USA > Indiana > Allen County > History of Allen County, Indiana, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 64
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On the evening of organization, nine persons were admitted by card, viz .. Henry Burgess, William Sugart, H. B. Bartholomew. John Begue, E. H. Phelps, E. W. Green, H. G. Dawkins, Charles A. Zollinger and James Nuttles ; and to complete the organization, tbe degrees were conferred upon J. W. Whitaker, Jolin Begue, Henry Burgess, William Sugart, H. G. Dawkins and E. W. Green, after wbich the following persons were received into the Lodge by initiation : W. S. Bell, P. S. Beugnot, W. M. Bell, J. L. Bryant, C. E. Bryant, I. S. Null, R. D. Nuttle, G. W. Bentley and G. W. Bell.
The Lodge received its charter May 16, 1876. The first meeting was beld in the third story of' Burgess' Block, which is still occupied as the Lodge room.
In this Lodge 117 persons have, at various times, been initiated, and 29 united by card ; making a total of 146. Fourteen members bave died, and fifty - two have withdrawn to unite with, or organize, other lodges; and from these causes the present membership of New Haven Lodge is reduced to eighty.
The following is a list of the Noble Grands of this Lodge, from its organiza- tion to the present time (1879) : L. M. Rogers, Alanson Whitney, J. W. Whit- aker, Henry Burgess, E. W. Green. C. A. Zollinger, William McIntosh, L. S. Null, William Sugart, H. G. Dawkins, R. S. Knode, Volney Powers, W. S. Rogers, L. M. Rogers (re-elected), G. W. Bell, M. M. Thompson, E. S. McDon- ald, Josepb Stark, Thomas Meads, John Nail, Jacob Butler, O. S. Harrison, John Barrow, John Dawkins, W. S. Bell.
Since the organization of the Lodge, ninety brethren have been relieved-the - amount paid for such relief being $1,331.65 ; for burial of the dead, $465; for relief of Odd Fellows' widows, $120.
Scarcely any Lodge within the jurisdiction of Indiana has enjoyed more uninterrupted prosperity than this. Its officers and members are all fully awake to their dutics as Odd Fellows, and all manifest a lively interest in the good of the Order.
The value of Lodge property is as follows :
Cash
$210 37
Notes (secured) 297 25
Real Estate. 2,500 00
Value of Cemetery 12,500 00
Total $15,507 62
CONRAD TRIER.
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145
ABOIT TOWNSHIP.
ABOIT TOWNSHIP.
BY L. II. NEWTON.
LOCATION AND BOUNDARY.
Abuit is situated in the western part of Allen County, and comprises Town- ship 30 north, of Range 11 east. These boundaries were established by the Board of County Commissioners, at the May session, 1836, and in March, 1843, it was ordered " that so much of Aboit Township as lies south of Little River, be attached to the townsbip of Pleasant." Aboit is bounded on the north by Lake Township, east by Wayne Townsbip, south by Pleasant Township, west by Whit- ley County, and contains 34.55 square miles.
STREAMS AND WATER-COURSES.
Aboit River-the principal stream -. flows through the township from north to south, joining Little River near Ahoit Station, on the Wabash Railway. Little River-a tributary to the Wabash-waters the southeastern part of the township. Bullard's Run is a small brook wbich has its source in a series of springs, and, flowing in a southerly direction, joins Little River at the point of Section 25. There are other small streams to which no names have been assigned.
The name " Aboit" is evidently a corruption of the name originally given to the creek by the French. On the bank of this ereck, in 1780, a battle took place between the Indians and the French force,, led by Col. La Balm. The lat - ter were overwhelmed and slaughtered, and from this circumstance the place was called " Abattoir," the " slaughter-bouse."
SURFACE AND SOIL.
Tbe surface is of that undulating character so pleasing to the eye and so grati- fying to the agriculturist, as it dispenses with a tedious and expensive system nf drainage so often necessary in lowlands. From the nature of the land, all surplus water finds its way to the ereeks, and from them to the rivers, and the soil is always in a tillable condition. It is composed cbiefly of a rich black Ioam, with a substratum of clay. It produces excellent qualities of wheat, fruit, and all varieties of products, which, in this latitude, reward the farmer for his toil.
There is nothing approaching the nature of a prairie, and every acre of farming land has been redeemed from a wilderness. Among the timber which originally covered tbe township, was maple, linn, buckeye, beech, walnut and oak. Of the latter, there are many thousands of feet still standing, and oak is the pre- vailing timber as an article of commerce.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
On the 24th day of September, 1833, Enoch Turner, Richard Andrew, William E. Gouty and Richard Clark, with their families (making a total of about thirty souls), came to the township to inaugurate the work of the pioneer. All were natives of Maryland, and settled near each other, thus forming a neigh- horhood, which, in later years, came to be known among those who came after them, as " tbe Maryland Settlement." Of these first adventurers in the wilos of Ahoit, Enoch Turner alone now survives. He still lives on the farm upon which he settled nearly a half-century ago. He was a strong man and pos- sessed of great courage, and set about his work with an energy which only those in the same position can exereise, and what is true of him is equally true of his nssociates. All seemed to have been actuated by the injunction, " Make hay while the sun sbines," only paraphrased into " Make a farm wbile you are young, for the days will come when your failing strength must look to the savings of these days for its reward-its support for the remainder of life." With this motto in view they worked, and in the enjoyment of the competence tbus bon- estly earned, the only survivor of that community now lives, honored and esteemed by all.
Jesse Vermilyea settled in the township in the same year. It would be only a repetition to portray his characteristics, for the pioneers were alike in all essential particulars. Industry, economy and hard work made up the daily routine of their existence, and when these traits are mentioned as belonging to an individual, they may be applied collectively to all bis associates, for those who failed to possess them soon found their neighbors surpassing them, saw the fer- tility of their farms enhanced, their clearings increase, and their prosperity grow in a ratio commensurate with their industry, while their own remained almost as they bad entered tbem, and the days spent in idleness, in hunting and fishing came back like spceters to baunt them, and like drones in the bive they were driven nut by the working bees and returned to the places from which they came, or else, with a good lesson in mind, sought newer localities where they could begin with beginners and kcep pace with the march of improvement. Jesse Vermilyea was a prominent man in the township, and took an active part in its development and improvement. He was of a kind, social disposition, and gained friends who clung to him during life.
Lot S. Bayless and Benjamin Rogers were the next settlers ; they came early in 1834, and both cleared large farms. Mr. Rogers remained in the townsbip uutil his decease. Mr. Bayless subsequently removed to Dakota Territory, wbere he now resides.
Willi:nu Hamilton, a native of New York, came in the spring of 1835, and purchased a tract of land, to which be removed bis family in the ensuing fall. He remained in the township until death, and hequeathed to his heirs a fine estate and a munificent fortune.
George Bullard, a native of St. Lawrence County, N. Y., came in Nov- ember, 1835. He brought his family overland in a wagon, but sent his house- hold goods by other parties to Perrysburg, Ohio, whence they were conveyed in pirogues to their destination. He purchased 240 aeres on Section 13, which he cleared almost without assistance. Ile planted a squall field of corn in the spring of 1836, and reaped it in the following fall ; but he was here two years before he reaped a erop of wheat. Ile has grown with the township, and bis prosperity has inereased with its prosperity. He is now the possessor of one of the finest farms in the township, and is regarded as one of its substantial farmers. His labor has returned him a rich reward, and in the declining years of his life he enjoys a fortune well earned, and the respect and confidence of his fellow-inen. He was carly elected Justice of the Pcace, and served in that capacity for twenty-six ycars.
Raburn Beeson, a native of Greene County, Ohio, is among the early settlers of this township. He came to Allen County with his parents iu March, 1826, and worked on the farm of his father, Richard Beeson, in Wayne Township, until 1839. In that year, he purchased a tract of land in Aboit Township, upon which he located shortly after. This he cleared and improved, and, at a later date, traded it for another farm. He traded farms with his neighbors at various times, but finally located permanently on the farm upon which he now resides. He has always been an industrious man, and is highly cstecmed by his neighbors.
EARLY EVENTS.
The first bewed-Iog house was begun by George Bullard in the spring of 1836. He fell ill during its construction, and tbe work stopped ; hut he eom- pleted it immediately after his recovery. It was plastered inside, and was suhse- quently weather-boarded, making it a very substantial bouse, and a very preten- tious one for that time. It occupied the site of his present residenec.
The first brick house was erected by Jesse Vermilyea in 1839. The mate- rial for its construction was manufactured by him from the clay ou his farm.
The first orchard was set out by George Bullard in 1837, and is still fruitful.
In the same year (1837), the first school was taught in a cabin on the farm of George Bullard. It was a subscription school, aud Mr. Bullard donated the stove and boarded the teacher.
The first religious meeting was held at the house of Richard Andrew in 1834, by Rev. James Holinan. of the M. E. Church. Mr. Andrew's house was the regular place of meeting until a short time prior to his death, when the meetings were removed to a log schoolhouse, then recently erected in the vicinity.
At his house a class was organized, under the auspiees of this denomination, in -1836; this was the first religious organization in the township. There were twelve members; Rev. Stephen R. Ball was the minister in charge of the circuit to which the class belonged, and services were conducted onee in four weeks In 1842, they erected a log building, to serve the double purpose of a eburcb and schoolhouse. The ground was donated by Enoch Turner, on whose farm the building was erected. They have maintained their organization, but have never employed a permanent pastor. Meetings are now held in the schoolhouse, on Section 22, one Sunday in each month.
Jesse Vermilyea kept a siuall stock of merchandise ( the first in the township) with which he carried on a limited trade with the Indians. He did not, however, open a store, and there is not now a store in the township.
In 1848, Lot S. Bayless erected the first saw-mill in the township. It was built on the Aboit River, and received its motive power from that stream. Five years later, William Hamilton erected a saw-mill on the same stream.
The first white child boru in the township was a son of Jesse Vermilyen; he was born in the spring of 1833, and died in the fall of the same year.
Martin Kelley and Miss Mary Andrew were married at the home of the bride's parents in December, 1834. This was the first wedding in the townsbip, and was solemnized by Rev. James Holman. All tbe parties in tbe cerciuony are now deceased.
The first cemetery was douated by Enocb Turner in 1834, and the space allotted for interment is now nearly all occupied. The first corpse here interred was that of a young Irish boy, who bad been adopted into the family of Jesse Vermilyea. His father was a dissipated man, and frequently remained away from home for weeks at a time in his drunken carouses. During such a spree, his wife died, neglected, and in the depths of misery. Jesse Vermilyca immediately took the boy into his own family, where he found a good bome, but died young.
Aboit Post Office was established in 1839, at the house of Jesse Vermilyea, who was appointed Postmaster, and held the position for a number of years. . it one time it was abolished, but subsequently re-established, and is now kept at the house of Mr. Stouter.
146
HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY, INDIANA.
The first election was held at the house of Richard Andrews in 1836. Riebard Andrews and Samuel Dunlap were elected Justices of the Peace. In 1849, Levi Moore donated n lot from his farm upon which to erect a church- stipulating that it should be a union church, and open to all denominations ; that it should be finisbed, fenced in, and kept in repair; and unless these pro- visions were complied with, the lot would revert to the owner of the farm. After a few years, the property passed into the hands of Mr. Scott, its present propri- etor. The building was never finished, and the agreement was violated by this fact ; hut meetings were held at intervals by the various denominations, and Mr. Seott refused to reclaim the ground. During the war of the rebellion, some of the ministers insisted upon delivering political sermons, and enunciating their own principles from the pulpit. The congregations were divided as to their sympa- tlies with the contendiog armies, withdrew, and refused their support to the chiureb. It grew weaker, and was finally nhandoned, and is now in a neglected and unsafe condition.
CONCLUSION.
From a record of past events we pass to a contemplation of the present. Ahoit has taken her place as as one of the foremost townships of the county ; the forests of earlier years have disappeared, and rich farms are cultivated ou lauds formerly covered with thickets, which would have discouraged any but the men who first began the work of improvement withiu its limits. What they left unfinished at their death their descendants have nobly carried out, and the char- acteristics of their fathers fell to them as n part of their inheritance. Energy and industry are not less marked in the sons than in the fathers, though under different circumstances. They bave not the same obstacles to contend with, and their labor meets with a muore speedy recompense.
While excelling as an agricultural district, Ahoit has acquired some dis- tinction as n live-stock market, and much care has been bestowed by some of its citizens upon the propagation of a fine breed of cattle, hogs and sheep. Among
the citizens engaged in this enterprise are Messrs. Growcock, W. J. Esterline, J. N. Corey, D. Russean, W. A. Hamilton, W. A. Kelsey, D. Swineheart, A. H. Bates and I. N. Corey, all of whom exhibited fine specimens of stock at the last agricultural fair.
DAVID SWINEHEART.
Daniel and Margaret ( Keen) Swineheart, hoth natives of Center Co., Penn., were early settlers of Stark County, Ohio, and there their son David (the subject of this sketch ) was born in the year 1823. Attaining the age of twenty-five, he came ta Allen County, where, two years later (1850), in Aboit Township, he married Miss Catherine Ann Crouse, daughter of Barney Crouse, of Somerset County, Penn. They are the parents of eight children, in order of age as follows-Henry, born in 185I, married Miss Lizzie Robertson, and resides in Whitley County, this State; Melissa Jane, horn in 1854, married Thomas Kline, and they, too, reside in Whitley County ; James B., born in 1856, married Miss Mary Cephle, and lives in the " old house " at home; Christene R., born in 1858; Armadilla Seville (deceased), born in 1860; La Fayette, horn in 1862; Sherman, born in 1865; and David Allen, born in 1868, all of whom reside at home except those living in Whitley County and the one deceased.
In religion, Mr. Swinebeart inclines to the Lutheran faith. In politics, a Democrat. Though not a seeker of public trusts, he has been called to fill-with credit to himself-some of the offices of his township. Toward public enter- prises beneficial to his community, he has tendered a liberal hand. Yet, withal, he has looked well to his own prosperity and success. Always frank, and always hospitable to friend and stranger, a kind husband and father, he and his worthy lady enjoy the respect and esteem of all wbo know them.
CEDAR CREEK TOWNSHIP.
BY L. H. NEWTON.
LOCATION AND BOUNDARY.
Cedar Creek is situated in the northern part of Allen County, and is bounded as follows: North by De Kalb County, east by Springfield Township, south by Milan and St. Joseph Townsbips, west hy Perry Township.
STREAMS AND WATER-COURSES.
St. Joseph River traverses the township from northeast to southwest. Cedar Creek flows through the western portion, joining St. Joseph River at a point near the village of Cedarville. There are also four small streams, or branches, flowing in a direction parallel with the course of Cedar Creek, und finding an out- Iet in the St. Joseph.
The general character of the surface is undulating, terminating in bluff banks along the margins of the principal streams.
The sod is of clay, intermixed with sand, and produces, in great abundance, all the fruits and cereals indigenous to this climate.
Until 1837, Cedar Creek formed a part of the territory included in the com- prehensive boundaries of St. Joseph Township, as established by the first Board of Commissioners of Allen County, hut in September of that year it was ordered by the Board that Township 32 north, of Range 13 cast, be an organized town- ship, to be known as Cedar Creek. It was thus made to comuprise a Congres- sional Township, with an area of 35.58 square miles, 23,026.61 aeres.
EARLY SETTLERS.
Prior to the date of its cession to the white man, the territory of this town- ship had been penetrated by French missionaries, wbo came to administer to the spiritual needs of its savage possessors. They left nothing from which can be gathered their names, or any autbentie account of their labors.
After the territory came into possession of the white man, traces of their existence were discovered in various portions of the township. On one occasion William Muller, soon after his arrival, was walking through the woods near his cabin, and saw some carved figures in the hark of a heech-tree, which upon closer examination, proved to be a French inscription, with the date 1772, followed by 4 cross. The inscription hore evidence of being of no recent date, but whether as ald as it purported to be will of course ever he shrouded in doubt. The fact of this having been a missionary station was established by events which occurred in later years, and which will be recorded in another part of this chapter.
After it was vacated by the Indians, the soil of this township remained untenanted until 1833; then a Mr. Wood, in quest of a Western home, located ou the bank of Cedar Creek, where he erected a cabin and passed the winter. This one seasou seemed to satisfy his desire for association with a new country, and in the following spring he decided to embrace the first opportunity of returning to New York, his native State. This opportunity presented itself in the succeeding spring.
Jacob Notestine, with his family, came to the township in a llat-boat, and while their goods were heing disembarked, it came to the ears of Mr. Wood that
a hoat was at the landing. He interviewed the proprietor, who, on the following day, pusbed his hoat up to Wood's cabin, on Cedar Creek, and the disheartened adventurer embarked with his household goods for a more convenient locality.
Jacoh Notestine was a man who came with a full realization of what he would have to encounter in the woods, and as the hardships of pioneer life fell upon him, he met them with a determined courage, knowing that time and indus- try would in a measure, smooth his thorny pathway. On the 15th day of July, 1830, he settled in Fort Wayne, having left Fairfield County, Ohio, ahout two weeks previously. He had a family of thirteen children, of whom six are now living. Peter and Daniel are substantial farmers in this township; Aaron and Isaiah reside in Kansas.
Mr. Notestine remained nineteen years in the township, during which time he proved himself equal to the task of making life profitable in the wilderness. He cleared a fine farm, upon which he lived until the close of his life in Decem- her, 1853.
John Manning, from Mercer County, Ohio, settled iu the township in the spring of 1834, a few days subsequent to the arrival of Jacob Notestine. He selected a tract. of land on Section 15, which he cleared and improved, aud upon which he resided during life. This farm is now owned hy Bepjamin Schlatter. His sons, William and Amos Manning, now reside in Eel River Township. He was a man of industrious habits and great energy, and was universally esteemed throughout the settlement.
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