USA > Indiana > Newton County > A standard history of Jasper and Newton counties, Indiana : an authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and country, Volume I > Part 15
USA > Indiana > Jasper County > A standard history of Jasper and Newton counties, Indiana : an authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and country, Volume I > Part 15
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40
OLD MILLS ALONG THE IROQUOIS RIVER Upper view : Old saw mill erected near Washington Street bridge in 1855; torn down in 1880.
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the junction of Front and Angelica streets westward, it is 66 feet wide."
The town thus laid out was divided, commencing on the river, by Mill (short street, near the site of the old mill, near the foot of the rapids), Front, Van Rensselaer, Cullen and Weston streets, and at right angles to these by Sudan, Angelica, Washington, Har- rison and Rutsen streets. This street was laid out in the name of Van Rensselaer's wife as his pecuniary liabilities would not permit him to hold property in his own name. A public sale of lots was held 'some time in this year, the first one being disposed of to J. D. Yeoman for a consideration of $100, and is described as Lot 6 in Block I. The location of the county seat here gave the growth of the town an impetus, bringing several families, among which was that of George W. Spitler.
NAME CHANGED TO RENSSELAER
But the growth of the village was destined to be slow. The proprietor came from the old Dutch stock, once prominent in New York, and impressed with certain aristocratic notions and an exag- gerated idea of the natural advantages of the site, he refused to sell lots at what they were really worth, or at an approximate price. He labored also under the disadvantage of a lack of money to develop his property, and at the same time sought to monopolize every pos- sible avenue of trade. The result was that the little town stagnated, and for years made no progress. The mill-race was built in 1838-39, and a mill erected at the ravine near the foot of the rapids. This was a combined saw and grist mill, and was among the earliest of its kind in this part of the state. For various reasons, however, it was forced to lie idle much of the time. and other mills were erected. One about a mile further down the river was built by a Mr. Peck, to which Mr. Van Rensselaer took exceptions as infring- ing upon his right to monopolize the milling business and resulted in a series of lawsuits involving Peck in nominal damage and serious bills for costs, which finally put an end to his business. The "Alter Mill" in Union Township occasioned an ineffectual remonstrance from the proprietor of the county seat, as the dam there was sup- posed to interfere with the advantages of the mill at the rapids.
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DEATH OF VAN RENSSELAER
Mr. Van Rensselaer, while conservative in his policy, and greatly circumscribed in his action by his lack of means, is remembered with respect by those who knew him. After his death, March 12, 1847, his family returned to the East; the only survivor of the family, now an old man, resides in the City of New York, and still holds considerable of the original place with all the tenacity of his deceased father.
Among the families connected with the early history of the village, in addition to those mentioned, were the Stewarts, Irwins, Barrs, Sparlings, Clarks, etc. Dr. Josiah. Clark was the first physi- cian in the county, and settled in the village in 1839. The death of Mrs. Ezra Stewart was the first to occur here, though the first burial was that of Mrs. Irwin, some time later. The first birth was that of J. J. Yeoman ; the second that of Joseph Sparling. The first marriage is said to have been that of Edward Dryer to Mrs. Elizabeth Barr, which was celebrated in the house where the first court was held. By special act of the Legislature approved February 18, 1840, the name of the town was changed from Newton to Rensselaer.
FIRST FOURTH OF JULY
The social dissipations of this period were confined to an occa- sional meeting, a quilting or a Fourth of July celebration. The first of the latter occasions was held in 1843, and combined the three classes of diversion in one. The programme was projected by Mrs. Spitler, and consisted of a two-story quilting party, to which the whole town was invited. The ladies divided their forces, and worked on two quilts, one upstairs and the other below. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the company repaired to a large oak that stood at the corner of Washington and Van Rensselaer streets and listened to a discourse by Reverend Mr. Hopkins of the Christian Church. His topic was doubtless suited to the occasion; at all events, it did not seem unfitting to close the day with the round of games that were the usual finale of the quilting party. Thus
"Far from the madding crowd,
They kept the quiet tenor of their way."
In 1850, the town contained "three stores, two physicians, one
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lawyer and fifteen dwelling houses," the first of the stores being opened by Harper Hunt.
NEW TOWN OF NEWTON
There seemed to be a settled opinion that the progress of the town was greatly retarded by the exorbitant prices asked for lots by Mr. Van Rensselaer, and as early as 1844, a new town of Newton was platted by William Ivers. This consisted of twenty-four blocks (four of half size) of eight blocks each, and a public square. Some lots were sold, but the prestige was in favor of the older town, and this did not solve the problem. It was subsequently sold to Mervin Clark and Amzi Stanley, who had the old plat recorded in June, 1851, just as it was originally surveyed. It is generally known now as "Newton's Addition," though it is incorrectly stated. The specifications of the plat set forth that "the town of Newton, Jasper County, Indiana, is situated on the northwest half of the northwest half of Section 30, in Township 29 north, in Range 6 west. The northeast corner of Block No. 9 is situated directly south (allow- ing for the variation of the needle) of the northeast corner of said lot of land, 5 poles, 14 links. The southeast corner of the town identifies with the corner of the forty acres on which it is situated. The town lies with the range and section lines, to-wit, north and south, east and west. The blocks are each 276 feet square. The lots are 66 feet wide; the alleys 12 feet wide." The streets which divide this plat running east and west are South, Jackson and Harri- son streets. The streets at right angles to these are Washington, Eliza and Jefferson streets.
The western addition to the original Town of Rensselaer was platted in June, 1850; Newton's, or Clark's addition in August, 1851 ; South addition in June, 1853, and Weston's addition, platted by Rosewell Weston, in January, 1858.
CORPORATION OF RENSSELAER, WITH ADDITIONS
On the 8th of December, 1858, L. A. Cole, R. H. Milroy and fifty others signed a petition to the county commissioners for the incorporation of the town, with the following boundaries: "Com- mencing at the southwest corner of Section 30, Township 29 north, Range 6 west, thence north 32.34 rods ; thence east 85.55 rods ; thence north 2.300 feet; thence east 162 rods; thence south 2.300 feet ;
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thence east So rods; thence south 321.34 rods; thence west 325.55 rods to point of beginning." The area thus included comprised about 791 acres, and contained a population of 467.
At an election held January 5, 1859, the question of incorporation was carried, and the commissioners declared the town incorporated as Rensselaer, on Tuesday, March 8, 1859. Weston's second addi- tion was platted by Henry Weston in August, 1872, embracing the territory covered by the original addition. Weston cemetery was laid out in July, 1873. Other additions located within the boundaries of the town as incorporated in 1859 were as follows: Leopold's, 1879; Dwiggin's subdivision of part of Weston's second addition, 1880; Thompson's, 1881; lands bordering on the Iroquois River owned by the Jasper County Draining Association, 1884; southeast addition, 1887; Kannal's subdivision, 1892. In March, 1893, was platted Columbia addition, and a little later Benjamin & Magee's and Sunnyside additions.
The board of trustees extended the boundaries of the town so as to include these additions. Riverside Park addition was platted in July, 1895, and in the following month the board of county commissioners extended the town boundaries so as to annex unplatted territory heretofore outside the corporation boundaries Subsequently Thompson's, Emmet's, Yeoman's and Harvey's addi- tions were platted.
The survey and plat of the Town of Rensselaer as made by Mayhew, Hopkins & Miller in 1875, was legalized by legislative act of February 23, 1889.
INCORPORATED AS A CITY
The town having grown to a population exceeding 2,000, a peti- tion of over one-third the legal voters of the town was presented to the board of trustees praying that a census be taken with a view to incorporation as a city. On March 23, 1896, the marshal was ordered to take a census, and his returns indicated a population of 2,142, exclusive of those who had become residents within forty days. An election was therefore ordered to be held April 10, 1896. As the result was a large majority in favor of municipal incorpora- tion, the return was filed with the clerk of the Circuit Court and the town of Rensselaer became a city April 13, 1896. Those voting for it numbered 283 ; against, 93.
The first officers were as follows: Mayor, Thomas J. McCoy ; clerk, Schuyler C. Irwin; treasurer, Charles C. Starr; marshal,
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Thomas McGowan; councilmen-First Ward, Moses B. Alter and Frank B. Meyer; Second Ward, Charles G. Spitler and John C. Porter ; Third Ward, Joseph R. Knight and Wallace Robinson ; city attorney, Charles E. Mills; chief of the fire department, Edgar M. Parcels; civil engineer, Lathrop A. Bostwick. Until 1905 the city marshal was elected; since that year, he has been appointed by the Common Council.
MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS
In May, 1900, John Eger was elected mayor ; S. C. Irwin, clerk ; James H. Chapman, treasurer, and Abram Simpson, marshal.
BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF RENSSELAER
In 1902, James H. S. Ellis, mayor ; Charles Morlan, clerk ; J. H. Chapman, treasurer, and Melvin Abbott, marshal. Mr. Morlan has served as clerk continuously since that year.
In May, 1904, the only change was in the election of treasurer, Moses Leopold.
Since 1905 the election has been in November, and the officers for 1904 were continued. Since the former year, the municipal term) of office has been four years.
In 1909 George F. Meyers was elected mayor and Roy D. Thompson, treasurer.
In November, 1913, Charles G. Spitler was elected mayor,
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Charles M. Sands, treasurer, and Charles Morlan, clerk, for another four years.
CITY OF THE PRESENT
Rensselaer is now a substantial, clean and handsome city of about four thousand people, located on the Monon Railroad. Its resi- dence and business streets are well kept; it has flour mills, tile and cement block manufactories, and the usual line of smaller industries, such as blacksmith shops and wagon shops; a depot for the sale of agricultural implements; completely stocked dry goods, grocery and general stores, and other evidences of prosperity and growth. Three banks, two newspapers, numerous churches and societies, abundance of pure water and electric light, a thoroughly organized school system and other unclassified institutions and active agencies, are continuously developing Rensselaer into one of the best and most promising little cities of Northern Indiana.
MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENTS
Although originally established through private enterprise, the electric plant and water works have been under municipal owner- ship for a number of years. The water works were built about 1898, but were rebuilt, as well as the electric plant, when they became city property. The water supply is drawn from two deep flowing wells sunk through limestone rock to the water vein, to a depth of about 1,300 feet. It is forced through the mains by an electric centrifugal pump, affording both a bountiful supply for domestic and public purposes and for fire protection; the pressure exerted is sixty-five pounds to the square inch. The regular fire department -in reality an auxiliary to the protection afforded by the water works system-comprises a hook and ladder, hose wagons, a chemi- cal tank, a Babcock fire extinguisher and minor appliances.
Since George W. Spitler taught the first school at Rensselaer, in the early '40s, the people of the town and city have heartily supported the public schools and all movements, within their means, tending to develop them.
The three buildings now occupied by the six hundred pupils enrolled within the system are grouped about three blocks north of the public square. The old high school building, now called the Grammar School, was erected in 1882; the Primary (new grade) building was completed in 1892, and the new High School building,
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in 1812. The Primary and Grammar buildings cost $20,000 each, and the new High School, $30,000; total value of school property, $100,000.
THE COMMERCIAL STATE AND FIRST NATIONAL BANKS
The Commercial State Bank, Rensselaer, was organized April 2, 1895, with a capital stock of $25,000. Addison Parkinson, George K. Hollingsworth, James T. Randle, Emmet L. Hollingsworth and John M. Wasson were elected its first directors. On March 26, 1895,
RENSSELAER HIGH SCHOOL
the following first officers were elected: Addison Parkinson, presi- dent; George K. Hollingsworth, vice president; Emmet L. Hollings- worth, cashier.
The first change in the affairs of the bank of importance, aside from a gradual growth, occurred on February 1I, 1903, when at a meeting of the board of directors the bank decided by vote to change from a state to national bank, and to increase its capital stock to $30,000. At this time the officers were: Addison Parkinson, president ; John M. Wasson, vice president, and E. L. Hollings- worth, cashier. On May 6, 1908, John M. Wasson was elected president to succeed Addison Parkinson whose death, after thirteen years services, was deplored in resolutions adopted by the board Vol. I-10
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of directors. The capital stock was increased to $60,000 on Decem- ber 26, 1907.
Emmet L. Hollingsworth was elected on January 1, 1913, to succeed John M. Wasson as president and at this time James N. Leatherman was elected cashier. R. A. Parkinson was elected presi- dent to succeed E. L. Hollingsworth on April 1, 1913. The present paid-in capital stock of the First National Bank is $60,000; surplus and undivided profits, $45,000 and deposits nearly $320,000. Its total resources are over $480,000.
STATE BANK OF RENSSELAER
In 1904 the State Bank of Rensselaer was organized with a capital stock of $25,000. It was organized under Indiana laws with officers as follows: Jolın Eger, president; James H. Chapman, vice presi- dent, and Delos Thompson, cashier; M. A. Irwin, assistant cashier. With the exception of the last named, the officers have remained the same as when organized. The present assistant cashier is D. A. Beckman. In 1908 the capital was increased to $30,000. The sur- plus and undivided profits amount to $35,000; average deposits, $275,000.
JASPER SAVINGS & TRUST COMPANY
The Jasper Savings & Trust Company was organized June 20, 1906, by Charles G. Spitler, Emmet L. Hollingsworth and others with a capitalization of $25,000. The first officers were Charles G. Spitler, president ; James N. Leatherman, vice president, Judson J. Hunt, secretary-treasurer, and C. H. Mills, assistant secretary-treasurer. Owing to a confusion of the name "Jasper," some of the mail going to Jasper, Indiana, and elsewhere, the name was changed by an action of the Circuit Court, in 1908, to The Trust & Savings Bank. It was created under the laws of the state to do a general trust and banking business. The capital stock, and the officers, with the exception of E. J. Randle, who succeeded Mr. Leatherman as vice president, have remained unchanged since the organization.
THE LOCAL PRESS
The newspapers of Rensselaer represent the two great political parties, and have long been known as the Rensselaer Republican and the Jasper County Democrat. But the town had a newspaper nearly
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twenty years before the predecessors of either of these publications existed. The first of its newspapers, the Jasper Banner, was estab- lished in 1853, and was supported by both democrats and whigs. John McCarty was its first editor. Several years after the estab- lishment of the Banner the slavery question brought about such a sharp division between the parties that no paper could remain neutral and exist, and in the campaign of 1856 the republican party was fairly born. Then came the cleavage in local newspaperdom. The Banner openly espoused the cause of democracy, and on the 29th of April. 1857, the Rensselaer Gazette was established as the organ of the republican faction. There could be no mistaking its faith, as announced in its first issue: "The Gazette will be Repub- lican in politics, 'now and forever.' We will exert all the energy that is in us to advance the cause of freedom, whose standard was so nobly borne aloft last fall by John C. Fremont."
The Jasper Banner ceased publication in 1861. The Rensselaer Gazette was founded by J. W. Sullivan and Daniel F. Davies. Mr. Davies soon afterwards became sole proprietor. and in 1859 or 1860, being elected to office, sold the establishment to I. N. S. Alter and Thomas Boroughs. In 1861, James Spencer bought Mr. Borough's interest, and the firm became Alter & Spencer. In the following year, Robert C. Mitchell purchased Alter's interest. and the new firm was known as Mitchell & Spencer. The senior partner soon afterward retired, and Mr. Mitchell a little later sold the paper to C. H. Tatman. In the latter part of 1864. or early in 1865, Mr. Spencer again became proprietor, and in July or August of that year sold a half interest to A. H. Green. The name of the paper was then changed to the Jasper Signal. This continued only some two or three months, when the material was sold to R. B. James. who issued the first number of the Prairie Telegraph. Wednesday, October 18, 1865. It was a weekly, republican. six-column folio.
The Iroquois Press was started in Rensselaer in the later months of 1867, by Joshua Healey and Jacob Keiser. It was a seven-column folio, weekly, republican paper. In the later part of the month of September. 1868. R. B. James sold the Prairie Telegraph to his son, Horace E. James. Colonel Healey became sole proprietor of the Iroquois Press, and the two offices were consolidated. the new paper bearing the name of the Rensselaer Union. This was a seven-column weekly, republican in politics. In 1874. it announced itself independent of political parties, and was enlarged to a six- column quarto. November 9. 1875. Colonel Healey retired. leaving Mr. James sole proprietor.
.
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Spitler's Real Estate Gazette was started at Rensselaer in July, 1872, and was continued a year. It was a four-column folio, issued monthly by Thomas J. Spitler, to advertise his real estate business, and was printed by James & Healey. On February 1, 1876, H. E. James and C. M. Johnson formed a partnership, united their respec- tive offices in one, and published a consolidated paper under the name of the Rensselaer Union and Jasper Republican. The first number appeared February 3, 1876, taking the volume and num- ber of the Union. It was a weekly, seven-column quarto, and republican in politics. Subsequently Johnson retired, and later M. O. Cissel became partner with Mr. James, under the firm name of H. E. James & Company, the paper in the meanwhile being reduced to a folio. In May, 1879, Mr. Cissel retired, and the fol- lowing month started the Rensselaer Standard, a seven-column folio, republican weekly. Mr. James, in October, 1879, sold the Union to T. M. Bitters, who also bought the Standard in January,
1880, and merged it in the former paper. In the following July, Mr. Bitters sold the establishment to Calkins & Johnson, but the latter never took an active part in the business beyond the fact of the sale, and was succeeded in a few months by a brother of Mr. Calkins, and the firm became Calkins Brothers. On May 1, 1881, Messrs. C. F. Overacker and G. E. Marshall purchased the office, and August 1, 1882, Mr. Overacker retired, leaving George E. Marshall the sole proprietor. The name of the paper was changed in 1880, by Calkins & Johnson, to the Rensselaer Republican, a name it still retains.
The first paper started at Rensselaer as a distinctive democratic paper was the Democratic Sentinel, which was first issued February 18, 1877, by James W. McEwin, who came from Monticello, Indiana, where he had conducted a similar paper for eighteen years. It con- tinued for several years.
The Jasper County Democrat was established in April, 1898, by Shields & Dilley, and has been owned and edited since July of that year by G. M. Babcock. It is a semi-weekly.
The Rensselaer Evening Republican was established in 1897. The weekly, or original paper as stated, was founded by Calkins & Johnson in 1880. The present publishers, Healey & Clark, issue a semi-weekly as well as a daily. Both are experienced and practical newspaper men still in early middle age. Leslie Clark, one of the partners, did his first editorial work on the old People's Pilot, at Rensselaer, in 1891. After spending several years in various other newspaper enterprises in Indiana and Ohio, he bought the Pilot in
.
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1897, and changed its name to the Journal. In 1908 the Journal and Republican were consolidated under George H. Healey and Mr. Clark, the present firm. Mr. Healey, editor and one of the proprie- tors of the Republican, is the son of Joshua Healey, the Civil war veteran who became colonel of the One Hundred and Fifty-first Indiana Regiment and died in Goodland in 1880. The son is not only well known as a newspaper man and a citizen, but is also promi- nent in the military matters of his day, being now a major in the Indiana National Guard.
CHURCHES AND SOCIETIES
The Methodists, Presbyterians and Baptists were early organized at Rensselaer, and have maintained their organizations ever since. The Methodists of the place, who formed a church in 1834 under Rev. E. G. Wood, were the first organized religious body in the county. In 1836 the Independent, or Gillam M. E. Church, was organized at the cabin of John M. Gillam by Rev. H. Bradenburg, an itinerant preacher. Their first meeting house was built in 1849 near the site of what afterward became Independence Chapel. The present M. E. Church of Rensselaer is under the pastorate of Rev. Paul C. Curnick, and occupies one of the most elegant houses of worship in the city.
The Presbyterian Church was organized February 10, 1847, by Rev. Edward W. Wright. Its original members were James and Susan Van Rensselaer, Susan C. Weston, Ezra and Martha Wright, Lucinda Mahaffee, Henry Barkley and Ira and Lois B. Allen. The founder of the town was buried in its churchyard. Rev. J. B. Fleming is pastor of the church at the present time.
The Rensselaer Baptist Church (Missionary) was recognized by council in 1851, its first pastor being Rev. Moses A. Kern. The Free Will Baptist Church was founded in 1853 by Rev. Peter Lansing. Rev. F. H. Beard has charge of the Baptist Church of today.
The Church of God at Rensselaer was organized by Elder William P. Shockey in 1860. Rev. Norman Warner is its present minister.
The First Church of Christ, of which Rev. Asa McDaniel is pastor, occupies a handsome and modern building.
The history of St. Augustine's Roman Catholic Church of Rensse- laer and of the Diocesan Orphan Asylum is uniform from 1865 until 1887, when the parish was established in that city. Until a church
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building was completed in 1885, the Catholics of Rensselaer attended services at the orphanage. In 1887 the orphan asylum was moved to Lafayette and Fort Wayne.
Having purchased the Spitler farm, about a mile south of Rensse- laer, Bishop J. Luers of the diocese of Fort Wayne, appointed Rev. Joseph Stephan as the first superior of the orphanage. Father Stephan's successors in that position were Rev. Henry Renson, Rev. Bernard Kroeger, Rev. P. Hartmann and Rev. Mathias Zumbuelte. Father Zumbuelte had commenced to build a brick church for the Catholics of Rensselaer and vicinity. It was dedicated in 1885. As stated, the parish was established at Rensselaer in 1887. Rev. M. Zumbuelte remained at its head, as well as superior of the orphanage, until March, 1888, and was succeeded by Rev. George L. Willard. Then, in succession, came Revs. Anthony Dick, Stanis- laus Neiberg, Francis Schalk, Bernard Dickmann, Edward Jacob, Charles Nothers, Thomas Meyer and Christian Daniel.
In September, 1903, the parochial school connected with St. Augustine's Church was completed ; in 1905 several lots with a resi- dence adjoining the church property were purchased, the house being remodeled for the sisters' home, and in 1909 the pastor's resi- dence was completed. A church to cost about $60,000 is being planned (summer of 1916). At present St. Augustine's parish numbers about 155 families, or nearly 800 souls.
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