USA > Indiana > Lake County > Reports of the historical secretary of the Old settlers' association of Lake County, Indiana, 1891 - 1895 > Part 1
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M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
201 .- 95 .249
L ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
L 3 1833 02300 1602
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013
http://archive.org/details/reportsofhistori00olds 3
REPORTS '
-OF THE-
HISTORICAL SECRETARY
-- OF THE-
Old Settlers ,
Association
-
-OF ---
LAKE COUNTY, INDIANA, FROM-
1891 to 1895.
PRINTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE VOTE OF THE ASSO- CIATION INSTRUCTING THE HISTORICAL SECRE- TARY TO HAVE PRINTED TWO HUNDRED COPIES FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION.
Crown Point, 1895. ·
LAKE COUNTY STAR PRINT.
1724249
Old Settlers' Association
Reports.
Crown Point, 1895.
LAKE COUNTY STAR PRINT.
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SOLON ROBINSON. First settler of Crown Point, 1834.
REPORTS.
As introductory to the Report the following memorandum or record may fittingly appear.
"October 31st 1891. Met in the Commissioners' Room in the Court House. Historical Secretary's report read. Also an address by T. H. Ball in regard to the arrival here of Solon Robinson fifty-seven years ago to-day. A motion was made and passed to have inserted in the Secretary's book the vote of last year in regard to having printed two hundred copies of six years reports of Historical Secretary. Also a motion was made to have inserted in the pamphlet with the reports en- . gravings of likenesses of any old settlers whose friends will de- fray the expense."
NOTE. In accordance with the above, cuts were obtained from likenesses of Solon Robinson, Lewis Warriner, Charles Marvin, and Hervey Ball. These will be reproduced in this pamphlet, (which is printed in accordance with instructions from the As- sociation.) together with such other cuts as may be obtained before this is printed and bound. T. H. B.
The following in that brief address referred to above: IFTY-SEVEN years ago to-day, where is now this town with paved streets and electric lights, the county-seat of the most rapidly growing county in Indiana, there was living no human being. With the exception of an Indian gar- den and some log cabins erected by some one that past sum- mer, it was then the wildness of what it seems pleasant to call, although we know so little about it, primeval nature.
The red men and women and children were near, but there is no evidence that they had at that time a cabin or a wigwam here. As the sun of that clear, delightful October day was setting, the last October sunset for the year of 1834, one white family from the eastward and southward, having been journey- ing slowly westward that afternoon and enjoying their first view of an unbroken prairie robed in the rich dress of our gold- en autumn, sought the shelter, then so acceptable, of youder
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woodland, and found a refreshing draught in a spring of clear water where probably the red children and the deer had be- fore that day quenched their thirst. . This was the family of Solon Robinson, whom we recognize as the first actual settler, not of Lake county, but of Crown Point,
His own words are the following: "It was the last day of October, 1834, when I first entered this 'arm of the Grand Prairie.' It was about noon, of a clear, delightful day, when we emerged from the wood, and, for miles around, stretched forth oue broad expanse of clear, open land. At that time the whole of this county scarcely showed a sign that the white man had yet been here, except those of my own household. I stood alone, wrapt up in that peculiar sensation that man only feels when beholding a prairie for the first time -- it is an inde- scribable, delightful feeling. Oh, what a rich mine of wealth lay outstretched before me. Some ten miles away to the sonthwest, the tops of a grove were visible. Toward that on- ward rolled the wagons, with nothing to impede them. * *
Just before sundown we reached the grove and pitched our tent by the side of a spring. What could exceed the beauty of this spot! Why should we seek farther? Here is everything to indicate a healthy location which should al- ways influence the new settler. * * *
* After enjoying such a night of rest as can only be enjoyed after such a day, the morning helped to confirm us that here should be our rest- ing place. In a few hours the grove resounded with the blows of the axe, and in four days we moved into our 'new house.""'
Thus was commenced the settlement of this town, there being then in the limits of what became Lake county the families of Thomas Childers, of William Ross, probably of Bennett and Berry, the stage line hotel keepers on Lake Mich- igau, and, without a family, in his lone cabin, William Crooks; also, near the month of Turkey Creek a man named Winchell.
Additions were made here. and, before the spring of 1835 opened, hamlet life commenced.
According to "Lake County 1884," by 1840 the hamlet had become a village; in 1865 it became a railroad town; was in- corporated in 1868; and now, in 1891, with two thousand in- habitants, it has paved streets and electric lights.
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REPORT.
HE year that closes with October 31, 1891, another of the Old Settler Associational years, has been a year of some important events for Lake county.
In the fall and winter of 1890, and even extending into the spring of 1891, there was quite a prospect that the "Stock Yard Purchase" near Tolleston would soon be occupied by - some of the large packing houses of Chicago, and this created what is called "a boom" in real estate in all the "Calumet Re gion" of the county. But while lands have been bought and sold no decided improvement near Tolleston has been made. The most growth in that Calumet Region has been at Whiting, the Standard Oil Company city.
In the winter of 1890 and 1891 a strenuous effort was made by some Hammond citizens to have a bill passed through the State Legislature leading to a removal of the county seat to Hammond. Crown Point citizens and some in other counties, especially in LaPorte county, worked diligently against the bill, and it was at length defeated. No little excitement was awakened in the county by this attempt of the young manu- facturing city to take, from the center of the county to the border of the city of Chicago, the county seat of Lake.
Great improvement has been made in Crown Point this past summer and fall, perhaps as one result of that effort to remove the county seat. Through the summer months a large force of men, perhaps one hundred, with many teams, was en- gaged in paving Main and some other streets with cedar blocks. Arrangement was also made to secure for the town electric lights. At about 6:30, Sept. 10, 1891, the electric lights flash- ed out upon us. At the Lathrop corner about thirty children gathered and commenced to play in the circle of brightest light. In October electric light began to be used in the Meth- odist church. (Electric lights were used at Cedar Lake for putting up ice at night last winter.)
Quite an amount of building has also been done in Crown Point.' One old landmark, known as the Register building, has been removed and in its place Mr. Amos Allman has erect-
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de a large three story brick building which is quite an addition to the town. Crown' Point has this year a brick town hall com- modious and useful. The large Catholic brick church has been completed and dedicated, one of the largest church build- ings now in the county. The Presbyterian church at Crown Point has received an addition in the form of church parlors, built as a monument to the memory of Mr. A. N. Hart by his daughter Mrs Biggs, thus making this house the most com- pletely finished and furnished church house in the county.
At Lowell some good buildings have this summer been erected, and a good church building at Dyer. A new oil pipe has been laid along the Erie road, and work has been going on along the gas pipe line. Building has commenced at Grif- fith.
The death record for this year is short. There was omit- ted by some means, in its proper place last year, the first one which is inserted here.
Died October 1, 1889, Joi Brown of South East Grove, a pioneer settler, who was born in April, 1812, and was then in the 78th year of his age. A beautiful marble momment stands in the South East Grove cemetery sacred to his memory.
Died on Friday, Dec. 26, 1890, Mrs. Caroline Hill, wife of Welcome Hill, seventy-six years of age, a resident of Lake county since June, 1837.
Died Jan. 24, 1891, at eight P. M., Robert Garrison, at his home in Creston, aged eighty-one years and ten months.
Died in Hebron, May 4, 1891, Mrs. Eliza Servis, an early resident at South East Grove, seventy-four years of age.
Died May 12, 1891, Oscar Bacon of Deer Creek, abont six- ty-seven years of age.
Died at Lowell, June 24, 1891, Mrs. Post, ninety years of age, a resident in this county, and during most of the years in South East Grove, for forty oue years.
On Sunday morning, Sept. 28, 1890, at Dyer, I learned for the first time that among the burial places named in "Lake County 1872" the old one at Dyer was omitted. It is not in
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the condition in which it ought to be. The owner of the land around it I know not, but some one ought to care for it, to fence it, to keep it from further destruction. I should think as many as fifteen graves are there. These records ou the stones for memorial are all that remain: Wilder W. Page died Oct. 23, 1835, 36 yearsold. This must have been one of the earliest and perhaps the first burial of a white person in the county.
Hannah A. daughter of W. W. & M. R. Page died Dec. 30, 1838, 4 years old.
Anna, wife of Almon Wilder, died March 5, 1840. Age 31 years.
David M., son of Charles & M. Wakemen, died Ang. 3, 1843. Aged 18 years and 6 months.
Christian, wife of T. O. Smith, died Jan. 12, 1867. Age nearly 27 years.
This was, perhaps, the latest burial. Whose duty is it to care for this, at present, neglected spot of ground?
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Weather Record. Friday evening, Sept. 26, 1890, at Crown Point the katy-dids were quite active and sonorous. Warm. Saturday a cool N. E. wind blew. Many fields yet green with corn blades, tobacco blossoms at Dyer bright. Sunday morn- ing, 28, a white and quite general frost. Vines at Dyer were for the first time this fall blackened.
Oct. 10. Last night in the Crown Point school-house yard katy-dids still alive and "chirping."
HE fall of 1890 was very pleasant. November was an un- usually delightful mouth. December was remarkable.
There was a little snow and there was some ice in Decem- ber, but throngh most of the month the roads were smooth hard, dry, like summer roads without much dust. Tuesday, Dec. 30th, was like a delightful April day, warm and bright. Wednesday an April-like rain came on, gentle, warm, delight- ful. The roads Wednesday evening were somewhat muddy.
Thursday, Jan. 1, 1891, was still warm, showers, sunshine, and a rainbow. Mud increasing. In the night the wind,
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which had been southward, changed, and this morning, Janu- . ary 2, there is a very little suow, it has frozen some. It is cool- er but not cold.
The mouth of Jannary unusually mild. Good roads most of the month. The last of the month a warm rain came ou which made the roads muddy. Sunday morning, February 1, still cloudy, damp, mild. Sunday night the mnd became froz- en. Monday and Tuesday roads hard and rough. For some hours on Monday morning bright sunshine Tuesday morn- ing about zero. Wednesday, Feb. 4, mercury 6 degrees F.
The month of March was quite cold and wet. The roads became very muddy. The first third of April quite cool, the roads exceedingly muddy, almost impassable. Very little sun- shine for two or three weeks in March and April. Some show in March. April 3, 4, snow some three inches in depth. Sun- day, April 5, a pleasant, bright morning; in the afternoon and evening a snow fell of about three inches. The mud had froz- en Saturday so as to bear up a man. At night the mercury went down to 16 degrees F. After such a mild and open win- ter the usual spring time seemed very wintry. Some ice was put up at the Armour ice house at Cedar Lake, the men work- ing night and day when ice could be handled, using electric lights.
For May and June no record. July this year was a very cool month, said to be the coolest for twenty years. A frost late in the mouth killed some corn in low places. September very warm, and quite dry. The season all through has been fruitful. Fertility, rather unusual fertility, has been the char- acteristic this year in the vegetable world. All crops good. Potatoes abundant and of excellent quality. Apples abundant. Rye has brought an unusual price, selling for about the same as wheat. The autumn closes on a prosperous farming com- in unity.
S carrying out the objects for which these reports and records are printed I take the liberty to insert here a slip taken from a Crown Point paper, written probably a year before the Register building was taken down. In the
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lowest story of that building was then the post office, and there had been before that the Crown Point bank.
At The Foot of The Stairs.
' "The stairs alluded to are those just north of the post- office that lead up, first into the Register office, and then into the hall above. And seated there for half an hour, waiting for an express wagon, I thought, how many have in other years passed up those flights of stairs. Let some of them pass here again as in astately review. First: the hall was occupied for many years by the Masonic Lodge of Crown Point, Lake Lodge, No. 157, and many were the feet that passed up and down, of those who walk these sidewalks and indeed the paths of earth no more. Just by where I am sitting now, many of the principal business and professional men of Crown Point, of former years, have passed down in measured and slow tread, to go forth and commit to earth a brother's form. I look up for a moment into their faces and I see so many who are of earth no more. The Masons pass. Next, the hall passed into other hands, as Lake Lodge found a larger and more elegant place for meeting, and this old hall was used for social gather- ings, literary meetings, and spelling schools; and now I see passing up and down with light footsteps, those representing then the youth and beauty of Crown Point. As I look upon them, many of these too are of those who come no more. But again the scene changes. The hall becomes a school room, and morning, and noon, and evening, the footsteps come and go of teacher and pupils, pupils mostly scattered now. Change · comes again. The hall becomes a place fo prayer and praise, and the feet of a very different class of citizens now go regu- larly up and down these stairs, the feet of no one of whom probably will ever tread here again. Another change comes. Young foot steps approach, but the tread is measured, it is reg- ulated by the beat of a drum; the hall is "headquarters" for the High School Cadets. So they for a time march up an file down. There is life, abundant life, in their footsteps; and now, even they come down and go forth, with slow and measured tread, with muffled drum and arms reversed, and pass to the
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home of our Congressman to bury a dead young comrade. They at length disband. Again the hall finds other occupants. Now it is a boys club, and the brisk running footsteps of boys go up and down in thought beside me as I write. These byys are boys yet, but the steps of some of them are not now so brisk. The old hall becomes a private abode, the home of a little family of three, with a large, large dog. But they do not stay. The old hall is empty now. Such are some of its changes for thirty years. It is not likely that such an army as has been up and down these stairways will over pass these stairs again." . T. H. B.
1875. 18th Meeting. 1892.
Seventeenth Anniversary. Report.
HE year that has passed since we last met together has been and still is one of the remarkable years in Ameri- can history. We are so near the great city of the North Central States that we cannot fail to feel the influences that stir the million in that growing center of commerce, manufac- tures, and social life. The year has been directly and indi- rectly a year of preparation for the great gathering of the rep- , resentatives of nations. As such wo little building has been done in the county, especially in the larger towns, Hammond, Crown Point, Hobart, Whiting, Lowell, and East Chicago.
In the last named place the black walnut lumber business has become an immense industry. One could hardly realize without seeing, the amount of logs and the piles of lumber that are there.
Joining East Chicago on the east large chemical works have been built at uo little outlay of time and money.
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At Lowell many fine looking dwelling houses have been erected and the side walks have been greatly improved.
The bridge across the Kankakee at Water Valley has been a great improvement.
Besides the larger towns that have been named, at Tolles- ton improvement has been made in buildings, and at Creston Mr. Cassius Taylor is now erecting a large dwelling house. There has been no doubt some improvement in nearly every village in the county. We have now, of towns and villages, counting the little Ivanhoe thirty-three.
Griffith has become quite a little town, with four factory buildings, one church house, two Sabbath congregations and two Sunday schools, these schools counting eighty members. Already its buildings are in three townships, North, Calumet, and St. Johns.
For productivenes this season has been in marked con- trast with last year.
The fruit crop has been almost a failure, potatoes and corn poor crops, oats probably medium, and hay a good crop. Ap- ples have seldom been so scarce in the county as now. Plant- ing time was very late this spring.
The months of both May and June were very wet. The Little Calumet was a mile wide or more between Highland and Hessville until almost mid summer. There is no record of its ever having been as high in June before. The water of course was very high on the Kankakee marsh. Until quitelate in the sumner the ditches were full of water.
We have not lost so many by death as in some past years, but three very prominent, well known citizens of our mimber have been called away from earth, Hon. Joseph A. Little, Mr. Charles Marvin, and Hon. Martin Wood. We have very few such as they to lose.
JOSEPH AMES LITTLE, son of Thomas Little, was born in Merrimac county, N. H., May 24, 1830. He came to Lake county with his father's family in 1855; was married to Miss Mary Gerrish in 1859; became a successful farmer and large wool-grower, keeping for many years large flocks of fine wool sheep; was a member of the Indiana Legislature for Lake
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county in 1886 and 1887, and died in the morning of February 19, 1892. In this Association his interest was un ceasing, and with the events of our Semi-Centennial of 1884 his name will be associated as long as our history as a county is preserved.
From 1859 until his death he was a member of the Lake Prairie Presbyterian church, and, like those of a long and worthy line who went before him, he was a man to be trusted, to be highly esteemed, and to be honored.
CHARLES MARVIN was born August 4, 1811, mn Norwalk. Conn. , When a young man he went to Georgetown, S. C., and staid about two years. He visited New Orleans and was there a short time. He went up to Alton, Illinois, and then to Lock - port in 1833. In IS35 he was married to Miss Charlotte Perry and came to Lake county with his mother-in-law, whose name is on the Claim Register, in 1836.
. He sold his first farm over West Creek, in Hanover town- ship now, to H. Sasse Sen., about 1839. Dec. 6, 1851, then a widower, he was married to Miss Eliza Fuller. He sold his second large farm about 1881 and bought the old Judge Wilk- inson place where he built a fine residence. He there died Thursday afternoon, June 16, 1892, and was buried at Lock- port, being nearly eighty-one years of age. He was a noble illustration of what an American farmer may be, very refined and courteous in his manners, hospitable, upright, and kind; although not a church member, manifesting a Christian dis- position and trust.
MARTIN WOOD was born in Ohio, Nov. 26, 1815. He com- menced the practice of law at Crown Point in 1848; was married to Miss Susan G, Taylor of Pleasant Grove, in 1849; in 1871 and 1873 represented Lake county in the State Legislature; was a prosperous lawyer and public-spirited citizen, whose death was deeply felt by his family and the whole community. The Histor- ical Secretary was present at the burial services and read the fol- lowing tribute, "In memory of Hon. Martin Wood, of Crown Point, Indiana, who went to sleep in death on Monday morn- ing, September 5th, 1892, aged nearly 77 years.
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Over the mystic river, The Jordan of death, he has passed. Out of death's crowded quiver An arrow was shot like a blast; Like a blast, like a breath from God; Like a blow from an iron rod.
Over the mystic river, The Jordan of death, he has passed. Strong men will sometimes shiver, Into death's waves suddenly cast. But love, that endures to the end, Firmly, we trust, upheld our friend.
On this side tears and sorrow, Life's doubts and its fears and its gloom. On that, no dark to-morrow, No sin, and no death, and no tomb. Glad let us be to safely pass Where even gold is clear like glass:
To pass to that great city, City of gold with jasper walls. Spotless, pure, holy city, . Where on the soul no shadow falls. This we know of that city bright. Its length is as its breadth and height.
More we know of that city. Its gates are made of pearls so fair; (It is a four-square city,) Twelve gates with angels waiting there. Room enough for the countless throngs, And light within and joy and songs.
No need to offer pity For those who pass within, Within God's holy city Where comes no pain nor shame nor sin. Sweet is the hope that he has passed Where trials all are o'er at last.
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Man, made of earth, is earthy,
So back to earth we will give the dust, The soul, which is not earthy, Resting with the souls of the just. Morning stars shine in eastern skies;
Night soon will end, the dead arise.
Fare thee well, friend and brother; Farewell, but not, no, not for aye;
For soon, one after the other. We pass from this night to the day.
Well may we bear earth's toil and strife,
In hope of everlasting life :-
In hope of that glad union, - When earth's partiugs are no more;
In hope of the saints' communion On that bright, blooming, deathless shore. There we may meet the saints of old
And walk with them the streets of gold."
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Weather Record. 1891-1892. .
HE last Old Settler year closed with October .31, 1891. The month of October had been very pleasant, fires were raging in the marsh during the last week of the month, and in the central part of the county it was still dry. Novem- ber was a cool month. It had been so dry that the ground was too hard for fall plowing. Some late rains came, a little snow Nov. 23, 24, and ground frozen. Nov. 24, mercury at 8 degrees F. Dec. 2, plowing again commenced and continued until Christmas.
Cedar Lake was frozen over three times up to Jan. 1, 1892. Three weeks of quite good ice weather in January. A large amount of ice put up at Cedar Lake, some two hundred men working at Armour's and one hundred at the south end. About sixty carloads a day shipped from Armour's while filling the house. Jan. 9th and 15th 10 degrees F. below zero. Early in
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February a thaw. Roads muddy. Quite an amount of sick- ness, grippe, mumps, pneumonia, and typhoid fever. Friday evening. Feb. 5, 1892, Venus and Jupiter appeared in a clear sky at Crown Point, almost in a right line with the earth. It was a beautiful sight, such as one might not expect to see more than once in a lifetime. Those interested in such unus- ual phenomena could not forget that sight. A few evenings before there had also been a beautiful sight of which one, in a Boston paper, said: "The close approach of the new moon and the two bright planets, Veuns and Jupiter, on Jan. 31st and Feb. Ist was one of the most brilliant astronomical sights in the life of the present generation." On the fifth Venus and Jupiter seemed to almost touch each other. They were last in conjunction in July, 1859. On Saturday evening Feb. 13, 1892 there was seen here a magnificent display of the Northern · Light, between six and seven o'clock. It was remarkable for its general rich, red color, and for its evenness of display. Some of the streamers were very bright, but the flashing or streaming upward was quite quiet compared with some dis- plays in former years over Lake county.
On Sunday morning, Feb. 14th, a light rain, changing to sleet and snow with a strong N. E. wind, became a severe storm but mercury not low. Monday morning, 15th, about zero. Feb. 16th was very pleasant. The rest of the month, cloudy, moist, damp weather with a little rain. Wild geese and ducks along the Kankakee 22d, 23d and onward. Feb. 25th, the roads about as bad as they ever get. March, for the most part, spring weather, bluebirds, robins, and larks report- ed in the county, temperature mild, roads muddy.
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