History of Cass County, Indiana, from its earliest settlement to the present time; with Biographical Sketches and Reference to Biographies, Volume I, Part 80

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 80


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ROADS AND GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS


Jefferson township heads the county for hills, creeks, and romantic scenery and while its hills were originally difficult to travel over, yet they have in recent years been cut down and roadways opened up through all sections of the township and the abundance of gravel contained in its hills provide material easy of access to construct roads and today many of the principal thoroughfares are improved by grading and graveling and a few miles of stone road have been constructed on the west line of the township.


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The farms are generally well improved and large; neatly painted dwellings and outbuildings may be seen on every hand, in which are installed the electric telephone, so that the farmer of today can sit in his parlor chair, communicate with and transact business with the merchants of Logansport without spending an entire day traveling over the hills and mud roads to town, as the pioneers were compelled to do eighty years ago. Many farmers are also provided with automobiles and over smooth roads travel quickly and in comfort, and with the telephone practically annihilate time and space.


MISCELLANEOUS INCIDENTS


In early days there were few amusements, hence religious meetings, singing schools and spelling matches were the chief diversions and always well attended. The pioneer preacher's monthly visits to the log schoolhouse would attract young and old from the entire settlement and the old singing master reading buckwheat notes and beating time with tuning fork in hand was as good as a circus to the young people. The spelling school, however, was more frequently held and in the winter time was the weekly entertainment, where great rivalry was excited between different school districts and expert spellers were more numer- ous among the pioneers than are found today.


There was a quartet of extra good spellers in Jefferson, composed of Harrison Gray, Amos Chilcott, John W. Wiley and Josephus Tam. These boys knew more about Webster's spelling book than Webster e 'er dreamed of, and were always on hand at every spelling match in the township and their fame extended beyond the limits of the township.


PRAIRIE FIRES


In early days prairie fires swept over the western part of Jefferson township nearly every fall and were very destructive and a terror to the pioneers. Fencing, buildings and small growth of timber and everything in its path would be consumed by the terrible and rapid progress of the fire. Joseph W. Barr, son of William Barr, were pioneers and the former, now living in Logansport, relates some exciting experiences in fighting prairie fires. James D. MeNitt also states that his mother, Jane MeNitt, died from the effects of fighting prairie fires in 1855. These fires would sweep across the prairies or through forests with a roaring noise that could be heard for miles and was as terrible as an "army with banners."


GAME PRESERVE AND DEER PARK


Wilson Seawright, a prominent farmer of the township, who has a fondness for animals and birds, constructed a park in 1906 on his farm in Jefferson township consisting of seven acres of beautiful ground, enclos- ing the same with a high woven wire fence and stocked it with elks, raccoons, opossums, squirrels, Russian jack rabbits, golden pheasants, wild geese and alligators. The latter could not resist the cold winters and have died. He has raised a number of elks and sold them to ready buyers. He says he hopes to secure some moose before they become extinct. In 1907 an organization of Jefferson township farmers was formed with Wilson Seawright at its head, representing 4,800 acres of land upon which they expect to maintain a "game preserve," and the state is aiding and encouraging such movements, and is endeavoring to locate such a preserve in every county, and the state game warden in 1908 sent twenty pairs of Mongolian pheasants to Mr. Seawright's


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Jefferson township preserve; in 1909 twenty-five pairs of Hungarian partridges and in 1910 an additional consignment of twelve pairs, all of which are doing well on this extensive game preserve.


REFERENCE BIOGRAPHIES


Biographical sketches of the following persons have been written and may be found in Helm's History, published in 1886, and will not be re- produced here :


Benjamin Banta, born 1839, still living; Frederick C. Ford, born 1816, deceased; Asa R. Gibson, born 1830, deceased; Robt. M. Gibson, born 1854, still living; James A. Humes, born 1838, still living; Simon P. Lontz, born 1845, died 1912; George Renbarger, born 1828, died 1898; L. E. Rogers, born 1850; Eli Watts, born 1833, deceased; Daniel M. Watts, born 1856, still living.


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CHAPTER L MIAMI TOWNSHIP


BOUNDARIES-TOPOGRAPHY-FIRST SETTLEMENT-ORGANIZATION-INDUS-


TRIES AND MILLS-HORTICULTURE-SCHOOLS-CHURCHES-CEME- TERIES-ROADS AND IMPROVEMENTS-DOCTORS-CASSVILLE-LEWIS- BURG-HOOVERVILLE-NEW WAVERLY-MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS-AC- CIDENTS-STOLEN CHILD-SHOOT THE RED EYE-BLOODY HOLLOW- POLITICS-BIOGRAPHIES.


Miami township was so named from the Miami tribe of Indians, who for a long period antedating the arrival of the white man in the west, had owned and occupied all northern Indiana, including Cass county. This division of the county forms part of township 27, north range 2 and 3 east of the congressional survey and is bounded as follows: On the north by Eel river, on the east by Miami county, on the south by the Wabash river and on the west by Eel township. With the exception of Eel, it is the smallest township in the county.


The outline of the township is very irregular owing to the meander- ings of the rivers which form its boundaries on two sides. The surface is undulating and hilly, which in some localities is quite abrupt with deep ravines. In some places the hills rise to a height of one hundred feet or more, presenting a romantic boldness superior to any other locality in the county although Jefferson township in this respect is a close second. From the summits of the hills near Adamsboro on the north and Lewis- burg on the south, magnificent views are presented of the noble rivers winding their courses through the hills with their banks fringed with green trees and the intervening valleys occupied by fertile fields.


The river bottom lands, the valleys and highland plateaus are very fertile, but there are some hilly portions and some sections in the south- west part of the township where the limestone outcrops that is not good farm land or equal in fertility to some other townships. The surface was originally covered with a heavy growth of timber, consisting of oak, ash, poplar, maple, walnut, beech, hickory and other native trees, but this has nearly all been cut off, leaving only isolated groves on the hillsides. The Wabash and Erie canal runs through the whole length of the township from east to west. This was opened up for traffic in 1838 and was a potent factor in inducing immigration, and the completion of the Wabash Railroad through the township in 1856 served as another stimulus to the development of the country, of which agriculture is the chief industry.


FIRST SETTLEMENT


Peter Berry was probably the first permanent settler in the township. In the spring of 1831 he moved from Logansport, where he had, the year previous, been working at his trade, that of a blacksmith. He located in section 20 about a mile west of Waverly, on what is known as the Adam


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Cart farm, and erected the first house in Miami township, and the first between Logansport and Peru. It stood midway between those two places and was known as the half-way house and many a passerby found its humble walls a resting place and a generous hospitality extended by its humble occupant. A building site was made in the midst of a dense forest that covered the land by felling the trees to give sufficient room upon which to erect a round log cabin with puncheon floor, stick and mud chimney and other corresponding pioneer fixtures and household accouterments of the crudest and simplest character. Mr. Berry, with the assistance of his sons, cleared off a patch of ground and in the spring of 1831 John H. Berry broke it up and was proud of the fact that he turned the first furrow in Miami township. Mr. Berry occupied this pioneer home for about ten years when he sold it and moved two miles to the west in section 24, where he continued to reside until his death in 1855. He was a native of Pennsylvania and was a man of more than ordinary energy and intelligence. His sons, Henry P., John H. and Samuel Berry, figured prominently in the development of Miami township. During the year 1831 the following persons came to the township: John Fiddler set- tled in section 29; William Conner in section 16; John Hoover in section 13. In 1832 Abraham Reed purchased a large tract of land in sections 23 and 26 and his descendants still occupy a part of this original pur- chase. . Christian Casebeer and his sons Joseph and David settled in Richardsville Reserve, east of Lewisburg; Nathaniel Williams in section 29 and became a leading citizen of the township. Lewis Bowyer located at Lewisburg and laid out the town. David Miller settled in section 20 and was a prominent citizen until his death in 1885. Isaac Patton set- tled in section 24 ;. Wm. P. Vandoren on the Wabash river, where he laid out the town of Cassville; James Henry in section 19 and Jesse Fiddler in section 19.


The following persons were early settlers and became prominent in the later history of the township: Levi Burnett, Wm. Guard, Samuel McPherson, Wm. Rucker, George Rush, Thomas Craighead, Reuben Grimes, Peter Chidester, Stephen Clemens, John Pfouts, Andrew Martin, Henry Martin, David Miller, Archibald Forgy, Wm. Pearson, Jacob Loser, Anthony Hiller, Wm. Murphy, Solomon Hyer, Abraham Hyer, Thomas Black, Erastus Chidester, John P. Baker, Frank Kelly, William Kline and Hugh Pennell.


ORGANIZATION


Miami township was organized January 3, 1831, and the first election was held some time later at the cabin of Peter Berry. At this election William Conner was chosen justice of the peace and the first board of trustees was composed of Peter Berry, Thomas Craighead and Nathaniel Williams. Other early trustees were Lewis Bowyer, Isaac Patton, Paul Burk, Joseph Cottrell, Henry Eidson, Peter Chidester, John H. Berry and T. F. Tyson.


The early justices of the peace were: Isaac Patton, Lewis Bowyer, Henry M. Eidson, D. C. Jenkins, Samuel McCoy, Emanuel Rumels and Wesley DeMoss. Mr. Eidson held the office for more than twenty years.


INDUSTRIES AND MILLS


Miami township lying between the two rivers was fortunate in having abundant water power and mills were early established on Eel river from which they received their motive power.


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About 1834 David Miller erected the first mill in the township at Hooverville, now generally known as Adamsboro, Miami township. This was a sawmill, but he soon installed a corn cracker and distillery and operated them for a number of years. When Conrad Martin became owner of the mill property he built a two-story flouring mill and did an extensive business. The corn cracker and distillery fell into decay. This mill did a large business and was patronized by farmers for many miles around for a number of years until about 1854 the entire structure was washed out by a June freshet and the mill site remained vacant until 1859, when S. L. and A. Kendall of Logansport built a large flouring mill at Adamsboro (Hooverville) and operated it until 1864, when they sold out to John Hoover, who with others, continued to run the mill


MILLERS FALLS


until about 1888, when it ceased operations owing to the new processes of making flour and the centralization of business. This mill is still standing and belongs to Harry Gingrich, who uses it for storage purposes only.


About 1842 Peter Pfouts and John P. Baker erected a distillery south of Miller's mill at Hooverville. Their water supply was brought from springs in wooden pipes, which remained until recent years. The demand for wet goods among the pious people of Miami was not great and this distillery, like its predecessor, fell into disuse about 1853 and was later consumed by fire.


About 1845 David Miller built a grist mill on what was known as Miller's branch, a mile west of Lewisburg. This was a tall building


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fitted for grinding both wheat and corn. It was operated for some years, rather irregularly, owing to deficient water supply which came from the little branch upon which the mill stood. It ceased operations entirely in 1860 with George Spangler as the last miller.


About 1842 Peter Cowdry built a sawmill on a little creek near the southwest corner of section 19, south of the Burnett farm. It received its motive power from a spring branch and could not be operated regu- larly owing to deficient water supply. John P. Baker was the last party to run this little mill, which ceased operations about 1852.


In the early forties James Henry built a shop on the Levi Burnett farm (section 19). He had a turning lathe and other machinery and manufactured furniture and other woodwork.


He was an excellent workman and some of his old cherry furniture may still be seen in the township.


William Meeks, of Lewisburg, was also engaged in the manufacture of furniture in the later forties, and Paul Burk operated a small furni- ture factory on the Cart farm in section 20 and made coffins, spinning wheels, reels and almost every wooden article found in the pioneer home. All these shops had turning lathes; that of Mr. Henry's was operated by an ingenious little water wheel he contrived, and the water supply came from the little spring branch running through the Burnett farm. The lathes in the other shops were tread machines run by the foot of the operator.


IRON INDUSTRY


About 1846 John P. Baker erected an iron furnace and forge at the lock on the old canal four miles east of Logansport. There were six furnaces in this plant. Bog iron ore was used to supply the furnaces. The ore was shipped from the swamps of White county on the canal, and some was procured from near New Waverly and some from Clay township. Power to run the bellows and trip-hammer was obtained by two small water wheels propelled by water from the canal lock. Mr. Baker retired from the firm and Richard Green, Joseph Penrose and Samuel Panabaker became associated in the business which, however, was not a paying investment and ceased operations about 1855.


While working in this mill William Masters was accidentally killed and was buried in a lone grave on the Kline farm.


LIME KILNS


The southwest part of Miami township is underlaid with a good quality of limestone and outcrops for a mile or two along the old Forge road, which early led to the manufacture of lime, which was engaged in by different parties near the canal in section 26, and after the Wabash Railroad was finished in 1856 large quantities of lime was manufactured and shipped.


In 1868 David Keeport, of Pennsylvania, with Mr. Donaldson leased a tract of land near the former old kilns and put in new and improved kilns and manufactured lime extensively, shipping from one thousand to one thousand two hundred bushels daily.


Mr. Donaldson was killed while coupling cars, and after the death of David Keeport, his son, A. B. Keeport & Co. operated the kilns for many years, but they have finally ceased operations. A son of David Keeport was crushed to death while helping on a canal boat in the ship- ment of lime, and John Donaldson, the son of the above-named Donald- son, was also run down by a Wabash train and killed.


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About 1908 parties from Huntington organized a company, pur- chased a large tract of the limestone lands where the defunct limekilns were located, and erected large stone crushers and are doing an extensive business and ship crushed stone for road building and other purposes all over the surrounding country.


CHARCOAL INDUSTRY


During the operation of the iron mill charcoal was used in the reduc- tion of the iron ore, as coke was then unknown in this western wilderness, and the work of making charcoal became quite an industry in Miami township, and many of the pioneers erected ovens in which to burn charcoal. It was doubly advantageous to them, as they were clearing their land, at the same time selling the charcoal to the operators of the iron furnace, but this industry went down with the iron forge.


FANNING MILL FACTORY


A company of strangers about 1846 erected a building in Hooverville and manufactured "fanning mills." They turned out large numbers of first-class fanning mills which found a ready market among the farmers of that day. Their long wagons, made to carry six of these mills, were to be seen traveling through the country selling them to the farmers who needed such machines before the days of the modern threshing machine and separator.


After the introduction of improved threshing machines the fanning mill industry was abandoned.


FIRST BLACKSMITH IN MIAMI TOWNSHIP


The first blacksmith was Peter Berry. He was also the first per- manent settler. His shop was located on his farm in section 20.


Alexander Arnout was probably the second blacksmith. His shop was located north of Waverly. Soon after Vincent Patton conducted a blacksmith shop in section 26.


FRUIT INDUSTRY


The farmers of Miami township, as those of the entire county, were engaged in general agriculture, grain, stock raising, etc., and but little attention was paid to horticulture until recent years they have turned their attention to this lucrative business. Among the first to engage in fruit growing was Peter A. Berry, about 1883. He began to grow strawberries for the city market and had the distinction of being the pioneer in this line of business in the township. Soon after A. E. Flory, D. M. Flory and C. A. Flory engaged extensively in the business of growing small fruits, and have become the most extensive fruit growers in the county, and also produce large quantities of orchard fruits as well. Others have recently engaged in the business, as the hills of Miami are especially adapted to horticulture and the township leads the county in fruit growing.


Miami township is credited with being the first in the county to set out orchards, and as soon as the pioneer had cleared off a patch of ground around his cabin we find him planting fruit trees. Among the first to plant orchards were Nathaniel Williams, James Rush, Peter Berry and William Conner.


Abraham Reed was the first to plant an orchard of grafted fruit.


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The first nursery in the county was kept by John Fidler. His trees, however, were seedlings. About 1840 a stranger came into the township and started a nursery on the William H. Gard farm in section 17, and many of the orchards of the township were supplied from this nursery. A few of the old trees remain today to mark the nursery rows of seventy years ago.


SCHOOLS


The pioneers of Miami township were an intellectual class of people and appreciative of the value of an education, and no sooner were a few families located in a neighborhood until we find the temple of learning being raised. These were very primitive and crude buildings, however, and here, as elsewhere throughout the county, the round log schoolhouse made its appearance, every part of which was constructed of wood, not a hinge, latch or even a nail or any article of metal was used in its construction. Probably the first cabin schoolhouse erected in the township was in 1833 or 1834 on what was since known as the Wil- liam Rucker farm near the northeast corner of section 20, and William Kelly was the first to wield the birch in this primitive schoolhouse in the midst of the forest, with just enough of the trees cut down and a spot cleared large enough for the house to stand upon, with the branches of the trees overhanging the clapboard roof and the squirrels and birds chattering and making music in these overhanging branches. In these unpretentious round log cabins were sown the seed that later developed into the sturdy, energetic and enlightened farmers and horticulturists of Miami township. There was a schoolhouse built on the southwest corner of the C. A. Flory farm, in section 23, perhaps as early as 1832, but this was never completed or occupied, but left to decay.


Certain it is that a log schoolhouse was erected on the Abraham Reed land in the northeast quarter of section 23 early in the thirties, and Mr. Sumwalt, who had previously taught in Clay township, was its first teacher. Other early teachers were John P. Baker, John H. Berry, John Truax, William Coons and George W. Coons. Mr. Coons taught the last school in this log house in 1856-57, when it gave way to a frame building, not plastered but ceiled inside throughout, making it a neat and comfortable building. The schoolhouse located here was a prominent meeting place for religious, political and other public gatherings, includ- ing the old-time singing school.


About 1846 a hewed log schoolhouse was built on the northeast corner of section 19, and about the same time a similar one was erected on the Eidson farm in section 22. About 1858 E. H. Conner taught school in a house on the Reed farm, in section 23, that had been built for a sheep fold and later was used for a cooper shop.


As early as 1840 there was a log schoolhouse on the hill west of Lewisburg, near "Cassville." This was replaced by a log house at Lewisburg, and about 1850 it was replaced by a frame schoolhouse that stood on the hill at Lewisburg. Some of the early teachers at Lewisburg were Elizabeth Grimes, 1843; Cy. McPherson, 1844; Mr. Parker, 1845; Miss Phipps, 1846; Lizzie Berry, 1847; Frank Bowyer, 1848; Catherine Eaton, 1849.


In the later fifties, under the operation of the new constitution of 1852, a better system of schools began to be inaugurated and five new frame schoolhouses were erected and the log house became a thing of the past. When Waverly was laid out a school was established there about 1857, which was replaced by a two-story brick building about 1872, and in 1899 the present handsome brick school building was erected.


In 1886 the township had six schoolhouses, located as follows: No.


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1, on the southwest quarter section 10; No. 2, in Waverly; No. 3, in the southwest corner of section 27; No. 4, on the southeast corner of section 19; No. 5, near the center of section 18, and No. 6, on the Flory farm, southeast quarter section 23.


Some years later the school districts were rearranged, and Miami now has six schoolhouses, two brick and four frame buildings, located as follows : District No. 1, southwest quarter section 10; No. 2, at Waverly; No. 3, southwest corner section 28; No. 4, northeast corner section 19; No. 5, at Adamsboro, in section 13, and No. 6, near the center of section 26, in the southwest corner of the township. The Adamsboro school is a substantial brick structure containing two assembly rooms and was erected about twelve years ago. The total estimated value of the school property in the township is $18,000; the number of pupils of school age, 238, who are instructed by ten teachers. In 1910 the township estab- lished a high school at New Waverly and now has a complete system of graded schools up to and including the high school, which latter now has fifteen students taking the higher grades. The first class graduated from the high school was in 1911, and consisted of Dorris Graves, Otis Apple- gate and Mary, A. Robertson. Four teachers are employed in the New Waverly school, two at Adamsboro and one in each of the other four districts, and Miami is justly proud of her splendid system of graded schools that has been gradually developed from the old log cabin house with a fifty to sixty day term up to a one hundred and fifty day term, with all the higher grades equal to a college course in pioneer days.


LIST OF TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES FROM 1865 TO 1913


George W. Arnott, 1865; E. W. Rush, 1866; Henry Lattourette, 1867; William Pearson, 1868-72; Samuel Smoot, 1879; John Williams, 1874-8; Charles G. Cox, 1878-82; D. J. Forgy, 1882-6; John W. Rudolph, 1886; S. C. Bowyer, 1890; D. J. Forgy, 1894; Dr. A. E. Graves, 1900; Adam Rockfield, 1904; Charles E. McCoy, 1908-14.


CHURCHES


The first religious service held in Miami township was conducted by Rev. William Reyburn, at the cabin of Peter Berry, about 1832 or 1833. He was an itinerant Methodist preacher, and with others of this denomination held meetings, occasionally in the humble abodes of the pioneers for several years without organizing a class.


Rev. M. M. Post, of the Presbyterian faith, also conducted meetings at an early date, but no society of that denomination was ever organized in the township.




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