USA > Indiana > Bartholomew County > History of Bartholomew County, Indiana : From the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, notes, etc. : Together with a short history of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the state of Indiana > Part 50
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Continuing the line of improvement, and realizing the necessity of better protection from fire, in 1870, the council decided to con- struct water works, and in the following year, the present system of Holly works was completed at a cost of not quite $54,000, though
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improvements and extensions since have brought the total cost up to near $100,000. At first there was no regular fire company and the only dependence was upon volunteers to man the hose when- ever the necessity arose, and, of course, the work was very ineffi- cient. Several severe losses soon taught the necessity of a regular company, which was organized in 1873, and has since been main- tained, and soon became very efficient. H. C. Davie was the first chief,'and held the position for thirteen years, when A. B. Reeves became the head of the force. 1
About this time, 1871, the city and whole community suffered a great loss in the failure of McEwen & Son's bank. This com- pany had done an immense business of various kinds, and their failure for nearly half a million dollars was crushing in its effect, and dragged down many others also. The bank was the depository of the city and county funds, and by the failure the former lost $17,000 and the latter $27,000, only a small portion of which was afterward recovered from the assets. ,
fails .- In May, after the county was organized, the building of the first jail was let by the Commissioners to John S. McEwen for the sum of $112. It stood on or near the southeast corner of the public square, was of logs, two stories high, and of two rooms. The lower room contained an inner lining of oak wood, dovetailed together to give it greater strength. Two small grated windows at the top and at opposite sides gave light and ventilation. The only entrance was by a trap door in the floor above, through which a ladder was let down when it was necessary to descend or ascend. This was called the "dungeon," and was used for the more dan- gerous class of prisoners. The upper room was less secure but more comfortable, and was known as the "debtor's room," impris- onment for debt not having been abolished at that time. It was entered by a stairway outside. This jail becoming unfit for use, in 1832, a new one was built on the corner of Brown and Walnut (4th). This was of brick, but in other respects was a duplicate of the first one. It was insecure and unhealthy from the first, and in 1844, it was torn down and another built on the same spot, of Ver- non limestone, with a brick residence adjoining. This appears to have been a bad job also, and the prisoners soon had the walls
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almost picked to pieces in their attempts to escape, and it was torn down and rebuilt with heavy stone flagging in the dungeon, and strong iron bolts inserted between all the courses in the walls. Like its predecessors, this proved to be unsafe and unhealthy, and the building and ground was sold by the county, and in IS70, the present splendid jail completed at a cost of about $43,000.
Court Houses .- As has been stated, the residence of Luke Bonesteel was first used as a court room, and on June 14, 1821, the Commissioners bought the house for $50, and it continued to be used for the same purpose until IS28. At the November term of 1821, the Commissioners contracted with Col. Giles Mitchell to build a brick court house to be completed in eight years. Just why so much time was given is uncertain; perhaps it was partially owing to the difficulty of obtaining the material, and also to give the county more time in which to pay for it. The building was forty feet square, two stories high, the first story thirteen feet be- tween the floors; the second story ten feet. It stood near the cen- ter of the square. This continued to be the seat of justice until 1838, when the Commissioners decided that "the requirements of the people demanded the erection of a new court house," and a committee was appointed to report upon the propriety of the same. The report being favorable, a second committee, consisting of John Knapp, John Oglesby, and Elisha P. Jones, was appointed to draft a model and make report at next meeting, and in May, 1839, the contract was let to John Elder, for the price of $8,500. John M. Guinn, Lewis F. Coppersmith, John F. Jones, John C. Hubbard and John H. Terrell were appointed to superintend the work. This building occupied the center of the public square, was brick, and was considered at the time a marvel of grandeur and magnifi- .cence.
But in the course of years the public business of the county outgrew this also, and in 1870, the County Commissioners, Louis · Essex, John P. Holtz and John W. Welmer, decided to erect one on a scale that would answer for generations. The work was let to McCormack & Sweeney, home contractors, for the sum of $139,000. The work was completed and turned over to the county near the end of 1874. The extra work on the building, the furni-
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ture, clock, heating apparatus, fence, etc., brought the total cost of the improvement up to near $250,000, it being at the time of its completion, the finest court house in the State with one or two ex- ceptions. It was dedicated on the 29th of December, 1874, with a great banquet and ball, which was attended by many of the most prominent men of the State, and some from other States. A few old men were also present who could remember when court was held in the old log house on the river bank and the site of the present structure was covered with forest trees, and to them the change must have appeared little less than marvelous.
Additions .- No addition was made to the town as first platt ed, until 1848, when Doup's addition was platted. This consisted of a strip of ground lying west of Washington Street and north of the Madison Railroad. The next was in March, IS51, by Lewis Sims and Mary F. Finley, contained two squares and extended north and east, from the corner where the Catholic Church stands. In August, 1851, Jones, Irwin & Mounts' addition was made. This adjoined the original plat and extended from Washington Street east to Chestnut. After this no further additions were made until January, 1862, when Irwin's first addition was recorded. This was followed by Lewis Sim's addition, in April, 1862, and by Irwin's second addition, in July, 1862. In November, 1863, the city cemetery was platted and recorded as an addition, by James I. Irwin. Keith's addition was made in April, 1864, and in Decem- ber of the same year, Hege & Hill still further extended the boundaries. Hunt's addition was made in February, 1865, and Irwin's third addition, November, 1866.
By petition of the tax-payers and action of the County Commis- sioners, several different pieces of ground lying in various parts of the city were platted and added to its area, and February, 1873, by the same process, the boundaries were extended in almost every direction. A small addition was platted by Karrenbach, in July, 1870, and by Keith & Keith, October, 1870.
September, 1875, Hay's addition was recorded, and many of the lots sold at public sale. This is a large and important addition lying between Tenth Street and the Cambridge Railroad. Feb- ruary, 1879, the Columbus Wheel Company and M. T. Reeves
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added a considerable portion where the Reeves manufactory stands. In March, ISSO, a few lots were added by William Manion, and in December, ISSO, a few more by S. B. Samuels. A large plat was added by Graham & Tompkins, May, ISSI, consisting of sev- eral acres of land lying east of Washington Street and south of the road that forms the present northern boundary of the city. The next addition was by George W. Cooper, in May, ISSI, of grounds adjoining the Graham & Tompkins' addition on the south. August, 1881, R. Whipker made a small addition, and in March, ISS2, Charles Whipker still further enlarged this.
Amos Burns, in May, 1883, platted a piece of land just south of the Cambridge Railroad and between Washington and Franklin streets. This completed the platting the entire length of Wash- ington Street. In July, 1884, the large addition of Crump's heirs was recorded, 'consisting of twenty acres northeast of the city and extending north to the Cambridge Railroad, and the addition of Quick's heirs, directly north of this, in the following November, completed the platting east and north to the corporation lines, and opened a large and beautiful section for building purposes that had hitherto been used only for agriculture. In 1886, a considerable addition was made to the city cemetery by Horn & Pfuffer, and in June, 1886, John A. Keith Place, consisting of a half a square just east of the Central School building, was subdivided and placed on record as an addition to the city. The last addition is Swengel's Park Place, three acres lying east of the city proper, which was platted and recorded November, 1878. There is a measure pend- ing before the city council at this time to extend the boundary line from the river north of the city entirely around until it touches the river on the south, and which, if accomplished, will add some 2,500 acres to the area within the corporation.
Railroads .- July Ist, 1844, marked an important epoch in the r history of Columbus, as on that date the Madison & Indianapolis Railroad reached this point. This was the first road in the State, was crude in construction and equipment, but the first whistle sounded the death knell of the freight wagon, the flat-boat and the stage coach. The Jefferson Railroad was finished to Columbus in the spring of IS52, and the Columbus & Shelbyville road was
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commenced in June, 1853, and finished the same year. These lines were afterward all leased by the Pennsylvania Company and operated as a part of that system. For many years the city suf- fered great disadvantage for lack of railway competition, and many schemes were proposed to secure it, but without effect, until ISS5, the Columbus, Hope & Greensburg road, a branch of the Cincin- nati, Indianapolis, St. Louis & Chicago was completed. The rail- road facilities of this city are now equal to those of any city of its size in the country.
Newspapers .- A true and full history of the newspaper ven- tures of Columbus, would make a varied and interesting chapter, full of vicissitudes, humor and pathos, occasional success and many failures. The first paper was the Columbus Chronicle, Lamson L. Dunkin, publisher. Dunkin and his father published a paper at Charlestown, Clark County, but when Bartholomew became more thickly populated, there appeared to be an opening for a paper, so father and son divided the material, and the younger man came to Columbus. The first number was issued January 1, 1831, and it was predicted that it would be · short-lived. But Dunkin was a practical printer, a man of business, tact, popular, and succeeded in building up a paying business, but his health failed, and he died in 1834. At Dunkin's death it passed into the hands of Williamson Terrell and James McCall, the latter a printer in the office. Terrell was a merchant at that time, afterward a minister in the Methodist Church, and one of the most noted pioneer preachers of the State. At first the paper was neutral in politics, but Terrell, who was neutral in nothing, soon converted it into a red-hot Whig organ, and changed the name to Western Herald. He was a man of positive views and combative disposition which led him into many difficulties during his short journalistic career, but his personal cour- age and great physical strength stood him in good stead on such occasions. After about a year Terrell sold out to his partner, who ran it another year, but not very successfully, when the material was sold and removed to Bloomington, Ind.
The next paper launched on the new community was the Advo- cate, a year or two after the demise of the Herald. Lewis F. Cop- persmith, a lawyer and writer of ability, was the editor, and his
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partner, Samuel P. Farley, was a practical printer. It was con- ducted with extraordinary dignity and ability for a local paper of that day, and while Whig in politics, was conservative and mild, too mild for many of its fiery Whig readers. In 1840, Mr. Cop- persmith sold his interest to R. L. Ilowell, a shrewd Yankee ad- venturer, for an interest in a patent shingle machine. Howell, while not possessed of the same ability as his predecessor, was caus- tic and rasping, and made it hot enough for his political opponents. He controlled the paper but a short time, when it passed into the hands of the firm of Schofield & Farley, who employed W. F. Pidgeon as editor. The financial condition of the country was bad at this time, and the Whig party in the country was also in a bad way, and although Mr. Pidgeon was a gentleman and scholar, he was not a success as a newspaper man and the paper went into a decline and expired in 1842.
Undaunted by these failures, in 1842 or 1843, a young man named Samuel H. Kridelbaugh started the Weekly Ledger, em- ploying Hosea B. Harn to edit it while he set the type. During the winter of 1844-5, it was issued semi-weekly; but the publisher was without experience and the editor was eccentric, what in these days would be called a "crank," and in the spring of 1845, the Ledger went the way of its predecessors.
Soon after the death of the Ledger, two papers of opposite poli- tics were started, the Hoosier Review and the Columbus Gazette. The former had been published at Rushville, but failed, and the owner, Corydon Donovan, moved the material to Columbus, and re-issued it under the above title. Donovan was an enthusiastic supporter of Polk, also had a good opinion of himself, and when his favorite had been inaugurated, went on to Washington to claim his reward. Modesty was not one of his cardinal virtues, and he first asked the French mission, then demanded some second-class mis- sion, but being ignored, kept reducing his demands, until his ene- mies said he finally asked for a suit of the President's cast-off cloth- ing, and this being refused he came home in disgust and sold his paper to Kridlebaugh, late of the Ledger. Henry C. Childs was editor and proprietor of the Gazette, and published it a year, when George E. Tingle, a lawyer and vigorous writer, was employed as
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editor. Soon after this the two papers were consolidated and pub- lished a short time under the name of Hoosier and Gazette, but the combination did not last, and in a few months the publication of each was resumed, the Hoosier soon going the way of so many others. Mr. Childs associated with himself Mr. D. Petit, an ex- perienced editor of Frankfort, Ky., who soon made the Gazette the best paper that had yet been published in the town. But Mr. Petit could not stand the climate, and died in 1846, and William B. Stuckey bought an interest in the paper. In the fall of 1847, Mr. Childs sold his interest to W. H. H. (" Buck") Terrell, afterward Adjutant-General of Indiana, and right hand' man of Gov. Morton. In February, 1848, Childs again purchased an interest in the paper, Terrell remaining editor. He was a brilliant writer but unacquainted with newspaper work, and the business did not prosper, and in June, 1848, the office was sold and taken to Lafayette, and after a check- ered existence of four years, the Gazette, too, gave up the ghost. Gen. Terrell, the last editor, was a man of much note and great force of character. At the time of his death he was compiling a history of the county, and from his writings much of the material for this his- tory has been obtained. It is a matter of great regret that it was not completed, as, owing to his ability in that line, and long ac- quaintance with all the affairs of the county, would have enabled him to produce a better history than any one now living can pos- sibly do.
The next paper was the Columbus Democrat, founded in 1848 by John R. Tinkle, who published it until 1850, when it was bought by Aquilla Jones and W. F. Pidgeon, the latter giving way soon after to W. C. Stateler, who, in 1852 became sole proprietor, and changed the name to Indiana Democrat. I. C. Dillie became the owner in 1854, who continued the publication, with Dr. Nathan Tompkins as editor, until 1861, when it was sold to Rev. William Howe. In 1868 it again changed hands, Judge N. T. Carr becom- ing editor and proprietor, who changed the name to Columbus Bulletin. Carr sold it in 1872 to John D. Lyle, who gave it the original name of Bartholomew Democrat. George E. Finney was employed as editor and soon obtained an interest in the property. In 1876 the name was changed once more, now being called
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Columbus Democrat. In 1878, Finney sold his interest, but it was not long until he resumed his old position as editor. In this same . year J. N. Marsh bought the paper. Marsh continued the publi- cation until 18So, when it was bought by J. A. Arnold, local editor at the time. Mrs. Laura C. Arnold, mother of the proprietor, and a writer of some note, was made chief editor. But the business did not prove profitable under their management, partly owing to a heavy load of debt and partly to the establishment of the Herald, a paper of the same political faith, which divided the patronage. Col. Thomas C. Woodburn obtained an interest in it and was the editor at the last, but it did no better, and in 1885 the publication was suspended after a period of thirty-seven years. A daily edition was published with the exception of a few months, from 1876 until the paper suspended.
The Spirit of the West was established in 1848 also, by W. C. Stateler and Columbus Stebbins. It was Whig in politics, and re- mained so until the party itself expired, when it espoused the Peo- ples' Party and changed its name to Columbus Independent. Upon the organization of the Republican party it became a Republican paper, but in 1858, the office was taken to Hastings, Minn., by Mr. Stebbins, who was then sole proprietor.
The Western Union was a literary paper, established by Alonzo Hubbard, in 1858, but the community was not equal to the task of sustaining a literary paper, neither was the editor, perhaps, and in less than two years its character changed, also its name, and it was called the Weekly Union, which lived about one year. Mr. Hubbard, or "Lon," as he was usually known, was an inveterate newspaper starter. He had decided literary talent, but was reck- less and dissipated, failing in everything he undertook in the way of business, but still as happy as Mark Tapley, and liked by every one. He commenced the publication of a paper called the Colum- bus Republican in 1863, but in a few months sold it to George W. Allison, who removed it Nashville, Brown County. "Lon's " last venture was a little sheet called the City News, which was pub- lished, as he said, " semi-occasionally," during 1876, the publisher himself dying in August of that year.
In 1870, W. B. Ryan commenced the publication of the Inde-
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pendent. Ryan was a talented writer but a poor business man; be- sides the people did not take kindly to an independent paper, and were also tired of aiding papers that could not be made to live, and . the Independent lasted but a few months.
The Columbus Republican was the first paper of that political faith to develop "staying qualities." It was founded in April, 1872, by Isaac T. Brown and Frank W. Lantz, the former as business manager, the latter as editor. Mr. Lantz sold his interest in 1873, to C. C. Brown, and the publication was continued by Brown Bros., with their father, Isaac M. Brown, as editor. The Browns were all practical printers, and succeeded in firmly establishing their paper, although beginning with a very small capital and in a most uninviting field. In 1877, I. T. Brown became sole proprietor, and in May, of the following year, I. M. Brown retired from the edi- torial chair and was succeeded by C. Ricketts and M. Hacker, at that time practicing attorneys. In one year Mr. Hacker retired, since which time Mr. Ricketts has been the managing editor. In November, 1877, the publication of a daily edition, The Evening Republican, was commenced, and has since been maintained, being twice enlarged during the time. The following city editors have been connected with the Republican: John F. Pape, Mel. S. Ro- land, John J. Schrack, S. L. Tarkington, J. A. Arnold, Sep. Stan- sifer, George E. Finney, Henry M. Linton, G. Walter Barr, W. W. Smith, P. C. Watts, William L. McCampbell and F. J. Beck.
In 1878, George E. Finney began the publication of a non-par- tisan paper called the Columbian, but at the end of six months the office was bought by J. A. Arnold, and the material incorporated with the Democrat, and the debt incurred helped to drag that paper down to its final doom.
In the fall of ISSI, the Herald was established by George E. Finney and Charles H. Lacy, but later the Herald Co. was formed , to continue the publication, though Finney and Lacy continued in control. A year after the paper was founded a daily edition was issued, called The Evening Herald, which has since been maintained and enlarged. The Herald is Democratic in politics, and since the death of the old Democrat, the only organ of the party in the county. John Doup has been the city editor during the time it has been published.
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The last journalistic venture was by Henry Holt and John Holt, who rented the old Democrat office, and in August, 1886, com- menced the publication of the News. It lasted only one year, a penny daily edition being published for a short time at the close. The material was soon after sold at sheriff's sale, then re-sold and removed to Washington Court House, Ohio.
Fraternities .- St. John's Lodge No. 20, F. & A. M., has had rather an eventful, and at times, stormy history. On March 29, I822, a dispensation was granted to organize a lodge, by John Sheets, Grand Master of the State, and designated the following officers: Hiram Smith, Master; William A. Washburn, Senior Warden; Luke Bonesteel, Junior Warden, and at the next session of the Grand Lodge, October 8, 1822, a charter was granted in due form. The lodge at that time contained fourteen members; but it soon fell into a decline, and, in 1826, William A. Washburn, Master, surrendered the charter, stating that he had not been able to secure a meeting for a year, that several members had been guilty of unmasonic conduct, and a further continuance would not be productive of good to the order. A new charter was granted in 1831, but no re-organization was effected under it, and it was again stricken from the roll in 1835. Through the efforts of Cap- tain Francis Lytle and a few other zealous Masons, a third charter was granted in May, 1843, and the lodge was re-organized with the original name and number, and since that time the organization has been maintained, and it has long been recognized as among the best lodges of the State. 'The first hall owned by the lodge was on the ground where the old Seeger House now stands. It was a two-story log house, with business room below and hall above, the ground having been donated by Gen. John Tipton, a prominent Mason, for that purpose. The next regular place of meeting was in the upper part of the building on the corner of Washington and Third streets, the present site of Irwin's store and bank. In 1884, the lodge erected a three-story brick on their present location on Washington Street, which stood until 1883, when it was remodeled into the present magnificent temple, per- haps the best appointed in the State. Present officers are: M. Hacker, W. M .; R. M. Jackson, Sr. W .; Charles Hege, Secre- tary, and J. F. Snyder, Treasurer.
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Columbus Chapter No. 10, Royal Arch Masons, was granted a charter May 26th, 1849, by Albert C. Pepper, Grand High Priest, on petition of Francis Lytle, Burns Moore, N. O. Herman, John W. Sullivan, I. E. Hauser, W. W. Hannaway, H. F. Hinman, B. F. Myers and H. H. Barkalow. The principal officers at present, are: J.B. Safford, High Priest; John Scott, King; Frank Stateler, Scribe; M. T. Reeves, Treasurer, and M. P. Alden, Secretary.
John B. Grave Council No. 54, Royal and Select Masons, was granted a charter October 19, 1883, on petition of Thomas Newby, John H. Hess, William F. Coats, Amos Burns, John S. Arwine, William Gilgour, W. F. Kendal, A. R. Piper and Gero. Pence. It was named in honor of the late Dr. John B. Grave, a very zealous and influential Mason. The first officers installed were: Thomas Newby, Ill. Grand Master; J. B. Safford, Grand Chaplain; David Newsom, Grand Marshal, and Amos Burns, Grand Recorder. The present officers are: . W. F. Kendall, Ill. Master; J. A. Trotter, Deputy; R. M. Jackson, Principal Conduc- tor; William Henderson, Treasurer; L. M. Guernsey, Recorder.
Columbus Commandery No. 14, Knights Templar, is an or- ganization of which the members are justly proud. It includes many of the leading men of the city and surrounding country with- in its jurisdiction. In efficiency, it ranks second in the State. A dispensation for its organization was granted December 17th, 1867, on petition of J. H. Hess, John D. Mathes, John D. Lyle, Richard Thomas, J. S. Arwine, William H. Jennings, Caleb Schmidlap, David Marcellus and W. W. Snyder. On December 18th, 1867, the Commandery was organized by Eminent Com. Hazelrigg in person, assisted by a number of other prominent Knights from different parts of the State. The first officers were: John H. Hess, Eminent Commander; John D. Mathes, Generalissimo; Richard Thomas, Captain General. A charter was granted, April Sth, 1868. The present officers are: A. P. Charles, Eminent Com- mander; William Henderson, General; W. T. Strickland, Captain General; Z. T. Sweeney, Prelate; M. Hacker, S. W .; W. T. Davies, J. W .; J. S. Arwine, Treasurer; Charles Hege, Recorder.
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