USA > Indiana > Porter County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 61
USA > Indiana > Lake County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 61
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NORTH TOWNSHIP.
men, so that it is difficult to define the town. The inhabitants of the town as well as those of the country around are in the railroad business. Most of these people own small pieces of land, varying in size from less than an acre to forty acres, generally being from five to ten acres. There are two hotels, one of which, the Tolleston House, is kept by Charles Hacker. Nearly all the people in and around the town are German. Gibson and Norris are names of the two English families that live in town. The town has two railroads, the Pittsburgh & Fort Wayne and the Michigan Central. The German Lutherans have a good church. There is a good, substantial schoolhouse in town.
The town of the township and the city of the future is Hammond. Situated at the head of navigation, on the Calumet, it promises to become a great manufacturing city ; indeed, it has already a national reputation. This place grew but little until in 1878, when a large lumberyard was establisned here. It is now growing more rapidly than ever before. Its population has almost tripled itself in the last year. In 1872, this place did not even receive a passing notice in a brief history of the county by Rev. J. H. Ball; now it is a booming town of over 1,500 inhabitants, with business interests that reach out east, west and over the Atlantic. These business interests will be spoken of under the head of industries, farther on. M. M. Towle seems to have been and still to be the soul of the place and the source of its great prosperity. Not that others' brains, brawn and capital have not entered into the growth of the place, but he it was who started the town, and he it is who has stayed with and kept it stirring. Five brothers of the Towles are here, all doing a driving busi- ness. M. M. and C. N. Towle are now building a fine brick hotel that is to cost $20,000. It will soon be completed. Last winter a substantial school building, costing $4,000 was built. E. E. Towles runs a meat- market. A. G. Towle is foreman in the packing house. P. B. Towle is proprietor of a publishing house, while M. M. Towle is a man of money and of business. He owns some 2,000 acres of land, which he bought at $20 an acre, and much of it is now worth from $500 to $1,000 an acre.
The physicians of Hammond are Dr. W. W. Merrill, who has been here about two and a half years; Dr. Paul Wiesire, who has been in town about a year ; and Dr. J. L. Miller, about three months. There is one drug store kept by Dr. Merrill.
The history of Hammond that appears of record at the county seat is as follows : Town of Hammond, laid out by M. M. Towle, and located on the northwest quarter of Section 36, Town 37, Range 10 west. Plat recorded April 12, 1875. . It shows 4 blocks and 103 lots, Indiana and Michigan avenues, Plumer and Ives streets, and Dalton road, and Michi- gan Central Railroad. Cottage Grove Addition bears date of September
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.
2, 1879 ; is made by M. M. Towle, and shows 60 lots, Michigan avenue, and Chicago and Murray streets. Townsend and Godfrey's Addition bears date of October 9, 1879. It shows 125 lots on Michigan, Indiana and Sibley streets and Oakley avenue. Hohman's Addition is dated January 4, 1880, and shows Russel, Shinton, Douglas, Ogden, State Line and Hohman streets. Latham's Addition was recorded May 12, 1880, and shows Fayette, Hohman and Russel streets. Hohman's Sec- ond Addition is dated June 11, 1880, and shows Michigan, Indiana, Sibley and Russel streets and 92 lots. Towle's Second Addition was recorded September 29, 1881, and shows Lumber and River streets and 5 lots. Louis E. Hohman's is dated February 16, 1882, and shows Michigan, Indiana, Sibley and Russel streets. Towle & Young's Addi- tion is dated March 3, 1882, and shows 7 blocks. Sohl Estate Addition. dated March 18, 1882, lies on either side and between the Michigan Cen- tral and the New York Central & St. Louis Railroads. Wilcox & God- frey's is the last that appears of record, and is dated March 18, 1882. Turning from this busy place, we merely mention the following : Roberts- dale, in the northwest corner on the Fort Wayne Railroad; Berry Lake, four miles east of this, on the same road, where there are large ice-houses and nothing more, and on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, a station named Edgemoor, which were omitted in speaking of stations. The site of the city of Sheffield, which is just beside Robertsdale, is marked by a sub- stantial monument in the shape of a $15,000 hotel. The county records show Sheffield Park Subdivision recorded March 20, 1874, the south half of the southwest fractional quarter of Section 24, Town 37 north, Range 10 west, of Second Principal Meridian, by Edward T. Cushing. It shows eight blocks with Park avenue, Park place and Park Hotel at their cross- ing. Also a plat of South Sheffield, bearing date of October 17, 1874, by Thomas C. Lamb, which shows Grand Central and South Chicago boulevards crossing at right angles, and the Lake and Grand Central avenues crossing obliquely in the center with the boulevards. Another plat of South Sheffield was recorded September 10, 1875, with numerous avenues, streets and boulevards. This town was transferred once for $1,000,000, and then $3,000,000 of bonds were issued. The fine hotel was erected, and all that was needed was to build a city around it. The hotel was built in 1875. It was opened and run by Crosby for about a year, since which time it has been closed. A small steamer was built upon the lake at the same time. The only industry of importance in the vicinity is the ice business. There are two large ice-houses near, one of which, belonging to E. A. Shedd & Co., has a storage capacity of 100,000 tons.
Another paper town of great promise and small performance was
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NORTH TOWNSHIP.
Indiana City, at the former mouth of the Calumet. The plat is recorded January 4, 1838, and shows 78 lots, and declares the streets to be 66 feet and the alleys 16 feet in width. There is also Norcott's Addition, by John Norcott, that was recorded September 2, 1874. It shows 41 blocks, and First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth streets, beginning at the lake ; also Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth and Thirteenth avenues. At one time a number of buildings were begun, a large saw mill was built, but all the buildings were taken down before completion, except the saw-mill, which was abandoned and left to decay.
In the line of industrics, Hammond takes the lead, and the J. H. Hammond & Co. mammoth packing-house overshadows all other industries found here. J. H. Hammond & Co., with M. M. Towle as resident manager, began operations in 1869, upon the moderate basis of 300 cat- tle per week. They now have a capacity of 500 head a day, and expect soon to build so as to increase their capacity tc 2,000 head a day. It is now the largest beef-packing house in the United States upon the refrig- erator system, and perhaps in the world. Their beef is shipped to the New England States and direct to the markets of Europe. This com- pany originated the system of shipping meats in refrigerator cars. They own 200 box cars, 200 stock cars, 300 refrigerator cars, and 24 ships with patent refrigerator apparatus, of which they own and control the patents upon the refrigerating apparatus. Their present building at Hammond is 300x400 feet. They have fifty acres of land here, and a capital stock of $15,000,000.
Here at Hammond is also a large planing-mill, with sash, door and blind factory attached ; also a large rendering establishment ; a large lumber yard, which from April 1, 1881, to April 1, 1882, sold 3,000,000 feet. There is a large syrup factory just starting. The present capacity is 300 bushels of corn per day. They are experimenting, and, if success- ful, expect to enlarge to 2,000 bushels per day. W. H. Gostlin is busi- ness manager and part owner ; the rest is owned by Towle. The works of the Ætna Powder Company are situated one and a quarter miles west of Miller's Station, on the south side of the railroad. The surroundings are attractive, and the company seem to have found a favored spot in this desert region. Although this is called a " powder works," no com- mon powder is made here. It is all " high explosive powder," and nitro- glycerine is the active agent in the compound. Here it is manufactured in large quantities, and absorbed into substances for shipment and use. It is only fourteen months since the company began here ; now they have twenty-six buildings, employ forty-five men, and have a capacity of 60,000 pounds of powder a day. They are at present building another work and twenty workmen's cottages. When the new building is com-
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.
pleted, the capacity will be 100,000 pounds a day. They now have in one building 185,000 pounds of high explosive powder in one storeroom, and 60,000 pounds in another. They own 200 acres of land and are buying more. There are little hills, and the small buildings are scattered among them, so as to have a sand bank between each two in which the deadly substance is handled. These buildings are connected by walks that wind about among the trees and hills, affording a much needed pro- tection in case of an explosion.
Tolleston Club .- During the spring of 1871, some of the sportsmen of Chicago formed an association which they designated the " Tolleston Club of Chicago," and purchased the Vander Naillen farm in this town- ship, contiguous to the marshes of the Little Calumet River. Here they erected a two-story club house, containing a large reception room, ladies' parlor with bedrooms connecting, large dining-room, kitchen, keeper's family room and some forty beds for the use of the members ; also a large barn, ice-house, dog-kennels, pigeon cotes, etc. The club also had constructed a canal from the river to a boat house, near the club house. In 1881, they purchased and fenced in 2,000 acres of marsh, twelve miles in circumference, between the Pittsburgh and Fort Wayne and the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad bridges. This they hold exclusive- ly for their own shooting purposes. The club is practically free from debt, has property worth over $15,000, and is composed of some of the best business and professional men of Chicago. Following is a list of the officers for 1882: President, F. A. Howe; Vice President, S. B. Raymond; Secretary, Edward Starr ; Treasurer, C. D. Peacock ; Execu- tive Committee, George E. Adams, J. S. Norton, C. C. Moeller ; Superintendent of club house, Benjamin French.
CHAPTER VIII.
BY G. A. GARARD.
ROSS TOWNSHIP-ORGANIZATION-METES AND BOUNDS-PEAT BEDS-WED- DING UNDER DIFFICULTIES-ANECDOTES OF PIONEER LIFE -- SCHOOLS AND CHURCHIES -- RISE OF VILLAGES-MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS OF IN- TEREST.
C N the 8th of June, 1848, it was ordered by the County Commissioners of the County of Lake, that all that part of Congressional Town- ship 35 north, Range 7 west, lying in the county of Lake, and the whole of Congressional Township 35, Range 8 west, be set apart and constitute a separate township, to be known by the name of Ross. De- cember 6, 1853, it was ordered by them that Sections 4, 5 and 6,
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ROSS TOWNSHIP.
Township 35, Range 7, be transferred from Ross Township to Hobart Township, and Sections 31, S2 and 33, Township 36, Range 8, be trans- ferred from Hobart to Ross. This township was named for an early settler named Ross, who was killed by a falling tree in 1836. September 3, 1856, Sections 31, 32 and 33, Township 35, Range 8, were stricken from Ross and attached to Centre. But in June, 1857, these three Sec- tions were set back to Ross. The following is found upon records under date of March, 1864 :
WHEREAS, Sundry citizens of Ross Township, having presented a petition to the board praying for the division of said township, and sundry citizens of the same township having presented a remonstrance to said division, the board, without expressing an opinion upon the propriety of the division, order the whole matter to be dismissed on the grounds of informality of the petition.
Since the above, there are no changes, nor attempted changes, of the township recorded.
Water Supply .- The township is well watered. Turkey Creek rises a little north of the center of the western boundary line and takes a northeasterly course, entering Hobart Township, after combining with Deep River, near the northeast corner of Section 1, Township 35, Range 8 west. Deep River enters about the middle of the southern boundary, thence flows in a northeasterly course, striking the east line two miles from the south line, winds north for over a mile along the line; thence, northwest to the center of Section 1, Township 35, Range 8, where Tur- key Creek enters it and the combined streams enter Hobart Township at the place above stated. Spring Run, that flows by Merrillville, is fed by springs and never goes dry. Numerous smaller streams afford water for stock.
Soil, Productions, etc .- Most of the township is fine farming land. It is more sandy in the north than south, but with the exception of the northwest corner there is not enough sand to interfere with agriculture ; and even here fine crop's and vegetables are raised. As an instance of the latter, Amos Hornor states that he raised one cabbage that weighed, head, stem and root, forty-seven pounds. Along Deep River was former- ly a fine belt of heavy timber along the greater part of its course in the township. This varied from one to two miles in width. It is now re- placed by a fine growth of young timber. At first there was but little underbrush, but tall trees with fine trunks stood thick upon the ground. There is a variety of soil, but most of it is excellent quality. It is cer- tainly, taken as a whole, second to no other township for farming. Wild plums were abundant along the streams at one time, but now but few are to be found.
There is a large tract of peat near the town of Ross, a part of which lies on Sections 31 and 32. A company was formed in 1866, with a paid-
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.
up cash capital of $40,000, for the purpose of working this bed of sup- posed wealth. It operated during the summer of 1866, used up its cash, borrowed $12,000, and finally failed in one short season. It sold its land, machinery and all for $6,000, making a clear loss of $16,000. Another company was formed about 1873, which in a short time made another entire failure, but not so large a loss, as they did not open up on so large a scale. It seems that these companies were both badly managed, and owed their failure only in part to natural causes. The peat was found to contain a large amount of sand and other sediment, so that in burning, it left a very heavy ash, which rendered it unfit for many purposes. Both companies prepared large cribs of it, which was sold out at low rates and is now being used by some who live in the vicinity.
Early Settlers .- The following is a list of the first settlers of the township, with the dates, as far as they could be obtained: All agree that one Wiggins, who settled at a point near what is now Merrillville, then called Wiggins' Point, was beyond question the first white man to pitch his tent in the township. Authorities differ as to the date of his coming ; some say 1833, some 1834 and some 1835. It seems probable that 1834 is the correct date, as it is stated on the best of authority that there were not over half a dozen white men in what is now Porter and Lake Counties as early as 1833. In 1835, the following came to the township : John Woods, whose family consisted of his wife, his sons Augustus, Nathan, John, Oliver, and his daughter Mary. Some of these were born after settlement here. In 1836 came Dudley Merrill, Will- iam Merrill, Jacob Vanvalkinburg, Abel Vanvalkinburg, Isaac Vanval- kinburg, Jonathan Brown, George Zuvers and his son Solomon in June, John Bothwell, Jesse Pierce, Myiel Pierce, Henry McGie and Truman Cluff. In 1837 came Ebenezer Saxton, Jonas Rhodes, Clarke Beebee, Lorenzo Beebee, Mr. Prentis, Charles Walton, Royal Benton, Frank Ben- ton. In 1838, came old Mr. Hayward and his sons, Henry and Alfred. Amos Hornor came to the county in 1834, and to what is now Ross Township in 1854. Mr. Guernsey and his sons, Chester, George and Joseph, James Adams and many others came early. Oliver Merrill was born here in 1841, and John P. Merrill in 1842.
Early Events .- Mr. Wiggins, the first settler, was the first white per- son who died in the township. He died in 1836. The first wedding that occurred was romantic in the extreme. The loving couple, who had vowed to be paired at the earliest possible moment, had their plans un- expectedly obstructed by the elements. It was in the spring of 1837, during the rainy season, and a swollen and impassable stream lay between these fond hearts and the Justice of the Peace, who was the only one in the township authorized to make the twain one. Floods could not part
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ROSS TOWNSHIP.
them. Strong lungs summon the Justice of the Peace to the stream, on the other side, while hand in hand and heart to heart stood Lorenzo Bee- bee and Betsey Prentis across the angry waters. Thus they pronounced their vows in bugle tones, while A. L. Ball, the Justice, sent the wel- come words that made the two one, across the rushing waters.
The usual hardships endured by pioneers fell to the lot of those of Ross Township. It often took three weeks to make a trip for supplies. Ox teams were used almost entirely ; as many as five or six yoke were often hitched to one wagon. At first, trips were made to the Wabash, a distance of 130 miles, for provisions. One old settler speaks of starting in March, 1836; the object was to make the round trip before the spring thaw, but the spring sun was too early to allow of this, and the ground thawed, leaving him on the Wabash, with a mother, brother and four small children at home on half-rations. Everything edible was eaten when he returned. In the fall of 1835, the same party had to supply two families with provisions or see them starve. At first, the stock brought in found it hard to get a living through the long, hard winters. In the spring of 1836, out of twelve yoke of oxen, only one breaking team able to do any work could be made up.
The greatest obstruction to travel was the sloughs. In crossing the worst ones, wagons were drawn to the edge, run in by hand as far as they could be, and then dragged through by double or triple teams on the other side, by means of long chains, ropes, etc., attached to the tongue. A novel method of getting loaded wagons across an unbridged stream so as to keep the load dry, is described by an old settler: Two small trees are felled across the stream, they are smoothly trimmed and placed near enough together so that the wagon will go astride them. . The wag- ons are drawn up, pushed on and made to slide over by means of teams on the other side hitched to chains attached to the tongue. The occa- sional difficulty of getting a livelihood is shown by this : In 1837, Eben- ezer Saxton went thirty-five miles to split rails at 50 cents a hundred ; gave $1 a bushel for corn, and gave half the corn to have it taken to mill, and the meal for the other half returned. He could split about two hun- dred rails in a day. Sugar, tea, coffee and such articles were rare luxu- ries, for the reason that they could not be had, and if they could the peo- ple had no money, and no way in which to make any money.
Settlements and Villages .- In the years 1849 and 1850, a Catholic community was formed north of Merrillville, by the settlement of about forty families from Treves and Bavaria, Germany. All of these were Catholics, and they at once organized into a congregation, holding serv- ices at first in private houses. In 1851, they erected a frame church on the site of the present cemetery. Each family contributed as much as.
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.
their meager means would permit. The people prospered and the society grew until in 1863 they completed the present handsome and substantial stone structure of the gothic style of architecture. This was the second Catholic Church built in the county, i. e., the first one built here was the first or mother church, being located at St. Johns. The stone church cost about $5,000. The following are the priests who have officiated here : The Rev. Fathers Fischer, Carius, Gietle, Negmayr, Wehrle, Racho, Koening, Meisner, Frond, F. X. Baumgartner, and H. M. Roth, who is the present incumbent. Rev. Roth officiates at the Hobart Church, and a more genial Christian gentleman one seldom if ever meets.
Merrillville is an old town. It was first called Centreville, but since it has had a post office it has been called Merrillville. The post office was established in 1848. The first stock of goods was kept by Sam Strait and Dudley Merrill about 1843. They dissolved in two years. Mr. Hale was the next merchant. After him, Hale & Kinney, and then the store went back to the Merrills, who have kept it ever since. At one time, there were two stores ; the other was kept by Ike Pierce. The first house built in the town was in about 1843. It was a tavern, and still stands, although it has been added to at different times. It is now called the Merrillville Exchange, and is kept by Thomas Hoffman. They had a temperance organization in town at one tin ... There is now a township library kept in town that isover thirty years old. The sec- ond house built in town is still standing, and is occupied by Solomon Zuvers. It is a log structure, and is now weather-boar .d. This Mr. Zuvers is an eccentric character. According to his own account, he grew to manhood in the almost exclusive society of the Indians. He ate, drank, slept, worked, trapped, traveled and traded with them. He learned Indian as he did English, and talked it as fluently. At one time, he employed eight or nine Indians to trap for L ... ' found them trusty and true-more so than most of the whites. M .avers has been twice across the continent, and nis " By golly, str: ,er," and his "By George, neighbor," doubtless often ring in the me tory of many who have met him, as it does in ours. A wagon factory was built here about twenty-five years ago, and it has been running to some extent ever since. At one time there was a tannery in town. A distillery was built in 1851. This was turned into a steam-mill in 1853 or 1854. It ran as a mill a few years, but has been closed for a long time. Dr. Parmer, from New York, located in this town. He was followed by Dr. Arno, and he by Dr. S. I. Brown, who left, and since there has been no physi- cian here. There has always been a saloon or two in town. One is now- kept in the hotel. This hotel was built by Miles Pierce, and christened, with a bottle of whisky, " Centreville Hotel." At Wiggins Point, near
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ROSS TOWNSHIP.
the site of town, was an Indian village. The burial-ground may still be traced on the old Saxton place. The village now contains about two dozen of families. The best houses are those of J. P. Merrill, D. Mer- rill, William Hide, Alvin Green and John Sponyer. There is a cheese factory in the village, which has been running for six or seven years. It is now using about four thousand pounds of milk a day. The Indian name of this village was McGwinn's Village, after a man who lived, died and was buried here. The Methodist Episcopal Church is a neat brick, built in 1879. The first schoolhouse in the township was built at Centreville in 1833. It was of logs, unhewn, about 12x14 in size. It was chinked with sticks and " daubed " with mud. This was followed by a frame, and that by the present handsome brick, that cost $2,700.
Ross is a town about twenty-five years old. It contains about a dozen families. The railroad started the town. The first house was built by Cornelius Vanness, and used as a hotel at first, and since as a store. It now contains the only store in the town. There is a smithy in town and a grain house ; also a small factory of clothes driers, pat- ented and manufactured by Amos Hornor. The patent is dated 1869. A large grain depot was built in 1857, and burned down in 1868 or 1869. The first Postmaster was John G. Wheeler; the present one is L. D. Holmes. There is now a sort of saloon in town. Dr. Arnold practiced here four or five years. Mr. Rash built the second house, and kept the first stock of goods. He left about 1873. Bissell followed him, and he was followed by L. D. Holmes, and he by T. T. Hayward, who now keeps the only stock of goods in town. There is one church, a brick, built in 1878, costing $2,500. The first schoolhouse was built the year after the town was established. It was a small frame, and gave place in 1875 to a better frame, which cost $350, and is now in use. About the third house built in town, and which is still standing, is of peculiar construction. The studding are all framed into one sill, i. e., the earth was mortised with a spade and the studding stuck in the holes thus made. This is another monument to Necessity, who is said to have given birth to a child that was christened Invention.
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