A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana, Part 21

Author: Rev. E. D. Daniels
Publication date: 1904
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1273

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Mrs. Wells lacked a little more than four years of being one hundred years of age. For several years her health had been failing and the end was but the passing from earthly sleep into that sleep which knows no awakening. Her life had been full of stern realities, and having come here when the Indians roamed about this county,

and when the settlers were few and far between, she had watched with pleasure and gratification the growth of LaPorte from a small settlement and Indian post to a thriving city of ten thou- sand souls. Until about two years before her death her mind had been very active to recall with a vividness that was astonishing many inci- dents of pioneer life of the county, but during the last year of her life her health had been so impaired by the infirmities of advancing age that much of what she knew had passed from her.

The story of her life deals directly with the early history of LaPorte county. She was born in Saratoga, New York, December 24, 1806, and before coming to LaPorte county she was mar- ried to S. B. Wells. It was in 1833 that the deceased, her husband and three children left Buffalo in a prairie schooner and traveled by slow stages until they reached this county. After casting about for a suitable location they settled on what is now the John Holland farm west of town, where for many years they made their home. There was not a house between their place and Door Village, four miles distant, where was established a meeting house and where they went to worship. For a number of years the family lived on a farm and then they moved to Michigan City, where Mr. Wells engaged in carpentering. They then came to LaPorte and Mr. Wells be- came the toll-gate keeper for the Union Plank Road Company, which maintained a gate just north of town, the Benson house, lately owned by W. C. Ransburg, being the identical building, although modernized since, used by the toll-gate keeper and his family. For nine years Mr. Wells held his position and then he and the family moved into town. Before coming to LaPorte he had served in the war of 1812. He passed away in 1868, since which time Mrs. Wells had made her home with her children, lastly with Mrs. Electa Wells, until the latter's death, when she went to the Ruth C. Sabin Home, where she passed her declining years.

The children, grandchildren and great-grand- children visited her frequently and made her last days as happy as possible. She was a woman of strong character, loving disposition and by all who knew her was admired for her gracious manner. She was a member of the Presbyterian church of this city and as long as her health per- mitted she was a faithful attendant at its services.

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Mrs. Wells was the mother of five children, they being Mrs. Carrie Allen, of Kansas City, Missouri, Mrs. Harriette Cottrill, of Omaha, Nebraska, D. M. Wells, of Cleveland, assistant superintendent of the railway mail service be- tween Chicago and New York, John H. Wells, of Boone, Iowa, and Mrs. Electa Porter (de- ceased), of LaPorte. Surviving her are also nineteen grandchildren, twelve great-grandchil- dren and two great-great-grandchildren. The grandchildren in this vicinity are William F. Porter, Henry W. Porter and Mrs. Mary Far- rand, of LaPorte, Mrs. Carrie Griffin, of Chicago, and Charles Porter, of Michigan City. The two great-grandchildren are the two children of Fred Porter, son of Henry Porter. Some years ago a photograph was taken, showing the five genera- tions.

With a little effort these sketches of the pion- eers who have done their work and passed on, might be multiplied to almost any extent. They show that the early settlers of the county were worthy people, and it is surprising how many of them or their ancestors took part in our Revolu- tionary struggle, or in the war of 1812. The blood of patriots has been diffused through the whole mass and made redder the stream which has flowed in from foreign sources.

PHINEAS SMALL was born in 1805 in South Carolina. At three years of age he went with his parents to North Carolina, thence to Wayne county, Indiana, where he resided until he was twenty years of age, thence to Mont- gomery county, and six years thereafter on horse- back to Michigan City, where he purchased a lot, built a house on it, sold it, and in the fall of 1834 moved to Clinton township, LaPorte county. Here he purchased a hundred and sixty acres, erected a cabin, and proceeded to make a home. After a term of years he became possessor of an adjoining section and had a valuable, well fenced property, with frame house and spacious barn and outbuildings, a fine orchard, a yard contain- ing ornamental trees and shrubbery, with what is now called the Monon Railroad passing near by. Mr. Small was married June 25; 1840, to Mary Pinney, of Ohio, whose father Horace was from

Connecticut and whose mother Nancy (Snavley) was from Virginia. Mr. Small's ancestors were of English descent, and his grandfather was killed in the battle at the beginning of the Revolutionary war. Of his marriage union there were born . seven children ; Louis S., Nancy J., Eunice L., Orlando V., Riley F., Harrison P., and Phineas O. Mr. Small was one of the prosperous farmers and substantial men of the county, a friend of education and enlightenment, who sought to give his family the advantages of the best schools and opportunities for improvement.

On November 4, 1903, CASPER KUHN, who is mentioned in these pages as a prominent character of the village of Waterford, passed away at Michigan City of old age. He was one of the best known residents of the county. Casper Leo Kuhn was a native of Switzerland and was seventy years old on October 5 last. He was brought to this country by his parents when he was six months old, and the family settled in Buffalo, New York, where Casper was reared to manhood. In 1857 he went to Mishawaka, Indi- ana, where he located in business, and thirty-eight years ago he moved to Waterford, this county, where he owned and operated the Kuhn flouring mill until twelve years ago, when he sold his business and retired, moving to Michigan City. Mr. Kuhn was married twice, the first time at Mishawaka on June 20, 1858. His first wife died thirty-two years ago, and he was married the second time at Mishawaka in 1873. He is sur- vived by his widow and eleven children, the latter of whom are Mrs. Michael Timm, of Otis, Mrs. Albert Kilnowitz, of Michigan City, Miss Mary Kuhn, of Michigan City, John Kuhn, of Milwau- kee, Mrs. Dan Lill, of Michigan City, Joseph Kuhn; of Champaign, Illinois, Miss Rose Kuhn, of Chicago, Casper Kuhn, of Michigan City, Mrs. Ed Hartke, of Michigan City, and William and George Kuhn, of Michigan City. He is survived by one sister, Mrs. Valentine Brunner, of Buffalo, New York. Many relatives and friends from other places, as well as from his own home locality, attended the funeral, which was held on Saturday, November 7, 1903, at St. Mary's church in Michigan City.

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CHAPTER XIII.

DEVELOPMENT-LAPORTE.

"Towered cities please us then, And busy hum of men."

-MILTON.

"Order is heaven's first law; and this confessed, Some are, and must be, greater than the rest."

By a peculiar combination of circumstances the spot where the city of LaPorte now stands was destined to become a large settlement; it lay directly in the natural thoroughfare between the east and the west. North of it the country was ridged and hilly, sandy, and more or less densely wooded ; not likely to be chosen as a way of travel. South of LaPorte was the Kankakee region, impassable during most of the year, and no fit place for a through trail during the re- mainder ; and south of the Kankakee region the Tippecanoe country was a wilderness. At La- Porte, however, the country was open and com- paratively level.

This was the natural route between the east and west. On this account it was, that from farther back than we can make any calculation, a through trail cast and west traversed the spot where LaPorte now stands. It is quite true that this consisted only of a well worn path over the prairies and through the woods, and at first thought it may not amount to much ; but it was to the Indians, explorers, hunters, .trappers, soldiers, and pioneers, what a state or national road is to us. It was even more, for it was their only thoroughfare, which roads are not to us, for we have railroads.

LaPorte was situated at just the convenient distance from other stopping places, to make it desirable for a camp ground : east of it was the

-POPE. . country about Niles, South Bend, and other places ; west of it were the Calumet region and the broad prairies of Illinois. At LaPorte was the most convenient and also the most beautiful and comfortable camping ground on the whole ex- tent of the Indian trail. Here, so inviting after a long tramp, were the grassy shores of a little group of lakes in the edge of a dense hardwood forest reaching down from the north into the prairie. Here the travelers found dry and rolling ground for their camps, fuel in plenty, pure spark- ling water, shelter from the tempest and shade from the heat of the sun, with a wealth of game all about them, and myriads of fish in the lakes ; and whatever way they looked, they saw a land- scape of lake prairie and sylvan beauty never to be forgotten. A little to the south and west there was a natural opening or narrow gateway through which the traveler going either way emerged upon a broad prairie. On this account some French explorer, with the poetic instinct of his race, named it LaPorte (the portal), which name clung to the region ever after. Far and near, by redmen, explorers and settlers alike. the locality was known as LaPorte, and thus the city which was to arise in the near future was named beforehand. French, Spanish, British and Amer- ican soldiers, Indian hunters, trappers and traders, missionaries and settlers, all stopped at LaPorte. When the post at Detroit was established, and

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later Fort Dearborn at Chicago, LaPorte became more than ever a route of travel between the two; the Sac and Fox Indians passed this way, going to and coming from Canada ; each party, whether of whites or Indians, added the ashes of its campfires to those already in existence, and La- Porte became far famed as a camping ground or sort of halfway house. It was known at the na- tional capital, and at the different centers of civili- zation throughout the country.

It is not strange, therefore, that the pros- pecting party to which A. P. and James Andrew beionged, should have made LaPorte their ob- jective point. It was not strange that John B. Niles and many other young men who were seeking a suitable location for their expanding energies, both physical and mental, should have been led in this direction, and that the settlement should have been more rapid here than elsewhere.

There was another happy combination of cir- cumstances which rendered it possible at once to have an organized county with a regularly con- stituted government, which was not the case in many other counties. A large part of the land in the county had already passed from the Indians into the possession of the national and state governments, rendering it possible for the whites to enter their claims upon it, purchase it, make improvements, and institute a county government.

At an Indian village near the mouth of the Mississinewa river, on the Wabash, near Peru, on October 16, 1826, Lewis Cass, James B. Ray, and John Tipton had negotiated a very important treaty with certain of the Pottawottomie Indians, according to which, among other things, the ten- mile strip north of the old Indian boundary was ceded to the government, and also a strip one hundred feet wide through the country for the purpose of making a road from Lake Michigan to some convenient point on the Ohio river. In addition to this, one section of good land was ceded for every mile of the road. This was the "Old Michigan Road." Congress confirmed the treaty. and by act approved January 24. 1828, the general assembly of Indiana appointed commis- sioners to survey and mark the road. The com- missioners made the second survey, which the assembly established as the road, by act approved January 13, 1830. The same act appointed Sam- uel Hanna of the county of Wayne, William Polke of the county. of Knox, and Abraham M'Lelland

of the county of Sullivan, commissioners on the road to change its course wherever advantageous and, with the consent of the national government, to select and survey the Michigan Road lands into sections, and number the sections in numerical order from one upwards. Among other tracts the commissioners selected the four sections on which LaPorte now stands; not of course in- cluding the portion north of the old Indian boundary, which had already been ceded under another item. In 1831 Congress sanctioned and confirmed the selection and locations made by the state of Indiana of the Michigan Road lands (U. S. Statutes at Large, Vol. 7, p. 295, 296). In this manner all that part of the county north of the old Indian boundary, and also the land on which LaPorte was built, came at once into the market and could be purchased direct from the government. On October 26, 1832, by a treaty with the Pottawottomies negotiated by Jonathan Jennings, John W. Davis, and Marks Crume, on the Tippecanoe river, the remainder of LaPorte county, with others, was ceded to the government, and the lands were thus brought into the market. But, as we have seen, the county was organized and its seat of justice fixed before this.

Knowing in 1831 that the new county must shortly be organized and that a county seat must be chosen, Walter Wilson, Hiram Todd, John Walker, James Andrew, and A. P. Andrew, Jr., picked out sections thirty-four and thirty-five, ly- ing mostly south of the old Indian boundary, in township thirty-seven north, range three west, as the most favorable location for the capital of the new county, and entered into an agreement for the purchase thereof at the sale at Logansport, by Walter Wilson as trustee for the syndicate. Wil- son bought the land October 19, 1831, and three days later the agreement was reduced to writ- ing, this instrument being the first affecting real estate to be placed on record when the county books were opened in 1832. The other original purchasers of land now occupied by LaPorte and its several enlargements and outlots were John Egbert, October 18, 1831. who sold his certificate of entry to Captain Andrew; Walter Wilson, in his own right. October 19, 1831. who sold most of his certificates to William Bond : John Walker, October 18, 19 and 21. 1831 : James and A. P. Andrew. October 21, 1831 : Hiram Todd. Octo- ber 21, 1831 : Adam G. Polke, October 19. 1831 ;

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and Joseph Pagin, November 8, 1830, and Octo- ber 19, 1831. Walker and Polke, each of whom had entered a half of the southwest quarter of section 36, exchanged their certificates within a few weeks as a matter of convenience to the former in connecting two of his purchases. In July, 1832, Dr. Todd 'sold one-half of his one- fourth interest in the partnership land to W. G. and G. Ewing, Fort Wayne speculators in northern Indiana wild lands, taking their note for $500 as the consideration. As the party had bought the land, about 450 acres, at $1.25 per acre, Dr. Todd's entire investment was less than $200, so he cleared a profit of $300 on his deal and had half of his original interest left. Adam G. Polke was the second county collector and the second sheriff ; he was drawn on the first petit jury, voted at the first presidential election, and was a member of the county election board in 1835. He entered about 1,500 acres of govern- ment land in the county, but in most cases sold the certificates before patents were issued. Will- iam Bond came to the county early in 1831 and built a log house a short distance southwest of the future county seat. He was a member of the first petit jury, was an early overseer of the

As stated elsewhere, there was a strife be- tween Major Elston, the proprietor of the original plat of Michigan City, and the Andrew syndicate as to the location of the county seat. The pro- prietors of the LaPorte property offered to do- nate to the county for public purposes, one cen- tral block of six lots for a court-house square, and every even numbered lot in the plat which, as roughly mapped out, contained two hundred and fifty-three lots` besides the court-house block. Major Elston made about an equal offer. But the central location, convenient site, and lovely surroundings determined the decision in favor of LaPorte, which was reached about the end of September.

In April, 1832, an election had been held in the county under a call issued by Benjamin Mc- Carty as acting sheriff, by virtue of a writ of election from Governor Noble, at which election McCarty was elected sheriff. George Thomas clerk and recorder, and Chapel W. Brown, Elijah H. Brown, and Jesse Morgan county commis- sioners. The Board of Commissioners met on May 28, 1832, at the house of George Thomas.

Just where this house stood is not known, but it was near enough to LaPorte for all practical pur- poses. From all accounts it was a log house. The commissioners continued to meet in the house of George Thomas. From later accounts we learn that Thomas's house in which the county business was transacted, was a frame house, or at least one which was made largely of slabs from the Andrew sawmill. But the mill was not in operation before July, 1832, and there had been several meetings of the commissioners at the house of George Thomas before then. There seems to be no way of reconciling facts, state- ments and documents, but by supposing that Thomas had two houses; the first a log cabin, the second a frame house.

The commissioners' record shows that the first meetings were "held at the house of George Thomas." This language is repeated until the October term, 1832, when the meeting was "held at the house formerly occupied by David Pagin." Then the November term was held at "the house of George Thomas in LaPorte." This looks as though Thomas's first house was not far from the one "formerly occupied by David Pagin," nearer Miller's lake, that the commissioners met because at that time Thomas was about moving, and that before the November term he had moved and was ready to have the commissioners meet at his new home "in the town of LaPorte."

The commissioners to locate the county seat met and performed their duty in the latter part of September, or the first part of October, and George Thomas at once prepared to erect a house in town, to be used as a residence for his family, and as a public building pending the construc- tion of a court-house. On a fine Sunday late in October, 1832, the neighbors gathered at a spot about where the Lake Shore station now stands and raised the Thomas cabin, the first house on the original plat of the county town, using slabs from the Andrew mill and logs cut in the imme- diate vicinity, as material. Wilson Malone was there and slept in the cabin that night, building one for himself a little later. Richard Harris also helped, and two weeks later paid $50 for the lot now occupied by the offices of Kramer & Sons, and built a home. Among the others who lent a hand at the Thomas raising was Colonel Willard A. Place, just arrived from near Cincinnati with

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poor, and bought about 1,600 acres of public land. . at the former Pagin home at the October term

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his family, and preparing to settle on a farm in the vicinity, having in July of the preceding year visited the county and decided to make the re- moval. He had served under General Harrison and at once took a prominent part in public affairs here. He served the county as commissioner, recorder, associate judge and member of the legis- lature, and after his removal to LaPorte a few years later he interested himself in railroad devel- opment, banking, the gas company, stock dealing, and in the organization of the agricultural society. He died in 1876.

In November, 1832, the county commissioners met in Thomas's new house and ordered the pay- ment of three dollars per day to each of the lo- cating commissioners for their services. Dur- ing that winter the county seat made no further advance, but with the opening of the following spring, settlers began to ar- rive in the county in great numbers and the town rapidly filled up. The lots were readily sold at from $25 to $60 each, Walter Wilson sell- ing for the syndicate and Charles Ives, as county agent, selling for the county, having been ap- pointed for that purpose by the county board in November and directed at the January term, 1833, to "sell at public or private sale the lots donated for the use of public buildings." At the March term it was ordered "that the elections of Scipio township, which were formerly held at the house of A. P. Andrew, shall now be held at the town of LaPorte, where the courts of said county are usually held." May 7, 1833, the board directed the county agent to advertise the letting of a con- tract to build a court-house, and August 21 a contract was made with Simon Bunce for the building, to be located in the center of the public square at a cost of $3,975. In due season the palace of justice was completed and occupied, and Colonel Place bought and removed to his farm for a dwelling the little frame structure that had been in use for court-house purposes, which was probably the one he had helped Thomas to build.

On Nov. 16, 1833, County Agent Ives was directed to prepare plans for a jail and advertise for bids for the construction of the same, which he faithfully did, and Decem- ber 26. Warner Pierce contracted to build the. prison for $460. While the county was arranging to house its officials and criminals, the business of LaPorte was assuming the proportions of a

boom. Business and professional men, mechanics and laborers came in a steady stream along the old Sac trail and up the newly-opened Yellow river road, and the trade with farmers extended many miles in every direction. In March, 1833, Thompson W. Francis, first carpenter to work regularly at the trade in the county, came to the town and built the first hotel, which was opened by one Lily and afterward kept for a long time by Captain Levi Ely. Ward Blake and his brother also opened a hotel at about the same time, where Callender's drug store is now. Charles W. and Henry N. Cathcart came in May of the same year and built a shop for Dr. Vaughn, about the fifth frame house in the place ; as stated elsewhere they boarded with Mrs. Richard Harris, who did all the work even including washing for a large num- ber of boarders, under great inconveniences. Richard Harris speculated in a small way in wild land and invested in several town lots. During that summer John F. and William Alison, Hiram Wheeler, John B. Fravel, Nelson Landon, William Clement and Dr. Ball established themselves in merchandising, William O. Ross opened a law 'office and was a justice of the peace, and Seth Way and Charles Ladd found employment in breaking the new prairie sod for settlers along the old Sac trail. George Thomas was postmas- ter, along with his other public engagements.

In 1834 there were fifteen houses in LaPorte. In 1835 the population had largely increased and the first newspaper published in the county, the Michigan City Gazette, in its issue of July 22, 1835, spoke of LaPorte as "this flourishing vil- lage." The whole item is as follows :

"LaPorte .- This flourishing village lays about ten miles from this place. The Land Offices, Major Robb, Register ; and John M. Lemon, Re- ceiver ; and county buildings are located there."

The time was now come to incorporate the place as a town. Accordingly a petition was drawn up and signed by the requisite majority of the voters, asking for the incorporation of the town of LaPorte, and presented to the county commissioners. The commissioners met on No- vember 4, 1835, and passed the following action :

"Ordered that, in pursuance of the statute, and the petitions of the citizens of the town of LaPorte for the incorporation of said town this day legally presented, comprising in the opinion of the Board two-thirds of the whole number of

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legal voters in said town, an election be held at the usual place of holding elections in said town, on Saturday the 14th day of November, inst., for the purpose of electing trustees of said corpora- tion."

An election was held on the date specified, at the house of Robert S. Morrison in the town of LaPorte, and Amzi Clark was duly elected trustee for district No. 1, Jonathan M. Hacker for district No. 2, William Clement for district No. 3, Hiram Wheeler for district No. 4, and Jacob Haas for district No. 5. William Dinwid- die was president of the election, and William Allen, clerk.

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A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana, Part 21

Author: Rev. E. D. Daniels Publication date: 1904 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1273

Author: Rev. E. D. Daniels
Publication date: 1904
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1273