Encyclopedia of genealogy and biography of Lake County, Indiana, with a compendium of history 1834-1904, Part 1

Author: Ball, T. H. (Timothy Horton), 1826-1913
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Chicago ; New York, Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 886


USA > Indiana > Lake County > Encyclopedia of genealogy and biography of Lake County, Indiana, with a compendium of history 1834-1904 > Part 1


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1500


Class_ F 532 Book


.. ...


١


J. H. Ball.


ENCYCLOPEDIA


OF


Genealogy and Biography OF


LAKE COUNTY, INDIANA,


WITH A COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY 1834-1904


A Record of the Achievements of Its People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation.


REV. T. H. BALL OF CROWN POINT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF


ILLUSTRATED



CHICAGO NEW YORK THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY


1904


F532


P/10 2 mb ++


INDEX.


A


Ackerman, William W


395


Adams, James. 95


Address to Children. 45


Agnew, David.


A Golden Wedding.


156


Ainsworth Made a Station. 34


Allman, Amos 296


Allman, Mary. 298


Allman, Walter L


205


Ames, Samuel.


I22


An Old Landmark. 154


Artesian Wells. 49


Artesian Well at Crown Point. 37


Asche, Henry.


614


Atkinson, David C.


229


Ausley, Robert.


543


A West Creek Settlement 12


Ayers, Alexander E.


493


B


Babbitt, W. S.


60


Bacon, E. R. . 528


Bader, Gallus J. 216


Bailey, Charley 512


Bailey, George


B


498


Bailey, Josiah B


526


Bailey, Levi E. 196


Baker, Charles M. 263


Ball, Amsi L 107


Ball, Charles. 57


Ball, Hervey 69


Ball, James H.


576


Ball. John.


107


667


Buse, Fred T


524


Butler Cabins of 1834.


I


Business Men of Crown Point. 27


C


Campbell, Cyrus W. 658


Capturing Timber Thieves. 7


Carlin, Bernard 529


Castle, Fred.


352


Castle, George L.


435


Cedar Lake Incidents. 162


Chartier. Fred S. 567


Cheney, Byron M. 595


Chester, Henry.


280


Children at World's Fair 40


Belshaw, Henry 77


Belshaw, William E. 368


Berg, Joseph B. 405


Biggs, Mrs. T. Norton. 552


Black, John. .. 180


Blakeman, John. 179


Bliss, M. G ... 102


194


Borger, Charles A.


418


Borger, John H.


626


Borman, Otto C. 524


Bothwell, Charles C. 271


Boyd, Eli M. 317


Boyd, George. 40I


Bradford, Janies M .. 176


Brandenburg, Elmer D 656


Brandenburg. Oliver C. 657


Brandt, Henry. 421


Brannon, Amos. 442


Brannon, James. 360


192


Brick Blocks at Crown Point.


32


Bridge, William F. 278


Bridges Across the Kankakee. 37


III


Brown, George


Brown, John.


168


Brown, Mathew J 202


Brownell, F. E.


605


Bryant, David.


118


Bryant, Elias.


119


Bryant, E. Wayne


119


Bryant, John. 392


Bryant, Samuel D. 119


Bryant, Simeon. 119


Buckley, Fred W 595


Buckley, William. 521


Buczkowski, John. 189


Ball, T. H.


388


Baptist Organization. II


555


Barr, Herbert S.


213


Barrett, Edward F.


649


Batterman, Edward .. 382


Batterman, Henry C. . 331


Batterman, Herman A 621


Bauer, Carl E. 299


Beattie, Joseph A .. 320


Beckman, Herman C. 109


592


Bell, Benjamin L. P. 484


Bell, Samuel A 655


Belman, William C. 454


Belshaw, George.


77


Chipman, A. B.


451


Belshaw, William


77


Church, Richard.


81


Brennan, John J ..


Brown, Alexander F.


II2


Banks, N. P


Barker, Louis.


Beckman, John N ..


Bohling, John G.


INDEX.


Churches, School Houses, Banks. 48


Claims Made in 1834.


2


Fiester, John L. 340


Clark, Alexander .. 89 First Bridges Built.


Clark, Judge .. 88


First Census of the County.


Clark, Sanford D


117


Clark, Thomas ..


89


First Court House (Log)


First Justice of the Peace.


5


Cleveland, Ephraim


IO3


First Meeting of Commissioners. 6


First Minister at Crown Point. 15


Cochran, Henry


175


First Postoffice .. 6


Cochran, William.


174


First Railroad Through Crown Point. 29


Conrad, August.


356


First Regular Physician.


8


Conroy, Joseph H.


501


First Resident Methodist Minister 15


County Officers of 1847


17


First Store ..


6


County Organized.


6 First Term of Circuit Court.


7


County Purchased from Indians


I


First Townships.


5


County Seat, Efforts to Remove.


39


Fisher, David A. 254


220


County Set Off from Porter.


4


Fisher, John.


III


County Surveyed. I


Fisher, Thomas. III


Foster, Albert. 425


59


Creston Made a Station.


35


Crown Point Telephone Co.


41


Crumpacker, Peter


662


D


Dickinson, William T


485


Dinwiddie, John W.


73


Dinwiddie, Oscar.


568


Doescher, Herinan. 86


437


E


Gavit, Frank A. 616


Gavit, John A ..


559


Gerlach, Adam J. 283


Early Railroad Stations. 27


Early Religious Meetings 8


Early Sawmills.


9


East Chicago Commenced.


38


Eddy, Russell. 9I


Gill, James A. .


572


Glover, William J.


328


Edgerton, Alfred. 124


Edgerton, Amos. 124


Grant, Thomas .. 424


Gravel and Rock Roads. 42


Gravel Road Through Hobart. 41


Graves, M ..


58


Greene, Joseph. 98


Greenwald, Charles E. 237


Griffin, Charles F


98


Griffin, Elihu. 97


Griffith Becoming a Town 40


Griffith, David D .. 346


Griffith Made a Station. 34


Grimmer, Michael. 193


Gromann, Charles. 589


Growth at Tolleston 28


Growth of Lowell. 30


Growth up to 1847. 16


Gruel, Charles 383


Guyer, E. H.


650


Farwell, Major C. 92


G


Earle, George. 6.4


Early Mail Routes.


9


Gerlach, George F.


Gerrislı, Abiel. 327


I2I


Gibson, Charles C. 43I


Gilbert, Edwin S. 54I


Golden Wedding, A. 156


Edgerton, George W. 57


Edgerton, Horace. 12.4


Ege, Francis X. 664


Einsele, Sebastian. 607


Einspahr, Frederick H. 4II


Einspahr, Mrs. Katharina. 420


Electric Lights at Crown Point. 39


Electric Railway at Hammond. 4I


Exploring Parties in 1834 .. 2


F


Fancher, Reuben. 461


Fancher, Richard. 90


Fancher, Thaddeus S 362


Farley, Benjamin. 116


Farrington, Dr .. 99


Foster, William M.


353


Fowler, Luman A


91


Franz, Balzer.


222


Friedrich, Charles A.


292


Friedrich, Charles W.


223


Fry, Alfred. 58


Frysinger, Miles C.


45S


Fuller, James


125


Fuller, Richard. 197


Dwyer, John


First Church Buildings. 15


Clark, Wellington A


538


Cleveland, Timothy.


103


County Seat Location ...


13


Fisher, John.


Cox, Arthur T. 324


Cox, Lawrence. 215


Foster, John M.


Guyer, James


399


Fieler, Christian 183


Eder, George M. 267


INDEX.


H


J


Hack, John.


83


Hack, Mrs. Angelina. 84


Hale, William F 172


Halfman, William. 654


Halls Opened.


32


Jones, Herbert E. 256


Jones, J. D .. 77


IO7


Hammond in 1894. 4I


Hammond, Superior Court. 4I


Hammond, Walter H. 212


Harrison, Elizabeth.


500


Hart, A. N .. 83-552


Hathaway, Mahlon. 440


Hathaway, Peter.


II6


Hayden, Albert L 519


481


Hayden, Edgar.


496


Hayden, Jacob.


516


Hayden, John K.


459


Kimmet, John A


507


Hayden, Joseph. 497


Kitchel, John.


I16


Klaas, Henry A.


635


Knotts, Armanis F 571


Koehle, August 255


Kolb, Michael. 638


Kopelke, Johannes. 225


Hayward, Charles


II3


Kozacik, Michael 316


Hayward, Thomas.


II3


Krinbill, Oscar A 661


Krost, John. 87


591


L


Lake County Crow Roosts. 152


Lake County's Semi-centennial. 35


Land Sale. . 12


Landmark, An Old. 154


Landscapes


150


Large Land Holders. 53


Larson, Louis. 423


Lash, Frederick 258


Lauerman, Mathias M. 618


LeRoy 29


Little, James H. 467


Little, Jesse. 472


Little, Joseph I21


Little, Lewis G .. 514


Liverpool Made a Town. 5


Livingston, Robert.


IIO


Livingston, Samuel. IIO


Log Court House Built. 8


Love, James H. 5.36


Love, John E ..


491


Love, Samuel


534


Luther, James H. 94


Luther, John E. 276


Lynch, Daniel.


504


Lyons, Frank H. 637


Ibach, Benjamin 563


Iddings, H. L .. 319


Indiana City Named. 5


Indiana Harbor. 43


Irish, J. Floyd 569


Jackson, Joseph I15


Jackson, L. D. . 659


Johnson, Charles A. 304


Jones, David. 107


Jones, George W 284


Halsted, James M. 291


Halsted, Melvin A. 560


Jones, Levi D.


K


Kammer, Andre 282


Keilman, Henry L 335


Keilman, John L. IQI


Keilman, Leonard.


250


Keilmann, Charles. 249


Keilmann, Francis P 233


Kelly, P. 463


414


Kenney, Jerry M.


208


Hayden, Lewis. 522


Hayden, Nehemiah. 116


Hayden, William 468


Hayes, Benjamin F. 550


Hayward, Warren H. 574


Herlitz, Lewis. 86


Herlitz, Louis W 628


Hershman, William H. 557


Hess, Frank. 2.42


Higgins, John 100


Higgins, John. 344


35


Hill, James. 96


Hill, Rufus. I20


Hillman, John. 359


Hipsley, Reuben 2.48


Hobart, Founding and Growth of. 28


Hobart Public Schools.


404


Holmes, Charles J 597


Holton, J. W.


89


Holton, W. A. W


90


Hornor, Amos.


105


Hornecker, George M.


240


Hoskins, George H.


184


Huber, Albert C ...


588


Humphrey, Augustine I26


Hunting Wild Hogs. 160


Hurlburt, Jacob 79


Hutton, Levi


211


I


M


Mandernach, Frederick W.


623


Marvin, Charles.


114


Hayden, Cyrus.


Kelsey, James J


Hayhurst, Eldon N. 517


Krudup, John.


Highland Made a Station.


INDEX:


Marvin, Mrs. Eliza L 386


Mason, Cyrus M ..


79


Palmer, James. 124


McAleer, William J. 343


Palmer Made a Station. 35


McCarty, Benjamin 65


Pattee, Wesley. 371


McCarty, Miles F. 57


Patten, John H. 117


McDonald, Alexander. 102


McGlashon, W. G.


108


Patton, James. 295


McKnight, David.


127


McMahan, W. C.


288


Patton, Seymore. 294


Meeker, Charles H.


239


Meeker, Hiram H.


232


Meeker, J. Frank.


236


Meeker, Nathan B.


301


Peiton, H. S. 88


Meikle, Hugh F


206


Pettibone, Harvey 100


Merrill, Dudley.


78


Pettibone, Henry. 100


Merrill, John P.


00


Pierce, Floyd M. 245


Merrill, William


78


Pierce, Marion F 218


Metcalf, Ozro. 54.1


Methodist Organization


Meyer, John H.


610


Pixley, Chester P.


470


Meyer, LeGrand T.


599


Plummer, Frank B ..


487


Meyers, Stephen. . 432


Mexican War Company


17


Population in 1900.


44


Michael, Edwin ..


375


Michael, William H. 478


506


Miller, Samuel. 119


Miller's Station. 31


Morey, Mrs. Susann. 397


Muenich, Gottlieb. . 334


Murphey, William C.


584


Muzzall, Edwin J 639


Muzzall, Thomas


II4


N


Names of One Hundred and Twenty


Women .129-142


Names of Soldiers Who Fell in the War 61


Nelson, F. E.


503


New Brick Blocks in Crown Point 34


Nichols, Charles E. 364


Nichols, Horatio R .. 366


Nichols, Mrs. Sarah E. 445


Norwegian, A Young. . 21


Number of Families in Crown Point, Lowell, Hobart, in 1897.


4-2


Number of School Children in 1895. .. 41


Number of School Children in 1897 ... 42


Number of Votes in 1876. 34


Number of Votes in 1884. 35


Number of Votes in 1896. 42


O


Old Settler and Historical Association. 45


Our Dead Soldiers at Nashville. 58


Our Soldiers. 54


Owen, W. B. 350


P


Palmer, Dennis


336


R


Railroad Through Merrillville. 44


Red Cedar Lake. 51


Reiland, John S 185


Reilley, Patrick .. 565


Review of Pioneer Period. 18


113


Richards, Frank


475


Rifenburg, William H.


494


Rimbach, Jacob.


272


Robbins, Stillman A.


56


Robinson, Clifford C.


642


Robinson, John G. 447


Robinson, Milo. 88


Robinson, Solon 63


Rockwell, T. C .. 81


Rockwell, W. B.


81


Rockwell, William


81


Rowins, James F.


604


S


Sanders, William


127


Sasse, Henry, Sr. 85


Sasse, Herman E. 85


Sauerman, Andrew A. 188


Sauerman, J. C. 86


Saunders, Gilbert C. 643


Sawyer, Daniel F


60


Saxton, Ebenezer 75


Schaaf, F. Richard, Jr. 264


Schaaf, F. Richard, Sr.


452


Schaefer, John P


244


Schafer, Nickolas.


510


488


Meyer, Mrs. Johanna 456


Politics of Lake County


29


Pratt, A. J ... 99


Pre-historic Man.


53


Miller, H. F. C.


Presbyterian Church Organized. 15


Pulver, David C. 532


Pioneer Children and Nature. 1.46


Pioneer Period, Review of.


18


Pearce, John. 641


Pearce, Michael. 75


Pearce, Seth L 280


Patterson, James A. 332


Patton, Joseph 246


Palmer, H. D. 66


Rhodes, Jonas.


Plummer, Abiel G.


INDEX.


Scharbach, Frank C. 368


Scharbach, Williamn. 367


Scherer, Nichols. 308


Schmal, Adam. 84


Schmal, Alfred. 630


Schmal, Joseph.


84


School Grove, now Oak Grove, and Its Sportsmen 33


Schrage, Henry 274


Schrage, Heinrich C.


303


Taylor. Albert. . 124


Scoffern, Isaac H .. 646


Taylor, Charles A. 476


Scritchfield, Hiram H. 127


Taylor, DeWitt C. 12.4


Seehansen, Henry


609


Taylor, Horace 124


Servis, Orlando V 199


Taylor, Obadiah. 124


Settlers of 1833. 3


Settlers of 1834 and 1835.


3


Settlers of 1836.


5


Thompson, Alexander C. 358


Settlers of 1837 6


Sharrer, Harry E. 546


18I


Shelby Village Commenced.


35


Sherart, Frank P


378


Township Organizations 49


Sherman, William.


97


Sickness of 1846 ..


16


Sigler, Samuel.


76


Sigler, William.


76


Smith, Andrew J. 384


Smith, Clarence C. 269


Smith, Cyrus E. 323


Smith, Fred J.


200


Smith, Joseph P.


88


Smith, William C ..


55I


Smith, William E.


347


Soldiers Enlisting. 29


Soldier's Monument


6


Soldiers at Nashville, Our Dead.


58


Soldiers, Our ... 54


Some Lake County Miscellany . 146


Some Sheep Brought In. 14


Some Sad Occurrences


VanLoon, D. M. 348


Vansciver, William H.


253


Village and Town Life at Hammond .. 32


Vilmer, W. E. IOI


Voltmer, August.


391


VonHollen, Henry .


85


IV


Wagonblast, Gotfried W 170


Walsh, Redmond D 312


Stearns, Thomas J 420


Stephens, Francis E. 653


Warwick, William E. 322


Wason, H.


122


Wason, T. A. 473


Stuppy, Philip. 480


Sturtevant, Daniel B 374


108


West Creek Settlement, A 12


Wheeler, Harold H. 252


Wheeler, John


54


Sutton, Emerson O


464


Wheeler, John J. 577


Sutton, Festins P. 408 Wheeler, Oliver G. 601


Sutton, Gabriel.


466


Whiting Commenced.


39


Swanson, Albert J


433


Wiggins, Jeremiah.


123


U


Underwood, John


80


V


Valuation of Taxable Property in 1895. 41


VanDewalker, James G. 579


Van Horne, Willard B 178


Some Suggested Pictures 22


Spear, Robert. 266


Spalding, Heman M.


117


Spalding, N. 116


Spring and Wells of Water 49


Spry, Jolın .. 449


Squatters' Union Organized.


5


Stark, John .. 40I


Stark, Joseph. 581


State Line Slaughter House. 31


Steam Dredges on the Kankakee Marsh 37


Stephens, John .. 260


Sternberg, Mathias G. 647


-Wells, Henry. 72


-IVells, Rodman H. 548


Sunderman, Fred L 380


Swartz, Henry P. 227


Sykes, William N. 72


T


Tabular View of Railroads. 26


Take, John F .. 650


Taylor, Adonijah. 124


Thiel, John M. 234


Thompson, D. H. 204


Thompson. Lyman. 97


Sheerer, George B.


Torrey, Henry. II6


Towle, Marcus M. 306


Traptow, Ernest. . 407


Turner, A. M. 311


Turner, David.


73


Turner, Samuel.


72


Turner, Samuel R.


310


Warriner, Lewis. 70


Summers, Zerah F


Suprise, Henry. 443


Templeton, Charles L. 82


INDEX.


Wille, H. Ph .. 339


Y


Willey, George. 123


Wise, Jacob. 125


Yeoman, S. B. 99


Wood, James A 98


Youche, J. W. 104


Wood, John. 67


Young, George W 224


Wood, Martin. 102


Wood, Thomas J. 632


Wood, William H


330


Woods, Bartlett.


92


Worley, John L.


127


Zumbuelte, Mathias.


612


Z


HISTORY


OF


LAKE COUNTY.


CHAPTER I.


OUTLINE HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY, INDIANA. From 1834 to 1850.


Indiana Territory was organized May 7, 1800.


Indiana was admitted into the Union as a State in December, 1816. At that time, and for several years after that date, the northwestern part was a true American wild. In 1820 the county of Wabash had an area of 8000 square miles with a population, according to the census, of 147. The entire north part of the State. about one-third of its area, had not then been purchased from the Indians. A very small part of what became Lake county was purchased in 1826, the little fractions north of the Ten Mile Line, but the main part. it might be said all, of Lake county was purchased in 1832. In 1834 the land was laid out by United States surveyors into townships and sections.


A rumor of the desirableness of this region soon went southiward into the Wabash Valley and far below the Wabash River into Jennings county. From those older settled parts of the State explorers and persons seeking new locations came, and some from the eastward, in the summer and fall of 1834. There is evidence that some came from the eastward in the sum- mer by the name of Butler, and that claims were made by them and some cabin bodies erected, probably no roofs put on, where is now the town of


1


2


HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.


Crown Point : but for some reason these made no settlement there then or afterward. The log walls were found there by those who came later, but who came to stay.


In September of 1834 a party of five men came from Attica on the Wabash and camped on the bank of the Red Cedar Lake. These were Richard Fancher, Charles Wilson, Robert Wilkinson, afterwards known as Judge Wilkinson, and with him two nephews. Richard Fancher and Charles Wilson were well mounted. the other three men had a wagon and team. and these two rode extensively over the central parts of the county. If they could appreciate nature's beauties those lonely rides must have been delight- ful. Lonely, these rides are called, as there were no settlers, no human being's to be seen in their explorations. (the Indians were probably then on the Calumet and the Kankakee), and these two men had the open prairies. the groves, and the woodland to themselves. They had first choice of the locations. Richard Fancher selected that little lake, which still bears his name, and the land around it, which is now the Lake County Fair Ground. Charles Wilson selected his location on the west side of that lake, on the shore of which was their camping ground, of which mention will hereafter be quite fully made. To that same lake in October of 1834 came another party from the Wabash. Dr. Thomas Brown, David Hornor, and, probably. Thomas Hornor. These men selected locations for settlement, made several claims, according to pioneer or squatter usage, and returned to their shel- tered homes for the winter. These were the explorers of what became the Hornor settlement on the west side of that lake. But settlers as well as claim- seekers came in that summer and fall of 1834.


EARLY SETTLERS.


According to the best authority now accessible, the best, indeed, now in existence, the Claim Register, claims were made or locations selected, in 1834. by the following named persons or for them: in June. William S. Thornburg. Thomas Thornburg, William Crooks, Samuel Miller ; in October, Robert Wilkinson, who became Probate Judge and made his selection of a


3


HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.


home spot on that stream called West Creek, Noah A. Wilkinson, Noah B. Clark. R. Fancher, Thomas Childers, Thomas Hornor, Solon Robinson, Milo Robinson : in November. T. S. Wilkinson, Robert Wilkinson of Deep River. B. Wilkinson, Thomas Brown, Jacob L. Brown, claim bought of Charles Wilson, Thomas H. Brown. William Clark, J. W. Holton, H. Wells, David Hornor. L. A. Fowler, J. B. Curtis, Elias Myrick. Thomas Reed : in Decem- ber. W. A. W. Holton. Harriet Holton, then a widow. Jesse Pierce. David Pierce. John Russell, William Montgomery.


Persons made claims,-that is the form used by the pioneers,-or selected locations, for their friends as well as for themselves, and there is no evidence that many of these named above actually made settlements in 1834. Those who did settle in this year were: Thomas Childers and family in School Giove, on "section 17," in October: William Crooks and Samuel Miller, probably in the summer : Solon Robinson and family on the last day of October, claim dated November, and spending that winter with him two young men, Luman A. Fowler and J. B. Curtis: Robert Wilkinson of Deep River and family in November.


In January of 1835 settlers were. Lyman Wells and John Driscoll: in February, William Clark, known afterwards as Judge Clark, and family, W. A. W. Holton with his mother and sister, and J. W. Holton with wife and child.


In the spring Richard Fancher with his family came to settle on the shore of the little lake which he had selected on section 17. a noted section for several years, but to his great disappointment he found out before long that on that section had been laid an "Indian float." As the year of 1835 advanced settlers came in quite rapidly. In April the "Bryant Settlement" was commenced. The names of these Bryants were. Wayne, David. Elias. and Samuel D .; and with them in this settlement was a sister, Mrs. Agnew. They called their location Pleasant Grove.


In May the "Myrick Settlement" was made by Elias Myrick. William Myrick, and Thomas Reed: and Centre Prairie was settled by S. P. String-


HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.


ham and J. Foley. Robert Wilkinson of West Creek also settled on his choice location. and north of him, in what became known as the West Creek woods. Thomas Wiles and Jesse Bond. In the fall of 1835 the large Hornor family came. David Hornor and four sons, Thomas, George, Amos. Levi. a daughter, Ruth, and other children, and Jacob L. Brown, a son-in-law. In this year also John Wood from Massachusetts made a claim, Robert Ham- ilton settled. Milo Robinson came from New York city, and Henry Wells of Massachusetts began his long residence in what hecame Crown Point.


The settling of a new region is always a rich, an interesting, sometimes a trying and a dangerous experience, whether in planting colonies like those early thirteen on the Atlantic coast a few hundred years ago, or commencing. as thousands did in the nineteenth century, in what was called for many years the West, new settlements of white people among Indians and wild animals, the native dwellers on our prairies and in our forests.


The experiences of the pioneers in the prairie belt was different. in some respects, from the earlier life of the settlers in the large forests of Ohio and of southern aud central Indiana, for although they built their first cabins in the edges of woodlands or in groves where they had the shelter of trees, instead of being obliged to make clearings in heavy timber thus opening up at first a very small farm. these prairie settlers started at once the large "breaking plows," with six or more yoke of oxen attached, and could sow and plant the first summer after their arrival. And they put up free of any expense all of the grass for hay which they could find time to mow. From a large amount of heavy labor in what is called clearing land they were thus relieved. They had at first rails to split for fences, making as they did the Virginia worm fence, and this was their heaviest work.


It is to be remembered that these early prairie settlers,-one family. that of William Ross, in 1833, but not a permanent family, these others in 1834 and 1835 .- were what were called squatters on newly surveyed Gov- ernment lands, before Lake county had any civil existence. The legislature of Indiana in the winter of 1835 and 1836 divided the territory north of the


5


HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.


Kankakee River, extending from the organized county of LaPorte to the Illi- nois line, into two portions, one to become Porter county and the other Lake. Porter was organized and the territory that was to be Lake was attached to it to bring it under civil government. It was divided into three townships and a justice of the peace was elected in each. These were, Amsi L. Ball. Solon Robinson, and Robert Wilkinson of West Creek. In 1836, the year of the first justice courts, when three or four cases only were tried, settlers came in rapidly. The names of one hundred and thirteen "settlers in 1836" have been found on the Claim Register.


As many of these names are likely to appear in the biographical sketches they are not given here. It will be sufficient to state that in this year there came the Taylor and Edgerton and Nordyke families, the families of James Farweil and Charles Marvin, the Church and Cutler families of Prairie West. William Merrill and Dudley Merrill, and in September George Earle. These commenced new centers of settlement.


The town of Liverpool, which became Lake county's first county seat, was laid out as a town in May probably or in June of this year. The sale of lots there in July amounted to sixteen thousand dollars. Lot number 107 sold for eighty dollars. The men concerned in this town were John B. Chapman, Henry Fredrickson, and Nathaniel Davis. A true "paper city" was laid out, probably this year, at the mouth of the Calumet River, by a company of men from Columbus, Ohio. It was called Indiana City, and was designed no doubt to compete. with the then young Michigan City and Chicago, for thie commerce of Lake Michigan. It was sold in 1841. the tra- dition is, for fourteen thousand dollars. There is no evidence that it had any inhabitants, and actually it was valueless.


July 4, 1836, there was organized at the house of Solon Robinson or in his grove, The Squatters' Union of Lake County. A constitution of four- teen articles was adopted. and attached to that four hundred and seventy-six signatures have been counted. Some of them, however, held claims in Porter county.


6


HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.


In March of this same year a postoffice was established called Lake Court House, Solon Robinson, postmaster, bringing the mail himself or by a deputy from Michigan City and for which he was to have the proceeds of the office. Although letters in those days, coming any long distance, cost twenty-five cents each, paid by those who received them, the proceeds of this office. up to October 1. 1836, were only fifteen dollars.


In this same year was opened the first settlers' store by Solon and Milo Robinson, brothers, who sold, before the spring of the next year, about three thousand dollars' worth of goods, selling the largest amount to the Indians. buying from them fur and cranberries.


COUNTY ORGANIZATION.


By an act of the Indiana Legislature Lake was declared to be an inde- . pendent county, separated entirely from the jurisdiction of Porter, after Feb- rnary 15. 1837. March 8, 1837. Henry Wells was commissioned Sheriff. and an election was duly held at the house of Samuel D. Bryant. E. W. Bryant Inspector, at the house of A. L. Ball. W. S. Thornburg Inspector. at the house of Russel Eddy, William Clark Inspector, for the purpose of electing a Clerk of the Circuit Court, a Recorder, two Associate Judges, and three county Commissioners. Solon Robinson was elected Clerk, William A. W. Holton Recorder, William B. Crooks and William Clark Judges. Amsi L. Ball, Thomas Wiles, S. P. Stringham, Commissioners.


April 5. 1837, the Board of Commissioners held their first meeting. They transacted, as one might expect, a large amount of business in starting all the departments under their jurisdiction in a newly organized county. Some of their acts it will be of interest to notice.


They adopted a county seal. They divided the county into three town- ships and three commissioner's districts, these having the same geographical limits. The number of districts is still three. They appointed J. W. Holton county treasurer and fixed the amount of his bond at two thousand dollars. They appointed Milo Robinson trustee of what was then called the Seminary Fund, the amount of his bond as trustee to be two hundred dollars, and they




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