USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of Dekalb County, Indiana, with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of old families > Part 16
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100
POPULATION.
In 1880 the population of Jackson township was 1,430; in 1890, 1,412; in 1900, 1,351 ; in 1910, I,204.
NEWVILLE TOWNSHIP.
The southeastern corner of DeKalb county is occupied by Newville township, a fractional township, six miles long and two and a half wide, con- taining twelve whole and six half sections. It is bounded on the north by Stafford township, on the east by the state of Ohio, on the south by Scipio township, Allen county, and on the west by Concord and Spencer townships. The St. Joseph of the Maumee crosses the northwestern corner, flowing from
170
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
northeast to southwest. A smaller branch of the same river is located in the southwestern corner of the township. The Baltimore & Ohio railroad crosses the middle of the township. The land is much the same as that of Concord and Spencer townships, rich river-bottom land, oak-timbered wheat land, and beech and maple timbered land. However, the timber has been largely cleared away, to make room for the crops.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The pioneer settlers of Newville township were John Platter and Solomon DeLong, who, when traveling through the woods in the summer of 1834, be- came bewildered, and encamped at the border of a prickly ash swamp. Here they dug a hole for water, using their axes and hands. They found water, but the fluid was so heavily mixed with the juices from the roots of trees as to be scarcely drinkable, though their craving for drink led them to make the best of it. Platter settled on section 7, and DeLong settled on the bank of the St. Joseph, across from Newville : was one of the early county commis- sioners, and served during the Civil war in the Forty-fourth and One Hun- dred and Twenty-ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, having the rank of lieutenant-colonel in the latter. Daniel Strong was another pioneer. Others were Dwight Moody, J. S. Peck, John Thompson, I. N. Blood, Alva Law- rence, and Ephraim Strong. S. H. Bartlett and family came in 1836, also George Weeks.
"THE MOUND."
"The Mound" is an elevation of ground on section 7, on the Ashman farm. It is about ten rods from the "Little St. Joe," and on the south bank of a small creek that empties into the St. Joe at this point. It was opened in the fall of 1837 by Silas H. Bartlett, Daniel Strong, Jr., John Platter and Frasier Bertlett. They found a large quantity of human bones about three feet below the surface. The elevation was then ten feet, but has decreased since, until now it is hardly visible. It is evident that this was a sepulcher of the mound builders, and the rude earthworks indicate that here was also at some time a fortification.
FIRST OFFICERS.
Among the early justices of the peace in Newville township were: Washington Robinson, J. Helwig, John Cary, J. S. Peck, and Dwight Moody.
17I
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
Constables were : John P. Widney, John Thompson and Asa Overacker, and the first trustees were: D. Strong, A. B. Fetterer, N. Fuller, John Newton, John Murphy, N. L. Thomas, Newton Thomas, I. N. Blood, Alva Lawrence, S. DeLong, D. Moody, Ephraim Strong and John Platter.
In 1880, the population of Newville township was 760; in 1890, 687; in 1900, 645 ; and in 1910, 562.
NEWVILLE.
The village of Newville, once called Vienna, is located on the northwest bank of the river, in the southwest quarter of section 6. George W. Weeks surveyed and platted the town in March, 1837, for Washington Robinson, settler and owner of the land. The original plat contained twenty-six and a half acres, exclusive of streets. N. L. Thomas, a Methodist minister, was the first store keeper in this town, and a Mr. Dodge the host of the first tavern opened to the public. Dr. John Lattman was the first physician. John Cary was a shoemaker, also an early justice of the peace. Newville has been re- stricted in her growth by the lack of a railroad, but the people are very pro- gressive, and keep in touch with the world just as well as if intercourse were provided by steel rails.
RICHLAND TOWNSHIP.
Richland township is located centrally in the western tier of the town- ships of DeKalb county : is bounded on the north by Fairfield township, on the east by Union and Grant, on the south by Keyser, and on the west by Allen township, Noble county. Little Cedar runs diagonally from the north- west corner across the township, also several other tributaries to this stream and Cedar, besides a few small lakes. This provides sufficient drainage and water supply for the land in the township. The township is not the best in the county for agriculture ; the land being very hilly, and with sandy and clavey upper soil. The clay is of excellent composition for the manufacture of bricks and various kinds of tile. Beech, maple, ash, oak, and poplar, with a little walnut, were the prevailing woods of this township, but these have been largely cleared off. The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern traverses the northern border of the county, stopping at the towns of Corunna and Sedan.
ORGANIZATION.
Richland was organized as a civil township in September, 1837, as a whole congressional township, and Jacob Weirick was appointed its first
172
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
supervisor. At the first election held, but six votes were cast, and William Showers was elected justice. On the formation of Keyser township, in June, 1876, twelve sections were taken from its southern side, reducing the town- ship to twenty-four sections.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The first settler in Richland township was Joseph Miller, who came in August, 1836, having cut his way in from the home of his father in Jackson township. Previous to moving in, he cut the logs for his house in one day ; made the clapboards in the next, having to chop off the timber two clapboards length, not having a saw, then split them into bolts and chop them in two before riving. He and two others put up the house without any further assistance, on the third day. He, and Mr. Vansickle, and Obadiah Whitmore also put up a house for Jacob Weirick, without any other help. Jacob Weirick and Joshua Feigler moved in in October, 1836. Calvin Calkins set out in the fall of 1839, from Sandusky county, Ohio, with his provisions in a knapsack, and arriving in this township, selected a quarter section, lying on the present road south of Corunna. He learned that another land hunter had chosen part of the same lands, and made the best time possible to the land office at Fort Wayne, and was scarcely half an hour in advance of his competitor. His family moved in during the fall of 1840. The neighbors were well scattered at this time; Peter Kronkite, who had come the previous fall, had a cabin in the woods; and Peter Moody had located on his clearing about a mile east of Corunna. In the northeast part of the township was the Showers settle- ment. Solomon Showers, the pioneer, was the host to many a settler who moved into the locality to set up a home. His cabin was small, but room was always found for the incomer. Lyman Green, for whom the corners south of Sedan were named, Daniel Webber. William Beck, William Showers and Daniel Showers were other men who soon established themselves in the neighborhood. Japhet Ingraham came in a short time later, and then Peter Treesh made the first clearing of the Amos Britton farm. Thomas Dailey moved in from Michigan, and located in the western part of the township, and Dimick Harding came from Lima, Indiana, and chose a tract. Other early settlers were: the Moodys, Peter, John and Harvey; the Connellys, Ezra, William and John; Samuel Haynes, James Blake, Heman Bangs and James McCrum. Henry Willis, afterward sheriff, and who subsequently went to Waterloo, came very early and settled in the northeastern portion of the township. He located on a sugar-timbered tract, and manufactured
I73
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
sugar, trading the commodity for breadstuffs, which transaction often neces- sitated a three days' journey. This trading system was common among the early settlers, and, in fact, meant subsistence for many of them.
FIRST OFFICERS.
Some of the early justices were: William Showers, James Blake, D. Shaw and L. D. Britton. Constables were: Lyman Green, John Clay, Rob- ert Williams, Leeman Fulson, J. Simons, D. Mallery, A. P. Bristol, John Palmer, L. Thomas, B. Sanders, David Swander and C. B. Kagey. Trustees were : Peter Treesh, Joshua Brubaker, David Lawrence, A. J. Hunt, Jacob Palmer, Jefferson Wallace, Christian Frezt, Solomon Showers, H. Willis, W. Connelly, J. C. Mead, Japhet Ingraham, James Blake, Lyman Green, W. Showers, L. D. Britton, H. Sherlock, H. Knapp and I. Kanaga. Assessors were : William Welker, C. Knapp, John Shaw, and Henry Sherlock.
CORUNNA.
At present Corunna has a population of three hundred and eighteen people, and is a progressive little town, situated on the Lake Shore & Mich- igan Southern. There are three schools, two lodges, a bank, telephone sys- tem, public lighting plant, two mills, one flour mill and one saw mill, and a hotel.
Sedan is another small town located on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, about four miles east of Corunna. The population is very small, and business is in proportion to the population.
In 1880 the population of Richland township was 1,598; in 1890, 1, 127; in 1900, 1,310; in 1910, 1, 146.
SMITHFIELD TOWNSHIP.
Smithfield township is situated in the north central part of DeKalb county, and is bounded as follows: On the north by Steuben township, Steuben county ; on the east by Franklin township; on the south by Grant township, and on the west by Fairfield township. The township is drained by tributaries of the Cedar, all very small streams. Cedar lake lies in section 30. The soil of this township is generally good, being mixed with plenty of sand and gravel, and with very little of the clay found in other parts of the county. The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railroad runs directly north through the center of the township.
I74
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
ORGANIZATION.
The first township election was held at the house of Isaac B. Smith in the spring of 1839, and there were just five men present, a bare number to form a board .. Ferris Blake was chosen township clerk and Isaac B. Smith, Isaiah McLeish and Pharez Blake, trustees. N. Blake was made constable, and R. J. Daniels, justice of the peace. Daniels had a large territory with scant population, and on one occasion, when called upon to join in wedlock Jake McLeish and Miss Chaffee, he went on foot to Story lake in Fairfield township, performed the ceremony, and consented to take his fee in wild hogs, but failed to catch any of them.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The first settler in Smithfield township was Isaac B. Smith, after whom the township was named. His own narrative is printed in "Pioneer Sketches," a portion of which is quoted below :
"Mr. Smith came to Mr. Murray's, at Pleasant Lake, Steuben county, and from thence explored the woods of Smithfield township to find a piece of vacant land that would suit him for a home. There several times he had selected pieces, and he went afoot each time to Fort Wayne (thirty-two or thirty-three miles) ; and finding the pieces selected already entered, had to return to Pleasant lake, upward of forty miles, and renew his search for a home. The fourth time he returned to the land office, only to meet with an- other disappointment. Tired in body and heart sick with hope deferred, he met a man at the land office from Wells county, not far from where Bluffton now is, who represented to him that he was building a mill in that region, and knew of a very good quarter section of land still vacant; and stated that although he had thought of entering it himself, yet he would give way and let Mr. Smith have it. The register of the land office told Mr. Smith that he might depend on the veracity of this man, and accordingly he entered the tract and went afoot to where it lay. When he found it, he discovered that he was badly imposed upon, as the entire tract was an unbroken cottonwood swamp, boot-top deep. with water. He now returned to the land office, and told the register the facts in regard to the land, and was told that by taking a man with him as witness and examining the land, the man making oath that it was unfit for cultivation, he could have about a week to change his entry to another piece of land. Meeting with Wilbur Powell, afterward of Fair-
175
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
field township, at the land office, he prevailed on him to accompany him as a witness. On reaching the place, they traced all the lines around the quarter section, and passed through it twice diagonally from corner to corner, and did not see a single tree except cottonwood on the tract. Returning to Fort Wayne, now for the sixth time, he got a newly corrected plat of Smithfield township, and took the trail for the north again.
"Traversing the woods again, in company with two others, he selected a suitable tract, but just as he was about striking for the Auburn trace, to start again for Fort Wayne, he met with three other men looking around the same lines. He inquired of them if they were going to Fort Wayne to enter land. They replied in the affirmative. He inquired when, and they replied 'not for two or three days'; but from the expression of their eyes, he con- cluded that they were trying to deceive him. So, when the two companies parted, he told his companions that they would have a race for it. Both parties struck for the shanty built by Park on Cedar Creek, where Uniontown now is; but Smith and his friends got too far north, and came out to the trace near the site of what was afterward Mr. Smith's residence, and dis- covered their whereabouts by means of the mired ox mentioned in Park's narrative. It was now dusk and they were three miles north of the desired shanty. Passing over these miles they reached their lodging place sometime after dark. Their competitors were not there. The next morning they were off before day, passing down the trail at an Indian trot, and ate no breakfast until they reached Squire Caswell's, some twenty miles from where they started in the morning. All this distance was traversed in a continual trot. Mr. Smith, having gained on his companions some, they told him to call at Caswell's, and order something to eat 'instanter.' He did so, and by the time the rear came up, breakfast was on the table. Eating in great haste, they left their coats, and trotted on, arriving at Fort Wayne, a distance of thirty miles in all, at eleven o'clock, A. M. On going to the land office, lo! the pieces of land selected were entered.
"After spending about an hour in resting and taking refreshments, Mr. Smith started back to look again, and as he was crossing the St. Mary's bridge close to town, he met his competitors, also afoot, puffing and sweating, en route for the land office. He gave them the comfortable assurance that their race was in vain, without intimating at all that he was in the same row. He returned that night to Mr. Park's at Auburn, having traveled that day over fifty miles on foot. There were two men at Park's that night, Reuben J. Daniels and Ira Camburn, and the next morning Mr. Smith gathered from their conversation that they were going up into the north regions to look for
176
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
land, and that Mr. Park was to go with them; for which each was to pay him one dollar. He proferred his dollar also for the privilege of accompanying them, and having the assistance of Park in finding vacant land.
"The proposal was accepted, and the result was that Park showed them the tracts on which they afterward settled. It was agreed that each should privately mark for his first choice of the lands, and providentially or acci- dentally as you may please to consider it, each one marked the tract on which they subsequently settled as their several choices, and each without knowing anything about the choice of the others. It was now Friday evening, and Mr. Smith had but one more day to change his entry. So he had another race to get to Fort Wayne before the land office closed on Saturday. This time he was successful, but was nearly worn down with fatigue and anxiety. Eight times he had visited Fort Wayne before he secured his future home."
A further account of Mr. Smith's adventures in the early settlement of Smithfield township may be found in the chapter on "Reminiscences."
The second permanent settler in Smithfield township was Reuben J. Daniels. He emigrated from Orleans county, New York, and came by way of the state of Michigan. He was accompanied by Ira Camburn, and they, having located and entered two hundred acres, paid for it in silver which they carried with them. These two settlers together erected a cabin, into which they moved on January 28, 1838. It was said of this cabin, that it was door- less, without upper floor, and without daubing. There were plenty of Indians and wolves at that time.
Pharez Blake came next and located on section 27. His son, Norton, married Huldah Holmes in 1839, and this ceremony, performed by Squire Daniels, was the first in the township. Jacob McLeish and his two sons, Isaiah and Jacob, and Thomas Locke, came in the spring of 1838 and located upon section 29. Joseph Delong and family came by way of Pleasant lake in 1829, and selected a tract on section 29. He afterward became a resident of Waterloo. Solomon Brandeberry came during the same year and located upon section 23. The McEntaffers, John and his three sons, William, Jacob and Abraham, were also settlers of 1839. Daniel Kepler, a Franklin town- ship pioneer, moved into Smithfield, also Cyrus Bowman. Other settlers of an early period were: Henry Shoemaker, Thomas Locke, David Martin, J. Haun, John Baxter, Jeremiah Hemstreet, Isaac Grate, William Clark, Hugh McOsker and George Seiner. The first birth in this township was that of Martha Smith, who later married Edward Richards and moved to Mis- souri. Lucinda Daniels was the second child born in this locality.
At the foot of Cedar lake, in 1844 approximately, the first saw mill was
177
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
erected. Daniel Martin built a mill on the south branch of Cedar creek, and a Mr. Fansler constructed a grist mill on the west branch about a mile below the lake. Isaac B. Smith planted the first crop of potatoes, Reuben J. Daniels the first wheat, and Norton Blake first introduced the reaper in harvesting.
FIRST OFFICERS.
The following represent some of the first officers of Smithfield township: Justices, R. G. Daniels, David Martin, Daniel Gingrich, Jeremiah Hemstreet, R. McBride, J. E. Rutan, and Aaron Smith; constables, Daniel Shull, Henry Nevin, Henry Treesh, Thomas Locke, Aaron Smith, Justus B. Howard and Edward Richards; trustees, Pharez Blake, Isaac B. Smith, D. Smith, I. Grate, Isaiah Mcleish, Augustus Ball, H. Freeman, Samuel Delong, John Leas, Thomas Lock, Harman Mullen, John McOsker, John Hornberger, George W. Frout, George J. Duncan, William Hoffman, R. Lockhart and William Cox; assessors, John Baxter, H. Freeman, John Schrantz and Cyrus Duncan.
The population of Smithfield township in 1880 was 1,424; in 1890, 1,279; in 1900, 1,607; in 1910, 1,469.
ASHLEY.
The town of Ashley was platted in the year 1892, the origin of the town being due to the building of the Wabash railroad. This railroad company under the name of the Indiana Improvement Company, bought extensive lands on the site of Ashley, and established a division there. The town quickly sprang into life, and was incorporated as a town in the latter part of 1892. Singularly, the town is placed square on the county line between Steuben and DeKalb counties; the main street is the division point. Many peculiar and humorous, as well as inconvenient, situations arise from this fact. The shops and division headquarters were moved in 1907 to Mont- pelier, Ohio, but notwithstanding the town has continued to grow. The cen- sus of 1910 placed the population as six hundred and thirty-nine, but this has increased substantially since. The town officers at present are: G. W. Clark, George Kirlin, and William Zubrugg, trustees; J. W. Mintzer, clerk; and George Park, treasurer. The electric light plant is owned by the town, and was installed in 1895 at a cost of five thousand dollars. There is one grist mill and one saw mill at Ashley.
(12)
178
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
STAFFORD TOWNSHIP.
On the east line of the county, midway, lies Stafford township. It is a fractional township, comprising twelve whole sections, and six half sections. It is bounded on the north by Troy township, on the east by the state of Ohio, on the south by Newville township, on the west by Wilmington township. The St. Joseph river crosses the southeast corner, and Big Run runs from west to east across the northern end. On the river and creek, and in the bottoms, the land is very fertile; but otherwise is of variable quality, but when properly cultivated, of fairly productive nature. The surface in general is level, with several bluffs south on the river. The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, and the Vandalia of the Pennsylvania system cross the northern and northwest corners respectively.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
James Lytle was perhaps the earliest settler of Stafford township. He located in this territory during the summer of 1836, but after a short stay here left the county. The next, and permanent, settlers were John and Hazzard Webster, Rufus Coats and John Rose, all with their families, in all a colony of twenty-six persons. They emigrated from Trumbull county, Ohio, and arrived within the limits of Stafford township on the fourth day of October, 1836. John Webster purchased about one hundred acres of land on the river, near the Ohio state line, and therein settled. He was one of the eccentric men of the early township, as every township has, or has had, a queer character. He was fond of wealth, but did not place much faith in religion. Yet. despite his peculiarities, he was a good citizen, and was useful in supplying the others with corn, potatoes and other commodities, at very reasonable rates considering the difficulties incident to obtaining these sup- plies. He later erected a saw mill and grist mill on his premises, and his estate became the mecca for settlers in general, to get their grain ground.
Other early settlers were as follows: Jacob Gunsenhouser, John Rose, Rufus Coats, James W. Rose, James E. Rose and Daniel Coats. The first habitation was raised by Lytle, and the next four were built about the same time by the above named people. Next, Edward Scoville and Ariel Walden came in. Walden was for years an associate judge of this county. In 1838 and 1839, many families moved in, occupied homes, and became prominent in the development of the county. Prominent among them were: Christian
179
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
Wanemaker, Henry Fusselnian, and Thomas Strote. John Barber was located in the northern part of the township. C. R. Wanemaker and Stephen W. Hackley were other settlers of the early date.
FIRST OFFICERS.
Among the justices of the peace who have served this township, some of the early ones were: Rufus Coats, Henry Fusselman, David McDaniel, Noyce Coats, Samuel Wanemaker, F. Hoffman and J. J. Imhoff. Early con- stables were: I. Gaft, C. R. Wanemaker, H. Dickerhoff, and H. H. Wane- maker. Trustees were: J. J. Gunsenhouser, Isaac Beal, A. Fusselman, Joseph A. Coats, Noyce Coats, J. J. Imhoff, F. Hoffman, Peter Walter, John Crouse, Samuel Headley, John W. Rose, Jesse W. Rose, C. H. Wanemaker, William Brown, John Webster, William Webster and Chris. Wanemaker. C. R. Wanemaker, James Cather and Jacob Crise were early assessors.
In 1880 the population of Stafford township was 569; in 1890, 476; in 1900, 423 ; in 1910, 381.
TROY TOWNSHIP.
In the southeastern corner of DeKalb county is the fractional township of Troy. It is bounded on the north by Richland township, Steuben county, on the east by the state of Ohio, on the south by the township of Stafford, and on the west by Franklin township. Fish creek enters the township from the northwest, and crosses the state line a mile north of the southeast corner, being the second largest creek in the county, and the one upon which, near the mouth, that Houlton & Hughes erected their saw mill in 1827. The northern portion of the township is of a clayey soil, the central and southeast of rich. sandy loam, and to the southwest, clay again. The Wabash railroad runs on a southwest and northeast diagonal through the southern half of the township.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The earliest known settler of the township was Isaac T. Aldrich, later of Franklin township. In the following year, Roger Aldrich, a brother, be- came a settler, and Simeon Aldrich subsequently moved in. Others of the early comers to this locality were: George Skinner, Asa Haynes, G. Wil- liams, R. Reed, Willard Eddy, S. Call and John and A. S. Casebeer, Peter Helwig, Jacob Helwig, Updegraff Clawson, I. Clawson, and W. R. Herbert.
180
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.