USA > Indiana > Steuben County > Atlas of Steuben Co., Indiana, to which are added various general maps, history, statistics, illustrations > Part 1
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911 At1
LUSTRATED RICALA TĚ
STEUBEN COUNTY INDIANA.
Collection of Native North American Indian Books, Historical Books, Atlases, plus other Important au- thors and family heirloom books. As of 12-31-93
@ilford minutdom Earl Ford McNaughton
1
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012
http://archive.org/details/historicalatlassteu00beer
Atlas 1 STEUBEN CO
INDIANA
TO WHICH ARE ADDED
VARIOUS G ENE HISTORY STATISTICS~
AI
S
ILLUSTRATIONS.
J.M. BEERS &CO.
PUBLISHERS
Lakeside Building Cor. of Clarke & Adams St.s.
Chicago.
$1880)
9
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE PLATS.
PAGE 18, 19
Deller, George H.,
44
Johnson, James H. and wife, deceased,
16
Pleasant Township, 13, 26, 32, 40
Clear Lake Township,
23
Farnham, Erastus,
25 Keyes, W. H., .
15
Fremont Township, 28,51
Fair Grounds, plat of,
41
Ferrier, William,
27 Macartney, Francis,
22
Flint, plat of,
18
Fremont Public School,
24
Miller, James UJ.,
22
Mill Grove Township, 52
Fremont Township,
24
Gates, Lawrence,
27
MeConnell, George W. (and biography), .
32
Otsego Township, . 52
Fremont, plat nf,
29
Gordon, H. E., .
47
McConnell, Mrs. Eliza,
32
Richland Township, 53
Hamilton, plat of, .
23
Johnson, Stillmon E.,
16
MeNabh, Theodore B., .
Hudson, plat of, 33
Johnson, E. C.,
31
Partridge, Alvin and wife,
35
Stenben Township,
53
Jackson Township,
34
Michael, Joshua, 27 Powers Family, group of, 43
Jamestown Township,
30
Partridge, A., 35
Riee, C. D., deceased, 21
Jamestown, plat of,
18
Pleasant Lake, 36, 37
Ranshurg, M. V., M. D., 39
Metz, plat of,
33
Stevens, Francis (deceased),
47
Sheffer, W. K., 22
Mill Grove Township,
33
Spangler, Henry, .
48
Steveus, Francis, deceased, 47
Orland, plat of,
42
Teegardin, A. W.,
31
Stevens, Malinda F., . 47
Otaego Township, .
45
Tinklepaugh, A. H., 48
Twichell, W. H.,
15
Pleasant Township,
20
Twichell, Jonas,
35
Twichell, Jonas H., Sr., and wife,
3g
Mill Grove Township, 55
Otsego Township, 56
Richland Township,
23
Zongker, Joseph M.,
Williams, T. B., M. D., .
39
Salem Township,
49
Wood, H. D., M. D.,
21
Salem Center, plat of,
17
Scott Township, 41
PORTRAITS.
Allomong, Joseph, 38
46
Beight, Samuel, 15
HISTORY.
Clear Lake Township,
11
York Township, 42
Carpenter, Jesse H.,
15
Fremont Township,
10
Business Directory, . 57
Hemisphere, Western, · 70
Hemisphere, Eastern, 71
Indiana, Map of, 62, 63
11 Indiana, Population by Counties, 60
Baker, Samuel,
38
Deller, Nicholas, deceased,
44 Richland Township,
13
Indiana, General Description, 59
Biery, T. E.,
37
Ferrier, William (with hiography),
26 Salem Township,
12
Indiana, History of, 59
Clark, Omar I.,
50
Ferrier, Mrs. William,
26 Scott Township, 11 Indiana, Government Survey of, 59
Cbadwiok & Co.,
36 Goodall, Orville,
15 Steuben Township,
12 United States, Map of, . 66,67
Court House and Jail, 16 Gordon Family, representative group of, . . 47
York Township, 11 United States, Statistics, Table of,
60
FADI
Deller, John A.,
44
Hagarty, J. L., M. D., 39
PAO
Angola City, plat of,
PATRONS.
Clear Lake Township,
55
Fremont Township, 55
Jackson Township, 56
Jumestown Township, 55
Pleasant Lake, plat of,
30
Van Orden, J.,
36,37 Van Horn, Cornelius and wife (and biography), 28
Ray, plat of,
41
Williams, E. B.,
50
Waller, W. H., M. D.,
39
Pleasant Township,
56
Richland Township,
Salem Township, 56
Scott Township, 56
Steuben Township,
56
York Township,
56
Steubenville, plat of,
18
Brown, D. N. E., M. D., 21
Turkey Creek, plat of,
17
Burnham, Frank T., . 22
Crain, M. F., M. D., .
21
Jackson Township.
12
VIEWS.
Alcott, Charles L.,
48
Deller, John A. and wife,
44
Otsego Township,
12
Allomong, Joseph,
38
Deller, George H. and wife,
44 Pleasant Township,
Darling, Justin, deceased (with biography), 40
Jamestown Township,
10
Darling, Mrs. Rhoda, 40
Mill Grove Township,
10
56
Wood, W. A., M. D., deceased,
21
Wood, T. F., M. D., . 21
Steuben County Outline, 17
Steuben Township,
39
Salem Township, 53
50
PERSONAL SKETCHES.
Jackson Township, 52
MISCELLANEOUS.
STEUBEN COUNTY, INDIANA.
EARLY HISTORY OF INDIANA.
All the country north of the Ohio River was ceded to the United States by Virginia in 1784, the deed of eession being signed by Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Hardy, Arthur Leo and James Monroe. It contained tho following conditions . " That the territory so ceded shall be luid out and formed into States containing a suitable extent of territory, not less than one hundred nor more than one hundred and fifty miles square, or as bear thereto as circumstances will admit ; and that the States so formed shall be distinct republican States and udmitted members of the Federal Union, huving the sune rights of sovereignty, freedom and independenes as the other States."
Ou the 13th of July, 1787, Congress passed an ordinance "for the government of the territory northwest of the Ohio." Maj. Gen. Arthur St. Clair was elected Governor hy Congress on the 5th of the follow- ing October, and he held the office for about twelve years. The Terri- tory had no legislature, but the Governor and Judges of the Terri- torial Court adopted a code of laws which embraced the most salient points for the government of a new country whose chief inhabitants were aborigines.
Early in the spring of 1789, the Indians commenced making depre- dations against inhabitants who had settled along the western portions of Virginia and Kentucky. It was estimated that, at this time, there were nearly two thousand Indian warriors on the Wabash and its tributaries. In 1790, all efforts to make peace with the Iodians having failed, a regular war ensued, whieb lasted more than five years. Several times efforts were made to establish peace with the Indians, but with- out success. In 1791, Gen. St Clair organized a force, and proceeded against them. Ou the 4th of November of that year. a terrible battle was fought near the present town of Greenville, Ohio, which proved very disastrous to St. Clair's troops. On the 22d of October, 1794, Gen. Anthony Wayne completed a fort on the site of the present city of Fort Wuyne. Twenty years later, u new fort was built at the same place. On the 10th of August, 1795, the treaty of Greenville was con- eluded, the Indians seding to the United States most of the land included in the present State of Ohio west of the Tuscarawas branch of the Muskingum River, and also included a small portion of the south- eastern part of the State of Indiana. Gov. St. Clair issued a proclama- tion on the 29th of October, 1798, calling for an election to ho held on the third Monday of' December for the purpose of electing represen- tatives to n General Assembly which was ordered to conven- at Cin- cimiati ou the 22d duy ol' the following January. The Assembly met, pursuant to instructions, and, in accordance with the ordinance of 1787, ten persons were nominated, of whom the President of the United States was authorized to select five, as members of the Legislative Coun- cil of the Territory. The first meeting of the Legislature occurred September 16, 1799. Williatu Henry Harrison was elected delegate to Congress on the 3d of October. He received eleven votes, a majority ol' one over his competitor, Arthur St. Clair, Jr., a son of Gov. St. Clair.
An act of Congress entitled, ' An act to divide the territory of the United States, northwest of the Ohio, into two separate govern- ments," was approved by the President May 7, 1800. At this time, the population of' Indiana Territory was less than five thousand. The seat of' governincut was located at Vincennes. The first session of the General Court began there March 3, 1801. Indiana Territory had no legislature until after the seporation from Michigan in 1805. In 1804, land offices for tho disposal of the publio lands were located at Detroit, Vincennes and Kaskaskin. A fourth was established at Jeffersonville in 1807. In 1809, the Territory was divided, a census having been taken the previous year, which indicated a population of 28,000 persons, 11,000 being west of the Wabash. The Territory of Illinois wus fortued. In 1810, another eensus was taken, which showed the population of Indiana Territory to be 24,520. At that time, there were thirty three grist- mills, fourteen saw-mills, threo horse-tmills, eighteen tonnerics, twenty- eight distilleries, three powder-wills, 1,256 looms and 1,350 spinning- wheels.
In 1810, the war with Tecumseh broke out, the Indians hav- ing remained qniet from the time of the treaty of Greenville until then. On the morning of the 7th of November, 1811, the famous battle of Tippecanoe was fought, about seven miles northwest ol' the present city of' La Fayette. The war of 1812 soon commeneed, in which Indi- . ana took an active part, several buttles with the Indians being fougbt on her soil.
Indiana was admitted luto the Union in 1816, and the first general election under the constitution was held on the first Monday in August of that year. Jonathan Jennings was elected Governor, receiving 5,211 votes, a majority of I,277 over his competitor, Thomas Posey, who received 3,934. Christopher Hurrison, of Washington County, was elected Lieutonant Governor, and William Hendricks was elected to Congress. The Territorial government of Indiana was superseded by a Stato government November 7, 1816, sinco which time the develop- mont of the Stato has beeo rapid.
STEUBEN COUNTY
is situated io the northeasteru coroer of the State, being bounded on the north by Michigan, on the eust by Michigan and Ohio, on the south by De Kalb County, uud on the west by. La Grango County, and con- tains 330 aquaro miles of territory. It was named after Buron Fred- erick de Steuben, a noted soldier who served under the great King Frederick of Prussia. He came to America and offered bis services to the colvuists during the Revolution, and was killed at the battle of Camden, S. C., in 1780.
The county was first settled in 1831 hy Gideon Langdon and John and Jacob Stayner, they locating on what is now known as Jackson Prairie. On the 17th of September, in the same year, Langdon made the first entry of land in what is now Steuben County, it being the cast half of the southwest quarter of Section 5, Township 37, Range 12 euist. Ten days later, John Stayner entered the west half of the south- east quarter of the same section.
That portion of Indiana now known as Steuben County was surveyed by authority of the United Stotes in 1831, and the following yeor tho land was offered for sale.
La Grange County was organized hy an aet of the General Assembly, approved February 2, 1832, and " all the territory lying cost of' said couoty to the State line, and south of said county and said torritory to the line between Townsbips 33 and 34," was attoched thereto for civil and judicial purposes.
The county of Steuben was organized in pursuance of an act of the General Assembly approved January 18, 1837, which provided that, from and after the first day of May, 1837, the county of Steuben should " enjoy all the rights and jurisdictions whieb belong to separate and independent counties "
John W. Violet, of Elkhart County ; Henry Hosteller, Sr., of Kohle; Isaac Eaton, of St. Joseph ; Benjamin Jones, of La Grongo, and John MeIntosh, of Allen, were appointed Commissioners for the purpose of locating the permanent seat of justice of said county. These Com- missioners were required to meet, as soon as a majority of them could agree, at the bouse of Cornelius Gilmore, at or near the conter of said couoty.
The Board doing county business were authorized by the net to meet in special session, wben elected and qualified, " to appoint a lister and make other necessary appointments."
William M. Cary was appointed by the Governor, January 30, 1837, as Sheriff of Steuben County, to serve until the first Monday of August following.
A writ of election was issued by tho Governor, April 11, 1837, for the election of Clerk, Sheriff, Recorder, two Associate Judges and thres Commissioners. An eleetioo was held a few weeks afterward, but the precise date cannot be determined.
The Board of Commissioners first met in special session June 26, 1837. the Board being composed of Seth W. Murray, Jonas Twichell and James Clark, with James McConnell, Clerk, and William M. Cury, Sheriff. Their first business was accepting the bond of Joseph Pearce as School Commissioner. Joseph Pearee was also appointed County Treasurer, and David Sams, Assessor. An order was made establishing Town 36, Ranges 14 and 15, as a separate eivil township to be ealled Otsego. The ontire business of the session occupies three pages of record, aod the business of the year, fourteen pages.
At the session of tho Board of Commissioners, held in March, 1838, the following named citizens, were drawn from which list was made up the first grand jury : James Johuson, Daniel Roberts, Timothy Kim- ball, Hannibal Frink, Jobn Carter, Abner Davis, Alonzo P. Clark, John Barnard, William Wilder, Sr., Asa Murphy, John Wilson, David Robinson. Samuel Barry, Whiting P. Squier, Erastus Farnham, Theron Storrs, James Perfect and John Webb. The first drawing for a patit jury was as follows: George Baldwin, Avery Emerson, Charles C. Bodley, Adolphus Town, George Gray, Cornelius Gilmore, David Wisel, Launy Van Horn. Gideon Bull, Justus Butler, Jeremiab Tillotson, John Stealey, Chester Stocker, Benjamin S. Twichell, Joseph B. Allison, Robert Bell, Cornelius Van Horn, Lewis Barnard, Abner Winsor, John J. Jones, John Russell, J. C. Cutler, James Long, Orrin Good- rich.
The first session of the Circuit Court opened April 12, 1838, the house of Coroelius Gilmore being used as a court-room, but it subse- quently adjourned to the home of Thomas Gale, in Angola. Hon Charles W. Ewing was the Presiding Judge, and Samuel Tuttle and Thomas Gale, Associate Judges; Thomas Johnson was Prosecuting Attorney; William M. Cary, Sheriff; James McConnell, Clerk, aud James Hardy was sworn as the first bailiff and placed in charge of tho grand jury.
The first case placed on the docket was Isaae Glover vs. Anson S. Woods, in assumpsit. The case was continued.
The first murder ense tried in the county was tho State vs. Silas Doty, who was charged with killing & young man named Lorenzo Noyes. The case was very sensational and attructed great attentiou. Tbis murder was committed in 1841, the body being seercted in a swamp in the north part of the county, near Doty's residence, but he was not suspected at the time. Shortly after the sudden disappearance of Noyes, Doty was sent to the penitentiary at Jackson, Mich , on account of some erime committed in that Stote. In the summer of 1842, the remains of a man were found which many people believed to be those of Noyes, and suspicion pointed toward Doty as the guilty one. Upon the expira- tion of his term ut Jackson in the fall of 1843, he was brought to Angola and lodged in jail, charged with the murder of Lorenzo Noyes. At the October torm of court, in the same year, he was arraigned, but obtained a continuanee until April. Robert L. Douglas was Prosecuting Attorney; Judgo Culerick, of Fort Wayne, was employed to defend Duty. The trial resulted in a disagreement of the jury, notwithstanding the fact that the bones were proved to bo thoso of Noyes. The ovidence against Doty was quite conelusive, though, in the main, circumstantial. His counsel obtoined a change of venue to the Allen County Circuit Court on account of alleged prejudice existing against Doty in Steuben County. The second trial commenced at Fort Wayne in JJuly, 1844. 'The'evidence did not differ materially from that at the first trial. Dr. James MeConnell, who had beon admitted to the bar a short time pre-
vious, was associated with Judge Colerick in the defense. The jury found Doty guilty of murder in the second degreo, the punishment being impris- ounient for life, and bo was sontenoed to the penitentiary at Jeffersonville. Judge Colerick obtained a new trial, which was to have taken place at Fort Wayne in the summer of 1845, but as Doty was being conveyed thither, ho made his escape, but was subsequently recaptured and con- fiued for a time in the juil at Angola, being loaded with irons, but be again escaped, and was next heard from in Mexico, where he sorved under Gen. Scott during the war At the olose, he returned to Indiana ; on account of tho lupse of time und the difficulty of again arranging testimony, he was never again arrested for the murder of Noyes. He was generally known as a notorious thief, und, after his return from Mexico, most of his tune was spent in the Jackson Penitentiary on account of numerous thefte committed in Michigan.
MOUNDS AND ANTIQUITIES.
In the southwest corner of the county, near Little Turkey Lake, there are several so-called Indian mounds. Que, about ten feet iu diameter and ten feet in height, has been opened and found to be of coarse gravel and sand, the same as the surface of the surrounding fields. A few rods southeast of this, there is another mound which is well defined, and is twenty-five feet in diameter und about four feet and a half in height. The center has been dug out and other excavations made without fiuding any evidences of burial. About eighty rods to the south, on the margin ol' a marsh, there is another mouud, having the same dimensions as the ono last above mentioned. Several years since, an excavation was made ioto the top, and, at tbo depth of three feet, ashes, charcoal and several fragments of human bones were found. Twelve inches lower down, there was another layer of ashes and charcoal, among which were tho nearly decayed bones of an adult human being. The position of the bones indicated burial in a sitting posture. One stone implement was also found-a slab of mottled slate, shaped like a chisel. It was four and one-half inches long, two inches wide and one-fourth of an inch thick, one eorner being broken off. There are also mounds in the vicinity of Hamilton, on the shores of Crooked and Silver Lakes, and also in other places in the onunty, but are not so nuoverous as in maoy otber parts of' the State, but of Indiau burial grounds the number is not so limited. Fleshing stones, flint arrow-points and stone hatchets are numerous, and attract but com- paratively little attention to what they would in localitias not so well sup- plied with relics of a raco now fast disappearing from the land.
INDIANS.
During the first few years after the settlement of the country, the nativo Americans were very numerous, this section beiog then occupied by tho Pottowatomies as a hunting-ground. They were at peace with the pale-faces, consequently no serious depredations were committed upon the scuttered settlements. Their chief's name was Baw Beese, who is reputed to have administered the affairs of his little kingdom with a senso of justice almost Roman in its sternness. His usual residence was in Branch County, Mich.
In 1840, the Iudians were removed to a reservation io tbe Far West.
GEOGRAPHY.
The surface of Steuben County is somewhat broken, especially in the central part. The west part of the county is quite level, being "opening " and prairie land, while most of the balance of the county was originally covered with dense forests. The soil is generally good, being well adapted to the raising of cereals and stock.
There are more than seventy-five lakes in the county, varying in size from those covering a few aores to others several miles in length. Thirty five of the lakes were meandered by the Government surveyors. Nearly all are well stocked with fish, such as bass, pickerel, pereh, pike, etc.
The water of ull the lukes is remarkably pure and wholesome, being exceptionally fres from minerul matter of all kinds. An analysis was made of the water of Lake James a few years ago by . "wie Geolo- gist, the result bsing that un imperial gallon (ten pour und to
contain 10.5 grains of mineral matter as follows : ..
Bicarbonate of lime.
grains.
Iron, olumina aad vilico ..
Magnesia and undoterwived .. 1
=
Total
10.6
It contains no moro mineral matter than is commouly present in river water, and is not only u potable water in a mast eminent degree, aod muay be drawn from the bottom with a tomperaturo of 50° Fahren- heit, which is refreshingly cool without the addition of iee, but is also well suited for laundry purposes und for those kinds of manufacturing which require large quantities of water, such as the making of fine writing paper, print paper, etc.
The auciout shores of many of these lakes are composed of carbon- ute of lime, which is of a orenmy tint, almost white. The water arco of these lakes is constantly diminishbiog. The carbonate of lime is due to organio matter, since it contains only a trace of oxide of iron, and the discoloration disappears when it is burned. At ono time, this chalk was in common use for the mauufacturo of quick-lime, for whieb pur- pose it auswers very well. Samples of this fresh-water chalk have been collected from various localities by members of the Geological Survey
6
STEUBEN COUNTY, INDIANA.
Corps. An analysis of a sample taken from Section 4, Townsbip 37, Range 13, resulted as follows :
Water al 212º F
8.00 per cent.
Carbonio acid and comlaned acid.
41.60
Insoluble silicates ..
.30
Oxide of iron ..
a Imco.
Alut:03 ...
1.50
Lime ...
45.36
Magnesio.
3.42
Sulphurio acid.
.10
Phosphoric
.38
Tolal
100,56
A heavy deposit of lime or marl lies along the west margin of James Lake, and, in the early settlement of the region, it was worked for lime for making mortar, the pits being still visible. Aquatie plants are now encroaching on the water in nlnost all directions, which give the mar- gins a marshy appearance.
AGRICULTURE.
Steuben County is well adapted for the raising of cereals, as well as stock, and numbers among its inhabitants some of the most enterprising and progressive farmers in the State.
The first meeting of the Stouhen County Agricultural Society was beld in 1855, A. W. Hendry, George W. McConnell, Baldwin Cross- wait, George Harding and J. O. Rose being among the foundora. In a few years, the association had a fine fair ground, but this was destroyed when the railroad was built through Angola in 1870. A fair was beld in 1874, but none in 1875. In 1876, the first meeting of the re-organ- ized society was held and annual fairs have been held since that time. The association is now in a highly prosperous condition, owning fine groueds about a mile north of Angola.
EDUCATIONAL.
The history of common-school education in Stouben County is similar to that of ull other counties in the northern part of Indiana. Nearly a half-century has passed away since the first adventurous New Euglunders cast their lots in far-off Indiana The carly pioncer who sought in the Far West homes for himself and his children, did not forget to bring with him the common-school teacher. Humble, indeed. was his occupation in that day, and as unassuming were his acquirements, yet will did he serve his day and generation The story of his labors is truly un interesting and curious one. He held control in no elegant structure, crowning sothe beautiful location, amid a score of fertile farms, rieb in all the possessions of' agricultural wealth, with droves of cattle and sheep and horses feeding upon a hundred hillsides, while furuily joys were enshrined around the hearths of as many princely homes. The rudest of log cabine was his ba-is of operation, surrounded by dense foresta and wild marshes. The publie lund set apart by Congress had not yet found a wurket ut fabulous prices, und our common school fund, which we refer to with pride to-day, was then a scheine in its infancy, entirely unavailuble. Houses were built and teachers paid mostly hy
direct subscription by the patrons.
But wise legislation, us the country developed, soon placed the schools in a mare favorsble positiou. About the years 1850-60, under the free-school system, we hegan to have money enough to build new schoolhouses, aud, within a few years, the log bouses all over the county were replaced by good frame buildings. Great difficulty has been experienced in this county in locating the schoolhouses properly, owing to the existence of' so many lakes and marshes. It has been necessary to locate houses to accommodate clusters of inhabitants, when the township was already supporting a sufficient Dnmber of' schools, according to its territory, to accommodate its popula- tion
During the session of the Legislature in 1861, the law creating the office of county examiner was created. During the session of 1873, the Legislature enacted a law creating the office of county superintendent of schools, the officer to be elected hy a Board of Education, consisting of the Township Trustees, the election to occur in June. Under that act, Mr. Cowan was elected County Superintendent for two years. When the Legislature assembled nguin, it, of course, became necessary to aniend the school law, and, accordingly, the county superinteudency was super- seded by the county examiner law, and the former examiner, Mr. Williams, now Principal of the Angola Schools, was appointed in 1875. The constitutionality of the law was questioned, and, during the earlier part of the year 1816, the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional, and declared the superintendency law of 1813 to be iu force, and the authorities ordered an election to occur September 1, 1876, at which time Cyrus Cline was elected, and, at the following June election, was utanimously re-elected, serving out the term as the act prescribed. The same ineumbent was a second time unanimously re-elected.
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