USA > Indiana > LaPorte County > History of La Porte County, Indiana, and its townships, towns and cities > Part 12
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Since that time the east boundary of the township has been changed so that sections one and twelve, three-fourths of section thirteen, one-half of section twenty-four, and nearly one-half of sec- tion twenty-five, are now a part of Union township, a singular departure from the congressional township boundary, for which there does not seem to be any good reason. The first settlers in Noble township were Horace and Lane Markham, who came into the township in the Fall of 1831, aud claimed land near Union Mills, Horace a short distance north of the town, and Lane a little to the west-both being on section eight. Little is known in regard to either of these families, as they moved away many years ago. Even the name of the creek, which was formerly called Markham's has been changed to Mill creek, and there seems to be nothing left to perpetuate the name of these pioneers. Bird McLane and John McLane purchased their land during the year 1832. Joseph Whea- ton became a resident in 1832, and laid out the town of Union Mills.
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NOBLE TOWNSHIP.
In the year 1833, the McLanes settled in the township, and the same year came William, Samuel, Michael and Edward O'Hara, Admiral, Peter and Ira Burch, Wright and Silas Loving, Isaac Johnson, Warren Burch, Mr. Fowler, and Jeremiah Perkins. In 1834, Joseph Sterritt settled on Dormain prairie, having come to the county and stopped at Rolling prairie in 1833. In 1834 Richard Worrall and Samuel Mitchell came also. A settlement was commenced at the same time in the northwest part of the town- ship. On the 7th day of November, A. G. Webster made a claim of the northwest quarter of section six, upon the banks of Spring creek and built a cabin. John Harding claimed the northwest quarter of the same section, and A. Logan the southeast. Horace Wood and Elizabeth McLane were married this year. This is said to have been the first wedding that took place in the township.
In 1835, Henderson Nickell, Dr. Everts, Timothy Everts, Gustavus Everts, Sidney S. Sabin, Theodore M. Wells, John Barclay, Israel Underwood, John Goldsmith, Richard Goldsmith, Goldsmith, Sen., and Benj. Shaw became settlers. A. G. Webster, E. S. Harding and John Wakefield built a shool house on Webster's farm in the Fall of this year, and Rachel Carter who taught the first school in New Durham township, filled a like posi- tion here. She commenced in January A. D., 1336. This school in early times, was very jealous of its reputation, and particularly in relation to the art of spelling correctly, and many were the attempts of the neighboring districts to excel in this respect. It was particularly distinguished for the number of teachers who fitted themselves for that profession in the little log structure. The fur- niture was made from logs split and planed off with grub hoes. From such material the seats and desks were manufactured. The fire place and doors occupied one entire side of the house. The floor was made of puncheons, manufactured in the same manner as the seats and desks. In this place many of the active business men of our county received the rudiments of their education.
In 1836, John C. Reed settled on section seven, and Asaph Web- ster on section six. The latter built a saw mill, which the division of the township brought a few rods over the line into Scipio. Dur- ing the year a Baptist church was organized in the log school house
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HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
in the "Webster district." It was known by the name of "Spring creek Old School Baptist church." Elder A. Neal of Porter county perfected the organization. The following were the names of the members : Asaph Webster, E. S. Harding, John Harding, A. A. Cole, Ariel Wakefield, Ameluna Webster, Mary Harding and Polly Harding. A. A. Cole and E. S. Harding were the first resident elders of the church. A. G. Webster was church clerk from its organization until it ceased to exist in 1854. He was also one of the first township trustees, and filled the office of justice of the peace two successive terms.
Russell Harvey settled on section ten in 1837. John F. Allison was a teacher in this year, and afterwards justice of the peace.
In 1837, Dr. Everts commenced the practice of medicine. He had three sons who followed him in the profession. Their names were Eudorus, Orpheus, and Carroll; in 1838, Allen Cummings commenced carpentering, most of the time employing from eight to twelve hands; in 1839. a saw mill was built by John Johnson & Bro., about three-quarters of a mile below Union Mills, on Mill creek : in 1840. Jacob Early commenced building a large distillery on Mill creek. It was finished in 1842. He did a very large bus- iness. In 1852 it caught fire and was burned; in 1843, Logan A. Wakefield erected an ashery upon the farm of A. G. Webster, and entered into the business of manufacturing pearl and potash. It did not prove a successful undertaking and was abandoned in 1846: in 1847, a new school house was built by George Hall. on Mill creek: in 1873, the Free Methodists built a church at Indian Point. In the same year the Chicago & Lake Huron railroad was finished through the township; and in the year 1874, the Balti- more and Ohio railroad was built.
It was at one time proposed to build a village about a mile from the site of Union Mills, and it was platted accordingly and called Belmont. The following record, without date, is found in book C. page one hundred and fifteen, of the county records. It was evi- dently filed in 1836. from its location in the book :
"' Plat of the town of Belmont. LaPorte county. Indiana. laid off upon the northwest corner of section twenty-one, and the southwest
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corner of section sixteen, township thirty-five, north of range three west. by Ward Blake and Abram Charles."
In 1838, a blacksmith shop was started by John Decker who continued in business about five years.
In 1840, a store was opened by Samuel Smith and - Lover- man. They continued to do busines in that line about two years, and then gave it up. Belmont never made any very great strides towards being a point of importance, and when Union Mills began to develope in its growth, it went out of existence as a town.
UNION MILLS.
Joseph Wheaton built the first house on the site of this town in 1832. The plat of the village was not placed on record until 1849, on the 7th day of December. The record is as follows :
"The village of Union Mills represented by the annexed plat, is situated in the southeast corner of section eight, and the southwest corner of section nine, in township thirty-five, north of range three west of the second meridian. Surveyed June 14. 1849.
State of Indiana,
LaPorte County. S ยท SS.
Be it known that on the fifth day of November, one thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, personally appeared before me the undersigned, a justice of the peace, within and for said county, by authority of law, duly commissioned and qualified, Robert Wierm, Geo. Butt, Chas. Fessenden, Lewis Stevenson, Allen Cummings, Russell N. Bennett, E. W. Fessenden, Michael O'Hara, B. Elliot, Eudorus Everts, Wm. J. Wheaton, proprietors of the town of Union Mills, and acknowledged the within plat to be their act and deed for the purpose of having the same recorded.
Given under my hand and seal the day and year above written.
JEREMIAH PERKINS, Justice of the Peace."
The grist mill at Union Mills was commenced in 1837, by Dr. Sylvanus Everts, and was finished in 1838. He continued to run it 'about three years, and then sold it to Bell & Gray. It after- wards reverted to Dr. Everts on account of a failure to make pay- ment, and he, wishing to dispose of it, got up a stock company and sold the shares at fifty dollars each. George Butt bought up all the
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HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
shares, and sold again in 1856. In 1866 J. P. Teeple bought it. It is now carried on by Hamilton & Teeple.
In 1838, there were only five log cabins at the Mills. They were owned by Dr. Everts. Josiah Grover, Lewis Stevenson, Levi Smith and Joseph Wheaton.
Levi Smith put up a block house and used it as a store in 1839.
In 1840, William Bills put up a frame house on lot number five, and had a store in it. He built a frame house for a residence on the same lot. Lewis Stevenson erected a store, and put in it a gen- eral assortment of goods. It was upon the lot now occupied by F. A. Freeman as a store. During this year a man by the name of Clement had a cooper shop in the village and did a fair business. R. M. Bennett commenced blacksmithing.
A shoemaker shop was started by Elisha Thayer in 1841: also a drug store by Lewis Stevenson; Mr. Cowan opened a wagon shop in 1842. In 1843, William Winters and - Rogers carried on the business of tailoring. They were in business four or five years together. Isaac Johnson worked for them and continued in the business.
In the year 1844. the Presbyterian church was built-it having been organized by Rev. F. P. Cummins. The succeeding ministers havebeen Rev. Mr. Evans, McCrea, Fisher, Mckinney, Elliott and Smith. In this year, Stephen and William Clement built a store and stocked it, James Westervelt acting as their agent. Some two years after. Michael O'Hara and A. Cummins bought it. After continuing in the businss two years, Cummins sold out to Ben Elliott, and he sold to O'Hara at a later date. Thomas Alli- son bought a general stock of goods and entered into business, which he continued from ten to twelve years. Anson Harvey com- menced harness making, and a postoffice was established with Lewis Stevenson for postmaster. At that time but one mail each week from LaPorte was afforded, and the department offered only seven dollars per quarter for its transportation. No one being desirous of securing the contract, some of the leading citizens, who were anxious to have mail facilities, drew lots as to who should perform the duty. The unfortunate person upon whom the lot fell was
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Allen Cummings. A frame school house was erected during this year.
In 1848, Ben Elliott built a store and put in a general stock of goods. In 1860, Dr. Egbert commenced the practice of medicine. Peter Kannable started a wagon shop, and Wheaton a blacksmith shop. In 1852, Dr. Higley commenced the practice of medicine. In 1854, Morton & Booth built a shop and commenced the boot and shoe business. In 1857, Wheaton who had formerly been engaged in the same business at Union Mills, but had migrated to Missouri, returned and opened another shop. In 1858, Dr. Crumpacker commenced the practice of his profession at Union. The Advent church was built during this year. Rev. F. M. Berrick was the first pastor. Augustus Block started a wagon shop in 1860, and still continues in business. In 1864, Burdet Turner opened a meat market. Mr. Berridge opened a gun shop in 1866. In 1859, W. F. Williams commenced blacksmithing. Joseph Bailey bought out Morton & Booth and started in the boot and shoe business, which he still continues, and Miss Samantha Church opened a drug store. In 1872, Dr. Meredith commenced practice, and Mrs. Almira Turner opened the Turner house for the accommodation of the public. This is the first hotel the town has had.
In 1872, McClure & McClung built a store and stocked it with a general assortment of goods. Heron & Wilcox opened a drug store. H. Smith started a tin shop which he has since sold to N. D. McCormack. The Chicago and Lake Huron railroad was finished to the town in this year.
In 1874, Drs. Heron & Wilcox embarked in the practice of medi- cine in the town. Pope C. Weed and Henry Booth commenced harness making. Bennett & Moreland opened a meat market. In this year the Baltimore and Ohio railroad was finished close to the town, the crossing being but a few rods from its outside limits.
Since the completion of the two railroads, Union Mills has taken a new start and no town in the county outside of the cities, has to all appearance, a more encouraging prospect in the future.
The business of the town may be briefly stated as follows: One attorney; one banking agent for Ernest, Prussing & Co., of
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HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY
Chicago; one barber; three blacksmith shops; two meat markets ; two brick masons; seven carpenters; one cider mill; three dry goods, grocery and clothing stores ; two drug stores; two dress- makers ; one well driver; one express agent; one general shipper and dealer in butter, eggs, etc .; one grain buyer and freight agent; one grist mill ; one hotel; two harness shops; two insurance agents ; two justices of the peace; one livery stable; one milliner; one notary public; five physicians; two painters; two plasterers; one saw mill; one telegraph operator; one tin shop; and three wagon shops. There are also two churches, Presbyterian and Advent.
Stimulated by the railroads the following additions have been made to the town: Deets' addition, laid off on the east side of Union Mills, and recorded April 23, 1875; and the addition of Fredrickson, Hamilton, Way and Deets. recorded on the 18th day of May, 1875.
A new town has also been laid off at the junction of the rail- roads, by Charles F. Wells, and Theodore H. Wells, which was recorded on the eighth day of April, 1875, and is called Wellsboro.
Noble township holds one of the finest bodies of land in the county ; chiefly consisting of prairie, with a soil rich and exceed- ingly productive. No other portion of the county has been more prosperous. Advantageously located for market conveniences, since the completion of the Baltimore and Ohio, and Chicago and Lake Huron railroads through its limits, its developement and prosperity must be greater in the future than in the past. It is watered by Mill creek, which passes diagonally across the township from the northwest to the southeast, by a smaller creek or two, and by several small lakes. To the advantages of the soil and location, the people have added facilities for education, and have erected a sufficient number of good school houses to supply the needs of their children.
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COOLSPRING TOWNSHIP.
CHAPTER XIII.
COOLSPRING TOWNSHIP.
The territory embraced in Coolspring township, was a part of the original township of New Durham. By the subsequent division it became a part of Michigan township, remaining thus until the 9th day of March, 1836, when the following order was made by the Board of county commissioners :
" Ordered that Michigan township be divided by the line between towns thirty-seven and thirty-eight, range four west, and that part of Michigan township comprising town thirty-seven, range four west, form a judicial township to be known by the name of Cool- spring township, and that there be an election held in said township on the first Monday of April next for the purpose of electing two justices of the peace for said township, and that Nathan Johnson is appointed inspector of elections for said township, and that the elections for said township be held at the house of Nathan Johnson."
It has been very difficult to ascertain who was actually the first settler of Coolspring township, or precisely in what year he came. Those who have been consulted differ in regard to the matter. Some state that Nathan Johnson was the first settler, others that it was a man by the name of John or Isaac Luther, while still others claim Arba Heald as the first settler. It is probable that these all settled in the same year, which must have been the year 1833, and having gone into different sections of the township, the parts of which were not readily accessible to each other in those early times, each neighborhood believes its own first settler was first of all. Arba Heald went from Scipio township, of which he was one of the earliest settlers, into the southwest part of Coolspring, and erected a saw mill not far from Beatty's corners. Nathan Johnson made his improvements at Waterford, which it is said that he laid out as a village, and Luther settled nearer the central part of the town- ship. Mr. Wm. Forrester states that he has often seen the remains of the Luther cabin in the neighborhood of where he resides. But
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HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
whoever may have been foremost in making a settlement, it is cer- tain that there were very few inhabitants in the township prior to 1836. In that year there were in the township, Maj. Eliphalet Pattee, Thomas Forrester, John Jacobus, Thomas Sharp, George Smith. George Bentley. John F. Decker, Abram Langdon. Nathan Johnson, Arba Heald, John Van Meter. John Dysard. John Bratty, Purdy Smith. the Whitakers. Daniel Reed, John Glime and Ebenezer Palmer. Palmer was the first justice of the peace in the township. Beatty had been engaged in the Black Hawk war, passed through the county on his way to Chicago in 1832, and made his settlement in 1833. Arba Heald preceded Beatty in the timber of the southwest part of the township, and. in connection with Daniel Reed. erected a saw mill, the first in that locality. probably in the year 1833. John Dysard must have come in 1835. He still lives in the town- ship, and is a farmer and stock raiser, also a successful fruit cultur- ist. George Bentley, the father of Ambrose Bentley, who resides on the old homestead, and of Dr. G. J. Bentley, of Michigan City, ran a saw mill for General Joseph Orr, which was one of the earliest erected in the township. Elisha Mayhew owned an interest with Orr in this mill, and afterwards Orr and Standiford owned it in company. This mill was built in 1833, but Arba Heald's had been erected a few months previously. Orr and his partner put up a wool carding machine also. This afterwards passed into the hands of Samuel Weston, who built a grist mill in the same place. which is now owned and run by James Mason and his father. Nathan John- son built a saw mill at Waterford, which some claim to have been the first erected in the township; and in 1836 he built another. Gen. Orr thinks the first saw mill in the township was built at Waterford by Walker & Johnson. A man by the name of Bowen bought the Waterford property, and put up a distillery, which was run several years very successfully. The property passed through several hands, a grist mill was erected and run in connection with the dis- tillery. This was finally closed and the grist mill continued to run until about 1870, when it was burned. Then Casper Kuhn bought the site, erected another mill, and has run it successfully ever since.
Asa Harper made improvements in the township in 1835, but
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COOLSPRING TOWNSHIP.
was then living at Michigan City and did not move into the town- ship until several years after. John F. Decker lived at or near Waterford, and died in 1844. He was the father of John F. Decker now of LaPorte.
The first store in the township was at Waterford. It was opened by Mr. Bowen, and in about six weeks thereafter was closed by his creditors. This was probably in 1836. Since that time there have been several in the place, which have all been successively closed up. A postoffice was opened at Waterford in 1838, and kept by a man named Sears. This was afterwards moved to the hotel about a mile south of Waterford, and was discontinued in 1865.
The great amount of timber in Coolspring township early invited the erection of saw mills; and there were others built besides those already named. John Beatty and Purdy Smith put up one in 1833 or 34, in the southwest part of the township. In 1836, Aaron Stanton built a flouring mill in the township which his son Alfred purchased and managed from 1838 to 1842, when he sold it and went to Oregon. Orr's mill and Stanton's also, were on Spring creek, a branch of Trail creek. The mill which Nathan Johnson built later now belongs to the Timm brothers.
Schools were opened early, probably in 1835 or 36; and Eben- ezer Palmer is supposed to have been the first teacher. Rachel Jacobus also taught very early, and Wm. Forrester remembers Maria Sharp as his first teacher. In 1837 or 38, Wm. C. Talcott went into the township, and taught a school near Waterford. He was a Universalist preacher, and probably the first to preach in the town- ship. There have been services by other denominations, especially the Methodists and Presbyterians, usually held in the school houses, until about 1855, when a church was built, a very good one, near Waterford, by the Presbyterians, which is really a union church, being occupied by various denominations in common. This is the only church edifice in the township.
The villages of the township are Waterford and Beatty's Corners. But little business has ever been done at either place, the most im- portant business enterprise being the flouring mill at Waterfor.l. At B: atty's Corners there are now no indications of a town; and the
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HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
site is a part of the farm of George R. Selkirk. The place was laid off as a town in 1842 by James Whittem, who divided two acres into town lots. A black smith shop was opened by a man named Collins, and one Dr. Bosley worked at wagon making. A hotel was built, and kept by Enoch Brewer about two years. He afterwards removed to Pulaski county, and kept a hotel at Medary- ville. A. B. Wolf kept the hotel at Beatty's Corners for a time, but it has long been closed. Only one lot was ever sold in the town, and finally George R. Selkirk bought the whole plat, an instance not very common, of the purchase by one man. of an entire town.
Coolspring is well watered by small creeks in nearly every part of it, affording many excellent mill privileges; and good timber being abundant. these opportunities have been largely improved : and although a vast amount of timber has been cut off, vet there is still large quantities remaining. The entire township is timbered, no prairie land being within its limits. The timber consists of oak, ash, maple, walnut. poplar, beech, hickory and other varieties.
There is a great deal of good land in the township, and some also that is thin and poor, consisting of the sand originally, perhaps. thrown up from the lake. But most of the soil can be made to pro- duce very good crops of corn, wheat and potatoes; and for fruit it cannot be surpassed in the county. Farmers have been generally successful and are quite prosperous. Educational privileges have not been neglected. and there are at the present time five good school houses in the township.
When the township was first settled, it was one of the wildest parts of the county. There was abundance of game. consisting of deer and turkeys, and even wild bears. The latter sometimes car- ried off pigs and hogs at night. The Indians were still in the country, and came freely to the huts of the settlers. but never molested them in any way, either in person or property. On one occasion Mr. John Beatty, when out hunting came near shooting an Indian. supposing the red-skin to be a deer. The Indian rose up and exhibited himself unmistakably, just in time. Had the acci- dent occurred it might have resulted in arousing the hostility of the savages, and placing in peril the lives of the settlers.
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COOLSPRING TOWNSHIP.
In the year 1836, a sad accident occurred, resulting in the death of Amos Smith. son of Purdy Smith, a lad about ten years of age. His father, with others, was chopping trees in the forest, and the boy was engaged in carrying water to the men, when just as he came to where the laborers were engaged, a falling tree struck a high stub or body of another tree, which sprang back, and in fall- ing, struck down the lad, and killed him instantly.
Among those who now live in the township, and who came early to the county are Hiram and N. W. Blackman, farmers, and the latter a cooper; A. L. Booth, a farmer; Richard Cross and Amos Thorpe, farmers and cider makers; Reuben Chapin, fruit grower and farmer: John Dysard, a farmer and stock raiser: Wm. Fores- ter, farmer andl grain buyer; Elder L. Fogle, Christian preacher and farmer; Robert Curran and C. G. Dalgren, farmers; Asa Har- per, Augustus C. and M. J. Hubner, Wm. Lumbard, S. C. Perry, and John Zahrn, farmers and stock raisers; Joseph Eddy, tailor and farmer; John Ebert, mason and contractor; A. B. Hunt, farmer; D. L. Jackson, farmer and cooper; Casper Kuhn, proprie- tor of Waterford flouring mill; Daniel Low, farmer and fruit grower, and for many years trustee of the township ; F. M. Taylor, proprietor of flouring mill; James L. Monahan, farmer and dealer in fruit trees ; Albert Mudge, a farmer, and several years township assessor; Z. W. Palmer, farmer and speculator; A. B. Wolf, farmer and carpenter; Dennis Purvis, G. R. Selkirk, G. W. Van Dusen, Wm. Sohn and John Windland, farmers; B. N. Shreve, township trustee and lumberman; Eli Smith, farmer and cooper, and Jacob H. White, physician and surgeon, residing at Waterford, the first and only resident physician in the township.
The township has quite a large population. It is even more thickly settled than some portions of the prairie, for the farms are not so large, and neighbors are brought more closely together. The New Albany and Chicago railroad passes across the west side of the township, the Michigan Central cuts the northwest corner, and the Indianapolis, Peru and Chicago, the northeast corner, but there is no railroad station within the limits of the township. Otis furnishes the market for the southwest part, LaPorte for the southeast, and Michigan City for all the north side. With markets all around,
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