History of Cass County, Indiana, from its earliest settlement to the present time; with Biographical Sketches and Reference to Biographies, Volume I, Part 41

Author: Powell, Jehu Z., 1848- [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago and New York. The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 763

USA > Indiana > Cass County > History of Cass County, Indiana, from its earliest settlement to the present time; with Biographical Sketches and Reference to Biographies, Volume I > Part 41

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

In 1837 Joel H. Davis, father of Mrs. John White, moved from Albany, New York, and located in a log cabin in the midst of the forest in Cass county. Mrs. Davis was a young bride, always lived in a city and never saw an Indian. One day when Mr. Davis was absent from their cabin home a big Indian raised the latch string to the cabin door and suddenly, without knocking, stepped in with his shawl, in which he was robed, all covered with blood. This was the first Indian she had ever seen, and thus abruptly entering the. cabin, when she was alone, and all bespattered with blood, Mrs. Davis was terrified beyond expres- sion, thinking that the Indian had murdered her husband and she was soon to feel the scalping knife of the red man. The Indian, however, soon smiled, grunted and pointed to the cupboard, indicating he wanted something to eat, which she quickly gave him as soon as she could recover from her fright. He began eating the lunch ravenously and patting her on the back and with a grunt left as abruptly as he came, greatly to the relief of Mrs. Davis, who at once drew in the latch string and doubly barred the door. When her husband returned, she not venturing out before, they found the hind quarter of a deer lying outside the cabin door which the Indian had left them, thus accounting for the blood-stained shawl he wore. While Mrs. Davis had a more favorable opinion of the Indian thereafter, yet her first informal introduction to the red man made an indelible impression upon her mind, and she often related her first experience in her Hoosier home to her friends and rela- tives in New York with mingled feelings of pleasure and pain.

Senator Pratt in his personal recollections, published in the Logans- port Star, gives some interesting narratives of Indian life, especially after they had received the government annuity. We quote in part : "Early one morning, in 1836, I strolled down to the camp, which was just waking and rubbing its eyes after the drunken revels of the night. What a spectacle. Everywhere around lay drunken Indians in all sorts of attitudes, picturesque and grotesque. One beautiful squaw, not more than twenty years old, lay placid in death, a deep gash in the temple, showing where the fatal tomahawk, wielded in mad fury, by a drunken and jealous husband or lover, had done its fearful work. The mild lovely face of this Indian girl plead eloquently for vengeance to the heart of every passerby. A warrant was issued for the arrest of the murderer, but he had fled to the Miamis, who adopted him into their tribe. He won the friendship of one of the great chiefs, Benach, and married his daughter and was protected ever thereafter. Who of the early settlers will ever forget "Pe-ash-wa" and the crimes imputed to this wily, chief ?

MONEY HID AT OLD TOWN

There is a legend with some elements of truth in it, that when the French controlled the northwest territory the French commandant at Kaskaskia, near St. Louis, sent a runner to Marquis du Quene at Mon- treal for money to pacify the Indian allies. Father Chardon was, with four soldiers and four Indian guides, to carry the money to Kaskaskia When Father Chardon reached the Old Town Indian village on the

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north bank of Eel river near the mouth of Twelve Mile Creek, he dis- covered a plot on the part of the four soldiers to murder him and the Indian guides and make off with the money, $10,000. In order to frus- trate this scheme Father Chardon placed the money in a pot and buried it near the mouth of Twelve Mile creek, keeping an accurate descrip- tion of the place, but he took sick and returned to Montreal and Europe, and the hidden treasure still remains undiscovered, although in early. times efforts were made to discover it.

LEGEND OF CEDAR ISLAND

This beautiful little island in the Wabash river, four miles above Logansport, now occupied by the Country Club, has an interesting legendary tale portrayed by Captain Swigart in his writings, and G. N. Berry adds interest to this picturesque island in song; thus both in song and story the history of Cedar island will be perpetuated. ;

Fair wood embowered island, clad in nature's garb of green, Where ceaselessly zephyrs play, and rippling waters flow. As I gaze upon the beauty of the wild and sylvan scene, My thoughts in dreamy fancy turn to days of long ago.

Here nature with unsparing hand, her rarest charms bestows, And decks the scene with beauty, that gives back her brightest smile, Here too, when burdened with earth's cares, the weary seek repose, And find sweet rest and solace on this quiet rock-girt isle.

The legendary story is briefly as follows:

Wild Rose, a daughter of a Miami chief, was the belle of her day and tribe. She was sought by the young bucks as belles are everywhere, whether red or white. One of Wild Rose's suitors was No-ka-me-na, who was her favored one. Another admirer was Mais-ze-ka, a dissolute young chief who was insanely jealous of his rival. There was another Indian maiden, "White Fawn," who was in love with No-ka-me-na, and counted herself a rival of Wild Rose. She learned of an appointed meeting to take place on Cedar island between Wild Rose and No-ka- me-na, which she at once communicated to Mais-ze-ka, the rival of No-ka-me-na.

Mais-ze-ka lay in ambush near the shore for the expected meeting of his rival with Wild Rose. It was a fine evening, about 1750. As the sun was sinking in the western horizon and its beams were penetrating this sylvan forest and glistening upon the smooth waters of the Wabash on the north bank of Cedar island two canoes might have been seen approaching the island from opposite directions. The canoes met at a given point, where they were concealed under the branches of over- hanging trees that fringed the shore and the occupants soon were seated on a log near the rocky cliff, unconscious of Mais-ze-ka, who lay in ambush. The first intimation they had that an enemy was in this quiet island was the twing of a bow-string and the whizz of an arrow which with unerring aim pierced the heart of No-ka-me-na.

Wild Rose saw her lover sink down at her feet in death. She gave a piercing war whoop of rage and despair, then called and implored "Manitou" to avenge the murderer. In answer to her prayer, says the legend, the new moon was veiled in a haze, the earth rocked and a portion of the rocky ledge on the northeast corner of the island fell into the water, carrying down the body of No-ka-me-na, forever burying him. The savage heart of Wild Rose was glad that her lover was thus

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entombed, because her enemy could not scalp him. Wild Rose found her canoe and left the island and her people forever. Mais-ze-ka's victory was of short duration, for White Fawn, angered because he had murdered the man she loved, killed him.

This legendary story, substantially as told here, is said to have been handed down by the Miami and Pottawattomie Indians, who inhabited this region prior to the coming of the whites and there may be some elements of truth in it but evidently colored up by the fictitious.

INDIAN IN HOLLOW TREE

Mrs. Beaufort Banta of Jefferson township relates that the Indians often buried their dead in hollow trees and gave a practical illustration : She says she was milking one evening in the woods back of her house in the year 1836 or 1837 and she noticed an unusual offensive odor, and on investigation found a dead Indian in a hollow tree nearby, whose spirit had evidently taken its flight to the happy hunting grounds some time before, as the effluvia from that hollow tree had not the odor of violets. At this time there was an Indian village on Crooked creek not far from the Banta cabin.

STEAMBOATS TO LOGANSPORT

Five or six steamboats have come up the Wabash river to Logansport, one in 1832 or '33, 1835, 1836 or 1837, 1851, 1854 and the "General Philips" in June, 1857. Our fellow townsman, Wm. Bevan, took a ride on the latter. The one coming up in 1835 was stranded and never returned.

The boat steaming up the Wabash in 1836 or 1837 brought the first piano to Cass county and in unloading it fell into the water and remained in the bottom of the river until the water subsided before it was taken out. This was the old Lasselle instrument, now in possession of B. W. Booth.

CANAL BOAT LOST

In 1844 the canal boat "Kentucky" was lost by a washout in the canal bank west of town near Cottonwood creek, the boat being wrecked beside the canal, and Thomas Emerson was drowned, and the chamber- maid and three men were rescued, which was described in verse by Enion Kendall, Logansport's pioneer poet :

"The chambermaid and three men more, Sat all night on a sycamore, From early night till rise of sun, And watched the mighty Wabash run."

COURTHOUSE SQUARE IN 1837

At the northwest corner stood a two-story hewed log house used as a residence by Harvey Brown. Next to it on the east was a typical round log, pioneer cabin. On the next lot east stood an unfinished one-story, two-room frame building used as a storage room for Aldrich's chair factory but later finished and occupied as a residence by Philip Pollard.

East of the alley on North street stood the jail 16x32 feet, built of hewed logs one foot thick, also floor and ceiling of same material; two rooms, the debtor's room and the murderer's room.

The northeast corner was vacant except that a cellar had been ex-

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cavated for the basement of a courthouse, but plans were changed and the courthouse was later built nearer the center. Near the southeast corner, (corner of Fourth and Wall streets), stood a one-story brick building, with two rooms and floors laid with brick eight inches square. This was the clerk's office.

On the southwest corner (Third and Wall streets), stood Aldrich Brothers', (Wm. and Nathan), chair and furniture factory. It was a two-story frame building and in the rear part in 1839 was an iron furnace for melting and making iron castings, the first iron furnace ever operated in the county. At the west end of the square on Third street between the log house on the corner and the chair factory was a small frame building occupied by Harvey Brown as a hat factory. He made wool and fur hats. Skins and peltries were bought, the fur taken off and the skins thrown away. There was a vat in the back room where the composition for the hats was prepared and across the street was a room where the hats were finished and sold. The usual price for a good fur hat was $5.00.

HISTORIC WILLOW TREE

Leroy Fitch, half-brother of Dr. G. N. Fitch, was in the United States navy for many years. In 1840 he was an officer aboard the United States war ship that was appointed to escort the remains of Napoleon Bonaparte from the Island of St. Helena back to Paris for permanent sepulture. When at St. Helena he secured a sprout of a willow tree that stood at the head of Napoleon's grave on that island and brought it home with him and planted it on the Fitch lot, corner of Seventh and Market streets, where it grew into a large tree and may now be seen in front of George W. Seybold's residence, No. 709 Market street, who purchased the property. The tree is now nearly two feet in diameter and stands in front of the house on the lot line and in building the present iron fence they were considerate enough to make a curve in the fence around this historic tree in order to preserve it.

WOLF STORY

Out in the township of Boone, on the prairies west of Royal Center in the year 1870 the farmers were losing large numbers of sheep and the loss ran up to about one hundred in the one neighborhood and the dogs came in for censure, and the farmers were so wrought up that they began to kill every dog found off his master's premises, and some were pursued and shot at the very doors of the owners. Bad blood was thus engendered but still the sheep killing went on. Finally a party of de- termined young men headed by Ben Stewart began to sit up of nights to watch for the dogs that were playing havoc with the herdsmen's flocks. One moonlight night in June, when all the denizens of bloody Boone were wrapt in the arms of Morpheus, except Ben Stewart, the flock of sheep he was guarding began to run in great excitement and soon the guards- man saw in the midst of the herd a big Newfoundland dog, as he sup- posed, and being well armed, he hastily ran toward the supposed cause of the commotion and did not shoot until near the dog lest he might not hit his dogship but the sheep. As he approached nearer, the dog that had caught a sheep saw him and began to growl and show fight and Ben says it looked as big as an elephant in the bright moonlight. He was terribly frightened, every muscle was trembling, but he fired at close range and mortally wounded the cause of the commotion among his sheep, and as he came near, it began to snap at him but a second shot

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laid it low and when he examined his victim it proved to be a very large gray wolf as big as any Newfoundland dog. No more sheep were killed in that neighborhood. The wolf's scalp was taken and the county paid Mr. Stewart $5.00 for the same. This is probably the last gray wolf ever killed in Cass county, although in early days they were numerous and very destructive to the farmers' herds.

WHITE BLACKBIRDS

In derision we often hear the expression, "White Blackbird" but Green Thomas, whose memory is excellent and who delights to tell his past experiences, relates an absolute fact; that about the year of Logans- port's first recorded great cyclone in 1845, that Enion Kendall so graphi- cally describes, that this hurricane raised "Cain" among the blackbirds, that some of them were changed to a pure white.

Mr. Thomas vouches for the truth of this story for he captured one out of a great flock that was a blackbird to all intents and purposes except that it was white. The hero of this tale then lived north of town in Clay township where Bob Barnett says he has often seen red bluebirds.

CURIOUS INSECTS

On July 14, 1910, millions of small white insects, moth-like in appear- ance, probably hatched in the sand in the bed of the Wabash river opposite the south end of Fourth street, swarmed into the Johnson hotel, restaurant and other places in that vicinity that were open late at night. They filled the rooms wherever lights were burning, and were so numer- ous that persons could not breathe. They would get into your mouth, nose and ears. All lights had to be put out in order to prevent them from taking possession of the business places that kept open after night. The insect storm, however, was of short duration but was a curious historic phenomenon, although these insect pests do occasionally appear in the lat- ter part of summer on excessively warm nights.

THE FIRST OF MANY THINGS LOCAL

First settler in Cass county, Alex Chamberlain, 1826.

First merchant in Logansport, Hugh B. McKeen, 1827.

First carpenter and cabinetmaker, David Patrick, 1828.

First tailor, Job B. Eldridge, 1828.

First doctor, John T. Liston, 1827.

First mill, built by John Tipton, on Eel river, 1829.

Logansport laid out, April 10, 1828.

Logansport incorporated as a town, 1831.

Logansport incorporated as a city, 1838.

First mayor of Logansport, Joram Vigus, 1838.

Cass county organized, spring of 1829.

First marriage, Charles Polke and Louisa R. Smith, January 1, 1829. First births, Sarah Smith, in cabin of Daniel Bell, February 15, 1828. Lewis Cass Bell, in summer of 1828.

First birth inside of town of Logansport, Gellis McBane, December 30, 1829.

First death, Sarah, infant of John Smith, summer of 1828.

First hotel opened by Alex Chamberlain, 1826.

First newspaper, "Pottawattomie and Miami Times," August 15, 1829.

First daily newspaper, The Pharos, July 15, 1861.

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First jail erected of hewed logs, 1829.

First court opened by Judge Morris, May 21, 1829.

First attorneys, A. S. White, A. Ingram, Henry Cooper, 1829.

First school building (Old Seminary), corner Fourth and Market, . 1829.

First school teacher in county, John Mckinney, 1829.

First library opened in C. Carter's store, 1838.

First resident preacher, Rev. M. M. Post, December 25, 1829.

First sermon preached by Rev. John Scott in 1828, in a barn on west side.

First Sunday school organized May, 1829.

First church, Presbyterian, erected by Reverend Post, 1836.

First dentist, Dr. J. H. Atwood, 1837.

First coroner's inquest (DeHart Booth, coroner), 1836.

First canal boat run to Logansport, 1838.

Last canal boat run through to Toledo (The Rocky Mountain), 1871. First bicycle in Logansport, 1886 or 7.

First automobile, May 16, 1902 (Hessler).

First coal oil lamp, 1848, crude black oil.

First railroad into Logansport, 1855.

First telegraph, about 1850, J. B. Durett, operator.

First time men and women sit together in church, 1859.

First organ used in Methodist Episcopal church, February 12, 1859.

First flying machine in Logansport, 1910.

First and only colored slave held in Cass county about 1844.

First street cars (mule power), May 20, 1883.

First street cars (electric power), October 1, 1891.

First piano brought on steamboat about 1836.

First full-bound pork barrel (made by Robert F. Stewart), 1857.

First jewelers, James Fraser and Mart Gridley, 1836.

First interurban cars into Logansport, 1905.

First canal boat, "The Clyde," built in Logansport by Veeder & Son, 1838.

First large family Bible brought to Logansport by John B. Durett in 1828.

First blacksmith, Benjamin Talbert, a negro, for the Indians, 1828, shop located on the south bank of Wabash river.

GENERAL

First marriage in the United States, John Laydon and Ann Burras, Virginia, 1608.

First white child born in United States, Virginia Dare, 1587.

First slaves, twenty negroes sold by Dutch at Jamestown, Virginia, 1620.

First writing paper used in 1110.

First chimneys used in houses, 1310. . First invention and use of gunpowder, 1340.

First clock made by Vick of Paris, 1370.

First printing press used by Gutenberg, Germany, 1440.

First glass used in England, 1457.

First Bible Concordance issued, 1310.

First English Bible printed in America, 1782.

First railroad built, Baltimore to Washington, 1830.

First telegraph line, Baltimore to Washington, 1844.

First railroad in Indiana, Madison to Indianapolis, 1847.

First telegraph line into Indianapolis, 1848.

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First cremation at Washington, Pennsylvania, December 5, 1876. First Cass county fair, 1842, Hewitt L. Thomas, president.

GREAT FIRES

1666-Great fire in London.

1835-Great fire in New York, loss $15,000,000.

1838-Fire at Charleston, South Carolina, loss $3,000,000.

1845-New York, loss $7,500,000.

1845-Pittsburg, loss $10,000,000.

1851-San Francisco, loss $10,000,000.

1866-Portland, Maine, loss $10,000,000.

1871-Chicago, loss $168,000,000.

1872-Boston, loss $75,000,000.

1892-St. Johns, New Foundland, loss $25,000,000.

1899-Ottawa, Canada, loss $15,000,000.

1900-Hoboken, New Jersey, loss $5,500,000.

1901-Jacksonville, Florida, loss $11,000,000.

1902-Paterson, New Jersey, loss $7,000,000.

1904-Baltimore, Maryland, loss $75,000,000.

LOCAL FATALITIES, ACCIDENTS AND NOTED MURDERS-RAILROAD ACCIDENTS

In June, 1884, the Vandalia Railroad bridge across the Wabash below · town went down while a freight train was crossing it, precipitating the engine and a number of cars to the bottom of the river, killing the fire- man and engineer.

June 23, 1901, the Wabash Railroad had a bad wreck four miles east of Logansport, due to a washout of a culvert following a heavy rain. It occurred in the night. A passenger train was completely demolished, killing thirteen and seriously injuring many more-Clark Taylor of our city being one of the latter.

LOCAL CASUALTIES

Ella Douglass, sister of Jesse D. Douglass, editor of the Logansport Herald, fell while descending a stairs in the old Nash Foundry, corner Fifth and High streets, and broke her neck, dying suddenly about 1853. About 1869, James Willett, a carpenter fell from the roof of the For- est Mills, which he was repairing, and was killed.

George W. Scantling, October 24, 1864, was burned to death in a house on Berkeley street.

December 15, 1865, a boiler explosion in Knowlton's foundry on Berk- eley street killed four boys and one girl.

D. C. Matthews was killed while riding a motorcycle in Jefferson township, January 10, 1911.

Maurice J. Winfield was killed on the Michigan pike, in Bethlehem township, May 13, 1911. The automobile which he was driving ran off the road, upset and killed him instantly.

Mrs. John Eckert, Anna Wagner and Charles Lambert were killed and Mrs. Keip seriously injured near Rochester, Indiana, while crossing a railroad in an automobile, the latter being struck by a train, August 19, 1910.

A most unfortunate shooting scrape occurred on July 28, 1910, where- in Samuel A. Michael, a respected citizen of Logansport, shot and killed Levi Pippinger on the farm of Mr. Michael, seven miles southwest of Logansport in the edge of Carroll county. Mr. Pippinger was a tenant

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of Michael and there had been some differences between them. Michael went to the farm to look after his share of the wheat during the time of threshing. Pippinger had a pitch fork in his hands when they met. Pippinger prodded Michael with the fork and the latter shot him, killing him instantly. Michael was indicted for murder but released on bail. The case was tried, appealed to the supreme court, reversed, and on second trial Michael was acquitted, May 30, 1913, nearly three years after the sad occurrence.

KILLED BY RAILROAD

On September 12, 1899, a most distressing accident occurred at the crossing south of Uhl's old mill in Washington township. Mrs. Kitura McVety and three children, Arthur, May and Carrie, the family of Harrison McVety, a farmer living near Anoka, while driving across the railroad were struck by a train and killed, the carriage wrecked and horse killed.

NAMES OF OLDEST SETTLERS AND DATE OF SETTLEMENT

John Adair, 1831; Peter Anderson, 1831; Daniel Bell, 1827; Moses Barnett, 1831; De Hart Booth, 1832; Robert Bryer, 1833; Joseph Bar- ron, 1828; Lewis Bowyer, 1834; Peter Berry, 1829; Richard Crooks, 1832; Ashford Carter, 1832; Isaac Clary, 1831; Jack Conner, 1830; Chauncey Carter, 1828; George Clymer, 1834; Joseph B. Campbell, 1831; Daniel Dale, 1830; Alex Chamberlain, 1826; John B. Durett, 1829; Wm. Dixon, 1831; John Douglass, 1831; Geo. W. Ewing, 1829; W. G. Ewing, 1829; John Enritt, 1833; Wm. Follis, 1834; Job B. Eldridge, 1829; N. D. Grover, 1831; Benjamin Green, 1835; Guy Joseph, 1829; Robert Gibson, 1831; Joseph Gibson, 1831; Robert Gray, 1832; John R. Hinton, 1829; John Hoover, 1829; James Horney, 1831; Samuel Hanna, 1836; Richard Hensley, 1831; Israel Johnson, 1831; George Julian, 1834; Jesse Julian, 1834; James H. Kintner, 1830; Hyacinth Lasselle, 1834; Samuel Lowman; Gillis McBean, 1828; John W. Miller, 1834; Robert McMillen, 1831; George McMillen, 1831; John Myers, 1831; Hugh B. McKeen, 1829; Joel Martin, 1830; Daniel Neff, 1831; Jonathan Neff, 1831; David Patrick, 1829; Charles Polk, 1829; John Scott, 1829; Wm. Scott, 1829; B. H. Scott, 1831; Christian Simons, 1831; Joseph Sellers, 1832; James Smith, 1829; Alexander Smith, 1831; Geo. Smith, 1829; John Smith, 1829; Joshua Shields, 1831; Dr. Hiram Todd, 1828; Moses Thorpe, 1829; Cyrus Taber, 1828; Samuel Taber, 1829; J. B. Turner, 1829; Gen. John Tipton, 1828; Abner Van Ness, 1831; Jordan Vigus, 1830; Cyrus Vigus, 1830; Alex Wilson, 1829; Gen. Walter Wilson, 1830; Henry Weirick, 1830; Nathaniel Williams, 1833; Robert Wilson, 1832; Samuel Ward, 1831; Andrew Young, 1830.

GINSENG FACTORY

James Blake, of Indianapolis, established a ginseng factory in Logans- port in 1830 and continued to operate it until 1835. He prepared the ginseng root, bleached it, then shipped it east for the China trade.

AMUSEMENT IN COURT

Daniel D. Pratt was trying a case in court where his client was suing a neighbor for trespass and damages, because his hogs had invaded his corn field and destroyed much of it. The defense claimed that there

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was a hollow log that was crooked and the hogs had crawled through it and that he was not to blame. To show that the hog was too big to get through the hollow log, Pratt asked the witness how big the hog was. The witness replied, "About as big a hog as you are." Pratt repeated the question in a louder tone, with the same answer. Pratt continued his question in still louder and angry tones-"How big was the hog?" The same answer but at the top of his voice, "As big a hog as you are." By this time the whole court was in an uproar of laughter, except Pratt, who was a big man and exhibited his temper, but the laughter drowned his voice and he could not be heard and had to wait, and finally he joined in the common laughter.

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History of Cass County, Indiana, from its earliest settlement to the present time; with Biographical Sketches and Reference to Biographies, Volume I, Part 41

Author: Powell, Jehu Z., 1848- [from old catalog] ed Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago and New York. The Lewis publishing company Number of Pages: 763

Author: Powell, Jehu Z., 1848- [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago and New York. The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 763