USA > Indiana > Porter County > History of Porter County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests > Part 18
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sioners to seeure a favorable decision. It is said that they did not even treat the commissioners to drinks or cigars, or invite them to dinner. .The inducements offered were wholly in the interests of the county, being the donation of one entire block for the court-house site and the gift of ninety-six lots, with a further donation of some $1,200 for the erection of publie buildings.
The original plat of Portersville ineluded all that part of the pres- ent eity of Valparaiso bounded by Erie, Morgan, Water and Napoleon streets and one tier of lots fronting east and west north of Erie street. These ten lots comprised the fractional blocks from No. 1 to No. 5, inelusive. Between Erie and Chicago streets lay the five blocks num- bered 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, and south of Chicago street were the bloeks numbered from 11 to 35, inclusive, block No. 23 being the square re- served for the court-house. Each block was divided into eight lots. No lots north of Chicago street were given to the county by the Porters- ville Land Company, but south of that street the lots numbered 2, 4, 6 and 8 in cacli block were deeded to Samuel Olinger, as the agent of Por- ter county to receive the same, by Benjamin MeCarty, who had been given power of attorney by the other members of the land company, this deed bearing the date of July 25, 1836. The power of attorney, which was given to Benjamin MeCarty on June 14, 1836, empowered him "to grant, sell, alien and convey any part or parts of said quarter section (the northwest quarter of seetion 24, township 35, range 5) of land and deeds make for the same, the said lots or parcels of land to Be sold by our said attorney, MeCarty, in as full and ample a manner as though we held no title, Bond or elaim upon the same, and he was full and absolute owner of the same at such priees & upon sueli terms as he may think fit," .ete. .
The north and south streets in the original town of Portersville, beginning at the east side, are Morgan, Michigan, Franklin, Washing- ton, Lafayette and Napoleon. The east and west streets, beginning on the north are Erie, Chicago, Jefferson, Main, Mechanie (now Indiana avenue), Monroe and Water (now Lincoln avenue). Several additions Vol. 1~13
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NORTH WASHINGTON STREET, 1912
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have been made to the city since the original plat was filed in the re- eorder's office in 1836. The first of these were Haas' and Pierce's ad- ditions, plats of which were recorded in April, 1854. West Valparaiso was added about a month later. It is bounded on the east by the out- lots 18 and 19; on the north by Third street; on the south by First street and the Joliet road, being triangular in shape. East of the old town site of Portersville is Woodhull's addition, extending from the northern boundary of the old plat to Union street, and from the east line of the outlets to East street, containing thirty-six bloeks. The plat of this addition was recorded on April 5, 1856. South of Wood- hull's addition, is Smith's addition, which extends to the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago railroad, and ineludes the site of the Valparaiso University. It was laid out about three years after Woodhull's, the plat being recorded on July 18, 1859. On May 9, 1859, was filed the plat of North Valparaiso, including ten bloeks of fractional bloeks, ex- tending from the original survey northward to Elm street and from Calumet avenue on the west to Valparaiso street on the east. West of this lies Powell's addition, which was added to the city on July 28, 1860. It is bounded by the old survey on the south; Calumet avenue on the east; the south line of the fair grounds on the north, and Camp- bell street on the west. The Institute addition, three bloeks north of the Joliet road and west of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago railroad, was made to the city in March, 1864. West of Campbell street are Southwest Valparaiso, which was added in November, 1864, Chautauqua Park, Campbell's subdivision and Emmettsburg. An ad- dition of twenty-eight blocks was made to North Valparaiso in May, 1869. The Couneil addition, on the east, south and southwest sides of the city, was made in 1883. On the east side this addition ineludes Suman's, Church's, Pinney's, Bradley's and Banta's subdivisions and Brown's outlots, while on the south and southwest it is divided into large lots, suitable for factory sites, ete. With these various ad- ditions the city limits have been extended until the city of Valparaiso now embraces the east half and the northwest quarter of section 23, all
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of section 24, the north half of section 25, the northeast quarter and the east half of the northwest quarter of section 26, all in township 35. range 6, making a total area of two and a half square miles within ilk present corporate boundaries.
Hubert M. Skinner's History of Valparaiso, published in 1876, says on page 9; "Among the early immigrants of '34 was a Mr. J. P. Ballard, who erected the first building upon the site of our city. I.t. was in the valley by the stream which flows beneath the Morgan street bridge, that this first eabin rose, and in the grounds which are now attached to Judge Taleott's residence on Water street. The building was a rude log cabin, but its location rendered it a pleasant home, and the events which transpired beneath its humble roof have attached to it a historie interest."
It was in this eabin of Ballard's that the county commissioners of Porter county held their first session in April, 1836, and their second session was also held there the following month. Immediately after the commissioners appointed by the legislature to locate the county seat had rendered their decision in favor of Portersville, speculation in tow u lots commenced, those fronting upon the public square being in greatest demand. The first building in this part of the town was a rough board structure erected by Cyrus Spurlock-the first county recorder-on the southwest corner of Main and Washington streets, where the Academy Block now stands. A little later John Saylor erected a build- ing on the north side of Main street, just cast of the alley and fronting the public square. On August 22, 1836, Cornelius Blachly bought the lot just across the alley from Saylor's and put up a building, and about the same time Dr. Seneca Ball erected a small store building on Main street at the northeast corner of the public square .- 'Opposite Ball's and a little farther east was the store of Jeremiah Hamell, which was also established in the summer of 1836. William Eaton purchased the second lot west of Franklin street and fronting south on Monroe where he erected a one-story frame building of two rooms. A small building was erected on the northeast corner of Main and Washing! ">
.
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streets and first used for a chair-making shop. Subsequently it was transferred to Robert Stotts, who used it as a carpenter shop, and who was one of the first, if not the first, regular carpenters in the town. East of the publie square, on the south side of Main street, William Walker began the erection of a large building, intended for a hotel, but before it was completed he sold the place to Solomon Cheney and John Herr, who finished it and opened a tavern. Later in the year Abraham Hall built the Valparaiso House at the southeast corner of Main and Franklin streets. Some authorities say this hotel was known as the American Eagle House, and that it was not opened until in 1839, but from the best evidence obtainable it was built in 1836.
A postoffice was established at Portersville early in the town's history and Benjamin MeCarty was appointed the first postmaster. He held to office until 1839, when some dissatisfaction arose because he was not a resident of the village and T. A. E. Campbell was appointed in his place. In 1837 the court-house was built on the west side of Wash- ington street, opposite the publie square, and the postoffice was kept for some time in one of the rooms on the first floor. Later it was removed to the house of G. W. Salisbury on the south side of the square, Mr. Salisbury being postmaster during the administrations of Harrison and Tyler. Among others who served as postmaster at different times may be mentioned Joseph Lomax, John Dunning, S. R. Bryant, M. A. Salis- bury, J. F. McCarthy, Col. I. C. B. Suman and Melvin J. Stinchfield, the present incumbent. From the. small beginning three-quarters of a century ago the Valparaiso postoffice has grown to an office of the second class, with annual receipts of more than $32,000. In 1903 the office was located in Col. George S. Haste's building on Franklin street, where it has sinee remained. Thirteen men are employed in handling the city mail, and there are eight rural routes from Val- paraiso which supply daily mail to a large part of the county. For the fiscal year ending on June 30, 1912, the office issued money orders amounting to $85,033.14,and during the same period paid money orders amounting to $146,607.17.
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In the winter of 1837 a party of marines and sailors from the South Pacific ocean stopped one night at Hall's tavern, where they were vis- ited by a number of the citizens of the town. True. to the sailor's in- stinet, these men loved "to spin a yarn," and until a late hour they re- galed the townsmen with tales of the old Chilean seaport of Valparaiso and other South Pacific ports. Finally one of them suggested that as the county was named in honor of Commodore David Porter, whose famous battle while in command of the Essex was fought near the port of Valparaiso, Chile, it would be appropriate to name the county scat after that town. The suggestion was accepted and the name changed accordingly. The word Valparaiso is of . Spanish origin, signifying "Vale of Paradise." In one sense it is a misnomer as applied to the county seat of Porter county, for the city lacks a long way of being located in a "vale." Instead it stands upon the crest of the moraine that divides the basin of the Great Lakes from the valley of the Kanka- kee. However, the name is appropriate in other respects, the neat homes surrounded by well kept lawns, the broad, shady streets, the general air of cleanliness and prosperity, all combine to give the visitor a glimpse of "Paradisc." Hubert M. Skinner, who was born in Porter county, pays a tribute to the name and city in verse, as follows :
VALPARAISO
Of right thou bearest thy sweet Spanish name,
O Vale of Paradise in trees embowered !
With Eden's wealth of grace and beauty dowercd,
Thou enviest not the Chilean city's fame.
Whether enwreathed in Autumn's tints, which flame Apocalyptic splendors, or o'erflowered In vernal bloom-proportioned, spired and towered In matchless beauty-thon art still the same. In waving lines extended, where the land Rolls in long billows, trough and crest asleep,
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Thou'st made thy home. Abide forever there ! For all that know thee love thec. Ne'er a band Of Romans breathed a patriot love more deep Than thon'st inspired, or a more fervent prayer.
In 1839 three brothers, George C., Andrew J. and H. M. Buel started a blacksmith and wagon shop on Washington street, a short distance south of where the Academy Block now stands. This was the first es- tablishment of the kind in Valparaiso, but it was soon followed by an- other, which was located ou Main street, and conducted by Jacob Brewer & Bros. The first briekyard was started by John Saylor, near the north- east corner of the old town of Portersville, ou outlot No. 1. Among the first lawyers were J. S. Masters, Harlowe S. Orton, Samuel I. Anthony and George W. Turner. Dr. Seneca Ball was probably the first phy- sician, though Dr. Miller Blachly, was one of the pioneers of, the town. Dr. Salisbury, Dr. Robbins and Dr. Kersey were also early settlers. In 1845 Elizabeth Harrison eame from Tennessee and built a hotel on West Main street, on the site later occupied by the Central House. Four years later the building was enlarged, and in 1855 A. R. Gould, formerly proprietor of the American Eagle House, became the landlord. He continued to conduet the hotel as the Gonld House until his death, after which the business was continued by his widow until the building was torn down in 1880. The following year the Central House (now the Hotel Spindler) was erected upon the same site at the southeast corner of Main and Lafayette streets, one square west of the court-house.
In 1850 the United States census showed a population of 520 in the town of Valparaiso, and an agitation was started in favor of incorpora- tion. Accordingly, a special act of the state legislature was approved by the governor on February 13, 1851, authorizing the incorporation of Valparaiso. Seetion 1 of that aet provided "That the president and trustees under the provisions of this act, shall be, and the same are hereby declared to be a body politie and corporate, by the name and style of 'the President and Trustees of the Town of Valparaiso;' and by that
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name and style shall be able and capable in law and equity, to sue and to. ยท be sued, plead and be impleaded, answer and be answered unto, defend and be defended, in any court of competent jurisdiction; to make, ne6. and have a common scal, and the same to break, alter and renew at pleasure, to ordain, establish, and put in execution, such by-laws and rules as they shall deem proper and necessary for the good government of said town, subject to the restrictions and limitations hereafter pro vided, and not inconsistent with the laws and constitution of this State."
Section 2 provided for the election of one president and five trustees, one marshal and one lister, on the first Monday in March, 1851, and an- nually thereafter. O. Dunham and Samuel S. Skinner were named as inspectors of the first election. The president and trustees were la constitute the common council; the marshal was to collect the taxes levied by the council, and to "obey all orders of the common council. and perform all other duties that may, from time to time, by ordinance or otherwise, be enjoined upon him by the common council." It was made the duty of the lister, "during the months of April and May of cach year, to make a fair list, in alphabetical order, of all persons sub- ject to a poll tax, and such personal property as the corporation may di- rect him to list; also all lots and fractions of lots, particularly noting the number, the owner's name, if known, and whether resident or non- resident," etc.
As this act formed the basis of the first municipal government of Valparaiso, it is interesting to note some of the powers conferred upon the town council by its provisions. After providing for the passage of ordinances for raising revenue and to guard against losses by fire through the organization of fire companies, the council was given power to restrain and prohibit all descriptions of gaming and fraudulent de vices ; to prohibit the sale of spirituous liquors in less quantities than one quart, "to be drunk in the store, shop, grocery, house, out-house, garden or yard, owned or occupied by the person selling the same, unless licensed to do so;" to regulate or prohibit the exhibitions of common showmet
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to prevent and punish any riot, noise, disturbance or disorderly as- semblages; to repress and restrain disorderly houses; to compel the owner or occupant of any grocery, cellar, tallow chandler's shop, soap fac- tory, tannery, stable, barn, or otherwise unwholesome or nauseous house or place, to eleanse, remove or abate the same from time to time, as often as may be necessary for the health, comfort and convenience of the inhabitants of the town; to restrain, regulate, or prohibit the running at large of horses, cattle, mules, hogs, sheep, goats and geese, and to prevent the running at large of dogs; to prohibit the rolling of hoops, playing at ball, flying kites, firing squibs, crackers, rockets or torpedoes, or any other amusement or practice having a tendeney to annoy persons passing the streets of said town, or to frighten teams and horses within the same;" to compel the owner or occupant of any lot or lanlding to keep snow, ice or dirt from the sidewalk in front of the premises; to prevent the ringing of bells, blowing of horns and bugles, and erying off of goods or other things within the town limits; to determine the manner and place of selling hay, wood and certain other commodities, to regulate publie pumps, cisterns and reservoirs, and to prevent the unnecessary waste of water, and to regulate the burial of the dead.
The town government, administered by the president and board of five trustees, continued in force until the incorporation of Valparaiso as a city in 1865. As provided in the aet of incorporation, councilmen were elected annually. As no town hall had been erected, most of the meetings of the council were held in the county recorder's office. Dur- ing the fourteen years that this form of municipal government was in existence, no business of great importance was transacted, no large undertakings involving any considerable expenditure of the town's funds were inaugurated. Consequently, when the old council went ont, it turned over to the new city government a municipality free from debt.
At the time Valparaiso was incorporated as a towr in 1851, the transportation facilities were wofully deficient. Mail routes had been established from Laporte to Joliet and from Michigan City to Peoria in 1837, but it was not until July, 1853, that a stage route was es-
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tablislied between Laporte and Valparaiso. The stages left Laporte at five o'clock in the morning and arrived at Valparaiso about ten. Re- turning they left Valparaiso at one o'clock in the afternoon and arrived at Laporte about 6:30 in the evening. At Westville the stages con- nected with the "ears running between Michigan City and Lafayette " The fare from Valparaiso to Laporte was one dollar, and to Westville, fifty cents. Samuel Burns was the proprietor of the stage line.
In June, 1854, James C. Maxwell, proprietor of the Tremont House in Valparaiso, advertised that "An omnibus runs daily from here to conneet with the ears on the Michigan Central and the Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana railroads." This omnibus ran from Valparaiso to Calumet, (now Chesterton), but the fare charged eannot be learned. About the same time Molbay Carr began running a stage line from Valparaiso to Calumet, leaving Valparaiso at two o'clock in the af- ternoon and returning the same evening The fare on this line was sev enty-five eents and the stages ran daily except Sunday. Joh D. Bonnell announeed in Mareh, 1855, that "having a contract for carrying the mail from Crown Point and baek, I will run a two-horse carriage for the ae- comodation of passengers." Bonnell's mail hacks left Crown Point at six o'eloek in the morning on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, arrived at Valparaiso in time to make connection with Laporte and Caluniet stages, and returned the same day. The completion of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago railroad in 1858 put these stage lines out of business and gave the town an impetus that led to its ineor- poration as a eity in 1865.
That year was an eventful one for Valparaiso. It marked the elose of the great Civil war and the return of the "Boys in Blue," who for four long years had upheld the nation in its struggle to prevent a dis- ruption of the Union. Closely following General Lee's surrender to the victorious armies of Grant at Appomattox, Virginia, April 9, 1865, came the news that President Lincoln had been stricken down by the cowardly hand of an assassin. A meeting was immediately called at the court- house, at which Dr. J. H. Letherman presided and Dr. J. F. Heaton
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acted as secretary. Resolutions expressing sorrow for the tragie and untimely death of the president were adopted, and a committee ap- pointed to "investigate charges against certain persons for expressions of approval of the assassination of the president." At an adjourned meeting this committee presented the following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted :
"Resolved, That Humphrey Palmer and A. P. Foster be requested to leave Valparaiso for a more congenial place.
"Resolved, That we deprecate any act of personal violence against these men, or their property, and that we urge all good citizens to use the extent of their influence to prevent any breach of peace."
Palmer, who was a elerk in the employ of F. W. Hunt, left the town ahnost immediately after the adoption of the resolution and returned to his home in the East, where he died a year or so later. Mr. Foster re- mained in Valparaiso, ontlived the charges and the ostracism shown by some of his neighbors, and died a few years ago a respected eitizen. It is said that the man who first made the charges against Mr. Pahner ad- mitted a short time before his death that the whole story was a fabrica- tion on his part, invented under the excitement of the times, merely to bring himself into notice. Feeling ran high in those days, and one could not be too guarded with his tongue. A farmer named Woodruff, living a short distance east of Valparaiso, was arrested for treasonable ntter- anees and taken to Laporte, but the judge, after hearing the charge, dis- missed him with the admonition to be careful in the future.
According to the United States census of 1860, the population of Valparaiso at that time was 1,690. Five years later, with the natural increase in population and the return of the soldiers from the war, the population was estimated at more than 2,000. Although the legislature of that year passed the general law providing for the incorporation of cities early in the session and adjourned in March, the excitement at. tendant npon the close of the war and the assassination of the president. was so great that no steps were taken to incorporate Valparaiso until late in the year. In November the city was divided into three wards and
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an election for city officers ordered for Monday, November 27th. All that part of the municipality lying cast of Franklin street constituted the First ward; that portion between Franklin and Lafayette streets constituted the Second ward, and the Third ward embraced all that por- tion of the eity lying west of Lafayette street. At the election Thomas J. Merrifield was chosen mayor; John B. Marshall, elerk; James B. Hawkins, treasurer; Isaae Bowman, assessor; A. H. Goodwin, marshal, and J. M. Felton, engineer. Dr. George Porter and T. A. Hogan were eleeted eouneilmen for the First ward; J. C. Pierce and Obadiah Dun- ham, for the Second, and A. W. Kellogg and A. II. Somers, for the Third.
The first meeting of the council was held on December 2, 1865, and four other meetings were held before the close of the year. The first ordinanees were promulgated on December 4th. The first ordinance was intended for the promotion of publie morality by providing heavy . penalties for profane swearing, notorious lewdness, the use of vulgar language, vagraney, gambling, ete. Ordinance No. 2 gave special police powers to every city official. Other ordinances related to the perfection of the city organization, the raising of revenues, the improvement of the streets, ete. The term of the first officers expired in May, 1866, when the first regular eity election was held. Mr. Merrifield was reelected mayor and served until 1868, when he was succeeded by Thomas G. Lytle, who served until May, 1872. He was succeeded by John N. Skinner, who held the office continnonsly until his death in the spring of 1882. Thomas .G. Lytle then again was mayor until 1886, when A. D. Bartholomew was elected. He held the office until 1888, when Mr. Lytle was again chosen as the chief executive of the city and served four years. Frank P. Jones was elected in 1892 and was suceceded by Col. I. C. B. Suman in 1894. In 1898 A. E. Woodhull was elected mayor and held the office for four years, W. F. Spooner succeeding him in 1902. In 1906 W. H. Williams sneceeded Mr. Spooner and served until 1910, when Mr. Spooner was again elected. This term expires in January, 1914.
Although liquors have always been sold in Valparaiso, there is a
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strong temperance sentiment in the city. In the winter of 1873-74 occurred the "Crusade," in which the Christian women visited the saloons and by singing and prayer endeavored to discourage the sale of intoxicants. In Valparaiso the movement reached such proportions as to attract the attention of the press throughont the country. There were then eight saloons in the city. Complaint was made to Mayor Skinner, who, on February 23, 1874, issued the following proclamation :
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