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 53
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
1847: Her father was born in Maine, April 12, 1806, and her mother was born in Ohio, June 1, 1825. They were married in Decatur County, Indiana, February 25, 1846, and in 1871 moved to Howard County, Indiana, where they still reside. They are the parents of eleven children, viz .: Nannie A., Thaddeus M., Samuel S., Mary, Warren, Mattie E., Rose, James S., Alice L., Frank E., and a son, the twin of Mattie E., which died in infancy not named. Four children have been born to Mr. Ross by his present wife, viz .: George W., born October 10, 1880, and died July 31, 1881; Ruth E., born October 28, 1881; Jessie H., born April 1, 1884, and Will Antrim, born August 26, 1886. SAMUEL M. SHARP was born in Franklin County, Ohio, November, 11, 1837. His parents, William and Mary (Teegar- din) Sharp, were also both natives of Ohio, and were born as follows: The father, May 12, 1806; and the mother, July 17, ISI2. They were married in Franklin County, Ohio, and after- ward resided there until death. He died on June 30, 1845, and his widow subsequently moved to Pickaway County, Ohio, and from thence to Miami County, Indiana, in 1864, and made her home with her children until death which occurred March 18, 1880. They were the parents of five children, viz: Nancy, Peter, Samuel M., Aaron T. and Margaret. Samuel M. our sub- ject, moved with his parents to Pickaway County, Ohio, and was there married, November 2, 1859, to Isabelle, daughter of Reason and Anna (Hoymen) Bailey. She was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, July 13, 1840. After our subject's marriage, he first set- tled in Pickaway County, Ohio, and in 1863 moved to Franklin County, Ohio, and from thence to Miami County, Indiana, in the pring of 1873, purchased and settled upon the same farm on which he now resides. He has had born to him thirteen children, viz: Mary M., William H., Elizabeth M., Jennie D., Anna M., Margaret M., George L., Myrt A., Daisie B. (deceased), Leon C., Edwin G., Reuby N. and a son which died in infancy and not named.
JOHN ZODY, was born in Richland County, Ohio, April 1, 1831. His parents, Henry and Susan (Fessler) Zody, were natives of Pennsylvana and Maryland respectively. The former, Henry Zody, was a son of Henry Zody, who was a native of Ger- many, and emigrated from thence to the State of Pennsylvania in a very early day, where he afterwards resided until death. He was the father of five children, viz: Conrad, Henry, Jacob, Elizabeth and Louisa. Henry, the father of our subject, was born in Frank- lin County, Pennsylvania, December 4, 1798, and was married in Washington County, Maryland, to the above Susan Fessler, who was born in Washington County, Maryland, May 1, 1799. In the year 1830, Mr. Henry Zody, the father of our subject, moved to
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.
Richland County, Ohio, and afterwards resided there until death, which occurred as follows: The mother died January 10, 1859, and the father died January 20, 1873. They were the parents of nine children, viz: Elizabeth, Louisa, Nancy, Susan, John, Henry, Aaron, Catharine and David. John, our subject, came to Miami County, Indiana, in the fall of 1849, and was married in Clay Township, this county, December 7, 1856, to Nancy E. Kessler, who was born in Henry County, Indiana, March 14, 1837, and was a daughter of Joseph and Nancy (Baltimore) Kessler. In 1866, Mr. Zody, our subject, settled upon the farm on which he now resides, in section I, Clay Township. He owns at present 23812 acres of land. He has had born to him nine children, viz: Sarah C., Harlan F., Laura B., Ida M., George H., Ursula O., Viola A., David O. and Mary. Mr. Zody is a member of the Masonic Order.
CHAPTER XI.
DEER CREEK TOWNSHIP-SITUATION AND SURFACE FEATURES -FIRST SETTLEMENT BY THE WHITES-LAND ENTRIES- TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION-INDUSTRIES-SECRET SOCIETIES -VILLAGE OF MIAMI-BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
D EER CREEK TOWNSHIP lies in the extreme south- west corner of the county, and derived its name from Deer Creek, its chief water course. The area of the township is equivalent to twenty-four square miles, or 15,360 acres, and its boundaries are as follows: Pipe Creek Township on the north, Clay Township on the east, and the counties of Howard and Cass on the south and west respectively. Deer Creek, the largest stream, is very permanent and constant in its supply of water, and affords ample drainage for a large area of territory. It enters the township from the east, flows a westerly direction through Sections 17 and 18, of Township 25 North, 4 East, and crosses the western boundary from Section 23, Range 3, East. The general surface of the country is level with the exception of occasional undulations along the creek, and the soil may be described as a black loam of great depth and fertility. It is well adapted to agriculture, and the principal productions are wheat, corn, rye, oats, grass and all the fruits indigenous to the north- ern part of the State. The timber which originally covered the entire surface of the country consisted of the usual varieties-
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DEER CREEK TOWNSHIP.
black walnut, poplar, elm, beech, maple and oak predominating. Much of this was ruthlessly destroyed by the early settlers, although sufficient still remains for all general purposes. Deer Creek occupies no second place as an agricultural region, and within its borders are to be seen many of the best and most highly improved farms in Miami County.
Settlement .- The first recorded settlement within the present boundaries of Deer Creek was made about the year 1844 by Rich- ard Miller, Thomas Pearson and David Hoffman. Mr. Miller made an improvement on what is known as the John O. Smith farm, about one mile west of Miami, and was perhaps the first permanent settler of the township. He was a true type of the pioneer, spent much of his time in hunting the game in which the country at that time abounded and was an honored resident of the County until within a very few years.
Thomas Pearson made a home two miles west of Miami vil- lage, and early earned the reputation of a good and substantial citi- zen. Hoffman settled near the northwest corner of the Township, in the vicinity of Bunker Hill, and was one of the leading citizens of the township for a number of years.
In 1845 a number of settlers came to the township; but it will be impossible to name them in the order of their arrival. One James McCrary, a transient settler, located near the northern boun- dary early in the above year, and about the same time Eli Oliver and James Davis selected homes; the former on the Haggerty farm and the latter on the Coulter land. Richard Webster came early in the year and settled in the central part of the township and with him came his brother-in-law, Thomas Lewis, who located near Miami where Mr. Herrell now lives. Others of 1845 were David Armstrong in the vicinity of Miami; Jesse Julian in the western part of the township; D. C. Jenkins, Elisha Garrett, W. Garrett, Joseph McConnell and William McConnell, near the western boun- dary; William Mahon in the eastern part of the township; Allen Busby on land adjoining the Herrell farm and James Adamson near the southwest corner. Prominent among the arrivals of 1846 was Austin Herrell, who had previously made a settlement in the northern part of Richland Township. Mr. Herrell has been iden- tified with the growth and development of Deer Creek for a period of over forty years and is one of the oldest settlers now living within its borders. Oliver Sandifur came in 1846 and is still living where he originally settled, a short distance west of the village of Miami. Isaac Herrell, brother of Austin Herrell and proprietor of Miami, located on the town site in 1846 and others of the same year were Sylvester Tumlin, in the northeast corner of the township; John Hicks near Miami; Frazee Swinford, J. D. Larimer, William and George Swinford, near the Howard County line. The years 1847
-
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.
and 1848 witnessed the arrival of a number of substantial settlers among whom were Sampson Reed near .Miami; William Balinger in the southwest corner of the Township; Thomas Caster, Christian Caster, Samuel Truax and Corneilus Thomson in the southern and western parts and Reuben Mendenhall near the northern boundary. Additional to those enumerated, the following settlers came in an early day and made substantial improvements, namely: John Beesley, in Section I, Township 28 north, Range 2, East; Joseph A. Burr, Section 2; William G. Vandorn, Section 2; Oliver and James Jenness, Section II; John B. Brown, Isaac Burrough, Alfred Mur- phy and Hiram Lott, Section 12; Adolphus Runnells, John Nock and G. W. Cline, Section 13; John Dixon, B. F. Brown, William Pearson, James N. Crist and Leonard Dixon, Section 23; Thomas A. Long, Emery Daggett, William Daggett, C. L. Brown and Thomas Woodrick, Section 29; Samuel Truax, Samuel Martindale and Thomas Martindale, Section 36.
Lewis N. Snodderly, William Marrow and George Hagerty, in Section 5, Township 25 North, 4 East; George W. Larimer, Jacob Hockman, Benjamin Hann and Joseph Pontius, in section 7, same township and range; Nathan Overman, D. R. Taylor, Sylvester Tumlin, James Adams, Simeon Farlow and Jacob Knettle, Section 17; Jesse Gettinger and Noah Sandifur, Section 18; James Lewis, L. Platts and Stephen Chittick, Section 20; Archibald Chittick and Philip Vandevender, Section 29; Christopher Carter, Section 30; James Avelin, Zebedee Wright and Andrew Snyder, Section 31 and Daniel Russell, section 32. The above named men formed the basis of the early settlement of the township and the majority of them purchased land from the Government and moved on to the same prior to 1849.
Land Entries .- Deer Creek Township formed a part of the "Great Miami Reservation" and consequently was not surveyed and. opened for settlement as early as many other parts of the county. The land was put upon the market subject to entry in 1847, and dur- ing that year patents were obtained by the following parties in var- ious parts of the township, to-wit: John Beesly, John B. Brown, B. F. Brown, Isaac Burroughs, A. Runnells, James S. Davenport, W. McConnell, James McCrary, G. W. Larimer, James R. Davis, John W. Davis, O. H. Sandifur, S. R. Reed, R. M. Daniel, Benjamin Beaver, D. C. Jenkins, Jesse Gettinger and James Avelin. During the year 1848 the following persons purchased Government lands, viz: Grandison Merrill, Jos. Graves, James Tillett, Isaac Hiatt, J. A. Burr, W. G. Vandorn, O. Jenness, John Hinchman, James Jen- ness, senior, A. Murphy, R. R. Reed, H. Lott, John Mock, G. W. Cline, Wm. Dixon, J. M. Dixon, L. Dixon, J. Crist, J. T. Watkins, M. Bell, Wm. Miller, John Truax, George Spray, T. A. Long, F. Daggett, Emery Daggett, T. Woodrick, Nathan Piles, A. Watkins,
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DEER CREEK TOWNSHIP.
John Keever, Samuel Richards, S. Truax, S. Martindale, Thomas Martindale, John Hicks, L. N. Snodderly, Wm. Morrow, Jos. Lari- mer, Jacob Hockman, B. Hann, D. R. Taylor, Geo. Pontius, N. Overman, James Adams, S. Tumlin, Austin Herrell, Elisha Gar- rett, W. E. Johnson, A. B. Walter, Arthur Compton, James Lewis, S. Chettick, J. B. Detray, W. Swinford, C. Caster, G. W. Swin- ford, Archibald Chittick, L. Platts, Z. Wright, A. Snyder, Daniel Russell and James Fettis, quite a number of whom became per- manent residents of the township.
Township Organization .- Deer Creek Township was form- ally organized in the year 1847. The first election was held at Reynold's mill, when the following officers were elected: D. C. Jenkins, Justice of the Peace; Austin Herrell, Thomas Pearson and Lewis Snodderly, trustees; W. H. Miller, Clerk, and Daniel Ellis, Treasurer. Warren Truax served as trustee in an early day, as did also William Zehring. The present township officers are Ed. McConnell, Trustee; Jacob Shaffer and David Sherrick, Justices of the Peace.
Industrics .- The honor of building the first mill in the town- ship is due to one "Dolph" Reynolds, who, as early as 1846, con- structed a small corn cracker on Deer Creek, the water of which stream furnised the motive power. The mill stood in the western part of the township, and was a primitive affair, the building being a rude log structure, and the grinding apparatus consisting of a sin- gle run of buhrs, which manufactured a coarse article of meal. Indifferent as it was the mill was highly prized by the early settlers, and it was kept running almost constantly for a period of about five years. Another mill was erected by John Hicks, about the year 1850, and stood on Deer Creek, one half mile southeast of the vil- lage of Miami. This mill was a great curiosity, and its like has never been seen in this or any other country. The building was a square box structure, built upon four slender posts, and the rude buhrs were chisled by Mr. Hicks out of a couple of rough nigger heads found in the vicinity. Its capacity under favorable circum- stances is said to have been as much as a bushel of corn per day, but ordinarily it fell much below that amount, as is attested by the fact that a gentleman who brought a half bushel early one morning, insisted upon the miller "retolling" the grist in order that he might be enabled to reach home with the meal before midnight. It is related upon another occasion, while the machinery was in full operation, and the corn grains were falling from the hopper at the rate of about thirty or forty per minute, the wheels, as if by mutual consent, suddenly stopped short, and to the miller's intense disgust refused to proceed further with their work. Investigation revealed the fact that a good sized sow seeing a cool place wherein to pass the sultry afternoon, had made her bed in the race way, thus effect-
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.
ually damming the race and cutting off the water supply. Many other incidents of the quaint mill and quaint miller could be narrated- how a boy was kept employed to scare the black birds from the hopper, and how the resolution that the mill was a nuisance to the country was ably discussed in the backwoods debating club of the day. But enough has already been said to convince the reader that Hicks' corn-cracker was something extraordinary in the line of of manufacturing enterprises. The first saw mill in the township was erected by Oliver and Nelson Sandifur, about the year 1850, or 1851, and stood a short distance below Miami, on Deer Creek. It did a fairly successful local business, and was in operation about four or five years. The other industries of the township will be appropriately mentioned in the history of Miami village.
Lodges .- Crescent Lodge No. 280, F. and A. M., was estab- lished about the year 1854, and among the charter members were the following, viz: A. Armstrong, Allen Hatfield, M. T. Norman, E. Humrickhouse, Warren Truax, and Joseph Vandevender. The first place of meeting was a hall over the Christian Church, which which was used until the erection of the present brick hall in the year 1882. The lodge has enjoyed a reasonable degree of pros- perity ever since its organization, and at the present time has an active membership of forty-four. The officers are Elijah Vore, W. M .; S. L. Phister, S. W .; E. E. Kling, J. W .; A. J. Haynes, Sec'y .; James Coulter, Treasurer; Eugene Masters, S. D .; Jesse D. Get- tinger, J. D., and Robert Larimer, Tyler.
Deer Creek Lodge No. 256, I. O. O. F., was instituted May 16, 1866, with the following charter members, viz; T. Ellis, E. Bowman, S. B. Sprinkle, D. Shewman and H. Murden. The lodge purchased a hall in 1868, and sold in 1875, erecting their present hall that year, at a cost of about $700. The organization is not so strong as formerly, numbering at the present time only about ten or twelve members. The following is a list of officers: S. L. Pheister, N. G .; W. B. Pryor, V. G .; Isaac Records, Secre- tary; J. P. Coulter, Treasurer; H. Dye, Warden.
Present Business of Miami .- J. D. Gettinger, general mer- chandise; M. C. Bennett, general store; H. B. Herrell, dealer in groceries, notions, etc .; Dr. A. Armstrong, drugs; O. Herrell, notions; Jackson Crane and Howard Lawrence, carpenters; S. L. Pheister, wagonmaker and blacksmith; T. E. Cassingham, harness maker; W. B. Pryor, shoemaker and dealer in flour and meal; Needham Brothers, manufacturers of drain tile; William H. Coucher, grain dealer; O. Herrell, barber.
Religious .- Many of the early pioneers of Deer Creek were religious people and no sooner had a settlement been founded than measures were taken towards the establishment of churches. "The first meeting in the township was held at the residence of L. N.
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DEER CREEK TOWNSHIP.
Snodderly in 1846 by the Methodists, Rev. James Rickets, officiat- ing." A society of the denomination was founded in due time which is still kept up in the village of Miami. A good house of worship was erected a number of years ago, and the society although, not so strong in numbers as formerly, is still a power for good in the community.
"The denomination known as the Christians, or Disciples, was, perhaps, the next church organized." They held public worship in the dwelling of Austin Herrell, and later in the neighboring school houses. Among the early preachers were Elders Geo. W. Smith, Daniel Flinn, Shocky, and Hansberry. The society increased in numbers to such an extent that within a few years after the organization a substantial house of worship was erected in Miami. The church enjoyed a reasonable degree of prosperity for some years, but at the present time is quite weak having lost the greater number of its members by deaths and removals. Elder D. A. McDowell is pastor in charge.
The Deer Creek Baptist Church was organized sometime prior to 1850 and is now one of the progressive societies of the county, having upon its records the names of about one hundred active mem- bers. The present pastor is Rev. R. B. Ward.
In the southwest corner of the township is a flourishing church of the old Christian (New Light) denomination, organized a few years ago by members of the Cassville congregation in Howard · County. Meetings are held regularly and the society is reported in good condition.
Village of Miami .- This flourishing little town, the out- growth of the I., P. & C. R. R., is situated near the central part of the township, and dates its history from August, 1849. It was laid out by James Herrell, and the original plat consists of forty-five lots and five streets, three of which -- Main, Elm and Walnut-run north and south, and two-Fulton and Cherry- east and west. In March, 1851, an addition of fifty-one lots was made by William H. Cox. In 1852 an addition of twelve lots was made by Richard Miller, and Isaac Herrell platted an addi- tion of seventy-two lots in February, 1853. The first house in the village was a log store building near the railroad, erected by Alexander Blake shortly after the plat was surveyed. Mr. Blake brought a small stock of general merchandise to the place, and for several years carried on a fairly successful business, his store having been extensively patronized by the settlers in the vicinity. Another early resident of the town was S. R. Reed, who purchased a lot in 1849 and built the house now occupied by Jesse Needham. E. Hum was perhaps the second merchant, and about the year 1851 Austin Herrell engaged in merchandis- ing, and was prominently identified with the business interests of
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.
the village for a period of twenty years. Among those who sold goods from time to time in the town were the following: E. B. Farmer, Timothy Scott, Small, Warren, Truax, Need- ham, Yates, Nelson, Sandifur, William Burt, John Turley, W. H. Coucher, C. Davis, C. L. Vanwinkle, John Farlow, R. Gar- rett, D. C. Craig and E. Humrickhouse.
The early mechanics of the village were S. R. Reed, Wil- liam Ellis and Harvey Miller, carpenters, and Jacob Saylers, blacksmith.
Physicians .- The following list comprises the medical men who have practiced their professions in Miami since the founding of the village, viz: T. J. Raybell, David Ellis, H. B. Rood, A. Arm- strong, who has been in the town since 1858, Dr. Reeves, Dr. Watkins, J. B. Hass, J. B. Peters, W. R. King, Dr. Grimes, Dr. McCann, Samuel Davis and Theodore Snyder. The resident physi- cians at the present time are A. Armstrong and George Davis.
Industries .- The earliest industry of Miami was a large steam saw-mill, brought to the village in 1852 by Alexander Blake, who operated it successfully for several years. It was burned down at one time and afterwards rebuilt, after which it passed through the hands of various parties, closing operations several years ago. In 1870 Austin Herrell built a steam saw-mill and ran it upon quite an extensive scale for a period of ten years. About that time, or per- haps a year later, a steam flouring mill was built by Eb. Humrick- house, who afterwards sold out to William Tubbs. The mill was operated until 1880, at which time Mr. Tubbs moved it to Walton, Cass County, where it is still running.
The leading industry of the town at the present time is the large steam saw mill erected in 1883 by Lewis Miller, who does a flourishing business in the manufacture of lumber, fencing, lath, mill hops and various other kinds of wood-work. The first hotel in the village was operated by Sampson Reed whose house early became a favorite stopping place. The present hotel is kept by F. M. Ewing.
Casualties .- In about the year 1867 or '68, a man met with a violent death in the village by being thrown from his horse. He was intoxicated at the time, and several mischievous boys, thinking to have some sport at the poor fellow's expense, frightened the horse, which ran furiously down the street, and threw him upon the hard, frozen ground, resulting in almost immediate death. In 1881 an old man by the name of Wesner was killed by a train on the bridge across Deer Creek, a short distance south of the village. He attempted to cross the bridge in company with his daughter, but before reaching the end was overtaken by a part of a freight train, which had been cut off at the switch and crushed in a horrible manner. A number of
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
years ago several stores in the village were broken open and a large amount of goods were stolen. A couple of men passing through the town one night were strongly suspected as the guilty parties, and shortly after they had left the town a drunken mob, composed of the rougher element of the neighborhood, started in pursuit with the determination of extorting from them a confession and then hanging them. The travelers were over- taken about one mile from the village, and the scene that fol- lowed was disgraceful in the extreme. The poor wretches were set upon without mercy and hanged to a tree until nearly dead, and let down in order to make them admit their guilt. This was repeated several times with no success, as the men strongly persisted that they were innocent of the charge. A couple of men in the crowd, convinced that they were persecuting the wrong parties, finally cut the ropes and permitted the poor fel- lows to proceed on their way.
Bennetts, or Bennett Switch, a railroad station in the ex- treme southern part of the township, is a local trading point of considerable importance, and at this time has a large general store, several shops, a saw-mill and ware-house. The population does not exceed two hundred, but the place is likely to com- mand a good share of the current trade for years to come.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
JOHN COMERFORD, a native of Ireland, came to Amer- ica in 1850. He was born in County Kilkenny, Ireland, August. 26, 1826, where he received a common school education. On his arrival in New York he found himself without friends and only a few dollars in money. He soon found employment on a farm at $10 per month, His marriage with Miss Ann Lawler, also a native of Ireland, born in 1830, was celebrated April 21, 1851. In 1855 after having lived in Ohio, he removed to Rush County, Indiana, where he continued to reside until 1860, at which date he came to Miami County and purchased forty acres of land which comprises part of his present home. Mrs. Comerford has. blessed her husband with a family of seven children: Margaret Ann, Mary J., Thomas, Elizabeth, John L., Catharine and James. H. The youngest child is at present taking a collegiate course at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mr. Comerford now resides upon a. farm of 236 acres and since his settlement has been among the most influential and upright citizens of the county. He is polit- ically a Republican, and with his wife belongs to the Catholic Church.
NOAH COTTERMAN, is a native of Montgomery
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.
County Ohio, and was born September 6, 1837. His parents, Andrew and Barbara (Stiver) Cotterman, were also natives of Montgomery County. Mr. Cotterman's early life was spent on a farm and in receiving a common school education. Catharine Weaver became his wife January 13, 1859. She was born in Hagerstown, Indiana, March 5, 1838, her parents, David S. and Hannah· (Mason) Weaver, were natives of Virginia and Ohio respectively. To Mr. and Mrs. Cotterman have been born twelve children, ten of whom are living: David T., Elva A., Barbara E. (deceased), Clara E., Jacob S. (deceased), Francis M., Andrew Y., Lottie L., Lizzie J., Charles E., Robert M. and Laura A. Mr. and Mrs. Cotterman were married six months before they could afford a set of chairs or a table. He came to Miami County in 1858, and began life with no capital but a determined will, and has succeeded by diligent attention to business, in accumulating a comfortable home. He has been a life-long Democrat. Mrs. Cotterman is a member of the Ger- man Baptist Church.
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