USA > Indiana > Blackford County > Biographical memoirs of Blackford County, Ind. : to which is appended a comprehensive compendium of national biography embellished with portraits of many well known residents of Blackford County, Indiana > Part 32
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The Catholic church has had organi- zations and a considerable membership at Hartford City and Montpelier for many years. For a long time religious instruc- tion and pastoral oversight was supplied by priests from Fort Wayne, Union City, Mar- jon and other places. More than thirty years ago a frame church was built at Mont- pelier on the west side of Jefferson and the south side of Windsor streets. Several years later a frame church was built in Hart- ford City on the southeast corner of Water
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and Spring streets, which met the wants of the congregation for a few years. With the advent of manufacturing establishments con- sequent on the discovery and utilization of natural gas the Catholic population was largely increased and this buikling became too small to accommodate the augmented membership. In 1897 the frame house was removed and the present beautiful and ar- tistic edifice erected in its place. About the same time a new brick church was erected in Montpelier in the western part of the city. Rev. Charles Dhe, a resident of Hart- ford City, has the charge and pastoral care of beth these churches.
The Christian church, sometimes called New Light, to distinguish it from the Chris- tian or Disciples church, was among the first to begin work in Blackford county. Fifty years ago or more there was a society which had its meeting place at the house of. Roderick Craig, about a half mile east of the village of Dundee. Mr. Craig and James McConkey were among the active sup- porters of the cause here. Among the min- isters who served this church for years were Phineas Roberds, Moses McDaniel and Sam- uel C. Minnick. Some forty years ago there was an active society two miles south of Montpelier of which John Chandler and Seth S. Simonton and others were leading men- bers. Revs. Thomas Aker, David Greer, James M. Gunckel and Seth S. Simonton were some of the preachers who ministered here. This body of Christians now has or- ganizations and comfortable houses of wor- ship at Montpelier and in the western part of Jackson township and a society in Wash- ington township.
The Methodist Protestant church has had organizations in this county more than fifty
years. Rev. Lair Rumvon, who was for many years a local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal church, was among the first to join the Protestant branch in the vicinity of Hartford City. For many years socie- ties were maintained at the Waugh school house, two miles west of Montpelier, at the Slater school house, in the south part of Hartford City and the Lillibridge school house in the south part of Washington township.
At the present time there are societies at Trenton and three and one-half miles west of Hartford City.
The Wesleyan Methodists have had d society in Hartford City for several years past and a creditable house of worship at the crossing of Cherry and Franklin streets. Revs. Spohn, Moon, Blake and Hopkins are among those who have preached for this church.
The United Brethren in Christ have been represented among the churches in Black- ford county from an early date. The branch of the church known as Liberals have had flourishing societies for years at Bethel church on the west side and Pleasantdale church on the south side of Harrison town- ship, at Millgrove, Hartford City and near the center of Washington township. Among the pastors of these churches have been Will- iam Gossett, A. C. Wilmore. G. L. Mattox, J. W. Utsler, M. Groenendyke, F. S. Min- shall and M. F. Dawson.
The Radical branch of this church has a flourishing society at Fairview church, four miles north of Hartford City. The session of the annual conference was hekl there in 1899 with Bishops Halleck Floyd and Milton Wright both in attendance.
The ministers of the Christian or Dis
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ciples church preached in the northern part of Blackford county as early as fifty years ago, among the first being Rev. G. MeDuffie and Rev. Thompson, who preached at Mata moras over forty years ago. There has been for years past an organized society at | (itv.
Montpelier, with a frame church building on the northwest corner of Jefferson and Green streets. From fifteen to twenty-five years ago there were a number of residents of Hartford City who had been members of this church, and as there was no organization here they found homes temporarily in other churches. In 1887 Rev. B. F. Aspy hell a series of meetings here and formed a society. For some time services were held in the Van Cleve opera house and the Briscoe Hall. In 1894-5 a commodious and well arranged brick church edifice was erected on the north- east corner of High and Grant streets. It was dedicated in the spring of 1895 by Rev. L. L. Carpenter, of Wabash, Indiana. The pastors since Rev. Aspey have been J. L. Weaver, E. C. Wells, C. M. Kcene and A. F. Ayres.
The German Baptists or Dunkards have at least three societies in this county, one in Hartford City, with a church building on West Franklin street, one two miles west of Hartford City and one in the northeastern part of Washington township. The minis- ters resident in the county are I. J. Howard, Levi Winklebleck, Gabriel Kitterman and John Groves. Prior to 1860, Rev. George W. Studebaker preached frequently at the residence of John Blount, immediately north of Matamoras, and at the residence of Eli McConkey, three miles west of Montpelier. where he organized a church.
The Orthodox Friends have had a church organization for many years in the south
eastern corner of Harrison township, with a good frame country church, and more re- cently they have formed a society and built a substantial church in Jackson township. about five miles southeasterly of Hartford
The Episcopal church has as yet no resi- dent pastor in the county, but religious wor ship is conducted occasionally in Hartford City and Montpelier by ministers from the neighboring cities and these points are some- times visited by the bishop of the diocese.
The Church of God, popularly known as Soul Sleepers, has a society and a good church building at Dundee. Some twenty- five years ago Rev. W. H. Hornaday, a min. ister of this order, located in Hartford City and he and other ministers preached here and at the Bailey school house and probably at other points in the county.
In August, 1883, Revs. Henderson and Godsmark, elders in the Seventh Day Ad ventist church, held a series of meetings in a tent on North Monroe street and lectured on Bible subjects, including The Prophecies. The Laws of God, The Nature of Man, The Destiny of the Wicked, The Home of the Saved, etc. The result was the formation of a church with over twenty members. They believe the seventh day of the week, or Sat- urday, to be the scriptural Sabbath and ob- serve it accordingly. Shortly afterward a house of worship was built immediately south of the Wesleyan Methodist church on Cherry street. They have had no resident minister.
For more than half a century there has. been occasional preaching in different parts of the county by Universalist ministers and it is probable that a society was formed at one time in Hartford City. While there are
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several persons of the faith scattered over the county there is no organized society at present so far as the writer knows.
For the past two years the Christian
Scientists have held regular services in Hart- ford City.
The Spiritualists have had an organiza- tion in Hartford City for a number of years.
SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL TEACHERS.
The school system and general school privileges of the county have steadily kept pace with the general advancement and growth of the county in all its interests. With few exceptions the pioneer settlers ap- preciated the value of education to their children. In the carly years of the county the public revenues were inadequate for pro- viding school houses and paying the wages of teachers. But somewhere in the village or in country neighborhoods a vacant cabin could be found, out of which some family had removed, and this was utilized for the purpose of a school. Glass was a luxury at that time and as a substitute a greased- paper window was improvised. On cach side of the cabin a considerable length of one log was cut out and over the opening was fastened white paper, greased with tallow, Jard. 'coon or 'possum oil, which augmented its durability, and through this medium the light was admitted and by it the cold was ex- cluded.
The supply of light thus furnished would be considered quite insufficient in this year of grace, 1900, but the children of sixty years ago must have been endowed with better eyesight than those of to-day. Such a thing as a child wearing glasses was unknown and
unthought of the 1. In fact when adult per- sons began to wear spectacles they were con- sidered to have reached the immediate vi- cinity of the grave, and that it had become necessary for them to employ artificial as- sistance to their natural vision so that they might not miss their way on the journey to the last resting place. The furnishings of the house and the text books of the schol- ars (there were no pupils then) were in keep- ing with: the scant, rough and ready furnish- ings of the homes.
About the only text books that the av- crage scholar could command, were a spell- ing book and a testament and two or three children were compelled to get their lessons from a single book. The outfit for exer- cises in penmanship were a sheet or two of foolscap paper, a small bottle of ink, made of a decoction of maple bark, and goose .quill pen. The teacher had a pen knife and made the pens and then set the regulation copy, "Command you may your mind from play." A few of the ambitious and high- toned boys, who had dreams of future fame and occasional faint glimpses of the presi- dency, studied arithmetic, or rather "learned to cipher." The teacher as a general rule was presumed to be able to take the scholars;
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to the "single rule or three." There was 10 arithmetic class. Each one "shifted for himself."
The boys brought the arithmetics that their fathers used, and one bad Talbott's arithmetic, another Slocomb's, another Da- boll's and a fourth the Western Calculator. The schools were known as subscription schools, and the parents paid a certain amount per capita for a term of three months. It was "tough" on the man with a large family, and the majority had large families. Occasionally there would be a failure of the corn crop, the wheat crop or po- tato crop, but "young America" put in an appearance with unfailing regularity.
But with all the disadvantages of the sit- uation those primitive schools did much val- uable work, and quite a number of Black- ford county youths, whose education was commenced in the log school house in the woods, in later years secured diplomas of graduation from the colleges and universities of the country.
In the matter of school house architec- ture there have been four distinct eras in Blackford county. The first was the period of the round-log cabin with the clapboard roof, with almost one entire end occupied by an outside fireplace constructed of punch- eons and earth and seats made of linn sap- lings split in two, hewed smooth on the flat side and holes bored through near the ends, into which were driven two wooden pins or legs at each end to support the scat at the proper height. One advantage enjoyed in those times was that the fuel was abundant, cheap and close at hand.
About 1850 the second era was inaugu- rated. The districts were now laid off two mil. - square, and the school house was built in the center of the district, of hewed logs,
the size being usually 20x24 feet, or twenty- two feet square, with shingle roof and warmed by a box stove. In fifteen or twenty years these buildings became old and dilapidated, and they were succeeded by frame buildings, and these in their turn have generally been supplanted by cozy, comfort- able brick houses with seats and desks of the latest and most convenient styles.
The financial and statistical report for the year 19oo of the county superintendent shows that there are now in the county forty- seven brick and six frame school houses. The days of frame school structures are about ended, and it will be only the ques- tion of a few years till all school houses will be of brick.
We must find room to mention a few of the school teachers of this county. Eli Rig- don, one of the first commissioners of the county, was one of the first teachers in Lick- ing township and is said to have been an efficient one. Aaron Mc Vicker was another. At a very early day James Havens and Otho . Selby taught in Hartford City, and shortly after schools were taught in the same vil- lage by Marthesia Cook, wife of John J. Cook, and Elizabeth Rousseau, then or soon after the wife of Robert Rousseau, and later by Rev. Thomas Spencer, Rev. Asa Martin. Rev. William Chaffee, Hortense R. Baldwin, Henry C. Baldwin and Moses S. Stahl, and in the township Elizabeth Hart taught a few terms and also Christopher Clapper, who (lied while a soldier in the Fifty-first Indiana Regiment, at Huntsville, Alabama, January 22. 1865, and William W. Cline taught sev- eral terms also in the county. At the present time Lewis Willman, John A. Slater, Aaron Slater, William Reed, Jennie Hoover. Ella Troute, Emma Sudwarth and C. E. Edwards are among the veterans in
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the profession. If those who were active in the business twenty to forty years ago men- tion should be made of M. Frash, W. M. Stahl, J. W Thornburg, W. C. Owings and T. A. Howell.
Elder Franklin G. Baldwin was one of the first justices of the peace in Blackford county, one of the first ministers of the gos- pel and was one of the pioneer school teach- ers in Harrison township. He taught the last two district schools attended by the , writer and he can testify to bis efficiency as an instructor. He was especially skilled in English grammar.
Gideon W. Shannon taught regularly for a great many years in the central part of the township. He was a cripple and unable to perform much labor in the way of farm- ing. O. B. Boon, who was a well educated New Englander, taught a few terms of school between 1845 and 1850. H. C. Bald- win taught a number of terms in this town- ship and Isaac F. Baldwin, a son of the elder. James M. Gardner, Thomas Slater, Charles Weaver, B. G. Shinn and Philena MeGeath were among the teachers of forty years ago or more. In later years Dennis F. Shannon, and his wife, Amanda Shannon. Milton Hl. McGeath, James A. Dodds, Will- iam H. Thornburg. Anna Hess and Charles A. Vanatta have done excellent educational work in the schools of Blackford county.
Washington township Edward Hughes was one of the pioneer teachers and a very successful one. William McKee was an early teacher. For many years past he has been a prominent and influential min- ister in the United Brethren church. Ed- mind Lockett, William A. Bonham and Thomas Lillibridge were successful peda- gogues in this township, and Reuben Storms and L. B. Pierce taught at least a few terms .. .
In later years David Cole, John M. Bon- ham, Enos Cole, Ira P. Nelson and Charles O. Fleming have served their day and gen- eration with credit in this profession.
William G. Sutton, Edward M. Crundey and Robert H. Lanning were among the earliest teachers in Jackson township, as was also Cornelius Beal. a son of Associate Judge John Beal. For many years also Thomas Dean made himself quite useful in this call- ing. James Ransom, John A. Ransom, Will- iam N. Buckles and John K. Armstrong served the public in the capacity of school teacher for several years. At the present time J. W. Lanning, A, E. Buckles and C. W. Barr are veterans in the work.
From forty to fifty years ago the public revenues were barely sufficient to provide schools for about two and one-half months in the year, and a three-months term could only be had by the patrons supplementing the public money with private contributions. For several years also the schools were taught in advance of the distribution of the public funds and teachers had to wait three or four months for their wages, and as the amount of the fund was unknown, the town- ship trustees had to guess at the number of days to be taught for the term. To remedy this inconvenience the public schools were omitted, in Harison township at least. for one year, probably the school year of 1857-8, and thereafter the money was on hand to pay the teachers when the work was done, and the length of the school year could be determined as soon as all the teachers were employed.
In the first two or three years of the county's existence there were probably less than ten schools and school teachers and per- hapsnot a single school building in the county and the aggregate amount paid to teachers
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could not have exceeded three hundred dol lars per annum. Fifty years ago the wages paid in the country districts were ten to twelve dollars per month, and if the teacher resided out of the district he boarded around among the scholars, spending one week with one family and the next with another until the circuit was completed. It was also con- sidered the teacher's duty to make the fires and sweep the house, and not infrequently he cut a considerable amount of the wood for the fires. The big boys, however, cut most of the wood, and were incited to put in their best licks as they were under the observation of the big girls, and they were desirous of displaying their strength and skill to the best advantage.
As giving some idea of the remarkable progress made in educational facilities we close by noting a few of the statistical facts set out in the annual report of the county
superintendent for the year 1899 and 1900. The length of the school year in the several corporations was as follows: Harrison township, 157 days; Jackson, 145; Licking, 137; Washington, 125; Hartford City, 170; Montpelier, 180. The number of teachers em- ployed in the entire county was 96, 55 males and 41 females. In the city schools of Ilart- ford City and Montpelier there were 12 male teachers and 35 female teachers em- ployed, and in the country schools 43 male teachers and 6 females were employed. The aggregate amount paid all the teachers per day was $218.39. The aggregate amount paid all the teachers for the year was $34,- 452.02. The average amount of wages of each teacher per day was $2.27
The enumeration of May 1. 1900, shows that there are 2,665 male and 2,435 female school children in the county, making a total of 5,100.
THE PRESS OF BLACKFORD COUNTY.
The first newspaper printed in this county was published in the early part of the year 1852, and was named the Hartford City Times, of which Dr. John E. Moler was proprietor, editor and publisher. This paper was fourteen by twenty inches in size, and nearly all the material used, including nearly all the large type, wood cuts, etc., was man- ufactured out of wood by the editor. The „paper was printed on a wooden press and ? common wooden bench screw was used for a lever. The paper was principally used as an advertising medium by the Doctor in his profession ; it was also used for the same pur- pose by the merchants of Hartford City. The delinquent tax list and all matters per-
taining to the county received publication and were quite extensively circulated. A thousand or twelve hundred copies of an cight-page pamphlet could be readily printed in a day, which, considering all the circum- stances in the pioneer life of Blackford county, speaks well of the energy and enter- prise of Dr. John E. Moler.
The second paper, the Blackford County News, was published by E. B. Chamness, in the latter part of the year 1852. In 1854 Mr. A. D. Hook, a merchant of Hartford City, purchased the paper and was in turn succeeded by a Mr. Bromagem. In the year 1857 J. D. Chipman became proprietor of the News, but he, owing to some local diffi-
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1
culty, only published the paper for a short time. William and Samuel McCormack, in the year 1858, established the Blackford County Democrat, which was discontinued in the year 1861. James W. Ruckman, in the year 1861, established the Hartford City Union ; in the year 1864 the paper was pur- chased by John M. Ruckman, who continued the publication of the same until 1871, when the Union was sold by Mr. Ruckman and the paper discontinued. Charles F. Jackson, in the year 1869, started the Hartford City Democrat, which was purchased by John M. Ruckman in December, 1872, and changed to the Hartford City News. In the year 1873 Richard G. Steele and James E. Williamson established the Hartford City Courier, which was soon after sold to parties in Fort Wayne and the paper removed.
In 1877 the Hartford City Telegram was established, with Charles U. Timmonds an editor. A few years later Benjamin A. Van Winkle became proprietor and editor, and he in turn was succeeded by Thomas S. and Samuel M. Briscoc. Several years since Edward E. Cox came here from Peru,
Indiana, and purchased the Telegram and has since conducted it. A few years since he es- tablished a daily paper called the Evening News. Mr. Cox has fitted up and furnished a very substantial and well equipped news- paper and job printing office. The Telegram is the recognized organ of the Democratic party in this county.
About fifteen years ago the Hartford City Times was launched on the sea of journalism by Messrs Huffman and Geisler. In a short time Enoch D. Moffett, the present postmas- ter, became the editor and proprietor. A few years since Mr. A. W. Tracy purchased the establishment from Mr. Moffett, and has since been publishing a daily and weekly edi- tion of this paper, which advocates the prin- ciples of the Republican party. The office will soon be removed into commodious quar - ters in the Campbell & Ervin building, now being erected.
Several newspapers have been published from time to time in Montpelier. L. G. Knight now publishes a very respectable paper there called the Montpelier Herald.
SOLDIERS OF BLACKFORD COUNTY.
Among the early settlers of this county there were at least three who were soldiers in the Revolutionary war, who spent the evening of their long Eves in our forest wilds, and whose dust reposes in the soil of Blackford county. Their names are David Kirkpatrick, Thomas Miles and John Saxon. Another, John Twibell, was a soldier in the same war, but served in the British army,
being a native of Ireland and coming over with the army to which he belonged, but be- fore the war closed he concluded to cast his lot with the American people and deserted to our army, and died in this county seven- ty years after the close of the war. Ile be- came the ancestor of an honorable family in this country .
Of those who were soldiers in the war of
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1812 the writer has learned of seventeen and takes pleasure in recording their names. They are as follows: Andrew R. Blount, Peter Kemmer, Philip Smell, Peter Smell, Patrick Carmichael, Henry Clapper, Joseph Hinkle, Sanmel Brown, John Ferrin, Abraham Thompson, Thomas Markin, George Leffler, Abel Baldwin, John D. Waugh, William Hadden, John Heminger and Joseph Neal.
In the Mexican war some five or ix resi- dents of this county enlisted and saw ser vice; of these were Lieutenant Joseph I. Holliday, John S. Reed, Daniel Thomas, Mr. Lanning and Mr. Pierce.
In the war of the Rebellion the sons of Blackford county responded with alacrity and patriotic ardor and rendered valiant ser- vice in a large number of regiments. Until 1867 the nearest railroad to this county was the Indianapolis & Bellefontaine, Muncie be- ing the nearest station, so that our people were somewhat isolated so far as the conven- iences of travel and commerce were con- cerned. It is probable, therefore, that no Blackford county boys were in any of the six regiments of three-months men mustered in April, 1861, but in the Twelfth Regiment for the one-year service, mustered in a few days after the three-months regiments were mus- tered, there was a squad of about fifteen men from this county. In the fall of 18644 some eight others were assigned to this regi- ment, which was re-organized for the three- years service. A few were in the Eighth, Thirteenth and Fifteenth Regiments, five were in the Twenty-Third and two in the Thirty-Second as recruits. There were a larger number of Blackford county men in the Thirty-Fourth Regiment than any other. Company I being raised in this county, and ninety-four of its number being residents of this county. There were also twelve in Com-
pany B. There were at least two in the Thirty-Fifth, two in the Thirty-Sixth, three in the Fortieth and three in the Forty-first. There were eight in the Fifty-first, about twelve in the Fifty-third, and six in the Fif- ty-fourth. There was one in the Sixty-Ninth and thirteen in the Seventy-Fifth. In the Eighty-fourth Regiment there were forty- one, most of them in Company K, and a few in Companies A, B, C, D and I. This county also furnished eight to the Eighty-Ninth, one to the One Hundredth, seven to the One Hundred and Eighteenth, five to the One Hundred and Nineteenth or Seventh Cay- alry, and one to the One Hundred and Twen- ty-First Regiment or Ninth Cavalry. There were forty-six from Blackford county in Company I, One Hundred and Thirtieth Regiment, two in the One Hundred and Thirty-First, ten in the One Hundred and Thirty-eighth, five in the One Hundred and Forty-second, and twenty-one in the One Hundred and Fifty-third. There was one in the Thirteenth and two in the Twenty-fourth Battery and seven in the First Cavalry.
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