An illustrated history of the state of Indiana: being a full and authentic civil and political history of the state from its first exploration down to 1875, Part 1

Author: Goodrich, De Witt C; Tuttle, Charles R. (Charles Richard), b. 1848
Publication date: 1875
Publisher: Indianapolis : Richard S. Peale & Co.
Number of Pages: 752


USA > Indiana > An illustrated history of the state of Indiana: being a full and authentic civil and political history of the state from its first exploration down to 1875 > Part 1


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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58



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GENEALOGY COLLECTION


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MAJ. GEN. ART


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MAJ. GEN.


AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE


STATE OF INDIANA:


BEING A FULL AND AUTHENTIC


Civil and Political History of the State from its First Exploration down to 1875.


INCLUDING AN ACCOUNT OF THE


COMMERCIAL, AGRICULTURAL, AND EDUCATIONAL


GROWTH OF INDIANA. WITH HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES OF THE


CITIES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES,


EMBRACING Interesting Narratives of Pioneer Life, TOGETHER WITH


BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES AND PORTRAITS


Of the Prominent Men of the Past and Present, AND A HISTORY OF EACH COUNTY SEPARATELY.


BY DE WITT C. GOODRICH, AND


PROF. CHARLES R. TUTTLE, Author of the " Border Wars of Two Centuries," "Illustrated History of the State of Michigan," etc., etc.


SOLD ONLY BY SUBSCRIPTION.


INDIANAPOLIS: RICHARD S. PEALE & CO., PUBLISHERS. 1875.


Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by RICHARD S. PEALE & Co., In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.


PUBLISHERS' PREFACE. 1142521


IN the mechanical execution of this volume we have aimed to reach some degree of perfection. It is true that the Western book manufacturing establishments do not yet present as complete facilities for printing and binding books of this class, as some of the older Eastern publishing houses contain, but we have already made considerable advancement in this important industry; and it is, perhaps, not too much to say that this work presents, especially in its best bindings, a high degree of this progress.


The materials of which the volume is composed, in a literary sense, and the manner in which these are treated, are subjects so fully considered in the General Introductory, that we can- not speak of them here with expediency, yet, to prevent a misunderstanding, we have thought proper to make these explanatory remarks: -


The volume was not intended as an exclusive civil history of Indiana; hence, to persons expecting such, it will bring disappointment and dissatisfaction; nor did our plan contem- plate an exclusive political history of the State, hence to persons expecting a full history of the several political admin- istrations that have characterized the State government, it will bring disappointment also. Neither did we expect to present, in a single volume, all the important events in the


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PUBLISHERS' PREFACE.


pioneer history of Indiana. But, believing that, at the present time, the wants of the people could be best served by present- ing an equal part of each of these great features, we have adopted the plan of the present volume. And, while it must be remembered that neither of these phases, as presented in the following pages, is as complete as it would be were the entire volume devoted to a single feature, yet, since our space is limited, the idea of variety seems most acceptable.


In presenting this, the second edition of the History of Indiana, we have made several important corrections and additions, thereby making the work more desirable.


MAY 15th, 1875.


-


TO


THE PIONEERS OF INDIANA, MEN AND WOMEN, WHO BY GREAT INDUSTRY AND A CONSTANT INTEGRITY IN THE LABORS OF THEIR SEVERAL CALLINGS, HAVE LAID WELL THE FOUNDATION PRINCIPLES OF A GREAT AND PROSPEROUS STATE, THIS VOLUME


IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED.


INTRODUCTORY.


THE positive need of a reliable history of Indiana has been recognized for more than ten years, by nearly all the people of the State. It is equally true that the harvest of ma- terials for such a work was fully ripe. The early explorations of the French in the country of the Miamis; the labors of the zealous missionaries among the natives; the adventures of the fur-traders; the early wars with the Indians; the scenes and events around the old French forts and settlements; the strug- gles between the French and the English; the subjugation of the latter by Americans; the heroic proceedings of General George Rogers Clarke and his brave Virginians; the thrilling incidents and interesting reminiscences of pioneer life; the growth and prosperity of the settlements; the glorious part acted in the War for the Union; and, lastly, the unparalleled advancement in all the great industries and professions of civ- ilization ;- all these combine to render the narrative replete with interest and instruction.


How far we have succeeded in our attempt to collect and arrange these materials in the form of a history of the State, may now be seen; and, we shall regret, indeed, if, after so much labor, our work has been in vain. Our aims and objects have been shaped, as near as possible, by the demands or wants of the people. Hence it has not been an important part of our plan, as it has, of course, been beyond our ability, to present


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10


HISTORY OF INDIANA.


a work of any great literary merit. But such a work at this time is uncalled for, and it would seem that the present volume is needed to prepare the way for its demand in the future. Although deficient in many things, it will scarcely fail of this desired end.


The early history of the Wabash Valley would, of itself, if properly written, make a volume much larger than the present one, and, perhaps, if viewed in the light of narrative excel- lence, more interesting. At the beginning of the eighteenth century communication was opened up between Louisiana and Canada, by the way of the Maumee, Wabash, Ohio, and Mis- sissippi. Indeed this route had been traveled by a few, among whom was Robert de La Salle, some twenty years before, or as early as 1680. But with the beginning of the eighteenth cen- tury a general communication was established. With this came the necessity of forts or fortifications, to protect the route against hostile Indians, and, also, to further possess the country adjacent to it against the encroachments of the English colo- nies, which, until this period, and for several years after, were content with a narrow strip of land on the Atlantic sea-board. Such became the policy of the French Colonial Government sometime between 1690 and 1700, a decade during which the possibilities of establishing a permanent branch of the French Empire in the New World were bright and promising.


In 1700, the French decided to establish this chain of forti- fications without delay, and in one year after, Fort Pontchar- train (Detroit) was established on the Detroit river. During the four years following, rude forts, or stockades, were erected at the head of the Maumee, where the city of Fort Wayne now stands, on Wea Prairie, near the Wabash, in what is now Tippecanoe county, and at a point further down the Wabash, where Fort Knox was afterwards established, and where the


11


INTRODUCTORY.


flourishing city of Vincennes now stands. The first was called Post Miami, in respect to the Indian Confederacy of that name, which had its ancient capital near the site; the second was called Ouantenon; the third, Post Vincennes, in honor of its founder. I am well aware that certain phases of these state- ments will be contradicted by persons who have made conside- rable research, particularly those points touching the exact date of the establishment of these posts; but it is necessary that such contradictions be accompanied by satisfactory proof. A prominent gentleman of this State, who has justly earned a wide reputation for historical information, stated, in a conver- sation with the writer, only a few weeks ago, that the first military occupation of Vincennes took place in 1716. Grant- ing this, we give Post Miami ( Fort Wayne ) an antiquity exceeding Vincennes by eleven years, for it is certain that a military post was established at the former point in 1705.


But in the absence of the records themselves, the date of the first French military settlements in Indiana, can best be deter- mined by observing the colonial policy under which they were made, as also, the year in which that policy was executed. In many portions of the Northwest, the first French settlements were merely the off-shoots of personal ambition, or missionary zeal, as was that at Green Bay, Wisconsin, or that near the mouth of the St. Joseph of Lake Michigan; the former affords us an illustration of personal aggrandizement - presented in the daring and privations of M. Longlade; the latter a grand demonstration of the burning zeal of Fathers Dablon, Allouez and others, early Jesuit missionaries of New France. With regard to these and like settlements, there is ground for dispute as to the date of their origin. But the first settlements in Indiana were not made by chance explorers, or roving fur-tra- ders, or pious Jesuits; they were made under a fixed policy of


-


12


HISTORY OF INDIANA.


the French Government-a policy framed by the sagacious La Motte Cadillac, the founder of Detroit. Near the close of the seventeenth century, this bold pioneer and statesman of New France returned to his native country, on a mission of greater importance to French interests than was, at that time, realized by his countrymen. Filled with patriotic zeal, he laid before the Colonial Minister, Count Pontchartrain, the first map of the Wabash Valley ever made, executed by his own hands. . He pointed out the new route that had been discov- ered by La Salle and his associates, through the fertile vales of Indiana, and urged upon the establishment of a chain of fortifications upon it, for the protection of travel. And we fancy Cadillac reasoned in this wise: He pointed out upon his rude map the vast extent and richness of the country adjacent to the route on either side, and indicated the Indian strong- holds, suggesting their value as allies in case of future conflicts with rival colonies. Whatever his arguments were, they were convincing, as the Colonial Minister at once entered upon Ca- dillac's plans. "Pontchartrain," says a French writer, " was delighted with his plan, and at once commissioned him to execute it."


Cadillac returned to Canada and established Detroit, as we have said already, in 1701. It was under this general policy that the first military settlements were made in Indiana. The missionaries undoubtedly visited Vincennes, as did they also the site of Post Miami, long before military posts were erected in those places, but no permanent missions were stationed until after their occupancy by military power. This took place according to the French Colonial records, in 1705, and as near as can be ascertained there is not more than six months' differ- ence in the date of the first establishment of Posts Miami, Quantenon, and Vincennes. Certain it is, that they were all


13


INTRODUCTORY.


existing in the spring of 1706. That these posts were often deserted, and left without military garrisons, is undoubtedly true, but we will venture the assertion that the French Colo- nial archives will show that small garrisons were located at the three points indicated previous to 1706.


The history of these posts from their first establishment until, they were discontinued, furnishes a narrative replete with thrilling incident. It carries the reader through all the interesting scenes of French and Indian intercourse, which presents many romantic, unique phases. In some of these phases, we see Frenchmen degraded instead of savages ele- vated; we see thousands of reckless men, throwing off all civil- ized restraint, and plunging deliberately into barbarism; with the rifle and the scalping knife, they go forth to wreak ven- geance upon the whites, side by side with red men, as if their destinies have become indissolubly united with those of their new allies; we see a type of amalgamation for which the history of the world furnishes no parallel - Frenchmen descending to the level of Indians in social economy, and in many instances, dragging the natives down to a pitch of degra- dation from which a half savage sense of propriety often recoiled with just pride.


And again, the history of these posts carries the reader through curious accounts of the fur-trade, of the manners and customs of the courriers des bois, or wood rangers-a set of half breeds, with a language and characteristics peculiar to themselves. In the light canoe they would float carelessly down the streams, basking idly in the summer's sun, or gaily singing some French or Indian song. At night they slept upon the river's bank, thoughtless of bed or protection. Returning with loads of furs after a long journey, or from the chase, they were greeted by their tawny wives and hybrid offspring with social enthusiasm,


14


HISTORY OF INDIANA.


and, in their low, uncultivated sphere, seemed to enjoy life without many of its cares and burdens. The fur-trade had many distinguishing features. Whiskey was one of the chief articles of merchandise, and in the use of this the savage per- petrated his greatest abuse. Oft have the forests around Fort Wayne or Vincennes echoed with the hideous yells of the pow wow, when barrel after barrel of poisonous liquors was permitted to be distributed among deluded savages. Verily, the fur-trader will have an account to give at the day of reck- oning, in which Indian wrongs will be vindicated.


And, again, the history of these posts carries us through the pious devoutment of Catholic missionaries, through accounts of Christian zeal, persecution, privations for the Gospel's sake. We see missionary priests mingling with the savages, teaching them, supping with them, pointing them to the cross. In wigwams or rude log-huts, these priests gathered anxious, curi- ous pupils and labored to instruct them in a civilization and Christianity that they could never, never comprehend or appre- ciate. But the Indians assented and applauded in their silent devotion, and the missionaries labored on, in a hopeless cause, until a war of extermination ended their labors.


And, again, the history of these posts is filled with thrilling narratives of war, narratives that carry the reader through Sandoskit's ( Nicholas ) conspiracy, Pontiac's conspiracy. Te- cumseh's war, and the long desultory war that, for years, kept alive a feeling of alarm in the pioneer homes on the borders. We see the mighty war-clouds gathering, as the voice of the mighty Pontiac resounds through the forests of the lake regions, and, as they burst in thunderous volleys of musketry, we behold the massacres that characterized the fall of the " fated nine." Who shall paint the darkness and gloom that settled over the western outposts in 1763-4, when the giant of the


15


INTRODUCTORY.


Ottawas swayed, at his imperial command, all the Indian forces of the Northwest? Who shall tell us of the foul conspiracies plotted in forest councils where this proud Ottawa presided? What pen shall ever describe the horrors in the execution of these conspiracies ? The mind turns away from the scene at Michilimackinac, awed with its extremes of barbarity; the heart sickens with a contemplation of Vanango; while the fall of Holmes, on a supposed errand of mercy, at Post Miami, and the capture of Jenkins at Ouantenon, present shameful inci- dents of French cowardice and Indian treachery. But no sooner did the storm of Pontiac's vengeance subside, than another great Indian statesman rose to defend his race. Tecum- seh gathered the scattered forces, and led the last great struggle of the red men, until swallowed up in death and defeat.


As we have said, these things - the important events in the history of the Wabash Valley - would make a volume, one quite easy of construction, but full of deep interest. But with the aim of presenting modern Indiana, its early history has been exceedingly abridged, so that, to a great extent, this field may still be regarded as open to the investment of labor and research.


In the second place, our account of the civil administration of the State and territorial government is necessarily very concise. This would, also, if properly digested, make a volume much larger than the present one; but, we presume it would not be as interesting to the general reader, as valuable to those in search of specific information concerning the civil service of the State. This digest of documents introduces us to the organization of the Territorial Government at Vincennes in 1800, under our own General Harrison; follows the dry routine in the administration of the territory-a narrative interspersed here and there with pleasing incidents; presents the interesting


16


HISTORY OF INDIANA.


Constitutional Convention of 1816, which sat at Corydon, and framned the Constitution that so ably preserved the liberties of the people for thirty-five years; it presents also the Constitu- tional Convention of 1850, from which we received the present inestimable Constitution- the foundation of the grand free public school system of the State. It presents the burdens and blessings, the triumphs and defeats of the Old Internal Improvement system- a system so deeply rooted in the legis- lation of the State that it still presents itself at every change in the political composition of the legislature; it carries us through a system of land grants, and commissions thereunto belonging, which the State Government is still trying in vain to fathom; it presents a network of private legislation and an ocean of local laws, the enumeration of which, though not easy, would be a pleasant task, in comparison with the attempt to discover their origin and real designs. But, as already hinted, our occupancy of this field is so limited as to present the widest scope for zeal and energy. Indeed, the materials are ripe, and the demand large, for a Documentary History of Indiana.


In the third place, our county histories present the "might have been," more than they sustain the plan under which they are presented; and, if persons into whose hands this volume may be placed, jealous of the interests of their own counties, condemn the work because of the inequality apparent in the county sketches, we shall scarcely be surprised. Yet, after all, we may honestly rest our case, as to that point, with this explanation. It was not the original purpose to write a history of each county. This must be plain to even a careless thinker, as such a plan would require a scope of at least ten volumes. We regret, however, the want of space for more of these local records. Truly, the history of the pioneers of Indiana is full


17


INTRODUCTORY.


of interest and instruction. It presents a narrative full of dramatic situations and romantic scenes, in which more than a thousand actors render the same part.


The pioneer history of Indiana presents much that is worthy of admiration. In the hardy, honest pioneer we have a grand illustration of true manhood. He left the scenes of civiliza- tion as if moved by an over-ruling divinity, and with axe and gun, wended his lonely way along the bending rivers, deep into forests, inhabited only by wild beasts and straggling natives. Prospecting on vale and hill, he moves forward, guided only by the familiar blaze of the surveyor's axe, through openings, across fertile bottoms, and through rolling woodlands, until the eye falls on the spot of his choice. Here the cabin home is to be erected. Hard by runs a rippling stream, through a fertile ravine, ever telling Nature's mystic story in the voice of tireless waters. Upon this the mill is to be established. Ever and anon, on either side stretches a vast forest of oak, walnut, and other valuable timber, and beneath is a rich, pro- ductive soil, awaiting only the touch of the husbandman to break forth into a golden harvest.


The history of the pioneers of Indiana carries us from this scene through many incidents. We have the building of the cabin; the moving of the family from civilization to that iso- lated cabin home; the toils and hardships of the mother, rearing a family, where there is naught but her own hands to administer in circumstances where the most delicate and tender sympathy is required; the long, weary years of toil and danger through which the father passes, unmoved in his persistent · energy. At his bidding, the forests gradually fade away, and fertile fields spread out in harvest luxury; and, in short, the various scenes in that grand transformation from the wilderness to the metropolis, from barbarism to civilization, from chaos


2


18


HISTORY OF INDIANA.


to achievement. . Although we have presented much of this narrative, more than enough to constitute a rare and useful volume remains yet unwritten.


From these hints concerning the manner in which the three great phases of the State's history are treated in the following chapters, it will be seen that, while we do not claim to have elaborated on either, as much of all is presented as will con- form to our original plan - that of producing a work touching upon all these subjects, and at the same time condensing all within the compass of a single volume.


CHARLES R. TUTTLE.


INDIANAPOLIS, IND., March, 1875.


INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS.


Brown, Prof. R. T. 239


Brown, Austin H. 195


Hoagland, Pliney


200


Hackleman, Hon. Elijah


146


Hoss, Prof. Geo. W.


323


Brownfield, John


269


Hobbs, Prof. B. C.


263


Hanna, Samuel


120


Hanna, Mrs. Eliza


121


Hough, John.


75


Hendricks, Hon. Thomas A


113


Harrison, Gen. William H.


Frontispiece.


Kirkwood, Daniel


277


Kerr, Hon. M. C.


339


LaSalle, Charles B. 643


Long, Thomas B.


204


Lane, Hon. Henry S


579


Lingle, W. S.


631


Louder, Charles


367


Lockwood, John M.


223


Lewis, Andrew


231


Martindale, E. B.


651


Moody, M. M.


315


McDonald, Hon. Joseph E.


579


Mears, G. W.


239


Mitchell, Hon. William


191


Morton, Hon. O. P.


102


Nutt, Rev. Dr. Cyrus


211


Nuttman, J. D


78


Orth, Hon. G. S


579


Owen, Richard


277


Olds, N. G.


235


Pratt, Hon. D. D.


339


Purdue, Hon. John


137


Peed, H. A.


257


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I


Buckles, Joseph S. 355


Biddle, Judge Horace P.


183


Bates, Harvey


305


Bass, J. H. 140


Bass, S. S.


143


Brackenridge, Robert.


71


Bird, Hon. O. 84


Carpenter, Willard


227


Comstock, James


315


Cason, T. J.


339


Comingor, Prof. J. A. 239


Cumback, Hon. Will 253


Cox, Prof. E. T.


187


Colfax, Hon. Schuyler


90


Campbell, John L.


175


Clarke, Gen. George Rogers.


Frontispiece.


Danaldson, David S. 162


Evans, S. Cary 127


Evans, A. S. 523


Edson, Judge Wm. P.


179


English, Maj. Elisha G


.291


English, Hon. Wm. H.


285


Edgerton, Joseph K.


106


Edgerton, A. P. 130


Fletcher, Prof. W. B. 239


Field, Dr. Nathaniel 347


Fitch, Hon. G. N.


515


Fowler, Moses


152


'Gooding, Hon. David S.


581


Hunter, Hon. M. C.


579


Houghton, Walter R.


277


20


INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS.


Patterson, Judge C. Y 215


Pierce, Martin L .... 134


Posey, Gov. Thomas.Frontispiece.


Ryan, T.


439


Roche, John


117


Robbins, G. W


299


Ross, W. T.


156


Rose, Chauncy


169


Randall, Hon. F. P.


96


Wright, C. E. 239


Shanks, Hon. J. P. C. 339


Wylie, Dr. T. A. 277


Studebaker, Clem


475


Wilson, Col. W. C. 207


Wood, George W.


249


Studebaker, Peter E.


495


Williams, Jesse L.


87


Studebaker, Jacob F


505


Wayne, Gen. Anthony_ Frontispiece


Scott, John T.


245


Yeoman, D. H.


.315


Suttenfield, Mrs. Laura


93


Zollinger, Charles


81


MISCELLANEOUS.


Residence of Samuel Hanna 124


Residence of F. P. Randall 99


Residence of Judge H. P. Biddle 219


Birth place of Judge H. P. Biddle 218


Studebaker Brothers' Wagon Works, South Bend. 615


Studebaker Brothers' Carriage Works, South Bend 435


Bass Foundry and Machine Works, Fort Wayne 621


Scene of the Battle of Tippecanoe 165


Council S ne between General Harrison and Tecumseh 159


Public Scl l Building, Sullivan 453


Ford School Building, La Fayette 385


Opera House, La Fayette 383


Purdue University Buildings 387, 389, 391, 392


Sutherland, John 315


St.Clair, Gen. Arthur. Frontispiece. Tyner, Hon. James N. 579


Thompson, Col. James S.


277


Tuttle, Dr. Joseph F. 172


Trentman, B. 110


Vandgundy, Adam 215


Wolfe, Hon. S. K. .339


Studebaker, John M.


485


Stockton, Lawrence B.


149


1


INDEX TO BIOGRAPHIES.


Andrus, LL.D., Reuben 667


Biddle, Judge H. P. 634


Baker, Hon. Conrad 624


Beard, John


645


Brackenridge, Robert


646


Brownfield, John


666


Bates, Harvey 667


Buckles, Joseph S. 671


Bird, Hon. O.


683


Brown, Austin H.


683


Brown, Prof. R. T. 684


Bass, J. H. 684


Bass, Col. S. S. 684


Campbell, LL.D., John L. 639


Cumback, Hon. Will 642


Carpenter, Willard


677


Cox, Prof. E. T. 684


Comingor, Prof. A. J 684


Cason, Hon. T. J. 684


Colfax, Hon. Schuyler 684


Dunn, Williamson


646


Dowling, Thomas


648


Danaldson, David S. 649


Elsion, Isaac C. 646


English, Hon. Wm. H. 650


English, Major Elisha G. 656


Eddy, Col. Norman


659


Edgerton, J. K 663


Edgerton, A. P. 683


Earp, A.M., Jno. E. 665


Evans, Amos S. 673


Evans, S. Cary 684


Edson, Wm. P 676


Fitch, Hon. G. N.


633


Fowler, Moses 641


Field, Dr. Nathaniel


668


Fletcher, Prof. W. B. 684


Gooding, Hon. David S. 680


Hobbs, LL.D., Barnabas C. 628


Hackleman, Hon. Elijah. 660


Hoss, LL.D., George W


660


Hendricks, Hon. Thomas A.


661


Houghton, Walter R. 664


Holloway, Col. W. R. 674


Hoagland, Pliney


680


Hanna, Samuel 684


Hanna, Mrs. Eliza 684




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