USA > Indiana > LaPorte County > History of La Porte County, Indiana, and its townships, towns and cities > Part 14
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The Kankakee marsh lands will eventually become far more val- uable than they are now, though at present they are valuable, for stock raising purposes. There is considerable timber in the town- ship, chiefly oak, growing in sandy soil, strips of which lie along- side, and extend into, the marshes. This is the poorest land in the township, and aside from the timber is the least valuable. These sandy "barrens" and the marshes, occupy about three-fourths of the area of the township.
In the latter part of 1831, or the early part of 1832, the first
.
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HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
settler came to the township, and built a small cabin near the pres- ent residence of D. H. Norton. This was Thomas Stillwell, from whom the prairie takes its name. He was a "border man," and it is said that he loved the company of Indians better than that of the whites. He was some time without white neighbors in the town- ship, for it was not until 1833 that John Winchell came with his family, and the township really began to be settled. John and Henry Vail came in the same year. Winchell built a small log grist mill, and the Vails erected one also. Several other settlers arrived during this year. Among them were Henry Mann, whose children still live in the township; Henry Davis, the father of Handy Davis who kept the first store in Kingsbury ; Theodore Catlin, some of whose relatives still reside in the county; Daniel Finley; Mr. Kingsbury, from whom the village derives its name ; Curtis and Joshua Travis; and probably also Daniel Low, who soon afterwards went to Michigan City, and now lives in Coolspring township.
In the year 1834, Charles W. and M. S. Henry, came from Geneva, New York, and settled in the township, and in the same year came Harrison Winchell, and Norris J. Winchell. Handy Davis came this year also, and some of the Catlins, Joseph G. and Mead Catlin, the latter of whom was an Advent preacher. David H. Norton arrived the same year. Norton and the two Winchells, Norris J. and Harrison, still reside in the township. Lyman Win- chell, a son of John Winchell, and David Winchell went to Califor- nia in an early day, and died there. Nathaniel Thurber arrived this year also and Darius Sayles. A Mr. Skinner, who afterwards came to Union township, made a settlement this year in Noble, on the place now owned by Ira Way. Joseph Callison, long a resident of the township, had arrived the year before, but made his settle- ment in the edge of Noble. Jesse Winchell also, was one of the settlers of 1834. He occupied a place which was afterwards owned by Mr. Travis; but he left the township and now lives in Wisconsin. There were still other settlers in this year, among them, Wm. Wal- bridge, who now lives in Wisconsin: Col. Josiah Grover, now of Valparaiso; Gustavus Everts, who was the second Judge of the Circuit court : Wesley and John Diggins; and two brothers named Page, who were both old bachelors.
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UNION TOWNSHIP.
In the year 1835, there were so many arrivals that it would be quite impossible to note them all. Among them were Jacob Early, who lived many years in the county and until his recent death in the city of LaPorte; and Dr. Sylvanus Everts who was the first physician in the township. Timothy Everts arrived in the same year, but settled in the edge of Noble township, and afterwards removed into Union. In this year a man by the name of Farmer arrived and opened a black- smith shop in the township. He died in 1838, during the "sickly season." His was the first blacksmith shop opened in the township. Ephraim Barney also, who now lives in the "South Woods" came in 1835, and George W. Reynolds who now lives in Kingsbury, and is a justice of the peace. He settled in Kingsbury May 4, 1835, when there were but two others in the place, Farmer, the blacksmith, and Davis, the merchant. Reynolds worked at the carpenter trade, and put up the first buildings erccted in Kings- bury. The store building now occupied by L. D. Brand, was built by him in 1836, and in the same year he put up four other frame buildings.
George W. Reynolds' father, Abram A. Reynolds, came to Union township in 1836, arriving in the month of June. He died in March 1874. In the same year there came among others, Jeremiah Hiser, whose widow still lives in the township; Daniel Shaw, now in Michigan City; Rensselaer Shaw, who died in 1873; Jacob Fravel, who still resides in the township; Isaiah Atkins, still living on his original location; and John Evans, whose widow and daughter are still in the township.
In 1834 or 1835, David Winchell built a saw mill, which was the first one erected in the township. In the Spring of 1835, Jacob Early bought Winchell's mill, and moved to the township in July. Early replaced the log grist mill with a frame structure, which stood about thirty years. This was finally pulled down, the prop- erty having been sold to H. P. Lans, who built the present mill. This is the one at Kingsbury, and is now owned by Mrs. Bodley, of Cincinnati, a sister of the Butterworth brothers.
As already mentioned Henry and John Vail built the first mill in the township. This was in 1833. It was a log structure and in 1837, they replaced it with a frame. Then they added to it a
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HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
fulling mill and distillery, and in 1838 a wool carding machine also. John Vail died of apoplexy, the property passed into the hands of Lot and Edward Vail, and they sold it to Moses Butterworth about eight years ago. He still owns the property, but the carding machine, fulling mill and distillery were long ago discontinued.
The only village in the township of Union is
KINGSBURY.
This village was laid out in 1835. The following is the record as shown in the office of the county recorder :
State of Indiana, LaPorte County, 212;} ss.
"Personally came before me, the undersigned, recorder of deeds. within and for the county aforesaid, Henry Davis, the proprietor of the town of Kingsbury, and acknowledged the filing of the above plat for record, February 6. 1838.
B. SPURLOCK, R. L. C."
The first store in Kingsbury, as already mentioned, was opened by the father of Handy Davis. Theodore Catlin clerked for him. and managed the business of the store. After the death of Davis, Jacob Early opened a store in the village, and a man named Paul Clay was his clerk. Afterward, Polaski King opened a general store. Fred'k West of LaPorte, was his clerk, and managed the business for him at Kingsbury.
This store was sold to Preservedi Wheeler, then it passed into the hands of Hiram Burlingame who sold to McClung & Reynolds. They sold to John Page, and he sold to Albert S. McLane. He died in 1871, and Timothy McLane kept a store awhile. He after- wards removed the most of his stock to Union Mills, and sold the remainder to L. D. Brand, who opened his store January 1, 1871, and has kept it ever since. Another general store was opened by Chapman & Craft in the Spring of 1874. McLane & McClung were also engaged a short time in selling goods in partnership.
Theodore Catlin was the first postmaster, and George W. Rey- nolds carried the mail to and from LaPorte twice a week, at a dol- lar a trip. The route was afterwards extended from Kingsbury to Union Mills, Bigelow's Mills, and Tassinong in Porter county, and when the Bigelow postoffice was discontinued, the mail route was
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UNION TOWNSHIP.
changed from Union Mills to Hanna, on the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago railroad. The entire route has since been dis- continued, all the postoffices located upon it, now being supplied by the railroads. Albert S. McLane was postmaster at Kingsbury during the time he sold goods there, and upon his death in 1871, L. D. Brand was appointed and still 'holds the office.
Farmer was the first blacksmith in Kingsbury, and there are now two, Robert Mecum and Charles H. Ingram. Besides the two blacksmiths at Kingsbury there are three others in the township, one at Catlin's corners, one at Chatauqua corners, and one at Big Island.
John W. Dexter kept the first tavern, in the same building now called a hotel. It has always been known as the Kingsbury hotel.
The first school house in the township was built at Kingsbury in 1834. It stood where the Baptist church now stands, and the first church was built just across the street where the school house is now located, they having since changed places.
A drug store was established in the place January 1, 1875, by W. W. Wilcox. A two story frame building was erected in 1860 or 61, by the Masonic fraternity, the second story of which is occu- pied as a Masonic Hall and Lodge room. In 1872, a two story school building was erected, under the superintendence of Edward Hawkins, who was then township trustee. The upper story of this building is used as a town hall. The village church belongs to the Baptist denomination which held meetings in the township proba- bly earlier than any other church organization. Meetings were
held at school and private houses until the erection of the church edifice at Kingsbury, which occurred about 1852. Besides this Bap- tist church, there is a Methodist church building at Mann's corners which was built about 1860, and the Lutherans (German), have erected a church edifice during the present year.
What has now been mentioned, including the two grist mills, a repair shop for guns, clocks, etc., several carpenters, and the ship- ping interest at the railroad station, constitutes the present business of the village. The people of the vicinity had long been anxious to secure the passage of a railroad through Kingsbury; and in 1873, their wishes were gratified by the completion to and through
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HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
the town, of the Peninsular Railroad of Michigan, now called the Chicago and Lake Huron railroad. This has given a much brighter outlook to the business prospects of Kingsbury, as it has already become quite a shipping point for grain from the surround- ing farms.
George W. Reynolds was the carpenter who built the first frame house in Kingsbury, and it is now occupied as a dwelling by his son-in-law, Mr. D. P. Grover. Grover succeeded Edward Hawkins as trustee of the township in 1872, and in 1874, H. P. Ellsworth was elected to this position. There are five school houses in the township, all of them good and comfortable buildings. One of the first school teachers in the township was Joel Butler who was elect- ed County Auditor in 1843. Rev. Phineas Culver was the first Baptist preacher, and Elder Holmes the first Christian preacher. Rev. James Armstrong, who was sent as a missionary to LaPorte county, and who settled on a farm near Door Village, preaching in all the country round about, was probably the first Methodist to preach in the township.
Some of the celebrated "Indian Mounds " are found in this town- ship on section twenty-one. Considerable excavations have been made in them through the efforts chiefly of Dr. T. Higday of La- Porte; and a number of interesting relics have been found which are on exhibition in the rooms of the Natural History association. The relics obtained must be of a very remote date, as on some of the mounds trees were found growing, nearly two feet in diameter. They are undoubtedly of Indian origin, but when they were made, by what tribes, or for what purpose, are problems whose solution can- not readily be given.
Agriculture is the leading industry of this township, which to- gether with that of stock raising constitutes nearly the whole em- ployment of the people, the township being well adapted to these two connected branches of industry.
Among the prominent farmers of the township, most of whom have lived here many years, are Abel Vail, W. W. Travis, W. H. and N. J. Winchell, Isaiah Atkins, J. A., G. W. and E. Travis, Wm. L. McDonald, Wm. Reynolds, Wm. P. Page, Joseph Schoff, Moses Vandermark. H. E. and S. J. Norton, F. B. Miller, Henry
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UNION TOWNSHIP.
. W. Miller, Joseph Hiser, S. S. Hay, Daniel N. Hay, Thomas Hiser, Hugh Glasgow, Wm. H. Geer, James Good, Theodore Hupp, A. E. Barney, R. D. Craft, O. H. Chapman, Daniel B. Collings, Wm. Crow, Wm. S. Cox, J. Dudley, W. W. Demyer, D. P. Closser, E. S. Ellsworth, W. Ewing, and Franklin S. Grover.
Among those who are farmers and stock raisers are Hosea Barnes, Wm. Demyer, Charles Donicheck, A. P. Lilly, John Moyer, and others. Noah Travis is a farmer and a saw mill owner; George W. Reynolds is a farmer and a justice of the peace; Moses Butter- worth is a farmer, miller and grain buyer; E. J. Dicks is a farmer and stock dealer, and D. P. Grover a farmer and former township trustee. The only physician in the township is Dr. H. N. Ellsworth.
Union township has scarcely begun to be developed. Its product- ive capacity might be increased far beyond its present measure; and when the marshes are drained as they will be in time, they will unfold a body of land of wonderful productiveness. With a con- venient market for grain and hay, these products must continue to increase from year to year, while the raising of stock also will be- come a more and more important and profitable pursuit. With a continuance of the enterprise already exhibited by the inhabitants, the growth of the township in wealth and influence is sure.
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HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
CHAPTER XVI.
CASS TOWNSHIP.
The territory embraced in the present townships of Cass, Dewey and Hanna, was originally a part of Stark county; but the inhabi- tants living north of the Kankakee river, were put to great incon- venience to reach their county seat, being obliged to go around by the way of Lemon's bridge near the centre of the east side of the county. To remedy the difficulty an appeal was made to the State legislature, and that body passed the following act, approved Jan- uary 29, 1842, "for the attachment of a part of Stark county to the county of LaPorte."
"SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That all that part of Stark county which lies north of the Kankakee river be, and the same is hereby attached perma- nently to the county of LaPorte.
SEC. 2. This act to be in force from and after its passage."
Thus all the territory named was made a part of LaPorte county. While it formed a part of Stark county it was known as Van Buren township; and this name was retained upon the whole of it until the organization of Cass, which took place on the 12th day of June, 1848, the Board of county commissioners having on that day made the following order:
"It is ordered by the Board upon the petition of sundry inhabi- tants of Van Buren township that said township be divided by run- ning a line north and south upon the range line dividing ranges three and four, and that the part west of said line, and south of the township line dividing townships thirty-four and thirty-five, and in LaPorte county, be called Cass township, and be numbered sixteen upon the tax duplicate, and
It is ordered by the Board that Alexander Campbell, be and he is hereby appointed inspector of elections in Cass township, that Clark Meeker be and is hereby appointed constable of said township, and that Moody Kimball and W. McLane be and are hereby appointed
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CASS TOWNSHIP.
fence viewers of said township to serve until the next annual election for township officers and until their successors are duly qualified."
As thus organized, the township embraced also the present town- ship of Dewey; and the limits of Van Buren township were reduced to that portion lying east of the designated line between ranges three and four. This part of VanBuren contained very few inhabi- tants, not enough to make it advisable to hold elections, and they applied to the Board of commissioners to be attached to and made a part of Noble township, and accordingly that body on the 11th day of March, 1850, made the following order :
"Now come sundry citizens of VanBuren township and present their petitition to be attached to Noble township. It is therefore ordered by the Board that said VanBuren be so attached to the said Noble township, and that the boundaries of the said Noble township shall be as follows, to-wit: Beginning at the northwest corner of section number six, in township number thirty-five, north of ranges three west, and running south on the range line to the Kankakee river, thence up the said river to the township line between town- ship number thirty-four and township number thirty-five, thence west on said last mentioned township line to the southeast corner of section number thirty-five in township number thirty-five, north of range three west, thence north to the township line between town- ships number thirty-five and number thirty-six, thence west on said township line to the place of beginning." The territory thus added to the township of Noble afterwards was organized as Hanna town- ship. Van Buren township ceased to exist with the passage of the order above quoted.
When the question of a name for the new township arose, those of the inhabitants who were of the Whig faith in politics desired it should be called Harrison, while the Democrats preferred the name of Cass. It was decided to draw lots, and Walter Livingston and John Wills were selected for the drawing. Wills, who was a Dem- ocrat, won, and Cass became the name of the township.
The very wet condition of Cass township at an early period, ren- dering a large portion of its territory little less than a marsh, hin- dered settlement, and it was not until 1839 or 1840, that any
I 2
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HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTI.
settlers made their homes here. Peter Wooden, and Abraham Eahart were foremost in the settlement of Cass, coming about the time named. Jeremiah Wilson also was one of the earliest, but finally made his home in the edge of Clinton township. Nimrod West was an early settler in VanBuren township, but by the divis- ion was left in that part which is now Hanna township. The Con- cannons, James and Thomas, also came early, and Wm. Smith. Wm. Batterson, John Wills, and his sons, Charles, John and David; Isham Campbell, Adam Leeper, Alexander Campbell, Bishop Brockway, E. V. Waters, Dr. John F. Tilden, and James and Richard Cannon. Augustus W. Vail settled at Morgan Station or Callao in 1844, and Hon. Edward Evans, the present representa- tive to the State legislature has been a resident of the township more than twenty-five years. Sixteen years ago, John Harris arrived, and population has gradually increased from that time for- ward. A large German population has settled in the township. and their industry has matie them a very useful class of inhabitants.
In addition to those already named, the following persons are successful farmers in the township; Henry Bowman. who is a native of Prussia, and came to this county in 1853; L. M. Shurte, from Butler county, Ohio, and A. J. Shurte, from Cass county, Michi- gan, who came to the county in 1846; S. B. Rundlett, a native of this county ; and J. H. Cannon, who came from Porter county in 1843. Mrs. M. M. Beckley is a farmer and stock raiser; J. O. Burner is a druggist and grocery dealer, and J. T. Sanders is a railroad agent, telegraph operator and dealer in Agricultural implements.
There have been three villages in Cass township; Callao, Rozelle and Wanatah.
CALLAO.
This village is known also as Morgan Station. It is situated on the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago railroad, and was laid off in 1859, by Wm. Taylor.
The following is the record : "Field notes of survey of the town of Morgan, situated in the southwest quarter of the southeast quar- ter of section two, township thirty-four, north of range four west, commencing at a point five hundred and eighteen feet north of half
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CASS TOWNSHIP.
mile stake on south line of described section, thence east eight hundred and sixty-eight feet, thence north one hundred and sixty- one feet, thence eighty-four degrees and twenty minutes, west eight hundred and seventy-eight feet, thence south three hundred and tweny-eight feet to place of beginning. Surveyed and platted by W. A. Taylor, May 29, 1859."
The first merchants in this village were Wm. A. Taylor and Wm. McLane; they also put up warehouses and purchased considerable grain. An attempt was made to build a steam mill, but the propri- etor dying. his work was never completed. Some years ago, August Gruening started a blacksmith shop, and still follows that occupation. Three years ago, Charles Scarborough opened a store, and continued in business two years. Wm. A. Taylor was the first postmaster of Callao. In 1864, A. W. Vail was appointed, and resigned in 1872. He was succeeded by Charles Scarborough who still holds the office. In 1862 or 63, Mrs. Batterson kept a hotel, and Dr. John F. Tilden has been located there as a physician since 1846. A Methodist church was erected at Callao about 1858 or 59.
ROZELLE.
This village was laid out by its proprietor, Joseph Unruh, and the plat was recorded in 1859. The following is the record : "State of Indiana, 2
LaPorte County, S ss.
Before me Daniel W. Long, justice of the peace in and for said county, this 22d day of January, 1859, appeared Joseph Unruh, and acknowledged the execution of the within plat and that he filed the same in the recorder's office for record. The same is the west half of the northeast quarter of section number eight, in township thirty-four, north of range number four west.
DANIEL W. LONG, J. P.
Filed January 24, 1859."
The village was located about a mile south of Wanatah, on the Louisville, New Albany and Chicago railroad. There never was much business done in the place, nearly all of it by Unruh, who was a merchant there, and grain buyer; and when he removed his stock and buildings to Wanatah the rest of the town followed; and there now remains only a railroad water-house.
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HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
WANATAH.
The town of Wanatah was laid out by T. A. E. Campbell, Ruel Starr, Joseph Unruh and Wm. Unruh; the survey was made by T. C. Sweeney and the town plat was recorded September 7. 1865. Its growth commenced a few months prior to the time when the Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne and Chicago R. R. was completed which was in the year 1857. The business of the place now consists of one hotel ; one flouring mill ; seven dry goods and grocery stores ; one drug and grocery store; two boot and shoe shops; five blacksmith and wagon shops, three of which manufacture new wagons. the other two being repair shops; one tailor shop; one millinery store; two harness shops; one carpenter shop and furniture store; one lumber yard; two hay presses, one of which pressed in 1874, one thousand tons of hay; one agricultural, and agricultural implement store; two saloons; two butcher shops; one produce shipper and general dealer ; one grain dealer; three physicians, one of whom is a lady : one plasterer ; one real estate and insurance agent : three telegraph operators, and two railroad stations.
The first general store was kept by Joseph Unruh who moved from Rozelle, a mile south of Wanatah, at the time of the comple- tion of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago railroad. Unruh's building was used as a store and dwelling house also, and he after- wards opened it as a hotel which he kept until about four years ago when he sold out to Mitzner & Conitz, who still keep the store, and removed to Chicago. Unruh also built a flouring mill in the year 1867. It was erected for a warehouse. but concluding to make of it a mill, he put in three run of stones. and it is now one of the best flouring mills in the county. Emil L. Keil, the present owner, was for some time in Unruh's employment in the manage- ment of the mill, and purchased it in 1870.
The first house in Wanatah was erected by a man named Hyde, for a dwelling house. A Mr. Protsman built the first hotel, some time before the town was surveyed and platted. This building is now Gallert's saloon.
A hotel was also kept a short time by a man named Louderback. Frank McCurdy built the McCurdy house in 1865. He sold it in 1874 to Robert Whitlock, and on the 9th day of January, 1875, it was burned. It was immediately rebuilt by
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CASS TOWNSHIP.
Whitlock, and was opened July 22, 1875, under the name of the Wanatah House.
The first physician in the village was Nelson Ward. After har- ing been in Wanatah some time he removed to LaFayette, but after- wards returned. His wife has since studied medicine at Ann Arbor. Michigan, and now practices with him. Dr. B. F. Janes afterwards settled in the place.
The German Lutherans have built a very good church edifice in Wanatah, but other denominations have held services of late years in the "Enterprise " school house, which was built by a company of citizens in 1870. It was a stock company and most of the shares are now owned by F. McCurdy. An effort is at this time being made to induce its purchase by the township.
Wanatah is situated on Hog creek, at the crossing of the Pitts- burgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago, and Louisville, New Albany and Chicago railroads. It is in the open prairie, which a few years ago, it would have been difficult to cross on horseback or with a team without sticking fast in the mire. Now the land all around is dry, much of it is under cultivation, and is very productive. As the surrounding country becomes more developed, the trade of Wanatah must increase, furnishing as it will. the market place for all the grain and hay of the southwest part of the county. Even now its business is considerable, but is certain to advance just in proportion to the growth of the country around about.
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