Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical, Part 19

Author: Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Blanchard, Charles, fl. 1882-1900
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: 428, 502 p. : ill., ports. ;
Number of Pages: 962

USA > Indiana > Whitley County > Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 19
USA > Indiana > Noble County > Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 19

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY.

Greene County, N. Y., located in this township in the spring of 1837; was the first physician in the township, and the only one for many years. At the time of his first advent into this county, he brought with him a general stock of merchandise, consisting of dry goods, groceries, hardware, etc., etc. This stock of goods was owned for a time jointly by Pierce & Starkweather. In the spring of 1837, Horace Cleveland, a native of Catskill, N. Y., purchased land in this township (being the same land now owned by the Wigent heirs), and during the following season built a cabin and made some preparations for bringing his family, which he did in the winter following. Some time during the year 1835, George W. Oman purchased a part of the land consituting the farm on which he now resides, and on September 30, 1837, he and his wife pitched their tent on this land and commenced the necessary preparations for the erec- tion of a cabin, which was to be for a time their future domicile. The follow- ing-named persons assisted him in raising the cabin : William Vanmeter, Will- iam and Charles Gradeless, Samuel Nickey, Talcott Perry, Jacob Diffendarfer, Benjamin Gardner and son, Francis Tulley and Wells Smith. The Gradelesses, Nickey and Diffendarfer were citizens of Allen County. Mrs. Oman had among other things prepared a quantity of doughnuts, of which William Gradeless ate very heartily. During the night he had a very severe attack of cholera morbus. In speaking of the matter afterward, he said he had eaten too much of Mrs. Oman's "crooked " bread.

Talcott Perry, first Justice of the Peace, was commissioned July 24, 1839, re-elected and commissioned September 4, 1844; Daniel B. Rice was commissioned September 17, 1845 ; Samuel Miner, Sr., January 24, 1846 ; Asa Anthony, September 4, 1849; John Irwin, April 18, 1850; James Welsheimer, January 24, 1857. George W. Foster was elected Justice in 1854; Orville Root, in 1855 ; J. A. Kauffman, in 1857 ; Granderson Pettit, 1858; Robert Speer, 1859 ; James M. Briggs, 1863; Alexander Clark, 1863 ; G. W. Laurence, 1867, re-elected 1871 ; William Sisson, 1868 ; Joseph M. Douglas, 1869; John O. Clark, 1877, re-elected 1881; Peter Garrison, 1880. No record of other township officers could be found. The following county officers have been residents of this township: Joseph Pierce, elected County Commissioner, August, 1846; Daniel B. Rice, elected County Com- missioner, 1852, re-elected 1855-58-61; Adam T. McGinly, elected Sheriff, 1878, and James H. Shaw, elected Commissioner, 1876-79.

The growth of this township was not by any means rapid-not that the soil was not productive; on the contrary, it was, as a general rule, very rich, amply rewarding the husbandman, especially after he had gotten it in a meas- ure subdued. Probably the principal hindrance to a rapid growth was the amount and character of the labor required to prepare the land for the plow. These immense forests of oak, hickory, walnut, poplar, ash, beech, etc., were, in the very nature of things, calculated to deter men from attempting to open up a farm, and at the same time support a family of small and helpless chil-

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dren ; this, especially when the fact was known to them that by going a few days' drive further west they could find the land already cleared, and ready for the plow. The north part of the township was the first settled, and it continued to hold an advanced position for many years. At that early day, it was not unusual to call on men residing at a distance of five or six miles to assist in raising a cabin, a log barn, or even to assist in rolling logs. Those residing at a distance of five or even a greater number of miles were called neighbors, and made frequent visits back and forth. A friendly feeling was prevalent, and there were but few misunderstandings among the people. Their pursuits were almost entirely, agricultural, if felling the forest and preparing the land for cultivation constitute any part of agriculture. The citizens of this township have, from the earliest settlement, devoted their energies almost exclusively to this pursuit, a few individuals, and only a few, having sought to gain a liveli- hood by other enterprises.

G. W. Oman relates that soon after the location of the county seat at the present site, Henry L. Ellsworth, one of the proprietors, sent his son, H. W. Ellsworth, in company with F. P. Randall, of Fort Wayne, to visit the city on paper and look after the interests of his father and partner in that county gen- erally. They traveled on horseback, and were obliged to follow an old Indian trail as best they might. Night overtook them when at Eel River, and prob- ably on lands now owned by the heirs of the late John North, Sr. At this point they lost their trail, and were compelled to tie their horses and pass the night as best they could in the wilderness. Morning having come, and not being able to find a trail that they thought would probably lead them to the desired destination, they concluded to make an effort to return to Fort Wayne. After wandering through the wilderness till about noon, they finally brought up at Oman's. Here they ordered their horses fed and called for dinner. In the meantime, they proposed to give Oman $1 as compensation for con- ducting them to Columbia City. He agreed to do so, and, upon their arrival at their destination, they gave him two half-dollars in payment. Oman says " these half-dollars looked about the size of a cart-wheel."

Another incident from the storehouse of Oman's memory : Some years before any settlement was made in this township, John Comstock had purchased land and laid out the village of Liberty Mills, in Wabash County. Soon after Oman settled on his present farm (date not positively known), Comstock left home for Fort Wayne with quite a large amount of silver, which he carried in an old-fashioned saddle-bag. He traveled on horseback, following an Indian trail. Night overtook him when on a point on the land now owned by Francis Mossman, about one mile north of the present site of the village of Coesse. In the darkness he lost the trail, and was obliged to put up for the night in the midst of a dense forest, under a tree. He laid his baggage at the root of the tree, turned his horse loose that he might graze for a time, and then sat down under the tree, with his saddle-bags by his side. He intended not to go to sleep,

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but to watch his horse for a time and then tie him to a tree until morning. Being somewhat wearied with his day's travel, he was soon in the embrace of Morpheus. Waking after a time, he discovered, to his dismay, that his horse had left him. He found him in a short time, but, to his utter discomfiture, he had lost the whereabouts of his money, and it was almost noon before he found it. After finding the trail, he rode on, and arrived at Oman's just in time for dinner.

At an early day, date not known, William Getting was fatally injured in the following manner: Himself and son were putting a lot of buckwheat into the loft of their cabin, ascending by means of a ladder. The son was above, receiving the sacks as his father passed them up to him. By some accident, the son let a sack slip from his hands. It struck the father, knocked him from the ladder, and injured his spine to such an extent that it caused extensive par- alysis, which terminated in death. This occurred in a house now owned by Francis Mossman, and known as the " Chorn house."

G. W. Oman says : "I made some money in an early day by showing land to strangers."

At the time when Mrs. Bonestel taught the first school in the township, she was a widow, having lost her husband before leaving New York State. After residing in this township a few years, she married Wilson Travis. They lived together for a few years, when he was killed, as supposed at the time, by the kick of a horse, he having been found in such a relation to his team as to indicate that in all probability such was the case.

James Worden says : "Austin Morgan and myself sawed the first lum- ber made in the county, at Pierce's Mill,* and sold the first board to Francis Tulley, to be used in making a cradle in which to rock his son Cyrus B., now an attorney at Columbia City." He also says: "Dr. Pierce had a large stock of goods, and traded extensively with the Indians. He had seen as many as three hundred at and around the store at one time. At one time the Doctor laid in a supply of pepper-sauce, and placed it in a conspicuous place on the shelf. Indian Jim, seeing it, said, 'What you call him?' The Doctor took down a bottle, poured a quantity into a tumbler, put the tumbler to his lips- simulating the act of drinking ; set the tumbler on the table, and motioned him to take it. Jim picked up the tumbler, put it to his mouth, and, without wait- ing to taste the contents, drank it to the dregs. The Doctor said 'For the next few moments his contortions far exceeded anything I have ever witnessed.' After recovering sufficiently to speak, Jim said : 'Heap no good.' He did not want any more ' What you call him.' "

Dr. Pierce and Robert Starkweather came to this township in the spring of 1837. They built a cabin on land which Pierce had entered, the same land on which he erected a saw-mill, and where John McCartney now resides. In this cabin they all lived for about one and a half years ; at which time a son of

*The question as to who sawed the first lumber in the county is a matter of much dispute. Adam Hull, living just across the line, in Allen County, and several of the older citizens of Smith Township, who arrived there in 1834, say that a man named Bond built a saw-mill on Blue River, below the lake, in Smith Township, as early as 1835 or 1836 .- ED.

UNION TP.

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Starkweather sickened and died. Dr. Pierce had treated this child, and after its death, they (Pierce and Starkweather) quarreled about the treatment. Starkweather says to Pierce, " I brought you all the way from New York to kill my boy." Upon this, they dissolved partnership, Starkweather remov- ing across the line into Allen County. Soon after this dissolution, James Worden came from New York to work for Dr. Price, and did the cooking during the first three months of his stay During the winter of 1838-39, an English family (named Thompson) came, and Mrs. Thompson did the cook- ing for a time. During the summer of 1839, Mrs. Worden came from New York. She then took charge of the kitchen, doing the housework for nearly one year, after which she and her husband returned to New York. Next in succession as cook for the Doctor, was Mrs. Cole, mother of Seymour Cole, and present wife of Peter Bartholomew, late of Columbia City, but now of Fort Wayne. Worden and wife remained in New York for a short time, when they returned to this township, and again engaged with the Doctor, Worden doing the farming, assisting about the saw-mill, etc., and Mrs. Worden again superintending the culinary department. Worden says that himself and William Van Meter hauled the first saw-logs in the county-logs four and a half feet in diameter.

Henry Hull says : "I used to ride down to the village on Sundays and spend the day playing with the young Indians." They appeared at all times much pleased to see him, and to play with him. Wrestling was a very common sport at that time, and they appeared to enjoy it hugely when successful ; but when . vanquished, they appeared to be greatly mortified. Henry Hull and John Frye ran the first threshing machine in the township in the fall of 1843. The machine was a tread-mill and chaff-piler ; could thresh eighty or ninety bushels per day. The price for threshing was 6 cents per bushel.

Mrs. Oman says : "Soon after our settlement at our present home, an Indian called one day and asked for a loaf of bread, which he wished to put into the grave of an Indian who had been stabbed and killed by another In- dian in a drunken melee at the Indian village on the land now owned by Robert Speer."

Some time during the year 1850, Mathew P. Walker went to Richland County, Ohio, married, and with his wife started for his home in this township, she riding the entire journey on horseback, and driving two cows. She soon became so homesick that her health was undermined. Her physician advised that she be taken to her former home, and, after a visit of a few months, she returned entirely restored.

Mrs. Oman relates that, during one winter, soon after their settlement here, they lived on bread made from buckwheat ground but not bolted, this, with venison, constituting their entire stock of provisions. For a year or two after their settlement here, their salt cost them about $3 per bushel. During the first two or three years of pioneer life, these people brought a large part of

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HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY.

their supplies from Elkhart and the prairies thereabout. At this early day, it was impossible to get the absolute necessities of life, even at Fort Wayne. These hardy pioneers obtained a very large proportion of their meat supplies from the forest, drawing largely on the deer, wild turkeys, and, after a few years, upon the wild hogs. Dr. Pierce kept, at times, a partial supply of flour, meat, and perhaps some other provisions, but these he sold at such exorbitant prices that the people could do much better by going to the prairies and laying in their own provisions. Oman says : " I sold my wedding vest to William Gradeless to pay for a few potatoes, to help in carrying us through the first winter. I worked for 50 cents a day, and paid 60 cents a bushel for corn." During the first year, Mrs. Oman drove the oxen to break fourteen acres of ground.

Isaac Taylor, who is mentioned elsewhere in these reminiscences, as among the early settlers, relates the following as one of his carly experiences : About the month of June, 1843, Horace Cleveland and himself gathered all the wool in the neighborhood, and one morning, with two yoke of oxen, started for a carding machine, situated on the St. Joe River, about seven miles above Fort Wayne. Night overtook them when about two miles from their destination. Just at this time a terrific rainstorm set in, accompanied by vivid flashes of lightning. They were in the midst of a dense forest. The flashes of lightning were so incessant, that they were able to follow the road by their light. After traveling for a short time in this manner, they en- countered a large beech tree, which had been blown across the road a few moments before. Taylor cut a way around the top of the tree, and Cleve- land drove around. Proceeding a short distance, they saw a light. Taylor went to the house, and there learned that they were within one mile of the mill. Just before reaching it, they encountered a temporary slab bridge. Taylor went before, guiding the forward team, while Cleveland brought up the rear. On reaching their destination, they found it impossible to get their wool carded on account of high water, and were obliged to return without it. On their return trip, they encountered obstacles on every hand, and so frequent and formidable were these, that, at the end of the third day after leaving home, they had only reached Cary's, three miles west of Fort Wayne, on their return. On the morning of the fourth day, they left Cary's, and succeeded finely until they reached the Aboit, at Peabody's saw-mill. Here they found a pole bridge floating on the surface of the water, but so fastened as to prevent its escape. The rolling of the logs under the feet of the teams rendered crossing very unsafe. They landed safely, however, and Cleveland, raising his hands, exclaimed in a loud voice, "God Almighty." Taylor called to him, "Drive on, Cleveland ; poor place for prayer here." They reached home on the evening of the fourth day, having spent that time in traveling a distance of twenty-one miles and return.

These people, as a rule, were expert woodsmen, many of them thinking it

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no very extraordinary feat to shoot a deer while on the run at a high rate of speed, and it was not considered a very great exploit to kill two, three or even more deer, on the same day. In these days, wheat bread was a luxury, in which it was not thought best to indulge too frequently, principally from the fact that it was thought to be rather hard on the purse. In the season of 1842, John Stevenson broke and sowed to buckwheat three acres of new land. He had no fence around it, and his wife kept off the stock by almost constant watching by day. The product of these three acres was fifty bushels. This was on land now owned by Robert Speer,

It has been found impossible to ascertain the exact date of the first birth in the township, the parents having died at a very early period in the settle- ment of the township and all traces of the children lost; but it is quite posi- tive that, at some time during the early part of 1836, David, son of Talcott Perry, was born, and that he was the first child born in the township. Whe- lock, son of Benjamin Gardner, was born in October, 1837. This, doubtless, was the second birth. Henry Hull and Jane Gardner were married December 18, 1839. This was the first marriage in the township. The first death was that of Robert Starkweather, which occurred early in the autumn of 1838. William Clater came to this township with Isaac Taylor, in July, 1838, and resided with the family until March 21, 1839, when he was killed at a barn raising in Lake Township, Allen County.

John Depoy relates that some time during the year 1853, five wolves came to his place one night, attacked his dog, dragged him fifteen or twenty rods and mangled his throat in a terrible manner. Mrs. Depoy poulticed it with catmint and whisky, and in three or four weeks the dog had entirely recovered.

Dances and amusements of that character were decidedly primitive in those days. At such times, as they failed to have on hand a musician with a stringed instrument, some one of the company would be delegated to supply the deficiency by whistling. The gentlemen were not required to observe strictly the etiquette of the ball-room in more advanced society. A coon-skin cap, moccasins and such wearing apparel as was manufactured by their mothers, sisters or wives was the common outfit of the male part of the assembly. In- deed, it occasionally happened that the gentlemen appeared on the floor bare- footed and coatless, while the ladies' toilet consisted of a linsey-woolsey or a calico dress. The ladies did not make it a sine qua non of a respectable ap- pearance at these gatherings to reduce the size of their waists as much as pos- sible by tight lacing.

James Worden, now of Columbia City, says : " I framed the first bridge in the county. It was built across Eel River, near the place where John McCartney now resides." G. W. Oman says a caravan of movers built the first bridge over Eel River at Aker's. This they did by cutting large, heavy timber, and rolling it into the river, securing it in place, and continuing this

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HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY.

process until it was made passable. This was probably rendered necessary on account of the miry condition of the bank on either side. The date of the building of this bridge is not positively known, but it was probably as early as 1838. These two were the only bridges built across Eel River at an early period.

G. W. Oman conmenced keeping tavern (Mrs. Oman says "not hotel "), on the farm where he now resides, in the autumn of 1837, immediately after getting up a cabin. They had scarcely gotten a roof over them before they commenced entertaining movers. Mrs. Oman says : "We dreaded to have people call for accommodations, because we had so little to eat ourselves." In the autumn of 1838, Isaac Taylor commenced entertaining movers at his resi- dence, on the farm now owned by J. H. Clark. However, he did not hang out a sign until about four years after. These were the only taverns in the town- ship until after the building of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Rail- way, when one was opened up in the village of Coesse.

Dr. Joseph Pierce built a saw-mill (water-power), on his place on Eel River during the season of 1839. This was the first saw-mill in the township, and probably in the county. Nathaniel Allen built the first steam saw-mill in the township in 1854. These two were the only saw-mills built in an early day. John Slagle and James Burton built the first and only grist-mill in this township, in an early day, and indeed the only one ever built in the township, except one built in Coesse a few years since, by John B. Imrie, and run for a short time, then sold to the Kelseys and removed to Allen County., The Slagle & Burton Mill was built on land now owned by William Moore, on the north bank of Eel River, in the northeast corner of the township. During the fall of 1853, Kepler ran a distillery on the farm now owned by Henry Sneider, in the southeast corner of the township. The product of this enter- prise was peach brandy. un

The first stock of goods in the township was kept by Pierce & Stark- weather, afterward by Pierce ; the second by Barber A. Cleveland, on the farm now owned by James Merriman, commencing in 1852 and continuing to trade at that place for about two years. Some time during 1855, Freeman & Fuller opened a stock of dry goods, groceries, etc., in a house belonging to G. W. Oman, on Yellow River road. They remained here about two years, and re- moved their goods to Tousley's Crossing, one mile east of Coesse. They con- tinued here about a year, dissolved partnership, and Fuller removed the goods to the place since known as Fuller's Corners, in Smith Township. These were the only stocks of merchandise ever kept in this township, outside of Coesse, and all this before the founding of the village.

The village of Coesse was laid out in the winter of 1854-55, by Peter Simonson. The east forty belonged to the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad, and the west forty to Simonson, he having purchased it from James Worden. It was surveyed by a brother of the proprietor, and named from an

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Indian chief. The first building was a dwelling-house, erected by Joseph Root, on the lot now owned by Ed Hammer, and the second a cabin built by Mr. Love, on the lot now owned by Mrs. Park. Christian Rummel then built the blacksmith-shop now owned by Aker Bros., in which he carried on business, and a dwelling-house, now the Methodist Episcopal parsonage. The next house was a dwelling, on the lot now owned by Mrs. Rosa Clark. The growth of the village was very slow until about 1865, when a number of buildings were erected. The first stock of goods was brought by Simon Herr & Bro. It. consisted of dry goods, groceries, and all other articles commonly found in a village store. This stock was sold to Barber A. Cleveland, and by him to Thomas McCune, who sold it to the present proprietor, F. Smith. In 1864, J. H. Clark brought on a stock of goods, engaged in trade about three years, and sold the stock to J. S. Baker, who removed it. The value of this stock was about $4,000. In 1870, Reuben Drew began merchandising, continued about four or five years, and abandoned the business. In 1880, Luke Tousley engaged in the dry goods trade, continued a year, then took as a partner Will- iam Swarts. The firm is still in business.

In 1867, Kauffman & Levi brought on a stock of groceries, etc .; in 1872,. sold to I. Kinsey, and he to Allen Bros., who are still in business. F. Smith entered the grocery trade in 1866, and, in 1872, sold to W. E. Mossman, who, after about two years, sold back to Smith.

The first and only saw-mill in the village was built by Spore, on the ground occupied by the present mill. Spore sold to Van Houten, and he to Emery & Stewart. They built a stave factory and then a grist-mill, which were run for a few years, then sold and removed. Emery & Stewart then sold the mill to F. Smith and W. E. Mossman ; Smith bought out Mossman, and sold the en- tire mill to the present proprietors, W. Smith and W. E. Mossman. There are two drug stores, owned by Drs. Eckman and Wenger.

For some time before the existence of the village, a post office was kept by Horace Cleveland, on what is now the Wigent farm, on Yellow River road. In 1856, this was moved to Coesse, and J. H. Root commissioned Post- master. He kept the office in his dwelling. In 1865, G. B. Bonestel took the office and kept it one year; then followed Leonard Aker, Maggie Kauffman and Frank Dustman, and, in 1868, J. A. Kauffman was appointed Postmaster. He kept the office for nine years, and was succeeded by I. Kinsey, and he, in 1875, by W. Allen, who kept the office for three years, when it went into the hands of the present Postmaster, F. Smith.

A Good Templars' Lodge was organized in 1856, and continued, with some interruptions, till about 1874, when it was abandoned.

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Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical, Part 19

Author: Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Blanchard, Charles, fl. 1882-1900 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: 428, 502 p. : ill., ports. ; Number of Pages: 962

Author: Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Blanchard, Charles, fl. 1882-1900
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: 428, 502 p. : ill., ports. ;
Number of Pages: 962