USA > Indiana > Pulaski County > Counties of White and Pulaski, Indiana. Historical and biographical > Part 60
USA > Indiana > White County > Counties of White and Pulaski, Indiana. Historical and biographical > Part 60
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Early Land Holders .- The following is a list of some of the first persons who purchased land in the township : Jacob Replogle, 160 acres in Section 11, January 6, 1840 ; Jacob Phipps, 130 acres in Section 32, July 20, 1840; Michael Hanson, forty-four acres in Section 31, March 1, 1841; Thomas Iaslay, eighty acres in Section 31, March 16, 1841; George Trapp, 160 acres in Section 31, April 24, 1841 ; Jesse Millison, 163 acres in Section 31, July 21, 1841 ; William Merritt, forty-seven
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HISTORY OF PULASKI COUNTY.
acres in Section 31, August 30, 1841; George Myers, fifty-four acres in Section 31, March 15, 1841 ; Gilbert J. Rice, forty-six acres in Section 31, March 15, 1841; Mr. Lane, 160 acres in Section 32, March 2, 1841 ; Rebecca Eikelbamer, eighty acres in Section 29, May 22, 1841; Zebman Sheets, eighty acres in the same section, July 11, 1841; Jesse Meeks, ninety-one acres in Section 19, June 4, 1841; Theodore Kuhekamp, sixty-three acres in Section 19, October 20, 1841; Casper Stottinger, 199 acres in Section 19, November 23, 1841; Bishop D. Graves, sixty- one acres in Section 19, December 23, 1841; Samuel Richardson, eighty acres in Section 20, September 13, 1841; Lewis James, 160 acres in Section 14, November 7, 1842; Peter Young, eighty acres in Section 14, November 7, 1842, and William Laureax, one acre in Section 18, June 3, 1842. The first men who purchased land in the township were James Justice, Eli Demoss, Peter W. Demoss, Jesse Justice, Jacob Phipps and Hiram Lunsford, and in this connection may be mentioned the names of Jeremiah Allen and Jacob Shoup (pioneers), who purchased land soon the first land sale.
Elections .- At an election held at the house of John Pearson, in the town of Winamac, in Pulaski County. on Monday, August 5, 1839, the following men from Tippecanoe Township voted : Eli Demoss, James De- moss, Jacob Replogle, Peter W. Demoss and James Justice. There was an election held in Winamac at the house of Andrew Keys, on the first Monday in August, 1840, when the following men cast their ballots : Pe- ter W. Demoss, James Demoss, George Replogle, John Demoss, Jacob Rep- logle and Eli Demoss ; and at an election held at the same place on Mon- day, the 2d day of November, 1840, for the purpose of electing nine Presidential Electors, the following men from Tippecanoe Township voted: James Demoss, Peter W. Demoss, John R. Demoss, James Martin, Jacob Phipps, Elijah Justice, Mishahel Munson and Benjamin Munson. At an election held at the house of Eli Demoss in Tippecanoe Township, on the first Monday in April, 1841, for the purpose of electing one Consta- ble, an Inspector of Elections, two Supervisors, two Fence Viewers and two Overseers of the Poor, the following men voted: George Replogle, James Demoss, Robert Corbett, John R. Demoss, Jacob Replogle, Eli Demoss, Jesse Justice, Peter W. Demoss, Jesse E. Billinger, Elijah Jus- tice, S. Downing and John Molar. Jesse Justice was Inspector, and James Demoss and Jacob Replogle, Judges of the election. This is with- out question the first election held in the township. At an election held at the house of Eli Demoss, in Tippecanoe Township, on the 31st of May, 1841, for the purpose of electing a Justice of the Peace, the following men voted : George Replogle, John Demoss, Jacob Replogle, James De- moss, John Molar, Elias Replogle and Jesse Justice. The first officers
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in the township were elected at an election held at the house of Eli De- moss, on the 5th day of April, 1841, and the following are the names of the officers and the number of votes that each received : Jesse Justice, twelve votes for Inspector of Election ; Elijah Justice, eleven votes for Constable; Jacob Replogle and Jacob Phipps, each twelve votes for Supervisor of Roads ; Eli Demoss and Jacob Phipps, each twelve votes for Overseers of the Poor; and George Replogle and John R. Demoss each twelve votes for Fence Viewers. These eight persons were elected to office in the township almost two months before Eli Demoss (the first Justice of the Peace in the township) was elected. At an election held at the house of James Justice (the place of voting in the township had now been ordered changed by the Commissioners from the house of Eli Demoss to that of James Justice) on the first Monday in August, 1842, the following men voted : Peter W. Demoss, Hiram Lunsford, Elijah Jus- tice, John R. Demoss, Jacob Replogle, John Justice, Eli Demoss, Cyrus Kail, James Justice, Jesse Justice, Charles Polk, George Replogle and John Hoffman. At an election held at Winamac in the house of John Pearson, on the 13th of May, 1839, Peter W. Demoss, of Tippecanoe Township, received twenty-two votes for County Commissioner, but was not elected.
Living Pioneers .- Almost a half century has passed since the sounds of the first white man's ax were heard ringing through the forest. He has departed. The house he first erected is long since torn down, and scarcely a trace of his existence is now discernible. Time has wrought its great and wonderful changes. The first and noble pioneer of Tippe- canoe Township is long since gone, and many are they who have followed him. Only a small number of the old pioneers yet remain in the town- ship, who are doing battle in the great army of life's conflict. They are as follows : Eli Demoss, Jeremiah Allen, Lafayette Sloan, Debolt Fog- gle, Martin Keller, Sr., Valentine Reinholdt and John Demoss. James Demoss, whose birth occurred in the fall of 1842, was the first white child born within the limits of the township.
First Marriage, Death, etc .- The first marriage within the borders of the township was that of Michael Shaffer (a widower) and Miss Catharine Shanks. The wedding took place at the house of Eli Demoss, on the 3d of July, 1842. Justice of the Peace Eli Demoss performed the ceremony.
The year 1835 dates the time of the death of George Replogle, the first white person who died in the township. The undertakers at this burial were two persons, a Frenchman and his (squaw) wife, who used only an ax, a broad-ax, a maul, an iron wedge and a foot-adz, in making the coffin, which was constructed from a tree of basswood, and made in the
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form of a trough, in which the body was placed, and the same covered with a hollowed semi-circular cover made from the same tree. The re- mains were interred in the Monterey burying-ground, and from that time until this the resting-place of the first white dead of the township has been marked only by two large bowlders, one at the head and the other at the foot of the grave.
Incidents .- Eli Demoss, Jeremiah Allen (the early-times-incident-re- later-and-story-teller of the township) and Jacob Shoup, take pleasure in relating the scenes of hardship, trial and pleasure that occurred in those early days-of the many agencies and devices employed to keep beyond the line of suffering and starvation ; of the great distance to neighbors ; of the long way walked to house-raisings ; of drawing wheat with oxen to Michigan City, and selling it for 28 cents per bushel ; of the large number of deer and wolves that roamed through the woods, as wild as they ; of the occasional bear and the bear-hunt; of the social and general good feeling then existing between neighbors and neighborhoods ; of those good old times when distinctions and castes were unknown in the community ; of all these things of " ye olden time " is it that all old settlers love to think.
Cholera .- The only serious epidemic known in the history of the township was in the year 1853, when a German emigrant family came from Chicago to visit relatives, and brought with them that dread disease -cholera. At the end of the fourth day, there had twelve persons died. Excitement ran high in the township for almost one week. There have been other epidemics in the township, but not of such a serious nature.
First Inn .- The first tavern kept in the township was one conducted by Peter Kroft, in a hewed-log house at Monterey. The tavern had not sufficient patronage to warrant its continuance, and hence was soon dis- continued.
Mills .- The first saw and grist mills erected in the township were built about the year 1845, by Comfort Olds, on the Tippecanoe River, in the western part of the township. A dam was constructed, and a mill-race built. At times, these mills did considerable business, but were only run a few years, until they began changing hands, and soon run down and lost patronage, and finally were almost abandoned. While the mills were repairing in 1852, Calvin Olds was instantly killed. These mills long since have been counted among the dead and extinct enter- prises of the township. Some old timbers and portions of the dam are the only discernible traces of that which was. The second and principal saw and grist mills in the township were built on the Tippecanoe River, at Monterey, in the year 1869, by Collins, Foster & Stotts, at an estimat- ed cost of $8,000. These were steam mills, and did an extensive busi-
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ness until they were destroyed by fire on the 9th of November, 1872. These mills passed through the hands of Demoss & Walters. Walters rebuilt the saw mill about the year 1873, and the next year sold the in- terest to a man by the name of Hoy, who ran it a short time, and then sold it to a Mr. Cranz, who conducted the same for three or four years, when the entire business ceased.
Roads .- The roads in the township, until within a few years past, were almost wholly unimproved, and ran in almost all directions. The year 1870 dates the beginning of extended improvements on the roads in the township, and improvements were continued, until now most of the highways are placed upon section lines, and a majority of them in good condition, and compare favorably with the roads in any of the townships in the county.
For many years there has been established a hack and mail route, which runs from Winamac to Monterey, in Tippecanoe Township. Three trips are made each week, and the mail days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
The completion of the railroad dates the beginning of a new era in the history of Tippecanoe Township. The new road, Chicago & Atlantic, enters the township about one mile southeast of Monterey, on the north- east quarter of Section 12, and runs in a northwesterly direction across the township. More is said of this road in connection with the village of Monterey.
Bridges .- The first bridge of any note erected in the township was one built by subscription across the Tippecanoe River at Monterey in 1850. This was a wooden bridge, and did service for quite a number of years. Before the bridge was built, there arose a contention as to where it should be located, and so bitter became the dissatisfaction that the next year, 1851, a man by the name of Vurpillat, and quite a number of others, raised a subscription and built a bridge across the river, about two miles northwest of Monterey. This is said to have been an excellent bridge for its day, and lasted many years ; the bridge is known in history as Vurpillat's Bridge. The third bridge in the township was built across the Tippecanoe River at Monterey, on the site of the bridge of 1850, in the year 1869; this bridge was an inferior one, and fell down in the tenth year after its erection. The fourth bridge built across the river in the township is the iron one at Monterey, erected by the Canton (Ohio) Bridge Company, in 1879, at a cost to the county of about $8,000. The bridge is one hundred and twenty feet long, and well built, and is, with reasonable use, destined to stand at least a score of years.
Miscellaneous .- About three-quarters of a mile west of Monterey, on the northwest quarter of Section 11, are still found traces of what
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HISTORY OF PULASKI COUNTY.
was once one of the largest beaver dams in the country. It covered an area of forty acres, and had an average depth of four feet of water. There are still existing traces of several lesser dams of the same kind in the township. Where these dams once were, now is produced each year a luxuriant growth of vegetation.
In the winter of 1841, Peter W. Demoss employed himself and hands in getting out the timber for the frame barn which he erected the next spring, and finished in the fall ; this was the first frame barn built in the township. The barn was very large for a building of that day, being in size 60x80 feet. The raising was attended by nearly every man in the township, besides the large numbers who came from Winamac and the adjoining counties. But this great early-time structure is soon tempora- rily converted into a meeting-house, and the first sermon preached in the township was in this barn, soon after its completion, by Rev. Hardy Cane, a traveling missionary of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Services were held at this place occasionally for about one year. Besides the religious service held in this barn, it became noted for miles around as the best dancing-hall that the country afforded. Here the lads and the lasses of the " long ago," would meet for social mirth and enjoyment. This famous preaching-dancing barn stood the winds of many winters, and was not torn down until quite recently.
Tippecanoe Township has not less than 100 miles of public drainage, created at an estimated cost of about $15,000. Land that was almost worthless has been made very valuable through public drainage, and many farms in the township have been made fifty per cent more valuable by having public ditches run near, or through them.
Village of Monterey .- This enterprising village of about 300 in- habitants is situated in the northeastern part of the township on the Tippecanoe River, and is in one of the finest agricultural districts in the county. Monterey (formerly Buena Vista) was laid out in 1849, by Eli and Peter W. Demoss, the owners of the lands from which the original plat (twenty-six lots in Section 1, and eight lots in Section 12) was- surveyed. The first addition to the original survey was made by Dr. William Kelsey; the second, by Michael Keitzer ; the third, by Eli Demoss, and the fourth and last by, Mrs. Helen Keitzer. The name of the village remained Buena Vista until the establishment of the post office in the place, when it was discovered that there was an office in the south- ern part of the State named Buena Vista, and then the name was changed to that of Monterey. The town is named in honor of the war-famed Monterey in Mexico.
The first buildings erected in the village were a house and blacksmith shop built by Barnhart Stotts. The first store started in the village was
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by Dale & Parker, who kept a stock of dry goods and groceries. The whole amount of capital invested being about $250. This firm continued in business a short time, and then sold its stock of goods to the firm of Allen, Campbell & Demoss, which did a more extensive business. Dr. A. G. Duerr was the first physician, and Joseph Dale the first Postmaster in the village. The town grew very slowly, and the business interests were few in the place for quite a number of years. The completion of the Chicago & Atlantic Railway to the village on the 16th of October, 1882, has given the place a second birth, and it is no longer the dead old town of Monterey. Within the past year, quite a number of business buildings have been erected, and the work of building and improvement continues. The saying, "that a railroad makes a town" is being verified at Monterey.
William Buehrle, general merchant and dealer, has a store con- tinually filled with a choice line of dry goods and groceries. Mr. B. carries a stock amounting to about $5,000, and is doing a good business.
W. W. & A. F. Garner are doing an excellent trade in the clothing, dry goods and grocery line. This store, though recently started, has made for itself a reputation that already extends for many miles around.
Dry goods and groceries of the best quality are to be found at S. W. Tobey's place of business. The post office is kept at this store and Mr. Tobey, the Postmaster, gives entire satisfaction as the agent, of the Government.
Lafayette Sloan deals in groceries and notions, and has estab- lished for himself a good trade. W. S. Rannells has a full line of choice and pure drugs, medicines, oils, paints, etc., etc. Long experience and good patronage in the drug trade have created for Mr. Rannells a prof- itable business. Debolt Vogle, boot and shoe manufacturer, began opera- tions in the village in 1852. Mr. Vogle has met with much success. John Shoemaker, in the hardware business, has succeeded in making for himself a business of much trade and prosperity. The history of the business of the village would be incomplete if there was omitted from its roll of enterprises a mention of William Allen, who deals extensively in agricultural implements and buggies.
One of the greatest interests in the place is the extensive steam flour- ing mill of Solomon Zehner. This mill has been in operation for many years, and has gained a marked reputation for the excellent quality of the flour it makes. This mill brings to the village much trade, and is one of the substantial enterprises of the place.
In addition, the village has the following persons engaged in business : H. S. Fansler, cabinet-maker; Allen & Hay, cabinet-makers; Peter Hartman, blacksmith ; Jacob Buekner, carpenter ; John Hartman, car-
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penter; Leopold Teechner, wagon and carriage manufacturer ; John Bur- get, tinner ; Newton Sayler, painter; George Reynolds, mason and plasterer; Nicholas Miller, stone-mason ; R. B. Stotts, well-driver ; Campbell & Brown, butchers; Serphim Schuh, butcher ; Mrs. Garner, milliner ; Misses Dora and Hattie Sloan, dress-makers; P. Edson, har- ness-maker ; S. C. Demoss, barber ; and Peter A. Folmar, Pius Scholl and Jacob Wendling, saloonists. The village has the following doctors : William Kelsey, W. E. Kelsey, W. S. Rannells and A. E. Stephens. Monterey has two good hotels, the Monterey House and the Tobey House, which are known for many miles because of the good accommo- dations they each possess, and for the courteous treatment guests receive at the hands of their " mine hosts."
The Monterey Cornet Band was organized in the year 1880 by George and Michael Langenbahn, with the following members : William Allen, Charles Scholl, Henry Keitzer, Joseph Freese, William E. Kel- sey, C. G. Kelsey, Lucius Betts, Franklin Smith, Charles Hoover, An- drew Kranz and John Burger. Most of the original numbers still belong to the organization, which at present is a flourishing condition. Eighteen hundred and seventy-three dates the organization of the Monte- rey Grange. The society succeeded in gaining a membership of about fifty, and was attended with as much prosperity as usually followed Grange organizations.
Eleven posts, a ruined wall and growing mushrooms mark the place where the second Limburg cheese factory of the United States is said to have been established. The factory was built at Monterey in 1875 by M. S. Rosendall. Here many tons of " limburger " were manufactured and shipped to different parts of the country. By a wreck on the rail- road, it is said that Mr. Rosendall lost a ton of his "precious " manu- facture. The enterprise was continued two years, and then, on account- of financial embarrassment upon the part of the proprietor, the cheese business was abandoned. Ten years almost have passed, but the citizens of the place still claim that the fumes of " old limburger " are yet repug- nant.
The Methodist Episcopal Church at Monterey was erected in 1871. The building is a neat frame 36x40 feet, and built at a cost of $1,400. The first Trustees were Dr. William Kelsey, Phillip Wideman and Jere- miah Allen. Rev. Burnet Beal was the first minister. Previous to the erection of the church the society held services in the schoolhouse. The organization has a membership of about thirty, and Rev. William Ma- haffie is the present minister.
The German Lutheran Church was built in 1869 at an estimated cost of $1,800. The building is a frame structure 30x50 feet. The organi-
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zation contains a membership of about thirty, and is at present without a regular minister.
St. Mary's Catholic Church is located about two and one-half miles northwest of Monterey, on the northwest quarter of Section 3, and was built about thirty years ago. The present Trustees are Joseph Giry, Jacob Newmyre and Peter Themise. The membership is quite large, numbering about two hundred. Father Flish is the present pastor.
The first Sabbath school in the township was held in what was known as Downing's Schoolhouse, on Section 24, in 1850. At the time of or- ganization, the school only enrolled twelve members.
In a very rude round-log cabin, 16x18 feet, that stood on Francis Campbell's farm, in Section 2, was it that the first school in Tippecanoe Township was taught. The same was conducted by Samuel Gilbert in the winter of 1841-42. The school was very small and the teacher was poorly paid. The first schoolhouse in the township was one built of hewed logs on Section 12, in 1844. The building was 18x20 feet, and built at a cost of $75. The school ground was donated by John Steis, and the first teacher was William Demoss. The township contains nine frame schoolhouses, of which the graded school building at Monterey is the best. This building was commenced in the fall of 1872 and finished in the summer of 1873. The structure is 28x40 feet and two stories high, and contains four rooms. Thomas McNany was Trustee of the township during the building of this schoolhouse. The exact cost of the house was $1,396. Wesley Wickersham taught the first school. In 1873, John Doyle was Principal, and Clara Demoss, primary teacher ; in 1881, Hampton Redic, Principal, and Lydia Christ, primary teacher, and in 1882, Jerome Hall is Principal, and Miss Bates, primary teacher. The estimated value of school property in the township for 1882 is $3,625.
At an election held at the New Myer Schoolhouse on the first Mon- day in April, 1882, R. B. Stotts received 63 votes for Justice of the Peace ; Ferdinand Reinholdt received 126 votes for Township Trustee ; William Allen received 73 votes for Assessor ; Ambrose Keitzer received 62 votes, and Aaron D. Graves received 25 votes for Constable ; Ephraim Willson received 59 votes for Road Supervisor ; L. B. Jenkins, Inspector ; John G. Bitterling and James Wallace, Judges ; V. Hazel and E. White- side, Clerks.
The first ballot box ever used in the township is one of many years. The same is eleven inches long. seven and one-half inches wide, and seven and one-half inches high, and is now in the possession of Mrs. Jacob Shoup, of Winamac. The first votes were deposited in this box in 1841.
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CHAPTER X.
BY ED A. MOSSMAN.
CASS TOWNSHIP-ORGANIZATION AND ELECTION RETURNS-THE EARLY SETTLEMENT-PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION-THE TOWN OF BELFAST- STATISTICS OF EDUCATION AND RELIGION - STRAWBERRY RIDGE POST OFFICE-A FATAL ACCIDENT.
U P to March, 1850, the territory now embraced within the bounds of Cass Township constituted a portion of White Post Township. This township coincides throughout with Congressional Township 31 north, of Range 4 west. It contains a great deal of marshy land; and, as a large portion of the township is owned by non-residents, the work of draining these marshes has been greatly retarded. These lands are fast coming into the hands of resident owners, however; and, as a conse- quence, the work of draining and improving them is going on at such a rate that they will doubtless soon be converted into arable lands of the first quality. The fall is said to be ample, and all that is required is the construction of ditches sufficient in number and capacity to collect and carry off the water. Although a few families settled in this township at a very early date, it is still very sparsely settled, and as a consequence but little that is of sufficient importance to entitle it to be recorded as history has transpired within it. Therefore, the chapter on this town- ship must necessarily be brief. It is the province of the historian to . record history not to make it.
The first election in Cass Township was held at the house of Andrew E. Moore, on the 1st day of April, 1850, and the poll book of said elec- tion on file in the Clerk's office at the county seat shows that the follow- ing-named persons voted on that occasion : William McCay, Peter Hes- ser, Richard Noggle, Lewis McCay, Solomon W. Parker, Montgomery Straub, Isaac Noggle, Silas Philips, James McKinney, Abner McCay, A. Reddick, Henry Long, Peter Nicholas, Christopher Mc Carty, George Moore and George Stump. For Justice of the Peace, A. Reddick re- ceived 4 votes, and Abner McCay 11 votes ; for Supervisor, Montgomery Straub received 13 votes ; for Constable, Solomon W. Parker received 14 votes; and for Fence Viewer, William McCay received 13 votes.
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