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 39
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In connection with the Grand Army of the Republic is an organiza- tion of the wives of old soldiers known as the Women's Relief Corps. James R. Slack Women's Relief Corps, No. 42, was chartered on Novem- ber 17, 1886. The charter members were Julia Briant, Sarah E. Alpaugh, Lydia A. Ford, Flora Myers, Sarah Sessions, Jennie Whitacre, Viola Hol- loway, Margaret Oats, Mary C. Grayston, Flora M. Slack, Roe Quigley, Maria Isenberg, Henrietta Severance, Lizzie Shaffer, Elizabeth Wizi- grenter and Lou Myers. This corps is still in existence, though a ma- jority of the charter members have passed into the Great Beyond. Reg- ular meetings are held in the Grand Army room in the courthouse. It is the only relief corps now in Huntington County.
Closely allied to the Grand Army is an organization called the Sons of Veterans, which is composed of the sons of those who served in the war of 1861-65. A camp of the order was organized at Huntington
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some years ago, but its history cannot be learned. Bennett Camp, No. 37, Sons of Veterans, was organized at Warren on April 7, 1886, with twelve charter members and John H. Goss as captain. It seems difficult to keep up an interest in the Civil war, except among those who were actual participants in the struggle, and many of the Sons of Veterans' camps have languished for a time and then disbanded.
Another military order is the United Spanish War Veterans, com- posed of those who volunteered for service in the late war with Spain. Rosebrough Camp, No. 17, of this order, was organized at Huntington under a charter dated February 6, 1905. It is named in honor of Frank Rosebrough of Company K, One Hundred and Sixtieth Indiana Infan- try, who died in service on July 22, 1898, and numbers among its mem- bers several of that company, which was mustered in from Huntington County. The meetings are held in the Grand Army room in the court- house.
IMPROVED ORDER OF RED MEN
Shortly after the passage of the stamp act by the British Parliament, just before the beginning of the American Revolution, when the people of the colonies were protesting against taxation without representation, a few American patriots disguised themselves as Indians, repaired to Griffin's wharf and threw overboard a lot of tea, rather than pay the tax unjustly levied upon it by the Mother Country. This incident was afterward made the basis for a secret and benevolent order known as the "Red Men." In this organization the lodges are called tribes and are usually named for some Indian band or chief.
Mishinewa Tribe, No. 81, was organized at Huntington on February 21, 1889, with thirty-eight charter members. The tribe was organized by delegations from Muncie and Montpelier, and on the same evening the following officers were installed: R. W. Tuthill, prophet; M. B. Schaefer, sachem; J. G. Keith, senior sagamore; John Clayton, junior sagamore; F. H. Glanton, keeper of the records; John Minnich, keeper of the wampum; E. N. Thoman, guard of the wigwam; I. M. Strouse, guard of the forest. The tribe has prospered and now has a strong membership. Meetings are held on Tuesday evenings in the Red Men's hall on West Market Street. Connected with the order is a degree known as the Hay Loft. Mishinewa Hay Loft, No. 611/2, meets on the first and third Thursdays of each month, and the Red Men's League meets every Friday evening.
BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ORDER OF ELKS
This organization, which in recent years has had a remarkable growth, is the outgrowth of a social club formed in New York City in the late
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'60s. A few "good fellows" fell into the habit of gathering at a public house in the evenings, where they could enjoy a few hours in swapping yarns, singing songs, etc. In time a permanent club was organized under the name of the "Jolly Corks." Then Charles S. Vivian, a young Eng- lishman, proposed the formation of a secret order: The objection was at once made that the "Jolly Corks" was hardly a suitable name for a secret society, and a committee was appointed to select a name. Accord- ing to the story, this committee visited Barnum's museum, where they saw an elk and learned something of that animal's mode of life. At the next meeting the committee suggested as a name for the proposed order the "Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks." The name was adopted and the new order was launched with the motto: "The faults of our brothers we write upon the sands; their virtues upon the tablets of love and memory." The social nature of the society has given rise to the interpretation of the initials B. P. O. E. as the "Best People on Earth. "
Huntington Lodge, No. 805, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, was organized under a charter dated August 14, 1902. The regular meetings are held on the second and last Thursday evenings of each month at the hall in the Huntington Theater building. The lodge has purchased a lot on the north side of Matilda Street, between Jefferson and Cherry streets, and steps have already been taken for the erection of a hall and club house. In 1914 the membership was over three hun- dred. At that time Dr. M. H. Krebs was the exalted ruler and H. E. Emery was secretary.
MISCELLANEOUS ORGANIZATIONS
On February 16, 1867, a German Benevolent Society was organized in Huntington with twelve members. John A. N. Frentzel was elected president, Frederick Kopp vice president, William Brickel secretary, and Herman Borcher treasurer. The object of the society was the mutual benefit of the members, each of whom paid into the treasury a certain sum every month and received aid in times of sickness. Persons between the ages of eighteen and fifty years were eligible for membership.
The Huntington Turnverein, another German society, was organized on February 18, 1869, with fifty-six members and the following officers : August Wuerston, president; August Zellers, vice president; Harry Young, first instructor; Joseph Hohe, second instructor; Harry Levy, secretary ; Jacob Hartman, treasurer. The Turnverein was a social and athletic society and at one time numbered over one hundred and twenty- five members. It has been succeeded to some extent by the Huntington
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Young Men's Association, which was formally opened on the second floor of the building at the northeast corner of Franklin and Warren streets May 15, 1913, where the association spent about $3,000 in fur- nishing club rooms.
Huntington Council, No. 1006, meets in the hall over the First National Bank on the second and fourth Friday evenings in each month. In the same hall the Indiana Camp, No. 3116, Modern Woodmen of America, meets on the second and fourth Thursday evenings, and the Lime City Council, No. 267, National Union, meets on the second and fourth Mondays.
Little River Valley Lodge, No. 837, holds its meetings every Thurs- day evening in the Moose Hall, in the old Opera House block, at the southwest corner of Jefferson and Warren streets.
Lime City Aerie, No. 823, Fraternal Order of Eagles, meets every Wednesday evening in the hall in the Boos block, on East Market Street, between Jefferson and Warren streets.
In Becker Hall, on West State Street, a number of fraternal societies hold their meetings. Lime City Chapter, No. 424, American Insurance Union, meets on the second and fourth Tuesday evenings of each month ; Huntington Court, No. 68, Tribe of Ben Hur, meets on the first and third Tuesdays; Court No. 1437, Independent Order of Foresters, meets on the first and third Thursdays; Huntington Lodge, No. 2612, Knights and Ladies of Honor, meets every Monday evening, and Lodge No. 3234 of the same order meets every Friday evening; Huntington Tent, No. 10, Knights of the Maccabees, meets every Monday evening in the hall over No. 337 North Jefferson Street, and the Jewel Hive, No. 63, Ladies of the Maccabees, holds meetings on Wednesday afternoons in Becker Hall.
From the foregoing lists of clubs, societies and lodges it will be seen that all the leading orders are represented in Huntington County, and that most of the organizations are in a healthful condition. The effect of these various societies has been to develop a friendly spirit among the people and add to the social life of the county, especially in the City of Huntington.
Huntington, being a division point on the Chicago & Erie Railway, is the home of quite a number of railroad men. Consequently the vari- ous organizations of railroad men. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers have about one hundred and thirty-five members, with John Wonderly as chief engineer for the year 1914; the Brotherhood of Loco- motive Firemen has about the same number of members, with Samuel Snyder as master; the Order of Railway Conductors also has a strong organization, which meets in the hall over the First National Bank, at the southwest corner of Market and Jefferson streets. This hall was Vol. I-24
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leased and furnished by the conductors, who sublet it on certain nights to other societies. The Order of Railway Trainmen, the youngest of the railway societies in Huntington, likewise has a strong membership and is in a flourishing condition.
CHAPTER XIX
MISCELLANEOUS HISTORY
OLD PIONEERS-JOHN KENOWER-EMANUEL YAHNE-WILLIAM DELVIN- JACOB SOUERS-A FEW REMINISCENCES-AN OLD LANDMARK-INDIAN ARITHMETIC-HOW SILVER CREEK GOT ITS NAME-A SNAKE STORY- RIOT AT ANDREWS-WHITE CAPS-SOME HISTORIC STORMS-FLOODS- DISASTROUS FIRES-COL. CYRUS E. BRIANT-A POSTOFFICE ROB- BERY-TAR AND FEATHERS.
It is a common occurrence, when an old resident dies, for the news- papers to publish an obituary notice under the headline: "Another Pioneer Gone." This is frequently a misnomer. There are, and always will be, old settlers, measured by the number of years they have lived in the community, but the real pioneers are like the proverbial angels' visits-"few and far between."
Webster's definition of a pioneer is: "One who goes before, as into the wilderness, preparing the way for others to follow." If this definition be accepted, how many are there who are entitled to be called pioneers ? Among the oldest residents of the county there are very few who came here in time to play much of a part in "preparing the way for others to follow," and there are probably fewer than half a score of men in the county who can honestly claim recognition as pioneers. Of this little handful, probably the best known is John Kenower, of the City of Huntington.
Mr. Kenower was born in 1820 and came to the Town of Hunting- ton early in the year 1841, and a little while before he had attained to his majority. At that time there were but fourteen families living in the town. These were the families of Martin Roche, David Osborne, William G. Johnson, Patrick McCarty, John McClelland, J. E. Taylor, William Delvin, Dr. F. W. Sawyer, Chelsea Crandal, Elias Murray, Thomas Doyle, Mrs. Johnson (widow of Daniel), Julius Murry and James Gilleese. Shortly after his arrival Mr. Kenower found employ- ment with Harmon J. Betts, who came at the same time, receiving $25 per month and board for his services. Although without money, he had confidence in the future of Huntington and bought
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the lot on West State Street, upon which the American Hotel was afterward built, going in debt for it. This lot he afterward sold at a profit to Charles Taylor and "got a little start in the world," as he has been heard to express it, after which he engaged in carpenter work. Some of the older buildings in Huntington bear evidence of his handiwork. In 1847 he started a cabinet shop and later became interested in the saw-mill and lumber business, with which he remained con- nected during his active business career. He was one of the committee that built the old Baptist church, the first Protestant church in Hunt- ington, and has been a member of the congregation ever since it was founded. In 1842 Mr. Kenower married Miss Lucy, daughter of Hugh Montgomery, but she lived only eighteen months after their marriage. Miss Flora M. Binnager became his wife in 1847, but died fifteen months later, and on April 15, 1851, he married Miss Sarah Purviance, who traveled life's highway as his helpmate for more than half a century, or until her death on January 14, 1904. Always in favor of improvement, Mr. Kenower was the first president of the Huntington & Mount Etna Gravel Road Company, and he has been identified with nearly every movement for the material or moral uplift of Huntington and her peo- ple. Still living, at the age of ninety-four years, with faculties unim- paired, he can recount many interesting experiences of "ye olden time." and is really and truly a pioneer.
Emanuel Yahne, of Jackson Township, is another citizen of the county who can claim the distinction of being a pioneer. He was born in Stark County, Ohio, October 9, 1822, and came with his parents, Fred- erick A. and Mary Yahne, to Huntington County in 1840, six years after the county was organized. The family first located in Union Township, in Section 5, near the northwest corner, but about two years later removed to Jackson Township and established a home in the Cow Creek Valley, a short distance west of Roanoke. Emanuel was eighteen years of age when he came to the county and did a man's work in clearing ground and opening a farm. During the Civil war he served as a member of Com- pany E. Forty-seventh Indiana Infantry, and he was a member of Wil- liam McGinnis Post, No. 167, at Roanoke, until the organization was dis- banded. His father was at one time engaged in the mercantile business in the old Town of Mahon. Although past the age of four score years and ten, Mr. Yahne recalls with vivid distinctness incidents that occurred while Indians were still plentiful in Jackson Township and the settlers depended more upon their marksmanship with the rifle than upon their husbandry to provide fresh meat for their families.
William Delvin, who came with his parents to Huntington in 1834, and who is still living in the city, was born on December 2, 1830. His
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family made the journey from Perry County, Ohio, with an ox team and covered wagon. At the time they arrived in Huntington there were only a few white families there, but there were plenty of Indians. Mr. Del- vin remembers that when his mother looked out of the covered wagon and saw a large number of Indians watching their movements "she was heart- broken and burst into tears." They slept in the wagon until a cabin could be made ready for the reception of the family. Their first home in Huntington County stood on the north side of Market Street, between Cherry and Jefferson, about where the Clayton building now stands. His father had two teams and worked on the canal. Owing to the scarcity of white children, little William made playmates of Indian boys and he is probably the only man now living in Huntington County who can speak the Miami dialect. He tells of how an Indian squaw taught him to swim by throwing him in deep water and forcing him, as he thought, to fight for his life. He did not realize that the squaw was keeping close watch upon his movements and stood ready to come to his relief if necessary to save him from drowning. Mr. Delvin is a nephew of that William Delvin who taught the first school in Huntington, and who was one of the first surveyors in the county.
A pioneer who recently "bade adieu to earthly cares" was Jacob Souers, one of the carly settlers of Rock Creek Township. He was born on December 14, 1812, and first came to Huntington County in 1837, entering land not far from the little settlement of Plum Tree. After living many years in Rock Creek Township, he went to the City of Huntington to make his home with his daughter, Mrs. Frank King. On December 14, 1912, the one hundredth anniversary of his birth was celebrated by holding a meeting in one of the churches, at which he was present. On this occasion many interesting incidents of early days were recalled by old settlers present. Mr. Souers was fond of the pastime of fishing, and even when he was nearing the century mark in age one could find him, in pleasant weather, seated in some quiet nook along the Little River, with rod and line, luring the members of the finny tribe from their native element with his tempting bait. His death occurred in June, 1913.
A FEW REMINISCENCES
In the chapter on Settlement and Organization mention is made of the custom of cutting wheat with the cradle in the early days. John Gibler, who died only a few years ago in Huntington, won the distinction of being the champion cradler in Huntington County. This fame he won without boast or challenge. His whetstone never rang out the "banter"
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on his scythe, but when the line of cradlers started across the field his powerful stroke would soon place him in a position to "cradle around" those in front of him, and when they reached the other end of the field he was almost certain to be in the lead. Mr. Gibler thought nothing of cutting six acres in a day, frequently he cut seven acres, and on one occasion, on good ground and in moderately heavy grain he cleaned up an 8-acre field. It must be remembered, however, that the 8-hour day was not then in vogue and a day's work meant from the time the dew was off the wheat in the morning until sunset, or even a little later.
The truth of the old saying "Necessity is the mother of invention" was never better illustrated than in Union Township many years ago. A family named Slater settled in that township and in the family were several boys. The older boys possessed a violin, but Milton, the youngest son, was not permitted to handle it. His ambition was to become a fiddler, and being unable to raise the money to purchase a real fiddle, he decided to make one of his own.
At that time household utensils were not as easily obtained as in this day, and nearly every family raised gourds-some of the variety known as "fat gourds," which were used instead of crocks and jars for storing certain kinds of food stuffs, and other of the long-necked kind were used for drinking purposes. Milton selected a long-necked gourd, placed it between two boards about the right distance apart to form the thickness of a violin, and watched it carefully during its growth. Nature seemed to form a partnership with the lad, for the gourd matured perfectly. When it was thoroughly dry he extracted the seeds and pulp from the interior, fitted it with apron and bridge, hollowed out the long neck and adjusted keys for tuning the strings and found that the gourd fiddle would really make music. He was then like the old lady who fitted a wooden bottom in her kettle, as he was in a position where he need neither "borrow nor lend." On this gourd fiddle he learned such tunes as "Old Dan Tucker," "The Bowery Girls" and the "Irish Wash- erwoman" and was independent of his elder brothers.
In after years Milton Slater became a prominent jeweler in the City of Detroit, Michigan, but it is possible that he derived more real enjoy- ment from his gourd fiddle of his boyhood days than he ever did in the sale of the finest jewels that passed over his counter. It was not a Stradivarius, either in tone or appearance, but it represented the product of his own ingenuity and resourcefulness.
In these days, when poultry is shipped on fast freights, or dressed and transported in refrigerator cars, it may sound strange to tell of driv- ing turkeys to market. Yet, many years ago, before the advent of the railroad, it was a common thing for several farmers to join in driving
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their turkeys to some trading point. George W. Lawver, now living in Huntington, was once in the mercantile business in Miami County. He remembers distinctly how great droves of turkeys were driven for sev- eral miles to his establishment. Turkeys are good travelers and could be driven along a highway without much trouble. There was one draw- back about the custom, however, that was difficult to overcome. Toward the close of the day, if the road happened to run through or along the edge of a piece of woods, the turkeys would begin to look longingly up at the branches of the trees. Then one or two of the leaders would fly up to roost, others would quickly follow, and the turkey drive had to be post- poned until the next morning. What would some of the young people of 1914 think to see a great flock of turkeys pass along one of the highways on the way to market? Yet such was the custom when many of their fathers and mothers were children.
Another old custom that has passed was the political campaign in which county "rallies" were held, at which the townships in the county would vie with each other in trying to sec which could send the largest and best equipped delegation. The big wagon, drawn by four horses and laden with little girls dressed in white, each wearing a sash or ribbon bearing the name of a state; the uniformed club of young men mounted on horseback, or the company of young ladies all dressed alike to repre- sent the states of the Union ; the martial band, consisting of a fifer, one or two snared drums and a bass drum-sometimes referred to as the "sheep- skin band;" the grand marshal, mounted upon a prancing steed with gorgeous scarf across his breast; the decorated stand for the speakers in some grove, and the basket dinner that constituted part of the day's program would long linger in the memory of those who attended the "rally."
Sometimes the gathering would take the form of "pole raising," when the men would erect a tall pole, at the top of which would be a pennant bearing the names of the party's candidates for President and vice president. The democrats generally used hickory for their poles, out of respect for Andrew Jackson, whose sobriquet was "Old Hickory"; the whigs and republicans used ash or poplar, and there was a keen rivalry between the parties as to which could erect the tallest pole. Samuel J. Kilander, an old resident of Huntington, relates how he and a number of other republicans worked all day on July 4, 1860, in raising a Lincoln pole in front of the courthouse in Huntington. The pole was originally intended to be 175 feet in height, but it broke when an effort was made to raise it and a section of twenty-five feet had to be taken out. The day was far advanced when the 150 foot pole stood facing the public square, the pennant at the top waving defiance to political opponents, but the men
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went to their homes content with their efforts "to save the country." Mr. Kilander was for many years a justice of the peace. He is now eighty-four years of age and totally blind, but his mental faculties are still alert and his mind is a veritable storehouse of reminiscenses of early days in Huntington County.
On the tow-path of the old Wabash & Erie Canal, near the site of the old Village of Mahon and not far from the tracks of the Fort Wayne & Northern Indiana Traction Company, is a small store kept by Daniel Fusselman, or "Dan," as he is commonly called. It may not be generally known, even to those best acquainted with him, that his mother was a first cousin to the mother of John Wanamaker, the merchant prince of New York and Philadelphia and former postmaster-general of the United States. Dan never boasts of the relationship and the only thing in com- mon between them is that they are both engaged in the mercantile line, though Wanamaker's stores are much larger and better known. Some years ago a brother of Dan's had occasion to visit the East, and while in New York called upon his cousin. He was given a cordial welcome and received hospitable treatment during his stay, but it does not appear that either family made any effort to continue the acquaintance.
Shortly after the treaty of October 23, 1826, which established the "Ten-mile Reserve" at the forks of the Wabash, the Government built a house for the Indian agent on the south side of the river a short distance below the forks and nearly opposite the center of the reserve. The old house has long since fallen into decay and all that is left is the old stone chimney, which stands alone, a mournful reminder of the activities of former years and the glory of a departed race.
To this old Indian agency would come at stated intervals the Govern- ment paymaster, accompanied by his assistants and his body-guard, to pay the Indians their annuities. Then the "Forks" would present an animated appearance. Traders brought their wares to sell to the Indians, many gathered out of curiosity, and the natives wore their best blankets and decked themselves with paint and feathers for the occasion. Each head of a family or leader of a band presented his account for payment, and they had a peculiar system of arithmetic. A bundle of small sticks, one stick for cach member of the family or band, was presented to the paymaster, who counted out the money. Whether it was the inherent honesty of the red man, or his fear of being detected, none ever attempted, so far as can be ascertained, to "pad the pay roll" by adding more sticks to his bundle than the actual number of Indians in the family or band.
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