USA > Indiana > Huntington County > History of Huntington County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 17
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A century or more ago, when the untutored savage-Nature's eldest child-roamed through the woods where the city now stands, lie con- ferred upon the ridge the name of "We-pe-che-an-gan-ge," meaning the place of flints. Now, in the early years of the twentieth century, a new tribe is in possession of the land and the Commercial Association of Huntington is advertising far and wide the old "We-pe-che-an- gan-ge" of the Miamis as "Opportunity's Gateway" for the white man.
CHAPTER IX
TOWNS AND VILLAGES
How TOWNS ARE PROJECTED-LIST OF TOWNS AND VILLAGES THAT ARE OR HAVE BEEN IN HUNTINGTON COUNTY-HISTORICAL SKETCH OF EACH-PIONEERS-EARLY INDUSTRIES AND BUSINESS ENTERPRISES- SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES-PUBLIC UTILITIES-TRANSPORTATION FACILI- TIES-MISCELLANEOUS EVENTS-POPULATION IN 1910-GENERAL CON- DITIONS IN 1914-PRESENT DAY POSTOFFICES.
Among the early immigrants to Indiana, in common with other states in the Middle West, were some whose fondest dream was to be- come the founders of cities. Even at a time when the population con- sisted of only a settler here and there, these men were active in seeking out favorable locations for their purpose, as they believed, preempting townsites and laying out towns. A few of these towns survived and grew, many failed to meet the anticipations of their founders, some never got beyond the "paper" stage, and still others perished because they were so located that it was impossible for them to receive the support necessary to their development. Occasionally, some fortunate occurrence, such as the location of a county seat, the presence of a fine water power or the building of a railroad, would give permanence and stability to one of these towns and it would in time become a city of greater or less prominence. But in almost every such case the other towns near by would be the sufferers and after a vain struggle for existence would disappear entirely from the map.
Huntington County was no exception to the prevailing system, though it is quite probable that fewer towns within her borders were projected purely for speculative purposes than in many other localities. By examining old maps, plat-books and atlases, the investigator will find more than a score of towns, several of which are no longer in existence and are remembered only by the oldest inhabitants. A com- plete list of these towns and villages includes Andrews, Banquo, Bellville, Bippus, Boehmer, Buckeye, Charleston, Claysville, College Park, Gobles- ville, Harlansburg, Kelso, Lancaster, Mahon, Makin, Mardenis, Markle, Milo, Monument City, Mount Etna, Pleasant Plain, Plum Tree, Raccoon
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Village, Roanoke, Rock Creek Center, Silverton, Simpson, Toledo and Warren.
The history of the City of Huntington-the only city in the county -is given in the preceding chapter, and below will be found the history of the several towns in the above list. In the case of some of the extinct towns, as well as some of the smaller villages and hamlets, it has been found impossible to secure sufficient information to compile a full and authentic account of their career.
ANDREWS
About the time the survey of what is now the Wabash Railroad was made, Abraham Leedy conceived the idea of laying out a town in Dallas Township for a railroad station. He therefore purchased of Martin Har- vey a tract of forty acres of land in the southwest quarter of Section 23, Township 28, Range 8, on the line of the proposed road, and employed Peter Emery to divide it into town lots. Mr. Emery made the survey on December 12, 1853, and on the 30th of the same month the plat was filed in the office of the county recorder of Huntington County by Mr. Leedy, under the name of "Antioch." This original plat shows thirty-three lots and two large out-lots. The following August Leedy & Wintrode's addition of eighty-four lots was platted, and in June, 1859, J. H. Campbell's addition of thirty-nine lots was added to the town. Since then the original plat has been increased by Baker's addi- tion, Bellman's first, second and third additions, Mckeever's addition and the addition of S. J. Leedy.
The first house in the town was built by Abraham Leedy, who was also the first merchant. Other early merchants were William Randolph, who was for several years in partnership with Mr. Leedy, Elijah Snow- den, John Collins, J. Parrott, E. B. Cubberly, Thomas Gibb and Joseph Snyder. Thomas King was one of the pioneer residents of Antioch and became associated with Mr. Leedy in operating the first sawmill, which was built soon after the railroad was completed. This mill afterward was sold to Gardner & Blish, who added machinery for the manufacture of baskets. It was later converted into a sawmill and stave factory by Morris & Bell, which firm did a large business, employing about fifty men.
For a time the growth of the town was rather slow, but as the resources of the surrounding country were developed Antioch became an important shipping point. About the close of the Civil war it had the reputation of being the best local trading town between Huntington and Wabash. A steam sawmill was added to the business interests in 1862 by King, Morris & Richardson. Elijah Snowden erected a flour
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mill in 1864, and not long after that the Antioch Manufacturing Com- pany was organized for the manufacture of plow handles and certain lines of furniture. The plant of this concern was subsequently acquired by Cubberly & Irwin, who converted it into a flour mill. It was destroyed by fire about 1876. In 1866 Lessel Long started a carriage and wagon shop and did a successful business for a number of years.
The first hotel in the town was the "Forest Home," built by Joel Cramer about 1855 or 1856. It was afterward kept for several years by a man named Manford, but was finally converted into a dwelling.
About 1857 the German Baptists, or Brethren, built the first church in the town. The Christian Church was erected in 1862, though the
WABASH RIVER AT ANDREWS
society had been organized some four years before, and the Methodist Church was established in 1860. At the present time these denominations are all represented in Andrews by neat houses of worship.
Early in the year 1881 the officials of the Wabash Railroad decided to locate a division point somewhere on the line between Fort Wayne and Lafayette. After looking over various places, they came to the conclusion that the level country about Antioch offered better facilities for yards, roundhouse and repair shops than any other station, and a plat of ground just west of the town was chosen as the site of the new enterprise. Then Antioch experienced a boom. A large force of men
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were soon employed in the construction of yards, the erection of the roundhouse, etc., and under this influence several additions were laid out. Lots sold rapidly and brought good prices. The railroad com- pany also laid the foundation of a building intended for the division superintendent's office. Because the company called their yards and shops "Andrewsia," in honor of one of the officials of the road, it was proposed that the name of the town be changed from Antioch to Andrews. There was some opposition to this move, but it was overcome and the Town of Antioch passed out of existence just as the Town of Andrews came in. Hardly had the change in name been effected when the Wabash Company became the lessee of the Indianapolis, Peru & Chicago Railroad (now known as the Lake Erie & Western), and the division point was removed from Andrews to Peru. The building for the general division offices was never finished and the old foundation stood for several years, a mournful relic of what was to have been one of the sources of Andrews' prosperity.
At least one citizen of Andrews took a philosophical view of the situation. While some of the people were inclined to be acrimonious in their criticisms of the railroad company for removing its shops and yards, Garrett Van Dolson, an old resident, comforted them with the remark: "We lived here before the Wabash became interested. We can live here after it removes its stuff." Quite a number of those who located in the town took a different view and began looking for a more active business and industrial center to which they could transfer their residence. In January, 1885, the Andrews Express, the only newspaper in the town, was removed to Huntington and consolidated with the News. The great railroad strike of 1894 put an end to the hopes of Andrews of ever becoming a great railroad center. The bridge and building department was the last of the railroad interests to be taken away.
Although the removal of the railroad interests was a great blow to Andrews, the town survived and in recent years has shown renewed signs of industrial activity. It is one of the neatest and most attractive residence towns in the Wabash Valley. Its streets are well kept; cement sidewalks have been laid on nearly all the principal streets; it has a large kitchen cabinet factory and some minor enterprises in the manu- facturing line, a grain elevator, a bank, a public library, a $25,000 public school building, in which eight teachers are employed, four of them in the commissioned high school grades, a weekly newspaper, lodges of the leading secret orders, and the usual complement of mercantile estab- lishments found in towns of its size. Transportation facilities are afforded by the Wabash Railroad and the Fort Wayne & Northern
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Indiana Traction Company's line. The casual visitor to Andrews is impressed by the great number of beautiful shade trees that adorn the streets and lawns, and the uniform courtesy of the people. A city hall was built in 1905, at a cost of about three thousand five hundred dollars.
About the time of the railroad boom Andrews was incorporated. The officers for the year 1914 were: W. F. Wise, O. C. Billings and John Blose, trustees, with Mr. Wise president of the board; M. B. Park, clerk; R. O. Bixby, treasurer.
Some years ago a franchise was granted to a company to establish an electric light and power plant, but the company sold out and electric light and power is now supplied by the company at Huntington. In the spring of 1914 the bonded debt of the town was $4,200 and the authorities had under consideration at that time the establishment of a system of waterworks for the town. The population in 1910 was 957.
In a sketch of Andrews published in the Huntington Times a few years ago, a local writer says: "There were more champion checker players within its limits than any town on the Wabash line, and more crack marksmen with a rifle. Uncle Jesse Miller, deceased, the pump manufacturer, had the biggest voice. He telephoned to North Man- chester one day and the boys declared that when he squared away and shouted into the receiver, the people in North Manchester heard the message without the use of the line."
BANQUO
On February 26, 1906, a plat of the Village of Banquo was filed in the office of the county recorder by Jacob T. Hawkins, Henry A. Gilbert and William H. Spaulding. It is located in the northwest corner of Section 22, Township 26, Range 8, in the Logan Creek Valley in Wayne Township. The plat shows seventeen lots, the dimensions being 356 feet from east to west and 660 feet from north to south.
An old map of Huntington County, published in 1879, shows "Priceville P. O." just across the section line in the northeast corner of Section 21, and old settlers recall the fact that Banquo was in existence as early as 1880, so it is certain that the settlement was at least a quarter of a century old at the time the official plat was filed. Lafontaine, Wabash County, is the nearest railroad station and the post- office from which the people of Banquo receive mail by rural delivery. According to Rand & McNally's atlas, the population of the village in 1910 was 75. It is a trading point for the residents of the southwestern part of the county.
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BELLVILLE
About four miles below Warren, on the north bank of the Sala- monie River, in the northeastern part of Jefferson Township, is the little Hamlet of Bellville. No official plat of the village was ever recorded and but little can be learned of its history, further than that a small settlement grew up about a saw and grist mill, which was established by James Taylor some time in the '40s. This mill continued in success- ful operation for more than forty years. A few dwellings, a Christian church and the ruins of the old mill are all that is left of Bellville.
BIPPUS
When the Chicago & Erie Railroad was built through Hunungton County, a station was established about a mile east of the Wabash County line, in Warren Township. This station was called West Point, and the following story is told of the manner in which it received that name: Some years before, William Stults was engaged in teaching "singing schools" in different parts of the county. One of his classes was in Clear Creek Township, near the eastern boundary, another was at the schoolhouse a short distance southwest of Goblesville, and a third was at the schoolhouse where Bippus now stands. As this was the most western of his classes, Mr. Stults was in the habit of referring to it as "West Point," and when the station was located there that name was adopted. A little later, when the postoffice was established, it was discovered that there was a West Point in Tippecanoe County, and the postoffice was named Bippus, in honor of George J. Bippus, a prominent citizen of Huntington County, who secured most of the right of way for the Chicago & Atlantic (now the Chicago & Erie) Railroad.
The plat of the town was filed with the county recorder on July 25, 1885, by Ernest G. Bender, Jacob Coblentz, Joseph Sell and others. This plat shows the town as consisting of fifty-five lots, in Sections 21, 22, 27 and 28, Township 29, Range 8, "on the south side of the Chicago & Atlantic Railway." Bippus is now one of the thriving villages of . Huntington County. It has a bank, a large tile factory, a telephone company, two large general stores, a furniture store, drug and hard- ware stores, a large grain elevator, harness, blacksmith and wagon repair shops, a cement works, three churches, a graded public school, and a number of cozy homes. Although not incorporated, the public spirit of the citizens is seen in the good cement sidewalks on nearly all the streets, erected by common consent and cooperation. When the rail- road station was first established, the depot was about half a mile east
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of the village. The reason for this is said to have been on account of the refusal of the people to donate a site for the station buildings. A few years ago the depot was moved up near the center of the town, to the mutual interest of the railroad company and its patrons. Bippus claims the distinction of being the best shipping point between Marion, Ohio, and Chicago, for towns of its size. The population is about three hundred and fifty.
BOEHMER
Bochmer was surveyed by Samuel H. Swain on October 8, 1879, for Jacob C. Zent, the owner of the site, but the plat was not filed for record until November 1, 1880. According to the description filed with the plat, the town is located on the east line of Section 24, Township 26, Range 10, "on the Toledo, Delphos & Burlington Railroad." The original survey shows four lots on the north side of the railroad and ten on the south side. The town never came up to the expectations of its founder, owing to the fact that the station of Buckeye, only a mile west, received more encouragement from the railroad company.
BUCKEYE
The proprietors of this place were Samuel T. Jones and Loren B. Minn, who employed Samuel H. Swaim to lay out the town in the spring of 1879, about the time the narrow gauge railroad was completed through Huntington County. The survey was made on the 24th of May, and the plat was filed in the office of the county recorder on October 2, 1879, and shows twelve lots. Buckeye was made a station by the railroad company and is the principal shipping point on that line in Huntington County east of Warren. In 1910 the population was 50. Buckeye has a general store, a sawmill, a tile factory, a blacksmith shop and several residences. During the oil boom it did considerable business.
CHARLESTON
In 1835 Joseph P. Anthony settled in the southeast corner of Sec- tion 31, Township 27, Range 9, in what is now Lancaster Township. Others located in the immediate vicinity soon afterward and about two years later Mr. Anthony came to the conclusion that it would be a profitable venture to lay out a town. Accordingly, he employed Wil- liam Delvin to make the survey, which was done on November 27, 1837, and the plat was filed with the county recorder the next day. The plat
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGTON COUNTY
shows thirty-six lots, a few of which were sold by the proprietor soon after the town was laid out. The name Charleston was given to the new town, which flourished for a time. Garrett Heffner established a storc, and it is said his stock consisted of a few groceries, several bolts of calico and unbleached muslin and a barrel of whisky. He did not do a very successful business. Samuel Jennings opened a larger and better stocked store and captured most of the trade. After a short time Mr. Jennings sold out to John McGlinn, who carried on a good business for several years. This was the last business venture in the village. After McGlinn closed out his stock several of the remaining houses in Charleston were moved over to Mount Etna, about a mile west. Other houses were permitted to decay, the plat was ultimately vacated, and the ground whercon Charleston once stood is now used for farming purposes.
CLAYSVILLE
The Town of Claysville, in the northwestern part of Warren Town- ship, was platted by Hiram Weston and William T. Guffin and the plat was filed in the recorder's office on August 17, 1853. The original plat shows seventeen lots in Sections 3, 4, 9 and 10, Township 29, Range 8, on the old Huntington & Liberty Mills Plank Road. A postoffice called Bracken was established soon after the town was laid out and Claysville became a mail distributing point and trading center for a large territory in the northwestern part of Huntington County. James Ferguson, the firm of Smith & Blood, Frank Sprinkle and Thomas Bolinger were among the early merchants. The village has not grown in the last half century, but it is still a local trading center. The post- office was discontinued some years ago and the inhabitants now receive mail by rural delivery from Bippus. The population was but 50 in 1910.
COLLEGE PARK
Although this is an incorporated town, it is practically a part of the City of Huntington. In fact it was laid out as "College Park Addi- tion to the City of Huntington" by John A. W. Kintz, a trustee of Central College, on October 8, 1896, and the plat was duly filed for record on the 5th of November following. The plat shows 262 lots, each 50 by 120 feet. About the time the college was opened in 1897 a post- office was established in the suburb under the name of Ubec, the name being formed by spelling out the initials of United Brethren, the denomination that founded the college.
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On January 6, 1908, a petition signed by T. H. Gragg, then presi- dent of the college, and a number of others, was presented to the county commissioners asking for the incorporation of the addition as a separate jurisdiction. A special election was ordered by the commissioners for January 27, 1908, to give the resident voters an opportunity to express their views on the subject of incorporation. At the election the vote was thirteen in favor of incorporation and six against the proposition. When the returns were submitted to the board of commissioners on February 3, 1908, the order was entered upon the records that the prayer of the petitioners be granted, and that the territory named in said petition "be and is hereby incorporated as a town, under the laws of the State of Indiana, by the corporate name of 'The Town of Col-, lege Park.'" The population in 1910 was 103.
GOBLESVILLE
This little village is situated in the northern part of Clear Creek Township, at the junction of Sections 3, 4, 9 and 10, Township 29, Range 9. It is the outgrowth of a settlement that grew up about the sawmill started by John Goble some years ago. No regular plat of the village was ever filed in the recorder's office, and, like Topsy in Uncle Tom's Cabin, it "just growed." Besides the sawmill, the business activities of Goblesville have been a blacksmith shop and two or three general stores. Mail is supplied to the inhabitants by rural delivery from Huntington. Being situated in the midst of a rich agricultural district, it is a trading center of local importance, and according to Rand & McNally it had a population of 60 in 1910.
HARLANSBURGH
Just when and by whom this village was founded is uncertain. It is situated in the northeastern part of Polk Township and was in exist- ence forty years ago at least. A postoffice was established there at a comparatively early date and Oliver N. Snider was postmaster for several years, as well as the village merchant. At one time D. B. Shell had a sawmill there and there were some other small industrial enterprises. Today about all that is left are a few dwellings. The postoffice was discontinued many years ago and mail is now supplied by rural delivery from Huntington.
KELSO
On November 8, 1856, Frank Calvert, then county surveyor, laid out for James Crosby a plat of twenty lots, each 66 by 132 feet, on the
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line of the plank road running from Huntington to Warren, in the northeast quarter of Section 25, Township 27, Range 9. Mr. Crosby offered the lots for sale and on January 24, 1857, filed the plat for record, giving his town the name of Kelso. Before the close of the year 1877 several dwellings and two general store buildings had been erected and a postoffice called Majenica was established. The postoffice has been discontinued and the people of Kelso now receive mail by rural delivery from Huntington. A large tile factory in the southern part of the town is the principal industry. Rand & McNally gave the popu- lation in 1910 as 250, but these figures are probably too large. The village has Methodist and Christian churches and a good public school building.
LANCASTER
This town, sometimes called New Lancaster, was laid out by Solo- mon Shideler and the plat was filed for record on September 28, 1836. It is located in the eastern part of Section 33, Township 27, Range 8, on the north bank of the Salamonie River and near the southern boundary of Lancaster Township. In the original plat were thirty-six lots, each 821/2 by 165 feet, except a few next to the river, where the Salamonie cut off part of the lot.
Soon after the town was laid out a man named Wood opened a gen- eral store, which quickly became a popular trading point for settlers living in the vicinity. Other early merchants were Michael Caylor, Isaiah Reed, Randolph & Leedy, Samuel Fenstermaker, William Cook and Joseph Ewart. At a later date Jonas and William Calvert were engaged in the mercantile business at Lancaster. Dr. L. A. Caster, who was secretary of the first county medical society, was one of the early physicians. George Fletcher established a pottery and for several years carried on a profitable business. The Methodist Episcopal, Wes- leyan Methodists and German Baptists organized societies and built houses of worship, and for some years Lancaster wore an air of general prosperity. But, like all towns remote from railroads, it never came up to the expectations of its founder. After the introduction of the rural free delivery system, the postoffice was discontinued and the inhabitants of the village now receive mail from Huntington. Notwith- tanding all its drawbacks, Lancaster is still the center of considerable general merchandise trade and is a neighborhood center where the farmers and others can get together and talk politics, etc.
MAHON
The old Town of Mahon was situated on the Wabash & Erie Canal, in Section 27, Township 29, Range 8, about a mile and a half southwest
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of Roanoke. It was laid out by Archibald Mahon and the plat was filed for record on June 20, 1853. The original plat shows ninety-four lots, seven streets and a public square. The streets running north and south were Water (along the canal), Main and Wilt, and those running east. and west were Hannah, State, Durbin and Mill. Probably the principal reason for the selection of the town site was a fine spring, the water which was piped to the canal, where a tank was provided for its reeep- tion. This was said to be the best water supply between Toledo and Lafayette and all the canal boats stopped at Mahon to replenish their reservoirs.
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