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 61
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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.
M. E. Church, and he is strictly Democratic in politics. In busi- ness he has been successful.
Rev. Jabez Shiffer was born March 11, 1833. in Ohio. His father, Jabez, was a native of Maryland, of German ancestry, and his mother, born in Pennsylvania, was of Scotch-Irish origin: He emigrated with his parents to Allen county, Ind .. in 141, where he attended the public school and worked at farming until 25 years of age: commeneed reading for the ministry in 1838; served the M. E. Church at Angola, Steuben county, Ind., one year, then went to Allen county. theu to St. Mary's. Adams connty. After a vear or two Mr. S. withdrew from the M. E. Church, uniting with the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and was stationed at Butler. DeKalb county, and at Lagrange, Ind., and came to Millersburg in 1879, where he is held in high esteem as a pastor of rare fervor and ability.
Abraham Shreck, farmer, see. 17; P. O., Millersburg; was born in Holmes county, O., in 1843, eldest son of Benjamin and Mary (Stutzman Shroek, natives of Holmes county. O., who settled in Miami county. same State, in 1:50, where young Abraham attained his majority, receiving a good common-school education. In 1870 he was nnited in marriage to Miss Sarah Miller, a daughter of Mary Miller, of JJefferson tp. Their 5 children are: Arvila. Geo. B., Lorena. Ada and an infant child. Mr. S. is the owner of 52 acres of land, and he is a member of the AAmish Church.
Matthew Skelley, farmer and stock-raiser, was born in Indiana May 28, 1838; his parents, Walter and Matilda (Casly) Skelley. were natives of Ireland, who emigrated to this Stato in 1835. Mr. Skelley received his education in the public schools, and has always followed farming as an occupation; with the exception of being Supervisor one year, he has never held any office. He was married Jan. 27, 1877. to Emma T. Yonker, a native of Elkhart county, and he has 1 child. Isabella Agnes, born Ang. 17, 1878. Mr. S. is a progressive farmer, enjoys lite under comfortable circumstances. and keeps pace with the times. Himself and family are members of the Catholic Church.
Lafayette Smith, farmer, Millersburg, was born in 1839, in Ohio: received his education in the common schools of Tusearawas eonnty. that State: followed farming previous to his present vocation; when the war broke out he enlisted in the 62d Ohio Inf., and became a participant in the battles of Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, Resaea, etc .; after the war he settled at Millersburg, and was among the heaviest sufferers by the contagration in this place December, 1879. He was married in 1-69 to Nancy J. Roderick, of this county. and of their + children 3 are living, namely: Edwin E., Eva M. and AAlmeda.
Stephen B. Smith, farmer and stock-raiser, sec. 10; was born in Sussex county, N. J., July 27, 1809, son of Zephaniah and Mary (Baxter) Smith, who moved from Niagara county, N. Y., to New Jersey in 1815, and located in this tp. in 1837, where the subject
John Thompson
719
HISTORY OF ELKIIART COUNTY.
of this sketeh and other members of the family reside; Gilbert, Zephaniah and Stephen B. reside in this State; John B. resides in Ypsilanti, Mich .; Sarah Ann Bogert resides in Crawford county, Kan .; 4 have died, viz .: George, Jane and Charles, who died as Newfane, Niagara connty, N. Y .. and Elizabeth, who died in Cass connty, Mich. Stephen and Zephaniah Smith each bore his share in the struggles and privations of early days, and the life of one it typieal of the other; both are farmers, and the panorama of life as unfolded to one discloses to view the same shifting scenery as to the other. Stephen remembers the tp. of Clinton as heavily timbered in 1837, his observations coinciding with those of others as to abundance of game and limited edneational facilities. In the build- ing of his first cabin he spent the greater portion of one day in calling upon his neighbors for assistance at the raising. In 1845 he married Miss Martha McConnell, also a pioneer of this tp., by whom he had 2 children; 1, not named, died in infancy. Stephen B., jr., is a resident of Dakota, and was once a soldier on the force of the Western reserve. Stephen and Zephaniah Smith, jr., have gained their present position of independence by sterling integrity and individual exertions. Zephaniah is the owner of 120 acres, Stephen of 113. The wife of the latter died in 1872, and was laid at rest in what is familiarly known as the " Smith Cemetery." The brothers are strongly Republican.
Philo Starks, farmer, see. 35; P. O., Millersburg; was born in Vermont in 1806, the only child of William and Electa Starks, natives of the Green Mountain State. He became a resident of this county in 1832, a period of time when it might be literally said that Indiana was so deep in the wilderness that no wand of civilization marked its progress save the eivilizing influence of the woodman's ax or the round-log cabin of the frontiersman. Previous to the date mentioned Mr. S. had owned in Pennsylvania a small traet of land, and like many of the residents of that State he listened to the glowing accounts of productive land in Indiana, and made the trip in the usnal mode of conveyance, a covered wagon, settling in Middlebury tp. He worked for three years as a cooper, when he purchased an 80-aere traet near what is now the town of Middlebury, for $100. lle found the township heavily timbered, inhabitants limited in number, and Goshen, the city of the future, an embryo village composed of three cabins, one a receptacle for a few in- discriminate articles of merchandise. On see. 35 Mr. S. built a cabin, nnadorned by windows or doors save the merest substitutes for them ; the tools he farmed with were of the crudest description, and years elapsed before he became moderately prosperous. Game was very abundant during the days of his early settlement, and the veteran pioneer calls vividly to mind a large Indian encampment of Pottawatomies on the banks of the Elkhart river. There were no grist-mills within any reasonable distance, with the single ex- ception of what was familiarly termed a " corn-cracker," a small water mill used only for the purpose of grinding corn or buckwheat.
43
719
HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.
of this sketch and other members of the family reside; Gilbert, Zephaniah and Stephen B. reside in this State; John B. resides in Ypsilanti, Mich .; Sarah Ann Bogert resides in Crawford county, Kan .; 4 have died, viz .: George, Jane and Charles, who died as Newfane, Niagara county, N. Y., and Elizabeth, who died in Cass county, Mich. Stephen and Zephaniah Smith each bore his share in the struggles and privations of early days, and the life of one it typical of the other; both are farmers, and the panorama of life as unfolded to one discloses to view the same shifting scenery as to the other. Stephen remembers the tp. of Clinton as heavily timbered in 1837, his observations coinciding with those of others as to abundance of game and limited edneational facilities. In the build- ing of his first cabin he spent the greater portion of one day in calling upon his neighbors for assistance at the raising, In 1845 he married Miss Martha McConnell, also a pioneer of this tp., by whom he had 2 children; 1, not named, died in infancy. Stephen B., jr., is a resident of Dakota, and was once a soldier on the force of the Western reserve. Stephen and Zephaniah Smith, jr., have gained their present position of independence by sterling integrity and individual exertions. Zephaniah is the owner of 120 acres, Stephen of 113. The wife of the latter died in 1872, and was laid at rest in what is familiarly known as the " Smith Cemetery." The brothers aro strongly Republican.
Philo Starks, farmer, sec. 35; P. O., Millersburg; was born in Vermont in 1806, the only child of William and Electa Starks, natives of the Green Mountain State. He became a resident of this county in 1832, a period of time when it might be literally said that Indiana was so deep in the wilderness that no wand of civilization marked its progress save the civilizing influence of the woodman's ax or the round-log cabin of the frontiersman. Previous to the date mentioned Mr. S. had owned in Pennsylvania a small traet of land, and like many of the residents of that State he listened to the glowing accounts of productive land in Indiana, and made the trip in the usnal mode of conveyance, a covered wagon, settling in Middlebury tp. Ile worked for three years as a cooper, when he purchased an 80-acre traet near what is now the town of Middlebury, for $100. He found the township heavily timbered, inhabitants limited in number, and Goshen, the city of the future, an embryo village composed of three cabins, one a receptacle for a few in- discriminate articles of merchandise. On sec. 35 Mr. S. built a cabin, unadorned by windows or doors save the merest substitutes for them; the tools he farmed with were of the crudest description, and years elapsed before he became moderately prosperous. Game was very abundant during the days of his early settlement, and the veteran pioneer calls vividly to mind a large Indian encampment of Pottawatomies on the banks of the Elkhart river. There were no grist-mills within any reasonable distance, with the single ex- ception of what was familiarly termed a " corn-eracker," a small water mill used only for the purpose of grinding corn or buckwheat.
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720
HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.
The bill of fare in those days usually consisted of turkey, pork, venison and corn dodgers.
In 1830 Mr. Starks married Amelia, daughter of Elijah and So- phia Haden. They are now in very comfortable circumstances, and like nearly all of those who endured the privations of early Western life, are liberal in all things worthy of their patronage. They have lived to see a territorial wilderness converted into a great State densely populated, over which a labyrinth of railroads carry their hnman freight with almost lightning-like rapidity; and to such men in the advance guard of civilization is the State indebted for the leading position it holds to-day among a vast constellation of States in the Union.
Jonathan Stiver was born in Montgomery county, O., in 1835, the son of John B. and Catherine (Bickle) Stiver, natives of Dau- phin county, Pa .; received his education in this county; he has been a farmer most of his life. and is also of a mechanical turn of mind. He was married Jan. 4, 1865, and now has 4 sons and 1 daughter. Mr. and Mrs. S. are members of the Lutheran Church, in which society Mr .. S. is also a deacon. In polities he is a Demo- erat. He is the owner of 104 acres of land, and is an industrious, upright eitizen, a pioneer who is held in high esteemn.
Jonathan B. Stutzman, farmer and stoek-raiser, sec. 16; P. O. Millersburg. › Mr. Stutzman is a model agriculturist; a man of generosity and kindly aets, whose successful life will be briefly dwelt upon here. Like many of those, his neighbors, who founded a home in this tp., he has acquired the bulk of his property through indefatigable labor and its inseparable companion, honesty. He was born in Mifflin county, Pa., in 1813, the eldest son of Michael and Hannah (Yoder) Stutzman; moved to Wayne county, Ohio, in 1827, where in after years he was united in marriage to Miss Fanny, a daughter of David Burchman. by whom he has 5 children, viz .: Eliza, who married Solomon Yoder; Polly, who married Joseph Kauffman; Jephtha P., who married Mary Garber; Catlı- erine, who resides on the homestead; Anna, deceased, who married Moses Kauffman, and Jonathan. Mr. S. is a member of the High Amish Church.
James Taylor, farmer, sec. 23; P. O., Millersburg; was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, in 1846. the third son of Joseph and Mar- garet Taylor, who resided for many years in Henry county, Ohio. In 1876 Mr. Taylor moved to this township from Lagrange county, Ind., and is now the owner of 80 acres of land; is well situated in life and a worthy eitizen. In 1862 he enlisted in Co. A, 68th Ohio, and served 22 months. being in the battles of Goldsboro, Atlanta, Jonesboro, etc .; was honorably discharged after the close of the rebellion. In 1872 he was united in marriage with Miss Rosa Graff Millar. a danghter of George and Mary Millar, of Germany. They have 1 adopted son, Eddie Dennis.
Daniel Tice, deceased, was born in Pennsylvania in 1838, where he grew to the mature years of manhood, and where he was united
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721
HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.
in marriage with Miss Sarah Yoter, a daughter of the late Daniel Yoter, and they have 7 children; all are now living, viz: John, who married Miss Susan Nisely; Susan. Valentine. Catherine, Rebecca, Sivilla and Mary. Mrs. Tice is comfortably situated in life, and owns 60 acres of productive land. She is a member of the Amish Church.
Daniel Unrue, farmer, sec. 26; P. O., Millersburg; was born in Rockingham county, Va., in 1809. the third son of George and Catherine Unruc, natives of Germany and Pennsylvania, who in an early day moved to Virginia, and afterward to Ross. Montgomery and Darke counties, Ohio, where the old folks passed the remainder of life. Daniel, growing up to manhood in Ohio, received a dis- trict-school education and began the battle of life in straitened cir- cumstances. He was married in Ohio in 1835, to Miss Catherine, a daughter of Henry and Parmelia Snider. and their 4 children are Louisa. Leatha A., Daniel and Samuel. Nineteen years ago Mr. U. settled in Benton tp., thence moved to this tp., where he formerly owned 160 acres,-at present writing 80.
J. S. Vanhauten was born in Indiana in 1844, the son of Jacob and C'atherine Vanhauten, natives of Pennsylvania, father of Hol- land and mother of German descent. J. S. received no other edu- cational advantages than what was afforded by the common schools in his native State. His early life was spent on a farm and he is now the owner of a farm. He was married in 1865 to Sarah J. Hoven, and they have 3 sons, Loren, Ira Merit and Omer. Mr. Vanhauten is keeping the Weyborn Hotel in Millersburg, where he is always ready to accommodate the traveling public. He also keeps a stable with several horses and carriages to accommodate travelers. and is remarkably liberal in his charges. But his prin- cipal business in Millersburg has been in keeping a first-class butcher shop, in connection with which he has had rather an exten- sive trade. Since he commenced here he has butchered on an aver- age, yearly, 300 head of fat cattle. At present he devotes most of his time to that business. He is very attentive and obliging to his customers, which will almost always insure success. He is a first- class Republican in politics; believes in keeping cool and voting the right way. He has a mind of his own. but never intrudes his views upon others.
Sumuel H. Weyburn was born in 1817 in Tompkins county, N. Y., his father, George, being a native of Pennsylvania, of English ancestry, and his mother, Polly (Ferris), being of Scotch-German origin.
He received his education in the common schools; removed to Middlebury township, this county, in 1840, where he located as a farmer, and was married in 1843 to Anna Case, whose parents were old residents of Elkhart county. Mrs. Weyburn departed this life in 1848, leaving one son, Oscar Weyburn, born in 1845, who died in the service of his country in October. 1863, and is buried at Mound City, Ill. Mr. Weyburn was married again in 1855, to
CONCORD TOWNSHIP.
The man who gave me being, though no Lord, Was nature's nobleman,-an honest man ! Aud prouder am I, at this hour, to staud, Unpedestalled, but on his lowly grave,
Than if I towered upon a monument
High as the clouds with rotten infamy!
The sphere of human knowledge is extending! Man seeks new sources of information; he even ventures to solve the problem of nature, and oftentimes carries his inquiries so far as to become ridic- ulous. In history it seldom occurs that such stretches of the imagina- tion are permitted to battle with revealed truths. Perhaps in no other branch of science is there less liberty granted than in that of his- tory. No exaggeration is allowable, no artifice can be requisitioned to distort facts. The historical writer has to deal only with what has been accomplished in the past, and probably make such deduc- tions therefrom as may lead him to form an idea of what the future may bestow upon the country of which he treats. Now, since it is much more difficult to deal with facts than fiction, the office of the historian is not a sinecure. Every word which he transmits to paper has to be well weighed and retained or cast out, according to its merit.
In the compilation of this work a strict regard to truth has been observed, every subject of importance has been taken from or com- pared with the records, and the unwritten, or legendary, submitted to the pioneers for confirmation. In many cases extracts have been made from the writings of the most prominent men among the old settlers; because the times which they passed in review, and the exquisite manner in which they treated their subjects, tended to render their reminiscences invaluable, if not absolutely necessary for a complete history. Doubtless many important events are omitted in the county history; but it will appear that such, being so intimately connected with the townships, receive a full notice in the pages devoted to the 16 divisions of the county. The biograph- ical chapters are not the least interesting. They necessarily com- prise much historical matter, and as the lives of the men brought under notice are entwined closely with the progress of the county,
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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.
so also do their biographies commingle with history, and combined form subject matter at once entertaining and instructive.
The history of the Churches contains much valuable information. It bears a telling testimony to the busy activities of the times, and proves that the spiritual make even advances with the temporal industries. Comparatively few years have elapsed since the God of Christians was worshiped under two or three different forms. Now no less than 30 religious societies adore Him in 30 different ways. There is, however, one consolatory reflection, and that is, the beautiful fraternity which binds all the denominations together, and gives them promise of a continuance of friendship in the land of the hereafter.
The schools are treated very briefly in the history of the county. This is entirely due to their identification with the townships, in which connection the reader will find that replete information regard- ing them which educational establishments so well deserve. With- ont the Church and school all would be chaos, nescience would reign supreme, and man's ideal-the free American-would return to that primitive condition from which the Church and school grad- ually raised them. The great industrial establishments of the township hold a prominent place, while the pioneer and social his- tory is given in a comparatively full form which may insure its welcome. In every department of this third part of the work a full effort has been made to render it at once reliable and satisfac- tory.
THE TOWNSHIP
was erected in 1830 and embraced all the territory north of Elkhart township, erected at the same time. Much of its early history is given in the pages devoted to the county; but in this connection it may be necessary to repeat the names of the pioneers who claim to be its first settlers. Those are: Jesse Rush, who settled on Pleasant Plain in 1827-'S; Isaac Compton, with his brothers James and John, who settled in the township in 1829. Dr. Havilah Beardsley, Win. Dobson and Jesse Morgan were settlers on Pleas- ant Plain in 1829, while Peter Tuley, Peter Diddy, Associate Judge I. Middleton and Betterton came in the fall of the same year. Sub- sequently the settlements received additions in the persons of John Banning, Jacob Puterbaugh, Howell Huntsman, Chester Sage, Stephen Statsman, Adam Teal, John Nickerson, Andrew Richard -. son, Geo. Crawford, Allen Tibbits, Parker Robinson, Joseph Case,
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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.
Ozias Stotts, Thomas McMurray, Samnel Telemachus and his brothers. David and John, Abraham Livingood. Eber Root. Sterne Bronson, Jacob Ellis, Samuel Simonton, Timothy Woodbridge and Ebenezer Chamberlain. It is related that Jacob Ellis erected the first frame barn in the township, that Ebenezer Chamberlain tanght the first school. and N. F. Brodrick the second, but this is so fully set forth in dealing with the history of the city of Elkhart that its repetition here is quite unnecessary.
Every advantage which nature could confer on this township was freely bestowed. The beautiful rivers, the St. Joseph and Elk- hart, with the creek which forms the outlet for the northern lakes, yields water privileges that cannot be excelled. Numerons little streams give to the agriculturists a supply of good water, while the many springs of crystal and chalybeate complete the circle of advantages. The land is undulating, and though rather sandy in many sections the sandy loam of the greater portion of the township is very productive, and yields the farmer a full reward for the labor which he may have expended on it. . The houses of worship and schools are numerous, and the people generally pros- perous. living in peace, and sustaining well their part in building up the connty.
CONCORD TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS.
The grade system has been introduced into these schools, ont- side the city, but it has not yet reached that perfection so much to be desired. The pupils are subjected to the ordinary course of studies, and. so far as can now be learned, a remarkable proficiency is evinced by the majority who attend school regularly. The teachers are industrious, and apply themselves to the onerons duties of their profession with commendable earnestness. The irregularity in attendance is to be deplored. Happily the in- corrigibles are few; but the evil examples, which they lay down, will eventually have a deteriorating influence and counteract much of the good that has been effected by zealous instructors.
Concord township graded school edifice is an elegant structure situated on sec. 24, was erected in the year 1879, at a cost of $2,- 500. J. D. Compton was the trustee. It has an apartment for a graded school.
In Concord township there are nine brick school-houses and one frame, valned at $17.000. and the apparatus, maps, etc .. at about
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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.
$200. The special school tax on the $100 is 32 cents, and on each poll, 25 cents; the total estimated special school tax is $3,200; the local tax for tuition assessed on each $100 is ten cents,-on each poll, 25 cents. There are 117 volumes in the township library, of which 30 were taken out during the year. The trustees were paid $160 for managing school interests during the year 1880; one school-house was erected during this year, at a cost of 82,100. There were seven township institutes held during the year. Of revenne for tuition, the amount on hand Sept. 1, 1879, was $547 .- 99; received in February, 1880, $1,051.59. and in June, $1,116.81; miscellaneous receipts. $25; total, $2,741.39; expended during the year, $2,321.03, leaving $420.36 on hand. Of the special revenne the amount on hand Sept. 1, 1879, was $2,217.72, and $1,604.33 received since; expended, $3,622.28, leaving $199.77 on hand.
Male pupils admitted to school, 229, and female, 181; average daily attendance, 325; there are 11 school districts in the township, in all of which school was taught during the year ; average length of school terms, 140 days. There were nine male teachers and 12 female; wages per day for both sexes, $1.562.
C. H. Chase, of the Review, whose connection with the county extends over 21 years. and whose deep interest in educational mat- ters is truly Bostonian, has said that the public-school system of Indiana is acknowledged to be inferior to no other State, and in many respects is superior to those of its sister commonwealths. This may easily be accounted for from the fact that in part the people who settled the State, reclaiming it from a wilderness, were evi- dently a people who favored education. With the early settlement of the country came the district school of nearly half a century ago, and wherever a sufficient number of families located a common pur- pose manifested itself in the erection of rude log school-houses. These primitive temples of education in towns, villages and rural districts have given place to structures more or less elegant, in many instances costing thousands of dollars. The district school (the embryo of the system of to-day) has been snpplanted by the graded and high schools, with their thorough and comprehensive courses of instruction, and the rude adjuncts of education of the earlier days have been superseded by the model appliances of to-day.
There is not a town in the county without a thorough school sys- tem. Most of these towns have built superior school buildings, and visitors will find the schools, both as regards the buildings them-
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