
ney, was  born  February  29,  1812,  died  No- 
vember 22,  1874.  She  is  well  remembered 
as  the  landlady  of  the  Rhodes'  Hotel,  and 
her  reputation  as  such  made  her  house  one 
of  the  most  popular  stopping  places  in  north- 
ern Indiana. 


JOHN  T.  CLAPHAM. 

William  and  Lydia  (Reish)  Clapham, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania,  came  to  Colum- 
bia City  in  1885.  He  had  been  foreman, 
superintendent  and  owner  of  woolen  mills, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


459 


and  when  he  came  to  Whitley  county  be- 
came superintendent  of  the  Eel  River  mills 
at  Columbia  City.  He  died  in  1886,  at  the 
age  of  forty-nine,  while  the  widow  still  re- 
sides in  Columbia  City.  They  have  seven 
surviving  children,  three  of  whom  live  in 
Whitley  county. 

John  T.  Clapham  was  born  in  Mifflin- 
burg,  Pennsylvania,  July  25,  1865,  and  at 
nine  years  of  age  began  to  work  in  the 
woolen-mills.  Upon  arrival  at  this  place 
he  was  given  charge  of  the  weaving  depart- 
ment. He  continued  in  this  position  until 
1890,  after  which  he  worked  for  several 
seasons  in  the  mills  at  Rochester  and  in 
Lagrange  county,  Indiana.  In  1892.  he 
helped  pack  the  machinery  of  the  mill  owned 
by  Eyanson  &  Hunt,  going  with  it  to  Seattle, 
Washington,  where  he  assisted  in  installing 
it  and  had  charge  of  the  weaving  department 
until  the  mill  closed  down  in  1893.  He 
was  then  employed  as  foreman  of  the  weav- 
ing department  in  the  mills  at  Zanesville, 
Ohio.  In  December  of  1894,  he  became 
deputy  under  Sheriff  Thomas  Hughes  and 
so  served  until  the  expiration  of  the  term. 
In  1898,  he  went  to  Cuba  with  the  home 
company,  under  Colonel  Harrison,  and 
served  until  mustered  out  after  twelve 
months'  service.  July  15,  1899,  Air.  Clap- 
ham  enlisted  at  Denver,  in  Company  F, 
Thirty-fourth  Regiment  Infantry  United 
States  Volunteers,  going  with  the  regiment 
to  the  Philippines  a  few  months  later.  He 
was  one  of  the  two  chosen  from  his  company 
to  assist  in  policing  Manila.  His  command 
was  then  four  hundred  miles  north  of  Ma- 
nila, on  the  island  of  Luzon,  and  he  was 
mustered  out  in  order  to  accept  the  place  at 
Manila.     Ill   health,  due  to  the  depressing 


nature  of  the  climate,  compelled  him  to 
resign  June  1,  1902,  the  return  voyage  being 
in  July.  The  campaign  to  the  north  of 
Luzon  was  one  of  the  hardest  ever  partici- 
pated in  by  federal  troops,  men  suffering 
much  from  tropical  fever,  he  being  disabled 
from  service  for  months  on  its  account. 
During  the  session  of  1903,  Mr.  Clapham 
held  a  clerical  position  in  the  Indiana  state 
senate  and  in  January,  1905,  was  appointed 
deputy  under  Sheriff  Logan  Staples,  in 
which  position  he  has  since  served,  giving 
personal  attention  to  the  office  demands,  in- 
cluding attendance  at  the  courts.  Mr. 
Clapham  is  an  ardent  Republican.  He  was 
president  of  the  Young  Men's  Republican 
Club  in  1888  and  has  been  secretary  of  the 
Republican  county  central  committee,  be- 
sides being  delegate  to  congressional  and, 
state  conventions.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
United  Workmen  and  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 


CLEON  H.  FOUST. 

Alfred  L.  Foust  was  born  in  Delaware 
county.  Ohio,  January  26,  1839.  He  was 
engaged  in  farming  in  his  native  county 
until  1886,  when  he  became  a  resident  of 
Indiana.  He  married  Loretta  Smith,  by 
whom  he  had  the  following  children: 
Archibald,  deceased;  Mabel,  wife  of  Ferdi- 
nand F.  Morsches,  of  Columbia  City; 
Claude,  who  died  in  boyhood ;  and  Cleon  H. 
Alfred  was  foreman  and  overseer  for  the 
large  farming  interest  of  Foust  &  Wolf, 
until  bis  death.  December  6,  1898. 

Cleon  H.  Foust  was  born  in  Delaware 


460 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


county,  Ohio,  November  21,  1881,  and  at- 
tended the  public  schools  more  or  less  until 
his  sixteenth  year,  when  he  clerked  with  S. 
Stine  and  later  in  the  hardware  store  of  W. 
A.  Tulley.  Five  months  afterward  he  took  a 
position  in  Peabody's  planing-mill,  until 
1898.  In  July  of  that  year  he  became 
identified  with  the  Columbia  City  National 
Bank,  of  which  he  is  now  acting  cashier  and 
vice-president.  He  applies  himself  closely 
to  the  details  of  the  bank  management,  hav- 
ing given  financial  affairs  that  careful  study 
through  which  only  can  such  enterprises  be 
successfully  conducted. 

September  12,  1901,  Mr.  Foust  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Lela  G.,  daughter  of  Franklin 
and  Alice  (Bumgardner)  Stemen,  a  native 
of  Allen  county,  Ohio.  Her  father  was 
for  many  years  an  employee  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Company.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Foust  have 
one  child,  Franklin  H.,  Jr.  The  family  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  in  politics  Mr.  Foust  renders  allegiance 
to  the  Republican  party. 


JOHN  C.  MILLER. 

John  C.  Miller  is  a  native  of  Prussia, 
and  came  to  the  United  States,  with  his  fam- 
ily, when  thirteen  years  old.  They  located 
at  Pittsburg,  where  he  learned  his  trade  of 
cigarmaker  and  in  1863  came  to  Fort 
Wayne,  where  he  worked  five  years  as  a 
journeyman  and  then  set  up  in  business  for 
himself.  In  1879  he  established  a  small 
cigar  factory  and  eventually,  in  company 
with  his  brother,  Henry,  became  a  jobber  in 
tobacco,  pipes  and  other  articles  suitable  to 


this  line  of  trade.  From  small  beginnings 
he  has  enlarged  until  he  now  employs  eight 
or  nine  hands,  supplying  an  extensive  job- 
bing trade  in  the  surrounding  towns,  besides 
doing  a  paying  local  business.  His  own 
output  is  about  120,000  cigars  annually  of 
the  finer  brands  of  goods,  though  he  sells 
fully  double  that  number.  Mr.  Miller  has 
ever  taken  a  keen  interest  in  the  educational 
and  commercial  progress  of  Columbia  City 
and  as  a  citizen  has  liberally  assisted  in  help- 
ing the  growth  of  his  adopted  home.  He 
was  one  of  the  organizers  and  is  a  director 
in  the  Building  and  Loan  Association,  an 
important  factor  in  the  city's  growth.  He 
is  a  supporter  of  the  Republican  party, 
though  not  counted  as  particularly  partisan. 
In  1873  Mr.  Miller  was  married  to  Miss 
Lizzie  Witte,  of  Fort  Wayne,  and  to  this 
union  were  born  the  following  children. 
Flora,  wife  of  Joseph  Deerheimer,  a  con- 
tractor at  Fort  Wayne;  Harry  W.,  and  Ida, 
a  talented  musician.  Harry  W.,  who  is  ac- 
tively associated  with  his  father,  married 
Miss  Mabel  G.  Lee.  He  takes  much  inter- 
est in  fraternal  work  and  is  an  active  member 
of  the  Order  of  Ben  Hur,  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  Knights  of  the  Maccabees,  the 
elder  Miller  holding  membership  also  in  the 
order  first  named. 


ROBERT  HUDSON. 

Among  the  representative  business  men 
of  Columbia  City,  whose  achievements  en- 
title them  to  more  than  casual  notice,  the 
well  known  merchant  whose  name  heads  this 
article  stands  out  clear  and  distinct.     Robert 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


461 


Hudson  was  born  on  the  19th  of  June,  1865, 
in  Dunfermline,  Fifeshire,  Scotland.  In  1882 
he  came  to  America  and  at  Buffalo,  New 
York,  secured  a  clerkship  in  a  mercantile 
house.  After  becoming  familiar  with  mer- 
chandising, he  became  associated  with  his 
brother  in  a  general  store  at  Mount  Morris, 
New  York.  Mr.  Hudson  later  became  a 
traveling  salesman  for  a  wholesale  house  in 
St.  Louis  for  five  years,  traveling  over  an 
extensive  territory.  In  February,  1896,  he 
established  the  present  business,  the  begin- 
ning being  on  the  modest  capital  of  three 
thousand  dollars,  which  the  demands  of  the 
trade  soon  obliged  him  to  increase,  the 
growth  of  the  business  exceeding  his  fondest 
anticipations.  To  dry  goods  he  added  other 
lines  and  at  intervals  enlarged  the  floor 
space  to  suit  the  growing  demands.  This 
store  soon  became  one  of  the  largest  and 
best  patronized  establishments  of  the  kind  in 
Columbia  City. 

Mr.  Hudson's  business  has  grown  to  its 
present  mammoth  proportions  as  a  result  of 
fair  and  honorable  dealing  and  a  desire  to 
accommodate  his  patrons,  between  whom 
and  himself  mutually  pleasant  and  agree- 
able relations  have  ever  obtained.  Since 
1905  he  has  occupied  the  Masonic  building, 
the  ground  floor  of  which  is  forty-eight  and 
one-half  feet  front  by  one  hundred  and  forty- 
five  feet  deep,  the  entire  apartment  hand- 
somely equipped,  advantageously  arranged 
and  stocked  with  everything  in  the  dry 
goods  line  that  the  most  critical  and  exact- 
ing public  could  expect.  The  trade,  as  al- 
ready indicated,  is  extensive  and  constantly 
growing  and  so  large  at  present  as  to  require 
the  combined  services  of  twenty-one  clerks. 
In  addition  to  dry  goods,  Mr.  Hudson  car- 


ries a  full  line  of  carefully  selected  carpets, 
rugs,  house  furnishings,  boots,  shoes,  ladies' 
suits,  a  complete  stock  of  millinery  and  nu- 
merous other  kinds  of  merchandise.  A  part 
of  the  second  floor  has  been  completely 
stocked  and  all  systematized  under  the  su- 
pervision of  a  skilled  salesman  with  a  full 
corps  of  competent  assistants,  the  entire  es- 
tablishment being  conducted  in  the  most  or- 
derly and  systematic  manner  under  the  ju- 
dicious management  of  the  proprietor.  As 
a  practical  merchant,  Mr.  Hudson  has  few 
superiors  and  his  career  presents  a  series 
of  continued  advancements.  Possessing  ex- 
ecutive ability  of  a  high  order,  with  his  wide 
and  varied  knowledge  of  the  trade,  his  pleas- 
ant relations  with  wholesale  firms  and  cus- 
tomers, his  judgment  as  a  buyer  and  skill  as 
a  salesman,  make  him  one  of  the  repre- 
sentative merchants  of  the  state. 

Mr.  Hudson  married  Miss  Helen  Smith, 
of  Dunlap,  Iowa.  His  children  are  Robert, 
Margaret,  Helen  and  Estelle.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hudson  are  esteemed  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  of  Columbia  City,  of 
which  for  some  years  he  has  been  trustee. 


STEPHEN  O.  BRIGGS. 

Stephen  O.  Briggs  is  a  native  of  Whitley 
county,  being  born  in  Union  township,  Sep- 
tember 15,  1867,  his  parents  being  Silas  and 
Rebecca  (Nickey)  Briggs.  Until  his  twen- 
ty-sixth year  he  remained  on  the  farm.  At 
the  period  mentioned  he  determined  to  learn 
the  plumber  trade  and  found  a  favorable 
opportunity  while  the  water-works  plant  was 
being  installed  at  Columbia  City.     He  sue- 


462 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ceeded  from  the  start,  but  soon  found  his 
business  enlarging  until  at  present  he  carries 
a  stock  worth  about  three  thousand  dollars, 
and  employs  seven  men.  Mr.  Briggs'  work 
is  always  first-class,  being  clone  conscien- 
tiously and  under  his  own  direction.  Mr. 
Briggs  does  most  of  the  well  drilling  in 
Whitley  county.  Aside  from  all  of  this. 
he  finds  time  to  supervise  an  eighty-acre 
farm,  located  five  miles  east  of  Columbia 
City,  which  is  devoted  to  general  farming 
and  the  breeding  of  Polled  Angus  and  Dur- 
ham stock.  For  three  years  Mr.  Briggs  has 
been  president  of  the  school  board,  the  pres- 
ent high  school  building  being  constructed 
under  his  direction  at  the  cost  of  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Briggs  is  a  Blue 
Lodge  and  Royal  Arch  Mason,  and  in  politics 
is  a  Democrat.  Industrious,  courteous  and 
unobtrusive,  attentive  to  business  and  strict- 
ly honest,  in  all  his  dealings  no  man  in 
Columbia  City  has  more  friends  than 
Stephen  O.  Briggs. 

In  1893  Mr.  Briggs  was  married  to  Miss 
Belle,  daughter  of  the  late  Harlan  Clark, 
of  LTnion  township.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren, Phil.  S.,  aged  twelve,  and  Gertrude 
and  Garnett  (twins.)  aged  ten.  Mrs. 
Briggs  was  an  invalid  for  nine  years,  during 
which  time  she  underwent  several  operations, 
but  at  present  is  fully  recovered. 


WILLIAM  H.  MAGLEY. 

William  H.  Magley  was  born  on  a  farm 
in  Thorncreek  township,  March  2,  1861.  his 
parents  being  John  and  Elizabeth  Magley. 
He  was  on  the  farm  until  the  close  of  his 


thirteenth  year,  during  this  time  having 
passed  through  the  grades  of  the  city  schools. 
At  fourteen  he  began  to  clerk  in  the  dry 
goods  store  of  G.  M.  Bainbridge,  and  after 
four  years  in  this  line  he  became  assistant 
postmaster  under  O.  H.  Wood  worth,  con- 
tinuing during  the  terms  of  J.  W.  Baker 
and  E.  W.  Brown,  an  experience  extending 
from  1879  until  1885,  when  he  became  a 
clerk  in  the  bank  of  F.  H.  Foust.  In  1890 
Mr.  Magley  was  elected  county  clerk,  re- 
ceiving the  small  majority  of  four  votes, 
which  was  in  fact  a  decided  victory,  the 
lowest  successful  candidate  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket  receiving  a  majority  of  150. 
He  did  not  seek  a  re-election,  but  soon  after 
the  expiration  of  his  term  resumed  his  old 
position  in  the  bank.  In  April,  1904,  this 
institution  was  organized  into  the  Columbia 
City  National  Bank,  of  which  Mr.  Magley 
became  a  stockholder  and  director  and  was 
also  elected  cashier.  Owing  to  failing 
health  he  was  forced  to  retire  from  the  con- 
finement of  the  bank  and  in  February,  1906, 
went  to  New  Mexico,  finding  benefit  in  that 
salubrious  climate  so  that  he  returned  in  a 
few  months.  Mr.  Magley  then  became  ac- 
tively interested  in  the  management  of  the 
Whitley  County  Telephone  Company,  which 
he  had  helped  to  organize  in  1896,  and  of 
which  he  continued  to  serve  as  secretary  and 
treasurer.  The  company  employs  twenty- 
five  people,  Mr.  Magley  having  full  control 
over  all  its  operations  in  Whitley  county. 
Mr.  Magley  has  devoted  considerable  at- 
tention to  political  affairs,  and  for  one  term 
was  chairman  of  the  Republican  county  com- 
mittee. He  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason 
and  a  Presbyterian. 

May  t6,  1894,  Mr.  Magley  married  Miss 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


463 


Mary,  daughter  of  Captain  Peter  Simonson, 
a  soldier  of  the  civil  war,  who  was  killed 
at  Pine  Mountain,  Georgia,  while  serving 
as  captain  of  the  Fifth  Indiana  Battery. 
Mrs.  Magley  is  a  native  of  Columbia  City 
and  during  her  girlhood  held  various  im- 
portant clerical  positions,  including  service 
for  four  years  in  the  pension  office  at  In- 
dianapolis under  Captain  Ensley.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Magley  have  one  daughter,  Dorothy, 
aged  seven. 


WILLIAM  A.  CLUGSTON. 

Among  the  native  sons  of  Whitley  coun- 
ty who  have  gained  honorable  recognition 
in  commercial  circles,  as  well  as  in  the  social 
world,  is  the  gentleman  whose  name  fur- 
nishes the  caption  of  this  review.  William 
A.  Clugston,  member  of  the  firm  of  Clug- 
ston Brothers  &  Company,  and  son  of 
Azariah  R.  Clugston.  was  born  in  New 
Castle,  Delaware,  June  25,  1862.  When  a 
lad  of  twelve  or  thirteen  years  he  entered 
the  mercantile  house  of  Clugston  Brothers, 
where  by  close  and  diligent  application  he 
soon  mastered  the  basic  principles  of  busi- 
ness and  in  due  time  became  a  successful 
salesman.  With  the  exception  of  the  time 
spent  in  school  he  has  been  connected  with 
the  firm  for  more  than  twenty-five  years,  and 
in  January,  1890,  was  admitted  into  part- 
nership. Mr.  Clugston  possesses  the  prac- 
tical intelligence,  mature  judgement  and 
sound  business  ability  necessary  in  the  suc- 
cessful conduct  of  a  business  devoted  to  gen- 
eral merchandise  and,  working  in  harmony 
with  able  associates,  has  developed  an  es- 


tablishment in  which  every  citizen  feels  just 
pride.  His  relations  with  his  associates  and 
customers  have  ever  been  of  the  most  pleasant 
and  agreeable  nature,  not  a  little  of  his  suc- 
cess being  directly  attributed  to  his  courte- 
ous manner  and  genial  personality.  As 
stated  elsewhere,  the  firm  of  which  he  is  an 
influential  factor  commands  an  extensive 
patronage  not  only  in  Columbia  City,  but 
throughout  Whitley  county,  and  being  man- 
aged by  men  with  safe  and  conservative  poli- 
cies, stands  a  lasting  monument  to  a  broad 
commercial  spirit. 

Mr.  Clugston  manifests  a  lively  interest 
in  other  matters,  being  alive  to  all  that  bene- 
fits the  community  and  a  friend  and  advocate 
of  every  measure  having  for  its  object  the 
good  of  his  fellowmen.  He  is  a  thirty- 
second  degree  Mason. 

Mr.  Clugston  was  wedded  to  Miss  Cora 
Tanpert,  of  Columbia  City,  who  died  after 
a  brief  companionship.  For  several  years 
prior  to  her  marriage  and  for  some  time 
thereafter,  Mrs.  Clugston  was  a  popular 
sales-lady  in  the  store,  with  a  wide  circle  of 
warm  personal  friends. 

In  1905  Mr.  Clugston  married  Miss 
Minnie  Erdman,  who  was  also  a  clerk  for 
some  time  with  the  firm. 


ROBERT  F.  HOOD. 

In  1858  Robert  Hood  came  to  Columbia 
City  and  opened  a  wagon  shop  and  either 
as  proprietor  or  journeyman,  was  engaged 
in  this  business  for  forty-five  consecutive 
years.  He  is  remembered,  however,  not 
solely  as  a  mechanic,  but  because  of  his  su- 


464 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


periority  as  a  singer,  being  gifted  with  an 
unusually  rich  bass  voice,  whose  natural 
timbre  had  received  careful  cultivation.  For 
thirty  years  he  was  leader  of  the  Lutheran 
church  choir,  which  his  efforts  had  brought 
to  a  condition  of  efficiency,  the  tones  of 
his  own  voice  affording  a  peculiar  pleasure 
to  lovers  of  sacred  music.  Born  in  London, 
he  came  to  the  United  States  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  and  was  married  at  Fort  Wayne  to 
Sarah  Smith,  who  died  in  her  thirty-ninth 
year.  After  a  third  marriage  he  went  to 
Chicago  in  1903,  to  live  with  his  son,  J.  W. 
Hood,  superintendent  of  the  Reagan  Print- 
ing Company  and  who  acquired  reputation 
as  a  skilled  workman. 

Robert  F.  Hood  was  born  in  Columbia 
City,  January  12,  1862.  At  the  age  of  six- 
teen he  began  an  apprenticeship  at  the  car- 
riage-painting trade,  and  subsequently  open- 
ing a  shop,  contracted  to  do  all  kinds  of 
painting.  He  painted  the  court  house,  as 
well  as  scores  of  other  buildings,  public  and 
private,  until  his  health  being  injured 
through  the  affliction  to  which  painters  are 
subject,  he  removed  to  a  farm  three  miles 
south  of  the  city  and  remained  there  until 
1902.  Returning  to  Columbia  City  he  soon 
purchased  from  George  D.  Ramp  the  furni- 
ture business  established  by  him  in  1893  on 
a  small  scale,  but  which  has  now  assumed 
handsome  proportions.  It  occupies  a  build- 
ing twenty-two  by  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet,  including  the  rear  half  of  the  second 
floor,  all  closely  packed  with  a  well  selected 
stock  of  up-to-date  furniture,  including  the 
latest  patterns  in  all  standard  articles  and 
representing  a  value  of  several  thousand 
dollars.  The  annual  sales  have  grown  sat- 
ifactorily,     showing     a     constant     increase 


and  proving  that  strict  attention  to  business 
with  a  liberal  sales  method  will  yield  suit- 
able returns.  Mr.  Hood  is  a  Mason  and  an 
active  lodge  worker,  also  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen,  and  he  is  a  Republican 
in  politics. 

January  13,  1886,  Mr.  Hood  married 
Miss  Minnie  A.,  daughter  of  Jeremiah  S. 
Hartsock,  of  Whitley  county.  The  children 
are  Thomas,  Ellen  and  Robert.  Mr.  Hood 
is  fond  of  out-door  sports  and  usually  spends 
his  summer  vacation  on  the  lakes  when  his 
inclination  to  lure  the  finny  inhabitants  may 
be  fully  satisfied. 


JAMES  S.  COLLINS. 

James  S.  Collins,  deceased,  late  a  resi- 
dent of  Columbia  City  and  a  distinguished 
and  venerable  member  of  the  Whitley  coun- 
ty bar,  is  eminently  worthy  of  representation 
in  this  volume,  and  the  work  might  well 
be  considered  incomplete  were  there  a  fail-' 
ure  to  direct  specific  attention  to  his  life  and 
its  accomplishments. 

Coming  of  one  of  the  earl)'  pioneer  fami- 
lies of  the  Hoosier  state,  and  himself  to  be 
considered  as  a  pioneer  resident  of  Whitley 
county.  Mr.  Collins  was  born  in  Wayne  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  on  the  24th  of  December,  1819, 
being  the  son  of  John  and  Jane  (Holman) 
Collins,  the  former  of  whom  was  a  native  of 
Virginia  and  the  latter  of  Kentucky,  both  be- 
ing of  the  stanch  old  English  stock.  The  fa- 
ther of  the  subject  settled  in  Wayne  county 
very  early  in  the  present  century,  purchasing 
a  tract  of  land  from  the  government  and 
devoting  himself  vigorously  and  successful- 


/XAjlk^/^ 


£/,  Lfir^&u^^j 


>      j.&Ufc* 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


465 


ly  to  its  reclamation.  There  he  continued  to 
abide  until  1836,  when  he  removed  to  Whit- 
ley county  and  settled  in  Cleveland  town- 
ship, where  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land 
upon  which  some  slight  improvements  had 
been  made.  There  the  family  home  was 
maintained  for  many  years.  John  Collins 
was  a  member  of  the  state  militia  during  the 
war  of  1S12,  and  the  Mexican  war,  and  he 
weiit  forth  to  aid  in  preventing  an  uprising 
among  the  Indians,  whose  insubordination 
was  a  feature  of  the  memorable  conflict.  He 
was  the  first  treasurer  of  Whitley  county, 
becoming  the  incumbent  in  this  office  at  a 
time  whene  there  was  no  cash  represented 
in  its  exchequer.  His  son,  Richard,  was  the 
first  sheriff  of  the  county,  and  soon  became 
clerk,  auditor  and  recorder,  all  of  which 
offices  were  combined  so  far  as  their  execu- 
tive was  concerned.  The  father  and  mother 
of  the  subject  both  died  in  Columbia  City, 
each  having  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age.  They 
became  the  parents  of  ten  children,  only  two 
of  whom  are  living  at  the  present :  Martha 
and  Eliza. 

The  subject  was  reared  under  the  sturdy 
discipline  of  the  pioneer  farm,  aiding  in  the 
work  of  clearing  one  hundred  acres,  and 
never  having  been  enabled  to  attend  school 
for  a  day  after  he  had  attained  the  age  of 
sixteen  years.  There  had  been  enkindled 
in  his  mind,  however,  an  appreciation  of 
the  privileges  which  were  of  necessity  denied 
him,  and  though  his  mental  horizon  was 
circumscribed,  still  he  spared  no  effort  to 
gain  the  knowledge,  which,  in  an  obscure 
way,  he  knew  would  be  so  essential  to  his' 
success  in  life.  He  had  a  few  books,  and  to 
these  he  devoted  his  spare  moments  at  home. 
The  intrinsic  capacity  of  his  mentality  was 
30 


shown  forcibly  in  the  fact  that  in  the  winter 
of  1843  ne  boldly  waded  into  the  pages  of 
Blackstone's  commentaries,  with  a  dictionary 
beside  him  as  an  aid  to  ascertain  the  mean- 
ing and  pronunciation  of  the  "big  words." 
Such  was  the  power  of  assimilation  that  he 
possessed,  that  we  find  a  most  notable  vic- 
tory achieved  by  the  young  man  within  a 
year's  time,  since  in  the  fall  of  1844  lie 
passed  an  examination  and  was  admitted  to 
practice  at  the  bar.  Such  accomplishment 
at  so  great  odds  reads  almost  like  a  romance 
in  these  latter  days  when  privileges  are  to 
be  had  for  the  acceptance,  and  when  the  way 
is  made  so  smooth  to  the  feet  of  the  average 
searcher  after  knowledge.  It  is  a  significant 
circumstance  that  the  honored  subject  began 
the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Columbia 
City,  which  point  was  the  scene  of  his  con- 
secutive endeavors  as  an  attorney  at  law 
from  that  early  day  to  the  day  of  his  death. 
His  title  to  the  rank  as  the  pioneer  lawyer  of 
that  city  is  unquestioned,  and  his  name  is 
honored  by  the  members  of  the  bar  to-day. 
as  it  has  been  through  all  the  days  of  the 
past.  The  lot  of  the  young  lawyer  was  not 
one  of  sybaritic  ease  or  one  that  yielded 
much  financial  return  for  a  long  time,  but  his 
perseverance  and  his  ability  eventually  won 
him  merited  recognition  in  the  according  to 
him  of  representative  clientage.  In  [860, 
a  distinguishing  honor  was  conferred  upon 
Mr.  Collins  in  his  election  to  the  state  senate, 
which  preferment  was  accorded  him  without 
the  formality  of  having  intimated  or  sug- 
gested to  him  his  candidacy.  He  was  a 
member  during  the  special  term  of  1861, — 
the  war  legislature, —  and  his  efforts  were 
marked  by  a  lively  appreciation  of  the  na- 
tion's peril  and  by  an  earnest  effort  to  sup- 


466 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.   INDIAN" A. 


port  her  time-honored  institutions.  In  1868 
the  demand  for  a  new  railroad  was  recog- 
nized by  the  citizens  of  Whitley  and  other 
counties,  and  of  the  company  which  was 
organized  to  bring  the  project  to  a  focus, 
Mr.  Collins  was  made  president.  This  cor- 
poration completed  what  is  known  as  the 
Eel  River  Railroad  in  1873.  and  the  subject 
retained  the  presidency  until  after  the  road 
had  been  brought  to  completion.  After  that 
time  he  devoted  his  attention  entirely  to  his 
profession,  although  he  withdrew  to  a  large 
extent  from  the  practice  in  the  courts  by 
reason  of  the  fact  of  his  advanced  age  ren- 
dering such  service  too  burdensome.  .This 
phase  of  the  work  lie  relegated  almost  entire- 
ly to  his  associate  in  business,  Benjamin  E. 
Gates. 

Air.  Collins  owned  a  large  tract  of  land 
contiguous  to  the  city,  and  also  had  some 
valuable  realty  within  the  corporate  limits. 
During  all  the  long  years  in  which  he  was 
a  witness  of  the  advancement  of  Columbia 
City  from  a  straggling  village  to  its  present 
flourishing  status  as  a  progressive  and 
modern  city,  the  subject  manifested  a  hearty 
interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  place  and  the 
welfare  of  the  county  and  was  a  prime  mover 
in  every  enterprise  which  had  as  its  object 
the  benefiting  of  the  community.  In  polit- 
ical matters  he  was  a  stalwart  Republican, 
and  was  an  active  and  zealous  worker  in  the 
party  ranks. 

Turning  in  conclusion  to  the  more  purely 
domestic  phases  of  Mr.  Collins'  life,  we  find 
that  on  October  24,  1841),  was  consummated 
ln's  marriage  to  Eliza  J.  Fleming,  a  native  of 
Londonderry,  Ireland,  and  the  daughter  of 
John  and  Frances  Fleming.  The  offspring 
of  this  most  happy  union  were  six  children, 


namely:  Jane  H..  city  librarian;  Reginald 
Heber.  in  Seattle.  Washington :  Dora,  de- 
ceased:  Howard,  deceased:  Sophia,  wife  of 
John  Wilson  Adams,  of  Columbia  City:  and 
William  J.,  also  of  Seattle,  Washington. 

Even  this  brief  reyiew  will  be  sufficient 
to  afford  an  idea  of  the  accomplishments  of 
our  honored  subject,  who  is  well  worthy 
of  the  title  of  a  "self-made  man."  and  whose 
actions  ever  stood  in  evidence  of  his  sterling 
integrity  and  of  high  principles  which  shaped 
his  career.  Among  the  people  who  knew 
him  so  long  and  so  well  he  passed  the  golden 
autumn  of  his  life,  secure  in  their  esteem  and 
confidence. 

The  close  of  this  honorable  and  eventful 
life  crowned  with  long  years  of  successful 
service  for  the  development  of  his  country 
and  the  elevation  of  mankind,  came  like  a 
gentle  evening  breeze,  and  the  noble  and 
courageous  spirit  answered  the  angel  call 
and  crossed  the  mystic  river  into  the  great 
beyond  August  22,  1898.  Mrs.  Collins  still 
resides  in  the  old  home,  though  since  Mr. 
Collins'  death,  Mrs.  Collins  has  laid  out  ten 
acres  in  citv  lots. 


ELIZA  J.  COLLINS. 

Eliza  J.  Fleming-,  wife  of  James  S.  Col- 
lins, was  born  at  Londonderry,  Ireland,  No- 
vember 22.  1822.  She  was  the  youngest 
daughter  of  John  and  Frances  Fleming.  In 
1826  she  came  with  her  parents  to  America, 
thev  located  in  Philadelphia,  where  she  re- 
sided until  184S.  when  she  came  to  Indiana 
to  visit  an  older  sister  living  there.  October 
24,   1849.  s':e  married  James  S.  Collins  in 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


467 


St.  Paul's  Episcopal  church,  Richmond,  In- 
diana, and  immediately  came  as  a  bride  to 
Columbia  City.  To  this  union  were  born 
six  children:  Jane  H.,  of  Columbia  City; 
Reginald  Heber,  of  Seattle,  Washington ; 
Dora  A.  (Mrs.  Samuel  Fleming),  deceased; 
Howard,  also  deceased ;  Sophia  D.  (Mrs. 
W.  J.  Adams),  of  Columbia  City;  and  Wil- 
liam J.,  of  Seattle,  Washington.  She  has 
always  been  actively  interested  in  every- 
thing for  the  advancement  of  the  town. 
During  the  Civil  war  she  engaged  in  the 
work  of  the  sanitary  commission.  She  has 
been  a  lifelong  member  of  the  Episcopal 
church  and  while  she  did  not  always  have 
the  church  of  her  choice  she  freely  helped 
in  one  and  all  of  the  churches,  doing  much 
in  early  days  to  build  them  up.  From  its 
formation  she  was  a  member  of  the  Wom- 
an's Christian  Temperance  Union  and  all 
her  life  an  advocate  of  temperance.  She  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Woman's  Relief 
Corps  but  of  no  secret  order. 


DANIEL  DANIEL. 


A  creditable  representative  of  the  ster- 
ling German  nationality  in  Columbia  City  is 
Daniel  Daniel,  who  has  for  many  years  been 
actively  identified  with  its  varied  interests, 
and  who  has  attained  a  standing  and  influ- 
ence second  to  none.  Mr.  Daniel  was  born 
February  18,  1844,  in  the  kingdom  of  Ba- 
varia, and  there  spent  his  early  life  and  re- 
ceived his  education.  At  twenty-two  years 
of  age  he  left  his  native  land  and  came  to  the 
United  States,  sailing  from  Havre  de  Grace, 
France,  for  New  York,  and  proceeding  di- 


rect to  Columbia  City,  where  his  brother 
Leopold  already  was.  For  one  year  he 
traveled  in  Whitley  and  bordering  counties 
as  a  peddler,  carrying  a  pack  of  miscellane- 
ous merchandise,  and  learning  the  language 
as  well  as  adding  materially  to  his  meager 
finances.  In  January,  1868,  he  and  Mr. 
Levi  became  partners  in  a  meat  market, 
which  they  conducted  for  little  more  than  a 
year,  when  he  became  sole  owner,  though 
his  brother,  Leopold,  was  soon  taken  in  as 
a  full  partner.  They  thus  operated  for  a 
period  of  seventeen  years,  during  which  time 
the  brothers  built  up  an  extensive  trade, 
becoming  the  largest  dealers  in  their  line  of 
business  in  Whitley  county.  In  1882  the 
large  brick  building  now  owned  by  Daniel 
Daniel  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  ten  thou- 
sand dollars,  one  room  being  devoted  to  the 
meat  business,  which  grew  rapidly  in  magni- 
tude and  importance  and  in  connection  with 
which  the  firm  also  did  a  large  and  thriving 
business  buying  and  selling  live  stock. 

At  the  expiration  of  seventeen  years  the 
meat  market  was  sold  to  F.  G.  Binder,  but 
the  brothers  continued  their  partnership  as 
stock  dealers,  becoming  the  largest  buyers 
and  shippers  in  this  part  of  the  state.  They 
also  dealt  quite  extensively  in  wool,  their 
combined  business  frequently  amounting  to 
over  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  annually. 

Mr.  Daniel  and  his  brother  were  asso- 
ciated for  twenty-six  years,  when  the  firm 
was  dissolved  by  mutual  consent,  since 
which  time,  1894,  they  have  carried  on  the 
stock  business  separately. 

In  addition  to  handling  live  stock,  in 
which  his  yearly  sales  run  from  seventy-five 
thousand  to  one  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
Daniel   Daniel  deals  extensivelv  in  various 


468 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


cither  lines,  buying  and  shipping  most  any 
kind  of  produce  or  merchandise  for  which 
there  is  demand  and  in  connection  conducts 
a  larg'e  and  well  assorted  shoe  store,  which, 
like  his  other  enterprises,  has  proven 
successful. 

Financially  his  success  has  been  commen- 
surate with  the  intelligence,  sound  judgment 
and  wise  forethought  displayed  in  his  va- 
rious undertakings,  and  he  is  to-day  one  of 
the  substantial  citizens  of  the  city  and  coun- 
ty, owning  in  addition  to  a  fine  residence  and 
other  property,  a  valuable  farm,  which  is 
devoted  to  grazing. 

Mr.  Daniel  takes  a  living  interest  in 
local  affairs  and,  though  never  an  aspirant 
for  official  preference,  he  accords  staunch 
allegiance  to  the  Democratic  party  and  by 
reason  of  his  eminent  fitness  has  been  twice 
elected  to  the  city  council,  serving  six  years 
in  that  body.  He  is  also  jury  commissioner, 
a  position  he  has  held  continuously  for 
twenty  years  and  frequently  he  has  been 
chosen  delegate  to  county,  district  and  state 
conventions.     He  is  a  Mason. 

March  19,  1873,  Mr.  Daniel  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Hannah  Levi,  of  Fort 
Wayne,  the  union  resulting  in  the  birth  of 
the  following  children :  Hattie,  wife  of  S. 
A.  Myers,  of  Ligonier,  Indiana ;  Sarah,  wife 
of  L.  N.  Allman,  of  Plymouth,  Indiana; 
Bertha,  who  married  Benjamin  Etlinger,  of 
Chicago ;  Josie,  wife  of  I.  N.  Baum,  of  Ligo- 
nier; Albert,  associated  with  his  father; 
Maurice,  who  is  with  his  father,  being  in 
direct  charge  of  the  boot  and  shoe  trade; 
Lewis,  a  traveling  salesman  representing 
the  Myer  Carriage  Works,  of  Ligonier,  of 
which   his   brother-in-law   is  the  head. 

Mr.  Daniel  has  been  actively  identified 


with  the  business  interests  of  Columbia  City 
since  1868,  and,  with  the  single  exception  of 
F.  H.  Foust,  is  the  oldest  business  man  in 
the  place.  He  has  led  a  busy  life,  as  useful 
as  it  has  been  active,  and  as  a  result  oc- 
cupies an  influential  place,  not  only  in  busi- 
ness circles  and  public  affairs,  but  in  the 
hearts  and  affections  of  the  people,  with 
whom  he  has  been  so  intimately  associated. 


ASHER  R.  CLUGSTON. 

This  representative  business  man  and  re- 
spected citizen  was  born  in  New  Castle 
county,  Delaware,  December  26,  1839.  His 
father,  Asher  Clugston,  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion, was  of  Scotch  descent,  while  his 
mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Catherine 
Rittenhouse,  was  of  German  lineage.  Mr. 
Clugston  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  na- 
tive commonwealth,  remaining  on  the  home 
farm  until  about  twenty-two  years  of  age. 
In  1862  he  came  to  Whitley  county  and  soon 
entered  upon  a  mercantile  career,  to  which 
his  life  has  since  been  almost  wholly  de- 
voted, he  now  being  reckoned  one  of  the 
county's  oldest  merchants.  For  the  past  six 
years  he  has  not  been  in  direct  management, 
though  retaining  his  interest  in  the  establish- 
ment with  which  he  has  so  long  been 
connected. 

Mr.  Clugston  has  achieved  distinct  suc- 
cess in  his  various  enterprises,  being  classed 
with  the  financially  substantial  men  of  Whit- 
ley county,  Owning  in  addition  to  his  interest 
in  the  mercantile  business,  valuable  real  estate 
ah  uie  and  in  association  with  his  brother  and 
brother-in-law,  Henry  McLallan.     He  owns 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


469 


personally  a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  three  miles  northwest  of  Colum- 
bia City,  in  a  rich  agricultural  section,  where 
he  was  actively  farming  for  some  years,  and 
which  continues  to  yield  a  handsome  return. 
That  Mr.  Clugston  is  public-spirited  is  amply 
shown  by  his  being  ever  found  ready  to  in- 
vest in  anil  encourage  any  enterprise  that 
promises  lasting  benefits  to  the  community. 
He  was  one  of  the  promoters  and  is  vice- 
president  of  the  cupboard  factory,  and  by 
voice  and  influence  has  encouraged  various 
other  objects  making  for  the  city's  welfare. 
He  has  always  been  a  loyal  supporter  of  the 
Democratic  party,  in  defeat  as  in  victory, 
but  beyond  voting  his  principles  and  main- 
taining the  soundness  of  his  opinions,  has 
taken  little  interest  in  politics,  having  never 
aspired  to  leadership  nor  sought  the  honors 
and  emoluments  of  office.  He  devoted  his 
energies  to  the  building  up  of  a  great  mer- 
cantile interest,  his  establishment  developing 
gradually  till  it  far  exceeds  his  fondest  an- 
ticipations and  giving  him  much  more  than 
a  local  reputation  in  commercial  circles.  He 
is  a  Mason  of  exalted  rank,  having  advanced 
to  the  thirty-second  degree  in  the  Scottish 
Rite,  has  been  accorded  positions  of  honor 
and  trust  in  the  order  and  is  widely  and 
favorably  known  among  his  brethren  of 
the  craft. 

Mr.  Clugston's  domestic  life  dates  from 
the  year  1867,  when  he  entered  the  marriage 
relation  with  Miss  Man*  A.  Mattoon,  of 
Northfield,  Franklin  county,  Massachusetts, 
the  native  place  of  Dwight  L.  Moody,  be- 
tween whom  and  Mrs.  Clugston  a  warm 
friendship  long  obtained,  the  two  having 
been  pupils  in  the  same  school.  Mrs.  Clug- 
ston taught  school,  a  work  for  which  she 


was  eminently  fitted  and  in  which  she  at- 
tained creditable  distinction.  Possessing  in- 
telligence and  culture,  she  presides  with 
grace  and  dignity  over  the  beautiful  and  at- 
tractive home  in  which  her  domestic  tastes 
shine  with  peculiar  luster,  and  which 
through  her  winning  personality  has  become 
a  popular  resort  for  the  best  society.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Clugston  have  had  three  children, 
namely :  Lucia  E.  married  Dr.  O.  V. 
Schuman,  of  Columbia  City ;  Gertrude  M.  is 
the  wife  of  Charles  H.  Snyder,  who  is  in  the 
employ  of  the  American  Express  Company 
in  Chicago;  Arthur  W.  died  April  12,  1904. 
at  the  premature  age  of  twenty-seven.  He 
was  a  young  man  of  fine  mind  and  promis- 
ing business  ability,  who,  after  finishing  his 
education  had  been  in  the  store  with  his  fa- 
ther, succeeding  to  the  latter's  interest  in 
the  establishment  a  short  time  prior  to  his 
death.  Popular  with  all.  and  a  general  fa- 
vorite in  the  social  circle,  his  life  was  full 
of  promise,  his  future  bright  with  hope,  but 
the  "King  of  Shadows"  touched  his  brow 
with  a  merciless  finger,  the  response  taking 
from  the  family  an  only  son  and  brother 
and  from  his  associates  and  the  community  a 
keen  and  brilliant  intellect,  a  genial  compan- 
ion and  a  promising  citizen. 


CLINTON  WILCON. 

Clinton  Wilcox  is  a  native  of  "Old 
Whitley"  and  within  her  borders  has  spent 
all  his  thirty-three  years.  Identified  with 
her  interests,  connected  through  his  parents 
with  her  growth  and  development  and  en- 
joying a  wide  acquaintance,  there  is  good 


47o 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


reason  why  he  should  enjoy  general  esteem. 
It  was  during  the  pioneer  days  that  Gideon 
Wilcox  came  from  Columbus,  Ohio,  to  be- 
come a  citizen  of  Indiana.  He  bought  a 
small  farm  in  Troy  township,  where  by  dint 
of  industry  and  good  management  he  not 
only  made  a  living  for  those  dependent  upon 
him,  but  left  a  fine  estate  at  his  death  in 
1890.  He  had  married  Mary  Aston  in  Ohio 
and  she  proved  a  most  suitable  colaborer  and 
companion. 

Clinton  Wilcox  was  born  in  Troy  town- 
ship, December  25,  1873.  He  received  a 
good  education  in  the  schools  of  the  neigh- 
borhood, besides  becoming  inured  to  the 
exacting  but  health-giving  labor  of  the 
farm.  At  his  father's  death,  when  Clinton 
was  but  seventeen  years  old,  he  had  the 
necessary  experience  and  ability  to  enable 
him  to  take  charge  of  and  manage  the  farm. 
His  only  duties  aside  from  this  were  con- 
nected with  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace, 
which  he  was  called  on  to  fill  for  a  while 
in  his  township. 

In  1893  Mr.  Wilcox  was  married  to  Miss 
Ruby,  daughter  of  Thomas  C.  and  Mary 
(Noble)  Havens,  who  also  came  from  Ohio 
to  Troy  township  at  an  early  day.  Mrs. 
Wilcox  was  born  at  the  paternal  homestead, 
December  25,  1871,  and  it  is  something  of 
a  coincidence  that  both  she  and  her  husband 
first  opened  their  baby  eyes  when  Santa 
Claus  was  delighting  older  children  with 
the  gifts  peculiar  to  Christmas  Day.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Wilcox  have  three  children  :  Paul 
C.  W.,  Mary  Ruth  and  Leland  Stanford. 
He  owns  a  valuable  farm  which  was  their 
home  until  his  election  to  the  treasurership 
in    1906.     He  is  a  Republican  and  a  mem- 


ber of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church. 


AUGUST  ERDMANN. 

The  mechanic  deserves  much  credit  for 
the  part  he  plays  in  the  growth  of  States 
and  nations,  as  without  his  constructive 
work,  aided  by  the  engineer,  there  could  be 
no  railroads,  no  canals,  no  electric  lines  and 
no  cities.  Any  one  looking  over  Columbia 
City  will  perhaps  be  surprised  when  told 
that  nearly  all  the  brick  houses  have  been 
built  by  one  firm,  of  which  August  Erd- 
mann  has  for  years  been  ruling  spirit. 
Such,  however,  is  the  fact  and  no  apology 
is  necessary  to  justify  a  few  biographical 
facts  in  outline  of  his  useful  career.  In- 
diana is  indebted  to  Germany  for  this  con- 
tributor to  her  industrial  life,  Mr.  Erdmann 
being  born  in  Hanover,  February  1,  1844. 
His  parents,  August  and  Louisa  (Shoultz) 
Erdmann,  were  both  natives  of  the  same  sec- 
tion of  the  "Faderland,"  where  the  father 
was  first  engaged  in  hotel  keeping  and  after- 
wards in  stone-quarrying.  They  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Lutheran  church  and  after  ful- 
filling all  the  duties  incident  to  rearing  a 
large  family,  they  passed  peacefully  away 
with  the  Christian's  hope  of  happiness  in  the 
life  to  come. 

As  August  grew  up  in  his  native  home, 
he  secured  a  fair  education  in  the  excellent 
schools  for  which  Germany  is  noted.  These 
have  industrial  departments,  known  here  as 
manual  training,  and  by  taking  advantage 
of  this  feature  young  Erdmann  was  enabled 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


47i 


to  qualify  himself  as  a  brick-layer.  He 
worked  at  this  trade  in  the  old  country  until 
twenty-four  years  of  age,  when  he  de- 
termined to  try  his  fortunes  in  the  great  Re- 
public. Taking  passage  in  1868,  he  landed 
at  the  port  of  Baltimore,  but  soon  made 
his  way  to  Forty  Wayne,  Indiana,  where  he 
put  in  one  year  in  such  irregular  employ- 
ment as  he  could  obtain.  Being  favorably 
impressed  with  what  he  heard  of  Columbia 
City  as  offering  opportunities  in  his  line, 
Mr.  Erdmann  came  to  this  place  in  1869. 
He  soon  found  employment  and  worked 
steadily  at  his  trade  during  the  next  nine- 
teen years.  In  1881  he  purchased  a  local 
brick-yard  and  entered  actively  into  the  busi- 
ness of  manufacturing  building  material  and 
contracting.  He  is  justly  proud  of  the  fact 
that  most  of  the  fine  brick  buildings  that 
now  grace  the  streets  of  Columbia  City  were 
erected  under  his  supervision  and  out  of  the 
material  made  in  his  busy  yards,  in  partner- 
ship with  Charles  Wynkoop.  Mr.  Erd- 
mann's  political  affiliations  are  with  the 
Democratic  party,  and  he  is  at  present  serv- 
ing his  second  term  as  a  member  of  the  city 
council. 

In  1870  Mr.  Erdmann  married  Wilhel- 
mina,  daughter  of  William  and  Johanna 
Luecke,  of  Whitley  county,  and  to  this  union 
have  been  born  nine  children :  Johanna, 
wife  of  William  Kuhne;  Louisa,  deceased 
wife  of  William  Bruggeman ;  August,  also 
a  brickmason ;  George,  in  business  at  Chi- 
cago; Minnie,  wife  of  Ash  Clugston ;  Ed- 
ward, Emma  and  Amelia.  The  parents  are 
members  of  the  German  Lutheran  church 
and  are  much  esteemed  in  the  social  circles 
of  the  community. 


WILLIAM  HENRY  HILDEBRAND. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  native  of 
Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
was  born  August  2,  1846.  His  parents, 
Dewalt  and  Margaret  (Huffman)  Hilde- 
brand,  came  to  Columbia  City  in  185J,  and 
here  he  followed  his  trade  of  cabinetmaker 
and  carpenter  until  his  death  in  April,  1857. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church 
and  an  unobtrusive,  industrious  man,  who 
made  and  kept  many  warm  friends.  He 
left  five  children,  William  H. ;  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  John  Fullerton,  of  Columbia  City; 
Joseph,  deceased  ;  Mary  Margaret,  and  Jane, 
wife  of  Benjamin  Flora,  residents  of  Kansas. 
Mrs.  Margaret  Hildebrand  later  married 
Peter  Hartman,  by  whom  she  had  two  chil- 
dren, Abraham  L.,  deceased,  and  Hugh  \\'., 
a  resident  of  Kansas.  Again  left  a  widow, 
Mrs.  Hildebrand  chose  as  her  third  husband 
Levi  Gilliland,  by  whom  she  had  one  child, 
Bartlet.  and  became  a  widow  for  the  third 
time,  surviving  Mr.  Gilliland  and  now  living 
in  Kansas  with  her  daughter  Jane.  Wil- 
liam Henry  Hildebrand  was  six  years  old 
when  brought  to  Whitley  county.  In  1865 
he  went  to  Missouri,  and  five  years  later 
to  Kansas  where  he  spent  two  years.  His 
next  step  was  to  Colorado,  where  he  put 
in  another  two  years,  and  then  "took  the 
back  track"  as  they  say  out  west,  revisiting 
the  same  states  ami  places.  Remaining-  in 
Kansas  until  1876  and  in  Missouri  from  that 
time  until  1885,  he  concluded  that  Colum- 
bia Citv  was  good  enough  lor  him  and  re- 
turned to  Whitley  county.  He  had  worked 
as  a  carpenter  for  several  years  and  until 
1878,   when   he  began   to  learn   the   wagon- 


47-' 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


maker's  trade  and  in  1892  established  his 
present  business.  He  manufactures  buggies 
and  wagons  besides  doing  general  repair 
work,  horseshoeing  and  blacksmithing.  His 
business  has  prospered  as  the  result  of  much 
hard  work,  patient  industry  and  ceaseless  at- 
tention to  the  details  incident  to  his  occu- 
pation. 

In  1874  Mr.  Hildebrand  married  Emma 
Cross,  of  Illinois,  who  bore  him  one  child, 
named  Nellie,  who  died  in  infancy,  the 
mother  also  dying"  after  a  companionship  of 
ten  years.  Mr.  Hildebrand  married  Dolly 
A.  Fullerton  in  1886.  They  are  members  of 
Grace  Lutheran  church  and  have  hosts  of 
warm  friends  in  Columbia  City.  Mr.  Hilde- 
brand is  a  Republican  and  has  served  in  the 
city  council  for  two  years,  where  he  made 
a  record  for  careful  attention  to  the  city's 
interests.  He  is  a  firm  believer  in  and  advo- 
cate of  the  municipal  ownership  of  public 
utilities,  the  soundness  of  such  opinion  be- 
ing supported  by  actual  experience  in  his 
own   city. 


JOHN  HANSON. 

As  far  back  as  records  show,  members 
of  this  family  have  been  engaged  in  agri- 
culture pursuits,  and  are  excellent  types  of 
the  class  of  men  who  rescued  Indiana  from 
the  wilderness  and  made  her  one  of  the 
great  farming  states  of  the  Union.  Charles 
and  Nancy  (Garlan)  Hanson,  the  former 
a  native  of  New  Jersey  and  the  latter  a 
Pennsylvania,  formed  part  of  the  pioneer 
army  that  invaded  the  state  of  Ohio  when 
it  was  still  struggling  with  all  the  difficulties 
of  the  earl)   .settlement.      Having  been  mar- 


ried in  the  Keystone  state,  they  settled  for 
a  while  in  Fayette  county,  Ohio,  but  about 
1845  sought  a  home  in  northeastern  In- 
diana, when  that  section  was  still  filled  with 
wild  game  and  Indians.  Residing  temporar- 
ily in  Kosciusko  county,  they  removed  later 
to  Noble,  where  their  remaining  years  were 
spent  on  a  farm.  He  died  at  the  age  of  eighty 
years.  This  pioneer  couple  reared  twelve 
children,  whose  names  are  as  follows : 
Julia,  Samuel,  Isaac,  Elizabeth  and  Sarah, 
all  now  dead :  Rebecca  Jane,  John,  Joseph, 
Margaret,  Mary,  Charles  ( deceased )  and 
Malissa. 

John  Hanson,  who  was  number  seven  of 
this  list,  was  born  in  Fayette  county,  Ohio, 
January  2,  1841.  He  went  through  the 
usual  experience  of  a  farmer's  boy.  doing 
farm  work  in  summer  and  attending  school 
irregularly  until  he  reached  legal  age.  He 
then  rented  for  some  years  till  he  became  a 
land-owner  himself.  After  buying  and 
selling  several  tracts,  he  eventually  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  in  Thorncreek  township, 
which  he  still  retains.  In  addition  to  this, 
he  owns  five  acres  of  land  adjoining  Colum- 
bia City,  and  here  he  makes  his  home,  hav- 
ing retired  from  active  farm  labor.  He 
leads  an  unobtrusive  life,  votes  the  Repub- 
lican ticket,  attends  services  at  the  Metho- 
dist church  and  has  a  wide  circle  of 
acquaintances. 

In  [86]  Mr.  Hanson  married  Nancy 
Moore,  who  died  in  1891.  In  1901  lie  chose 
a  second  wife  in  the  person  of  Mary  (  .Mil- 
ler) Hively,  widow  of  George  1  lively,  by 
whom  she  had  two  children.  Lovina,  who 
married  William  Humbarger,  and  died  leav- 
ing one  child  named  Canova.  Ira  Hively, 
the  only  son,  is  a  professional  cartoonist  and 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  IXDIAXA. 


473 


caricaturist  formerly  connected  with  the 
Davenport  (Iowa)  journals.  Mrs.  Han- 
son's parents  were  Solomon  and  Malinda 
(Unspaugh)  Miller,  the  former  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  Whitley  county  and  still  liv- 
ing in  Thomcreek  township.  Mr.  Hanson 
is  not  affiliated  with  any  fraternities. 


JOSEPH  H.   RUCH. 

This  name  has  been  a  familiar  one  in 
Whitley  county,  and  especially  in  Columbia 
City,  for  more  than  half  a  century.  Those 
who  bore  it  have  been  engaged  in  a  wide 
variety  of  business  pursuits,  from  farming 
to  livery  and  from  mechanic  arts  to  partici- 
pation in  many  lines  of  modern  industry. 
As  is  usual  in  wide  family  connections,  some 
have  failed,  some  have  partially  succeeded, 
some  have  "merely  made  a  living."  while 
others  have  much  to  show  as  the  result  of 
lives  of  energetic  endeavor,  wisely  directed 
toward  the  accomplishment  of  results.  As 
these  brief  biographical  details  will  show, 
the  immediate  subject  of  this  sketch  belongs 
in  the  last  mentioned  class  and  may  look 
back  on  a  life  well  spent,  which  has  brought 
that  competence  and  ease  without  which  the 
evening  of  one's  days  will  be  a  time  of  trial. 

It  was  in  1845  that  Charles  and  Sarah 
(Firdig)  Ruch,  natives  of  Pennsylvania, 
settled  in  Fort  Wayne.  The  former  was 
a  cabinetmaker  by  trade  and  depended  upon 
this  work  for  his  livelihood.  After  spending 
a  few  years  in  Allen  county  he  came  to 
Whitley  county,  and  located  on  a  farm  in 
Smith  township,  and  later  engaged  in  paint- 
ing; in  Columbia  City,  but  this  in  turn  was 


abandoned  to  take  up  the  livery  business, 
which  he  conducted  until  a  year  or  two 
before  his  death.  His  marriage  resulted 
in  the  birth  of  eleven  children,  Sarah 
Jane,  Mary,  Margaret,  Joseph.,  George, 
Jacob,  Albert.  Elizabeth,  and  three  who 
died  in  infancy.  Joseph  H.  Ruch,  the 
fourth,  was  born  at  Fort  Wayne,  January 
26,  1847,  and  received  what  schooling  he 
obtained  after  coming  to  Whitley  county. 
He  learned  the  painter's  trade  with  his  father, 
and,  in  company  with  his  brother  George, 
followed  that  trade  for  eighteen  years.  At 
different  times  he  was  engaged  in  the  drug 
trade  and  in  the  grocery  and  in  lumbering 
and  electric  lighting.  In  company  with  his 
brother  George,  he  erected  an  electric  light- 
ing' plant,  operating  this  and  the  saw-mill 
at  the  same  time.  After  operating  the 
electric  plant  for  eleven  years  he  sold  it  and 
installed  the  present  city  lighting  plant  under 
contract.  They  then  engaged  in  buying  and 
shipping'  horses  until  1906.  In  partner- 
ship with  his  brother,  George,  he  owns 
one  hundred  and  fifteen  acres  of  farm  land 
in  Union  township,  besides  several  rental 
properties  in  Columbia  City.  At  present  he 
resides  in  a  commodious  resilience  on  East 
Van  Buren  street,  whose  surroundings  are 
among'  the  most  beautiful  in  the  city.  He  is 
a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order. 

In  1868  Mr.  Ruch  married  Adriena  Ale- 
baugh,  a  native  of  Columbia  City,  and  they 
have  two  children:  Samuel,  married  Jennie 
Alwine,  and  operates  a  hoop  and  stave  mill 
at  Dexter.  Missouri.  lone  is  a  bookkeeper. 
Mrs.  Ruch  and  daughter  are  members  of 
( irace  Lutheran  church  as  well  as  of  the 
Eastern  Star. 


474 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


OLIVER  H.  DIFFENDARFER. 

It  was  in  1873  that  Harry  and  Hannah 
(James)  Diffendarfer  came  from  their  na- 
tive state  of  Pennsylvania  to  seek  a  new 
home  in  Indiana.  They  settled  in  Kosciusko 
county,  where  the  former  engaged  in  teach- 
ing, supplementing  this  by  clerking  in  stores 
during  vacations.  His  career  in  the  state, 
however,  was  short-lived,  as  he  met  an 
untimely  death  in  1876.  His  widow  sur- 
vives, and  is  a  resident  of  Denver,  Colorado. 
The  children,  three  in  number,  are  Clarence, 
a  resident  of  Glenwood  Springs,  Colorado ; 
Oliver  H.,  and  Mary,  the  wife  of  Herman 
Wilier,  at  Denver. 

Oliver  H.  Diffendarfer  was  born  at  Ken- 
nett  Square,  Pennsylvania,  October  20, 
1863,  and  hence  was  twelve  years  old  when 
his  parents  removed  to  the  west.  The  death 
of  his  father  not  only  deprived  him  of  his 
only  support,  but  threw  him  on  his  own  re- 
sources at  the  tender  age  of  thirteen.  He 
faced  the  situation  bravely,  however,  and  did 
such  work  as  he  was  able  to  secure  until,  at 
sixteen  years  of  age,  an  opportunity  was 
afforded  that  promised  better  results.  I.  N. 
Smith,  who  was  in  the  produce  business  at 
Warsaw,  Indiana,  offered  him  a  clerkship 
that  was  gladly  accepted.  That  determined 
his  business  for  life,  as  after  remaining  at 
Warsaw  a  few  years  he  came  to  Columbia 
City,  and  opened  up  in  the  same  line  on  his 
own  account.  It  was  only  in  a  small  way 
that  he  began  in  18S3,  but,  backed  by  resolu- 
tion, industry  and  natural  turn  for  trading, 
he  is  now  able  to  show  much  accomplished 
in  (he  twenty-three  years. 

In  the  busy  season  he  employs  about 
twenty  hands  at  his  place  on  South  Chaun- 


cey  street,  and  he  handles  most  all  the  poul- 
try, butter  and  eggs  that  are  produced  in  the 
country  tributary  to  Columbia  City,  his  an- 
nual business  amounting  to  about  one  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Diffendarfer 
has  made  hosts  of  friends  and  we  find  him 
influential  in  the  councils  of  the  Republican 
party.  He  served  four  years  in  the  city 
council,  besides  being  active  in  fraternal  cir- 
cles, as  a  Knight  of  Pythias,  a  Maccabee,  and 
a  Woodman. 

In  1885  Mr.  Diffendarfer  married  Miss 
Minnie  A.,  daughter  of  Isaac  N.  and  Chris- 
tiana (Grindle)  Brady,  old  settlers  of  Kos- 
ciusko county.  The  former  at  one  time 
owned  one  thousand  two  hundred  acres  of 
land  near  Winona  lake,  and  was  a  man  of 
note  in  that  section  of  the  state.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Diffendarfer  have  four  children,  Earl,. 
Vern,  Nadene,  and  Zoe. 


JOHN  W.  WATERFALL. 

In  the  early  half  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury there  was  born  in  the  canton  of  Berne, 
Switzerland,  a  boy  christened  Samuel 
Waterfall,  who  married  a  neighboring  girl 
by  the  name  of  Mary  Helbling,  and  this 
couple,  in  1847,  crossed  the  ocean  and  took 
up  their  residence  in  Fairfield  county,  Ohio. 
They  were  poor,  and  the  husband  had  to 
work  for  his  daily  bread,  in  this  way  sup- 
porting his  family  until  1854,  when  he  came 
to  Whitley  county.  For  a  while  he  rented 
land,  but  in  1869,  having  saved  sufficient 
money,  he  bought  a  small  farm  in  Thorn- 
creek  township  on  which  he  lived  until  his- 
retirement    from    active    business    in    1901. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


475 


His  wife  died  in  1893,  but  he  survives  at 
the  age  of  eighty-eight  years,  making  his 
home  with  his  children.  These  were  five 
in  number :  Mary,  widow  of  Jacob  Phiested, 
now  living  in  Columbia  township ;  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  Daniel  Poulus,  of  Noble  county ; 
John  W. ;  Ann.  wife  of  William  Kessler,  of 
Columbia  City,  and  Samuel,  who  died  in 
infancy. 

John  W.  Waterfall  was  born  in  Fairfield 
county,  Ohio,  September  22,  1847,  soon 
after  his  parents'  arrival  from  Switzerland, 
and  since  coming  to  Whitley  county  he  has 
spent  within  its  borders  all  the  intervening 
years.  He  obtained  but  a  meager  education, 
but  learned  all  about  hard  work  on  the  pio- 
neer farms  of  the  county's  formative  period. 
He  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  in  a 
few  years  began  contracting  and  building, 
which  he  has  followed  for  more  than  thirty- 
five  years,  meeting  with  a  success  insured  by 
experience  and  attention  to  details,  many  of 
the  finer  residences  of  Columbia  City  stand 
ing  as  monuments  to  his  capacity,  skill  and 
supervision. 

In  1873  Mr.  Waterfall  married  Caroline, 
daughter  of  Frederick  Humbarger,  an  early 
settler  of  Thorncreek  township,  who  was 
born  in  1854.  Her  demise  occurred  March 
27,  1906.  They  had  eight  children,  William 
H.,  Frederick  S.,  Irene  Elizabeth,  Carl, 
Mabel,  Catherine,  Mary  and  Paul.  The 
family  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  and  Mr.  Waterfall  is  a  Knight 
of  the  Maccabees.  He  has  ever  been  a  strict 
advocate  of  temperance,  his  decided  aver- 
sion to  the  liquor  traffic  leading  him  to  aban- 
don the  old  parties  twenty-four  years  ago, 
since  when  he  has  been  an  untiring  advocate 
of  the  principles  of  prohibition,  a  cause  to 


the  furthering  of  which  his  best  energies  are 
devoted. 


JOHN  F.  LAWRENCE. 

John  F.  Lawrence,  proprietor  of  the 
Hoosier  Foundry  and  machine  shops  of 
Columbia  City,  is  a  native  of  Wayne  county, 
Ohio,  and  the  son  of  John  and  Sarah  Eliza- 
beth (Rouch)  Lawrence,  he  born  in  Harris- 
burg,  Pennsylvania,  the  mother  in  Hagers- 
town,  Maryland.  They  grew  to  maturity 
and  were  married  in  Wayne  county,  Ohio. 
Mr.  Lawrence  was  a  farmer  and  civil  en- 
gineer, a  profession  he  followed  until  his 
eighty-sixth  year,  having  often  served  as 
surveyor  of  Wayne  county.  He  possessed 
sound  judgment  combined  with  practical 
ideas  and  wide  information  and  during  a 
long  and  useful  life  exercised  a  wholesome 
influence.  He  lived  to  the  ripe  age  of  nine- 
ty-three years,  being  well  preserved  to  the 
last.  His  wife  died  when  eighty-five  years 
old  and  of  their  eleven  children,  none  died 
under  the  age  of  forty.  George  W.,  ex- 
county  commissioner,  is  a  successful  farmer 
of  Union  township ;  Mary  Ann  married  Wil- 
liam Mowery,  and  died  some  years  ago  in 
this  county;  Malinda,  also  deceased,  was  the 
wife  of  S.  L.  Rouch;  Sarah,  Mrs.  J.  D. 
Wagoner,  lives  in  Warsaw,  Indiana ;  Mar- 
garet J.  is  the  wife  of  James  E.  Kelly; 
Priscilla  is  Mrs.  Austin  McMannis ;  Henry 
H.  resides  in  Union  township;  Lehannah  is 
the  wife  of  Elmer  McMannis;  Isaiah  E.  is 
a  doctor  of  Columbia  City,  and  Levi  is  a 
farmer  of  Union  township. 

John  F.  Lawrence  was  born  April  27, 
1840,  in  Wayne  county,  Ohio.     In  Septem- 


476 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


her,  i860,  lie  came  to  Indiana  and  for  two 
years  taught  school  in  Whitley  and  Elkhart 

counties.  August  14.  1862,  he  enlisted  at 
Wi  m  ister,  Ohio,  in  Company  A,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Twentieth  Ohio  Infantry,  with 
which  he  shared  the  fortunes  and  vicissitudes 
of  war  for  three  years  and  five  months,  par- 
ticipating in  a  number  of  battles,  among  them 
being  an  attack  on  Red  River,  where  his 
regiment  lost  two  hundred  and  thirty-six 
men.  The  regiment  was  on  a  boat  going 
up  the  river  to  join  the  command  and  the 
one  boat  was  attacked  by  five  thousand  of 
the  enemy.  The  boat  was  disabled  and 
floating  to  the  opposite  shore  the  survivors 
managed  to  escape,  but  one  hundred  and 
eighty-six  of  the  four  hundred  and  four  men 
getting  away.  He  was  also  in  the  attack  on 
Mobile  besides  numerous  skirmishes  and 
minor  engagements.  He  returned  to  Indiana 
and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber. 
in  which  he  continued  until  1885,  when,  in 
partnership  with  Frank  Mossman-  he  estab- 
lished the  foundry  and  machine  shop  in 
Columbia  City  of  which  he  is  now  sole  pro- 
prietor. The  Hoosier  Foundry  and  Machine 
Shop  is  one  of  the  largest  establishments  of 
the  kind  in  northeastern  Indiana. 

On  the  3d  day  of  October,  1867,  Mr. 
Lawrence  married  Miss  Eliza  J.  Penland, 
who  was  born  in  Elkhart  county,  Indiana. 
October  7,  1 847,  being  the  daughter  of  John 
and  Eliza  (Abshire)  Penland,  early  settlers 
of  that  county.  The  father,  a  soldier  in  the 
late  civil  war.  lost  his  life  in  the  battle  of 
Chickamauga.  Air.  and  Airs.  Lawrence 
have  had  seven  children:  Erne  May,  wife 
of  George  L.  Padgett:  Charles  C,  an  attor- 
ney by  education,  hm  now  a  traveling  sales- 
man for  a  Chicago  publishing  house:  Myron, 


(deceased),  was  in  the  United  States  mail 
service,  Pittsburg  to  Chicago,  till  his  death, 
February  17,  1895,  aged  twe.nty-three : 
James  A.,  of  Portland,  Oregon;  Sarah  E., 
wife  of  D.  F.  Alain,  of  Toledo.  Ohio; 
Blanch,  now  Mrs.  Christian  D.  Meyer,  living 
at  Redland.  California,  was  a  teacher  for 
several  years  in  Whitley  county;  and  Walter 
I.  Air.  Lawrence  and  wife  are  members  of 
Grace  Lutheran  church.  Politically  he  is 
a  Republican  and  fraternally  belongs  to  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  being  a  past 
commander  and  present  quartermaster.  Fi- 
nancially Air.  Lawrence  has  been  fortunate, 
owning  in  addition  to  his  beautiful  home 
and  business  interests  in  Columbia  City,  a 
two-hundred-acre  farm  in  Union  township. 


EAIILE  DORIOT. 


The  subject  of  this  review  was  born  Sep- 
tember 28,  1840.  in  the  canton  of  Berne, 
Switzerland.  His  parents,  Gustavus  and 
Amelia  ( Leshah)  Doriot,  emigrated  to 
America  in  1850.  and  settled  in  Wayne 
countv.  Ohio,  removing  five  years  later  to 
Williams  county,  their  permanent  home, 
however,  being  in  Fulton  county,  where  both 
died.  Thev  were  the  parents  of  sixteen  chil- 
died.  Thev  were  the  parents  of  sixteen 
children. 

Emile  Doriot  grew  to  maturity  on  a  farm 
in  Ohio  and  received  a  limited  education. 
He  was  earl}-  taught  the  necessity  of  honest 
toil,  working  almost  incessantly  to  help  sup- 
port the  large  family. 

He  enlisted  in  1862.  in  Company  F.  Nine- 
teenth Ohio  Infantry,  with  which  he  served 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


477 


for  a  period  of  eleven  months,  re-enlisting  in 
Company  G,  Sixty-fourth  Regiment,  serving 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  His  military  ex- 
perience included  hard  service  in  several 
campaigns,  he  participating  in  the  battle  of 
Stone  River,  McMinnville,  Spring  Hill  and 
Franklin,  and  many  others.  He  was  severe- 
ly wounded  in  the  last  engagement,  being 
confined  to  the  hospital  from  November  until 
the  following  June,  a  gun-shot  wound  in  the 
throat  rendering  treatment  exceedingly  diffi- 
cult, a  permanent  disablement  of  his  right 
arm  resulting.  He  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  enemy  during  the  battle  of  Franklin, 
but  after  three  weeks  was  re-captured,  the 
confederates  leaving  their  hospital  when  re- 
treating from  Nashville.  He  returned  to  the 
farm  in  Ohio  and  was  married  at  Columbia 
City  in  1866,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Pfiester, 
who  was  also  a  native  of  Switzerland.  Their 
children  are  Alice,  wife  of  Theodore  Mosier, 
of  Anderson,  Indiana ;  William,  who  mar- 
ried Jessie  Peltcher  and  lives  in  Peru ;  El- 
more, a  resident  of  Michigan  City ;  Charles 
G.,  the  fur  dealer  in  Columbia  City,  and 
Edward,  deceased,  a  twin  brother  of 
William. 

The  mother  died  in  1873,  and  in  July, 
1878,  Mr.  Doriot  married  Alice  Mettert, 
who  was  born  June  4,  1858,  in  Preble  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  being  the  youngest  of  the  three 
children  of  David  and  Elizabeth  (Banfield) 
Mettert,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio, 
respectively.  They  also  had  five  children, 
of  whom  two  survive:  Harry  is  still  with 
his  parents  and  Ransom  living  in  Columbia 
City. 

Mr.  Doriot  came  to  Fort  Wayne  in  1866, 
and  in  1870  purchased  a  farm  in  Thorncreek 
township,  removing  later  to  Columbia  town- 


ship, where  he  bought  eighty  acres  of  wild 
land  which  he  converted  into  a  fine  farm. 
He  made  valuable  improvements,  including 
substantial  buildings,  good  fences  and  an 
extensive  system  of  tile  drainage.  In  1902, 
he  retired  to  Columbia  City,  residing  in  an 
attractive  home  which  he  built  on  West  Van 
Buren  street.  Selling  his  old  farm,  he  has 
invested  in  another  wild  tract  two  miles 
west  of  Columbia  City,  and  is  actively  en- 
gaged in  the  improvement  of  a  third  farm 
in  Whitley  county. 

Mr.  Doriot  was  reared  a  Democrat,  but 
after  the  war  transferred  his  allegiance  and 
has  since  been  one  of  the  most  loyal  and  un- 
compromising supporters  of  Republican 
doctrine.  He  belongs  to  Post  No.  181, 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  taking  an 
active  part  in  its  deliberations  and  keeping  in 
touch  with  all  matters  relative  to  the  old 
soldiers.  He  is  a  wide-awake,  public-spirited 
citizen,  keenly  alive  to  whatever  tends  to 
benefit  the  city  of  his  residence  and  the 
county  and  with  his  family  is  widely  known 
and  possesses  the  esteem  and  warm  regard 
of  all  who  are  favored  by  his  acquaintance. 


BENJAMIN  RAUPFER. 

Benjamin  Raupfer  was  born  in  Baden. 
Germany,  November  3,  1838.  His  father, 
Peter  Raupfer,  died  in  1851,  when  the  boy 
went  over  to  Switzerland  and  worked  at 
the  teaming  and  selling  silks  until  1865, 
when  he  embarked  for  the  Xew  World  at 
Havre-de-Grace,  in  the  English  ship  "Be- 
lonia."  After  a  stormy  voyage  of  twenty- 
two  days  he  arrived  safely  at  New  York. 


478 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


He  soon  after  located  at  Columbia  City  and 
ran  an  engine  for  three  years.  He  then 
opened  a  saloon,  which  he  ran  till  1879.  He 
then,  with  Ford  Walter,  of  Mansfield,  Ohio, 
bought  the  Eagle  Brewery  in  Columbia  City, 
and  at  once  put  life,  ability  and  business 
tact  into  the  concern  and  transformed  it 
from  a  languishing  and  low  rate  institution 
to  one  of  the  best  of  its  kind  in  the  country. 
In  September,  1889,  Mr.  Walter  sold  his 
interest  to  Mr.  Raupfer  and  his  brother-in- 
law,  Anton  Meyer,  who  still  runs  it  and 
holds  it  in  the  front  rank,  fully  competing 
with  the  large  breweries  of  the  cities.  It  has 
a  capacity  of  nine  thousand  barrels  per 
annum.  In  September,  1859,  Mr.  Raupfer 
bought  with  R.  J.  Jontz,  the  stock  of  hard- 
ware of  George  W.  North  and  soon  there- 
after moved  into  his  new  building,  subse- 
quently acquiring  Mr.  Jontz's  interest.  The 
new  building  which  he  erected  at  the  corner 
of  Line  and  Van  Buren  streets  is  the  hand- 
somest in  town.  It  is  three  stories  and  a 
basement  thirty-nine  by  one  hundred  and 
fifty  feet.  The  first  story  and  basement,  as 
well  as  all  three  stories  of  the  rear  part,  are 
occupied  with  the  immense  hardware  store, 
carrying  a  large  stock  including  building 
material.  The  second  story  is  occupied  by 
the  Free  City  Library,  and  the  third  by  the 
lodge  of  Ben  Hur.  Finding  even  these 
commodious  quarters  too  small  for  his  grow- 
ing business,  in  1904.  he  joined  the  Free 
Masons  in  building  the  Masonic  block,  the 
west  part  of  the  building  belonging  to  Mr. 
Raupfer.  It  is  eighty-nine  by  one  hundred 
and  forty-five  feet.  The  first  story  is  oc- 
cupied  with  machinery  and  implements,  the 
second  is  the  armory  of  the  local  company 
of  National  Guards,   the  third   is  occupied 


by  the  Modern  Woodmen.  Mr.  Raupfer 
also  owns  the  brick  block  on  Van  Buren 
street,  built  by  William  Meitzler,  and  known 
as  the  Meitzler  building.  He  also  owns  a 
fine  residence  on  Line  street,  another  on 
North  Elm  street,  and  several  other  pieces 
of  property. 

In  addition  to  his  business  capacity  Mr. 
Raupfer  has  found  time  to  assist  the  commu- 
nity in  other  ways.  He  has  been  a  large 
stockholder  and  director  of  the  Harper 
Buggy  Company,  almost  from  its  beginning, 
and  was  for  many  years  a  member  of  the 
councilmanic  board  under  the  old  town  gov- 
ernment. When  the  city  government  was 
installed  he  was  again  called  upon  and  served 
several  years  as  a  councilman  from  the  sec- 
ond ward,  in  which  ward  nearly  all  the  busi- 
ness of  the  town  is  conducted.  He  was  a 
chairman  of  the  finance  and  other  important 
committees  during  the  digging  of  the  sewers, 
the  putting  in  of  water  works  and  the  tak- 
ing over  by  the  city  from  private  parties  of 
the  electric  light  plant  and  also  during  the 
paving  of  almost  four  miles  of  streets.  He 
has  been  identified  with  all  the  improve- 
ments that  brought  Columbia  City  from  a 
backwoods  town  to  a  modern  little  city,  giv- 
ing his  valuable  services  for  the  pittance  of 
a  salary.  Though  himself  one  of  the  heav- 
iest tax  payers,  he  has  always  advocated  im- 
provement, though  on  a  conservative  busi- 
ness basis.  He  has  been  one  of  the  directors 
of  the  Whitley  County  Building  and  Loan 
Association  and  is  director  of  the  Hunting- 
ton, Columbia  City  &  Northern  Electric 
Railway  and  was  its  first  president.  His 
faith  in  the  enterprise,  backed  by  his  money 
and  work,  is  about  to  bear  fruit  to  the  satis- 
faction of  the  public. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


479 


Mr.  Raupfer  is  an  ardent  and  unwaver- 
ing Democrat,  faithful  to  his  party  in  defeat 
as  well  as  success,  and  was  eight  years  treas- 
urer of  the  Democratic  county  committee. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church  and 
one  of  its  stanchest  supports.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Marquette  Club. 

Mr.  Raupfer  married  Mary  Meyers,  No- 
vember 9,  1869.  and  four  sons  are  the  fruit 
of  their  union,  all  of  them  able  assistants  of 
their  father  in  his  business.  Joseph  and 
John,  the  oldest  and  youngest,  are  looking 
after  the  brewery  interests,  and  William  and 
Jerome  have  charge  of  the  immense  hard- 
ware store,  which  employs  a  number  of  men 
in  the  mechanical  and  sales  departments. 

Two  years  ago  Mr.  Raupfer  for  the  first 
time  visited  his  old  home,  remaining  several 
months,  coming  back  more  satisfied  than 
ever  with  the  country  of  his  adoption  and 
its  social  and  financial  systems. 


SAMUEL  S.  MILLER. 

In  1833  Peter  Miller,  born  in  York  coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  November  11,  181 1, 
walked  across  the  mountains  towards  the 
west  with  a  pack  on  his  back  containing  all 
his  earthly  possessions,  and  eventually  found 
a  home  in  Clarke  county,  Ohio.  There  he 
married  Sarah  Snyder,  with  whom,  in  Au- 
gust, 1864,  he  removed  to  Thorncreek  town- 
ship, Whitley  county,  where  the  wife  died 
at  the  age  of  sixty-nine.  He  survived  until 
January  25,  1887,  being  in  the  seventy-fifth 
year  of  his  age.  He  was  successful  and 
died  possessed  of  a  large  farm,  which  he 
liad  improved  and  developed   into  a   valu- 


able estate.  Both  were  long  members  of 
the  Lutheran  church.  Of  their  children, 
three  sons  and  one  daughter  grew  to  matu- 
rity and  two.  a  son  and  a  daughter,  died 
in  Ohio.  Henry  W.  came  to  Whitley  coun- 
ty with  his  parents  and  at  present  lives  on 
the  old  homestead.  Mary  E.  is  the  wife  of 
William  Miller  and  a  resident  of  Whitley 
county. 

Samuel  S.  Miller  was  born  in  Clark- 
county,  Ohio,  April  30,  1844.  and  grew  to 
manhood  on  his  father's  farm.  In  1862, 
when  eighteen  years  old,  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany A,  Ninety-fourth  Regiment  Ohio  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  with  which  he  served  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  engaged  in 
thirteen  prominent  battles,  including  Perry- 
ville.  Missionary  Ridge,  Lookout  Mountain, 
Chickamauga,  and  Kenesaw  Mountain,  and 
he  accompanied  Sherman  on  the  famous 
"March  to  the  Sea."  After  receiving  his 
discharge  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  he  came  to 
Whitley  county,  where  his  parents  had  re- 
moved in  the  meantime.  December  27. 
1868.  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Anna 
Z.,  daughter  of  Gideon  T.  and  Elizabeth 
(Hornaday)  Klinck.  the  latter  a  native  of 
Randolph  county,  North  Carolina,  where 
she  was  born  December  21,,  181 6,  and  when 
six  year  old  was  brought  to  Favette 
county,  Indiana.  Gideon  Klinck  was  born 
near  Buffalo,  New  York,  in  1812,  and  when 
the  latter  city  was  burned  by  the  British,  his 
mother  fled  and  shortly  afterward  settled  on 
a  farm  of  General  Harrison's  in  Ohio,  but 
later  came  to  Connersville.  Indiana.  When 
fourteen  years  old  Gideon  learned  the  sad- 
dler's trade  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-two 
married  at  Shelbvville  and  went  to  Illinois, 
where  his  wife  died.     Returning  to  Indiana 


47§ 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INHANA. 


He  soon  after  located  at  Columbia  City  and 
ran  an  engine  for  three  years.  He  then 
opened  a  saloon,  which  he  ran  till  1879.  He 
then,  with  Ford  Walter,  of  Mansfield,  <  >hio, 
bought  the  Eagle  Brewery  in  Columbia  City, 
and  at  once  put  life,  ability  ami  business 
tact  into  the  concern  and  transformed  it 
from  a  languishing  and  low  rale  institution 
to  one  of  the  best  of  its  kind  in  the  country. 
In  September.  1889.  Mr.  Walter  -old  his 
interest  to  Mr.  Raupfer  and  his  brother-in- 
law,  Anton  Meyer,  who  still  runs  it  and 
holds  it  in  the  front  rank,  fully  competing 
with  the  large  breweries  of  the  cities.  It  has 
a  capacity  of  nine  thousand  barrel-  per 
annum.  In  September,  1859,  Mr.  Raupfer 
bought  with  R.  J.  Jontz,  the  stock  of  bard- 
ware  of  George  W.  North  and  soon  there- 
after moved  into  bis  new  building,  subse- 
quently acquiring  Mr.  Jontz's  interest.  The 
new  building  which  he  erected  at  the  corner 
of  Line  and  Van  Buren  streets  is  the  hand- 
somest in  town.  It  is  three  stories  and  a 
basement  thirty-nine  by  one  hundred  and 
fifty  feet.  The  first  story  and  basement,  as 
well  as  all  three  stories  of  the  rear  part,  are 
occupied  with  the  immense  hardware  store, 
carrying  a  large  stock  including  building 
material.  The  second  story  is  occupied  by 
the  Free  City  Library,  and  the  third  by  the 
lodge  of  Ben  Hur.  Finding  even  these 
commodious  quarters  too  small  for  his  gr<  iw- 
ing  business,  in  1904.  he  joined  the  Free 
Masons  in  building  the  Masonic  block,  the 
west  part  of  the  building  belonging  to  Mr. 
Raupfer.  It  is  eighty-nine  by  one  hunda 
and  forty-five  feet.  The  first  story  isi 
cupied  with  machinery  and  implements 
second  is  the  armory  of  the  local  com| 
of  National   Guards,  the  third   is  occuf 


by   the    [odern    Woodmen.     Mr.    Ra 
also  k    block   on  Van   B 

street.  1"  t  by  William  Meitzler.  an 
as  the    Vitxler  building.      He  also 

Line   street,  anoth. 
North  and  several  other 

-  business 

Raup  ■  th< 

nit\  i  fe  has  h< 

director    of    tin 
most  from  it 
me 

11  der  tl  e 
ernmenl     When   the  cil 
instal  n  called  1 

mcilman 
ond  »rard  u< 

ness  d  •  dti 

chairman  f  the  finance  and 

e 
the  pi  iter  u 

the  city  from 
the  eli 
pavii 
has 

ments  t  Col 

backwi 
ing  h 
a  salary, 
iest 
pn  a 


WHITLEYCOUNTY.  IN 


fruit 


• 


Mr.  Raupfer  is  an  anient  and         iver-      able   • 
mucrat.  faithful  to  his  eat      the 

■  •    - 
urer  of  tl  tic  count) 

He  is  a  member  <>f  the  Catholic 

member  of  the  Marquette  ' 

Mr   Raupfer  marrii 
vembe  »,  and  four  - 

of  their  union,  all  of  them 
their    father    in    his    busini 
John,  the  "blest  and 
after  the  brewer)  intt 
Jerome  ha 
ware  -t..rc.  which  en 
in  the  iih- 

Two 
time  visit.  .me,  rerna 

months. 

with  the  count: 
■rial  and  linanci; 


SAMl'l 

In  i  Miller 

ty,      Pennsylvani 
walkei 

hi>  eat 
a  hi 


MIL1 

,  boi 


/ 


4 


- 


arm  friend- 
sense  of  cit- 
r.  ancement 

bis  death 
il  citizen. 


■ 
■ 

ted  the 


482 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


which  the  senior  partner,  Franklin  H.  Foust, 
especially  was  destined  to  achieve  a  notable 
success.  Mr.  Foust  for  some  time  did  a 
collecting  and  banking  business  of  a  modest 
order.  During  the  war  he  received  deposits, 
and  the  confidence  which  was  placed  in  him 
is  shown  by  the  fact  that  his  system  of 
accounts  consisted  in  merely  making  a  note 
of  how  much  he  received  and  from  whom, 
making  no  charge  for  his  services.  In  this 
way  he  had  in  his  old-fashioned,  large,  fire- 
proof safe  at  one  time  deposits  aggregating 
sixty  thousand  dollars.  Realizing  the  neces- 
sitv  as  the  town  grew,  he  opened  a  private 
banking  house  in  1867  in  partnership  with 
Mr.  Wolfe.  This  enterprise  prospered  and 
became  in  time  one  of  the  most  reliable 
financial  concerns  in  northeastern  Indiana, 
its  conservative  management  gaining  public 
confidence  and  making  it  widely  known. 
The  firm  acquired  ownership  of  about  one 
thousand  acres  of  land  contiguous  to  the 
city,  of  which  three  hundred  acres  were 
brought  under  cultivation,  the  remainder  be- 
ing devoted  to  pasturage.  In  April,  1904, 
the  bank  was  organized  as  The  Columbia 
City  National  Bank,  Mr.  Foust  being  made 
president.  About  this  time  the  properties 
of  Foust  &  Wolfe  were  divided,  Mr.  Foust 
retaining  about  seven  hundred  acres  of  land, 
all  personal  property,  and  the  banking  build- 
ing for  his  share,  the  balance  going  to  the 
Wi  .1  fe  estate.  Later  he  sold  the  bank  build- 
ing to  the  bank.  He  still  continues  to  take 
much  interest  in  agriculture. 

In  1850,  Mr.  Foust  was  married-  at 
Columbia  City  to  Maxia  Jones.  They  have 
no  children.  Mr.  Foust  is  a  Republican  and 
although  never  a  seeker  of  official  prefer- 
ment, has  rendered  hearty  support  to  the 
party  whose  principles  he  advocates. 


As  a  pioneer  banker  of  Whitley  county, 
within  whose  limits  no  man  is  better  known, 
and  enjoying  the  confidence  and  respect  of 
men.  a  particular  interest  attaches  to  the 
career  of  Mr.  Foust.  At  the  age  of  sixteen 
he  was  found  buying  and  selling  with  as 
much  confidence  as  a  man  of  the  world,  ex- 
ercising his  mental  powers  to  a  proportion- 
ate degree  in  the  little  sphere  within  whose 
narrow  limitations  his  life  was  bounded  at 
the  time.  Finally,  overwork  told  upon  a 
constitution  none  too  rugged,  and  on  the 
advice  of  a  kindly  physician  who  told  him 
his  only  hope  for  life  and  health  laid  in 
abandoning  the  farm,  he  contracted  with 
Mr.  Wolfe  to  peddle  fanning  mills  and  con- 
tinued to  work  under  this  contract  for  one 
year.  Before  taking'  a  position  with  Mr. 
Wolfe  for  the  second  year,  he  contemplated 
g'oing  to  California,  but  afterward  gave  up 
this  idea.  He  had  also  been  offered  thirty 
dollars  per  month  by  one  Bohart,  of  Mans- 
field, Ohio,  to  enter  his  employ  in  the  fan- 
ning mill  business ;  but  notwithstanding  the 
temptation  of  this  offer  and  looking  to  the 
future  and  placing  implicit  confidence  in 
the  honest)-  of  Mr.  Wolfe,  Mr.  Foust  ac- 
cepted his  terms,  fifteen  dollars  per  month, 
a  decision  he  has  never  had  cause  to  regret. 
The  two  gentlemen  in  their  long  and  pleas- 
ant business  associations  accumulated  a  fine 
property,  including  four  fine  business  blocks, 
besides  much  other  property  in  the  line  of 
suburban  and  farm  realty.  To  such  men  all 
honor  is  due  and  to  them  it  is  seldom  denied. 


ISAAC  MASON  SWIGART. 

"The  era  of  reform  in  Indiana  has  caused 
■atchful  eve  to  be  cast  on  all  the  county 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


483 


seat  towns  to  ascertain  the  manner  in  which 
they  enforce  laws  and  order.  Columbia 
City  has  been  able  to  stand  this  inspection 
reasonably  well  and  much  of  the  credit  for 
this  is  given  to  the  gentleman  above  named, 
who  for  nine  years  has  acted  as  night  police- 
man. His  official  duties  are  so  performed 
that  the  city  is  known  as  a  peaceable,  law- 
abiding  place,  where  tough  characters  are 
repressed  and  all  are  expected  to  lead  the 
lives  of  good  citizens.  In  1885,  A.  Y.  and 
Margaret  (McCuen)  Swigart.  natives  of 
Ohio,  settled  on  a  farm  two  miles  north  of 
Columbia  City  and  lived  there  until  the 
former  went  to  the  war  as  a  member  of  the 
Eighty-eighth  Regiment  Indiana  Infantry, 
with  which  he  served  until  the  close  of  hos- 
tilities. Returning  to  his  farm,  he  was  en- 
gaged in  its  cultivation  until  1901,  when  he 
retired  to  live  with  his  son,  Christopher 
M.,  in  Columbia  City.  He  died  January  2, 
1904,  having  survived  his  wife  five  years. 
This  couple  has  a  family  of  ten  sons,  seven 
of  whom  grew  to  maturity,  and  five  are  liv- 
ing in  1907.  John,  eldest  of  the  survivors, 
is  a  watchman  in  the  Harper  Buggy  Works  ; 
Henry  is  a  physician  at  Hastings,  Nebraska : 
and  Frank  is  a  railroad  employe  at  the  same 
place;  Isaac,  subject  of  this  sketch,  and 
Christopher  M.,  a  barber  at  Columbia  City. 
Isaac  Swigart  was  born  in  Richland 
county,  Ohio,  October  8,  1855,  and  was 
brought  an  infant  to  Whitley  county.  After 
he  grew  up  he  worked  for  some  years  on 
the  farm  and  at  a  later  period  became  a 
commercial  traveler  for  a  firm  in  one  of  the 
large  cities.  He  made  an  enviable  record 
as  a  salesman,  leading  the  entire  force  em- 
ployed by  his  house  in  the  amount  of  sales. 
In  1897  he  accepted  his  present  position  as 


night-watchman  in  Columbia  City,  and  has 
administered  that  important  office  so  well  as 
to  seem  to  have  been  especially  cut  out  for  this 
line  of  work.  For  nine  years  he  has  been  on 
tint}',  constantly  without  a  break,  and,  while 
not  popular  with  evil-doers,  is  pronounced 
by  citizens  generally  an  affable  and  most 
pleasant  gentleman.  Air.  Swigart  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat and  has  been  a  lively  participant  in 
state  and  county  conventions  of  his  party. 
His  fraternal  connections  are  with  the  Odd 
Fellows  and  Modem  Woodmen  of  America. 
May  25,  1882,  he  married  Alice  Welch,  who 
died  in  1888,  at  Mentone,  Indiana,  without 
issue.  December  21,  1892,  Mr.  Swigart 
took  a  second  wife  in  the  person  of  Mis:- 
Mariah  Flaharty,  of  Mansfield,  Ohio.  Her 
father  having  died  when  she  was  two  years 
old  Mrs.  Swigert  was  reared  by  an  uncle 
at  Mansfield,  and  after  she  grew  up  became 
his  housekeeper.  She  learned  dressmaking 
and  now  has  a  high  reputation  in  that  line 
of  work  so  dear  to  woman's  heart.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Swigart  have  one  child,  a  daughter 
named  Ercia  Mav. 


JAMES  M.  HARRISON. 

Prominent  among  the  leading  business 
men  and  representative  citizens  of  Whitley 
county  is  James  M.  Harrison,  to  a  brief  re- 
view of  whose  family  history  the  reader's 
attention  is  respectfully  invited.  Samuel 
Harrison,  his  father,  a  native  of  county 
Down,  Ireland,  emigrated  to  America  about 
1814  and  settled  in  Virginia.  He  had  one 
brother  by  the  name  of  Alexander  and  a  sis- 
ter Tane.  who  married  Tohn  Bovd,  also  of 


4*4 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


Ireland,  where  his  family  remained  and 
where  his  descendants  still  reside.  The  par- 
ents of  Samuel  Harrison  were  Adam  and 
Martha  (  Mc Williams)  Harrison,  the  former 
born  in  England,  from  which  country  he 
went  to  Ireland,  where  he  married  and  be- 
came a  well-to-do  landowner,  prominent 
in  the  affairs  of  the  community  in  which  he 
lived. 

Samuel  Harrison  was  married  March  12, 
1X20.  in  Greenbrier  county,  Virginia,  to 
his  cousin,  Polly  McDowell,  daughter  of 
John  and  Esther  Ann  (Harrison)  Mc- 
Dowell. Samuel  and  his  wife  were  either 
first  or  second  cousins  of  William  Henry 
Harrison,  the  hero  of  Tippecanoe,  first  gov- 
ernor of  Indiana  territory  and  afterward 
President  of  the  United  States. 

James  M.  Harrison  was  born  in  Beaver 
county.  Pennsylvania,  August  8,  1837,  and 
in  1855  came  to  Indiana,  settling  in  Noble 
county,  where,  during  the  ensuing  seven 
years,  he  devoted  the  winter  seasons  to 
teaching  and  the  rest  of  the  time  cultivated 
his  farm  of  forty  acres,  meeting  with  grati- 
fying success  as  educator  and  agriculturist. 

On  March  15,  i860,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Mary  J.  Richards, 
daughter  of  Joseph  Richards,  a  old-time  resi- 
dent of  Churubusco  and  for  a  number  of 
years  one  of  its  leading  merchants.  Six 
children  were  born  to  this  union,  three  dead 
and  three  living,  the  latter  being  Joseph  R., 
William  and  George  F.  Joseph  R.  Har- 
rison is  now  serving  his  second  term  as 
mayor  of  Columbia  City:  William  A.  is  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business  at  Argos, 
Indiana,  and  George  F.  is  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Clugston  Brothers  &  Comapny.  in 
Columbia    City.     Mrs.    Mary   J.    Harrison 


died  at  Churubusco.  in  1873,  and  in  August 
of  the  following  year  Mr.  Harrison  entered 
the  marriage  relation  with  Jennette.  daugh- 
ter of  John  J.  and  Delilah  DePoy.  the  union 
being  blessed  with  two  children,  Mary  lone, 
and  Jesse  W.  Mary  lone  Harrison,  after 
receiving-  a  liberal  scholastic  training,  took 
up  the  study  of  music,  in  which  she  acquired 
great  proficiency,  graduating  from  The 
American  Institute  of  Music,  in  the  state 
of  Massachusetts,  after  which  she  became 
supervisor  of  music  in  the  public  schools  of 
Columbia  City.  Miss  Harrison  did  not  live 
long  to  enjoy  the  marked  success  which  she 
attained  in  her  profession,  dying  after  a 
sickness  of  a  week's  duration,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three  years,  her  sad  premature  taking" 
off  proving  a  severe  blow  to  the  family  and 
being  profoundly  lamented  by  the  large  cir- 
cle of  friends  with  whom  she  has  ever  been 
a  favorite.  She  was  a  young  lady  of  many 
estimable  qualities,  cultured  and  refined,  and 
had  her  life  been  spared  she  doubtless  would 
have  achieved  marked  distinction  in  the  call- 
ing to  which  her  time  and  talents  had  been 
devoted.  Jesse  W.  Harrison  is  in  the  Boyd- 
Harrison  Company,  dealers  in  automatic 
musical  instruments  at  Chicago.  Mr.  Har- 
rison's second  wife,  who  was  prostrated  on 
account  of  the  death  of  her  daughter,  never 
recovered  from  the  blow  and  soon  followed 
the  latter  to  the  land  of  silence,  departing" 
tin's  life  on  December  12.   1904. 

James  M.  Harrison  became  a  resilient  of 
Whitley  county  in  1862,  from  which  time 
until  1874  he  was  engaged  in  farming  and 
merchandising,  being  associated  in  the  latter 
years  with  Joseph  Richards,  his  father-in- 
law.  Subsequently  in  1879,  he  was  elected 
clerk  of  the  Whitlev  countv  circuit  court  and 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


485 


discharged  the  duties  of  the  position  with 
eminent  fidelity  for  a  period  of  eight  years, 
retiring  from  the  office  in  1887  with  an  hon- 
orable record.  From  1893  to  1898  he 
served  as  mayor  of  Columbia  City,  proving 
an  able,  conscientious  and  exceedingly  popu- 
lar executive,  and  since  the  latter  year  has 
devoted  his  time  and  attention  to  the  real 
estate  and  loan  business,  in  which  his  success 
has  been  gratifying,  as  is  attested  by  the 
large  and  lucrative  patronage  he  now  com- 
mands. He  is  a  Democrat  and  for  many 
years  held  active  relation  to  his  party.  He 
is  a  pleasant,  well-informed  gentleman,  es- 
pecially well  liked  in  Columbia  City  by  all 
classes  of  people.  He  has  indicated  great 
interest  in  advancement  of  his  county. 
While  mayor,  the  city  water  system  was  in- 
stalled, by  which  the  community  was  sup- 
plied with  pure  water.  A  system  of  sewers 
-was  also  constructed,  and  the  city  now  owns 
all  the  public  utilities,  including"  an  up-to- 
date  fire  department  and  electric  light  plant. 
Many  cement  and  brick  sidewalks  were 
made  and  arrangements  were  put  under  way 
for  the  excellent  paving  now  found  on  the 
streets.  Mayor  Harrison  at  first  encountered 
great  opposition  to  his  progressive  measures, 
even  amounting"  to  threats  of  personal  vio- 
lence and  destruction  of  his  property,  but  the 
results  of  his  policy  eventually  gained  him 
many  friends  and  increased  his  popularity. 


FRANK  MEITZLER. 

What  is  known  as  the  Red  Cross  Drug 
Store  has  a  history  almost  coeval  with  the 
business    development    of    Columbia    City. 


The  location  is  the  best  in  the  city  and  for 
more  than  a  generation  it  has  been  occupied 
by  a  drug  store  and  the  change  to  anything 
else  would  mark  the  loss  of  a  landmark. 
The  first  proprietor  was  Dr.  Clingerman. 
probably  the  first  druggist  in  the  town  and 
he  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  A.  L.  Sandmeyer, 
who.  after  long  possession,  sold  out  to  W.  H. 
Beeson.  It  was  in  the  latter's  hands  until 
purchased  by  the  eldest  Tyree  and  eventually 
we  are  brought  up  to  date  by  the  subject  of 
our  sketch  succeeding"  W.  J.  Tyree.  which 
occurred  June  12.  1905.  It  is  only  under 
the  present  owner  that  it  assumed  the  capti- 
vating designation  of  '"Red  Cross."  under 
which  it  seems  destined  for  a  new  lease  both 
of  fame  and  fortune. 

Frank  Metzler  was  born  in  Columbia 
City,  Indiana,  January  31.  1873.  His  fa- 
ther. Willliam  Meitzler.  was  a  native  of 
Germanv  and  came  to  Columbia  City  in 
1865.  When  twenty-six  years  old  he  was 
married  in  Huntington  county  to  Elizabeth 
Dexheimer  and  conducted  the  business  of  a 
baker  and  lunch  room  proprietor,  but  is  now 
retired.  When  sixteen  years  old,  or  in 
1889.  Frank  entered  the  drug  business  with 
E.  J.  Mowry,  who  subsequently  became  his 
brother-in-law.  and  when  the  latter  sold  his 
interest  to  W.  H.  Carter.  Mr.  Meitzler  re- 
mained in  charge  of  the  store  two  years, 
till  his  own  purchase.  He  took  a  course  in 
pharmacy  at  Purdue  University  and  is  well 
qualified  in  every  respect  as  a  dispenser  and 
compounder  of  medicines.  He  handles 
drugs,  wall  paper,  paint,  and  all  other  arti- 
cles appropriate  to  the  trade  and  the  "Red 
Cross"  has  all  the  outward  indications  of  the 
prosperity  that  comes  from  a  liberal  patron- 
age, insured  through  capable  management 
anil  courteous  treatment. 


486 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Metzler  is  a 
Democrat,  and  his  fraternal  connections  are 
with  the  Odd  Fellows  and  Modern  Wood- 
men, he  being'  a  charter  member  of  the  latter 
order  and  for  ten  years  clerk  of  the  local 
camp. 

June  19,  1894,  Mr.  Meitzler  was  married 
tn  Miss  Grace  B.,  sister  of  E.  J.  Mowry, 
who  was  born  at  Roanoke,  Indiana.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Meitzler  have  two  children,  Esther 
and  Edwin.  Mrs.  Meitzler  is  active  in  so- 
cial affairs,  being  a  member  of  the  Ladies' 
Aid  Society  and  of  the  Woman's  Home  and 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church. 


JOHN  D.   SHERWOOD. 

From  reliable  data  the  branch  of  the 
Sherwood  family  to  which  John  D.  belongs 
appears  to  have  descended  from  one  of  three 
brothers  who  came  to  America  from  Eng- 
land prior  to  the  war  for  independence. 
His  direct  ancestor  entered  the  American 
army  in  the  Revolution  and  was  either  killed 
in  battle  or  died  in  the  hospital,  as  nothing- 
definite  could  afterward  be  learned  concern- 
ing him.  His  son,  Adaiah  Sherwood,  set- 
tled in  Virginia,  where  he  reared  sixteen 
children,  one  of  whom  was  David,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  1802,  and  who  in  1829,  set- 
tled in  Delaware  county,  Ohio,  where  he  died 
January  23,  1873.  James  J.  Sherwood,  son 
of  David,  was  born  in  Delaware  county, 
Ohio,  February  27,  1829,  and  at  seventeen 
learned  the  tanner's  trade.  Later  he  started 
a  tannery  of  his  own  in  his  native  county, 
but  in  a   few  years  closed  out  the  business 


and  in  the  fall  of  1871,  moved  to  Thorncreek 
township,  Whitley  county,  buying  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  where  he  died 
January  29,  1873.  Caroline  Seaman,  wife 
of  James  D.  Sherwood,  was  born  in  Wur- 
temberg,  Germany,  came  to  America  with 
her  parents  when  thirteen  and  was  married 
in  Ohio.  She  died  August  30.  1875. 
Their  four  children  living"  are  John  D.. 
Lewis  Edwardv  Margaret,  who  married 
James  Maine,  of  Morrow  county,  Ohio,  and 
Presley  R.,  a  farmer  of  Union  county,  Ohio. 

John  D.  Sherwood  was  born  August  24," 
1853,  m  Delaware  county,  Ohio,  and  at  the 
age  of  nineteen  came  with  his  parents  to 
Whitley  county,  where  he  has  since  lived. 
He  taught  school  during  the  four  years  after 
his  arrival,  and  subsequently,  in  1875.  he 
purchased  the  interests  of  his  brothers  and 
sister  in  the  homestead  and  for  thirty  years 
thereafter  devoted  his  attention  wholly  to 
the  operation  of  the  farm,  meeting  with  the 
success  that  generally  comes  to  intelligently 
directed  effort.  The  better  to  devote  his 
attention  to  the  manufacture  of  brick  and 
drain  tile,  in  which  he  and  his  son  had  be- 
come interested,  he.  in  1905,  removed  to 
Columbia  City.  As  manufacturers  of  brick 
and  tile  the  Sherwoods  have  achieved  wide 
repute,  there  being  but  few  farms  within 
Whitley  count}-  that  have  not  profited  by  the 
product  of  their  kilns,  the  local  demand  ex- 
ceeding their  capacity.  Mr.  Sherwood  is  an 
enterprising,  wide-awake  business  man  of 
progressive  ideas  and  as  manager  of  the 
oldest  and  largest  industry  of  the  kind  in 
Whitley  county  has  done  much  to  advance 
the  country's   material   interests. 

On   February  22,   1875,  Mr.   Sherwood 
was  married  to  Miss  Jennie  Sherwood,  of 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


487 


the  same  family,  their  grandfathers  having 
been  brothers.  Mrs.  Sherwood  was  an  effi- 
cient and  popular  teacher  and  a  lady  whose 
urbanity  and  culture  have  made  her  highly 
esteemed  by  a  large  circle  of  friends.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Sherwood  have  one  son,  Justus  J., 
who  was  born  July  22,  1876,  and  who  is  a 
partner  in  the  brick  and  tile  business. 
Justus  J.  Sherwood  graduated  from  the 
Columbia  City  high  school  and  taught  school 
in  Thorncreek  township,  when  he  took 
charge  of  the  tile  factory,  having  since  de- 
voted himself  to  that  work,  proving  a  ca- 
pable, straightforward  business  man.  Ac- 
tively interested  in  public  matters,  he  visited 
the  Republican  national  convention  in  Chi- 
cago that  placed  Mr.  Roosevelt  in  nomina- 
tion for  the  presidency.  Mr.  Sherwood  is 
a  Republican,  and  in  18S8,  was  chosen  town- 
ship trustee  though  in  a  normally  strong 
Democratic  township.  But  one  trustee 
before  him  had  been  a  Republican  and  none 
has  been  so  chosen  since.  He  is  a  Methodist 
and  a  contributor  to  the  support  of  the 
church. 


HEBER  A.  BEESON. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  native  of 
Whitley  county,  his  birth  having  occurred 
February  10,  1878,  and  he  is  the  son  of 
H.  H.  Beeson,  one  of  the  county's  substan- 
tial farmers.  After  attending  the  country 
schools  he  finished  his  academical  education 
in  the  Columbia  City  high  school,  mean- 
time spending  vacations  on  the  farm,  thus 
securing  a  "sound  mind  in  a  sound  body," 
which  is  the  most  valuable  of  all  possessions. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  entered  the  hard- 


ware store  of  William  A.  Tulley  as  clerk,  but 
after  three  years  returned  to  the  farm  for 
two  years.  He  then  entered  the  business 
college  at  Fort  Wayne,  and  after  a  special 
course  in  bookkeeping,  secured  employment 
with  the  Provident  Trust  Company,  but  at 
the  end  of  a  year  became  bookkeeper  in  the 
Columbia  City  Bank,  and  in  six  months  was 
made  clerk  and  general  assistant. 

December  24,  1904,  Mr.  Beeson  was 
married  at  Peru,  Indiana,  to  Miss  Lutrella 
Love,  who  was  born  in  Kosciusko  county, 
being  the  daughter  of  Rev.  L.  W.  Love,  at 
present  minister  of  the  United  Brethren 
church,  at  Frankfort,  Indiana.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Beeson  have  an  only  daughter,  LaVon 
Edna.  Mr.  Beeson  is  a  Republican,  a  Mac- 
cabee  and  a  Knisrht  of  Pvthias. 


FRANK  E.  KENNER. 

Among  the  younger  generation  of  busi- 
ness men  in  Columbia  City,  few  are  better 
or  more  favorably  known  than  Frank  E. 
Kenner.  who  is  a  native  of  Whitley  county, 
and  son  of  Andrew  Kenner.  and  has  spent 
his  whole  life  where  the  name  has  long-  been 
familiar  by  reason  of  the  family's  identifi- 
cation with  the  county's  interest.  His 
birth  occurred  November  13.  1876,  and 
from  the  time  he  reached  school  age  he  was 
busy  with  his  studies  in  local  schools,  until  in 
1901,  when  he  became  a  student  in  the  busi- 
ness college  at  Fort  Wayne,  taking  a  course 
in  bookkeeping.  He  soon  secured  a  posi- 
tion as  bookkeeper  in  the  City  National 
Bank,  though  in  November,  1905,  he  was 
made  general  assistant.     He  is  regarded  as 


488 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


one  of  the  capable  and  reliable  members  of 
the  staff  of  this  popular  institution. 

April  i,  1904.  Mr.  Kenner  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Addie  K.,  daughter 
of  David  Hyre,  of  Thorncreek  township. 
They  have  one  child.  Helen.  Mr.  Kenner 
owns  a  pleasant  home  on  North  Line  street. 
The  family  attend  the  services  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church  and  in  his  political 
affiliations  Mr.  Kenner  renders  allegiance  to 
the  Republican  party. 


THOMAS  R.  MARSHALL. 

In  glancing  over  the  biographical  history 
of  the  western  states,  any  man  who  has  not 
thought  upon  the  tendencies  of  our  popular 
institutions  would  be  astonished  at  the  num- 
ber of  prominent  men  who  have  raised  them- 
selves to  high  places  of  power  and  usefulness 
by  their  unaided  energies.  This  fact, 
whil  it  is  a  source  of  honest  pride  in 
every  American  heart,  also  teaches  a  lesson 
of  deep  philosophy.  It  enables  every  right 
thinking  man  to  rise  in  his  own  estimation 
and  to  put  a  juster  estimate  upon  his  own 
intrinsic  worth.  It  proves  to  him  that  the 
seeds  of  ability  and  virtue  have  not  been 
hoarded  up  for  a  favored  few,  but  have  been 
sowed  broadcast  among  the  people.  Though 
all  cannot  gain  the  highest  point,  every  ef- 
fort to  attain  it  is  an  advance  towards  the 
great  end  of  individual  and  national  pros- 
perity and  a  benefit  alike  to  the  public,  as 
well  as  to  the  individual  that  makes  the 
effi  irt. 

The  subject  of  this  review  has  earned 
a  place  in  the  honorable  company  of  self- 


made  men  and  stands  four  square  to  all  the 
world,  with  a  true  conception  of  the  respon- 
sibility of  citizenship  and  a  comprehensive 
grasp  of  those  great  questions  and  issues 
which  test  the  standing  of  men  in  a  free  and 
enlightened  commonwealth.  When  a  mere 
boy  he  learned  the  great  truth  which  so 
many  fail  to  grasp,  that  energy  is  talent  and 
time  is  capital,  and  throughout  a  long  and 
satisfactory  career  he  has  acted  upon  this 
knowledge  with  constant  and  unvarying 
success. 

Thomas  R.  Marshall  occupies  a  position 
in  the  front  rank  of  the  northern  Indiana 
bar,  while  his  eminent  legal  abilities  and 
long  and  distinguished  service  in  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  have  won  for  him  an 
endearing  fame  throughout  the  state  in  which 
he  has  achieved  such  signal  honors.  Long 
a  member  of  the  leading  law  firm  of  Colum- 
bia City  and  ever  active  in  promoting  meas- 
ures for  the  public  good,  he  has  become  wide- 
ly and  favorably  known  among  the  people 
of  his  own  and  neighboring  counties. 

Mr.  Marshall  is  a  native  of  Indiana  and 
dates  his  birth  from  the  14th  day  of  March, 
1854,  being  a  son  of  Daniel  M.  and  Martha 
A.  ( Patterson)  Marshall,  who  were  both 
descended  from  ancestry  which  has  been  il- 
lustrious in  the  country  since  a  period  ante- 
dating the  war  for  American  independence. 
Indeed  some  of  his  antecedents  were  quite 
prominent  in  colonial  affairs  and  later  a  dis- 
tinguished member  of  his  family,  John 
Marshall,  who  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
struggle,  became  chief  justice  of  the  United 
States  and  one  of  the  world's  greatest  and 
most  honored  jurists.  The  paternal  grand- 
father of  the  subject  was  Riley  Marshall, 
who  came  to  Indiana  from  Greenbrier  coun- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


489 


ty,  Virginia,  in  an  earl}"  day  and  settled 
in  Grant  county,  where  he  acquired  six  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  land,  on  which  the 
city  of  Marion  now  stands.  He  was  an 
honored  pioneer,  took  an  influential  part  in 
the  growth  and  development  of  the  above 
county,  after  the  organization  of  which  he 
was  elected  the  first  clerk  of  the  circuit  court. 
The  mother's  family  also  includes  the  names 
of  a  number  of  men  who  achieved  honorable 
distinction,  among  them  being  Charles  Car- 
roll, of  Carrollton,  a  hero  of  the  Revolution 
and  a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence. Rev.  Charles  Elliott,  D.  D„  LL.  D.. 
president  of  the  Western  Theological  Semi- 
nary in  the  city  of  Pittsburg,  was  her  uncle 
and  one  of  her  cousins.  Rev.  Lynn  Milligan, 
chaplain  of  the  state  prison  of  Pennsylvania, 
has  earned  world-wide  repute  as  a  reformer, 
spending  his  entire  salary  to  advance  the 
interest  of  the  work  in  which  he  is  engaged. 
Daniel  M.  Marshall,  the  subject's  father, 
a  native  of  Indiana,  studied  medicine  when 
a  young  man  and  in  1849  located  at  Wa- 
bash, this  state,  where  he  practiced  for  a 
short  time,  and  then  moved  to  Lagrange. 
Missouri.  He  was  a  politician  of  more  than 
local  repute,  a  firm  and  unwavering  Demo- 
crat of  the  Jeffersonian  school  and  after 
changing  his  residence  to  Missouri  became 
actively  interested  in  public  and  political 
affairs  and  made  his  influence  felt  as  a  zeal- 
ous and  efficient  party  leader.  As  the  re- 
sult of  a  personal  altercation,  with  a  man 
by  the  name  of  Duff  Green,  he  was  forced 
to  leave  Missouri  and,  returning  to  Indiana, 
took  up  his  residence  in  Kosciusko  county, 
where  he  lived  until  his  removal  to  Columbia 
City  in  1874.  He  retired  from  the  practice 
of  his  profession  in  that  year  and  spent  the 


remainder  of  his  days  in  honorable  retire- 
ment, departing  this  life  in  i8<)J.  Dr. 
Marshall  was  not  only  a  learned  and  success- 
ful physician,  but  stood  high  in  the  esteem 
of  the  public  in  his  different  places  of  resi- 
dence. Personally  he  enjoyed  great  popu- 
larity, and  by  his  pleasant,  genial  manner 
won  and  retained  many  warm  friendships 
among  those  with  whom  he  associated.  In 
addition  to  his  activity  and  influence  as  a 
politician,  he  was  long  deeply  interested  in 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  with  the  sound  and 
sublime  principles  of  which  his  daily  life 
harmonized.  Mrs.  Marshall  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania  and  a  lady  of  refinement  and 
varied  culture.  She  was  also  noted  for  rare 
beauty  and  for  those  charms  of  person  and 
manner  that  made  her  a  favorite  in  the 
high  social  circles  in  which  she  moved  and 
which  her  graces  adorned.  Even  at  the 
time  of  her  death,  which  occurred  on  Decem- 
ber 9,  1894,  at  the  age  of  sixty- four  years, 
she  had  lost  little  of  her  prepossessing  ap- 
pearance, and  her  beauty  of  face  and  form 
were  rivaled  only  by  her  nobility  of  char- 
acter and  sterling  worth.  The  family  of 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Marshall  consisted  of  only 
two  children,  a  daughter  who  died  in  infancy 
in  Wabash  county,  and  the  gentleman  whose 
name  furnishes  the  caption  of  this  article. 

Thomas  R.  Marshall  grew  up  under  the 
sturdy  and  invigorating  discipline  of  an  ex- 
cellent home  and,  being  blessed  with  su- 
perior parentage,  his  life  earl}-  received  the 
correct  bent  and  impetus  which  in  due  time 
developed  into  a  symmetrical,  well-rounded 
character.  In  the  public  schools  which  he 
attended  during  the  years  of  his  boyhood  he 
received  his  elementary  education,  but  pos- 
sessing  a    positive   and   self-reliant    nature. 


490 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


and  not  being  satisfied  with  the  limited  op- 
portunities thus  afforded  him,  he  subsequent- 
ly entered  Wabash  College  at  Crawfords- 
ville.  where  he  prosecuted  his  studies  until 
completing  the  full  course,  graduating  in 
1873  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts. 
Three  years  later  the  degree  of  Master  of 
Arts  was  conferred  upon  him.  Having 
early  manifested  a  decided  preference  for 
the  law,  Mr.  Marshall  began  his  preliminary 
study  of  the  same  at  Columbia  City  in  the 
office  of  Hon.  Walter  Olds,  late  of  the  su- 
preme bench,  under  whose  instruction  he 
continued  until  his  admission  to  the  bar  in 
1875,  Ine  day  he  was  twenty-one  years  old. 
He  at  once  entered  upon  the  active  duties 
of  his  profession  and  soon  made  his  pres- 
ence felt  as  a  learned,  able  and  discriminat- 
ing lawyer,  receiving  in  due  time  his  full 
share  of  legal  business,  besides  winning  a 
conspicuous  place  among  his  fellow  attor- 
neys of  the  local  bar.  During  the  first  two 
years  he  was  alone  in  the  practice,  but  in 
1877,  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Marshall  &  McNagny,  which  rapidly  forged 
to  the  front  as  one  of  the  strongest  legal 
partnerships  in  northern  Indiana,  and  which 
in  point  of  continuous  existence  is  now  the 
oldest,  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful firms  of  the  kind  in  Indiana,  its  style 
at  this  time  being  Marshall,  McNagnv  & 
Clugston,  the  last  named  gentleman  becom- 
ing a  member  a  short  time  after  the  year 
indicated  above.  The  practice  of  this  old 
and  reliable  firm  takes  a  very  wide  range 
and  the  patronage,  which  is  large  and  lucra- 
tive, is  confined  principally  to  the  best  class 
of  people  of  Whitley  and  adjacent  counties. 
in  addition  to  which  the  different  members 
arc  not  infrequently  retained  in  important 


cases  in  other  and  more  remote  parts  of  the 
state.  For  a  number  of  years  no  case  of  im- 
portance has  been  tried  in  the  courts  of 
Whitley  county  in  which  they  have  not  ap- 
peared as  counsel,  and  among  litigants  there 
has  long  been  a  rivalry  as  to  who  should  be 
first  to  arrive  at  their  office.  Mr.  Marshall 
has  served  both  as  city  and  county  attorney 
and  by  reason  of  his  high  professional  stand- 
ing" and  eminent  fitness,  he  was  universally 
recommended  by  bench  and  bar  to  succeed 
Judge  Olds  on  the  supreme  bench,  but  mat- 
ters over  which  his  friends  had  no  control 
prevented  him  from  being  chosen  to  this 
high  station.  As  a  lawyer  sufficient  has 
been  stated  in  the  foregoing  lines  to  indicate 
Mr.  Marshall's  strong  mentality,  ripe 
scholarship  and  thorough  mastery  of  the 
basic  principles  of  legal  science  and  the  abil- 
ity to  apply  the  same  to  successful  practice. 
He  is  easily  the  peer  of  any  member  of  the 
Indiana  bar.  has  long  been  recognized  as  a 
master  spirit  among  his  professional  brethren 
of  Columbia  City  and  Whitley  county,  and 
by  reason  of  his  distinguished  career  he  has 
achieved  marked  prestige  in  legal  circles  and 
reflected  honor  and  credit  on  the  state  of  his 
nativity.  Personally  Mr.  Marshall  is  a 
gentleman  of  unblemished  reputation  and 
strict  integrity  and  bis  private  character,  as 
well  as  his  public  and  professional  record, 
has  ever  been  above  criticism.  He  is  a  vig- 
orous as  well  as  an  independent  thinker  and 
has  the  courage  of  his  convictions  upon  all 
subjects  which  he  investigates.  He  is  also 
strikingly  original,  prosecutes  his  researches 
after  his  own  fashion  and  cares  little  for  con- 
ventionalism or  for  the  sanctity  attaching  to 
person  or  place  by  reason  of  tradition,  arti- 
ficial distinction  or  accident  of  birth.      He  is 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


491 


essentially  cosmopolitan  in  his  ideas,  a  man 
of  the  people  in  all  the  term  implies  and  in 
the  best  sense  of  the  word  a  representative 
type  of  that  strong  virile  Americanism  which 
commands  and  retains  respect  on  account  of 
inherent  merit,  sound  sense  and  correct  con- 
duct. He  has  ever  been  a  close  student,  not 
only  of  his  profession,  but  of  all  the  lead- 
ing questions  and  issues  before  the  people, 
while  his  knowledge  of  the  world's  best  lit- 
erature is  both  critical  and  profound.  As  an 
advocate  he  is  strong,  masterful  and  not  in- 
frequently eloquent  and  before  court  or  jury 
he  presents  the  merits  of  his  case  in  clear, 
concise,  logical  arguments  and  with  a  com- 
mand of  pure,  vigorous  English.  He  makes 
a  careful  analysis  of  his  cases,  familiarizes 
himself  with  their  every  detail  before  going 
to  trial  and  by  his  thorough  preparation  and 
skill  in  conducting  causes,  as  well  as  by  his 
logical  and  powerful  appeals  to  juries,  has 
made  himself  a  formidable  antagonist  and 
one  to  be  feared.  He  attributes  much  of  his 
success  at  the  bar  to  his  uniform  popularity 
with  courts  and  juries  and  to  a  strict  ad- 
herence to  the  rules  of  conduct  he  prescribed 
for  himself  at  the  beginning  of  his  profes- 
sional career,  which  are,  never  to  misrepre- 
sent the  facts  of  a  case,  never  to  speak  un- 
less he  has  something  of  importance  to  say, 
and  never  repeat  what  has  once  been  said. 
He  has  ever  kept  in  mind  that  although 
courts  and  juries  are  compelled  to  listen,  per- 
suasion is  impossible  when  compulsion  is  per- 
mitted to  be  felt.  Hence  he  takes  pains  not 
to  wear)'  their  patience,  but  addressing  him- 
self at  once  to  the  strong  points  of  his  case, 
which  he  marshals  in  logical  order,  he  makes 
his  arguments  clear,  explicit  and  forcible, 
and  when  the  storv  is  told  he  is  done.     In 


this  respect,  as  well  as  in  earnestness  of  man- 
ner and  form  of  thought,  he  follows  in  the 
walk  of  some  of  the  most  illustrious  mem- 
bers of  the  American  bar.  Mr.  [Marshall 
has  substantial  interests  in  a  number  of  the 
leading  industries  of  the  city  and  count}-. 

In  Masonic  circles  Mr.  Marshall  is  an 
honored  and  esteemed  member  and  has  risen 
to  the  highest  standing  in  the  order,  receiv- 
ing the  thirty-third  degree  on  September 
20,  1898.  He  has  served  as  presiding  offi- 
cer in  all  the  local  bodies  and  as  grand- 
master of  the  grand  council  of  Indiana,  and 
grand  high  priest  of  the  grand  chapter  of 
Indiana,  in  all  of  which  high  and  honorable 
positions  he  has  discharged  his  duties  ably 
and  faithfully.  He  also  belongs  to  the 
Greek-letter  society.  Phi  Beta  Kappa,  which 
was  originally  organized  in  1770  by  the 
subject's  granduncle,  John  Marshall,  and 
associates. 

Mr.  Marshall  was  married  in  Steuben 
county.  Indiana,  to  Miss  Lois  Kimsey,  Octo- 
ber 2,  1895.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Wil- 
liam E.  and  Elizabeth  (Dole)  Kimsey, 
prominent  citizens  of  Steuben  county.  The 
family  are  Presbvterians  in  church  relations. 


ARTHUR  S.  NOWELS. 

As  early  as  1828  David  Nowels  came 
from  Virginia  to  Jasper  county,  Indiana, 
with  his  father,  who  settled  on  land  pur- 
chased from  the  government.  The  former 
amassed  a  competency  as  a  fanner  and  a 
stock-dealer  and  is  now.  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
five,  a  retired  capitalist  residing  at  Rensse- 
laer.   His  son,  Charles  D.  Nowels,  became  a 


492 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


retail  lumber  dealer  at  Rensselaer,  but  sub- 
sequently removed  to  Parsons.  Kansas.  His 
son,  Arthur  S.  Nowels,  was  born  at  Rensse- 
laer, Indiana,  August  2,  187 1.  He  gradu- 
ated from  high  school,  and  immediately 
thereafter  entered  his  father's  yards,  becom- 
ing a  partner  within  a  year,  and  remaining 
such  until  1898.  He  then  went  to  Ham- 
mond, Indiana,  spending  a  year  and  a  half 
clerking  for  a  retail  lumber  company.  Sub- 
sequently he  owned  a  yard  at  Geneva,  In- 
diana, but  came  to  Columbia  City  March  1, 
1902,  and  purchased  the  lumber  business  of 
L.  E.  Humerickouse,  which  the  latter  had 
established  some  years  before.  Under  his 
management  the  business  increased  largely, 
the  sales  being  thirty  thousand  dollars  the 
first  year.  January  4,  1904,  the  business 
was  incorporated  as  the  Columbia  City  Lum- 
ber and  Coal  Company  with  Charles  D. 
Nowels  as  president,  Arthur  S.  Nowels  as 
secretary-treasurer  and  manager,  with  a 
capital  stock  of  twenty  thousand  dollars. 
The  firm  handles  all  kinds  of  building  ma- 
terial, employs  five  men  and  enjoys  a  fine 
trade,  the  annual  sales  amounting  to  fifty 
thousand  dollars.  .  Arthur  S.  Nowels  was 
a  member  and  treasurer  of  the  school  board 
for  two  years.  The  high  school  building- 
was  completed  during  the  first  year  of  his  in- 
cumbency and  his  administration  met  with 
general  approval.  Though  a  Democrat, 
Mr.  Nowels  is  no  politician  much  less  an 
office  seeker. 

September  14,  1892,  Mr.  Nowels  was 
married  at  Rensselaer,  Indiana,  to  Miss  Cora 
Wasson,  also  a  native  of  Jasper  county. 
They  have  two  children,  Russell  and  Helen. 
Mr.  Nowels'  fraternal  connections  are  with 
the  Royal  Arch  Masons  and  the  Knights  of 
the  Maccabees. 


JOHN  EDWARD  NORTH. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  son  of 
Arthur  J.  and  Louise  M.  North,  the  former 
a  native  and  lifelong  resident  of  Columbia 
township.  Mr.  North's  birth  occurred  at 
the  old  home  place  December  9,  1876,  and 
his  boyhood  career  differed  little  from  that 
of  the  usual  boy.  Being  ambitious  of  ob- 
taining a  good  education,  he  succeeded  in 
graduating  at  the  age  of  fifteen.  In  1896 
he  began  teaching  in  Union  township  and 
having  a  natural  adaptitude  for  this  calling, 
he  met  with  such  marked  success  that  he 
continued  to  teach  for  five  years.  To  fur- 
ther prepare  himself  he  became  a  student  at 
the  Valparaiso  Normal  School,  and  also  at- 
tended the  State  University,  besides  taking 
the  Chautauqua  course  for  two  seasons  at 
Winona  Lake.  At  the  present  time  Mr. 
North  is  a  bookkeeper  in  the  Columbia  City 
National  Bank.  He  makes  his  home  with 
his  parents.     He  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 


BENTON  ELI  GATES. 

The  crowning  glory  of  this  Union  is  that 
the  paths  to  wealth  and  to  political,  social 
and  professional  distinction  are  open  to  all. 
and  there  are  few  whose  careers  better  illus- 
trate what  can  be  accomplished  by  industry, 
energy  and  integrity  than  the  gentleman 
whose  brief  history  is  herewith  presented. 
Benton  Eli  Gates,  attorney  at  law,  is  de- 
scended paternally  from  old  English  stock, 
but  American  in  sentiment,  as  is  attested 
by  the  gallant  part  taken  in  the  war  of  1812 
by  his  great-grandfather.  Thomas  Gates, 
who  fell  in  the  attack  on  Baltimore  while  up- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


493 


holding  the  rights  of  his  adopted  country. 
He  left  his  native  land  in  1805  and  in  due 
time  acquired  all  the  rights  and  privileges 
of  American  citizenship.  He  joined  the 
army  in  1S12  and  bore  the  part  of  a  brave 
soldier,  sealing  with  his  blood  his  devotion 
to  the  American  cause.  Eli  S.  Gates,  son 
of  Thomas,  was  born  in  Baltimore,  in  1810, 
and  when  young  emigrated  to  Hancock 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  died  in  1843.  His 
wife  was  Eleanor  Ann  Gorsage.  Their  son, 
John  T.  Gates,  was  born  in  Hancock  county, 
in  1839.  and  is  bv  occupation  a  plasterer. 
He  married  Sarah  J.  Eckert,  born  in  Ohio, 
and  of  Scotch  descent.  Sullivan  Eckert.  the 
father  of  Sarah  J.  Gates,  was  born  and 
reared  in  Hancock  county,  Ohio. 

Benton  E.  Gates  was  also  born  in  Han- 
cock county,  Ohio,  on  the  first  day  of  De- 
cember, 1863,  and  in  1872,  came  to  Whitley 
county,  Indiana,  with  the  history  of  which 
his  life  has  since  been  very  closely  identified. 
He  attended  school  in  Columbia  City  and 
also  at  Findlay,  Ohio,  later  taking  a  course 
in  the  Methodist  college  in  Fort  Wayne.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen  he  began  to  teach  in 
Kosciusko  count}-,  and  followed  this  occu- 
pation for  several  years,  earning  recognition 
as  an  efficient  and  painstaking  instructor. 
Mr.  Gates  was  attracted  to  the  law  as  best 
suited  to  his  tastes,  and  accordingly,  in  1885, 
entered  the  office  of  Haymond  &  Royse  at 
Warsaw,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Kosciusko 
county  bar  in  June,  1888.  In  April  the  year 
following  he  came  to  Columbia  City  and 
formed  a  partnership  with  John  C.  Wigent. 
In  1894  the  firm  was  dissolved,  Mr.  Gates 
succeeding  to  the  business.  Later  Mr. 
Gates  and  Judge  James  S.  Collins  became 
associated,  which  partnership  continued  un- 
til the  death  of  the  senior  member  in  i8q8. 


In  January,  1904.  the  firm  of  Gates  &  White- 
leather  was  formed.  Air.  Gates  served  as 
deputy  prosecuting  attorney  from  1890  to 
1892,  and  from  1895  to  1898,  and  from 
1902  to  1905,  inclusive,  he  was  county  at- 
torney. He  is  careful  and  painstaking  and 
well  versed  in  the  fundamental  principles  of 
his  profession.  His  achievements  have  been 
the  result  of  untiring  industry,  strict  integ- 
rity and  economy  both  of  time  and  means, 
and  he  is  therefore  what  may  truthfully  be 
termed  the  architect  of  his  own  fortune.  A 
Republican,  he  has  rendered  valuable  ser- 
vice in  a  number  of  campaigns.  In  1902 
he  became  a  candidate  for  the  judgeship. 
Whitley  county  remained  loyal  to  him 
throughout  the  contest  during  twenty-eight 
ballots,  and  he  also  succeeded  in  securing  a 
number  of  delegates  from  Noble  county,  but 
failed  of  the  nomination  by  the  vote  of  but 
a  single  delegate.  Mr.  Gates  is  now  serving 
his  third  term  as  chairman  of  the  Republican 
central  committee  of  the  county,  and  as  such 
has  devoted  much  time  and  means  in  fur- 
thering the  party's  interest.  He  is  a  skill- 
ful organizer,  and  leader,  his  ability  along 
this  line  being  cheerfully  conceded  by  all  of 
his  political  associates.  In  1893  Mr.  Gates 
assisted  in  organizing  the  Whitley  County 
Building-Loan  Association  and  was  made 
its  secretary,  which  position  he  has  since 
held.  In  1904  he  helped  organize  the 
Columbia  City  National  Bank,  of  which  he 
has  remained  a  stockholder  and  director. 

On  April  18,  1888.  was  solemnized  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Gates  and  Miss  Alice  C. 
Fesler.  daughter  of  George  and  Sarah  Fes- 
ler,  of  Kosciusko  county,  the  father  a  popu- 
lar local  minister  of  the  Methodist  church 
and  a  pioneer  of  Troy  township,  Whitley 
county,  where  he  settled  in  1843  and  lived 


494 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


until  1855.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gates  are  the 
parents  of  four  children,  John  Elmer,  Ralph 
Fesler.  George  Scott  and  Benton  Earl. 


JOSEPH  R.  HARRISON. 

Joseph  R.  Harrison,  mayor  of  Columbia 
City  and  one  of  the  leading  public  men  of 
northeastern  Indiana,  is  a  native  of  Noble 
county,  this  state,  and  the  oldest  son  of 
James  M.  and  Mary  J.  ( Richards)  Har- 
rison, whose  family  history  appears  else- 
where in  this  volume.  Mr.  Harrison  was 
born  on  a  farm  in  Green  township,  of  the 
above  county.  May  28,  1862,  and  in  his 
veins  flows  the  blood  of  a  long  line  of 
Scotch.  Irish  and  English  ancestors,  com- 
bining in  his  physical,  mental  and  moral  fibre 
many  of  the  sterling  qualities  and  charac- 
teristics by  which  these  sturdy  nationalities 
have  long  been  distinguished.  The  subject's 
early  educational  advantages  were  such  as 
the  public  schools  afforded.  The  training 
thus  received  was  afterward  supplemented 
by  a  high-school  course  in  the  town  of 
Churubusco.  where  he  made  such  a  rapid 
progress  that  at  the  age  of  fifteen  he  was 
sufficiently  advanced  to  pass  successfully  the 
required  examination  and  obtain  a  teacher's 
license.  After  spending  a  couple  of  years 
in  educational  work  he  became  deputy  clerk 
of  the  Whitley  county  court,  entering  upon 
tlie  duties  of  the  position  in  1879  and  dis- 
charging the  same  with  credit  to  himself  and 
to  the  satisfaction  of  the  public  for  a  period 
of  eight  years,  during  which  time  he  ac- 
quitted himself  with  commendable  fidelity 
and  won  an  abiding  place  in  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens.     Retiring 


from  the  office  at  the  expiration  of  his  term 
of  service  in  1888,  he  was  made  deputy  clerk 
of  the  fourth  district  of  New  Mexico  under 
President  Cleveland's  first  administration, 
with  his  office  at  Los  Vegas,  in  Vhich  capac- 
ity he  displayed  ability  of  a  high  order  until 
the  end  of  the  time  for  which  appointed, 
when  he  returned  to  Columbia  City,  where 
since  1891  he  has  been  interested  in  mer- 
cantile pursuits,  besides  taking  an  active  and 
meritorious  part  in  promoting  all  laudable 
enterprises  for  the  public  good.  In  1902 
Mr.  Harrison  was  elected  mayor  of  Colum- 
bia City  and  has  held  the  position  by  suc- 
cessive re-elections  ever  since,  his  present 
term  expiring  January  1,  1910.  The  hon- 
orable distinction  acquired  in  the  various 
lines  of  endeavor  to  which  he  had  previously 
directed  attention,  has  been  heightened  by 
the  creditable  record  earned  as  the  city's 
chief  executive,  an  office  requiring  the  ex- 
ercise of  strong  mentality,  sound  and  dis- 
cret  judgment,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the 
prosperity  of  the  municipality  and  the  gen- 
eral good  of  the  people  depend  very  largely 
upon  judicious  counsel  and  firm  leadership. 
Faithful  to  the  trust  confided  to  him  and 
loyal  to  the  best  interests  of  the  people, 
he  makes  every  other  consideration  sub- 
ordinate to  duty  and  directs  his  conduct  so 
as  to  retain  the  warm  place  he  occupies  in  the 
esteem  and  confidence  of  his  fellowmen.  A 
Democrat  of  the  Jeffersonian  school  and 
loyal  to  the  principles  of  the  same,  he  re- 
sorts to  none  of  the  wiles  and  practices  of 
the  professional  partisan,  conducting  his  can- 
vasses in  an  open,  honorable  manner  that 
not  only  carries  the  strength  of  his  own 
party,  but  wins  a  considerable  following 
from  the  opposition.  He  served  two  terms 
as  member  of  the  local  school  board,  elected 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


49; 


both  times  by  a  Republican  council,  and 
while  holding  this  important  position  he  was 
untiring  in  his  efforts  to  promote  the  city's 
educational  interests  and  to  him,  as  much 
perhaps  as  any  other  man.  is  due  the  high 
standard  of  excellence  which  the  schools  of 
Columbia  City  have  attained.  In  1906  Mr. 
Harrison  was  one  of  the  most  prominent 
candidates  of  his  party  for  congress  before 
the  convention,  but  withdrew  his  name  for 
personal  reasons,  when  his  nomination  was 
almost  assured.  He  has  long  been  a  power 
in  political  circles,  his  counsel  being  eagerly 
sought  and  his  co-operation  earnestly  solic- 
ited in  every  campaign  in  which  important 
principles  are  involved,  his  advice  and  in- 
fluence having  much  weight  in  selecting  can- 
didates and  formulating  policies.  At  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Spanish-American  war 
Mr.  Harrison  was  one  of  the  first  men  in 
Whitley  county  to  tender  his  services  to  the 
government.  In  May,  1895,  he  organized 
Company  G,  Fourth  Indiana  Infantry,  and 
May  15,  1898,  was  mustered  into  service  as 
captain  of  Company  G.  One  Hundred  Six- 
tieth Indiana  Volunteers,  which  command  he 
accompanied  to  Cuba,  where  he  shared  with 
his  comrades  the  fortunes  and  vicissitudes 
incident  to  active  warfare  under  conditions 
bv  no  means  the  most  favorable.  Returning 
home  at  the  cessation  of  hostilities,  he  re- 
sumed the  quiet  pursuits  of  civil  life,  yet 
retained  his  interest  in  military  affairs,  re- 
organizing in  1899,  Company  G,  in  the  In- 
diana National  Guard,  and  holding  at  the 
present  time  the  position  of  major  in  the 
Third  InfaTitry.  He  is  well  versed  in  mil- 
itary science,  keeps  in  close  touch  with  the 
historv  and  movements  of  the  armies  of  the 
world    and    holds    membership    with    the 


United  States  Military  Association  and  the 
Military  Order  of  Foreign  Wars.  Mr.  Har- 
rison is  a  Scottish  Rite  Mason,  in  addition 
to  which  he  has  been  active  in  the  various 
other  branches  of  the  fraternity  to  which  he 
belongs.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Pythian  order,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees,  in 
all  of  which  he  has  attained  standing,  besides 
being  honored  with  important  official 
positions. 

The  domestic  chapter  in  the  life  of  Mr. 
Harrison  dates  from  February  10,  1881,  at 
which  time  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Jennie  E.  S tough,  of  Whitley  county, 
whose  birth  occurred  in  Columbia  City  on 
October  28.  i860.  Mrs.  Harrison,  who  was 
the  daughter  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  George 
W.  Stough  and  Eleanor  M.  Stough.  bore 
her  husband  four  children:  George  R..  a 
student  at  the  West  Point  Military  Acad- 
emy, will  graduate  in  1907;  Hazel  E.,  at- 
tending college  at  Roanoke,  Virginia ;  Ray 
P.  and  Ruth  M.,  the  last  two  pursuing  their 
studies  in  the  public  schools  of  Columbia 
City. 

Mrs.  Harrison  died  June  7,  1905,  and 
was  buried  at  Columbia  City  in  the  Masonic 
cemetery.  Mr.  Harrison  has  been  presiding 
officer  of  all  the  branches  of  Masonry  ex- 
cept the  Scottish  Rite. 


REV.   ANTHONY  M.   ELLERING. 

Pastor  of  St.  Paul's  church,  Columbia  City, 
was  bom  in  the  province  of  Westphalia. 
Prussia.  March  18.  1854,  the  first  of  a  fam- 
ily of  seven  children  born  to  Gerhard  and 
Mary  Ann  (Esseling)   Ellering. 


4y6 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Gerhard  Ellering  attended  the  parochial 
school  of  his  native  village  of  Epe  until  he 
attained  the  age  of  fifteen  aand  was  then 
employed  in  farming.  He  was  married  in 
Epe,  in  1852,  by  Father  Bernard  Lammers, 
and  this  union  was  blessed  with  seven  chil- 
dren, who  were  named  in  order  of  birth  as 
follows:  Anthony  M.,  Hemy,  Bernard, 
Catharina,  George,  Joseph  and  Clement,  all 
living  in  Minnesota,  with  the  exception  of 
the  Rev.  Anthony  M.  and  the  sister  who  re- 
mains in  the  Fatherland.  August  22,  1868, 
the  family  landed  in  New  York  city,  whence 
they  went  directly  to  Meire's  Grove,  Stearns 
county,  Minnesota,  where  the  father  pur- 
chased a  farm,  which  he  cultivated  until  his 
death  in  1884,  his  wife  having  died  the  pre- 
vious year. 

Anthony  M.  was  primarily  educated  in 
a  parochial  school  of  his  native  village  of 
Epe,  Westphalia ;  then,  after  his  first  holy 
communion,  he  attended  for  two  years  a 
private  Latin  school,  leaving  at  the  age  of 
fourteen  to  accompany  the  family  to  Amer- 
ica. From  1874  until  1878  he  attended  the 
university  at  Collegeville,  Minn.,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  after  finishing  his 
classical  studies.  From  1878  until  1880  he 
attended  Calvary  College,  Fond  du  Lac  coun- 
ty, Wisconsin,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
philosophy,  and  from  1880  until  1884  at- 
tended St.  Francis  Seminary  at  Milwaukee, 
Wisconsin,  where  he  finished  his  theological 
course.  He  was  then  invested  with  minor 
orders — sub-deacon  and  deacon — in  the 
seminary  chapel  by  the  late  Most  Rev.  Arch- 
bishop Heiss,  and  was  ordained  priest  at  the 
Fort  Wayne  find.)  cathedral  by  the  late 
Right  Rev.  Bishop  Dwenger,  June  II,  1884. 
He  then  returned  to  the  home  of  his  parents 


in  Minnesota,  and  said  his  first  mass  on  St. 
John's  day,  June  24,  1884.  He  was  ap- 
pointed assistant  pastor  at  Michigan  City, 
Indiana,  the  same  year  and  later  in  charge 
of  the  missions  at  Warsaw,  Pierceton  and 
Bourbon,  with  his  residence  at  Fort  Wayne, 
and  May  1,  1886,  was  appointed  to  the  pas- 
torate of  St.  Paul's,  Columbia  City,  still  hav- 
ing charge  of  the  Warsaw  mission.  Since 
he  has  had  charge  of  St.  Paul's  parish  he 
has  erected  a  new  school-house,  made  other 
improvements  and  paid  debts  all  amount- 
ing' to  about  $15,000. 

Father  Ellering  takes  deep  interest  in  all 
movements  for  the  general  advancement  of 
the  community  and  in  his  association  with 
the  citizens  has  made  many  warm  friends 
who  may  not  always  agree  with  him  on  the- 
ological questions  but  who  recognize  in  him 
a  genial,  courteous  gentleman  whose  every 
act  makes  for  more  exalted  citizenship, 
purer  morals  and  cleaner  living. 


HENRY  McLALLEN. 

Holding  distinctive  prestige  among  the 
representative  business  men  of  northern  In- 
diana, and  for  a  number  of  years  an  influ- 
ential force  in  moulding  and  directing  the 
financial  interests  of  Whitley  county,  Henry 
McLallen,  president  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Columbia  City,  is  entitled  to  specific 
mention  as  one  of  the  notable  men  of  his 
day  and  generation  in  the  state  honored  by 
his  citizenship.  Although  a  native  of  New 
York  and  inheriting  to  a  marked  degree  the 
sterling  qualities  of  a  long  line  of  sturdy 
Scotch  ancestors  that  early  became  identi- 


^^2^^^^^^^^^^- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


497 


fied  with  the  Empire  state,  he  is  in  the  tru- 
est sense  of  the  term  a  western  man,  coming 
to  Indiana  in  his  childhood,  from  which 
time  to  the  present  his  life  has  been  very 
closely  interwoven  with  the  development 
and  progress  of  his  adopted  commonwealth. 
The  McLallen  family  history  is  traceable  to 
a  very  early  period  in  Scotland  and  in  the 
mediaeval  annals  of  that  country  the  name 
is  identical  with  McLellan.  or  "Clan  Mac," 
which  appears  to  have  originated  in  Ayr- 
shire, the  birthplace  of  the  poet  Burns,  and 
which  under  the  leadership  of  the  Campbells 
achieved  distinction  for  bravery  during  the 
long  and  troublous  period  in  the  Highlands 
where  heads  of  various  clans  were  arraigned 
against  each  other  in  bloody  and  almost  con- 
tinuous struggle.  The  branch  of  the  fam- 
ily to  which  the  subject  belongs  traces  its 
descent  from  one  of  two  brothers  who  came 
to  America  from  the  city  of  Ayr  early  in 
the  seventeenth  century  and  settled  in  Con- 
necticut, with  the  history  of  which  colony 
the  name  became  closely  associated.  Later 
the  leading  representative  of  the  family  lo- 
cated at  West  Stockbridge,  Massachusetts, 
from  which  place  his  descendants  emigrated 
in  about  1776,  to  East  Menden.  Monroe 
county,  New  York,  and  thence  spread  over 
various  parts  of  the  central  western  and 
southern  states,  in  certain  localities  of  which 
the  name  is  still  familiar  and  in  the  main 
distinguished  for  sterling  integrity,  perse- 
vering industry7  and  business  ability  of  a 
high  order.  That  this  numerous  and  hardy 
branch  of  the  "Clan  Mac"  is  by  no  means 
to  be  classed  among  the  "race  suicides"  is 
attested  by  the  fact  that  Henry  McLallen. 
the  subject's  father,  reared  a  family  of 
twelve  children,  while  his  grandfather  and 
32 


great-grandfather  were  the  parents  of  thir- 
teen children  each,  thus  literally  carrying  out 
the  scriptural  injunction  "to  multiply  and 
replenish  the  earth."  Following  the  course 
of  empire  westward,  the  scions  of  this  old 
and  highly  esteemed  family  are  now  repre- 
sented in  nearly  every  state  and  territory 
of  the  Union,  and,  as  indicated  above,  they 
have  ever  pursued  the  straightforward 
course  and  added  new  luster  to  a  reputation 
which  from  a  remote  period  in  the  dim  past 
has  been  synonymous  with  personal  dar- 
ing, unimpeachable  rectitude,  courageous 
achievement  and  a  high  standard  of  moral 
excellence  in  various  fields  of  endeavor. 
Henry  McLallen,  Sr.,  father  of  the  subject, 
was  born  in  Trumansburg,  New  York,  on 
August  3,  1808,  and  there  grew  to  maturity 
and  began  his  business  career  shortly  after 
attaining  his  majority.  He  was  married  in 
his  native  place,  August  31,  183 1.  to  Miss 
Frances  Lyman,  of  Northfield,  Massachu- 
setts, a  descendant  of  one  of  the  English 
families  of  the  old  Bay  state  and  a  lady  of 
manyr  estimable  traits  of  character,  not  a 
few  of  which  have  been  reproduced  in  the 
lives  of  her  numerous  descendants.  Mr.  Mc- 
Lallen met  with  reasonable  success  in  his 
business  enterprise  until  the  great  panic  of 
1843  when,  in  common  with  so  many  in 
every  line  of  trade,  he  encountered  serious 
financial  embarrassment  by  reason  of  his  in- 
ability to  collect  from  his  debtors,  the  ma- 
jority of  whom,  like  himself,  went  down  in 
the  general  catastrophe.  With  no  hope  of 
re-establishing  himself  without  waiting  a 
long  period  of  years  and  being  attracted  by 
the  advantages  of  the  great  west,  which  had 
been  given  wide  publicity,  he  finally  decided 
to  cut  loose  from  his  moorings  and  try  his 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


fortune  in  this  country  of  alluring  promise 
and  boundless  opportunity.  All  who  are  fa- 
miliar with  the  history  and  development  of 
the  western  states  will  easily  recall  the  won- 
derful impetus  given  emigration  to  Ohio, 
Michigan  and  Indiana  by  the  construction 
of  various  great  avenues  of  travel,  notably 
the  National  road,  the  Ohio  canal  and  the 
Wabash  and  Erie  canal,  which  to  a  greater 
extent  perhaps  than  any  other  means  of  com- 
munication contributed  to  the  settlement 
and  improvement  of  those  states  and. to  the 
proud  positions  they  subsequently  assumed 
among  their  sister  commonwealths  of  the 
Union,  while  in  process  of  building,  however 
these  and  other  schemes  for  the  internal  im- 
provement of  the  country  were  greatly  hin- 
dered and  some  of  them  effectually  checked 
by  the  revulsion  resulting"  from  the  over- 
throw of  the  National  Bank  by  President 
Jackson,  and  the  stringency  in  financial  cir- 
cles which  followed  caused  widespread  em- 
barrassment and  ruin  to  the  business  inter- 
ests of  the  people  in  general.  It  was  under 
the  inspiration  of  high  expectations  as  to 
the  rapid  development  of  the  west  that  Mr. 
McLallen,  with  many  others,  came  to  In- 
diana in  1844,  and,  accompanied  by  his 
brother,  DeWitt  McLallen,  and  Harper 
Mack,  he  settled  in  the  spring  of  that  year 
in  Richland  township,  Whitley  county, 
where  he  cleared  about  an  acre  of  ground 
and  erected  a  log  cabin  for  the  reception  of 
his  family,  by  whom  he  was  joined  in  this 
home  the  following  September.  Mr.  Mc- 
Lallen located  on  section  3,  adjoining  the 
village  of  Larwill.  and  at  once  addressed 
himself  t<>  the  formidable  task  of  removing 
the  flense  forest  growth  and  reducing  the 
soil  to  cultivation,  a  kind  of  labor  for  which 


he  was  by  no  means  fitted,  being  of  slight 
physique,  while  his  previous  experience  had 
been  almost  entirely  in  the  line  of  sedentary 
occupation.  With  the  courage  and  self-sac- 
rifice worthy  of  a  martyr,  however,  he  at- 
tacked the  huge  forest  monarchs,  which  one 
by  one  fell  before  the  blows  of  his  deftly 
wielded  ax.  and  by  long  and  tremendous 
exertion,  which  continued  through  a  num- 
ber of  years,  his  efforts  were  finally  crowned 
with  well  merited  success  and  he  enjoyed 
the  satisfaction  of  seeing  his  family  well 
sheltered  in  a  comfortable  home  and  amply 
provided  for  from  the  productions  of  the 
farm,  which  he,  practically  unaided,  carved 
from  the  primitive  wilderness.  Unlike  the 
majority  of  pioneers,  Mr.  McLallen  was  a 
man  of  refined  tastes  and  scholarly  attain- 
ments, a  great  reader  of  the  world's  best  lit- 
erature, but  his  experience  as  a  woodsman 
and  frontier  farmer  in  an  isolated  commu- 
nity, far  removed  from  the  influences  of  cul- 
tured society,  proved  sadly  detrimental  to 
intellectual  effort  and  made  his  situation 
somewhat  difficult  to  endure.  Courageous 
and  cheerful,  however,  he  and  his  family  res- 
olutely encountered  the  many  difficulties  by 
which  they  were  beset ;  with  an  abiding  faith 
in  their  ability  to  overcome  an  unfavorable 
environment  they  faced  the  future  with  hope 
and  by  keeping  the  fire  of  domestic  happi- 
ness brightly  burning,  established  a  home 
which,  as  years  came  and  went  with  their 
accompaniments  of  sickness  and  other  dis- 
couragements, never  lost  its  ideal  charac- 
ter nor  parted  with  those  charms  which  in 
many  respects  made  it  a  model  of  its  kind 
and  the  center  from  which  radiated  so  many 
refined  and  elevating  influences.  Possessing 
the  happy  faculty  of  adapting  himself  to  his 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


499 


surroundings,  Mr.  McLallen  was  not  long 
in  winning  many  warm  friends  and  but  for 
his  retiring  disposition  and  distaste  for  pub- 
licity he  might  easily  have  had  any  official 
position  within  the  gift  of  the  people  of  the 
county.  He  lived  where  he  originally  set- 
tled until  1858,  when  he  disposed  of  the 
homestead  and  from  that  time  to  his  death, 
on  October  30,  1875,  spent  his  days  quietly 
among-  his  children,  finding  his  chief  delight 
in  his  garden  and  orchard,  to  which  he  had 
always  been  devoted,  and  among  the  books 
with  which  his  library  was  plentifully 
stored.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  mind,  large 
sympathies,  and  he  stamped  the  impress  of 
his  individuality  upon  the  community  which 
he  assisted  to  establish  and  in  which  for  so 
man}-  years  he  exercised  a  strong  influence 
for  all  that  made  for  the  social  advancement 
and  moral  good  of  his  fellow  citizens. 

Henry  McLallen.  Jr..  like  his  father,  hails 
from  the  state  of  New  York  and  dates  his 
birth  from  August  2,  1841,  having  first  seen 
the  light  of  day  in  the  town  of  Trumans- 
burg-,  where  the  family  had  long  resided. 
A\ 'hen  three  years  old  he  was  brought  to 
Indiana  by  his  parents,  since  which  time 
his  life  has  been  closely  identified  with  the 
material  progress  of  Whitley  county,  and 
the  welfare  of  its  populace,  and  it  may  with 
propriety  be  said  that  for  nearly  a  half  cen- 
tury the  story  of  his  career  and  the  history 
of  the  city  in  which  he  resides  have  been 
pretty  much  one  and  the  same  thing.  Dur- 
ing the  years  of  his  childhood  and  youth 
he  attended  the  schools  of  the  neighborhood, 
later  received  a  thorough  mental  training 
under  the  direction  of  private  instructors 
and  by  gratifying  a  strong  natural  desire 
for  the  acquisition  of  knowledge,  he  became 


in  due  time  a  widely  read  and  deeply  in- 
formed young  man,  not  only  in  general  lit- 
erature, but  his  acquaintance  with  the  lead- 
ing public  questions  and  political  issues  of 
the  day,  as  well  as  with  other  lines  of 
thought  no  less  important,  was  also  varied 
and  profound.  Having  decided  upon  a  busi- 
ness career  as  best  suited  to  his  tastes  and 
inclinations,  Mr.  McLallen  began  preparing 
for  the  same  by  entering  the  Eastman  Busi- 
ness College,  at  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  where 
he  prosecuted  his  studies  until  completing 
the  prescribed  course,  following  which  he 
became  an  employe  of  the  Pittsburg,  Fort 
Wayne  &  Chicago  Railroad,  spending  the 
interval  between  i860  and  1870  in  the  line 
of  service  at  the  town  of  Larwill.  In  the 
latter  year  he  was  elected  treasurer  of  Whit- 
ley count)'  and  so  faithfully  and  efficiently 
did  he  discharge  his  duties  as  custodian  of 
one  of  the  people's  most  important  trusts, 
that  at  the  expiration  of  his  term  he  was  tri- 
umphantly re-elected,  holding  the  office  for  a 
period  of  four  years,  during  which  time  he 
earned  an  honorable  reputation  as  a  capable, 
painstaking-  and  courteous  public  servant. 
In  1874  Mr.  McLallen  turned  his  attention 
to  the  business  with  which  he  has  since 
been  identified  and  in  which  his  name 
has  become  widely  and  favorably  known  in 
financial  circles,  not  only  in  his  own  county, 
but  throughout  the  entire  state  of  Indiana 
and  elsewhere.  In  that  year  he  became  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  E.  L.  McLallen  & 
Company,  in  the  organization  of  the  Farm- 
ers' Bank  of  Columbia  City,  one  of  the 
most  substantial  and  popular  institutions  of 
the  kind  in  northern  Indiana,  as  its  history 
and  success  abundantly  attest.  After  doing 
business  under  the  orig-inal  name  until  1904, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


it  was  changed  to  that  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Columbia  City  and  as  such  it  has 
continued  to  grow  in  public  favor,  being 
ably  managed  by  men  of  large  financial  ex- 
perience, whose  conservative,  though  pro- 
gressive methods  have  inspired  confidence 
and  gained  a  wide  and  liberal  patron- 
age second  in  volume  to  that  of  no  other 
banking-  firm  in  this  part  of  the  state. 

The  domestic  chapter  in  the  history  of 
Mr.  McLallen's  life  dates  from  1864.  on 
June  7th  of  which  year  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Lavinia  Catherine  Clug- 
ston,  a  native  of  New  Castle,  Delaware,  who 
bore  him  four  children:  Elisha  L.,  Walter 
F.,  Henry  Dewitt  and  Marshall  C,  the  last 
named  deceased,  the  three  living  sons  being 
identified  with  their  father  in  the  banking 
business  and  holding  important  official  po- 
sitions in  the  same.  The  mother  of  these 
children  departed  this  life  on  April  14,  1880. 
and  subsequently,  December  29,  1883,  Mr. 
McLallen  was  married  a  second  time,  choos- 
ing for  his  wife  and  helpmeet  Miss  Cather- 
ine Dee,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Mr.  McLal- 
len, was  initiated  into  the  mysteries  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity  in  1863  at  Larwill,  this 
county,  joining  Guard  Lodge  No.  278, 
though  in  1872  he  broug-ht  his  membership 
to  Columbia  City  Lodge  No.  189.  and  since 
that  time  has  been  an  esteemed  member  of 
the  order,  manifesting'  an  abiding'  interest  in 
its  prosperity  and  exemplifying  by  his  daily 
life  the  beautiful  and  sublime  principles  upon' 
which  the  brotherhood  is  founded.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  Chapter  Xo.  54,  Royal 
Arch  Masons;  Council  Xo.  55,  Royal  and 
Select  Masons,'  and  Cyrene  Commander}' 
Xo.  34,  Knights  Templar.  In  religion  the 
Lutheran  church  holds  his  creed,  neverthe- 


less he  is  by  no  means  narrow  in  his  theo- 
logical views,  but  possesses  a  broad,  liberal 
spirit  that  perceives  good  in  all  churches 
and  recognizes  in  every  person,  however 
lowly,  a  divine  origin  and  an  immortal  des- 
tiny. For  a  number  of  years  himself  and 
family  have  belonged  to  Grace  church  of 
Columbia  City,  to  the  material  support  of 
which  he  has  been  a  liberal  contributor,  be- 
sides being  chosen  to  official  position  by  the 
congregation  from  time  to  time,  holding 
at  this  time  the  office  of  trustee.  He  is  not 
<  inly  deeply  interested  in  church  and  gen- 
eral religious  work,  but  all  lines  of  laudable 
endeavor,  social,  charitable,  moral  and  edu- 
cational receive  his  cordial  co-operation  and 
support.  Mr.  McLallen  is  public-spirited  in 
all  the  term  implies  and  for  many  years  has 
used  his  influence  and  efforts  to  the  up- 
building of  his  city  and  county  and  to  the 
advertising  of  their  advantages  abroad. 
Naturally  a  leader  of  men  and  to  no  small 
degree  a  moulder  of  opinion,  he  is  perhaps 
as  widely  known  as  any  man  in  northern  In- 
diana, and  in  Whitley  county  no  other  pub- 
lic character  has  impressed  his  personality 
so  strongly  upon  the  minds  and  hearts  of 
his  fellow  citizens.  As  a  financier  and  busi- 
ness man  he  ranks  among-  the  foremost  in 
the  state  and  as  an  executive  head  of  the 
institution,  which  has  been  such  a  powerful 
agency  in  promoting  the  business  interests 
of  both  city  and  country,  he  discharges  his 
duties  and  responsibilities  with  an  industry 
and  ability  such  as  few  of  his  compeers  have 
attained.  The  universal  love,  admiration 
and  esteem  in  which  Mr.  McLallen  is  held 
by  the  people  of  the  community  and  wher- 
ever he  is  known,  evince  their  high  appre- 
ciation of  the  public  and  private  worth  and 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


50  [ 


excellence  of  his  character,  and  when  his 
work  has  been  accomplished  and  his  mission 
ended  this  will  doubtless  prove  the  most  en- 
during monument  by  which  his  name  and 
virtues  are  to  be  perpetuated. 


JESSE  A.  GLASSLEY. 

Prominent  in  the  public  affairs  of  Whit- 
ley county  and  enjoying  distinction  in  busi- 
ness circles.  Jesse  A.  Glassley  stands  out  a 
conspicuous  figure  among  the  successful  self- 
made  men  in  the  county  and  state,  honored 
by  his  citizenship.  Characterized  by  a  strong 
individuality,  his  career  represents  the  re- 
sult of  fit  utilization  of  innate  talent  in  di- 
recting effort.  He  has  been  actively  identi- 
fied with  this  part  of  Indiana  all  his  life, 
contributing  to  its  material  progress  and 
prosperity,  at  the  same  time  lending  his  in- 
fluence and  means  to  the  generous  support 
of  all  enterprises  having  for  their  object  the 
social  and  moral  advancement  of  his  city 
and  county  and  the  general  welfare  of  the 
public.  His  is  the  record  of  an  honorable 
and  essentially  busy  and  useful  life,  con- 
sistent with  itself  and  its  possibilities  and 
abounding  in  much  to  encourage  the  youth 
whose  destiny  is  still  a  matter  of  the  future. 

The  Glassley  family  came  to  this  country 
either  from  Ireland  or  Scotland  and  settled 
in  Lancaster  count}',  Pennsylvania.  John 
Glassley,  grandfather  of  Jesse,  was  about  six 
years  old  when  brought  to  the  new  world. 
He  grew  to  manhood,  married,  and  spent  the 
residue  of  his  days  in  Pennsylvania,  dying 
on  the  family  homestead  at  the  ripe  age  of 
eighty-four,  his  wife,  Elizabeth,  reaching  the 


same  age.  John  Glasslev,  Jr.,  is  the  eldest 
of  a  family  of  eight  children,  and  was  born 
in  1830,  in  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania. 
He  early  learned  the  weaver's  trade,  which 
he  followed  in  Pennsvlvania  until  1862. 
when  he  came  to  Indiana  and  clerked  in  a 
store  in  South  Whitley.  After  about  seven 
years  he  returned  to  Pennsylvania  and  be- 
came foreman  in  a  large  weaving  factory 
in  the  city  of  Lancaster,  but  three  years  later 
resigned  and  came  back  to  South  Whitley 
and.  erecting  a  shop,  became  a  manufacturer 
of  coverlids,  counterpanes  and  carpets.  In 
connection  with  his  factory  he  also  opened  a 
grocery,  to  which  he  later  devoted  his  entire 
attention,  turning  his  other  business  over  to 
his  eldest  son.  who  was  also  a  practical 
weaver  and  under  whose  management  the 
establishment  became  quite  important.  Mr. 
Glassley  purchased  property  which,  increas- 
ing in  value  with  the  growth  of  the  town, 
in  due  time  made  him  independent.  Since 
1903  he  has  been  living  in  retirement  at  the 
old  home  in  South  Whitley,  having  reached 
the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  He  was  trus- 
tee of  Cleveland  township  for  over  five 
vears,  represented  his  ward  in  the  city  coun- 
cil from  time  to  time  and  in  various  other 
capacities  proved  himself  a  capable  official 
and  public-spirited  man.  Fraternally  he  is 
identified  with  the  brotherhood  of  Odd  Pel- 
lows,  religiously  subscribes  to  the  Methodist 
creed  and  for  many  years  has  been  a  zealous 
supporter 'of  the  Republican  party.  Mrs. 
Glassley.  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight,  is  one  of 
the  highly  esteemed  and  popular  old  ladies  of 
the  community.  The  children  born  to  John 
and  Sarah  (Winters)  Glassley  are:  William 
W..  assistant  postmaster  of  South  Whitley; 
Elias.  deceased  :  David,  deceased  :  Tesse  A. ; 


5°- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Harry,  a  merchant  at  South  Whitley,  and 
an  infant  daughter. 

Jesse  A.  Glassley  was  born  in  South 
•Whitley,  September  24,  1863,  and  attended 
school  the  greater  part  of  each  year,  the  rest 
of  the  time  assisting  his  parents.  He  served 
a  three-years'  apprenticeship  at  the  harness- 
maker's  trade,  but  on  mastering  it,  he  turned 
his  attention  to  other  lines.  He  was  a  clerk 
with  a  dry  goods  firm  of  South  Whitley  until 
1904.  Meanwhile  he  became  interested  in 
political  affairs  and  achieved  some  popularity 
and  influence  in  the  councils  of  his  party. 
Mr.  Glassley,  in  1902,  was  elected  clerk  of 
the  Whitley  county  circuit  court,  to  the 
duties  of  which  position  he  has,  since  1904, 
devoted  his  entire  time  and  attention,  prov- 
ing a  capable  and  judicious  official,  courteous 
in  his  relations  with  the  public.  Mr.  Glass- 
ley  is  a  type  of  the  progressive,  successful 
American  and  his  career  presents  a  series 
of  advancements  commendable  alike  to  him- 
self and  to  the  public.  Broad  minded  and 
liberal  in  his  view  of  men,  there  is  nothing- 
narrow  in  his  make-up  and  thus  far  his  life 
has  measured  up  to  the  high  standard  of  ex- 
cellence which  indicates  the  courteous  gen- 
tleman and  the  honorable  wide-awake  citizen 
who  makes  every  other  consideration  sub- 
ordinate to  duty  and  who  ever  strives  to  do 
the  right  as  he  sees  and  understands  it.  In 
manner  he  is  pleasant  and  affable,  with  sym- 
pathies that  express  themselves  in  kindly 
deeds  to  others.  Socially  he  possesses  an 
attractive  personality,  being  companionable 
and  genial,  and  assists  to  the  limits  of  his 
ability  all  measures  and  enterprises  tending 
to  promote  the  material,  social,  and  moral 
welfare  1  if  the  community. 

The  domestic  life  of  Mr.  Glassley  dates 
from    1886,   at  which   time  he  entered  the 


marriage  relation  with  Miss  Myrta  E. 
Hoard,  a  native  of  Whitley  county,  and  a 
lady  of  many  estimable  qualities  of  mind 
and  heart,  as  is  attested  by  the  large  circle 
of  friends  that  held  her  in  high  esteem  and 
affectionate  regard.  Mrs.  Glassley's  par- 
ents were  natives  of  Ohio,  the  father  having" 
served  throughout  the  war  of  the  Rebellion 
in  one  of  the  regiments  from  that  state. 
They  came  to  Whitley  county  a  number  of 
years  ago  and  here  spent  the  remainder  of 
their  lives.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Glassley  estab- 
lished a  pleasant  and  hospitable  home  which 
has  been  brightened  by  the  presence  of  four 
children :  Ray  H.,  being  his  father's  official 
deputy;  John  A.;  Sarah  F.,  and  Offie  K. 
The  mother  departed  this  life  in  1901,  deeply 
lamented  by  all  who  knew  her  or  came  with- 
in range  of  her  influence.  She  was  a  loving 
wife,  an  affectionate  and  devoted  mother, 
and  a  zealous  Christian,  having  been  a  faith; 
ful  and  respected  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  chuch  of  South  Whitley  and 
greatly  interested  in  all  lines  of  good  work 
under  the  auspices  of  the  same.  Mr.  Glass- 
ley  is  a  Mason  of  good  standing  and  is  also 
identified  with  the  Odd  Fellows  fraternity 
and  the  Order  of  Modern  Woodmen. 


LEVI  M.  MEISER. 

As  the  name  indicates,  Levi  M.  Meiser  is 
descended  from  German  ancestry  and  traces 
his  family  lineage  back  to  an  early  period 
in  the  history  of  Pennsylvania,  where  John 
Meiser,  his  great-grandfather,  settled  over 
two  hundred  years  ago.  It  is  a  fact  worthy 
of  note  that  the  farm  which  this  ancestor 
secured  has  always  been  held  by  some  mem- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


503 


ber  of  the  family,  being  now  owned  by  one 
John  Meiser,  a  relative,  who  takes  pardon- 
able pride  in  its  possession,  as  well  as  in  the 
honorable  name  of  the  various  antecedents 
by  whom  it  has  been  occupied.  John  Meiser, 
Sr.,  was  a  splendid  type  of  the  early  German 
immigrant  and  by  a  life  of  industry,  economy 
and  judicious  management  developed  a  good 
farm  and  became  one  of  the  weli-to-do  and 
substantial  men  of  his  community.  His  son, 
John  Meiser,  left  Pennsylvania  in  the  last 
century  and  settled  in  Stark  county,  Ohio, 
with  the  pioneer  history  of  which  he  was 
actively  identified.  He  entered  a  tract  of 
land,  which  he  cleared  and  otherwise  im- 
proved, and  on  which  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  life  as  an  honest,  upright  and  praise- 
worthy citizen,  dying'  at  the  ripe  age  of 
eighty-three.  His  widow  subsequently 
came  with  other  members  of  the  family  to 
Indiana  and  died  at  the  home  of  her  son. 
Benjamin  Meiser,  after  reaching  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  ninety-one  years.  Of  the 
children  born  to  this  estimable  couple,  Eli 
Meiser  was  the  youngest.  He  was  born  in 
Starke  county.  Ohio,  and  there  continued  to 
reside  until  1848.  when  he  moved  to  Whit- 
ley county,  Indiana,  and  opened  a  general 
store  in  Columbia  City,  having  previously 
had  experience  in  that  line  in  Ohio.  He 
was  successful  in  business,  accumulated  a 
handsome  competence  and  conducted  his 
mercantile  interests  until  his  death,  in  1856. 
Harriet  Sausser.  wife  of  Eli  Meiser  and 
mother  of  the  subject  of  this  review,  was  a 
native  of  Ohio  and  of  German  lineage,  both 
her  parents  having  come  from  the  old  world. 
Her  four  children  were  Cynthia  J.,  who 
married  D.  L.  Worth,  a  merchant  of  Colum- 
bia City:  Nathaniel  C.  a  mechanic  of  the 


same  place;  W infield  S.,  deceased,  and 
Levi  M. 

Levi  M.  Meiser  was  born  in  Columbia 
City,  November  27,  1852.  Much  of  char- 
acter and  success  in  life  depends  upon  the 
right  kjnd  of  parentage,  in  which  respect  he 
was  peculiarly  blessed.  In  childhood  there 
were  implanted  in  his  mind  and  heart  the 
principles  of  rectitude  and  honor  which  in 
the  course  of  time  crystalized  into  sturdy 
moral  fibre  that  grew  with  his  growth  and 
developed  well  defined  purposes  as  he  ad- 
vanced towards  manhood's  estate.  Mr. 
Meiser  began  his  business  life  at  the  age  of 
thirteen  as  clerk  in  a  general  store  and  con- 
tinued in  that  capacity  until  his  twenty-first 
year,  when  he  became  associated  with  David 
L.  Worth  in  the  tailoring  and  general  cloth- 
ing trade.  This  partnership  lasted  about 
ten  years  when,  meeting  with  financial  re- 
verses during  the  panic  of  1878,  it  was  dis- 
solved. Mr.  Meiser  was  then  engaged  in 
various  commercial  enterprises,  in  con- 
nection with  which  he  also  dealt  cpiite  ex- 
tensively in  Kansas  real  estate  during  the 
boom  in  that  state.  He  continued  his  busi- 
ness affairs  in  Columbia  City  until  1902. 
He  was  elected  recorder  of  Whitley  county, 
which  office  he  has  since  held  and  in  the  man- 
agement of  which  he  has  earned  an  honor- 
able reputation  as  a  capable  and  obliging 
public  servant. 

Mr.  Meiser  was  married  October  31. 
1900,  to  Miss  Alice  Souder,  of  Noble  coun- 
tv,  Indiana,  whose  father  and  mother  were 
respectively  of  German  and  Irish  descent, 
the  union  resulting  in  the  birth  of  one  child, 
Robert  DeWitt.  Fraternally  Mr.  Meiser  is 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  and  Pythian  broth- 
erhoods   and.    with    his    wife,    belongs    to 


W 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


the  Evangelical  Lutheran  church.  Mrs. 
Meiser  is  an  active  worker  in  the  Order  of 
the  Eastern  Star  and  the  Rathbone  Sisters. 
in  both  of  which  she  is  influential  and  highly 
esteemed.  Mr.  Meiser  is  staunchly  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  but  has  many  warm  firends 
in  the  party  of  the  opposition,  as  is  attested 
by  his  election  to  the  office  he  now  holds 
by  a  majority  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-two 
in  a  county  normally  Democratic  bv  a  very 
strong  vote.  He  is  an  accomplished  poli- 
tician and  enjoys  the  reputation  of  being  the 
best  vote  winner  in  the  county,  his  great 
personal  popularity  having  much  to  do  in 
attracting  to  him  his  large  and  enthusiastic 
following.  He  conducts  his  office  on  strict 
business  principles,  looks  carefully  after  the 
interests  of  the  public,  and  it  is  not  too  much 
to  say  that  Whitley  county  has  never  en- 
joyed the  services  of  a  more  faithful,  compe- 
tent and  courteous  official. 


HENRY  D.   McLALLEN. 

Henry  DeWitt  McLallen,  vice-president 
of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Columbia  City 
and  one  of  the  leading  business  men  of  m  >rth- 
eastern  Indiana,  is  a  native  of  Whitley  coun- 
ty and  the  son  of  Henry  and  Lavinia  Mc- 
Lallen. whose  family  historj  appears  else- 
where in  this  volume.  He  was  born  Jan- 
uary 3,  1870,  in  the  town  of  Larwill  and 
after  receiving  a  preliminary  education  in 
the  public  schools,  entered  the  Columbia 
City  high  school,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated in  [887,  this  training  being  afterward 
supplemented  by  a  special  course  in  the  In- 
diana State  University.      Mr.   McLallen  be- 


gan his  business  career  in  Chicago  about 
1890  with  the  firm  of  H.  W.  Caldwell  & 
Sons  Company,  machinery  manufacturers, 
and  three  years  later  removed  to  Velasco, 
Texas,  where  he  spent  one  year  in  the  inter- 
est of  the  firm,  installing  a  large  cotton-seed 
oil  plant.  The  succeeding  year  he  spent  at 
various  points  in  Central  America,  buying 
ginger  root  and  crude  rubber  and  in  1895 
returned  to  the  United  States  to  become  an 
active  member  of  the  firm  of  E.  L.  Mc- 
Lallen &  Company  in  the  management  of 
the  Farmers  Bank  of  Columbia  City,  since 
re-organized  as  the  First  National  Bank, 
with  which  he  has  since  been  identified  and 
to  the  success  of  which  he  has  verv  mate- 
rially contributed.  As  vice-president  and 
director  of  this  institution  Mr.  McLallen  has 
earned  more  than  local  repute  as  a  capable 
financier,  whose  views  on  monetary  matters 
carry  weight  and  inspire  confidence.  He  is 
also  connected  with  various  enterprises  that 
contribute  to  the  business  interests  and  ma- 
terial prosperity  of  his  city  and  county,  be- 
ing a  director  and  one  of  the  organizers  of 
the  Provident  Trust  Company  and  the  Mc- 
Nown  Manufacturing  Company,  and  a  di- 
rector in  the  Whitley  County  Building  and 
Loan  Association,  in  addition  to  the  duties 
and  responsibilities  of  which  he  finds  time  to 
devote  to  various  interests  of  his  own  in  other 
lines.  Mr.  McLallen  springs  from  a  long 
line  of  ancestors  who  for  generations  have 
been  prominent  in  the  business  world  as 
merchants,  bankers  and  practical  men  of 
affairs  and  be  combines  many  of  the  sterling 
qualities  for  which  his  family  has  long  been 
distinguished,  possessing  rare  business  tact 
and  executive  ability  of  a  high  order,  besides 
taking    an    influential    part    in    matters    and 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


questions  involving  the  public  welfare  and 
the  advancement  of  the  community  along 
all  lines  of  activity.  He  is  an  enthusiastic 
Free  Mason,  a  member  of  the  York  and 
Scottish  Rite  bodies,  including  Cyrene  Com- 
manderv.  No.  34,  Knights  Templar,  and  has 
held  important  official  positions  in  all  the 
local  branches  of  the  order  to  which  he  be- 
longs. In  politics  he  is  an  active  worker 
in  the  Democratic  party  and  a  valuable  ad- 
viser in  its  counsels,  but  has  never  .sought 
nor  accepted  'office  at  the  hands  of  his  fellow 
citizens,  having  neither  taste  nor  inclination 
for  public  preferment.  He  is  a  member  of 
Grace  English  Lutheran  church.  He  •  is 
possessed  of  a  broad  mind,  a  liberal  spirit 
and  generous  nature,  while  his  frank,  genial 
disposition  renders  him  the  life  of  all  social 
or  business  circles  in  which  he  moves.  He 
is  well  known  as  one  of  those  who  "do 
things."  when  an  emergency  arises  or  occa- 
sion requires,  and  whose  integrity  is 
unquestioned. 

Mr.  McLallen  was  married  September  2. 
1896,  to  Miss  Mabel  Liggett,  a  daughter  of 
William  H.  and  Rebecca  (Mills)  Liggett. 
whose  birth  occurred  in  Columbia  City  on 
September  6,  1871,  the  union  being  blessed 
with  four  children,  namely:  Walter  F., 
deceased ;  Rebecca  Catherine ;  DeWitt  Lig- 
gett and  Richard  Vardell. 


ANDREW  A.  ADAMS. 

Andrew  A.  Adams,  who  has  achieved 
success  in  his  profession,  was  born  in  \\  hit- 
lev  county.  January  27,  1864,  being  the  fifth 
son  of  John  Q.  and  Christiana  (Elliott) 
Adams,  both  of  whom  are  now   deceased. 


He  was  born  on  a  farm  and  amid  the  envi- 
ronments of  country  life,  his  earl}-  years 
being  spent  in  the  district  schools  of  the 
neighborhood.  This  elementary  education 
was  supplemented  by  a  course  at  \\  abash 
College,  at  Crawfordsville,  where  he  spent 
three  vears.  Later  he  entered  the  sopho- 
more class  of  Washington  and  Jefferson  Col- 
lege, Washington,  Pennsylvania.  He  grad- 
uated in  June.  1884.  receiving  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts,  and  in  1887,  the  post- 
graduate degree  of  Master  of  Arts  was  con- 
ferred. He  entered  upon  the  study  of  law 
under  the  tutorship  of  Robertson  &  Harper, 
of  Fort  Wayne,  and  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice m  state  and  federal  courts  in  1887.  and 
until  1904  was  associated  with  the  late 
Judge  James  S.  Collins.  Besides  attaining 
distinction  at  the  bar,  he  is  a  clean,  com- 
panionable gentleman,  highly  esteemed  for 
his  geniality,  social  standing  and  his  fear- 
lessness and  frankness  of  opinion.  \\  ith 
methods  honorable  and  upright,  motives 
pure  and  unselfish,  backed  by  clear  intelli- 
gence and  high  moral  conception,  his  popu- 
laritv  is  well  merited.  An  ardent  Democrat, 
he  has  given  his  party  loyal  service  in  local, 
state  and  national  affairs.  Besides  his  pro- 
fessional interests.  Mr.  Adams  is  a  stock- 
holder and  director  in  the  Columbia  City 
National  Bank  and  the  Whitley  County 
Telephone  Company.  He  is  president  of 
the  People's  Free  Library,  which  has  clone 
more  than  any  other  single  influence  to  ad- 
vance the  general  intelligence  of  the  commu- 
nity. Mr.  Adams  is  a  close  student,  not 
only  of  professional  literature,  but  of  the 
world's  history  and  progress,  especially  of 
those  great  social  movements  that  make  for 
the  freedom  and  advancement  of  mankind. 
He  belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  church,  in 


5°6 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


which  he  was  reared,  and  is  a  Knight  Tem- 
plar Mason.  In  1890  he  chose  a  life  com- 
panion in  the  person  of  Miss  Lois  Andrew, 
the  daughter  of  Hon.  James  M.  Andrew,  of 
Louisville,  Kentucky.  Mr.  and  Airs. 
Adams  have  one  son,  Robert  Andrew,  a 
pupil  in  the  Columbia  City  high  school. 

Air.  Adams  was  elected  to  the  legisla- 
ture in  1888  and  in  1890,  and  served  on  ju- 
diciary and  ways  and  means  committee. 
While  his  practice  is  general,  he  has  been 
remarkably  successful   in  criminal  practice. 

John  O.  Adams,  deceased,  was  born  in 
county  Tyrone,  Ireland,  November  26,  1826, 
and  was  the  youngest  son  of  James  Adams, 
whose  ancestors  came  to  the  North  of,  Ire- 
land from  Scotland.  His  mother  was  Jane 
Moore,  being  a  member  of  the  family  that 
gave  to  the  world  Thomas  Moore,  the  Irish 
poet.  John  O.  Adams  while  yet  a  child  came 
to  Xew  York  with  his  mother  and  other 
members  of  the  family.  His  mother  died 
shortly  afterward  and  he  was  taken  into  the 
family  of  his  uncle  Andrew  Adams,  of 
Columbiana  county,  Ohio.  Upon  attaining 
manhood  he  became  an  expert  machinist  and 
worked  for  several  years  in  the  government 
ship-yards  at  New  York  and  Xew  Orleans. 
His  health  not  being  equal  to  the  demands  of 
this  work,  he  came  with  his  brother  Andrew 
to  Whitley  county  in  1849  and  entered  a  tract 
of  land  near  the  Noble  county  line  in  Thorn- 
creek  township.  In  1854  he  disposed  of  this 
land  and  purchased  a  farm  of  three  hundred 
acres  six  miles  northwest  of  Columbia  City, 
and  here  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days 
with  the  exception  of  a  period  of  four  years 
when  he  lived  in  Columbia  City.  In  1852 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Chris- 
tiana Elliott,  a  daughter  of  George  and 
Elizabeth    (McDonald)   Elliott,  the  former 


of  whom  was  a  native  of  Berwick-on-Tweed, 
England,  and  the  latter  of  Inverness,  Scot- 
land. A  family  of  six  sons  was  born  to 
Air.  and  Mrs.  Adams :  George,  who  died 
in  1884,  at  the  age  of  thirty;  John  W.,  who 
is  the  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Daily  and 
Weekly  Post  of  Columbia  City ;  Charles, 
who  is  a  partner  in  the  Adams  Lumber  Com- 
pany of  Chicago  and  Tennessee;  James  M.. 
who  died  in  1882,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one; 
Andrew  A.,  who  is  a  practicing  attorney  of 
Whitley  county  bar;  Frank  E.,  who  is  asso- 
ciated with  his  brother  Charles  in  the  above 
mentioned  industry.  Air.  Adams  was  an 
enterprising-  and  public-spirited  citizen  and 
served  as  count)'  treasurer  from  1866  to 
1 87 1.  He  was  one  of  the  active  spirits  in 
building  the  Eel  River  Railroad,  and  was  for 
man}-  years  at  the  head  of  the  Agriculture 
Association  of  this  county.  Both  Air.  and 
and  Mrs.  Adams  were  zealous  Presbyterians 
and  were  charter  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian church  at  Columbia  City,  in  which 
Air.  Adams  was  an  elder.  Politically  he 
was  a  Democrat,  while  fraternally  he  was 
connected  with  the  Masonic  order.  He  died 
at  the  homestead  in  Thomcreek  township, 
September  23.  1902,  and  Airs.  Adams  died 
at  her  home  in  Columbia  City,  on  January 
13,  1906.  Possessed  of  distinct  and  forceful 
individuality,  they  left  their  impress  upon 
the  commercial,  social  and  moral  develop- 
ment of  the  community. 


VALLOROUS  BROWN. 

Born  and  reared  practically  on  the  front- 
ier, and  then  taking  up  the  burden  of  the  fur- 
ther development  of  the  newer  part  of  our 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


507 


country  as  it  was  in  his  young  manhood, 
drawing,  too,  all  his  stature  and  his  strength 
from  the  virgin  prairie  and  obtaining  his 
eduation  in  the  public  school  of  the  primitive 
period  of  this  region's  history,  and  his  force 
of  character  and  manhood  from  communion 
with  nature  and  the  discipline  of  self-reliance 
to  which  he  was  subjected  from  his  child- 
hood, Vallorous  Bi'own,  of  Whitley  county, 
one  of  the  most  substantial,  influential  and 
highly  esteemed  citizens  of  this  portion  of 
the  state,  is  essentially  in  his  physical,  mental 
and  spiritual  make-up  a  product  of  the  period 
of  simplicity  in  life  and  iron  seriousness  of 
purpose,  as  the  age  of  settlement  in  any 
country  must  ever  be.  He  is,  therefore, 
thoroughly  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  the  sec- 
tion from  which  he  sprang,  and  in  full  sym- 
pathy with  the  tendencies,  aspirations  and 
efforts  of  its  people,  so  far  as  they  are 
worthy.  His  life,  too,  is  in  a  large  sense 
an  epitome  of  theirs,  representing  as  it  does 
all  that  faith  has  planted,  energy  has  culti- 
vated, and  triumph  has  reaped,  according  to 
his  location  and  surroundings. 

Mr.  Brown  was  born  in  Knox  county, 
Ohio,  on  May  23,  1846,  and  is  a  son  of  Wil- 
liam R.  and  Sarah  (Pond)  Brown,  the 
former  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  the 
latter  of  Ohio.  They  were  the  parents  of 
three  children,  of  whom  Vallorous  is  the 
only  one  now  living.  The  father  was  a 
farmer  and  in  1848,  when  his  son,  Vallorous, 
was  but  two  years  old,  moved  from  Ohio  to 
Noble  county,  this  state.  Three  years  later 
he  changed  his  residence  to  Columbia  town- 
ship, this  county,  where  he  remained  a  num- 
ber of  years,  then  moved  to  Thorncreek 
township,  where  he  died  in  1870.  The 
mother  afterward  married  William   Ream, 


but  she  too  has  passed  away.  The  son  grew 
to  manhood  on  the  farm  and  secured  his 
education  in  the  public  schools.  At  the  age 
of  twenty  he  began  to  repay  to  the  state  by 
teaching  in  the  "great  university  of  the  peo- 
ple." somewhat  of  the  benefit  he  had  re- 
ceived therefrom,  and  he  continued  in  this 
trying  but  important  occupation  four  years. 
The  next  four  years  he  devoted  to  farming, 
but  at  the  end  of  the  period  he  felt  im- 
pelled to  try  his  hand  at  mercantile  life  and 
he  purchased  a  saw-mill  three  miles  north 
of  Columbia  City.  This  he  operated  three 
years,  then  located  in  the  city  and  engaged 
activelv  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  near 
the  Eel  River  Railroad,  afterward  buying 
another  lumber  mill  and  successfully  op- 
erating both  until  1881.  He  then  changed 
his  base  to  Albion,  Indiana,  where  he  was  in 
the  lumber  trade  until  January,  1882.  At 
that  time  he  disposed  of  all  his  lumber  inter- 
ests and  opened  a  hardware  store  at  Colum- 
bia City.  The  new  line  of  merchandising 
was  not.  however,  to  his  taste,  and  at  the 
end  of  a  year  he  returned  to  the  lumber  busi- 
ness with  a  mill  at  Churubusco  and  one  at 
Mentone.  In  1891  he  helped  to  organize 
the  Harper  Buggy  Company  and  was  chosen 
its  first  president,  and  this  office  he  has  filled 
continuously  since  his  first  election  to  it. 

But  whatever  other  interests  may  engage 
his  attention  and  employ  in  a  measure  his 
active  and  versatile  mind,  his  farming  in- 
dustry is  now  the  most  extensive  one  in 
which  he  is  engaged.  He  owns  six  highly 
improved  farms  with  a  total  extent  of  one 
thousand,  six  hundred  acres,  all  of  which 
are  in  an  advanced  state  of  cultivation  and 
very  productive.  On  this  extensive  tract  of 
land  he  carries  on  general  farming  on  a  large 


;o8 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.   INDIANA. 


scale,  and  also  makes  a  specialty  of  raising 
and  feeding  stock,  handling  the  Black  Angus 
strain  of  cattle  and  Poland  China  hogs.  A 
recent  shipment  from  his  herd  numbered 
four  hundred  head  of  fine  cattle  of  the  breed 
mentioned,  two  hundred  of  which  went  di- 
rect to  Liverpool.  England,  and  the  average 
weight  of  these  was  one  thousand  five  hun- 
dred pounds  on  reaching  their  destination. 
In  every  detail  of  his  business,  both  farm- 
ing and  raising  stock,  he  is  closely  attentive 
to  the  most  exacting  requirements,  believing 
that  nothing  but  the  best  results  are  worthy 
of  a  man's  efforts,  and  he  brings  to  bear  on 
his  exertions  a  judgment  ripened  and  solidi- 
fied by  long  experience  and  discriminating 
and  studious  observation.  The  rank  his 
products  have  in  the  markets  proves  the  wis- 
dom of  his  course. 

But  Mr.  Brown's  life  has  not  been  one  of 
unbroken  peace  and  quiet  industry.  In  1863 
he  enlisted  in  defense  of  the  Union  as  a 
member  of  the  Seventeenth  Indiana  Infan- 
try. His  regiment  was  soon  afterward 
mounted  and  assigned  to  the  command  of 
General  Wilder  as  a  part  of  his  mounted  in- 
fantry. Mr.  Brown  took  part  in  all  the 
raids,  skirmishes  and  battles  in  whih  his 
regiment  engaged,  and  saw  service  of  the 
most  active  kind  from  his  enlistment  to  the 
close  of  the  war  in  [865.  At  the  battle  of 
Selma,  Alabama,  he  was  severely  wounded 
by  a  musket  ball  which  struck  him  just  be- 
low the  left  eye.  badly  shattering  his  cheek- 
bone and  coming  out  lower  down  in  his  face. 
He  was  knocked  down  by  the  force  of  the 
hall  and  suffered  intense  pain  with  great 
loss  of  blood,  lint  with  characteristic  nerve 
he  soon  remounted  and  resumed  his  place  in 
the    rank's   by    (he    side    of   his   companions. 


Even  in  a  war  distinguished  for  exhibitions 
of  the  highest  courage  and  endurance,  there 
could  scarcely  have  been  an  example  sur- 
passing this  in  determined  fortitude.  In  the 
keeping  of  a  citizen  soldiery  composed  of 
men  like  Mr.  Brown,  a  nation's  honor  is 
newer  in  danger.  Mr.  Brown  later  received 
another  severe  wound,  but  this  one  was  in 
the  leg.  He  keeps  the  memories  of  the  cam- 
paigns in  which  he  took  part,  the  dang'ers 
he  passed,  and  the  companionships  that  were 
so  endeared  by  perils,  alive  by  active  mem- 
bership in  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 
On  March  6,  187 1,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Mary  Baker,  and  they  now 
have  four  children,  William,  Laura,  Charles 
and  Daisy.  The  father  has  taken  thirty- 
two  degrees  in  Freemasonry  and  is  a  highly 
esteemed  member  of  the  order. 

Enlivened  with  but  little  of  incident  or 
adventure,  except  during  its  war  period,  as 
the  life  of  Mr.  Brown  has  been,  and  given 
up  to  the  commonplace  fidelity  to  duty  which 
makes  up  the  prose  and  poetry  of  everyday 
existence,  as  it  has  been,  the  career  of  this 
excellent  citizen  and  most  estimable  man  is 
yet  a  very  typical  one  and  embodies  much 
of  what  is  presented  in  the  general  run  of 
American  experience.  It  is  an  inspiring  il- 
lustration of  that  sturdy  and  unyielding  cit- 
izenship and  determined  manhood  which  has 
made  this  country  great  at  home  and  re- 
spected abroad,  and  given  it  to  history  as  the 
most  impressive  example  of  rapid  develop- 
ment, unhalting  progress  and  all-conquering 
ingenuity  ami  power  that  the  world  has  ever 
seen.  Mr.  Brown  recollects  when  he  was  a 
homely-clad  urchin  toiling  from  sun  to  sun 
on  the  farm,  dreaming,  perhaps,  of  wealth 
and  prominence,  yet  not  even  then,  most  like- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,   INDIANA. 


509 


ly,  widening  the  sweep  of  his  vision  to  the 
horizon  of  his  present  fortunes.  The  land  is 
one  of  boundless  opportunites,  and  the  men 
who  have  the  capacity  to  see  and  use  them 
always  get  ahead  here.  Mr.  Brown  made  his 
own  wav  in  the  world  and  is  entitled  to  the 
full  satisfaction  attendant  upon  the  triumph 
he  has  won.  In  politics  he  is  an  independent 
voter. 


FREDERICK    MAGLEY. 

Frederick  Magley,  one  of  the  substantial 
and  highly  respected  farmers  of  Whitley 
county,  was  bora  in  Berne,  Switzerland.  De- 
cember 28.  1837,  and  is  the  son  of  Conrad 
Magley.  Conrad  Magley  came  to  America, 
accompanied  by  his  family  of  nine  children, 
and  here  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Rosa  Pitsbarger.  He  settled  in  Licking 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  for  three 
years,  when  he  removed  to  Thorncreek 
township.  Whitley  county,  and  here  settled 
on  a  tract  of  wild  and  unimproved  land, 
comprising  sixty  acres,  which  he  purchased 
for  three  dollars  per  acre.  With  a  resolute 
will  he  at  once  set  to  work  to  clearing  the 
land  and  soon  converted  it  into  fields  which 
brought  forth  an  abundance  of  harvests. 
He  afterwards  moved  to  Laud  and  later  to 
Bluffton,  Indiana,  where  his  death  occurred 
at  an  advanced  age.  The  nine  children  in- 
dicated were  John.  John  X.  and  Jacob,  de- 
ceased;  Frederick:  Marv  Ann.  Elizabeth, 
Margaret  and  Fanny,  deceased;  and  Rose- 
Anna.  By  his  second  marriage,  he  had  the 
following  children  :  Eliza,  Henry.  Caroline. 
Emma.  Minnie.  Clara,  Ella,  and  Celia.  of 
whom  only  three  survive. 


Frederick,  the  only  survivor  of  the  nine 
mentioned,  was  reared  under  the  parental 
roof  until  he  became  twenty-two  years  of 
age,  during  which  time  he  received  a  very 
meager  education,  and  then  started  out  in 
life  on  his  own  account  by  working  out  as 
a  farm  hand  by  the  month.  January  23. 
1862.  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Sumney,  who  was  bora  in  Holmes 
county,  Ohio,  on  the  16th  of  February,  1838, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  John  and  Phoebe 
(  Bucklow )  Sumney.  the  former  of  whom 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  lat- 
ter of  Ohio.  About  1840  they  came  to  Whit- 
ley county,  where  the  mother  died  when 
Elizabeth  was  a  child  of  six  years.  He  died 
at  the  age  of  eighty-six.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Airs.  John  Sumney  were  bom  the  following 
children :  Samuel  and  William  both  died 
young  men.  William  being  killed  while 
scouting  in  the  army  and  Elizabeth.  The 
three  children  were  taken  back  to  Ohio  with 
an  uncle,  but  when  Elizabeth  was  twelve 
years  old  her  father  brought  them  back  to 
Indiana,  she  being  the  housekeeper  for  some 
years.  But  for  five  years  before  marriage 
she  made  her  home  with  Abraham  Pence, 
an  uncle.  After  Mr.  Magley's  marriage  he 
rented  a  farm  in  Thorncreek  township  and 
there  toiled  and  economized  until  he  saved 
enough  money  to  buy  land  of  his  own.  In 
the  meantime  he  purchased  a  saw  mill  and 
from  time  to  time  invested  in  land  and  to- 
day is  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  as  fine  land  as  can  be  found  in  the 
country.  His  farm  is  well  equipped  with 
necessary  buildings  and  other  improvements 
which  go  to  make  up  a  complete  homestead 
and  the  general  appearance  of  the  place  indi- 
cates the  owner  to  be  a  man  of  excellent 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


taste.  Mr.  and  -Mrs.  Magjey  are  the  par- 
ents of  five  children  :  Ida  Velona,  who  died 
in  infancy;  Delia,  who  died  at  thirty;  Wil- 
liam, the  leading-  photographer  of  Columbia 
City;  Delpha.  deceased  at  twenty-one;  Merl. 
who  owns  an  adjoining  farm,  married  Clara 
Brumbaugh  and  they  have  four  children, 
Kenneth.  Hilda,  Madge  and  Wonetta.  Al- 
though not  an  aspirant  for  public  office,  Mr. 
Magley  has  always  taken  a  deep  interest  in 
the  welfare  of  his  community.  His  first 
presidential  vote  was  cast  for  Stephen  A. 
Douglas,  since  which  time  he  has  supported 
the  Republican  party.  The  entire  family  are 
members  of  the  German  Baptist  church,  in 
which  the}-  work  earnestly  and  effectively 
for  its  welfare  and  growth. 


DORSEY  TAGGER. 


Dorsey  Jagger,  trustee  of  Thorncreek 
township  and  an  enterprising  and  well-to-do 
farmer,  was  born  October  25.  i860,  in  Lima, 
Allen  county,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  Elias  and 
Mariah  (Conkleman)  Jagger.  His  father, 
who  was  born  in  Licking  county,  Ohio,  is 
now,  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years,  living 
a  quiet  and  peaceful  life  in  Alger,  Ohio,  his 
companion  having  died  in  1894.  This  union 
was  blessed  with  the  birth  of  eleven  chil- 
dren :  Willie  and  Clarissa,  deceased;  Al- 
meda,  who  resides  in  Ada,  Ohio;  Clearmor, 
a  resident  of  Benton  county,  Indiana;  Win- 
field,  of  Oklahoma;  Sarah,  who  resides  in 
California;  Tobias,  in  Michigan;  Jennie; 
Mrs.  Paling,  of  Alger,  Ohio;  Taylor  J.,  de- 
ceased,  who  was  a  minister  in  Ohio;  Eliza. 
decea  sed  ;  and  Dorsey. 


Dorsey  Jagger  received  his  education  in 
the  public  schools,  from  which  he  graduated 
at  the  age  of  seventeen,  and  with  the  excep- 
tion of  three  years  which  were  spent  in 
Lima,  Ohio,  he  remained  on  the  farm  with 
his  father  until  he  became  of  age.  It  was 
his  desire  and  intention  to  become  a  teacher, 
but  owing  to  the  failure  of  eyesight  he  was 
compelled  to  discontinue  close  study  and 
consequently  bought  a  farm  in  White 
county.  Indiana,  where  he  remained  until 
1902,  when  he  removed  to  his  present  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  six  miles 
northeast  of  Columbia  City.  He  also  owns 
twenty  acres  in  Smith  township.  Mr.  Jag- 
ger occupies  a  conspicuous  place  among  the 
leading  and  influential  farmers  of  his  com- 
munity. He  is  at  present  trustee  of  Thorn- 
creek  township  and  discharges  his  duties  to 
the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  community. 

At  the  age  of  twenty  Mr.  Jagger  chose 
a  life  companion  in  the  person  of  Miss  Deli- 
lah Crawford,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Anna  (Clapper)  Crawford,  and  to  this  union 
were  born  fourteen  children  :  Carrie  Maud, 
the  wife  of  Tom  Cogger,  a  teacher  in  White 
county;  Viola  May,  wife  of  Harry  Rey- 
nolds, of  this  county;  Lizzie,  a  teacher  in 
Thorncreek  ;  Charles ;  Nellie  Eva  ;  Grover 
E. ;  Lena  C. ;  Jennie  B. ;  Hazel ;  Cecil  Ray ; 
Mabel  Agnes  ;  John  Dewey ;  Frederick  Earl, 
and  Henry  Lawrence.  Mr.  Jagger  and  his 
wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church. 
Mr.  Jagger  lends  his  support  to  the  Demo- 
cratic party  and  at  all  times  takes  a  deep  in- 
terest in  the  political  and  social  interests  of 
the  community.  The  entire  family  occupies 
a  prominent  place  in  the  circle  in  which  they 
move  and  are  well  liked  bv  all. 


WHITLEY  COl'NTY,  INDIANA. 


511 


DANIEL  PRESSLER. 

Among  the  stream  of  emigrants  pour- 
ing into  northeastern  Indiana  in  1846  were 
a  man  and  wife  and  several  small  children, 
all  loaded  in  one  of  the  "schooner"  wagons 
so  common  in  those  days  of  rude  transporta- 
tion.     The  driver   of  the  outfit  was  John 
Pressler,  then  a  young  man  seeking  his  for- 
tune in  a  contest  with  the  western  wilder- 
ness.    A  native  of  Pennsylvania  he  had  em- 
igrated to  Fairfield  county,  Ohio,  where  he 
met    and    married    Mariah    Egolph,    who 
proved  a  good  and  loyal  wife  until  her  death 
in  1855.    It  was  the  10th  of  October  that  the 
little  caravan  arrived  in  Whitley  county  and 
shortly   thereafter  the   head   of  the  house- 
hold bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land  in  Thorncreek  township.     It  was  wild 
and  woody  and  many  a  weary  blow  and  hard 
day's  work  were  necessary  to  whip  it  into 
shape  for  cultivation.  It  was  eventually  clear- 
ed and  grubbed  out,  however,  as  the  result 
of  that  energy  for  which  the  pioneers  were 
noted   and    this    place    is   now    one    of   the 
thrifty  farms  of  Whitley  county.     By  his 
first   marriage   John    Pressler  had   thirteen 
children :      The  first   died    in   infancy,    un- 
named ;    Valentine.    John    and    Rachel,    de- 
ceased;  Henry  C,  a  resident  of  Albion,  In- 
diana ;  Daniel ;  Adam,  of  Rockford,  Illinois  ; 
Mariah,    wife    of    Henry    Buss,    of    Noble 
county ;  Sarah,  wife  of  Samuel  Forker,  of 
Noble  county ;  Joseph,  resident  of  Whitley 
county ;  David,  of  Albion  ;  Lydia,  deceased  ; 
an  infant,  who  died  unnamed.     By  a  second 
marriage    with    Lydia    Humbarger,    John 
Pressler  had  three  children :     Emanuel,   in 
Tipton  county.  Indiana;  Manda,  the  second, 
resides  in  Fort  Wavne.  and  William  is  a  res- 


ident of  Columbia  City.  The  father  retired 
from  active  business  many  years  ago  and 
lived  in  Columbia  City  until  his  death  in 
1884  in  his  eightieth  year. 

Daniel  Pressler  was  born  in  Fairfield 
county,  Ohio,  October  23,  1838,  and  was  one 
of  the  small  lads  who  peeped  out  of  the 
wagon  in  that  October  day,  when  his  par- 
ents first  crossed  the  line  into  Indiana.  As 
he  grew  up  he  helped  in  the  hard  task  of 
clearing  up  the  new  farm  and  remained  until 
his  work  was  interrupted  by  the  clash  of 
arms  that  preluded  the  Civil  war.  August 
12.  1862,  he  enlisted  at  Columbia  City  in 
Company  K,  Eighty-eighth  Regiment,  Indi- 
ana Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  with 
this  command  until  his  discharge  June  15. 
1865.  He  was  in  the  battles  of 
Perryville,  Kentucky,  Stone  River,  Ten- 
nessee, and  many  skirmishes.  Much  of 
his  sendee  was  in  the  hospital  and 
in  connection  with  the  commissary. 
After  returning  home  he  resumed  farming 
in  Thorncreek  township,  but  in  1868  con- 
cluded to  try  his  fortunes  in  Kansas.  Not 
liking  the  prospects  there  he  returned  after 
•  une  year's  residence  and  bought  the  forty 
acres  of  land  on  which  he  has  since  resided. 
It  was  all  in  woods  when  it  came  into  his 
possession,  but  he  has  cleared  and  cultivated 
it  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  a  valuable  piece 
of  property  as  well  as  a  good  home.  Mr. 
Pressler  is  a  Democrat  and  has  served  as 
road  supervisor  and  constable  of  Thorn- 
creek township.  February  10.  1861,  he  mar- 
ried Margaret  A.  Charles,  a  native  of  Rich- 
land county,  Ohio,  whose  parents,  Alexander 
F.  and  Elizabeth  (McCune)  Charles,  came 
to  Whitley  county  in  the  same  year  that  wit- 
nessed the  advent  of  the  Presslers.      Mrs. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Pressler's  brother  and  sisters  were  Jane, 
Mary  and  Frank  Charles.  Air.  and  Mrs. 
i  'ressler  have  had  nine  children  :  Albert  and 
Willie  died  in  infancy;  Franklin,  deceased 
in  childhood:  Korah,  who  remains  with  his 
parents;  Nora,  the  wife  of  John  W.  Wolf, 
of  Noble  township,  and  has  three  children, 
Ray,  Lesco  and  Hobert ;  Cameron,  married 
Frances  Bolsby  and  resides  in  Etna  town- 
ship; Arthur  and  Guy,  at  home;  and  Grace, 
deceased  in  childhood.  Mr.  Pressler  is  a 
member  of  English  post.  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic,  at  Etna. 


SIMOX  J.   PEABODY. 

Honored  alike  by  rich  and  poor,  old 
and  young,  the  lofty  and  the  lowly,  and  fully 
deserving  the  universal  esteem  in  which  he 
is  held.  S.  J.  Peabody,  of  Columbia  City, 
who  has  for  more  than  a  generation  of  hu- 
man life  been  one  of  the  leading  business 
men  in  this  part  of  the  state,  ranks  among 
Whitley  county's  most  useful,  most  worthy 
and  most  representative  citizens.  And  as- 
suredly not  the  least  agreeable  or  valuable 
feature  of  his  life  story  is  the  fact  that  he 
has  been  the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes, 
and  has  built  them  up.  in  all  their  elements, 
without  favoring  circumstances  or  help  from 
any  outside  source.  It  is  greatly  to  his 
credit  and  runs  like  a  veritable  thread  of 
gold  through  his  record  that  he  has  during 
all  the  active  vears  of  his  life  been  most  en- 
ergetic  and  public  spirited  in  the  matter  of 
public  improvements  and  advancement  for 
the  locality  of  his  home,  and  ever  earnest 
and  wisely  diligent  in  promoting  the  wel- 
fare, personal  and  general,  of  his  fellowmen. 


Mr.    Peabody   is  a   native  of  this   state 
and  was  born  in  Noble  county  on  Septem- 
ber 29,   1 85 1.     He  is  a  son  of  John/L.  and 
Hannah      ( Ayers)      Peabody,     natives     of 
Pompton,  New  Jersey.     The  father  grew  to 
manhood    in    his    native    place    and    there 
learned  his  trade  as  a  machinist,  serving  an 
apprenticeship  of  seven  years  and  becoming 
very  expert  in  making  surveyors'  and  other 
mathematical  instruments.     He  also  became 
a  practical   surveyor,  and  this  made  him  a 
man  of  great  usefulness  in  the  new  country 
to  which  his  desire  and  his  destiny  led  him. 
enabling  him  to  do  his  own  surveying  there 
and   render  a   similar  service  to  his  neigh- 
bors at  a  time  when  acquirements  such  as- 
his  were  rare  in  the  region.     He  was  mar- 
ried in  New  York  to  Miss  Hannah  Ayers, 
like  himself  a  native  of  Pompton,  Xew  Jer- 
sey, and  a  daughter  of  Enos  and  Jane  (De- 
bow)  Ayers,  the  father  of  English  and  the 
mother  of  German  ancestry,  but  the  families 
of  both  long  domesticated   in   Xew  Jersey, 
their  American  progenitors  having  been  pio- 
neers in  the  state.     About   1819  the  Ayers 
family  moved  to  Huron  county,  Ohio.     The 
country  was  heavily  timbered  and  to  clear 
it  required  the  united  and  arduous  efforts  <>\ 
every  available   force.      Perseverance  <  >ver- 
came  every  obstacle  and   in   time  the  wild 
land    was    transformed     into    an    excellent 
farm,   on    which    Mr.   Ayers   lived   until   his 
death,  soon  after  which  event  the  widow  and 
family  returned  to  their  old  home  in   Xew 
Jersey. 

After  his  marriage  John  F.  Peabody 
lived  in  the  city  of  New  York  until  1841. 
when  he  took  up  his  residence  in  Huron 
count}-.  Ohio.  Two  years  later  he  removed 
his  family  and  effects  to  Noble  count)'.  In- 
diana, where  he  was  one  of  the  earlv  set- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


5i3 


tiers  and  where  he  engaged  in  farming  until 
the  fall  of  185 1.  He  then  changed  his  base 
of  operations  to  Areola,  Allen  county,  and 
his  occupation  to  that  of  lumber  merchant, 
although  still  farming  to  some  extent,  car- 
rying on  the  two  industries  together  until 
his  death  on  September  13,  1865,  when  he 
was  at  the  age  of  fifty-three  years.  His 
widow  still  survives  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
seven  years.  Of  their  eleven  children  only 
two  are  living,  Simon  J.,  of  Columbia  City, 
and  J.  B.,  of  North  Manchester,  in  this 
state. 

Simon  J.  Peabody  was  reared  to  habits 
of  useful  industry  in  the  household  and  busi- 
ness of  his  father  and  obtained  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  near  his  home. 
At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  began  the  battle  of 
life  for  himself,  armed  only  with  the  capi- 
tal nature  had  given  him,  a  clear  head,  a 
strong  physique,  an  unyielding  determina- 
tion and  a  ready  will  for  any  useful  em- 
ployment that  might  present  itself.  He  had 
acquired  a  considerable  knowledge  of  the 
work  of  sawing  lumber  in  his  father's  mill 
and  the  first  position  he  held  for  himself  was 
as  engineer  and  head  sawyer  in  a  sawmill. 
Saving  his  earnings,  he  was  in  an  unusually 
short  period  able  to  start  a  business  of  his 
own,  which  he  did  by  establishing  a  shingle 
factory  at  Areola  in  1869,  he  being  then 
but  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  continued 
his  operations  in  that  establishment  two 
years  and  in  1871  moved  to  Taylor,  Whit- 
ley county,  where  he  erected  a  sawmill. 
After  about  ten  years  he  took  up  his  resi- 
dence at  Columbia  City  and  gave  his  atten- 
tion wholly  to  the  lumber  trade  in  a  com- 
prehensive and  general  way.  His  success 
has  been  great  from  the  start,  for  he  has 
33 


conducted  his  business  with  a  high  order  of 
capacity  involving  great  foresight,  energy 
and  breadth  of  view,  and  has  made  every 
circumstance  minister  to  his  advantage.  His 
mill  in  Columbia  City  is  running  continu- 
ously the  year  round  and  furnishes  employ- 
ment to  a  large  number  of  men.  Mr.  Pea- 
body  is  connected  also  with  a  large  sawmill 
at  Lafontaine.  another  at  Denver  and  one 
at  Rochester,  Indiana.  All  these  are  vigor- 
ously managed  and  kept  at  their  full  ca- 
pacity all  the  time.  To  measure  the  extent 
and  volume  of  their  benefaction  to  man- 
kind it  would  be  necessary  to  estimate  the 
homes  they  have  made  comfortable  and 
happy,  the  domestic  shrines  they  have 
warmed  and  brightened,  the  hearts  of  par- 
ents they  have  rendered  light  and  cheerful, 
the  faces  of  childhood  they  have  wreathed 
in  beaming  smiles  and  the  intellectual  and 
moral  forces  they  have  evoked  and  put  in 
motion.  But  even  then  the  sum  of  their 
good  would  be  left  to  conjecture,  as  no  cal- 
culation could  compass  it  all  for  statement 
in  cold  figures. 

Mr.  Peabody  has  prospered  almost  phe- 
nomenally and  is  one  of  the  most  substantial 
men  in  the  county.  He  was  at  one  time  a 
stockholder  in  the  Michigna  Peninsular  (  ar 
Company,  of  Detroit,  but  some  few  years 
ag'o  withdrew  from  that  industry.  He  owns 
considerable  real  estate  of  value  in  the  city 
and  county,  among  his  possessions  being-  the 
celebrated  Wilkeswood  stock  farm,  com- 
prising snine  hundred  acres  of  first-rate  land. 
He  was  formerly  the  owner  of  the  renowned 
stallion  Wilkeswood.  which  he  purchased  in 
Kentucky  in  1886  and  sold  in  1893  for  the 
sum  of  $10,000.  By  the  operation  of  his 
farm  and  the  liberal  policy  pursued  he  has 


5i4 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


clone  much  to  elevate  the  standard  of  live 
stock,  especially  horses,  in  this  part  of  the 
state.  In  fact,  it  may  be  truthfully  said  of 
him  that  he  has  touched  nothing  that  he  has 
not  improved. 

In  1906  Mr.  Peabody  converted  his  Co- 
lumbia City  enterprises,  consisting  of  a 
planing  mill,  a  pine  lumber  trade  and  a 
sawmill,  into  a  stock  company,  taking  in  as 
shareholders  some  of  his  oldest  employes 
and  thus  admitting  them  to  an  interest  in 
the  business  they  had  helped  to  build  up..  In 
addition  to  the  mills  and  lumber  yards  al- 
ready mentioned,  this  gentleman  of  great 
business  grasp  and  comprehensiveness  is 
connected  with  others.  He  is  president  of 
the  Peabody  Lumber  Company  at  Lafon- 
taine,  which  operates  a  large  mill  there,  and 
is  interested  in  mills  at  Denver  and  Roches- 
ter in  association  with  W.  F.  Kinsley.  He 
is  also  vice-president  of  the  Columbia  City 
National  Bank  and  of  the  Provident  Trust 
Company,  of  the  same  place,  and  president 
of  the  Whitley  County  Telephone  Company. 
On  his  farm  he  raises  fine  grades  of  cattle 
and  hogs. 

At  present  he  exercises  only  a  super- 
vision over  his  many  interests,  leaving  their 
active  management  and  the  trying  work  in- 
cident thereto  to  those  of  his  old  and  trusted 
employes  who  have  become  stockholders  in 
the  corporation,  in  which,  however,  he  still 
holds  the  controlling  interest.  He  has  been 
a  good  friend  to  all  his  working  men,  help- 
ing- them  to  homes  on  easy  terms  and  taking 
their  interests  under  consideration  along 
with  his  own  during  the  whole  of  his  busi- 
ness career.  His  business  is  one  of  the  most 
extensive  in  northern  Indiana  and  its  profits 
are  commensurate  with  its  magnitude:    yet 


Mr.  Peabody  is  one  of  those  rare  men  who 
in  making  money  has  outgrown  the  love  of 
it,  seeing  in  it  only  the  means  of  helping  to 
lighten  the  burdens  and  augment  the  hap- 
piness of  his_kind.  His  private  benevolence 
is  extensive  but  unostentatious  and  his  sup- 
port of  public  improvements  is  generous,  ac- 
tive and  immediate  when  he  approves  of 
them. 

But  the  busy  life  here  briefly  chronicled 
has  not  been  without  the  lighter  tints  to  re- 
lieve its  somber  hue.  The  golden  thread  of 
sentiment  has  run  brightly  through  its  woof 
and  twice  has  its  subject  bowed  gracefully 
beneath  the  flowery  yoke  of  Eros.  Mr.  Pea- 
body was  first  married  on  May  22,  1875, 
being  united  then  with  Miss  Hannah  B. 
Swift,  a  native  of  Marion,  Massachusetts, 
and  a  lineal  descendant  of  Peregrine  White, 
the  first  white  child  bom  in  this  country 
after  the  arrival  of  the  Mayflower  at  Plym- 
outh Rock.  Of  this  marriage  one  child  was 
born,  a  daughter  named  Genevieve,  who 
died  on  February  20,  1879,  the  mother  pass- 
ing away  a  few  days  later.  On  October  9, 
1882,  the  father  married  as  his  second  wife 
Miss  Mary  E.  Tobey,  a  native  of  Lagrange, 
Indiana,  and  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Reuben 
Tobey,  of  that  city,  who  was  for  more  than 
a  quarter  of  a  century  a  member  of  the 
Northern  Indiana  Conference  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church.  He  is  now  de- 
ceased. 

Air.  Peabody's  unvarying  business  policy 
through  life  has  been  to  meet  all  financial 
obligations  at  the  hour  of  their  maturity; 
his  demeanor  toward  his  employes  has  been 
to  recognize  merit  by  promotion  at  the 
proper  time.  In  his  citizenship  he  has  been 
and  is  elevated  and  elevating;   and  in  all  the 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA, 


515 


relations  of  life  he  has  given  to  the  commu- 
nity in  which  he  lives  an  example  that  is 
worthy  of  all  emulation  and  a  service  that 
is  beyond  price. 


HENRY  W.  MILLER. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this 
sketch  is  a  native  of  Clark  county,  Ohio, 
where  his  birth  occurred  June  24,  1849, 
being  the  son  of  Peter  and  Sarah  (Snyder) 
Miller,  both  parents  of  German  lineage.  Mr. 
Miller's  paternal  grandparents,  Adam  and 
Mary  Miller,  came  to  America  from  Ger- 
many in  an  early  day  and  settled  in  York 
county,  Pennsylvania,  where  they  reared 
their  family  and  spent  the  remainder  of  their 
lives.  In  his  native  country  Adam  learned 
the  trades  of  linen  weaving  and  tailoring, 
and  followed  the  latter  after  becoming  a  cit- 
izen of  the  United  States,  and  for  a  number 
of  years  ran  a  shop  in  Pennsylvania,  where 
he  earned  wide  repute  as  a  skillful  workman. 
His  wife  belonged  to  an  old  and  wealthy 
aristocratic  family  in  the  land  of  her  birth, 
but  for  marrying  beneath  her  social  status 
she  was  disinherited  and  after  coming  to 
America  lost  all  trace  of  her  relations  in  the 
Fatherland.  She  bore  her  husband  seven 
children,  lived  an  honorable  life  as  a  wife 
and  mother  and  died  at  an  advanced  age  a 
number  of  years  ago  in  Pennsylvania.  Pe- 
ter Miller  was  reared  and  educated  in  the 
above  state  and  when  a  young  man  learned 
the  cooper's  trade,  which  he  followed  for  a 
few  years  in  his  home  county,  after  which 
he  spent  considerable  time  working  as  a 
journeyman   in  various   towns  in   Pennsyl- 


vania, finally  making  his  way  to  Dayton, 
Ohio,  where  he  worked  at  his  chosen  calling 
until  1859,  when  he  purchased  a  farm  near 
the  city  of  Springfield  and  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  the  cultivation  of  the  soil.  After 
remaining  there  until  1864  he  disposed  of 
his  land  and  moving  to  Whitley  county, 
bought  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  seven- 
teen acres  in  Thorncreek  township,  which 
was  partially  improved  and  which  has  been 
in  possession  of  the  family  ever  since,  being 
owned  at  this  time  by  his  son,  whose  name 
appears  at  the  head  of  this  article.  In  the 
course  of  a  few  years  Mr.  Miller  cleared  and 
reduced  the  greater  part  of  this  land  to  cul- 
tivation. He  soon  took  high  rank  as  an 
industrious,  frugal  farmer  and  practical 
business  man,  introducing  a  series  of  sub- 
stantial improvements  which  made  his  place 
one  of  the  best  and  most  desirable  rural 
homes  in  the  township.  The  present  resi- 
dence, erected  in  1872,  was  one  of  the  most 
pretentious  homes  in  the  county.  He  was 
one  of  the  first  men  in  his  neighborhood  to 
demonstrate  the  efficiency  and  value  of  sys- 
tematic drainage,  his  initial  efforts  in  re- 
claiming waste  land  consisting  of  a  large 
number  of  ditches,  into  which  were  placed 
long  covered  wooden  troughs  and  barrels 
and  then  filled  to  the  original  level.  In  due 
time  this  wooden  material  decayed,  but  not 
until  the  purposes  of  the  drainage  were 
achieved  and  a  goodly  number  of  acres  orig- 
inally covered  with  water  and  deemed  use- 
less for  tillage  reclaimed  and  rendered  ex- 
ceedingly productive  and  valuable  for  farm- 
ing. Mr.  Miller's  career  was  a  practical  ex- 
emplification of  well  applied  industry  and  he 
lived  long  enough  to  enjoy  the  results  of 
persevering  toil  and  systematic  management, 


5i6 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


dying'  in  1887,  his  wife  preceding  him  to 
die  other  world  by  seven  years.  They  were 
seventy-five  and  seventy,  respectively.  They 
were  members  of  the  Lutheran  church,  lived 
consistent  Christian  lives  and  were  much 
esteemed  by  the  large  circle  of  neighbors 
and  friends  with  whom  they  were  wont  to 
associate.  The  following"  are  the  names  of 
their  five  children :  Cornelius,  who  died  at 
about  sixty-six,  leaving  three  children,  one 
of  his  sons,  William,  being  prominent  in 
railroad  circles,  and  holding  at  this  time  the 
position  of  traveling  auditor  with  one  of  the 
important  railway  lines  centering  in  the  city 
of  Detroit;  John  A.,  who  died  at  twenty- 
one  ;  Man',  who  is  the  wife  of  William  Mil- 
ler, a  farmer  of  Richland  township,  Whit- 
ley county;  Samuel,  a  retired  farmer  and  ex- 
soldier,  who  died  in  December,  1906,  in  Co- 
lumbia City,  aged  sixty-two,  and  Henry  W. 
The  early  life  of  Henry  W.  Miller,  de- 
void of  striking  event,  was  spent  amid  the 
stirring  scenes  of  the  farm  and  as  soon  as 
old  enough  his  services  were  demanded  in 
the  fields,  where  in  due  time  he  learned  the 
lessons  of  industry  and  thrift,  which  lie  at 
the  foundation  of  his  subsequent  career  of 
usefulness  as  an  enterprising  and  progressive 
tiller  of  the  soil.  In  the  public  schools, 
which  he  attended  from  two  to  three  months 
of  the  year,  he  obtained  a  practical  knowl- 
edge of  the  common  branches  and  later  rent- 
ed his  father's  farm,  which  he  continued  to 
cultivate  for  a  share  of  the  proceeds  for  a  pe- 
riod df  five  years,  when  he  purchased  one 
hundred  and  seventeen  acres  of  the  home- 
stead. This  he  cultivated  in  connection  with 
the  home  farm  and  in  the  meantime  began 
dealing  quite  extensively  in  live  stock,  in  ad- 
dition to  which  he  also  conducted  a  success- 


ful dairy  business.  Mr.  Miller's  career  in 
all  of  his  undertakings  has  been  eminently 
satisfactory,  being  at  this  time  one  of  the 
leading  agriculturists  and  stockmen  of  \\  hit- 
ley  county,  owning  a  splendid  farm  of  four 
hundred  and  sixty-two  acres,  including  the 
homestead,  of  which  three  hundred  and  fifty 
are  in  cultivation,  his  buildings  of  all  kinds 
being  modern,  commodious  and  convenient 
and  comparing  favorably  with  the  finest  im- 
provements of  the  kind,  not  only  in  the 
county,  but  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state. 
He  gives  personal  attention  to  his  extensive 
agricultural  interests,  and  in  all  that  consti- 
tutes a  typical  American  fanner  of  the  times 
he  is  easily  the  peer  of  any  of  his  fellow  citi- 
zens similarly  engag'ed,  being  a  careful  stu- 
dent of  agricultural  science,  familiar  with 
the  latest  improvements  in  implements  and 
machinery,  and  by  proper  fertilizing  and  ju- 
dicious rotation,  his  success  has  been  com- 
mensurate with  the  intelligence  and  judg- 
ment displayed  in  the  management  of  his 
estate,  while  his  abundant  harvests  and  lib- 
eral income  have  made  him  independent  and 
won  for  him  a  conspicuous  place  among  the 
financially  solid  and  well-to-do  men  of  the 
county. 

Mr.  Miller  was  married  in  September, 
1875,  to  Miss  Mary  Spears,  of  Whitley 
county,  who  died  within  a  few  days  after 
presenting  him  with  twin  children.  Charles 
H.  and  Mary  Jane,  the  former  now  engaged 
in  business  in  Columbia  City,  the  latter  the 
wife  of  Frank  Lusk,  of  Ouincy.  Michigan. 
October  28,  1878,  Mr.  Miller  was  married 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  Zellers,  also  of  this 
county,  the  union  being  blessed  with  seven 
children:  Alma  R.,  wife  of  Ralph  Coli,  of 
Columbus  Grove.  Ohio;  Orb  L.,  deceased; 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


517 


Edward  W.;  Delia  C. ;  Dora;  Ruth,  de- 
ceased ;  Josie.  Mr.  Miller  has  always  mani- 
fested a  keen  interest  in  public  matters  and 
as  a  pronounced  Democrat  of  the  Jefferson- 
ian  school  has  rendered  valuable  service  to 
his  party,  in  recognition  of  which  he  was 
elected  in  1892  as  county  commissioner, 
serving  three  years.  The  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church  holds  his  religious  creed  and  for 
a  number  of  years  he  has  been  a  faithful 
member  of  the  same  and  a  liberal  contributor 
to  its  various  lines  of  work,  his  wife  be- 
longing to  the  congregation  with  which  he 
is  identified  and,  like  him,  zealous  in  the 
discharge  of  her  duties  as  an  humble  and 
devout  disciple  of  the  Nazarene. 


CHARLES  W.  HIVELY. 

This  name  has  long  been  familiar  in 
Whitley  county  by  reason  of  the  fact  that 
the  founder  of  the  family  was  among  the 
early  settlers  and  left  numerous  descendants. 
John  Hively,  who  was  a  native  of  Licking 
county,  Ohio,  came  to  Indiana  in  what  the 
pioneer  historians  call  an  "earl}'  day"  and 
entered  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  gov- 
ernment land  in  Thorncreek  township  and 
lived  on  the  same  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred at  the  early  age  of  thirty-three.  He 
married^  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Nathaniel 
Gradless,  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  18 12  and 
one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Whitley  county. 
By  this  union  there  was  bom  five  children : 
Irvin,  who  died  during  the  war,  while  a  sol- 
dier of  the  Union  army ;  Henry  Clay,  a  resi- 
dent of  Kansas;  Charles  W. ;  Matthew  H., 
of  Fort  Wayne,  and  Noah,  also  a  resident 


of  Thorncreek  township.  After  her  hus- 
band's death  Mrs.  Hively  married  Peter 
Shriner,  one  of  the  county's  early  settlers,  by 
whom  she  had  four  children  :  Mary,  widow 
of  Aaron  Bair,  a  resident  of  Thorncreek 
township ;  John,  of  Columbia  City ;  Lucinda, 
deceased  wife  of  Andrew  Garty,  and  Sarah 
Elizabeth,  who  died  in  childhood.  The  par- 
ents were  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  Charles  W.  Hively,  third 
child  of  his  mother's  first  marriage,  was 
born  November  15,  1846,  and  lived  with 
his  step-father  until  he  became  of  age.  Re- 
ceiving forty  acres  of  his  father's  original 
homestead  he  lived  on  and  farmed  the  same 
until  1876,  when  he  bought  the  ninety  acres 
which  constitutes  his  present  farm  and  has 
been  his  home  during  the  intervening  years. 
November  6,  1868,  he  married  Clara,  daugh- 
ter of  Abraham  Pence,  who  died  after  bear- 
ing him  four  children:  Webster,  a  fanner, 
of  Thorncreek  township;  Cora  E.,  wife  of 
Albert  Ansbaugh,  of  Smith  township ;  Leo- 
mar  died  at  seven  years  and  one  who  died  in 
infancy.  Mr.  Hively 's  second  marriage  was 
to  Delia,  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth 
(Pence)  Vanouten,  a  religious  and  accom- 
plished woman,  who  proved  a  very  congenial 
companion  to  her  husband.  She  was  for 
twenty  years  a  licensed  preacher  of  the 
United  Brethren  church  and  with  the  assist- 
ance of  Mr.  Hively  did  much  evangelistic 
work.  She  died  March  26,  1902.  She 
served  as  pastor  of  various  churches  includ- 
ing' her  home  church.  Her  evangelistic 
work,  assisted  by  her  husband,  covered 
much  of  St.  Joseph  conference  with  satis- 
factory success.  She  is  remembered  as  a 
fluent  and  able  pulpit  speaker  which,  sup- 
ported by  deep  religious  faith  and  personal 


5i8 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


experience,  made  her  an  earnest  and  accept- 
able worker  in. the  Master's  cause.  In  her 
last  years  poor  health  compelled  retirement 
from  more  active  duty  but  she  never  fal- 
tered in  her  one  trust,  dying  with  a  blessed 
hope  and  confidence. 

They  had  one  daughter,  Frances  E.,  who 
remains  at  home  with  her  father.  Mr.  Hively 
contracted  a  third  marriage  with  Ella, 
daughter  of  Solomon  Miller,  one  of  the 
county's  old  settlers.  Both  were  members  of 
the  United  Brethren  church  and  for  twenty- 
six  years  Mr.  Hively  has  been  active  in  reli- 
gious work,  especially  in  connection  with 
Sunday  school  work.  In  politics  he  acts 
with  the  Prohibition  party,  as  his  principles 
make  him  an  uncompromising  opponent  of 
the  liquor  traffic. 


GEORGE  W.  MILLER. 

Letters  were  not  numerous  and  neigh- 
bors were  "far  between"  when  in  1846  Jo- 
seph and  Elizabeth  Miller  joined  the  ranks 
of  pioneer  farmers  then  struggling  with  the 
swamps  and  tall  timber  of  Thorncreek 
township.  He  was  a  Virginian  who,  some 
years  previous  had  emigrated  to  Perry 
county,  Ohio,  but  later  concluded  that  he 
could  do  better  in  the  new  state  of  Indiana. 
He  bought  a  tract  of  land  and  put  in  many 
years  of  hard  labor  in  its  improvement  and 
cultivation,  but  it  is  now  valuable  property 
and  still  owned  by  his  descendants.  This 
worthy  couple  were  members  of  the  Lu- 
theran church,  quiet  and  unobtrusive  people 
who  passed  uneventful  lives  and  finally 
passed  away  at  their  home  in  Thorncreek 
township.      He   died    September   22,    1850. 


She,  bom  in  Pennsylvania,  died  January, 
1870.  They  had  three  children.  John  died 
in  Thorncreek  in  1896,  aged  seventy-one. 
Jonathan  died  at  thirty  and  Elizabeth  died 
a  maiden  lady  in  1876,  aged  fifty-three.  Jon- 
athan was  at  one  time  surveyor  of  Whitley 
county,  and  did  much  work  in  that  line. 
John  the  eldest  son  born  September  29, 
1825,  was  a  young  man  when  he  came  with 
his  parents  to  Whitley  county.  He  had  at- 
tended the  common  schools  as  well  as  an 
academy  in  Ohio  and  was  unusually  well 
educated  for  that  day.  He  taught  school  a 
number  of  years  in  Whitley  and  Noble  coun- 
ties, farming  between  times,  and  in  1855 
being-  licensed  as  a  preacher  by  the  Lutheran 
church  he  devoted  much  of  his  time  to 
religious  work  until  his  death  August  5, 
1896.  For  several  years  he  had  charge  of 
various  churches  in  Whitley,  Noble  and 
Huntington  counties.  He  once  held  a  de- 
bate with  Rev.  Appleton  of  the  Christian 
church  which  attracted  a  good  deal  of  local 
attention.  He  was  liberal  in  his  views  but 
never  hesitated  to  advance  his  views.  He 
often  spoke  on  the  liquor  question.  In  early 
manhood  he  married  Catherine  Hively,  who 
proved  a  devoted  wife  and  at  present  lives 
on  the  old  farm  inherited  by  her  husband 
from  his  father.  They  had  five  children,  of 
whom  two  died  in  infancy.  The  living  are 
George  W.,  John  F.,  a  carpenter  of  Fort 
Wayne,  and  Calvin  L.,  a  fanner  of  Marshall 
county,  Indiana. 

George  W.  Miller,  eldest  of  the  family, 
was  born  in  Whitley  county  on  the  Thorn- 
creek homestead,  January  10,  1855.  He 
remained  at  home  with  his  father  and  helped 
in  the  farming  until  he  reached  early  man- 
hood. Meantime  he  had  picked  up  a  fair 
education  by  attendance  at  the  schools  of 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


519 


Thomcreek  township.  The  homestead  hav- 
ing descended  to  his  father  and  the  latter 
being-  busy  most  of  his  time  in  church  work, 
Mr.  Miller  had  charge  of  the  place  several 
years.  Finally  he  bought  the  seventy  acres 
on  which  he  now  lives,  which  he  has  greatly 
improved  by  industry  and  good  manage- 
ment. He  erected  an  eight-room  house, 
built  in  modern  style,  with  all  the  conve- 
niences, has  put  up  a  good  barn  and  other 
outbuildings,  and  altogether  has  a  comfort- 
able home  for  himself  and  family.  October 
9,  1881,  Mr.  Miller  was  married  to  Mary 
Ann,  daughter  of  Leonard  and  Ellen 
(Brumbaugh)  Hyre,  natives  of  Ohio,  who 
became  earl)'  settlers  in  Smith  township, 
Whitley  county.  The  father  who  survives 
his  wife  is  living  in  Columbia  City.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Miller  have  had  four  children :  Mel- 
vin  R.,  who  married  Juda  Zumbrum  and  is 
a  farmer  in  Smith  township;  Arnie  M.  and 
Retha  F.,  still  at  home,  and  Mildred,  who 
died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Miller  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics  and  a  member  of  the  Luth- 
eran church.  His  wife  is  a  German  Baptist 
in  religious  belief. 


HOWARD  SIMMON. 

This  pioneer  fanner  is  pleasantly  situ- 
ated in  Thorncreek  township,  where  he  is 
passing  the  golden  sunset  of  an  honorable 
and  successful  life  surrounded  by  friends 
and  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  comforts  of  a 
good  home.  He  was  born  in  Adams  county. 
Pennsylvania,  November  9,  1828,  and  is  the 
son  of  John  and  Susan  (Brame)  Simmon, 
both  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 


In  1830  they  moved  to  Starke  county. 
Ohio,  where  they  engaged  in  farming,  al- 
though by  trade  he  was  a  miller.  They  were 
industrious  and  successful  and  contributed 
their  full  share  in  building  up  all  public  en- 
terprises for  the  development  of  the  country 
and  betterment  of  mankind.  The  mother 
departed  this  life  in  1850  in  Carroll  county, 
Ohio,  and  in  185 1  he  moved  to  Buchanan 
county,  where  he  remained  until  his  death 
when  past  seventy.  They  were  members  of 
the  German  Lutheran  Church.  Ten  children 
were  born  to  this  union,  namely :  Leah,  Sa- 
rah, Moses.  John,  Elizabeth,  Henry,  all  six 
deceased,  Howard,  Enoch,  living  in  St.  Jo- 
seph county,  Indiana,  George,  living  at 
Lakeville  in  Marshall  county,  and  William 
deceased. 

Howard  remained  at  home  with  his  par- 
ents until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age,  re- 
ceiving subscription  school  advantages  dur- 
ing the  winter  months.  He  worked  as  a 
farm  laborer  and  in  the  woods  until  about 
1 86 1,  when  he  came  to  Whitley  county  and 
purchased  thirty-two  acres  in  Thorncreek 
township,  where  he  remained  about  one 
vear.  selling  the  farm  and  moving  to  Etna 
township,  where  he  rented  a  farm  and  there 
lived  about  one  year,  then  moving  to  Kos- 
ciusko county,  where  he  bought  forty  acres, 
when  he  made  his  final  move  locating  on 
the  farm  of  his  father-in-law,  David  Baer, 
where  he  has  continued  to  live  to  the  pres- 
ent. September  18,  1853.  he  was  married 
to  Alary,  daughter  of  David  and  Martha 
Baer,  who  was  born  in  Starke  county.  Ohio, 
October  14.  1834.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baer  were 
natives  of  Pennsylvania,  but  came  to  Starke 
county,  Ohio,  in  an  early  day,  where  they 
remained,   until    1853.   when   they  came   to 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,   IXDIAXA. 


Whitley  county  anil  settled  on  the  farm  now 
owned  and  occupied  by  Mr.  Simmon.  Here 
they  remained  until  both  died,  the  wife's 
death  occurring'  in  1871,  and  that  of  the 
husband  in  [876.  They  were  devoted  mem- 
bers of  the  Mennonite  church,  though  no 
society  of  that  denomination  existed  near 
them.  Seven  children  were  born  to  them: 
Moses.  Andrew,  David,  Martha,  Susan,  Sa- 
rah, and  Mar)-,  who  is  the  sole  survivor. 

Ten  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Simmon,  Andrew,  deceased  in  infancy,  Val- 
lona,  living  at  home,  William  and  Emma 
Jane,  both  deceased.  Samuel,  married  to 
Joan  Plummer,  living  in  Gratiot  county, 
Michigan,  George,  who  married  Carrie  Sny- 
der and  lives  at  Mancelona,  Michigan,  Net- 
tie, wife  of  Levi  Rover.  of  Marion, 
Indiana.  All  the  remainder  died  in  in- 
fancy. The  family  enjoys  membership  in 
the  Thorncreek  Christian  church,  giving  it 
consistent  service  and  generous  support. 
Mr.  Simmon  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  be- 
lieving that  party  advocates  the  principles 
best  adapted  to  the  advancement  of  the 
country.  The  Baer  farm  contained  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy  acres,  of  which  Mr.  Sim- 
mon owns  seventy  acres,  most  of  which  he 
has  converted  from  its  primitive  condition. 


JAMES  M.  LEAMAN. 

James  M.  Leaman,  a  successful  and  en- 
terprising farmer  of  Whitley  county,  was 
born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  July 
22,  [865,  and  is  the  son  of  Daniel  and  Cath- 
erine (Quinn)  Leaman.  Daniel's  father 
was  Samuel  Leaman,  who  came  to  Indiana 
in  1830  and  purchased  a  tract  of  wild  land. 


The  country  at  this  time  was  thickly  inhab- 
ited with  many  wild  animals,  the  greater 
number  being  wolves  and  deer.  He  departed 
this  life  at  an  advanced  age,  and  was  the 
father  of  six  children,  all  of  whom  are  now 
deceased.  Daniel  Leaman  accompanied  his 
father  to  Indiana  when  a  lad  of  twelve  and 
was  reared  to  maturity  on  a  farm.  In  1854 
he  purchased  seventy-nine  acres  of  land, 
which  he  cleared  and  otherwise  developed, 
and  in  due  time  he  became  a  thrifty  farmer 
and  a  citizen  whom  all  his  neighbors  and 
friends  were  pleased  to  honor  and  respect. 
His  death  occurred  in  1899.  Catherine 
(Quinn)  Leaman.  mother  of  James  M..  was 
born  in  Starke  county.  Ohio.  Her  death 
took  place  in  1897.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daniel 
Leaman  were  the  parents  of  six  children : 
John,  who  died  in  infancy;  Alonzo,  who 
resides  in  Thorncreek  township;  Rozella, 
who  died  in  infancy;  James  M..  Charles, 
deceased:  and.  Lewis,  who  is  living  in  Fort 
Wayne. 

The  early  life  of  James  M.  Leaman  was 
spent  amid  the  stirring  scenes  of  country 
life  and  he  grew  up  under  the  nigged  but 
wholesome  discipline  of  the  farm.  and.  while 
still  a  young  man,  became  accustomed  to 
the  various  duties  which  such  an  experience 
entails.  At  the  proper  age  he  entered  the 
district  schools  and  during  the  summer 
months  devoted  his  time  and  energy  to  the 
operation  of  the  farm.  October  21,  1888, 
was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Lea- 
man and  Miss  Valona  Staples,  who  was 
born  in  Thorncreek  township  March  10, 
1870.  the  daughter  of  James  and  Elizabeth 
(King)  Staples.  After  his  marriage  James 
M.  rented  his  farm  and  removed  to  Colum- 
bia City,  where  he  lived  for  five  years,  when 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


he  again  removed  to  a  farm  located  near  his 
father's  place.  After  living  there  five  years 
he  purchased  the  old  homestead  upon  the 
settlement  of  the  estate.  Being  familiar 
with  the  quality  of  soils  and  their  adapta- 
bility to  the  different  grains  and  vegetables 
grown  in  this  latitude,  he  is  seldom  mis- 
taken in  the  matter  of  crops  and  as  a  rule 
he  realizes  liberal  returns  from  the  time  and 
labor  expended  on  his  fields.  In  brief  he 
is  a  model  farmer  and  has  done  much  to  ad- 
vance the  standard  of  successful  tillage  in 
his  part  of  the  country.  On  his  place  is  a 
neat  and  substantial  house  standing  on  an 
eminence  where  a  fine  view  is  had  of  the 
surrounding  country  with  its  many  fine 
homes,  valleys,  hills  and  lakes,  a  large  and 
commodious-  barn,  and  other  necessary 
buildings.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leaman  have  had 
nine  children :  Earl.  Chloe,  Effie,  Grace, 
Vonnie,  Daniel,  Alva  and  Clarence,  and 
one  who  died  in  infancy.  •  In  politics  Mr. 
Leaman  is  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  Dem- 
ocratic party,  but  has  never  manifested  an 
iota  of  political  ambition  in  the  seeking  of 
official  preferment.  He  has  served  at  differ- 
ent times  as  road  supervisor  and  discharged 
his  duties  worthily  and  well.  He  also  rents 
land  and  deals  some  in  timber.  Mrs.  Lea- 
man is  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren 
church. 


JONATHAN  MONROE  HARTMAX. 

A  well-known  and  prosperous  farmer  of 
Richland  township,  living  on  the  Larwill  and 
Columbia  City  pike,  was  born  in  Shelby 
county,  Ohio,  March  9,  1849,  and  is  the 
son  of  Peter  and  Sarah   (Swander)    Hart- 


man,  both  natives  of  Ohio.  Thev  came  to 
Indiana  in  1853,  and  settled  in  Columbia 
township.  They  bought  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  one  mile  south  of  Colum- 
bia City  in  the  native  forest  and  entered 
uix.ii  a  task  that  would  stagger  the  young 
man  of  today,  that  of  making  a  home  and 
farm  where  the  sound  of  the  ax  had  never 
been  heard.  The}'  were  equal  to  the  emer- 
gency, and  by  industry  and  economy  were 
soon  comfortable  and  prosperous.  They  en- 
joyed membership  in  the  Lutheran  church, 
and  were  always  liberal  in  public  enter- 
prises and  whatever  was  for  the  betterment 
of  mankind.  The  death  of  the  wife  occurred 
about  1857,  and  was  followed  by  the  hus- 
band in  1864.  Nine  children  were  born  to 
them,  namely :  The  first  dying  in  infancy ; 
Benjamin,  deceased;  George,  living  in  Kos- 
ciusko county ;  Jonathan  Monroe  ;  Cather- 
ine, wife  of  John  Rittenhouse,  living  in 
Thorncreek  township,  Whitley  county :  Sa- 
rah and  Florence,  twins.  Sarah  is  the  wife 
of  Thomas  Roberts,  living  in  Shelby  county, 
Ohio.  Florence  is  the  wife  of  Andrew  Rob- 
erts, brotherof  Thomas,  of  the  same  county. 
Eva  Savilla,  wife  of  John  Fey,  who  also  re- 
sides in  Shelby  county,  Ohio;  Lewis  living 
in  Columbia  township.  The  old  homestead 
is  now  known  as  the  George  Roberts  farm. 
At  his  father's  death  Jonathan  M.  returned 
to  Ohio,  and  worked  a  few  years  at  farm 
work,  attending  school  only  in  winter  sea- 
sons, after  which  he  came  back  to  the  old 
home  and  worked  several  years  by  the 
month.  December  20,  1878.  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Frances  A.,  daughter  of 
James  and  Barbara  (Nolt)  Myers,  and  who 
was  born  March  4,  1855.  in  Columbia  town- 
ship, and  granddaughter  of  Jonas  Nolt,  who 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


owned  over  two  thousand  acres  of  land.  Mr. 
and  Airs.  .Myers  were  natives  of  Pennsylva- 
nia, and  came  to  Indiana,  the  young  people 
being  married  here.  But  the  widow  still 
lives  in  Columbia  township,  on  the  farm 
carved  from  her  father's  estate.  They  were 
the  parents  of  four  children  :  Mary,  living  at 
home  with  her  mother;  Frances  A.,  Amos 
and  John,  each  having  part  of  the  old  home 
farm. 

Soon  after  the  marriage  of  Jonathan  M. 
and  wife  they  moved  to  their  present  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  eighty-three  acres,  now 
one  of  the  most  valuable  and  desirable  in  the 
county,  being  well  drained  and  fenced,  with 
modern  house  and  barn  and  all  the  conve- 
niences for  pleasant,  profitable  farming.  It 
was  but  the  beginning  of  a  new  farm  with  a 
few  acres  cleared.  He  now  has  about  sixty 
acres  in  cultivation,  the  remainder  devoted 
to  pasture.  Mrs.  Hartman  also  owns  an- 
other small  farm  which  is  operated  in  con- 
nection. Eight  children  were  born  to  them  : 
Mary  Ellen,  died  at  twenty-two;  Nora, 
Lloyd,  Pearl,  Russel  and  Viola,  all  living 
at  home,  and  two  that  died  in  infancy. 

In  politics  Mr.  Hartman  believes  in  the 
principles  of  the  Republican  party,  but  does 
not  aspire  to  public  position.  The  family 
enjoys  the  esteem  of  a  large  circle  of  friends 
and  acquaintances. 


HENRY  SCHRADER. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  introduces 
tliis  article  is  a  well  known  and  highly  es- 
teemed  citizen  of  Jefferson  township  and  as 
a  farmer  ranks  among  the  leading  men  of 


his  calling  in  the  county  of  Whitley.  The 
Schraders  are  of  German  lineage,  but  have 
been  represented  in  the  United  States,  com- 
ing to  this  country  about  the  year  1825  and 
settling  in  Pennsylvania,  where  the  sub- 
ject's grandfather,  John  Schrader,  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  Martin  Schrader, 
father  of  the  subject,  was  born  in  Bavaria, 
Germany,  in  1808,  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
accompanied  his  parents  to  America  locating 
with  the  family  in  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  remained  until  he  removed  in  1845 
to  Whitley  county,  Indiana.  On  coming  to 
this  state  Mr.  Schrader  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising at  Columbia  City,  opening  one  of  the 
first  stores  in  the  town  and  in  addition  to 
selling  goods,  did  considerable  work  as  a 
builder,  having  learned  carpentry  when  a 
young  man.  After  a  residence  of  three 
years  at  the  above  place  he  discontinued 
both  lines  of  business,  disposed  of  his  stock 
and  moving  to  a  farm  devoted  the  remain- 
der of  his  life  to  the  pursuit  of  agriculture, 
dying  in  the  year  1863.  He  married  in 
Pennsylvania  Miss  Fannie  Kuhn,  who  be- 
came the  mother  of  sixteen  children  only 
seven  of  whom  survive.  Martin  Schrader 
was  a  man  of  ripe  judgment  and  sound  busi- 
ness capacity,  broad  minded  and  liberal  in 
his  views,  and  manifested  a  lively  interest 
in  public  matters.  He  was  a  Republican  in 
politics,  but  would  never  accept  office  at  the 
hands  of  his  fellow  citizens,  and  in  material 
affairs  was  quite  successful,  being  the  pos- 
sessor of  a  handsome  competence  at  the 
time  of  his  death. 

Henry  Schrader,  the  direct  subject  of 
this  review,  is  a  native  of  Whitley  county, 
born  on  the  8th  day  of  May,  185 1.  In  com- 
mon with  the  majority  of  country  boys,  his- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


early  life  was  devoted  to  the  labor  on  the 
farm  varied  in  winter  seasons  by  attending 
the  district  schools,  and  while  still  young  he 
learned  the  valuable  lessons  of  industry, 
thrift  and  self-reliance,  which  has  marked  in- 
fluence in  directing  and  controlling  his  sub- 
sequent career  as  an  enterprising  and  public 
spirited  citizen.  In  1876  Mr.  Schrader  en- 
tered the  marriage  relation  with  Miss  Katie 
E.  Page,  daughter  of  R.  M.  and  Philuria 
(Lighttizer)  Page,  who  has  proven  a  help- 
mate as  well  as  a  loving  and  affectionate 
wife  and  mother  presiding  over  her  hus- 
band's household  with  becoming  grace,  and 
co-operating  heartily  with  him  in  all  of  his 
efforts  and  contributing  much  to  the  suc- 
cess which  he  has  achieved.  She  died  in 
1890. 

Mr.  Schrader  has  a  beautiful  and  com- 
fortable home  well  supplied  with  the  con- 
veniences and  a  few  of  the  luxuries  of  life, 
owning  an  excellent  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  of  which  one  hundred  is 
under  cultivation.  He  is  a  progressive  farm- 
er, devotes  considerable  attention  to  live 
stock  and  has  been  successful  to  the  extent 
of  placing  himself  and  family  in  independ- 
ent circumstances,  being  one  of  the  solid 
men  of  his  township  as  well  of  the  leading 
citizens  of  the  community  in  which  he  re- 
sides. 

From  1875  Mr.  Schrader  was  a  resident 
of  Union  township,  where  he  owned  a  well 
improved  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  but  in  the  latter  year  disposed  of  his 
interest  there  and  purchased  the  place  in 
Jefferson  township  on  which  he  has  since 
lived  and  prospered.  His  methods  in  this 
line  of  agriculture  are  in  keeping  with  the 
progressive  spirit  of  the  times  and  his  pros- 


perity is  a  monument  to  his  thrift  and  ably 
directed  efforts. 

He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  an  active 
member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry  and  in 
religion  belongs  with  his  wife  to  the  Church 
of  God.  Of  broad  humanitarian  principles, 
earnest  of  purpose,  and  upright  in  his  rela- 
tions with  his  fellowmen,  he  is  widely 
known  and  greatly  esteemed  for  his  genu- 
ine worth.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shrader  are  the 
parents  of  four  children :  Cora  (deceased) ; 
Ratie,  wife  of  Verlin  Morr;  Merritt  and 
Clara,  now  Mrs.  Fred  Geisler,  of  Columbia 
City. 

In  1895  the  subject  was  married  the 
second  time  to  Mary  A.  Clark,  who  was  a 
native  of  Huntington  county,  Indiana, 
daughter  of  Otho  and  Elizabeth  (Oaks),  na- 
tives of  Pennsylvania,  but  early  settlers  of 
Huntington  county,  but  now  both  dead. 


HENRY  VOGELY. 


To  the  ranks  of  the  useful  and  honorable 
belongstthe  subject  of  this  sketch,  who 
though  an  American  by  adoption  is  never- 
theless a  true  citizen  of  the  Great  Republic. 
He  is  an  ardent  admirer  of  the  free  institu- 
tions and  firm  in  his  loyalty  and  allegiance  to- 
its  laws.  Henry  Vogely  is  a  native  of  Swit- 
zerland, born  in  the  city  of  Schauffhausen  on 
March  20th  of  the  year  1836,  being  the  son 
of  Jacob  and  Annie  (Wurtenberger)  Vogely, 
of  the  same  place.  These  parents  spent  their 
entire  lives  in  the  land  of  their  birth  and 
with  their  ancestors  and  many  other  mem- 
bers of  the  family  are  now  sleeping  their  last 
sleep  beneath  its  historic  soil. 


5 -'4 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


Henry  Vogely  spent  his  childhood  and 
youth  amid  the  romantic  scenery  of  his  na- 
tive land  and  received  his  educational  train- 
ing in  the  schools  of  same  and  later  thought 
to  better  his  condition  in  a  country  abound- 
ing" in  mi  >re  favorable  opportunities  than  ob- 
tained in  his  own;  accordingly  in  i860  he 
came  to  America  and  for  some  time  there- 
after made  his  home  in  Ohio.  In  1863  he 
was  married  in  Stark  count}',  that  state,  to 
Miss  Cathrine  Smith  and  the  same  year 
transferred  his  residence  to  Whitley  county, 
Indiana,  settling  on  the  farm  in  Jefferson 
township,  which  he  still  owns  and  cultivates 
and  setting  up  his  domestic  establishment 
in  an  old  abandoned  schoolhouse,  that 
served  the  purpose  of  a  dwelling  during  the 
three  years  ensuing. 

By  persevering  toil  Mr.  Vogely  in  due 
time  cleared  and  improved  his  farm,  erect- 
ing a  substantial  residence  in  1869  and  in 
1876  built  a  large  and  commodious  barn, 
which,  with  the  dwelling  is  still  in  use  and 
in  excellent  repair.  Besides  making  many 
other  improvements  and  bringing  the  place 
to  a  higher  state  of  tillage,  one  of  the  im- 
provements was  an  excellent  system  of 
drainage,  which  was  installed  from  time  to 
time,  the  entire  farm  being  underlaid  with 
tiling,  of  which  2,000  rods  have  already 
been  put  down,  with  the  result  that  the  fer- 
tility of  the  soil  has  been  greatly  increased 
as  tlie  abundant  crops  attest.  In  i860.  Mr. 
Vogely  revisited  the  land  of  his  birth,  and 
once  uii  ire  gazed  on  the  scenes  endeared  to 
him  by  the  recollections  of  youth,  besides 
renewing  acquaintances  with  a  number  of 
his  erstwhile  companions  and  friends,  he 
learned  that  the  majority  of  his  early  asso- 
ciates had  grown  to  mature  years  and  moved 


to  nther  places  and  countries,  not  a  few  of 
the  number  having  passed  on  to  that  mys- 
terious bourne  from  which  no  traveler  ever 
returns.  After  making  quite  an  extensive 
tour  of  Switzerland  he  returned  to  his  home 
in  the  New  World,  better  satisfied  than  ever 
with  conditions  here.  Still  later,  1903.  he 
made  another  trip  to  Europe,  during  which 
he  spent  three  months  in  Switzerland,  sub- 
sequently traveling  over  the  greater  part  of 
that  country,  also  France  and  Germany,  re- 
turning at  the  expiration  of  the  period  indi- 
cated with  the  conviction  that  the  masses  of 
the  people  in  the  United  States  have  greater 
privileges  and  opportunities  and  enjoy  more 
of  the  blessings  of  life  than  those  of  an}' 
other  country.  Prior  to  becoming  a  citizen 
of  the  United  States  Mr.  Vogely  served 
three  years  in  the  Switzerland  Arm}",  dur- 
ing which  time  he  took  part  in  the  war  be- 
tween Switzerland  and  Prussia,  where  he 
experienced  man}"  vicissitudes  incident  to 
camp  life,  march  and  battle,  and  earned  an 
honorable  record  as  a  soldier.  Since  trans- 
ferring his  allegiance  to  the  government  un- 
der which  he  now  lives  he  has  devoted  his 
energies  untiringly  to  agricultural  pursuits 
and  by  thrift  and  sound  judgment  has  so 
managed  his  affairs  that  he  is  now  in  com- 
fortable circumstances,  with  a  sufficiency 
of  this  world's  goods  to  insure  an  old  age 
free  from  anxiety  and  care.  He  has  always 
been  public  spirited  and  a  leader  in  enter- 
prises for  the  material  advancement  of  his 
township,  serving  four  years  as  a  trustee, 
during  which  time  he  inaugurated  a  num- 
ber of  improvements,  including  the  construc- 
tion of  several  highways,  the  erection  of 
three  new  school  houses,  that  are  said  to 
be  among-  the  best  buildings  of  their  kind 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


in  the  county.  He  afterward  served  as  as- 
sessor of  his  township  four  years.  Mr. 
Vogely  is  a  Democrat,  and  as  such  wields  a 
strong  influence  in  political  circles,  being  a 
leader  of  his  party  in  Jefferson  township. 
He  has  been  an  earnest  worker  for  the  suc- 
cess in  a  number  of  local  and  general  cam- 
paigns. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vogely  have  one 
child,  a  son,  John,  who  married  Miss  Iva 
Crowell,  of  this  county,  and  assists  his 
father  in  running:  the  farm. 


SAMUEL  HIVELY. 


It  was  in  1836  that  seven  families  moved 
into  Whitley  county,  whose  names,  perpetu- 
ated by  numerous  descendants,  were  des- 
tined to  become  household  words  through- 
out this  section  of  Indiana.  The  leader  of 
the  party  was  Daniel  Hively  who,  before 
leaving  Ohio,  had  married  Catharine 
Egolph,  whose  brothers  came  along  with 
them  on  the  weary  journey  from  "old  Lick- 
ing" to  the  heart  of  the  Indiana  wilderness. 
Samuel  Hively,  whose  name  heads  this  bi- 
og'raphy,  was  a  son  of  the  early  pioneer 
above  mentioned  and  one  of  a  large  family, 
whose  names  are  given  elsewhere  in  this 
volume.  He  was  born  in  Whitley  county, 
Indiana,  December  9,  1837,  about  a  year 
after  the  time  which  witnessed  the  arrival 
of  the  Hivelys  and  Egolphs.  Samuel  grew 
up  on  the  newly  settled  farm  in  Thomcreek 
township  and  learned  all  about  what  it 
meant  to  be  one  of  the  children  of  the  pio- 
neers. As  was  usual  with  the  farmers'  boys 
of  that  clay,  he  remained  at  home  until  of 
age,  and  then  launched  out  for  himself.     He 


partially  improved  a  tract  given  him  by  his 
father  and  selling  bought  a  second,  but  after 
about  five  years  bought  the  present  home, 
consisting  of  ninety  acres,  which  was  known 
as  the  McGrew  farm,  one  of  the  oldest 
places  in  the  neighborhood.  He  eventually 
erected  the  present  residence  in  1874  and  in 
1880  put  up  the  present  barns.  He  was  a 
kindly,  well  disposed  man,  indulgent  to  his 
family  and  a  good  provider.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Grange  and  took  much  in- 
terest in  its  meetings  and  discussions,  and 
a  member  of  Pomona  Grange.  When  Mr. 
Hively  died,  April  12,  1890,  his  children 
were  small  and  the  mother  had  a  strug-gle 
to  keep  them  together  and  obtain  a  com- 
fortable support,  but  she  was  a  woman  of 
unusual  energy  and  good  sense,  and  dis- 
charged her  parental  duties  in  such  a  way 
as  to  receive  general  commendation. 

December  9,  i860.  Mr.  Hively  married 
Isabell  Engle,  who  was  born  in  Starke 
county,  Ohio.  May  15,  1842.  Her  parents, 
David  and  Margaret  (Beamer)  Engle,  came 
to  Whitley  county  in  1847.  The  father 
purchased  a  place  in  Thomcreek  township, 
built  a  log  house  and  went  through  the  usual 
hardships  incident  to  pioneer  life.  Having 
lost  his  wife  by  death  in  1864,  Mr.  Engle 
removed  to  Columbia  City,  where  he  died 
in  1887.  He  and  his  wife  were  active  work- 
ers in  the  Baptist  church,  ami  were  influ- 
ential in  starting  a  society  and  in  company 
with  the  Methodists  built  a  small  log  church, 
and  were  altogether  fine  samples  of  the 
heroic  race  known  as  pioneer  farmers.  Their 
twelve  children  were  Michael,  William. 
Elizabeth,  Mary.  Sarah.  David,  Isabell, 
John,  James.  Margaret  and  one  that  had 
died  in  infancy.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hivelv  had 


526 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


fourteen  children :  Mary  C,  and  Jane,  de- 
ceased; Ella,  wife  of  Aaron  Appleton;  Wil- 
liam R.,  a  resident  of  Thorncreek  township; 
David  E.,  of  Smith  township,  married  Min- 
nie Smith ;  Lizzie,  widow  of  Melvin  Hill, 
who  was  a  painter  in  Columbia  City,  lives 
with  her  mother  and  has  one  son,  Oscar; 
Daniel  A.,  who  married  Josie  Shock,  resides 
in  Wisconsin ;  Lowell  married  Florence 
Eagney  and  lives  in  Noble  county;  Austin 
R.,  who  resides  in  Thorncreek,  married 
Minnie  Fisher ;  Russell,  a  fanner  of  Thorn- 
creek, married  Ora  Zigler;  Benjamin  E., 
remains  at  home  and  manages  the  farm ; 
Emma  Jane,  Lawrence  and  Rosa  May,  de- 
ceased. Mrs.  Hively  is  a  member  of  the 
Christian  church,  as  was  her  husband  dur- 
ing: his  life  time. 


HENRY  J.  PRESSLER. 

As  a  general  thing  the  lives  of  farmers 
are  not  eventful.  Confined  closely  to  the 
one  object  of  tilling  the  soil,  a  very  close, 
exacting  business  at  best.  But  unless  their 
work  is  done  there  can  be  no  progress  and 
the  wheels  in  other  departments  will 
soon  cease  to  turn  around,  if  the 
work  of  the  plow,  the  binder  and  the  reaper 
should  stop  for  a  season.  Therefore,  though 
a  quiet  and  unassuming  class,  the  farmer  is 
indispensable  and  everyone  who  has  con- 
tributed in  this  line  has  not  only  helped 
himself  but  has  helped  the  whole  commu- 
nity. Henry  J.  Pressler,  one  of  the  Thorn- 
creek township  farmers,  is  one  of  the  many 
to  whom  the  foregoing  remarks  apply,  and 
he  deserves,  what  should  always  be  con- 
sidered  high   praise,  the   verdict  of  having 


done  his  duty  in  the  limited  field  to  which 
he  has  been  confined.  His  parents,  Valen- 
tine and  Diana  (Dupler)  Pressler,  were 
Ohioans,  who  came  to  Whitley  county  in 
what  the  pioneer  historians  call  "an  early 
day."  The  father  settled  on  a  Thorncreek 
township  farm  and  worked  it  industriously 
until  the  time  of  his  death  in  1894.  His 
widow  still  occupies  the  homestead  and  is 
spending  the  evening  of  her  life  in  the  en- 
joyment of  the  affection  of  numerous  de- 
scendants. They  had  the  unusually  large 
family  of  thirteen  children :  Elmira,  de- 
ceased ;  John,  a  resident  of  Churubusco ; 
Samuel  D.,  Henry  J..  Emerson,  David, 
Wayne,  Willard,  Charles,  Bayard,  Aldora, 
wife  of  John  Scott,  of  Columbia  City;  Lan- 
dis,  of  Thorncreek  township;  and  Jane, 
wife  of  Harcanus  Leaman. 

Henry  J.  Pressler,  sixth  of  the  family, 
was  bom  on  the  homestead  September  20, 
1866,  and  spent  most  of  his  life  on  the 
Thorncreek  township  farm  where  he  first 
saw.  the  light  of  day.  In  1900  he 
purchased  the  farm  where  he  now 
makes  his  home,  consisting  of  eighty-six 
and  a  half  acres  bordering  Crooked  lake  as 
also  the  county  line  eight  miles  north  of 
Columbia  City.  It  has  comfortable  build- 
ings, such  as  are  needed  on  all  farms,  and 
everything  indicates  thrift  and  good  man- 
agement. There  is  a  welcome  at  the  door 
for  the  visitor  and  signs  of  comfort  within, 
characteristic  of  the  contented  farmer.  No- 
vember 6,  1888,  Mr.  Pressler  married  Laura 
A.,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth 
(Cromley)  Leaman,  and  who  is  a  sister  of 
Harcanus  Leaman.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pressler 
have  five  children :  Amos  M.,  Dorothy 
Mav,  Homer  L.,  Emmet  V.,  and  Blanch  B. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


527 


Mr.  Presser  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic 
party,  though  he  has  never  been  an  aspirant 
for  office  or  concerned  in  active  political 
work. 


TOHN  E.  KATES. 


The  career  of  this  gentleman  has  been 
eminently  honorable,  and  in  all  things  relat- 
ing to  life  he  has  dignified  his  station  and 
made  every  other  consideration  subordinate 
to  duty  and  right.  He  has  long  been  one  of 
the  leading  citizens  of  the  township  in  which 
he  resides,  and  as  one  of  the  few  remaining 
representatives  of  the  pioneer  period,  is  en- 
titled to  the  esteem  and  publicity  which  in 
the  nature  of  things  belongs  to  those  who, 
in  the  times  that  tested  man's  endurance, 
proved  worthy  of  the  trust  reposed  in  them 
and  builded  wisely  and  well  the  foundation 
upon  which  the  present  prosperity  of  the 
country  is  based.  John  E.  Kates  is  a  native 
of  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  where  his 
l>irth  occurred  on  July  21,  of  the  year  1836. 
His  father,  William  Kates,  was  born  Febru- 
ary 22,  1801,  in  New  Jersey,  and  there  mar- 
ried when  a  young  man  Miss  Mary  Eff,  also 
a  native  of  that  state.  Later  this  couple 
migrated  to  Ohio,  where  they  lived  until 
1840,  when  they  removed  to  Whitley 
county,  Indiana,  settling  in  what  is  now 
Washington  township.  The  country  at  that 
time  being  largely  as  Nature  had  made  it, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  cabins  at  inter- 
vals like  niches  in  the  surrounding  forests, 
Mr.  Kates's  first  dwelling  was  a  rude  cabin 
of  round  logs,  hastily  constructed,  having 
neither  door  nor  window,  the  floor  consist- 
ing of  Indiana  soil,  and  the  only  means  of 


entrance  being  an  opening  in  the  earth  be- 
neath one  of  the  foundation  logs,  sufficiently 
large  to  admit  the  different  members  of  the 
family.  In  due  time,  however,  this  primi- 
tive habitation  was  replaced  by  a  larger  and 
much  more  comfortable  edifice,  and  in  the 
course  of  years  the  forest  was  converted  into 
a  fine  farm  with  improvements  of  all  kinds, 
second  to  no  other  in  the  township  of  Wash- 
ington. 

Mr.  Kates  lived  to  the  age  of  seventy- 
five  and  departed  this  life  in  1876,  his  wife 
surviving  him  until  1879,  when  she.  too,  was 
called  to  her  reward.  They  were  the  parents 
of  five  children  whose  names  are  as  follows : 
Josiah.  Henry.  George,  John  E.,  and  Mary 
E..  the  last  two  being  the  only  members  of 
the  family  living. 

John  E.  Kates  was  four  years  old  when 
his  parents  moved  to  their  new  home  in  the 
sparsely  settled  county  of  Whitley,  and 
from  that  time-  on  he  experienced  many  of 
the  vicissitudes  that  fell  to  the  lot  of  the 
pioneers.  Work  in  the  woods  and  fields 
occupied  his  time  as  soon  as  he  was  old 
enough  to  labor  to  advantage,  and  when  not 
thus  employed  he  spent  his  leisure  in  the 
forest  in  quest  of  game,  having  early 
evinced  a  fondness  for  the  sport  and  great 
skill  in  the  use  of  the  rifle,  many  deer,  tur- 
keys, to  say  nothing  of  all  kinds  of  smaller 
game  then  so  abundant,  falling  before  his 
unerring'  aim. 

Mr.  Kates  remained  with  his  parents  un- 
til attaining-  his  majority,  when  he  started 
out  to  make  his  own  way,  selecting  agricul- 
ture as  the  calling  most  suited  to  his  taste 
and  inclinations.  In  connection  with  farm- 
ing, he  also  established  a  nursery  business 
and  between  the  two  his  time  was  divided 


528 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


until  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  Rebellion, 
when  he  laid  aside  the  implements  of  hus- 
bandry and  entered  the  service  of  his  coun- 
try, joining'  on  October  9,  1861.  the  Fifth 
Indiana  Battery,  with  which  he  shared  the 
fortunes  and  vicissitudes  of  war  until  hon- 
orably  discharged  October  2,  1864.  At  the 
expiration  of  his  period  of  enlistment,  Mr. 
Kates's  command  was  in  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland  and  he  took  part  in  all  the 
campaigns  and  battles  in  which  the  battery 
participated,  including  the  bloody  engage- 
ments of  Perryville,  Stone  River,  Chicka- 
mauga  and  the  movement  against  Atlanta, 
in  which  they  fought  the  battles  of  Resaca, 
Altoona,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Peach  Tree 
Creek,  Jonesboro  and  many  others,  to  say 
nothing  of  numerous  skirmishes,  some  of 
which  were  as  dangerous  as  any  of  the  san- 
guinary conflicts  enumerated.  On  leaving 
the  sendee,  Mr.  Kates  returned  home  and 
again  addressed  himself  to  his  farming  in- 
terests which,  without  interruption  he  has 
since  conducted,  meeting  with  encouraging 
success  in  the  meantime  and  establishing  an 
honorable  reputation  as  an  enterprising  hus- 
bandman. In  addition  to  agriculture,  he 
was  for  eighteen  years  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  drain  tile,  but  since  discontinuing 
that  line  of  business  he  has  devoted  his  at- 
tention exclusively  to  farming  and  stock 
raising,  owning  at  this  time  a  good  farm  of 
eighty  acres  in  Washington  township  which 
is  well  improved  and  in  a  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation. 

Mr.  Kates  was  married  in  1866  to  Miss 
Mary  Henemyer,  whose  parents,  Samuel 
and  Elizabeth  (Snavely)  Henemyer,  moved 
to  Whitley  county  in  1846  from  the  state 
of  Ohio  and    settled    in    Washington   town- 


ship, where  the  father  became  a  large  land- 
owner and  successful  farmer,  dying  in  1902, 
his  wife  in  the  year  1862.  They  had  a  fam- 
ily of  seven  children,  namely:  David,  Mar- 
garet, Benjamin.  George.  Elizabeth,  Jacob 
and  Mary,  wife  of  the  subject.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Kates  four  children  have  been  bom: 
Henry  W.,  J.  Perry,  Malcon  E.,  Bertie  E., 
the  last  named  deceased. 

Politically  Mr.  Kates  is  a  stanch  sup- 
porter of  the  Republican  party,  and  reli- 
giously subscribes  to  the  creed  of  the  United 
Brethren  church,  his  wife  being  a  member 
of  the  same  congregation  to  which  he 
belongs. 


YLICE  B.  WILLIAMS,  M.  D. 

Alice  Baker  Williams,  M.  D.,  who  is  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  the  practice  of  her  pro- 
fession in  Columbia  City,  was  born  at  Ce- 
lina,  Ohio,  on  September  18,  1866,  and  is 
the  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Lydia  (Schuy- 
ler) Baker.  Joseph  Baker  was  born  at  Ver- 
sailles, Ohio,  in  1845,  m  which  state  he  was 
for  many  years  a  successful  merchant.  He 
afterwards  removed  to  Kansas,  where  his 
death  occurred.  Mrs.  Baker  then  married 
Dr.  Charles  Williams,  a  graduate  of  Belle- 
vue  College,  New  York  City,  and  who  for 
thirty-two  years  practiced  his  profession  in 
Columbia  City.  Dr.  Williams  was  coroner 
1  if  the  count}-  for  over  twenty  years.  He  was 
an  active  Democrat  and  was  influential  in  his 
party's  councils.  His  death  occurred  July 
10,  1905.  aged  sixty-two.  He  was  a  promi- 
nent and  active  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  a  stanch  Presbyerian.  Eliza 
Miller,  great-grandmother  of  the  subject, 
was  a  second  cousin  to  George  Washington. 


^) 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


53i 


in  order  of  their  births  as  follows :  Isaac. 
Julia,  Matilda,  Joseph,  Levi  W.,  Susan  and 
Carrie.  Mrs.  De  Vine,  second  to  the  young- 
est of  these,  was  born  on  her  parents'  farm 
in  Etna  township,  December  4,  1857.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  De  Vine  have  had  three  children : 
Scott,  who  died  when  six  years  old ;  Don 
and  Elenora.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  De  Vine  now 
live  on  a  part  of  what  is  known  as  the  old 
Scott  farm,  of  which  he  owns  eighty  acres. 
He  owns  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  most 
of  which  is  under  cultivation,  and  the  place 
has  been  much  improved  under  his  man- 
agement. Fourteen  years  ago  he  erected  a 
comfortable  eight-room  house,  in  which  he 
has  since  made  his  home,  and  a  few  years 
ago  a  new  bank  barn  forty  by  seventy  was 
put  up,  which  adds  much  to  the  appearance 
and  convenience  of  the  farm.  Mr.  De  Vine 
does  not  attempt  any  fancy  farming  or 
breeding,  but  contents  himself  with  raising 
of  the  cereals  and  other  features  known  as 
general  farming.  He  has  done  well  and  is 
now  one  of  the  prosperous  farmers  of  his 
section.  His  political  affiliations  are  with 
the  Democratic  party,  and  he  has  served  as 
.assessor  of  Etna  township.  His  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  United  Brethren  church. 


F.  MARION  GRABLE. 

The  founder  of  the  Whitley  county  fam- 
ily of  this  name  was  John  Grable  who  was 
not  only  an  early  settler  but  a  man  of  prom- 
inence and  influence  in  the  fields  of  agricul- 
ture and  politics.  He  settled  on  a  farm  in 
Thorncreek  township,  which  he  cultivated 
with  success,  and  enjoys  the  distinction  of 
having  been  the  first  treasurer  of  Whitley 


county.  He  died  many  years  ago,  but  left 
a  worthy  representative  in  the  person  of 
his  son  George,  who  also  became  a  success- 
ful farmer,  and  followed  agricultural  pur- 
suits six  miles  north  of  Columbia  City  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  May  10,  1905. 
He  married  Sarah  Lamon,  who  was  bOrn 
in  Thorncreek  in  1848.  Her  parents,  John 
and  Caroline  (Keister)  Lamon,  were  Penn- 
sylvanians  who  lived  some  years  in  Ohio 
and  then  came  to  Whitley  county  in  pioneer 
days  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Thorncreek 
township,  where  they  ended  their  days.  He 
died  in  1900.  She  died  November,  1905. 
George  and  Sarah  Grable  had  three  chil- 
dren: Melvin,  who  owns  part  of .  the  old 
homestead  in  Thorncreek  township;  F. 
Marion  and  Mary  Ellen,  a  twin  sister,  who 
died  in,  childhood.  Mrs.  Grable  still  owns 
the  old  homestead. 

F.  Marion  Grable,  the  second  son,  was 
born  on  the  homestead  September  2,  1876, 
where  he  grew  to  manhood.  Besides  at- 
tending the  district  schools,  he  attended  the 
normal  schools  at  Valparaiso,  and  Angola, 
He  engaged  in  teaching  at  nineteen  and  fol- 
lowed this  occupation  for  six  consecutive 
winters  in  his  native  township.  He  put  in 
six  months  as  fireman  in  the  employment 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  at 
Fort  Wayne  and  also  assisted  his  father  on 
the  farm  during  the  closing  years  of  the 
latter's  life.  His  mother,  who  survives,  is  a 
member  of  the  Christian  church,  as  was  her 
husband.  In  June,  1906,  Mr.  Grable  bought 
the  farm  of  ninety-five  acres  where  he  at 
present  resides,  has  erected  a  comfortable 
house  and  is  otherwise  improving  the  place. 
This  is  the  old  Hiveley  farm  bordering  the 
county  line. 

June  3,  1903,  Mr.  Grable  married  Miss 


532 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Nettie  Paulus,  a  popular  young  lady  of 
Noble  county,  of  excellent  family  connec- 
tions. Her  parents,  Daniel  and  Elizabeth 
(Waterfall)  Paulus,  are  well-to-do  farmers 
of  Noble  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grable  have 
two  children,  Earl  Kenneth  and  Ernest 
Keith,  twins.  Mr.  Grable's  political  affilia- 
tions like  those  of  his  father  are  with  the 
Democratic  party,  and  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Christian  church.  He  is 
one  of  the  progressive  and  popular  young 
farmers  of  Thorncreek  township  and  bids 
fair  to  become  one  of  its  most  useful  and 
influential  citizens. 


WILLIAM  R.  HIVELY. 

A  young,  prosperous  farmer,  living  in 
Thorncreek  township,  was  born  in  this 
township  July  5,  1866,  is  the  son  of  Samuel 
and  Belle  (Engle)  Hively,  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  Whitley  county.  They  experienced 
many  of  the  privations  of  those  in  the  early 
history  of  the  county,  but  they  were  ever 
cheerful  and  enjoyed  the  regard  and  friend- 
ship of  a  large  acquaintance.  They  were 
devoted  and  consistent  members  of  the 
Christian  church,  and  zealous  in  its  ser- 
vice. The  husband  passed  away  in  1892, 
but  the  widow  still  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead. 

William  R.  has  lived  all  his  life  in 
Thorncreek  township,  remaining  at  home 
till  of  age,  performing  the  duties  of  an 
affectionate  son  and  being  educated  in  the 
common  schools.  He  worked  by  the  month 
for  four  years,  carefully  husbanding  his 
means,  when  he  bought  a  small  farm,  which 


he  sold  later,  and  then  in  1901  purchased 
his  present  farm  of  ninety-one  acres,  in 
the  improvement  of  which  he  has  spent 
much  time  and  money.  It  is  tile  drained, 
well  fenced  and  systematically  managed  and 
renders  profitable  results.  It  has  an  eight- 
room  house,  substantial  barn  and  other  con- 
venient buildings,  and  the  entire  farm  pre- 
sents a  thrifty  and  prosperous  appearance. 
This  farm  was  the  homestead  of  Jacob 
Fisher,  whose  son,  Adam  Fisher,  erected  the 
house  and  his  home  till  retiring  to  Colum- 
bia City.  March  29,  1891,  Mr.  Hively  was 
married  to  Elsie  D.,  daughter  of  Adam  and 
Mary  (Stem)  Fisher,  the  latter  now  de- 
ceased, while  the  former  is  still  living  in 
Columbia  City.  Six  children  were  born  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hively,  namely:  Walter, 
Clarence,  Irvin,  Grace,  Voyd  and  Alta, 
Both  are  members  of  the  Christian  church, 
contributing  liberally  toward  its  support, 
and  are  highly  respected  and  esteemed  by 
many  personal  and  social  friends.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Democrat,  and  enjoys  social  and 
fraternal  relations  with  the  Order  of  Ben 
Hur  at  Columbia  City.  Mrs.  Hively  was 
born  on  the  present  farm  September  21, 
1868,  and  her  childhood  and  active  life 
passed  on  the  farm. 


ELISHA  SWAN. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  descended 
from  ancestors  that  came  to  America  in  the 
time  of  the  colonies  and  were  actively  iden- 
tified with  the  history  of  the  localities  in 
which  they  settled.  His  great  grandfather 
on  the  paternal  side  was  a  native  of  Hoi- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


533 


land  and  for  some  time  connected  with  the 
marine  service  of  the  country,  later  becoming 
Captain  of  an  American  merchantman  which 
after  many  years  of  trade  was  lost  at  sea 
with  all  on  board,  the  commander  going  to 
the  bottom  with  the  vessel.  He  settled  in 
Maryland  prior  to  the  war  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, and  there  reared  a  family,  among  his 
children  being  a  son  by  the  name  of  Henry 
Swan,  who  was  born  in  Queen  Ann  county, 
in  the  year  1757.  The  Washington  and 
Swan  families  were  near  neighbors  and 
when  George  Washington  was  drilling  the 
provincial  militia  preparatory  to  the  War  of 
Independence,  he  secured  young  Henry 
Swan  as  fifer,  paying  him  three  shillings  per 
day  for  his  services.  Later  Mr.  Sawn  re- 
moved to  Westmoreland  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  he  remained  four  years  and  at 
the  expiration  of  that  time  migrated  to 
"Wayne  county,  Ohio,  in  181 5,  being  one 
of  the  first  three  settlers  in  what  is  now 
Sugarcreek  township,  when,  he  entered 
land,  cleared  a  farm  and  became  one  of  the 
leading  citizens  of  his  community.  He  was 
married  in  his  native  state  to  Lamenta  Da- 
vis, a  relative  of  the  family  of  Jefferson  Da- 
vis, president  of  the  southern  confederacy, 
and  became  the  father  of  ten  children,  all 
of  whom  have  died. 

William  H.  Swan,  son  of  Henry  Swan 
and  father  of  the  subject  of  this  review,  was 
born  August  12,  1805,  in  the  District  of 
Columbia.  He  married  when  a  young  man 
Harriet  Merriman,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
Wayne  county,  Ohio,  in  the  year  181 7,  and 
in  1865  he  moved  to  Whitley  county,  Indi- 
ana, settling  in  the  woods  of  Washington 
township  on  the  place  now  owned  by  the 
subject.      In  due  time  he  cleared  and  im- 


proved this  farm,  made  a  good  home  where 
he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life,  dying  in 
1893,  his  wife  preceding  him  to  the  grave 
in  1865.  Of  the  eleven  children  born  to  this 
estimable  couple,  six  grew  to  maturity,  five 
of  the  number  living  at  the  present  time. 
The  mother  of  Mrs.  Henry  Swan  belonged 
to  an  old  and  highly  esteemed  family  that 
was  connected  with  a  number  of  distin- 
guished people,  among  the  number  being 
Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  one  of  America's 
greatest  philosophers  and  literary  men. 

Elisha,  one  of  the  five  surviving  children 
of  William  H.  and  Harriet  Swan,  was  born 
February  9,  1846.  in  Wayne  county,  Ohio, 
and  there  spent  his  childhood  and  youth  at 
the  parental  home,  becoming  inured  to  farm 
labor  at  an  early  age.  In  1865  he  accom- 
panied his  parents  upon  their  removal  to 
Whitley  county.  Indiana,  and  for  some 
years  thereafter  assisted  his  father  in  clear- 
ing and  developing  the  farm  in  Washington 
township,  since  which  time  he  has  resided 
on  the  farm  he  now  owns.  He  has  devoted 
his  life  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  his  suc- 
cess has  been  commensurate  with  the  intelli- 
gence, and  energy  displayed  in  his  chosen 
calling,  being  at  this  time  one  of  the  repre- 
sentative farmers  and  stock  raisers  of  his 
township,  owning  seventy-eight  acres  of 
land. 

Mr.  Swan  is  a  well  educated  and  widely 
read  man  and  his  opinions  on  current  events 
and  the  issues  of  the  day  have  weight  and 
influence  among  the  friends  and  neighbors 
with  whom  he  is  accustomed  to  associate.  In 
his  younger  days  he  was  for  several  years 
one  of  the  successful  teachers  of  Whitley 
county,  and  has  always  been  a  friend  of 
popular  education,  and  an  earnest  advocate 


534 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


of  all  measures  for  its  dissemination  among 
the  people.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican 
and  in  religion  a  members  of  the  Universal- 
ist  church.  Mr.  Swan  has  been  a  diligent 
worker  and  judicious  manager  and  having 
made  all  he  possesses  merits  the  proud 
American  title  of  "Self-made  Man."  He 
was  married  in  1869  to  Miss  Ruth  Anna 
Bell,  daughter  of  Robert  S.  and  Chloe  (Had- 
ley)  Bell,  natives  of  New  York  and  among 
the  early  comers  of  Whitley  county,  set- 
tling here  as  long  ago  as  1840.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Swan  have  had  two  children,  Theo- 
dore H.,  who  died  in  childhood,  and  Dia- 
dem, w]io  is  now  the  wife  of  Dale  White,  of 
Forest,  this  county. 


FREDERICK  WOLF  ANGEL. 

Prominent  among  the  foreign  born  citi- 
zens of  Whitley  county  is  the  enterprising 
farmer  and  highly  esteemed  gentleman 
whose  career  is  briefly  touched  upon  in  the 
following  lines.  Frederick  Wolfangel  as 
the  name  indicates  is  a  native  of  Germany, 
born  in  Wittenberg,  December  10,  1840,  be- 
ing the  older  of  two  children,  whose  parents 
were  Mr.  Frederick  and  Johanna  (Gull) 
Wolfangel.  1  These  parents  left  their  native 
land  in  185 1.  immigrating  to  the  United 
States  and  settling  in  Starke  county,  Ohio, 
where  they  resided  for  a  period  of  four 
years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  Mr. 
Wolfangel  moved  his  family  to  Whitley 
county,  Indiana,  locating  as  a  farmer  in 
Jefferson  township  adjoining  the  place  the 
subject  now  owns  and  occupies.  Here  they 
spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives,   widely 


known  and  respected  for  their  sterling  hon- 
esty and  sturdiness  of  character,  for  which 
their  nationality  has  always  been  distin- 
guished. The  second  child,  a  daughter  by 
the  name  of  Catherine,  married  William 
Smith,  of  Whitley  county,  and  at  this  time 
lives  in  Middlebury,  Indiana,  where  her  hus- 
band has  business  interests. 

Frederick  Wolfangel  was  eleven  years 
old  when  his  parents  brought  him  to  this 
country,  and  from  1852  to  1856  he  lived  in 
Starke  county,  Ohio,  where  he  attended  the 
public  schools,  supplementing  the  training 
received  in  his  native  tongue  by  a  knowledge 
of  the  English  branches.  When  a  youth  of 
sixteen  he  accompanied  his  parents  to 
Whitley  county,  Indiana,  and  from  that 
time  until  the  present  he  has  lived  in  Jeffer- 
son township,  his  residence  covering  a  pe- 
riod of  fifty  consecutive  years,  during  which 
time  he  has  not  only  witnessed  the  many 
wonderful  changes  that  have  taken  place  in 
the  county  but  to  the  extent  of  his  ability  has 
contributed  to  their  accomplishment.  Reared 
a  farmer  he  has  devoted  his  life,  thus  far, 
to  tilling  the  soil  and  at  the  present  time  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  agricul- 
turalists of  his  community  and  as  a  neigh- 
bor and  citizen  stands  in  the  front  rank 
among  his  compeers. 

Mr.  Wolfangel's  farm  consists  of  one 
hundred  and  four  acres  of  fine  land,  well 
improved  and  admirably  adapted  to  general 
agricultural  and  stock  raising.  He  cleared 
half  of  the  farm  by  his  own  labor,  erected 
the  different  buildings,  which  include  a  fine 
modern  residence,  a  large,  well  equipped 
barn  and  the  various  other  buildings  found 
on  farms  of  the  better  class  and  by  judicious 
management  has  surrounded  himself  with  a 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


535 


sufficiency  of  worldly  wealth  to  render  his 
condition  one  of  independence.  Mr.  Wolf- 
angel  was  married  in  1869  to  Elizabeth 
Hipps,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Cebila 
(Smith)  Hipps,  and  has  a  family  of  seven 
children  namely,  Emma  R.,  Annie,  Ira, 
Mary,  Lydia,  Charles  and  Homer,  the  third, 
sixth  and  seventh  in  order  of  birth  being 
inmates  of  the  parental  home.  Politically  Mr. 
Wolf  angel  votes  the  Democratic  ticket,  and 
while  ever  interested  in  party  matters  and 
affairs  of  public  importance  he  is  not  a  seek- 
er after  place  having  filled  no  office  with  the 
exception  of  minor  positions  connected  with 
the  schools  of  his  township.  He  is  a  be- 
liever in  religion  and  is  a  member  of  the 
German  Reformed  church.  His  life  affords  a 
practical  exemplification  of  its  worth  and 
wholesome  influence.  He  is  in  the  best  sense 
of  the  term  a  self-made  man,  having  made 
all  his  possessions  himself,  and  his  life  may 
be  studied  with  profit  by  the  young  man, 
whose  career  is  a  matter  vet  to  determine. 


ENOS  GOBLE. 


For  more  than  half  a  century  a  leading 
farmer  of  Whitley  county,  Enos  Goble,  of 
Washington  township,  ranks  among  the 
representative  citizens  of  this  part  of  Indi- 
ana and  occupies  a  conspicuous  place  in  the 
confidence  and  esteem  of  his  many  friends 
and  associates.  Few  residents  of  the  com- 
munity have  been  as  long  identified  with  its 
growth  and  development  and  none  has  so 
indelibly  impressed  his  personality  upon  the 
people  or  exercised  a  stronger  influence  in 
directing  and  controlling  public  sentiment  in 


the  township  of  his  residence.     The  Goble 
family  had  its  origin  in  England,  of  which 
country  the  subjects  grandfather,  Mathias 
Goble,  was  a  native,  and  from  which  he  emi- 
grated to  America  many  years  ago,  settling 
in  the  state  of  New  Jersey,  where  several 
of  his  children  were  born,  among  the  num- 
ber being  a  son  by  the  name- of  Peter  R., 
whose  birth  occurred  in  the  year  1785.     In 
his  young  manhood  Peter  Roy  Goble  went 
to  Ohio,  where,   in  addition  to  working  at 
the  cooper's  trade,  he  engaged  quite  exten- 
sively in  the  making  of  cider,   which   lines 
of  business  he  followed  until  1853.  when  he 
disposed  of  his  interests  in  that  state  and 
moved  to  Whitley  county,  Indiana,  locating 
in  Washington  township  on  the  farm  which 
his  son,  the  subject  of  this  review,  owns  and 
occupies.     He  married  in  Ohio,  Miss  Mary 
Weller.  after  whose  death  he  took  a  second 
wife  and  by  the  two  had  a  large  family  of 
seventeen  children,  of  whom  Enos,  of  this 
review,   and   James   W.    are   the   only   sur- 
vivors,— both  being-  residents  of  Washing- 
ton township.     Peter  Roy  Goble  was  a  man 
of  excellent  repute,  a  leader  of  the  local  De- 
mocracy in  the  township  of  Washington  and 
an  active  participant  in  the  political  affairs 
of  the  county.     In  early  life  he  was  a  Bap- 
tist, but  subsequently  severed  his  connection 
with  that  denomination  and  became  a  mem- 
ber    of     the     United      Brethren     church, 
to      the      teachings      of      which      he      con- 
tinued     loyal      until      the      day      of      his 
death.       He    lived    a    long    and    useful    life 
and  reached  a  ripe  old  age.  dying  in  1877,  in 
his  ninety-third  year. 

Enos  Goble,  son  of  Peter  R.  and  Mary 
Goble.  was  born  February  4,  1833,  in  Perry 
county,    Ohio,    and    there    remained    until 


536 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


young  manhood,  in  the  meantime  receiving 
such  an  education  as  the  schools  of  the 
country  could  impart  and  acquiring  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  higher  branches  of  learning  by 
two  years'  attendance  at  a  select  school  in 
the  town  of  Somerset.  In  1853  he  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  Whitley  county.  In- 
diana, and  later  engaged  in  teaching,  which 
line  of  work  he  followed  for  twelve  consec- 
utive years.  In  the  meantime  he  purchased 
land  in  the  township  of  Washington  and  in 
due  season  became  one  of  the  enterprising 
agriculturists.  and  substantial  citizens 
of  the  communtiy.  Air.  Goble  the 
present  time  owns  a  quarter  section 
of  as  fine  land  as  the  township  of 
Washington  can  boast.  He  has  made  many 
valuable  improvements  on  his  place  in  the 
way  of  buildings,  fencing,  drainage,  etc., 
having  fourteen  hundred  rods  of  tile  under 
his  land.  The  tillable  portion  is  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation,  rendering-  it  a  beau- 
tiful and  desirable  home.  Mr.  Goble's  suc- 
cess as  a  tiller  of  the  soil  and  raiser  of  fine 
live  stock  has  been  very  commendable  and  be 
is  classed  to-day  among  the  financially  relia- 
ble men  of  the  community,  having  accumu- 
lated a  sufficiency  of  tin's  world's  goods  to 
place  him  in  independent  circumstances  with 
an  ample  competency  to  guard  against  fu- 
ture expenses.  Like  his  father  before  him, 
Mr.  Goble  is  a  local  politician  of  considerable 
note  and  influence,  a  Democrat  of  the  Jef- 
ferson and  Jackson  school,  and  as  a  reward 
for  services  rendered  his  party  as  well  as 
by  reason  of  his  fitness  for  the  place  he  has 
frequently  been  elected  trustee  of  his  town- 
ship, filling  the  office  to  the  satisfaction  of 
the  public  for  a  period  of  eleven  years,  be- 
side-, serving  three  terms  as  assessor.  For 
a  number  of  years  he  was  a  leading  spirit  in 


the  Farmers'  Alliance  of  Whitlev  county, 
and  as  a  member  of  the  local  grange  made 
his  influence  felt  in  all  matters  relating  to  the 
agricultural  interests  of  this  part  of  the 
state. 

In  the  year  1885  occurred  the  marriage 
of  Mr.  Goble  and  Miss  Rachael  Westall, 
daughter  of  Gilroy  and  Catherine  (Lidey) 
Westall,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Ohio  re- 
spectively, the  mother's  people  moving  to  the 
latter  state  from  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Goble  have  had  thirteen  children,  six 
of  whom  are  living,  namely:  George,  James, 
Samuel.  Enos,  Charles,  and  Augusta,  five  of 
the  deceased  dying  in  infancy  and  two  after 
reaching  years  of  maturity.  The  subject 
and  his  wife  are  respected  members  of  the 
United  Brethren  church  and  take  an  active 
interest  in  the  various  lines  of  religious  and 
benevolent  work  under  the  auspices  of  the 
local  congregation  with  which  they  worship. 


OCTAVIUS  PHELPS. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  traces  his  line- 
age to  New  England,  and  combines  in  his 
personality  main-  of  the  sterling  qualities 
which  have  long  distinguished  the  sturdy 
people  of  this  section  of  the  Union. 

William  Phelps,  the  father,  was  born  at 
Windsor,  Connecticut,  in  the  year  1800,  and 
six  years  later  was  taken  by  bis  parents  to 
Franklin  count)',  Ohio,  where  he  grew  to 
maturity  on  a  farm  and  where  he  married  in 
his  young  manhood  Miss  Jane  Watt,  whose 
parents  were  among'  the  early  settlers  of  that 
that  part  of  the  Buckeye  state.  In  1S41  Wil- 
liam Phelps  disposed  of  his  interest  in  Ohio 
and  moved  to  Whitley  count}-.  Indiana,  lo- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  LYDIAXA. 


537 


eating  in  Jefferson  township,  of  which  he 
was  one  of  the  seven  original  settlers.  He 
purchased  land  and  developed  a  farm  which 
is  still  in  possession  of  his  descendants,  and 
had  a  family  of  eleven  children,  only  three 
of  whom  survive.  Mr.  Phelps  being  a  gen- 
tleman of  intelligence  and  good  standing, 
did  much  to  create  an  influence  of  public 
sentiment  among  his  neighbors  and  fellow 
citizens.  He  died  in  the  prime  of  life  in 
1847  and  left  to  his  wife  and  children  an 
honorable  name,  which  they  prize  as  a  grate- 
ful heritage. 

Octavius  Phelps  was  born  June  8,  1825, 
in  Franklin  count}-,  Ohio.  After  receiving 
an  elementary  training  in  the  schools  of  his 
native  place  he  obtained  a  knowledge  of  the 
higher  branches  by  attending  at  Blendon 
Institute,  Ohio,  and  later  pursued  his  studies 
for  one  year  in  an  educational  institution  of 
advanced  grade  in  the  city  of  Fort  Wayne, 
Indiana.  With  this  excellent  mental  dis- 
cipline he  entered  the  teacher's  profession 
and  continued  in  that  line  of  work  for  a  pe- 
riod of  nine  years  in  the  schools  of  Whitley 
and  Allen  counties,  achieving  well  merited 
success  and  earning  honorable  repute  as  an 
able  and  popular  instructor. 

At  the  expiration  of  the  period  men- 
tioned Mr.  Phelps  discontinued  teaching  and 
turned  his  attention  to  agriculture,  which 
vocation  he  has  since  followed,  owning  at 
this  time  a  part  of  the  original  Phelps  home- 
stead in  lefferson  township,  which  he  has 
converted  into  a  fine  farm  and  an  attractive 
rural  home,  and  on  which,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  three  years  he  has  lived  since  com- 
ing to  Whitley  county  in  1841,  being  in 
point  of  continuous  residence  one  of  the 
oldest  citizens  of  the  township.     As  a  farm- 


er he  ranks  among  the  most  enterprising  and 
progressive  of  the  community  in  which  he 
resides,  and  as  a  citizen  discharges  his  duty 
as  becomes  an  American  today.  Mr.  Phelps 
has  been  twice  married,  the  first  time  in  1848 
to  Miss  Lydia  Decker,  who  died  after  a 
mutually  happy  wedded  experience,  leaving 
besides  her  husband  six  children  to  mourn 
their  loss,  namely:  Agnes  J.,  Florence, 
William  H.,  Edward,  Ellen  and  Corwin. 
His  second  marriage  was  solemnized  in  1885 
with  Martha  E.  Fordyce.  daughter  of  Jo- 
seph and  Man-  (Thompson)  Fordyce,  this 
union  being  without  issue.  Mrs.  Phelps' 
parents  were  natives  of  Warren  county, 
Ohio.  They  moved  to  Indiana  in  1861,  set- 
tling on  a  farm  in  Huntington  county,  where 
tliev  lived  for  a  number  of  years,  later  in 
life  transferring  their  residence  to  the  city 
of  Huntington,  where  their  respective  deaths 
subsequently  occurred. 

Mr.  Phelps  is  a  Republican  in  politics 
and  a  leader  and  trusted  adviser  of  his  party 
in  Jefferson  township.  He  held  the  office 
of  justice  of  the  peace  eight  years,  during 
which  time  much  important  business  was 
transacted  in  his  court,  and  such  were  the 
fairness  of  his  rulings  and  soundness  of  his 
decisions  that  few  appeals  were  ever  taken 
to  higher  tribunals.  Mrs.  Phelps  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  church. 


J.     W.   SMITH. 


Success  has  been  worthily  achieved  by 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  has  long  oc- 
cupied a  commanding  position  among  the 
representative    farmers   of   Jefferson    town- 


i38 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ship,  besides  enjoying  distinguished  pres- 
tige as  a  public-spirited  man  of  affairs.  Oli- 
ver Smith,  father  of  the  subject,  was  born  in 
1832  in  southern  Indiana  and  departed  this 
life  in  Whitley  count}'  in  the  month  of 
Jul\'.  1906.  He  was  a  fanner  by  occupa- 
tion, came  to  this  part  of  the  state  in  1852 
and  in  due  time  became  one  of  the  most  en- 
terprising and  public-spirited  citizens  of  the 
community  in  which  he  lived,  having  been 
a  leader  in  local  affairs  and  a  man  of  great 
influence  among  his  neighbors  and  asso- 
ciates. By  judicious  investment  he  succeed- 
ed in  accumulating  a  handsome  competence, 
owning  at  one  time  three  hundred  acres  of 
land,  much  of  which  he  improved  and  made 
valuable,  besides  becoming  the  possessor  of 
considerable  fine  city  property  in  Fort 
Wayne  and  elsewhere.  He  was  a  pro- 
nounced Republican  in  politics  but  never  as- 
pired to  office,  and  in  public  matters  his 
opinions  always  commanded  respect  and  car- 
ried weight.  Malinda  Berry,  who  became 
the  wife  of  Oliver  Smith,  was  a  native  of 
Ohio  and  the  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Sarah 
(Hasty)  Berry.  They  became  the  parents  of 
seven  children,  of  whom  J.  W.  is  the  second 
in  order  of  birth,  the  names  of  the  others 
being  as  follows :  Sanford ;  Melissa,  de- 
ceased ;  Mrs.  Estella  Kelsey ;  Ina,  wife  of 
Martin  Gillispie;  Clarence;  and  Effie,  who 
married  Perry  Putnam. 

J.  W.  Smith  is  a  native  of  Whitley 
county.  Indiana,  born  in  Jefferson  township 
"ii  January  6th  of  the  year  i860.  At  the 
proper  age  he  entered  the  public  schools, 
which  he  attended  until  completing  the 
branches  comprising  the  usual  course  of 
study  and  on  the  farm  received  a  training  in 
the  more  practical  things,  which  in  due  time 
enabled  him  to  lay  broad  and  deep  the  foun- 


dation of  his  future  course  of  action.  Reared 
under  the  wholesome  influences  of  country 
life,  and  early  initiated  into  the  duties  which 
labor  entails,  he  developed,  while  still  young. 
a  strong,  sturdy  physique  and  an  independ- 
ence of  mind  that  stood  him  well  in  his  sub- 
sequent career  as  an  enterprising  and  pro- 
gressive tiller  of  the  soil,  which  vocation  he 
has  always  followed  and  in  the  prosecution 
of  which  he  has  achieved  results  that 
place  him  today  among  the  leading  men  of 
his  calling  in  the  township  of  his  residence. 
The  quarter  section  of  land  which  Mr.  Smith 
owns  is  finely  situated  in  one  of  the  best 
parts  of  Jefferson  township,  one-half  of  it 
being  under  cultivation,  thoroughly  drained 
and  otherwise  well  improved.  The  other 
eighty  being  largely  devoted  to  pasturage, 
with  a  sufficiency  of  good  timber  remaining 
to  answer  all  purposes  of  the  farm  for  many 
years  to  come.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  progressive 
agriculturist  in  the  most  liberal  sense  of  the 
word,  and  in  connection  with  farming  is  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  the  raising  of  fine  cat- 
tle and  hogs.  His  reputation  as  a  stockman, 
comparing  favorably  with  that  of  any  other 
in  the  county.  He  has  a  beautiful  and  at- 
tractive home  and  with  an  abundance  of  this- 
world's  goods  as  the  result  of  his  systematic 
labors  is  well  situated  to  enjoy  life.  Polit- 
ically he  votes  the  Republican  ticket  on  state 
and  general  issues,  but  is  broad  and  liberal 
enough  to  break  away  from  party  lines  in 
matters  of  local  nature,  supporting  the  best 
qualified  candidate  for  count}-  and  township 
offices.  Mr.  Smith  and  family  subscribe  to 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  faith  and  for  a 
number  of  years  have  been  earnest  and  con- 
sistent workers  of  that  church  and  liberal 
contributors  to  its  various  charities. 

In  the  vear  of  1881  Mr.  Smith  entered 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


539 


the  marriage  relation  with  Miss  Sarah  Long, 
whose  parents  were  Philip  and  Eliza  Ann 
(Rogers)  Long,  natives  of  Ohio,  and  among 
the  early  settlers  of  Whitley  county,  moving 
to  Jefferson  township  as  pioneers.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Smith  have  a  family  of  seven  children, 
whose  names  are  as  follows :  Edgar,  How- 
ard, Ethel,  Archie,  Chester,  Hobart  and  Iva, 
all  at  home  with  the  exception  of  Howard, 
who  holds  an  important  position  in  a  bank  in 
the  city  of  Wabash. 


O.  J.  CROWEL. 


O.  J.  Crowel,  fanner,  stock  raiser  and 
trustee  of  Jefferson  township,  is  the  oldest 
of  six  children,  whose  parents  were  John  W. 
and  Martha  J.  Crowel,  the  former  a  native 
of  Ohio  and  an  early  settler  of  Whitley 
county,  moving  to  Jefferson  township  some 
time  in  the  forties.  John  W.  Crowel  was  a 
farmer  and  an  intelligent  and  respected  citi- 
zen. He  developed  a  good  farm  and  earned 
an  honorable  reputation  as  a  public-spirited 
man.  He  departed  this  life  in  1876.  Before 
her  marriage  Mrs.  Crowel  was  a  Miss  Mar- 
tha J.  Shaffer,  a  native  of  Tennessee.  She 
bore  her  husband  the  following  children  :  O. 
J. ;  William  D.,  of  Jefferson  township,  and 
Mary  E.  Loutzenhiser;  James  B.,  a  resident 
of  Whitley  county ;  John  F.,  an  artist,  who 
died  some  years  ago  in  Minnesota ;  and 
Henry,  a  farmer  of  Jefferson  township. 
Michael  Crowel,  father  of  John  W.,  was  a 
Marylander  by  birth,  but  removed  early  to 
Virginia  and  then  later  to  Ohio,  and  in  the 
thirties  came  to  Whitley  county,  entering 
land  in  Jefferson  township,  a  part  of  it  be- 
ing still   in  possession   of  his   descendants. 


He  died  in  Ohio.  He  did  not  move  to  In- 
diana, but  entered  the  land  for  his  children. 
O.  J.  Crowel  dates  his  birth  from  June 
7,  1850.  He  received  fair  educational  train- 
ing and  grew  to  maturity  in  close  contact 
with  nature.  Mr.  Crowel's  life  has  been 
devoted  mainly  to  farming,  and  at  the  pres- 
ent he  holds  prestige,  owning  a  fine  tract 
of  two  hundred  acres,  all  but  forty  cleared 
and  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  his  build- 
ings and  other  improvements  being  substan- 
tial, and  with  the  excellent  condition  of  his 
fields,  orchards,  etc.,  bearing  evidence  of  the 
progressive  spirit  of  the  proprietor.  Mr. 
Crowel,  familiar  with  the  nature  of  soils  and 
their  adaptability  to  the  various  crops  grown 
in  this  latitude,  cultivates  his  farm  with 
great  care  and  in  addition  to  realizing  lib- 
eral profits  from  his  agricultural  labors,  also 
gives  considerable  attention  to  live  stock,  in 
the  raising  and  marketing  of  which  his  suc- 
cess has  been  very  gratifying. 

In  public  affairs  his  interest  has  never 
been  permitted  to  waver  and  in  matters  of 
political  nature  he  has  long  taken  an  active 
part,  being  one  of  the  leading  Democrats 
of  his  township,  besides  wielding  a  strong 
influence  in  party  circles  throughout  the 
country.  In  1904  he  was  elected  trustee  of 
Tefferson  township,  which  important  office 
he  still  holds,  discharging  the  duties  of  the 
same  with  credit  to  himself  and  to  the  sat- 
isfaction of  the  people  of  his  jurisdiction  ir- 
respective of  political  ties.  Mrs.  Crowel  was 
formerly  Miss  Mary  Chodat,  daughter  of  D. 
A.  and  Leah  (Sours)  Chodat,  the  father  a 
native  of  Switzerland  and  the  mother  of  In- 
diana. The  ceremony  by  which  her  name 
was  changed  to  the  one  she  now  bears  was 
solemnized  in  the  year  1879.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Crowel  have  five  children :    Edward,  an  em- 


540 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


ploye  of  the  Nickel  Plate  Railroad;  Iva, 
wife  of  John  Vogley;  Ray,  Hazel,  and  Les- 
ter, all  living.  The  last  three  are  still  mem- 
bers of  the  home  circle. 


ANDREW  KENNER. 

Andrew  Kenner.  a  well  known  farmer 
and  highly  respected  citizen  of  Troy  town- 
ship, Whitley  county,  was  born  in  Witten- 
berg, Germany,  May  25,  1834,  and  was  the 
son  of  John  G.  and  Christina  (Mattes)  Ken- 
ner. The  mother  of  the  subject  died  in  Ger- 
many in  1847.  The  father  then  married 
Margaret  Yahn  and  came  to  this  country 
in  1853,  settling  in  Hancock  county,  Ohio. 
He  departed  this  life  in  1855.  His  first  chil- 
dren were  Andrew,  John  G.  and  Gotlieb, 
who  died  in  1856.  Two  children  were  born 
to  them,  Sophia,  wife  of  William  H.  Attes- 
barger,  living  in  Hancock  county,  Ohio,  and 
John,  living-  in  Michigan.  John  G.  came  to 
Indiana  in  i860,  bought  this  present  farm 
and  made  some  improvements,  going  from 
here  in  the  fall  of  1864  to  the  army,  enlist- 
ing in  the  Thirteenth  Indiana  Regiment. 
His  deatli  occurred  near  Raleigh,  North 
Carolina,  after  the  fighting  was  over  and 
when  about  ready  to  come  home.  Andrew 
remained  in  Ohio,  working-  by  the  month, 
until  [858,  when  lie  went  to  California  ami 
Idaho,  engaging  in  mining,  teaming  and 
other  work  until  1864,  when  lie  came  to 
Whitley  count)',  purchased  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land,  the  beginning  of  a  farm, 
but  lit  lie  improved,  in  Troy  township,  where 
be  has  continued  to  live  to  the  present  time. 
He  had  assisted  John  in  its  purchase  in  [860. 


He  has  always  been  industrious  and  frugal 
and  as  a  result  his  farm  is  one  of  the  best 
in  the  country.  In  1870  he  erected  one  of 
the  largest  and  finest  eleven-room  brick 
houses  in  the  county,  the  brick  for  the  same 
being  burned  on  the  farm,  the  lumber  cut  on 
the  farm  and  finished  in  oak  and  ash.  In 
1872  he  built  a  large  and  commodious  bank 
barn,  which,  together  with  other  modern 
buildings,  completes  a  very  convenient  farm. 
His  business  is  general  farming.  He  was 
married  in  1865  to  Mary  (Goodrich)  Ken- 
ner, widow  of  his  brother  John,  and  who 
was  born  in  Richland  township  and  is  a  sis- 
ter of  Fletcher  Goodrich.  She  had  one  child 
by  her  first  husband,  Charles  A.  Kenner.  a 
doctor  of  medicine  at  Omaha.  Nebraska.  He 
grew  up  on  the  farm,  went  west,  graduated 
in  medicine  and  has  a  fine  practice  in  the 
city.  Three  children  were  born  to  them : 
Cora  became  the  wife  of  Thomas  M.  Briggs, 
of  Thorncreek  township,  to  which  union 
were  born  three  children,  Orville  C,  Bland 
M.  and  Theresa:  William  Clinton,  also  a 
doctor  of  medicine  at  Utica,  Nebraska, 
whose  first  marriage  was  with  Ora  Devore, 
resulting-  in  the  birth  of  one  child,  James 
Robert.  The  second  marriage  was  with  Ju- 
lia Dart,  the  result  of  this  marriage  being 
one  child,  William  Clinton.  Lewis  A.  is  the 
well  known  dentist  living  in  Columbia  City, 
with  his  wife,  formerly  Nettie  Workman, 
and  have  one  child,  Irene  L.  Mrs.  Kenner 
died  in  1873.  His  second  marriage  occurred 
in  1874  to  Margaret  Jane,  daughter  of  John 
W.  and  Cynthia  (Wiley)  Smith,  born  in 
Troy  township.  June  16.  185 1.  Her  parents 
were  natives  of  Ohio  and  Kentucky,  coming 
to  Indiana  in  an  early  day,  where  they  con- 
tributed their  full  share  to  the  development 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


54i 


of  the  country  and  in  the  establishment  of 
schools  and  churches  as  well.  The  father 
died  February  17,  1890,  and  the  mother 
April  21,  1900.  Eight  children  were  born 
to  them  :  Rebecca,  deceased ;  George  Lewis, 
living  in  Troy  township;  Margaret  Jane; 
Ann  Elizabeth,  wife  of  John  H.  Elliott,  liv- 
ing in  Troy  township;  Hugh  Franklin,  on 
the  old  homestead;  Martha  E.,  widow  of 
James  R.  Coyle,  living  in  Troy  township; 
Mary  A.,  wife  of  D.  C.  Noble,  living  in  Co- 
lumbia City;  Harriet  I.,  widow  of  Jasper  N. 
Marrs,  living  in  Troy  township.  Ten  chil- 
dren were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kenner: 
Eva,  wife  of  Charles  M.  Arnold,  living  in 
Troy  township,  with  four  children,  Delma 
M.,  Frederick  C,  Blanche  Irene  and  John 
A. ;  Frank  E.,  married  to  Kizzie  Hyre,  living 
in  Columbia  City,  and  has  one  child,  Helen 
Marie;  Minnie  Dell,  wife  of  Arthur  Wat- 
ters  living  in  Troy  township,  also  has  one 
child,  Merland  Roscoe;  Clyde  DeWitt,  a  den- 
tist at  Seward,  Nebraska;  John  C.  married 
Mabel  Fona  Bills  and  is  operating  his  father's 
farm;  George  LeRoy,  married  Cloan  Her- 
rick,  is  in  Columbia  City;  Ella  May  is  a 
telephone  employe  in  Columbia  City;  Mary 
Frances,  Lyman  Roscoe  and  Frederick  Oral, 
all  at  home. 

In  politics  Mr.  Kenner  is  a  Republican, 
and  the  public,  recognizing  his  sterling  in- 
tegrity and  good  judgment,  nominated  and 
elected  him  to  the  office  of  township  trustee 
in  1894.  He  discharged  the  duties  of  this 
office  so  satisfactorily  that  he  was  re-elected 
in  1900  to  the  second  term,  making  six 
years  of  sendee.  Mrs.  Kenner  is  a  faith- 
ful and  generous  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  The  family  is  enterpris- 
ing in  all  matters  of  public  interest  and  is 
held  in  very  high  esteem. 


Mr.  Kenner  became  an  Odd  Fellow  in 
California  in  i860  and  for  forty-seven  years 
has  kept  in  close  touch  with  the  fraternity, 
being  also  a  member  of  the  encampment. 

For  forty-three  years  he  has  been  active- 
ly identified  with  Whitley  county  and  few 
citizens  have  done  more  to  advance  the  in- 
terests of  the  county  and  its  civilization.  No 
move  for  the  general  betterment  but  has 
found  in  him  an  ardent  supporter  and 
advocate. 


BEAL  F.  TAYLOR. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  enjoys  a  his- 
tory that  is  worthy  of  emulation  by  many 
young  men.  He  was  born  in  Jefferson 
township,  Whitley  county,  March  22,  1858, 
and  is  the  son  of  Henry  and  Melvina  (Moss- 
man)  Taylor.  Henry,  the  father  of  the  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  Ohio  in  1821,  in  which 
state  he  resided  and  was  a  successful  car- 
penter until  1845,  when  he  came  to  this 
county  and  located  on  the  home  farm,  which 
he  improved  and  cultivated  with  success. 
His  death  occurred  in  1896,  his  wife  pre- 
ceding him  in  1865.  They  had  six  chil- 
dren :  Marion  and  Josephine,  both  de- 
ceased; James  R.  W.,  a  farmer  in  Jefferson 
township;  Beal  F.,  the  subject;  Howard  W., 
also  deceased,  and  John  M.,  also  a  fanner  in 
Jefferson  township.  The  grandfather  came 
to  this  country  from  Ireland  and  located  in 
Virginia  and  later  moved  to  Ohio.  He  was 
of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  The  subject  was 
married  on  February  19,  1889,  to  Magdalene 
J.,  daughter  of  Burkhard  and  Caroline -(Rie- 
bon)  Shanline,  natives  of  Germany,  who 
after  coming  to  this  country  lived  in  Penn- 
sylvania, but  later  moved  to  Noble  count  y. 


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542 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


Indiana,  where  they  spent  the  remainder  of 
their  lives.  Our  subject  was  the  father  of 
two  children,  Mabel  M.  and  Russell  F.,  both 
of  whom  are  attending  school.  During 
twelve  years  of  his  early  manhood  he  was 
an  engineer  and  piledriver  on  the  railroad. 
He  also  has  the  distinction  of  running  the 
first  traction  engine  in  Ohio,  some  twenty- 
six  years  ago,  and  the  first  traction  engine 
in  Indiana  as  well.  He  now  owns  the  old 
home  farm,  on  which  his  father  settled  in 
1845,  consisting  of  one  hundred  and  forty 
acres,  nearly  all  of  which  is  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation.  The  farm  is  well  fenced, 
thoroughly  drained  and  stocked  with  Duroc 
hogs  crossed  with  Poland  China,  fine  graded 
cattle  and  fifty  elegant  Shropshire  sheep. 
The  elegant  bank  barn,  forty  by  eighty  feet, 
stands  as  a  monument  to  his  energy,  fru- 
gality and  good  judgment. 

He  has  never  held  office,  but  favors  the 
principles  of  the  Republican  party.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge, 
No.  116,  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana.  The  Pres- 
byterian church  has  the  benefit  of  the  fam- 
ily membership  and  financial  support.  In  all 
his  labors  and  success  he  gives  full  credit 
to  his  wife,  whose  counsel  and  advice,  he 
claims,  governs  his  final  determination  and 
action. 


He  was  married  to  Orpha  Mossman, 
who  died  April  15,  1850.  They  had  five 
children,  two  of  whom  survive.  Mr.  Comp- 
ton  afterward  married  Mrs.  C.  M.  Ormsby 
(nee)  Hamilton,  who  since  has  died,  and  to 
this  union  three  children  were  born,  now  all 
dead. 

Nearly  all  the  mature  years  of  his  life 
Mr.  Compton  lived  a  consistent  Christian. 
At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Church  of  God,  at  the  place  now 
known  as  Oak  Grove  Bethel,  in  which  he 
held  the  office  of  elder  for  a  number  of  years. 
In  politics  he  was  a  stanch  Republican  and  a 
firm  advocate  of  the  abolition  of  slavery. 
The  northern  states  had  no  man  that  was 
more  loyal  to  his  country  during  the  rebel- 
lion. His  health  would  not  permit  him  to 
enter  the  service,  but  to  the  young  men  who 
went  to  the  front  from  his  neighborhood,  on 
bidding  them  goodbye  he  would  say,  "If 
you  are  unfortunate  and  return  crippled, 
while  I  live  you  have  a  home." 

By  hard  work,  keen  foresight  and  fru- 
gality he  was  enabled  to  amass  a  comfort- 
able fortune,  he  having  at  his  death  about 
eight  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land,  well 
improved  and  stocked. 

He  died  thirty  years  ago,  but  on  account 
of    his    integrity,    sterling   worth,    kindness 

and  Christian  benevolence,  he  yet  lives  in  the 

memory  of  those  with  whom  he  lived. 
JAMES  COMPTON. 

James  Compton  was  born  in  New  Jer- 
sey in  181 5  and  when  a  boy  he  moved  to 
Muskingum  county,  Ohio.  In  1842  he  re- 
moved to  Richland  township.  Whitley 
county,  Indiana.  After  eight  years  he  re- 
moved to  Columbia  township,  where  he  died  Ohio,  where  his  life  was  passed  as  a  prac- 
February  16,  1866.  tical  farmer.     Among  his  children  was  Elias 


SYLVESTER  WILKINSON. 

Coming  from  the  east  at  an  early  day, 
Thomas  Wilkinson  located  in  Shelby  county, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


543 


•C.  Wilkinson,  who  married  Lavina  De- 
Weese,  who  bore  him  two  sons,  John  and 
Sylvester,  the  former  a  resident  of  Pierce- 
ton,  Indiana.  Elias  died  shortly  after  the 
birth  of  Sylvester  and  his  widow  married 
Barton  Marrs,  with  whom  she  came  to  In- 
diana about  1857.  By  their  union  there  were 
three  children :  Leonidas,  a  resident  of 
Muncie;  Barton,  deceased,  and  Thurza,  who 
lives  at  Mishawaka.  The  second  husband 
dying,  Mrs.  Marrs  contracted  a  third  mar- 
riage with  Walter  Laidlow,  but  both  died 
within  a  few  years  thereafter. 

Sylvester  Wilkinson  was  born  October 
2J,  1850,  in  Shelby  county,  Ohio,  and  was 
seven  years  old  when  the  family  removed  to 
Whitley  county.  By  casual  attendance  at 
such  schools  as  existed  he  learned  the  rudi- 
ments of  "readin',  ritin',  and  rithmetic." 
Scanty  as  it  was,  this  knowledg-e 
proved  a  valuable  basis  for  a  more 
extended  later  education.  He  remained 
with  his  mother  and  stepfather  until 
his  majority,  meantime  devoting  him- 
self exclusively  to  farm  work.  In  1871  his 
grandfather,  Thomas  Wilkinson,  gave  him 
eighty  acres  of  woodland  in  Etna  township, 
the  improvements  consisting  simply  of  a 
pole  cabin  and  a  path  to  reach  it.  Young 
Wilkinson,  however,  took  hold  resolutely 
and  after  many  weary  weeks  and  months 
of  hard  work  succeeded  in  converting  this 
wild  inheritance  into  a  tolerably  respectable 
farm.  He  purchased  twenty  additional 
acres  and  now  owns  a  well  improved  and 
productive  farm,  well  cleared,  well  tilled  and 
well  stocked.  He  has  erected  a  thirteen- 
room,  up-to-date  residence,  a  large  barn  and 
all  the  necessary  outbuildings.  Besides  the 
cereal  crops  and  other  features  of  general 
farming,  Mr.  Wilkinson  has  for  some  years 


paid  considerable  attention  to  the  breeding 
of  fine  cattle,  his  specialty  being  the  Dur- 
hams. 

In  1 87 1  he  was  married  to  Amanda, 
daughter  of  Leyi  and  Rebecca  Belch,  early 
settlers  in  Troy  township.  By  this  union 
there  were  three  children:  '  Edwin  S.,  who 
married  Emma  Pearl  Buck,  has  two  chil- 
dren and  lives  in  Noble  county;  Nettie,  wife 
of  Marion  Rider,  of  Etna  township ;  Amelia, 
wife  of  Theodore  Clingman,  a  resident  of 
Noble  county.  Mr.  Wilkinson  lost  his  com- 
panion in  1879  and  August  3,  1883.  occurred 
his  marriage  to  Caroline,  daughter  of  John 
and  Mary  Hindbaug-h,  pioneers  of  Noble 
county,  now  deceased.  The  eight  children 
resulting  from  this  second  union  are  Merrel, 
Alvernis,  Arbie,  Ernest,  Mary,  Otho,  Jo- 
seph and  William.  The  parents  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  of  God  at  Wilmot,  No- 
ble county,  and  in  politics  Mr.  Wilkinson 
affiliates  with  the  Prohibition  party,  as  he 
has  always  been  much  opposed  to  the  traffic 
that  steals  away  men's  brains  and  makes 
beasts  of  that  which  was  made  in  God's  own 
imaee. 


WASHINGTON  LONG. 

Prominent  among  the  successful  farm- 
ers and  stock  raisers  of  Whitley  county  is 
Washington  Long,  who  was  bom  February 
22,  1846,  on  the  farm  in  Washington  town- 
ship, which  he  now  owns  and  on  which  his 
entire  life  thus  far  has  been  spent.  He  is 
the  seventh  of  the  eight  children  of  Reuben 
and  Elizabeth  (Olinger)  Long,  received  his 
education  in  the  country  schools  and  assist- 
ed his  father  on  the  farm  until  the  latter's 
death,  since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged 


544 


WHITLEY  COUNTY. 


in  agricultural  pursuits  on  his  own  responsi- 
bility, meeting  with  encouraging  success  the 
meanwhile.  The  farm  which  Mr. 
owns  consists  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  fertile  land,  all  but  forty  in  culti- 
vation and  well  improved  with  excellent 
buildings,  good  fences  and  ample  drainage, 
being  one  of  the  finest  and  most  productive 
farms,  not  only  in  Washington  township,  but 
in  the  county  of  Whitley  as  well.  In  addi- 
tion to  agriculture  Mr.  Long  is  extensively 
engaged  in  the  raising  of  live  stock,  feeding 
nearly  all  the  products  of  the  farm  to  his 
cattle  and  hogs,  which  he  disposes  of  in 
large  numbers.  He  make-  a  specialty  of 
Shorthorn  cattle  and  Chester  White  h  . 
the  raising  of  which  he  has  earned  a  wide 
reputation,  and  his  efforts  in  the  matti 
fine  stock  have  induced  many  of  his  neigh 
bors  to  imitate  his  example  and  improve 
their  breeds  of  domestic  animal-. 

Mr.  Long  is  a  Democrat  in  politic-  and 
has  filled  various  local  offices.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  United  Brethren  church,  but 
sesses  a  liberal  and  broad  spirit,  which  en- 
ables him  t(  i  perceive  good  in  all  rel  i 
bodies,  and  to  the  extent  of  his  ability  lie 
encourages  the  different  denomination-  by 
his  financial  support. 

Mr.  Long  was  married  in  1S71  to  Miss 
Mary  J.  Baker,  who  departed  this  life  in 
1880,  and  later  he  chose  a  second  wife  in  the 
person  of  Mrs.  Albina  Heath,  widow  of  the 
late  Franklin  Heath  and  a  daughti 
Mathew  and  Eliza  Gleason.  natives  of  New 
York  but  for  many  years  residents  of  Van 
Wert  county.  Ohio,  where  their  respective 
deaths  occurred.  Mr.  Long  is  the  father  of 
five  children :  Franklin,  deceased :  Calvin, 
who  married  Lizzie  Huffman  and  is  engaged 
in  farming  in  Cleveland  township:  and  Ann. 


wife  Farmer  residing  in 

1  \\o  died  in 
infan 

Reuben  Long  and 

Elizal  oil-  natives  of  Virginia 

and  respectively,  the   former 

tter  in  1803.      They  were 

•  which  >tate  the  father 

child,  and  after  residing 

Mir   :•■    Whitlej    county. 

V\  ashington  township 

is  -'.ill  in  possession  of 

g  among  the  very 

pari  of  the  state.    The 

untrj  when 

\11  kind-  of  wild  game 

■  isil)    pn  cured  and  it  is 

i  experi- 

1    ill  •':<■  \  icissitudes  and 

to  tin-  lot  of  thost 

;\  ilization  to  the  fert  le 

•  --  ■  f  ivrthern  Indiana. 

farm,  '  .  ■ 

and  merited 

him, 

parc- 

Catl  •  e  AM 

sketch 


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WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


545 


settled  in  America.  So  far  as  known  none 
ever  achieved  any  great  distinction  nor  at- 
tained great  wealth  and  on  the  other  hand 
so  far  as  known  all  have  lived  sober,  indus- 
trious lives  and  have  been  honest  and  God- 
fearing men  and  women.  The  first  member 
of  the  family  in  America  bore  the  name  of 
James,  who  was  bom  in  Scotland.  His  wife 
was  born  in  Ireland  and  they  came  from 
the  north  of  Ireland  and  settled  in  Hunter- 
don county,  New  Jersey,  in  1775. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  great- 
grandson  of  this  new  Adam,  being  the  son 
of  Asher,  who  was  the  son  of  James  the 
second,  who  was  the  son  -of  James  the  first. 
On  his  mother's  side  he  was  of  good  old 
Dutch  stock,  the  Rittenhouse  family  tracing 
its  way  back  through  the  earliest  settlers  of 
Germantown,  Pennsylvania,  to  the  burghers 
of  Holland.  David  Benjamin  Clugston  is  the 
oldest  of  seven  children  and  was  born  March 
7,  1832,  on  a  farm  near  Flemington,  Hunt- 
erdon county,  New  Jersey.  When  two  years 
of  age  his  parents  moved  to  Delaware  and 
settled  on  a  farm  near  New  Castle.  He  at- 
tended the  country  schools  until  thirteen 
years  of  age,  spent  a  few  years  as  clerk 
and  subsequently  returned  to  the  farm  and 
remained  there  until  the  spring  of  1857. 
when  he  was  caught  up  by  the  tide  of  emi- 
gration then  sweeping  westward,  and  land- 
ed at  Huntsville,  now  Larwill,  Indiana,  on 
Easter  Sunday.  His  visit  was  one  of  inves- 
tigation and  extended  as  far  as  Minnesota. 
He  must  have  been  impressed  with  the  out- 
look, for  he  returned  to  Delaware  and  made 
a  sale  of  his  stock  and  farming  tools  and  in 
December  of  the  same  year  came  again  to 
Huntsville  and  began  working  in  a  sawmill. 

On  May  20,  1858,  he  married  Margaret 

35 


Ann  McLallen,  and  shortly  thereafter 
formed  a  partnership  with  E.  L.  McLallen. 
under  the  firm  name  of  McLallen  &  Clug- 
ston, and  purchased  the  general  store  then 
owned  by  Henry  McLallen,  Sr.,  and  em- 
barked in  business.  In  1873  Mr.  McLallen 
retired  from  the  firm  to  enter  the  banking 
business  at  Columbia  City  and  Asher  R. 
Clugston  purchased  an  interest,  and  the  firm 
name  became  D.  B.  Clugston  &  Brother. 
They  continued  business  under  this  title  until 
1877,  when  Thomas  Stradley  became  a  part- 
ner. In  1878  the  firm  as  it  then  existed  and 
John  Adams  opened  a  branch  store,  under 
the  name  of  Clugston,  Adams  &  Company,  in 
the  old  frame  building  on  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  VanBuren  and  Chauncey  streets  in 
Columbia  City,  and  Asher  R.  Clugston 
moved  to  Columbia  City  and  assumed  charge. 
In  1883  David  B.  and  Asher  R.  Clugston  be- 
came sole  owners  of  the  Columbia  City  store 
and  David  B.  of  the  original  establishment 
at  Larwill.  In  the  meantime  he  also  or- 
ganized the  firm  of  Clugston,  Collins  & 
Company,  at  South  Whitley,  which  later  be- 
came Clugston,  Miller  &  Company.  In  1891 
the  business  at  Larwill  passed  into  the  hands 
of  D.  B.  Clugston,  Jr..  who  conducted  the 
business  at  the  same  location  for  thirty 
years.  Mr.  Clugston  shortly  thereafter  re- 
moved to  Columbia  City  and  has  since  been 
identified  with  several  manufacturing  and 
financial  interests,  but  has  practically  retired 
from  all  active  business  connections  and 
spends  his  declining  years  in  looking  after 
his  financial  interests  and  managing  his 
farms.  Mr.  Clugston  is  president  of  the 
Provident  Trust  Company  and  vice  president 
of  the  Harper  Buggy  Company  and  senior 
member  of  the  drv  eoods  firm  of  Clueston 


548 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,   INDIANA. 


White,  of  Troy  township,  she  owning  part 
of  the  old  homestead;  James  M.,  a  resident 
of  Kosciusko  county;  and  Wilson  C.j  who 
died  at  about  the  age  of  thirty. 

William  Snodgrass,  fifth  of  the  family, 
was  born  in  Troy  township,  on  the  old  farm, 
September  i,  1844.  He  remained  at  the  pa- 
rental home  until  of  age  and  afterward  did 
work  of  various  kinds,  mostly  on  farms,  un- 
til 1875,  when  he  purchased  a  farm  of  eighty 
acres  in  Etna  township,  on  which  he  has 
since  resided  and  which  was  then  but  the 
beginning  of  a  farm.  He  has  improved 
it  in  many  ways  and  now  has  a  very  val- 
uable piece  of  property,  as  well  as 
a  comfortable  home,  which  is  equipped  with 
modern  buildings  and  all  the  conve- 
niences. November  21,  1869,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Frances,  daughter  of  Ami  L.  and  Sa- 
mantha  (Palmer)  Trumbull,  who  lived  in 
what  is  now  Etna  township,  but  which  at 
the  time  of  Mrs.  Snodgrass'  birth,  August 
31,  1848,  was  a  part  of  Washington  town- 
ship, Noble  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snod- 
61 — Bow  en  Regular 

grass  had  six  children :  Milo,  the  eldest, 
married  Nancy  Boyer,  by  whom  he  had  three 
children,  Arba,  Merl  and  Orvill  C.  de- 
ceased ;  he  was  married  a  second  time  to 
Laura  Helfrich  and  lives  on  a  farm  in  Etna 
township;  Lottie  Violet,  wife  of  Willis  El- 
len Earnhart,  lives  on  a  farm  in  Noble  coun- 
ty; Raymond,  married  Maud  Long  and 
farms  in  Troy  township, and  with  his  brother 
Milo  owns  part  of  the  old  Snodgrass  home- 
stead ;  Samantha  Ann,  wife  of  Earl  Wise, 
of  Etna  township,  has  one  child,  Wilma  :  De- 
lia and  Minnie  remain  at  home.  Mr.  Snod- 
grass is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  though  not 
an  aspirant  for  office,  and  his  wife  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  church. 


I.  L.  MERRIMAN. 

This  thriving  fanner  and  progressive  citi- 
zen is  a  native  of  the  state  in  which  he  re- 
sides and  by  a  life  of  honor  and  usefulness, 
reflects  credit  upon  the  community  where  he 
was  born  and  reared.  His  father,  James  E. 
Merriman,  a  native  of  Wayne  county,  Ohio, 
moved  to  Whitley  county.  Indiana,  in  [852 
and  settled  in  Washington  township,  where 
he  purchased  land,  cleared  a  farm  and  in  due 
time  became  one  of  the  substantial  citizens 
of  the  neighborhood  in  which  he  was  first  to 
locate.  Like  many  early  comers  to  northern 
Indiana,  he  was  a  man  of  sound  judgment 
and  intelligence,  a  zealous  politician  and  for 
many  years  enjoyed  prestige  as  a  leader  of 
the  local  democracy  of  his  township,  having 
been  prominent  in  the  councils  of  his  party 
and  an  influential  factor  in  the  winning  of 
not  a  few  victories  at  the  polls.  The  maiden 
name  of  Mrs.  Merriman  was  Susan  Ingram, 
a  native  of  County  Antrim,  Ireland.  Their 
children,  four  in  number,  were  Emarilla  S.. 
wife  of  James  F.  Johnston :  I.  L. :  Jennie, 
now  Mrs.  John  Wilson ;  and  Manuela.  de- 
ceased. The  subject's  paternal  grandfather 
was  Elisha  Merriman.  He  accompanied  his 
son  James  to  this  county  and  lived  with  the 
latter  until  his  death,  which  occurred  a  num- 
ber of  years  ago. 

I.  L.  Merriman  was  born  December  27, 
1858,  in  Washington  township,  grew  to 
manhood  on  the  family  homestead  and  en- 
joyed the  advantages  of  the  common  schi  11  »Is. 
In  early  life  he  became  a  farmer  and  to  this 
honorable  vocation  his  time  and  energies 
have  been  since  devoted  with  the  result  that 
he  is  now  one  of  the  large  owners  of  land 
in  Washington  township  and  a  representa- 
tive agriculturist  of  the  most  advanced  type. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


549 


His  farm,  containing  two  hundred  and  four 
acres  of  fertile  and  valuable  land,  is  highly 
improved  and  in  a  successful  state  of  culti- 
vation. One  hundred  and  sixty  acres  are 
tillable  and  its  productiveness  has  been 
greatly  enhanced  by  much  tile  drainage. 
Mr.  Merriman  has  not  been  sparing  of  his 
means  in  the  erection  of  buildings,  having 
a  beautiful  and  commodious  residence,  well 
supplied  with  all  modern  conveniences,  a 
large  barn  and  outbuilding's,  all  substantially 
constructed  and  in  excellent  repair. 

Miss  Ollie  Howenstine.  who  became 
the  wife  of  Mr.  Merriman  in  1887,  is  the 
daughter  of  William  and  Lydia  (Kimmell) 
Howenstine,  who  came  from  Ohio  to  Whit- 
ley County  in  an  early  day  and  settled  in  the 
township  of  Jefferson,  where  their  respective 
deaths  occurred.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Merri- 
man three  children  have  been  born :  Hugh, 
Solon  and  Errett,  all  living  and  to  their  best 
ability  endeavoring  to  realize  the  hopes, 
which  the  parents  indulge,  for  their  future 
welfare.  Mr.  Merriman  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  belonging-  to  the 
lodge  in  Columbia  City.  He  is  also  identi- 
fied with  the  Modern  Woodmen  at  the  same 
place  and  for  a  number  of  years  has  been  an 
influential  worker  in  the  grange,  having 
been  honored  with  important  official  posi- 
tions in  these  orders.  In  religion  he  sub- 
scribes to  the  plain  simple  teachings  of  the 
Bible  as  presented  by  the  Christian  church 
and  in  politics  has  been  a  lifelong  Democrat, 
and  to  no  small  extent  a  leader  of  his  party 
in  the  township  of  his  residence. 

In  business  affairs  Mr.  Merriman  has 
achieved  success  that  has  been  well  merited, 
being  in  independent  circumstances  finan- 
cially and  amply  provided  for  a  comfortable 


and  happy  old  age.  He  is  in  the  true  sense 
of  the  term  a  self-made  man  and  the  archi- 
tect of  his  own  fortune,  and  too  much  credit 
cannot  be  awarded  him  for  the  indomitable 
courage  and  strict  moral  rectitude  which 
have  characterized  his  career  from  the  be- 
ginning- to  the  present  time.  He  is  a  man 
of  sterling-  worth  and  high  social  standing, 
has  always  had  well  designed  purposes  in  life 
and  "standing  four-square  to  every  wind 
that  blows"  enjoys  the  confidence  of  the 
community  and  by  a  course  of  conduct  above 
reproach  demonstrates  to  the  world  that  the 
universal  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  has  been 
fairly  and  honorably  earned. 


URIAS  HOSLER. 


The  family  of  this  name  originated  in 
Switzerland  and  the  emigrant  ancestors 
came  over  during  the  latter  part  of  the  eight- 
eenth century  settling  in  Pennsylvania.  Ja- 
cob Hosier,  one  of  their  descendants,  who 
spent  his  life  in  Pennsylvania,  had  a  son 
George,  who  emigrated  to  Ohio,  when  twen- 
ty years  old,  and  followed  the  trade  of  a  car- 
penter. He  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Da- 
vid Brady,  who  was  born  in  Starke  county, 
Ohio.  Her  father  came  from  Ireland  to  the 
United  States  when  fifteen  years  old  and 
spent  his  life  in  Ohio.  Mary  (Brady)  Hos- 
ier died  in  Stark  county,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
four  and  her  husband  when  forty-five  years 
old.  They  had  nine  sons:  Samuel,  a  resi- 
dent of  Stark  county,  Ohio;  Franklin,  living 
in  Massillon,  Ohio :  Jefferson,  deceased : 
Urias :  Allen  and  Calvin,  deceased ;  and  three 
that  died  in  infancy.     Urias  Hosier,  fourth 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


in  order  of  birth,  was  born  in  Stark  county. 
October  30.  1845.  In  July.  1862,  when  less 
than  seventeen  years  old,  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany A  of  the  Sixty-first  Regiment  but 
transferred  as  a  company  becoming  Com- 
pany I.  Seventy-sixth  Regiment  Ohio  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  which  was  afterwards  at- 
tached to  the  First  Brigade,  Fifteenth  Army 
Corps.  He  was  the  youngest  man  in  the 
regiment  that  carried  a  gun.  His  first  bat- 
tle was  at  Fort  Donelson  in  which  he  was 
wounded,  being  the  first  man  shot  in  the 
regiment.  His  next  battle  was  on  the 
bloody  field  of  Shilqh.  The  regiment  also 
participated  at  Stone  River  and  Chicka- 
mauga,  but  owing  to  absence  through  sick- 
ness he  was  not  in  those  engagements.  He 
accompanied  Sherman  on  his  celebrated 
March  to  the  Sea  and  took  part  in  the  fight- 
ing as  Resaca,  Buzzard's  Roost,  Peach  Tree 
Creek.  Culp's  Farm,  Atlanta  and  Benton- 
ville.  returning  home  at  the  close  of  hostili- 
ties. He  was  married  June  11,  1867,  to 
Catherine,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Catherine 
(Geib)  Hose,  natives  of  Prussia,  Germany, 
who  came  to  the  United  States  in  185 1  and 
settled  in  Massillon,  Ohio.  In  1873  they 
came  to  Columbia  City,  where  Jacob  died  in 
1878  and  his  wife  in  1896.  Mrs.  Hosier  was 
born,  in  Prussia  on  Christmas  day, .  1847, 
and  hence  was  quite  a  small  child  when  her 
parents  came  to  America.  They  had  eight 
children:  Captain  Jacob  Hosier;  Charles, 
Philip  and  William,  deceased;  Frederick, 
resident  of  Columbia  City;  Adam,  deceased, 
Catherine,  and  Mary,  who  died  in  infancy. 
\fin-  his  marriage  Mr.  Hosier  worked  as  a 
coal  miner  and  in  a  blast  furnace  at  Massil- 
lon until  [880,  when  lie  came  to  Whitley 
county  and  purchased  a  farm  in  Thorncreek 


township,  on  which  he  has  since  lived.  He 
has  one  hundred  and  four  acres  which  he 
has  improved  by  tiling  and  careful  cultiva- 
tion until  it  has  become  productive  and  valu- 
able. He  has  a  neat  house,  good  barn,  and 
other  necessary  outbuildings  and  altogether 
is  comfortably  situated.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hos- 
ier have  had  eleven  children :  Charles  died 
in  his  eighteenth  year ;  George,  who  married 
Maud  Blakely,  lives  in  Grand  Rapids,  Mich- 
igan, and  works  on  the  Grand  Trunk  Rail- 
way; Jacob  Arthur,  a  railroad  man,  is  now 
at  home  with  his  parents.  All  the  others 
died  young.  Mrs.  Hosier  is  a  member  of 
the  Evangelical  Association. 


HENRY  J.  GUNDER. 

As  a  faithful  soldier,  an  industrious 
farmer  and  citizen.  Henrv  J.  Guilder  de- 
serves and  receives  the  good  will  and  esteem 
of  all  who  know  him.  He  has  done  well  his 
duty  to  himself  and  to  his  country  and  as 
the  evening  shadows  lengthen  can  look  back 
with  pride  to  the  stirring  days  of  his  young 
manhood  and  reilect  with  pleasure  that  he 
has  done  his  part  in  helping  along  the  indus- 
trial progress  of  the  great  republic.  Daniel 
.•Hid  Mary  (  Rhoades)  Guilder,  the  progeni- 
tors of  the  Indiana  family,  were  natives  re- 
spectivelv  of  Pennsvlvania  and  Ohio.  They 
were  married  in  the  Buckeve  state,  but  about 
1845  came  to  Allen  county.  Indiana,  where 
they  settled  on  a  farm  and  spent  the  next 
twenty  years,  when  the  wife  died.  Daniel 
Guilder  then  unwed  to  Noble  county,  where 
he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days  in  farm- 
ing and  kindred  pursuits.     During  his  prime 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


he  was  noted  for  great  strength  and  became 
famed  as  an  expert  hewer  of  timber.  He 
hewed  the  timber  for  the  first  bridge  built 
over  the  St.  Joseph  River  at  Fort  Wayne. 
He  also  ran  a  Maumee  canal  boat  for  several 
years,  in  the  days  when  that  mode  of  trans- 
portation was  prosperous  and  popular  own- 
ing a  boat  of  which  he  was  captain.  He 
died  in  Michigan  when  about  seventy  years 
of  age.  He  had  seven  children:  Wesley 
who  died  in  the  army;  Man-  Jane  and  Mar- 
tha, deceased;  Sarah,  a  resident  of  Detroit; 
Henry :  Frank  and  George,  deceased. 

Henry  J.  Gunder,  fifth  in  order,  was  born 
in  Hocking  county.  Ohio,  September  25, 
1840.  He  spent  his  earlier  years  in  Allen 
and  Noble  counties,  managing  to  obtain  a 
meager  education  by  irregular  attendance  at 
the  country  schools.  In  this  way  he  spent 
his  boyhood  and  young  manhood  and  had 
scarce  reached  his  majority,  when  the  great 
sturm  broke  which  was  destined  to  influence 
the  lives  and  careers  of  so  many  millions  of 
men.  In  1862  he  enlisted  in  Company  C, 
Thirtieth  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, with  which  he  served  his  term  and 
afterward  re-enlisted  in  Company  D.  One 
Hundred  and  Forty-second  Regiment,  and 
continuing  with  this  command  until  the  end 
of  the  war.  He  saw  much  hard  service  and 
took  part  in  numerous  engagements  ,  and 
skirmishes,  including  the  battle  of  Nashville. 
His  severest  experience  was  in  the  battle  of 
Stone  River,  which  lasted  three  days,  with 
varying  fortunes  to  the  troops  engaged  and 
dreadful  slaughter  on  both  sides.  Mr.  Gun- 
der had  the  misfortune  to  be  taken  prisoner 
in  this  historic  engagement  between  the  ar- 
mies of  Rosecrans  and  Bragg  and  the  still 
further  misfortune  to  be  confined   for  some 


time  in  that  horrible  den  of  death  and  suf- 
fering known  as  Libby  Prison. 

In  1866,  while  a  resident  of  Noble  coun- 
ty, Mr.  Gunder  married  Minerva,  daughter 
of  John  C.  Reed,  and  lived  for  several  years 
on  a  rented  farm.  Tn  1883  he  removed  to 
Whitley  county  and  bought  his  present  farm 
of  one  hundred  acres.  The  place  was  badly 
run  down  when  he  got  it,  but  Mr.  Gunder 
by  hard  work  and  good  management  has 
converted  it  into  a  productive  and  valuable 
piece  of  property.  His  residence  is  a  sub- 
stantial and  comfortable  structure,  while 
the  barn  and  other  outbuildings  are  in  keep- 
ing with  the  needs  of  a  progressive  farmer. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gunder  have  had  seven  chil- 
dren :  Ella  and  Nettie,  deceased ;  Bertha, 
wife  of  Lue  Kindle,  of  Smith  county.  Kan- 
sas ;  Leonard,  a  farmer  of  Adams  count}'. 
Indiana:  Gertrude,  wife  of  Walter  Klick,  of 
Noble  count)' :  Walter,  also  a  resident  of  No- 
ble county ;  and  Nona,  still  at  home  with  her 
parents.     Mr.  Gunder  is  a  Republican. 


FRANCIS  MARION  WRIGHT. 

During  the  rush  to  the  west,  which  char- 
acterized the  earlier  half  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  a  young  Marylander  named  Mat- 
thew Wright  was  one  of  the  numerous 
crowd  from  "the  eastern  shore"  who  deter- 
mined to  brave  the  dangers  of  the  western 
wilderness  in  search  of  a  betterment  in  his 
fortunes.  Eventually  lie  found  himself  in 
Licking  county.  Ohio,  where  he  met  and 
married  Minerva  Lake,  a  young  woman 
from  old  Virginia,  whose  parents  had  set- 
tled there  some  vears  before.     After  mar- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


riage  he  remained  there  until  1864,  when 
they  came  to  Indiana,  locating  in  Noble 
county,  and  lived  there  until  their  respective 
deaths.  They  were  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist church,  found  their  livelihood  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  became  the  parents  of 
five  children  :  Willis,  who  died  in  the  army ; 
Alexander,  deceased;  Sarah,  wife  of  Har- 
vey Hull,  of  Noble  county ;  Allen,  a  resident 
of  Elkhart,  Indiana,  and  Francis  Marion 
Wright.  The  latter  was  born  in  Licking 
county,  Ohio,  September  3,  1852,  and  hence 
was  about  twelve  years  old  when  his  parents 
came  to  Indiana.  He  grew  up  on  a  farm  and 
has  never  known  any  other  kind  of  work  or 
business  except  that  connected  with  agricul- 
tural pursuits.  He  remained  at  home  until 
about  twenty-six  years  of  age,  renting  the 
homestead  two  years,  then  rented  a  farm  in 
Noble  county  and  spent  several  years  in  its 
cultivation.  He  then  bought  a  small  place 
near  Wolf  Lake,  which  he  worked  and  man- 
aged for  three  years,  and  in  1884  purchased 
the  tract  of  eighty  acres  in  Etna  township 
which  has  since  been  his  place  of  residence. 
This  land  was  not  in  very  good  condition 
when  he  got  possession  and  he  found  it  nec- 
essary to  do  much  draining  to  render  it  fit 
for  satisfactory  cultivation.  Some  clearing 
was  also  needed,  but  by  dint  of  hard  work 
and  careful  management  the  place  has  been 
converted  into  a  good  average  farm,  with 
all  necessary  buildings  and  good  comfort- 
able surroundings.  Mr.  Wright  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  has  served  as  township  as- 
sessor and  is  at  present  a  member  of  the  ad- 
visory board.  He  is  recognized  as  an  in- 
dustrious farmer,  a  reliable  business  man 
and  a  good  all-around  citizen.  May  20. 
1878.  Mr.  Wright  married  Mary,  daughter 


of  Daniel  and  Sarah  (Wimer)  Breninger, 
both  of  Stark  county,  who  came  to  Noble 
county  in  the  early  pioneer  days  and  lived 
there  until  their  deaths  many  years  ago. 
They  had  eleven  children :  Gabriel,  Cath- 
erine and  Alfred,  deceased ;  Delilah  and  Ly- 
dia,  both  residents  of  Noble  county;  Ella 
and  Lina,  deceased,  and  Mary,  who  was 
born  in  Noble  county,  March  9,  1856;  Ro- 
setta,  a  resident  of  Stark  county,  Ohio ;  Jen- 
nie, a  resident  of  Whitley  county;  and  Viola, 
who  lives  in  Noble  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wright  have  two  children,  Elva  'and  Ches- 
ter, both  still  living  with  their  parents, 
though  Elva  is  a  practical  dressmaker.  The 
mother  is  a  member  of  the  Freewill  Baptist 
church. 


MILES  W.  BRISTOW. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury Indiana  was  receiving  most  of  its  re- 
cruits from  the  nearby  states,  principally 
Ohio  and  Kentucky.  Most  of  these  had  pre- 
viously come  from  the  states  further  east. 
but  after  temporarily  residing  near  the  great 
river,  pushed  their  fortunes  into  the  wild 
territory  bordering  the  White.  Wabash  and 
other  streams  flowing  southwest.  Among 
those  who  came  in  from  Kentucky  was  Rev. 
Henry  Bristow,  who  was  horn  about  1810 
and  went  to  Ohio  in  the  thirties,  there  mar- 
ried Louisa  May  and  in  1842  removed  to 
Indiana.  They  settled  on  a  farm  in  Hancock 
county  and  resided  there  until  their  respect- 
ive deaths,  his  occurring  in  1869  and  his 
wife's  in  1867.  In  addition  to  farming 
Henry  Bristow  was  a  minister  of  the  Meth- 
odist  Episcopal  church  and  did  much   reli- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


553 


gious  work,  often  preaching  to  the  congre- 
gations in  the  widely  scattered  meeting 
houses  of  those  pioneer  days.  He  was  a 
good  and  useful  man,  who  became  well 
known  and  much  respected  throughout  that 
section  of  the  state.  He  had  nine  children : 
Lydia,  now  a  resident  of  Fort  Wayne ; 
James,  who  died  in  the  army ;  Sarah  Isabella, 
living  in  Hancock  count)- ;  Mary  Eunice,  de- 
ceased :  Commodore  Perry,  a  resident  of 
Ohio;  Miles  W..  Louisa  and  Jane,  deceased; 
and  Amanda. 

Miles  W.  Bristow,  seventh  in  the  above 
list,  was  born  in  Hancock  county,  Septemlser 
15,  1858,  and  was  nine  years  old  when  de- 
prived of  his  mother  by  death.  David  May. 
an  uncle  residing-  in  Ohio,  took  the  mother- 
less bov  to  his  home  and  provided  for  him 
until  the  completion  of  his  fifteenth  year. 
He  then  returned  to  Hancock  county,  re- 
maining there  two  years,  when  he  removed 
to  Clinton  county,  where  he  worked  on  a 
farm  until  he  reached  his  majority.  During 
the  two  succeeding-  years  he  had  charge  of  a 
harness  and  boot  store  at  Kirklin,  but  in  1884 
came  to  Whitley  county  and  purchased  a 
farm  of  eighty-three  acres  of  land  in  Etna 
township.  The  place  at  that  time  was  badly 
run  down  and  without  suitable  buildings  or 
fences.  Mr.  Bristow  took  hold  energetically 
and  by  dint  of  hard  work  and  costly  im- 
provements has  made  his  farm  one  of  the 
best  in  the  township.  Among  the  improve- 
ments are  a  good  barn  and  house,  with  all 
the  smaller  outbuildings  needed  for  the  con- 
venience and  comfort  of  an  up-to-date  farm- 
er. In  1879,  Mr.  Bristow  was  married  at 
Kirklin.  Indiana,  to  Iola,  daughter  of  Na- 
than and  Sarah  (Martin)  Hendricks,  both 
natives  of  Virginia,  who  settled  in  Clinton 


count}'  in  pioneer  times.  The  father  was 
born  in  1800  and  died  in  1871.  The  mother 
was  born  in  1S17  and  died  in  1881.  They 
had  twelve  children :  John,  deceased ;  Mar- 
garet, deceased ;  Sarah.  Ella,  William,  and 
James,  who  died  in  the  army;  Eliza,  de- 
ceased; Minerva,  Jerusha.  two  infants  un- 
named, and  Iola.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bristow 
have  had  five  children:  Elizabeth,  wife  of 
Roy  W.  Wigent,  of  Columbia  City,  has  three 
children,  Arthur,  Mabel  and  Mary  Iola;  Iva 
Gertrude,  wife  of  Edwin  Secrist,  a  resident 
of  Thorncreek  township ;  Leslie,  Pearlie  and 
Bertie  Elmer,  still  at  home.  Mr.  Bristow  is 
a  Republican  and  served  for  four  years  as 
trustee  of  Etna  township.  He  is  a  memher 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
also  of  the  Rebecca  Lodge,  and  both  him- 
self and  wife  are  members  of  the  Freewill 
Baptist  church. 


ALFRED  F.   EVANS. 

In  1846,  when  northern  Indiana  had 
made  little  headway  along  agricultural  lines, 
Joseph  and  Lydia  (Mark)  Evans  left  their 
old  home  in  Fayette  county.  Ohio,  to  seek 
better  prospects  in  the  newer  state  in  the 
west.  They  settled  on  new  land  in  Noble 
countv  and  as  most  of  the  children  were 
young,  the  prospects  before  them  were 
gloomv.  By  dint  of  hard  work,  however, 
much  grubbing,  some  ditching  and  a  great 
deal  of  clearing,  the  newcomers  in  time  had 
a  very  respectable  farm.  Joseph  died  in 
1852.  after  having  become  the  father  of  six 
children  :  Newton  and  Emily,  deceased  :  Al- 
fred F. ;  Mars-aret  Ann,  drowned  in  infancy 


554 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Ahnira  and  Mary  Ann,  deceased.  The 
widow  was  married  a  second  time  to  Mcln- 
tyre  Seymoure,  by  whom  she  had  one  child, 
Dora,  a  resident  of  Canada.  Mrs.  Seymoure 
died  in  March,   1888. 

Alfred  F.  Evans,  only  surviver  of  the 
first  children,  was  born  in  Fayette  county, 
Ohio,  September  27,  1840.  He  grew  up  on 
the  farm  in  Noble  county  to  which  he  had 
been  brought  when  six  years  old  and  had 
the  training  inseparable  from  farm  boys  who 
appeared  on  the  scene  during  the  formative 
period  of  our  state's  agriculture.  He  be- 
came hardened  to  work,  but  he  also  acquired 
that  experience  which  has  proved  invaluable 
to  him  in  after  life.  August  5,  1862,  he  en- 
listed in  Company  I,  Seventy-fourth  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  with  which  he  served 
until  the  end  of  the  war.  He  took  part  in 
the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  where  his  bri- 
gade fired  the  first  volley  as  well  as  being 
the  last  troops  to  leave  the  field.  He  was 
with  his  command  in  the  daring  charge  up 
Missionary  Ridge,  in  the  sharp  encounter 
at  Jonesborough,  Georgia,  and  all  through 
the  Atlanta  campaign.  He  accompanied 
Sherman  in  his  famous  "march  to  the  sea" 
and  took  part  in  many  skirmishes,  closing 
his  service  by  marching  in  the  grand  review. 
In  1868  Mr.  Evans  rented  a  farm  in  Noble 
count}-,  which  he  worked  till  1872,  when  he 
purchased  his  present  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty-six  acres  lying  in  Whitley  countv 
and  forty  acres  across  the  road  in  Noble 
county.  At  the  time  he  bought  it  the  Whit- 
ley county  tract  was  all  in  woods  with  the 
exception  of  twenty  acres.  He  put  up  a 
small  honse.  in  which  he  lived  until  times 
grew  better,  and  in  1886  erected  a  residence 
of  twelve  rooms,  in  which  he  has  since  made 


his  home.  In  1888  he  built  a  large  bank 
barn  and  by  skillful  management,  crop  rota- 
tion, keeping  up  the  fertility  and  other  meth- 
ods known  to  progressive  agriculturists,  he 
now  has  one  of  the  best  improved  farms  in 
Etna  township. 

October  15,  1868,  Mr.  Evans  married 
Nancy,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Delilah  (Bit- 
tie)  Rex,  he  of  Cincinnati.  Ohio,  she  of 
Rockingham  county,  Virginia,  who  came  to 
Elkhart  county  in  1864  and  there  spent  the 
remainder  of  their  lives.  They  had  ten  chil- 
dren :  Sarah  Jane,  John.  Nancy,  who  was 
born  January  14,  1845;  Mary  Ann,  Elmira, 
deceased ;  Melzona.  Georg-e,  deceased :  Lu- 
ther, Catherine  and  Anna,  deceased.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Evans  have  had  five  children : 
Iva  died  in  infancy;  Charles  married  La- 
vina  Kistler  and  has  three  children,  Fredie, 
Zella  and  Gertrude;  Edith,  deceased  wife  of 
Edwin  W.  Secrist,  who  left  two  children, 
Ora,  now  dead,  and  Lonzo.  Ola  F.,  wife 
of  William  Kistler,  of  Thomcreek  town- 
ship, has  three  children,  Clyde,  Carl  and 
Edith ;  and  Emma  is  still  at  home.  The 
family  are  members  of  the  Freewill  Baptist 
church  at  Ormas,  of  which  Mr.  Evans  is 
trustee  and  clerk.  He  is  a  Democrat  and 
member  of  Etna  post.  No.  135,  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic. 


IRA  CROW. 


Daniel  Crow  emigrated  from  Pennsyl- 
vania to  'Wayne  countv,  Indiana,  earlv  in 
the  last  century.  He  married  Elizabeth  Cran- 
ford  and  became  a  prosperous  farmer.  Tie 
died    August  '24,    1877,    his    wife    having 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


555 


passed  away  April  2d  previously.  Among' 
their  children  was  William  P.  Crow,  who 
was  born  April  29,  1829,  in  Wayne  county, 
but  after  reaching  manhood  removed  to 
Whitley  county.  November  3,  1859.  he  mar- 
ried Mary  M.  Orcutt,  who  was  bom  in  Ohio 
April  30,  184 1,  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Etna 
township,  where  they  lived  until  her  death. 
May  T2.  1888.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Har- 
vey and  Mary  (Palmer')  Orcutt,  who  were 
married  in  1834.  came  to  Troy  township  in 
an  early  day  and  there  the  father  died,  April 
4,  1888,  the  mother  preceding  him  by  some 
years.  They  had  four  children,  Eugenia 
A.,  deceased  wife  of  Edward  Sarber;  Ora 
E.,  present  wife  of  Edward  Sarber;  and 
Frennie.  wife  of  Claud  K.  Kelham.  living  at 
Frankfort,  Indiana.  After  his  wife's  death, 
Mr.  Crow  retired  from  active  business  and 
went  to  live  with  a  daughter  at  Garrett,  In- 
diana. He  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church  as  was  also  Mrs.  Crow  during  her 
lifetime. 

Ira  Crow,  third  of  the  children  in  order 
of  birth,  was  born  January  22,  1865,  on  the 
paternal  farm  in  Etna  township.  He  grew 
tip  as  a  farmer  boy,  has  continued  in  the 
same  line  of  business  since  reaching  man- 
hood and  has  spent  his  whole  life  in  Etna 
township.  At  the  settlement  of  the  estate, 
subsequent  to  his  mother's  death,  he  bought 
the  interest  of  the  other  heirs  in  addition  to 
which,  however,  he  raits  and  cultivates  other 
land,  being  considered  one  of  the  successful 
and  progressive  farmers  of  Whitley  county. 
He  is  also  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  ad- 
vanced and  thrifty  of  the  younger  genera- 
tion of  farmers,  as  he  endeavors  to  keep  in 
touch  with  modern  ideas  and  methods.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  his  fraternal 


associations  are  with  Hecla  lodge.  No.  ~22, 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

January  23.  1889,  Mr.  Crow  married 
Miss  Anna,  daughter  of  Albert  and  Sarah 
(Ruddles)  Baugher,  of  Etna  township.  Mrs. 
Crow  was  born  March  18,  1870.  in  Noble 
county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crow  have  three  chil- 
dren :  Amy  E.,  born  May  9,  1890;  Ralph 
E.,  born  December  11.  1892:  and  Pearl  M., 
born  January  9,  1898. 


JOHN  DeLANO. 


Though  his  place  is  not  the  largest,  and 
though  he  has  occupied  it  only  a  few  years, 
the  above  named  gentleman  has  neverthe- 
less the  reputation  of  being  a  model  farmer 
and  one  of  the  best  in  Etna  township.  He 
has  gained  this  standing  not  only  by  his  un- 
tiring industry,  but  by  always  showing  good 
judgment  and  painstaking  care  in  all 
branches  of  agriculture.  The  DeLanos  orig- 
inated in  the  east  many  decades  ago,  but  we 
first  hear  of  the  western  branch  of  the  fam- 
ily in  Ohio.  Abel  DeLano,  of  Franklin,  and 
Margaret  Jane  Thompson,  of  Delaware 
county,  Ohio,  met  and  married  and  came 
to  Whitley  county  as  early  as  1850.  It  is 
pleasing  to  note  that  this  worthy  couple  are 
still  living  in  Troy  township,  where  they 
settled  in  the  middle  of  the  last  century. 
They  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church,  and  quiet,  unobtrusive  people. 
who  have  known  no  other  life  than  farming 
and  have  spent  their  years  in  the  uneventful 
routine  incident  to  that  calling.  They  had 
eight  children :  Milton,  Philip,  John,  Ste- 
phen, Ira  (deceased),  Lawrence,  Benjamin, 
and  Henrv. 


;i6 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


John  DeLano,  third  in  order,  was  born 
in  Troy  township,  September  22,  1855.  He 
w  1  irked  on  his  father's  farm  and  picked  up 
a  little  education  by  attendance  at  the  schools 
of  those  days  and  learned  by  painful  experi- 
ence that  it  was  no  sinecure  to  make  a  suc- 
cess of  farming.  October  10,  1889,  Mr.  De- 
Lano married  Rachel,  daughter  of  Richard 
and  Delila  (Ratcliff)  Vanderford,  natives  of 
Ross  county,  Ohio,  who  came  to  Whitley 
county  about  1840  and  settled  on  land  in 
Troy  township.  They  were  popular  people 
in  their  day,  which  was  the  "early  day"  so 
often  mentioned  in  pioneer  history,  were 
members  of  the  Methodist  church  and  ob- 
servant of  all  the  duties  of  good  citizenship. 
Their  nine  children  were :  Simon,  deceased ; 
John,  William,  deceased;  Jesse,  Matilda,  de- 
ceased ;  Franklin,  Nathan,  deceased,  and  De- 
lila. After  his  marriage  Mr.  DeLano  did 
farm  work  for  a  while  for  wages  and  then 
rented  the  old  Vanderford  farm  in  Troy 
township  for  ten  years.  By  the  hardest  kind 
of  work  and  closest  economy  he  saved 
enough  money  by  1901  to  buy  eighty  acres 
of  land  in  Etna  township.  At  the  present 
time  he  has  about  sixty-five  acres  under  cul- 
tivation and  everything  is  kept  so  neat  and 
orderly  as  to  show  the  presence  of  a  good 
farmer.  He  resides  in  a  comfortable  frame 
house,  has  a  barn  and  other  outbuildings, 
and  altogether  may  be  said  to  live  "right  at 
home."  The  farm  was  formerly  the  home- 
stead of  John  A.  Miller,  deceased,  and  is 
one  of  the  oldest  farms  in  Etna  township. 
It  lies  two  and  one-half  miles  west  of  Etna 
in  a  finely  improved  section  of  the  county. 
No  children  have  resulted  from  their 
marriaere. 


JONES  L.  SALTS 

The  emigrant  ancestor  of  the  Whitley 
count}-  family  of  this  name  was  an  English- 
man, who  emigrated  to  Pennsylvania  and 
spent  his  life  there  in  various  pursuits.  Lo- 
ami  Salts,  one  of  his  sons,  removed  to  Fair- 
field county,  Ohio,  where  he  married  Mary 
Longbrake  and  lived  a  number  of  years.  In 
1837  they  came  to  Whitley  county,  which 
at  that  time  was  a  malarious  and  unhealthy 
section,  owing  to  the  marshy  and  uncleared 
condition  of  the  land.  A  child  having  sick- 
ened and  died  during  the  first  year's  resi- 
dence, they  l)ecame  discouraged  and  return- 
ed to  Ohio,  though  on  the  return  trip  they 
lost  a  second  child.  In  1852  they  again  de- 
termined to  test  Whitley  county  as  a  place 
of  residence  and  this  time  settled  on  an  un- 
improved farm  in  Thorncreek  township, 
where  the  wife  died  in  1866.  After  this 
event,  the  father  married  Irene  Smith,  who 
died  some  eight  vears  later  at  their  home, 
and  he  then  lived  with  his  children  until 
death  claimed  him  in  1879.  They  had  eight 
children  :  Leah,  wife  of  William  Smith,  her 
stepbrother,  and  who  died  in  1905 :  Sa- 
rah, a  resident  of  Washington  township  and 
wife  of  Jonathan  Hively ;  Lucinda  Jane,  de- 
ceased wife  of  John  R.  Thorn;  Jones  L. : 
Hannah,  deceased  wife  of  Alonzo  D.  Thorn: 
Abraham  G.,  of  Miami  county:  and  two 
w  In  1  died  in  infancy. 

Tones  L.  Salts,  the  fourth  child  in  the 
alxwe  list,  was  born  in  Licking  county.  Ohio. 
July  10,  1845,  and  hence  was  but  seven  years 
old  when  his  parents  made  their  return  trip 
tn  Whitley  county.  Nearly  all  his  life  has 
been  devoted   to   farm  work,  but   for  a   few 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


557 


years  during  his  early  manhood  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  grist  and  sawmill  business  in 
Miami  county.  In  1886  he  bought  a  farm 
of  sixty-seven  acres  in  Noble  county,  which 
he  managed  for  a  while  but  eventually  sold 
and  in  1893  purchased  the  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  in  Etna  township,  which  con- 
stitutes his  present  homestead.  This  farm 
lies  across  the  county  line,  eightv  acres  being 
in  Noble  and  forty  in  Whitley.  It  is  a  valu- 
able and  productive  property  and  Mr.  Salts 
has  kept  it  in  excellent  condition  since  tak- 
ing charge.  His  residence  is  of  modern 
construction,  the  barn  is  commodious,  and 
everything  in  and  about  the  place  indicates 
thrift  and  good  management. 

February  1.  1873,  Mr.  Salts  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Malisa,  daughter  of  Cor- 
nelius and  Mary  (Grimes)  Fuller,  the  former 
of  New  Jersey  and  the  latter  of  Ohio.  In 
1855.  thev  came  to  Allen  county,  where  the 
father  conducted  a  store  for  several  years 
at  Fuller's  Corners,  but  later  removed  to 
Noble  county.  After  a  residence  there  of 
manv  years,  accompanied  by  considerable 
worldly  prosperity  and  the  usual  amount  of 
misfortune  and  sorrow,  Mrs.  Fuller  died  in 
1881,  and  her  husband  June  6,  1897.  They 
had  five  children  :  Jacob,  who  died  in  child- 
hood; Malisa;  Samantha,  deceased  wife  of 
Sheldon  Beal ;  Rufus  C,  a  resident  of  No- 
ble county;  Amanda,  deceased  wife  of  Rey- 
nine  children :  Edgebert.  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; Lura  V.,  wife  of  John  Milen  Slaugh- 
nolds  Thorn.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Salts  have  had 
terbeck,  has  two  children.  Walter  E.  and 
Ethel  May;  Cecil,  married  Myrtle  Dunfee 
and  lives  in  Noble  countv :  Grace  B.,  wife 
of  Noel  Clingman.  of  Elkhart  county,  has 
one  child.  Eula ;  Tesse  A..  Frederick,  Chloe. 


Shirly  and  Minnie,  all  still  at  home  with  their 
parents.  The  family  are  members  of  the 
Church  of  God.  Mr.  Salts  is  not  tied  to  par- 
ty lines. 


WILLIAM    JOHNSON    McCONNELL. 

William  Johnson  McConnell,  one  of  the 
successful  farmers  and  esteemed  citizens  of 
Wrhitley  county,  was  born  in  Putnam  county, 
Ohio,  October  5,  1855,  and  is  the  son  of 
Isaac  and  Mary  J.  (Lowry)  McConnell.  The 
paternal  grandfather  was  Nicholas  McCon- 
nell, who  came  from  Virginia  and  located 
in  Putnam  county,  Ohio,  in  1836,  and  there 
his  death  occurred  at  the  age  of  seventv- 
eight.  The  maternal  grandfather  was  Rob- 
ert Lowry,  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  who 
came  to  America  a  young  man,  first  settling 
in  Mahoning:  county,  but  later  removed  to 
Putnam  county,  where  he  lived  during  the 
remainder  of  his  life,  his  death  occurring  in 
1848.  Mrs.  McConnell's  mother  was  Re- 
becca ( Stewart)  Lowry,  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  the  daughter  of  Robert  Stew- 
art. Her  death  occurred  in  1843.  These 
grandparents  had  nine  children,  the  only  one 
now  living  being  Mrs.  McConnell.  Isaac 
McConnell  was  born  in  Portage  count}-. 
Ohio,  in  1818  and  throughout  his  entire  life 
was  a  fanner.  In  1839  he  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Mary  J.  Lowry  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  six  children:  Ruth 
Almin'a,  died  in  childhood;  Rebecca,  wife  of 
Henry  Lenhart.  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-two; 
Lydia  Jane,  wife  of  Thomas  Miller,  is  a 
resident  of  Marette.  Michigan ;  Almina 
Ruth,  died  in  childhood;  Sarah  Olive,  de- 
ceased-wife of  Alexander  Bell;   William  I.: 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Isaac  McConnell,  died  in  Putnam  county. 
Ohio,  in  1857,  at  the  age  of  thirty-nine,  and 
his  wife  still  survives  him  and  makes  her 
home  with  her  son,  William  J.  Mrs.  Mc- 
Connell is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  as  was  her  husband  during  his 
lifetime. 

William  J.  McConnell  was  but  two  years 
old  at  his  father's  death  and  spent  his  boy- 
hood under  the  parental  roof  and  at  the 
usual  age  entered  the  common  schools,  ac- 
quiring a  good  education.  In  early  life  he 
turned  his  attention  to  farming  and  has 
never  seen  occasion  to  change  his  occupa- 
tion. March  8,  1877,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Louisa  Ellen  Hollabaugh, 
who  was  born  in  Seneca  county,  Ohio,  Oc- 
tober 7,  1856,  and  is  the  daughter  of  George 
and  Charlotte  (Hoffer)  Hollabaugh,  both 
natives  of  Pennsylvania.  In  early  life  they 
came  to  Seneca  county,  Ohio,  where  they 
were  married  and  removed  to  Putnam  coun- 
ty. He  died  in  a  hospital  at  Memphis.  Ten- 
nessee, in  1862,  of  typhoid  fever.  He  was 
in  Company  A,  Fifty-seventh  Ohio  Volun- 
teer Infantry.  His  widow  is  still  living  at 
Leipsic,  Putnam  county.  Ohio.  They  reared 
a  family  of  seven  children :  Mary,  wife  of 
Bern-  Paden,  is  a  resident  of  Lima.  Ohio; 
Amanda,  wife  of  Samuel  Buttermore.  is  a 
resident  of  Leipsic,  Ohio;  Jacob  Franklin, 
who  lives  in  Putnam  count}-,  Ohio;  Louisa; 
Matilda,  of  Toledo.  Ohio;  Emma,  wife  of 
John  Faber,  is  also  a  resident  of  Toledo; 
George  resides  in  Leipsic.  Putnam  county. 
After  his  marriage  Mr.  McConnell  lived  on 
the  farm  with  his  mother  for  two  years  and 
then  bought  eighty  acres  of-  his  own,  on 
which  he  resided  for  seven  years.  In  1888 
he  came  to  Noble  county.  Indiana,  where  he 


bought  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  and  after  living  there  ten  years  traded 
it  for  a  larger  tract  of  one  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  in  Thorncreek  township,  and  in 
1898  bought  forty  more  acres,  making  two 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  all.  His  place 
is  equipped  with  a  neat  and  commodious 
eight-room  house,  a  large  and  substantial 
barn  and  he  has  made  of  it  a  comfortable  and 
attractive  home.  In  his  farming  he  makes 
stock  raising  a  specialty.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
McConnell  are  the  parents  of  five  children : 
Bertha,  wife  of  V.  W.  King,  has  two  chil- 
dren, Lucile  and  Evylin;  Isaac  William,  who 
married  Oma  Diffendaffer  in  Noble  count}- ; 
George  F.,  married  Lila  Pence;  Man-  Char- 
lotte and  Arby  Ross.  Politically  Mr.  Mc- 
Connell is  a  Republican  and  fraternally  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Maccabees.  He  is  on  the 
township  advisory  board. 


10HN  BORN. 


John  Born  was  born  in  the  canton  of 
Berne.  Switerland,  June  24.  1832,  and  is 
a  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Born)  Born, 
both  also  natives  of  Switzerland.  These 
parents  emigrated  to  America  about  [833 
ami  located  in  Fairfield  county,  Ohio.  Later 
they  removed  to  Licking  count}-  and  in  the 
fall  of  1850  came  to  Whitley  county.  Indi- 
ana, where  they  located  on  the  farm  upon 
which  John  now  lives.  The  country  at  this 
time  was  practically  a  wilderness  and  on  the 
farm  that  Mr.  Born  purchased  there  had 
been  only  two  trees  cut  down.  He  at  once 
erected  a  log  house  and  a  stable  and  soon 
brought  the  land  to  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


559 


tion.  Mr.  Born  died  in  1854  and  his  wife  in 
1868.  They  were  members  of  the  German 
Reformed  Church,  and  were  the  parents  of 
five  children  :  John  ;  Anna,  widow  of  John 
Cotterly,  and  lives  in  Springfield,  Ohio ; 
Samuel,  deceased  in  boyhood ;  Jacob,  who 
died  in  hospital  at  Nashville,  and  Elizabeth, 
deceased  wife  of  Solomon  Pontius. 

After  the  death  of  his  father  John  Born 
took  charge  of  the  farm  and  helped  his 
mother  raise  the  family.  April  12,  1853,  he 
was  .united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Julia 
Fisher,  who  was  born  in  Perry  county,  Ohio, 
June  7.  1834,  the  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Margaret  (Emrick)  Fisher,  the  former  of 
whom  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  the  latter 
of  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fisher  came 
to  Whitley  county  in  1847  an^  located  on  a 
tract  of  wild  land  in  Thorncreek  township, 
comprising  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 
Thev  both  died  on  the  farm  which  thev  had 
made  among  the  best.  He  died  April  10, 
1882.  She  died  November  1,  1880.  They 
were  members  of  the  German  Lutheran 
church  and  had  five  children.  Mr.  Born  is 
now  the  owner  of  eighty-nine  acres  of  good 
land,  eighty  being  the  old  homestead,  and  his 
success  has  won  him  a  conspicuous  place 
among  the  progressive  agriculturists  in  this 
part  of  the  state.  His  labors  have  been  prose- 
cuted with  energy  and  system,  and  in  the 
management  of  his  affairs  his  discretion  and 
good  judgment  have  enabled  him  to  lay  his 
plans  so  as  to  realize  the  largest  possible  re- 
turns. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Born  have  three  living 
children  :  Alary,  who  is  the  wife  of  Noah 
Bowers,  of  South  Whitley,  and  has  three 
children :  Jacob,  who  married  Susan  Scott, 
and  has  two  children  ;  Sylvester,  who  married 
has    two   children;    Sylvester,    who    married 


Ella  Bowner  and  lives  in  Noble  county,  a  car- 
penter by  trade.  Religiously  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Born  base  their  faith  upon  the  Bible  alone 
and  are  earnest  and  consistent  members  of 
Thorn  Creek  Christian  church.  Jacob  Born, 
the  eldest  son,  operates  the  old  home  farm 
successfully.  Of  his  two  children,  Arthur 
is  a  telegraph  operator  on  the  Cincinnati. 
Chicago  &  Louisville  Railroad  at  Blounts- 
ville,  Indiana,  and  Victorine  is  a  seamstress 
now  at  home.  In  his  political  affiliations  Mr. 
Born  is  a  Democrat,  but  aside  from  defend- 
ing his  principles  and  voting  for  the  candi- 
dates of  his  party  he  takes  little  interest  in 
public  affairs.  . 


CHARLES  C.  WEIMER. 

Among  the  emigrants  from  Pennsylvania 
to  the  west  in  the  early  pioneer  days  were 
Joseph  D.  and  Hannah  Weimer.  who  set- 
tled in  Stark  county,  Ohio,  and  engaged  in 
farming.  Some  years  later  they  removed  to 
Indiana  and  located  in  Kosciusko  countv. 
where  they  resided  until  the  death  of  Joseph, 
his  wife  being  still  a  member  of  the  fam- 
illy  of  her  son  Cyrus  at  North  Webster  and 
and  now  in  the  eighty-fourth  year  of  her 
age.  They  had  eight  children  :  Cyrus,  Dar- 
lisca,  Rebecca,  and  Washington,  deceased: 
Joseph  P..  Savilla,  Many  and  Dessie  Ameda. 
The  parents  were  of  sturdy,  God-fearing 
stock  and  during  their  whole  lifetime  devot- 
ed members  of  the  United  Brethren  church. 
Cyrus,  the  eldest  of  the  first  mentioned  chil- 
dren, was  born  in  Stark  county,  Ohio,  and 
married  Mary  Ann  Miller,  of  the  same  state, 
after  both  had  become  residents  of  Kosci- 


s6o 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


usko  county,  Indiana,  and  they  are  still  liv- 
ing at  North  Webster.  In  early  life.  Cyrus 
was  a  farmer  but  of  late  years  has  been  a 
minister  of  the  United  Brethren  church.  He 
served  worthily  as  a  Union  soldier  during 
the  Civil  war  and  since  that  great  struggle 
has  done  his  part  in  life  by  fulfilling  all  the 
duties  of  a  good  man  and  good  citizen.  His 
children  are:  John  W.,  a  farmer  of  Kosci- 
usko county;  Charles  C.,'the  subject  of  this 
sketch:  Ora  M.,  wife  of  J.  J.  Kline,  of 
North  Webster:  and  Effie  L.,  wife  of  Robert 
Page,  of  Elkhart.  Indiana. 

Charles  C.  Weimer,  second  in  order  of 
birth  of  the  above  mentioned  children,  was 
born  in  Kosciusko  county,  Indiana,  Decem- 
ber ii,  1871.  He  grew  up  on  a  farm  and 
by  the  time  he  had  reached  manhood  had  be- 
come inured  to  hard  work,  while  learning 
the  details  of  the  farming  business.  He  pick- 
ed up  the  usual  rudimentary  education  to  be 
obtained  in  the  common  schools,  learned 
blacksmithing  and  worked  at  that  trade  for 
four  years  at  Wilmot.  in  Noble  county.  In 
1898.  he  removed  to  Whitley  county  and 
purchased  seventy  acres  of  land  in  Etna 
township,  which  has  since  been  his  place  of 
residence.  Mr.  Weimer  has  met  with  reas- 
onable amount  of  success,  considering  the 
inevitable  nps  and  downs  of  farming,  and 
lias  succeeded  in  making  not  only  a  good  liv- 
ing but  something  more.  To  do  this  he  had 
to  apply  himself  closely  to  business  and  exer- 
cise good  judgment  in  buying  and  selling. 
His  place  is  well  improved  and  the  buildings 
are  all  of  modern  construction  and  up-to- 
date  conveniences.  He  operates  a  black- 
smith --lii>]  1  on  the  farm  in  connection  with 
the  regular  business.  Tn  1893  Mr.  Weimer 
was  married  to  Miss  Olive  Mabie.  a  native 


of  Kosciusko  county.  Her  parents  were  Eli 
and  Eliza  (BeezlyJ  Mabie.  natives  of  Ohio, 
who  came  in  early  life  to  Kosciusko  county. 
The  mother  is  dead  but  the  father  is  still  liv- 
ing. Their  children  were  John  B.,  William, 
Rose  and  Olive.  The  parents  were  members 
of  the  Baptist  church  and  enjoyed  the  es- 
teem of  their  neighbors  and  acquaintances. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  C.  Weimer  have  had 
seven  children,  all  girls.  Their  names  are 
Elsie.  Bernice,  Florence,  Aura,  Mildred 
(died  in  infancy).  Blanche  and  Hannah 
Gertrude. 


DAVID  GOFF  LINVILL,  M.  D. 

After  a  long  and  vigorous  life  in  the 
active  practice  of  medicine  extended  through 
fifty-seven  busy  years,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  achieved  a  high  standing  among  the 
physicians  of  the  state.  During  his  long 
residence  in  Whitley  county,  extending  over 
more  than  a  half  century,  he  enjoyed  a 
widely  extended  acquaintance,  occupied  a 
position  of  prominence  and  influence  and 
contributed  his  full  share  to  the  development 
of  his  adopted  home.  As  his  birth  occurred 
February  1,  182 1,  in  Fairfield  county.  Ohio, 
it  will  be  seen  that  he  dates  from  the  pioneer 
period  of  his  native  state  and  his  boyhood 
recollections  are  of  the  times  that  marked 
the  rude  beginning  of  that  western  move- 
ment whose  culmination  is  one  of  the  won- 
ders of  the  world.  The  ancestry  of  Dr. 
Linvill  is  both  ancient  and  honorable.  When 
William  Penn  came  over  on  his  last  voyage 
in  [699,  he  was  accompanied  by  Benjamin. 
William  and  Solomon  Linvill,  three  sturdy 
natives  of  Wales,  whose  descendants  were 


D.  G.   LIXYILLE,   M.   D. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


561 


destined  to  exercise  a  large  influence  in 
various  sections  in  the  years  to  come.  In 
1730  three  hunters  of  the  name  visited 
the  fertile  valley  of  that  branch  of  the 
Shenandoah  that  bears  their  name — Linvill 
creek.  Benjamin  L.,  Sr.,  was  a  cabinet- 
maker by  trade  and  made  coffins  as  well  as 
being  a  large  landowner.  In  1756  the 
family  settled  there  and  there  Benjamin 
was  born  in  1791.  William  remained 
in  Pennsylvania,  and  in  subsequent  years 
his  descendants  had  become  numerous  and 
influential  in  the  county  of  Lancaster 
settled  near  Strausburg  and  the  Gap, 
and  are  found  scattered  throughout 
west  Champaign  county  near  Urbana. 
The  name  of  Benjamin,  as  was  the  custom 
in  those  days,  was  transmitted  from  father 
to  son  and  one  of  these,  born  on  Linvill 
creek,  Virginia,  a  lineal  descendant  and 
namesake  of  one  of  the  original  three,  be- 
came the  founder  of  the  family  in  Ohio. 
In  1805  he  rode  a  thoroughbred  mare  from 
Virginia  to  Ohio,  carrying  money  to  enter 
an  entire  section  of  land.  Being  pursued 
by  robbers  he  saved  his  money  and  possibly 
his  life  only  by  the  superior  fleetness  of  his 
noble  animal.  He  secured  a  section  of  land 
in  Rush  township,  two  miles  from  West 
Point  station,  on  Rush  creek  in  Fair- 
field county,  Ohio,  and  shortly  afterward 
married  Sarah  Swayze,  the  daughter  of  a 
near  neighbor,  Judge  Swayze,  formerly 
from  New  Jersey.  Judge  Swayze  had  al- 
ready erected  a  carding  mill  on  Indian 
creek,  and  in  company  with  his  brothers, 
Joseph,  Solomon,  William,  Hugh  and  Ben- 
jamin, built  a  mill  and  distillery.  They 
were  in  partnership  for  a  number  of  years. 
They  shipped  flour,  pork,  whiskey  and  other 
36 


commodities  down  the  Muskingum,  Ohio 
and  Mississippi  rivers  to  New  Orleans.  They 
suffered  severe  financial  losses  after  advent 
of  the  cholera,  as  a  result  of  which  it  become 
necessary  to  sacrifice  the  old  farm.  Being  a 
millwright,  Benjamin  went  to  Zanesville  and 
in  1825,  in  company  with  his  brother-in-law, 
William  Perry,  for  a  number  of  years  there 
worked  at  his  trade. 

David  G.  Linvill's  first  schooling  was 
at  Zanesville.  where  he  acquired  the  ele- 
mentary branches  of  an  English  education, 
reading,  writing  and  arithmetic.  For  three 
years  he  lived  with  his  grandfather.  Judge 
Swayze,  at  New  Salem,  continuing  his 
studies  in  winter  seasons.  When  twelve 
years  old  he  returned  to  his  home  at  Zanes- 
ville, where  his  father  had  become  a  head 
miller.  Young  David  had  a  job  in  a  mill, 
his  duties  being  to  weigh  wheat  and  other 
grain,  and  assisted  his  father  in  attending 
the  farm,  dressing  burrs,  ground  all  the  corn 
and  buckwheat.  In  1838,  his  father  having 
purchased  and  moved  upon  the  farm  of 
Judge  Swayze  at  New  Salem,  David  spent 
two  years  with  him  assisting  in  the  general 
work  incident  to  its  cultivation.  At  nine- 
teen David  determined  to  enter  business  on 
his  own  account,  a  program  to  which  his  fa- 
ther made  no  objection.  His  younger  broth- 
ers, Daniel,  Allen  and  Frank,  remained  at 
home,  as  also  a  sister,  Elizabeth,  who  sub- 
sequently  married  Dr.  Fisher.  William 
and  Amos  Swayze,  had  been  for  some 
time  engaged  in  the  milling  and  factory 
business  at  Baltimore,  Ohio.  William  and 
E.  Vance  opened  up  a  general  store  in  New 
Salem  and  offered  David  a  position  as  clerk. 
Subsequently  he  served  three  years  as  clerk 
at    Millersport,    being    deputy    postmaster, 


562 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


chief  clerk  and  bookkeeper  for  the  owner 
of  the  store,  E.  Vance.  During  all  his  life, 
young  Linvill  had  been  ambitious  for  higher 
things  and  about  this  time  he  found  and 
embraced  the  opportunity  to  improve  his 
mind  and  enlarge  his  field  of  study  under  a 
competent  teacher.  He  applied  himself  as- 
siduously and  s<  inn  became  proficient  in 
grammar,  geography,  the  higher  arithmetic 
and  other  branches.  While  teaching  a  sub- 
scription school  at  New  Salem  for  three 
years,  he  continued  to  apply  himself  and  by 
diligent  reading  added  much  to  his  educa- 
tion. At  this  period  occurred  an  event 
which  proved  to  be  the  turning  point  of  his 
career,  and  decided  his  whole  future  life. 
His  uncle.  William  Swayze,  having  failed 
as  a  merchant  in  New  Salem,  took  up  the 
practice  of  medicine.  David  G.  became  a 
student  under  him,  living  at  his  house,  but 
after  one  year  of  reading  accepted  a  position 
as  bookkeeper  in  a  store  at  New  Salem  at 
sixteen  dollars  a  month  in  order  to  piece  out 
his  income.  One  winter  he  was  employed 
as  an  assistant  teacher  and  availed  himself  of 
the  opportunity  to  study  algebra.  He  also 
studied  dentistry  at  Lancaster  and  practiced 
that  profession  while  keeping  up  his  medical 
reading.  In  pursuing  this  calling  he  trav- 
eled considerably  through  that  section  of 
Ohio,  deriving  much  benefit  from  his  ex- 
periences, which  proved  of  value  in  after 
life.  Disappointed  in  his  efforts  to  matricu- 
late in  the  Jefferson  Medical  College  at 
Philadelphia,  he  entered  the  Western  Re- 
serve Medical  College  at  Cleveland  and 
graduated  the  following  year,  1849.  ^e 
resumed  partnership  with  His  uncle.  Dr. 
William     Swayze,    but    shortly    afterward 


decided  to  remove  to  Indiana.  Dr.  Swayze. 
who  had  a  brother,  Daniel  Swayze,  near 
Columbia  City,  went  there  in  the  spring  of 
1849,  bought  property  and  persuaded  his 
nephew  to  join  him.  They  brought  three 
hundred  dollars'  worth  of  drugs  and  prac- 
ticed'medicine  successfully  for  the  succeed- 
ing six  years,  but  in  1855  the  senior  partner 
left  Columbia  City  abruptly  and  David  G. 
succeeded  to  the  practice.  Dr.  Linvill  con- 
tinued his  practice  with  increasing  popular- 
it}"  and  success  and  eventually  became  the 
leading  physician  in  Whitley  county.  All 
those  who  were  in  practice  at  Columbia 
City  when  he  settled  there,  including  Drs. 
McHug'h.  Cole  and  Rogers,  have  passed 
away.  In  1890  he  went  to  Oklahoma, 
leaving  his  large  practice  to  his  son.  David 
for  the  purpose  of  locating  a  homestead,  and 
practiced  medicine  somewhat  during  the  two 
years  that  he  remained  in  that  territory. 
After  acquiring  possession  of  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  land  near  Kingfisher, 
he  returned  in  1S92  to  Columbia  City, 
where  he  resumed  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession in  partnership  with  his  son. 
Dr.  David  Swan  Linvill.  In  1905  he  re- 
tired after  an  active  practice  in  Indiana  of 
more  than  fifty-six  years,  beside  the  pre- 
vious work  in  Ohio.  Aside  from  the  mem- 
bership of  the  board  of  pension  examiners, 
which  he  held  for  nearly  three  years,  he  has 
never  held  office  of  any  kind,  prefering  like 
a  doctor  of  the  old  school  to  look  to  his 
profession  alone  for  his  honors  and  emolu- 
ments.  These  he  obtained  in  full  meas- 
ure, besides  host  of  friends  secured  during 
his  long  life  of  urbanity  of  disposition. 
courtesy  in  intercourse  and    integrity  in  all 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


his  dealings,  which  ever  characterized 
him  both  in  his  professional  life  and  in  his 
social  hours. 

While  a  Methodist,  the  Doctor  held 
most  liberal  views  relative  to  his  profession, 
to  politics,  to  public  matters  and  especially 
to  religion,  taking"  that  broad  and  compre- 
hensive stand  that  a  future  life  is  not  de- 
pendent   upon    church   membership. 

June  24,  1854.  Dr.  Linvill  was  united 
for  life  to  Miss  Martha  J.  Myers,  whose 
brother,  later  a  popular  attorney  of  Colum- 
bia City,  was  then  a  contractor  on  the  Pitts- 
burg &  Chicago  Railway.  She  was  spend- 
ing the  winter  of  1 8 5 3  with  this  brother 
while  accompanying  her  parents  from  Car- 
rol, Ohio,  to  Washington,  Iowa,  where  the 
Doctor  followed  to  claim  her  as  bis  bride. 

Out  of  sixteen  children  born  to  the 
Doctor  and  Mrs.  Linvill  but  four  survive, 
nearly  all  dying  in  childhood  or  at  least 
before  thirty  years  of  age.  Dr.  Lewis  M. 
Linvill  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-six  years, 
after  a  career  as  a  practitioner  that  gave 
brilliant  promise  for  a  future  career  bad 
life  been  spared.  He  practiced  at  Sidney  and 
Peru,  Indiana.  Sarah  Elbertine  married  Dr. 
Allen  P.  Mitten  and  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-eight  years;  Josie  A.,  the  deceased 
wife  of  Jacob  Allen  Willitts;  Frank  1!..  a 
stenographer,  and  Edwin  M.,  a  medical 
student,  each  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
three  years.  Those  living  are  David  Swan 
Linvill.  M.  D. ;  Benjamin,  a  medical  student 
in  Michigan  State  University;  Hayes,  of 
Columbia  City,  and  Daisy  M.,  the  wife  of 
Irne  G.  Weidner. 

In  1879-80  Dr.  Linvill  erected  the  present 
commodious  brick  residence  on  a  site  lie 
had  purchased  years  before  and   bere.   sur- 


rounded by  friends,  the  decline  of  life  was 
passed  in  a  satisfaction  in  having  not  lived 
in  vain  and  with  a  peace  of  mind  undis- 
turbed as  to  what  the  future  had  in  store. 

With  the  death  of  Dr.  Linvill  at  his 
home  at  Columbia  City,  February  17,  1907, 
the  medical  profession  of  northeastern  In- 
diana suffered  an  appreciable  loss.  He  was 
the  last  of  the  older  practicing  physicians  of 
his  section  of  the  country  and  was  long  con- 
sidered the  dean  of  the  profession  in  his 
district.  His  death  came  as  a  distinct  shock 
to  the  entire  community,  and  his  loss  to  the 
profession  he  adorned  and  to  the  countless 
friends  who  had  known  and  admired  him 
during  his  long  and  useful  life  is  most  keen- 
ly felt.  The  funeral  services  attendant  on 
the  burial  of  Dr.  Linvill  were  in  charge  of 
the  Royal  Arch  Masons,  of  which  organiza- 
tion Dr.  Linvill  was  a  member,  and  were 
among  the  most  impressive  services  of  this 
kind  ever  held  at  Columbia  City.  The 
funeral  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev. 
E.  F.  Albertson,  of  the  Methodist  church, 
and  the  body  of  the  aged  physician  was  laid 
at  rest  in  the  Masonic  cemeterv. 


TESSE  MILLER. 


One  mile  west  of  the  little  town  of 
Etna  is  situated  one  of  the  hot  cul- 
tivated farms  and  one  of  the  most 
commodious  farm  houses  in  all  the 
count}'  of  Whitley.  The  inquiring  vis- 
itor, impressed  by  the  beauty  of  the  place. 
will  lie  informed  that  [esse  Miller  lives  there 
and  he  is  also  sure  to  learn  that  the  owner 
is  one  of  the   most    methodical    farmers,   as 


364 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


well  as  erne  of  the  most  popular  citizens  of 
Etna  township.  A  few  biographical  details, 
therefore,  giving  an  outline  of  his  ancestry. 
In--  home  relations  and  his  lite  work  will  be 
read  with  interest  by  his  many  friends.  His 
grandfather,  Jesse  Miller,  was  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Ohio,  locating  in  Delaware 
county,  where  he  reared  his  family.  Among 
his  children  was  one  named  William,  who 
married  Elizabeth  Jones,  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, with  whom  he  came  to  Whitley  coun- 
ty, and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Troy  township 
in  1864.  His  wife  died  June  13  1881,  and 
his  own  death  occurred  June  21,  1889.  He 
was  a  plain  and  unpretentious  farmer,  his 
main  ambition  being  to  make  a  livelihood 
for  his  loved  ones  and  rear  them  as  moral 
and  upright  men.  The  family  was  brought 
up  in  the  faith  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  of  which  the  parents  were  devoted 
members  during  their  whole  lives.  The  six 
children  born  to  this  union  were:  Sarah. 
wife  of  John  Sellers,  of  Warsaw.  Indiana; 
Martha,  widow  of  Henry  Sellers,  of  Etna : 
Catharine,  widow  of  Marion  Coyle,  of  Troy 
township;  Jesse,  who  died  in  infancy:  the 
present  Jesse  and  Man-,  deceased  wife  of 
Clarence  E.  Doane,  of  Ohio. 

Jesse  Miller,  fifth  of  the  above  named 
children  in  order  of  birth,  was  born  in  Dela- 
ware county,  Ohio,  April  4.  1850.  He  was 
fourteen  vears  of  age  when  his  parents  came 
to  Whitley  county  and  during  this  period 
obtained  a  meager  education  by  irregular  at- 
tendance at  the  primitive  schools  customary 
in  the  rural  regions  in  those  days.  He  re- 
mained at  home  until  his  majority  was 
reached  when  he  farmed  awhile  for  his  fa- 
ther and  on  rented  land.  Tn  T872  he  took 
possession  of  the  one  hundred  and  twentv 


acres  of  land  which  constitutes  his  present 
estate,  but  great  has  been  the  transformation 
from  that  da)-,  thirty-five  years  ago.  When 
Air.  Miller  reached  his  future  home  he  found 
it  a  tract  of  primeval  forest,  overgrown  with 
the  various  kinds  of  timber  characteristic  of 
the  Indiana  wilderness,  and  realized  that  he 
had  a  prodigious  amount  of  work  to  do  be- 
fore this  could  be  converted  into  a  farm.  It 
is  pleasing  to  note  the  contrast  iTetween  1872 
and  1 907,  as  it  is  typical  of  what  has  been 
done  by  thousands  of  others  to  rescue  Indi- 
ana from  its  original  forests  and  make  it  one 
of  the  greatest  agricultural  states  in  the 
Union.  The  clearing  of  the  land,  together 
with  its  tiling  and  careful  cultivation,  has 
made  the  wilderness  blossom  as  the  rose  and 
the  beholder  now  sees  before  him  a  lovely 
landscape,  enlivened  by  all  the  ornamenta- 
tion of  a  well  tilled  farm.  In  1878.  Mr.  Mill- 
er erected  a  barn  twenty-four  feet  high  and 
with  a  length  and  breadth  of  forty  by  sixty- 
six  feet.  This  improvement  was  followed  in 
1 002  by  an  eight-room  frame  house,  which  is 
pronounced  one  of  the  neatest  and  most  con- 
venient in  the  county.  Mr.  Miller  does  not 
attempt  any  fancy  farming  or  breeding,  but 
confines  himself  to  the  substantial  and  steady 
methods  of  the  general  fanner. 

Tn  1872  Mr.  Miller  married  Hannah  E.. 
daughter  of  Washington  Jones,  a  pioneer 
farmer  of  Whitley  county,  but  she  survived 
her  marriage  onlv  two  vears  and  died  with- 
out issue.  In  1876  Mr.  Miller  married  Elsie 
Sophronia  Barber,  daughter  of  Virgil  and 
Anna  (Patterson)  Barber,  the  former  from 
New  York  state,  and  the  latter  a  native  of 
Delaware  county.  Ohio.  They  came  to  Whit- 
ley county  and  settled  in  Troy  township  in 
i8qn;  and  here  thev  lived  out  their  alloted 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


565 


years  in  the  peaceful  pursuits  attendant  upon 
cultivation  of  the  soil.  Late  in  life  Virgil 
Barber  established  a  store  at  Etna,  where 
he  carried  on  a  general  merchandise  business. 
His  five  children  were  Alary,  wife  of  John 
C.  Marrs.  of  Chicago ;  Elsie  Sophronia ; 
Frances,  wife  of  Perry  Austin,  of  Etna; 
Charles,  deceased,  and  Emma,  wife  of  Isaac 
Crites,  of  New  Mexico.  Mrs.  Miller  and 
Frances  are  twin  sisters.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jesse 
Miller  have  five  children  :  Clyde  O..  a  farm- 
er of  Etna  township,  who  married  Maud 
Pentecost  and  has  one  child.  Jessie  Alison ; 
William  D.,  of  Columbia  City,  married  Ora 
Trumbull  and  has  one  child,  Otto  J. ;  Han- 
nah Nevada,  wife  of  Clyde  E.  Jones,  of  Los 
Vegas,  New  Mexico;  Dessie  W..  and  Bessie 
N.  (twins),  still  at  home  with  their  parents. 
Mr.  Miller  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
church,  of  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge  at  Etna, 
Republican  in  politics  and  has  served  on  the 
advisory  board. 


WILLIAM  C.  LONG. 

John  Long,  the  emigrant  ancestor  of  this 
family  on  the  paternal  side,  came  directly 
from  Ireland  about  1780.  His  wife,  also  a 
native  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  accompanied  him 
on  the  trip,  and  they  settled  in  Northumber- 
land county,  Pennsylvania,  where  all  of  their 
subsequent  lives  were  spent.  James  Long, 
son  of  this  couple,  was  born  in  the  Keystone 
state  in  1803,  came  to  Ross  county,  Ohio, 
in  early  manhood  and  in  1833  married  Cath- 
erine Blain,  whose  parents  were  both  Scotch 
and  settled  in  Pennsylvania,  where  she  was 
born.  In  1836  the  newly  married  couple 
came  to  Indiana,  lived  two  years  in  Kos- 


ciusko county,  and  in  1838  settled  in  that 
part  of  Noble  county  which  afterward  be- 
came Etna  township  by  annexation  to  Whit- 
ley county.  James  Long  entered  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  government  land  in 
that  section  and  spent  the  subsequent  twenty- 
nine  years  in  improving  his  estate.  In  1867 
he  located  in  Pierceton,  but  after  a  residence 
there  of  seven  years  returned  to  his  farm 
and  remained  there  permanently.  He  was  a 
man  of  prominence  and  influence  in  Noble 
county,  as  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  he 
served  three  terms  as  commissioner,  the  last 
being  at  the  time  that  Etna  withdrew  and 
was  annexed  to  Whitley  county.  These 
were  days  of  Whigs  and  Democrats  and  he 
gave  his  allegiance  to  the  latter.  Often  later 
in  life  he  regaled  his  friends  with  stories  of 
conditions  prevailing  in  Indiana  when  he 
made  his  appearance  among  the  first  set- 
tlers. Indians  and  wild  animals  were  nu- 
merous and  he  often  paid  his  taxes  with 
money  allowed  as  bounty  mi  the  scalps  of 
wolves  he  had  killed.  After  a  long,  busy 
and  useful  life  he  passed  away  April  14, 
1890,  having  survived  his  wife  eight  years, 
her  death  occurring  in  1882.  They  had 
eight  children:  John,  Sarah,  Thomas,  Mar- 
garet, Agnes  and  Mary  Jane  are  deceased. 
Tohn.  the  eldest  son.  became  a  farmer  in 
Etna  township,  where  he  died  when  past 
seventy  years  of  age.  Thomas  died  in  young 
manhood  and  is  said  to  be  the  first  person 
buried  in  the  Snodgrass  cemetery.  Those 
living  are  Lucy,  a  resident  of  Chicago,  and 
William  C.  Long.  The  latter  was  horn  July 
1.  1846.  in  Etna  (then  Washington)  town- 
ship. Noble  county,  and  remained  on  the  pa- 
rental farm  until  his  majority,  when  he  en- 
tered into  business  for  himself.     His  father 


^66 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


deeded  him  fifty  acres  of  land,  of  which  he 
took  charge  in  his  twenty-second  year,  and 
from  that  day  to  this  has  been  actively  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits.  At  the  pres- 
ent time  he  and  his  wife  own  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  good  land  one-half  mile 
west  of  Etna  village,  included  in  which  is 
the  above  mentioned  fifty-acre  tract.  He  has 
greatly  improved  it  all  and  now  has  it 
equipped  with  buildings  of  modern  construc- 
tion, while  everything  around  is  indicative 
of  thrift  and  comfort  which  come  only  from 
good  management.  Mr.  Long  lived  ten 
years  near  Leesburg',  Kosciusko  county,  and 
after  coming  to  Whitley  county  returned  to 
thresh  his  wheat  and  hauled  it  to  Michigan 
City,  the  only  place  where  he  could  get  cash. 
He  bought  salt  at  fifty  cents  per  barrel  and 
on  reaching  Whitley  county  had  ready  sale 
at  $10  per  barrel.  The  trip  required  seven- 
teen days,  his  wife  being  alone  in  a  cabin 
with  four  children. 

October  10,  1867,  Mr,  Long  married 
Edna  C.  daughter  of  Eli  R.  and  Ann  (Crew) 
Jones,  who  came  to  Etna  township  from 
Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  1849  and  spent 
the  remainder  of  their  lives  on  a  farm,  part 
of  which  is  now  included  in  the 
Long  farm.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Long  have 
four  children:  Florence  A.,  at  home; 
Oliver  E.  married  Iva  Doane  and  is 
a  carpenter  of  Etna  township;  Maud, 
wife  of  Ray  Snodgrass,  of  Troy  township; 
and  Pearl,  wife  of  G.  R.  Bums,  of  Troy 
township.  Kittie  Llewellyn  died  in  child- 
hood. Mr.  Long  is  a  member  of  Etna  lodge. 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  Polit- 
ically he  is  a  Democrat  and  is  often  found 
in  pi  >m  <nt  i>  'lis.  but  is  not  an  aspirant  for  po- 
litical honors. 


BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN  COOPER. 

Three  years  as  a  soldier  in  the  hottest 
part  of  the  Civil  war,  acting  as  a  fireman 
and  engineer  on  a  great  railroad  system  and 
many  years  of  hard  farm  work,  such  has 
been  the  experience  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  who  is  now  enjoying  in  the  evening 
of  life  that  repose  which  comes  to  him  who 
has  done  his  duty  as  he  saw  it  and  by  indus- 
try accumulated  the  means  that  insures  leis- 
ure and  comfort  in  old  age.  He  is  the  son 
of  Peter  and  Margaret  (Rowland)  Cooper, 
the  former  a  Pennsylvanian,  and  the  latter  a 
native  of  Ohio.  They  were  married  in  the 
last  mentioned  state  and  lived  on  a  farm  in 
Holmes  county,  until  the  father's  deatli  in 
1845.  The  widow  took  a  second  husband  in 
the  person  of  Goram  Crumley,  by  whom  she 
had  five  children  :  Christian.  Levi.  John  and 
Mary,  all  of  whom  are  dead,  and  Robert. 
who  resides  in  Chicago.  The  mother  was  a 
devoted  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  died  in  1896.  at  an  advanced  age 
while  residing  with  her  son  Benjamin. 

Benjamin  Franklin  Cooper,  who  was  the 
only  child  by  the  first  marriage,  was  born  in 
Holmes  count}-.  Ohio,  February  14,  1844. 
and  hence  was  but  one  year  old  when  his  fa- 
ther died.  His  step- father  removed  to  No- 
ble county,  Indiana,  some  time  after  marry- 
ing his  mother,  and  the  child  was  kindly 
cared  for  until  he  reached  his  sixteenth  year, 
when  he  began  working  at  farm  labor  by  the 
month.  He  was  thus  engaged  until  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war  and  in  Febru- 
ary, 1862,  enlisted  in  Company  F.  Thirtieth 
Regiment  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry, 
which  was  later  assigned  to  the  Second  Bri- 
gade. Second  Division  of  the  Western  Army. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


567 


He  was  honorably  discharged  February  22, 
[865,  after  three  years  of  hard  service,  dur- 
ing- which  he  participated  in  some  of  the 
greatest  campaigns  of  the  war.  He  took  part 
in  the  battles  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  Stone 
River,  Chickamauga,  and  made  the  famous 
march  to  the  sea  with  the  conquering  and  ir- 
restible  hosts  of  Sherman.  At  Dallas,  Geor- 
gia, he  was  shot  in  the  ear  and  neck  and  as 
a  result  of  this  wound  was  laid  up  in  the 
hospital  for  several  months  and  has  ever 
since  suffered  from  its  effects.  After  return- 
ing from  the  front  he  engaged  in  clearing 
and  ditching  land  for  a  few  years,  and  in 
1869  secured  a  job  as  fireman  with  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad  Company,  which  position 
he  held  for  four  years,  becoming  an  engineer 
and  continuing  three  years  longer.  In  1877 
he  abandoned  this  life  to  become  a  fanner 
in  Noble  county,  but  two  years  later  moved 
to  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
acres  in  Etna  township,  which  has  since  been 
his  home.  When  he  took  possession  of  this 
land  only  about  forty  acres  were  cleared,  but 
he  has  since  greatly  improved  the  place  and 
converted  it  into  a  good  farm.  Among  the 
improvements  was  the  erection  of  an  eight- 
room  house  and  a  large  barn. 

December,  1873.  Mr.  Cooper  married 
Frances,  daughter  of  John  H.  and  Winifred 
Buckles,  natives  of  Virginia.  They  opened 
their  home  to  the  needs  of  two  children.  Lew- 
is Stark,  aged  seven,  and  Ida  Brening-er, 
ag'ed  nine,  and  both  were  reared  with  the 
same  advantages  as  their  own  children  would 
have  received.  The  former  was  with  them 
till  manhood  and  is  now  in  Chicago.  The 
latter  has  remained  and  since  Mrs.  Cooper's 
death  in  March,  1902,  has  continued  as 
housekeeper  as   she   was   for  two   years  be- 


fore. Mr.  Cooper  is  a  Democrat  in  politics, 
member  of  the  Freewill  Baptist  church  and 
an  honored  comrade  of  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic. 


ISAAC  WYNKOOP. 

We  have  here  an  example,  not  infrequent 
in  our  free  and  prosperous  country,  of  a 
rise  from  direct  poverty  to  wealth  and  afflu- 
ence by  the  simple  expedient  of  the  hardest 
kind  of  work,  accompanied  by  genuine  busi- 
ness ability  and  thrift.  In  the  second  dec- 
ade of  the  last  century  John  Wynkoop,  a 
poor  shoemaker,  lived  in  the  western  part  of 
Pennsylvania.  He  had  managed  to  get  to- 
gether enough  to  buy  a  small  farm,  had  mar- 
ried Ann  McClure,  like  himself  a  native 
of  York  county,  by  whom  he  had  eight  chil- 
dren :  Matthew,  Hetta  Ann,  David.  Mar- 
garet, Elizabeth,  Isaac,  Martha  Jane  and 
one  deceased  in  infancy. 

Isaac  Wynkoop,  the  second  child  and  the 
only  one  living,  was  born  in  Cumberland 
county,  Pennsylvania,  January  22,  1825.  In 
boyhood  he  managed  to  pick  up  a  meager* 
education  in  the  poor  schools  of  that  da}"  and 
as  he  g-rew  to  manhood  was  engaged  in  hard 
work  as  his  share  toward  furnishing  a  live- 
lihood for  the  household.  When  about 
twenty-seven  years  old  he  determined  to  try 
his  fortunes  in  the  west  and  in  September, 
1852,  found  himself  in  the  then  small  town 
of  Columbia  City,  the  county  seat  of  Whit- 
lev.  For  a  year  after  arriving  lie  worked  by 
the  day  and  month  and  then  leased  a  piece 
of  wild  ground  from  the  Adams  estate, 
which  lie  spent  the  next  five  years  in  culti- 


;68 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


vating.  By  this  time  he  had  saved  enough 
money  to  buy  forty  acres  in  Troy  township, 
which  he  cleared,  improved  and  eventually 
sold  to  buy  another  tract  of  forty-eight  acres. 
So  he  went  on  and  as  he  prospered  added 
more  and  more  to  his  holdings  until  he 
owned  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  acres, 
but  this  was  reduced  by  gifts  to  his  children 
until  his  present  home  place  consists  of 
eighty-eight  acres  of  well  improved  land  five 
miles  northwest  of  Columbia  City.  When 
he  landed  in  Columbia  City,  Mr.  Wyncoop 
had  only  $25,  and  the  difference  between 
that  small  sum  and  his  present  estate  marks 
the  credit  due  him  for  his  successful 
achievements,  as  every  dollar  he  now  owns 
is  the  result  of  his  own  hard  and  persistent 
labor  during  all  these  years. 

In  December,  1853,  Mr.  Wynkoop  mar- 
ried Mary  Ann,  daughter  of  Peter  and  Eliz- 
abeth Arnold,  all  natives  of  Pennsylvania, 
who  came  to  Whitley  county  in  the  year 
1852.  Mrs.  Wynkoop  died  in  1898,  after 
becoming  the  mother  of  five  children  :  John 
Monroe,  deceased;  Lavina,  wife  of  Harrison 
McCloud,  of  Troy  township;  William  A., 
married  Rhoda  M.  Beard,  and  owns  a  farm 
adjoining  his  father ;  Franklin  David  is  still 
with  his  father;  one  child  died  in  infancy. 
Mr.  Wyankoop.now  in  his  eighty-third  year, 
is  spending  the  evening  of  life  alone  with  his 
son  on  the  old  homestead  in  Troy  township. 
He  has  been  a  lifelong  Republican,  believing 
firmly  in  those  principles  for  which  his  fa- 
ther fought  in  1812  and  his  grandfather  in 
the  revolution.  His  vacations  have  been  de- 
VOted  tn  fishing,  a  spurt  in  which  lie  finds 
greatest  enjoyment.  He  has  had  but  one 
lawsuit,  and  that  when  cheated  out  of  his 
wajjes. 


JAMES  P.  BILLS. 

The  family  of  this  name,  well  known  in 
Whitley  county,  is  of  patriotic  stock  and 
has  been  represented  at  the  front  in  the  two 
great  crises  of  the  nation.  Alvin  Bills,  who 
was  a  native  of  New  York,  enlisted  as  a  sol- 
dier at  the  beginning  of  the  revolutionary 
war  and  served  through  the  seven  years  of 
that  memorable  struggle.  He  settled  sub- 
sequentlv  in  Pennsylvania,  where  he  was 
prominent  as  a  teamster  and  from  which 
state  his  son  Asa,  and  wife  Elisa,  emigrated 
to  Illinois  in  1844.  Being  dissatisfied  with 
the  outlook  in  the  Prairie  state,  they  re- 
mained a  few  weeks  and  then  returning  east 
to  Franklin  county,  Ohio,  remained  until 
1 86 1.  In  the  spring  of  that  year,  they  came 
to  Whitley  county  and  settled  in  Troy  town- 
ship. This  was  his  theater  of  action  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  April  23,  1898. 
his  wife  surviving  until  February  21.  1901. 
He  was  for  many  years  an  elder  in  the  Pres- 
bvterian  church,  of  which  his  wife  was  also 
a  member.  Originally  a  Whig,  lie  was  much 
opposed  to  slavery  and  when  the  Republican 
partv  was  organized,  he  became  identified 
with  it.  ever  after  remaining  among  its  loy- 
al adherents.  Eight  children  were  born  to 
this  pioneer  couple.  Warren,  who  died  at 
seventy  in  Troy  township;  Olive,  deceased 
wife  of  Edmund  Johnson,  of  Pennsylvania: 
Lucy,  deceased  wife  of  Henry  Kile,  of  Troy 
township;  Rosetta,  deceased  wife  of  James 
Hinkle.  and  Rosella,  her  twin  sister,  deceased 
wife  of  Clinton  Noble. 

James  P.  Rills,  fourth  of  this  family,  was 
born  on  Muchinick  creek,  Illinois,  January 
T/.  T844.  during  the  brief  residence  of  his 
parents  in  that  state.     He  grew  up  on  the 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


51  ,g 


farm  in  Franklin  county,  Ohio,  where  he 
attended  the  common  schools  and  spent  three 
years  at  the  Central  College  of  Ohio,  near 
Columbus.  When  his  parents  came  to  Indi- 
ana, the  Civil  war  was  opening  and  James, 
though  only  sixteen  years  old,  enlisted  in 
Company  B,  Forty-fourth  Regiment  Indi- 
ana Volunteer  Infantry,  with  which  he 
served  until  1863  and  then  veteranized  by 
re-enlisting  in  the  same  command,  with 
which  he  remained  until  the  end  of  hostili- 
ties, serving  four  years  in  all.  He  saw  much 
hard  service  and  participated  in  the  battles 
of  Pittsburg  Landing,  Stone  River,  Chicka- 
mauga.  Peach  Orchard,  Lookout  Mountain, 
Franklin  and  Nashville,  besides  numerous 
smaller  engagements  and  skirmishes.  He 
escaped  without  a  wound  or  being  taken  pris- 
oner, but  was  in  the  hospital  some  time  with 
tvphoid  fever.  On  returning  home  he 
bought  a  farm,  then  known  as  the  Jamison 
farm  in  Troy  township,  and  went  to  work 
with  a  resolution  to  do  his  share  in  improv- 
ing the  country,  while  building  up  his  own 
fortunes.  In  1881  he  purchased  the  place  in 
Thorncreek  township  where  he  makes  his 
present  home,  but  in  addition  to  this  owns 
eighty-eight  acres  in  Troy  township,  and 
also  ten  acres  in  a  separate  body  in  Thorn- 
creek.  It  was  a  new  place,  demanding  a 
vast  amount  of  work,  making  in  all  one  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres.  He  lives  in  a  comfort- 
able residence  of  nine  rooms,  modernly  con- 
structed, with  all  conveniences,  while  the 
barn  and  other  outbuildings  are  in  keeping. 
He  has  kept  high  grade  stock  but  general 
farming  covers  his  business.  His  farm,  with 
well  kept  fences  and  neat  general  appearance, 
indicates  the  supervision  of  a  careful  and  up- 
to-date   farmer.      After   retiring    from    the 


army,  Mr.  Bills  spent  one  year  in  Iowa  and 
returning  to  Indiana  was  married  at  Larwill 
in  1868  to  Martha,  daughter  of  Robert  and 
Catherine  Elliott,  of  Troy  township,  old  set- 
tlers of  the  count}-,  now  deceased.  By  this 
union  there  were  four  children :  Otho ; 
Pearl,  who  died  in  infancy ;  Horton,  who 
married  Blanche  Workman  and  operates 
one  of  his  father's  farms,  and  Mabel,  wife  of 
John  Kenner.  The  mother  died  in  1887  and 
February  2,  1888,  Mr.  Bills  married  Carrie, 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Frances  (Black) 
Brunner,  old  residents  of  this  county.  They 
were  torn  and  reared  in  the  same  village 
in  Switzerland  and  came  direct  to  Columbia 
City  after  marriage  about  1852.  He  was 
an  expert  shoemaker,  worked  at  Cincinnati 
and  then  opened  a  shop  at  Larwill,  where 
his  family  was  reared.  About  1874  he  re- 
moved to  a  farm  in  Thorncreek,  where  his 
wife  died  about  1886.  He  married  Mrs. 
Monroe  and  removed  to  Columbia  City,  both 
dving  within  a  few  days  of  each  other  in 
1S99,  his  age  being  seventy-four  years.  .  By 
his  last  marriage,  Mr.  Bills  has  two  children. 
Sylvia  Spray  and  Mary  Frances,  both  at 
home.  The  parents  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  Troy  town- 
ship.    Mr.  Bills  is  a  Republican. 


WESLEY  STAPLES. 

Among  the  early  settlers  of  Licking 
county,  Ohio,  was  William  Staples,  who  en- 
gaged in  farming  but  died  at  a  comparatively 
earlv  age.  He  married  Ann  Parkinson. 
who,  after  being  left  a  widow,  came  in  1865. 
with  her  two  sons,  and  daughter,  Wesle> . 


WHITLEY  'COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


James  and  Sarah,  to  Whitley  county.  Wes- 
ley Staples,  the  eldest,  was  born  in  Licking- 
county.  Ohio,  October  25,  1836,  and  spent 
his  early  manhood  there  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits. In  1864.  he  enlisted  in  Company  D. 
One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fifth  Regiment 
Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  for  what  was 
known  as  the  "Hundred  days'  service."  The 
command  was  sent  to  the  Shenandoah  Val- 
ley, where  it  was  used  in  guarding-  points 
along  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad,  but 
eventually  became  a  part  of  the  force  mar- 
shalled to  repel  Early's  raid  into  Maryland 
during  July.  1864.  The  "Hundred  day 
men"  took  part  in  the  severe  battle  at  Monoc- 
acy  under  Gen.  Lew  Wallace  and  rendered 
excellent  service  to  the  Union  by  checking 
Early's  army  on  its  march  to  Washington. 
After  being  honorably  discharged  from  the 
service  Mr.  Staples  returned  to  his  Ohio 
home,  but  shortly  afterward  made  the  re- 
moval to  Indiana  above ■  mentioned.  With 
his  mother,  brother  and  sister  he  settled  on 
the  Thorncreek  township  farm  now  occupied 
by  his  children.  One  half  came  to  him  upon 
the  settlement  and  here  he  remained  until 
his  death.  December  16,  1894.  He  was  a 
quiet,  modest  man,  who  attended  closely  to 
his  own  business  rind  enjoyed  the  esteem  of 
all  his  neighbors.  In  politics  he  was  stanch- 
ly  Republican  and  a  member  of  the  Grand 
Army  Lost  at  Columbia  City.  In  1867  he 
returned  to  Ohio  and  there  married  Marv 
V.  daughter  of  William  and  Sarah  Van 
Llouten.  who  proved  a  loyal  and  devoted 
wife  during  all  the  trials  of  the  succeeding 
twenty-seven  years.  She  was  born  in  Lick- 
ing count)-,  Ohio,  March  27,  1846.  and  died 
November  '1.  [905,  after  rearing  a  family  of 
three  children:     Cassius.  the  only  son  and 


eldest  of  the  family,  manages  the  paternal 
farm,  and  is  making  a  success  of  his  busi- 
ness. His  two  sisters,  Jessie  and  Lillian,  are 
joint  owners  and  act  as  housekeepers.  Mr. 
Staples  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  a 
member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  as  well  as  the  Maccabees.  They 
live  in  a  cozy  home  on  the  old  farm  in  Thorn- 
creek  township,  and  all  who  call  there  re- 
ceive a  hospitable  greeting. 


THOMAS  ESTLICK. 

The  name  Estlick  has  been  familiar  in 
Whitley  county  for  nearly  eighty  years, 
which  is  to  say  that  the  first  who  bore  it 
were  among  the  very  earliest  of  the  early 
immigrants.  Thomas  Estlick,  Sr.,  a  native 
of  New  Jersey,  found  his  way  into  Virginia 
during  the  second  decade  of  the  last  cen- 
tury and  was  married  in  Harrison  county  to 
Rebecca  Van  Horn.  The  young  couple 
abandoned  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Shen- 
andoah to  seek  their  fortunes  beyond  the 
Alleghanies.  They  located  in  Delaware 
county,  Ohio,  but  after  tarrying-  there  a  few- 
years  pushed  west  until  they  reached  Whit- 
ley county,  which  was  destined  to  be  their 
permanent  abode.  One  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land  in  Troy  township  was  "en- 
tered" from  the  g-overnment,  and  it  is  hardly- 
necessary  to  add  that  it  was  merely  a  part  of 
the  boundless  timbered  wilderness,  which 
stretched  unbroken  for  hundreds  of  miles. 
It  was  in  the  days  of  Indians,  wild  animals, 
hardships,  peril  and  deprivation.  By  de- 
grees, however,  a  home  was  carved  out  of 
the  inhospitable  surroundings  and  here  these 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


pioneers  lived  their  allotted  span.  Their  six 
children,  Albert,  William,  John,  Tin  imas, 
Abigail  and  Diana,  are  now  all  dead. 

Thomas  Estlick  enjoys  the  distinction  of 
being-  the  first  white  child  who  saw  the  light 
of  day  in  Troy  township,  his  birth  occurring 
June  23,  18.28.  His  childhood  and  early 
manhood  were  spent  in  years  of  trial  and 
privation  in  an  era  of  universal  hardship. 
He  grew  up  on  the  rude  farm  in  the  woods, 
helped  in  all  the  exacting  and  never-ending- 
work  of  grubbing-,  chopping  and  clearing 
and  throughout  his  subsequent  career  knew 
no  other  occupation  than  that  connected  with 
agriculture.  He  was  not  merely  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  but  a 
zealous  worker  and  holder  of  official  posi- 
tions. Thus  he  acquired  and  justly  deserved 
the  recognition  of  being  a  Christian  man, 
who  was  ever  a  practicer  of  the  Golden  Rule, 
a  good  neighbor  and  respected  citizen.  He 
showed  genuine  devotion  to  his  aged  par- 
ents and  took  tender  care  of  them  during 
their  declining  years.  After  their  deaths  he 
inherited  the  old  home  farm,  which  he  great- 
ly improved  during  his  active  life  and  made 
it  a  valuable  as  well'as  productive  and  com- 
fortable estate.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order  and  exemplified  in  his  daily 
doings  the  precepts  of  morality  taught  by 
that  noble  fraternity. 

August  1,  1858,  Mr.  Estlick  married  Re- 
becca Thompson,  who  was  born  in  Dela- 
ware county,  Ohio,  June  19,  1839.  Her 
parents,  Thomas  and  Anna  (Connet) 
Thompson,  came  to  Whitley  county  in  1853, 
but  later  removed  to  Marshall  county,  where 
the  father  died  in  1871  and  his  wife  about 
1S94.  They  had  thirteen  children  :  Dorcas, 
Mary,  Benjamin.  David,  Sarah  Jane,  Mar- 


tha, Joshua.  Adeline,  Nettie  and  Josephine, 
all  deceased  but  Sarah  Jane.  Adeline.  Jo- 
sephine and  Rebecca.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Estlick 
had  eight  children  :  Sarah  Ann  is  an  organ- 
izer for  the  Ladies  1  if  the  Maccabees  and 
lives  in  Ligonier;  Lavona  Ann.  deceased; 
Irvin,  of  Yoakum,  Washington,  married 
Licla  Luckey  and  has  one  child,  Merlwood; 
Ellen,  deceased ;  Charles  married  Lura 
Groves  and  has  three  children,  Neil  Liza  and 
Naomi,  and  owns  part  of  the  old  homestead; 
Johnnie,  deceased :  Ray  and  Georgie.  who 
died  in  infancy.  Ray  married  Ola  Smith 
and  operates  the  old  home  farm  with  his 
mother.  He  has  three  children :  Marie,  Ern- 
est and  Fern.  Sarah  Jane  is  the  wife  of 
Asca  Palmer,  of  Troy  township.  Adeline 
is  the  wife  of  L.  C.  Strang,  of  Marshall 
county,  and  Josephine  is  Mrs.  Joseph  Jones, 
of  Etna  township.  Benjamin  became  a  trav- 
eling salesman  in  the  south  and  has  not  been 
heard  from  for  six  years. 

Mr.  Estlick,  after  some  months  of  de- 
clining health,  passed  peacefully  away  Au- 
gust 20,  1889.  His  widow  survives  and  still 
resides  on  the  old  homestead  one  mile  south 
of  Etna  villag-e,  which  has  experienced  the 
improving  influence  of  three  generations  of 
the  family.  Like  her  husband,  she  is  an  ex- 
emplary member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church. 


JOHN  R.  WATSON. 

Among  the  numerous  Quaker  families 
who  came  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  from 
various  states  of  the  south  during  the  early 
decades  of  the  nineteenth  century  was  one 
by  the  name  of  Watson.     Tliev  were  Ken- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


tuckians  and  came  to  this  stronghold  of  the 
Society  of  Friends  when  the  state  of  Indi- 
ana was  mostly  wrapped  in  the  primeval 
wilderness.  Among  the  children  was  a  son 
named  William,  who  was  still  young  when 
his  parents  crossed  the  Ohio  for  the  free 
state  then  beginning  its  career.  After  reach- 
ing manhood  this  young  man  married  Eliza- 
beth Wolf,  a  Virginian  by  birth,  with  whom 
he  settled  on  a  farm  in  Wayne  county  and 
followed  agricultural  pursuits  for  twenty- 
five  years.  In  1859  they  removed  to  Whit- 
ley county  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Rich- 
land township,  a  part  of  which  is  the  pres- 
ent home  of  John  R.  He  enjoyed  many 
years  of  life  subsequent  to  this,  which  were 
spent  in  improving  his  wild  land,  and  passed 
away  in  1889,  his  wife  surviving  until  1900. 
and  both  still  adhering  to  the  Quaker  faith. 
This  worthy  couple  had  seven  children : 
John  R. ;  David  E.,  a  resident  of  Troy  town- 
ship: Arthur,  who  owns  part  of  the  home- 
stead ;  Mary,  wife  of  Frank  Klingaman,  of 
Etna  township ;  Frank,  a  mechanic  at  Mar- 
ion;  Annie,  wife  of  Charles  H.  Cummins,  of 
Marion ;  and  Addie.  who  died  at  the  age  of 
nine  years. 

John  R.  Watson,  eldest  of  this  family, 
was  born  in  Wayne  count}-.  January  30. 
1853,  and  was  only  six  years  old  when  his 
parents  came  to  this  section.  After  he  grew 
up,  Mr.  Watson  cleared  a  farm  and  built  a 
log  cabin  in  which  he  lived  for  many  years. 
His  present  place  of  fifty-three  acres,  which 
was  part  of  the  homestead,  was  secured  in 
lo'io,  rit  the  settlement  of  the  estate,  of 
which  he  was  administrator,  and  he  has  made 
of  it  a  cosy  home  as  well  as  a  valuable  piece 
of  property.  He  has  spent  his  whole  life 
in  agricultural  pursuits,  has  taken  an  active 


part  in  county  affairs  as  a  supporter  of  the 
Republican  ticket  and  was  elected  township 
assessor  in  1904,  a  position  he  is  now  occupy- 
ing. He  raises  hogs  and  other  live  stock, 
manages  his  place  with  good  judgment  and 
is  regarded  by  his  neighbors  as  a  good  farm- 
er and  good  citizen.  April  24,  1877,  Mr. 
Watson  married  Ellen  J.,  daughter  of  Jacob 
and  Nancy  (Frederick)  Klingaman,  who 
came  to  Whitley  county  in  1861  from  Stark 
count)-,  Ohio,  where  she  was  born  January 
20,  1857.  She  is  a  sister  of  Frank  Klinga- 
man, who  married  Mary  Watson.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Watson  have  seven  children:  Cora, 
a  teacher  in  Richland  township,  Cora  has 
taught  several  years,  having  made  prepara- 
tion in  the  Terre  Haute  Normal  School,  and 
is  now  in  charge  of  the  school  at  Loraine. 
Floyd  and  Sherman,  in  Wabash  county: 
Eliza,  Alice,  Florence  and  Ralph  at  home. 
Mr.  Watson  holds  to  the  faith  of  the  Society 
of  Friends  while  Mrs.  Watson  holds  with 
the  Free  Methodist  doctrine. 


CHRISTOPHER  JUDD. 

Among  the  hosts  of  people  who  came 
from  Ohio  to  Whitley  county  during  the 
first  half  of  the  last  century,  were  Mahlon 
and  Susan  (Blair)  Judd,  who  became  the 
founders  of  the  family  bearing  their  name. 
Though  not  among  the  first  settlers,  Whitley 
county  was  still  quite  wild  when  they  ar- 
rived and  the  prospects  for  easy  living  were 
imt  bright,  The  newcomers  took  up  a  small 
tract  of  laud  in  Thorncreek  township,  spent 
many  years  in  the  hard  task  of  clearing  and 
eventuallv  paid  the  debt  of  nature,  exacted 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


573 


of  all,  after  doing  their  duty  as  best  they 
could  under  the  exacting  conditions  of  the 
era  in  which  the}-  lived.  The  mother  was  a 
member  of  the  Mennonite  church  and  is 
spoken  of  by  all  who  remember  her  as  a 
good,  pious  woman,  especially  devoted  to 
her  family.  This  worthy  couple  had  four 
children,  all  of  whom  are  still  living:  John 
is  a  resident  of  Thorncreek  township ;  Mar- 
tha is  the  wife  of  Isaac  Brown,  of  Columbia 
City ;  Christopher ;  and  Henry,  who  lives  in 
Manistee  county,  Michigan. 

Christopher  Judd,  third  of  these  children, 
was  born  on  the  homestead  in  Thorncreek 
township.  October  14,  1885,  and  grew  to 
manhood  in  the  usual  way  of  farm  boys. 
He  learned  all  about  hard  work  and  has  been 
acquainted  with  the  same  in  various  forms 
during  all  the  years' that  have  succeeded.  In 
1885  he  came  to  his  present  farm  in  Thorn- 
creek township,  consisting  of  sixty-eight 
acres,  to  the  cultivation  of  which  he  has  de- 
voted a  large  part  of  his  time  since  taking 
possession.  During  the  last  nineteen  vears, 
however,  Mr.  Judd  has  found  much  else  to 
occupy  his  time,  though  all  of  his  enterprises 
have  been  connected  with  agriculture.  He 
has  been  engaged  in  the  threshing'  machine 
and  clover  hulling  business  during  the  thresh- 
ing seasons,  while  in  winter  he  has  devoted 
considerable  time  to  wood  sawing.  He  also 
conducts  a  picket-mill  and  sawmill  and  all 
these  side  lines,  besides  looking  after  his 
farm,  have  kept  him  busy.  Being  industri- 
ous and  thrifty,  he  has  done  fairly  well  in 
a  financial  wav  and  has  dealings  with  a 
large  number  of  farmers  throughout  a  wide 
section  of  the  county. 

Tn  1882  Mr.  Judd  married  Lavina 
Harshbarsrer,  who  was  born  in  Union  town- 


ship, and  by  this  union  there  have  been  five 
children  :  Elmer,  who  married  Nellie  Hack 
and  is  with  his  father ;  Mary,  wife  of  John 
Hill,  of  Noble  count}-;  Charles,  deceased  at 
thirteen  years  of  age:  Lotta,  wife  of  Daniel 
Ouinn  and  in  Thorncreek  township ;  and 
Rhoda,  wife  of  Andrew  Greager,  of  Noble 
county.  Mr.  Judd  is  a  Republican  and  is 
found  in  party  conventions. 


FRED  N.  HUNT. 


Among  the  notable  agricultural  agencies 
of  Whitley  county  is  the  Gray  Dawn  Stock 
Farm  Company,  of  Etna  township.  This 
company  controls  five  hundred  acres  of  land, 
which  is  manag-ed  and  cultivated  on  up-to- 
date  principles  and  constitutes  an  interesting 
feature  of  the  section  in  which  it  is  operated. 
Indiana  has  been  advancing  rapidly  along 
agricultural  lines  during  the  last  ten  years 
and  her  enterprising  fanners  have  done  their 
full  share  in  keeping  Whitley  countv  well 
up  with  the  procession.  One  of  the  most 
successful  and  deserving  of  these  is  the  mov- 
ing spirit  of  the  company  above  mentioned, 
and  it  is  the  object  of  this  sketch  to  give 
a  brief  outline  of  his  career. 

Fred  N.  Hunt  was  born  in  Etna  town- 
ship. August  6.  1S78.  his  parents  being 
Franklin  and  Martha  J.  (Long)  Hunt,  con- 
cerning whom  particulars  are  given  on  an- 
other page.  Besides  the  usual  attendance  in 
the  country  schools  and  at  Fort  Wayne, 
Fred  N.  spent  two  years  at  Orchard  Lake 
(Michigan)  Military  Academy.  It  was  his 
good  fortune  in  early  manhood  to  be  favored 
with  an  opportunity  for  foreign  travel,  dur- 


574 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ing  which  he  learned  much  of  the  queer  peo- 
ple who  dwell  in  the  region  brought  into 
prominence  by  the  recent  war  in  the  Orient. 
This  was  due  to  the  fact  that  his  brother, 
Leigh  S.  J.  Hunt,  had  acquired  important 
mining  interests  in  Corea,  had  accumulated 
a  fortune  and  had  become  a  man  of  influ- 
ence among  the  people  inhabiting  the  penin- 
sula between  Manchuria  and  the  Sea  of  Ja- 
pan. Fred  N.  accepted  an  invitation  to  visit 
his  brother  and  spent  the  year  of  1901  with 
him  in  learning  the  intricacies  of  the  mining 
business.  Aside  from  this  excursion  into 
the  land  of  the  east,  he  is  said  to  have  spent 
his  whole  life  in  his  native  township.  He 
has  devoted  his  time  to  farming,  and  by 
study,  experience  and  observation  has  mas- 
tered the  details  of  this  most  important  of 
all  industries.  After  managing  his  father's 
farm  for  some  time,  Mr.  Hunt  became  a 
member  of  the  ( hay  Dawn  Stock  Farm  Com- 
pany, of  which  he  became  president  and  gen- 
eral manag'er.  Looking  after  the  important 
investments  of  his  concern  absorbs  all  his  at- 
tention and  he  has  managed  its  affairs  in 
such  a  way  as  to  prove  the  advantage  of 
company  farming.  Mr.  Hunt  owns  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  and  comfortable  homes  in 
the  county,  located  on  what  is  known  as  the 
Washington  Jones  farm.  The  residence, 
erected  in  1862,  is  a  large  brick  structure, 
witli  all  the  modern  improvements,  while 
the  barn  and  other  outbuildings  all  indicate 
the  supervision  of  a  progressive  farmer. 

June  27,  tqoj,  Mr.  Hunt  was  married  to 
.Miss  Nellie  Frances,  daughter  of  Isaac  1'. 
(  I  'rickett)  Beezley,  a  native  of  Noble  county, 
Indiana.  They  have  one  child,  whom  they 
have  christened  Martha  Ann.  Mr.  Hunt  ac- 
knowledges   allegiance    to    the    Republican 


party,  and  his  fraternal  relations  are  with 
the  Masons  and  Odd  Fellows. 


SIMON  W.  HIRE. 


Simon  W.  Hire,  who  is  numbered  among 
the  successful  farmers  of  Whitley  count}-, 
was  born  in  Elkhart  county,  Indiana,  Sep- 
tember 25,  1861,  and  is  the  son  of  Jacob  and 
Christina  (Haney)  Hire.  Jacob  Hire  was 
born  in  Ross  county,  Ohio,  and  at  the  age 
of  eleven  years  accompanied  his  father  Ru- 
dolph to  Indiana.  Christina  (Haney)  Hire 
was  born  in  Fayette  county.  Ohio,  in  [833 
and  accompanied  her  parents,  Robert  I  la- 
ne}- and  wife,  to  Indiana  in  1^45.  Jacob 
and  Christina  Hire  were  married  in  Elkhart 
county,  where  they  resided  till  1882  and  then 
removed  to  Noble  township.  Noble  county, 
near  the  present  home  of  Simon  and  there 
she  died  in  1S97  anc'  ne  m  jSSq  They  were 
the  parents  of  nine  children:  Absalom  and 
Allen  died  in  childhood;  Margaret  is  the  wife 
of  Milton  Kitson  and  lives  in  Kosciusko 
county;  James  Alonzo  is  a  grocer  at  Syra- 
cuse, Indiana  :  Simon  W. ;  Robert,  a  farmer 
of  Noble  county  ;  Alvin  Mitchell,  a  fanner  of 
Thomcreek  township;  Edward,  a  farmer  of 
Smith  township;  Minnie,  wife  of  Albert  Gar- 
ver.  lives  in  Kosciusko  count}-.  The  paternal 
grandfather  was  Rudolph  Hire,  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  who  first  located  in  Ross  coun- 
ty. Ohio,  and  in  1833  removed  to  Elkhart 
county,  when  the  region  was  nothing  but  a 
wilderness.  He  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life  in  that  count}-  and  died  in    1852. 

Simon  W.  Hire  was  reared  upon  the  old 
homestead  in  Elkhart  county  and  was  early 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


575 


trained  to  habits  of  industry  and  economy. 
He  attended  the  common  schools  of  the  lo- 
cality during  the  winter  months,  thus  mas- 
tering the  branches  of  learning  usually 
taught,  and  after  putting  aside  his  text  books 
he  began  farming  on  his  own  account.  He 
came  to  Noble  county  with  his  parents  and 
in  1885  purchased  eight)'  acres  of  his  present 
farm,  to  which  he  later  added  forty,  making 
one  hundred  and  twenty,  the  size  of  the  pres- 
ent farm.  He  has  tiled  the  farm,  has  se- 
cured good  machinery  to  cultivate  the  fields 
and  has  erected  substantial  buildings  for  the 
shelter  of  his  grain  and  stock.  In  1903  he 
erected  an  attractive  two-story  residence, 
which  is  a  structure  of  thorough  convenience, 
has  built  a  large  and  substantial  barn  and 
his  farm  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  county. 
Mr.  Hire  was  married  October  20,  1886,  'to 
Miss  Anna  C.  Seymour,  who  was  born  in 
Noble  count)-,  April  2j,  1867,  the  daughter 
of  Mclntyre  and  Sophia  (Boerger)  Seymour. 
Mclntyre  Seymour  was  a  native  of  New 
York  and  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  No- 
ble count)',  entering  three  years  before 
the  county  was  organized.  He  died  in  1873 
on  his  homestead.  Mrs.  Seymour  was  of 
German  descent,  and  when  thirteen  years  of 
age  accompanied  her  parents  to  Fort  Wayne, 
where  they  died.  She  still  lives  on  the  old 
homestead  in  her  eighty-third  year.  Air.  and 
Mrs.  Seymour  had  four  children:  Alta.  who 
is  the  wife  of  Thomas  Ott ;  Rudolph,  a  resi- 
dent of  Florida;  Florence,  who  owns  the 
old  homestead;  and  Anna  C.  Air.  and  Mrs. 
Hire  have  had  six  children  :  Charles,  Nan- 
cy, Bertha.  Edith,  Edna,  and  Albert,  who 
died  in  childhood.  Mr.  Hire  supports  the 
Republican  party  in  public  matters  and  takes 
a  deep  interest  in  passing  events.     The  fam- 


ily move  in  the  best  circles  and  hi  their  home 
is  dispensed  a  gracious  hospitality,  appreci- 
ated bv  all. 


WARREN  R.   WIGENT. 

Warren  R.  Wigent,  junior  member  of 
the  firm  of  Hanes  &  Wigent,  liverymen,  was 
born  November  26,  1871.  at  Fort  Wayne, 
and  is  the  son  of  John  and  Ida  (Spore)  Wi- 
gent. both  natives  of  New  York.  John 
Wigent  came  to  Indiana  when  young  and 
became  a  farmer.  He  was  elected  recorder 
of  Whitley  county  and  was  county  prose- 
cutor for  several  years.  He  was  a  Republi- 
can and  a  man  who  won  and  held  the  respect 
and  esteem  of  the  people  of  Columbia  City, 
where  he  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  ma- 
tured life.  He  died  in  1895.  at  the  age  of 
fifty-four.  He  was  married  at  Norwalk, 
Ohio,  in  1868,  to  Miss  Ida  Spore.  Both  Air. 
and  Mrs.  Wigent  were  of  Holland  extrac- 
tion and  were  the  parents  of  three  living 
children :  Roy,  who  is  employed  in  the 
United  States  mail  service  and  lives  in  Co- 
lumbia City;    Warren  R.  and  Claud. 

As  a  young  man  Warren  R.  worked  on 
a  farm  as  a  lafwrer  as  well  as  in  a  machine 
shop.  He  also  conducted  a  grocery  and  ex- 
press business  for  four  years.  lie  then  as- 
sociated himself  with  his  brother  in  a  gen- 
eral teaming  and  truck  business,  which  they 
successfully  carried  on  for  five  vears,  when 
he  again  returned  to  the  grocery  business  in 
company  with  W.  C.  Class  for  three  vears. 
Air.  Wigent  then  clerked  in  a  hardware 
store,  where  he  remained  until  he  purchased 
a  half  interest  in  the  livery  and  sales  barn. 

In  1893  Air.  Wigent  was  united  in  mar- 


5/6 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


riage  with  Miss  Mertie  Eisaman,  of  Colum- 
bia City,  and  they  have  two  children,  Paul 
and  Philip.  Fraternally  Mr.  Wigent  is  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Maccabees  and 
the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  is  considered 
one  of  the  able  and  progressive  men  of  the 
city  and  is  well  liked  by  all  with  whom  he 
comes  in  contact.  Mrs.  Wigent  is  a  member 
of  the  United  Brethren  church. 


RICHARD  H.  MARING. 

Richard  H.  Maring.  who  is  numbered 
among  the  most  prominent  farmers  and 
among  the  leading  and  influential  citizens  of 
Whitley  county,  was  born  on  the  farm  which 
is  still  his  home  on  the  13th  of  April,  1859, 
and  is  a  worth}'  representative  of  one  of  the 
honored  pioneer  families  of  Whitley  county. 
His  father,  Leonard  S.  Maring,  was  born 
in  Richland  county.  Ohio,  March  6,  1817, 
and  was  the  son  of  Philip  and  Sarah  (Lash) 
Maring,  the  former  a  native  of  New  Jersey 
and  the  latter  of  Virginia.  Philip  Maring 
was  the  son  of  Nicholas  Maring,  who  emi- 
grated from  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  about 
the  year  1770  and  settled  in  New  Jersey. 
Philip  Maring  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of 
1812  and  soon  after  the  close  01  that  war 
became  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Rich- 
land county,  Ohio.  In  1844,  he  came  with 
his  family  to  Whitley  county,  Indiana,  and 
located  in  Washington  township  where  he 
spent  his  remaining  years.  His  wife  died 
1  October  25,  1873.  and  Mr.  Maring  passed 
away  September  t~.  1879,  aged  ninety-one 
years,  one  month  and  twenty  days. 

Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity, 
Leonard    S.    Maring    was,    on    [anuary    16, 


1842,  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
Bell,  a  native  of  Richland  county,  born  Au- 
gust 21,  1820.  and  a  daughter  of  Rev. 
Zephaniah  and  Margaret  ( Smith)  Bell. 
The  father  was  a  Wesleyan  Methodist  min- 
ister and  preached  in  Ohio  for  a  good  mam- 
years,  after  which,  in  1845.  he  took  up  his 
residence  in  Whitley  county,  then  on  the 
frontier,  where  he  continued  his  ministerial 
labors  until  his  death.  March  29,  1876,  aged 
eighty-five  years.  He  was  also  a  soldier  in 
the  war  of  1812  and  was  one  of  the  promi- 
nent preachers  of  his  day,  most  highly  re- 
spected and  winning  friends  everywhere. 
During  his  ministerial  career  he  solemnized 
many  marriages  and  conducted  a  large  num- 
ber  of   funerals. 

Leonard  S.  Maring,  with  his  wife  and 
a  number  of  relatives,  left  Richland  county. 
Ohio,  with  ox  teams,  October  3,  1843,  and 
came  to  Whitley  county.  Indiana,  being  sev- 
enteen days  on  the  journey,  part  of  the  way 
they  had  to  cut  their  way  through  the  dense 
woods.  Mr.  Maring  first  settled  in  Wash- 
ington township,  but  the  following  year  re- 
moved to  the  farm  now  owned  by  Richard 
H.  Maring,  in  section  18,  Jefferson  town- 
ship. Their  first  home  was  a  log  cabin  in 
the  midst  of  an  almost  unbroken  forest.  As 
acre  after  acre  was  made  ready  for  the  plow, 
the  tract  of  land  was  transformed  from  a 
wild  region  into  one  of  rich  fertility  and 
became  one  of  the  fine  farms  of  the  county. 
Mr.  Maring  took  quite  an  active  interest  in 
political  affairs,  was  one  of  the  early  trustees 
of  the  township  and  was  elected  the  first 
justice  of  the  peace  of  the  township  after 
its  organization  in  1845.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  held  membership  with  the  Church  of 
<  rod,  being  charter  members  of  the  local  so- 


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WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


579 


reputable  and  highly  respectable  in  the  com- 
munity and  merits  a  place  in  the  history  of 
-the  county. 


MOSES  M.  TRUMBULL. 

Moses  M.  Trumbull,  a  well  known  and 
-successful  farmer  of  Etna  township,  living 
■on  the  farm  where  he  was  born  February  24, 
1847,  's  tne  son  °f  Ami  L.  and  Samantha 
C.  (Palmer)  Trumbull,  who  were  natives  of 
Connecticut  and  Vermont  respectively.  Ami 
was  the  son  of  Moses  and  Amelia  Ann  (Mun- 
son)  Trumbull,  he  a  native  of  New  England, 
"who  came  to  Noble  county  in  1836,  where 
"he  remained  to>  the  close  of  his  life.  He  was 
the  father  of  six  children :  Ambrose  M., 
Ami  L.,  Mary,  Amelia,  Aujanette  and  Har- 
riette.  Ami  Trumbull  was  bom  about  1822 
and  died  in  1858.  He  came  to  Whitley 
county  in  1846  and  settled  on  the  farm  now 
partly  owned  by  Moses  M.  The  original  log 
•cabin  in  which  he  lived  is  still  standing.  He 
was  the  father- of  seven  children:  Moses 
M. ;  Frances  M. ;  Delia  C,  who  was  a  teach- 
er for  some  years ;  Henrietta ;  Henry  W., 
living  in  Whitley  county;  Lewis  M.,  living 
in  Colorado ;  and  William,  now  deceased.- 
Washington  Jones,  now  deceased,  married 
the  mother  of  these  children,  and  she  is 
spending  the  evening  of  her  life  with  her 
son  Moses  M.,  on  the  farm  where  she  ex- 
perienced many  of  the  pioneer  hardships. 

Moses  M.  Trumbull  was  married  Octo- 
ber 1,  1874,  to  Eliza  Anna,  daughter  of  Bar- 
ton and  Elizabeth  (Bryan)  Marrs,  who  was 
born  in  Whitley  county  November  14,  1852. 
"To  them  were  born  eight  children :  Roscoe 
A.,  who  married  Lois  Bear  and  is  the  father 


of  two  children,  Dwight  and  Ferris;  Flossie 
A.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Sherman  W.  Rimmel, 
residing  in  Noble  county,  and  has  five  chil- 
dren, Roscoe,  Beth,  Aaron,  Edith  and  Ber- 
nard; Lyman  O.,  who  married  Catherine 
Stephenson,  and  resides  in  Chicago,  and  has 
one  child,  Lura;  Ora  I.,  who  married  Wil- 
liam D.  Miller,  and  has  one  child,  Otto,  and 
resides  in  Columbia  City;  Harry  G.,  who 
married  Nellie  Bouse,  has  one  child,  Robert, 
and  resides  in  Noble  county ;  Fay,  who  mar- 
ried Marvin  Scott  and  resides  in  Hunter- 
town,  Indiana;  Willis  and  Ivo  are  both  in 
home  and  school. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools  and  as  an  evidence  of 
their  real  merit  and  favorable  results,  his 
reputation  for  good  judgment,  knowledge  of 
values  and  public  interests  generally,  is  with- 
out a  peer  in  the  township,  which  his  neigh- 
bors and  friends  have  recognized  by  elect- 
ing him  to  the  responsible  and  important  of- 
fices of  assessor  and  trustee.  In  fact  no  fam- 
ily  in  the  township  is  held  in  higher  esteem 
than  that  of  the  Trumbulls.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  often  found  in  conventions.  His 
farm  of  eighty  acres  is  half  of  the  old  Trum- 
bull homestead,  where  his  parents  begun  in 
1846.  The  farm  is  well  drained  by  tile, 
there  being  over  four  hundred  rods  of 
drainage. 


DeWITT  NOBLE. 


Few  men  in  Columbia  City  are  as  well 
known  and  as  much  appreciated  as  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  a  gentleman  whose  mind 
and  energy  enlisted  in  behalf  of  the  beauti- 
ful and  attractive  in  nature  and  art  and  of  a 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


high  standard  in  the  domain  of  the  aesthetic, 
entitle  him  to  be  called  a  true  benefactor  of 
his  kind.  DeWitt  Clinton  Noble,  the  lead- 
ing florist  of  Whitley  county  and  the  propri- 
etor of  the  largest  establishment  of  the  kind 
in  northern  Indiana,  outside  of  Fort  Wayne, 
has  exercised  a  powerful  influence  in  arous- 
ing an  interest  in  this  most  fascinating  of 
pursuits,  and  to  him,  more  than  any  other 
man,  is  the  city  indebted  for  much  of  the 
beauty  and  charm  which  render  it  such  a 
desirable  and,  in  many  respects,  ideal  place 
of  residence.  Paternally  Mr.  Noble  is  de- 
scended from  stanch  New  England  stock 
and  traces  his  lineage  back  to  the  early  his- 
tory of  Connecticut,  in  which  state  his  grand- 
father, Jonathan  Noble,  was  bom,  and  from 
which  he  emigrated  in  1810  to  Ohio.  Jona- 
than Noble  was  a  conspicuous  type  of  the 
New  England  farmer  of  the  early  day  and 
was  well  fitted  for  the  stern  duties  which  fell 
to  him  as  a  pioneer  in  the  state  of  his  adop- 
tion. He  was  of  Scotch  blood  and  possessed 
many  of  the  sturdy  characteristics  for  which 
that  nationality  has  always  been  distin- 
guished, and  is  remembered  as  an  industri- 
ous, honorable,  God-fearing  man  of  admir- 
able virtues,  many  of  which  have  been  pro- 
duced in  the  lives  of  his  descendants.  He 
died  a  number  of  years  ago  in  Franklin 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  originally  settled  and 
where  representatives  of  the  family  still  re- 
side. He  was  twice  married  and  became  the 
father  of  fourteen  children,  two  by  his  first 
wife  and  twelve  by  his  second,  all  of  whom 
grew  to  maturity.  The  oldest  of  the  second 
set  of  children,  a  son  by  the  name  of  Solo- 
mon Noble,  was  about  nine  years  old  when 
the  family  moved  from  their  New  England 
home  to  the  wilds  of  Ohio.     In  the  primitive 


schools  of  Franklin  county  he  received  a 
meager  knowledge  of  the  branches  then 
taught  and  when  old  enough  to  wield  an  ax 
was  put  to  work  in  the  woods,  where  he 
spent  the  years  of  his  youth  and  early  man- 
hood assisting  in  preparing  the  land  and  soil 
for  cultivation.  He  was  industrious  in  all 
the  term  implies,  bore  his  full  share  in  es- 
tablishing the  home  and  supporting  the  fam- 
ily and  remained  on  the  original  farm  until 
his  removal  to  Whitley  county,  Indiana,  in 
185 1.  Solomon  Noble  was  married  in  1845 
to  Harriet  Scoville,  of  Delaware  county, 
Ohio,  who  bore  him  five  children,  the  oldest 
of  whom  is  DeWitt  C. :  Cicero  Milton,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  1850,  lives  near  Larwill, 
Whitley  county,  and  is  the  father  of  eight 
children:  Cordelia  is  deceased;  Horace  lives 
in  Kansas ;  Jay  is  also  a  resident  of  Larwill ; 
Solomon  Noble  departed  this  life  in  1887 ; 
his  widow  is  still  living  at  Larwill  at  an  ad- 
vanced age  and  with  the  exception  of  im- 
paired eyesight,  being-  almost  blind,  is  in  the 
enjoyment  of  remarkably  good  health  for 
one  of  her  years. 

DeWitt  Clinton  Noble  was  born  July  23, 
1848,  in  Franklin  county,  Ohio,  and  there 
spent  the  first  three  years  of  his  life,  having 
been  brought  to  Indiana  by  his  parents  in 
1851.  His  educational  experience  embraced 
a  few  months  of  the  winter  season  in  the 
public  schools  of  Whitley  count}-,  the  rest 
of  the  year  being  devoted  to  a  continuous 
round  of  labor  on  the  farm  and  in  this  man- 
ner were  passed  his  childhood  and  youth.  By 
far  the  greater  part  of  his  education  has  been 
obtained  by  the  slow  but  sure  process  of  com- 
ing in  contact  with  the  world  under  varying 
conditions  and  ha  grew  to  manhood's  estate 
with  the  sound,  practical  knowledge  of  men 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


58i 


and  things  that  enabled  him  to  take  advan- 
tage of  opportunities  and  lay  a  firm  founda- 
tion for  his  future  career  of  honor  and  use- 
fulness. Possessing  natural  mechanical 
skill,  he  easily  turned  it  to  account  by  work- 
ing at  carpentry,  which  trade  he  thoroughly 
mastered  without  passing  through  the  ap- 
prenticeship usually  required  in  those  days. 
His  marked  efficiency  as  a  worker  in  wood 
served  him  well  in  subsequent  years,  as  is 
attested  by  the  signal  success  which  he 
achieved  as  an  architect  and  builder,  quite  a 
number  of  the  beautiful  and  attractive 
dwellings  and  other  structures  in  Columbia 
'City  and  elsewhere  being  the  result  of  his 
mechanical  skill.  In  1887  Mr.  Noble  moved 
~to  Columbia  City  and  shortly  thereafter  pur- 
chased a  small  tract  of  land  near  the  corpor- 
ate limits,  on  which  he  erected  a  small  but 
comfortable  dwelling,  which  the  family  oc- 
cupied for  a  limited  period.  Meanwhile  he 
worked  at  his  trade  and  devoted  his  spare 
time  to  raising  vegetables  for  market,  which 
he  soon  found  quite  profitable.  The  demand 
for  the  products  of  his  gardens  increased  to 
such  an  extent  that  he  was  soon  obliged  to 
devote  more  time  to  their  cultivation  than 
merely  his  mornings  and  evenings,  as  the 
sum  realized  from  the  sale  of  vegetables  ex- 
ceeded that  earned  at  his  trade.  In  due  sea- 
son he  discontinued  the  latter  altogether  to 
devote  his  entire  time  to  gardening  and  it  was 
not  long  until  he  was  the  recipient  of  a  fine 
income  from  this  source.  It  was  while  thus 
engaged  that  his  attention  was  attracted  to 
floriculture,  there  being  nobody  in  the  city 
to  supply  the  growing-  demand  for  flowers, 
and  as  soon  as  he  could  do  so  he  secured  the 
necessary  seeds  and  plants  and  ventured 
upon  this  new  and  untried  line  of  business. 


Although  beginning  in  a  modest  way  his 
profits  far  exceeded  his  expectations  and  as 
soon  as  practicable  he  abandoned  vegetable 
gardening-  to  give  all  of  his  time  and  atten- 
tion to  floriculture,  which  not  only  proved 
remunerative,  but  for  which  he  seemed  pecul- 
iarly adapted.  Without  following  in  detail 
the  advance  of  his  business,  suffice  it  to  state 
that  Mr.  Noble  has  been  obliged  to  enlarge 
the  capacity  of  his  greenhouses  from  time  to 
time  in  order  to  keep  pace  with  the  steadily 
growing  local  and  general  demand  for  flow- 
ers and  plants.  His  first  green  house,  eight- 
een by  fifty-four  feet  in  size,  was  soon  found 
to  be  entirely  inadequate,  so  the  next  season 
he  made  an  addition  seventeen  by  eighteen 
feet,  which  for  a  time  appeared  to  meet  the 
exigency.  With  increased  facilities,  how- 
ever, came  increased  demands,  so  that  the 
following  year  he  found  it  necessary  again  to 
enlarge  the  capacity  of  his  plant,  which  he 
did  by  erecting  another  structure  twelve  by 
forty-two  feet.  Later  a  building  twelve  by 
forty-two  feet  was  added,  which  greatly  in- 
creased the  capacity.  Still  the  business  con- 
tinued to  develop  to  such  an  extent  that  other 
houses  became  necessary  and  accordingly  in 
1902  he  put  up  three  building's  eighteen  by 
one  hundred  feet  in  size,  with  side  addition, 
and  in  1904  erected  another  of  the  same  size. 
In  1906  he  added  a  still  larger  building  con- 
sisting of  three  houses  each  twenty-one  by 
one  hundred  and  fifty-one  feet.  These  build- 
ings represent  a  total  of  twenty-three  thou- 
sand square  feet  of  glass,  by  far  the  largest 
and  most  complete  establishment  in  northern 
Indiana  with  the  possible  exception  of  one 
at  Fort  Wayne.  Mr.  Noble  has  made  a  close 
and  critical  study  of  floriculture  and  is  fa- 
miliar with  its  every  detail,  being  devoted  to 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


high  standard  in  the  domain  of  the  aesthetic, 
entitle  him  to  be  called  a  true  benefactor  of 
his  kind.  DeWitt  Clinton  Noble,  the  lead- 
ing florist  of  Whitley  county  and  the  propri- 
etor of  the  largest  establishment  of  the  kind 
in  northern  Indiana,  outside  of  Fort  Wayne, 
has  exercised  a  powerful  influence  in  arous- 
ing an  interest  in  this  most  fascinating  of 
pursuits,  and  to  him,  more  than  any  other 
man,  is  the  city  indebted  for  much  of  the 
beauty  and  charm  which  render  it  such  a 
desirable  and.  in  many  respects,  ideal  place 
of  residence.  Paternally  Mr.  Noble  is  de- 
scended from  stanch  New  England  stock 
and  traces  his  lineage  back  to  the  early  his- 
tory of  Connecticut,  in  which  state  his  grand- 
father, Jonathan  Noble,  was  born,  and  from 
which  he  emigrated  in  1810  to  Ohio.  Jona- 
than Noble  was  a  conspicuous  type  of  the 
New  England  farmer  of  the  early  day  and 
was  well  fitted  for  the  stern  duties  which  fell 
to  him  as  a  pioneer  in  the  state  of  his  adop- 
tion. He  was  of  Scotch  blood  and  possessed 
many  of  the  sturdy  characteristics  for  which 
that  nationality  has  always  been  distin- 
guished, and  is  remembered  as  an  industri- 
ous, honorable,  God-fearing  man  of  admir- 
able virtues,  man)-  of  which  have  been  pro- 
duced in  the  lives  of  his  descendants.  He 
died  a  number  of  years  ago  in  Franklin 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  originally  settled  and 
where  representatives  of  the  family  still  re- 
side. He  was  twice  married  and  became  the 
father  of  fourteen  children,  two  by  his  first 
wife  and  twelve  by  his  second,  all  of  whom 
grew  to  maturity.  The  oldest  of  the  second 
set  of  children,  a  son  by  the  name  of  Solo- 
mon Noble,  was  about  nine  years  old  when 
the  family  moved  from  their  New  England 
home  to  the  wilds  of  Ohio.     In  the  primitive 


schools  of  Franklin  county  he  received  a 
meager  knowledge  of  the  branches  then 
taught  and  when  old  enough  to  wield  an  ax 
was  put  to  work  in  the  woods,  where  he 
spent  the  years  of  his  youth  and  early  man- 
hood assisting  in  preparing  the  land  and  soil 
for  cultivation.  He  was  industrious  in  all 
the  term  implies,  bore  his  full  share  in  es- 
tablishing the  home  and  supporting  the  fam- 
ily and  remained  on  the  original  farm  until 
his  removal  to  Whitley  county,  Indiana,  in 
185 1.  Solomon  Noble  was  married  in  1845 
to  Harriet  Scoville,  of  Delaware  county, 
Ohio,  who  bore  him  five  children,  the  oldest 
of  whom  is  DeWitt  C. ;  Cicero  Milton,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  1850,  lives  near  Larwill, 
Whitley  county,  and  is  the  father  of  eight 
children :  Cordelia  is  deceased ;  Horace  lives 
in  Kansas :  Jay  is  also  a  resident  of  Larwill ; 
Solomon  Noble  departed  this  life  in  1887 ; 
his  widow  is  still  living  at  Larwill  at  an  ad- 
vanced age  and  with  the  exception  of  im- 
paired eyesight,  being"  almost  blind,  is  in  the 
enjoyment  of  remarkably  good  health  for 
one  of  her  years. 

DeWitt  Clinton  Noble  was  born  July  23, 
1848,  in  Franklin  county,  Ohio,  and  there 
spent  the  first  three  years  of  his  life,  having 
been  brought  to  Indiana  by  his  parents  in 
1851.  His  educational  experience  embraced 
a  few  months  of  the  winter  season  in  the 
public  schools  of  Whitley  county,  the  rest 
of  the  year  being  devoted  to  a  continuous 
round  of  labor  on  the  farm  and  in  this  man- 
ner were  passed  his  childhood  and  youth.  By 
far  the  greater  part  of  his  education  has  been 
obtained  by  the  slow  but  sure  process  of  com- 
ing in  contact  with  the  world  under  varying 
conditions  and  ha  grew  to  manhood's  estate 
with  the  sound,  practical  knowledge  of  men 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


58i 


and  things  that  enabled  him  to  take  advan- 
tage of  opportunities  and  lay  a  firm  founda- 
tion for  his  future  career  of  honor  and  use- 
fulness. Possessing  natural  mechanical 
skill,  he  easily  turned  it  to  account  by  work- 
ing at  carpentry,  which  trade  he  thoroughly 
mastered  without  passing  through  the  ap- 
prenticeship usually  required  in  those  days. 
His  marked  efficiency  as  a  worker  in  wood 
seiwed  him  well  in  subsequent  years,  as  is 
attested  by  the  signal  success  which  he 
achieved  as  an  architect  and  builder,  quite  a 
number  of  the  beautiful  and  attractive 
dwellings  and  other  structures  in  Columbia 
City  and  elsewhere  being  the  result  of  his 
mechanical  skill.  In  1887  Mr.  Noble  moved 
~to  Columbia  City  and  shortly  thereafter  pur- 
chased a  small  tract  of  land  near  the  corpor- 
ate limits,  on  which  he  erected  a  small  but 
comfortable  dwelling,  which  the  family  oc- 
cupied for  a  limited  period.  Meanwhile  he 
worked  at  his  trade  and  devoted  his  spare 
time  to  raising  vegetables  for  market,  which 
he  soon  found  quite  profitable.  The  demand 
for  the  products  of  his  gardens  increased  to 
such  an  extent  that  he  was  soon  obliged  to 
devote  more  time  to  their  cultivation  than 
merely  his  mornings  and  evenings,  as  the 
sum  realized  from  the  sale  of  vegetables  ex- 
ceeded that  earned  at  his  trade.  In  due  sea- 
son he  discontinued  the  latter  altogether  to 
devote  his  entire  time  to  gardening  and  it  was 
not  long-  until  he  was  the  recipient  of  a  fine 
income  from  this  source.  It  was  while  thus 
engaged  that  his  attention  was  attracted  to 
floriculture,  there  being  nobody  in  the  city 
to  supply  the  growing  demand  for  flowers, 
and  as  soon  as  he  could  do  so  he  secured  the 
necessary  seeds  and  plants  and  ventured 
upon  this  new  and  untried  line  of  business. 


Although  beginning  in  a  modest  way  his 
profits  far  exceeded  his  expectations  and  as 
soon  as  practicable  he  abandoned  vegetable 
gardening-  to  give  all  of  his  time  and  atten- 
tion to  floriculture,  which  not  only  proved 
remunerative,  but  for  which  he  seemed  pecul- 
iarly adapted.  Without  following  in  detail 
the  advance  of  his  business,  suffice  it  to  state 
that  Mr.  Noble  has  been  obliged  to  enlarge 
the  capacity  of  his  greenhouses  from  time  to 
time  in  order  to  keep  pace  with  the  steadily 
growing  local  and  general  demand  for  flow- 
ers and  plants.  His  first  green  house,  eight- 
een by  fifty-four  feet  in  size,  was  soon  found 
to  be  entirely  inadequate,  so  the  next  season 
he  made  an  addition  seventeen  by  eighteen 
feet,  which  for  a  time  appeared  to  meet  the 
exigency.  With  increased  facilities,  how- 
ever, came  increased  demands,  so  that  the 
following  year  he  found  it  necessary  again  to 
enlarge  the  capacity  of  his  plant,  which  he 
did  by  erecting  another  structure  twelve  by 
forty-two  feet.  Later  a  building  twelve  by 
forty-two  feet  was  added,  which  greatly  in- 
creased the  capacity.  Still  the  business  con- 
tinued to  develop  to  such  an  extent  that  other 
houses  became  necessary  and  accordingly  in 
1902  he  put  up  three  buildings  eighteen  by 
one  hundred  feet  in  size,  with  side  addition, 
and  in  IQ04  erected  another  of  the  same  size. 
In  1906  he  added  a  still  larger  building  con- 
sisting of  three  houses  each  twenty-one  by 
one  hundred  and  fifty-one  feet.  These  build- 
ings represent  a  total  of  twenty-three  thou- 
sand square  feet  of  glass,  by  far  the  largest 
and  most  complete  establishment  in  northern 
Indiana  with  the  possible  exception  of  one 
at  Fort  Wayne.  Mr.  Noble  has  made  a  close 
and  critical  stud}'  of  floriculture  and  is  fa- 
miliar with  its  every  detail,  being  devoted  to 


582 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


the  business  with  all  the  enthusiasm  of  a 
professional  naturalist.  By  carefully  consid- 
ering the  demands  of  the  trade  he  is  able  to 
supply  his  numerous  customers  with  any- 
thing in  his  line  for  which  they  may  call.  He 
has  spared  neither  pains  nor  expense  in 
stocking  his  establishment  and  keeping 
abreast  of  the  times,  his  various  houses  being 
filled  to  their  utmost  capacity,  some  rare  and 
costly  exotics  representing  thousands  of  dol- 
lars, others  being  devoted  to  the  more  popu- 
lar plants  and  flowers  which  are  always  fa- 
vorites and  of  which  the  people  never  seem 
to  tire.  In  the  department  devoted  to  roses 
there  are  sixteen  hundred  bushes  of  the  finest 
varieties  obtainable,  some  of  which  were  pro- 
cured only  after  long  continued  correspond- 
ence and  painstaking  effort.  There  are  six- 
teen thousand  elegant  carnations,  fifteen  hun- 
dred chrysanthemums,  and  over  two  thou- 
sand geraniums.  Mr.  Noble  has  built  up  a 
mammoth  business,  representing  a  capital  of 
many  thousand  dollars,  all  the  result  of  his 
industry,  sound  judgment  and  wise  fore- 
thought. His  success  is  creditable  alike  to 
his  business  tact  and  refined  taste,  and  that 
he  stands  among  the  foremost  of  his  profes- 
sion in  the  state  of  Indiana  is  cheerfully  con- 
ceded not  only  by  the  laity,  but  by  leading 
florists  who  have  visited  and  inspected  his 
splendid  establishment.  In  addition  to  his 
large  and  growing  business  interests,  he  is 
keenly  alive  to  every  movement  and  enter- 
prise having  for  its  object  the  advancement 
of  his  city  along  material  and  other  lines, 
and  he  discharges  the  duties  of  citizenship 
as  becomes  an  intelligent,  progressive  Amer- 
ican, who  is  proud  of  his  country  and  its 
institutions.  A  member  of  the  Masonic 
brotherhood,  he  endeavors  to  square  his  life 


according  to  the  principles  of  the  fraternity,, 
and  he  is  also  identified  w;th  the  order  of 
Ben  Hur,  to  which  society  his  wife  also  be- 
longs. 

Mr.  Noble  has  been  twice  married;  first 
on  July  2,  1868,  to  Miss  Rosella  Bills,  who 
was  born  in  Ohio  and  came  to  this  county 
with  her  parents  when  quite  young.  She 
presented  her  husband  with  the  following 
children:  Lillie  Augusta,  Lucy  Adell,  Ly- 
man J.,  who  died  in  infancy.  The  mother 
was  called  to  her  final  rest  January  8,  1879, 
and  on  May  5,  1881,  Mr.  Noble  married 
Miss  Alary  A.  Smith,  of  this  county,  the 
union  being1  blessed  with  one  child,  Alva  E- 


GEORGE  L.  HANES. 

George  L.  Hanes,  the  leading  liveryman 
of  Columbia  City,  was  born  in  Wyandot 
county,  Ohio,  in  1856,  and  is  the  son  of  Da- 
vid and  Lucy  (Owens)  Hanes,  both  natives 
of  New  York  state  and  of  Holland  ances- 
try. They  came  to  Ohio  in  1852  and  lo- 
cated on  wild  land,  which  for  the  first  time 
under  their  energy  began  to  quicken  with  the 
pulse  of  systematic  productiveness.  In  1859 
these  parents  removed  to  Columbia  City, 
where  the  father  accepted  a  position  as  head 
sawyer  in  a  mill.  After  filling  this  position 
to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  his  employers 
for  two  years,  he  resigned  and  opened  up  a 
grocery  store.  After  three  years  of  success- 
ful operation  he  accepted  a  favorable  offer 
to  dispose  of  the  store,  after  which  he  en- 
gaged in  general  contracting  and  thus  con- 
tinued the  remainder  of  his  active  business 
life.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  David  Owens  were  the 


WHITLEY  COUXTY,  IXDIAXA. 


583 


parents  of  seven  children  :  Martin,  who  was 
a  soldier  during  the  Civil  war,  a  member  of 
the  Seventeenth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infan- 
try. He  died  in  1905.  Elizabeth,  who  is 
the  widow  of  Joseph  Souders ;  Lena,  the 
wife  of  Marion  Tinkham.  of  Lima,  Ohio ; 
Emeline,  who  is  the  wife  of  John  W.  John- 
ston, of  Stonington,  Connecticut;  Jonathan, 
who  is  living  in  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana; 
Franklin,  who  is  an  engineer  in  Traverse 
City,  Michigan,  and  George  L. 

George  L.  Hanes  received  his  early  ed- 
ucation in  the  common  schools  of  the  neigh- 
borhood and  after  attaining  mature  years 
took  up  life's  duties  on  his  own  account.  He 
was  employed  in  a  planing  mill  for  nineteen 
years,  after  which  he  took  a  position  in  a 
grist  mill.  He  continued  in  this  business  for 
eight  years,  when  he  purchased  a  feed  barn, 
which  business  he  conducted  for  one  year, 
when  he  disposed  of  it  and  in  partnership 
with  J.  W.  Collins  bought  a  livery  and  sales 
stable.  The  firm  is  now  known  as  Hanes  & 
Wigent,  the  latter  having  purchased  the  in- 
terest of  Mr.  Collins.  These  gentlemen  keep 
on  hand  quite  a  number  of  good  roadsters 
and  are  able  to  supply  any  kind  of  a  rig  or 
conveyance  required.  They  take  especial 
pride  in  keeping  their  stock  in  the  best  pos- 
sible condition  and  are  courteous  and  af- 
fable in  their  relations  with  the  public.  In 
1882  Mr.  Hanes  was  married  to  Miss  Mary 
Xesel,  a  native  of  Roanoke,  Indiana.  Their 
home  has  never  been  blessed  with  the  birth 
of  any  children,  but  they  are  raising  an  or- 
phan boy,  Robert,  who  has  been  with  them 
since  he  was  three  years  old.  Fraternally 
Mr.  Hanes  is  a  member  of  the  Ben  Hur 
lodge,  while  in  politics  he  supports  the  Re- 
publican party.  He  is  a  man  of  sound  dis- 
crimination and  srood  business  abilitv  and  is 


counted  a  successful  man.  Mrs.  Hanes  is 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  church  and  takes 
an  active  interest  in  the  various  charitable 
and  benevolent  movements  connected  with 
that  society.  She  has  been  a  true  helpmate 
to  her  husband  and  with  him  is  highly  es- 
teemed throughout  the  community. 


CALDWELL  W.  TUTTLE. 

Conspicuous  among  the  active  business 
men  and  public-spirited  citizens  of  Whitley 
county  is  the  gentleman  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  sketch,  whose  character  stands 
out  clear  and  distinct  as  one  of  the  leaders 
of  enterprise  and  directors  of  thought  and 
opinion  in  all  matters  relating  to  the  mate- 
rial and  social  advancement  of  the  commu- 
nity. Caldwell  W.  Tuttle  is  a  native  of 
Whitley  county  and  was  born  in  Columbia 
township  March  1.  1843.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  A\'olcott  Tuttle,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred in  Xew  York,  moved  in  early  life  to 
Pennsylvania,  thence  to  Ohio,  in  Sandusky 
county  of  which  state  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  days  as  a  member  of  the  legal  profes- 
sion. His  son,  Horace  Tuttle,  was  born  at 
Mt.  Morris,  Xew  York,  received  his  educa- 
tion in  his  native  state  and  later  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  in  Ohio.  He  also  fol- 
lowed farming  in  Michigan  and  from  the 
latter  state  came  to  Indiana  in  1837  on  ;i 
prospecting  tour,  during  which  he  visited 
Whitley  county,  and  being  pleased  with  the 
country  entered  a  tract  of  land  in  what  is 
now  Columbia  township,  to  which  he  moved 
his  family  in  1839,  coming  from  Sturgis, 
Michigan,  in  a  sled.  A  brother.  Ransom 
Tuttle.  accompanied  him  to  his  new  home  in 


;8G 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ical  science  through  his  professional  associ- 
ations and  journals,  Dr.  King  is  ever  found 
in  the  front  ranks  of  practitioners.  While 
not  too  sanguine  as  to  every  advance 
claimed  by  enthusiasts,  he  stands  ready  to 
accord  due  credit  to  whatever  appears  to 
conform  to  scientific  demands  and  meets  the 
requirements  of  a  varied  daily  practice. 

October  24,  1901,  Dr.  King  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Blanche  Meely,  of  Columbia 
City.  Her  father.  George  Meely,  was  an 
early  resident  of  Columbia  City,  being  re- 
membered as  one  of  the  successful  and  prom- 
inent merchants.  He  served  as  a  soldier  in 
the  Civil  war,  with  the  Twentieth  Ohio  Vol- 
unteer Infantry  and  was  an  early  member  of 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  His  death 
occurred  February  22.  1903.  Doctor  and 
Mrs.  King  are  the  parents  of  one  child, 
Eleanor. 


BERNARD  A.  WIDUP,  D.  D.  S. 

The  subject  of  this  review  is  a  native  of 
Whitley  county,  Indiana,  as  was  also  his 
father,  Horace  Widup,  his  mother,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Anna  Shepherd,  having 
been  born  in  the  state  of  Ohio.  Horace 
Widup  is  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser  and  for 
the  last  twenty-five  years  has  lived  in  Pulaski 
county,  where  he  owns  a  fine  farm  yielding 
him  an  independent  income.  Mrs.  Widup 
was  brought  to  Whitley  county  by  her  par- 
ents when  nine  years  old  and  here  grew  to 
maturity  and  married,  and  is  the  mother  of 
five  children,  whose  names  are:  Merlin  V., 
a  farmer  of  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana;  Ber- 
nard   V.  William  1\.,  George  A.  and  Alpha. 

Dr,   Widup  received  his  elementarv  edu- 


cation in  the  district  schools  of  Pulaski 
county  and  spent  the  spring  and  summer 
months  meantime  on  the  farm,  growing  into 
rugged  manhood.  He  taught  four  years 
and  then  entered  the  dental  college  in  In- 
dianapolis, from  which  he  was  graduated 
with  an  honorable  record  as  a  close  and 
painstaking  student  in  1905.  Doctor  Widup 
at  once  came  to  Columbia  City  and  purchas- 
ing the  office  and  good  will  of  his  uncle, 
Dr.  H.  C.  Widup,  entered  upon  the  practice,, 
which  he  has  since  continued,  receiving  that 
liberal  patronage  that  technical  skill,  experi- 
ence and  courteous  treatment  demand.  He* 
not  only  holds  the  business  which  his  uncle 
had  built  up  but  has  added  materially  to  its 
volume.  The  Doctor  has  a  fine  suite  of  par- 
lors, elegantly  furnished,  and  a  laboratory 
thoroughly  equipped  with  the  latest  and  most 
improved  instruments  and  appliances  used  in 
the  profession. 

Doctor  Widup  was  married  in  1892  to 
Miss  Glen  Anderson.  They  have  one  child, 
Clio  Bonita.  The  Doctor  is  an  esteemed 
member  of  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees, 
Modern  Woodmen  and  the  Order  of  Ben 
Hur,  and,  with  his  wife,  belongs  to  the 
Methodist  church.  Socially  both  carry  a 
healthy  and  elevating  influence  tending  to- 
ward greater  geniality  and  a  closer  social 
relationship  in  the  circles  where  their  pres- 
ence is  most  often  found. 


CARL  L.  SOUDER,  M.  D. 

Carl  Lawrence  Souder,  M.  D.,  a  leading 
and  respected  member  of  his  profession,  was 
born  at  Larwill,  Indiana.  August   18,  1874,. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


587 


being  the  son  of  Dr.  Christopher  and  Sabina 
(Trembly)  Souder.  Dr.  Christopher  Souder 
was  of  German  descent,  was  born  in  Ohio, 
and  accompanied  his  parents  to  Indiana 
when  a  child.  He  became  a  physician  and 
practiced  in  this  county  for  twenty-six  years. 
He  was  a  graduate  of  the  Cincinnati  (Ohio) 
Medical  College  and  also  of  the  literary  de- 
partment of  Mendota  College.  He  taught 
school  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war. 
when  he  enlisted  in  the  Forty-fourth  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  for 
three  years  and  six  months,  taking  part  in 
all  of  the  battles  in  which  his  regiment  earned 
its  enviable  record  in  the  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland and  Tennessee.  He  was  auditor  of 
Whitley  count)-  for  four  years,  and  as  an 
educator  ever  took  an  interest  in  the  educa- 
tion and  upbuilding  of  children  and  young 
people.  He  was  an  active  member  of  the 
Masonic  order  and  shaped  his  life  in  harmony 
with  its  fraternal  teachings.  He  died  De- 
cember 15,  1899.  Mrs.  Souder  was  the 
daughter  of  John  S.  Trembly,  of  Ohio.  Doc- 
tor and  Mrs.  Souder  were  parents  of  eight 
children,  four  of  whom  are  deceased.  Those 
living  are :  Carl ;  Ralph,  a  physician  of  Chi- 
cago ;  Wade,  a  farmer,  and  Bessie,  a  stenog- 
rapher. 

Carl  Lawrence  Souder  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  common  and  high  schools,  after 
which  he  taught  for  two  years.  Subsequent- 
ly he  attended  the  Northern  Indiana  Normal 
University  and  the  State  University  at 
Bloomington..and  graduated  from  the  scien- 
tific department  of  the  Northern  Indiana 
University,  at  Valparaiso,  with  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Science.  He  then  took  a  course 
in  the  medical  department  of  the  Northwest- 
ern University  at  Chicago,  graduating  with 


the  class  of  1898.  Doctor  Souder  is  active 
in  the  various  societies  of  his  profession  and 
stands  high  in  the  esteem  of  his  community 
as  a  careful  and  scientific  conservator  of 
health.  June  5,  1900,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Lura  Shinneman,  a  native  of  this 
county.  Doctor  Souder's  religious  affiliation 
is  with  the  Lutheran  church,  while  fraternal- 
ly he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
and  the  Order  of  Ben  Hur. 


CHARLES  LEMUEL  DeVAULT. 

Among  the  rising  members  of  the  Whit- 
lev  county  bar  is  Charles  Lemuel  DeVault,. 
whose  birth  occurred  in  Columbia  City,  Oc- 
tober 22,  1872.  His  parents  are  Captain  Os- 
mus  F.  and  Julia  (Watson)  DeVault.  One 
brother  is  William  Allen  DeVault,  of  Cheru- 
busco,  and  a  younger  brother,  Lewis  Mar- 
shall DeVault,  was  for  some  years  a  promi- 
nent educator  of  this  county,  dying  June  10, 
1900.  Capt.  Osmus  Fletcher  DeVault,  a 
native  of  Ross  county,  Ohio,  is  the  youngest 
of  six  sons  and  five  daughters,  whose  par- 
ents were  Nicholas  and  Frances  (Popejoy)' 
DeVault,  the  former  of  French  ancestry,  de- 
scending from  a  line  of  distinguished  French 
soldiers  and  himself  an  officer  in  the  Ameri- 
can army  during  the  war  of  181 2.  He 
earned  an  honorable  career  in  both  military 
and  civil  life  and  died  at  Jacksonville,  Il- 
linois, in  1858.  Osmus  F.  DeVault  enlisted 
at  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  serving 
as  an  officer  in  Company  A,  Eleventh  Indi- 
ana Cavalry,  One  Hundred  Twenty-sixth 
Regiment  and  participating  in  a  number  of 
campaigns  and  battles,  receiving  the  distinc- 


588 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


tic  in  due  to  a  brave  officer  whose  duty  was 
faithfully  performed.  Julia  Watson  DeVault, 
born  in  Morrow  county,  Ohio,  October  1 1 , 
1837,  was  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  seven 
born  to  Alexander  and  Laura  (Storrs)  Wat- 
son, he  a  native  of  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  and 
educated  in  the  celebrated  Scotch  University. 
He  came  to  the  United  States  when  twenty- 
four  years  old  and  engaged  in  business  at 
Milford,  Connecticut,  until  his  removal  to 
Ohio.  In  1855  he  came  to  Whitley  county, 
where  he  died  in  1862.  His  wife,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Emory  Storrs,  of  Connecticut,  sur- 
vived a  number  of  years,  dying  at  Alta-Vista, 
Kansas,  in  1890. 

Charles  Lemual  DeVault,  after  attending 
the  schools  of  Lorane  and  Cherubusco.  en- 
tered the  University  of  Michigan,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of 
1895.  Mr.  DeVault  had  taught  for  some 
time  in  the  schools  of  Whitley  county,  his 
first  school  being  when  he  was  less  than  fif- 
teen years  of  age.  He  taught  in  Smith. 
Thorncreek  and  Washington  townships  and 
was  principal  of  the  Coesse  graded  schools. 
He  was  next  superintendent  of  the  schools 
of  New  Haven,  achieving  an  enviable  repu- 
tation as  an  educator.  He  also  conducted 
normal  schools  at  South  Whitley  and  Cher- 
ubusco, and  in  1807  entered  the  race  for  the 
office  of  county  superintendent,  but  suffered 
defeat  by  a  single  ballot.  He  then  opened 
a  law  office,  his  success  fullv  justifying  his 
expectations  and  assuring  a  leading  position 
at  the  Whitley  county  bar.  Excepting  two 
years  spent  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
United  States  and  Central  and  South  Ameri- 
ca in  the  interest  of  land  and  colonization 
enterprises,  he  has  devoted  his  time  and  en- 
ergies to  legal  affairs.  Mr.  DeVault  as  a 
student  won  honors  in  oratorical  contests  and 


in  1894  took  the  platform  as  a  popular  lec- 
turer, which  experience  added  luster  to  his 
already  established  reputation  as  an  enter- 
taining speaker.  Mr.  DeVault  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  is  an  influential  factor  in  his  party 
councils.  His  religious  creed  is  represented 
by  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  faith,  being  a 
member  of  Grace  church.  He  is  also  identi- 
fied with  Alpha  Zeta  chapter  of  the  Kappa 
Sigma  fraternity.  An  able  lawyer,  a  public 
spirited  citizen  and  an  intelligent  gentleman 
of  progressive  ideas,  Mr.  DeVault  holds  a 
warm  place  in  the  esteem  of  the  community. 


DAVID  AUGUST  WALTER. 

David  August  Walter,  civil  engineer  and 
official  surveyor  of  Whitley  county,  is  a 
native  of  Indiana  and  the  fifth  in  a  fam- 
ily of  twelve  children,  whose  parents  were 
Frederick  and  Mary  (Shinbeckler)  Walter. 
Frederick  Walter  was  born  in  Germany  and 
was  brought  to  America  when  a  child,  the 
family  settling  in  Whitley  county,  Indiana, 
throughout  which  the  name  has  since  be- 
come quite  familiar.  The  maternal  grand- 
father. Meinrod  Shinbeckler,  also  a  native 
of  Germany,  was  for  many  years  a  well 
known  and  respected  farmer  of  this  county, 
in  which  his  death  occurred  in  1894.  Fred- 
erick Walter  learned  the  trade  of  brick  mak- 
ing, which  he  followed  for  a  number  of  years 
in  Columbia  City  and  elsewhere,  but  later 
turned  his  attention  to  brewing.  For  twenty- 
eight  years  he  devoted  his  entire  time  to  that 
manufacture.  He  died  in  Columbia  City  at 
the  age  of  sixty  years,  his  widow,  who  sur- 
vives, having  reached  the  age  of  sixty-seven. 
Their  family  consisted  of  twelve  children. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA 


5«9 


David  August  Walter  was  born  February 
I,  1882,  in  Columbia  City  and  graduated 
from  the  high  school.  This  was  supple- 
mented by  a  course  in  Wabash  College.  Mr. 
Walter's  tastes  ran  to  mathematics  and  while 
in  college  he  devoted  considerable  attention 
to  civil  engineering.  While  still  in  college 
he  was  elected  surveyor  of  Whitley  county, 
the  duties  of  which  he  has  since  discharged 
in  a  highly  creditable  and  satisfactory  man- 
ner. In  November,  1906,  he  was  re-elected 
to  succeed  himself.  This  election  was  a  land- 
slide to  the  Republicans  and  Walter  was  the 
only  Democrat  saved  to  his  party.  Mr.  Wal- 
ter is  a  Democrat,  in  full  sympathy  with  the 
principles  of  his  party  and  keeps  thoroughly 
informed  on  the  issues  of.  the  day.  Fra- 
ternally he  belongs  to  the  Pythian  order. 


THEODORE  GARTY. 

The  gentleman  to  a  brief  review  of 
whose  career  the  following  lines  are  devoted,' 
is  an  American  by  adoption,  but  none  the 
less  an  ardent  admirer  of  the  government 
and  institutions  under  which  his  success  has 
been  achieved  and  in  all  the  term  implies  a 
loyal  citizen  of  the  state  and  nation  to  which 
for  many  years  he  has  given  his  allegiance. 
Theodore  Garty  is  a  native  of  France,  where 
his  birth  occurred  November  3,  1843,  being 
one  of  three  children  whose  parents,  John 
P.  and  Catherine  (Setton)  Garty,  were  also 
born  amid  the  vine-clad  hills  of  that  beauti- 
ful and  romantic  land.  The  father  of  Mrs. 
Garty,  Col.  Theodore  Setton,  was  a  soldier 
by  profession  and  served  the  greater  part  of 
his  life  in  the  armies  of  France,  participating 


in  a  number  of  campaigns  under  the  first 
Napoleon,  during  which  he  received  several 
slight  wounds  and  not  a  few  serious  injuries 
in  the  many  bloody  battles  in  which  his  com- 
mand was  engaged.  By  successive  promo- 
tions he  rose  from  the  ranks  to  the  command 
of  his  regiment  and  in  addition  to  filling 
the  various  offices  of  his  line  he  was  attached 
to  the  staffs  of  different  generals,  in  all  of 
these  capacities  displaying  bravery  and  gal- 
lantry, which  endeared  him  to  his  men  and 
won  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  su- 
periors. Fie  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age,  respected 
by  all  who  knew  him  and  his  name  is  hon- 
ored in  the  country  he  served  SO'  long  and 
well  as  one  of  its  most  faithful  and  devoted 
defenders.  Col.  Setton  had  one  brother, 
who  was  also  bred  to  arms  and  who  met  a 
soldier's  fate  while  upholding  the  cause  of 
the  ill-starred  Maximilian  in  Mexico.  His 
remains  fill  a  forgotten  grave  in  that  land, 
as  do  the  bodies  of  many  of  his  comrades 
who  followed  their  nation's  emblem  in  an 
unholy  cause.  John  P.  Garty,  the  subject's 
father,  came  to  America  in  1850  with  the 
object  in  view  of  preparing  a  home  for  his 
loved  ones  in  a  land  abounding  in  better 
opportunities  than  his  own  afforded.  Ani- 
mated by  laudable  zeal  he  followed  this  hon- 
orable purpose  with  every  prospect  of  suc- 
cess, but  the  fates  appeared  to  conspire 
against  him  as  he  was  taken  violently  ill 
shortly  after  arriving  at  St.  Louis.  Missouri, 
and  a  little  later  died  and  was  buried  in  that 
city.  Subsequently,  1853,  Mrs.  Garty  be- 
came the  wife  of  a  fellow  countryman  by 
the  name  of  Victor  Crauser,  with  whom  she 
and  her  children  came  to  the  United  States 
shortly  afterwards,  settling'  in  Stark  county, 
Ohio,  where  Mr.  Crauser  turned  his  atten- 


59Q 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


tion  to  the  pursuit  of  agriculture.  In  i860 
he  moved  his  family  to  Whitley  county,  In- 
diana, where  for  a  time  he  followed  any 
employment  he  found  to  do,  but  it  was  not 
long  until  his  industry  and  business  ability 
won  recognition,  with  the  result  that  they 
were  soon  directed  into  more  lucrative  chan- 
nels. In  due  time  he  opened  a  commission 
house  in  Fort  Wayne,  and  another  in  To- 
ledo', Ohio,  in  both  of  which  cities  he  built 
up  an  extensive  business  which  he  conducted 
with  well  merited  success  until  his  death 
in  1903.  By  her  first  marriage  Mrs.  Crau- 
ser  had  three  children,  and  two  by  her  sec- 
ond, the  names  of  the  former  being  Theo- 
dore, the  subject  of  this  sketch,  Simon,  who 
died  in  Columbia  City  in  1862.  and  John 
Garty,  who  departed  this  life  in  1880.  Theo- 
dore Garty  attended  school  in  his  native  land 
until  twelve  years  of  age,  during  which  time 
he  not  only  became  familiar  with  the  French 
language,  but  also  acquired  a  sufficient 
knowledge  of  the  German  tongue  to  use  it 
intelligently  in  reading  and  conversation.  On 
coming  to  America  he  found  no  use  what- 
ever for  the  language  which  he  learned  at 
his  mother's  knee,  but  had  ample  opportunity 
to  apply  his  knowledge  of  German,  there  be- 
ing not  a  few  of  that  nationality  living  in 
the  community  in  which  the  family  settled. 
He  has  never  forgotten  the  smooth,  classical 
speech  of  La-belle  France,  however,  and  still 
speaks  it  with  fluency,  its  sound  being  one 
of  the  most  musical  that  can  possibly  fall 
from  the  lips  of  man.  Mr.  Garty's  scholas- 
tic experience  was  finished  in  Ohio  and  im- 
mediately after  coming  to  Columbia.  City  he 
began  to  learn  cabinet  making,  a  trade  in 
which  he  acquired  considerable  proficiency, 
and  at   which   he   worked  under   instruction 


until  1862,  when  he  accepted  a  position  in 
an  establishment  at  Fort  Wayne,  where  he 
labored  during  the  ensuing  two  years  at 
regular  wages.  Leaving  Fort  Wayne  at  the 
expiration  of  the  period  indicated,  Mr.  Garty 
went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  worked 
as  a  journeyman  for  one  year  and  then  ac- 
cepted a  similar  position  in  a  St.  Louis  fac- 
tory, where  he  continued  for  the  same  length 
of  time,  going  from  the  latter  city  to  Quincy, 
Illinois,  between  which  place  and  Palmyra, 
Missouri,  he  spent  the  next  three  years,  be- 
coming quite  a  skilled  artisan  the  meanwhile. 
During  the  succeeding  three  years  he  was 
employed  in  the  car  shops  at  Hannibal,  Mis- 
souri, after  which  he  opened  an  establish- 
ment of  his  own  in  Lawrence  county,  Mis- 
souri. Owing  to  the  prevalence  of  malaria, 
however,  to  which  he  was  easily  susceptible 
and  from  which  he  suffered  greatly.  Mr. 
Garty  closed  out  his  business  in  Missouri  and 
sought  a  more  healthful  and  congenial  clime 
elsewhere.  Accordingly,  he  returned  to  Co- 
lumbia City,  where  he  entered  into  partner- 
ship with  his  former  employer,  Mr.  Snyder, 
the  firm  thus  constituted  conducting  a  profit- 
able business  in  the  manufacture  and  sale  of 
furniture  until  about  1879.  Mr.  Garty  es- 
tablished in  Columbia  City  a  plant  for  the 
manufacture  of  walnut  lumber  specialties, 
such  as  stir  balusters,  etc.,  procuring  his 
raw  materials  principally  from  the  limbs, 
stumps  and  other  parts  of  walnut  trees  which 
had  been  considered  as  of  little  or  no  value, 
but  which  were  found  especially  adapted  to  . 
the  ends  the  establishment  was  designed  to 
meet.  Mr.  Garty  lost  no  time  in  visiting  the 
woods  and  fields  of  the  surrounding  country 
and  for  a  trifle  procured  these  neglected  por- 
tions of  trees  and   from    the    lumber    into 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


59i 


which  they  were  converted  built  up  a  large 
and  thriving  business,  which  he  continued 
with  growing  success  until  1883.  He  con- 
verted his  factory  so  as  to  manufacture 
handles  for  forks,  hoes  and  other  agricultural 
implements,  his  plant  being'  the  larg-est  and 
best  equipped  of  the  kind  in  northeastern  In- 
diana and  as  successful  as  any  similar  enter- 
prise in  the  state.  For  twelve  consecutive 
years  Mr.  Garty  devoted  his  attention  very 
closely  to  this  line  of  manufacture,  including 
that  of  extension  tables,  and  during-  that 
time  his  establishment  forged  steadily  to 
the  front  among  the  leading  industries  of 
this  section  of  the  state,  gaining  for  him  an 
honorable  reputation  in  business  circles  and 
a  high  standing  as  an  enterprising  citizen. 
Bv  reason  of  combinations  of  capital  which 
cheapened  production  so  that  he  was  no 
longer  able  to  compete,  he  was  obliged  to 
close  his  plant  and  retire  from  the  business. 
In  1900  he  was  elected  on  the  Democratic 
ticket  county  assessor,  which  office  he  still 
Tiolds,  and  the  duties  of  which  he  has  dis- 
charged in  an  able,  trustworthy  manner, 
-creditable  to  himself- and  satisfactory  to  the 
public,  irrespective  of  political  affiliation. 

In  1871  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Garty  and  Miss  Christina  Blume,  of 
Hannibal,  Missouri,  a  union  blessed  with 
five  children:  Nellie  is  the  wife  of  Charles 
Seymour,  of  Fort  Wayne :  Edwin  E. ;  Celes- 
tia,  wife  of  Arthur  T.  Carmody;  Robert  W., 
a  telegraph  operator  in  the  employ  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  at  Colum- 
bia City;  Menna  is  still  with  her  parents. 
Mr.  Garty  and  family  are  Catholics  in  their 
religious  belief  and  have  ever  been  loyal 
to  the  Holy  Mother  church  and  its 
teachings. 


ADAM  E.  HIVELY. 

There  are  few  harder  struggles  in  life 
than  that  presented  to  a  young  mother  of 
numerous  small  children,  left  with  little 
means  and  dependent  upon  her  own  manual 
labor  to  escape  penury.  With  the  stimulus 
to  "keep  the  children  together"  until  of  age 
to  do  for  themselves,  many  a  brave  woman 
has  faced  this  task  but  none  who  met  and 
accomplished  it  in  a  more  commendable  way 
than  the  wife  of  the  Civil  war  veteran,  to 
whom  this  sketch  is  devoted.  Adam  E. 
Hively  was  born  June  15,  1842.  his  parents 
being  Jacob  and  Delilah  Hively,  of  Ohio. 
August  11.  1862,  when  entering  upon  his 
twenty-first  year,  he  enlisted  in  Company  K, 
Eighty-eighth  Regiment,  Indiana  Volunteer 
Infantry,  under  Captain  David  Harshberger 
and  served  faithfully,  being  honorably  dis- 
charged June  7.  1865.  As  a  result  of  eating 
poisoned  food  Mr.  Hively's  health  was  per- 
manently injured.  He  operated  a  barber 
shop  until  forced  to  succumb  and  died  Oc- 
tober 18,  1878,  when  only  thirty-six  years 
old.  November  15,  1866,  he  had  married 
Martha  Thorn,  then  a  mere  girl  and  a  native 
of  Whitley  county.  With  five  small  children 
she  faced  the  future  with  a  resolution  and 
determination  to  provide  for  and  keep  her 
little  ones  together.  The  struggle  was  hard 
and  bitter,  but  by  doing  washing  she  was 
enabled  to  feed  and  clothe  her  children,  giv- 
ing them  such  training  as  would  enable  them 
to  care  for  themselves.  By  the  aid  of  a 
small  pension  she  purchased  a  modest  home, 
where  she  resides  in  comfort.  Mrs.  Hive- 
lv's  five  children  are  Loran  Leroy,  propri- 
etor of  a  laundry  in  Columbia  City:  Charles 
Edward,  foreman  in  a  paint  shop  at  Auburn, 


59- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Indiana;  Effie  May,  wife  of  Frank  Hopkins; 
Leona,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fifteen ;  and 
Alice  Josephine,  who  died  at  sixteen. 


.MARTIN  L.  GALBREATH. 

The  Galbreath  family  originated  in  Scot- 
land. The  first  authentic  record  is  in  1750 
when  three  brothers  from  Glasgow  crossed 
the  North  Channel  and  settled  in  the  little 
Irish  village  of  Bellanahench,  about  twenty 
miles  south  of  Belfast.  Their  residence  here 
was  of  short  duration  when  they  came  to 
America  and  settled  near  Carlisle,  Pennsyl- 
vania. One  of  them,  the  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  took  an  active  part  on  behalf  of  the 
government  in  the  whisky  insurrection.  He 
was  a  noncommissioned  officer  of  the  Con- 
tinental army  and  did  good  service  during 
the  entire  Revolution.  Religiously  for  sev- 
eral generations  the  Galbreath  family  has 
been  identified  with  the  Universalist  church 
and  has  adhered  to  the  different  political 
parties  that  have  been  in  opposition  to  the 
Democracy,  but  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
has  been  an  active  Democrat  since  his  ma- 
jority and  his  counsel  and  assistance  are 
sought  and  given  in  each  campaign.  While 
not  a  member  of  any  church  himself  and 
family  are  regular  attendants  and  support- 
ers of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  in  Co- 
lumbia City. 

Mr.  Galbreath  was  born  on  the  farm  in 
Kosciusko  county  May  12,  1858.  While 
yet  quite  young  his  father  died,  leaving  a 
large  family  dependent  on  the  mother.  He 
made  the  most  of  conditions  on  the  farm, 
attended  the  district  school  and  began  teach- 
ing at  nineteen.  He  worked  his  way 
through    the   Indiana    State   Normal,   com- 


pleting the  course  in  1878.  For  several 
years  his  work  was  teaching  and  he  held  the 
principalship  in  various  towns,  but  located  in 
1883  on  a  beautiful  farm  at  Collamer,  which 
he  still  owns.  In  the  fall  of  1890  he  was 
elected  trustee  of  Cleveland  township, 
brought  order  out  of  chaos  and  put  the 
township  in  good  condition,  financial  and 
otherwise.  Soon  after  the  expiration  of  his 
term  as  trustee  he  was  appointed  receiver 
for  the  Arnold  bank  and  his  work  in  closing 
the  business  of  this  financial  wreck  attract- 
ed the  attention  of  financiers,  so  that  on  the 
organization  of  the  Provident  Trust  Com- 
pany at  Columbia  City  in  1900  he  was  of- 
fered and  accepted  the  position  of  manager. 
His  conduct  of  this  institution  has  been 
eminently  satisfactory  to  the  patrons  of  this 
bank,  as  well  as  to  its  stockholders  and 
officers.  He  has  shown  himself  large 
enough  to  master  the  various  and  compre- 
hensive functions  of  this  highly  successful 
institution  and  has  its  business  well  in  hand. 
He  is  the  best  posted  man  on  farm  values 
and  conditions  in  the  county. 

October  18,  1882,.  Mr.  Galbreath  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ellen  Puter- 
baugh,  of  Peru,  Indiana,  and  to  them  have 
been  born  five  children :  Neva,  a  teacher  in 
the  Columbia  City  schools;  Russell,  just 
completing  the  high  school  course ;  Mariae, 
a  student  in  the  high  school ;  and  Jamie  and 
Walter,  aged  five  and  two  years. 


ROBERT  R.  SCOTT. 

This  enterprising  business  man.  who  has 
contributed  greatly  to  the  material  advance- 
ment of  Columbia  City  and  adjacent  coun- 
try, is  a  native  of  Whitlev  county.  Indiana. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


503 


and  dates  his  birth  from  November  10,  1857. 
His  parents,  James  E.  and  Lydia  Scott,  came 
from  Ohio,  the  former  being  of  Scotch-Irish 
descent,  the  latter  of  Welsh  blood.  James 
E.'s  father,  Robert,  a  native  of  Ireland,  im- 
migrated to  the  United  States  a  number  of 
years  ago  and  settled  in  Indiana  county, 
Pennsylvania,  thence  removed  to  Fayette 
count)-.  Ohio,  where  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  life  as  an  industrious  and  prosperous 
tiller  of  the  soil.  His  wife.  Mary  Ray.  who 
was  of  Scotch  lineage,  also  died  in  the  above 
county,  leaving  five  children,  of  whom  James 
E.  Scott  was  the  fourth.  James  E.  Scott  re- 
mained in  Ohio  until  attaining  his  maturity, 
when  he.  in  1849,  located  permanently  in 
Whitley  county,  taking  possession  of  a  tract 
of  two  hundred  acres  in  Troy  township, 
which  his  father  had  previously  purchased 
from  the  government.  In  due  time  he  de- 
veloped a  fine  farm  and  followed  agricultural 
pursuits  with  success  and  profit  all  his  life. 
He  died  on  his  home  place  in  December. 
18S4,  his  widow  surviving  to  the  present 
time.  The  maiden  name  of  Mrs.  Scott  was 
Lydia  Cockerill :  her  ancestors,  originally 
Welsh,  settling  in  Virginia,  from  which 
state  they  subsequently  migrated  westward 
and  became  identified  with  the  growth  and 
development  of  various  parts  of  Ohio,  in 
several  counties  of  which  the  name  is  still 
familiar.  Three  children  were  born  to  J.  E. 
and  Lydia  Scott,  namely:  James  W..  a  phy- 
sician of  Whitley  county ;  Edward  M.  (de- 
ceased) and  Robert  R. 

Robert  R.  Scott  was  reared  and  educated 
in  Whitley  county  and  on  arriving  at  man- 
hood's estate  took  charge  of  the  family  home- 
stead, where  he  followed  the  pursuit  of  ag- 
riculture until  1891.  at  which  time  he  dis- 
38 


continued  tilling  the  soil  and  became  a  real 
estate  agent  in  the  city  of  Chicago.  After 
a  short  time  there  he  returned  to  the  farm, 
which  had  fallen  to  him  by  inheritance,  and 
which  he  still  owns,  and  continued  its  man- 
agement until  April.  1904,  when  he  removed 
to  Columbia  City,  the  better  to  look  after  the 
interests  of  the  Wilmot  Mutual  Telephone 
Company,  which  had  been  organized  in  the 
meantime,  and  of  which  he  was  secretary' 
and  director.  Mr.  Scott  was  officially  con- 
nected with  this  enterprise  until  the  follow- 
ing year,  when  he  promoted  the  Farmers' 
Mutual  Telephone  Company,  of  Whitley 
county,  which  was  originally  capitalized  at 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  and  subse- 
quently increased  to  one  hundred  thousand, 
and  of  which  he  was  president.  After  one 
year  as  executive  head  of  the  concern  he 
was  made  general  solicitor  and  field  man- 
ager, in  addition  to  which  he  also  became. 
in  Jul}-,  1906.  assistant  secretary,  discharg- 
ing the  duties  of  these  responsible  positions 
in  an  able  and  praiseworthy  mariner,  as  the 
rapid  growth  of  the  enterprise  in  public  favor 
abundantly  attests.  On  March  16,  1904,  the 
first  instrument  was  set,  since  which  time 
considerably  in  excess  of  one  thousand  have 
been  installed  and  the  efficiency  of  the  enter- 
prise greatly  facilitated.  The  company  rep- 
resents an  actual  investment  of  forty-five 
thousand  dollars  and  as  originally  planned 
something  like  thirty  thousand  dollars  addi- 
tional capital  will  be  required  in  order  to 
make  it  meet  the  purposes  for  which  de- 
signed. There  are  at  present  seven  hundred 
stockholders,  among  whom  are  many  of  the 
leading  farmers  of  the  county  and  the  lines 
are  being  extended  so  as  to  communicate 
with  various  points  in  the  counties  of  Whit- 


594 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ley,  Kosciusko,  Huntington.  Cass,  Miami, 
Wabash,  Noble  and  DeKalb.  At  this  time 
the  company  has  instruments  in  Whitley, 
Huntington,  Noble  and  Kosciusko  counties 
and  about  six  hundred  miles  of  wire,  but 
the  enterprise  is  being  pushed  rapidly  fur- 
ward  and*  when  completed  it  will  doubtless 
prove  one  of  the  most  efficient  and  best  man- 
aged plants  of  the  kind  in  the  state.  The 
credit  of  the  undertaking  belongs  largely  to 
Mr.  Scott  and  to  him  more  than  any  other 
is  due  its  steady  growth  and  the  confidence 
with  which  it  is  regarded  by  the  public.  Air. 
Scott  possesses  business  abilities  of  a  high 
order,  is  a  fine  executive  and  manager,  and 
under  his  able  direction  the  company,  as  al- 
ready indicated,  is  forging  rapidly  to  the 
front  among  similar  enterprises  through'  nit 
Indiana  and  other  states. 

Mr.  Scott  was  married  April  10,  1879, 
to  Miss  Margaret  Templeton,  of  Etna 
township.  Three  children  were  born  and  pe- 
culiarly all  were  born  on  the  7th  of  the 
month.  The  two  surviving  are  Ina,  a  teach- 
er in  Etna  township  Central  school,  and  Mar- 
vin, manager  of  the  Central  Union  Tele- 
phone station  at  Huntertown,  Indiana.  Mr. 
Scott  is  a  Democrat  and  is  generally  found 
in  campaign  work. 


GEORGE  ALLEN  PONTIUS. 

The  gentleman  whose  biography  is  here- 
with presented  is  a  native  of  Pickaway 
county.  Ohio,  where  his  birth  occurred  Jan- 
uary 14.  i860.  He  is  descended  From  an 
"Id  German  family  that  settled  in  Pennsyl- 
vania at  an  early  period  in  the  history  of  that 


state  and  it  was  there  that  his  grandfather, 
Daniel  Pontius,  reared  his  family  and  spent 
his  entire  life  as  an  honest,  industrious  tiller 
of  the  soil,  a  vocation  which  the  majority  of 
the  name  appear  to  have  followed.  Levi 
Pontius,  son  of  Daniel,  and  father  of  the 
subject,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  but  in 
early  life  went  to  Ohio,  settling  in  Pickaway 
county,  where  he  married,  reared  a  family 
and  followed  quite  successfully  the  pursuit 
of  agriculture  and  stock  raising.  At  one 
time  he  made  arrangements  to  dispose  of  his 
holdings  in  Ohio  and  move  his  family  to 
Indiana,  to  which  end  he  came  in  advance  to 
the  latter  state  and  purchased  land  in  Adams 
county,  which  he  designed  for  a  home  for 
himself  and  those  dependent  upon  him,  bul 
before  he  could  carry  out  his  plans  he  was 
seized  with  a  violent  illness  which  soon  de- 
veloped unmistakable  symptoms  of  hydro- 
phobia, although  nineteen  years  had  elapsed 
since  he  had  been  bitten  by  a  dog.  having  al- 
most forgotten  the  occurrence.  In  due  time, 
however,  the  dread  disease  manifested  itself 
and  after  intense  suffering  and  untold  ag- 
ony, death  mercifully  came  to  his  relief. 
Shortly  after  the  demise  of  her  husband  Airs. 
I'ontius  and  her  children  soon  moved  to  the 
farm  in  Adams  count)',  Indiana,  on  which 
some  improvements  had  been  made,  and 
there  she  raised  her  family  and  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  her  life.  Some  years  after 
changing-  her  residence  to  this  state  she  be- 
came the  wife  of  Jacob  Clinge.  with  whom 
she  lived  until  called  to  the  other  world  in 
r886.  By  her  first  marriage  she  was  the 
mother  of  six  children,  Daniel,  deceased: 
Sarah  Elizabeth,  deceased:  Rachel  Ellen, 
wife  of  Fletcher  Rayns;  George  Allen: 
Emma  and  Minnie,  the  last  two  deceased. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


595 


George  Allen  Pontius  was  quite  young 
when  brought  by  his  mother  to  Indiana  and 
his  early  life  on  the  farm  in  Adams  county 
was  pretty  much  after  that  of  the  majority 
of  boys  reared  in  close  touch  with  nature  in 
the  woods  and  fields.  His  first  school  expe- 
rience was  in  a  crude  log  building,  hastily 
constructed  and  meagerly  furnished,  but  la- 
ter he  pursued  his  studies  under  most  fa- 
vorable conditions  until  obtaining  a  fair 
knowledge  of  the  branches  constituting  the 
common  school  curriculum.  Although  young 
in  years  the  conditions  under  which  the  fam- 
ily were  obliged  to  live  early  threw  upon 
him  cares  and  responsibilities  ill  suited  to  his 
tender  age,  but  he  acquitted  himself  with 
credit  in  the  work  of  the  farm  and  contrib- 
uted his  full  share  to  the  support  of  his 
mother  and  other  members  of  the  home  cir- 
cle. Being  needed  in  the  fields  during  the 
spring,  summer  and  part  of  the  fall  months, 
his  educational  advantages  were  consequent- 
ly limited,  but  by  making  the  most  of  his 
opportunities  he  in  due  time,  as  already  in- 
dicated, succeeded  in  becoming  quite  well  in- 
formed. In  addition  to  the  district  schools 
which  he  attended  in  winter  seasons  during 
his  childhood  and  youth  he  subsequently  pur- 
sued his  studies  for  about  three  years  in  a 
village  school  of  higher  grade,  at  Vera  Cruz. 
Indiana,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  accepted 
a  position  in  a  drug  store,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1875.  In  that  year  Mr.  Pontius 
went  to  Bryant,  Indiana,  where  he  also  en- 
gaged in  the  capacity  of  drug  clerk  and  after 
remaining  there  for  a  period  of  two  years 
accepted  a  similar  position  in  the  city  of 
Bluffton,  where  he  continued  during  the  en- 
suing four  years,  severing  his  connection 
with  his  employer  at"  the  expiration  of  the 


time  indicated  to  become  traveling  salesman 
for  a  wholesale  drug  house.  Mr.  Pontius 
represented  his  firm  on  the  road  about  two 
years,  or  until  1884,  when  he  resigned  his 
position  and  engaged  in  the  drug  business  in 
Columbia  City  upon  his  own  responsibility. 
Three  years  later  he  purchased  a  drug  store 
that  stood  on  the  lot  occupied  by  his  present 
building  and  in  due  season  built  up  an  ex- 
tensive trade,  which  has  steadily  increased 
from  that  time  to  the  present,  being  now  one 
of  the  largest  and  most  successful  drug"  deal- 
ers in  Columbia  City,  with  an  establishment 
complete  in  all  its  departments  and  fully 
stocked  with  everything  demanded  by  the 
trade.  In  addition  to  his  regular  retail  and 
prescription  business  he  does  quite  a  profit- 
able jobbing  trade,  his  store  occupying  a 
larg'er  space  and  representing  more  capital 
than  any  other  establishment  of  the  kind  in 
the  northeastern  part  of  the  state.  The  build- 
ing is  three  stories  high,  twenty-one  by  one 
hundred  and  fiftv  feet  in  area,  the  entire 
space  being  devoted  to  his  business  with  re- 
sults that  have  been  highly  satisfactory,  as 
the  ample  fortune  which  he  has  accumulated 
bears  evidence.  Mr.  Pontius  is  not  only  a 
careful  and  methodical  business  man,  thor- 
oughly conversant  with  every  detail  of  the 
line  of  trade  to  which  his  attention  is  de- 
voted, but  as  a  skillful  pharmacist  stands 
at  the  head  of  his  profession  and  enjoys  to 
the  utmost  the  confidence  of  his  numerous 
customers.  He  is  a  careful  buyer,  employs 
modern  methods  throughout  his  establish- 
ment and  to  his  easy,  courteous  manner  and 
eminently  fair  and  honorable  dealings  he  at- 
tributes not  a  little  of  the  large  measure  of 
success  which  he  to-day  enjoys,  Mr.  Pon- 
tius is  nut  only  a  representative  business  man 


396 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


of  the  modern  school,  who  keeps  abreast  of 
the  times  in  everything  relating  to  his  lines, 
but  is  also  a  public-spirited  citizen,  with  the 
welfare  of  the  community  at  heart,  and  a 
cultured  gentleman  whom  to  know  is  to  re- 
spect and  honor.  By  industry,  sound  judg- 
ment and  rare  forethought  he  has  succeeded 
in  establishing  himself  and  family  in  the 
confidence  of  the  people,  and  his  high  stand- 
ing in  business  circles  and  in  the  social 
world  has  been  fairly  and  honestly  won. 
Starting  in  life  with  no  capital  save  a  well 
rounded  character,  sterling-  honesty  and  a 
will  that  hesitated  at  no  difficulties,  he  per- 
severingly  pursued  a  straightforward,  man- 
ly course,  taking  advantage  of  opportunities 
when  the)7  presented  themselves  and  creating 
them  where  they  did  not  exist,  he  gradually 
surmounted  every  obstacle  in  his  way  and 
now,  in  the  prime  and  vigor  of  his  life  and 
power,  he  has  reached  an  eminence  which 
few  attain.  Mr.  Pontius  began  in  1894 
making  sealing  wax  just  for  local  trade  and 
the  business  has  become  one  of  great  propor- 
tions, making  now  in  the  neighborhood  of 
five  hundred  tons  per  year  and  which  is  sold 
from  coast  to  coast  and  is  known  as  Pontius 
Pure  Sealing-  Wax.  He  owns  land  in  Adams 
county,  Indiana,  and  valuable  property  in 
Columbia  City. 

On  June  7.  1893.  Mr.  Pontius  entered 
the  marriage  relation  with  Miss  Estella  May 
Baker,  of  Columbia  City,  who  has  borne  him 
two  children,  Thomas  Thornburg,  whose 
birth  occurred  on  May  17,  1894,  and  May, 
whose  natal  day  is  December  2j.  1895.  Es- 
sentially a  business  man  and  making  every 
other  consideration  subordinate  thereto,  Mr. 
Pontius  has  not  been  unmindful  of  the  du- 
ties of  citizenship,  or  of  the  debt  which  ev- 


ery enterprising  man  owes  the  public.  He 
has  ever  been  interested  in  whatever  makes 
for  the  general  good  of  his  city  and  county, 
encourages  all  laudable  measures  for  the  so- 
cial, intellectual  and  moral  advancement  of 
his  fellowmen  and  in  every  relation  of  life 
his  influence  has  been  both  salutory  and 
powerful.  He  has  attained  high  standing  in 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  including"  among  oth- 
ers the  degree  of  Sir  Knight,  is  also  an  active 
worker  in  the  Pythian  order  and,  with  his 
wife,  belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  church, 
both  being  zealous  and  consistent  members 
and  deeply  interested  in  all  lines  of  activity 
under  the  auspices  of  the  same.  He  is  a 
Democrat  in  politics. 


LEWIS  HARTMAN. 

This  honorable  citizen  and  gallant  ex- 
soldier  is  a  native  of  Shelby  county,  Ohio, 
where  his  birth  occurred  August  12,  1842. 
being  the  son  of  Peter  and  Savilla  Hartman. 
Peter  Hartman.  whose  parents  came  from 
Germany,  was  born  in  Lehigh  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, about  TS14.  and  when  a  mere  lad 
accompanied  the  family  to  Shelby  count}', 
Ohio,  where  he  grew  to  maturity  and  re- 
sided until  1853.  Pie  there  married  Savilla 
Swander,  who  was  born  in  Fairfield  county. 
May  2^,  1820,  and  moved  to  Whitley 
county  in  August,  1883.  purchasing'  one  hun- 
dred sixtv  acres  of  land  near  Columbia  City, 
where  he  died  in  1864,  surviving  his  wife 
eight  years.  Her  parents  were  Frederick,  of 
Lehigh  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  Eva 
Glick,  of  same  county,  and  they  came  to 
Ohio  about  one    hundred  years    ago.     The 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


597 


Swander  family  in  America  starts  with 
Frederick,  who  came  from  Switzerland  to 
Philadelphia  in  1732.  The  family  numbers 
about  two  thousand  in  America.  Peter  and 
Savilla  Hartman  had  ten  children :  Peter, 
win i  died  in  infancy;  Lewis;  Benjamin  F., 
who  served  in  Company  D,  Seventy-fourth 
Indiana  Infantry,  during  the  late  Civil  war. 
and  died  near  Leesburg.  Indiana,  April. 
1904;  George  Michael,  a  farmer  near  Lees- 
burg. Indiana ;  Jonathan  Monroe,  a  farmer 
of  Richland  township,  Whitley  county; 
Katherine  Jane,  who  is  the  wife  of  John 
Rittenhouse,  a  resident  of  Thorncreek  t(  iwn- 
ship,  this  county ;  Florence,  wife  of  Andrew 
Roberts,  of  Shelby  county,  Ohio;  Sarah, 
twin  sister  of  Florence,  also  married  a  Mr. 
Roberts,  a  brother  of  Andrew,  and  lives  in 
Shelby  count}',  Ohio ;  James,  who  died  in 
infancy;  Eva  Savilla,  Mrs.  John  Fey.  als<> 
a  resident  of  Shelby  county.  Ohio. 

Lewis  Hartman  attended  the  district 
schools,  meantime  working  on  the  farm.  He 
was  eleven  vears  old  on  coming  to  Whitley 
county.  He  worked  on  a  farm  as  a  hired 
man  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Great  Re- 
bellion, when  he  responded  to  the  President's 
call  fur  volunteers  by  enlisting  in  his  nine- 
teenth vear,  in  1861,  in  Company  E,  Seven- 
teenth Indiana  Infantry.  He  was  with  his 
regiment  throughout  its  varied  experience, 
being  in  a  number  of  campaigns  and  on 
many  bloodv  battle  fields.  He  was  in  West 
Virginia  under  General  Reynolds  and  took 
part  in  the  battle  of  Cheat  Mountain,  thence 
to  Louisville,  Kentucky,  being  attached  to 
General  Nelson's  command.  At  Gallatin. 
Tennessee,  the  Seventeenth  was  assigned  to 
General  Wilder's  celebrated  cavalry  brigade. 
At   Leet's    Tan  Yard,   Georgia,   the    entire 


command,  by  reason  of  the  overwhelming 
force  of  the  enemy  surrounding  it.  was  re- 
ported lost  or  captured.  Cutting  his  way 
through  the  opposing  force  General  Wilder 
succeeded  in  effecting  his  escape,  this  being 
one  of  the  two  hundred  battles  in  which  the 
brigade  participated.  Mr.  Hartman  was 
honorably  discharged  at  Macon,  Georgia,  in 
August,  1S65.  and  immediately  resumed  the 
peaceful  pursuits  of  civil  life  as  a  tiller  of 
the  soil.  In  1867  he  mined  to  the  farm  in 
Columbia  township,  three  miles  southwest  of 
Columbia  City,  on  which  he  still  lives  and 
which,  under  his  persevering  toil  and  able 
management,  has  been  cleared  and  brought 
to  an  advanced  state  of  tillage,  one  hundred 
acres  being  under  cultivation,  the  remaining 
sixtv  consisting  of  fine  timber  land  and  pas- 
turage. The  original  log  cabin  has  been  re- 
placed bv  a  splendid  modern  residence  and 
in  place  of  the  pole  stable  and  rude  sheds 
for  live  stock  there  are  now  a  first-class  barn 
and  substantial  outbuildings.  The  farm  is 
well  drained  and  in  all  that  constitutes  a 
representative  agriculturist  its  owner  may  be 
reckoned  among  the  most  enterprising  and 
progressive. 

November  11.  1866.  Mr.  Hartman  en- 
tered the  marriage  relation  with  Miss  Anna 
Nolt,  born  September  9.  1843.  in  Whitley 
county,  whose  mother.  Reginia  Schrader. 
German  by  birth,  died  here  in  1900.  at  the 
ripe  old  age  of  ninety  years.  The  children 
are:  AVilliam  H. :  George  A.,  died  in  child- 
hood; Mary  S.  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Schra- 
der :  Cora  married  Byron  Yohe :  John  Na- 
than:  Olin;  Katherine,  wife  of  Edward 
Metz  ;  Franklin  ;  Irven  L. ;  Jennie  is  the  wife 
of  Harry  Steele  and  Fannie  at  home. 

Four  of  the  sons.  William.  John.  Nathan 


59§ 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


and  Olin,  each  have  a  section  of  land  in 
Cherry  county,  Nebraska,  which  they  are 
holding  as  homesteads.  Charles  Schrader 
and  Byron  Yohe  are  farmers  of  Miner 
township.  Edward  Metz  is  a  stenographer 
with  the  Capitol  Rattan  Company,  In- 
dianapolis. Franklin  is  employed  on  drain- 
age work  in  Iowa.  Irven  L.  is  operating  the 
home  farm  and  Harry  Steele  is  a  carpenter 
in  Orland  township. 

Mr.  Hartman  holds  to  the  faith  of  the 
Church  of  God.  in  which  he  has  been  an 
elder  much  of  the  time  during  the  past 
twenty  years.  His  wife  was  born  and  reared 
a  Mennonite  and  is  still  loyal  to  the  teach- 
ings of  that  denomination. 

Mrs.  Hartman  is  daug-hter  of  Jonas  and 
Regina  (Schrader)  Nolt,  who  came  from 
Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania,  to  Whitley 
county  in  1845,  purchasing' two  thousand  one 
hundred  acres  of  land  in  The  Beaver  Re- 
serve, settling  two  miles  south  of  Columbia 
City.  He  soon  after  built  a  saw  mill  and 
carding  mill  on  the  banks  of  Eel  river,  one 
mile  from  his  house,  placing  his  oldest  son 
John  in  charge,  he  devoting  bis  attention  to 
making  a  farm.  He  died  in  February,  1857, 
aged  fifty-eight.  His  widow  survived  till 
past  ninety.  At  the  father's  death  two  sons, 
Amos,  aged  twenty-one.  and  Emanuel,  aged 
eight,  died  of  the  same  disease,  typhoid 
fever.  John  took  charg'e  of  the  farm,  living 
on  the  old  homestead  during  his  life,  dying 
at  about  forty.  His  widow  still  lives  at  the 
old  homestead.  Of  six  daughters  there  are 
living  in  1907:  Barbara,  a  widow  of  James 
Myers,  who  has  part  of  the  original  pur- 
chase of  his  father;  Lizzie,  wife  of  Na- 
than Roberts,  also  farmer  on  same  tract; 
and  Anna,  Mrs.   Hartman.     Three  daugh- 


ters are  deceased :  Fanny,  who  married 
Henry  Eberhart,  and  died  past  seventy, 
and  who  had  survived  her  husband  eighteen 
years.  Their  son  Jacob  has  her  share  of  the 
Nolt  estate ;  Mary  married  Jeston  Honni- 
thore — both  are  deceased ;  his  son  William 
is  on  the  old  homestead;  Leah  married  Wil- 
liam Lichtenwalter  and  died  soon  after  mar- 
riage ;  he  finally  sold  the  farm  and  with  a 
daughter  lives  in  Illinois.  Each  daughter 
received  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  or  its 
value  of  the  original  purchase. 


Rev.  DAVID  A.  WORKMAN. 

A  preacher  himself  and  a  son  of  a 
preacher,  a  lifelong  farmer,  and  descended 
from  a  generation  of  farmers,  the  above 
named  g-entleman  is  now  enjoying  repose  at 
his  well  earned  home  in  one  of  the  best  agri- 
cultural sections  of  tbis  county.  Though  not 
as  yet  an  old  man,  be  is  the  only  survivor  of 
a  once  numerous  family,  which  included  sev- 
eral sets  of  children,  with  the  usual  collateral 
relatives  now  all  g-one.  His  parents,  Levi 
and  Catherine  (Hunter)  Workman,  were 
farmers  in  Ohio  in  the  olden  days  of  that 
state,  but  came  to  Kosciusko  county,  Indi- 
ana, in.  1859,  found  a  home  on  a  small  farm 
and  there  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives. 
They  were  devout  members  of  the  German 
Baptist  church,  in  which  denomination  the 
father  was  a  preacher  for  forty  years,  and 
was  the  elder  in  the  Columbia  City  church  at 
its  organization  and  continued  to  serve  this 
church  for  several  years.  Their  children, 
eight  in  number,  were  George,  Norman. 
Isaac,  Sanford,  Eliza,  David  A.,  Lydia  and 
Robinson.    David   being-  the  onlv  survivor. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


599 


Mr.  Workman  later  married  Julia  Secrist,  by 
whom  he  had  two  children,  Martha  and 
Mar}'.  His  second  wife  dying,  there  was 
a  third  marriage  to  Sarah  Andrews,  who 
died  without  issue.  David  A.  Workman,  the 
sixth  child,  was  born  in  Knox  county,  Ohio, 
September  4,  1848,  and  hence  was  about 
eleven  years  old  when  the  parental  emigra- 
tion to  Indiana  took  place.  He  remained  at 
home  as  a  helper  in  the  farm  work  until  he 
had  completed  his  twenty-fourth  year,  when 
he  engaged  in  labor  on  his  own  account.  In 
1876  he  was  elected  a  minister  of  the  Ger- 
man Baptist  church  and  ordained  by  the  el- 
ders <>f  the  church  in  the  same  year.  His 
first  regular  charge  was  the  church  at  Co- 
lumbia City  and  he  has  continued  to  serve 
that  church  most  of  the  time  since.  He  has 
done  evangelistic  work  elsewhere,  including 
various  places  in  Ohio,  as  also  in  many  coun- 
ties of  Indiana.  Himself  and  wife  are  the 
mil}-  resident  survivors  of  the  original  mem- 
bers of  the  Columbia  City  church.  He  has 
generally  attended  as  a  delegate  to  the  dis- 
trict conference.  Failing  health  in  1900 
compelled  him  to  give  up  ministerial  work. 
He  owns  a  neat  farm  of  forty  acres  in 
Thorncreek  township,  where  he  lives  in  prac- 
tical retirement.  He  is  a  man  of  intelli- 
gence, well  informed  on  public  questions, 
stanchly  Republican  in  politics  and  regarded 
favorably  by  all  his  acquaintances. 

September  8,  1872,  Mr.  Workman  mar- 
ried Henrietta,  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Charity  (Bowman)  Connell,  of  Stark  county, 
Ohio.  Her  parents  came  to  Indiana  in  the 
spring  of  1865,  first  settling  in  Kosciusko 
county,  but  eight  years  later  they  came  to 
Whitley  county  and  located  on  a  farm  in 
Thorncreek  township.     The  father  died  in 


1894,  but  his  widow  is  still  living.  Their 
eight  children  were  Henrietta,  Samantha, 
Levi.  Rachel,  Lemon,  Harriet,  William  and 
May,  of  whom  six  are  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Workman  have  had  seven  children  :  Charity, 
deceased  in  young  girlhood;  Minetta,  wife 
of  Dr.  L.  A.  Kenner;  Ira,  a  railroad  man, 
married  Bertha  Jackson  and  lives  in  Fort 
Wayne ;  Amos,  who  married  Estella  Shu- 
man  and  is  a  railroad  employe ;  Homer  is 
also  with  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  at  Fort 
Wayne;  Blanche,  wife  of  Horton  Bills,  of 
Troy  township;  and  Roy,  deceased  at  thir- 
teen. 


JAMES  L.  MALONEY. 

An  emigrant  ship  that  came  over  in  1832 
brought  a  bright  Irish  lad  by  the  name  of 
Patrick  Maloney.  He  was  the  poorest  of  the 
pool-  but  being  ambitious  was  determined  to 
make  a  success  of  life  somewhere  in  the  great 
republic.  Making  his  way  to  Indiana,  which 
was  then  an  uninviting  wilderness,  Patrick 
joined  the  early  pioneers  in  Whitley  county 
and  was  one  of  the  noble  band  that  redeemed 
it  from  the  wilderness.  A  few  years  after 
his  arrival  an  Irish  girl,  by  the  name  of  Cath- 
erine Welsh,  also  became  a  resident  of  Indi- 
ana. They  met  and  married  and  about  1836 
settled  on  a  tract  of  wild  land  in  Smith  town- 
ship, just  north  of  Churubusco.  Since  then 
the  name  of  Maloney  has  been  a  familiar 
one  in  this  locality  and  none  has  enjoyed 
more  general  respect  as  a  member  of  the 
pioneer  army  who  made  Whitley  county. 
Patrick  Maloney  died  when  about  fifty-five 
years  old,  but  his  widow  long  survived  him, 
spending  the  last  years  of  her  life  in  Swan 


6oo 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


township.  Noble  count}-,  where  she  passed 
away  in  the  seventy-sixth  year  of  her  age. 
Patrick  Maloney's  children  that  attained  ma- 
turity were  Mary,  wife  of  George  Hull,  and 
lives  in  Noble  county;  Ellen  married  Wil- 
liam Kennedy  and  lives  at  Elwood,  Indiana  ; 
John  is  a  farmer  of  Eel  River,  Allen  county ; 
James  M. ;  Patrick  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
five  years;  Nancy,  deceased  wife  of  John 
Wilkinson;  Bridget  married  Edward  Sum- 
mers and  are  both  deceased.  James  L.  Ma- 
loney,  fourth  of  the  seven  children,  was  born 
on  the  paternal  farm  in  Whitley  county, 
October  9,  1846.  As  he  grew  up  he  helped  in 
all  the  work  incidental  to  pioneer  farming, 
mastered  the  details  and  thus  qualified  him- 
self for  his  future  responsibilities  in  the  same 
line  of  business.  In  the  course  of  time  he 
became  owner  of  this  Smith  township  land, 
which  now  amounts  to  two  hundred  and 
thirty  acres,  the  greater  part  of  which  is  well 
improved.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of-  the 
model  farmers  and  as  he  has  spent  all  his 
life  on  his  place  just  north  of  town,  has  ob- 
tained a  wide  acquaintance  both  with  the 
older  and  younger  generations.  His  long 
residence  of  over  sixty  years  in  his  native 
township  gives  him  rank  as  a  charter  mem- 
ber of  the  early  pioneers  and  entitles  him  to 
a  front  seat  in  the  meetings  of  old  settlers. 
Though  not  an  office-seeker,  Mr.  Maloney 
is  not  neglectful  of  public  affairs  and  as  a 
stanch  Democrat  may  be  relied  on  to  assist 
whenever  anything  is  on  hand  concerning 
the  welfare  of  the  community. 

August  2T.  1876.  Mr.  Maloney  was  mar- 
ried to  Mary  Ann.  daughter  of  Philip  and 
Julia  (Cullen)  Lynch,  early  settlers  of  Green 
township,  Noble  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ma- 
loney  have  nine  living  children:      Edward. 


on  part  of  the  homestead,  his  wife  being 
Elizabeth  Burns;  Lawrence  married  Bessie 
Magers  and  is  an  electrician  at  Ouray.  Colo- 
rado ;  Joseph :  Patrick,  a  teacher  in  the 
Whitley  county  schools  ;  Catherine  was  edu- 
cated at  Sacred  Heart  Academy  and  is  a 
teacher  of  music  at  the  home;  Julia,  Lewis. 
Mary  and  Bernard  are  all  at  home.  The 
family  are  members  of  the  Immaculate  Con- 
ception Roman  Catholic  church  and  are 
much  esteemed  as  they  are  good  friends, 
eood  citizens  and  srood  neie'hbors. 


JOHN  M.  SMITH. 

Among  the  emigrants  from  the  Rhine 
Baier,  Germany,  who  settled  in  Ohio  in 
1843  were  Henry  and  Catherine  (Lepley) 
Smith.  They  located  in  Tuscarawas  county 
and  lived  there  many  years,  but  in  1856  re- 
moved to  Whitley  count}-  and  took  posses- 
sion of  a  farm  in  Smith  township  three  miles 
south  of  Cherubusco.  Eventually  finding 
old  age  pressing  on,  the  father  located  in 
Churubusco  and  lived  in  retirement  until  his 
career  was  closed  by  death,  when  about 
eighty-five  years  old.  His  widow  died  in 
LTnion  township  in  her  eighty-ninth  year. 
Six  of  their  children  reached  maturity :  Cath- 
erine, widow  of  James  Roach,  of  Union 
township ;  William,  of  Middlebury.  Indiana  ; 
Henry,  in  Union  township;  John  M. ;  Philip, 
of  Richmond,  Indiana,  a  lumber  dealer,  and 
Adam  J.  Smith,  of  Decatur,  Indiana,  also  a 
lumberman.  John  M.  Smith  was  the  fourth 
in  age.  He  was  born  in  Tuscarawas  count}-. 
Ohio,  March  18,  1848.  and  thus  was  eight 
years  old   when    his   parents   reached   their 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


60 1 


new  home  in  Indiana.  He  grew  up  on  the 
Smith  township  farm,  and  after  completing 
his  twenty-first  year  began  working  out  by 
the  nn  mth  with  farmers  of  the  neighbor- 
hood. Too  ambitious  to  continue  this  line, 
he  rented  his  father's  farm  when  twenty-four 
years  old  and  managed  it  in  his  own  interest 
until  1876.  At  that  time  he  removed  to  Ar- 
eola and  put  in  three  years  at  hauling  saw- 
logs  for  the  neighboring  mills.  In  1879  he 
returned  to  his  father's  farm,  took  charge  as 
before  and  conducted  it  for  four  years  and 
then  purchased  a  place  in  Union  township, 
where  he  made  his  home  until  December, 
1904,  when  he  decided  to  retire  from  active 
business.  Taking  up  his  residence  at  Churu- 
busco,  he  has  since  been  one  of  the  respected 
■citizens  of  that  place,  esteemed  for  Ids 
probity  and  kindly  disposition.  Mr.  Smith  is 
a  Democrat  in  politics  and  though  not  seek- 
ing office  for  himself,  keeps  posted  on  public 
■questions,  especially  those  of  a  local  nature, 
and  may  be  counted  on  to  lend  a  hand  when 
questions  are  being  considered  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  public  welfare.  His  farm 
in  Union  township  consists  of  one  hundred 
and  seventy-two  acres,  has  been  well  culti- 
vated for  years  and  is  regarded  as  valuable 
and  productive  property. 

May  23,  1878,  Mr.  -Smith  was  married 
at  Areola  to  Tillie  A.  Binkley,  daughter  of 
Ohio  pioneers.  Her  parents,  Abraham  and 
Leah  (Emley)  Binkley,  came  from  Stark 
county,  Ohio,  in  1864  and  were  long  resi- 
dents of  Allen  county,  but  in  1897  removed 
to  Whitley  county.  The  father  died  at  Chur- 
ubusco  in  his  eighty-sixth  year  and  the 
mother  passed  away  at  the  home  of  her 
daughter,  Mrs.  Chauncey  Wigent,  in  Union 
township,   after  reaching  her  seventy-sixth 


year.  Of  their  five  children.  Airs.  Smith  was 
the  fourth,  her  birth  occurring  in  Stark 
county,  Ohio,  March  19,  1855.  Allie.  the 
only  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith,  is  the 
wife  of  Samuel  De  Poy  and  resides  in  Co- 
lumbia City.  The  family  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


MARTIN  KOCHER. 


Though  Germany  has  contributed  many- 
valuable  citizens  to  the  United  States,  it  is 
doubtful  whether  any  of  them  stand  better 
in  their  respective  communities  than  this 
popular  boot  and  shoe  man  of  Churubusco. 
He  has  the  German  geniality,  the  German 
energy  and  thrift  and  pretty  much  all  the 
good  qualities  that  have  made  that  nation- 
ality famous  throughout  the  world.  Louis 
and  Mary  Kocher  were  poor  but  respected 
citizens  of  Alsace  and  there  spent  all  the 
vears  of  their  lives.  They  had  a  large  family 
of  children,  of  whom  Martin  Kocher  was 
the  seventh.  He  was  born  in  Alsace,  Ger- 
many, then  France.  July  4.  1853,  and  grew 
up  in  his  native  land,  where  he  obtained  a 
fair  education  and  learned  the  trade  of  shoe- 
making.  Like  many  another  he  looked  long- 
ingly across  the  waters  to  the  great  republic 
and  finally  decided  to  cast  his  lot  with  the 
people  of  this  nation.  It  was  in  1872  that 
he  enrolled  his  name  on  the  passenger  list 
of  one  of  the  steamships  plying  between 
Germany  and  America,  and  made  the  trip 
without  accident  or  mishap.  On  arrival  at 
Castle  Garden  he  bought  passage  to  Buffalo 
and  spent  three  years  in  that  city  in  diligent 
prosecution  of  his  trade.     In  1876.  he  went 


602 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


to  Ohio,  but  after  spending  a  year  there  de- 
cided to  push  farther  west  in  search  of  an 
advantag-eous  situation.  It  was  late  in  1877 
that  Mr.  Kocher  found  himself  in  the  coun- 
tv  seat  of  Whitley  count}-,  and  he  lost  no 
time  in  resuming  work  at  his  bench.  Being 
favorably  impressed  with  Churubusco  as  of- 
fering an  opening  in  his  line.  Mr.  Kocher 
came  there  in  1878  and  opened  up  in  the 
boot  and  shoe  business.  He  has  prospered 
and  has  something  to  show  as  the  result  of 
his  twenty-eight  years'  residence  in  the  town 
of  his  adoption.  Above  all,  he  has  many 
friends,  has  gained  the  good  will  of  the  com- 
munity and  is  regarded  as  a  safe  and  reliable 
citizen.  Being  a  friend  of  education  and  in- 
terested in  the  welfare  of  the  young,  he  ac- 
cepted and  now  holds  the  position  of  school 
trustee. 

In  August,  1880,  Mr.  Kocher  was  mar- 
ried to  Laura  D.  Shoemaker,  who  was  born 
in  Ohio  but  reared  in  Indiana.  Her  parents. 
Henry  H.  and  Matilda  Shoemaker,  became 
early  settlers  in  Noble  county  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Kocher  have  four  children:  Louis  H. 
a  partner  with  his  father:  Frank  A.,  a  shoe 
clerk  in  Indianapolis;  YVilma  A.  and  Mary. 
Mr.  Kocher  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  interested 
in  farming,  having  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  in  Smith  township. 


OVIN  BOGGS. 


It  was  in  1846  that  William  Boggs  came 
in  from  the  east  and  settled  on  a  farm  in 
Smith  township,  where  he  entered  upon  the 
hard  work  of  clearing  and  improvement.  In 
Pennsylvania     he     bad     married     Susanna 


Moore,  but  on  the  9th  of  November,  of  the 
same  year  that  witnessed  his  arrival,  he  died 
at  the  comparatively  early  age  of  fifty-two. 
His  widnw  after  surviving  him  forty-seven 
years,  passed  away  on  the  originally  settled 
farm.  February  13,  1893.  when  nearly  sev- 
enty years  old.  This  pioneer  couple  had  ten 
children,  the  third  being  Ovin  Bog-gs,  who 
was  born  in  Lehigh  county,  Pennsylvania, 
November  2,  1829.  He  was  seventeen  years 
old  when  he  first  came  to  Whitley  county  and 
has  been  a  resident  of  it  for  over  sixty  years. 
During-  this  time,  however,  he  lived  in  Noble 
county  for  four  years  but  all  of  his  life  has 
been  devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits.  In 
1902  he  removed  to  Churubusco,  where  he 
is  passing  the  evening  of  life  in  well  earned 
ease.  His  farm  in  Smith  township  is  rented, 
the  income  furnishing  a  competent  support. 

February  12,  i860,  Mr.  Boggs  was  mar- 
ried in  Smith  township  to  Maria  Penn,  who 
was  born  in  Richland  county,  Ohio.  Octo- 
ber 15.  1835.  Her  parents,  John  and  Mary 
(Chamblin)  Penn,  had  ten  children,  of  whom 
Mrs.  Boggs  was  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth. 
She  came  to  Whitley  county  when  nineteen 
vears  old  and  has  spent  all  the  remainder  of 
her  days  as  one  of  its  esteemed  citizens.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Boggs  have  had  nine  children,  of 
whom  six  are  living:  Lawrence,  Ella.  El- 
mer, William.  Eulalia  and  Francis.  Two 
children  died  in  infancy  and  one.  Jesse, 
passed  away  when  twenty-three  years  of  age. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boggs  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  no  couple  in 
Churubusco  have  more  friends  or  general  re- 
spect than  these  two  pioneers.  Mr.  Boggs  is 
public  spirited  and  allows  nobody  to  get 
ahead  of  him  in  movements  to  benefit  the 
community.       He    knows    evervbodv    and 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


60; 


everybody  knows  him,  and  he  is  looked  up 
to  for  advice  and  counsel  by  members  of  the 
rising;  sreneration. 


TOHN  A.  BRYAN. 


The  family  of  this  name  originated  in 
Ohio,  where  fi  ir  many  years  they  were  farm- 
ers in  Hancock  county.  Jacob  Bryan  there 
married  Jennie  Pickens,  both  finally  ending 
their  days  on  their  farm  in  Hancock  count}-. 
John  A.  Bryan,  the  second  of  their  three 
children,  was  born  in  Hancock  county,  Ohio, 
August  16,  1850,  and  was  reared  there  after 
the  usual  manner  of  farm  boys  of  the  pe- 
riod. As  soon  as  he  reached  the  legal  age 
he  went  into  business  for  himself  as  a  farmer 
and  this  occupation  he  followed  in  his  na- 
tive county  for  over  twenty  years.  In  1S92 
he  came  to  Whitley  county  and  purchased  a 
farm  in  Smith  township,  which  he  cultivated 
for  ten  years  with  success.  He  sold  this 
place  and  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
acres  in  Noble  county,  after  which  in  March. 
1902,  he  located  at  Churubusco.  where  he 
has  since  lived  a  retired  life. 

July  24,  1873,  Mr.  Bryan  was  married 
in  Hancock  count}',  Ohio,  to  Miss  Martha, 
daughter  of  George  and  Sophia  (Sholty) 
Dice,  who  came  to  Whitley  county  about 
1876,  and  she  died  in  Smith  township  when 
fifty-eight  years  of  age.  He  is  now  living 
retired  at  Garrett,  Indiana.  Mrs.  Bryan 
was  the  second  of  her  father's  family  of  five 
children.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bryan  had  six  chil- 
dren :  Blanche  B.  is  the  wife  of  Newton 
McGuire.  of  Erie.  Pennsylvania;  Linnie  J. 
is  married  to  Edward  Miller,  of  Churubus- 


co: Lettie  B.  is  the  wife  of  Jesse  Green- 
wait,  also  of  Churubusco :  Earl  A.  operates 
his  father's  farm;  George  E.,  with  the 
Strauss  Real  Estate  Company,  of  Ligonier; 
and  William  S.,  a  painter.  The  family  are 
well  known  in  their  section  of  Whitley 
county  and  enjoy  the  regard  of  a  wide  cir- 
cle of  friends.  Mr.  Bryan  takes  life  easy 
after  years  of  struggle  to  establish  himself 
and  finds  the  evening  of  life  passing  pleas- 
antly  in  his  home  at  Churubusco.  He  is  a 
Republican  and  formerly  took  quite  a  part 
in  public  matters.  Mrs.  Bryan  is  a  member 
of  the  United  Brethren  church  and  Mr. 
Bryan  is  a  Knight  of  Pythias. 


LAVINA   PENCE    RICHEY. 

Miles  and  Miranda  (Woodrow)  Richey 
who  came  from  Pennsylvania  to  Whitley 
county  in  1850,  brought  with  them  a  son 
Lemuel,  who  was  born  in  Northumberland 
county,  Pennsylvania.  January  11,  1843. 
The  father  died  on  his  farm  in  Smith  town- 
ship, when  eighty-six  years  old,  being  sur- 
vived by  his  widow  four  years.  Abraham 
Pence  had  come  to  Whitley  county  in  1836, 
had  here  married  Nancy  Bucklew.  and  set- 
tled on  a  farm  in  Smith  township,  farming 
part  of  the  section  of  land  purchased  by  his 
father,  where  both  ended  their  days.  The 
father  died  in  his  seventy-eighth  year,  and 
his  wife  when  about  forty-four  years  old. 
This  couple  had  eight  children,  the  third  of 
whom  was  Lavina  Pence.  She  was  born  on 
the  family  homestead  December  13,  1846. 
April  18.  1867,  she  was  married  to  Lemuel 
Richev  and  thus  the  families  of  the  two  old 


604 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


settlers  were  united.  After  their  marriage 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richey  continued  to  reside  in 
Smith  township,  pursuing  the  occupation  ol 
farming  and  improving  a  farm  from  the 
wilderness.  With  the  exception  of  four 
years  spent  in  Fort  Wayne  as  fireman  on  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad,  Mr.  Richey  was  a 
permanent  resident  of  Whitley  county.  He 
returned  to  Churubusco  and  engaged  in  the 
hardware  business,  but  was  compelled  after 
more  than  twenty-five  years  to  relinquish  this 
on  account  of  failing  health,  about  five  years 
before  his  death,  which  occurred.  June  23. 
1906.  Mr.  Richey  was  an  energetic  and  use- 
ful man  during  his  lifetime.  He  was  elected 
township  trustee  and  held  that  important  of- 
fice for  two  terms  and  in  addition  to  this 
served  as  a  member  of  the  school  board  of 
Churubusco  at  different  times  for  several 
years.  Mrs.  Richev,  who  is  a  woman  of  un- 
usual business  sense,  owns  the  old  homestead 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty-nine  acres,  three 
miles  west  of  Churubusco,  which  is  rented. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  all  af- 
fairs affecting  its  interests.  Mr.  Richev  was 
a  soldier  with  an  excellent  record.  He  en- 
listed in  the  Forty-fourth  Regiment.  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  but  after  serving  a  short 
time  with  this  command  was  discharged  on 
account  of  disability  and  soon  after  joined 
<  Company  D.  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twen- 
ty-ninth Indiana  Regiment  of  Infantry,  with 
which  he  served  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
That  he  made  an  excellent  soldier  is  attested 
by  the  fact  that  a  short  time  before  the  con- 
clusion  of  hostilities,  Mr.  Richey  was  com- 
missioned as  captain  of  his  company.  He 
was  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity,  and  in  everv  way  an  estima- 


ble man  and  citizen.  Having  no  children 
of  their  own,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richey  took  into 
their  home  and  hearts  May  Dorsey  at  four 
years  old  and  who  has  ever  remained  with 
her  foster  parents.  She  was  married  Decem- 
ber 3,  1903,  to  Laurence  Jackson,  who  has 
operated  Mrs.  Richey's  farm  but  is  now  giv- 
ing a  general  supervision  of  Mrs.  Richey's 
financial  interests,  including  business  prop- 
erty  in  Churubusco.  Thev  have  one  child. 
Everett. 


JAMES  W.  BURWELL. 

This  name  has  long  been  familiar  in 
Whitley  and  adjoining  counties  by  reason  of 
an  active  career  in  business  and  connection 
with  public  affairs.  The  family  was  of  Ohio 
origin,  as  Joseph  Burwell.  a  soldier  of  the 
Mexican  war.  and  a  cooper  by  trade,  spent 
there  most  of  his  forty-six  years  of  life.  His 
death  occurred  in  1863.  when  he  was  a  resi- 
dent of  Madison  county,  Ohi'  >.  and  the 
widow  found  herself  with  five  children  to 
support.  Deciding  to  seek  a  new  location, 
Mrs.  Burwell  came  to  Whitley  county  in 
1865.  settling  in  Thorncreek  township, 
where  she  eventually  died  when  seventj 
years  of  age.  James  W.  Burwell.  third  of 
her  family  of  five,  was  bom  in  Fairfield 
county.  Ohio,  December  13,  1847,  and  hence 
was  seventeen  years  old  when  he  became  a 
resident  of  Whitley  county.  During  the  next 
seventeen  years  he  was  engaged  in  farming  in 
Thorncreek  township,  but  finally  decided  to 
abandon  agriculture  for  commercial  pursuits. 
Establishing  a  hardware  business  at  Laud, 
he  prosecuted  this  diligently  for  seven  years. 
Later  he  reopened  in  the  same  line  in  Sidney, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


605 


Kosciusko  county,  and  remained  there  until 
1901.  After  selling  his  store,  Mr.  Burwell 
went  to  South  Whitley  and  formed  a  part- 
nership with  M.  H.  Maston  to  conduct  a 
hardware  business,  which  was  continued  un- 
til 1906.  In  that  year  he  joined  with  his 
son,  Walter  K,  to  purchase  the  hardware 
establishment  of  Welsheimer  Brothers  at 
Churubusco.  Mr.  Burwell  has  not  only  been 
an  active  business  man,  but  usually  took  the 
lead  in  questions  of  public  interest  in  the 
various  localities  where  he  has  resided. 
While  a  citizen  of  Jefferson  township  and 
during  his  residence  in  Kosciusko  county  he 
was  elected  to  the  position  of  trustee  and 
served  six  years.  His  standing  in  the  com- 
munity is  attested  by  the  confidence  thus  re- 
posed in  him.  He  holds  membership  in  the 
Masonic  fraternity. 

September  21,  1871.  Air.  Burwell  mar- 
ried Miss  Caroline  C,  daughter  of  \\ 'illiam 
P.  and  Rachel  Craft,  who  were  old  settlers 
of  Whitley  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burwell 
have  five  living"  children:  Edna,  wife  of 
Calvin  C.  Miller;  Walter  K,  in  partnership 
with  his  father;  Cecil  Blanche,  a  teacher  in 
Kosciusko  county;  Geneva  N.,  a  graduate 
of  the  high  school ;  and  James  B.  Lester 
died  at  Sidney  when  fifteen  years  old. 


JOHN  W.  CLANTON. 

An  interesting  character  was  lost  when 
Isaac  Claxton,  after  completing  eighty-five 
years,  departed  this  life  July  2,  1808.  As  a 
young  man  he  had  come  from  New  York 
in  the  late  thirties  and  settled  in  Noble  coun- 
ty, but  soon  after  became  a  citizen  of  Whit- 
ley, with  which  his  name  was  ever  after  iden- 


tified. He  had  a  diversified  talent  and 
boundless  energy  and  became  widely  known 
as  a  civil  engineer,  as  well  as  a  teacher  ot 
long  and  varied  experience.  He  took  state 
contracts  for  ditching'  in  early  life  and  em- 
ployed his  winters  in  teaching  "the  young 
idea  how  to  shoot."  His  teaching  experience 
extended  over  thirty-eight  years,  an  unusual 
record.  He  was  married  in  1841  to  Sarah 
Crow  and  settled  in  Smith  township,  which 
locality  was  his  home  during  much  of  his 
career.  He  was,  however,  residing  in  Noble 
county,  some  miles  north  of  Churubusco, 
when  his  death  occurred,  his  wife  also  pass- 
ing away  on  the  same  place,  May  5,  1888, 
when  nearly  sixty-seven  years  old.  Their 
family  consisted  of  five  sons  and  five  daugh- 
ters. John  W.  Claxton  was  the  sixth  of 
these,  his  birth  occurring  in  Noble  county, 
August  20,  1854.  He  spent  eighteen  years 
with  his  parents,  meantime  securing  his  edu- 
cation in  the  neighborhood  schools.  In  1872 
he  secured  work  at  a  sawmill  in  Thorncreek 
township,  but  after  working  there  a  year 
came  to  Churubusco  and  took  up  the  calling 
which  has  proved  the  business  of  his  life.  He 
is  now  the  oldest  auctioneer  in  Whitley  coun- 
ty, having  followed  the  occupation  over  thir- 
ty-two years.  During  this  time  his  sonorous 
voice  has  become  familiar  to  thousands  and 
his  "going,  going — gone"  has  been  the  finale 
of  "many  a  sale.  The  auctioneer  must  neces- 
sarily be  something  of  a  diplomatist,  and  it 
is  safe  to  say  that  Mr.  Claxton  knows  more 
people  in  Whitlev  county  than  any  other  res- 
ident of  the  vicinity.  Everybody  likes  him 
and  he  likes  everybody  else,  as  his  nature  is 
genial,  his  address  cordial  and  his  disposi- 
tion of  the  kind  that  makes  and  holds 
friends. 


6o6 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


September  4,  1884,  Mr.  Claxton  mar- 
ried Eliza  Coverstone,  who  was  born  in 
Smith  township,  July  26,  1858,  of  pioneer 
parents.  Jacob  and  Jane  (Halterman)  Cov- 
erstone, parents  of  Mrs.  Claxton,  settled  in 
Smith  township  at  a  time  so  far  back  that 
little  improvement  had  as  yet  been  made  and 
when  nearly  all  the  land  was  wild.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Claxton  have  two  children,  Sarah  J. 
and  John  B.,  and  the  family  is  one  of  the 
most  popular  in  Churubusco.  In  politics  Mr. 
Claxton  has  always  been  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican, and  his  fraternal  affiliations  are  with 
the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees. 


TOH.N  W.  SMITH. 


Among"  the  earl}-  settlers  of  .Mien  coun- 
ty was  Nathan  Smith,  who  married  Barbara 
Diffendarfer  and  spent  his  life  in  agricultur- 
al pursuits.  After  a  brief  residence  in  No- 
ble county,  he  returned  to  Allen  but  spent 
the  latter  years  of  his  life  at  Churubusco, 
eventually  dying  there  in  the  seventy-fourth 
year  of  his  age.  His  wife  died  when  sixty- 
nine  rears  old,  after  becoming  the  mother 
of  eight  children.  John  W.  Smith,  the  sec- 
ond, was  born  in  Green  township.  Noble 
county,  November  3,  7846.  He  was  reared 
chiefly  in  .Mien  county  and  when  fourteen 
years  old  went  to  work  for  his  uncle.  A.  M. 
Long,  in  Whitley  county,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained two  years.  In  March,  1864,  he  en- 
listed in  Company  C,  Forty-fourth  Regiment, 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  with  which  he 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  much  oi 
his  service  being  as  orderly  for  Gen.  James 
1!.  Steadman.  Returning"  then  to  Allen 
countv,  he  remained  two  rears  and  then  put 


in  some  years  in  different  states  of  the  west. 
About  1870  he  came  back  to  Allen  county 
and  was  engaged  in  farming  one  year,  but 
abandoned  this  for  carpenter  work,  which  oc- 
cupied his  time  more  or  less  for  the  next 
twenty  years.  Subsequently  he  was  em- 
ployed for  some  three  years  in  a  cabinet  shop 
and  furniture  store  for  S.  E.  Barr  and  later 
took  a  position  with  the  Wabash  Railroad 
Companv  and  for  two  rears  had  charge  of 
the  water  works  between  Detroit  and  Lo- 
gansport  and  between  Michigan  City  and 
Indianapolis.  After  working  for  the  Wa-' 
bash  about  five  years  he  purchased  the  fur- 
niture and  undertaking  business  of  S.  F. 
Barr,  at  Churubusco,  in  partnership  with  his 
brother,  W.  C.  Smith.  This  firm  continued 
for  fifteen  years  when  Mr.  Smith  sold  his 
interest  and  about  1899  bought  the  hardware 
establishment  of  Alex.  Craig  &  Son.  In 
jSqo  was  erected  a  two-story  brick  building 
twenty-two  by  eig'hty  with  one-story  exten- 
sion of  fifty-two  feet,  the  second  floor  being 
devoted  to  lodge  purposes.  He  has  been  a 
resident  of  Churubusco  since  1874  and  has 
done  much  to  assist  in  building  up  the  city. 
He  has  served  as  a  memlier  of  the  school 
board  and  for  two  years  has  been  one  of  the 
most  active  members  of  the  council. 

March  26,  1872,  Mr.  Smith  married  Miss 
Mina.  daughter  of  Nelson  Compton.  who 
came  to  Smith  township  as  far  back  as  1834. 
He  entered  a  farm  from  the  government  and 
both  himself  and  wite  ended  their  days  on 
this  place.  Soon  after  his  marriage,  Mr. 
Smith  bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  in  Republic  county.  Kansas,  but 
only  remained  in  that  state  until  the  sum- 
mer of  the  following  year.  His  return  to 
Whitley  county  recalled  the  days  of  the  old 
settler^,  as  he  made  the  trip  in  a   "prairie 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIAN" A. 


607 


schooner."  Mr.  and  Airs.  Smith  have  two 
living  children:  Willard  Znr,  associated 
with  his  father  in  business;  and  Ethel  A., 
wife  of  Elmer  E.  Gandy. 


TOHN  M.  DEEM. 


Whitley  county  was  largely  settled  by 
Ohioans,  and  these  in  turn  were  either  na- 
tives of  the  states  farther  east,  or  descend- 
ants of  those  who  crossed  the  Alleghanies  in 
the  "early  days"  so  often  mentioned  in  con- 
nection with  the  pioneers.  Lewis  Deem. 
who  was  born  in  1818,  married  Catherine 
Birney  in  Stark  count}-.  Ohio,  and  came  to 
Whitley  county  in  the  fall  of  1854.  They 
settled  on  a  farm  in  Smith  township,  where 
the  father  died  December  10,  1879,  his  wife, 
who  was  somewhat  his  senior,  passing  away 
when  eig'hty-three  years  old.  This  worthy 
pioneer  couple  had  three  children:  David 
died  in  Smith  township  in  his  twenty-ninth 
year;  Eliza  is  the  wife  of  Georg'e  W.  Kri- 
der,  of  Smith  township;  John  M.  Deem,  who 
was  born  in  Stark  county,  Ohio,  January  16, 
1 86 1,  and  hence  was  about  three  years  old 
when  his  father  settled  in  Whitley  county. 
He  grew  to  manhood  on  his  father's  farm 
and  was  reared  to  hard  work  from  his  ear- 
liest boyhood.  He  was  ambitious  to  learn 
and  obtained  a  good  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools,  supplemented  by  a  course  in 
the  high  school  in  Columbia  City.  His  first 
venture  in  the  business  world  was  as  a  teach- 
er, which  occupation  he  followed  for  sev- 
eral terms,  but  his  main  business  has  been 
that  of  farming,  raising,  buying,  shipping 
and  selling  stock.  He  purchased  the  old 
homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
to  which  he  has  added  seventv-one  acres,  his 


farm  now  consisting  of  two  hundred  and 
thirty-one  acres.  He  has  greatly  improved 
this  place  since  he  came  into  possession  by 
remodeling  the  house,  building  a  bank  barn, 
draining,  and  by  hard  work  making  it  one 
of  the  best  farms  in  the  county  for  grain 
and  stock  raising.  He  was  often  called  on 
to  fill  the  minor  offices  in  his  township  and 
is  regarded  as  a  safe  and  reliable  citizen. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
and  takes  much  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the 
order,  having  filled  all  the  offices  in  the  lodge 
and  being  a  representative  to  the  grand 
lodge.  In  1900  Mr.  Deem  retired  from  ac- 
tive business  on  the  farm  and  took  up  his 
residence  in  Churubusco,  where  he.  is  in  en- 
joyment of  general  respect  from  all  his 
neighbors.  He  has  done  much  for  the  gen- 
eral good,  urging  the  draining  of  swamps 
and  the  straightening  of  public  roads. 

March  29,  1874.  Mr.  Deem  was  married 
to  Emma  Jane  Mowrey,  by  whom  he  had 
four  children:  William  L. :  Alice  M.,  wife 
of  William  Johnson ;  Herber  E. ;  and  Flor- 
ence. The  sons  each  have  a  farm  near  Chur- 
ubusco. The  family  has  been  long  and  fa- 
vorably known  about  Churubusco  and  their 
friends  are  not  only  numerous,  but  ap- 
preciative of  their  sterling  worth.  Mr. 
Deem  is  a  Republican  and  has  served  on 
county  committees  and  in  various  conven- 
tions. 


JOHN  A.  PRESSLER. 

When  the  Presslers  and  Duplers  are 
mentioned,  old-time  residents  of  Whitley 
county  recognize  the  names  as  those  of  very 
early  settlers.  Valentine,  son  of  John  Press- 
ler,  came  to  Whitlev  count}'  as  far  back  a? 


6o8 


WHITLEY  COUXTY,  INDIANA. 


1X4(1.  In  .March.  1855,  he  married  Diana, 
daughter  of  Jonathan  Dupler.  who  came 
with  her  parents  in  1840  and  settled  on  a 
farm  in  Thorncreek  township.  He  spent 
many  years  in  improving  this  place  and 
finally  died  there,  January  11,  1894,  in  the 
sixty-fourth  year  of  his  age.  His  widow 
survives  and  resides  on  the  place  originally 
settled  more  than  half  a  century  ago.  Val- 
entine Pressler  was  a  man  of  popularity  and 
influence  during  the  active  period  of  his  life 
and  for  fifteen  years  had  the  office  of  town- 
ship assessor.  His  wife  has  long  been  an 
active  member  of  the  Christian  church  and 
noted  for  her  interest  in  all  charitable  un- 
dertakings. This  worthy  couple  had  thir- 
teen children  and  the  second  in  age  was  John 
A.  Pressler.  He  was  born  on  his  father's 
farm  in  Thorncreek  township,  August  29, 
1858.  and  from  early  boyhood  manifested 
a  desire  to  obtain  a  good  education.  He 
succeeded  in  this  and  put  his  qualifications 
to  test  by  teaching  many  years  in  his  native 
township.  Altogether  his  work  as  a  teacher 
had  extended  over  seven  years  and  in  Au- 
gust, 1888,  he  left  the  farm  to  engage  in 
the  grocery  business  at  Churubusco.  After 
a  few  years  he  disposed  of  his  interests  and 
resumed  teaching,  which  occupation  he  fol- 
lowed four  years.  He  then  abandoned  teach- 
ing permanently  to  accept  a  position  as  as- 
sistant cashier  of  the  Exchange  Bank  owned 
by  O.  Gandy  &  Co.,  and  he  has  since  retained 
this  employment. 

March  18,  1886,  Mr.  Pressler  married 
Miss  Emma  E.  Cotterly,  who  was  born  in 
Thorncreek  township,  November  3,  1865. 
Her  father.  John  Cotterly,  was  a  native  of 
P.erne,  Switzerland,  married  Anna  Born,  of 
Ohio,  and  came  to  Whitley  county  in  iS^o. 


settling  on  a  farm  in  Thorncreek  township. 
Mrs.  Pressler  is  a  sister  of  Mrs.  George  R. 
Hemmick,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere 
in  this  volume,  and  her  family  is  among  the 
oldest  in  the  county.  She  was  a  teacher  in 
the  public  schools  for  ten  years  and  is  a  lady 
of  unusual  intelligence.  Mr.  Pressler  held 
the  office  of  clerk  and  treasurer  of  Churu- 
busco for  five  years,  and  has  long  been  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  progressive  citizens  of 
the  place.  His  fraternal  affiliations  are  with 
the  Masonic  Order,  of  which  he  has  for 
years  been  an  esteemed  and  influential  mem- 
ber. He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Baptist  church  and  active  in  its  religious  and 
charitable  work.  Churubusco  numbers 
among  her  citizens  no  man  who  stands  high- 
er or  has  done  more  for  the  town  than  Mr. 
Pressler.  Enterprising,  energetic  and  thor- 
oughly competent  as  a  business  man,  his  ad- 
vice is  sought  and  his  help  appreciated  wher- 
ever anything  is  to  be  done  to  forward  the 
interests  of  the  community  or  advance  the 
course  of  progress. 


GEORGE  H.  TAPY. 

Prof.  George'  H.  Tapy,  county  superin- 
tendent of  Whitley  county  schools,  was 
born  in  Clay  county,  Indiana,  the  son  of 
Francis  H.  and  Wilhelmina  Tapy.  Fran- 
cis Tapy,  when  a  youth,  accompanied  his 
parents  upon  their  removal  from  Ohio  to 
Indiana.  His  father,  Harman  Tapy,  was 
a  native  of  Germany,  though  he  lived  in 
Ohio  and  settled  in  1844.  near  the  town 
of  Brazil,  where  he  purchased  land  and 
engaged    in    agricultural     pursuits.       Prof. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


Tapy's  mother,  also  born  in  Germany,  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Wilhelmina  Telgemier. 
She  came  to  America  when  but  five  years 
of  age,  subsequently  married  Mr.  Tap}'  in 
Clay  county  and  there  reared  her  family,  and 
spent  the  greater  part  of  her  life,  belonging 
with  her  husband  to  the  large  and  respectable 
middle  class  that  constitute  much  of  the 
moral  bone  and  sinew  of  the  American  Re- 
public. The  early  life  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  spent  under  the  rugged  but 
wholesome  influences  of  the  farm  and  proved 
conducive  not  only  to  healthful  physical 
growth,  but  also  to  the  development  of  those 
qualities  of  mind  and  heart  which  enter  so 
largely  into  the  formation  of  correct  habits 
and  well  rounded  character.  In  his  child- 
hood and  youth  he  attended  the  district 
school  near  the  parental  home,  where  he 
pursued  the  common  branches  of  study,  until 
his  fourteenth  year,  when  he  entered  upon 
a  high-school  course,  which  being  finished  he 
became  a  student  at  the  Valparaiso  Normal 
School.  After  attending  that  institution  at 
intervals  until  1886,  he  took  a  course  at 
Wabash  College,  graduating  therefrom. 
The  training  there  received  especially  fitted 
him  for  the  profession  as  an  educator,  which 
line  of  work  he  began  when  but  seventeen 
years  of  age,  teaching  school  in  his  native 
county.  After  two  terms  in  the  graded 
school  of  Poland,  he  took  charge  of  the 
school  at  Etna,  where  he  remained  two 
years,  the  first  year  in  the  public  schools, 
the  second  year  teaching  a  private  school  in 
a  public  hall,  having  forty  pupils.  At  the 
expiration  of  that  time,  in  1891,  he  was -in- 
duced to  come  to  South  Whitley  and  accept 
a  position  in  the  schools  of  that  place,  filling 
the  place  with  an  honorable  record  for  a 
39 


period  of  four  years.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  he  was  promoted  to  the  superintendency 
of  the  schools  of  that  city,  in  which  capacity 
he  continued  until  1899.  when  he  was  elected 
county  superintendent  of  schools,  which  re- 
sponsible and  exacting  position  he  has  filled 
with  credit  to  himself  and  to  the  satisfaction 
of  the  public  to  the  present  time,  in  the 
meanwhile  demonstrating  executive  ability 
of  high  order  and  winning  a  conspicuous 
place  among  the  leading  school  men  of  the 
state.  It  is  a  fact  worthy  of  note  that  Prof. 
Tapy  was  not  a  candidate  for  the  place  he 
now  holds,  the  honor  coming  to  him  without 
any  solicitation  on  his  part,  being  a  recogni- 
tion of  services  faithfully  and  efficiently  ren- 
dered while  at  the  head  of  the  school  system 
of  South  Whitley  and  elsewhere.  At  the  ex- 
piration of  his  first  term,  June.  1903,  he  was 
re-elected  and,  as  stated  above,  his  official 
duties  have  been  discharged  in  such  a  capable 
and  satisfactory  manner  that  the  schools  of 
Whitley  county  now  compare  favorably  with 
the  best  in  Indiana.  Many  needed  reforms 
having  been  introduced  since  he  took  charge 
of  the  office,  and  the  entire  system  advanced 
to  a  higher  standard  of  efficiency. 

The  better  to  arouse  a  professional  inter- 
est among  the  teachers,  he  has  been  very 
active  in  the  matter  of  county  and  township 
institutes,  in  addition  to  which  line  of  work 
his  suggestions  concerning  educational  mat- 
ters command  respectful  attention  in  all  the 
conventions  and  teachers'  associations  which 
he  attends.  He  is  a  ready  platform  speaker 
and  his  ability  as  such  has  been  recognized 
and  utilized  by  the  management  of  the 
Winona  Assembly,  where  he  appears  every 
season  as  lecturer  to  the  summer  school  of 
teachers.     He   is   also   keenly   alive   to   the 


6io 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  IXDIAXA. 


value  and  necessity  of  the  reading  circle  as 
an  educational  force  and  in  addition  to  keep- 
ing alive  an  interest  in  the  work  in  the 
schools  of  his  own  jurisdiction  is  now  serv- 
ing as  president  of  the  State  Reading  Circle 
Board,  to  which  position  he  was  chosen  at 
the  meeting  of  the  State  Teachers'  Associa- 
tion in  the  year  1902.  He  also  served  some- 
time as  editor  of  the  Country  School  Depart- 
ment in  the  Educator  Journal,  the  official 
organ  of  the  teachers  of  Indiana,  and  by 
his  clear,  forcible  and  logical  articles  was 
influential  in  arousing  a  lively  interest  and 
no  little  enthusiasm  among  the  teachers  of 
the  rural  districts. 

Prof.  Tapy  is  a  gentleman  of  scholarly 
tastes  and  attainments  and,  possessing  great 
force  of  character  as  well  as  a  pleasing  per- 
sonality, his  efforts  in  behalf  of  education 
have  been  fruitful,  of  beneficial  results  and 
it  is  not  too  much  to  state  that  none  of  his 
predecessors  were  more  popular  among  the 
teachers  of  the  county  or  enjoyed  a  greater 
degree  of  public  esteem.  With  all  of  his 
success  in  his  chosen  field  of  endeavor  and 
his  standing  as  an  educator  and  official,  he 
is  nevertheless  a  man  of  conservative  de- 
meanor, and  with  becoming  modesty  shrinks 
from  rather  than  courts  the  publicity  'to 
which  his  service  so  manifestly  entitles  him. 
He  is  a  young  man  in  the  vigor  of  his  power 
and  his  usefulness  and  his  career  in  the  past 
justifies  his  many  friends  and  admirers  in  the 
prediction,  that  the  future  awaits  him  with 
slid  brighter  laurels  and  a  more  extended 
sphere  in  which  to  exercise  his  ability. 

Prof.  Tapy  was  married  August  28, 
[895,  to  Miss  Charlotte  Clark,  of  Coesse, 
Indiana,  daughter  of  John  O.  Clark,  a  resi- 
dent  of   that   place.      Before   her    marriage 


Mrs.  Tapy  was  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools 
of  Whitley  county,  and  having  kept  in  close 
touch  with  the  trend  of  the  educational 
thought,  she  not  only  sympathizes  with  her 
husband  in  his  work,  but  assists  and  en- 
courages him  in  all  his  efforts,  proving  a 
true  helpmate  in  all  that  the  term  implies. 


FRANCIS  M.  SONDAY. 

Thought  but  a  short  time  a  resident  in 
the  town  no  citizen  has  impressed  himself 
mere  favorably  on  the  community,  which  is 
due  to  his  genial  character,  his  friendly 
greeting  to  everybody  as  well  as  his  excel- 
lent business  habits  and  reliability  as  a  citi- 
zen. He  is  full  of  enterprise  and  has  already 
done  much  to  improve  the  conditions  of  his 
adopted  home  and 'altogether  has  been  a  val- 
uable addition  to  the  commercial  and  social 
life  of  this  enterprising  and  progressive  lit- 
tle city.  His  parents,  Jacob  and  Barbara 
Scnday,  were  settlers  of  Jay  count)-,  where 
they  earned  their  livelihood  by  farming  and 
were  esteemed  members  of  the  community  in 
which  they  lived.  Francis  M.  Sonday,  the 
second  of  their  nine  children,  was  bom  in 
Jay  county,  June  8,  1873.  and  was  reared 
to  manhood  in  the  place  of  his  nativity.  Be- 
ing studious  and  attentive,  he  received  a 
good  education  in  the  common  schools,  which 
has  served  him  a  good  purpose  through  life. 
His  parents  were  poor,  however,  and  before 
reaching  his  majority  he  was  compelled  to 
"strike  out  for  himself"  as  they  say  in  the 
country.  In  1892  he  secured  employment  at 
farm  work  in  Allen  county  and  kept  at  this 
for  about  three  years,  when  he  took  personal 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


611 


charge  of  his  own  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
forty  acres.  Wearying  of  this,  he  concluded 
to  try  another  line  and  in  1900  opened  up  in 
the  general  mercantile  business  at  Ari,  one 
■of  the  live  towns  of  Allen  county,  and  near 
his  home  place.  He  was  appointed  post- 
master of  the  place  and  acted  as  local  agent 
for  the  Wabash  Railroad  Company.  He  re- 
mained at  Ari  for  fifteen  months  and  then 
returned  to  his  farm,  which  he  sold  and  in 
April,  1906.  came  to  Churubusco,  where  he 
purchased  the  furniture  and  undertaking 
business  of  E.  L.  Welshmier,  enlarged  the 
stock  and  otherwise  improved  the  plant  and 
now  conducts  a  first-class  establishment.  In 
1906  he  erected  a  commodious  store  building, 
twenty-two  by  ninety  with  three  floors,  built 
of  cement  blocks,  equipped  it  thoroughly  and 
by  paying  strict  and  personal  attention  to  all 
the  details  has  enjoyed  a  full  measure  ot 
prosperity.  He  is  public  spirited  and  enjoys 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  his  towns- 
men. In  1892  Mr.  Sonday  was  married  to 
Miss  Alice  Galloway.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Sonday  are  identified  with  the  United 
Brethren  church. 


GEORGE  R.  HEMMICK. 

Churubusco.  one  of  the  lively  and  pro- 
gressive towns  of  Whitley  county,  has  been 
m  ited  for  the  public  spirit  of  its  citizens.  The 
general  feeling  has  been  to  do  what  was 
necessary  to  help  the  town  forward  by  bring- 
ing about  improvements,  securing  good  gov- 
ernment and  thus  aiding  to  make  the  people 
happy  and  contented.  Perhaps  no  man  has 
■contributed  more  in  this  way,  according  to 


his  means,  than  the  well  known  jeweler 
whose  personal  and  business  career  it  is  here 
the  purpose  to  present  in  brief  outline. 
George  W.  Hemmick,  the  founder  of  the 
family  of  this  name  in  Whitley  county,  be- 
came a  settler  as  far  back  as  the  latter  part 
of  the  forties.  He  bought  land  in  Columbia 
township,  but  being  a  plasterer  by  trade  did 
most  of  his  work  at  the  county  seat.  His 
death  occurred  at  Columbia  City  in  the  sixty- 
ninth  year  of  his  age,  after  a  life  of  activity, 
which  secured  him  many  friends  and  gen- 
eral respect.  When  a  young  man  in  Ohio 
he  married  Mary  Winget,  who  also  died  on 
the  farm  at  the  comparatively  early  age  of 
thirty-eight,  after  becoming  the  mother  of 
eight  children.  George  R.  Hemmick,  the 
sixth  of  this  family,  was  born  in  Columbia 
township,  November  23,  1859.  He  was 
reared  in  Columbia  City  and  as  he  grew  up 
had  the  benefit  of  the  schools  of  that  place 
and  thus  obtained  a  fair  education.  He  re- 
mained at  home  until  twenty-one  years  of 
age.  meantime  learning  the  jeweler's  trade 
with  A.  H.  Woodworth,  at  which  he  worked 
until  1885.  He  spent  two  years  in  Chicago 
in  the  same  line  and  in  1887  came  to  Churu- 
busco, where  he  established  himself  in  busi- 
ness and  has  continued  without  interruption 
to  the  present  time.  During  his  residence  in 
Churubusco  he  has  taken  much  interest  in 
public  affairs  and  his  popularity  is  attested 
by  the  fact  that  he  held  the  office  of  clerk 
and  treasurer  of  the  town  for  two  years. 

January  21.  1882.  Mr.  Hemmick  was 
married  in  Columbia  City  to  Miss  Amanda 
}..  daughter  of  John  and  Anna  (Born)  Cot- 
terlv.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Berne. 
Switzerland,  and  married  his  wife  in  Whit- 
ley county  in    1850,  settling  in  Thorncreek 


6l2 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


township.  He  died  on  his  farm  there,  No- 
vember io,  1882,  in  the  fifty-first  year  of  his 
age.  Mrs.  Hemmick,  who  was  born  on  the 
homestead  in  Thorncreek  township,  was  the 
third  of  her  parents'  ten  children.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hemmick  lost  two  children  in  infancy 
and  have  an  only  daughter,  Lenora.  Mrs. 
Hemmick  is  an  active  member  of  the  Bap- 
tist church,  and  her  husband  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  in  which  he  is  an 
active  participant.  The  family  is  highly  re- 
spected at  Churubusco  and  are  welcome  in 
the  best  social  circles  of  the  town. 


BRUCE  D.  HART,  M.  D. 

Among  the  professional  men  now  on  the 
stage  of  action  in  Whitley  county,  none  give 
higher  promise  of  success  and  future  useful- 
ness than  the  above  popular  physician  of 
Churubusco.  He  has  the  friend-making  tal- 
ent, so  essential  to  success  in  any  line,  and 
the  push  and  vigor  without  which  none  are 
thoroughly  equipped  for  the  struggles  of  this 
active  age.  He  has  educated  himself  with 
care,  is  devoted  to  his  profession  and  is  im- 
bued with  those  instincts  of  sympathy  and 
patience,  which  are  so  essential  to  the  devo- 
tees of  the  healing  art.  David  and  Lucy 
(Kinmont)  Hart  became  residents  of  Thorn- 
creek  township  in  the  spring  of  1866,  where 
they  lived  and  carried  on  agricultural  opera- 
tions for  a  number  of  years.  Eventually,  as 
age  approached  and  they  felt  the  effect  of 
advanced  years,  they  concluded  to  retire  and 
in  the  early  nineties  located  at  Columbia 
City.  Mrs.  TTart  died  in  February,  1904, 
and  her  husband  passed  away  December  8, 


1906.  Bruce  D.  Hart,  one  of  the  nine  chil- 
dren, was  born  on  the  farm  in  Thorncreek 
township,  October  5,  1878.  He  grew  up  on 
the  paternal  homestead,  going  through  the 
experiences  usual  with  the  farmer  boy  and 
when  of  age  entered  as  a  student  at  Franklin 
College,  where  he  devoted  himself  to  assid- 
uous study  for  a  year.  He  then  accepted  a 
clerkship  in  a  drag  store,  that  line  of  busi- 
ness being  in  accord  with  the  plans  he  had 
formed  for  his  future.  After  three  years 
of  this  experience,  he  took  up  the  study  of 
medicine  in  earnest  and  after  a  brief  prepar- 
atory course  entered  the  Keokuk  (Iowa) 
Medical  College.  He  devoted  two  years  to 
work  in  this  institution  and  a  similar  period 
in  the  Indiana  Medical  College  at  Indianap- 
olis, where  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of 
1906.  In  June  of  that  year  he  returned  to 
Churubusco  and  began  the  practice  of  his 
profession  with  such  earnestness  that  he  has 
already  in  the  brief  time  since  elapsing  se- 
cured a  solid  standing  as  one  of  the  coming 
men  of  Whitley  county's  medical  fraternity. 
October  18,  1906,  Dr.  Hart  married 
Miss  Nina  Merrill,  a  popular  young -lady  of 
Prophetstown,  who  has  proved  a  welcome  ac- 
cession to  the  social  circles  of  Churubusco. 
Dr.  Hart  is  a  member  of  the  Whitley  County 
Medical  Society  and  keeps  abreast  of  all  the 
advances  and  improvements  in  his  profes- 
sion.    Dr.  Hart  is  a  Republican. 


ISAAC  HUMBARGER. 

Among  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Thorn- 
creek township  are  Frederick  and  Elizabeth 
(Hetrick)  Humbarger.  both  natives  or  Perry 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


613 


county,  Ohio.  They  came  to  Whitley  coun- 
ty in  1852  and  bought  two  hundred  and  thir- 
ty-four acres  of  land  which  has  grown  great- 
ly in  value  by  their  efforts.  Frederick  died 
June  5.  1897.  but  his  widow  still  lives  on 
the  old  homestead.  They  were  members  of 
the  Lutheran  church  and  Frederick  was  a 
Democrat  and  served  several  times  as  trustee 
of  Thorncreek  township.  Thev  had  six 
children,  four  reaching  maturity  :  Caroline, 
deceased  wife  of  John  W.  Waterfall ;  Alary, 
wife  of  Ira  Spittler.  of  Columbia  township; 
Isaac  and  Lucy  Alice,  wife  of  Frank  Miller, 
of  Fort  Wayne. 

Isaac  Humbarger  was  born  on  the  old 
homestead,  December  27,  1861.  He  has 
spent  his  whole  life  on  the  farm  where  he 
now  lives,  which  is  part  of  the  homestead 
settled  by  his  father  more  than  half  a  century 
ago.  He  now  owns  one  hundred  and  three 
acres  of  good  land,  lives  in  a  comfortable 
In  >use  and  all  the  surroundings  indicate  pros- 
perity and  thrift.  January  11,  1883,  Mr. 
LIumbarger  married  Mary  Ann  McClain, 
who  was  born  in  Columbia  township.  March 
3,  i86t.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Joseph 
and  Nancy  (Wingent)  McClain.  the  former 
born  in  Greene  county,  Ohio,  in  1825.  the 
son  of  Philip  and  Nancy  McClain.  Nancy 
Wingent  was  born  in  Clark  county.  Ohio, 
May  30.  1 83 1.  daughter  of  Robert  and  Sarah 
(Rinearson)  Wingent.  the  latter  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  the  former  of  Ohio.  They  came 
to  Indiana  in  1853  and  settled  in  Union 
township,  where  they  spent  the  rest  of  their 
lives.  Joseph  McClain  and  Nancy  Wingent 
were  married  in  Whitley  county  in  1852.  He 
was  a  plasterer  by  trade  and  died  February 
14.  1890.  His  wife  is  still  living  in  Thorn- 
creek  township,  where  she  has  lived  for  thir- 


ty-six years.  They  had  eight  children  :  John, 
a  resident  of  Thorncreek  township ;  Sarah, 
wife  of  Virgil  Compton,  of  Smith  township; 
Philip,  living  in  Thorncreek;  Mary  Ann; 
Charles,  deceased;  George  F.,  resident  of 
Columbia  township ;  Ellen,  wife  of  John  Mc- 
Donald :  Alfred,  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Isaac  Humbarger  have  two  children :  Gil- 
bert M.  married  Ketura  Schroll  and  has  one 
child,  Mar}'  L. ;  Hessie  May,  a  school  girl. 
The  parents  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church  in  Columbia  City.  Mr.  Humbarger 
is  a  Democrat  and  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen. 


LOUIS  FESTUS  METSKER. 

Nearly  a  century  and  a  half  has  passed 
since  the  emigrant  founder  of  this  German 
American  family  first  set  foot  on  the  shores 
of  North  America.  Born  at  Strasburg  in 
1747,  Frederick  Metsker  crossed  the  ocean 
in  his  twentieth  year  and  became  a  settler  of 
Pennsylvania.  He  engaged  in  farming  near 
Barren  Run  and  followed  that  occupation 
until  his  death  in  1824.  The  children  left 
by  this  old  pioneer,  now  all  long  since  dead, 
were  named  Frederick.  George.  Henry.  Sam- 
uel, Nancy  and  Christian.  The  latter  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  March  21.  1705.  and 
about  thirty  years  later  became  a  resident  of 
Tuscarawas  county,  Ohio.  He  lived  in  Ohio 
some  twenty-five  years  and  seems  to  have 
met  with  financial  success  and  achieved  local 
prominence,  as  he  founded  the  town  of  Stras- 
burg and  named  it  in  honor  of  his  ancestral 
home.  In  1850.  he  came  to  Whitley  county 
and  settled  at  what  is  now  the  town  of  Chur- 
ubusco,  where  he  carried  on  the  business  ot 


614 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


farming  in  connection  with  weaving,  in 
which  trade  he  was  something  of  an  expert. 
In  1820,  in  Pennsylvania,  he  married  Cath- 
erine, daughter  of  Christian  Gnaga,  a  min- 
ister who  came  from  Switzerland  and  settled 
in  Westmoreland  county,  Pennsylvania. 
During  a  long  residence  in  his  adopted  Penn- 
sylvania home  he  reared  a  large  family,  all 
long  since  dead,  whose  names  are  recorded 
in  the  family  Bible  as  follows :  Abraham, 
Michael,  Fanny,  Jacob,  Christian,  Elizabeth. 
Barbara  and  Catherine.  The  latter  was  born 
June  8,  1797,  and  died  in  Whitley  county  in 
1862,  the  same  vear  in  which  her  husband 
died. 

The  children  of  Christian  and  Catherine 
Metsker  were  Mariah,  Sarah,  Anna,  Leah, 
Sophronia.  Christian,  Nathaniel  and  Louis, 
all  of  whom  are  now  dead  except  the  last 
two  mentioned. 

Louis  Festus  Metsker,  youngest  of  his 
father's  family,  was  born  in  Tuscarawas 
county,  Ohio,  June  12.  1840.  He  was  ten 
years  old  when  bis  parents  made  the  over- 
land trip  to  this  section  and  well  remembers 
the  rough  ride  for  weeks  in  the  awkward 
wagons.  There  was  little  in  w.hat  is  now 
smiling  and  prosperous  Smith  township  that 
was  calculated  to  please  the  weary  travelers 
of  that  distant  date.  There  were  no  roads 
worthy  of  the  name,  no  decent  houses,  no 
conveniences  of  any  kind,  while  the  forbid- 
ding landscape  was  covered  with  marshes 
and  virgin  timber.  Louis  was  especially  anx- 
ious for  an  education,  but  the  three  months 
of  the  poor  winter  schools  and  the  summer 
subscription  terms,  which  were  even  worse. 
affi  >rded  litle  chance  to  1  me  who  desired  t<  1  gi  1 
beyond  the  three  R's.  Louis,  however,  made 
the  besl    of  these  opportunities  and  in  the 


early  sixties  supplemented  them  by  attend- 
ance at  the  Seminary  of  Alexander  Douglas 
in  Columbia  City,  which  was  conducted  in 
the  Old  Baptist  church  standing  on  the  pres- 
ent site  of  the  Clugston  Hotel.  Having  thus 
qualified  himself  with  difficulty,  Mr.  Metsker 
entered  upon  a  term  of  teaching  and  fol- 
lowed this  occupation  during  several  of  the 
succeeding  years.  Tiring  of  this  as  unprofit- 
able, he  eventually  rented  a  small  farm  which 
be  worked  with  some  success  until  1869, 
when  he  was  able  to  purchase  a  place  of  his 
own.  This  sixty  acres  has  been  added  to 
from  time  to  time  until  at  present  Mr.  Mets- 
ker owns  two  hundred  and  two  acres  of  well 
improved  land,  desirably  situated  in  Smith 
township,  one  mile  south  of  Churubusco. 
This  with  its  improvements  makes  one  of 
the  best  farms  in  the  county. 

In  1863  Mr.  Metsker  married  Claracy, 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  (Briggs) 
Nickey,  natives  of  Virginia,  and  her  birth 
occurred  in  Smitht  township,  April  5,  1842. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Metsker  have  had  eight  chil- 
dren :  Ella,  a  graduate  of  Chicago  Univer- 
sity and  is  now  Dean  of  Women  and  Profes- 
sor of  Latin  in  the  Denver  University ;  Rose, 
wife  of  John  H.  Grisamer;  Callie.  who  is  in 
business  with  S.  M.  Nickev.  of  Denver; 
Grace  is  wife  of  S.  M.  Nickey,  above  men- 
tioned;  Gertrude,  wife  of  H.  S.  Lawrence, 
a  Lutheran  minister  at  Springfield,  Ohio; 
Cathrine,  wife  of  H.  P.  Barry,  attorney,  of 
Beaumont.  Texas;  Lois,  a  student  in  Indi- 
ana University;  Christian  Frederick,  a  stu- 
dent 1  4"  Purdue  University.  It  i^  a  singular 
fact  that  every  one  of  the  children  have  been 
teachers  in  the  public  schools,  a  trait  prob- 
ably inherited  from  their  father  who  has  al- 
ways been  interested  in  educational  matters. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


6i< 


Mr.  Metsker  is  a  Republican  in  politics, 
served  two  terms  as  trustee  and  is  now  and 
for  some  years  has  been  a  member  of  the 
county  council.  Himself  and  family  are 
members  of  the  United  Brethren  church. 


AUGUSTUS  W.  JEFFRIES. 

Augustus  W.  Jeffries  was  born  in  Smith 
township,  October  20.  1843,  and  is  the  sun 
of  Wyatt  W.  and  Eliza  Jane  (Jones)  Jef- 
fries, both  natives  of  Greenville  county.  Vir- 
ginia. In  1S35  they  came  to  Smith  township, 
Whitley  county,  and  entered  eighty  acres  of 
land  of  the  government.  They  were  the 
parents  of  sixteen  children,  but  only  four  of 
them  lived  to  maturity,  and  Nancy  Ann  is 
the  only  one  surviving.  Industry  and  econ- 
omy was  their  motto  and  they  soon  became 
very  successful,  owning  three  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  land.  They  were  pioneers  in 
the  county  and  necessarily  endured  many  pri- 
vations and  hardships,  but  withal  enjoyed 
themselves  and  contributed  much  to  the  es- 
tablishment and  development  of  the  county 
schools  and  churches  and  all  that  pertains  to 
a  civil  and  religious  community.  Both  were 
identified  with  the  Methodist  church  and 
gave  it  a  liberal  support  and  faithful  serv- 
ice. Mr.  Jeffries  died  February  14.  [869, 
and  his  wife  October  20.  of  the  same  year. 

Augustus  W.  Jeffries  was.  educated  in 
the  common  schools,  living  at  home  until  he 
was  married  to  Alary  J.,  daughter  of  Rich- 
ard and  Ann  E.  (Scott)  Akers.  November 
it,  1862.  who  was  born  in  Tennessee,  Octo- 
ber 29.  1842.  Her  parents  moved  from  Ten- 
nessee to  Ohio  in  1851,  where  they  contin- 
ued  during  the   remainder    of    their   lives. 


There  were  twelve  children  in  the  family. 
To  Mr.  and  Airs.  Jeffries  were  bom  ten  chil- 
dren. Milton  J.  lives  in  Wyoming;  Walk- 
er W.  lives  with  his  mother  on  the  old  home 
farm ;  Albert  A.  lives  at  home  with  his  moth- 
er and  assists  on  the  farm;  Edward  H.  died 
an  infant;  Georgia  married  Joseph  Casey; 
Frederick  R.  lives  in  Grant  county,  Indiana, 
and  married  Nellie  Casey ;  Anna  M.  married 
Jay  Powers  and  lives  in  Chicago ;  William 
J.  married  Elizabeth  Brown  and  lives  in  In- 
dianapolis ;  Harry  M.  also  lives  at  home  with 
his  mother;  Mollie  J.  died  May  21,  1906,  in 
her  nineteenth  year. 

Mr.  Jeffries  was  a  very  successful  farm- 
er, far  beyond  the  average,  and  at  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  occurred  December  26, 
1900,  he  owned  three  hundred  and  eighty- 
seven  acres  of  fine  land,  including  the  old 
homestead,  nearly  all  highly  improved.  The 
Republican  party  received  his  support.  The 
family  belongs  to  the  Methodist  church  and 
is  quite  a  factor  in  membership  and  sup- 
port. The  widow  lives  with  her  children  on 
the  home  farm,  and  this  they  have  increased 
tn  four  hundred  and  thirty-three  acres.  The 
sons  are  Republicans. 


SAMUEL  E.  GEIGER. 

A  prominent  and  respected  citizen  of 
Thorncreek  township,  was  born  November 
30.  1864.  in  Fairfield  county,  Ohio,  and  is 
the  son  of  David  and  Mary  (Good)  Geiger. 
The  father  was  the  son  of  Daniel  Geiger, 
also  a  native  of  <  *hip  He  was  a  soldier  in 
the  war  of  the  rebellion,  distinguishing  him- 
self for  bravery  and  soldierly  conduct.  After 
his  discharge,  he  again  engaged  in  agricul- 


6[6 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ture  in  Ohio,  where  he  remained  to  the  end 
of  his  life,  which  occurred  soon  after  the 
close  of  the  war. 

David  Geiger  grew  to  manhood  on  the 
home  farm  in  Ohio,  being  trained  to  agricul- 
ture and  receiving  a  common  school  educa- 
ion.  He  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mary, 
daughter  of  Daniel  Good  and  wife,  who  were 
farmers  of  Fairfield  county,  where  they  re- 
mained to  the  end  of  their  lives.  Mary  was 
born  in  Ohio  and  was  a  member  of  he 
Church  of  God.  Nine  children  were  born 
to  them,  of  whom  six  are  living:  Samuel  E.. 
Sarah,  wife  of  Matthew  Wiegold;  Arvilla, 
wife  of  Douglas  Pumey ;  William,  of  Colum- 
bia City:  Jennie,  wife  of  Charles  Marker: 
and  Bert  C.  of  Columbia  City. 

In  1867,  David  Geiger  and  wife  moved 
to  Illinois,  where  the}-  remained  a  couple 
of  years,  when  in  1869  they  came  to  Indiana, 
settling  in  Jefferson  township.  Mr.  Geiger 
engaged  in  the  timber  business,  in  which 
he  still  continues,  being  for  twelve  years 
associated  with  S.  J.  Peabody.  and  for  two 
years  a  member  of  the  Peabody  Lumber 
Company.  He  has  charge  of  the  purchase  of 
timber.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Geiger  now  reside 
in  Columbia  City.  Samuel  E.  Geiger  was 
only  five  years  of  age  when  his  parents  came 
to  Indiana,  and  grew  to  manhood  on  the 
home  farm,  where  he  rendered  dutiful  and 
faithful  service,  receiving  the  educational 
benefit  of  the  common  schools.  On  January 
3,  1885,  he  married  Mina,  daughter  of 
Daniel  and  Hannah  (Hutchinson)  Williams. 
\\ln>  was  born  September  12.  1867.  at  Cal- 
van.  Michigan.  The  father  was  a  native  of 
Virginia,  and  is  now  living  in  Los  Angeles, 
1  alifornia.  The  mother  is  deceased.  They 
were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  only  two 


surviving:  John  A.,  living  in  St.  Louis;  and 
Mina. 

After  marriage.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Geiger 
lived  on  a  farm  in  Jefferson  township,  where 
they  remained  until  1903.  when  they  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  ninety-five  acres  in  Thorn- 
creek  township,  known  as  the  Old  Ferner 
farm,  and  on  which  they  continued  to  live, 
enjoying  a  comfortable  and  valuable  home. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  enjoying  the 
confidence  of  the  party,  being  township  com- 
mitteeman. He  also  fraternizes  with  the 
Modern  Woodmen  and  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  of  Columbia  City.  Two 
children  were  bom  to  them:  Mahel,  who 
married  George  Long,  and  lives  in  Jefferson 
township,  and  has  two  children,  Marie  and 
Alice ;  and  Winona,  a  school  girl. 


BENJAMIN  F.  MAGLEY. 

Benjamin  F.  Magley,  a  prosperous  farmer 
living  in  Thorncreek  township,  was  born  in 
this  township  December  9.  1858,  and  is  the 
sun  of  John  and  Elizabeth  Magley,  both  na- 
tives of  Switzerland  (see  John  Magley 
sketch).  With  the  exception  of  four  years 
spent  in  Jefferson  township.  Benjamin  F. 
Magley  has  beenalife  resident  1  if  Thi  irncreek. 
He  was  raised  on  the  farm  and  educated  in 
the  common  schools,  supplemented  by  three 
terms  in  the  summer  normal  school  of  Co- 
lumbia City.  In  1877  he  passed  the  exami- 
nation and  secured  a  teacher's  license  for  a 
term  of  twenty- four  months  to  which  profes- 
sorship he  devoted  six  years,  four  in  Thorn- 
creek  township  and  two  in  Columbia.  As  a 
teacher  he  ranked  among  the  best  and  did 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


61: 


much  to  improve  and  develop  the  educational 
interests  of  the  county.  In  1881  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Emma  Catherine,  daughter  of  Jacob 
-and  Elizabeth  (Helblig)  Kessie,  who  was 
.born  in  Franklin  county,  Ohio,  in  1858,  and 
was  also  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  in  her 
younger  womanhood.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kessie 
were  natives  of  Switzerland  and  came  to 
this  country  in  1850,  locating  in  Franklin 
count}-,  Ohio,  where  the}'  lived  a  number  of 
years,  removing  in  1872  to  Indiana,  settling 
on  the  farm  where  Mr.  Magley  now  lives. 
Mr.  Kessie  departed  this  life  February  14. 
1905,  the  widow  being  a  member  of  the 
household  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Magley  on  the 
old  home  farm.  They  were  the  parents  of 
eight  children:  Jacob,  living  in  Columbus; 
John,  deceased;  Mary,  also  living  in  Colum- 
bus ;  Mariah  and  Margaret,  both  deceased ; 
Elizabeth,  of  Whitley  county ;  Carolina, 
widow  of  Christ  Keller,  is  with  her  mother ; 
and  Emma  C. 

Six  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Magley:  Rose  L.,  wife  of  Lee  F.  Johnson, 
living  in  Columbia  City;  Blanche  G.,  a  stu- 
dent in  the  senior  class.  Columbia  City  high 
school,  preparatory  to  teaching;  Arnold,  also 
a  student  in  high  school,  and  Benjamin  H. ; 
two  who  were  twins  died  in  infancy.  For 
twenty  years  Mr.  Magley  has  operated  the 
old  Kessie  homestead,  though  owning  an  ad- 
joining farm  of  eighty  acres.  The  family  is 
allied  with  the  Thorncreek  Bethel  Church 
of  God,  faithful  in  services  and  generous 
in  support,  and  ever  attentive  in  all  social 
and  public  interests.  In  politics  Mr.  Magley 
is  a  Republican,  and  the  party  recognizing 
his  ability  placed  him  in  nomination  in 
1902  for  the  very  mportant  office  of  member 
-of  the  city  council,  and  the  people  endorsed 


the  selection  at  the  polls.  He  was  re-elected 
in  1906  and  then  chosen  chairman  of  the 
board  at  its  organizatiun.  He  has  also 
served  as  a  school  director  for  nineteen 
years.  While  these  offices  are  not  remuner- 
ative, they  are  among  the  the  most  import- 
ant and  it  is  gratifying  that  men  of  this  type 
can  be  induced  to  accept  them. 


GEORGE  W.  OTT. 


George  W.  Ott,  a  prosperous  farmer  and 
substantial  citizen  residing  in  Smith  town- 
ship, was  born  in  Noble  county,  Indiana,  No- 
vember 13,  1853,  an<l  's  tne  son  °f  Jesse  aild 
Docia  (Brown)  Ott.  both  natives  of  Preble 
county,  Ohio.  The  paternal  grandfather  was 
John  Ott,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  He  had 
six  children.  Jesse  Ott  and  Docia  Brown  were 
married  in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  and  came 
to. Indiana  in  the  early  fifties.  Here  they 
happily  lived  until  the  angel  of  death  visited 
the  household  and  took  from  it  the  husband 
and  father  in  May,  1903.  Mrs.  Ott  is  still 
living  on  the  old  homestead  in  Noble  county. 
Mr.  Ott  was  a  very  successful  farmer  and 
at  rme  time  owned  almost  a  section  of  land. 
Unto  Jesse  and  Docia  (Brown)  Ott  were 
born  eight  children:  Cornelius,  who  is  a 
farmer  of  Noble  county:  Amanda  J.,  wife 
of  William  T.  Clucas,  a  resident  of  Noble 
county;  John,  a  farmer  of  Noble  count}", 
lives   on    the   homestead    with    his   mother; 

George    W. ;    Frederick    resides    in    Noble 
«... 

count}-;  Abraham,  also  a  resident  of  Noble 

county;  Eli  lives  in  Thorncreek  township. 
Whitley  county  ;  Alpha,  wife  of  C.  C.  Hover. 
is  a  resident  of  Elkhart  county. 


6i8 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


George  W.  Ott  has  spent  his  entire  life 
in  Noble  and  Whitley  counties.  At  the 
usual  age  he  entered  the  common  schools  and 
acquired  a  fair  education.  In  early  life  he 
turned  his  attention  to  farming-  and  has 
never  seen  occasion  to  change  his  occupation. 
The  work  is  congenial  to  him  and  has  also 
proved  a  source  of  good  income.  Year  by 
year  he  has  continued  his  work  and  year  by 
year  he  has  prospered  as  his  crops  and  stock 
have  been  sold  and  have  returned  to  him  a 
good  profit.  He  has  thus  been  able  to  invest 
more  and  more  largely  in  land  and  today  is 
the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  nine  acres  of 
as  fine  land  as  can  be  found  in  Whitley 
county,  lying  three  miles  northwest  of  Chur- 
ubusco  on  the  Goshen  road.  On  his  place  is 
situated  an  elegant  barn,  which  is  said  to  be 
one  of  the  most  modern  structures  of  the 
kind  in  the  county.  March  27.  1879,  Mr. 
Ott  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary 
C.  Gaff,  who  was  born  in  Smith  township, 
December  2, 1857.  the  daughter  of  Alpheus  B. 
and  Rebecca  (Mohn)  Gaff,  both  now  deceased. 
He  came  from  Stark  county.  Ohio,  in  the 
thirties  witli  his  parents,  Robert  and  Man' 
(Deardorf)  Gaff,  who  settled  in  Noble 
county.  He  was  married  in  Noble  county 
and  soon  settled  near  where  Mrs.  Ott  now 
lives  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  W.  S.  Gaff, 
and  there  both  parents  died,  he  at  seventy- 
five  and  she  at  forty-nine  vears  of  age. 
There  were  eight  children  in  the  Gaff  family 
to  reach  maturity  and  all  these  are  living: 
Alonzo  P. :  Mary  C. ;  Charles  W. ;  Winfield 
S. ;  Orange  1*1:  Alpheus  H. ;  Lovilla  May; 
and  lv\   M. 

Mr.  Ott  gives  his  political  allegiance  to 
the  Republican  party  and  as  every  true 
American  citizen  should  do,  feels  an  interest 


in  the  success  and  growth  of  the  principles. 
which  he  believes  right  and  which  he  thinks 
will  best  promote  the  welfare  of  the  nation. 
He  is  now  and  has  been  for  twelve  years  jus- 
tice of  the  peace,  in  which  capacity  he  has 
served  the  public  faithfully.  Fraternally  he  is 
connected  with  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ott  are  of  the  highest 
respectability  and  the  hospitality  of  the  best 
homes  of  this  portion  of  the  county  is  freely 
accorded  them. 


WILLIAM  LEWIS  DEEM. 

An  energetic  and  prosperous  farmer,  re- 
siding on  a  fine  farm  in  Smith  township,  two 
miles  west  of  Churubusco,  was  born  in 
Smith  township  January  3,  1875,  and  is  the 
son  of  John  M.  and  Emma  (Mowery)  Deem,. 
of  whom  more  extended  mention  is  found 
on  another  page.  In  1S98,  William  L.  Deem 
married  Laura,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary 
(Hazen)  Pence,  who  was  born  in  Smith 
township,  September  16.  1878.  Her  father 
died  in  1895.  but  his  widow  still  lives  in 
the  township.  They  were  parents  of  four 
children:  Alice,  wife  of  John  Lewis:  Net- 
tie, wife  of  John  Hedge:  Virgil,  and  Laura. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Deem  have  two  children: 
Helen  and  Bernice.  William  L.  Deem  was 
educated  in  the  schools  of  the  township,  later 
taking  a  two  years'  course  in  the  Churubusco 
high  school.  In  addition  to  tln'<  lie  had  the 
benefit  of  a  business  course  in  the  North 
Manchester  school,  when  he  became  stenog- 
rapher in  the  office  of  E.  K.  Strong  in  Co- 
lumbia City.  He  then  engaged  as  teacher 
in  the  public  schools,  which  he  continued  for 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


619 


three  years,  when  in  1901  he  purchased  the 
eighty-acre  farm  on  which  lie  now  resides, 
giving  it  that  skillful  and  systematic  man- 
agement which  insures  abundant  crops.  The 
Republican  party  receives  his  support ;  and 
his  social  and  friendly  relations  are  broad- 
ened and  strengthened  by  membership  in  the 
K.  of  P.  lodge.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
township  advisory  board. 


WILLIAM   R.   ANDERSON. 

A  well  known  and  respected  farmer  of 
Smith  township,  was  born  in  Darke  county, 
Ohio,  January  14,  1843,  anc'  >s  tne  son  °^ 
Major  and  Elsie  (Phipps)  Anderson. 

His  father  was  a  native  at  North  Caro- 
lina and  was  the  son  of  John  Anderson,  of 
the  same  state,  who  came  to  Indiana  in  a 
very  early  day  settling  in  Randolph  county, 
where  he  died  about  1850.  Major  Anderson 
died  in  the  boyhood  of  William  R.,  leaving 
two  children  :  William  R.,  and  Rosetta,  who 
married  Joseph  Heck  and  is  now  deceased. 
His  mother  was  again  married  to  Major  An- 
derson's brother  Abner.  who  died  in  Ran- 
dolph county  and  was  followed  by  that  of  his 
wife  Jul}'-  8,  1905.  To  this  marriage  two  chil- 
dren were  born  :  Mary,  deceased  ;  and  Jona- 
than, a  farmer  of  Randolph  county.  In 
1865  Mr.  Anderson  was  married  in  Darke 
county,  Ohio,  to  Louisa  J.,  daughter  of 
Zachariah  and  Rebecca  (Coat)  Green,  who 
were  natives  of  Ohio  and  both  deceased. 
Twelve  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Anderson  :  George,  living  in  Auburn  ;  Lewis, 
a  street  railway  employe,  lives  in  Fort 
Wavne ;  Clarence,   at  home;   Ira,   living  in 


Smith  township;  Alleary,  a  resident  of 
Churubusco ;  Edward,  living  at  home; 
Sadie,  wife  of  George  Linnvill,  lives  in 
Smith  township ;  Minnie,  bank  stenographer 
at  Churubusco ;  Lawrence,  Ida  and  Rebecca,, 
deceased;  Charles  M.,  a  street  railroad  con- 
ductor at  Fort  Wayne. 

Mr.  Anderson  has  always  been  a  farmer, 
starting  at  the  bottom  and  building  up  suc- 
cessfully. As  a  boy  he  worked  out,  though 
he  had  spent  some  months  with  an  uncle  in 
Illinois.  When  fifteen  years  old  he  worked 
one  year  for  $60  and  board  with  three 
months  of  school.  In  early  manhood  he 
worked  by  the  month,  but  in  1871  settled 
on  a  farm  in  Smith  township,  which  he  had 
purchased.  In  1873  he  purchased  the  farm 
on  which  he  now  resides,  which  is  a  splendid 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  ninety-one  acres- 
that  he  has  made  from  the  wilderness.  It 
is  well  drained  and  is  a  productive 
farm  devoted  to  general  fanning.  He 
is  a  Republican  and  Mrs.  Anderson  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
On  September  12,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  de- 
fense of  the  flag  of  his  country,  as  a  member 
of  Company  G,  Fortieth  Ohio  Regiment, 
Volunteer  Infantry,  First  Division,  Fourth 
Army  Corps,  and  Second  Brigade,  Army  of 
the  Cumberland,  serving  until  June  10,  1865. 
He  was  taken  prisoner  at  Lovejoy  station, 
and  from  September  5,  1864,  until  Novem- 
ber 25,  lay  as  a  prisoner  in  Milan  (Georgia) 
Prison,  when  he  was  paroled.  After  return- 
ing he  served  in  the  same  company  and  reg- 
iment. He  went  through  all  of  the  Atlanta 
campaign!.  He  was  discharged  at  Camp 
Chase.  Ohio,  as  a  paroled  prisoner  and  saw 
no  service  after  his  capture.  Among  the 
important    engagements    in    which    he    took 


620 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


part  were  the  battles  of  Middle  Creek,  Ken- 
tucky, January  10,  1862;  Chickamauga,  the 
three  days'  fig'ht.  Lookout  Mountain  and 
Missionary  Ridge. 


JAMES  E.  WITHAM. 

The  history  of  the  village  blacksmith, 
like  that  (if  the  miller,  forms  an  important 
chapter  in  the  early  history  of  the  country. 
To  him  the  farmer,  the  mechanic  and  the 
professional  man  as  well  come  with  their 
broken  implements  for  repairs  and  are  never 
turned  away  without  relief.  His  whole 
thought  seems  to  be  a  determination  to  so 
"mend"  the  misfortunes  of  life  as  to  contrib- 
ute to  the  well-being  and  happiness  of  all. 
James  E.  Witham,  the  pioneer  blacksmith 
of  Churubusco,  who  was  born  in  Washing- 
ton county.  Ohio,  September  15,  1835.  is  the 
son  of  Elisha  and  Lydia  (Gates)  Witham, 
both  natives  of  Ohio,  the  latter  being  born 
near  Delaware.  They  were  married  in  Ohio 
and  came  to  Indiana  in  1S39,  settling  in 
Smith  township,  Whitley  county,  and  pur- 
chased nn improved  land.  This  investment 
was  followed  in  1840,  less  than  a  year,  by 
the  death  of  the  husband,  leaving  his  wife 
with  four  children:  Mary,  who  was  married 
to  Henry  Knight,  of  Thorncreek  township, 
but  now  deceased:  James  E. :  Miles  died  in 
infancy;  Mary  died  about  1885.  After  the 
death  of  her  husband  Mrs.  Witham  was 
married  to  Adam  Egolf,  and  to  this  union 
tight  children  were  born :  Rachel.  George, 
Melissa,  Jemina,  Adam,  Lydia  Ann,  Han  ey, 
and  Mariah.  Mrs.  Egolf  lived  to  a  ripe  old 
age  and  in  [892  passed  calmly  and  hopefully 
to  her  reward.    At  the  age  of  fifteen  Tames  E. 


Witham  left  home  and  went  to  Columbia 
City  to  learn  the  trade  of  blacksmith,  where 
he  remained  four  years.  Being  of  a  roving 
nature,  he  then  went  to  Iowa  and  remained 
there  seven  years.  In  1862  he  returned  to 
Indiana  and  settled  at  Egolf  Corners,  Thorn- 
creek  township,  where  he  remained  until 
1864,  and  then  moved  to  Columbia  City, 
remaining  one  year,  then  moved  to  Forest, 
Indiana,  and  remained  until  1868,  then 
moved  to  Churubusco  in  1871,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1883.  when  he  moved  on  a 
farm,  then  to  Decatur,  Indiana,  from  which 
piace  he  moved  in  1885  to  Avilla,  Indiana, 
engaging  in  his  old  trade  till  1886.  when 
he  moved  to  Kansas,  and  remained  seven 
years.  In  the  spring  of  1893  he  moved  to 
Dunfee  and  about  one  year  thereafter  went 
to  Areola,  where  he  also  lived  about  one 
year,  and  then  made  his  final  move  back  to 
Churubusco,  where  he  resides  at  the  present 
time.  July  9,  1856.  he  was  married  to 
Mariah,  daughter  of  Luther  and  Mar)' 
(Strain)  Nott,  who  was  born  March  30. 
1840.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nott  were  natives  of 
Stark  county.  Ohio,  and  came  to  Indiana, 
settling  in  Smith  township.  In  185 1  they 
moved  to  Iowa,  where  they  remained  to  the 
t  lose  of  their  lives.  Ten  children  were  born 
tn  this  union:  Clara,  deceased;  Mariah: 
Mary,  living  in  Iowa;  Jane,  deceased;  Polk; 
Frank.  Sarah,  Belle.  Angie,  and  Anna  Belle. 
all  six  living  in  Kansas.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  and  wife  had  eleven  children  to  reach 
maturity:  Angeline.  wife  of  John  Nelson, 
living  in  Fort  Wayne:  Jennie,  wife  of  James 
Vaughn,  of  Dunfee;  Lydia,  wife  of  William 
Jones,  living  in  Columbia  City:  Frank,  liv- 
ing in  Churubusco,  married  Viva  Miller, 
and  has  one  child.  Evaline;  Alice,  wife  of 
George   Criner;   Flossie,   wife   of   William 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


621 


Richardson;  Flora,  wife  of  Isaac  Brundage, 
of  Wayne,  and  Walter  and  Libbie,  deceased. 
In  politics  Mr.  Witham  is  a  Prohibition- 
ist, believing  the  enforcement  of  the  princi- 
ples of  that  party  would  promote  the  happi- 
ness of  the  people  and  elevate  the  standard 
of  true  citizenship.  In  religious  faith  he  and 
his  wife  are  identified  with  the  Church  of 
God,  devoted  to  its  service  and  exemplary 
in  conduct.  The  culminating  event  of  their 
lives  occurred  July  9,  1906,  when  the  fiftieth 
anniversary  of  their  marriage  was  duly  cele- 
brated in  an  appropriate  manner.  All  their 
children,  together  with  the  grandchildren 
and  five  great-grandchildren,  were  present, 
forming  a  grand  reunion  typical  of  the 
morning  and  evening  of  life.  Many  beau- 
tiful and  valuable  presents  were  received, 
being  given  to  serve  as  a  pleasant  memory 
rather  than  for  their  intrinsic  worth  or 
value. 


IRVING  J.    KRIDER. 

This  prosperous  fanner  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools  which  gave  him  the 
basis  of  future  usefulness  and  success.  The 
system  with  which  he  managed  his  business 
and  the  success  achieved  pointed  him  out  as 
a  proper  person  with  which  public  business 
could  be  safely  entrusted,  and  accordingly 
he  was  made  president  of  the  Farmers' 
Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company,  the  duties 
of  which  he  discharges  efficiently  and  to  the 
entire  satisfaction  of  his  associates.  He  is 
also  serving  the  public  as  a  member  of  the 
county  council,  a  position  requiring  a  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  public  affairs  and  the 
couragfe  to  act  for  the  best  interest  of  the 


public,  regardless  of  the  personal  influence 
and  prejudice.  His  record  thus  far  is  sat- 
isfactory to  personal  friends  and  the  public 
as  well. 

Mr.  Krider  was  born  in  Allen  county, 
Indiana.  June  16,  i860,  and  is  the  son  of 
William  and  Sarah  (Nickey)  Krider,  whose 
history  appears  in  another  chapter.  He  was 
married  October  27,  1881,  to  Kate,  daughter 
of  Uriah  and  Julia  Ann  (Pendlum)  Slagle, 
bom  in  Smith  township,  October  10,  1861. 
Her  father  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  her 
mother  of  Kentucky.  They  were  married  in 
Ohio  in  1846,  the  same  year  came  to  Indi- 
ana and  settled  in  Smith  township.  Here 
they  remained  till  1884,  when  they  moved  to 
Rice  county,  Kansas,  where  they  continued 
to  reside  to  the  end  of  their  lives.  The  death 
of  the  mother  occurred  October  27,  1898, 
and  was  followed  by  that  of  her  husband  on 
December  6,  1901,  while  visiting  at  the  home 
of  Mr.  Krider.  They  were  faithful  and  con- 
sistent members  of  the  Methodist  church. 
Eleven  children  were  born  to  them :  Frank 
and  Zachariah,  both  deceased;  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  Henry  Cook,  living  in  Rice  county, 
Kansas ;  Howard  and  Charles,  living  in  Ok- 
lahoma; Minnie,  wife  of  Peter  Hull,  also  in 
Oklahoma;  Katie;  Elda,  widow  of  William 
McKoun,  living  in  Huntington.  Indiana; 
Margaret,  wife  of  Joseph  Smith,  living  in 
Finney  county,  Kansas;  Thomas,  living  in 
Kansas ;  and  Olive,  wife  of  George  Scudder, 
living  in  Oklahoma. 

Mr.  Krider  and  wife  have  but  one  child, 
Mamie  E..  wife  of  Harry  Briggs.  a  farmer 
of  Smith  township.  They  have  two  children : 
Robert  K.  and  William.  Mr.  Krider  is  iden- 
tified with  the  Democraic  party  and  his  wife 
is  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren  church 


■62, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


at  Collins.  After  marriage  they  lived  on  a 
rented  farm  five  years,  when  they  purchased 
a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty-three  acres 
on  which  they  still  live.  An  elegant  ten- 
room  house  was  erected  in  1902  and  later  a 
fine  barn  thirty-eight  by  sixty  feet.  The 
farm  is  well  stocked,  systematically  and 
scientifically  managed  and  produces  splendid 
results.  It  is  one  of  the  best  improved  and 
most  productive  farms  in  the  county  and  pre- 
sents every  evidence  of  prosperity. 


TACOB  E.   PENCE. 


Jacob  E.  Pence,  a  prosperous  and  success- 
ful farmer  of  Smith  township,  was  born  in 
the  township  May  3,  1862,  and  is  the  son  of 
Absalom  and  Clara  (Van  Houten)  Pence. 
Absalom  Pence  was  bom  in  Highland  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  and  was  the  son  of  George  C. 
Pence,  who  came  to  Whitley  county  in  1836 
and  settled  in  Smith  township.  He  was 
a  successful  farmer  and  gave  much  of  his 
time  to  religious  interests,  being  a  class 
leader  for  many  years  in  the  Salem  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church.  The  mother  was 
born  in  Richland  county,  Ohio,  October  28, 
1835,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Jacob  A. 
and  Catherine  Ann  Van  Houten.  who 
came  to  Whitley  county.  Indiana,  in  1837. 
and  also  settled  in  Smith  township.  He 
bought  government  land  near  Concord. 
where  he  reared  the  family,  though  in  later 
years  he  resided  in  Union  township  where  he 
died.  To  him  was  the  distinction  of  having 
served  as  judge  of  the  first  court  held  in  the 
county.  1  lis  eventful  life  closed  in  1875,  be- 
ing preceded  by  his  wife,  who  died  in   1868. 


Both  were  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  near  Coesse.  They  were  the  parents 
of  eleven  children :  John,  a  minister  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  Illinois;  Isaac, 
David,  Jacob,  Alexander,  Jane  Clara,  and 
Emma.  The  only  survivors  are  Alexander 
and  Clara. 

Absalom  and  Clara  Pence  were  married 
at  Concord,  in  1853,  and  spent  their  lives  on 
the  farm  in  Smith  township.  The)"  were 
both  faithful  and  zealous  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  The  father 
died  in  1875,  and  the  mother  still  owns  the 
old  homestead  though  now  living  with  Ja- 
cob E.  Six  children  were  born  to  them : 
Northan  W.  died  at  twenty-five;  Leila.. wife 
of  W.  A.  Leech,  living  in  Smith  township: 
Melda  died  in  infancy ;  Emma  Jane  died  in 
childhood  and  Effie  L.  died  at  seventeen. 
Jacob  E.  continued  to  live  with  his  wid- 
owed mother  until  he  was  married.  February 
3.  1882,  to  Martha  Almeda,  daughter  of 
John  and  Ingeba  (Gandy)  Jones,  bom  in 
Smith  township  July  15,  i860.  Her  father 
was  a  native  of  Ohio,  while  her  mother  was 
born  in  Virginia.  They  were  married  in 
.  Whitley  county  and  engaged  in  farming. 
John  was  born  November  1,  1825.  and  died 
September  15,  1895;  Ingeba  was  horn  June 
21/.  1827.  and  died  March  3,  1H74.  They 
were  the  parents  of  six  children:  George 
\\'.,  living  in  Smith  township;  Charles  and 
Isaiah,  deceased:  Samantha.  wife  of  C.  N. 
Smith,  living  in  Collins:  Martha  Almeda. 
and  Mary,  wife  of  Richard  Cramer,  of  Smith 
township.  Mr.  Pence  and  wife  have  had 
three  children:  Ruth,  who  died  at  twenty- 
three:  Toby  Absalom,  a  student  in  the  Co- 
lumbia City  high  school,  and  Herschel  Oscar. 
Jacob  E.   Pence  was  educated  at  the  public 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


623 


schools,  securing  a  foundation  upon  which 
he  has  builded  constantly  and  successfully. 
In  1885  he  purchased  his  first  forty  acres 
of  land,  which  he  sold  in  1890  and  imme- 
diately purchased  eighty-five  acres,  a  part  of 
the  present  farm.  He  purchased  eighty 
acres  adjoining  and  in  1903  purchased 
eighty-four  acres  more,  making  two  elegant 
farms  some  ten  miles  apart.  The  latter 
farm  was  formerly  the  homestead  of  his  un- 
cle, Abraham  Pence,  and  is  a  part  of  the 
original  section  purchased  by  his  grandfa- 
ther. Mr.  Pence  is  a  Republican  in  politics 
and  enjoys  social  and  fraternal  relations  with 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge,  while  Mrs. 
Pence  is  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren 
church,  giving  it  faithful  and  zealous 
support. 


REV.  CHARLES  S.  PARKER. 

Rev.  Charles  S.  Parker,  the  popular  pas- 
tor of  the  United  Brethren  church  at  Chu- 
rubusco,  of  which  he  took  charge  in  Septem- 
ber, 1905,  was  born  in  Huntington  county, 
August  2.  1865,  and  is  the  son  of  John  J. 
and  Celia  (Penland)  Parker,  the  former  a 
native  of  Lawrence  county,  Ohio,  and  son  of 
William  Parker,  an  attorney  and  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  who  located  in  Lawrence 
county  in  1824,  and  later  removed  to  Mt. 
Etna.  Huntington  count}',  Indiana,  and 
finally  to  Iowa,  where  he  served  several 
years  as  judge  of  the  courts.  He  died  in 
that  state  in  1867,  the  father  of  seven  chil- 
dren. John  J.  Parker  accompanied  his  par- 
ents to  Huntington  countv  when  a  lad  of 
twelve.     He  was  reared  to  manhood  under 


the  parental  roof  and  spent  forty-one  years 
on  the  farm  near  Huntington.  His  death 
occurred  in  Oregon  in  February,  1897,  and 
that  of  his  wife  occurred  in  Huntington  on 
September  8,  1892.  They  were  the  parents 
of  ten  children,  those  living  being  Rev. 
William  F.,  pastor  of  the  United  Brethren 
church  at  Butler,  Indiana ;  Belle,  wife  of 
Samuel  Horsell.  of  Chehallis,  Washington ; 
David  M..  of  Huntington;  Thomas  J.,  of 
Huntington :  James  M. ;  Charles,  general 
manager  of  Philometh  College  in  Oregon; 
and  Richard  B.,  of  Huntington. 

Charles  S.  Parker  passed  his  childhood 
and  youth  amid  the  scenes  of  farm  life,  most 
of  the  time  being  spent  in  incessant  toil, 
varied  only  by  attendance  at  the  district 
schools.  At  the  age  of  nineteen,  feeling  the 
need  of  a  more  thorough  intellectual  train- 
ing, he  entered  the  Huntington  Normal,  the 
Roanoke  Seminary  and  North  Manchester 
College.  Being  reared  under  religious  in- 
fluences, when  quite  young  he  began  seri- 
ously to  consider  the  matter  of  his  soul's 
welfare.  His  convictions  were  strong  and 
abiding,  his  feelings  deep,  and  seeing  his 
duty  plainly,  he  made  a  public  profession  of 
religion  and  united  with  the  church.  It  was 
with  the  object  in  view  of  ultimately  devot- 
ing his  life  to  the  ministry  that  young  Park- 
er prepared  himself  and  in  September.  1895, 
he  was  ordained  a  minister  at  the  St.  Jo- 
seph conference.  His  first  charge  was  at 
Dayton,  Indiana,  which  was  his  field  of 
labor  during  one  year.  He  then  accepted  a 
call  t<>  the  church  at  Frankfort  and  after  a 
successful  pastorate  of  three  years  at  that 
place  he  served  successively  at  Silver  Lake. 
South  Whitley,  North  Manchester.  Peru, 
Indianapolis,  and  at  Russell.  Kansas.     Two 


624 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


or  three  years  lie  devoted  exclusively  to 
evangelistic  work.  Mr.  Parker*s  life  has 
been  one  of  great  activity.  Intent  upon  his 
Master's  work,  he  has  labored  zealously  and 
faithfully  in  spreading  the  gospel  and  call- 
ing men  and  women  to  repentance,  many 
through  his  earnest  and  eloquent  appeals  be- 
ing induced  to  abandon  the  ways  of  sin  and 
seek  the  better  way  of  leading  to  lives  of 
righteousness  and  Christian  service.  Os- 
tober  19,  1898,  Mr.  Parker  and  Miss  Sue 
Pence  were  united  in  the  holy  bonds  of  wed- 
lock. Mrs.  Parker  was  bom  in  South  Whit- 
ley August  21,  1878,  the  daughter  of  Allen 
and  Mary  (Harshbarger)  Pence,  and  is  the 
mother  of  one  child,  Paul.  Mr.  Parker 
takes  a  living  interest  in  all  public  questions, 
rendering  unqualified  influence  to  all  ef- 
forts making  for  better  living  and  a  purer 
citizenship. 


FREDERICK  G.  BINDER. 

During  the  years  immediately  preceding 
the  Civil  war  six  brothers  by  the  name  of 
Binder  emigrated  to  the  United  States  from 
Germany  and  settled  in  various  towns  in 
eastern  Michigan.  As  they  wrote  favorable 
reports  back  home,  another  brother,  Jacob 
U,  was  tempted  to  come  in  i860,  and  set- 
tled at  Ann  Arbor,  where  one  of  the  others 
lived.  He  established  a  butcher  shop  in  con- 
nection with  stock  buying,  and  became  an 
old  style  drover,  taking  cattle  to  Buffalo  and 
New  York.  At  one  time  he  received  an 
order  to  send  forty  yoke  of  cattle  to  Lake 
Superior  and  after  some  lively  hustling  pro- 
cured  the  number  in  two  days  and   drove 


them  to  Detroit,  for  shipment  by  boat.     He 
brought  with  him  a  son,  Frederick  G,  who 
was  born  at  Wittenberg,  Germany,  March 
12,    1853,    and    learned   the  butcher   trade, 
while  with  his  father  in  Ann  Arbor.     He 
worked  both  in  Ypsilanti  and  Detroit,  but 
in  1874  came  to  Whitley  county,  which  was 
destined   to   be   his   permanent   home.     He 
first  worked  with  Fred  Bush  and  for  eight 
years    for    Daniels    Brothers,    in    Columbia 
City,  but  being  ambitious  to  enter  business 
on  his  own  account  he  began  at  South  Whit- 
ley, with  a  capital  of  two  hundred  dollars. 
However,  he  had  a  partner  by  the  name  of 
Dickey,  whose  standing  enabled  him  to  get 
all  the  needed  credit.     In   1885  he  opened 
business,    at    the    stand   where   he   now    is, 
though    the    intervening   years   have    made 
wonderful  changes  in  his  financial  condition. 
His  business  as  a  butcher,  stock-dealer,  and 
meat  merchant  grew  steadily,  through  good 
management,   skill  and  industry  until  now 
after  twenty  years  Mr.  Binder  can  consider 
with  pardonable  pride  what  he  has  accom- 
plished.    His     annual     sales     now     exceed 
twenty  thousand  dollars  and  he  pays  to  the 
farmers  of  Whitley  county  between  ten  thou- 
sand and  fifteen  thousand  dollars  a  year  for 
stock.     By  confining  himself  strictly  to  his 
own  business  and  giving  it  his  undivided  at- 
tention, he  has  achieved  well  merited  success. 
He  is  now  located  in  the  same  building  in 
which  he  worked  while   employed  by  the 
Daniels   Brothers,    buying   it   in    1893.     In 
politics  he  is  a  Democrat  and  has  frequently 
been  honored  by  his  party,   while  in  turn 
rendering  it  faithful  and  judicious  service.  ^ 
He  was  county  chairman  for  two  years  and 
has  been  delegate  to  the  county  and  state 
conventions.     He  was  a  member  of  the  city 


O^  Kj.  fa^ndn. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


62  = 


council  for  two  years  and  held  the  office  of 
city  treasurer  twelve  years  in  succession. 
Mr.  Binder  would  not  be  a  German  could 
he  not  find  time  for  social  intercourse  and 
for  the  enjoyment  of  the  society  of  friends. 
He  contributes  to  all  influences  to  develop 
and  improve  his  adopted  city.  He  is  a 
stockholder  in  the  furniture  factory,  one  of 
Columbia  City's  most  valuable  industries, 
besides  having  other  real  estate  and  busi- 
ness interests.  He  is  a  charter  member  of 
the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  and  has  been 
a  trustee  ever  since  the  institution  of  the 
lodge. 

In  1874  Mr.  Binder  was  married  to  Re- 
becca Walz,  of  Marshall,  Michigan,  and  they 
have  an  interesting  family  of  five  sons. 
Fred  G.,  the  eldest  and  namesake  of  his 
father,  is  a  printer.  Otto  S.  and  Edward 
C.  remain  with  the  father.  Walter  is  clerk 
with  the  Providence  Trust  Company  and 
Homer  is  in  high  school. 


JAMES  M.  CRONE. 

James  M.  Crone,  a  highly  respected  and 
well-to-do  farmer  of  Whitley  county,  was 
born  in  West  Virginia  September  19,  1853. 
and  is  the  son  of  Levi  and  Margaret  (Ore- 
baugh)  Crone.  Levi  Crone  came  to  Whit- 
ley county  in  1872  and  located  in  Columbia 
City,  where  he  labored  by  the  day.  His 
death  occurred  in  1890.  He  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Margaret  Orebaugh  in 
Rockingham  county,  Virginia,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  six  children :  George 
William,  a  fanner  in  Smith  township;  Sa- 
rah Margaret,  a  resident  of  Chicago,  and  the 

40 


widow  of  William  Reed ;  Elizabeth,  wife  of 
James  Jeffries,  lives  in  Xenia,  Ohio ;  Mary, 
a  resident  of  Cincinnati ;  James  M. :  Nancy 
Jane,  of  near  Leesburg,  Indiana,  wife  of  Le- 
ander  Jeffries.  Levi  and  his  son  George 
were  compelled  to  leave  West  Virginia  in 
1863  in  order  to  avoid  conscription  into  the 
Confederate  army  and  for  a  time  lived  in 
Xenia,  Ohio.  The  mother  and  the  remain- 
der of  the  family  came  north  with  the  Unoin 
army  some  time  later. 

James  M.  Crone  received  a  good  district 
school  education  and  in  1870  came  to  Whit- 
ley county  and  worked  as  a  farm  hand  for 
Mortimer  Jeffries.  On  February  6,  1873, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Pris- 
cilla,  daughter  of  Mortimer  and  Elizabeth 
(Keen)  Jeffries  and  bora  in  Smith  township 
August  4,  1858.  Mortimer  and  Elizabeth 
Jeffries  located  in  Whitley  county  on  a  farm 
adjoining  the  present  Crone  farm,  where 
Mr.  Jeffries  died  in  1879  and  his  wife  in 
1 901.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  chil- 
dren :  Leander,  Priscilla,  Herbert,  Lizzie, 
Mary  and  Levi,  the  latter  a  resident  of  Lan- 
sing, Michigan.  James  M.  Crone  after  mar- 
riage lived  on  the  farm  of  his  father-in-law 
and  was  successful  in  raising  abundant 
crops  and  all  kinds  of  cereals  common  to 
that  locality.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  one 
hundred  and  forty-six  acres  of  rich  land, 
nearly  all  under  cultivation,  and  a  part  of 
which  was  inherited  by  his  wife  from  her 
father's  estate.  He  has  erected  an  attractive 
and  modern  eight-room  house,  has  built  a 
large  and  substantial  barn  and  the  general 
appearance  of  the  place  is  inviting  to  the 
observer.  Air.  and  Airs.  Crone  have  been 
the  parents  of  three  children :  David,  who 
died  in   1890;    William,  who  married  Miss 


626 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Carrie  Hire  and  lives  on  the  Levi  Jeffries 
homestead ;  Amanda,  living  at  home.  Mr. 
Crone  supports  the  Republican  party,  while 
he  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Collins 
United  Brethren  church.  Mr.  Crone  is  a 
man  of  stanch  qualities  of  character,  his 
actions  being  characterized  by  the  strictest 
integrity  and  he  now  occupies  an  enviable 
position  in  the  community. 


JOSEPH  J.  PENCE. 


Joseph  J.  Pence,  who  is  entitled  to  spe- 
cial mention  because  of  the  distinction  that 
is  his  of  having  lived  in  Smith  township  the 
longest  of  any  poineer  settler,  was  bom  in 
Fayette  county,  Ohio,  November  20,  1831, 
and  is  the  son  of  George  C.  and  Sarah 
(Windle)  Pence.  The  paternal  grandfather 
was  Philip  Pence,  a  native  of  Germany  who 
came  to  America  in  early  life  and  settled  on 
a  farm  in  Highland  county,  Ohio.  It  is 
stated  that  he  was  bringing  corn  from  Ken- 
tucky and  when  crossing  the  Ohio  on  a  ferry 
boat  it  sprung  a  leak  and  sank.  He  jumped 
on  one  of  his  horses  and  it  is  supposed  was 
kicked  and  so  stunned  that  he  was  drowned. 
George  C.  Pence  was  born  in  Highland 
county,  Ohio,  November  20,  1791,  being 
forty  years  older  to  the  day  than  Joseph  J.  In 
1836  he  disposed  of  his  farm  in  Fayette 
county  and  with  his  family  started  with  a 
wagon  and  team  to  drive  to  Whitley  county, 
arriving  there  November  18th.  He  bought 
all  of  section  19,  Smith  township,  the  pur- 
chase price  being  twelve  hundred  dollars  and 
here  he  lived  until  he  went  to  Hardin 
county,  Iowa,  in  1856,  trading  the  old  home- 


stead with  Joseph  J.  He  was  the  first  man 
to  drive  through  Smith  township.  At  that 
dav  the  woods  were  inhabited  by  a  great 
number  of  Indians  and  deer  and  other  wild 
animals,  the  most  numerous  of  which  was 
wolves,  and  he  was  compelled  to  cut  his  way 
through  the  forests  to  reach  his  destination, 
having  selected  the  land  the  spring  before. 
Mr.  Pence  was  married  in  Fayette  county, 
Ohio,  to  Sarah  Windle,  who  was  born  in 
Shenandoah  county.  Virginia,  November 
18,  1792.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Pence  were 
the  parents  of  ten  children.  Henry,  Eliza, 
Abraham,  John.  Absalom,  Catherine.  Willis 
F.,  Elizabeth.  Joseph  J.,  and  Jesse.  Mrs. 
Pence  died  August  18,  1854.  at  the  old 
homestead  and  he  died  in  Iowa  about  1866. 
He  was  married  again  in  Iowa  to  Mrs. 
Gauger,  whose  maiden  name  was  Reese  and 
who  formerly  lived  in  Whitley  county. 
Joseph  J.  lacked  but  two  days  of  being  five 
years  of  age  when  he  came  to  the  present 
home.  With  the  exception  of  about  one 
vear.  when  he  resided  in  Iowa,  he  has  lived 
ever  since  on  the  farm.  In  1854  he  wait 
to  Hardin  county,  Iowa,  exchanging  two 
years  later  with  his  father  and  renting  the 
old  homestead,  getting  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  which  his  father  first  pur- 
chased. On  this  land  he  raises  all  the 
crops  common  to  this  section  of  Indiana 
and  has  achieved  a  marked  and  definite  suc- 
cess in  his  calling,  a  success  which  may  be 
credited  entirely  to  his  own  efforts,  directed 
and  controlled  by  wise  judgment  and  keen 
discrimination.  Mr.  Pence  has  been  twice 
married,  his  first  union  being  with  Susan 
Waugh,  who  was  born  in  Ross  county. 
Ohio,  in  1837,  the  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Nancy  (Harper)  Waugh,  the  latter  of  whom 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


627 


recently  died  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  ninety. 
This  union  was  blessed  with  the  birth  of 
six  children :    Mary  Elizabeth,  wife  of  J.  J. 
Smith,  a   resident  of  Whitley  county,   has 
two  children,  Jessie  and   Minnie ;     Eldora, 
who    died    in   childhood;    James   Abraham 
Lincoln,  a  resident  of  Smith  township,  who 
married   Maria   Leach   and   has  three  chil- 
dren, Olive,  Mabel  and  Joseph  C. ;    David 
M.,  a  resident  of  Smith  township,  married 
Miriam  Coulter  and  has  two  children,  Evan 
J.  and  Lylia  May;    Florence,  wife  of  F.  J. 
Heller,  an  attorney  of  Columbia  City,  has 
three  children,  Kate,  Grace  and  Lois;   Wil- 
liam Judson,  a  resident  of  Columbia  City, 
married  Zella  Clark  and  has  two  children, 
Hallie  and  Alice  Amelia.     Mrs.  Pence  died 
June  6,  1 87 1.    Mr.  Pence's  second  marriage, 
which  took  place  November  14,   1872,  was 
with  Alice  Henney,  who  was  born  in  Whit- 
ley county  September  17,   185 1,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  Philip  and  Charlotte  (Richard) 
Henney,  natives  of  Stark  county,  Ohio,  who 
came  to  Whitley  county  in  1849.     Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Pence  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
church,  he  having  belonged  to  this  body  for 
nearly  sixty  years.     He  distinctly  recalls  the 
first  sermon  he  ever  heard,  which  was  de- 
livered in  his  father's  cabin  by  a  traveling 
preacher  when  he  was  seven  years  of  age. 
Mr.  Pence  now  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  after  having  given  a  farm  to  each  of 
three  children.     In  1870,  Mr.  Pence  erected 
a  fine  brick  residence,  which  is  thoroughly 
equipped    with    every    modern    convenience, 
and  he  soon  forged  to  the  front  as  an  enter- 
prising tiller  of  the   soil.      He  has   always 
kept  abreast  of  the  times  in  the  matter  of 
advanced  agriculture,  his  beautiful  and  high- 
ly cultivated  farm  being  at  this  time  one  of 


the  finest  and  most  attractive  places  in 
Whitley  county,  as  well  as  one  of  the 
most  highly  improved.  Mr.  Pence  is  the 
only  surviving  member  of  the  Pence  family 
anil  relates  many  interesting  incidents  per- 
taining to  the  pioneer  days  of  Whitley  coun- 
ty. He  has  four  great-grandchildren.  In 
politics  he  gives  an  unqualified  allegiance  to 
the  Republican  party.  He  is  a  man  of  ex- 
cellent business  judgment  and  sterling  integ- 
rity and  is  deserving  of  the  success  which 
has  accompanied  his  efforts. 


DAVID  L.  PENCE. 


David  L.  Pence,  a  practical  and  pro- 
gressive farmer  of  Smith  township,  was  born 
on  the  farm  which  he  now  occupies  March 
13,  1859,  and  is  the  son  of  Willis  F.  and 
Mary  J.  (Burney)  Pence.  The  paternal  grand- 
parents were  George  C.  and  Sarah  (Windle) 
Pence,  both  natives  of  Ohio.  The  maternal 
grandparents  were  John  and  Catherine 
(Myers)  Burney,  the  former  of  whom  was 
born  during  the  voyage  across  the  ocean. 
He  was  raised  in  Harrison  county,  Ohio, 
and  died  there  in  1839.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John 
Burney  were  the  parents  of  five  children : 
Martha,  deceased ;  Elizabeth,  widow  of  Ma- 
jor Prichard,  of  Colorado;  William,  a  doctor 
in  Hannibal.  Missouri :  Loraney,  widow  of 
Adam  Van  Houten,  lives  in  Denmark,  Kan- 
sas, and  Mary  J.  Mrs.  Barney's  second 
marriage  was  with  Lewis  Deem  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  three  children :  Eliza, 
wife  of  George  Kreider.  lives  in  Smith  town- 
ship; David,  deceased;  John,  a  resident  of 
Churubusco.     The  parents  came  to' Indiana 


628 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


about  1854  and  located  on  a  farm  in  Smith 
township,  where  they  both  died.  The  mater- 
nal great-grandparents  were  William  and 
Elizabeth  (Ticher)  Burney,  natives  of  Eng- 
land. They  came  to  America  and  located 
in  Harrison  count}-,  Ohio,  where  they  en- 
tered government  land  and  lived  during  the 
remainder  of  their  lives.  Willis  and  Mary 
J.  (Burney)  Pence  were  married  April  21, 
1858,  and  located  on  the  farm  now  occupied 
by  David  L.  They  were  the  parents  of  two 
children :  David  L.,  and  Kate,  who  is  the 
wife  of  Everett  Barney,  a  resident  of  Thorn- 
creek  township.  Mr.  Pence  died  January  2, 
1862,  and  the  widow  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Jacob  J.  Hallenbeck,  a  native  of 
New  York  and  son  of  Jacob  W.  and  Susan- 
nah Hallenbeck,  the  former  of  whom  died  in 
1904.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jacob  J.  Hallenbeck  were 
the  parents  of  three  children  :  Johnl  W.,  who 
married  Miss  Lydia  Morse  and  lives  on  a 
farm  in  Union  township;  Ida,  deceased,  and 
George,  who  died  in  infancy.  Jacob  Hallen- 
beck died  in  1904  and  his  wife  is  now  living 
in  Columbia  City. 

David  L.  Pence  received  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  the  community  and 
has  spent  his  aitire  life  in  Whitley  county. 
He  is  now  the  owner  of  the  old  homestead, 
which  comprises  one  hundred  and  thirty-six 
acres  of  excellent  land  and  on  this  he  has 
erected  a  modern  house  of  eleven  rooms  and 
other  necessary  buildings  which  go  to  make 
up  a  complete  homestead.  On  November 
22,  1882,  he  was  .united  in  marriage  to  Rosa 
A.  Demoney,  born  in  Allen  county,  Indiana. 
March  2.  r865,  daugher  of  Albert  A.  and 
Mary  (  Donaldson)  Demoney,  and  who  was  a 
teacher  before  marriage.  This  union  was 
1  d   \\ith  the  following1  named  children: 


Orval,  a  teacher  in  the  county,  and  Estella 
M.,  a  teacher  at 'Collins,  both  living  at  home;. 
Allien,  who  died  in  infancy,  and  Benjamin 
F.,  student  in  the  Collins  high  school.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Pence  are  members  of  the  Sa- 
lem Methodist  church.  In  his  political 
affiliations  Mr.  Pence  is  a  Republican  and 
is  loyal  in  his  advocacy  of  the  party  and  its 
principles.  He  is  a  man  of  many  fine  person- 
al qualiies  and  enjoys  the  good  will  of  all. 
who  know  him. 


WILLIAM  A.  LEECH. 

William  A.  Leech,  an  enterprising  and 
well  known  farmer  of  Whitley  county,  was 
born  in  Richland  county,  Ohio,  March  31, 
1858,  and  is  the  son  of  James  and  Elizabeth 
(Strean)  Leech.  They  were  married  in 
Whitley  county  on  August  2,  1849,  and  lo- 
cated on  the  farm  now  owned  by  William 
A.  Mr.  Leech  died  in  February,  1879;  his 
wife  survives  and  is  living  in  Churubusco. 
This  union  was  blessed  with  the  birth  of 
seven  children :  John  W.,  who  died  one  day 
after  his  wife,  the  two  being  buried  in  the 
same  grave,  his  age  being  forty-eight ;  Fanny 
wife  of  William  Jacuay,  a  resident  of  Allen 
county,  Indiana;  Austin,  deceased  in  boy- 
hood ;  William  A. ;  Mariah,  wife  of  James 
Pence;  Ira  Elmer,  who  is  living  in  Marion, 
Indiana ;  Esther  and  Jane,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. The  paternal  grandfather  was  John 
Leech,  who  came  to  America  from  Ireland 
and  settled  in  Richland  county,  Ohio.  He 
was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812  and  died 
in  Ohio.  He  was  the  father  of  eleven  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity :    Benja- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


629 


min,  James,  Samuel,  Joseph,  John,  Esther,, 
Jane,  Margaret,  Mary,  Nancy,  Emily  and 
Elizabeth.  The  maternal  grand-parents 
were  John  and  Mariah  (Craig)  Strean,  the 
former  of  whom  was  a  native  of  Ireland, 
who  came  with  his  parents  to  Knox  county, 
'Ohio,  and  in  1830  located  in  Allen  county, 
Indiana,  subsequently  removing  to  Whitley 
•county  and  thence  in  the  fifties  to  Hardin 
county,  Iowa,  where  both  died.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Strean  had  ten  children :  Mary,  Ma- 
riah, Hester  Ann,  McKee,  Elizabeth,  John. 
Sarah.  Joseph,  Lorain  and  Jane.  The  mater- 
nal great-grandparents  were  Robert  and 
Elizabeth  (McKee)  Strean,  the  former  of 
whom  was  bom  in  Ireland  and  after  coming 
to  America  lived  in  Knox  county,  Ohio. 

William  A.  Leech  attended  the  public 
schools,  thus  acquiring  a  good  education  and 
upon  taking  up  life's  duties  entered  upon  a 
farming  career,  in  which  he  has  been  success- 
ful. He  was  a  year  and  one-half  old  when 
"he  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Whitley 
county  and  has  spent  practically  his  entire 
life  on  his  present  farm.  In  November, 
1882,  he  was  married  to  Leila  Lavina  Pence, 
born  in  Smith  township  September  15.  1858, 
and  daughter  of  Absalom  and  Clara  (Van 
Houten)  Pence.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pence  had 
six  children:  Northan  W.,  deceased  at 
twenty-five;  Leila  Lavina;  Melda,  deceased 
in  infancy;  Jacob,  a  resident  of  Smith  town- 
ship ;  Effie.  deceased :  one  who  died  in  in- 
fancy, unnamed.  Mr.  Pence  died  in  1875  and 
his  wife  is  living  with  her  son  Jacob  in  Smith 
township.  In  1894  Mr.  Leech  returned  to 
the  old  homestead  after  an  absence  of  about 
ten  years,  some  five  of  which  were  spent  in 
selling  goods.  This  comprised  one  hundred 
and  sixtv  acres,  of  which  he  now  has  sixtv- 


two.  His  farm  work  has  been  followed  by 
excellent  results  and  his  property  is  now  well 
improved  and  valuable.  He  has  good  build- 
ings on  the  place  and  his  work  is  of  such 
a  practical  nature  that  he  annually  harvests 
good  crops  and  finds  for  them  a  ready  sale 
upon  the  market.  Mr.  Leech  is  an  ardent 
supporter  of  the  Democratic  party  and  en- 
joys the  sincere  respect  and  absolute  confi- 
dence of  all  who  know  him. 


DANIEL  ZUMBRUN. 

Daniel  Zumbrun,  a  well  known  and  re- 
spected farmer  of  Whitley  county,  was  born 
in  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  May  16,  1843, 
and  is  the  son  of  Henry  and  Julia  (Kinzie) 
Zumbrun.  Henry  Zumbrun  was  born  in 
Maryland  and  resided  in  the  state  of  his  na- 
tivity until  he  became  forty  years  of  age. 
He  then  located  in  Ohio  and  afterwards  re- 
moved to  Whitley  county,  at  a  time  when 
wild  game  of  all  kinds  was  plentiful,  and 
there  bought  a  tract  of  land  of  one  hundred 
and  eightv  acres  of  unimproved  and  heavily 
timbered  land.  By  diligent  and  continuous 
toil  and  good  management  he  reduced  the 
greater  part  of  his  land  to  tillage  and  today 
it  is  considered  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the 
county  and  is  now  owned  by  his  youngest 
son,  John  Zumbrun. 

Daniel  was  a  lad  of  ten  years  when 
he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Whitley 
county.  He  passed  his  youthful  years  much 
the  same  as  did  the  average  farmer  boy  of 
the  locality  and  period,  having  been  reared 
to  manhood  on  the  old  homestead  in  Thorn- 
creek  township  and  having  early  begun  to 


630 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


assist  in  its  work.  He  continued  to  be 
associated  in  the  work  of  the  home  place  until 
he  attained  the  age  of  twenty-one  years, 
when  he  was  united  in  marriage  March,  1864, 
with  Sarah  Ott,  who  was  born  in  Preble 
couny,  Ohio,  September  2,  1841,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  George  and  Mary  (Brown)  Ott, 
natives  of  Ohio.  George  Ott  came  to  Noble 
county,  Indiana,  in  1842  and  settled  on  a 
tract  of  heavily  timbered  land,  comprising 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  which  his  father 
had  purchased  from  the  government  and 
given  him.  Here  he  maintained  his  home  dur- 
ing the  remainder  of  his  life,  his  death  oc- 
curring September  9,  1887,  and  that  of  his 
wife  October  28,  1890.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ott 
were  the  parents  of  ten  children :  Sarah ; 
Mary  Ann,  wife  of  Thomas  Young,  of  Noble 
county ;  Matilda,  widow  of  Nicholas  Henry, 
resides  in  Ohio;  Ellen  married  David  King 
and  lives  in  Noble  county;  Hetta,  wife  of 
Jesse  Lock,  of  Churubusco ;  Louisa  Jane, 
wife  of  Christ  Zumbrun,  a  resident  of  Smith 
township ;  Daniel  P.  Ott,  of  Kosciusko  coun- 
ty, but  who  remained  on  the  old  homestead 
while  the  parents  lived ;  Olive,  widow  of 
Andrew  Marker,  living  in  Noble  county; 
Almeda,  wife  of  Jacob  Leamon,  of  Noble 
county:  and  John  Franklin,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

After  Mr.  Zumbrun  was  married  he  lo- 
cated in  Noble  county  and  rented  a  farm 
of  John  Ott  for  five  years,  when  he  pur- 
chased eight)'  acres  directly  across  the  road 
from  his  present  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  Smith  township.  He  is  now 
the  owner  of  a  well  improved  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  .  part  of  which  is 
under  effective  cultivation  and  on  which  are 
raised  all  the  crops  common  to  this  latitude. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Zumbrun  have  had  six  chil- 
dren :  Elom  Harvey,  who  married  Ida  Crig- 
ger  and  has  one  child,  Pearl ;  Saba  Elmina, 
wife  of  Clarence  Shively,  has  four  children, 
Floyd,  Stella,  Jesse  and  William  Henry ;  Net- 
tie, wife  of  Noah  Shively,  has  six  living  chil- 
dren, Lawrence,  Essli,  Lois,  Murry,  Ethel, 
Isa,  and  Martha,  widow  of  Ira  Claxton  and 
has  one  child,  Clyde;  Caroline,  wife  of  Wil- 
liam Brumbaugh,  a  resident  of  Smith  town- 
ship, has  three  living  children,  Melvin,  Lilia, 
and  Hallie;  Anna,  wife  of  David  McCoy, 
lives  on  a  part  of  the  Zumbrun  farm.  Both 
Mr.  Zumbrun  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  German  Baptist  church,  and  their  active 
efforts  in  its  behalf  have  been  of  material 
benefit.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Zumbrun 
is  a  Republican  and  while  deeply  interested 
in  all  political  and  public  matters,  has  never 
taken  an  active  part.  He  is  widely  known 
and  his  upright  character  has  gained  for  him 
the  unqualified  confidence  of  all. 


ALBERT  A.  DEMONEY. 

Albert  A.  Demoney,  a  prosperous  farmer 
and  popular  citizen  of  Smith  township,  was 
born  in  Bradford  county,  Pennsylvania, 
March  29,  1833,  ar*d  is  tne  son  of  Samuel 
and  Clarissa  (Tripp)  Demoney,  the  former 
of  whom  was  of  French  extraction.  He  was 
a  farmer  by  vocation  and  came  to  Richland 
county,  Ohio,  in  1846.  He  lived  there  and 
in  Huron  county  for  a  period  of  about  ten 
years,  when  in  1857  he  removed  to  Scotland 
county.  Missouri,  and  there  his  death  oc- 
curred in  July,  1885.  Clarissa  (Tripp)  De- 
money   was  born   and   reared    in    Bradford 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


631 


county,  Pennsylvania,  and  her  death  oc- 
curred in  Kansas  on  March  1,  1899.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Demoney  were  the  parents  of  eight 
children:  Albert  A.;  William  E.,  a  soldier 
in  the  Twenty-First  Missouri  Regiment,  who 
was  drowned  in  a  hospital  boat  in  Alabama 
during  the  war;  Edward  M.,  a  resident  of 
Adair  county,  Missouri ;  Catherine,  widow 
of  William  Chartier,  lives  in  Hope,  Kansas ; 
John  H.,  who  is  a  farmer  in  Kansas ;  Melvin 
F.,  deceased:  Hannah  Ann,  wife  of  William 
McMann  and  lives  in  Missouri,  and  Charles 
F.,  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Demoney  were 
zealous  and  active  members  of  the  Metho- 
dist church. 

Albert  A.  Demoney  grew  to  manhood  on 
his  father's  farm  and  attended  the  district 
schools  until  he  became  thirteen  years  of  age. 
He  remained  at  home  until  twenty-three, 
when  he  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  ac- 
count and  everything  that  he  has  enjoyed  or 
possessed  since  that  time  has  been  acquired 
through  his  own  efforts.  March  4,  1856,  he 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary  Donald- 
son, who  was  born  in  Richland  county,  Ohio, 
June  17,  1837,  the  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Sarah  G.  (Matthews)  Donaldson.  Joseph 
Donaldson  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and 
spent  the  latter  part  of  his  life  in  Allen  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  his  death  occurring  there  July 
27,  1891.  Almost  the  entire  family  of  Donald- 
sons was  killed  by  the  Indians  on  the  Sus- 
quehannah,  one  only  escaping,  who  is  the  an- 
cestor of  the  family.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Donald- 
son were  married  in  Richland  count)-,  Ohio, 
and  became  the  parents  of  seven  children : 
Francina,  deceased ;  John,  who  lives  in  Ohio  ; 
Mary;  William,  who  owns  a  grocery  and 
feed  store;  Jemima,  who  died  April  1,  1890; 
Levi,  a  Congregational  minister  at  Medina, 


Ohio;  Emily,  wife  of  W.  S.  Gandy.  Mrs. 
Donaldson  died  November  1,  1897.  She  and 
her  husband  were  both  members  of  the  Unit- 
ed Brethren  church  and  in  this  work  were 
active,  helpful  and  influential.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Demoney  have  had  five  children  :  Joseph  H., 
who  married  Elsie  Roach  and  has  two  chil- 
dren ;  Mary  C.  and  Blanche  R. ;  Elmer  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Smith  and  has  one  child, 
Jessie;  Rosa  R.,  wife  of  David  L.  Pence, 
has  three  living  children,  Orval,  Stella  and 
Benjamin  Franklin;  Effie,  wife  of  Cary 
Braddock,  of  Thorncreek  township,  has  four 
children.  Nellie.  Elijah  Yost,  Albert  A., 
Retta  Fern,  and  John  F.,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. After  Mr.  Demoney  was  married 
he  lived  on  a  farm  in  Ohio  for  about  a  vear 
and  a  half,  then  in  1857  removed  to  Mis- 
souri and  purchased  eight}'  acres  of  land  in 
Knox  county,  where  he  lived  for  three  years. 
Owing  to  the  unsettled  condition  of  affairs  in 
Missouri,  he  disposed  of  his  land  and  moved 
back  to  Ohio,  where  he  lived  for  two  years 
or  more,  and  came  to  Allen  couny,  Indiana, 
and  in  1866  came  to  Whitley  county.  He  pur- 
chased one  hundred  acres  of  heavily  tim- 
bered land  at  ten  dollars  per  acre  and  has 
cleared  most  of  this  himself.  In  place  of  the 
little  log  cabin  which  he  built  when  he  first  be- 
came possessor  of  this  land,  he  has  erected  an 
attractive  ten-room  house,  modern  in  every 
sense,  has  built  a  large  and  substantial  barn 
and  other  outbuildings  and  has  fenced  his 
land,  thus  dividing  it  into  fields  of  conve- 
nient size.  In  his  barn  and  pastures  can  be 
seen  good  grades  of  stock  and  his  home  has 
become  one  of  the  attractive  features  in  this 
portion  of  the  count)-.  Mr.  Demoney  is  a 
member  1  f  the  United  Brethren  church, 
while  his  wife  is  a  faithful  member  of  the 


632 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Methodist  organization.  Mr.  Demoney  is 
a  member  of  the  Republican  party,  keeps 
well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day  and 
is  enabled  to  support  his  position  by  intelli- 
gent argument.  In  1865  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany C.  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-second 
Indiana  Infantry,  but  saw  no  active  service 
and  was  honorably  discharged  at  Charles- 
town,  Virginia,  August  30,  1865. 


GEORGE  SHECKLER. 

George  Sheckler.  a  prosperous  farmer 
and  honored  resident  of  Thorncreek  town- 
ship, was  tern  July  22.  1834,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Rachel  (Tet'tit)  Sheckler,  the  form- 
er of  whom  was  born  in  Huntingon  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  the  latter  in  Hampshire 
county,  Virginia.  The  paternal  grandfather 
was  Frederick  Sheckler,  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, who  spent  his  entire  life  on  a  farm 
and  was  also  engaged  in  the  distillery  indus- 
try. The  maternal  grandmother  was  a  na- 
tive of  Germany  and  came  from  the  old 
country  at  the  ag-e  of  fourteen  years.  John 
Sheckler's  schooling  was  limited  to  one 
month's  instruction  and  he  was  reared  to  the 
life  of  a  farmer,  which  pursuit  he.  followed 
all  his  life.  He  walked  from  Pennsylvania 
to  Crawford  county,  Ohio,  where  he  took 
up  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixtv  acres, 
on  which  he  made  a  number  of  substantial 
improvements.  He  remained  there  two  years. 
when  lie  returned  to  Pennsylvania  and  later 
back  to  Ohio,  where  he  died  about  1859. 
Rachel  Sheckler's  death  occurred  about  1835. 
This  union  was  blessed  with  eight  children: 
Elizabeth,  Catherine,  David,  Thomas,  John, 
Christina,  James  ami  George. 


George  Sheckler  remained  under  the  pa- 
rental roof  until  he  became  twenty-six  years 
of  age.  He  received  his  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools,  the  school  house  which  he  at- 
tended being  a  very  old  one,  the  seats  or 
benches  being  made  of  split  saplings  and 
the  chimney  of  small  sticks.  About  1858  Mr. 
Sheckler  came  to  Whitley  county  and  settled 
on  his  present  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixtv  acres,  only  four  acres  of.  which  was 
cleared  at  the  time  of  its  purchase.  By  his 
continued  efforts  he  soon  made  of  this  one 
of  the  most  attractive  and  highly  productive 
farms  of  the  neighborhood.  Year  by  year 
he  prospered  as  his  stock  and  crops  were 
sold,  until  he  was  thus  able  to  invest  more 
and  more  largely  in  land  and  was  at  one 
time  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and  sixty 
acres.  He  disposed  of  a  portion  of  this, 
however,  and  at  present  owns  the  original 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  which  he  pur- 
chased of  his  brother. 

On  September  14,  1865,  Mr.  Sheckler 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Sarah,  daughter 
of  Matthew  and  Hannah  (Rutman)  Allbons, 
and  to  them  were  born  five  children :  Cath- 
erine, wife  of  Jess  Kiler,  of  Oak  Grove ;  Orin, 
now  operating-  the  home  farm:  Izora.  wife 
of  Sherman  LaDow,  of  Crawford  county. 
Ohio;  Florence,  wife  of  William  Snyder,  a 
lumber  manufacturer  of  Butler  county,  Mis- 
souri, ami  Roscoe,  a  music  teacher  at  Fort 
Wayne.  Indiana. 

July  15.  1 861,  Mr.  Sheckler  enlisted  in 
Company  E,  Thirty-Fourth  Regimenl  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry  for  three  years  and  served 
in  West  Virginia  and  in  the  Army  of  the 
Upper  Potomac.  His  brother  David,  who 
served  in  the  same  command,  was  discharged 
and  became  Captain  of  Company  T,  First 
Ohio   Militia.      Tames   served   in   Sherman's 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


633 


brigade,  re-enlisting  toward  the  close  of  the 
war,  and  was  among  the  last  of  the  soldiers 
to  be  discharged. 

Himself  and  family  are  members  of 
Thorncreek  Bapist  church,  of  which  body  the 
former  is  treasurer  and  he  has  also  served 
as  school  director.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  of  the 
Republican  party.  Mr.  Sheckler  has  a  large 
■circle  of  warm  friends  and  is  well  liked  by 
all  who  know  him  . 


GEORGE  JUDD. 


George  Judd,  a  capable  farmer  of  Thorn- 
creek  township,  was  born  in  Adams  county, 
Indiana,  February  7,  1843,  anc^  's  me  son  °f 
John  and  Anna  Louisa  Jane  (Double)  Judd, 
the  former  of  whom  was  a  native  of  Virginia 
and  the  latter  of  Pennsylvania.  Thev  were 
married  in  Stark  county.  Ohio,  in  1838, 
moved  to  Preble  township,  Adams  county; 
Indiana,  where  he  lived  for  a  period  of 
fifty  years,  his  death  occurring  May  15. 
1892,  surviving  his  wife  just  five  years,  her 
death  occurring  May  15,  1887,  and  at  the 
same  hour  of  the  day.  At  the  time  he  and 
his  wife  moved  to  Adams  county  the  region 
was  in  a  wild  state  and  unimproved.  The 
forests  abounded  in  wolves  and  many  nights 
they  were  compelled  to  build  a  fire  in  order 
to  save  themselves  from  the  jaws  of  these 
vicious  animals.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judd 
were  born  ten  children :  William  and  Elmer, 
deceased;  George;  Hesekiah.  who  lives  in 
Wells  count}-;  Isabella,  deceased;  Isaac,  a 
farmer  of  Whitley  county ;  Jacob,  deceased  ; 
Daniel,  deceased;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Samuel 


Kinsey,  who  resides  in  Adams  county ;  and 
Franklin,  who  resides  on  the  old  homestead 
in  Adams  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judd  were 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  at 
all  times  deeply  interested  in  its  welfare. 

George  Judd  received  a  good  practical 
education  in  the  district  schools  and  was 
reared  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  worked 
in  the  fields  during  the  summer  months  and 
in  winter  attended  school.  He  spent  one 
summer  with  John  Orr  in  Thorncreek  town- 
ship and  here  met  the  girl  to  whom  he  was 
married.  January  4.  1866.  he  married 
Catherine  Miller,  a  native  of  Whitley  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  and  a  daughter  of  Solomon 
Miller,  of  whom  mention  is  made  elsewhere. 
Mr.  Judd  then  returned  to  Wells  county, 
where  he  owned  and  operated  a  productive 
farm  for  a  period  of  thirteen  years.  Hav- 
ing disposed  of  this  farm  he  in  1882  pur 
chased  his  present  fann  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  four  and  one-half  miles  north- 
west of  Columbia  City.  It  is  the  old  Samuel 
Miller  homestead.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judd  have 
had  six  children:  Anna;  Vernie.  widow  of 
George  Sheckler,  has  two  children,  Vernie 
and  Esther;  Mary  Malinda,  wife  of  Jacob 
Erne,  a  resident  of  Columbia  City,  who  has 
eight  children,  Raymond,  Vida,  Oresta,  Wal- 
ter, Eldra,  Harlow,  Dewey  August  and 
Mary;  Sarah  died  in  childhood:  George  F. 
married  Martha  Engle  and  they  are  the  par- 
ents of  four  living  children.  Alice.  Ralph. 
Harold  and  Florence  Catherine:  Solomon 
married  Myrtle  Reiser  and  lives  on  the  old 
homestead  with  his  father;  Sarepta  Ellen 
died  November  4,  1906.  having  remained 
with  her  parents.  In  politics  Mr.  Judd  was 
a  Democrat,  while  in  religion  he  and  his  wife 
are  members   of  the   Thorn   Creek   Baptist 


634 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


church.  Mr.  Judd  has  served  as  supervisor 
for  three  years  and  has  ever  taken  a  deep 
interest  in  all  public  movements  having  for 
their  object  the  benefit  of  the  country.  He 
is  a  quiet,  unassuming  man,  a  good  neigh- 
bor, a  reliable  citizen  and  one  who  is  held  in 
the  highest  esteem  by  all  who  know  him. 


JACOB  PAULUS. 


Jacob  Paulus.  a  well  known  farmer  and 
ex-county  commissioner  of  Whitley  county, 
was  born  in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  January 
17.  1839,  and  is  the  son  of  Simeon  and 
Barbara  (Gephart)  Paulus.  His  grandfather 
was  Abraham  Paulus,  who  came  to  Preble 
county,  Ohio,  in  an  early  day  and  lived  there 
all  his  life.  Simeon  Paulus  was  a  native 
of  Maryland  and  came  to  Whitley  county 
about  i860,  locating  in  Smith  township. 
Here  he  remained  for  some  time,  but  sub- 
sequently removed  to  Iowa  and  afterwards 
came  back  to  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana, 
where  he  resided  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred at  the  age  of  seventy-seven,  being 
survived  some  years  by  his  wife.  They 
were  the  parents  of  eleven  children :  John, 
deceased;  Christina,  the  wife  of  Ira  Kelt- 
ner,  a  resident  of  Iowa  ;  Abraham,  deceased  :• 
Mariah,  the  widow  of  Joshua  Aller,  a  resi- 
dent of  Ohio;  Jacob;  Daniel,  a  farmer  of 
Noble  county;  Catherine,  wife  of  Joseph 
Haas,  of  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana ;  Jo- 
seph, deceased;  Peter,  a  resident  of  Colum- 
bia City;  Margaret  Ann,  who  died  in  in- 
f;mr\  ;  Emeline.  the  wife  of  John  Wallace, 
a  resident  of  St.  Joseph  county. 

Jaci  ib  Paulus  received  a  good  education 


in  the  district  schools  and  spent  his  boyhood 
and  youth  on  his  father's  farm  in  the  county 
of  his  nativity.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one 
he  began  to  work  out  as  a  farm  hand,  but  at 
the  same  time  performed  his  full  share  of  the 
labors  on  the  homestead.  In  1869  Mr. 
Paulus  was  united  in  marriage  with  Anna 
Lavering,  born  in  Hancock  county.  Ohio, 
July  23,  1847,  and  a  daughter  of  Harvey 
R.  and  Rebecca  (Dye)  Lavering,  both  na- 
tives of  Ohio.  They  came  to  Indiana  early 
in  the  fifties  when  the  country  was  a  wilder- 
ness and  settled  on  the  farm  now  occupied 
by  Mr.  Paulus.  Mr.  Lavering  and  family 
settled  on  the  farm  and  here  spent  their  lives, 
he  surviving  his  wife  several  years,  being 
nearly  seventy  at  his  death.  Their  six  chil- 
dren to  reach  maturity  were:  Charles  D., 
now  of  Kansas;  Anna;  Morgan,  of  Colo- 
rado; Lucretia,  wife  of  Isaac  Hively,  lives 
in  Thorncreek ;  Mazie,  wife  of  John  S.  Her, 
of  Thorncreek ;  and  John,  a  resident  of  Col- 
rado  Springs.  Mr.  Paulus  and  wife  were 
the  parents  of  nine  children :  Lavina,  wife 
of  S.  S.  Fogle;  Harvey,  deceased  at  eight- 
een ;  Allie,  widow  of  George  Claybaugh  r 
Joseph,  married  Emma  Cake,  operates  the 
homestead  and  has  one  child,  Velma ;  Clara 
resides  in  South  Bend ;  Ira  in  the  state  of 
Washington  ;  Mazie  died  in  childhood ;  Gro- 
ver  resides  at  Columbia  City ;  Arvilla  died 
in  childhood.  The  mother  was  summoned 
to  eternal  rest  on  July  15.  1898.  Jacob  spent 
some  time  in  the  sawmill  business,  but  has  de- 
voted the  greater  portion  of  his  life  to  farm- 
ing-. He  is  a  man  of  good  business  judg- 
ment and  indefatigable  energy  and  is  de- 
serving of  the  success  which  has  accompa- 
nied his  efforts.  About  twenty  years  since 
he  secured  the  Lavering  homestead  of  one 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


63; 


hundred  and  twenty  acres,  his  wife's  father 
spending  his  latter  years  with  him.  Mr. 
Paulus  lends  his  support  to  the  Democratic 
party  and  in  religion  is  a  devout  member  of 
the  Methodist  church,  as  was  his  wife  dur- 
ing her  lifetime.  .In  1896  Mr.  Paulus  was 
elected  to  the  office  of  county  commissioner, 
which  position  he  held  capably  for  three 
years. 


ISAAC  JUDD. 


is  a  resident  of  Columbia  City,  and  has  two 
children,  Hilda  Myrtle  and  Opal;  Elsie  May, 
wife  of  Otto  Arthur  Sutton,  a  railroad  man  at 
Garrett,  has  three  children,  Arlington,  Harlin 
and  Ralph  Arthur;  Clarence  is  working  out 
as  a  farm  hand :  and  Solomon  Franklin  died 
at  the  age  of  two  years.  Mr.  Judd  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat and  takes  an  active  interest  in  all  pub- 
lic questions  affecting  the  local  welfare.  He 
and  his  wife  are  well  and  favorably  known 
and  their  family  is  one  of  he  most  highly  re- 
spected in  the  community. 


Isaac  Judd,  an  industrious  and  progres- 
sive farmer  of  Thorncreek  township,  was 
born  in  Adams  county,  December  16,  1848, 
and  is  the  son  of  John  and  Anna  Mariah 
(Double)  Judd.  Isaac  received  a  good  edu- 
cation in  the  district  schools  of  the  neighbor- 
hood and  learned  under  his  father's  instruc- 
tions the  secrets  of  successful  husbandry  and 
his  efforts  have  been  exerted  along  this  line 
during  the  subsequent  years.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-three  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Sarah  Jane  Miller,  who  was  born  in 
Whitley  county  October  17,  1849,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  Solomon  and  Malinda  (Aus- 
paugh)  Miller.  Mr.  Judd  worked  two  years 
at  the  carpenter's  trade  and  then  purchased 
sixty-five  acres  of  unimproved  land,  the  only 
building  on  it  being  an  old  log  cabin  which 
was  used  for  a  voting  place.  Mr.  Judd  at 
once  began  to  clear  the  land  and  put  it  in  a 
state  of  cultivation  and  in  1884  erected  a 
neat  seven-room  house,  a  large  and  substan- 
tial barn  and  other  accessories  which  go  to 
make  up  a  complete  set  of  farm  buildings. 
Mr.  Judd  and  wife  have  had  five  children : 
John  W.j  a  railroad  employe  at  Fort  Wayne; 
William,   who   married   Miss   Laura   Esfolf, 


W.  H.  CARTER. 


A  few  biographical  details  of  W.  H. 
Carter  cannot  fail  to  prove  of  interest  to 
many  and  any  history  of  the  county  would 
be  deficient  that  failed  to  include  them.  Mr. 
Carter  was  born  at  Massillon,  Ohio,  Octo- 
ber 15,  1856,  his  parents  being  of  English 
birth.  His  father  having  died  in  1864  at 
Cleveland,  the  widow  came  to  Indiana  with 
her  parents  and  two  sons  and  located  near 
Churubusco.  W.  H.  Carter,  eldest  of  the 
children,  attended  the  district  schools  until 
fourteen,  put  in  a  term  at  the  Ligonier 
graded  school  and  in  1S73  secured  work 
with  J.  L.  Isherwood  in  a  general  store  at 
Churubusco.  When  this  firm  sold  in  1887, 
he  took  a  position  with  G.  W.  Maxwell  & 
Co.,  and  later  with  Jontz,  Lancaster  &  Co. 
Being  appointed  postmaster  in  1873  he  at- 
tended to  the  office  aided  by  a  competent  as- 
sistant, but  also  found  time  to  act  as  sales- 
man for  S.  F.  Ort  &  Bro.  Mr.  Carter  per- 
formed his  double  duties  so  well  as  to  give 
ereneral  satisfaction  to  all  concerned,  making 


636 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  IXDIAXA. 


a  most  efficient  postmaster.  During  this 
period  he  was  active  in  many  ways  and  con- 
tributed much  to  the  advancement  of  the 
town.  Prominent  in  Democratic  politics, 
his  part)-  early  recognized  him  as  a  wise 
counselor  and  leader.  He  served  four  years 
as  precinct  committeeman,  five  years  as  town 
committeeman  and  was  town  councilman  for 
four  years,  resigning  in  1893  before  his  last 
term  had  expired.  Some  of  the  town's  most 
substantial  improvements  are  due  to  Mr.  Car- 
ter's work  and  influence  while  a  member  of 
the  board.  Included  in  these  was  the  ordi- 
nance to  pave  streets  which  was  secured  after 
violent  opposition.  Having  done  well  in 
the  local  arena  there  was  a  call  for  him  to 
go  up  higher,  resulting  in  his  nomination 
as  candidate  for  county  auditor  on  the  Dem- 
ocratic ticket  in  1898.  His  party  backed 
him  loyally,  the  newspapers  of  his  own  and 
neighboring  counties  were  unusually  enthu- 
siastic in  his  behalf  and  the  result  was  his 
triumphant  election.  He  served  with  entire 
acceptability  for  four  years,  retiring  Janu- 
ary 1,  1903.  During  his  term  the  county 
reform  law  was  put  into  operation  and  he 
cast  the  tie  vote  that  selected  G.  H.  Tapy  as 
county  superintendent.  June  1,  IQ03.  Mr. 
Carter  purchased  the  drug  stock  of  E.  J. 
Mowey  in  Columbia  City  .and  in  less  than 
four  years  has  made  a  brilliant  success  in  his 
new  undertaking.  Though  experienced  in 
general  merchandising  the  drug-gist  trade 
was  out  of  his  line,  but  by  diligent  study  of 
the  details,  good  natural  business  judgment 
and  close  application  he  lias  made  the  name 
"\  "Carter,  the  druggist"  widely  familiar. 
Tn  Fact  his  place  opposite  the  Masonic  temple 
has  become  a  feature  of  Columbia  City  and 
a   popular   resort    for  all   classes   of  people. 


The  results  set  forth  above  are  very  credit- 
able, when  it  is  remembered  that  Mr.  Carter 
came  to  the  county  when  only  nine  years  old 
and  since  his  eleventh  year  has  made  his  way 
in  the  world  without  a  dollar  of  financial 
help. 

In  1886  Mr.  Carter  was  married  at  Woos- 
ter,  Ohio,  to  Miss  A.  M.  Eckenroth,  by  whom 
he  has  three  children :  Arthur  B.  is  a  phar- 
macist, graduating  from  Purdue  University 
in  March.  1906,  as  the  youngest  member  of 
a  class  of  thirty-three.  In  the  examination 
before  the  state  board  for  a  license  he  passed 
with  a  general  average  of  ninety-four  per 
cent.,  being  the  highest  out  of  the  seventy- 
two  applicants,  and  that  when  less  than  nine- 
teen years  old ;  Misses  Martha  and  Anna 
are  pupils  in  the  Columbia  City  high  school. 
Mrs.  Carter  is  a  highly  educated  lady  as  well 
as  possessing-  excellent  business  qualifica- 
tions. A  graduate  of  the  Wooster.  Ohio, 
University,  she  taught  school  for  some  time 
at  Churubusco  and  while  her  husband  was 
postmaster  acted  as  his  "right  hand  man"  in 
conducting-  the  affairs  of  office. 


MILO  HARSHBARGER. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  the  biographer 
writes  in  this  connection  is  an  Indianian  by 
adoption,  being  like  so  many  of  the  substan- 
tial citizens  of  Whitley  county,  a  native  of 
Ohio.  His  ancestors  were  among  the  early 
settlers  of  Pennsylvania,  from  which  state 
his  grandfather  moved  to  Ohio  and  located 
in  Summit  county,  where  his  parents.  Lewis 
and  Katherine  (Mancer)  Harshbarger,  lived 
until  i8sA     Lewis  Harshbarger  was  reared 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


637 


in  the  above  named  county  and  in  early  man- 
hood followed  the  undertaking  business,  but 
in  the  year  indicated  discontinued  that  call- 
ing and  moving  his  family  to  Whitley  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  settled  on  a  farm  of  sixty-six 
acres  in  Union  township.  Like  all  early 
comers  his  beginning  in  the  new  country 
was  on  a  very  modest  scale,  the  only  im- 
provements his  land  contained  when  he  took 
possession  being  a  rude  log  cabin  and  about 
six  acres  from  which  a  part  of  the  timber 
had  been  cut,  but  a  second  growth  had 
sprung  up  in  the  meantime,  which  required 
almost  as  much  work  to  remove  as  did  the 
original.  Mr.  Harshbarger  had  a  yoke  of 
oxen,  with  which  he  broke  ground  and  culti- 
vated the  crops  and  during  the  winter 
months  applied  himself  to  the  clearing  of  his 
farm,  until  within  a  few  years  the  greater 
part  of  the  original  purchase  was  rendered 
tillable,  in  addition  to  which  he  bought  other 
land  until  his  holdings  finally  amouned  to 
two  hundred  and  forty-two  acres,  nearly  all 
of  which  was  reduced  to  cultivation  during 
his  lifetime.  He  was  a  man  of  great  energy, 
did  much  to  develop  the  township  in  which 
he  resided  and  after  a  very  active  and  useful 
life  was  called  from  the  scenes  of  his  earthly 
labors  in  the  prime  of  his  powers,  dying  in 
1875,  at  the  age  of  forty-seven  years.  His 
widow,  who  is  still  living  on  the  old  family 
homestead,  has  reached  the  age  of  seventy- 
five  and  is  widely  known  and  grealy  es- 
teemed by  her  neighbors  and  friends.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Harshbarger  had  a  family  of  nine 
children,  the  oldest  of  whom  is  the  subject 
of  this  sketch.  The  others  are  Emanuel ; 
Lavina,  who  first  married  Hiram  Gradless, 
after  whose  death  she  became  the  wife  of 
Chris  Judd ;  David  died  in  boyhood  ;  Matilda. 


deceased  wife  of  Dr.  Solomon;  Katherine, 
now  Mrs.  George  Beaty,  of  Fort  Wayne; 
Samuel  S.  died  in  boyhood ;  and  Henry  A. 
is  a  resident  of  Whitley  county. 

Milo  Harsbarger,  born  July  19,  1852,  in 
Summit  countv,  Ohio,  was  reared  on  the 
family  homestead  in  LJnion  township,  attend- 
ed the  district  schools  and  until  nineteen 
years  old  assisted  his  father  in  cultivating 
the  farm.  On  reaching  that  age  he  began 
working  as  a  farm  hand  in  the  neighborhood 
arid  the  money  thus  earned  went  towards 
discharging  the  indebtedness  on  the  home 
place.  Later  he  remained  with  his  father 
until  the  latter's  death,  from  which  time 
until  the  estate  was  divided  he  cultivated  the 
farm  for  his  mother,  securing  a  share  of  the 
proceeds  for  his  labor.  On  receiving  his  por- 
tion of  the  estate  he  at  once  addressed  him- 
self to  the  task  of  its  improvement,  also  add- 
ed to  its  area,  and  at  this  time  he  has  a  fine 
farm  of  sixty-six  acres,  admirably  situated, 
throughly  drained  and  well  adapted  to  gen- 
eral agriculture  and  stock  raising.  As  a 
farmer  Mr.  Harshba*rger  keeps  abreast  of  the 
times,  is  progressive  in  his  methods  and  has 
met  with  a  large  measure  of  success  in  his 
chosen  calling.  Miss  Virginia  Riley,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Harshbarger  in  1867, 
was  born  and  reared  in  Whitley  county  nad 
is  of  Irish  descent,  her  parents  being  John- 
son and  Mary  Ann  (Smith)  Riley.  She  has 
borne  her  husband  two  daughters:  Jnsie, 
wife  of  C.  H.  More,  of  Fort  Wayne,  and 
Blanche,  the  latter  preparing  to  be  a  profes- 
sional nurse  in  a  Fort  Wayne  hospital 
Like  all  enterprising'  citizens.  Mi-.  Harsh- 
barger is  keenly  alive  to  the  best  interests 
of  the  countv  and  state  and  keeps  well  in- 
formed concerning  the  great  questions  and 


6^8 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


issues  upon  which  the  public  is  divided.  Po- 
litically he  is  a  Democrat,  but  in  matters 
merely  local  generally  follows  the  dictates 
of  his  judgment  as  to  candidates,  giving  his 
support  to  the  one  best  qualified  for  the  office. 
In  state  and  national  affairs  he  adheres  close- 
ly to  the  principles  of  his  party  and  is  one 
of  its  stanch  supporters  in  the  community 
in  which  he  lives. 


CHARLES  WILLARD  REESE. 

The  family  of  this  name  originated  in 
Ireland,  the  emigrant  ancestor  being  Lewis 
Reese,  who  came  to  America  about  the  time 
of  the  Revolutionary  war  and  years  after  set- 
tled in  what  is  now  known  as  Delaware 
county,  Indiana.  He  was  a  distiller  and 
made  much  of  the  "fire  water"  that  was  sold 
to  the  Miami  and  other  Indians  that  inhab- 
ited the  northeastern  part  of  Indiana.  Lewis 
and  Mary  Reese  had  ten  children :  David, 
Bowen,  Marie,  Robert,  Lewis,  John,  Border, 
Mary  Ann,  Russel  and  Matilda.  Bowen,  the 
second  son,  was  born  in  Delaware  county, 
Indiana,  in  1814  and  married  Sophia  Kees- 
ling,  born  in  Virginia  in  1823.  He  farmed 
in  his  native  county  until  1854,  when  he 
came  to  Whitley  county  and  settled  in  Cleve- 
land township.  He  was  engaged  in  farming 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1890,  his 
wife  surviving  him  until  1905.  They  were 
the  parents  of  ten  children :  Robert  (de- 
ceased). Ann.  William,  Mary  and  Ellen,  de- 
ceased, Charles  Willard,  Border  (deceased), 
Samantha,  Hiram,  Morris  and  Mahala. 

Charles  Willard  Reese,  fifth  in  the  list, 
was  born  in  Delaware  county,  Indiana, 
April  10,  1S46.     He  remained  at  home  until 


his  twenty-fourth  year,  helping  on  the  farm 
and  in  the  meantime  obtaining  a  meager  ed- 
ucation in  the  poor  schools  of  those  times. 
He  followed  agricultural  pursuits  in  Cleve- 
land township  until  1901,  when  he  pur- 
chased the  farm  of  thirty-two  acres  in 
Thorncreek,  which  was  the  Edwin  Wilcox 
homestead  three  and  one-half  miles  north- 
west of  Columbia  City,  which  has  since  been 
his  home.  In  1870,  Mr.  Reese  married  Su- 
san L.,  daughter  of  Edward  and  Ruth  (Dun- 
kin)  Webster.  Mrs.  Reese  was  born  April 
19,  1852,  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana.  Her 
father  was  bom  in  Pennsylvania  December 
5,  1 819,  and  the  mother  in  Ohio  September 
9,  1825.  He  was  a  fanner  and  plasterer 
by  trade,  which  callings  he  pursued  in 
Wayne  county  until  his  death  September  18, 
1869.  They  had  twelve  children:  George, 
Sarah  (deceased),  Daniel,  James  (deceased), 
Hannah  J.,  Mary,  Charles,  Clement  (de- 
ceased), and  Henry  A.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reese 
have  had  ten  children :  Clara,  at  home ; 
Rose,  wife  of  William  Gipe,  of  Allen  county; 
Maiy,  wife  of  Frank  Hass,  of  Thorncreek; 
Charles,  married  Maggie  Homes,  of  Colum- 
bia City.  The  fifth  child  died  in  infancy. 
Frederick  married  Myrtle  Kincade,  of  Al- 
len county ;  Daisy  married  Robert  Spear,  of 
Fort  Wayne;  Joseph,  at  home.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Reese  are  members  of  the  Church  of 
God  at  Collimer,  in  which  he  was  elder  for 
four  years.     He  is  a  Republican. 


WILLIAM  J.  SELL. 

The  family  of  this  name  in  Whitley 
county  is  entitled  to  rank  as  descendants  of 
one  of  the  earliest  as  well   as   one  of  the 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


639 


most  prosperous  of  the  pioneers.  Henry 
Sell,  who  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  moved  in 
when  the  land  was  to  be  had  almost  for  the 
asking-,  but  being  a  shrewd  business  man  he 
foresaw  the  time  when  it  would  be  valuable. 
An  industrious  and  careful  trader,  with  a 
fondness  for  speculation,  he  acquired  tract 
after  tract,  until  his  holdings  in  time  became 
quite  large.  This  successful  farmer  left  a 
son  William,  born  in  Stark  county,  Ohio, 
who  seems  to  have  inherited  his  father's  ca- 
pacity for  accumulation.  He  became  the 
owner  of  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  in  Columbia  township  on 
which  he  made  his  home  until  1896,  when 
he  transferred  his  residence  to  a  farm  in 
Thorncreek  township  where  his  career  was 
ended  by  death  June  3,  1906,  in  his  seven- 
tieth year.  About  1876  he  engaged  in  the 
agricultural  implement  business  at  Columbia 
City  and  continued  in  this  line  for  twenty 
years,  though  retaining  his  residence  on  his 
nearby  farm,  which  he  also  operated.  In 
early  manhood  he  married  Jane  Ritenour, 
who  died  in  1872,  after  becoming  the  mother 
of  the  following  named  children :  Frank, 
Henry  J.,  William  J..  Milladore  and  Theo- 
dore (twins),  Catharine,  and  Charles.  He 
later  married  Anna  Ritenour,  sister  of  Jane, 
and  by  this  union  there  were  also  seven  chil- 
dren :  Cora,  Fanny,  Oscar,  Isaac,  John,  Ar- 
thur and  Bertha.  Fanny  and  Johnnie  died 
in  childhood  and  Oscar  died  at  nineteen. 

William  J.  Sell,  third  of  his  father's  fam- 
ily, was  born  on  the  farm  in  Columbia  town- 
ship, June  9,  1864.  He  continued  to  live 
with  his  parents  for  some  time  after  reach- 
ing his  majority,  when  he  rented  a  farm  for 
a  while  and  afterward  worked  a  short  time 
in  a  saw-mill  for  James  Peabody. 


Having  by  this  time  accumulated  some 
means,  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  land  in 
Jefferson  township,  but  after  living  on  this 
for  four  years  he  traded  it  in  1900  and  re- 
moved to  his  present  place  of  eighty  acres  in 
Thorncreek  township,  known  as  the  Burwell 
farm,  two  miles  north  of  Columbia  City. 
This  he  has  cultivated  successfully  and  con- 
verted into  a  productive  farm.  His  resi- 
dence is  comfortable,  his  out-buildings  sat- 
isfactory and  altogether  Mr.  Sell  may  be 
regarded  as  one  of  the  worthy  members  of 
Whitley  county's  great  family  of  farmers. 

August  14,  1886,  Mr.  Sell  married  La- 
mina Ummel,  who  was  born  in  Whitley 
county  in  1866.  Her  parents,  David  and 
Rosanna  (Gross)  Ummel,  the  former  of 
Ohio,  and  the  latter  a  native  of  Germany, 
were  married  in  Stark  county,  Ohio,  and 
came  to  Whitley  in  1851.  She  died  in  1904, 
surviving  her  husband  over  thirty  years, 
leaving  twelve  children  :  Mary,  Lydia,  Cath- 
arine. John,  Sarah.  Lucinda,  Samuel  and 
Daniel  (twins),  Henry,  Lavina,  David  and 
Amanda  (twins).  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sell  have 
five  children:  Clarence  E.,  fireman  on  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad ;  Gail,  Voida, 
Ralph  and  Goldie,  besides  one  who  died  in 
infancy  unnamed.  Mr.  Sell's  political  affili- 
ations are  with  the  Democratic  party, 
though  he  has  never  held  or  been  a  seeker 
after  office. 


HIRAM  L.  FOSTER. 

In  1854  when  Eli  and  Rebecca  (Ortman) 
Foster  came  from  Ohio  and  settled  in  Thorn- 
creek township  the  wild  land  give  little 
promise  that  it  would  ever  become  the  trim 


640 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


and  productive  farm  the  visitor  sees  before 
him  today.  They,  however,  set  to  work -with 
a  will,  soon  had  up  a  rude  log  cabin  and  con- 
tinued operations  with  the  hope  that  charac- 
terized all  these  invaders  of  the  wilderness. 
In  this  cabin  Eli  Foster  lived  for  many  years 
but. he  persisted  until  he  had  made  a  good 
eighty-acre  farm  of  his  once  forest-clad  tract. 
He  lost  his  companion  in  1882,  but  survived 
her  over  thirteen  years  and  died  at  an  ad- 
vanced age  in  1905.  Their  four  children 
to  reach  maturity  were :  Malissa,  deceased 
wife  of  Jacob  Allen  ;  Hiram  L. ;  Franklin  P., 
who  died  at  twenty-four;  and  Hannah,  de- 
ceased wife  of  Thomas  Kaufman.  Hiram 
L.  Foster,  the  only  survivor,  was  born  in 
Perry  county,  Ohio,  February  28,  185 1,  and 
hence  was  three  years  old  when  his  parents 
came  to  Whitley  county.  As  he  grew  up 
he  assisted  his  father  on  the  farm  and  was 
a  principal  factor  in  redeeming  it  from  its 
once  wild  estate.  He  took  care  of  his  father 
as  the  infirmities  of  old  age  pressed  upon 
him  and  after  his  death  became  sole  proprie- 
tor of  the  home  farm  in  Thomcreek  town- 
ship, where  he  has  spent  over  fifty  years  of 
his  life.  Of  late  years  he  has  moved  and  re- 
modeled the  old  residence  and  has  rebuilt 
the  bam,  making  it  an  up-to-date  bank  barn. 
Fie  engages  in  general  farming  and  enjoys 
the  good  will  of  all  his  neighbors.  Decem- 
ber 22,  1876,  Mr.  Foster  married  Arthalinda, 
daughter  of  Silas  and  Elizabeth  (Snediker) 
Jackson,  natives  of  Ohio,  who  became  early 
settlers  of  Whitley  county.  They  had  four 
children :  Alvira,  a  resident  of  Columbia 
City;  Mrs.  Foster;  Emma,  a  resident  of 
Nebraska,  and  Ida,  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Foster  have  four  children :  Norma,  wife  of 
Charles    Sender,    who    has    three    children, 


Lela,  Edna  and  Beatrice;  Otto,  at  home; 
Leonard,  who  married  Ota  Goodrich ;  and 
Edward,  at  home.  Mrs.  Foster  is  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  church,  and  Mr.  Foster  is  a 
Democrat  in  politics. 


BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN   SHULL. 

The  Shull  family  in  America  begins  with 
Philip  Shull,  who  was  born  in  the  grand 
duchy  of  Baden,  in  171 5,  and  who  emigrated 
to  America  about  1770  and  first  settled  in 
Bucks  count}'.  Pennsylvania,  though  York 
county  became  the  permanent  home.  His 
son,  Philip,  was  about  nineteen  years  old 
when  he  crossed  the  ocean.  He  became  ac- 
tive in  the  business  history  of  Chambersburg, 
where  he  died  in  1814.  His  brother,  John 
Stephen  Shull.  married  Maria  Bohren,  but 
little  further  is  known  of  him.  His  son, 
John  Peter,  born  in  Bucks  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  1775,  married  Elizabeth  Scherz  and 
removed  to  Chambersburg,  where  he  died  in- 
1810.  His  children  were  Jacob,  David  and 
George  S.,  of  whom  David  demands  more 
attention  in  this  connection,  being  the  father 
of  him  whose  name  heads  this  article.  He 
was  born  March  19,  1805,  at  Chambersburg. 
Being  but  a  lad  at  his  father's  death,  he  was 
early  thrown  upon  his  own  resources.  He 
was  quick  to  learn  and  became  well-read, 
and  was  a  fluent  speaker  in  either  the  Eng- 
lish or  German  language.  He  learned  the 
cabinetmaker's  trade  and  later,  in  company 
with  his  brothers,  purchased  his  uncle  John 
Shull's  homestead  near  Chambersburg, 
where  his  brother  George  continued  to  re- 
side for  more  than  sixty  years.  At  the  age 
of   twenty-five   he   married   Miss   Elizabeth 


AfiMuM. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


641 


Harman,  and  three  vears  later  removed  to 
Massillon,  Ohio,  where  for  sometime  he  was 
associated  with  his  brother  Jacob  in  the 
operation  of  a  cabinet-shop.  He  later  re- 
moved to  a  farm  near  North  Lawrence, 
Ohio,  and  here  he  passed  the  remainder  of 
his  life,  his  labors  alternating  between  farm 
duties  and  the  making  of  furniture  in  a  shop 
on  the  farm.  He  died  in  1872,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-seven  years,  his  widow  surviving 
eight  years.  They  had  six  children,  Jere- 
miah. Amanda  M.,  Rebecca,  Benjamin 
Franklin,  Hiram  H.  and  William. 

Benjamin  Franklin  Shull  was  born  May 
31.  1 84 1,  on  his  father's  farm  in  Lawrence, 
Starke  county,  Ohio,  six  miles  west  of  the 
city  of  Massillon.  In  i860,  his  brother 
Jeremiah,  who  was  five  years  his  senior,  re- 
moved to  Huntington  county,  Indiana,  build- 
ing a  steam  saw-mill  on  the  present  site  of 
Goblesville  and  Benjamin  Franklin  passed 
much  of  his  time  working  in  this  saw-mill, 
though  still  assisting  in  the  operation  of  his 
father's  farm  until  his  marriage,  September 
20,  1864,  to  Miss  Lucy  E.  Householder. 
Then,  to  establish  a  home  of  his  own,  he  se- 
cured eighty  acres  of  wild  land  in  Whitley 
county,  Indiana,  and  settled  himself  delib- 
erately to  the  clearing  away  of  the  virgin 
forest.  The  land  was  covered  with  a  heavy 
growth  of  stately  timber,  and  though  handi- 
capped with  partial  paralysis  of  his  right  leg 
and  arm  his  indomitable  will,  backed  by  the 
necessities  of  the  case,  allowed  no  cessation 
of  his  strenous  efforts  toward  the  reclama- 
tion of  the  wilderness.  He  continued  to 
work  in  the  saw-mill  in  order  to  keep  his 
family,  but  in  a  few  years  was  able  to  devote 
his  energies  wholly  to  the  extension  and  im- 
provement of  his  farm.     Pluck  won,  more 

4i 


land  was  purchased,  and  the  farm  now  con- 
tains one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  of  which 
one  hundred  and  twenty  are  under  pro- 
ductive cultivation,  yielding  golden  harvests 
for  the  labor  bestowed  upon  them.  Intelli- 
gent activity  and  well  directed  effort  have 
turned  the  wilderness  of  forty  years  ago  into 
one  of  the  most  valuable  properties  in  the 
county.  A  public  drain  crosses  the  farm, 
affording  ample  outlet  for  numerous  tile 
drains,  of  which  he  has  laid  upward  of  ten 
miles,  the  arms  reaching  to  every  field  and 
the  drainage  thus  given  insuring  abundant 
yields  of  staple  crops.  The  log  cabin  was 
years  ago  replaced  with  a  fine  modern  resi- 
dence, and  what  is  doubtless  the  most  com- 
modious barn  in  the  county  has  been  erected 
at  great  cost  to  afford  shelter  for  herds  and 
flocks  of  high  grade  stock.  He  is  recog- 
nized as  a  very  successful  breeder  and  grow- 
er of  thorough-bred  Shorthorn  cattle  and 
Chester  White  swine,  his  herd  having  a  well 
merited  reputation  acquired  by  careful  selec- 
tion of  breeding  animals  coupled  with  ad- 
vanced ideas  in  feeding,  stabling  and 
handling. 

While  Mr.  Shull  has  not  sought  or  de- 
sired political  preferment,  he  holds  close  affil- 
iation with  the  Republican  party,  believing 
that  its  basic  principles  most  clearly  repre- 
sent those  ideas  that  make  for  the  general 
good  of  the  nation,  the  state  and  the 
individual. 

Though  no  children  have  come  to  this 
worthy  couple,  their  hearts  and  hands  have 
ever  been  ready  to  respond  to  the  calls  of  the 
orphans  or  needy,  the  result  being  that  sev- 
eral homeless  ones  have  found  here  the  shel- 
ter, the  sympathy  and  the  more  tangible  as- 
sistance of  which  nature  had  deprived  them. 


642 


WHITLEY  COUXTY,  INDIANA. 


DAVID  MILLER. 

The  family  of  this  name  is  quite  numer- 
ous in  Whitley  county,  enjoying-  the  distinc- 
tion of  having  the  oldest  living  settler  and 
more  descendants  from  one  couple  than  any 
other  family  in  the  county.  The  first  rep- 
resentative came  in  the  early  thirties  and  as 
the  forerunners  were  unusually  vigorous  the 
county  was  in  time  well  sprinkled  with  chil- 
dren and  grandchildren.  David  Miller,  the 
well  known  farmer  of  Columbia  township, 
is  a  representative  of  the  second  generation 
in  this  section,  being  a  son  of  Solomon  and 
Malinda  (Anspaugh)  Miller,  and  was  born 
in  Thorncreek  April  12,  1847.  When  six- 
teen years  old  he  enlisted  in  Company  B, 
twenty-fourth  regiment  Indiana  Volunteer 
infantry,  with  which  he  served  until  the 
close  of  hostilities.  He  participated  in  the 
battle  of  Mobile,  Alabama,  and  took  part  in 
numerous  skirmishes,  though  before  being 
in  active  field  sendee  he  experienced  a  siege 
of  measles  and  mumps  in  the  hospital  at 
Evansville.  Mr.  Miller  worked  out  by  the 
month  for  six  or  eight  years,  then  rented  a 
farm  and  eventually  bought  in  Thorncreek 
township,  where  he  remained  until  1903. 
when  he  purchased  the  present  home  in  Co- 
lumbia township,  one  mile  west  of  the  court 
house. 

April  13,  1873,  Mr.  Miller  married  Eliz- 
abeth, daughter  of  Henry  and  Juda  (Kin- 
sey)  Zumbrun,  both  early  settlers  but  long 
since  dead.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  have  had 
twelve  children:  Henry  J.  married  Effie 
Furguson,  and  resides  in  Iowa ;  William  E. 
married  Bertha  Heaston.  and  resides  in 
Iowa ;  Clara  is  the  wife  of  Otto  Plautz,  of 
Iowa;    Norman   F.   married   Minnie  Zigler 


and  is  a  resident  of  Thorncreek  township; 
Solomon  Z.  is  also  in  Iowa ;  Minnie  May  is 
the  wife  of  Walter  Swihart,  of  Noble 
county;  Levi  V.,  at  home;  David  L.  was 
killed  by  a  buzzsaw  while  cutting  wood  at 
sixteen  years  of  age;  Julia  Elizabeth,  Olive 
Ruth,  Grace  Irene  and  Cecil  Pearl  remain  at 
home.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Ger- 
man Baptist  church  and  in  politics  Mr.  Mil- 
ler is  an  independent  voter,  always  support- 
ing the  man  he  thinks  best  fitted  for  the 
office. 


ROBERT  B.  BOYD. 


Few  names  are  more  familiar  in  Whit- 
ley county  than  the  above  mentioned,  he 
who  bears  it  having  been  a  citizen  for  over 
forty  years  and  long  prominent  in  public 
affairs.  For  more  than  two  full  terms  he 
has  held  the  office  of  county  commissioner, 
and  during  most  of  his  adult  life  he  has  been 
active  and  influential  in  many  ways.  Hugh 
Boyd  came  from  the  north  of  Ireland  at  the 
age  of  nineteen  and  became  a  farmer  in 
Wayne  county,  Ohio.  In  1850  he  went  to 
California  overland,  returning  next  year, 
losing-  his  trunks  en  route  home,  and 
died  a  few  days  after  his  return. 
Hugh  Boyd  married  Amanda  A.  Brown, 
of  Wayne  county,  Ohio,  resided  at 
Wooster  for  many  years,  and  both  event- 
ually died  in  that  city,  she  being  aged 
eighty-seven.  The  third  of  their  four  chil- 
dren was  Robert  B.  Boyd,  who  was  bona 
near  Wooster,  Ohio,  October  15.  1846.  Dur- 
ing the  closing  years  of  the  Civil  war  he  en- 
listed in  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and 
Eisrhtv-sixth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


643 


served  with  credit  until  the  close  of  hostili- 
ties. In  April,  1866,  Mr.  Boyd  abandoned 
his  old  home  in  Ohio  to  seek  a  new  field  of 
action  in  Indiana.  Arrived  in  Columbia 
City,  he  soon  found  an  opportunity  to  enter 
the  grocery  and  provision  business  in  part- 
nership with  James  A.  Taylor  and  this  firm 
of  Taylor  &  Boyd  continued  in  operation 
for  several  years.  In  the  spring  of  1876 
Mr.  Boyd  purchased  the  farm  in  Columbia 
township  where  he  has  since  continued  to 
reside.  Originally  consisting  of  eighty-two 
acres,  he  has  added  seven.  The  Boyd  farm, 
known  as  the  Henry  Dunfee  homestead,  one 
mile  northwest  of  Columbia  City,  has  been 
greatly  improved  by  tiling,  fencing  and 
buildings.  The  residence  was  erected  in 
1898,  later  large  barns  were  constructed 
and  to  this  place  Mr.  Boyd  gives  his  per- 
sonal supervision.  Mr.  Boyd's  popularity 
and  standing  as  a  business  man  caused  the 
people  to  elect  him  to  the  office  of  county 
commissioner  in  1900  and  after  he  had 
served  three  years  he  was  re-elected  in  1902, 
his  term  expiring  January  1.  1907.  He  had 
previously  served  two  years  as  county  coun- 
cilman under  appointment  of  the  Judge  of 
the  circuit  court.  In  this  position  he  dis- 
played valuable  qualities  as  adviser  and  al- 
ways kept  an  eye  out  for  the  welfare  of  the 
people. 

Mr.  Boyd  was  married  in  October,  i860, 
to  Mary  M.  Funk,  a  native  of  Wayne 
county,  Ohio.  This  union  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  six  children:  Edwin  S.,  Samuel 
H..  Mary  J.,  Jethro  J.,  Harry  G.  and  Hazel 
E.  Samuel  H.  met  with  a  sudden  death  in 
Columbia  township,  March  28,  1905,  when 
thirty-five  years  old.  This  sad  accident  was 
due  to  fisfhting'  fire  on  a  neighbor's  farm. 


the  heat  and  over-exertion  proving  too  much 
for  him.  He  was  a  young  man  of  promise, 
whose  untimely  taking  off  was  a  sad  blow 
to  his  parents  and  many  friends.  By  reason 
of  his  war  service  Mr.  Boyd  is  an  esteemed 
comrade  of  George  W.  Stough  Port,  No. 
181,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  The 
family  is  not  only  well  known  but  highly 
respected  all  over  Whitley  county. 


WILLIAM  H.  MINER. 

The  forerunners  of  the  family  of  this 
name,  now  so  favorably  known  in  Whitley 
county,  were  originally  citizens  of  New  York. 
From  there,  at  an  early  period  in  the  last  cen- 
tury, Samuel  A.  Miner  came  to  Indiana  and 
was  a  prominent  figure  in  founding  and 
building  up  the  infant  settlement  at  Columbia 
City.  He  died  at  an  advanced  age  on  his 
farm  two  and  a  half  miles  east  of  the  county 
seat  and  witnessed  the  wonderful  transfor- 
mation that  has  taken  place  in  the  county 
during  the  last  sixty  years.  When  he 
reached  Whitley,  he  was  accompanied  by  a 
wife  and  family  of  seven  children,  among 
the  latter  being  a  son  named  Otis  W.  After 
his  marriage  to  Eliza  Bennett,  he  made  his 
living  for  some  years  as  a  renter  of  different 
farms,  but  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  1867 
owned  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in 
Union  township.  He  had  eight  children: 
Andrew  J.,  Lucina,  George  M.  D.,  William 
H.,  Byron  D.,  Harriet  E.,  Betsey  and  Sam- 
uel R.  The  widow,  now  at  an  advanced 
age,  lives  with  the  last  mentioned  son  at 
Fort  Wayne. 

William  H.   Miner,   fourth  of  the  chil- 


644 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


dren,  was  born  in  Smith  township,  Whitley 
county,  October  20,  1851.  At  the  age  of 
sixteen  he  lost  his  father,  but  remained  on 
the  home  place  a  few  years  and  then  entered 
the  employment  of  the  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road Company  as  brakeman.  This  was  in 
1872  and  from  that  time  until  1880  Mr. 
Miner  continued  with  the  Pennsylvania 
road  in  various  capacities.  His  next  en- 
gagement was  with  S.  J.  Peabody,  with 
whom  he  remained  for  nearly  twenty-two 
years,  during  nineteen  of  which  he  held  the 
responsible  position  as  foreman  of  the  farm 
and  mill  work.  After  this  employment,  Mr. 
Miner  began  carpenter  work  at  Columbia 
City  in  February,  1903,  but  in  June  follow- 
ing was  appointed  superintendent  of  the 
county  farm,  and  three  months  thereafter 
assumed  charge  of  this  responsible  post. 
Mr.  Miner  was  married  May  28,  1872,  to 
Mary  A.,  daughter  of  John  and  Julia  Harsh- 
barger,  natives  of  Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Miner  have  eight  children :  Andrew  J.,  El- 
nora,  wife  of  Henry  Miller  of  Columbia 
township;  Carl  C,  Charles  W.,  Merritt, 
P>essie  and  James.  The  family  belongs  to 
the  Church  of  God  and  Mr.  Miner  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows. 

The  Whitley  County  Poor  Farm,  under 
the  management  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miner,  has 
become  one  of  the  model  establishments  of 
its  kind  in  the  state.  Both  seem  especially 
fitted  for  the  duties  that  have  devolved  upon 
them  and  their  method  of  discharging  this 
great  responsibility  is  worthy  of  all  praise. 
Everything  about  the  main  building,  from 
cellar  to  attic,  indicates  the  directing  hand 
of  a  good  housekeeper,  and  the  farm  itself, 
the  out-buildings  and  all  on  the  place  shows 


the  same  system  and  careful  control.  Clean- 
liness and  neatness  seem  to  be  the  rule  and 
nothing  is  neglected  to  add  to  the  comfort 
of  the  unfortunate  beings  left  in  the  super- 
intendent's charge.  Mrs.  Miner  is  a  kind- 
hearted  woman,  as  well  as  a  painstaking 
matron,  and  all  who  come  in  contact  with 
her  learn  to  love  her.  The  live  stock  shows 
the  benefit  of  skillful  breeding  and  scientific 
feeding,  the  land  is  well  cultivated  and  kept 
in  good  condition.  Attention  is  especially 
directed  to  the  fine  cattle  of  the  Polled- 
Angus  breed,  which  are  Mr.  Miner's  par- 
ticular pride.  Many  improvements  have 
been  made  in  the  institution  since  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Miner  took  charge  and  they  bid  fair 
to  leave  an  unsurpassed  record. 


JOHN  HENRY  SNYDER. 

The  Whitley  county  family  of  this  name 
is  of  German  origin,  which  is  equivalent  to- 
saying  that  its  members  are  enterprising  as 
citizens,  successful  business  men  and  popular 
in  all  the  relations  of  life.  It  was  well  back 
in  the  last  century  that  John  Snyder  came 
over  from  the  old  country  and  settled  as  a 
farmer  in  Fairfield  county,  Ohio.  He  fol- 
lowed agricultural  pursuits  in  that  state  for 
a  number  of  years  and  met  with  fair  success, 
hut  determining  to  push  farther  west  he  came 
to  Whitley  county  in  1851  and  from  that 
time  for  more  than  fifty  years  was  actively 
identified  with  the  county's  development. 
Purchasing  a  wild  tract  of  land  in  Thorn- 
creek  township,  he  set  doggedly  to  work  to 
improve  it  and  in  the  course  of  time  had 
evolved  from  the  forests  and  marshes  a  valu- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


645 


able  piece  of  farming  land.  He  was  thrifty 
as  well  as  industrious,  a  man  of  excellent 
judgment  and  prospered  finally  so  that  at  the 
time  of  his  death  in  1902  he  owned  a  consid- 
erable bod)-  of  land  as  the  result  of  a  long 
and  active  life.  He  married  Anna  Barbara 
(Hoffer)  Brudi.  also  a  native  of  Germany, 
by  whom  he  had  nine  children:  John  Henry, 
Barbara  Elizabeth,  Benjamin  F.,  Emma  R., 
deceased,  was  the  widow  of  J.  H.  Meyer; 
Edward  L.  and  Frederick  L.,  twins,  deceased 
in  childhood;  Delia  G.,  deceased  at  eighteen; 
Josephine  and  Wilhelmina,  both  deceased  in 
childhood,  and  Andrew  W.,  of  Kosciusko 
county.  The  mother,  who  is  still  living  on 
the  old  Thorncreek  homestead,  had  one 
daughter  by  a  previous  marriage.  Anna  I. 
Brudi,  now  the  wife  of  George  W.  Sevits. 
The  parents  were  lifelong  members  of  the 
Evangelical  Association. 

John  Henry  Snyder,  was  born  in  Thorn- 
creek  township,  October  10,  1854.  After 
reaching  maturity,  he  attended  the  Teachers' 
normal  and  taught  for  two  years  in  Thorn- 
creek  township,  one  term  being  in  his  home 
school.  In  1S84  he  engaged  in  tile  manu- 
facture, in  which  he  continued  about  two 
years,  and  was  among  the  first  in  this  part 
of  the  county.  Removing  then  to  Churu- 
busco  for  a  short  time,  he  eventually  re- 
turned to  Thorncreek  township  and  settled 
on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides  and  which 
he  purchased  in  1899.  In  addition  to  this 
home  farm  of  one  hundred  acres,  which  is 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  Mr.  Snyder 
owns  residence  property  in  Columbia  City. 
The  farm  is  the  old  John  Christian  farm 
and  is  six  miles  northwest  of  Columbia  City. 
It  is  practically  all  in  cultivation,  some  twen- 
ty-five acres  being  retained  as  a  sugar  camp. 


from   which  two  hundred  gallons  of  syrup 
can  be  produced  annually. 

November  13.  1884,  Mr.  Snyder  married 
Susannah  Stockert,  who  was  born  in  Stark 
county,  Ohio,  December  23.  1858.  Her 
parents,  Jacob  and  Mary  (Baer)  Stockert, 
the  former  of  Germany,  lived  a  number  of 
years  in  Ohio  but  about  1865  came  to  Whit- 
lev  county  and  settled  in  Smith  township, 
where  they  still  reside.  They  have  had  five 
children  :  Susannah ;  George,  deceased ;  John 
J.,  of  Churubusco;  Mary,  and  Luey  L.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Snyder  have  two  children :  Mary 
A.  is  now  teaching  in  the  same  school  house 
where  her  father  taught  twenty-four  years 
before,  and  she  has  pupils  whose  older 
brothers  and  sisters  attended  her  father's 
school :  Walter  H.  is  a  student  in  the  Val- 
paraiso normal.  In  addition  to  their  own 
children,  Talbert  Parkinson  was  taken  at 
ten  vears  of  age  and  is  being  reared  as  one 
of  their  own.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snyder  are 
members  of  the  Evangelical  Association  and 
people  of  the  first  consideration  in  their 
neighborhood.     He  is  a  Republican. 


JOHN  S.  SNYDER. 

Among  the  large  and  worthy  army  of 
men  who  have  worked  hard  for  generations 
to  bring  about  the  present  agricultural  de- 
velopment of  Whitley  county,  none  have 
done  their  share  more  unpretentiously  than 
this  industrious  fanner  of  Thorncreek  town- 
ship. He  has  known  no  other  business  and 
few  men  have  stuck  so  steadily  to  one  pur- 
suit, with  a  determination  to  conquer.  He 
has    met    all    discouragements,    triumphed 


646 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


over  all  the  countless  difficulties  and  today 
has  to  show  for  his  labor  and  patience  a 
comfortable  home,  a  well  tilled  farm  and  the 
good  will  and  esteem  of  all  his  neighbors. 
Mr.  Snyder  is  a  son  of  William  and  Malinda 
(Hasty)  Snyder,  natives  of  Preble  county, 
Ohio,  who  came  to  Indiana  about  1852. 
The  father  purchased  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
two  acres  in  Thorncreek  township,  which 
was  at  that  time  wild  and  unimproved.  He 
set  to  work  with  a  will  and  in  the  course  of 
time  effected  a  wonderful  revolution  both 
in  the  looks  and  value  of  his  place.  In  1S96, 
he  closed  his  career  after  a  long  life  of  hard 
work,  but  had  the  satisfaction  of  realizing 
before  his  eyes  closed  on  this  world  that  he 
had  accumulated  something  to  leave  his  fam- 
ily. His  widow  married  Daniel  Berry  and 
lives  with  him  in  Jefferson  township,  in  the 
enjoyment  of  a  hale  and  hearty  old  age. 
William  Snyder  and  wife  were  members  of 
the  Methodist  church  and  always  supporters 
of  every  good  cause  in  the  neighborhood. 
They  had  eight  children:  -Marcus,  Alexan- 
der, Man-,  Jane,  Amos,  Sarah,  John  S., 
William  R.  and  Henry,  of  whom  six  are 
living. 

John  S.  Snyder,  the  sixth,  was  born  on 
the  farm  where  he  now  lives.  May  10,  1857, 
and  here  grew  to  maturity.  Here  he  has 
spent  his  entire  life,  with  the  exception  of 
four  years  in  Richland  township  and  four 
years  passed  in  the  state  of  Iowa.  He  pur- 
chased ninety-four  acres  of  his  father's  old 
farm,  which  he  has  improved  with  comfort- 
able buildings  and  placed  in  up-to-date  shape 
in  every  respect,  being  regarded  as  one  of 
the  successful  fanners  of  this  section.  March 
15.  1877.  he  married  Mary,  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Sophia  (Karns)  Shonck,- natives 


of  Pennsylvania,  but  early  settlers  of  Wash- 
ington township.  He  died  in  December, 
1901,  surviving  his  wife  about  twenty-five 
years.  They  had  seven  children :  Catha- 
rine, Margaret,  Henry,  who  died  in  infancy; 
Elizabeth,  John,  died  at  fourteen ;  Fanny 
and  Mary.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snyder  have  two 
children  :  William  H.  married  Alma  Payne, 
lives  in  Richland  township  and  has  three 
children,  Howard,  Glen  and  Dorothy;  Cora, 
wife  of  Arthur  C.  Miller,  has  one  child, 
Gerald  Douglas.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snyder  be- 
long to  the  Baptist  church  and  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  republican  party. 


SAMUEL  H.  FLICKINGER. 

The  Flickingers  are  of  German  origin, 
but  have  been  represented  in  the  United 
States,  the  antecedents  of  the  American 
branch  of  the  family  settling  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  Samuel  H.'s  grandfather  was 
born  and  reared.  From  there  he  migrated 
to  Ohio,  where,  in  addition  to  the  trade  of 
weaving,  he  tilled  the  soil  and  in  the  course 
of  time, became  one  of  the  largest  and  most 
successful  fanners  in  the  county  of  Stark. 
In  his  family  of  eight  children  was  a  son, 
Jeremiah  Flickinger,  who  was  nine  years  of 
age  when  the  removal  to  Ohio  took  place. 
He  was  reared  in  Stark  county  and  when 
young  purchased  land  in  Ohio,  which  he 
improved  and  on  which  he  lived  until  his 
removal  to  Whitley  county,  where  during 
the  winter  following  his  arrival  he  worked 
at  his  trade  of  shoemaking  and  then  bought 
a  quarter  section  of  wild  land  in  Richland 
township,  which  in  due  season  he  converted 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


647 


into  a  splendid  farm,  the  improvements  be- 
ing among  the  best  in  the  community.  Sub- 
sequently he  bought  another  farm,  where  he 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  days,  departing 
this  life  in  1904,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty. 
Jeremiah  Flickinger  was  married  in  Ohio 
to  Rachel  Wartenberger,  who  bore  him 
twelve  children :  Elizabeth  and  Lydia,  de- 
ceased ;  Mercy  married  J.  Martin  and  is 
deceased ;  Mollie,  who  married  David  Kin- 
sey ;  Peter,  deceased ;  Nancy,  now  Mrs.  S. 
A.  Martin ;  Samuel  H. ;  Viola,  who  became 
the  wife  of  Rufus  Nei ;  Cora  S.,  wife  of 
Stephen  A.  Shaw,  and  two  who  died  in 
infancy. 

Samuel  H.  Flickinger  was  born  in  Rich- 
land township,  August  25,  i860,  was  reared 
on  the  family  homestead  and  received  a 
practical  education  in  the  public  schools.  He 
began  life  for  himself  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil 
and  for  four  years  cultivated  a  part  of  the 
farm,  when  he  married  and  set  up  a  do- 
mestic establishment  of  his  own,  taking 
charge  of  the  entire  place  which  he  managed 
with  success  during  the  eleven  years  ensu- 
ing. The  lady  Mr.  Flickinger  chose  for  his 
wife  and  companion  was  Miss  Chloe  Fox, 
the  ceremony  being  solemnized  October  12, 
1885.  Mrs.  Flickinger  was  born  and  reared 
in  Whitley  county,  her  parents,  Jacob  and 
Caroline,  moving  from  Seneca  county,  Ohio, 
several  years  prior  to  her  birth.  At  the  ex- 
piration of  the  peroid  indicated,  Air.  Flick- 
inger gave  up  the  home  place  and  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land  in  Union  township,  four 
miles  east  of  Columbia  City,  to  which  he 
removed  and  which  under  his  effective  labor 
and  successful  management  has  been  well 
improved  and  brought  to  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.   He  has  erected  substantial  mod- 


ern buildings,  including  a  comfortable  and 
commodious  dwelling  and  a  good  barn.  Mr. 
Flickinger  is  an  enterprising-  farmer,  an  in- 
dustrious man  who  has  ever  attended  strictly 
to  his  own  affairs  and  as  a  neighbor  and 
citizen  is  accommodating  and  public  spirited, 
and  he  enjoys  the  esteem  of  all  who  come 
within  the  range  of  his  influence.  He  is  a 
Democrat  in  his  political  affiliations  and 
while  manifesting  an  abiding  interest  in  the 
success  of  his  party,  has  no  taste  for  meth- 
ods of  the  partisan  nor  any  inclination  to 
enter  the  arena  of  the  professional  office 
seeker. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Flickin- 
ger has  been  blessed  with  one  child,  Blanche 
E.,  who  is  now  a  student  in  the  schools  of 
Coesse. 


JOHN  A.  HAMMER. 

Among  the  successful  agriculturists  of 
Union  township  is  John  A.  Hammer,  who 
belongs  to  that  large  and  substantial  class 
of  citizens  to  whom  the  country  is  greatly 
indebted  for  the  progress  it  has  made  during 
the  last  quarter  of  a  century.  Mr.  Hammer 
was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides 
August  22,  1864,  and  has  practically  spent 
his  life  within  the  horders  of  the  county.  His 
father.  Jacob  Hammer,  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, was  born  in  1833.  came  to  Whitley 
county  in  1858  and  purchased  this  home- 
stead of  eighty  acres,  which  he  cleared  and 
developed  and  to  which  lie  subsequently  add- 
ed until  the  farm  now  contains  one  hundred 
and  seventv  acres  of  fine  land,  well  drained 
naturally  and  by  tiling  and  exceedingly  pro- 
ductive.  Jacob  Hammer  resided  on  this  farm 


648 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


continuously  for  a  period  of  forty-four  years 
and  was  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  highly  es- 
teemed citizens.  Jacob  Hammer  died  January 
27,  1902,  of  cancer  of  the  stomach.  In  politics 
he  was  always  an  ardent  Democrat  and  in 
religion  belonged,  with  his  wife,  to  the 
Lutheran  church.  The  widow  now  resides 
in  Columbia  City.  Mary  Schultz,  who  be- 
came the  wife  of  Jacob  Hammer,  in  1855  at 
Chillicothe,  Ohio,  was  born  in  German}-  in 
1834  and  when  sixteen  accompanied  the  fam- 
ily to  America.  Her  father,  Henry  Schultz, 
was  a  native  of  Prussia  and  settled  at  Chilli- 
cothe, Ohio,  and  in  1858  came  to  Whitley 
county,  Indiana.  He  had  served  several 
years  as  a  regimental  bugler  in  the  German 
army  and  was  an  accomplished  musician. 
He  was  run  over  by  a  train  on  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad,  being  caught  in  a  cattle 
guard  and  the  trainmen  failing  to  observe 
the  warning  of  his  red  handkerchief  tied  to 
his  cane.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was 
seventy-three  years  old. 

Mrs.  Schultz,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
Germany  in  1805,  died  at  the  age  of  ninety- 
eight  years.  She  was  the  mother  of  two 
children;  Charles,  who  was  accidentally 
drowned  in  the  Ohio  river;  and  Mary,  the 
wife  of  Jacob  Hammer.  The  Hammer  chil- 
dren are  four:  Edward  M.  was  on  the  farm 
until  he  entered  railway  service  and  became 
agent  of  the  station  at  Coesse  and  so  con- 
tinued till  his  death  at  forty-two ;  Charles 
remains  with  his  mother;  John  A.;  and 
Hugh,  a  traveling  boiler  inspector  at  Chica- 
go, with  the  Fidelity  and  Casualty  Company. 
John  A.  Hammer  received  his  preliminary 
education  in  the  public  schools,  later  finished 
his  scholastic  training  in  the  Northern  Indi- 
ana Normal  University  at  Valparaiso,  after 


which  he  took  charge  of  the  farm  and  turned 
his  attention  chiefly  to  the  breeding  of  short- 
horn cattle  and  Chester  White  swine,  an 
enterprise  which  from  the  beginning  proved 
successful,  and  which  he  has  continued  with 
gratifying  success  to  the  present  time.  In 
addition  to  clearing  and  otherwise  improving 
a  large  portion  of  the  paternal  estate,  he  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  partly  improved  land 
which  he  divested  of  timber  and  drained,  and 
still  later  bought  an  additional  seventy  acres, 
the  two  tracts  with  the  homestead  of  one 
hundred  and  seventy  acres,  lying-  in  one  body 
and  constituting  one  of  the  finest  stock  farms 
in  Whitley  county.  Mr.  Hammer  has  a  fine 
residence  and  good  outbuildings  and  as  a 
farmer  and  stockman  is  enterprising  in  all  the 
term  implies,  feeding  all  the  products  of  his 
farm  to  cattle  and  hogs,  in  the  breeding  and 
raising  of  which  he  has  earned  a  reputation 
of  much  more  than  local  limits.  He  makes 
a  specialty  of  registered  shorthorn  cattle  and 
Chester  White  hogs,  and  in  all  of  his  expe- 
rience with  the  latter  he  has  never  had  a  case 
of  cholera  nor  lost  a  single  animal  from 
disease  of  any  kind.  In  connection  with  his 
large  and  growing  live  stock  interests  he  is 
also  extensively  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  butter,  for  which  there  is  a  much  greater 
demand  than  he  can  possibly  supply,  keeping 
for  this  purpose  an  average  of  from  eight  to 
twelve 'fine  cows,  all  of  which  have  been  ju- 
diciously selected  and  to  which  he  devotes 
the  greater  part  of  his  time.  While  primar- 
ily a  business  man  and  making  other  consid- 
erations subordinate  to  the  various  enter- 
prise in  hand,  Mr.  Hammer  is  not  unmindful 
of  his  duties  as  a  citizen  or  the  debt  he  owes 
the  community  as  an  influential  factor  in  its 
public  affairs.    He  is  a  Democrat,  though  not 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


649 


a  partisan  nor  an  office  seeker,  but  keeps 
abreast  of  the  times  on  all  questions  and  is- 
sues in  which  the  public  is  interested.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  a  Master  Mason  and  religious- 
ly subscribes  to  the  Lutheran  creed,  his  wife 
being  a  member  of  the  same  body. 

Mr.  Hammer  was  married  September  16, 
1893,  to  Miss  Nora  Hess,  daughter  of  John 
•and  Cynthia  Hess  and  born  and  reared  on  an 
adjoining  farm. 


HENRY  SIEVERS. 


Fanner  and  trustee  of  Columbia  town- 
ship, was  born  in  Whitley  county,  three  and 
a  half  miles  south  of  Columbia  City,  Octo- 
"ber  30,  i860,  and  practically  has  spent  his 
entire  life  within  its  boundaries.  William 
Sievers,  a  native  of  Germany,  came  to 
America  when  about  fourteen  years  old  and 
settled  with  his  parents  in  Whitley  county, 
where  he  assisted  in  clearing  a  farm,  which 
he  now  owns.  He  had  a  good  education  in 
his  native  tongue,  but  knew  nothing  of  the 
English  language,  but  by  mingling  with  his 
friends  and  associates  he  soon  mastered  it 
at  least  so  as  to  converse  with  ease  and  flu- 
ency. William  Sievers  began  farming  for 
himself,  in  which  he  met  with  success,  and 
purchasing  land  from  time  to  time  he  be- 
came the  possessor  of  two  hundred  and 
thirty-three  acres.  The  greater  part  of  his 
real  estate  he  has  divided  among  his  chil- 
dren, keeping  only  sufficient  to  insure  him 
a  good  home  and  comfortable  livelihood. 
He  is  now  eighty-one  years  of  age,  but  re- 
tains to  a  marked  degree  his  physical  and 
mental  powers.    He  has  been  thrice  married, 


the  four  children  born  to  his  first  wife,  who 
died  in  1869,  growing  to  maturity.  They 
are  Nancy,  now  Mrs.  William  H.  Smith,  a 
farmer  and  stock-raiser  of  Whitley  county ; 
Henry,  William  Jr.,  who  follows  farming 
and  threshing ;    and  August,  also  a  fanner. 

Henry  Sievers  received  a  good  German 
education  in  a  parochial  school  and  a  fair 
knowledge  of  English  in  the  district  schools, 
which  he  attended  only  about  seven  months. 
Being  reared  on  the  farm,  he  early  learned 
by  experience  the  meaning  of  hard  work, 
and  having  decided  to  make  agriculture  his 
vocation,  bent  all  his  energies  to  make  it 
result  in  the  largest  measure  of  success  pos- 
sible. He  remained  on  the  homestead,  as- 
sisting his  father  until  his  twenty-fourth 
year,  when  he  received  a  portion  of  his 
mother's  share  by  inheritance,  and  later  he 
purchased  the  shares  of  other  heirs,  which 
made  eighty  acres,  having  sixty-five  in  cul- 
tivation. He  has  substantial  improvements, 
including  dwelling,  barn,  outbuildings,  fenc- 
ing and  drainage. 

August  9,  1885,  he  entered  the  marriage 
relation  with  Miss  Minerva  Bordner,  of 
Whitley  county,  whose  parents,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  respectively,  came  to 
this  section  over  a  half  century  ago  and  have 
lived  here  ever  since,  the  father,  AYilliam. 
having  reached  the  age  of  eighty-two,  the 
mother,  Sarah,  being  in  her  sixty-ninth  year. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sievers  have  seven  children, 
the  oldest  being  Bessie  M.,  the  wife  of 
Charles  Kneller,  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser 
of  this  county;  Dora  V.,  a  graduate  of  the 
public  schools  and  still  a  member  of  the 
home  circle;  William  H.  is  his  father's  as- 
sistant; Mary.  Charles  W.,  Sarah  and 
Alice  R. 


6qo 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Mr.  and  Airs.  Sievers,  together  with 
their  children,  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church,  are  loyal  to  its  teachings,  and  for 
eight  years  Mr.  Sievers  has  been  trustee. 
For  fourteen  years  he  was  solicitor  for  the 
Fanners'  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company, 
during  which  time  he  did  a  large  and  lucra- 
tive business  throughout  Whitley  and  ad- 
joining counties,  resigning  to  accept  the  of- 
fice of  township  trustee,  to  which  he  was 
elected  in  1904  and  in  which  he  is  now  serv- 
ing his  first  term.  He  is  a  pronounced  Dem- 
ocrat and  is  a  leader  of  the  party  in  his 
township,  wielding  an  influence  which  has 
contributed  not  a  little  to  the  success  of  the 
ticket.  He  has  eight  schools  and  besides 
transfers  about  one  hundred  pupils  to  the 
Columbia  City  schools,  and  of  these  eight- 
een are  in  the  high  school.  He  has  erected 
one  new  school  building.  His  policy  is  to 
employ  home  teachers  as  much  as  possible. 


FRANK  E.  MINER. 


Frank  E.  Miner,  who  occupies  a  com- 
manding position  in  business  circles,  was 
born  in  Columbia  City  February  24,  1871, 
and  is  the  son  of  Simon  P.  and  Malissa 
(Arlin)  Miner,  both  natives  of  Ohio.  The 
father  of  Simon  P.  Miner  was  a  lawyer  and 
at  one  time  served  as  postmaster  of  Colum- 
bia City.  His  seven  sons  are  now  all  de- 
ceased. Simon  P.  Miner  accompanied  his 
father  to  Whitley  county  and  for  several 
years  remained  on  the  farm.  Subsequently 
he  was  engaged  in  drayage  and  street 
sprinkling  in  Columbia  City  during  the  re- 
mainder of  his  active  years.     His  death  oc- 


curred in  Columbia  City  in  1876.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Miner  were  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren: Charles,  who  is  a  photographer  of 
Fort  Wayne ;  Frank  E.,  and  Rosa,  who  died 
in  infancy.  Mrs.  Miner  later  became  the 
wife  of  John  B.  Sterling,  a  farmer  of  Whit- 
ley county,  whom  she  survives,  now  residing 
with  her  son  Charles  in  Fort  Wayne. 

Frank  E.  Miner  received  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  Columbia  City.  At 
fourteen  years  he  worked  for  J.  W.  Baker 
in  the  telephone  office  for  one  year,  when 
he  was  taken  into  the  printing  office  and  be- 
gan to  learn  the  printer's  art.  He  remained 
in  the  office  nine  years,  working  up  from 
"devil"  through  all  the  grades  to  that  of 
foreman  and  city  editor.  For  several  months 
in  1894  he  traveled  in  the  interest  of  a  busi- 
ness man's  directory.  He  was  then  with  the 
Columbia  City  Post  one  year  and  in  1896 
came  to  South  Whitley,  buying  "The  News" 
of  R.  J.  Emerson,  which  he  has  continued  to 
publish,  making-  it  a  progressive  and  mod- 
em news  journal.  His  ambition  not  being 
limited  to  the  demands  of  an  independent 
country  newspaper  Mr.  Miner  soon  began 
to  extend  his  job  department  and  in  a  few 
years  found  there  was  practically  no  limit 
to  the  possibilities  of  expansion.  The  need 
of  greater  capitalization  was  soon  felt  and 
an  incorporation,  "The  A  to  Z  Printing 
Company,"  was  organized  with  Mr.  Miner 
as  business  manager  and  treasurer.  His  as- 
sociates are  E.  R.  and  J.  W.  Hibbard,  of 
Chicago  and  New  York  respectively. 

The  industry  occupies  a  floor  space  of 
thirty-six  thousand  square  feet,  and  has  five 
Miehle  presses  with  automatic  feeders  and 
employs  fifty  to  one  hundred  people.  It 
makes    a    specialty    of    large    editions    of 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


651 


pamphlet  printing,  some  contracts  running 
to  ten  million  copies,  three  million  in  one 
instance  being  sent  out  by  mail,  thus  making 
a  first  class  office  of  South  Whitley,  its  busi- 
ness for  1906  being  over  $42,000.  Recently 
another  line  of  industry  has  been  added  and 
that  is  the  manufacture  of  a  patent  lock-nut, 
"The  Grip  Nut  Company"  being  managed 
by  Mr.  Miner  and  operated  in  connection 
with  the  printing  plant. 

June  28,  1894,  Mr.  Miner  was  married 
to  Mary  E.  Beeson,  who  was  born  in  Co- 
lumbia City  and  is  the  daughter  of  Henry 
H.  and  Magdalena  Beeson,  residents  of 
South  Whitley,  where  Mr.  Beeson  is  a  ma- 
chinist with  the  printing  company.  They 
are  the  parents  of  three  children  :  Charles,  a 
teacher  in  the  Latin  department  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Chicago;  Mary  E.  and  Margue- 
rite, at  home.  Fraternally  Mr.  Miner  is  a 
member  of  the  Elks  and  of  the  Masonic 
order.  Both  himself  and  wife  are  members 
of  the  Lutheran  church. 


ROBERT  JACOB  EMERSON. 

Robert  Jacob  Emerson,  cashier  of  the 
Farmers'  State  Bank  of  South  Whitley,  was 
born  in  Whitley  county  January  9,  1856, 
and  is  the  son  of  Milton  B.  and  Elizabeth 
(Scott)  Emerson,  his  parents  being  Jacob  and 
Elizabeth  (Merriman)  Emerson,  the  former 
of  whom  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  came 
to  Wayne  county,  Ohio,  where  they  were 
married  and  passed  the  remainder  of  their 
lives.  They  became  the  parents  of  eight 
children.  Milton  B.  Emerson  was  born  in 
Wayne  county,  Ohio  in   1830  and  grew  to 


manhood  assisting  his  father  in  the  making 
of  a  farm  and  received  a  fair  education.  He 
came  to  Indiana  in  185 1  and  taught  school, 
retiring  to  Ohio  at  its  close.  On  coming 
back  to  Whitley  county  in  1852  he  made 
shingles  and  worked  at  carpentering.  In 
1855  he  secured  a  tract  of  land  in  Washing- 
ton township,  where  for  twenty-two  years 
he  ran  a  saw  mill,  operated  his  farm  and 
was  a  stock  grower.  He  located  in  1877  on 
what  is  known  as  the  Harter  farm  in  Cleve- 
land township,  containing  over  two  hundred 
acres,  and  there  his  death  occurred  June  22, 
1896.  He  was  a  member  late  in  life  of  the 
Methodist  church,  and  helped  to  build  the 
Washington  Center  Lnited  Brethren  church. 
He  served  six  years  as  county  commis- 
sioner, the  present  county  jail  and  sheriff's 
residence  being  erected  under  his  supervi- 
sion. Many  other  public  improvements  were 
carried  forward  also  during  his  incumbency. 
He  was  a  justice  of  the  peace  in  both  Wash- 
ington and  Cleveland  townships.  Though 
his  policy  was  to  encourage  amicable  settle- 
ment of  disputes  rather  than  recourse  to  the 
courts. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Milton  B.  Emerson,  who- 
were  married  February  2j,  1854.  were  the 
parents  of  seven  children:  Robert  Jacob; 
Franklin  P.,  a  farmer  of  Elkhart  county; 
Noah  Webster,  who  resides  in  Marion :  Wil- 
liam E.,  who  is  living  in  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri; Leander  F.,  deceased;  Celeste  E.,  who 
is  the  wife  of  Hugo  Logan,  and  Sarah  E.. 
wife  of  Albert  E.  Nabor,  of  North  Manches- 
ter. Mrs.  Emerson  was  born  in  Wayne 
county,  Ohio,  October  8,  1835.  and  died  in 
1887.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
church,  and  a  daughter  of  Robert  and  Char- 
lotte (Firestone)  Scott,  the  former  of  Scotch 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


extraction,  was  a  fanner  and  stockman  and 
spent  his  entire  life  in  Ohio. 

Robert  Jacob  Emerson  was  reared  under 
the  parental  roof  and  attended  the  common 
schools  until  seventeen,  supplementing"  this 
by  attendance  at  Roanoks  seminary  and  the 
Valparaiso  normal  school,  and  at  Hillsdale 
College  in  Michigan.  He  early  became  a 
teacher  and  for  twenty  years  devoted  him- 
self almost  exclusively  to  the  demands  of 
the  school  room,  some  years  being  spent 
in  the  schools  at  South  Whitley  and  he  then 
took  charge  of  the  schools  and  the  progress 
was  so  marked  and  his  impress  for  advance- 
ment so  emphatic  that  he  was  induced  to  re- 
main in  this  position  until  rounding  out  a 
period  of  twenty  years  devoted  to  direct  ef- 
forts in  youthful  training.  Wishing  to  ex- 
tend his  influence  as  an  educator  he  decided 
to  embark  in  the  publication  of  a  newspaper 
which  he  did  in  association  with  his  brother 
Webster,  purchasing  the  "Orville  Crescent" 
in  Wayne  county,  Ohio.  He  was  in  Colum- 
bia City  for  three  years.  Mr.  Emerson 
soon  returned  to  Indiana  and  purchased  the 
South  Whitley  "News."  of  which  he  con- 
tinued as  publisher  until  1896,  selling  to  F. 
E.  Miner.  He  then  went  to  the  Pacific  coast. 
visiting  more  especially  the  Puget  Sound 
country.  After  the  death  of  his  brother, 
Leander  W.,  he  read  law  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar.  In  connection  with  his  practice 
he  dealt  largely  in  insurance,  loans  and  real 
estate,  and  served  as  justice  of  the  peace. 
Desiring  to  educate  his  son  he  moved  to 
Fort  Wayne,  and  after  the  latter's  gradua- 
tion in  the  International  Business  College, 
he  returned  to  the  old  homestead  which  he 
bad  purchased  but  of  which  he  disposed  and 
engaged  in  the  banking  business  in   South 


Whitley.  He  became  cashier  of  the  Farm- 
ers' State  Bank  upon  its  reorganization  in 
April,  1906,  and  has  since  given  it  his  per- 
sonal attention.  Several  home  citizens  are 
stockholders  and  its  condition  and  growth 
are  thoroughly  satisfactory. 

Mr.  Emerson  was  married  on  June  16, 
1881,  to  Miss  Elma  Lash,  the  daughter  of 
Simon  P.  and  Mary  (Koehler)  Lash,  both 
like  herself,  natives  of  Kosciusko  county. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Emerson  have  one  surviving 
child,  Milton  Earl,  who  is  now  chief  train 
dispatcher  for  the  Fort  Wayne  &  Wabash 
Valley  Traction  Company.  Politically  Mr. 
Emerson  is  a  supporter  of  the  Democratic 
party,  but  looks  to  the  personnel  of  candi- 
dates rather  than  to  the  tie  of  party 
lines,  while  fraternally  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  church.  Mr. 
Emerson  is  genial  in  manner,  kindly  in 
disposition,  cheerful  in  temperament,  and 
enjoys  the  confidence  and  warm  regard  of  all 
with  whom  he  comes  in  contact. 


THOMAS  L.  HILDEBRAND. 

Thomas  L.  Hildebrand,  assistant  cash- 
ier of  the  First  National  Bank.  Colum- 
bia City,  was  born  at  Williamsport,  Al- 
len county,  Indiana.  November  26,  1874. 
His  parents  were  William  and  Anna 
(White)  Hildebrand.  he  a  descendant  of  the 
early  Pennsylvania  German  immigrants  and 
she  of  Scotch-Irish  and  English  lineage.  He 
was  a  soldier  throughout  the  Civil  war,  re- 
ceiving his  honorable  discharge  and  living 
a  life  consistent  with  the  best  citizenship. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


653; 


He  died  in  1887.  His  widow  survives  at 
Columbia  City,  where  she  has  hosts  of 
warm  personal  friends. 

Thomas  L.  received  the  usual  common 
school  training  and  in  the  fall  of  1889  he 
entered  the  service  of  the  banking  house  of 
E.  L.  McLallen  &  Co.,  then  known  as  the 
Fanners'  Bank.  Upon  its  reorganization 
into  the  First  National  Bank  in  1904  he 
became  asssitant  cashier  to  the  duties  of 
which  he  has  closely  attended  though  he 
also  holds  the  position  of  treasurer  of  the 
Whitley  Count}'  Building  and  Loan  Associ- 
ation. A  friend  describes  Mr.  Hildebrand 
as  a  keen  observer,  frank  and  fearless  in 
expression  of  opinion,  yet  having  a  happy 
faculty  of  making  and  retaining  warm 
friendships.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Prot- 
estant Episcopal  church.  In  Masonry  he 
affiliates  with  the  Blue  Lodge,  Royal  Arch 
Chapter  and  Council,  and  has  represented 
the  local  body  in  the  Grand  Lodge.  Though 
usually  voting  the  Democratic  ticket,  he  has 
not  allowed  political  ambition  to  interfere 
with  business. 


TOHN  W.  BAKER. 


For  forty-five  years  John  W.  Baker  has 
been  identified  in  a  prominent  way  with  the 
public  and  business  life  of  Indiana  and  has 
long  been  one  of  the  best  known  and  most 
influential  citizens  nf  Whitley  county.  When 
still  quite  young  Mr.  Baker  "got  ink  on  his 
fingers,"  in  other  words  he  became  enamored 
of  the  newspaper  business  from  which  he  did 
not  succeed  in  divorcing  himself  until  recent- 
ly.    Mr.  Baker  was  born  in  Hancock  county, 


Ohio,  March  7,  1845,  being  a  son  of  Henry 
D.  and  Eve  Baker,  the  former  a  Virginian 
and  the  latter  from  Pennsylvania.  As  early 
as  1862  we  find  young  Baker  at  Warsaw 
"slinging  type"  in  the  office  of  the  "Northern 
Indianian,"  to  which  he  kept  steadily  for 
seven  years,  during  one  of  which  he  was  pub- 
lisher of  that  paper.  In  January,  1869,  he  re- 
moved to  Columbia  City,  and  on  the  17th  of 
that  month  appeared  the  first  number  of 
"The  Commercial,"  a  paper  that  for  thirty- 
eight  years  has  been  the  leading  dispenser  of 
news  in  Whitley  county.  The  weekly  was 
published  continuously  until  September, 
1888,  when  the  "Daily  Commercial"  was  es- 
tablished and  both  editions  were  regularly 
issued  until  January  9,  1905.  The  two 
papers  were  then  sold  to  W.  W.  Williamson, 
of  the  "Columbia  City  Mail."  During  his 
thirty-eight  years  as  editor  and  publisher, 
Mr.  Baker  bore  full  share  in  all  the  political 
battles  fought  in  Whitley  county,  and  ex- 
erted marked  influence  in  the  numerous  con- 
troversies affecting  the  growth,  development 
and  reformation  of  his  adopted  county. 

In  1877  the  legislature  selected  him  as 
one  of  the  directors  of  the  Northern  Indiana 
Prison  at  Michigan  City  and  he  filled  that 
position  acceptably  for  two  and  a  half  years. 
In  October,  1882,  he  was  appointed  post- 
master of  Columbia  City  by  President  Ar- 
thur and  held  this  office  until  removed  in 
June,  1886,  by  President  Cleveland  as  an 
"offensive  partisan."  In  1898  Mr.  Baker 
was  elected  joint  representative  to  the  legis- 
lature for  the  counties  of  Kosciusko  and 
Whitley  and  served  one  term.  January  18. 
1906,  he  again  became  postmaster  of  Colum- 
bia City,  by  appointment  of  President  Roose- 
velt, being  commissioned  for  four  years  from 


654 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


that  date.  Mr.  Baker  takes  pride  in  the 
fact  that  he  has  always  been  a  consistent 
Republican,  having  cast  his  first  presidential 
vote  for  General  Grant  in  1868,  since  which 
time  he  has  never  missed  an  election  of  any 
character,  municipal,  township,  county,  dis- 
trict, state  or  national,  and  has  never 
scratched  a  single  candidate  placed  upon  the 
Republican  ticket.  He  has  served  repeatedly 
as  chairman  of  the  Republican  county  central 
committee  and  it  may  be  stated  without  ex- 
aggeration, that  no  man  in  Whitley  county 
has  worked  harder  for  his  party  or  devoted 
himself  more  unselfishly  to  its  interests  than 
John  W.  Baker.  His  religious  affiliations 
have  always  been  with  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  and  his  fraternal  connections 
embrace  membership  in  the  Odd  Fellows,  K. 
of  P.  Lodge,  the  Maccabees,  Order  of  Ben 
Hur,  Daughters  of  Rebekah.  Pythian  Sis- 
ters, Nicholson  Encampment,  I.  O.  O.  F. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  Oak  Grove  Grange, 
Patrons  of  Husbandry. 

July  26,  1864,  Mr.  Baker  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Sarah  E.,  daughter  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  A.  Thornburg,  of  Laporte  county.  In- 
diana. The  children  of  this  union  are:  Mell, 
Stella,  and  Grace  Baker.. 


LOGAN  STAPLES. 


One  of  the  public  officials  of  Whitley 
ounty,  is  a  type  of  that  "average  man," 
which  Senator  Beveridge  declared  to  be  a 
special  product  of  Indiana ;  meaning  one 
who  begins  the  battles  of  life  early,  moves 
with  facility  from  one  occupation  to  another, 
fulfills  all  his  obligations  well  and  steadily 
rises  in  the  world  on  the  strength  of  merit 


and  industry.  Mr.  Staples  was  born  in 
Thorncreek  township  November  5,  1868,  his 
parents  being  James  and  Elizabeth  (King) 
Staples.  He  grew  up  on  the  farm  having 
all  the  usual  experiences  that  fall  to  the  lot 
of  country  boys.  He  attended  the  public 
schools  and  is  indebted  to  them  for  all  the 
book  learning  obtained  before  reaching  man- 
hood. In  1 89 1  he  became  fireman  on  the 
Nickel  Plate  Railroad,  continuing  for  four 
years,  earning  the  reputation  of  being  one  of 
the  most  efficient  men  in  the  company's  ser- 
vice. He  united  with  the  Brotherhood  of 
Locomotive  Firemen  at  Fort  Wayne.  Mr. 
Staples  finally  determined  to  abandon  rail- 
roading in  order  to  engage  in  the  tubular 
well  business,  which  he  followed  until  se- 
lected as  sheriff,  living  on  and  operating  a 
farm  in  Thorncreek  township  which  he  still 
owns.  In  1904  he  was  elected  sheriff  by  a 
majority  of  ninety-seven  votes,  the  nomina- 
tion having  been  proffered  him  without  ef- 
fort on  his  part,  and  gave  such  satisfaction 
that  his  party  gave  him  a  renomination  in 
1906,  and  the  fact  that  he  was  elected  by  a 
majority  between  four  and  five  hundred 
shows  that  he  made  friends  and  acquired 
increased  popularity  by  his  methods  of  man- 
aging his  office. 

July  19,  1896,  Mr.  Staples  was  married 
to  Edith  L.  Hemmick,  of  Columbia  City, 
daughter  of  George  W.  and  Mary  E.  (Sut- 
ton) Hemmick,  early  settlers  of  the  county, 
both  now  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Staples 
have  two  children,  Raymond  Dewey  and 
Myron  Hemmick.  Mr.  Staples  is  a  member 
of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  is  courteous  in 
social  intercourse  and  is  one  of  the  best 
known  and  most  popular  men  of  Whitley 
county. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


65; 


HENRY  EDSON  BAKER. 

The  life  of  a  printer  is  seldom  eventful. 
The  work  is  arduous,  the  employment  ex- 
acting and  the  "man  at  the  case"  has  little 
time  for  branching  out  in  pursuit  of  ambi- 
tions calculated  to  interfere  with  his  calling. 
Perhaps  this  zealous  occupation  has  never 
had  a  steadier  or  more  faithful  devotee  than 
the  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  sketch. 
Mr.  Baker  was  born  in  Hancock  county. 
Ohio,  August  21,  1853,  his  parents  being 
Henry  D.  and  Eve  Baker,  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  Virginia,  and  the  mother  of  Penn- 
sylvania. The  father  dying,  the  mother  re- 
moved to  Warsaw.  Indiana,  in  1859,  when 
Henry  was  but  six  years  old.  In  his  six- 
teenth year  he  began  to  learn  the  printer's 
trade  in  the  office  of  the  "Northern  Indian- 
ian."  In  the  winter  of  1869  he  removed  to 
Columbia  City,  where  he  resumed  his  busi- 
ness of  setting  type  and  he  kept  at  the  case 
with  few  intermissions  until  February  2. 
1906,  when  he  was  appointed  by  his  brother 
deputy  postmaster.  His  previous  training 
had  taught  him  the  art  of  assorting  and  do- 
ing things  methodically  and  in  his  new  em- 
ployment he  has  proved  a  faithful  and  pains- 
taking public  servant.  Mr.  Baker  is  a  quiet 
and  unassuming  man,  who  attends  the  Pres- 
hyterian  church,  votes  the  Republican  ticket, 
and  performs  all  the  other  duties  of  a  good 
citizen.  He  has  little  taste  and  less  time  for 
"society"  but  is  rather  fond  of  the  fraterni- 
ties and  is  a  member  in  good  standing  in  the 
various  orders,  including  the  Knights  of  the 
Maccabees,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the 
Pythian  Sisters. 

January  2,  1878,  Mr.  Baker  was  united 
in   matrimony  with   Cora   E.,   daughter  of 


Warren  and  Mary  Jane  Mason,  all  of  Co- 
lumbia City.  They  have  had  five  children, 
of  whom  Walter,  the  second,  died  when  five 
years  of  age,  the  survivors  being  Edith  G., 
Frederick  D.,  Kate  E.  and  Marararet  L. 


BAYLESS  LOWER. 


John  B.  Lower^  Bayliss  Lower's  father, 
is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in  the  county  of 
Columbiana  about  1844.  He  was  reare'd  in 
that  state  and  Indiana  and  in  early  life  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  lumber,  which 
he  followed  continuously  until  the  breaking 
out  of  the  war,  when  he  responded  to  the 
president's  call  for  volunteers  by  enlising  in 
an  Indiana  regiment,  with  which  he  ren- 
dered service  until  the  cessation  of  hostil- 
ities. His  command  was  attached  to  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee  and  took  part  in  the 
Atlanta  campaign  under  General  Sherman 
and  continued  in  the  celebrated  march  to  the 
sea.  He  was  severely  wounded  and  in  con- 
sequence was  obliged  to  spend  some  months 
in  a  military  hospital,  his  face  still  bearing 
the  scar.  Mr.  Lower  took  up  the  peaceful 
pursuits  of  civil  life,  and  since  his  attention 
has  been  principally  devoted  to  the  lumber 
business,  being  at  this  time  employed  as  an 
expert  buyer  of  lumber  and  timber  for  the 
export  trade  with  headquarters  at  Logans- 
port,  Indiana.  He  was  married  at  Columbia 
City  in  1866  to  Julia  A.  Shuh,  of  Spring- 
field, Ohio,  and  nine  children  survive:  Bay- 
less,  Viola,  wife  of  Prof.  E.  L.  Miller,  of 
Indianola.  Iowa ;  Wallace,  a  physician  resi- 
dent in  Arkansas;  Albert,  a  farmer  of 
Whitley  county ;  Joseph,  manager  of  a  gold- 
mining  corporation   in   Corea :    Alice,  wife 


6;6 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


of  Melvin  Shoemaker,  of  Whitley  county; 
Katherine,  who  married  Hurl  Shoemaker, 
of  Whitley  county ;  Blanche,  wife  of  George 
Miller;  Mabel,  who  is  unmarried  and  living 
with  her  mother  near  Compton  church. 

Bayless  Lower  was  born  December  i, 
1868,  in  Whitley  county,  and  enjoyed  the 
best  educational  advantages  Columbia  City 
afforded,  completing  his  full  school  course 
and  graduating  when  a  youth.  He  then  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  with  his 
father  and  after  spending  four  years  in  this 
industry  turned  his  attention  to  contracting. 
Mr.  Lower  entered  the  railway  service  as 
fireman  with  the  Pennsylvania  company  in 
July,  1899,  with  which  he  has  since  been 
actively  identified,  holding  for  four  years 
the  arduous  and  responsible  position  of  loco- 
motive engineer.  In  all  his  varied  ex- 
perience he  has  ever  proved  faithful  and 
efficient  and  as  a  result  enjoys  the  con- 
fidence of  his  superiors.  Mr.  Lower 
owns  two  farms  in  Whitley  county,  to  the 
management  of  which  he  gives  personal  at- 
tention, making  his  home  on  a  farm  three 
and  a  half  miles  south  of  Columbia  City. 

Mr.  Lower  and  Miss  Ida  Keiser,  of 
Whitley  county,  were  married  December 
29,  1896.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Daniel  and 
Rebecca  (Harvey)  Keiser,  who  were  born 
and  married  in  Pennsylvania  and  came  to 
Whitley  county  in  company  with  his  father, 
Jacob  Keiser.  He  received  part  of  his  fa- 
ther's homestead  and  made  a  farm  from  the 
woods,  their  entire  married  life  passing  on 
this  farm,  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Lower.  Dan- 
iel Keiser  died  at  sixty-eight,  surviving  his 
wife,  and  also  a  second  wife,  who  was  Sarah 
Bell.  Mrs.  Lower  is  the  only  daughter,  but 
three  sons  survive,  Harry,  Willie  and  Ira 
Keiser. 


FRANCIS  MARION  MAGERS,  M.  D. 

Francis  Marion  Magers,  M.  D.,  who  for 
forty  years  has  enjoyed  high  repute  as  a 
physician  in  Churubusco,  was  born  near 
Danville,  Knox  county,  Ohio,  January  28, 
1838,  and  is  the  son  of  Nathan  and  Wini- 
fred (Logsdon)  Magers.  His  paternal 
grandfather  was  Nathan  Magers,  a  native 
of  Maryland,  in  which  state  he  passed  his 
entire  life.  Nathan  Magers  located  in 
Knox  county,  Ohio,  in  1819,  and  devoted 
his  life  to  agriculture.  Himself  and  wife 
came  from  Maryland  to  Ohio  on  horseback^ 
carrying  their  cooking  utensils  and  cloth- 
ing. They  were  the  parents  of  eight  sons : 
Ambrose,  who  is  living  in  Noble  county, 
Indiana,  aged  eighty-seven  years;  Benedict, 
deceased;  Raphael,  deceased;  Lawrence,  a 
retired  farmer  of  Warrensburg,  Missouri ; 
Nathan,  John  and  William,  deceased ;  and 
Francis  M.  The  parents  both  died  in  the 
faith  of  the  Catholic  church.  Mrs.  Magers' 
father  was  Raphael  Logsdon,  who  was  of 
French  extraction,  his  ancestors  having  come 
to  Maryland  with  Lord  Baltimore. 

Francis  M.  Magers  enjoyed  only  ordi- 
nary educational  advantages,  his  time  being 
divided  between  working  on  the  farm  and  in 
attendance  at  the  district  schools.  At  the 
age  of  fourteen  he  entered  St.  Mary's  Acad- 
emy at  Perryville,  Missouri,  where  he  at- 
tended for  three  years.  Fie  also  spent  one- 
year  in  St.  Thomas  College  at  Bardstown, 
Kentucky.  In  1855-56  he  taught  near 
Avilla,  Indiana,  where  his  older  brother 
had  already  settled.  After  two  terms  in 
Noble  county  he  returned  to  Ohio  and 
taught  in  his  home  town.  The  next  three 
years  were  devoted  to  teaching  in  Knox 
county.     He  then  returned  to  Indiana  and 


FRANCIS    M.   MAGERS. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


65/ 


taught  in  Allen  county,  though  his  mother's 
death  required  his  attendance  at  the  old 
home.  He  was  appointed  administrator  of 
the  estate,  which  he  settled,  and  then  began 
reading  medicine  under  Dr.  Bryant  at  Mt. 
Vernon,  Ohio,  and  in  1864  entered  the 
University  of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor. 
The  following  year  he  engaged  in  active 
practice  in  Churubusco,  where  for  forty  years 
he  has  stood  in  the  front  rank.  Dr.  Magers, 
having  more  than  the  ordinary  preliminary  ■ 
education  of  medical  students,  was  well  pre- 
pared to  take  up  the  study  of  medicine.  He 
has  always  been  a  close  student  and  volumi- 
nous reader  and  has  kept  abreast  with  the 
advanced  ideas  of  his  chosen  profession.  He 
is  a  charter  member  of  the  Whitley  County 
Medical  Society  in  which  he  takes  great  in- 
terest. The  society  has  honored  him  as  its 
president  and  treasurer  and  as  a  delegate  at 
different  times  to  the  American  Medical  Asso- 
ciation and  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Asso- 
ciation. He  has  a  large  and  saisfactory  prac- 
tice and  is  widely  and  favorably  known,  a  ge- 
nial nature  and  social  disposition  having  won 
him  many  friends.  November  23,  1866,  Dr. 
Magers  married  Miss  Mary  E.,  daughter  of 
Andrew  and  Elizabeth  (Dresback)  Metzger, 
whose  parents  were  of  Holland  extraction  and 
were  pioneers  in  Allen  county,  Indiana,  she 
being  his  pupil  the  winter  he  taught  in  her 
neighborhood.  She  was  a  teacher  of  Allen 
county,  and  also  in  Whitley  county  after 
her  marriage.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Magers  have 
had  seven  children:  Casimer  B.,  electrician 
at  the  Home  of  the  Feeble-minded  in  Fort 
Wayne;  Mary  F.,  the  wife  of  William  A. 
Devault,  postmaster  at  Churubusco ;  Ed- 
mund Lambert,  trainmaster  on  the  Houston 
&  Texas  Central  Railroad  at  Eninss,  Texas ; 


Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Lawrence  Maloney,  a 
miner  of  Colorado;  Ursula  J.,  an  employe 
of  the  Exchange  Bank  at  Churubusco; 
Francis  Andrew  is  one  of  the  advanced 
farmers  of  the  county,  keeping  in  touch  with 
modern  methods  as  developed  in  the  agri- 
cultural colleges  and  is  active  in  all  the 
movements,  such  as  farmers'  institutes,  that 
lead  to  up-to-date  methods  in  agriculture; 
Marcella  Gertrude  is  a  student  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Indiana  at  Bloomington.  The 
doctor  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  church.  He  is  a  Democrat, 
and  for  many  years  was  active  in  the  party 
conventions,  though  not  aspiring  to  public 
office.  He  at  once  time  was  city  clerk  and 
treasurer  of  Churubusco  and  has  served  two 
terms  on  the  school  board.  In  every  re- 
lation of  life  he  has  been  true  to  the  trust 
reposed  in  him  and  to  the  obligations  de- 
volving upon  him.  Dr.  Magers  is  the  owner 
of  two  excellent  farms  near  Churubusco 
which  are  operated  by  tenants. 


ELIAS  LANTZER. 


This  prosperous  farmer  and  respected  cit- 
izen is  a  native  of  Stark  county,  Ohio,  as 
were  also  his  parents,  Jonathan  and  Sarah 
(Bear)  Lantzer.  both  representatives  of  old 
Pennsylvania  families  and  of  German  de- 
scent. The  Lantzers  were  among  the  early 
settlers  of  Stark  county,  Ohio.  In  addition 
to  farming  Jonathan  Lantzer  worked  at  the 
carpenter's  trade  and  his  entire  life  was 
spent  on  the  family  homestead,  which  his 
parents  purchased  and  developed,  dying  there 
December  21,  1859.    To  Jonathan  and  Sarah 


658 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


Lantzer  were  born  three  children :  John, 
Elias,  and  Mary  M.,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Solomon  Heizy;  Elias  being  the  only  sur- 
vivor. Elias  Lantzer  was  born  December 
6,  1850,  and  spent  his  early  life  on  the  old 
homestead,  attending  the  public  schools  in 
Stark  county.  When  sufficiently  old  to  earn 
wages  of  his  own  he  worked  in  the  neigh- 
borhood as  a  farm  hand  and  when  not  em- 
ployed thus  labored  for  his  mother  who,  by 
the  death  of  her  husband,  was  left  with  no 
other  means  of  support  tlian  that  afforded 
by  her  two  sons.  Mr.  Lantzer  divided  his 
time  between  the  home  farm  and  working 
for  his  neighbors  until  1875  when  he  came 
to,  Whitley  county.  He  was  married  No- 
vember 26,  1876,  to  Sophia  Plattner,  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Elizabeth  (Schneider) 
Plattner,  and  who  was  born  three  miles  south 
of  Columbia  City  December  30,  1858.  Her 
parents  had  come  from  Stark  county,  Ohio. 
After  marriage  Mr.  Lantzer  returned  to 
Ohio,  buying  the  homestead  on  which  they 
lived  five  years,  when  he  returned  to  Whit- 
ley county  and  has  since  lived  near  Mrs. 
Lantzer's  old  home.  He  now  owns  one  hun- 
dred and  five  acres  in  two  farms,  each  hav- 
ing suitable  buildings.  His  buildings  are 
modern  and  substantial  and  in  all  that  con- 
stitutes a  comfortable  and  at  the  same  time 
beautiful  and  attractive  rural  home,  his  place 
compares  favorably  with  that  of  any  of  his 
neighbors,  being  well  located  and  abundantly 
supplied  with  the  comforts  and  conveniences 
that  render  country  life  pleasant  and  desir- 
able. Mr.  Lantzer  is  a  man  of  progressive 
ideas,  has  devoted  much  study  to  the  science 
of  agriculture  and  by  directing  his  efforts 
according  to  the  most  approved  methods 
his  lalxirs  are  generally  rewarded  by  abund- 


ant returns.  The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Lantzer  consists  of  two  living  children,  Ver- 
non E.,  who  operates  one  of  his  father's 
farms,  and  Jeff  J.,  who  is  his  father's  assist- 
ant on  the  home  farm.  Mr.  Lantzer  belongs 
to  the  German  Reformed  church  and  his  wife 
and  sons  are  members  of  the  same  body,  and 
all  are  highly  esteemed  for  their  zeal  in  all 
lines  of  effort  under  its  auspices.  He  is  a 
Democrat  and  has  served  four  years  as  town- 
ship assessor. 


WILLIAM  J.  DUNFEE. 

William  H.  Dunfee  was  born  in  Adams 
county,  Pennsylvania.  April  10,  1822.  In 
1831  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Ohio, 
where  he  learned  the  trade  of  cabinet-mak- 
ing and  lived  until  1845,  when  he  came  to 
Indiana  and  for  two  years  thereafter  worked 
at  his  trade  in  Fort  Wayne.  In  1847  he 
came  to  Columbia  City,  was  chosen  assessor 
of  Whitley  county  a  little  later  for  three 
years,  and  in  1856  was  elected  sheriff,  serv- 
ing four  years.  Subsequently  he  was  asses- 
sor of  the  township  for  fifteen  years,  also 
being  deputy  sheriff.  Mr.  Dunfee  was  mar- 
ried March  5,  1848,  to  Catherine  Jones,  of 
Columbia  City,  who  bore  him  six  children : 
Laura  V.,  Stephen  E..  Henrietta  R.,  William 
J..  Albert  E.,  Harry  H.,  and  they  raised 
Flora  C.  Bair  to  womanhood,  she  now  be- 
ing Mrs.  Massillon  Leaman.  He  died  May 
29.  1888. 

William  J.  Dunfee  was  born  at  Colum- 
bia City  April  22.  1S54.  He  worked  six 
years  at  the  barber's  trade  in  Columbia  City 
and  two  vears  at  various  towns  in  Indiana 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


659 


and  other  states.  Returning  to  Columbia 
City  he  took  charge  of  his  father's  farm 
near  the  town,  where  he  remained  five  years, 
then  renting  a  farm  in  Union  township, 
which  he  operated  three  years.  He  then 
baught  a  small  farm,  improving  it  during 
the  succeeding  fourteen  years,  when  he  sold 
the  place  and  returned  to  the  family  home- 
stead in  Columbia  township  at  his  mother's 
death.  He  now  lives  on  this  farm  and  by 
various  improvements  has  greatly  enhanced 
its  productiveness.  Located  but  a  short  dis- 
tance east  of  Columbia  City,  it  is  a  most 
desirable  place  of  residence. 

December  2.  1880,  Mr.  Dunfee  married 
Mary  Elizabeth  Walker,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred in  Whitley  county  in  October,  1861, 
her  parents,  Thomas  and  Hannah,  moving 
to  this  state  from  Ohio  and  were  married  in 
Whitley  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dunfee 
have  no  children  of  their  own,  but  they  are 
giving  a  suitable  home  to  an  orphan  girl. 
May  Walker,  now  six  years  old,  whom  they 
took  to  themselves  and  in  whose  education 
care  and  development  they  each  feel  a  pa- 
rental interest.  Besides  general  fanning  and 
stock  raising,  Mr.  Dunfee  buys  and  sells 
horses.  He  has  made  a  number  of  substan- 
tial improvements,  including  a  fine  modem 
dwelling  and  a  commodious  barn,  in  addi- 
tion to  which  he  has  brought  the  land  up 
to  a  high  state  of  fertilitv. 


EDMUND  JONES. 


Edmund  Jones  merits  prominent  mention 
in  the  history  of  Whitley  county,  having 
steadily  grown  from  the  lowest  round  of  the 


ladder  until  he  owns  a  splendid  farm  of  two 
hundred  acres,  the  result  of  personal  indus- 
try and  good  management.  He  was  born 
June  29,  1845,  in  Greene  county,  Virginia, 
and  is  the  son  of  Edward  and  Lucy  (Mor- 
ris) Jones.  Edward  was  bom  in  Albemarle 
county,  Virginia,  in  1780,  and  died  in  the 
same  state  in  i860,  while  the  mother  was 
born  in  Greene  county,  Virginia,  and  died 
in  Rockingham  county,  the  same  state,  in 
1868.  They  were  farmers,  industrious  and 
exemplary  in  their  lives.  To  this  union  ten 
children  were  born,  namely :  Matilda,  de- 
ceased wife  of  Harrison  Shiflet;  John,  de- 
ceased: James,  living  in  Virginia;  Henry 
Allen  and  Virginia,  all  three  deceased;  Wil- 
lis, living  in  Missouri;  Edmund,  and  two 
who  died  in  infancy. 

Edmund  remained  on  the  farm  with  his 
parents  until  he  grew  to  manhood,  discharg- 
ing the  duties  of  a  son  and  meantime  receiv- 
ing what  educational  advantages  he  could 
from  the  common  schools.  In  1864  he  went 
to  Pennsylvania  and  spent  ten  years  in  agri- 
culture, when  he  came  to  Indiana  and 
located  on  an  eighty-acre  farm  in  Richland 
township.  This  farm  was  in  a  "rundown" 
condition,  but  more  land  was  cleared,  all 
ditched  and  fenced  and  brought  to  a  high 
state  of  cultivation,  good  buildings  being 
erected  and  everything  presenting  a  substan- 
tial and  attractive  appearance.  His  success 
has  been  such  as  to  enable  him  to  purchase 
other  land  until  the  farm  now  contains  two 
hundred  acres,  all  in  productive  and  profit- 
able condition,  indicating  good  judgment 
and  excellent  management  by  the  owner. 

February  II,  1869,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Margaret  Emeline,  daughter  of 
Leonard    and    Sarah    Ann    (Smith)    Diller. 


I  ,1  O 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIA X A. 


who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  February  6, 
1844.  Her  parents,  who  were  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  and  of  German  extraction,  are 
now  deceased.  They  were  faithful  members 
of  the  German  Lutheran  church  and  highly 
esteemed.  Ten  children  were  bom  to  them 
as  follows :  William,  deceased ;  Evana,  Sa- 
rah Ann,  deceased  at  three  years ;  Peter,  liv- 
ing in  Columbia  City ;  Eliza,  deceased ; 
Sarah  Jane,  Fiana,  and  two  died  in  infancy. 

Eight  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Jones:  John  Luther,  who  married 
Olive  Grant,  living  in  Kentland,  Indiana; 
Charles  W.,  married  to  Mary  Hentzleman, 
living  in  Troy  township;  George  Franklin 
married  Nellie  Sattison  and  lives  in  Rich- 
land township;  Naomi,  the  wife  of  Olin 
Van  Derford,  of  Troy  township;  Lucy  E., 
wife  of  Charles  Hess,  living  in  Fort  Wayne ; 
Chester  A.,  married  to  Zoe  Stickler,  living 
in  Troy  township;  Chloe  died  in  infancy; 
James  Allen,  unmarried  and  at  home. 

In  politics  Mr.  Jones  believes  in  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Republican  party  and  renders  it 
consistent  support.  The  family  is  hospitable 
and  generous  and  enjoys  social  and  friendly 
relations  with  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances. 


WILLIAM  C.  MORE. 

An  honored  resident  of  Whitley  county 
for  a  period  of  more  than  seventy  years, 
William  C.  More  has  stamped  his  individual- 
ity upon  the  community  as  an  influential  fac- 
tor in  public  affairs  and  in  the  material  ad- 
vancemtnt  of  the  locality  .  His  father,  John 
W.  More,  was  born  May  27,  1810,  in  War- 
ren county  Ohio,  and  there  married  Mary 


Spear,  born  in  Miami  county,  Ohio,  July  ior 
1810.  Their  removal  to  Indiana  is  recorded 
in  the  sketch  of  Alexander  More.  In  1856 
he  removed  to  Missouri,  purchasing  a  large 
tract  of  prairie  land  in  Davis  county,  but  be- 
coming dissatisfied  with  the  conditions  in 
Missouri  owing  to  slavery,  he  sold  out,  re- 
turning to  Whitley  county  in  1857  and 
bought  an  improved  farm  of  eighty  acres  in 
Union  township,  where  he  owned  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  and  which  continued 
his  home  for  thirty  years,  until  his  death. 
He  was  the  first  justice  of  the  peace  and  the 
first  assessor  of  Smith  township,  was  deep- 
ly interested  in  public  matters  and  was  a  man 
of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence  and  judg- 
ment. William  C.  More  was  born  in  Smith 
township  May  13,  1839.  He  spent  his  early 
life  on  the  farm  and  attending  the  public 
schools.  Enlisting  in  August  1862  in  Com- 
pany B,  Seventy-fourth  Indiana  Infantry,  he 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  taking  part 
in  many  of  the  noted  campaigns  and  parti- 
cipating in  a  number  of  battles,  among  them 
being  Chickamauga,  Missionary  Ridge,  and 
Nashville.  He  was  in  numerous  engage- 
ments in  the  operations  against  Atlanta,  and 
was  severely  wounded  at  Jonesboro,  Septem- 
ber 1,  1864,  by  a  musket  ball,  from 
the  effects  of  which  he  has  never  en- 
tirely recovered.  When  sufficiently  recov- 
ered he  was  taken  back  to  Nashville,  being 
in  the  battle  against  the  army  under  General 
Hood,  subsequently  rejoining  his  command 
at  Ringgold,  Georgia,  and  in  June,  1865, 
was  honorably  discharged.  He  resumed 
farming,  a  pursuit  to  which  his  attention  has 
since  been  devoted.  He  is  classed  as  one  of 
the  leading  farmers  and  stock  raisers,  own- 
ing a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


66 1 


six  acres,  which  is  highly  improved,  his 
buildings  being  among  the  best  in  Union 
township  and  the  soil  comparing  favorably 
with  any. 

Mr.  More  was  married  on  January  10, 
1867,  to  Miss  Martha  Compton,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  Smith  township  October  7,1847, 
being  the  daughter  of  Nelson  and  Nancy 
(Waugh)  Compton.  They  have  six  children  : 
Huldah  E.,  wife  of  John  Briggs,  a  farmer; 
Frank  E.,  a  locomotive  engineer  on  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  for  the  last  three 
years  and  now  motive  power  inspector  on  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  on  the  Pittsburg  and 
Chicago  division  with  office  at  Fort  Wayne; 
Irving  N.,  operating  the  homestead;  Hallie 
Florence,  wife  of  Charles  Larimore,  a  loco- 
motive engineer  on  the  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road; Charles  A.,  a  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
engineer,  and  Alpha  C,  ex-surveyor  of 
Whitley  county  and  now  a  student  in  the 
chemical  engineering  at  Lead,  South  Da- 
kota. 

Mr.  More  belongs  to  George  S.  Stough 
Post,  No.  181,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 
Mrs.  More  is  identified  with  the  Methodist 
church.  He  is  active  in  supporting  the  princi- 
ples and  candidates  of  the  Republican  party 
and  for  six  years  has  served  on  the  advisory 
board.  He  has  devoted  considerable  attention 
to  local  geology  and  archaeology,  and  from 
his  farm  alone  has  collected  a  large  cabinet 
of  fine  specimens  of  Indian  implements  and 
tools.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  More  are  highly  re- 
spected and  their  fine  home  is  the  abode  of 
a  genuine,  old-fashioned  hospitalitv. 

Nelson  and  Nance  (Waugh)  Compton, 
parents  of  Mrs.  More,  were  natives  of  Ross 
county,  Ohio,  whence  the)-  came  to  Smith 
township  in  1837.     His  father,  John,  went 


into  the  war  of  18 12,  and  was  never  after 
heard  from.  His  mother,  Catherine,  hav- 
ing died  when  he  was  five  years  old,  he 
was  reared  by  Moses  Hopkins,  of  Ross 
county,  later  marrying  Nancy  Waugh,  niece 
of  his  foster-parent,  when  quite  young.  Her 
father,  Joseph  Waugh,  was  an  honorable 
citizen  of  Ross  county,  being  a  near  relative 
of  Bishop  Waugh,  of  the  Methodist  church. 
His  wife  was  Mary  Hopkins,  both  of  Scotch 
ancestry.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson  Compton 
settled  in  the  woods  in  Smith  township, 
and  there  both  passed  their  lives,  mak- 
ing a  good  farm  of  excellent  soil.  He 
died  February  1,  1903,  in  the  ninety-first 
year  of  his  age.  The  deed  to  his  land  was 
sig-ned  by  President  Jackson.  She  died 
October  4,  1884,  aged  sixty-four  years.  Mr. 
Compton  was  a  Republican  and  had  served 
as  assessor  and  trustee  of  the  township.  He 
was  all  his  life  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  a  class  leader  for  years 
in  Concord  church.  Of  his  ten  children  nine 
reached  maturity  and  eight  are  still  living, 
two  only  in  Whitley  county,  Mrs.  More  and 
Almira  J.,  wife  of  J.  W.  Smith,  of  Churu- 
busco  county.  Dr.  Charles  M.  Compton, 
one  of  the  sons,  is  in  the  employment  of  the 
LJnited  States  government  at  Washington, 
Oklahoma.  Ira  N.  Compton,  another  son, 
is  postmaster  at  Hamlet,  Indiana. 


AMBROSE  KIESTER. 

Ambrose  Kiester  is  a  native  Hoosier,  be- 
ing born  in  Washington  township,  Noble 
county,  January  11,  1847,  and  is  the  son  of 
Levi  and  Catharine  (Crumley)  Kiester,  both 


662 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


natives  of  Pennsylvania,  but  married  in 
Stark  county,  Ohio.  In  an  early  day  they 
removed  to  Noble  county,  Indiana,  and  pur- 
chased school  land.  They  were  industrious 
farmers,  soon  accumulating  a  large  amount 
of  land  and  other  property,  which  increased 
rapidly  in  value;  and  notwithstanding  they 
had  a  large  family  of  children,  each  received 
a  good  start  in  life  on  arriving  at  maturity, 
leaving  the  old  home  farm  intact  at  the  time 
of  the  father's  death,  which  occurred  Febru- 
ary 6,  1898,  aged  eighty  years.  The  widow 
is  still  living  at  the  age  of  eighty-five,  her 
home  being  in  Elkhart  county  with  a  daugh- 
ter. Both  were  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  from  an  early  day.  Twelve 
children  were  bom  to  them :  John,  living 
on  part  of  the  old  homestead ;  Nancy  Jane, 
deceased;  Mary,  a  resident  of  Elkhart 
county;  Emma,  of  Ligonier;  Miles  and 
Catherine,  deceased;  George,  living  in 
Cromwell;  Charles,  living  in  Mishawaka; 
Edward,  living  in  Auburn ;  Ambrose,  Gor- 
ham  and  Anna,  deceased. 

Ambrose  Kiester  grew  to  manhood  on 
the  home  farm,  receiving  a  common  school 
education.  His  first  purchase  was  of  forty 
acres,  on  which  he  lived  ten  years  and  then 
traded  it  for  his  present  farm  in  Troy  town- 
ship. This  consists  of  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  eight  miles  northwest  of  Colum- 
bia City,  with  modern  buildings  and  all  the 
conveniences  and  improvements  necessary 
for  profitable  and  successful  farming.  Part 
of  the  home  farm  was  entered  by  Jacob 
Scott  under  President  Van  Buren.  He  was 
a  brother  of  Mrs.  Kiester* s  mother.  He 
owns  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land 
in  Gray  county,  Kansas,  and  also  residence 
property  in  Columbia  City. 


December  3,  1868,  he  was  married  to 
Mary  Ellen,  daughter  of  James  and  Jane 
(Scott)  Blaine,  born  in  Troy  township,  De- 
cember 2,  1849.  Her  parents  were  natives 
of  Ohio  and  came  to  Indiana  before  mar- 
riage, she  being  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  (Melvin)  Scott.  James  Blain  in> 
proved  a  farm  from  the  woods.  The  widow 
is  still  living  on  the  farm  near  Mr.  Kiester's. 
James  Blain  died  March  28,  1902.  They 
had  twelve  children :  La  Fayette  and  John, 
deceased;  Mary  Ellen,  Ida  Ann,  now  Mrs. 
Iva  Grant,  of  Columbia  City;  Thomas,  Mi- 
nerva and  William,  deceased ;  Frances,  of 
Chicago;  Roxey,  living  with  her  mother; 
Miles,  deceased;  Melvin,  ex-county  treasur- 
er, living  in  Columbia  City;  Delia,  living  in 
Noble  county. 

Ten  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Kiester:  Perry  B.  and  wife,  Delia  (Grant) 
Kiester.  live  in  Troy  township  and  have 
seven  children,  Bessie,  Herbert,  Cecil,  Carl, 
Ralph,  Guy  and  De  Witt ;  Arminda,  wife  of 
Glenwood  Groves,  living  in  Troy  township, 
has  four  children,  Gail,  Pauline,  John  and 
Ella;  Levi,  with  his  wife,  Nora  (Bowlby) 
Kiester,  live  on  his  father's  farm  in  Troy 
township  and  are  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren, Blanch,  Homer  and  Jackson  Ambrose; 
James  married  Ethel  Hyer  and  lives  in  In- 
dian Territory ;  one  died  in  infancy ;  Maud, 
wife  of  William  Strauss,  lives  in  Columbia 
City;  Ella  Mary,  wife  of  Clarence  Malone, 
of  Columbia  City;  Chloe,  living  at  home; 
Flossie,  died  in  infancy;  and  Dwight  A. 

Mr.  Kiester  is  a  Democrat  and  member 
of  Hecla  Lodge,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows.  Mrs.  Kiester  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  The  family  have  many 
personal  friends  and  are  held  in  high  esteem 
by  all  with  whom  they  are  acquainted. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


653 


GEORGE  H.  HERRICK. 

George  H.  Herriek,  a  well  known  farmer 
of  Troy  township,  was  born  at  Scope  Island, 
Noble  county,  Indiana,  March  21,  1862,  and 
is  the  son  of  William  and  Mahala  (Jones) 
Herriek,  the  latter  born  in  Ohio  January  13, 
1817,  and  the  former  born  in  Canada,  June 
21,  1 810,  coming  to  the  United  States  when 
quite  small  and  growing  to  manhood  in  the 
state  of  New  York.  He  was  the  son  of 
John  Herriek,  who  died  previous  to  the 
birth  of  his  son.  William  learned  the  trade 
of  shoemaker  in  New  York,  where  he  worked 
several  years  and  conducted  an  extensive 
manufactory  and  store,  and  where  he  was 
married.  Five  children  were  the  result  of 
his  first  marriage  :  Harriet,  Emily,  Ella,  Wil- 
liam and  Jane ;  the  only  son,  William,  lost  his 
life  in  the  cause  of  his  country,  dying  of  star- 
vation in  a  rebel  prison.  The  father  removed 
from  New  York  to  Fort  Wayne,  where  his 
wife  died  and  where  he  married  Mahala 
Jones,  widow  of  James  Robinson,  and  to  this 
union  four  children  were  bom  :  James,  living 
at  Elkhart ;  Sarah,  living  in  Albion ;  John, 
deceased  in  infancy :  and  George  H.  The  par- 
ents lived  some  time  in  Fort  Wayne,  then  in 
the  state  of  Michigan,  finally  closing  their 
lives  at  Wolf  Lake.  Noble  county,  the  death 
of  the  husband  occurring  March  6,  1885, 
being  followed  by  that  of  the  wife  on  Sep- 
tember 2,  of  the  same  year.  Both  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Free  Will  Baptist  church,  highly 
respected  and  devotedly  religious.  Formerly 
a  Democrat  he  reared  his  first  family  in  that 
faith,  though  events  of  the  war  caused  him 
to  change  his  views  and  to  induce  his 
second  family  to  adhere  to  the  Republican 
party.   Her  children  by  the  former  marriage 


were:  Mary,  living  in  Decatur,  Illinois; 
Elizabeth,  living  in  Albion,  and  Eliza,  who 
died  in  childhood.  Both  families  were  reared 
together,  no  distinction  being  shown.  George 
H.  Herriek  grew  to  manhood  in  Noble 
county,  performing  important  duties  on  the 
farm,  except  for  some  nine  years  spent  in 
Michigan,  receiving  the  advantages  of  a  com- 
mon school  education.  May  7,  1881,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Alice  J.,  daughter  of 
Peter  J.  and  Lorinda  (Bodine)  Surfus,  who 
was  born  February  11,  1864,  near  Hunter- 
town,  Allen  county.  Peter  Surfus,  the  father 
of  Mrs.  Herriek.  was  born  in  Allen  county, 
son  of  William  and  Sophia  Surfus,  while 
the  mother  was  born  in  Fostoria,  Ohio.  They 
were  married  in  Allen  county,  Indiana,  spent 
four  years  in  Iowa,  then  moved  to  Noble 
county,  Indiana,  then  to  Williams  county, 
Ohio,  finally  in  later  years  returning  to  Noble 
county,  where  the  wife  died  December  20, 
1887,  aged  fifty-two  years,  eight  months 
and  one  day.  The  husband  still  lives  in 
Noble  county  in  the  enjoyment  of  good 
health.  He  was  a  farmer  and  widely  known 
as  a  saw  mill  and  threshing  machine  opera- 
tor. Thev  were  the  parents  of  six  children : 
Eventus  Leroy.  an  extensive  farmer  of  Noble 
county;  William  D.,  residing  at  Wolf  Lake. 
Noble  county;  Alice  J.:  Myrtle  M..  wife  of 
H.  M.  Edsall,  a  government  meat  inspector 
at  Washington  City;  Charles  Eugene  and 
Elizabeth  Irene,  twins  dying  in  infancy. 
Five  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Herriek:  Irene  May,  wife  of  Millard  Foster, 
a  rural  deliverer  living  in  Thorncreek  town- 
ship; Adelbert  P.,  married  to  Elizabeth 
Bates,  a  farmer  of  Union  township,  with  one 
child.  Alice  Lester:  Dollie  C,  wife  of  George 
LeRoy  Kenner,  of  Columbia  City ;  Georgia 


664 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


and  Hazel  Marie,  living  at  home.  Air.  Her- 
rick  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  his 
wife  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  The  family  is  highly  respected  and 
comfortably  situated.  After  marriage  Mr. 
Herrick  lived  in  Noble  county  till  1892.  came 
to  Union  township  and  after  various  changes 
secured  his  present  farm  in  1904.  This  farm 
is  six  miles  northwest  of  Columbia  City  and 
contains  seventy-five  acres,  to  which  he  de- 
votes his  business  life. 


HERBERT  B.  CLUGSTON. 

Herbert  B.  Clugston  was  born  Novem- 
ber 18,  1876,  at  Larwill,  \\rhitley  county, 
being  the  youngest  of  the  family  of  D.  B. 
Clugston,  of  whom  special  mention  is  found 
on  another  page.  In  his  twentieth  year  he 
became  a  partner  in  the  mercantile  house  of 
Clugston  Brothers  &  Co..  with  which  he 
has  since  been  identified.  In  his  business 
relations  he  has  achieved  signal  success  and 
as  a  representative  of  the  commercial  inter- 
ests of  the  city  is  ever  found  advocating  its 
progress  and  advancement. 

Clugston  Bros.  &  Co.,  more  extended 
mention  of  whom  is  found  elsewhere,  is  the 
largest  and  most  extensively  patronized 
mercantile  establishment  in  Columbia  City 
and  in  the  extent  of  business  done  and  stand- 
ing in  the  commercial  world  holds  priority 
over  many  houses  of  much  greater  preten- 
?i  ns  in  metropoltian  centers.  The  man- 
agers are  men  of  sagacity,  wide  experience 
ami  keen  insight,  alive  to  the  interests  of 
their  customers.  The  safe  and  conservative 
policy  which  they  have  heretofore  pursued 
affording:    unmistakable    assurance    of    the 


large  place  in  public  esteem  which  the  firm 
is  destined  to  hold  in  years  to  come. 

Mr.  Clugston  has  been  twice  married, 
the  first  time  to  Miss  Mabel  Carter,  whose 
death  occurred  in  less  than  a  year  there- 
after. September  3,  1906,  he  was  united 
with  Miss  Helen  Wunderlich.  Mr.  Clug- 
ston is  a  Mason  and  a  Knight  Templar. 


JOHN  HENRY  ZUMBRUN. 

John  Henry  Zumbrun.  who  is  widely 
known  as  a  practical  farmer  in  Thorncreek 
township,  was  born  in  Montgomery  county, 
Ohio,  March  17,  1851,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry 
and  Julia  (Kinsey)  Zumbrun.  Henry  Zum- 
brun was  born  in  Maryland  and  resided 
there  until  he  became  forty  years  of  age.  He 
then  located  in  Ohio  and  in  1854  removed  to 
Whitley  county,  where  he  bought  a  tract 
of  one  hundred  and  eig'hty  acres  of 
wild  land.  By  diligent  and  continuous  toil 
and  superior  management  he  reduced  the 
greater  part  of  his  land  to  tillage  and  today 
it  is  considered  one  of  the  finest  farms  in 
the  county.  Judia  Kinsey  was  the  daughter 
of  Christopher  Kinsey  and  was  bom  in 
Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  Zumbrun  had 
twelve  children:  Hannah,  deceased:  Jacob, 
who  died  in  the  arm}-;  Levi,  a  farmer  of 
Noble  count}- :  Lucinda,  deceased:  Daniel,  a 
farmer  residing  in  Smith  township :  Chris- 
topher, a  fanner  residing  in  Noble  county : 
Sabia,  widow  of  Frank  Smith,  a  resident  of 
Noble  county;  John  Henry;  Mary  Ann,  the 
wife  of  William  Brown,  a  resident  of  Smith 
township ;  Catherine,  the  widow  of  Charles 
Bower,  a  resident  of  Whitley  county ;  Eliza- 
beth,   wife   of   David   Miller,   of   Columbia 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


665 


township;  Sarah,  deceased.  Mr.  Zumbrun 
died  in  September,  1883,  and  his  wife  died 
in  June,  1891.  They  were  both  original 
members  of  the  Blue  River  German  Baptist 
church  and  were  liberal  contributors  to  the 
support  of  that  body. 

John  Henry  Zumbrun  was  reared  on  the 
home  farm  and  was  instructed  and  trained 
in  the  best  methods  of  agriculture.  His  ed- 
ucation was  received  in  the  common  schools 
and  he  remained  at  home  until  he  was  twen- 
ty-one years  of  age,  when  he  started  out  upon 
an  independent  business  career.  He  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  partly  improved  land 
in  Thorncreek  township,  which  he  has  de- 
veloped into  a  good  farm,  the  greater  part  of 
which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
besides  containing  many  substantial  im- 
provements in  the  way  of  buildings  and 
fences.  He  resided  at  this  place  for  six 
years,  when  he  removed  to  Cedar  county, 
Missouri,  and  lived  there  one  year.  He 
then  went  to  Jasper  county,  Missouri,  but 
lived  there  only  six  months,  when  he  came 
back  to  Noble  county,  Indiana,  and  rented 
a  farm  for  one  year.  Subsequently  he 
bought  a  farm  of  two  hundred  acres  in  Green 
township,  Noble  county,  and  there  lived  for 
six  or  seven  years,  when  he  disposed  of  same 
and  purchased  the  old  homestead  and  has 
lived  there'  ever  since  with  the  exception  of 
three  months  that  he  lived  in  the  state  of 
Washington.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  fine  land  ad- 
joining Cedar  Lake  and  everything  about 
his  farm  is  kept  up  in  first-class  condition. 
The  residence  was  built  by  his  father  in  1862 
and  the  barn  two  years  later,  the  improve- 
ments being  among  the  best  in  the  county  at 
that  time.     September  9,    1870,  Mr.  Zum- 


brun chose  a  life  companion  in  the  person 
of  Lucetta  Cramer,  a  native  of  Whitley 
county,  and  a  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah 
(Essick)  Cramer,  both  natives  of  Ohio.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Zumbrun  have  had  twelve  chil- 
dren :  Cora,  wife  of  Jesse  Yoder,  a  resi- 
dent of  Kendallville,  this  state,  and  the 
mother  of  four  children,  Lillie,  Voida,  Plen 
and  Nora;  Dora,  wife  of  Joseph  Smith,  a 
resident  of  Noble  county,  has  two  children. 
Vera  and  Vida ;  Elnora,  wife  of  Clem  Sul- 
livan, has  seven  children.  Caster,  Earl,  Le- 
land,  Mabel,  Edward,  Chloe  and  Benjamin ; 
Daniel,  who  married  Iva  Egolf.  has  four 
children,  Emmett,  Lottie,  Lilah  and  Dorthy : 
Edward,  at  home;  Sarah,  wife  of  Walter 
Trowbridge,  a  resident  of  Noble  county,  has 
three  children,  Gertrude,  Nora  and  Joseph; 
Saba,  wife  of  Evan  Coulter,  a  farmer  of 
Smith  township,  has  three  children,  Arthur, 
Herschel  and  Hazel ;  Henry,  at  home ;  Julia, 
wife  of  Roe  Miller;  and  Grace,  John  Victor 
and  Noah  A.,  who  are  still  at  home.  Mr. 
Zumbrun  is  a  Republican,  while  he  and  his 
entire  family  are  members  of  the  German 
Baptist  church  at  Blue  River.  This  family 
is  of  a  cordial,  social  nature,  delighting  in 
entertaining  their  friends,  in  return  enjoy- 
ing the  hospitality  of  many  of  the  best  homes 
of  the  locality  and  all  who  know  them  hold 
them  in  hisrh  esteem. 


JAMES  GARRISON. 

James  Garrison,  who  successfully  oper- 
ates a  highly  cultivated  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  forty  acres  in  Thorncreek  township,  was 
born  in  Richland  count}".  Ohio.  October  9, 


666 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


1831,  and  is  the  son  of  Card  and  Elizabeth 
(Davis)  Garrison,  both  natives  of  Cayuga 
county,  New  York.  The  paternal  grandfa- 
ther was  William  Garrison,  a  Vermont  yan- 
kee  who  located  in  Richland  county,  Ohio, 
soon  after  the  war  of  1812,  entering  land 
from  the  government  and  lived  there  during 
the  remainder  of  his  days.  After  his  death 
his  son  Card  took  the  farm  in  hand  and  by 
his  untiring  efforts  and  indefatigable  energy 
was  soon  able  to  pay  off  his  indebtedness. 
He  had  left  the  old  homestead  going  to 
Plymouth,  where  he  passed  away  June  5, 
1894,  his  wife  having  died  July  27,  1885. 
They  had  seven  children :  Martin  D.,  James, 
Mary  Ann.  Sarah  Ann,  Lyman,  Amos  and 
Orrin  Franklin.  His  old  homestead  is  now 
owned  by  his  grandson. 

James  Garrison  was  reared  on  his  fa- 
ther's farm  and  was  early  taught  to  be  hon- 
est, energetic  and  industrious.  Throughout 
his  entire  life  he  has  engaged  in  the  occupa- 
tion of  farming,  which  was  the  pursuit  to 
which  he  was  reared  and  concerning  which 
he  gained  practical  experience  in  his  youth. 
He  came  to  Whitley  county  in  1867  and  pur- 
chased his  present  fine  farm  and  has  lived 
there  all  his  life.  Mr.  Garrison's  farm  is 
finely  improved  with  excellent  buildings  and 
well  kept  fences  and  his  efforts  have  been 
rewarded  with  a  gratifying  degree  of  suc- 
cess. Mr.  Garrison  has  been  twice  married, 
first  to  Emma  Gingher,  a  native  of  Lancas- 
ter county,  Ohio,  by  whom  he  had  one  son, 
Lorenzo  B..  who  married  Addie  Robbins, 
and  resides  in  Lagrange  county.  Mrs.  Gar- 
rison died  Setpember  28,  1873,  and  Decem- 
ber 17,  1874,  Mr.  Garrison  married  Elmira 
(Carter)  Summer,  the  widow  of  Samuel 
Summer,   who  died  in    i860.     Elmira  Car- 


ter was  born  in  Logan  county,  Ohio,  July 
25,  1839,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Asahel  and 
Catherine  (Horn)  Carter,  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia, who  came  to  Smith  township,  Whitley 
county,  in  1843  and  purchased  from  the 
government  forty  acres  of  wild  land.  They 
at  first  moved  into  an  abandoned  school 
house,  but  later  built  a  log  house.  Mr.  Car- 
ter died  in  1851  and  his  wife  in  1877.  They 
were  members  of  the  Baptist  church.  They 
were  the  parents  of  six  children :  Elizabeth, 
Asa  H.,  Mandaville  O.,  Arthur  P.,  Cynthia, 
Elmira  and  Jesse  W.  Mrs.  Garrison  is  the 
sole  survivor  of  her  family,  as  her  husband 
is  of  the  Garrison  family.  They  have  one 
son,  Amos  C,  who  married  Bertha  May 
Walker,  and  operates  the  homestead.  They 
also  have  reared  from  childhood  a  niece  of 
Mrs.  Garrison,  who  still  remains  with  them. 
Mrs.  Garrison  has  one  son  by  the  former 
marriage,  William  Alonzo  Summer,  who 
owns  the  Summer  homestead  in  Smith  town- 
ship, where  his  parents'  married  life  was 
passed  and  is  a  rural  mail  carrier.  Mr.  Gar- 
rison enlisted  in  1864  in  Company  H,  One 
Hundred  and  Sixty-third  Ohio  Infantry,  but 
did  not  see  much  active  service.  His  com- 
pany was  in  the  state  guards,  but  was  sworn 
into  regimental  duty  and  they  were  known  as 
one-hundred-day  men.  He  is  a  Republican 
and  himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  church. 


WILLIAM   HENRY  BETZNER. 

William  Henry  Betzner.  a  prosperous- 
and  successful  farmer  of  Thorncreek  town- 
ship, was  born  in  Whitley  county  Noverri- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


66; 


ber  1 6,  1858,  and  is  the  son  of  Owen  and 
Catherine  (Pletcher)  Betzner.  His  grand- 
father was  John  Jacob  Betzner,  a  native  of 
Germany,  who  came  to  America  and  settled 
in  Pennsylvania,  but  later  removed  to  Ohio, 
subsequently  locating  in  Whitley  county, 
where  he  bought  a  fine  farm  and  also  owned 
and  operated  a  country  blacksmith  shop.  His 
death  occurred  in  this  county.  He  was  twice 
married  and  by  the  first  union  there  was 
one  child,  Owen.  The  mother  is  now  living 
in  Missouri.  Owen  was  a  mere  lad  when  he 
accompanied  his  father  to  Whitley  county. 
He  spent  his  boyhood  days  on  his  father's 
farm,  performing  his  full  share  in  the  labors 
of  the  field.  He  and  his  wife  were  the  par- 
ents of  five  children,  John  A.,  who  is  a 
farmer  of  Columbia  township;  Man-,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  two  years ;  Franklin,  who 
is  living  in  Montana;  Malissa,  who  is  the 
wife  of  Eli  Bolinger,  a  resident  of  Colum- 
bia township ;  and  William  Henry,  Owen 
Betzner  died  in  1872  and  his  widow  married 
John  Snyder.  The  father  having  died  when 
the  children  were  quite  young  the  responsi- 
bility of  supporting  and  educating  her  chil- 
dren devolved  upon  the  mother.  She  did 
everything  in  her  power  to  advance  their  in- 
terests and  had  reason  to  be  proud  of  them, 
while  they  in  turn  had  even-  reason  to  be 
grateful  to  her  for  the  sacrifices  which  she 
made  in  their  behalf.  She  and  her  husband 
now  live  near  Taylor  Station. 

With  the  aid  of  his  brother  John,  Wil- 
liam Henry  Betzner  successfully  operated 
the  home  farm.  In  1878  he  married  Lavina 
J.  Essig,  who  was  born  in  Whitley  county 
April  14,  1862,  the  daughter  of  George 
Washington  and  Polly  (Snyder)  Essig,  na- 
tives of  Ohio,  both  now  deceased.     Mr.  and 


Mrs.  Essig  had  eight  children,  Christ,, 
who  is  living  in  Arkansas ;  David  W.,  who- 
is  living  in  South  Whitley ;  Anna,  who  mar- 
ried Matthew  Smale,  a  resident  of  Califor- 
nia ;  Lavina  J. ;  Catherine,  wife  of  Samuel 
Prichard,  a  resident  of  Richland  township; 
Ida,  wife  of  James  Tantlinger,  a  resident  of 
Arkansas ;  Lyman,  who  is  living  in  Ne- 
braska, and  Melvin,  living  in  Arkansas. 
After  Mr.  Betzner's  marriage  he  worked 
by  the  day  for  a  year  and  a  half,  when 
he  and  his  brother  rented  the  old  home- 
stead, which  they  successfully  operated  for 
three  years.  He  then  bought  a  small  farm 
near  Columbia  City  and  during  the  time  of 
his  residence  there  worked  in  a  saw  mill, 
having  been  employed  by  the  Peabody  Saw 
Mill  Company  for  a  period  of  five  years. 
Subsequently  he  bought  the  old  Essig  farm 
of  eighty  acres  and  two  years  afterward, 
having  disposed  of  this,  he  purchased  his 
present  farm  of  one  hundred  acres,  nine 
miles  northeast  of  Columbia  City,  and  has 
lived  there  continuously  to  the  present  time. 
He  gives  much  time  and  attention  to  the  ro- 
tation of  crops,  his  farm  is  finely  improved 
with  excellent  buildings  and  well  kept  fences 
and  his  efforts  have  been  rewarded  with  a 
gratifving  degree  of  success.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Betzner  are  the  parents  of  twelve  children : 
Clarence,  who  married  Maggie  Aborn,  and 
is  a  mail  carrier  in  Columbia  City;  Myrtle, 
wife  of  Doc  Addis,  has  two  children,  Marie 
and  Robert  William;  William  Loyd,  who 
married  Nora  Monroe,  has  two  children, 
Constance  and  Russell ;  George,  who  married 
Lulu  Ward,  lives  in  Thorncreek  township; 
Nellie,  a  resident  of  Fort  Wayne,  who  mar- 
ried Merle  Pence,  has  one  son,  Vallorous; 
Ethel;   Hazel,   at  home;   Carl,   deceased  at 


668 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


nine  years;  Neva,  deceased  in  childhood; 
Ruth,  Gladys  and  Zella.  Air.  and  Mrs.  Betz- 
ner  are  members  of  the  St.  John's  United 
Brethren  church.  Mr.  Betzner  is  a  Demo- 
crat and  his  fraternal  relations  are  with  the 
Modern  Woodmen.  He  is  systematic  and 
up-to-date  in  his  methods  and  has  achieved 
a  distinctive  success  in  his  line. 


WILLIS  RHODES. 


Willis  Rhodes,  a  farmer  living  four  and 
one-half  miles  northeast  of  Columbia  City 
in  Thorncreek  township,  is  the  son  of  John 
J.  and  Phimela  (Parkason)  Rhodes,  and  was 
born  in  Thorncreek  township  May  15,  1865. 
John  J.  was  the  son  of  Jacob  Rhodes,  who 
came  from  Switzerland  to  America  in  1844 
and  settled  in  Licking  county,  Ohio.  John 
J.  was  ten  years  old  on  coming  to  America, 
moved  to  Whitley  county  in  i860  and 
bought  forty  acres  in  section  17.  now  a  part 
of  the  Milo  Lawrence  farm.  This  he  sold 
in  1862  and  bought  eigiity  acres  in  section 
36,  which  he  sold  the  same  year  and  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  in  section  2$,  where  he 
remained  to  the  end  of  his  life,  December 
30,  1899.  Jacob's  wife  died  in  Ohio,  after 
which  he  came  to  Indiana  and  resided  with 
his  son,  John  J.,  until  his  death  in  1869. 
Phimela  Parkason  was  born  in  Licking 
county,  Ohio,  in  1826,  and  died  August  12, 
1905.  She  and  her  husband  were  members 
of  the  Methodist  church  and  were  the  par- 
ents of  four  children :  James,  who  died  at 
fourteen;  Willis;  Ella,  wife  of  Charles 
Pence,  living  in  Thorncreek  township;  Ida, 
wife  of  Ivy  VanHouten,  living  in  Thorn- 
■creek  township. 


Willis  Rhodes  was  married  December 
30,  1889,  to  Ida  M.,  daughter  of  David  M. 
and  Mary  (Kinsey)  Waugh,  natives  of  Ohio, 
but  later  settled  in  Smith  township,  where 
Mrs.  Rhodes  was  born  in  1871.  After  mar- 
riage they  removed  to  the  eighty-acre  farm 
which  was  half  of  his  father's  homestead, 
where  they  now  reside.  He  has  erected  new 
buildings  and  has  about  sixty  acres  in  culti- 
vation. Some  thirty  acres  have  been  re- 
claimed by  drainage,  about  two  hundred  and 
fifty  rods  of  tile  being  already  laid.  This 
bottom  land  is  proving  very  valuable  and  at 
a  late  farmers'  institute  his  son,  Mark  W., 
carried  off  three  prizes  for  corn  which  was 
produced  on  some  of  it.  He  also  read  an 
essay  on  corn  culture  which  was  much  ad- 
mired. Mr.  Rhodes  and  wife  have  five  chil- 
dren :  Mark  W.,  Margery,  Mary,  Paul  and 
Louis.  By  industry  and  economy  they  are 
able  to  enjoy  the  products  of  a  good  farm, 
with  a  comfortable  house  of  eight  rooms  and 
other  improvements  to  correspond.  The 
family  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church. 
Mr.  Rhodes  is  a  Republican. 


WESLEY  RISER. 


The  history  of  this  family  presents  the 
characteristics  of  industry,  honesty  and  fru- 
gality, all  of  which  are  strongly  marked  in 
the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He  was  born 
near  Canton,  Ohio,  April  30.  185 1.  and  is 
the  son  of  Michael  and  Julia  (Malone) 
Kiser.  The  parents  moved  from  Pennsyl- 
vania to  Ohio  in  an  early  day,  and  in  185 1 
to  Jefferson  township,  Whitley  count}',  lo- 
cating on  the  farm  near  the  one  now  owned 
by  Mr.  Kiser.     To  them  were  born  thirteen 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


669 


children,  five  of  whom  are  still  living,  name- 
ly :  Elizabeth,  Wilson  S.,  Wesley,  Malinda 
and  Charlotte.  He  was  a  Democrat,  but 
never  held  office,  as  he  applied  himself 
closely  to  the  farm,  enjoying  the  work  and 
making  it  profitable.  He  passed  away  in 
1884  and  his  wife  followed  in  1887.  Wesley 
Kiser  was  married  in  1873  to  Frances  J., 
daughter  of  Andrew  and  Susan  (Day)  Tay- 
lor, who  came  from  Ohio  in  1853  and  settled 
in  Union  township,  Whitley  county.  They 
have  seven  children :  Cora,  still  at  home ; 
Albert,  a  resident  of  Jonesboro,  Indiana ; 
Flora  E.,  wife  of  Roy  Conner,  a  hardware 
merchant  at  Fort  Wayne;  Joseph,  a  farmer, 
married  Laura  Shoenauer;  Roy  F.,  deceased 
at  the  age  of  seventeen ;  Ora  and  Mattie. 

Mr.  Kiser  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land,  one  hundred  of  which  are 
cleared  and  drained  with  five  hundred  rods 
of  tile,  on  which  very  profitable  crops  of  all 
kinds  of  grain  are  grown.  The  major  part 
of  this  is  fed  to  Poland-China  hogs  and  Dur- 
ham cattle.  The  barn,  forty  by  eighty  feet, 
is  always  well  filled  with  the  best  of  feed, 
which  is  given  to  the  stock  with  skill  and 
system.  The  entire  farm  presents  every  evi- 
dence of  thrift  and  success,  and  Mr.  Kiser 
takes  just  pride  in  its  appearance.  He  is  a 
Democrat  and  the  family  enjoy  the  social 
and  religious  influences  of  the  Christian 
church. 


W.  S.  SMITH. 


W.  S.  Smith,  the  oldest  of  seven  children 
that  constituted  the  family  of  Oliver  and  Ma- 
linda (Berry)  Smith,  was  born  in  Whitley 
county,  Indiana,  September  9, 1858,  and  spent 


his  early  life  on  the  home  farm  in  Jefferson 
township.  (See  sketches  of  J.  W.  Smith 
and  Daniel  Berry.)  Being  the  eldest  son, 
much  of  the  labor  of  the  farm  fell  to  him, 
with  the  result  that  he  had  little  time  to  at- 
tend school.  Upon  reaching  legal  age  he 
engaged  in  farming,  which  calling  he  has 
since  continued,  his  position  at  the  present 
time  among  the  leading  agriculturists  of  his 
township  being  the  result  of  judicious  labor 
and  an  enterprising  spirit  that  hesitated  at 
no  difficulties,  however  numerous  and  for- 
midable. 

Mr.  Smith  has  been  fortunate  in  his  en- 
terprises, his  farm  of  two  hundred  acres  be- 
ing one  of  the  best  improved  and  most  pro- 
ductive in  the  township.  His  place,  which 
is  locally  known  as  the  Nind  farm,  is  a  kind 
of  landmark,  as  it  was  one  of  the  first  set- 
tled in  Jefferson  township.  A  pioneer  by 
the  name  of  Nind  purchased  the  land  from 
the  government  in  an  early  day  and  moved 
to  the  same  when  the  country  was  almost  a 
wilderness.  Under  Mr.  Smith's  excellent 
management  the  farm  has  been  brought  to 
a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  in  addition  to 
substantial  buildings  and  other  improve- 
ments it  contains  nearly  a  thousand  rods  of 
tile,  which  affords  ample  drainage.  In  con- 
nection with  the  crops  of  grain  and  vegeta- 
bles usually  grown  in  this  part  of  the  state, 
he  gives  much  attention  to  live  stock,  meet- 
ing with  encouraging  success  in  this  branch 
of  farming,  especially  in  the  raising  of  fine 
hogs  and  sheep,  the  latter  being  the  Shrop- 
shire breed  and  noted  for  their  value  as 
wool  producers. 

In  1887  Mr.  Smith  married  Miss  Em- 
manuella,  daughter  of  J.  S.  Merriman,  of 
Washington  township  (see  sketch  of  J.   S. 


670 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Merriman),  and  has  six  children:  Mamie, 
Paris,  Rhoda,  Agnes,  Levi  and  Nellie.  Mr. 
Smith's  wife  died  April  22,   1906. 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  Republican,  member  of 
the  Christian  church  and  fraternally  is  iden- 
tified with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America  of  Dunfee,  in  which  organi- 
zation he  carries  a  liberal  insurance  pol- 
icy. In  the  prosecution  of  his  various 
interests  he  has  exercised  good  business  abil- 
ity, his  reputation  as  a  thoroughly  honorable 
and  conscientious  man  has  never  been  im- 
peached and  his  integrity  and  honesty  as  a 
neighbor  and  citizen  have  ever  been  above 
reproach.  Not  only  has  he  been  successful 
in  his  acquisition  of  worldly  wealth,  but  he 
has  manifested  a  commendable  purpose  in 
its  use.  Every  movement  of  public  interest 
or  benevolent  enterprise  finds  in  him  a  friend 
and  advocate,  and  to  the  extent  of  his  ability 
he  has  contributed  liberally  to  the  material 
and  moral  advancement  of  his  township. 


I.   R.  CONNER. 


Thornton  Conner,  father  of  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  1827  in  Wash- 
ington county,  Pennsylvania,  and  by  occupa- 
tion was  a  cabinet  maker.  In  early  life  he 
went  to  Waynesburg,  Ohio,  where  he  fol- 
lowed his  trade  until  1853  when  he  migrated 
to  Linton  county,  Iowa,  where  he  remained 
during  the  ensuing  seven  years,  removing 
at  the  expiration  of  that  term  to  Hunting- 
ton county,  Indiana,  and  locating  at  the  town 
of  Roanoke.  In  1862  he  transferred  his  resi- 
dence to  Whitley  county,  where  he  followed 
farming  until  1864,  when  he  moved  to  Lake- 


ton,  in  Wabash  county,  and  engaged  in  the 
business  of  tanning,  which  he  continued  un- 
til his  death  a  short  time  afterward.  A  lit- 
tle later  the  family  returned  to  Roanoke  and 
after  a  brief  residence  in  that  place  removed 
to  Jefferson  township,  Whitley  county.  The 
maiden  name  of  Mrs.  Thornton  Conner  was 
Sarah  Roberts. 

I.  R.  Conner  was  born  May  10,  1850,  in 
Stark  county,  Ohio,  and  accompanied  his 
parents  to  their  various  places  of  residence 
in  the  states  of  Iowa  and  Indiana  as  de- 
scribed in  the  preceding  paragraph.  He  en- 
joyed the  advantages  of  a  common  school 
education  and  since  his  fourteenth  year  has 
been  a  resident  of  Whitley  county,  devoting 
his  time  and  energies  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits. He  owns  a  fine  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty-nine  acres  in  Jefferson  township, 
one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  being  in  culti- 
vation. Mr.  Conner  holds  high  rank  among 
the  leading  agriculturists  and  stock-raisers 
of  Whitley  county,  and  his  career  presents 
a  series  of  successes  such  as  few  of  his  fel- 
low citizens  have  attained.  While  exten- 
sively engaged  in  general  fanning  it  is  as 
a  stockman  that  his  chief  reputation  has  been 
gained,  being  a  successful  breeder  and  raiser 
of  fine  blooded  cattle  and  high  grade  hogs, 
making  specialties  of  the  Duroc.  Poland- 
China  and  Jersey  breeds,  from  the  sale  of 
which  he  realizes  handsome  profits. 

In  January,  1874,  Mr.  Conner  married 
Miss  Mary  E.,  daughter  of  James  and  Mar- 
garet (Tyner)  Broxon,  of  Logansport.  The 
father  for  many  years  was  a  blacksmith  of 
that  citv  and  a  well  known  resident  of  Cass 
county.  Tn  1856,  he  came  to  Whitley  coun- 
ty, where  he  remained  until  his  death.  Five 
children  have  been  born  of  this  union  :  James, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


671 


formerly  a  teacher  in  Whitley  county,  now 
in  the  mail  service;  Virgil  assists  in  operating 
the  farm ;  Ida  May,  who  is  proficient  in  mu- 
sic, is  prosecuting  her  studies  under  compe- 
tent instructors ;  Chester  and  Zelda  are  stu- 
dents in  the  public  schools. 

Mr.  Conner  has  always  been  interested 
in  the  general  welfare  and  taken  an  active 
part  in  inaugurating  and  promoting  public 
enterprises.  He  is  a  Republican,  an  uncom- 
promising advocate  of  law  and  order  and 
as  a  member  of  the  Christian  church 
his  life  has  been  a  potent  factor  for 
good  in  the  community.  He  is  likewise 
a  self-made  man,  having  realized  all  he  owns 
by  Yliligent  and  persevering  toil  and  that  his 
interests  have  been  conducted  judiciously  is 
demonstrated  by  the  ample  competence  he 
now  enjoys. 


THOMAS  D.  WATSON. 

Thomas  D.  Watson  was  born  in  Whit- 
ley county,  Indiana,  September  8,  1855,  on 
a  farm  in  Jefferson  township  adjoining  the 
beautiful  and  attractive  home  where  he  now 
resides.  Paternally  he  is  a  Scotch-Irish 
descendant  and  on  the  mother's  side  comes 
of  German  ancestry.  His  great-grandfather, 
James  Watson,  was  born  in  Ireland,  but  in 
early  life  came  to  the  United  States,  settling 
in  Maryland,  where  he  reared  a  family,  in- 
cluding a  son,  Thomas,  whose  birth  occurred 
in  that  state.  When  a  young  man  Thomas 
Watson  went  with  his  parents  to  Ohio  and 
settled  near  Columbus,  removing  to  Fair- 
field county,  where  he  became  a  successful 
farmer,  his  ancestors  for  many  generations 


having  been  tillers  of  the  soil  and  people  of 
high  social  standing  and  sterling  worth.  He 
died  in  his  adopted  state  a  number  of  years 
ago,  leaving  several  children,  one  of  whom 
was  Eli  Watson,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
Walnut  township,  Fairfield  county,  January 
14,  1826.  Eli  Watson  was  reared  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits  in  his  native  county  and  in 
his  young  manhood  married  Amanda  M. 
Hare,  whose  people  came  originally  from 
Germany  and  were  among  the  pioneer  set- 
tlers of  Ohio.  About  1855  he  transferred  his 
residence  to  Indiana  and  from  that  time  until 
his  death,  April  15,  1899,  was  a  leading 
farmer  and  honored  citizen  of  Whitley  coun- 
ty, owning  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
fine  land  in  Jefferson  township,  the  greater 
part  of  which  he  cleared  and  otherwise  im- 
proved. He  was  a  man  of  liberal  ideas,  suc- 
cessful in  all  his  undertakings  and  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  wielded  a  strong  influence  in  po- 
litical circles,  first  as  a  Whig  and  later  as  a 
Republican.  He  was  also  active  and  influ- 
ential in  religious  matters,  belonging  to  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  the  local  congre- 
gation with  which  he  was  identified  profiting 
largely  by  his  liberal  contributions.  Mrs. 
Watson  is  still  living,  making  her  home  in 
Fort  Wayne.  Eli  and  Amanda  Watson  had 
four  children,  Thomas  D.  being  the  oldest; 
Newton,  the  second  in  order  of  birth,  lives 
on  the  old  homestead  in  Jefferson  township : 
Jacob  B.  died  at  the  age  of  twenty  years,  and 
William  departed  this  life  shortly  after  at- 
taining his  majority. 

Thomas  D.  Watson,  besides  attending 
the  district  schools,  took  a  two  years1  course 
in  the  United  Brethren  College  at  Roanoke. 
Indiana,  following  which  h<*  spent  two  years 
in  the  college  of  Fort  Wavne.     He  then  en- 


672 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


gaged  in  teaching,  which  profession  he  fol- 
lowed five  years  in  the  counties  of  Allen  and 
Whitley,  his  work  in  the  latter  being  con- 
fined to  Union  township,  where  he  taught 
several  terms  and  earned  an  honorable  repu- 
tation as  a  capable  and  popular  educator. 
Meantime  he  became  a  tiller  of  the  soil  and 
after  quitting  the  schoolroom  devoted  his  en- 
tire attention  to  agriculture,  which  he  has 
since  followed  with  profitable  results,  being 
the  possessor  of  a  valuable  farm  in  Jeffer- 
son township,  which  is  well  improved. 

Mr.  Watson  cleared  all  of  his  land  and 
for  several  years  lived  in  a  small  frame  house 
which  stood  on  a  site  occupied  by  the  present 
commodious  modern  dwelling  which  was 
erected  in  1906.  He  also  has  a  fine  barn 
forty  by  sixty  feet  in  dimensions,  admirably 
adapted  to  the  uses  for  which  designed,  be- 
sides other  buildings  and  the  various  im- 
provements usually  found  on  first-class  es- 
tates. Mr.  Watson  has  a  reputation  as  a 
raiser  of  good  stock,  his  Poland-China  and 
other  grades  of  swine  being  among  the  best 
of  the  kind  in  his  section  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Watson  is  a  Republican  and  keeps 
in  close  touch  with  party  interests  as  well 
as  the  leading  public  questions  of  the  day- 
He  served  twelve  consecutive  years  as  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  of  Jefferson  township  and 
made  a  creditable  record  for  efficiency,  but 
few  of  his  decisions  meeting  with  reversal  in 
the  higher  tribunals.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  having 
joined  Forest  Lodge,  No.  546,  June  15, 
1887. 

In  1880  he  married  Lucy  J.  Taylor, 
whose  parents,  Andrew  and  Susan  (Day) 
Taylor,  natives  of  Ohio,  came  to  Whitley 
county  in  the  fall  of  1854  and  here  passed 


the  remainder  of  their  lives.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Watson  have  three  children :  Stella  May, 
at  home ;  Jeannette  Maude,  a  teacher  in  the 
public  schools,  now  pursuing  her  studies  at 
the  normal  school  at  Angola ;  and  Jacob  B., 
who  is  still  a  member  of  the  home  circle. 
Mr.  Watson,  has  been  prominent  in  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  a  member 
of  the  grand  lodge  and  has  passed  through 
all  the  chairs.  He  is  also  a  charter  mem- 
ber of  lodge  No.  765  at  Dun  fee,  Indiana. 


ABRAHAM  ELDER. 

1 

Not  many  men  now  living  in  Whitley 
county  date  their  arrival  so  far  back  in  the 
pioneer   period  as  the  well   known   retired 
farmer,  popularly  known  as  "Abe"  Elder. 
His  life  has  been  a  busy  one  and  so  much 
a  part  and  parcel  of  Troy  township  that  his 
name  is  indissolubly  linked  with   its  early 
settlement     and     subsequent     development. 
The  family  records  show  that  the  emigrant 
ancestor  was  John  Elder,  a  Scotch-Irishman, 
who  crossed  the  ocean  to  take  part  in  the 
Revolutionary    war,    serving    to    the    end, 
when  he  came  from  Pennsylvania  and  set- 
tled in  Ohio.     He  was  recognized  not  only 
as  a  brave  soldier  but  a  cultured  old-school 
gentleman,  and  one  who  stood  high  in  Ma- 
sonry,   having    attained    the    thirty-second 
degree.     With    the    Revolutionary    soldier 
was  a  son  named  after  the  great  hero  of  the 
war  and  the  first  President  of  the  Republic, 
George    Washington    Elder.     He    married 
Sarah  Rine,  sister  of  Joel  Rine,  mentioned 
below  as  an  early  settler  of  Troy  township. 
In    18^8  he  came  to   Whitlev  count y,   and 


i&r^fidbLm      ^JleUK_. 


Jf»>y  A    £Mk 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


673 


bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
wooded  land,  and  began  the  task  of  his  life 
to  convert  this  wilderness  into  a  habitable 
home. 

Samuel  Hartsough,  a  brother-in-law  oi 
George  W.  Elder,  who  arrived  in  1836,  and 
Joel  Rine,  who  came  in  1837,  were  his  near- 
est neighbors,  the  former  three  miles  east 
and  the  latter  one  mile  west  of  the  Elder 
farm,  and  who,  with  himself,  were  the  first 
to  locate  in  that  part  of  Troy  township. 
He  at  first  built  a  small  log  cabin  in  which 
they  lived  until  he  could  secure  more  help 
to  erect  a  pretentious  hewed-log  house, 
which  was  subsequently  replaced  by  a  frame 
house  in  which  George  W.  Elder  died  in 
1857,  his  wife  surviving  him  only  a  few 
years.  Of  their  ten  children,  eight  reached 
maturity  and  but  two  are  living  in  1907. 
One  of  these  is  Samuel  Elder,  who  left  Whit- 
ley county  thirty  years  ago  and  now  is  a 
resident  of  Perry  count}',  Arkansas. 

Abraham  Elder,  the  only  survivor  of  the 
old  stock  now  living  in  Whitley  county, 
was  born  in  Seneca  county,  Ohio,  August 
11,  1834,  and  hence  was  but  four  years  old 
when  his  father  came  to  Indiana.  On  No- 
vember 29,  1855,  he  married  Mary  Ann, 
daughter  of  Henry  Harpster,  of  Troy  town- 
ship. The  latter  had  come  to  enter  his  land 
as  early  as  1833,  but  did  not  settle  on  it  for 
some  years  thereafter.  Mrs.  Elder's  mother 
had  died  when  she  was  young  and  she  made 
her  home  with  her  maternal  grandmother  in 
Medina  county,  Ohio.  At  the  age  of  four- 
teen she  joined  her  father  in  Whitley  coun- 
ty, and  was  his  housekeeper  until  her  own 
marriage  at  eighteen,  after  which  her  father 
lived  with  her.  In  1865  Abraham  Elder 
began  to  buy  land,  his  first  purchase  being 

43 


part  of  the  tract  settled  by  his  uncle,  Joel 
Rine,  and  the  remainder  was  secured  by 
Henry  Harpster.  In  this  way  Abraham 
Elder  became  by  purchase  the  owner  of  two 
hundred  and  ten  acres  of  land  and  his  wife 
has  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  acres,  being 
her  father's  homestead.  This  united  tract  of 
three  hundred  and  forty-five  acres  was  long 
managed  by  Mr.  Elder,  who  cleared  and 
greatly  improved  the  greater  part  of  it,  mak- 
ing it  a  valuable  farm.  What  was  known 
as  the  "Elder  Ditch,"  which  led  to  endless 
controversy,  was  finally  put  through  by  him, 
but  not  without  a  long  and  costly  litigation 
with  owners  of  land  below  in  Kosciusko 
county.  The  completion  of  the  ditch  en- 
abled him  by  thorough  drainage  to  put  many 
acres  into  cultivation,  which  previously  were 
of  little  value.  He  also  did  much  tile  drain- 
ing, amounting  in  all  to  about  five  hundred 
rods.  In  1875  he  built  a  fine  residence,  and 
through  many  other  improvements  made  it 
one  of  the  banner  farms  of  Troy  township. 
In  1895  he  rented  his  farm  to  retire  from 
active  business,  and  took  up  his  residence  in 
Columbia  City,  where  he  has  invested  in 
several  pieces  of  property,  some  having  beerr 
sold  on  the  monthly  payment  plan.  Mr. 
Elder  is  a  Democrat  and  was  long  connected 
actively  with  party  affairs,  often  being  a  del- 
egate to  conventions,  and  holding  offices  of 
trust,  being  justice  of  the  peace  for  four 
years.  For  four  years  also  he  was  trustee 
of  Troy  township,  and  made  his  administra- 
tion notable  for  public  improvement.  He 
built  the  first  steel  bridge  in  the  township, 
which  was  soon  followed  by  others  of  this 
pattern,  and  he  inaugurated  the  system  of 
gravel  roads,  which  have  proved  of  inesti- 
mable  benefit   to    the   township.     Mr.    and 


674 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Mrs.  Elder  have  two  children,  of  whom 
Henry,  the  eldest,  died  in  infancy.  Delbert 
married  Winona  Noble,  and  has  three  chil- 
dren. Ralph.  Esther  and  Teddy.  He  is  the 
manager  of  his  mother's  farm  in  Troy  town- 
ship. 

Mr.  Elder's  religious  views  are  in  har- 
mony with  the  teaching  of  the  Presbyterian 
faith,  while  Mrs.  Elder's  affiliation  has  been 
w  ith  the  Methodists. 


(,! ■;(  IRGE  F.   KISLER. 

George  F.  Kisler,  a  prosperous  and  well 
known  fanner  of  Troy  township,  was 
born  February  5.  1836,  in  Delaware  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  and  is  the  son  of  John  and 
Susana  (Robins)  Kisler.  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  Ohio,  respectively.  The 
father  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  He 
settled  in  the  early  pioneer  days  as  a  farmer. 
but  in  [853  removed  to  Etna  township. 
\Vhitle\  county,  purchasing  native  forest 
land  which  he  improved,  making  his  home 
there  until  hi-  death  aboul  [866,  the  death 
of  the  mother  occurring  when  George  F.  was 
a  lad  of  six.  I  lis  stepmother.  Polly  Toy, 
survived  her  husband  several  years.  Six 
children  were  hom  to  the  mother  of  ( ieorge, 
who    was    a    second    wife:       Elizabeth,    de- 

d;  Diana,  widow   of  Reuben   Bennett, 
and    living    in    Etna    township;     Sallie.    de- 
li  <  ieorge    I.,     \lmira    and    Mai  v .    de 
d.    Two  b)  the  second  marriage  were: 
Silas  and   Mary.     Of  all  these   Diana,   Elias 
and  George  survive. 

■    I  .  was  aboul  seventeen  years  of 
father     located     in    Whitley 


county.  He  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  and  traind  to  agriculture.  In  1867 
he  secured  his  present  farm  of  one  hundred 
acres,  which  he  has  improved,  it  now  being 
well  fenced,  thoroughly  drained  and  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation,  equipped  with 
an  elegant  eight-room  brick  house  and  com- 
modious barn  and  other  small  buildings  to 
round  up  and  complete  the  arrangement  and 
conveniences  of  a  very  desirable  and  produc- 
tive  farm. 

February  4.  185S.  he  was  married  to 
Julia  A.  Shoemaker,  horn  in  Delaware  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  November  24.  1834,  and  the  daugh- 
ter of  Jonathan  and  Elizabeth  (Jenkins) 
Shoemaker,  from  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia, 
respectively,  who  came  to  Indiana  in  1844. 
settling  in  the  native  forest  of  Troy  town- 
ship, where  they  remained  until  they  depart- 
ed this  life,  the  death  of  the  mother  occur- 
ring in  1892  and  being  followed  by  that  of 
the  father  in  [894.  To  them  nine  children 
were  born:  Daniel,  deceased  at  sixty-five; 
Samuel  died  when  a  young  man;  Julia  A.; 
Linton  died  as  the  result  of  army  service; 
Starling  died  "n  childhood;  Edwin;  Almira. 
living  in  Stark  county:  Alvira.  living  in  Co- 
lumbia City;  Sophia,  living  in  Stark  county; 
Clinton  and  Linton  were  twins,  as  were  also 
Almira  and  Elvira.  Five  children  were  born 
to  (  reorge  F.  Kisler  and  wife.  John  L..  who 
owns  the  old  Shoemaker  homestead,  married 
Frances  O'Dell  Elliott  and  has  four  chil- 
dren :  1 1  any.  Beatrice,  Scotland  and  Bernice; 
Anna  Dell,  wife  of  Samuel  Western,  living 
in  Columbia  City,  has  six  children.  Walter 
E.,  Thelma,  Asher,  Shelton  and  Shirly. 
twins,  and  Velma.  Nellie,  wife  of  Clarence 
Nelson,  lives  in  Garrett,  Indiana,  and  has 
five  children,  Alpha,  Dale.  Guy  E.,  Julia  C. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


675 


and  Burr.  Jonathan  and  Walter  died  in 
childhood.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kisler  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He 
is  a  Republican,  but  has  not  sought  public 
office. 


DANIEL  BERRY, 


This  venerable  citizen,  one  of  the  oldest 
residents  of  Whitley  county,  as  well  as  one 
of  the  most  highly  esteemed,  was  born  in 
Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  18 16,  the  year 
the  state  was  admitted  to  the  Union.  Ac- 
cordingly his  life  and  the  history  of  the 
commonwealth  have  been  contemporaneous, 
ninety-one  years  having  dissolved  in  the 
mists  of  the  past  since  the  day  of  his  birth, 
a  period  characterized  by  marvelous  events, 
phenomenal  discoveries  along  every  avenue 
of  human  progress  and  fraught  with  greater 
achievements  and  more  wonderful  possibili- 
ties in  every  sphere  of  endeavor  than  any 
like  period  of  time  in  history.  Mr.  Berry 
has  lived  to  see  his  native  domain  grow  from 
a  sparsely  settled,  undeveloped  western  wiL- 
derness'to'  its  present  proud  position  among 
the  sisters  of  the  American  Union  and  not 
merely  as  a  spectator  but  as  a  participant  he 
has  contributed  to  bring  about  the  splendid 
results  that  now  give  especial  prestige  and 
prominence  to  Indiana  as  a  state.  Joseph 
and  Sarah  (Shaffer)  Berry,  parents  of  the" 
subject,  were  Virginians,  but  at  an  early  pe- 
riod joined  the  tide  of  emigration  westward. 
About  1812  or  1813  they  settled  in  Wayne 
county,  Indiana,  of  which  they  were  among 
the  first  pioneers.  Joseph  Berry  secured 
land  near  Richmond,  which  he  cleared  and 
converted  into  a  farm,  and  there  he  reared 


his  family  of  twelve  children  and  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  Some  time  after 
his  death  his  widow  went  to  live  with  a 
daughter  in  the  state  of  Michigan,  where  she 
spent  her  closing  years,  departing  this  life 
at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-six  in  1896. 
Of  the  large  family  that  once  gathered 
around  the  hearthstone  of  the  estimable  cou- 
ple, only  three  remain  to  tell  the  story  of 
their  struggles  and  trials. 

Daniel  Berry  was  reared  in  his  native 
county  until  four  years  of  age,  when  his  fa- 
ther moved  to  Ohio,  where  he  remained  un- 
til 1849,  when  he  came  to  Whitley  county. 
Being  the  oldest  of  the  children,  much  re- 
sponsibility fell  to  him  as  soon  as  he  was 
old  enough  to  labor  to  advantage,  and  from 
early  youth  until  grown  he  assisted  his  fa- 
ther with  the  work  of  the  farm  and  contrib- 
uted to  the  family's  support.  He  remained 
in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  until  1849,  when, 
thinking  to  better  his  financial  condition  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  state  of  Indiana, 
where  land  was  cheap  and  easily  obtained, 
he  disposed  of  his  interests  there  and  moved 
to  Whitley  county.  Locating  in  Jefferson 
township,  he  purchased  land  on  which  he 
erected  a  small  log  cabin  and  at  once  ad- 
dressed himself  to  the  formidable  task  of 
removing  the  forest  and  developing  a  farm. 
In  due  time  he  succeeded  in  reducing  the 
greater  part  of  his  land  to  cultivation,  re- 
placed the  backwoods  cabin  by  a  more  com- 
fortable and  pretentious  farm  edifice  and 
in  the  course  of  years  forged  to  the  front 
among  the  leading  farmers  of  his  township, 
which  standing  he  retained  until  advancing 
age  obliged  him  to  forego  further  active 
labor  and  spend  the  remainder  of  his  days 
in  retirement.     Mr.  Berrv  has  devoted  his 


6/6 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


life  to  the  pursuit  of  agriculture  and  though 
never  ambitious  to  acquire  wealth  he  has 
lived  and  been  prosperous,  owning  a  finely 
improved  farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty 
acres,  the  proceeds  of  which  long  ago  placed 
him  in  independent  circumstances  and  on 
which  he  is  now  gently  passing  down  life's 
incline  surrounded  by  an  abundance  of  ma- 
terial blessings  to  render  the  rest  of  the  jour- 
ney comfortable  and  free  from  care. 

In  1837  Mr.  Berry  was  married  in  Pre- 
ble county,  Ohio,  to  Esther,  daughter  of 
James  and  Sallie  (Cromm)  Hasty,  natives  of 
Kentucky,  subsequently  removing  to  Ohio 
and  from  the  latter  state  to  Whitley  county, 
Indiana,  during  the  pioneer  period,  where 
the  family  became  widely  and  favorably 
known.  Mr.  Berry's  first  wife  died  about 
1886  and  in  1889  he  married  Mrs.  Malinda 
Snyder,  widow  of  William  Snyder.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  (Esther)  Berry  had  twelve  chil- 
dren :  Malinda,  wife  of  Oliver  Smith  (see 
sketch) ;  Sarah,  deceased  wife  of  James  Tay- 
lor ;  Martin,  deceased ;  Enos,  who  married 
Bertha  Robinett,  manages  the  home  farm; 
Emma,  widow  of  Lewis  Gerome;  Jacob  H., 
a  resident  of  Fort  Wayne ;  Lizzie,  deceased, 
and  the  others  died  in  infancy. 

Originally  Mr.  Berry  was  a  Whig,  but 
when  that  old  party  had  fulfilled  its  mis- 
sion and  ceased  to  exist  he  became  a  Repub- 
lican and  as  such  has  voted  his  principles 
and  defended  his  opinions  to  the  present 
time.  He  has  always  been  public-spirited 
and  in  local  affairs  has  taken  a  leading  part, 
having  ever  been  foremost  in  inaugurating 
and  carrying  to  completion  enterprises  that 
made  for  the  material  development  of  the 
community,  while  all  measures  for  the  moral 
welfare    of    his    fellowmen    have    found    in 


him  a  warm  friend  and  liberal  patron,. 
When  a  young  man  he  united  with  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  and  began  the  sincere 
and  earnest  Christian  life  which  he  has  since 
led  and  which  during  the  sixty-five  years 
of  his  church  relationship  has  not  only  been 
above  reproach  but  an  inspiration  to  those 
with  whom  he  has  mingled.  In  1850,  as- 
sisted by  his  good  wife,  who  was  also  a  de- 
vout Christian,  he  organized  the  first  Meth- 
odist class  in  Jefferson  township  and  for  a 
period  of  thirty  years  was  an  efficient  and 
faithful  leader.  Indeed,  he  has  been  very  ac- 
tive in  all  spheres  of  religious  work,  ,having 
filled  every  office  within  the  gift  of  the  local 
congregation  to  which  he  belongs.  His  be- 
nevolences, however,  have  by  no  means  been 
bounded  by  denominational  lines,  his  hands 
having  ever  been  open  to  the  deserving  poor 
and  his  means  liberally  expended  in  behalf 
of  worthy  objects  and  enterprises. 

Mr.  Berry,  as  already  stated,  is  the  oldest 
resident  of  Jefferson  township  and  his  popu- 
larity as  a  neighbor  and  citizen  is  only  lim- 
ited by  the  lines  beyond  which  his  name  is 
unknown.  He  has  lived  a  useful  life, 
fraught  with  much  good  to  his  friends  and 
to  the  world  and  having  been  a  blessing  to 
all  who  come  within  the  sphere  of  his  influ- 
ence. It  is  needless  to  state  that  the  future 
awaits  him  with  great  and  bounteous 
rewards. 


JOHN  UMMEL. 


John  Ummel  was  born  in  Whitley  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  February  28,  1858,  and  is  the 
son  of  David  and  Rosanna  (Gross)  Ummel, 
natives  of  Germanv,  who  came  to  this  coun- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


6/7 


try  and  located  first  in  Pennsylvania,  then 
in  Ohio  and  in  1850  came  to  Indiana,  settling 
on  the  farm  now  owned  by  their  son.  They 
built  a  cabin  and  improved  the  place,  living 
happily  many  years,  the  husband  passing 
away  in  1870.  Twelve  children  were  born 
to  them,  five  of  whom  are  still  living,  name- 
ly:  Mary,  John,  Lucinda,  H.  H.,  of  Pea- 
bcdy.  and  Lavina.  There  are  fifty-seven 
acres  in  the  home  farm,  forty-five  of  which 
are  well  fenced,  drained  with  four  hundred 
rods  of  tile  and  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation, 
the  balance  in  pasture  and  woodland.  There 
is  a  good  house  and  barn  and  other  conve- 
nient buildings,  making  a  very  comfortable 
home.  The  substantial  improvements  were 
made  by  John  Ummel,  present  owner  of  the 
place.  He  was  married  in  1882  to  Abbie, 
daughter  of  William  and  Sarah  (Snyder) 
Bordner,  who  came  from  Ohio  to  Indiana 
about  1866,  engaging  in  farming  in  Colum- 
bia   township. 

To  this  union  two  children  were  born  : 
Desta,  married  to  Frank  Kneller.  a -farmer 
of  Cleveland  township,  and  Homer  J.,  still 
living  at  home.  Mr.  Ummel  is  a  Democrat, 
and  in  religious  matters  a  zealous  and  liberal 
supporter  of  the  Lutheran  church.  The  fam- 
ily is  industrious  and  well  respected. 


JOSHUA  N.  ANDERSON. 

Joshua  N.  Anderson,  a  very  respecta- 
ble and  well  known  farmer  living  in  Troy 
township,  was  born  in  Westmoreland  coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  March  15,  1834,  and 
is  the  son  of  Benjamin  and  Catherine 
(Weigle)  Anderson,  both  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania,   from   which    state   they    removed 


to  Wayne  county,  Ohio,  about  1846,  where 
thej'  located  on  a  farm  and  engaged  in 
agriculture,  remaining  there  to  the  close 
of  their  lives.  They  were  industrious  and 
economical  and  soon  enjoyed  all  the  com- 
forts of  rural  life.  They  were  devoted  mem- 
bers of  he  Free  Will  Baptist  church,  giving 
it  liberal  support.  The  death  of  the  hus- 
band occurred  in  1863,  and  that  of  his  wife 
in  1892,  aged  eighty-four.  Thirteen  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them :  Joseph  and  Jacob, 
deceased  ;  Joshua  N. ;  James,  David  and  Wil- 
liam, deceased;  Elizabeth,  Caleb,  Eliza,  Mar- 
garet, Frank,  Alice,  Winfield  Scott,  de- 
ceased. 

Joshua  N.  Anderson  was  nine  years  of 
age  when  his  parents  moved  to  Wayne  coun- 
tv,  Ohio,  and  he  continued  to  live  there  till 
1884.  when  he  came  to  Troy  township,  Whit- 
lev  county,  of  which  he  is  still  a  resident. 
He  has  been  a  lifelong  farmer  and  at  present 
is  the  owner  of  a  farm  of  forty  acres,  well 
improved  and  comfortable  with  convenient 
buildings.  October  30,  1856.  he  was  married 
to  Drusilla  J.,  daughter  of  James  and  Eliza 
(Stoner)  Young,  and  born  in  Ashland  coun- 
ty, Ohio.  May  27,  1838.  Her  father  was 
born  in  Virginia,  and  the  mother  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, both  coming  with  their  parents,  when 
quite  young,  to  Ashland  county,  where  they 
were  married  and  spent  their  lives.  They 
were  faithful  members  of  the  German  Re- 
formed church,  highly  respected  and  exera- 
plarv  in  conduct.  The  wife  died  September 
22,  1876,  and  the  husband  October  16,  1892. 
Eight  children  were  born  to  them.  Lucinda 
C,  deceased;  Drusilla  J.;  Martha  L..  de- 
ceased; Mary  E.,  Rebecca  J.,  Sylvanus.  de- 
ceased ;  Emma  and  John,  deceased ;  and 
Sarah  A. 


678 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Six  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Anderson:  Clinton  A.,  married  to  Matilda 
Pierce,  living  in  Richland  township;  Flor- 
ence D.,  wife  of  Frank  Hall,  of  Columbia 
City,  has  four  children,  Goldie,  John,  Miner- 
va, and  Chester;  Crissie,  wife  of  Austin 
Knepper.  living  in  Cleveland.  Ohio,  has  had 
three  children,  Rolland,  Chloe  E.,  deceased ; 
and  Hale;  Charlie  W.  married  Nona  South- 
erly, lives  in  Kosciusko  county,  and  has  six 
children,  Orva,  Virgil,  Clela,  Freda,  Merlin, 
and  Kenneth ;  Marlie  M.  married  Viola  Da- 
lano,  lives  in  Logansport,  and  has  six  chil- 
dren, Glenn,  Gladys,  Beatrice,  Frederick, 
Bernice  and  Robert;  and  Bertha,  deceased 
when  five  years  of  age;  Charlie  and  Marlie 
are   twins. 

Mr.  Anderson  is  a  Republican  and  had 
four  brothers  in  the  Civil  war,  two  losing 
their  lives,  Jacob  and  William.  Mrs.  An- 
derson is  a  faithful  member  of  the  Free 
Methodist  church. 


WILLIAM  BRUBAKER. 

William  Brubaker,  a  proprietor  of 
"Lakeside  Farm"  in  Troy  township,  was 
bom  in  Perry  county,  Ohio,  November 
20,  1843.  When  a  lad  of  eight  he  ac- 
companied his  mother  to  Whitley  county, 
his  education  being  in  the  public  schools. 
He  was  married  in  1871  to  Melissa,  daugh- 
ter nf  Lysander  P.  and  Lydia  (Robinson) 
Joslin,  born  in  Troy  township,  June  24, 
1849.  The  parents  were  from  Ohio,  the  fa- 
ther from  Delaware  county,  the  mother  from 
Champaign  county,  and  came  to  Whitley 
county  in  earlv  life,  where  thev  lived  until 


1873,  when  they  moved  to  Kansas,  where 
they  remained  until  their  deaths.  They  were 
members  of  the  Baptist  church.  Fifteen 
children  were  born  to  them :  Eliza,  Jane,. 
Elsie,  Melissa,  Luther,  Rosie,  John,  Mi- 
nerva, Andrew,  Ida,  Lillian,  Esther,  Dellie, 
Elmer  and  Elmus  (twins). 

Two  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Brubaker :  Charles,  who  married  Maud 
Wise,  lives  in  Troy  township  and  has  three 
children.  Hazel,  Jane  and  William;  Hale,  a 
student  in  the  junior  class  of  Wabash  Col- 
lege and  first  lieutenant  in  Company  G,  Third 
Regiment,  Indiana  National  Guard.  In 
187 1  Mr.  Brubaker  purchased  one  hundred 
and  thirty  acres  of  native  forest  land,  bor- 
dering Goose  Lake,  which  now,  as  a  result 
of  his  earnest  labor  and  successful  manage- 
ment, presents  a  neat  and  thrifty  appear- 
ance, being  nicely  fenced,  well  drained  and 
thoroughly  equipped  with  a  comfortable  and 
substantial  residence,  barn  and  other  im- 
provements necessary  to  render  farm  life 
pleasant  and  profitable. 

When  the  life  of  the  nation  was  imperiled 
in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  he  enlisted  April 
21,  1 86 1,  in  Company  E,  Seventeenth  Regi- 
ment Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  serving 
three  years  and  two  months  in  Wilders 
Brigade.  Arm)'  of  the  Cumberland.  In  a 
skirmish  he  was  wounded  in  the  thigh,  being 
disabled  for  several  months  and  sent  to  the 
hospital.  After  discharge  he  veteranized 
in  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-sec- 
ond Regiment,  was  made  sergeant  of  his 
company  and  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  is  a  member  of  English  Post, 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  at  Etna.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican,  but  refuses  to- 
serve  in  public  capacity.     Mrs.  Brubaker  is 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


679 


an  active  member  of  the  Woman's  Relief 
Corps  of  Columbia  City  and  also  takes  an 
interest  in  religious  matters,  being  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  church.  The  family  is  well 
known  and  highly  respected,  taking  an  ac- 
tive interest  in  all  social  and  public 
enterprises. 


WILLIAM  E.  MAGLEY. 

The  leading  photographer  of  Whitley 
county  is  William  E.  Magley,  whose  train- 
ing, experience  and  artistic  talent  specially 
fit  him  for  the  production  of  high  grade 
work  in  this,  in  many  respects  the  finest  of 
arts,  the  preservation  of  the  features  of  those 
living  today  for  the  gratification,  not  only 
of  their  associates  but  for  the  more  ^re- 
nounced satisfaction  to  be  derived  to  suc- 
ceeding generations. 

Mr.  Magley,  a  native  son  of  Whitley 
county,  was  born  February  19,  1867,  at  the 
parental  homestead  in  Thorucreek  township, 
his  parents  being  Fredrick  and  Elizabeth 
(Summeny)  Magley.  of  whom  more  extend- 
ed reference  is  found  on  another  page  of  this 
history.  His  boyhood  being  passed  on  the 
farm  he  received  such  training  as  the  local 
schools  afforded  though  he  early  knew  the 
full  meaning  of  hard  toil.  Suffering  a  brok- 
en leg  he  was  somewhat  disabled  for  much 
farm  work,  and  so  turned  his  attention  to 
other  channels,  being  led  toward  photogra- 
ph}-, having-  a  decided  inclination  to  artistic 
work.  Securing  a  kodak  he  snapped  pretty 
nearly  everything  in  his  neighborhood,  ob- 
taining many  beautiful  scenes  of  numerous 
lakes  near  his  home,  his  ambition  becoming 
so  stirred  that  he  embarked  into  the  work 


more  extendedly.  He  fitted  up  a  gallery  on 
a  limited  scale  on  the  farm  which  soon  be- 
came so  patronized  that  he  removed  to  a 
more  central  point,  starting  a  gallery  at 
Churubusco.  For  five  years  his  business  sur- 
passed expectations  so  that  in  1893  he  suc- 
ceeded Roe  Jones  in  his  present  location  at 
Columbia  City,  where  he  has  established 
high  grade  facilities,  catering  to  the  best 
trade.  He  still  retains  the  Churubusco  gal- 
lerv  where  he  keeps  a  competent  operator. 
Having  devoted  several  years  to  the  making 
of  superior  work  he  has  attained  a  high  de- 
gree of  excellence,  his  posings  being  studied 
for  best  effects  in  light  and  shade,  his  re- 
touching of  negatives  being  to  emphasize  the 
best  in  a  picture,  the  results  being  superior  • 
photographs  that  will  compare  favorably 
with  those  produced  in  more  pretentious  stu- 
dios, as  is  well  illustrated  by  the  many  ex- 
cellent portraits  in  this  work,  for  which  the 
photographs  were  made  by  Mr.  Magley. 

March  22,  1906,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Sindora  Campbell,  of  Noble  county,  who  for 
some  years  resided  in  the  home  of  Mrs.  Eliza 
Collins  in  Columbia  City.  While  Mr.  Mag- 
lev  is  a  Republican  he  keeps  "the  even  tenor 
of  his  way,"  not  aspiring  to  public  recogni- 
tion, but  preferring  to  attain  that  still  great- 
er excellence  as  an  artist  that  can  be  secured 
only  by  constant  study,  application  and  well 
directed  intelligence. 


ELISHA  LYMAN  McLALLEN. 

Elisha  Lyman  McLallen.  deceased,  was 
for  many  vears  connected  with  the  business 
interests  of  Columbia  City  and  his  name  is 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


inseparably  connected  with  its  history.  He 
was  a  man  whom  all  honored  and  esteemed 
and  this  review  of  his  life  will  prove  of  deep 
interest  to  many.  He  was  prominent  in 
mercantile,  political  and  fraternal  circles,  and 
ever  unselfishly  devoted  to  the  best  interests 
of  the  community. 

Mr.  McLallen  was  born  in  Tompkins 
couny,  New  York,  February  2,  1836.  His 
father  was  of  Scotch  descent,  and  his  moth- 
er, whose  maiden  name  was  Frances  Lyman, 
came  of  English  ancestors,  who  traced  their 
genealogy  back  to  Richard  Lyman,  born  at 
High  Ongar  in  1580.  Early  in  the  seven- 
teenth century  he  emigrated  to  America  and 
died  in  Hartford.  Connecticut,  in  1640. 
When  our  subject  was  eight  years  of  "age,  he 
was  brought  to  Whitley  county,  the  family 
locating  in  Richland  township  upon  a  farm, 
which  now  adjoins  the  village  of  Larwill. 
This  region  was  then  an  almost  unbroken 
wilderness  and  the  children  of  the  family 
were  reared  amid  the  wild  scenes  of  the  fron- 
tier. There  are  now  only  two  survivors — 
Henry  McLallen  and  Mrs.  D.  B.  Clugston. 

Thus  in  the  very  heart  of  nature,  Elisha 
McLallen  spent  his  boyhood  days,  keeping 
pace  with  the  wonderful  development  of  a 
rich  and  fertile  country  and  glorying  unto 
the  day  of  his  death  in  the  greatness  of  the 
commonwealth  he  helped  to  build.  His  edu- 
cational privileges  were  very  limited,  but  his 
devoted  mother  fostered  in  him  a  taste  for 
stud}-  and  supplied  him  with  a  well  selected 
library,  from  which  he  gained  much  valuable 
and  interesting  information.  It  was  also 
largely  through  her  efforts  that  the  son  was 
permitted  to  attend  the  academy  at  North- 
field,  Massachusetts,  where  he  was  a  class- 
mate of  the  evangelist,  Moody.    On  the  com- 


pletion of  his  school  life,  Mr.  McLallen  re- 
turned to  Larwill  and  his  first  business  en- 
gagement was  as  a  member  of  the  corps  of 
civil  engineers  in  charge  of  the  construction 
of  the  Chicago  &  Fort  Wayne  Railroad.  In 
1857,  shortly  after  he  attained  his  majority, 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  D.  B.  Clugs- 
ton and  purchased  the  store  in  Larwill,  which 
was  established  by  his  father  in  1852.  Sub- 
sequently he  formed  a  business  connection 
with  A.  R.  Clugston  and  this  relationship 
existed  until  1873.  During  this  time  they 
met  with  a  fair  degree  of  success  and  Mr. 
McLallen  steadily  added  to  the  competence 
which  he  was  acquiring.  In  that  year  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother.  Hen- 
ry McLallen,  in  the  banking  business,  under 
the  firm  name  of  E.  L.  McLallen  &  Co.  The 
Farmers'  Bank,  which  they  organized,  was 
successfully  conducted  and  became  one  of 
the  leading  financial  concerns  in  this  part  of 
the  state.  He  adhered  to  strict  business  prin- 
ciples and  his  far-sightedness,  executive  abil- 
ity and  keen  discrimination  were  important 
factors  in  bringing  to  them  the  high  degree 
of  success  which  attended  their  efforts.  He 
was  scrupulously  honest  and  his  integrity 
was  so  well  known  that  his  word  was  as 
good  as  his  bond.  He  was  at  the  head  of 
the  banking  house  for  twenty  years  and  his 
business  career  covered  four  decades  of  hon- 
orable and  active  effort  that  enhanced  the 
public  prosperity,  while  at  the  same  time  it 
promoted  his  individual  wealth. 

Mr.  McLallen  did  much  for  his  city,  his 
country,  liis  state  and  for  humanity.  In  the 
public  affairs  of  northeastern  Indiana  he 
was  very  prominent  and  no  man  took  a  deep- 
er or  more  sincere  interest  in  the  welfare  of 
his  community.     He  was  progressive,  enter- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


68 1 


prising  and  public-spirited  and  his  aid  was 
never  sought  in  vain  for  any  enterprise, 
which  he  believed  would  benefit  the  com- 
munity. When  it  was  seen  that  he  gave  his 
support  to  any  measure,  public  confidence 
was  aroused  and  other  help  was  thereby  se- 
cured. For  eight  years  he  was  on  the  school 
board  and  did  most  effective  service  in  the 
cause  of  education.  Soon  after  he  became 
a  member  of  the  board,  the  East  Ward  build- 
ing was  erected,  and  not  long  after  work 
was  begun  on  the  main  building.  During  its 
construction  his  entire  time  was  given  to  su- 
pervision of  the  work,  and  when  it  was  com- 
pleted the  building  was  one  of  which  the 
city  may  well  be  proud.  He  believed  in  good 
schools  and  good  teachers,  regarding  educa- 
tion as  one  of  the  bulwarks  of  the  nation. 
He  established  a  large  library  for  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Columbia  City,  first  with  2,300 
"volumes,  but  which  now  has  between  3,000 
and  4,000  volumes.  He  has  also  presented 
to  the  schools  scientific  apparatus. 

Mr.  McLallen  was  a  stalwart  Democrat, 
an  ardent  advocate  of  the  principles  of  that 
party  and  he  had  great  confidence  in  Grover 
Cleveland  as  a  leader.  Personally  he  cared 
nothing  for  political  preferment,  his  tastes 
being  more  in  the  line  of  business,  but  he 
aided  others  in  securing  office.  He  was 
quite  prominent  in  Masonic  circles  and  was 
a  close  adherent  of  the  benevolent  and  char- 
itable principles  upon  which  the  ancient  and 
illustrious  order  was  founded.  From  a 
sketch  of  him  compiled  by  Thomas  R.  Mar- 
shall, of  Columbia  City,  we  secure  the  fol- 
lowing record  of  his  connection  with  Ma- 
sonry : 

"He  was  raised  in  Columbia  City  Lodge, 
No.  189,  April  30,  i860.     He  dimitted  June 


3,  1861.  and  became  a  charter  member  and 
first  Senior  Warden  of  Due  Guard  Lodge, 
No.  2~S,  of  Larwill,  Indiana,  of  which  he 
was  master  for  many  years.  He  was  read- 
mitted to  Columbia  City  Lodge  November 
19,  1883,  and  from  1885  until  his  death,  with 
the  exception  of  one  year,  served  as  its  mas- 
ter. He  was  exalted  to  the  sublime  degree 
of  a  Royal  Arch  Mason  in  Fort  Wayne 
Chapter,  March  20.  1861,  and  was  admitted 
to  Columbia  City  Chapter,  No.  54,  January 
3,  1874,  and  was  high  priest  in  1879,  1880 
and  188 1.  He  was  chosen  a  member  of 
Fort  Wayne  Council,  November  12,  1862, 
was  a  charter  member  of  Columbia  City 
Council,  No.  55,  and  was  its  first  illustrious 
master.  He  was  knighted  in  Fort  Wayne 
Commandery,  May  5,  1862,  and  was  the 
first  and  only  eminent  commander  of  Cy- 
rene  Commandery,  No.  34.  He  was  charter 
member  of  Columbia  City  Chapter,  No.  65, 
Order  of  the  Eastern  Star.  He  received  the 
ineffable  degrees  of  the  Ancient  and  Accept- 
ed Scottish  Rite  in  Indiana  Consistory,  and 
was  elected  to  the  thirty-third  degree  in 
1904,  but  died  before  it  could  be  conferred. 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  our  departed  friend 
rounded  the  circle  of  all  grades  of  Masonry, 
sounded  all  its  shoals  and  depths,  put  good 
work  on  board,  and  calmly  waited  the  breeze 
which  wafted  him  into  the  presence  of  that 
God  in  whom  as  the  youngest  entered  ap- 
prentice he  put  his  trust." 

Mr.  McLellan  was  entirely  free  from  os- 
tentation and'  display,  was  known  and  es- 
teemed for  his  kind-hearted  generosity  and 
his  benevolence.  His  charity  was  always  of 
that  kind  which  seeks  not  the  praises  of  men. 
contait  with  the  approving  conscience. 

He  was  genial  and  companionable,  lively 


682 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


and  humorous,  interesting  and  entertaining, 
and  it  was  a  privilege  to  be  admitted  to  the 
circle  of  his  life  friends  and  learn  his  true 
nobility.  He  passed  away  March  10,  1895, 
at  the  age  of  fifty-nine.  He  was  honored 
and  respected  throughout  the  community  and 
the  deepest  grief  was  felt  by  all  who  had 
known  him  either  in  business  or  a  social  way. 
He  left  on  the  community  an  impress  of 
good,  which  will  be  long  felt,  although  his 
familiar  figure  is  no  more  seen  on  the  streets 
of  his  adopted  city. 


BENJAMIN  HIVELY. 

In  1S36,  a  party  of  seven  men  gathered 
together  in  Licking  county,  Ohio,  to  discuss 
a  question  of  great  moment  to  them.  They 
had  resolved  to  emigrate  to>  the  wilds  of 
northern  Indiana  to  make  new  homes  for 
themselves  in  that  little  occupied  section  and 
the  arrangements  for  such  a  trip  involved 
considerable  preparation.  The  names  of 
these  men.  all  of  whom  were  married  and 
heads  of  growing  young  families,  were 
Daniel  Hively,  Jacob  Shearer,  Peter  Shriner, 
Jacob  Hively.  Adam  Henry  and  John 
Egolph.  They  rigged  up  their  "prairie 
schooners."  packed  their  household  utensils, 
cracked  their  whips  and  started  on  what  was 
then  a  long,  arduous  and  trying  journey. 
They  drove  as  best  they  could  over  the 
wretched  roads  and  trails  during  the  day 
and  turned  nut  early  in  the  evenings  to  spend 
the  night  in  camp.  In  course  of  time,  these 
resolute  men,  with  their  wives  and  little 
ones,  reached  their  destination,  which  was 
the  new  county  of  Whitley  in  the  young  state 


of  Indiana.  In  the  list  above  given  will  be 
found  the  names  of  these  genuine  first  set- 
tlers and  they  and  their  descendants  have 
for  seventy  years  been  factors  in  the  de- 
velopment and  history-making  of  this 
section. 

Daniel  Hively.  leader  of  this  party  of 
pioneers,  was  born  in  Rockingham  county, 
Virginia,  October  15,  1798,  and  removed  to 
Ohio  in  early  manhood.  There  he  met  and 
December  16,  1824,  was  married  to  Cathar- 
ine Egolph,  who  was  born  in  Montgomery 
county,  Pennsylvania,  December  10,  1804. 
It  was  twelve  years  subsequently  that  they 
became  members  of  the  party  of  travelers  for 
the  northwest  and  on  arrival  in  Indiana, 
Daniel  entered  eighty  acres  of  government 
land  in  Thorncreek  township,  at  the  time 
when  Indians  and  wolves  were  plentiful 
throughout  this  entire  section.  He  lived 
forty-six  years  after  becoming  a  citizen  of 
Whitley  county,  his  death  not  occurring  un- 
til 1882  on  the  farm,  where  he  first  settled 
in  the  howling  wilderness.  His  wife  sur- 
vived him  fourteen  years  and  closed  her  eyes 
on  the  world  December  10.  1896.  which  was 
her  ninety-second  birthday.  The}-  had  thir- 
teen children.  Mary,  widow  of  Solomon 
I  nspaugh.  and  Catharine,  widow  of  John 
Miller,  reside  on  the  old  Miller  farm;  Henry 
died  in  infancy;  Jonathan  died  at  the  age 
of  sixty-six ;  Daniel  is  a  Columbia  township 
farmer;  Mahala  first  married  David  Bear 
and  next  Elisha  Bashford.  of  Wisconsin ; 
Elizabeth  also  married  twice,  first  Jacob 
Fisher  and  next  Leonard  Hyre.  with  whom 
she  now  lives  in  Columbia  City ;  Samuel 
died  at  the  age  of  sixty-six;  Benjamin; 
George  W.  died  at  the  age  of  fifty;  Isaac,  a 
Thorncreek  township  fanner;  Solomon  owns 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


his  father's  old  homestead ;  and  Sarah,  wife 
of  P.  Linley,  a  resident  of  Missouri. 

Benjamin  Hively,  the  ninth  child,  was 
born  at  the  parental  home  in  Whitley  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  January  27,  1840.  He  has  spent 
his  whole  life  in  farming  and  now  owns 
eighty  acres  of  land,  part  of  his  father's 
farm,  which  he  rents  and  is  practically  re- 
tired from  business.  March  24,  1861,  he 
married  Lucinda  Miller,  by  whom  he  has 
had  three  children :  Jane,  the  eldest,  mar- 
ried William  Coolman,  living  in  Thorncreek 
township,  and  has  eight  children :  Grace 
Maud,  Claud,  Gertrude,  Oscar,  Goldie,  Glen, 
Alvin  and  Fern ;  Malinda,  second  daughter 
of  Mr.  Hively,  married  Charles  Ramsey  and 
died  at  the  age  of  thirty-four,  leaving  six 
children,  Walter,  Ruth,  Orpha,  Grover,  Ha- 
zel and  Alice,  who  died  in  childhood,  and 
another  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Hively's  third  child  died  when  three 
years  of  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hively  are 
members  of  the  German  Reformed  church. 

Solomon  Miller,  father  of  Mrs.  Hively, 
is  the  oldest  living  settler  of  Thorncreek 
township,  a  venerable  and  respected  relic  of 
an  age  that  has  passed.  His  parents,  George 
and  Catharine  (Humbarger)  Miller,  were 
Pennsylvanians.  who  moved  into  Perry 
county,  Ohio,  in  the  early  years  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  and  made  their  livelihood  by 
farming.  They  had  ten  children,  all  long 
since  dead  except  Solomon,  who  was  born 
in  Perry  county,  Ohio,  July  22,  1822.  His 
fathed  died  there  three  months  previous  to 
his  birth  and  he  lived  with  his  mother  until 
twenty  years  of  age,  working  nut  by  the 
month.  In  184 1  he  married  Malinda  Ans- 
paugh.  of  Perry  county,  and  two  years  later 
came   west,    accompanied  by  his   wife,   one 


child  named  Lucinda  and  his  widowed 
mother.  Arriving  in  Whitley  county,  he  first 
located  east  of  his  present  home,  but  later 
moved  to  the  farm  on  which  Michael  Zor- 
ger  now  resides.  He  spent  a  number  of  years 
in  clearing  and  working  this  tract,  but  in 
i860  purchased  the  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
three  acres  constituting  his  present  home- 
stead, which  he  has  converted  into  one  of 
the  most  desirable  farms  in  Thorncreek  town- 
ship. Mr.  Miller  had  seventeen  children: 
Lucinda,  Mary  A.,  Catharine,  David,  Ma- 
linda, Sarah  Jane,  Matilda,  Mahala  and  Ben- 
jamin (deceased),  Lavina,  Solomon  (de- 
ceased), Margaret,  Eli,  Elizabeth,  Emma  and 
George  W.  (deceased),  and  one  that  died  in 
infancy.  July  24,  1905,  Mr.  Miller's  rela- 
tives assembled  to  honor  his  eighty-third 
birthday  anniversary  and  it  was  an  occasion 
long  to  be  remembered.  One  hundred  and 
thirty  persons  were  present  and  of  this  num- 
ber over  one  hundred  were  composed  of  his 
descendants.  This  by  no  means  measures 
his  contribution  to  the  population  of  his 
adopted  state,  as  he  has  fifty-three  grandchil- 
dren, sixty  great-grandchildren  and  two 
great-great-grandchildren.  At  this  reunion, 
as  he  had  often  done  before,  Mr.  Miller  re- 
counted the  trials  and  tribulations  he  had 
gone  through  as  a  pioneer  settler  of  Whit- 
ley county.  He  was  unusually  strong  in  his 
prime  and  during  his  lifetime  has  perhaps 
done  more  hard  work  than  any  man  in  the 
county.  He  chopped  wood  and  split  rails 
for  fifty  cents  a  day.  He  bound  wheat  in 
Elkhart  and  Noble  counties  for  a  bushel  a 
day,  but  as  he  did  two  men's  work,  he  was 
often  paid  double.  When  he  came  here,  Co- 
lumbia  Citv   was    a    mere  hamlet  and  the 


684 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


cost  eighteen  cents  to  send  a  letter,  the  best 
houses  were  mere  shacks  and  rude  log  cabins, 
there  was  no  money  or  luxuries  of  any  kind, 
all  being  poor  and  compelled  to  work  at  the 
hardest  of  drudgery.  How  great  the  con- 
trast with  the  fine  pike  roads,  traction  lines, 
railways,  rural  mail  delivery,  telephones, 
finely  improved  farms,  yet  Solomon  Miller 
has  lived  to  see  all  these  wondrous  changes. 
After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Mr.  Miller 
was  married  in  1890  to  Delilah  O'Connell, 
of  Marshall  county,  but  there  was  a  speedv 
separation,  followed  in  1897  by  a  third  mar- 
riage to  Mrs.  Ellen  Souers,  with  whom  he 
has  since  lived  happily.  His  mother,  to  whom 
he  was  much  attached,  was  tenderly  cared 
for  at  his  home  until  her  death  at  the  age  of 
eighty-five  vears. 


RICHARD  HERRON. 

Whitley  county's  agricultural  develop- 
ments were  not  so  early  as  other  parts  of  the 
state,  her  pioneer  period  not  beginning  in 
earnest  until  the  late  thirties.  Most  of  the 
first  settlers  have  long  since  passed  away,  but 
it  is  not  unusual  to  meet  with  farmers  who 
came  to  the  couny  about  the  middle  of  the 
last  century  and  occasionally  one  is  living 
who  settled  here  long  before  he  Civil  war. 
It  was  this  class  who  laid  the  foundation  for 
Indiana's  greatness  and  wealth,  as  they  were 
men  who  had  to  struggle  with  the  swamps 
and  forests  in  all  their  wildness.  It  was  the 
pioneer  farmer  who  overcame  these  obstacles 
and  one  of  them,  who  came  before  the  Civil 
war  and  is  still  living  in  the  enjoyment  of 
a  serene  old  age,  is  he  whose  name  heads 
this  sketch. 

Richard  Herron  is  a  native  of  the  Ohio 


county  of  Tuscarawas,  so  noted  in  the  days 
when  the  Buckeye  state  was  familiar  with 
Indian  frays  and  all  the  excitement  incident 
to  those  stirring  times.  His  birth  occurred 
May  5,  183 1,  his  parents  being  Nicholas  and 
Phebe  (Tinkey)  Herron,  the  former  of  Mary- 
land and  the  latter  of  Washington  county, 
Pennsylvania.  They  were  married  in  Ohio, 
in  1854  came  to  Indiana  and  settled  on  a 
farm  in  Noble  county,  where  they  lived  until 
their  deaths,  which  occurred  many  years  ago. 
They  had  ten  children :  John,  Richard,  Da- 
vid, Jane.  Jerome,  Isaiah,  Mary,  Liza,  Ann, 
Samuel  and  Sarah.  Richard  remained  on 
the  farm  with  his  father  until  manhood  and 
had  the  same  kind  of  experience  that  fell  to 
most  farm  boys  in  those  days.  This  con- 
sisted of  a  little  attendance  at  school,  occa- 
sionally a  diversion  at  a  neighborhood  frolic 
and  a  great  deal  of  hard  work. 

In  1858,  he  came  to  Noble  county,  Indi- 
ana, where  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand  for 
some  years,  and  later  as  a  renter  until  the 
Civil  war.  In  1894  he  came  to  Whitley 
county  and  purchased  a  small  farm  in  Thorn- 
creek  township,  on  which  he  has  since  lived. 
October  26,- 1854,  Mr.  Herron  married. Sarah, 
daughter  of  John  and  Massie  (Johnson)  Le- 
master,  who  was  born  in  Tuscarawas  county, 
Ohio,  May  26,  1S34.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Herron 
have  had  seven  children  :  Martha,  deceased, 
Malinda  Ann,  John  Nicholas,  Wesley,  Wil- 
liam, Charles  and  Sella  May.  In  February, 
1865,  Mr.  Herron  enlisted  in  Company  E. 
One  Hundred  and  Fifty-second  Regiment 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  with  which  he 
took  part  in  several  skirmishes,  but  no  battles 
of  importance.  .  His  political  affiliations  are 
Democratic.  One  son,  Wesley,  lives  near 
and  operates  the  farm,  his  daughter,  Lillie 
May,  living  with  his  parents. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


685 


DAVID  HYRE. 

The  founder  of  the  family  of  this  name, 
long  familiar  in  Whitley  county,  was  a  native 
of  North  Carolina,  whence  he  emigrated  to 
Ohio  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  but  in  1849  came  here  and  settled  in 
Thorncreek  township,  on  the  farm  now 
owned  by  Colonel  Rush.  Wesley  Hyre,  such 
was  his  name,  married  before  his  departure 
from  the  Buckeye  state  and  became  the  fa- 
ther of  seven  children  :  Aaron,  Leonard,  Jo- 
seph, Wesley.  Sarah  (deceased),  Anna  and 
Martha.  Joseph,  the  third  child,  was  born 
in  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  and  when  he 
grew  to  manhood  married  Jane  Gnega,  a  na- 
tive of  Ohio,  whose  parents  became  early 
settlers  of  Whitley  county.  After  his  mar- 
riage, Joseph  was  for  several  years  in  the 
saw-mill  business,  but  later  in  life  operated  a 
farm  that  he  cleared.  He  spent  fifty-five 
years  of  his  life  in  Thorncreek  township,  his 
death  occurring  March  8,  1904,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-four  years.  His  old  homestead  of 
three  hundred  and  thirty-four  acres  was  well 
improved  with  first-class  buildings.  He  was 
the  father  of  six  children :  Virgil,  David, 
Mary,  wife  of  Charles  Riley,  of  Thorncreek 
township ;  Emma,  wife  of  Perry  Bowerman, 
of  Columbia  City;  Lydia,  wife  of  Ernest 
Cotterly,  of  Thorncreek  township;  and  Wil- 
lie, who  died  in  childhood.  The  mother  is  a 
resident  of  Columbia  City. 

David  Hyre,  the  second  child  in  the  above 
list,  was  born  in  Thorncreek  township.  Whit- 
ley county,  Indiana,  August  6,  1863.  He  re- 
mained with  his  parents  until  maturity,  aft- 
er which  he  managed  the  homestead  until 
1893  and  then  purchased  the  farm  three 
miles   north   of    Columbia    City,   where  he 


lives  at  the  present  time.  It  consists  of  one 
hundred  acres  and  he  has  improved  it  con- 
siderably since  its  coming  into  his  posses- 
sion. He  has  good  buildings,  a  comfortable 
house  and  all  the  outward  indications  of  a 
fair  amount  of  prosperity.  In  1884,  Mr. 
Hyre  was  married  to  Jennie,  daughter  of 
Eli  and  Martha  (Engle)  Haynes,  both  natives 
of  Ohio,  who  came  to  Whitley  county  more 
than  half  a  century  ago  and  settled  with  his 
father  on  a  farm  two  miles  north  of  Colum- 
bia City,  where  they  spent  the  remainder  of 
their  lives.  They  had  five  children :  Susan, 
Peter,  Ellen,  Jennie,  Ida  and  Lillie.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hyre  have  had  five  children, 
Kizzie,  Eugene,  Grace,  Mary,  and  Joseph, 
deceased  in  childhood.  Kizzie  is  the  wife 
of  Frank  Kinner,  of  Columbia  City,  and 
has  one  child,  Helen.  Eugene,  who  married 
Ethel  Allen,  operates  the  homestead.  The 
parents  are  members  of  the  German  Baptist 
church,  in  which  Mr.  Hyre  holds  the  position 
of  deacon.  His  political  affiliations  are  with 
the  Republican  party. 


WILLIAM  HENRY  COOLMAN. 

During  the  forties,  when  Whitley  coun- 
ty was  little  better  than  a  wilderness,  it  would 
have  taken  a  bold  prophet  to  foretell  the  as- 
pect of  things  as  they  appeared  in  the  pros- 
perous period  of  1906.  Here  and  there  the 
settlers  had  "cut  a  hole  in  the  woods"  and 
were  eking-  out  a  living  by  a  hard  struggle 
with  the  forces  of  natures.  One  of  the  brav- 
est of  this  band  had  bought  a  piece  of  wild 
land  in  Jefferson  township,  on  which  he  built 
a  rude  log  cabin  and  opened  up  business  be- 


686 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  IXDIAXA. 


fore  he  was  able  to  cover  the  floor  with 
boards  or  afford  better  door  than  a  hanging 
blanket.  Such  was  the  home  of  Adam  Cool- 
man,  who  was  born  in  Stark  count)',  Ohio, 
of  a  Pennsylvania  father,  who  married  Su- 
san Ault  and  some  years  after  loaded  up  his 
meager  household  goods  in  a  wagon  drawn 
by  oxen,  in  which  he  made  the  memorable 
trip  to  Indiana.  He  spent  many  years  of  hard 
work  on  his  two  hundred  acres  of  land  and 
eventually  transformed  it  into  a  modern 
farm  that  was  a  credit  to  the  township.  He 
continued  in  his  business  until  death,  which 
occurred  in  1869,  at  a  comparatively  early 
age,  his  wife  surviving  him  many  years  and 
passing  away  in  the  spring  of  1905.  She 
was  the  daughter  of  Henry  Ault,  a  farmer 
of  Medina  county,  Ohio.  Adam  and  Susan 
(Ault)  Coolman  had  five  children  to  reach 
maturity:  Benjamin  F.,  a  resident  of  Ma- 
son county,  Michigan ;  Sarah  Ann ;  Calvin, 
of  Huntington,  Indiana  ;  William  H. ;  Sarah, 
wife  of  John  Brock,  of  Jefferson  township, 
and  Adam  E..  of  the  same  locality. 

William  H.  Coolman,  fifth  of  the  family, 
was  born  in  Jefferson  township,  Whitley 
county,  Indiana,  November  22,  1857,  and 
was  twelve  years  old  at  the  death  of  his  fa- 
ther. He  remained  with  his  widowed  moth- 
er until  he  grew  to  manhood,  meantime  at- 
tending the  common  schools  and  spending  a 
term  at  the  Valparaiso  Normal.  He  then 
taught  a  term  in  Thorncreek  township,  his 
future  wife  being  a  pupil.  When  alxuit 
twenty-one  years  old,  he  rented  the  home- 
stead and  managed  it  for  a  year,  when  he 
built  and  operated  a  saw-mill  at  Laud  for 
four  years  and  then  bought  another  saw  and 
tile  mill  near  Peabody,  operating"  this  success- 
fully until  1897,  when  he  purchased  his  pres- 


ent farm  in  Thorncreek  township,  seven 
miles  north  of  Columbia  City.  It  is  known 
as  the  John  Martin  farm  and  contains  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  productive  land 
to  which  he  has  devoted  his  entire  attention 
since  its  purchase. 

During  a  temporary  residence  in  Colum- 
bia City,  Mr.  Coolman  became  a  dealer  in 
lumber,  still  running  a  portable  mill.  After 
one  year  he  removed  to  a  farm  in  Washing- 
ton township  that  he  had  secured  while  oper- 
ating the  mill  near  by  and  there  remained 
until  March,  1903. 

April  18,  1880,  Mr.  Coolman  married 
Jennie,  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Lucinda 
(Miller)  Hively,  of  Thorncreek  township, 
where  she  was  born  December  13,  1861. 
Mr.  and  Mrs:  Coolman  have  eight  children : 
Grace,  Claude,  Gertrude,  Oscar,  Golda,  Glenn, 
Alvin  and  Fern.  Mr.  Coolman  is  a  Republic- 
an and  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  in  which  he  has  passed  the 
chairs  and  was  representative  to  the  grand 
lodge.  He  and  his  wife  belong  to  the  St. 
John's  United  Brethren  church,  generally 
known  as  the  Hivelv  church. 


JOHN  L.  MILLER. 

Among  the  many  German  emigrants  who 
came  to  this  country  in  the  early  years  of  the 
nineteenth  century  was  a  young  man  named 
John  Miller,  who  was  born  in  Prussia,  near 
Berlin,  in  1800.  Locating  first  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, he  worked  there  on  a  railroad  for 
some  time  and  after  removing  to  ■  Preble 
county.  Ohio,  continued  in  the  same  line 
of  lal>or  for  many  years.  In  1858,  he  came 
to  Whitley  county  and  took  up  his  residence 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


687 


in  a  cabin  on  a  wild  tract  of  land  in  Washing- 
ton township,  where  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  life  in  farming  and  died  September  4, 
1892.  He  married  Mary  Tressler,  who  died 
in  1884,  after  becoming  the  mother  of  four 
children,  three  of  whom  are  living :  Mar)', 
wife  of  William  Kiser,  of  Allen  county ; 
John  L.j  subject  of  this  sketch;  Manda,  wife 
■of  Aaron  Kiser,  a  farmer  living  near  Fort 
Wayne. 

John  L.  Miller,  second  in  age  of  his  fa- 
ther's living  children,  was  born  in  Whitley 
county,  Indiana,  March  18.  1862.  As  he 
grew  up  he  helped  to  cultivate  the  paternal 
acres  in  Washington  township.  In  1891, 
in  partnership  with  his  father,  he  bought  the 
farm  where  he  now  resides  and  which  be- 
came his  sole  property  after  his  father's 
death.  He  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  of  which  one  hundred  and  five  are  de- 
voted to  general  farming  and  fifteen  to  tim- 
ber and  pasture.  During  his  father's  life- 
time the  place  was  greatly  improved  by  the 
building  of  a  comfortable  residence  and  a 
good  barn,  while  much  labor  was  also  ex- 
pended in  fencing  and  ditching.  Mr.  Miller 
now  keeps  shorthorn  cattle,  Poland-China 
and  Duroc- Jersey  hogs,  both  of  which  breeds 
he  has  intercrossed.  The  county  contains  no 
man  who  can  more  truthfully  say  that  every- 
thing he  has  is  the  result  of  hard  work.  He 
has  scarcely  lost  a  day  in  all  the  years  of 
manhood  and  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the 
reliable  and  industrious  farmers  of  his  town- 
ship. Like  his  father  before  him  he  is  a 
Democrat  in  politics  and  of  the  Lutheran 
denomination  in  religion.  He  has  never  held 
office  and  has  been  .too  busy  with  his  other 
affairs  to  have  time  or  inclination  to  seek 
such  honors.     In  1888,  Mr.  Miller  was  mar- 


ried to  Hannah  Lickie,  by  whom  he  has  five 
children:  Manda  and  Lena  (twins),  Dora, 
Henrv  and  Carl. 


C.  D.  STICKLER. 


Conspicuous  among  the  successful  farm- 
ers of  Whitley  county  and  occupying  a  place 
in  the  front  rank  of  its  representative  citi- 
zens is  C.  D.  Stickler,  of  Washington  town- 
ship. He  is  the  son  of  Michael  and  Re- 
becca (Hiser)  Stickler  and  was  born  in  Stark 
county,  Ohio,  February  5,  1848,  his  father 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  his  mother  a  mem- 
ber of  an  old  family  that  settled  in  Stark 
county  at  an  early  period  in  the  history  of 
that  part  of  the  Buckeye  state.  When  about 
six  years  of  age,  Mr.  Stickler  was  brought 
to  Whitley  county  by  his  parents  and  grew 
to  maturity  on  the  family  homestead  in  Co- 
lumbia township,  meanwhile  attending  the 
winter  terms  of  the  public  schools.  Reared  to 
farm  labor  and  early  becoming  familiar  with 
the  duties  which  life  in  the  country  entails 
he  chose  agriculture  for  his  vocation  and 
since  reaching  manhood's  estate  has  prose- 
cuted the  same  with  gratifying  results,  be- 
ing at  this  time  one  of  the  leading  men  of  his 
calling  in  Washington  township,  of  which 
he  has  been  an  honored  resident  since  1878. 
He  purchased  his  present  place  in  1879, 
when  the  land  was  covered  with  water  and 
presented  very  much  the  appearance  of  a 
dense  swamp  or  quagmire,  but  appreciating 
the  value  of  the  soil  Mr.  Stickler  addressed 
himself  to  the  task  of  reclaiming  it.  He  in- 
augurated a  series  of  ditches,  which  re- 
quired a  number  of  years  to  dig  and  tile,  and 
when  completed  the  results  more  than  real- 


I  ,NN 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


ized  his  highest  expectations.  The  entire 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  is  un- 
derlaid and  intersected  at  proper  intervals 
with  a  network  of  tiling,  there  being  at  this 
time  considerably  in  excess  of  one  thousand 
rods,  varying  in  diameter  from  four  to  fif- 
teen inches,  which  not  only  affords  ample 
drainage  but  by  permitting  free  passage  of 
the  air  beneath  the  surface  renders  the  soil 
soft  and  pliable  and  easily  cultivated.  Mr. 
Stickler  has  made  many  other  substantial 
improvements  on  his  farm,  including  a  beau- 
tiful modern  residence,  a  large  barn  and  the 
other  necessary  structures,  the  entire  place 
being  enclosed  and  divided  into  fields  and 
lots,  with  good  fences,  the  greater  part  being 
wire  of  the  latest  design.  Mr.  Stickler  de- 
votes much  attention  to  stock  farming,  which 
he  finds  much  more  profitable  than  the  mere 
raising  of  crops.  Of  recent  years  he  has 
been  feeding  nearly  all  the  grain  his  place 
produces  to  cattle  and  hogs,  large  numbers 
of  which  he  markets  every  year,  giving  spe- 
cial attention  to  the  finer  breeds  in  the  rais- 
ing of  which  he  has  earned  a  well  merited 
reputation. 

Before  purchasing  his  present  place,  Mr. 
Stickler  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
lumber,  operating  a  sawmill  one  year  in 
Richland  township  and  for  two  years -in  the 
township  of  Washington,  disposing  of  the 
business  at  the  expiration  of  that  time  for 
the  purpose  of  engaging  in  agriculture.  Tie 
is  public  spirited  and  enterprising:  a  Demo- 
crat in  politics  and  as  such  elected  in  1900 
trustee  of  Washington  township,  the  duties 
of  which  position  he  discharged  in  an  able 
and  business-like  manner  for  a  period  "f  Four 
years.  For  thirteen  years  he  was  justice  of 
the  peace  in  Washington  township. 


In  1872,  Mr.  Stickler  married  Lydia  E. 
Egolf,  whose  parents,  Henry  and  Rachel 
(Roshon)  Egolf,  were  among  the  first  set- 
tlers of  Whitley  county,  moving  here  as 
early  as  1836.  Israel  Egolf,  a  brother  of 
Mrs.  Stickler,  was  the  first  white  child  born 
in  the  township  of  Thomcreek.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Stickler  have  had  eight  children  :  Clar- 
ence H..  Luella  M.  (deceased),  Orlando, 
Minnie  E.,  wife  of  John  Cole,  Henry  O., 
I!.  Frank,  Olive  Floy  and  another  that  died 
in  infancy.  Michael  Stickler  was  born  in  1882 
in  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania,  was  taken 
to  Ohio  by  his  parents  when  a  mere  lad  and 
there  grew  to  manhood.  He  married  Re- 
becca Hizer  and  in  1853  moved  to  Whitley 
county,  settling  originally  in  Columbia  town- 
ship, where  he  lived  for  a  number  of  years, 
subsequently  transferring  his  residence  to 
the  township  of  Cleveland,  where  his  death 
occurred  at  a  ripe  old  age.  His  father, 
George  Stickler,  a  Pennsylvanian  by  birth, 
was  a  pioneer  of  Stark  county,  Ohio,  where 
he  departed  this  life  in  1854.  Michael  and 
Rebecca  Stickler  were  the  parents  of  ten 
children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity  and 
six  are  now  living". 


WELLS  TRADER  GRADLESS. 

One  of  the  extensive  farmers  and  stock 
dealers  of  Whitley  county  and  a  representa- 
tive of  two  prominent  pioneer  families,  is 
the  elder  of  two  sons  born  to  Milo  and  Han- 
nah Gradless,  and  dates  his  birth  from  Sep- 
tember 17.  1 84 1.  His  paternal  grandpar- 
ents, Nathaniel  and  Elizabeth  (Waugh) 
Gradless.  moved  from  Fayette  county,  Ohio, 


(f,       ^yyr^o^jui^ 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


to  Whitley  county,  in  the  fall  of  1836,  and 
settled  in  what  is  now  Thorncreek  township, 
of  which  they  were  among  the  first  pioneers. 
Milo  Gradless  was  born  in  18 16,  in  Fayette 
county,  Ohio,  accompanied  the  family  to 
Indiana  in  the  year  indicated  and  on  July 
18,  1839,  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Hannah  Smith,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Re- 
becca (Jones)  Smith,  the  ceremony  being 
the  third  of  the  kind  solemnized  in  Smith 
township,  which  was  named  in  honor  of  his 
father-in-law.  Samuel  Smith  was  a  native 
of  Virginia.  He  came  to  this  part  of  In- 
diana in  1833,  was  one  of  the  commissioners 
appointed  to  organize  Whitley  county  and 
died  a  number  of  years  ago  on  the  farm 
which  he  carved  from  the  wilderness  in  the 
township  that  bears  his  name.  Mrs.  Han- 
nah Gradless  was  born  November  28,  1816, 
and  departed  this  life  in  1886,  her  husband 
preceding  her  to  the  grave  the  previous  year. 
They  resided  in  Smith  township  until  1847, 
when  they  removed  to  the  township  of 
Union,  where  Mr.  Gradless  purchased  a 
farm  in  1853,  on  which  he  lived  until  1880, 
when  he  removed  to  Columbia  City,  where 
he  and  his  wife  spent  the  remainder  of  their 
lives. 

Wells  T.  Gradless  was  reared  on  the 
family  homestead,  received  a  fair  education 
in  the  public  schools  and  on  attaining  his 
majority  selected  agriculture  for  his-  life 
work  and  has  since  followed  the  same  with 
much  more  than  ordinary  success  and  profit. 
Since  1853  he  has  lived  on  his  present  farm 
of  five  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres,  four 
hundred  of  which  are  under  cultivation. 
Mr.  Gradless'  farm  is  admirably  situated  in 
one  of  the  finest  agricultural  sections  of 
northeastern  Indiana,  is  well  adapted  to  the 

44 


grain,  vegetable  and  fruit  crops  grown  in 
this  latitude,  the  soil  being  deep,  fertile,  and 
its  productiveness  greatly  increased  by  the 
natural  drainage  furnished  by  Eel  river, 
which  flows  through  the  place,  thus  afford- 
ing a  fine  outlet  for  the  complete  system  of 
tiling,  which  has  been  installed.  In  con- 
nection with  general  agriculture  he  buys, 
feeds  and  sells  live  stock,  especially  cattle 
and  hogs.  He  is  a  careful,  methodical  busi- 
ness man,  and  as  a  result  has  been  reasonably 
successful. 

Mr.  Gradless  was  married  in  Shelby 
county,  Ohio,  January  1,  1865,  to  Miss  Mar- 
garet A.  Speer,  whose  birth  occurred  May 
4,  1845.  being  the  daughter  of  John  and 
Nancy  (Richards)  Speer,  a  union  termi- 
nated by  the  death  of  Mrs.  Gradless  May 
2,  1866.  She  was  the  mother  of  one  child, 
Mary  A.,  who  died  at  eighteen  years  of  age, 
November  20,  1879.  He  married  Elma  E. 
Kiersev,  who  was  born  February  11,  1856, 
in  Noble  county,  Indiana,  the  daughter  of 
Nathan  O.  and  Esther  (Smith)  Kiersey,  na- 
tives of  New  York.  Their  two  sons  are: 
Walter  N.,  and  Milo  P.,  both  at  home. 
Mrs.  Gradless'died  May  2,  1897.  Mr.  Grad- 
less has  a  record  as  an  educator,  having 
taught  some  twelve  to  fifteen  terms  in 
the  public  schools  of  Whitley  county,  a  work 
for  which  he  appears  to  have  been  partic- 
ularly adapted  and  in  which  his  success  was 
gratifying.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican 
and  while  ever  interested  in  public  affairs, 
he  has  never  sought  office.  Independent  in 
most  matters,  he  has  not  affiliated  with 
church  or  secret  societies. 

The  subject's  brother,  Hiram  B.  Grad- 
less, was  born  February  11,  1845,  and  died 
March  29,  1899.     He  ably  assisted  Wells  T. 


690 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


in  business  and  his  life  was  mainly  spent  on 
the  farm.  He  possessed  many  splendid 
qualities  and  was  very  highly  esteemed. 


WILLIAM  A.  HAUPTMEYER. 

Few  men  within  the  jurisdiction  of 
Washingt*  in  u  wnship  are  as  widely  or  better 
known  than  William  A.  Hauptmeyer,  who 
has  been  a  resident  forty-three  years.  Henry 
and  Caroline  (Piper)  Hauptmeyer,  his  par- 
ents, were  natives  of  German}-,  but  came  at 
an  early  age  to  the  United  States  and  settled 
in  Whitley  count}',  being  among"  the  first 
pioneers  to  penetrate  the  dense  forests.  In 
1846,  the  father  purchased  one  hundred  acres 
of  wild  land  in  Washington  township,  which 
by  the  usual  laborious  processes  he  finally 
converted  into  a  well  improved  farm  on 
which  he  died  in  1871,  after  a  residence  of 
twenty-five   years. 

William  A.  Hauptmeyer  was  born  Octo- 
ber Jo.  [854,  on  the  above  described  home- 
stead, grew  to  manhood  amid  the  wholesome 
discipline  of  farm  life  and  meantime  received 
a  fair  education  in  the  public  schools.  On 
reaching  maturity  he  began  life  as  a  tiller 
of  the  soil  and  has  continued  in  that  line  to 
the  present  time.  Since  1878,  Mr.  Haupt- 
meyer  has  occupied  his  present  place  in  the 
township  of  Washington,  owning  a  linelv 
developed  farm  on  which  are  good  buildings 
and  other  improvements.  In  common  with 
the  enterprising  agriculturists  of  this  section 
of  Indiana.  Mr.  Hauptmeyer  has  faith  in  the 
efficacy  ol  drainage  and  he  has  not  been  spar- 
ing of  bis  means  in  making  this  most  im- 
portant  improvement,  having  already  laid 
considerable  in  excess  of  five  hundred   rods 


of  tiling  to  which  he  is  continually  adding. 
his  intention  being  so  to  underdrain  until 
every  square  foot  of  tillable  land  will  yield 
to  its  utmost  capacity.  In  addition  to  gen- 
eral farming  he  has  achieved  well  merited 
success  in  the  raising  and  marketing  of  live 
stock,  handling  Berkshire  and  other  superior 
breeds  of  hogs,  his  interest  in  good  stock 
having  induced  not  a  few  of  his  neighbors  to 
imitate  his  example. 

In  1904  he  was  elected  trustee  of  Wash- 
ington township  and  during  his  term  of  four 
years  did  much  in  the  line  of  public  improve- 
ments, including  among  other  things  the 
laying  out  and  constructing  of  highways. 
building  bridges  and  erecting  school  houses. 
Mr.  Hauptmeyer  is  a  Democrat  and  a  leader 
of  his  party  in  Washington  township.  He 
keeps  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day,  has 
the  courage  of  his  convictions  relative  to  the 
great  public  questions  upon  which  people 
and  parties  are  divided  and  his  opinions 
command  respect  among  his  neighbors  and 
those  with  whom  he  is  accustomed  to  mingle. 
In  religion  he  is  a  Lutheran,  as  also  his  wife, 
both  being  esteemed  members  of  the  local 
church  with  which  they  are  identified. 

Mr.  Hauptmeyer  was  married  in  1878  to 
Caroline  S..  daughter  of  Henry  and  Justina 
Bod}-,  the  union  resulting  in  the  birth  of 
three  children  :  Henry,  who  married  Bessie 
Wickam,  Irwin  and  Ansil. 

Mr.  Hauptmeyer  is  the  youngest  of  the 
six  children  born  to  his  parents.  The  others 
are  Charlotte,  wife  of  August  Fisher,  a 
farmer  of  Nebraska:  Minnie,  wife  of  Henry 
Briggamen,  of  Cleveland  township;  Rachel, 
wife  of  Fred  Oswald,  died  in  1804;  Caro- 
line died  in  1846;  and  Henry,  who  married 
Minnie  Sievers,  lives  on  the  home  farm. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


691 


PETER  CHAVEY. 

The  family  of  this  name  has  been  identi- 
fied with  Whitley  county  for  over  sixty-two 
years,  Jacob  Chavey  having  settled  in  what 
is  now  Washington  township  as  early  as 
1845.  He  was  a  native  of  France,  but  came 
to  the  United  States  early  in  the  nineteenth 
■century  and  located  at  Buffalo,  New  York, 
where  for  a  period  of  five  years  he  worked 
at  the  carpenter's  trade  in  connection  with 
which  he  was  frequently  employed  to  con- 
struct and  install  mill  machinery,  having 
been  a  skillful  mechanic,  whose  services  were 
in  constant  demand.  On  moving  to  this 
•county  he  turned  his  attention  to  farming 
and  was  thus  engaged  until  his  death  which 
occurred  in  the  year  1884.  Catherine  Petit, 
who  became  the  wife  of  Jacob  Chavey,  was 
born  in  1836  and  departed  this  life  in  Whit- 
ley county  in  1890,  after  rearing  a  family  of 
ten  children,  their  names  being  as  follows : 
A.  F.,  Amelia,  Peter,  Fred,  Mary  E.,  Louise, 
George,  Blanch,  Charles  and  Jacob.  The 
elder  Chavey  was  a  true  type  of  the  nigged 
pioneer  of  the  early  day,  a  man  of  sterling 
nonesty  and  great  industry  and  became  one 
of  the  successful  and  well-to-do  farmers  of 
the  community  in  which  he  lived,  owning  at 
the  time  of  his  death  one  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  of  fine  land,  the  greater  part  of  which 
was  cleared  and  otherwise  well  improved. 

Peter  Chavey,  third  of  his  father's  fam- 
ily, was  born  in  Whitley  county,  Indiana, 
October  6,  1857.  He  was  reared  on  the  farm 
in  Washington  township  adjoining  the  one  on 
which  he  now  resides.  On  attaining  his  ma- 
jority he  engaged  in  agriculture  on  his  own 
responsibility  and  has  given  his  attention  to 
the  same  ever  since,  and  during1  his  entire  life 


has  enjoyed  the  confidence  and  good  will  of 
his  neighbors.  Mr.  Chavey  has  a  fine  farm 
of  eighty  acres,  all  but  ten  of  which  is  in 
cultivation.  His  land  is  well  improved, 
thoroughly  drained,  the  buildings  substan- 
tially constructed  and  every  feature  bears 
witness  to  the  energy,  good  taste  and  enter- 
prising spirit  of  the  owner.  In  1885  Mr. 
Chavey  married  Rose,  daughter  of  Samuel 
and  Sarah  (Miller)  Alton,  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia, who  were  early  settlers  of  Whitley 
county,  the  father  still  living  in  Jefferson 
township.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chavey  have  two 
children :  Mamie  and  Arthur  Fredrick.  Mr. 
Chavey  is  a  Democrat,  but  with  the  exception 
of  constable  has  held  no  public  office.  He 
is  a  quiet,  law-abiding  citizen  who  has  ever 
given  his  influence  to  upbuilding  the  commu- 
nity, being  a  friend  to  all  enterprises  with 
this  object  in  view  and  an  earnest  advocate 
of  whatever  makes  for  the  moral  good  of  his 
fellowmen.  Even-  dollar  which  his  com- 
fortable competence  represents  is  the  result 
of  his  own  labor  and  self-sacrificing  endeav- 
or, consequently  he  is  in  the  best  meaning 
of  the  term  a  self-made  man  and  as  such 
stands  high  in  the  esteem  of  those  with 
whom  he  is  wont  to  mingle. 


THOMAS  EMERY 


A  native  of  Ohio,  but  since  his  early 
childhood  a  resident  of  Whitley  count}-,  is 
one  of  the  prosperous  fanners  of  Washing- 
ton township  and  a  leading  citizen  of  the 
community  in  which  so  much  of  his  life  has 
been  spent.  Henry  and  Catherine  (Beckly) 
Emerv.  his  parents,   were  of  Pennsylvania 


692 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


birth.  They  migrated  to  Ohio  many  years 
ago  and  about  1844  came  to  Whitley  county, 
locating  in  Washington  township,  where  the 
father  purchased  land  and  cleared  a  farm 
mi  which  they  both  spent  the  remainder  of 
their  lives,  both  dying  in  1893.  Henry  and 
Catherine  Emery  were  greatly  esteemed  for 
their  many  amiable  qualities  and  during  their 
long  period  of  residence  in  the  township  of 
Washington  became  widely  known  and  made 
many  warm  friends  among  their  neighbors 
and  associates.  They  had  three  children : 
Sabina,  deceased;  Mary,  wife  of  Henry 
Huffman ;  and  Thomas.  John  Emery, 
grandfather  of  the  subject,  also  became  a 
resident  of  this  county  in  an  early  day  and 
died  in  Huntington  county,  Indiana,  in  1861. 
Thomas  Emery  was  born  July  2,  1842, 
in  Wayne  county,  Ohio,  and  was  brought  to 
Whitley  county,  Indiana,  when  his  parents 
moved  here  in  1844,  since  which  time  his 
home  has  been  in  Washington  township.  He 
was  reared  to  agricultural  pursuits,  attended 
the  country  schools  as  opportunity  afforded 
and  when  old  enough  to  seek  his  own  for- 
tune, turned  his  attention  to  the  cultivation 
of  the  soil,  which  vocation  he  has  since  fol- 
lowed with  satisfactory  results.  He  owns 
a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres  in 
Washington  township,  one  hundred  of 
which  are  in  cultivation  and  in  point  of  im- 
provements the  estate  compares  favorably 
with  any  like  area  of  tillable  land  within 
the  borders  of  Whitley  county.  Mr.  Emery 
has  achieved  marked  success  as  an  up-to- 
date  agriculturist,  being  familiar  with  every 
phase  of  farming  and  cultivating  the  soil  ac- 
cording to  the  most  approved  scientific  meth- 
ods with  the  result  that  he  never  fails  to 
realize  abundant  returns  from  the  labor  ex- 


pended on  his  fields.  He  is  also  enterpris- 
ing and  public  spirited  as  a  citizen,  inter- 
ested in  everything  calculated  to  advance 
the  prosperity  of  the  county  and  an  earnest 
advocate  of  all  measures  that  make  for  the 
social  and  moral  well-being  of  his  fellow- 
men.  He  is  a  pronounced  Democrat,  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Baptist  church  and  his 
fraternal  relations  are  with  Lodge  No.  222, 
Knights  of  Pythias,  in  South  Whitley. 

In  1867  Mr.  Emery  and  Miss  Fannie, 
daughter  of  Henry  and  Margaret  (Shonk) 
Huffman,  were  made  husband  and  wife,  the 
union  being  blessed  with  three  children: 
Henry,  an  employe  of  the  postofnee  in  Hunt- 
ington; Alma,  wife  of  John  E.  Long,  a 
farmer  of  Washington  township;  and  Jay 
Lee,  one  of  the  popular  teachers  of  Whitley 
county,  now  at  the  Valparaiso  Normal. 


AUGUST  LICKE. 


This  representative  farmer  and  worthy 
citizen  is  one  of  eleven  children  born  to 
Christian  and  Hannah  Licke.  Christian 
Licke  came  to  the  United  States  from  Han- 
over. Germany,  when  a  young  man  in  the 
year  1849  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Whit- 
ley county,  Indiana,  where  he  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life,  dying  in  1885.  He  and 
his  wife  were  greatly  esteemed  by  their 
neighbors  and  friends,  and  during  the  fam- 
ily's long  residence  in  the  same  locality  the 
name  has  stood  for  high  character  and  ster- 
ling worth.  August  Licke,  the  second  child, 
was  born  in  Washington  township,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1850,  and  spent  his  youth  on  the- 
family  homestead,   receiving  a   fair  educa- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


693 


tion  in  the  Lutheran  and  public  schools. 
His  early  years  included  the  experiences 
common  to  country  lads,  being  spent  at 
labor  in  the  fields  in  the  summer  months  and 
at  his  books  during  the  winter  seasons,  and 
in  this  way  he  put  in  the  time  until  man- 
hood. On  attaining  his  majority  he  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits,  which  hon- 
orable calling  he  has  since  continued,  being 
at  this  time  one  of  the  largest  and  most  suc- 
cessful farmers  of  the  township  in  which  he 
resides,  owning  two  hundred  and  fifty-six 
acres  of  valuable  land,  of  which  one  hundred 
and  fifty-six  are  tillable  and  highly  im- 
proved. He  has  been  liberal  in  the  expendi- 
ture of  his  means  for  these  improvements, 
having  a  good  modern  residence,  a  large, 
well  equipped  barn,  good  buildings,  fine 
fences,  a  successful  system  of  drainage  and 
other  features  of  a  first  class  farm.  In  con- 
nection with  general  agriculture  he  is  quite 
extensively  engaged  in  the  raising  of  live 
stock,  his  success  in  both  branches  having 
been  such  as  to  place  him  in  comfortable  cir- 
cumstances, being  now  one  of  the  financially 
substantial  men  of  his  township,  besides 
enjoying  prestige  among  its  most  enterpris- 
ing and  progressive  citizens.  Mr.  Licke  was 
married  in  1872  to  Miss  Lizzie,  daughter 
of  Henry  and  Lizzie  (Long)  Kruze,  of 
Whitley  county,  the  union  being  blessed 
with  ten  children :  Satta,  Augusta  (de- 
ceased), William,  Frank,  Harman,  Otto, 
August  (deceased),  Clara,  Eda  and  Irvin. 

Mr.  Licke  votes  with  the  Democratic 
party  and  in  religion  belongs  to  the  German 
Lutheran  church.  He  has  made  all  he  pos- 
sesses, having  always  been  a  hard  worker, 
but  by  judicious  management  he  is  now  in 
a  situation  to  retire  from  active  duties  and 


enjoy  the  well  earned  fruits  of  his  many 
years  of  honorable  toil.  The  names  of  his 
brothers  and  sisters  are  Martin,  Henry, 
Christian,  William,  Minnie,  Caroline,  Han- 
nah, Susan  and  Lizzie,  of  whom  Minnie, 
Hannah  and  Lizzie  are  deceased. 


GEORGE  W.  COX. 


The  prospect  was  not  pleasing  but  the 
outlook  discouraging  to  the  wanderers  from 
the  east,  who  entered  the  young  county  of 
Whitley  as  early  as  the  year  1830.  Its  whole 
surface  was  covered  with  forest  and  to  make 
matters  worse  almost  its  entire  area  was 
more  or  less  marshy.  This  meant  not  only 
years  and  years  of  hard  work  but  the  dread- 
ful "chills  and  fever"  arising  from  the  ma- 
larious climate,  which  in  the  years  to  come 
was  destined  to  slay  prematurely  many  a 
brave  man  and  woman.  Among  those  who 
came  in  and  faced  this  dreary  prospect  at 
the  period  mentioned,  was  a  young  man  of 
Ohio  birth,  but  descended  from  Pennsylva- 
nia parents.  He  entered  a  small  tract  of 
land  in  Columbia  township,  which  at  that 
time  was  unpromising  enough,  but  in  the 
course  of  time  he  whipped  it  into  shape  and 
as  he  prospered  bought  more  and  more  land, 
until  at  the  close  of  his  career  he  owned  a 
fine  estate  of  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres. 
Before  leaving  his  native  home  at  Spring- 
field, Ohio,  he  had  married  Mary  E.  Rob- 
erts, by  whom  he  had  eleven  children,  all 
still  living  but  one. 

George  W.  Cox.  one  of  the  younger  chil- 
dren, was  born  in  Columbia  township,  Whit- 
ley county,  Indiana,  April  II,  18S5.     After 


694 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


his  father's  death,  he  and  his  hrother  inher- 
ited the  land,  of  which  the  homestead,  con- 
sisting of  two  hundred  acres,  is  now  occu- 
pied by  himself.  He  carries  on  general 
farming,  but  makes  a  specialty  of  feeding 
sti  >ck  for  market,  usually  having  about  fifty 
head  of  horses  on  hand  for  this  purpose. 
He  also  raises  sheep,  and  the  Cox  Bros.,  who 
together  own  the  family  estate  of  four  hun- 
dred acres,  do  a  great  deal  of  trading-,  buy- 
ing, feeding  and  selling  various'  kinds  of 
live  stock.  He  has  made  many  improve- 
ments on  his  place,  which  include  eight  hun- 
dred rods  of  tile  ditching  besides  fencing. 

After  reaching  his  majority  Mr.  Cox  mar- 
ried Myrtle  J.  Pugh,  daughter  of  a  farmer 
living  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state.  The 
family  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church 
and  in  politics  Mr.  Cox  usually  votes 
independently. 


FRED  DREYER. 


This  gentleman,  who  is  now  one  of  the 
prosperous  and  successful  fanners  of  Wash- 
ington township,  affords  an  object  lesson  as 
to  the  opportunities  offered  by  this  free  re- 
public to  young  men  of  ambition,  energy  and 
talent.  It  takes  nerve  for  a  boy  to  leave 
home,  cross  three  thousand  miles  of  ocean 
and  begin  the  struggle  for  existence  among 
strangers,  with  limited  education  and  no 
capital  except  that  afforded  by  his  willing- 
ness and  ability  to  work.  Such  a  man  is  he, 
whose  career  in  the  new  world  during  the 
last  half  century,  forms  the  subject  of  these 
brief  biographical  details.  Henry  and  Dora 
Dreyer  were  small  farmers,  who  spent  their 
lives  in  Germany  and  died  there  many  years 


ago.  Fred,  one  of  their  elder  children,  was 
born  in  the  fatherland  December  22,  1838. 
After  reaching  a  rational  age  he  looked 
around  and  concluded  that  his  native  land 
offered  few  inducements  to  one  like  himself 
and  having  heard  much  of  the  United  States 
determined  to  try  his  fortunes  in  that  far- 
off  country.  He  was  "going  on  eighteen" 
when  he  set  sail  and  it  was  well  along  in 
the  year  1856  when  he  landed  on  the  east- 
ern shore,  one  among  many  emigrants- 
bound  on  the  same  mission.  The  German 
boy  managed  to  make  his  way  inland  as 
far  as  Indiana,  but  when  he  reached  Whit- 
ley county  he  had  not  a  cent  in  his  pocket. 
He  set  to  work  bravely,  however,  and  it  was 
not  long  before  he  found  himself  in  better 
circumstances.  He  located  in  Columbia 
township,  and  by  1868  was  able  to  buy  his 
present  place,  which  at  that  time  was  wild 
and  unimproved.  The  main  task  before 
him  was  clearing  off  the  brush  and  timber 
to  make  the  land  suitable  for  cultivation  and 
he  spent  many  weary  days  and  anxious 
nights  before  this  object  was  accomplished. 
For  six  years  he  lived  in  a  rude  cabin,  but 
eventually  built  and  moved  into  the  house 
which  has  been  his  home  for  a  long  time. 
At  present  he  owns  three  hundred  and  sixty- 
eight  acres  of  land  and  all  the  improvements 
on  the  place  were  put  there  by  himself.  He 
has  attempted  no  fancy  farming,  but  con- 
tented himself  with  going  along  in  the 
slower  but  safer  way  of  general  agriculture, 
which  consists  of  raising  the  cereal  crops 
adapted  to  this  section  and  keeping  the 
amount  of  live  stock  justified  by  the  size  and 
products  of  the  place.  He  handles  the  ordi- 
nary grades  of  cattle  and  makes  a  specialty 
of  Duroc  Jersey  hogs. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


695 


In  1866,  Mr.  Dreyer  married  Louise  Ki- 
meyer,  who  died  after  giving  birth  to  one 
child,  August,  now  a  resident  of  Allen 
county,  near  Fort  Wayne.  Mr.  Dreyer 
again  married,  his  second  wife  being  Caro- 
line Licke,  by  whom  he  has  had  nine  chil- 
dren, six  boys  and  three  girls,  all  living.  The 
family  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church 
and  Mr.  Dreyer's  political  affiliations  are 
with  the  Democratic  party. 


FRANK  E.  CON. 


The  family  of  this  name  contributed  ex- 
tensively to  the  development  of  Whitley 
county  agriculture  during  the  formative 
stage  known  as  the  pioneer  period.  This  is 
somewhat  indefinite  both  as  to  its  beginning 
and  ending  but  the  former  dates  from  the 
arrival  of  the  first  settlers,  continues  through 
the  clearing  process  and  may  be  said  to  have 
terminated  about  the  time  of  the  Civil  war, 
when  fanners  were  in  fairly  good  shape  and 
the  worst  was  over  in  the  conquest  of  forest 
and  marsh.  Among  those  who  took  part  in 
the  fight  against  natural  conditions,  when 
the  country  had  but  few  settlers,  was  John 
Cox,  the  founder  of  this  family  name  in 
Whitley  county.  He  was  born  at  Spring- 
field,  Ohio,  of  Pennsylvania  parents  and  re- 
moved to  Indiana  in  1830.  He  settled  in 
Columbia  township  on  a  tract  of  land  pur- 
chased from  the  government  and  being  ener- 
getic and  industrious  had  accumulated  con- 
siderable property  by  the  time  of  his  death. 
After  growing  to  manhood  he  had  married 
Man'  E.  Roberts,  also  of  Pennsylvania  par- 
entage, who  shared  all  his  fortunes  in  the 


western  wilderness  and  bore  him  eleven 
children,  all  of  whom  but  one  are  still  liv- 
ing. When  the  estate  was  settled  it  was 
found  to  consist  of  four  hundred  acres  of 
land  lying  partly  in  Washington  and  partly 
in  Columbia  township,  which  is  now  held 
by  the  sons  jointly,  who  operate  it  under 
the  name  of  Cox  Brothers. 

Frank  E.  Cox,  one  of  the  younger  chil- 
dren and  a  member  of  the  firm,  was  born 
in  Columbia  township,  Whitley  county,  In- 
diana, in  1872.  After  the  father's  death 
he  settled  in  Washington  township  and  has 
been  engaged  some  years  in  general  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising.  He  also  deals  in 
horses  and  hogs,  buying  and  shipping  in  re- 
sponse to  the  market  demands.  He  handles 
only  the  best  grade  of  hogs  and  mostly 
horses  of  the  heavy  draft  quality.  He  is 
regarded  as  one  of  the  successful  young 
farmers  and  lives  in  a  comfortable  home  one 
mile  south  of  Peabody.  In  1902  Mr.  Cox 
was  married  to  Miss  Lillie,  daughter  of 
Frank  and  Mariah  (Stoner)  Smith,  and  they 
have  three  children,  Ruth,  Esther  and 
Forest. 


GEORGE   KNELLER. 

Among  the  German  emigrants  contrib- 
uted to  this  country  during  the  early  years  of 
the  nineteenth  century  was  a  poor  but  in- 
dustrious young  man  by  the  name  of  Gotlieb 
Kneller.  He  was  fairly  well  educated  be- 
fore leaving  the  fatherland  and  entered  upon 
his  career  in  the  new  world  with  the  per- 
sistent patience  and  unconquerable  ambition 
characteristic  of  his  race.  In  due  time,  he 
found  himself  "up  against"  the  serious  prop- 
osition of  making  a  living  in  a  new  country. 


696 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


He  worked  as  a  laborer  in  Ohio  for  a  few- 
years  but  hearing'  much  of  the  new  state  of 
Indiana,  he  concluded  to  try  his  fortunes 
there  and  joined  the  rush  to  the  northeast, 
when  all  that  section  was  still  wrapped  in 
primeval  wilderness.  He  settled  first  in 
Noble  county,  where  he  farmed  for  some 
years,  and  afterward  moved  over  into  the 
neighboring  county  of  Whitley.  He  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  land  from  Fred 
Dreyer  and  another  piece  of  forty-seven 
acres,  all  in  Washington  township,  which 
he  spent  the  rest  of  his  days  in  improving 
and  fanning,  his  death  occurring  in  1882. 
In  early  manhood  he  married  Catherine 
Lethers,  also  a  native  of  Germany,  by  whom 
he  had  eleven  children,  eight  of  whom  are 
still  living.  The  mother  at  present  is  a 
resident  of  Columbia  City. 

George  Kneller,  one  of  the  surviving 
sons  of  this  worthy  German  couple,  was 
born  in  Green  township,  Noble  countv,  In- 
diana, January  16,  1856.  He  was  eleven 
years  old  when  his  parents  settled  in  Wash- 
ington  township  and  has  spent  all  of  his  sub- 
sequent life  in  the  same  locality.  Starting 
with  his  small  patrimony  he  has  added  to 
hi-  possessions  until  at  present  he  owns  one 
hundred  and  five  acres,  nearly  all  of  which  is 
under  cultivation.  He  has  marie  all  the 
necessary  improvements  in  the  shape  of  bam 
and  other  outbuildings,  besides  the  usual 
amount  of  fencing  and  ditching,  until  the 
property  has  become  valuable  and  produc- 
tive. Mi-  lives  in  a  comfortable  residence, 
erected  under  his  own  supervision,  and  car- 
ries on  general  farming  witli  success  and 
profit,  lie  has  Durham  cattle,  crossed  with 
Herefords,  and  keeps  a  good  line  of  Dunn- 
Jersey  and   Poland-China  hogs.     He  is  re- 


garded as  one  of  the  successful  farmers  and 
does  his  full  share  in  keeping  up  the  agri- 
cultural reputation  of  Whitley  county.  He 
deserves  the  credit  of  being  a  self-made  man, 
as  all  he  has  is  due  to  his  own  industry  and 
good  management.  Mr.  Kneller  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Democratic  party,  but  has  never 
been  a  seeker  after  office,  being  too  busy 
with  his  own  affairs  to  be  much  of  a  poli- 
tician. 

In  1 88 1  Mr.  Kneller  married  Rebecca 
Auer,  who  was  born  in  Washington  town- 
ship, Whitley  county,  daughter  of  Michael 
and  Mary  Smith,  the  father  a  native  of  Ger- 
many and  the  mother  from  Ohio,  early  set- 
tlers of  Whitley  county,  now  both  dead. 
Mr.  Kneller  and  wife  have  had  four  chil- 
dren, all  boys:  Charles  F.,  John  M.,  Joseph 
H.  and  Sherman  L. 


RUFUS  W.  BURNS. 

The  family  of  this  name  in  Whitley 
county  is  descended  from  Abraham  and 
Hannah  Burns,  who  were  residents  of  Utica, 
New  York,  during  the  earlier  years  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  John  Burns,  one  of  their 
sons,  was  horn  at  the  paternal  home  in  [8]  ] 
and  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  place. 
August  28,  1836,  he  married  Mary  E., 
daughter  if  William  and  Louisa  (Howe) 
Letson,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Orleans 
county,  New  York,  September  29,  [820. 
Xext  year  after  marrying  John  Burns  came 
with  his  bride  to  Whitley  county,  bought 
eighty  acres  of  wild  land  in  Richland  town- 
ship and  joined  the  rest  of  the  early  pioneers 
in  tlu-  desperate  struggle  against  the  marshes 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


697 


and  forests  of  this  primeval  wilderness.  In 
after  years  he  told  of  his  poverty  and  hard- 
ships, recalling  that  on  arrival  he  had  only 
twenty-five  cents  left  in  his  pocket,  which  he 
spent  in  sending  a  letter  to  the  old  folks  at 
home.  After  many  years  of  hard  work,  he 
succeeded  in  converting  his  land  into  a  re- 
spectable farm,  assisted  in  laying  out  the 
main  roads  of  the  county  and  eventually  be- 
came a  well-to-do  farmer.  Meantime,  be- 
fore his  death  in  1898.  a  large  family  came 
to  cheer  his  household,  whose  names  thus 
appear  in  the  family  records :  Julia,  Lavina. 
Mary  (deceased),  Mariah,  Jane,  Ellen  (de- 
ceased), Hannah,  Justice,  Abraham  (de- 
ceased), Rufus  W.  and  John  S.  (deceased). 

Rufus  W.  Burns,  the  tenth  in  the  above 
list,  was  born  at  the  old  homestead  in  Rich- 
land township,  Whitley  county,  Indiana,  Jan- 
uary 22,  1 85 1.  He  grew  up  as  a  farmer's 
boy,  did  all  kinds  of  work  incident  to  such 
a  life  and  has  spent  most  of  his  years  in 
and  near  his  native  township.  His  occupa- 
tion as  a  farmer  was  varied  by  one  term  of 
school  teaching  and  a  short  time  spent  as  a 
•clerk  in  a  store  at  Larwill.  He  was  also  en- 
gaged awhile  in  the  railroad  ticket  office  of 
this  town,  but  in  the  main  his  whole  ac- 
tive career  has  been  devoted  to  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  owned  and  improved  a  farm 
in  Richland  township  and  in  1902  purchased 
the  eighty  acres  in  Thorncreek  township, 
three  and  one-half  miles  north  of  Columbia 
City,  which  constitute  his  present  home. 
This  is  known  as  the  Parkinson  farm  and 
homestead.  He  is  a  quiet,  industrious  farm- 
er, a  good  citizen  and  esteemed  neighbor. 

June  3,  1875,  Mr.  Burns  married  Sarah 
C  Beard,  who  was  born  in  Richland  town- 
ship,  July   22,    1858.      Samuel    and    Polly 


(Ensley)  Beard,  parents  of  Mrs.  Burns,  both 
natives  of  Ohio,  came  to  Whitley  county  in 
1843,  bought  and  cleared  a  farm  in  Richland 
township  and  lived  there  until  the  father's 
death  in  1863.  After  that  event  the  widow 
married  Jonathan  Sattison,  now  also  dead, 
but  the  former  is  a  resident  of  Columbia 
City.  By  her  first  marriage  she  had  seven 
children:  Virgil,  Mariah  J.,  Louisa.  Roxie, 
Sarah  C,  Martha  (deceased)  and  Rhoda.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Burns  have  had  six  children  :  El- 
gia,  a  farmer  near  Leon  Lake :  Mabel,  wife 
of  Jacob  Lawrence,  of  Thorncreek  township ; 
Florence  E.,  a  teacher  in  Thorncreek  town- 
ship; Carl,  a  student  at  Valparaiso;  Earl  L. 
and  Velma.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burns  are  mem- 
bers of  Thorncreek  Grange  and  attend  serv- 
ices at  the  Christian  church. 


WILLIAM  SELL. 


Some  time  in  the  thirties  Henry  B.  Sell, 
of  Pennsylvania,  married  Nancy  Eberhard. 
of  Maryland,  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Stark 
county,  Ohio,  which  they  spent  several  years 
in  cultivating.  In  1842  they  came  to  Indi- 
ana, spent  one  year  in  Wabash  and  then  re- 
moved to  Whitley  county,  where  they  se- 
cured a  location  in  Columbia  township.  It 
was  the  same  old  story  of  the  log  cabin,  the 
grubbing,  the  clearing  and  all  the  other 
hardships  incident  to  the  pioneer  period. 
Eventually  the  old  folks,  after  reaching  ad- 
vanced ages,  paid  the  inevitable  debt  of  na- 
ture after  rearing  a  family  of  six  children, 
whose  names  were  Catherine,  Henry.  Wil- 
liam. Solomon.  Elizabeth  and  George. 

William  Sell,  third  of  these  children,  was 


I  „  ,.x 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


born  in  Stark  county,  Ohio,  August  2,  1837, 
and  hence  was  five  years  old  when  his  par- 
ents came  to  Indiana.  As  he  grew  up  he 
helped  to  clear  the  farm  and  became  a  man 
of  influence,  as  is  shown  by  his  election  at 
one  time  as  trustee  of  Columbia  township. 
I  le  became  owner  of  a  farm  in  that  township 
but,  while  still  retaining  its  management, 
was  engaged  for  twenty  years  in  the  agri- 
cultural implement  business  at  Columbia  City. 
Eventually  he  sold  his  farm  and  purchased 
another  place  of  eighty  acres  in  Thorncreek 
township.  During  a  long  and  blameless  life 
he  achieved  the  reputation  of  being  an  hon- 
est man.  as  well  as  a  good  husband  and  fa- 
ther. His  death  occurred  June  3,  1906,  and 
his  remains  were  laid  away  in  the  Eberhard 
cemetery  at  Columbia  City. 

September  2.  i860,  Mr.  Sell  married 
Martha  Jane  Ridenour,  who  was  horn  May 
16.  1 84 1.  Her  parents.  Andrew  and  Mar- 
garet (Reitle)  Ridenour,  were  Pennsylvan- 
ians  who  came  to  Whitley  county  in  1856, 
settled  on  a  farm  in  Cleveland  township  and 
there  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives. 
They  had  eight  children  :  Martha  Jane,  Mil- 
ton. Lavina  (deceased-).  Margaret,  Anna. 
Henry,  John  (deceased)  and  Mary.  Mrs. 
Sell  died  September  16,  187 1.  after  -becom- 
ing the  mother  of  seven  children:  Benja- 
min F.,  Henry  J..  William  J..  Catharine. 
Miladore,  Theodore  and  Charles  (deceased). 
January  1,  1872,  Mr.  Sells  married  Anna 
Ridenour,  his  deceased  wife's  sister,  by 
whom  he  had  seven  children:  ('ova,  wife 
of  Elmer  Johnson,  of  Elkhart  county;  Os- 
car, deceased  al  nineteen :  Isaac,  resident  of 
Columbia  township;  Fanny  and  John,  de- 
ceased in  childhood;  Arthur  and  Bertha,  still 
at  the  parental  home.     Two  children  died  in 


infancy.  The  family  are  members  of  the 
Christian  church.  At  present,  the  widow  re- 
sides on  the  home  farm  in  Thorncreek  town- 
ship. Mr.  Sell  was  a  Democrat  and  belonged 
to  the  Knights  of  Pvthias. 


JOSIAH  HAYNES. 

The  early  settlers  of  Whitley  county  were 
almost  invariably  poor  men  and  unable  to 
purchase  large  tracts  of  land,  usually  taking 
quarter  sections  or  less.  Sometimes,  how- 
ever, a  man  with  a  speculative  turn  would 
enter  several  hundred  acres  in  a  body  and 
this  was  the  case  with  Peter  Haynes,  when 
in  1845  ne  came  to  Thorncreek  township. 
Before  leaving  his  home  in  Ohio  he  had 
married  Susannah  Hudlow,  but  a  few  years 
after  reaching  this  section  his  career  was  cut 
short  by  death  and  the  business  of  managing 
the  farm  fell  upon  the  widow.  She  was  a 
genuine  pioneer  woman  and  proved  equal  to 
the  difficult  task  imposed  upon  her.  with  the 
result  that  most  of  the  land  originally  pur- 
chased by  her  husband  is  still  owned  by  the 
descendants.  This  good  woman,  who  was 
an  exemplar}-  member  of  the  Methodist 
church,  closed  her  eyes  on  the  world  in  1872, 
after  having  reared  a  family  of  nine  children  : 
John.  Peter.  Jacob,  Eli.  Benjamin.  Barbara, 
Elizabeth,  David  and  Josiah,  all  of  whom 
are  deceased. 

Josiah  Haynes,  youngest  of  this  family, 
was  born  in  Preble  county.  Ohio.  May  tt. 
1837,  and  hence  was  about  six  years  old 
when  his  parents  settled  in  Whitley  county. 
His  father  dying  when  he  was  but  a  lad. 
he  assisted  his  mother  in  the  management 
of  the  farm  and  when  of  age  inherited  a  part 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


699 


of  the  original  large  tract  of  land  entered  by 
his  father.  He  was  a  man  of  kindly  dispo- 
sition, fond  of  hunting  and  other  outdoor 
sports  and  esteemed  as  a  congenial  compan- 
ion. He  was  successful  in  his  business  and 
at  his  death,  which  occurred  November  20, 
1884.  owned  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
thirty-two  acres,  three  miles  north  of  Colum- 
bia City.  In  1859  he  married  Margaret  C 
Engle.  who  was  born  in  Stark  county,  Ohio, 
March  16,  1840.  Her  parents,  John  and 
Rachel  (Forsythe)  Engle,  came  from  Ohio 
to  Whitley  county  in  1841,  when  this  whole 
region  was  covered  with  timber  and  only  two 
or  three  houses  marked  the  beginning  of  the 
future  Columbia  City.  They  located  on  a 
farm  in  Thorncreek  township,  built  a  log 
cabin  in  the  woods  and  entered  upon  the  ca- 
reer incident  to  all  the  pioneers  of  this  period. 
The  father  died  in  1846  and  the  hard  work 
of  clearing  fell  upon  the  girls  and  one  son, 
under  the  supervision  of  their  mother.  The 
latter  died  in  1872,  after  completing  her  ar- 
duous undertaking  with  satisfactory  results 
and  meantime  rearing  to  maturity  a  family 
of  seven  children.  These  by  name  in  order 
of  birth  were  Mary,  Sarah,  Nancy.  Martha, 
Rachael  Ann,  Margaret  and  David,  all  now 
dead  except  Margaret  and  David.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Josiah  Haynes  had  three  children  :  Ada, 
who  died  in  childhood;  Sherman  and  Wil- 
liam. After  their  marriage,  the  parents  re- 
moved to  the  farm  now  owned  and  occupied 
by  Mrs.  Haynes.  Her  two  sons  remain 
with  her  and  assist  in  the  work  and  general 
management  of  the  place.  Sherman  was 
born  in  1866  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
successful  farmers  of  the  community.  Both 
sons,  like  their  father,  are  Democrats  but 
have  no  desire  to  serve  the  public. 


VIRGIL  HYRE. 

Thorncreek  township  has  110  neater  farm 
than  a  certain  eighty  acres  in  section  28. 
Everything  about  the  premises  indicates  that 
a  good  fanner  is  in  charge.  The  house  is 
comfortable  and  kept  newly  painted ;  the  barn 
is  large  and  commodious ;  the  lawn  is  clean, 
the  garden  well  laid  out.  the  fencing  kept  in 
repair  and  the  whole  surroundings  indicate 
the  plenty  and  prosperity  that  come  from  in- 
dustry and  good  management.  Virgil  Hyre, 
who  owns  this  place,  was  born  not  many 
miles  from  it.  May  30,  1861.  His  parents, 
Joseph  and  Jane  (Gnegy)  Hyre,  were  old 
settlers  of  Whitley  county,  coming  as  did 
most  of  the  pioneers  in  this  region  from  the 
state  of  Ohio.  Virgil  grew  up  on  the  farm' 
and  did  his  share  of  the  labor  until  of  age, 
when  he  took  charge  of  the  place  and  man- 
aged it  until  1892.  In  that  year  he  re- 
moved to  his  present  farm,  which  he  has  been 
engaged  in  cultivating  ever  since,  but  in  ad- 
dition to  this  he  is  part  owner  with  his 
brother  of  a  place  of  fifty  acres  in  the  same 
township.  He  carries  on  general  fanning, 
keeps  a  good  line  of  stock  and  in  every  way 
is  found  fully  abreast  of  the  profession  which 
is  bringing  Whitley  county  to  the  front  as 
an  agricultural  section.  Though  not  a  large 
place.  Mr.  Hyre  has  so  managed  it  as  to  ob- 
tain recognition  as  one  of  the  model  farmers 
of  Thorncreek  township.  His  whole  life  has 
been  spent  on  a  farm,  he  likes  the  business, 
understands  all  of  its  details  and  has  made  a 
creditable  success  in  the  prosecution  of  his 
affairs. 

In  1R82,  Mr.  Hvre  married  Emma, 
daughter  of  Peter  and  Sarah  (Engle)' 
Havnes.    earlv    settlers    of   Whitley    county 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


from  Ohio.  Besides  Mrs.  Hyre,  who  is  the 
youngest,  her  parents  had  three  other  chil- 
dren. Rachel,  Josiah  and  Alary.  Air.  and 
Mrs.  Hyre  have  two  children :  Sadie,  the 
eldest,  is  the  wife  of  H.  F.  Egolf,  who  oper- 
ates the  farm  in  connection  with  his  father- 
in-law.  They  have  one  child.  Frances  Car- 
rie, the  second  daughter,  married  William 
Crone,  of  Smith  township,  and  has  one  child, 
Martin  Kinnet.  Air.  Hyre  is  a  Republican 
in  politics  but  wastes  no  time  trying  to  get 
an  office.     Airs.  Hvre  is  a  member  of  the 


ness  ability.  She  lived  to  the  age  of  eighty- 
three  years,  and  was  active  to  the  last,  being 
engaged  during  the  latter  part  of  her  life  as 
manager  of  a  boarding  house.  This  Cana- 
dian couple  had  nine  children,  of  whom  seven 
are  living.  D.  C.  Fisher,  one  of  the  sur- 
vivors, was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Ohio, 
January  29,  1839.  He  grew  up  on  his  fa- 
ther's farm  and  was  beginning  his  twenty- 
first  year  when  the  opening  of  the  Civil  war 
made  its  irresistible  appeal  to  all  young  patri- 
ots.    In  April,   1861,  shortly  after  the  first 


Alethodist  Episcopal  church,  and  there  is  no  -  gun  was  fired  at  Fort  Sumter,  he  enlisted  in 


family  in  Thorncreek  township  that  enjoys 
more  general  respect. 


D.  C.  FISHER. 


In  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury, before  the  days  of  steamboats,  a  cer- 
tain Captain  Fisher  was  in  the  habit  of  mak- 
ing voyages  from  England  to  the  countries 
of  the  west.  On  one  of  his  voyages  in  181G 
In-  was  accompanied  by  his  son,  a  bright  lad 
of  twelve  years,  who  was  born  near  London 
in  iSn;.  This  youth,  whose  name  was  Wil- 
liam Fisher,  subsequently  settled  in  Canada. 
where  be  lived  until  183R  and  then  came  to 
Wayne  county,  Ohio,  where  he  earned  his 
livelihood  by  farming.  In  [859,  he  removed 
in  Miami  county,  Indiana,  where  ho  resumed 
farming- anil  continued  in  this  business  with 
success  until  his  death  in  [870.  Before 
('inning  tn  this  country,  he  was  married  in 
Canada  t"  Charlotte  Draper,  burn  near  To- 
ronto in  [813.  She  was  a  remarkable  wo- 
man in  many  ways,  being  noted  for  her 
•strength  of  character,  her  energy  and  busi- 


Company  C,  Seventh  Regiment,  Ohio  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  with  which  he  served  five 
months.  In  1862,  he  re-enlisted  in  Company 
F,  Eighty-seventh  Regiment,  Indiana  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  with  which  he  remained  un- 
til the  conclusion  of  hostilities.  He  took 
part  in  the  battles  of  Crab  Orchard.  Stone 
River,  Nashville,  Alurfreesboro,  Chicka- 
mauga,  Alissionary  Ridge  and  innumerable 
skirmishes  and  smaller  engagements.  His 
military  career  as  a  meml>er  of  the  famous 
Army  of  the  Cumberland  was  wound  up  as 
one  of  the  host  who  accompanied  Sherman 
on  his  dash  to  the  sea  during  the  memorable 
winter  of  1S64-5.  Then,  after  the  surren- 
der of  Johnston  ended  the  confederacy,  Air. 
Fisher  had  the  pleasure  of  taking  part  in 
the  grand  review  of  the  armies  at  Washing- 
ton and  received  his  discharge  July  7.  1865. 
After  the  war  Air.  Fisher  settled  in  Whitley 
county  and  resumed  his  old  work  of  farm- 
ing. In  the  course  of  time  he  was  able  to 
buy  forty  acres  of  land  inWashington  town- 
ship, to  which  lie  added  until  his  holdings 
now  amount  to  one  hundred  and  s'ixty-five 
acres.  He  has  greatly  improved  his  place 
since  taking  possession  in  1877  and  now  has 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


a  fine  brick  house  of  ten  rooms,  a  barn  forty 
by  ninety,  to  say  nothing  of  the  cost  and 
labor  of  the  fencing,  ditching  and  other 
things  incident  to  building  up  a  modern  farm. 
He  raises  shorthorn  cattle,  Chester  White 
and  Poland  China  hogs  and  Norman  horses. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  has  held 
no  office  aside  from  serving  on  the  board  of 
elections. 

In  1862  Mr.  Fisher  married  Phoebe  E., 
daughter  of  James  and  Elmira  (Lockwood) 
Thompson,  early  settlers  of  Indiana  from 
Virginia.  In  1880  he  was  married  a  second 
time  to  Lucy  A.,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Lou- 
isa Crim,  both  of  Preble  county,  Ohio.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Fisher  have  two  boys,  Frank  and 
Jacob,  who  are  in  business  at  Rochester, 
Indiana. 


GEORGE  W.  LAIRD. 

George  W.  Laird,  a  well  known  farmer 
and  successful  school  teacher  of  Thorncreek 
township,  is  the  son  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth 
(Magley)  Laird,  the  former  of  whom  was 
born  about  1816  and  died  in  1868  on  the 
farm  now  occupied  by  the  family.  He  came 
to  Whitley  county  about  1857  and  here 
bought  eighty  acres  of  wild  land,  which  he 
soon  improved  and  developed  into  the  fine 
farm  now  owned  by  his  family.  Elizabeth 
(Magley)  Laird  was  a  native  of  the  Canton 
of  Berne,  Switzerland,  and  came  to  America 
with  her  parents,  settling  in  Fairfield  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  and  later  removing  to  Whitley 
county,  where  she  has  passed  her  life.  There 
were  five  children  :  George  W.,  Eliza  A.. 
Margaret,  John  F..  deceased  at  twenty-five; 
and  Mary.   Being  left  with  five  children,  the 


eldest  but  ten,  she  realized  to  the  full  the 
meaning  of  hard  work,  but  with  a  grim  de- 
termination she  succeeded  in  rearing  her 
children  and  gave  them  more  than  ordinary 
education  so  that  two  were  competent  and 
successful  teachers.  Margaret,  the  wife  of 
Isaiah  Brown,  of  Chetopah,  Kansas,  taught 
in  the  country  for  eight  or  ten  years.  Eliza 
and  Mary  have  remained  with  their  mother. 
The  paternal  grandparents  were  William 
and  Elizabeth  (Flory)  Laird,  the  former  of 
whom  followed  agricultural  pursuits  all  his 
life  and  died  in  Stark  county,  Ohio,  about 
1826. 

George  W.  Laird  was  born  on  his  present 
homestead  in  Thorncreek  township,  Whit- 
ley county,  Indiana,  February  17,  1858. 
When  but  seventeen  years  of  age  he  began 
teaching  and  with  the  exception  of  foui 
years,  during  which  he  served  as  trustee  and 
one  year  spent  at  Valparaiso,  he  has  taught 
all  his  life  in  Whitley  county.  Mr.  Laird 
lends  his  support  to  the  Democratic  party  and 
at  all  times  takes  a  deep  interest  in  the  wel- 
fare of  the  community.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  Patrons  of 
Husbandry.  He  is  unmarried  and  resides  on 
the  old  homestead  with  his  mother  and  sis- 
ters. The  mother  is  a  member  of  the  Evan- 
gelical church.  Mr.  Laird  is  an  honest, 
straightforward  man  in  all  of  his  dealings, 
conscientious  in  his  work  as  a  farmer  and  ed- 
ucator and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  this  brief 
svnopsis  of  his  life  and  tribute  to  his  worth 
as  a  factor  in  the  affairs  of  Whitley  county 
is  given  a  place  in  this  volume.  Mr.  Laird's 
home,  four  miles  north  of  Columbia  City,  is 
an  attractive  one  and  is  in  the  center  of  an 
active,  intelligent  neighborhood  and.  besides 
participation  in  church  and  Sunday  school. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Mr.  Laird,  assisted  by  his  sister,  enjoys  ten- 
dering the  hospitality  of  the  home  to  the 
numerous  neighbors  and  friends.  Possessing 
a  well  cultivated  tenor  voice.  Mr.  Laird  takes 
pleasure  in  the  study  and  practice  of  both 
vocal  and  instrumental  music.  Well  read 
and  carefully  informed  he  enjoys  friendly 
social  discussion  on  the  important  questions 
affecting  public  or  religious  life. 


DENNIS  WALTER. 


Dennis  Walter,  a  prominent  farmer  and 
early  pioneer  of  Thorncreek  township,  Whit- 
ley county,  Indiana,  is  the  son  of  Francis 
Valentine  and  Monica  (Harmbaugh)  Wal- 
ter, natives  of  Germany.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  1825  and  ten  years  later  came  to 
Huron  county.  Ohio,  and  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  wild  land  which  the  father  cleared 
and  put  into  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  liv- 
ing there  the  remainder  of  his  life.  This 
union  was  blessed  with  six  children,  five 
boys  and  one  girl:  Frederick,  who  lives  in 
Mansfield,  Ohio;  Joseph,  who  lives  on  the 
old  homestead  in  Huron  county;  John,  who 
went  west  early  in  life  and  has  not  been 
heard  of  since;  William,  deceased;  Dennis, 
the  subject  ;  Mary,  who  is  the  widow  of 
Lewis  Strouse,  a  resident  of  Bismarck, 
North  Dakota. 

Dennis  Walter  was  horn  in  Huron  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  January  15.  [834,  reared  under  the 
parental  roof  and  received  such  education  as 
was  afforded  by  the  schools  of  his  neighbor- 
hood. At  the  age  of  nineteen  years  he  took 
Up  life's  activities  on  his  own  account  and 
began  clerking  in  a  store.      lie  followed  this 


vocation  for  two  years  and  then  returned  to 
farm  life.  In  1855  he  started  to  California, 
but  owing  to  some  trouble  was  compelled  to 
turn  hack  and  came  to  Ohio  and  assisted  it 
the  operation  of  his  father's  farm.  In  1858 
he  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  business  with 
his  brother-in-law  at  Monroeville,  Ohio,  and 
after  three  years  of  very  pleasant  business 
dealings  he  disposed  of  his  interest  and  be- 
gan clerking  in  a  distillery.  After  holding 
this  position  for  one  vear,  he  went  on  the 
road  as  traveling  salesman,  but  in  1863  re- 
signed and  came  to  Columbia  City,  where 
he  bought  a  half  interest  in  a  distillery  own- 
ed by  his  brother.  Becoming  dissatisfied 
with  this  business  he  purchased  his  present 
farm  of  eighty  acres,  thirty-five  of  which 
was  under  cultivation,  and  there  he  is  still 
living.  In  place  of  the  log  cabin  which  was 
on  the  farm  when  it  came  into  his  possession, 
he  has  erected  an  elegant  twelve-room  house, 
under  which  is  a  large  and  convenient  cellar, 
and  has  made  other  improvements  on  the 
place  in  the  way  of  drainage,  g'ood  fences,  a 
large  barn  and  several  outbuildings.  In 
about  1859  he  was  joined  in  wedlock  with 
Mary  Ann  Carabin.  who  was  born  in  Huron 
county,  Ohio.  April  14,  1836.  and  they  are 
the  parents  of  ten  children  :  Edward  D.  and 
Jerome,  who  are  living  in  Republic,  Wash- 
ington; Alfred  L..  who  lives  in  St.  Joseph. 
Michigan ;  Frederick,  who  is  a  resident  of 
Chicago;  Matilda,  who  is  known  as  Sister 
Gregory  in  the  Catholic  church;  Lydia,  who 
is  the  wife  of  Ferdinand  Eich,  a  resident  of 
Plymouth :  Nettie,  who  is  the  wife  of  Charles 
West,  a  resident  of  Chicago;  Cornelia,  liv- 
ing at  home;  Julia,  living  at  Plymouth,  this 
state:  Cecelia,  a  resident  of  Chicago.  The 
subject's  political  allegiance  has  always  been 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


703 


given  to  the  Democratic  party.  He  has  serv- 
ed as  land  appraiser  and  assessor  and  is  deep- 
ly interested  in  everything  pertaining  to  the 
welfare  and  progress  of  the  community. 
The  entire  family  are  members  of  the  Cath- 
olic church  and  their  friends  and  neighbors 
speak  of  them  in  terms  of  praise  and  high 
regard.  Mr.  Walter  is  now  about  seventy- 
two  years  of  age  and  in  the  evening  of  life  is 
enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil,  hav- 
ing gained  a  comfortable  competence  by 
his  perseverance,  industry  and  capable 
manasrement. 


NATHAN  ROBERTS. 

This  prosperous  farmer  and  public-spirit- 
ed man  of  affairs  is  a  native  of  Holmes 
county,  Ohio,  but  since  his  youth  has  been  a 
resident  of  the  Hoosier  state,  his  life  being 
closely  identified  with  the  progress  of  Whit- 
ley county.  His  paternal  grandfather  was 
a  Virginian  by  birth,  but  left  the  state  of  his 
nativity  many  years  ago  and  went  to  Han- 
cock county,  Illinois,  thence  after  a  six  years' 
residence  moved  his  family  to  Indiana, 
where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life. 
Nathan  Poison,  the  subject's  maternal  grand- 
father, was  a  native  of  Germany  but  early 
emigrated  to  America,  where  he  reared  his 
family,  only  one  member  of  which  is  now 
living,  Mrs.  Deborah  Crawford,  who  with 
her  husband  and  two  children  resides  in  the 
state  of  Missouri.  George  Roberts,  father 
of  Nathan,  was  born  in  Ohio  and  spent  his 
early  life  in  that  state,  learning  while  still 
young  the  tanner's  trade.  Later  he  came  to 
Indiana,  where  he  spent  two  years  at  vari- 


ous kinds  of  employment  and  then  made  a 
tour  of  observation  through  several  of  the 
western  states,  with  the  object  of  finding  a 
suitable  location.  After  a  residence  of  six 
years  in  Illinois  he  returned  to  Indiana  and 
purchased  a  farm  in  Whitley  county  about 
one  mile  south  of  Columbia  City,  to  the 
improvement  and  cultivation  of  which  he  de- 
voted the  remainder  of  his  days,  departing 
this  life  August  22,  1901.  George  Roberts 
was  a  man  of  intelligence  and  exercised  ben- 
eficial influence  on  all  with  whom  he  came 
in  contact.  For  many  years  a  zealous  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  his 
life,  ever  in  harmony  with  the  faith  he  pos- 
sessed, was  marked  by  the  many  unselfish 
acts  of  kindness  and  charity  which  enter  into 
the  make-up  of  the  well-rounded,  upright 
Christian  gentleman.  Elizabeth  Poison,  who 
became  his  wife,  was  a  lady  of  excellent 
parts,  devoted  to  her  family  and  church  and 
her  life  was  a  long'  round  of  duty,  faith- 
fully and  uncomplainingly  performed.  She 
bore  the  following  children  :  Nathan,  Mar- 
garet, William  and  Wilson,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; Mary  Elizabeth,  wife  of  John  Hurd, 
of  Columbia  City;  Normanda,  who  married 
Thomas  Miller  and  died  in  1887,  leaving  two 
children :  Sarah  Jane,  now  Mrs.  C.  H.  Or- 
ner. 

Nathan  Roberts  was  born  in  1846  and 
when  a  lad  of  eight  was  brought  by  his  par- 
ents to  Whitley  county,  Indiana.  Later  he 
accompanied  them  in  their  various  travels, 
and  during  that  time  attended  the  schools  of 
the  different  places  where  the  family  was 
temporarily  located.  Returning  to  Whitley 
county,  he  resumed  his  school  work  in  Co- 
lumbia City  and  during  his  vacations  assisted 
in   cultivating  the   farm,   dividing  the   time 


7°4 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


between  study  and  labor  until  arriving  at 
manhood's  estate.  On  attaining  his  major- 
ity he  gave  his  entire  attention  to  the  duties 
of  the  farm  and  was  thus  engaged  with  his 
father  until  his  twenty-ninth  year,  when  he 
married  and  set  up  a  domestic  establishment 
of  his  own,  choosing  for  his  companion  Eliz- 
abeth Nolt,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  the 
0  iunty  of  Whitley. 

Immediately  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Rob- 
erts moved  to  the  farm  in  Columbia  town- 
ship, where  he  has  since  made  his  home  and 
in  due  time  achieved  merited  success  in  his 
chosen  calling,  besides  earning  the  reputation 
which  marks  the  honorable  and  upright  citi- 
zen. The  farm,  which  came  as  a  legacy  to 
Mrs.  Roberts,  consists  of  one  hundred  and 
eighty-six  acres  of  land,  the  greater  part  un- 
der cultivation,  and  in  the  matter  of  improve- 
ments it  easily  ranks  among  the  best  country 
homes  in  the  county,  the  residence,  a  large 
and  commodious  frame  edifice,  being  finely 
finished  and  furnished  and  equipped  with 
modern  conveniences,  while  the  barn  and  out- 
buildings are  in  excellent  condition.  In 
brief,  the  place  is  fully  up  to  date,  lacking 
none  of  the  features  that  constitute  the  com- 
fortable and  attractive  home  of  the  intelli- 
gent, well-to-do  American  countryman  of  to- 
day, while  as  an  agriculturist,  in  full  touch 
wiili  everything  relating  to  the  noble  voca- 
tion to  which  his  time  and  energies  are  be- 
ing applied,  Mr.  Roberts  stands  with  the 
most  advanced  of  his  class  in  this  part  of  In- 
diana. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roberts  are  much  es- 
teemed in  the  community  and  always  take 
a  lively  interest  in  everything  that  tends  to 
advance  the  material,  social  and  moral  in- 
terests of  their  neighbors  and  friends.  They 
have  been  the  parents  of  seven  children.  Four 


of  whom  died  in  infancy :  Allen,  John,  Fan- 
ny, and  one  unnamed.  Adam  is  engaged  in 
cultivating  the  farm  owned  by  his  father, 
and  on  which  the  latter  spent  his  youth  and 
early  manhood.  He  married  Mabel  Lover- 
ing,  of  Boston,  Massachusetts,  and  is  an  en- 
terprising farmer  and  one  of  the  public-spir- 
ited men  of  the  township  in  which  he  lives. 
Harry,  next  in  succession,  is  a  member  of 
the  home  circle  and  his  father's  assistant  in 
running  the  farm.  Ella,  the  youngest  of  the 
family,  who  recently  was  graduated  from  the 
public  schools,  is  still  under  the  parental 
roof.  Mr.  Roberts  is  a  Republican  but  not 
a  partisan,  nor  has  he  ever  aspired  to  public 
position  or  leadership,  having  no  inclina- 
tion in  these  directions. 


HENRY  H.  LAWRENCE. 

A  leading  farmer  and  insurance  promo- 
ter as  well  as  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war, 
Henry  H.  Lawrence  occupies  a  conspicuous 
place  among  the  more  progressive  citizens 
of  Whitley  county.  He  was  born  December 
14,  1841,  in  Wooster,  Wayne  county,  Ohio, 
and  is  the  son  of  John  A.  and  Sarah 
(Rouch)  Lawrence.  He  attended  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  his  native  county  and  at  the 
age  of  nineteen  entered  the  service  of  the 
government,  enlisting  September  21,  1861, 
in  Company  G,  Sixteenth  Ohio  Volunteer 
Infantry,  with  which  he  experienced  the 
fortunes  and  vicissitudes  of  war  for  more 
than  three  years.  Until  his  discharge  in 
November,  1864,  he  shared  all  the  sufferings 
and  perils  of  the  many  campaigns,  including 
some  of  the  most  sans'uinarv  eneae'ements 


EUNICE  M.  LAWRENCE. 


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WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


705 


of  the  war.  He  was  at  Cumberland  Gap 
and  Chickasaw  Bayou  with  Sherman,  later 
proceeding  to  Alexandria  and  Millikens 
Bend  and  on  to  Vicksburg,  in  the  siege  and 
fall  of  which  his  regiment  bore  a  gallant 
part,  holding  Johnston  in  check  at  Black 
river  and  after  the  surrender,  accompanied 
his  command  to  Jackson,  Mississippi,  and  to 
New  Orleans.  He  then  went  to  Indianola 
and  Matagorda  Island,  Texas,  and  back  to 
Louisiana  until  expiration  of  service.  He 
remained  one  year  with  his  father  in  Ohio, 
when  he  joined  his  brothers  George  and 
John,  in  Whitley  county,  where  the  three 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber,  op- 
erating a  saw-mill  on  Mud  Run  during  the 
ensuing'  seven  years  and  meeting  with  grati- 
fying success.  Disposing  of  his  interest  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  forty-six  acres 
of  wild  land  in  Union  township,  where  he 
has  since  lived  and  turning  his  attention, 
to  agriculture  has  followed  the  same  ever 
since,  meanwhile  by  judicious  management 
bringing  his  farm  to  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, besides  erecting  a  fine  modern  dwell- 
ing and  basement  barn  with  necessary  out- 
buildings. His  son,  William  E.,  is  a  partner 
and  the  leading  feature  of  their  business  is 
a  creamery,  milking  a  dozen  cows. 

June  14.  1866,  Mr.  Lawrence  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Eunice  Mowrer,  of 
Wayne  county,  Ohio,  whose  parents  were 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German  de- 
scent. Mrs.  Lawrence  devoted  her  life  to 
the  family,  proving  a  most  excellent  com- 
panion and  helpmate.  Her  death  occurred 
February  22,  1904.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Law- 
rence had  two  children.  William  Eldon 
graduated  at  Purdue  University  and  then 
going  east  spent  ten  years  in  Virginia,  where 

45 


he  erected  and  operated  a  creamery  as  well 
as  becoming  familiar  with  the  growing  and 
handling  of  nursery  stock.  He  there  mar- 
ried Lelia  F.  Fisher,  by  whom  he  has  two 
children,  Bessie  May  and  an  infant.  He  is 
now  devoting  his  energies  to  the  demands 
of  the  homestead,  his  intelligence  and  ex- 
perience producing  most  gratifying  results. 
Thoroughly  imbued  with  advanced  agricul- 
ture he  keeps  in  hearty  co-operation  with 
others  through  the  medium  of  Spring  Run 
Grange.  Elizabeth  May  is  the  wife  of  Al- 
bert G.  Lower  and  the  mother  of  two  chil- 
dren. Mr.  Lawrence  is  a  stalwart  Repub- 
lican and  at  times  has  been  his  party's  can- 
didate for  important  official  positions,  in- 
cluding that  of  representative  and  county 
treasurer,  an  overwhelming  majority  of  the 
opposition,  defeating  him  with  the  rest  of 
the  candidates.  For  nine  years  he  has  been 
president  of  the  Whitley  County  Farmers' 
Fire  Insurance  Association,  of  which  he  was 
an  organizer  and  a  director  for  fourteen 
years.  He  is  its  active  representative  for 
Lnion  township  and  to  him  is  largely  due 
the  growth  of  the  company  and  the  solid 
status  which  it  enjoys.  This  organization 
has  about  three  and  one-half  millions  of 
insurance  at  risk,  all  confined  to  the  farmers 
of  Whitley  county,  the  average  cost  being 
about  one-half  on  the  average  of  that  in 
the  standard  companies.  He  belongs  to 
George  W.  Stough  Post,  No.  181,  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  of  which  he  is  past- 
commander.  He  is  also  identified  with 
Spring  Run  Grange,  Patrons  of  Husbandry 
and  Whitley  County  Pomona  Grange,  of 
which  he  is  lecturer.  Mr.  Lawrence  is  a 
firm  believer  in  revealed  religion  and  with 
his  children  belongs  to  the  English  Evangel- 


706 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,   INDIANA. 


ical  Lutheran  church,  of  Columbia  City. 
with  which  his  wife  also  held  membership. 
He  has  been  superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 

scl 1  and  was  long  a  teacher  in  the  same 

and  for  thirty  years  has  been  a  member  of 
the  ci  >uncil  of  the  church.  He  has  always  been 
deeply  interested  in  agricultural  and  it  was 
through  his  instrumentality  that  the  Farm- 
ers' Institute  of  Whitley  count)-  was  estab- 
lished, of  which  he  was  president  for  four 
years,  and  to  him  in  a  large  measure  must 
be  attributed  its  success.  He  is  alive  to  all 
that  concerns  the  community,  keeping  in 
touch  with  current  events  and  the  trend  of 
modern  thought,  and  in  a  large  degree  is  a 
moulder  and  director  of  opinion  among  his 
friends  and  neighbors  on  matters  of  local 
and  general  interest. 


FLETCHER  GOODRICH. 

The  Goodrich  family  were  among  the 
earliest  of  the  pioneers  of  Whitley  county 
and  the  name  has  been  intimately  associated 
with  the  important  events  in  its  history. 
Fletcher  Goodrich  was  born  on  the  farm 
where  he  now  resides.  April  27,  1850.  and 
is  the  son  of  Price  and  Julia  Ann  (Black) 
Goodrich,  the  latter  a  native  of  New  Jersey 
and  the  former  of  Connecticut.  They  were 
married  in  Delaware  county,  Ohio,  and  pre- 
vious to  1840  came  to  Indiana,  settling  in 
Richland  township  on  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  purchased  of  the  government, 
which  is  now  partially  owned  and  occupied 
by  Fletcher.  This  move  was  made  in  wag- 
ons|in  sixteen  days,  long  enough  to  go  to 
any  foreign  country  with  the  present  travel- 


ing facilities.  They  engaged  in  farming, 
but  Mr.  Goodrich  was  also  a  local  preacher 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  faithful 
and  zealous  in  his  work,  which  he  continued 
over  seventy  years.  He  also  enjoyed  public 
honors,  being  the  third  judge  of  the  probate 
court  of  the  county,  and  served  for  some 
years  as  county  commissioner.  In  addition 
to  his  public  duties,  he  was  energetic  and 
successful  in  business,  being  a  lime-burner,  a 
brick-burner,  brick  and  stone  mason,  plas- 
terer and  building  contractor.  He  built  the 
first  brick  court-houses  both  in  Whitley  and 
Noble  counties,  burnt  the  lime  and  brick  and 
built  in  1849  the  brick  residence  now  owned 
and  occupied  by  his  son.  The  shingles  with 
which  this  house  was  roofed  he  also  shaved 
from  blue  ash.  But  few  men  in  Whitley 
county  or  in  the  state  have  performed  greater 
work  for  the  development  of  the  material, 
educational  and  moral  interests  of  their  com 
munity  than  Price  Goodrich.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  1892  at  the  old  home  where  he  first 
settled  and  that  of  his  wife  followed  the  next 
year.  The  passing  away  of  this  venerable 
couple  cast  a  gloom  over  the  fireside  of  nearly 
every  household  and  "peace  to  their  ashes" 
found  a  responsive  amen  in  every  heart. 
Nine  children  were  born  of  this  union :  Fan- 
ny, now  living  in  Kansas  and  the  widow  of 
John  Marrs :  Silas,  living  in  Thorucreek 
township:  Minerva,  wife  of  Scott  Barber,  of 
Larwill;  Chauncy,  living  in  Wyoming; 
Mary,  deceased :  Martha,  a  resident  of  Lar- 
will;  John  F.,  deceased;  Fletcher;  and  Cal- 
vin, who  died  in  infancy.  Fletcher  was  edu- 
cated in  the  common  schools  of  Richland 
township  and  has  always  lived  on  the  old 
home  farm.  This  now  consists  of  one  hun- 
dred and  tweutv-three  acres  of  well  improved 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


707 


land,  tile  drained  and  well  fenced,  which  by 
intelligent  management  has  been  made  pro- 
ductive. A  specialty  is  made  of  potatoes 
and  a  large  crop  is  grown  each  year,  that  for 
1906  being  one  thousand  seven  hundred 
bushels.  In  1878  he  was  married  to  Mary 
Ann,  daughter  of  James  and  Lydia  Mc- 
Cown,  who  was  torn  in  Hancock  county, 
Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCown  came  to  In- 
diana in  1855,  settling  in  Thorncreek  town- 
ship. The  husband  is  deceased,  but  his  wid- 
ow is  still  living  at  the  old  homestead.  Eight 
of  their  children  reached  maturity,  of  whom 
five  are  living. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Goodrich  are  the  parents 
of  nine  children :  Alice  L.,  wife  of  Amon 
Beard,  living  in  Troy  township:  Frank,  at 
nome;  Alva  and  Charles  Price  died  of  scar- 
let fever  and  were  buried  in  one  grave; 
Erma ;  Leota,  wife  of  Leonard  Foster,  of 
Thorncreek  township;  Chauncy,  Floyd  and 
Frances. 

Mr.  Goodrich  is  a  Democrat  and  has 
served  the  public  faithfully  and  acceptably 
for  nine  years  as  supervisor.  The  family 
take  an  interest  in  all  social  and  public  af- 
fairs in  the  neighborhood  and  are  highly 
esteemed. 


WILLIAM  H.   HAMILTON, 

A  native  of  Whitley  county  and  descend- 
ant of  one  of  its  early  pioneer  fanners,  was 
born  in  Columbia  township,  December  23. 
i860.  His  father  was  Justin  Hamilton,  a 
native  of  New  York,  and  his  mother  was  of 
Pennsylvania  birth,  both  having  been 
brought  to  Indiana  in  childhood.  The 
grandfather.    Rise    C.     Hamilton,   came   to 


Whitley  county  in  the  early  thirties,  being 
among  the  first  permanent  settlers  in  Colum- 
bia township,  where  he  purchased  a  tract  of 
government  land.  Here  he  resided  until 
about  i860,  when  he  retired  with  his  wife  to 
Columbia  City,  where  both  died.  The  father 
of  Kise  C.  Hamilton  was  born  in  New  York 
and  served  with  distinction  in  the  war  of 
1812.  Justin  Hamilton  for  a  number  of 
years  owned  and  cultivated  the  farm  upon 
which  William  H.  now  lives.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  1859  to  Mary  Nolt,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  thirty-two.  leaving  two  children,  be- 
ing followed  in  1863  by  her  husband.  The 
older  of  the  two  children  indicated  is  Wil- 
liam H.,  the  younger  being  Virginia  Eliza- 
beth, who  was  first  married  to  Gabe  Knisley, 
of  Whitley  county,  and  was  later  the  wife 
of  J.  M.  Main,  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war  and 
formerly  a  merchant  of  Columbia  City,  but 
now  living  retired  on  his  farm  near  the  city. 

William  H.  Hamilton  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  agriculture  and  since  beginning  for 
himself  the  duties  of  life  he  has  lived  on  the 
farm  in  Columbia  township,  which  he  now 
owns.  It  is  one  of  the  beautiful  and  attrac- 
tive rural  homes  in  Whitley  county,  the  im- 
provements ranking  with  the  best,  while  the 
fertility  of  the  soil  and  the  advanced  meth- 
ods by  which  it  is  cultivated  bear  testimony 
to  the  progressive  spirit  of  the  proprietor. 
Mr.  Hamilton's  dwelling  is  a  substantial 
edifice,  elegantly  finished  and  furnished  with 
all  modern  conveniences.  He  erected  a  large 
well  built  barn,  one  of  the  best  in  the  town- 
ship, besides  good  outbuildings. 

Mr.  Hamilton  was  married  in  1885  to 
Miss  Matilda  Compton,  whose  grandparents 
came  to  this  county  from  Ohio  in  1837  and 
whose  father.   S.   J.   Compton,   served  with 


70S 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


distinction  during  the  Civil  war  as  a  pri- 
vate in  the  Forty-fourth  Regiment  Indiana 
Infantry.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hamilton  have  no 
children  of  their  own,  but  about  fourteen 
years  ago  they  took  to  their  home  a  little 
orphan  girl,  Leona  Leech,  now  a  teacher  in 
the  Columbia  Citv  schools. 


DANIEL  BAKER. 


Daniel  Baker,  one  of  the  leading  farmers 
and  representative  citizens  of  Washington 
township,  was  born  February  21,  1848,  in 
Whitley  county,  Indiana,  the  third  of  a  fam- 
ily of  five  children,  whose  parents  were  Jo- 
nas and  Maria  (Haines)  Baker.  Jonas  Baker 
was  a  native  of  Stark  county,  Ohio,  where 
he  lived  until  of  legal  age,  when  he  came  to 
Whitley  county,  Indiana,  and  located  in 
what  is  now  Washington  township,  of  which 
he  was  one  of  the  first  permanent  settlers,  his 
arrival  being  some  time  in  the  thirties.  He 
bought  land,  cleared  and  otherwise  improved 
a  good  farm  and  became  a  substantial  and 
praiseworthy  citizen,  dying  on  the  place 
which  he  redeemed  from  the  wilderness  in 
the  year  1892.  His  oldest  child,  a  daughter 
by  the  name  of  Elizabeth,  married  Joseph 
Mullendore,  a  farmer  of  this  county ;  Mary, 
A.,  the  second  in  order  of  birth,  became  the 
wife  of  David  Shoemaker,  and  at  the  pres- 
ent time  lives  on  a  farm  in  the  state  of  Kan- 
sas. Mary  J.  is  deceased,  and  Frank  P.  Ba- 
ker, the  youngest  of  the  family,  lives  on  a 
farm  in  Washington  township  adjoining 
that  of  the  subject.  Jonas  Baker  was  a  man 
of  excellent  parts,  successful  in  his  business 


affairs  and  at  one  time  was  the  owner  of  five 
hundred  acres  of  valuable  real  estate  in  the 
county  of  Whitley.  He  served  several  terms 
as  trustee  of  Washington  township,  was 
keenly  interested  in  all  enterprises  for  the 
benefit  of  the  public  and  stood  high  in  the 
esteem  and  confidence  of  his  fellowmen. 

Daniel  Baker  first  saw  the  light  of  day 
on  the  family  homestead  in  the  township  of 
Washington,  grew  to  maturity  in  close 
touch  with  farm  labor  and  in  the  public 
schools  received  a  fair  English  education. 
He  has  devoted  his  life  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits and  is  now  the  owner  of  a  splendid 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  all  but 
twenty  in  cultivation,  and  his  improvements 
are  among  the  best  in  the  county,  the  land 
being  well  drained,  the  buildings  modern 
and  in  excellent  repair,  everything  on  the 
place  indicating  the  interest  and  progressive 
spirit  of  the  proprietor,  who  has  long  en- 
joyed high  standing  among  the  represena- 
tive  agriculturists  and  stock  raisers  in  this 
part  of  the  state. 

Mr.  Baker  was  married  in  1873  to  Miss 
Dora,  daughter  of  George  Fowler,  of  this 
county,  and  has  a  family  of  eight  children : 
Charles  married  Lettie  Liche  and  is  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits.  Harley  P.  is  also 
a  man  of  family,  his  wife  having  formerly 
been  Lulu  Clarke.  Orpha  is  the  wife  of 
Ottis  Plattner,  one  of  Whitley  county's  suc- 
cessful teachers.  Albert  G.  lives  at  home  and 
assists  in  the  management  of  the  farm.  Cleo 
and  Roy  are  still  members  of  the  home  circle. 
Mr.  Baker  is  a  Democrat,  but  not  a  politi- 
cian in  the  usual  acceptance  of  the  term,  and 
he  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Baptist 
church. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


FRANKLIN  SHILTS. 

Franklin  Shilts,  one  of  the  practical  and 
■esteemed  farmers  of  Thorncreek  township, 
was  born  in  Lorraine,  France,  April  II, 
1839,  and  is  the  son  of  Jacob  and  Margaret 
(Egolff)  Shilts,  also  natives  of  Lorraine. 
They  emig-rated  to  America  in  1846,  settling 
'in  the  coal  region  of  Elk  county,  Pennsyl- 
■vania.  They  remained  here  until  1854,  when 
•they  removed  to  Noble  county,  Indiana,  and 
"in  1865  to  Whitley  county,  where  they 
hought  the  farm  now  owned  and  occupied  by 
Franklin,  three  miles  north  of  Columbia 
City.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shilts  had  two  children 
to  reach  maturity,  Franklin,  and  Mary,  de- 
ceased wife  of  Sebastian  Keller.  Both  parents 
were  members  of  the  Catholic  church  in 
Columbia  City.  Jacob  Shilts  died  Septem- 
ber 27,  1889,  aged  eighty-five,  and  his  wife 
June  10,  1 87 1,  aged  sixty-eight.  He  could 
remember  distinctly  the  retreat  of  Napoleon 
from  the  disastrous  invasion  of  Russia,  the 
Cossacks  following  and  harrassing  him  till 
the  Rhine  was  crossed. 

Franklin  Shilts  was  a  lad  of  fifteen  years 
■when  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Indi- 
ana. He  received  his  education  in  the  Ger- 
man schools  of  Pennsylvania  and  his  life  was 
passed  with  his  parents.  In  1862  he  mar- 
ried Catherine,  daughter  of  Sebastian  Mun- 
ger,  who  died  May  8,  1901,  after  thirty-nine 
years'  companionship.  To  this  union  were 
born  ten  children :  John  H.,  of  whom  a  sep- 
arate mention  is  made  in  this  volume ;  Mary 
Ann,  who  is  her  father's  housekeeper ;  Frank, 
a  farmer  of  Thorncreek  township ;  Joseph. 
Avho  operates  the  home  farm ;  Rosa,  who  died 
in  young  womanhood ;  Charles,  a  superin- 
tendent for  the  National  Concrete  Company, 


of  Cleveland;  Edward  B.,  a  local  gardener 
and  celery  grower ;  Anna,  died  at  fifteen ; 
Jerome,  who  died  an  infant,  and  Clara,  at 
home.  No  people  of  the  county  stand  high- 
er in  the  estimation  of  their  neignbors  than 
do  the  members  of  this  family.  Mr.  Shilts 
is  public  spirited  in  all  the  term  implies  and 
gives  support  to  every  enterprise  and  pro- 
gressive measure  for  the  material  advance- 
ment of  the  people.  He  has  served  efficiently 
as  trustee  of  Thorncreek  township  and  in 
politics  is  a  Democrat.  Mr.  Shilts  has  been 
diligent,  ever  placing  duty  before  pleasure 
and  stands  a  fine  representative  of  the  indus- 
trious and  progressive  citizen.  Reared  in 
the  mother  church,  Mr.  Shilts  has  ever  re- 
tained active  membership,  his  family  being 
among  the  substantial  ones  of  St.  Paul's.  He 
is  one  of  three  remaining  of  those  who  were 
the  builders  of  the  present  church  edifice. 
The  Shilts'  home,  built  in  1853  by  William 
Roley,  is  one  of  the  oldest  frame  residences 
of  the  county  and  is  in  excellent  state  of 
preservation. 


WILLIAM  MARSH  BOWER. 

The  late  William  M.  Bower,  who  passed 
from  earth  December  8,  1899,  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania.  September  20.  1847.  His 
parents  were  George  and  Margaret  (Ala- 
baughO  Bower,  also  natives  of  the  Keystone 
state.  In  185 1  they  came  from  Pern-  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  settling  on  the  farm  in  Thorncreek 
township,  four  miles  north  of  Columbia  City. 
Their  efforts  thenceforth  were  devoted  to 
the  making  of  a  farm  from  the  two  hundred 
acres  of  wooded  land,  he  dying  in  1889,  fol- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


lowed  by  his  companion  four  years  later. 
Their  ten  children  were  William.  Jacob,  Sa- 
mantha.  Anna.  David,  Charles,  Alice,  Sam- 
uel, Elmer  and  an  infant. 

William's  life  from  the  age  of  four  was 
passed  in  Thorncreek  township  and  he  ac- 
quired the  homestead  after  his  mother's 
death.  This  is  a  fine  tract  of  land,  well  im- 
proved, with  open  and  tile  drainage,  first- 
class  house  and  other  buildings  and  in  all 
respects  a  country  home  of  which  any  family 
might  well  be  proud. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-six,  AYilliam  M. 
was  married  to  Emma  E.  Hart,  daughter  of 
Jacob  and  Mary  (Hannah)  Hart,  and  who 
was  born  in  DeKalb  county,  Indiana,  01 
which  her  parents  were  pioneers,  she  being 
one  of  sixteen  children.  Of  six  children 
born  to  Mr.  Bower  and  wife  three,  George, 
Samuel  and  Hazel,  died  in  childhood,  the 
survivors  being  Nellie,  a  professional  nurse ; 
Boss  and  Zula,  wife  of  Even'  J.  Sulli- 
van, who  operates  the  farm.  Mr.  Bower 
was  a  Republican,  though  never  an  aspirant 
for  political  preferment. 


JAMES  M.  SMITH. 

This  enterprising  farmer  and  stock  raiser 
enjoys  prestige  among  the  men  of  his  calling 
in  Washington  township  and  is  widely  and 
favorably  known  throughout  the  county.  Mr. 
Smith  is  a  native  of  Whitley  county  and  a 
creditable  representative  of  one  of  its  old  and 
eminently  respectable  families.  His  grand- 
Eather,  Moses  Smith,  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. bu1  early  moved  tn  Wayne  county, 
(  >hio,  where  his  death  occurred  a  number  of 


years  ago.  Elias  Smith,  his  son,  was  bom 
in  Ohio  in  1825,  grew  to  manhood  in 
Wayne  county  and  in  1848  moved  to  Whit- 
ley county,  Indiana,  settling  in  Washington 
township,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  and 
became  a  man  of  no  small  influence  in  the 
community.  His  wife,  Nancy  Merriman, 
also  a  native  of  Wayne  county,  Ohio,  bore 
him  eight  children,  their  names  being  as  fol- 
lows :  Francis  M. ;  Mary,  the  wife  of 
Stephen  Haley ;  James  M. ;  Bazzle  C. ;  Elisha 
T. ;  William  A. ;  Mrs.  Harriet  Raber  and 
Sherman,  all  living  and  doing  well  in  their 
respective  places  of  residence.  The  father 
of  these  children  departed  this  life  in  1878, 
the  mother  in  1906. 

James  M.  Smith  was  born  October  5. 
1852,  in  Washington  township,  received  his 
early  training  on  the  home  farm  and  ob- 
tained a  common  school  education  which, 
supplemented  by  reading  and  intelligent  ob- 
servation, made  him  in  due  time  one  of  the 
well  informed  men  of  his  community.  On 
attaining  his  majority  Mr.  Smith  turned  his 
attention  to  agriculture,  which  vocation  he 
still  continues,  now  owning  three  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  fine  land  in  the  township 
of  Washington,  of  which  two  hundred  and 
fifty  have  been  reduced  to  culivation  and  im- 
proved with  splendid  buildings,  good  fences 
and  a  successful  system  of  tile  drainage,  the 
farm  being  exceeded  by  no  other  in  his  part 
of  the  count}-  in  all  that  constitutes  a  beauti- 
ful and  attractive  home  and  a  reliable  source 
of  revenue.  He  is  a  breeder  and  raiser  of 
live  stock,  his  cattle  and  hogs  being  of  good 
breeds. 

In  1880  Mr.  Smith  married  Sabina  E.. 
daughter  of  Adam  and  Lucinda  (Hanes) 
Lehman,  the  parents  coming  to  this  county 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


7" 


from  Ohio  in  the  fifties  and  settling  in  Wash- 
ington township,  where  the  father  bought 
land  and  became  a  successful  tiller  of  the 
soil.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  have  had  nine 
children :  Roley,  Myrtle,  May,  Bazzle, 
Claud,  Russell,  Harley.  Rasho  and  Darl.  Mr. 
Smith  is  a  Democrat  and.  with  his  wife,  holds 
membership  in  the  Baptist  church.  He  is  en- 
ergetic and  progressive  and  no  man  in  the 
county  enjoys  a  higher  degree  of  respect  or 
has  shown  himself  more  worthy  of  the  es- 
teem in  which  he  is  held. 


HENRY  HUFFMAN. 

Henry  and  Margaret  (Shonk)  Huffman 
were  natives  of  Lancaster  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  the  father  was  born  in  1822. 
About  1 84 1  he  moved  his  family  to  Ohio, 
where  he  made  his  home  for  a  period  of  eight 
years  and  then  came  to  Whitley  county, 
where  he  intended  to  make  his  permanent 
home,  but  the  vear  following  he  was  acci- 
dentally killed  while  digging  a  well.  His 
family  consisted  of  three  children  :  Elizabeth, 
first  married  a  Mr.  Lesley,  and  after  his 
death  became  the  wife  of  George  Richard; 
Henry  and  Fannie,  who  married  Thomas 
Emery,  of  this  county,  a  sketch  of  whom 
appears  elsewhere  in  these  pages. 

Henry  Huffman,  the  only  son,  w-as  born 
September  10,  1840,  in  Darke  county,  Ohio, 
and  at  the  age  of  nine  years  was  brought  by 
his  parents  to  Indiana,  since  which  time  he 
has  lived  in  the  countv  of  Whitley  and  taken 
an  active  part  in  the  development  of  its  re- 
sources. His  academic  education  was  con- 
fined to  the  public  schools  and  his  adult  life 


has  been  devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits. 
He  had  no  assistance  when  he  started  out  to 
make  his  own  way,  but  by  energy,  persever- 
ing industry  and  the  exercise  of  sound  judg- 
ment, he  finally  succeeded  in  getting  a  start, 
since  which  time  his  progress  has  been  steady 
and  substantial  and  he  now  occupies  a  con- 
spicuous place  among  the  successful  agri- 
culturists and  representative  citizens  of 
Washington  township,  where  he  has  long  re- 
sided. 

Mr.  Huffman's  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
fiftv-six  acres  is  highly  improved,  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  acres  being  in  cultivation, 
the  remainder  consisting  of  timber  and  pas- 
ture land.  He  has  a  fine  modern  brick  resi- 
dence, amply  furnished  with  comforts  and 
conveniences,  a  large  commodious  barn  and 
other  good  buildings,  all  of  which  with  the 
land  itself  are  the  result  of  his  own  labor  and 
management.  Mr.  Huffman  has  earned  wide 
repute  as  a  stock  raiser  as  well  as  a  farmer, 
having  of  recent  years  devoted  much  atten- 
tion of  fine  shorthorn  cattle  and  superior 
breeds  of  hogs.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a 
pronounced  Democrat  and  well  versed  in  the 
principles  of  his  party. 

In  1868  Mr.  Huffman  married  Mary 
Emery,  who  has  since  presented  him  with 
six  children  :  Ida  M..  wife  of  Richard  Gard- 
ner, of  Huntington  county :  Maggie,  now 
Mrs.  George  Lehman,  of  Washington  town- 
ship; Thomas,  who  married  Ollie  Slatters. 
and  is  engaged  in  fanning  in  this  county; 
Alma.  Lizzie  and  Warren  O..  all  married 
and  doing  for  themselves.  Mrs.  Huffman 
is  an  esteemed  member  of  the  United  Breth- 
ren church.  Although  not  identified  with 
any  ecclesiastical  organizations  himself.  Mr. 
Huffman  believes  in  religion  and  has  pro- 


\\  IIITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


found  regard  for  the  church  to  which  his 
wife  belongs,  contributing  freely  of  his 
means  to  its  support. 


JOHN  A.   SNYDER. 

John  A.  Snyder  was  born  February  18, 
1836.  in  Mulberry  township.  Stark  county. 
Ohio,  being  the  fourth  of  five  children  in  the 
family  of  Adam  and  Elizabeth  Snyder,  na- 
tives of  Germany  and  Ohio  respectively.  He 
was  reared  to  maturity  near  the  place  of  his 
birth,  attended  at  intervals  during  his  youth 
such  schools  as  were  common  in  Stark  coun- 
ty in  those  days  and  grew  to  manhood  as  a 
farmer,  which  calling  he  has  since  followed. 
In  1843,  Mr.  Snyder  became  a  resident  of 
Whitley  count}".  Indiana,  since  which  time 
he  has  been  largely  identified  with  the  mater- 
ial growth  and  developments  of  Washington 
township,  where  at  intervals  he  has  had  ex- 
tensive property  interests,  owning  at  one 
time  four  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  valu- 
able land,  much  of  which  lie  cleared  and  oth- 
erwise improved.  Later  he  divided  the 
greater  pari  of  this  land  among  his  children, 
his  holdings  at  the  present  time  consisting 
of  a  quarter  section,  which,  under  bis  ef- 
fective labor,  has  been  brought  to  a  condi- 
tion second  to  no  other  estate  in  the  town- 
ship and  equalled  by  few  in  the  county.  For 
twelve  years  his  dwelling  was  a  log  cabin 
indifferently  equipped  with  the  most  ordi- 
nary conveniences.  This  has  been  replaced 
by  a  commodious  and  comfortable  frame 
edifice,  the  indifferent  log  stable  has  given 
way  to  the  large  barn,  the  former  stumps 
have  disappeared  and  the  smooth  fields  are 


closed  with  fine  wire  fences.  The  produc- 
tive area  has  been  greatly  increased  by  sys- 
tematic tile  drainage,  every  feature  of  the 
premises  bearing  evidence  of  modern  meth- 
ods and  a  familiarity  with  agricultural  sci- 
ence such  as  farmers  of  the  most  advanced 
ideas  alone  possess. 

Mr.  Snyder  is  a  man  of  high  character, 
a  kind  neighbor,  and  public  spirited  citizen 
and  his  influence  has  always  been  on  the  side 
of  civic  righteousness  and  a  strict  enforce- 
ment of  the  laws  of  the  land.  He  is  a  Demo- 
crat, served  one  term  as  trustee  of  his  town- 
ship, has  ever  been  a  friend  of  education 
and  an  advocate  of  all  enterprises  having  for 
,  their  object  the  advancement  of  the  commu- 
nity and  the  welfare  of  the  people.  At  the 
age  of  nineteen  he  was  converted  and  re- 
ceived into  the  Evangelical  Reformed  Luth- 
eran church.  March  4,  i860,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  George  W. 
and  Maria  (Eberhart)  Cox.  born  in  Shef- 
field township.  Portage  county.  Ohio.  Sep- 
tember 14,  1839,  and  came  to  Whitley  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  in  October,  1850.  She  was  a 
member  of  the  Church  of  God,  living  a  con- 
sistent Christian  life,  which  closed  July  2~. 
1887,  the  interment  being  in  Eberhart  ceme- 
tery. Mr.  Snyder  has  done  well  by  his  chil- 
dren, not  only  providing  them  with  the  best 
educational  advantages  the  country  afforded, 
but  giving  to  each  of  the  married  ones  a 
g 1  farm,  besides  looking  after  their  inter- 
est in  many  other  ways.  Adam  Snyder,  his 
father,  was  born  near  New  Byron.  Germany. 
April  to.  1801,  and  in  1825  married  Eliza- 
beth Knopp,  who  was  born  January  4.  T705, 
in  Wurtumberg,  Germany.  In  November, 
1831,  they  sailed  from  Havre,  France,  in 
fifty-two  days  landed  in  New  York  city  and 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


spent  the  winter  in  Buffalo.  In  March, 
1832,  they  came  to  Canton,  Ohio,  where  the\ 
remained  until  April,  1842,  when  they  took 
a  steamer  for  Toledo,  Ohio,  and  thence  by 
the  Wabash  and  Erie  Canal  to  Huntington, 
Indiana.  Locating  in  Whitley  county,  in 
November,  1843,  ne  engaged  in  fanning, 
thoug-h  formerly  a  blacksmith,  which  trade 
he  learned  in  the  land  of  his  birth.  He  was 
an  intelligent  and  useful  citizen,  a  Democrat 
in  politics,  a  consistent  member  of  the  Luth- 
eran church,  and  his  death,  which  occurred 
April  10.  1866,  was  greatly  regretted  by  all 
who  knew  him.  Eight  children  were  born 
to  them :  Christian,  1826;  Elizabeth,  1828; 
Pheba,  1830;  Mary,  1832;  Julia  Anie,  1834; 
John  A.,  1836;  Catherine,  1838:  and  Lydia. 
18-10. 


WILLIAM  ADAM  SNYDER. 

William  Adam  Snyder  was  born  in  Un- 
ion township,  Whitley  county,  Indiana.  Au- 
gust 22.  1861,  and  at  this  time  is  a  resident 
of  Washington  township.  (See  sketch  of 
his  father).  He  was  united  in  marriage 
January  14,  1886,  to  Sarah  Anie  Goble,  who 
was  boni  in  Washington  township,  Whitley 
county,  Indiana,  June  2,  1862.  To  them 
was  born  one  child.  Alpha  Allen,  who  died 
April  7,  1904,  aged  fourteen  years  and  four- 
teen days.  He  was  an  intelligent.  Christian 
youth,  and  his  death  was  not  only  a  shock  to 
the  family,  but  cast  a  gloom  over  a  large  cir- 
cle of  friends,  who  had  become  greatly  at- 
tached to  him  on  account  of  his  manly  ways 
and  lovely  disposition.  The  parents  are 
members  of  the  United  Brethren  church,  to 
which  fhev  are  greatlv  devoted  and  render 


zealous  and  liberal  support.  They  enjoy  a 
comfortable  home  and  are  highly  respected 
by  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances. 
The  paternal  mother's  great-grandfather, 
Mr.  Hager,  was  the  founder  of  Hagerstown, 
Maryland,  a  city  of  thirteen  thousand  six 
hundred  population. 


LEWIS  HALTERMAN. 

This  successful  farmer  and  influential 
citizen  comes  from  Revolutionary  ancestry 
and  is  worthy  of  special  notice  among  the 
leading  men  of  Whitley  county.  Charles 
Halterman.  the  grandfather,  was  a  native 
of  Hesse  and  was  sent  here  as  a  soldier  of 
the  Revolutionary  war  by  the  British.  At 
the  close  of  the  struggle,  he  settled  in  Vir- 
ginia, where  he  reared  a  family  and  died 
many  years  ago.  George  Halterman.  his 
son,  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1788  and  about 
1817  moved  to  Champaign  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life,  dy- 
ing- in  1866.  He  was  married  in  Virginia 
to  Elizabeth  Rickroads  and  had  eight  chil- 
dren :  Ellen.  Samuel,  Sarah.  Jane.  Isaac. 
Margaret.  Lewis  and  Elizabeth,  four  being 
deceased.  Lewis  Halterman  was  born  in 
Champaign  county,  Ohio,  in  1833.  He  spent 
his  early  life  at  the  place  of  his  birth  and 
while  still  a  youth  left  home  to  make  his 
own  way  in  the  world,  earning  his  first  mon- 
ey as  a  farm  hand  at  small  wages.  In  1851 
he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  wild  land  in 
Washington  township.  Whitley*  county,  and 
by  industry  and  economy  succeeded  in  pay- 
ing for  the  same  at  the  rate  of  $3.25  per 
acre,    continuing  to  reside   in   Ohio   during 


7'4 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


the  time.  Later  he  transferred  his  residence 
to  Whitley  county,  investing  his  means  in 
real  estate  in  Washington  township,  where 
in  clue  time  he  added  to  his  holdings  and  be- 
came one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  lived. 

At  the  present  time  Mr.  Haltennan  own-, 
a  first-class  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-three and  a  half  acres,  ninety  of  which 
were  cleared  by  his  own  hands  and  other- 
wise  improved.  The  buildings  are  substan- 
tial and  up-to-date,  the  fences  good,  the  soil 
well  drained  and  all  things  considered  the 
proprietor  is  as  well  situated  to  enjoy  life 
as  any  of  his  neighbors. 

Mr.  Halterman  came  to  Washington 
township  in  1861  and  during  the  early  per- 
iod of  his  residence  could  see  no  road  from 
the  little  log  cabin,  which  served  his  family 
for  a  dwelling.  He  took  die  initiative  in 
the  matter  of  public  highways  in  his  part 
of  Washington  township,  wrote  and  circulat- 
ed the  first  petition  for  the  road  that  leads 
to  South  Whitlev  and  by  untiring"  effort  se- 
en red  favorable  action  on  the  same  by  the 
board  of  county  commissioners.  He  has  al- 
ways been  an  advocate  of  public  improve- 
ments and  a  friend  to  all  enterprises  that 
make  for  the  general  welfare  of  the  town- 
ship and  county.  Politically  lie  is  independ- 
ent, giving  bis  support  to  the  candidates 
and  policies  which,  in  his  judgment,  subserve 
the  best  interests  of  the  people.  He  keeps 
well  informed  on  the  questions  of  the  day  so 
a<  to  cast  his  ballot  intelligently  and  dis- 
charge  faithfully  the  duties  of  citizenship, 
lie  holds  membership  in  the  Independent 
Order  of  (  >dd  Fellows  at  Laud.  In  1856, 
Mr  Halterman  was  married  in  Ellen  Valen- 
tine, of  St,  Joseph  county.  Indiana,  and  has 
five  children :     Mary  .!..  Margaret  A.,  Clara. 


Emma,  and  Winnie,  all  living.  His  second 
marriage  was  solemnized  in  1880  with  Eliza- 
beth, daughter  of  Emanuel  and  Susanna 
(Dull)  Heller,  the  parents  being  natives  of 
Pennsylvania,  but  for  a  number  of  years  res- 
idents of  Wayne  county,  Ohio,  where  their 
respective  deaths  occurred. 


R.  B.  BOLINGER. 


A  prosperous  and  steadily  thriving  farm- 
er and  for  thirty  years  a  worthy  resident  of 
Whitley  county,  R.  B.  Bolinger  has  made 
his  presence  felt  among  his  contemporaries 
and  merits  notice  in  a  work  devoted  to  the 
lives  of  representative  citizens  of  northeast- 
ern Indiana.  Daniel  Bolinger.  his  father, 
was  born  in  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania, 
in  18 10,  but  in  early  manhood  changed  his 
abode  to  Stark  county,  Ohio,  where  he  lived 
for  a  number  of  years,  subsequently  remov- 
ing to  Indiana  and  settling  in  the  county  of 
Lagrange,  where  his  death  occurred  in  1892. 
His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Elizalieth 
Brown,  bore  him  eight  children:  Gideon  and 
Benjamin,  deceased;  R.  B..  Daniel,  Mary, 
Mollie  (deceased),  Lizzie  and  one  that  died 
in   infancy. 

R.  P..  Bolinger  was  born  in  Stark  county. 
Ohio.  January  1,  1840,  and  there  grew  to 
man's  estate.  After  a  residence  of 
thirty-six  years  in  his  native  common- 
wealth. Mr.  Bolinger  sought  a  new  home  in 
northeastern  Indiana,  moving  in  1876  to 
Whitley  county  and  settling  in  Washington 
township,  where  he  engaged  in  agriculture, 
which  he  has  since  followed  with  gratifying 
results,  as  his  present  fine  farm  and  the  com- 
fortable   competency     which     he    possesses- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


7i5 


abundantly  attest.  His  estate,  which  con- 
sists of  two  hundred  and  six  acres  of  valu- 
able land,  lies  in  one  of  the  most  fertile  agri- 
cultural districts  of  the  township,  and  is  well 
improved,  being  thoroughly  drained  and  con- 
taining commodious  buildings,  good  fences, 
all  but  fifty  acres  being  tillable.  Mr.  Boling- 
er  is  a  progressive  fanner,  votes  the  Inde- 
pendent ticket,  manifests  keen  interest  in 
public  and  political  affairs  and  being  a  wide 
reader  and  intelligent  observer,  keeps  in 
close  touch  with  current  events  and  the  trend 
of  modern  thought.  In  early  life  he  united 
with  the  German  Baptist  church,  later  be- 
came a  minister  of  the  same  and  for  over  a 
quarter  of  a  century  has  discharged  the  du- 
ties of  his  pastorate  in  an  able  and  conscien- 
tious manner.  He  is  a  forceful  and  logical 
speaker,  whose  public  labors  have  been  pro- 
ductive of  great  good,  many  through  his 
efforts  having  been  induced  to  forsake  their 
sins  and  live  the  better  life. 

Mr.  Bolinger  married  his  first  wife,  So- 
phia Mohler,  in  1864.  She  departed  this  life 
in  1892  and  in  1894  he  chose  a  companion 
and  helpmate  in  the  person  of  Sarah,  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  and  Mary  Ann  (Pressler) 
Kitch.  the  two  marriages  resulting  in  the 
birth  of  eight  children :  Clara,  Emma, 
Orilla,  Isaac,  Ella,  Noah,  Lemuel  and  Mary, 
the  two  last  by  the  second  marriage. 

Mr.  Bolinger  has  taken  great  interest 
and  a  father's  pardonable  pride  in  his  chil- 
dren and  in  return  they  duly  appreciate  his 
loving  care  and  kindness  and  in  their  lives 
reflect  the  superior  training  received  during 
the  formative  period  of  their  characters.  Six 
of  them  are  married  and  doing  for  them- 
selves and  all  are  much  esteemed  in  their  re- 
spective places  of  residence. 


GOTTLIEB  KUNBERGER. 

Among  the  enterprising  foreign  born  citi- 
zens of  Indiana,  whose  efforts  have  contrib- 
uted to  the  material  prosperity  of  the  com- 
munities in  which  they  reside  and  whose  in- 
fluence has  been  on  the  side  of  law  and  gov- 
ernment, Gottlieb  Kunberger  affords  a 
worthy  example.  He  was  born  April  14, 
1849,  near  Stuttgart,  in  the  Province  of 
Wittenberg.  Germany,  being  the  son  of  Ja- 
cob Fredrick  and  and  Barbara  Kunberger, 
the  father  a  farmer  and  gardener  in  connec- 
tion with  which  vocation  he  also  followed 
for  a  number  of  years  the  trade  of  wine- 
making.  Jacob  Fredrick  Kunberger  died  in 
his  native  land  and  his  widow,  whose  maid- 
en name  was  Barbara  Schwartz,  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1876,  departing  this  life 
in  Whitley  county  in  1889.  Gottlieb  Kun- 
berger spent  his  childhood  and  youth  in  Ger- 
many, received  his  education  in  the  schools 
of  his  native  country  and  at  the  age  of  twen- 
ty came  to  the  United  States,  landing  in 
New  York  in  1869.  Proceeding  without  de- 
lay to  Whitley  county,  he  settled,  October 
9th,  in  Columbia  township,  where  he  turned 
his  attention  to  farming,  which  he  followed 
until  he  removed  in  1871  to  Washington 
township.  Four  vears  later  he  pur- 
chased land,  which  in  due  time  he 
cleared  and  converted  into  a  good 
farm,  residing  on  the  same  until  1902, 
when  he  sold  it  and  bought  the  beautiful  and 
attractive  farm  of  eighty  acres  on  which  he 
now  lives  and  which  he  has  brought  to  a 
high  state  of  tillage,  all  but  twelve  acres  be- 
ing under  cultivation.  It  is  improved  with 
excellent  buildings,  good  fences  and  ample 
drainage,  Mr.  Kunberger  having  already  put 


7i6 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


down  several  hundred  rods  of  tiling,  which 
amount  he  proposes  to  increase  until  the  en- 
tire place  is  underlaid  and  properly  inter- 
sected by  a  system  of  ditching  as  thorough 
and  complete  as  that  of  any  in  the  township. 

Mr.  Kunberger  is  a  progressive  agricul- 
turist, growing  large  crops  of  grain,  princi- 
pally corn,  all  of  which  is  fed  to  live  stock, 
in  the  raising  of  which  he  has  a  reputation 
second  to  none  of  his  neighbors,  his  breeds 
of  shorthorn  cattle  and  high  grade  hogs  be- 
ing among  the  best  in  this  part  of  the  state. 
In  public  matters  he  maintains  an  abiding  in- 
terest in  all  that  concerns  the  advancement 
of  his  township,  being  an  advocate  of  public 
improvement  and  a  friend  to  every  enter- 
prise or  measure  that  makes  for  the  general 
welfare  of  his  fellowmen.  He  gives  his  sup- 
port to  Democratic  principles  and  in  recogni- 
tion of  valuable  services  rendered  the  party 
he  was  nominated  in  1906  for  county  com- 
missioner, but  was  defeated. 

In  187(1  Mr.  Kunberger  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Lizzie,  daughter  of  Ul- 
rich  and  Maggie  (Schwartfager)  Lahr,  na- 
tives of  '  lermany,  who  emigrated  to  America 
in  1 84 1  and  settled  mi  a  farm  in  Huntington 
county.  Indiana,  where  the  mother's  death 
occurred,  the  father  dying  in  1006.  at  the 
E  eighty-eight.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kunber- 
ger have  four  children:  John  F.,  a  resident- 
of  Columbia  City;  Henry  E.,  a  farmer  of 
Washington  township;  Lulu  F.,  wife  of 
Henry  Lucky,  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser;  and 
Maggie,  assistanl  in  the  management  of  the 
home.  Subject  and  wife  are  greatly  es- 
teemed in  the  community  of  their  residence 
and  as  members  of  the  Lutheran  church,  their 
lives  afford  examples  of  the  wholesome  in- 
fluence of  practical  religious  faith.     The  dif- 


ferent members  of  the  family  likewise  enjoy 
the  esteem  and  confidence  of  the  communities 
in  which  thev  reside  and  wherever  known 
they  stand  for  correct  conduct  and  sterling 
moral  worth. 


DANIEL  FISHER. 


Daniel  Fisher  is  a  prosperous  farmer  liv- 
ing in  section  9,  Thorncreek  township,  about 
five  and  one-half  miles  north  of  Columbia 
City,  was  born  in  the  township  Septem- 
ber 15,  1868,  and  is  the  son  of  Jacob  and 
Elizabeth  Ann  (Hively)  Fisher,  both  natives 
of  Ohio.  The  father  came  to  Indiana  with 
his  father,  whose  name  was  also  Jacob,  and 
settled  in  Thorncreek  township,  where  the 
latter  remained  until  the  close  of  his  life. 
The  life  of  the  father  was  also  spent  in  this 
township,  of  which  he  was  at  one  time  trus- 
tee. His  death  occurred  February  29.  1896. 
when  sixty  years  old.  The  mother  was  the 
daughter  of  Daniel  Hivelv  and  was  also 
born  in  Ohio.  They  were  both  members  of 
the  Christian  church,  faithful  and  liberal  in 
its  support.  Four  children  were  born  to 
them  :  Noah,  deceased  in  middle  life :  David, 
a  farmer  in  Thorncreek  township;  Callie.  de- 
ceased at  ten  years  of  age ;  and  Daniel.  The 
second  marriage  of  the  mother  was  in  [899 
to  Leonard  Hire  and  they  now  reside  in  Co- 
lumbia City.  Daniel  Fisher  grew  to  man- 
hood at  home,  being  trained  to  agriculture 
and  receiving  a  common  school  education  in 
the  meantime.  In  1889  he  was  married  to 
Delia  May,  daughter  of  Richard  and  Jane 
(Lemaster)  Herron,  born  in  Noble  county. 
Indiana,  in   1867.     Five  children  were  horn 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


717 


to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fisher :    Jacob,  Lester,  Ira 
Kenneth,  Wilmer  Guy  and  Crystal  May. 

In  1890  Mr.  Fisher  and  his  wife  pur- 
chased sixty  acres  of  their  present  farm,  to 
which  they  have  since  added,  making  a  quar- 
ter section.  The  farm  is  well  improved  with 
good  fences,  tile  ditches,  substantial  and 
convenient  buildings  and  is  a  desirable  and 
pleasant  residence.  In  politics  he  is  a  Demo- 
crat, while  both  enjoy  membership  in  the 
Christian  church,  to  which  they  are  devoted 
and  give  faithful  and  liberal  support. 


TOHN  H.  SHILTS. 


John  H.  Shilts,  a  successful  farmer  and 
public-spirited  citizen  of  Thorncreek  town- 
ship, and  ex-recorder  of  Whitley  county, 
was  bom  August  15,  1862,  at  Avilla,  Noble 
county,  and  is  the  son  of  Franklin  and  Cath- 
erine (Monger)  Shilts,  of  whom  separate 
mention  is  found  on  another  page.  He  re- 
ceived a  good,  practical  education  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  and  upon  the  home  farm,  where 
he  remained  until  eighteen  years  of  age.  He 
taught  one  term  and  then  took  a  business 
course  in  the  normal  school  at  Valparaiso. 
He  confined  his  attention  wholly  to  teaching 
till  1888,  when  he  took  special  teacher's 
training  under  the  renowned  Professor  Hol- 
brook  at  the  Normal  University  at  Lebanon, 
Ohio.  His  work  as  an  educator  extended 
over  ten  years,  one  being  in  the  Columbia 
City  graded  schools.  In  1886  he  was  elect- 
ed recorder  for  the  county,  a  position,  he 
filled  with  aptitude  and  to  the  satisfaction  of 
all  for  four  years.  Being  nominated  when 
but  twenty-two  years  of  age,   he  was  the 


youngest  man  ever  named  for  a  county  of- 
fice by  his  party  in  Whitley  county.  In  1891 
he  removed  to  his  present  fine  farm  of  eighty 
acres,  which  he  had  purchased  meantime, 
and  erected  in  1900  an  attractive  ten-room 
house  and  in  1904  a  commodious  bank  barn, 
forty  by  sixty  feet.  He  also  owns  a  thirty- 
seven  acre  farm  in  Columbia  township,  each 
affording  ample  income.  In  1894  he  was 
chosen  township  assessor  and  held  this  of- 
fice efficiently  for  five  years.  In  1885  he 
married  Miss  Hulda,  daughter  of  Albert 
and  Jane  Hatfield,  a  native  of  Whitley 
county,  who  became  the  mother  of  five  chil- 
dren, Gertrude  and  Leander  being  the  only 
survivors.  During  the  year  1897  the  angel 
of  death  thrice  visited  this  home,  taking  the 
mother  and  two  children.  Three  years 
afterward  Mr.  Shilts  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Mary  J.  Goodfellow,  who  was 
born  in  Columbia  City  in  1862,  a  daughter 
of  John  and  Julia  Goodfellow,  both  now  de- 
ceased. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shilts  have  two  chil- 
dren. Walter  L.  and  John  F.  Himself  and 
family  are  devout  members  of  St.  Paul's 
Catholic  church. 

Mrs.  Shilts  is  considered  one  of  the  most' 
progressive  and  thoroughly  informed  men 
of  the  county.  He  has  a  selected  library  of 
about  six  thousand  volumes,  including  the 
state  reports  of  agriculture  and  statistics  and 
geology  of  Indiana  complete.  He  also  takes 
keen  interest  in  the  collection  of  old  curios- 
ities, such  as  ancient  household  articles,  an- 
tique furniture  and  the  like,  including  an 
antiquated  lock  safe,  the  first  owned  by 
\\  nitley  county.  He  has  made  a  careful 
study  of  the  Indians  and  of  the  Mound 
Builders,  having  several  thousand  imple- 
ments of  Indian  warfare  and  domestic  uten- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


sils.  His  collection  of  rare  and  valuable 
coins  indicates  the  enthusiasm  of  the  pro- 
fessional numismatist. 

Air.  and  Mrs.  Shilts  are  widely  known, 
their  home  being  one  of  the  most  popular 
rural  social  resorts  in  the  county,  a  wide 
circle  of  warm  friends  finding  therein  a 
generous  dispensation  of  old-fashioned, 
warm-hearted  hospitality.  We  take  pleasure 
in  presenting  two  articles  by  Mr.  Shilts,  one 
on  Thorncreek  township  and  the  other  that 
on  the  archaeology  of  the  county. 


THOMAS  E.  ADAMS. 

Thomas  E.  Adams,  a  progressive  and  re- 
spected farmer  of  Thorncreek  township, 
was  born  on  his  present  homestead  Decem- 
ber 3,  1857,  and  is  a  son  of  Andrew  and 
Elizabeth  (Elliott)  Adams,  his  parents  being 
James  and  Catherine  (McDonald)  Adams, 
both  natives  of  Ireland.  Andrew  Adams 
was  also  born  in  Ireland  March  17.  1821, 
and  when  eight  years  old  was  brought  to 
America  by  his  mother,  who  settled  in  Penn- 
sylvania. His  father  dying  when  he  was 
a  child,  Andrew  was  taken  by  an  uncle,  a 
farmer  in  Columbiana  county,  Ohio,  with 
whom  he  remained  till  eighteen  years  old. 
Going  to  New  York  City,  he  learned  the 
trade  of  machinist  and  boiler-maker,  at 
which  he  worked  until  1852.  A  Mr.  Brew- 
er, an  attorney  and  paymaster  in  the  United 
States  Army,  for  whom  young  Adams 
worked  in  Ohio,  sent  him  to  look  after  lands 
he  owned  in  Whitley  county  and  while  here 
he  decided  to  become  a  resident  himself. 
Some  years  later  lie  purchased  part  of  the 
Brewer  lands,  the  owner  having  been  killed 


by  an  explosion  on  an  Ohio  river,  steamboat. 
He  also  purchased  other  tracts  until  he  be- 
came the  owner  of  over  a  thousand  acres. 
He  disposed  of  the  greater  portion,  however, 
and  at  his  death  owned  but  two  hundred  and 
eighty  acres.  Returning  to  Beaver  county, 
Pennsylvania,  he  was  married  to  Elizabeth 
Elliott,  a  native  of  that  county  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  George  and  Margaret  Elliott.  For 
forty-seven  years  they  journeyed  hand  in 
hand  till  her  death  in  1897.  He  died  April 
15,  1906,  aged  eighty-five  years  and  twenty- 
eight  days. 

He  had  rendered  valuable  assistance  to 
his  children  when  it  was  most  needed.  A 
consistent  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  he 
was  an  enthusiastic  Sunday-school  worker 
and  being  well  read  and  ever  ready  to  up- 
hold his  opinions  enjoyed  a  social  discussion 
of  live  topics,  whether  of  religion  or  public 
polity.  He  was  a  Democrat  and  served  six 
years  as  county  commissioner. 

They  were  the  parents  of  three  children : 
John,  a  well  known  horseman  of  Columbia 
City  and  New  York ;  Thomas  and  Andrew. 
The  latter  is  doubtless  the  most  renowned 
literary  character  that  can  be  credited  to 
Whitley  county.  After  spending  several 
years  as  a  cowboy  in  Texas.  New  Mexico 
and  Oklahoma,  he  began  to  write  of  the  life 
he  had  seen  and  experienced,  his  best  known 
hooks  being  "The  Log  of  the  Cowboy," 
"The  Texas  Match-Maker,"  "The  Outlet" 
and  "Cattle  Brands."  His  articles  are  ea- 
gerly sought  by  the  leading  magazines.  His 
home  is  at  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado. 

Mr.  Adams  served  as  commissioner  of 
Whitley  county  for  three  terms.  Himself 
and  wife  are  consistent  members  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church  and  he  was  a  Democrat 
politically. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


719 


Thomas  E.  Adams  received  a  prelimi- 
nary education  in  the  district  schools,  sup- 
plementing this  with  three  terms  at  Valpa- 
raiso. He  bought  and  sold  stock  for  his 
father  from  eighteen  years  of  age  until  the 
practical  retirement  of  the  latter.  Thomas 
then  took  charge  of  the  farm,  which  lie  has 
since  operated,  though  for  a  time  he  was 
engaged  in  merchandising  in  Albion.  Few 
stockmen  in  Indiana  are  more  extensively 
known  than  Mr.  Adams,  his  herds  of  short- 
horn cattle,  Shropshire  sheep  and  Duroc- 
Jersey  swine  having  carried  off  honors 
sought  for  by  many  ambitious  breeders. 
Thorn  Creek  Stock  Farm  is  well  adapted 
for  breeding  purposes  and  he  is  considered 
as  one  of  the  successful  breeders  of  the 
state. 

October  18,  1893,  ne  was  married  to 
Miss  Hattie  Pollock,  a  native  of  Noble 
county  and  a  daughter  of  Truman  and  Mary 
(Alwine)  Pollock.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adams 
have  two  children,  Cedric  and  Andrew. 
Mr.  Adams's  farm  contains  six  hundred 
acres  of  fine  land,  on  which  is  located  a 
neat  and  commodious  house,  barns  and 
other  improvements  so  corresponding  as  to 
lend  harmony  to  the  whole,  making  it  a 
very  desirable  rural  residence.  He  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat and  for  six  years  was  trustee  of 
Thomcreek  township.  Fraternally  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  order. 


HARCANIS  C.  LEAMAN. 

Harcanis  C.  Leaman,  one  of  the  esteemed 
residents  of  Thorncreek  township,  was  born 
on  the  farm  on  which  he  is  now  living  June 


29,  1864,  and  is  the  son  of  Samuel  and  Eliz- 
abeth    (Crumley)    Leaman.      The    paternal 
grandfather  was  Samuel  Leaman,  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  who  came  to  Ohio  in  an 
early  day  and  in  1838  came  to  Whitley  coun- 
ty, where  he  bought  and  settled  on  eighty 
acres  of  land,  which  is  now  part  of  the  farm 
owned  by  Harcanis.    Mr.  Leaman  was  twice 
married  and  had  eight  children :  John,  Sam- 
uel. Daniel,  William,   Isaac,  Agnes.  Lacina 
and  Mariette,  none  of  whom  are  living.  Mr. 
Leaman  died  when  past  seventy.      Samuel 
Leaman,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Massillon,  Ohio,  in 
1826,  and  after  his  marriage  bought  forty 
acres  of  land  adjoining  his  father  and  there 
erected  a  nice  home.     By  his  father's  death 
he  inherited   the  old   homestead,   on   which 
he   lived   until   his    death,    which    occurred 
May    17,    1884.     Elizabeth  (Crumley)  Lea- 
man was  born  in  Stark  county,  Ohio,  and 
came  to  Indiana  with  her  parents  as  a  child. 
These  parents  came  to  Noble  county  about 
1843  ar,d  are  now  both  deceased,  he  attain- 
ing past  ninety  years  of  age.     Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Samuel  Leaman  had  ten  children :     Galves- 
ton, a  ranchman  in  Colorado;  Wayne,  who 
is  living  in  Churubusco;  Albert  and  Clinton, 
both  dying  in  childhood  ;  Harcanis  C. ;  Emma 
J.,   wife  of  David    Fisher,   of    Thorncreek 
township:  Laura,  wife  of  Henrv  J.   Press- 
ler,  owning  part  of  the  old  homestead  ;  Isaac, 
of  Thorncreek  township;  Rosa  D.,  wife  of 
Oscar   McCown,   a   resident  of   Oklahoma ; 
Massillon.  who  is  living  in  Columbia  City. 
Mrs.  Leaman  is  living  in  Churubusco. 

Harcanis  C.  Leaman  was  earlv  inured  to 
the  toil  incident  to  the  life  of  a  farmer  and 
upon  attaining  his  majority  decided  to  adopt 
agriculture  for  his  life  work.  He  is  the  own- 
er of  ninety  acres  of  the  old  homestead,  on 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


which  stands  a  fine  twelve-room  brick  honse. 
equipped  with  all  the  modern  conveniences. 
.March  19,  1803.  he  chose  a  life  companion 
in  the  person  of  Jennie  A.  Pressler.  who 
was  born  in  Thorncreek  township  in  1864, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Valentine  and  Diana 
1  Dupler)  Pressler. 

Mr.  Leaman  is  a  Democrat,  while  fra- 
ternally he  and  his  wife  belong  to  the  order 
of  ]  >en  I  fur.  Mr.  Leaman  has  served  on  the 
advisory  hoard  and  has  done  much  to  ad- 
vance materially,  morally  and  educationally 
the  interests  of  the  community.  They  have 
no  children  but  by  a  former  marriage,  Mrs. 
Leaman  is  the  mother  of  Henry  Cleveland 
and  Frank  Laota  Stewart,  young  men,  the 
oldest  being  a  teacher  for  the  past  three 
vears. 


FRANKLIN  P.  LOLTDY. 

The  ancestors  of  Whitley  county's  fam- 
ily of  this  name  were  natives  of  Germany. 
Edward  Loudy  and  Louisa  Stroh,  after  mar- 
rying in  the  old  country  during  the  latter 
years  of  the  eighteenth  century,  emigrated 
to  Pennsylvania  in  1801  and  farmed  there 
until  their  respective  deaths.  Their  five 
children,  now  all  dead,  were  Jane,  Lucy, 
John.  Edward  and  Daniel.  The  latter  was 
married  in  his  native  state  to  Martha  Wise, 
with  whom  he  removed  in  1836  to  Sandusky 
county,  Ohio.  He  located  on  a  farm  and 
remained  there  until  1864,  when  he  went  to 
Monroe  county,  Michigan,  resumed  farming- 
and  so  continued  until  his  death  in  1867.  His 
wife,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1807, 
died  in  [847  during  the  residence  in  Ohio. 

Franklin  P.  Loudv,  son  of  this  worthy 


couple,  was  born  in  Sandusky  county,  Ohio,. 
July  4.    1845.     In  December,   1864,  he  en- 
listed in  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third 
Regiment    Ohio    Volunteer    Infantry,    Sec- 
ond Brigade,  Third  Division  of  the  Twenty- 
fourth     Corps.     Army     of    the     Potomac. 
With    this    command    he    participated    in 
the  battles  of  New  Market,  Virginia,  Win- 
chester, Berryville,  and  the  bloody  engage- 
ments of  the  Opequan,  in  which  Early  was 
so  disastrously  defeated  by  General  Sheridan. 
Other  engagements  of  the  command  were 
Fisherville  and  Cedar  Creek,  where  Sheri- 
dan made  his  famous  ride.     This  fighting 
took   place   within    a    little   more   than    six 
months  and  after  its  transfer  to  the  army  of 
the  Potomac,  this  corps  did  its  full  share  of 
the  work  in  the  final  crushing  of  Lee's  army. 
It    was    engaged    at    Petersburg,    at    High 
Bridge,  and  in  the  round-up  at  Appomattox. 
Few  soldiers  in  the  same  length  of  time  can 
show    harder    campaigning,    more    arduous 
service  and  severe  fighting  than  that  which 
fell  in  part  on  Mr.  Loudy,  who  has  just  right 
to  be  proud  of  his  share  in  saving  the  Union. 
At  Winchester  he  received  a  flesh  wound, 
was  captured  at  Appomattox,  paroled  three 
days  later,  and  soon  exchanged.     After  the 
surrender  Mr.   Loudy  went  with   his   regi- 
ment to  Camp  Chase,  Columbus,  where  he 
was  discharged.     He  had  the  distinction  of 
acting  with  Company  H  at  the  state  house, 
Columbus,  as  guard  of  honor  over  the  re- 
mains of  President  Lincoln,  when  his  body 
was  lying  in  state  on  its  way  to  Springfield, 
llliimis.     After  his  final  discharge  June   1  _\ 
[865,    Mr.   Loudy  returned   to   his  parents' 
In  mie  in  Michigan,  but  after  a  rest  of  one 
year  went  to  Omaha.   Nebraska,  where  he 
engaged    in    railroading.      Coming   back    to 


y'^Ct~^T3<£i~.    y.     c£t*-c~r  est*. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


721 


Michigan,  he  attended  commercial  school  at 
Toledo,  Ohio,  then  settled  at  Columbia  City, 
in  his  trade  of  painter  and  paper  hanger. 
After  continuing  this  work  at  the  county- 
seat  for  three  years  he  came  in  1871  to 
Churubusco,  which  has  ever  since  been  his 
place  of  residence.  In  1886  he  was  elected 
town  clerk  and  treasurer,  in  which  position 
he  served  three  years,  besides  being  council- 
man for  one  term.  In  1890  he  was  elected 
on  the  Democratic  ticket  trustee  of  Smith 
township  for  four  years,  was  re-elected  at  the 
end  of  his  term  and  at  present  holds  this  of- 
fice. He  has  made  an  excellent  official,  man- 
aging the  township  affairs  with  honesty  and 
judgment,  enjoying  full  confidence  of  his 
constituents.  In  1887,  he  organized  the 
Churubusco  volunteer  fire  department  and 
held  the  position  as  chief  until  1904,  when 
compelled  to  give  up  by  pressure  of  other 
duties. 

In  1874  Mr.  Loudy  married  Margaret, 
daughter  of  David  and  Martha  (Frick) 
Ruch,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  his  wife 
and  self  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church,  and  much  esteemed  in  the  social  cir- 
cles of  Churubusco.  He  is  a  Mason,  Knight 
of  Pythias,  and  a  comrade  of  Simonson  Post 
of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 


ERNEST  S.  COTTERLY. 

Ernest  S.  Cotterly  is  a  son  of  John  and 
Anna  (Born)  Cotterly,  the  former  of  whom 
was  born  in  Switzerland  and  came  to  Amer- 
ica when  about  twenty  years  of  age.  He  as 
first  located  in  Ohio,  but  later  removed  to 
Whitley  county,  where  he  settled  on  a  farm 

46 


in  Thorncreek  township.  At  that  time  the 
land  was  in  a  wild  state,  but  he  at  once 
turned  his  efforts  towards  improving  it  and 
soon  made  of  it  one  of  the  most  attractive 
and  desirable  farms  of  the  locality.  He 
died  November  10,  1881,  in  middle  life.  His 
wife,  Anna  Born,  was  a  native  of  Switzer- 
land, came  to  Whitley  county  in  early  youth, 
lived  on  the  farm  until  her  husband's  death 
and  since  then  has  made  her  home  with  her 
children,  they  being :  Callie,  wife  of  Dr. 
Schoonover,  of  Greenville,  Pennsylvania; 
Amanda,  wife  of  George  Hemmick,  of 
Churubusco;  John,  a  merchant  near  the  old 
home;  Julia,  wife  of  F.  W.  Hart,  of  Colum- 
bia City;  Ella,  who  is  in  the  millinery  busi- 
ness at  Churubusco ;  Benjamin,  a  miner  in 
Arizona ;  Ernest  S. ;  Samuel  and  Albertine, 
deceased. 

Ernest  S.  Cotterly  was  born  on  the  old 
homestead  in  Whitley  county,  Indiana,  April 
6,  1878,  received  his  preliminary  education 
in  the  public  schools,  later  attended  high 
school  one  year  at  Auburn,  supplementing 
this  by  terms  in  the  normal  schools  at  An- 
gola, Columbia  City  and  Valparaiso.  He 
then  taug'ht  for  ten  years,  operating  the 
homestead  in  the  meantime. 

April  13,  1902,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Lydia,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Jane  Hyre, 
pioneers  of  Whitley  county,  and  to  them 
have  been  born  two  children :  Ellen  Lavon 
and  Mary  Jane.  Mr.  Cotterly  is  of  pleas- 
ing presence,  genial  in  manner  and  conver- 
sation and  his  social  qualities,  as  well  as  his 
sterling'  characteristics,  have  made  him  pop- 
ular with  a  large  class  of  people.  He  is  a 
reader  and  thinker  and  spares  no  pains  to 
keep  himself  in  touch  with  the  trend  of  mod- 
ern thought.     A  close  observer  of  current 


724 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ELMER  J.  NEI. 

The  gentleman  whose  career  is  briefly 
outlined  in  the  following  paragraphs  is  of 
German  descent  and  belongs  to  that  large 
and  eminently  respectable  element  of  our 
populace  that  in  a  quiet  and  unassuming 
way  has  done  so  much  to  improve  the  great 
central  and  western  states,  and  develop  their 
resources.  Frederick  Nei,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, was  brought  to  America  by  his  par- 
ents when  about  six  years  old  and  for  some 
time  thereafter  lived  in  Canton,  Ohio,  near 
which  city  his  father  purchased  a  farm  of 
eighty  acres,  on  which  he  spent  the  remain- 
der of  his  life,  dying  at  the  ripe  old  age  of 
eighty-eight.  Frederick  made  a  tour  through 
Whitley  and  other  counties  of  northeastern 
Indiana  with  the  object  in  view  of  finding 
a  suitable  location,  but  for  some  reason  he 
returned  to  Ohio  without  making  the  con- 
templated investment.  During  the  ensuing 
four  years  he  cultivated  the  farm  in  Stark 
county  and  at  the  expiration  of  that  time 
made  a  second  trip  to  Whitley  county, 
bought  one  hundred  and  thirty-four  acres  of 
land,  which  is  now  in  Union  township, 
which  in  due  time  he  improved  and  which 
he  still  owns.  In  connection  with  agricul- 
ture. Mr.  Nei  worked  for  a  number  of  years 
at  carpentry  and  being  a  skillful  mechanic, 
his  sendees  as  a  builder  were  always  in 
great  demand.  He  is  now  in  comfortable 
circumstances,  owning  a  fine  estate,  which  is 
well  improved  in  the  way  of  buildings, 
drainage  and  fencing  and  his  long  period  of 
residence  in  the  same  locality  has  made  him 
one  of  the  best  known,  as  well  as  one  of  the 
oldest  citizens  in  the  township.  Before  her 
marriage  Mrs.  Nei  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Eltra  Altaffer;    her  parents  were  German 


and  for  many  years  lived  in  Columbiana 
county,  Ohio,  in  which  state  she  was  born 
and  reared  and  it  was  there  she  met  her 
future  husband.  The  family  of  Frederick 
and  Elma  Nei  consisted  of  four  children : 
Rufus,  Leonard,  Elmer  J.,  and  Frank,  the 
second  oldest  of  the  number  being  deceased. 
February  17,  1870.  in  Columbia  City,  Whit- 
ley county,  Indiana,  Elmer  J.  Nei  first  saw 
the  light  of  day  and  his  childhood  and 
youth  were  spent  on  his  father's  farm  in 
Union  township,  where  by  practical  expe- 
rience he  early  learned  the  true  meaning  of 
honest  toil  and  frugal  thrift.  He  divided 
his  time  between  work  and  attending  school 
until  nineteen  years  old  and  then  turned  his 
attention  to  the  pursuit  of  agriculture,  which 
has  since  been  his  life  work  and  in  the  prose- 
cution of  which  his  success  has  been  very 
encouraging.  With  the  exception  of  one 
year  spent  in  the  employ  of  others  he  has 
always  lived  on  the  farm  which  is  now  his 
home,  working  for  his  father  until  1903, 
since  which  time  he  has  been  tilling  the  soil 
upon  his  own  responsibility. 

Mr.  Nei  has  been  twice  married,  the  first 
time  to  Alma  Crawford,  of  this  county,  who 
died  after  about  one  year  of  happy  wedded 
life,  leaving  a  daughter,  Ada.  Later  he 
married  Anna  Walter,  of  Missouri,  who  has 
borne  him  four  children :  Frances.  Freder- 
ick, Bertha  and  Ruby.  Mr.  Nei  belongs  to 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  order  of 
Woodmen.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat  and 
as  such  was  elected  in  1904  trustee  of  Union 
township  for  a  term  of  four  years,  the  du- 
ties of  which  office  he  has  since  discharged 
to  the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned.  Mrs. 
Nei  holds  membership  in  the  order  of  Mac- 
cabees and  since  her  childhood  has  been 
identified  with  the  Lutheran  church. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


725 


MICHAEL  LAWRENCE 

One  of  the  leading  farmers  and  stock 
raisers  of  Columbia  township,  was  born  in 
Wayne  county,  Ohio,  June  2,  1855,  and  is 
the  oldest  son  of  George  and  Eva  Ann 
(Mowrey)  Lawrence,  a  sketch  of  whom  will 
be  found  elsewhere  in  these  pages.  Like  the 
majority  of  country  boys  the  early  experi- 
ence of  Michael  included  the  usual  round 
of  farm  labor  during  the  spring  and  summer 
months,  varied  in  the  winter  time  by  at- 
tending the  subscription  schools  in  his  na- 
tive county.  At  best  his  educational  advan- 
tages were  but  meager,  the  schools  lasting 
only  about  three  months  of  the  year,  but  by 
diligent  application  he  succeeded  in  com- 
pleting the  usual  course  of  study  and  at  the 
age  of  twenty  was  sufficiently  advanced  to 
take  charge  of  a  school,  to  which  vocation 
he  devoted  his  attention  for  about  one  year. 
At  the  close  of  his  school  term  Mr.  Law- 
rence engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  for 
himself  on  a  part  of  his  father's  farm  in 
Union  township,  where  he  continued  for  a 
period  of  eight  years,  and  two  years  later 
purchased  the  fine  farm  in  Whitley  county, 
on  which  he  has  since  lived  and  which,  un- 
der his  excellent  management,  has  been  im- 
proved until  it  now  stands  to  the  front  among- 
the  most  productive  and  valuable  in  this  part 
of  the  state.  Originally  his  farm  consisted  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres,  one  hun- 
dred of  which  were  in  cultivation,  but  since 
coming  into  his  possession  he  has  cleared 
and  rendered  tillable  an  additional  thirty 
acres,  besides  purchasing  fifty-five  acres  ad- 
joining, all  of  which  is  well  situated  and 
especially  adapted  to  general  agriculture  and 


the  raising  of  live  stock,  all  but  four  acres 
of  the  last  purchase  being  in  cultivation. 
Previous  to  buying  his  present  place,  Mr. 
Lawrence  owned  one  hundred  acres  of  land 
in  Union  and  Jefferson  townships,  which  he 
disposed  of  at  a  handsome  figure,  the  pro- 
ceeds from  this  land  enabling  him  to 
add  a  number  of  substantial  improve- 
ments to  the  beautiful  and  attractive 
homestead  on  which  he  now  lives. 
For  some  years  Mr.  Lawrence  has  devoted 
considerable  attention  to  stock  raising, 
which  he  finds  far  more  profitable  than  the 
raising  of  grain  for  market,  and  he  now 
feeds  all  of  the  products  of  his  place  to  the 
cattle,  especially  the  fine  Jersey  cows,  of 
which  he  keeps  quite  a  number.  From  the 
milk  of  these  cows  he  manufactures  butter 
quite  extensively  for  the  Fort  Wayne  mar- 
kets, where  it  commands  a  high  price  and 
for  which  there  is  always  a  much  greater 
demand  than  he  can  possibly  supply.  He 
also  takes  pride  in  his  horses,  in  the  raising 
of  which  his  success  has  been  very  gratify- 
ing, his  favorite  breed  being  the  pure  Nor- 
man stock,  which  for  heavy  work,  as  well  as 
for  general  utility,  excels  all  other  kinds. 
The  career  of  Mr.  Lawrence  as  a  farmer 
and  stock  raiser  presents  a  series  of  contin- 
ued successes  and  as  already  indicated  he 
occupies  a  conspicuous  place  among  the 
leading  agriculturists  of  Whitley  county,  be- 
sides standing-  high  as  a  citizen  and  liberal- 
minded  man  whose  enterprising  spirit  has 
done  much  to  advance  the  material  interests 
of  the  community  in  which  he  resides.  April 
11,  1878,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Alice  VanMeter.  who  died  February  7. 
1879,   shortly  after  presenting  him  with  a 


726 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


son,  who  was  named  William  E.  and  bom 
January  31,  187.x.  March  iS.  1S86.  Mr. 
Lawrence  married  Iantha  B.  Cassel,  a  rep- 
resentative of  one  of  the  old  and  well  known 
families  of  Whitley  county,  her  grandpar- 
ents moving  to  this  state  as  early  as  1838. 
Mrs.  Lawrence's  parents  died  when  she  was 
quite  young  and  she  grew  to  mature  years 
in  the  home  of  her  grandfather,  who  de- 
parted this  life  in  1876.  Six  children  have 
been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lawrence : 
George  Ray,  whose  birth  occurred  May  10, 
1887,  is  now  a  student  in  the  Columbia  City 
high  school;  Pearl  Keller,  born  October  18, 
1888;  Victor  Lyman,  born  November  11, 
1890;  Albert  Lloyd,  bom  May  27,  1895; 
Eva  Alice,  bom  July  10,  1897;  Blanch 
Gertrude,  whose  birth  occurred  April  14, 
1900,  the  fifth  of  the  number  being  de- 
ceased. The  religious  faith  of  Mr.  Law- 
rence is  represented  by  the  Lutheran  creed, 
but  his  wife  and  children  attend  the  Church 
of  God,  of  which  they  are  members.  In  pol- 
itics he  is  a  Democrat. 


EPHRAIM  KYLER  STRONG. 

Ephraim  Kyler  Strong,  of  the  Colum- 
bia City  bar,  is  a  native  of  Whitley  county 
ami  the  youngest  in  a  family  of  nine  chil- 
dren, whose  parents  were  Ephraim  and  El- 
eanor Strong,  the  former  born  in  Chenango 
county,  New  York,  in  1816.  Ephraim 
Strang  came  to  \\  hitley  county.  Indiana,  in 
1837  and  in  [856  was  here  married  to  El- 
eanor Kyler,  who  preceded  him  by  one 
year  to  the  new  Indiana  country.  They 
reared    their    family,    prospered    in   material 


things  and  it  was  here  that  the  husband  and 
father  died  in  1888,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
two.  Mis  widow,  who  has  passed  her 
eightieth  birthday,  was  born  in  Montgomery 
county,  Ohio,  and  for  seventy  years  has 
resided  within  twelve  miles  of  Columbia 
City.  In  his  younger  years  Mr.  Strong 
carried  on  farming  and  stock  raising  quite 
extensively,  but  from  1869  was  engaged  in 
merchandising,  which  seemed  well  suited  to 
his  temperament.  For  over  half  a  century- 
he  took  an  active  interest  in  the  growth  and 
development  of  the  county,  which  he  as- 
sisted in  transforming  from  a  wilderness. 
He  was  twice  married  and  of  his  children 
the  following  survive:  Aaron  T.,  William 
E.,  Hively,  Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Baker,  Mrs.  Jen- 
nie E.  Hammer,  Mrs.  Lois  E.  Gale  and 
Ephraim  K.  David  W.,  Angeline  and  Ma- 
tilda  are   deceased. 

Ephraim  K.  Strong  was  born  in  Thorn- 
creek  township  October  10,  1865.  He  was 
graduated  from  the  high  school  in  1884. 
after  which  he  taught  for  one  year  and  then 
began  the  study  of  law  under  the  instruction 
of  Hon.  Joseph  W.  Adair,  in  whose  office 
he  continued  during  the  ensuing  two  and 
'one-half  years.  Meanwhile  he  served  as 
deputy  surveyor  and  city  engineer.  In  1887 
he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  immediately 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  the  profession 
to  which  his  time  and  energies  have  since 
been  devoted.  He  was  associated  with 
Judge  Adair  until  the  latter's  election  to  the 
bench  in  1889.  Well  grounded  in  the  basic 
principles  of  jurisprudence  and  familiar 
with  the  great  array  of  legal  authorities,  he 
has  been  quite  successful  in  adapting  this 
knowledge  to  the  varied  demands  of  a 
growing  practice.     Tact  in  the  management 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


727 


of  cases,  marked  ability  in  argument  before 
juries,  uniform  consideration  for  the  court 
and  opposing  counsel,  have  made  him  a 
powerful,  thorough,  courteous  antagonist, 
whom  to  meet  in  trial  is  certain  to  call  forth 
the  best  in  those  arrayed  against  him.  Rec- 
ognizing the  fact  that  success  is  only 
achieved  through  earnest  and  faithful  effort. 
Mr.  Stong  lends  all  of  his  energies  to  cases 
in  hand  and  by  thorough  mastery  before 
trial,  fortifying  the  strong  points  and  pro- 
tecting the  weak,  and  being  quick  to  detect 
and  expose  the  weak  points  of  the  opposi- 
tion, he  fights  tenaciously  to  a  fin- 
ish. Mr.  Strong  is  vitally  interested 
in  all  that  concerns  the  material  prog- 
ress, intellectual  advancement  and  mor- 
al good  of  the  city  in  which  he  re- 
sides, and  to  further  these  ends  he  gives  his 
influence  and  hearty  support  to  every  meas- 
ure that  in  any  way  tends  to  benefit  the  pub- 
lic and  add  to  the  fair  fame  of  the  commu- 
nity. He  holds  membership  in  the  ancient 
and  honorable  order  of  Masonry,  in  which 
he  has  been  exalted  to  a  Knight  Templar, 
as  well  as  to  the  Scottish  Rite.  He  is  also 
identified  with  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees 
and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  be- 
sides belonging  to  several  literary  and  so- 
cial clubs.  He  is  a  Democrat  and  as  such 
wields  a  wide  influence  throughout  the  state, 
being  a  judicious  adviser  in  its  councils  and 
an  active  worker  in  the  ranks,  and  to  his 
efforts  is  largely  due  the  success  of  the  ticket 
in  a  number  of  local,  state  and  national  cam- 
paigns. 

February  12,  1891,  Mr.  Strong  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Jessie  Adair, 
the  accomplished  daughter  of  Judge  Joseph 
W.  and  Margaret  A.  (Young)  Adair,  an  in- 


telligent and  cultured  lad}-,  who  presides 
with  becoming  grace  over  the  home,  and 
who  since  her  girlhood  has  been  popular  and 
highly  esteemed  in  the  best  society  circles. 
Mrs.  Strong  is  deeply  interested  in  literary 
and  social  life,  belongs  to  various  clubs  and 
societies  and  is  noted  as  a  most  accomplished 
entertainer,  her  home  being  the  rendezvous 
of  a  refined  and  select  circle  of  friends.  Mrs. 
Strong  is  a  faithful  member  of  the  Evan- 
gelical '  Lutheran  church  and  alive  to  all 
charitable  work  connected  therewith.  Mr. 
Strong  is  a  genial,  affable  gentleman  of 
pleasing  address  and  attractive  personality 
and  possesses  in  a  marked  degree  those  qual- 
ities of  mind  and  heart  which  win  and  re- 
tain warm  friendships. 


JOHN  W.  BRAND. 

John  W.  Brand,  the  efficient  and  popu- 
lar treasurer  of  Whitley  county,  is  a  native 
of  Ch'de.  Ohio,  where  he  was  born  October 
31.  1853.  His  parents.  John  and  Mary  Ann 
(Loudensleger)  Brand,  were  of  German  and 
American  birth  respectively,  the  former  hav- 
ing been  brought  to  this  country  when  about 
nine  years  old  and  grew  to  maturity  in  the 
Buckeye  state,  where  his  father  John  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life,  the  widow  later 
moving  to  Indiana,  dying  a  number  of  years 
since  near  the  city  of  Kokomo.  In  his 
younger  davs  John  Brand  drove  teams  on 
the  canal,  being  denied  the  privileges  which 
tlie  majority  of  lads  enjoy.  He  attended 
school  but  little  and  was  obliged  to  labor 
earlv  and  late;  but  possessing  sound,  prac- 
tical intelligence  he  made  the  most  of  his  op- 


728 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


portunities  and  when  still  young  became  a 
manufacturer  of  brick.  He  conducted  this 
line  in  Ohio  until  1858.  when  he  removed 
to  Columbia  City,  Indiana,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  brick  making',  which  he  carried  on 
until  1884.  He  then  turned  his  attention 
to  the  manufacture  of  special  furniture  in 
partnership  with  his  younger  son,  until  his 
death  in  1894,  building  up  quite  a  large  and 
profitable  business.  He  was  a  public-spirit- 
ed man.  did  much  to  advance  the  material 
interests  of  his  adopted  city,  stood  high  in 
business  circles  and  enjoyed  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  con- 
tact. He  was  an  active  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity  and  was  identified  with  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  in  both 
of  which  organizations  he  filled  positions  of 
honor  and  trust.  Mrs.  Brand  survived  her 
husband  about  two  years,  dying-  in  1896.  at 
the  age  of  sixty-two.  Their  family  consist- 
ed of  eleven  children  :  Catherine  B.  mar- 
ried J.  W.  Scott,  a  dentist  and  druggist  of 
Ligonier,  both  now  deceased;  George  F., 
who  is  a  traveling  salesman  ;  Laura,  wife  of 
James  F.  McDonald,  lives  at  Ligonier, 
where  he  husband  is  editor  of  the  Ligonier 
Banner;  Clara,  wife  of  H.  F.  Keenev,  lum- 
ber dealer  of  Columbia  City;  Alma,  now 
Mrs.  Harry  Stansberry,  lives  in  Ligonier; 
Charles  C.  is  a  merchant  of  Columbia  City, 
where  at  "nc  time  he  was  associated  with 
hi-  Father  in  the  manufacture  of  furniture; 
Maude,  wife  .if  Simon  Ulrich,  a  telegraph 
operator,  lives  in  Chicago;  and  John  \Y 

John  W.  Brand  spent  the  years  of  his 
clhildhood  and  youth  in  Columbia  City,  in 
the  public  schools  of  which  place  he  received 
his  earh  education.  Subsequently  he  at- 
tended  Mt.    Union    Business  College.  Ohio. 


and  then  held  a  clerkship  in  a  clothing  house 
fi  ir  two  years.  He  spent  the  ensuing  three 
years  as  a  salesman  in  a  drug  store,  and  in 
1 878  engaged  in  the  drug  trade  at  the  town 
of  Churubusco.  He  remained  there  thirteen 
years,  and  not  only  built  up  a  large  and 
lucrative  business,  but  took  an  active  inter- 
est in  advancing  material  local  improvements, 
serving  eleven  years  on  the  school  board  and 
in  many  ways  making  his  influence  felt  as  a 
public-spirited  citizen.  In  1891  he  disposed 
of  his  interests  in  Churubusco  and  returned 
to  Columbia  City,  where  he  has  since  con- 
ducted a  large  drug  store.  He  has  also  been 
identified  with  various  other  lines  of  activity. 
besides  taking  a  leading  part  in  city  and 
county  affairs.  For  four  years  be  served  on 
the  school  board  and  as  such  labored  to  pro- 
mote the  efficiency  of  the  city's  educational 
system.  In  1897  Mr.  Brand  sold  a  half  in- 
terest in  his  business  to  H.  A.  Ireland.  Their 
establishment  is  stocked  with  the  various 
lines  of  drugs  and  other  articles,  while  the 
efficiency  of  the  proprietors  as  skilled  and 
careful  pharmacists  is  generally  recognized. 
Not  only  in  the  realm  of  business  has  Mr. 
Brand  demonstrated  his  judgiuent  and  dis- 
crimination, but  also  in  the  domain  of  poli- 
tics, where  he  has  long  been  recognized  as 
a  forceful  factor  and  leader,  whose  efforts 
have  contributed  materially  to  the  success 
of  the  Democratic  party,  to  which  he  be- 
longs.  In  TO04  he  was  nominated  for  comi- 
ty treasurer  and  was  elected  by  a  strong  ma- 
jority. He  has  discharged  the  duties  of  this 
important  trust  in  an  able,  straightforward, 
businesslike  manner,  proving  a  capable  cus- 
todian  of  the  county's  finances  and  a  most 
courteous  and  obliging  public  servant,  Tli'- 
official   record   is  replete   with   the  evidence 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


729 


of  duty  ably  and  faithfully  performed  and 
among  the  people  of  the  county,  regardless 
of  party  ties,  he  is  held  in  high  esteem,  his  in- 
tegrity being  beyond  reproach,  while  in  ev- 
ery relation  of  life  he  shows  a  due  sense  of 
responsibility,  and  as  a  consequence  orders 
his  course  according  to  the  highest  princi- 
ples of  ethics.  He  maintains  liberal  ideas, 
keeps  informed  on  the  questions  and  issues 
of  the  times  and  although  firm  in  his  convic- 
tions, which  are  invariably  well  fortified,  and 
fearless  in  the  expression  of  his  opinions,  he 
is  always  tolerant  of  the  opinion  of  those 
from  whom  he  differs.  His  fraternal  rela- 
tions are  with  the  Masonic  and  Maccabee 
orders,  in  both  of  which  he  is  an  active  and 
influential  member,  striving  by  every  legiti- 
mate means  at  his  command  to  make  the  or- 
ganizations meet  the  high  and  noble  ends  for 
which  they  were  designed. 

In  1878  Mr.  Brand  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Ella  J.  Yontz,  of  Millsport. 
Ohio,  daughter  of  William  and  Sarah  Yontz, 
the  union  resulting  in  the  birth  of  five  chil- 
dren :  George  F.,  Scott  Clifton.  Will  Yontz, 
Elsie  Merritt  and  Ora  Belle,  who  died  at 
four  years  of  age. 


JOHN  H.  MAXWELL. 

John  H.  Maxwell  is  not  only  a  represent- 
ative of  the  community  in  which  he  lives, 
but  has  also  gained  more  than  local  promi- 
nence as  one  of  the  enterprising  and  suc- 
cessful farmers  in  a  section  of  country  where 
agriculture  is  the  predominant  business.  He 
was  born  in  Putnam  county.  Missouri,  and 
is  the  son  of  Georsre  and  Elizabeth  (Van  Bus- 


kirk)  Maxwell,  the  father  born  in  Ireland, 
the  mother  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana. 
George  Maxwell  came  to  the  United  States 
at  the  age  of  twenty-two  and  during  the  en- 
suing eight  years  peddled  various  kinds  of 
goods  in  the  south  and  southwest,  meeting 
with  encouraging  success  in  this  line.  While 
thus  engaged  he  traveled  over  various  parts 
of  Missouri  and  being  pleased  with  Putnam 
county  and  attracted  by  its  advantages,  he 
decided  to  make  it  his  future  home.  He  pur- 
chased from  the  government  about  eight 
hundred  acres  of  prairie  land,  which  he  be- 
gan to  improve,  erecting  the  necessary  build- 
ings and  reducing  a  portion  to  cultivation. 
As  population  increased  this  land  steadily 
advanced  in  value  and  in  the  course  of  a  few 
years  he  became  one  of  the  largest  farmers 
and  wealthiest  men  in  the  county.  He  also 
rose  to  prominence  as  a  public-spirited  citi- 
zen, took  a  lively  interest  in  promoting  the 
welfare  of  the  county,  and  at  different  times 
was  elected  to  positions  of  honor  and  trust, 
holding  for  a  number  of  years  the  office  of 
township  trustee,  and  serving  at  intervals 
as  a  member  of  the  county  court,  correspond- 
ing to  the  board  of  commissioners  in  Indi- 
ana. In  politics  he  is  Republican  and  in 
religion  he  early  became  one  of  the  leaders 
of  Methodism  in  his  community.  George 
Maxwell  was  married  in  1859.  in  Putnam 
county,  Missouri,  to  Elizabeth  VanBuskirk. 
of  Indiana,  whose  parents,  Benjamin  and 
Elizabeth  VanBuskirk.  had  gone  to  Mis- 
souri from  Wayne  county.  Indiana, 
when  she  was  but  twelve  years  old. 
She  bore  him  nine  children:  Ellen,  wife 
of  D.  A.  Williams,  of  Missouri:  Thomas. 
a  farmer  and  stock  raiser  of  Putnam  county. 
Missouri :    John   H. :   Edward   also  lives   in 


730 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Missouri;  Melville,  a  physician  and  surgeon 
m  Seymour,  Iowa;  Andrew  also  lives  in  Mis- 
souri; Myrtle,  now  Mrs.  J.  D.  Johnson,  of 
Unionville,  Missouri;  Jessie,  wife  of  Dr. 
Harvey  Bowers,  of  Osgood,  Missouri :  Vic- 
tor A.  lives  on  the  old  homestead  in  Mis- 
souri with  his  father. 

John  II.  Maxwell  was  born  August  14, 
1863,  spent  his  boyhood  and  youth  on  the 
family  homestead  in  Missouri  and  is  indebt- 
ed to  the  district  schools  for  his  educational 
training.  In  1885  he  came  to  Whitley  coun- 
ty, and  settled  on  his  present  farm,  three 
miles  southwest  of  Columbia  City.  August 
27,  1885,  Mr.  Maxwell  married  Miss  Anna 
Eberhard.  of  this  county,  sister  of  Jacob 
Eberhard,  whose  former  wife  was  a  sister 
of  Mr.  Maxwell's  stepmother.  Her  father 
was  Henry  Eberhard,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and 
married  Fanny  Nolt,  daughter  of  one  of  the 
county's  largest  landowners,  having  bought 
two  thousand  one  hundred  acres  in  a  body, 
of  which  Mrs.  Eberhard  received  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty-four  acres  though  this  home- 
stead was  five  miles  south  of  Columbia  City. 
Both  are  now  deceased,  he  dying  at  fifty-six 
and  she  survived  him  about  eighteen  vears, 
aged  seventy-two.  One-half  of  Mr.  Max- 
well's farm  was  his  wife's  inheritance  from 
her  father's  estate,  the  other  half  being  pur- 
chased with  his  own  capital.  By  a  series  of 
improvements,  consisting'  of  clearing,  arti- 
ficial drainage,  fencing,  etc..  he  has  enhanced 
the  productiveness  of  the  farm  and  brought 
it  to  an  advanced  state  of  cultivation,  while 
the  residence  is  a  handsome  and  imposing 
structure,  complete  in  all  respects  and  lack- 
ing nothing  in  the  way  of  conveniences 
which  include  gas,  hath,  hot  and  cold  water. 
the  interior  being  finished  throughout  with 


the  finest  of  oak  and  sycamore,  all  of  which 
was  cut  from  Mr.  Maxwell's  own  land.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Maxwell's  beautiful  home  has 
been  brightened  and  made  happy  by  the  pres- 
ence of  four  children,  whose  names  are  as 
follows :  Ellen,  who  is  a  favorite  in  social 
circles;  Alma,  also  popular  with  her  friends; 
Elmer  and  Fannie.  Socially  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Maxwell  are  esteemed  by  all  with  whom  they 
mingle  and  their  home  is  a  favorite  resort 
for  the  best  society.  They  are  members  of 
the  Evangelical  Lutheran  church  and  Mr. 
Maxwell  is  a  member  of  the  chapter  and 
council  in  the  Masonic  fraternity.  He  is  a 
Republican,  though  not  a  political  aspirant. 


DANIEL  STILES. 


Daniel  Stiles,  a  retired  farmer  and  repre- 
sentative citizen  of  Whitley  county,  resid- 
ing in  Columbia  City,  is  a  native  of  Medina 
county.  Ohio,  and  the  son  of  John  and  Maiy 
(Coolman)  Stiles,  the  father  a  Canadian  by 
birth  and  of  Irish  descent,  the  mother  born 
in  Pennsylvania,  of  German  parentage.  John 
Stiles  was  reared  by  an  uncle,  who  brought 
him  to  the  United  States  when  a  youth  elev- 
en years  of  age,  from  which  time  until  a 
young  man  he  lived  with  this  relation  in 
Ohio  and  followed  farming.  He  was  en- 
abled while  still  young  to  purchase  sixty 
acres  of  woodland  in  Medina  county,  which 
he  improved  by  erecting  a  dwelling  and  out- 
buildings and  reducing  the  greater  part  to 
cultivation.  Subsequently  he  disposed  of 
tliis  place  and  bought  one  hundred  acres  in 
the  same  county,  one-half  of  which  he  im- 
pri  ived    and   converted   into   a    comfortable 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


73i 


home,  where  he  continued  to  live  to  the  end 
of  his  days.  He  was  three  times  married, 
and  reared  five  children,  but  two  of  whom 
are  living. 

Daniel  Stiles  was  born  December  19, 
1833,  and  spent  his  early  life  in  his  native 
county  and  state.  He  attended  such  schools 
as  the  country  afforded  until  sixteen  years 
of  age  and  assisted  with  the  labor  of  the 
farm  until  eighteen,  when  he  started  out  to 
make  his  own  way  in  the  world.  Having 
heard  of  the  advantages  which  northern  In- 
diana held  out  to  young  men  he  in  company 
with  an  uncle.  William  Coolman.  came  to 
Whitley  county.  He  returned  to  Ohio,  mar- 
ried and  bought  and  improved  a  small  farm 
in  Wyandotte  county.  This  he  sold  and  in 
1863  purchased  eighty  acres  in  Jefferson 
township,  Whitley  county,  Indiana.  In  May, 
1864,  he  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-fourth  Regiment,  Ohio  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, serving  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley 
until  the  expiration  of  his  term.  In  1866 
he  removed  to  his  purchase  in  Jefferson 
township  and  began  to  clear  out  a  farm  from 
its  original  condition.  He  added  another 
twenty  acres  and  owned  the  farm  for  twenty- 
five  years.  In  1901  he  bought  an  improved 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-four  acres, 
three  miles  south  of  Columbia  City,  for 
which  he  paid  six  thousand  nine  hundred 
dollars.  Later  he  sold  sixty-four  acres  of 
this  to  Orville  D.,  who  operates  the  whole. 
He  has  besides  residence  and  improved  prop- 
erty in  Columbia  City,  where  he  has  lived 
for  twenty  years.  On  May  5,  1853.  Mr. 
Stiles  married  Sarah  Lewis,  of  New  York, 
the  union  being  blessed  with  three  children : 
Mary,  wife  of  John  Rupert,  a  farmer  of 
Huntington   countv,   this  state;   Orville   D. 


and  Alice  Jane,  who  married  Jacob  Over- 
dear,  of  Columbia  City.  In  addition  to  their 
own  family  Mr.  and  Airs.  Stiles  have  reared 
three  other  children,  one  now  being  estab- 
lished for  himself,  one  dying  at  eight  years 
and  one  still  with  them. 

Mr.  Stiles  cast  his  first  vote  for  John  C. 
Fremont  and  has  consistently  supported  the 
same  principles  for  fifty  years.  He  has  at 
various  times  served  his  party  as  delegate 
to  local  conventions.  Though  not  holding 
any  religious  affiliations,  he  has  shaped  his 
life  in  accordance  with  the  highest  ethical 
and  moral  principles,  not  using  tobacco  or 
liquor  in  any  form  for  more  than  half  a  cen- 
turv,  nor  yielding  to  an  indulgence  in  pro- 
fanitv. 


GEORGE  W.  SHROLL. 

George  W.  Shroll  was  born  in  Bucyrus,. 
Ohio,  December  14,  1852,  and  is  the  son 
of  Jacob  and  Margaret  (Cunningham) 
Shroll.  Jacob  was  also  born  in  Ohio,  where 
he  lived  until  1854,  when  he  removed  to  De- 
Kalb  county,  Indiana,  and  purchased  a  small 
farm,  to  which  he  devoted  the  next  ten  years, 
when  he  changed  his  residence  to  the  county 
of  Lagrange,  where  he  owned  one  hundred 
acres  on  which  he  made  valuable  improve- 
ments. However,  in  a  short  time  he  sold 
it  and  bought  another  farm  in  the  same 
countv,  which  became  his  home  to  the  end 
of  his  life,  which  occurred  August  23,  1893, 
in  his  seventy-ninth  year.  His  wife 
died  October  5,  1894,  aged  seventy- 
four  vears.  To  Jacob  and  Margaret  Shroll 
were  born  six  children :  Elizabeth  ;  Franr 
cis,  a  resident  of  Noble  county ;  Margaret,. 


7l< 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


a  resident  of  DeKalb  county ;  Mary  Ann 
lives  near  Hicksville,  Ohio;  George  W. ;  and 
John,  of  Lagrange  county. 

George  W.  Shroll  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  DeKalb  county,  Indiana,  and  re- 
mained with  his  parents  until  his  twenty- 
first  year,  meanwhile  becoming  thoroughly 
familiar  with  farm  labor.  On  attaining  his 
majority  he  took  charge  of  the  family  home- 
Siead,  which  he  cultivated  seventeen  years, 
until  the  spring  of  1894,  when  he  came  to 
Whitley  county.  In  1897  he  bought  his 
present  farm  of  ninety  acres  one  mile  north 
of  Columbia  City.  It  is  known  as  the  John 
McClain  homestead,  the  former  owner  be- 
ginning to  improve  it  in  the  late  forties  and 
in  1853  erected  the  present  residence  and 
here  lived  and  died  in  1892.  His  old  bam 
was  remodeled  by  Mr.  Shroll  and  August 
9,  1906,  it  was  destroyed  by  fire,  but  an- 
other thirty-six  by  fifty  has  risen  in  its  place. 

Mr.  Shroll  was  married  December  23, 
1880,  in  LaGrange  county,  to  Miss  Mary  J. 
McDonald,  and  their  children  are:  Katura, 
wife  of  Gilbert  Humbarger,  living  in  Whit- 
ley county,  whose  only  child,  Mary  A.,  is 
abundantly  blessed  with  grandmothers,  six 
of  whom  are  living  at  the  present  time;  Or- 
ville.  died  November  12,  HJ05,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one:  Ernest  and  Harry  died  in  in- 
fancy; Nellie,  a  school  girl.  Mr.  Shroll  is 
■■<  Democrat  and  member  of  the  Order  of 
Ben  1  [ur. 


GEORGE  BAUER. 


George  Bauer  has  earned  the  reputation 
of  being  one  of  the  most  industrious  and 
successful  agriculturists  in  Thorncreek 
township.      Mr.    Bauer's   place    is    just    two 


miles  north  of  Columbia  City  in  a  country 
famous  for  its  fertility.  He  was  born  on 
the  farm  which  he  now  owns.  February  2. 
1872.  His  parents,  Lewis  and  Elizabeth 
(Bishop)  Bauer,  were  born  in  Germany.  He 
was  eleven  years  old  when  he  arrived  in  this 
country  with  his  mother,  his  father  having 
died  in  the  old  country.  Lewis  Bauer  settled 
in  Huron  county,  Ohio,  and  the  young  im- 
migrant remained  there  until  the  Civil  war 
broke  out  and  then  answering  the  call  of  his 
adopted  country  he  volunteered  for  active 
service,  joining  the  Fifty -fifth  Regiment, 
Ohio  Infantry.  He  served  three  years  and 
was  seriously  injured  by  a  horse  during  ma- 
neuvers. Later  on  he  lost  one  eye  by  acci- 
dent. Late  in  1865  Lewis  Bauer  returned 
to  Ohio  and  married  Elizabeth  Bishop.  The 
couple  moved  to  Whitley  county  and  began 
the  battle  of  life  on  the  site  of  the  farm  now- 
owned  by  their  son.  The  extent  of  the  hold- 
ings at  that  time  was  eighty  acres,  all  a  dense 
forest,  and  Lewis  Bauer  began  the  strenuous 
work  of  clearing-  the  wooded  tract.  Gener- 
ous labor  and  great  industry  soon  accom- 
plished the  work.  He  and  his  wife  first  oc- 
cupied a  rude  cabin  but  after  a  short  period 
he  built  a  comfortable  house  and  having 
cleared  up  the  land  found  himself  in  the  pos- 
session of  a  promising  farm.  He  and  his 
wife  remained  there  until  the  end  of  their 
days.  Mrs.  Bauer  died  in  1895  and  her 
husband  followed  her  to  the  last  resting 
place  in  January,  1896.  Both  were  faithful 
communicants  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church,  to  which  their  son  and  his  family 
also  belong.  In  politics  Lewis  Bauer  was 
a  steadfast  Republican  and  thoroughly  in 
sympathy  with  the  policies  of  his  party. 

There  were  four  children  born  to  Lewis 
Bauer  and  wife :     Frank,   who  died   when 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


733 


fourteen  years  of  age;  John,  who  died  at 
eleven ;  Peter,  who  died  in  infancy,  and 
George.  When  George  was  growing  up  he 
got  a  good  common  school  education,  was 
industrious  and  steady,  and  took  good  care 
of  his  father  and  mother.  In  1896  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Christina,  daughter  of 
Frank  H.  Fries,  a  well  known  and  pros- 
perous farmer  of  Thorncreek  township.  Mr. 
Fries  came  from  France  in  1853,  and  after 
spending  about  a  year  in  Pennsylvania 
moved  to  Whitley  county.  The  parents  of 
Frank  Fries  were  Erasmus  and  Rosa  Fries, 
who  came  to  Whitley  county  in  1854  and 
settled  on  a  piece  of  wild  land  which  was 
practically  in  the  middle  of  the  wilderness. 
They  had  seven  children :  Erasmus,  de- 
ceased ;  Catherine,  wife  of  Adam  Ulrich,  of 
Columbia  City;  Joseph,  who  resides  in  Ma- 
rion, Indiana;  Frank,  who  lives  on  the  farm 
near  Columbia  City ;  Susan  and  Rosanna 
(twins),  the  former  deceased ;  and  John,  de- 
ceased. Frank  Fries  has  lived  in  Whitley 
county  since  his  childhood  and  is  familiar 
with  every  hill  and  vale  in  the  locality.  In 
1870  he  married  Catherine  Ulrich,  daughter 
of  Francis  and  Margaret  Ulrich,  who  were 
early  settlers  of  northern  Indiana.  Nine 
children  were  born  to  Frank  H.  Fries  and 
wife.  These  were  Anna,  deceased ;  Chris- 
tina ;  Frank,  deceased ;  Henry  Edward,  who 
lives  on  the  farm;  Rosa,  who  also  lives  on 
farm;  Josephine  and  Clara  (twins),  the  lat- 
ter deceased;  Joseph  Leo.  who  lives  at 
home;  and  Catherine,  wife  of  Frank  Shilts. 
a  well  known  farmer.  When  Frank  Fries 
was  married  he  was  acting  as  a  fireman  and 
engineer  on  the  old  Eel  River  Railroad.  He 
helped  in  the  construction  of  the  road  and 
fired  one  of  the  first  engines  that  ran  over 


it.  He  had  previously  worked  five  years  for 
the  Pennsylvania  and  was  promoted  to  the 
position  of  regular  engineer,"  in  which  serv- 
ice he  remained  for  three  years.  He  then 
purchased  the  eighty  acres  of  land  on  which 
the  Fries  home  now  stands.  They  have  now 
in  all  one  hundred  and  forty  acres.  Mr. 
Fries  died  January  19,  1907.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bauer  have  six  children :  Leon  A.,  Lo- 
retta  M.,  Man,-  E.,  Francis  V.  and  Louis  J. 
(twins),  and  George  Joseph. 


JOHN  WILSON  ADAMS. 

The  record  of  the  newspaper  press  of  a 
county,  if  in  the  hands  of  men  competent 
to  make  it  fully  discharge  its  duty  of  dis- 
seminating knowledge  and  directing  public 
opinion,  ought  to  be  one  of  the  brightest 
and  most  important  pages  in  the  county's 
history.  One  of  the  first  and  greatest  things 
that  stands  to  the  credit  of  this  Republic  is 
that  it  unbridled  the  press  and  made  it  free. 
This  was  the  wisest  act  in  its  history.  It 
was  the  seed  planted  in  good  soil  for  its 
own  perpetuity  and  for  the  happiness  and 
welfare  of  the  people.  Free  speech,  free 
schools  are  necessary  to  free  intelligence  and 
freedom,  and  when  the  storms  of  discord 
arise  and  the  angry  waves  of  popular  ignor- 
ance and  passion  beat  and  buffet  the  ship 
of  state,  then  indeed  is  a  free  press  the  bea- 
con light  over  the  troubled  waters  pointing 
the  way  to  safety. 

The  press  of  Whitley  county  has  a  cred- 
itable record  and  the  minds  by  which  it  has 
been  directed  have  been  clear,  dignified  and 
honorable.     While  it  is  not  the  province  of 


734 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


this  article  to  give  a  history  of  the  county 
press  or  mention  of  the  various  journalists 
identified  therewith,  it  is  fitting  to  here  give 
a  brief  outline  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  most 
popular  newspapers  of  northern  Indiana,  to- 
gether with  a  short  review  of  the  man  who 
now  occupies  the  editorial  sanctum,  and 
whose  efforts  have  advanced  it  to  its  present 
influence  among  the  local  sheets  of  the  state. 
The  Columbia  City  Post  has  had  a  continu- 
ous existence  since  1853  and  from  that  time 
to  the  present  has  maintained  an  unques- 
tionable reputation  of  being  one  of  the  lead- 
ing political  influences  not  only  in  the  county 
of  Whitley,  but  throughout  this  entire  part 
of  the  commonwealth. 

In  July,  fifty-three  years  ago,  Joseph  A. 
Berry  began  the  publication  of  a  Democratic 
party  organ  under  the  name  of  "The  Pio- 
neer." It  was  a  small  sheet,  decidedly  out- 
spoken in  sentiment,  and  the  probability  is 
that  the  proprietor  was  paid  sufficiently  well 
to  enable  him  to  issue  a  vigorous  party  or- 
gan at  a  time  when  the  sentiment  of  the 
county  would  hardly  justify  the  business 
wisdom  of  such  a  venture.  Mr.  Berry  con- 
tinued the  publication  during  the  ensuing 
three  years,  the  circulation  attaining  about 
four  hundred.  The  enterprise  not  meeting 
the  editor's  financial  expectations,  nor  prov- 
ing entirely  satisfactory  to  some  of  its  pat- 
rons by  reason  of  its  strong  bias  towards  the 
Free  Soil  doctrine,  it  was  sold  in  August, 
1X5(1.  to  P.  W.  Hardesty,  a  newspaper  man 
of  considerable  experience,  under  whose 
management  11  soon  advanced  in  public  fa- 
vor. It  waspurchased  in  1858  by  I.  B.  Mc- 
Donald, who  turned  over  the  editorial  man- 
agement to  F.  L.  and  W.  C.  Graves.  In 
185c)  Mr.  McDonald  and  C.  W.  Graves  be- 


came editors,  with  S.  H.  Hill  publisher.  The 
following-  year  E.  Zimmerman  bought  an 
interest,  succeeding  Mr.  Hill  as  publisher. 
Mr.  McDonald  then  bought  the  "Jefferson- 
ian"  and  merged  the  two  papers  into  one, 
the  "Columbia  City  News."  At  the  out- 
break of  the  Civil  war  Mr.  McDonald  en- 
listed and  turned  the  paper  over  to  his  part- 
ners, though  still  retaining  a  business  inter- 
est. In  1864  E.  Zimmerman  transferred  his 
interest  to  Frank  Zimmerman,  Mr.  McDon- 
ald resigning  his  military  commission  to  re- 
sume the  editorial  chair.  The  paper  passed 
into  the  hands  of  Eli  W.  Brown  in  1865, 
who  changed  the  name  to  the  "Columbia 
City  Post."  In  1867  a  power  press  was  in- 
stalled, the  equipment  improved  throughout 
and  the  paper  enlarged  to  meet  the  growing 
demand.  John  W.  Adams  purchased  an  in- 
terest in  April,  1879,  and  assisted  in  man- 
aging and  conducting  the  paper.  In  April, 
1 88 1,  Mr.  Adams  became  sole  owner,  and 
as  such  has  since  continued.  While  an  ex- 
ponent of  orthodox  Democracy  and  never 
swerving  in  his  loyalty  to  the  principles  of 
the  party,  his  aim  has  been  to  publish  a  clean, 
dignified  family  paper,  filled  with  the  latest 
general  news  together  with  the  interesting 
local  happenings  of  his  own  city  and  county. 
The  Post  is  worthy  of  popular  favor  and  to 
this  end  he  spares  no  reasonable  effort  or 
expense,  thus  making-  its  columns  vibrate 
with  the  public  pulse  and  reflect  the  current 
thought  of  the  age. 

John  Wilson  Adams  is  a  native  of  Whit- 
ley county  and  the  son  of  John  O.  and  Chris- 
tina Adams,  the  father  born  in  Ireland,  the 
mother  in  Columbiana  county,  Ohio,  being 
of  Irish  and  Scotch  blood  respectively.  They 
lived  for  a  number  of  years  on  a  farm  in 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


735 


Thorncreek  township,  and  it  was  there  that 
his  birth  occurred  October  13,  1856.  After 
attending  the  schools  of  Columbia  City  he 
entered  the  Northern  Indiana  Normal  Uni- 
versity at  Valparaiso,  where  he  prosecuted 
his  studies  with  the  object  of  fitting  himself 
for  the  varied  duties  which  he  was  to  en- 
counter in  the  greater  school  of  practical 
life. 

Mr.  Adams  was  married  August  22. 
1883,  to  Miss  Sophia  D.  Collins,  the  union 
resulting  in  the  birth  of  three  children :  Don- 
ald C,  James  D.,  and  John  0.  As  a  citi- 
zen and  neighbor  he  is  highly  esteemed,  be- 
ing interested  in  the  progress  and  general 
prosperity  of  his  city,  faithfully  performing 
the  duties  of  citizenship  and  discharging 
with  commendable  fidelity  every  trust  re- 
posed in  him  by  his  fellowmen. 


CYRUS  HENRY  REISER. 

Cyrus  Henry  Reiser,  a  prominent  farm- 
er of  Richland  township,  was  born  in  Port- 
age county,  Ohio,  March  13,  1848,  and  is 
the  son  of  Andrew  and  Margaret  (Markle) 
Reiser.  Andrew  was  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  the  son  of  Jacob,  who  lived  some 
time  in  Ohio,  but  removed  to  Indiana  about 
1835,  settling  in  Columbia  township,  and 
secured  two  hundred  acres  of  land  on  which 
he  lived  till  death.  Margaret  Markle  was 
born  in  Germany  and  came  to  this  country 
when  about  twelve  years  of  age  with  her 
father,  John  Markle,  who  remained  in  Port- 
age countv,  Ohio,  until  the  close  of  his  life. 
Andrew  and  Margaret  were  married  in  Port- 
age countv,   Ohio,  where  they  remained  a 


number  of  years,  but  came  to  Indiana  in 
1850  and  settled  in  Columbia  township,  re- 
maining there  until  their  respective  deaths, 
that  of  the  mother  occurring  in  1875,  f°l" 
lowed  by  the  father  in  1885.  They  were 
exemplary  members  of  the  Lutheran  church 
and  were  the  parents  of  five  children  :  Cyrus ; 
John,  living  in  Rosciusko  county,  Indiana ; 
Mary,  living  in  Iowa ;  Lovina  and  Sarah, 
both  deceased  in  infancy.  Cyrus  H.  Reiser 
was  two  years  old  when  his  parents  moved 
to  Whitley  county  and  has  remained  here 
continuously  to  the  present  time.  He  grew 
to  manhood  on  the  home  farm,  assisting  in 
the  labors  and  receiving  the  benefit  of  the 
common  schools.  March  14,  1872,  .he  was 
married  to  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Sarah  Ann  (Wise)  Brown,  who  was 
born  in  Stark  county,  Ohio,  November  20, 
1850.  Mrs.  Reiser  began  to  teach  at  the 
age  of  seventeen  and  taught  in  the  Whitley 
county  schools  for  six  years.  Her  parents 
were  natives  of  Ohio,  and  came  to  Columbia 
township  in  1852,  where  they  continued  to 
live  till  death,  that  of  the  wife  occurring  in 
1854  and  of  the  husband  in  1887.  Ten  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them:  Eli  and  Harriet, 
both  deceased ;  Eliza  ;  Lucetta,  deceased ;  Jo- 
siah  ;  Theophilus,  deceased ;  Sarah  Ann  ;  Pe- 
ter: and  Franklin,  deceased. 

Three  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Riser:  Dora  Alice,  who  died  in  early 
childhood;  Otto  L.,  who  married  Jessie  A. 
Lower,  lives  in  Troy  township  and  has  one 
child,  Almeda  Genevive;  Leona  L.,  at  home. 
The  first  farm  owned  by  Mr.  Riser  was  in 
Troy  township,  but  in  1900  they  purchased 
one  hundred  and  fifty-nine  acres  in  Richland 
township,  nn  which  they  still  live.  This  is 
the  Lvsander  Toslin  homestead,  the  former 


r36 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


owner  making  the  principal  improvements, 
including  the  house.  It  lies  five  miles  north- 
west of  Columbia  City  near  the  village  of 
Lorane.  The  farm  is  productive,  well  im- 
proved in  every  way  and  is  a  desirable  and 
pleasant  home.  In  addition  to  general  farm- 
ing, considerable  attention  is  given  to  stock, 
thoroughbreds  being  kept  in  the  line  of  hogs, 
cattle  and  horses.  Mr.  Keiser  is  a  Demo- 
crat and  has  served  the  public  as  ditch  com- 
missioner for  several  years.  He  has  been 
a  successful  agent  of  the  Farmers'  Mutual 
Insurance  Company  and  continues  to  give 
the  business  a  part  of  his  time.  Mrs.  Keiser 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  Mr.  Keiser  is  of  social  disposition 
and  enjoys  a  game  of  baseball. 


ISAIAH  W.  JOHNSTON. 

A  pioneer  farmer,  he  is  descended  from 
a  long  line  of  pioneer  farmers,  who  took 
part  in  rescuing  Ohio  and  Indiana  from  the 
primeval  wilderness  in  which  they  were 
clothed  when  the  first  settlers  arrived  from 
the  east.  James  Johnston,  the  founder  of  the 
western  branch  of  the  family,  who  was  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  Ohio,  married  Eliza- 
beth Yost,  by  whom  he  had  six  children : 
John,  William,  George,  James,  Mary  and 
Eliza.  The  first  three  emigrated  to  Iowa  and 
spent  their  lives  in  that  then  distant  territory. 
Mary  and  Eliza  are  still  living  in  Ohio. 
James,  the  fourth  son,  was  married  to  Ra- 
chel Wells  in  Morrow  county,  Ohio,  remov- 
ed to  Indiana  in  1837,  but  after  a  year  re- 
turned to  his  old  home.  After  three  years  he 
removed  to  Shelby  county,  Ohio,  remained 


there  until  April,  1845,  and  then  came  to 
Whitley  county,  where  he  bought  a  tract  of 
land  in  Thorncreek  township,  on  which  he 
lived  until  his  death  from  consumption  in 
February,  1861.  His  wife  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania,  her  parents  being  Isaiah  and 
Elizabeth  Wells,  who  removed  to  Ohio  at  a 
very  early  day  and  cultivated  a  farm.  He 
came  to  Thorncreek  township  in  1837  and 
bought  a  larg-e  tract  of  land  but  afterward 
sold  this  property  and  returned  to  Ohio, 
where  he  died.  He  had  four  children :  Ra- 
chel, Catherine,  Elizabeth  and  Hannah. 
James  and  Rachel  (Wells)  Johnston  had 
twelve  children :  Hannah  Jane,  deceased, 
Catherine,  wife  of  Alex  Wygant,  of  Noble 
county.  Mary  Ann,  deceased.  Isaiah,  Wil- 
liam, a  resident  of  Whitley  county,  James 
lives  on  the  old  home  place  in  Thorncreek. 
John,  deceased,  George,  a  resident  of  Noble 
county,  Sarah,  deceased,  Martha,  widow  of 
John  Hill,  Andrew,  living  in  Noble  county, 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  Cornelius  Rerrick,  a  resi- 
dent of  California. 

Isaiah  W.  Johnston,  fourth  in  order  in 
the  foregoing  list,  was  born  in  Morrow  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  December  10,  1835.  He  was  four- 
teen years  old  before  he  opened  a  school- 
book  and  obtained  but  a  meager  education 
in  the  poor  schools  of  those  days.  He  re- 
mained with  his  father  on  the  farm  until  he 
reached  his  twenty-fifth  year.  In  1861,  he 
was  married  to  Mary  King,  who  was  a  na- 
tive of  Virginia  and  who  died  in  1868.  By 
this  union  there  was  one  child,  John,  who 
died  in  childhood.  In  1869  Mr.  Johnston 
married  Susan  Scott,  who  was  born  in  Lo- 
gan county,  Ohio,  December  13,  1847, 
daughter  of  Samuel  and  Phoebe  (Arahood) 
Scott.     Samuel  Scott,  a  son  of  John  Scott, 


GUN  OF  24TH  INDIANA  BATTERY.  ISAIAH  W.  JOHNSTON,  GL'NNER, 
AND  HIS  CANNONEERS.  TAKEN  ON  BATTLEFIELD  AT  ATLANTA;  GA.. 
OCTOBER,    1864. 


MR.  AND  MRS.  ISAIAH  W.  JOHNSTON. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


737 


was  a  native  of  Madison  county,  Ohio,  and 
his  wife  of  Logan  county.  They  came  to 
Indiana  in  an  early  day.  but  three  years  later 
returned  to  Ohio.  In  1864  they  came  back 
to  Indiana,  where  he  died  at  Larwill  March 
29,  1875,  and  his  wife  died  with  Mrs.  John- 
ston September  28,  1891.  They  had  five 
children  :  Mary,  Sarah,  John,  who  are  dead  ; 
Sylvester,  who  lives  in  Larwill,  Indiana; 
and  Mrs.  Johnston.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnston 
have  had  three  daughters :  Philena  L.  mar- 
ried Lewis  Wolf,  a  farmer  of  Noble  county, 
and  they  have  eight  children:  Benjamin,  Bes- 
sie, Everett.  Ellery.  Harry,  Gertie,  Ar- 
low  and  Herbert.  She  died  October  9,  1906. 
Effie  married  John  Pontzius,  and  they  live 
with  her  parents,  he  operating  the  farm. 
Zona  Iona  died  at  thirteen  of  typhoid  fever. 
After  his  marriage  in  1861,  Mr.  Johnston 
settled  on  a  part  of  his  father's  estate,  where 
he  has  ever  since  lived.  At  the  time  he  was 
contented  with  a  hewed  log  house,  but  as 
he  prospered  he  felt  the  need  of  a  better  home 
and  some  years  ago  built  a  comfortable 
frame  structure.  The  place  contains  ninety- 
eight  acres  of  good  farming  land,  which  is 
well  improved  and  has  a  suitable  barn  and 
other  outbuildings.  He  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Christian  church  and  he  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,  by  right  of  long  and  arduous  serv- 
ice as  a  soldier  in  the  army  of  the  Union 
during  the  Civil  war.  October  22,  1862,  he 
enlisted  in  the  Twenty-fourth  Indiana  Bat- 
tery and  served  faithfully  as  gunner  until 
discharged  August  3,  1865.  He  took  part 
in  the  following  battles  and  minor  engage- 
ments :  Horse  Shoe  and  Marrowbone,  Ken- 
tucky, July  22,  1863.  Philadelphia  and 
Sweetwater,  Tennessee,  October  21,  1863, 
47 


Camp  Bell,  Tennessee,  November  16,  1863, 
Siege  of  Knoxville,  Tennessee,  Novmber  17, 
1863,  Talbert  Station,  Tennessee,  December 
29.  1863.  He  went  through  the  famous  cam- 
paign of  Sherman  from  Dalton  to  Atlanta 
and  fought  at  Resaca,  May  13,  Dallas,  Geor- 
gia, May  25  to  June  4,  Siege  of  Atlanta, 
July  22-28  to  September  2,  1864.  His  bat- 
tery was  sent  with  the  forces  after  Hood, 
whose  army  he  helped  destroy  at  Nashville 
and  Franklin,  after  which  he  was  ordered  to 
Louisville.  This  battery  contained  six  guns, 
Mr.  Johnston  being  gunner  and  promoted 
from  the  third  to  the  first  section.  It  was 
commanded  mainly  by  Captain  Alexander 
Hardy,  of  Logansport.  Mr.  Johnston  has 
photographs  of  his  gun  and  its  quota  of  men 
taken  on  the  Atlanta  battlefield.  He  is  a 
member  of  English  Post,  G.  A.  R.  at  Etna. 


WILLIAM  M.  HUGHES. 

William  M.  Hughes,  a  representative  of 
one  of  the  old  and  prominent  families  of 
Whitley  county,  was  born  in  Columbia  City, 
February  10,  1850,  being  a  son  of  Charles 
W.  and  Mary  (Davis)  Hughes.  He  is  a  na- 
tive of  Virginia  and  she  of  Ohio.  Charles 
Hughes  came  to  Indiana  in  1842,  settling  in 
Columbia  township,  where  he  purchased  and 
cleared  eig-hty  acres  of  land,  to  which  he 
added  until  at  his  death,  in  1864,  he  was 
the  owner  of  four  hundred  and  fifty  acres, 
one  hundred  and  thirteen  acres  of  which 
were  in  cultivation,  the  rest  consisting  of 
timber  and  pasturage.  In  addition  to  be- 
coming- one  of  the  leading  fanners  of  the 
county  he  also  took  a  leading  part  as  a  Re- 


73« 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


publican  in  political  and  public  affairs.  He 
was  appointed  auditor  of  the  county  in  1844. 
then  served  three  years  as  probate  judge  and 
in  1847  "a>  elected  county  treasurer,  which 
office  he  tilled  for  two  terms.  In  1856  he 
was  elected  county  recorder,  and  during  the 
Civil  war  was  provost  marshal  for  Whitley 
county,  in  all  of  which  positions  he  displayed 
ability  and  conducted  them  so  as  to  gain 
unqualified  respect  and  approval.  Retiring 
from  public  life  he  turned  his  attention  to 
stock  dealing,  which  with  the  management 
of  his  farm  and  large  private  interests  oc- 
cupied his  time  until  the  close  of  his  earthly 
career.  His  widow,  who  is  still  living  at  the 
ripe  old  age  of  eighty-seven,  makes  her  home 
with  her  son  on  the  old  homestead  just  north 
of  Columbia  City.  Charles  and  Mary 
Hughes  had  three  children :  Martha  Jane. 
wife  of  a  Mr.  Bainbridge.  a  merchant  of 
Columbia  City,  both  now  deceased :  Sarah 
Virginia,  widow  of  Samuel  Graham,  resides 
in  Chicago ;  and  William  M. 

William  M.  Hughes  was  reared  on  his 
present  farm,  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Columbia  City  and  on  attaining-  his  majority 
decided  to  continue  in  the  same  line  to  which 
he  was  accustomed.  He  has  always  lived  on 
the  family  homestead,  which  now  belongs  to 
him,  containing  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
acres,  and  which  by  proper  attention  to  de- 
tails is  kept  in  a  highly  fertile  condition. 
The  Hughes  residence,  built  in  1858,  is  a 
large,  roomy  house,  standing  on  a  rise  of 
ground  affording  a  fine  view  of  the  sur- 
rounding country,  including  the  city.  Mr. 
Hughes  is  a  Republican,  but  acting  on  ad- 
vice of  his  father  has  refrained  from  public 
aspirations.  Fraternally  his  connections  are 
with  the  Masonic  order. 

Miss  Jennie  C.  Yontz,  who  became  the 


wife  of  Air.  Hughes  in  1872,  is  a  native  of 
Ohio,  from  which  state  her  parents  moved 
to  Whitley  county  in  1864.  Her  father,  Ben- 
jamin Yontz,  was  a  prosperous  farmer  and 
praiseworthy  citizen,  and  her  brother 
Franklin  Yontz,  served  with  credit  during 
the  rebellion  as  a  member  of  the  Forty-sixth 
Regiment,  Ohio  Infantry.  Air.  and  Airs. 
Hughes  are  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren :  Charles  Wesley,  city  electrician  of 
Joliet,  Illinois :  Virginia,  wife  of  Charles 
White,  of  Whitley  county;  and  Mary,  at 
home. 


RICHARD  M.  PAIGE. 

Richard  M.  Paig"e,  deceased,  was  born 
in  Chemung  county.  New  York,  May  4, 
1823,  and  died  March  1,  1897,  surviving  his 
brother  Jedediah  but  two  weeks.  He  was  one 
of  the  twelve  children  of  Rufus  W.  A.  and 
Jane  (Middaugh)  Paige,  he  born  in  Massa- 
chusetts in  1790  and  she  in  New  Jersey  in 
1803.  In  1837  he  settled  in  Holmes  county. 
Ohio,  where  he  practiced  medicine  some  six 
years,  removing  to  Whitley  county  in  1843 
and  entering  a  half  section  of  land  two  miles 
east  of  the  county  seat  on  Eel  river.  He 
practiced  somewhat  until  his  death  in  1863. 
surviving  his  wife  but  a  few  months.  Of 
the  twelve  children  but  one  survives,  Ma- 
tilda, wife  of  John  Head,  of  the  state  of 
Washington.  Seven  sons  reached  maturity. 
Richard  being'  the  only  one  to  raise  a  family 
in  Whitley  county.  Four  went  to  Califor- 
nia, but  one  of  whom.  Jedediah,  ever  re- 
turned, he  dying  about  one  year  later,  aged 
sixty-eight.  Three  daughters  remained  in 
this  county.  Jeannette  becoming  the  wife  of 
Elijah  De  Pen,  her  daughter  Marv  being  a 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


739 


Mrs.  Alexander,  of  Warren,  Indiana.  Je- 
rusha  married  William  Rouch  and  occupied 
the  old  homestead,  her  surviving  daughter 
being  Lulu,  wife  of  Herder  Schrader,  of  Al- 
len county.  Melissa  was  the  wife  of  John 
McNamara,  her  only  son,  Charles,  surviv- 
ing. Richard  M.  Paige  became  the  owner 
of  a  fine  farm  of  over  five  hundred  acres 
bordering  Eel  river  in  Union  township,  upon 
which  he,  about  forty  years  since,  erected  a 
large  square  brick  house,  which  continued 
his  home  till  the  close  of  life.  He  was  an 
extensive  and  prosperous  farmer,  becoming 
one  of  the  substantial  men  of  the  county. 
September  6,  1855,  he  married  Phylura  A. 
Lighttizer,  born  in  Wayne  county,  Ohio, 
May  24,  1834,  and  who  at  ten  years  of  age 
came  to  Whitley  county  with  her  parents, 
Joseph  and  Jane  (Morehead)  Lighttizer. 
Her  father  died  in  1856,  her  mother  ten 
years  later.  Of  their  five  children  these  are 
now  living:  George,  of  Pierceton,  Indiana, 
and  Delphna  Bump,  of  Whitley  county.  The 
children  of  Richard  M.  Paige  and  wife 
were:  Catherine  E.,  who  married  Henry 
Schrader  and  died  at  thirty-three ;  Almira 
A.,  who  is  with  her  mother,  was  a  teacher, 
including  two  years  in  the  College  of  the 
Church  of  God  at  Findlay,  Ohio;  Richard 
A.  is  a  farmer  of  Washington  township: 
John  S.  is  in  Union  township:  Simeon  Jede- 
diah;  Ida  E..  died  at  eighteen,  and  Russell 
M.  at  eight,  Phebe  E.  at  twenty-two  and 
Phylura  Elma  at  twenty-three.  Both  the 
latter  were  teachers. 

Mr.  Paige  was  county  commissioner  for 
six  years  and  is  remembered  as  a  stanch 
Democratic  worker.  Himself  and  wife  were 
members  of  the  Oak  Grove  Church  of  God 
for  many  years  and   few  men   were  more 


widely  or  favorably  known  or  had  as  many 
warm  friends  who  unite  in  paying  his  mem- 
ory a  kindly  tribute. 

Simeon  Jedediah  Paige  was  born  in 
1867  and  attended  the  Columbia  City  high 
school  as  well  as  the  Northern  Indiana  Nor- 
mal University  at  Valparaiso.  During  the 
ensuing  eleven  years  he  taught  in  the  pub- 
lic schools,  but  not  caring  to  make  educa- 
tion his  life  work,  he  discontinued  teaching 
and  after  traveling  one  year  as  a  salesman 
of  office  furniture  rented  the  home  farm  for 
three  years.  He  then  bought  one  hundred 
and  two  acres  of  fine  land  in  Cleveland 
township  and  on  this  lived  for  eight  years, 
making  many  substantial  improvements.  He 
leased  the  farm  and  three  years  later  dis- 
posed of  it  and  proceeded  to  develop  an 
eighty-acre  tract  which  he  has  since  brought 
to  a  high  state  of  tillage  and  otherwise  im- 
proved. His  place  is  in  one  of  the  most 
fertile  parts  of  Union  township  near  the  old 
homestead. 

Mr.  Paige  in  1S84  entered  the  marriage 
relation  with  Miss  Laura  Everhard,  whose 
parents  came  to  Whitley  county  from  Ger- 
many, four  children  resulting  from  the 
union :  Russell,  Katie.  Melba  and  Ralph. 
Mr.  Paige  and  wife  belong  to  the  Patrons 
of  Husbandry  and  both  are  zealous  and 
consistent  members  of  the  Church  of  God. 
Politicallv  he  is  a  Democrat. 


HUGO  LOGAN. 


Hugo  Logan,  a  well  known  and  success- 
ful farmer  and  county  clerk-elect,  was  born 
in  Kinsman,  Trumbull  county,  Ohio,  April 


738 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


publican  in  political  and  public  affairs.  He 
was  appointed  auditor  of  the  county  in  1844, 
then  served  three  years  as  probate  judge  and 
in  1847  was  elected  county  treasurer,  which 
office  he  filled  for  two  terms.  In  1856  he 
was  elected  county  recorder,  and  during  the 
Civil  war  was  provost  marshal  for  Whitley 
county,  in  all  of  which  positions  he  displayed 
ability  and  conducted  them  so  as  to  gain 
unqualified  respect  and  approval.  Retiring 
from  public  lite  he  turned  his  attention  to 
stock  dealing,  which  with  the  management 
of  his  farm  and  large  private  interests  oc- 
cupied his  time  until  the  close  of  his  earthly 
career.  His  widow,  who  is  still  living  at  the 
ripe  old  age  of  eighty-seven,  makes  her  home 
with  her  son  on  the  old  homestead  just  north 
of  Columbia  City.  Charles  and  Man- 
Hughes  had  three  children:  Martha  Jane, 
wife  of  a  Mr.  Bainbridge,  a  merchant  of 
Columbia  City,  both  now  deceased :  Sarah 
Virginia,  widow  of  Samuel  Graham,  resides 
in  Chicago;  and  William  M. 

William  M.  Hughes  was  reared  on  his 
present  farm,  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Columbia  City  and  on  attaining-  his  majority 
decided  to  continue  in  the  same  line  to  which 
he  was  accustomed.  He  has  always  lived  on 
the  family  homestead,  which  now  belongs  to 
him,  containing  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
acres,  and  which  by  proper  attention  to  de- 
tails is  kept  in  a  highly  fertile  condition. 
The  Hughes  residence,  built  in  1858,  is  a 
large,  roomy  house,  standing  on  a  rise  of 
ground  affording  a  fine  view  of  the  sur- 
rounding country,  including  the  city.  Mr. 
Hughes  is  a  Republican,  but  acting  on  ad- 
vice of  his  father  has  refrained  from  public 
aspirations.  Fraternally  his  connections  are 
with  the  Masi  ink  order. 

Miss  Jennie  C.  Yontz,  who  became  the 


wife  of  Mr.  Hughes  in  1872,  is  a  native  of 
Ohio,  from  which  state  her  parents  moved 
to  Whitley  county  in  1864.  Her  father.  Ben- 
jamin Yontz,  was  a  prosperous  farmer  and 
praiseworthy  citizen,  and  her  brother 
Franklin  Yontz,  served  with  credit  during 
the  rebellion  as  a  member  of  the  Forty-sixth 
Regiment.  Ohio  Infantry.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hughes  are  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren :  Charles  Wesley,  city  electrician  of 
Joliet,  Illinois ;  Virginia,  wife  of  Charles 
White,  of  Whitley  county;  and  Mary,  at 
home. 


RICHARD  M.   PAIGE. 

Richard  M.  Paig-e,  deceased,  was  born 
in  Chemung  county.  New  York,  May  4, 
1823,  and  died  March  1,  1897,  surviving  his 
brother  Jedediah  but  two  weeks.  He  was  one 
of  the  twelve  children  of  Rufus  W.  A.  and 
Jane  (Middaugh)  Paige,  he  born  in  Massa- 
chusetts in  1790  and  she  in  New  Jersey  in 
1803.  In  1837  he  settled  in  Holmes  county, 
Ohio,  where  he  practiced  medicine  some  six 
years,  removing  to  Whitley  county  in  1843 
and  entering  a  half  section  of  land  two  miles 
east  of  the  county  seat  on  Eel  river.  He 
practiced  somewhat  until  his  death  in  1863. 
surviving  his  wife  but  a  few  months.  Of 
the  twelve  children  but  one  survives,  Ma- 
tilda, wife  of  John  Head,  of  the  state  of 
Washington.  Seven  sons  reached  maturity. 
Richard  being'  the  only  one  to  raise  a  family 
in  Whitley  county.  Four  went  to  Califor- 
nia, but  one  of  whom.  Jedediah,  ever  re- 
turned, he  dying-  about  one  year  later,  aged 
sixty-eight.  Three  daughters  remained  in 
this  county.  Jeannette  becoming  the  wife  of 
Elijah  De  Peu,  her  daughter  Man*  being  a 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


739 


Mrs.  Alexander,  of  Warren,  Indiana.  Je- 
rusha  -married  William  Rouch  and  occupied 
the  old  homestead,  her  surviving  daughter 
being  Lulu,  wife  of  Herder  Schrader,  of  Al- 
len county.  Melissa  was  the  wife  of  John 
McNamara,  her  only  son,  Charles,  surviv- 
ing. Richard  M.  Paige  became  the  owner 
of  a  fine  farm  of  over  five  hundred  acres 
bordering  Eel  river  in  Union  township,  upon 
which  he,  about  forty  years  since,  erected  a 
large  square  brick  house,  which  continued 
his  home  till  the  close  of  life.  He  was  an 
extensive  and  prosperous  farmer,  becoming 
one  of  the  substantial  men  of  the  county. 
September  6,  1855,  he  married  Phylura  A. 
Lighttizer,  born  in  Wayne  county,  Ohio, 
May  24,  1834,  and  who  at  ten  years  of  age 
came  to  Whitley  county  with  her  parents, 
Joseph  and  Jane  (Morehead)  Lighttizer. 
Her  father  died  in  1856,  her  mother  ten 
years  later.  Of  their  five  children  these  are 
now  living:  George,  of  Pierceton,  Indiana, 
and  Delphna  Bump,  of  Whitley  county.  The 
children  of  Richard  M.  Paige  and  wife 
were:  Catherine  E.,  who  married  Henry 
Schrader  and  died  at  thirty-three ;  Almira 
A.,  who  is  with  her  mother,  was  a  teacher, 
including  two  years  in  the  College  of  the 
Church  of  God  at  Findlay,  Ohio;  Richard 
A.  is  a  farmer  of  Washington  township ; 
John  S.  is  in  Union  township;  Simeon  Jede- 
diah ;  Ida  E.,  died  at  eighteen,  and  Russell 
M.  at  eight,  Phebe  E.  at  twenty-two  and 
Phylura  Elma  at  twenty-three.  Both  the 
latter  were  teachers. 

Mr.  Paige  was  county  commissioner  for 
six  years  and  is  remembered  as  a  stanch 
Democratic  worker.  Himself  and  wife  were 
members  of  the  Oak  Grove  Church  of  God 
for  many  years  and   few  men   were  more 


widely  or  favorably  known  or  had  as  many 
warm  friends  who  unite  in  paying  his  mem- 
ory a  kindly  tribute. 

Simeon  Jedediah  Paige  was  born  in 
1867  and  attended  the  Columbia  City  high 
school  as  well  as  the  Northern  Indiana  Nor- 
mal University  at  Valparaiso.  During  the 
ensuing  eleven  years  he  taught  in  the  pub- 
lic schools,  but  not  caring  to  make  educa- 
tion his  life  work,  he  discontinued  teaching 
and  after  traveling  one  year  as  a  salesman 
of  office  furniture  rented  the  home  farm  for 
three  years.  He  then  bought  one  hundred 
and  two  acres  of  fine  land  in  Cleveland 
township  and  on  this  lived  for  eight  years, 
making  many  substantial  improvements.  He 
leased  the  farm  and  three  years  later  dis- 
posed of  it  and  proceeded  to  develop  an 
eighty-acre  tract  which  he  has  since  brought 
to  a  high  state  of  tillage  and  otherwise  im- 
proved. His  place  is  in  one  of  the  most 
fertile  parts  of  Union  township  near  the  old 
homestead. 

Mr.  Paige  in  1884  entered  the  marriage 
relation  with  Miss  Laura  Everhard,  whose 
parents  came  to  Whitley  county  from  Ger- 
many, four  children  resulting  from  the 
union :  Russell,  Katie,  Melba  and  Ralph. 
Mr.  Paige  and  wife  belong  to  the  Patrons 
of  Husbandry  and  both  are  zealous  and 
consistent  members  of  the  Church  of  God. 
Politically  he  is  a  Democrat. 


HUGO  LOGAN. 


Hugo  Logan,  a  well  known  and  success- 
ful farmer  and  county  clerk-elect,  was  born 
in  Kinsman,  Trumbull  county,  Ohio,  April 


740 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


22.  1862,  and  is  the  son  of  Robert  and  Lu- 
anda E.  (Clark)  Logan.  His  paternal 
grandparents  were  Charles  and  Rosana  (Mc- 
•  Jarra)  Logan,  the  former  of  whom  was  an 
Irishman  who  crossed  the  ocean  about  1796 
and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Pennsylvania.  Later 
he  removed  to  Trumbull  county.  Ohio, 
where  he  died.  His  five  children  are  now 
all  deceased.  Robert  Logan  and  wife  were 
married  in  Trumbull  county,  Ohio,  in  1857 
and  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives  upon  a 
farm  in  that  county,  the  father  dying  in 
June,  1902,  and  his  wife  March  3,  1897. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  David  Clark,  a  na- 
tive of  New  Haven,  Connecticut,  who  had 
six  children. 

Hugo  Logan  attended  the  common 
schools  of  Trumbull  county,  in  1880  grad- 
uated at  Grand  River  Institute,  Austinburg, 
Ohio,  and  later  took  a  classical  course  in 
Western  Reserve  College  at  Hudson,  Ohio. 
In  the  fall  of  1882  he  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Nickel  Plate  Railroad  as  clerk  in  the 
motive  power  department  and  one  year  later 
became  a  locomotive  fireman.  In  1887  he 
was  promoted  to  the  position  of  engineer 
and  for  ten  years  was  in  constant  service 
at  the  throttle.  Impaired  health  demanding 
that  he  leave  the  road,  he  again  became  a 
tiller  of  the  soil.  He  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Lesta  E.  Emerson,  the 
daughter  of  Milton  B.  and  Elizabeth  (Scott) 
Emerson,  and  born  in  Whitley  county,  Sep- 
tember 7,  1869.  They  have  three  children  : 
Rheua;  Walter  E.,  who  was  killed  by  a 
train  when  two  years  of  age,  and  Boyd  H. 
Mr.  Logan  deals  considerably  in  real  estate 
and  served  as  trustee  of  Cleveland  township 
four  years.  Me  was  recently  elected  coun- 
ty  clerk,   winning   easily   in   a   county   nor- 


mally safely  Democratic,  and  enters  the  of- 
fice January  1,  1908.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers, 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  Masons.  He  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  Pythian  Sisters  and  Daugh- 
ters of  Rebekah.  Mrs.  Logan  is  a  member 
of  the  Eastern  Star,  while  her  religious  af- 
filiations are  with  the  Methodist  church.  Mr. 
Logan  is  favored  with  many  fine  personal 
qualities,  possessing  to  a  marked  degree  the 
happy  faculty  of  making  warm  and  lasting 
attachments. 


ISAAC  BRENNEMAN. 

The  family  now  under  consideration  has- 
enjoyed  a  varied  and  honorable  experience 
and  merits  prominent  mention  in  the  his- 
tory of  this  county.  Isaac  Brenneman,  one 
of  its  most  worthy  representatives,  is  living 
a  retired  life  in  a  beautiful  home  in  South 
Whitley,  enjoying  the  comforts  and  many 
luxuries  of  the  land  and  surrounded  by  a 
host  of  friends.  He  was  born  in  Champaign 
county,  Ohio,  January  13,  1844,  and  is  the 
son  of  Abraham  and  Elizabeth  (Rush)  Bren- 
neman, both  natives  of  Lancaster  county, 
Pennsylvania,  where  they  lived  until  they 
came  to  Ohio  and  settled  in  Champaign 
county,  where  they  engaged  in  farming  un- 
til 1 85 1,  when  they  moved  to  Whitley 
county  and  settled  in  Columbia  township  on 
a  farm,  where  they  remained  until  the  end 
of  their  lives,  the  death  of  the  wife  occur- 
ring in  1866  and  that  of  the  husband  in 
1876.  Both  were  members  of  the  Baptist 
church,  devoted  and  faithful  in  service  and 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


741 


liberal  in  support.  To  them  were  born 
twelve  children :  John,  Barbara,  Catherine, 
Davis  R.  and  Elizabeth,  all  deceased ;  Abra- 
ham, living  in  Leesburg,  Indiana ;  Mary,  de- 
ceased ;  Fanny,  living  in  Iowa ;  Henry,  a  sol- 
dier, died  in  1863;  Isaac,  subject  of  this 
sketch;  Levi,  living  in  Chicago;  Benjamin 
F..  a  resident  of  Columbia  City.  Isaac  was 
■only  six  years  old  when  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  Whitley  county  and,  except  dur- 
ing his  military  service,  has  since  been  a 
continuous  resident  of  the  county.  In  1864, 
he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Thirteenth  Regi- 
ment, Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  Tenth 
Corps,  participating  in  the  battle  of  Fort 
Fisher  and  serving  to  the  close  of  the  war. 
On  being  discharged  he  returned  home  and 
engaged  in  the  sawmill  business  for  a  cou- 
ple of  years  with  his  brother  David.  Fol- 
lowing this  he  farmed  three  years  and  then 
removed  to  Columbia  City,  entering  the  gro- 
cery business,  which  he  conducted  very  suc- 
cessfully for  fifteen  years.  In  1893  he 
moved  to  South  Whitley  and  ag'ain  invested 
in  the  grocery  business,  in  which  he  contin- 
ued for  four  years,  then  secured  gravel  pit 
interests,  in  the  working  of  which  he  round- 
ed out  his  career,  as  he  is  now  practically 
retired.  In  1867  he  united  in  marriage  with 
Margaret,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth 
Schwartz,  born  in  Stark  county.  Ohio,  in 
1844.  The  parents  were  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania but  moved  to  Ohio,  where  they  re- 
mained until  their  deaths.  Twelve  children 
were  born  to  them. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brenneman  have  had 
three  children:  Oda  Alice,  deceased  in  in- 
fancy; E.  O.  died  in  his  twenty-fifth  year; 
the  third  died  in  infancy  unnamed. 
In      politics     Mr.     Brenneman     is     a     Re- 


publican and  has  always  taken  an 
active  interest  in  local  matters.  While 
in  Columbia  City  he  was  a  member 
of  the  town  council  and  is  now  serving  as 
councilman  in  South  Whitley.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  William  Cuppy  Post,  No.  195, 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  at  South 
Whitley.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brenneman  are 
members  of  the  Baptist  church.  Their 
home  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  South 
Whitley,  the  house  being  noted  as  the  only 
one  in  the  county  built  of  building  tile,  con- 
sisting of  nine  rooms,  with  all  modern 
conveniences. 


WILLIAM  V.  HATHAWAY. 

Among  the  many  prosperous  farmers  of 
Whitley  county,  who  date  back  to  the  war 
times,  few  have  done  more  hard  work  and 
none  have  achieved  more  creditable  results 
with  the  means  at  his  disposal  than  he  whose 
name  heads  this  sketch.  It  was  more  than 
sixty  years  ago  that  his  parents,  Thomas  and 
Melinda  (Main)  Hathaway,  left  their  old 
home  in  Ohio  to  carve  out  a  new  one  in  the 
wilds  of  Indiana.  Born  in  Ohio,  January 
25,  1845,  William  V.  Hathaway  was  only 
eighteen  months  old  when  his  father  settled 
in  Whitley  county.  He  learned  all  about 
hard  work  as  he  grew  up  and  was  the  prin- 
cipal factor  in  clearing  the  land  on  which 
the  family  made  a  living  for  some  years 
after  their  settlement.  In  the  course  of  time 
Mr.  Hathaway  found  himself  in  possession 
of  a  good  farm,  consisting  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  of  land,  two-thirds  of  which 
is   under   cultivation.      Mr.    Hathaway   de- 


744 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


.Mann,  the  former  a  Pennsylvanian  by  birth. 
who  settled  in  Ohio  at  an  early  day.  Mar- 
rying in  the  last  named  state,  they  eventu- 
ally removed  to  Whitley  county  and  settled 
at  G 'llanier.  where  their  deaths  occurred  re- 
spectively in  1874  and  1867.  Their  four 
children  were  John,  Louis,  Andrew,  and 
Nancy  C.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lancaster  have 
five  children  :  Addie  B.,  wife  of  William 
Landsdown,  a  carpenter  of  South  Whitley; 
Erie  A.,  who  married  Daisy  Cullimore  and 
lives  at  South  Whitley;  Otis  H.,  who  mar- 
ried Oddie  Biddle  and  lives  on  his  father's 
farm ;  Robert  C. ;  and  Russell,  who  still  re- 
mains at  home.  Mrs.  Lancaster  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  church. 


HENRY  NORRIS. 


The  founder  of  the  Whitley  county  fam- 
ily of  this  name  was  of  English  descent,  the 
emigrant  ancestor  having  come  over  before 
the  Revolutionary  war,  and  subsequently  was 
wounded  while  fighting  in  one  of  the  bat- 
tles for  independence.  After  the  conclusion 
of  hostilities,  he  settled  in  Virginia  near 
Winchester  and  there  his  son  William  was 
bom  in  1 797!  After  growing  up  he  mar- 
ried Margaret  McCoy,  born  in  Virginia  in 
1803,  and  some  years  later  located  in  Co- 
shocton county,  Ohio,  of  which  section  he 
became  oik-  of  the  early  settlers.  In  1843, 
the  parents  removed  with  their  family  to 
Whitley  county  and  bought  two  hundred 
and  twenty-five  .acres  of  land  in  Richland 
township.  This  location  was  one  mile  east 
hi"  \\  hit  ley  road,  in  section  22.  and  here  they 
spent  their  lives  in  the  occupation  of  farm- 


ing until  their  respective  deaths  in  1872  and 
1879.  This  couple  had  fourteen  children, 
of  whom  four  are  living:  Henry,  William 
J.,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  J.  Hitchcock,  and  Mar- 
garet, wife  of  Jacob  Gerhart,  a  resident  of 
Illinois. 

Henry  Norris,  eldest  of  the  surviving 
children,  was  born  in  Coshocton  county, 
Ohio,  February  1,  1837.  He  grew  up  on 
the  farm  and  lived  at  the  old  place  for  a 
number  of  years  after  the  death  of  his  par- 
ents. In  1897  he  took  possession  of  the 
farm  in  section  5  in  Richland  township, 
where  he  is  now  residing.  The  place  con- 
sists of  two  hundred  acres,  of  which  one 
hundred  and  eighty  are  under  cultivation, 
and  Mr.  Norris  has  made  many  improve- 
ments. In  fact,  he  is  one  of  the  progressive 
and  up-to-date  fanners  of  Whitley  county, 
understanding  the  importance  of  rotating  his 
crops,  keeping  the  land  fertilized  and  other 
methods  which  bespeak  the  well  informed 
agriculturist.  Mr.  Norris  raises  Shorthorn 
cattle,  Poland-China  hogs  and  other  valua- 
ble live  stock,  the  feeding  of  which  has 
proved  profitable.  Mr.  Norris  is  a  public- 
spirited  man.  does  his  full  share  in  devel- 
oping his  community  and  can  always  be  de- 
pended upon  to  support  worthy  causes.  He 
is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  served  a  while 
as  county  commissioner.  In  February,  1865. 
Mr.  Norris  enlisted  in  Company  I,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Fifty-second  Regiment,  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  until  Sep- 
tember of  the  same  year  with  the  Union 
forces  in  the  Shenandoah  valley,  reaching 
the  position  of  corporal  of  his  company. 

In  1857  Mr.  Norris  married  Derinda. 
daughter  of  John  and  Margaret  (Casner) 
Wolford,  early  pioneers 'of  Ohio  and  resi- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


745 


dents  of  that  state  until  death.  By  this 
union  there  were  seven  children  :  John  S. ; 
.Francis  E.,  wife  of  Samuel  Griffith,  who 
lives  at  Etna  Green,  Indiana ;  Delila,  de- 
ceased;  Winnie  M.,  deceased  in  early  life; 
Alice  M.,  struck  by  a  railroad  train  and 
killed  while  crossing  the  track;  Marcus  mar- 
ried Myrtle  Martin  and  lives  on  his  father's 
farm ;  Lottie  died  at  the  age  of  nineteen. 
In  1895  Mr.  Norris  was  married  a  second 
time  to  Jennie  E.,  daughter  of  James  Cor- 
■dill,  who  is  his  present  wife.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  church  and  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic  at  South  Whitley. 


NEWTON  F.  WATSON. 

The  emigrant  ancestor  of  the  Whitley 
county  family  of  this  name  was  James  Wat- 
son, a  native  of  Ireland,  who  came  over 
during'  the  latter  half  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury and  settled  in  Maryland.  He  married 
there  and  reared  a  family,  with  whom  he  em- 
igrated to  Ohio  and  located  in  the  vicinity 
of  Columbus.  Thomas  Watson,  one  of  the 
sons,  after  growing  up  became  a  resident 
of  Fairfeld  county,  where  he  obtained  suc- 
cess in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  had  sev- 
eral children  and  among  them  a  son  named 
Eli,  who  was  born  in  Fairfield  county,  Jan- 
uary 14,  1826.  After  growing"  up  he  mar- 
ried Amanda  Hare,  of  German  descent,  with 
whom  he  emigrated  to  Indiana  and  settled  in 
Whitley  county,  when  it  was  still  a  wild  and 
but  little  improved  section  of  the  state.  He 
bought  land  in  Jefferson  township  and  went 
through  all  the  ''agony  and  bloody  sweat" 
incident  to  the  clearing  and  improving  of 


the  same.  He  not  only  achieved  success  as 
a  farmer,  but  rose  to  local  influence  as  a 
leader  first  in  the  Whig  and  afterwards  in 
the  Republican  party.  His  religious  affilia- 
tions were  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  of  which  he  was  not  only  an  active 
member  but  a  generous  contributor  to  the 
local  congregation.  Altogether  he  was  a 
most  excellent  citizen  in  every  way.  es- 
teemed during  life  and  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  April  17,  1899,  had  accumulated  a 
handsome  estate,  consisting  of  a  fine  farm 
of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  and  other 
property.  He  had  four  children :  Thomas 
D.,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Jefferson  town- 
ship; Newton  F.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch; 
Jacob  B.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty 
years;  and  William  M.,  who  also  died  in 
early  manhood.  Newton  F.  Watson,  sec- 
ond in  the  above  list,  was  born  in  Whitley 
county,  Indiana,  October  26,  1859.  His 
early  training  was  that  of  a  farm  boy  and 
he  profited  by  it  in  the  acquisition  of  those 
industrious  habits  and  knowledge  of  prac- 
tical affairs  so  useful  in  after  life.  In  early 
manhood  he  removed  to  Kansas  and  spent 
six  vears  there  as  a  resident  of  Gray  county. 
From  his  boyhood  he  manifested  a  taste  and 
interest  in  politics  and  had  always  been  an 
active  supporter  of  Republican  policies,  as 
well  as  a  leader  in  the  affairs  of  his  party. 
He  served  one  term  as  clerk  of  Gray  county, 
but  later  determined  to  return  to  his  old 
home,  which  offered  better  opportunities  for 
the  prosecution  of  his  business  and  political 
ambitions.  He  became  the  owner  by  inher- 
itance of  the  old  home  place  in  Jefferson 
township,  but  since  taking  possession  has 
doubled  the  original  amount  of  land  and 
now  has  two  hundred  and  fiftv-four  acres. 


746 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


the  larger  part  of  which  is  under  cultiva- 
tion. He  lias  greatly  improved  the  estate 
in  every  way,  as  is  attested  by  the  commo- 
di<  'us  brick  residence,  good  barn  and  other 
outbuildings,  well  kept  lawn  and  up-to-date 
fencing,  ditching  and  tiling.  He  carries  on 
general  farming  and  stock  raising  and  is 
admitted  to  be  one  of  the  progressive  and 
prosperous  farmers  of  the  county.  His  gen- 
eral popularity  and  influence  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  in  1904  he  was  elected  as  joint 
representative  from  his  district  in  the  state 
legislature  and  received  the  endorsement  of 
a  re-election  on  the  Republican  ticket  in  the 
fall  of  1906,  being  his  own  successor.  He 
was  an  industrious  and  painstaking  member 
of  the  law-making  body  and  bore  a  part  in 
the  important  legislation  that  emanated  from 
the  session  of  1904-05.  His  fraternal  rela- 
tions are  with  the  Dunfee  Lodge,  No.  765, 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  In 
1884  Mr.  Watson  married  Miss  Charlotte, 
daughter  of  Michel  Kiser,  of  Jefferson  town- 
ship, but  has  no  children. 


ISAAC  M.  HARSHBARGER. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  introduces 
this  memoir  stands  well  to  the  front  among 
the  leading  farmers  and  stock  raisers  of 
Whitley  canity  and  as  a  neighbor  and  citi- 
zen his  actions  and  influence  have  ever  tend- 
ed to  the  advancement  of  the  community  and 
welfare  of  those  with  whom  he  has  min- 
gled. Isaac  M.  TIarshbarger  was  born  at 
Hillsbfiniugli,  Highland  county,  Ohio,  in 
1850.  Ilis  father,  Daniel  Harshbarger,  was 
bom  in  Pennsylvania  in  1823  and  six  years 


later  went  to  Fairfield  county,  Ohio,  where 
he  married  Anna  A.  Holliday,  whose  par- 
ents emigrated  from  England  to  the  Lmited 
States  in  an  early  day  and  settled  in  the 
Buckeye  state.  About  the  year  1856  Daniel 
Harshbarger  moved  his  family  to  Whitley 
county,  Indiana,  from  which  time  until  his 
death  in  1894  he  was  a  successful  farmer 
and  representative  citizen  of  Cleveland 
township,  where  in  addition  to  the  pursuit  of 
agriculture  he  devoted  considerable  time  to 
plastering  and  bricklaying',  both  of  which 
trades  he  mastered  when  a  woung  man.  At 
the  time  of  his  death  he  owned  a  well  im- 
proved farm  of  one  hundred  and  ten  acres,, 
besides  valuable  personal  property,  all  of 
which  represented  the  labor  of  his  own 
hands  and  brain.  He  was  long  a  zealous 
and  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, though  never  an  active  partisan.  Dan- 
iel and  Anna  A.  Harshbarger  reared  a  fam- 
ily of  thirteen  children,  all  but  one  of  whom- 
are  living,  their  names  being  as  follows : 
Elizabeth,  deceased;  I.  M.,  Man'.  John  W., 
Thomas  S.,  Eliza,  Ellen,  W.  E..  Lydia,  Har- 
riet, Lincoln,  Huldah  and  Mark. 

The  early  life  of  Isaac  M.  Harshbarger 
was  without  noteworthy  incidents.  On  at- 
taining his  majority  he  turned  his  attention 
to  agriculture,  which  calling  he  has  since 
followed  with  success.  In  1871  he  married 
Miss  Amanda,  daughter  of  Fred  and  Susan 
(Jenkins)  Pence,  the  father  a  Virginian  by 
birth  and  an  early  settler  of  Champaign 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  resided  until  his  re- 
moval to  Whitley  county,  Indiana,  in  1852. 
purchasing  the  farm  in  South  Whitley  town- 
ship which  his  son  now  owns.  In  1882  he 
changed   his   residence   to    South    Whitley, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


747 


where  he  lived  in  retirement  during  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days,  departing  this  life  in 
1897,  his  wife  having  died  in  1891,  after 
bearing  him  eleven  children.  Mr.  Harsh- 
barger's  farm,  consisting  of  one  hundred 
and  nineteen  acres  of  fertile  soil,  is  situated 
two  and  one-half  miles  south  of  South 
Whitley  and  contains  some  of  the  best  im- 
provements in  the  community.  Eighty  acres 
are  under  cultivation,  the  remainder  being 
devoted  to  pasturage.  Mr.  Harshbarger 
has  not  been  sparing  of  his  means  in  im- 
proving and  making  his  place  pleasing  and 
attractive.  His  dwelling  is  a  commodious, 
modern  structure,  well  supplied  with  the 
conveniences  and  comforts  which  render 
rural  life  desirable  and  the  larg'e  barn  con- 
structed after  the  most  convenient  'plans 
affords  ample  shelter  and  protection  to  the 
fine  domestic  animals  with  which  the  farm  is 
stocked.  Mr.  Harshbarger  devotes  consid- 
erable attention  to  the  breeding  and  raising 
of  fine  live  stock,  especially  shorthorn  cattle 
and  Chester  White  hogs,  of  which  he  keeps 
large  numbers.  He  also  takes  pride  in  his 
horses,  which  he  raises  for  general  purposes 
and  through  his  efforts  a  general  interest  in 
the  value  of  improved  stock  has  been 
aroused  among  his  neighbors  and  through- 
out the  community.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harsh- 
barger have  had  three  children :  Etta,  de- 
ceased ;  Fred,  whose  biography  appears 
elsewhere  in  these  pages ;  and  Eva,  who  is 
still  a  member  of  the  home  circle.  Mr. 
Harshbarger  is  a  Republican,  but  in  local 
affairs  often  votes  for  the  best  qualified  can- 
didate, regardless  of  party.  With  his  wife 
he  is  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren 
church  and  deeply  interested  in  its  work.  To 
the  best  of  his  ability  he  has  aided  the  prog- 


ress of  his  township  and  county,  faithfully 
performing  the  duties  of  citizenship  and  dis- 
charging with  commendable  fidelity  eveiy 
trust  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellowmen. 


THOMAS  M.  HUGHES. 

The  above  named  is  a  well  known  citizen 
of  Cleveland  township,  a  leading  fanner  and 
an  ex-soldier  of  the  ence  great  army  that  is 
being'  rapidly  disintegrated  by  the  remorse- 
less hand  of  time.  His  ancestors  were 
Welsh,  his  grandftaher,  Richard  Hughes, 
being  a  native  of  Wales,  coming  to  America 
a  number  of  years  ago  and  settling  in  Penn- 
sylvania. Nathan  Hughes,  son  of  Richard, 
was  born  in  Greene  county  and  married  Isa- 
belle,  daughter  of  David  Grimes,  whose  an- 
cestors were  among  the  early  pioneers  of 
Pennsylvania.  Nathan  Hughes  moved  to 
Ohio  in  an  early  day  and  there  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life,  dying  in  1839.  Some 
time  after  his  death,  his  widow  came  to 
Whitley  county  with  her  son,  Thomas  M., 
at  whose  home  she  passed  from  earth  in 
1871.  The-  family  of  Nathan  and  Isabelle 
Hughes  consisted  of  three  children :  Wil- 
liam G.,  David  H.  and  Thomas  M.,  the  last 
named  being  the  only  survivor. 

Thomas  M.  Hughes  was  born  January 
12,  1837.  in  Knox  county,  Ohio,  and  spent 
his  childhood  and  youth  in  his  native  state, 
receiving  his  education  in  such  schools  as 
the  country  at  that  time  afforded.  When 
about  sixteen  years  of  age  he  came  to  Noble 
count}',  Indiana,  where  he  remained  vari- 
ously employed  until  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Civil  war  and  in  1861  enlisted  in  the  Thir- 


748 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


teenth  Regiment,  Indiana  Infantry,  with 
which  he  served  three  years,  during  the 
greater  part  of  which  time  His  regiment 
was  attached  to  the  Army  of  the  Cumber- 
land. He  took  part  in  all  the  campaigns  and 
participated  in  a  number  of  battles,  among 
which  were  Stone  River,  Chickamauga, 
Missionary  Ridge,  Chattanooga  and  Cor- 
inth, besides  many  minor  engagements  and 
skirmishes,  in  all  of  which  he  bore  the  part 
of  a  brave  and  gallant  soldier,  who  shirked 
no  responsibility  nor  hesitated  to  go  where 
duty  called.  At  the  expiration  of  his  period 
of  enlistment,  January  19,  1865,  he  was 
honorably  discharged  and  immediately 
thereafter  returned  to  Indiana  and  spent  the 
-ensuing  four  years  in  Smith  township. 
Whitley  county.  At  the  end  of  that  time 
he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  which  he 
■carried  on  for  several  years  in  different 
parts  of  the  county,  moving  his  sawmill 
from  place  to  place  as  circumstances  re- 
quired. 

He  finally  disposed  of  his  lumber  inter- 
ests in  1888,  purchased  land  in  Cleveland 
township  and  turned  his  attention  to  agri- 
culture, which  vocation  he  has  since  fol- 
lowed with  gratifying  financial  results.  At 
the  present  time  he  owns  a  fine  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  ten  acres,  of  which  eighty  are 
in  cultivation,  and  his  improvements,  includ- 
ing buildings,  fencing  and  drainage,  are 
among  the  best  in  this  part  of  the  county. 
Mr.  Hughes  is  a  progressive  farmer  of  ad- 
vanced ideas,  cultivates  the  soil  according 
to  the  must  approved  methods  and  being  a 
systematic  manager,  his  labors  have  always 
redounded  to  his  financial  advantage,  being 
at  this  time  one  of  the  well-to-do  men  of  the 
township. 


In  1867  Mr.  Hughes  was  married  to 
Miss  Clara,  daughter  of  William  and  Sa- 
rah ( Wolf)  Cleland,  the  union  being  blessed 
with  four  children  :  Erne,  wife  of  Ira  Miller, 
a  conductor  on  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad ; 
Artie,  wife  of  Roy  Miller,  an  undertaker  of 
South  Whitley;  Gertrude,  who  married 
Russel  McConnell,  of  the  same  place ;  and 
Fannie,  wife  of  Clyde  B.  McConnell.  who 
assists  in  operating  the  farm.  Mr.  Hughes 
is  a  pronounced  Republican  and  has  ever 
taken  an  active  interest  in  party  affairs.  He 
served  as  sheriff  of  Whitley  county  from 
1894  to  1896,  besides  being  elected  at  dif- 
ferent times  to  various  minor  offices,  includ- 
ing the  county  advisory  board,  in  which  ca- 
pacity his  services  were  greatly  appreci- 
ated. He  belongs  to  Post  No.  90,  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  at  South  Whitley  and 
with  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church. 


BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN  THOMPSON. 

This  enterprising  farmer  and  public-spir- 
ited citizen  is  a  native  of  Whitlev  county, 
Indiana,  born  in  Richland  township  Decem- 
ber 22,  1859.  His  father,  B.  F.  Thompson, 
a  native  of  New  York,  went  to  Ohio  and 
from  there  came  to  Whitley  county,  settling 
in  Richland  township  in  1836.  where  he 
purchased  land  and  in  due  time  became  one 
of  the  progressive  farmers  and  leading  citi- 
zens of  the  community.  He  married  Ma- 
tilda Rodebaugh.  who  bore  him  five  chil- 
dren: Warren  died  in  childhood:  Benjamin 
F. :  Augustus,  a  resident  of  Richland  town- 
ship: Elder,  of  South  Bend:  and  Electa, 
deceased   wife   of   A.    P.    Smith,    of    North 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


749 


Manchester.  The  father,  who  died  in  1898, 
was  long  one  of  the  influential  men  of 
Whitley  county,  a  leader  of  the  local  Democ- 
racy, and  served  eight  years  as  a  member 
of  the  board  of  county  commissioners,  be- 
sides holding  different  minor  positions.  In 
business  matters  he  was  more  than  ordin- 
arily successful,  owning  at  one  time  over 
twelve  hundred  acres  of  highly  improved 
land,  in  addition  to  which  he  had  other 
large  interests.  Benjamin  F.  Thompson, 
his  second  son,  was  reared  and  educated  in 
the  county  of  his  birth  and  received  the  usual 
training  of  farm  boys.  After  reaching  his 
majority  he  became  a  farmer  and  has  suc- 
ceeded well  in  this  calling. 

Air.  Thompson  has  a  beautiful  farm  five 
miles  from  South  Whitley,  on  which  he  has 
resided  since  1886,  making  numerous  im- 
provements in  the  meantime  and  bringing 
his  place  to  a  high  state  of  tillage.  By  a 
system  of  drainage,  consisting  of  fifteen 
hundred  rods  of  eight  and  twelve-inch  tiling, 
the  productiveness  of  his  land  has  been 
greatly  increased  and  by  the  judicious  ex- 
penditure of  no  small  sum  of  money  in 
buildings  and  other  improvements,  he  has 
added  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  farm,  mak- 
ing it  one  of  the  most  attractive  and  desir- 
able homes  in  the  township.  Of  his  one 
hundred  and  ninety  acres,  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  are  under  a  successful  state  of 
cultivation,  the  rest  consisting  of  pasture 
and  woodland,  and  on  the  latter  is  a  fine 
sugar  orchard  of  six  hundred  maple  trees, 
which  yield  every  spring  a  large  quantity 
of  excellent  syrup,  the  demand  for  which  is 
always  in  excess  of  the  supply.  Like  his 
father,  Mr.  Thompson  is  essentially  a  man 
of  the  people,  with  the  best  interests  of  his 


fellow  citizens  at  heart,  and  from  his  youth 
has  kept  in  touch  with  political  and  public 
matters,  being  one  of  the  leading  Democrats 
of  his  township  and  an  influential  factor  in 
the  counsels  of  his  party.  He  is  identified 
with  the  Masonic  Order,  belonging  to  the 
lodge  at  Larwill,  his  aim  having,  ever  been 
to  square  his  life  according  to  the  principles 
of  the  brotherhood  and  to  exemplify  in  his 
relations  with  the  world  the  high  ideals 
which  it  inculcates. 

In  1883  Mr.  Thompson  married  Emma, 
daughter  of  Christie  and  Elizabeth  (Rob- 
erts) Hayden.  who  were  from  Ohio  and 
among  the  early  pioneers  of  Whitley  county, 
moving  here  in  1836.  David,  father  of  Chris- 
tie Hayden,  became  one  of  the  largest  land- 
owners and  most  successful  farmers  in  this 
part  of  the  state,  his  realty  at  one  time 
amounting  to  thirteen  hundred  acres,  the 
greatest  part  of  which  was  improved  under 
his  direction  and  became  quite  valuable.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Thompson  have  a  family  of  seven 
children :  Hazel,  Maurice,  Karl.  Ralph. 
Electa,  Mary  and  Fred,  all  living  and  with 
their  parents,  constituting  a  happy  and  har- 
monious household. 


ASHER  D.  HATHAWAY 

was  bom  June  17,  1838,  in  Knox  county, 
Ohio,  but  since  his  seventh  year  has  been  a 
resident  of  Whitley  county.  His  ancestors 
lived  in  Pennsylvania,  of  which  state  his 
grandfather,  Joseph  Hathaway,  and  his  fa- 
ther. Thomas,  were  natives.  Joseph  Hatha- 
way migrated  with  his  family  to  Ohio,  set- 
tling: near  Mt.  Vernon,  Knox  countv,  where 


750 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


he  died  many  years  ago  and  it  was  there  that 
Thomas  Hathaway  met  and  married  Ma- 
linda  Mann,  who  became  the  mother  of 
twelve  children,  nine  growing  to  maturity, 
eight  still  living.  In  1846  Thomas  Hatha- 
w  ay  disposed  of  his  interests  in  Ohio  and 
moved  to  Whitley  county,  settling  in  Cleve- 
land township,  where  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing on  leased  land,  subsequently  purchasing 
a  place  of  his  own,  on  which  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  days,  departing  this  life 
in  1858.  his  wife  surviving  until  1891. 
Asher  D.  Hathaway  accompanied  his  par- 
ents on  their  removel  to  Indiana  and  in  the 
woods  of  Cleveland  township  experienced 
many  of  the  vicissitudes  of  pioneer  life.  He 
assisted  his  father  and  brothers  in  culti- 
vating the  farm  and  when  not  thus  engaged 
spent  much  of  his  time  in  quest  of  wild 
game,  with  which  the  forests  were  infested, 
being  an  unerring  shot  and  by  means  of  his 
skill  as  a  huntsman  contributing  largely  to 
the  family's  bill  of  fare.  He  remained  with 
his  father  until  the  latter's  death  and  on  at- 
taining his  majority  began  life  for  himself 
as  a  tiller  of  the  soil,  which  vocation  he  has 
continued  ever  since,  meeting  with  gratify- 
ing financial  results  and  becoming  the  pos- 
sessor of  an  excellent  farm  in  Cleveland 
township,  where  he  now  resides.  Mr.  Hath- 
away's  place,  which  contains  one  hundred 
and  ninety  acres  of  very  productive  land, 
eighty  acres  in  Cleveland  and  the  rest  in 
Richland  township,  is  situated  about  four 
miles  northwest  of  South  Whitley  and  is 
admirably  adapted  to  general  agriculture 
and  stock  raising,  one  hundred  and  fifty -five 
acres  being  tillable.  A  comfortable  modern 
residence  is  a  conspicuous  feature  of  the 
farm,  in  addition  to  which  there  is  a  large 


and  commodious  barn,  one  of  the  best  struc- 
tures of  the  kind  in  the  locality,  the  other 
buildings  being  in  excellent  condition,  the 
improvements  including  a  system  of  tile 
drainage,  by  means  of  which  the  soil  has 
been  greatly  benefited  and  its  productiveness 
increased. 

In  1865  Mr.  Hathaway  married  Elmira. 
daughter  of  Philip  and  Maria  (Firestone) 
Carper,  natives  of  Stark  county,  Ohio,  who 
came  to  Indiana  in  185 1  and  settled  on  a 
farm  in  Cleveland  township,  where  their 
respective  deaths  occurred  a  number  of 
years  later.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hathaway  have 
three  children :  Carrie,  wife  of  Mr.  George 
Kyler.  a  farmer  of  Kosciusko  county ;  Al- 
fred, on  a  farm  near  South  Whitley ;  and 
Sylvia,  wife  of  John  H.  Rider,  of  Cleveland 
township,  died  July  7,  1905.  Mr.  Hatha- 
way and  wife  are  people  of  high  social 
standing  and  enjoy  in  a  marked  degree  the 
respect  of  their  many  friends  and  associates. 
He  is  an  esteemed  member  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows, belonging  to  Springfield  Lodge,  No. 
213.  Mrs.  Hathaway  is  identified  with  the 
Christian  church,  manifests  an  interest  in  all 
the  activities  of  the  congregation  and  en- 
deavors to  make  her  life  correspond  with 
her  profession  as  an  earnest  and  sincere  fol- 
lower of  the  Master. 

August  12,  1862,  Mr.  Hathaway  enlisted 
in  Company  K,  Eighty-eighth  Indiana  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  First  Division,  Fourteenth 
Army  Corps,  and  served  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of 
Perryville.  Stone  River,  Chickamauga. 
Lookout  Mountain  and  Missionary  Ridge, 
took  part  in  the  Atlanta  campaign  and  was 
with  Sherman  on  his  march  to  the  sea.  He 
was  never  wounded  or  taken  prisoner  and  as 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


the  result  of  his  honorable  service  is  a  wel- 
come comrade  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic  post  at  South  Whitley. 


ALEXANDER  GOFF. 

This  gentleman  was  one  of  the  loyal  sons 
•of  the  north  who,  during  the  dark  days  of 
the  rebellion,   when   the  ship  of  state  was 
stranded  on  the  rugged  rocks  of  disunion, 
turned  his  back  to  the  pleasures  of  home, 
society  and  friends  and  went  to  the  front 
to  battle  for  his  country  and  if  necessary 
sacrifice  his  life  upon  the  altar  of  duty,  that 
the  government  might  be  preserved.     Since 
then    he   has   devoted    his    energies    to   the 
peaceful  pursuits  of  civil  life,  with  advan- 
tage both  to  himself  and  others.     Alexander 
Goff  was  born  in  Jay  county,  Indiana,  No- 
vember 9,  1841,  being  the  son  of  John  and 
Susannah  (Mann)  Goff,  both  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania.     John   Goff   became   a   citizen   of 
Indiana   as  early  as    1830,   settling  in  Jay 
county,    where   he    followed    farming   until 
1 85 1,  when  he  disposed  of  his  interests  in 
that  part  of  the  state  and  changed  his  resi- 
dence   to    Whitley   county,    purchasing   the 
farm  in  Cleveland  township  now  owned  and 
occupied  by  his  son.     Mr.  Goff  improved  the 
place  and  converted  in  into  one  of  the  best 
farms  in  the  locality.      He  had  eight  chil- 
dren, six  of  whom  grew  to  maturity,  but  at 
this  time  Alexander  and  Ruhena,  who  mar- 
ried John  Smith,  of  Cleveland  township,  are 
the  only  survivors. 

Alexander  Goff  spent  the  first  ten  years 
of  his  life  in  the  county  of  his  birth  and  in 
185 1  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Whitley 


county.     October   16,    1861,   he  enlisted  in 
Company  E,   Forty-fourth  Regiment  Indi- 
ana Infantry,  with  which  he  served  until  his 
discharge,   May  26,    1S64,  at  Chattanooga, 
Tennessee.     Mr.  Groff  participated  with  his 
regiment  in  a  number  of  engagements,  re- 
ceiving at  Fort   Donelson  a  wound  which 
compelled  him  temporarily  to  quit  the  com- 
mand.    When  his  injury  was  healed  he  re- 
joined  his   regiment   and   remained   at    the 
front   until   discharged.      Among   the   most 
important  battles  in  which  he  was  engaged 
were  Shiloh  ;  siege  of  Corinth,  where  he  was 
under  fire  the  greater  part  of  thirty  days; 
Stone      River,      Perryville,      Chickamauga, 
where  he  also  received  a  painful  wound,  and 
other  minor  engagements  and  skirmishes,  in 
all  of  which   his  conduct  as  a  soldier  was 
above  reproach.    On  leaving  the  service  Mr. 
Goff  returned  home  and  resumed  fanning, 
meeting  with  gratifying  success  in  his  call- 
ing, besides  achieving  standing  as  an  enter- 
prising citizen.     He  owns  an  excellent  farm 
of  one  hundred   and  fifteen  acres,   all   but 
twenty-five  of  which  are  under  cultivation 
and  highly  improved  with  substantial  build- 
ings, good  farces  and  a  thorough  system  of 
drainage.      Mr.   Goff  resides  in  the  village 
of  Collamer,  two  miles  west  of  South  Whit- 
lev,  where  he  has  a  beautiful  and  attractive 
home.     Though  a  Democrat,  deeply  inter- 
ested in  the  success  of  his  party,  Mr.  Goff 
is  neither  a  politician  nor  office  seeker,  mak- 
ing even*  other  consideration  subordinate  to 
the  useful  life  he  leads  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil. 
In  1865  Mr.  Goff  married  Jane,  daugh- 
ter  of    Nathan    and   Ruth    (Radcliff)    Wil- 
liams,  who  bore  him   six   children :     Belle, 
wife  of  Levi  Dohner;    Heber,  Fred.  Jesse. 
Milo  and   Hollis,   all   married  except   Milo 


75° 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


he  died  many  years  ago  and  it  was  there  that 
Thomas  Hathaway  met  and  married  Ma- 
hnda  Mann,  who  became  the  mother  of 
twelve  children,  nine  growing  to  maturity, 
eight  still  living.  In  1846  Thomas  Hatha- 
way disposed  of  his  interests  in  Ohio  and 
mined  to  Whitley  county,  settling  in  Cleve- 
land township,  where  he  engaged  in  fann- 
ing on  leased  land,  subsequently  purchasing 
a  place  of  his  own,  on  which  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  days,  departing  this  life 
in  1S58,  his  wife  surviving  until  1891. 
Asher  D.  Hathaway  accompanied  his  par- 
ents on  their  removel  to  Indiana  and  in  the 
woods  of  Cleveland  township  experienced 
many  of  the  vicissitudes  of  pioneer  life.  He 
assisted  his  father  and  brothers  in  culti- 
vating the  farm  and  when  not  thus  engaged 
spent  much  of  his  time  in  quest  of  wild 
game,  with  which  the  forests  were  infested, 
being  an  unerring  shot  and  by  means  of  his 
skill  as  a  huntsman  contributing  largely  to 
the  family's  bill  of  fare.  He  remained  with 
his  father  until  the  latter's  death  and  on  at- 
taining his  majority  began  life  for  himself 
as  a  tiller  of  the  soil,  which  vocation  he  has 
continued  ever  since,  meeting  with  gratify- 
ing financial  results  and  becoming  the  pos- 
sessor of  an  excellent  farm  in  Cleveland 
township,  where  he  now  resides.  Mr.  Hath- 
away's  place,  which  contains  one  hundred 
and  ninety  acres  of  very  productive  land, 
eighty  acres  in  Cleveland  and  the  rest  in 
Richland  township,  is  situated  about  four 
miles  northwest  of  South  Whitley  and  is 
admirably  adapted  to  general  agriculture 
and  stock  raising,  one  hundred  and  fifty-five 
acres  being  tillable.  A  comfortable  modern 
residence  is  a  conspicuous  feature  of  the 
farm,  in  addition  to  which  there  is  a  large 


and  commodious  barn,  one  of  the  best  struc- 
tures of  the  kind  in  the  locality,  the  other 
buildings  being  in  excellent  condition,  the 
improvements  including  a  system  of  tile 
drainage,  by  means  of  which  the  soil  has 
been  greatly  benefited  and  its  productiveness 
increased. 

In  1865  Mr.  Hathaway  married  Elmira. 
daughter  of  Philip  and  Maria  (Firestone) 
Carper,  natives  of  Stark  county,  Ohio,  who 
came  to  Indiana  in  1851  and  settled  on  a 
farm  in  Cleveland  township,  where  their 
respective  deaths  occurred  a  number  of 
years  later.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hathaway  have 
three  children :  Carrie,  wife  of  Mr.  George 
Kyler.  a  farmer  of  Kosciusko  county ;  Al- 
fred, on  a  farm  near  South  Whitley :  and 
Sylvia,  wife  of  John  H.  Rider,  of  Cleveland 
township,  died  July  7,  1905.  Mr.  Hatha- 
way and  wife  are  people  of  high  social 
standing  and  enjoy  in  a  marked  degree  the 
respect  of  their  many  friends  and  associates. 
He  is  an  esteemed  member  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows, belonging  to  Springfield  Lodge,  No. 
213.  Mrs.  Hathaway  is  identified  with  the 
Christian  church,  manifests  an  interest  in  all 
the  activities  of  the  congregation  and  en- 
deavors to  make  her  life  correspond  with 
her  profession  as  an  earnest  and  sincere  fol- 
lower of  the  Master. 

August  12,  1862,  Mr.  Hathaway  enlisted 
in  Company  K,  Eighty-eighth  Indiana  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  First  Division,  Fourteenth 
Army  Corps,  and  served  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of 
Perryville.  Stone  River.  Chickamauga, 
Lookout  Mountain  and  Missionary  Ridge, 
took  part  in  the  Atlanta  campaign  and  was 
with  Sherman  on  his  march  to  the  sea.  He 
was  never  wounded  or  taken  prisoner  and  as 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


75i 


the  result  of  his  honorable  service  is  a  wel- 
come comrade  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
-Republic  post  at  South  Whitley. 


ALEXANDER  GOFF. 

This  gentleman  was  one  of  the  loyal  sons 
•of  the- north  who,  during  the  dark  days  of 
the  rebellion,   when   the   ship  of   state  was 
■stranded  on  the  rugged  rocks  of  disunion, 
turned  his  back  to  the  pleasures  of  home, 
society  and  friends  and  went  to  the  front 
to  battle  for  his  country  and  if  necessary 
sacrifice  his  life  upon  the  altar  of  duty,  that 
the  government  might  be  preserved.     Since 
then    he   has   devoted    his    energies    to   the 
peaceful  pursuits  of  civil  life,  with  advan- 
tage both  to  himself  and  others.     Alexander 
Goff  was  born  in  Jay  county,  Indiana,  No- 
vember 9,  1 84 1,  being  the  son  of  John  and 
Susannah  (Mann)  Goff,  both  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania.     John   Goff   became  a   citizen   of 
Indiana  as  early  as    1830,   settling  in  Jay 
county,    where   he    followed    farming   until 
185 1,  when  he  disposed  of  his  interests  in 
that  part  of  the  state  and  changed  his  resi- 
dence  to    Whitley   county,    purchasing   the 
farm  in  Cleveland  township  now  owned  and 
occupied  by  his  son.     Mr.  Goff  improved  the 
place  and  converted  in  into  one  of  the  best 
farms  in  the  locality.     He  had  eight  chil- 
dren, six  of  whom  grew  to  maturity,  but  at 
this  time  Alexander  and  Ruhena,  who  mar- 
ried John  Smith,  of  Cleveland  township,  are 
the  only  survivors. 

Alexander  Goff  spent  the  first  ten  years 
of  his  life  in  the  county  of  his  birth  and  in 
1 85 1  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Whitley 


county.     October   16,    1861,   he  enlisted  in 
Company  E,   Forty-fourth  Regiment  Indi- 
ana Infantry,  with  which  he  served  until  his 
discharge,   May  26,    1864,  at  Chattanooga, 
Tennessee.     Mr.  Groff  participated  with  his 
regiment  in  a  number  of  engagements,  re- 
ceiving at  Fort  Donelson  a  wound  which 
compelled  him  temporarily  to  quit  the  com- 
mand.    When  his  injury  was  healed  he  re- 
joined  his   regiment   and   remained   at   the 
front   until   discharged.      Among   the   most 
important  battles  in  which  he  was  engaged 
were  Shiloh ;  siege  of  Corinth,  where  he  was 
under  fire  the  greater  part  of  thirty  days ; 
Stone      River,      Perryville,      Chickamauga, 
where  he  also  received  a  painful  wound,  and 
other  minor  engagements  and  skirmishes,  in 
all  of  which  his  conduct  as  a  soldier  was 
above  reproach.    On  leaving  the  service  Mr. 
Goff  returned  home  and  resumed  fanning, 
meeting  with  gratifying  success  in  his  call- 
ing, besides  achieving  standing  as  an  enter- 
prising citizen.     He  owns  an  excellent  farm 
of  one  hundred   and  fifteen  acres,   all   but 
twenty-five  of  which  are  under  cultivation 
and  highly  improved  with  substantial  build- 
ings, good  fences  and  a  thorough  system  of 
drainage.      Mr.   Goff  resides  in  the  village 
of  Collamer,  two  miles  west  of  South  Whit- 
ley, where  he  has  a  beautiful  and  attractive 
home.     Though  a  Democrat,  deeply  inter- 
ested in  the  success  of  his  party.  Mr.  Goff 
is  neither  a  politician  nor  office  seeker,  mak- 
ing- even-  other  consideration  subordinate  to 
the  useful  life  he  leads  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil. 
In  1865  Mr.  Goff  married  Jane,  daugh- 
ter  of    Nathan    and    Ruth    (Radcliff)    Wil- 
liams,   who  bore  him   six   children :     Belle, 
wife  of  Levi  Dohner;    Heber,  Fred,  Jesse, 
Milo  and   Hollis,   all   married   except   Milo 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


and  Fred  and  doing  well  in  their  respective 
vocations.  The  mother  of  these  children 
died  in  1884  and  in  1890  Mr.  Guff  entered 
the  marriage  relation  with  Mrs.  Susan  Ket- 
row,  daughter  of  Allien  and  Ella  (Thrush) 
Ramsey,  natives  of  Maryland  and  Pennsyl- 
vania, respectively,  the  father  dying  in  Octo- 
ber, 1900,  in  Kosciusko  county,  and  the 
mother  in  1 894.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ramsey 
were  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  one 
of  whom  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-two 
years  and  one  in  infancy,  the  rest  rearing 
families.  By  her  marriage  with  Air.  Ket- 
row,  Mrs.  Goff  had  three  children:  Calvin, 
Amanda,  wife  of  Peter  Wagoner,  and  Paris. 
Mr.  Goff  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic 
and  Mrs.  Goff  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
church. 


JOHN  P.  JACKSON. 

The  ancestors  of  the  Whitley  county 
family  of  this  name  originated  in  New  Jer- 
sey and  the  grandfather  of  John -P.,  Ben- 
jamin Jackson,  had  six  children :  David, 
Daniel.  Benjamin,  Harriet,  Phoebe  and 
Ziba.  All  of  these  are  dead  but  some 
reached  advanced  ages,  especially  Phoebe 
Vennum,  who  was  one  hundred  and  four 
years  old,  her  one  hundredth  birthday  be- 
in^  celebrated  June  23,  1884,  at  Morrison, 
Illinois.  David,  the  eldest,  was  married  in 
New  Jersey  to  Prudence  Hathaway  and 
with  the  rest  of  the  family  migrated  to 
Knox  county,  Ohio,  in  1814,  where  his  fa- 
ther. Benjamin,  died  at  the  age  of  ninety- 
one  and  hi--  mother,  Abigail  (Mitchell)  Jack- 
son,  at    the   age   of  eighty-four.      In    1852 


David  brought  his  wife  and  children  to  In- 
diana and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Allen  county, 
but  in  i860  removed  to  Whitley  county  to 
the  present  home  of  John  P.  and  here  he 
lived  until  his  death  in  1883,  his  wife  hav- 
ing passed  away  in  1875.  They  had  sixteen 
children,  of  whom  only  Mahlon  and  John  P. 
are  living,  the  others  being  Ira,  Polly, 
Phoebe,  Clarica,  Electa,  Abigail,  Sarah, 
Daniel,  David,  Silas  and  three  who  died  in 
infancy.  Polly  was  the  wife  of  John  Potts 
and  about  1850  came  to  Noble  county,  Indi- 
ana. Ira  soon  after  settled  near  Laud.  Da- 
vid also  settled  at  Laud,  so  that  when  the 
family  came  these  were  already  here. 

John  P.  Jackson,  youngest  of  this  fam- 
ily, was  born  in  Knox  county,  Ohio,  No- 
vember s,  1833.  He  accompanied  his  par- 
ents to  Indiana  and  when  twenty-two  began 
working  out  by  the  month.  In  six  years,  by 
close  saving  and  rigid  economy,  he  had 
enough  money  to  buy  forty  acres  of  land  in 
Allen  county,  but  later  returned  to  live  with 
his  father  and  mother  in  Whitley  county 
and  remained  with  them  until  their  deaths. 
He  inherited  the  homestead  now  consisting 
of  eighty-eight  acres  in  Thorncreek  town- 
ship, four  and  a  half  miles  northwest  of  Co- 
lumbia City.  As  the  result  of  careful  man- 
agement he  now  has  a  comfortable  home  as 
well  as  a  valuable  estate  with  a  modemly 
constructed  house,  good  bank  barn  and 
other  conveniences.  His  farm  is  well 
drained,  in  a  fine  state  of  cultivation  and  is 
a  desirable  country  home. 

In  1858  Mr.  Jackson  was  married  to 
Catherine  Komp,  of  Troy  township,  who 
died  in  1881  after  becoming  the  mother  of 
eight  children :  Frank  and  Elizabeth,  de- 
ceased;     Frederick,    in    telephone    work    at 


fifclvr^  ufa&fa><o^ 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


753 


Fort  Wayne;  Lillie,  wife  of  H.  A.  Rouch,  of 
Nebraska ;  Daniel,  of  Logansport,  is  a  Pan 
Handle  conductor;  Chloe  is  a  professional 
nurse  in  Chicago;  Daisy,  wife  of  Holten 
Longnecker,  of  Colorado;  and  Vern,  a 
Pan  Handle  brakeman,  was  killed  while  on 
duty,  aged  twenty-two.  In  1884  Mr.  Jack- 
son married  Martha,  daughter  of  Aaron  B. 
Long,  a  native  of  Tuscarawas  county,  Ohio, 
who  came  to  Indiana  when  eighteen  years 
old  and  married  Julia  Crowl  in  Kosciusko 
county.  Her  mother,  Elizabeth  Coy,  is  still 
living  at  Syracuse,  Indiana,  at  the  age  of 
ninety-seven  years.  Mrs.  Martha  (Long) 
Jackson  was  born  in  Kosciusko  county,  De- 
cember 17,  1855.  By  his  second  marriage 
Mr.  Jackson  had  seven  children :  Clarence, 
Jesse,  Mearl  (deceased),  Floyd,  Homer,  He- 
ber  and  Edith.  The  parents  are  members  of 
Mission  Chapel  Baptist  church.  In  1864 
Mr.  Jackson  enlisted  in  Company  B,  Thir- 
teenth Regiment  Indiana  Volunteer  Infan- 
try, with  which  he  served  until  the  end  of 
the  war,  taking  part  in  the  battle  of  Fort 
Fisher  and  in  numerous  skirmishes.  His 
service  extended  over  one  year,  being  dis- 
charged from  a  hospital  on  account  of  ty- 
phoid fever.  Mr.  Jackson  is  a  Republican, 
though  never  an  aspirant  for  public  office. 


AARON  MISHLER. 


The  family  of  which  the  subject  is  a 
worthy  representative  is  an  old  and  honor- 
able one  and  wherever  known  the  name  has 
stood  for  sound  intelligence,  unbending  rec- 
titude and  good  citizenship.  High  ideals  of 
dutv  have  also  characterized   the   different 


members  of  this  family,  but  none  of  them 
have  proved  more  worthy  than  the  enter- 
prising tiller  of  the  soil  whose  name  appears 
above. 

Aaron  Mishler,  son  of  Daniel  and  Cath- 
rine  Mishler.  was  born  August  12,  1862. 
(For  genealogy  see  sketch  of  Lewis  Mish- 
ler.) Reared  on  a  farm  and  spending  his 
youth  and  childhood  amid  scenes  and  influ- 
ences calculated  to  develop  what  was  best 
in  his  nature,  he  early  displayed  those  quali- 
ties which  inspire  confidence  and  afford 
proof  of  future  activity  and  usefulness.  Se- 
lecting agriculture  for  his  vocation  he  de- 
voted to  it  all  his  energies  of  body  and  mind 
and  now  in  the  prime  of  life  easily  ranks 
with  the  most  enterprising  farmers  of  Whit- 
ley county.  Mr.  Mishler's  farm,  containing 
one  hundred  and  seventy-five  acres  of  val- 
uable land,  lies  about  three  and  a  half  miles 
north  of  South  Whitley  and  in  the  matter 
of  improvements,  cultivation  and  produc- 
tiveness is  admittedly  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful estates  in  Cleveland  township,  the 
buildings  being  modem  in  consturction  and 
the  entire  premises  giving  evidence  of  a  com- 
petent management.  On  this  farm  are 
grown  extensive  crops  of  the  grains  and 
vegetables  raised  in  northern  Indiana,  much 
of  the  product  being  fed  to  the  fine  blooded 
cattle  and  Duroc- Jersey  hogs,  of  which  the 
proprietor  raises  a  large  number.  In  his 
political  views  Mr.  Mishler  has  always  been 
a  Republican.  He  has  been  a  lifelong  mem- 
ber of  the  German  Baptist  church  and  as 
such  his  influence  has  ever  been  on  the  side 
of  morality  and  civic  righteousness  and  his 
life  an  example  of  Christianity  practically 
applied. 

In  the  year  1885  Mr.   Mishler  married 


'56 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


publican  circles,  owing  to  the  recipient's  ac- 
tive connection  with  the  affairs  of  that  party 
for  some  years  past.  Charles  E.  Weybright, 
the  gentleman  in  question,  who  entered  upon 
his  new  duties  under  Clerk  Fitzpatrick  on 
January  1,  1907,  is  a  young  man  of  popular 
manners,  excellent  education  and  good  busi- 
ness qualifications,  with  a  large  capacity  for 
making  and  holding  friends.  He  was  born 
September  8,  1875,  in  Washington  town- 
ship, Whitley  county,  Indiana.  His  parents, 
Martin  B.  and  Mary  E.  (Smith)  Weybright, 
were  old  settlers  of  Whitley  county,  the  for- 
mer coming  here  in  1837  and  the  latter  in 
1850.  They  were  respectively  natives  of 
Montgomery  and  Wayne  counties,  Ohio, 
and  were  married  after  coming  to  Whitley 
county.  The  father  died  in  September, 
1899,  but  his  widow  still  lives  on  the  farm 
in  Washington  township,  where  she  went 
to  housekeeping  as  a  bride  more  than  half  a 
century  ago.  This  worthy  pioneer  couple 
became  the  parents  of  eight  children  :  Wil- 
liam H.,  now  on  the  home  farm ;  Keziah, 
wife  of  Henry  Benner;  Belle,  wife  of  John 
Faudree;  Sherman  E.,  clerk  in  the  quarter- 
master general's  office  at  Jeffersonville ;  Nel- 
son -and  Allie,  deceased;  Charles  E.  and 
Harley.  a  resident  of  South  Whitley.  The 
parents  were  members  of  the  Baptist  church 
and  the  father  became  attached  to  the  Re- 
publican party  at  its  foundation.  On  com- 
ing tu  Whitley  county,  he  entered  seventy 
acres  of  wild  land,  which  he  eventually  im- 
proved into  a  valuable  piece  of  property. 
Charles  E.  Weybright,  seventh  of  the  chil- 
dren in  order  of  birth,  had  a  yearning  desire 
to  obtain  a  good  education  from  his  earliest 
boyhood  and  as  he  had  a  natural  adaptabil- 
ity his   wish    was  gratified   before   he    was 


called  to  enter  into  business  affairs.  Besides 
attendance  at  the  common  schools  he  had  the 
benefit  of  one  term  at  the  Valparaiso  Nor- 
mal and  one  in  1896-98  at  the  Terre  Haute 
State  Normal.  During  this  period  and  later 
he  had  ten  years'  experience  as  a  teacher, 
four  in  the  common  schools  and  six  in  the 
graded  schools  at  South  Whitley.  In  1903 
Air.  Weybright  was  appointed  deputy  in  the 
office  of  County  Auditor  Charles  E.  Lan- 
caster and  retained  that  place  until  he  re- 
signed to  assume  his  new  duties  at  Indian- 
apolis. 

June  14,  1904,  he  was  married  at  South 
Whitley  to  Miss  Blanche,  daughter  of 
George  and  Ella  Allen.  Mr.  Weybright  is 
a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  of  the 
County  Officers'  Association  of  Whitley 
county  and  for  three  years  has  been  secre- 
tary of  the  Republican  county  central  com- 
mittee. Mrs.  Weybright  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  popular  in 
the  social  circles  of  Columbia  City. 


HON.  JOHN  W.  ORNDORF. 

This  name,  now  so  familiar  throughout 
northeastern  Indiana,  was  first  heard  of  in 
this  section  of  Allen  county  when  George 
W.  Orndorf  settled  on  a  farm  in  Lake  town- 
ship in  1846.  He  was  successful  in  his  busi- 
ness affairs  and  in  1876  removed  to  Churu- 
busco,  where  he  died  a  few  years  later  in 
his  seventy-second  year.  He  married  Eva 
Spinks,  who  bore  him  eight  children,  of 
whom  John  W.  Orndorf  was  the  fifth.  He 
was  born  in  Allen  county,  Indiana,  February 
9,  1854,  and  grew  up  on  his  father's  place 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


757 


with  the  usual  experience  of  farm  boys. 
"This  consisted  in  working  during  the  sum- 
mer and  attending  school  in  the  winter,  his 
•educational  acquirements  being  supplement- 
ed later  by  one  year's  term  at  the  select 
school  in  Churubusco.  His  first  business 
venture  was  as  a  teacher  in  the  schools  of  his 
native  district,  which  occupation  he  followed 
for  four  consecutive  terms,  during  this  time 
attending  the  normal  at  Valparaiso  and 
spending  his  vacations  at  work  on  the  farm 
in  the  summer  seasons.  In  the  fall  of  1877 
he  went  south  and  remained  there  two  years 
looking  after  some  real-estate  interests  of 
his  father.  In  the  spring  of  1879  he  re- 
turned to  Churubusco  and  accepted  a  posi- 
tion in  a  hardware  store,  owned  by  his  fa- 
ther and  William  A.  Geiger.  After  a  year 
he  joined  his  father  in  purchasing  the  Gei- 
ger interest,  but  disposed  of  it  by  a  resale 
before  the  end  of  twelve  months.  In  the 
spring  of  1882  Mr.  Orndorf  was  elected 
justice  of  the  peace  and  after  serving  four 
years  was  admitted  to  the  Whitley  county 
bar,  since  which  time  he  has  been  in  active 
practice  of  the  law  at  Churubusco.  In  July. 
1887,  he  was  appointed  postmaster  by  Pres- 
ident Harrison,  served  four  years  and  acted 
a  year  as  deputy  prosecuting  attorney  under 
John  C.  Wigent.  In  1886  he  was  candidate 
on  the  People's  ticket  for  clerk  of  the 
county,  but  was  defeated  by  Samuel  P. 
Kaler  by  about  three  hundred  votes.  In  the 
spring  of  1906,  Mr.  Orndorf  was  nominated 
as  a  candidate  of  the  Republican  party  for 
state  senator  from  the  district  composed  of 
Whitley  and  Huntington  and  was  elected 
the  ensuing  November  by  a  majority  of 
three  hundred  and  sixty-one  votes,  carrying 
"both  counties.     He  has  enjoyed  other  po- 


litical honors,  having  been  chosen  delegate 
from  the  twelfth  congressional  district  to 
the  national  convention  which  nominated 
Theodore  Roosevelt  for  the  presidency  in 
1904.  He  has  also  served  in  various  state 
and  county  conventions  of  his  party.  In 
fact,  he  is  easily  the  leading  citizen  of  his 
community  and  one  of  the  most  prominent 
as  well  as  most  popular  of  Whitley  county's 
public  men.  He  is  interested  in  lands  in 
Whitley,  Steuben  and  Noble  counties  and 
owns  land  in  Kansas  and  South  Dakota  be- 
sides other  valuable  property.  In  April, 
1906,  he  sold  his  law  practice  at  Churu- 
busco owing  to  pressure  on  his  time  arising 
from  other  duties,  and  his  friends  feel  con- 
fident he  will  make  a  hard-working  and  in- 
fluential member  of  the  state  senate. 

In  October,  1881,  Mr.  Orndorf  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Jennie,  daughter  of  William  G. 
and  Nancy  Hyatt,  who  were  old  settlers  of 
Allen  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Orndorf  have 
an  only  daughter,  Miss  Ila,  and  the  family 
are  welcome  in  the  best  social  circles  of  the 
county.  Mr.  Orndorf  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity  and  with  his  wife  and 
daughter  also  holds  membership  in  the  East- 
ern Star.  Mrs.  Orndorf  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  takes  an 
active  interest  in  the  work. 


JONATHAN  ULREY. 

The  Ulreys  were  amongst  the  early  set- 
tlers of  Pennsylvania,  from  which  state 
Samuel  Ulrey  emigrated  to  Ohio  as  long 
ago  as  the  year  1800,  being  among  the  dar- 
ing pioneers  who  first  penetrated  the  forests 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


of  the  latter  commonwealth  to  plant  the 
standard  of  civilization  in  what  was  then 
the  "far  west."  John  S.  Uulrey,  son  of  Sam- 
uel, was  born  in  Montgomery  enmity.  Ohio, 
in  1809,  remained  near  the  place  of  his  birth 
until  the  year  1837  and  then  migrated  to 
northern  Indiana,  settling  on  a  farm  in  Wa- 
bash county,  where  he  made  his  home  until 
his  removal  in  1850  to  Kosciusko  county. 
He  purchased  a  farm  in  the  latter  county 
and  there  spent  the  closing  years  of  his  life, 
dying  at  a  good  old  age  in  1891..  He  mar- 
ried Sarah  Swihart,  a  native  of  Ohio,  who 
bore  him  eight  children,  three  of  whom  sur- 
vive. She  departed  this  life  in  Kosciusko 
county  in  the  year  1853.  John  S.  and  Sarah 
Ulrey  were  estimable  people  and  exerted  a 
healthful  moral  influence  in  the  different 
communities  of  their  residence.  They  were 
zealous  and  faithful  members  of  the  German 
Baptist  church,  earnestly  devoted  to  their  re- 
ligious faith,  and  are  remembered  for  their 
many  acts  of  kindness,  for  charities  dis- 
pensed among  the  poor  and  needy  and  for 
long  and  useful  lives  filled  to  repletion  with 
good  to  their  kind.  Jonathan  Ulrey,  one  of 
the  surviving  children,  was  bom  at  Liberty 
Mills,  Wabash  county,  Indiana,  September 
10,  1843.  From  his  youth  he  has  devoted 
his  energies  to  cultivating  the  soil,  with  the 
result  that  he  is  today  in  independent  cir- 
cumstances, with  a  comfortable  competency 
for  future  years.  He  is  well  read,  keeps 
informed  on  current  events  and  the  leading 
questions  of  the  day  and  his  judgment  and 
discretion  are  seldom  at  fault.  Mr.  Ulrey 
has  a  line  home,  well  supplied  with  the  com- 
forts .-mil  conveniences  that  make  country 
life  attractive  and  as  a  farmer  and  stock 
raiser  occupies   a   conspicuous  place  among 


his  fellow  citizens.  Of  the  one  hundred  and 
forty-seven  and  a  half  acres  which  his  estate 
contains,  one  hundred  acres  are  under  culti- 
vation, the  grain  raised  thereon  being  large- 
ly fed  to  stock,  in  the  breeding  and  raising 
of  which  his  success  has  been  most  gratify- 
ing. Living  within  a  mile  of  South 
Whitley,  which  lies  on, the  south,  he  enjoys 
the  advantage  of  excellent  markets  and  other 
facilities  in  keeping  therewith. 

In  1875  Mr.  Ulrey  married  Eliza  A., 
daughter  of  Robert  and  Francis  (Russell) 
Wilson,  natives  of  Champaign  county,  Ohio, 
but  early  settlers  of  Whitley  county,  to  which 
they  came  about  1856,  locating  on  a  farm 
in  Cleveland  township,  which  their  son-in- 
law  now  owns  and  occupies.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ulrey  have  had  four  children :  Karl,  who 
lives  at  home;  Orville,  who  married  Edith 
Blue  and  resides  in  Whitley  county;  Lee 
W.,  deceased;  and  Frances,  who  lives  with 
her  parents  and  works  as  a  milliner.  Mr. 
Ulrey  gives  his  support  to  the  Republican 
party  and  belongs  with  his  wife  and  family 
to  the  Baptist  church,  both  being  highly 
esteemed  by  the  membership  of  the  local 
consrresration. 


ADAM  S.  WARNER. 

The  family  of  this  name  in  Whitley 
county  is  an  old  and  honorable  one,  whose 
genealogy  dates  back  to  a  remote  period  in 
the  history  of  Maryland.  The  great-grand- 
father of  A.  S.  Warner  spent  all  of  his  life 
in  that  state  and  was  a  man  of  considerable- 
local  prominence.  His  son.  also  a  Mary- 
lander  by  birth,  grew  to  manhood  in  his  na- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


759 


tive  commonwealth,  moved  first  to  Pennsyl- 
vania and  thence  to  Harrison  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  ended  his  career  after  a  long  and 
useful  life,  his  wife  dying  at  the  remarkable 
age  of  one  hundred  and  two  years.  George 
Warner,  father  of  Adam  S.,  was  a  native 
of  Maryland,  but  in  earlv  life  accompanied 
his  parents  to  Pennsylvania  and  thence  to 
Harrison  county.  Ohio,  where  he  engaged  in 
fanning,  which  vocation  the  majority  of  the 
family  appear  to  have  followed.  He  mar- 
ried Mary  Snyder,  a  native  of  Maryland, 
who  bore  him  six  children :  Catherine. 
Adam  S.,  Rosanna,  Polly.  Margaret  and 
George,  all  living  and  having  families  of 
their  own,  the  oldest  being  eighty  years  of 
age,  the  same  number  of  years  reached  by 
the  father,  whose  death  occurred  in  1877. 
Adam  S.  Warner,  the  second  of  this 
family,  was  born  December  24,  1828,  in 
Harrison  county,  Ohio,  spent  his  youth  and 
young  manhood  at  his  native  place  and  on 
leaving  the  parental  home  learned  the  car- 
penter's trade,  to  which  his  life  has  been- 
very  largely  devoted.  In  1855  he  came  to 
Whitley  county  and  settled  in  Cleveland 
township,  where  he  followed  his  chosen  call- 
ing' until  1883,  when  he  disposed  of  his  in- 
terests and  removed  to  Kansas,  where  he 
spent  the  succeeding  fifteen  years  in  the  city 
of  Newton,  contributing  much  to  the  mate- 
rial advancement  of  that  place.  At  the  ex- 
piration of  the  period  indicated  he  returned 
to  Whitley  county  and  since  then  has  resided 
in  Cleveland  township,  where  he  still  de- 
votes considerable  time  to  mechanical  work. 
Although  past  his  seventy-eighth  year.  Mr. 
Warner  retains  to  a  marked  degree  the 
possession  of  his  faculties,  physical  and 
mental,  being  quite  rugged  and  strong  and 


capable  of  doing  much  more  labor  in  the 
same  length  of  time  than  many  men  greatly 
his  junior.  He  has  been  a  Republican  since 
the  organization  of  the  party  and  still  man- 
ifests keen  interest  in  public  questions  and 
political  issues,  on  all  of  which  he  has  intel- 
lig'ent  and  well  grounded  opinions. 

Mr.  Warner  was  married  about  1853  to 
Mary  Holin,  of  Stark  count)-,  Ohio,  by 
whom  he  had  five  children  :  H.  H.,  Levi, 
Emma,  Sherman  and  Joseph.  The  mother 
died  in  1866  and  by  a  second  marriage,  with 
Rebecca  Bruch,  he  has  seven  children :  Al- 
bert, Delmar,  Aden.  Lyman.  Myrtle,  Ada, 
and  Lester. 


HENRY  SICKAFOOSE. 

Like  so  many  of  the  representative  cit- 
izens of  northern  Indiana,  Henry  Sickafoose 
is  a  native  of  Ohio,  having  been  born  in 
1 834,. in  the  historic  county  of  Stark.  John 
Sickafoose,  his  father,  was  a  Pennsylvania;! 
married  in  his  native  state  to  Marg'aret 
Swartwood,  and  shortly  afterward  migrated 
to  Stark  county,  Ohio,  came  from  there  to 
Whitley  count}-  and  settled  in  the  wilds  of 
Cleveland  township,  of  which  he  was  among 
the  earlv  pioneers.  He  purchased,  cleared 
and  developed  a  farm  and  in  due  time  be- 
came a  leading  citizen  of  the  community, 
achieving-  influence  as  a  Republican  in  local 
political  circles.  For  many  years  he  was  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Lutheran  church, 
the  success  of  which  was  largely  due  to  his 
financial  assistance.  He  held  all  the  town- 
ship offices  within  the  gift  of  the  people  and 
in  many  ways  made  himself  useful  until  the 


■fill 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  Jan- 
uary, 1X76,  that  of  his  wife  following  in  Oc- 
tober.  1878. 

Henry  Sickafoose,  one  of  the  three  sur- 
vivors of  their  twelve  children,  was  only 
about  four  years  old  when  his  parents  came 
to  Indiana  in  1838,  his  development,  educa- 
tion and  subsequent  career  occurring  in  the 
township  nf  his  adoption.  He  passed 
through  many  of  the  experiences  incident  to 
the  pioneer  period,  became  familiar  with 
hard  work  in  the  woods  and  fields  and  grew 
to  manhood  with  the  proper  equipment  for 
the  making  of  a  successful  farmer.  He  has 
devoted  all  his  adult  life  to  agriculture  and 
fi  ir  many  years  was  recognized  as  an  en- 
ergetic and  progressive  tiller  of  the  soil. 
For  a  long-  time  he  made  his  home  in  Wash- 
ington township,  where  he  owned  a  fine 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  but 
in  1 89 1  disposed  of  tin's  place  and  purchased 
a  neat  rural  home  of  five  acres  in  Cleveland 
township,  where  he  lias  since  been  living  in 
retirement.  He  has  beautified  the  surround- 
ings and  made  it  one  of  the  most  attractive 
places  of  residence  in  the  count)",  where  an 
old-fashioned  hospitality  is  dispensed  to  all 
visitors. 

In  [860  Mr.  Sickafoose  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Sarah  A.,  daughter  of  Mich- 
ael and  Polly  (Stults)  Holem,  natives  of 
Stark  county,  Ohio,  who  in  1854  came  to 
Indiana  and  spent  the  closing  years  of  their 
lives  in  Whitley  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Sickafoose  have  five  children:  Margaret; 
Jane,  wife  of  A.  B.  Henry;  Ephraim,  who 
married  Mamie  ( Cunningham  and  lives  in 
Mishawaka,  Indiana:  Levi  D.,  who  mar- 
ried Susan  Pimlot,  of  Whitley  county,  and 
lives  at  Logansport;  Ethel,  who  lives  with 


her  father :  and  Rev.  Curtis  Sickafoose.  min- 
ister of  the  United  Brethren  church  at  Gal- 
veston,  Indiana.  The  parents  also  belong 
to  this  church  and  have  always  taken  a  deep 
interest  in  its  work.  The  political  affilia- 
tions of  Mr.  Sickafoose  are  with  the  Repub- 
lican party,  of  which  he  has  been  a  lifelong 
member. 


H.  H.  WARNER. 


H.  H.  Warner,  one  of  the  five  surviv- 
ors in  a  family  of  twelve  children,  whose 
parents  were  Adam  S.  and  Mary  (Holin) 
Warner,  is  a  native  of  Whitley  county,  In- 
diana, born  October  1.  1856,  in  the  town- 
ship of  Cleveland,  where  he  still  resides. 
He  was  reared  under  the  healthful  and 
wholesome  influence  of  farm  life,  and  is  in- 
debted to  the  district  school  for  his  prelim- 
inarv  education,  the  training  thus  received 
being  supplemented  by  a  year's  course  at 
the  Sixteen  College  in  Huntington  county, 
where  he  made  substantial  progress  in  the 
higher  branches  of  learning  and  earned  an 
honorable  record  as  an  industrious  and  pains- 
taking student.  With  this  discipline  as  a 
foundation  and  by  taking  advantage  of  ev- 
ery opportunity  for  mental  culture.  Mr. 
Warner  has  become  one  of  the  well  informed 
men  of  his  community,  being  a  wide  reader 
of  current  and  general  literature,  also  a 
thinker  and  close  observer,  with  the  result 
that  he  is  familiar  with  the  leading  ques- 
tions and  issues  of  the  day.  and  to  no  small 
degree  an  authority  among  his  friends  and 
associates.  Early  in  life  he  matured  plans 
for  his  future  course  of  action  and  by  ad- 
hering to  the  same,  his  career  has  been  emi- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


761 


nently  honorable  as  well  as  financially  suc- 
cessful, standing  today  among  the  most  pro- 
gressive and  public-spirited  citizens  of  his 
"township  and  enjoying  repute  as  an  enter- 
prising farmer  who  has  made  agricultural 
science  the  subject  of  critical  study.  Mr. 
Warner's  farm  is  admirably  situated,  well 
drained  and  improved  with  good  buildings, 
fences,  etc.,  even'  acre  of  tillable  land  being 
fertile  and  highly  productive,  the  estate  as  a 
whole  representing  a  value  considerably  in 
excess  of  one  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  On 
taking  possession  of  his  place  he  addressed 
himself  to  the  task  of  making  such  a  home 
as  his  ambition  had  long  coveted.  To  ac- 
complish this  required  result  the  exercise  of 
those  qualities  of  perseverance  and  economy 
more  essential  in  farming  perhaps  than  in 
any  other  vocation.  How  well  he  has  suc- 
ceeded in  his  laudable  undertakings  is  proved 
by  the  comfortable  residence,  commodious 
barn  and  other  structures,  which  adorn  the 
place  ;  also  by  the  rich  fields  and  careful  fenc- 
ing, which  encloses  the  various  tracts  set 
apart  for  crops,  orchard  and  pasturage.  Mr. 
Warren  does  not  confine  himself  strictly  to 
growing  crops  for  an  income,  but  gives  at- 
tention to  the  raising  of  good  breeds  of  cat- 
tle and  hogs,  which  materially  increase  the 
profits  arising  from  his  cereal  products, 
while  the  eighty  acres  under  his  careful  and 
prudent  management  present  not  only  an  at- 
tractive and  desirable  country  home,  but  a 
delightful  picture  of  rural  beauty,  pleasing 
to  every  beholder. 

Tn  addition  to  his  agricultural  interests, 
Mr.  Warner  is  vice-president  of  the  Farm- 
ers' State  Bank,  of  South  Whitley,  the  du- 
ties of  which  office  he  discharges  in  a  highly 
creditable  manner  to  all  concerned,  being-  fa- 


miliar with  financial  matters  and  well  quali- 
fied to  fill  positions  of  honor  and  trust.  He 
has  also  held  various  local  offices  and  for  a 
number  of  years  has  been  an  advocate  of  pub- 
lic improvements,  encouraging  all  enter- 
prises with  this  object  in  view,  also  stand- 
ing for  whatever  makes  for  the  social  and 
moral  good  of  the  community.  A  Repub- 
lican, well  versed  in  the  principles  and  his- 
tory of  parties,  he  has  seldom  been  drawn 
into  the  arena  of  partisan  politics,  neverthe- 
less his  influence  has  done  much  for  the 
success  of  the  ticket  and  he  has  proven  an 
earnest  worker  in  a  number  of  hotly  con- 
tested campaigns.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Ma- 
son, belonging  to  Lodge  No.  510,  at  South 
Whitley,  and  in  religion  the  United  Breth- 
ren church  embodies  his  creed. 

Tune  25,  1879,  Mr.  Warner  married  Miss 
Isadora,  daughter  of  John  and  Jane  (Hard) 
Henrv,  and  they  have  three  children :  Fer- 
mar  A.,  cashier  of  the  wholesale  grocery 
firm  of  A.  H.  Perfict  &  Company,  at  Fort 
Wayne;  Effie  May  and  Lloyd  H.,  who  are 
still  under  the  parental  roof.  After  his  mar- 
riage Mr.  Warner  was  in  the  saw-mill  busi- 
ness five  years  before  he  engaged  in  farming. 
At  the  fall  election  in  1906,  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  Whitley  county  council. 


MARTIN  H.  BRIGGEMAN. 

Martin  H.  Briggeman,  farmer  and  stock 
raiser  of  Cleveland  township  and  son  of 
Henrv  and  Minnie  Briggeman.  is  a  native 
of  Whitley  county,  Indiana,  born  May  31, 
1853.  He  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  the 
common  schools  and  grew  to  maturity  mi 


762 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


close  touch  with  nature  on  the  farm  and  Inn- 
ing early  decided  to  make  agriculture  his  life 
work  has  pursued  the  same  for  himself  ever 
since  attaining  his  majority  and  is  now  well 
situated  as  concerns  material  things,  own- 
in-'  a  small  though  excellent  farm,  which  is 
tilled  according  to  modern  methods  and  on 
which  are  to  l>e  seen  some  of  the  best  im- 
provements in  the  community  where  he  re- 
sides. In  ci mnection  with  tilling  the  soil  Mr, 
Briggeman  has  done  considerable  work  in 
the  line  of  carpentry,  which  trade  he  learned 
in  his  younger  days.  He  put  up  all  the  build- 
ings on  his  own  farm  in  addition  to  which 
his  services  as  a  mechanic  have  also  been 
much  in  demand  by  his  neighbors,  having 
erected  a  number  of  dwellings,  barns  and 
other  structures  in  his  own  and  adjacent  lo- 
calities, besides  having  done  a  thriving  busi- 
ness in  masonry  work  and  moving  buildings. 
Mr.  Briggeman  possesses  sound  intelligence, 
mature  judgment  and  his  ideas  and  opinions 
have  weight  with  his  fellowmen.  He  is 
keenly  interested  in  the  events  of  the  day, 
well  informed  on  the  leading  questions  of 
the  times,  and  as  a  neighbor  and  citizen 
stands  high  in  the  community,  commanding 
the  respect  and  confidence  of  all  with  whom 
he  has  relations  of  a  business  or  social  na- 
ture. 

Mr.  Briggeman  was  married  in  1S88  to 
Miss  Caroline  Grieser,  who  has  borne  him 
five  children  :  Franz,  Traugott,  Clara.  Emma 
and  Emil,  all  living  at  home.  Mrs.  Brigge- 
man was  born  in  \  1 1  < -i i  county.  Indiana,  Sep- 
tember 5,  iSoi,  lui-  parents  being  John  and 
Frances  i  Schaffner  I  <  irieser,  natives  of  Ger- 
many, who  became  early  settlers  of  Allen 
county  and  died  there  some  years  ago.  T°hn 
Grieser  was  a  Union  soldier  during  the  Civil 


war.  Mrs.  Briggeman  has  achieved  quite  a 
reputation  as  a  raiser  of  poultry,  to  which  site 
has  devoted  considerable  attention  for  sev- 
eral years,  making  a  specialty  of  the  fine 
breeds.  She  has  a  number  of  fine  fowls 
which  command  fancy  prices,  besides  doing 
a  lucrative  business  marketing  the  more  or- 
dinary varieties.  Mr.  Briggeman  and  wife 
are  members  of  the  German  Lutheran 
church  and  manifest  an  abiding  interest  in 
all  lines  of  religious  and  charitable  work  un- 
der the  auspices  of  the  local  congregation 
with  which  they  are  identified.  Henry  J. 
Briggeman  was  a  native  of  Germany,  born- 
in  the  principality  of  Lippe  Dettmold.  where 
he  lived  until  about  1850,  when  he  emigrated' 
to  the  United  States  and  later  came  to  Whit- 
ley county,  purchasing  the  land  in  Cleveland 
township  now  owned  by  his  son  Martin, 
cleared  and  otherwise  improved  the  same  and 
made  it  a  valuable  farm.  He  was  an  hon- 
est and  law-abiding  man.  an  honorable  pub- 
lic-spirited citizen  and  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred December  27,  1905,  was  deeply  la- 
mented not  only  by  the  members  of  his  own 
family  but  by  a  large  circle  of  friends  and" 
acquaintances,  who  had  learned  to  esteem 
him  for  man}"  of  his  excellent  qualities  of 
mind  and  heart.  The  maiden  name  of  his 
wife,  whom  he  married  in  his  native  land, 
was  Minnie  Hauptmeyer.  (See  sketch  of 
William  Hauptmeyer.')  She  bore  him  chil- 
dren as  follows:  Martin  H. :  Caroline, 
wife  of  Henry  Ahneman;  Emelia,  now  Mrs. 
Emil  Weihle;  Rieke,  who  married  John 
Trier:  Mary,  wife  of  Edward  Trier:  Henry, 
Minnie,  wife  of  William  Liche  (  see  sketch)  : 
Lizzie  who  married  Christian  Denges :  and 
\nnie.  all  living  but  Mrs.  Denges.  who 
departed  this  life  in   September.   1906. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


763 


DAVID  GABLE. 

George  S.  Gable  left  his  home  in  Lan- 
caster county,  Pennsylvania,  when  a  young 
man  and  moved  to  Ohio,  being  the  only 
member  of  this  family  to  come  westward.  He 
became  a  man  of  influence  in  Darke  county, 
and  as  a  local  leader  of  the  Democracy  held 
various  public  offices.  He  married  Eliza- 
beth Keaner,  of  Pennsylvania,  and  in  1850 
came  to  Whitley  county,  locating  on  a  farm 
in  Cleveland  township,  where  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life  in  agricultural  pursuits, 
being  at  the  time  of  his  death  one  of  the 
representative  farmers  of  his  community. 
He  had  five  children:  Abraham,  John,  de- 
ceased, Jacob,  Lydia  and  David. 

David  Gable  was  born  in  Darke  county, 
Ohio,  March  27,  1840,  and  hence  was  about 
ten  years  of  age  when  brought  to  Whitley 
county  by  his  parents.  Like  other  country 
boys,  he  had  the  benefit  of  a  farm  training, 
with  the  usual  school  advantages  of  those 
days,  and  when  old  enough  to  work  assisted 
in  the  clearing  of  the  new  land.  Eventually 
he  became  owner  of  this  farm,  which  he  has 
greatly  improved,  and  his  whole  life  has 
been  devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits.  His 
estate  consists  of  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  acres,  situated  in  one  of  the  richest  agri- 
cultural districts  of  the  county,  one  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  being  in  cultivation  and  thor- 
oughly drained  with  over  three  thousand 
rods  of  tiling.  His  buildings  are  all  first- 
class  and  in  excellent  condition,  the  entire 
premises  bearing  evidence  of  an  owner  who 
makes  every  other  consideration  subordinate 
to  the  successful  prosecution  of  his  chosen 
calling. 

In  1862,  Mr.  Gable  was  married  to  Miss 
Catherine,    daughter    of  John    and    Susan 


(Schafner)  Reams,  natives  of  .  Pennsyl- 
vania, who  moved  to  Ohio  and  thence  to 
Whitley  county,  a  short  time  prior  to  the 
arrival  of  the  Gable  family.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gable  have  five  children:  Eldora,  wife  of 
George  Bruch,  a  farmer  of  this  county ; 
Diana,  who  married  Perry  W.  Jenkins  and 
lives  in  Kansas ;  Malinda,  now  Mrs.  Wil- 
liam E.  Pence,  residing  in  Marion,  Indiana; 
Sheridan,  a  farmer  of  Whitley  county ;  and 
Ida,  the  wife  of  Milton  Sickafoose,  who  as- 
sists in  cultivating  the  home  farm.  Mr. 
Gable  is  a  Democrat,  but  his  interest  in  party 
affairs  extends  no  further  than  defending 
his  principles  and  supporting  the  regular 
nominees.  He  discharges  the  duties  of  cit- 
izenship as  becomes  an  enterprising,  public- 
spirited  American  of  today,  keeping  pace 
with  current  though  and  in  touch  with  the 
leading  questions  before  the  people,  on  all 
of  which  he  has  well  defined  opinions  and 
the  courage  of  his  convictions  in  their  ut- 
terance. His  financial  success  has  been  com- 
mensurate with  the  industry  and  energy  dis- 
plaved  in  his  chosen  field  of  endeavor,  and 
he  is  now  classed  among  the  leading  farmers 
and  well-to-do  men  of  his  township  and 
county. 


JOHN  W.  EASTOM. 

The  agricultural  interests  of  Cleveland 
township  are  represented  by  some  of  the 
most  intelligent  and  enterprising  citizens  of 
this  part  of  Indiana,  and  none  stand  higher 
in  the  list  than  the  well  known  farmer  whose 
name  appears  above.  He  is  descended  from 
English  ancestry  and  in  bis  personality  are 
combined  many  of  the  sterling  qualities  for 
which  this  nationality  has  long  been  distin- 


764 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


guished.  His  father.  George  Eastom,  was 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  son  of  an  im- 
migrant who  came  to  this  country  from 
Liverpool,  England,  and  settled  in  the  Key- 
stone state,  where  he  lived  until  his  death. 
George  Eastom  married  Hannah  Donohoe, 
who  was  horn  in  Virginia,  where  her  father 
settled  when  he  came  to  the  United  States 
from  Ireland.  They  had  six  children : 
James,  Alary.  John  \Y.,  Frank,  Martha  E. 
and  Nancy.  George  Eastom  removed  first  to 
Ross  and  later  Putnam  county,  Ohio,  where 
his  death  occurred  in  1862.  He  was  a  man 
of  unbending  rectitude,  a  pronounced  Demo- 
crat and  a  zealous  member  of  the  German 
Baptist  church. 

J<  ihn  W.  Eastom  was  born  October  2H. 
1838,  in  Ross  county,  Ohio,  spent  his  early 
years  on  his  father's  farm,  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  and  remained 
at  home  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war. 
In  1861  he  enlisted  at  Tiffin  in  Company  I, 
Forty-ninth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, under  command  of  Colonel  Gibson, 
with  which  he  served  three  years  and  fif- 
teen days.  He  went  through  a  number  of 
noted  campaigns  and  took  part  in  many  bat- 
tles, among  which  were  Bowling  Green  and 
Green  River  Kentucky.  Nashville.  Chatta- 
nooga and  other  engagements  in  Tennessee, 
his  regiment  being  with  General  Sherman 
during  this  period.  The  Forty-ninth  Ohio 
was  the  first  Union  force  .to  cross  into  Ken- 
tucky and  during  most  of  his  service  Mr. 
Eastom  was  in  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland, 
experiencing  all  the  perils  and  hardships 
that  fell  to  his  command.  He  was  honor- 
abh  discharged  in  September.  1864,  and  at 
once  returned  to  his  home  in  Putnam  coun- 
ty. Ohio,  where  be  remained  until  1869  and 


then  removed  to  Whitley  count}',  settling- 
near  Larwill,  Richland  township,  where  he 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  In  1903. 
he  purchased  land  in  Cleveland  township, 
where  be  has  since  lived  and  prospered,  own- 
ing at  this  time  a  well  improved  farm  of  one 
hundred  acres,  the  greater  part  in  cultiva- 
tion and  lying  a  short  distance  from  South 
Whitley,  in  proximity  to  as  good  markets  as 
northern  Indiana  affords.  Mr.  Eastom 
deals  considerably  in  real  estate,  especially 
farm  property,  which  he  buys  and  sells  quite 
extensively,  realizing  no  small  sum  in  this 
line  of  business.  He  was  formerly  a  Demo- 
crat, but  eventually  became  a  Republican  as 
the  result  of  issues  growing-  out  of  the  war. 
He  has  held  various  local  offices,  including 
that  of  supervisor  and  school  director,  and 
is  at  present  a  township  councilman,  elected 
for  a  term  of  four  years. 

In  May.  1865.  Mr.  Eastom  married  Miss 
Sarah  J.,  daughter  of  David  and  Rebecca 
(Haeger)  Wallace,  natives  of  Wood  county. 
Ohio,  and  both  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Eastom  have  had  eight  children :  Jennie  M. 
and  Cora,  deceased;  Martha  E...  Gertrude. 
Charles,  Edward,  Clarence  and  Elsie.  The 
parents  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  of  which  Mr.  Eastom  was  for 
mam'  years  a  minister,  but  is  now  retired. 
He  is  a  comrade  of  the  South  Whitley  Post, 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 


OZTAS  METZ. 


Among  the  leading  men  of  Cleveland 
township  whose  influence  was  always  for 
the  right  and  who  by  a  life  of  usefulness  in- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


765 


duced  many  to  seek  the  better  way,  was  the 
late  Ozias  Metz.  He  was  born  in  Stark 
county,  Ohio,  December  29,  183.3,  the  son 
of  Jacob  and  Catherine  (Giselman)  Metz, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania,  the  father  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  but  for  many  years  working 
as  a  carpenter.  Jacob  and  Catherine  Metz 
lived  in  Ohio  until  1853,  when  they  came 
to  Whitley  county,  settling  on  a  farm  in 
Washington  township,  where  the  former 
died  in  1881  and  the  latter  June  24,  1899. 
They  had  eleven  children :  Eliza,  Sarah, 
Catherine,  Margaret,  Aaron,  Lewis,  Ozias, 
Caroline,  Moses,  Manassah  and  Rachel,  the 
majority  of  whom  grew  to  maturity  and 
reared  families. 

Ozias  Metz  was  reared  to  manhood  in 
his  native  state,  spent  his  early  years  on  the 
family  homestead  in  Stark  county  and  by 
attendance  at  school  and  home  reading  be- 
came an  unusually  well  informed  man.  He 
accompanied  the  family  on  their  removal  to 
Whitley  county  and  from  that  time  devoted 
his  energies  to  the  pursuits  of  agriculture, 
eventually  being  able  to  purchase  a  farm  of 
his  own  in  Cleveland  township,  which,  under 
his  judicious  management,  was  highly  im- 
proved and  has  become  one  of  the  beautiful 
homes  of  the  county,  containing  at  present 
two  hundred  and  forty-six  acres.  Admir- 
ably situated  about  one  mile  southeast  of 
South  Whitley,  in  the  midst  of  one  of  the 
most  fertile  and  productive  agricultural  dis- 
tricts of  northeastern  Indiana,  the  improve- 
ments consisting  of  a  fine  brick  residence 
of  modern  design,  a  large,  well  constructed 
bank  barn,  good  outbuildings  of  all  kinds, 
the  fields  enclosed  with  high-grade  wire 
fences,  the  Metz  home  attracts  the  attention 
of  every  passer  and  impresses  the  beholder 


as  a  model  rural  estate.  Mr.  Metz  was  a 
man  of  enterprise,  systematic  in  all  of  his 
undertakings,  prudent  in  the  conduct  of  his  . 
business  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was 
one  of  the  financially  substantial  men  of 
Whitley  county.  Possessing  unimpeachable 
integrity,  his  reputation  was  unsullied  by  the 
commission  of  a  single  unworthy  act,  while 
his  character  as  an  upright  man  won  him  the 
esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact 
and  gained  him  a  name  that  was  long 
synonymous  with  integrity  and  fair  deal- 
ing. In  early  life  Mr.  Metz  united  with 
the  German  Baptist  church  and  from  that 
time  until  his  death  his  daily  walk  and  con- 
versation where  consistent  with  his  profes- 
sion as  a  sincere  follower  of  Christ.  A 
number  of  years  ago  he  became  a  minister 
and  wielded  a  salutary  influence,  not  only 
among  the  members  of  his  own  religious 
sect  but  among  the  people  wherever  he  pub- 
licly proclaimed  the  gospel.  Mr.  Metz  was 
a  Republican  but  took  no  active  part  in  po- 
litical campaigns.  After  a  long  and  useful 
life,  he  passed  away  April  26,  1901.  his 
death  being  widely  and  deeply  lamented  as 
the  loss  of  a  kind  and  accommodating  neigh- 
bor, a  sincere  and  devoted  friend  and  a 
worthy  citizen  in  the  best  sense  of  that  term. 
Mr.  Metz  first  married  Christina  Shive- 
ly,  a  native  of  Wells  county,  Indiana,  who 
died  in  1863.  His  second  matrimonial  al- 
liance was  with  Nancy  Wagoner,  of  Hunt- 
ington county,  by  whom  he  had  four  chil- 
dren :  Maggie,  Cora,  Irvin  and  Stella.  After 
the  mother's  death  some  years  later,  Mr. 
Metz  was  married  in  1881  to  Miss  Fanny, 
daughter  of  Lewis  and  Man'  (Shoemaker) 
Rhumsyre,  by  whom  he  had  two  children : 
Omer  R.,  bookkeeper  for  a  large  business 


766 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


house  in  Philadelphia;  and  Arthur  R.,  who 
is  studying  chemistry  in  the  Indiana  State 
,  University  but  manages  the  farm  for  his 
mother.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Metz  had  six 
children:  Katie.  Mary,  David,  Fanny. 
Lewis  and  Adam. 


TOHN  KREIDER. 


Early  in  the  ninteenth  century  David 
and  Barbara  Kreider  migrated  from  Penn- 
sylvania to  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  where 
the  former  ended  his  days  after  a  residence 
of  some  years.  His  son  Jacob,  who  was 
born  in  Mifflin  county,  Pennsylvania,  Au- 
gust 25,  1809,  located  in  Darke  county, 
Ohio,  in  1833  and  after  a  residence  there  of 
twenty-two  years  removed  to  Whitley  coun- 
ty, Indiana.  He  bought  land  in  Cleveland 
township,  which  in  due  time  was  cleared  and 
developed  into  a  good  farm,  and  continued 
to  live  on  the  same  until  1865,  when  he  went 
to  Huntington  county,  where  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  days,  dying  in  1895,  while 
on  a  visit  to  his  daughter.  He  was  a  true 
type  of  the  rugged  pioneer,  took  a  prominent 
part  in  local  affairs  and  is  remembered  as  a 
man  of  high  moral  character,  having  long 
been  a  zealous  member  of  the  German  Bap- 
tist church.  He  married  Elizabeth  Brenner, 
a  native  of  Ohio,  who  died  in  1856,  the  year 
following  the  settlement  in  Whitley  county. 
They  had  nine  children  :  Barbara  G.,  George. 
Sarah  A.,  Joseph,  Eliza,  David,  Paul,  John 
and  Elizabeth,  all  but  Paul  surviving  and 
well  settled  in  life. 

John  Kreider  was  born  in  Darke  county, 
Ohio,  Mav  29,  1845,  an^  hence  was  about 
nine    years   old    when    his    parents    came    to 


Whitley  county.  Since  then  his  life  and 
work  have  been  intimately  connected  with 
the  material  development  of  the  community 
in  which  he  has  resided  continuously  for  over 
fifty-one  years.  His  schooling  was  that  of 
the  pioneer  boy  and  while  still  a  youth  he 
was  able  to  keep  pace  with  full  grown  men 
in  the  work  of  clearing  and  cultivating  the 
soil.  He  attended  school  in  a  little  log  build- 
ing near  the  parental  home  and  by  diligent 
application  obtained  a  fair  education.  Sev- 
eral years  before  attaining  his  majority,  he 
began  working  for  himself  as  a  hired  hand 
at  monthly  wages  and  by  carefully  husband- 
ing his  earnings  soon  had  a  neat  sum  for 
future  emergencies.  For  some  time  he  lived 
with  Abrafn  Gable,  one  of  the  county's  pio- 
neers, and  worked  for  him  and  others  until 
the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war,  when  he 
enlisted  in  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and 
fifty-second  Regiment  Indiana  Infantry 
with  which  he  served  in  the  Armv  of  the 
Potomac  until  honorably  discharged  in  Sep- 
tember, 1865.  He  participated  in  the  battles 
of  Harper's  Fern-.  Charlestown.  Winches- 
ter and  others,  in  all  of  which  his  conduct 
was  that  of  a  brave  and  fearless  soldier  who 
shirked  no  duty,  however  arduous  or  dan- 
gerous. At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of 
service,  Mr.  Kreider  returned  home  and  re- 
sumed his  farm  labors,  which  have  placed 
him  in  easy  circumstances. 

March  17,  1867.  he  married  Miss  Hul- 
dah,  daughter  of  Frederick  and  Catherine 
(Wysong)  Wantz,  natives  respectively  of 
Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  Brad- 
dock  county,  Virginia.  Frederick-  Wantz 
was  born  September  to,.  1806,  came  to  Whit- 
ley county  in  1844  and  entered  land  in  Cleve- 
land township,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


767 


first  settlers.    The  place  on  which  he  located 
and  improved  and  on  which  he  and  his  wife 
spent  the  remainder  of  their  days,  is  now  in 
■possession  of  Mr.    Kreider,   who  holds  the 
■original  patent  from  the  government  bearing 
the  signature  of  President  Van  Buren.     Mr. 
Wantz  died  in   1880  and  his  wife  in   1884, 
the  latter  being  born  on  June  16,  1803.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Kreider  have  had  eight  children : 
Sarah  E. ;  Fred,  who  married  Amadda  Lay- 
ton  and  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Cleveland 
township;   Joseph    J.,    who    married     Alma 
Huffman  and  resides  in  Washington  town- 
ship ;  Minnie,  wife  of  Clyde  Martz,  who  op- 
•erates  a  part  of  the  family  homestead ;  John 
L..  who  married  Effie  Jenkins  and  is  also 
interested    in    the   cultivation   of    the    home 
place;  Eliza  C.  Izah  and  Loyd,  still  under 
the  parental  roof.     Mr.   Kreider  owns  two 
hundred   and    forty    acres   of   fine   land,    of 
which  one  hundred  and  twenty  are  in  culti- 
vation, forty  consisting  of  timber  in  its  orig- 
inal state,  not  a  tree  of  any  size  having  been 
ait.     Mr.   Kreider  devotes  his  attention  to 
general  farming  and  stock  raising,  in  which 
his  success  has  been  gratifying.     He  has  a 
commodious  and  comfortable  residence,  sup- 
plied  with  many  modern  conveniences,  and 
the  barn,  fences  and  general  appearance  of 
the  place  indicate  the  presence  of  a  practical 
and    painstaking    farmer.      He    co-operates 
with   the   Democratic  party,   but  has   never 
sought  nor  desired   office,   contenting  him- 
self with  being  an  active  worker  in  the  ranks. 
He  holds  membership  in  Lodge  No.  131,  In- 
dependent    Order    of    Odd     Fellows,     and 
Springfield  Post,  No.   195,  Grand  Army  of 
the   Republic,   at   South   Whitley,   and   with 
his    wife   belongs   to   the   United    Brethren 
church. 


FRED  HARSHBARGER. 

As  a  successful  farmer  and  stock  raiser, 
of    Cleveland    township    and    an    honorable 
representative  of  one  of  the  county's  oldest 
families,  the  gentleman  whose  name  appears 
above  is  entitled  to  mention  in  any  history 
of  Whitley  county.     Fred  Harshbarger  was 
born  in  Whitley  county,  December  15,  1873, 
being  the  second  child  and  the  only  son  of 
Isaac  M.   and  Amanda   (Pence)   Harshbar- 
ber,  appropriate  mention  of  whom  will  also 
be  found  in  this  work.     Reared  on  the  pa- 
ternal homestead,  he  became  at  maturity  his 
father's    assistant    and    thus    acquired    the 
knowledge  of  practical  farming  that  laid  the 
foundations    of    his    future    success.      The 
neighborhood    schools    afforded    him    good 
opportunities   for  education   and,   combined 
with  his  subsequent  reading,  have  made  him 
unusually  well  informed  on  those  questions 
of  most  interest  to  men  in  his  line  of  busi- 
ness.     When  old  enough  to  begin  life  for 
himself  Mr.  Harshbarger  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  to   this   he  has   since   devoted   his 
thought  and  energy,  with  the  result  that  he 
is  now  in  comfortable  circumstances,  own- 
ing- a  small  but  well  improved  farm  adjoin- 
ing the  corporate  limits  of  South  Whitley. 
Mr.  Harshbarger  has  achieved  reputation  as 
a  breeder  and  raiser  of  stock,  which  he  car- 
ries on  in  connection  with  his  general  farm- 
ing   interests,    and    from    this    source    de- 
rives    no  inconsiderable     portion     of     his 
income.        He    makes    a    specialty    of    im- 
proved   shorthorn    cattle,    which    are   valua- 
ble as  revenue  producers,  and  his  other  do- 
mestic animals  are  of  good  grades  in  their 
respective  breeds.     He   is  a   Republican   in 
politics,  but  not  an  aspirant  for  office,  pre- 


7<  ,8 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


ferring  the  quiet  life  he  leads  to  any  posi- 
tion within  the  gift  of  his  fellow  citizens. 

In  1898  Mr.  Harshbarger  married  Miss 
Edith,  daughter  of  J.  P.  and  Amanda  D. 
(Reefer)  Anderson,  the  father  a  native  of 
Wabash  county,  Indiana,  and  representative 
of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  state.  For  a  number  of  years 
he  was  in  the  railway  sendee  as  ticket  agent 
at  Liberty  Mills,  in  connection  with  which 
he  conducted  a  flourishing  business  buying" 
and  shipping  grain  at  the  same  point.  At 
one  time  he  held  a  position  in  the  postal 
sendee  in  Ransas  City,  Missouri.  He  also 
taught  school  at  different  places  and  for  sev- 
eral years  was  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
trade  in  Columbia  City,  besides  being  va- 
riously employed  elsewhere  throughout  the 
country.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harshbarger  have 
two  children,  Jean  and  Winifred.  The 
family  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  at  South  Whitley. 


WILLIAM  S.  NICREY. 

Among  the  emigrants  from  Germany  to 
the  United  States  in  1769,  were  three  broth- 
ers named  Nickey,  one  of  whom  died 
on  the  ocean  and  another  became  a  sol- 
dier in  the  Revolution,  participating  in 
the  battle  of  Long  Island.  After  the  war 
he  settled  in  Virginia  and  reared  a  fam- 
ily, one  of  whom  was  Samuel.  He  en- 
listed  for  service  in  the  war  of  [812  and 
died  February  17,  1832.  He  married  Anna 
Balsley,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  by  whom 
he  had  eleven  children:  John,  Mary  Ann, 
Samuel,  David.  Christian,  Jacob.  Julia  Ann. 
Rose  Ann.  Catherine,  Rebecca  and  Henry. 


The  widow  Nickey  removed  soon  after  her 
husband's  death  with  her  children  to  Ross 
county,  Ohio,  where  she  remained  six  years 
and  in  1838  came  to  Whitley  county,  settling 
in  Smith  township,  with  which  her  descend- 
ants have  ever  since  been  closely  identified. 
This  devoted  mother  made  her  home  with 
her  son  David  until  her  death  in  1861.  Jacob 
Nickey,  her  sixth  child,  was  born  in  Augus- 
ta county,  Virginia,  in  1814.  In  1834  he 
married  Elizabeth  Briggs,  a  native  of  Ross 
county,  Ohio,  who  died  in  1844  after  be- 
coming the  mother  of  six  children :  Eliza- 
beth, the  eldest,  is  the  wife  of  Alexander 
Moore,  of  Union  township;  Rose,  wife  of 
George  Perry,  lives  in  Noble  county ;  Ru- 
hamah  married  J.  O.  Long,  of  Smith  town- 
ship, but  both  are  now  dead;  Sarah  is  the 
wife  of  William  Krider,  of  Smith  township; 
Clarissa,  wife  of  Lewis  Metsker,  also  in 
Smith  township.  Allen  S.  lives  in  Tipton 
county.  In  January,  1849,  Jacob  Nickey 
married  Catherine  (Crabill)  Frederick,  who 
was  born  in  Rockingham  county,  Virginia. 
October  29,  1821,  and  is  now  living  with 
W.  S.  in  the  enjoyment  of  excellent  health  at 
the  age  of  eighty-five.  Her  father.  William 
C.  Crabill,  removed  to  Whitley  county  and 
settled  on  a  farm  in  Smith  township.  Jacob 
Nickey  developed  a  farm  in  Smith  township 
which  he  operated  until  his  death  in  1892. 
and  built  on  it  the  first  frame  house  in  Whit- 
ley county.  He  was  a  practical  business  man 
and  was  chosen  trustee  of  Smith  township 
and  commissioner  of  the  county  several 
terms. 

By  the  second  marriage  there  were  four 
children:  William  S.,  Mary  N.  (deceased) 
wife  of  Nathaniel  Metsker;  Austin,  de- 
ceased; and  Jacob  W..  now  of  Buffalo,  New 
York. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


769 


William  S.  Nickey  was  born  on  the  pater- 
nal farm  November  3,  1849.  He  has  spent 
his  whole  life  in  the  same  locality  and  until 
recently  has  lived  on  the  old  homestead- 
three  miles  southwest  of  Churubusco.  He  is 
a  Democrat  and  has  long  been  an  important 
factor  in  the  public  life  of  his  county.  In 
1.888  he  was  elected  county  commissioner, 
was  re-elected  and  devoted  careful  attention 
to  the  affairs  of  the  public,  proving  himself 
a  most  conscientious  and  capable  official.  The 
old  home  farm,  consisting  of  two  hundred 
acres,  is  well  improved  with  first-class  build- 
ings and  its  cultivation  has  yielded  a  satis- 
factory income.  Stock  breeding,  growing 
and  feeding  has  been  a  leading  feature.  He 
has  ever  been  much  interested  in  church  and 
Sunday  school  work,  frequently  giving  over- 
sight to  religious  and  charitable  affairs  and 
for  seven  years  continuously  was  superin- 
tendent of  the  Sunday  school  at  Churubusco. 

October  17,  1878,  Air.  Nickey  married 
Jennie,  daughter  of  John  J.  and  Rachel 
(Daugherty)  Mossman,  natives  of  Ohio,  who 
passed  the  greater  part  of  their  lives  on  a 
farm  in  Wabash  county.  Mrs.  Nickey  was 
born  December  5,  1849,  and  died  February 
20,  1892.  She  was  the  mother  of  seven 
children :  Inez  R.,  Lan  H.,  Lee  F..  Rheua, 
Lena  Z.,  Ella  M.,  and  Orpha,  who  died  in 
infancy.  All  the  living  children  remain  at 
home.  Inez  being  a  teacher.  The  family  are 
members  of  the  United  Brethren  church,  at 
Churubusco,  and  are  among  the  most  high- 
ly  respected  citizens  of  the  county.  Mr. 
Nickey  has  recently  purchased  and  remod- 
eled a  neat  residence  on  Main  street,  Colum- 
bia City,  retiring  from  the  personal  demands 
of  the  farm. 


PERRY  M.  WILLIAMSON. 

Joshua  Williamson  left  Virginia  in  an 
early  day,  and  after  spending  several  years 
in  Ohio  moved  in  October.  1843,  to  Whit- 
ley county,  settling  on  what  is  locally  known 
as  the  Grimes  farm  in  Cleveland  township, 
where  his  death  occurred  in  1858,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-two.  By  his  two  marriages  he 
had  eleven  children,  five  of  whom  were  by 
his  union  with  Elizabeth  Thorp:  Malissa 
J.,  Perry  M.,  Beniah,  Joseph  L.  and  Henry 
H.,  all  living  except  the  oldest. 

Perry  M.  Williamson  was  born  in  Pre- 
ble county,  Ohio,  April  10,  1837,  and  hence 
was  about  six  years  of  age  when  brought  to 
Indiana  by  his  parents.  During  his  youth 
he  attended  such  schools  as  were  then  com- 
mon to  this  part  of  the  country  and  still 
retains  many  fond  recollections  of  the  primi- 
tive log  building,  with  its  rough  floor,  back- 
less benches  and  large-mouthed  fireplace,  in 
which  he  was  first  initiated  into  the  mys- 
teries of  learning.  By  far  the  greater  part 
of  his  time,  however,  was  devoted  to  the 
steady  routine  of  labor  on  the  home  place 
and  later  he  came  into  possession  of  land  of 
his  own,  which  by  dint  of  hard  work  he 
cleared  and  otherwise  improved,  making  of 
it  one  of  the  best  and  most  valuable  farms 
in  Cleveland  township.  Mr.  Williamson's 
place  now  consists  of  one  hundred  and  forty- 
four  acres,  the  greater  part  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation,  and  in  improvements, 
including  buildings,  fencing,  orchards  and 
drainage,  compares  favorably  with  any  other 
farm  of  the  township,  the  entire  premises 
giving  evidence  of  care  and  impressing  the 
beholder  as  the  home  of  a  substantial,  well- 


49 


7/0 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


to-do  agriculturist.  Like  the  majority  of 
the  progressive  farmers  of  his  locality,  he  de- 
votes considerable  attention  to  fine  live  stock, 
in  the  breeding  and  raising  of  which  he  en- 
joys more  than  mere  local  repute  and  from 
the  sale  of  which  he  realizes  every  year  a 
goodly  portion  of  the  income  which  has 
placed  him  in  comfortable  circumstances. 

In  1862  Mr.  Williamson  married  Rose 
Ann  Pence,  of  Whitley  county,  and  they 
have  four  children:  W.  W.  (see  sketch  in 
Columbia  City  biographies) ;  Amanda  W., 
wife  of  L.  L.  Lee;  Ada  B.  and  Ora  E.,  de- 
ceased. Mr.  Williamson  is  regarded  as  a 
leader  among  the  Republicans  of  his  town- 
ship, being  a  stanch  and  unswerving  sup- 
porter of  his  party  and  loyal  to  its  princi- 
ples. For  a  number  of  years  he  has  held 
membership  in  the  United  Brethren  church, 
with  the  teachings  of  which  his  daily  walk 
and  conversation  have  always  conformed, 
and  his  w.ife  belongs  to  the  same  Christian 
denomination. 


HENRY  H.  WILLIAMSON. 

Sixtv-three  years  have  dissolved  in  the 
mists  of  the  past  since  the  above  named  was 
brought  to  Whitley  county,  during  the  great- 
er part  of  which  period  he  has  been  an  hon- 
ored resident  of  Cleveland  township  and  very 
closeh'  identified  with  the  growth  and  de- 
velopment of  its  resources.  He  recalls  the 
time  when  the  country  was  a  wilderness, 
infested  with  wild  animals,  many  of  which 
fell  before  bis  rifle  and  he  has  not  only  been 
an  eve  witness  of  the  many  remarkable 
changes  that  have  taken  place  since  that  pe- 


riod but  has  contributed  his  share  toward 
making  them  possible.  Henry  H.  William- 
son was  borne  in  Darke  county,  Ohio, 
March  3,  1843,  the  son  of  Joshua  and  Eliza- 
beth (Thorp)  Williamson.  He  was  brought 
to  Whitley  county  in  his  childhood  and  be- 
ing reared  amid  its  stirring  scenes  of  pio- 
neer times  he  early  became  accustomed  to 
hard  work  and  on  the  farm  received  the 
training"  and  discipline  that  prepared  him  for 
the  duties  of  subsequent  life.  He  was  reared 
to  agriculture  and  has  always  followed  that 
calling,  owning  at  the  present  time  two  hun- 
dred and  eight  acres  of  valuable  land  in 
Cleveland  township,  which  he  has  converted 
into  a  fine  farm,  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres 
being  tillable,  the  rest  largely  timber  and 
pasturage.  All  of  the  improvements  on  this 
place  are  the  results  of  Mr.  Williamson's 
own  efforts  and  to  nobody  but  himself  is  he 
indebted  for  the  handsome  competency 
which  he  today  commands.  Mr.  William- 
son devotes  considerable  attention  to  the 
breeding  and  raising  of  fine  live  stock,  mak- 
ing specialties  of  Durham  cattle,  Chester 
White  and  Duroc-Jersey  swine.  He  also 
manufactures  every  spring  large  quantities 
of  maple  syrup,  his  sugar  orchard  being  one 
of  the  finest  and  most  productive  in  this  part 
of  the  county. 

In  1862  Mr.  Williamson  was  married  to 
Miss  Mellezene,  daughter  of  Fred,  and  Cath- 
erine (Wysong)  Wantz,  natives  of  Preble 
county,  Ohio,  and  early  settlers  of  Whitley 
county,  their  arrival  here  antedating  the  year 
T845.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wantz  had  eight  chil- 
dren:  Mary  A..  Elizabeth,  Sarah,  Catherine. 
Jackson,  Daniel.  Mellezene  and  Huldali.  the 
majority  of  whom  grew  to  maturity  and  act- 
ed well  their  parts  in  the  world.      Mr.   and 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


771 


Mrs.  Williamson  have  had  seven  children : 
Noah  F.,  deceased ;  John  B.,  a  farmer  of 
•Cleveland  township;  Weldon,  deceased;  Os- 
car, a  farmer  and  oil  operator  of  Wells 
county ;  Delmar,  a  farmer  of  Kosciusko  coun- 
ty; Gideon,  a  resident  of  Washington  town- 
ship ;  and  Rollie.  a  farmer  of  Cleveland 
township. 

Mr.  Williamson  stands  well  among  his 
neighbors  and  commands  the  confidence  of 
the  public.  He  is  intelligent  and  enterpris- 
ing and  with  faith  in  the  future  of  Whitley 
county  has  done  all  within  his  power  to  ad- 
vance its  development.  Fraternally  he  is 
connected  with  Lodge  No.  222,  Knights  of 
Pythias,  and  politically  gives  his  support  to 
the  Democratic  party.  He  is  a  firm  believer 
in  the  Bible  and  as  a  member  of  the  United 
Brethren  church  has  made  his  influence  a  po- 
tent factor  for  good  in  the  community.  Mrs. 
Williamson  belongs  to  the  same  church  and 
is  deeply  interested  in  its  various  charities 
and  benevolences. 


JOHN  ROSE  ANDERSON. 

We  have  here  the  oldest  living  settler  of 
Whitley  county,  the  patriarchal  pioneer  of 
Richland  township.  He  has  lived  on  the 
same  farm  over  sixty-eight  years,  has  paid 
taxes  regularly  from  the  organization  in 
1838  and  took  part  in  the  first  election  held 
in  the  county,  which  was  attended  by  only 
seven  voters.  This  venerable  man  was  bom 
in  Muskingum  county,  Ohio,  October  7, 
1 816,  his  parents  being  Samuel  Wellington 
and  Rebecca  (Rose)  Anderson.  The  for- 
mer was  born  in  Count v  Down,  Ireland,  in 


1774  and  his  wife  in  Essex  county,  New 
Jersey,  in  1776.  They  were  married  in  New 
Jersey,  removed  to  Ohio  early  in  the  nine- 
teenth century  and  farmed  there  until  their 
respective  deaths  in  1825  and  1830.  Their 
four  children  were  John  Rose,  Joseph  and 
Elizabeth,  deceased,  and  Samuel  W.,  a  res- 
ident of  Kansas.  John  Rose,  after  the  death 
of  his  parents,  made  a  meager  living  by 
working  out.  Having  been  reared  by  John 
Mossman,  he  bought  six  days  of  his  time 
for  three  dollars  and  thus  started  out  on  a 
conquest  of  the  world  before  reaching  ma- 
turity. It  was  September,  1837,  when  this 
homeless  boy  wandered  into  the  confines, 
of  Whitley  county  and  a  few  months  later 
found  him  proprietor  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  wild  land  bought  from  the 
government.  The  exact  date  of  his  settle- 
ment was  November  14,  1837,  and  from  that 
da)'  to  this  he  has  been  a  continuous  occu- 
pant of  this  land,  though  one  who  sees  it  now 
would  find  little  to  recall  the  rugged  condi- 
tions of  long  ago.  Mr.  Anderson  is  over 
ninety  years  old  and  at  the  meeting  of  the 
old  settlers'  association  in  1905  he  was  pre- 
sented with  a  gold-headed  cane  as  a  token 
of  regard  and  recognition  of  his  claim  to  be- 
ing the  oldest  living  settler  of  Whitley 
county.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
church,  a  Republican  in  politics  and  has  in 
years  past  served  as  township  trustee,  school 
director,  constable  and  supervisor.  He  has 
arranged  that  his  old  family  Bible  and  the 
gold-headed  cane  presented  him  shall  de- 
scend as  heirlooms  to  the  oldest  male  repre- 
sentative of  each  succeeding  generation.  Mr. 
Anderson  has  always  been  a  pronounced 
temperance  advocate  and  one  of  his  amuse- 
ments for  vears  has  been  the  collection  of 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


stamps,  of  which  he  has  quite  a  variety.  He 
accumulated  a  competency  during  his  many 
laborious  years  and  still  owns  one  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  good  land,  though  he  has 
given  most  of  his  holdings  to  his  children 
from  time  to  time. 

October  21,  1839,  Mr.  Anderson  married 
Lucinda,  daughter  of  David  and  Betsy 
(Burts)  Witt,  old  settlers  of  Muskingum 
county,  Ohio.  Lucinda  (Witt)  Anderson 
was  bom  in  the  above  mentioned  locality 
June  14,  1823,  and  died  in  1878  after  hav- 
ing become  the  mother  of  ten  children.  Jo- 
seph, the  eldest  of  these,  died  in  1905  from 
the  effects  of  wounds  received  in  the  war. 
He  married  Amanda  Keifer  and  had  four 
children,  Frank  E.,  Edith,  Ethel  and  Jo- 
seph. Wellington,  the  second  son  of  Mr. 
Anderson,  died  in  infancy.  Jonathan  W., 
now  deceased,  married  Marie  Hamintree 
and  left  four  children,  Clyde,  Charles,  Myr- 
tle and  Algie.  Milliard  F.,  the  fourth  son, 
who  is  an  oil-cloth  manufacturer,  married 
Jennie  Morrison  and  has  three  children, 
Frederick,  Georgia  and  Mabel.  William, 
the  fifth  son,  a  resident  of  Richland  town- 
ship, married  Rose  Hamintree  and  has  five 
children,  Merle,  Archie,  Keith,  Floyd  and 
Adolph,  besides  one  lost  in  infancy.  Eliza- 
beth Jane,  eldest  daughter  of  Mr.  Anderson 
with  whom  he  makes  his  home,  first  married 
David  Smith,  by  whom  she  had  four  chil- 
dren, John,  Leroy  Clifton,  Cora  and  Neal. 
The  father  dying  March  5,  1896,  the  widow 
married  William  Smith,  brother  of  her  first 
husband.  Frank,  the  sixth  son,  a  resident 
of  Richland  township,  married  Martha 
Noris  and  had  two  children,  Ralph  and 
Ruth,  both  now  dead.  The  eighth  and  ninth 
children  of  Mr.  Anderson  were  twins,  May 


and  Cassius,  who  died  in  childhood.  May 
Sofia,  the  youngest  child,  also  passed  away 
before  maturity.  Mr.  Anderson  has  four 
great-grandchildren,  two  of  them  being 
Georgia  and  Winifred,  grandchildren  of 
his  eldest  son,  Joseph.  Helen  Steel  is  a 
granddaughter  of  Jonathan  Anderson  and 
Beatrice  Smith  is  the  granddaughter  of  Eliz- 
abeth (Anderson)  Smith. 


WALLACE  W.  WILLIAMSON. 

The  founder  of  the  local  family  of  this 
name  was  a  Virginian,  who  moved  first  to 
Ohio,  and  then,  after  a  few  years'  residence, 
came  about  1842  to  Whitley  county,  locating 
in  Cleveland  township,  where  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life  as  an  industrious  and 
enterprising  tiller  of  the  soil.  He  purchased 
eig'hty  acres  of  wild  land,  on  which  he 
erected  a  log  cabin  of  the  conventional  type 
and  with  the  assistance  of  his  sons  cleared 
and  improved  a  good  farm,  where  he  lived 
and  prospered  until  his  death  in  i860,  his 
widow  departing  this  life  three  years  later. 

Perry  M.  Williamson,  one  of  his  sons, 
was  born  in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  helped  to 
clear  the  Whitley  county  farm  and  after  his 
father's  death  took  charge  of  the  homestead, 
which  he  has  since  cultivated  and  still  owns 
and  occupies.  He  was  married  in  1861  to 
Miss  Rose  Ann  Pence,  a  native  of  Cham- 
paign county,  Ohio,  who  bore  him  four 
children:  Wallace  W.,  Amanda,  wife  of 
L.  L.  Lee.  a  farmer  of  Cleveland  township 
residing  on  the  home  place ;  Ada  Bell  and 
Ella,  deceased. 

Wallace    W.    Williamson    was    born    in 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


773 


'Cleveland  township,  July  22,  1S63,  and  at- 
tended school  in  the  same  district  where  his 
father  had  received  his  early  instruction. 
After  completing  the  usual  branches  he  be- 
came a  student  of  the  Ohio  Normal  College 
at  Ada,  where  he  prosecuted  his  studies  for 
a  period  of  four  years  and  from  which  he 
was  graduated  with  a  creditable  record  in 
1889.  While  attending  college  he  devoted 
his  vacations  to  teaching  in  order  to  defray 
his  expenses,  and  after  finishing  the  course 
continued  educational  work  in  the  district, 
villageandtownschoolsof  his  native  county, 
spending  in  all  about  five  years  as  an  in- 
structor. In  1889,  Mr.  Williamson  pur- 
chased the  Weekly  Tribune  at  Rochester, 
Indiana,  and  for  one  year  thereafter  pub- 
lished the  same,  during  which  time  he  earned 
honorable  repute  as  an  able  editor  and  clear, 
concise,  forceful  writer.  January  1,  1891, 
"he  bought  the  Columbia  City  Times,  chang- 
ing the  name  to  The  Mail,  and  fourteen 
years  later  became  owner  of  the  Columbia 
City  Commercial,  which  he  merged  with 
the  former  paper  under  the  name  of  the 
Commercial  Mail,  since  issued  as  a  daily  and 
weekly  and  now  one  of  the  best  edited  and 
most  influential  papers  in  the  northeastern 
part  of  the  state.  With  the  exception  of  two 
years.  Mr.  Williamson  has  been  actively 
identified  with  journalism  in  Columbia  City 
since  1891  and  during  that  time  has  become 
widely  and  favorably  known  throughout 
Whitley  and  other  counties  as  one  of  the 
ablest  newspaper  men  in  northeastern  In- 
diana. The  Commercial  Mail  has  constantly 
grown  in  public  favor,  not  only  as  the  offi- 
cial organ  of  the  Republican  party  in  Whit- 
ley county,  but  as  a  clear,  dignified  and 
interesting  family  paper,   its  columns  con- 


taining all  the  latest  news  in  a  very  readable 
form,  besides  a  thorough  discussion  of  the 
leading  public  questions  and  political  issues 
of  the  day,  in  the  consideration  of  which 
the  editor  is  fearless  yet  courteous  and  writes 
so  as  to  be  understood  easily.  The  office 
is  well  equipped  for  all  kinds  of  first-class 
work  in  the  printing  line  and  under  the 
present  able  management  the  enterprise  has 
proven  successful  financially,  the  circulation 
of  both  daily  and  weekly  being  large,  while 
the  advertising  patronage  is  and  always  has 
been  quite  liberal.  Mr.  Williamson  is  one 
of  the  Republican  standard  bearers  in  Whit- 
ley county,  but  conducts  his  paper  in  such  a 
way  as  to  win  the  esteem  of  his  political  op- 
ponents. He  has  rendered  valuable  service 
to  his  party,  in  recognition  of  which  he  was 
appointed,  December  1,  1897,  as  postmaster 
of  Columbia  City,  the  duties  of  which  posi- 
tion he  discharged  with  credit  to  himself  and 
to  the  satisfaction  of  the  public  for  a  period 
of  eight  years,  retiring  from  the  office  with 
the  good  will  of  his  fellow  citizens  in  1905. 
June  2,  1900.  Mr.  Williamson  was  mar- 
ried in  Springfield,  Illinois,  to  Miss  Laura 
D.  Kinsley,  a  native  of  Columbia  City,  an 
alumnus  of  the  high  school  and  a  young  lady 
of  varied  culture,  who  has  long  been  a  popu- 
lar favorite  in  the  social  circles  in  which  she 
moves.  She  belongs  to  one  of  the  old  and 
prominent  families  of  this  part  of  Indiana, 
her  grandfather.  Hon.  Richard  Kinsley,  hav- 
ing been  one  of  the  first  probate  judges  of 
Whitley  county,  while  her  father.  William 
H.  Kinsley,  served  four  years  in  the  revenue 
department  of  the  government  under  Presi- 
dent Harrison  and  until  two  years  ago  was 
associated  in  the  lumber  business  at  Denver, 
Rochester   and   Chili   with   S.    f.    Peabodv. 


774 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


Mr.  Williamson  is  identified  with  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity  and  stands  high  among  the 
brethren  of  the  mystic  tie.  In  additional  to 
his  editorial  experience  in  Indiana  he  spent 
about  two  years  in  newspaper  work  at  Mem- 
phis. Tennessee,  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and 
Denver,  Colorado,  during  which  time  he 
came  in  close  touch  with  the  leading  papers 
of  those  cities  and  made  many  warm  friends 
among  his  associates.  Mr.  Williamson  is 
an  active  and  uncompromising  Republican, 
firmly  believing  the  principles  and  policies 
advocated  in  the  platforms  of  the  party  to 
be  conducive  to  the  best  interests  of  the 
government  and  the  welfare  of  the  people. 
He  is  public  spirited  and  progressive,  deeply 
interested  in  the  prosperity  of  his  city  and 
county  and  in  all  that  contributes  to  their 
educational,  moral  and  material  advance- 
ment. His  business  enterprises  have  been 
crowned  with  a  large  measure  of  success  and 
he  occupies  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  esteem 
and  regard  of  a  large  circle  of  friends  and 
of  the  public  in  general. 


WALLING  MILLER. 

We  have  here  a  sample  of  the  genuine 
pioneer,  one  that  recalls  the  trying  but  inter- 
esting times  of  the  long  ago.  If  you  are 
visiting  this  hospitable  home.  Mrs.  Miller 
will  show  you  an  old-fashioned  spinning- 
wheel,  which  she  has  preserved  from  her 
girlhood  and  cherishes  as  a  souvenir  of  the 
days  that  tried  men's  souls,  as  well  as  their 
pocket-books.  Mr.  Miller  will  show  you 
some  small  coins  brought  from  the  east, 
which    he   has    preserved    as    talismans    for 


over  half  a  century,  resisting  every  tempta- 
tion to  let  them  go  when  hard-up  because,  as 
he  says,  he  did  not  want  it  said  that  he 
was  ever  entirely  out  of  money.  The  les- 
son taught  by  this  worthy  couple  is  valuable, 
as  it  shows  how  much  may  be  done  in  this 
world  of  struggle  and  hardship  provided  we 
never  lose  hope,  live  moral  lives  and  are  not 
afraid  of  work.  The  emigrant  ancestor  of 
this  family  on  the  paternal  side  was  Benja- 
min Miller,  who  came  from  Holland  during 
the  later  years  of  the  eighteenth  century  and 
located  in  New  Jersey.  His  son  Samuel, 
who  was  born  in  the  last  mentioned  state, 
migrated  to  Stark  county,  Ohio,  as  early  as 
1812,  bought  government  land  and  lived  by 
farming  during  the  remainder  of  his  career. 
He  married  Polly  Bauman,  a  native  of 
Berks  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  her  fa- 
ther Jacob  was  one  of  the  early  settlers. 
There  were  three  children  of  this  union, 
Mary  Ann,  Hannah  and  Walling,  the  latter 
being  the  only  survivor. 

Walling  Miller  was  born  in  Stark  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  February  8.  1828,  but  when  eleven 
months  old  was  deprived  of  what  means 
much  to  a  child  by  the  death  of  his  mother. 
His  father  married  again  and  he  remained  at 
home  until  fifteen  years  old,  when  he  en- 
tered the  household  of  an  uncle  and  spent 
six  years  under  his  roof.  Meantime  he  had 
learned  the  wagon-maker's  trade,  but  not 
liking  the  business  did  not  follow  it  in  after 
life.  In  1851.  with  all  the  strength  and  hope 
of  young  manhood,  he  decided  to  cast  his 
fortunes  with  the  growing  state  of  Indiana 
and,  after  making  the  trip  by  canal  boat,  ar- 
rived in  the  wild  woods  which  constituted 
the  principal  scenery  of  the  section.  For 
one  hundred  and  twenty  dollars  he  was  able 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


775 


to  buy  forty  acres  of  unimproved  land,  but 
after  working  this  for  three  years  he  sold 
his  little  place  and  removed  to  Iowa.  He 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
prairie  land,  in  the  cultivation  of  which  he 
spent  the  next  four  years,  but  becoming  dis- 
satisfied he  disposed  of  his  holdings  and  af- 
ter a  short  interval  returned  to  Indiana.  Mr. 
Miller  likes  to  tell  that  when  lie  reached 
Huntington  on  his  return  trip  he  had  only 
one  hundred  and  eighteen  dollars  and  all  but 
eighteen  of  this  was  used  as  first  payment 
on  the  first  forty  acres  of  land  bought  in 
Washington  township.  Whitley  county. 
This  was  in  1862  and  at  that  time  there  were 
only  two  log  houses  in  the  township.  After 
working  many  weary  days  to  improve  his 
wild  land  Mr.  Miller  sold  it  in  1884  and 
bought  the  eighty  acres  on  which  he  has 
since  resided.  At  present  he  owns  two  hun- 
dred acres  in  different  pieces,  a  very  credit- 
able showing  when  we  think  of  the  eighteen 
dollars  which  was  all  he  had  to  begin  build- 
ing and  housekeeping  with,  some  forty-four 
years  ago. 

In  185 1  Mr.  Miller  married  Harriet 
Guest,  a  native  of  Carroll  county,  Ohio,  but 
reared  near  Canton  in  that  state.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  Jesse  and  Marg'aret  (Rich- 
ard) Guest,  the  former  born  in  Xew  Jersey 
in  1808  and  the  latter  in  Pennsvlvania  in 
18 10.  Mrs.  Miller's  father  died  when  she 
was  nine  venrs  old.  Her  parents  had  six 
children  :  Charlotte,  Harriet,  Emaline.  Car- 
oline. Angeline  and  Elizabeth  C.  All  of 
these  have  long  since  passed  away,  except 
Angeline  and  Mrs.  Miller.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Miller  have  had  twelve  children:  Trabulia 
Margaret  died  when  three  months  old  and 
her  grave  was  the  first  in  the  Baptist  ceme- 


tery, then  a  mere  woods;  Uiantha,  deceased; 
Bervilas,  of  Washington  township ;  Sa- 
mantha,  deceased :  Arvilas,  a  resident  of 
Missouri ;  Dema,  wife  of  Philip  Churchell, 
of  South  Whitley ;  Albert,  a  resident  of 
Thorncreek  township;  Wilbert  Wallen,  of 
Columbia  City;  Ida,  wife  of  Lewis  Trum- 
bull, of  Troy  township;  Ada,  deceased;  Em- 
met Alfred,  of  Thorncreek  township ;  David 
Milton,  deceased.  Mrs.  Miller  is  a  member 
of  the  Dunkard  church ;  her  husband, 
though  not  a  church  member,  is  a  man  of 
,  high  morals  and  exemplary  conduct,  having 
never  used  tobacco  or  liquor  or  given  away 
to  anv  of  the  ordinary  vices  of  men. 


CHESTER  LOTSPIECH  CONE. 

The  family  of  this  name  traces  its  ge- 
nealogy to  the  time  when  John  Winthrop 
was  governor  of  Connecticut  colony. 
Daniel  Cone,  the  original  ancestor,  obtained 
with  others  an  allotment  of  land  by  treaty 
with  the  Indians,  lying  near  Haddam,  in 
Hartford  county.  His  descendants  lived 
there  for  four  generations  but  in  1770  an 
emigration  was  made  to  Middlesex  county, 
where  the  second  Daniel  of  the  family  lived 
until  1808.  He  was  born  at  Haddam, 
March  28,  1768,  and  had  numerous  chil- 
dren, most  of  whom  were  born  in  Middle- 
town  Connecticut.  In  1808,  the  family  moved 
to  Lewis  county.  New  York,  then  to  Sus- 
quehanna county.  Pennsylvania,  in  1813,  and 
finally  to  Union  county.  Ohio,  in  181 7. 
Daniel  Cone  lived  here  until  1838.  when  he 
removed  to  Whitlev  county  where  he  died 
December     11,     1847.       His     wife,    whose 


776 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


maiden  name  was  Ruth  Rich,  also  died  in 
this  county.  May  26,  1848.  Edwin  Cone, 
one  of  their  sons,  was  born  at  Middletown, 
Middlesex  county,  Connecticut,  April  30, 
1805,  and  came  to  Whitley  county  about 
the  time  of  the  completion  of  his  twenty-first 
year.  He  settled  in  Richland  township  and 
taught  several  terms  of  school  in  this  and 
Kosciusko  county.  He  was  also  a  licensed 
minister  of  the  Methodist  church  and  offi- 
ciated in  this  capacity  at  most  of  the 
weddings  and  funerals  of  the  neigh- 
borhood. He  was  present  at  the  organi- 
zation meeting  of  the  township.  Octo- 
ber 15,  1837,  and  gave  it  the  name  of 
Richland.  He  was  elected  first  justice  of  the 
peace  at  a  special  election  a  few  days  later 
and  about  seven  years  afterward  served  an- 
other term  in  this  office.  He  was  one  of  the 
school  examiners  when  the  board  consisted 
of  three  members  and  was  once  a  candidate 
for  county  commissioner  but  was  defeated. 
He  was  a  Henry  Clay  Whig  of  pronounced 
type,  opposed  to  slavery  and  foreign  immi- 
gration and  otherwise  national  in  his  views. 
He  died  February  12.  1854.  and  now  rests 
in  the  Lakeview  cemetery  at  Larwill.  May 
14.  1832,  he  was  married  at  Sharonville, 
Ohio,  to  Salima  Wilson,  who  was  born  at 
the  town  which  witnessed  her  nuptials  No- 
vember 7.  t8o8.  She,  too,  rests  in  the  Lake- 
view  cemetery  at  Larwill,  having  died  April 
21,  [870.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia but  migrated  to  Kentucky  and  thence 
to  Ohio  ab' ml  the  beginning  of  the  last  cen- 
tury. Her  father.  Thomas  Wilson,  was  a 
Methodist  preacher  and  a  hunter  and  ad- 
venturer, niie  of  his  achievements  being  the 
shunting  of  a  panther.  Once  he  made  a 
trip  tn  New  Orleans  on  a  flatboat  ladened 


with  corn  and  after  selling  his  produce 
walked  all  the  way  back.  He  had  a  son 
named  Daniel,  who  inherited  his  venture- 
some spirit  and  wandered  through  the  west 
to  Oregon  as  far  back  as  1846.  He  became 
an  Indian  fighter  and  later  one  of  the  gold- 
seekers  in  California,  where  he  spent  the 
year  1849  with  considerable  financial  suc- 
cess and  eventually  died  at  Portland,  Ore- 
gon. Nearly  all  the  male  descendants  of 
Thomas  Wilson  served  as  soldiers  of  the 
Union  army  during  the  Civil  war.  Edwin 
and  Salima  ( Wilson )  Cone  had  seven  chil- 
dren, two  of  whom  died  in  infancy  but  the 
others  reached  maturity.  Margaret,  the 
eldest  of  these,  was  born  July  1,  1834.  and 
married  Orin  C.  Adams ;  Orella.  the  first 
white  child  native  of  Richland  township,  was 
born  January  30.  1837,  and  became  the  wife 
of  Frank  Inlow.  All  these  are  now  dead, 
having  passed  away  a  number  of  years  ago. 
Appleton  W..  the  oldest  son.  was  born 
March  14,  1839,  enlisted  in  the  army  several 
times  during  the  Civil  war,  but  married  later 
and  is  now  a  resident  of  Dayton,  Ohio. 
Gilbert  J.  was  born  March  24,  1849,  and  is 
now  a  resident  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri. 

Chester  Lotspiech  Cone,  second  young- 
est of  the  family,  was  born  in  Richland 
township,  Whitley  county,  Indiana.  August 
12.  1846.  His  boyhood  was  spent  on  the 
farm,  assisting  during  the  summer  and  at- 
tending school  a  few  months  each  winter. 
He  was  of  a  mathematical  turn  of  mind  and 
while  despising  grammar,  showed  a  natural 
taste  for  arithmetic  which  he  "went 
through,"  as  it  was  called,  when  thirteen 
years  old.  In  1862,  he  became  an  apprentice 
i"  the  stonemason's  trade,  working  for  three 
dollars  a   month   and   board.      His  first   job 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


777 


was  building  a  wall  for  the  "Tadpole  school- 
house"  in  1864,  Judge  Adair  working  as 
a  carpenter  at  the  same  time.  For  many 
years  he  worked  in  this  Jine,  off  and  on 
building  hundreds  of  flues.  He  was  the  con- 
tractor in  the  building  of  the  Boonville 
schoolhouse,  a  brick  structure  put  up  in 
1882.  After  reaching  his  majority,  Mr. 
Cone  attended  the  Spring-field  academy  at 
South  Whitley  for  two  terms  and  in  De- 
cember, 1868,  began  teaching  school.  Dur- 
ing the  next  nine  years  he' taught  winter 
terms  of  from  two  to  four  months  each,  and 
did  masonry  work  during  the  summers.  He 
was  a  regular  attendant  at  the  institutes. 
paid  close  attention  to  his  work  and  always 
stood  well  in  the  profession. 

February  12,  1874,  Air.  Cone  married 
Miranda  Bayman,  who  was  born  January 
19,  1849,  in  Wells  county,  Indiana.  Her 
parents,  James  and  Hannah  (Hole)  Bay- 
man,  came  to  Whitley  county  in  1853  and 
settled  in  section  18.  of  Richland  township'. 
The  father  died  there  in  January.  1897,  and 
his  wife  in  January,  1889.  After  marrying 
Mr.  Cone  bought  a  small  piece  of  land  in 
section  19,  where  he  lived  until  1886,  after 
which  he  rented  additional  land  and  farmed 
on  a  large  scale.  At  present  he  lives  on  forty 
acres  of  land  in  section  18  which  he  has 
owned  since  1898.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cone  have 
had  six  children :  Alice  Maud,  born  No- 
vember 26.  1874;  Dora  A.,  born  October  6, 
1876;  Lily  F.,  born  August  24,  1878,  died 
"November  13,  1878;  Fanny  F.,  born  Feb- 
ruary 24,  1880;  Fred  L.,  born  May  30, 
1882,  and  Grace  L.,  born  March  23,  1885. 
All  remain  at  home,  but  each  bas  a  trade 
or  profession  and  is  self-supporting.  Mr. 
'Cone  is  a  Republican  and  was  elected  justice 


of  the  peace  in  1876,  serving  four  years. 
The  family  are  members  of  the  Christian 
church  and  most  of  them  in  the  choir.  Mr. 
Cone  having  held  all  the  church  offices  and 
now  being  clerk.  He  is  a  man  of  unusual 
intelligence  and  possesses  much  curious  in- 
formation that  makes  him  an  instructive 
companion. 


BENJAMIN  H.  DOMER. 

The  Domer  family  came  to  this  state 
from  Ohio  many  years  ago  and  settled  in 
Noble  county,  where  George  and  Lydia 
(Hoover)  Domer  spent  the  remainder  of 
their  lives  as  honest  and  enterprising  tillers 
of  the  soil.  The  father  was  born  in  Tus- 
carawas county,  Ohio,  in  1809,  the  mother 
being  a  native  of  Stark  county,  and  their 
influence  for  good  is  still  felt  in  the  com- 
munity which  they  helped  to  establish. 
Georgia  and  Lydia  Domer  reared  a  family 
of  seven  children,  Man-,  Julia,  Malissa. 
John,  William.  Benjamin  H.  and  Simon  P., 
the  majority  of  whom  grew  to  mature  years 
and  became  respected  members  of  society  in 
their  different  places  of  residence. 

Benjamin  H.  Domer  was  born  March 
18,  1858,  in  Noble  county,  Indiana,  and 
spent  his  childhood  and  youth  on  his  fa- 
ther's farm,  his  early  life  being  marked  by 
no  event  of  especial  note.  He  attended  dis- 
trict school  during  his  minority,  later  re- 
ceived a  normal  training  and  for  several 
years  taught  in  the  public  schools,  earning 
the  reputation  of  a  successful  and  painstak- 
ing instructor.  Mr.  Domer  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Whitley  county  in  1878.  since  which 


77* 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


time  he  lias  been  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits in  Cleveland  township,  owning  a  val- 
uable farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres, 
of  which  one  hundred  and  ten  are  under  cul- 
tivation and  otherwise  improved.  In  con- 
nection with  general  agriculture  he  raises 
considerable  live  stock  and  is  also  exten- 
sively interested  in  the  manufacture  of  ma- 
ple syrup,  having  a  fine  sugar  orchard  con- 
taining- five  hundred  well  developed  trees, 
which  add  very  materially  to  his  yearly 
earnings.  Mr.  Domer  owns  a  beautiful  and 
comfortable  home,  has  accumulated  a  liberal 
share  of  this  world's  goods  and  his  qualities 
as  an  obliging  neighbor  and  enterprising  cit- 
izen have  won  for  him  a  conspicuous  place 
in  public  esteem.  His  relations  with  his  fel- 
lowmen  have  always  been  characterized  by 
a  high  sense  of  honor  in  every  walk  of  life. 
The  rectitude  of  his  intentions  have  been 
above  criticism  and  to  the  extent  of  his  abil- 
ity he  has  encouraged  and  assisted  all  meas- 
ures and  movements  having  for  their  object 
the  material  development  of  the  community 
and  the  moral  welfare  of  the  people. 

In  1880  Mr.  Domer  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Alice,  daughter  of  Chris- 
tian and  Catherine  (Abbott)  Myers,  the  fa- 
ther being  among  the  first  settlers  of  Whit- 
ley county,  locating  in  Cleveland  township 
as  early  as  1834.  when  the  country  was  an 
unbroken  wilderness.  He  was  a  well-to-do 
farmer,  a  respected  citizen  and  with  his  good 
wife  wielded  a  wholesome  moral  influence 
ami  mg  their  friends  and  neighbors.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Domer  have  two  children:  Merle  S., 
bookkeeper  and  stockholder  in  the  Farmers' 
State  Bank  of  South  Whitley;  and  George, 
assisting  in  the  management  of  the  farm. 
Mr.  Domer  is  a  Republican,  a  member  of  the 


Odd  Fellows  fraternity  and  with  his  wife 
belongs  to  the  Christian  church.  His  life 
has  been  successful,  having  made  all  he  pos- 
sessed by  persevering  labor  and  judicious 
management,  and  his  career  forcibly  illus- 
trates what  can  be  accomplished  by  a  young 
man  of  intelligence  and  sound  judgment, 
whose  course  of  conduct  has  been  directed 
and  controlled  by  principles  of  rectitude. 


DAVID  SCHANNEP. 

The  above  named  is  one  of  the  oldest  res- 
idents of  Cleveland  township,  and  his  stand- 
ing is  second  to  none.  He  was  born  in- 
Greene  county,  Ohio,  March  13,  1828,  be- 
ing the  second  in  a  family  of  five  children 
whose  parents,  Joseph  and  Susannah  (Frost) 
Schannep,  moved  to  Ohio  from  Pennsylva- 
nia. In  1846  the  elder  Schannep  came  to 
Whitley  county  and  settled  in  Cleveland 
township,  where  he  became  a  successful 
farmer  and  large  owner  of  real  estate,  his 
holdings  at  one  time  amounting  to  five  hun- 
dred acres  of  fine  land,  much  of  which  was 
cleared  and  improved  under  his  direction. 
He  was  a  man  of  mark  in  the  community, 
a  leading  Democrat  of  his  township  and  an 
influential  member  of  the  Lutheran  church. 
He  was  accidentally  killed  in  1848  by  the 
falling  of  a  tree,  his  death  being  deeply  la- 
mented by  all  who  knew  him.  Joseph  and 
Susannah  Schannep  had  five  children  :  Mary. 
David,  Rosanna.  Susannah  and  Isaac,  all  but 
the  oldest  living.  David  Schannep  grew  to 
manhood  in  his  native  state,  received  his 
early  training  on  a  farm  and  in  1846  changed 
his   residence   to    Whitlev    county,    Indiana. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


779 


settling  in  Cleveland  township,  with  the  sub- 
sequent growth  and  development  of  which 
his  life  has  been  closely  associated.  He  ex- 
perienced many  of  the  vicissitudes  and  hard- 
ships of  pioneer  life,  worked  early  and  late 
cutting  timber  and  clearing  land  and  bore 
his  full  share  in  bringing  about  results.  He 
has  always  been  a  tiller  of  the  soil  and  at 
this  time  owns  a  fine  farm  in  Cleveland  town- 
ship which  is  well  improved,  containing 
comfortable  and  commodious  buildings  and 
bearing  all  the  other  evidences  which  char- 
acterize the  homes  of  enterprising  agricul- 
turists of  the  times. 

In  185 1,  Mr.  Schannep  was  married  to 
Man',  daughter  of  George  and  Sarah  (Wil- 
liams) Moore,  natives  of  South  Carolina, 
who  came  to  this  county  in  the  early  'for- 
ties and  located  in  Cleveland  township, 
where  the  father  purchased  land  and  cleared 
a  farm.  Six  children  have  been  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Schannep :  Edgar,  a  farmer  of 
Cleveland  township ;  Joseph,  a  resident  of 
Hoagland  :  Elwood,  who  died  in  childhood  ; 
Ida,  deceased ;  Eva,  wife  of  Arthur  Knoop, 
who  assists  in  running  the  home  place :  and 
Nettie,  wife  of  Arthur  Hayden.  a  business 
man  of  Kosciusko  county,  whose  death  oc- 
curred a  few  years  ago. 

At  one  time  Mr.  Schannep  owned  two 
hundred  and  sixteen  acres  of  valuable  land 
in  Whitley  county,  but  he  has  since  divided 
the  greater  part  among  his  children,  retain- 
ing only  the  familv  homestead,  consisting  of 
eighty  acres.  He  now  lives  a  quiet,  peace- 
able life,  consecrated  to  his  family  and  to 
his  fellowmen.  His  wife  died  January  6, 
1892.  but  he  lives  in  hopes  of  a  future  re- 
union where  tears  shall  be  wiped  away  and 
farewells  known  no  more.  Mr.  Schannep  has 


long  been  a  faithful  member  of  the  Church 
of  God,  his  Christian  character  being  with- 
out spot  or  blemish.  He  is  a  Republican  in 
politics  and  has  filled  various  local  offices, 
but  has  never  entertained  an  ambition  for 
public  place. 


LEWIS  HUFFMAN. 


Lewis  Huffman,  farmer  and  stock  raiser 
of  Cleveland  township,  is  a  native  of  Ohio, 
born  in  Stark  county  September  6,  1846. 
His  parents  were  Michael  and  Mary  Huff- 
man, both  natives  of  Ohio,  and  the  former 
a  farmer  by  occupation,  moved  in  1844  to 
Whitley  county  and  settled  in  Columbia, 
subsequently  changing  to  Cleveland  -town- 
ship, in  whose  development  they  took  a  con- 
spicuous part.  Their  nine  children  were : 
Jacob,  Katie,  Louise,  Lewis,  Mary,  Alvin, 
Anna,  Sophia  and  Maggie,  all  dead  but  the 
third  and  fourth. 

Lewis  Huffman,  only  surviving  son,  was 
born  in  Stark  county,  Ohio,  September  6, 
1846,  and  was  about  two  years  old  when  his 
parents  came  to  their  new  home.  He  grew 
up  on  the  farm  with  proper  conceptions  of 
life  and  its  responsibilities  and  with  the  de- 
termination to  make  the  most  of  his  oppor- 
tunities. He  obtained  a  fair  English  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools,  has  always  been 
a  man  o.f  observation  and  is  recognized  as 
well  informed  in  all  matters  pertaining  to 
agriculture.  This  has  been  his  life  work 
and  since  beginning  for  himself  his  progress 
has  been  satisfactory,  as  he  is  now  one  of 
the  enterprising  farmers  and  stock  raisers  of 
Cleveland  township  and  well  situated  to  en- 
jov  the   fruits  of  his  toil.      Mr.   Huffman'^ 


78o 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


farm,  which  lies  alxuit  two  miles  east  of 
South  Whitley,  is  well  improved  with  a  nice, 
comfortable  residence,'  a  commodious  barn 
and  other  buildings  and  by  judicious  care, 
skillful  cultivation  and  excellent  manage- 
ment, he  has  made  it  yield  abundantly,  as 
the  ample  competency  in  his  possession  at- 
tests. In  connection  with  general  agricul- 
ture he  raises  superior  breeds  of  cattle,  hogs 
and  sheep  and  from  the  sale  of  live  stock 
adds  very  materially  to  his  annual  income. 
In  1899.  Mr.  Huffman  married  Miss 
Sarah  Todd,  whose  parents  moved  to  this 
county  a  number  of  years  ago  from  Ohio, 
settling  in  Cleveland  township,  where  the 
father  died  in  1905,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
eight  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Huffman  have 
had  four  children,  of  whom  only  Oda,  the 
youngest,  is  living.  She  married  Harry 
Beard  and  has  three  children,  Vernon,  Lewis 
and  Eugene.  Mr.  Beard  resides  on  the 
Huffman  farm,  manages  the  same,  and  is 
one  of  the  rising  young  men  of  the  town- 
ship. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Huffman's  other  chil- 
dren were:  Dora,  deceased;  Raughly,  who 
was  killed  in  T897  m  ms  twenty-first  year 
by  a  falling  tree,  while  helping  his  father  cut 
timber;  the  third  child  died  unnamed.  Mr. 
Huffman's  fraternal  relations  are  with  Lodge 
222,  Knights  of  Pythias,  at  South  Whitley, 
and  in  religion  he  subscribes  to  the  United 
Brethren  creed,  of  which  church  his  wife  is 
also  a  member.  He  stands  well  with  the 
people  of  his  community,  manifests  an  abid- 
ing interest  in  all  worthy  enterprises  and  as 
a  citizen  is  progressive  and  public  spirited, 
holding  broad  and  liberal  views  on  the  issues 
of  the  day  and  clinging  firmly  to  his  convic- 
tions of  right,  as  he  sees  and  understands 
the  right. 


HARVEY   KREIDER. 

David,  son-  of  Jacob  Kreider,  was  bi  n'n 
February  24,  1841,  in  Darke  county.  Ohio. 
and  in  1855  accompanied  his  parents  to 
Whitley  county,  where  he  became  a  large 
landowner  and  prominent  farmer,  in  addi- 
tion to  which  he  has  for  years  been  a  minis- 
ter of  the  German  Baptist  church.  At  one 
period  his  real  estate  in  Cleveland  township 
amounted  to  three  hundred  acres  of  choice 
land,  but  he  disposed  of  this  from  time  to 
time  until  his  holdings  now  represent  but 
one  hundred  and  four  acres,  this  constitut- 
ing the  home  farm  on  which  he  at  present 
resides.  David  Kreider  has  been  a  man  of 
wide  influence  in  his  community  and  through 
the  medium  of  his  ministerial  calling  his  use- 
fulness has  been  extended  throughout  Whit- 
ley and  other  counties  of  northern  Indiana, 
being  a  preacher  of  considerable  note,  and 
held  in  high  repute,  not  only  by  his  friends 
and  neighbors  but  by  all  with  whom  he  is 
brought  into  contact.  He  married  Nancy 
Grist  and  they  had  nine  children :  Cindia. 
Emma.  Jacob,  Tobias,  John,  Noah,  Harvey, 
Estie  and  Malinda.  (For  ancestral  history 
see  sketch  of  John  Kreider  elsewhere  in  these 
pages.) 

Harvey  Kreider,  one  of  the  younger 
sons,  was  born  in  Cleveland  township,  Whit- 
ley county,  August  23.  1880,  received  a  good 
education  in  the  public  schools  and  was 
trained  in  youth  to  agricultural  pursuits.  His 
early  discipline  amid  the  rugged  duties  of 
the  farm  had  no  little  influence  in  develop- 
ing a  strong  well  rounded  character  and  he 
grew  to  manhood  with  a  proper  conception 
of  the  responsibilities  that  rested  upon  him 
as  a  member  of  societv  and  an  active  a«'ent 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


in  furthering  the  various  interests  of  those 
with  whom  he  was  accustomed  to  associate. 
Having  decided  to  make  agriculture  his  life 
work,  Mr.  Kreider  early  bent  his  energies 
toward  making  the  calling  as  successful  as 
circumstances  would  admit  and  that  he  has 
fully  met,  if  not  exceeded,  his  anticipations, 
is  attested  by  the  high  standing  which  he 
has  attained  as  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser  and 
the  prestige  he  enjoys  as  an  enterprising, 
trustworthy  citizen.  He  owns  a  fine  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  ten  acres,  all  but  twenty 
under  cultivation  and  otherwise  well  im- 
proved, his  home  being  beautiful  and  attrac- 
tive as  a  place  of  residence  and  in  all  the  es- 
sentials of  a  first-class  estate  compares  favor- 
ably with  any  other  in  the  township. 

In  1903,  Mr.  Krieder  was  married  to  Miss 
Grace,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Clara  (Bow- 
man) Snell,  who  came  from  Ohio  to  this 
part  of  Indiana  in  an  early  day  and  settled 
in  Cleveland  township,  where  the  father's 
death  occurred  in  1900.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Kreider  have  had  one  child,  Curtis  LeRoy. 
In  politics  Mr.  Kreider  is  a  Democrat,  ir 
religion  he  is  a  consistent  member  of  the 
German  Baptist  church,  his  wife  belonging 
to  this  communion  also. 


JOHN  HUFFMAN. 

John  Huffman,  one  of  the  oldest  resi- 
dents of  Cleveland  township,  as  well  as  one 
of  its  leading  farmers,  is  entitled  to  a  place 
in  the  history  of  Whitley  county  and  a  few 
biographical  details  concerning  him  will  be 
welcome  to  many.  John  Huffman  was  born 
in  Darke  county,   Ohio,    March    11,    1831, 


and  is  a  son  of  Moses  and  Rachel  (Tillman  ) 
Huffman,  whose  seven  children  were 
Simeon,  Delilah,  Levi,  Enos,  Daniel,  Phoebe 
and  John. 

The  father  moved  his  family  to  Whitley 
county  in  1841.  and  settled  in  Cleveland 
township,  where  he  purchased  land,  de- 
veloped a  farm  and  became  one  of  the  in- 
fluential citizens  of  the  community.  He  and 
his  wife  were  widely  known  and  greatly 
respected  and  the  name  of  Huffman  has  long 
been  synonymous  with  all  that  is  enterpris- 
ing and  upright. 

John  Huffman  was  a  lad  of  ten  years 
when  his  parents  came  to  Indiana,  since 
which  time  his  life  has  been  closely  identi- 
fied with  the  material,  social  and  moral  ad- 
vancement of  Whitley  county.  On  his  fa- 
ther's farm  he  early  learned  lessons  of  in- 
dustry and  thrift,  which  had  such  a  marked 
influence  in  shaping  his  subsequent  life  and 
character.  In  such  schools  as  the  county 
afforded,  he  received  a  limited  education, 
but  his  most  valuable  acquirements  were  of 
the  practical  kind  obtained  by  coming  in 
contact  with  the  world  in  the  stern  school 
of  experience.  Since  beginning  business  for 
himself  he  has  always  followed  agricultural 
pursuits  and  now  owns  a  highly  improved 
place  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  of 
which  one  hundred  and  ejght  are  in  culti- 
vation, his  buildings  of  all  kinds  being  well 
constructed  and  substantial.  He  has  devoted 
much  time  to  the  improvement  of  his  farm, 
has  beautified  his  home  and  made  it  attract- 
ive by  a  judicious  expenditure  of  his  means, 
being  now  in  the  evening  of  a  well  spent  life, 
surrounded  by  many  comforts  and  conve- 
niences, in  addition  to  which  he  enjoys  the 
confidence  and  esteem  of  the  large  circle  of 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


friends.  He  is  a  self-made  man,  as  he  be- 
gan the  struggle  of  life  with  no  capital  save 
that  with  which  nature  had  endowed  him, 
and  what  he  now  owns  is  the  result  of  his 
unaided  industry  and  excellent  management. 
In  March,  1903.  Mr.  Huffman  was  mar- 
ried to  Mrs.  Joseph  Shaffer,  widow  of  the 
late  Christian  Shaffer  and  daughter  of  B. 
F.  Strong,  of  Union  county.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Democrat  of  the  old  school,  and  as  such 
keeps  well  informed  on  the  leading  questions 
of  the  day,  but  at  no  time  has  he  aspired  to 
office  or  manifested  any  desire  for  public 
preferment.  In  matters  of  religion  he  takes 
the  Bible  alone  for  his  rule  of  faith  and 
practice,  for  a  number  of  years  belonging 
to  the  Christian  church  and  his  daily  con- 
duct having  ever  been  consistent  with  his 
profession. 


OWEN  M.  SMITH. 


Owen  M.  Smith  was  born  in  Tuscarawas 
•county,  Ohio,  November  20,  1864,  in  the 
town  of  Boliver,  where  his  parents,  Har- 
rison and  Harriet  (Steinmetz)  Smith  were 
then  residing.  In  early  life  the  father  taught 
school  for  a  number  of  years  and  later  opened 
a  meat  market,  which  business  he  conducted 
some  time  in  the  town  of  Boliver.  Harrison 
and  Harriet  Smith  had  six  children :  Owen 
M..  John,  Franklin,  William,  Ora  and  Ber- 
tha, all  living  but  Franklin, 

Owen  M.  Smith  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  his  native  to  >wn  and  remained  with 
his  parents  until  young  manhood  when  he 
"began  the  struggle  of  life  upon  his  own  re- 
sponsibility, devoting  his  energies  to  various 
■kinds  of  employment  until  about  twenty-two 


years  of  age,  when  he  engaged  in  contract- 
ing for  railway  bridge  work,  which  he  fol- 
lowed during  the  ensuing  eleven  years,  dis- 
continuing the  business  in  1897.  ^n  the 
latter  year  he  came  to  Indiana  and  after 
spending  two  years  in  Wabash  county, 
changed  his  abode  to  Whitley  and  pur- 
chased the  beautiful  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  in  Cleveland  township,  on 
which  he  has  since  lived  and  prospered, 
achieving  success  as  an  agriculturist  and 
stock  raiser  and  winning  prestige  as  an  en- 
ergetic and  public-spirited  man. 

Mr.  Smith  stands  in  the  front  rank  of 
progressive  farmers  in  Cleveland  township, 
enjoys  the  esteem  of  his  fellowmen  and  as 
a  citizen  is  deservedly  popular,  ever  mani- 
festing a  lively  interest  in  measures  that 
make  for  the  material  advancement  of  the 
community  and  the  social  and  moral  well- 
being  of  the  friends  and  neighbors  with 
whom  he  is  wont  to  mingle.  His  political 
faith  is  in  accord  with  the  Republican  party, 
of  the  principles  of  which  he  has  been  an 
ardent  supporter  since  old  enough  to  cast  a 
ballot,  but  his  inclinations  have  never  led 
him  into  the  arena  of  partisan  politics,  nor 
to  aspire  to  public  office. 

In  1897,  Mr.  Smith  was  united  in  wed- 
lock with  Miss  Hattie,  one  of  the  six  chil- 
dren of  Raymer  and  Emma  (Tribit)  How- 
enstine.  the  marriage  resulting  in  the  birth 
of  three  children :  Nila,  Lola  and  Charles, 
the  latter  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith 
attend  the  United  Brethren  church,  move  in 
the  best  social  circles  of  the  community  and 
are  much  esteemed  by  all  with  whom  they 
come  in  contact.  Indeed  it  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  find  a  man  who  stands  higher  among 
his  neighbors  or  who  takes  greater  interest 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


783 


in  the  welfare  or  prosperity  of  his  township 
and  county  than  Mr.  Smith,  who  since  tak- 
ing up  his  residence  in  this  part  of  the  state 
has  show  himself  an  honorable  man  in  every 
walk  of  life  and  who  well  deserves  the  im- 
plicit confidence  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow 
citizens. 


NELSON  KELLER. 

Thomas  Keller,  who  was  born  in  Ohio 
county,  Virginia,  August  20.  1S10,  when  a 
lad  of  ten  years  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  removal  to  Ohio,  in  which  state  he 
lived  until  about  1854,  when  he  decided  to 
try  his  fortune  in  the  new  and  sparsely  set- 
tled region  of  northern  Indiana.  Accord- 
ingly, he  made  his  way  to  Whitley  county, 
where  he  purchased  land,  from  which  in  due 
time  he  developed  a  good  farm.  By  his 
first  marriage  he  had  two  children,  Lewis 
H.  and  Ellen ;  by  his  second  marriage  there 
were  five  children :  Cornelius,  Matilda. 
Martin  S..  Jasper  L.  and  Nelson.  Thomas 
Keller  was  a  quiet,  unassuming  man  and 
during  his  residence  in  Whitley  county 
exerted  a  wholesome  influence  among  those 
with  whom  he  was  accustomed  to  mingle. 
He  departed  this  life  February  6.  1887,  la- 
mented by  all  who  knew  him. 

Nelson  Keller  was  born  on  the  family 
homestead  in  Cleveland  township,  Novem- 
ber 18,  i860,  and  has  spent  his  entire  life 
within  the  borders  of  Whitley  county.  He 
was  reared  to  farm  labor,  attended  the  dis- 
trict schools  and  on  arriving  at  manhood 
turned  his  attention  to  the  pursuit  of  agri- 
culture, which  he  has  since  carried  on  with 
more  than  ordinarv  success,  being  one  of  the 


leading  farmers  and  stockmen  of  his  town- 
ship. Mr.  Keller  began  life  without  capital, 
but  gradually  surmounted  the  obstacles  that 
.beset  his  pathway  and  in  due  time  became 
the  possessor  of  a  tract  of  land,  which  he  im- 
proved and  to  which  he  has  added  at  inter- 
vals until  he  now  owns  a  well  improved 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  acres, 
ninety-five  of  which  are  in  cultivation.  In 
connection  with  general  farming,  which  he 
conducts  upon  an  extensive  scale,  he  is  large- 
ly interested  in  live  stock,  devoting  special 
attention  to  Duroc  Jersey  hogs  and  a  fine 
grade  of  horses,  raising  the  latter  prin- 
cipally for  his  own  use.  He  also  carries  on 
a  sucessful  dairy  business,  keeps  from  ten  to 
twelve  cows  of  the  best  milking  breeds  and 
his  patronage  has  increased  to  such  an  ex- 
tent that  he  is  taxed  to  the  utmost  to  meet 
the  demands  of  his  numerous  customers.  On 
Mr.  Keller's  farm  is  perhaps  one  of  the 
finest  sugar  orchards  in  Whitley  county, 
consisting  of  thirty-six  acres,  in  which  are 
six  hundred  trees,  to  the  care  of  which  he 
devotes  no  little  time  and  attention.  His 
camp  is  equipped  with  the  latest  modern 
improvements  for  the  manufacture  of  a  high 
grade  of  sugar  and  molasses,  for  all  of 
which  the  demand  is  much  greater  than  he 
can  supply,  the  superior  quality  of  the 
product  winning  much  more  than  local  re- 
pute among  the  dealers.  Mr.  Keller  pos- 
sesses good  business  ability,  as  the  success 
which  he  has  achieved  abundantly  testifies. 
He  has  a  fine  home,  on  which  his  means 
have  been  judiciously  expended,  a  model 
farm  which  compares  with  the  best  in  Whit- 
ley county  and  his  future  is  in  everv  re- 
spect bright  and  promising. 

In    September.    1888,    Mr.    Keller   mar- 


7»4 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


ried  Miss  Josie,  daughter  of  Martin  and 
Barbara  (Loudenbeck)  Pence,  the  union  be- 
ing blessed  with  three  children,  Hugh.  Clod 
and  Glenn,  in  addition  to  whom  is  Clara 
White,  an  orphan  girl  adopted  at  an  early 
age,  who  is  treated  with  the  same  kindness 
and  consideration  as  their  own  offspring. 


THOMAS  SHECKLER. 

Thomas  Sheckler,  one  of  the  oldest  and 
best  known  pioneer  fanners  of  Thorncreek 
township,  was  born  in  Crawford  county, 
Ohio,  January  2j,  1827,  and  is  the  son  of 
John  and  Rachel  (Pettit)  Sheckler.  John 
Sheckler  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and 
removed  to  Crawford  county  about  1812  at 
a  time  when  there  were  many  Indians  there. 
He  was  reared  to  the  life  of  a  farmer,  which 
pursuit  he  followed  during  his  entire  life- 
time. In  early  life  he  spent  a  part  of  his 
time  in  the  coal  mines  and  thus  saved  enough 
money  to  buy  his  first  tract  of  wild  land.  The 
mother  died  about  1833,  when  Thomas  was 
but  seven  years  old  and  the  father  survived 
until  about  [856,  his  death  occurring  in 
Crawford  county,  Ohio.  They  had  eight 
children:  Elizabeth.  Catherine,  David, 
Thomas.  John  P.,  Christina.  James  and 
<  t©  n'ge. 

When  Thomas  was  a  boy  opportunities 
were  not  as  now,  for  the  education  of  youth 
and  he  received  a  very  meager  schooling. 
The  house  he  attended  was  a  very  crude  af- 
fair, with  puncheon  floor  and  home-made 
seats  or  benches.     He  assisted  his  father  on 


the  farm  until  he  was  twenty-two  years  ot 
age,  when  he  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand 
elsewhere.  He  also  devoted  some  time  and 
attention  to  the  carpenter's  trade  and  about 
1854  came  to  his  present  farm,  which  he  had 
purchased  some  two  years  previous  for  six 
dollars  an  acre.  At  that  time  this  land  was 
a  dense  forest,  but  Mr.  Sheckler  at  once  set 
to  work  and  almost  entirely  by  his  own  ef- 
forts soon  made  of  it  one  of  the  most  attrac- 
tive and  highly  cultivated  farms  of  the  local- 
ity. He  is  now  the  owner  of  three  hundred 
acres  of  as  fine  land  as  can  be  found  in 
Whitley  county  and  the  general  appearance 
and  neatness  of  the  place  indicates  the  own- 
er to  be  a  man  of  excellent  taste  and  sound 
judgment.  In  the  early  days  he  aided  large- 
ly in  rolling  logs  and  making  clearings,  that 
the  work  of  improvement  and  development 
might  be  further  carried  on. 

August  8,  1854,  he  married  Charlotte  A. 
Wilder,  daughter  of  Lyman  Wilder,  and  to 
them  have  been  born  the  following  named 
children:  James  B.,  deceased  at  forty-one; 
Mary,  who  died  in  infancy:  Christina,  wife 
of  Nathan  Kern,  a  farmer  of  Whitley  coun- 
ty: George,  who  died  in  the  fall  of  1905. 
aged  forty ;  Charles,  who  married  Myrtle 
Walton  and  lives  on  the  old  homestead :  Ed- 
ward married  Alta  F.  Egolf  and  operates 
the  old  homestead,  and  has  two  children, 
Ruth  and  Luther;  Delbert  died  in  infancy. 
Mr.  Sheckler  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but 
is  liberal  in  his  views.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  Thorncreek  Baptist  church. 
located  on  the  corner  of  his  farm,  and  for 
which  he  donated  a  site.  Mr.  Sheckler  is 
now  living  a  retired  life  and  enjoys  the  re- 
spect and  good  will  of  all  who  know  him. 


0&lA<?y?i<^  *4*AjA£^ 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


785 


LEWIS  H.  KELLER. 

Martin  Keller,  a  native  of  Marshall 
county,  Virginia,  and  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion, emigrated  in  18 16  to  Licking  county, 
Ohio,  where  he  achieved  local  influence, 
prospered  fairly,  and  died  about  1855.  He 
married  in  Virginia  and  reared  a  family, 
among  his  children  being  a  son  by  the  name 
of  Thomas,  who  was  born  August  10,  1810, 
and  who  at  the  age  of  six  years  accompanied 
the  family  to  Ohio,  where  he  grew  to  ma- 
turity. Matilda  Judge,  who  became  the 
wife  of  Thomas  Keller,  was  born  in  Knox 
county,  Ohio,  in  1816,  and  departed  this 
life  in  May,  1843.  After  remaining  in  Ohio 
until  1854,  Thomas  Keller  moved  his  family 
to  Whitley  county,  Indiana,  and  in  October 
of  that  year  settled  on  what  is  locally  known 
as  the  Edwards  farm  in  Cleveland  township, 
where  he  resided  during  the  ensuing  ten 
years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  he  pur- 
chased the  place  where  his  son  Nelson  now 
lives  and  made  it  his  home  the  remainder  of 
his  days,  dying  there  February  3,  18S7.  He 
was  a  man  of  considerable  influence  in  his 
neighborhood  and  a  leader  of  the  Demo- 
cratic part)'  in  his  township.  He  was  quite 
successful  in  his  business  affairs,  accumu- 
lated a  comfortable  competence  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death  was  one  of  the  leading 
farmers  and  representative  citizens  of  the 
community.  The  children  of  Thomas  and 
Matilda  Keller  were :  Lewis  H.  and  Mar- 
garet E.  Thomas  was  married  a  second 
time  to  Eliza  Ann  Smith  and  by  this  union 
the  children  were  Harriet  M.,  deceased; 
Martin ;  Jasper ;  Nelson,  and  an  infant  that 
died  unnamed. 

Lewis  H.   Keller,  eldest  of  the  family, 
SO 


was  born  June  17,  1838,  in  Licking  county, 
Ohio,  and  spent  his  early  life  in  his  native 
state.  When  a  lad  of  sixteen  he  accompa- 
nied his  father  to  Indiana  and  since  then  his 
life  has  been  closely  identified  with  the  agri- 
cultural interests  of  Whitley  county,  being 
at  this  time  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of 
Cleveland  township,  as  well  as  one  of  the 
representative  citizens  of  the  community  in 
which  he  resides.  Mr.  Keller's  farm,  con- 
sisting of  one  hundred  and  fifty-nine  acres, 
is  improved  with  good  buildings  and  the 
tillable  land  is  well  drained  and  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation.  In  addition  to 
this  he  owns  thirty-six  acres  of  his  father's 
estate,  making  a  total  of  nearly  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  excellent  land,  all  but  twenty 
acres  being  under  cultivation,  the  remainder 
consisting  of  woodland,  on  which  consider- 
able first-class  timber  is  still  standing.  Mr. 
Keller  has  made  his  own  way  in  the  world 
and  the  fine  farm  and  comfortable  home 
now  in  his  possession  is  the  result  of  his  in- 
dividual efforts.  His  success  has  been 
merited  and  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  is 
held  by  his  neighbors  is  complimentary  to 
his  sterling  qualities  of  manhood  and  citizen- 
ship. In  politics  he  votes  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party  on  state  and  national  questions, 
but  in  local  matters  usually  supports  the  man 
instead  of  the  party. 

In  1870  Mr.  Keller  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Minerva,  daughter  of  John 
and  Sarah  Stoner,  natives  of  Pennsylvania 
and  Ohio  respectively,  four  children  result- 
ing from  the  union:  George  T.,  Wiley  M., 
Harley  N.  and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 
Mr.  Keller's  sons  are  married,  well  settled 
in  life  and  greatly  respected  in  their  several 
places  of  residence. 


rsc 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


L.  E.   PLATTNER. 

William  I'lattner  was  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania who  moved  to  Ohio  and  from  there 
to  Whitley  county,  where  in  addition  to 
farming  he  did  a  thriving  business  as  a  car- 
penter, having  been  for  many  years  one 
of  the  best  known  and  most  successful  archi- 
tects and  builders  in  this  part  of  the  state. 
In  the  days  of  his  prime,  he  erected  nearly 
all  the  churches,  schoolhouses  and  other  pub- 
lic buildings  in  Whitley  county,  to  say  noth- 
ing of  the  numerous  private  dwellings  and 
other  edifices  in  both  city  and  country,  many 
of  which  still  stand  as  monuments  to  his 
ingenuity  as  a  mechanic.  On  one  occasion, 
while  constructing  a  home,  he  accidentally 
stumbled  and  falling  from  the  roof  of  the 
structure  to  the  ground  was  almost  instant- 
ly killed.  He  was  successful  in  the  accumu- 
lation of  wealth,  being  in  independent  cir- 
cumstances at  the  time  of  his  death,  and  as 
a  citizen  was  public  spirited  and  enterprising, 
standing  high  in  the  confidence  of  the  large 
circle  of  friends  with  whom  he  mingled.  In 
politics  he  was  an  ardent  supporter  of  the 
Democratic  party;  in  religion  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  church  and  he  is  remembered 
as  a  kind  and  obliging  neighbor  and  friend. 
He  married  Elizabeth  Snyder,  born  and 
reared  in  Ohio,  who  became  the  mother  of 
eight  children:  Jacob.  Sophia,  Lavina, 
Lewis,  William,  John  and  Levi,  and  one 
that  died  in  infancy. 

L.  E.  Plattner  was  born  in  Whitley 
county.  Indiana.  January  16,  1857,  on  the 
family  homestead  in  Columbia  township. 
He  was  educated  in  the  country  schools, 
grew  to  manhood  on  the  farm  and  after 
leaving  home  engaged  in  agriculture,  which 


vocation  he  has  since  conducted  with  suc- 
cess and  financial  profits. 

Mr.  Plattner's  farm  in  Cleveland  town- 
ship contains  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
of  fertile  and  productive  land  which  is  well 
drained  and  in  a  high  state  of  tillage,  and 
the  buildings  thereon  are  modem,  substan- 
tial and  always  kept  in  repair.  The  other 
improvements  are  such  as  enter  into  the 
makeup  of  a  comfortable  home,  with  all  the 
necessities  and  some  of  the  luxuries  of 
life.  This  place  compares  with  the  best 
in  the  township,  being  tastefully  as  well  as 
conveniently  arranged,  so  as  easily  to  meet 
the  needs  and  desires  of  the  occupants. 

March  27,  1869,  Mr.  Plattner  married 
Miss  Frances,  daughter  of  John  and  Hen- 
rietta Schrader,  by  whom  he  has  five  chil- 
dren :  Otis,  a  resident  of  Washington  town- 
ship and  one  of  Whitley  county's  successful 
and  popular  teachers;  Vernon  and  Fermer, 
who  are  still  members  of  the  home  circle: 
Lee,  a  student  of  the  Indiana  Business  Col- 
lege at  Fort  Wayne ;  and  Clarence,  at  home. 
Mrs.  Plattner's  parents  moved  to  Whit- 
ley county  in  1870  from  Pennsylvania  "and 
located  in  Columbia  City,  where  they  became 
well  known  and  much  esteemed.  Mr.  Platt- 
ner and  wife  are  respected  members  of  the 
best  social  circles  of  the  community  in  which 
thev  reside  and  all  who  come  within  the 
sphere  of  their  influence  speak  in  compli- 
mentary terms  of  their  many  admirable 
qualities.  They  are  interested  in  everything 
that  makes  for  the  advancement  of  their 
neighborhood  along  material  lines,  lend  their 
names  to  all  measures  that  tend  to  the  moral 
welfare  of  their  friends  and  associates  and 
their  home  life  has  been  beautiful  as  well 
as  useful. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


787 


DAVID  SPOHNHAUER. 

Samuel  and  Mary  (Koch)  Spohnhauer 
moved  from  Ohio  to  Whitley  county  in  the 
<early  'forties  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Cleve- 
land township  where,  in  addition  to  tilling" 
the  soil,  the  father  preached  for  a  number  of 
years  throughout  the  country,  having  been 
duly  ordained  to  the  ministry  of  the  Church 
•of  God  in  his  native  state.  Samuel  and 
Maiy  Spohnhauer  had  seven  children : 
Mary,  Rebecca,  Leah,  Kate.  Lydia,  David 
•and  Warren. 

David  Spohnhauer  was  born  in  Cleve- 
land township,  Whitley  county.  Indiana, 
October  22,  1853,  attended  the  public  schools 
and  assisted  in  the  farm  work  until  he 
reached  his  majority.  When  old  enough 
to  begin  life  upon  his  own  responsibility,  he 
decided  to  become  a  farmer  and  by  making 
the  most  of  his  opportunities  eventually  be- 
came the  possessor  of  a  tract  of  land,  which 
was  soon  brought  under  cultivation  and 
gradually  improved.  Mr.  Spohnhauer's 
farm  now  contains  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
four  acres  of  as  fertile  land  as  can  be  found 
within  the  bounds  of  Whitley  county,  one 
hundred  and  twenty  being  in  cultivation, 
the  rest  consisting  of  timber  and  pasturage. 
All  the  improvements  were  made  by  himself, 
and  he  can  show,  as  the  result  of  his  labor 
and  thrift,  an  elegant  brick  residence  of 
modern  design,  a  large  and  commodious 
"barn,  substantial  outbuildings,  .  fine  fences 
and  a  thorough  system  of  tile  drainage,  all 
these  with  other  improvements  going  to 
make  up  one  of  the  most  valuable  farms,  as 
well  as  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  de- 
sirable country  homes  in  this  section  of  the 
estate. 


Mr.  Spohnhauer  is  a  supporter  of  the 
Democratic  party  and  a  member  of  the 
Church  of  God,  of  which  he  has  long  been 
a  faithful  and  consistent  adherent.  He  dis- 
charges the  duties  of  citizenship  in  the  in- 
telligent manner  .and  liberal  spirit  character- 
istic of  the  more  advanced  American  farm- 
er. In  addition  to  his  farming  interests, 
he  has  dealt  quite  extensively  in  lands  in 
Whitley  and  other  counties,  not  only  buying 
and  selling  in  his  own  name,  but  investing 
considerable  capital  for  other  parties.  He 
has  accumulated  a  handsome  property  in  real 
estate,  besides  other  valuable  interests,  and 
stands  today  among  the  financially  substan- 
tial men  of  the  county. 

In  1875  Mr.  Spohnhauer  married  Miss 
Eliza,  daughter  of  Andrew  and  Mary  (Phil- 
lips) Shorb,  and  they  have  an  only  child. 
Niles,  who  married  Miss  Klessa  Harter,  of 
Whitley  county,  and  assists  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  home  farm. 

Mrs.  Spohnhauer's  parents  were  natives 
of  Pennsylvania,  but  moved  to  Ohio  and 
from  there  in  1842  to  Whitley  county,  In- 
diana, where  the  mother  died  in  1894.  and 
the  father  five  years  later.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Shorb  had  ten  children :  Lavina,  Nathaniel, 
Jessie,  Jane,  Amanda,  Mary,  Ella,  Thomas, 
Jackson  and  Henry. 


JOHN  F.  BENTZ. 

Among  the  emigrants  from  Germany  to 
the  United  States  in  the  early  part  of  the 
nineteenth  century  were  George  and  Mary 
Bentz,  who  settled  in  Ashland  county.  Ohio. 
and    there    ended    their    davs.     Their    son. 


788 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


Jacob,  born  in  1833,  married  Nancy  Singer, 
born  in  1837.  became  a  prosperous  farmer 
and  grain  thresher  and  after  his  removal  to 
Whitley  county  operated  a  separator  for 
twenty-nine  years.  He  came  to  this  state  in 
1862,  purchased  a  farm  in  section  33,  Cleve- 
land township,  and  lived  on  the  same  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  January  22,  1903. 
He  was  a  man  of  intelligence  and  ripe  judg- 
ment, remarkably  successful  in  business  mat- 
ters and  in  addition  to  a  fine  farm  accumu- 
lated considerable  personal  property,  being 
one  of  the  substantial  men  of  his  township. 
He  had  six  children :  William,  deceased ; 
John,  Mary  J.,  wife  of  W.  E.  Harsbarger, 
of  the  state  of  Washington ;  Laura,  deceased  ; 
Dora  and  Perry  L. 

John  F.  Bentz,  second  of  this  family, 
was  born  April  23,  1858,  in  Ashland  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  and  hence  was  but  four  years  old 
when  his  parents  removed  to  Indiana.  After 
reaching  manhood  he  engaged  in  agricul- 
ture and  has  met  with  gratifying  success. 
In  1 90 1,  Mr.  Bentz  moved  to  his  present 
beautiful  and  attractive  home  in  Cleveland 
township  and  since  has  added  many  sub- 
stantial improvements  to  his  farm  in  the  way 
of  fencing,  drainage  and  buildings,  the  latter 
including  a  fine  brick  residence  of  modern 
design,  a  large,  well  constructed  barn  and 
the  usual  outbuildings  found  on  first-class 
estates,  all  in  excellent  repair  and  fully 
answering  the  various  purposes  for  which 
they  were  designed.  Of  the  one  hundred 
and  four  acres  which  the  farm  contains. 
eighty-five  are  in  cultivation,  the  remainder 
being  largely  devoted  to  pasturage,  for 
which  the  soil  seems  peculiarly  adapted. 
Mr.  Bentz  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  prom- 
inent   farmers   and    stock   raisers  of  Cleve- 


land township  and  as  a  citizen  is  enterpris- 
ing and  up-to-date,  lending  his  support  to 
all  measures  of  public  utility  and  taking  an 
active  interest  in  every  movement  having 
for  its  object  the  social  and  moral  well-being 
of  his  fellowmen.  Fraternally  he  is  con- 
nected with  Lodge  No.  222,  Knights  of 
Pythias,  at  South  Whitley  and  politcially  is 
a  Democrat,  being  an  influential  adviser  in 
the  counsels  of  his  party  and  an  efficient 
worker  with  the  rank  and  file. 

In  1883,  Mr.  Bentz  was  married  to  Miss 
Mary  Emma,  daughter  of  Adam  and  Mary 
(Holem)  Warner,  natives  of  Stark  county, 
Ohio,  three  children  being  born  of  this 
union:  Linnie  S.,  wife  of  Evert  Stumfph ; 
Sylvan,  who  is  engaged  in  the  railway  ser- 
vice at  South  Whitley;  and  Gladys,  who  is 
still  an  inmate  of  the  paternal  home. 


PERRY  L  BENTZ. 


The  emigrant  ancestors  of  the  family  of 
this  man  were  Germans,  who  settled  in  Ash- 
land county,  Ohio,  when  that  state  was  still 
young  and  there  remained  until  the  end  of 
their  lives.  (See  sketch  of  John  F.  Bentz.) 
Jacob  Bentz,  one  of  their  sons,  born  and 
reared  in  Ohio,  was  married  in  early  man- 
hood to  Nancy  Singer,  of  the  same  state. 
In  1862,  this  couple  removed  to  Whitley 
county  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Cleveland 
township,  where  in  connection  with  agri- 
cultural pursuits  Mr.  Bentz  engaged  in  the 
threshing  of  grain,  following  the  latter  line 
of  work  for  a  period  of  twenty-five  years 
and  becoming  widely  known  throughout  the 
country  as  a  skillful  operator  of  threshing 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


789 


machinery.  He  came  to  this  county  one 
3'ear  in  advance  of  his  family,  purchased  a 
tract  of  wild  land  on  which  he  erected  a  rude 
log  cabin  and  cleared  a  few  acres  of  ground. 
This  done  he  returned  to  Ohio  and,  dis- 
posing of  his  interests  there,  loaded  his  few 
effects  on  a  wagon  and  accompanied  by  his 
wife  and  children  drove  to  the  new  home  in 
the  midst  of  the  Whitley  county  forest. 
He  succeeded  in  the  course  of  years  in  de- 
veloping a  good  farm  and  also  achieved  hon- 
orable repute  as  an  enterprising  and  public- 
spirited  citizen.  He  was  an  ardent  Demo- 
crat and  influential  in  party  and  public 
affairs,  having  filled  several  local  offices,  and 
he  also  took  a  leading  part  in  all  measures 
having  for  their  object  the  material  advance- 
ment of  his  township  and  county.  After  a 
long  and  useful  life,  he  was  called  from  the 
scenes  of  earth  January  22,  1903.  leaving  to 
his  family  an  honorable  name  and  to  the 
community  an  example  of  good  citizenship. 
Jacob  and  Nancy  Bentz  had  six  children : 
William  (deceased)  ;  John  F.,  a  farmer  of 
Cleveland  township;  Mary  J.,  wife  of  W. 
E.  Harsbarger,  a  farmer  in  the  state  of 
Washington;  Laura,  deceased:  Dora,  wife 
of  Harvey  Kaler,  who  lives  with  his  mother 
-on  the  home  place;  and  Perry  L. 

Perry  L.  Bentz  was  born  in  Cleveland 
township,  Whitley  county,  in  1876,  and 
after  receiving  a  common  school  education 
turned  his  attention  to  agriculture,  which 
has  been  his  life  work  and  in  the  prosecution 
of  which  he  has  achieved  well  merited  suc- 
cess, owning  at  this  time  a  well  developed 
farm  of  seventy  acres,  containing  substan- 
tial buildings,  excellent  fencing  and  other 
improvements  in  keeping  therewith.  He  has 
•a  good  modern  dwelling,  a  fine  farm  and, 


in  common  with  all  enterprising  agricul- 
turists of  this  part  of  the  state,  he  has  been 
liberal  in  the  matter  of  drainage,  his  farm 
being  well  tiled,  and  as  a  result  its  fertility 
and  productiveness  has  been  greatly  en- 
hanced. 

Mr.  Bentz  is  a  good  farmer,  a  wide- 
awake citizen  and  all  enterprises  of  public 
nature  enlist  his  hearty  co-operation  and  sup- 
port. When  a  young  man  he  taught  several 
terms  of  school  in  Whitley  county,  earned 
an  honorable  reputation  in  that  profession 
and  has  ever  been  a  warm  friend  of  edu- 
cation. In  politics  he  is  an  uncompromising 
Democrat  and  in  recognition  of  services 
rendered  the  party,  he  was  nominated  in 
1906  for  the  office  of  county  auditor,  but 
was   defeated. 

In  1 90 1,  Mr.  Bentz  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Bertha,  daughter  of  G.  A. 
and  Mary  (Hippensteel)  Bowers,  natives 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  for  a  number  of  years 
well  known  residents  of  Whitley  county. 
(See  sketch  of  G.  A.  Bowers).  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bentz  have  one  child,  whom  they  have 
christened  Mvron. 


REUBEN  F.  JUDY. 

The  founder  of  this  family  in  America 
was  a  native  of  Germany  who  first  settled  in 
Pennsylvania  and  went  from  there  to  Vir- 
ginia, where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil.  His  son  Abram, 
born-  in  Pennsylvania  but  reared  in  Vir- 
ginia, devoted  his  life  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits and  died  in  1849  m  tne  state  °f  his 
adoption.  He  married  Catherine  Housden, 
a  Virginian  by  birth,  by  whom  he  had  twelve 


79Q 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


children,  only  three  of  whom  survive:  Reu- 
ben F.,  Andrew,  who  lives  near  Springfield. 
Missouri,  and  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Edgar  Mil- 
ton, a  farmer  and  carpenter  residing  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  state.  Reuben  F.  Judy, 
eldest  of  the  survivors,  was  bom  in  Page 
county, .Virginia,  January  n,  1838,  and  re- 
mained in  his  native  commonwealth  until 
reaching  manhood's  estate,  meanwhile  re- 
ceiving a  fair  education  in  such  schools  as 
the  neighborhood  afforded  and  becoming 
familiar  with  the  varied  duties  which  fall 
to  the  lot  of  the  tiller  of  the  soil.  In  1863. 
he  came  to  Whitley  county  and  purchasing 
a  part  of  the  land  that  constitutes  his  pres- 
ent beautiful  farm  in  Cleveland  township, 
at  once  addressed  himself  to  the  task  of  its 
improvement.  In  this  labor  his  progress 
was  commendable  and  in  the  course  of  a  few 
years  he  not  only  had  his  farm  in  cultivation, 
but  made  a  number  of  substantial  improve- 
ments, besides  increasing  its  area  by  addi- 
tional purchases  from  time  to  time.  Mr. 
Judy  is  now  the  owner  of  two  hundred  fer- 
tile acres,  one  hundred  and  twenty  of  which 
are  tillable  and  highly  productive,  thirty- 
five  'consisting  of  woodland,  on  which  is 
growing  some  very  fine  timber,  the  remain- 
der of  the  farm  being  devoted  to  pasturage. 
By  a  judicious  rotation  of  crops  Mr.  Judy 
has  retained  much  of  the  original  fertility 
of  his  land  and  being  a  model  farmer  of 
advanced  ideas  and  employing  only  the 
most  approved  methods,  his  success  has  been 
commensurate  with  the  labor  bestowed. 
The  dwelling  which  the  family  now  occupies 
was  erected  in  1S75  ;  it  is  a  substantial  build- 
ing, with  many  conveniences,  well  adapted 
to  the  uses  for  which  designed  and  is  a 
model  countrv  home. 


In  1864,  Mr.  Judy  was  married  to  Miss'. 
Amelia,  daughter  of  Jesse  and  Amelia  (  Mc- 
Cabe)  Kyler.  who  became  residents  of 
Whitley  county  in  1846,  the  father  a  farmer 
and  carpenter  by  occupation.  They  had 
ten  children,  of  whom  the  following  are 
living  at  this  time :  Basil,  Jesse,  George, 
Ellen,  Mariah  and  Mrs.  Judy.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Judy  two  children  have  been  born,, 
one  that  died  in  infancy  and  Frank,  who 
married  Delia  Calhoun,  of  Wabash  county, 
and  has  three  children,  Ruth  M.,  Roy  F.  and 
Ephriam  B..  Mr.  Judy  is  a  public-spirited 
man  and  while  primarily  interested  in  agri- 
culture and  stock  raising,  he  has  ever  mani- 
fested commendable  zeal  in  the  material 
prosperity  of  his  township  and  county  and 
taken  an  active  part  in  promoting  the  social 
and  moral  welfare  of  his  fellow  citizens. 
He  is  a  Democrat,  but  not  a  politician  in 
the  sense  the  term  is  usually  accepted.  He 
has  held  the  office  of  supervisor  several  times 
and  at  different  times  has  been  chosen  to 
look  after  the  educational  interests  of  the 
township.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
church,  to  the  plain  and  simple  teachings  of 
which  he  yields  loyal  and  active  support. 
Mrs.  Judy  is  a  member  of  the  same  church 
and  deeply  interested  in  its  various  lines  of 
work. 


FRANCIS  M.  KING. 

John  King,  founder  of  the  family  of 
this  name,  was  a  Pennsylvanian,  who  emi- 
grated to  Preble  county.  Ohio,  where  he 
died  at  an  advanced  age  in  1882.  His  son, 
Eli.  who  was  born  in  1822,  came  to  Whit- 
ley county  in  1843  and  was  among  the  early 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


791 


pioneers  of  Cleveland  township,  where  he 
purchased  land  and  developed  a  farm,  on 
which  he  made  his  home  until  called  from 
earth  November  10,  1894.  He  married 
Eva  Tilman  in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  of 
which  locality  both  were  natives,  and  they 
had  five  children  :  Susan,  wife  of  Rev.  Levi 
Rice,  a  well  known  minister  of  the  Lutheran 
church ;  John,  a  fanner  of  Huntington 
county ;  Alice,  who  married  Rev.  Benjamin 
Stultz,  of  the  Lutheran  ministry ;  Francis 
M. ;  Florence,  wife  of  Rev.  William  Dingel. 
a  Methodist  divine.  A  fact  worthy  of  mite 
in  this  connection  is  that  the  three  sisters 
became  the  wives  of  ministers,  all  of  whom 
are  men  of  much  more  than  ordinary  learn- 
ing and  ability  and  influential  in  their  re- 
spective fields  of  labor. 

Francis  M.  King  was  born  in  Wabash 
county,  Indiana,  August  22,  1855,  and  re- 
ceived the  usual  training  of  farm  boys  of 
that  period.  On  arriving  at  an  age  when 
young  men  are  accustomed  to  lay  plans  for 
the  future,  he  selected  agriculture  for  his 
vocation  and  has  since  prosecuted  the  same 
with  most  gratifying  results.  After  an  ex- 
perience of  several  years'  duration  in  the  em- 
ploy of  others,  he  succeeded  in  accumulating 
sufficient  capital  to  purchase  land  of  his  own. 
Accordingly,  in  1902,  he  bought  his  present 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres,  of 
which  one  hundred  and  thirteen  are  tillable, 
the  whole  being  admirably  situated  and  well 
adapted  to  general  agriculture  and  stock 
raising,  in  both  of  which  lines  Mr.  King 
has  achieved  success  such  as  few  of  his 
calling  attain.  In  addition  to  his  farming 
and  live  stock  interests  he  devotes  consider- 
able attention  to  the  manufacture  of  maple 
syrup,  for  which  line  of  enterprise  he  is  well 


prepared,  having  a  fine  sugar  grove  of 
more  than  a  half  a  thousand  trees,  besides 
all  the  latest  improvements  and  devices  used 
in  the  successful  prosecution  of  the  industry. 
Mr.  King  not  only  enjoys  prestige  as  a  pro- 
gressive agriculturist  of  the  times,  but  oc- 
cupies a  conspicuous  place  in  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens,  being  a 
man  of  advanced  ideas  and  possessing  to  a 
marked  degree  the  estimable  qualities  of 
mind  and  heart  that  win  and  retain  strong 
friendships.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics, 
with  well  defined  opinions  relative  to  the 
leading  questions  of  the  day,  and  in  matters 
religious  subscribes  to  the  Methodist  creed, 
being  a  zealous  and  influential  member  of  the 
local  church  with  which  he  and  his  wife 
have  long  been  identified. 

In  1880,  Mr.  King  was  happily  married 
to  Miss  Ellen  Harsbarger,  of  Whitley  coun- 
ty, who,  in  addition  to  being  his  faithful 
and  loving  wife  and  helpmate,  has  borne 
him  three  children :  Edith,  Russell  and 
Neva,  all  living  and  with  their  parents  con- 
stituting a  mutually  happy  and  prosperous 
household. 


WEBSTER  SICKAFOOSE 

Is  a  native  of  Stark  county,  Ohio,  where 
his  birth  occurred  August  9,  1848,  being  the 
fifth  in  a  family  of  nine  children,  whose 
parents  were  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (  Pool) 
Sickafoose.  Samuel  Sickafoose  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania,  but  in  early  life  was  taken 
by  his  parents  to  Stark  county,  Ohio,  where 
he  grew  to  maturity  and  married  and  where 
he  continued  to  reside  until  his  removal  in 
1855  to  Whitley  county.   He  visited  this  part 


79- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


of  the  state  twice  before  making  it  his  per- 
manent place  of  residence,  his  first  trip  to  the 
c<  unity  being  made  on  foot  from  Stark  coun- 
ty, Ohio.  After  looking  over  the  country  and 
duly  weighing  the  advantages  of  the  differ- 
ent parts,  he  finally  entered  a  quarter  sec- 
tion of  land  in  Cleveland  township,  which 
in  due  time  he  cleared  and  converted  into 
a  fine  farm  and  it  was  on  this  place  that 
he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  dying  at  the 
ripe  old  age  of  eighty-nine  years.  He  had 
nine  children:  Martha.  George  W.,  Jennie, 
Sarah,  Webster,  Albert,  Wesley  and  Rich- 
ard (deceased),  and  an  infant  that  died 
unnamed. 

Webster  Sickafoose  was  about  seven 
years  old  when  his  parents  moved  to  Indi- 
ana and  since  1855  he  has  lived  in  Whit- 
ley count}-,  having  been  an  eye-witness  of 
the  many  remarkable  changes  through 
which  the  county  passed  before  reaching 
its  present  advanced  state  of  improvement. 
He  was  reared  to  farm  labor,  received  his 
education  in  the  district  schools  and  on  ar- 
riving at  the  years  of  manhood,  chose  agri- 
culture for  a  vocation  and  has  devoted  his 
energies  to  the  same  ever  since,  owning  at 
this  time  an  excellent  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres,  on  which  are  some  of  the 
finest  improvements  in  Cleveland  township. 
Mr.  Sickafoose  is  a  practical  fanner  and  his 
career  in  his  calling  presents  a  series  of  suc- 
cesses such  as  few  attain.  He  has  erne  hun- 
dred acres  in  cultivation,  all  in  good  condi- 
tion, thoroughly  drained  by  considerably 
in  excess  of  one  thousand  rods  of  eight-inch 
tiling,  while  his  improvements  in  the  way 
of  buildings  and  fences  arc  unexcelled  in 
this  part  of  the  county.  His  dwelling,  a 
handsome  brick  edifice  of  attractive  design, 


is  one  of  the  finest  structures  of  the  kind 
in  the  township  and  his  barns  and  other 
buildings  are  up-to-date  and  fully  answer 
every  purpose  for  which  intended.  One  of 
the  most  attractive  features  of  this  model 
farm  is  a  splendid  sugar  grove,  consisting 
of  five  hundred  large,  fine  maple  trees, 
from  which  Mr.  Sickafoose  manufactures 
even-  spring  large  quantities  of  high  grade 
syrup,  which  command  a  liberal  price  in 
the  markets  and  among  the  numerous  pri- 
vate customers  whom  he  supplies. 

Mr.  Sickafoose  is  a  Republican  but  not 
•  an  active  politician,  and  in  religion  he  holds 
to  the  faith  of  the  L  nited  Brethren  church, 
being  with  his  wife  an  earnest  and  faithful 
member  of  the  local  congregation. 

The  domestic  chapter  in  the  life  of  Mr. 
Sickafoose  dates  from  1876.  Mr.  Sicka- 
foose married  Miss  Isabelle,  daughter  of 
George  and  Catherine  (Ran)  Slusser,  who 
were  among  the  early  pioneers  of  Hunting- 
ton county,  moving  here  from  Dayton. 
Ohio,  several  years  prior  to  the  arrival  of 
the  Sickafoose  family  and  settling  on  a 
farm  in  Warren  township.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Sickafoose  have  three  sons :  Milton,  who 
married  Ida  Gable  and  lives  in  Cleveland 
township ;  Gilbert,  a  farmer  of  Whitley 
county ;  and  Arthur,  who  is  still  a  member 
of  the  home  circle. 


GEORGE  A.  BOWERS. 

George  A.  Bowers,  a  retired  farmer  and 
business  man  and  veteran  of  the  Civil  war. 
was  born  near  the  city  of  Chambersburg, 
Franklin   county,    Pennsylvania.    September 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


793 


3 6,  1843,  the  son  of  James  and  Mary  C. 
Bowers,  natives  respectively  of  Maryland 
and  Pennsylvania.  James  Bowers  went  to 
Pennsylvania  when  a  young  man  and  for 
some  time  followed  the  vocation  of  farm- 
ing, later  coming  to  Wabash  county.  In- 
diana, where  his  death  occurred  in  1884,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-five  years. 

George  A.  Bowers  was  reared  in  his  na- 
tive state  and  there  remained  until  his 
twenty-first  year,  at  which  time  he  responded 
to  the  country's  call  for  volunteers,  enlisting 
in  February,  1863,  in  Company  D,  Twenty- 
first  Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  with  which 
he  served  until  1865,  during  which  time 
he  was  with  Sheridan's  command  in 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  took 
part  in  some  of  the  noted  battles  fought 
under  that  intrepid  leader.  He  partici- 
pated in  several  of  the  Virginia  cam- 
paigns and  at  one  time  while  bearing  dis- 
patches had  two  horses  shot  from  under 
liim,  besides  narrowly  escaping  death  in  a 
number  of  other  critical  and  dangerous  sit- 
uations. At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of 
service  Mr.  Bowers  returned  home  and  the 
following  year  (1866)  came  to  Indiana 
and  engaged  in  contracting  for  several 
lines  of  work  in  Wabash  county,  which  he 
•carried  on  during  the  ensuing  ten  years, 
meeting  with  encouraging  success.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  bought  a  farm  in  the 
same  county  and  resided  there  until  1888, 
when  he  changed  his  residence  to  Whitley 
county,  purchasing  his  present  homestead 
in  Cleveland  township,  where  he  devoted 
his  attention  to  agriculture  and  the  raising 
of  live  stock,  until  retiring  from  active  life 
six  years  later. 

Mr.    Bowers'    farm,    consisting'   of   one 


hundred  and  sixty  acres,  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  valuable  estates  in  the  town- 
ship and.  under  the  able  management  of 
his  son,  is  second  to  no  like  number  of  acres 
in  the  county  in  point  of  productiveness. 
Although  practically  leading  a  retired  life, 
Mr.  Bowers  still  retains  his  live  stock  inter- 
ests, in  which  he  has  been  more  than  ordi- 
narily successful,  devoting  especial  atten- 
tion to  the  raising  of  blooded  shorthorn 
cattle  and  Duroc-Jersey  hogs,  his  animals 
being  among  the  best  in  this  part  of  the 
state  and  yielding  him  every  year  a  liberal 
income.  In  his  business  affairs  he  has  al- 
ways exercised  sound  judgment  and  wise 
discretion  with  the  result  that  he  is  now 
financially  independent,  being  among  the 
solid  men  of  his  township  and  county  and 
ranking  as  a  public-spirited  citizen. 

In  1S65  Mr.  Bowers  married  Mary  J., 
daughter  of  James  and  Mary  (Warren) 
Hippensteel,  of  Pennsylvania,  the  union  re- 
sulting in  the  birth  of  seven  children :  James 
E..  who  lives  on  the  home  farm;  Edward, 
an  auctioneer  of  this  county ;  Ainsley,  a 
farmer  living  in  Wabash  county ;  Bertha, 
wife  of  Perry  L.  Bentz  (see  sketch  of  Mr. 
Bentz)  ;  Elizabeth,  who  married  Bert 
Myers  and  lives  in  Washington  township : 
and  Blanche,  now  Mrs.  Vernon  Warner, 
whose  home  is  in  Kosciusko  count}". 

Mr.  Bowers  manifests  an  abiding  in- 
terest in  public  and  political  affairs  and  as 
a  Republican  has  been  an  influential  party 
leader  in  the  township.  Besides  holding 
several  local  positions  of  minor  importance, 
he  was  for  three  years  a  member  of  the 
board  of  county  commissioners,  in  which 
capacity  he  rendered  valuable  service  that 
was   greatly   appreciated   by   the  people  of 


794 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


the  county.  He  is  a  comrade  of  the  Grand 
Arm}-  of  the  Republic  and  a  consistent 
member  of  the  United  Brethren  church. 
Mrs.  Bowers  died  December  22,  1906. 


JAMES  COLLETT. 


Aaron  Collett.  founder  of  the  family  of 
this  name  in  the  west,  was  a  Marylander 
who  came  to  Indiana  in  1840,  settled  in 
Wabash  county  and  died  there  in  1870. 
With  him  came  a  son  named  Abraham,  who 
located  in  Whitley  county  in  1871  but 
after  two  years'  residence  went  to  Kosci- 
usko count}-,  where  he  died  in  1883.  He 
married  Catherine  Ramsey  and  they  had 
three  children,  Aaron,  Angeline  and  James, 
the  latter  being  the  only  survivor.  James 
was  born  at  Liberty  Mills,  Wabash  county, 
Indiana,  November  12,  1841,  received  his 
early  training  under  excellent  home  influ- 
ences and  remained  with  his  parents  until 
the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war.  Ani- 
mated by  the  prevailing  patriotism,  he 
turned  his  back  upon  the  pleasant  scenes  of 
youth  and  went  forth  to  battle  for  his  coun- 
try's rights.  In  1861  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany E,  Forty-fourth  Regiment  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  with  which  he  served 
for  four  years  in  the  army  of  the  Tennes- 
see, participating  in  some  of  the  most  san- 
guinary engagements  of  the  war,  among 
the  most  noted  of  which  were  the  battles 
oi  Stone  River  and  Chickamauga,  besides 
all  the  "tliers  in  which  his  command  took 
part.  lie  earned  an  honorable  record  as 
a  brave  and  gallant  soldier  and  at  the  expi- 
ration  of   his  term   of  enlistment   returned 


home  and  resumed  the  peaceful  pursuits  of 
civil  life,  engaging  in  farming  with  his 
father  until  the  latter's  death.  Since  then 
he  has  carried  on  agriculture  and  stock 
raising  upon  his  own  account  and  his 
progress  has  been  steadily  forward  until 
he  now  occupies  a  prominent  place  among" 
the  leading  men  of  his  calling,  not  only  in 
Whitley  county  but  in  the  northeastern  part 
of  the  state.  Mr.  Collett's  realty  at  the 
present  time  amounts  to  three  hundred  and 
thirty-three  acres  of  fine  land  in  Cleveland 
township,  two  hundred  of  which  are  in  cul- 
tivation and  highly  improved,  being  well 
drained  and  containing  some  of  the  best 
buildings  in  the  community.  As  a  raiser  of 
fine  stock  Mr.  Collett  enjoys  much  more  than: 
local  repute,  his  breeds  of  Aberdeen  cattle, 
Poland-China  and  Duroc-Jersey  hogs  and 
thoroughbred  Shropshire  sheep  being  sec- 
ond to  none  in  this  section  of  Indiana,  while 
as  a  farmer  he  stands  in  the  first  rank,  cul- 
tivating the  soil  after  the  most  approved 
methods  and  keeping  abreast  of  the  times 
on  all  matters  relating  to  the  science  of  agri- 
culture. On  his  place  is  also  one  of  the  larg- 
est and  best  sugar  groves  in  Whitley 
county,  containing  over  four  hundred  fine 
maple  trees,  the  proceeds  of  which  add  very 
materially  to  his  income.  He  has  all  the 
modern  devices  for  the  manufacture  of  a 
superior  grade  of  syrup,  which  he  disposes 
of  in  large  quantities,  not  only  to  private 
customers  hut  in  the  local  markets,  where 
it  always  commands  a  high  price. 

Mr.  Collett  is  a  Republican  but  not  a 
partisan  in  the  sense  of  aspiring  to  office. 
As  a  citizen  he  is  energetic  and  public  spir- 
ited, having  great  faith  in  the  future  pos- 
sibilities of  his  county  and  state  and  confi- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


795 


dence  in  the  rectitude  of  his  fellowmen.  In 
brief,  he  is  an  optimist,  who  always  looks 
on  the  bright  side  and  to  the  extent  of  his 
ability  he  encourages  all  enterprises  having 
for  their  object  the  material,  social  and 
moral  welfare  of  the  community. 

In  1865  Mr.  Collett  married  Miss  Susan, 
daughter  of  George  and  Sarah  (Williams) 
Moore,  and  they  have  five  children :  Lizzie 
B.,  wife  of  John  Jordan,  of  Kosciusko 
county ;  Charles  E.  died  in  childhood ;  Ada 
Catherine,  now  Mrs.  Alex  Havens,  of 
Cleveland  township ;  Lula,  deceased,  and 
an  infant  that  died  unnamed.  Mr.  Collett 
and  wife  are  members  of  the  Christian 
church. 


DAVID  V.   WHITELEATHER. 

David  V.  Whiteleather,  the  oldest  of  a 
family  of  eight  children  and  the  son  of  John 
Firestone  and  Mary  (Walter)  Whiteleather, 
was  born  on  a  farm  in  Coluumbiana  county, 
Ohio,  on  December  4,  1866.  The  father  of 
David  V.  Whiteleather  was  the  only  son 
of  David  Whiteleather  and  Elizabeth  (Fire- 
stone) Whiteleather.  and  his  mother  was 
a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Catharine 
(Smith)  Walter.  His  parents  were  born 
and  raised  in  Columbiana  county,  Ohio. 
John  Firestone  Whiteleather  died  in  1897,  at 
the  age  of  fifty-six  years.  Except  while 
serving  his  country  as  a  soldier  in  the  Union 
army  dining  the  Civil  war,  he  lived  on  the 
farm  and  was  engaged  in  farming'  and 
teaching-,  having  taught  more  than  forty 
terms  of  school. 

David  V.  Whiteleather  was  reared  on 
a  farm,  attended  the  district  schools,  in  1883 


received  a  teacher's  license  and  began  teach- 
ing. During  the  following  six  years  he 
taught  district  schools  in  Stark  and  Colum- 
biana counties,  Ohio.  In  the  summer  vaca- 
tions he  attended  the  Northwestern  Ohio 
University  at  Ada  and  Mount  Union  Col- 
lege at  Alliance,  Ohio.  In  1889  he  was  se- 
lected as  principal  of  the  schools  at  Larwill, 
in  Whitley  county,  and  as  a  consequence 
became  a  resident  of  Indiana.  During  the 
time  when  these  schools  were  not  in  ses- 
sion Mr.  Whiteleather  was  reading  law  in 
the  offices  of  P.  H.  Clugston  and  E.  K. 
Strong,  of  Columbia  City.  In  1894  he  suc- 
cessfully passed  the  examination  for  admis- 
sion to  practice  and  at  the  September  term 
of  the  Whitley  circuit  court  was  sworn  in 
and  registered  as  one  of  the  members  of  the 
Whitley  county  bar.  In  January,  1901, 
he  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  supreme 
court  of  the  state  of  Indiana  and  in  the  dis- 
trict courts  of  the  United  States.  January 
1,  1S95.  Ivers  W.  Leonard  and  Mr.  White- 
leather  formed  a  partnership  to  engage  in 
the  general  practice  of  law  in  Columbia 
City,  Indiana,  which  partnership  continued 
for  about  three  years,  when  Mr.  Leonard 
moved  to  Fort  Wayne.  In  1899  a  partner- 
ship for  the  practice  of  law  was  formed  by 
Thomas  Gallivan  and  Mr.  Whiteleather. 
They  continued  as  partners  in  Columbia 
City  until  January  1,  1903.  when  Mr.  Galli- 
van withdrew  from  the  firm  and  moved  to 
Parma.  Missouri.  At  the  time  of  this  disso- 
lution a  partnership  was  formed  by  Hon. 
Benton  E.  Gates  and  Mr.  Whiteleather  un- 
der the  firm  name  and  style  of  Gates  & 
Whiteleather,  for  the  general  practice  of 
law  in  the  state  of  Indiana,  which  partner- 
ship is  in  existence  at  present.     In  1896  Mr_ 


796 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Whiteleather  was  appointed  deputy  prose- 
cuting attorney  for  Whitley  county,  Indi- 
ana, by  Hon.  Samuel  E.  Alvord.  of  Albion, 
prosecuting  attorney  for  the  thirty-third 
judicial  district  of  Indiana.  In  1898  he  was 
elected  prosecuting  attorney  of  Noble  and 
Whitley  counties,  was  re-elected  in  1900  and 
served  until  January  1,   1903. 

June  20,  1895,  Mr.  Whiteleather  mar- 
ried Miss  Katura  H.,  daughter  of  William 
and  Catharine  ( Hassler)  Essick,  of  Co- 
lumbiana county,  Ohio.  They  have  had 
four  children:  Dorothy  Velma,  John  W., 
Hazel  Glenn  and  Katura  E.,  who  died  in 
1902,  at  the  age  of  eight  months.  Mrs. 
Whiteleather  is  a  member  of  and  an  active 
worker  in  the  Grace  Lutheran  church,  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Order  of  the  Eastern 
Star  and  Ben  Hur  Lodge  at  Columbia  City, 
Indiana.  Mr.  Whiteleather  is  a  member  of 
the  following  fraternal  orders :  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons,  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  T.  B.  H.  and  Order  of  Eastern 
Star. 


ALEXANDER  MORE. 

The  gentleman  whose  brief  story  is 
herewith  presented  is  one  of  the  oldest  liv- 
ing settlers  of  Whitley  county  and  one 
whom  to  know  is  to  respect  and  honor.  He 
is  a  native  of  Miami  county,  Ohio,  where 
his  birth  occurred  April  6,  1833,  being  the 
son  of  John  W.  and  Mary  (Speer)  More, 
who  were  also  born  in  that  state,  he  of 
German  and  she  of  Irish  descent.  John 
\\  ,'s  grandather,  John,  was  a  German  who 
came  to  Virginia,  where  he  became  a  tiller 
■of  the  soil,  his  death  finally  resulting  from 


accident.  One  son,  John  More,  was  bound 
out  to  a  Mr.  Whip,  who  took  him  to  New 
Jersey,  where  the  boy  was  reared.  He  mar- 
ried Sarah  Gandy  in  Virginia  and  about 
1792  went  with  his  family  down  the  Ohio 
river  in  a  flatboat  from  Pittsburg  to  Cin- 
cinnati, settling  on  a  farm  near  Dayton, 
where  he  remained  for  twenty  years.  He 
served  under  General  Wayne  against  the 
Indians  in  this  region  in  the  war  of  1812. 
He  also  bought  and  improved  a  fine  farm 
in  Miami  county,  Ohio,  where  he  died  at  an 
advanced  age.  John  W.  More  was  the  sev- 
enth in  his  family  of  ten.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-one  he  married  Mary  Speer  and  in 
the  fall  of  1834  came  to  Whitley  county, 
entering  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
heavily  timbered  land.  He  brought  his  fam- 
ily a  few  years  later  and  in  due  time  devel- 
oped a  good  farm,  experiencing  many  of 
the  hardships  of  the  pioneer.  The  old  home 
is  near  the  center  of  what  is  now  Smith 
township  and  with  additions  of  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  became  one  of  the  larg- 
est farms  in  the  county.  In  1855  he  sold 
and  purchased  eighty  acres  in  Union  town- 
ship, to  which  he  later  added  eighty  acres. 
His  death  occurred  August  13,  1877,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-seven,  being  survived 
five  years  by  his  companion  who  was  eighty- 
one. 

They  had  four  children  to  reach  matur- 
ity: Sarah  Ann,  who  married  Andrew 
Briggs.  both  deceased ;  Alexander,  Wil- 
liam C. ;  and  Huldah,  deceased.  Alexander 
More  has  lived  in  Whitley  county  for  more 
than  seventy  years.  He  attended  the  first 
school  in  Smith  township,  the  building  be- 
ing a  deserted  log  cabin,  the  teacher  an  old 
educated    Irishman    bv   the   name   of    Tohn 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


797 


Strain.  He  assisted  his  father  until  twenty- 
three  years  of  age,  though  meantime  he 
taught  two  terms  and  then  commenced 
farming  the  homestead  for  himself.  Ifi 
1856  he  went  to  Davis  county,  Missouri, 
where  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  prairie,  which  he  improved.  In 
i860  he  made  a  trip  to  Pike's  Peak,  but 
after  a  summer  spent  prospecting  returned 
the  same  year,  disposed  of  his  farm  and 
moved  back  to  Whitley  county.  Mr.  More 
then  engaged  in  carpenter  work  and  farm- 
ing, renting  the  old  homestead  in  1864.  In 
1869  he  bought  one  hundred  and  ninety 
acres  of  land  in  Union  township.  He  erect- 
ed a  fine  brick  house  and  substantial  out- 
buildings, besides  making  other  extensive 
improvements,  his  farm  now  being  among 
the  most  beautiful  and  attractive  rural 
homes  in  the  county.  His  business  has 
since  been  wholly  in  connection  with  this 
farm,  now  consisting  of  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres. 

November  9,  1855,  Air.  More  was  mar- 
ried to  Elizabeth  Jane  Nickey,  of  Ross 
county,  Ohio,  the  union  resulting  in  the  fol- 
lowing named  children :  William  A.,  a 
fruit  grower  in  Allegan  county,  Michigan ; 
Agnes,  wife  of  John  Lynch,  of  Whitley 
county;  Hubert  A.,  who  manages  the  home 
farm;  Mary  W.,  wife  of  Alexander  Knise- 
ley  in  Wnitley  county;  John,  -an  electrical 
engineer  of  Davenport,  Iowa,  and  Jacob  N., 
deceased.  At  about  thirty  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  civil  engineering  at  Purdue  Uni- 
versity and  practiced  in  Kansas  City. 

Mr.  More  is  one  of  the  best  known  men 
of  the  county,  which  he  has  helped  trans- 
form into  one  of  the  most  progressive  re- 
gions of  northern  Indiana.  He  has  ever  man- 


ifested a  lively  interest  in  matters  political 
and  as  a  Republican  has  been  influential  in 
a  number  of  hotly  contested  campaigns. 
Having  given  spiritualism  careful  investi-' 
gation,  with  views  emphasized  by  personal 
experience,  which  have  thoroughly  verified 
the  correctness  of  his  opinions,  he  has  for 
many  years  been  a  thorough  believer  in  the 
future  state  as  exemplified  in  teachings  of 
the  leaders  of  spiritualism. 

A  few  additional  particulars  about  the 
children  will  prove  of  interest.  Jacob  N. 
was  an  unusually  promising  young  man, 
highly  talented  in  his  profession  and  en- 
joyed the  brightest  prospects  as  superin- 
tendent of  a  large  electric  manufacturing 
company  when  cut  off  in  his  prime.  Hubert 
A.,  who  has  operated  the  homestead  for  six 
years,  exhibits  unusual  qualities  as  a  prac- 
tical agriculturist.  He  married  Lizzie, 
daughter  of  Isaac  Sheafer,  of  Fort  Wayne, 
Indiana,  and  has  two  children,  Homer  E. 
and  Ethel  R.  John  graduated  in  the  elec- 
trical engineering  department  at  Purdue, 
also  spent  a  year  at  Princeton  LJniversity 
and  was  then  retained  for  six  years  as  pro- 
fessor of  electrical  engineering.  Previous 
to  this  he  had  installed  a  street  car  system 
at  Davenport,  Iowa,  and  while  there  mar- 
ried Stella  White,  of  that  city,  where  for 
nine  years  he  has  held  the  position  of  city 
electrician.  Mary  W.  became  one  of  the 
best  known  educators  in  Whitley  county, 
where  she  taught  for  over  twenty  terms. 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Jane  More,  mother  of  this 
bright  family,  was  the  daughter  of  Jacob 
Nickey,  a  pioneer  of  Smith  township,  and 
was  about  four  years  old  when  brought 
from  Ohio  by  her  parents.  Her  only  sur- 
viving: brother  is  Dr.  Allen  S.   Nickev,  of 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Tipton,  Indiana.  Her  half-brother,  Wil- 
liam Sylvester  Nickey,  is  still  on  the  old 
family  homestead   in   Smith  township. 


CHARLES    E.    LANCASTER. 

The  family  of  this  name  in  Whitley 
count}-  traces  its  ancestry  to  the  famous 
"eastern  shore"  in  the  state  made  famous 
by  Charles  Carroll  and  other  worthies  of 
the  Revolution.  It  was  in  1787  that  Aaron 
Lancaster  was  born  in  Maryland  of  poor 
but  respectable  parents  who,  like  himself, 
were  lifelong  members  of  the  historic  Soci- 
ety of  Friends.  In  youth  he  was  appren- 
ticed to  the  shoemaker's  trade  in  Baltimore, 
but  after  removing  to  Wheeling,  West  Vir- 
ginia, in  1837,  he  engaged  in  coopering  on 
a  large  scale,  at  one  time  employing  a  thou- 
sand men.  He  continued  in  this  line  of 
business  with  varying  fortunes  until  his 
death  in  1867.  Before  leaving  Maryland 
he  had  married  Martha  Williams,  also  a 
native  of  that  state,  and  their  son,  Thomas 
E.  Lancaster,  was  born  there  June  12,  1826. 
He  was  eleven  years  of  age  when  the  fam- 
ily removed  to  Wheeling,  where  he  was  con- 
nected with  his  father's  cooperage  estab- 
lishment until  1857.  In  this  year  he  was 
ordained  as  a  minister  in  the  Methodist 
Protestant  church  and  labored  with  that 
denomination  in  West  Virginia  until  1862, 
when  lie  joined  the  Indiana  conference  and 
filled  numerous  important  appointments  in 
this  state  during  the  succeeding  thirty-four 
years.  In  all  he  had  served  mure  than  half 
a  century,  when  advancing  years  compelled 
him  to  retire  in    1896.     In  early  manhood 


he  married  Mary  J.  Talbert.  who  was  born 
in  West  Virginia,  January  10,  1832.  Her 
parents,  John  and  Nancy  Jane  Talbert,  were 
farmers  in  Wrest  Virginia  until  1885,  when 
they  removed  to  Kansas  and  there  ended 
their  careers.  The  venerable  minister  and 
his  wife  are  at  present  living  in  quiet  retire- 
ment in  a  comfortable  home  at  Columbia 
City.  They  had  seven  children :  James  B., 
who  died  in  infancy :  Thomas  Edward,  who 
died  at  thirty-two ;  John  William,  who  died 
in  infancy ;  Francis  Pierpoint.  who  died 
when  twenty-one  years  old;  Charles  E., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Louis  M.,  died 
in  infancy;  Harry  F.,  in  the  dry  goods 
business  at  Columbia  City. 

Charles  E.  Lancaster,  fifth  of  his  fa- 
ther's children,  was  bom  in  Henry  county. 
Indiana,  December  16,  1863,  and  as  he  grew 
up  was  temporarily  resident  in  various  com- 
munities as  the  itinerant  system  of  the 
church  transferred  his  father  from  place  to 
place.  In  the  meantime  he  attended  the 
common  schools,  besides  taking  courses  in 
the  high  school  at  Muncie  and  in  Franklin 
College.  In  1881  he  came  to  Whitley 
county,  secured  a  position  in  the  general 
store  of  George  W.  Maxwell  at  Churubusco 
and  remained  there  about  ten  years.  "1  lie 
interest  held  by  his  brother  Edward  was 
purchased  by  Charles  E.  after  the  death  of 
the  former  and  in  1893  he  removed  the  es- 
tablishment to  Columbia  City,  where  it  has 
since  been  a  fixture.  '  In  addition  to  this 
line  of  dry  goods,  carpets  and  cloaks,  Mr. 
Lancaster  owns  the  Vandalia  elevator  and 
deals  extensively  in  grain  and  seeds.  He 
became  quite  prominent  as  a  citizen  during 
his  residence  at  Churubusco,  serving  as 
clerk  and  treasurer  of  the  town,  and  since 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


799 


coming"  to  Columbia  City  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  council.  Having  become  generally 
known  over  the  county  and  being  influen- 
tial in  Republican  party  circles,  he  had  little 
difficulty  in  securing  the  nomination  as  can- 
didate for  auditor  in  1902,  was  elected  that 
fall  and  entered  office  on  January  1.  1903. 
Having'  completed  his  four  years'  term,  he 
retired  January  1,  1907,  with  the  good  will 
of  everybody  and  the  plaudit  so  much 
sought  for  by  conscientious  men  of  "well 
done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant." 

October  18,  1887,  Mr.  Lancaster  mar- 
ried Miss  Emma,  daughter  of  Samuel  F. 
and  Fanny  Barr,  residents  of  Churubusco, 
where  Mrs.  Lancaster  was  born  in  1873. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lancaster  have  two  children : 
Freda,  born  in  1894,  and  Gail,  born  in  1898. 
They  also  adopted  the  son  of  Mr.  Lan- 
caster's brother  Edward,  who  was  eighteen 
months  old  at  the  time  of  his  father's  death 
and  has  been  reared  as  a  member  of  the 
family.  Mr.  Lancaster's  fraternal  relations 
are  with  the  Masonic  order.  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  the  Modern  Woodmen.  He 
and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church. 


CARL  EDWARD  LILLICH. 

George  and  Mercy  (Glotzbager)  Lillich 
were  married  in  Wertenberg.  Germany,  and 
emigrated  to  Ohio  in  1852  and  in  1865  re- 
moved to  Columbia  City.  Though  a  cooper 
and  weaver  he  was  here  employed  as  a  com- 
mon laborer  until  his  death  in  1886,  his 
wife  surviving  sixteen  years.  But  two  of 
their  children  are  living,  John  Melvin  be- 
ing a  tailor  at  Fort  Wayne. 


Carl  Edward  Lillich  was  born  in  Wayne 
county,  Ohio,  April  28,  1863.     At  the  age 
of   twelve    he   began   to   learn    the   baker's 
trade  and   worked   as   a   journeyman   until 
1893,  when  he  opened  business  on  his  own 
account    and    has    continued    actively    ever 
since.      He   started   the   first   bread   wagon 
ever  seen  in  Columbia  City  and  did  his  own 
driving,  selling  only  the  product  of  his  own 
bakery.     Though  the  business  has  increased 
so  as  to  justify  the  employment  of  two  as- 
sistants Mr.  Lillich  still  persists  in  attend- 
ing personally  to  his  customers.     He  enjoys 
an  excellent  trade  and  supplies  everything 
usually   found   in  first-class   establishments, 
including  plain  and  fancy  baking.     Mr.  Lil- 
lich is  best  known  from  his  connection  with 
the  volunteer  fire  department,  which  has  ex- 
isted  fifteen    years   and    of   which    he    was 
made   chief   six   years   ago.     He   has   been 
a  member  of  the  hook  and  ladder  company 
for  fifteen  years  and  for  three  or  four  years 
has  been  foreman.     There  are  twenty  men 
in  the  hose  and  twenty  in  the  hook  and  lad- 
der company,  making  an  efficient  fire  fight- 
ing force.     Mr.  Lillich  is  a  Democrat  but 
no  politician,   though   he   served   ten   years 
on  the  board  of  health.     He  is  a  trustee  in 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 

September  28,  1886,  Mr.  Lillich  was 
married  to  Miss  Elizabeth,  daughter  of 
John  Taupert.  a  machinist  of  Columbia 
City,  and  they  have  one  son,  John  Edward, 
aged  seven.  One  daughter  died  in  infancy. 
Mr.  Lillich  resides  on  the  same  lot  where 
bis  parents  settled  when  they  first  came  to 
Columbia  City  and  which  has  been  his  con- 
stant home  for  over  forty-two  years.  He 
has  built  a  new  house  near  the  old  one  and 
finds  greatest  enjoyment  while  entertaining 
friends   at   his   own   fireside. 


Soo 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


.MARCUS  GILLESPIE. 

The  Gillespie  family  is  not  only  patri- 
otic, but  has  the  courage  of  its  convictions. 
The  paternal  grandfather  came  to  this  coun- 
try before  the  Revolutionary  war  and  when 
the  struggle  came  on  he  enlisted  for  the  in- 
dependence and  equality  of  man.  His  son 
Menzes  continued  the  brave  record  as  a 
soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  and  thus  both 
offered  the  greatest  sacrifice  possible  for  a 
man  to  make  in  behalf  of  his  country — their 
lives  as  soldiers.  Marcus  Gillespie  is  a  na- 
tive of  Blendon  township,  Franklin  county, 
Ohio,  where  he  was  born  October  19,  1821. 
His  parents,  Menzes  and  Chloe  (Phelps) 
Gillespie,  were  born  in  Windsor,  Connecti- 
cut, the  father  in  1796  and  mother  in  1799. 
They  came  to  Ohio  soon  after  the  war  of 
18 12,  where  they  lived  to  the  close  of  their 
lives,  the  mother's  death  occurring  in  1865 
and  the  father's  in  1846.  Seven  children 
were  born  to  them,  three  of  whom  are  stiU 
living  and  all  over  seventy  years  of  age. 
Marcus  came  to  Indiana  in  1847  and  settled 
on  Indian  Creek  in  Jefferson  township  on 
what  was  called  the  old  Raccoon  road, 
named  after  Chief  Raccoon's  village.  He 
cleared  land  and  built  a  cabin,  where  he 
lived  five  years  clearing  and  farming.  In 
1852  he  sold  his  place  and  purchased  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  which 
he  still  lives.  He  built  a  cabin  and  applied 
himself  energetically  in  clearing  and  improv- 
ing his  farm  until  it  was  a  very  desirable 
place,  with  good  buildings  and  all  the  mod- 
ern conveniences.  It  is  stocked  with  a  good 
breed  of  hogs  and  Durham  cattle. 

He    was    married    in     1846    to    Anna, 
daughter  of  Abner  Parks,  who  came  from 


New  jersey  to  Ohio,  where  he  lived  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days.  Mr.  Parks  was  a  shoe- 
maker by  trade,  which  at  that  time  was  a 
good  one  and  profitable  as  well.  Eleven  chil- 
dren were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gillespie, 
three  of  whom  are  still  living:  Mary  mar- 
ried Samuel  Swain,  attorney  and  real  estate 
dealer  of  Fort  Wayne.  Arthur  married 
Barbara  Howenstine  and  resides  on  the 
farm  adjoining  his  father's.  Morton  mar- 
ried Ina  Smith,  lives  in  Fort  Wayne  and  is 
employed  in  the  Orphans'  Home  of  Allen 
county. 

The  industry  and  frugality  of  Mr.  Gil- 
lespie have  brought  a  competency  for  inde- 
pendence and  comfort  in  old  age.  In  early 
life,  he  was  a  Whig,  voting  for  Clay,  Tay- 
lor and  Scott,  but  since  the  formation  of  the 
Republican  party  he  has  given  it  earnest 
support.  A  grandson  enjoys  a  lease  of  the- 
old  home  farm. 


SYLVANUS  KOONTZ.  M.  D. 

A  farmer  in  youth,  a  druggist  in  later 
years  and  a  practicing  physician  for  more 
than  thirty  years,  Sylvanis  Koontz  has  led 
an  unusually  active  life  during  his  exist- 
ence of  more  than  three  score  years.  He  has 
attained  success  financially,  but  what  is  bet- 
ter, has  made  many  friends  and  had  his 
share  of  enjoyments  as  he  went  along,  hav- 
ing the  satisfaction  also  of  knowing  that 
he  had  contributed  his  share  in  developing 
the  communities  where  his  business  called 
him  to  reside.  His  parents,  first  of  the 
name  known  in  this  section  of  Indiana,  were 
Baltzer   and   Susanna    (Whistler)    Koontz, 


MARCUS  GILLESPIE. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


who  were  natives  of  Stark  county,  Ohio, 
but  left  there  in  1853  to  seek  a  new  home 
in  Huntington  county  in  this  state.  Re- 
maining there  until  the  following  spring, 
they  removed  to  Whitley  county  and  settled 
on  a  farm  in  Washington  township.  They 
spent  many  years  in  cultivation  of  the  farm, 
which  came  into  their  possession  in  1854, 
and  both  reached  an  advanced  age  before 
the  final  summons  came,  he  being  eighty- 
four  and  she  eighty-seven.  Sylvanus 
Koontz,  now  the  well  known  physician,  was 
the  youngest  of  fourteen  children  born  of 
this  worthy  pioneer  couple.  His  birth  oc- 
curred in  Stark  county,  Ohio,  May  25, 
1844,  and  he  was  about  ten  years  old  when 
his  family  removed  to  Whitley  county.  He 
worked  on  the  farm  until  his  eighteenth 
year,  when  be  became  a  Union  soldier,  en- 
listing in  Company  I,  Fifty-fourth  Regi- 
ment Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  October 
27,  1862.  He  served  with  this  command 
fourteen  months,  until  the  expiration  of  his 
enlistment,  but  in  October,  1864,  became  a 
member  of  Company  G,  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-second  Regiment .  Indiana  Volunteer 
Infantry,  with  which  command  he  contin- 
ued to  serve  until  the  close  of  hostilities. 
At  Vicksburg  he  was  slightly  wounded  in 
the  hand  by  a  fragment  of  shell,  but  escaped 
other  injury. 

Returning  to  his  old  home  after  the  war, 
the  youthful  soldier  concluded  to  resume 
his  education  and  to  this  end  applied  him- 
self in  the  common  schools  and  the  academy 
at  Roanoke  for  two  years,  working  at  the 
carpenter's  trade  in  the  summer  season.  In 
1869  he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine,  and 
graduating  from  the  Fort  Wayne  Medical 
College  began  the  practice  of  his  profession 

51 


at  Laud  in  the  fall  of  1872.  He  removed 
to  Roanoke  in  the  fall  of  1887,  which  has 
since  been  the  scene  of  his  professional 
work.  During  seven  years  of  his  residence 
at  this  place  he  was  engaged  in  the  drug- 
business.  In  1890  he  was  married  to  Mo- 
rilla  J.  Haley,  a  native  of  Holmes  county, 
Ohio,  where  she  was  born  in  1843.  His 
wife  died  at  Laud  April  26,  1876.  and  Dr. 
Koontz  took  for  his  second  wife  Adelaide 
M.  Kirkpatrick,  a  native  of  Summit  county, 
Ohio.  By  this  second  union  there  were 
four  children :  Jessie,  a  professional  nurse ; 
Chafee,  Eldon,  who  died  when  six  months 
of  age,  and  Hug'h,  who  was  killed  at  Ro- 
anoke when  nine  years  of  age.  Dr.  Koontz 
is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  and  of  Laud  Post  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic. 


DAVID  SWAN  LINVILLE,  M.  D.. 

Was  born  at  Columbia  City  May  21, 
1862.  He  graduated  from  the  high  school 
and  attended  two  years  at  the  Wesleyan  Uni- 
versity, Delaware,  Ohio.  After  teaching  for 
two  years  he  entered  medical  college,  grad- 
uating in  the  class  of  1886  and  shortly 
thereafter  joined  his  father  in  practice.  In 
the  war  with  Spain  the  Doctor  was  mustered 
into  the  United  States  service  as  first  lieu- 
tenant, being  named  inspector  of  rifle  prac- 
tice. He  went  with  his  company  to  Cuba 
and  at  the  close  of  hostilities  was  discharged 
with  the  command  at  Savannah,  Georgia, 
April  26,  1899.  Dr.  Linvill  returned  to  his 
practice  with  renewed  zest.  In  addition  to 
his  regular  office  practice  he  was  retained 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


as  surgeon  by  two  lines  of  railway.  The 
I.invill  family  have  displayed  taste  and  tal- 
ent for  medicine,  and  none  have  displayed 
this  in  a  more  marked  degree  than  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch.  His  activity  in  his  pro- 
fession is  further  displayed  by  his  member- 
ship in  various  associations,  including  the 
American  Medical.  State  Medical,  Tri- 
State.  Tri-County,  Twelfth  District  and 
County  Medical.  He  also  holds  member- 
ship in  the  National  Association  of  Railway 
Surgeons  and  is  secretary  of  the  United 
States  board  of  pension  examiners :  nor  are 
his  activities  confined  to  matters  strictly 
professional.  He  is  prominent  in  various 
fraternal  orders,  including  the  Masonic,  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Modern  Woodmen, 
Order  of  Ben  Hur,  Royal  Arcanum  and 
Elks.  He  believes  in  the  strenuous  life,  en- 
joys out-door  sports  and  is  fund  of  a  vaca- 
tion in  the  North  Woods,  where  there  is  a 
chance  for  big  game.  Dr.  Linvill  justly 
deserves  and  all  accord  him  the  title  of  a 
progressive  citizen.  Prominent  profes- 
sionally and  socially  no  resident  of  Whit- 
lev  county  is  more  widely  known. 

In  June,  1887.  Dr.  Linvill  was  married 
to  Lorena  Hemmice.  by  whom  lie  had  one 
daughter,  Elbertine.  who  died  in  childhood, 
the  mother  passing  away  a  few  months 
thereafter.  June  13.  1897,  Dr.  Linvill  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Maud  Thomp- 
son, of  Wabash. 


GEORGE  BOYD. 


This  gentleman,  at  present  living  in  Co- 
lumbia City,  has  led  an  active  life  in  various 


lines  of  business.  As  a  farmer,  a  carpenter. 
saloonkeeper,  meat  dealer  and  finally  in  his 
present  employment;  Mr.  Boyd  has  had  an 
unusually  good  training  as  an  all-around 
man  of  affairs.  His  parents.  Alexander  and 
Elizabeth  (Densmore)  Boyd,  moved  from 
Pennsvlvania  to  Whitley  county  in  1844, 
when  this  section  was  little  better  than  a 
wilderness.  They  took  up  eighty  acres  of 
woodland  in  Union  township  which,  by  dint 
of  hard  work  and  the  privations  customary 
with  the  pioneers,  the)'  converted  it  into  a 
good  farm  and  comfortable  home,  where 
they  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives,  the 
father  passing  away  in  his  eighty-second 
year  and  his  wife  at  the  ripe  old  age  of 
eighty-five.  They  reared  a  family  of  sev- 
eral children,  all  but  one  of  whom  are  still 
living  in  widely  scattered  parts  of  the  coun- 
try. James,  the  eldest,  is  a  farmer  in  Union 
township,  and  John,  the  second  child,  fol- 
lows the  same  occupation  in  Missouri.  Eliz- 
abeth married  Wilson  Reiser,  of  Jefferson 
township,  and  Nancy  J.  is  a  resident  of 
Ohio.  Martha  is  the  wife  of  James  Graves, 
of  Smith  township,  and  Hettie,  who  mar- 
ried Henry  Graves,  died  in  middle  life. 
George  Bovd  was  born  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  Whitley  county  February  2.  1853. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  left  the  farm  to  en- 
gage in  the  carpenter  trade  and  followed 
that  occupation  for  several  years.  Subse- 
quently he  was  engaged  in  the  saloon  and 
meat  business  at  Columbia  City  and  contin- 
ued in  this  line  until  May.  1906,  when  he 
embarked  in  the  livery  business.  He  occu- 
pies the  main  building  thirty-four  by  fifty, 
with  an  annex  twenty-five  by  thirty-five, 
keeps  from  eight  to  twelve  horses  and  a  full 
assortment    of    first-class    rigs    of    various 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


803 


styles.  He  also  buys  and  sells  horses  and  in 
even"  way  conducts  an  up-to-date  livery 
business. 

In  May,  1888.  Mr.  Boyd  was  married 
to  Lizzie,  daughter  of  William  Geisler.  of 
Whitley  county.  They  have  had  two  chil- 
dren, Ruth,  who  is  a  school  girl,  and  Esther, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Boyd  may  be  described  as  a  Demo- 
crat with  independent  notions.  He  is  fond 
•of  out-doors  sport,  especially  hunting,  and 
takes  an  interest  in  training  dogs,  of  which 
lie  owns  some  that  are  fine  and  well-bred. 
Pretty  much  everybody  in  Columbia  City 
and  many  throughout  the  country  know 
George  Boyd  and  it  is  not  too  much  to  say 
that  all  who  know  him  like  him. 


J.  WILLIAM  C.  SCOTT.  M.  D. 

Among  the  emigrants  who  came  from 
Scotland  to  the  United  States  in  1799  was 
Robert  Scott,  a  sturdy,  self-reliant  young 
man  anxious  to  make  a  career  for  himself 
in  the  infant  republic  of  the  western  world. 
He  settled  in.  Pennsylvania  and  lived  there 
until  1825,  when  he  determined  to  move 
farther  west,  and  mounting  his  horse 
rode  across  mountains  and  through 
forests  until  he  reached  Fayette  county. 
Ohio.  He  entered  land  and  spent  the 
rest  of  his  life  in  developing  a  farm, 
where  he  reared  a  family  and  died  in 
1858.  In  early  manhood  he  had  married 
Mary  Elgin,  by  whom  he  had  five  children. 
Joseph,.  Margaret,  Mary,  Sarah  and  James 
E..  Sarah  being  the  sole  survivor.  The 
mother  passed  away   in    1868.     James   E., 


the  youngest,  was  born  November  29,  1821, 
and  remained  in  Fayette  county  until  1849, 
when  he  came  to  Whitley  county  and  settled 
on  two  hundred  acres  of  wild  land  in  Troy 
township  that  had  been  purchased  by  his 
father  from  the  government.  He  experi- 
enced the  usual  pioneer  hardships  and  inces- 
cessant  work  in  the  improvement  of  his 
farm,  which  he  cultivated  until  his  death, 
November  21,  1884,  and  left  an  estate  of 
several  hundred  acres.  Like  his  father,  he 
was  a  Democrat  and  a  stanch  adherent  of 
the  Presbyterian  church.  August  29,  1849, 
he  had  married  in  Ohio  Lydia  Jane  Cock- 
erill,  who  proved  a  loyal  and  devoted  wife 
and  self-sacrificing  mother.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  William  and  Phoebe  (Mooney) 
Cockerill,  natives  of  Virginia  and  of  Welsh 
extraction,  who  came  to  Fayette  county, 
Ohio,  in  the  early  years  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  "Race  suicide"  was  unknown  in 
those  days,  large  families  were  not  unusual 
and  that  of  the  Cockerills  ranked  well  to 
the  front  with  fifteen  children,  Elizabeth, 
Amelia.  Thomas,  William,  Samuel.  El- 
dridge,  Lucinda,  Mary  Ann,  James,  Lydia 
Jane,  Amanda,  Armanis,  Catherine,  Eliza 
and  Hannah.  Lydia  Jane,  the  tenth,  was 
born  in  Fayette  county,  Ohio,  September  1, 
1830,  and  has  survived  her  companion  al- 
most a  quarter  of  a  century,  living  with  her 
son.  Dr.  Scott.  The  Cockerills.  though 
originally  slaveholders  in  Virginia,  were 
not  in  accord  with  the  "peculiar  institution" 
and  sought  a  home  in  Ohio  to  be  where  it 
did  not  exist.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  E. 
Scott  had  three  children:  J.  William  C. 
Edward  N..  a  medical  student,  who  died  at 
twenty-three,  and  R.  R.,  of  Columbia  City, 
who  has  particular  mention  elsewhere. 


804 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


J.  William  C.  Scott  was  born  in  Troy 
township  April  6,  1853.  While  growing  up 
on  the  farm  he  had  the  training  usual  to 
boys  of  that  period.  He  learned  thoroughly 
the  meaning  of  hard  work  but  now  looks 
back  with  pleasure  to  the  time  when  experi- 
ences on  the  farm  were  mingled  with  many 
wholesome  pleasures.  Young  Scott  availed 
himself  of  the  schools  of  the  country  and 
later  spent  a  year  and  a  half  at  the  Valpa- 
raiso Normal  College,  preparing  to  teach 
and  to  this  occupation  his  attention  was  di- 
rected for  several  years.  He  took  a  course 
'in  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 
at  Keokuk,  which  was  supplemented  by  a 
course  in  Jefferson  Medical  College  at 
Philadelphia  after  having  practiced  one 
year.  In  1880,  to  use  a  colloquial  expres- 
sion, he  "hung  out  his  shingle"  in  the  little 
town  of  Etna,  which  has  since  been  the 
center  of  his  activities  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession.  Dr.  Scott  has  achieved  success 
as  a  physician,  is  popular  as  a  practitioner 
and  after  twenty-six  years  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the  ablest  members  of  the  profession 
in  the  county.  He  is  a  Mason,  a  Knight  of 
Pythias  and  a  member  of  the  WHiitley 
County  Medical  Association,  the  State  Med- 
ical Society  and  the  American  Medical  As- 
sociation. 

In  1882  Dr.  Scott  married  Mary  Jane, 
daughter  of  Dr.  Stephen  S.  Austin,  who 
was  born  in  Onondaga  county,  New  York, 
in  1821,  his  parents  being  Perigo  and  Sarah 
(Gray)  Austin,  of  Rhode  Island  and  Mas- 
sachusetts, respectively,  and  of  Welsh  and 
French  extraction.  For  a  number  of  years 
Mr.  Austin  taught  school  in  his  native  state, 
hut  in  1843  went  to  Laporte,  Indiana,  where 
he  entered  the  old  Indiana  Medical  Univer- 
sity,   reading   under    Meeker    and    Higday. 


After  his  graduation  in  1849  he  located  at 
Wolf  Lake,  Indiana,  where  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  Dr.  Elias  Jones,  but  in  the 
same  year  came  to  Etna,,  where  he  practiced 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  August  12, 
1884.  In  1847  he  married  Mary  Ranking, 
a  teacher  at  Laporte,  who  died  a  few  months 
later.  In  1852  he  married  Lavina  Jane 
Seelye,  by  whom  he  had  three  children  to 
reach  maturity :  Perry  G.,  Mary  Jane  and 
Nellie  G.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneer  prac- 
titioners of  northern  Indiana  and  one  whose 
practice  yielded  him  a  handsome  compe- 
tence. He  died  August  12,  1884,  his  widow 
surviving  in  1907.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Scott 
have  had  six  children :  Bertha  Imogene, 
wife  of  Arthur  Kelley,  of  Ligonier;  Mabel 
A.,  in  school  at  Crawfordsville;  Frances 
died  in  infancy ;  D'Maris  Marguerite,  Ron- 
ald Shirley  and  Robert  Hudson.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  own  children,  Dr.  Scott  has 
reared  Edward,  son  of  his  deceased  brother, 
who  graduated  from  Wabash  College  in 
1904. 


FRANKLIN  HUNT. 

No  man  in  Whitley  county  is  better 
known  or  more  highly  respected  than 
Franklin  Hunt,  who  is  not  only  a  pioneer 
himself  but  the  son  and  grandson  of  pio- 
neers. Charles  Hunt,  his  grandfather,  was 
born  in  Massachusetts  toward  the  close  of 
the  eighteenth  century,  went  to  North  Car- 
olina in  early  life,  where  he  married  a  Miss 
Bryan  and  came  with  her  to  Indiana  terri- 
tory as  far  back  as  1805.  He  settled  in 
Wayne  county,  where  he  built  the  first  mill 
and  was  actively  engaged  in  business  until 
his  death.    His  nine  children  were  Timothy, 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


James,  George,  John,  Stephen,  Smith, 
Charles,  Sarah  and  Catherine  Rebecca. 
Smith  Hunt  was  bom  in  North  Carolina 
and  married  in  Wayne  county  Elizabeth 
Lamb,  a  native  of  Kentucky.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  James  Lamb,  who  emigrated 
from  Scotland  about  the  time  of  the  revolu- 
tionary war  and  settled  in  Kentucky.  Smith 
Hunt  and  wife  spent  their  whole  lives  in 
eastern  Indiana  and  left  numerous  descend- 
ants. General  Harrison  made  Colonel  Hunt 
commander  of  the  Wayne  county  militia. 
His  ten  children  were  James  W.,  Lucina, 
Jane,  Monroe,  Catherine,  Frances,  Mary, 
Hannah,  Eliza,  Franklin,  Newton  and  Sa- 
rah E.  The  only  survivors  are  Lucina,  a 
resident  of  Wayne  county,  who  is  ninety 
years  old,  and  Franklin.  Two  sisters,  Cath- 
erine and  Frances  Mary,  were  wives  of 
Washington  Jones,  who  located  in  Etna 
township  in  1849,  improved  a  farm  and 
spent  their  lives  here.  His  son,  Oliver  P. 
Jones,  still  lives  in  Etna  township  on  part 
of  his  father's  homestead. 

Franklin  Hunt  was  born  February  22, 
1828,  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana.  He  re- 
mained with  his  father  until  1850.  when  he 
got  the  "gold  fever"  and  started  on  a  tedi- 
ous and  dangerous  overland  trip  to  Cali- 
fornia. The  trip  was  made  without  serious 
accidents  and  he  worked  there  at  mining 
a  year  and  a  half,  when  he  returned  to  Indi- 
ana. Some  years  previously  his  father  had 
entered  some  fourteen  quarter  sections  of 
land  in  Noble  county,  which  subsequently 
became  Etna  township  of  Whitley  county. 
In  1852  Mr.  Hunt  settled  on  part  of  this 
land,  as  his  .brother-in-law,  Washington 
Jones,  had  already  done,  and  has  remained 
there   ever  since.     At  one  time  he  owned 


about  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  acres, 
but  in  later  years  has  decreased  his  hold- 
ings. He  has  been  a  lifelong  Republican, 
always  active  in  the  public  affairs  of  the 
county. 

In  1853  Mr.  Hunt  married  Martha  Jane, 
daughter  of  Thomas  B.  and  Elizabeth 
(Chichester)  Long,  the  former  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  the  latter  a  native  of  Ohio.  They 
wrere  married  in  Ross  county,  Ohio,  where 
Mrs.  Hunt  was  born  July  10,  1834,  but  re- 
moved to  Whitley  county  in  1849  ar,d  sec~ 
tied  on  a  farm  near  that  of  Mr.  Hunt's, 
where  they  remained  the  rest  of  their  lives. 
He  died  when  past  ninety,  having  survived 
his  companion  about  twelve  years.  They  had 
three  children :  Martha  Jane.  John,  a  resi- 
dent of  Howard  county,  and  Margaret,  wife 
of  Perry  Cassel,  on  the  old  homestead.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hunt  have  had  twelve  children : 
Leigh  Smith  J.  Hunt,  the  well  known  miner 
and  millionaire  of  New  York,  who  married 
Jessie  Noble  and  has  two  children,  Henry 
and  Helen ;  Elizabeth  married  George 
Smith,  but  is  now  dead ;  Ellen  is  in  Tennes- 
see; Thomas  L.,  deceased;  Haskel  E.  mar- 
ried Emma  Firestone  and  is  in  Idaho ; 
Frances  M.,  wife  of  John  Dickerhoff,  of 
Ohio ;  James  W.  is  a  farmer  in  Etna,  but 
for  eight  years  has  been  with  his  brother  in 
Corea ;  Franklin  married  Eva  Scott  and 
lives  near  the  homestead ;  Homer  and  La- 
von  are  at  home;  Martha,  wife  of  Fred 
Kline,  lives  in  Pierceton ;  Minnie,  wife  of 
Edward  Kline,  lives  at  Cromwell.  Indiana : 
Catherine  J.,  wife  of  George  Bouse;  Fred 
N.  lives  on  the  Washington  Jones  home- 
stead. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hunt  are  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  church  and  he  has  served 
as  trustee  of  the  township. 


So6 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ALBERT  BUREL  TUCKER. 

There  are  few  people  in  Whitley  county 
win  i  have  not  heard  of  the  gentleman  whom 
we  are  now  to  briefly  consider.  Not  only 
has  he  been  a  long-time  resident,  but  an 
extensive  landowner,  a  breeder  and  dealer 
in  fine  stock,  and  of  much  more  than  ordi- 
nary importance  in  financial  affairs.  His 
ancestors  were  early  in  Rhode  Island,  some 
of  the  descendants  removing  to  New  York- 
soon  after  the  Revolution  and  settling  along 
the  historic  Hudson  and  in  a  region  made 
memorable  by  incidents  of  that  remarkable 
struggle. 

From  both  his  father's  and  mother's 
families.  Air.  Tucker  is  descended  from 
Colonial  and  Revolutionary  stock.  In  the 
eastern  part  of  the  country  his  forebears 
have  been  prominent  and  have  taken  active 
parts  in  the  life  and  business  of  their  commu- 
nities. His  grandfather,  Nathan  Tucker,  a 
Quaker,  who  was  a  victim  of  early  persecu- 
tion, was  born  at  New  Bedford,  Massachu- 
setts. The  family  is  descended  from  pure 
English  stock,  and  Nathaniel  Tucker,  of  the 
famous  "Tucker  House,"  a  place  visited  by 
many  tourists,  was  a  brother  of  the  great 
grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
The  family's  history  in  this  country  dates 
from  the  coming  of  three  brothers  from 
England  as  settlers  in  the  new  country. 
These  brothers  were  Nathaniel,  Jabez  and 
Joshua.  Mis  mother's  family  is  correspond- 
ingly illustrious.  His  maternal  great  grand- 
father came,  to  this  country  as  a  drummer 
boy  in  Burgoyne's  army.  Her  father, 
James  Parker,  was  born  in  Greenwich, 
Washington,  New  York,  November  29, 
1788.   He  served  as  a  captain  of  cavalry  in 


the  war  of  181 2,  was  a  deacon  in  the  Baptist: 
church,  which  at  that  time  had  a  member- 
ship of  about  seven  hundred,  and  died  Oc- 
tober 6,  1 85 1.  James  Parker  married 
Sarah  Weaver,  born  in  Providence,  Rhode- 
Island,  October  7,  1793.  and  twelve  chil- 
dren were  the  result  of  the  union.  All  grew 
to  maturity,  the  first  to  die  reaching  the  age 
of  forty-two  years.  Mrs.  Alanson  Tucker's 
grandfather,  Richard  Parker,  was  born  in 
Rhinebeck,  Duchess  county,  New  York, 
December  6,  1765.  He  served  as  a  soldier 
through  the  Revolutionary  war  enlisting  as 
a  drummer  boy  when  a  mere  youth.  After 
the  war  he  settled  in  Washington  county, 
New  York.  The  father  of  Mr.  Alanson 
Tucker  was  born  in  Greenwich,  February 
15,  1809.  He  was  married  to  Louisa. 
Teresa  Parker,  who  was  born  in  Argyle, 
New  York.  July  31,  1812,  and  who  died 
at  Etna.  Whitley  county.  Indiana,  November 
12.  1897. 

In  childhood  both  Anson  and  wife  were 
playmates  with  Chester  A.  Arthur,  whose 
father  was  the  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church 
at  Greenwich.  Removing  to  Ohio  in  1849, 
he  remained  five  years  and  in  1854  came 
to  Whitley  county,  where  he  purchased  four 
hundred  acres  of  woodland  in  Etna  town- 
ship, the  location  of  the  home  being  close 
to  the  village.  His  efforts  were  thenceforth 
directed  to  the  development  of  a  farm.  An- 
ticipating the  great  increase  in  the  demand 
f<ir  walnut  lumber,  he  purchased  a  large 
amount  of  that  timber  and  holding  it  a 
few  years  was  enabled  to  realize  the  ad- 
vance in  price,  selling  lumber  at  eighty  dol- 
lars per  thousand.  His  every  venture  was 
successful,  so  that  his  energies  resulted  in 
the  accumulation  of  a  handsome  estate.     He 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


807 


died  in  1869,  his  companion  surviving  till 
1897.  aged  eighty-five.  He  was  a  Whig 
and  later  a  Republican  and  served  his  town- 
ship as  trustee. 

In  earlv  life  he  was  a  contractor  in 
building  canal  locks  and  other  stone  work. 
He  was  fearless  under  all  circumstances,  one 
instance  illustrating  his  character.  Mason 
Long,  in  his  "Converted  -Gambler."  gives 
Mr.  Tucker  credit  for  breaking  up  an  or- 
ganized gang  of  thieves  at  Fort  Wayne, 
who  plied  their  nefarious  calling-  in  collu- 
sion with  the  police  force.  The  leader, 
Ryan,  secured  Tucker's  purse  by  the  assist- 
ance of  an  accomplice.  Tucker  was  armed, 
as  he  knew  of  the  gang's  depradations.  He 
shot  Ryan,  one  shot  taking  effect  in  the  neck 
after  glancing  from  the  collar-button.  He 
forced  a  policeman  at  the  point  of  the  re- 
volver to  crawl  under  a  house  where  Ryan 
had  hid  and  dislodge  him  and  followed  the 
two  to  the  station-house,  covering  them  with 
his  weapon.  Ryan  was  finally  sent  to  the 
penitentiary  for  two  years  and  the  gang 
was  broken  up. 

Mr.  Tucker  was  about  ten  years  old 
when  he  became  a  "wild  westerner"  by  rea- 
son of  his  parents'  transfer  of  residence 
from  New  York  to  the  Hoosier  state.  The 
schools  of  the  day,  especially  in  the  country 
sections,  were  poor  avenues  to  education 
even  for  those  most  anxious  to  learn,  but 
Albert,  by  occasional  attendance  at  the  old 
log  cabin,  managed  to  pick  up  the  rudiments 
that  were  the  basis  of  a  wide  practical  edu- 
cation. At  the  death  of  his  father  he  inher- 
ited part  of  the  four  hundred  acres  and  this 
has  been  the  scene  of  his  activities  as  well 
as  the  basis  of  his  fortune.  He  owns  about 
three   hundred   acres,   most   of   which   is   in 


a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  brought  to 
an  advanced  state  of  fertility  by  his  untir- 
ing labors.  In  1869  he  erected  a  handsome 
and  commodious  house  on  the  farm  at  the 
village  of  Etna,  which  is  regarded  as  one 
of  the  best  in  the  township.  The  outbuild- 
ings, fencing,  roads,  facilities  for  feeding 
and  watering,  indeed  all  the  features  are 
such  as  to  indicate  a  progressive  guiding 
hand.  Mr.  Tucker  is  a  breeder  of  Per- 
cheron  horses  and  takes  commendable  pride 
in  the  mammoth  draft  animals  of  his  stables, 
the  result  of  careful  selection  and  judicious 
training.  He  also  breeds  and  deals  exten- 
sively in  cattle  and  sheep,  ranking  well 
among  live  stock  men  of  the  county  both  in 
quantity  and  quality  of  his  stock.  Mr. 
Tucker  has  other  financial  interests,  espe- 
cially in  making  loans  and  investments.  He 
is  a  stockholder  and  director  in  the  Colum- 
bia City  National  Bank.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  church,  belongs  to  the  Odd 
Fellows'  lodge,  is  a  Republican  and  has 
served  as  trustee  of  the  township. 

In  1898  Mr.  Tucker  married  Miss  Mary 
M.,  daughter  of  Milo  and  Catherine  ( Bow- 
ersock)  Lawrence,  former  residents  of  Al- 
len county,  but  now  living  in  Thorncreek 
township  of  Whitley.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tucker 
have  one  son.  Lawrence  L. 


WILLIAM  S.  LANCASTER. 

Among  the  sturdy  emigrants  contrib- 
uted by  North  Caroline  to  the  young  state 
of  Indiana  was  Sanders  Lancaster,  a  poor 
mechanic,  who  reached  Wayne  county  in 
1822  and  there  operated  as  a  carpenter  and 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


blacksmith  until  his  death.  He  brought 
with  him  a  son  named  Wright,  who  was 
born  near  Raleigh  in  1819.  He  learned  the 
carpenter's  trade  with  his  father,  but  in  1843 
came  to  Whitley  county  and  secured  a  tract 
of  land  in  Cleveland  township.  He  pros- 
pered and  exercised  considerable  influence, 
as  he  served  several  terms  as  township 
trustee  and  in  1879  was  elected  county  re- 
corder, serving  a  term  of  four  years.  He 
was  a  Republican,  and  was  generally  found 
in  the  councils  of  the  party.  Wright  Lan- 
caster married  Margaret  Grimes,  a  native  of 
Wayne  county,  by  whom  he  had  eight  chil- 
dren :  Indiana,  wife  of  W.  H.  Cleveland ; 
John  G.,  deceased;  George  G.,  deceased; 
Alexander  G.,  a  farmer  of  Richland  town- 
ship; Frank  R.  and  Ralph  P.,  of  South 
Whitley:  Mary  V.,  wife  of  Lewis  Shuh,  of 
Arkansas ;  and  William  S.  The  mother 
died  in  January,  1864,  and  by  a  second 
marriage  with  her  half-sister,  Sarah  A. 
Grimes,  there  were  two  children :  Nora, 
who  died  in  infancy,  and  Walter  W.,  a  resi- 
dent of  Piqua,  Ohio.  Mr.  Lancaster  died 
in  1892. 

William  S.  Lancaster  was  born  in  Whit- 
ley county,  Indiana.  August  25.  1863,  and 
being  but  a  few  months  old  at  the  death  of 
his  mother  was  reared  by  his  sister.  Indi- 
ana, until  bis  father's  second  marriage. 
when  he  was  seven  years  old.  He  remained 
on  the  farm  until  thirteen  years  old.  when 
be  went  to  South  Whitley  and  later  to  Co- 
lumbia City  with  his  father,  while  the  latter 
was  recorder.  He  learned  the  painter's 
trade,  which  lie  followed  eleven  years  and 
then  entered  the  employment  of  John  J. 
Combs  in  the  elevator  at  South  Whitley. 
with   whom  be  remained   eight  vears.  after 


which  he  spent  two  years  with  the  "A  to  Z" 
Printing  Company.  In  January,  1905,  he 
was  appointed  trustee  of  Cleveland  town- 
ship, in  which  office  he  has  since  served, 
succeeding  Hugo  Logan,  and  still  has  two 
years  to  serve.  In  order  to  take  his  present 
position  he  resigned  the  office  of  town  clerk, 
to  which  he  had  been  elected  after  having 
been  previously  appointed  to  fill  out  an  un- 
expired term  of  F.  D.  Wesner.  Cleveland 
township  has  nine  schools  with  twelve  teach- 
ers, the  one  at  Collamer  having  three. 
Thirty  students  attend  the  South  Whitley 
high  school  and  one  entire  school  is  trans- 
ferred to  the  town  schools.  Three  trans- 
portation wagons  are  operated  to  take  pu- 
pils either  to  South  Whitley  or  to  Collamer. 
Mr.  Lancaster  is  active  in  fraternal  circles, 
being  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  and 
having  served  five  years  as  financial  secre- 
tary of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows. 

In  1892  Mr.  Lancaster  married  Cora  J., 
daughter  of  Moses  and  Eliza  Mannen,  of 
Richland  township,  where  she  was  born  in 
1872.  They  have  no  children,  but  at.  the 
age  of  seven  adopted  Cora  Edna  Knapp, 
now  a  school  girl  of  sixteen.  Mr.  Lancas- 
ter is  a  Republican  and  his  wife  is  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  church. 


JESSE  HOWARD  BRIGGS.  M.  D. 

In  was  about  1800  that  Samuel  and  Ag- 
nes ( Shephard)  Briggs  left  Virginia  to 
carve  out  a  new  home  in  the  then  rapidly 
filling  section  north  of  the  Ohio.  They  set- 
tled   in    Ross    county,    where    the    former 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


"bought  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
land,  which  he  cultivated  until  his  death  in 
1 84 1,  surviving  his  companion  three  years. 
Their  seven  children  were:  William,  Jesse, 
James,  Samuel,  Robert,  Silas  and  Andrew 
Jackson,  the  latter  now  living  in  Union 
township.  The  two  last  named  are  the  only 
survivors.  Silas  Briggs  was  born  in  Ross 
county,  Ohio,  August  30.  1826.  and  re- 
mained on  the  home  farm  until  the  death 
■of  his  parents,  when  he  made  his  home  for 
a  time  with  an  aunt,  attending  school  at 
intervals  as  the  opportunity  afforded.  He 
worked  out  for  several  years,  principally 
feeding  cattle  and  driving  them  to  market. 
In  1848  he  came  to  Whitley  county  and 
bought  a  section  of  land  in  Union  township, 
but  it  was  in  185 1  that  he  returned  and  be- 
gan to  develop  it  into  a  farm.  He  set  to 
work  to  clear  and  improve  this  tract,  which 
kept  him  busy  for  many  years,  but  finally 
retired  in  1903,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  living  with  his  sons  in  Columbia  City. 
In  September,  1852,  he  married  Rebecca, 
daughter  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Grad- 
less)  Nickey,  natives  of  Virginia,  who  be- 
came early  settlers  of  Whitley  county.  He 
died  in  1864,  surviving  his  wife,  who  was 
but  thirty-five  when  she  passed  away.  They 
bad  four  children  to  reach  maturity :  David 
W..  deceased,  whose  sketch  appears  else- 
where; Rebecca;  Mary,  now  Mrs.  Samuel 
Pierce,  of  Chicago,  and  Addison  B.,  living 
in  Princeton,  Indiana.  Mrs.  Briggs  was 
born  in  Smith  township,  Whitley  county, 
September  27,  1835.  and  died  March  22. 
1904.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Briggs  had  nine  chil- 
dren to  reach  maturity:  Desda  Jane,  wife 
•of  Philip  Rouch,  of  Union  township :  Eliza- 
beth, wife  of  Albert  Mossman,  of  Columbia 


City ;  Ordella,  wife  of  Filmore  Welsheimer, 
of  Union  township;  Edward;  Stephen  O., 
a  plumber  at  Columbia  City;  Charles  and 
Frank,  residents  of  Columbia  City :  Fred, 
living  at  Butler,  Indiana,  and  Jesse  Howard. 
Mr.  Briggs  is  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  a 
member  of  the  Lutheran  church. 

Jesse  Howard  Briggs  was  born  in  Whit- 
ley county,  Indiana,  October  4,  1880.  He 
remained  on  his  father's  farm  in  Union 
township  until  the  completion  of  his  four- 
teenth year,  attending  the  common  schools 
and  the  Coesse  high  school.  For  one  year 
he  was  in  the  State  Normal  at  Terre  Haute, 
after  which  he  took  a  course  in  Wittenberg 
College  at  Springfield,  Ohio,  graduating 
when  seventeen  years  of  age.  In  1898  he 
entered  the  Northwestern  Universitv  Med- 
ical School  at  Chicago  and  remained  there 
two  years.  This  was  followed  by  a  two 
years'  course  at  Rush  Medical  College,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1903.  After  an 
experience  as  interne  for  nearly  one  year 
in  the  Presbyterian  Hospital  he  came  to 
Churubusco  and  entered  actively  into  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  He  has  met  with 
unusual  success  and  is  regarded  as  one  of 
the  most  promising  physicians  of  the  county. 
Dr.  Briggs  is  a  Knight  Templar,  chancellor 
commander  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and 
member  of  the  Modern  AYoodmen,  Eastern 
Star  and  Pythian  Sisters.  His  college  fra- 
ternities are  the  Phi  Kappa  Phis  at  Witten- 
berg (Ohio)  College,  the  Phi  Beta  Pi  at 
Rush  Medical  Colleg'e  and  the  Alpha  Omega 
Alpha  honorary.  Dr.  Brigg's  is  medical  ex- 
aminer for  nearly  all  the  leading  insurance 
companies  as  well  as  for  those  fraternities 
which  have  an  insurance  feature.  Dr. 
Briggs   is  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  local 


8io 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Democracy  and  in  November,  1906,  was 
elected  coroner  of  the  county.  He  is  secre- 
tary of  the  board  of  health  and  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


HIRAM   B.  WHITTENBERGER. 

In  1836,  when  Jackson  was  filling  his 
second  term  as  president  and  Sam  Houston 
was  gaining  fame  in  Texas,  the  tide  of  emi- 
gration to  Ohio  was  in  full  blast.  Settlers 
were  coming  in  from  everywhere  especially 
from  New  England,  Pennsylvania,  Virginia 
and  Kentucky.  About  that  time  seven  fam- 
ilies, who  had  settled  in  Medina  county, 
resolved  to  push  farther  west  toward  the 
valley  of  the  Wabash.  They  made  the 
tedious  trip  in  wagons  and  on  horseback, 
finally  pulling  up  in  Fulton  county,  where 
jointly  they  founded  the  town  of  Akron, 
which  has  since  become  a  place  of  consider- 
able importance.  One  of  this  party  of  pio- 
neers was  William  Whittenberger,  who  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  but  crossed  the  moun- 
tains early  in  the  century  and  cast  his  for- 
tunes with  the  settlers  of  old  Medina.  After 
coming  to  Fulton  county  he  bought  a  small 
farm,  the  cultivation  of  which  provided  for 
a  large  family  of  children  but  at  his  death 
was  not  sufficient  to  make  them  rich.  He 
had  married  Joanna  Sippy,  whose  grand- 
father had  crossed  the  ocean  with  Lafay- 
ette and  fought  for  the  freedom  of  America 
during  the  Revolutionary  war.  This  worthy 
couple  were  pious  members  of  the  Methodist 
church,  and  reared  their  family  to  habits  of 
industry  and  morality.  Their  children, 
eleven  in  number,  were  William  and   facob, 


deceased ;  Joseph,  later  a  resident  of 
Rochester,  now  deceased ;  John,  deceased ;. 
Daniel,  Stephen  and  Thomas,  all  living  at 
Akron;  Abraham  J.,  of  Claypool,  Indiana;: 
Isaac,  of  South  Whitley ;  Hiram,  Benjamin 
and  Clara,  the  latter  the  wife  of  C.  E.  Mc- 
Means,  of  Akron. 

Hiram  B.  Whitenberger  was  born  in 
Medina  county,  Ohio,  January  18,  1835, 
being  still  an  infant  in  arms  when  his  par- 
ents made  their  memorable  trip  to  their  new 
home  in  Fulton  county.  He  remained  on 
the  parental  farm  until  he  grew  to  manhood,, 
but  as  schools  were  scarce  and  poor  in  his 
neighborhood,  he  was  able  to  pick  up  but  a 
scanty  education.  He  did  contract  work  on 
farms  until  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany F,  Forty-sixth  Regiment  Indiana  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  with  which  he  served  until 
his  discharge  in  1863.  Fie  was  in  some  live- 
ly skirmishes,  but  took  part  in  none  of  the 
historic  battles.  After  his  discharge  he  es- 
tablished a  store  at  Larwill,  Indiana,  in 
partnership  with  his  brother,  Abraham,  but 
who  retired  after  three  years,  when  Hiram: 
became  sole  proprietor.  He  was  the  pioneer 
merchant  of  the  town,  with  whose  every 
interest  he  has  been  a  part  for  more  than 
forty  years,  seeing  whole  generations  come 
and  go.  He  conducts  a  general  store,  keep- 
ing that  selection  of  merchandise  needed  by 
his  customers,  most  of  whom  are  farmers. 
He  has  done  an  extensive  business,  retain- 
ing the  good  will  and  custom  of  his  patrons 
liv  square  dealing,  unvarying  courtesy  and 
strict  integrity. 

In  [865.,  Mr.  Whittenberger  married 
Savilla  Hayden,  daughter  of  Zera  Suther- 
land, of  Logansport,  Indiana,  where  she 
was   horn   about   the   year    1839.      Mr.   and 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  IXDIAXA. 


811 


Mrs.  Whittenberger  have  had  six  children : 
Clarence,  who  died  when  eleven  years  old ; 
Schuyler,  who  was  killed  in  a  railroad  wreck 
in  Nebraska,  where  he  was  a  telegraph  op- 
erator ;  Walter,  who  is  in  the  store  with  his 
father ;  Edward,  a  railway  employe  in  Chi- 
cago;  John  \and  Benjamin,,  who  died  in 
infancy.  The  mother  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  Mr.  Whit- 
tenberger is  an  Odd  Fellow,  a  Republican 
in  politics,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Larwill 
post  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
while  it  was  in  existence. 


tics,  being  a  delegate  to  the  joint  senatorial 
convention  and  a  worker  in  local  campaigns. 
He  is  a  Pythian  Brother  and  enjoys  an  out- 
ing on  the  northern  Indiana  lakes. 


GEORGE  W.  KICHLER. 

George  W.  Kichler,  the  fourth  of  his 
father's  family,  was  born  at  Churubusco, 
Indiana.  September  8,  1883,  and  was  edu- 
cated as  he  grew  up  in  the  common  and 
high  schools,  having  graduated  from  the 
latter  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  He  learned 
the  baker's  trade  under  his  father's  direc- 
tion and  for  two  years  had  sole  charge  of 
the  bakery.  In  1903  he  began  reading  law 
in  the  office  of  John  W.  Orndorf  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1905  before  Judge 
Adair.  He  entered  into  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession at  once,  in  association  with  his  old 
preceptor,  and  May  1st  of  the  following 
year  purchased  Mr.  Orndorf's  interest  and 
is  already  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  lucrative 
practice  extending  into  all  the  state  courts. 
He  acts  as  agent  for  the  Etna.  American 
National,  Continental,  German.  North  Brit- 
ish and  Security  Insurance  Companies  and 
altogether  is  one  of  the  busy  citizens  of 
Churubusco.  He  is  a  Republican  and  has 
already  identified  himself  with  active  poli- 


OSCAR  C.  CROWELL, 

The  genealogy  of  the  Crowell  family  is 
given  elsewhere  in  this  volume  in  connection 
with  two  of  the  descendants  of  the  original 
settler.  It  has  been  a  useful  family  in  con- 
nection with  the  farming  interests  of  Whit- 
ley county,  especially  that  portion  covered 
by  the  township  of  Jefferson,  where  their 
activities  have  principally  lain.  Thev  have 
not  only  done  their  part  in  developing  the 
land  as  farmers,  but  by  branching  out  as 
grain  dealers  and  buyers  of  stock,  they  have 
assisted  their  neighbors  by  bringing  the  mar 
kets  close  to  their  doors.  By  this  spirit  of 
enterprise,  they  have  helped  others  while 
helping  themselves,  become  widely  acquaint- 
ed and  made  their  name  familiar  over  a  wide 
section  of  country.  The  local  founder  or 
first  settler  was  Henry  Crowell,  who  was 
among  those  who  arrived  as  earlv  as  the 
'thirties,  when  Whitley  county  gave  little 
promise  of  ever  becoming  the  farming  sec- 
tion which  spreads  out  before  all  who  visit 
it  in  these  piping  times  of  prosperity.  It 
was  William  Crowell.  however,  son  of  the 
old  settler,  who  established  his  family's 
name  and  laid  broad  and  deep  the  foundation 
for  its  future  success.  Active  and  enter- 
prising as  a  farmer,  he  eventually  branched 
out  as  an  agricultural  trader  and  became 
widely  known  on  account  of  the  grain  ele- 
vator which  he  established  at  Raber  and  con- 
ducted   with    unflas'e'ins"    enera'v    until    his- 


8l2 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


death  in  March,  1903.  By  his  marriage 
with  Gertrude  Cosemeyer.  he  left  an  unus 
ually  interesting  family  of  six  children,  who 
have  proved  worthy  descendants  of  a  patri- 
archal sire.  Reed,  the  eldest,  is  prospering 
in  the  lumber  business  in  the  forests  of 
Arkansas;  Harvey  A.,  the  second  son.  is  a 
well-to-do  farmer  in  Jefferson  township : 
Cora,  the  only  daughter,  married  Fred 
Rickerd,  who  resides  in  Michigan :  William 
W.,  after  his  father's  death,  became  joint 
owner  with  his  mother  of  the  one  hundred 
and  fifty-five  acres  composing  the  old  home- 
stead in  Jefferson  township  and  is  manag- 
ing this  farm  with  success ;  Porter,  the 
youngest  child,  passed  away  in  1904  before 
he  had  an  opportunity  to  prove  his  quali- 
fications for  business. 

Oscar  C.  Crowell.  fifth  of  these  children, 
was  born  in  Jefferson  township,  Whitley 
county,  Indiana,  February  24,  1878.  As  a 
hoy  he  began  helping  his  father  on  the  farm 
and  in  his  other  work,  for  which  he  dis- 
played  a  natural  adaptability.  His  familiar- 
ity with  affairs  connected  with  the  elevator 
qualified  him  to  succeed  his  father  in  this 
responsible  business  and  after  the  estate  was 
settled  he  took  full  charge  at  Raber.  He 
has  control  of  the  coal  and  grain  supply 
handled  at  that  point  and  for  a  young  man 
has  a  high  reputation  among  the  farmers  for 
pri  'inptness,  courtesy  and  square  dealing. 
Raber  is  situated  about  forty  rods  south  of 
the  old  home  farm  and  there  Mr.  Crowell 
makes  his  residence.  He  is  well  known  to 
the  farmers  and  others  for  miles  around  and 
all  have  confidence  in  his  integrity  and  dis- 
position tn  do  the  right  thins"  with  his  cus- 
tomers. His  shipments  are  about  sixtv  car- 
loads annually. 


MERRITT  W.  CROWELL. 

The  family  of  this  name  dates  well  back 
into  the  pioneer  period  of  Whitley  county, 
and  for  three  generations  has  been  promi- 
nently connected  with  its  agricultural  inter- 
ests. The  founder  was  Henry  Crowell.  who 
came  from  Ohio  at  the  time  usually  de- 
scribed by  that  indefinite  and  rather  mean- 
ingless phrase  "in  the  early  day."  Usually 
this  means  that  the  person  alluded  to  was 
among  the  first  settlers  and  the  fore-runners 
of  the  Crowells  certainly  deserve  this  title. 
He  left  a  soil  named  William,  who  became 
a  farmer  but  was  much  better  known  as  a 
buyer  of  stock  and  grain.  About  1896,  he 
built  a  grain  elevator  at  Raber  and  ran  it 
for  many  years,  handling  nearly  all  the 
grain  shipped  from  this  vicinity.  Meantime 
he  cleared,  improved  and  managed  his  own 
farm,  on  which  he  carried  on  the  miscel- 
laneous agriculture  usual  to  this  section, 
consisting  of  grain  growing  and  stock  rais- 
ing. William  Crowell  married  Gertrude 
Catzmier.  by  whom  he  had  six  children : 
Reid  is  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  in 
Arkansas ;  Harvey  is  a  farmer  in  Jefferson 
township ;  Cora  married  Fred  Rickerd,  who 
is  a  farmer  in  Hillsdale  county,  Michigan ; 
Merritt  W.  and  Oscar,  who  has  charge  of 
the  elevator.  Porter,  the  youngest,  died  in 
1904,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years.  The 
father  after  an  active  life  passed  away  March 

30.  1902. 

Merritt  W.  Crowell  was  born  on  the 
homestead  in  Whitley  county,  Indiana,  May 

31,  1876.  He  grew  up  on  his  father's  farm 
and  obtained  a  good  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Jefferson  township.  After 
his  father's  death  he  became  a  joint  owner 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


813 


•with  his  mother  of  the  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
five  acres  of  which  the  home  place  consists, 
one  hundred  acres  being  under  cultivation, 
the  rest  covered  with  timber  and  devoted  to 
pasture.  General  farming  and  stock  raising 
are  his  main  interests.  A  fine  brick  residence 
was  erected  in  1891  and  with  suitable  barns 
and  other  buildings,  fencing  and  drainage 
makes  this  one  of  the  really  attractive  and 
desirable  rural  homes  of  the  county.  June 
21,  1904,  Mr.  Crowell  married  Miss  Ocie, 
daughter  of  Franklin  and  Carlina  Schuman, 
of  Richland  township.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Crowell  have  one  son,  Porter  De  Witt 
Crowell.     The  father  is  a  Republican. 


PETER  V.  GRUESBECK. 

Early  in  the  last  century  James  Grues- 
beck, whose  ancestors  for  generations  had 
been  in  New  York,  left  his  native  state  to 
venture  into  the  sparsely  settled  but  rapidly 
developing  county  of  Crawford,  Ohio.  He 
was  a  successful  farmer  there  but  obeying 
a  natural  instinct  decided  in  1852  to  try  his 
fortunes  in  Indiana  and  secured  a  farm  in 
Columbia  township,  just  west  of  Columbia 
City.  Disposing  of  that  farm  in  1864. 
James  Gruesbeck  and  wife  came  to  Colum- 
bia City,  devoting  his  attention  to  other 
farms  which  he  operated  in  connection  with 
his  sons.  He  died  at  the  home  of  his  son, 
Theodore,  at  Lorane,  Troy  township,  aged 
seventy-five  years,  having  survived  his  wife 
about  five  years.  He  had  married  Mary 
Van  Orsdall,  in  Ohio,  and  Tived  with  her 
through  life.  Their  mature  children  were 
Peter,  Walter,   Omar,   Charles,  and  Theo- 


dore. Of  this  family  Peter,  Charles  and 
Theodore  are  the  only  survivors,  the  latter 
being  a  farmer  in  Crawford  county,  Ohio, 
while  Charles  is  a  farmer  of  Troy  township, 
Omar  served  in  Simonson's  battery  and  died 
in  hospital  August  13,  1864,  at  Chatta- 
nooga, Tennessee.  Walter  died  in  the  same 
city  but  in  another  hospital  about  the  same 
time,  being  in  the  Seventy-fourth  Indiana  in 
which  he  enlisted  at  its  organization.  He 
was  wounded  near  Atlanta,  Georgia,  and  his 
life  was  the  forfeit. 

Peter  V.  Gruesbeck  was  born  in  Craw- 
ford county,  Ohio,  November  5,  1835,  and 
hence  was  seventeen  years  old  when  he  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  Whitley  county. 
In  his  twentieth  year  he  yielded  to  a  desire 
to  travel,  visiting  a  number  of  the  western 
states.  He  taught  school  in  Iowa  one  vear, 
and  in  Caldwell  county,  Missouri,  three 
years.  Recrossing  the  Mississippi  he  taught 
in  Illinois.  In  i860,  he  returned  to  Whitley 
county  and  after  working  on  a  farm  taught 
the  succeeding  winter.  The  opening  of  the 
Civil  war  aroused  his  patriotism  and  he  was 
quick  to  respond  to  the  call  to  arms,  enroll- 
ing his  name  as  a  member  of  the  Fifth  In- 
diana Battery,  generally  known  as  Simon- 
son's  artillery.  With  Captain  Peter  Simon- 
son  he  served  three  years  and  two  months  in 
the  western  army,  being  a  participant  in 
many  of  the  great  battles  of  the  war,  in- 
cluding Perryville.  Stone  River,  Chicka- 
mauga,  Jonesborough,  Resaca,  and  Peach 
Tree  Creek.  He  received  an  injury  at  Stone 
River  that  destroyed  his  right  eye,  was 
taken  prisoner  while  in  hospital  but  retaken 
and  subsequently  confined  in  the  hospital  at 
Nashville.  He  was  discharged  at  Indiana- 
polis in  the  fall  of   1864  and  returned   to 


814 


Columbia  City  but  next  year  revisited  Mis- 
souri, where  he  taught  during  the  winter  of 
1865  and  1866.  In  the  latter  year  he  en- 
gaged in  the  shoe  business  at  Columbia 
City  with  Ranson  Turtle,  but  after  continu- 
ing in  this  line  for  five  years  he  retired.  He 
owns  a  small  farm  near  town  and  resides  on 
Walnut  street  in  a  brick  house  erected  in 
i860  by  John  Cotton,  which  is  one  of  the 
oldest  brick  structures  in  Columbia  City. 

In  1866  Mr.  Gruesbeck  married  Anna 
Maria  Gingher,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  they 
have  had  three  children:  Mary,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  eighteen;  Abigail,  wife  of 
Charles  Frederick,  living  in  Indianapolis, 
having  two  children,  Fremont  F.  and  Otto 
E. ;  and  Irene,  who  remains  with  her  par- 
ents. Mr.  Gruesbeck  is  a  Republican  and 
an  esteemed  comrade  of  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic,  of  which  he  is  post  com- 
mander. As  a  veteran  soldier  of  unblem- 
ished record,  a  citizen  without  reproach,  and 
a  man  of  kindly  manners,  he  enjoys  de- 
served esteem  during  his  quiet  passage 
through  the  evening  of  life.  Mrs.  Grues- 
beck was  born  in  Lancaster,  Fairfield  county. 
Ohio,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  had 
come  to  Columbia  City  with  her  father, 
Henry  Gingher.  who  became  a  building  con- 
tractor and  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-two 
vears.  Her  mother,  Eliza  Evans,  had  died 
in  Ohio  at  the  age  of  thirty-six  years,  when 
Anna  was  but  a  child  of  eight.  She  had  two 
brothers,  Benjamin  and  John,  who  served 
in  the  Civil  war.  Benjamin,  who  was  in  the 
Seventy-fourth  Indiana,  died  in  a  hospital 
near  Atlanta.  John  was  in  the  One  Hundred 
Twenty-first  Indiana  Regiment  and  after 
seeing  service  till  the  close  of  the  war  re- 
turned only  to  be  a  permanent  invalid  and  to 
die  some  years  later. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

SIMON  BENNET. 


Simon  Bennet  has  spent  all  of  his  adult 
life  in  Whitley  county,  engaged  in  various 
occupations  and  has  always  been  justly  con- 
sidered one  of  the  enterprising  citizens.  As 
a  mechanic,  a  soldier  and  a  merchant  he  has 
so  borne  himself  as  to  earn  the  good  will 
and  esteem  of  his  neighbors  and  by  industry 
and  careful  management  has  achieved  suc- 
cess in  his  undertakings.  Mr.  Bennet  was 
born  in  Columbiana  County,  Ohio,  October 
2,  1842,  his  parents  being  Daniel  and  Mary 
Ann  (Huffer)  Bennet.  In  the  fall  of  1850 
thev  came  to  Whitley  county,  where  they 
purchased  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Wash- 
ington township,  two  miles  north  of  Laud, 
their  later  years  being  passed  in  that  village, 
where  the  mother  died  in  the  seventy-fourth 
year  of  her  age.  He  retired  to  his  home- 
stead where  he  died  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
eight  years.  They  had  ten  children,  of 
whom  Simon  was  the  third.  He  was  only 
eight  years  old  when  brought  to  Whitley 
county  and  worked  on  the  farm  until  he 
became  of  age.  For  two  years  thereafter 
he  worked  in  a  saw-mill,  then  learned  the 
carpenter's  trade  with  Lewis  Gross,  follow- 
ing that  trade  for  sixteen  years.  Mr.  Bennet 
enlisted  in  October,  1862,  in  Company  C, 
Fifty-seventh  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteer 
Infantry,  with  which  he  served  ten  months 
under  General  Rosecrans,  then  re-enlisted 
in  Company  C,  Forty-second  Indiana,  with 
which  he  remained  about  eleven  months, 
being  with  Sherman  on  the  Atlanta  cam- 
paign and  on  to  the  sea.  Going  with  the 
army  north,  he  took  part  in  the  last  battle 
at  Bentonville,  and  on  to  Washington,  par- 
ticipating in  the  grand  review.  Returning 
to  Whitley  county,  he  resumed  his  trade  as 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


carpenter  in  1866  and  continued  in  this  line 
of  work  for  sixteen  years.  In  1882,  he  be- 
came a  clerk  in  the  general  store  of  his  fa- 
ther-in-law, L.  S.  Maring,  at  Laud  and  con- 
tinued in  this  employment  during  the  next 
ten  years,  until  Mr.  Maring's  death.  In 
1892  he  came  into  possession  of  the  store, 
which  has  since  been  conducted  with  a  con- 
tinually growing  business.  He  carries  a 
general  stock  of  merchandise  and  enjoys  a 
fine  trade  with  the  farmers  of  that  prosper- 
ous section  of  the  county. 

October  26.  1869.  Mr.  Bennet  married 
Amina.  daughter  of  L.  D.  and  Elizabeth 
Maring.  a  native  of  Jefferson  township, 
where  she  was  born  March  2$,  1845.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bennet  have  had  five  children : 
Desta  P..  who  died  when  two  years  old: 
Ada  S.,  wife  of  Orlando  Sheets,  operating 
the  old  Bennet  homestead ;  Zella,  wife  of 
Oscar  B.  Robbins,  of  Loveland,  Colorado ; 
Zora,  wife  of  Franklin  F.  Frame,  of  Fort 
Wayne;  and  Leonard  R.,  a  bookkeeper  in 
a  wholesale  grocery  company  at  Fort 
Wayne.  Mr.  Bennet  is  a  Republican,  has 
always  taken  an  active  interest  in  public 
affairs  and  is  considered  one  of  the  influen- 
tial men  of  his  township.  At  the  settlement 
of  his  father's  estate,  Mr.  Bennet  purchased 
the  homestead,  containing  the  same  tract 
upon  which  his  father  had  begun  to  clear 
out  a  farm  from  the  wilderness. 


DANIEL  REDMAN. 

For  more  than  fifty-one  years  this  gen- 
tleman has  been  a  resident  of  Whitley  coun- 
ty.    In  politics,  as  a  member  of  the  church 


and  in  his  social  relations  he  has  endeavored 
as  best  he  could  to  influence  his  fellowmen 
along  right  lines  and  to  benefit  himself  by 
benefiting  others.      Meantime   as  a   farmer 
and  merchant  he  has  conducted  business  ac- 
cording to  the  golden  rule  with  the  result 
that  he  has  achieved  a  fair  measure  of  finan- 
cial   success,    while    gaining    the   esteem    of 
neighbors  and  patrons.     Daniel  Redman  is 
a   native   of   Jefferson   township,    where   he 
was   born   August   29.    1855.      His  parents 
were    Henry    J.    and    Catherine    ( Huffer) 
Redman,  the  former  a  native  of  Columbiana 
county,   Ohio,  and   the  latter  of   Maryland. 
Early    in    the    "fifties    they    bought    land    in 
Jefferson    township,    where    he    died    about 
1879.  but  his  widow  survives  and  is  living 
on  the  old  homestead  at  the  age  of  eightv- 
seven   years.      They   had   eight   children,   of 
whom  Daniel  was  the  fifth.     He  grew  up  on 
the  parental  farm  of  one  hundred  and  five 
acres,  which  he  now  owns,  and  there  he  has 
spent  all  his  life  except  three  years,  during 
which  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Laud.     His 
principal     occupation     was     farming     until 
1892,  when  he  established  a  store  at  Laud 
as  dealer  in  harness  and  buggies,  which  he 
conducted  in  connection  with  his  farm.     He 
enjoys  a  good  trade  in  this  line  and  derives 
a  substantial   revenue  from   the  old   home- 
stead   farm    of    which    he    is    now    the    sole 
owner.     For  many  years  Mr.  Redman  acted 
with    the   Republican   party,    but    becoming 
dissatisfied    with    its    attitude    towards    the 
liquor  traffic  he  allied  himself  with  the  Pro- 
hibitionists,   of   whose   cause   he   is   now   a 
stanch  advocate. 

July  10.  1879,  Mr.  Redman  was  mar- 
ried to  Amelia  E.,  daughter  of  Alexander 
and  Savilla  Ummel,  formerly  of  Washing- 


8i6 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


ton  township,  where  the  mother  died,  the 
father  surviving  at  an  advanced  age.  Mr. 
and  -Mrs.  Redman  have  had  seven  children 
of  whom  the  survivors  are  Sherman  A.. 
Simon  R.,  May  X..  Nellie  M.  and  Ralph  W. 
Elsie  E.,  wife  of  Winfield  O.  Smith,  died  in 
Washington  township,  and  Elma  E.  died 
when  about  six  months  old.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Redman  are  active  members  of  the  United 
Brethren  church  in  which  he  has  held  various 
official  positions,  being  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday-school  for  many  years.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  and  Knights 
of  the  Maccabees. 


JOHN  T.  FRY. 

Tohn  T.  Fry,  pioneer  fanner  of  Thorn- 
creek  township,  was  born  in  Holmes  county, 
Ohio,  August  7,  1846,  and  is  a  son  of  Da- 
vid and  Nancy  (Ewing)  Fry,  both  natives 
of  Pennsylvania.  The  paternal  grandpar- 
ents were  Jacob  and  Eve  Fry,  also  natives 
of  Pennsylvania.  They  were  the  parents  of 
nine  children,  all  of  whom  are  now  deceased. 
They  came  to  Holmes  county,  Ohio,  in  an 
early  day  and  resided  there  the  remainder  of 
their  active  years.  David  Fry  was  a  lad  of 
eight  summers  when  he  accompanied  his 
parents  to  Holmes  county.  Spending  his 
boyhood  days  under  the  parental  roof,  he 
early  became  familiar  with  farm  work.  He 
married  in  Holmes  county  and  in  the  spring 
of  1866  came  to  Whitley  county.  Nancy 
(Ewing)  Fry  died  in  1861  in  Ohio,  being  a 
devout  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 
David  and  Nancy  (Ewing)  Fry  were  the 
pai-ents  of  seven  children  :   Mary;  Martin  L., 


who  died  at  Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  about 
1898;  Eli  died  in  childhood;  John  T. ;  Mi- 
nerva, wife  of  George  H.  Hurd,  of  Eldo- 
rado, Kansas;  Joel  died  at  thirty-one; 
David  Harvey  died  in  childhood.  During 
his  life  in  Whitley  county  David  Fry  worked 
at  the  carpenter's  trade,  the  last  years  of 
his  life  being  passed  with  John  T.,  in  whose 
home  he  died  in  1892,  aged  eighty-nine 
years. 

John  T.  Fry's  active  connection  with  the 
cultivation  of  the  farm  began  as  soon  as  he 
was  old  enough  to  handle  the  plow.  He 
worked  in  the  fields  through  the  summer 
months  and  in  the  winter  seasons  pursued 
his  studies  in  the  district  schools  until  he 
was  seventeen  years  of  age,  thus  acquiring 
a  good  common  school  education.  Novem- 
ber 24,  1867,  Mr.  Fry  married  Miss  Cath- 
erine E.,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Ann 
(Fichthorn)  McClain.  She  was  bom  in 
Greene  county,  Ohio,  June  28,  1847.  John 
and  Mary  Ann  McClain  were  residents  of 
Columbia  township,  Whitley  county,  from 
1848  and  were  the  parents  of  seven  chil- 
dren. They  were  members  of  the  Methodist 
church  and  were  highly  respected  in  their 
community.  Mrs.  McClain  died  in  1872 
and  her  husband  in  1896.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Fry  have  had  eight  children :  Mary  Etta, 
wife  of  Jesse  S.  Engle,  of  Thomcreek 
township;  Cora  M.,  wife  of  William  Ra- 
rick,  a  resident  of  Noble  county ;  John  F. 
married  Rosa  Nobles  and  resides  in  Noble 
county ;  William  David  married  May  Ben- 
nett and  lives  in  Noble  county;  Bertha,  wife 
of  Charles  Weeks,  of  Noble  county ;  Par- 
menis  E.  married  Zora  Williams,  of  Noble 
county ;  Jennie,  wife  of  Lafayette  Hill,  of 
Noble    countv;     George,    who    is    with    his. 


c^c^*2___ 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  IXDIAXA. 


817 


parents.  In  1881  Air.  Fry  purchased  fifty- 
eight  acres  of  woodland  and  recognizing  the 
fact  that  in  America  "labor  is  king,"  he  put 
forth  every  energy  to  advance  his  interest 
by  means  of  persistent,  earnest  toil  and  as 
the  result  of  his  work  he  is  today  the  pos- 
sessor of  a  productive  and  valuable  farm, 
all  of  which  is  under  the  plow  except  two 
acres.  The  farm  has  a  good  house  and 
barn  upon  it  and  everything  is  neat  and 
thrifty  in  appearance  and  he  has  the  satis- 
faction of  knowing  that  it  is  the  result 
wholly  of  his  personal  exertion,  ably  second- 
ed by  a  most  suitable  companion. 

In  February,  1864,  Mr.  Fry  enlisted  in 
Company  H,  Fifty-ninth  Indiana  Infantry, 
with  which  he  served  until  the  end  of  the 
war.  He  participated  in  a  few  skirmishes, 
but  no  great  battles.  He  is  a  member  of 
English  Post,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
at  Etna,  of  which  he  is  past  commander  and 
present  officer  of  the  day,  and  thus  main- 
tains pleasant  associations  with  his  com- 
rades who  wore  the  blue.  To  his  country  he 
is  today  as  true  and  loyal  as  when  he  fought 
on  southern  battlefields  and  he  gives  his 
earnest  co-operation  to  every  movement  and 
measure  which  he  believes  will  prove  of 
benefit  to  county,  state  or  nation.  He  is  a 
genial  gentleman,  of  social  nature  and  has 
a  wide  circle  of  friends  throughout  this  and 
adjoining  counties. 


EDWARD  C.  SCHOENAUER. 

Among  the  younger  generation  none  are 
better  or  more  favorably  known  in  his  sec- 
tion of  Whitley  county  that  the  subject  of 


this  sketch.  As  a  farmer  and  merchant  he 
has  led  an  industrious  life,  meeting  with  the 
usual  ups  and  downs  that  attend  all  the  un- 
dertakings of  men,  but  on  the  whole  achiev- 
ing success  and  having  something  to  show 
for  himself  in  a  financial  way  on  the  right 
side  of  the  ledger.  The  Schoenauers  are 
one  of  the  old  families  of  Whitley,  the 
founders  having  settled  in  Jefferson  town- 
ship at  an  early  day  and  being  identified 
with  its  agricultural  development  for  many 
years.  Edward  C.  was  born  May  12,  1868, 
in  \\  hitley  county,  his  parents  being  Fred- 
erick and  Sarah  Schoenauer,  and  he  was 
one  of  a  family  of  ten.  He  was  reared  on 
the  homestead  in  Jefferson  township,  worked 
for  his  father  until  twenty-one  years  old, 
then  rented  the  farm  for  a  few  years,  after 
which  he  sold  out  and  removed  to  Defiance 
county,  Ohio.  There  he  bought  a  small 
farm  on  which  he  lived  about  one  and  a  half 
years.  Returning  to  Whitley  county,  he 
clerked  in  the  hardware  store  of  his  brother, 
William,  at  Laud.  At  the  end  of  a  year  he 
purchased  a  half  interest  in  the  business 
and  three  months  later  became  the  sole 
owner  of  the  entire  establishment.  Since 
1896  he  has  built  up  a  good  trade  with  the 
farmers  in  that  prosperous  section.  He  has 
aspired  to  no  official  position,  preferring  to 
devote  all  his  energies  to  his  mercantile  af- 
fairs, his  only  work  aside  from  this  being 
as  treasurer  of  the  Farmers'  Mutual  Tele- 
phone Company  in  which  he  is  a  stockholder. 
March  9,  1892,  Mr.  Schoenauer  was 
married  to  Emma  E.,  daughter  of  Adam 
Geitsey.  of  Defiance  county,  Ohio.  Her 
parents  died  when  she  was  a  young  girl  and 
she  remained  in  her  native  county  until  her 
marriage.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schoenauer  have 


SiS 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


three  children,  whose  names  are  Estie.  Er- 
vin  and  Clarence  and  the  family  enjoy  a 
wide  acquaintance  as  well  as  general  popu- 
larity among  those  who  know  them.  Mr. 
Schoenauer  retired  from  the  hardware  busi- 
ness in  January.  1907.  by  selling  to  D. 
Tschantz  &  Company.  His  political  affil- 
iations are  Democratic. 


REV.  DANIEL  W.   SANDERS. 

Few  men  in  Whitley  county  are  better 
known  than  this  ex-soldier,  ex-county  offi- 


tember,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  A. 
Second  Regiment  West  Virginia  Volunteer 
Cavalry,  which  was  made  up  entirely  of 
Ohioans,  the  quota  for  Ohio  being  full  at 
that  time.  Besides  himself,  there  were 
two  others  of  the  Sanders  brothers  in  this 
regiment  and .  in  the  same  troop,  all  of 
whom  escaped  injury  during  their  subse- 
quent service.  After  two  years  Mr.  San- 
ders was  discharged  on  account  of  ill  health. 
but  later  re-enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred 
and  Fortieth  Regiment  Ohio  National 
Guards,  with  which  he  remained  until  dis- 
charged   at    Gallipolis    in    1865.      He    saw 


cer,  prominent  Mason  and  minister  of  the      much  scouting  and  skirmishing,  hut  partici- 


gospel  for  more  than  thirty  years.     His  im- 
mediate   ancestors    were    southerners,    his 
progenitors  being  English,  Irish  and  Welsh, 
who  came  to  this  country  during  the  eight- 
eenth  or   early   in   the   nineteenth   century. 
Mordecai  Sanders,  his  grandfather,  was  an 
early    settler   of    Georgia,    but    removed   to 
Ohio  when  that  state  was  still  in  its  forma- 
tive period  and  became  a  farmer  in  Carroll 
county.     With  him  came  his  son,  Mordecai, 
then  three  years  old.  who  grew  up  on  the 
farm  and  spent  his  entire  life  in  Ohio.     He 
died  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years,  while 
on   a   visit   to   Virginia.      He   married   Ann 
Edwards,  a  native  of  Loudoun  county,  Vir- 
ginia, and  of  English  extraction.     They  had 
seven  children  :     Ezra,  who  died  a  few  years 
ago  in  Colorado;  John  E.,  a  Baptist  minister, 
of  Modesto.  California;  Daniel  and  William 
G..  deceased;  .Mary,  wife  of  John   S.   Iden. 
of    Monett.    Missouri;   David   T.,   of  Colo- 
rado; and  Amos  R.,  who  died  in  childhood. 
Daniel    W.    Sanders,  the  third  son.  was 
horn  in  Carroll  county,  Ohio,  May  17,  1842, 
.and  grew  up  on  his  father's  farm.     In  Sep- 


pated  in  none  of  the  historic  battles. 

After  returning  home  he  studied  medi- 
cine with  Dr.  Bean  at  Syracuse,  Ohio,  and 
practiced   awhile   but    eventually   concluded 
that  the  profession  was  not  exactly  to  his 
tastes.     Being  of  a  religious  turn,  he  applied 
himself  to  the   study   of  theology,   reading 
alone  without  a  preceptor  until  he  mastered 
the  general  outlines  of  the  subject  and  felt 
sufficiently  equipped  to  speak  for  the  Mas- 
ter.    He  preached  two  years  in  Ohio,  when 
he  transferred  his  labors  to  Indiana,  where 
he  was  ordained  a  minister  of  the  Baptist 
church    in    1876.      During   the    subsequent 
years  he  officiated  at  various  places,  includ- 
ing Larwill  and  Oswego.     In   1882  he  ac- 
cepted   a    call    to    the   church    in   Columbia 
City  and  served  this  church  three  years;  re- 
moving   to    Wellington.    Kansas,    for    two 
years  and  then  became  pastor  of  the  church 
at  Greensburg,  Indiana.     During  his  three 
years'  incumbency  there  he  was  instrumental 
in    the   erection    of   a   $10,000   church.      In 
1890  he  removed  to   Montpelier,  but  after 
a   pastoral   service  there  of  twelve  months 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


5i9 


returned  to  the  field  of  former  service  at 
Columbia  City  for  three  years.  A  severe 
bronchial  affection,  which  had  become 
chronic  and  was  aggravated  by  speaking, 
finally  compelled  him  to  retire  and  he  went 
west  as  a  means  of  recuperation.  Returning 
in  1894  he  was  nominated  on  the  Repub- 
lican ticket  as  candidate  for  auditor  of 
Whitley  county,  was  elected  and  served  a 
term  of  four  years  to  the  entire  satisfaction 
•of  his  constituency.  After  retiring  from 
office  he  resumed  ministerial  work  and  has 
since  been  preaching  with  but  brief  inter- 
missions. Of  late  years  his  efforts  have 
been  mostly  confined  to  supplying  churches 
.that  have  no  regular  preacher.  He  has 
proved  popular  wherever  he  has  served  and 
during  his  long  and  self-sacrificing  labors 
has  gathered  a  host  of  friends,  who  admire 
him  for  his  meritorious  personal  qualities 
as  well  as  for  his  noble  work  in  uplifting 
and  bettering  humanity.  He  has  been  an 
.honored  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity 
for  forty-four  years  and  is  an  esteemed  com- 
rade of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 
In  October,  1863,  Mr.  Sanders  married 
Jane  E.  Bailey,  of  Meigs  county.  Ohio,  who 
died  twelve  years  later,  leaving  two  chil- 
dren. Emma  married  David  H.  Mick,  a 
telegraph  operator  of  the  state  of  Washing- 
ton, and  they  have  one  son,  Walter.  Mattie 
is  the  wife  of  Charles  N.  Briggs,  of  Colum- 
bia City,  and  has  one  child,  Robert.  In  Au- 
gust, 1876,  Mr.  Sanders  married  Sarah  Ann 
Hartsock,  of  Wayne  county,  Ohio,  who  for 
thirty  years  has  proven  a  most  valued  help- 
mate and  companion.  They  have  one  son, 
Walter,  who  is  in  the  jewelry  business  at 
Walkerton,  Indiana.  He  married  Winifred 
Buckles  and  has  two  children,  Nellie  and 
Evelyn. 


GEORGE   WILSON   KELSEV. 

No  man  is  better  known  in  Washington 
township  than  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
and  none  has  done  more  to  help  in  its 
growth  and  development.  As  a  farmer, 
public  official  and  merchant  he  has  come  in 
constant  contact  with  the  people  and  by  his 
courtesy  and  accommodating  wrays  he  has 
made  friends  with  everybody.  Mr.  Kelsey 
is  a  son  of  Aaron  and  Rebecca  (Jeffries) 
Kelsey,  was  born  in  Jefferson  township  Oc- 
tober 20,  1857,  and  named  in  honor  of  the 
Rev.  Wilson  Thompson,  a  minister  of  the 
Primitive  Baptist  church.  William  Kelsey, 
his  gradfather,  came  from  Rush  county, 
Indiana,  and  settled  in  Whitley  county  in 
1851.  Aaron,  though  a  native  of  Rush 
county,  spent  nearly  all  his  adult  life  in 
Whitley  county,  engaged  in  farming. 
When  about  fifty-six  years  old  he  met  with 
a  violent  death  in  Jefferson  township  as  the 
result  of  a  horse  falling  upon  him.  His 
back  was  broken  and  he  died  in  a  few  hours 
after  suffering  excruciating  agony.  He  left 
four  children,  George  W..  Amos  H,  Ruth 
E.  and  Nancy.  George  W.  received  the 
usual  common  school  education  as  he  grew 
up  on  the  parental  farm  and  later  took  a 
course  at  the  Valparaiso  Normal,  also  at- 
tending a  while  at  the  old  Methodist  Epis- 
copal College  in  Fort  Wayne.  For  ten 
years  after  leaving  school  he  was  engaged 
in  teaching,  chiefly  in  Whitley  county,  and 
then  spent  two  years  in  farming.  At  the 
expiration  of  that  time  he  went  to  Hunting- 
ton, Indiana,  where  he  was  engaged  for 
three  years  in  the  grocery  and  restaurant 
business.  Returning  to  Whitley  county,  he 
resumed  his  old  calling  as  a  farmer,  but 
being  obliged  to  give  this  up,  owing  to  ill 


S20 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


health,  he  established  a  hardware  store  at 
Laud,  which  afterwards  was  changed  into 
the  grocery  business  and  this  he  has  contin- 
ued to  the  present  time.  For  several  years 
Mr.  Kelsey  held  the  offices  of  notary  public 
and  justice  of  the  peace  in  Washington 
township.  He  is  still  an  incumbent  of  the 
last  mentioned  office  by  a  recent  election  on 
the  Democratic  ticket,  he  having  always 
been  an  adherent  of  that  party. 

September  5,  1890,  Mr.  Kelsey  was 
married  to  Miss  Sabina  E.,  daughter  of  Jo- 
seph Metzler,  of  Washington  township. 
They  have  four  children,  of  whom  Hazel 
A.,  Alice  and  Oreda  are  living.  Homer,  a 
bright  and  promising  boy,  died  in  the  third 
vear  of  his  age. 


JACOB  KICHLER. 

Jacob  Kichler,  the  eighth  of  ten  chil- 
dren, was  born  in  Germany  March  17,  1847, 
and  was  in  his  seventeenth  year  when  he 
crossed  the  ocean  to  join  his  two  brothers 
in  Indiana.  One  of  these  served  three  years 
in  the  Civil  war  and  one  lost  his  life  at  the 
time  of  an  explosion  on  a  steamboat  on  the 
Red  river.  In  May,  1870,  his  mother  with 
two  daughters  and  one  son  followed  to 
America,  living  three  years  at  Lafayette 
and  thence  to  Churubusco,  where  she 
remained  during  her  lifetime,  dying  at 
the  age  of  seventy,  and  is  buried  in  the 
Catholic  cemetery  at  Ege,  Noble  county. 
Jacob  found  employment  on  a  farm 
in  Allai  county  until  November,  1864, 
when  he  went  to  Lafayette  and  learned 
the   baker's    trade.     During    the   next    two 


vears  he  mastered  the  details.  After 
working  as  a  journeyman  in  various  cities- 
he  finally  settled  in  1872  at  Topeka,  Kan- 
sas, where  he  conducted  a  bakery  and  gro- 
cery for  three  years.  In  1875  he  came  to- 
Churubusco,  where  he  has  since  been  con- 
ducting a  combined  bakery  and  grocery  and 
has  come  to  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  fixed 
institutions  of  the  place.  He  has  met  with 
success,  as  he  has  the  German  persistency, 
frugality  and  other  sterling  qualities  of  his 
nationality.  It  is  almost  unnecessary  to 
add  that  he  knows  everybody  in  the  town,  is 
liked  by  all  and  that  he  is  universally  re- 
garded as  a  valuable  citizen.  He  served  one 
term  as  a  councilman  and  was  a  member  of 
the  first  school  board  of  Churubusco.  He  is 
always  ready  to  help  public  enterprises  and 
has  done  his  full  share  in  pushing  forward 
the  development  and  welfare  of  his  adopted 
home. 

November  1,  1875,  Mr.  Kichler  was 
married  at  Rochester,  Indiana,  to  Miss 
Amelia  Angermann,  a  native  of  Saxony, 
who  was  born  in  1849.  They  have  had  four 
children :  Daisy,  a  stenographer  in  Chi- 
cago; Catherine,  wife  of  Otto  Shealy; 
John,  who  died  when  about  eighteen  months 
old:  and  George  W.,  an  attorney  of  Churu- 
busco. Mr.  Kichler  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

Otto  Shealy.  Mr.  Kichler's  son-in-law, 
as  conductor  on  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad, 
was  in  charge  of  the  train  held  up  by  the 
car-barn  bandits,  who  shot  the  brakeman 
for  refusing  to  cut  off  a  car  for  them  to 
escape  upon.  After  their  capture  Shealy 
was  on  his  return  trip  and  carried  the  ban- 
dits into  Chicago.     Mrs.  Shealv  is  a  srrad- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


821 


irate  of  the  American  Conservatory  of  Mu- 
sic in  Chicago  and  is  herself  a  teacher  of 
music. 


JAMES  B.  GRAWCOCK. 

William  and  Martha  ( Bennett)  Graw- 
cock  settled  in  Noble  county  some  years  be- 
fore the  Civil  war  and  there  spent  most  of 
their  married  lives,  though  in  1899  they 
came  to  Churubusco,  where  on  May  4,  1900, 
the  father  succumbed  to  illness.  James  B. 
Grawcock,  the  eldest  of  his  ten  children, 
was  born  in  Kosciusko  county  November  5, 
1856,  and  in  the  common  and  high  schools 
of  Noble  county  received  his  education.  At 
twenty-one  he  came  to  Churubusco  and  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  brick  and  tile, 
to  which  he  devoted  the  ensuing  fifteen 
years.  He  then  embarked  in  the  retail  lum- 
ber trade,  which  he  has  followed  until  the 
present  time,  handling  also  lime,  cement  and 
•coal.  He  is  widely  known  as  the  inventor 
of  a  brick  and  tile  kiln  which  has  had  exten- 
sive sale  and  use  in  several  states.  He  in- 
stalled the  electric  lighting  plant  at  Churu- 
busco for  the  lighting  company.  For  seven 
years  Mr.  Grawcock  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Churubusco  city  council  and  is  truly 
a  "city  father,"  his  interest  in  all  that 
concerns  the  welfare  of  the  community  be- 
ing sincere  and  active. 

Mr.  Grawcock  was  married  in  Noble 
county  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  Fulk,  by  whom  he 
had  two  children,  but  one  of  whom,  Arthur, 
survives.  The  mother  died  March  8,  1904, 
and  September  29,  1906,  Mr.  Grawcock 
married  Nettie,  daughter  of  William  and 
Sarah    (Clemens)    Shirley,    also    of    Noble 


county.  Mrs.  Grawcock  was  a  successful 
teacher  before  her  marriage,  having  taught 
nine  years  in  her  native  count}'  and  two 
years  in  the  public  schools  of  Churubusco. 
She  is  devoted  to  church  work,  as  is  also 
her  husband  and  her  influence  is  exerted 
for  the  moral  and  intellectual  advancement 
of  the  community.  Mr.  Grawcock  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  a 
Knight  of  Pythias. 


FRANKLIN   STAMETS. 

This  name  has  been  familiar  in  Churu- 
busco for  thirty-three  years,  owing  to  the 
connection  with  the  town's  business  affairs 
of  Mr.  Stamets.  He  has  achieved  high 
standing  in  the  business  world  and  ranks 
as  a  good  .citizen,  good  friend  and  good 
neighbor.  He  also  has  to  his  credit  an 
honorable  record  as  a  soldier  during  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion  and,  like  many  other 
of  the  esteemed  comrades,  has  shown  him- 
self fully  as  deserving  in  peace  as  in  war. 
John  Stamets  came  from  Ohio  in  1858  and 
settled  in  Kosciusko  county,  where  he  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  By  his  wife  Mag- 
daline  he  became  the  father  of  nine  chil- 
dren. Franklin  Stamets,  the  youngest  of 
these,  was  born  in  Tuscarawas  county.  Ohio, 
March  30,  1845,  and  hence  was  thirteen 
years  old  when  his  parents  came  to  Indiana. 
In  the  spring  of  1862  he  became  a  member 
of  Company  K.  Thirty-fifth  Regiment  Indi- 
ana Volunteer  Infantry,  with  which  he 
marched  proudly  to  the  front.  His  com- 
mand was  attached  to  the  Army  of  the  Ten- 
nessee under  General    Rosecrans,   and  saw 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


its  first  great  battle  at  Stone  river  in  the 
winter  of  1862-63.  Later  on  Mr.  Stamets 
fought  with  his  command  through  the  vari- 
ous engagements  of  the  Atlanta  campaign 
and  at  the  battle  of  Nashville.  After  the 
conclusion  of  hostilities  Mr.  Stamets  re- 
turned to  Kosciusko  county  and  engaged  in 
the  sawmill  business,  continuing  until  1872, 
when  he  came  to  Churubusco,  which  has 
proved  his  permanent  residence.  He  em- 
barked in  the  lumber  business,  which  he  has 
pursued  with  various  fortunes  from  that 
day  to  this.  In  July,  1903.  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  Charles  Frazier  for  the 
purpose  of  conducting  a  grocery  business, 
and  this  is  still  in  progress  under  the  name 
of  Stamets  &  Frazier. 

December  24,  1872,  Mr.  Stamets  was 
married  in  Kosciusko  county  to  Miss  Cath- 
erine Drake,  a  native  of  that  county.  They 
lost  two  sons  and  one  daughter  by  death 
before  they  reached  maturity,  but  have  a 
surviving  daughter  named  Mabel,  who  is 
now  the  wife  of  Charles  Frazier.  Mr. 
Stamets  is  a  Democrat. 


LEONARD  R.  SCHRADER. 

Jacob  Schrader,  founder  of  the  western 
branch  of  the  family  of  this  name,  came 
from  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania,  to 
Whitley  county  during  the  period  succeed- 
ing the  Civil  war,  was  successful  and  now 
inviis  a  line  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  Columbia  township,  mi  which  he 
is  living  in  restful  retirement.  He  married 
Mary  Rumsyre,  a  native  of  Whitley  county, 
by  win  mi  lie  had  three  children,  Leonard, 
Lyman  ami  1 .1  >ren. 

Leonard  R.   Schrader  was  born  in  Co- 


lumbia township  April  10,  1878:  After  the 
usual  attendance  in  the  common  schools  he 
entered  Taylor  University,  where  he  re- 
mained three  years.  He  then  went  to  the 
State  University,  working  his  own  way  by 
teaching.  He  taught  six  years  in  Union 
and  Columbia  townships  and  in  the  Coesse 
high  school.  In  1904  he  abandoned  the 
school  room  to  accept  a  deputyship  in  the 
county  clerk's  office  under  Jesse  Glassly, 
retaining  this  position  two  years.  Retiring, 
he  became  clerk  in  the  Columbia  City  Na- 
tional Bank,  but  his  service  there  proved 
brief,  as  on  January  1,  1907,  he  resumed 
public  work  as  deputy  under  Samuel  F. 
Trembly.  The  mention  of  these  facts  shows- 
that  Mr.  Schrader  is  competent,  reliable  and 
popular.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order  and  senior  warden  of  Columbia  City 
Lodge,  No.  189,  and  is  also  past  chancellor 
commander  of  the  Pythian  Knights.  He  is- 
popular  with  the  younger  element  of  the- 
Republican  party,  in  which  he  has  long  been 
a  worker. 

December  27,  1905,  Mr.  Schrader  was 
married  at  Plymouth,  Indiana,  to  Miss  Har- 
riet, daughter  of  E.  S.  Bissell  and  formerly 
a  teacher  in  the  Columbia  City  schools.  Mr. 
and  Airs.  Schrader  reside  in  a  comfortable 
home  on  North  Line  street.  Like  his  par- 
ents, Mr.  Schrader  is  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  while  his  wife  holds- 
communion  with  the  Episcopal  church. 


DAVID  N.  HART. 


Whitley  county  lost  one  of  her  respect- 
ed citizens  in  the  death  of  David  N.  Hart, 
who  had  been  identified  with  the  public  life 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


823 


of  the  county,  successful  in  agriculture, 
prominent  in  politics  and  popular  in  all  the 
social  relations,  and  there  was  sincere  regret 
when  "taps"  called  the  old  soldier  to  rest. 
The  ancestors  of  this  family  were  Germans 
who  settled  in  Pennsylvania  nearly  a  century 
ago.  Frederick  Hart  was  born  in  Somerset 
county  and  in  early  manhood  migrated  to 
Wayne  county,  Ohio.  About  1851  the  fam- 
ily removed  to  DeKalb  county,  Indiana, 
locating  on  a  wild  tract  of  land  and  their 
best  efforts  were  required  to  improve  and 
change  it  into  a  productive  farm.  Frederick 
Hart  ended  his  days  at  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty-five.  His  son,  David  N.  Hart, 
who  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Ohio,  De- 
cember 20,  1833,  came  with  him  to  Indiana, 
remaining  on  the  farm  until  the  outbreak 
of  the  Civil  war.  In  1861  he  enlisted  in 
Company  F,  Forty-fourth  Indiana  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  with  which  he  served  three 
years  and  four  months,  or  until  discharged 
for  disability.  Those  familiar  with  the  his- 
tory of  the  Civil  war  will  recall  the  "old 
Forty-fourth"  as  one  of  the  most  gallant  in 
the  sendee,  and  whoever  belonged  to  it 
necessarily  passed  through  much  hard  fight- 
ing. Mr.  Hart  was  in  its  hardest  battles 
and  was  often  detailed  on  important  scout 
duty,  especially  while  in  Kentucky.  Mr. 
Hart  resumed  work  on  his  DeKalb  county 
farm  of  forty  acres,  but  in  October,  1866, 
removed  to  Whitley  county.  He  located 
in  Thomcreek  township  on  what  is  now 
known  as  the  John  Hoffer  farm.  These 
sixty  acres  were  sold  in  1875  and  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  purchased  a  short  dis- 
tance west.  Mr.  Hart  did  a  great  deal  of 
clearing,  eventually  making  this  one  of  the 
best  improved  farms  in  that  vicinity.     One 


of  his  improvements  was  the  erection  of  a 
large  brick  house,  one  of  the  best  in  the 
township,  the  material  for  which  he  made 
on  the  farm.  Starting  in  debt  $5,000,  at 
the  end  of  seventeen  years  Mr.  Hart  had 
paid  this,  increased  his  land  holdings  to  two 
hundred  and  five  acres  and  was  easily  worth 
$10,000.  In  1868  he  was  commissioned 
justice  of  the  peace  by  Governor  Baker,  war, 
twice  re-elected  and  served  in  this  office 
fourteen  consecutive  years.  As  Thorncreek 
township  was  normally  Democratic,  his  pop- 
ularity is  shown  by  his  being  the  only  Re- 
publican elected  at  those  elections.  He  was 
nominated  for  sheriff,  but  the  county's  ad- 
verse political  majority  was  too  great  to 
overcome.  He  was  fond  of  politics  and 
often  attended  and  presided  at  Republican 
conventions.  He  was  an  inveterate  reader,  a 
close  student  of  public  questions  and  unusu- 
ally well  informed.  He  was  especially  proud 
of  his  military  service  and  enjoyed  meeting 
his  old  comrades  and  recounting  experiences 
of  soldier  life.  He  was  repeatedly  elected 
commander  of  the  George  W.  Stough  Post, 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  frequent- 
ly attended  national  encampments.  A  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  church  from  early  life,  he 
was  a  man  of  strict  morals  and  high  notions 
in  all  the  transactions  between  man  and 
man.  He  was  a  good  off-hand  speaker, 
ready  in  debate  and  had  the  general  equip- 
ment that  would  have  made  him  a  distinct 
figure  in  an}'  of  the  professions.  In  1902 
Mr.  Hart  purchased  a  home  on  Market 
street.  Columbia  City,  and  lived  in  retire- 
ment until  his  death,  December  8,   1906. 

June  17.  1855.  Mr.  Hart  married  Lucy 
Kimmont,  of  Crawford  county,  Ohio,  a 
lady  of  unusual  attainments.      Her   father, 


824 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


William  Kimmont,  was  an  educated  Scotch- 
man, who  devoted  most  of  his  life  to  teach- 
ing and  gained  eminence  as  an  educator. 
For  many  years  he  was  in  the  schools  at 
Cincinnati  and  there  his  daughter  obtained 
her  education,  she  also  becoming  a  teacher. 
She  died  at  the  Columbia  City  home  Febru- 
ary <).  1904.  There  were  eight  children  in 
the  family  besides  the  third  son,  who  died 
in  infancy.  Owen  T.  is  a  real  estate  dealer 
at  McHenry,  North  Dakota ;  Emerson  C. 
is  a  commercial  salesman  for  a  wholesale 
drug  house  at  Rock  Island,  Illinois ;  Anna 
married  Wesley  Allen  and  resides  in  Colum- 
bia City;  Nellie,  wife  of  William  Doyle,  is 
a  resident  of  Monticello,  Indiana ;  Joseph 
Kimmont  Hart  has  gained  prominence  as 
a  successful  teacher.  He  taught  in  the  high 
schools  at  Ottumwa,  Iowa,  and  Rock  Island, 
Illinois,  and  at  present  is  an  assistant  teacher 
of  history  in  the  University  of  Chicago  and 
is  identified  with  the  university  extension 
course.  He  served  in  the  Spanish-American 
war.  making  a  creditable  record.  Bruce  D. 
Hart,  M.  D.,  of  Churubusco,  is  mentioned 
elsewhere.  Ruth  married  Charles  Miller 
and  is  a  resident  of  Columbia  City.  An 
adopted  member  of  the  family  is  Miss  Ba- 
tha.  daughter  of  William  Hart  and  Eliza- 
betb  Kimmont,  he  a  brother  of  David  Hart 
and  she  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Hart.  -Having  lost 
her  mother  by  death  when  three  weeks  old, 
Miss  Batha  was  brought  from  Nebraska  as 
an  infant  in  arms  by  her  uncle  David.  She 
has  been  the  housekeeper  for  some  years 
and  watched  over  her  uncle  and  aunt  with 
tender  care  during  their  last  days. 

Fred  W.  Hart,  the  fifth,  was  born  in 
Thorncreek  township  May  31,  1867.  He 
remained    on    the    farm    until    twentv-three 


years  old  and  then  entered  Franklin  (Indi- 
ana) College,  where  he  spent  two  years  in 
the  academic  department.  It  was  his  in- 
tention to  take  the  theological  course,  but 
ill  health  prevented  and  he  engaged  in  mis- 
sionary work.  He  preached  two  years  at 
Auburn,  five  in  Oswego  and  one  year  at 
Decatur,  Indiana.  His  health  needing  recu- 
peration, he  retired  to  his  father's  farm, 
remained  there  two  years  and  then  located 
at  Columbia  City,  where  he  traveled  as  a 
commercial  salesman  for  five  years  and  is 
now  in  the  real  estate  business,  promoting 
the  sale  of  North  Dakota  lands.  He  was 
appointed  by  his  father  executor  of  his  es- 
tate. December  29,  1890,  Mr.  Hart  mar- 
ried Miss  Julia,  daughter  of  John  and  Anna 
(Born)  Cotterly.  a  substantial  and  highly 
respected  family  of  Thorncreek  township. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hart  have  three  children, 
Marguerite,  Donald  Kimmont  and  Robert 
Bruce. 


JAMES  WASHBURN 

was  born  in  the  first  courthouse  in  Colum- 
bia City  September  12,  1843,  and  is  the  son 
of  Thomas  and  Sarah  (Cary)  Washburn. 
The  father  was  born  in  Parkersburg,  West 
Virginia,  in  1805,  and  the  mother  in  Salem, 
Ohio,  in  1806,  and  was  the  daughter  of 
John  Cary.  Their  marriage  occurred  in 
Ohio,  February  10,  1825,  where  they  re- 
mained until  1842,  when  they  came  to  Co- 
lumbia City,  remaining  there  till  the  close 
of  their  lives.  He  was  a  carpenter  and  sur- 
veyor for  a  number  of  years  and  then  be- 
came a  merchant  in  the  city,  attaining  con- 
siderable success  and  accumulating-  a  larae 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


825 


amount  of  valuable  property.  He  served  in 
"the  state  legislature  as  a  Democrat  in  1874. 
During  his  long  and  eventful  life  he  en- 
joyed the  confidence  of  a  large  circle  of 
social  and  business  acquaintances.  He  and 
his  wife  are  now  dead.  Ten  children  were 
born  to  them :  Nancy,  deceased  in  infancy ; 
Mary  Ann,  deceased  wife  of  Warren  Ma- 
son; Eliza  Jane,  widow  of  Samuel  Keefer; 
John,  a  merchant  for  several  years,  but  now 
deceased ;  Calvin,  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war, 
now  living  in  San  Francisco ;  Charles  and 
Silas  died  in  infancy ;  Alanson,  formerly  a 
merchant  and  soldier,  died  in  Pittsburg; 
Cyrus,  deceased,  and  James.  James  entered 
his  father's  store  as  a  clerk  in  early  man- 
hood, remaining  for  several  years.  In  1872 
Tie  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  for 
himself,  which  he  conducted  nineteen  years, 
selling  finally  to  Henry  Giles.  He  then  en- 
gaged in  the  real-estate  business,  which  con- 
tinues to  receive  his  undivided  attention.  In 
1 86 1,  while  employed  in  the  newspaper  busi- 
ness by  A.  Y.  Hooper,  he  and  three  others 
of  the  same  occupation  enlisted  in  Company 
F,  Twelfth  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, and  served  one  year,  when  he  re- 
enlisted  in  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and 
Fifty-second  Regiment,  and  continued  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  November  12,  1867, 
he  was  married  to  Maryette,  daughter  of 
Daniel  and  Lucinda  J.  (North)  Mitchell. 
who  was  born  July  5,  1850.  Her  parents 
came  to  Indiana  about  1863  and  located  on  a 
farm  where  the  mother  died  in  1905,  but 
the  father  is  still  living  in  the  enjoyment  of 
good  health  and  many  friends.  Mr.  Wash- 
"burn  owns  a  large  part  of  the  property  on 
the  east  side  of  the  court  house  square  and  is 
reckoned  among  the  most  substantial  citi- 


zens. He  was  a  charter  member  of  George 
W.  Stough  Post,  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public. John  L.,  an  only  son,  married  Ada 
Gougwer  and  resides  in  Columbia  City, 
having  also  a  son,  James  R.  Mr.  Washburn 
is  a  lifelong  Democrat,  taking  an  active  part 
in  local  matters,  and  in  1896  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the  convention  that  nominated 
Bryan  for  the  presidency. 


PHILEMON  H.  CLUGSTON. 

A  leading  member  of  the  Columbia  City  bar 
and  an  honorable  representative  of  two  of 
Whitley  county's  old  and  highly  esteemed 
families,  was  born  May  8,  1864.  being  the 
oldest  son  in  a  family  of  six  children,  whose 
parents  were  David  B.  and  Margaret  (Mc- 
Lallen)  Clugston,  the  former  a  native  of 
New  Jersey,  the  latter  of  the  state  of  New 
York.  The  McLallens  settled  in  Whitley 
county  as  early  as  1844  and  have  been  prom- 
inent in  its  business  and  public  affairs  ever 
since,  the  father's  family  arriving  in  this 
part  of  the  state  in  1857  an(l  taking  an  ac- 
tive and  influential  interest  in  the  develop- 
ment and  progress  of  the  county  from  that 
year  to  the  present  time.  David  B.  Clugs- 
ton, son  of  Asher  and  Catherine  (  Ritten- 
house)  Clugston,  was  of  Scotch-Irish  de- 
scent. When  two  years  old  he  was  taken 
by  his  parents  to  the  state  of  Delawaix. 
where  he  lived'  until  his  maturity,  and  in  the 
year  indicated  came  to  Indiana,  settling  at 
Larwill,  Whitley  county,  where  in  1858  he 
become  associated  with  E.  L.  McLallen  in 
the  dry  goods  business,  the  firm  thus  con- 
stituted winning  immediate  success  and  es- 


826 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


tablishing  an  honorable  reputation  among 
the  leading  mercantile  houses  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  state.  After  the  retirement 
of  Mr.  McLallen  in  1873  Mr.  Clugston  con- 
tinued the  business  and  later  associated  him- 
self with  his  brother,  Asher  R.  Clugston  and 
others  in  establishing  a  large  store  in  Co- 
lumbia  City,  which  soon  became  the  leading 
enterprise  of  the  kind  in  Whitley  county, 
and  still  later  he  engaged  in  various  other 
interests,  notable  among  which  was  the 
Harper  Buggy  Company,  a  large  manufac- 
turing concern  that  has  done  much  to  ad- 
vance the  material  prosperity  of  the  com- 
munity. P.  H.  Clugston  grew  to  manhood 
in  his  native  county  of  Whitley  and  is  today 
justly  considered  one  of  its  most  enterpris- 
ing and  energetic  sons.  He  received  his 
elementary  education  in  the  public  schools, 
later  took  a  course  in  the  Indiana  State  Uni- 
versity and  then  embarked  upon  a  business 
career  in  Columbia  City.  After  two  years' 
experience  in  business  he  gave  it  up  for  the 
purpose  of  preparing  himself  for  the  legal 
profession.  After  the  requisite  preliminary 
study  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1887, 
becoming  a  member  of  the  long  established 
and  successful  firm  of  Marshall  &  Mc- 
Nagny,  with  whom  he  continued  in  active 
practice  until  1889,  the  meantime  rapidly 
forging  to  the  front  in  his  profession  and 
earning  an  honorable  reputation  not  only 
as  an  able  and  successful  lawyer,  but  as  one 
ever  loyal  to  the  interests  of  his  clients  and 
eminently  trustworthy  in  the  transactions  of 
all  business  placed  at  bis  disposal.  In  1889 
Mr.  Clugston  was  elected  mayor  of  Colum- 
bia City  and  with  such  fidelity  did  he  dis- 
charge his  official  functions  that  he  was 
chosen   his  own   successor   in  the  spring  of 


[892,  but  in  August  of  the  following  year- 
he  resigned  his  position  to  resume  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession,  becoming  also  associ- 
ated with  Messrs.  Marshall  &  McNagny  in 
establishing  the  widely  known  and  reliable 
firm  of  Marshall,  McNagny  &  Clugston, 
which  has  since  become  one  of  the  leading 
law  partnerships  in  northeastern  Indiana. 
As  a  lawyer  Mr.  Clugston  ranks  among  the 
leading  members  of  the  Whitley  county  bar. 
and  compares  favorably  with  his  peers  in. 
legal  learning.  He  possesses  the  ability  and 
merit  that  win  success  and  from  the  begin- 
ning his  career  has  been  eminently  satisfac- 
tory, not  only  professionally  but  financially. 
An  active  mind,  keen  perception,  combined" 
with  a  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  law, 
enable  him  easily  to  grasp  the  main  points 
at  issue,  while  his  untiring  industry,  sup- 
plemented by  strong  common  sense,  have- 
fitted  him  for  the  branch  of  work  to  which 
he  has  given  most  attention.  As  the  city's- 
chief  executive  Mr.  Clugston's  record  was 
creditable  to  himself  and  satisfactory  to  the 
people.  His  qualifications  to  discharge  with 
ability  the  duties  of  such  a  trust  being  un- 
questioned, while  his  fidelity  to  the  public 
welfare  and  the  uniform  courtesy  that  char- 
acterized his  official  conduct  were  factors 
of  no  little  import  in  a  record  that  compared 
favorably  with  that  of  the  ablest  of  his 
predecessors  or  successors  in  the  office.  Mr. 
Clugston  is  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  a 
strong  advocate  of  the  principles  of  his  party 
and  a  persevering  worker  for  its  success  at 
all  times.  He  has  rendered  valuable  service- 
in  a  number  of  campaigns.  He  is  a  member 
in  high  standing  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
having  risen  to  the  thirty-second  degree  and 
in  all  the  subordinate  bodies  of  the  order  to- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


327 


which  he  belongs  his  activity  and  influence 
have  contributed  greatly  to  their  efficiency 
and  advancement.  He  is  now  serving  as 
grand  high  priest  of  the  grand  chapter  of 
Royal  Arch  Masons  of  Indiana. 

In  1891  Mr.  Clugston  was  united- in 
marriage  with  Miss  Emma  R.  Thatcher,  the 
union  being  blessed  with  two  children,  a 
daughter,  Katherine,  and  a  son  by  the  name 
of  Phil.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clugston  are  es- 
teemed members  of  the  Presbyterian  church 
in  Columbia  City,  active  in  the  discharge  of 
their  duties  as  Christians  and  ready  at  all 
times  to  do  what  they  can.  They  are  also 
liberal  contributors  to  the  material  support 
of  the  congregation  with  which  identified 
and  for  a  number  of  years  Mr.  Clugston  has 
held  the  important  office  of  elder  in  the 
same. 


GEORGE  H.  FOSLER. 

George  H.  Fosler,  representative  agri- 
culturist and  stockman  and  for  a  number  of 
years  actively  identified  with  the  develop- 
ment and  progress  of  Whitley  county,  is  a 
native  of  Indiana  and  the  fourth  of  eight 
children,  whose  parents  were  George  and 
Catherine  (Heagy)  Fosler,  both  born  in 
Cumberland  county,  Pennsylvania,  where 
they  married  in  1835.  George  Fosler  was  a 
farmer  and  stock  raiser.  In  1838  they  re- 
moved to  Dayton,  Ohio,  and  after  spending 
about  three  years  in  that  city  changed  resi- 
dence to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  where  they 
continued  to  reside  until  1863'.  when  they 
settled  in  Cleveland'  township.  Mr.  Fosler 
purchased  land,  developed  a  fine  farm  and 
in  due  time  became  one  of  the  successful 


agriculturists.  In  connection  with  his  sons 
he  built  and  operated  the  first  steam  mill 
in  the  county.  He  lived  in  retirement  from 
1874  until  his  death,  ten  years  later,  sur- 
viving his  wife,  who  died  in  1881.  Their 
eight  children  were  Samuel,  Mary,  Eliza- 
beth, George  H.,  Marietta,  Israel  T.,  An- 
tillis  and  Thomas.  Of  these  five  were  living 
in  1907. 

George  H.  Fosler,  whose  birth  occurred 
in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  June  29,  1841, 
accompanied  his  parents  to  this  county  in 
1863  and  remained  on  the  home  place  until 
his  twenty-sixth  year.  At  twenty-three 
years  of  age  he  assumed  charge  of  his  fa- 
ther's farm  and  was  also  associated  with  his 
father  and  brother  in  the  manufacture  of 
lumber,  owning  and  operating  a  steam  saw- 
mill for  about  fourteen  years.  In  1872  Mr. 
Fosler  discontinued  farming  and  moving  to 
South  Whitley  turned  his  attention  to  deal- 
ing in  horses,  which  he  has  since  followed 
with  most  gratifying  results,  being  not  only 
the  largest  and  most  successful  buyer  and 
trader  in  the  county,  but  one  of  the  best 
known  in  northern  Indiana,  besides  enjoying 
repute  among  the  leading  dealers  through- 
out the  country.  He  also  owns  and  operates 
a  fine  livery  barn,  which  is  well  equipped 
with  all  the  latest  and  most  approved  conve- 
niences, his  courtesy  and  wide  acquaintance 
contributing  not  a  little  to  the  lucrative  pat- 
ronage which  he  enjoys.  Some  idea  of  the 
success  of  Air.  Fosler  as  a  breeder  may  be 
gleaned  from  the  fact  that  he  owns  five  fine 
stallions,  a  Belgian,  a  Clyde,  a  Norman 
and  two  Wilkes,  representing  in  the  aggre- 
gate many  thousands  of  dollars.  Mr.  Fos- 
ler has  achieved  well  merited  success  in  his 
enterprises,  owning  in  addition  to  his  barn 


828 


WHITLEY  COUNTY..  INDIANA. 


a  fine  modern  dwelling  and  other  city  prop- 
tery  and  a  valuable  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  near  Bloomington.  Indiana. 
He  has  demonstrated  ability  as  a  financier, 
possessing  foresight,  discrimination  and 
judgment.  He  was  selected  to  settle  the 
family  estate,  which  was  done  to  the  satis- 
faction of  all  concerned,  and  his  services 
have  often  been  in  demand  in  the  adjust- 
ment of  various  interests.  Mr.  Fosler  is 
justly  considered  a  horse  authority  and  to 
him  more  than  to  any  other  is  due  the  credit 
of  arousing  an  interest  in  fine  horses  and  in 
leading  the  farmers  to  appreciate  improved 
and  blooded  animals,  many  of  which 
through  his  efforts  have  been  introduced. 

Mr.  Fosler  has  not  been  unmindful  of 
his  duties  as  a  citizen,  having  manifested 
a  lively  interest  in  the  public  weal  and  taken 
an  active  part  in  encouraging  all  movements 
having  for  their  object  the  material  ad- 
vancement of  his  city  and  county  and  the 
moral  good  of  his  fellowmen.  He  is  a 
Republican,  but  not  aspiring  to  official  po- 
sition, and  he  is  a  regular  attendant  of  the 
Methodist  church. 

Mr.  Fosler  has  been  twice  married,  first 
on  Christmas  day,  1868,  to  Miss  Sarah, 
daughter  of  William  B.  Dunlap.  who  died 
the  mother  of  two  children:  Clem  D.,  his 
father's  partner  in  business,  and  Enda  M., 
wife  of  Abraham  Crist,  a  millwright  of 
South  Whitley.  His  second  marriage  was 
in  [882  with  Emma,  daughter  of  Joseph 
Meyers,  one  of  the  old  settlers  and  well-to- 
do  men  of  Whitley  county,  the  union  being 
blessed  with  two  offspring:  Georgia,  wife 
of  Clyde  Dressbach,  a  traveling  salesman 
of  Fort  Wayne,  and  Catherine,  who  mar- 
ried Graham  Davies,  an  electrician  in 
Chicago. 


SAMUEL  FRAZIER  TREMBLEY 

was  born  in  1872  in  Richland  township. 
Whitley  county,  Indiana,  near  the  town  of 
Larwill,  upon  the  John  S.  Trembley  farm. 
He  received  his  early  education  at  the  Hazel 
Hill  school,  afterwards  attending  the  high 
school  at  Larwill.  then  attending  the  North- 
ern Indiana  Normal  School  at  Valparaiso, 
Indiana,  where  he  graduated  from  the  scien- 
tific course  with  the  class  of  1896.  After 
teaching  school  for  a  few  years  he  and  B.  F. 
McNear  formed  a  partnership  for  the  pur- 
pose of  selling  buggies  -  and  harness  under 
the  firm  name  of  Trembley  &  McNear, 
which  firm  by  honest  dealing  and  strict  at- 
tention to  business  has  grown  to  be  the  larg- 
est of  its  kind  in  northern  Indiana. 

Mr.  Trembley  was  reared  upon  a  farm 
and  for  the  past  fifteen  years  has  had  active 
management  of  the  Trembley  farm.  He  is 
considered  one  of  the  best  judges  of  good 
farming  and  good  stock  in  the  county,  and 
by  his  fair  dealing  has  acquired  the  confi- 
dence of  all  who  know  him. 

His  father,  John  Sebron  Trembley,  was 
of  Dutch  and  French  descent,  born  in  New 
Jersey  in  1813.  In  1842  he  came  to  Whit- 
ley count}-,  Indiana,  locating  upon  the  farm 
now  owned  by  the  Trembleys.  He  was  a 
contractor  and  builder  in  earl}-  life,  but  later 
devoted  his  entire  attention  to  farming  and 
stock  raising.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Grace  Lutheran  church  and  politically  a 
Republican. 

He  married  Mary  Ann  Frazier  Comp- 
ton  in  1870  and  to  this  union  three  children 
were  born :  Samuel  Frazier  Trembley,  Vel- 
ma  Virginia  Trembley  Evans  and  Mabel 
Effie  Trembley,  deceased.  Mary  Ann  Fra- 
zier, his  wife,  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


529 


born  in  [Muskingum  county,  Ohio,  and  edu- 
cated at  the  young  ladies'  seminary  at  Gran- 
ville, Ohio,  has  by  her  Christian  life  been  an 
example  of  what  the  duties  of  a  wife  and 
mother  should  be. 

Mr.  Trembley  was  elected  auditor  of 
Whitley  county  November  6,  1906,  by  the 
Republicans,  of  which  party  he  has  been 
an  active  worker.  His  large  acquaintance 
in  the  county  and  his  standing  with  the 
business  men  made  him  an  easy  winner. 
The  duties  of  which  office  he  entered  upon, 
January  1,  1907. 

January  25,  1906,  he  was  married  to 
Winifred  S.  Wunderlich,  of  Columbia  City, 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Eva  (Hall)  Wun- 
derlich. 


JOSEPH  LAWRENCE  WILLIAMSON. 

The  gentleman  whose  career  is  herewith 
briefly  sketched  is  a  well  known  and  es- 
teemed citizen  of  South  Whitley,  and  a  rep- 
resentative of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of 
Cleveland  township,  whose  genealogy  is 
outlined  in  the  biography  of  Perry  M.  Wil- 
liamson on  another  page.  Joseph  L.  Wil- 
liamson was  born  January  11,  1841.  in 
Preble  county,  Ohio,  and  in  1843  was 
brought  by  his  parents  to  Indiana,  since 
when  his  life  has  been  closely  interwoven 
with  the  history  of  Whitley  county.  Reared 
amid  the  scenes  of  the  pioneer  period,  his 
youthful  life  partook  largely  of  the  nature 
of  his  environment,  having  early  learned  the 
lesson  of  independence  and  self-reliance 
which  the  spirit  of  those  times  appears  to 
have  inculcated  in  the  majority  of  lads 
raised  in  close  touch  with  nature.     At  the 


proper  age  he  attended  school,  taught  in 
a  diminutive  log  cabin,  in  which  rough 
benches  without  backs  were  used  by  the 
primary  pupils  and  a  wide  board  resting  on 
pins  fastened  to  the  wall  answered  the  pur- 
pose of  a  writing  desk,  the  interior  being 
heated  by  a  large  fireplace,  which  occupied 
the  greater  part  of  one  side  of  the  room.  In 
this  back-woods  college,  which  he  attended 
two  or  three  months  of  each  winter  season 
until  a  youth  in  his  teens,  young  William- 
son not  only  mastered  the  rudiments  of-  an 
English  education  but  made  considerable 
progress  in  the  several  branches  then  taught, 
the  greater  part  of  the  mental  discipline, 
however,  being  that  kind  obtained  by  com- 
ing in  contact  with  his  fellowmen  in  the 
various  relations  and  transactions  of  every- 
day life.  He  grew  to  manhood  on  a  farm 
and  in  the  main  has  devoted  his  energies  to 
agriculture,  in  which  his  success  has  been 
gratifying,  as  his  present  comfortable  cir- 
cumstances abundantly  attest.  He  owns  a 
fine  farm  of  one  hundred  acres,  adjoining 
the  place  on  which  his  father  settled  and  his 
improvements  compare  with  the  best  in  the 
township.  His  buildings  include  a  substan- 
tial modern  residence,  which  is  commodious, 
comfortable  and  convenient ;  a  fine  barn 
and  other  structures,  all  up-to-date  and  fully 
answering  the  purpose  for  which  designed, 
while  the  system  of  drainage,  consisting  of 
over  one  thousand  rods  of  well  laid  tile, 
bears  evidence  of  the  close  attention  devoted 
to  the  care  and  cultivation  of  the  soil.  Mr. 
Williamson  is  a  farmer  of  advanced  ideas, 
familiar  with  every  phase  of  agricultural 
science  and  by  adopting  new  and  improved 
methods  his  labors  have  been  rewarded  with 
abundant  harvests.     He  has  also  paid  con- 


83o 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


siderable  attention  to  live  stock  and  the  re- 
ceipts from  its  sale  has  added  materially 
to  his  income. 

December  17,  18O4,  Mr.  Williamson 
was  united  in  wedlock  with  Miss  Susanna, 
daughter  of  Harmon  and  Edith  (Edwards) 
Smith,  natives  of  Ohio  and  among  the  pio- 
neers of  Whitley  county,  the  father  coming 
to  Cleveland  township  as  early  as  1845  and 
dying  a  few  months  later,  being  one  of  the 
first  men  buried  in  Cleveland  cemetery.  The 
marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williamson  has 
resulted  in  the  birth  of  seven  children : 
Mary  J.,  wife  of  Levi  A.  Burwell,  of  Love- 
land,  Colorado;  Edith  May,  proprietor  of 
the  Home  Bakery  and  Restaurant  at  North 
Manchester;  Sylvester,  a  farmer  at  Love- 
land,  Colorado ;  Mina  married  Charles 
Earnhart,  a  railway  employe  at  Elkhart"; 
Cora  Etta  is  the  housekeeper  for  her  father ; 
Harley  manages  his  father's  farm ;  Jessie 
Alice  is  engaged  in  the  millinery  business  at 
South  Whitley. 

The  mother  died  December  28,  1900. 
Two  years  later  Mr.  Williamson  turned  the 
management  of  the  farm  over  to  his  son 
and  moved  to  South  Whitley,  where  he  has 
since  resided,  owning  a  nice  property  and 
being  well  situated  to  enjoy  a  life  of  honor- 
able retirement.  In  politics  he  votes  with 
the  Republican  party  and  the  Baptist  church, 
of  which  he  has  long  been  a  consistent  mem- 
ber, represents  his  religious  creed. 


MELVIN  BLAIN. 


Melvin  Blain  is  a  popular  retired  farmer 
and  ex-official  of  the  county,  who  was  born 
in  Troy  township  June  24,   1865,  and  is  the 


son  of  James  and  Jane  (Scott)  Blain. 
James  was  born  in  Ross  county,  Ohio,  being 
the  son  of  Alexander  Blain,  who  moved  to 
Indiana  in  1840  and  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  life  in  Troy  and  Etna  townships.  His 
wife  was  the  daughter  of  John  Scott,  who 
came  from  Madison  county,  Ohio,  to  \\ "hit- 
ley  county  in  1836  and  entered  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Etna  township, 
upon  which  the  village  of  Etna  now  stands. 
James  and  Jane  Blain  were  married  in  Etna 
township,  then  included  in  Noble  county. 
For  some  years  he  was  a  teacher  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  county  and  exerted  a 
strong  influence  toward  the  intellectual  and 
moral  progress  of  his  community.  He  was 
chosen  justice  of  the  peace,  and  so  well  did 
he  prove  adapted  to  the  needs  that  he  was 
repeatedly  selected,  serving  a  period  of 
twelve  years,  his  influence  being  ever  to  the 
peaceful  settlement  of  disputes  rather  than 
resort  to  law. 

He  and  his  wife  were  devoted  and  ex- 
emplary members  of  the  Baptist  church,-  to 
which  they  gave  faithful  and  liberal  sup- 
port. Twelve  children  were  born  to  them : 
Lafayette  and  John,  both  deceased;  Maiy 
Ellen,  wife  of  Ambrose  Kiester;  Ida, 
widow  of  Ira  Grant;  William  A.,  a  fireman 
on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad  and  killed 
in  a  collision,  aged  twenty-six ;  Minerva, 
deceased;  Frances  E.,  wife  of  S.  E.  Tem- 
pleton ;  Roxy,  at  home:  Melvin;  Delia, 
wife  of  John  Buckles;  Thomas  and  An- 
drew, both  deceased  in  infancy. 

Melvin  Blain  was  raised  on  the  farm  and 
educated  in  the  common  schools.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-one  he  assumed  management 
of  his  father's  farm,  which  he  continued  till 
1899,  when  he  removed  to  Columbia  City 
to  enter  upon  the  duties  of  county  treasurer. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


831 


to  which  he  had  been  elected  as  the  nomi- 
nee of  the  Democratic  party,  to  which  he 
had  given  faithful  allegiance,  being  one  of 
the  recognized  leaders  of  public  opinion  in 
his  township,  and  had  served  it  upon  various 
occasions  in  conventions  and  at  the  polls. 
His  conduct  of  the  office  of  treasurer, 
coupled  with  natural  affability,  insured  a  re- 
election to  the  limit  allowed  by  law.  He  is 
the  present  drain  commissioner,  the  duties 
of  which  he  is  peculiarly  well  qualified  to 
perform.  He  holds  an  interest  and  is  a 
director  in  the  Farmers'  Mutual  Telephone 
Company  and  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the 
Wawassee  electric  line.  His  social  and  fra- 
ternal relations  are  with  the  Modern  Wood- 
men and  Masons,  being  a  Knight  Templar. 
December  27,  1888,  he  was  married  to 
Cora  E.  Goodrich,  who  was  born  in  Iowa, 
October  15,  1867,  and  is  the  daughter  of 
Silas  and  Adaline  (Cook)  Goodrich,  early 
settlers  in  this  county.  To  this  union  were 
born  three  children :  Gladys,  Ruth  and 
James  G.  With  his  companion  Mr.  Blain 
holds  affiliation  with  the  Methodist  church, 
being  in  accord  not  only  with  its  teachings 
as  to  a  future  state  but  a  sympathizer  and 
co-laborer  in  all  that  makes  for  advanced 
citizenship. 


WILLIAM  I.  MOWrREY. 

The  parents  of  William  I.  Mowrey  were 
John  and  Elizabeth  (Schrader)  Mowrey, 
the  father  born  in  Wayne  county,  Ohio.  July 
15,  1832,  the  mother  born  November  28, 
1838,  at  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania.  They 
were  married  April  5,  i860.  Elizabeth  was 
a  daughter  of  Martin  and  Fanny  (Koons) 


Schrader,  who  came  to  Whitley  county  in 
the  fall  of  1845.  In  1859  John  Mowrey 
moved  to  Whitley  count)-  and  bought  wild 
land  in  Jefferson  township,  which  he  cleared 
and  improved  and  on  which  he  lived  as  a 
prosperous  tiller  of  the  soil  until  called  from 
earthly  scenes  July  22,  1899,  being  pre- 
ceded by  his  wife,  who  died  March  24th,  the 
same  year.  Of  their  nine  children  the  fol- 
lowing are  living:  Mary,  wife  of  William 
Yohe,  of  Jefferson  township ;  William  I. ; 
Arthur  S.,  who  lives  near  Raber;  Cora  and 
Etta  own  and  live  at  the  old  home;  Mark 
V.,  a  resident  of  the  vicinity,  and  Ruth,  who 
married  Alvin  L.  Richards,  a  student  of 
Yale  College.  The  names  of  the  deceased- 
are  Nannie.  Charles  and  Cleone.  all  having 
reached  maturity. 

John  Mowrey  was  a  man  of  enterprise 
and  through  his  own  industry  and  superior 
business  methods  acquired  an  ample  fortune, 
owning  at  one  time  realty  to  the  amount  of 
six  hundred  and  forty  acres,  besides  valu- 
able personal  property,  his  estate,  of  which 
William  I.  and  his  brother  Arthur  S.  were 
administrators,  being  conservatively  esti- 
mated at  $50,000.  He  was  public  spirited 
in  the  most  liberal  sense  of  the  term,  a  leader 
of  local  enterprises  for  the  material  ad- 
vancement of  the  community  and  as  a  neigh- 
bor and  citizen  enjoyed  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  -had  business 
or  other  relations  or  who  came  within  the 
sphere  of  his  influence.  He  was  a  Repub- 
lican and  held  religious  belief  with  Ever- 
green Bethel  Church  of  God,  of  which  he 
was  a  member. 

William  I.  Mowrey  was  bom  on  the 
home  farm  July  26,  1863.  His  education 
embraced    the   usual    course   of    the   public 


832 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


schools,  but  in  a  wider  sense  he  received  a 
training  in  practical  matters  (if  far  greater 
valne. 

.Mr.  Mowrey  has  one  hundred  acres,  for- 
merly included  in  his  father's  farm,  the 
greater  part  under  cultivation,  and  his  im- 
provements consist  of  a  beautiful  modern 
residence  of  attractive  design  erected  in 
[897,  a  fine  bank  barn  forty  by  sixty  feet 
in  dimensions  and  other  buildings,  besides 
a  complete  svstem  of  tile  drainage  and  good 
fences,  all  of  which  bear  testimony  to  the 
capable  management  and  progressive  spirit 
of  the  owner.  He  makes  it  a  point  to  feed 
the  product  of  his  place  to  stock,  in  the  rais- 
ing of  which  he  has  kept  pace  with  the  most 
successful  stockmen  in  this  part  of  the  state, 
growing  high-grade  animals.  Mr.  Mowrey 
is  a  man  of  sound  sense  and  wise  discretion 
and  not  infrequently  has  been  consulted  in 
relation  to  important  business  matters,  con- 
cerning which  his  judgment  has  seldom  been 
at  fault.  He  has  acted  as  guardian  of  minor 
heirs  at  different  times,  and  at  the  death  of 
his  father  was  one  of  the  administrators  of 
the  latter's  estate,  the  affairs  of  which  were 
adjusted  in  an  able  and  business  like  manner, 
creditable  to  himself  and  satisfactory  to  all 
parties  concerned. 

Mr.  Mowrey  is  a  Republican  and  a  dili- 
gent worker  for  his  party  in  all  its  opera- 
tions. He  is  influential  and  popular  in  po- 
litical circles  and  few  citizens  of  his  commu- 
nity are  held  in  higher  esteem  bv  the  public. 
Fraternally  he  holds  membership  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  in  Columbia  City  and 
with  his  wife  belongs  to  the  Pythian  Sisters. 
He  is  ready  at  all  times  to  aid  with  his 
advice  and  means  every  project  designed  to 
increase  the  comfort  and  happiness  of  his 
fellowmen  and  for  a  number  of  years  he  has 


been  active  in  inaugurating  and  promoting" 
public  utilities  and  enterprises,  having  for 
their  object  the  general  welfare  of  the 
community. 

December  3,  1890,  Mr.  Mowrey  married 
Miss  Clara,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Harriet 
E.  (Bronson)  Cook,  who  moved  to  Whit- 
ley county  from  Ohio  in  1845  and  settled 
near  Columbia  City,  being  pioneers  of 
Columbia  township,  one  mile  west  of  the 
city,  where  he  made  a  farm  from  the  woods, 
on  which  they  passed  the  remainder  of  their 
lives.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mowrey  have  two  chil- 
dren :  Sydney  L.  and  Harriet  I.,  both  at 
home  and  students  in  the  public  schools. 


GEORGE  LEE. 


George  Lee,  a  well  known  contractor 
and  builder,  was  born  in  Whitley  county 
March  1,  i860,  and  is  the  son  of  James  H. 
and  Anna  (Rosenfelter)  Lee,  the  former 
a  native  of  Stark  county,  Ohio,  and  the  lat- 
ter of  Germany.  Her  parents  were  George 
and  Mary  (Rickard)  Rosenfelter,  who  came 
to  America  about  1827  and  settled  on  a  farm 
in  Stark  county,  which  was  then  in  a  wild 
condition.  James  H.  Lee  was  married  in 
Stark  county,  in  1850,  and  came  to  Whitley 
county  in  1855,  engaging  in  the  saw-mill 
business,  his  being  the  first  steam  saw-mill 
in  Cleveland  township.  His  mill  was  twice 
destroyed  by  fire  and  subsequently  he 
bought  a.  piece  of  land  adjoining  and  there 
followed  farming  until  his  death  in  1889. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren 
church,  as  is  his  widow  who  survives  him. 
They  had  six  children :  Frances,  wife  of 
Henry   Wilson,   and   Ida,    wife  of   Samuel 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


833 


Branenburg.  both  farmers  of  Cleveland 
township:  Elijah,  a  carpenter  in  Hunting- 
ton ;  George ;  Lincoln,  a  fanner  of  Cleveland 
township :  and  Amanda,  wife  of  Charles 
Howenstine,  a  carpenter  of  South  Whitley. 
George  Lee  was  reared  to  farm  labor 
and  attended  the  common  schools.  Septem- 
ber 20,  1883,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mis-  Paulina,  daughter  of  Martin  and  Sarah 
(Finkbone)  Fettro,  natives  _of  Ohio,  both 
now  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lee  have  five 
children:  Roy.  Garnett,  Nina,  Edna  and 
Clella.  One  year  after  marriage  Mr.  Lee 
left  the  farm  and  moved  to  South  Whitley, 
where  he  engaged  in  general  contracting. 
He  carries  a  large  and  well  selected  stock 
of  builders'  materials,  including  paints,  oils, 
lime,  cement,  etc.  He  also  manufactures  ce- 
ment blocks.  During  the  busy  season  he 
gives  employment  to  a  force  of  twenty-five 
workmen,  while  he  keeps  five  men  constant- 
ly employed.  Mr.  Lee  is  public  spirited, 
lends  an  active  support  and  co-operation  to 
every  movement  for  the  general  good  and 
is  regarded  in  business  and  social  circles  as 
a  gentleman  of  sterling  worth  and  a  loyal 
friend,  whom  to  know  is  to  honor  and  es- 
teem. He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers' 
State  Bank  and  in  the  Farmers'  Telephone 
Company.  Fraternally  he  is  identified  with 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  Modern  Wood- 
men, while  politically  he  supports  the  Re- 
publican party.  He  served  as  village 
trustee. 


CHARLES  HARRISON  JONES. 

Charles  Harrison  Jones,  a  retired  farmer 
living  in  Columbia  City,  was  born  in  Etna 
township,  November  1,  1858,  and  is  the  son 

53 


of  Eli  R.  and  Anna  ( Crow )  Jones,  both 
natives  of  Wayne  count}-.  His  parents  were 
Levi  M.  and  Mary  ( Thomas)  Jones,  both 
natives  of  Virginia,  but  of  Welsh  descent. 
They  came  to  Centreville,  Wayne  county, 
in  181 5,  where  they  conducted  an  old-time 
tavern.  Mr.  Jones  died  in  October.  1823. 
leaving  ten  children.  The  widow  removed 
to  a  farm  in  Wayne  county,  where  she  reared 
her  children,  living  to  see  all  reach  maturity. 
Eli  R.  Jones  was  born  at  Centreville,  Wayne 
count}',  in  1818,  there  grew  to  manhood  and 
on  October  20,  1840,  was  married  to  Anna 
Crow,  who  became  the  mother  of  ten  chil- 
dren :  Helen,  wife  of  D.  J.  Bowman,  of 
South  Bend:  Mary  J.,  wife  of  Robert 
Blaine:  Anna,  wife  of  Samuel  Orcutt,  of 
Etna  township;  Edna,  wife  of  William 
Long;  Sarah,  widow  of  Henry  C.  Scott; 
Alice,  deceased  wife  of  Wilson  B.  Cunning- 
ham :  Emma,  deceased  wife  of  Herman 
Hartsock ;  Joseph,  living  at  North  Webster; 
Oliver,  died  an  infant,  and  Charles  H. 

In  1849,  the  family  moved  to  Etna  town- 
ship and  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  native  forest  land,  which  is  still 
owned  by  Charles  H.  Jones.  The  farm  was 
well  fenced  and  thoroughly  underdrained, 
and  in  later  years  a  large  and  elegant  In  itise 
and  commodious  barn  were  erected.  The 
father  was  a  Republican  and  both  parents 
were  members  of  the  Baptist  church.  Both 
crossed  the  mystic  river  in  1S9S,  honored 
and  respected  by  all. 

Charles  H.  Jones  was  born  on  the  farm, 
attending  the  common  schools  and  lived  at 
home  until  manhood,  being  married  No- 
vember 10.  1S81,  to  Sarah  A.,  daughter  of 
Davis  and  Mary  J.  (  Whan)  Earll.  born  in 
Noble  county,  January  30,  1862.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Earll -were  natives  of  Ohio  and  Penn- 


834 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


sylvania  respectively,  and  came  to  Noble 
county  when  children.  Davis  Earll  died  ' 
November  19.  1863,  while  his  widow  now 
resides  with  her  children.  The  only  other 
child  is  Joseph  P.  Earll,  a  farmer  of  Troy 
township.  1  laving  no  children  of  their  own 
Mr.  ami  Mrs.  Jones  have  adopted  a  son, 
Clyde  E.,  aged  twenty-three,  besides  which 
they  have  afforded  a  home  for  eight  years 
to  .Maude  Wilson  Jones,  a  school  girl. 
Clyde  was  adopted  as  a  child  of  ten.  He 
passed  through  the  high  school  and  is  now 
on  the  farm.  He  married  Nevada  Miller. 
Mr.  Jones  bought  part  of  the  homestead 
where  they  lived  from  the  death  of  his  fa- 
ther until  retiring  to  Columbia  City  in  1906. 
He  retains  his  one-hundred-and-eighty-acre 
farm  to  which  most  of  his  business  life  has 
been  devoted  and  which  he  has  brought  to 
a  high  state  of  fertility  by  systematic  culture 
and  thorough  drainage.  It  is  well  improved 
and  has  yielded  liberal  financial  returns  for 
the  labor  and  attention  bestowed.  Mr.  Jones 
is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  and  both  belong  to  the  Re- 
bekahs.  He  is  a  Republican  and  served 
as  trustee  of  Etna  township  four  years,  the 
elegant  central  school  building  at  Etna  be- 
ing erected  at  a  cost  of  twelve  thousand 
dollars  under  his  supervision.  The  family 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  render  due  support  and  en- 
couragement to  all  means  of  social  and  moral 
advancement. 


ABRAHAM  D.  GREEN. 

Abraham    1).    Green,    member    of    the 
Columbia  City  council,  contractor  and  build- 


er, living  on  North  Chauncey  street,  was 
born  September  12,  1855,  in  Baltimore, 
Maryland,  and  is  the  son  of  Joseph  and 
Sarah  (Atcroft)  Green,  who  were  born  and 
married  in  Staffordshire,  England.  In  1845 
they  came  to  Philadelphia  and  have  lived 
at  Baltimore,  Maryland.  Youngstown, 
Ohio,  and  Milwaukee.  Wisconsin.  He  was 
a  moulder,  a  trade  he  followed  successfully, 
now  living  a  comfortable  and  retired  life  at 
Oconomowoc,  Wisconsin,  surviving  his  com- 
panion who  died  in  1894.  He  rendered  his 
adopted  country  faithful  service  as  a  soldier 
in  the  Civil  war.  Seven  children  were  born 
to  them.  Jennie,  the  widow  of  Mr.  William- 
son :  David  H.,  living  in  Mansfield.  Ohio: 
James  W.,  of  Columbia  City;  George  E., 
living  in  the  state  of  Washington  ;  Abraham, 
and  Frank,  of  Knox,  Stark  county, 
Indiana. 

Abraham  D.  Green  attended  the  com- 
mon schools  and  in  young  manhood  learned 
the  trade  of  brick-making,  which  he  followed 
several  years.  In  the  spring  of  1882,  he 
moved  to  Columbia  City  and  entered  into 
partnership  with  his  brother  David  and 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  brick,  which 
they  continued  until  1892.  He  then  became 
a  contractor  and  builder  and  constructed 
many  of  the  important  buildings  in  the  city, 
among  .them  being  the  Clugston  Hotel,  ice 
plant.  Harper  Company  building,  Presby- 
terian church,  Brahm  livery  barn,  electric 
light  building.  George  H.  Harper's  shop 
and  several  of  the  most  pretentious  and 
modern  residences.  He  owns  valuable  town 
property  besides  a  productive  farm  of  eighty 
acres  in  Troy  township.  His  social  and  fra- 
ternal relations  are  identified  with  several 
secret  societies,  being  a  member  of  the  Order 
of  Ben  Hur  and  Independent  Order  of  Odd 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


835 


Fellows  since  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and 
a  charter  member  of  the  Crystal  Lodge, 
Knights  of  Pythias.  He  has  been  active  in 
the  work  of  these  bodies,  being  representa- 
tive to  the  grand  lodges  of  the  two  last 
named  as  well  as  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen.  He  is  a  Republican  and 
•as  such  was  elected  to  the  city  council  in 
1905  and  is  reckoned  by  his  confreres  as  one 
of  the  most  valued  members,  particularly  on 
those  committees  having  supervision  of  city 
buildings  and  public  property.  He  stands 
for  advanced  and  progressive  methods  and 
is  an  ardent  believer  in  and  supporter  of 
municipal  ownership  of  all  public  utilities. 

October  27,  1906,  Mr.  Green  was  called 
upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  companion, 
who  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  had 
T)een  a  faithful  helpmate,  whose  earnest  de- 
sire was  to  work  in  harmony  with  her  hus- 
"band,  and  exerting  a  mother's  love  and  in- 
fluence in  shaping  her  children's  characters 
for  good  and  noble  ends. 

On  April  16,  1882,  Mr.  Green  was  mar- 
ried to  Mary  Ellen,  daughter  of  William 
and  Harriet  P.  (Ward)  Thompson,  born  in 
Troy  township,  May  2,  1853.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Thompson  were  early  settlers  in  this  town- 
ship and  are  now  both  deceased.  Four  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them :  Bessie,  deceased 
rat  seven  years ;   Dewitt,   Arba  and   Frank. 


TOHX  MAGLEY. 


John  Magley,  a  pioneer  farmer  of  this 
•county,  now  living  retired  in  Columbia  City, 
was  born  August  22,  1823,  in  Oberlipp. 
Canton  of  Berne,   Switzerland,  and   is  the 


son  of  Christian  and  Elizabeth  (Flickinger) 
Magley,  who  in  1831  migrated  to  the  new- 
world.  Reaching  Buffalo,  New  York,  they 
were  delayed  all  winter,  the  lake  being  im- 
passable. Here  the  family  met  with  an  irre- 
trievable loss,  the  wife  and  mother  dying 
before  their  new  home  was  established.  The 
father  moved  with  his  family  to  Fairfield 
county,  Ohio,  in  the  spring  of  1832,  where 
he  remained  a  few  years  and  removed  to 
Franklin  county,  where  he  died  in  1839. 
The  seven  children  were :  Christian,  de- 
ceased; John:  John  U..  living  in  California; 
Elizabeth,  deceased ;  Mary,  living  in  Colum- 
bus, Ohio;  Anna  and  Jacob,  deceased. 

After  the  death  of  the  father  the  chil- 
dren were  bound  out,  except  Christian  and 
John,  who  being  sixteen  years  of  age,  re- 
turned to  Fairfield  county,  finding  employ- 
ment on  the  farm  by  the  day  or  month.  He 
also  learned  the  carpenter  trade,  which  he 
followed  successfully  some  years.  In  1847, 
Mr.  Magley  returned  to  his  native  land  and 
attended  school  there  to  more  thoroughly 
familiarize  himself  with  his  native  language 
but  concluding  that  he  had  better  advan- 
tages in  the  United  States,  decided  to  re- 
turn. In  1853,  he  was  married  in  Colum- 
bus, to  Elizabeth  Magley.  who  was  born  in 
the  same  Canton,  Switzerland,  in  1830.  They 
moved  to  Thorncreek  township,  Whitley 
county,  in  1854,  purchasing  forty  acres  of 
heavily  timbered,  unbroken  forest  land.  By 
industry  and  frugality,  they  in  time  acquired 
a  competency  including  a  ninety-acre  farm 
but  wishing  to  live  less  laboriously  they 
moved  tn  Columbia  City  in  10,01.  To  them 
nine  children  were  born:  Benjamin  F.,  of 
whom  an  extended  notice  is  found  elsewhere  : 
William  H.,  who  married  Mary  Simonson 


836 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


and  lives  in  Columbia  City,  having  one  child, 
Dorothy;  John  W.,  married  Ida  Scott  and 
lives  in  Columbia  City,  with  one  child,  Scott; 
Ella.  Louisa,  and  Aclella,  deceased;  Ida, 
living  at  home:  Alice,  deceased;  and  Homer. 

While  John  Magley  has  spent  his  life  as 
a  fanner,  in  which  he  has  been  more  than 
ordinarily  successful,  yet  he  has  found  time 
and  pleasure  to  take  an  interest  in  local  poli- 
tics. He  is  a  Republican  and  as  such  was 
elected  township  trustee,  serving  four  years 
with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  of  the 
public.  He  was  also  elected  a  justice  of  the 
peace,  but  refused  to  qualify.  He  was  nomi- 
nated for  the  office  of  county  treasurer,  but 
the  strength  opposed  proved  too  formidable. 

After  traveling  as  companions  for  nearly 
fifty  years,  he  was  left  to  continue  to  the 
end  without  his  wife's  advice  and  support, 
she  responding  October  9,  1896,  to  the 
touch  of  the  angel  of  death.  Yet  with  his. 
faithful  daughter  to  lean  upon  in  his  de- 
clining years  he  reviews  with  pleasure  the 
labors  of  the  past  and  with  faith  as  to  the 
future  awaits  the  summons  to  join  those  who 
have  gfone  before. 


CHARLES  F.  MARCHAND. 

Charles  F.  Marchand.  who  is  living  re- 
tired in  the  town  of  Larwill,  was  born  in 
Switzerland,  December  23,  1833,  and  is  the 
son  of  Frederick  and  Sophia  ( Geiauque) 
.Marchand,  who  came  to  this  country  in 
1836.  settling  in  Holmes  county,  Ohio.  Here 
he  engaged  in  farming,  but  having  learned 
the  trade  of  shoemaker  in  his  youth,  found 
a  local  demand  that  required  much  of  his 


time  and  which  was  of  great  assistance  as-- 
a  source  of  cash  income.  In  185 1,  he 
moved  to  Wayne  county,  Ohio,  and  retired 
from  active  labor,  the  management  of  the 
farm  devolving  upon  the  younger  shoulders 
of  his  son,  Charles  F.  It  tested  his  physical 
as  well  as  his  mental  capacity,  but  he  met 
the  requirements  and  responsibilities  with 
courage  and  discretion,  proving  himself  ful- 
ly capable  to  succed  in  almost  any  under- 
taking. Late  in  1864  the  family  moved  to 
Whitley  county,  Indiana,  settling  in  Troy 
township,  where  the  parents  both  passed  to 
their  final  reward,  he  dying  in  1868  and  she 
in    1S95. 

Frederick  Marchand  gave  nine  years  of 
his  young  manhood  to  the  military  service 
of  his  native  country,  participating  in  the 
battle  of  Waterloo  under  Emperor  Napoleon 
Bonaparte,  and  was  there  wounded.  Of 
their  eleven  children  ten  reached  maturity : 
Frederick,  Jacob,  Edward,  Henry,  all  four 
deceased ;  Charles  F. ;  Julia,  wife  of  William 
Starett,  living  in  North  Manchester ;  Chris- 
tina, living  in  Cleveland,  Ohio;  William, 
Samuel,  Mary,  all  three  deceased. 

Charles  F.  Machand  was  only  two  years 
old  wdien  the  family  came  to  this  country. 
He  grew7  to  manhood  on  the  farm  and  was 
trained  to  agriculture,  receiving  only  such 
educational  advantages  as  were  to  be  ob- 
tained in  the  subscription  schools.  In  1856, 
he  went  to  Iowa  and  operated  a  saw-mill 
with  a  couple  of  Arnold  brothers.  In  four 
years,  having  saved  one  thousand  dollars, 
he  returned  to  Wayne  county,  Ohio,  and 
soon  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber 
in  Holmes  county,  continuing  in  the  same 
four  years  and  clearing  sixteen  hundred 
dollars.     In  1864,  he  sold  the  mill  and  came 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


837 


to  Troy  township,  Whitley  county,  pur- 
chasing two  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
land,  including  a  saw-mill.  This  required 
an  investment  of  six;  thousand  dollars,  one 
thousand  being  paid  in  cash  and  ten  per 
cent,  mortgage  notes  given  for  the  balance. 
Eighty  acres  of  the  original  purchase  were 
sold,  leaving  nearly  a  quarter  section  which 
is  today  a  splendid  farm.  In  1868,  he  sold 
the  mill  and  purchased  the  old  home  farm 
consisting  of  a  quarter  section  of  fine  land 
on  which  he  continued  to  live  till  1892, 
having  been  successful  in  acquiring  a  num- 
ber of  valuable  farms  and  business  proper- 
ties. In  addition  to  the  two  farms  already 
mentioned,  he  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of.  land  in  Lagrange  county,  Indiana, 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  section  1, 
Troy  township,  one  hundred  and  thirty 
acres  in  section  13,  Troy  township,  some 
business  blocks  in  Columbia  City,  two  busi- 
ness rooms  in  Marion,  Indiana,  a  few  lots 
in  Chicago,  dwelling  and  business  property 
in  Larwill,  besides  the  elegant  residence  in 
which  he  lives. 

In  1855,  he  was  married  to  Lodema, 
daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Elizabeth 
(Weaver)  Trueman,  who  were  natives  of 
New  York,  the  latter  departing  this  life 
when  her  daughter  was  quite  small.  Her 
nine  children  were  Levi,  Lodema,  and  Lou- 
isa, living  in  Huntington,  Indiana ;  Lewis 
and  John,  deceased ;  Lorinda.  wife  of  James 
Bullers.  of  Larwill ;  Mary,  wife  of  Jeremiah 
Zartman ;  Melissa  and  Martha,  deceased. 

Mr.  Trueman  was  married  the  second 
time  and  in  1865  came  to  Indiana,  settling 
in  Troy  township,  where  he  died  at  the  age 
of  ninety-two  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  March- 
and  have  had  five  children,  of  whom  four 


are  living:  Henry  J.,  farmer  and  lumber- 
man of  Lagrange;  Jacob  C.  living  in  Troy 
township;  Samuel  B.,  also  a  farmer  of  Troy 
township;  Lyman  S.,  who  lives  in  Larwill. 
On  Thanksgiving  day  in  1905,  Mrs. 
Marchand  suffered  a  stroke  of  paralysis 
while  visiting  in  Cleveland,  since  which  time 
she  has  been  unable  to  walk,  yet  she  bears 
the  affliction  with  cheerfulness  and  Christian 
fortitude.  Mr.  Marchand  is  a  Knight 
Templar  Mason,  exemplifying  his  faith  in 
his  dailv  life. 


JOHN  F.  MOSSMAN. 

The  progenitor  of  the  branch  of  the 
Mossman  family  to  which  John  F.  belongs, 
appears  to  have  been  a  soldier  in  the  border 
wars  and  internal  dissensions  of  Scotland 
during  the  reign  of  James  V.  the  last  King 
who  ruled  over  that  country.  Family  tra- 
dition says  that  this  man  was  a  personal 
attendant  of  the  King,  a  member  of  his  body 
guard,  and  that  he  distinguished  himself 
on  a  number  of  battle-fields,  besides  per- 
forming other  valiant  services,  which  won 
the  confidence  of  his  ruler.  He  was  en- 
trusted with  the  King's  crown  and  built  it 
into  solid  masonry  when  it  was  found  one 
hundred  years  later.  This  retainer,  how- 
ever, was  executed  for  his  loyalty  to  his 
King.  The  Monsmans  or  Mossman  as  the 
name  afterward  became,  migrated  from 
Scotland  to  Ireland,  in  both  of  which  coun- 
tries the  name  is  still  familiar,  there  being 
at  present  in  the' city  of  Edinburgh  two  dis- 
tinguished sculptors  of  the  first-class  by  the 
name    of    Mossman.      From    Ireland    four 


s3s 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


brothers  emigrated  to  America.  The  Muss- 
mans  of  Chicopee,  Massachusetts,  among 
whom  was  the  sculptor  who  designed  the 
equestrian  statue  of  General  Grant  in  Lin- 
coln I 'ark.  Chicago,  are  descendants,  artistic 
talenl  and  strong  mental  powers  being  char- 
acteristic of  the  family.  One  of  the  four 
brothers,  John  Mossman,  settled  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  finally  went  to  Muskingum  coun- 
ty. Ohio,  where  he  died.  His  son,  Francis 
Mossman,  father  of  John  T.,  was  a  Penn- 
sylvanian  by  birth,  but  in  early  life  was 
taken  to  Muskingum  county,  Ohio.,  where 
he  married  Rhua  Connor,  from  Virginia, 
and  in  1842  moved  to  Whitley  county,  pur- 
chasing a  quarter  section  of  land  in  Rich- 
land township,  on  which  he  erected  a  log 
cabin.  The  following  year  he  purchased  a 
like  number  of  acres  in  Union  and  trans- 
fering  his  residence  immediately  entered 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres'adjoining.  He 
died  in  Columbia  City  in  his  ninety-fifth 
year,  surviving  his  wife  about  one  year. 
The  nine  children  who  reached  maturity 
were  John  F. ;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Honord 
Pierce,  of  Chicago ;  Alcinda,  widow  of 
David  Nickey  and  lives  in  Smith  township ; 
William  E.,  an  extensive  manufacturer  of 
lumber  and  knit  goods  and  in  the  firm  of 
Mossman  &  Yarnell,  at  Fort  Wayne;  George 
S.,  a  lumber  manufacturer  of  Huntington 
county  where  he  died  at  about  fifty  years  of 
age;  Orpha.  wife  of  A.  B.  Nickey,  a  lum- 
berman of  Princeton,  Indiana;  Frank  M., 
a  farmer  of  Union  township;  James  A., 
county  assessor,  living  at  Columbia  City; 
and  Maximillian,  wife  of  Nathan  Daugh- 
erty,  of  Wabash  county. 

John  I".  Mossman  was  born  February  14, 
1837,  in  Coshocton  county,  Ohio,  accompa- 
nied his  parents  upon  their  removal  to  In- 


diana and  has  since  been  a  resident  of  Whit- 
ley count)',  of  which  he  is  reckoned  among 
its  leading  farmers  and  citizens.  He 
worked  on  the  home  farm  until  his  mar- 
riage, which  was  solemnized  January  21, 
1864,  with  Miss  Susan  M.  Young,  whose 
birth  occurred  near  Baltimore,  New  York, 
August  28,  1845.  being  the  daughter  of 
John  J.  and  Rachel  (Hollenbeck)  Young, 
who  were  also  natives  of  that  state.  When 
Susan  M.  was  four  years  old  her  mother, 
then  the  wife  of  James  Worden,  settled  on 
the  farm  where  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mossman 
now  live,  trading  forty  acres  in  New  York 
for  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  the 
woods  near  Coesse.  Her  stepfather  started 
this  farm,  the  original  buildings  still  stand- 
ing. He  and  her  mother  removed  to  Colum- 
bia City  after  Susan's  marriage  and  both 
died  there,  he  at  about  eighty  years  and  she 
at  sixty-five  years.  Her  two  children  were 
Rachel  Ann  and  Susan.  Mr.  Mossman 
purchased  the  farm  of  two  hundred  acres 
on  which  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mossman  -have 
lived  since  their  marriage.  Under  his 
efficient  labors  and  management  it  has  be- 
come a  profitable  farm.  The  buildings  are 
modern  and  well  constructed,  the  house  be- 
ing one  of  the  best  in  the  township.  It  is 
nicely  located  but  a  short  distance  from 
the  railroad  station  and  is  a  commodious 
and  desirable  home. 

In  18S0,  Mr.  Mossman  was  elected 
trustee  of  Union  township  and  made  an  hon- 
orable record,  doing  much  during  four  years' 
service  to  advance  its  material  interests.  He 
also  served  on  the  advisory  board  and  in  the 
county  council.  He  is  a  Republican  and  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  party's  consistent 
members. 

Mr.   Mossman  has  purchased  additional 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


839 


real  estate,  being  the  owner  of  four  hundred 
acres  of  fine  land,  the  greater  part  in  culti- 
vation and  otherwise  highly  improved.  He 
has  been  quite  successful  in  business  matters, 
being  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  this 
county,  few  standing  higher  in  public  esteem 
or  enjoying  in  greater  degree  the  confidence 
and  respect  of  his  neighbors  and  friends. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mossman  are  the  parents  of 
six  children:  James  F.,Orpha,  Charles  H., 
Jessie  E.,  Zella  Z.  and  Mazie  R.  James  F. 
lives  in  Coesse  and  is  a  farmer.  He  married 
Sarah  Holoman.  Orpha  is  the  wife  of 
Harmon  Xaber,  of  Wabash  county.  Charles 
H.  was  on  the  farm  and  died  in  his  thirty- 
first  year.  Jessie  E.  is  the  wife  of  Bert 
Shelkett  and  she  is  with  her  parents.  Zella 
Z.  is  also  with  her  parents.  Mazie  R.  is  the 
wife  of  Lewis  Oser,  of  Columbia  City. 


ELI  L.  EBERHARD,  M.  D. 

Eli  L.  Eberhard.  M.  D.,  was  born  in 
Y\  nitley  county.  June  23,  1S57,  his  parents 
being  George  and  Barbara  (  Nieble)  Eber- 
hard. The  paternal  grandparents  were 
George  and  Catherine  (Sneider)  Eberhard, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania.  They  lived  in 
Whitley  county  the  greater  part  of  their 
lives  and  were  the  parents  of  six  children. 
Mr.  Eberhard  died  in  1885  and  his  wife  in 
the  early  'seventies.  George  Eberhard  was 
born  in  Stark  county,  Ohio.'  and  accompanied 
his  parents  to  Indiana  about  1840.  He  mar- 
ried Barbara  Nieble.  who  came  from  Wur- 
temberg.  Germany,  and  followed  farming 
in  Columbia  township,  his  widow  still  liv- 
ing on  the  old  homestead,  four  miles  south 


of  Columbia  City.  They  were  the  parents 
of  twelve  children  :  Eli  L. ;  Catherine,  wife 
of  Jeremiah  Steamer,  a  resident  of  Colum- 
bia township ;  Frank,  who  resides  on  the  old 
homestead ;  Fanny,  wife  of  John  C.  Myers, 
of  Columbia  township;  George,  also  near 
the  old  home;  Ella,  wife  of  Arthur  Paige, 
of  Washington  township ;  Mar}',  wife  of 
Edward  Emery,  of  Huntington,  Indiana ; 
Daniel,  a  farmer  of  Columbia  township ; 
Melissa,  wife  of  Enos  Goble,  of  Washington 
township;  Charles,  who  died  in  infancy; 
Laura,  wife  of  S.  J.  Paige,  of  Union  town- 
ship; and  Ettie,  now  Mrs.  Bowman,  of 
Columbia  City. 

Eli  L.  Eberhard  passed  his  youthful  days 
on  the  old  farm,  securing  his  academic  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  and  at  the 
Valparaiso  Normal  school.  Wishing  to  en- 
gage in  the  profession  of  medicine  he  early 
began  his  technical  reading  under  the  tutor- 
ship of  Dr.  I.  E.  Lawrence,  entering  the 
Medical  College  of  Ohio,  at  Cincinnati,  and 
in  March,  1880,  graduated  with  the  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  March  15, 
1880,  he  came  to  South  Whitley  and 
engaged  in  active  practice,  where  he  is 
now  enjoying  a  large  and  lucrative  patron- 
age. February  21,  1S82.  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Mary  C.  Casner,  who 
was  born  in  Wooster,  Ohio,  the  daughter  of 
Frederick  Casner.  a  native  of  Virginia  and 
now  deceased.  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Eberhard 
have  one  son.  Fred  G.,  a  graduate  of  Culver 
Military  Academy.  Dr.  Eberhard  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat, though  inclined  to  lie  independent, 
supporting  the  man  regardless  of  strict  party 
lines.  His  religious  creed  is  in  harmony 
with  the  Presbyterian  church,  while  frater- 
nally  he   is   a   member   of   the    Knights   of 


840 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Pythias  and  Masons.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  American  Medical  Association,  The  In- 
diana State  Medical  Society,  the  Whitley 
County  Association  and  the  American  As- 
sociation of  Railway  Surgeons.  He  is  ex- 
aminer for  practically  all  the  Legal  Reserve 
Life  Insurance  Companies.  He  is  also  sur- 
geon for  the  Nickel  Plate  and  the  Vandalia 
Railroad  companies.  The  Doctor  has  ever 
manifested  a  deep  interest  in  medicine  from 
a  scientific  as  well  as  humanitarian  stand- 
point and  keeps  fully  abreast  with  the  recog- 
nized advancement  of  this,  the  noblest  of 
professions.  Careful  in  diagnosis,  pains- 
taking in  care  of  patients,  ever  courteous 
in  manner  and  kindly  in  disposition,  his 
popularity  professionally  is  thoroughly  as- 
sured and  his  influence  for  social  and  moral 
advancement  is  firmly  established. 


MONROE  W.  WEBSTER,  B.  S.  M.  D. 

Monroe  W.  Webster.  B.  S.  M.  D.,  of 
South  Whitley,  was  born  in  Whitley  county. 
October  8,  [851,  and  is  the  son  of  Albert 
and  Sarah  Henderson  (Elliott)  Webster. 
Albert  Webster  was  born  in  Pennsylvania 
and  accompanied  his  parents  to  Indiana  in 
1850.  After  his  marriage  he  purchased 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  heavily  tim- 
bered land  in  which  the  ax  of  the  woodman 
had  never  been  heard  and  thereon  erected 
a  log  house,  lie  was  a  cooper  as  well  as 
a  plasterer  by  trade  and  plastered  the  old 
Whitley  county  courthouse.  He  cultivated 
his  farm  until  he  was  able  to  retire  and  is 
now  spending  the  evening  of  life  in  comfort 
fin  his  two-hundred-and-forty-acre  farm  in 


Richland  township,  at  the  patriarchal  age 
of  ninety-three  years.  Sarah  Henderson 
(  Elliott)  Webster,  who  was  a  native  of  Del- 
aware and  of  Scotch  extraction,  died  in 
1894.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Albert  Webster  had  six 
children:  Anna,  who  is  living  at  home; 
George,  a  fanner  in  Richland  township; 
James,  who  was  killed  in  the  battle  of 
Chickamauga ;  Albert,  operating  the  home- 
stead ;  David,  deceased ;  and  Monroe  W. 

Monroe  W.  Webster  was  reared  on  the 
farm,  attended  the  district  school  and  also 
the  village  school  at  Larwill,  taught  by  the 
present  Judge  Adair;  supplementing  this  by 
attendance  at  Hillsdale,  Michigan,  and  at 
Butler  University.  Indianapolis.  In  1880,  he 
graduated  from  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  Univer- 
sity at  Delaware,  Ohio,  and  entered  the 
medical  department  of  the  State  University 
of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor.  He  was  grad- 
uated from  Rush  Medical  College  at  Chi- 
cago in  1882,  and  then  came  to  South  Whit- 
ley, where  he  has  since  been  in  active  prac- 
tice with  the  exception  of  three  years  spent 
in  Huntington.  In  1885.  he  married  Miss 
Ella,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Harriett 
(Guess)  Stults,  natives  of  Ohio,  but  later 
residents  of  Washington  township,  where 
her  birth  occurred  in  1854.  They  have  one 
daughter,  Vivian,  a  student  in  the  senior  class 
of  high  school.  Dr.  Webster  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  order  and  of  the  Democratic 
party.  Pie  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  church.  A  diligent  student  and 
careful  investigator,  Dr.  Webster  is  fully 
in  touch  with  modern  medical  thought  and 
occupies  a  conspicuous  place  not  onlv  in  the 
confidence  of  his  patients  and  of  the  public 
generally,  but  also  in  the  esteem  of  his  pro- 
fessional brethren. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


8.41 


DAVID  W.  NICKEY. 

The  history  of  Smith  township  was  ma- 
terially advanced  in  every  way  financially, 
socially  and  religiously  by  the  life  of  David 
W.  Nickey,  who  contributed  his  full  share 
toward  the  development  and  advancement 
of  every  worthy  enterprise.  The  equality 
of  man  was  one  of  his*  cardinal  principles 
and  whatever  promoted  the  public  welfare 
received  his  cordial  and  faithful  support. 
True  he  did  not  distinguish  himself  greatly 
in  any  one  thing,  yet  he  so  completely  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  good  citizenship  that 
he  easily  won  the  reputation  of  a  model  cit- 
izen. It  is  almost  a  decade  since  his  gen- 
■erous  spirit  passed  to  that  "bourne  from 
whence  no  traveler  returns,"  but  his  name 
continues  a  household  word  with  the  peo- 
ple generally. 

He  was  born  in  Smith  township,  July 
6,  1837,  and  was  the  son  of  Samuel  and 
Elizabeth  (Gradless)  Nickey,  both  natives 
of  Ohio.  Samuel  Nickey  was  born  in  Au- 
gusta county.  Virginia,  in  1809,  accompanied 
his  widowed  mother  to  Ross  county,  Ohio, 
and  there  taught  school  and  married  in  1832. 
The  next  year  in  company  with  his  wife's 
father,  William  Gradless,  and  Absalom 
Hyre.  he  came  to  Indiana,  he  and  Hyre  to 
Whitley  and  Gradless  to  Allen  county.  Mr. 
Nickey  died  in  1862  at  the  Gradless  home- 
stead in  Allen  county,  surviving  his  wife 
three  years.  Their  children  were:  Rebecca, 
who  became  the  wife  of  Silas  Briggs ;  David 
W. ;  Mary  H..  who  married  Samuel  Pierce, 
of  Noble  county ;  Martha  E.  and  William 
A.,  deceased;  and  Addison  B..  of  Allen 
county.  David  W.  Nickey  was  married  in 
i860  to  Alcinda,  daughter  of  Francis  and 


Rheua  ( Conner)  Mossman,  who  was  born 
March  26,  1840,  in  Muskingum  county, 
Ohio.  They  were  natives  of  Ohio,  but  set- 
tled in  \\  nitley  county  in  1844,  where  they 
remained  until  the  close  of  their  lives.  They 
were  members  of  the  Lutheran  church,  giv- 
ing it  their  punctual  and  regular  attendance, 
and  liberal  support.  The  father  died  in 
1900  and  the  mother  in  1902.  Nine  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them  :  John,  a  farmer  liv- 
ing in  Union  township;  Mary,  wife  of  How- 
ard Pierce,  residing  in  Chicago ;  Alcinda ; 
William  E.,  living  in  Fort  Wayne;  George, 
deceased  at  about  forty  years ;  Frank,  a 
farmer  living  in  Union  township :  James  Al- 
bert, living  at  Columbia  City;  Maxie.  wife 
of  Nathan  Dougherty,  of  Wabash  county ; 
and  Orpha,  wife  of  A.  B.  Nickey  and  liv- 
ing in  Princeton,  Indiana. 

Two  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Nickey,  Rheua  E.,  who  was  married  to  Dr. 
George  C.  Steman  and  died  in  1906  at  their 
home  in  Denver.  Colorado.  They  had  two 
children,  Ruth  E.  and  David  C.  Alfred  J. 
married  Mildred  Allen  and  is  a  farmer  in 
Smith  township.  David  W.  Nickey.  re- 
ceived a  hundred  acres  of  good  land  from 
his  father's  estate,  which  he  improved  and 
brought  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  A 
modern  brick  residence,  roomy  and  conve- 
nient and  one  of  the  finest  in  the  county, 
was  erected  in  1869.  A  large  barn  adds  not 
only  to  the  convenience  and  value,  but  to 
the  appearance  and  beauty  of  the  farm.  The 
farm,  containing  one  hundred  and  forty-six 
acres,  together  with  improvements,  is  con- 
sidered one  of  the  best  in  the  count}-. 

Mr.  Nickey  was  always  a  Republican. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church 
and  gave  it  liberal  and  faithful  support.    He 


842 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


departed  this  life  June  15,  1S97.  and  the 
widow  continues  to  live  on  the  farm,  the 
management  of  which  she  directs  in  a  gen- 
eral way.  Being  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity  his  funeral  was  conducted  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  last  rites  of  that  order. 


BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN  HULL. 

Benjamin  Franklin  Hull,  dealer  in  mon- 
uments, building  stone,  etc.,  was  born  in 
Union  township,  September  8,  1859,  and  is 
the  son  of  Henry  and  Jane  (Gardner)  Hull. 
Henry  Hull  was  the  son  of  Adam  and  Eliza- 
beth (  H earner)  Hull,  both  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia. Adam  Hull  came  to  Fort  Wayne  in 
1826.  and  two  years  later  started  to  the 
Elkhart  prairies,  but  finding  Eel  river 
dangerous  to  ford,  entered  land  in  Eel  River 
township.  Allen  county,  and  remained  there 
until  the  close  of  his  life.  Nine  children 
were  born  to  them,  namely :  Adam,  Rufus, 
Henry  and  Harvey,  deceased.  Peter,  living 
in  Kansas ;  Barbara  and  Jane,  deceased ; 
Elizabeth,  living  in  Kansas,  and  Catherine, 
living  in  Churubusco.  After  the  father's 
death,  his  widow  married  a  Mr.  Hensel, 
living  with  him  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in   Noble  count}-. 

Jane  Gardner  was  born  in  New  York, 
and  was  the  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Per- 
melia  Gardner,  both  natives  of  New  York, 
who  came  to  Union  township  in  [835. 
Henry  and  Jane  Hull  had  nine  children: 
William,  a  farmer  in  Oregon;  [saac,  of 
Jewell  countw  Kansas;  Elizabeth,  wife  of 
Lloyd  Sifers,  of  Oklahoma;  James  K.  died 
in  infancy;  Adam  died  in  Colorado  in  1904; 


Thebe.  wife  of  Nathaniel  Metsker.  of  Smith: 
township;  Felix,  a  farmer  in  Oregon;  Peter, 
a  barber  in  Kansas ;  and  Benjamin  F. 

Benjamin  F.  Hull  remained  with  his 
parents  until  reaching  manhood,  meantime 
receiving  the  advantages  of  the  common 
schools.  March  24,  1881,  he  was  married 
to  Loretta  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Arthur 
and  Lavina  ( Kratzer)  Rub}-,  born  in  Allen 
county,  June  9,  1859.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ruby 
moved  from  Ohio,  becoming  prosperous  and 
successful  fanners  of  Allen  county.  They 
are  the  parents  of  four  children :  Loretta 
E.,  Frank  and  Ada,  living  in  Fort  Wayne, 
and  Williarn  R.,  a  Wabash  railroad  fireman 
of  Peru,  Indiana.  Benjamin  F.'s  children 
are  Hulburt.  Ruby  L..  Alary  Jane,  Laura 
Bell,  wife  of  John  Kaufman,  a  farmer  of 
Union  township ;  Arthur,  Ada,  deceased ; 
Frank,  Edward  Wayne  and  Clyde.  In  1883 
Mr.  Hull  purchased  a  small  farm  in  Union 
township,  which  he  later  sold  and  purchased 
the  old  home  farm,  containing  eighty  acres, 
where  he  remained  until  1896,  when  he  be- 
came the  Democratic  nominee  for  sheriff  and 
his  election  followed  with  a  handsome  ma- 
jority. The  systematic  and  efficient  manner 
in  which  he  conducted  the  business  was 
gratifying  not  only  to  his  personal  and  party 
friends,  but  to  the  public  as  well,  so  that  a 
second  term  was  readily  accorded  him.  He 
is  said  to  have  made  one  of  the  most  capable- 
sheriffs  the  county  has  ever  had. 

Soon  after  retirement  from  the  office- 
he  engaged  in  his  present  line  of  commerce 
to  which  he  devotes  his  entire  attention.  He 
keeps  a  full  line  of  monumental  work  and 
is  prepared  to  supply  cut  and  ordinary  build- 
ing stone  upon  short  notice.  Mr.  Hull  is 
a  Knight  of  Pythias  and  a  Maccabee.     He 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


843 


also  affiliates  with  the  Christian  church 
though  Mrs.  Hull  retains  membership  with 
the  English  Lutheran  church. 


GEORGE  W.  LAWRENCE. 

This  old  and  esteemed  citizen,  whose 
name  is  familiar  in  every  part  of  Whitley 
county,  hails  from  the  historic  common- 
wealth of  Ohio.  His  parents,  John  A.  and 
Sarah  (Rouch)  Lawrence,  were  natives  of 
Pennsylvania,  the  former  born  January  22, 
1808,  the  latter  June  7,  1807.  John  A.  Law- 
rence was  taken  to  Ohio  by  his  parents  when 
about  fourteen  years  of  age  and  grew  to 
manhood  in  Wayne  county,  where  his  mar- 
riage occurred  September  28,  1827.  He 
learned  blacksmithing  but  gave  little  atten- 
tion to  the  trade,  preferring  the  profession 
of  civil  engineering,  in  which  he  became 
quite  proficient  and  which  he  followed  for  a 
number  of  years,  serving  several  terms  as 
official  surveyor  of  Wayne  county.  He  and 
his  wife  were  stanch  members  of  the  Luth- 
eran church  and  are  remembered  as  zealous 
and  consistent  Christians,  whose  characters 
were  above  reproach  and  whose  lives  were 
largely  devoted  to  the  good  of  the  commu- 
nity. William  Rouch,  an  uncle  of  Mrs. 
Lawrence,  was  a  soldier  under  General 
Wayne  in  the  war  against  the  Indian 
tribes  of  Ohio  and  Indiana,  at  the 
close  of  which  he  settled  near  Wooster, 
in  the  former  state,  where  he  took 
up  a  large  tract  of  government  land, 
which  he  improved  and  on  which  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life  was  spent,  the  old  family 
homestead  being  still   in  possession  of  his 


descendants.  John  and  Sarah  Lawrence 
had  eleven  children,  all  reaching  maturity 
and  of  whom  nine  were  living  in  1907. 
Three  of  his  sons  were  soldiers  in  the  Civil 
war  and  rendered  valiant  service  for  the 
union.  Henry  was  a  member  of  the  Six- 
teenth Ohio  Infantry  (see  sketch).  John 
F.,  who  joined  the  One  Hundred  and 
Twentieth  Ohio  Volunteers,  on  account  of 
inflammatory  rheumatism  was  incapacitated 
for  regimental  duty,  but  was  detailed  for 
service  at  headquarters.  (See  sketch.) 
Isaiah  also  served  in  an  Ohio  regiment  and 
is  now  a  physician  at  Columbia  City. 

George  W.  Lawrence  was  born  Septem- 
ber 3,  1832,  in  Wayne  county,  Ohio,  and 
there  spent  the  years  of  his  childhood  and 
youth,  receiving  a  fair  education  in  such 
schools  as  the  county  afforded.  In  1853 
he  came  to  Whitley  county,  and  during  the 
winter  taught  school  in  Jefferson  township, 
in  a  small  log  building  of  primitive  type, 
equipped  with  rough,  backless  benches  and 
heated  by  a  huge  fireplace  that  took  up  the 
greater  part  of  one  end  of  the  room.  March 
21.  1854,  Mr.  Lawrence  was  married  in 
Ohio  to  Eva  A.  Mowrey,  born  in  Wayne 
county,  August  1,  1830,  whose  parents  were 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  of  German  and 
Irish  blood  respectively.  The  year  follow- 
ing Mr.  Lawrence,  in  partnership  with  his 
father,  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  in  Whitley  county,  to  which 
he  at  once  moved  his  wife,  who  set  up  her 
domestic  establishment  in  a  little  log  cabin 
that  stood  in  the  midst  of  a  twelve-acre 
clearing.  He  continued  to  enlarge  the  area 
of  tillable  land  until  one  hundred  acres  were 
in  cultivation,  meanwhile  adding  a  number 
of  substantial  improvements  in  the  way  of 


844 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


buildings  and  fences.  To  him  belongs  the 
credit  of  being  the  first  man  in  Whitley 
county  to  reclaim  land  and  enhance  its  pro- 
ductiveness by  means  of  artificial  drainage. 
In  due  time  Mr.  Lawrence  purchased  his 
father's  interest  in  the  farm  and  from  year 
to  year  thereafter  continued  to  make  addi- 
tions until  his  farm  contained  three  hundred 
acres,  all  but  fifty  of  which  are  now  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation.  The  buildings 
are  modern  and  of  a  superior  type,  the 
dwelling  being  handsome  and  commodious 
and  the  bam  constructed  after  the 
most  approved  plans.  In  addition  to  the 
farm  where  he  lives  Air.  Lawrence  owns 
other  valuable  lands  in  Whitley  county,  his 
holdings  at  one  time  amounting  to  nine 
hundred  and  forty  acres,  but  these  have  been 
reduced  to  six  hundred  and  sixty-four  acres. 
These  are  in  three  fine  farms  in  Union  town- 
ship. Mr.  Lawrence  has  always  been  pub- 
lic spirited  and  a  friend  and  advocate  of  im- 
provements, by  means  of  which  the  inter- 
■ests  of  the  people  might  best  be  subserved. 
He  was  not  only  the  first  man  in  this  part  of 
the  state  to  demonstrate  the  efficiency  and 
value  of  artificial  drainage,  but  to  him  alone 
is  ilue  the  credit  of  constructing  the  first 
gravel  road  in  Whitley  county  and  of  in- 
troducing the  system  of  turnpikes.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Lawrence  is  a  Jeffersonian  Demo- 
crat, believing  in  the  principles  of  his 
party  and  proud  of  its  history,  traditions 
and  great  men.  While  well  qualified  to  fill 
any  office  within  the  gift  of  the  people,  he 
has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  public  honors, 
the  only  office  he  ever  held  being  that  of 
justice  of  the  peace,  to  which  he  was  elected 
in  1807  and  in  which  he  served  until  1879. 
Tram    1882   to    1889   he   was  county  com- 


missioner. He  was  chosen  president  of  the 
board  during  his  entire  service  and  it  was 
during  this  time  the  new  courthouse  was 
erected. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lawrence  have  had  four 
children,  two  of  whom.  Michael  and  John 
C,  are  farmers  of  this  county.  Harvey  S. 
is  a  Lutheran  minister  in  charge  of  a  church 
at  Springfield,  Ohio.  One  son  is  dead. 
Fifty-eight  years  ago  Mr.  Lawrence  united 
with  the  Lutheran  church,  since  which  time 
his  life  has  been  that  of  a  faithful,  humble 
disciple  of  the  man  of  Nazareth.  He  has 
held  membership  with  the  congregation  to 
which  he  now  belongs  for  fifty-one  years 
and  for  a  period  of  thirty  years  has  been  an 
active  and  zealous  worker  in  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  being  a  thirty-second  degree 
Mason  and  a  member  of  the  consistory  of 
Indianapolis. 


SYLVANUS  H.  MOWREY. 

The  subject  of  this  review  came  from 
stanch  patriotic  stock  and  is  well  entitled 
to  notice  among  the  representative  men  of 
Whitley  county.  William  C.  Mowrey,  fa- 
ther of  Sylvanus,  was  born  October  10, 
1828,  in  Wayne  county.  Ohio,  being  the 
eldest  of  ten  children,  whose  parents  were 
Michael  and  Nancy  (Rouch)  Mowrey,  na- 
tives respectively  of  Lancaster  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  Columbiana  county.  Ohio,  the 
former  born  June  6,  1805,  the  latter  April 
8,  1808.  Michael  Mowrey  accompanied  his 
parents  to  Columbiana  county  when  a  small 
boy  and  there  worked  in  his  father's  mill 
and   distillery   until   his   twenty-third   vear. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


845 


when  he  purchased  a  farm  and  engaged  in 
agriculture.  Later  he  exchanged  this  farm 
for  land  in  the  county  of  Wayne,  where  he 
resided  until  his  death  in  1881.  William 
C.  Mowrey  remained  with  his  parents  until 
attaining  his  majority  and  on  November  15, 
1849,  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary 
Ann  Lawrence,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
Wayne  county,  in  1830,  being  the  da  tighter 
of  John  A.  and  Sarah  (Rouch)  Lawrence. 
Of  the  children  born  to  William  C.  and 
Sarah  Mowrey  there  are  living  at  this  time 
Sylvanus  H. ;  Emma  J.,  wife  of  John  Deem, 
living  at  Warsaw;  and  John  M.,  of  Coesse. 
William  C.  and  Mary  Ann  Mowrey  moved 
to  Whitley  county  in  1853  and  purchased 
a  quarter  section  of  land  in  Union  township, 
on  which  a  small  log  cabin  had  been  erected 
and  about  twenty  acres  of  land  cleared.  Mr. 
Mowrey  developed  a  fine  farm  from  this 
land,  added  to  it  until  he  owned  four  hun- 
dred acres  and  in  due  time  made  a  number 
of  valuable  improvements,  until  it  was  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  most  desirable  country 
homes  in  the  county.  He  died  May  1,  1901, 
his  wife  preceding  him  to  the  grave  in  No- 
vember, 1896. 

Sylvanus  H.  Mowrey  was  born  July  24. 
1 85 1,  in  Wayne  county,  Ohio,  and  when 
two  years  old  was  brought  to  Indiana,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  an  honored  resident 
of  the  county  of  Whitley.  After  finishing 
his  education,  he  taught  one  term  of  school 
and  then  turned  his  attention  to  agriculture, 
first  as  a  renter  on  his  father's  farm  and 
later  purchasel  fifty  acres  of  his  own,  which 
he  improved  and  on  which  he  lived  for  eleven 
years,  when  he  bought  the  remainder  of  the 
original  eighty.  He  later  purchased  eighty 
acres  adjoining  and  has  since  added  until 


his  present  farm  contains  three  hundred  and 
three  acres,  lying  one  mile  west  of  Coesse. 
He  gives  personal  attention  to  his  farm, 
keeps  it  in  the  finest  possible  condition  and 
is  fully  abreast  of  the  times  on  all  matters 
relating  to  advanced  agricultural  methods, 
in  addition  to  which  he  has  large  live  stock 
interests,  his  breeds  of  fine  cattle,  hogs  and 
horses  being  among  the  best.  July  24.  1873, 
Mr.  Mowrey  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Martha  E.  Jones,  who  was  born  in 
Whitley  county,  her  father.  Harvev  Jones, 
a  Virginian  by  birth,  being  one  of  the  earlv 
pioneers  of  this  part  of  Indiana.  Her 
mother.  Sarah  E.  (Ritter)  Jones,  was  a 
native  of  Champaign  county,  Ohio.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Mowrey  have  had  three  children : 
Elsworth,  died  in  infancy ;  William,  a  farm- 
er in  Beaver  county.  Oklahoma :  Lloyd,  his 
father's  assistant  on  the  home  place  and  a 
student  in  Big  College  at  Fort  Wayne.  .Mr. 
Mowrey's  fraternal  relations  are  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Democratic  party  and  the  Lutheran 
church.  Mrs.  Mowrey  is  a  member  of  the 
same  church  and  with  her  husband  takes  an 
active  part  in  all  good  work  under  the 
auspices  of  the  congregation  to  which  thev 
belone. 


ALBERT  BUSH. 


Few  of  Whitley  county's  native  sons  are 
as  widely  known  and  highly  esteemed  as 
the  gentleman  whose  name  furnishes  the  cap- 
tion of  this  brief  review.  Distinctively  a 
representative  citizen  of  the  community,  he 
has  won  the  respect  and  confidence  of  a  large 
circle  of  friends.      An  American   in  all   the 


846 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


term  implies  through  his  veins  also  courses 
the  blood  of  a  long  line  of  German  ancestors 
and  combined  with  his  other  estimable  qual- 
ities are  many  of  the  sterling  characteristics 
for  which  that  sturdy  nationality  has  long 
been  distinguished.  His  paternal  grandfa- 
ther. George  Bush,  came  to  the  United 
States  when  a  young  man  and  finally  settled 
in  Stark  county,  Ohio,  where  he  purchased 
land  and  became  a  prosperous  fanner.  He 
married  a  Miss  Miller,  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
of  German  parentage,  and  they  spent  the 
remainder  of  their  days  on  the  Stark  county 
farm,  both  dying  a  number  of  years  ago. 
Joseph  Bush  was  a  native  of  Greene  county, 
Ohio,  and  the  second  of  a  family  of  four. 
He  remained  with  his  father  until  attaining 
his  majority,  when  he  married  Barbara 
Auer  and  about  one  year  later  removed  to 
DeKalb  county,  Indiana,  where  he  bought  a 
farm.  After  a  residence  of  eighteen  months 
in  that  county  he  sold  and  in  1854  became 
a  resident  of  Whitley,  purchasing  eighty 
acres  of  wild  land  in  Jefferson  township, 
which  he  proceeded  to  improve  and  on 
which  he  made  his  home  for  forty-nine 
years.  H*  invested  in  other  land  until  he 
became  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  of  which  two  hundred  and 
Forty  were  reduced  to  cultivation,  this  being 
"in-  of  the  largest,  best  improved  and  most 
valuable  farms  in  the  township.  Here  Mr. 
Bush  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life,  dy- 
ing in  1903,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  He 
was  a  man  of  ripe  intelligence,  a  Democrat 
in  politics  and  for  many  years  a  consistent 
member  of  the  Reformed  church.  His  wife, 
whom  he  survived  twenty-seven  years,  was 
identified  with  the  same  religious  body  and 
her  daily  life  was  ever  consistent  with  her 
faith.     Joseph  and   Barbara   Hush  were  the 


parents  of  six  children :  Amos,  deceased 
in  childhood ;  Mrs.  Sarah  Shinbecker,  of 
Jefferson  township;  Albert;  Mrs.  Phoebe 
Shaneline.  of  Pratt  county,  Kansas;  Wilson, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  seventeen ;  and  Mi- 
nerva, who  died  in  infancy. 

Alfred  Bush  was  born  April  25,  1858, 
and  received  his  early  training  under  the 
wholesome  influences  of  the  farm  and  the 
district  school.  He  also  attended  the  Colum- 
bia City  high  school  and  then  entered 
the  Northern  Indiana  Normal  University  at 
Valparaiso  in  1881.  Mr.  Bush  turned  his 
attention  to  educational  work  and  for  six- 
teen years  taught  in  the  district  schools  of 
Whitley  county,  becoming  one  of  the  most 
popular  and  efficient  teachers  of  the  county. 
Meantime  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Union 
township,  two  miles  south  of  Coesse,  on 
which  he  spent  the  interim  between  terms 
and  finally  discontinuing  his  work  in  the 
schoolroom  he  has  devoted  his  entire  time 
to  his  farm,  meeting  with  gratifying  re- 
sults. He  has  added  to  his  original  pur- 
chase until  he  now  owns  two  hundred  acres, 
one  hundred  and  twenty  being  under  culti- 
vation, while  his  improvements  in  the  way 
of  buildings,  fencing,  etc.,  are  up-to-date  in 
every  particular  and  indicate  the  supervision 
of  a  progressive  owner.  By  a  system  of  tile 
drainage  he  has  greatly  improved  his  land, 
which  with  fertilizing  and  judicious  rotation 
of  crops  has  added  largely  to  its  productive- 
ness. Mr.  Bush  is  a  careful  student  of  agri- 
cultural science,  including  improved  ma- 
chinery and  advanced  methods.  He  raises 
abundant  crops  of  all  the  grains  and  vege- 
tables gmwn  in  this  section  and  in  addi- 
tion devotes  no  little  attention  to  live  stock, 
to  which  he  feeds  the  greater  part  of  the 
products  of  the  farm.     By  careful  pruning 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


847 


and  judicious  spraying  he  is  enabled  to  se- 
cure full  crops  of  selected  apples  and  other 
fruits,  even  when  orchards  not  so  treated  are 
practically  barren. 

In  1881  Mr.  Bush  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Minnie  Jeffries,  of  Whitley 
count)',  and  they  have  one  son,  Roscoe,  a 
student  in  the  public  schools.  Mrs.  Bush's 
parents,  George  and  Axie  ( Thomas)  Jef- 
fries, are  among  the  wealthiest  farmers  of 
Jefferson  township,  where  she  was  born.  In 
his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Bush  is  a  Demo- 
crat, in  religion  a  Lutheran,  and  his  frater- 
nal relations  are  represented  by  the  Pythian 
brotherhood,  himself  and  wife  also  holding 
membership  with  the  Pythian  sisters.  Mr. 
Bush  has  been  a  frequent  contributor  to 
various  journals  and  for  five  years  has  con- 
ducted a  Farm  Department  in  the  Whitley 
County  News.  His  services  are  also  in 
demand  at  various  county  farmers'  insti- 
tutes, where  he  handles  practical  topics, 
using  his  own  experience  as  the  basis  of 
argument.  He  is  also  president  of  the 
Farmers'  Mutual  Telephone  Company,  of 
which  he  was  an  incorporator  and  promoter. 
He  has  devoted  much  time  and  attention 
to  the  natural  history  of  northeastern  In- 
diana, a  subject  upon  which  he  is  considered 
an  authority,  and  as  evidence  of  his  fa- 
military  with  this  line  of  research,  the  reader 
is  respectfully  referred  to  his  article  in  this 
volume  on  the  Flora  of  Whitlev  county. 


LOUIS  W.  EM  RICK. 

Respected  by  all  who  known  him.  there 
is  no  man  within  the  confines  of  Whitley 
county  who  occupies  a  more  enviable  posi- 


tion than  Louis  W.  Emrick,  not  only  for  the 
success  he  has  achieved  but  also  by  reason 
of  his  integrity  of  character  and  the  straight- 
forward, gentlemanly  course  he  has  ever 
pursued.  Mr.  Emrick  was  born  February 
8,  1854,  in  Allen  county,  being  the  son  of 
Charles  and  Augusta  (  Pater )  Emrick.  both 
of  whom  came  to  this  county  from  Ger- 
many. They  were  reared  in  the  fatherland 
and  shortly  after  their  marriage  emigrated 
to  the  United  States,  living  for  some  years 
in  New  York,  where  Charles  followed  his 
trade  of  milling.  He  removed  to  Detroit, 
•Michigan,  where  he  was  similarly  employed 
until  coming  to  Indiana  a  few  years  later. 
He  bought  a  saw-mill  in  Allen  county  and, 
later  owned  mills  in  Fort  Wayne  and 
near  Coesse.  Purshasing  a  section  of 
fine  timber  land  in  Union  township,  he 
operated  the  mill  here  for  many  years.  In 
connection  with  the  lumber  business  he  car- 
ried on  farming  and  in  due  time  became  one 
of  the  most  successful  agriculturists  in  Union 
township,  with  the  material  advancement  of 
which  part  of  the  county  his  later  years  were 
closely  interwoven.  He  died  in  1882,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-four  years  and  is  remembered 
as  one  of  the  intelligent  and  progressive 
German-American  citizens  to  whom  the 
Floosier  state  is  largely  indebted  for  the 
prosperity  which  it  now  enjoys.  His  widow 
survived  him  about  twenty  years.  Their 
four  children  are  all  surviving  and  of  the 
three  sons.  Charles  F..  Lewis  Ward  and 
John  G..  live  on  parts  of  the  old  homestead. 
A  sister,  Augusta,  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  X.  R 
Wenger.  of  Fort  Wayne. 

The  education  of  Louis  W.  Emrick  was 
obtained  in  the  common  schools.  When  old 
enough  he  took  a  place  in  his  father's  mill 
and    it    was   not    long   until    he   became    fa- 


848 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


miliar  with  the  lumber  business  in  its  every 
detail.  He  continued  with  his  father  for 
a  number  of  years  and  contributed  greatly 
tn  the  latter's  success,  having  early  de- 
veloped ability  as  manager  of  the  lumber 
interests  which  ultimately  came  under  his 
control.  Mr.  Emrick  secured  a  quarter  sec- 
tion of  timbered  land  of  his  father,  which 
he  at  once  proceeded  to  clear  and  improve, 
operating  the  mill  in  connection,  and  which, 
under  his  labor,  has  been  developed  until 
it  is  now  classed  with  the  finest  farms  in  the 
county,  one  hundred  acres  being  in  cultiva- 
tion, the  remainder  consisting  of  wood  and 
pasture.  All  the  improvements  are  the  re- 
sult of  Mr.  Emrick's  efforts  and  for  his  com- 
fortable competence  he  is  indebted  to  nobody 
but  himself,  being  in  all  the  term  implies 
the  architect  of  his  own  fortune.  While  he 
has  not  made  the  acquisition  of  wealth  the 
prime  object  of  life,  his  success  in  material 
affairs  has  been  encouraging  and  he  now  not 
only  ranks  with  the  financially  solid  and 
well-to-do  men  of  his  township,  but  ranks 
as  i  'lie  of  its  representative  citizens. 

In  September,  1876.  Mr.  Emrick  was 
joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  Zella  A.  Ball, 
of  Whitley  county,  the  union  resulting  in 
the  birth  of  two  children:  William  Louis, 
an  electrician  at  Cavena,  California,  and 
Lawrence  D..  who  died  in  infancy.  Mr. 
Emrick  has  always  manifested  a  lively  inter- 
est in  public  affairs  and,  being  a  reader,  has 
decided  opinions  concerning  the  great  ques- 
tions upon  which  men  and  parties  are  di- 
vided, lie  is  a  stanch  Republican  on  gen- 
eral issues,  but  in  purely  local  matters  not 
infrequently  disregards  party  ties.  Fra- 
ternally he  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  holding  membership  with 
the  lodge  in  Dunfee. 


FRANCIS  E.  De  PEW. 

Among  the  leading  citizens  of  Union 
township  is  Francis  E.  De  Pew,  a  represen- 
tative of  one  of  the  old  and  esteemed  fam- 
ilies of  Whitley  county  and  a  man  whose 
standing  and  influence  have  made  him  a 
factor  in  public  affairs.  On  the  paternal 
side  he  is  descended  from  French-Irish  an- 
cestry, his  maternal  forerunners  being 
Dutch-Irish,  both  branches  of  the  family 
coming  to  this  country  in  an  early  day  and 
settling  in  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania  re- 
spectively. Mr.  De  Pew's  paternal  grand- 
father, Levi  De  Pew,  was  born  and  reared 
in  the  former  state  and  later  went  to  Penn- 
sylvania, where  he  married  and  became  an 
extensive  farmer  in  connection  with  which 
calling  he  worked  for  some  years  at  his 
trade  of  millwrighting.  He  was  quite  suc- 
cessful in  his  business  affairs,  accumulated 
a  comfortable  fortune  and  lived  to  the  ripe 
old  age  of  ninety-two  years,  his  wife  dying 
at  the  age  of  eighty-five. 

Elijah  De  Pew  was  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  he  remained  until  1849,  when 
he  came  to  Whitley  county,  and  entered  one- 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  Colum- 
bia township,  which  he  improved  and  lived 
on  during  the  ensuing  nine  years,  then  dis- 
posing of  the  farm  he  moved  in  1858  to 
Columbia  City,  where  he  made  his  home 
until  his  residence  was  transferred  to  Union 
township  two  years  later.  Purchasing  a 
quarter  section  of  land,  on  which  but  four 
acres  were  cleared,  he  addressed  himself  to 
the  task  of  its  improvement  and  in  due  time 
his  labors  were  rewarded  by  a  fine  farm,  all 
but  ten  acres  of  the  tract  being  reduced  to 
cultivation.  Here  he  spent  the  remainder 
of   a    long   and    useful    life,    meeting    with 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


849 


abundant  success  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil  and 
making  his  presence  felt  as  an  intelligent 
and  public-spirited  citizen,  dying  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1906,  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven,  sur- 
viving his  wife  who  died  in  August,  1878, 
aged  seventy-six. 

Elijah  De  Pew's  first  wife  was  Jennette 
Paige,  of  New  York,  who  departed  this  life 
in  1852,  the  mother  of  two  children.  In 
1854  he  entered  the  marriage  relation  with 
Rebecca  Winger,  who  bore  him  three  chil- 
dren :  Francis  E. ;  Rachel  Ann,  deceased 
wife  of  John  Bixler,  of  Jonesboro,  Indiana; 
and  Isa  R,  now  Mrs.  Daniel  Harsbarger. 

Francis  E.  De  Pew  was  born  in  Colum- 
bia township,  Whitley  county,  February  5, 
1855,  and  spent  his  early  life  on  the  farm, 
receiving  his  education  in  the  district  schools 
and  remaining  at  home  until  attaining  his 
majority.  When  twenty-one  years  old  he 
rented  the  homestead  and  continued  to  cul- 
tivate the  same  until  his  father's  death, 
meantime  purchasing  forty  acres  on  which 
he  erected  a  dwelling  and  made  other  im- 
provements in  view  of  ultimately  making  it 
his  permanent  place  of  residence.  Inherit- 
ing forty  acres  of  the  family  estate  adjoin- 
ing his  own  land  he  took  possession  of  same 
after  the  death  of  his  father  and  in  due  time 
inaugurated  many  improvements  in  the  way 
of  drainage,  fences,  buildings,  etc.  As  a 
farmer  Mr.  De  Pew  belongs  to  the  most  ad- 
vanced class,  as  his  success  bears  ample 
witness,  being  progressive  in  his  methods 
and  a  critical  and  enthusiastic  student  of 
agricultural  science.  He  has  placed  himself 
in  comfortable  circumstances  and  with  an 
ample  competence  for  any  exigency  that 
may  arise  he  is  independent.  Mr.  De  Pew 
has  taken  an  active  interest  in  public  and 

54 


political  affairs  and  for  a  number  of  years 
has  been  one  of  the  influential  men  in  the 
township.  In  1904  he  received  the  Demo- 
cratic nomination  for  joint  representative 
from  ihe  counties  of  Whitley  and  Kos 
ciusko.  but  with  the  rest  of  the  candidates 
went  down  in  defeat  before  the  formidable 
strength  of  the  opposition,  although  run- 
ning far  ahead  of  his  ticket  and  carrying 
much  more  than  the  normal  party  vote.  In 
1906  he  was  nominated  for  county  assessor 
but  the  landslide  proved  overwhelming. 

In  1879,  Mr.  De  Pew  was  married  to 
Miss  Martha  J.  McCoy,  whose  parents, 
David  and  Misanier  (Walker)  McCoy, 
moved  from  Ohio  to  this  part  of  Indiana  a 
number  of  years  ago  and  spent  the  ret- 
nainder  of  their  lives  on  a  farm  in  Colum- 
bia township.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  De  Pew  have 
no  children  of  their  own,  but  their  home 
is  a  favorite  resort  of  the  children  of  the 
neighborhood.  Fraternaly  Mr.  De  Pew  be- 
longs to  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Modern 
Woodmen,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  and  with  his  wife  holds  member- 
ship in  the  Rebekahs.  He  has  passed  the 
chairs  of  the  subordinate  lodge  and  was 
representative  to  the  grand  lodge.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  Summit  City  Encamp- 
ment, No.  16,  at  Fort  Wayne. 


EDWIN  H.  CLICK. 


Edwin  H.  Click  holds  a  prominent  place 
among  the  leading  farmers  and  representa- 
tive citizens  of  Union  township.  His 
paternal  ancestors  were  among  the  early 
settlers  of  Rockingham  county,  Virginia,  in 


85o 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


which  state  his  grandparents  lived  for  many 
years.  Michael  Click  was  born  in  Spring- 
held.  ( )hio,  and  when  a  young"  man  came  to 
Whitley  county  and  established  a  photo- 
graph gallery  in  Columbia  City,  to  which 
his  efforts  thereafter  were  devoted.  He  died 
in  September.  1885.  His  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Harriet  Smith,  is  a 
native  of  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania, 
and  is  still   living  at   Roy,  Colorado. 

Edwin  H.  Click,  the  only  child,  was  born 
February  7.  1868.  in  Columbia  City,  in  the 
schools  of  which  he  received  his  early  edu- 
cation, but  owing  to  circumstances  over 
which  he  had  no  control  he  was  obliged  to 
discontinue  his  studies  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen. After  spending  several  years  in  any 
honorable  employment  which  he  could  ob- 
tain, he  decided  to  devote  his  attention  to 
farming,  and  with  this  end  in  view,  pur- 
chased land  five  miles  east  of  Columbia  City, 
in  Union  township,  by  additions  to  which  he 
now  owns  one  hundred  and  ninety  acres, 
one  hundred  and  fifty  in  cultivation,  with 
first-class  improvements.  The  soil  has  been 
improved  with  open  and  tile  drains  and  is 
in  a  productive  condition.  Like  the  major- 
ity of  farmers,  Mr.  Click  devotes  consider- 
able attention  to  live  stock  but  general  farm- 
ing is  his  main  business. 

September  17,  1890,  Mr.  Click  and  Miss 
Nettie  W'ynant  were  united  in  the  bonds  of 
wedlock  and  they  are  now  the  parents  of 
two  children,  Helen  and  Walter,  both  stu- 
dents in  the  district  schools.  Mrs.  Click's 
parents  were  Jacob  W.  and  Mary  A.  (  Kerr) 
W'ynant,  the  former  a  farmer  near  Larwill. 
Mrs.  Click  was  born  in  Jasper  county,  In- 
diana, and  brought  to  Whitley  county  when 
four  years  old.      In  politics  Mr.  Click  is  a 


Republican,  earnest  in  the  support  of  the 
principles  of  his  party,  but  at  no  time  has 
he  sought  office,  or  aspired  to  leadership. 


JESSE  SELLECK  OMAN. 

Jesse  Selleck  Oman,  a  representative 
farmer  and  highly  esteemed  citizen  of  Union 
township,  was  born  in  the  house  where  he 
lives,  March  7th,  and  dates  bis  birth  from 
the  year  1855.  His  father,  George  W. 
Oman,  was  a  New  Yorker  by  birth  and  his 
mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Louisa 
Selleck,  also  sprung  from  an  old  family  that 
lived  for  many  years  in  the  Empire  state. 
The  Omans  came  to  Whitley  county  in  1836 
and  took  an  active  part  in  the  development 
of  the  locality  in  which  they  resided,  taking 
this  farm  from  the  government.  George 
W.  Oman  devoted  a  number  of  years  to  the 
manufacture  of  shingles  in  New  York  as 
well  as  doing  carpenter  work.  He  took  up 
land  in  Union  township,  made  the  first  im- 
provements on  the  farm  which  the  subject 
now  owns  and  it  was  here  that  Esther 
Oman,  who  married  James  Hight,  was  born 
not  long  after  the  family  came  to  the  county, 
the  event  being  the  first  of  the  kind  within 
the  present  bounds  of  the  township.  The 
house  which  Jesse's  father  erected  is  still 
in  use,  as  is  also  the  barn,  the  latter  being 
built  over  sixty-five  years  ago  and  notwith- 
standing its  age  it  is  still  in  excellent  condi- 
tion anil  doubtless  will  answer  the  purpose 
for  which  designed  for  a  number  of  years 
to  come.  Mr.  Oman  opened  his  house  for 
accommodation  of  the  traveling  public  and 
it    early    became    a    favorite    stopping-place 


WHITLEY  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 


851 


for  land-seekers  and  other  travelers.  He 
and  his  wife  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age,  the 
former  dying  in  1883,  at  sixty-eight,  and 
the  latter  in  1894.  at  seventy-eight  years. 
Of  their  family  of  seven  children,  Jesse 
is  the  youngest.  The  names  are :  Esther, 
Henry  C,  Julia,  Constantia,  Levi  Frederick, 
■one  died  in  infancy,  and  Jesse  S.  Esther, 
who  became  Mrs.  James  Hight,  died  when 
past  sixty  years  of  age.  Henry  C.  was  a 
soldier,  who  settled  on  part  of  the  old  farm, 
and  later,  returned  to  New  York,  where  he 
married  and  died.  Constantia  is  Mrs.  Levi 
Garrison,  who  lives  on  part  of  the  old  home- 
stead. Levi  Frederick  is  now  a  resident 
of  Oregon. 

Jesse  Oman  received  such  an  education 
as  the  district  schools  were  able  to  impart 
and  when  old  enough  to  be  of  service  was 
set  to  work  in  the  fields,  where  he  developed 
a  strong  physique,  which  has  stood  him 
Avell  in  the  strenuous  life  he  has  since  led 
as  a  tiller  of  the  soil.  Mr.  Oman  has  been  a 
persevering  worker  and  capable  manager 
and  now  owns  a  productive  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  acres,  well  drained  and 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  is  a 
man  of  progressive  ideas,  operates  his  farm 
according  to  modern  methods  and  by  a  ju- 
dicious rotation  of  crops  seldom  fails  to 
realize  liberal  returns.  As  a  citizen  he  is 
public  spirited  ,  manifests  an  interest  in  cur- 
rent events  and  on  all  questions  that  attract 
the  attention  of  the  people  has  well  defined 
opinions  and  the  courage  of  his  convictions 
in  giving  expression  to  the  same.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Republican. 

October  19,  1879,  Mr.  Oman  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Maxia,  daughter  of  Zaehariah 
and  Ann  (Ruckman)  Garrison,  pioneers  of 


Smith  township,  settling  there  in  the  spring 
of  1836.  There  he  made  a  farm  and  was 
a  minister  of  the  Church  of  God.  He  died 
at  the  age  of  seventy-eight,  surviving  his 
wife  about  three  years,  she  being  sixty- 
eight.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Oman  supplied  a  home 
to  Bertha  Mellen  from  the  age  of  eleven 
until  married.  Mrs.  Oman  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  church  at  Coesse. 


ALFRED  GRACE. 


Among  the  men  of  Whitley  .county 
whose  time  and  energies  have  been  devoted 
to  agriculture,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is 
entitled  to  a  conspicuous  place.  Alfred 
Grace  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  July  28, 
1858,  in  the  county  of  Stark,  being  one  of 
six  children  whose  parents  were  William 
and  Catherine  (Morroff)  Grace.  The  names 
are  as  follows :  Sarah,  who  lives  with  her 
father;  John,  who  is  living  in  Jefferson 
township;  Mrs.  Dinah  Bennett,  of  Laud, 
Indiana;  Henry,  a  resident  of  Jefferson 
township;  Alfred,  and  Joseph,  deceased  at 
the  age  of  forty.  When  Alfred  was  but 
three  years  old  his  parents  came  into  the 
woods  of  Jefferson  township  and  there  im- 
proved a  farm,  one  mile  east  of  Laud  and 
there  the  father  still  lives  at  about  eighty- 
five  years  of  age,  having  survived  his  com- 
panion about  twenty  years. 

In  his  younger  days  Alfred  Grace  at- 
tended the  district  schools  in  the  winter  time 
and  during  the  rest  of  the  year  assisted  his 
father  and  older  brothers  in  cultivating  the 
soil,  his  free  outdoor  life  in  fields  and  woods 
contributing  largely  to  the  well   developed 


852 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


physique  and  vigorous  health,  which  char- 
acterized his  youth  and  early  manhood. 
After  working  on  the  homestead  until  June, 
[884,  he  rented  the  farm  and  from  that 
time  until  1891  tilled  the  soil  for  a  share 
of  the  proceeds.  In  the  latter  year  he  pur- 
chased an  eighty-acre  farm  in  Jefferson 
township,  which  was  his  wife's  father's 
homestead,  on  which  he  lived  during  the 
ensuing  eight  years.  In  1902  he  bought 
his  present  farm  of  one  hundred  and  six 
acres  in  the  township  of  Union,  five  miles 
east  of  Columbia  City.  It  is  part  of  the  old 
Merriman  homestead  and  with  a  handsome 
residence  makes  a  very  desirable  home.  Mr. 
Grace  has  not  been  sparing  of  his  means  to 
make  his  farm  beautiful  and  attractive  as 
well  as  productive,  and  believing  in  devoting 
the  good  things  of  this  world  to  useful  ends, 
he  has  provided  his  family  with  many  of  the 
comforts  and  conveniences  of  life,  not  the 
least  being  a  substantial  and  well  furnished 
modern  residence,  in  which  domestic  peace 
holds  sway  and  a  spirit  of  hospitality  pre- 
vails. His  place  is  well  drained  and  the 
soil,  which  is  in  excellent  condition,  pro- 
duces abundantly  all  the  grain  and  vege- 
table crops  grown  in  this  latitude,  in  addi- 
tion to  which  considerable  attention  is  de- 
voted to  fine  live  stock,  which  has  been 
found  one  of  the  most  profitable  depart- 
ments of  modern  farming. 

January  3,  1884,  Mr.  Grace  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  L.,  daughter 
of  William  and  Margaret  (Crumley)  Kline, 
the  former  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and 
of  German  descent,  the  latter  born  and 
reared  in  Wayne  county,  Ohio.  They 
cleared  a  farm  in  Jefferson  township  and 
there  their  lives  were  passed.     He  died  at 


the  age  of  eighty-five  years,  in  May,  1902. 
Two  children  have  resulted  from  this  union, 
Wilda  May  and  Ethel  G,  both  at  home.  In 
his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Grace  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat and  in  religion  holds  with  his  family  to 
the  faith  represented  by  the  Church  of  God. 


WILLIAM  KRIDER. 

.  William  Krider,  a  pioneer  farmer  of 
Smith  township,  was  born  in  Stark  county, 
Ohio,  February  22,  1839,  and  is  the  son  of 
Jeremiah  and  Susannah  (Zent)  Krider, 
both  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  but  who  came 
to  Stark  county  in  early  life  and  were  mar- 
ried there.  In  1845  they  came  to  Indiana, 
moving  in  wagons  and  settled  in  Smith 
township,  purchasing  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  near  the  center  of  the  town- 
ship, on  which  has  been  made  a  small  clear- 
ing. They  were  soon  in  possession  of  a 
good  home  surrounded  with  all  the  com- 
forts of  the  times.  The  infirmities  of  age 
coming  on,  they  moved  to  Churubusco  and 
spent  the  remainder  of  their  days  in  a  re- 
tired life.  The  mother,  who  was  a  member 
of  the  United  Brethren  church,  died  in 
1883  and  the  father  in  1898.  They  were 
parents  of  twelve  children :  John,  Samuel, 
and  Sarah  Ann,  deceased;  William;  Fanny, 
deceased ;  George,  a  farmer  living^  in  Smith 
township;  Eliza  Jane,  living  in  Denver; 
Malinda,  living  in  Missouri ;  Frank,  living 
in  Smith  township;  Hulda,  deceased;  Jere- 
miah, living  in  Chicago;  and  Mary,  living 
in  Fort  Wayne. 

William    Krider   was   only   seven  years 
old  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Whit- 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


853 


ley  county.  He  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  and  has  always  been -a  farmer. 
He  remained  at  home  until  he  was  married, 
when  he  moved  to  a  rented  farm  in  Allen 
county,  where  he  lived  one  year,  returning 
to  Smith  township,  where  he  purchased 
forty  acres  of  unimproved  school  land  in 
section  16.  He  improved  this  land,  as  also 
an  additional  forty  acres,  and  made  it  his 
home  about  nine  years,  when  he  moved  to 
the  farm  on  which  he  still  lives.  At  one 
time  he  owned  three  hundred  and  forty  acres 
but  gave  a  portion  of  this  to  his  children, 
leaving  two  hundred  and  forty  acres.  In  1883 
he  erected  one  of  the  finest  nine-room  brick 
houses  in  the  county.  He  also  has  commo- 
dious barns  and  other  buildings  to  corre- 
spond. It  is  one  of  the  finest  and  most  de- 
sirable farms  in  the  county  and  is  a  grand 
monument  to  industry,  frugality  and 
perseverance. 

March  3,  1859,  he  was  married  to  Sarah 
Anna,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth 
(Briggs)  Nickey,  both  from  Ohio,  but  of 
Virginia  ancestors,  now  deceased.  They 
came  to  Indiana  about  1838  and  to  them 
were  born  six  children :  Elizabeth,  wife  of 
Alex  Moore,  a  farmer  living  in  Union  town- 
ship ;  Rosanna,  wife  of  George  Perry,  living 
in  Noble  county;  Ruhama  married  Joseph 
Long,  and  both  are  deceased ;  Sarah  Anna ; 
Clerissa,  wife  of  Lewis  Metsker;  Allen  S., 
living  in  Tipton,  Indiana. 

The  father  was  married  the  second  time 
to  Catherine  (Crabill)  Frederick,  and  to 
this  union  four  children  were  born :  Wil- 
liam S.,  living  in  Smith  township  on  the 
lrome  farm ;  Austin  and  Mary,  deceased ; 
Jacob,  living  in  Buffalo,  New  York. 

Six  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 


Krider :  Irving  J.,  a  fanner  of  Smith  town- 
ship, married  Catherine  Slagle,  and  has  one 
child,  Mamie,  who  is  the  wife  of  Harry 
Briggs,  and  has  two  children.  Robert  and 
Willie.  Etta,  wife  of  Sanford  Ort,  of 
Churubusco,  has  two  children,  Sidney  and 
Robert;  William  O.,  a  farmer  in  Smith 
township,  married  Cora  Lincoln,  and  has 
three  children,  Blanch,  Ralph  and  Truman. 
Her  death  occurred  in  August,  1906.  Liz- 
zie, the  wife  of  Frank  Egolf,  living  in  Smith 
township,  has  five  children :  Paul,  Roscoe, 
Elizabeth,  Helen  and  Hildreth,  twins. 
Olive,  wife  of  Alfred  Wollem,  living  in 
South  Whitley;  Samuel  who  married  Cecil 
McGinley,  operates  the  home  farm.  They 
have  two  children,  Rodrick  McGinley  and 
Leonard   E. 

Mr.  Krider  does  a  general  farming  busi- 
ness, handles  a  good  stock  and  manages  his 
affairs  with  profit  and  marked  success.  He 
is  a  Democrat  but  never  held  office.  Him- 
self and  wife  are  members  of  the  United 
Brethren  church. 


MARTIN  D.  CRABILL. 

Martin  D.  Crabill,  a  pioneer  and  well 
known  farmer  of  Smith  township,  living  in 
section  28,  one  half  mile  north  of  Collins, 
was  born  in  Champaign  county,  Ohio,  De- 
cember 18,  1840,  and  is  the  son  of  William 
and  Catherine  (Funk)  Crabill,  both  natives 
of  Virginia,  in  which  state  they  were  mar- 
ried in  1820.  Here  they  continued  to  live 
till  1837.  when  they  moved  to  Champaign 
county,  Ohio,  there  they  'remained  three 
years  and  then  came  to  Indiana,  settling  in 
Smith  township  on  one  hundred  and  sixty 


§54 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


acres  of  land  purchased  of  the  government. 
one  mile  west  of  where  Martin  D.  lives. 
"William,  the  son  of  Abraham  Crabill,  was 
born  in  1795  and  died  on  this  farm  in  1845. 
B<  ith  were  members  of  the  United  Brethren 
church.  Fifteen  children  were  born.  After 
the  death  of  the  father  the  widow  by  good 
management  and  perseverance  kept  the  fam- 
ily together  and  gave  them  the  benefit  of 
the  country  schools.  The  children  are  as 
follows :  Mary  Ann,  deceased  ;  Catherine, 
widow  of  Jacob  Nickey ;  Harrison,  a  farmer 
living  in  Smith  township;  William,  living 
in  Missouri:  Jacob,  deceased:  the  sixth  de- 
ceased in  infancy:  Caroline,  Margaret  and 
Isaac,  deceased:  Eliza,  wife  of  E.  W.  Flory, 
living  in  Kansas  ;  Levi,  deceased ;  Ellen,  wife 
of  Abraham  Paulis;  Minerva,  deceased  in 
infancy:  Martin:  and  Festus,  a  farmer  liv- 
ing in  Fulton  county. 

Martin  D.  Crabill  remained  at  home  till 
the  death  of  his  mother,  after  which  he 
worked  by  the  month  till  1865  and  then 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  working  at 
the  same  until  1870,  when  he  engaged  in 
farming  on  a  small  farm  of  forty  acres, 
where  he  remained  till  1884,  when  be  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  on  which  he  still  lives.  When  he 
moved  to  this  place  only  twenty  acres  were 
cleared,  but  by  close  application  and  good 
management  he  has  developed  one  of  the 
best  farms  in  the  county,  being  nearly 
cleared,  thoroughly  drained  and  well  fenced, 
with  a  substantial  barn  and  modern  house, 
everything  being  in  first-class  condition  for 
profitable  business  and  the  enjoyment  of  life. 

September  8.  1867,  Mr.  Crabill  was  mar- 
ried to  Mary  I*'...  daughter  of  Hiram  and 
Catherine   (Davis)  Jones,  who  was  born  in 


Smith  township,  October  5.  4848.  Hiram- 
Jones  was  born  in  Knox  county,  Ohio,  Au- 
gust 1,  1816,  and  Catherine  Davis  was  born. 
in  Luzerne  county,  Pennsylvania,  February 
14.  1812.  and  was  married  in  Knox  county, 
Ohio,  in  1833,  removing  to  Whitley  county, 
Indiana,  in  1842,  buying  the  farm  originally 
entered  by  John  Strain,  and  paying  for  it 
with  money  earned  by  working  for  fifty 
cents  per  day.  He  died  September  14. 
1 90 1,  while  she  had  died  May  4,  1891. 
Their  ten  children  were  Elizabeth,  Alfred, 
Nancy,  Martha,  Mary  and  Clarissa,  and  four 
dying  in  infancy.  Jacob  Davis,  father  of 
Catherine,  came  to  Whitley  county  in  1842- 
and  bought  the  Luther  Mott  farm,  he  enter- 
ing it  in  1840.  The  parents  of  Hiram  were 
John  Jones  and  Martha  Stilwell,  who  came 
to  Whitley  county  in  1845,  buying  the  Jacob 
Davis  farm.  After  his  wife's  death  in 
1854,  he  deeded  his  farm  to  his  son  John,  to 
keep  him  during  his  life,  which  was  not 
closed  till  April  5,  1868,  being  almost'  nine- 
ty-six years  old. 

Four  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Crabill ;  William  E.  married  to  El- 
nora  Harter,  and  lives  in  Smith  township ; 
Naomi  Alice,  deceased  in  infancy;  Albert 
Austin,  living  at  home;  Mary  Vietta  mar- 
ried to  Merritt  McLain,  who  live  in  Smith 
township  and  has  three  children;  Velma 
Marie,  Perry  and  Waunietta  May. 

In  May,  1864.  Martin  D.  Crabill  enlisted 
in  Company  K.  One  Hundred  and  Thirty- 
ninth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was 
in  many  skirmishes,  but  no  battles.  His 
discharge  bears  date  of  November,  1864. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  are  members  of  the  United  Brethren 
church  of  Churubusco. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


855 


LEWIS  W.  TENNANT,  M.  D. 

The  Whitley  county  family  of  this  name 
is  of  Scotch  origin.  Lewis  Benjamin  Ten- 
nant  leaving  the  hills  of  his  native  land  to 
cross  the  water  in  search  of  a  new  home 
early  in  the  nineteenth  century.  He  had 
married  a  Scottish  lassie  and  during  the  long 
journey  to  the  United  States,  they  decided 
on  Indiana  as  a  desirable  locality  for  a  fu- 
ture home  They  located  in  Kosciusko 
count}-,  where  he  practiced  medicine  until 
his  death  in  1865.  While  they  were  enroute 
to  this  country  another  child.  Lewis  H..  was 
added  to  their  already  numerous  progeny. 
The  mother  died  when  Lewis  was  still 
young  and  it  became  necessary  for  him  to 
depend  upon  himself.  H'e  had  about  at- 
tained his  majority  when  the  tocsin  of  Civil 
war  aroused  his  patriotism  and  he  enlisted 
in  the  Forty-fourth  Regiment  Indiana  Vol- 
unteer Cavalry,  with  which  he  served 
throughout  the  memorable  struggle.  Soon 
after  his  return  he  began  the  study  of  medi- 
cine, completing  his  professional  education 
in  Cincinnati  and  has  since  practiced  his 
profession  regularly,  being  at  present  so  en- 
gaged at  North  Manchester.  In  1865,  he 
married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  Barron,  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
They  came  to  Indiana  in  pioneer  times,  lo- 
cating at  Logansport  and  there  spent  the 
remainder  of  their  lives.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Tennant  have  had  eleven  children :  John, 
a  resident  of  Ohio;  Charles  P.,  living  in 
Kosciusko  county ;  Demarius.  wife  of  Em- 
mett  Miller,  of  Sidney.  Indiana;  Lewis  W. ; 
Walter,  a  resident  of  Kosciusko  county : 
Frank,  who  resides  in  Wisconsin ;  Leroy. 
deceased ;  Frederick,  a  resident  of  Sidnev : 


Alma,  deceased ;  James  and  Qttis,  of  Kos- 
ciusko county. 

Lewis  W.  Tennant  was  born  in  Kos- 
ciusko county,  August  2,  1871.  All  of  his 
earlier  years  were  spent  in  his  native  lo- 
cality, but  acquired  a  good  education  in  the 
local  school  supplemented  by  courses  at  the 
Terre  Haute  and  Valparaiso  Normals  and 
the  Academy  at  North  Manchester.  Entering 
the  schoolroom  as  an  instructor,  he  con- 
tinued to  teach  for  six  consecutive  years. 
Meantime,  deciding  to  follow  the  profession, 
of  his  father,  his  spare  time  was  devoted  to 
reading  medicine  under  his  preceptorship. 
He  entered  the  Medical  College  of  Indiana 
at  Indianapolis  in  1900,  devoting  four  years 
to  a  thorough  grounding  in  the  intricacies 
of  the  profession,  graduating  with  the  class 
of  1Q04.  In  October  of  that -year  he  located 
at  Larwill  and  during  the  brief-time  already 
elasped,  has  shown  a  remarkable  aptitude 
for  gaining  both  friends  and  business.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Whitley  County  Medical 
Society,  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the 
Modern  Woodmen.  His  professional  at- 
tainments received  recognition  by  his  ap- 
pointment as  medical  examiner  for  several 
standard  life  insurance  companies  as  well  as 
for  the  Modern  Woodmen. 

December  25,  1901,  Dr.  Tennant  mar- 
ried Miss  Cora  L.,  daughter  of  Oren  and 
Tane  (  Freeman)  -Lenwell.  a  native  of  Laud. 
Whitley  county,  and  born  in  1881.  Her 
mother  was  from  Randolph  county  and  her 
father  a  native  of  Whitley,  their  six  children 
being  Francis  M.,  Freeman  C.  Curtis  S.. 
Cora   L.,   Clyde   T.   and    Selbee    R. 

Politically,  Dr.  Tennant's  affiliations  are 
with  the  Republican  party.  Mrs.  Tennant 
is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church. 


856 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


DAVID  ROUCH. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in 
Wayne  county,  Ohio,  May  4,  1850,  the  son 
of  Samuel  Rouch,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  Louisa  Hamer,  whose  birth  occurred 
in  the  state  of  Ohio.  Samuel  Rouch  was 
reared  to  manhood  in  the  state  of  his  nativ- 
ity, married  in  Ohio,  and  in  1855,  moved 
to  Whitley  county,  purchasing  the  farm  of 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  LTnion 
township  on  which  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  life  and  a  portion  of  which  his  son, 
David,  now  owns.  At  the  time  of  his 
arrival  the  land  was  practically  unimproved, 
but  by  strenuous  labor  perseveringly  con- 
tinued he  succeeded  in  due  time  in  removing 
the  greater  part  of  the  dense  forest  and 
fitting  the  soil  for  tillage,  besides  erecting 
the  buildings  necessary  on  all  first-class 
farms.  He  was  a  man  of  energy  and  de- 
termination and  in  addition  to  contributing 
largely  to  the  material  development  of  his 
township,  took  a  lively  interest  in  its  public 
affairs,  having  served  one  term  as  trustee, 
but  refused  to  take  the  office  a  second  time, 
although  elected  thereto  by  a  large  majority 
of  the  votes  cast.  He  and  his  wife  were 
faithful  members  of  the  Lutheran  church 
and  in  a  quiet  way  did  much  to  promote  the 
cause  of  religion  and  good  morals  in  the 
community,  his  voice  and  actions  as  well 
as  his  influence  being  ever  on  the  side  of 
law.  order  and  civic  righteousness.  Mr. 
Rouch  departed  this  life  in  188S.  his  wife 
in  1891  and  their  memories  are  still  cher- 
ished by  the  friends  and  neighbors  among 
whom  they  lived  SO  long  and  for  whose  wel- 
fare their  efforts  were  generously  exerted. 
Of  the  ten  children  of  Samuel  and  Louisa 


Rouch,  David  was  the  eighth  in  order  of 
birth.  During  his  childhood  and  youth  he 
attended  at  intervals  the  public  schools  of 
the  township  and  from  the  time  he  could 
work  to  advantage  his  services  were  re- 
quired on  the  farm,  where  he  soon  developed 
not  only  strong  physical  powers,  but  the 
spirit  of  independence  and  self-reliance  that 
enter  into  the  make-up  of  the  intelligent  and 
substantial  American  citizen  of  today. 
When  old  enough  to  begin  life  for  himself 
he  rented  a  portion  of  his  father's  land  and 
was  thus  engaged  during  the  ensuing  nine 
years,  forty  acres  at  his  father's  death  fall- 
ing to  him  as  his  share  of  the  estate.  Still 
later  he  acquired  forty  acres  additional  of 
the  homestead,  making  his  place  consist  of 
eighty  acres  on  which  he  has  erected  a  com- 
fortable and  substantial  dwelling,  a  fine 
commodious  barn  and  other  necessary  build- 
ings, all  in  excellent  condition  and  giving 
evidence  of  good  taste,  as  well  as  an  enter- 
prising spirit  on  the  part  of  the  proprietor. 
Mr.  Rouch's  farm  is  well  drained,  naturally 
and  by  tiling,  the  soil  exceedingly  fertile 
and  for  general  agriculture  and  pasturage 
it  loses  nothing  in  comparison  with  any  like 
number  of  acres  within  the  bounds  of  the 
township. 

In  1 88 1  Mr.  Rouch  was  united  in  the 
bonds  of  wedlock  with  Miss  Elizabeth 
Lamb,  of  Whitley  county,  the  union  result- 
ing in  two  children,  Nellie,  wife  of  Carl  C. 
Aker,  and  Joseph  B.,  who  is  assisting  his 
father  on  the  farm.  In -politics  Mr.  Rouch 
is  a  Republican,  in  religion  a  member  of  the 
United  Brethren  church  as  is  also  his  wife. 
Carl  C.  Aker,  who  married  Miss  Nellie 
Rouch,  is  a  native  of  Whitley  county  and 
the    son    of    Charles    F.    and    Clara    Aker. 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


857 


After  finishing  the  public  school  course  he 
took  up  the  study  of  telegraphy,  which  he 
completed  in  an  institution  at  Columbia 
City  and  then  entered  the  railway  service 
as  operator,  being  at  this  time  in  charge 
•of  the  office  at  Coesse,  where  he  has  been 
stationed  during  the  past  two  years.  He 
is  a  skilled  telegrapher,  faithful  in  the  dis- 
charge of  his  duties  and  enjoys  the  confi- 
dence of  the  company  by  which  he  is 
.employed. 


CHARLES  P.  KIME,  M.  D.  C. 

The  leading  veterinary  surgeon  of  Whit- 
ley county  is  Charles  P.  Kime,  who  was 
born  December  30,  1863,  on  a  farm  in  Wil- 
liams county,  Ohio,  his  parents  being  Elias 
Kime,  a  native  of  Seneca  county,  Ohio,  and 
Sarah  Jane  Kirkwood,  who  was  born  at 
Baltimore,  Maryland.  For  forty  years  they 
resided  on  the  Williams  county  farm,  his 
■death  occurring  February  27,  1888,  while 
she  survives.  Their  five  surviving  children 
are  Horace,  of  Camden,  Michigan ;  Robert, 
who  is  on  the  homestead :  Laura,  who  is 
Mrs.  Frank  Bunce,  of  Jonesville,  Michigan ; 
Albert,  of  Williams  county,  Ohio ;  and  the 
Doctor. 

Charles  P.  Kime  grew  to  maturity  on 
the  farm,  receiving  the  local  school  ad- 
vantages. Being  early  impressed  with  the 
importance  of  proper  care  of  domestic  ani- 
mals, he  decided  to  become  a  veterinary  and 
in  order  to  equip  himself  thoroughly,  took 
•a  course  in  the  Chicago  Veterinary  College, 
graduating  with  the  class  of  1895.  Choos- 
ing Columbia  City  as  a  suitable  field  for 
practice,  he  located  here  in  that  year  and 


soon  became  widely  and  favorably  known 
among  farmers  and  stockmen,  his  practice 
surpassing  expectations.  Professional  de- 
mands have  so  increased  that  he  is  kept  con- 
stantly employed  and  has  found  the  work 
not  only  remunerative  but  one  that  demands 
intelligence  and  aptitude.  A  successful 
practitioner  must  not  only  be  well  read  but 
must  be  a  skilful  operator  and  constantly 
in  touch  with  the  great  advancement  made 
in  the  profession.  Dr.  Kime  is  up-to-date 
and  is  in  close  touch  with  the  most  advanced 
thinkers  on  subjects  pertaining  to  animal 
physiology,  comparative  anatomy  and  biol- 
ogy. He  was  married  March  28.  1894,  to 
Miss  Lydia  E.,  daughter  of  William  S.  and 
Angeline  ( Richie)  Hazzard,  a  native  of 
Williams  county,  Ohio.  They  have  one 
daughter,  Mildred  A. 

Dr.  Kime  is  a  Republican  and  is  a  high- 
ly respected  member  of  the  Pythian  brother- 
hood. 


WILLIAM  H.  HARSHMAN. 

William  H.  Harshman,  a  successful 
business  man  and  representative  citizen  of 
South  Whitley,  has  spent  the  greater  part 
of  his  life  in  the  county.  James  Harshman. 
his  father,  was  a  native  of  Greene  county. 
Ohio,  but  came  to  Whitley  county  when  a 
youth  of  seventeen  and  located  with  his  par- 
ents in  Cleveland  township  on  what  has  long 
been  known  as  the  "Old  Allen"  place,  where 
he  spent  the  ensuing  eight  years.  He  re- 
moved to  the  township  of  Richland,  where 
he  made  his  home  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred March  9,  1881,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 


858 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


six  years.  James  Hafshman  was  not  only 
a  successful  agriculturist  and  public-spirited 
citizen,  but  for  a  number  of  years  took  an 
active  part  in  politics,  having  long  been  one 
of  the  Republican  leaders  in  the  two  town- 
ships. He  was  just  in  his  dealings,  honor- 
able in  every  relation  of  life  and  his  loss 
was  keenly  felt,  not  only  by  his  immediate 
family,  but  by  all  of  his  fellow  citizens.  His 
wife  was  Alary  J.  Cullimore,  who  was  born 
in  Maryland,  and  now,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
eight  years,  makes  her  home  with  her  son, 
George,  on  the  family  homestead  in  Rich- 
land township.  They  had  eight  children,  of 
whom  Sarah,  Rhoda,  'William  H.,  Martha 
and  George,  survive.  James,  Daniel  and 
Upton  are  deceased.  William  H.  Harsh- 
man  grew  to  maturity  with  the  conviction 
that  man  should  earn  his  bread  by  the  sweat 
of  his  brow.  He  attended  winter  terms  of 
the  public  schools,  obtaining  a  fair  English 
education.  He  addressed  himself  assiduous- 
ly to  the  cultivation  of  the  family  homestead, 
where  he  remained  until  his  thirtieth  year. 
March  3,  1883,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Lizzie  A.,  daughter  of  Henry  Nor- 
ris,  who  came  to  this  part  of  the  state  in 
an  early  day  from  Ohio.  In  1885,  Mr. 
Harshman  engaged  in  the  livery  business, 
owning  at  tin's  time  a  well  equipped  barn, 
supplied  with  all  the  conveniences  and  ap- 
pliances usually  found  in  first-class  estab- 
lishments, his  stock  and  vehicles  being  of  the 
best.  Mr.  Harshman  is  careful  and  method- 
ical and  has  met  with  deserved  success.  He 
works  hir  the  Republican  party,  and  in  mat- 
ters of  religion  supports  the  Christian  and 
United  Brethren  churches.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Harshman  have  four  children,  Elmer,  Iva. 
Edna  and  Walter  H. 


OSCAR  GANDY. 

Perhaps  no  man  has  done  more  to  make 
the  town  of  Churubusco  favorably  known 
than  Oscar  Gandy,  who  was  born  in  Preston 
county,  West  Virginia,  September  12,  1847. 
His  father,  Owen  Gandy,  removed  to  In- 
diana in  1853,  settling  at  Heller's  Corners,. 
Allen  county.  After  several  changes  they 
finally  settled  on  a  farm  in  Noble  county, 
where  the  father  spent  his  remaining  years, 
dying  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years. 

In  the  fall  of  1863,  when  but  a  stripling 
of  sixteen  years,  Oscar  Gandy  joined  Com- 
pany C,  One  Hundred  Twenty-ninth  In- 
diana Volunteer  Infantry,  with  which  he- 
served  with  honor  until  the  war  closed,  bear- 
ing uncomplainingly  his  share  of  the  toil 
and  privations.  He  took  part  in  the  battles 
of  Buzzard's  Roost,  Resaca,  Kenesaw 
Mountain.  Atlanta,  Peach  Tree  Creek, 
Franklin,  Nashville  and  Kingston.  He  re- 
turned to  his  father's  farm,  a  boy  in  years, 
but  a  man  in  experience,  and  with  a  mind 
broadened  through  his  contact  and  inter- 
course with  men  from  all  walks  of  life.  He- 
finally  decided  to  engage  in  some  business, 
other  than  farming  and  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  Thomas  Rhodes,  for  the  operation 
of  a  saw-mill  at  Churubusco.  Three  years, 
later  he  turned  his  attention  to  buying  and 
selling  town  and  farm  properties  in  and 
about  that  village.  He  then  engaged  with 
George  Maxwell  in  the  dry  goods  business, 
though  a  couple  of  years  thereafter  ex- 
changed his  interest  for  a  farm.  Resuming 
the  manufacture  of  lumber  in  partnership 
with  A.  B.  Xickey,  he  prosecuted  it  vigor- 
ously for  some  fifteen  years  when  he  turned 
his  attention  more  especially  to  farming  and 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


859 


stock  raising.  Mr.  Gandy  had  become 
known  as  a  man  whose  business  judgment 
was  good  and  whose  name  in  connection 
with  an  enterprise,  was  almost  a  guaranty 
of  its  success.  Indeed  everything  he  touched 
seemed  to  prosper  and  his  transactions  gave 
him  a  substantial  reputation  for  honesty  and 
fair  dealing.  He  organized  the  Exchange 
Bank  of  Churubusco  in  1893,  with  a  capital 
of  ten  thousand  dollars.  Having  the  confi- 
dence and  support  of  the  most  conservative 
men  of  the  community,  it  was  an  assured 
success  from  the  start  and  was  soon 
recognized  as  one  of  the  solid  financial  insti- 
tutions of  Whitley  county. '  The  year  fol- 
lowing he  organized  the  Exchange  Bank  of 
South  Whitley,  now  known  as  the  Gandy 
State  Bank,  also  with  a  capital  of  ten  thou- 
sand dollars.  Mr.  Gandy  has  been  president 
of  both  these  banks  from  their  organization 
and  each  has  so  prospered  that  the  capital 
stock  of  each  has  been  increased  to  twenty- 
five  thousand  dollars.  The  Churubusco  in- 
stitution occupies  one-half  of  a  double  brick 
building  erected  by  Mr.  Gandy.  one  side 
being-  devoted  to  a  full  line  of  buggies,  car- 
riages and  wagons. 

Mr.  Gandy  was  first  married  to  Miss 
Martha  Jones,  of  Churubusco,  her  death, 
however,  occurring  about  the  time  of  the 
death  of  her  infant  child.  His  present  wife 
was  formerly  Miss  Emma  Cleland,  who  is 
the  mother  of  ten  children,  eight  of  whom 
survive:  William  Owen,  Elmer  E..  Orpha, 
Frank,  Odessa,  Perry,  Druzilla  and  Ilene. 
The  three  sons  are  associated  with  their  fa- 
ther in  the  Churubusco  bank.  Mr.  Gandy 
is  a  Knights  Templar  Mason  as  well  as  hav- 
ing made  suitable  advancement  in  the  Scot- 
tish Rite.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pvthias. 


Mr.  Gandy  has  always  been  heartily  in 
touch  with  any  movement  tending  toward 
the  betterment  of  the  community  and  has 
ever  proven  to  be  a  representative  of  the 
highest  type  of  American  citizenship. 


ELMER  E.  STITES. 

Elmer  E.  Stites,  a  prosperous  and  well' 
known  farmer  of  Smith  township,  living  in 
section  15,  was  born  in  Wells  county,  In- 
diana, August  23,  1861,  and  is  the  son  of 
George  W.  and  Almira  (Caston)  Stites. 
The  father  of  the  subject  was  born  in  Ger- 
many and  came  to  this  country  with  his 
parents,  Peter  and  Christina  Stites,  when 
he  was  six  weeks  old,  while  the  mother  was 
born  in  Buchanan  county,  Ohio,  August  3, 
1842,  and  was  the  daughter  of  John 
and  Elizabeth  Caston  and  departed  this  life 
January  6,  1896.  The  marriage  of  these 
parents  occurred  in  1858.  To  this  union  ten 
children  were  born,  namely :  Marcellus,  de- 
ceased. Elmer  E.,  subject  of  sketch.  Hat- 
tie,  wife  of  Sidney  Smith,  living  in  Churu- 
busco, Indiana.  John,  living  in  Warren. 
Indiana.  Maggie,  deceased.  Rollin,  liv- 
ing in  Bluffton,  Indiana.  Harvey,  deceased. 
Mary,  wife  of  Allan  J.  McKimmey,  of  War- 
ren, Indiana.  Zora,  living  at  home  with 
her  father.    Martin  J.,  living  in  Fort  Wayne. 

Peter  Stites,  the  paternal  grandfather, 
settled  in  Ohio,  1835,  and  a  few  years  later 
moved  to  Wells  county.  Indiana,  where  he 
remained  during  his  natural  lifetime,  which 
was  closed  in  1878  and  that  of  his  wife  in 
1S77.  Eight  children  were  born -to  them: 
Mary,  Conrad,  William  and  John,  all  de- 
ceased.    George  W.,  father  of  this  subject, 


S6o 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


living  in  Churubusco,  Indiana.  Charles  liv- 
ing in  Noble  county,  Indiana,  and  engaged 
in  farming.  Malvina,  living  in  Fort  Wayne. 
Sarah,  living  on  the  old  Stites  homestead 
in  Wells  county,  Indiana.  Catherine,  liv- 
ing in  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan.  The  par- 
ents were  members  of  the  Baptist  church. 
George  W.  was  trained  by  his  father  to  the 
business  of  farming  and  in  the  meantime 
given  the  advantages  of  the  common  schools. 
Later  on  he  was  a  student  in  the  State  Nor- 
mal School  at  Terre  Haute,  qualifying  him- 
self for  the  vocation  of  teaching  in  the  public 
schools,  in  which  he  was  successfully  en- 
gaged several  years.'  He  heard  the  patri- 
otic call  for  volunteers  in  1861  and  enlisted 
in  Company  F,  Eighty-eight  Regiment,  as 
a  private  and  was  mustered  out  a  lieutenant. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  brought 
up  on  the  farm,  where  he  performed  the 
labor  generally  required  of  a  boy  in  the 
country.  He  received  a  common  school 
education  and  was  engaged  with  his  father 
in  a  general  store  at  Middletown,  Indiana, 
for  about  one  year,  after  which  they  con- 
ducted the  same  business  at  Hoagland  about 
two  years.  He  then  began  farming  in  Allen 
county,  to  which  he  applied  himself  about 
two  years.  In  1882,  he  came  with  his  fa- 
ther to  Churubusco,  this  county,  where  they 
engaged  in  the  hotel  business,  and  which  is 
being  continued  by  his  father.  In.  1898  he 
moved  to  the  eighty-acre  farm  previously 
purchased  and  to  which  he  had  added  other 
small  farms,  until  he  owns  one  hundred  and 
seventy-three  acres  of  as  fine  land  as  there 
is  in  the  country.  He  erected  a  barn  sev- 
enty-two by  forty  feet,  remodeled  the  house, 
and  now  the  farm  is  one  of  the  best  im- 
proved and  most  desirable  in  the  country. 


In  1889  he  was  married  to  Emma,  daughter 
of  George  and  Nora  (  Fulk)  Richards,  who 
was  born  in  "Noble  county,  Indiana,  March 
29,  1868.  The  paternal  parent  was  a  na- 
tive of  Noble  county,  Indiana,  but  is  now 
deceased,  the  widow  was  born  in  Licking 
county,  Ohio,  and  is  living  with  our  subject. 
Three  children  were  born  to  these  parents, 
parents.'  namely:  Frank  M.,  living  in 
Marion,  Indiana.  Emma,  wife  of  the  sub- 
ject. William,  deceased  at  three  years  of 
age. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  Republican 
and  has  enjoyed  several  positions  of  honor 
and  trust,  being  marshal  of  Churubusco, 
Indiana,  two  years ;  eight  years  justice  of 
peace ;  and  four  years  trustee  of  Smith  town- 
ship. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity  at  Columbia  City,  belong  to  the 
blue  lodg'e,  chapter  and  commandery.  The 
history  of  his  life  should  be  an  inspiration 
to  the  young  men  as  it  forcibly  illustrates 
the  possibilities  of  what  may  be  accomplished 
by  honesty,  industry  and  perseverance.  The 
family  is  childless. 


I.  N.  COMPTON. 


Among  the  pioneers  contributed  to  the 
western  country  by  the  state  of  New  Jersey, 
and  especially  to  Ohio,  when  the  latter  state 
was  new,  was  a  family  of  the  above  name 
who  left  their  native  section  during'  the 
earlier  years  of  the  last  century.  They  set- 
tled in  Coshocton  county  and  followed  agri- 
culture with  some  measure  of  success.  An- 
drew Cox,  one  of  the  children,  came  with 
his  parents  in  youth,  grew  up  on  the  farm 


WHITLEY  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


86 1 


and  afterward  made  farming  his  life's  busi- 
ness. He  married  Mary  A.  Stafford,  whose 
parents  were  Virginians  and  by  whom  he 
had  nine  children :  Rhea,  J.  N..  James,  Jen- 
nie, Phoebe,  Siletta,  A.  L.,  Frank  and  Ma- 
tilda. In  1835,  he  purchased  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  government  land  in 
Richland  township,  Whitley  county,  and 
thus  became  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  that 
section  of  Indiana.  It  took  him  three  weeks 
to  make~the  trip  to  Indiana  from  Ohio  on 
horseback  before  he  reached,  his  new  tract  in 
the  Indiana  wilderness.  In  1837  he  brought 
his  wife  and  children  from  Ohio,  and  after 
the  usual  difficulties  and  rough  experiences, 
they  finally  were  settled  in  the  new  land. 
The  father  met  with  some  successs  as  a 
farmer  before  his  death  in  1852.  His  wife, 
who  survived  him  a  number  of  years,  died  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-three  years. 

I.  N.  Compton,  one  of  the  children  of 
these  early  settlers,  was  born  in  Cosocton 
county,  Ohio,  September  20,  1832.  He  was 
a  baby  when  his  parents  came  to  make  their 
home  in  Indiana.  He  grew  up  on  the  family 
farm  and,  when  large  enough,  assisted  in 
the  work  of  farming.  He  lived  on  the 
homestead  until  he  reached  his  twenty-first 
year  when  he  decided  to  make  a  start  for 
himself.  In  1861  he  enlisted  in  Company 
G,  of  the  Forty-fourth  Indiana  Volunteer 
Regiment  of  Infantry  and  served  with  this 


command  with  the  Army  of  the  Tennesee. 
He  saw  much  actual  service  and  experienced 
many  hardships  incident  to  campaigning.  He 
took  part  in  the  battles  of  Fort  Donelson, 
Fort  Henry,  Shiloh  and  many  smaller  en- 
gagements and  skirmishes.  Returning  to 
his  home  after  the  close  of  the  war,  he  again 
took  up  his  business  of  fanning.  He  re- 
moved in  1 88 1  to  his  present  farm  in  Cleve- 
land township,  which  is  a  tract  of  two  hun- 
dred acres,  more  than  half  of  which  is  under 
cultivation.  He  engaged  in  general  farming 
and  stock  raising.  He  buys  and  sells  much 
stock,  and  this  branch  of  his  business  has 
come  to  be,  under  his  management,  very  re- 
munerative. Although  a  Republican  in 
general  politics,  he  reserves  the  right  to  vote 
independent  of  party  lines  on  county  affairs. 
Following  this  line  of  aGtion,  he  frequently 
votes  for  the  man  rather  than  for  the  party 
candidate. 

In  1854,  Mr.  Compton  married  Sarah 
J.,  a  daughter  of  Andrew  and  Susan  (Bea- 
son)  Grimes.  His  wife's  parents  were  na- 
tives of  W'ayne  county,  Indiana,  and  came 
to  Whitley  county  in  1852.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Compton  have  had  eight  children :  Jasper, 
a  conductor  on  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad ; 
Frank  G.,  a  farmer  of  Richland  township; 
Howard  P.,  who  was  killed  in  a  railroad 
wreck;  and  five  others  who  died  in  youth. 
Mrs.  Compton  died  in   1869. 


1105