USA > Indiana > Elkhart County > A twentieth century history and biographical record of Elkhart County, Indiana > Part 21
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Accordingly one of the first improvements sought after actual home and shelter and means of subsistence were provided was a postal service. such as all the settlers had been familiar with in their former homes in
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the more settled regions. "In the spring of this year. 1831, I think it was," says Mr. J. H. Defrees, "a mail route was established between Fort Wayne and Niles, the mail to be carried over it once in four weeks. In the fall of the same year the postoffice increased the speed from once in four weeks to that of once in two weeks. Many of you, no doubt, nell remember how elated you felt when you heard the sound of the old tin horn, blown by . Old Hall' as he came wending his way through the grove east of the village ( Goshen), with his ' tantrum ' sorrels, him- self astride of one, and the mail bags, containing news from the * settle- ments,' on the other, with a 'string' fastened to the bits of the leader in order to guide him in the right path. The old horn with its music discoursed sweeter strains to its hearers than did ever Hall and Arnold's in their palmiest days." Think of it! one mail in four weeks, or in two weeks. Now, radiating in all directions through the country, ap- 1 roaching within convenient distance of every home in the county, are the rural mail routes, delivering packages, letters and the metropolitan dailies once a day and with greater regularity and punctuality than was the case in the larger towns less than half a century ago.
The postal service in the year 1837 at Goshen is indicated by the following item in the Goshen Express: "Mail arrival and departure : Western mail arrives from Niles via South Bend every Sunday and Wednesday evening: departs every Tuesday and Saturday morning. Eastern mail via Fort Wayne arrives every Monday and Friday even- ing; departs Monday and Thursday morning. Southern mail via Lees- burg arrives every Thursday at 12 o'clock; departs every Thursday at I o'clock p. m." And the same paper, on September 16, 1837, calls attention to a project for carrying the mail from Fort Wayne to Niles, Michigan, in four-horse coaches, and praises the proposition as " a grand undertaking," whereby this beautiful county would be opened up to immigrants, who naturally followed the easiest lines of access to new countries. " The mail from Ft. Wayne to Niles," says the editor, " is now carried through on a horse."
In a fair consideration of the means of communication which the county has employed, the stage coach must be included-the old " twice- a-week " stage coach. It was a slow mode of travel but the passengers had a good time. The rate of speed in pleasant weather and with favorable roads was perhaps seven or eight miles an hour and the aver- age cost was perhaps five cents a mile. The vehicles have been forgot- ten as completely as the days they represented. When the steam horse,
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which at first plowed the waters, took to land in the east, the finest of the stages were taken west and some of them as far as the Rockies. But what has become of the less pretentious ones which were not worth transporting? No one knows; they have simply dropped out of exist- ence. But what memories cluster around them! How the people at the taverns. yes, and all the villagers, looked and longed for the coming of the stage coach! What a bustle there was on its arrival! What liand-shakings! What greetings! What interchanges! What life! The stage brought the latest news from the outside world, brought the news- papers, brought the mails. But the uncertainty and irregularity con- nected with all this were very unsatisfactory.
Only by picturing to ourselves the past can we rightly appreciate the present. The pessimist will continue his growling about the present state of social and material conditions, will complain that the world is fast verging to wrack and ruin: that men and manners are not so good now as in "the good old days"; that the rain does not fall so plentifully. that the sunshine is not so abundant, that the grain does not grow so high, that the fruit is not so large nor so lucious: and that affairs of church, state and society are sinking to the "demnition bowwows." But the man of clear vision and unbiased judgment will calmly regard the world of yesterday as a happy and glorious memory of the times agone, but will consider it as only in the first and feeble steps of progress toward our present plane of enlightenment and culture, and, grateful for the gifts of the present, will look forward with even greater hope and antici- pation to the to-morrow of the world.
It seems better, therefore, to picture to our readers what the life and conditions of our county were in the past, and, with the present always before them, to allow them to draw their own conclusions con- cerning the historical progress of Elkhart county. But before conclud- ing this part of the narrative and before entering upon the history of the railroad period, we shall adduce a few more instances of the develop- ment of means of communication which have had a remarkable effect upon the methods of living to-day and fifty years ago.
There is probably not a person in Elkhart county who does not at least know of the telephone, and in hundreds of homes and in nearly every business house will be found one of these instruments, so neces- sary an adjunct of modern life. Every road has its line of poles and strings of wire, binding together separate homes, communities, villages, and distant cities. But how many of ns forget the modernness of the
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telephone. A. Graham Bell was conducting his successful experiments in the early seventies, but the first time the invention was exhibited in a practical form to the general public was at the centennial exposition in Philadelphia, in 1876. . \ standard encyclopedia, published in 1877. in describing this invention, speaks of it as "telegraphic transmission of articulate sounds," and further goes on to state as the climax of the won- derful discovery that "we may confidently expect that Mr. Bell will give us the means of making voice and spoken words audible through the electric wire to an ear hundreds of miles distant." And now, with our ear at a receiver in Elkhart county, we may hear the tick of a watch nine hundred miles away in New York! Only so short a time are we sep- arated from the primitive past. Various telephone and telegraph com- panies are now operating their lines in and through this county, and the news of the war in the far east comes to every village as soon after the occurrence of the events as in former days a report concerning a trial at Goshen would reach the country districts of the county. And the future historian may detail the displacing of our telegraph and telephone sys- tems by wireless telegraphy and telephony, and record many other wonderful things that we not even dream of at the beginning of this century.
From the foregoing it appears that the world is coming to be all of a piece. Once every little community could live by itself, make its own clothes, wagons, tools, and all the articles necessary for its existence. But the Robinson Crusoe ideal of man or community is now thoroughly discredited. With the coming of railroad, telegraph, telephone, etc., closer relations were established, and communities and states became de- pendent upon each other. The same is true in larger form. Once our nation could live by itself and avoid entangling alliances with other nations, but that time is past. Ocean greyhounds and cables have made it impossible. To-day the United States can no more be a nation by herself than South Carolina could be a state by herself. She must per- form her proper part of right and justice among the nations of the earth.
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CHAPTER XIV.
TRANSPORTATION.
Singing through the forests,
Rattling over ridges ;
Shooting under arches, Rumbling over bridges ;
Whizzing through the mountains,
Buzzing o'er the vale .-
Bless me! this is pleasant.
Riding on the rail !
-JOHN G. SAXE.
The means of communication and transportation are the best indexes of a country's historical progress. A community cannot advance in im- portance to the outside world unless it has the means of importing the culture and the products of the surrounding peoples and of exporting its own ideas and what it produces in the field or in the factory. In the preceding chapter we have considered in some phases the history of com- munication in Elkhart county, and how the county, both by its own efforts and by the progress of invention, has become an integral part of the great world, in intimate touch with all that transpires in the fam- ily of nations. In the following paragraphs we shall continue the gen- eral subject but more particularly consider the matter of transportation, especially as that has been developed by the building of railroads.
After Rome had conquered a nation she made roads to that nation. So she was in easy communication with the remotest parts of her em- pire, and they with her. As we have seen. the settlers of Elkhart county at once saw the necessity of getting in touch with the settled country and among their first acts was the construction of wagon roads. In those days nearly all supplies had to he brought in from the larger towns. Fort Wayne in particular was the source of most of the goods which the Elkhartians needed, and many still living in the county can recall the days when the long journey was made across the country by ox or horse team and wagon in order to fetch a load of provisions or tools or other equipment. It is said that during the first years the set- tlers had to take their corn to Niles or White Pigeon for grinding, and this necessitated a journey of three days. From this one may readily understand the importance of roads to the prosperity of the county. The
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difficulties of transportation in the thirties are reflected in the local news- papers. For instance, the Goshen Express, on account of "the late rain and unusually warm weather which rendered the roads almost in- passable," could not obtain paper from Ohio and for several weeks dur- ing the winter of 1837-38 had to discontinue publication. In the winter of 1848 an item concerning the roads runs as follows: "Old Hascall arrived the other day from Fort Wayne, having come through mud up to his shirt collar. He saw several travelers sinking in the soil and trying to dig out their horses. The new plank road to Lima is almost commenced."
From time immemorial there have been two elements used in trans- portation and travel-land and water. Men early learned the advantages possessed by the water routes over land, and made vessels whereby persons and property could be transported from one point to another on the rivers, lakes and seas. The existence of several navigable streams within the confines of Elkhart county was early taken into consideration by the settlers. And it also seems that the location of the two prin- cipal towns of the county upon the two largest streams was undoubtedly influenced by the possibilities of navigation which would thus be pre- sented. Many circumstances enter into the birth and subsequent devel- opment of a community, but Goshen and Elkhart in the early days before the railroads came enjoyed much of their prosperity because of the beau- tiful rivers which flow by them. In support of this view we may again quote from Mr. J. H. Defrees: "In 1831 the legislature passed an act granting Jacob Studebaker the privilege of damming the Elkhart river at or near Goshen, which was the first mill dam thrown across the stream. The river having been declared navigable by the United States authorities, the legislature required Mr. Studebaker to construct a suitable lock in his dam for the purpose of passing and repassing boats. It was supposed at an early day that the river would be extensively used as a means of carrying off the productions of the country, and importing into it such necessaries as the wants of the people demanded."
In the pioneer days the best route of transportation for merchandise to or from the east was by way of the Great Lakes, and as the St. Joseph river afforded a comparatively easy outlet to Lake Michigan that stream formed the principal freight route until the railroad period. "The steam- boat days were the palmy period of this little settlement of Elkhart." says the Elkhart Daily Truth, "and during the forties all merchandise and produce were transported to and from the 'village of the forks' by
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way of the river. The exact date of the commencement of navigation of the St. Joseph river by white men has never been recorded, but it is known that during the thirties keel boats and 'arks' were used on the river. During the period from 1830 to 1850 navigation flourished on the St. Joseph from Three Rivers to the mouth at St. Joseph, where the river empties into Lake Michigan. The important towns along the stream were Three Rivers, Mendon, Bristol, Montville, Elkhart, Mish- awaka. South Bend, Niles and Berrien Springs, and the traffic increased as the years passed on. From the point of the island at the mouth of the Elkhart river it is ninety-six miles to St. Joseph by the winding stream. The space between Washington street and the confluence of the two rivers had been set apart for warehouses and wharves, and this spot for twenty years was the center of business activity."
Keel boats and arks were the familiar boats of the early times, and some of the old-timers yet living can recall, perhaps from personal ex- perience. the "keel-boating" and "arking" up and down the rivers. The keel boats were constructed upon the plans of regular vessels with a flat bottom. Their usual dimensions were seventy-five feet length, twelve feet at beam, and gunwales twenty-six inches high. They had a carry- ing capacity of from three hundred to five hundred barrels of flour, so that however slow might be this mode of transportation it was in- finitely better than team and wagon. The boats were either rowed or carried by the current down the river. Oars eighteen feet long were used, and on the return trip, coming against the current, it was often necessary to pole the boats, and also each boat was rigged with a windlass and by fastening a rope to a tree the crew were enabled to get it over the riffles that were found in many places on the stream. The arks were a more cumbersome and less navigable craft, resembling somewhat a scow or immense raft, and they were used only in going down the stream; on reaching the mouth the cargo was unloaded. the vessel taken to pieces and the timber sold to the captains of the lower lake vessels, and then the tired crew would make the return journey on foot through the forests.
Many thousands of dollars were expended by the government in those days to make the St. Joseph river navigable. Channels were dredged, and at the various riffles wing dams constructed for the pur- pose of forcing the water into the channels.
That the navigation of the Elkhart seemed of vital necessity as late
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as 1842 may be seen from the following newspaper extract of that year :
"The Elkhart river from Hawks' mill, three miles above Goshen, to the mouth, might easily be rendered navigable for arks and keel boats. A large number of arks have already left Waterford and Goshen laden with flour, highwines, and pork; but great difficulty and damage have been experienced in passing the dams and bridges on the route, and boats have frequently been sunk in the attempt. On Thursday last several of the merchants of Goshen, interested in the navigation of the river, assembled at Kellogg's dam and proceeded to tear up the new bridge, against which several boats had struck. They were unmolested in the work and desisted only when they had made a free passage for the boats. We understand it is their determination to remove all obstructions, such as mill dams and bridges, peaceably if they can. forcibly if they must ; if the grand jury and circuit court cannot effect it for them. The next threat is against DeCamps dam; and if the law is not complied with, by the construction of suitable locks, it is certainly as proper for a boatman to tear down a dam as for a traveler to let down a fence built across the highway." So we see that dams across the river were even more often objects of resentment in those days than at present.
Another paragraph in the same issue indicates the importance of river commerce on the St. Joseph : "We learn that on this day a large number of arks laden with 2,200 barrels of flour and nearly a thousand barrels of pork and highwines passed through the locks of Mishawaka destined for the eastern market. A large proportion of this was from Elkhart county."
Along in the forties steamboats began navigating the St. Josephi. Until within the past few years the Elkhart river has appeared upon the records of the war department as a navigable stream, but there is no record that the steamboats ever ventured upon its waters.
"It was a beautiful Sunday morning in the spring of 1844," to quote again from the Daily Truth, "that the first steamboat came puffing up the river. For days this event had been awaited by the inhabitants of the little village, and most of them were down to the bridge to witness the advent. A group of boys playing on the commons were startled when the sonorous whistle sounded, the cattle pricked up their ears and scudded away. as the apparition came in view around the bend of the river. In that crowd of boys were Major James D). Braden and James Smith. Puffing and wheezing the boat came slowly on, but when the low wooden
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bridge at Main street was reached, a halt had to be made as the smoke stack could not go under the bridge. A consultation of war was held and the next morning the timbers in the middle span were removed and the boat moved through and up to the warehouses. Later the stacks were made with hinges so that they could be dropped at the cry of 'low bridge.'
"These river steamers were built somewhat on the plan of the lum- ber carriers on the lakes. They were clear amidships and low, and the engine room was in the stern. Paddle wheels were built on either side. on some boats they were covered and on others exposed. A few of the larger hoats could not come this far up the river. The steamers, and keel boats, also, drew only about eighteen inches of water when loaded. The Matilda Barney was one of the first steamers to push her nose up the river to this port. although it is probable that the Indiana was the boat that arrived on that eventful Sunday morning. Pioneers will re- member the Pocahontas, John Stryker, South Bend, Michigan, Gem, Ruby, Niles and many other of the river craft. These steamers would tow from three to four keel boats, and the running of the riffles was ac- complished by means of the windlasses with which every boat was pro- vided. With fair luck the trip could be made down the river in three days, and from four to five days consumed on the up trip. Mr. Eben J. Davis says that the most exciting trip that he ever made down the river was early in April of 1848. A man at Three Rivers had built an ark eighty feet long and was carrying a colony of young men and women to the settlement at New Buffalo. They had succeeded in reach- ing Elkhart, where the ark grounded on a sand bar. Mr. Davis was called to pilot them to St. Joe. The current was running swift and four days were consumed in reaching the mouth of the river. Many nar- row escapes from sand bars and riffles occurred during that voyage."
To-day only an occasional pleasure craft or small boats may be seen on these streams once thought so necessary to the development of a great civilization in northern Indiana. The days of river navigation and steamboating and "arking" have as completely passed away as the stage coach or the Pottawottomie Indian. The text of the old negro preacher that "The workl do move," is proved on every hand when we begin to examine into the history of a county like Elkhart. The rivers and the steamboats played a worthy part in the historical drama, but they were soon shifted off the stage to make way for the one greatest factor in the world development during the last century. The
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chief developer and rearranger of centers, and redistributer of civiliza- tion, was the railroad.
Elkhart county happily lay in the path of railroad construction by which the east and the middle west were tied together with bands of steel. Its railroad history is one of the most interesting phases of its historical existence. In the various sections of the middle west the advent of the railroad era marks the close of the pioneer period and the beginning of modern prosperity, and not only the material condition of the country but the very life and customs of the people are sharply differentiated in the two epochs. For this reason too much stress can- not be placed upon the railroad era, and happily for our purpose a great abundance of historical material is at hand for the proper treatment of this part of Elkhart county history.
William Henry Smith, in his history of Indiana, gives some of the points of view which should be kept in mind for the proper understand- ing of early railroad making through northern Indiana, and we venture to quote here two paragraphs which will throw considerable light on what follows. Says Mr. Smith: "The Erie canal had been completed and the fever of railroad building had taken possession of the public mind. There was an abundance of idle capital, both in this country and in England, all seeking investment, and the Ohio valley presented the most enticing inducements. It was then that Indiana lost her oppor- tunity. It was projected to unite Lake Erie and Lake Michigan by a great double track railroad, and then to extend the road on southwesterly to the head of steamboat navigation on the Illinois river. It was a grand project. The road was to start from a point on Lake Erie at the head of Maumee Bay and connect with Lake Michigan at Michigan City. In 1835 the Buffalo & Mississippi Railroad Company was granted a charter by the legislature of Indiana and the route surveyed. "Among those interested in the project was Daniel Webster, the great senator of Massachusetts. He came out to Indiana when the work of building the road was begun with great ceremonies, he deliv- ering an address on the occasion to a large concourse of people, gathered from all parts, and throwing up the first shovel of dirt. So confident were he and his fellow projectors that the work would be completed and Michigan City become a great city on the lake, that they purchased a great deal of property, and thus the little town experienced its first boom. There were three things they did not count on: The first stumbling block was the Illinois legislature. Unfortunately for the
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Buffalo & Mississippi Railroad, in those days it was necessary to get a charter in every state through which the road was to operate. Chicago was a little town in the swamps, but her citizens were active and far- seeing. They could readily see that if the projected railroad was con- structed Michigan City would be the great lake port, and they would be left to enjoy the swamps. They organized a lobby and prevented the Illinois legislature from granting the charter asked for. The second obstacle was the apathy on the part of the citizens of Indiana. They seemed to take but little interest in it and made no effort to overcome the opposition of Chicago. The projectors nor the people of Indiana, it seems, did not deem it possible to reach the Mississippi by any other route. Or, if they did, they must have thought the hills along the Ohio and in southern Indiana could not be overcome by a railroad. for no effort was made to reach the Ohio wholly through Indiana territory. The third obstacle was the great panic of 1837. That put an end, for the time being, to all railroad and canal building."
The Northern Canal, whose proposed route lay through Fort Wayne, via Goshen, to Lake Michigan, is a subject of almost weekly mention in the county papers during the thirties. Hope seemed to spring eternal that this great water way, and also the Buffalo and Mich- igan Railroad, would be completed in the course of a few years.
The history of railroad construction in this county has been ex- haustively and authoritatively investigated and treated by Mr. Wilber L. Stonex, of Goshen, who himself has been connected with some of the important railroad enterprises in the county and thus speaks from knowledge born of long experience and observation. As an active and enthusiastic member of the Elkhart County Historical Society, and for some time its president, Mr. Stonex compiled and wrote for delivery before the society a historical paper describing the development of railroad transportation in the county; this article. read before the society January 4, 1899, without doubt constitutes the best history of this subject, and is given in its practical entirety in the following paragraphs.
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