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 43
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About 1830 Jordan Vigus entered into a partnership with Mr. Todd under the firm name of Todd & Vigus, and they moved into a brick building which is still standing at the northeast corner of Broadway and Third streets. Later Dr. Todd retired and John Tipton succeeded him and the firm was known as Tipton & Vigus. After General Tipton's death in 1839, Mr. Vigus continued the business alone.
The next business firm was George W. and W. G. Ewing, who opened a general trading house on the northeast corner of Third and Market, now occupied by Harry Ward's shoe store and continued for about ten years when they closed out.
In the year 1831 Ashford Carter and J. O. Skelton started up in business in a log structure situated at No. 317 Broadway, where the Murdock hotel now stands. The following year they moved to the west side of Third street, then called Bridge street, just south of the alley between Broadway and Market, where they continued in business for several years under the firm name of Skelton & Carter. In 1834 Comparet & Coteau opened a store on the south side of Market street between First and Second. Later the firm became Scott & Comparet and the store was moved to the northwest corner of Third and Market.
About 1835 there was a row of two-story frame buildings erected on the south side of Market street, extending from the Washington .
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hotel on the corner of Third and Market, west to the alley. This was known as "Commercial Row." In one of these rooms Gen. H. Lasselle opened a store in 1835-6 and continued in business until 1842. A little later Eldridge & Cummings began a general mercantile trade in the western end of "Commercial Row." Still later James Williams, after- ward succeeded by Hanna, McClary & Dart, opened a store at No. 310 Market street. From an old Logansport Herald of May 3, 1838, we copy notices of business firms of that date: "H. A. Smead & Co., clothing, hats and shoes; E. B. Strong, bookstore; Drs. Brackett & Buch- anan, office opposite Hanna, McClary & Dart's store; Dr. H. J. Alford, dentist office on Bridge street, north of Market; James Frazer, jeweler on Bridge street; Geo. Myers, wagon maker on North street above the canal, near the basin; Mrs. Sarah Kinnear, milliner, over Jeroloman & Lytle's drug store."
Mr. E. S. Rice, in a paper read before the Cass County Historical Society, May, 1907, gave a description of the business houses of Logans- port in 1838, when he landed here in a canal boat, east of Berkley street, as the canal was then not completed through the town, but the boats were turned around in the canal basin, just east of that street. We repeat some of his reminiscences: "The business houses at that time were nearly all located on Market street, between Second and Fourth. Commencing at Second street, a two-story brick building occupied by the firm of Taber & Chase, successors of Ewing, Walker & Taber. The next room was occupied by Philip Pollard, both being dealers in general merchandise. A short distance to the east, in a one-story building, J. H. Kintner manufactured harness and saddles and on the south side of Market street Gen. N. D. Grover was engaged in the same business, in a frame building adjoining his brick residence on the alley now owned by Mrs. Kraut. General Grover was succeeded in a few years by Fuller and Clendening, who came from Troy, Ohio. Next to Kintner, on the north side of the street, in a small one-story building, was J. M. Ewing's tailor shop; then came another one-story building, occupied by J. L. Miller, merchant and acting postmaster. At the southwest corner of Third and Market stood Washington Hall, a two-story frame hotel, owned by Cyrus Vigus, but at that time kept by Jacob Humbert; from this hotel west to the alley was a row of two-story frame buildings, all built solidly together and divided into store rooms 18 or 20 feet wide, and was called 'Commercial Row.' It was a plain building, weather- boarded and with doors and windows very much like a dwelling house. There were doors to the stairways leading to the rooms above, which were occupied by offices and shops of different kinds. The occupants were as follows: Gen. Hyacinth Lasselle, merchant, using the room above for a printing office, from which the Logansport Telegraph was issued weekly, which was then published by Mr. Lasselle and John B. Dillon, the his- torian; Snead, Kendall & Co., clothing, boots and shoes; Anderson & Atwell, dry goods; Eldridge & Cummings, general merchandise; Under- hill & Co., hardware. The brick buildings opposite this block were erected a year or two afterward. The firm of Ewing & Walker, Indian traders, occupied a frame building, painted yellow, which stood on the' northeast corner of Third and Market, where Harry Ward's shoe store is now located. The Bringhurst drug store building, recently torn down and rebuilt at 310-12 Market, was occupied by Hanna, McClary & Dart, dealers in general merchandise. This building and the 'Mansion House,' that stood on the southwest corner of Fourth and Market, were the only brick structures east of Third street. On the south side of Market from Third street to the alley, the buildings were all old, one- story affairs, with here and there a log house. The only occupants I
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can remember were Geo. Parker, barber; Joe Green, shoemaker and Mart Gridley, jeweler. In the space between the alley and the Mansion House stood the dwelling and garden of Geo. B. Walker. On the north side of Market street, from the alley east to Fourth street, there were three two-story frame buildings. The first occupied by S. P. Hopkins, dry goods dealer; the second by Spencer & Rice, grocers; and the third by Jeroloman & Lytle's drug store. The other buildings were all one story. The corner where Porter's drug store now stands was occupied by Barton R. Keep as a hardware store. Across the street on the northeast corner of Market and Fourth stood the 'Old Seminary,' a one-story brick building, the first public building erected in the county in 1828-9, 20 by 50 feet in size with the side to Market street, entrance door in the middle to a hallway running straight through the building, dividing it into two rooms of equal size. There were no business houses east of Fourth street. The embankment for the overhead Mar- ket street bridge across the canal reached to the alley west of the canal, now Fifth street. The Philip Leamy hotel, a brick structure, stood at the corner of Fourth and Canal streets, near the present Pennsylvania Railroad station. Israel Johnson was the only merchant on Fourth street. He lived in a brick house at 315 Fourth street, where the Stewart dry goods store is now located. He kept a grocery and cafe in a two- story frame adjoining his residence on the north. On the east side of Third street, near Market, John Dodd kept a restaurant in a brick building, which is still standing. Just opposite this was the office of Dr. G. N. Fitch, the bakery of Coulson & Clem and the shoe shop of Geo. P. Dagan. At the northwest corner of Third and Broadway, J. P. Berry kept a little store and adjoining which was the tin shop of A. M. Higgins. Next came the office and dwelling of Dr. Uriah Farquhar, whose daughter, Mrs. H. B. Peters, recently vacated; then came the office of Geo. Wierick, justice of peace. Opposite this, on the southwest corner of what is now 'Court Park' W. T. S. Manly and Israel Neal had a furniture and undertaking establishment. On the west side of Third street, near the river, was McElheny Bros. blacksmith shop. Tipton and Vigus, successors to Todd & Vigus, was the only business house on Broadway, and was a small two-story brick, located at No. 317, where the Murdock hotel now stands."
This is a description of the business section of Logansport in 1838 by a pioneer merchant and is worthy of permanent record to show the future generations the names, location and character of the early mer- chants and their business houses.
The business of our merchants at this time was quite limited. The canal was not completed to the junction of the Ohio canal. No ship- ment of produce could be made without expensive hauling and it was equally difficult and expensive in getting goods here. The cheapest way was by steamboat to Lafayette when the water was high, then haul them from there. Farmers having a surplus were obliged to haul it to Michigan City, the nearest shipping point and return with salt and other articles, but it required a week to make the trip over the bad roads with on ox team.
However, in 1842, when the canal was completed down the Maumee river to its junction with the Ohio canal, giving us an outlet to Lake Erie, Logansport took a wonderful start, the nearest it ever came to a boom. The country north to the Tippecanoe river and beyond and for thirty miles south, became tributary to Logansport.
Produce of all kinds was hauled here from miles around, sold to our merchants and shipped by the canal to eastern markets. Our merchants, manufacturers and mechanics, all were busy, money be-
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came more plentiful, warehouses and store buildings were constructed to accommodate the revival of trade.
During 1842-3-4, large stone warehouses were constructed on the canal by Pollard & Wilson near the lock, by Jesse Millason at the north- east corner of Market and Fifth, by Rogers Bros. between Broadway and Market, by Peter Anderson on the southeast corner of Broadway and Fifth and by Israel Johnson between North and High streets. These old warehouses were busy places during the activities of canal days, have outlived their usefulness although still standing, but have passed into other hands.
In 1843 the following merchants located here: Henry Martin & Co., M. S. Butler; A. J. Field & Co., Stephen Munson, Wm. Brown & Son and Salsbury & Baxter. Heretofore, our only way to travel east- ward was to go by canal to Fort Wayne and by pirogue down the Maumee river or by stage to Indianapolis, thence by the railroad to
FOURTH AND BROADWAY IN THE SIXTIES, LOGANSPORT
Madison and by steamboat on the Ohio river to Cincinnati. But since the opening of the canal with its eastern terminus we could take a canal boat and travel night and day at the rate of six miles an hour. The rule was three horses or mules to a boat and changing horses every ten miles. Merchants could now, while navigation was open from six to seven months in the year, get merchandise from Cincinnati in four or five days and from New York it took about three weeks as it came by river steamer to Albany, by canal to Buffalo, by lake steamer to Toledo and from there by canal to Logansport. While our merchants duly appreciated the advantages of water transportation, as a great improvement over the pack saddle and ox cart, and enabling them to obtain large reductions in freight as well as more prompt service, still they labored under the great disadvantage of having navigation closed for half the year. It was customary in those days to purchase goods on six months' time. That was the understanding with manufacturers, jobbers and retailers. Just contrast that condition with the present. Now our merchants can telephone or telegraph to Chicago and have goods delivered in a few hours and every day in the year except Sun- day and in emergencies even on Sunday.
From 1848 to 1855 the following new firms located here: Culbert-
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son & McCarty, dry goods; Culbertson later going into the hardware business. They were located on the southeast corner of Broadway and Fourth. John T. Musselman was on the north side of Market between Second and Third. Tanguy and Barnheisel at No. 407 Broadway. Business began to move eastward and brick blocks were erected on Market, Fourth and Broadway. Bauchman & Puterbaugh located at No. 418 Broadway in general merchandise and the next door east T. C. Mitchell opened a boot and shoe store. A. J. Murdock came in 1852 and Henry Murdock in 1854 and J. W. McGaughy and W. P. Thomp- son, dry goods, on the south side of Broadway, east of Fourth street.
In this chapter we have mentioned the principal business men who were active in developing Logansport.in the first thirty or thirty-five years of its existence. Although many notable and worthy names may have been omitted, as there are no records from which a complete list could be taken and we had to trust to the memory of the old pioneers who have, however, at this writing all passed beyond this world's activi- ties and there is not one left to tell the story of Cass county's first settlement.
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CHAPTER XXIX
LOGANSPORT'S EARLY INDUSTRIES AND FACTORIES OF THE PAST
FIRST MILL-FIRST FOUNDRY-FIRST HAT FACTORY-TANNERY-COOPER- AGE-BREWERY-OLD MARKET-ETC.
We have given a brief sketch of the "Old Water Mills" and we'll here notice other industries of the past and the causes of their decline or abandonment. It is interesting to study the rise, decline and fall of nations and the causes operating to produce such results. It is, in a lesser degree, interesting to study the local industries and factories that have grown up in Logansport, prospered for a season and then been abandoned, and to study the causes producing these changed con- ditions in the onward march of civilization and to philosophize upon what changes may be wrought in the future, although history is sup- posed to deal with facts; and speculation and contemplation of what may be is the province of the philosopher, yet there is a philosophy of history that opens up a wide and interesting field for the historian. Many factories have been established in our city and from various reasons have ceased to be operated, some of these we will briefly men- tion before speaking of our present industries.
The first industry to be established in Cass county was a sawmill, erected by General Tipton on the south bank of Eel river near the foot of Tenth street and operated by water power,' of which previous mention has been made.
The first foundry for making iron castings was operated in the rear of a building that stood on the southwest corner of Court Park on Third street about the year 1838. Nathan Aldrich and Israel Neal ran a cabinet and furniture factory in a two-story frame building and in the rear they had a small furnace for making castings. "It was not, however, quite as large or modern in its equipment as the blast furnaces of the steel company in Gary or South Chicago."
The first hat factory in Logansport was operated by Harvey Brown in a small frame building that stood on Third street, about where the old cannon is now located in Court Park. He made wool and fur hats and large numbers of furs and peltries were purchased as the county then abounded in wild animals of all kinds. He would remove the fur and throw the skins away. There was a vat in the rear room where he prepared the composition for the hats and a drying and sales room was on the opposite side of the street. The usual price for a good fur hat was $5.00.
T. C. Mitchell, about 1865, operated a hat factory at 411-13 Broad- way, in an old frame building on the lot where Otto Kraus is now located. He moved his factory across the street to 414 Broadway. Sam McElheny ran a blacksmith shop in front and in a frame build- ing in the rear of the lot now occupied by Wiler & Wise dry goods store,
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Mr. Mitchell manufactured fur and felt hats until about 1868, when he closed the factory and went into the shoe business with Chas. F. Ranch. The first cabinet factory was probably operated by David Patrick in a log house at what is now known as No. 216 Broadway, about 1829. Later a frame house was erected here which is still stand- ing and in which Mr. Patrick lived until his death about 1885.
Daniel Redd ran a cabinet and furniture factory in the "Old Semi- nary," northeast corner of Fourth and Market in 1839 and in that year moved his shop to the northeast corner of Sixth and Broadway, where McCaffrey's grocery is now located.
About 1841 the Aldrich Bros. erected a building just east of the old Forest Mill on Eel river and equipped it for a foundry, the machin- ery of which was run by an under-shot or floating water wheel, placed perpendicular in the water near the bank and the only contrivance to deflect the water to the wheel was a small rock dam. It was operated only a few years and abandoned.
The first permanent and successful foundry in Logansport was con- structed and operated by Edwards and Van Hauten, located on the south bank of Eel river, just west of the Sixth street bridge. This was in the early forties.
During the year 1841 Wm. T. S. Manly operated a furniture fac- tory on Third street, south of North. He also made coffins and later moved his shops to the corner of Sixth and Broadway.
In the fifties Andrew McClure manufactured furniture in a build- ing that stood at the corner of Oak and Duret street.
The Logansport Sash, Blind and Door Factory was operated by Geo. Bevan in the fifties in a building that stood on the canal between Broadway and Market street.
TANNERY
In the early forties a Mr. Patch erected a large tanning establish- ment on the north side of Linden avenue, east of the old canal basin, on the square back of Zanger's present bakery. It was afterwards operated by a Mr. Kinsley and Mr. Wellerling of Michigan, and prob- ably others, and in the sixties Elisha Dawes and Jos. Taylor conducted the business for a time. About 1870 they sold out to a Mr. Shaw and he to Mr. Sweeney, when the building was partially destroyed by fire and later the business was discontinued.
COOPERAGE
As early as 1850 Charles Luy ran a cooper shop at the southwest corner of Ninth and Erie avenue and in April, 1864, Chas. F. Thomp- son & Co. operated a large shop at this place, later by Miles & Torr and finally by Harry Torr alone, and for many years he did an extensive business and shipped barrels and cooperage to all the leading cities throughout the United States, but like all the other factories in wood, ceased its activities more than twenty years ago, owing to the scarcity of timber.
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Wm. Arnold for many years operated a large cooper shop on Burl- ington avenue, south side, but it too, closed its doors many years ago. Gottlieb Schaefer on north Sixth street and Frederick Markert on Pleasant Hill street and possibly others, operated extensive cooper shops, but scarcity of material compelled them to cease operations
During the year 1864 Jos. W. Henderson & Sons erected a large furniture factory on Fifth street, south of Erie avenue and did an
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extensive business for many years, and after the death of J. W. Hen- derson, his sons carried on the business with a store and sales room at 318 Fourth street, but within recent years this factory has closed up.
SPOKE FACTORY AND BENT WOOD WORK
This was a large factory occupying over two acres of ground on the south side of Toledo street near Thirteenth. It was known as the Logansport Manufacturing Company and Chas. Kahlo was its first president and later A. J. Robinson became president and manager. The company was organized in the later sixties or early seventies. They employed a large number of men and shipped their product, con- sisting of hubs, spokes, felloes, poles, bows, etc., to all parts of the United States, and did a flourishing business for many years until the factory was totally consumed by fire July 13, 1893, and as timber was getting scarce it was never rebuilt. -
HOWE HANDLE FACTORY
In December, 1869, J. H. Tucker came to Logansport and com- menced to manufacture plow handles in an old building at the foot of Market street, which had been occupied by Mr. Burrows as a furni- ture factory. He began in a small way with a capital of only $265.00 and employed only one man, but by push and energy he found he needed larger quarters and at the end of the year he rented a part of the Lincoln foundry at the southeast corner of Fifth and High street. In May, 1870, he entered into a partnership with S. E. Howe under the firm name of Tucker & Howe, which continued until January, 1884, when Mr. Howe became exclusive owner and Mr. Tucker went to Mexico. In addition to the manufacture of wood work the firm did a general foundry and machine-shop business, having purchased the old Lincoln foundry building in 1876. The business of the firm, however, rapidly increased and a large two-story brick factory building was erected in 1874, opposite the foundry on the north side of High street, at a cost of $15,000 and one of the best arranged factories in the city, being fitted up with the latest improved machinery. This building was connected with the old building by a bridge or runway over High street. In 1884 Mr. Howe disposed of the stone foundry on the south side of the street and confined his attention exclusively to the handle trade, hard wood, etc., and shipped his products to all parts of the United States. This factory did an immense business and employed a large number of men for many years, but timber becoming scarce in this region, the factory was compelled to close about 1903 and John Hedde purchased the building, since which time it has been occupied as a storage room.
NASH LINCOLN FOUNDRY AND ALDRICH WOOLEN MILL
About 1846 Adkins Nash and Wm. Aldrich erected a large substan- tial two-story stone building at the southeast corner of Fifth and High streets and operated a woolen mill and later Mr. Nash built an addition on the east and ran a foundry and machine shop for many years. After Mr. Aldrich retired, S. B. Richardson operated the woolen mill and possibly others, but finally yielded to the centralization of capital and power.
An incident in connection with the opening of this woolen mill worth mentioning was the accidental death of Ella Douglass, daughter
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of David Douglass and sister of Jesse C. Douglass, editor and writer. She, with others, were being shown through the new factory and she fell down the stairway and broke her neck. Later Wm. F. and Ed Lincoln purchased the business and they or others operated the shops until 1876, when Tucker & Howe bought the building for a plow handle factory and machine shop.
. KING DRILL COMPANY
This company was organized January 1, 1884, to manufacture grain drills. Jacob King was the patentee of the drill, which was a first-class, popular machine. The company purchased the old Nash Lincoln foun- dry building, corner of Fifth and High streets, of S. E. Howe and began operations with a force of about twenty men and turned out 1,000 to 1,500 drills annually. In addition to the manufacture of drills the company operated the foundry, and machine shop. But this, like many other small firms, was crowded out by the centralization of capital in the greater factories and ceased to operate after a few years. Since then the old building has been occupied by different parties as a machine and repair shop.
OLD LOCK FOUNDRY
. In the year 1849, S. & A. Kendall erected a substantial brick building at the corner of Berkley street and the railroad and did a general foundry and machine-shop business until 1851, at which time Chas. B.' Knowlton and B. F. Dow purchased the property, and engaged in the manufacture of threshing machines until the building was destroyed by fire in 1861. The foundry was rebuilt the following year by Mr. Knowlton and operated by him until 1868, at which time D. D. Dyke- man purchased a half interest and the firm thus formed operated the shops, confining their efforts largely to the manufacture of the "Little Giant Water Wheel," invented by John T. Obenchain.
In 1875 Mr. Dykeman sold his interest to Wm. Dolan and the firm was known as Knowlton & Dolan, and in addition to their former work began the manufacture of roller mills and a full line of new roller process mill machinery patented by J. T. Obenchain. The firm did a prosperous business for many years and after the death of Mr. Knowl- ton, Mr. Dolan continued the business for some time and sold out to the American Dredge Co., who later moved to Fort Wayne and E. E. Pitman purchased the building, which is now occupied as a storage room by the Elliott Wholesale Grocery. Company.
SPIKER & HARRISON MANFG. CO.
About 1878 Roger P. Spiker of Piqua, Ohio, and Geo. Harrison, erected a large brick building on the southeast corner of Fourteenth and Toledo streets, fitted it up with machinery and began the manu- facture of buggies and wagons, but only continued five or six years, when they ceased operations and the building was destroyed by fire November 1, 1879.
WAGON AND CARRIAGE FACTORIES
Wm. Kreider, in the year 1849, came to Logansport and opened a blacksmith and wagon shop on Sixth street, and was probably among Vol. 1-22
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