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 58
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The next few years witnessed the coming of Joel Black, James Dal- zelle and Nathan Jones. About 1834 Geo. Lowman settled in the western part of the township in section 19 and began to fell the forest and erect a cabin in the clearing. He was an eccentric character and possessed marked peculiarities and will be remembered by those who knew him as ever working in the construction of perpetual motion machines, which he was always hopeful of perfecting, but he went down to his grave with his hopes forever blasted. His wife was no less a character, although honest and sturdy, yet rough and outspoken, and many a joke she has turned to the discomfiture of her neighbors, who were wont to take advantage of her eccentricities.
An early settlement was made in the north part of the township by Father Enyart and his sons, Benjamin, David and Silas.
Anthony Martin located in section 7 as early as 1833 and opened a blacksmith shop, the first ever operated in the township. (I. W. Krei- der.) In the eastern part of the township, during the year 1835, we find the coming of Thomas Skinner and his locating on section 15. He was a man of character and his moral and religious influence left a per- manent impress upon the entire community. His brother, Nathan Skin- ner, about the same time settled in section 19, where he lived until his death a few years ago. The Leffel family, consisting of Jacob, Arthur, William, John, Anthony and Samuel, came some years later and settled in the southern part of the township.
Other early comers were: James Reed, in the Skinner settlement on the eastern line of the township; Taswell Richardson, in the south- east corner, on the banks of Eel river; Noble Plummer, near the Fulton county line, and B. Chestnut, near Jack Conner's Indian trading post.
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Daniel Dillman moved to the township in 1840, settling in section 28, and was a prominent citizen until his death in 1880. Daniel Conrad purchased land in section 18, where he resided for many years and until his retirement and removal to Logansport.
The above names are some of the earliest settlers, but some of them were only what was termed "squatters," who simply settled or squatted upon their land but never took title from the government. The fol- lowing, however, shows some of the earliest settlers who obtained title to their land as shown by the plat book, yet some of them may never have occupied the land but bought it for speculation.
FIRST LAND ENTRIES
The first entry of land in Adams township was made in 1831 by Samuel Hall, who obtained a patent for the east half of the southeast quarter of section 29, township 28 north, range 3 east. In 1832 entries were made by Nathaniel Williams in section 32; John Cox in section 29; Samuel Leffel in sections 20 and 28; Samuel Lowman in section 28; James McPherson, section 20; Isaac Young and Samuel Mckinney in section 21, and Franklin Douglass in section 22. During the years 1833-34 the following persons made entries from the government: Abraham Garst, section 27; D. H. Morris, section 27; William Staple- ton, section 22; Wm. Halston, section 28; Miles Thomas, section 29; Nathaniel Williams, section 29; John Daggy, John Gilliland, and E. Gilliland, in section 30. During the years 1835 and '36 many entries were made in all parts of the township by Silas Enyart, Wm. Reed, James McClung, Wm. Lowman, Joel Martin, Richard Ferguson, Geo. Lowman, Thos. Sheridan, IIenry Lewis, Miner Alley, John Arnold, Elijah Cox, John Kelly and Geo. Harland. Prior to 1840 the following names appear to have received patents for land: Calvin Taylor, Wm. R. Davis, Sam'l Harp, J. Lathrop, J. E. and J. Carney, Jos. Shamburg, Wm. Stroud, James Payne, John Denny, John Euritt, Henry Conrad, Jesse McLean, Jonathan Washington, C. W. Lowe, Wiseley Craig, E. Morse, Geo. H. Sherwood, Joel H. Davis, Wm. Filley, Jacob Metz, Wm. Bromenbaugh, John Simons, Jos. Lowman, Jesse Greathouse, Henry Alexander and Silas Wells; not all of these, however, became settlers.
All the first houses built by the pioneers were rude, round log cabins; later, however, hewed logs were used, but yet very primitive, being covered by clap-boards weighted down with poles. The floors made of split timber, called puncheon floors; the doors made of the same material, pinned to the batton by wooden pins hung on wooden hinges with wooden latch to keep the door closed, which was opened by a latch string passed through a gimlet hole in the door to the outside and the latch string always hung out except at night or in times of impending Indian hostilities. Not a nail or piece of iron of any kind entered into the construction of the pioneer home.
James Reed, in 1842, was the first to build a frame house in the eastern part of the township, prior to which the pioneer cabin held full sway and Mr. Reed's house was the cynosure for all eyes in the settlement.
ORGANIZATION
The township was organized May 6, 1835, and received its name from President John Quincy Adams. Soon after the declaration of the county board fixing the boundary lines of the township an election was
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held at the house of Nathaniel Nichols, who acted as inspector and was chosen the first trustee and John Cox the first justice of the peace.
FIRST MARRIAGE
The first marriage ceremony performed in the township was that uniting Samuel Kelly and Sirena Cox, on March 5, 1834, Rev. Wm. M. Rayburn officiating.
ROADS
In the early settlement of Adams township, Eel river, in times of high water, afforded transportation to the southern part of the township and Indian trails to the interior. While the pioneers opened up roads, that is, cut down the timber so as to permit an ox team to pass around and over the stumps, through the mud, to reach this township, yet the first main road leading from Logansport to Perrysburg in Miami county, a distance of about twenty miles, was opened up about 1840-44. It ran on a comparatively straight course northeast, passing entirely through Adams township. This road was a great thoroughfare for travel and all that section of country passed over this road in coming to Logans- port, then the principal town in Northern Indiana. This road was im- proved by grading and used for thirty years, but as the farms were cleared up the road was changed to section lines so that it is now on a zig-zag on two sides of every man's farm between here and Perrysburg and is used only for local travel.
In the early settlement of the township the roads were impassable at certain seasons of the year, but as the forests were cleared, the land drained, and the county generally improved, the farmers realized more and more each year the benefits of good roads. Adams has no stone roads, but has about twenty-five miles of gravel roads. Roads have been straightened, placed on section lines and the main thoroughfares graveled, so that almost any section of the township may be reached by graveled roads. There are now six roads running east and west through the township and three roads running north and south, all in good condition.
RAILROADS
Adams township has two railroads extending through the entire township. One, the C. C. & L., running from the southeast to the north- west, built in 1901, and passing through the towns of Hoover and Twelve Mile. The other railroad is the Eel River division of the Van- dalia, which passes through the southern part of the township and crossing the former road at Hoover. This road was begun in the fifties but the work was suspended, but taken up by a new company and pushed to completion in 1871. These roads afford ample shipping facil- ities to the farmers of the township.
OLD WATER POWER MILLS
As has been stated elsewhere, the pioneer, landing in the midst of a forest, hundreds of miles from mill or factory, first began to feel the necessity of grinding his corn and sawing lumber for his buildings, and consequently set about to erect mills on the banks of the creek and harness its waters to run them ; so here, as in other sections of the coun- try, we find the pioneer early building mills. The first one was erected by Samuel Lowman about 1835-37, on the banks of Twelve Mile creek
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in section 29. This was a saw mill and corn cracker attachment. It served a useful purpose for many years but has long since been aban- doned and no vestige of this old mill is left to mark the spot of its past activities, although it was a picturesque as well as a useful adornment of pioneer days.
The second mill was erected by James Reed in 1840, on Upper Twelve Mile creek in section 22. This was also a saw mill with a corn cracker attachment. It was successfully operated for about twenty years, but fell into decay.
In the early fifties Jacob Leffel erected a saw mill on Twelve Mile creek above the Lowman mill and operated it in times of high water until 1876, when it was washed out and was, never rebuilt, as there was no demand for such a small mill that could not be run except dur- ing flood times, as the country became ditched and the rains rapidly flowed off, leaving the water too low to run a mill except in times of flood.
. The first flouring mill in the township was erected in 1856 by Mat- thew Obenchain. It stood on Lower Twelve Mile creek in section 31. It was a typical old frame country mill, and ground corn, wheat and buckwheat; also a saw mill to manufacture lumber. It was successfully operated, and quite extensively, until 1876, when it was totally consumed by fire. It was soon after rebuilt by David Myers, but it was again burned down in 1883, entailing a heavy loss on the proprietors. Two years later, or in 1885, Noah Simons and brother, at a cost of $3,500, rebuilt the mill. This is a frame building and has been operated by Mr. Simons, Lewis Smith and a Mr. Brower, but suspended operations several years ago, as it was not profitable, the larger mills with newer processes driving out the small country mills. The old mill, however, still stands as a monument and reminder of pioneer days when the boy was sent with a sack of corn on horseback to the little old country mill, with its old fashioned water wheel, screaking as it was turned by the over-shot, moss-covered water buckets.
Out of the three score old water mills that have been built in Cass county, this one, the Adamsboro mill and one on Pipe creek, are the only ones left standing to remind us of our boyhood days at the old mill pond.
DISTILLERY
About 1840 Taswell Richardson erected a small distillery where he lived, on the north bank of Eel river. It was a small affair but often did a big business for the sheriff. Some time in the sixties a Mr. Myers moved the still further east near the Miami county line and did a "moon- shine" business in a small way, but soon abandoned it.
STEAM MILLS
After the passing of the old water mills, and facilities for transpor- tation improved, steam mills began to make their appearance and the first mill of this kind was erected in the town of Twelve Mile in 1852 by Daniel and Jacob Brubaker and since that date there has been a saw mill in Twelve Mile village almost continuously, operated by differ- ent parties. At present Theodore and Samuel Hoover own and operate it. About 1874 a large steam saw mill was erected in the town of Hoover to saw the timber in what was known as Taber's seven sections and surrounding country, and did a very extensive business for many years, and is still operated, on a smaller scale, however, as the timber is nearly all cut off.
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FIRST MANUFACTORY
Probably the first business in the way of manufacturing was a coop- erage for the making of barrels, run by Nathaniel Nichols, some time in the thirties, but as "Taswells" distillery could use only a limited number of barrels and kegs, Mr. Nichols' cooper shop did not prosper long and only furnished kraut barrels in which the farmers could make that standard of pioneer diet.
TOWNS AND VILLAGES
Newburg is a paper town that was laid out in 1838 by Sam'l Low- man and Joel Black, located on the east branch of Twelve Mile creek in section 29, near the first mill erected in the township a few years before. Benjamin Powell was the surveyor who run the lines and made the plat of the town, which shows seventeen blocks, fifty-four lots and five streets, three of which, Main, North and Spring streets, run north and south, the other two, Poplar and Mill streets, cross them at right angles, running east and west. Although this was a beautiful site for a town and the proprietors had visions of becoming millionaires, yet they were doomed to disappointment and the great metropolis, of which they would be the leaders, never materialized and the town site has never passed the agricultural stage and cannot be found today except by an expert surveyor who is capable of unraveling the field notes of its projector.
TWELVE MILE
This, the recognized capital of Adams, is situated near the center of the township in section 17 and dates its history from 1852, when a saw mill was erected here by Mr. Brubaker and soon after became a focal center of trade. Hammond Ludders was the first merchant, open- ing a general store and since then Richard Ludders, John Walters, Geo. Lowman, Frank Wait, J. L. Clouse, Noah Simons, Milton Enyart, Sam'l Pence, James Wilson, J. S. Rannels and T. P. Swigart have operated country stores in the village. Isaac W. Eggman opened a general store about 1882 and succeeded in building up and holding an extensive trade and is still in active business, having continued in business longer than any other merchant in the history of the town.
Twelve Mile or "IIen Peck," as it was generally called, never had but a few residents, but was in the midst of a good agricultural country and being a long distance from any other town, commanded quite an extensive trade, attracted not only by the store but also by repair and other shops, where Decker Bros. ran a planing mill, John Smith a blacksmith and wagon shop, and Dan'l Fetrow a saw mill. In 1901, however, the Cincinnati, Chicago & Louisville Railroad was built and left the little town of "Hen Peck" about a half mile to the east of the railroad.
Jerome Jones owned the land on the south of the wagon road, now Main street, and Edith Skinner that on the north side, and they at once laid out the town into building lots, with four principal streets, towit: Main and Pickle, running east and west, Carson and Beamer streets, north and south. The new town grew rapidly. Business soon began to drift to the railroad station, the old town was practically abandoned and now the new town of Twelve Mile is a thriving village of over three hundred inhabitants, located on both sides of the railroad, which gives excellent shipping facilities to Chicago and the North and Cincinnati and intermediate points to the South. Mr. Eggman, the
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veteran merchant, abandoned his store room in the old and moved into the new town, where he is still in business but has several competitors since the advent of the railroad.
Three general stores and a hardware and agricultural implement store have located here, kept by Ira Slifer, Jerome Jones, Geo. Brown and Becker & McMahin; furniture and undertaking establishment by J. B. Grindle; butcher shop by Dudley Dalzelle and Sam Cover, also barber shops, blacksmith shops, livery stable, pickle factory and stock yards, and an elevator operated by F. P. McFaddin, giving ready market for all kinds of farm products. J. E. Black runs an up-to-date restau- rant, Dr. C. L. Miller looks after the health of the community and two resident preachers, a Methodist and United Brethren, administer to their spiritual needs. A new U. B. church has recently been erected, also a handsome eight-room brick schoolhouse in which all grades are taught, including the high school. A hotel accommodates the traveling public and all kinds of building crafts and mechanics are well represented, as carpenters, plasterers, brick and stone masons, painters, etc.
The Twelve Mile State bank was organized in 1911 with a capital stock of $25,000, held by seventy-three stockholders, chiefly residents of Adams township. The bank officers are: President, Dr. C. L. Miller; vice-president, Aaron Plank; cashier, O. R. Pickering; directors are the officers and M. W. Collet, Wm. Murden, Abe Moss, Chas. Kinneman, Wm. Carson, Geo. Kistler, Geo. Raub. Their deposits at this time amount to $55,000. In the fall of 1912 a substantial new brick bank building was completed and occupied, at an expenditure of $5,200.
TELEPHONE EXCHANGE
The Twelve Mile Telephone Company was organized in 1903, with the following officers :
President, Wm. Carson; vice president, Wm. Dalzelle; secretary, Dr. C. L. Miller; treasurer, Isaac W. Egman. Directors: J. W. Dennis- ton, Ira Gehman, E. M. Kine, Chas. Dalzelle, August Swanson.
The exchange started with 108 patrons, which have been increased to 220 in 1912. The exchange is connected with Logansport, so that its patrons can communicate not only with each other but also with any of the patrons at the county seat, and is a great convenience as well as conserver of time to the residents of Twelve Mile and Adams township.
POSTOFFICE
Twelve Mile postoffice was established about 1852-4 in "Old Hen Peck," and John Walters was its first postmaster. The office was sup- plied by star route, part of the time from Deedsville in Miami county, but most of the time on a route from Logansport to Perrysburg, where Stephen G. Conrad was mail carrier for many years and Daniel Fetrow the last star route carrier from Logansport, when the building of the railroad in 1901, replaced the star route service. Isaac W. Egman, the present incumbent, has been postmaster for thirty years. Two rural mail routes, Nos. 21 and 22, established eight or ten years ago, lead out from Twelve Mile, now carried by Charles Jones and Elzie Martin, and are a great convenience to the farmers of Adams township, bring- ing daily mail to their doors. Prior to the establishment of this office the people in this township had to go to Logansport, 10 to 18 miles distant, for their mail.
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LODGES AND SOCIETIES
The fraternal spirit of the people of Twelve Mile is shown by the societies they have organized since the rapid development of the new town on the advent of the railroad in 1901.
I. O. O. F.
Odd Fellows Lodge, No. 519, was organized December 17, 1881. with only a small membership, but in recent years the numbers have rapidly increased. Present membership, 77.
FREE MASONRY
A Masonic lodge was instituted in Twelve Mile in 1908, and Dud Dalzelle was its first master. Their membership now numbers 36.
WOODMEN OF THE WORLD
Twelve Mile Camp was organized December 5, 1905, and is said to be in a prosperous condition, with a membership of twenty.
The Gleaners is the latest order to be organized in 1912, with a membership of thirty.
PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY OF FARMERS' GRANGE
This, perhaps, was the first secret fraternal order organized in the township in 1870, and James P. Ferguson was its first "master." The officers consisted of a master, overseer, steward, secretary, treasurer and chaplain. Women were eligible to membership. This organization was popular among the farmers all over the western country about this time. They combined for mutual improvement, benefit and protection against what they termed imposition and extortion of moneyed interests and middlemen. The Grange held its meetings in schoolhouses and for a time was prosperous and helpful in many ways, but did not last many years, when it was entirely abandoned.
KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN CIRCLE
This was a political secret order in sympathy with the South during the Civil war and opposed to President Lincoln's methods of conduct- ing the prosecution of that war. These treasonable societies under the above name, were organized all over Indiana. They were often composed of otherwise good citizens, but who, in their political and party animosity, were carried to the extreme of opposing the govern- ment and organized secret societies with that object in view. There were a few men of this character in Adams township, who, in 1862, organized a lodge of the Knights of the Golden Circle and Joseph Lease, who was a strong Union man and ardently supported President Lincoln's policies, joined the order with the object of exposing the treasonable workings of the society, which he did.
Those initiated into the order were bound by a strong oath and death was the penalty for violation of the oath.
When Mr. Lease exposed the workings of the order, he was menaced by the disciplining committee of the order and had to keep in hiding for many weeks, until the excitement subsided and an aroused public sentiment arose in his favor. The names of the leaders in this order
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are not given out, out of consideration of the descendants of these men, who are among our best and respected citizens, as were also their fore- bears, except for this one incident of their lives, which they afterwards greatly deplored.
HOOVER
is a small station in the southern part of Adams township, at the crossing of the two railroads that pass through the township, the Eel River division of the Vandalia and the C. C. and L. R. R., and about nine miles east of Logansport. It dates its history from about 1871 or '2, soon after the Eel River R. R. was completed. At this time a large steam sawmill was erected here, which was the nucleus around which the town developed. In April, 1874, Riley Hoover, proprietor. laid out the town, surveyed and platted 14 lots and a few houses to accommodate the mill hands were erected. For many years the sawmill was the chief industry. It had been located here to saw the timber from the big woods, known as the "Seven Sections," belonging to the Taber heirs, and there has been a mill located here ever since, run by different parties, although in recent years, owing to the scarcity of timber, the mill does not do the business it formerly did. J. L. Clouse was probably the first merchant to open a country store, which he continued to manage for many years or until his death. He was the first postmaster in the vil- lage. Wm. Obenchain also engaged in the mercantile business for a while and Willard Place bought and shipped grain and stock exten- sively for some years. At present there is a general store managed by John Crumpacker; an elevator, and stock yards operated by F. P. Mc- Faddin; blacksmith and repair shops and the usual "press brick" workers found around a country village store.
Peter Enyart has been postmaster for many years and has one rural mail route, No. 20, which delivers daily mail to the farmers of the vicinity, greatly to their convenience and profit. Grain, stock and lumber are the principal articles shipped from the town on its two railroads, which maintain a union depot at the crossing. The popula- tion numbers about one hundred.
A new Methodist church was recently erected and a schoolhouse stands nearly a half mile to the west. A good farming country surrounds the town, which affords a ready market for all agricultural products.
An iron bridge was some years ago erected across Eel river just south of Hoover, which gives an outlet to Miami township and New Waverly, which is mutually advantageous to both.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS AND HAPPENINGS
The first automobile in Adams township was purchased in 1906 by James Black, when he was looked upon as an aristocrat or a plutocrat or anything but a plain Hoosier, and it was quietly noised around that Mr. Black must have received a tip from Andrew Carnegie or John D. and would soon be a director in Standard Oil or the Steel trust. For a time in old Adams everybody was craning their necks when that auto- mobile came up the road; but now the people are accustomed to the innovation, rather like it and an automobile is not as much of an attrac- tion today as the old ox cart of the pioneer, and each year finds the number increasing.
The first piano in the township was bought by Thos. H. Skinner in 1882, and at that time was a great novelty as well as luxury for a com- mon farmer to possess.
Early in the sixties Jacob Abbott, living in the northern part of the Vol. 1-30
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township, was kicked by a horse and killed, leaving a widow and one child. Her maiden name was Lyda McHenry.
In 1886 Chas. Smith was killed by, being kicked by a horse and a Mr. Webster committed suicide by hanging himself.
During the year 1868 John Hissong committed suicide in Allen Obenchain's barn by cutting his throat with a razor.
A son of David Young shot and killed himself in 1880.
John Mars was struck by lightning and instantly killed on his own farm in 1856 and Henry Mars was crushed to death under his wagon shed in 1870.
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