USA > Indiana > LaPorte County > History of La Porte County, Indiana, and its townships, towns and cities > Part 15
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In the township outside of Wanatah, there are two churches, the German Methodists having built one two and a half miles south of the village. The Lutherans also have erected a church building at the same place.
There are seven school houses in the township, showing a good degree of interest among the people in the matter of education. When Dewey was organized, the trustee of Cass was left in the new township, and Augustus W. Vail was appointed to fill the vacancy, and at the succeeding election, Edward Evans was elected trustee. Richard Cannon has been trustee of the township; and James Can- non also for several successive years. Emil L. Keil is the present trustee. Hog creek passes through the township across the western side running out of this township into Porter county. The land is
182
HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY
generally of an excellent quality, perhaps two-thirds of the town- ship consisting of rich, deep prairie soil. On the north and east. there are groves of timber, chiefly oak. Some portions of the Kan- kakee marsh lands reach up into the township from the south, and southeast, and these arms of the prairie are intermingled with sandy " barrens: " but the marsh is excellent mowing land, and is becoming each year more capable of cultivation. The sandy por- tions take readily to clover, and can thus be made rich and valua- ble lands. The most successful grain crop is corn, though wheat and oats do well, and it may be said that Cass township is likely to become one of the richest agricultural districts of the county. The population is enterprising and industrious, is increasing year by year, and a bright future for the township is promised.
CHAPTER XVII.
DEWEY TOWNSHIP.
The territory of this township was a part of that which formerly belonged to Stark county. It was then in VanBuren township. and when Cass township was organized, was a part of that township. and so remained until June 8, 1860, when the Board of county com- missioners directed its organization into a new township. The fol- lowing is the record, made at the June term, 1860: "In the matter of the Erection
of Dewey Township.
And now comes Patrick Huncheon, and files the petition of him- self and others. citizens of this county and residents of congressional township thirty-three. north of range four west. praying that so much of Cass township in said county as lies south of the north line of said congressional township, be set off from said Cass township, and erected and organized into a separate township for civil pur- poses, and it appearing to this Board of commissioners that the con- venience of the inhabitants residing in said part of said township, requires that the same be so set apart, and erected into a township for civil purposes, do hereby set the same off and detach it from the
183
DEWEY TOWNSHIP.
said township of Cass, and do hereby erect and organize the same nto a township for civil purposes by the name and style of Dewey township of LaPorte county, with the following boundaries, to-wit : Beginning at the northeast corner of said congressional township number thirty-three, and running thence westward along the north ine of said township to the west line of LaPorte county, thence southwardly along the west line of the county to the south line of the county, thence eastwardly along the south line of the county to the east line of said congressional township, thence along the east line of said congressional township to the place of beginning, and that the same now is and henceforth shall be a body politic and cor- porate by the name and style aforesaid, and all elections held in said township shall be held at the school house on section three in said township, and whereas the office of township trustee for the town- ship of Dewey in this county, is now vacant, it is hereby ordered that Patrick Huncheon be and is hereby appointed trustee for said. township. to hold said office until the next annual township election and until his successor shall be elected and qualified, and that he be required to give bond and security to the aceptance of the auditor, pursuant to the statute in such case made and provided, and it is also further ordered that upon demand after the execution of said bond, the trustee of Cass township, and all other officers who now have or into whose hands shall come any funds arising or accruing from school lands in said township, or any monies arising from assessments for road purposes upon lands in said township of Dewey, or any other funds properly belonging to said township, for school, road or other township purposes, shall pay the same and every part thereof to the said trustee of Dewey township."
Thus Dewey township embraces all of township thirty-three, range four west, lying north of the Kankakee river, and part of three sections of town thirty-two, in the same range, being bounded on the south by the river, on the west by porter county, on the north by Cass township, and on the east by Hanna township.
Two railroads cross the township. The Louisville, New Albany and Chicago crosses it from north to south, and the Chicago and Great Eastern, or Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis, enters the township near the southeastern corner and curves through it so as
184
HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
to pass out not far from the centre of the west side. The railroads cross each other in the northeast corner of section seventeen; and here there is a station, a freight depot, telegraph office, etc., and a few business houses.
A large part of this township is Kankakee marsh, and was form- erly, at every rise in the river, inundated as far north as La Crosse where the railroad crossing is ; but hundreds of acres of these wet lands have been redeemed by drainage, and each year from natural as well as artificial causes, the reclamation is going on, and once under cultivation, the land will prove exceedingly fertile. At pres- ent there are thousands of acres of good mowing land, which alone renders it valuable, owing to the increasing demand for hay.
The township is settled chiefly by Germans. George P. Schim- mel is probably the first one who made a settlement. He arrived on the first day of January, 1854, though Jacob Schauer came about the same time, and possibly was foremost. Lewis and Michael Besler were among the first settlers in the township. Patrick and Richard Huncheon have been in the township eighteen years, and are large landholders, farmers and stock dealers. James Lougee has been in the township seventeen years and is a farmer and heavy stock dealer. Elias Osborn, also an early settler, is a farmer and stock dealer. He resides about half a mile west of LaCrosse, and has been postmaster since 1868, when the postoffice was established. In the same year the depot was removed from old to new La Crosse. The Great Eastern railroad was finished fifteen years ago, and in 1862, a German Catholic church was built. Philip Schimmel opened a store in 1874. The first school house was built on Hog island eighteen years ago, and the first teacher was a Miss White. Patrick Huncheon was the first trustee, and holds that office at present. James Lougee has been trustee during several of the intervening years, one or the other of them having held that posi- tion ever since the township was organized.
A large part of the land in Dewey township is held by non-resi- dents, which will probably result in retarding settlement, and thus prove an injury to the township. With the reclamation of the marsh lands this township will become exceedingly productive, but its full capacity will be developed only by actual settlers, occupying
185
HANNA TOWNSHIP.
small tracts of land. Among the large holders of land in this town- ship who are non-residents, are J. W. Glidden, A. Long, S. M. Lockwood, and J. C. Lattimer.
The principal industry of the township is farming and stockrais- ing combined. James S. Long is thus engaged; and Orville Adams, who is also a teacher. Among the leading German inhab- itants are the Beslers, J. A. and Wm. Rosenbaum, George P. Schimmel, C. W. Rudolph, F. W. Kruger and C. Wagner.
The present population has exhibited much enterprise in the work of bringing the land into cultivation, and their reward has been such that the people are fast becoming prosperous.
CHAPTER XVIII. .
HANNA TOWNSHIP.
Hanna township comprises all that part of townships thirty-three and thirty-four that lies in LaPorte county, and with the single exception of Union, is the largest township in the county. It is a part of the territory which was detached from Stark county, as related in a preceding chapter. It then formed a part of Van- Buren township, and upon the organization of Cass township out of the limits of VanBuren, was attached to and made a part of Noble, which was its condition until the 11th day of March, 1861, when, on the petition of the citizens, the Board of county commissioners made the following order :
"In the matter of Petition for New Township.
And now come sundry free holders, residents of LaPorte county, and present their petition in these words, to-wit: To the Honorable, the Board of commissioners of LaPorte county, Indiana. The undersigned citizens and resident free holders of the part of Noble township comprised within the boundaries of congressional townships number thirty-three and thirty-four, north of range number three west, would respectfully represent to your honorable body that it would be for the interest and convenience of the citizens of said
186
HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
townships to have the following described district of country formed into a new and distinct civil township, to-wit: Beginning at the northwest "corner of congressional township thirty-four, north of range number three west, and running east along the township line between towns thirty-four and thirty-five, of ranges number three and number two, till said line strikes or intersects the Kankakee river, thence along the channel of said Kankakee river, in a south- westerly direction to a point where the township line running north and south between towns thirty-three range three, and thirty-three range four west, strikes or intersects said river, thence north along said township line between said towns thirty-three and thirty-four range three, and towns thirty-three and thirty-four range four west, to the place of beginning. Your petitioners would also further ask, that the name of said civil township be " Hanna." and your peti- tioners will ever pray. Signed,
CHANDLER PALMER, and others.
And the Board after due consideration of the matter, grant the prayer of the petitioners. and order that the above district of country be formed into a new township. to be called Hanna, and the Board appoint Charles H. Rowley as trustee of said township.
The earliest settlers on the territory which is now Hanna town- ship were Emanuel Metz, Nimrod West, Wm. West. Sen .. Amster- dam Stewart, Andrew J. Chambers, Wm. Tyner, Charles Strong, Thomas Hunsley ; the two sons of Metz, Isaac and Joseph; and the three sons of Chambers, Preston. Obadiah and Andrew J. These all came to the township in. or prior to 1839. At that time Hanna township was a part of Stark county, and formed part of the town- ship of VanBuren. When these men settled here, the prospect could not have been very inviting, although they made their homes beyond the limits of the Kankakee marshes. They were on the upland across which the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago rail- road now passes, but out towards the river it was one continuous marsh, subject to overflow whenever the river was high, and which was so miry that it was almost impossible to cross it with a team or on horseback. But they had faith in the future and resolutely went to work to make homes for themselves and their children. The locality of their settlement was an isolated neighborbood, and
187
.
HANNA TOWNSHIP.
neighborly ties were strong among them. Even tenderer ties arose and Amsterdam Stewart and Susan Metz were married, which was the first marriage that occurred in the township. Settlement has not been rapid in this township, but there has been a gradual increase of population until, at the present time, the inhabitants number between five and six hundred. Noah S. Rowley and his sons, Charles H. and Samuel settled in the township twenty-two years ago. John Lawrence came in 1843, and bought out Charles Strong. Hyatt and Austin settled at an early period at Chamber's Landing. More recently the brothers Charles, David and John E. Wills moved into the township from Cass. The Lloyds have been here not far from twenty years. Geo. Lawrence came probably in 1843. He and John Lawrence both came from England. Other leading citizens of the township are C. J. Bunnell, present township trustee; Thomas Mitchell, George Trimmingham, Erasmus Whitney, James Bell- more, Wm. Wilson and Hiram N. Wilson, who are farmers, that being the leading industry of the township, in connection with stock raising. William Brown is a farmer and stock dealer; Julius T. Keil is a farmer and stock raiser, and also has a store in the village of Hanna; B. F. Moore, John Pratt, Clark R. Richards and E. F. Whitney are farmers and stock raisers; Stephen Frech- ette is a boot and shoe maker ; Charles Frechette is a manufacturer of wagons, sleighs and agricultural implements; David Wills car- ried the mail from 1865 to 1871, between LaPorte and Hanna Sta- tion. by way of Kingsbury and Union Mills, and is now a dealer in agricultural implements; W. H. West is a farmer and carpenter; Charles Wills is county commissioner; Z. T. Horine and E. N. Spahr are physicians; George S. Dennison, and Lucius Avery are merchants ; Isaac T. Lloyd is express and freight agent, post- master and telegraph operator.
The only village in the township is
HANNA.
It is situated on the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago rail- road, and contains a population of about two hundred. There are three merchants, two blacksmiths, one shoe shop, one wagon factory, one cooper shop, two hay presses, one saloon, two ware- houses, and depot and station house and other railroad buildings.
188
HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
The town plat of Hanna was laid off and surveyed in 1858, and contained forty-two acres and eighty one-hundredths, in section eight, township thirty-four, north of range three west, and was filed for record by N. and J. West. The following is the record : " State of Indiana. 1
LaPorte County, S Ss.
Before me the recorder in and for said county. Nimrod West. one of the proprietors of the within named town acknowledged that he filed this plat for record on the 17th day of December. 1858.
A. Hupp. R. L. C."
In 1859, Young's addition was laid off in the west half of the northeast quarter of section eight, town thirty-four, range three west.
Clark R. Richards and Charles Fessenden opened the first store at Hanna in 1858, directly after or at the time of the completion of the railroad to the town. Wm. H. Bowers was the first postmaster, but did not hold it a great while. when Isaac T. Lloyd was appointed, and has held it ever since. George S. Dennison openel a store on the first day of September. 1865. and is still engaged in the business of merchandising. The merchants are all grain buyers. and Hanna is quite a market for grain in the southern part of the county, situated, as it is, on one of the main trunk lines to the east. There is one school house in the village, and here all relig- ious meetings are held. there being no church edifice in the town- ship. The Methodists and Free Methodists hold frequent services. and a movement is at present on foot for the erection of a church building.
There are three school houses in the township, the oldest being the one at the town of Hanna. The first trustee was Charles H. Rowley, by appointment of the commissioners when the township was organized. The first one elected to the place was Noah S. Rowley. He was succeeded by Adam Vinnedge. who has since removed to Plymouth. T. W. Allison was the next trustee, and he was succeeded by C. J. Bunnell, who still holds the office.
Three-fourths of the land of the township is Kankakee marsh. though much of this is now under cultivation. and is becoming fine, rich land. The drying out process is going on each year, aided by
189
LINCOLN AND JOHNSON TOWNSHIPS.
some ditching, and the area of tillable land is enlarging year by year; while that portion of the marsh which is not yet dry enough to cultivate is mostly excellent mowing land, and with the constant and increasing demand for hay, is becoming valuable. Hanna township is just beginning its development, and the outlook is favorable for its future prosperity and wealth.
CHAPTER XIX.
LINCOLN AND JOHNSON TOWNSHIPS.
These two townships with the exception of the strip of territory which formerly belonged to St. Joseph county, formed a part of the original township of Kankakee, and upon the organization of Pleas- ant township were included within its limits. During this time and until 1850, the centre of range one formed the boundary between LaPorte and St. Joseph counties; but by an act approved January 14, 1850, a strip of territory described as follows : "Beginning at the present county line, at the northwest corner of section twenty-two, township thirty-seven, north of range one west, thence with the north line of said section and that of section twenty-three to the northeast corner of said section twenty-three, thence south with the section line, until it shall strike the Great Kankakee river, thence with said river to the present county line," was taken from St. Joseph and attached to LaPorte county. Subsequently at the June term of the commissioners' court in the same year, by an order of the Board, that part of the designated territory, which lay east of the township of Wills, consisting of six sections was attached to that township, and the remainder was made a part of Pleasant township, the latter being a part of the present township of Lincoln. The territory embraced in these two townships extends from the north line of township thirty-six, southward to the southern bound- ary of the county, and from the line which divides ranges one and two, to St. Joseph county on the east, being five sections in width on the north, four sections in the centre, and three sections in width in that part which lies south of the Kankakee river.
190
HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
This territory was detached from Pleasant township in 1861, the Board of commissioners having on the 12th day of March of that year. made an order for the erection of Anderson township, as follows :
"In the matter of Petition of
George Bosserman and others for a New Township.
And now come sundry free holders residents of LaPorte county and present their petition in the following words, to-wit: To the Honorable Board of commissioners of the county of LaPorte, and State of Indiana, Greeting: We the citizens and free holders of town thirty-six, north of range two west. would represent to your honorable body, that they have labored under great inconvenience in consequence of the present geographical condition of said town- ship ; we therefore ask you to make the following change, to-wit : To set off all that part of towns thirty-five and thirty-six, range one west, that is now attached to town thirty-six, range two west, and form a new township out of the same, and also to set back all that part of town thirty-six. range two west, that is now attached to town thirty-five, range two west, and also that part of the same that is now attached to town thirty-six, range three, or Centre township. and we will ever pray. Signed.
GEORGE BOSSERMAN, and others.
The Board after due consideration of the matter, grant the prayer of the petitioners. and order that J. B. Lewis be appointed trustee of said new township which townsbip will be known by the name of Anderson township, and their elections will be held at Maples' school house."
This order prove.l unsatisfactory to many of the people affected by it, and they immediately took steps to have it set aside. Much feeling was aroused on the subject, and the sentiment against the changes effected would seem to have been well-nigh universal. A special session of the commissioners' court was called to meet on the 23d day of March, and when they met, petitions poured in upon them not only from the old townships whose territory was dimin- ished, but also from the new township, asking for the vacation of the obnoxious order. No less than nine petitions were received, all of them largely signed; from R. Shaw, and others; Isaac Butter- worth, and others; M. Moyer, and others; Joshua Layman, and
191
LINCOLN AND JOHNSON TOWNSHIPS.
others; Geo. W. Woodburn, and others; Ash Burdick, and others; Isaac Livengood, and others; John B Travis, and others, and Joseph Ewing, and others. With such an overwhelming expression against the former action of the Board, it was deemed advisable to vacate the order, and accordingly the following action was had on the 23d day March, 1861 :
"In the matter of Vacation of Order creating Anderson township. S
Now come Isaac Butterworth and others and file their petition for the vacation of the order made at the last regular term of the Board creating a new township called Anderson, and changing the boundaries of Union, Pleasant and Centre townships ; and after hearing the evidence and due inspection of said petitions, the prayer thereof is granted, and said order in all things vacated."
The boundaries of the townships remained as thus determined until the year 1866. In that year, on the 13th day of March at the regular term of the Board, the following orders were passed : "In the matter of the forma- )
tion of Lincoln Township.
It was ordered by the Board, that township thirty-six, north of range one west is hereby set apart for a civil township, and shall be entitled to all the priviledges as such, and the same is hereby called Lincoln township."
"In the matter of the forma-
tion of Johnson Township.
It was ordered by the Board that township thirty-five, north of range one west, is hereby set apart as a civil township and shall be entitled to all the privileges as such, and the same is hereby called Johnson township. "
The Board then made further orders directing that Joseph B. Lewis should be appointed trustee of Lincoln township, and Jared McDaniel trustee of Johnson township. There were other orders made at the same time, affecting the boundaries of Union, Scipio and Pleasant townships, and to these the same opposition arose that has been noted in the case of the formation of Anderson township. These latter orders were finally repealed; but the orders directing the formation of Lincoln and Johnson townships have remained in
192
HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
force; and as the people are well satisfied with the preseut arrange- ment, no further change is likely to take place.
The townships of Lincoln and Johnson embrace all of township thirty-six, range one, (Lincoln), and township thirty-five, range one, (Johnson), that lies in LaPorte county. The Kankakee river forms part of the eastern and southern boundary of Lincoln and runs diagonally across the northern end of Johnson from northeast to southwest. Mud lake, which is really but a spreading out of the river borders both the townships near the boundary line between them, and Fish lake lies wholly in Lincoln near the centre of the township; and Little Kankakee river passes through it, and empties into the Great Kankakee near its southern boundary. The Chicago and Lake Huron railroad crosses Lincoln township in an easterly and westerly direction; and the Indianapolis, Peru and Chicago railroad crosses the northeast corner of Johnson, and the Baltimore and Ohio runs east and west across its central part. Fish lake, near the centre of Lincoln, is of very peculiar shape. It is divided into four parts connected by narrow passages or straits. each of which have received distinctive names. The extreme upper part is called Upper Mud lake, and is nearly circular in form with the out- let towards the northwest into Upper Fish lake. This part is much larger, and curves so as almost to double back upon itself, and has its outlet towards the southwest into Fish lake, which is about one mile in length, and is connected by a narrow passage with Lower Mud lake. The outlet of the entire body is into the Little Kanka- kee. Upper Mud lake is on the south side of section sixteen; Upper Fish lake is in sections sixteen and seventeen; Fish lake is mostly in section twenty, Lower Mud lake is in sections twenty and twenty nine. There are several other smaller lakes in Lincoln, isolated and having no outlet.
The first settlement made in Lincoln township seems to have been by a man named Mutz, and Levi Little who settled on the north side of Fish lake about 1834, but John Vickory came about the same time. George Sparrow entered land in the township in 1835; and sold out in 1840 to John Lingard. A man by the name of Smith had come in early and sold in 1838 to a Dr. Losey. Carson Siddles was an early settler, and Newlove Laybourn came
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