USA > Indiana > Wells County > Ossian > 20th century souvenir edition of the Ossian news, Ossian, Ind., January 1st, 1900 > Part 1
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20TH CENTURY
SOUVENIR EDITION
OF THE
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OSSIAN
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01890 7664
GC 977.202 OS7OA
Nelsonkinth,
Suffton,
Jung 1, 1900
20th Century ....
souvenir Edition
of the
ssian
news ..
Ossian, Ind ...
January 1st, 1900 ...
Fas. 1. 1keeter, Editor ...
DM
Illustrated.
Entered in the Ossian, Ind , postoffice as second-el .. ss mail matter.
lasst Reefer.
Introduction ...
Standing on the threshold of a new century, any publication cannot be deemed otherwise than worthy of production, providing it is voicing pro- gress. and is itself an organ of true progression. Ossian is full of vigor- is worthy of a broader attention than ever before: first, because she enters the new era hopefully active, building upon the experiences of a bravely-fought past: and, second. because she has much more of every- thing calculated to entitle her to the good will of those interested in de- velopement. whether of town or city. than formerly. Therefore believing that there is a demand for an historical and biographical work. which. by sketching somewhat of the past, proves the existence of a bright presence. and the approach of a brighter future. the Publisher of THE NEWS offers to friends and patrons, the most superb Souvenir Edition ever gotten off a country press. That the effort, at this, the beginning of a new epoch. will meet appreciation, and that any inaccuracies in data will be over- looked. the Publisher cannot doubt.
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Facing the Future.
BY REM A. JOHNSTON.
So shall we sit in jubilance of power, Advancement for our footstool, and the name
Of hoped achievements whistling through our thoughts. Behind us lie the countless æons that Were marked by ceaseless, solemn effort and Great unnamed acts and rare attainments wrought. Upon the past we build with serene hope, Watching the new dawn of a wonder world- A newer century far greater than The many cycles of the fateful past!
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SOUVENIR EDITION
Ossian.
HEN Oliver Goldsmith penned present chronicler to present.
the lines which have made his
Ossian is the banner town of Wells fame lasting and endeared his memory to County. Situated ten miles north of the every home-loving heart, he did not de- County Seat, our city affords the northern scribe "Auburn" because of any starry portion of the county with an ideal trad- grandeur, because of any great natural ing-point. Again, being situated centrally in an exceedingly fertile district, she is the emporium of the wealth of the rich lands surrounding her-a truly ideal mar- ket for whatsoever is grown in the country round about. scenery, or wealthy endowment she pos- sessed. He wrote of "Auburn" because of the inherent worth she was mistress of: and in our brief history, which we seek to present in the most readable and interest- ing form possible, we have for our excuse Not alone is Ossian to be considered in her purely commercial aspects. She is a seat of intellectuality and mental advance- ment, and might in all justice be termed the Athens of the County, whence go out year by year the pride of state and country. no higher aim, no better purpose than to command attention for the sake of the true worth of our little city, which worth elevates her over larger and noisier con- temporaries. Let no one, then, for a mo- ment suppose that we have the beauties of a Riverside Drive, Cornice Road, Euclid
The early history of Ossian is similar to that of most of our pioneer towns. Early Avenue or Champs Elysees to describe. happenings are shrouded in oblivion, or Beauty is only an aesthetic pleasure after remembered only in such a vague way as to all, and there are other elements of great- make the occurrences seem purely tradit- ness besides those which appeal merely to ional. taste, which elements it is the duty of the
Dates for the most part are almost as
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THE OSSIAN NEWS
inclement country, where during the bleak winters the icy wind howled and hissed the livelong while, singing wild sonatas pathetique and wilder misereries in the oaks and ashes of the virgin forest! A dan- gerous land, full of snakes, and crawling creatures, unclean rep- tiles, wild things that love such black, isolated fastnesses; fearsome, grewsome abode of ter- rors, that required men of great hearts and pow- erful, splendid, Ilyssus- View of Mill Street. . like forms to enter and conquer-to enter and difficult to obtain as are credible stories alter to meet the demands of an encroach- of the past ideals and achievements of the ing generation.
place. Still, looking back to the not ex- Into this wild of forest, water, swamp ceedingly far-past year, 1837, we find that and ague, came Robert and William Craig the present site of the city was a wilder- in 1837, the first Jefferson Township pion- eers. William shortly returning to the old home brought back, in 1838, his family. Then came other adventurous spirits, who reasoned that, despite of all the obstacles that confronted them, the land was good, and would eventually furnish homes and
ness of woods, inhabited by all the natural denizens of a primeval forest. The wide sluggish, malarial-laden Eight-Mile flowed along to its destination-Little River- through swamps haunted by deer, bear, and the ghosts of red warriors who twenty years before had hunted, trapped and slain farms for themselves and children.
their kind along its misty margins. This In 1838 came John Davis, John Snider, James Ferguson, Levi Young, and from that time on the township filled up rapid- ly. In general, the class of people who thus camped in the wilderness, were men and women of the upper middle rank, rank, scummy overflow-at places one-half mile wide, at others impassable-remind- ing one of nothing so much as the fabled infernal river(which rolls to its destination through Erebus blackness and filthy fogs of death,) nourished the germs of ague and which rank has furnished the world with all the deadly fevers. Roundabout, the all its greatest men from times immemor- silent woods, dense and damp, distorted ial. Here was pluck, here was labor, here
and disfigured by gnarled, swampy under- growth, shrouded the pleasant land which was, years later, to develop into a most choice farming district.
was industry, here was morality, here was unquestionable integrity. The lack in wealth was little felt as the earnestness of the toil developed new vistas through the long vaulted aisles of which showed glit- tering goals (attainments to be reached by ceaseless efforts of brawn and brain).
Imagine if you can this scene. A lieavy growth of woods, covering a dank swamp- land, full of wild animals, poisonous airs, and one might almost say, dews of death! It were too long a task to set down the names of the worthy and great men who nights throughout the rainy season the contributed their lives toward the early development of the country around Ossian. In the forties the Gorrells, Glasses, Adys, A sickly, misty place where all the long perpetual drip of moisture soaking through all things permeable, hung in great dewy beads on every conceivable thing! A chilly, Quackenbushes, Allens, Hatfields made
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SOUVENIR EDITION
JACOB FATSCHER CLERK.
M.N.NEWMAN, TRUSTEE
E.H. JUSTUS MARSHAL
N. WEAVER TRUSTEE-
D.H.MCDOWELL, OSTEE
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THE OSSIAN NEWS
* their appearance. Murray and there- the forests. The game began im- per- abouts which had been settled previously ceptibly to travel westward and north- (even having had in the year 1834 or 35 a ward. This was a sign of civilization's pioneer soul named Swett) drew such good progress. Frame buildings began gradual- old families as the Mettses who were, years ly, and gradually it was indeed, to take the place of the log houses with their puncheon floors. later, to form such a necessary adjunct to the Ossian commonwealth.
Slowly, after the manner of all stable
Another sign of the forward trend of world-growths, the elements which gave affairs was the survey of the railroad in body to the first effervescent efforts of 1854, which, however, was fifteen long colonization, gave also logical form to years in proving anything more than an more permanent and necessitous enter- unrealized dream. In point of fact the prises. The land was quickly taken so far rails were not laid until 1869, when our as swamps and water permitted, then came esteemed fellow townsman David Craig the necessity for trading-posts. Murray had the honor of driving the third spike because of its earlier settlement became used on the ties in this county.
When the war broke out there were
one as did Bluffton. As yet the Jefferson Township pioneers toiled principally to probably two-hundred inhabitants and Fort Wayne for supplies. In the early several small business places in Ossian forties when there was but one man-Levi backed by a sustaining vitality which enabled the village to safely stem the fur-
Young-living on the present site of the city, John H. Glass moved into a small ious blasts and drains of war.
cabin near Young's and began the not One by one, the business buildings were arduous task of keeping store. This was enlarged; little by little the town grew in & favorable sign in the history of develop- power. The intelligence of the people ment. Trade began to come, of course, who managed the early affairs conspired to add to this vitality and strength born of good blood and great need. and the people to huddle into groups as it were, instinctively drawing nearer to each other. In the year 1846, William Craig, It is not necessary to describe the advent John Ogden and Squire LeFever View of Main Street. laid out the town of Ossian and made an auction for the sale of lots. This was a well-directed act. The people followed the lead. The growth, which began in the usual fitful man- ner, steadied, after the fashion of early organizations which always play shadow-like at first, and in a few years Ossian became a powerful rival to Murray, which was then struggling for supremacy over Bluff- ton, a struggle which the capital of Studabaker determined in favor of the present County seat. Not im- mediately did Murray deteriorate: for many years without gaining, she held her early prestige. Ossian on the contrary, continued to wax lar- ger and stronger.
The great "Plank Road" was be- gun in 1850. By this time the people gathered in Ossian rapidly. The county was well settled. The steady unremitting toil of the woodsmen had made an ir impression upon
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SOUVENIR EDITION
Group of Old Settlers.
of each industry. In its proper place each stave factory, employed a hundred men will receive its historical setting and a and more. The trading and commercial description of its material growth. Here interests increased, checked only by a few we recognize principally the general effect years of depression in the nineties, which upon progress, and the steps in general depression has now happily passed away advancement.
forever.
Schools added their humanizing in- To-day Ossian is one of the cleanest fluence. The sinew and brawn of out- little towns imaginable. Being incorpo- door effort furnished clear, vigorous rated she is in admirable condition to suc- brains. The youth began to show signs of
cessfully control the gains she has made in ability worthy the sons of such a hardy the past. The schools each year, increas- ing in usefulness, offer advantages unequal-
race. Convention was as it should be, bounded by one or two clearly defined ed by many of the commissioned High rules-a convention new, separate, of itself Schools of larger cities. a law for clean souls and stout hearts. The stores are now doing the largest volume of business ever known in the history of the place. Two large general stores, three restaurants, two drug stores, And morality was never so great a realiza- tion as during this period of first-growth, and integrity was never so high.
The seventies were years of steady ad- livery stable, harness shop, tile factory, vancement, both intellectually and materi- brick yard, wagon shops, furniture store, ally. The village increasing each year as- two hotels, one shoe-store, one barber-shop, sumed a well-to-do aspect, changed in form one hardware store, one tailor shop, two somewhat, enlarged its compass. It be- blacksmith shops, one saw-mill, one grain came as it still is, the great trading point of elevator, one creamery, one undertaking northern Wells County. establishment, the largest flour-mill in the
The eighties were years of unmixed gain. county, the banner job printing office of The number of inhabitants of Ossian the county. a tasty, readable weekly, are swelled to seven hundred. The Nimmons all doing an extra amount of work in their
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THE OSSIAN NEWS
Oldest Dwelling in Ossian.
the county, a tasty, readable weekly. are all doing an extra amount of work in their several lines. The streets are nicely graveled the walks substantially made. Shade trees adorn the highways which stretch out north and south and west through the most fertile lands known -- the lands which realize the dreams of the pioneer toilers of half a century ago.
Cosy residences front the streets. An
air of great, perpetual peace and prosperity rests over all things. The hurly-burly of sweat shops is unknown in this rare Utopian retreat. Situated on the banks of the once loathsome Eight-Mile Creek there is no longer anything to fear from poor drainage-the system is unequaled by any of our contemporaries. The most ardent religionists would scarcely have any fault to find with our moral status. Presbyterian, Methodist, United Brethren and Baptist churches afford ample evidence of the devotional culture of the people. Also the successful war against the liquor element has preserved for us an environ- ment free from all temptation.
To those who find fraternal organizations a necessary adjunct to life, the seven secret orders of Ossian, to say nothing of the numerous other social societies would prove acceptable.
The musical culture of the city is rep- resented by the trained choirs of the several churches, performers on various instruments, and a brass band. In every respect is this place of advancement up and above the average town of its size.
The population of Ossian numbers about 1,000 souls. This number is slowly increas- ing as is evinced by the occasional appear-
ance of new buildings. In every respect the situation seems to be improving even beyond the hopes of those who prepared the way for us. Poor toilers in damp forests! Poor workers by slimy ague-taint- ed streams! Poor laborers in the dim dumb past, today your descendants stand in the red blaze of a new century's dawn and look with dazzled eyes into the world- picture that spreads before them. A part of the deeds and attainments will be theirs and they will build as even you, with strong fearless hearts and sinewy hands. The future of Ossian bright as it will of necessity be. will depend upon their efforts. Like you they will build and pass away and be remembered only for the marks their hands have left on the material things and on the intellectual status round about. The past has been a successful one. The future no man can see. Year by year the sun-shadows will dance on the dark grave-stones of those who have helped to make our history. Hopeless toilers? No. A stable, growing town, the birth place of many great, the death place of many good, the living place (and most successfully so) of numerous men and women of activity and resource, is not a miserable result.
Ossian has more to offer in the way of advantages moral, intellectual and com- mercial than any n near contemporary. Wrapped in her veil of sunshine and peace she is content to be nothing great if she may be good and prosperous, The pioneer efforts have not been vain ones.
J. R. LeFever.
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SOUVENIR EDITION
J.G.GORRELL, J.P.
C.H.BELL P.M.
É
JAMES SWAIM
TRUSTEE
J.S.KREWSON,N.P.
A.B.DAVIS, N.P
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THE OSSIAN NEWS
Ossian School Building.
Growth of the Schools.
The reign of the brass-edged ferule and showed forth, as they always do in the knotty beech-rod has ended. The "old normal building of popular, clannish, tribal deestrict" school is dead, but a mightier or municipal government. In the old days growth has arisen, built upon the early one who could read well in the old "English foundation, where worth and character Reader, " write a fair hand, and "cipher" made up for the lack of mere intellectual- to Compound Proportion was ready in ity. In the old times, Reading, Writing mental furnishment for the battle of life. and 'Rithmetic, or the three "R's," were Today with our graded public school. sufficient branches for the son and daughter which ends only with a four years High of the hardy pioneer to master. A higher School course embracing History, Histio- education would have been wasted on the logy, Higher Mathematics, Chemistry, men and women who got their knowledge English Literature, Physical Geography, in the school of bitter unpalatable ex- Geology, (branches in the days fifty years perience. But as the needs developed syne scarcely known,) there still remains new activities and the pioneer toiler be- many uninvestigated lines which the gan to come in touch with the world future holds for the school which has outside his world, the educational im- slowly evolved from a mere embryo of pulses increased, the tendencies to strive theoretical intellectuality. toward higher and nobler attainments
To-day is the day of the unceasing
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SOUVENIR EDITION
squabble for scholarship. Today is the day when the child puts his par- ents to shame by questions not found in the old curriculum of study. To- day is the day of pedagogy, psychol- ogy, philosophy-and incidentally. just sometimes only, precocious children. It might be observed par- enthetically that there are those who believe that modesty and wisdom should go hand in hand for though we have some knowledge and per- ception, perhaps, in our school at- tendants we have a vacuum when it comes to modesty. This, however, is not a result of the better-not to say the higher- education, so we may pass it by, tolerate it, since it is a universal evil which no educational reform will ever touch.
In 1841. by the old law, three trus- tees for Jefferson Township, were elected. Those men-Levi Young, J. R. LeFever. John Ogden-were the first legal representatives of Residence of John Rex. learning in Ossian. By them the first school in the township, known as the of the present generation. Here occurred "Craig School," was organized. Miss Mar- the floggings, trials, and tribulations of the garet Hatfield was appointed teacher by old regime, good descriptions of which we them, and so far as we have been able to have all read in Edward Eggleston's trace, was actually the first teacher in the "Hoosier School Master." Poor old efforts
township. She was followed by Isaac of hands forever still! Most of the in- Hatfield, Joseph LeFever. Dr. William structors-the "Masters" have gone away: Johnston and others, but in what precise their reign has long been ended: their order we are unable to state.
methods have been dead these many days. The first school held in the town of Ossian was taught by Robert M. Johnston. The building utilized was an old log kitch- * * * An accurate list of the teachers of this period is not forthcoming-that they were all competent. judged by the en situated near the spot where now stands standards of those days, we are assured: the residence of Walter Craig. This
that they faithfully performed the trust to school was organized in 1850. In 1851 the which they were appointed there can be first school house proper was built. It was no doubt. Of those still remembered as situated near the place now occupied by
teachers the following are to be mentioned: Dr. J. I. Metts' office. A rude log cabin Jacob J. Todd, Miss Maggie Hawkins, A. was this structure, small and poorly built. B. Cartwright, Mrs. Rena Howard, Mrs. Here in 1851 and 1852 Robert M. Johnston Mary Wilmington.
taught both day and night school. Here In the later sixties the frame two story also in 1852 and 1853 taught Miss Mary building (which was torn down in 1893 to Cartwright, who later became the wife of make place for the large brick addition. our respected fellow citizen Milo J.Gorrell. erected under Trustee McCullom. con-
Some time later a frame building was demned in 1898 and replaced under Tris- tees Ransom Allen and James Swaim by the present grand structure) was built in response to the demand for a larger build-
erected. This structure now exists as a shed on the property of B. F. Johnston. Here the early teachers toiled to instil the primal truths in the receptive minds ing and increased facilities. This building
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THE OSSIAN NEWS
J.H.KISER
.D.MANNES
MISS JENNIE SWAIM,
PROF.J.F. MYERS
MISS IDA TAYLOR
MISS
LIZZIE JOHNSTON
MISS JENNIE ALLEN
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SOUVENIR EDITION
was of course erected during the trustee- mentioned in foregoing pages of this ship of Dr. J. I. Metts who went into article, since the institution was purely a office in 1859, and who served with honor private enterprise, and in no way connect- for 21 years. The first person employed ed with the public school. Still, it seems as teacher for this second frame school good that the work of this institution of house was Miss Jennie Sterling To this learning be mentioned, since Rev. Mayn estimable instructor belongs the credit of brought more scholarship to Ossian than being the first to introduce grade arrange- had any instructor before his day, and ment in our schools. It is a matter of re- perhaps, than any one since.
gret that we cannot secure the name of Miss Sterling's assistant.
Being an old college professor his methods were the ones in use by the most three years Rev. Mayn taught in Ossian, and the value of his work is now incalcula-
Probably the real usefulness which we learned educators of those days. For expect to find in school effort dated from the beginning of Miss Sterling's adminis- tration. She was a careful, conscientious ble. All the teachers of the old regime teacher who strove constantly to elevate remember his work to have been of the the then standard of scholarship. very highest order. Teaching 35 classes
It will interest many into whose hands this work will fall to read the names of those who followed Miss Sterling. We were unable to se- cure a list that is at all satisfactory or chronol- ogical. And it must be understood that the list given is incomplete, since we were unable to get the records-most of which were destroyed by fire. The names of those who are easily re- membered for their la- bors in the "old two- story frame school- house," as it has come to be spoken of, are Residence of T. A. Doan. as follows: J. B. Donaldson, Serepta a day, "hearing recite at one time" 3 (Metts) Worley. S. N. Vail, Nellie (Ran- classes, were feats performed by this kin) Baker, Wm. Mygrants, R. Houser, wonderful man. After his departure in Lizzie J. N. Johnston, Joe (Metts) Walmer, 1871 the seeds of mental activity sown, re- Ida (Johnston) Emmanuel, May (Gorrell) sulted in a growth of young public school Swaim. teachers who introduced the methods of Rev. Mayn as far as practicable, in the schools over which they presided. The keynote of this epoch of mental industry was thoroughness.
Of these persons, who, in the shadowy past, builded perchance better than they knew, several have climbed to positions of eminence, others walk no more among us, having been called away upon the In 1878, the first brick building was built as the necessity for larger accomodat- Father's business. Tribute is due to all erected. A large four roomed structure, of them-and memory.
Just here it is well to go back to 1868 in ions was presented.
order that we may speak of the academy P. A. Allen, now editor of the Bluffton which Rev. A. Mayn, A. M., in that Banner, was the first principal in the year, opened in Ossian.
It was not new building. He was succeded by D.
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THE OSSIAN NEW'S
Residence of A. B. Davis.
H. Swaim., present editor of the Bluffton Chronicle These gentlemen continued the work of "grading" and succeeded in giving the present school much of its boasted system. W. H. Ashcraft, J B. Bonnell, R. W Stine, J. T. McMannus, E. R. Lerner, I. C. Hamilton have all been connected with the public schools as principals. All were men of eminent ability to control and systematize It was due to their untiring efforts that we made such advancement as is now accord- ed us.
The present school building is a large brick, containing eight rooms. The south- ern portion of the edifice is the oldest part, which was erected in 1878. The northern part or the new addition, which is a fine specimen of architectural skill, was re- cently completed.
The corps of teachers for this year is here recorded :---
Principal. J. F. Myers; Assistants, W. D. Mannes and J. H. Kiser.
5th Room, Ida Taylor.
3rd Room, Jennie Swaim.
2nd Room, Jennie Allen.
1st Room, Lizzie J. N. Johnston.
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