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McCORMICK'S  GUIDE 

TO 

^  STARKE  COUNTY  ^ 

OR.. 


•«•    V^iV    ... 


A  PAST  AND  A  PRESENT  VIEW  OF 
OUR  TERRITORY 


...   tJ  X      .*• 


..BY 
CHESTER  A.  McCOi  MICK. 


f^ 


ILLUSTRATED 


f^ 


PUBLISHED 

BY  THE  AUTHOR 

J902. 


CHESTER  A.  McCORMICK. 


McCORMICK'S  GUIDE 

//r/  i 


TO 


^  STARKE  COUNTY  ^ 


«••  OK.  ••• 

A  PAST  AND  A  PRESENT  VIEW  OF 
OUR  TERRITORY 


/ 


•♦•  ^J  X     ••« 


„BY 
CHESTER  A.  McCORMICK. 


^ 


ILLUSTRATED 


fS&i 


PUBLISHED 

BY  THE  AUTHOR 

1902. 


DEDICATION 

To  the  memory  of  the  early  pioneers 
who  settled  in  Starke  County,  to  whom 
much  of  its  growth  is  due,  and  to  the 
spirited,  energetic  citizens  of  today,  who 
are  taking  an  active  part  in  the  progress 
and  welfare  ot  our  county,  this  little  vol- 
ume is  affectionately  dedicated. 


Copyrighted  1902 
By  CHESTER  A.  McCORMICK 


Introduction* 

It  is  with  personal  pride  and  pleasure  that  this 
little  volume  is  presented  to  the  people  of  Starke 
County.  It  was  the  purpose  of  the  author  to  issue  a 
volume  small  in  size  and  containing  only  that  part  of 
historv  of  most  value  and  interest  that  it  migrht  sell  at 
a  low  price,  thus  placing  it  within  the  reach  of  every- 
body, rather  than  to  put  out  a  large  volume  of  several 
hundred  pages  filled  with  minor  events  and  facts  and 
incidents  of  only  passing  interest,  which  wculd  neces- 
sitate a  much  larger  book,  thus  placing  it  within  the 
reach  of  a  comparative  few.  As  it  is,  everybody  is 
able  to  possess  a  brief  history  of  his  own  county. 

While  this  little  book  is  not  as  complete  and  at- 
tractive as  more  time  and  money  could  make  it,  yet  it 
is  all  that  is  claimed  for  it — a  work  which  seeks  to 
trace  the  growth  and  progress  ot  Starke  County  from 
the  time  before  its  organization  up  to  the  present  day. 
That  the  county  has  m^de*  rapid  strides  forward  dur- 
ing the  past  few  years  is  a  fact  which  all  of  our 
citizens  are  glad  to  admit.  On  looking  over  the  old 
files  of  the  Starke  County  Ledger,  under  date  of  March 
7.  1871,  we  find  this  advertisement: 

"Wallace  Gould  will  carry  passengers  from  Knox 
to  Hamlet  to  meet  the  early  morning  and  afternoon 
trains." 

At   this    time    railroads    were    not   as   common  in 

Starke  County  as  they  are  today.      We  now  have  rail- 


6  INTRODITCTION 

roads  crossing'  the  county  in  all  directions.  So  it  is 
with  all  lorms  of  progress  At  one  time  where  stood 
a  few  lo<jc  huts,  dense  forests,  marshes  and  ponds, 
today  stand  larjre  and  elegant  frame  and  brick  build- 
ings and  progressive  little  towns.  We  often  hear  the 
old  settlers  tell  about  their  hardships  in  getting  to  this 
country  in  the  e.irly  days  either  by  miring  down  in  the 
swamps  or  being  forced  to  cut  their  way  through  the 
dense  forests.  Roads  were  an  unknown  thing.  Today 
we  have  public  highwavs  throughout  the  county,  and 
the  sand  roads  are  being  replaced  with  gravel  and 
stone.  If  you  had  told  a  farmer  fifty  years  ago  that 
within  a  halt  century  his  mail  would  be  delivered  to 
his  door  he  would  have  laughed  at  the  idea.  But  this 
has  all  come  to  pass.  And  what  has  brought  about 
all  this  change?  We  can  no  better  answer  than  to  say, 
the  spirit  ot  progress. 

In  this  connection  I  desire  to  acknowledge  my  in- 
debtedness for  favors  and  assistance  rendered  me  by 
the  followiny  gentlemen:  John  L.  Moorman  and  S. 
M.  Gorrell  for  access  to  newspaper  files;  James  C. 
Fletcher  for  furnishing  some  early  facts  and  for 
referring  me  to  difterent  sources;  to  H.  E.  White  for 
use  ot  some  county  records;  to  Jacob  Quigley  for  access 
to  some  old  newspaper  files  which  are  in  his  office;  to 
Jacob  Keller  for  information  pertaining  to  the  arti- 
ficial stone  industry;    to   P.    H.    McCormick   for   some 


INTRODUCTION  7 

information  concerning'  North  Judson;  to  F.  J.  Wein- 
kauf  for  data  concerning'  San  Pierre;  to  H.  R.  Kobbins 
for  valuable  information  and  fig^ures  kindly  furnished 
on  the  drainag^e  of  the  county;  to  Glenn  D.  Peters  for 
the  article  on  "Bird  Life  of  Starke  County,"  the 
greater  part  of  which  was  taken,  by  permission,  from 
a  graduation  thesio  on  that  subject;  to  H.  S.  Loring" 
for  some  information  concerning"  Hamlet;  to  W.  S. 
Blatchley  for  reference  to  geoloj^ical  reports,  and  to 
T.  H.  Ball  for  some  informaMon  contained  in  "North- 
western Indiana." 

It  was  the  intention  to  on  it  nothing-  from  this 
little  historv  that  would  be  of  lasting-  interest  or  g-reat 
importance  at  the  present  time,  however,  as  years,  or 
even  mo?:ths.  roll  by,  some  of  the  history  contained 
herein  will  become  obsolute  tor  chang-es  are  constantly 
taking-  place,  new  enterprizes  are  springing  up,  towns 
are  rapidly  growing,  old  citizens  are  passing  away 
and  a  new  population  is  rapidly  overshadowing  the 
old.  And,  loo.  those  who  are  today  reading  the  his- 
tory with  which  they  are  familiar,  and  possibly  of 
some  of  their  own  accomplishments,  and  whose  hearts 
are  throbbing  with  pride  and  patriotism  to  think  of 
the  rapid  strides  the  county  of  their  choice  has  made, 
will  soon  have  left  the  shores  touched  by  the  mys- 
terious sea  that  has  never  yet  borne  on  any  wave  the 
image  of  a  returning  sail. 


STARKE  COUNTY. 

ITS  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


ORIGIN,  POSITION,  AREA  AND  TOPOGRAPHY  OF  THE  COUNTY 

Starke  County  occupies  an  area  of  three  hundred 
and  fourteen  square  miles  lying  in  the  second  tier  ot 
counties  south  ot  MichiL'^an,  and  in  the  third  east  of 
Illinoi'i.  Nine  miles  west  of  its  north-eastern  corner 
the  Kankakee  river  intervenes  between  it  and  Laporte 
county,  and  flowing'  southwiisterly. forms  the  remander 
of  the  northern  and  all  but  five  miles  of  the  western 
boundry.  The  county  was  named  after  General  Stark, 
a  noted  personage  of  the  American  Revolution, 
Tlirough  some  unknown  way  a  final  "e"  was  added 
which  the  name  of  the  general  does  not  possess.  Set- 
tlement into  Starke  county,  or  rather  what  was  later 
to  become  known  as  Starke  county,  began  in  the 
year  1835. 

The  surface  of  tlie  county  is  diversified  by  marsh, 
wet  prairie,  dry  prairie  and  sand  ridges;  the  latter 
predominating.  More  than  half  the  area  is  covered  to 
to  a  depth  ot  2  to  15  feer  by  the  fine  grained  buff  sand 


10  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

so  characteristic  ot  all  the  region  adjacent  to  the 
Kankakee  on  the  south.  Experience  has  proven  that 
this  sandy  soil,  if  properly  cultivated,  will  produce  ex- 
cellent melons,  berries,  grapes,  sugar  beets,  etc. 
Where  ploughed  deep  and  fertilized  it  also  yields  good 
crops  of  corn,  oats  and  potatoes. 

Within  the  past  twelve  years  colonies  of  frugal, 
industrious  Germans  and  Swedes  have  bought  at  a  low 
price  large  areas  of  this  once  despised  land  and  are 
making  a  good  living  from  it.  They  utilize  all  fertil- 
izers produced  on  the  farm,  they  haul  muck  from  the 
low  lands  and  mix  it  with  the  sand,  they  plow  deeply 
each  season,  and  by  these  and  other  means  are  prov- 
ing the  land  of  far  greater  productive  power  than  it 
was  ever  believed  to  be. 

Many  thousand  acres  of  marsh  land  have  been 
recently  drained  (of  which  a  detailed  account  will  be 
given  later)  and  where  a  fevv  years  asfo  the  waters 
were  waist  deep  the  year  round,  beautiful  crops  of  corn 
are  now  produced.  Beneath  the  sand,  the  prairie  sod 
and  the  marsh  bottoms  of  the  county  there  is  every- 
where  the  fine  grained,  ash  blue  boulder  clay,  which 
covers  the  entire  area  of  Northwestern  Indiana.  In 
many  places  this  comes  close  to  the  serface.  Not  an 
out  crop  ot  rock  occurs  in  the  county.  The  only  bores 
known  to  have  pierced  the  thick  mantle  of  drift  are  at 
Knox   and    North   Judson,    in  both  of  which  stratified 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY  11 

rock    was    found  about   200   feet   below   the   surface. 

The  only  workable  deposit  of  mRrl  fonnd  in  Starke 
Countv  IS  wholly  a  marsh  deposit,  lyin^  in  sections  10 
and  15  (32  north,  4  west),  Railroad  township,  about 
three  and  a  halt  miles  west  of  North  Judson.  The 
deposit  occupies  the  basin  of  an  extirct  lake.  Thirty 
years  ago  the  lake  had  become  replaced  by  a  marsh 
over  which  duck  hunters  and  muskrat  trappers  hunted 
and  trapped  with  g^reat  success.  Now  part  of  it  is 
cultivated  in  corn  and  the  remander  furnishes  latofe 
and  excellent  crops  of  hay.  The  marl  is  everywhere 
overlain  with  muck,  except  in  one  or  two  places,  where 
it  forms  the  surface.  ihe  muck  varies  in  thickness 
from  one  to  five  feet,  averaging  about  two  and  a  half 
feet. 

II. 

SOME  INTERESTING  EARLY  FACTS. 

The  county  seat  was  located  at  Knox.  April  1, 
1850.  In  the  same  year  and  month  the  first  county 
commissioners  were  elected:  John  W.  P.  Hopkins, 
George  Estey  and  William  Parker.  They  met  at  the 
home  of  Mrs.  Rachel  A.  Tillman  (Lambert),  on  the 
south  bank  of  Yellow  river  Her  house  was  used  tor 
county  purposes  for  several  years.  The  next  county 
officers  elected  were:  Sheriff,  Jacob  I.  VVampler;  Aud- 
itor, J.    G.    Black;    Clerk,    Stephen    Jackson,    Sr. ;    Re- 


12  HISTORY  OK  STARKE  COUNTY 

corder,    Jacob    Bozarth;    Treasurer,    Jacob    Tillman; 
County  agent,  C.  S-  Tibbits. 

The  first  term  of  the  Starke  Circuit  Court  was 
held  at  Mrs.  Tillman's,  May  19,  1851.  The  judge  was 
E.  M.  Ciiamberlain;  associates,  Samuel  Burke  and 
Georg-e  Milroy.  "One  indictment  was  found.  That 
was  for  hog"  stealing",  and  the  defendant  was  acquitted. 
Hog-  stealing  m  those  days  was  very  different  from 
horse  stealing"." 

T.  H.  Ball,  author  of  "Northwestern  Indiana," 
says  the  following  were  some  ot  the  first  things  in 
Starke  County:  "The  first  boy  born.  Tipton  Lindsay, 
1836.  The  first  burial  in  the  county  was  of  Thomas 
Robb,  who  was  frozen  to  death  while  out  hunting  and 
was  buried  in  a  canoe.  The  first  church  building  was 
erected  by  the  United  Brethren  in  1853;  the  second  was 
built  by  the  Methodists  in  Knox,  in  1856.  The  first 
ministers  in  the  county  were:  Elder  Munson,  Meth- 
odist; Elder  Ross,  United  Brethern;  and  Rev.  James 
Peele,  Christian.  The  first  physicians,  1851,  Dr.  Sol- 
omon Ward,  Dr.  Baldwin  and  Dr.  Charles  Humphreys-. 
The  first  lawyer,  1852,  Judge  Wilcughby  M.  Mc- 
Cormick.  The  first  paper,  the  Starke  County  Press, 
published  in  May,  1861,  Joseph  A.  Berry,  editor." 
This  paper  is  now  known  as  the  Starke  County  Demo- 
crat, S.  M.  Gorrell,   publisher. 

"A    Fourth   of   July   celebration   was   held  in  the 


HISTORY  OF  STARKK  COUNTY  13 

bounds  of  Starke  County  before  the  county  was  org-an- 
\7.cd,  in  either  1848  or  1849.  the  locality  being  near 
the  present  Toto.  The  company  could  not  have  been 
very  large.  They  had  a  warm  dinner.  The  cabin  in 
which  they  met  seems  to  have  contained  but  two 
rooms,  thev  had  tables  from  which  to  eat,  and  alter 
dinner  they  danced.  She  who.  as  a  young  girl  remem- 
bers the  circumstances,  was  born  in  1840.  was  then 
living-  in  Pukiski  County  and  came  into  the  new 
county  of  which  her  father  became  a  resident  in  1851, 
and  is  now  a  resident  in  the  town  of  Knox." 

The  first  musical  organization  in  the  county  was  a 
band  organized  at  Knox  in  1876.  with  twelve  members. 
A.  W.  Swartzell  was  the  leader.  Old  instn-ments 
were  purchased  from  a  Winamac  band  for  $40. 

The  present  local  telephone  system  began  opera- 
tion June  20,  1898.  The  projectors  were  S.  C.  Close, 
A.  W.  Swartzell  and  J.  N.  Cotter.  The  present  owner 
is  J.  G.  Steinman. 

III. 

THE  TOWNS  OF  STARKE  COUNTY. 

In  some  stages  of  society,  and  connected  with 
some  occupations,  the  history  of  villages,  towns  and 
cities,  IS  to  a  large  extent  the  history  of  that  reg-ion, 
for  the  people  are  mostly  in  towns  and  cities,  and 
from  them   usually  go  forth   the  guiding  and  control- 


14 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 


Beautiful  Hotel  Fitz,  Knox. 


ling-  influences.  But  the  more  any  region  is  strictly 
agricultural,  the  less  number  of  large  towns  will  it 
have,  and  the  true  history  will  be  made  much  more  in 

the  country  homes, 

"T — —-r-r^, — --■'■"""■- 'V"-»gg       on   the    farms   and 

by  the  firesides. 
And  as  the  coun- 
ties south  of  the 
Kankakee  are  ag- 
ricultural, their 
liistory  is  to  a  larg^e 
extent  the  gradual 
increase  of  home 
comforts,  the  grow- 
th of  school  and  church  life,  and  the  diffusion  of 
intelligence  among  thousands  of  peaceful  prospering 
homes.  Yet  villages  and  towns  have  sprung  up  many 
and  prosperous,  and  a  study  of  these  will  give  quite  a 
full  ideaot  the  growth  ot  the  communities. 

KNOX — Knox  is  the  county  seat  and  largest  town 
of  Starke  County,  situated  in  Center  township.  At 
tlie  time  of  its  organization,  the  town  was  mere  land 
and  trees,  but  soon  town  lots  were  laid  out.  building 
began,  families  moved  in  and  village  life  was  com- 
menced. Civil  as  well  as  social  life  began.  Its  growth 
for  several  years  was  slow,  but  in  later  years,  as  any 
of  the  old    residents  can  testify,  the  growth  has  been 


HISTORY  OF  STARKK  COUNTY 


15 


rapid,  until  we  now  have  a  population  of    1,600,    with 
brijrht  prospects  of  even  faster  growth. 

Today  in  Knox  there  are  about  twenty  larg-e 
brick  blocks,  a  number  more  in  coarse  of  construction, 
a  larg^e  number  of  eleji^ant  brick 
and  fratne  residences,  a  beauti- 
ful brick  jail,  one  ot  the  finest 
stone  court  houses  in  Northern 
Indiana,  several  very  g^ood 
churches,  a  larg"e  brick  and  st(  n^ 
school  house  and  various  other 
attractive  buildings. 

We  now  have  paved  streets, 
and  stone  roads  pass  through 
the  town.  The  lown  has  an 
electric  light  system,  and  a 
waterworks  plant  is  expected 
to  be  installed  at  most  any  lime. 
The  town  is  very  well  sup- 
plied with  churches,  there  be- 
ing' four: — Methodist  Episcopal, 
Free  Methodist,  Chnstiati  and 
Latter   Day  Saints. 

An  extended  account  of  our  schools  would  here  be 
unnecessary,  for  I  dare  say  there  is  not  a  citizen  who 
is    not    familiar    with    the   excellent   schools  of  Knox 
They  are  widely  known  and  the  Knox  high    school    is 


First  Brick  Block,  Knox, 
ii     congregation    of 


16 


HISTORY   OF  STARKE  COUNTY 


recognized  as  one  ot  the  best  in  the  state.  A  uniform 
course  of  study  is  earned  on  in  the  common  schools 
and  a  regular  four  years'  course  is  maintained  in  the 
high  school  department.      Prof.    J.    Walter    Dunn    is 


Beautifut  Residence  of  H.  R.  Robbius. 

the  very  efficient  superintendent  of  the  schools 
and  Sophie  H.  Luzadder  the  competent  principal. 
The  board  of  education  lor  1903  is  composed  of  James 
VV.  Nichols,  president;  J.  N.  McCormick.  secretary, 
and  Charles  H.  Peters,  treasurer. 

In  the  summer  ot  1894  the  present  elegant  and 
commodious  ten-room  brick  building  was  erected  at  a 
total  cost  ot,  including  furnishings  and  equipment, 
about  $15,000.     "Our  schools  have   made   a   wonderful 


t: 


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18 


HISTORY   OF  STARKE  COUNTY 


growth  during  the  last  decade.  From  three  teachers 
and  a  few  pupils  they  have  grown  until  the  present 
large  building  is  used  throughout,  employing  eight 
teachers  and  a  music  instructor."  Successful  literary 
societies,  known  as  the  Star  Literary  Society  and  the 
Lew  Wallace  Club  are  maintained,  also  a  foot  ball 
team,  quartettes  and  other  organizations.  Also  in  the 
grammar  department  are  literary  clubs  known  as  the 
Whshington  and  Lincoln  Literary  Societies.  The 
fifth  and  STxth  grades  have  a  Washington  and  an 
Irving  Literary  Society.  The  high  school  was  com- 
missioned in  1900. 

The    Knox    high    school    was   the   first    school    in 


^i#>>" 


^■Wwj 


Residence  of  A.  W.  Swartzell. 


Northern  Indiana 
to  publish  a  paper 
The  Eclipse,  a  four 
piige,  three  column 
publication  was 
founded  in  1899, 
and  the  following 
year  was  ch^nyed 
to  may^azine  form. 
In  1902  the  Sopho- 
more class  issued  a 
32     page    souvenir 


magazine. 


\i\   Knox   there  are  two  pickle  factories,  a  handle 
factory,  a  rough  lumber  mill,  two  grain  elevators,  one 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE   COUNTY  19 

owned  by  Wtn.  Guyatt,  another  by  the  Churchill* 
White  Co.,  a  beer  storage,  a  tomb-stone  factory  and  a 
railway  velocipede  factory. 

Knox  has  two  newspapers,  the  Starke  County 
Democrat  and  the  Starke  County  Rebub.ican,  botli 
being-  issued  every  Thursday.  The  Democrat  is  rec- 
og-nized  as  one  of  the  ablest  democratic  organs  in  this 
part  of  the  country,  and  likewise  the  Republican  holds 
a  high  place  among  the  publications  of  Northern 
Indiana. 

Knox  has  quite  a  number  of  secret  societies, 
women's  clubs,  literary  clubs,  religious  clubs,  etc..  of 
which  mention  is  made  on  another  page  under  the 
head  of  "societies." 

A  volunteer  tire  company  known  as  the  Knox 
Hook  and  Ladder  Company,  is  an  organization  for  the 
protection  of  the  town,  with  George  \V.  Sarber  as 
fire  chief. 

The  practicing  physicians  are:  Dr.  Glazebrook, 
Dr.  Brown,  Dr.  M.  C.  Bonar,  Dr.  White,  Dr.  Wright, 
Dr.  M.  H.  Bonar  and  Dr.  Dolson,  dentist. 

The  practicing  attorneys  are:  Peters  &  Peters, 
Nichols  &  Foster.  Adrian  L.  Courtright,  Henry  R. 
Robhins.  Fletcher  &  Beeman,  and  B.  D.  L.  Glaze- 
brook. 

Knox  has  two  well  conducted  banks,  the  First 
National  Bank  and    the    Farmers'    State    Bank.     The 


The  Late  Mrs.  Rachael  A.  Lambert,  the  First  White  Woman 
to  Settle  in  Starke  County. 


HISTORY  OK  STARKE  COUNTY  21 

First  National  Dank  began  business  August  6,  1901, 
its  number  being  5919.  It  has  a  capital  stock  of 
$25,000.  Its  history,  although  short,  shows  remark- 
able growth.  A  general  banking  business  is  con- 
ducted. The  otiicers  are:  O.  D.  Fuller,  president; 
Ed<iar  W.  Shilling,  vice  president,  M.  C.  McCormick, 
cashier.  These  gentlemen  together  with  Francis 
Ytager  and  Robert  H.  Bender  form  the  board  of 
directors. 

The  oldest  financial  institution  in  the  county  is 
the  Farmers'  State  Bank.  It  was  organized  as  a 
private  bank  in  1892.  and  on  May  30,  1901,  it  was  in- 
corporated as  a  state  bank  with  a  paid  in  capital  of 
525,000.  Xhe  bank  is  a  member  of  the  American 
Bankers'  Association,  and  a  general  banking  business 
is  carried  on.  The  officers  are:  A.  P.  Dial,  president, 
H.  A.  Bllingson,  vice  president;  Isaac  Templin.  cash- 
ier. 

Knox  has  two  b^Nuitiful  large  brick  hotels,  known 
as  the  Fitz  House.  T.  A.  Wetherferd  proprietor,  and 
the  Stevens'  House.  A.  J.  Stevens,  proprietor.  AUo 
there  is  the  Commercial  hotel,  J.  G.  Kratli.  proprietor, 
which  occupies  a  new  brick  building. 

There  is  one  creamery  in  the  town,  located  in  the 
southwest  part,  owned  by  J.  B.  Prettyman. 

Knox  has  one  opera  house,  the  Metropolitan, 
owned    by    P.    VanDerweele,    and    another  under  con- 


22  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

struction  owned  by  Rice  and  Horner,    which    wil!    sur- 
pass anything  of  the  kind  in  the  county. 

One  of  the  best  equipped  steam  laundries  in  this 
part  of  the  country  is  owned  and  operated  by  Orris 
Booth.  A  g-eneral  laundry  business  is  conducted  and 
branch  ag^encies  are  established  in  a  number  of  towns. 

First-class  telephone  and  telegraph  service  is  had 
with  surrounding  towns  and  cities.  The  Knox  tele- 
phone Companv,  J.  G.  Steinman  proprietor,  and  the 
Bell  Telepohne  Company,  furnish  the  telephone  facil- 
ities. The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company  fur- 
nishes the  telegraph  communication. 

Three  express  c(^mpanies  have  agencies  here.  The 
United  States,  the  National  and  the  American. 

The  railroads  entering  the  town  are  the  New 
York,  Chicajio  &  St.  Louis,  P.  M.  Beauchamp  agent, 
end  the  Indiana,  Illinois  »fe  Iowa,  George  W.  Weigner, 
agent. 

The  present  town  officials  are:  William  Booth, 
George  H.  Brown  and  Frank  L.  Brown,  town  council; 
M.  T.  Hepner,  clerk;  T.  H.  Claussen,  treasurer; 
George  Stewart,  marshal;  B.  D.  L.  Glazebrook,  town 
attorney. 

NORTH  JUDSON-  This  enterprising  little  city  is  sit- 
uated in  Wayne  Township,  ten  miles  south-west  ot  the 
county  seat.  It  is  particularlv  known  as  the  railroad 
center  of  the  county,  being  on  four  different  lines.     In 


HISTORY  OF  STARKtO  COUNTY  23 

North  Judson  there  are  several  large  brick  and  frame 
business  blocks,  a  number  of  beautiful  residences,  a 
large  brick  school  building,  several  very  good  churches, 
two  opera  houses  and  several  other  attractive  buildings. 
There  are  stone  streets  and  a  large  amount  of  brick 
and  cement  side-walks.  That  North  Judson  is  speed- 
ily advancing  is  due  to  the  meritorious  efforts  of  her 
citizens  ot  whom  she  can  justly  teel  proud. 

The  town  is  well  supplied  with  churches,  there 
being  tour:  Methodist  Episcopal,  German  Lutheran, 
United  Brethern  and  a  Roman  Catholic  church. 

The  schools  of  North  Judson  are  among  the  very 
best  in  the  county.  The  building  is  fully  as  good  as 
the  one  at  Knox.  The  common  schools  maintain  a 
standard  course  of  study  and  in  the  high  school  de- 
partment a  regular  four  years  course  is  had.  That 
the  North  Judson  sch  )ols  are  up  to  the  standard,  is 
a  fact  of  which  her  citizens  can  justly  be  prord.  Be- 
sides the  public  schools  thhre  is  a  German  Lutheran 
school,  controlled  by  that  denomination. 

The  practicing  physicians  are:  P.  O.  Englerth, 
W.  A.  Noland,  C.  VVaddell,  and  Dr.  G.  B.  Corbett, 
dentist. 

Oscar  B.  Smith  and  Simon  Bybee  are  the  two 
practicing  attorneys:  Henry  Lightcap  and  A.  T.  Het- 
field  are  the  justices  of  the  peace.  The  real  estate 
m^n    are    A.    J.    Lintz   Jacob   Keller,  and  E.  T.  Short. 


24  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

The  post  master  is  Charles  H.    Keuster.     There   is   a 

North  Judson  Building-,  Loan  and  Savings  Associa- 
tion and  a  North  Judson  Commercial  Club.  The  town 
has  two  musical  organizations — North  Judson  Military 
Band  and  Smith's  Orchestra.  There  is  a  Volunteer 
Fire  Department  numbering  twenty  members.  There 
are  three  hotels:  The  Eagle  flouse,  the  Hotel  Transit 
and  the  Erie  Hotel  and  Railroad  Restaurant. 

The  principal  financial  institution  is  the  Citizens' 
Bank,  Wm.  Luken  president;  G.  N.  Peterson,  cash'er. 
A  general  banking  business  is  conducted. 

There  Is  a  Roller  mills,  Jachins  Brothers  pro- 
prietors, a  grain  elevcitor  owned  by  the  Churchill- 
White  Company;  a  brewery,  North  Judson  Brewing 
Company;  two  pickle  factories,  one  owned  by  th<; 
Stafford  &  Goldsmith  Co..  and  another  by  the  W.  H, 
Bunge  Co.;  a  wholesale  frog  and  turil-j  industry, 
owned  by  A.  A.  Sphung;  a  poultry  packing  house,  by 
D.  D.  Bowersock;  a  cigar  factory,  by  George  Smith; 
and  an  artificial  stone  industry,  owned  by  Jacob 
Keller.  The  Crown,  the  Columbia  and  the  Schlitz 
Brewing  Companies  nave  branch  depots  in  North 
Ju'ison.  Also  the  McCormick  Harvester  Company  has 
a  branch  depot  here.  Burch's  opera  house  and  Dusek's 
opera  house  furnish  the  accommodations  for  theatrical 
purposes. 

The   North    Judson    News,  Harry  O.  Warvel  pub- 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY  25 

lisher,  is  one  of  llie  principal  publications  of  the 
county.  The  hig^ti  standing  of  the  News  was  attained 
by  the  persistent  efforts  of  the  late  J.  Don  Gorrell, 
who  made  it  one  of  tlic  cleanest  and  best  edited 
weeklies  in  Northern  Indiana.  Under  the  present 
editor  the  News  continues  to  be  one  of  the  principal 
papers  in  this  part  of  the  state. 

The  four  railroads  entering-  North  Judson  are: 
Tlie  Chicaj;o  &  Erie;  Cincinnati,  Richmond  &  Muncie; 
Indiana.  Illinois  &  Iowa;  and  the  Pittsburgh,  Chicago 
&  St.  Louis  The  Adams  Express  Company  and  the 
VVells-Fargo  Co  have  a  joint  agency  at  North  Judson. 
Also  the  United  States  and  American  Express  Com- 
panies h;.ve  offices  at  this  point.  The  Western  Union 
Telegrapli  Co.  affords  the  telegraphic  accommodations 
and  the  North  Judson  Telephone  Co.,  Truman  Smith 
proprietor,  affords  local  communication  and  connec- 
tion with  surrounding  towns. 

HAMLET — The  progressive  little  town  of  Hamlet  is 
situated  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county,  in  the 
southeastern  part  of  Davis  and  the  south-western  part 
of  Oregon  townships,  about  six  miles  from  the  county 
seat.  The  town  is  on  two  railroads,  the  Pittsburjrh, 
Ft.  Wayne  &  Chicago  and  the  Indiana,  Illinois  & 
Iowa.  It  is  next  n'  size  to  North  Judson  and  third  in 
size  among  the  towns  of  the  county. 

Hamlet  has  four  churches,  a  Methodist  Episcopal, 


J.  B.  Prettymari,  Citizen  and  Stock  Dealer 

Who  R«^niembers  Well  the  Days  of 

the  Pioneer  in  Starke  County. 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY  27 

a  Weslyan  Methodist,  a  Roman  Catholic  and  a  German 
Lutheran.  Also  a  large  and  attractive  new  school 
house  costing  about  $7,000.  The  two  prominent  hotels 
in  the  town  ate,  Hotel  Jolly.  J.  E.  Jolly."  proprietor;  and 
the  McKinley  House,  G.  M.  Veach.  proprietor.  There 
are  five  general  stores,  a  furniture  store  and  a  drug 
store. 

The  town  has  two  grain  elevators,  one  owned  by 
the  Churchill- White  Co.,  another  by  H.  Hardesty;  and 
two  lumber  yards.  Tlie  local  real  estate  dealers  are: 
C.  J.  Dauielson,  J.  E.  Jolly,  G.  M.  Veach  and  H.  J. 
Childs.  Sr. 

The  Hamlet  Foundry  and  Machine  Works,  L.  D. 
Parmley  proprietor,  occupies  a  building  32x70  feet  in 
size.  While  repairing  receives  prompt  attention  at  all 
times,  the  main  feature  of  the  enterprise  will  be  the 
manufacture  of  patent  wind  stackers  and  threshing 
machines,  both  inventions  of  Mr.  Parmley. 

'•The  press  is  the  greatest  public  benefactor." 
This  is  an  old  yet  wise  saying.  What  would  a  nation, 
state,  county,  city  or  village  be  without  some  means 
of  communication  am*)ug  her  people?  The  little  city 
ot  Iliimlet.  while  progressive,  lacked  something  that 
would  bring  her  people  nearer  together  and  establish 
socia  1  intercourse  with  her  neij^hhoring  towns.  This 
work  was  performed  by  Harry  S.  Loring,  a  practical 
all-round  printer  and  long  employed  on  the    Democrat 


28  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

at  Knox,  who  founded  on  December  12,  1901.  the  [Iain- 
let  Herald,  which  proved  a  great  suv.-cess  from  the  very 
start.  This  fact  can  be  no  better  illustrated  than  bv 
a  glance  at  its  advertising;  columns.  The  Herald  gave 
new  life  to  the  town  and  the  citizens  w^ere  quick  to 
recognize  the  beneficial  results  of  the  new  enterprise. 
In  November  Mr.  uormu  retired  from  the  newspa  per 
business  and  the  Her. i Id  became  the  property  of  Dr. 
W.  Bowman,  who  is  the  present  editor. 

The  secet  societies  in  Hamlet  are:  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America,  Knijihts  of  f  he  Marcabees.  Knights 
of  Columbia,  Ladies  of  the  M.'ccabees  and  Ladies  of 
Columbia.  The  Hamlet  band  is  a  succes.-iful  musical 
organization.  Besides  the  societies  named  ihere  are 
women's  clubs  and  other  social  organizations 

SAN  PIERRE— This  quiet  little  town  of  about  350 
inhabitants  is  situated  in  Railroad  township,  in  the 
north-east  quarter  of  section  twenty-one,  range  four 
west.  It  is  on  two  railroads,  the  Chicago.  Indiana- 
polis &  Louisville  and  the  Indiana,  Illinois  &  Iowa.  It 
is  well  provided  with  churches,  there  being  four:  a 
Roman  Catholic,  German  Lutheran,  Methodist  Epis- 
copal and  an  "Evangelical  Association"  church. 

A    modern    fiame    school  house  was  built  in  1899. 
costing  over  $2,000. 

In  San  Pierre  there  are  three  general  stores,  two 
hay  and  grain  enterprises,    a    lumber,    tile   and    brick 


Isaac  Drake,  ajjed  '.*t  year.-,.-Tlie  oldest  man 
living  in  Starke  Connty  to-duy. 


30  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

yard,  two  hotels,  two  saloons  and  three  general  black- 
smiths. There  is  one  physician,  Dr.  W.  J.  Solt.  The 
Churchill-White  Co.  has  a  grain  elevator  at  this  place. 
The  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the  G.  A.  R. 
have  organizations  here.  The  post  master  is  Fred  J. 
Weinkauf.  A  grocery  is  conducted  in  connection  with 
the  post  office. 

GROVEHa^OWN— This  little  town  is  situated  in  Oregon 
township,  on  the  Pittsburgh,  Ft.  Wayne  &  Chicago 
railroad.  The  town  has  not  made  as  much  advance- 
ment as  its  larger  neighbors,  yet  it  has  three  general 
stores,  a  large  new  pickle  factory,  owned  by  the  H.  J. 
Heinz  Co.,  a  fine  brick  church  building  and  some  other 
improvements.  There  are  two  lodges  in  the  town,  the 
Modern  Woodmen  and  the  Gleaners.  The  town  has  a 
frame  school  building-.  There  is  one  real  estate  dealer 
in  the  town,  A.  J.  Uncapher,  who  also  buvs  hay  and 
grain.  This  gentleman  is  accorded  with  owning  more 
land  than  any  other  individual  in  the  county. 

The  other  towns  or  stations  which  are  of  minor 
importance  are  named  below,  each  containing  a  post 
office  and  from  one  to  three  general  stores:  Aldine, 
Bass  Station,  Davis,  English  Lake,  Nickel  Plate, 
Ober.  Ora,  Toto  and  Winona. 

IV. 

FINANCIAL  CONDITION  OF  THE  COUNTY. 
Below    will    be    found    the   financial   condition   of 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY  31 

Starke  County  up  to  December  31,  1901,  at  which  time 
the  last  annual  report  was  made. 

County  orders  outsta tiding",  Dec.  31.  1901,  .  ..$  16.112  59 

County  orders  issued  for  the  vear  1901, 43,003.61 

Total ■. 59,116.20 

From  which  deduct  county  orders  redeemed 

for  1901 38,583.32 

Leaves  countv  orders  outstanding  Dec.  31,  '01  20,532. 88 

From  which  deduct  cash  in  treasury 2,634.22 

Leaves  floiitintr  indebtedness  Dec.  31,  1901   .  .   17,898.66 

COUNTY  BONDED  INDEBTEDNESS 

Court  house  bonds  oulstHndinjr  Dec.31.1901  $  102. 000.00 

From  which  deduct  casli  in  treasury 2,856.05 

Leaves  court  house  bond  indebtedness.    ...      99.143.95 

CxRAVEL  ROAD  BONDS. 

St<»ne    road     bonds.    Center    townsliip,    out- 
standing, Dec.   31.   1901 $   34,124.80 

Gravel   road    bonds,    W<ivne  township,   out- 

standinjr  ijec   31,  1901 38,989  60 

Total 73,114.40 

Total  bonded  and  floatintr  indebtedness  out- 

standinj^  Dec.  31,   1901 $190,157.01 


V. 
OUR  LAKES. 
The  lakes  of  Northern  Indiana  are  the  brightest 
jrems  in  the  corona  of  the  state  They  are  the  most 
beautiful  and  expressive  features  of  the  landscape  in 
the  region  wherein  thev  abound.  Numbered  by  hund- 
reds, they  range  in  size  from  area  of  half  an  acre  up  to 
five  and  a  halt  squire  mil  s      With  the  fertile  soil,  the 


The  old  Court  house,  still  standing  north  of  the 
present  magnificent  structure. 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY  33 

{j^reat  beds  of  gravel  and  the  myriads  of  bowlders, 
larj^e  and  small,  they  are  to  be  classed  as  mementos 
of  those  mighty  ice  sheets  which,  in  the  misty  pMst. 
covered  the  northern  two-thirds  of  our  state.  Out«ide 
of  the  counties  in  which  they  occur  but  few  of  the 
citizens  of  Indiana  know  of  their  presence,  their 
beauty,  their  value.  Their  origin,  their  fauna  and 
flora,  the  cause  of  their  gradual  diminution  in  size  and 
final  distinction,  are  likewise  known  to  but  few.  By 
the  red  man  these  lakes  were  more  highly  appreciated 
than  by  his  more  civilized  Caucasian  successor,  tor  the 
reasi^n  that  the  Indian  stood  much  nearer  to  wild 
nature  than  we.  On  the  hijj^her  ridges  overlooking  the 
lakes  he  had  his  villati^e  sites.  Over  their  placid  waters 
he  paddled  his  birch  bark  canoe,  and  from  their  depth 
he  secured  with  spear  and  hook  fishes  sufficient  to 
supply  his  needs,  while  mussels  and  the  roots  of  the 
water  lily  added  variety  to  his  daily  food.  Wild  fowl 
by  myriads,  in  their  migrating  seasons,  came  and 
went,  stopping  to  feed  upon  the  lakes,  thus  offering 
him  many  a  chance  to  test  his  marksmanship  with 
bow  and  arrow,  while  the  skins  of  the  muskrat,  otter 
and  beaver  which  he  trapped  about  the  marshy  mar- 
gins, furnished  him  protection  aga'n«t  the  cold.  Thus 
it  will  be  seen  that  his  verv  existence  depended  often 
times  upon  these  living  bodies  of  water.  It  is  little 
wonder,    therefore,    that    l.e    remained  in  this  vicinity 


34  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

until  driven  westward  by  the  conquering-  white  man, 
leavirg-  only  the  sig-ns  of  his  feast — vast  piles  of  shells, 
bones  and  pit-ovens — as  reminders  of  his  former 
presence. 

The  lakes  of  Starke  County  all  owe  their  orioin  to 
the  irregular  deposition  of  the  drift  brought  in  by  the 
glaciers.  The  origional  hollows  or  lake  basins  are  the 
counterparts  and  complements  <>f  the  surrounding 
hills  and  knobs  so  characteristic  of  the  terminal 
moraines  of  the  retreating  ice  sheets.  The  moranic 
lakes  are  classified,  according  to  the  shape  of  their 
basins,  into  three  division-:  (1)  "Kettle-hole"  lakes 
with  round  cauldron  siiaped  b;.sins,  usually  of  great 
depth.  (2)  Channel  lakes,  or  those  with  long  narrow 
basins,  whose  bottoms  are  very  uneven,  the  water  in 
places  forming  deep  por.is,  in  others  being  shallow. 
(3)  "Irregular  lakes."  whose  basins  are  very  complex 
in  outline,  being  branched,  lobed  and  otherwise  irreg- 
ular. The  bottom  is  also  verv  uneven,  deep  pools  of 
water  alternating  with  shallow  areas,  without  regard 
to  order  or  regularity.  The  majority  ot  the  lakes  in 
Indiana  belong  to  this  class,  tiass  lake,  Starke 
County,  belongs  to  this  division,  and  is  one  of  the 
largest  examples  of  this  group. 

The  following  table  shows  the  area  and  greatest 
depth  of  the  five  largest  lakes  in  the  state: 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE    COUNTY  35 

Area  sq.  miles.  Depth. 
Lake  Wavasee.  or  Turkey  Lnke,  Kos- 
ciusko County 5  66  68  ft. 

Lake  Maxiiikuck'te,  M<irsl;all   Co., ....297  89 

Lake  James,  Steuben  Co., .   2.62  87 

Bass  Lake.    Starke  Co.,  .  .   2.23  32 

Tipptcan-e  Lake,   Ko-ciusko  Co.,  . .    .1.61  121 

III  conclusion  it  may  be  said  tbat  all  of  the  mo- 
ranic  lakes  in  Si.irke  C«»unty,  as  well  as  the  State  in 
jreneral,  are  "g-eol'»g-ically  youn^'-,  beinjj^  confined  to  the 
very  latest  mornines  of  the  j^lacia!  period.  They  are 
mere  babes,  born  yesterday  and  destined  to  die  to- 
morrow. The  present  dominant  race  of  men  may  pass 
away  and  leave  these  lakes  still  lyin^  like  brio^ht 
jewels  among-  the  hills;  but  every  one  is  doomed  to 
final  extinction. 

'The  hills  are  shadows  and  they  tiow 

From  form  to  form,  and  nothing  stands: 

They  melt  like  mist,  the  solid  lands, 

Like  clouds  they  shape  themselves  and  go.' 

"But  of  all  the  beauties  of  the  landscape,  lakes 
are  the  most  ephemeral.  As  long  as  they  remain  they 
will  continue  to  contribute  to  the  service  and  delight 
of  man,  by  affording  means  for  that  relaxation  and 
healthful  pleasure  which  the  conditions  of  modern 
life  demand." 

KOOMZ  LAKE.  — Koontz  Lake  lies  in  sections  1  and 
J2  (34  north,  1  west)  Oregon  township.  It  is  a  shallow 
body  of  water  covering  200  or  more  acres,  and  is  largely 


■V  n- -i--i-s;-^~VSr-r=iir;~irs,---; 


Hon.  Geo.  W.  Beeman,  Starke  County's  First  Judge. 


HISTORY    OF  STARKE  COUNTY  37 

artificial.  All  tlie  sliallow  water  area  around  the 
sliores  contains  liard  bottom,  except  in  a  few  places 
where  beds  of  muck  have  accumulated.  Many  acquatic 
plant"-  abound  in  the  Inke,  and  as  a  result  the  fishing' 
is  excellciii  Many  people  from  Hamlet.  Grovertown 
and  other  -urrounding  places,  spend  several  days  or 
weeks  here  during  tlie  liot  summer  months,  enjoying- 
a  pleasant  (>utin<r. 

EACxLE  LAKE.  —  Eagle  Lake  lies  in  the  north-west 
quarter  (^f  sfction  13  (33  north,  1  west)  Washington 
township.  Its  area  has  recently  been  reduced  more 
than  one-halt  by  drainage.  The  area  covered  by  the 
lake  is  ab-mt  70  acres  The  north  and  south  shores 
slope  liradually  upward  into  sandy,  cultivated  fields 
or  woodland.  The  outlet,  Eagle  creek,  leaves  the  west 
end  and  flows  almost  due  west  into  Yellow  river.  The 
lake  is  nowhere  more  than  eighteen  feet  in  depth, 
while  much  of  its  area  is  less  than  five  feet,  and  bids 
fair  to  soon  become  extinct,  as  the  decay  of  the  abund- 
ant water  vegetation  is  rapidly  adding  to  the  extensive 
beds  of  muck. 

KOrM>  LAKE. — Tliis  is  a  small  and  nearly  circular 
lake  lying  in  the  west  half  of  section  8,  (32  north,  2 
we«t)  California  township.  It  is  located  about  six 
miles  south- west  of  Knox,  and  about  three  miles  south- 
east of  Toto.  The  lake  covers  an  area  of  about  120 
acres.     The  water  is.  for  the  most    part,    quite    deep, 


North  Judsoii's  Bt'MUt  ifiil  Sclmf)!  U    iidinj; 


HISTORY  OF  STARKt:  COUNTY  39 

the  only  shallow  area  of  any  size  lying  along-  the  north 
shore.  The  lake  abounds  in  plant  life,  pond  weeds  and 
millfoils  being-  especially  common.  The  banks  of  the 
lake  are  everyv^here  low  and,  except  on  the  north, 
marshy. 

BASS  LAKE. — Among  the  prominent  lakes  of  Indi- 
ana, Bass  Lake  stands  out  as  one  of  the  famous  sum- 
mer resorts  ot  the  state.  This  beautiful  lake  ranks 
fourth  in  c^ize  among  those  found  in  Indiana;  its  water 
area  comprising  2.23  square  miles.  It  lies  about  six 
miles  south  ot  Knox,  and  covers  parts  of  sections  7  and 
18,  (32  north,  1  west)  North  Bend  township,  and  sec- 
tions 12,  13,  14.  23  and  24,  (32  north.  2  west)  California 
township.  The  extreme  length  from  north-east  to 
south  west  is  just  about  three  miles.  The  northern  or 
longer  lobe  averages  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile  in 
width,  while  the  southern  basin  is  a  little  over  a  mile 
wide.  These  two  lobes  are  separated  by  long  sandy 
bars  which  extend  out  from  Cedar  and  Gull  points. 
Over  the  bars  the  water  in  many  places  is  less  than 
two  feet  deep.  A  narrow  channel  of  deep  water  inter- 
venes between  the  ends  of  the  sand  spits. 

The  lake  occupies  a  shallow  basin  on  top  of  a 
ridge.  The  natural  surface  drainage  being  all  away 
from  its  area.  The  fall  from  its  water  level  to  tliat  c.f 
the  water  in  the  Tippecanoe  river,  five  miles  south- 
west, is  fifteen  feet.      At  present  it  has  no  natural  oi.l- 


Andrew  J.  Uncapher,  an  old  and  prominent  resident, 
and  an  extensive  leal  estate  owner. 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY  41 

let  or  inlet.  Two  artificial  ditclies  drain  into  it  from 
the  marsh  latid  on  he  east.  Its  overflow  formerly 
found  its  way  through  the  marshes  at  the  south  west 
in  a  north-westerly  direction  to  the  Kankakee  river. 
A  portion  of  the  old  outlet  is  now  a  shallow  water 
marsh,  filled  with  spatterdock,  rushes  and  cat-tail 
flags.  It  was  formerly  an  arm  or  bay  of  the  lake,  but 
has  been  separated  from  the  main  body  of  water  by  a 
level  or  fill  constructed  for  a  roadway  along  the  north- 
west shore  of  the  south  basin.  For  a  number  ol'  years 
there  has  been  little  or  no  overflow,  and  the  waters  of 
the  lake  seem  to  be  slowly  receding.  It  is  fed  almos?t 
wholly  by  subaqueous  springs  and  by  the  waters  of 
flowing  wells,  a  number  of  which  occur  on  the  north 
and  east  shores  of  the  nortliern  lobe.  These  wells 
range  from  20  to  80  feet  in  depth  They  pass  through 
from  two  to  ten  feet  of  sand,  then  through  a  hard  pan 
clay  into  a  stratum  of  gravel  in  which  the  water  is 
found.  More  than  half  of  the  water  area  is  less  than 
seven  feet  in  depth  and  fully  ont-third  is  less  than  five 
feet.  Of  516  soijndin;^^s  made  by  the  U.  S.  Fish  Com- 
missioner in  the  summer  of  1900.  3i>7  showed  less  than 
seven  feet  of  water,  while  200  showed  less  than  Hve 
teet.  The  aveiage  depth  found  by  the  .^1('  soundings 
was  8.7  feet,  while  the  maximum  depth  was  3>2,  feet  at 
a  point  one-third  of  the  way  across  the  lake,  north  of 
Cranberry  Point. 


James  C  Fletcher,  County  Clerk.  Manager  Starke 

County  Abstract  Co.,  Dtmocraiic  District 

Chairman,  and  Prominent  in 

Political  Circles. 


HISTORY    OF  STARKE  COUNTY  43 

The  greater  pari  of  the  shore  line  of  Bass  Like  is 
low  and  marshy.  This  is  especially  true  of  the  west 
half  of  the  soutli  shore,  almost  tlie  eniire  west  sliore, 
and  tlie  west  third  or  the  north  shore.  On  Cranberry 
Point  there  is  hiirher  irround  and  a  fine  gravel,  which 
is  the  resort  of  numerous  picnic  and  fishing- parties. 
3a  Cedar  Point  is  located  a  large  hotel.  The  nortli 
and  east  shores,  about  Winona  P.  O  ,  furnish  by  tar 
the  better  quarters  for  summer  visitors. 

At  L  ike  Park  Station  are  several  large  ice  Houses 
belonging  to  the  Knickerbocker  Ice  Co.,  of  Chicago.  A 
switch  connects  these  with  the  Chicago  &  Erie  railway 
at  Bass  Lake  Station,  two  miles  south.  Over  this 
switch  a  regular  tram  runs  daily  during  the  tourist 
season,  and  connects  with  steamers  wliicli  land  pas- 
sengers at  the  end  of  long  piers  on  various  sides  of  the 
lake.  A  hack  from  VVii.ona  also  connects  with  all 
trains  at  Bass  Lake  Station. 

The  bottom  of  the  lake  is,  for  the  most  part,  sand 
or  blue,  sticky  clay.  In  the  bay  east  of  Cranberry- 
Point  there  are  extensive  muck  beds.  Muck  also  oc- 
curs in  quantity  beneath  a  strip  200  feet  or  more  wide, 
along  the  west  shore  of  the  lake.  There  muck  deposits 
contain  a  lu.\uriant  growth  of  aquatic  vegetation.  In 
June  the  waters  of  the  lake  are  said  to  contain  vast 
quantities  of  a  green  sediment — probably  unicellular 
plants.      When    these   are    present  the  fishing  is  poor. 


44  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

The  sandy  and  clay  bottoms  of  the  shallow  water  pro- 
duce also  their  characteristic  water  plants,  so  that  the 
lake  flora  is  a  very  rich  one,  and  worthy  of  extended 
study. 

Many  pleasure  seekers  from  Chicago.  Indianapolis 
and  other  large  cit'es,  spend  a  few  weeks'  vacation 
here  during  the  hot  summer  months. 

THE  OTHER  LAKES  of  the  county,  which  are  of 
little  importcuce  are:  English  Lake,  Lake  Rothermel 
and  Hartz  Lake,  in  the  south-west  corner  of  the 
county,  one  in  section  35,  one  in  section  36,  and  Black 
Lake  (not  always  classed  as  a  lake)  in  section  25. 

DRAINAGE  IN  STARKE  COUNTY. 

Without  drainage  Starke  County  would  represent 
a  vast  area  of  swamps,  shallow  ponds  and  marshes 
covered  witii  grass  and  weeds  of  sufficient  height  to 
furnish  a  rendezvous  for  bear,  wolves,  foxes  and  mons- 
ter reptiles.  The  higher  portion  of  the  county  being 
denominated  and  known  as  ridges  and  islands,  each 
having  its  unique  and  appropriate- name,  such  as, 
Dutch  Island,  Eagle  Point,  Coon  Ridge,  Jackson  Is- 
land, Pigeon  Roost,  Grape  Island,  etc.,  the  geographv 
of  which  is  well  known  to  most  of  the  older  citizens 
still  residing  in  the  county. 

Efforts  had  been  made  to  reclaim  this  wilderness 
ever  since  1352.  but  some  of  the  owners  and  occupants 


HISTORY  OF  STARKIC  COUNTY  45 

of  the  ridges,  exercising'  a  squatter  sovereignty  over 
the  adjoining  wild  lands,  made  a  comfortable  ex- 
istence out  of  wild  game,  fish  and  fruit  and  forght 
against  an  enterprise  whicii  sought  the  reclamation 
of  the  jungles  which  are  now  the  most  fertile  tracts  ot 
the  country. 

Various  methods  were  sought  to  reclaim,  but  the 
fight  was  so  bitter  that  enterprise  was  frequently 
driven  away,  and  the  bitterest  persecution  followed 
upon  its  projectors.  The  Kankakee  Valley  Drainage 
Law  was  enacted,  but,  on  account  of  its  opposition, 
was  abandoned  and  its  projectors  subjected  to  bitter 
persecution.  The  p[on .  L.  A.  Cole  was  constructively 
put  in  jai!  for  violating  a  restraining  order.  Judge 
Elanna.  of  uaporte,  left  his  home  and  sought  refuge 
from  a  howling  mob.  Bennet  abandoned  his  law 
S.  L.  Tripp  left  Laporte  on  account  of  ostracism 
awakened  by  championing  drainage,  and  others  who 
favored  it  were  compelled  to  circumscribe  their  actions 
in  behalf  of  improvement  to  suit  the  caprice  of  the 
remonstrators. 

In  this  condition  ot  affairs  John  ]\I.  Wolfram  and 
others  engaged  Henry  R.  Robbins  as  attorney  and  pe- 
titioned for  what  was  then  called  the  Wolfram  Ditch. 
This  ditch  was  defeated  and  so  strong  was  the  oppo- 
sition that  it  discouraged  all  but  the  attorney  who 
rallied  and  refiled  it  as  tlie  Webb  Ditch.  This  met  wiih 


Hon.  Chas.  C.  Kelley.  Ex-Joint  Representative 
Starke  and  Laporte  Counties,  and  for- 
merly a  Prominent  Knox  Attorney. 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY  47 

the  same  fate  as  the  Wolfram  Ditch,  but  so  determined 
was  the  fiji:ht  that  the  chances  seemed  possible  when 
Attorney  Robbins  Inid  out  and  platted  the  town  of 
North  Star,  containing-  ten  lots,  each  lot  being  given 
to  two  owners  who  favored  ditching. 

With  this  new  strength;  with  S.  L.  Webb,  Hattie 
L,  Robbins  and  Nellie  V.  Robbions  as  oetitioners;  and 
George  Burson  as  judge,  the  Robbins  Ditch  was  es- 
tablished. This  ditch  was  excavated  by  the  Lowell 
Dredging  Co.,  and  caused  the  reclamation  of  about 
20,000  acres  of  land,  and  became  so  popular  th-it  even 
the  parties  who  formerly  opposed  it  sought  the  same 
attorney  to  file  another  petition  for  an  enlargement  of 
the  same  which  was  called  the  Bliss  Extension  of  the 
Robbins  Ditch.  This  done  drainage  began  proper, 
and  parlies  heretofore  persecuted  were  now  highly 
praised,  and  people  began  to  see  the  value  of  Starke 
County  land. 

The  largest  ditch  constructed,  and  the  one  that 
has  reclaimed  the  most  land  is  the  Place,  or  Kankakee 
River  Ditch.  The  work  of  construction  was  beg^un  in 
June,  1901,  and  finished  in  August,  1902.  The  ditch 
was  established  in  the  Starke  Circuit  Court  in  March, 
1901.  Hon.  W.  H.  H.  Coffin  was  appointed  construc- 
tion commissioner  and  Omer  A.  Garner,  engineer. 

Numerous  ditches  have  been  constructed  in  this 
county,  tlie  first  one  being  the  Robbins  Ditch,  mention 


48  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

of  which  has  been  made.  It  cost  almost  $14,000  and  is 
counting-  arms,  about  thirty  miles  long-.  The  Bliss 
extension  to  the  Robbins  Ditch  cost  about  $40,000. 
Since  tben  the  Craigmile  Ditch,  eighteen  miles  h'li}^- 
and  costing  about  $12,000  has  been  dug.  Also  the 
Lucas  or  Bogus  Run,  costing  about  $22,000;  the 
Osborn  Ditch,  eight  rniles  long  costing  $9,000;  the  Fell 
Ditch  is  6  miles  long  and  $6,500;  the  Bartee  Ditch,  six 
cind  one-half  miles  long  and  costing  about  $7,000;  the 
Eagle  Creek  Ditch,  ten  miles  long,  cost  $11,000  and 
the  famous  Place  or  KankaUee  River  Ditch.  The 
Place  Ditch  with  its  arms  is  24  miles  long  and  cost 
about  $80,000,  and  will  reclaim,  perhaps,  150.000  acres 
of  land — the  best  land  in  all  Indiana.  The  Yelluw 
River  Ditch  is  eighteen  miles  long  and  will  cost  about 
$22,000. 

A  brief  summary  will  show  that  StarUe  County 
has  about  130  miles  of  dred^'e  ditches  wliicli  will  cost 
about  $225,000.  What  other  county  in  Indiana  has 
spent  such  a  vast  sum  of  money  in  the  past  ten  years 
for  drainage?  Nor  does  tins  sum  lepresent  the  entire 
cost  of  drainag-e  in  the  county,  for  the  ditches  dug  in 
other  ways  than  by  dredges  are  numerous  and 
expensive. 

All  of  the  above  named  ditches  were  constructed 
with  dredging  machines  at  an  average  cost  of  six 
cents   per   cubic  yard  lor  e.xcavatiou.     The  amount  of 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 


49 


excavation  bv  dredj^e  has  aggreg-ated  2,500,000  cubic 
yards.  This  excavation  has  reclaimed  and  benefitted 
over  100  000  acres  of  land — land  which  a  few  years  iigo 
sold  as  low  as  from  SI  50  to  $5.09  per  acre,  and  which 
is  today — since  the  ditching" — worth  from  $40.00  to 
$75.00  per  acre.  In  regard  to  Starke  County  ditching, 
as  witii  every  other  improvemen.  parties  who  once 
fought  the  idea  of  drainage  are  now  pointing  with 
pride    and    admiration    to    the  work  we  have  done. 

The  County,  which  ten  years  ago  was  worth 
$2,000,000.  is  now  worth  $7,000,000,  and  is  steadily  in- 
creasing in  value.  No  one  man,  nor  for  that  matter, 
no  one  hundred  men.  cculd  be  given  the  credit,  but  it 
IS  the  just  recompense  of  great  and  noble  public 
spirited  men  tiiat  has  caused  the  blessing  oi  drainage 
to  fall  upon  Starke  County. 


WBESSB    S 


ResiJence  of  Adrian  L  ("ourtriKli^i  Knox. 


50  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

VII. 
THE  KANKAKEE  REGION. 

The  source  of  the  Kackakee  River  is  in  St.  Joseph 
County,  this  State,  and  from  its  source  to  where  it 
crosses  the  state  line,  at  the  south-west  corner  of  Lake 
County,  IS  almost  st  venty-fiv/e  miles.  It  is  a  slow,  slug^- 
g"ish  stream  with  a  fall  of  from  one  to  one  and  one- 
half  feet  to  the  mile  in  tiiis  State.  It  being  very 
crooked  and  the  land  on  either  side  being-  low  and 
marshy,  the  water  moves  on  very  slowly,  and  these 
low  lands  forming  what  is  familiarly  known  as  the 
Kankakee  marsh,  are  for  quite  a  period  of  time  each 
year  covered  with  from  one  to  three  feet  of  water. 
About  six  sections  of  this  marsh  land  in  the  south- 
east corner  of  Lake  County  are  covered  with  timber, 
composed  mostly  of  ash  and  elm  with,  some  sycamore 
and  gum  trees.  The  balance  of  these  wet  lands,  run- 
ning west  to  the  State  line,  are  open  marsh  covered 
with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  wild  grass,  wild  tice  and 
flags.  It  is  the  home  of  the  water  iowl  and  musk-rat, 
and  a  paradise  for  hunters. 

The  number  of  acres  of  this  wet  land  in  the  Kan- 
kakee valley,  in  the  seven  counties  through  which  the 
Kankakee  River  flows  in  this  state  was,  in  1894,  about 
SIX  hundred  thousand.  However,  in  the  past  lew 
years  this  vast  number  has  been  greatly  decreased  by 


HISTORY   OF  STARKE  COUNTY  51 

extensive  drainag-e.  Prominent  among-  the  counties 
which  are  pushing-  this  important  enterprise  is  Starke 
County.  The  vat.t  amount  of  good  being  accomplished 
by  the  drainage  of  the  Kankakee  region  is  set  forth 
in  another  chapter. 

It  is  only  a  question  of  time  until  these  lands 
will  all  be  drained,  as  the  Kankakee  valley  has  a 
main  elevation  of  ninety  feet  above  Lake  Mich- 
igan and  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  above  the  waters 
of  the  Wabash  river  and  lying  as  they  do  at  the  very 
doors  of  Chicago,  the  greatest  stock  and  grain  market 
in  the  world,  it  would  be  strange  if  they  long  remain 
in  their  present  condition  Some  portions  of  these 
lands  are  hijih  dry  ground,  like  an  island  in  the  ocean, 
and  as  they  are  otten  surrounded  by  water  they  are 
called  islands.  These  islands  have  all  once  been  cov- 
ered with  a  heavy  growth  of  timber,  but  the  farmers 
living  on  the  prairies  north  of  the  marsh  have  stripped 
most  of  them  of  all  that  is  desirable.  Hauling  timber 
from  these  islands  and  from  the  ash  swamps  further 
east,  a  few  vears  ago  v.-as  the  farmers'  winter  harvest, 
and  was  called  swamping.  Some  authorities  hold  that 
the  lives  of  nianv  of  the  early  settlers  were  shortened 
by  exposure  and  over  work  in  some  of  our  bitter  cold 
winters  on  these  marshtrs  Cheap  lumber  and  baroed 
wire  now  almo&t  entirely  take  the  place  of  the  swamp 
timber    for    fencing,  etc  .  and  but  little  swampirg  has 


52  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

been  done  for  a  number  of  years.  Many  of  the  islands 
where  the  timber  has  been  cut  off  are  now  excellent 
grazing"  lands  and  nearly  all  ot  the  larger  islands  have 
one  or  more  fan'ilies  living  on  ihem  who  keep  stock, 
and  some  good  farms  are  under  cultivation. 

Many  old  land  marks  go  to  show  that  these  lands 
bordering  on  the  Kankakee  river  were,  before  the 
white  man  came,  the  favorite  stamping  ground  of  the 
Indians.  Many  of  the  islands  have  tlieir  mounds  and 
burying  grounds,  and  on  some  ot  them  are  plats  of 
ground  which  still  hold  the  name  of  the  Indian's 
gardens.  Truly,  the  Kankakee  regicm  of  today  shows 
a  marked  advancement  and  improvement  over  that 
region  of  a  score  of  years  a*^o. 

VIII. 

BIRD  LIFE  OF  STARKE  COUNTY. 

Starke  County  has  been  accused  of  a  paucity  of 
bird  life.  Upon  careful  examination,  this  has  been 
shown  to  be  an  erroneous  accusation.  In  the  richness 
of  its  bird  life,  Starke  County  equals,  if  not  surpasses 
any  of  the  other  counties  of  the  state.  This  is  es- 
pecially true  of  the  aquatic  birds.  Only  two  of  the 
numerous  species  of  wild  ducks,  that  have  ever  been 
found  within  the  ninety-two  counties  of  Indiana,  are 
not  found  on  the  marshes  of  Starke  County.  Looking 
over   the    Indiana    Geological    report  of  1897,  in  which 


HISTORY  OF  STARKK  COUNTY  53 

Mr.  Amos  W.  Butler  gives  a  catalog"ue  of  the  birds  ot 
Iiidiana,  we  find  almost  every  species  of  birds  to  have 
been  recorded  at  some  point  of  this  county. 

About  Febiuary  the  ,15th  the  first  migratory 
movements  of  birds  begin.  Most  species  of  wild 
ducks,  the  robin  and  the  meadow  lark,  in  sunny 
homes  farther  south,  have  an  irresistible  longing  for 
the  meadows  and  marshes  of  the  Hoosier  state.  A 
little  later  that  beautiful  songster,  the  blue  bird,  ar- 
arrives  at  this  neighborhcod.  After  these  come  the 
black  birds,  the  orioles,  the  warblers,  the  fly  catchers, 
the  vireos  and  last,  but  not  least,  the  swallows.  Al- 
most every  species  of  the  wild  duck  has  been  found  to 
breed  in  this  county. 

When  the  lingerers  of  the  ducks  are  still  wander- 
ing over  our  marshes  and  the  blue  birds  and  robins 
have  arrived  come  the  snipes  and  plovers.  Passing 
along;-  a  piece  of  wet  ground  you  hear  the  sharp  cry  ot 
the  rising  jack  snipe,  with  its  erratic  zigzag  flight  it 
presents  a  difficult  target  to  the  sportsman.  On  the 
great  hay  marshes  myriads  of  plover  and  sand  pipers 
feed.  These  are  most  wonderful  birds.  When  seen 
in  our  countv  they  are  in  great  flocks,  so  many  in  one 
flock  that  a  haphazard  shot  often  brings  twenty  or 
thirty  to  the  ground.  The  king  of  birds,  the  robin,  is 
always  seen  around  the  home,  being  the  most  sociable 
of  all  birds. 


Prof.  J.  Walter  Dunn,  Superintendent  Knox  Public 
Schools  and  Prominent  in  Educational  Circles. 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY  55 

In  the  woods  are  to  be  seen  wood  peckers,  fly- 
catchers, orioles  wrens,  sap  suckers  and  song"  spar- 
rows. On  the  edge  of  the  woods  appear  the  chewinks 
and  the  warblers.  In  the  meadow  the  bobolink,  the 
black  birds,  the  meadow  lark  and  the  crow.  A  little 
later   in   the  spring,  than  the  robin  and  the  blue  bird, 

come  the  turtle  doves,  tiie  thrushes,    the    nighthawks, 
the  whip  poor-wills,  the  bumming  birds  arid    the   tan- 

agers.  These  not  only  add  to  the  beauty  of  the  land- 
scape, but  they  destroy  innumerable  insects.  Passing 
through  the  woods  one  is  startled  by  a  pheasant,  or  in 
reality  a  ruffled  giouse.  Its  whirrino^  wings  and  its 
brown  body  are  seen  by  you  through  an  opening  in 
the  trees. 

At  one  time  the  marshes  of  our  county  were 
peopled  by  almost  innumerable  prairie  chickens.  The 
old  settlers  tel!  of  going  out  and  killing  ten  or  twelve 
in  an  hour's  time;  but  this  species  has  been  greatly  de- 
creased in  recent  years  so  that  0)ily  a  small  number  at 
present  abound  in  the  county.  While  rambling  about 
in  the  marshes  you  hear  a  queer  rumbling  sound. 
Sometimes  it  sounds  like  distant  thunder,  othertimes 
like  an  old  wood  pump.  Looking  around,  you  see  a 
queer  stick  on  the  marsh.  Soon  this  turns  to  life  and 
an  American  bittern  flies  awkwardly  away.  Tiiis 
bird  is  locally  known  as  the  thunder  pumper.  The 
purple  martin  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  and 
beautiful  of  our  songsters. 


56  HISTORY  OF  STARKE   COUiNTY. 

From  observation  and  authorities,  it  is  found  that 
there  are  about  fifty  species  of  birds  found  here  in  'he 
winter  time.  The  wood  peckeis,  a  few  varities  of  tllr 
Finch  family,  the  snow  birds,  the  nuthatches,  the 
crows  and  the  blue  jays  are  some  of  the  more  common 
ones. 

IX. 

TWO  LIVING  CURIOSITIES. 

Eli  Green. — Doubtless  there  is  not  a  single  per- 
son in  the  county  who  has  not  at  least  heard  of  Ind- 
iana's greatesflivingf  cuiiosity.  The  name,  Eli  Green, 
the  ossified  man  of  North  Judson,  has  been  heard  not 
only  in  county  and  state,  but  throui(hout  the  United 
States  and  other  countries,  and  while  most  of  the 
readers  of  th's  little  volume  are  familiar  with  this 
strange  personag^e  yet  there  are  many  interesting" 
facts  connected  with  his  life  that  are  not  generally 
known,  and  fur  that  reason  the  following  comj^lete 
history  of  his  life  is  giver. 

Eli  Green  was  b(^ra  near  Foreston,  Ogle  County, 
Illinois,  June  22,  1862^  of  humble  parentage.  His  boy- 
hood was  spent  on  his  father's  farm  and  his  early 
education  was  obtained  in  the  Foreston  public  schools. 
Young  Green  worked  on  the  farm  until  he  was  25 
years  of  age,  after  which  he  was  a  carpenter  until 
disability.     From  Forej-ton,  Green  moved  to  Ora,  Ind., 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY  57 

from  there  to  Akron,  Ind.,  thence  to  Monterey,  Ind., 
then  to  Harper  111.,  and  from  here  to  North  Judson, 
Ind.,  at  which  place  he  wao  living-  at  the  time  of  af- 
fliction, but  was  working-  at  Streator,  111.  Here 
Green  was  building-  a  platform  tor  the  Streator  bottle 
works  and  on  account  of  g-reat  need  ol  same  bv  the 
company  he  worked  in  a  heavy  cold  ra^n. 

Three  da} s  later  the  first  change  in  his  condi- 
tion was  noticed,  the  same  being-  a  binding-  and  pres- 
sing- sensation.  He  took  several  hot  baths  and  dur- 
ing one  of  these  was  first  noticed  the  hardening-  ot  the 
flesh  ot  the  arms  and  hands.  The  same  continued  to 
harden  and  spread  over  the  entire  body  and  limbs 
from  collar  bone  to  feet.  Mr.  Green  possesses  no 
sense  of  feeling-  at  all.  He  says  one  can  jab  a  knife  or 
needle  through  his  hands  or  feet  without  any  pain 
wliatever.  His  joints  are  so  stiff  that  it  is  with  great 
difficulty  that  he  walks  or  uses  his  arms.  He  has  prac- 
tically no  use  of  his  fing-ers.  The  x-rays  show  his  bones 
to  have  shrunk  or  diminished  to  one-half  their  normal 
size. 

He  has  tried  various  treatments  cf  the  leading- 
doctors  of  the  land;  has  attended  Medical  Society 
g-atherings  of  the  most  noted  doctors  of  the  country, 
and  has  taken  various  treatments  prescribed  by  th;^m. 
He  has  been  placed  in  an  over,  with  the  exception  of 
the  head,  and  baked  with  the  temperature  as    high    as 


Henry  R.  Robbins.  a  Prominent  Knox  Attorney,  and 

Promoter  of  the  Great  Industry  of  Drainage 

in  Starke  County. 


HISTORY   OF  STARKE  COUNTY  59 

360  detrrees.  No  reliet  or  benefit  whatever  was  de- 
rived from  any  source  of  treatment. 

I[e  recently  started  into  business,  selling-  candy, 
peanuts  and  cig"ars,  from  which  source  he  supports  his 
family  at  the  present  time. 

He  has  attended  a  few  fairs  and  has  had  several 
temptinjr  propositions  from  larg-e  museums  in  Chicago 
and  elsewhere,  but  declines  on  account  of  being  so 
ch^soly  confined,  and  again  he  does  not  like  to  ap- 
pear on  exhibition. 

He  is  of  a  clever  and  jolly  temperament  and  never 
tires  of  telling  and  showing  his  friends  and  visitors  of 
his  peculiar  affliction. 

With  the  exception  of  Green,  but  one  case  of  the 
kind  hag  ever  been  recorded.  This  was  in  Australia, 
and  the  man  died  a  couple  of  years  ago 

Green  was  married  June  2.  1887,  to  Ella  M.  War- 
ren, of  Or. I,  Indiana,  and  has  six  children:  Irving  W., 
Tracy  G..  Charles  C.  Harold  C.  Loyd  R.  and  Grant 
W,,  rangi»'g  in  yrars  from  one  to  thirteen  in  the 
order  named. 

Thus  far  Green  has  not  been  internally  troubled, 
and,  while  he  does  not  anticipate  any  cure,  he  still 
looks  on  the  bright  side  of  life. 

Che  Mah  — Starke  County  has  the  snmllest  man 
in  the  world.  His  name  is  Clie-Mah,  and  by  nation- 
ality he  is  a  Chinese.     His  home  is  at  Knox. 


60  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

"Are  you  actuallv  the  smallest  man  in  the  world?" 
was  asked  of  him  by  the  writer. 

"I  am,"  he  replied,  "and  with  no  exception.  Of 
course,"  he  continned,  "there  are  children  smaller  than 
I,  but  I  am  the  smallest  man  in  the  world." 

Che-Mah  is  only  28  inches  high.  Hit,  weight  is  40 
pounds.  He  was  born  in  China  in  April.  1838,  making 
him  at  the  present  tim^  64  years  old.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1881,  or  at  the  age  of  43  years. 

He  has  traveled  with  shows  the  greater  part  of  his 
life.  He  is  the  most  polite  and  intelligent  manikin 
ever  on  exhibition,  oeing  with  the  largest  shows  in 
the  country  and  having  appeared  before  all  the  crowned 
heads  in  Europe.  He  has  appeared  and  performed 
in  all  the  big  museums  and  circuses  in  Europe. 

Mr.  Mah  is  in  great  demand  by  the  world's  biggest 
circuses,  and  he  may  again  join  Barnum  &  Bailey 
when  they  return  to  this  country  from  their  present 
tour  in  Europe. 

Che-Mah  is  one  of  the  most  highly  respected  cit- 
izens of  Knox,  and  owns  considerable  property  in  this 
county. 

The  more  notable  human  mites  of  the  world  living 
today  aie  named  below: 


Name.           Inches  Hi 

igh. 

Date  of  Birth. 

Place  of  Birth. 

Tom  Thumb,       31. 

1837. 

New  York. 

(Chas  S.StrattOD.) 

Mrs.  T.  Thumb,  32. 

1842. 

New  York. 

Che-Mah,              28. 

1838. 

China. 

HISTORY  OF  STARKK  COUNTY  61 

From  the  above  table  it  is  seen  that  Che-Mah  is 
by  lar  the  smallest  man  in  the  world. 

"How  does  it  feel  to  be  the  smallest  man  in  the 
world?^"  was  asked  of  him. 

"Well,"  he  replied,  "I  don't  know  as  it  feels  any 
different  from  being-  any  other  kind  of  a  man.  It's  not 
the  size  ot  the  man  that  counts,  but  it  is  his  brains  or 
what   he    knows,"    he    said,    pointing'  to  his  forehead. 

With  an  ossified  man,  and  a  man  28  inches  hio^h, 
Starke  County  has  two  world's  wonders. 

X. 

RELIGIOUS  HISTORY. 

The  following-  account  will  show  the  different 
religious  denominations  in  the  County,  their  locations 
and  in  some  instances,  the  number  ot  membership. 

In  preparing-  this  brief  summary  of  the  religious 
history  of  Stark^e  County,  it  is  as  Mr.  Ball  says  on  the 
same  subject  in  his  reviw  of  Northwestern  Indiana: 

"Some  of  the  denominations  have  succeeded  much 
better  than  others,  in  maintaining-  church  life  and  in 
securing-  a  fair  amount  of  g-rowth.  The  real  g-ood  ac- 
complished cannot  be  estimated  by  any  standards  or 
measurements  known  in  this  world.  Some  churches 
die  and  some  live.  As  it  is  with  men,  so  it  is  with 
organizations,  who  can  tell  what  is  really  failure  and 
what    is    success?     In    the    realm    of    the     moral    and 


62  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

spiritual,  neither  wealth  nor  numbers  can  be  tiie  sure 
criterion  by  which  to  determine  what  God  at  iast  will 
call  success.  From  tlie  words  'well  done,  when  writ- 
ten by  the  great  Judge,  there  will  be  no  appeal." 

1. — The  Methodist  Episcopal.  In  Starke  County, 
the  first  Methodist  minister  was  Elder  Munson.  The 
first  Methodist  church  was  built  at  Knox  in  1856.  Be- 
sides the  church  and  congregation  at  Knox,  there  are 
Methodist  Episcopal  churches  in  North  Judson,  San 
Pierre  and  Hamlet,  making  four  now  in  the  County. 
Regular  Sundav  Schools  are  held  in  connection  with 
the  church  in  each  of  these  towns,  also  the  young 
people's  Epworth  League  societies. 

2. — The  Baptists.  In  Starke  County  the  first 
Baptist  church  was  organized  December  3,  1899,  with 
fifty-eight  members,  through  the  efforts  ot  J.  W. 
Keller,  a  licentiate.  This  is  known  as  the  Nickel  Plate 
Baptist  Church,  and  is  the  only  class  of  that  denomi- 
nation in  the  county. 

3. — The  Lutherans.      There   are   four  different 
churches  of   this  denomination  in  the  county.     One  at 
North  Judson.  with  405  members;  one  at    San    Pierre 
with   about   200    members;    one   at    Winona,   with  185 
members,  and  one  at  Hamlet,  just  organized. 

4. — The  "Christians."  There  is  but  one  church 
of  this  denomination  in  the  county.     This  is  at  Knox. 


Starke  County's  Present  Mapnlflcent  Court  House, 
Erecerd  In  189H,  iit  a  Cost  of  Jl  JO.OOO. 


64  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUiNTY 

A  successful  Sunday  School  is  carried  on,  as  is  also   a 
young-  people's  Christian  Endearor  society. 

5. — Roman  Catholics.  In  Starke  County  there 
are  three  churches  of  this  denomination;  one  at  North 
Judson.  one  at  San  Pierre  and  one  at  Hamlet. 

6. — Free  Methodists.  There  are  two  churches 
of  this  denomination  in  tlie  county,  one  at  Knox  and 
one  at  Toto.  each  of  which  have  successful  Sunday 
Schools.  The  church  at  Knox  was  erected  in  the 
spring-  of  1880,  and  was  dedicated  in  that  year  by  Rev. 
Philip  C.  Hanna,  who  is  now  United  States  Minister 
to  Mexico.  Rev.  John  D.  Kelsey  was  the  first  regular 
pastor. 

7. — United  Brethern.  We  have  three  different 
societies  ot  this  denomination,  one  at  North  Judson, 
one  at  Round  Lake  and  one  at  Grovertown.  the  latter 
having  a  beautiful  brick  church  building.  A  very  suc- 
cessful youjigf  people's  society,  called  the  Young  Peo- 
ple's Christian  Union,  is  carried  on  by  each  of  these 
churches. 

8. — Weslyan  Methodists.  The  only  church  of 
this  denomination  is  at  Hamlet,  where  there  is  a  sat- 
isfactory membershi{/. 

9  —Latter  Day  Saints.  This  denomination  has 
a  church  at  Knox,  the  only  one  in  the  county.  The 
church  has  a  somewhat  peculiar  and  interesting  his- 
tory,with  which  comparatively  few  people  are  familiar, 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY  65 

Owinjc  to  this  fact,  and  by  several  requests,  the  fol- 
low\ntc  suminary  is  given,  which  shows  what  this 
denomination  advocates,  believing  it  will  be  of  interest 
to  many  readers: 

We  believe  in  God.  the  Eternal  Father  and  in  His 
Son  Jesus  Christ,  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 

We  believe  that  men  will  be  punished  for  their  own 
sins,  and  not  for  Adam'ss  transgression. 

We  believe  that  through  the  atonement  of  Christ, 
all  men  may  be  saved  by  the  obedience  to  the  laws  and 
ordinances  of  the  Gospel. 

We  believe  that  these  ordinances  are:  First.  Faith 
in  God  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Clirist;  Second,  Repentance; 
Third,  Baptism  by  immersion  for  the  remission  of 
sins;  Fourth,  laying  on  of  the  hands  for  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Ghost;  Fifth,  We  believe  in  the  resurrection  of 
the  body,  that  the  dead  in  Christ  will  rise  first,  and 
the  rest  ot  the  dead  will  iK)t  live  ai^ain  until  the  thous- 
and years  are  expired;  Sixth.  We  believe  in  the  doc- 
trine of  Etcfrnal  Jiidj^ment.  which  provides  that  men 
shall  be  judged,  rewarded,  or  punished  according  to 
the  deiiree  <»f  gO"d,  or  evil,  they  shall  have  done 

We  believe  that  a  man  must  be  Called  of  God.  and 
ordained  by  the  l.iying  on  of  Hands  of  those  who  are 
in  authority,  to  entitle  him  to  preach  toe  Gospel  and 
administer  in  the  ordinances  thereof. 

We  believe  in  the  same  kind  of  organization  that 
existed  in  the  primitive  church,  viz:  Apostles,  Proph- 
ets. Pastors.  Teachers.   lOvanjjelists,  etc. 

We  believe  tha^  in  the  Bible  is  contained  the  word 
of  God.  so  far  as  it  is  translated  coorrectly.  We  be- 
lieve that  the  canon  of  scripture  is  not    fu'l.    but    that 


()b  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

God,  by  His  Spirit,  will  continue  to  reveal  His  word 
to  man  until  the  end  of  time. 

We  believe  in  the  powers  and  gifts  of  the  Ever- 
lasting Gospel,  viz:  The  gift  of  faith,  discerning  of 
spirits,  prophecy,  revelation,  liealing.  visions,  tongues 
and  the  interpretation  of  tongues,  wisdom,  charity, 
brotherly  love,  etc. 

We  believe  that  Marriage  is  ordained  of  God;  and 
that  the  law  of  God  provides  but  one  companion  in 
wedlock,  for  either  man  or  woman,  except  in  cases 
where  the  contract  cf  Marriage  is  broken  by  death  or 
transgression. 

We  believe  that  the  doctrines  of  a  plurality  and  a 
community  of  wives  are  heresies,  and  are  opposed  to 
the  laws  of  God. 

We  believe  that  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ,  as 
taught  in  the  New  Testament  Scriptures,  will,  if  its 
precepts  are  accepted  and  obeyed,  make  men  and 
women  better  in  the  domestic  circle,  and  better  citizens 
i)f  town,  county  and  state,  and  consequently  better 
fitted  for  the  change  which  cometh  at  death. 

We  believe  that  man  should  worship  God  in 
'Spirit  and  in  truth,"  and  that  such  worship  does  not 
require  a  violation  of  the  csnstitutional  law  of  the  land. 

XL 

THE  COUNTY'S  OLDEST   MAN. 

It  is  with  great  interest  that  we  view  the  faces 
and  read  the  biographies  of  men  and  women  who  have 
lived  ninety  or  more  years.  Isaac  Drake,  who  lives 
near  Bass  Lake,  is  credited  with  being  the  oldest  man 
in    the   County.      Mr    Drake    was    born    in    Dearborn 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY  67 

County,  now  Ohio  County,  near  Rising-  Sun,  in  1809. 
making-  him  at  this  time  past  93  years  ot  age,  with 
every  promise  reasonably  hoped  for  of  his  living  sev- 
eral years  more,  for  his  habits  are  of  the  very  best, 
and  so  active  and  ambitious  is  he  that  it  is  nothing 
uncommon  for  him  to  mount  a  horse  and  ride  five  or 
ten  miles  or  walk  two  miles  to  a  post  office  to  get  his 
mail.  He  is  a  great  reader  and  reads  without  glasses. 
He  chops  nearly  all  of  his  own  wood,  not  from  force  of 
need,  but  force  of  habit,  as  he  has  a  step-son  who  is 
very  mindful  of  this  old  gentleman  and  sees  that  his 
wants  are  well  supplied, 

Mr.  Drake  joined  church  when  43  years  old  and 
has  been  a  faithful  member  ever  since,  believing  that 
"The  love  of  God  is  broader  than  thh  measure  of  man's 
mind,  and  the  heart  of  the  Eternal  is  most  wonder- 
fully kind,  if  our  love  were  but  more  simple.  We 
should  take  Him  at  His  word,  and  our  lives  would  be 
all  sunshine  in  the  sweetness  of  the  Lord." 

Mr.  Drake's  first  vote  for  president  of  the  United 
States  was  for  Andrew  Jackson,  but  he  has  been  an 
ardent  republican  ever  since  the  party  was  organized, 
never  missing  an  election.  He  has  a  distinct  recollec- 
tion of  his  boyhood  days,  and  is  a  pleasant  and  intel- 
ligent conversationist.  He  helped  build  the  first  rail- 
road in  Indiana. 


68  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

XII. 
FIRST  WHITE  WOMAN  IN  THE  COUNTY. 

Mrs.  Rachael  A.  Lambert,  wlio  died  only  in  Au- 
gust, 1901,  is  credited  by  some  autliorities  as  being" 
the  first  white  woman  to  settle  in  Stark  County.  She 
was,  nevertheless,  one  of  the  first  pioneers  in  the 
County,  and  was  the  very  first  white  woman  to  take  up 
her  residence  in  the  town  of  Knox.  Slie  came  to  this 
County  in  1850  and  took  up  lier  abode  in  Knox, 

The  County  was  almost  in  a  primeval  state  at  that 
time,  there  being  many  more  Indians  than  white  peo- 
ple living*  here.  Tlie  family  settled  on  the  place  where 
Mrs.  Lambert  d'ied,  and  during  the  half  century  and 
more  that  has  rolled  away  since  her  coming,  she  con- 
tinued to  reside  at  thf"  old  homestead. 

She  was  born  in  Dark  County,  Ohio,  in  1821.  being- 
almost  eighty  years  old  at  the  time  of  her  death. 
Until  recently  her  memory  was  strong",  and  she  made 
hundreds  of  affidavits  concerning  early  residents  here 
in  the  adjustment  of  titles  to  real  estate.  Because  she 
was  the  first  white  woman  to  take  up  her  residence 
here,  Mr.  Shields,  who  laid  out  the  town,  gave  her  a 
deed  to  seven  acres  of  land  within  the  confines  of  the 
town.  Since  the  death  ol  her  husband  in  1866,  she 
lived  alone  with  her  adopted  son,  Thomas  Lambert, 
whom  she  adopted  in  1873,  at  Peru,  Indiana. 


HISTORY  OF  STARKbO  COUNTY  69 

Her  maiden  name  was  Rachael  Ann  Murpliy.  Her 
first  husband  was  Jacob  Tillman,  and  to  them  two 
children  were  born,  only  one  of  whom  survives.  Her 
second  husband  was  Adam  Lambert,  who  died  in  1866. 

Mrs.  Lambert's  home,  which  stands  north  of  the 
present  court  house,  was  used  lor  county  purposes  for 
a  number  of  years.  Here  was  held  the  first  term  of 
the  Starke  Circuit  Court. 

xni. 

IN  MEMORIAM. 

"Behold,  we  know  not  anvthinji^: 
We  can  but  trust  that  ;^ood  shall  fall 

At  last — far  off—  at  last,  to  all. 

And  every  winter  change  to  spring-." 

On  the  following  tew  pages  are  given  sketches  of 
a  few  principal  characters  who  have  been  prominent 
lu  the  affairs  of  the  County,  and  whom  death  has 
claimed  as  her  own.  To  make  mention  of  all  the 
characters  who  have  played  important  parts  in  our 
history,  would  here  be  impossible,  and  mention  is 
made  only  of  those  who  have  just  recently  died  and 
whose  memory  is  yet  fresh  upon  most  of  our  minds. 

Dr.  Alexander  H.  Henderson. — One  of  the  con- 
spicuous characters  in  the  death  annals  of  Starke 
County  is  tlie  name  of  Ale.xander  Hamilton  Hender- 
son.    Ho  was  born  near  Lafayette,  February  21,  1841, 


70  HISTORY  OF  STARKE    COUNTY 

being  sixty-one  years  and  two  months  old  at  the  time 
of  his  death.  He  worked  on  his  father's  farm  until 
fifteen  years  of  age,  after  which  he  attended  school 
for  a  time  and  became  a  teacher. 

In  August,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  C,  72nd 
Indiana  Volunteers.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  again, 
taught  school,  studying  medicine  at  tlie  same  time. 
He  began  the  practice  of  medicine  in  1868,  at  Monee, 
lUinois.  In  1871,  he  came  to  Knox  and  remained  here 
until  his  death.  In  1873  lie  was  elected  county  super- 
intendent of  schools.  While  holding  that  office  he  was 
elected  county  aiditor,  being  the  only  republican  ever 
elected  to  that  office  in  Starke  County.  In  1882  he  was 
eleceed  joint  representative  for  Starke  and  St.  Joseph 
Counties.  He  was  several  times  chairman  of  the  re- 
publican central  committee  ot  this  county,  was  post 
master  here  from  1889  to  18%,  member  of  the  pension 
examining  board  for  years,  and  a  member  of  the  G.  A. 
R.,  Odd  Fellows  and  Knights  af  Pythias.  In  business 
he  was  considered  upright  and  honorable,  and  he  had 
a  large  circle  of  friends  over  the  county  and  state. 

Dr.  Henderson  died  suddenly  April  21,  1901,  from 
congestion  involving  the  entire  system.  The  Indian- 
apolis Sentinel  spcke  of  Dr.  Henderson's  absence  from 
the  republican  state  convention  being  greatly  noted, 
and  stated  that  a  chair  in  the  convention  hal:  was 
draped  in  flags  and  crepe  in  his  memory. 


Chas.  J.  Danlelson,  one  of  the  County's  most  honored 
citizens,  who  has  done  much  for  the  im- 
provement of  his  ("(luiity. 


72  HISTORY  OK  STARKE  COUNTY 

Samuel  R.  Guilds. — This  very  old  g-entleman, 
whose  face  was  familiar  to  almost  every  body  in  the 
county,  died  August  30,  1901.  He  was  more  than  77 
years  of  age,  having  been  born  in  New  Jersey,  in 
March,  1824. 

Mr.  Childs  had  been  a  resident  of  this  county  for 
many  years,  living  near  Grovertown  for  several  years, 
when  he  moved  to  Knox.  Until  the  last  two  years  ot 
his  life  he  was  actively  engaged  in  the  real  estate 
business,  in  winch  lie  was  quite  successful.  In  his 
younger  days  he  was  an  extensive  traveler  and  trader. 
For  some  time  he  was  in  business  in  Chicago.  In  pol- 
itics he  was  an  uncompromising  democrat  and  was 
never  slow  to  make  the  fact  known. 

George  S.  Savery. — This  influential  citizen,  who 
was  one  of  the  first  residents  of  Knox  and  Starke 
County,  and  prominent  in  political  afiairs.  passed 
from  this  life  November  27,  1901. 

Geo-'ge  S.  Savt-ry  was  born  at  Rollinsville,  Lan- 
caster County.  Pa.,  December  17.  1832-  He  moved  to 
this  county  in  1869,  after  residing  for  two  years  in 
Marshall  County,  and  lived  for  a  time  on  Bogus  Creek, 
rhis  side  of  North  Judson.  In  1874  he  was  elected 
sheriff  of  this  county  on  the  democratic  ticket,  and 
was  reelected  in  1876. 

"George    Savery,    like   every   other  son  ol  Adam, 
had  his  virtues  and  his  faults.  The  commendable  thing 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY  73 

for  erring"  mortals  to  do  is  to  remember  and  emulate 
his  virtues,  and  in  the  presence  ot  the  great  leveler, 
throw  a  mantle  of  charity  over  whatever  faults  he  may 
have  had,  for  we  are  all  in  need  of  sincere  charitable 
consideration." 

Albert  Irving  Gould. — Albert  I.  Gould  was  born 
in  Saratoga  County,  New  York,  March  26,  1833. 
When  a  child  he  was  taken  by  his  family  to  Ohio.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Law- 
rence S.  West,  at  Beltountaine,  Ohio,  and  at  the  age 
of  twenty  was  admitted  to  the  bar  by  Chief  Justice 
Corwin.  Previous  to  this  he  taught  school.  He  be- 
gan the  practice  of  law  at  Marysville.  Ohio,  but  shortly 
removed  to  Jowa,  where  he  conducted  a  newspaper  for 
two  years.  In  1858  Judge  Gould  located  at  Wmamac, 
Indiana, where  he  practiced  law  ten  years,  and  was  for 
nine  succeeding  years  manager  of  the  auditor's  office 
a1  Covington.  He  then  removed  to  Indianapolis,  where 
he  practiced  law  until  February,  1882.  when  he  came 
to  Knox  and  opened  a  law  office.  For  several  years  he 
was  associated  with  George  A.  Murphy,  now  of 
Beatrice,  Nebraska,  in  the  practice  of  law  in  Knox. 
Later  Charles  H.  Peters  was  associated  with  him,  the 
firm  dissolving  two  years  ago,  when  Judge  Gould  re- 
tired. He  was  for  many  years  attorney  for  the  county 
and  for  the  town  of  Knox. 

In  May,  1861,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Martha 


74  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

M.  Tibbetts,  and  to  them  two  daughters  were  born, 
one  of  whom  survives.  His  second  wife  was  Elizabeth 
Wierbauu;"h. 

Judg-e  Gould  died  May  1,  1901,  and  according  to 
his  wishes  the  body  was  cremated  at  Ft.  Wayne. 

Albert  I.  Gould  was  one  of  1he  best  known  men  in 
Northern  Indiana,  and  enjoyed  the  respect  a!:d  confi- 
dence of  his  large  circle  of  acquaintances.  He  was  a 
partisan  in  politics,  being  an  ardent  republican,  and 
his  work  for  the  party  was  keen  and  effective.  At  the 
time  of  his  death  he  weighed  about  300  pounds,  but  he 
had  weighed  as  much  as  435  pounds; 

Jeremiah  Good. — Jeremiah  Good  was  born  in 
Starke  County,  May  2,  1855,  and  died  May  20,  1902,  be- 
ing a  few  days  past  47  years  of  age.  Mr.  Good  lived 
in  Starke  County  all  his  hie,  and  being  connected  with 
it  in  its  pioneer  lite  took  an  active  part  in  building  up 
the  county  and  making  it  what  it  is.  He  had  a  multi- 
tude of  friends  who  honored  and  trusted  him.  For 
eight  years  he  was  the  honored  clerk  of  the  county. 
He  received  a  good  education  in  the  Knox  schools  and 
at  the  Valparaiso  Normal.  For  the  past  twenty  years 
he  had  been  engaged  in  leachin*^  school.  In  1877  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Martha  Coonfare.  Mr,  Good  was 
brought  up  in  the  German  Reform  Church,  but  for  the 
past  sixteen  years  had  been  a  member  of  the  M.  E. 
Church.     During  his  sickness   he   frequently    said   he 


Jacob  Keller,  a  Prominent  North  Judson  Heal 

Estate  Mao,  Who  Has  Done  Much  to 

Promote  His  County  and  State. 


76  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

was  reconciled  to  the  will  of  God.  He  said  he  would 
like  to  stay  with  his  companion  and  children,  but  if 
it  was  God's  will  for  him  to  go  he  was  ready. 

"His  life  w.js  gentle  and  the  elements  so  mixed  in  him 
That  Nature  mig^ht  stand  up  to  all  the  world 
And  say,  'This  was  a  man!''' 

J.  Don  Gorrell. — It  is  with  a  feeling  of  sadness 
and  regret  that  we  chronicle  the  death  of  J.  Don  Gcr- 
rell,  the  late  editor  of  the  North  Judson  News,  which 
occurred  August  27,  1902.  Mr.  Gorrell  had  suffered 
for  nearly  two  weeks  prior  ^o  his  death  with  cranial 
neuralgia  and  a  complication  of  other  diseases,  which 
the  heroic  treaiment  of  eminent  physicians  and  trained 
nurses  could  not  abate.  For  several  days  physicians 
had  announced  his  condition  hopeless,  but  his  numer- 
ous friends  throughout  the  county  silently  prayed 
that  he  might  rally  and  recover.  The  deceased  who 
was  31  years  old  at  the  time  of  His  death,  is  survived 
by  his  wife  and  three  children,  ranging  in  age  from 
three  to  six  years.  His  death  at  such  an  early  age  is 
extremely  sad,  following  so  closely  the  death  of  his 
aged  father,  the  late  James  Gorrell,  who  passed  away 
just  a  week  before. 

J.  Don  Gorrell  came  to  Knox  from  Ossian,  Wells 
County,  in  June,  1892,  where  he  published  the  Knox 
Democrat  for  nearly  a  year.  He  purchased  the  North 
Judson    News   in    1894,    which  he  had  since  published, 


HISTORY    OF  STARKE  COUNTY 


/  / 


making  it  one  of  tlie  brightest  and  best  weekly  papers 
in  this  part  of  the  state.  He  was  a  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  and  Woodmen  orders,  and  carried 
$2,000  life  insurance  in  the  last  mentioned.  He  was 
sincerely  loved  by  all  who  knew  him,  and  his  death  is 
a  source  of  regret  to  his  town,  his  county  and  his 
state. 

XIV 

COUNTY  CENSUS  FIGURES. 

The  following  table  shows  the  population  of  the 
townships  and  corporations  ot  Starke  County  in  1900 
and  in  1890: 


Township  or  Corporation.  1900. 

Calitornia  Township 949 

Center  Township,    2264 

Davis  Township 793 

Jackson   Township, 340 

North  Bend  Township 1217 

Orejron  Township .  1035 

Railroad  Township 1045 

Washington  Township 1092 

Wavne  Township, 1696 


Total  in   County 

Total  Oain  in    County,.. 

Gain  percent  in  County, 


10331 


1890. 

521 

1480 

430 

225 

884 

773 

875 

846 

1305 

7339 

3092 

42.1 


There  are  but  six  counties  in  the  state  that  have 
made  a  greater  gain  in  the  past  ten  years  than  Starke. 
They  are  Blackford,  Delaware,  Grant,  Lake,  Madison, 


Che-Mah,  the  Smallest  Man  iu  the  World, 
[see  page  59| 


HISTORY  OF  STARKIO  COUNTY  79 

and  Marion.  Starke  county  lias  made  the  gain  of  42.1 
per  ceut  in  the  past  ten  years  while  the  surrounding- 
counties  have  made  the  following  gains:  Laporte,  11.4 
per  cent;  St.  Joseph,  38.7  per  cent:  Marshall,  5.5  per 
cent;  Fulton,  4.2  per  cent;  Pulaski,  24.9  per  cent;  Jas- 
per, 27.8  per  cent;  Porter,  6.2  per  cent. 

The  first  census  of  Starke  County  was  taken  in 
1840,  when  the  population  was  149.  In  1850  the  popu- 
lation was  557;  in  1860,  2,195;  in  1870,  3,888;  and  in 
1880,  5,105.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  population  of  the 
county  has  made  rapid  increase  each  decade.  The 
official  population  figures  of  the  three  principal  towns 
are  shown  below: 

Town.  1900.  1890. 

Ktiox 1466     .  . .   790. 

North  Judson 944   ... .   572. 

Hamlet,    432    .... 

The  gain  per  cent  in  Knox  was  in  the  past  ten 
years.  85  5.  In  North  Judson.  65  per  cent.  Hamlet 
was  not  incorporated  before  1890.  so  the  gain  percent 
cannot  be  ascertained. 

The  county  seats  of  contiguous  counties  shows 
the  following  gain  per  cent,  which  will  be  of  interest 
in  comparing  the  increase  of  our  own  towns: 

Laporte  City,  0;  South  Bend,  65;  Plymout!i.  34; 
Rochester,  34;  Winamac,  38.5;  Rensselaer.  55;  and 
Valparaiso,    23    per   ci:nt.     By    comparison    it  is  seen 


80  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

that  Knox  is  far  ahead  of  the  list,  which  speaks  well 
of  Starke  County  in  general;  also  there  is  only  one 
equal  to  North  Judson. 

Coming-  down  to  the  county  itself,  the  gain  per 
cent  in  each  township  is:  California,  82;  Center  53; 
Davis,  84;  Jackson  51,  North  Bend,  37.6;  Oregon,  34; 
Railroad,  20;  Washington,  29;  and  Wayne,  30  per  cent. 

Jt  will  be  seen  that  the  greatest  gain  was  made  in 
Davis  Township,  with  84  per  cent,  followed  close  by 
California  with  82  per  cent,  the  rest  of  the  townships 
ranging  in  the  following  order:  Center,  53;  Jackson, 
51;  North  Bend,  47.6;  Oregon,  34;  Wa>ne,  30;  W^ashing- 
ton,  29;  and  Railroad,  20  per  cent. 

XV. 
OUR  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS. 

It  has  been  truly  said  that,  "The  public  schools 
are  the  hope  of  our  country."  If  asked  what  is  the 
greatest  accomplishment  one  could  possess,  the  answer 
would  doubtless  be,  without  hesitation,  education. 
The  "little  red  school  house"  has  accomplished  won- 
ders. The  vast  amount  of  good  it  has  done  is  self 
evident.  As  time  passes,  these  "little  red  school 
houses"  are  being  supplied  with  large  and  elegant 
brick  structures.  The  people  of  Starke  County  are 
unquestionably  in  the  educational  spirit  ^nd  love  to 
work  for  its  advancement. 


HISTORY  OF  STaKKJC  COUNTY 


81 


Closely  associated  with  educational  work  of  Starke 
County  is  the  name  of"  the  late  William  13.  Sinclair,  a 
name  with  which  we  are  all  familiar  and  proud.  It  was 
through  his  untiriiii:  efforts  that  the  schools  of  Starke 
County  came   to  the  front. 

The  I'^rand  work  of  ed- 
ucation is  at  present  being- 
carried  on  by  our  able  sup- 
ermtendent.  George    E. 

Butcher.  Through  his 
zealous  efforts  our  stand- 
ard has  been  raised  until 
today  our  schools  are 
among-  the  best  in  the 
state. 

At  Knox.  North  Jnd- 
tson.  and  at  Hamlet  there 
are  eleg"ant  biick  school  building-s.  The  success 
that  has  met  with  the  Kn<>x  sc1i<H)Is  has  already  Iteen 
mentioned.  To  Superintendent  .1.  Walttr  Dunn  be- 
long-s  most  of  ihe  hou^r  ot  bring-ing-  about  the  present 
standing  of  the  Knox  sclv  ols.  The  schools  vf  North 
Judson  are  also  amony^  'he  prominent;  insi  i  t  ulic>ns  (if 
the  county.  Hamlet  and  San  Pierre  have  good  schools. 
In  fact,  the  sciiools  all  over  i  he  count  y  are  to  be  hi;j  hi  v 
praised. 

The  school  enumeration  of  Starke  Count  v  tor  tlio 


Prof.  George  E.  Butelier. 


82 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COU^ITY 


year  1902,  as   shown    by   the   county    superintendent's 
report,  is  as  follows: 


Township.  Male. 

North  Bend .    . 237 

Washington 197 

Oregon 184 

California ....  190 

Center 134 

Wayne 139 

Railroad 192 

Davis 76 

Jackson 72 

Knox  Corporation 209 

Nortii  Judson  Corporation  .      .  172 

Hamlet  in  Oregon 32 

Hamlet  in  Davis 43 

Total 1877 


Female. 


Total. 


.  213  .. 

. .  450 

.  186  .. 

. .  383 

.  160  .. 

.  344 

.  140  . 

. .  330 

110  . 

. .  224 

130  . 

.  269 

.  10(.  .. 

. .  358 

.  61  .. 

. .  137 

.  71  .. 

..  143 

.  221  . 

. .  430 

.  182  .. 

.  354 

.  18  .. 

.  50 

49  .. 

92 

.1707  .. 

.3584 

All  the  pupils  in  the  county  are  white  except  one 
one  colored  female  in  Knox  corporation. 

In  1901  the  tables  were  1872  male.s  and  1696 
females,  showing  a  net  gain  of  only  16  since  last  year. 
The  gains  and  losses  in  the  thirteen  school  towns 
were  as  follows: — North  Bend  lost  9  males  and  8  fe- 
males; Washington  lost  11  males  and  gained  9  fe- 
males; Oregon  lost  1  male  and  14  females;  California 
gained  11  males  and  lost  2  females;  Center  lost  14 
males  and  2  females;  Wayne  lost  9   males   and   gained 


Ocner  A.  Garner,  I'romlnent  in  Drulnuge  Matters  and 
Enfflueer  of  the  Place  or  Ka.nkHkee  River  Ultch. 


84  HISTORY  OK  STARKE  COUNTY 

1  female;  Railroad  g-uined  19  males  and  17  females; 
Davis  lost  6  males  and  7  temdcs;  Jackson  gained  13 
males  and  8  females;  Knox  gained  3  males  and  lost  19 
females;  Nortli  Judson  gained  4  males  and  21  females; 
Hamlet  in  Orco-on  lost  1  male  and  4  females;  Hamlet 
in  Davis,  iiained  6  males  and  11  females. 

XVI. 
OUR  INDUSTRIES. 

Tlie  industries  of  Starke  County,  while  varied, 
would,  tor  the  m.)st  part,  come  under  the  one  head  of 
agriculture.  Correctly  speaking,  Starke  County  is  an 
agricultural  rejj;ion,  particularly  so  du'-ing  the  last  tew 
years  as  the  result  of  many  hundred  acres  of  land  in 
the  Kankakee  valley  region  being  reclaimed  by  drain- 
age. The  chief  products  raised  include  the  various 
grains,  potatoes,  melons,  fruits  and  vegetables,  among 
which  some  of  the  more  important  are:  Corn,  wheat, 
rve,  oats,  millet,  cucumbers,  onions  and  most  all  the 
smaller  truits  and  vegetables.  Car  loads  of  mellons 
are  shipped  each  season  to  several  of  the  larger  cities. 
The  soil  is  exceptionally  fine  for  the  raising  of  sugar 
beets. 

Buying  and   selling  grain  and  stock  is  another  in- 
dustry of  prominence. 

Prominent   among    the  industries  of  the  county  is 
that  of  drainage.     The  vast  amount  of   good    and    the 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY  85 

speedy  results  brought  about  by  this  great  industry 
are  self-evident  to  all.  A  further,  lengthy  and  inter- 
esting account  on  this  subject  has  already  been  given 
on  anotlier  page-  under  the  head  ol  "drainage  in  Starke 
County." 

While  Starke  Countv  is  not  a  manufacturing 
district  there  are,  however,  several  factories  employ- 
ing a  number  of  men.  The  county  has  five  pickle 
factories,  each  doing  a  large  business  and  causing 
pickle  raising  to  be  quite  extensively  carried  on.  At 
Knox  there  are  two  factories,  at  Nortli  Tudson  two. 
and  at  G  rover  town,  one 

There  is  a  handle  factory  in  Knox,  owned  by  F.A. 
Hoffman,  which  maufactures  almost  any  kind  of 
handles. 

The  county  has  six  grain  elevatois — at  Knox  two, 
at  Hamlet  two,  at  San  Pierre  cne,  and  at  North  Tuc- 
son one . 

There  are  three  flouring  mills,  located  at  Knox, 
North  Judson  and  Koontz  Lake  near  Grovertown. 

At  North  Judson  tlieie  is  a  peculiar  industry, 
known  as  the  "frog  and  turtle  industry."'  owned  by 
A.  A.  Sphung.  A  wholesale  business  is  carried  on 
and  shipments  are  made  to  all  parts  of  the  United 
States. 

In  Knox  are  two  cij^ar  factories,  one  owned  b}' 
Bill    Solliday  the  other  by  Harr\  S.  Loring.      There  is 


86  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

also  a  cigar  factory  at  North  Judson,  owned  by  George 
Smith. 

One  ot  the  largest  and  finest  ranches  in  Northern 
Indiana  is  the  one  known  as  the  Jamison  Ranch,  sit- 
uated but  a  short  distance  from  Hamlet.  There  is  a 
large  number  of  buildings,  including  a  big  steel  and 
concreti^  fire  proof  barn,  and  a  number  of  other  sub- 
stantial structures.  In  fact,  the  ranch  presents  the 
appearance  of  a  small  town  in  itself.  C.  A.  Jamison, 
of  Peoria,  Illinois,  is  the  proprietor  ot  this  enterprise 
Here  can  be  found  some  of  the  finest  bred  stock  in  the 
United  Stares.  Cattle  from  this  ranch  are  continually 
capturing  first  and  second  prizes  at  live  stock  exhibi 
tions  all  over  the  co\intry. 

The  manufacture  of  artificial  stone  in  Starke 
County  has  proven  a  great  success.  What  is  known 
as  the  Keller  industry,  owned  by  Jacob  Kelle**,  of 
North  Judson,  has  for  its  purpose  the  manufacture  of 
a  product  made  of  gravel  and  cement,  pressed  and 
shaped  so  that  it  can  scarcely  be  told  from  ordinary 
stone.  The  demand  for  the  material  is  very  large. 
Mr.  Keller  also  has  a  factory  at  East  Chicago,  where 
the  same  product  is  manufactured. 

There  is  one  brewery  in  the  county,  located  at 
North  Judson.  Its  product  is  shipped  to  surrounding 
towns  and  to  various  points  throughout  the  country. 

The  only  industry  of  its  kind  in    existence   is   the 


Wm.  II    n.  (offln.  iin  Old  Resident  and  Former  County 
Officer.  Prominent  In  Drainu^c  Matters  and  Con- 
struction Commissioner  of  the  Famous 
Kanl<;ikrc  River  Ditch. 


88  HISTORY    OF  STARKK  COUNTY 

mauufacture  of  a  foldinji  railroad  velocipede,  patented 
by  Marion  F.  McCormick,  ot  Knox,  and  manufactuaed 
by  the  McCormick  Foldin^r  Velocipede  Company,  M. 
F.  McCormick  and  F.  E.  Dumas,  proprietors.  The 
company  has  a  modest  factory  in  Knox,  where  the 
attachments  are  made.  From  here  they  are  sent  out 
to  all  parts  of  the  country.  The  invention  comprises 
an  attachment  by  which  an  ordinary  bicycle  may  be 
ridden  on  the  railroad  tracks,  at -any  desirable  speed, 
over  trogs,  switches  and  crossing's.  One  of  the  princi 
pal  features  of  the  invention  is  that  when  off  the 
track  the  attachment  may  be  folded  and  carried  con- 
veniently along  the  wag"on  road.  In  the  near  future 
the  company  e-xpects  to  buiid  a  lar^^er  factory  and 
manufacture  other  articles. 

About  a  mile  and  a  half  south  of  Knox  is  the  large 
fruit  and  berry  farm  of  Hugh  Rogers,  known  as  the 
"Tiger  Lily  Fruit  Farm.  From  here  comes  most  of 
the  shrubbery  and  trees  used  in  Knox  and  surround- 
ing towns. 

At  Hamiet  there  is  a  foundry  and  machine  work**, 
owned  by  L.  D.  Parmley,  where  all  kinds  of  general 
repairing  is  done,  also  blacksmith  and  foundry  work. 
It  is  expected  in  the  near  future  to  manufacture  a  pat- 
ent wind  stacker  and  threshing  machine,  which  were 
invented  by  Mr.  Parmley. 


HISTORY   OF  STARKE  COUNTY  89 

XVII. 
SOCIETIES. 

"It  is  probable  that  quite  early  in  llie  history  of 
the  world  men  learned  the  benefit  of  uniling*.  for  better 
self  protection  and  for  improving  their  condition,  in 
organizations  or  compacts  which  bore  various  names 
and  had  various  purposes.  Whether  from  the  first 
age  ot  civilization,  before  the  time  of  what  is  known 
as  Noahs  flood,  living  through  that  period  of  destruc- 
tion, any  traces  of  man's  earliest  organizatitms  have 
come  down  to  us  is  not  easily  proved,  nor  }et  can  it  be 
entirely  disproved.  In  well  chosen  words  Professor 
John  Russell,  in  1852,  before  a  large  and  highly  intel- 
lectual audience  declared:  •Lon;'-  before  the  period  of 
written  history,  there  existed  an  order  of  men,  known 
only  to  the  initiated.  It  is  the  oldest  human  societ  y 
in  existence.  The  dim  tv^'ilight  of  the  early  ages 
rested  upon  its  broad  arch,  yet  throii;:h  every  period 
ot  its  existence  has  it  bet-n  the  agent  cf  onward  pro- 
gress.' While  some  may  quest'on  these  statements, 
it  is  true  that  some  forms  of  organization,  some 
societies,  are  sufficiently  old.  while  others  are  distinctly 
modern,  very,  very  new. 

•The  pioneers  in  these  beautiful  svilds  retained 
their  recollections  of  the  old  lionu-s  and  vf  the  associa- 
ations  and  ot  the  ties  which  had  been  plcasa;it  to  them 


The  New  Opera  House  at  Knox,  One  of  the  Best 
Opera  Houses  in  Northern  Indiana. 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY  91 

there;  and  so,  along'  with  civil  society  and  the  new 
formed  ties  of  social  life,  along  with  schools,  churches 
and  Sunday  schools,  they  S'ton  began  to  organize 
literary  societies,  and  to  form  lodges,  to  organize 
library  associations,  agricultural  societies,  temperance 
societies,  and  in  late  years,  study  clubs  and  reading- 
circles,  and  the  new  orders  of  the  present  day  came 
into  existence  in  all  our  larger  towns."  A  lull  occount 
of  these  would  here  be  unnecessary,  and  only  brief 
mention  is  made  of  all  the  societies  and  org-anizations 
reflecting-  credit  upon  the  community. 

In  Nortli  Jndson  there  is  an  Odd  Fellows,  a  Mod- 
ern Woodmen,  a  Knights  of  Pylhias  ^nd  a  Masonic 
lodge.  There  are  ladies'  fraternities  of  some  of  the 
same  orders  known  as  tlie  Ladies  of  Maccabees,  L/ddy 
Rebeccas,  and  a  ladies  order  ot  the  Odd  Fellows.  The 
G.  A.  R.  lias  a  post  here.  There  are  two  young  peo- 
ple's societies,  the  Epworth  League  ana  the  Young- 
People's  Christian  Union. 

In  Knox  are  the  following-  prominent  societies  and 
clubs:  Knights  of  Pythias,  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  Maccabees,  Odd  Fellows.  Masons,  Royal 
Neighbors  of  America,  Lady  Rebeccas,  Lady  Macca- 
bees and  a  G.  A.  R.  post.  Some  of  the  prominent 
women's  clubs  are:  The  P.  E.  O.  Society,  Ladies' 
Aid  Society  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  Ladies'  Aid  Society 
of    the    Christian    Church,  Ladies"  and  Pastors'  Union 


92  HISTORY  OF  STARKb:  COUNTY 

of  the  M.  E.  Church,  Book  Club.  Whist  Club,  and 
Literary  Clubs.  The  Cliristian  Endeavor  and  the 
Epworth  Leag-ue  are  tlie  two  youn«r  people's  relig"ious 
societies.  The  Knox  Hig-h  School  has  two  literary 
societies  of  surpassing-  merit.  The  High  School  and 
Instructors  have  been  liighly  praised  for  conducting" 
so  successful  literary  societies.  Interesting-  programs 
are  rendered  every  two  weeks.  An  annual  debate  be- 
tween the  two  clubs  is  an  interesting-  attraction. 
These  organizations  which  reflect  much  credit  upon 
the  school  and  community  in  general  are  known  as  the 
Ivew  Wallace  Club  and  the  Star  Literary  Society. 

Hamlet  has  five  secret  orders:  The  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America,  Knights  of  Maccabees,  Knights  of 
Colun-.bia,  Ladies  of  Maccabees,  and  Ladies  of  Colum- 
bia. There  are  also  women's  clubs  and  young  people's 
societies. 

At  Grovertown  there  is  an  organization  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  of  the  Gleaners. 

At  San  Pierre  there  is  a  G.  A.  R.  post  and  an 
order  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 

Toto  has  an  organization  of  the  gleaners. 

Ober  has  the  Modern  Woodmen  and  Gleaners. 

Various  other  societies  and  clubs  exist  in  the 
county,  where  names  were  not  obtained. 


D 
C 
X 

r. 

5 
o 

w 

c 


D 


94  HISTORY   OF  STARKE  COUNTY 


XVIII. 
A  RECORD  OF  COUNTY  OFFICIALS. 

COUNTY  CLERKS. 

The  first  County  Clerk  was  appointed  in  1850. 

Steplien  Jackson.  Mathias  T.   Hepner. 

Jacob  Bozarth.  Mathias  T.    Hepner. 

Chas.  Humphreys.  Mathias  T.  Hepner. 

John  S.  Bender.  Jeremiali  Good. 

Oliver  H.  P.  Howard.  Jeremiah  Good. 

Andrew  W.  Porter.  James  C.  Fletcher. 

Andrew  W.  Porte  .  James  C.  Fletcher. 

Wiloug-hby  M.  McCor-  Henry  E.  White. 

mick.  '  Henry  K.  White. 

Wiloug-hby  M.  McCor- 

mick. 


COUNTY  AUDITORS. 

The  first  County  Auditor  was  appointed  in  1850. 

Jacob  G.  Black.  William  Perry. 

Chas.  S.  Tibbits.  William  Perry. 

Chas.  Humphreys.  Robert  H.  Bender. 

John  S.  Bender.  Robert  H.  Bender 

James  H.  Adair.  Aug-.  H.  Knosman 

James  H.  Adair,  Aug.  H.  Knosman 

Robt.  H.  Bender  John.  W.  Kurtz 
Robt.  H.  Bender. 

Alexander  H.  Henderson 


HISTORY  OF  STaRKR  COUNTY             95 

COUNTY  TREASURER. 

First  County  Treasurer  Elected  in  1853. 

Jacob  Tillman.     }         ,  ,  Austin  P.  Dial. 

Adam  Lamt)ert    f     '^P  Jo^epll  K.  Hartzler. 

VViloug^hby  McCormick  Frank-lin  P.  Whit^on. 

Solon  O.  VVhitson.  Franklin  P.  Whitson 

Solon  O.  Wliitson.  Andrew  O.  Cattleman. 

Wingate  Prettyman.  Andrew  O.  Castleman. 

Wingate  Prettyman.  Oratio  D.  Fuller. 

John  Good.  Oratio  D    Fuller. 

John  Good  Georg-e  Lig"litcap. 

Matnias  T.  llepner.  Georg-e  Li;^litcap. 

Mathias  T.  Hepner.  Wilbert  A.  Pierscm. 

William  H.  H.  Cffin.  Wilbcrt  A,  Pierson. 
William  H.  H.  Coffin. 

Austin  I^.  Dial. 

COUNTY  RECORDERS. 

First  County  Recorder  Appointed  in  1850. 

Jacob  Bozartli.  Jacob  Bozarth 

William  M.  Calkins  Jacob  Bozarth 

Wiloug^liby  McCormick  Henry  Seegrist 

Sylvester  A.  \fcCrackin  Henry  Seei^rist 

Austin   P.  Dial  Jacob    P.  Qnigley 

Austin   P.  Dial  Jacob  P.  Quigley 
Austin  P.  Dial 
Michael  Kelley 

Michael  Kelley  


96  HISTORY  QW  STARKE  COUNTY 

COUNTY     SHERIFF, 

First  County  Slieriff  Appointid  in  1850. 

Jacob  S.  Wampler   I   .  William  Sey^ravis 
A.  W.  Porter             \  ^PP'    William  Sejiravcs 

Solon  O.  Whitson  John  W.  Segraves 

William  P.  Chapman  Mathew  Hays 

Winjy;-ate  Prettyman  Joseph  LC.  Jones 

Wing-ate  Prettyman  Joseph  K.  Jones 

Mathias  T.  Hepiier  Jacob  VanUerweele 

Matliias  T.  Hepner  Jacob  VanDer  wcele 

William  Elmandorf  Jc^sepii  E    Harvey 

William  Anderson  Wiiliiim  11.  Harh-r 

William  Emandorf  William  H.  Harter 

William  H.  H.  Coffin  Sidney  A.  Uncaplier 

George  S.   Savery  Sidney  A.  Uncaphtr 
Georg-e  S,  Saver v 
William  Elmandorf 

Wiliam  Elmandorf  


COUNTY  CORONERS. 

First  County  Coroner  Appointed  in  1850. 

James  B    Prettyman  Joseph  W.  Hiler 

John  Lindsey  Thomas  R.  Lambert 

Adam  Lambert  Thomas  R.  Lambert 

Adam  Lambert  Leander  E.  Conner 

J.  K.  Crites  Mark  R    Wright 

Samuel  Smith  Mark  R.  Wrii»ht 

Elijah  Wood  Mark  R    Wriuht 

David  P.  Favorite  William  M.  Kelley 

David  P.  Favorite  Charles  Waddell 

Wingate  Prettyman  Thomas  J.  Agnew 


HISTORY  OK  STARKE  COUNTY  97 

Georg-e  VV.  Scofi^ld  Janics  S.  Denaut 

Israel  Uncaplier  Samuel  S.  Bonar 

Israel  Uncdplier  William  J.  Solt 

Wilson  T.  Loring- 

Joseph  \V.  Hiler  . 


COUNTY  SURVEYORS. 

First  County  Surveyor  Elected  in  1856. 

John  S    Bender.  Appd.  Abner  L.  Purcell 

Robert  H.  Bender  Abner  L.  Purcell 

Robert  H.  Bender  Henry  C.  Roney 

John  P.  Kellcy  Joseph  N.  McCormick 

John  P.  Kelley  Joseph  N.  McCormick 

William  C.  Boyles  John  W.  Good 

William  C.  Boyles  John  W.  Good 

John  E.  Short  Howard  M.  Chapel 

John  E.  Short  Adam  F.  Seidc-r 

Joseph  N.  McCormiek  Leo  M.  Kelley 

Joseph  N.  McCormick  Alfred  A    Savory 
William  C.  Bowles 
William  C.  Boyles 

Georjre  M.  D    Fisher  


COUNTY  ASSESSORS. 

First  County  Assessor  Elected  in  1803. 

Nathan  McCumber.  Appd  Jacob  Keller 

Eli  Brown,  Appointed  Albert  C.  Wolfram 

Christopner  Hillabold  William  James 

Tliom;  s  Cussins  Georjjfe  W.  Harkins 

Peter  Speelman 

William  P.  Stanton  ...      


98 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 


COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS. 

The  first  County  Commissioners  appointed  to 
locate  the  seat  of  justice  ol  Starke  County  on  the  first 
day  of  April,  1850,  were: 

Wm.  C.  Barnette,  L.  Chomberlin,    Wm.  N.  Patterson 
The  first  regular  elected  Commissioners,  in  1850,  were: 


t  William  Parker 

}  George  Esty 

I  John  W.  P.  Hopkins 
Andrew  Long 
Edward  Smith 
Abram  Welsh 
George  Felden 
John  Good 

William  P.  Chapman 
James  P.  Fry 
George  Felden 
William  Swartzell 
Isaac  Reed 
Jacob  Kelver 
Eli  Brown 
Amos  A.  Green 
Jacob  Kelver 
Eli  Brown 
Jesse  Jackson 
Jacob  Kelver 
Madison  Jones 
Elijah  W.  Geiselm.in 
Madison  Jones 
Maihias  T.   Hepner 
Madison  Jones 


John  W.  Rea 
J-'fferson  Sea  graves 
Christian  Kreis 
Richard  M.  Gibbs 
William  h.  Scudder 
Oratio  I).  Fuller 
Oratio  D.  Fuller 
William  Turner 
Georj^e  Stocker 
Richard  M.  Gibbs 
George  Stocker 
Joseph  M.  Hiler 
Jaincs  M.  Tucker 
Daniel  H.  Stanton 
Daniel  Lefever 
Jacob  Kreis 
Daniel  Lefever 
Jacob  Kreis 
Daniel  H.  Stanton 
William   T    Collins 
William  T.  Collins 
Fred  E.  Vergin 
William  Miller 
William  T.  Ct)lliiis 
Wiiliam  Miller 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE   COUNTY            99 

Samuel  Lefever  Christian  Borchardt 

Elijali  W.  Geiselman  Christian  Borchardt 

Jacob  Sliilling-  Henry  C.Shcrt 

Samuel  Ltrfever  Sherman  Carne? 

Henry  Bender  Sherman  Carnes 

Edvv.ird  Tucker  James  G.  Heilman 
Christian  Kreis 

Elij  ih  W.  Geiselman  


COUNTY  SUPERINTENDENTS. 

First  Supcrintendant  (County  Examiner)  App'd  1861 

Andrew  W.  Porter  William  B.  Sinclair 

M.  T.  Howard  William  B.  Sinclair 

S-imnel  Jacobs  William  B    Sinclair 

John  E.  Short  William  B,  Sinclair 

Wilonj^hby  McCormicW  William  B.  Sinclair 

Uziah  Kline  William  ^.  Foust 

Alt-xander  H.  Henderson  George  E.  Butcher 
Oliver  Musselman 
George  A.  Netherton 

Henry  C.  Rogers  


100  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

INDEX. 

Page 

Area  ot  the  County, 9 

Birds  of  ihe  County,    .  .    . 52 

Census  Figures 77 

Drainag:e  in  the  County 44 

Financinl  Condition  of  Starke  County, ..  30 

First  White  Woman  in  the  County, 68 

Grovertovvn, 30 

Hamlet, .    ..    25 

In  Memoriam, 69 

Dr.  A    H.   Henderson 69 

S.  R.  Childs 72 

Georg-e  S.  Savery 72 

Albert  I.  Gould 73 

Jeremiih  Good, 74 

J.  Don  Gorrell 76 

Industries  of  the  County 84 

Ajjriculture ....    84 

Drainag^e , 84  44 

Pickle  Factories, 85 

Handle  Factory, 85 

Grain  Elevators 85 

Flouring- Mills, 85 

Faog-  and  Turtle  Industry, 85 

Cig-ar  Factories, 85 

Big-  Jamison  Ranch,    86 

Manufacture  of  Artificial  Stone, 86 

North  Jiidson  Brewery ....  86 

Manufacture  of  Railway  Velocipedes, 86 

Fruit  and  Berry  Raising, 88 

Hamlet  Foundry SS 

Kankakee  Region 50 


HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY  101 

Page 

Knox ....   14 

Lakfs  (I  the  County. .......  31 

Bass  Lake, 39 

Koontz  Lake, ....    35 

Eagle  Lake 37 

Round  EaUe,  .    37 

Otiier  Lake?,  .  .  . . 44 

North  Jnd&oii 22 

Newspapers 19 

Kn-.x ...          ...    .  19 

North   Judscn 24 

llatnlet 27 

Old^-st  Man  in  tiie  Ccunl y,    66 

Our  Public  Schools ' 80 

P«»sitinn  (if  the  County 9 

Record  ol  County  Officials ....  94 

Religious  History 61 

Methodist  Episcopal 62 

Baptist, 62 

Free  Methodist 64 

Lutheran 62 

Christian .  . 62 

Cath..lic .  .    .    64 

Latter  Dav  Saint 64 

Uniiihtcd  Brethern. (>4 

Weslyan  Methodist 64 

Some  Interesting  Early   Facts 11 

Lf)c;»tion  of  County  Seat 11 

First  County  Officers 11 

Firsr  Term  ot  Circuit  Court 12 

First  Bov  Born. .  .      .  12 

First  Burial, 12 


102  HISTORY  OF  STARKE  COUNTY 

First  Church  Erected, 12 

First  Ministers 12 

First  Lawyers, , ....  12 

First  Newspaper 12 

First  Musical  Org-anizatioi       13 

Early  t^elebration. 12 

Societies ...   89  92 

Maccabees 

Knights  of  P\  lliias   

Odd  Fellows.". 

Modern  Woodmen 

Masons 

Royal  Neijihbors 

Gleaners 

Lady  Rebt.  ccas 

Lady  Maccabees 

G.  A.  R.. ....       

Knights  of  Columbia 

Ladies  of  Colunibi;i 

San  Pierre    28 

Schools  of  Knox l.S  81 

Schools  of  North  Jndson.. 23  81 

Schools  of  the  county    ....    ....        .80 

Two  Living  Curiosities   .... 56 

Eh  Green 56 

Che-Mah ...    59 

Towns  of  the  County 13 

Knox      . 14 

North  Judson 22 

Hamlet 25 

San  Pierre 28 

Gn>v^ertown ....      •  •   30 

Other  towns 30 


COUNTY 
BUSINESS  DIRECTORY. 


McCormick's  Guide  to  Starke  Co. 


rS  ON  SALE  AT  THE  FOLLOWING  PLACES 

KNOX  — NEWS   AND   BOOK  STORE. 

KNOX-COOPER   &    DUMAS*   STORE- 

NORTH  JUDSON  — P.    H.    McCORMlCK   &  GO'S   DRUG  STORE. 

SAN    PIERRE— F.    J.   WEINKAUF   P.    M. 

HAMLET  -C-    MCCORMICK'S   GENERAL  STORE. 

GROVERTOWN— A.  J.   UNCAPHER,  OR  ADDRESS 

C-   A-   MCCORMICK,   knox.   ind- 


Established  1893 


GUS  REISS 

The  Square  Man,  Knox,  Ind. 

The  largest  establishment  oi  the 
kind  in  the  county. 

CLOTHING. 

GENTS  FURNISHINGS. 

BOOTS  and   SHORS. 

HONEST  TREATMENT. 
HONEST  GOODS. 
HONEST  PRICES. 

Satisfaction  Guaranteed  or 
Money  Refunded.  Your  Patron- 
age is  Respectfully  Solicited 


Gus  Reiss,  The  Square  Man,  Knox 


A.  L,  McKINNEY  &  SON, 

REAL  ESTATE 

B"U«j;-lit,    Sold    and    Excliang-ed.     Money    to    Loan   on 
Ten  Years'  Time  at  Lowest   Rate  of  Interest 

A    L.    McKINNEY  &  SON.  KNOX,  IND. 

FRANK  L.  BROWN, 

FOR  DRUGS. 

Wall  Paper,  Paints,  Oils,  Varnishes. 

::  ::   Prescriptions  Carefully  and  Promptly   Filled.    ::  :: 
:  KNOX,    INDIANA.  : 


A.  J.  U  N  C  A  P  H  E  R, 
General  Merchandise,  Real  Estate  and  Insurance. 

ALSO  DEALER  I\ 

..HAY    AND    GRAI  N... 
G  R  O  V  E  R  T  O  VV  N.     -  -      INDIANA. 


THE   STARKECOUNTY   DEMOCRAT 

S.    M.   GORRELL.    PUBLISHER. 

EVERY  THURSDAY ONLY  $1.  PKK  YEAR. 

...All  tlic  New.s  and  the   Truth  About  it... 
KNOX.  INDIANA. 


,:KNOX  GENERAL  STORE:. 

...LEADERS  IN... 

Dry  Goods,   Groceries,   Tobaccos, 
Cigars,   Boots,   Shoes,   Etc. 

:BR1NG  US  YOUR  COUNTRY   PROUUCH:-. 

MaVe  Our  Store  Your  Headquarters  wli.  n 

in  Knox Courteous  'rnatiuent  and 

Satisfaction  Guaranteed 

C.  .J.  LUNDIN,  Prop'r,     Knox,  Ind. 
STARKE  COUNTY  REPUBLICAN 


Every  Thursday,  by  John   L.   Mookman. 


KNOX,    -    INDIANA 


BARNUM'S  STUDIO,     Knox,  Ind. 

PHOTOS  50  CENTS  PER  DOZ.  UP. 
CABINETS,  $2  00  PER    DOZEN.  .  .  . 

We   have   Photos  on  hand  nf  Starke  County's  Three 
Court  Houses,  like  those  which  appear  in  this  book. 

COME    IN    AND    SEE    US. 


JACOB    KELLER, 

MANUFACTURER  OF 

Artificial   Stone,  ..  Tile  and   Brick. 

FACTORIES  AT... 

East  Chicago,   and   North  Judson. 
J.  W.  WEINKAUF,    Postmaster. 

—  DEALER  IN — 

General  Merchandise* 

San   Pierre,  :  :  Indiana. 


THE  TIGER    LILY  FRUIT  FARM, 

HUGH  ROGERS,  Prop.,  Knox,  Indiana. 

Slnpprr    of    Sni.ill    Fruits,   and   Niirstrrv   Stock  of   All 
Kim's.       S(»l(l    On    Time    to    Suit    Purcli;isc-r. 

ALL  STOCK  GUARANTEED 

F.irm    One    Mile    Sontlj    (»f    Knox,    Indiana. 

C.  McCORMICK,   Hamlet  Indiana. 

—  DEALER   IN — 

General  Merchandise,  All  Kinds. 

M  iktr  Our  Sore  Your  Headquarters  When  in  Hamlet. 


OSCAR  B.   SMITH. 

...L  A  W  Y  ER... 


General  Practice 
and 
First  Mortgage  Loans. 


North  Jud^on, 

Indiana. 


Cooper  &  Dumas.... 

Jewelry,  China, 

Men's  Furnishing-s, 

Shoes    and  Notions. 

Knox,        :  :        Indiana. 


Qeorge  Trevor 

Dry  Goods  and  Notions. 
Boots,  Shvies  and 

...Ladiejs'  Furnishings... 
Knox,     :  :    Indiana 


NEWLY  furnished.  BETTER  THAN  EVER. 

YOU  ARE  ALWAYS  WELCOME  AT 

THE  EAGLE  HOTEL. 

C.  C.  COLLIER,  PROPRIETOR. 

Transients  a  Specialty.  Rates,  $1  50  Per  Day. 

Oldest  Hotel  in  ihe  County.     NORTH,  JUDSON  IND. 


DR.  S.  S.  BONAR  &  SON. 

—  DEALERS  IN  — 

DRUGS    AND    MEDICINES,    PAINTS   AND   OILS. 
WALL  PAPER  STATIONERY,   ETC. 


HAMLET, 


INDIANA 


R  R  McCORMICK  &  CO 

Reliable  Dealers  In 

..DRUGS.. 

Patent  Medicines,  Toilet  Articles,  Wall  Paper, 
Paints  and  Oils,  Watches,  Clocks,  and  Jewelry, 
Musical  Instruments,  Stationery  and  School  Sup= 
plies.     Watch  and  Jewelry  Repairing  a  Specialty. 

NORTH  JUDSON,  -  INDIANA. 

•^  You  Are  Always  Welcome  Here  Whether  You  Buy  Or  Not.  ^ 
ESTABLISHED  DEC.    1901.  ONLY  $1  00  A  YEAR. 

...THE  HAMLET  TIMES... 

DR     W.   BOWMAN.   EDITOR  AND  PROP. 

BEST    ADVERTISING   MEDIUM  IN  STARKE  COUNTY 
ISSUED  EVERY  THURSDAY,  AT  HAMLET,  IND. 

C.    H.    CONRAD, 

Groceries,  Dry  Goods,  Notions,  Boots  and  Shoes, 

...Felts  and  Rubbers... 

Courtpotis  Treatment  and  Satisfaction  Guaranteed. 

KXOX,      ::      ::      INDIANA. 


FOR 

A  Clean  Fresh  Line  of  Drugs,  Wall  Paper, 
Paints,  Oils,  Varnishes,  Etc.  We  keep  every= 
thing  that  is  to  be  found  in  a  First=Class  Drug 
Store.  Courteous  Treatment  and  Satisfaction 
Guaranteed.    A  Fine  Selection  of  CIGARS 

OHiS.  A.  BE  ATTY,  PROP. 

KNOX,    -    -    INDIANA. 


Adrian  L*  Courtright 

ATTORNEY  AT  LAW 

MONEY  &  INVESTMENTS 

Phone:  Office,  37.    Residence,  US. 

Knox^  -      -  Indiana. 


W.  D.   S.    RODGERS   &   SON 

Breeders  and  Shippers  ot  Thor.mglibi  ed 
POLAND  CHINA  HOGS  ..f  tlie  Leading- 
Strains Wt*    Han   le    'I'horoug-l.bred 

B.  P.  C  nek'  ns      F  inn  N^ar  Hound  Lake. 

Address         KNOX,  :     :     :  INDIANA. 


THE  NORTH   JUDSON    NEWS. 

HARRY   O.   WARVF.L.   PUBLISHER. 

EVli^RY   THURSDAY.         $1.50  PER  YEAR 

...JOB   WORK  OE  ALL  KINDS... 

NORTH  JUDSON.  -  INDIANA. 


HENRY  R.  ROBBINS. 

ATTORNEY. 


O  F  K  I  C  E    ON     W   A  S  1 11  .N  C,  T  O  N     S   T  R  K  K  T 

..  oppo.'^rrK  coiJK  r  iiousio .. 


KNOX,    -    INDIANA. 


Starke  County  Abstract  Co. 

SUCCESSORS  TO  BOZARTH   &  FLETCHER. 


WASHINGTON  STREET  OPPoSITE  THE  COURT  HOUSE. 

Tl  I.EPIIONE  >  O    67. 

AI.L   WORK  {^.IVKX   PROMPT  ATTRN  IION. 


KNOX, 


INDIANA. 


OLDEST  HARDWARE  IN  THE  COUNTY.     ESTAULISHED  lt^84. 

11  /\  IVDWA  RE 


— DEALERS  IN — 


HARDWARE,  STOVES,  TINWARE  AND 
AGRICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS 

HARD  &  SOFT  COAL,  WINDMILLS.  PUMHS.  ETC 

Knox,     -  -     Indiana. 


FRANK  SLIDINGER  &  SON 

MERCHANT  TAILORS 


>HOP  Over    Lundins  Store. 

ALL 

WORK 

NEATLY 

DONE 


.'HONK.    SHOP 


KKSIDKNCK.     H'.^ 


KNOX,   :::::  INDIANA 


CHARLES  H.  PETERS.  ROBERT.  D.   PETERS. 

PETERS  &  PETERS. 

(SUCCESSORS  TO  GOULD  &  PEFERS.) 

ATTO  R  N  E  Y  S. 

TELEPHONE  57. 

Knox,  ::  ::  Indiana 

PRETTYMAN  BROTHERS 

MEAT   MARKET 

FOR  FRESH   AND  SALT  MEATS  OK  ALL  KINDS 
ALSO  CREAMERY  BUTTER 

BRING  US  YOUR  PRODUCE. 
WE  DEAL  IN   LIVE  STOCK. 

THIRD   DOOR    NORTH   OF    THE    POST  OFFICE. 

Knox,        -  -        Indiana. 


FURNISHED      WITH     ALL     THE     MODERN     IMPROVEMENTS 

...HOTEL    Fl  TZ  ... 

THE  ONLY  $2.00  A  DAY  HOUSE  JN  THE  TOWN 

Knox,  ::  Indiana. 


A  FIRST-CLASS  HOTEL.  RATES.  $1.50  PER  DAY. 

...H  OT  E  L   J  O  L  L  Y... 

J.    E    JOLLY.    PROPRIETOR. 

STOP   WITH  us   WHEN  YOU  ARE  IN   HAMLET 

HAMLET,  ::  ::         INDLAXA. 

FROM  1870  TO  1903. 

::  A  Third  Of  A  Century  :: 

A    STORE    HANDED     DOWN 
FROM     FATHER    TO    SON... 

A  CONTINUED  SUCCESS. 

A  GENERAL  MERCHANDISE  STORE 

A.  W.  Swartzell,  /.  Knox. 


....CHARLES  WINDISCH... 


DEALER  IN 


GROCERIES 


FRESH    AND    SALT    MEATS 

Cigars  and  Tobacco,  Confectionery,  Etc.  Our 
Line  Is  Always  Complete  and  Up=to=date,  and  We 
Respectfully  Solicit  a  Share  of  Your  Patronage. 


KNOX, 


INDIANA. 


H.  A.  ROCKHILL, 

FOR    DRY    GOODS, 
GROCERIIiS.      FRESH 
and  SALT  MEATS   .  . 

KNOX,    -    IN'D. 


ED.  KREIS 


GROCERIES  AND  HARDWARE 


North  Judsi^n.  Ind 


D.    H.    BACON. 

Hardware,  Farm  Implements  and  Machinery, 
Wagons,  Buggies,  Etc 

COME   IN   AND  SEE  US  BEFORE  YOU  BUY. 

KNOX,     -     INDIANA. 


THE  FAVORITE. 


The  Leading  Dry  Goods 
Store  in  Starke  County. 


KNOX,       ^    ^    ^        INDIANA. 


C.  M.  TOWNSEND,  THE  GROCER 

(successor  to  m.  h.  chapel.) 

A  Fresh  and  Complete  Line  of  Groceries  Always 
On  Hand.      Your  Patronage  Appreciated. 

KNOX,        :       :        IFJ  DIANA. 


H  A  R  K  y    S.     L  0  H  I  N  U 

CIGAR  MANUFACTURER 

KNOX,    :  :     INDIANA. 
C  U  R   LEADERS... 


% » 


'•Knox  'Em  All 
"Old  Starke" 
"  Loring's  Best" 


=:  J.  A.  BYERS'  CASH  STORE  := 


— DEAI.ER  IN — 

Dry  Goods,  Groceries,  General 
Merchandise,Etc.  I  have  Some 

Bargains  For  You 

Come  In  and  See  Me. 

Yours  Truly, 
J.   A.    BYERS, 

KNOX,        -  -        INDIANA. 


MUm  Normal  UiilvGrsiiu. 

RocHester,  Indiana.. 


/^KFERS  Special  Inducements  to  Persons  Desiring 
^"'^lo  Take  Up  A  Course  in  the  Common  Branches, 
Higli  Sc1k)o1  Brandies,  A  Teaclier's  Course,  Short 
Hand.  Typewritin<jr,  Bookkeepintf,  Music  and  Other 
Departments.   For  Information  and  Catalogue,  address 


W.  H.  BANTA,  President. 


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Where  will  you  attend  School? 

Valparaiso  College  and  Northern  Indiana  Normal  Scliotil, 

— ONE  OF  THE — 

LARGEST  AND  BEST  EijUiPPED  COLLEGES  IN  THE  U.  S., 

ofters  except!  'iially  Hie  0,4)  'riunities  tor  doiii^  a  liigli 
g^rade  ot  wink  111  tlie  (••llowing'  J)epartnients:  Prep.ira- 
lory,  Tcaclit^rs.  Scieiililic.  C  a-sic,  liiiyn.eeriiiLj.  Ora- 
tory, Pliannacy.  Musical.  Fine  An,  Law,  vJoimiieiciHl, 
Piioii(»gTa|tliy  and  Ty pewiitin;^.  Review, 

Tli^  iiisi  itiilioii  is  well  equipped  with  building's, 
apartments,  library,  etc.  (The  uew  Science  Kail,  recent- 
ly completed,  iias  labratory  faciliiies  sutficieut  tor  ac- 
commodating- 400  si  udenls  working  at  one  time  )  Each 
department  of  the  school  is  supplied  with  every.tliitig 
necessary  tor  its  special  work.  For  Example,  The 
Colle^ate  Department  is  provided  witii  special  library, 
apparalu>i.  laboratories. etc. .and  offers  every  advantage 
for  thoroughness  that  can  be  found  at  the  older  colleges 
and  universities.  The  Pedagogical  Department  is  not  only 
supplied  with  a  full  reference  library,  consisting  of  all 
the  latest  and  rno^st  approved  books  treating  on  profes- 
sional work  but  it  has  als</*excellent  apparatus  for  ex- 
perimental purposes.  The  (^omniprdal  Department  is  pro- 
vided with  a  more  extensive  line  of  ofhces  than  has  ever 
been  attempted  by  any  other  school.  The  Pharmaey 
Department  is  one  of  the  few  in  the  U.  S  that  has  lab- 
oratory facilities  tor  do'tig  all  the  work.  What  is  true 
of  the  equipments  of  these  departments  is  true  of  the 
other  departments.  Attention  is  c.illed  to  this  to  show 
that  while  the 

EXPENSES  HERE  ARE  ABOUT  ONE-THIRD   AS   GREAT 
as  at  uiher  hivh  grade  •ichonU.  yet  the  advantages  arc  in  every  way  equal  and  in 
most   ca»e«    superior.      'I'liitinn,  $io  per  term.      Hoard  and  furnished  room,  f  i  50 
:<)  1 1  90  per  week       Catalojjiic  free       Address     M      H.     HKUWN,    President;    or 
P.  «>.  KI\SKV.  Vice- Pre  .idcnt,  Vali  araiso,  Indi^-na 

CM,KN().AR:      Second  Winter   I'cnni,    J  m.  .0,  n,o    ;    Fpring  I  erm,  March' 
31,   1903;  Summer  Teriti,  June  9,  i9->«. 


<:  1^ 


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