USA > Indiana > Porter County > History of Porter County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests > Part 23
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Bumstead's last county directory gives the names of twenty-three ยท lawyers who reside in the county, eighteen of them being located in Val- paraiso. They are E. W. Agar, A. D. and J. S. Bartholomew, N. J. and William Bozarth, Grant Crumpacker, William Daly, William II. Dov dell, Thomas H. Heard, Daniel E. Kelly, II. H. Loring, E. O. Main, E. O
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Osborne, F. B. Parks, William E. Pinney, Mark B. Rockwell, Benjamin C. Stockman, and H. J. Schenek.
The three lawyer's of Chesterton were George F. Batteiger, C. W. Jensen and G. R. Williams, and in Hebron are George C. Gregg and D. B. Fiekle. Although the name of Edgar D. Crumpacker does not ap- pear on the list of lawyers as given in the directory- probably for the reason that he lives most of the time in Washington, D. C., as the repre- sentative of the Tenth Congressional district-he still claims his perman- nent residence in the city of Valparaiso.
One of the lawyers who practiced in northern Indiana prior to the Civil war was Daniel D. Pratt, of Logansport, who was at one time United States senator from Indiana. A short time before his death he told Rev. Robert Beer the following story of a visit he made to Valpar- aiso on one oceasion. The story is repeated here because it shows some- thing of the conditions that existed in the town at the time the incident oeeurred. Mr. Pratt was the secretary of the Republican national con- vention which nominated Mr. Lincoln for the presideney at Chicago in 1860. At the elose of the convention he eame to Valparaiso, where he was one of the counsel in a case involving the Indian title to a certain traet of land. He stopped at the old Gould House on West Main street, and being rather tired retired at a comparatively early hour. Directly opposite the hotel was a groeery, along the side of which were piled a number of barrels of salt. The salt attraeted a herd of eows, several of which wore bells, and the noise they made prevented Mr. Pratt from going to sleep. Time passed by until all was still in the little city ex- eept the nerve-racking noise of those bells. Unable to sleep, the distin- gnished lawyer raised his window and tried to seare the cows away. His efforts in this direction were futile, but he was determined to get rid of the pest at all hazards. Quietly descending the stairs, dressed only in his night clothes, he let himself out at the front door, seized a board and charged upon the enemy. The cows fled in all directions, but the jangle of the bells aroused a number of dogs and their barking added to the din. Seeing what he had done, and not wanting to be discovered as the author
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of the mi chief, M -. Pratt hurried pack to his bed room. In a short time he was asleep, bo: withstanding the cows were soon back at the pile of salt barrels and making as much noise as before. In telling the story. Mr. Pratt did not neglect to mention that he won his case.
In the pron, sons of art. hterature and journalism, some of Porter county's sons and daughters have made their mark. Robert T. Pain .. who acquired a wide reputation as a sculptor, was born in Jackson township, a son of Joel Paine. As a boy he was fond of modeling in elay, and made several small statues before he ever received any instruetico in the art of sculpture. He ultimately became a protege of Augustins St. Gaudens. The instruction h . thus receive I, with his ambition at! indomitable industry quickly o Hled him to take his place ammy America's leading culptors. Il. Imilt a fine Grecian home on the Palisades, overlooking the Hne on river, and also established there uis studio. Ilis made piece. "Neptun and His Mermaids," was destroyed by him while crazed with grief over his wife's suicide in the spring of 1906.
Of those who have won distinction in literature and journalism, the name of Gilbert A. Pierce is probably the best known. He was born in Cattaraugus county, New York, in 1834. At the age of twenty years he came to Porter county with his parents, who settled at Tassinong, where his father was postmaster for over twenty-five years. He studied law in the old University of Chicago and at the breaking ont of the Civil war enlisted in Company H, Ninth Indiana infantry. After be- ing successively promoted to lieutenant, captain and assistant quarter- master, he was made colonel of cavalry and inspector of the quarter- master's department In October, 1865, he retired from the army and commeneed the practice of law in Valparaiso, but was soon elected to the lower house of th Indiana legislature. For two years he was financial elerk of the United States senate. But his mind ran in a literary dirce- tion and he became an editorial water on the Chicago Inter-Occan, where he remained for nearly twelve years. Later he was connected with the Morning Nors in an editorio pacity. 5 1884 he was appoint: u
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territorial governor of Dakota, and in 1889 was elected one of the United States senators from North Dakota. Upon retiring from the senate in 1891, he purchased an interest in the Minneapolis Tribune. In 1893 he was appointed minister to Portugal, but after a short sojourn in that country failing health compelled him to resign and return to America. With his two sons he organized the Pierce Publishing Company in Chi- cago and issued a magazine entitled What to Eat. Mr. Pierce wrote several novels, most of them stories of western life, and his Dictionary of Diekens Characters has found favor in both England and the United States. He died at the Lexington Hotel, Chicago, February 15, 1901.
Hubert M. Skinner, a member of the well known Porter county fam- ily of that name, wrote a History of Valparaiso in 1876. It is a small work, but shows much careful research and investigation. Mr. Skinner is also the author of a number of poems, one of which, "The Old Sac Trail," appears elsewhere in this work. His most pretentious work, how- ever, is doubtless his "Story of the Britons," which was published in 1903. It tells the story of the ancient Britons through the fifteen cen- turies preceding the Saxon conquest, and is admirably adapted for sup- plementary reading in the public schools.
Mrs. Idael Makeever, a daughter of George W. Childer -. of Kouts, wrote a number of poems, ineluding verses in the Hoosier dialect, son- nets, lyrics and reminiscent poems. After her marriage and removal to Stormsburg, Nebraska, she published two volumes of vertes entitled "Goldenrod" and "Prairie Flowers." The following lines are from her "Day Dreams:"
"Time brings the treasures of youth's bright day And hangs them before me in gorgeous array; He chases the shadows, dispelling the haze That lingered around them in earlier days; He's carefully burnished them one by one By processes not known under the sun ; Retaining the sunshine, rejecting the gloom,
Vol. I-17
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Touching them all with a faint perfume Sweet as tho' wafted from Aribee, Lying under the dreamland tree."
Rev. J. M. Kennedy, a Methodist minster who was once pastor of il church at Chesterton, is also the author of a book of poems of more than ordinary merit. Prof. A. Y. Moore, an instruetor in the old Valparais, Collegiate Institute, wrote the "Life of Schuyler Colfax." Miss Frances R. Howe, a granddaughter of Joseph Bailly, is the author of "A Visit to Bois d'Haine," a narrative of European travel, and "An Old French Homestead," a description and account of the settlement estab- lished by her grandfather in Porter county in 1822 . A. G. Hardest published an atlas of Porter county in 1876, in which is an interesting historical sketch of the county written by himself. A number of text books and monographs on educational, scientific and professional sub- jeets have been written by instructors in the educational institutions of the county, her lawyers and physicians. Among these "Putnam's Elo- cution," published by Worthy Putnam, who at one time was a teacher in the Valparaiso Male and Female College, is deserving of more than passing mention. It is a large work, treating the technical points in elo- eutionary training, and contains a large number of selections well adapted to voice culture and expression. Other works of this character that stand above the average are "The Normal Debater," by Oliver P. Kinsey ; "The Latin Sentence, " by J. W. Holcombe; and Dr. E. W. Fish's work on chemistry. Mrs. Lizzie Newell, once a resident of Valparaiso, but later of Fargo, North Dakota, wrote a book called the "Silent Couns lor," an ingenious compilation of passages from the Bible and poetry Mrs. E. W. Haverfield, M. D. was the author of a book entitled "En- lightened Woman," dealing with subjects of interest to her own sex
No history of the professional life of Porter county would be complete without some reference to William C. Talcott ,who might be calle 1 . Nestor of Porter county journalism. He was born in Berkshire counts. Massachusetts, December 25, 1815, and the following year removed with
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his parents to Lake county, Ohio, where he lived for ten years with his father and mother and then with other persons until about 1835, when he came to Laporte county, Indiana. Two years later he came to Porter county. At the age of fifteen years he began preparing for the Prosty- terian ministry ,but while studying he became dissatisfied with some of the doctrines of that faith and adopted the creed of Universalism. For some ten years he was one of the pioneer preachers of that denomination, but finally severed his connections with the church, accepting the Golden Rule as the basis of his religious belief. It has been said that Judge Tal- cott could preach a sermon, teach a school, edit a newspaper, practice and administer the law, or successfully conduct a farm. Ile served as justice of the peace, probate and common pleas judge , and was oner at candidate for the lower house of the state legislature, but was defeated because of his strong anti-slavery and temperance views. For many years he was connected with the publication of the Practical Observer and Valparaiso Vidette.
Porter county might be classed as a rural community, where fow opportunities exist for the development of high professional ability. There are no large cities within her borders ,no great scientifie institn- tions or laboratories, comparatively little litigation of a complex char- aeter requiring the skill or services of the attorney who has made a specialty of such cases, no great hospital where intricate surgical opera- tions may be performed. But the professional men of the county are fully up to the standard of those in similar communities. Her doctor; as a rule are students of their profession and keep well abreast of the times; her lawyers command the confidence of the public and the reywet of the courts; her educators have a reputation that is known far beyond her boundaries, and, all things considered, no professional man need feel ashamed to admit that his home is in Porter county.
CHAPTER XII
SOCIETIES AND FRATERNITIES
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY-IT'S REORGANIZATION-EARLY COUNTY FAIRS- - FAIR GROUNDS-NORTHWESTERN INDIANA FAIR CIRCUIT-ANTI HORSE THIEF ASSOCIATIONS-OLD SETTLER'S ASSOCIATIONS-MASONIC LODGES AND BODIES-ORDER OF THE EASTERN STAR-INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS-THE REBEKAHIS-KNIGIITS OF PYTHIAS-PYTHIAN SI - TERS-GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC-WOMEN'S RELIEF CORPS-SONS . OF VETERANS-BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ORDER OF ELKS-KNIGH! OF COLUMBUS-MODERN WOODMEN OF AMERICA-FORESTERS OF AMERIC : -KNIGHTS OF THE MACCABEES-FRATERNAL ORDER OF EAGLES-SPANISH- AMERICAN WAR VETERANS-KNIGHTS AND LADIES OF HONOR-CIVIC IM- PROVEMENT ASSOCIATION-MUNICIPAL STUDY ASSOCIATION-SOCIAL CLUBS-DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION-TIIE "THIRTEEN CLUB."
Man is a gregarious animal, and while that statement is not original, it is true, nevertheless. Created with the social instinct, as civilization advances and becomes more complex, the individual members of society realize more and more their dependence upon each other. To promote mutual interests, societies or associations are formed by persons engaged in the same line of business; unions are organized by workmen who fol- low the same trade or vocation; fraternal orders have been called into existence for social intereourse, to care for the sick or unfortunate among the members, bufry the dead, and provide for the widow and orphan through the mediuni of fraternal insurance.
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Probably the first society of an industrial character ever organized in Porter county was an agricultural society. On February 14, 1851, the governor of Indiana approved an act of the state legislature, section 1 of which reads as follows:
"Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana; That whenever thirty or more persons, residents of any county or district embracing two counties of this state, shall organize themselves into a so- ciety for the improvement of agriculture within said county or district, and shall have adopted a constitution and by-laws agrecably to the rules and regulations to be furnished by the Indiana State Board of Agricul- ture, and shall have appointed the usual and proper offfects, and when said society shall have raised and paid to their treasurer, by voluntary subscription, or by fees imposed upon its members, any sion of money not less than fifty dollars; and whenever the president of said society shall certify to the respective county auditors the amount thus paid, attested by the oath or affirmation of the treasurer before a magistrate, it shall be the duty of said county auditors embraced within the district. in which said society shall be organized, to draw an order on the treasurer of his respective county in favor of the president and treasurer of said society for whatever amount of funds there shall have been received during the previous years for all licenses issued to persons exhibiting menageries, cirenses, or theatrical performances, or other shows: Pro- vided, said order shall not exceed the amount raised and paid in by said society by voluntary subscriptions or fees, and it shall be the duty of the treasurer of said county to pay the same."
Under the provisions of this act a meeting was hell at the court- house in Valparaiso on June 14, 1851, for the purpose of organizing an agricultural society. Aaron Lytle presided, George W. Turner acted as secretary, and a committee, consisting of William C. Talcott, Aaron Lytle, H. E. Woodruff, W. W. Jones and David Hughart. aas appointed to draft a constitution and by-laws. At a subsequent mo ding a consti- tution was adopted, one feature of which was that any citizen of the county might become a member upon payment of one dollar. The organ-
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ization was completed by the election of the following board of director- William A. Barnes, Azirich Freeman, HT .E . Woodruff, W. C. Tale. o W. W. Jones and Valor. Evtle. Mr. Barnes was elected president of the board and Azariah Freeman was chosen treasurer. In November ili two officers filed the certificate required by law with the county andim showing that sixty-one dollars had been paid in as membership two, and the society received from the county the sum of twenty-five dollar the amount collected as license fees as provided in the act. Fairs were held annually by this society until 1862, when, the Civil war being at its height, it suspended operations.
After the war was over no attempt was made to revive the old agri- cultural society, and thus matters stood until the fall of 1871. On (- tober 4, 1871. a new " Porter County Agricultural Society " was organi .. by a meeting held at the county auditor's office, A. V. Bartholonen presiding and Reason Bell acting as secretary. S. S. Skinner, C. W. Diekover and Engelbert Zimmerman were appointed a committee to draft a constitution aud by -laws, and J. C. Barnes, Cyrus Axe and D. F. Jones were appointed to solicit funds to defray the expenses of holding # county fair on October 19th and 20th following. With only two weeks in which to make all necessary preparations, a fair was held on the days named and it was a success in all respects. From that time forward fairs were held annually and they were usually well attended. Under the auspices of the old society the fairs were held upon the court-house square until 1859. when a fair ground was seenred southwest of town, near the woolen factory. The records do not show that this traet was pur- chased by the society, but old settlers seem to think that a purchase w.s made and the deed not recorded. If such was the ease, it is probable that no cash payment was made, and when the society suspended in 1862 the grand reverted to the former owner.
After the society was reorganized in 1871, the question of obtaining suitable grounds for holding fairs. On July 13, 1872, the county com- missioners sofved the or lem by purchasing a tract of ground de seribed in the deed as follows: "Commencing three chains and forty-
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one and one half links east of the quarter ai ke on the south line of section 13, township 35, range 6, thence of maguetie course north twenty degrees and twelve minutes east 11 . dy-two and twenty-five hundredthe chains; thence north eight five degrees east nine and ninety hundredths chains; thence south tr degrees and twelve min- utes west twenty-two and twenty-five hure the chains; thence south eighty-five degrees west to the point of commencement; containing twenty acres, more or less."
A substantial tiglit-board fenee was built around the grounds, build- ings aud stalls for stock were erected, and it tar was held here in 1872. Subsequently about ten aeres were added to the fair grounds by pur- chase, giving the society a fine location, ; Soit distance north of the Grand Trunk railway and just east of 1. of 1911 was held September 5th to Sth. ening weather the attendance was not up. eiety found itself face to face with a defici o the county commissioners. The officers-(
mesterton road. The fair Do misive. Owing to threat- the standard, and the so- 1,000, which was paid by Poirer. president ; Abra- ham Lowenstine, secretary, and C. W. Bicienew, treasurer-all re- signed in June, 1912, after deciding not told amy fair that year, and the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce ing,. liately began making ar- rangements for a fair and home-coming in september.
On February 10, 1887, a meeting was Full in the county auditor's office at Valparaiso for the purpose of org izing a fair cireuit in the counties of Lake, Porter and Laporte. ... .. Brodie, of Porter county was elected chairman of the meeting, and ( C. Dorland, of Laporte county, was chosen secretary. Representa
of the three agricultural societies were present, and after some diversion the "Northwestern In- diana Fair Circuit" was organized with i Murry Turner and John E. Luther, of : and E. S. Beach, of Porter county; Willi o land, of Laporte county. William Banks Talboti was elected secretary and trea-
lowing board of directors : vomity : James S. Fulton Sants and George C. Dor- bosen president and W. I. Dates for holding fairs were fixed as follows: Porter county, Seppur 20th to 24th; Laporte
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county, September 27th to 30th; Lake county, October 4th to 7th. The fairs that year were well attended and in many respects better than ever before, due to the cooperation of the three counties, which created ; friendly rivalry among exhibitors. The records do not show when the Northwestern Fair Circuit ceased its operations as an organization.
Toward the close of the decade from 1840 to 1850, horse steal'ig became common occurrence in Porter and adjoining counties, and to proteet themselves the citizens formed associations for the capture of the thieves. The Morgan Prairie Anti Horse Thief Association was or- ganized and a constitution adopted on May 11, 1851. By this constitu- tion it was provided that the membership should not be "less than ten nor more than one hundred." A. W. Talbott, of Center township, was elected president; J. N. Thompson, of Morgan township. secretary, amm James Bundy, treasurer. Thirty-eight men enrolled their names and paid their dues as members of the association, which was in active exis- tence for about ten years, when the conditions became so much im- proved that there was no necessity for its further existence. After the war, horse thieves again made their appearance in the northern Indiana counties and in 1869 the board of county commissioners approved the articles of association of another Anti Horse Thief Society. Like its predecessor, after a few years it was discontinued.
In July, 1909, a horse was stolen from Dorsey Campbell by George French, who stopped at the house of a man named Jones in Pleasant township and asked permission to rest himself and the horse for awhile. Jones did not like the appearance of things and communicated with th sheriff by telephone. A deputy went to Jones' place and placed French under arrest. He died shortly afterward in the hospital at Valparaiso. Before his death he stated that it was his intention to return the horse, having borrowed it without the owner's knowledge or permission, and many people believe such was the ease. The incident, however, created considerable excitement among horse owners. and this excitement was in ereased when, on October 25, 1909, a horse and buggy were taken from the barn of Peter Hoosline and a horse from the barn of Charles Ohlfest,
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HISTORY OF PO]
west of Valy aiso The thieves were 1 1 L. ross the liae into Lake county and it is supposed they were Chago. A meeting was called at the court-house in Valpara afterhour of December 4, 1909, the call setting forth that " In st of the fact that horse steal- ing has become so freqrout of late, it . boise owners to use every available means to caplare the alvamitige of organi- zation must appeal to all."
The result of the meeting was th. Horse Thief Association, which is still jne s'ence. It started off with a membership of about 100, with a li county, whose duty it should be to nolo his township upon the i tier of a the f a short time the membership was ( the immediate danger w . past many , , to pay their dues, until the nembers still remains. The officeis in 1912 1 dent ; Gustaf E. Bornhol. secretary On May 26, 1881, a number of ok of George C. Buel, the occasion being birth, and some one suggested the for. tion. Accordingly Artillus V. Barth chairman and Firmin Church was el sion as to what constituted an old setil. . had reached the age of 'orty-five an : or more in Porter conrt. should be in the association. A committee : an old settlers' meeting in Septem! S. R. Bryant, Willi. m. Heury, A. 20 liam Stoddard. Stur in Spone Josephus Wolf, Nelson Barnard, Isao
ing rules and regulations for the . "1. We. the carly settlers of Poi
w djou of another Anti
intel township of the ho mble the members of" 'n the county. Within : 200 but as soon as Hunteres and neglected 1 .how 100, where it ( Alexander, presi- .100, treasurer.
at the residence wirth anniversary of his E an old settlers associa- was called upon to act as After some discus- derided that any one who th ! for prenty-five years Muith for membership pote arrangements for wird. It consisted of er Frame, Wil- Tohn Hansford, Sweeney and Haz- dopted the follow- sociation : "10 : 4d social meetings
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IHISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY
at such times and places as our executive committe . may designate. tu be called Old Settlers' Meetings.
"2. That our meetings may be conducted with order and propriety, we will annually elect a President, Secretary, Treasurer, and one Vice- President from each township, who shall perform the duties usually quired of such officers for a term of one year, or mail their success are elected.
"8. The President. Secretary and Treasurer shall be an Executive Committee, with power to make such rules and regi ions as they may deem necessary and proper, to call meetings and . ud to such bust- ness generally as will promote the objects of the assration.
"4. Our meetings, except when otherwise direco thy the executive committee, to be of the pienie order, each member : ing such ret . se ments as they may deen suitable for the occasion.
"5. All persons over forty-five years of age, and ho were reside is of Porter county twenty-five years or more previous o the 1st of July. 1881, and now citizens of the county, shall, by signing these rules, become members of the association during good behavior and, with their chil- dren, enjoy all its benefits.
"6. Our first general meeting shall be held on the public square at Valparaiso, the 17th day of September, 1881, at 10 o'clock, A. M., at which time our first board of officers shall be elected
Pursuant to the arrangements of the committee, a arge number of old settlers met on September 17th and passed the one until noon in relating reminiscences of early days. Dinner was the served upon the publie square to more than 500 people. At two o'el .In the afternoon Azariah Freeman called the meeting to order, prayer we offered by Rev. W. J. Forbes, and Mayor Skinner made a short add. pioneer men and women and extending to them the
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