USA > Indiana > Lake County > History Of Lake County (1929) > Part 12
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(Editorial Note :- It may be interesting to some of the readers of the foregoing sketch to recall or to know that the above-mentioned John Donch, one-time sheriff, was, after an unexplained absence from the com- munity for a period exceeding seven years, declared to be deceased, and his estate was administered in the circuit court as a decedent's estate. The resurrection day for John came early, and he returned in flesh and blood to live many years among his former neighbors.)
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Obadiah Taylor
Paper read by Arthur G. Taylor, at Gary meeting 1926
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen :
This year marks the 150th anniversary or sesqui-centennial of the Declaration of Independence. It may seem strange but there is only one known veteran of the Revolutionary army buried in Lake County. Obadiah Taylor, my great-great- grandfather, the subject of this sketch, was born in Deerfield, Mass., in 1762 and died in the pioneer settlement known as West Point at Cedar Lake, Indiana in the year 1839, and is buried in the old pioneer West Point cemetery at Cedar Lake.
On his father's side of the family line he was descended from the Taylors of Deerfield, and upon his mother's side of the family from the Sawtelles of Deerfield. Both families were of Puritan stock.
Adonijah Taylor, the father of Obadiah Taylor, owned a farm of some two hundred acres in Deerfield. He operated a saw mill and grist mill upon his place and named it Indian Hill. He built a house upon the farm in 1760. It was there that Obadiah Taylor was born. The old house is still standing. The farm is now owned by Geo. E. Sanderson and is known as the Whately Glen Farm.
At the age of 18, Obadiah Taylor enlisted in the Continen- tal army. His war record is given as follows. "Taylor, Obed (also given Obadiah). Descriptive list of men raised to rein- force the Continental Army for the term of six months, agree- able to resolve of June 5, 1780, returned as received of Justin Ely, Commissioner by Brig. Gen. John Glover, at Springfield, July 10, 1780; age 18 years; stature 5 ft. 8 in .; complexion dark; engaged for the town of Montague; arrived at Spring- field, July 10, 1780 under command of Capt. Daniel Shays; also list of men raised for 6 months service and returned by Brig. Gen. Paterson as having passed muster in a return dated Camp Totoway, Oct. 25, 1780; also pay roll for six months men belonging to the town of Montague raised for service in the Continental Army during 1780; Marched July 9, 1780; discharged Jan. 9, 1781; service 6 months, seven days includ-
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY
ing travel (140) miles home." (Mass. Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolution-Volume XV Page 415).
It is worthy of note that his father and five older brothers served in the Revolutionary Army. His father was one of the minute men who marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775. His father later was a first lieutenant at Fort Ticonderoga. Late in the year 1777 he is mentioned as in command of the block house at Lake George Landing, south of Lake Champlain.
Obadiah Taylor married Abigail Williams of Deerfield. She was doubly descended from Robert Williams, the first Will- iams to arrive in America. Her father was Dr. Thomas Will- iams who studied medicine with a cousin Dr. Thomas Will- iams, whose brother founded Williams College. On the ma- ternal side of the family tree, she was a granddaughter of Major Elijah Williams who was a son of Rev. John Williams, Puritan pastor of Deerfield, the Rev. John Williams who was carried away in captivity by the Indians.
After the close of the war, Obadiah and several of his brothers removed to Rensselaer county, New York, where they lived for many years.
Here were born five sons, Obadiah Taylor, ____ , Adonijah Taylor, Feb. 11, 1792, Horace Taylor, 1801, Leander Taylor, , Seymour Taylor, ____ , and six daughters, who became Mrs. Dorothy Lilley, Mrs. Betsey Edgerton, Mrs. Almira Palm- er, Mrs. Miranda Stillson, Mrs. Rhoda Gifford, Mrs. Rachel Hurlburt. Most of this large family later removed to Erie county, Pa., where the aged mother died in 1837.
Dr. Calvin Lilley, son-in-law of Obadiah Taylor had emi- grated westward to the St. Joseph country, as northern In- diana was then called, and had become one of the pioneer settlers of South Bend, Indiana, in the year 1830. He sent back word to the East of the possibilities of this new territory. In the year 1832 Obadiah Taylor and several members of the family made a trip to what is now Lake County to look the country over, but did not stay here. In the spring of 1836, the families of Dr. Calvin Lilley, Horace Edgerton, sons-in- law, and Adonijah and Horace Taylor, sons together with the aged father, Obadiah Taylor, emigrated to Lake county and settled upon the east side of Cedar Lake. The Adonijah Taylor house and mill was located where Binyon's hotel property now
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OBADIAH TAYLOR
is. The Horace Taylor house stood where the Stanley or Enoch Peterson house now stands. The Dr. Lilly tavern and store stood upon the northeast bank of the Lake. Other mem- bers of the family and their relatives followed. A large com- munity sprang up and the Cedar Lake community which soon took the name of West Point, began making preparations to locate the county seat of Lake county at West Point.
Death came into the community and claimed Obadiah Tay- lor, the aged pioneer, and his son-in-law, Dr. Lilley. They were buried in the old pioneer cemetery upon what is now known as the Kennedy place. When the commissioners came to re-locate the county seat, they compromised upon Lake Court House and changed the name to Crown Point. The village of West Point passed out of existence. The large group of set- tlers comprising the children and grand-children of Obadiah Taylor moved southward upon the prairie to what is now the Creston neighborhood.
Nearly all of the children and grandchildren of Obadiah Taylor had large families. It is estimated that there are over one thousand descendants now living, the greater number of these live in Lake County.
Among the grandchildren of Obadiah Taylor were the fol- lowing: Israel Taylor, Albert Taylor, William Taylor, Al- vira Taylor, DeWitt Clinton Taylor, Julia Taylor, Calvin L. Taylor, Lucy A. Taylor;
Obadiah G. Taylor, George Taylor, Sylvester Taylor, Polly M. Taylor, Alvin Taylor, Sarah J. Taylor, Esther Ann Taylor, Parthenia Taylor;
Freedom Edgerton, Amos Edgerton, Alfred Edgerton, Franklin Edgerton, Amasa Edgerton, Polly Edgerton, Esther Edgerton ;
Sylvester Palmer, Adelbert Palmer, George W. Palmer, William Palmer, Louisa Palmer, Dorothy Palmer, Sophia Palmer, Alvina Palmer;
Seymour Stillson, Lyman Stillson, Charles Stillson, Simon Stillson, Leonard Stillson, Capt. Riley Stillson.
Of these grand-children of Obadiah Taylor, most of whom became pioneer settlers of Lake County, William Palmer is the only one now known to be living.
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY
After Dr. Calvin Lilley died his widow married Aurora W. Dille a son of General Dille of Ohio. Dr. Lilley left no chil- dren and we have been unable to learn whether there were children born of the second marriage. We have found no re- cord of descendants of Obadiah Taylor, the second, Leander Taylor, Seymour Taylor and Mrs. Rhoda Taylor Gifford (or Gilford.)
An organization of the descendants of Obadiah Taylor was formed at a meeting held at the home of Mrs. Flora Cutler, in Creston on August 22, 1926, and arrangements were made to hold annual meetings in the Fair Grounds at Crown Point, thereafter.
Data taken from Ball's Lake County 1884, pages 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 379, 381, 382, 383, 384, 385, 386, and 387; Sheldon's History of Deerfield Mass- achusetts, Volume 2 page 333 and following; Williams Gen- ealogy page 47.
Note: Since the above was written, a chapter of the Daugh- ters of the American Revolution has been organized at Lowell and named after Obadiah Taylor.
(Note 2) : Since this article was written we have been in- formed from two sources that the pioneer Hurlburt family of Porter County is the Hurlburt branch of the family. This in- formation has not been confirmed, through the examination of any records, as yet.
(Note 3)) : In coming to Lake County in the spring of 1836, part of the journey was made in a large flat-boat down the Kankakee river. A cook stove, the first to be brought to Lake County was thrown into the Kankakee river when the boat struck a snag in the river channel, probably in the south- ern part of this county. The party of immigrants then pro- ceeded to the Falls of the Kankakee at Momence, Illinois and then took the old Indian trail from Momence to Cedar Lake. Dr. Calvin Lilley was the first physician and surgeon to lo- cate in Lake County.
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Address Upon Dedication of Marker to Memory of Jabez Clark and Melvin Halstead
BY SCHUYLER C. DWYER
At Lowell, Indiana, August 22, 1925.
In the words of Lincoln's immortal Gettysburg address: "We cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground." The worthy pioneers of three-quarters of a century ago, two of whom we commemorate to-day, are the outstanding figures who planted the seed of a Christian edu- cation here, and at that time dedicated this spot as a marker for intellectual enlightenment in this then new land.
We would in Trumpet tones this hour, reverently call from their sleep the spirits of these two pioneers, that they might enjoy the sight of what is transpiring here in their honor to- day, and in response to this call, let us fancy we see quite clearly these two partriarchs as we remember them, moving among all well-fare assemblages, leading and directing every patriotic movement, and let us fancy they have paused, at this marker in an inquiring sort of way; the one of stocky build, of gray bearded tender face, short grey hair, which prominent baldness parts, wearing a home-tailored suit of grey with waist coat buttoned close to chin, and trousers tucked in short top freshly oiled boots; and this is Uncle "Jabe" Clark as the villagers "here about" knew him.
The other we observe is more of a stately bearing of med- ium height and stoutness of slightly longer facial features than the first, of full head of hair, short beard, and clothes in the fashion of the day. The kindly face shows courage and determination, and this is Melvin A. Halstead-the founder of Lowell. Both of them "red-blooded go-getter" Yankees from "York State."
As we now have them with us in fancy, standing by this marker, we will talk to them in all due reverence as we have talked to them in their life time, and as would meet with their approval.
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY
We are charmed Oh Pioneers! that you are here in spirit to-day, to help us celebrate this joyous commemorative occas- ion, and we can see by your accustomed smiles that you are delightfully gratified with this fitting memorial which Lake Historical gathers and preservers are unveiling here to-day.
To you "Uncle Jabe" ! we are saying : we are remembering that back there in 1837, you and Mother Mariette as you called her, with your two babes, Perry and Cornelia, packed your few belongings, including your medicine case and apothecary equipment into the "covered wagon," and bringing the first threshing machine into Northwestern Indiana, you followed the overland trail, and shipped on the Great Lakes, and landed at or near what is now Michigan City. In search of fertile
land and good wood and water, you pushed on westward and paused and reconnoitered here at what was soon after known as "Out-Let"-presumably so named from the creek out-let of Cedar Lake. We understand you were the first married white settler in the South end of Lake County, and that three squares due West from these grounds is now a brick church; on which site then was an abandoned one room log cabin, and there you made your first home.
The friendly, though uncivilized, Pottawatomie Indian tribe camped along the creek bank there, were your nearest neigh- bors. You have told us, that the next Spring you moved to another similar cabin on the East bank of the creek just out- side of what is now the extreme North end of the town.
That you then, in the wording of that day, "Took up" at $1.25 per acre, the land lying between the street now enter- ing Lowell from the North named Clark street for you, and what is now Burnham street quarter of a mile East and par- allel with it, and extending North and South there thru what is now the town. We have in mind that in 1843 you built the first frame house in the village on the South side of what is now East Commercial Avenue "on the rise" at the foot of (now) Burnham Street. That in this house you had your dwelling and your first doctor's office, the first general store, including apothecary shop, the first "Squire's" Court room and "Gretna Green," as well as a haven for the storm bound traveler. From here it was you directed the first school, and led and directed your quite extensive farming operations, and gave employment to the arriving settlers. You were a father
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Address Upon Dedication of Marker to Memory of Jabez Clark and Melvin Halstead
to all of them and Mariette was a mother. We have in mind she was a tailoress, and made the suits for the men of the settlement, "Ay"! even the wedding suits for the young swains.
Her spinning wheel and loom were never idle. You have in mind Uncle Jabe! the Mexican war days, when you encouraged the boys to volunteer, and you, as the country squire, took their oath of allegiance, and then took care of their families for them, while they were serving their country, and saw that the bodies of those who did not come back alive were suitably and patriotically interred.
You erected the first old style brick yard, and made some of the brick that are in the first brick churches, still standing. These church lots and this school ground were spared from your first farm, as was the "public square" now the little park where now stands the Soldier's monument. You didn't formally deed it to the town. No such cold formality about you, and your children understood your intention and re- spected it and affirmed your unassuming gift to the village.
You simply dug a deep public well and helped erect the first Liberty pole there, and beckoned the entire country side: "Come hither and hold your 4th of July celebrations and pic- nics and campaign and other out-door public meetings, and enjoy yourselves;" and your enjoyment came that way in service to others. Every furrow in your dear old face is a marker of a kindly deed. We can yet hear the first Lowell cornet band-which you fostered, coming near your home and playing soft serenades to you as you lay in your last illness.
Your teachings, your lessons of economy and thrift, charity, and kindly neighborliness then implanted in this community, is a finer and more enduring monument to you than any marker human hands can fashion. And now we are glancing up to greet your compatriot, with whom you always cooperat- ed in congenial harmonious accord.
"How do you do Mr. Halstead! How do you do! How do you do revered patriarch, How are you? Though its ten years or more since you trod this earthly shore, you're with us still in memory o'er and o'er, How do you do M. A. ! how are you?
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY
On the banks of the lordly Hudson at Albany you first saw the light of day in 1821. The industry on and about that mag- nificent water course in that early time must have marked you to be an industrialist, and as a young man of 18 with the re- sponsibility of your widowed mother's family, yet full of youth and vigor, you heeded the call "Westward Ho!" and set your resolute face toward the El Dorado west of the Alleghanies. Dayton, Ohio looked good to you, and here you pitched your tent in '39; so you were a '39er as well as later a '49er. If you had remained at Dayton, probably with your inventive genius, you, instead of the Wright Bros. would have given Dayton its prominent place on the map, at an earlier time. Within a nine year stay there in "The Ohi-uh" as the natives termed it, you met and married a peeress of grace, culture and accomplish- ments, a lady who had no superiors, who possessed those charms of spiritual and intellectual refinement intertwined, which are so rare. Such was the bride and her name was Martha C. Foster, an aunt to the present congenial Vice President of this association, and her likeness in clear re- memberance is also with us to-day. She like Longfellow's Minnehaha, in that early time, said: "Where you lead me I will follow you my husband !" We are minded, Uncle Melvin! that in 1845, you just couldn't resist the attraction of this immediate region, so you led your little family into this land of promise, and settled on the hill, commonly known as the Mahlon Hathaway place, on the now State road in West Creek Township, but farming wasn't exactly your forte; you wanted to build and operate mills, set machinery in place and in motion, and build roads and bridges and even a railroad, and make big improvements.
Doubtless you dreamed you would transform this "Outlet" hamlet; like unto its Massachusetts namesake city, and there- upon domiciled your family in a log cabin about 30 rods south of the County road on the bank west of the Monon; and you commenced operations by erecting the first saw-mill. You were largely instrumental in putting in the so called "Mill- dam," by which the waters of Cedar Creek were banked in and controlled for general mill purposes, such as sawing, flour- ing and manufacturing; and the mill-pond dotted with its Big and Little and Hen island North of town, is yet a recent vision to us. You had a brick yard near the present intersection of Main and Halstead Streets, and in 1850 you commenced to
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Address Upon Dedication of Marker to Memory of Jabez Clark and Melvin Halstead
build the first brick house, a mansion at that time, which is still standing at that street intersection. Its capacious glowing fire-place with its andirons' spread feet, and the charming hospitality there, are among our earliest treasured remem- brances. It was about 1850 that the name Lowell was given this village.
The '49ers gold rush to California was still on, and in '51 you had the marvelous courage to throw your provisioned sad- dle bags over your horse, and go overland on horseback thru the wild west to get your share of the yellow metal; and you returned with it in 1852. Common report was that you made the round trip three times, but authentic information from your son William who is still living reveals that your second and last trip was in '63 to the then Nevada territory, where you were engaged in gold quartz mining for two years, re- turning here in '65. Between '52 and '57 while here, you built the first flour mill, and the first brick school house here on the south side of what is now Commercial Avenue, mid-way between, Clark and Freemont Streets, in '54; the first brick church in '56 and it was for years known as the Baptist church. From '57 to '65 you sojourned in Southern Illinois and the gold fields of the West; building saw mills and flour- ing mills, etc. there. Upon your return to Lowell you platted at least six subdivisions to this town, which are named for you in respective numerical order. You know we have hastily re- counted a few only of the many enterprises you conducted to successful completion, but the one of greatest labor and great- est achievement was that of getting a railroad for Lowell. It was you that conceived the idea of a so called "Air line" from Monon to Chicago-the present Monon route. You fairly worked and ate and slept and dreampt railroad for 15 years. You were flying about getting right of way, while your mules and their drivers were grading right of way already acquired, but finally your cherished dream was a reality, and the old L. N. A. & C's locomotive drew its first train through here in 1880. Another early recollection is of the bells ringing and the whistles blowing when the railroad land tax was voted.
If any big undertaking was suggested it was: "See Hal- stead !" There wasn't anything you wouldn't tackle, and keep at it until it was worked out, regardless of financial returns
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY
to yourself. Your equal in morality and absteniousness is not to be found. Your longevity of 95 years helps confirm the statement.
So to you Uncle Jabe! and you Uncle Melvin ! all the honor and glory of this ceremony is yours. Our worthy Vice Presi- dent, to whom much of the glowing success of this day is credited, has graciously suggested that one of the several great-great-grand-daughters of Jabez Clark, who is present, viz. Miss Betty Grubb of Whiting, is to pull the string that unveils the marker, so "While Betty (instead of Bunty) pulls the string," unveiling this marker, it is thus dedicated and presented to the Lake County Historical Association, and to the people of the county forever.
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Life of a Circuit Rider Experiences of Reverend Merrit F. Stright
J. WILLIAM LESTER
Faithful, courageous, and resourceful, the Circuit Riders of pioneer days, played an important role in the upbuilding of civilization. Strong men they were, physically, mentally, and morally, who fearlessly rode the lonely trails, through un- broken forests and unbridged streams, and defied the ele- ments, wild animals, and wilder men. Seldom were they van- quished, though time and time again their metal was sorely tried by the rough criminal element that invariably infested the loosely organized settlements of the frontier.
To these sturdy men of God, armed only as a rule, with saddlebag and Bible, many of our most prominent churches of today owe their very existence.
The interesting experiences of Reverend Merritt Freeman Stright, former Methodist pastor, who rode the circuits of Lake County, are given herewith in his own words, just as he recounted them in an interview on March 15, 1924-four years to the month, before his death:
"I was born the eighth day of March 1850, where the Meth- odist parsonage at Crown Point now stands. My father, a Methodist minister, lived there but a year when we moved to a station near La Porte.
While in Lake County, father preached at Lowell, Plum Grove, West Creek, Orchard Grove, and at the home of Will- iam Nichols, northwest of Hebron. As there were no im- proved roads, he used large trees as guides, or landmarks, on his trips. He often told of interesting things that happened when he was riding the circuit.
On one occasion, in 1850, while he was presiding at Hobart, a group of boys took one of the wheels off of his buggy and threw it into the river. He took the matter philosophically, and went to bed as usual. The next morning when he went to look for the wheel he was surprised to find that during the
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY
night a number of muskrats had come to his aid by gnawing a hole in the mill dam, letting the water out and leaving the wheel high and dry.
I got a good deal of my education at the old Methodist Col- lege at Ft. Wayne. In my experience as a minister, I was posted about 1880, at Lowell for two years; at Hebron three years, and at Rolling Prairie two years. From there I went into the Indiana Conference. I had but one station. Aside from that I was on the circuit all the time.
I never had a charge that was more helpful than the con- gregation at Lowell. They were very liberal in their support. Then, too, there were good people at Hebron. I made my head- quarters, about 1882, at Lowell, and preached at Creston, West Creek, Jones' School House, northwest of Lowell, at Sugar Grove, and one occasion at Plum Grove. I generally boarded with my parishioners.
The regular roads of this circuit were reasonably good. I usually rode in a buggy, but often on horseback. If a man wants to be a good preacher, he can do best on the circuit, as that brings a much greater variety of experiences.
I moved from Lowell to Hebron, and while there had a charge in Porter County, and in a school house West of Lowell, which, I think, was on the farm of William Fisher.
Then I had charges for three years near Madison, Wiscon- sin. There were Indian camps near by. One day when I went out to get a load of wood I ran across a camp which consisted of three or four wigwams. One of the Indians said that his mother, who lived some distance, was sick, and asked that I write a card to her son in Madison. This I willingly did at his dictation.
His message read, 'Your Mother pretty heap sick. You better come quick. She pretty heap never get well.'
These Indians had a muskrat farm. They owned the land around the ponds and came there every winter to spear the rats. They would sell the pelts and eat the muskrats. They begged regularly for ashes and frozen potatoes. They made bread from the potatoes.
They dressed in the regular Indian style, with blankets and
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LIFE OF A CIRCUIT RIDER
moccasins. Their wigwams were of skins and bark; the larg- est of which was about fourteen feet across and ten feet high. Near the camp were old frames of wigwams that they had left the years before.
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