USA > Indiana > Miami County > History of Miami County, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, notes, etc., together with an extended history of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the state of Indiana > Part 45
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Coming of the Pioneers .- More than fifty years have dis- solved in the mists of the past since the bold pioneer first pene- trated the wilderness of what is now Allen Township. In the winter of 1834 three sturdy men, John Horton, T. N. Wheatley and T. J. Holcomb, having determined to try their fortunes in the new country, came and, selecting their respective claims, erected thereon cabins, preparatory to moving their families the following spring. Mr. Horton chose for his home a tract of land in the west- ern part of the township, and was the first actual settler of Allen, the other two locating just across the line in Fulton County. The country at that time presented no attractions to the pioneer, being an unbroken wilderness infested with wild beasts, both fierce and dangerous; but nothing daunted, Mr. Horton went to work with a will and in March, 1835, moved his family to the new home in the woods. A small field was cleared in due time, and from the few vegetables raised thereon the family managed to subsist until a larger area of land could be made ready for cultivation. The abundance of game with which the forest abounded furnished the chief subsistence of the family in the meantime.
From the spring of 1835 until 1836 Mr. Horton was the sole white resident of the township, his nearest neighbors being the two families mentioned and a few other settlers living in the vicinity of Perrysburg, Union Township. In 1836 one George Neece came to the country and made some improvements about one-half mile north of the present site of Macy, where he remained a few years. He was a substantial citizen and took an active part in the development of the country, but disposed of his home
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.
in an early day and emigrated to one of the Western States. His brother, William Neece, came about the same time and settled two miles north of Macy on the Zartman farm. Jona- than Williams became a resident some time in 1836, settling on the Tracy farm about two and a half miles northeast of Macy, where he made substantial improvements. Isaac Williams, a brother of Jonathan, purchased the Neece place prior to 1837, and early earned the reputation of an honest and upright citi- zen. The year 1837 witnessed the arrival of a number of dauntless men, prominent among whom were the Wilkinsons, who had formerly settled at the village of Mexico in Jefferson Township. The family at that time consisted of John Wilkin- son and his sons, Anderson, George, James and Baldwin, all of whom were pioneers in the true sense of the term. John Wil- kinson moved from Ohio in 1836, and, after a short time spent in Jefferson Township, purchased land where Macy now stands.
George Wilkinson entered a tract of land south of Macy in the spring of 1837 and is still an honored resident of the township. Anderson located near the present site of the village and is also living at this time. James located in the same neighborhood and Baldwin made his first improvements on what is now the Ewing farm. J. Reiker came in 1837 and settled in the eastern part of the township on land which he subse- quently sold to Sullivan Waite. Jesse Yost became a resident as early as 1837, settling a short distance northwest of Macy, while the Dabney brothers, James, John and Samuel, located in the southwestern part of the township the latter part of the above year, or early in 1838. Sullivan Waite, to whom refer- ence has been made, moved to the township in March, 1838, and was an honored and highly respected resident of the same until his death in April, 1850. His son, A. C. Waite, is one of the prominent business men of Macy, and another son, J. H. Waite, is proprietor of a large mercantile house at the town of Gilead. Conspicuous among the arrivals of 1839 were Matthias Carvey and son, P. M. Carvey, the latter still living where the family originally settled, a short distance east of Macy. William Hatch, brother-in-law of Carvey, came the same year and set- tled in the same neighborhood, as did also Thomas Clemens, who purchased the Waite farm, upon which he is still living. Others of 1839 and 1840 were George Hakins, one-half mile west of Macy; William Squires, in Section 7, northern part of the township; David Kinder, eastern part; Matthias Harmon, Section 23, Township 29, North 3 East; Elias Bills, Section 24, same township and range; John McCrea, Section 20, Township 29, 4 East; Nathaniel and George Bryant, in southwestern part of the town- ship; William and Avery Carvey, sons of Matthias Carvey,
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49I
LAND ENTRIES.
southwest of Macy; Samuel Carr and Frederick Fore, northeast part; William Fenimore, a short distance southwest of Macy; Henry Studebaker, about one mile north of the village; William Boggs, south of town; Joseph and Richard Endsley, southeast part of the township; Peter Weaver, near the Fulton County line; Daniel Hoover, Section 4, Township 29, North 4 East; William Gibson, Section 16; Clark Bailey, Jeremiah Bailey and Stephen Bailey in Section 18; Stewart Bailey, Section II, Township 29, 3 East, and Andrew Highland, Section 12, same township and range.
Land Entries-The first land purchased from the Government within the limits of Allen was entered in a tract lying in Section 4, Township 29, north of Range 4, East, the year 1835, by Charles W. Cathcart. He obtained a patent for the north half, southwest quarter of said section, and the same year Alexander B. Morrison entered a tract in the same part of the township.
During the year 1836 lands were entered by Samuel A. Mann, William H. Stubblefield and David Hoover, in Section 4 of the above township and range: Asa Leonard, William Smith, William Cannon, Nathaniel Leonard and Jonathan Williams in Section 5; William H. Lee and Samuel Hoover in Section 6; George W. Neece, Section 7; Alexander Wilson, Section 8; John McCrea, Sec- 20; James Wheeldon, Newberry Wheeldon, Elias Beard, Isaac Lapham, John G. Gibson, William Neece, David Harp and Jesse Yost in Section I, Township 29, Range 3, East; Jeremiah E. Cary, Joseph Cary, Samuel Harp and John L. Gibson, Section 2; John Horton, Jonathan Williams and George Harkins, Section II; Wil- liam Neece and D. R. Rowan, Section 12; John Horton and John Dabney, Section 14; Joseph Holman, Eli Pugh and E. S. Wyatt, Section, 25. In 1837 the following persons secured lands by entry, viz .: David Kinder, Section 6, Township 29, 4 East; Alex- ander Jameson, Gartin Calaway, W. T. Squires and T. J. Holcomb, Section 7; A. M. Campbell and Peter Harshman, Section 9; James Wilkinson, Daniel Mendenhall, Thomas Clemens and Sullivan Waite, Section 17; John Wilkinson, Eli Pugh and Matthias Carvey, Sec- tion 18; Baldwin Wilkinson, Section 19; Grimes Holcomb, Ander- son Wilkinson, Andrew Highland, Thomas Holcomb and Daniel Lee, Section 12 of Township 29, North Range, 3 East; George Wilkinson, William 'R. Mowbray, Ebenezer Fenimore, Stephen Brewer and John A. Taylor, Section 13; Elias Bills and James Wilkinson, Section 24; Charles Lowe and Townsend Evans, Sec- tion 26. Numerous entries were made during the years 1839 and 1840, and by the year 1842 nearly, if not quite all, the Gov- ernment land in the township was taken up, the greater part by actual settlers.
Township Organization .- Allen originally formed a part of
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.
Union Township, and dates its history as a separate division from the 6th day of September, 1859. It was organized with bound- aries same as now, and named in honor of Senator Allen, of Ohio. The first election was held in Lincoln (now Macy), at the residence of Anderson Wilkinson in the fall of the above year, Mr. Wilkinson as inspector. The first officers elected were Frederick Huffman, Justice of the Peace, and James Wilkinson, Trustee. The second Trustee was William Fenimore, who resigned the office before the expiration of his term in order to enter the army. Anderson Wilkinson was appointed to fill the vacancy, since which time the office has been held by the follow- ing gentlemen, viz: Baldwin Wilkinson, Henry Heming, M. McGinley, Frank Hart, William Belt, John Zartman, and David McKillip, the last named being the present incumbent. The present Justices of the Peace are O. Case and Henry Pulver. Politi- cally, Allen has ever been noted for its handsome Republican majorities, the plurality ranging from forty to fifty-five.
Religion .- The religious history of Allen dates from its first settlement, many of the pioneers having been men of marked piety and active members of Churches in the country from which they emigrated. The first meetings were generally held in the cabins of different settlers, and they may be said to have been one of the principal means of intellectual as well as spiritual improvement. "The circuit preachers were for a number of years the only circulating medium of thought and emotion that kept isolated settlements from spiritual stagnation." "They were men of great physical endurance, absolutely devoted to their work which they pursued in the face of every hardship and discour- agement." Their circuits were frequently great, requiring them to be constantly on the route, and their oratory was of the pop- ular kind, familiar to all the early settlements of northern Indiana. With all the uncouthness and eccentricities of these early pio- neers of the Cross, they did much towards checking the evils and vices of the times, and are entitled to special credit among those who conquered the wilderness. Prominent among the early ministers of Allen Township was Rev. George Pope, a Baptist preacher, who held religious worship at the residence of George Neece as early as 1838. Rev. Mr. Kendall, another Baptist preacher, visited the sparse settlements as early as 1839, and about the same time Rev. William Williams, of the Methodist Church, began holding meetings at the cabin of Anderson Wilkinson, where the first organization was effected in 1840 (See M. E. Church, of Macy).
The Pleasant Hill Methodist Society, about four miles northeast of Macy, was an early organization and among the first members . were John Clifton and wife, Perry Dukes and wife, John Hill and
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493
THE CHURCHES.
wife, T. J. Carpenter, Jacob Bennett and wife, Thomas Powell and wife, Enoch Powell and wife, Samuel Carr and wife and others whose names cannot be recalled. Meetings were held in private residences for several years and as the emigration increased in numbers, efforts were made to erect a house of worship. The first building was a log structure on the land of Wm. Dukes. It was replaced by the present building some time prior to 1870. The organization is in good condition and at the present time enjoys the pastoral labors of Rev. J. D. Belt.
The Methodist Church at Five Corners, was organized prior to 1860 and is one of the points of the Macy Circuit. The organization has enjoyed a reasonable degree of prosperity for a number of years and upon its records can be seen the names of many of the substantial citizens of the community. A frame house of worship was erected about the year 1860. The society is not so strong as formerly, numbering at this time only about forty members. Rev. J. D. Belt is pastor. The Birming- ham Class was organized about the time of the founding of that village and has a fair membership. The village school house is used for a meeting place and services are regularly held by Rev. J. J. Cooper, pastor in charge of the Perrysburg Circuit.
Industries-In 1856 Messrs. Runkle and Woodring built the first saw mill in the township. It was a steam mill with corn burrs attached and was highly prized by the residents of Allen and adjoining townships. It was operated very successfully for some time, when it was blown up, killing three men; Mr. Hart and his son William and a Mr. Hipple (See sketch of Macy for other mills). The first manufacturing establishment of any kind in the township was an ashery; operated by William T. Squires as early as 1840. Mr. Squires carried on the business with reasonably fair success for several years and manufactured much of the soda used by the early settlers.
Miscellaneous Items .- Probably the first marriage in Allen Township was that of Elijah Ogle to Catharine, daughter of John Wilkinson, solemnized sometime in the year 1838. The first death which occurred was that of John Wilkinson who departed this life on the 24th of December, 1838. "In December of 1838, Mar- garet, wife of William Hatch, gave birth to a daughter, Delilah Hatch, who was probably the first white child born in the town- ship." Joseph H. Waite, son of Sullivan and Margaret Waite, was born on the 6th day of March, 1839, and the following year, Nov- ember 15, A. C. Waite, was born to the same parents. Both of these gentlemen are still living, the former in Gilead and the latter in Macy. "The first brick in the township was manufactured by Stewart Bailey, on the Sullivan Waite farm, about the year 1842." "To George Hawkins is due the credit of building the first brick
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.
house in the township in 1856." In the year 1850 Sullivan Waite was kicked to death by a vicious horse, an occurrance that cast a deep gloom over the entire community. The following incident shows the moral standing of two former residents of the township. "Men will trade cattle, houses, horses and lands without enlisting much attention, but when it comes to trading wives people will very naturally be astonished, and yet such a trade actually occurred at an early day within the borders of Allen. There were two farm- ers by the names of Adams and Hernsberger living not a great way apart. An intimacy sprang up between Mr. Adams and the wife of Hernsberger. At this there need be no surprise, for in the eyes. of Nineteenth Century, it has grown quite common for men to admire the wives of others more than they do their own. The friendship between the couple increasing an elopement was planned and a day fixed for putting the same into execution. At the appointed time they stole away and quietly started on their journey. Mr. Hernsberger, it seems, was on the alert, and the guilty pair had not proceeded far before they were overtaken by him. He did not approach rashly the dispoiler of his home with drawn revol- ver and shoot him dead upon the spot, but calmly, with the utmost composure, and in a business like manner proposed that since he (Adams) thought more of his (Hernsberger's) wife than he did of his own, if he would give him his wife and a small sum to boot, he might proceed on his way unmolested. Adams without the least hesitation accepted the proposition, and all parties concurring therein, the trade was at once closed, and rumor says that they all lived in the enjoyment of domestic felicity ever afterwards."
Cemeteries .- The two principal places of burial in Allen Township are the Carvey cemetery, near Macy, laid out in an early day on the land of Matthias Carvey, and the graveyard at Five Corners, where lie many of the first settlers of the county. Among the earliest burials in the former were Mr. and Mrs. Baily, Matthias Carvey and a child of William Hakins, and in the latter were laid to rest many years ago the bodies of Nathan Bryant, Matthias Harmon and a number of others whose names have long since been forgotten.
Five Corners .- A straggling village in the western part of the township, so named on account of its location at the intersec- tion of several. roads, was the nucleus of a very early settlement, and at one time achieved considerable reputation as a trading point. The place was never platted, being merely a thickly set- tled locality to which the term village can scarcely be applied, but it early became the chief source of supplies for a large area of territory in Miami and Fulton Counties. About the year 1857, or perhaps a little earlier, a stock of goods was brought to the place by Moses & Williams, who carried on a very successful
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Dr. J. S. Wilson
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THE VILLAGE OF MACY.
business for a period of six or seven years. At the end of that time the store was purchased by Nathan Shackleford, who re- mained in business three years, when he sold out to William Harp, who had previously operated a general mercantile house at Wooleytown in Richland Township. After remaining about eighteen months Mr. Harp closed out within a short time, L. Carl began merchandising, and continued with fair success for over a year, when he moved his stock of goods to Macy, his store being the last business venture at the Corners. A postoffice was established in 1859, with Nathaniel Bryant as postmaster. The last postmaster was L. Carl, who had charge of the office when it was moved to Macy. At one time the place gave promise of a bright future on account of its remote location from any other trading point, but the completion of the I., P. and C. railroad through the country a couple of miles distant and the springing up of the town of Macy, served as an effectual check to its anticipations, and all that now distinguishes the village from the surrounding neighborhood are a church and school house, with a few dwellings in close proximity.
Macy-The thriving villege of Macy is situated near the central part of the township and dates its history from June, 1860 at which time the original plat, consisting of twenty lots was laid out by George and Anderson Wilkinson, under the name of Lincoln. The village was the immediate outgrowth of the I., P. & C. Rail- road and soon became the principal shipping point on said road between the cities of Peru and Rochester. One of the earliest resi- dents of the town was William Cordell, who built a blacksmith shop a short time after the plat was made, and about the same time John G. Inscho, a carpenter, purchased lot 15 and erected thereon a dwelling which is still standing occupied at the present time by Mrs. Berry. These men followed their respective vocations for several years and found abundant employment during the early settlemants and building up of the town. Nelson Wilkinson bought lot No. 20 and built a residence thereon sometime in 1860 .and the same year another building, in which was kept the first store was erected by George Wilkinson a short distance west of Mr. Cordell's shop. Mr. Wilkinson brought a large stock of general merchandise to the place and for about three years carried on a fairly successful trade, closing out at the end of that time and retiring from business. The next merchants were J. W. Hurst and A. L. Norris, who engaged in business as partners prior to 1869, using the Wilkinson building for their store room. In the meantime the influx of population con- tinued such, that an addition to the town became necessary. Con- sequently in June, 1869, a plat of eighty lots was made and offered for sale by Messrs. Wilkinson and Powell. These lots found ready purchasers and within a short time quite a number of residences
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.
and business houses were erected in the new addition; among which was the store room now occupied by O. Case. This building was erected by Hurst and Norris and in the fall of the above year another business house was erected on lot 29, same addition, by L. Carl, who from that time until the present has been prominently identified with the business interests of the town. In May, 1871, David Enyart laid out an addition of thirty-two lots, the majority of which were soon purchased and improved. The firm of Hurst and Norris lasted but a short time the latter retiring at the expira- tion of about one year. Mr. Hurst continued the store some time longer and in connection with his mercantile business engaged in the grain trade which he still carries on being at the time the most extensive and successful buyer between the cities of Peru and Rochester. L. Carl brought a stock of goods from Five Corners in 1869 and with the exception of about one year has been one of Macy's leading merchants ever since. Frank Ernsberger engaged in merchandising in 1871 and one year later the first drug store was started by Lon Hudson. Another early merchant was a man by the name of Cole, who opened a business house on the corner now occupied by Cloud & Son; and sometime in the seventies a clothing store, a branch of Mr. Bear's large establishment at Roch- ester was brought to the place by David Goldsmith who continued it for a period of about two or three years. In addition to those mentioned, the following business men sold goods from time to time, viz: Milton Enyart, Stephen Bennett, Ira and James Hurst, Hurst & Hoffman, W. H. Hatch, Mr. Castle, Frank Edwards and others.
Industries .: The first industry of Macy was a steam saw mill, brought to the village in 1860 by J. L. Peck. It stood in the north- ern part of the town, and was operated as a lumber mill exclusively for several years. John Garner subsequently purchased an interest, and the firm of Peck & Garner remodeled the machinery and con- verted the mill into a flouring mill, using for their building the frame of a large barn that stood near the town. The mill did its first grinding some time in 1868, and operated with good success until destroyed by fire in 1870. The last owners were Stallard & Gar- ner. A flouring mill was built in the southern part of the village in 1870, by Messrs. Wagoner & Swihart, who operated it until 1885. It was then purchased by Steel & Norris, who have since thoroughly remodeled and supplied it with improved machinery for the manu- facture of flour, by the roller process. The proprietors are exper- ienced mill men, and their brand of flour has already achieved a reputation for its superior quality. In 1880 a large steam saw mill was started a short distance north of Macy, by Shindler & Wilkin- son, who still operate it. They do a successful local business, besides
499
CHANGE OF NAME FROM LINCOLN TO MACY.
shipping large quantities of lumber to various cities on the line of the I., P. & C. Railroad.
Physicians .- The first physician to practice his profession in Macy was Dr. James McKee, who moved to the village in 1860. The next medical man was Dr. M. M. Boggs, who is still in the active practice of his profession, having been one of the leading physicians of the town ever since its infancy. Among other doctors who have made the village a stopping place from time to time, were Drs. Ford, Weltie, Wright and Ernsberger. The resident physi- cians at this time are M. M. Boggs, E. H. Sutton, John Barnes, R. J. D. Peters and J. S. Wilson.
Hotels .- The first hotel in Macy was built by H. C. Ewing, who kept it several years. It stands on the principal street near the central part of the village, and is now run by Jeremiah Hatch. The second hotel was opened several years later by J. C. Feni- more, who is still in the business, his house having already become a favorite stopping place for the traveling public.
The Press .- The Macy Monitor, the first and only newspa- per enterprise of Macy, was established in 1885 by M. Lew Enyart, with D. O. Huffman, publisher. The first number of the Monitor made its appearance May 16th of the above year, since . which time it has steadily grown in favor as a spicy local paper, having already reached a circulation of several hundred. The Monitor is a five-column folio, independent in politics, and pre- sents an attractive appearance, with every indication of being in a flourishing condition. Its mechanical execution is good, and the editorial and local departments are equal to those of any local paper in Miami County.
Change of Name, and Incorporation .- As already stated, the town of Macy was surveyed and recorded under the name of Lincoln, and was known as such until about the year 1875. The near location of another and older town of Lincoln, in Cass County, together with the name of Allen, by which the post office was originally known, gave rise to much confusion and no little trouble in the shipment of goods and the sending of mail matter. To obviate this difficulty the citizens of the town presented a peti- tion to the County Board praying that the name be changed from Lincoln to Macy, which was duly granted in 1875, and about the same time the postoffice department was petitioned to change the name of the office to correspond with the name of the town. The latter petition had the desired effect also, and since the adoption of the one name for both office and town, a great deal of annoyance consequent upon the missending of mail and merchandise has been avoided. The postoffice was removed from Five Corners in 1869, and Mr. L. Carl had the honor of being the first postmaster of Macy. The present postmaster is Dr. M.
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.
M. Boggs. In 1884, the citizens of Macy desiring to ascertain whether public sentiment was in favor of erecting and maintain- ing a town corporation, called an election to decide the same. A full vote was cast, with a very decided majority in favor of the corporation, in consequence of which, the town was divided into three districts, and the following Board of Trustees elected, viz: M. Freeland, Jeremiah Hatch and A. C. Waite. The officers of the town at this time are M. Freeland, Oliver Jenkins and Albert Hakins, Trustees; J. D. Belt, Clerk; John Cloud, Marshal and L. Carl, Treasurer.
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