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 72
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KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS
Helmet Lodge, No. 346, K. of P., was instituted June 8, 1892, with twenty-four charter members. The first chief officers were: Ross A. Montgomery, C. C .; Carl Zook, V. C. C .; and C. E. Mummert, K. R. & S. The present membership is one hundred and eighty-five.
There is also a lodge of Pythian Sisters, organized several years ago.
ODD FELLOWS
Young America Lodge, No. 243, I. O. O. F., was instituted August 25, 1865, and worked under a dispensation until March 20, 1873, at which time a charter was granted and the lodge fully organized with John Cooper, B. M. Dunkin, D. M. Butcher, W. H. Kessler, and F. Dagget as charter members.
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The chief officers at present are: Ora Mack, N. G .; William Barber, V. G .; and William Hubler, secretary and treasurer. Present mem- bership seventy-five.
FRIENDSHIP REBEKAH LODGE NO. 504
was instituted in February, 1890. The present chief officers are: Mrs. Flora Williamson, N. G .; Eva McMannama, V. G .; and Edna McClosky, F. & R. secretary.
ANCIENT ORDER OF GLEANERS
Young America Arbor, No. 119, Ancient Order of Gleaners, was organized June 12, 1906.
HALLS AND LODGE ROOMS
The Odd Fellows erected a commodious hall in 1872, which they still occupy.
The Masonic Hall, a substantial two-story brick structure, was built in 1895, the upper story of which is occupied as a lodge room.
The K. of P. erected in 1900, a two-story brick building, represent- ing a capital of over $3,000, the second story of which forms the Pythian Castle.
FARMERS' GRANGE
Grange Banner Lodge, No. 964, Patrons of Husbandry, was organ- ized in a schoolhouse in the northern part of the township, February 4, 1874. We understand that a hall was erected at Deacon about 1886, and that meetings were regularly held to advance the interests of the rural population and for social intercourse. The order has long since suspended operations.
MISCELLANEOUS INCIDENTS
First white child born in Deer Creek township was a daughter to Z. Reagan and wife, in 1841, and about the same time was born Josiah Neff, son of Joseph Neff and wife.
The first death which occurred was that of Z. Reagan in 1840, and interment was made in the Fouts graveyard.
Deer Creek has witnessed some exciting incidents in the shape of murders and attempted murders. In 1877 Abraham Johnson, while on business a short distance from Young America, his home, was ac- costed on the road by three men, who struck and knocked him down, and thinking he was dead concealed his body in a hollow log. When he regained consciousness, several hours thereafter, he extricated him- self and crawled to a nearby house and was cared for and taken home, where he hovered between life and death for some time, but finally recovered. The culprits were evidently bent on robbery. They were never apprehended, and the mystery has remained unsolved.
During the year 1880, Young America was thrown into a state of intense excitement by the murder of Enos Brumbaugh by William Green. There was no cause for the murder, except intoxicating liquors, which filled the murderer and made an otherwise peaceable man a foul criminal, who pursued his victim and shot him down. Green fled and was in hiding for several years. His brother, Amer Green, when under the influence of liquor, told Luella Mabbit, a young woman living
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over in Carroll county, where William Green was living. When sober he regretted his exposure of his brother's whereabouts, and brutally murdered. the Mabbit girl, lest she should give the knowledge of his brother's abode to the officers.
He fled to his brother in Texas. Buck Stanley gained a knowledge of their hiding place in Texas, arrested them and brought them back to Delphi, where William Green was taken out of the jail and hung by a mob, and Amer was tried, convicted and sent to prison for life, but in 1912, being in failing health, Governor Marshall pardoned him out, and he is now living a quiet and better life, it is said, free from the blighting influence of liquor.
REFERENCE BIOGRAPHIES
The biographical sketches of the following well known and represen- tative citizens of Deer Creek, who helped to develop and make the his- tory of the township, many of whom have passed over the dark river, may be found in Helm's history, published in 1886, and will not be reproduced here, but simply a reference made where these sketches can be found :
Andrew Caldwell, Theodore E. Brumbaugh, Samuel R. Coin, Joseph B. Cornell, John W. Cost, Nic. M. Davis, Benjamin M. Dunkin, John Garver, Samuel Garver, George W. Harness, Thomas Henry, Robert Hunter, David D. Lennon, Dr. W. E. Lybrook, John H. Bridge, Joseph Burrows, Daniel Clingenpeel, Benj. D. Cornell, Jacob Cripe, William Dunkin, Malinda A. Farlow, William Garver, John Hampshire, John Hendrixson, George W. Hubler, Ezra Kahl, Daniel Lybrook, Newton J. Martin, H. N. Miller, Frank Plank, George W. Poundstone, Dr. L. A. Simmon, Peter Tolan, Dr. Charles D. Parks, John N. Pound- stone, Joseph Shanks, John Sprinkle, William S. Toney.
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CHAPTER XLVII HARRISON TOWNSHIP
BOUNDARIES - SOIL - CREEKS - FIRST SETTLERS - ORGANIZATION - INDUSTRIES - MILLS - ROADS - RAILROADS - TELEPHONES - POST OFFICES - SCHOOLS - CHURCHES - CEMETERIES - DOCTORS - TOWNS JACK-TOWN-LUCERNE-MISCELLANEOUS INCIDENTS AND AC- CIDENTS-BIOGRAPHIES.
Harrison comprises the entire congressional township 28, north range 1, east of the government survey and takes its name from the illustrious soldier president, General William Henry Harrison. It lies in the north part of the county and is bounded on the north by Fulton county, on the east by Bethlehem, south by Clay and west by Boone township. The physical and topographical features of the township are similar to the surrounding divisions, the surface of the country being generally level. The soil is generally a black loam of great fertility. The land originally was covered with heavy timber, which has been mostly cut off, and much of it ruthlessly burned up and destroyed in preparing the ground for cultivation in the early settlement of the township. The leading varieties of timber were walnut, ash, oak, poplar, maple, beech, elm, and hickory. Only small groves of native timber are now to be found within the limits of Harrison.
This township has no large creeks or water courses, Big Indian Creek being the largest, but it is only a small stream extending east and west through the northern part of the township and into which small tribu- taries empty, giving drainage to the larger portion of the township, which ultimately flows into the Tippecanoe river. A small section of the south and southwest parts of the township drain into Crooked creek and the Wabash river.
Harrison is pre-eminently a farming district and produces all the agricultural products indigenous to this climate and but few factories or other industries have been established within its borders, but on every side may be seen broad acres of the finest farm land, commodious barns and elegant residences, enclosed with wire fences, and well provided with the best breeds of live stock, and all modern agricultural imple- ments.
FIRST SETTLERS
The first white man to locate in Harrison township was John Fletcher who settled on the west part of section 25, later known as the Skinner farm.
This was considered an exceptionally good tract of land and several men were seeking it. Mr. Fletcher hastened to Laporte, where the government land office was then located, ahead of the others. He had to go on foot however, but succeeded in filing his claim first, and secured the land. Thus elated, he celebrated his victory by indulgence in "fire
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water," and his trip homeward was made more leisurely, and the weather being intensely cold, and being debilitated in body and mind by liquor, laid out one night and his feet were frozen, and had to be amputated- making him a cripple for life-proving the truth of the adage: "The way of the transgressor is hard." Later Mr. Fletcher sold this tract of land and moved to Fulton county, on the north bank of Fletchers lake, which was named after him. Here he lived for many years, carried the mail, and was often seen on the streets of Logansport, "stumping it" around on his knees, but this sad lesson never broke him of this most injurious and senseless habit, "drink." Robert Barnett was the second pioneer to seek a home in this township who settled just east of Mr. Fletcher on what was known as the Shideler farm. Robert Barnett came from Ken- tucky and had a large family, some of whom became influential citizens of Cass county, viz: Moses, the eldest, lived in Logansport, then in
Tipton township, and was county commissioner; he moved to Warren county, where he died. He was grandfather of Judge Lairy. Harrison Barnett, grandfather of Mrs. A. H. Douglass died in this township; Thompson, father of Robert, David and Isaac Barnett, died in Logans- port; Henry moved to Marshall county, and died there, and William died in Rochester; Asberry Barnett was trustee of Clay township and died in that township in 1883; James, Robert and Jesse died in Illinois and a daughter, Mrs. Eliza Clary, in Clay township.
During the year 1833, James Blackburn settled in section 26; Har- rison Barnett in section 25; Lewis Crane in section 36; Richard How- ard in section 33; Mr. Ross in section 35; Joseph Dunham in section 26. In the years 1834-35, numerous settlements were made, to-wit: Wil- liam Kline on southwest quarter, section 15; James Piercy in sec- tion 30; James Corbitt, section 35; Peter Michaels, section 23; William Grant, section 32; James Gates, section 30; John Calvin, section 32; William Michaels, section 22; Richard Brown, section 21; Samuel Sharp, section 28. About the same time came others and located in dif- ferent parts of the township, viz .: James Sharp, Charles Riley, James Montgomery, Noah Castle, Tobias Castle, John Overlesse, George and Daniel Foglesong, Abraham Skinner, Mercer Brown, Benjamin Powell, Leander Dixon, James Denning, Stebbins Powell, Isaac Smith, A. A. Mehaffie, J. R. Johnson, Richard Brown, George Allhands, John Calla- han, Henry Estebrook. Among the arrivals in 1836 were James B. Rogers who settled in section 22; James Stevens, Michener Tucker, Michael Burk, James Butler, Daniel Morrison, David Pinkerton, Chris- topher Long, William Hammerly, Owen Hart, James Noland, William Noland, Henry Garrett, William Donovan, Jesse Kilgore and Joseph Gibson. The next two or three years came Edward Whalen, Jacob Remley, Daniel Remley, William Whalen, Newton Clary, Morris Land- rigan, Reuben Bachelor, John Callahan, Samuel Crawford, John Bar- rett, John McCauley, Rev. Robert Rankin, Martin McGowan, John Clary, Patrick Martin, Hiram Knowles, Reuben St. Clair, Henry Bar- nett, James Butler, Andrew Michaels, Joshua Binney, John Pierce and William Mitchell.
ORGANIZATION
The township was organized March 7, 1836, at the cabin of Benja- min Powell. The first justice of the peace was James Scott; the first trustees were James M. Stevens, John A. Calvin and J. B. Rogers; the first constable was James Corbitt. David Pinkerton and Michener Tucker became justices of the peace at a subsequent election.
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INDUSTRIES-MILLS-FACTORIES
The first industry in Harrison township was a sawmill built by Christian Long on a branch of Big Indian creek in the northern part of the township, about 1837 or 8. Robert McMillen of Noble township did the mechanical work. This was a primitive mill run by an old fashioned undershot water wheel that could only be operated in times of high water. It was not a great success and in a few years was abandoned.
The second mill erected was also a primitive affair. It was con- structed by James N. Stevens on section 16, and was operated by neither water or steam power but by a yoke of oxen. Mr. Stevens successfully managed this little mill for some time manufacturing much dumber for the settlers in that neighborhood. He had the misfortune to be crushed to death in the machinery after which the mill fell into other hands and finally gave way to better mills of later years.
About 1851, Abraham Coppick built a steam sawmill on section 23, and did a large business for a number of years; Wilson and Matthews operated it for a time, but it finally fell into disuse and was abandoned.
About 1852, J. R. Johnson engaged in the sawmill business, in seo- tion 22, where the town of Lucerne is located. This was a large steam mill and was conducted on an extensive scale. Judge Dyer B. McCon- nell operated this mill for a time just prior to the Civil war.
In the later 'fifties or early 'sixties, a steam sawmill was built in section 28, and operated by Thrush and Pearson, and later by Samuel Metsker.
A large steam sawmill was built about 1865 to 70, in section 2, by Daniel Foglesong and was operated on an extensive scale. The mill was last conducted by John P. Foglesong and John Reeder, but like all its predecessors, ceased operations for want of material as the timber was nearly all cut off.
About 1846 David Pinkerton established a factory to manufacture caustic potash, on his farm located in section 20, now owned by Mr. Blackburn. He carried on quite a lucrative business for some years.
ROADS-RAILROADS-TELEPHONES
When pioneers first entered the territory now comprising Harrison township, Indian trails were the only means of ingress. Probably the first wagon road into the township was along one of these Indian trails and was known as the Laporte road extending from Logansport to Laporte. It angled through the country regardless of section lines; has been changed at different times until about 1878, when this old road was straightened and placed on a due north and south line from Logans- port, extending entirely through this township, and since known as the Pleasant Grove or Kewanna pike. This was the first gravel road built in the township, at first by a private company, but about twenty years ago the county made a free road of it, with all the other toll roads. Since that time roads have been straightened and placed on section lines and improved until today the township line road on the east and south, also the road running through the center of the township east and west have been macadamized with crushed stone and all the principal roads have been graveled until every section of the township can be reached by stone or gravel roads, quite a contrast with the old Indian trail, mud and corduroy roads of pioneer days. Originally, there was much low, flat and marshy land in Harrison, but ditching and tiling has drained this, which greatly improved the condition of the roads as well as re- claimed this marsh land, converting it into the most productive farm land in the township.
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THE VANDALIA RAILROAD
Extends from north to south through the township, with a flag station, Verona, in the southern part, and the town of Lucerne near the center of the township, thus affording convenient transportation facilities for the residents of Harrison. This road was opened up for traffic in August, 1883.
TELEPHONE
The Home Telephone Company of Logansport opened a telephone exchange at Lucerne in 1904 and now has one hundred and sixty-five subscribers in and around that town so that the majority of the farmers of Harrison township can communicate with each other and with any subscriber in Logansport or throughout the county, and by long dis- tance, toll lines can reach any part of the state or even nation.
POSTOFFICES-MAIL SERVICE
The first postoffice established in the township was "Fitch," about 1849, and its first postmaster was Michener Tucker who kept the office at his house, then situated in section 14, on what was later known as the Jacob Yantis farm. The old Laporte road ran by his residence and the star route came out from Logansport and north to Maxenkuckee and was carried by John Carroll. This office was established through the influence of Dr. G. N. Fitch who was then congressman from this district. Later the office was moved south nearly a mile to "Leases Corner" and J. C. Thompson was postmaster until his death, October 8, 1863, when William Allhands was appointed postmaster and con- tinued as such until the office was abolished about 1865. About this time "Big Indian" postoffice was established and George Herd was the first postmaster and later John Long and Frank Threewits. The office was abolished about 1888.
Nebo postoffice was established at the present town of Lucerne soon after the railroad was built and the town laid out in 1883. The town was at first called Altoner, but the postoffice department could not give the office that name owing to conflict with other offices of similar name and adopted the name "Nebo." The postoffice having a different name from the town caused much confusion and about 1890 the name of the office and town were both changed to "Lucerne" by which name it has since been known.
The first postmaster at this place was Amos Sweigart. The present postmaster is Joseph E. Todd. Three rural mail routes, Nos. 23, 24, 25, were established in 1903, which carry daily mails to every farm house in the township and with the parcels post established in 1913 brings the farmers in close touch with the cities and outside world and is a great advance over the monthly or weekly star route service of sixty-five years ago, when Fitch postoffice was first established.
SCHOOLS
While the pioneers of Harrison township were not college bred men, as a rule, yet they appreciated the value of education and as soon as a sufficient number had settled in a neighborhood we find them gather- ing their children together, not in great gilded halls, but in primitive log cabins, to instruct them in the rudiments of an English education. The first school house in this township was built in 1834 or 1835, in the northeast corner of section 26 and William Mitchell was the first teacher.
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This was the usual pioneer, round log cabin, with roof, floor and door made of clapboards or puncheon, fire place for heating, and a log cut out the whole length of the building, and paper pasted over it for a window. Under this window was a shelf made of a hewn slab, laid upon pins that were driven into holes bored into the logs; this was their writ- ing desk. Benches for seats, were made of the same material, without any backs. But the character of the building in which students are instructed does not necessarily indicate the character or the future greatness of those studying therein, and we find in Cass county, as in other places, men brought up in the cabin and graduated from the log school house, have risen to distinction. Sarah Worstell, now living at 1831 North street, was a student in this first school taught in Harrison township seventy-eight years ago.
William Mitchell, the first teacher was an educated, refined Christian gentleman, who taught school for many years in different townships of this county and in Logansport, where he lived in later years, and died about 1870. He was a strict Presbyterian and a rigid disciplinarian, gave each of his three sons and three daughters a liberal education, all of whom became teachers, for a season at least. The oldest drifted into journalism and for many years published the Duluth, Minnesota, Times. He died there in 1907. Joshua became a distinguished Presbyterian minister. All the members of his family are now dead except William, who is a railway postal clerk on the Vandalia Railroad.
Benjamin Powell, who was the chief promoter of this first temple of learning, was possessed of more than ordinary intellectual activity. He was a great mathematician, and a good surveyor. He was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1785; married to Sarah Carroll, at Steubenville, Ohio; moved to Harrison township in 1834; died in Logansport in 1868. His children who grew to adult life were William P. Stebbins, Lycurgus, John, Josiah and Sarah, all of whom are dead, except Josiah, now living in Missouri, and Mrs. Sarah Worstell, of Logansport. Benjamin had a brother, Josiah, who was an influential pioneer of Bethlehem township.
The first school house was replaced by a hewed log structure erected on the northeast corner of section 35; this again gave way to a frame, and in 1895 the present brick building was erected, known as District No. 7. About 1836 a second log school house was built on the northeast corner of section 11, which went through the changing process until in 1902 the handsome brick school house was erected now known as dis- trict No. 1. Probably the third school in the township was opened in a log house about 1838, near Leases Corner, in section 23. The hewed log house that occupied this site was partially caved in by mischievous boys, of whom Jim Thompson was the leader, in 1862, and stood for some years unused, and was facetiously called the "Flat Roof Semin- ary." In the meantime, school was held in the Universalist church or cabins in the neighborhood, until a frame school house was built in 1869, which served its purpose until 1903, when it was replaced by the present brick building, heated by a furnace, quite different from the old log house erected in 1888. In early times schools were held in vacated cabins or in the cabins of the pioneers in various parts of the township until suitable school houses could be built. The schools were chiefly private and subscription schools, and were seldom continued longer than two to three months." The teachers were usually some pioneers who taught in the winter for diversion and to make a few dollars. No examina- tions or licenses were required. Each district built its own school house and hired the teacher. The simple studies of reading, writing and arith- metic were all that were taught in the pioneer day. There were but
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few textbooks. The Bible was the reader, an old elementary Maguffie's spelling book and an arithmetic constituted the text books for all grades.
After the new constitution of 1852 the schools began to be better organized and have progressed rapidly until Harrison township had nine school districts, systematically arranged throughout the township. No. 1, No. 6 and No. 7 have been mentioned. All of the nine buildings are substantial brick structures. No. 2, located on the northwest corner of section 10, was erected in 1905; No. 3, built in 1898, on the south- east corner of the southwest quarter of section 5; No. 4, situated on the northwest corner of section 20, built in 1899; No. 5, Lucerne high school, built in 1907; No. 8, on the southeast corner of section 28, erected in 1892, and No. 9, on the north side of section 32, erected in 1901, to replace a frame house that stood a half mile to the south, that was burned down the year previous. These nine buildings represent a cap- ital of over $30,000. Districts No. 3, No. 4 and No. 8 have within the past few years been vacated and the schools consolidated with the Lucerne high school. One wagon is employed for each district to haul the pupils to the central school at a cost of $2.50 per day for each wagon and the trustee, Mr. Tucker, makes favorable reports that the consolidated school system is eminently satisfactory, both from an economic and educational standpoint.
The Lucerne high school building is a handsome brick structure, two stories in height, with basement, containing four assembly rooms and necessary cloak rooms with all modern improvements. The high school was commissioned in 1911 and now ranks with the best schools in the state, where about thirty-five farmers' sons and daughters are receiving high school instruction, at the same time have parental care, all of which is greatly to be desired. Five teachers are employed in this cen- tral building and one each in the six districts, making a corps of eleven teachers in the township. The total enumeration in the township in 1912 was three hundred and thirty-five. This is said to be a progressive age and certainly there is nothing that demonstrates that fact more clearly than to compare the first pioneer round log cabin schoolhouse, with Harrison township's present magnificent high school building, with its modern conveniences, and the primitive textbooks, where the three R's, reading, riting and rithmetic, were taught, compare these with our variety of textbooks and extensive high school curriculum of today, equal to a college course of eighty years ago.
What a progressive age is this, 'Tis hard for us to go In memory, back, to early days, When things moved on so slow.
LIST OF TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES FROM 1865 TO 1913.
John Hall, 1865; John H. Long, 1866; Michael Burk, 1868; Joel C. Wickard, 1869; Samuel Black, 1870-76; Charles Troutman, 1877; John Herd, 1879; Edward Hall, 1881; Richard Winn, 1885; John W. Watts, 1888; John Conn, 1890, died in office; W. L. Burton, 1892; Philip Wool- ford, 1894; Matthew Maroney, 1900; J. W. Winn, 1904; Melvin Tuncker, 1908-14.
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