USA > Indiana > Marshall County > A twentieth century history of Marshall County, Indiana, Volume I > Part 11
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THE OLD MILL DAM. (To An Imaginary Sweetheart.)
Do you remember the old mill dam, And the path where we went roaming; Where at even-tide when all was calm We wandered alone in the gloaming?
Where the hawthorn bush with ivy clinging, Furnished shade from the noonday sun, As we listened to music the birds were singing, While our own loving hearts beat as one?
Do you remember the old flowing well 'Neath the willow tree's long bending boughs, Where our story of love we oft did tell, And we plighted our marital vows?
And the dear little park near the old mill race, Where we wandered by light of the moon, Where you "loved me," you said, with a smile on your face, And vowed you would be mine alone?
Alas; that "imaginary sweetheart of mine," Disappeared like the mist from the stream, For when the old town clock was just striking nine I awoke-it was only a dream!
XVI. MARSHALL COUNTY AS THE WHITE MAN FOUND IT.
Marshall county was a part of the territory belonging to the Menominee tribe of Indians, and included in the government purchase under the treaty of Tippecanoe river made in 1832. It is a timbered region interspersed with prairies, formerly regarded as marsh lands and valueless, now held most valuable. The heavy timber lies in the shape of a reversed letter H, the open
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
part to the west, the upright body of the letter represented by a tract fifteen by twenty-one miles on the east side of the county; the cross line by a tract six to eight miles wide at the south end, with some smaller tracts in the center of the west side representing the cross in the middle of the letter. The remainder is made up of prairie and "barrens" (not barren land, but light timber ) and prairies.
The heavy timber consists of all the hard and soft timbers, except the resinous-oak, ash, hickory, maple, beech, elm, walnut, butternut, linn, poplar, etc., and in all the varieties of these woods. The barrens are variously timbered with white, burr, yellow, and black oak and hickory, and the heavy barrens have the heavy timbers scattered without undergrowth, while the light barrens are like large orchards. The face of the land is gently undulat- ing, with no abrupt elevations or declivities. There is every variety of soil, the greater portion being the deep, rich, black loam of the heavy timbered lands. The burr oak barrens have rich sandy loam. The white oak barrens, clay and sand. The black and yellow oak, light sandy soil with clay bottom. The marshes, the richest and finest of alluvium, producing heavy growths of the best hay.
Every kind of farm production is raised in abundance; crops are reasonably certain and the yield remunerative.
Yellow river rises in the northeast part of the county, and flows through it southwesterly. From eighteen to twenty-five miles distant from the county seat, on the east and south of the county and partly through it, flows the Tippecanoe river ; on the north and west, the Kankakee ; on the northeast the St. Joseph, and about forty-two miles northwest and north lies Lake Michigan.
Pine creek in the northwestern portion of the county, and Wolf creek in the center are the only streams of note. Small streams flow through all the wet prairies, and good water is abundant almost everywhere. In almost every portion of the county flowing wells of pure artesian water are secured at a depth of from fifty to 100 feet.
Pretty lake, three miles west of the county seat, is a beautiful sheet of water about two miles in circumference. Since the organization of the county it has of late years become a noted summer resort, and around its beautiful shores have been built nearly fifty summer cottages.
Lake of the Woods, known also as "Big lake," in the northeast part of the county, not far from Bremen, is about five miles in circumference, and is famous for fish.
Twin lakes, three in number, extending from the center of the county to the west line of West township, are all beautiful sheets of water, and good fishing is had in all of them. The middle Twin lake is noted for the Menominee Indian village that stood on its north bank, where the old Indian chapel formerly stood, and from which place the Pottawattomie Indians were driven away in 1838. At the end of the lower Twin lake was built the first grist mill in Marshall county, in 1836-37.
Maxinkuckee lake in the southwest part of the county, is about twelve miles in circumference, three miles long and two and one-half wide. It is fed entirely by springs that burst up from the bottom, and the natural rainfall. In its primitive state, before the forest trees that lined its shores were cut down by the white men who settled there, it was the most beautiful
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
sheet of water anywhere to be found. In the early times deer and other wild animals drank of its rippling waters unmolested. Fish and wild game of all kinds were abundant, and it was indeed a most charming spot.
The Michigan road crosses the county from north to south, starting at Michigan city and ending at Madison, Ind.
The Yellow River Valley.
Marshall county is in what is known as the ""Yellow River Valley," which was beautifully pictured by the late C. H. Reeve, in an address a few years before his death, and it is reproduced here as setting forth historical facts worthy of being perpetuated. Mr. Reeve said :
"Those who are residents and read the newspapers should rejoice that they live in the safe and beautiful Yellow river valley. I suppose few of them ever stop to think that they do live in a valley ; that westward the land rises from thirty to fifty or more feet to the mile, until it reaches the summit a few miles out, and then slopes away on the great Kankakee plains, at only about six to eight inches to the mile to the Kankakee river, and then rises again to the high tableland of the prairies; while on the north and northeast it rises in like manner to the summit and then slopes away to the St. Joseph river; the same on the east, southeast and south to the Tippecanoe river.
"Nor do they regard our inland position and timbered protection, where the wild storms sweeping up the valleys of the larger streams above named, and from Lake Michigan and the great western prairies are carried up by the rising land toward us, and so high over our heads instead of tearing us in pieces, while the timber, obstructing the currents, makes clouds and rain, and saves us from droughts. As day after day the reports of the terrible storms all over the country come to us, and the wailing of the victims of pestilence leaving knowledge of the awful desolation in their track, our quiet valley is full of peace and safety-no failure of crops, no epidemics, no floods or great droughts, with good lands, ready and con- venient markets, no public local debts, schools and churches convenient on every hand, the farmers of the Yellow river valley should hug themselves with delight in their safety and prosperity! We have passed the excitement and trials of pioneer life, and are settling into the permanency and stability of slow and progressive prosperity in place of the wild and speculative rush for wealth that constitute the movements of new localities. But more than all we have safety. Here the elements do not war. While we have no coal, or iron, or stone, or precious metals in mines, or great waterpower, we have nearly 500 square miles of as good land as is in the world, taken as a body ; we have health, abundance of valuable timber, good and certain crops, good water easily obtained ; our lovely and now famous Maxinkuckee lake, and our unsurpassed Yellow river valley.
"The proud and ambitious, the restless and the grumbling, may emigrate, but the wise will be content with our quiet valley, where, in fact, they have what they cannot find elsewhere, with so few discomforts and evils, and which should be, if it is not, held at its true value. Sixty years of personal knowledge and half a century of continuous residence should enable me to know, and in that belief I pay this brief and truthful tribute to one of the fairest spots in all the land."
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
There is no more delightful scenery to be found anywhere in this country than along the rivers and lakes and over the hills and valleys in Marshall county, and especially in the autumn days when the leaves are receiving the golden tints that present to view a "picture that no painter has the coloring to mock!" The reader will pardon the writer of this history, if he pauses a moment from the dry compilation of historical information to add a slight tribute to "The Beauties of Autumn," in con- nection with his late friend Reeve's beautiful address on "our unsurpassed Yellow river valley." As he writes the autumn tints are just beginning to give the maple and other forest leaves their farewell kiss, and soon the whole country will be a golden picture of rare beauty! During the golden days of which these are typical, the period known as "Indian summer," when the golden rod, the national flower, is adding charm to the scene in every direction, it has been the custom of the writer for many years past to spend a few days in the country, about the rivers and lakes, through the woods and hazelnut patches, among the grape vines and hawthorn bushes, and listen to the birds singing in the branches, and watch the squirrels as they jump from limb to limb gathering nuts for the winter's supply of food, and for the time being get out of sight and hearing distance of the petty annoyances that continually confront one in the every-day humdrum of life in the struggle for existence.
If you do not own a bicycle or an automobile, or a horse and buggy, and are too poor to hire one, take your lunch basket and hammock, and a kodak, if you have one, and start for the woods. Never mind the traveled roads. Climb the fences and tramp through the fields, and so on through the woods, following some cowpath, or an old Indian trail, of which there are still a few that can be traced. Don't hurry to get to some given point. Just take your time. When you get tired, hang your hammock and take a rest. Don't take any novels or stories of "the villain still pursued her" kind with you. You probably read too much trash of that sort when at home. Take out your pencil and scratch book, make rough sketches of the beautiful scenes that especially attract your attention, and jot down your impressions of the beauties and grandeur of nature that come under your observation.
You have probably traveled much and visited many places of interest, both in your own country and in foreign lands, and yet, likely you have never been outside of the towns and villages in your own county, and some of them possibly you have never seen. Around all the lakes, big and little ; up and down the rivers and creeks in various parts of the county, and through the cultivated and uncultivated regions, the highways and byways, the long shaded lanes, over gravel roads, and on an occasional cut-off through the woods, you will see sights as grand and beautiful as can be seen anywhere on the globe. You can spend several days in this way that will open your eyes and give you a better opinion of the beautiful Yellow river valley and your own county and its possibilities than you ever had before.
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
XVII. THE GOVERNMENT SOIL SURVEY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
The United States Department, of Agriculture sent Frank Bennett and Charles W. Ely into Marshall county during the year 1905, who made a soil survey, giving location and boundaries of the area, climate, physiog- raphy and geology, soils, the different loams and agricultural conditions, from which the following is reproduced as being of special interest to the farming community of the county :
Prior to the organization of Marshall county this region was inhabited almost exclusively by Pottawattomie Indians, who were very numerous here. The first cession of lands now embraced in Marshall county was made by the Indians at a treaty near Rochester, whereby they gave up a strip of land one mile in width through the present limits of the county to enable the whites to establish the Michigan road, a highway extending from Indianapolis to Michigan City via Logansport and South Bend. These road lands were offered for sale in 1832, and the proceeds were devoted to the building of the Michigan road, which extends through the center of the county in a north and south direction, following the boundary be- tween the level and the rolling topography of the county.
A few years after the sale of the Michigan road lands, most of the lands within the present limits of the county were given up by the Indians, who, after 1838, ceased to be an important factor in the history of Mar- shall county.
At this time emigrants from Ohio, Pennsylvania and other eastern states were rapidly coming into the county, and as the Michigan road was the first one opened, they naturally established themselves in its vicinity. Many of the settlers were Germans, some of whom came direct from the mother country.
The greater part of the county was originally covered with a heavy growth of timber, consisting principally of walnut, oak and poplar. This timber, except the little that was used for building material, was either burned or destroyed in any possible way to clear the land. As the country became more thickly settled and transportation facilities improved, the lumber business became an important industry in the development of the county. The period from 1860 to 1870 was the most prosperous for this industry.
The first crops grown in Marshall county were corn, wheat, oats, rye, and beans. The soil was prepared by what was known as a "jumping plow" or "breaking shovel," drawn by several yoke of oxen. Grain was sown broadcast and dragged in with a brush. Corn yielded from twenty- five to fifty bushels per acre. Wheat was frequently 'a failure, but in favorable years produced from fourteen to eighteen bushels. Oats were not a great success. Rye was used principally for feed and pasture, rarely being thrashed. Potatoes gave a large yield, and seemed to be of better quality than those produced at the present time. The sandy soils were best adapted to this crop. The early settlers grew a little tame hay, but depended mostly upon marsh hay or corn fodder for their stock feed. When
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
hay was scarce the stock often lived on the buds of the basswood for long periods. Flax was also grown for many years and manufactured into homespun clothing.
About 1865 the farmers began to realize that the soils were becoming less productive, and began to grow clover to maintain their productiveness. Timothy was also introduced about the same time.
When first settled a large part of the county comprised swampy areas, but as it became more thickly settled some attention was given to drainage, though no well-planned system was inaugurated until 1876. Since that time more or less drainage work has been in progress every year, and a great many open ditches and tile drains have been constructed, while the Yellow river, in the northeastern part of the county, has recently been dredged. Many open ditches, into which tile drains empty, are seen in the eastern and northeastern parts of the county. Some of the most pro- ductive lands in the county have been made available for agricultural pur- poses by artificial drainage, and at the present time there is little land that is not well drained, aside from the muck areas, and in some of the latter drainage work is now in progress.
There are some small areas where the soil is heavier in texture and darker in color than the typical phase, and often extends to a depth of eighteen or twenty inches. The subsoil in such places is a yellowish-drab sandy clav. A small portion of this phase had to be artificially drained before cultivation was a success.
The Marshall loam occupies the largest and most uniform areas of any soil type in the county, though frequently small areas of the other types are found scattered through it. It occupies the greater part of the eastern half of the county, while west of the central dividing line it occurs in comparatively small areas, except in the extreme northwestern corner, where a spur of the main body of the type extends beyond the line.
Agricultural Conditions.
The farmers of Marshall county are in a fairly prosperous condition. In the eastern half of the county, which is largely occupied by the Marshall loam, nearly every acre of which can be cultivated, the farmers as a rule are more prosperous than those living on the sandy soils in the extreme western portion. The houses though often small, are nearly always painted, and the barns are of sufficient size to shelter all the live stock and machinery. Many silos are also seen. As a rule, the houses are smaller and not quite so good on the more sandy soils and a good dwelling with no barn is frequently seen.
The value of farm land ranges from $20 to $100 per acre. The Mar- shall loam is generally held at from $65 to $100; the Marshall sandy loam at from $65 to $75; the Marshall sand at from $30 to $40 when in cultiva- tion ; and other lands at from $20 to $60 an acre. Muck undrained sells at from $20 to $30, and when drained at from $40 to $70 an acre.
About 75 per cent of the land in this county is under cultivation or in a condition to be cultivated. The remainder consists of sand, marshes, timber land, and rough broken land, and, aside from the marshes, the greater part of this land lies in the western half of the county. Much of this uncultivated
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
land can be used for pasture, so that there is comparatively little land in the county from which some return cannot be secured.
About $2,000,000 in mortgages is held against the farms of Marshall county, which is between 15 and 25 per cent of their value. While these farm mortgages apply generally throughout the county and are not confined to any one soil type, yet they are fewer in proportion to the total number in the northern and northeastern parts of the county than in other sections. A great many German farmers live in those parts of the area, and, being of industrious and prudent habits, they have maintained a better financial standing.
About 60 per cent of the farms are operated by the owners. The remainder are cultivated by tenants, who pay a rental of from two-fifths to one-half of the crop made, or, very rarely, a cash rent, which ranges from $3 to $4.50 an acre. The proportion of grain paid varies in different sec- tions. For corn lands one-half of the crop is more often paid, while for wheat and rye either two-fifths or one-half is paid, according to the amount of seed furnished and the proportion of the thrashing bill paid by the owner and tenant, respectively.
About ninety acres is the average size of farms in this county. Where onions and potatoes are grown the farms are below the average in size, but where much live stock is kept they are usually larger. There are several farms of 640 or more acres, but as a rule these large holdings are divided up and rented in smaller tracts.
The smaller farms are generally operated by the owner or tenant and his family, assisted to some extent by labor hired by the day or week during harvest and other pressing seasons. The wealthier farmers usually hire by the month, paying from $20 to $25 and board, and employing the men from the first of March to the first of November. The harvest season is from June 15 to August 15, during which time there is a great demand for laborers, and efficient men receive from $1.75 to $2 a day. At other times day laborers receive $1.25 a day and dinner. During the corn-husking season labor is much in demand, and at times farmers find difficulty in getting the crop out as fast as they desire. The labor is exclusively white and is usually efficient, but the supply is often inadequate.
Corn and wheat are the principal products of Marshall county. From 15 to 25 per cent of the cultivated lands is planted to each of these grains. The average yield of corn in the county is thirty-five bushels per acre and of wheat ten bushels. Winter wheat only is grown. Owing to severe damage to wheat by freezing and by the Hessian fly, there has been a tendency in recent years to reduce the acreage somewhat and to give more attention to the growing of rye, but as yet rye is an unimportant crop. The corn is planted in checked rows and cultivated with two-horse ma- chinery. A great part of it is cut for fodder, both by hand and by corn binders and binders and shockers. The fodder is sometimes shredded, and thus prepared it may be substituted for hay. A part of the crop is put into the silo and utilized in that way. Wheat is generally sown in drills, and is thrashed either in the field or at the barn. Clover is an important crop, about 15,000 acres being cut every year. It is generally sown with wheat or oats, and produces two crops, one of hay and one of seed, a considerable
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
proportion of the seed being shipped out of the county. Timothy is grown on all soils except the sand, and will thrive in low, damp places where clover or corn does not do well. Both clover and timothy hay are baled and shipped to eastern markets. Oats are grown largely for home use, but some are shipped.
Among the minor crops cucumbers are probably the most important. They are grown chiefly on the more sandy soils and are sold at the salting stations, of which there are seven within the area. The managers of these stations contract with the farmers, giving them 60 cents a bushel and pro- viding the seed. Cucumbers are rarely grown in large fields, the patches ranging from two to five acres. Onions are grown chiefly on the muck and potatoes on the more sandy soils. On nearly every farm there is an orchard, which supplies the needs of the owner. A great many apples are made into cider, to be sold later as vinegar.
Except on the most sandy land every farmer keeps one or more milch cows. A great many sell milk to the creameries, of which there are several within the area. According to the census of 1900 the value of dairy products in Marshall county was $163,028. A great many beef cattle, hogs, and sheep are kept also, this being more particularly true in the eastern 'half of the county. The Shorthorns, Angus, and Herefords are the chief breeds of cattle, and the Chester Whites, Poland Chinas, and Berkshires are the breeds of hogs most in favor. Almost the entire grain crop produced in some sections of the Marshall loam is consumed upon the farm. The raising of live stock is to be commended, for the more manure produced the more productive the lands should become. Increased interest is being shown in the live stock industry.
The farmers of Marshall county have a fair understanding of the adaptation of soils to crops. The Marshall loam is generally recognized as the best soil in the county for general farming and the more sandy soils are best for the special crops .. The possibilities of the Marshall sandy loam and the Marshall sand for Irish potatoes, however, are not fully appre- ciated, especially in the case of the latter type of soil, which produces fair yields of corn and rye, but is excellently adapted to potatoes, which, with liberal applications of manure, give very large yields. It is suggested that where the type lies near muck areas a dressing of the muck would prove very beneficial.
Marshall county is well supplied with railroad facilities. The Baltimore & Ohio crosses the northern part of the county in an east and west direction ; the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne & Chicago the central part; the New York, Chicago & St. Louis, the southern part; the Lake Erie & Western, the western half in a northwest and southeast direction, and the Logansport division of the Terre Haute & Indianapolis passes through the south- western, central and northern parts of the county. Few points in the area are more than seven miles by wagon road from a station. The three east and west lines are trunk lines from Chicago to the east, so that all produce can be quickly shipped either way from any point in the county.
Good dirt roads are found on nearly every section line, and many of them have been gravelcd. Except in the most sandy areas there is rarely any difficulty in getting products to market.
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
Plymouth, the largest town in the county, had a population in 1900 of 3,656. Other smaller towns are Bremen, Bourbon, Argos and Culver. Only a comparatively small portion of the produce can be consumed within the county, so that it is necessary to seek larger markets. Plymouth is only eighty-four miles from Chicago by rail; but as this large western market is supplied with enormous shipments from all over the northern part of the Mississippi valley, the farmers of Marshall county find better markets elsewhere. Some of the products are shipped to the larger towns around the state, while a great deal of live stock, hay, etc., is shipped to Buffalo and Pittsburg. Nearly every railroad station in the county has an elevator, and the exceptionally good railroad facilities enable the farmers to send their products wherever they may desire.
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