A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana, Part 26

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

USA > Indiana > LaPorte County > A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana > Part 26

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The population of Michigan City seems to have been greater in 1836 than it was for some years thereafter. For nearly ten years there was little growth. One reason for this was the financial depression of 1837, the effects of which were felt throughout the country for several years. Both statistics and common reports show that in 1841 there was a manifest falling off in shipments, which was attributed to poor prices and bad roads. Still, winter wheat was selling at 70 to 75 cents, spring wheat at 371/2 to 43 cents, oats at 15 to 20 cents, barley at 25 to 371/2 cents, and corn at 25 to 31 cents, and the dealers were paying cash. This was in December; but in September, 1841, wheat was selling in Rochester, New York at $1.38, but only at 90 cents in Michigan City, which seemed to be out of all proportion even allowing for cost of transporta- tion. Thereupon there was a general complaint among the farmers against the local dealers for keeping the prices down. Then as now it was "diamond cut diamond." We need not read the following lines with the feelings of a pessimist. but there is much of truth in them :-

"In church and in state, It is rule or be ruled; In courtship or marriage, It is fool or be fooled; In logic and law, It is nick or be nicked;

In gambling and trade,

It is trick or be tricked; In treaty and war,

It is beat or be beaten;

In the struggle for life, It is eat or be eaten."

Another reason for the falling off, or the stand still, or at least the slow growth of Michi- gan City, is found in the fact that the building of turnpikes, plank roads and canals, even before the advent of railroads, diverted the transporta- tion to other points. For many years Michigan City was the shipping point for a large part of Indiana reaching far to the south, but this in the very nature of things could not last ; as the coun- try developed the people farther south found other markets.

Nevertheless, after the year 1840 the popula- tion of Michigan City, which had been at a stand- still, began to increase again, and the increase has continued with little or no intermission until the present time. In January, 1842, a memorial of the citizens to Congress concerning the harbor contained the following: "Taking into consider- ation the importance of this point, both state and national, to the state as an outlet for her im- mense surplus produce, * * we would remind your honorable bodies that only eight years since the country now known as Northern Indiana was an unbroken wild where the savage beasts of the forest held undisputed sway. It is now thickly settled by an industrious and enter- prising people. Where but yesterday was the rude wigwam of the Indian, may now be seen stately edifices, towering spires, and large manu- facturing establishments."

To mention and give an account of all the additions which have been made to the original Elston plat, would take too much space and be like giving one a few pages of a dictionary to read. Packard's History was published in 1876, and mentions the following additions : Burr's, Orr's, Waddell's, the West addition, the East addition, Miller's, Duncan's, Orr & Cobb's, the Michigan City Land Company's, Blair's, Bigelow and Winship's, the South addition, the Southwest addition, DeWolf's South addition, Orr and De- Wolf's addition, and William B. McCartney's. Since this list was given there have been perhaps forty additions to Michigan City; so many that

Digitized by Google

150

HISTORY OF LAPORTE COUNTY.

some of them have been lost sight of and for- gotten. The following new additions were added to the city during 1903: Camp Anderson, 182 lots ; Baut, 37 lots ; J. R. and J. E. DeWolfe, 58 lots; South Park, 70 lots; Oakland, 50 lots; Central, 24 lots ; Case & Walker, 66 lots; Ridge- land, 549 lots, and Lambka, 18 lots.

No sooner was Michigan City incorporated than she gave her attention to public improve- ments. As early as 1836 an effort was made to have the owners of lots on Wabash, Washington, Franklin, Pine, Spring, and Cedar streets, remove the brush and decayed timber from the public highways, under penalty for the failure to do so. Later, in 1837, this effort was abandoned and the city began to grub and turnpike the streets. This served until the late forties, when some of the streets were planked, and the plank road companies which were building plank roads to other points were allowed the use of the streets. When the railroads came they were given right of way on certain streets, permission was given to build or remove railroad bridges as demanded, and every effort was made on the part of the city co-operate with each new and promising en- terprise, and facilitate its usefulness. When factories came they were welcomed, encouraged to build, and given permission to lay railroad tracks to their places of business. New avenues were created and streets were extended to meet the needs of the growing settlement. Then came paving with cedar block in the late eighties, which here as elsewhere proved unsatisfactory. Latterly came stone curbing and brick paving, which have been done on many of the streets, additions have been vacated and replatted, new and improved systems of numbering the streets, crossings and buildings have been adopted, the streets have been kept free from advertisements, and the city has kept abreast of modern improvements. From the time when, in 1837, the city ordered the street commissioner to open water courses on Pine.and Market streets to drain off the stagnant water, there has been a steady improvement of the sewerage until the city has some excellent sewers, notably the prison sewer of which we shall write in the chapter on Architecture and Public Works.

Something of the progress of Michigan City in these respects may be seen from the following,

which we take from the Michigan City News of December 31, 1903 :-

In the several departments of the city govern- ment there have been few changes during the year and the usual routine of business has been transacted without attracting especial attention. The visible improvements made by the city con- sist of one and one-twelfth miles of new brick pavement, built under contracts that are not free from dissatisfaction among the property owners who pay the bills. The streets so improved are Pine, Detroit, Green, west Eighth, west Fourth, east Fourth and Ohio streets. The finished pave- ments aggregate 20,056 square yards and the un- finished contracts total 14,735 square yards. The only new street opened during the year is Buffalo, extending 300 feet south from Green. A large amount of sidewalk has been constructed, to- gether with some new sewers.

PAVEMENT IMPROVEMENTS.

The following are the pavement improve- ments :

Krueger avenue from Fogarty street to the Hermitage, macadam, cost $3,805.50.

Fourth street from Washington street to Buf- falo street, brick, cost $4,163.66.

Fourth street from M. C. R. R. to Willard avenue, brick, cost $7,418.67.

West Eighth street from Wabash street to C. I. and L. R. R., brick, cost $12,655.32.

Green street from Franklin street to Wabash street, brick, cost $4,272.21.

Detroit street from Franklin street to Spring street, brick, cost $4,927.96.

Pine street from Boston street to Williams street, brick, cost $8,673.46.

Total pavement improvements, $45.916.78.

Besides the above mentioned pavement im- provements, two pavements, one on east Fourth street from Franklin street to Michigan street and the other on Ohio street from Boston to the section line, are under way of construction.

NEW SEWERS.

The following new sewers were constructed during the year 1903:

Miller street $ 377 21

Spring street 597 92

Lafayette street 655 24

Franklin street 286 02

Total $1.916 39

Digitized by Google

151

HISTORY OF LAPORTE COUNTY.

NEW SIDEWALKS.

During the year new cement sidewalks were constructed as follows :

East Sixth street $ 150 00

South Franklin street

875 00

Cedar street

459 00

Spring street

546 00

Green street

193 00

Fulton street

777 50

Lafayette street

180 00

Warren street

221 50

Total

$3,393 00

In 1875 the city began the construction of water works, in connection with the Michigan Central Railroad Company. The water mains were extended in 1884, and in 1887 steps were taken to improve the plant, construct new water works, purchase pumps, machinery, etc. But in 1899 the Lake Michigan Water Company was given a franchise, the city bonded itself for $20,000 to pay for two hundred shares of stock in this company, and the result is the present system with the pumping plant and fine building on the lake shore.

Closely related with the water. works is the fire department. As early as 1836, when the city had increased quickly to a comparatively large population, a law was passed compelling the citi- zens to keep fire ladders, buckets, etc., that they might be in readiness to fight a fire. In 1837 the city gave much attention to regulating the fire department, specifying its officers, the number of men in each company, etc. In 1838 there were regular fire drills of the department, which. the city did not leave optional but compelled by law. This was very necessary in a town built mostly of wood, as Michigan City then was, and with. no better means of protection than were at hand at that time. From time to time fire limits have been established. within which only buildings of a certain specified kind might be erected. In 1881 the fire department was reorganized and its government specified as consisting of a chief, two assistant chiefs, and such hose, hook and ladder, and engine companies as might be found agreeable to the new law of organization ; and in 1894 it was reorganized again each company to have only seventeen members, and now consists of five hose carriages, one engine, and one hook

and ladder wagon, with a company to handle each one. The system may be called a paid depart- ment, though from the salaries paid it will be seen that it must be largely volunteer. The chief re- ceives $150, the assistant $75, other officers $2.50, and firemen $1 each per month. In the spring of 1899 Chief Fred W. Westfahl organized the Firemen's Relief Association for the benefit of injured and sick firemen and was elected its first president, and in March of that year the city council passed an ordinance creating a fund for the pay of firemen and the relief of injured fire- men. The department has the reputation of being a brave and efficient one.

Though there had been at least two franchises given to gas companies, the first plant which was built was under the franchise given to I. H. Miller in 1881. This company was reorganized in 1897 under the present title-the Michigan City Gas Light Company. The plant is large and includes gas houses, coal sheds, and holders, with a complete and expensive mechanical equip- ment of modern pattern. By its popularity and liberal methods it has brought gas into extensive use as fuel, and the increase in its use for domestic purposes was nearly one hundred per cent. in 1903. The company also handles the best makes. of gas ranges and equipments. Several other franchises have been given, but this company still holds the ground. Among these franchises was one given on March 14, 1887, to the Michigan City Natural Gas and Oil Company, which con- cern spent much money in trying to strike gas or oil, but in vain ; good reason for which may be found in Chapter I.

In 1886 Michigan City took the step usually taken sooner or later by such towns, and intro- duced electric lighting. The city at first owned its own plant which was bought by the Lake Cities Electric Company, and this gave place to the Michigan City Electric Company. Recently the plant has been enlarged and greatly improved, and has increased power facilities. But as this is the plant that runs the street cars, something further will be said of it in the chapter on Com- munication.

Michigan City has been governed well. Her laws against the running at large of stock, her laws regulating the conduct of pedlers, and the sale of intoxicants, and the passing of trains, and

Digitized by Google

152

HISTORY OF LAPORTE COUNTY.

all things pertaining to the welfare of the people but which do not grow out of the common law, have been wisely made; and, taking everything into consideration, they have been faithfully and effectually administered. In 1884 the council passed an ordinance providing for a board of health which looks after hygiene and sanitation. The government has been careful but progressive. The chief power is vested in the mayor who is elected by the people. Two councilmen, one elected biennially from each ward, represent the aldermanic board. The mayor is the supreme executive authority, the council the supreme legislative authority. The government and city are conducted on an economic basis which se- cures the best at the minimum cost to the people. No city of its size has better paved streets, better sidewalks, better cross walks, better sewers, or is better lighted and governed. At the present writing, April, 1904, the following is the city government :

MUNICIPAL OFFICERS.

Mayor-M. T. Krueger. Clerk-E. J. Heise. Treasurer-C. E. Meyer.

Attorney-C. R. Collins.

Civil Engineer-H. M. Miles. Street Commissioner-Felix Retseck. Supt. Police-C. E. Bowlin. Chief Fire Dep't .- Fred W. Westfahl. Waterworks Supt .- A. W. Frehse. Supt. of Schools-P. A. Cowgill. Sec. Health Board-E. M. Moran.

COUNCILMEN.

First Ward-J. T. Fogarty, R. H. Misener. Second Ward-F. C. Arndt, F. C. Commens. Third Ward-Joseph Zoch, F. C. Miller. Fourth Ward-William Heeg, E. W. Hanley. Fifth Ward-H. C. Fick, G. B. Johnson. Common Council meets Ist and 3d Mondays in Superior Court room.

The various city departments include police, fire, health, water, harbor, parks and education, which are in charge of governing boards and are directed by men selected to preside over them be- cause of their fitness and ability.

Michigan City has had many vicissitudes ; her prospects at times have been bright, at other times gloomy. Recently she has had high hopes of se-

curing the naval training station which the na- tional government is thinking of locating on Lake Michigan; but though she is in the list of avail- able places, it is said that she is far from heading the list, and the probabilities are that the training station will be located somewhere else. She has been disappointed repeatedly at not receiving from Congress any appropriation for harbor im- provement, but her leading men have never lost heart. When fortune smiled they have energet- ically set themselves to improve its opportunities, when the prospect has been gloomy they have courageously met the emergency by themselves opening new channels of prosperity.

They have their reward. Situated many feet above high water, at the head of a great lake, with the best of transportation facilities both by rail and water, only fifty miles from Chicago and within about a day's ride of all the great cities, in the very heart of the best agricultural valley of the world, in a healthful climate, with beautiful residences, many fine public buildings, large and well stocked stores, towering churches, busy fac- tories, and a population of nearly twenty thou- sand, Michigan City has developed until it is very far from being that "inconsiderable position at the mouth of Trail creek."

It may be useful at the close of this chapter to compare Michigan City and LaPorte, though not invidiously to either. As long ago as Novem- ber 10, 1841, Mr. James M. Stuart, editor of the Michigan City Gazette, wrote to Myron H. Orton then editor of the LaPorte Whig, as follows :

"The time has now come for us to cease our eternal war and jar about localities ; a nobler feel- ing should animate us, one of state and sectional pride; we should rally zealously in favor of every thing calculated to elevate our country, build up our state, and improve the condition of the tiller of the soil."

These words were well uttered. Michigan City and LaPorte are not enemies, but sister cities, and should co-operate with each other for their mutual good, which will in no wise detract from but rather add to the individual good of each. Now that the two cities are bound together by an electric railroad, they are coming into closer relations with each other, people are continually passing and repassing, the two cities are brought much nearer together, and it begins to seem as

Digitized by Google

153

HISTORY OF LAPORTE COUNTY.

though each were a part of the other. And this is well. Towns and cities have their strongly marked and varied personalities just as individ- uals do, for a town or city is a man in larger form. To dispute which of these two cities is the superior, is as foolish as for two persons to dis- pute as to which has the better mother. These two cities are entirely different from each other and each is superior in its way. From the very first Michigan City has been mainly commercial, whereas LaPorte has been domestic. Michigan City has been restless and aggressive; through the influence and efforts of her leading men she has always sought to push out for new things. She has been checked and thwarted in this, and obstacles have been thrown in her way, but she has always overcome them and forged ahead. On the other hand LaPorte has been domiciled and contented. She has cared less to become the leading city of the west, and more to develop her

resources for the comfort and well-being of her own citizens. Relatively to each other Michigan City is masculine, LaPorte feminine, and they should be married. From the very first, leading spirits have sought to make Michigan City a center of communication with the outside world, while the founders and promoters of LaPorte have sought to make it a home center. The lake city has been mercantile, the inland city agricul- tural; the one radical, the other conservative; the one quick to see the advantage of and to adopt new things, the other less responsive; the one mercurial, the other less ready to move. LaPorte and Michigan City are as unlike as a peach and an apple, though each is excellent fruit of its kind. These two cities can no more do each other's work than Lincoln and Grant could do each other's work, all rivalry between them is foolish, and all talk as to which is the superior is talk worse than wasted.

Digitized by Google

CHAPTER XVI.

ENTERPRISING MEN

"Man in society is like a flower Blown in its native bud. 'Tis there alone His faculties, expanded in full bloom, Shine out; there only reach their proper use." -COWPER.

Besides those mentioned in the preceding chapter, a very early arrival in Michigan City was that of POLASKI KING, then a boy of a little over twelve years of age. He was born in Onondaga Valley, New York, February 25, 1823, where he resided and worked on a farm and at- tended a district school until the summer of 1834, when he went to Utica to live with his sister, Mrs. J. S. Castle. He attended school in Utica during the winter of 1834-35, and in the spring he left Utica in company with the Castle family who were coming to Michigan City, to establish a newspaper. In June, 1835, the family arrived at their place of destination, where Polaski be- came printer's devil in the office of the new paper, preforming all the duties which belong to that occupation. Though he ever afterward cherished the kindest memories of his position, he did. not remain long in the printing business. From 1836 to 1838 he did some clerking, and attended school a part of the time. He was carefully instructed by his teachers, especially in writing, bookkeep- ing and general business, which, with great na- tive ability, prepared him for what proved to be his life work. Mr. King's first clerking was done in the stores of Mr. Chittenden and T. J. Field, where Mr. John Hutchinson took special pains in teaching the young man the principles and practice of business. These men soon went out of business and young King worked about at odd jobs until July, 1838. when he entered the store of C. B. and L. Blair. as a clerk, determined to

succeed. The Blairs were well pleased with his services, but in the spring of 1839 he left their employ and went to Canal Winchester in Ohio, to clerk in the store of his brother. Owing to ill health his brother sold out in the fall of 1840, and Polaski went to Cleveland and boarded with his oldest brother and went to school to a Mr. Battie ; but having a taste for business, and the Blairs being anxious for him to re-enter their employ, he left Cleveland in the spring of 1841, and re- turned to Michigan City, and on May 3rd return- ed to the store of C. B. and L. Blair as clerk. He remained with them until the spring of 1845, when he formed a partnership with Mr. H. P. Holbrook under the firm name of Holbrook & King, the business being that of a general store. They also had stores at New Buffalo and a store at LaPorte, the latter under the supervision of Mr. A. D. Porter. The first store at New Buffalo was sold to Stuart and Adams, and the second to Alonzo Bement. In the spring of 1849, when the last store at New Buffalo was sold, Mr. Holbrook took charge of the store at Mich- igan City, and Mr. King of the one at LaPorte, which had been running since 1846. In the spring of 1850 Mr. King bought the interest of Mr. Holbrook at Michigan City and became sole proprietor of the business, and remained in it continuously until he retired. He became one of the pioneer business men of LaPorte and also put up several buildings ; first a brick store which he occupied twelve years. then a still larger store,

Digitized by Google

155

HISTORY OF LAPORTE COUNTY.

also occupied by himself, a substantial brick dwelling house for his own home, and several cottages. His grandfather on his mother's side was a soldier of the Revolutionary war. Mr. King was an Episcopalian, confirmed by Bishop Upfold. He married Cornelia, the daughter of H. P. and Mary Ann Holbrook, on July 1, 1847, Bishop Kemper performing the ceremony in the church at Michigan City. Mr. King was an active participant in many public enterprises, literary, scientific, political and religious. He was a most useful man to the county. Though living in LaPorte, he still had a deep interest in the af- fairs of Michigan City. He was a member of the Hermitage Club, at whose beautiful lake side home he gave a banquet a few years before he died to the members of the press, in memory of his own connection with that business. As an instance illustrating his character, during the Spanish war a clergyman then settled in La Porte lost his son in that struggle, and by order of priority among the ministers of the place it fell to the writer to solicit subscriptions to enable him to go east after the son's remains. The writer had just obtained a contribution in a certain store, when Mr. King came in, to whom he represented the case. "Well," said Mr. King, looking up in his peculiar way, "well, I'll see, I'll see." The writer did not know him then, and supposed that the reply was just what it usually is in such cases -a polite way of saying no, and letting the solici- tor down easy; he expected never to hear from Mr. King again concerning the matter. Judge of his surprise, therefore, when on the following day Mr. King took the trouble to drive to the writer's home and made a good contribution, pay- ing the money. That little incident spoke vol- umes concerning Mr. King's character. If any one wishes to meet with some surprising revela- tions of character, let him solicit subscriptions under such circumstances. The writer had some revelations from different persons that day, which he will always remember.

Among the early enterprising men of Michi- gan City should be included JOHN BARKER, who came of an old New England family whose Puritan charasteristics, qualified by rational prog- ress, constitute some of the best material possi- ble for the making of new cities. Mr. Barker was born at Andover, Massachusetts, December 14.

1814. His father was a prosperous farmer of Essex county and a man of much influence, so- cially and politically, in his immediate locality. The son was the youngest of a family of eleven children, eight sons and three daughters. In boyhood he attended the common school, and later Phillips Academy at Andover, and was very thorough in his use of all the advantages which those schools afforded. He left home at the age of eighteen and entered the store of James Noyes, at Haverhill, Massachusetts, where he

served an apprenticeship of three years, learning the details of a mercantile business. From the time of leaving his father's farm he relied entirely upon his own resources, receiving little financial assistance. With the knowledge and experience he had obtained, he sought a broader field in the west. After short engagements in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, as a clerk in drygoods houses, he located in Michigan City, in the spring of 1836, and formed a partnership with his cousin, Jacob Carter, to carry on a general mercantile busi- ness, under the firm name of Carter & Barker. It was a general store containing all articles needed by the pioneers and also goods demanded by the Indians, who were then numerous. At the end of three years Mr. Barker purchased the interest of Mr. Carter and formed a partnership with William Best, under the firm name of Barker & Best, which was continued for several years, until the ill health of Mr. Best made his retirement necessary. Mr. Barker continued the business alone until 1852 and then associated C. E. De- Wolf with himself as partner. In 1854 he sold his interest in the store and retired from general merchandising. For sometime his business en- ergies were devoted to the purchase, storage and shipment of grain, for which he had an elevator of his own, and a pier which he constructed to facilitate operations. Railroads had just made their advent, but as yet they had not interfered seriously with water transportation, which was Mr. Barker's reliance for shipping grain to the eastern market. But railroads were pushing their way westward, and sagacious men saw that there would be a demand in that region for rolling stock. In 1852 Messrs. Mason G. Sherman, Fred- erick Haskell and Hiram Aldridge came from Ogdensburg, New York, to Michigan City for the purpose of manufacturing railroad cars. and started a factory. The business was conducted

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana, Part 26

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