USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of Dekalb County, Indiana, with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of old families > Part 18
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The organization of a library board was next considered, and the judge appointed Charles Eckhart, Grace Smith and H. E. Coe. The city council appointed Mrs. J. C. Baxter and C. M. Brown. The school board appointed Dr. Lida Leasure and Dr. F. M. Hines. The initial meeting of the official board was held July 6, 1906. The first matter to come up before the board was the choice of a site and the purchase of the necessary equipment. The Culture Club donated three hundred books. A loan library of sixty volumes was given from another source. The citizens contributed their share of the money, and on March 8, 1907, the library was opened, with Mrs. A. H. Barnes as its custodian. Mr. Carnegie was appealed to, and expressed his willingness to give twelve thousand five hundred dollars toward the erection of a permanent building. Charles Eckhart had previously informed the board that he would cheerfully donate the necessary site for a library building.
ECKHART'S GIFT.
While the matter of erecting a library building was considered Charles Eckhart took the step which was to make his name everlasting in the history
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of Auburn and DeKalb county, and to strengthen the feeling of profound re- spect and affection which his townspeople held for him. He not only offered to give the site for the new library, but asked to be allowed to provide means for the erection of a magnificent building, including all the equipment and furnishings. This generous and wholehearted bequest was accepted by the people and accordingly the ground was beautified and a library constructed. On May 13, 1910, the corner stone was laid with fitting ceremony, including a spirited address by Thomas R. Marshall, then governor of the state. The deed, dated December 15, 1909, to the public library board of the city of Auburn, Indiana, was given over on condition that there should forever be maintained on the real estate and building given, a public library, with assembly room open at all reasonable hours, to be non-sectarian and non-po- litical. It was meant to be an organization for the advancement of education and philanthropy, and neither the sale nor the use of tobacco, nor intoxicat- ing liquors, should ever be permitted on said grounds.
CLUBS AND SOCIETIES.
In 1908, the various clubs of Auburn and vicinity associated themselves together, "the object being to bring into communication the various women's organizations of the city and community, that they may compare methods of work and become mutually helpful in the work of any common interest." The organization thus effected was given the name of "The Woman's League." The clubs holding membership are : the Ladies' Reading Club, Ladies' Literary Club, Entre Nous Club, Auburn Culture Club, Richardson Art Embroidery Club, Utile Dulci Club, Thursday Evening Club, En Ami Club, Auburn Amateur Musicale, Woman's Christian Temperance Union. The officers of the League are: Mrs. J. E. Buchanan, president; Miss Inez Knapp, vice-president; Mrs. Beulah Casebeer, secretary; and Mrs. A. M. Oswalt, treasurer.
Club life and work is one of the main features of Auburn society. The associations have always done their work well, and have aided materially in making Auburn a better and cleaner city, and to these forces is due a great deal of credit for the defeat of the saloon element in the past several years.
The Auburn Commercial Club was organized on February 14, 1903, with forty members, and now has an enrollment of one hundred and fifty. W. H. Schaab is president, C. B. Weaver secretary and E. W. Hicks treas- urer. The purpose of this organization is the furtherance of civic and com- mercial interests pertaining to Auburn. The work done by these men is
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directly responsible for the present high standard of Auburn business and municipal excellence.
The Auburn Country Club was organized on April 5, 1910, and pur- chased a twenty-seven acre tract on East Seventh street. F. E. Eckhart, John Zimmerman, J. I. Farley, George Shepard, A. M. Oswalt, M. L. Green, H. C. McClung, J. E. Pomeroy and A. L. Kuhlman were charter members.
Besides the three lodges, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Masons and Knights of Pythias, treated at length in the lodge chapter, the following are in Auburn: DeKalb County Poultry Association, Grand Army of the Republic, DeLong Post No. 67; Woman's Relief Corps, DeLong Post No. 2; Knights of Golden Eagle, Auburn Lodge No. 25; Ladies of Golden Eagle, Auburn Temple No. 23; Knights of the Maccabees, Auburn Tent No. 51 ; Ladies of the Maccabees, Conrad Hive No. 9; Modern Woodmen of America, Eureka Camp No. 3805 : Royal Neighbors, Warner Camp No. 3095.
POSTOFFICE HISTORY.
The Auburn postoffice is now of the second class. Sixteen men are em- ployed in the department, including the postmaster and deputy. There are six rural routes going from the Auburn office. Seventeen mail trains daily supply the transportation for the mail. The amount on deposit for the sav- ing department in November, 1913, was a total of fifteen thousand dollars. The amount of business of the office, outside of money orders, for the last fiscal year was twenty-seven thousand two hundred and fifty-four dollars and sixty-eight cents. The present postmaster's commission is dated April 15, 1910. The following is a complete list of the postmasters who have served at Auburn, obtained from the first assistant postmaster-general at Washing- ton, D. C .:
Wesley Park, date of appointment, March 5, 1839; Nelson Payne, Octo- ber 6, 1845; Alonzo Watkins, May 15, 1849; E. B. Mott, February 10, 1851 ; T. R. Dickinson, June 15, 1853; J. B. Hoover, December 24, 1855; William C. McGonigal, July 15, 1858; John Butt, April 6, 1859; Wyllis Griswold, March 9, 1860; C. S. Hare, August 27, 1860; J. W. Case, April 16, 1861 ; S. W. Sprott, March 13, 1867; J. D. Burr, July 19, 1867; William E. Rush, December 16, 1867; J. W. Case, March 19, 1869; S. L. Yandes, August 4, 1869; Joseph Ranier, June 20, 1876; George W. Gordon, December 15, 1881 ; Michael Boland, August 6, 1885; George W. Gordon, September 19, 1889; Silas J. Brandon, November 1, 1893; Granville H. Forker,; October 22, 1897; Thomas A. Carter, January 9, 1902; Aubrey L. Kuhlman, January 23, 1906; Isaac M. Zent, April 4, 1910.
AM SODA
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EAST SEVENTH STREET, AUBURN
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WEST SEVENTH STREET, AUBURN
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YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.
Another superb monument to Auburn's notable citizen, Charles Eckhart, is the handsome building for the Young Men's Christian Association, com- pleted on the corner of North Main and Fourth streets. This building is of brick and stone, and cost about forty thousand dollars. Charles and Frank E. Eckhart, on June 25, 1912, offered a substantial sum each, for the site, the building, and equipment complete. to be turned over to the city, providing the latter would agree to provide a customary share of its annual support. The building was deeded to a board of trustees. This magnificent institution will have a well equipped gymnasium with all the modern apparatus, a plunge bath, several class rooms, a commodious kitchen, a large lobby for general use, a room for the men, and one for boys. There are sixteen rooms in the dormitory, and ten shower baths.
AUTOMOBILE FACTORIES.
The Zimmerman Manufacturing Company was established in 1873 by Franklin T. Zimmerman, with a partner named Watson, as a planing mill. Watson sold his interest to George B. Zimmerman, and the firm then became known as Zimmerman Brothers. This continued until December of 1876, when George B. sold out to Eli Zimmerman, and then the firm name changed to Zimmerman Company. In December, 1886, the firm was incorporated under the title of the Zimmerman Manufacturing Company, which cognomen it still bears. The first officers of the incorporation were: John W. Baxter, president ; Eli Zimmerman, secretary; Albert Robbins, treasurer ; F. T. Zim- merman, general manager. In 1880, and until 1908, the company manufac- tured windmills of every type. In 1890 the carriage business was begun, and in 1907, the automobile industry. The machines are assembled here, and shipped to every part of the United States. The present officers are : Eli Zimmerman, president; C. C. Schlatter, vice-president ; John Zimmerman, secretary-treasurer and general manager. F. T. Zimmerman was the real founder, and acted as manager until the spring of 1910, when his health failed, his death occurring in September of the same year. The capital stock of the company is sixty-one thousand dollars. The factory has one hundred thousand square feet of floor space, and an average of ninety men are em- ployed in all departments.
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The Auburn Automobile Company was established at Auburn in Octo- ber of the year 1902. The business was begun with small capacity and little capital, but steadily has increased, until now it is one of the largest automo- bile concerns in the state and middle west. The first capital was twenty-five thousand dollars, and in the eleven years since the establishment this sum has mounted to five hundred thousand dollars. Charles Eckhart is the president of the corporation; Frank E. Eckhart, vice-president, and Morris E. Eckhart, secretary-treasurer and general manager. The manufacture and assembling of automobiles is the sole business of this concern, although the company at one time manufactured buggies. Shipments are made to all parts of the United States and to many foreign countries. The floor space of the present factory is over one hundred and twenty-five thousand square feet, and from one hundred and fifty to two hundred men are employed. During the last three years the annual business has been about two million dollars.
The W. H. McIntyre Company was established in the year 1883 under the name of W. H. Kiblinger Company, and this company manufactured carriages. In the year 1909 the firm name was changed to the W. H. McIntyre Company, which it bears at this time. The incorporation, how- ever, occurred ten years previous to this change in name. W. H. McIntyre is president and treasurer of this company, and H. C. McIntyre is secretary. The capital stock is one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Three plants are operated in the city of Auburn, and four hundred men are employed on the average. Shipments are made both to points in the United States and foreign lands. Autos, trucks and cyclecars are manufactured. One plant, formerly located just north of the Swineford hotel, was destroyed by fire in the year 1913.
OTHER INDUSTRIES.
Besides the three automobile factories, the city of Auburn has two car- riage factories, a creamery, a handle factory, a carriage body factory, an excelsior factory, an artificial ice plant, a rug factory, a post card factory, two cigar factories, a cigar-lighter factory, one foundry, a double fabric tire reinforcing factory, a heating and ventilating company, and several small mills.
STORM OF SEPTEMBER 29, 1872.
At the opening of the year 1872, many buildings had been built in the town of Auburn, and many others were in the process of construction. Among the finer blocks was the Odd Fellows' hall.
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On the 29th of September, 1872, between three and four o'clock in the morning, a terrific gale sprang up from the southwest and struck the new building with a driving force. Its wall, which was then ready for the roof, crumbled under the pressure and crashed to the ground, damaging the Methodist Episcopal church on the east. The storm once past, a desolate and discouraging sight were the streets of Auburn. Heaps of broken stone, brick, and splintered timber lay in profusion in every direction. Few build- ings but received their share of the storm, and especially the Odd Fellows' hall.
FALL OF SNYDER BLOCK.
On Sunday evening, April 6, 1873, the new brick block on Seventh street known as Snyder's building fell. For a few days before, it had been noticed that the inner foundation wall was weak and gave indication of giv- ing way, but no precautions were taken to prevent the calamity until after the roar and crash of the falling structure announced that it was too late. Mr. Snyder's stock of farm implements inside was totally destroyed, and the Ensley building. adjoining, was also destroyed.
DARING BURGLARY.
On Saturday night, February 16, 1867, the county treasurer's office at Auburn was broken open and robbed of eighteen thousand dollars, according to reports. The outer door of the office was of iron, and was drilled into and pried off, and the wooden doors forced open. The outer door of the safe was cut through the panels, above and below the lock, the inner bolts withdrawn, and the door opened. The money chest was opened by steel wedges and bars. The general work of the affair was evidently that of an expert "cracksman." Suspicion fell upon several parties, and arrests were made, but being unsuccessful after several months, the affair was dropped. A great deal of litigation resulted, and in 1875 the matter was settled by the county accepting a judgment of fifty-eight hundred dollars.
CHAPTER VIII.
RELIGIOUS HISTORY.
FIRST PREACHER.
The first settlers of DeKalh county were without religious privileges of any kind. Benjamon Alton, of the Desciples' or Campbellite church, preached the first sermon in the county in the fall of the year 1836. For over a year he was the only preacher. He settled in the woods, cleared a space for his home, and worked hard during the week, chopping for himself and for his neighbors in order to earn enough to stock his larder. However, on Sundays he never failed to don his black coat and occupy the puipit. It is said of him, though, on reliable authority, that he used to preach in the sum- mer. in his rough tow pants, without a coat, and with a shoe on one foot and a boot on the other. This was not strange for the time, however, for boots and shoes were next to impossible to obtain. John P. Widney and S. W. Widney once had one pair of shoes between them: one would wear them on Sunday and the other fellow on the following Sunday, the odd fellow remaining at home. John and Hazzard Webster are said to have gone bare- footed many months, coming to town for election in the same manner.
FIRST MEETING.
The first Methodist two days meeting was held near Orangeville in 1837, by N. L. Thomas and Joseph Miller, both then residing on the Maumee. Prayer meetings had been held previously by people of various denominations, without any distinctions. The origin of the first one is thus related by Judge Widney: "We had been in the country for some time without knowing that there was a praying person in the settlement besides ourselves, when one Sabbath, R. R. Lounsbury and another man returning from Fort Wayne stopped at my house and informed me that Thomas L. Yates, afterward judge, was under conviction, and wished me to come and pray with him. I
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went, and found quite a number of persons in the house. I sang and prayed. and while praying, noticed that old Father Rhodes was fervently responding to my petitions. I then sang again and called upon him to pray, and while he prayed I noticed that the old lady, his wife, was also praying. I next called on her and found that old Mother Yates, mother of the penitent man. was engaged, and so I called on her next, and this closed our meeting. After- ward we held prayer-meeting nearly every Sabbath, at Father Rhodes', my house, Mr. Lounsbury's, Mr. Eckhart's, or some other."
EARLY PREACHERS AND MEETINGS.
Mr. Widney continues: "Revs. Coleman and Warner were the first circuit preachers of the Methodist Episcopal church who visited the settle- ment. I think it was some time in the year 1838. They organized several classes at different points. Early in the year 1839, sixteen persons who had been members of the Methodist Protestant church in Ohio and Pennsylvania met at the home of Samuel Tarney, on Bear creek, and organized themselves into a Methodist Protestant class. I was one of the members, and Samuel Widney, Sr., was our leader. He wrote to Rev. Joel Dalbey, then at Pitts- burg, to try to procure a preacher. He answered that we had better apply to the Ohio Conference. Our leader then wrote to the celebrated Nicholas Snethin, at Cincinnati. The letter was sent from the Ohio to the Indiana conference, then just organized and holding its session in Monroe county, and Lewis Hickman came on as missionary and organized several classes and finally a circuit. He was the first Methodist Protestant preacher in Indiana, north of the Wabash, so far as I know. For some time the Disci- ples, Methodist Episcopal and Methodist Protestant churches were the only ones in the county.
"Jonathan Thomas and Bishop Kumler were the first United Brethren preachers. They labored as missionaries through the country in 1841 and 1842. S. B. Ward was the first regular Baptist minister in the county, Elders Cherry and Miner the first Free-Will Baptist, and James Cather the first Lutheran. Mr. Cather commenced his labors early in the year 1844, and the others several years earlier."
The Church of God structure was the first house of worship built in the city of Auburn, and it was constructed by the Presbyterians in pioneer days and occupied by them until their own brick church was erected. Then the Lutherans used the building, and after them, the Church of God bought it. and used it until the spring of 1905, when they built for their services a
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brick church. The ground of this church was donated by the late W. S. Ralston. He afterward wished to buy it back, and offered them the corner where the new Church of God stands, but they refused to trade on account of the lot being too swampy.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
There are eleven organizations and ten churches of the Methodist de- nomination in DeKalb county. There is one church building in Auburn, Garrett, Corunna, Waterloo, Butler and Spencerville, the others being in the country districts. The first organizations were made in the year 1839, by the early pioneer settlers, nearly all of whom have been long since called from labor to reward. In the early days, the "circuit rider" was much in evidence; in fact, for twenty-five or thirty years the safest and most con- venient way to reach the different appointments was on horseback, and the pioneer preachers rarely made their appointments oftener than once in two weeks, and in some cases, once in four weeks, frequently holding services in private homes, wherever a few people could be brought together. The younger pastors of the present day can hardly comprehend the sacrifice and hardships of the early day pastor and the amount of labor he was required to perform for the meager salary that he received. Yet the people of those days seemed to have, and I believe did have, a higher appreciation of the preached word than people do now.
The first Methodist Episcopal church of Auburn, Indiana, was organized in the year 1839, by Rev. Samuel Reed, a very brilliant young minister who died at a comparatively early age. He was greatly aided by Wesley Park, the founder of the town. This was first called the St. Joe Mission. Rev. Geo. M. Beswick was the presiding elder. To Wesley Park was given much credit in forming this first class, which numbered forty-two souls. He also, in a few years, organized the first Sabbath school and was a great help to the church all his life. The first church was built in the year 1843, at the north- east corner of the court square, and later a lecture room was added in the rear .. As the town enlarged, it was thought advisable to take a location farther from the business center, so in the summer of 1878, under the pas- torate of Rev. J. E. Ervin, this building was moved to the lot on the north- east corner of Van Buren and Seventh streets and placed at the back part of the lot so that there would be room to erect a new church as soon as thought best, and in the summer of 1890, under the pastorate of Rev. H. M. Lamport, the splendid new brick building was erected at a cost of near twenty thou-
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sand dollars. This was used with but little change until the summer of 1912, when improvements were made in an enlarged basement with cement floor, a model kitchen and dining room, a new steam heating plant, improved lights, frescoing and refinishing all woodwork, improvements on the pipe organ and cork linoleum on the floors, all at a cost of about five thousand dollars, under the pastorate of Rev. Fred F. Thornburg. In the fall of 1896, after the new church was built and the old one sold and removed, the old parsonage was moved to the rear of the new church and repaired and used until 1905, when a new parsonage was purchased at the northwest corner of Fifth and Van Buren streets, all making by far the most valuable and commo- dious church property of any in the city or county. The present membership is about five hundred and fifty, with a large Sunday school of about the same enrollment.
The pastors who succeeded Rev. Reed in 1839 were: In 18444, Enoch Holdstock: 1845, James Sparr; 1846; Elijah Lillison and J. P. Jones ; 1847, W. J. Forbes and E. Hall; 1848, S. Lamb and E. Maynard; 1849, S. Lamb and James Sewell; 1850, J. J. Cooper ; 1851, J. H. Payton ; 1852, M. M. Hann: 1853, James Sewell; 1854, J. W. Welch, two years; 1856, Isaac Ayres ; 1857, E. S. Preston and a supply ; 1858, Isaac Dean ; 1859, Thomas Comstock, two years; 1861, S. H. Clark and J. Mann; 1862, C. W. Lynch and M. E. Hansley, two years; 1864, J. W. Miller : 1865, C. Hoover; 1866, Emanuel Hall, two years; 1868, William Comstock, two years; 1870, Eman- uel Hall; 1871, A. W. Lamport; 1872, Albert Cone, two years; 1874. J. W. Welch, three years; 1877, J. E. Ervin, two years ; 1879; H. J. Norris, three years ; 1882, W. H. Daniel; 1883, C. W. Church and C. L. Clippinger, three years ; 1886, H. M. Lamport, four years; 1891, A. S. Wooten, four years; 1895, J. K. Walts, two years; 1897, L. M. Guild, three years; 1901, L. M. Krider, four years; 1905, M. A. Harlan, two years; 1907. W. B. Freeland. three years; 1910, Fred F. Thornburg three years.
The societies are: The Ladies' Aid, Woman's Foreign Missionary So- ciety, also the Home Missionary Society, the Epworth League and Junior League.
The Methodist Episcopal church was organized in Garrett by the Rev. J. W. Welch in 1875. He was at that time pastor of the church in Auburn and came to Garrett to hold meetings. These meetings were held in a place just east of where the present church stands and was known as "The Taber- nacle." This tabernacle had nothing but a sawdust floor, and was sided with rough, up-and-down siding. As near as can be found the first members were
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Mr. and Mrs. John Stoner, Mrs. J. G. Philbrick, Mrs. Anna Keneskie, Miss Stickney, Mrs. Marsh, Mrs. Parker and several others.
In the spring of 1876, Rev. George Adams was appointed to Garrett, being the first regularly appointed pastor of this church. During this year the preaching place was moved to an old frame building that had formerly been used as a saloon, standing on Cowen street where the fire department house now stands. In the spring of 1877 Rev. Beneville Sawyer succeeded Rev. Adams, and under his control prosperity dawned upon the little society. New members were added and many helped the church who were not mem- bers. About the close of his pastorate, the front part of the church building was erected and dedicated. In 1879 Rev. H. Sutherlin was pastor. In 1880 Rev. S. T. Stout came, and in the next year the church was supplied by dif- ferent men. In 1882 Rev. W. E. McCarty was pastor and remained one year, when he was followed in 1883 by Rev. Chauncey King, who served three years. In 1886 Rev. W. R. Jones was appointed to the charge and remained until 1891. During the time he was here the church was built to its fullest extent. In 1891 Rev. A. L. Lamport was appointed to this charge and remained a little over three years. Rev. M. E. Nethercut followed and in 1895 Rev. G. B. Work took charge, to be succeeded the next year by Rev. J. B. Book. The year 1897 saw the coming of Rev. J. M. Haines for a term of five years. In 1902 Rev. J. A. Patterson took up the work ; in 1905 Rev. P. E. Powell had charge, and in 1908 Rev. D. V. Williams. He continued until 1911, when he was followed by the present able and efficient pastor, Rev. Charles Tinkham.
At the beginning of the present pastorate there was a very strong feel- ing that the church building was not adequate to the needs of the growing congregation. During the summer of 1911 the proposition of erecting a new church was submitted to the members of the church for their vote. The result was an almost unanimous vote for a new edifice. Plans for subscrip- tion were laid, and by January 1, 1912, the pastor had taken subscriptions amounting to nearly seventeen thousand dollars. On June I the trustees purchased the new location at the corner of Cowen and Huston streets, agreeing to pay four thousand dollars for the site. Plans were submitted to the church authorities and the architect and contractor selected, with the result that at this time the work upon the handsome new Methodist Episcopa' church is practically finished. The church will cost, when completed, about twenty thousand dollars.
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