USA > Indiana > Porter County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 12
USA > Indiana > Lake County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 12
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Who was the first to obstruct the vision of the beautiful town of Por- tersville by the erection of a house ? In the "History of Valparaiso, by a Citizen," published in 1876, it is stated that as soon as the struggle between the rivals for the county seat had "fairly begun, building enter- prises began in the east town, as it seemed to win confidence from the the start." "In the spring"-evidently meaning the spring of 1836- " a rough board structure was erected by Cyrus Spurlock, the first Re- corder of the county, on the site of the Academy of Music." But the testimony of the old settlers seems to be about unanimous that at the time the county seat was located there was not a building of any kind within the limits of the town as laid off. What's the odds who was the very first to set a stake or drive a nail when quite a number began to build nearly about the same time? that is, when the lots had been offered for sale after the location of the county seat. In the latter part of the summer of 1836, as seems most probable, the work of building began, and went forward, not as it now does in an oil or mining town, but with considerable energy. From one who came here in December, 1836, and has resided here ever since, the writer learns that he saw on his first arrival these buildings : 1. A one-story frame building on Lot 7, Block 28, in two rooms, built by William Eaton, who, with his family, occupied one room, while the other was taken and occupied in January, 1837, by two families, aggregating eleven persons. It was only boarded up on
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the outside. 2. There was also a log cabin on the north side of Main street, on Lot 7, Block 20. 3. On Lot 3, Block 27, south side of Me- chanic street, was a log house occupied by Cyrus Spurlock, and there, doubtless, the Recorder's office was kept. 4. There was also a frame building on the site of the Academy of Music, where two sons of " Bee- hunter " Clark sold notions and liquor. 5. Dr. Miller Blachley lived on Main street, opposite the public square, on the west side of Lot No. 6, Block 18, where the shoe store of A. J. Pierce & Bro. now is. 6. On (corner) Lot 5, same block, was a chair-maker, a single man, who kept a shop, and who afterward sold to a man named Stotts. 7. William Wal- ker had a house on the south side of Monroe street, Block 31 (Talcott property), in which Hatch, the tanner, afterward lived. 8. John Saylor had a house where Dillingham Brothers' store now is, that is, on Lot 7, Block 18, opposite the court house. There the first court was held in October, 1836, Judge Samuel C. Sample administering, with the other officers and the aid of a grand and petit jury, such justice as the times called for. In December of that same year, the courtly Jeremiah Hamell was found keeping a store in the front part of John Saylor's house afore- said. Mr. Saylor lived in the back part of the house, and sometimes entertained travelers there, for at that time there was not a tavern in the place. Mr. Hamell had not a very large stock of goods on hand, but he could not have been more affable if he had been in charge of Marshall Field & Co.'s establishment. A lady from the southern part of the county, then young and fond of a joke, having called in and made a purchase, was addressed by the proprietor with, " Madam, is there any- thing more I can show you ?" "Mr. Hamell, I think I'll just take the rest of your stock home in my saddle-bags, select what I want and send the balance back." No man was a more important figure in the early history of the county than Jeremiah Hamell. Energetic in business, pleasing in manners, intelligent in public affairs, a Whig in politics and with the prospect of many honors before nim, respected, honored, beloved, he passed away from earth in early manhood. His death occurred March 14, 1846. It is generally believed that Mr. Hamell had the first stock of goods in the place, then John Bishop, and then Dr. Seneca Ball, another prominent character in our early history. He came from La Porte, put up the frame building in which Mr. Porter now lives (south- west corner Franklin and Jefferson), on the northwest corner of Main and Franklin streets. In the front part of that he kept store and lived in the back part of it. The goods kept by these merchants and those that followed them for a good many years were varied in character-hats and caps for men and boys, ladies' bonnets and ribbons, calico, broad- cloth, linsey-woolsey, iron, nails, rakes, hoes, grain cradles and sickles,
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HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY.
tin pans and iron kettles, blue vitriol, indigo, madder, saffron, annotto, logwood, sulphur, red precipitate, spices, sugar, coffee, tea, harness, buckles and black strap. When their goods came on from the East, as they did twice a year, they had a "heap of nice things " to exhibit to their customers and tempt them to extravagance. The list of store- keepers since their day is too long for repetition. Some came and put out their flaring show-bills and trumpeted their own praises for a little while as the New York Store or the Philadelphia or Boston House, sold their goods and their customers, and after a brief scason of noto- riety quietly packed up their goods and stole away. Others came to stay, and held on their prosperous way. Abel Isham was one of the first to engage in harness and saddlery trade. He afterward turned his attention to books, stationery, etc., and met with repeated misfortunes, his stock and building burning up, without insurance, in 1866-67. He subse- quently built the brick storeroom now occupied by Peirce's shoe store, and in his old age is shut out from the sight of day. He has been well known and honored. After him, many others engaged in the harness trade, among them were William Mann, the Vanattas, father and son, and those at present in the trade.
About 1853, John Dunning and his son Warren sold stoves and tin- ware. Nearly about the same time, Joseph Whitmore engaged in the same business, and, being a practical tinner, from time to time set up in the trade until, after the death of his wife, his family became scattered, and he departed to other fields. Joe was rather a peculiar character ; goodhearted and industrious, but of peculiar notions, and somehow fail- ing, like many a worthy man, to get on in the world. Henry Bickford was engaged in the hardware business about 1857; was succeeded by Carpenter & Parke, in 1859; they by Carpenter & Febles, in 1861; they by Hawkins & Freeman, in 1862; they by Hawkins & Cornell, in 1870; Hawkins & Haste, 1871; Hawkins, Haste & Co., 1874 ; James B. Hawkins, 1877. Whitmore & Brewer, in the same business, were succeeded by Hubbard Hunt in November, 1859; sold to Wilson & Fel- ton in 1863; afterward William Wilson. G. A. Sayles came from Ohio and bought into a small stock of hardware in 1855. Being a prac- tical tinner, has had as partners at various times I. D. Marshall, William Wilson, Horace Foot, 1858; J. C. Pierce, 1866; Robert Jones, 1877 ; James McFetrich, 1879.
Of dealers in drugs, there were Joseph Lomax, about 1845-46 ; Lomax & Treat, 1848; Lomax sold to Treat in 1849; he to Porter, Porter to William Harrison ; Bryant & Harrison, spring of 1851; S. R. Bryant drew out in the fall of 1851, and established the Old Line Drug Store, and continued the business for many years. Other druggists
Pecí St. Pauli-
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have been Aaron & T. G. Lytle, about 1853 or 1854; Hiram Loomis, about 1855 or 1856, burned out a second time January, 1866, and retired from the business. Also R. A. Cameron, both before and for a short time after the war. Others have been Frank Commerford, Com- merford & Marshall, W. P. Wilcox, McCarthy & Dunham, Rowley & Son and Rowley & Letherman.
Who can tell who was the first shoemaker ? Let him rise and speak. The first shoe store was kept by William Wilson ; then Wilson & Hawk- ins. There have been many others since, among whom were C. Bloch, E. T. Isbell, Isbell & Kennedy, Kennedy & Peirce, George Flake, etc.
The manufacturers and dealers in fmrniture have been N. R. Strong, in 1848 or 1849; A. Kellogg & Sons engaged in the manufacture of cabinet work in connection with their foundry and machine shops about 1857, and others have been the Le Pells, father and sons, starting about the same time as the Kelloggs, and continuing the business in the family to this day. Samuel Le Baron, furniture and agricultural implements, 1865 to 1867 ; succeeded by J. M. McGill, and he by George Babcock, agricultural implements only ; C. W. Zorn, furniture and repairing and carriage building and trimming.
In blacksmithing, wagon-making and wooden manufactures, there have been the following: In 1839, the brothers George C., A. J. and H. M. Buel, commenced blacksmithing and wagon-making on Lot 2, Block 24. James M. Buel also worked in the wood shop. George left the business after a few years, then H. M. retired, and Andrew Jackson Buel continued. the business with energy and success till his lamentable sickness and death, July 3, 1868. He was a most estimable citi- zen, and for many years an earnest Christian. Jacob Brewer & Bros. also engaged in the business about the same time on Main street. Oth- ers in the business have been the Barrys, Thomas and Michael, begin- ning work with Jackson Buel, but going into it for themselves in 1864, and carrying it on separately since 1874. They have carried on the trade in all the branches of blacksmithing, horseshoeing, making. repair- ing wagons, and carriages, etc. Henry Williams, T. B. Lauderback, Thomas, Lorenzo Russell and Israel Trahan, Shrop, Spry, McGee, have also been in the wagon-making business. T. A. Hogan has at various times been engaged in the manufacture of wagon stuffs, bent wagon fel- loes, buggy felloes, shafts and poles, plow handles and beams, sled timbers, cheese boxes, etc.
Daniel White and one of the Kellogg boys went into the planing busi- ness in connection with the old foundry about 1858. Daniel White built shops for the manufacture of sash, doors and blinds on Main and Monroe streets in 1864; sold to Wasser & Vastbinder in 1868, who have been
G
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HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY.
succeeded by Alonzo Smith, A. Freeman and John D. Wilson. White, Hunt & Co. engaged in the lumber trade about 1866, and started their planing mill in 1869 or 1870. They commenced selling hard coal in 1870, being the first dealers in the place. Not more than eight or ten car loads were sold the first year, while the present annual trade is nearly 4,000 tons. W. J. Acker & Co. established a lumber-yard on the north- west corner of Mechanic and La Fayette streets, now on the southwest corner of Washington and Monroe, and the firm, Acker & Hoyt. After the building of the Peninsular railroad (now G. T.) a man named Barrin- ger, of Michigan, started a lumber yard at that depot ; and Messrs. White & Bell are keeping one at the same place. The undertakers have been Strong, Wilbraham, the Le Pells and W. Noel. William Quinn began business here as a cooper in 1856, and though once burned out continues in the trade, and is alone in it, though numerous other establish- ments of a like character have flourished from time to time, chief among them having been the Unruhs.
The first brickyard in the place was started by John Saylor on the northeast corner of Outlot No. 1. Others have been carried on at the present site of the paper mill at Round Lake, south of Crosby's Mill, and on either side of the road leading to Sager's Mill, by Moses Frazier, Charles Briggs, A. W. Lytle, Mr. Bhymer, Dickover & Weaver, Char- tier & Dumas, the Durands and others. The present production is about 4,000,000. A brewery was started about twenty years ago, now owned by Korn & Junker, and producing over 2,000 barrels per annum. An- other was carried on for some time on the present site of the gas works, but came to an end about 1865. Cigars have been manufactured here for many years by Bernhard Rothermel, Urbahns and H. C. Kruyer. The production is small. Mr. Rothermel is also engaged in the manu- facture and bottling of soda water. Market gardening and the cultiva- tion of small fruits have been carried on for the supply of the local demand and for the Chicago market. N. R. Strong, Nahum Cross, George Por- ter, Wells, Dodd, Myers, De Hart, Brown and numerous others have followed it with more or less success. An attempt was made by Mr. N. R. Strong to produce grape wines during the war, and for some time thereafter. Though a very fair wine was made, the enterprise did not result favorably. Mr. Strong went to California, and the enterprise has been virtually abandoned.
Mr. W. H. Holabird, about 1871, began the manufacture of shooting suits, and a year or two afterward established the enterprise here. His suits attained a wide notoriety, and the sales became large. His health required him to engage in other pursuits, and the business is now in the hands of Upthegrove & Mclellan, who employ on an average fifteen
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hands, and have a large trade. The Valparaiso Paper Mill was built in 1867. Capital, $20,000. Makes straw wrappers. Consumes 1,000 tons of straw per annum, and produces 700 to 800 tons of paper, worth $30,000 to $40,000. Monthly pay-roll, $550. Don A. Salyer, pro- prietor.
The Valparaiso Woolen Manufacturing Company was organized in 1866, with a capital of $60,000. A good building was erected and ex- cellent machinery procured. The enterprise started the following year. Julia A. Powell, George and William Powell, A. V. Bartholomew, Hollis R. Skinner and others were stockholders. It was a bad time to begin. Building and machinery were very expensive, prices were from that time until about four years ago on the down grade, the water at the mill was not suitable, and these things, with other causes, combined to render the enterprise unprofitable. The Powells subsequently became possessors of all the stock of the campany at a low figure. The goods manufactured had been common knitting yarns, jeans, flannels and occasionally blankets and other fabrics. In 1872, arrangements were made with three brothers, Fontaine, skillful machinists and inventors, for the establishment of the National Pin Factory, in place of the woolen works. This was put in operation in 1872, and discontinued in 1875, the Fontaines having made arrangements for the formation of a company for the manufacture of pins in Detroit. In the meantime, the manufacture of yarns, etc., had been given up for the time, and the manufacture of shoddy was introduced in 1873, and continued till 1877, under the management of H. H. Capa- magian, a native of Armenia, in Turkey, and a man of energy and ca- pacity. In the year last named, he removed to Chicago, and had just perfected ingenious machinery for the manufacture of shoddy when he came to a sudden, untimely end by being caught in the machinery of his mill. The present machinery was put in the woolen mills in 1876, and the works started anew, under the efficient superintendence of J. D. Par- tello. Germantown yarns were made almost exclusively, until 1881, when the knitting of hosiery was added, and in May, 1882, a branch of the knitting department was started at Chicago, where employment is given to 100 hands. The present firm consists George W. Powell and William Powell ; value of buildings and machinery, $60,000; annual products $250,000 ; 500,000 pounds of wool are consumed yearly ; 250 hands employed in all ; monthly pay-roll, $3,700. The principal market for the manufactured goods is Chicago.
Since 1868, A. W. Lytle has been engaged in putting up ice for the local trade at Flint and Round Lakes. Product, 1,200 tons per annum. Other parties put up ice for their own uses.
Bakeries have been carried on for many years by George Franklin,
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HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY.
Mr. Hutchinson, Griswold & Frazier, Alex Greyson, J. S. Lauderback, John W. Wood, W. G. Windle, C. Fernekes, Munger & Le Claire and J. R. Smith & Son. The production is large for the population, since all the boarding houses connected with the Normal College use baker's bread.
The clock, watch and jewelry business has been carried on by H. S. Isham, now of Chicago ; Abel Isham, now retired and infirm ; Aaron Rog- ers, a famous hunter of snipe ; W. H. Vail, Lyman Jones (died in early manhood) and Messrs. Budd & Bell. As to the dry goods, clothing and grocery trades it would be impossible to name those who have engaged in them from time to time, in the space allotted. The fourth store kept in the place was probably by G. Z. Salyer (deceased since 1860), and the fifth by Mr. C. E. De Wolf, who used to live where Joseph Gardner now resides, and is responsible for the majestic pines that surround the place. He now lives in Michigan City. He is a wealthy capitalist, and is still the owner of a large amount of land in this county. Other dry goods mer- chants have been F. W. Hunt, Bartholomew & McClelland, H. Dillenbeck, T. T. Maulsley, Don A. Salyer, Charles Osgood, Osgood & Berry, Quatermass Brothers, Emerson Quatermass & Company, George Quater- mass, Joseph Steinfield, G. Bloch, G. Silberberg, Strauss & Joel, L. D. Bondey, Max Albe, A. V. Bartholomew, etc. Tailoring has been car- ried on by John Herr, O. Dunham and many others, and merchant tail- oring by Henry Andrews, Charles McCloskey, Robert McNay, David Maxfield, the Benham Brothers and others, as well as by leading dry goods firms.
In the book and stationery trade have been Abel Isham, M. A. Salis- bury, E. G. Salisbury, Cline & Sloane, J. N. Sloane, B. F. Perrine. Valparaiso has been for some years not only a good place to sell books but a good place to buy them, and the trade has been very heavy for the population. A prosperous trade has also been carried on in music and musical instruments by M. A. Salisbury, W. Huntington, R. A. Heri- tage and others. When the first band was started-who knows ? But in the Porter Democrat of October 14, 1858, is an advertisement of the Valparaiso Union Band, De Motte and Salyer, Conductors, and purpos- ing to blow music out of $500 worth of new instruments, for conventions, political meetings, etc. Surely these be none other than our genial Con- gressman and our substantial. manufacturer of paper.
The first Postmaster of Portersville was Benjamin McCarty, and for a time John C. Bull was his Deputy. There was some dissatisfaction, growing out of the fact that Mr. McCarty did not reside in the village, and in 1839 T. A. E. Campbell was appointed. During his term, the office was kept in the southeast corner of the court house, and behind that Mr. Campbell kept bachelor's hall. He was at the same time Deputy
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Clerk of the Court for George W. Turner. In 1841, he was elected Treasurer and Collector of the county, and G. W. Salisbury was appointed Postmaster, and held the office during the administrations of Harrison and Tyler. The office was then kept in his house on the south side of the public square. From 1845 to 1849, during Polk's administration, Joseph Lomax held the office, and it was kept where his business was, being for the most part on Main street, north side, and west of Washing- ton. When the Whigs again came into power in 1849, G. W. Salisbury was again appointed, and held the office for a time, until he left Valpa- raiso for Oregon, when John Dunning was appointed, and held the office till the accession of Franklin Pierce in 1853. Then S. R. Bryant was appointed, and kept the office through the administrations of both Pierce and Buchanan, till the accession of Lincoln in 1861. M. A. Salisbury was then appointed, and held the office till the fall of 1866. The office then " Johnsonized," as it was called, and J. Beekman Marshall, now of Kan- sas, became Postmaster till he was succeeded by C. C. S. Keech, on the 20th of April, 1867. Mr. Keech held the office for a very short time, but was a most efficient officer, giving general satisfaction. He had not sufficient influence to retain the position, but gracefully yielded it on the 17th of June, the same year, to Dr. J. F. McCarthy. On the 24th of April, 1882, Dr. McCarthy yielded the place to Col. I. C. B. Suman, after having held it fourteen years and eleven months, being by far the longest incumbency since the establishment of the office. According to the tendency in the postal service, many improvements took place during Dr. McCarthy's term. In the increasing duties of the office, he was ably assisted by Mrs. McCarthy and by J. R. Drapier. Hon. Jesse Johnson received the first letter ever delivered at the Portersville office. The name of the village and office was changed in the winter of 1837-38 to Valparaiso. As showing how the business has increased since the days when 372 cents postage was paid on a single letter from Madison, Ind., to this place, which sum was prepaid July 19, 1841, by Jesse D. Bright, on a letter addressed by him to T. A. E. Campbell, concerning the com- pensation of the latter for taking the census in this county the preceding year, the following statistics are presented : The amount of domestic and foreign money orders paid at the Valparaiso Post Office during the year ending June 30, 1882, was $66,079.60; number of money orders issued for the year ending June 30, 1882, domestic, 2, 379 ; foreign, 92. During the same year the receipts for the sale of stamps, stamped enve- lopes, postal cards, etc., were $10.308.18 ; for box rent for same period, $1,109 ; registered letters sent, 1,102 ; registered letters delivered, 2,573 ; registered letters in transit, 64.
Various additions of territory have been made from time to time to
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HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY.
the original plat of the village, as follows : Original town laid out July 7, 1836, and recorded October 31 of same year. 1. Haas's Addition, April 8, 1854, and 2, Peirce's Addition, April 18, 1854, the former consisting of one and one-half blocks north of Outlot 20, the latter the same amount of land north of Block 42, original survey. 3. West Valparaiso, which con- sists of a triangular plat of ground, bounded on the east by Outlots 18 and 19 (Mrs. Hamell's), on the north by Third street, and on the south by First street and the Joliet road, May 13, 1854. 4. Woodhull's Addi- tion, which consists of thirty-six blocks of land lying east of Outlots 1 to 7, original survey, April 5, 1856. 5. Smith's Addition, bounded on the south by the Fort Wayne Railroad, west by the old cemetery, north by Woodhull's Addition, and on the east by the street on the east of college grounds, July 18, 1859. 6. North Valparaiso, being ten blocks bounded on the south by the original survey, on the west by Calumet street, on the north by Elm street, and on the east by Valparaiso street, May 9, 1859. 7. Powell's Addition, bounded on the north by lands of Skinner & Beach, east by Calumet street, south by original survey and Haas's & Peirce's Addition, and on the west by Campbell's farm, July 28, 1860. 8. Institute Addition, three blocks north of Joliet road, and west of Fort Wayne Railroad, March 30, 1864. 9. Southwest Valparaiso, nine blocks, and six lots of peat marsh, south of Fort Wayne depot and south- west of woolen factory, November 2, 1864. 10. First addition to North Valparaiso, twenty-eight blocks north and east of North Valparaiso, May 10, 1869. Other additions have been surveyed, but are not as yet included in the city limits.
The report of population in 1840 is not accessible to the writer. In 1850, it was 520. In 1860, 1,690. In 1870, 2,760. In 1830, 4,460, or about nine times what it was in 1850. If the increase should be in the same ratio in the future, the population in 1910 would be over 35,000.
The small number of stores in 1836 to 1839 have increased to a mul- titude, and stocks of goods that could almost be loaded on a good-sized wagon have grown to a value of $12,000 to $20,000, and the annual sales, which could hardly have exceeded $10,000 for all the establish- ments during the first year, have now mounted up to $60,000, $90,000 and $100,000 for single firms. Valparaiso has, at this time, the follow- ing business houses : Liquor saloons, eighteen ; cigars and confectionery, six ; restaurants, four ; railroad eating-houses, two; groceries, fourteen ; bakeries, five ; dry goods, clothing, etc., nine ; varieties and notions, one ; trimmings and fancy goods, one; millinery and fancy goods, five; hard- ware, etc., four; agricultural implements, two; books, stationery, etc., four; leather and findings, one; lumber yards, three; planing-mills, two; foundries and machine shops, one; brick yards, three; woolen manufac-
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VALPARAISO, AND CENTRE TOWNSHIP.
tory and knitting works, one; paper-mill, one; feed stores, three; lime, etc., two; cigar manufactories, two; National banks, two; banking houses, one; furniture, three; undertakers, two; gunsmiths, one; hotels, six; drugs, etc., four; jewelry, three ; boots and shoes, seven; merchant tailoring, three; hats, caps, etc., two.
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