USA > Indiana > Porter County > History of Porter County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests > Part 15
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Game animals were found in abundance by the first settlers, and in the groves were numerous hollow trees in which bees had been storing honey, perhaps for years. As late as 1851 Henry S. Adams, Rollston Adams, Asa Cobb and G. W. Patton, in a hunt of five days succeeded in killing sixteen deer. With plenty of wild game to furnish meat for the larder, honey for the taking, and a fertile soil to cultivate, the pioneers of Morgan township did not suffer the hardships and privations expe- rienced by many settlers on the frontier. Their greatest drawbacks were the long distance to markets and the prairie fires, which often swept over the country laying waste everything that came in the path of the flames.
The historical sketch of the township written by Ilenry Stoner, trustee, in 1883, to be filed with the relies in the corner-stone of the court- . house, states that an election was held on April 4, 1843, at which James White, Jesse Spencer and Joseph MeConnell were chosen trustees; David W. White, elerk, and John Brumbaugh, treasurer. As this date was some four months prior to the time when the county commissioners estab- lished the township of Morgan, Mr. Stoner is mistaken regarding the date, or the officers named were elected for Pleasant township, of which Morgan was then a part. The official records of this election cannot be found, nor ean the names of the first township officers be ascertained. Neither ean the name of the first white ehild born in the township be definitely learned. The first burial was that of a man named Agnew, who was frozen to death in a snow storm late in the fall of 1835, while trying to join his family at David Bryant's place at Pleasant Grove, Lake county. With a wagon load of household and an ox-team he set out on the old Indian trail but in a short time the snow began falling so fast that the trail was obliterated. Unyoking his oxen and leaving his wagon standing on the prairie, he started on foot, but became bewildered
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HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY
and finally gave way to the drowsiness that ended in his death. When his oxen and wagon were discovered search was made for his body. which was found and buried upon Morgan prairie. Mr. Stoner's corner-stone account says he was buried in the Adams cemetery, but Battey's His- tory of Porter County says that Mrs. Harriet J. Adams was the first person to be interred in that burial ground. It may be possible that Mr. Agnew's remains were removed from the first place of burial to the rem- etery, but the writer has been unable to find any one who could throw any light on the subject.
Near the southwest corner of the township is the old place known as Tassinong. There is a theory that a French trading post once occupied this site, though when the white men became acquainted with the place about 1830, no traces of the post remained. Some three years after Morgan township was organized, Jesse Harper, who later won renowu as a Greenback orator, started a store at Tassinong. A postoffice ealled Tassinong Grove had been established two miles south of Harper's store in 1840, with John Jones as postmaster. Harper remained but a few years, when William Stoddard started the second store at Tassinong. About that time the postoffice was removed to the village. Joseph and William Unruh, William C. Eaton, Francis MeCurdy, Rinker & Wright and Abraham Abart were also engaged in the mercantile business at Tassinong prior to the Civil war. In 1852 there were, besides the store, two blacksmith shops and a shoe shop at the place, and in 1855 the Pres- byterians established a church. The building occupied by this congrega- tion was erected by the people with the understanding that all denomin- ations should have the use of it, though it was known as the Presbyte- rian church. When the Chicago, Cincinnati & Louisville railroad came through the township a few years ago, the town of Malden sprang up about two miles north of Tassinong, and the old town fell into deeay. Malden is a thriving little place, and is the principal shipping and trading point in the township. The only postoffice in the township in 1912 was Liberty View, a station on the railroad about four miles east of Malden. This town was projected by E. C. Maulfair, of Chicago, who. in June,
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1909, platted the north seventy-two acres of the northeast quarter of section 35, township 34, range 5, and conferred upon the embryo city the name of Liberty View. The plat was duly recorded in October, 1909, and a postoffice by that name was soon afterward established there. The town has not met the expectations of its founder.
Just where the first school in the township was located seems to be somewhat in doubt, though old settlers say it was not far from the old "Baum" farm on Morgan prairie. They agree that the house in which it was taught was a small log structure, probably 12 by 14 feet in size, and that Orilla Stoddard was the first teacher. The second school house stood about two miles from the south line of the township on the road running east from the present town of Maklen, and the third was built on the old Spencer place near Tassinong. Mr. Stoner's sketch, above referred to, closes with the statement that "Morgan township is noted as being one of the foremost agricultural townships in the county. Its growth has been gradual and steady. At the present date, October 20th (1883), there are enrolled in the nine school districts of the town- ship 306 school children between the ages of six and twenty-one years."
. That was written nearly twenty-nine years ago. In the school year of 1911-12, the nine distriets mentioned by Mr. Stoner had been reduced to seven by consolidation, and in these seven schools the following teach- ers were employed : No. 2 (Adams), Edith Anderson ; No. 4 (Rising Sun), Florence Young; No. 5 (Tassinong), Nora MeNeff; No. 6 (Bundy), Edith Shroeder; No. 7 (Schroeder), Pearl Sioner; No. 8 (Pinkerton), Olive Donahue; No. 9 (Flitter), Nora Denton.
Morgan township has an extensive system of ditches and about fifteen miles of macadamized road. Two lines of railroad cross the township. The New York, Chicago & St. Louis (Nickel Plate) line crosses the north- east corner, but there is no station on this road within the limits of the township. The Chesapeake & Ohio (formerly the Chicago, Cincinnati & Louisville) enters near the southeast corner and follows a north- westerly course, through Liberty View and Malden, leaving the township about two and a half miles north of the southwest corner. The popula-
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tion of the last twenty years has been somewhat fluctuating in character. In 1890 it was 830; in 1900 it had increased to 884, and during the next ten years there was a decrease, the number of inhabitants in 1910 being but 812.
CHAPTER VIII
TOWNSHIP HISTORY -- Continued
PINE TOWNSHIP-HISTORICAL SKETCH OF IN COURT-HOUSE CORNER-STONE- SCHOOLS-RAILROADS -- POPULATION-PLEASANT TOWNSHIP - LOCATION AND BOUNDARIES-EARLY SETTLERS-SCHOOLS-RAILROADS-TOWN OF . KOUTS-CRIMES AND CASUALTIES-CENSUS REPORTS-PORTAGE TOWNSHIP -PHYSICAL FEATURES - PIONEERS - SCHOOLS - POSTOFFICES AND VIL- LAGES-TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES-HIGHWAYS-POPULATION-PORTER TOWNSHIP-LOCATION AND BOUNDARIES-FORMERLY FISH LAKE-SET-
. TLERS-PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS-SCHOOLS-POSTOFFICES AND VIL- LAGES - RAILROADS - HIGHWAYS - POPULATION - UNION TOWNSILIP- LOCATION AND BOUNDARIES - PHYSICAL FEATURES - SETTLERS - EARLY ELECTIONS - PIONEER LIFE -"HOOSIER'S NEST"- FINLEY'S POEM - SCHOOLS-HIGIIWAYS-RAILROADS-TOWN OF WHEELER-CENSUS- WASHIINGTON TOWNSHIP-LOCATION AND BOUNDARIES-FIRST SETTLERS- SCHOOLS-RAILROADS AND VILLAGES-PRATTVILLE-WESTCHESTER TOWN- SHIP-CHANGES IN BOUNDARIES-RESOURCES-PIONEERS-SCHOOLS -- TOWNS AND VILLAGES - CHESTERTON - PORTER - RAILROADS - CENSUS REPORTS, ETC.
In the preceding chapter have been presented historical accounts of the settlement and progress of Boone, Center, Jackson, Liberty and Morgan townships. As it is the aim to present the township histories in alphabetical order, the first in this chapter will be :
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HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY
PINE TOWNSHIP
The following historical sketch of this township was written by Wil- liam Lewry, at that time trustee, for deposit in the corner-stone of the court-house, in October, 1883 :
"Pine township was organized on the 13th of August, 1853, by D. S. Steves, John Reader, David Poor and Elias Taylor. By order of this board George Porter was duly appointed treasurer and the township ·was divided into two road districts. The civil township of Pine received its name from the growth of pine trees that cover the northern part. The surface and physical features vary. At the north there are high sandhills, partly covered with pine, juniper, cherries, yellow oak and grapes. The fertility increases as you journey southward and wheat, oats, barley, corn and hay grow in abundance. The whole township was heavily timbered at one time. The north abounded in pine, white and red oak, cherry, elm and white wood. The south and eenter abounded in beech, maple, hickory, white ash, and other varieties. Much of the tim- ber was sold for railroad wood and ties, and for building cars, boats, docks and sewers at Chicago. Deer, wild turkey, and all kinds of game were abundant up to 1860; about this time the last Indian left the township.
"This township has been backward in settlement, many coming here to work in the woods in the winter and leaving it in the spring. A few have ben industrious and determined to build a home, and to all appear- ances are doing well. In the central part of the township there is a colony of Poles, who are determined to build homes and cultivate land that would otherwise remain wild. They have large families and all work with a will, from the wife down to the six-year-old child. The children are bright, but ahnost wholly ignorant of the English language.
"Owing to the tardy growth of this township, its history is rather meager. The timber and wood business has been the main dependence of the people. Sawmills were established at an early day in various places, but after using up the timber in the vicinity were moved away
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or allowed to decay, till but one remains. Charcoal and cheese wagons are the only articles of importance manufactured in the township. The cheese factory is in the southern part and was established by Younger Frame in 1881 and is still run by him. Samuel C. Hacket has three charcoal kilns in the southern part. One is about one mile west of the Laporte county line; the other two are about two miles farther to the southwest. Mr. Hacket believes he has produced more charcoal than any other man in Indiana. IIe has held all the township offices, is a prominent leader in politics, and a most respected and honored citizen.
"The blacksmith and wagon factory of William Lewry & Son is in the northern part of the township, at Furnessville, and has a large patron- age in Pine and Westchester townships.
"The first school house erected in the township was built on the county line between Laporte and Porter counties thirty years ago. H. was an octagon structure, built of narrow, thiek boards, placed one upon another, lapping at the corners, and making a wall about as thick as au ·ordinary briek wall nowadays. Isaac Weston sawed the lumber for this house and John Frame and Elias Dresden were prominent among those who constructed the building and organized the school. The second school house on the north side, District No. 2, was built in April, 1854. The building was 14 x 20 feet, and Roman Henry received $160 for building it. The board of trustees was composed of Theodore D. Roberts, D. S. Steves, and John Reader. This house has passed away. A new one was built by George Shanner in 1871-John Frame being the trustee. The school house in Distriet No. 3, was built on the 16th of October, 1874, Henry Hacket trustee. All of these school houses are of wood. "School houses in District No. 4, center of township, was built in July, 1883, by William Lewry, trustee. This is a substantial brick structure and the first of the kind in the township.
"The roads of the township are divided into two districts-John Bayless supervisor of the north half and William Goodwin of the south half, as follows : Commencing at the southwest corner of section 21, thence east to the northwest corner of seetion 26, thence south and east to the
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county line. Our roads have been in bad condition. Being new and ent through timber, it has been impossible to plove or ditch them. As the tim- ber decays we turnpike them, giving us roads equal to the older town- ships."
The above sketch by Mr. Lewry gives a fairly suceinet account of the development of the township. Since it was written an additional school district has been established. In the school year 1911-12 the teachers in the several distriets were as follows: No. 1 (Smoky Row), Mildred Car- ver; No. 2 (Frame), Florence Frame; No. 3 (Brick), Ada Purdy; No. 4 (Carver), Emma Goodwin; No. 5 (Bayles), Martita Furness. Al- though Pine township is well supplied with railroads, there are no towns or villages within its borders. In the northern portion the Michigan Central, the Pere Marquette, and the Chicago, Lake Shore & Sonth Bend (the last named an eleetrie road), cross the township in a northi- easterly direction, almost parallel to the shore of Lake Michigan, and the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern crosses the southeast corner. There are about twelve miles of macadamized road in the township.
During the last thirty years the population has been fluctuating in ebaraeter. In 1880, three years before Mr. Lewry's account was writ- ten, 138 votes were east at the presidential election in November. This would indieate a total population of about 550. In 1890, according to the United States census, the population was 596. Ten years it had in- ereased to 634. Then came a falling off, and in 1910 it was only 564.
PLEASANT TOWNSHIP
Pleasant township, established by the board of county commissioners on April 12, 1836, is situated in the southeast corner of the,county, and is the largest township in the county. It is bounded on the east by La- porte county ; on the south by the Kankakee river, which separates it from Jasper county ; on the west by Boone township, and on the north by the township of Morgan. Its area is about fifty-six square miles. Crooked ereck flows southward through the center of the township and Vol. 1-11
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Sandy Hook creek along the western border, both emptying into the Kankakee river. The name Pleasant was conferred upon the township on account of the natural beauty of its location. For years before the advent of the white man, the groves and marshes along the Kankakee river formed a favorite hunting ground for the Indians. Game of all kinds abounded there, fur-bearing animals were plentiful, and pleasant sites for encampments or villages could easily be found on the higher grounds along the river. Southwest of Konts, at a point where two Indian trails crossed the Kankakee. the carly settlers found the out- lines of an ancient fortification-so old that trees two feet or more in diameter were growing on the embankments-indicating that the spot had been a resort for the aborigines for years, perhaps for centuries.
John Sherwood was the first white settler in the township, coming there with his family in 1834. During the next two years William Trinkle, John Jones, Henry Adams, William Billings, John and Joseph Bartholomew, Enoch Billings, Martin Reed, Morris and James Witham, Lewis Comer, John Adams, Charles Allen, Luke Asher, Hisel Coghill, Oliver Coles and several others were added to the population. The first election for township officers-a justice of the peace only-was held at the house of Henry Adams on April 30, 1836, when eleven votes were polled. The judges of election were William Billings, who acted as in- spector, Enoeh Billings and Morris Witham. Lewis Comer received the unanimous vote of the electors and became the first justice of the peace. At an election on December 24, 1836, for justice of the peace and to fill a vacancy in the office of associate judge, only nine votes were east. Seneca Ball received nine votes for judge, and John Adams the same number for justice of the peace. The first birth was that of Henry, son of William and Gillie Ann Trinkle, December 2, 1835. The first marriage was that of Alexander Wright to a Miss Jones about 1839, and the first death was that of Jeremiah, son of John Sherwood.
. As most of the early settlers located in the eastern part, between the county line and Crooked ereek, it was a natural sequence that the first school should be taught in that section. In 1838 a small log school
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HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY
house was erected on section 13, township 33, range 5, a short distance south of where the Panhandle railroad now enters Porter county. It was built by the patrons of the school and had the customary elay fire- place and greased paper windows. A pioneer teacher says that these windows possessed a great advantage over glass ones, as they admitted the light but prevented lazy pupils from gazing out of the window in- stead of studying their lessons. A larger school house was erected upon the same section a little later. Several years later the first frame school house in the township was built near the same site. In the school year 1911-12 there were five distriet schools in Pleasant township, in addition to the commissioned high school at Kouts. In these schools thirteen teachers were employed, to wit: Ihigh school, E. E. Wright, superintend- ent; Bertha Tofte, principal; Katherine Kring, Jeannette Anderson, Imlu M. Benkie, Grace Jones, Frederica Witham and Hattie Felton ; District No. 1 (Marshal Grove), Claire Ilannon ; No. 4 (Five Points), Marie Beckwith; No. 5 (Morrison), Marguerite Tofte; No. 7 (Lauer), Grace Gay ; No. 8 (Stowell), Clara Young.
Agrienlture has always been the leading industry of the people. The soil is fertile and well adapted to hay, grain, corn and potatoes. A con- siderable portion of the land lies in the Kankakee marshes and has to be drained before it can be successfully cultivated. Several large ditches have been constructed through the township, and where the land has been thus reclaimed it yields large profits to the owner. The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis railroad, commonly called the Panhandle, runs east and west, two miles south of the northern boundary; the Chi- sago & Erie railroad crosses the castern boundary a little south of the center and runs in a northwesterly direction, crossing the Panhandle at Kouts, and a line of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois system erosses the southeast corner. These lines afford good transportation facilities for practically all parts of the township. Very little macadamized road has been built in Pleasant, but in the summer of 1912 there were some six- teen miles under construction
Kouts is the only village of importance. It is situated about two miles
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HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY
northwest of the center, at the junction of the Erie and Panhandle rail- roads as already mentioned. This town was laid out by Bernard Konts, from whom it took its name, about the time the railroad was completed. A postoffice was established there in 1865, with II. A. Wright as post- master. Mr. Konts built the first business building in the town, and the seeond was built by Brown & Dilley. When the Erie railroad was built
PUBLIC SCHOOL, KOUTS
in 1881, Kouts began to grow more rapidly and now has a population of about 500. Very few attempts have been made to establish manufactur- ing enterprises, and with one exeeption these attempts have been made at Kouts. Joseph Hackman erected a sawmill on the bank of the Kanka- kee river some years ago, but sold it to James M. Pugh, who converted it into a portable mill and used it in various parts of the township. II. A. Wright started a cheese factory about 1877, but after a short time aban-
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HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY
doned the undertaking. In 1887 Jerry Ryan started an ax-handle fac- tory which employed five or six men for a while, but the lack of suitable timber led him to discontinue the business. On June 21, 1912, the Kouts creamery was opened for business. It is of a cooperative na- ture, the stock being owned by sixty-seven persons, all residents of the immediate neighborhood. Kouts also has a wholesale and retail bakery, and a saw and feed mill operated by the Betterton Milling Company. The Porter County Bank is located here. The oldest church in the town is the Evangelical Lutheran, of which Rev. Ilicks ITicken is pastor. A Christian church has recently been organized. There are six gen- eral stores, a hardware and implement store, insurance agencies repre- senting all the leading companies, Adams and Wells Fargo express offices, and a money order postoffice with one rural route emanating from it. The secret orders are represented by the Odd Fellows, the Foresters of America and the Modern Woodmen. Considerable ship- ping is done from Kouts, which is the only railroad station of conse- quenee in the township. Clanricard is a small station on the Erie, one mile from the east line of the county, and there is a flag station called Burke's on the Chicago & Eastern Illinois, not far from the Kankakee river.
Pleasant township has had its share of crimes and casualties. In the fall of 1873, while James M. Pugh was plowing near his residence, lic found some dry marsh grass somewhat annoying. He asked his daughter, Sarah, to get some fire and burn the dead grass. Scarcely had she ignited the grass when a sudden change in the direction of the wind blew the " flames toward her, setting fire to her clothing. The accident occurred abont two o'clock in the afternoon, and after intense suffering the girl died at four o'clock the following morning. In 1873 a man named Swett was shot and killed by Charles Chase. Two murders occurred in the year 1879, when Charles Askam was killed by John McIntosh and Jolm Dut- ton was killed by Brainard Taft. On Thursday, March 23, 1882, David Ramsey, an old hunter and trapper was found dead in a swamp about three miles southeast of Kouts. The day previous he had been seen in
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HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY
Kouts, where he was drinking heavily, and was warned by Robert Hall to be careful, not drink any more and to go home. It is supposed that he started home and either lost his way, or deliberately wandered into the swamp, where he died from exposure.
Census reports for the last twenty years show a steady and healthy inerease in the number of inhabitants. In 1890 the population of the township was 984, ten years later it was 1,209, and in 1910 it was 1,424.
PORTAGE TOWNSILIP
This township was created by the general order of the board of eounty commissioners, April 12, 1836, which divided the county into ten eivil townships, but the present boundaries are materially different from the ones originally defined by that order. It is situated in the northwest corner of the county, and is said to have been named after Portage county, Ohio. It is bounded on the north by Lake Michigan ; on the east by the townships of Westehester and Liberty; on the south by Union township, and on the west by Lake county. It is four miles wide from east to west on the northern boundary, and five miles in width on the southern. It greatest length from north to south is a little over eight miles and its area is about thirty-six square miles. In the northern
' part are the sandhills eommon to the shore of Lake Michigan in that region. South of the sandhills lies the valley of the Little Calumet river, which contains some swamp lands, and still farther south is a level prairie, with a rieh soil, well adapted to agriculture. This prairie is watered by Salt creek and its numerous small tributaries. Salt creek crosses the southern boundary near the southeast corner, flows northward until it enters Liberty township near the northwest corner of section 33, township 35, range 6, and reenters Portage township near the northeast corner of seetion 20 of the same township and range. Large quantities of sand have been shipped from this township to Chicago, and near Cris- man there is a fine-grained elay that has been used quite extensively for
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molding, ealking boilers, etc. Some bog iron . . has been found, but the deposits are small and have never been developed.
In the spring of 1834 Jacob Wolf, Berrett Dorr and Reuben Hurl- burt brought their families and located claims in Portage township. They were the first settlers. Jacob Wolf had thee grown sons; Mr. Dorr had two sons of age, and Mr. Hurlburt had five sous, three of whom were then in their "teens." Later in the year George and James Spur- lock and Wilford Parrott joined the settlement. During the next two years a number of immigrants settled in the vicinity, among whom may be mentioned Benjamin James and his son Allen, S. P. Robbins, Walker MeCool, Thomas J. Field, Henry Herold, Griffin and William Holbert, Daniel Whitaker, Francis Spencer, J. G. Herring, George Hume, Wil- liam Frame, John Hageman, Jacob Blake, Henry Battan, John Lyons and James Connet. An old tally sheet of the election held in April, 1836, shows that most of the above voted at that time, and at the election in August following twenty-nine votes were east. Henry Battan was an old revolutionary soldier. The life and customs of these early settlers did not differ much from those of other pioneers. The first dwellings were log cabins, erected without nails, with greased paper win- dows or no windows at all, the huge clay fireplace and the same rude furniture. There were the same dreary trips through the forests and across the bleak prairies to Michigan City for supplies, the same plain food and homespun clothing.
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