USA > Indiana > Porter County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 65
USA > Indiana > Lake County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 65
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"A Large Farm .- The largest farm in the township is that of A. N. Hart. The larger part of this vast plantation lies in the northern part of this township. The farm contains 8,000 acres in one body. Mr. Hart has in all 15,000 acres. On his farm are five railroads, five stations, and about fifteen miles of track. As many as eight or nine railroads cross his land, giving him in all about twenty-five miles of track. Most of this land was purchased in 1856 at $1.25 per acre. It was swamp land, and much of it was a swamp de facto. It is now worth from $30 to $300. per acre. Much money has been expended in draining, fencing and other improvements. There are not far from twenty-five miles of fence, and
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.
about the same amount of ditches, large and small, upon his lands. On this large estate he employs about forty hands. The State made an ap- propriation of $5,000 to assist in draining a region in which some of this land lies. Although at first this ditch was only twelve feet wide and two feet deep, it is now from forty to fifty feet wide, and from ten to twelve feet deep. At one place, where it was cut through a ridge, it is 150 feet wide and 50 feet deep. It is three and a half miles in length. Ditching is Mr. Hart's hobby, and he evidently rides it most successfully.
CHAPTER XI.
BY G. A. GARARD.
EAGLE CREEK TOWNSHIP-FORMATION AND FIRST ELECTION-FIRST AND EARLY SETTLERS-GAME-TREED BY A DEER-ANECDOTES AND INCI- DENTS OF INDIAN TIMES-TIMBER THIEVES-DRAINING THE KANKAKEE MARSH-EARLY ITEMS-RELIGIOUS SERVICES-INDUSTRIES-RECORDS. -SCHOOLS.
O N Thursday, the 9th of May, 1839, the County Commissioners ordered that South Township be divided into three townships as fol- lows : "A line drawn through the present township north and south, upon the section line on the west side of the second tier of sections in Range 9, and that part lying to the west of such line to be known and called by the name of West Creek Township. That a second line be drawn north and south through the center of Range 8, and that part lying west of that line and east of West Creek Township to be known and called Cedar Creek Township. And that part lying east of Cedar Creek Town- ship to be known as Eagle Creek Township." It was also ordered at the same time that the elections in Eagle Creek Township be held at the house of Ashbel Goodrich, with Ashbel Goodrich as Inspector. In 1843, the elections were ordered to be held at a schoolhouse on Township 33, Range 11. This township derives its name from Eagle Creek that flows through it from northeast to southwest.
First and Early Settlers .- The following is a somewhat incomplete list of the first and early settlers : Sarah J. Stone, who came to the county in 1835 ; Orrin Smith, 1836; Joseph Morris, 1836; Mr. Mof- fard, 1836; Isaac Bryant, 1838; Alexander F. Brown, who came in the spring of 1840, and was soon killed by a run-away team, leaving two. young sons who have since become prominent citizens ; Michael Pearce. and wife, 1840; Thomas Garvey and family, Duncan Garvey and family and Richard Garvey and family came some time before 1840; Samuel Turner and family came in 1837 ; Mrs. M. J. Pearce, in 1841 ; John
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EAGLE CREEK TOWNSHIP.
Pearce and Alexander Nethery came in 1842; George Brown, C. A. McGill and William Brown, in 1843 ; John A. Crawford and Mrs. M. J. Dinwiddie came in 1844; Thaddeus Williams came in 1845; in 1847, Hugh Boyd, E. Boyd, L. Boyd, Oscar Dinwiddie and James McKnight came. William Dinwiddie, who was the first physician of the township, came here with his family at an early day. Many others, not here men- tioned, came early. Most of these are spoken of in the biographical de- partment, in their own lives, or the lives of their descendants.
Game, Indians, etc .- When the pioneers first settled in Eagle Creek, they could at certain seasons kill all the game that they could use, from the doors of their cabins. The timid deer, through curiosity, often came within range of the settler's rifle as he sat on his door-step. A good hun- ter in the season often killed from six to a dozen in a day, and occasion- ally as many as eighteen. They were so numerous at times that it was necessary to watch them out of the corn-fields to keep them from taking the entire crop. Lorenzo Brainard, one of the first settlers, once shot a deer, " creasing " it across the back, i. e., the ball passed near enough to the spinal column to stun the deer, but not near enough to kill it. The deer fell and Mr. Brainard went up to it and, taking out his knife, was about to bleed it, when it sprang to its feet, flourished its antlers and started toward Mr. Brainard. There was a small tree near at hand and Mr. Brainard made all haste to that tree and reached it just in time to escape the sharp prongs of the ponderous antlers. The deer walked around the tree, stamped, struck it with its antlers and seemed determined to carry on a regular siege. However, the siege was soon raised by some one with a gun coming near enough to shoot the deer. Although the In- dians were very fond of venison, they would give several pounds of it for one pound of pork. This was probably owing to the fact that they had such an abundance of venison and but very little pork. Strange as it may seem, with all the abundance of game, a few of the old settlers never killed a deer. Instead of hunting, these devoted themselves to raising domestic animals and with these they could buy all the wild meat that they wished from the hunters and Indians. The wolves were the worst enemies of the pioneers. They were so numerous and bold that they would come in spite of dogs and gun into the very door-yards and carry off pigs and poultry. About 1850, a bear crossed the eastern part of the township. The Kankakee with its islands and marsh is peculiarly adapted to all kinds of game native to this region. When the white people came, it was alive with game. The Indians were greatly attached to this region, and when they found that they must go and leave this happy hunting ground, they very naturally felt disposed to make trouble.
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.
Seeing that they must leave this hunter's paradise to the white man, they resolved to despoil it as far as was in their power before leaving. They proceeded to destroy all kinds of game as fast as they could. The settlers, seeing the destruction, and knowing the motive, got together and went to the marsh where the work of destruction was proceeding. When the Indians saw the determined spirit of the settlers, they desisted. Although the Indians are generally supposed to be of a stolid and taciturn disposition, the Pottawatomies, at least, were fond of fun, and sometimes indulged in practical jokes. An example of their fun-loving spirit may be narrated here with propriety, although it occurred over the line in Porter County. Mrs. Simeon Bryant, who now lives at Hebron, tells of the Indians playing such pranks as fastening people up in their houses and cellars. Two young Indians, sons of one of the chiefs, used often to come to Mr. Bryant's. They took great pleasure in teasing a girl of about their own age, who was working at Mr. Bryant's. They would watch her, fasten her in a small house where provisions were kept, and annoy her in many ways. One day one of them placed himself with out- stretched arms in the doorway through which she wished to pass with a pan of buttermilk. He refused to stand aside. Finally, losing her patience, she dashed the pan of milk in his face, when he got out of the way in a hurry. He seemed surprised and offended. Some time after- ward, she had occasion to go to the tent of the father of the boys. They seemed to have been drinking, for when they saw her they seized their tomahawks and threatened to kill her; she laughed at them, and her undaunted courage shamed them so that they allowed her to depart unharmed. The Indians used to camp to the number of two or three hundred on Red Oak Island. Here many of them were buried. The Indians bury their dead north and south, while civilized people the world over place the bodies in an east and west direction.
Timber Thieves .- Much valuable timber has been stolen from the islands of the marsh and rafted down the Kankakee. Momence, in Illi- nois, was the principal rendezvous of these thieves. In early times, this went on unmolested. Even as late as 1869, the stealing continued. The summer of 1869 was an usually wet one, and the river was very high. This made it especially easy for the thieves to cut the timber and float it away without being detected. Red Oak Island was the principle point at which the thieving was being done at this time. The land-owners heard of the depredations that were being committed, organized a party, and proceeded with proper precaution toward the place where the timber was being stolen. They approached the camp at night, but were unable to reach it until after daylight the next morning. Four men were captured and taken to Lowell for trial. Nine rafts of fine timber, from fifty to
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EAGLE CREEK TOWNSHIP.
one hundred feet in length, were found. Several had already gone down the river to Momence. Rev. T. H. Ball, in his history of Lake County, says : " Another division of this party, with three boats, made in the day about thirty miles of marsh and river navigation. They met with some interesting incidents by way of variety. One of the boatmen, ' pulling ' his boat along, lost his balance, and succeeded in regaining it from the bottom of the marsh, into which he of course plunged. Others met with similar mishaps. When about to leave the river, one young man, who had succeeded in keeping dry all day, proposing to perform one more feat, pushed in a small trapper boat to try a shot at some ducks. Drawing sufficiently near, he stood up and fired. The re-action of the gun, in that frail bark, sent him backward into the water, holding on still, as he disappeared, to the destructive weapon. He secured a duck and also a ducking, to the great amusement of those who had met with like accidents during the day. If not so successful as they hoped to be, the party put some stop to the rafting of their timber down to Momence."
Draining the Kankakee Marsh .- The draining of the Kankakee Marsh is a subject that has received much attention from speculators. The original scheme is still known among the people as the "Swamp Land Speculation." A large amount of swamp land was given by the United States to the several States on certain conditions. In 1852, Indiana passed a law to regulate the sale of these lands and provide for their draining. One hundred and eighty sections of this land were located in this county. The proceeds of this land, over and above the cost of draining, were to go to the school fund. The Governor appointed a swamp land commission for each county. After these commissions had served for a time, committees were appointed to investi- gate their proceedings ; large "leaks" and much regular stealing was dis- covered in Lake County. It is estimated that not less than $100,000 was stolen, while, perhaps, $40,000 or $50,000 was expended on the marsh. The sums stolen varied in amount from small sums up to $20 ;- 000. Although the school fund never realized anything from the opera- tions in this county, the money actually expended in ditching did a good deal of good, and if the whole amount had been thus expended. the benefit would have been very great. The parties who took the contracts for most of the work made their bids so low that no one who really intended to do the work could afford to take a contract. Most of those who took the contracts began the ditches at the edges of the marsh of the prop ... . lepth, made them more shallow farther in, where the sod or mat of roos was all that was removed, and in many places just mowed a swath the required width through the marsh grass. It is stated on good authority ti t pay was drawn for many ditches that were never so much as staked on
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.
Early Items .- The first settlers here had to go to La Porte or Michi- gan City to mill, and to buy their supplies. They were often obliged to grate corn, and to grind buckwheat in coffee mills. Before the Indians left, there were two trading stores on Red Oak Island. Bertrand and La Voire, two Frenchmen, who had Indian wives, were the proprietors.
The first birth was probably that of John Pearce, who was born in 1841. The first marriage was that probably of Miss Polly Garvey to Esidor Prunicorn, by Squire Turner, of Crown Point. A post office was established about twenty-three years ago, at a point four miles west and a little south of Hebron, on land now owned by Charles Henderson. It remained here a short time, when it was moved a short distance north- east to William Brown's. It is not now in existence.
Churches .- The first religious services were held in the house of Michael Pearce, about 1845, by the United Presbyterians. The first ser- mon was preached by Benjamin Baldrich. Services were held for a number of years at Centre Schoolhouse, and at Lower Eagle Creek for a number of years. Rev. Buchanan, of Hebron, preached at these places. There was a Baptist organization at Plum Grove for several years. No church has been built within the limits of Eagle Creek Township. Re- ligious services and Sabbath schools have been held at different times in the various schoolhouses.
Industries .- There have never been any manufacturing establish- ments of much importance in the township. About twenty-five years ago, a water-mill for sawing was built on Eagle Creek. The building was a very light frame, and was not well constructed. The supply of water was insufficient, and the mill did but very little work. During the winter of 1866-67, a portable saw-mill was set up on Section 25. This stayed until September, of the same year, when it was moved to Cedar Creek Township. No grist-mill has ever been built in the township. A cheese factory was built in the northeastern part of the old Turner farm, by a Chicago firm ; they ran it a part of one season, when it suffered the same fate of the one at Orchard Grove, for an account of which see the history of Cedar Township. The township has been and now is almost exclu- sively agricultural. Its fine farms, commodious and even elegant farm- houses, are suggestive of independence and solid comfort.
Schools, etc .- The Board of Trustees met at the house of Michael Pearce, on the 22d of April, 1853. Present : Michael Pearce, Samuel Turner and S. O. Servis. William Brown was clerk. At this time, A. - J. McCann was Treasurer, and his bond was $1,500. John W. Dinwid- die and S. Andrews, were sureties on the bond. It was ordered, " That the Treasurer pay to Caroline Burdine $26 for services rendered in School District No. 6, Township 33, Range 7 west, for the winter of 1852-53."
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EAGLE CREEK TOWNSHIP.
At the same time, Mary McGill was allowed the sum of $10.10 for teach- ing in the same district. Mr. Huffman was allowed the sum of 44 cents as Treasurer of Township 33, Range 7 west. By a vote taken on May 23, 1853, at the schoolhouse in District No. 6, Township 33, Range 7, a tax of 25 cents on one hundred dollars was voted for school purposes. No- vember 18, 1853, $9.60 was voted to Cynthia Wallace for services rendered in District No. 1. The first school of the township was taught near where Jerome Dinwiddie now lives, not far from the site of Plum Grove School- house. This was during the winter of 1846-47, in a small log house that was built by Alfred Bucklew to hold a claim. The first teacher here and in the township was Mary Ann Thompson. The second schoolhouse was built where Isaac Bryant now lives ; this was a small log cabin ; it stood until a few years ago, but was used during a part of the time for a black- smith shop. The first teacher in this house was Miss McGill, now Mrs. David Bryant. The second teacher was Miss Sherwood. Miss Cynthia Hogan and Miss Jane McGlashen, who married Samuel Turner, were among the other early teachers here. The following is a list of the teach- ers for the last three years, as far as shown by the records : 1880, Dis- trict No, 1, Mary Boad and Frank Doak ; No. 2, Lora Henderson ; No. 3, Martha J. Brown and Edith M. Brown ; No. 4, Ella Talcott and Clara A. Bliss ; No. 5, Mertie B. Johnson ; No. 6, Ella Dennison and M. J. Brown ; No. 7, Cynthia Wood. 1881, No. 1, Annie R. McWilliams and Mera Merton ; No. 2, Jennie Talcott and M. J. Brown ; No. 3, Frank Doak and Carrie Buchanan ; No. 4, Ella Talcott and Ida E. Fisher ; No. 5, Mertie B. Johnson and Samuel Turner ; No. 6, Hattie Bryant and Mary E. Davidson ; No. 7, Cynthia Wood and Tillie Beattie ; No. 8, W. C. Kelly. 1882, No. 1, Clara Irish ; No. 2, Martha Haste; No. 3, Mary L. Dunn ; No. 4, Ida E. Fisher ; No. 5, Carrie Buchanan ; No. 6, Anna Kelly ; No. 7, Jurilla J. King; No. 8, Sue Hildreth. Some of the other early teachers were George Doak, Mr. Cutler, Mr. Curtiss, Miss Fannie Van Houten (now Mrs. John Abrams, of Crown Point), Miss Lizzie Foster (now Mrs. John Pearce), and Henrietta Ball.
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.
CHAPTER XII.
BY G. A. GARARD.
WEST CREEK TOWNSHIP -- FORMATION AND NAME - LIST OF FIRST AND EARLY SETTLERS-EARLY INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES-FIRST THINGS- INDUSTRIES-CHURCHES-SCHOOLS.
O N the 9th of May, 1839, the County Commissioners ordered that South Township be divided, and that that part of it lying west of a line drawn north and south on the section line on the west side of the second tier of sections in Range 9 be known as West Creek Township. The boundaries were so changed June 8, 1853, as to embrace Section 1, Township 33, Range 10, and Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6, Township 33, Range 9. The township took its name from West Creek, which flows through it from north to south. The creek was so named because of its being farthest west of the three creeks that flow through the south part of the county.
Early Settlers .- The following is a list of the first and early settlers of the township: Robert Wilkinson and family, who came March 5, 1835. He was generally known as Judge Wilkinson, as he was Judge of the Probate Court at an early day. John Kitchel came in 1836. Nehe- miah Hayden and family in 1837. Adian Sanger in 1838, as did Nehe- miah Spaulding, who was a blacksmith. Peter Hathaway came the same year, and brought a large family of boys ; one of them, Abraham, was married when he came, which was in 1839, in which year B. Hathaway and Silas Hathaway came. November 23, 1841, William Sanders and family came. In this year there were only fifteen voters in the township. Daniel Pulver and George Belshaw came in 1842, and A. D. Palmer in 1845. The following were also among the early settlers : Simeon Bea- dle and family, George Ferguson and family, John J. Michaels, Joseph Jackson, Alfred Foster, Lyman Foster, Calvin Taylor, Paul Dodge, Will- iam D. Taber, Johnson Wheeler, John D. Jones, two brothers by the name of French, one of whom was married, Hiriam Dilley, Reuben Chap- man, the Widow Trullinger and her son and daughter, a Mr. Sprague, who soon joined the Mormons and went to Nauvoo, Worthington A. Clark, Maj. Torrey, Henry Torrey, Thomas Wiles, Jabez Rhodes and family, and John Green, a widower, with eight children, seven daughters and one son. This son was killed at the time of Harrison's election, while carrying the ballot box under his arm. He was riding a spirited horse, and hurrahing for his candidate, when, his horse becoming frightened, he
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WEST CREEK TOWNSHIP.
was thrown, striking upon the shoulder of the arm under which the bal- lot box was carried. His ribs were broken, and he received internal in- juries from which he died in a short time.
Incidents and Anecdotes .- Game was abundant and tame here at an early day. Peter Hathaway went to his stable one morning and found a deer on a hay stack near; he took his gun and shot it where it lay. Wolves were so numerous and bold that pigs and poultry were hard to keep. They were sometimes so bold as to go up to the open doors of the settlers and survey the inmates. Robert Wilkinson once killed ten deer before break- fast. The Indians often killed the hogs of the settlers as they ran wild in the woods; aside from this and begging and borrowing, they seldom gave the whites any trouble. In 1837, they carried off Elizabeth, the in- fant daughter of David and Elizabeth Pulver. They took the child from a cradle in the house, where she was sleeping beside her twin brother John. The Indians carried the infant to camp two or three miles away, where they concealed it in a covered wagon. As soon as the child was missed, the Indians were suspected and followed to camp. When they saw the whites coming, the savages knew that they were after the child, and taking it from the wagon passed it from one to another through the camp. They petted, kissed and fondled the child as if very loth to give it up ; however, they gave it up without resistance, and Mrs. Edward Ashton lives to tell the story, although she was quite young at that time, being then in her sixth month. Two sons of Myer Spaulding, when quite small, got lost upon the marsh. They were out all night, and told the next day, when found, that the dogs came and "laughed " at them. These " dogs " were doubtless wolves, and the little fellows knew nothing of the danger through which they passed. We quote the following from Ball's History of Lake County : "The first settler at West Creek, R. Wilkinson, first Probate Judge, had some rather provoking experiences with the Indians. He was raising the walls of his log cabin, log by log, with the assistance of his son, Noah, and his wife, when fifteen or twenty stout Indians gathered round and looked on. As, by means of hand- spikes and mechanical contrivances, the three succeeded in getting the logs in place, the Indians stood around and laughed. And when greater efforts than usual were needed to raise some heavy stick, and it seemed likely to slide back upon the tugging toilers, the Indians continued to stand around and laugh, until the vexed settler felt inclined to walk in among them with a handspike. * * The same settler returning from the Wabash region with a wagon load of provisions, drawn by oxen, and accompanied by one of his sons, having been absent many days longer than was anticipated, reached the bank of West Creek near nightfall, and found the water so high that his team could not ford the steam. Leav-
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.
ing the oxen to look out for themselves, and his son to sleep in the wagon, with some corn meal in a sack strapped upon his head he swam the stream and reached his home, distant some half mile from the bank, and supplied the most pressing home want. The next day, trying in vain to borrow some good canoes from his Indian neighbors, who, although not trouble- some, do not seem to have been obliging, he brought his son over in a little ' dug-out,' and also an additional supply of provisions, and left the wagon for some two weeks, until the water abated."
First Events .- The first birth occurred in the family of Robert Wil- kinson. It was a son, and was named William, although it did not live any length of time. The first death was that of Edward Hatton, who was killed in the spring of 1836 while working for Robert Wilkinson. He was felling timber and splitting rails, and had cut a tree which lodged on a smaller one. The small tree was bent over by the large one resting upon it; Hatton stepped up to the small tree and struck his ax into it ; the tree split and a part flew back, striking him down instantly. He died in a short time, and was buried on land now owned by Mr. Wason. The grave is not marked. Statements differ as to what marriage occurred first. The first and only post office that West Creek has had was estab- lished in 1839 or 1840, with Robert Wilkinson as Postmaster. It was known as West Creek Post Office, and was kept up until May 4, 1882, when it was discontinued. Mr. Wilkinson kept the office until 1855. Maj. Torry and E. P. Farley each held the office several years. The office being kept at farmhouses, was moved several times. Joshua Spaul - ding was the last Postmaster. The first store in the township was kept by Joseph Jackson, who was granted a license by the County Commis- sioners for one year from January 1, 1838, to sell " foreign groceries." The fee charged was $5. The first election was held at the house of Robert Wilkinson in 1836. Three votes were cast at this election ; these were cast by Robert Wilkinson, Thomas Wiles and Jesse Bond. R. Wil- kinson received two votes for the office of Justice of the Peace, and Thomas Wiles received one vote for the same office. Mr. Wilkinson was declared elected by a majority of one vote. It was a very small majority, although as large as it could have been without Mr. Wilkinson voting for himself.
Industries, etc .- In early times, furs were an important source of reve- nue, but soon the frontier trapper and hunter became the flourishing farmer and stock-raiser. Even at the present time thousands of water- fowl frequent the river and marsh in certain seasons, and some parties make a business at such times of shooting game here for the Chicago market. But raising grain and rearing stock has been the main depend- ence of the inhabitants. This township claims the banner for fine, heavy horses, and it seems that they have good reason for feeling proud of their
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