USA > Indiana > Allen County > Fort Wayne > History of Fort Wayne, from the earliest known accounts of this point, to the present period. Embracing an extended view of the aboriginal tribes of the Northwest, including, more especially, the Miamies with a sketch of the life of General Anthony Wyane; including also a lengthy biography of pioneer settlers of Fort Wayne. Also an account of the manufacturing, mercantile, and railroad interests of Fort Wayne and vicinity > Part 38
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Daniel Worth, of Randolph county, was the successor to Mr. Hanna.
During this legislative term of Judge Hanna, Delaware county was organized ; and a considerable region of country then lying between Randolph and Allen counties received the name of " Adams," but was not organized as a county until 1836. At that period the three per cent. fund, amounting to about $500 for eachi couniy, was appropriated by the State, to the use of the different counties, for the purpose of opening roads. The territory then
* In those Pioneer days, when log cabins of various dimensions, served for the gen- eral purposes of dwelling, court-room and tavern, wherein, in the latter case, many often slept in the same room, and not unfrequently, when very much crowded, two and three in a bed, Mr. Right, while attending court in this district, of which, at the time, he was Judge, the landlord of the house in which he was stopping. being very much crowded, requested the Judge to receive a bed-fellow for the night in question, that all might be accommodated. Being averse to " strange bed-fellows." the Judge was by no means favorable to the proposition of the landlord ; but being assured that the man was a very clever fellow, a good-natured Irishman, by the name of MeCarty, -the Judge at length consented, and the two were soon " in the one bed," with a FEW OTHER BEDS IN THE SAME ROOM, all as full as that occupied by the Judge and his friend McCarty. Awakening " bright and early" the next morning, the Judge began to quiz his Irish friend. " Pat," said the Judge, " I guess you'd have lived a long time in the old country before you'd have had the honor of sleeping with a Judge."
"Yes, be jabers," quickly replied Pat ; "and if you'd lived in Ireland, it would have been a mighty long time before you'd uv had the honor of being a judge."
303
COMMENCEMENT OF THE WABASH AND ERIE CANAL.
embraced within the boundaries of Allen, was so extensive, that the sum allowed her for road purposes, was considered of little val- ue in carrying out the design of the appropriation ; and Judge Hanna drew the amount coming to Allen county, and bestowed it upon what was afterwards called and organized as Adams county.
In the following year, (1827,) on the 2d of March, by an act of Congress, " every alternate section of land, equal to five miles in width," on both sides of what is now the Wabash and Erie canal, "was granted to the State of Indiana," for the purpose of construct- ing " a canal from the head of navigation on the Wabash, at the mouth of the Tippecanoe river, to the foot of the Maumee Rapids," the same to be commenced at the expiration of the five years fol- lowing the passage of the act; " and to be completed within twen- ty years " from that time.
Soon after this grant, the Land Office Commissioners closed the sales and entry of all government lands lying along and embraced within the limits of said grant, until such time as "the State should select and locate her bounty under the grant," which, for a time, had the effect to retard, rather than superinduce and encourage set- tlement in the northern portion of the State, and along the region of the intended line of canal. A large body of this land, amount- ing to some two hundred and fifty thousand acres, lay in the State of Ohio, which were eventually ceded to that State, by an act of Con- gress and the consent of the State of Indiana, under certain stipu- lations, viz : "that the canal should be commenced and completed according to the original grant; and that it should be sixty feet wide on the surface of the water, and five feet deep, instead of forty feet wide, and four deep." To adjust this, Hon. Jeremiah Sullivan, during 1829, was commissioned to adjust and settle this matter.
"In the winter of 1826 and 1827, a Board of Canal Commission- ers was created, whose dnty it was to examine into the practicabil- ity of a canal route across from the Manmee to the Wabash, and of obtaining a supply of water therefor, from the St. Joseph, St. Mary's, Maumee, or Wabash, or all of them; for which purpose $500 were appropriated, and Samnel Hanna, of Fort Wayne, David Burr, of Jackson county, and Robert John, of Franklin county, were elected Commissioners. It was very difficult to get this Board to- gether, but finally it was convened by Governor Ray, on the 14th of July, 1828, at Indianapolis, and there received from him, plats, maps, surveys, profiles, notes &c., of a report made by a corps of Government Engineers, under instructions of the Engineer's De- partment, from the mouth of Little river,-at which point a prior survey had been suspended in 1826-thence down the Wabash, and from the summit at Fort Wayne down the Maumee river. This Board of Commissioners met at Fort Wayne in the summer of that year, (1828,)and being without a level or any instrument to work with, and having no engineer, and the $500 of appropriation being insuffi-
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HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE.
cient for any practical purpose, Judge Hanna agreed to procure the instruments, and was thereupon dispatched to Detroit, which place he reached, on horse, in two days, then proceeding to N. York, procured the . instruments, and returned in an extraordinary quick time for that day. The Board then proceeded, by the aid of John Smyth, of Miamisburgh, Ohio, (an engineer) carly in September, to gauge the St. Joseph, St. Mary's, and Wabash, at the forks. During these observations, Smyth was taken sick, and left the Board (none of whom were engineers,) to carry on the work as best as they could. From the 10th to the 23d of September, they spent the time in examining the St. Joseph river, and the adjacent conn- try, for the purpose of locating the Feeder for the canal, and final- ly succeeded in locating the dam and Feeder-line to the summits, making their own estimates of this, and adopting the estimates, &c., of Colonel Moore, under whose directions former surveys had been made, down the Wabash and Maumee rivers ; which, in the meantime, had been received from the War Department, cnab- ling the Commissioners, after the most diligent work, night and day, to present a report of their labor on the 26th of December, later than was intended by law creating the commission. So exhausted was Colonel Burr, by constant fatigue, in caluclation, &c., that for a time his mental powers were overcome, and hence it devolved on Juge Hanna to report ; as he did-a report replete with liberal suggestions, and sound sense. This report was concurred in, and from that day went on a work which has proved so great a benefit to Indiana. In this capacity Judge Hanna served three years. The canal lands were located by commissioners, under act of Jan- uary 25th, 1829, and platted, and a sale opened at Logansport, af- ter some delay, in October, 1830, and an office opened in the first week of October, 1832, at Fort Wayne."*
The sale at Logansport was attended by a large number of per- sons, and much land was then sold in Cass and adjacent counties, which resulted in the attraction of quite an influx of emigrants to that section and contiguous parts of the State. "But," says C. B. Lasselle, Esq., " owing to the length of credit given on the pur- chase, availed but little in affording means for the prosecution of the construction of the canal. It was, therefore, found necessary to appeal to the means of the State. Accordingly a bill was in- troduced in the Legislature during the sessions of 1831-2, for ef- fecting a loan upon the faith of the State, predicated upon the mon- eys arising from the sales, with interest thereon, together with the tolls and water rents of the canal. The bill met with fierce oppo- sition upon the part of many prominent men in the Legislature; but it finally passed. Its success was duly celebrated by the citi- zens of Logansport."
The " Cass County Times," of March 2d. 1832, gave the follow- ing interesting account of the meeting of the commissioners, and commencement of the work on the canal at Fort Wayne :
* " Fort Wayne Tinzes," December 16th, 1858.
305
CANAL CELEBRATION OF 1832.
" The Commissioners of the Wabash and Erie canal met at Fort Wayne on the 22d ult., for the purpose of carrying into effect the requisition of the late law of the Legislature of this State, provid- ing for the commencement of said work, prior to the 2d day of March, 1832, whereupon the Commissioners appointed the anni- versary of the birth of the Father of his country as the day on which the first excavation should be made on said canal, and by an order of the Board, J. Vigus, Esq., was authorized to procure the necessary tools and assistance, and repair to the most convenient point on the St. Joseph Feeder-line, at 2 o'clock, on said day, for the purpose aforesaid.
"The intention of the Commissioners having been made known, a large number of citizens of the town of Fort Wayne and its vi- cinity, together with a number of gentlemen from the valley of the Wabash, convened at the Masonic Hall, for the purpose of making arrangements for the celebration of this important undertaking ; whereupon Henry Rudisill, Esq., was called to the chair, and David H. Colerick appointed secretary.
"The procession, having been formed agreeably to order, proceed- ed across the St. Mary's .river, to the point selected, when a circle was formed, in which the Commissioners and Orator took their stand. Charles W. Ewing, Esq., then rose, and in his usual happy, eloquent manner, delivered an appropriate address, which was re- ceived with acclamation. J. Vigus, Esq., one of the Canal Com- missioners, and the only one present, addressed the company; ex- plained the reason why his colleagues were absent-adverted to the difficulties and embarrassments which the friends of the canal had encountered and overcome; noticed the importance of the work, and the advantages which would ultimately be realized; and then concinded by saying, 'I am now about to commence the Wabash und Erie canal in the name and by the authority of the State of Indiana.' Having thus said, he ' struck the long suspended blow' -broke ground-while the company hailed the event with three cheers. Judge Hanna and Capt. Murray, two of the able and con- sistent advocates of the canal, in the councils of the State, nextap- proached and excavated the earth ; and then commenced an indis- criminate digging and cutting. The procession then marched back to town in the manner it went forth, and dispersed in good order."
Hon. Oliver H. Smith, at the period in question, a resident of Connersville, Ind., in 1826, was elected a representative to Congress, and took his seat at the session of 1827. His opponent was Hon. John Test. Alleu County then gave Mr. Smith but ten votes. In his " Early Indiana Trials," Mr. Smith presents the following inter- esting account of a trip to Fort Wayne, in company with Judge Eggleston and James Rariden, in 1825:
The fall term of the Circuit Courts, 1825, found Judge Eggleston and myself well mounted, once more on the Circuit. The Judge upon his pacing Indian pony : the same th it I afterwards rode through an electioneering Congressional campaign ; I
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306
HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE.
then rode my gray " fox." We were joined at Centerville by James Rariden, mount- ed on " Old Gray," one of the finest animals I have ever seen. Our Court was to be held on the next Monday at Fort Wayne. We reached Winchester late in the evening and took lodgings at the hotel of Paul W. Way, but no newspaper heralded the arrival. How different was the circumstance that occurred when I was in the Senate of the United States. Silas Wright, Thomas H. Benton and James Buchan- an, for recreation, ran up to Philadelphia; the next day the Pensylvanian an- hounced that Senators Benton and Buchanan had arrived in that city, and taken lodgings at the United States Hotel. A few days after the three distinguished Sena- tors were in their seats. I sat at the time in the next seat to Gov. Silas Wright ; turning to the Gov., "I see by the papers that Mr. Benton and Mr. Buchanan have been in Philadelphia and taken lodgings at the United States Hotel ; how did it happen that your name was not announced, as you were with them ? " " I did not send my name to the printer." So it was with us. -
After early breakfast we were once more upon our horses, with one hundred miles through the wilderness before us. There were two Indian paths that led to Fort Wayne, the one by Chief Francis Godfroy's on the Salamonia river, the other in a more easterly direction, crossing the Mississenewa higher up and striking the " Quaker Trace," from Richmond to Fort Wayne, south of the head waters of the Wabash river. After a moment's consultation, Mr. Rariden, who was our guide, turned the head of "Old Gray " to the eastern path, and off we started, at a brisk traveling gait, in high spirits. The day passed away ; it was very hot, and there was no water to be had for ourselves or horses. About one o'clock we came to the Wabash river, nearly dried up, but there was grass upon the bank for our horses, and we dismounted, took off the saddles, blankets and saddle-bags, when the ques- tion arose, should we hold the horses while they grazed, tie them to bushes, spancel them, or turn them loose ? We agreed that the latter was the best for the horses and easiest for us, but I raised the question of safety, and brought up the old adage, " Safe bind safe find." Mr. Rariden .- " You could not drive Old Gray away from me." Judge Eggleston .- " My Indian pony will never leave me." I made no prom- ise for my "Grey Fox." The bridles were taken off, and the horses turned loose to graze. A moment after, Old Gray stuck up his head, turned to the path we had just come, and bounded off at a full gallop swarming with flies, followed by the pacing Indian pony of the Judge, at his highest speed. Fox lingered behind, but soon became infected with the bad example of his associates, and away they all went, leaving us sitting under the shade of a treethat stood for years afterwards on the bank of the Wabash. Our horses were, a week afterwards, taken up at Fort Defi- ance, in Ohio, and brought to us at Winchester on our return. It took us but a moment to decide what to do. Ten miles would take us up to Thompson's on Town- send's Prairie. Our saddles and blankets were hung up above the reach of the wolves. Each took his saddle-bags upon his back, and we started at a quick step- Rariden in the lead, Judge Eggleston in the centre, and I brought up the rear. The heat was intense. None of us had been much used to walking. I am satisfied we must all have broken down, but most fortunately there had fallen the night before a light rain, and the water lay in the shade in the horse tracks. We were soon on our knees, with our mouths to the water .- Tell me not of your Croton, ye New Yorkers, nor of your Fairmount, ye Philadelphians, here was water, "what was water." Near night we reached the prairie worn down with heat and fatigue. The thunders were roaring and the lightnings flashing from the black clouds in the west. A storm was'coming up on the wings of a hurricane, and ten minutes after we ar- rived at Mr. Thompson's it broke upon us in all its fury, and continued raining in torrents during the night. We were in a low, one story log cabin, about twenty feet square, no floor above, with a clapboard roof. Supper, to us dinner, was soon ready. Three articles of diet only on the plain walnut table, corn-dodgers, boiled squirrels, and sassafras tea .- Epicures at the 5 o'clock table of the Astor, St. Nicholas, Metropolitan and Revere, how do you like the bill of fare ? To us it way sumptuous and thankfully received. Supper over, we soon turned in, and such a night of sweet sleep I never had before or since. The next morning our saddles and blankets were brought to us from the Wabash. The landlord provided us with ponies and we set forward at full speed, arrived at Fort Wayne that night, and took lodgings at the hotel of William N. Hood. In the morning court met, Judge Eggle- eton, President, and side judges, Thompson and Cushman on the bench. Fort
307
CASE OF CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE
Wayne contained about two hundred inhabitants, and the County of Allen some fifty voters. There were no cases on docket to try of a criminalcharacter. Court adjourned early, and we all went up the St. Mary's river, to Chief Richardville's to see an Indian horse race.
The nags were brought to the ground, a gray pony, about twelve hands high, and a roan, rather larger, like Eclipse and Henry, to contest the superiority of stock between the bands of Miamies and Pottawattamies. Six Indians were selected as judges-two placed at the starting point, two at the quarter stake, and two at the coming-out place. "Riders up-clear the track," and away they went under whip and spur. The race over, the judges meet, the spokesman, a large Miami, says " Race even, Miami grey take first quarter, Pottawattamie roan take last quarter," and all are satisfied. In the evening the grand-jury brought in a bill against Elisha B. Harris far stealing an Indian pony. Judge Eggleston .- " Any more business before you, Mr. Foreman ?" Gen. Tipton .- "None sir." "You are discharged."
JUDGE EGGLESTON .- " There is but one case on the docket for trial, an appeal case, damages claimed five dollars. I feel quite tired, and will be obliged to my associates to try the case." Judge Cushman .- "Certainly." The case was called. Henry Cooper for the plaintiff, and Hiram Brown for the defendant. Case submitted to the Court. The action was for damages, five dollars claimed, for killing the plaintiff's dog. The witness swore that he saw the defendant running with his riffe across his yard ; saw him lay it on the fence; saw the smoke ; heard the crack; saw the dog fall ; went to where the dog lay, and saw the bullet-hole just behind the fore leg. Here Cooper rested with a triumphant air, and indeed, to a common eye, the case seemed beyond hope, but to the mind of the skillful advocate, capable of drawing the distinction between positive and circumstantial evidence, a different conclusion was come to .- Breckenridge's Miscellanies, and Phillip's Evidence, stating the danger of listening to circumstantial evidence, and enumerating many lamentable cases of convictions and executions for murder upon circumstantial evidence, when the con- victs were afterwards proved to be entirely innocent, had been widely circulated and extensively read by courts and lawyers until the tendency of the courts was to reject circumstantial evidence. My friend, Mr. Brown, an ingenious attorney, of fine talents, and, by the way, rather waggish, said : "A single question, Mr. Wit- ness-Can you swear you saw the bullet hit the dog !" " I can swear no such thing." " That's all, Mr. Cooper ; a case of mere circumstantial evidence, your Honors." Cooper's countenance fell ; defeat stared him in the face; the case was submitted to the Court without further evidence. Judge Cushman .- " This is a plain case of circumstantial evidence. Judgment for the defendant." Cooper, with great indigna- tion, with his eye upon Brown :- "When I die I wish it engraved upon my tombstone, here lies Henry Cooper-an honest man." Brown, rising as quick as thought :- " Pope says an honest man is the noblest work of God. There have been Atheists in this world-Bolingbroke of England, Voltaire of France, and Tom Paine of Ameri- ca, with a host of other infidel writers who may be named: they have all done noth- ing against the Almighty. But let Henry Cooper be held up in the mid heavens, by an angel, for the whole race of man to look upon ; and let Gabriel, with his trumpet, announce to gazing worlds, this is God's noblest work, and all the human race would become Atheists in a day." We returnedto Winchester on our borrowed ponies, took our horses that had been brought from Defiance, and reached the Wayne Circuit Court in good time.
At the expiration of Mr. Smith's term, in 1828, Hon. John Test, then of Brookville, Ind., was elected from the same district, for the term of 1229-30, and was succeeded by Jonathan McCarty,* of Fort Wayne ; the latter taking his seat in 1831.
Mr. Worth, of Randolph county, was elected State Senator, and Anthony L. Davis, of Allen, Representative, in 1829, during which year the counties of Allen, Randolph and Delaware, including also the territory north thereof, was formed into a senatorial district ; while Allen, Cass, Randolph, and Delaware, were organized into a
* Mr. MeCarty had previously been receiver of public money at the land office here, at which time Captain Robert Brackenridge was register in said office.
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30S
HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE.
Representative District. In 1830,* Mr. Worth was again elected a Senator, and Joseph Holman chosen a Representative from the foregoing district, at which session, Allen, Randolph, St. Joseph, Elkhart and Delaware were formed into a senatorial district, from which, in the following year, (1831,f) Mr. Worth was again elected State Senator, and Samuel Hanna, from the district at this time formed out of Allen, Elkhart and St. Joseph, was chosen a Repre- sentative. The following year, (1832,) Samuel Hanna, of Allen county, was selected State Senator, and George Crawford, of Elk- hart, Representative. The following year, Mr. Hanna was re-elec- ted Senator, and David H. Colerick, Esq., chosen Representative. The " Board of Justices " having, in 1829, been changed to that of " County Board of Commissioners," consisting of James Hol- man, Wm. Caswell, and N. Coleman, on the 29th of September of this year, it having been previously presented that two-thirds of the citizens of Fort Wayne were in favor of incorporating the place, the County Commissioners ordered an election of Trustees, the following gentlemen being chosen therefor : John S. Archer, W. G. Ewing, Hugh Hanna, Dr. L. G. Thompson and John P. Hedges. In the month of November following, the first meeting of this Board took place.
By an act of Congress of May 31st, 1830, the associate judges of Allen county were authorized to enter some twenty acres of land off the west side of the fort reserve, at $1.25 per acre, which was complied with and patented to them March 31st, 1831. Having previously been transferred to the agent, and for the use of Allen county, by order of the County Board, these twenty acres were laid off, platted, and filed Nov. 3d, 1830, and designated " County Addi- tion."
The remains of the fort reservation, by an act of Congress, was set apart for the benefit of the canal, and, with other public lands, at Logansport, Ind., was subsequenty offered at public anction, and purchased by Cyrus Taber, who, April 15th, 1835, portioned it off into forty lots, which have since been known as " Taber's Addition."
* At this period there were but 252 males, over 21 years of age, in Allen county.
i The winter of this year, (1831,) was a most remarkable one. As early as the latter part of November, snow began to fall, and continued to lie upon the ground until the middle of March following ; and the settlers, during this long season of snow, with their roughly-constructed pole " jumpers," together with frolicking upon the ice of the adjacent streams, sought to, and did enjoy themselves most freely and happily. So in- tense, much of the time, was the eold and great the depth of the snow during this long winter, that-though the settlers suffered but little from lack of food, and the gen- eral neces saries of life- -- the animals of the forest were brought to the greatest hunger ; and the wolves, of which there were still vast numbers throughout the north west, and wnich onty 'disappeared from the country, as the red man receded --- were brought to such a state of hunger, that their fierce howlings were nightly heard by the citizens of the place; and it was long unsafe for the settlers to venture far beyond the limits of the town. The Indians also suffered greatly this winter for food, and several of them were killed and eaten by the wolves. So reduced were the Indians, in some instances, that they actually ate dead earrions that had lain upon the ground for months. What Was minst peculiar with the wolves, during this long winter, which exhibited largely the native instinct of this animal, they would never make a direct attack upon man or boust, unless their numbers were sufficient to insure their success.
309
SUCCESSION OF JUDGES.
Previous to 1825, the associate judges of the different counties in the State also exercised probate jurisdiction. the clerk thereof acting also as clerk of the Circuit Court, while the sheriff acted for both.
It was in this year, (1825,) November 14th, that the organization of the first Court for Probate purposes occurred, which met at the Old Washington Hall, and was presided over by Samuel Hanna and Benjamin Cushman.
On the 23d of May, (1825,) in a small book, some six inches spuare, the first entry of letters of administration was made.
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