Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical, Part 72

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 72
USA > Indiana > Noble County > Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 72

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*Reminiscences of J. C. Stewart.

Ahaham ott NOBLE TP.

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and other grains. They also bought wool, especially Cook, who made thousands , of dollars at it. Morgan and Scott bought and packed large quantities of pork. They kept large stocks of goods, and, it may be truthfully inscribed on the epitaph of Wolf Lake, that in early years more business was done there than in any other town in the county. W. W. Noteman opened a cabinet- shop in 1840, and for sixteen years he manufactured large quantities of tables, bureaus, stands, bedsteads. coffins, etc. He manufactured 1,400 coffins, which now lie buried in the cemeteries for miles around. David Rockey also engaged extensively in the same pursuit. Thomas Shepard built a tannery before 1840. His business was not overly gigantic. He also started an ashery, and would give an order for goods on his brother, a merchant at Fort Wayne. He manu- factured a limited quantity of black salts. Blacksmiths have been numerous in the village. A post office was secured in about 1837, and Pat Miller was the first Postmaster. The mail route extended from Fort Wayne to Niles, Mich. Among the physicians who practiced in the village were V. M. Cole, James McDuffey, Elias Jones (an excellent physician and a fine man, who practiced in the village until three years ago, when he died), Dr. Grover (a combined faith and water doctor), Dr. Matthews (a brother-in-law of Grover, and the same kind of a doctor). These men established a sort of medical school at the village, and sent a dozen or more "graduates " out to practice what they had learned. Other doctors have been Ezra Depew, Henry Shock, Marcellus Robinson, Reed, Denney, Williams, Sheldon and others. Wyman Trask, a lawyer, braved the frowns of the " wolves " for a short time. A man named Pope kept tavern early. Other tavern-keepers have been P. C. Miller, Thomas Smith, Jr., G. W. Stewart, Mason Merriam, George W. Matthews, John R. Blair (1850), Benjamin Couts at present, Mrs. Humphreys at present, Mrs. D = -r, and others. The village was visited by the small-pox in about 1849, but left without doing much damage. The Masons, Sons of Tem- perance and Good Templars have held forth for short periods. These societies do not exist there at present. This closes the brief history of the business enterprises in the little village of Wolf Lake, which has a present population of about two hundred.

During the year 1849, Joel Bristol, the first settler in the township, con- ceived the idea of founding a city that should be the hub around which the sur- rounding country should revolve. He noticed that a village where Nobleville is now located would be centrally situated, being almost equally distant from Ligonier, Kendallville, Warsaw, Columbia City and Auburn, and he reasoned that a town located there, if properly managed, could not help wielding a wide influence throughout Northern Indiana. He, therefore, in November, 1849, employed a surveyer and laid out Nobleville on the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 25; forty-two lots, each full lot comprising a quar- ter of an acre, were laid out, and the streets were made sixty-six feet wide. The lots were offered for sale, and the village that was expected to achieve so

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HISTORY OF NOBLE COUNTY.

much began to grow. But Mr. Bristol, like many another man similarly situ- ated, was doomed to disappointment. His village languished, and he grew sick at heart. Time healed the wound of disappointment. Jacob Marker probably built the first house in Nobleville. Joseph Ryan built another soon afterward, and opened a small combined grocery and saloon. He was succeeded by Hiram Lindsey, who had a much better stock. Business has always been dull, although sometimes three stores have been there at one time. Fred Bidding built a saw- mill some time before the last war. This has since been one of the best mills in the county. Bidding sawed large quantities of black walnut timber, which grew in abundance near the village. Himself and wife were finally drowned in Lake Michigan. Ziegler Brothers built the present mill on the old site. A brick and tile yard was started four years ago. It is said that Newman Scar- lett burned a kiln of brick as early as 1838. The brick were used for chim- neys and wells only, and sold for 50 cents per hundred. Mr. Bristol died many years ago, and it may be said :

"Sweet smiling village, loveliest of the lawn, Thy sports are fled and all thy charms withdrawn, Amidst thy bowers the tyrant's hand is seen, And desolation saddens all the green."

There is some doubt as to the first school taught in the township. The first was probably taught in 1834 and 1835 by Mrs. Stephens. During the summer of 1836, Charity Haines taught school in one room of a double log cabin, situated one and a half miles northwest of town, and owned and occu- pied by Jackson Humphreys. Mrs. Charles D. Shepard taught in the year 1838. This lady lived with her husband on the shore of Muncey Lake, and taught a few of the neighbors' children in her own dwelling, one room of which had been provided with the necessary rude seats and desks. James Stewart, then a small boy, went to this lady. In 1839, a log schoolhouse was built near where the tile yard is located at Nobleville, or rather, it was not a schoolhouse, but had been built for a dwelling, but, having been abandoned by the owner, it was converted to the uses of education. The name of the first teacher in this house is forgotten. Mr. Stewart remembers attending a spelling-school one night in this house. The scholar that gained the distinction of spelling down the whole neighborhood was regarded as something more than common. The unlettered backwoods youth would gather around him and regard him very much as the boy of to-day does the clown in the circus. The old Elementary spelling-book was the book of the school-room. It was used for all purposes and lessons, and in some cases drove every other book, except the Testament, from the room. The old settlers remember the book as one of their early cherished companions. It is quite probable that the first school was taught at Wolf Lake, as the village was laid out in 1836, and contained six or eight families. In the absence, however, of any definite data, the facts above are given. Mr. Stewart thinks that the first real schoolhouse was built in about the year 1840. It was known as the "Burr-Oak Schoolhouse," and was located in the northeast

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corner. Mr. Winebrenner places the building of this house some two years later, and thinks the first was the "Chapel Schoolhouse." These two houses were built very nearly the same time, and not far from 1840. The "Burr. Oak " was built of round logs, and was used about fifteen years, when a frame building took its place, and served the purposes of education until the present. A new brick schoolhouse is just completed. These two houses-the "Burr- Oak " and the "Chapel "-were built by everybody interested in education. The Chapel Schoolhouse was first built of logs, and for a number of years was used for religious exercises. Mr. Elliott was one of the first teachers. This house was used some twelve or fifteen years, when the present one was erected. A schoolhouse was built in Wolf Lake in 1850. The frame work was done by the citizens, and then W. W. Noteman was employed for $250 to complete the job. This house was used some ten or twelve years, when the present one was constructed. Elder Solomon Wedge taught school in Wolf Lake as early as 1840, and probably earlier. The front room of his dwelling was transformed into a schoolhouse. Here school was held until, perhaps, 1844, when the old Baptist Church was used for school purposes until the building of the first schoolhouse in 1850.

The first church-Baptist-was built in 1841 by members of all denom- inations, who were to have use of the house at stated times. Among the lead- ing Baptists at that early day or soon after were John Buckles, Stedman Gray, John Mayfield, Richard Campbell, Hiram Morgan and others. The Method- ists built themselves a house in about 1847, but soon afterward the building was badly demolished by a falling tree, and the Methodists went back to the Baptist house. Three years ago, the Baptists and the Methodists each built a new brick church, at a cost of nearly $3,000. These buildings are now a credit to the village. Two years ago, the Advents built a neat frame church at Wolf Lake, and they now have quite a fair attendance. The Free-Will Baptists had an organization at the Burr-Oak Schoolhouse, a number of years ago. The Chris- tian Church in the southeastern part was organized in 1843 by Elder Peter Banta, of Ohio, and at that time twelve persons became members, three of whom yet live in the county, as follows : John McMeans, Hester Ann Boner and Peter Winebrenner. The society has been attended by Revs. Battreal, Thomas Whitman, James Atchison, Phillip Ziegler, and the present pastor, Elder Peter Winebrenner, who has had charge of the church for the last fifteen years. The first church building, a frame structure 28x50 feet, was erected in 1853, and used until the erection of the present fine brick building (38x60) in 1881. This was the first organization of the kind in the county, and from it have sprung many flourishing branches. It now has a membership of about two hundred, and its fine Sunday school continues the year through. The pres- ent handsome edifice when finished will cost about $4,000.

CHAPTER XVI. BY WESTON A. GOODSPEED.

YORK TOWNSHIP-FIRST SETTLERS-LIFE IN THE WILDERNESS-EARLY SAW- MILLS, GRIST-MILLS, FACTORIES AND OTHER INDUSTRIES-VILLAGES OF AUGUSTA. VAN BUREN AND PORT MITCHELL-PIONEER SCHOOLS AND RE LIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS.

P ERHAPS the most distinguishing historic feature of York Township is the fact that the county seat has been located within its borders no less than three times, and still the citizens ask for a repetition. That is certainly sufficient to render any tract of country no larger than a township famous, if not notorious ; yet the grasp of York for civic or metropolitan honors has been sadly treacherous. The seat of justice was first established at Augusta, a "defunct" town of modest pretensions, situated on Section 15. Thence it was removed to Port Mitchell (named for a good-looking canal engineer), and finally to Albion, a portion of which was within the limits of York at that time. The township was no sooner off with the old love at Augusta, than it was on with the new at Port Mitchell, and soon the latter was jilted and Albion received name and fame undying. Of course, the citizens of Augusta looked savagely down their noses when the court house was destroyed by fire; but what did it avail. And when it became known that the county seat was to be relocated at Port Mitchell-a deadly rival-the wrath of Augustans became volcanic and phenomenal. Though time has healed the wound, yet bitter thoughts still surge, like a tempest, when memory is aroused.

The first settler in York Township, according to the statement of Nelson Prentiss, Esq., was John Knight, who located on Section 29 in 1829. Knight was a squatter and an adventurer, and, not caring whether the land upon which he located was anything more than sufficient to furnish a living, he selected a burr-oak barren, when some of the finest farming land of the county lay within a mile. He was a skillful hunter, supporting himself and family largely by means of his rifle, although he cleared and cultivated a small garden of pota- toes, corn, pumpkins, etc., which were traded to the Indians, who came often to his cabin. It is related that he, on one occasion, caught an Indian stealing green corn from his garden, whereupon he gave the unfortunate red-skin a sound flagellation with a heavy stick, which completely ended such acts there- after. Knight lived alone in the township until the Henshaws came in, about 1833. He is said to have been the second settler in the county, although this is disputed by Isaac Tibbot, who asserts that the second settler was Levi Perry. Mr. Tibbot is probably correct, as he, at that time, was a resident of the county, while Mr. Prentiss, who thinks otherwise, was not. As Mr. Tibbot

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was called upon to assist in raising all the early log cabins, his memory, if re- liable, should not be disputed, unless strong proof is shown to the contrary. This would then establish the fact that John Knight was the third settler, and that he very probably came in a year or two later than 1829. This is a dis- puted point, which will remain unsolved. After Mr. Knight had been in the township some three or four years, Joseph Bradford proceeded to Fort Wayne and entered the quarter section upon which Knight had squatted, and the lat- ter was obliged to leave the land, although Bradford had no excuse for his conduct, except that he wanted to reap the reward of what few improvements had been made. The land was poor and sterile. Knight quietly took his departure and located in Elkhart Township. The second settlers in the town- ship were probably the Henshaw brothers (Washington and James), who located. in the southeastern part, at Port Mitchell, in about the year 1833. They soon after built a saw-mill and a grist-mill, or " corn-cracker," as such a mill in. early days was denominated. They built a dam across the Elkhart River, and the mills were furnished with water by means of a small race. They had a " big time" when the mills were raised. There was not a sufficient number of white men in the county, at the time, to push the work on to completion as fast as Mr. Henshaw desired, whereupon he went to a neighboring Indian camp and entered into an agreement with the chief, that if he would induce. about twenty Indians to assist at the raising, a barrel of whisky would be fur- nished on the ground for their benefit. The chief (and indeed the whole tribe) was only too glad to avail himself of the offer. They thereupon repaired to the spot at the appointed hour, and wanted to inaugurate the occasion by a good drink of the whisky; but Henshaw was too familiar with the Indian char- acter to think of such a thing, so he refused to let them have the liquor until the work was completed. When this had been accomplished to Mr. Henshaw's satisfaction, he took an ax and broke in the head of the keg, and told the noble red men to help themselves, which they did with much less decorum than haste. The greater number became intoxicated, and all the various stages or phases of that deplorable condition were soon exhibited. A few rough fights were begun, but were soon suppressed, and finally the red men departed for their camp. The mills were rude affairs and the flour turned out was coarse and black; but the grist-mill was well patronized, as it saved long journeys, through bottomless roads, to distant points. The location of the mills was not as good as it might have been, as the full water-power furnished by the race could not be utilized. The flour was bolted by hand, or, rather, the bolt had to be turned by hand. The saw-mill was rude and much of the power was lost in the shafting that communicated motion to the saw. Lumber of the best character was sawed on shares or for a pittance.

Other early settlers in the township were: James Gray, Stedman Gray, Robert Gray, J. and D. Bradford, David Anderson, John Williams, Joseph Bell, John Bowman, Joseph Beall, Dr. Halsey Lewis, Hiram Bassett, Elisha

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HISTORY OF NOBLE COUNTY.

Blackman, William Crispell, Daniel Downs, William F. Engle, Nathan Frink, Benjamin Hardinburg, Isaiah Hardinburg, Jacob Cramer, Vincent Lane, John Middleton, John McCaskey, William E. McCaskey, Francis Murray, Adam Nimmon, George Powers, Joel B. L. Smith, Milo L. Street, Charles D. Shearer, John McMeans, John Smith, Joel Vanderford, Wesley White, Isaac Whitaker. J. B. White, Zenas Wright and his sons George and Charles, Samuel Webster, George F. Whitaker, Nathaniel Woodward, John Young, and others.

Mr. John Bowman says the first township election was had during the autumn of 1838, and that there were but sixteen men present at such election, as follows : Zenas Wright, William Crispell, Hiram F. Bassett, George F. Whitaker, Isaac Whitaker, John McMeans, Jacob Cramer, William F. Engle, William P. Gray, Stedman Gray, James Gray, Joel B. L. Smith, Joel Van- derford, David Anderson, Elisha Blackman, Isaac E. White, Robert Maxwell and John Bowman. Two of these were not present, but who they are is uncer- tain. George F. Whitaker had been appointed Inspector of Elections by the County Commissioners. From the above men he selected two clerks of elec- tion and two judges ditto, and announced the polls open. Mr. Bowman thinks only a portion of the first officers were elected. Stedman Gray was chosen Road Supervisor, but, refusing to serve, John Bowman was selected in his stead. The names of the other first officers elected are forgotten. Those elected worked mostly without pay. Joseph Bradford, who lived across the line in Sparta Township, served as Justice of the Peace of York until the spring election of 1839, when John Bowman was elected to officiate in that capacity. John Middleton was elected Constable at this election. The town- ship received its name from the fact that a majority of the earliest settlers were from the State of New York. The first election was held at the resi- dence of George F. Whitaker.

Many of the old settlers are accustomed, when talking of early times, to give rose-colored accounts of life in the wilderness. John Bowman is not one of this character. He deals in truths, and facts sustain him. An old settler will say and tell the truth-"We used to have splendid times in the woods." But another will say and tell the truth equally as well-" Oh, we had terrible times." Mr. Bowman and his excellent wife can paint very accurately the dark side of the picture. Himself and family came from Columbiana County, Ohio, in a four-horse wagon, and, in order to avoid the bottomless mud of the Black Swamp in Northwestern Ohio, came in the month of January, when winter had covered the swamp with a frozen mantle. He was a tanner and currier, but never followed his trade after reaching Ohio. He purchased his land of Ira B. White, who had erected a small log cabin, and had made slight improvements. Here, on this place, his new life was begun. He went to Fort Wayne for supplies, paying $7.50 per barrel for flour and $7 per barrel for salt. It was difficult to get feed for his horses, and they became poor and

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weak. During the first winter, he found it extremely difficult to get provisions for love or money. He traveled for miles over the country, but found none willing to sell. At last he went to Mr. Smalley, who lived on Perry's Prairie, and told the old man that he must sell a portion of what he had, or his (Bow- man's) family would starve to death. The old man then kindly turned in and sold a portion of nearly everything he had-chickens, potatoes, corn, meat, etc .- and also agreed to sell a valuable cow for $30, provided Mr. Bowman could not get one somewhere else within three weeks. The latter searched the better part of the time without success, and finally claimed the cow at the above-named price. The streams were filled with fish, and could be caught by the thousands with a net without trouble. The net was set in the Elkhart at night, and the next morning often more than a hundred pounds of pike, red- horse, etc., would be found inclosed in the meshes. The settlers, for a number of years, living in Mr. Bowman's locality, were wont to make pilgrimages to Perry's Prairie for wheat, corn, potatoes, etc., whenever needed; and soon the expression, "Going to Egypt to buy corn," gave that locality a name (Egypt) which clings to it like Sindbad's burden. The entry of land in York was very rapid from 1835 to 1840. This brought in many strangers, who were obliged to get acquainted before any unity of action could be expected. They came from all parts of the East, and necessarily brought their local habits with them. Differences were sure to arise, until some final tendency or shape was given to neighborhood opinion, sentiment or will by the strength and inherent power of individual thought. People are much more dependent than is ordi- narily supposed. They constantly rely upon clearer and better thought, and their opinions in general may be said to be a union of many ideas stolen from numerous sources. Until some strong mind gave direction to the ideas of a neighborhood, everything went crosswise. Thus it was when the country was first settled.

After the Henshaw brothers had operated their mills a few years, they sold out to Samuel Hanna and possibly W. F. Engle. Stedman Gray, yet liv- ing at Wolf Lake, was the miller in the employ of the Henshaws, and he claims to have made the first flour in Noble County, although this is disputed by others, who insist that Mr. Hall, whose mill was in operation at a very early day, about two miles southeast of Wolf Lake, made the first. This is another unsettled question. This old mill was used many years, indeed, until but a few years ago, and was at times well patronized. The grist-mill was located on the race, a short distance below the saw-mill, but had sufficient power to operate its one small set of buhrs. It ran so slowly and irregularly, though, that the flour was poor, and when the settlers had large grists, and the roads were good, they Went usually to the Elkhart Mills. Under the various owners the mills were altered and improved. The grist-mill was destroyed by fire a few years ago. Under the management of Mitchell & Campbell the mill did good work. Joseph Bell built a saw-mill at an early day, locating it on what is yet

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known as Bell's Run, on Section 21. It was operated in the usual way by means of a dam and race. After it had been in operation a short time, Halsey Lewis started a small chair factory, and his machinery was set in motion by the water from the Bell Race. This chair factory, the only one ever in the town- ship, was a very rude affair, and the chairs were ditto, and after it had been conducted semi-successfully for a few years, it was abandoned. The saw-mill continued in operation, however, under a change of owners, for quite a number of years. The water above the dam became spread over a large section of country, and, finally, became a great nuisance, as well as a source to generate malaria. It became the talk of the neighborhood, and doctors gave as their opinion that it was the cause of several serious cases of sickness in the vicinity. Finally, public prejudice and sentiment became so fixed against it, that the neighbors united means, purchased the mill site, and destroyed the dam, per- mitting the stagnant water to move on, and effectually preventing a continuance of the nuisance. About thirty years ago, Isaac Swarthout erected a saw-mill about two miles below Port Mitchell ; but, as it did not receive satisfactory pat- ronage, it was soon permitted to fall to pieces. The saw-mills above referred to never did merchant work. Their field of labor was to supply the home demand, and this gave them sufficient work to insure continuance.

A man named Campbell erected a woolen factory at Port Mitchell about thirty years ago. It was a two-storied frame building, thirty by forty-five feet. A considerable quantity of carding and spinning was done under the manage- ment of a Mr. Walker, a practical spinner. This man also rented the building, and put in additional machinery for knitting ; but, after a number of years, he relinquished the lease, and soon afterward the property was purchased by George Baker. During the war, a thriving business was done, but at its close the patronage decreased. The factory was burned to the ground about ten years ago.

While Augusta and Port Mitchell have been the only towns of any note in York Township, yet about the time the county-seat was changed from Sparta to Augusta, a village called Van Buren was surveyed and platted on Section 20, and designed to secure, if possible, the coveted boon. But alas ! the hopes of the founder were destined to be blasted, as his claim was disregarded by the locating committee. No lots were sold, and the embryonic village expired soon after being christened.

Two villages have been established within the limits of the township. The first-Augusta-was laid out in August, 1837, by W. M. Holmes, George F. Whitaker, Thomas Gale and D. H. Colerick, owners and proprietors. The village was laid out in thirty-eight blocks, each of which, except four, contained eight lots. The exceptional four were on the sides of the square plat, and were . triangular in shape. The lots were laid out at the corner of Sections 14, 15, 22 and 23, and the central block was granted as a public square. Around this square the streets were eighty feet wide, all others being sixty feet. Lot 7 of

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Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical, Part 72

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