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 45
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" The next I remember of my father's history is, that some years after peace was restored, perhaps as late as the year 1787, he was engaged in a trading expedition, in what was then called 'the far west,' among the Six Nation Indian tribe. He erected a trading post on 'Buffalo Creek,' then an entire wilderness, and extended his winter trading expedition, after furs and peltries, into the country of the Alleghany mountains, encountering all the privations and hardships that are usual in a frontier life.
" Where once stood his humble trading cabin, now stands the great and growing commercial city of Buffalo.
" A few years later, and my father had settled down, prosperously, on a large and splendid farm, on the Genessee flats, near the village of ' Big Tree.' This is in the State of New York, on the Genessee river, some sixty miles above the city of Rochester. There he courted and married my mother, whose maiden name was Charlotte Griffith, the daughter of Wm. Griffith, a most excellent and moral man, of Welsh descent, and a farmer by vocation. The nuptials of my beloved parents, were celebrated at or near Avon Springs, not far from what is now known as Gen- esseeo. I cannot state the year that they were married, but think it must have been in 1795, or there abouts. An aunt of mine, my father's youngest sister, ' Katy,' or Catherine Ewing, was married, at the same time, to the Hon. John Jones. This uncle and aunt continued to reside on the Genessee flats, for many years; raised a large family of sons and daughters, and finally, both died there. These Jones are first cousins of mine-my mother had also several sisters and broth- ers; two of her sisters resided near Genesseeo, and do yet if not dead. One w: married to a Mr. Squires-the other to Hon. John White. They have both raised large and highly respectable families.
"In the year 1802, my parents, in consequence of reverse fortune-my father having lost his splendid farm and residence, in consequence of security debts,- removed from the State of New York, and settled on the river Raisin, in the terri- tory of Michigan, where now stands the village of Monroe, a beautiful and flour- ishing town. There my brothers, Wm. G. and Alex. H. Ewing, were born-and there too, I was born. In 1807, my parents moved to the State of Ohio, and settled in the small frontier town of ' Washington,' now known as Piqua-there, and at Troy, a town seven miles south of Piqua, we resided, until the year 1822. At Piqua, my sister Lovina was born, and at Troy, my sister Louisa .- (I forgot to state, in the proper place, that Sophia C., our elder sister, and the first born of our family,-and Charles W. Ewing, our eldest brother, were born in the State of New York, previous to our parents removing from the Genessee country.)
" In the war of 1812, my father volunteered and accompanied the Northwestern ermy, under command of Wm. H. Harrison. He was along in the fall campaign
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W. G. AND. G. W. EWING.
of 1813, when the great war chief, Tecumseh, and his British allies, were defeated at the celebrated battle of the Thames. My father attached himself, as a volunteer, to the spies, commanded by Capt. Wm. Griffith, my mother's eldest brother, a brave, and gallant officer. He received two balls, in the skirmish at the crossing of the river at the Moravian Towns, a few days before the final action, but they were not mortal. James Knaggs, another uncle of mine, by marriage, to one of my mother's sisters, and who is yet living near Monroe, Michigan, was also a spy, under Capt. Griffith.
" At the battle of the Thames, which, if my recollection is right, was fought on the 5th day of Oct., 1813-the great Shawnee war chief, Tecumseh, was killed. He was a brave, gallant, and noble Indian, and an implacable enemy of all the ‘pale faces,' but not cruel, nor savage. He would not do a mean action. I saw him frequently, in 1810, and though then a lad only seven years old, still I recollect him well-heard him speak in council to Gen. Harrison, before the war of 1812 broke out. He was a native orator, a most graceful and elegant-looking Indian. My father and uncle Knagg found and recognized his body, very shortly after the battle of the Thames was over, for they both knew him well. In a short time after- wards, his person, being recognized and known, the Kentuckians cut all the skin off' his body, to carry home as trophies, to be used, as they said, for 'razor straps.'
" My uncle, Capt. Wmn. Griffith, was in the massacre at Chicago, in August, 1812, where Capt. Wells, and nearly the entire command, of two or three companies of infantry, were overpowered and nearly all massacred, by a very large force (sup- posed to have been three thousand) of Indians. They showed no quarters, except to a very few, whom they made prisoners. Capt. Griffith was among the latter, though he had fought gallantly during the whole fight. He was believed, by the Indians, to be a Frenchman-for he spoke the Canadian French language -- and on this account his life was spared.
"The Northwestern Indians have always entertained a great friendship for the French, and call them their 'brothers.' Under this disguise, Capt. Griffith was spared from the tomahawk, and he soon after made his escape, and returned home in safety, but immediately again joined the army, and marched against the com- bined British and Indians, under Gen. Richard M. Johnson, of Kentucky. Capt. Griffith was a brave and gallant officer. He died in 1824, and was buried amid the ruins of old Fort Meigs. He left one daughther and two sons.
" In the spring of 1822, my parents moved from Troy, in the State of Ohio, to Fort Wayne, in the State of Indiana. On the first day of January, 1827, my father died, aged about sixty-three years. His disease was asthina, and other in- firmities, produced by a life of hardship and adventure. He was a man of limited education, but possessed a strong will and indomitable energy ; with him, to will was to do. He was a man of warm impulses-a true friend, and a bitter enemy. He was proud of his family, and delighted in the well doing of his children; was proud of his sons, and rejoiced in their prosperity. He was a Free Mason, and bore the title of 'Colonel.' His personal appearance was commanding. He was six feet high ; straight, athletic, and active, when young. His complexion was rather light, his hair was auburn, and his eyes were blue. His weight, up to the age of forty years, did not exceed, perhaps, 170 lbs; but in after years, he became large, and somewhat corpulent, weighing over 200 lbs. His mortal remains were, by his own request, interred on a small mound, on the prairie, (his own land, ) just west of what was then the village of Fort Wayne. This sacred spot is marked by a small oak tree, still standing-but in consequence of the construction of the Wa- bash and Erie Canal, in 1833, which passed very near to this spot, my brother, (Wm. G. Ewing, ) and myself, thought it an unfit place for the final reposing of the remains of our father; so, in 1847, we erected a vault, known as the 'Ewing Vault,' situated in the public grave yard immediately south of the ' Ewing addition' to Fort Wayne, and there we caused to be deposited our father's mortal remains- enclosed in a zink coffin. The remains of our dear mother, and eldest brother, Charles W. Ewing, and of his little infant sou, are also there-in zink coffins; and lastly, the remains of my last, and most lamented brother, Wm. G. Ewing, are there.
"I next proceed to speak of my most excellent and estimable mother, whose goodness I shall never forget. My mother, (Charlotte Ewing, ) was many years younger than my father. She was, in all relations of life, a most worthy and
26
HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE.
excellent woman-a good neighbor, a kind mother, and possessed of great good- ness of disposition, as well as energy of character. Her industry and solicitudo for the success and happiness of her children, knew no bounds. It was the grand object of her honorable life. She clung to her children like a true mother, and no matter what the cold world said or did, she never, for a moment, withdrew from them, her love. She remained single, after the death of our father, and resided alternately among her children, each vieing with the other for her society.
" After my marriage, which was on the 10th of December, 1828, she resided much with me, and it was the happiest period of my life. She looked upon my wife, as if she had been her own daughter, and, for the love she bore me, took great interest in her. In return, my wife often, told me, that she loved my mother better than she loved her own mother.
"On the 18th day of March, 1843, my good mother departed this life, at the resi- dence of her eldest daughter, Mrs. Sophia C. Hood-and within an hundred yards of where I then resided. She lingered for many weeks, and finally died, from the effect of a large abscess, which had formed on her right side, internally. It was a mournful satisfaction to me, that I happened to be at home, and where I could, and did attend in person, on her, during all the time of her last sickness.
" She died, as she had lived-in peace, and with good-will to all. She was not, strictly speaking, a member of any christian denomination, at the time of her death, though she had, in former years, been a member of the Methodist church, and was always pious, and exceedingly moral in all her acts. She was a firm be- liever in the christian religion, and in a future existence, and I think she expressed her regrets to her daughter, Mrs. Hood, that she had not attached herself, formally, to some church and continued through life as a member-this was on her death- bed, during her last sickness. She died in March, 1843, at the age of sixty-three years, having survived my father, and remained a widow some sixteen years. Her remains were temporarily interred in the grave yard at Peru, Ind., adjoining Mrs. Hood's residence, where she died, but were afterwards removed to Fort Wayne and deposited in our family vault there. Her life had been a virtuous and well spent one, and she died without reproach, respected and esteemed by all who knew her. " My parents left a valuable property, and the estate has been divided equally among the seven heirs-namely, their four sons and three daughters.
The Ewing family are of Irish extraction-we are descended from Irish patriots who bore our name, and who were obliged to leave their native country because of their republican sentiments.
" Some of them settled in Pennsylvania-some in Kentucky-and some in Ten- nessee. The Hon. Thos. Ewing, of Ohio, is distantly related to us-so are most of the Ewings of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Missouri; and it is a remarkable circum- stance, and fact, which I may here insert, without being guilty of egotism, that I never yet saw, or knew, a man of this family, of Ewings, (and I have seen and know very many of them), who was not a man of more than ordinary talents, and and ability, and many of them, were prominent, and distinguished men. The Hon. Thos. Ewing is one of the most distinguished lawyers and statesmen of this country ; was Secretary of the Treasury, under Gen. Harrison's administration, in 1841, and again in 1853, was Secretary of the Interior, under Gen. Taylor. Has several times represented his State, (Ohio) in the U. S. Senato. Hon. Wm. Lee D. Ewing, one of the Kentucky branch, was also a prominent man-was once U. S. Senator from the State of Illinois, where he resided up to the time of his death. Hon. Andrew Ewing was a Representative in Congress, from Tennessee, and the Hon. Prebley Ewing was also a Representative in Congress, from Kentucky; and thus I might go on, speaking of others, of the name and kindred, who have filled, with signal ability, many places of honor and responsibility; but I will not enlarge- my object being simply to give, from memory, a simple and truthful family narra- tive, which may survive me, and be read with interest, by my children and their descendents,-and I cherish the fond hope that they will aim to emulate those who have preceded them, and add to our family name and reputation, ratherthan, by un- worthy conduct, sink down, and detract from it. I wish that they would not only read and study the course and conduct of my lamented brother, Wm. G. Ewing, and of Alex. H. Ewing, and myself, but I want them to appreciate them, and aim to profit by our examples."
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W. G. AND G. W. EWING.
The names of the seven heirs mentioned in the foregoing, were Hon. Charles Wayne Ewing, some years ago President-Judge of the 8th Judicial Circuit of the State of Indiana; and ever esteemed, and yet extensively and kindly remembered, for his many excellent, intelligent traits of character; but who came to a very unhappy end, several years since, by destroying his own life in a fit of sorrow, brought on by an ill-advised marriage-a want of compatibility of temperaments; Wm. G. Ewing, formerly Judge of the Allen county Probate Court, also much beloved and regarded for his fine intellectual qualities and spirit of generosity ; Alexander H. Ewing, for some years a very successful merchant at Cincinnati, Ohio; Geo. W. Ewing,# widely known for his fine business and general intellectual qualifications ; Sophia C. Ewing, relict of Smallwood Noel, Esq ; Lovina, deceased, some years ago married to the Hon. Geo. B. Walker, of Logansport, Ind .; Louisa, consort of Dr. Charles E. Sturgis, of Fort Wayne. Charles W. and Sophia C. were born at Big Tree ; Lovina and Louisa Ewing at Troy, Ohio.
As early as 1827, Wm. G. and Geo. W. Ewing began their business operations, whichhave since become so extensive and widely known, under the title of " W. G. & G. W. Ewing; " and " by their articles ofcopartnership, all their estate, of any name and nature, became, and continued to be, the common property of the firm, until the 11th day of July, 1854, when the co-partnership ceased by the death of William." Ever reposing the largest confidence in each other, "no settlement of accounts ever took place between them."
In connection with their general business transactions, they established, at different times, a number of "side partnerships and branches," in Fort Wayne, Logansport, and La Gro, Ind .; in Michigan, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Wiscon- sin ; and it is said "their business extended from Europe to the Rocky mountains." With numerous and faithful employees, their name was long familiar "in every town and hamlet from the Alleghany to the Rocky mountains "-embracing exten- sive buildings and property in the cities of Chicago, Ills., and St. Louis, Mo .; also, under the firm of W. G. & G. W. Ewing, large business operations were carried on at Westport, Mo.
After the demise of Wm. G. Ewing, 11th of July, 1854, while on a visit to Lake Superior, Geo. W. gave much of his time to the winding up of the extensive business relations of the firmn ; and, aided by his agents and confidential friends, Mess. Miner & Lytle, by the 10th of October, 1865, made " a full, final, and complete setilement to the satisfaction of the administrators and legatees of his brother's estate," and which was "confirmed at the March Term (1866, ) of the Common Pleas Court of the county of Allen," and the estate of Wm. G. Ewing closed."
At quitean early day, Col. Geo. W. Ewing was engaged in trade, and indeed began his first business operations among, the Shawanoe Indians, establishing a trading- post at the famous Indian village of Waughpocanata, Auglaize county, Ohio. In 1826, he attended the treaty of the Miamie Indians; and seems here to have laid the foundation of his subsequent business success. After this treaty, others were held at different points in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois, which he also attended, and "took a prominent part."
Being united in wedlock to Miss Harriet Bourie, in 1828, Col. Ewing now settled down at the village of Fort Wayne, where he remained till 1830, when he, with his family and a few others then living here, removed to the Wabash, at the mouth of Eel river, where they founded the present thriving city of Logansport, Ind. Quitting this point in 1839, with his family, he took up his residence at Peru, Ind., where he remained till October, 1846; when he removed to St. Louis, Mo. Here, in January, 1847, he lost his wife, and where he continued to reside till the death of his brother, William G. Ewing. It now became necessary that he should return
#The following, found among some of his papers after his decease, which refers, in part, to the MSS. from which the foregoing extracts are made, will show much of the finer feeling that imbued his inner life. "It is my intention," says he, " to complete this family sketeh, (but he died, leaving it unfinished) if I can ever get time-and I will revise it, and divest it of all unkind expressions, for I would not transmit any thing of that kind to a future generation. It would be in bad taste. The good that men do liy es after them, whilst their errors should be buried with them in their graves. To orr is human, and where is that man who never errs ? To forgive, when malice, and hatred, detraction, and ingratitude, have done their worst, is manly and noble."
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HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE.
to Fort Wayne, to attend to the business affairs of the firm here; and, in the latter part of December, 1865, he came back to his old home and the scenes of his early association ; but his period of physical life now seemed destined to be of short dura- tion. Upon his arrival in Fort Wayne, he found himself greatly afflicted with bilious pneumonia, from which he sometime after had only partially recov- ered, when heart disease took a severe hold upon him ; and after a lingering and most painful illness of some five months, on the 29th day of May, 1866, his spirit passed quietly away to the brighter land beyond the grave.
The estate of Wm. G. Ewing was quite extensive, amounting to some $750,000, 200,000 of which fell to his excellent wite, who still survives him ; while the children of G. W. fell heir to the main bulk of his large fortune of about 1, 225,000 dollars ; and Messrs. Miner & Lytle, by certain provisions of the will left by the Colo- nel, are supervising the erection of many large and handsome buildings in Fort Wayne, Chicago, St. Louis, and elsewhere; the income from which, with other property of the estate of Geo. W., must reach a vast increase and value during the next half century.
But the scene has shifted ; and these early pioneers have all passed away, leaving their stocks and bonds behind them, let us hope, wisely to be enjoyed, and judi- ciously, humanely employed and dispensed.
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EARLY GERMAN SETTLERS OF FORT WAYNE.
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What was written near a half century ago of the German, is equally true of him to-day : He is a "man of the world; he lives under every sky, and conquers every obstacle to his happiness. His industry is inexhaustible." Poland, Hungary, and Russia were years ago indebted to German emigrants; and the same may be said, in a great measure, of America-that almost universal characteristic of the Ger- man people, rectitude, united with an unswerving perseverance and industry, at an early period of our country's history, found their way to this land of promise in the continued influx of German emigrants; and while they, as a general rule, have prospered well, and in very many instances grown rich, the country has been greatly benefited and improved by this stable people.
Long noted for their liberal, philosophie sentiments, they are here, in America, as in the old world, extensive readers and apt thinkers. Sociable and talkative as a class, they know no fetters for the honest conscience of any man, and would as readily measure swords with the opponent of their national or individual freedom, as drink a glass of choice Rhine wine with a beloved countryman.
As in the Old World, the works which they produced and still produce there, " in watch and clock-making, in the arts of turnery, sculpture, painting, and architec- ture, are very wonderful," so in the New World of North-America, the German every where stands high in his profession, what ever it may be.
"The character of men," says Goldsmith, " depends much on the government under which they live. That of the Germans (of the Old World) has in general as little brilliancy in it as the constitution of the empire. * There is one thing," continues he, " in the character of the Germans for which it is not easy to account ; that is loquacity. The French themselves scarcely talk faster, or are more communicative, whether they are or are not strangers to each other, than these sons of the more northern regions." And "they write," he adds " with no less profusion than they talk, as their numerons authors and books can attest. The peculiar turn of the Germans," he further remarks, " seems to be for philosophy ; they are distinguished from all the nations of Europe for a cool, and generally just judgement, united with extreme industry."
Everywhere in America, where there is population sufficient, you find the Ger- man newspaper ; and books, in great quantities, are annually published in the Ger- man language in this country; while vast quantities, of every description, are being continually imported from the extensive publishing house of Leipzig, Stuttgard,
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EARLY GERMAN SETTLERS OF FORT WAYNE.
Bremen, Berlin, and Wien, in Germany, as the capacious shelves of our German fellow-citizens, Messrs. Siemon & Bro., of Fort Wayne, can well attest.
Here, as in the old German States, we have the two schools of religion, in many parts of the country quite extensive, and, perhaps, for the size of the place and settlement surrounding, none more so than Fort Wayne and vicinity; and while the German Protestants, as in the old country, are noted for their remarkable fru- gality, the German Catholics are here still distinguished for their frankness and good-heartedness.
Most conspicuous among the carly settlers of Fort Wayne, many of whom still survive, are the familiar names of J. and B. Trentman, Jacob and J. M. Foelinger, A. Meyer, Geo. Meyer, H. Nierman, John Orff, H. R .. Schwegman, Dr. C. Schmitz, Henry Baker, Jacob Fry, B. Phillips, C. Morrell, C. Nill, Louis Wol- kie, S. Lau, H. Rudisill, A. Lintz. Rev. Dr. Sihler, Geo. Miller, E. Vodemark, C. Piepenbrink, D. Wehmer, Chas. and L. Baker, Chas. Muhler, and many others.
One of these early settlers gives an aninsing account of his advent here. Having made his way up the Maumee with his family and what little household goods he then possessed, he at length drew up about the center of the village, which then consisted of a few indifferent log huts, scattered about the head of Columbia street and the old fort. The largest hospitality then (as, let us hope does now exist among the citizens of Fort Wayne) prevailed among every class of citizens here; ever anxious and ready, as they were, to attend to the wants of and entertain in their best and kindest way, the many emigrants and travelers seeking new homes in the west, regardless of race or sect ; and scarcely had our German friend halted, before he was greeted with the words : " Landsleute, wie gates,' by a kind old Pennsylvania settler, Capt. Robt. Brackendridge, then register in the land office here, who at once pressed him to stop, saying they wanted more settlers, and that here was a good place to stop.
At this point, our new-comer enquired as to where Fort Wayne was, and how far it was to that place; saying that he wished to go there; to which Capt. B. replied that he was already in the place. Casting his eyes over the village, with both won- der and disappointment, at this announcement, he exclaimed, with no little empha- sis. "pshaw !" But he stopped-is here to-day; and has seen, from year to year. with many others, the little village, with a few indifferent log huts, as presented on his advent here, between thirty and forty years ago, gradually expand into wonderful proportions, annually offering large inducements for the settlement here of men of industry, enterprise, and honesty of purpose.
Of this hardy, thrifty class of people, many of them but recently from the Old World, and others from Pennsylvania, Fort Wayne, at an early day, was made up. Early procuring small tracts of land, in some instances, and considerable sections in others, in and about the present limits of Fort Wayne, with their usual indom- itable will and perseverance, they began to hew down the trees, clear away and burn the stumps and underbrush, until at length, in unison with other early set- tlers, of this section of the northwest, many beautiful and fertile gardens and farms began to appear on all sides; fruit trees were planted, and extensive orchards, in a few years more, began to gladden the new-comers with abundance of choice fruits; while, as the ground upon which our beautiful city, stands to-day became gradually prepared and made free of stumps and other impediments, in the form of sand- hills, hazel-bushes, ponds, etc., new buildings began gradually to appear, and many comfortable dwellings, by the aid and energy of German labor, everywhere served to cheer the masses and encourage still greater efforts in building and general im- provement. And so the place has moved steadily on to its present, growth and prosperity of near thirty thousand inhabitants, the masses of our German fellow- citizens always busy with their hands, heads, and capital-aiding each other, plan- ning new enterprises, erecting new. edifices, and preparing the soil for the reception of seed and cultivation of plants and herbs. The result has been glorious; and at every side our improvements give promise of a still wider range of culture and gen- eral material advancement in the future. Many of the German settlers have now been here between thirty and forty years- some of them poling their way, at the period of their coming to this point, up the Maumee in pirogues to the then village of Fort Wayne-all quite poor in means, but able of hand and willing of heart, to work-to till the soil, and build themselves homes. Land being then quite cheap
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