USA > Indiana > Jasper County > Remington > History of the town of Remington and vicinity, Jasper County, Indiana > Part 1
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History of the town of Remington and vicinity, Jasper County, Indiana
James H. Royalty
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C OLLEGE
HARVARD
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A COLLECTION OF AMERICAN HISTORY IN MEMORY OF CHARLES ELLIOTT PERKINS OF BURLINGTON IOWA
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THE MAKER
OF HIS OWN
Bruce Rogers del.
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Royalty , James H
HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY JUN 12 1917 CHARLES ELLIOTT PERKINS MEMORIAL COLLECTION
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PREFACE.
HIS volume goes forth to our patrons, the result of months of arduous, unremitting and con- scientious labor. None so well know as those who have undertaken such a work the almost insurmountable difficulties to be met with in its prepara- tion. Since engaging in the work, or enterprise, we have been compelled to call upon many of our older citizens to assist us in their recollections of many of the earlier occur- rences, in the history of Remington and the surrounding country. Invariably those persons so called upon by us have given such information cheerfully whenever they conld possibly do so, and we have reason to here thank them for their kind assistance. We have also had to resort to let- ters, scraps of manuscript, printed fragments, memoranda, etc. Public records, semi-official documents and news- paper files have been searched and overhauled. Yet, at this late date, we have found the public records and official documents to be only about half completed, many import- ant items having been lost by a failure to make the proper record, or the record itself, having in many instances been · lost or destroyed by fire or otherwise. In undertaking this enterprise, we thought we would be enabled to make a practically correct history of Carpenter and Gilboa town- ships and the town of Remington, and we believe we have done so, so far as it is possible at this time to prepare such a history. We do not claim for it that it is absolutely cor- rect in all particulars, but we do claim that it is as accu- rate a work as the nature of the surroundings would per- mit. There will be found in this book a short sketch of every branch of business, which has ever been followed in
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PREFACE.
the town or country surrounding ; also a partial list of the various township and town officers; a brief mention of the men and women who were early pioneers here. We trust the work will prove useful, not only for one perusal, but as a work of reference in the future, and it will prove interest- ing to all persons having heretofore, and who are now, and those who will be hereafter identified with the growth and prosperity of Remington and the townships mentioned. We have carefully avoided anything to injure the feelings of any person. We believe the work will prove a public benefit by preserving much valuable historical matter, that would otherwise have passed into oblivion. And to those who have given us their support and encouragement, we acknowledge our gratitude, and can assure them, as the years go by, the book will grow in value as a repository, not only of interesting reading matter, but of treasured information of the past that will become an enduring mon- ument.
JAMES H. ROYALTY.
February, 1894.
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REMINGTON AND VICINITY.
N the spring of the year, A. D. 1860, the town of Carpenter's Station was laid out and platted. A railway had been completed through the place, and it was known as the Logansport, Peoria & Bur- lington railway. This road had been surveyed and par- tially graded, something like ten years previous to 1860, but for lack of funds it was not pushed through until 1859, when it was, in a manner, completed, and trains began running over it on the first day of January, 1860. Mr. Jesse H. Fordyce was the owner of the land that the orig- inal town of Remington is now located upon. In order to secure a town and station at this point, Mr. Fordyce gave to the railway company every alternate lot on his plat, the conditions required of the company that it should put in a suitable switch and construct a depot. The switch was put down and the depot constructed in the fall of the year 1859, and the village was named Carpenter's Station, after the grove of timber, about one mile north of the town or village site. The depot was built about one hundred feet west of the crossing of Ohio street. It was a small build- ing, with two small rooms and a platform about one hun- dred feet long. The railway company sent a man by the name of William Lott to act as station agent. He did not like the new town, as the inhabitants were few, both in town and country, thus making it very lonesome and irk- some business for him. He, therefore, for the reasons above stated, did not remain here but a short time. South- west from the depot, near the present residence of Daniel O'Connor, the railway company constructed a small section house, which was occupied by the employes of the railway company, who were mainly section men. Mr. Berney
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Shaw was now employed by the company as their agent at this place. He also had control of the postoffie in con- nection with the railway freight business. The wages paid him for his services by the company was only fifteen dol- lars per month. East from the depot the railway company built a water tank, the object being to supply their engines with water at this point. This water tank was erected in the center of Carpenter's creek and immediately opposite the center of the railway bridge spanning the creek. The foundation of this tank consisted of four piles of railroad ties, laid crosswise, until the structure was on a level with the top of the bridge. Still other ties were laid on these, by which means a room was constructed twelve feet square, and on top of this room the tank proper was built, which had no roof or covering over it. In the center of the found- ation for this structure was a shallow well, fed or supplied mainly by the waters of the creek. In this well was a force pump, worked by hand, by which means water was supplied for the engines. The company sent Mr. Peter Kelley, who was a resident of Remington for many years, here to take charge of this tank. He came here in the fall of 1859. He was here alone for a few years, his family being back in the old country. He claimed to be an Englishman by birth. In a few years his family came to him. The family consisted of a wife, two daughters and son. They often assisted him in pumping water for the engines. One evening as Mr. Kelley returned from town, he sent his eldest daughter and son out to pump. Mr. Kelley had been indulging pretty freely in strong beverages while in town, and when he arrived at his house his wife started for the water tank, although it was quite dark and cold and icy. The ice had frozen on the planks that reached from the bridge to the tank room, where the two children were pumping, and as she was crossing, she slipped off the boards, down among the ties and fell into the well, breaking her neck. The screaming of the two children aroused Robert May, Jacob A. May and the writer. When
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we reached the scene, there were several persons who arrived soon after us. Jacob A. May was the first person to reach the tank, where he found Mrs. Kelley struggling in the well below the tank and almost dead.
About one hundred yards above this railway bridge was the crossing of the main traveled wagon road, leading from Rensselaer to LaFayette. From this crossing, in the direction of Rensselaer, this wagon road bore a north- westerly direction, passing by Robert Y. May's farm resi- dence, angling through his grove, thence to the corner of the Henry C. Lipprant farm, now owned by Mr. P. J. Mc- Laughlin. Thence north on the range line, between ranges six and seven, to the north line of the said Lipprant farm, where the road diverges from the regular line in a north- westerly direction, as originally traveled, through Carpen- ter's grove. At the southerly side of this grove we find, perhaps, the oldest farm house and farm in southern Jasper county, which was owned in 1859 by Uncle John Jordan, a well-to-do farmer for those early days. Mr. Jordan's fam- ily consisted of five boys and one girl, the daughter being the youngest of the family. Mr. Jordan and sons did the housework, as well as the farming, the wife and mother having passed away some years prior to this date. The daughter being too young to do housework, was then living with an aunt. Mr. Jordan was then farming the land the fair association now occupies. In the spring of the year 1860, the writer, together with his mother and stepfather, came to this vicinity and moved into the house with Mr. Jordan. Well do I remember how wild everything looked at that time, although only twelve years old. My step- father's name was J. H. Miller, better known as Esquire Miller. He was a carpenter, and in quest of work at his trade, and while living with Mr. Jordan, he managed to build a little house in the station called Carpenter's station. After stopping with Mr. Jordan about three months he moved to the station. Following the road northwest from Mr. Jordan's, down Carpenter's creek, we arrive at the
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REMINGTON AND VICINITY.
farm house of Samuel Babb, located on his farm at the north side of Carpenter's grove. Mr. Babb had been in this country several years prior to the year 1860. Following the old road, which was traveled on or near the east bank of the creek, for a distance of probably forty rods, we come to the northwest corner of the grove, where then was the farm residence of Basil Hunt, a well known farmer and one of the early pioneers of this section of the country. He then occupied the farm which is now owned by Mount E. Jordan, who is now living on it. A short distance farther down the creek there lived Esquire Thomas Lam- born, who was one among the first school teachers of this part of the county. Still farther northwest, a distance of perhaps a half mile, was the residence of G. G. Thompson, who at this time was engaged in farming. Mr. Thompson had, during the years 1857-8-9, been postmaster. The office was designated by the government and known as the Carpenter Creek postoffice. The mail was carried on horseback to and from Rensselaer and Attica via Oxford. Mr. P. H. Lalley, now of Remington, was one of the early mail carriers over this route. From the postoffice, looking southwest, and directly north of Carpenter's grove, there stood a log school house, which was located near the resi- dence of Moses Sigo. This school house was constructed from timber secured from Carpenter's grove, the building proper, seats, benches and all. The seats were split logs, smoothed to some extent on the soft side with an adz and broad ax, with holes bored on the opposite side, in which round sticks were inserted, which served for legs.
It is generally accepted by our older citizens as being correct, that Carpenter's creek and Carpenter's grove derived their names from an old hunter by the name of Carpenter, who was here hunting, along about 1840. It is generally understood and believed that while here on one of his hunt- ing expeditions, the weather became intensely cold and he was frozen to death in the grove, and it is also said that he was buried some place in the grove, but the exact location
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has long since become obliterated and lost. The nearest school house to the one mentioned above was located about five miles further down the creek, on the east bank, or adjacent thereto, and near the farm then owned by Uncle Benjamin Welsh, being about half way between Reming- ton and Rensselaer. There was still another school house located at Black Oak, in White county, being about eight miles northeast of the Carpenter school house. This latter school house was known as the "Hardy" school house. The writer's family settled near this latter school house on what was then the Van Devolgen farm, and the writer attended school here for a short time. When Esquire Miller first came to this county he brought with him two men, James Plunkett and James F. Ellis, the latter of whom is in business at Remington at the present time. These men only stayed here about one year, when they removed to Montgomery county, Ind. Esquire Miller was not a successful farmer, hence, he quit the business, and remained a short time with Mr. John Jordan again, and soon settled in the little village of Carpenter's Station. He built a small house on the lot directly south of the resi- dence of Moses French, where he resided for about eight years. During this time he followed his trade, that of a carpenter. At the expiration of the eight years he sold his little property to one Dennis Wiggins, and then immedi- ately bought again, the lot directly west of Mr. French's property, and erected a second house on this lot. The writer was a lad of about thirteen years when he first came to this place, and although he was not the worst boy in the village, he could hold his own with the average mis- chief-makers of the place.
In the year 1860 the town of Carpenter's Station con- tained about one dozen houses, including dwellings, busi- ness and railway buildings. Esquire Miller's house was located in the east part of the village, on the bank of Car- penter's creek, and going west from the business part of town we passed the Donnelley residence, which was built
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REMINGTON AND VICINITY.
by Mr. Felix R. Donnely in the year 1858. Directly south of the Donnelley property, on the southeast corner of the next block, was a small house built by one Rev. John Wood, who was a United Brethren minister. Mr. Wood was a man of ordinary talents, but an excellent citizen. There were no churches or other public places in which to hold divine worship, hence the meetings were held in pri- vate residences. West of the Donnelley residence, near where the Hart hotel now stands, was a small dwelling house owned by Jesse H. Fordyce, the founder of the town. West and south a short distance from the Fordyce property was a small house owned by a blacksmith, in a small way, by the name of Kite, who had a small shop on the rear end of his lot, being the same property which is now owned and occupied by Uncle John Harmon. Imme- diately south and contiguous to the railway switch, and a little east of where the Hathaway grain elevators now stand, there was built a small ware house, which stood high on its foundations, so that the floor of this building was on a level with the floor of the cars, in order that grain might be the more readily transferred in sacks or wheeled on railway trucks from this warehouse to the cars. This was the first warehouse ever built in Carpenter's Station or Remington, and it was built by a man named Roberts. Southwest of this point, where George Shipman now lives, was another small house, built by Mr. Curry. He was a man of small means, financially, and large family. His family was afflicted with sore eyes, one of whom, a boy, was entirely blind. His family consisted of himself and wife, four sons and three daughters. The husband and father was of very poor health, and in a very few years after locating here, he passed away. His second son, John Curry, had now reached the age of seventeen years, and obtained a job of braking on the Logansport, Peoria & Burlington railway, and moved the family to Logansport, and while the family were living in Logansport, James, the blind boy, and Edward, his younger brother, were both
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drowned in the Wabash river. They were brought back to Remington, or more properly speaking, to Carpenter's Station, and were buried in Carpenter's grove. Jane Curry, the second daughter, came back to Remington and started a millinery business, but stayed only a few years.
Referring again to the section house for the railway, it might be necessary to say that it was tenanted all the time with from six to eight men, who were in the employ of the railway company.
The first store established was located on the corner of First North street and range line, on the lot upon which Hartley's west elevator office now stands. This store was a small affair, and was conducted by George B. Clark, who is still a resident of the town of Remington, and is perhaps the oldest, or first resident of the town, now living. He came here probably in 1857 or 1858, and has been one of the most worthy, active and enterprising citizens of the town, during all these intervening years. He is a carpen- ter by trade, and has built several houses in Remington. He moved south at one time, but soon returned. In front of Clark's store was the railway wood yards. This wood was sawed for the company with a rude saw made by Jacob Shew, one of the old residents of the place. He was a hard working man and a good citizen. He raised a large family of children, all of whom are still living in Reming- ton and its vicinity. This wood was brought here on the cars by the railway company, and was sawed up by Mr. Shew and piled in cord racks by him for forty cents per cord. Going thence east from Clark's store, past the depot, there were no obstructions in the way until we came to the corner of Indiana and Railway streets, where was located the dwelling house of Joseph Lewis. This place was later known as the Henry Downing property. Whilst Lewis remained there he kept a notion store; in other words, he kept a few notions in the store room and a keg of whiskey in the cellar. This cellar was quite frequently visited by a great number of our citizens. Thus, in the
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early piety of our town, the tempter was brought in and found a hiding place in cellars. Mr. Lewis seemed to be a pious man. He was a hunter and fisher. He moved from here to the Iroquois river, near Salem, and was well acquainted with the nature of this new country, and knew about all of the deer trails between Remington and the Kankakee river. Mr. Lewis did not prosper well and finally sold out. After selling his town property he moved to Carpenter's grove, one mile north of town, and located in a small log house, which stood directly west of the John Jordan residence, at the northwest corner of the old orch- ard. While living there he made and burned a kiln of brick, which were the first ever made and burned in this part of the country. In the year 1865, with these bricks he built a house, near the site of the property recently sold by Robert Parker to Harry Hartley, in the town of Rem- ington. Sometime afterward this house was destroyed by fire, and Mr. Lewis then removed somewhere to the west. Mr. Lewis' family, while here, consisted of himself, his wife, two daughters and one son, named Henry. Henry was perhaps fifteen years old, and was generally recognized as the leader of the larger boys in Remington, in such mis- chievous raids as the boys at that time were often wont to engage in. In reference to those mischievous boys of this town, it would be in order to mention Henry Lewis, John Curry, Jacob A. May, James A. and William Royalty and Frank Shaw. These are the bad boys that first tramped the mud of Remington, waded the waters of Carpenter's creek, skated on its ice from its source to its mouth, and tramped the railway from Goodland to Wolcott, via Rem- ington, often over the prairie, sometimes one way and then again the other way. We thus became very well acquainted with the town, its people and the country surrounding. In the year 1860, if one desired to go east from the town of Carpenter's Station to the town of Wolcott, after pass- ing the farm of Robert Y. May, adjoining town on the east, he would not find between the two places, a house, a
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fence, nor a furrow plowed, over the entire distance. There was immense room for improvements northeast from the station. After leaving the May and Lipprant farms it was an open prairie until we reached the Ravenscroft farm, a distance of about four miles. Mr. Ravenscroft is an old timer in this county, he having located where he now lives about the year 1857. In his neighborhood, and somewhat to the west of his farm, were several families, among which we may mention that of Dr. Pierce, who was the father of Attorney Pierce, who, at a later period, practiced law in Remington. Dr. Pierce was, in that early day, the only physician nearer than Rensselaer. He did fairly well prac- ticing his profession, considering the generally healthy con- dition of the people of the community. North of his resi- dence was the home of the Harris family, who had lived there a few years. The children in this family were mostly all grown to man's estate at that time. The family con- sisted of five daughters and two sons. The father and eld- est son, Thomas, were great deer and wolf hunters. Deer, woolves, prairie chickens, quail, pheasants, wild geese, brant, ducks and sand hill cranes were found in great abundance here in those early days, in their proper seasons of the year. East of the Harris residence, and contiguous thereto, was a scope of country known as Black Oak. This scope of country is very sandy and timbered with black oak trees and shrubs, which grow upon it in great abundance. There may also be found some white oak, gum and quak- ing asp. A great many of the early settlers appeared anx- ious to locate in Black Oak, owing, perhaps, to the fact that fuel could be more readily obtained than if they should locate upon the prairie. And again it appears that most of the early settlers had a poor opinion of the productive qualities of our prairie lands, believing that they could pro- duce more grain and vegetables on a timber soil than on prairie soil. There soon located on Black Oak several families, among whom we mention Uncle Johnny Irvine, who, besides his wife, reared a family of five sons and one
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