USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of DeKalb County, Indiana : together with sketches of its cities, villages and towns and biographies of representative citizens : Also a condensed history of Indiana > Part 75
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
urers of shingles and other articles), wagon shop of Englebert Ashlee, machine shop of Ephraim Berry, Church Furnishing Company of Shearer & Wilson, foundry and machine shop of Morell Bros., saw-mill and hoop factory of Jacob Mitchell, flour-mill of Grush Bros., Auburn Wagon Works of Synder, McClellan & Best, oar factory of Sibely & Co. (one of the two establishments of the kind in the United States), and the brewery and bottling works managed by Sylvester Rogers. Many of these are described further in the personal sketches of the pro- prietors.
BANKS.
Auburn supports three of these institutions, two being private banks. The First National Bank of Auburn was organized Dec. 19, 1874, and began doing business March 25, 1875. It lost heavily by the well-remembered George Hazzard some years ago, but is now in a prosperous condition, and does an extensive business. In the summer of 1876 a brick building was erected at a cost of $8,000, including fixtures, and this was occupied in August of the same year. The present Cashier is W. H. McIntyre. The bank's statement for the year ending Sept. 30, 1884, shows the capital stock, all paid in, to be $50,- 000; surplus, $3,600; deposits, $2,697.23 ; loans and discounts, $59,139.49. The directors are: W. McIntyre, Ephraim Berry and C. A. O. McClellan. The Farmers' Bank began business in February, 1883. The stockholders are: Jacob Walborn, Nicholas Ensley, Albert Robbins, Guy Plumb and J. C. Henry. Albert Robbins is Cashier. John L. Davis also does an exten- sive banking business.
PROFESSIONAL.
The members of the De Kalb County bar, who reside in Au- burn, are as follows: W. L. Penfield, Henry J. Schaffer, W. H. Dills, James E. Rose, F. K. Blake, R. D. Teft, Ezra D. Hart- man, B. Green, Thomas H. Sprott, P. J. Lockwood, C. Eman- uel, H. C. Peterson, D. D. Moody, P. V. Hoffman, D. Y. Husselman, C. A. O. McClellan and John Baxter. 1
The medical profession is represented by Drs. J. H. Ford, J. A. Cowan, Casebeer & Matheny, J. J. Littlefield, D. J. Swarts, Mrs. Vesta Swarts, W. S. Allen, J. V. Lewis and David Sebring.
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
NEWSPAPERS.
Auburn supports two weekly newspapers-the De Kalb Re- publican and the Auburn Courier. For full sketches of these, see the Press chapter.
EARLY SCHOOLS.
The first school-house in Auburn stood about a block west of the Auburn House, built and kept in those early days by Thomas J. Freeman, who also had a little store in the north- west room, which then, as now, was the bar-room. This school- house was also used as a general meeting-house for religious purposes. It was a low, one-storied building, containing one room, without closet or vestibule. Around three sides ran sloping desks, with their backs against the wall. High benches furnished uncomfortable seats for the larger scholars when they were obliged to use the desks. They were, however, privileged to sit upon other benches with backs to them, rows of which faced toward the center of the school-room from three sides of it; the lowest seats for the little ones, being nearest the big black stove in the middle of the room. Here assembled in the winter seventy-five or eighty pupils of all sizes, from the strap- ping six-footer who cast sheep's eyes at all the pretty girls, down to the urchin proud of his first pair of boots, who said his a-b-c with unvarying monotony through half the winter. The three R's, " Reading, Riting and 'Rithmetic," were taught with varying energy and success; but spelling was the class in which the ability of both teacher and pupils was expected to assert itself pre-eminently. The hour for studying the lesson was a serious time. Seated on the benches, with open books in hand, each pupil conned the words in a loud whisper, while, keeping time with the voice, each form swayed back and forth. The buzz became at times almost deafening. " Not se much noise," the almost distracted teacher would enjoin, but neither he nor his pupils seemed to imagine that the lessons could be learned quietly. All honor to the old-fashioned schools, how- ever! They did turn out some good spellers-but then "they gave their time to it."
Each pupil in arithmetic was taught by himself. Black- boards had not come into use in the backwoods, and each scholar with his slate and book " went it alone." If a boy were ambitious, and his teacher attentive, remarkable progress would
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
be made in the course of a winter term ; but some of the teach- ing was rather remarkable. One lady relates that when about eleven years old she went to a summer school taught by a man. She had a tolerably good knowledge of addition, multiplication and subtraction, and could divide a little, but had not the most remote idea what long division meant. Her arithmetic was Pike's; no answers to the problems were given. The teacher asked her how far she had advanced in arithmetic. She told him. He did not examine her, but told her to go on. She went on solving each problem to the best of her ability. Some time during each day the teacher would come around and inquire how far she had gone, and if she had any trouble, but never asked her to solve a problem for him to examine, and therefore never discovered that his ingenious pupil divided the dividend by each figure of the divisor in succession, and then added the quotients for a final quotient-which was the longest division she could invent. How long this might have gone on is uncer- tain, as the parents of the child becoming dissatisfied took her out of school.
Of course there were some very good teachers among many inferior ones.
Mr. Mott taught during the winter of 1843-'4. He was an unusually good scholar, and had been as a young man, a suc- cessful teacher in Pennsylvania.
Hendricks B. Wright, afterward distinguished as lawyer and politician, was one of his pupils there, and so long as he lived, Mr. Mott used to refer with pleasure to the energy, industry and ability, which young Wright manifested as a school boy.
Another good teacher was William Reynolds, a maternal uncle of Mrs. A. J. Ralston, who taught the Auburn school dur- ing the winter of 1848-'9. This tribute to his energy, ability, and goodness is paid by one of his scholars who mourned his untimely death, and has always remembered him, as one of her first teachers, with affectionate respect. He was a brother-in- law of James George, who lived about a mile east of town. They were both men of excellent principles and agreeable man- ners. Mr. George had a remarkably pleasant face, and when he smiled it lit up with sunshine. Both men died toward the close of 1849 with typhoid fever. A young man by the name of Webb who lived with Mr. George died of the same disease.
Miss Letitia Hutchings, who afterward with her husband, the 52
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
Rev. Randal Faurot, was for many years identified with the educational interest of the county, taught a summer school in Auburn in 1845 and again in '46. She was an excellent teacher and continues to be what she was then, a most admirable Christian woman. Her good deeds will bring forth fruit, and her good influence be felt, long after her eyes have closed in their last slumber.
In the spring of 1849, a short term of school was taught by Miss Sophia Merrill, a sister of Mrs. Bliss, wife of the Pres- byterian minister. Both sisters were women of much more than ordinary intelligence and culture. In urging her pupils to faithful study, she used the argument that the mind must con- tinue developing through all eternity, and that all which is gained here will help us there. During the winter of 1849 and '50 the public school was taught by Alexander McMinn, a tall, slender young fellow, with an uncontrolled temper. He governed, emphatically, by the rod. . Not a day passed that some one was not hauled over the benches and thrashed. The school was kept in a constant ferment, and the best scholars grew insubordinate under the constant provocation to anger. One day Mr. McMinn saw William Freeman with his head down upon the desk apparently asleep. He approached him cautiously with uplifted whip. It came down with stinging force upon the boy's shoulders. He raised his hand, stupidly, to ward off the second blow, which descended only the more heavily. Again and again the master struck. William lifted his head and fell over backward, frothing at the mouth. He was in a convulsion. The terrified teacher sent for Mr. Freeman and the doctor, while the children, all semblance of order gone, huddled together like a flock of frightened sheep.
As it transpired, the boy had been eating camphor gum and borax, and was poisoned. It is possible that the teacher's remedy, though severe, may have done no harm under the cir- cumstances. However, it is safe to say that no teacher ever bore away the ill-will of a greater proportion of his scholars.
In the autumn of 1850 John B. Clark came from Lagrange County and opened a select school. He was divorced from his wife, but had three children-Jane, Ezra and Mary. He was an excellent teacher and enthusiast in his profession. He was the first teacher who ever formed an arithmetic class. He made his scholars learn the process of solution, and then followed
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
823
drill, drill, drill, until the most stupid among them had mastered the necessary principles. So in reading; he was the first teacher who compelled his pupils to learn the rules for reading in McGuffey's series, and then obliged them by precept and example, and by the same constant drill to follow them. In the spelling lesson the definition also was required. To awaken ambition and inspire a worthy emulation, Mr. Clark offered prizes to the head scholar in every class.
I would like to know how many of these were carried home by a little, quiet, demure girl, who later grew up into a brill- iant woman, the daughter of Judge Morris, now Mrs. James Woodworth, of Fort Wayne. She was one of Mr. Clark's favorites because so faultless in deportment and recitations. There must be many in the county who look back thankfully to Mr. Clark's thorough teaching. He loved to awaken thought in his pupils. At one time he electrified the school by demanding suddenly : " If I call a sheep's tail a leg, how many legs has a sheep?" " Five," responded the too eager voices. He paused for a moment waiting, then asked quietly : " Does calling a sheep's tail a leg make it one?" The lesson was worth a volume of elaborate discourses.
Farewell, old teacher. Some, perhaps, would dwell upon thy faults, but not I. Thou wast a kind master to me, and let those who have no faults linger in recollection upon thine. It is for thy good qualities I remember thee.
The first Sunday-school was organized in the fall of 1844, Wesley Park being Superintendent. It met in the school- house. There was very little teaching done at first. The chief idea seemed to be to have singing and prayer, and give an op- portunity to the scholars to recite all the verses of Scripture which they had learned during the week previous. This edi- fying exercise left little time for lessons. The pupils were en- couraged by prizes to do the best they could.
There are preserved two small volumes, Nos. I and 2 of the Evangelical Spectator, one of which contains the inscription :
" Egbert Mott-
" Merit book, July 4, 1845. He recited 1, 169 verses last quarter.
" W. PARK, Supt.'
The other:
" Julia Mott-
" Merit book. She recited 1, 114 verses last quarter.
" W. PARK, Supt."
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
The recipient had just completed her eighth year.
After an interval, question books were introduced, and the custom of learning verses dropped into disuse, but not until some of the scholars had learned all of the four Gospels. Al- though the practice of offering prizes is to be deprecated as affording an insufficient test of excellence, and tending to dis- courage the many who could learn some, but not the greatest number of Scripture texts ; yet on the whole I am inclined to think much good was done, by forming in the children the habit of attending some public worship on the Lord's day.
HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING.
The old school-house that was most familiar to the citizens of Auburn was burned in the winter of 1875-'6, and in the spring following the School Board commenced the erection of a fine brick building, in a little park of five acres, that was in- tended to be an ornament to the town for a generation to come. It was two stories in height, besides a roomy basement. The dimensions were 61 x 75 feet, and the highest point was sixty feet above the ground. The contract was let to J. W. Case for $9,760, he having twelve competitors, bidding all the way up to $13,000. The total cost of building, grounds, furniture, fur- naces, etc., was $14.300. The entire building was heated with hot air furnished from the basement.
This beautiful building, the pride of Auburn, was destroyed by fire on the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 30, 1880. The fire was first seen near the heating apparatus in the basement, where it undoubtedly originated. It was of very small proportions when first seen, and with any sort of facilities it could have been easily extinguished. Efforts were made, but they were unavailing. The insurance on the building amounted to $7,000, and the net loss was about an equal amount.
The disaster was a grievous one, but, not discouraged, the authorities at once took measures for rebuilding the school- house. The new structure is now in use its third year, and is a credit to Auburn, though it is generally pronounced some- what inferior to its predecessor. The present Principal is M. W. Harrison, who taught two years as assistant and is now in his third year as Principal. His assistant is H. E. Coe, who is teaching his first year here, having been at Waterloo the four years previous. The other teachers are : Letitia A. Coats,
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
now teaching her fifth year; Flora L. Hoffman, second year ; Tilly McTighe, fourth year ; Violet Bowman, first year ; Mrs. Clifton, first year. Altogether there are seven rooms and eight teachers.
CHURCHES.
The first Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1839, by Rev. Samuel Reed. He was a very brilliant young minis- ter, and died at a comparatively early age. This was first called the St. Joseph Mission. Rev. Geo. M. Beswick was then the Presiding Elder. To Wesley Park is given the credit of form- ing this first class, which comprised forty-two members. The only two now living are Daniel Altenburg and James R. Cos- per. The church was built in 1843, at the northeast corner of the square, on a lot still owned by the society. It was removed about 1870 to its present site and refitted, a lecture room being added. This was under the pastorate of Rev. J. N. Welch. The church is in an admirable state of preservation, and few would suspect that it is forty-one years old. The present pastor is Rev. C. W. Church, who came from Fort Wayne in the spring of 1883. The present membership is 245. M. F. Long is Superintendent of the Sunday-school.
The Baptists have long held religious services in this county. Their Cedar Creek church in Richland Township was organ- ized about 1842, among the prominent members being Dim- mick Harding, T. D. Daily and Erastus Calkins. Their second branch was the Wilmington church, started in the township of that name in 1845. Among its leading members were : Richard Hicks, Dewitt Hicks, S. B. Ward and wife, and Mrs. Haynes. This church had a membership extending over half of this then thinly settled county, and numbering at one time seventy. Aug. 13, 1852, a number of the members, having taken letters from the Wilmington church, organized the Auburn church, and in two or three years the former society disbanded. Among the first members here at Auburn were: Elder S. B. Ward and wife, and Vesta M. Ward, Deacon J. R. Bacon and wife, Emily Clark, Robert Culbertson and wife, Darwin Eldridge and wife, Philo Sanford and wife, Jeremiah Hemstreet and wife, and others. Elders J. M. Whitehead and William N. Welker had conducted protracted meetings before the organization. Elder Ward served as pastor several years, and Elder A. Town preached for one year. The church dis-
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
banded about 1859, on account of removals, etc. The present church was organized in October, 1870, with eleven members: S. B. Ward and wife, John H. Ehlers and wife, Mrs. C. C. Shafer, Mrs. John McKay, Mrs. Joseph Mckay, Mrs. Maria Woolsey, Mrs. Hannah Totten, Mrs. Anna Burlingame and Addie Reed. The pastors since then have been successively: S. B. Ward, R. P. Jones, W. Langdon Sanders, P.J. Ward and H. J. Finch, the last named, who came in May, 1884, being the present incumbent. The church building was erected in 1872, at a cost of $3,000. It is on the corner of Jackson and Sixth streets, and has a seating capacity of from 250 to 300. The membership of the society is now about eighty. The Sunday- school has been under the charge of Elder Ward ever since its formation.
The Presbyterian society was organized in the fall of 1846. Auburn first belonged to the Logansport Presbytery; but this being divided, it was added to the Fort Wayne Presbytery. Rev. Mr. Bliss, who was first assigned to this place, was stated supply until the spring of 1856, at that time the membership num- bering forty-three. In the spring of 1857 Rev. Edward Wright took charge; in 1863 Rev. Charles A. Munn; and from 1866 the church was for a short interval without services. . Then Rev. C. A. Evans was here for two years. After another interval, in the spring of 1872, Rev. J. Emory Fisher commenced con- ducting services every other Sunday. Rev. Henry Johnson came in the spring of 1874, and remained until the fall of 1880. During his pastorate, in the fall of 1876, the brick structure now occupied by the society, at the corner of Jackson and Twelfth streets was erected, at a cost of $6,000. It was dedicated in January, 1877. The Trustees were: E. D. Hartman, S. B. Miller, Joseph Abright and Richard Elson. These gentlemen are the present Trustees. Rev. Wm. F. Mathews was here one year, from the spring of 1881. Rev. H. D. McCord came in the fall of 1882 and remained through 1883. The present pastor, Rev. G. W. Barr, came from Albion in January, 1884. Recently the church has been nicely finished off, the Ladies' Aid Society having expended $300 upon seat- ing, gas fixtures, etc. The membership of the church is about 150. The Elders are: E. D. Hartman, S. B. Miller, Richard Elson, A. C. Wilson and Edward Baker. Richard Elson has charge of the Sunday-school.
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
The English Evangelical Lutheran church was organized in 1876. They bought the old Presbyterian church and refitted it, the total cost being $1,000. Rev. Levi Rice, the first pas- tor, came from Wabash County, and is now in Lagrange. He was succeeded by Revs. Samuel Kelso, Waltman and W. T. Trover. The last named came from Monroeville in the fall of 1883. The society has a membership of thirty-eight. The Sunday-school is in charge of George Ensley. The Catholic church was built in 1874 at a cost of $3,000, by Father August Young, who came from Fort Wayne in 1872. The church has a congregation of 150, and is a frame structure on the corner of Fourth and Railroad streets.
The Germans have three churches. The Reformed church was organized here in 1868, and their building was erected in 1868, at a cost of $1,500. The successive pastors have been : Revs. Kiessel, I. Matzenger, W. P. Sandoe, P. Ruhl, J. Rettig and J. F. Winter, who came in June, 1882. The church is on Fourth street. The membership is 144. The Sunday-school is in charge of John Lomm. The German Methodist Episcopal church is a frame structure built in 1874, at a cost of $2,800. The society is thirty-five years old. The church was built under Rev. Andrew Myers. Other pastors since him have been: Revs. Charles Treischel, Charles Kunselman, Joseph Carn, Hamp, Mesling and John Gummer. The German Luth- erans have a frame church built in 1873, at a cost of $1,000. The first preachers were: Revs. Steinbach and Boese. At present Rev. Reichard, who lives near Avilla, comes here every three weeks. The membership of this church is twenty-five.
SOCIETIES.
De Kalb Lodge, No. 214, F. & A. M., was chartered May 28, 1857, and instituted and the officers installed June 6, 1857. The Masters of the lodge have been successively : Milton F. Pierce, Joseph H. Ford, John Butt, Guy Plumb, Joseph H. Ford, Guy Plumb, Wm. A. Lowrey, Wm. E. Rush, J. E. Rose, F. E. Dav- enport, J. J. Van Auken and F. E. Davenport. The present officers are: F. E. Davenport, W. M .; S. H. Rush, S. W .; T. G. Matheny, J. W .; W. H. McQuiston, Treas .; J. E. Rose, Sec .; W. H. Keeran, S. D .; Joseph Abright, J. D .; H. A. Lesh, Tyler. The present membership of the lodge is sixty-five.
Wm. Hacker Chapter, No. 63, R. A. M., was organized under
G
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
dispensation Sept. 3, 1866, and chartered May 23, 1867. John Butt was High Priest until 1878. George H. K. Moss held that position in 1879; F. E. Davenport in 1880, and G. T. Ab- bey from 1881 to 1883. The officers elected for 1884 were: Jay J. Van Auken, H. P .; John Butt, K .; George E. Boots, S .; G. W. Lackey, C. of H .; S. H. Rush, P. S .; A. R. Stevens, R. A. C .; R. J. Fisk, T .; F. E. Davenport, Sec. The membership of the chapter is now seventy-two. It meets the first Monday of each month at Masonic hall. The chapter was moved to Waterloo the year after it was started, and brought back to Auburn November, 1883.
Mentor Lodge, No. 591, I. O. O.F., was organized in February, 1882, and has now forty members. It meets every Tuesday. The present officers are: B. F. Culbertson, N. G .; Thomas H. Sprott, V. G .; W. Baker, Sec .; G. W. Gordon, Treas.
Auburn Council, No. 511, Legion of Honor, is an insurance so- ciety, organized April 8, 1881. It has at present ten members, but holds no meetings.
De Long Post, No. 67, G. A. R., was mustered May 8, 1882, with the following officers: Ezra D. Hartman, Com .; John Otto, S. V. C .; Nicholas Ensley, Jr., J. V. C .; H. C. Peterson, Q. M .; J. J. Littlefield, Surg .; P. W. Silver, Chap .; William Snyder, O. of the D .; George W. Gordon, Adj .; Fred April, O. of the G .; H. E. Altenburg, Aid-de-Camp; B. F. Culbertson, Ass't Ins. The present officers are as follows : John Otto, Com .; Nicholas Ensley, S. V. C .; J. R. Thomas, J. V. C .; D. K. Houghton, Q. M .; J. A. Cowan, Surgeon; M. B. Willis, Chap .; P. W. Silver, O. of the D .; Robert Simpson, O. of the G .; George W. Gor- don, Adj .; George H. Hoffman, S. M .; Thomas Hallam, Q. M. S .; H. E. Altenburg, Aid-de-Camp; B. F. Culbertson, Ass't Ins. The post is in good condition, financial and otherwise, and has a membership of seventy. It meets every alternate Monday.
THE LADIES' LITERARY SOCIETY.
In the afternoon of April 3, 1882, a few thoughtful, intelli- gent women met by previous appointment at the residence of Mrs. Augustus Leas, and organized a Literary Society. The preamble to the constitution declares that-
" We, the undersigned, feeling that home and society demand of the women of to-day the broadest and fullest culture, and being well assured that our usefulness and enjoyment will be
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
increased by such culture, believing, also, that the interchange of thought and a unity of purpose will stimulate our mental growth, do hereby unite ourselves in a club for the sole pur- pose of study and mental improvement, and for the attainment of our object do adopt the following Constitution," etc.
The Ladies' Literary Society, as the first clause of the Constitution declares it shall be called, took up Taine's History of English literature as the first text-book. A careful study of its pages, and the subjects discussed therein, occupied more than two years. In October, 1884, the society selected Under- wood's American Literature from among several works under consideration, and its members are now engaged in studying the authors of whom the work treats.
The society has three times celebrated its organization by social and literary entertainments, each succeeding one giving evidence of increasing power and intellectual advancement.
Its regular meetings are held every Saturday afternoon in the parlor of some member of the society, where the time from 2 : 30 to 5 o'clock is spent in the recitation of a lesson assigned the preceding week, and in a variety of literary exercises, as orations, essays, discussions, recitations, songs and instrumental music. The report of a critic, who censures or approves, as the exercises may deserve, concludes the work.
A list of members is appended:
Mrs. J. A. Barns,* Mrs. F. K. Blake, Mrs. Willis Brown, Mrs. F. E. Davenport, Mrs. Albert Dawson, Mrs. Mary A. Ehlers,* Mrs. C. E. Emanuel, Mrs. Nicholas Ensley,* Mrs. G. H. Fork- ner, Mrs. E. D. Hartman,* Mrs. M. W. Harrison, Mrs. Chester P. Hodge, Mrs. C. P. Houser, Mrs. A. S. Leas,* Mrs. John L. Leasure, Mrs. B. A. Lewis, Mrs. W. H. McQuiston,* Miss Lilly McTighe, Mrs. Lottie F. Osgood," Mrs. A. J. Ralston,* Mrs. Albert Robbins,* Mrs. James E. Rose, Mrs. George Schaab, Mrs. Vesta M. Swartz, M. D.,“ Mrs. M. Willis,* Mrs. Elias Zim- merman, Miss Della McClellan.
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