USA > Indiana > Kosciusko County > A standard history of Kosciusko County, Indiana : an authentic narrative of the past, with particular attention to the modern era in the commercial, industrial, educational, civic and social development. A chronicle of the people with family lineage and memoirs, Volume I > Part 31
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ATWOOD RISES
But in September, 1857, a rival to Palestine appeared in the vil- lage of Atwood which was laid out by Harvey Hunt and Mrs. Agnes Teegarden as a station on that railroad. It was first called Mount Ruska and retained that name until December, 1865, when by peti- tion of its citizens it was christened Atwood. A postoffice was estab- lished at the station in 1864 and Ira Hovey appointed postmaster. Then Atwood had its little season of hopes, with small fruition; for it was too near Warsaw to control any considerable territory.
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TOWN OF MENTONE
It was evident, however, to the builders of railroads and the founders of towns that there was room for another village in the County of Kosciusko farther south and west, on Yellow Creek. But that is a story of the early '80s, when the Nickel Plate cut through the southern townships of the county and made Mentone one of its stations. Still later the Interurban came down from the north and gave it such fine transportation connections as to fix its status as a shipping and banking center for a large area of productive country.
It has at the present time a good newspaper, a well-conducted bank-the Farmers, of which Frank Mannwarring is cashier-and a saw mill and grain elevator. The newspaper, the Tri-County Ga- zette, is fairly descriptive of the location of Mentone, being the center of a circumscribed area cutting into Kosciusko, Marshall and Fulton counties. It is one of the noteworthy publications of Northern Indi- ana, in that it was established at Mentone in 1885, and has been published there for thirty-four years under the management of C. M. Smith, who is editor, publisher and proprietor.
Mentone has three churches which are supported in a substantial way both as to membership and finances-the Baptist, O. E. Miller, pastor ; Christian, Rev. A. J. Bachman ; Methodist, Rev. David Wells. The Methodist organization is the oldest. The Baptist Church was organized in September, 1886, and was an ontgrowth of the Sevasto- pol Society. While its own house of worship was being erected, the members of the Baptist Church were accommodated in the Metho- dist meeting honse on alternate Sundays. The leading personal fac- tor in the new organization was Deacon Elliot Mannwarring, who is still living and honored by his home community. The first house of worship was completed in the fall of 1886 under Rev. G. C. Gra- ham, who as the pioneer pastor of the society served until January, 1888. The first church edifice was occupied for thirty years, or until December, 1916, when the house of today was completed. The pres- ent membership of the church, which has been in charge of Rev. O. E. Miller since December, 1915, is about 275.
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EARLY SETTLEMENT OF LAKE TOWNSHIP
Lake is one of the small townships of the county, embracing only twenty-four square miles-four sections north and south and six, east and west. Silver Lake, a beautiful little body of water, is on its western border, a small corner of it extending into Seward Town- ship.
BUSINESS STREET
PUBLIC SCHOOL
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HISTORY OF KOSCIUSKO COUNTY
As it is in the southern tier of townships, the tide of settlement from Elkhart County did not rise thus far until several years after it overflowed the northern sections of Kosciusko.
The first settlers of Lake Township were Jacob Rhoades and fam- ily, who located on section 34 in May, 1837. Between that year and 1840, the following pioneers arrived in the township and established homes: Isaac Vangilder, Chris. Correll, Amos Snoke, Joshua Heren- deen, Caleb Phillips, Joshua Batkin, George Butterbaugh, John But- terbaugh, and William Leffel. Gabriel Swihart came in January, 1840. John and Chris Franz, Jacob Hay, John and Sol Ulery, John Montle and Abraham Roland were also among the early settlers.
The first child to be born in the township was Enoch Rhoades, son of John and Catherine Rhoades, whose birthday was in October, 1837.
Settlement was by no means rapid, so that it was eleven years after the coming and the increase of the Rhoades family that the north- ern part of the township felt the need of a saw mill. In 1848, how- ever, Henry B. Funk built one on section 34. It was operated by steam.
The first store was opened by Jacob Paulus in 1853 on the site of what was first platted as Silver Lakeville; afterward named Silver Lake. He and his brother, Henry, continued in business in that local- ity for many years.
OLD VILLAGE OF SILVER LAKEVILLE
This was platted by Jacob Paulus, March 8, 1859. As it was just sontheast of the lake, in the midst of a good agricultural and live stock country which was tributary to it, even before the Big Four was built through the township in 1869-70, the village had a number of good general stores, an agricultural implement depot, marble works, carriage and wagon shop, a grist mill, saw mill and broom-handle fac- tory.
SILVER LAKE TODAY
The village of the present is a place of over 500 people within convenient distance of the Big Four Railroad. Its streets are well lighted through the Winona Light and Power Company. Two banks -the Commercial State and the Farmers-have been in operation for some time. The state institution was organized in 1905 and is now doing business with a capital of $25,000 and average deposits of Vol. 1-23
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$200,000. W. H. Kern is its cashier, and D. F. Homman holds the same position with the Farmers' Bank.
The local newspaper, the Record, was founded in 1886, and is now published and edited by Brush and Hanson.
Silver Lake is the center of a fine dairy country, and the cream- ery located in town is one of the largest in the county. There are also large houses for the packing of native meats and the handling of produce, and a combined saw and feed mill is another.of its note- worthy establishments. The Leonard Supply Company does quite an
SILVER LAKE STREET
extended business in supplying the rural schools with desks and the neighboring farmers with machinery.
There are three churches in Silver Lake, only one of which (the Methodist Episcopal) has a settled pastor, Rev. J. F. Blocker. The United Brethren Society, organized in 1855, is supplied by Rev. J. W. Dickison, of Claypool, and the Lutherans, who established their church in 1865, depend upon a Warsaw clergyman.
J. D. L. Kline is the local superintendent of schools.
Although the Masons organized a lodge in 1873, they have dis- continued their activities, and the Knights of Pythias and the Odd Fellows now occupy the field. The former have a membership of 100; the latter of about 80.
CHAPTER XXI
ETNA AND CLAY TOWNSHIPS
PIONEERS OF ETNA TOWNSHIP-VILLAGE OF ETNA GREEN-EARLY SETTLERS AND EVENTS OF CLAY TOWNSHIP-FIRST PERMANENT RESIDENT-FIRST UNION SCHOOL AND CHURCH-THE VILLAGE OF CLAYPOOL.
Etna Township is one of the small political subdivisions in the western border of Kosciusko County and is of irregular shape, caused by its southern boundary which is the Tippecanoe River. Near that stream the land is hilly; elsewhere it is comparatively level and, until it was drained, rather marshy and unproductive in the eastern and central portions. Camp Creek, which has been transformed into a drainage ditch, originally rose in the northwestern part of the township and joined the Tippecanoe River at a point about two miles south of the present Village of Etna Green.
PIONEERS OF ETNA TOWNSHIP
The settlement of Etna Township was not begun until many of the neighboring townships had been organized and become quite populous. The pioneers of this part of the county located near the present site of the village in 1843. Among them may be mentioned Robert Reed, Solomon Klingerman, Charles Rockhill, George Burg, William Bowman and Abraham Bowman.
The first house in the township was built by Robert Reed on sec- tion 34, soon after his arrival, and each new settler was thereafter assisted in the building of his cabin by his neighbors already estab- lished.
VILLAGE OF ETNA GREEN
In 1853 David Carr and Levi Keeler platted the Town of Etna Green as a station on the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Rail- road, which was then being constructed through the central town- ships of Kosciusko Connty. Mr. Carr had already built a mill on
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HISTORY OF KOSCIUSKO COUNTY
the site of the town, and soon after it was laid out Mr. Keeler erected the first building designed for mercantile purposes. Its walls were hardly up before its proprietor arranged to give his townsmen such postal accommodations as he could, since he had been named as post- master.
Another important event occurred during the first year of the new town and railroad station. The first township election, probably held at Mr. Keeler's store, resulted in the choice of Joel Leffel for justice of the peace and Samuel B. Gay for constable.
The present village is a quiet, neat residence town, with its own light and water plant ; which has been in operation since 1910-11. An adequate and pure water supply is drawn from a well about 100 feet deep.
The chief business and industrial interests of the place are repre- sented by the Etna Green Lumber and Milling Company, controlled by J. W. Stackhouse and Lewis Mason. The milling branch of the firm includes a feed mill and elevator.
Banking accommodations are supplied by the private institution of S. P. Iden, which was established in 1900. It has a capital of $20,000, surplus of $10,000 and average deposits of $300,000.
The Etna Township schools are under the principalship of Lloyd B. Eherenman, whose headquarters are at Etna Green. The school- house there occupied was completed in 1914. The village enrollment is about 200; actual attendance half that figure.
As to the local churches-the Methodists, United Brethren and Christians have all been organized for many years. The Christian Church, which was established at Etna Green in 1866, is supplied by Rev. F. A. Thomas, of Milford, who also has the Palestine charge.
The United Brethren Church was organized in the early '70s, or before, and is now in charge of Rev. R. F. Stump.
The Methodists built their first house of worship in 1881 and the one which they now occupy in 1915. Rev. Edwin Dickson is the pres- ent pastor of the church. .
EARLY SETTLERS AND EVENTS OF CLAY TOWNSHIP
Clay is one of the undulating and well-drained of the southern townships. Originally, it was thickly overgrown with timber, which has been mostly cleared away, leaving a strong and productive soil. There are quite a number of pretty lakes in the township, although none of large extent. One of them, in the northern section 3, became
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somewhat famous in the earlier years for its abundant supply of muskalonge ; and was named accordingly.
The first settler, Samuel Bishop, located in section 17, in the spring of 1836, not far from the site of the present Village of Claypool. He built a cabin there, but returned to his Ohio home soon afterward and was therefore never considered a permanent settler.
FIRST PERMANENT RESIDENT
George Luke was the first resident to reach the standard of per- manency, as in August, 1836, he came from Ohio with his family, built a cabin on section 4, and commenced really to live. In the fol- lowing October he was joined by John S. Popham and Zadoc McCoy, from Knox County (his own state), who settled in his neighborhood.
In the year 1837 Joshua Caldwell; the Minears, father and son, with ther families, as well as Thomas and William Jameson, fixed their homesteads on section 19.
Mr. and Mrs. Luke's son, George, was born in April, 1837, and he was the first white native of the township; the Jamesons had a daughter in September, the pioneer native of her sex in Clay Town- ship.
The first death in the township was that of Mrs. Sarah Minear, who died in the fall of 1838. Later, in the same season, Mrs. Samuel Beatty passed away, and both were buried on the farm of Isaac Minear.
The last named was one of the most prominent of the pioneers. At the first township election held in his cabin in April, 1838, Mr. Minear was elected a justice of the peace and John S. Popham, inspec- tor.
FIRST UNION SCHOOL AND CHURCH
The first school was taught in a cabin built of poles in the north- west corner of the township, in 1840. During the following year, a hewed-log building was erected on section 8. This schoolhouse, known as Mount Pleasant, also served the Methodists as their first public place of meeting and they continued to occupy it on Sundays for nearly twenty years. In 1859 the old log schoolhouse was replaced by a frame structure, and the latter, in 1877, by a brick building.
The Methodists were the first to hold services in the township, meeting at the house of Joshua Caldwell in the winter of 1837-38. The services were in charge of Rev. Elza Van Schaick, a circuit rider and missionary.
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In 1840 was organized the Mount Pleasant Methodist Episcopal Church. After holding meetings at the homes of the early members and in the log schoolhouse on section 8 until 1860, the church erected a religious home in that year and on the section named.
In 1853 the Presbyterians organized a church on section 24, in the southeastern part of the township, and others were organized in other sections at a later day.
THE VILLAGE OF CLAYPOOL
In May, 1873, not long after what is now the Big Four Railroad was built through Kosciusko County, John M. and Nelson Beigh platted a station on the line which they recorded as Claypool. It was laid out on the northeast quarter of section 20 and has since ex- tended, on the north side of the tracks, into section 17.
The town took its name from the old postoffice, which was estab- lished in 1840 at the house of Joshua Caldwell. The office was abol- ished in 1865, but was re-established in 1873 and gave the name to the station on what was then the Cincinnati, Wabash & Michigan Railroad.
One of the first churches to be organized at the new town was that of the United Brethren, which was founded in 1877 with Rev. John Good as its pastor. At first, they met in the village school- house, but within a few years erected a church building. The house of worship which they now occupy, under the pastorate of Rev. J. W. Dickison, was completed in 1909.
The Methodists have also a church society and a meeting house (built in 1891), which is in charge of Rev. J. F. Blocker of Silver Lake.
Claypool has a good school under the superintendency of H. A. Lucas, who is also in charge of the institution at Packerton, four miles to the east, on the Nickel Plate line.
The State Bank of Claypool, which accommodates the local busi- ness and neighborhood trade, as well as the shippers who look to this junction of the Big Four and Nickel Plate lines, was founded as a private institution by H. and E. W. Kinsey in June, 1900. The for- mer was president and the latter, vice president and cashier. In 1917 it was incorporated under the laws of the state, with George Merkle as president, J. O. Deaton as vice president and E. W. Kinsey as cashier. The State Bank of Claypool has a paid-in capital of $25,000, and average deposits of $150,000.
CHAPTER XXII
PLAIN AND TIPPECANOE TOWNSHIPS
LEESBURG, THE OLD COUNTY SEAT-INCORPORATED AS A TOWN --- RAILROAD AND NEWSPAPER-CHURCHES AND SOCIETIES-BANK AND FLOURISHING MILLS-VILLAGE OF OSWEGO-THE DECLINE OF OS- WEGO-TIPPECANOE LAKE RESORTS -- TIPPECANOE TOWNSHIP, AN- OTHER LAKE REGION-PIONEER SETTLEMENTS-ROAD AND MILLS BUILT -- VILLAGE OF NORTH WEBSTER.
So much of the very early history of Kosciusko County is cen- tered in Plain Township, with its Indian reservation and Village of Monoquet; with Leesburg, the first county seat and the oldest town in Kosciusko; with Oswego, also a remnant of the real pioneer times, and other memorials of the long past, that the olden days of this section of the county have already been covered.
LEESBURG, THE OLD COUNTY SEAT
Leesburg, which is reached by both the Big Four and the Winona interurban lines, is a neat, if mellow, community of contented and conservative people. Although one of the smallest of the villages it maintains good pavements and sidewalks; has a fair local busi- ness and a bank, the latter capitalized at $25,000 and carrying de- posits of $200,000, and a school, now in charge of Estil B. Van Dorn, the history of which reverts to 1835.
The pioneer school children of Leesburg were housed on Lot No. 1, Prairie Street; then, after several years a small frame house was erected at the east end of town; in 1868 the two-story brick house was built, and after about fifteen years that gave place to a still larger and better structure.
INCORPORATED AS A TOWN
In 1876 Leesburg was incorporated as a town, its first board being: W. J. Crawford, president ; James W. Armstrong, clerk; W. D. Wood, treasurer; Dr. J. H. Long, attorney; Alfred Clark, marshal. The
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school board appointed by the town board comprised the following : A. M. Sanderson, president; William Archibald, secretary; H. B. Stanley, treasurer.
RAILROAD AND NEWSPAPER
Leesburg has had the usual experience "enjoyed" by towns, the fortunes of which have been uncertain. A few years after the Big Four was built through the county, with the old county seat as a station, it looked as though Leesburg might take on a new lease of life, and as prohibition was also a live issue, the general situation, to the minds of L. C. Zimmerman and S. J. North, seemed to demand a newspaper at that point. About 1882 was therefore started the Kosciusko County Prohibitionist by the gentlemen named, which was moved to Milford after about two years.
In 1888, J. W. Armstrong commenced the publication of the Kos- ciusko County Standard, and, with his son, also fought for prohibi- tion through its columns. It was afterward sold to Jacob White- leather & Son. Armstrong & Son subsequently came into possession of it again, and sold it to the publisher of the Syracuse Journal.
CHURCHES AND SOCIETIES
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Leesburg, which is now in charge of Rev. Herbert Boase, was organized in 1837 by Rev. Wil- liam M. Fraley. The organization was effected at the house of Charles Erwin and comprised six members. A church building was erected in the following year. Under the pastorate of Rev. George Guild, who was in charge in 1844, a parsonage was built. The Methodist house of worship was greatly improved in the late '70s, and a hand- some new church dedicated in December, 1895.
The Leesburg Christian Church was organized in November, 1869, and the society has occupied two buildings, completed about 1872 and 1881. The church of 1872 was destroyed by fire.
Various lodges of Leesburg have come and gone, until at the pres- ent time only two of them may be considered substantial. The Odd Fellows are represented by Leesburg Lodge No. 432, which was organ- ized in December, 1873, and the Knights of Pythias by St. Leon Lodge No. 192, formed in May, 1887.
BANK AND FLOURING MILLS
The Peoples Bank of Leesburg was opened for business in Janu- ary, 1903, with Joel Hall as president and J. A. Irvine as cashier. In 1908 it became a state institution.
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The first Leesburg flouring mills were established in 1850, but were moved to Syracuse. The mills at the east end of Van Buren Street, nearly opposite the Big Four Depot, were built in 1899.
VILLAGE OF OSWEGO
The settlement at the southwestern end of Tippecanoe Lake clus- tered around the little mill on the banks of the Tippecanoe River is all that is left of quite an ambitious enterprise. After the Indians had relinquished the Musquabuck Reservation and moved west, the Village of Oswego was laid out by Messrs. Willard Barbee and E. French, in 1837. Mr. French had been appointed Indian agent and had charge of the removal of Musquabuck's tribe to their reserva- tion beyond the Mississippi River.
At the time Oswego was laid out Messrs. Barbee and French owned a large tract of land to the east of the village. They built the first business room and opened the first store. Mr. French was in charge of the store, and the firm did a good business for ten years. The building of the establishment was the one used so many years by John Pound as a general store and in which the postoffice is located. Mr. Pound has carried on the store for twenty-five years, and has long been the village postmaster.
At the time that Barbee and French were booming Oswego, and for some years afterward, the village was second to none in the county as a prosperous community of substantial prospects. Their mills, with auxiliary improvements, constituted the most important enter- prise ever undertaken in Plain Township. In order to secure enough water to operate the plants a large dam was built across Grassy Creek, about two miles from Oswego and just below the outlet of Barbee Lake. A three-foot head of water was thus secured, and con- ducted through a race to Tippecanoe River at Oswego, where the mills were built. Their flouring mill was the only one in the county for several years, the next probably being the Harris Brothers' plant at Monoquet, completed in 1844. The Barbee-French mills were run by the original owners for many years, and during that period Oswego was quite a town.
THE DECLINE OF OSWEGO
"After several years," says J. W. Armstrong in his history of Plain Township, "the big dam across Grassy Creek broke during an
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excessively rainy season. The dam was rebuilt, but later was again broken, it was thought by parties who were opposed to it on account of the fact that it caused the overflow of a large tract of low land which otherwise would be valuable for agricultural purposes; and as those opposed to the rebuilding of the dam threatened to bring suit for damages it was not reconstructed, and a new site was ar- ranged about one mile down the river from Oswego.
POSTOFFICE AT OSWEGO Oldest Building in the County
"To this new location the old mill building was moved and was run for several years, but finally abandoned on account of the opposi- tion of those whose lands were flooded by water. The old mill build- ing stood until a few years ago (written in 1914), when the waters of the river undermined its foundations and it fell to rise no more. The old race can still be traced almost the entire length east from Oswego.
"The only mill now in the village is a feed mill built of cement
A
SCENE ON TIPPECANOE LAKE
Stony Ridge Hotel-
Tippecanoe
L
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HISTORY OF KOSCIUSKO COUNTY
blocks on the river bank as you go into town from the west. This is owned and operated by G. W. Craven, who is enjoying a nice little business."
TIPPECANOE LAKE RESORTS
Tippecanoe Lake, lying just northeast of Oswego, has of late years gained quite a reputation as a summer resort. Along in the early '80s, Eli Summy and others from Leesburg built a club house on the southern shore of the lake, which was the first place erected for summer resort and sporting purposes on that body of water. Although it has been moved, the old club house is still in existence, standing rather as a memorial of the earlier times than as a representative of today.
G. W. Gregg, of Marion, Silas Adams, of Portland, Charles Spen- cer and George Smith, who had been camping for several years on the northern side of Tippecanoe Lake, bought a strip of land on the south shore, and platted it into lots as a summer resort. Stony Ridge Hotel was then built; Cripple Gate Heights, Pleasant View, Govern- ment Point, Fair Oaks, Kalorama, and half a dozen "landings," have since appeared on the shores of Tippecanoe Lake, with a fleet of pleasure boats and all the accessories of an attractive watering place.
TIPPECANOE TOWNSHIP, ANOTHER LAKE REGION
Tippecanoe Township stands for another political and civil divi- sion of the county which nature has plentifully sprinkled with lakes; little bodies of water which are decidedly ornamental, as well as useful in the form of reservoirs and natural catch-basins. They are not only attractions to those seeking recreation and refreshment in the open seasons, but are of untold value to the farmers and stock raisers.
The township is a square, six miles each way, and since its low lands in the lake regions have been drained and made tillable to a large extent, the condition of its agricultural residents has greatly improved. Most of Tippecanoe Lake is within its borders, and old Boydston and Barbee lakes farther to the east and southeast are the other simliar features of the township which represent, in general terms, the headwaters of Tippecanoe River. Boydston Lake of the olden days is now Webster Lake, and the Village of Webster, one of the old towns of the county, has been incorporated in later years
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as North Webster. The larger of the bodies of water which used to be known as Barbee's Lakes is now designated as Hammond.
PIONEER SETTLEMENTS
The first settlements in the township were made between Tippe- canoe and Boydston's lakes. In the spring of 1835, Benjamin John- son, from Harrison County, Virginia, settled on section 9, and in the following fall entered 160 acres of land which he finally trans- formed into a homestead.
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