Counties of LaGrange and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical, Part 14

Author: F.A. Battey & Co
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : Battey & Co.
Number of Pages: 976

USA > Indiana > Noble County > Counties of LaGrange and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 14
USA > Indiana > LaGrange County > Counties of LaGrange and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 14

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).

The following were the only tracts of land in the county entered during the year 1831, all in the present Lima Township :

NAMES.

Section.

Town- ship.

Range.

Location.

Acres.

Date.

Number of Patent.

William Gardner.

N. E. 4.

160

March 31

568

Robert Hamilton

N. 3 S. E. ¿

March 31

569

Same.

E. N. E.

March 31

570

Daniel Fox

S. S. E. Î

March 31

571

Same

W.J. N.W. 4

March 31

572

Benjamin Blair

N. W. 4.

160

April 29

649

Francis Blair

E. ¿ N. E. }

May

658

Frederick Hamilton.

W. ¿ N. E.A

May

659

William Thrall ..

E .¿ N. E.

May

665

William Thrall and John Gardner.

S. E. Į ......

160

May

720

John Gardner.

W. ¿ N. W.4

May

721

Nathaniel Callahan

W .¿ S. w. i

June

921

Asa Olney

E. ¿ S W. 4

June

922

Ami Lawrence

E. ¿ S. E. 1

June

923

Obadiah Lawrence ..

W. 3 S. w. ¿

June

924

John Cook.

E. Į S. W. I

June

934

Richard Smart.

W. S. E.

June

935

John Olney.

E. & N. W.

June

940

Peter Prough and Jacob

Sidener ..

" fraction'1 section

100.30

Oct.

1065

:11417

140

HISTORY OF LA GRANGE COUNTY.

"At the session of the Board of Commissioners of the county, commencing May 14, 1832, it was ordered that the county be divided into two townships, all the territory west of the center line of Range 10 to constitute a township known as Lima, and all the territory east of such line to be known by the name of Greenfield. Benjamin Blair was appointed Assessor for Lima Town- ship. At the same session an election for township officers was ordered held on the second Saturday in June of the same year. Lemuel Fobes was appointed Inspector of the election. Micajah Harding, Sr., and William Adair were appointed Overseers of the Poor: Andrew Crawford and John Jewett, Fence Viewers ; Clark Clossen and Andrew Crawford, Constables. The township was divided into four Supervisor districts in January, 1833. Daniel Harding, William Thrall, Arthur Burrows and John Jewett were ap- pointed Supervisors. As the other townships were created, Lima was grad- ually cut down to its present size and shape."*

Thomas Gale and George Egnew each had a store in the township before goods were sold in the village of Lima, except by the Rices. As the estab- lishment of the Rices could scarcely be called a store, these were the first two in the township. Both men kept a few notions and groceries and a small stock of dry goods. How long Mr. Egnew continued is not remembered, but Mr. Gale, some time during the year 1833, removed his stock to what is now Lima. He increased his goods until they were probably worth $1,500. This was the first well-patronized store in the township. In October, 1834, the vil- lage of Mongoquinong (now Lima) was laid out by John Kromer, Surveyor, and Moses and Ica Rice, proprietors. Lots to the number of 286 were laid out, and eighty-four of these were given to the county in consideration of having the county seat located there. A public square was donated, as were also two acres in the southern part for a cemetery. In April, 1836, Samuel P. Williams, who was destined to figure prominently in the affairs of Lima, laid out an addition to the village on the north. He laid out twenty-four blocks of ten lots each, two blocks of sixteen lots each, and three blocks of eighteen lots each, and also donated a block for a public park or square. The growth of Lima between 1832 and 1838 was very rapid, and it even continued to grow and thrive until the county seat was removed to La Grange, and various branches of business had sprung into life there. As soon as the county seat was established at Lima, lawyers and constables and judges began to appear. John B. Howe, one of the clearest and most profound thinkers ever in North- ern Indiana, appeared in 1833, and began the practice of law. Old settlers tell the writer that John B. Howe had no equal at the Lima bar in early years for lucid, cogent and logical argument. In the presentation of a legal proposi- tion, no matter how intricate and baffling, he could make the simplest auditor understand him. If any doubts existed as to his unusual ability in this par- ticular, they would at once be removed by the perusal of his publications on

*J. P. Jones.

141

LIMA TOWNSHIP.

the subject of that blindest and most complex of all questions-finance. There is not a superior thinker in the county.

The presence of such men at Lima could not but result in benefit and general prosperity. This will more clearly appear as the reader continues. Among the men who have sold goods of various kinds in Lima, have been in nearly the following order : Ica Rice, Thomas Gale, Jonathan Woodruff, George Egnew, Seth Tucker, Jonathan Stevens, Gale & Woodruff, John Cook, Woodruff & Kellogg, Albert Powell, Nathan Merriman, Elias S. Swan, Gale & Williams, Delavin Martin, Harrington Bros., King & De Puy, William M. Holmes, Mr. Case, Kinney & Powell, Richard M. Fury, H. W. Wood, Hobbs & Gardner, S. M. Cutler, John Trask, Powell & Haskins, Hill & Morrison, Nichols & Smith, Woodruff & Morse, Morrison & Beecher, Jewett & (somebody), Mr. Kane, Joseph Wright, J. R. Kirby, H. J. Hall, Mr. McBride, Mr. Wicker, Bar- ber & Wolcott, Durand & Shepardson, Jewett & Rawles, Rawles & Hull, A. Atwater, Mr. Searing, Mr. Shoop, A. W. Beecher, Cooper & Thompson, Ste- phen Cooper and others. One of the best (if not the best) stores ever in Lima, was kept by Gale & Williams, and afterward by Samuel P. Williams. It was opened in the spring of 1837 with a general stock valued at $20,000. The goods were purchased in New York, shipped by the Erie Canal to Buffalo, transported by vessel to Michigan City, and then hauled in wagons to Lima. the freight bill alone amounting to $3,000. In 1839, Mr. Williams purchased his partner's interest and continued the business on a gigantic scale until 1853, when he sold out to Jewett & Rawles. Owing to the scarcity of money in early years, sales were usually a sort of barter, and from this fact merchants were compelled to take certain kinds of produce for their goods. Mr. Will- iams took large quantities of pork, wheat, butter, eggs, etc., shipping the same by wagon to Eastern markets. Live hogs were bought, butchered and salted down during the winter months. Running accounts were opened with all the settlers whose credit was good, and a large proportion of the pay was taken in the products of the farm. Merchants usually went East twice a year for their goods, and necessarily had to buy at one time enough to last them six months. Mr. Williams at one time bought nearly $25,000 worth of goods. It is impossible to tell all the hardships met by the settlers owing to the lack of money. They often came with the most pitiful stories to the merchants in hope that the latter would assist them. Merchants made their calculations to lose a certain per cent of their sales. Lima was the center of a trade extend- ing over a tract of country fifty or more miles in diameter. One day, Phi- lander Isbell, of Noble County, a young man who had married but a few months before, came to Mr. Williams, told him in confidence that he had no money, nor property that could be readily converted into money, stated soberly that he expected an increase in the family soon, and must have a few necessary articles for the prospective mother and child. Becoming satisfied that the young man had told him the truth, Mr. Williams gave him what he wanted, to

142

HISTORY OF LA GRANGE COUNTY.

the amount of about $10. A year or two later the supplies were paid for, and nothing further was heard of the affair, until a short time ago, when Mr. Isbell, who is yet living, related the circumstance to Mr. Williams, and said it was the greatest favor he ever received from any one. Thousands of instances, show- ing the trials of early years, might be mentioned. The other early merchants of Lima had an experience similar to that of Mr. Williams. Delavin Martin had about $12,000 worth of goods, and several others owned nearly as much. In 1829, Moses Rice erected a small log dwelling in the southern part of what is now Lima. This was the first. Arthur Burrows was licensed to keep a tav- ern in 1833, it being the first in Mongoquinong, as Lima was then called. Mr. J. P. Jones says the name was changed by special act of the Legislature in 1833 or 1834. Court was held in the houses of Thomas Gale, Arthur Bur- rows, Moses Rice, Mr. McNeal, David St. Clair and perhaps others. The land upon which the village stands was held jointly by the Rices and Jonathan Gardner, and was purchased of the Government August 29, 1832. Not more than eight or ten families resided in the village in 1832, but within four years the population had reached over two hundred, and in 1840 was probably about three hundred and fifty. The population probably at no time reached 450. Nathan Merriman opened a tavern in 1835. The old court house was used as a tavern after 1844, for a time, by Dr. F. F. Jewett; it was finally destroyed by fire. Henry W. Wood and Warren Lee kept the Lima House where the Kingsbury House now stands ; it was burned, as were also all the buildings on the east side. The loss was about $10,000. The present block on the east side was erected in 1860, by Samuel P. Williams, John B. Howe, Samuel Bur- nell and G. J. Spaulding, at a cost of some $18,000. Howe and Williams built the Kingsbury House at the same time, at a cost of about $8,000. Mr. Crandall conducted this house before it was purchased by M. Kingsbury. Among the Postmasters have been Thomas Gale, George Egnew, J. Whittaker, C. Ward (a man who robbed the mail and was prosecuted), John Moore, S. M. Cutler, J. S. Castle, F. F. Jewett, Mrs. Wicker, A. C. Van Arnum, Mr. Strong, A. M. Kromer, W. H. De Puy, Mrs. L. Wicker. Among the physi- cians have been Elias Smith, B. Smith, Mr. Alvord, J. McCelvy, C. A. Mont- gomery, George Dayton, Mr. Hughes, George Palmer, C. C. Holbrook, W. M. Fox, Mr. Parish, Mr. Bossinger, T. J. Hobbs, Mr. Sanger, William McCue, Mr. Goodrich, Mr. Griffith, Charles Thompsen, F. F. Jewett, G. P. Fletcher, Mr. Pary, Whitefeather (an Indian doctor), Mr. Jones, Mr. Arnold and Mr. White. Cornelius Gilmore is said to have been the first blacksmith. The old jail is yet standing on the southwest corner of the square. The Cooper store building is quite an old one. The brick block on the north was erected in 1878. Its proprietors are C. S. Atwater, A. W. Beecher and the owners of the bank.

In about 1838, David Pucket began manufacturing furniture, which he continued quite extensively several years. The same year Wright & Drake

143

LIMA TOWNSHIP.

erected and began conducting a wagon factory, employing from twelve to twenty hands, and continuing a number of years. In about 1850, Lyman Wilcox was conducting an excellent cabinet-shop. He turned out a considera- ble quantity of furniture, making a specialty of bedsteads. Nathan and Will- iam Place also manufactured wagons, together with coffins, etc., carrying on the business eight or ten years, beginning about 1840. Theodore Moore, in about 1840, manufactured gloves and moccasins, dressed deer skins, and made robes, etc. In about 1845, Richard and John Salmon erected a wooden building, converting the same into a foundry. Here they began manufacturing all kinds of general castings, and quite a large number of plows, that were largely used in all the surrounding country. They employed about a dozen work- men. In about 1849, Samuel P. Williams purchased the entire business, but soon afterward sold to Taylor & Vance, who, a little later, sold to Hill & Tay- lor, the latter firm conducting the enterprise successfully for many years. Mr. Keith is the present owner of the factory, which is yet doing good work. Other men have owned and conducted the foundry, among whom are Hawks & Co., Woodruff & Morse, and Gore & Hardesty. Bar-iron was manufactured from bog-ore obtained in some of the neighboring swamps, and a portion of the iron thus obtained was so tough and malleable that it was used for horseshoe nails and steam boilers. Some of the owners have shipped large quantities of ore. Hawks & Co. kept a store to supply their workmen with goods, etc. In . 1870, the Star Grist-Mill was erected on Crooked Creek, two miles northwest of Lima, by Post & Torry, in which were placed two sets of buhrs. A little later, S. Flusher bought the mill, and soon sold an interest to Mr. Arnold. Another set of stones and a turbine water-wheel were added. W. T. Miller began, in about 1837, to manufacture wagons, continuing the business some twenty-five years, turning out about thirty vehicles per annum, on the average. John Taylor also followed the same occupation in an early day. In about the year 1836, Albert Powell erected a distillery on the bank of "Still" Lake, named thus from the location of the distillery. No very large quantity of liquor was made there, although that which was distilled is said to have been of excellent quality. This statement is clearly proved by the rapid dis- appearance of the whisky as soon as made. The business soon passed to the ownership of Hiram Harding, and later to H. W. Wood, who removed the still, and began to manufacture potash on quite an extensive scale, continuing as long as ashes could be obtained cheaply. A Mr. Hort manufactured the pot- ash. The corn, or other grain, used in this distillery was mashed by hand, some four men being employed. In about 1845, William Marten erected a distillery in Lima. Ten or twelve workmen were employed, and from 15,000 to 20,000 bushels of grain were annually consumed in the manufacture mostly of what were called " high wines." Several teams were constantly employed to con- vey the liquor to market. One set of 44-inch buhrs was used to grind the grain. Two teams were necessary to draw the wood used, and four or five coopers were

144

HISTORY OF LA GRANGE COUNTY.

employed to make barrels to contain the liquor. From thirty to sixty head of cattle and about two hundred hogs were fed largely from the refuse of the dis- tillery. This was, in many respects, the most extensive industry ever in Lima. After about twelve years, the building was rented by Robert Triplett and Samuel Ruick, who carried on the same business for a few years, after which Mr. Bur- dick took control. But the enterprise was soon abandoned, Mr. J. H. Ladd placing in the building a turning lathe, though at the end of a year this busi- ness was discontinued.

In about 1838, Follet & Johnson built a tannery at Lima, sinking some fifteen or twenty vats. They dressed large quantities of skins, selling the leather both at home and abroad. Mr. Sering began making chairs about thirty years ago. The old saw-mill at Lima was built in 1831, by Lewis P. Judson, probably, but in 1833 it was destroyed by fire. About the time the saw-mill was built, or perhaps a little later, Mr. Judson and William A. Mills erected the grist-mill that, under many alterations, is yet doing good work. The mill was conducted by Palmer Grannis in 1837. The mill in its day has been a good one, and has been a great accommodation to the citizens of Lima. Two sets of buhrs were placed in at first. Many have conducted the mill ; but all who tried to carry on a merchant business, with few exceptions, have been bankrupted. When the old saw-mill was burned, another soon took its place. One was built in about 1846 by Samuel Howard for John B. Howe. In 1847, Alphonso Martin built a saw-mill in Lima, but soon afterward sold to S. M. Cowley. It was finally thrown down by having its supports washed away by

the water. It is probable that Mr. Judson erected the saw-mill that took the place of the one destroyed by fire, at the same time he built his grist-mill. Attached to the Martin Saw-Mill was a shingle factory, by Alvaro Hunter ; also a lath-saw by S. M. Cowley. Palmer Grannis conducted the saw-mill at the "Lima Mills, " and might have erected the same. About the same time, John Shortell was conducting a harness-shop there. A man (the name is with- held) erected a building 16x26 feet, near the mills, designing the same for a store. Dry goods were placed therein, and, for a time, things went on nicely ; but suspicion fell upon the man, and his building was searched, whereupon three sets of counterfeit dies, two for quarter dollars and one for half dollars, were found, together with about half a peck of half-finished bogus coin. Some of the finished article was also found, which could not be distinguished by novices from the genuine coin. It was reported that some of it had been passed upon the agent at Fort Wayne for lands, and that he took it for genuine money. The building was transformed, first into a schoolhouse, and afterward into a dwelling now occupied by Mr. Doll. In 1833, a brick-yard was opened, and a kiln burned on the bank of Pigeon River, half a mile west of Lima: but the soil was such that the bricks were worthless, as they fell in pieces within a short time. Later, another kiln was burned a short distance southwest of the old foundry.

145

LIMA TOWNSHIP.

In 1854, Samuel P. Williams and John B. Howe founded the La Grange Bank at Lima, receiving a charter under the free banking law of the State, and having a circulation of about $70,000. A good banking business was done until 1857, when the bank became a branch of the State Bank of Indiana, with a capital stock of $150,000, which was owned by twelve men, among whom were John B. Howe, Samuel P. Williams, Samuel Burnell, James B. Howe, Thomas J. Spaulding, S. Halsey and Philo Nichols. The bank sustained itself easily, and the stockholders realized handsome revenues. In 1862, in accordance with Congressional enactment made at that time, the institution became a National Bank, with about the same stockholders, with a capital stock of $100,000, continuing thus until 1880, when a private banking business was begun. The same stockholders, a number of years ago, founded the National Bank at Sturgis, owning a controlling interest in the stock, and also bought largely of the stock of the National Bank at Coldwater, and of other banks. The bank at Lima is firmly founded, and has the unlimited con- fidence of the public.

The village of Ontario was laid out by Nathan Jenks, proprietor, early in March, 1837, on the southwest quarter of Section 33. There were laid out twenty-three blocks of ten lots each, two blocks of five lots each, two blocks of six lots each, and a public square. In June, 1844, Mr. Jenks made an addi- tion to the village of ninety-five lots of the usual size, and seven large lots, four of which were north of the river. The addition was laid out between the original town and the river. The first settler on the present site of Ontario was George Latterer, who built a log cabin in 1834. During the same year, or perhaps during the early part of 1835, Henry Lake and Mr. Gibson also located there in small, rude log dwellings. At about the same time, J. C. Kinney and Mr. Hubbard, from Blissfield, Ohio, settled on the north bank of the river, and began building the dam, which was finished after a great deal of hard labor ; when it was completed, which was the same season, a saw-mill was immediately built on the south bank, having one of the old-fashioned up-and- down saws. About this time, or a little later, a Mr. Allen came there from Ohio, with a small set of "niggerhead" buhrs, and effected a contract by which the power operating the saw-mill was also connected by belts with the machinery which ran the stones. Here was ground the first grain in Ontario. Allen had hard luck for some time; he suffered with ague and fever, and lost money, and thus became so discouraged that one night he took the pillow case from under his head, went down to the mill dam, filled the case partly full of sand, tied it up and attached it with a stout cord to his person, and plunged into the mill-flume. He was found dead in the flume early the next morning by Mr. Kinney's son, who was sent to call him to breakfast. His clothes and hat were first noticed lying on the bank. The old saw-mill was quite well patronized, the work being done mostly on shares. Elisha Thorp, who hauled logs there with a team consisting of six ponies, owned a wagon, the wheels of

146

HISTORY OF LA GRANGE COUNTY.

which were made of huge, solid, wooden cross-sections of some large log. In 1836, Nathan Jenks purchased the mill property, at which time he stated that it was his intention to secure an act of the Legislature to charter a company who should bear the expense of conducting the water-power created by the dam at Ontario, from the latter place, through a long race, to Lima. The act was passed by the Legislature, the location of the race was staked off, sub- scription books were opened and liberally signed by the citizens of Lima; but for some reason unknown to the writer, and to most of all the old settlers, Mr. Jenks subscribed a controlling interest in the stock, and abandoned the project without further ado, greatly to the regret of Lima. It is thought by the writer that, as Mr. Jenks was dissatisfied about this time with the offers made him by Lima to induce him to locate the "La Grange Collegiate Institute " there instead of at Ontario, and as he refused to accept their proffered assist- ance as being not an adequate consideration, this had something to do with his action in canceling what had been done toward continuing the water-power to Lima.

The real facts could not be ascertained why Mr. Jenks so completely "squelched " the work on the race. It is also stated that, about this time, the surveyors of the proposed Buffalo & Mississippi Railroad surveyed a route east and west, a short distance south of Ontario, and that Mr. Jenks thought that, by building up Ontario at the expense of Lima, he could, in the end, succeed in securing the removal of the county seat from the latter village to the former ; and that, therefore, he located the Institute at Ontario, set aside the work on the race, and did all he could to kill Lima and infuse vitality into Ontario. In that day, as steam had not come into general use in mills, a good water- power was alone sufficient to insure the building of quite a town. More on this subject will be found in other parts of this volume.

Mr. Jenks built the present mill-race at Ontario and, in about 1843, erected the large grist-mill, that, in its time, was one of the best ever in the county. It cost about $10,000. The building was four stories in height and in it were placed four sets of French buhrs. Others were afterward added. The mill was so well patronized that it was found profitable to run it day and night and two sets of mill hands were employed. The work increased until some thirty thousand barrels of excellent flour were shipped, by wagon, to market in one year. This infused life into various other industries, such as cooper shops, stave factories, etc. Ontario grew very rapidly at first. C. W. Wilson probably erected the third or fourth house in the village. Mr. Codding also erected an early one. In 1838, there were living in the village the families of Messrs. Salmon, Seymour, Mills, Hawley, Bassett, Jenks, Wilson, Doolittle, Codding, Field and five or six others. However, two or three of these were unmarried. In 1840, at least twenty-five families lived in Ontario, represent- ing a population of about 120. Perhaps at no time has the population ex- ceeded 300.

147

LIMA TOWNSHIP.

In August, 1838, Jenks & Fields built a storeroom and began selling goods from a stock valued at about $5,000. They were purchased in New York, shipped to Toledo, and from there drawn to Ontario by wagon. At the end of two years, Nathan Jenks sold his interest to W. C. Jenks, and two years later the goods were sold at auction. Boyd & McCoy conducted a good store about this time. Jenks & Wright opened a store about 1843, with about $1,000 worth of goods. They dealt in cattle, losing considerable money, and closed their store, in consequence, two years later. Robert Dykes began selling goods in about 1844, from a stock worth probably $6,000. This was about the best store ever in Ontario. Hestus & Hamilton owned a store in the village. Among other merchants, have been Charles and Anson Vaughan, George Mal- low, Aaron Mallow, John Scott, Rufus Herrick, Jenks & Mckinley, Turley & Parish, William Scott, Mr. Dickinson, W. H. Hendricks, and Timothy Field, who again began eleven years ago, continuing until the present. The Vaughan boys conducted a good store. George Mallow was shot by Stephen Jenks (not a relative of Nathan Jenks). The cause is not clearly known. Jenks was tried for the crime, convicted and sentenced for life to the penitentiary. Warren Green was probably the first Vulcan in the village. Doolittle, Wilson, Bassett and Mills were carpenters, and the first. Among the village physicians have been Messrs. Bassinger, Dayton (a good one), Sargent, Jenks, Evans, Pendle- ton, Jenkins and Newton.

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Counties of LaGrange and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical, Part 14

Author: F.A. Battey & Co Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago : Battey & Co. Number of Pages: 976

Author: F.A. Battey & Co
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : Battey & Co.
Number of Pages: 976