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 44
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Tell no more of those primitive days, And cheery pioneer ways,
wherein, but a few years since, she mingled so hopefully and free.
With Gallagher, in his "Song of the Pioneers," how cheerfully can she, as, " with halting step," she moves forward, in view of
" Another land more bright than this,"
join in the pleasing refrain-
" A song for the early times out west, And our green old forest home, Whose pleasant memories freshly yet Across the bosom come :
We shnnn'd not labor : when t'was due We wrought with right good will ; And for the homes we won for them, Our children bless us still. We lived not hermit lives, but oft In social converse met ; And fires of love were kindled then, That burn on warmly yet.
Our forest life was rough and rude And dangers closed us round ; But here, amid the green old trees, Freedom was sought and found. * Oh, merrily pass'd the time, despite Our wily Indian foe, In the days when we were pioneers, Fifty years ago."
ALLEN HAMILTON.
-0 --
One of the carly settlers of Fort Wayne, was the late Allen Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton was a native of Ireland, born in the county of Tyrone, in the year 1798. At the age of 18, meeting with a gentleman of some talent, who had but recently returned from a visit to America, young Hamilton listened with great attention to the glowing description of the New World-its free institutions, &e., and so thoroughly imbued was he with the excellence and beauty of the new country over the waters, that he returned home to his aunt's, with whom he was then living,
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ALLEN HAMILTON.
with a full determination of seeking a home in America, and to emigrate thither just as soon as his means would admit ; and, accordingly, in July, 1817, having acquired through his own exertions and by the aid of friends, sufficient means to bring him across the deep, with a small sum also to maintain him for a short period after his arrival in the Canadas, or until such time as he should be able to obtain em- ployment, he set sail for Quebec, whither he arrived in due course of time, and soon presented himself to friends of his aunt, then residing there, who sought at once, through the commendation of his aunt, to obtain employment for him. But he seemed destined to meet with trouble and be deprived of the advantages presented by the recommendation of his aunt and efforts of his friends ; for, but a few days had elapsed before he was taken sick with the ship fever, a disease that had prevailed on board the vessel that had brought him to Quebec. For six weeks young Hamilton lingered with this fatal malady. Beginning to show strong symptoms of recovery at the expiration of this time, through his physician's advice, he sought to reach a milder climate, and had only succeeded in reaching Montreal, when he was taken with a relapse of his recent attack of fever. His little means was now nearly exhausted, and upon his recovery from the fever that had greatly prostrated and enfeebled him, he found himself with but a small sum over and above his physician's fee; and desiring to reach Philadelphia, with no one to aid him in the procurance of money he sold some of his most valuable wardrobe in order to obtain the necessary means for his journey to the city of Brotherly Love.
After many vicissitudes and a long and tedious journey afoot, he at length reached Philadelphia. Without means and without friends, he wandered about the streets in pursuit of employment, almost despairing of obtaining anything to bring him & competency-still looking pale and haggard from his late illness. Butat length his eyes fell upon a notice for laborers, tacked " on the door of an iron store." It was a moment of joy to him; yet the thought of his enfeebled situation flashed upon him, and fears soon arose in his mind as to the probability of his being able to obtain the position offered ; for he had already, in his efforts and wanderings for a place, been refused a situation " as a common porter on account of his delicate appearance." From momentary distrust and fear, his feelings rose to the height of unwavering resolution and courage; and he at once entered the iron store. A benevolent Quaker chanced to be the proprietor of the establishment. Young Hamilton soon presented his claims, and having told his story, which was listened to attentively by his new acquaintance, the Quaker gentleman promised his assistance; and but about two days had elapsed before young Hamilton found himself, through the aid of his new benefactor, in "a clerkship, with a salary of one hundred dollars a year and board."
With "an increased salary," our young adventurer remained with his new em- plo yer till the spring of 1820, when he determined to visit the west, with a view to meeting a consin of the name of James Dill, who had formerly been a general in the army. Learning that Mr. Dill resided in Lawrenceburg'n, Ind., young Hamilton soon made his way to that point, and found his cousin in the position of Clerk of the Dearborn' County Court. Desiring "to prepare himself for the bar," young Hamilton soon proposed to his cousin to enter his office, "agreeing to write six hours a day for his board and the use of his library; " which seems to have been readily agreed upon.
Here young Hamilton remained for some time, forming the acquaintance of many men of note, and, among others, made the acquaintance of Hon. Jesse L. Holman, then one of the Judges of the Supreme Court ; and it was to the daughter of Judge Holman, (Miss Emeline J. Holman, ) that Mr. Hamilton was subsequently united in wedlock,-a most amiable and intelligent woman, who still survives Mr. H.
Being induced, by Capt. Samuel C. Vance, to visit this famous military point in 1823, Mr. Hamilton was so much pleased with the general aspect of the country surrounding, and especially with the beauty of the scenery, about the confluence of the St. Mary and St. Joseph, besides perceiving many advantages of a desireable nature, he soon concluded to take up his abode here for the future. Captain Vance, a short time previous to his departure for Fort Wayne, having been appointed Register of the Land Office, then located here, Mr. Hamilton expressed to him his determination to remain here, and at once entered the land office as a deputy regis- ter, where he also "pursued his legal studies, with a view of being admitted to the
.
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HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE.
bar as soon as the naturalization laws of the country would permit." But the country being yet very thinly populated, and thinking the law business would hardly prove remunerative, he abandoned further preparation as a lawyer, and subsequently turned his attention to that of merchandising-having, through " his good character, been enabled to purchase a small stock of goods on credit." This occurred about a year after his advent here with Capt. Vance. His stock was small, and the trade was principally with the Indians, who were then very numerous here-perhaps thirty to every white man in the region.
In his new enterprise, he was quite successful, and two years later, he was enabled to bring hither a very extensive stock of goods, with capital and credit largely increased.
Associating himself, at an early period of his business relations here, with Cyrus Taber, Esq., recently of Logansport, Ind., under the title of Hamilton & Taber, Mr. Hamilton now advanced rapidly in material wealth and influence; and the firm of Hamilton & Taber long enjoyed an extensive and enviable reputation and credit.
Possessing much of the tact and good nature of Sir Wm. Johnson, with whoin the reader is already familiar, Mr. Hamilton early won the confidence and friend- ship of the Indians, and was especially liked and admired by the Miamies, who early and for years confided their business affairs to him. Chief Richardville, during several years prior to his demise, in 1841, had entrusted his affairs to the keeping of Mr. Hamilton, and never ventured upon any enterprise, legal transaction, or busi- ness affair of any kind, in his own behalf or that of his tribe, without first consulting his friend Hamilton ; and the result was, that immense sums of money were not only placed in his charge by the Indians, but large amounts were often disbursed among them by him. Knowing the Indian character well, and their fondness for liquor, it often occurred, when they came to town, and desired to get "squabby," they would call upon Mr. Hamilton for sho-nia; but, instead of giving them money at such times, he would often persuade them to accept of something else, in order to discourage their thirst and desire for liquor; for which they would unhesitatingly spend all their money, if even, amounting to hundreds of dollars, in a few days. In this way, and for this reason he often induced them to take goods, and such ar- ticles that would serve them as clothing, &c., rather than see them throw their money away for liquor, and then lie about drunk, or, being maddened and bewil- dered by the liquor, kill or dangerously wound each other in the broils and petty animosities, sure to be awakened when intoxicated.
That . Mr. Hamilton was largely indebted to the Indians for the major part of his wealth and business success, he often averred in his life time; but while this is true, it is clear that the Indians were long and largely in his debt for the great care and attention he always bestowed upon them, in transacting their business affairs, giving them much kindly advice, &c., during many years subsequent to their removal beyond the Mississippi, in 1846; and the Indians ever, to the time of their departure, for the west, and to the day of Mr. Hamilton's death, held him in high esteem.
In 1824, Mr. Hamilton received the appointment of Sheriff, for the purpose of organizing the county of Allen ; which office, by a subsequent election by the peo- ple, he held for two years. In 1830, he was chosen county clerk, and remained in this position seven years. In 1824, commissioners having been chosen " to negotiate a treaty with the Miamies," Mr. Hamilton was chosen Secretary of the commission- ers; and in 1838, being again tendered the secretaryship, he declined to accept it. In 1840, though politically opposed to the administration of Mr. Van Buren, who wasthen President of the U. S., Mr. Hamilton was appointed a commissioner with others, to treat with the Miamie Indians in the extinguishment of their land claims in Indiana, and to induce them to remove to Kansas; which terminated agreeably to the wishes of the government. In these latter relations, in view of his great influence with the Indians, Mr. Hamilton proved most servicable to the State and government. Constantly exposed, as they were here, to the whisky barrel and its debasing influences, Mr. Hamilton readily saw that they must soon be destroyed as a people, if they remained under its influence; and he humanely sought to induce their withdrawal to a point westward where they would see less of the traffic, and have a larger and more abundant field for the pursuit of their favorite mode of
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ALLEN HAMILTON.
life-that of hunting and fishing; and readily succeeded in inducing a large mass of them to leave for the west.
During the administration of General Harrison, in 1841, Mr. Hamilton was ap- pointed agent of the Miamies, which position he held till 1844, when he resigned. Some $300,000 or $400,000 were disbursed by Mr. Hamilton during the period of this agency, to the satisfaction of both the government and the Indians of the time.
Accustomed to frequent association with Chief Richardville, they enjoyed many a jocular contest. On one occasion, some years ago, Mr. Hamilton was ridinga very spirited, fine-looking horse along Columbia street, and the Chief, who then had a trading house about where stands the store of Messrs. Heustis & Hamilton, in accordance with quite a prevalent custom with the Indians of the time, when they saw anything that pleased them very much, taking a fancy to the animal, cried out : " I strike on that horse, Mr. Hamilton." Seeing the Chief had the ad- vantage of him in the "strike," Mr. Hamilton at once alighted and handed the horse over to the future care and keeping of the Chief, who, according to the custom, at once became the bona-fide owner of the horse. The next "strike" necessarily fell to Mr. Hamilton, and he was not long indifferent to the right now in his pos- session. So, some time subsequent to this "strike" of the Chief, he and Mr. Ham- ilton were riding together along the Wabash, where the Chief had several very fine reserves of land, one of which, particularly, drew the attention of Mr. Hamilton, and he at once exclaimed to Richardville: "Chief, I strike on this section." " Well," said the Chief, " I make you a deed for it, but we'll not strike any more." Mr. Hamilton got the land; and though the Chief had the first "strike," yet Mr. Hamilton certainly had the largest. But the matter ended in the greatest good feeling.
A convention for the revision of the Constitution of the State of Indiana being called in 1850, Mr. Hamilton was chosen a member, over a very popular. Demo- cratic competitor, by a large majority, which was a marked evidence of the esteem in which he was then held by the people. In the convention Mr. H. received the appointment of "Chairman of the committee on currency and banking." Among other important measures brought forward and adopted by this convention, was that of a provision for the establishment of free banking institutions, in which Mr. Hamilton wielded a most salutary influence; and the general proceedings of the convention were signalized by many wise and beneficial enactments, in all of which Mr. H. took an active part. Not possessed of great oratorical powers, he readily devoted himself to work-was an active working member-and made his points tell, whenever he presented them for consideration.
In the summer of 1857, Mr. Hamilton visited Europe-among other places the home of his boyhood, where he remained till the summer of the following year, Soon after his return home he was chosen, by a handsome majority, representative in the State legislature, which position he continued to hold during the whole term of elec- tion (four years), much to the satisfaction of the people generally of this section of the State -- and here again, he was a working member,-striving on all occasions, where matters of general or special public interest came up for attention, to devote him- self to the achievement of "the greatest good to the greatest number."
For some years after the expiration of his senatorial term, he continued to devote himself to his business relations in Fort Wayne; had been for some years Presi- dent of the Branch Bank of Indiana, which was located at Fort Wayne some years previous to the convention already referred to ; and the name of ALLEN HAMILTON is still familiarly associated with the banking interests of Fort Wayne-the old familiar banking-house of "Allen Hamilton & Co.," still retaining the name and title of the old firm.
Being now possessed of ample means, including a considerable amount of real estate,-a comfortable and beautiful home, with numerous advantages in almost every material point of view that might relate to business, political or social dis- tinction-warm friends, and a commanding position as a man of marked integrity, intelligence, and good nature, he was enabled to look back upon his trying advent in the New World, and his first "small beginnings " at the village of Fort Wayne with no little interest. The
: " tide in the affairs of men,
Which', taken at the flood, leads on to fortune,"
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HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE.
had of late years signally favored him; and once fairly before the current of success, he seemed to have moved resolutely forward, gathering strength, at every turn- adding continually to his little fund still larger amounts, until at length he was able to count his hundreds of thousands, and, finally, in August, 1864, died a prosperous banker, and a most worthy citizen of a noble and worthy country.
0-
MRS. EMELINE GRISWOLD.
This eldest of the few remaining pioneer mothers of Fort Wayne, who came to this point at a very early day, is now in her seventy-sixth year. She is of French ori- gin, and was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1792. As the reader will already have scen, she came to Fort Wayne as early as 1807, with her grandfather and grand- mother, Batis Maloch and wife, the former being attracted hither in the capacity of a trader, this then being, as it had been for some years before, and so continued for many years after, a noted trading post with the Indians.
At the time of her advent here, she was a sprightly girl of sixteen. Her maiden name was Sheptaun. It was not the intention of her friends to remain permanently here when they came; but the scenery and everything in the region, though wild and uncultivated, proved so agreeable to them, and the trade that had called them hither so profitable, that they concluded to make their future home here; and at once located near the fort.
From an early period after their settlement here,-having sometime subse- quently been united to a Mr. James Peltier, long a trader with the Indians of the northwest, and much liked by them,-the subject of this sketch became a great favorite with the Indians of this locality; and their warm regard for her enabled her to wield a most potent influence over their actions during many years of frontier life in this section of the northwest. Many of her narrations are indeed most thrilling and interesting.
Some time prior to the siege of 1812, some of the occupants of the garrison had received an invitation to join a pleasure party at the house of a French family, a short distance down the Maumee, and being somewhat fearful of the Indians then lurking about, and many of them by no means friendly towards the Americans, the young Miss Sheptaun, the subject of this sketch, was placed in the lead to shield the party from harm, should the Indians attempt to molest them. Leaving the fort, the party had not proceeded far in the direction of their place of destination, when some of the unfriendly Indians caught sight of them, and rushed suddenly upon them, intending to kill them. The Americans at once began to huddle about their leader and protectoress. Upon a near approach to the party, the Indians suddenly recognized their friend and favorite, Madamoselle S., who at once insisted that her friends must not be hurt or disturbed. The Indians now began to make some effort to sieze and strike the Americans, saying to her in their tongue, (for she could freely talk with them in their own language,) that if it were not for her they would kill the Americans. But she finally prevailed upon them to withdraw, and the party, much rejoiced, soon proceeded again on their way down the Maumee, arriving safely at the house of the French family they had started to visit and join in the festivities in view, enjoying themselves for several hours, and returning again in safety to the fort in the evening. Had the party thus ventured upon a pleasure excursion alone, or for any other purpose gone out of the garrison, at this period, it is not improbable that they would all have been killed by the Indians. Such was . the young Miss Sheptaun's control over the savge men at Ke-ki-ong-a at the time. Sometime subsequent to this event, some unfriendly Indians made an attack upon the fort. At this time she was alone in the hut occupied by herself and friends, the latter being then absent. Having made a sally upon the fort, a small party of Indians passed down the hill, to the northwest of the garrison & short distance, where the hut in which the subject of our sketch then resided, and stepped into the cabin, where they unexpectedly found their favorite alone. Instead of raising the tomahawk to kill her-as was then and formerly often the case when meet-
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W. G. AND G. W. EWING.
ing a white male or female under similar circumstances-and would doubtless have been the result, in this instance, had any other than the family of their friend lived there,-they simply asked her for something to eat, which she freely and pleasantly gave them. Having partaken of the food set before them, the Indians signifiod that they were sleepy, and desired to lie down ; and the savage party at once stretched themselves upon the floor of the cabin, where they soon fell asleep, and continued to snore heavily for some hours, when, fearing lest some of the garrison might come down, and see them thus quietly enjoying themselves, in her presence, she awoke them and told them they had better go away, as some of the men from the fort might come down and shoot them ; to which they willingly assented, and soon passed out of the cabin-door, and strode away across the common and the St. Mary, toward the northwest, leaving their heroic friend and favorite again alone and unmolested.
Let the reader go back to those frontier times for a moment, and look about him. What a wild scene is presented about the point where now so much of life and civili- zation are want to be seen and enjoyed. What a contrast between the present and the Fort Wayne of that period,-a lonely garrison, with a few indifferent huts nearit, far removed from the confines of civilized life; surrounded by a wily foe, daily seeking an opportunity to destroy the inmates of the Post, and make themselves masters again of this old rendezvous and scene of their early associations-what & contrast, I repeat, do we behold between the scenes through which the subject of this sketch so long ago passed, and the aspect presented to-day in the same locality and for miles around this old center of Indian life in the Northwest ! Yet our pioneer mother, the once sprightly M'lle Sheptaun, has lived on through all the years of this great change, and, with a few others of "long ago," is with us to-day, to tell the story of the past-to tell the little ones, as well as the older folk, of those romantic days in the west, when the country was yet a vast wilderness, and the red man was lord of the forest-feared by day as well as by night.
But let us return to our story again. The Indians had not long been gone from the cabin of our heroine, before an officer of the fort, seeing none of the Indians about, ventured down to the little cabin to ascertain whether its inmates had been killed or not. Finding her still safe, and hearing her story of the manner in which she got rid of the warriors, he at once insisted that she must go into the fort, where she would be more secure, whither she went, and where, with her uncle, David Bourie, and other friends, she resided for some months, prior to and during the famous siege of Fort Wayne, in : 812.
Though now in the decline of life, her memory is yet quite acute, and when in a talkative mood, she readily and frequently details to her friends and acquaintances many interesting scenes and incidents of her early days at Fort Wayne.
THE EWINGS-W. G. AND G. W. EWING.
Most prominent among the early settlers of Fort Wayne, was the Ewing family ; and having been favored with a manuscript account of the family, written as early as 1855, by Col. G. W. Ewing, deceased, while on a visit to Washington City, D. C., I here introduce a portion of the same, which will be read with no little interest by the many surviving friends of the Colonel and his esteemed brother, Wm. G. Ewing-while the stranger will find much to gratify his curiosity in its perusal.
" WASHINGTON CITY, D. C., "April 24th, 1855.
" Being the last and only remaining one of the four brothers, and in view of the uncertainty of life, I have thought that it would be but right, and that it was perhaps, a duty I owe to those who survive me, that I should make a statement of reminisences and facts within my knowledge, relative to the genealogy, rise, and progress of the family to which I belong.
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HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE.
" The absence of any record respecting my own parents, and of their fore-fathers, has always been a source of regret to me, as well as to my lamented brother.
"We could glean but a meager knowledge of them, only as it was gathered, incidentally, in conversation, from time to time, with our beloved parents. Even this, we failed and neglected to perpetuate, for my noble brothers were yet in the prime of manhood, and counted not on dying so soon.
" But they have all sunk to their final rest, and I am spared. I will not there- fore longer defer, but will aim to make a plain statement from memory relative to the Ewing family.
" My father, Alexander Ewing, was born in the State of Pennsylvania, (the county not recollected, ) about the year 1763, of Irish parentage-the third son- (his father's name was also Alexander) had two older brothers named William and Samuel.
" About the year 1769, my father, then a lad of some sixteen years of age, attracted by the spirit of patriotismn, which, at that trying period, governed every true American, repaired to Philadelphia, and there enlisted in the continental army, and remained in service during the last three years of the glorious Revolutionary war. I often heard my brave sire speak of the incidents of that war, and of his love and veneration for Gen. Washington ; but like many other young and thought- less men who served in the Revolutionary war, he failed to preserve the written evidence of his discharge, or to leave behind him any statement showing what regi- ment he served in or the name of his commander.
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