USA > Indiana > St Joseph County > A history of St. Joseph County, Indiana, Volume 1 > Part 39
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That there was at that date actual naviga- tion, from Newburyport, at the mouth of the St. Joseph river, on Lake Michigan,d as high up as White Pigeon, in Michigan Territory, may be seen from the list of arrivals and de- partures of boats, as given in the Northwest- ern Pioneer and St. Joseph's Intelligencer, for November 23, 1831, as follows :
"Arrivals :
"November 15.
"Keel Boat Cass, Capt. Finch; freight for White Pigeon.
"Keel Boat Racer, Capt. ; freight for White Pigeon. "November 18.
"Keel Boat Fairplay, Capt. Cratee; from Newburyport.
a. That is, from the south bend of the St. Joseph river.
b. Between Virginia and North Carolina.
c. See Chap. 5, Subd. 1.
d. The site of the present city of St. Joseph. La Salle's fort at this place was called Fort Miamis. The town built there was at first called Saranac; afterwards Newburyport, from Mr. New- bury, a merchant who sent out boats from there; and finally St. Joseph, the name now long given to the beautiful city.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
"November 21.
"Keel Boat Cass, Capt. Finch; from White Pigeon.
"Departures :
"November 15.
"Keel Boats Cass and Racer, for White Pigeon.
"November 20.
"Keel Boat Fairplay. for White Pigeon.
"November 21.
"Keel Boat Cass, for Newburyport."
The subject of river navigation is more fully developed a little later, in a communica- tion to the Pioneer, under date of January 4, 1832:
"That the navigation of the St. Joseph river by steamboats," said this writer, "is a subject of vast importance to the whole of the country watered by its tributary streams, must be acceded to by everyone who has paid any attention to the almost magical effects of their introduction on the Mississippi, Ohio, and their tributaries. See the great eities which have sprung up on the banks of those rivers since that period; besides many flour- ishing towns and villages, which but for the powerful agency of steamboats would never have had an existence. But the influence of steamboat navigation has not been merely ex- ercised in erecting cities and towns. It has given equal impulse to the improvement of the adjacent districts, and carried the whole western country at least a century in advance of what any reasonable man would have eal- culated, without the knowledge of steam power.
"As a citizen of the St. Joseph country, I have been anxiously looking for some agitation of these questions,-Would it be practicable to navigate the St. Joseph river by steam- boats ? And if so, How shall it be brought into actual practice in the shortest time ? And first. as to its practicability there seems to be but little doubt. Partial examinations of the river have been made by persons of some practical experience, with a special view to this object, who pronounce, without hesita- tion, that, with improvements not very expen- sive to be made, the river is highly susceptible
of being navigated, from its mouth to the neighborhood of Crooked river," by a class of small steamboats, such as some that are at this time profitably used on the Ohio and other rivers. But these obstruetions are too formi- dable to be removed by individual enterprise. Our country is yet new, and but partially populated ; the inhabitants chiefly but recently settled: and their time and money must of necessity be employed in the improvement of their farms and providing the means of living for themselves and families.
"Although I believe it practicable to navi- gate the St. Joseph with steamboats, even in its present natural state, for several months in the year: yet we may not hope that it ean be successfully and efficiently prosecuted until its obstructions are removed, by which its navigation would be made reasonably safe for all seasons of the year, except when obstruct- ed by ice.
"Thus having seen that there scarcely exists a doubt of the practicability of making the St. Joseph safe for navigation by steamboats, the next proposition is, How can it be brought into successful practice in the shortest time ? I know of no way, unless congress ean be indneed to pass an act making appropriations competent to this object. Would it be proper to petition congress to this effect? I think it would. I believe it might be shown that though we take into the account no other eon- sideration than the impulse given to the future increase of the population, and conse- - quently the increased demand for the public lands, and the enhanced value given to the re- maining domain within the influence of the proposed improvements, the government would be amply remunerated. And may we not also calculate on the greatly increased value to the nation of an extensive district, amply populated, and with the arts, agricul- ture, commerce and civilization in rapid pro- gress over the same; a great part of which district is now in a state of nature, and may long so remain without the proposed improve-
a. Three Rivers?
15
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
ments ? We not only have these incontrover- tible arguments in our favor, but we have the numerous precedents of the government in like cases before us.
"I will conclude by proposing to our friends of Michigan to lose no time in bring- ing this subject before congress by petition, at least for an appropriation sufficient for an examination of the river by competent engi- neers. to make estimates of the cost of the pro- posed improvements and report to the govern- ment."
Public meetings were held at South Bend, Niles and other points in the valley, to induce congress to take action in the matter. A meet- ing held in December, 1831, at Saranac, Michi- gan, by "citizens of the St. Joseph country in the Territory of Michigan, and the State of Indiana," adopted a memorial to congress. in which are found the following interesting paragraphs :«
"The subscribers respectfully represent, That the country they inhabit was first offered for sale by the general government in June, 1829, since which time its population has in- creased with a rapidity which has few if any parallels; as will appear by reference to the returns of the land office of this district, and in a still more striking light when the fact is considered that a small amount of the land sold has been purchased for speculation, but nearly the whole by actual settlers who have bought only the small divisions of the public surveys.
"The wants of the population of this grow- ing country, including a fertile and beautiful portion of the state of Indiana. has created a considerable commerce at the mouth of the great St. Joseph river, from which the coun- try takes its name, and through which it re- ceives its merchandise and must find a mar- ket for its surplus produce in future. At pres- ent the entrance of shipping from Lake Michi- gan into the river is attended with dangers, delays and not unfrequent loss of lives and
a. See Northwestern Pioneer for January 25, 1832.
property. The channel of the river varies with every gale. during which, and for some time thereafter, it is impossible for a vessel to find a harbor in our river or in this part of Lake Michigan.
"It is believed that notwithstanding the very great increase of the commerce of the upper lakes generally. there is no point on them where that increase bears any propor- tion to that of this port. Last year there were less than two thousand barrels bulk of merchandise landed here : this year there have been landed more than ten thousand barrels bulk: and circumstances warrant us in the belief that the progressive increase of business will be as great for many years to come."
The memorialists conclude with furnishing a diagram of the proposed harbor improve- ments, and asking for an appropriation of forty thousand dollars for carrying them out.
At a meeting held at Niles, it was resolved. "That we consider it of great importance to the commercial interests of the Territory of Michigan to have a harbor at the mouth of the St. Joseph river." And also. "That we cor- dially approve of the memorial drawn up by our fellow citizens of Saranac, and that we adopt the same as the sense of this meeting"; and "That a committee of three persons be appointed to correspond with our fellow citi- zen Lewis Cass, delegate in congress, and with the members of congress from the states of Indiana and Illinois, to solicit their aid in furthering our request."
In this county a meeting for the same pur- pose "was held at the house of Calvin Lilly by the citizens of South Bend and its vicinity on Thursday evening the 19th instant [Jann- ary. 1832]. to consider the propriety of asking aid of the general government to improve the harbor at the mouth of the St. Joseph river. Mr. Pleasant Harris was called to the chair and John Dougherty Defrees appointed secre- tary."
One of the resolutions was: "That we view the improvement of the harbor at the mouth of the great St. Joseph river to be of vital
227
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPHI COUNTY.
importance to the welfare of the whole St. Joseph country ; and we entirely coneur in the project of asking aid of congress for this purpose, and adopt the memorial prepared at Saranae and subsequently adopted by the citizens of Niles as the sense of this meeting."
It was also resolved: "That L. M. Taylor, E. Egbert, and H. Chapin compose a commit- tee to make known the proceedings of this meeting to our representatives by the first mail."
Although congress could not be indneed to act, the people continued to consider the navi- gation of the river as all important to the de- velopment of the country. In the same copyª of the Pioneer in which are contained reports of the meetings held at different points to urge favorable action by congress, we find the following editorial paragraph :
"It seems that our anticipations in regard to steamboating on the St. Joseph are to be realized sooner than we expected. We have received information from a source which can be relied on that there is now a steamboat building at Erie, Pennsylvania, for this river. It will be completed by the time navi- gation opens. It is needless to say that we are highly pleased with the enterprise. Alive to everything that will have a tendeney to ad- vance the prosperity of this country, we shall hail the appearance of this boat as a new era in its improvement."
And also the following: "By an advertise- ment in the Detroit Journal, we perceive that there is a company formed for the purpose of building a steamboat, of the first class, ex- pressly for the commerce on Lake Michigan. We hope that the stockholders may reap a rich harvest for their enterprise. From the rapid inerease of business on this lake there can be no doubt that there will be employment for at least one boat, in addition to the schooners already in the trade. If the in- erease at any other point bears any proportion to that of the St. Joseph, we would think that still more employment could be given. From
experiments lately made by merchants of St. Louis, we are constrained to believe that in future merchandise intended for Illinois and Missouri will be shipped via the great inland seas to Chicago, and thence wagoned to the falls of the Illinois river, it being navigable for small steamboats from that point to the Mississippi.
"There is another fact that will have a powerful influence and give a new impulse to the commeree on the lakes; it is that all the merchandise necessary for consumption in what is ealled the Wabash country, in this state, must and will be shipped by way of the lakes and the St. Joseph river, and then wagoned on the Michigan road, a distance of only sixty-six miles, to the Wabash river. We have ventured the assertion that it can be done fifty per cent lower than by the present uncertain mode, and we still believe that we are correct."
In an editorial in the Pioneer for April 25. 1832, this enthusiastic paragraph appears : "Steamboats Coming! We understand by a gentleman from Detroit, that it is supposed the steamboat built at Erie, Pennsylvania, for the St. Joseph river will be here about the first of June. Information from another source says, that Mr. Bysel, of White Pigeon, has made arrangements to bring an engine around as soon as possible for a boat to be built somewhere on the river. We shall then have two boats, success to them! Hope they will have plenty of freight and passengers. How we should like to hear a high steamer blow its long black nose, and to see it impelled with an almost incredible velocity against the strong current of the majestic St. Joseph! It would remind us of the din, the bustle and the business so common to the principal towns on the Ohio, but more particularly to the Tyre of the West. "a
Again, on May 9, the editor eries out in gladness: "It is no longer doubtful concern- ing the steamboat for this river. It is redneed to a certainty. We have received a letter a. Cincinnati.
a. The issue for January 25, 1832.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
from John F. Wright, Esqr., of Buffalo, stating that he has a boat now nearly com- plete, built expressly for this trade, and which will be here about the first of June."
And on July 4, 1832, we have these eheer- ful items : "Arrived. July 1,-Keel boat Fair Play, Capt. Cratec ; from Newburyport, cargo for HI. Chapin, in this place. Departure, July 2nd .- Keel boat Fair Play, Capt. Cratee, for Newburyport."
But on August the first, this agueish note was sounded: "The steamboat Newburyport, built expressly for the St. Joseph river, aseended within ten miles of Niles, when, meeting a detachment of troops, it took them on board and proceeded to Chicago .- She may be expected here in a few days." Read between the lines, this announcement was evi- dently a premonition of disappointment; and it was justified by the event. The Newbury- port did not return "in a few days." The difficulties of navigation were evidently too great for the successful running of a steamer of even moderate size.
The anticipations of the people of "The St. Joseph country," both in the state of In- diana and in the territory of Michigan, were exceedingly bright,-but the sequel is soon told. Congress at first took some little half- hearted interest in the navigation of the noble river, and then quietly dropped the matter. Nature, the bridges, the mill dams, and finally the railroads, did the rest.
There was for a time, however, and of neces- sity, some navigation of the river. Produce must be shipped in and taken out, either by the river or on wagons; and keel boats and steamers of light draft continued to go up the stream as high as Three Rivers. Even persons of the present generation remember steamboats coming up as far as South Bend, before the building of the dams at Niles and Buchanan. Pleasure boats even now run from the lake as far as Berrien Springs; and in recent years the late John C. Knoblock had one between South Bend and Mishawaka; while even now the redoubtable George Wel-
lington Streeter runs his boat within the same limits. But commerce, it must be confessed, has departed from the St. Joseph forever.
In 1830, two men named Masters and Tip- sorf made several trips from the lake as far as South Bend and Mishawaka. In the spring of 1831, Peter Johnson built the first regular keel boat for general freighting on the St. Joseph. Madore Cratee was her captain; and we have in the "Pioneer" (then called the "Beaeon") for July 4, 1832, the announce- ment of the arrival and departure of Capt. Cratee in his keel-boat. In 1833, the little steamers Matilda Barney and Davy Crockett made trips as far up as Mishawaka. And from that time on until the coming of the railroads, river vessels of various kinds plied up and down the St. Joseph.
Something of the character of this river commerce may be learned from a local corre- spondent, writing in 1847. He says: "We have here a river coursing through two states, and passing through and in the vicinity of an agricultural body of land without a superior in the west. For one hundred and seventy- five miles, by the river distance, namely from Union City to St. Joseph, steamboats can nav- igate its waters, and have done so,-a length of steamboat navigation greater even than that of the Hudson. Four steamboats now ply upon it, and no one, we believe, has counted the numerous keel-boats and arks which annually find busy employment in its commeree. In the spring and fall one can hardly look upon this beautiful stream with- out seeing a boat of some character, deeply laden, sailing towards its mouth. The manu- factories of iron, wool, oil, leather and other articles, which line its shores and the banks of its tributaries, and whose number is every year inereasing with fast accellerating rapid- ity, together with the eighty run of stone for the grinding of flour, already at work or being put in operation the present season, throw upon its waters an amount of exports which would surprise those who have not elosely scanned the statisties of this fertile valley."
229
IHISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
Finally, however, the railroads came, and the St. Joseph, at least above Berrien Springs, ceased to be used or considered as a navigable stream. Below Berrien Springs, pleasure steamers of good size pass up and down by the beautiful summer resorts found along the lower part of the river. Higher up, too, pleasure boats occasionally ply between the many dams along the stream. But, as said by Judge Pettit, in closing a special term of court in this county, a few years ago, "While no doubt, the St. Joseph was once a navigable stream ; yet. as a matter of fact, it is no longer
Sec. 3 .- WATER POWER OF THE ST. JOSEPH. -But the swift fall of the waters of the St. Joseph suggested another use of the river, and one which gave the first impetus to our great factories, and tended to make South Bend and Mishawaka the humming hives of industry which they have become.
The first dam across the river was built by the St. Joseph Iron Company at the Misha- waka rapids, where has since grown up the beautiful city of that name. By an aet ap- proved January 22, 1835.ª Alanson M. Hurd, John J. Deming and John H. Orr and their associates were "constituted a body corpor- ate and politie, by the name and style of the President, Directors and Company of the St. Joseph Iron Works"; and, amongst other powers, were given the right "to ereet a dam across the river St. Joseph at the head of the Mishawaka rapids, in the township of Penn and County of St. Joseph." Provision was made in the act for a lock and "the passage of steamboats and other water crafts used on said river"; also for rafts to come down the river, and for the free passage of fish up and down. The act was slightly amended by the act of February 1. 1836; and the name of the corporation was at the same time changed to the St. Joseph Iron Company. The construc- tion of this dam, while an obstruction to river commerce, was nevertheless by reason of its use of the water power of the St. Joseph,
a. Local Laws, 1834, pp. 79-82; 1835, p. 206.
the foundation of the prosperous city which has grown up on both sides of the river at that point.
It was in the same year, 1835, that Joseph Fellows, Garrett V. Denniston and others, all from the state of New York, purchased from Alexis Coquillard the water power and rights at South Bend. Early the next year, by an act approved February 6, 1836,ª they likewise procured a charter to build a dam across the river "at the head of the rapids, at or near the town of South Bend." The conditions as to river traffic, the passage of fish and other matters were similar to those for the dam at Mishawaka. This act also was amended in some matters by an aet approved January 16, 1837.
The Denniston & Fellows Company does not seem to have been so well managed; and, in any event, was not so successful, as the St. Joseph Iron Company. They made some prog- ress in the work of constructing the damn and in digging a mill race ; but, in 1837, by reason of the panic of that year, or for other causes, they were compelled to cease operations alto- gether. Later, Mr. Coquillard recovered the property through the courts.
By an act approved December 28, 1842,b Abraham R. Harper, William H. Patteson and Lathrop M. Taylor, were incorporated as the South Bend Manufacturing Company, and authorized to complete the dam at South Bend. This company became the owner of one-half the water power of the river at that point. Work on the dam was again taken up in 1843, and the construction completed the next year, with mill races on each side of the river. The one-half of the water power attached to the east side of the river passed at first to Samuel L. Cottrell, and from him, in 1867, to the South Bend Hydraulic Com- pany. We have already referred to an inter- esting suit tried in our circuit court, in the summer of 1889, for the division of the water power among the owners on each side of the a. Local Laws, 1835, pp. 339, 340; 1836, p. 380. b. Local Laws, 1842, pp. 3-6. And see Act of January 20, 1846; Local, 1845, p. 314.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
river, and in which two eminent judges of the state supreme court took part.ª
The ownership on the east side has since remained unchanged ; except that the Hydrau- lic Company has made deeds of conveyance of certain amounts of water to the several mill owners along the race. In 1903 the owner- ship of the stock, property and rights of the South Bend Manufacturing Company on the west race, except certain shares retained by the city of South Bend, passed by purchase to the Oliver Chilled Plow Company. This resulted in a great transformation. An elec- tric power plant was constructed on the west race, capable of using for the production of electricity the full one-half of the water power of the St. Joseph river. The plant is one of the best in the country, and supplies electricity for light, heat and power to the opera house, hotel, factories and other Oliver properties.
Previous to this time a company of eastern capitalists had been formed to construct a dam and electric power plant at a point above the city of Mishawaka, known as Hen Island. This great plant is used in connection with another at Buchanan, in Michigan, and with a steam power plant on the east side of the river, at South Bend, for the generation of electricity in vast quantities, which is used for lighting the cities and towns on the river and furnishing them heat and power.
In the beginning, the water power gener- ated by the dams at Mishawaka and South Bend was used to run the saw mills, flouring mills and early manufacturing establishments in those towns. As soon, however, as any line of manufacturing greatly increased its out- put, the deficiency and uncertainty of water power, particularly after long summer droughts, became manifest. In addition, the space on the river becanie too confined for large concerns. Accordingly. the heavier business, from time to time, was removed to more roomy quarters, often at a long distance from the river. The result is that the great a. See Chap. 6, Subd. 2.
Studebaker, Oliver, Birdsell. South Bend Chilled Plow and Singer Works, at South Bend. and the mammoth Dodge factory and others at Mishawaka, together with many of lesser proportions in both cities, whether originally located along the mill races or not, are now run with steady and unlimited steam or electric, instead of water power.
Sec. 4 .- GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER. -Yet, even now, there is, in another sense, a return to the river. At several places on the St. Joseph, as already stated, the great power of the river has invited the building of dams for the production of electricity, to be used not only for light and heat, but also for motive power; and it would seem that the water power of the St. Joseph, through the generation of this mysterious fluid, with its tremendous force, is destined to make this val- ley forever a center of manufacturing activ- ity, from the month of the river far up be- yond the confines of St. Joseph county. Through this electrical energy there is, then, a return to the water power which first attracted the attention of millers and mann- facturers. More permanent than the famed natural gas of central Indiana, this electric force, generated by the broad and rapid St. Joseph, will light and heat our homes and offices, our stores and factories; will propel our street and interurban cars, and run our endless varieties of machinery. The river first gave us our manufactories and other in- dustries; and the same river, in this half spiritual form, will retain for us those fac- tories and industries, and will add a thousand fold to their growth, usefulness and beauty.
Sec. 5 .- ACCIDENTS ON THE RIVER .- Before closing the history of the St. Joseph river, it becomes necessary to refer to the numerous accidents that have taken place in the beauti- ful but treacherous stream. No summer season passes but that the seductive waters draw into their fatal embrace one or more victims. The number of persons that have been caught by the charms of this syren would seem to have been so great that the
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