USA > Indiana > Elkhart County > History of Elkhart County, Indiana; together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history: portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 102
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Jacob Mechling, farmer, sec. 33; P. O., Elkhart; was born in Westmoreland county, Penn., Sept. 15, 1813. Is the son of Philip and Charlotte Mechling, natives of Pennsylvania. His mother died Ang. 18, 1844, in her 64th year; father died Oct. 18, 1869, in his 90th year. His education was obtained in an early day, in the fash - ion of old-time schooling, of which he received but little; he was raised on a farm, and in the fall of 1835 came with his father to this county, where he began farm work. April 25, 1839, he mar- ried Celia Heaton, who was born in Henry county June 24, 1819; they have had 9 children; the living are: Catharine, Jonas, Phin- neas H., Ery and Irena; deceased: Martha Jane, Emma, Mary and John Walter. Mr. M. owns 155 acres of land near the city limits of Elkhart, which is worth $100 per acre. He has held the offices of Constable, Path Master and School Director. Politically, he is a Republican.
George Newell, farmer, sec. 28; P. O., Elkhart; was born in this county May 12, 1838, son of Nathaniel and Lucinda Newell. He was educated in the common schools and raised on a farm. He enlisted in the war of 1861, and served three years in the 2d Indiana Cavalry, and was discharged in October, 1864; came home and was married the next day to Sarah Compton, who also was born in this connty in 1832; they have 2 children, Minnie and Nattie. Mr. N. owns 160 acres of land, which he has under a good state of cultiva- tion, and worth $75 per acre. Politically, he is a Democrat.
Nathaniel Newell, whose portrait appears in this history, from a photograph taken in 1880, is the third son of Abel and Charlotte Newell, nee Holburt; was among the first settlers in the tp. He
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was born in Chittenden county, Vt., Jan. 2, 1810, and brought up on a farm; received his education in the old log-cabin school-houses, on the run, picking up a little here and there; his father had too much work to do to spare the time to let him go to school. His work was farming in summer and drawing logs to mill in winter. He stayed at home with his father until 23 years old; he then was married to Miss Lucinda Johnson, who was the daughter of Solo- mon and Rhoda Johnson, in 1834. He emigrated with his wife to Detroit, Mich., thence to this tp., locating on sec. 16, where he bought 100 acres of land with a small log house on it, and three acres broken, and commenced to farm with nothing but his hands and the assistance of his wife. He had to battle with grim poverty staring him in the face, but with a will to do, he conquered. The family consisted of 2 children, George and Marion, now Mrs. Cole- man. In 1839, Mr. N. lost his amiable wife, and he was left to battle on among the early trials of pioneer life, and has continued in his every-day life, never again taking to himself another com- panion. He now has by industry obtained possession of 745 acres of land in this tp., which is worth $50,000. Besides, he has given his 2 children aid in money and land. During the year of 1879 he raised 3,000 bushels of wheat, 1.500 of corn, 50 tons of hay, sold 12 head of cattle and 20 hogs. He is now in his 71st year, having nearly completed the time allotted to each man, and is hale and hearty. The picture from which the engraving in this volume was made is the only one he ever had taken in his life, and he sat for it on the day he was 70, Nov. 25, 1880, as if to be thankful for the prosperity we have had in this life. In politics Mr. Newell is an ardent Democrat.
William Newell, farmer, sec. 29; P. O., Elkhart; was born in Chittenden county, town of Charlotte, Vt., Feb. 10, 1819, the fourth son of Abel and Charlotte Newell; his mother died when he was only six years of age, in 1825, and his father died in 1838. He was brought up on a farm, and received his education by attending the common, old log-cabin schools one day in a week, or just as his father could spare him from work. In those times all good days had to be put in at work, instead of school, and thus he was de- prived of his education. In 1844 he came to this county poor "as a stick," and worked by the day, and taught singing-school, which was one of the best and most developed features in his education. In 1845 he began to farm, and in 1846 was married to Harriett A., daughter of H. M. Evans. She was born in Ohio in 1827. They had 6 children : Marie E .. (now Mrs. D. M. Winans), James M., Edwin F., Mary A., (now Mrs. C. M. Proctor), Anna L., and Hattie M. In 1868, Mr. N. lost his wife, and in 1870 married Mrs. Catherine Watts, who was born in Indiana in 1835, and they have had 1 child, Grace G. Mr. Newell now owns 220 acres of land in this tp., which is worth $90 per acre, all of which he has made by his careful and sturdy atten- tion to farming. Politically, Mr. Newell is a Greenbacker.
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John Onderkirk, farmer, sec. 27; P. O., Elkhart; was born in Onondaga county, N. Y., May 1, 1802, the 4th son of Nicholas and Catharine Onderkirk (nee Brockham), natives of the State of New York. His father followed the occupation of farming. He was educated in the old-time log school-house, with its slab benches, and old-fashioned teachers. In 1833, he was married to Mary Pettigrove, who was born in Montgomery county, N. Y., July 30, 1814, where they remained until 1841, when they came West with their 3 children in an old wagon, locating Dec. 22, 1841, on the farm on which they now reside, consisting of 160 acres, which cost him at that time $400 cash down. They then began improving their land, using the same old team that had brought them from New York. They struggled through thick and thin for many years of toil, but at last can boast of a farm of 218 acres of land, well improved, with splendid buildings, and worth $60 per acre. Their family consists of 5 children: Elma Jane (now Mrs. Burns), Andrew H., Elizabeth E. (now Mrs. McDonald), Charles and Hannah Amelia. Mr. Onderkirk is one of the prominent and respected citizens of this community. In politics he is Democratic.
George W. Rich, farmer, sec. 9; P. O., Elkhart; was born in Erie county, Penn., Aug. 28, 1841, the son of John S. and Lydia A. Rich, natives of New York, who emigrated to Pennsylvania, where the subject of this sketch was born. In 1843 they came to this tp., where they began farming, with no capital but a good supply of will-power and energy. He " traded" one of his horses for 37 acres of land, and the other horse, which had constituted his team, he exchanged for a team of oxen; and thus he began life amidst all the adverse circumstances experienced by those who attempted to carve a home in the wilds of Indiana. Mr. Rich was two years of age when his parents moved to this State. He received his education in the common schools of Indiana and Michigan; being permitted to attend school only during the winter months, he was able to acquire only a " pass- able " education. In 1861 he was married to Emeline, danghter of Maurice and Margaret Dills, natives of New York, who moved to this county at an early date. She was born in this connty July 11, 1842. They have 1 child, Elma, born June 25, 1862. Soon after his marriage Mr. Rich moved to Elkhart, where he engaged in blacksmithing. In 1862 he enlisted in Co. G, 74tlı Ind. Vol. Inf., and served until the close of the war; was not at his home, and never failed to report for duty during the three years of his ser- vice in the war of the Rebellion. After he returned home he fol- lowed farmning two years. In Angust, 1872, he moved to Elkhart and engaged in the grocery business, which he continued two years, when he returned to his farm, where he taught school during win- ter and attended his farm at intervals. He owns 157 acres of land, worth $40 per acre. In 1874 he was elected Town Trustee, in which office of trust he served two terms. In 1880 he was elected Assessor in Osolo tp., and in the fall of the same year he was
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chosen as the Republican candidate for County Treasurer, and was elected by a handsome majority.
John Shaver, whose portrait appears in this volume, from a pho- tograph taken in 1880, is a farmer; was born in Warren county, Ohio, Aug. 3, 1812, the fourth child of John and Elizabeth Shaver, nee Weaver, natives of Pennsylvania. His father died when the subject of this sketch was only 10 years old. He had white swell- ing. his leg was amputated, and the flow of blood caused his death, in Logan county, Ohio, in 1822. His mother afterward married William Hogan, and she died in Logan county, O., in 1874. John resided with his stepfather until 19 years of age, and then bought his time of him and commenced for himself. His education was in the common schools. He continued to work by the day and month for 18 years, gathering money to make a home in his old age. Jan. 1, 1840, he was married to Elizabeth Bailey, who was born Feb. 12. 1812, in Clinton county, Ohio. He continned to work by the month until 1841. He and his wife, with one child, came to Indiana and located in this tp. on 160 acres of land, which he entered on sec. 20, where he still resides. They have had 7 children; the living are: William F., John H., Louisa (now Mrs. Chapman), and De Witt C; the 3 deceased are Maria, Abraham and Sarah E.
In March, 1852, Mr. S. lost his amiable companion, and in 1858 he married his present wife, Miss T. A. Dils, who was born in 1826 in Cayuga county, N. Y. They have had 3 children, namely, Ida C., Jennie and Charles C.
Mr. Shaver now owns 180 acres of land in Osolo tp. and 140 in Cass county, Mich., which is worth, at a fair valnation, $25.000. He is a man of great benevolence. and by the work of his own hands has obtained what property he now owns. In 1879 he raised 800 bushels of wheat, 200 of oats, 1.200 of corn, and sold 14 head of hogs, 4 head of cattle and 12 head of sheep. He is now in his 68th year, is hale and hearty, and enjoys the sociability of his friends and children. Politically, he is a Democrat. He has at various times held responsible offices of public trust in this tp., and is classed among the leading citizens. He and his wife are members of the Osolo grange.
Mr. Shaver came to this section in an early day, when friends were friends and help was help; and it is interesting to sit and hear him tell of some of his early history in this State, one especially of a bear hunt in 1850, in which a great deal of sport was had killing four of the creatures near his own home, he being the lucky marksman. He captured the rugged monster and her three young cubs. He never had any fear of being hurt, was always venturesome and ready to pursue the chase for game. The account of the bear fight we will give in his own words:
" In the fall of 1851 four black bears wandered from the woods on the farm of Nicholas Smith, whose biography is next given. They were first discovered by Mr. Smith's children, who spread the alarm
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throughout the neighborhood. I began to make preparations for the fight. In attempting to load the gun, found that I had but one cap. therefore had but one loaded gun; so I and my neighbor, David Bender, started for the woods. David being armed with a pitch-fork. On entering the woods we found two bears in a tree, one in the top the other abont 25 feet high. The lower one I shot in the head, which suddenly fell to the ground dead. Ordering Bender to remain by the tree to keep the other from coming down, I proceeded to load my gun. All at once I was astonished by hear- ing in a lond voice, "The old ones are coming." The mother, on finding one of her cubs dead, gave us a most fearful look. The other cub suddenly falling from the tree. they marched off, but re- turned again and again to the dead child. They finally hid them- selves, however. in the thickets. We pursued them, and shot the old one just back of the shoulders. Being somewhat angry it be- gan to tear up grubs at a most furious rate. It finally ran off toward the Christiana creek.
" In attempting to reload my gun. broke the ramrod. Fortunately two men came to my assistance, one with a musket, the other with a rifle. On pursuing. found it again. lying in a hole nearly fatigued. It was shot again in the fore leg. By this time I had my gun loaded and was in the field ready for action. It ran again. I pursued it and found it standing with its fore feet resting on a log, with tongue ont and breathing very hard; at every breath it would jerk its head up and down, and was by this time nearly exhausted. I fina ly succeeded in getting close enough to it to shoot it in the head, which nearly killed it. I then jumped upon it and ent its throat with a knife. The men told me to get off of it, as I was in a dangerous situation. It then kicked most furiously. We were finally pleased by seeing it breathe its last.
" We then thought we would go back to the woods to find the cubs. We tracked one nearly a mile, found it up a tree; succeeded in killing it. On our way home we found the other sitting by its dead mother, which was soon dispatched."
Nicholas Smith was born in the State of New York Nov. 12, 1807. the son of Joseph and Rebecca (Cummings) Smith, natives of Massachusetts and both now deceased; educated in the common schools of his native State; when of age he learned the carpenter's and painter's trades, working a whole year for $40 and $10 worth of tools; then worked at carpentering a while for $15 a month, and in his 23d year he and his brother bought a flax mill, and during the winter months they dressed flax; afterward they worked at carpen- tering for six years. In the spring of 1836 he came West and entered 360 acres of land in Cass county. Mich .; in the fall he re- turned and married Mary Ann, danghter of Ebenezer Wright; he then moved upon his father's farm, where he remained until the fall of 1845, when he moved to this county, settling in Osolo tp., on a farm of 190 acres owned by his brother; 10 acres of this land were broken, and nothing was upon the place but a small house
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and barn; at the end of a year he bought half of the place, and in a few years the other half.
Mrs. Smith died in 1847, leaving 3 children: William C., Judson D. and Mary W. For his second wife Mr. S. married Matilda Olds, who was born near Youngstown, Ohio., and they had 1 child, Estella. This Mrs. Smith died, and Mr. S. subsequently married Miss Caroline, daughter of Augustus Newell, and a native of Ver- mont, and of their 3 children, Herbert A. only is living, and George B. and Alice are deceased; they died with the scarlet fever in 1871. Mr. Smith lost his third wife, and he afterward married Mrs. Mary A. Clark, nee Winnins, who had by her former husband 1 child, Lewis L.
Mr. S. now owns 380 acres of land, on sec. 17, besides a large amount elsewhere; he owns an undivided five-ninths of 9,000 acres in the upper peninsula of Michigan. During 1879 he raised 1,100 bushels of wheat, 2,000 of corn, and 40 tons of hay, etc. He and his wife are members of Osolo grange, and she is also a member of the Congregational Church.
A portrait of Mr. Smith appears in this volume.
Richard Smith, farmer, sec. 23; P. O., Elkhart; was born in Pennsylvania, Feb. 4, 1831, son of Jacob and Mary Smith, natives also of Pennsylvania. His father died in that State in 1852; he was educated in the common schools of that time. His mother died in Elkhart county, Ind., in her 76th year. He engaged in milling for a number of years in different places. In 1860 he was married to Isabella Dills, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1833. Their family consisted of 2 children: Mary Elnora and Sherman Ellsworth, now deceased. Mr. S. owns 120 acres of land in Osolo tp., worth $60 per acre. They are members of the U. B. Church, and polit- ically Mr. Smith is a Republican.
Samuel Swinehart, Sr., farmer, was born in Union county, Pa. Nov. 6, 1817, son of Jacob and Rebecca Swinehart, natives also of Pennsylvania, and both deceased. Samuel was educated in the common schools in Ohio and was brought up on a farm. In 1843 he was married to Sarah Weyrick, who also was born in Pennsylvania. They have had 6 children, 2 of whom are deceased : Rebecca A. and James. Those now living are David, Samnel, Elizabeth and Sarah. He came to this county in 1852 and located in Osolo tp., on the farm which he now owns, aud which at that time was all in timber, without any improvements, consisting of 160 acres of land, now well improved, with fine buildings, and worth $60 per acre. Mr. and Mrs. S. are members of the Lutheran Church. Politically, Mr. S. classes himself a rank Democrat.
Samuel Thompson, farmer, sec. 27, was born in Union county Pennsylvania, Aug. 5, 1817; is the 4th son of Jacob and Margaret Thompson, natives also of Pennsylvania. His father died in April, 1858. Ten years later his mother also died. He was educated in the common schools of his native State; learned the carpenter and joiner's trade under his father's instructions. He was married in
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Ohio in 1838, to Martha Ewart, who was born in Ohio and died in 1841. They had 1 child, now the wife of Rev. Hughes, now Minister of the Presbyterian Church iu Iowa. In 1844 he was married to Amelia Henderson, who was born in Springfield, Ohio, Nov. 29, 1822. In 1847 they emigrated to this county and settled on the farm he now owns, consisting of 160 acres of land; is well improved, with good buildings, and is worth $2,000. When he first came to this county he was very limited in circumstances, but by diligence and careful management he has attained the valuable home which he now possesses. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church at Elkhart. He has always been a gen- erous supporter of the Church and is a stalwart Republican.
William Thompson, farmer, sec. 18; P. O., Elkhart; was born in Union county, Pa., Nov. 19, 1826, son of James and Margaret Thompson, natives of Pennsylvania, both now deceased. His father died in April, 1857, in his 80th year, and his mother in 1864, in her 80th year. The subject of this sketch was raised on a farm, and educated in the common schools in Ohio. At the age of 20 he began working for himself, as a farm hand. In 1854 he was married to Mary J., daughter of James and Mary Douglass. Her father was a native of Westfield, Mass., and her mother of Penn- sylvania, born May 1, 1831. After marriage he continued farming in Ohio until 1839, when he came and settled on the farm which he now owns, and on which he still lives. It consists of 273 acres of land, which is under a fine state of cultivation, and worth $75 per acre. His children living are: Elmer Ellsworth, Ulysses Grant and Margaret Jane. Four are deceased: Sarah E., Mary E., Chas. J. and William A. They are members of the Osolo grange. Him- self and family are members of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. T. is a Republican.
Cyrus Wirt, farmer, sec. 26; P. O., Elkhart; was born in Sum- mit county, Ohio, Dec. 2, 1826, son of James and Elizabeth Wirt, the former a native of New Jersey, and the latter of Pennsylvania. His father died April, 1865, in Summit county, Ohio, and his mother died January, 1865, in the same county. He was raised on a farm and educated in the common schools of Ohio. In 1854 he came to this county and located in Washington tp., where he engaged in farming. In 1856 he married Susan Philson, who was born in Pennsylvania Sept. 27, 1837; their family consisted of 9 children; the living are: Lonisa A., Cora B., Eliza E., Ida May, Minnie F., Elva B. and James Garfield; 2 are deceased, Orrin H. and Horace L. Mr. W. came to Osolo tp. in 1873, and bought the farm which he now owns, consisting of 225 acres, which is worth $12,000; he is one of the directors of the Home Fire Insurance Co. His two daughters, Louisa and Cora, are teachers; have received a good education in the Elkhart schools, and as teachers have proven their earnestness and capability. Mr. Wirt is a Republican.
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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.
O. L. We.d. farmer and dairyman, sec. 32: was born in Canada March 26. 1519: is the son of Luther and Permelia Wood, natives of Vermont, and both deceased. He was raised on a farm and edu- cated in the common schools until 14 years old and then followed the seas, first as a sailor, then was promoted until he reached the position of master in 1549: he then gave up life on the sea and came West and engaged in agricultural pursuits : in connection with his farm he has a first-class dairy, consisting of 37 cows, which vield from 50 to 55 gallons of milk per day. Mr. Wood was married in 1542 to Elizabeth Hicks, born in New Jersey in 1820; they have 2 chiliren: Anna, now Mrs. Judson D. Smith, and Charles O. Mr. W. owns 214 seres of 'and in a good state of cultivation, worth $100 per acre. In politics, he is a staunch Republican.
UNION TOWNSHIP
is a beautiful and rich tract of farming country. situated in the Southwest part of Elkhart county. On the north lies Harrison township: on the east. Jackson: on the sonth, Kosciusko county, and on the west, Locke township. The B. & O. railroad passes through the south tier of sections. The township consists of a mixture of black sand and loam, making a good and rich soil. The surface of the township is level, and at an early time no donbt appeared to be low and marshy. but with some very fine ridges passing through it. Formerly the township contained many small swamps, particularly in the eastern part, but nearly all these have been drained. and now form a part of the fine farms that abonnd through this section.
At one time it was a finely timbered country. but most of the valuable timber has been removed. When the settlers first began to clear their farms there was no market for lumber, and there were no saw-mills to saw it if there had been a market; and many s fine walnut and pop.ar. and specimens of other kinds of valuable timber were consigned to the log-heap and burned in order to get them ont of the way. In the southeast part of the township is a tamarack swamp consisting of six or eight square miles, and is at present the only waste land of any extent in the township: but the inroads of' civilisation are fast breaking in upon this barrier to progress, and it will soon have to yield to the fate of its kindred. Many of the farmers have long since seen the benefit of underdraining their farms, and for their forethought and enterprise are now reaping bonntiful harvests as a reward. The soil when properly tilled is rich and loose, and yields largely any of the roots or cereals. Since the completion of the B. & O. railroad through this section they have a good marker for any of the products raised here, at Nap. panee, a beautiful little town partly in Union and partiy in Locke townships.
When the pioneers first came to this section Indians were quite pleutiful, and many relies of that race of people are still to be fonnd. A few years ago while Mr. Burkholder was breaking up a new piece of ground on his farm in section 18. they found a number
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of bullets.of a large size in piles, buried in the ground about the depth that they plowed. They were in a marshy piece of ground, which at one time formed a pond of several acres. They picked up seven or eight hundred, which seemed to have been in several piles near together.
Hunting was at one time quite a source of wealth to the people here. Game of all kinds was plenty in the woods. The meat of the animals furnished the hunter's family with food, while the skins and furs always found a good market at Goshen. The pioneers all knew how to use their trusty rifles, and all were hunters; yet some took a pre-eminent rank in that profession, and among that class Daniel Ulery seems to stand foremost. He says that he has killed over 500 deer in Elkhart county. He has at different times, by four shots only, killed eight deer. He thinks that the best time for hunting deer was about 15 or 20 years ago. The most that he ever killed in one day was four. He always hunted on horse-back. He had a fine bay animal, which he had trained for hunting.
After he had moved to this township, about the winter of 1847, he was visiting his sick father, who lived about a mile from Goshen. During the day his father asked him if he thought it pos- sible that he could get a deer for him, as he thought that he should like some venison. Mr. Ulery replied, " Yes, father, I can kill yon a deer, but the weather is very bad for hunting." In the afternoon he returned home, accompanied by one of his younger brothers, who was to take the venison to his father. The next morning, they started for the woods. It was a very cold, stormy morning, about the middle of December. They had traveled abont a half mile when they started up three deer. They seemed to be quite wild. After following them about two miles they saw them standing at some distance from them. Mr. Ulery thought it would be a long shot, but still he thought that he could secure one. So, riding up by a large tree, he dismounted and stepped on the opposite side of the tree from his horse. He raised his gun, took aim at a deer, and, just as he pulled the trigger, something scared his horse, which made a jump in front and received in his head the contents of the gun, intended for the deer. He was killed. Mr. Ulery took the bridle and bell from the dead horse, and went home, vowing that he would never hunt any more. After remaining at home for a few days he began to be in better spirits and thought he inust do something to make up the loss of his horse. So he cleaned up his gun and again commenced hunting, and by the 15th of January
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