USA > Indiana > LaPorte County > History of La Porte County, Indiana, and its townships, towns and cities > Part 7
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HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
the tools and implements were all sold for a mere trifle, and the buildings were carried away, or fell gradually to pieces. The dredge, its engine taken out, was moved into the stream, where it sunk. It was afterwards raised and sold for fifty dollars, its original cost being $28,000. The scows and tenders, more fortunate than the dredge, were driven by a flood into the lake, and lost.
Several more years intervened, when a fifth appropriation of $25,000 was made, which seems to have been used in destroying what little was yet left of the former work. A new outfit of tools and some material were purchased, and the remainder was expended in making a futile experiment with a new kind of crib, which was sunk without the support of piles. It proved a total failure, and was dashed to pieces by the storms and ice of the succeeding winter. To build the new crib, the stone which had been placed in the old pier were removed and made use of; and they too, were all washed away and lost, leaving literally not one stone upon another to tell the story of the many thousands of dollars that had been sunk in the sand and water.
From this date, during more than fourteen years, the harbor was aband med by the government; and it lay a useless wreck, stranded on a bar worse than that at the harbor's mouth-the foolish, waste- ful policy of stopping work at the very time when work was neces- sary to preserve that which had already been done. The cribs soon washed partially away, the channel filled up with sand, and the fond dream of a good harbor at Michigan City, was only a dream, to all outward appearance; the chances of anything ever being accom- plished, seeming far less than when in 1836, the Sea Serpent entered Trail creek amidst the enthusiastic plaudits of the people. The facts concerning these futile efforts to make a harbor, are obtained from the notes of Mr. Wm. H. Goodhue, who pertinently says, "Hope, for a season," bade Michigan City farwell.
But the despondency was not to last. The energetic spirit of enterprise which characterized the men who had built up Michigan City, still animated them ; and they determined that with the opening and opportunity for a harbor at their doors, they would not sit quietly down, fold their arms, and close their eyes, and let the sands cover them. They resolved to build a harbor themselves.
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MICHIGAN TOWNSHIP.
In 1865, they obtained from Congress a relinquishment of the remains of the old works, and the right to build where they had been. Then they organized the "Michigan City Harbor company," and in 1866 and 1867, having procured heavy voluntary subscrip- tions from the citizens, they proceeded with the work, expending in a most judicious and economical manner, more than one hundred thousand dollars. Two piers were built into the lake one thousand, and one thousand two hundred feet respectively, which were strong and well secured, supported by piles driven through the sand, and into the tough blue clay, which forms the bottom of the channel. The entrance was two hundred feet wide, and the water was at that point from fifteen to twenty feet deep. Thus they proved what had been doubted, that a permanent harbor could be made, and then having expended all their available means, and finding it impracti- cable to obtain further subscriptions, they applied to Congress to finish the work which they had so well begun, and that body in 1867, granted them $75,000. With this assistance, the work was pushed forward with energy and success, under the supervision of a government officer, Capt. E. Bennett; and the next year, 1868, the Secretary of war, out of the general appropriation for rivers and harbors, allotted $25,000 to Michigan City. In the spring of 1839, Congress again made a general appropriation for rivers and harbors to be distributed by the Secretary of war, and out of it this harbor received $32.500. This amount, with the unexpended bal- ances of the former appropriations, enabled Capt. Bennett, who so managed the funds entrusted to his charge that not a dollar was misapplied or wasted, to extend, enlarge and deepen the channel until vessels of ordinary draft could enter it with ease and safety; and a large trade arose in lumber, iron ore, lath, lime, plaster, salt, and other heavy commodities. It was evident that with further enlarged facilities, a large commercial trade would center at this point.
But while the harbor was of vast importance to Michigan City as a commercial point, it was clear that a good harbor here would be of equal importance to the general commerce of the lakes. The chief of the bureau of engineers Gen. A. A. Humphrey became convinced of the necessity of its use as a harbor of refuge for lake
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HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
shipping, and he recommended to Congress increased appropria- tions for this purpose. The work was not neglected, but each year in succession an appropriation has been obtained, ranging from $15,000 to $50,000, the latter sum being allowed first with a view to beginning work on an outside harbor, or harbor of refuge; and this has been the regular annual appropriation ever since. The commerce invited by this harbor, has been steadily growing, and is larger the present year than at any other time since the first vessel entered it.
Under the direction of Capt. Manning, an officer of the engineers, the government work on the outside harbor is being vigorously pushed forward the present season, and the inside harbor is being enlarged by dredging out further up the creek, in order to meet the wants of a rapidly growing trade. The latter work is done by the corporation of Michigan City; and the early dream of a good har- bor and a large commmercial port bids fair at last to be realized.
The first physician who settled in Michigan City, was Lee H. T. Maxon, who came in 1835. Other physicians who came early to the place were Doctors De Witt, Strong, Chas. Palmer. and S. Pul- ford. Among the first lawyers were J. R. Wells: A. W. Enos: Hathaway and Chapman : and Thomas Tyrrell. who disappeared, and was never heard of afterwards. Later came Thornton & Orr.
Besides the hotels already named, there was the Franklin. and Genesee House. The labor on the latter was paid for in Genesee. Michigan, or " wild cat" money, and a little later the Jewell House was erected by Mr. H. Jewell, who still resides in the city. The Franklin, which stood on Schoeneman & Ashton's corner was kept by Mr. Jewell during the Harrison campaign. The Lake House was kept awhile by Ainsworth & Jewell. The "United States" also was kept by Mr. Jewell for a time. About the same time, Sweetland & Pulford were the landlords of the Exchange.
From 1836 to 1841, the forwarding and commission business was carried on by Sleight & Gould. whose location was down near the harbor; Samuel Moore, who was succeeded by J. & C. Hitchcock, at the bend of the harbor, occupying what was known as the Moore warehouse; E. Folsom & Co .: Wm. S. Clark; C. B. & L. Blair: Goodhue & McAdoo. The principal merchants were. for the same
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MICHIGAN TOWNSHIP.
period, Viele & Brother, on Ames' corner; A. Chittenden, who was succeeded by C. B. & L. Blair; Shedd & Turner; Carter & Barker; McKnight & Co .; James McAdoo; Fisher Ames & Co .; Harvey Treusdell ; Cole, Peck & Co., in sheet iron and stoves; and Ames & Holliday, druggists.
From 1837 to 1844, Michigan City was the principal grain mar- ket for Northern Indiana, wheat being received from as far south as the central portion of the State. Huge caravans of ox teams, with two and three yoke of oxen to a wagon, would come in, sometimes thirty or forty such teams together. The supplies for all this large extent of country were purchased here. The same teams which conveyed the wheat to market, would return laden with goods for the home merchants. It was not uncommon for three hundred teams to arrive in one day. The trade of the place was necessarily large and prosperous : but the advent of railroads at points further south cut off much of the business of Michigan City, by furnishing a grain market elsewhere; and this, together with the suspension of work on the harbor, as before related, opened a somewhat gloomy prospect, which was considerably relieved by the arrival of the Michigan Central, and Louisville, New Albany and Chicago rail- roads; and quite dissipated by the re-opening of the harbor from 1867 to 1872.
There are at Michigan City five railroads, four of which have one terminus each at this point. These are the Michigan Central, which reached here in 1850, and the next year erected valuable machine shops; the Louisville, New Albany and Chicago which entered the city in 1853, and put up a fine freight depot and other buildings ; the Joliet cut-off, which is owned and run by the Michi- gan Central, but has a separate track; the Michigan Lake Shore, which runs by the side of the Michigan Central to New Buffalo, where it diverges to the north; and the Indianapolis, Peru and Chicago road which was completed through from LaPorte in 1871. These railroads make the city quite a railroad centre, and afford facilities for the shipment of lumber and other commodities arriving by vessel.
The Northern State prison was located at Michigan City in the year 1857, and with an appropriation of $50,000 made by the Leg-
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HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
islature of that year, work was commenced at once. The contract for constructing the cell house, and some of the other buildings, and the outside wall, was let to D. J. Silver; and a part of the labor of construction was performed by convicts from the Southern peniten- tiary. The land occupied by the prison was purchased of Chauncy B. Blair, who sold the State ninety acres, eight and one-half acres of which are enclosed by the outside wall. This wall is twenty-five feet in height, three and one-half feet in thickness at the bottom, and two feet at the top. It is built of brick and covered by a stone coping four feet in width. At each corner there is a tower, construct- ed of stone. These towers are handsome structures, and give an air of tasteful elegance to the huge wall. Within the enclosure are the cell house, the deputy warden's house, a building con- taining the dining room, wash room, kitchen, chapel, hospital, and State repair room; five shops, two of which are one hundred feet each in length, one a hundred and fifty feet, another, one hundred and sixty feet, and the other, two hundred feet in length; and two engine houses and a blacksmith shop. On the outside of the wall is the warden's residence house, and two houses for the dwellings of guards. The Artesian well supplies an abundance of water for all fire exigencies ; but it is so impregnated with mineral substances as to be unfit for drinking or culinary purposes.
The first warden was Col. Seelye, then Mr. Iddings of Fort Waye, next Thomas Wood, who was succeeded by Hon. W. W. Higgins, of Michigan City, and he in turn by the present warden, Mr. Charles Mayne. It was under the administration of Mr. Hig- gins that the prison first became self-supporting.
Hayward & DeWolfe were the first who entered into a contract for prison labor. They were engaged in the business of cooperage. Soon after Elisha Murray took a contract for prison labor, for the manufacture of wagons and carriages. He was succeeded by Finch & Barker. In the year 1867, Hon. J. H. Winterbotham bought into a contract with Jones and Chapin, and in 1869 bought them out. The firm is now that of J. H. Winterbotham & Sons. They work one hundred and fifty convicts, and are engaged in cooperage, and the manufature of carriage and buggy bodies, and sleighs. Their sales are very heavy, amounting to $150,000 annually.
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MICHIGAN TOWNSHIP.
Ford & Johnson also have a contract for, and work one hundred and fifty convicts. They are engaged in the manufacture of chairs, and their sales amount to about $125,000 annually. Some of their products have been shipped to Japan. They commenced business in 1870. There is also a cigar manufacturer who now has a con- tract, and employs some convict labor.
The prison was completed in 1868, but the number of convicts has become larger than was intended or expected, and an additional cell room is now very much needed. There are three hundred and eighty single cells, and there are at present in the prison four hun- dred and eighty-seven convicts. The State has already taken steps to secure the additional cell room, an appropriation of $40,000 for this purpose having been obtained last winter, through the exertions chiefly of State senator J. H. Winterbotham.
This prison has fully paid all its own expenses since the begin- ning of the administration of Warden Higgins; and has been ex- ceedingly well managed both in its business conduct as affecting the public, and in its interior conduct as affecting the prisoners. In the matter of the successful and economical management of its business affairs, it has had no superior in the United States, and perhaps the same may be said also, of its course of prison discipline, which has certainly been most admirable.
The car factory was originated and begun by Sherman, Haskell & Co., who"manufactured freight and passenger cars. It has done a large business most of the time since its erection. The firm after- wards changed to Haskell, Barker & Aldrich, and then to Haskell & Barker. It is now incorporated under the name of the Haskell & Barker Car company. The factory made cars for the govern- ment during the war, sometimes emplying four hundred men.
The fisheries of Michigan City have been quite extensive, and there is still a large annual catch made. Lyman Blair sometimes packed as high as $40,000 worth of White fish in a year. The years of the greatest catch of White fish and Trout were 1856 and 1857. There are now five or six boats engaged in the fishing trade.
The packing of beef and pork was prosecuted by E. Folsom & Co., from 1841 to 1845, also by C. B. & L. Blair, and James Mc-
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HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
Adoo. Since the opening of the harbor, the lumbering business has become the leading industry of the place. Several heavy firms are engaged in it, and their trade is larger this year than in any pre- vious year. A great deal of iron ore is also received, for the Law- ton Iron company, located near New Buffalo. The company pur- chases from Couden & Roberts.
There are only two buildings now standing on the spot where they stood in 1835. The old building which was used both as a school house and church stands now on Franklin street. Wood- ward was the first postmaster. The first light house keeper was old Mr. Harrison, but the present keeper, Miss Colfax, has had charge of it longer, and has discharged her duties more satisfactorily to the government, than any of her predecessors.
The Elston survey of Michigan City was located on the fractional section twenty-nine. Large sales were made by the original propri- etor previous to 1836 ; and in that year he sold his entire remaining inderest to the Michigan City Land companay. This company was represented by Wm. H. Goodhue, and Wm. Teall, as trustees, until 1841, when it was dissolved. The plat of Michigan City was filed for record in October, 1833; and in 1836 it adopted a city organ- ization, and elected Willys Peck the first mayor. He ran as an anti-slavery whig. against Wm. Teall, Democrat, and was elected, the Whigs being then as they were for many years afterwards, in a decided majority. Since the location of the Elston survey, additions have been filed to Michigan City as follows:
An additional plat was filed by Major Elston soon after his first survey was recorded.
Burr's addition was recorded April 25, 1836.
Orr's addition was recorded April 30, 1836.
Waddell's addition stands of record on the books of the county recorder, but the date is not given.
West addition was made by a company and stands recorded in the year 1836, on the 29th day of some month, which is omitted.
East addition was made by a company probably in 1836, but the date of recording is not given.
Miller's addition is recorded. No date given, but from dates which precede and follow the record of it, it must have been made in 1837.
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MICHIGAN TOWNSHIP.
Duncan's addition was made at an early period.
Orr & Cobb made an addition which was recorded January 16, 1838.
The Michigan City Land company's addition of water lots was filed for record October 1, 1841.
Blair's additton was recorded February 28, 1856.
Bigelow and Winship's addition was recorded October 4, 1858.
South addition was made by a company and recorded May 26, 1866.
Southwest addition was made by a company and recorded May 21, 1873.
DeWolf's South addition was made and recorded June 16, 1873. Orr and De Wolf's addition was recorded September 3, 1873.
The last addition made to Michigan City is that of Wm B. Mc- Cartney, and consists of over five hundred lots.
The population of Michigan City was less for a few years after 1836, than it was during that year, the stringency of 1837 and the few following years, having affected unfavorably the business pros- pects here as well as elsewhere over the country. After the year 1840 population began to increase again, and there have been grad- ual accessions ever since. There is a larger population at present than ever before, the inhabitants now numbering between five and six thousand.
Michigan City has been subject to many vicissitudes, her pros- pects at times seeming to be very bright, at other times gloomy in the extreme; but the leading business men of the place have never abated one jot of heart or hope. When a bright future seemed to offer, they have energetically set themselves to meet and improve its opportunities ; when the prospect was forbidding, they resolutely met the emergency, by themselves opening new avenues to prosper- ity. And they are beginning to have their reward.
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HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
CHAPTER VI.
CENTRE TOWNSHIP.
At the organization of the county, the present Centre township was wholly included in the limits of what was then Scipio, which extended from the southern to the northern boundary of the county, and was the central township of the three into which the county was divided. But a division of it was made at an early period. The Board of county commissioners, at their regular meeting on the fifth day of November, 1833, passed the following order :
"Ordered that the township at present known by the name of Scipio be divided by the line dividing townships thirty-six and thirty-seven, and that all north of said township line compose a new township to be called Centre township and that Aaron Stanton be appointed inspector of elections, and John Stanton and Wm. Bond be appointed overseers of the poor in said township of Centre."
Changes have occurred in the limits of Centre township as thus designated, until at the present time it occupies sections one and two of township thirty-six, range three, and all of township thirty- seven except the northern tier of sections, which are now a part of Springfield township.
The first settlement made in this township was by Aaron Stanton on the twenty-eighth day of March 1830. He settled on section twenty-four, about two miles north of the eastern boundary of the city of La Porte. Philip Fail came at the same time, and settled on the same section but removed in the Fall to Kankakee town- ship. Wm. and Stephen Clement arrived in the township in the fall of 1831, and soon afterwards opened a store within the limits of the present city of La Porte. Benajah Stanton hauled goods for them from Niles, Michigan. Wm. Clark came in 1830, and made a settlement on section twenty-three, but did not bring his family until the fall of 1831. Adam Smith arrived in the fall of 1830. The Blakes, Landon, Wheeler, the Balls, John B. and Charles Fravel, Wilson Malone, Wm. Stanton and family, and Alfred
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CENTRE TOWNSHIP.
'Stanton, all arrived very early. At the land sales at Logansport, James and A. P. Andrew Jr., bought land in section two, township thirty-six. They also bought land of Jesse Morgan, Wm. Thomas and Richardson, who had arrived earlier. In the year 1831, William and Jesse Bond settled on the east side of the township. John Garwood reached the county in 1831, and Brainard Goff in 1832.
Settlers now began to arrive in great numbers. There was no part of the county more attractive than much of that which is now Centre township. The north part of it was well timbered; and on the south and west were broad reaches of rich prairie land, dotted with beautiful Burr oak groves. In prairie and woodland, were many sparkling lakes, the loveliest of which lay near the site chosen for the town of LaPorte.
In 1831 Col. W. A. Place made a preliminary visit to LaPorte county, and being well pleased with the country, he determined to make it his home. He brought his family and settled in Centre township in October, 1832. He was here early enough to help build the first log cabin put up in LaPorte. It was built for George Thomas, and stood near where the depot of the Lake Shore railroad is now located.
The population of Centre township exclusive of the city of La- Porte, is about 1200, consisting of intelligent and industrious citi- zens, engaged almost wholly in agricultural pursuits. In the imme- diate vicinity of LaPorte, there are several small fruit farms, and market gardens, which supply the city with fruit and vegetables dur- ing the season, and from which many products are shipped to Chicago. For the township generally, wheat, corn, oats and pota- toes are the stapie products. Much attention has been given to providing means for the education of the children of the township, and in every school district there is a good school house.
About two miles north of the city of LaPorte, in Centre township, on the heights bordering the east side of Pine lake, is Pine Lake cemetery. It contains forty-seven acres, and is perhaps the most lovely spot in the county. For the beauty which nature has given it, there can scarcely be found in the whole country a more charm- ing place. It is controlled by an association, which was organized under a State statute in the year 1855. Gilbert Hathaway was the
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HISTORY OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
R first President of the association and Don J. Woodward, Secretary and Treasurer. Gen. Joseph Orr was President of the association several years, resigning the position only a few months ago; and the valuable and tasteful improvements of the grounds are " due in a great measure to his energy and public spirit, and the correct taste which he brought to the work of beautifying this resting place of the dead. Visitors to the place are always delighted with its diversified scenery, looking out upon the lake in front, and resting on a dark green back-ground of woods, while all between presents gentle elevations, quiet vales, and winding walks and car- riage drives. Nature furnished here a happy ground work of beauty ; and the hand of art, judiciously and tastefully employed, has per- fected the work, rendering this sacred city of the dead, a place of loveliness and solemn delight, as well as of sad and holy memories.
In Centre township there is no town except the city of
LA PORTE.
LaPorte, the county seat of LaPorte county,4is situated on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern, and Indianapolis, Peru and Chicago railroads. It is fifty nine miles east of Chicago, and twelve miles from the lake port at Michigan City, whith which it is connected by rail. For beauty of situation LaPorte is unsurpassed. East, south and west lie spread out, the rich prairie lands, inter- spersed with groves; and on the north, coming up to the edge of the city is a chain of small lakes, gem-like in their beauty, the most noted of them being Clear lake, Stone lake and Pine lake. It is . not strange that those who first came. should have beheld in this -ispot the place for a town which should be the county seat of the county. It may readily be imagined that when nature only, had visited the lakes and groves and prairies of this locality, the dullest and most unsusceptible of minds must have been touched with its beauty.
La Porte is situated on what was known as the "Michigan Road Lands." They were sold at the land sales at Logansport in the month of October, 1831; and Walter Wilson, Hiram Todd, John Walker, James Andrew and Abram P. Andrew Jr., bought four hun- dred acres of them with a view to laying out a town which should be the capital town of the county. The town was laid out and the
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CENTRE TOWNSHIP.
original survey made in 1833. There were already a number of f settlers in the place. Joseph Pagin had arrived in 1831 and builtit a house on the east side of Clear lake, near where the ice house now stands which replaced the burned brewery. Still earlier, in". the year 1830, Richard Harris and George Thomas came, and built !! cabins within the present city limits. The cabin of Thomas stood near the present location of the Michigan Southern depot, and it is! said that his neighbors erected it for him on a Sunday. Wilson Malone who now lives in Porter county says he was the first person to sleep in this house, before it was occupied by the family of Mr. Thomas. In the winter of 1832-3, there were but three families in LaPorte, which were those of George Thomas, Richard Harris and. Wilson Malone. Oak groves occupied the present site of the city, . and when the Spring opened, and the wild flowers covered the future streets, and the trees were covered with foliage, and the green" sward carpeted the earth, approaching to the very edge of the bright. + and unvexed waters of Clear lake, it formed a picture to charm thé " eye and captivate the heart of the lover of Nature, whether savage or civilized.
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