USA > Indiana > Adams County > Biographical and historical record of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana : Containing portraits of all the Presidents of the United States from Washington to Cleveland, with accompanying biographies of each : a condensed history of the state of Indiana : portraits and biographies of some of the prominent men of the state : engravings of prominent citizens in Adams and Wells counties, with personal histories of many of the leading families, and a concise history of the counties and their cities and villages, pt. 1 > Part 17
USA > Indiana > Wells County > Biographical and historical record of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana : Containing portraits of all the Presidents of the United States from Washington to Cleveland, with accompanying biographies of each : a condensed history of the state of Indiana : portraits and biographies of some of the prominent men of the state : engravings of prominent citizens in Adams and Wells counties, with personal histories of many of the leading families, and a concise history of the counties and their cities and villages, pt. 1 > Part 17
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56
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The company were two days making the trip. They crossed at the confluence of the Limber- lost and Loblolly. Upon arriving at the end of their journey they set about making a cabin; Robert eut the logs, and his younger brother Irwin and John MeDowell laid them up, and Studabaker hauled them.
It was in this year that the great shower of meteors or " shooting stars " put in an appear- ance. Countless multitudes performed cy- cles in the firmament. From 11 till 4 o'clock in the morning the pyrotechnical display continued. Their evolutions were witnessed with awe and astonishment by the entire party.
After the cabin was erected, Mr. Stndabaker returned for his family, intending to return in a few days. High water eamne on sudden- ly, and he was obliged to defer removing until the freshets were over, so Robert was left alone in the eabin until spring opened, when Studabaker eame in with his family.
Robert was engaged all those long winter months in splitting rails, cutting wood and elearing the land. He also put in a share of the time hunting. After Studabaker's return Robert went back to Ohio to work. In November, 1836, he married, and went baek again to Studabaker's, in Wabash Township, where he remained until he ereeted a eabin on his entry in Hartford Township. Simison went to work as soon as spring opened and eleared about three aeres and put it in eorn. The spring following he set out an orchard in this clearing.
No mills were in the country nearer than Winchester or Richmond, and to go to mill then was far more tedious than a trip now to the Pacific coast. Bears were plenty and troublesome; they eleared the hog-pens of many a fine porker, and inany a settler was robbed by bruin of his supplies of winter pork. Mr. Simison has told of a laughable eneounter
with one of them. Ile had borrowed a neighbor's horses, and was returning from taking them home. Upon arriving near his own elearing, he came upon several of his hogs bearing toward him, squealing and grunting their disapproval, while a large bear followed close behind on a loping gallop. Ile was so close upon one of them that he would reach out with both paws to take it in. Upon coming up with Simison, the bear halted. Mr. Simison was standing on the end of a log, perfectly quiet. Old hunters say that a bear will seldom attack a man in such a position. Mr. Simison afterward had many a laugh at the ridiculous expression on that bear's countenance. Ile looked first at Simison, then after the retreating porkers, and finally struek off toward the river. Simi- son ran to his house and got his gun to give chase. IIe went back and followed the trail to the river, just in time to be too late. Bruin had swam the Wabash, and was loping off to try and get a dinner from some other settler's hogs.
Wolves were very nummerous, and were more troublesome, if anything, than bears. They attacked the hogs and sheep, and some- times, though rarely, man. Frequent hunts were planned and executed to rid the country of them. The plan adopted was, after giving all the settlers notice of a " wolf-hunt," to take in a large scope of woodland where the wolves were most numerous, and from four sides close in. Whenever a wolf came in sight some one was sure to shoot it. Bounty was paid by the county for wolf-sealps.
"Limberlost " is now nothing more than a large diteh; but when the freshets oeeur it overreaches its banks and floods everything. Time was when it contained water the year around and was a formidable stream. It received its name in this wise: A boy of about fifteen living near Fort Recovery had
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acquired the name of " Limber Jim," beeanse of his suppleness, and finally this was short- ened to " Limber."
The boy was out in the woods one day, and was lost for a time. A man on horseback saw him and ealled to him. "Limber" thought it was an Indian, and took to his heels. The mounted man finally ran him down, and brought him to his friends. After- ward, when coming to the ereek, some one asked what it should be named, and " Lim- ber's" vanity eansed him to suggest " Limber- lost," which was chosen.
Colonel William Vance came in the spring of 1835, and settled on seetion 18, Wabash Township. He was prominent in the early history of the county, and served three terms in the General Assembly, representing at the same time the counties of Adams, Wells, Huntington, Jay and Blackford. He was in polities a Whig. His home was always open to settlers, and his hospitality and friendli- ness to all are well remembered. Colonel Vanee died in 1848. The first death in the south half of the county was that of a child of Colonel Vance, in the spring of 1835, very soon after the family came to the county. A coffin was made of clapboards, as of course no planks were within a day's journey.
Samuel Simison eame at the same time with Vance, and lived in Hartford Township until after the eivil war. The families of Studabaker, Simison and Vanee were the only ones within eight miles at first.
In 1838 Mr. French settled in the town- ship which was named after him.
In the early settling of Wabash and Hart- ford townships many beaver dams were found, and some few ean yet be seen. Many years prior to the settling in Indiana, the French traders and trappers of Canada passed through those townships, depopulating them of the industrions animals just referred to. The
" Loblolly," so called from its peculiar form, was nothing more nor less than a continna- tion of beaver dams. The entire region, in an early day, must have been rich in its prod- nets of fur from the beaver and otter.
Joseph Martin and John Deffinbaugh started from Piqua for Adams County in 1837. They arrived in Wabash, or what is now Hartford Township, in a few weeks, and began looking around for a location. Each of them found entries to suit near the Wabash River, and started for Fort Wayne on horse- back, where they entered land and then returned homeward. They went from Fort Wayne down the Maumee River, by way of the old Indian trace, as far as to the con- fluence of the Anglaize, up that stream to Fort Findlay, in Hancock County, Ohio. From there they went to Upper Sandusky, then an Indian town inhabited by the Wyan- dottes. Garrett, a white man, had married an Indian girl, and kept tavern at that place.
They started for their new homes Septem- ber 13. Six horses and two wagons drew their families and household affairs. Two hands were hired, and the road was ent ont as they went. They were thirteen days on the road.
Much difficulty was inenrred by the settlers in entering the sonth part of the county by high water and consequent non-fordable streams. The most common way of getting over these was to build a sort of a pontoon bridge. A tree was selected near the bank and felled so that it reached the opposite shore. Another was placed near, also cross- ing the stream. The two were covered with puncheons and pinned. It was, when com- pleted, quite a substantial bridge, and many of these built for temporary use lasted for years. Accidents sometimes happened in crossing them when the water was high. David Studabaker relates an instance wherein
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a boy was drowned. The father and son had been to mill. It took from four to six days to make a trip of this kind. The streams raised while they were gone. Upon their return the little Limberlost of a day previous was a raging stream, carrying on its bosom trees, logs and all manner of debris. To reach the bridge they were obliged to swim their horses, which was exceedingly danger- ous. Nevertheless they tried it. The father led out and the boy followed. When the father had reached the center of the stream he heard the boy seream, and turned around just in time to see both him and the horse disappear. Powerless to assist his son, it was with difheulty that he saved himself. IIe went to the residence of Peter Studabaker. The settlers turned ont in search, and after the waters had subsided they succeeded in finding the body. This aceident oeeurred on the morning of July 4, 1834.
When Martin and Detlinbaugh arrived at their entries they built a double half-faced eamp, and lived there until they completed their eabins. Martin put on a little style in building his, and actually built the mud-and- stiek chimney above the roof. Such a thing was unheard of in the community, the early settlers seldom building them higher than six feet. Studabaker, Vance and the others who had assisted in the raising, when they saw it declared he must set up the corn juice for so much style.
Martin was the first justice elected in the township. He had but little business to at- tend, yet oeeasionally some administration of the law was required. Thomas Watson, an Englishman, was the first constable. After a eivil action at one time, it became necessary to issue a writ of execution, and Watson was ordered to levy on any property he could get his hands upon. According to these instruc- tions he went to the house and found no one
at home, except the "old woman," but she was equal to the emergency. When he stated his business she went for him with the poker and drove him out. He went baek and told the 'squire that " The hold woman bate me with ha pokin' stick!" The 'squire explained that he must get property, and with many misgivings the old English- man went back. He went in the house and grabbed the clock, and succeeded in getting away with it, by using it as a defense, though not without several sound whaeks by a broom-stick in the hands of the irate woman. He resigned forthwith, and no amount of persuasion would indnee him to eontinne in office. The " pokin' stiek " was too much for his love of office.
A number of settlers moved in abont the same time with 'Squire Martin. Glendenning and Watson removed from Clarke County, Ohio, and settled in the south part of the county near the Wabash. Runyon and Peter Kiser eame in about this time. The south part of the county was settled very slowly, and mostly by immigrants from Ohio.
Charles Hackman eame to Preble Town- ship in 1847, and built a log hut on the river, and kept a store, with a small stoek of goods. John K. Evans moved from New York to Shane's prairie, afterward Shanesville, in 1826. He lived there three years and moved to Root Township, about a mile north of the present site of Monmouth. Ilere he entered from that time on nearly 1,000 aeres of land.
Evans figured prominently in the settlement and organization of Adams County, and was one of the first judges. He removed to Fort Wayne about 1852, and died in 1874, at an advanced age. Robinson, Daugherty, Gors- line, Fonner, Pillars, Rice, Glass and Lewis became residents at nearly the same time.
Samuel S. Rugg, than whom none of the first settlers became better known, and who
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is frequently mentioned on the following pages in connection with the early history of the county, was at one time a machinist in Cincinnati. A man who possessed some means suggested a partnership in putting up a mill in this new country. Mr. Rugg accordingly eame on, meeting with much difficulty in traveling to the St. Mary's River, at the present site of Deeatur, where he was told was a good power for a mill. When he arrived, he found that while there was a good enonghi site, there was no demand whatever for a mill, there not being a bushel of grain to grind in the whole country around for twenty miles. Mr. Rugg decided to remain and grow up with the county, and wrote to his partner suggesting a postpone- ment of their mill projeet. A year or so later they gave up the idea entirely, and the machinery that was to be used was put into a mill in Huntington County. Mr. Rugg was the first county elerk, and held the office for a great many years. In 1854 he was elected joint Senator for Allen and Adams counties, and a year later he removed to Fort Wayne. In 1858 he was elected superintend- ent of public instruction. He died at Nash- ville, Tennessee, about 1872, and is buried at Deeatur.
The oldest living settlers of the county are: Ezra Liste, first of Root and now of Wash- ington Township; Mrs. Rachel Mann, who lives in Decatur, but spent her early life in Root Township; David Stndabaker, formerly of Wabash Township, but for thirty-five years a resident of Deeatur, and Robert Simison, who still lives in Wabash Township.
A little aneedote, illustrative of some of the features of pioneer life, is as follows, and relates to one of the very first canses ever brought to trial in this county:
Joel Roe and Jehu S. Rhea fell out with ench other at a raising. Roe said to Rhea,
in the course of the dispute, "D-n you, I never stole saw-logs !" Rhea sued Roe for slander. The latter justified, and upon trial proved that Rhea, while the land on which Deeatur stands still belonged to the Govern- ment, had eut logs and rafted them to Ft. Wayne, where he sold them. Roe was beaten, however, because the act proven was trespass, and not larceny. The jury gave Rhea one cent damages.
The town of Monmouth, in Root Town- ship, was the first in the county. James Lewis, a colored man, figures prominently in its earliest and palmier days. He owned a mill for cracking eorn, among the first mills of the kind in the county. Ile was very obliging, and would let the settlers have corn and meal upon their promise to pay, when he had to buy himself. Decatur was laid off in 1836. Alexander, Buffalo and Geneva were laid out in 1838. Jamestown, near Kiser's farm, was laid out Angust 16, 1838, by James Phillips and Wesley Beanchamp. Pleasant Mills was laid out by E. A. Godard; Buena Vista by Robert Simison, in 1857; Salem, in Blue Creek Township, by George W. Syphers; Berne, in 1872, by Abraham Schumann and John Hilty; Williams, in Root Township, in 1871, by David Crabbs and B. J. Rice; Ceylon, in 1873, by Dr. D. B. Snow and P. N. Collins. The town of Hamlin, which was laid out near the Reynolds farm, was never recorded, and as it was laid out to seeure the county seat, it was vacated upon its being located at Decatur. James- town was also vaeated.
Peter Stndabaker, Colonel Vanee, Ormian Perrine, Samuel Simison and Reed Risby, in Wabash Township, built the first school- house in the eounty.
Slowly the sunshine of civilization began to shed its genial rays over the once secluded wilderness, and the forest toppled and dis-
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appeared, and smiling fields, covered with waving grain or feeding herds, began to mark the settler's home. Day after day the huge canvas-covered wagons thronged the newly-ent roads, drawn by heavy teams of oxen. The hardy emigrants were pushing on toward the great unsettled West, dream- ing as they went of new-found wealth, fame, a name and a home in the land where onee the poor Indian chanted the death song around the funeral pile of the intruding explorer. From 1832 to 1838 there was a steady stream of emigration, and at the latter date nearly all the really good land was taken up. About this time the first brick-kiln was put up and burned somewhere in the vicinity of Monmouth. This was a great convenience to the settlers, and it enabled them to do away with the mud and stick chimneys and put up substantial brick ones instead.
ORGANIC.
The first matter of record in the court- house at Decatur is that pertaining to the first meeting of the county commissioners, held May 9, 1836, and reads as follows:
"After the passage of the aet organizing the county of Adams, which was approved January 23, 1836, the Governor, in con- formity to law, issued a writ of election for the election of the necessary county officers on the first Monday in April, 1836, at which time Jehn S. Rhea, Samuel Smith and Will- iam Heath, Sr., were elected county commis- sioners in and for said county.
"Present, Jehu S. Rhea, who presented his certificate of office from the sheriff of Adams County that he was elected county commis- sioner for the term of two years from the first Monday in August next; present also Samuel Smith, who presented his certificate of office from under the hand of the sheriff of the county, certifying that he was duly
elected eounty commissioner of Adams County for the term of one year from the first Monday in August next. And by an indorsement on the back of each of the said certificates it appears that each of the said commissioners has taken the oath of office prescribed by law, and they therefore took their seats as a Board of Commissioners for the county of Adams, in conformity to law.
" Present, also, Samuel L. Rugg, Clerk, and David MeKnight, Sheriff; and the Board therefore proceeded to business.
" Thomas Ruble, Esq., made a report on oath of the fines imposed by him since the organization of the county, which amounted to five dollars.
"Ordered that David MeKnight be al- lowed the sum of one dollar and fifty cents for advertising in the Fort Wayne Sentinel the act organizing the county of Adams.
"Ordered, that Jolin K. Evans be appoint- ed Seminary trustee until the first Monday in May, 1837, and that he give bond and secur- ity in the sum of 825 for the performance of his duties in said office.
"Ordered, that Joshua Major be appointed constable in St. Mary's Township until the first Monday in April next, and that he ap- pear and give seenrity according to law.
"The Board adjourned till to-morrow at nine o'clock.
" JENU S. RITEA, President,
" SAMUEL L. RUGG, Clerk."
The second day's proceedings were as fol- lows:
"Ordered, that Jeremiah Roe be appointed treasurer of Adams County until February next, and that he be summoned to appear and give bond and security for the acceptance of the Board for the performance of the duties of his office.
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"Ordered, that David MeKnight be ap- pointed assessor, to serve as such until the first Monday in Jannary, 1837, and that he give bond and security for the performance of the duties of his office.
"Ordered, that John K. Evans be appoint- ed collector for the State and county revennes for one year from the first Monday in May, 1836, and that he be summoned to appear and give bond and qualify according to law.
" Ordered, that the county be divided into three commissioners' distriets, as follows, to- wit: All that part of the county which is north of the township line dividing towns 27 and 28, north, shall form Commissioners' District No. 1. And all that part of the county which is north of the township line dividing towns 26 and 27 north, and south of the first mentioned line shall form Com- missioners' District No. 2. And all that part of the county which is south of the line dividing townships 26 and and 27 shall form Commissioners' District No. 3. [District No. 1 thus included the present townships of Union, Root and Preble; No. 2 those of Kirkland, Washington and St. Mary's; and No. 3 those of Blue Creek, Monroe, French, Hartford, Wabash and Jefferson. The county had been previously organized into two civil townships. Root included the northern quar- ter of the county, and St. Mary's the three quarters lying sonth.]
" Ordered that Root Township be divided into two road districts, to-wit: All of the township on the east side of the St. Mary's river shall form Road District No. 1, and Jonathan Roe is hereby appointed road sn- pervisor in said district; and all west of said river shall form District No. 2, and William Ball is hereby appointed supervisor of roads in said district.
"Ordered, that St. Mary's Township be divided into two road distriets, to-wit: All
that part of the township which lies east of the St. Mary's River shall form District No. 1, and Esaias Dailey is hereby appointed su- pervisor of roads in said district; and all that part of the township which lies on the west side of the St. Mary's and east of the north and south eenter line of Adams County shall form Distriet No. 2, and Thomas Ruble is hereby appointed supervisor of roads in said distriet.
"Ordered, that Enos W. Butler be and he is hereby appointed inspector of elections in Root Township until the first Monday in March, 1837.
"Ordered, that Thomas Ruble be and he is hereby appointed inspector of elections in St. Mary's Township until the first Monday in March, 1837.
"Ordered, that William Heath, Sr., and Eli Zimmerman be appointed overseers of the poor in St. Mary's Township until the first Monday in April, 1837.
" Ordered, that Vaehel Ball and John W. Wise be appointed overseers of the poor in Root Township until the first Monday in April, 1837.
" Ordered, that Jonas Penee and Bail W. Butler be appointed fence viewers till the first Monday in April, 1837, in Root Town- ship.
"Ordered, that Joel Roe and Zachariah Smith, Jr., be appointed fence viewers in St. Mary's Township until the first Monday in April, 1837.
"Ordered, that the following named men are to be grand jurors for the fall terin of the Adams Cirenit Court, 1836: Joel Roe, John Ross, Sr., Michael Roe, Bail W. Butler, William Heath, Sr., Jonas Pence, Robert Smith, Jehn S. Rhea, Benjamin F. Gorsline, Samuel Smith, William Ball, William Thateher, William Biram, John Catterlin, Jonathan Roe, Eli Zimmerman, James Ball
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and Abraham Elifrits (eighteen in all). l'etit jurors: John W. Wise, Thomas Ruble, John W. Cooley, Joseph Wise, Joseph Thateher, Peter Studabaker, Enos W. Butler, William Major, Otha Gandy, James II. Ball, Esaias Dailey, Jaeob Fitsimmons, Vachel Ball, Joshua Major, Joseph Trontner, George Wi- mer, Benjamin F. Blossom, Job Wolf, Joseph Hill, Jacob England, Philip Ever- man, Daniel Ball, Theron Harper and Zaeha- riah Smith (twenty-four)."
The above were all the proceedings of the first session. May 18, following, a special session was held to receive the report of the commissioners appointed to locate the county seat. Some minor business was transacted. Enos W. Butler was appointed county agent for one year, under 83,000 bonds. The re- port of the locating commissioners is of great historical interest, and is here given in full:
" May 16. The commissioners appointed to locate the county seat of the county of Adams agreeably to the provisions of an aet of the General Assembly of the State of In- diana, approved January 23, 1836, met at the house of John Reynolds, in said county. Present, William Stewart, Joseph Il. Me- Maken, Robert Hood and William G. John- son; who, being duly sworn according to law proceeded to examine the different sites offered for the county seat of said county, and after examining four sites presented for the county seat, to wit, the sites of Thomas John- son, R. L. Britton & Henry Work, Joseph Morgan & Thomas Prichard and Samnel L. Rugg, the commissioners returned to the house of John Reynolds, as aforesaid, and adjourned until to-morrow morning.
" May 17. The cominissioners aforesaid now proceeded as far toward the center of said county as they deemned expedient, and found it impracticable to establish the county seat of said county at the center; and after 14
returning to the house of John Reynolds aforesaid organized themselves by appointing William Stewart, President, and Robert Hood, Secretary, and thereupon notified the proprietors of town sites to hand in their pro- posals, whereupon Thomas Johnson handed in his proposals marked " A;" R. L. Britton & Henry Work handed in their proposals marked "B;" Samuel L. Rngg handed in his proposals marked "C;" and Joseph Morgan & Thomas Prichard handed in their propos- als marked "D:" and the commissioners ad- journed until to-morrow morning.
" May 18. The commissioners aforesaid met pursuant to adjournment; present, the same members as yesterday. There being no further sites offered or proposals made, the commissioners aforesaid, after due delibera- tion, do select the site offered by Thomas Johnson as the most suitable, and thereupon permanently fix and establish the county seat of the county of Adams on the said site, be- ing part of the northeast quarter of section 3, township 27 north, of range 14 east, and thereupon proceeded to the aforesaid town site and marked a white oak tree about two feet in diameter with two blazes on four sides, on each of which the commissioners individu- ally subscribed his name; which tree is to be within the said town site.
" And the commissioners adjourned with- out day.
" WILLIAM STEWART, "JOSEPH HJ. MOMAKEN, " WILLIAM G. JOHNSON, " ROBERT HOOD."
The site then chosen is that on which the business part of Decatur now stands, and the wisdom of the selection has never been seriously questioned. The center of the county, which is in other counties nsnally thought most desirable for the permanent
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location of the seat of justice, was in the case of Adams out of the question. The land in that vicinity is very flat, and at that time, more than a half a century ago, it was covered with standing water much of the time. The little village of Monroe is now at nearly the geographical eenter, and is a station on the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad, but has no hopes of ever being the county seat. Decatur has two east and west roads, and will soon have more railroads, so it is secure in the being for all time the capital of Adams County. Had the first railroad east and west through the county crossed the Grand Rapids & Indiana at Monroe, the ease might be different.
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