USA > Indiana > Marshall County > History of Indiana : containing a history of Indiana and biographical sketches of governors and other leading men. Also a statement of the growth and prosperity of Marshall County, together with a personal and family histry of many of its citizens, Vol. II > Part 4
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49
Union Town .- The following is a copy of the statement made and the certificate attached to the original plat of Union Town:
"Uniontown is pleasantly situated in the southwest quarter of section 16, town 32, range I east. It is laid out in such a manner that it presents to the eye a view of Lake Maxinkuckee, and is
40
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
surrounded with as good a country as can be found in northern Indiana. It has the advantage of three state and two county roads running through it. The lots are all 66 feet in width by 8212 in breadth. The streets are all 66 feet in width and the alleys are 161/2. BAYLES DICKSON, Proprietor.
Witness: G. S. Cleaveland, John L. Westervelt."
Uniontown, June 8, 1844.
"State of Indiana, Marshall county, ss .:
Be it remembered that on the 28th day of June in the year eighteen hundred and forty-four, personally came before me the undersigned, recorder within and for said county, Bayles L. Dickson, known to me to be the person who executed the within town plat and acknowledged that he did sign, seal and give the same as his free and voluntary act for the purposes within men- tioned.
Given under my hand and ink seal the day and year above written.
GILSON S. CLEAVELAND, Recorder of Marshall county."
On the 9th day of June, 1857, the following certificate, attached to what purported to be an "amended plat" of Uniontown:
"Uniontown is situated in the 'S. E.' (should be S. W.) cor- ner of section 16, T. 32 North, Range I East, Marshall County, Indiana, the S. E. (S. W.) corner of said section is the commenc- ing point of this town plat, the streets are all of a width, being 66 feet, the alleys is 161/2 feet, the lots are 66 feet in front and 99 feet back. So planned, by the original survey, all lines running North and South bare No ' 10' E., and those that run East and West bare S. 89° E. The magnetic variation at this date is 5° IO' East.
I, J. B. N. Klinger, Surveyor of Marshall County, certify the above to be correct. J. B. N. KLINGER, S. M. C."
"State of Indiana, Marshall County:
On this 6th day of May, 1857, personally appeared before me Thomas K. Houghton, and acknowledged that the within survey locating and laying off said town of Union was done by his order, and directed for the purpose of locating a town by that name, and as therein specified by the surveyor thereof. That said sur- vey and plat is intended to supply the place of the old survey made by H. B. Pushing, that being inaccurate.
M. W. SMITH, Justice of the Peace [SEAL]."
On the 16th day of February, 1884, the following statement and acknowledgment were filed in recorder's office of Marshall county:
41
MARSHALL COUNTY.
" PLYMOUTH, Indiana, Feb'y 13th, 1884.
I herewith file for record the annexed plat as an addition to the town of Uniontown, Marshall County, Indiana, known as the Vandalia Addition to said Uniontown. Said addition being laid out of the south forty acres of the West Half of the West Half of Section Sixteen, Township Thirty-two North, Range One East; except Thomas K. Houghton's corrected and amended plat of said Uniontown, also except three acres known as the Bowles Lot, and also except three acres adjoining immediately on the south of said Bowles Lot. Said addition being divided in twenty-four lots, and numbered from one to twenty-four inclu- sive, also five out lots, and numbered from one to five inclusive. The length and breadth of said lots being indicated by figures on said plat, also the width of all the streets and alleys.
Witness my hand and seal this 13th day of Feby., 1884. PETER ALLERDING [SEAL].
STATE OF INDIANA, ( JANA, { ss. Marshall Co.
Before me, S. L. McKelvey, a Notary Public in and for said county, this 13th day of Feby., 1884, Peter Allerding personally appeared and acknowledged the execution of the annexed Plat. Witness my hand and official seal this 13th day of Feby., 1884. S. L. MCKELVEY, Notary Public."
On the 21st day of December, 1886, the following explanation and acknowledgment were filed for record in the recorder's office of Marshall county:
"I herewith file for record the annexed plat as an addition to the Vandalia addition to the town of Uniontown, Marshall county, Indiana, known as A. D. Toner's addition to said Van- dalia addition to the town of Uniontown aforesaid, said addition being laid out of lots No. 3, 4 and 5 of school subdivision of sec- tion 16, township 32, range one (1) east, commencing at the northwest corner of said lot No. 3, said additions being divided as shown on plat, in thirteen lots, and numbered from one to thirteen inclusive, and also eleven out lots numbered from one to eleven inclusive. The length and breadth of said lots being indicated by figures on said plat; also the width of all streets and alleys are so indicated, except from this plat out lots No. 2, 7, 8 IO and II.
Witness 'Our' hand and seal this 5th day of August, A. D. 1886.
ALBERT D. TONER.
" STATE OF INDIANA, ss. County of Fulton.
Before me, Frank L. Wagner, a notary public in and for said county, this 5th day of August, A. D. 1886 personally came
42
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
Albert D. Toner and acknowledged the execution of the an- nexed plat. FRANK L. WAGNER,
Notary Public."
On the 20th day of March, 1890, the following affidavit con- cerning the correction of Thomas K. Houghton's corrected and amended plat was filed for record in the recorder's office of Marshall county:
"I, J. B. T. Klinger, ex-surveyor in and for Marshall county, state of Indiana, swear upon the request of Thomas K. Houghton, then owner and proprietor of the town of Uniontown, in said county, employed me as county surveyor of said county, April 24th, 1851, to re-survey and plat said Uniontown in setting out the location. I made a clerical error locating in the southeast corner of section No. 16, township 32 north, range I east, when it should read southwest corner of said section No. 16, township 32 north, range I east, and the same was part of record, the error being overlooked, further the deponent sayeth not.
J. B. N. KLINGER.
Subscribed and sworn to before me March 17, 1890.
E. C. MARTINDALE, Notary Public."
Since Maxinkuckee lake has become such a famous summer resort and the Vandalia railroad has been completed, Uniontown, now called Marmont, has grown greatly in wealth and import- ance, as is evidenced by the laying out of the above named addi- tions thereto; and, at this writing, August 1, 1890, the preliminary papers are being circulated to have it declared an incorporated town, and this will probably be done at the approaching Sep- tember term of commissioners' court.
Maxinkuckee is a small village one-half mile east of the east central part of the lake, but has never been regularly laid out as a town, as it should have been, but, like Uniontown, as the merits of the lake as a summer resort have become better known, it is growing into more importance, but owing to the lay of the country and the location of the public highways it will never rival Uniontown, at least not until it gets a railroad, but should the " east side" get one, what is now rough, rugged and inconvenient would at once become romantic and desirable and the village would move down to the lake in a hurry.
Burr Oak Station and Addition .- On the 15th day of Decem- ber, 1882, the following description of the situation or location of Burr Oak station, was filed, together with the plat of said Burr Oak station, in the recorder's office of Marshall county, for record:
Burr Oak station is situated on the east line of northwest quarter of section four (4), township thirty-two (32), north of
43
MARSHALL COUNTY.
range one (1) east, commencing twelve hundred and fifty-five (1,255) feet south of north quarter section corner of section four (4), township thirty-two (32), north of range one (1) east, at the north line of right of way of N. Y. C. & St. L. R. R., thence north with center section line, five hundred and seventeen (517) feet, thence west at right angles with center section line, three hundred and thirty-two (332) feet, thence south parallel with center section line four hundred and twenty-two (422) feet, thence east, parallel with north line three hundred and two (302) feet, thence south " ninety " three (93) feet to north line of right of way of railroad, thence southeastwardly with said line thirty (30) feet to place of beginning.
This November Ist, A. D. 1882.
J. M. KLINGER, Surveyor. MICHAEL BURN [seal].
STATE OF INDIANA,
County of Marshall. ( SS.
Before me, the undersigned, a justice of the peace, in and for said county, this 10th day of November, 1882, Michael Burn . acknowledged the execution of the plat.
Witness my hand and seal, this ioth day of November, 1882.
J. W. HOUGHTON, J. P.
The above named plat referred to contains eighteen (18) lots, being numbered from 1 to 18 consecutively. The streets are fifty feet and the alleys twelve feet wide, and the lots are forty feet wide by 120 feet in length.
On the 8th day of October, 1885, Franklin Overmeyer filed the plat of Overmeyer's addition to Burr Oak station, properly described and acknowledged. This addition lies immediately east of the original plat of Burr Oak station and contains lots numbering from one to eight inclusive, the lots being the same size as those in the original plat. This village is nearly in the center of what is known as the "Burr Oak Flats," which is as beautiful and productive a region "as the sun e'er shone on."
Dante .- The following is the description of Dante, which was filed in the recorder's office November Ist, 1883, by John Listenberger, proprietor:
" Dante is situated on west line of section number two (2), township thirty-two (32), north of range one (1) east, in the southwest corner of the northwest quarter of said section, and is bounded as follows: Commencing at a point 140 ft. north of the center of the track of the New York, Chicago and St. Louis railway, where it crosses the west line of said section No. 2, township 32, range I east, thence north along said section line 630 feet, thence east at right angles with said section line 480 ft., thence south parallel with said west section line until it intersects the north line of the right of way of the " Y" or switch connect- ing the Terre Haute & Logansport R. R. with the N. Y., C. &
44
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
St. Louis R. R., thence southwesterly along the north line of the right of way of said "Y" or switch until it intersects with said west section line, thence north along said line to place of beginning."
The plat contains lots numbering from one to twenty-four. They are sixty feet wide by 120 in length. The streets are sixty and the alleys fifteen feet wide. Lots one, seventeen and eighteen are fractional where they join on the railroad ground north of the " Y."
The station and postoffice are called Hibbard by the railroad and the postal service. These same corners used to be called " Helltown," and when laid out the village was named in honor of Dante, who had such vivid dreams or visions of the infernal regions, but now, by common consent of the more enlightened and civilized citizens, the less suggestive name of "Hibbard " is adopted by all. Although situated at the junction of the two railroads, owing to the uninviting surroundings, and the near- ness of other trading places more convenient and inviting, it will undoubtedly never amount to much in the way of business.
Center Township No. 2 .- Almost everything in relation to Cen- ter township, so far as its organization, name and numbering is concerned, has been already given in this chapter. When it was first organized, which was at the first meeting of the board of commissioners after the organization of the county began, held and continued on the 20th day of July, 1836, Center township embraced what is now Bourbon and West townships. Some time afterward, as will be seen by reference to the history of these townships, seven miles were taken off the east end of Cen- ter and called Bourbon township, and still later on, six miles were taken off the west end of what was then Center, and was called West township. This left Center township eight miles east and west by seven miles north and south. A few years after, on petition of citizens, all of sections 19 and 20, in township 34, north of range 3 east, and the south half of sections 23 and 24, in township 34, north of range 2 east, were added to the northeastern portion of Center township and remains so attached at this writ- ing. This makes the township contain fifty-nine square miles. The eastern three-fourths of the township was originally heavily timbered and is of the richest and best of soil, the western por- tion being barrens, but most of the land being very productive and most desirable for farming: The county seat was located in the northwestern portion of the township at the date of the or- ganization of the county, and hence, much that pertains to the county in general, pertains also to Center township. In begin- ning the history of Center township it is fitting that a list should be given of the early settlers of Center township.
In 1840, and prior to that time, as before stated, Center town
45
MARSHALL COUNTY.
ship comprised what is now Center, Bourbon and West townships. Among those who were settlers in this territory, at that time and prior to that date, are the following: Andrew Argo, Lot Abrams, Abram F. Ackerman, John Anderson, John Astley, Lyman H. Andrews, William Bishop, John G. Burch, Ransom Barber, Will- iam Bowen, Daniel B. Barber, Martin Bailey, Anthony S. Bunnell, Daniel Barber, Jr., William Baker, Norton S. Burch, Sooy Belangee, George Bradbury, Enoch Brewer, Lewis Boggs, Johnson Brownlee, Calvin Burch, James Bannon, Chester Clark, John Cougle, Henry H. Cummins, Andrew C. Cornwall, Ster- ling M. Cone, James A. Corse, Jacob Case, Charles Cook, Allen Crandall, Wesley J. Cruzan, Gilson S. Cleveland, Josephus A. Cutshaw, Joseph Camp, William M. Dunham, Samuel I. David- son, Tolephe Downing, Joseph B. Dunn, Frank Daws, Jesse Doney, Benjamin Doney, David Etherton, Edward Eels, Will- iam C. Edwards, Elijah E. Edwards, Joseph Furry, William J. Forbes, Austin Fuller, Stephen M. Farnsworth, William Fluellen, John Griggs, Ira Green, Moses Gunn, Henry Garver, John Greer, Joseph B. Griffith, Joseph Griffith, Sr., Lyman Griffin, Ephraim Globe, Niles Gregory, John Gibson, John Hall, John Houghton, Rufus Hewett, George Hindell, Ahijah Hawley, Harlow Hard, Milo Hard, Charles Henderson, Christian Hindell, Adam Hin- dell, John Hughs, Edgar Hawley, John Hawley, Isaac How, Ithamar Harvey, David Howard, Henry Heinger, David Hor- ner, Jonathan S. Harvey, Jacob K. Hupp, Simpson Jones, David Jones, Joel James, Robert Kennedy, Absalom Kesling, Henry Logan, Charles H. Logan, Patrick Logan, James Logan, John Louden, James McAlister, Thomas McDonald, Asahel Mathews, Michael Milner, James S. Milner, John Murphy, John McDur- met, William Mason, Abraham Miller, Azariah Mosley, James McElrath, John McElrath, Joseph McElrath, Hugh McDonald, Daniel McElrath, Huron Metcalf, Charles Morland, Uri Metcalf, Arlem McClure, Greenbury Miller, James Nash, Oscar F. Nor- ton, Charles C. Ousterhout, Grove Pomeroy, Grove O. Pomeroy, Samuel Paddock, George Parsons, Erasmus Powell, Henry B. Pershing, William G. Pomeroy, Hiram A. Ranck, Benjamin Reed, John Ray, William B. Reed, Abraham Rhinehart, John Rhine- hart, Adam Rhinehart, Joseph Redding, Manlins Root, Minor Roberts, George Ramsey, Jesse Roberts, Isadore Rheanine, Lemuel Reynolds, David Rhea, Robert Rusk, Chester Rose, David Steel, Joseph Stringer, Valentine Shoefler, Joel Sherwood, William Sluyter, Melcher Stuck, Samuel Shoemaker, John Shoemaker, William B. Shirley, Willard Sampson, Edward St. John, Samuel Smith, John Singleton, Barton Smoot, Thomas Singleton, Sr., Hiram Lish, Cornelius Smith, Samuel D. Taber, Major Tuttle, James D. Taylor, Joseph S. Tucker, Alonzo Tucker, George Tucker, George W. Taylor, Benjamin Thomp-
46
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
son, James Thompson, Josiah Taylor, George Taylor, John Thompson, Abraham Voreis, David R. Voreis, Aaron Vedder, David Van Vactor, George P. Vanhorn, Amzi L. Wheeler, Will- iam E. Walker, John Whitehead, Joseph Waters, Jeremiah White, James Whitehead, Merrill Williams, Russell Welch, John L. Westervelt, Luther Wentworth, John L. Woodward, William S. Yeckley.
Mrs. Prudy Elliot has, perhaps, lived in this township longer than any other person now here. She became a resident of Plymouth, with her father, Grove Pomeroy, in 1834, and has resided here, with the exception of a short time, on her father's farm, three miles west of Plymouth, ever since. She attended one term of school, taught in the old court house in 1837. Time has dealt gently with her and she is yet an honored citizen of our city. Joseph Evans is another resident still remaining who came in 1835-36.
William C. Edwards, Ahijah Hawley, Charles Palmer, John- son Brownlee, N. S. Woodward, Thomas K. Houghton, David How, David L. Gibson, Peter Gibson, Joseph Westevelt and perhaps a few others whose names are not now recalled, who came in 1836, and a few years later, are still here.
Cemeteries .- The first cemetery in this township was probably what is known as the "Stringer grave-yard," although its real name now is Lake cemetery. It is northeast of the present resi- dence of David How, a mile and a half southwest of Plymouth. A large number of the early settlers have been interred there and it is still generally used as a burial ground for their posterity and for those who came in later days. Aside from the fact that Center township contains the county seat and the public buildings of the county, it does not excel several of the other townships of the county in importance, and is only a fair sample of the land through- out the county.
Pearsonville, now Ironwood .- On the 29th day of December, 1854, Ezra G. Pearson, platted the village of Pearsonville and acknowledged the execution of the same. Accompanying said plat was the following description of the location of said village:
" This indenture witnesseth that Ezra G. Pearson, being de- sirous to lay off a town, has got the same surveyed, laid off and does give the same the name of Pearsonville, bounded as follows: Commencing at the north edge of the Fort Wayne and Chicago railroad, at the north and south open line, 32 rods, 19 links south of the half mile stake on the north side of section number seven- teen (17) in township number thirty-three (33), north of range number three (3) east, thence north on said open line 297 feet, thence north 72 degrees, 23 minutes west, 135 feet, thence south 17 degrees, 37 minutes, 60 feet, thence north 72 degrees, 23 minutes west, 132 feet, thence south 17 degrees, 37
47
MARSHALL COUNTY.
minutes west, 110 feet, thence north 72 degrees, 23 minutes west, 182 feet, thence north 17 degrees, 37 minutes east, 170 feet, thence north 72 degrees, 23 minutes west, 169 feet, thence south 297 feet, thence south 72 degrees, 23 minutes east, on the north line of said railroad 618 feet, to the place of beginning, situated in the county of Marshall and state of Indiana."
In the year 1859 the name of the village was changed to Iron- wood. There have been eleven additions laid out and platted, but they are so small that space cannot be given them in detail here. The village used to be quite a lively one, especially in the lumbering business, but now that the lumber has nearly all been cut off, it is quite quiet and it is evident that it has seen its best days, yet it will continue to always be a convenient trading place in the center of one of the best farming districts in the county. There are now two good dry goods, grocery and notion stores, a good grist-mill, a postoffice, a drug store and other conven- iences for country trade.
North Salem .- North Salem was a small village consisting of twelve lots laid out in the year 1851, by Barrack Plummer, Basil Roberts and A. G. Pumphrey. Shortly after it was platted a very large and elegant church, for those days was built, but it burned down in a few years and has never been rebuilt, and nearly the entire plat has been vacated.
Green Township No. 3 .- Green was one of the original town- ships of the county. When first organized it embraced what is now Union, Green, Walnut and Tippecanoe townships, being seven miles in width and twenty-one miles in length. It has been eliminated by cutting off the three townships from its original dimensions, so that it is now but seven miles in length north and south, and about five miles in width east and west. There is no village within the limits of the township, and the matter for historical reference is very limited. Originally, the township was sparsely settled, and but little occurred out of the usual routine of pioneer life. Ewell Kendall was the first in- spector of elections in this township, and the first election was held May 28, 1836, at the house of Sidney Williams. June 15, 1836, the following orders were made by the board of com- missioners:
That Fielding Bowles be allowed fifty cents for making bal- lot-box for Green township; that Abner Caldwell and John Triner be appointed constables of Green township for the year 1836; that William Owens and John A. Boots be appointed fence viewers in Green township for the present year; that William Johnson and Samuel Pattison be appointed overseers of the poor in Green township for the present year; at the September term, 1836, of the commissioners' court, it was ordered that John Compton be appointed constable in Green township to fill the
48
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
vacancy of Abner Caldwell, former constable, who is now elected sheriff of said county; at the May term of the court, the following petition was presented to the board: "We, the under- signed, commissioners of Green township, in said county, certify that Williamson Owens, the present applicant for a tavern license in said township, is a man of good moral character, and that it would be for the benefit and convenience of travelers, and conducive to the public good if such tavern should be opened, and we believe it is the bona fide intention of said Owens to keep a tavern for the accommodation of travelers. " Abner Caldwell, John Williamson, Frederick Dysinger, Elias Triner, William Boots, Sidney Williams, James W. Moore, Ewell Kendall, Samuel B. Patterson, Fielding Bowles, Jacob Boots, A. W. Roberts, John A. Boots, William Johnson, Thomas J. Head, George Owens, A. B. Tinder, Isaac Williamson, John Compton, Edmund Noe, John D. Fergeson, J. McDaniel, Edwin Owens, Josiah Taylor." The license was granted, but where the tavern was located is not exactly known; probably on the Michi- gan road, near the town of Argos.
Wolf Creek .- This place is situated on a small stream called Wolf creek, in the northwest corner of the township. It con- tains a grist-mill, a notion store and postoffice. The mill was erected by Robert C. Blivin prior to 1850, who, during a rise in the creek, on the 28th day of February, 1850, in attempting to repair the dam, lost his footing and was drowned. The mill passed into the hands of the Zehner family, and is at present owned by M. B. Zehner. The country immediately surround- ing this place was settled in a very early day by those who came from the southern part of the state. John Anderson, who settled on a piece of land a short distance to the northward, in 1835, was probably the first. Uncles Henry and Thomas Logan are also located near here. Then there were James Voreis, Abraham Voreis, John Loudon, Thomas K. Clifton and perhaps a few others, who located near by not long afterward. A short dis- tance north was at that time an Indian camping ground, and tra- dition has it that at one time a battle was fought there between some of the hostile tribes, but there is no authentic information in regard to it.
Mrs. Kendall, wife of Ewell Kendall, of this township, died April 29, 1855, aged nearly one hundred. She had been an invalid from a stroke of paralysis for a number of years prior to her death. Some time before her death occurred, three robbers entered the house of these old people and carried off all the money and valuables they could find about the premises. Mr. Kendall died a few years later. He was a very eccentric man.
Early Settlers .- Among the early settlers of Green township who came prior to 1840, including what is now Walnut township,
49
MARSHALL COUNTY.
are the following: Christian Alleman, Ira Allen, Noah Bartholo- mew, John A. Boots, Levi C. Barber, Jacob Boots, Thomas But- ler, Isaac Butler, Jonathan Butler, Henry Barcus, Robert C. Bliven, Charles Brown, Henry J. Brown, Charles Carle, David Collins, Barney Corey, Nathaniel B. Corey, Johnson M. Carle, John Compton, Andrew J. Cruzan, Benjamin Davis, Joseph Davis, William Downey, James Douglass, Joshua Edwards, Wes- ley Gregg, John Gibson, Thomas J. Head, William Hughs, Abel C. Hickman, William Johnson, Tyre Jones, Ewell Kendall, Thomas Logan, Moritz Lalmaugh, Jacob Lalmaugh, James B. Logan, Moses N. Leland, Patrick Logan, James W. Moore, William McCuen, Richard Merrill, Stephen Marsters, Elias M. Marsters, David McMillen, Vincent M. Miller, Sylvester S. Nash, Squire Owens, Benjamin Passage, Rezin G. Prather, Samuel B. Patterson, Thomas Pittenger, Andrew W. Roberts, Andrew Rhinehart, Archibald Scott, Bennett Smallwood, Elijah Town, Enos S. Tuttle, Abraham Voreis, Jr., Herman White, Sidney Williams, Reynolds Wells, Merrill Williams.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.