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1500
Class_ F 532 Book
.. ...
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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.
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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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