USA > Indiana > Lake County > History Of Lake County (1929) > Part 4
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY
families began to come in so fast that I can only particularize a few of them. Judge Wilkinson is one of them. He settled where he lives now; having moved from the Wabash, and from where, like a great many of the early settlers, all his grain and provisions had to be hauled, more than 100 miles, over such roads as none but those who toiled through them in those early times can have any idea Messrs. String- ham, Foley, Fancher also moved from the Wabash region this spring. There were quite a number of other families who also settled this spring, but few of whom remain with us now. Mr. Pelton is one of the "old settlers" for he came here in June of this year and found me building fence around the first corn field ever enclosed on "Robinson's Prairie," un- less we except the little patches planted by the Indians; one of which partly enclosed by a very rude pole fence, I found on the spot now occupied by my house and garden.
In the fall of '35 we had grown into so much importance that the tax collector from LaPorte came to pay us a visit which was about as welcome as such visits generally are.
Considerable quantities of corn, oats, buckwheat and turn- ips and potatoes were raised this summer and plenty of hay put up for use of those then here, but the new comers came so thick in the fall and winter, that there was a great scarcity before spring, and numbers of cattle starved to death. There had been during this summer so great a scarcity of horse feed in all this Northern region, that oats sold readily by the load, at 8 or 10 shillings, a bushel; at which price I sold out a little stock that I had provided for feed and seed, but which I had not been able to sow, because I was like all new settlers, who invariably lay out twice as much work as they can do. The first school in the county was kept by the widow Holton, this winter, at her house. She had three scholars.
In the winter of '35 and '36, wheat on LaPorte Prairie was worth $1.50 a bushel and not half enough raised to supply the great demand occasioned by the influx of emigrants, so that most of the Lake county settlers had to draw their provisions from the Wabash; during the summer of 1836. Up to March of this year our nearest post office was Michigan City, but having applied for it through our two Senators at Washing- ton, with both of whom I happened to be well acquainted, I was appointed postmaster and the office was named "Lake Court House." During the first year I had to supply the of-
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1833 - 1847
fice with the mail at my own expense from Michigan City, for the proceeds of the office, I need not tell you that it was not a money making contract. The receipts up to Oct. 1, were $15; the next quarter $8,87, but the 3rd quarter showed a rapid gain, for it amounted to $21.49.
After this, the seat of justice for Lake county having been temporarily established here, a contract was ordered to sup- ply this office weekly from LaPorte and was taken by John H. Bradley at, I think, $450 a year. The receipts of the quar- ter ending June 30th, 1837, were $26.92. The next which ended Sept. 30th, $43.50. The next, $38.20. The first quarter of 1838, was $51.33, the next, $51.39, and that appears to be the largest sum ever received in one quarter while I held the office.
But let us return and take up the events as they transpired.
In the spring of 1836, we were attached to Porter county, the commissioners of which divided this county into three townships and ordered an election for a Justice of the Peace in each. This was the first election in Lake county. Amsi L. Ball (No.), Robert Wilkinson (So.), and Solon Robinson were elected and held their office until the county was organized next year, and neither got fat upon their fees. I recollect hav- ing one suit before me and think that 'Squire Ball had two, per- haps three, but I don't think that Wilkinson ever had any. So much for law in those days. The first preaching of the Gospel in the county, if I recollect aright, was by a Methodist minister by the name of Jones ; and one of his first, if not the very first sermons was at the house of Thomas Reed; and from the size of the house, his congregation could not have been large. He was sent here by the presiding elder of the Northern In- diana Conference, who resided at South Bend. The next year the county was included in the Porter county mission, under the charge of Mr. Beers.
The settlement progressed rapidly this year and some good crops were raised. Of the great events of the year I will mention two-the formation of the "Settlers Union" for the mutual protection of each other's claims, for all were then squatters upon public land. The other was, the great sale of lots in the town of Liverpool, to the amount of some $18,000, which is eighteen thousand times as much as the whole town is worth now. At this sale the first electionary speech in this
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY
county was made by Gustavus A. Everts, then a candidate for Senator for this county and Porter, LaPorte and St. Joseph, and I think Elkhart. In the fall of this year we added a phy- sician to our population in the person of Dr. Palmer. Previous to this there was none nearer than Michigan City, for in the spring of this year I had employed one from there.
The first store in the county was also established this year. And during the winter of 1836-7, we, that is, my brother Milo and myself, sold about $3000 worth of goods out of that little old log cabin adjoining the one now used as a Court House.
The best of our customers were the Pottawattomies, who then dwelt here in considerable numbers. (With them com- merced my first efforts of a temperance reformation.) Of them we obtained great quantities of furs and cranberries, in pay for goods, (while those calling themselves far superior to the poor Indians in all the moral attributes, gave us prom- ises to pay, some which are promises to this day.) The first marriage in the county was that of David Bryant-another of my official acts as a Justice of the Peace. Done on a most excessive cold day. The second was Solomon Russel, and his was afterwards the first divorce.
During the same winter, the first mill in the county was put in operation by Wilson L. Harrison, so that we were able to get a little oak lumber in the spring of '37 for $15 a thou- sand.
In March 1837, the election of officers, upon the organiza- tion of the county took place. At this time so slow was the operation of the mails, that a special messenger was dis- patched to Indianapolis to get the appointment of a sheriff and authority to hold the election, the first appointment hav- ing failed. The messenger was John Russell, who made the trip on foot and beat the mail at that. Henry Wells was ap- pointed sheriff. The election for the North township was held at Amsi L. Ball's, for this, Center Township at the old log cabin which was Mr. Fowler's first house, now standing near Mr. Eddy's, and for the South, at the house of Sam'l D. Bryant.
Wm. Clark and Wm. B. Crooks were elected associate Judges, Amsi L. Ball, Stephen P. Stringham and Thomas Wiles, County Commissioners. Wm. A. Holton, recorder, and Solon Robinson, clerk. Several of the first meetings of the
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1833 - 1847
Board were held in that old log cabin in Mr. Pelton's yard.
John Russell was the first assessor; and such was the fever of speculation at that time, that some of the lands around Liverpool and another paper town called Indiana City, laid out at the mouth of the old Calumic, (which lands were held by locations of Indian reservation and floating pre-emption rights) were assessed, some of them as high as twenty dollars an acre. The same lands will not now sell for as many cents an acre.
It will be as well here to recur to some facts connected with the assessment, as profitable for reflection. The number of acres on the first assesment roll was 8726, valued in total at $77,787, a fraction less, on an average than $9 an acre; the tax upon which amounted to $894. There was but little if any improvements on these lands at that time. There were 409 town lots in Liverpool, assessed at $26,440, (too much by just three of the left hand figures-some say four.) There were 236 polls, and 23 over age, making 249 persons assessed for taxation. The poll tax amounted to $282.50. The value of personal property, $45,368. But the same spirit of high values governed in this as in case of the valuation of lands. For instance, cows were $15 or $20 a piece. The personal prop- erty tax amounted to $521. Total, $2002. It is needless to say that much of this was never collected. The owners of land would not pay and quite a number of the floating population floated out of reach of the collector. The floating and un- settled nature of the settlers of a new county is aptly illus- trated by the first settlers of this county-for of the 249 persons who were assessed here only ten years ago, eighty on- ly remain, and twenty-seven have died here, so that 142 have rolled on in that irresistable wave of Western immigration, that never will cease till it meets the resisting wave of the Western ocean, which will cause the mighty tide to react up- on itself until all the mountain sides and fertile plains of Mexico and Oregon are teeming with the Anglo-Saxon race.
The usual mode of estimating the number of inhabitants, is to multiply those assessed, which are mostly heads of families by five. This would make the population in the spring of 1837, about 1245. In 1840, the U. S. census was taken by Lewis Warriner; it was then 1468. Now let us examine the assessment of 1846.
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY
There were 600 persons assessed, and I am aware of sev- eral who were not included. This would give us a population of upwards of 3000, in the spring of 1846. Of the men as- sessed last spring, seventeen have since died-this is at the rate of about 21/2 per cent per annum, and would give 75 or 80 as the total number of deaths in the county last year. (I have no manner of ascertaining the truth, I will give the names of those whom I know have died. They are Isaiah L. Beebe, David Currier, Doct. Joseph F. Greene, Thomas Hen- derson, Myiel Pierce, John R. Simmons, Thomas Gibson, Jeremiah Green, John Hack, Jr., Cornelius F. Cooke, Judge Samuel Turner, Mr. Hollingshead, Mr. S. C. Beebe, David E. Bryant and Mr. Miller, Royal Benton, John Smith, Mr. Lath- rop, Ambrose Williams, a young man, and Mr. Livingood, whose names are not on the list, have died, and an old man by the name of Simons perished near the mouth of Deep River. He was said to be a very steady temperate man, but being much exposed to cold and wet on a raft, yielded to the temp- tation of drinking whiskey, which deranged his intellect and destroyed a very useful life.)
At the election in March 1837, there were 78 votes polled. At the last August election 327, but owing to sickness, this was far below the whole number, for at the Presidential elec- tion in 1844, there were then 325 votes.
(The assessment of 1846, has 54,421 acres of land, which of course is only what has been entered 5 years, this is valued at $78,792, an average of a fraction less than $1.45 an acre, the improvements on the same are valued at $43,495, total land value $122,287, a fraction less than $2.23 an acre, in- cluding improvements. Amount of personal property assessed at extremely low prices, $95,849, making a total of $223,713, upon which a tax of $2,754 was levied, including polls and for state, county and road purposes. Now let us resume our chain of events.)
At the first election of Justice of the Peace under organiza- tion, one Peyton Russel, was elected in North township; Milo Robinson and Horace Taylor in Center and E. W. Bryant, in South township. The first lived at Liverpool and like the town, has gone to parts unknown ; the second died January 1st, 1839; the 3rd has moved from the county, and the latter is alive and shaking, or at least was so a short time since, with the ague.
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1833 - 1847
At the August election, Luman A. Fowler was elected sheriff, and Robert Wilkinson, Probate Judge.
During this summer a good many new settlers came in and several frame buildings were put up; one of the first of which is the frame part of the house where Mr. Pelton now lives; which was built by my brother and myself, who were then in partnership, to accommodate the public, and was for several years the only tavern house here.
We also built the log building which has ever since been occupied as a Court House and place of worship, etc.
You that think building so expensive now, may do well to learn something of the prices then.
Oak lumber I have told you was $15 a thousand. The pine lumber in these buildings and the original part of the house where I now live, which was built the same season, cost us $35 a thousand; nails 15 cents a pound; glass $4.50 a box; shingles, $3 a thousand. Provisions at the same time were: $10 a barrel for flour ; $25 a barrel for pork, and 121/2 cents to 20 cents a pound for bacon; 27 cents a pound for butter; 7 and 8 cents a pound for fresh pork, fatted upon white-oak acorns, and about as dry and hard as what it was fed upon ; $25 to $40 a piece for cows. These were prices we actually paid that year.
During this season we had preaching several times at our house and in the present court room after that was finished; and by the manner that everybody far and near turned out to attend meeting, and by their apparent enjoyment of such privileges, a stranger who had seen the community then, and again now, would unhesitatingly say that there were more professing Christians at that time, than at this, in pro- portion to the population. Indeed there was settled around here in that year (1837) a goodly number of very zealous and exemplary Christian professors; but as they belonged to different denominations, there were not enough of either to attempt the formation of a church at this place, although I think that the Methodist organized several classes this year; one at least at Pleasant Grove, and also had occasional preach- ing there, being included in the Porter County Mission. I mention these things that you may see the commencement and progress of religious matters in this community. The Baptist people at Cedar Lake also held frequent meetings this
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY
year, and I think had preaching at Judge Ball's, who settled there this year.
John Hack, the patriarch and leader of the large German settlement we now have in the county, came in and settled where he now lives, in the fall of this year.
The two bridges on the prairies north of Crown Point were built during this summer by Daniel May and Hiram Nordyke, at an expense of $500. Also one across West Creek, by Nehemiah Hayden, near Judge Wilkinson's, for $400, one across Cedar Creek, near Louis Warriner's, by Stephen P. Stringham and Robert Wilkinson, for $200. One across Deep River at Benajah Wilkinson's by A. L. Ball, for $400, besides several smaller ones, by means of the 3 per cent fund.
Walton's saw mill on Turkey Creek, Wood's and also Dus- tin's on Deep River and Taylor's' on Cedar Creek, were all building during this year. But with the exception of Wood's they might as well never have been built for the good they have done. The same may be said of the one called "Miller's Saw Mill" on Deep river. Dustin's, Miller's and Walton's have been in utter ruins for years, on account of the difficulty of making a dam of dirt stand, and Taylor's is about half the time without water, and the other half without a dam.
The summer of 1837, was a most excessive wet one, and in fact was that of '36.
In October '37, the first term of the Circuit Court was held by Judges Sample and Clark. Judge Crooks, having pre- viously stepped out. (And a very quiet and peaceable session it was, for at that time we had none of those dens of moral pestilence which have since polluted the place with drunken brawls.) It is worthy of our observation to look back and see what a change has taken place in the short space of ten years. Of nine members of the bar who attended the first term of this Court, only one attended the last. Of 28 grand and petit jurors, only 14 remain in the county. These are: John Wood, J. P. Smith, Elias Bryant, Henry Wells, Wm. W. Payne, Levi D. Jones and Geo. Earle, who were on the first Grand Jury, and Orin Smith, Daniel May, Rich'd Fansher, Rob't Wilkin- son, Jona'n Brown, J. V. Johns and Stephen P. Stringham, who were on the first petit jury. One of the other 14, old Mr. Thomas Sawyer, died here, and the other 13 have moved from the county. I have already shown that the change in
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the whole population has even exceeded this ratio.
At the first term there were 30 cases on the docket, which was certainly a pretty strong beginning in law for a new county. Of the 70 plaintiffs and defendants then here, only 15 are here now, and only three of the absent ones died here. These were Milo Robinson, Calvin Lilly and Daniel Cross. The first marriage license issued in the county was for John Russell and Harriet Holton. Unfortunately it did not stick. A little singular that 2 out of 3 of the first marriages in the county should be divorced.
In the winter of 1837-8 Congress established several mail routes through Lake county, which until then had none ex- cept the old route from Detroit to Fort Dearborn. One of these routes was from here to Monticello, in White county, and was taken by Mr. Pelton, but was afterwards found to be through such an interminable wilderness that it was discontinued. One from LaPorte to Joliet, also taken by Mr. Pelton, is still in operation.
The route from Michigan City to Peoria was let to be carried in four-horse post coaches, but never put in oper- ation. The mail now carried by Mr. Wells from City West to West Creek is a remnant of this route. It is worthy of remark that when I was appointed Postmaster here, there was not another office in all the country west of Laporte to Joliet and Chicago.
The summer of 1838, was one of severe drouth and great sickness and probably more deaths in proportion to the pop- ulation than in any other year up to this time, since the com- mencement of the settlement. (So great was the drouth in the fall that the muskrats were driven out of their usual haunts and frequently burnt out by the fall fires running over the marshes, and were found wandering about in search of water. One of them came into my house, but never so much as asked for a drink of whiskey, but made his way through and went directly where "the old oaken bucket, the moss covered bucket" contained a more natural beverage for thirsty muskrat, and I was obliged to cover the well to keep them out. I saw many places where the autumn fires burnt off all the sod, and hundreds of the houses of these animals were of course burnt up. Much damage was done to fences and crops. The old adage that "Winter never sets in till
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY
the swamps are filled" failed this year, for during the con- tinuance of the drouth, winter commenced. I remember that snow fell some inches during the October court, and the ground froze up directly after and in it lots of small potatoes.
A large addition was made this year to the German settle- ment. The Baptist church at Cedar Lake was organized, and preaching pretty frequent by Elder French, and Elder With- erel and Deacon Warriner. In November of this year, Judge Clarke and myself proved out our pre-emption rights and got a title to the land where Crown Point is located. A num- ber of others also in different parts of the county did like- wise. Before this all were squatters. The settlers having now begun to raise bread stuff, found it no fool of a job to go 40 miles to mill. But they had to do it.
There were a good many improvements made this year, for these were the days of "Wildcat" money. The tavern house at Liverpool was completed, and a line of daily stages run upon that road; though upon reflection, I believe they were in operation the year before. Mr. Eddy completed his house and moved his family into the county sometime in the summer of this year.
The selection of lands in this county for the Wabash canal, was made in June of this year. Col. John Vawter, was one of the commissioners and preached in the Court room while here to a very respectable congregation.
The Methodist church may be considered as regularly or- ganized in this county from this time, forming with Porter county a circuit, and supplied with preaching at stated times.
The drouth of this year was the cause of setting a great number of persons to digging wells. Heretofore they had depended upon water in ponds and marshes, the drying up of which put them to great inconvenience, particularly for stock water after winter set in.
(One circumstance worth noting in connection with this subject, may be mentioned in regard to Cedar Lake. This beautiful sheet of water was so affected that all around the edge of the water it was covered with a thick scum so of- fensive that no one could use the water without being dis- gusted. The health of the settlers the two last seasons goes to prove that a dry season will always be found far more sickly than a wet one.)
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1833 - 1847
On the first of January, 1839, my brother Milo died of consumption. This was the first death that occurred in the vicinity of Crown Point. It ever has been considered a remarkably healthy place. In fact the strongest inducement with me to settle here, was, that I heard that it was a favorite summer residence of the Indians, and a spot to which they always resorted for recovery of health which they had lost in more unhealthy locations. When first seen, too, in a complete state of nature, it seemed one of the most lovely spots I ever saw in its natural condition. It is a pleasant spot still.
The most remarkable feature in the history of the summer of 1839, is the location of the County seat at Liverpool, by commissioners appointed by the legislature the winter pre- vious. And the sale of public lands of the U. S., in March of this year.
Liverpool, Cedar Lake and this place were the contending parties for the location of the county seat.
How it ever was fixed at Liverpool, some of the commis- sioners know and no one else. The location created a very strong opposition in all the south and central parts of the county.
The county officers and courts were urged not to move there, until the legislature could be petitioned for a reloca- tion.
On examination of the laws fixing the seat of Justice temporarily at this place it was found that they could not be compelled to move to the new county seat until suitable buildings were erected. Although the proprietors of the town went to work immediately to provide a court house it never was completed, although nearly so. It stood for sev- eral years a monument of a very bad speculation and finally fell into the hands of Mr. Earle and by him sold to be pulled down and floated down the river to Blue Island where it was re-erected in 1846 for a tavern. And with it has gone almost the last hope of a town at that place.
(After the death of my brother, Sheriff Fowler kept the house at Crown Point as tavern until the fall when he moved to Lockport, Ill., and remained till the work upon the canal was suspended. Although he did not keep such a sink of drunken abominations as has since been kept in the place, he had not
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY
then learned the blessing of temperance that he has since enjoyed the benefit of.)
J. V. Johns was elected sheriff this August election, H. N. Brooks was his opponent. The election was contested and created some excitement at the time. It cost Brooks $40 or $50 without gaining the office-a poor speculation for him. (One witness testified that he would not vote for either, be- cause one was a drunkard and the other a black-guard- too true.)
After Mr. Fowler abdicated the office of Crown Point tav- ern keeper, Mr. Pelton took a wife and took the house which he afterwards purchased and has occupied ever since.
Dr. Lilly, who flourished at Cedar Lake as a merchant and tavern keeper, builder of mills and founder of a town, etc., etc., died this summer of the disease that sweeps off so many of the lovers of strong drink, and the place that once knew him, knows him no more and the place that in those days was so well known is almost as dead as its former pro- prietor and as little known to the present population. The change that a few years work in a new county, is indeed wonderful. The population is continually changing. Out of perhaps 20 families of the original settlers around this lake, only two or three remain.
In the winter of 1839-40 an Act was passed for a re- location of the county seat. The commissioners met in June. The contest was strong between the center and Cedar Lake, and the offers of donations very large. The proprietors of Liverpool gave up when they found that a large majority of the county was so strong against them.
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