USA > Indiana > Marshall County > A twentieth century history of Marshall County, Indiana, Volume I > Part 9
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
susceptible of making a fine road. Should the legislature authorize, as they most likely will, the location of the donation of the Michigan road in the prairie between the St. Joseph and Lake Michigan, and on the line of the United States road from Detroit to Chicago, it will sell for an immense sum of money, and within two or three years will form one of the best settlements in Indiana. The country lately purchased is susceptible of forming from three to five counties, and in five years after it is sold by the United States will have sufficient population to send an additional member to congress."
XII. POTTAWATTOMIE MILLS - BEN-NACK'S VILLAGE.
The following description of a trip from Lafayette to Turkey creek prairie, by way of Bennack's village, in Tippecanoe township, Marshall county, in 1834, which is copied from "Recollections of the Early Settle- ments of the Wabash Valley," published by Sanford C. Cox in 1860, is inter- esting as showing the condition of the country and inhabitants here three- quarters of a century ago :
It was on the tenth of January, 1834, that in company with Maj. C-, whoever he may have been, that Sanford C. Cox, as he relates in the extract of his book under consideration, according to previous arrangements, set out from Lafayette to explore that portion of northern Indiana comprised within the present boundaries of the counties of Fulton, Pulaski, Marshall, Stark, Kosciusko and Elkhart. A journey of one or two hundred miles was not then, as now, performed in a few hours. The first day they passed through Delphi and stayed over night at Lockport. The second day they passed through Logansport and stayed all night at a farm house six miles farther north on the Michigan road, having ridden leisurely and examined lands on Eel river most of the afternoon-being land hunters on the lookout for land to enter. Their landlord advised them to go on to the Pottawat- tomie mills, erected at the outlet of Manatau lake some twenty miles north, and from that point to keep up the Tippecanoe river to its head near the Turkey Creek prairie. Continuing, Mr. Cox said :
"We followed his directions and took up our lonesome journey along the frozen Michigan road, which led through a dense, continuous forest. In the afternoon we arrived at a Mr. Bozarth's, near the Pottawattomie mills. His small, double cabin, which stood near where the town of Rochester now stands, was a welcome sight to us, being the only house we had seen after we started in the morning. Here we stopped for the night and were well entertained by Mr. Bozarth and his pleasant and interesting family, who, though domiciled in the wilderness, would have graced the better circles of metropolitan life.
"After early breakfast we started on our journey, passing the Potta- wattomie mills during the first half hour's ride. We stopped for a short time and viewed the celebrated Lake Manitau, or "Devil's lake," where the Indians averred a huge monster had been seen in the shape of a serpent, which defied all human efforts to snare it. There was a tradition existing among the Pottawattomie Indians that there was a monster in the shape
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
of a serpent existing in this lake long before they crossed the 'hard waters of the north.'
"Their superstitious dread of this lake was such that they would not hunt upon its borders nor fish in its waters for fear of incurring the anger of the evil spirit that made its home in this little woodland lake, which perhaps is some three or four miles in length, with a breadth averaging from one-fourth to a half mile, quite irregular, sometimes quite narrow for several hundred yards, resembling a narrow, sluggish river, at other places widening into bays and more extended sheets of water that reflected sky and forest like a mirror. The appearance of the ground indicated that it had originally been much larger and that its waters had gradually receded; which fact was confirmed by some of the earliest settlers of the neighbor- hood, who said they had fished years before in portions of the lake which had become partially or entirely dry land.
"When the government officers were about erecting the Pottawattomie mills the Indians strenuously objected to the erection of a dam at the outlet of the lake, lest its accumulated waters might disturb and overflow the sub- terranean chambers of Manitau and the exasperated demon rush forth from his watery dominions and take indiscriminate vengeance on all those who resided near the sacred lake; and to convince the government officials of the real existence of this monster and his terrible paroxysms of rage, which were periodical, they stated that certain seasons of the year the fishes became so alarmed that they rushed pellmell to the outlet of the lake in large schools or shoals to escape the exasperated monster that threatened their destruction.
"I have been informed that Austin W. Morris, who completed the survey of the lake for the erection of the mills, said that several of his flagmen while assisting in its survey had become alarmed and made to shore, declaring that they had seen a monster in the water, and for a while it was difficult for him to get a man to carry the red flag. Whether they really saw anything terrible in the water, or their fears were merely the result of an excited imagination after hearing the Indian legends, Mr. Morris never pretended to say.
"In confirmation of the tradition above alluded to, in the year 1837 there appeared in the columns of the Logansport Telegraph a communica- tion, supposed to have been written by our artist George Winter, giving a more particular and circumstantial description of the monster from an account given to him by a fishing party who said they had seen the serpent, which they represented as being about sixty feet long, the frontal bone three feet across, with eyes as large as saucers.
"The correspondent's description of the monster produced quite a sensation among the good people of Logansport and the surrounding coun- try, and a party of fifteen or twenty daring spirits, including several scientific gentlemen, was formed to go to the lake on a certain day, with fishing tackle, after the manner of Barry Cornwall's fishermen, harpoons, spears, etc., to fish out the leviathan demon, or whatever it might be, that by this time had got a character equal to a first-class sea serpent.
"A sickly season, combined with other circumstances, prevented this grand piscatorial enterprise, which had been planned on a magnificent scale and publicly advertised throughout the country for weeks ; and his wonderful snakeship escaped the leviathan hooks and snares which had been prepared
-
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
to lift him from his watery home and (perhaps) his capacious stuffed skin from being exhibited by Barnum all over the world.
"From Lake Manitau we proceeded on our journey up the Tippecanoe. Our trace passed through the timber land of the Yellow river country. We were told that we would not see a house after leaving the mills, except that of Ben-nack, a half-breed and one of the headmen among the Pottawat- tomies, at the crossing of the Tippecanoe river, until we arrived at McCart- ney's, an old Indian trader on Turkey Creek prairie; but as examining the face of the country with a view of entering land was the object of our trip, we had no objection to see it in its primitive grandeur, unmarred and unmolested by the hand of man.
"About 12 o'clock we arrived at the crossing of Tippecanoe, about half a mile below Ben-nack's village. Here we alighted and partook of our noon lunch, and examined the ford where our road crossed the river. The ice had melted away from the shore where we were for more than a rod, while the rest of the stream was covered with ice which appeared sufficiently strong to bear up our horses provided we could get them upon it. As the horse I rode was the lightest, we concluded to lead him in and pass him over first, which was done with much difficulty, as the edge of the ice where the horse first reached it struck him about the middle of his breast, and he, by much urging, sprung upon it with a bound. It bore him up and he was led to the opposite shore. With difficulty we got the major's horse to the edge of the ice, and after much coaxing and patting him upon his head we got him to make a bound-the ice broke; he made another spring and it broke again; he made one plunge after another until he broke the ford open from one side of the stream to the other, the major meanwhile clinging hold of the bridle reins on the upper side to prevent the deep strong current from drawing the horse under the ice. We mounted our horses shivering with cold and rattling with icicles, and hastened to Ben-nack's to warm and dry ourselves and horses. Imagine our surprise and chagrin when, calling at his cabin door for admittance, he after much delay cautiously opened the door a few inches only, and asked what we wanted. We told him our sad plight, and that we wished to stop a few minutes to warm by his fire. He made no reply, but immediately closed the door in our face. The Indians peeped out from their wigwams, which surrounded Ben-nack's cabin, with evident surprise and mortification at his want of hospitality. For a moment we thought we would stop at a wigwam and warm at the Indians' campfire, but changed our mind and rode on along the trace to Turkey Creek prairie, wet, cold and slightly out of humor.
"Late in the evening we arrived at McCartney's, on the south side of Turkey Creek prairie, near the cluster of lakes that form the head of Tippe- canoe. McCartney had married a daughter of Bennack, and was absent on a trip to Washington city to procure a patent, as we were informed, for a section of reserve land which he had married with his 'pretty young squaw.' Ben Hurst, one of Indiana's oldest lawyers and one of Gen. Harrison's aids at the battle of Tippecanoe, resided at McCartney's during his absence at Washington to superintend his business, and to guard his wife, Mary, from being spirited away by her father, who had become dissatisfied with the match and declared the marriage a nullity, having been solemnized by an
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
officer of Cass county, on Indian territory, which he insisted was without the jurisdiction of the officer.
"We spent two or three days looking at the country surrounding the big and little Turkey Creek prairies, and passing over portions of what now lies within the limits of Marshall, Elkhart and Kosciusko counties, then a wild, uncultivated region which contained fifty Indians for every white man. But few white families had penetrated this frontier region, and the major and myself concluded that although the land was rich and productive it was so remote from schools, churches and other advantages of civilization that we did not feel like pitching our tabernacles in that out-of-the-way place. Every day we met with Indians who were exceedingly friendly and invariably inquired for 'good-ne-tosh' (whisky), offering to exchange moccasins, fur skins, or even pay the cash for it. One morning a troop of about twenty squaws and papooses mounted on ponies followed us for more than a mile beseeching us for whisky, which was a contraband article, prohibited by law from being bartered to the Indians. In order to get rid of such an escort over the prairies, the major pulled out a pint flask of whisky from his saddle bags, which we had taken along with us to doctor our horses in case they became sick, and held it up as a prize to whoever could ride and take it out of his hand, meanwhile spurring up his horse to a gallop. Helter- skelter dashed along the squaws on the ponies to seize the prize, the major urging up his horse, and the squaws and papooses goading on their ponies to full speed. One old squaw dashed ahead of the rest and seized the bottle. The rest soon circled around her. She took out the cork and drank our 'very good health,' and handed it to another until it passed around, the younger women and children touching it but lightly. The major told them to pass it around again, which was done, and the empty bottle thrown in the grass. The old squaw thanked us politely for the whisky and a few crackers we had given to the children, and invited us to their camp, about a mile off, which invitation we courteously declined.
"The liquor soon made the old woman feel like exhibiting her powers of horsemanship, and after telling the little urchin that rode behind her to 'hold fast,' dashed off at full speed of her pony, followed by the rest, the children clinging on behind their mothers and aunts, dashed from side to side, up and down, as far as we could see them, and their wild halloo rung upon the air for several minutes after they turned into the timber where their village stood.
"While at McCartney's we got sight of his 'handsome young squaw,' of whose beauty we had heard so much. She appeared to be about twenty years of age, of medium stature, thickset, and was handsomely dressed in Indian costume. I have seen many handsomer Indian women, and thought at the time that her being Bennack's daughter, and owning a section of land, added charms that could not be appreciated by every beholder.
"A graphic likeness of Bennack may be seen in a group of portraits of distinguished chiefs, headmen and warriors of the Pottawattomie nation in the studio of our able artist, George Winter, whose paintings are much admired by all judges of the fine arts."
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
XIII. OLD TIME TAVERNS.
In the earliest settlement of the county what is now known as "hotel" or "house," as applied to places of public entertainment, was at that time universally called "tavern," every one of which, before the proprietor could open up for business, was required to apply to the board of commissioners for a license, for which he was charged $10 a year, more or less, according to the amount of business done. There was no state law at that time gov- erning the sale of intoxicating liquors, and the tavern license was in reality a license to sell liquor, as every tavern keeper was supposed to keep a little brown jug with something in it for the stomach's sake!
The first license granted for keeping tavern was to Grove Pomeroy for one year from April 1, 1836. His tavern was the building on the south- west corner of Michigan and La Porte streets. It was built of logs and lumber, two stories high. For several years it had quite a run of travel, the stage coaches from the north and south on the Michigan road and the hacks on the La Porte road stopping there. Mr. Pomeroy does not seem to have taken out tavern license after that, and it is likely that Robert Beattie succeeded him in 1837, judging from the following petition for license and the order for the same. A copy of this is reproduced here to show how the tavern business was conducted in those days.
Now at this time, to-wit: on the 3 day of January 1837 comes Robert Beattie and files in open court a certificate for divers freeholders, citizens of Plymouth and vicinity for a Tavern License to keep a house of public entertainment in the town of Plymouth in the following words and figures towit :
To the Honorable the Board of Commissioners: The undersigned citizens of Plymouth and vicinity certify that Robert Beattie is a man of good moral character and well qualified to keep a house of public entertainment, and that we believe a Tavern to be highly necessary in the town of Plymouth, Marshall County, Indiana :
E. B. Hobson
Adam Vinnedge
William Bishop Joseph Griffith
Daniel Roberts
Peter Schroeder
Silas Morgan
Milburn Coe W. G. Pomeroy
Allen Leach Edward R. Parks
John E. Woodward John Hall G. O. Pomeroy
Grove Pomeroy
E. G. Collins Timothy Barber
Tanner Currier Samuel D. Taber
John Anderson Resin Packard Jeremiah Muncy
Abner Caldwell
David Van Vactor
David Steel
Thomas Erskin
Thomas A. Packard
There was nothing stated in the petition as to where the tavern was located, but the fact that Grove Pomeroy, the owner of the building, signed the petition, is almost conclusive evidence that it was the Pomeroy building.
Prior to the organization of the county in July, 1836, the board of commissioners granted several "tavern licenses," among which were the following: Gustavus A. Cone, tavern license in North township for one year from April 1, 1836. This was probably the place afterwards owned by the Sherlands, and was a regular stopping place for the stage coaches passing that way north and south.
July 19, 1836, Charles Osterhaut was granted license for one year to keep tavern. His place was about two miles south of Plymouth, on the west side of the Michigan road. He was a member of the board of commis- sioners, and the board met at his house until the first courthouse was erected after the county was organized, when it began holding its meetings in that
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
building. That building is still standing. It is the second house east of Michigan street on the north side of Adams street, in Plymouth.
Sidney Williams was granted tavern license in 1836, his building being about where Argos now stands.
Thomas Singleton was granted license for a tavern on the La Porte road between Plymouth and Lemon's bridge.
Abel C. Hickman was granted tavern license at his home on the Michi- gan road near the Fulton county line.
There were several other taverns in various portions of the county, so that wherever people happened to be when night came on, they were pretty sure to find a tavern where they could obtain food and shelter for the night, although they might have for a bed a quilt on a puncheon floor to sleep on.
After the Pomeroy tavern the next house of importance was the old American House, still standing at the south end of the river bridge on the east side of Michigan street. It was built by Adam Vinnedge, Sr., about the time of the organization of the county, but its location was not desirable, and at no time since it was first erected has it been self-sustaining.
The Baldwin House was on the southwest corner of Michigan and Washington streets. It was kept by Ayers Baldwin for several years, but after his death was used as a dwelling house.
The Doddridge House, also known as the Edwards House, and the Parker House, was erected in the early '50s, and for many years was one of the most pretentious caravansaries of its kind in this part of the country. During its existence it had a great many landlords, among those best re- membered being William C. Edwards, O. H. P. Bailey, Joel Parker, U. S. Dodge, George B. Steadman, W. K. Swallow and others. In 1858 Mr. Steadman, who was then proprietor of the hotel, got into an altercation with a man who kept a livery barn near by, and in the melee was so badly stabbed that he died not long afterwards. Several years ago it caught fire and was partially consumed, after which the remains were purchased and removed to the north part of town, where it was worked over into a dwelling, and thus ended Plymouth's first real house of entertainment.
A. Gambrill, or "Gabe" Gambrill as he was familiarly known, erected a hotel and eating house on the north side of the Fort Wayne railroad opposite the elevator, about 1857-8, which he continued with indifferent success for a few years, when it caught fire and was burnt to the ground.
The Ross House, one of the two principal hotels in Plymouth, was erected a quarter of a century ago by Robert H. Cox, long since deceased.
There are few people in Plymouth who know how the Ross House happened to be called by that name. It was built in its present form by Mr. Robert H. Cox, who died several years ago. About the time it was ready to be opened to the public Mr. Cox was in a quandary as to an appropriate name for the new caravansary, not wishing to perpetuate his own name by calling it the Cox House, because he was fearful the traveling men would nickname it the "Coxey House" after Coxey and his army of "ragamuffins" who were just then marching on to Washington. About that time, too, the country was greatly excited over the kidnaping of Charley Ross, which is still well remembered by the older citizens. One evening Mr. Cox was talking to a traveling man about the difficulty he had in selecting a suitable name for his hotel, when the gentleman suggested, "Why not call it the
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
'Ross House,' in memory of Charley Ross, the kidnaped boy?" It appealed to Mr. Cox's sympathy for the bereaved parents of the boy, and from that day to the present it has been known as the "Ross House."
The building is of frame, well arranged, and is supplied with all modern improvements. At this time it is managed by Frank D. Lamson.
The Grand Hotel is owned by Charles Kellison and was erected about 1890. It is modern in all its equipments and its management is kept up to the highest standard.
George Pomeroy was probably the first tavern keeper in Bremen, as he was one among the earliest residents there. In 1859 John Prottsman erected the American House, and kept really the first hotel in that place. In 1865 Jacob Knoblock erected in Bremen a large and commodious hotel which was the pride of the town. Mr. Knoblock managed it until 1869, when he died. It was afterwards kept by his son-in-law and H. M. Garver until 1879, when it caught fire and went up in smoke.
In Bourbon, so far as is known, Henry H. Baxter was the first tavern keeper. That was in the early '50s, and he continued as such for many years. In the later '50s, prior to the civil war and after the completion of the Fort Wayne & Chicago railroad, Henry Sheets erected a hotel building on Main street, near the railroad, which he called the Railroad House and later the Sheets House, which he kept for many years. Several years ago it was removed and the present splendid brick and stone structure erected by Mr. Ringenberger. Prior to this the "Central House," erected one block north of the railroad in the center of the town by S. E. O'Brien, was the first really first-class hotel structure erected in the town. The American House, located on the block north of the railroad, was kept by Andrew Rice for many years, and later by M. C. Henshaw. It is now used as a residence.
In Argos-which was then called Sidney-the first tavern was erected by Sidney Williams, and by him sold prior to 1850 to Clark Bliven, who continued to keep the tavern until about 1845, when M. L. Smith purchased the property and managed the place until his death many years ago. A new hotel was then erected on the street leading to the Lake Erie railroad station. It is a large and commodious structure, having the modern improvements, and in every way is first-class.
XIV. A PIONEER EXPLORING PARTY.
In the summer of 1835 an exploring expedition was formed in the southern part of the state for the purpose of visiting the country north of the Wabash river, and if they were pleased with "the lay of the land" it was understood they were to make selections of homes for themselves and neigh- bors who had determined to change their place of abode, and make the proper entry in the land office, which was at that time at La Porte. The currency of the realm at that time was mostly the good old-fashioned silver dollar of the daddies, and it required but ninety of them to purchase the best eighty- acre lot of land in Marshall county. These dollars were generally sewed up in a belt of cotton shirting, or some goods of that sort, or put into an Indian
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
belt made of tanned deerskin, and worn around the waist, underneath the coat and vest or "wamus." as the case might be.
These primitive explorers, of course, were provided with rifles with which to protect themselves, and also for the purpose of providing game for food. These rifles were generally of the flintlock pattern-"percussion caps" not having at that time made their appearance this far west. A part of the outfit was a pair of bullet molds made of iron. Bar lead was a necessary article of merchandise, and with a wooden ladle to melt it in and pour it into the molds a sufficient number of bullets could be made in a short time to last several days. If, however, a long journey was to be taken, the molds and lead were carried along for use in case of emergency. A gun pouch made of dressed deerskin with the hair on, with a turn-over flap at the top, was adjusted over the right shoulder and carried at the side under the left arm. Ox or cow horns were used to carry powder in. Some of these horns were made by the Indians and were really quite artistic. Pictures, rude though they might be, of various animals were cut on the horns, and frequently they were inlaid with silver.
Having selected the lands they wished to enter, one of the number would be delegated to go to the land office and transact the business for himself and all the others, in order to save the time and expense of making the trip.
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