USA > Indiana > Porter County > History of Porter County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests > Part 6
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"Buirdly chiels and clever hizzies Are bred in sie a way as this is."
Morgan and Waverly townships remained under the jurisdiction of Laporte county until the legislative session of 1836. On January 28, 1836, Governor Noble approved an act "to organize the county of Porter, and for other purposes." The full text of that act is as follows:
"See. 1. Be it cnacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indi- ana, That from and after the first day of February next, all that tract of country included in the following boundary lines, shall form and con- stitute the county of Porter, to wit: commeneing at the northwest corner of Laporte county, thence running south to the Kankakee river, thenee west with the bed of said river, to the centre of range seven, thence north to the state line, thence east to the place of beginning. And all that part of the country that lies north of the Kankakee river, and west of the county of Porter, within the State of Indiana, shall form and constitute a new county, to be known and designated by the name of Lake county.
"Sec. 2. That the county of Porter shall, from and after the first day of February next, enjoy and possess all the rights, privileges, benefits and jurisdictions, which to separate or independent counties do or may properly belong.
"See. 3. That Joel Long, of Kosciusko; Andrew Wilson, of Fountain county; Matthias Dawson and Judah Leaming, of Laporte county; and William L. Earl, of St. Joseph county, be, and they are hereby ap- pointed commissioners agrecably to the act entitled 'an act fixing the
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HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY
seats of justice in all new counties hereafter to be laid off.' The commis- sioners aforesaid shall meet on the first Monday in June next, or any day thereafter they may agree upon, at the house of Thomas Butler, in the said county of Porter, and shall proceed immediately to perform the duties required of them by law; and it shall be the duty of the sheriff of the county of St. Joseph to notify said commissioners, either in person or by writing, of their appointment, and for such service, said sheriff shall receive such compensation as the board doing county business of Porter county, shall deem reasonable.
"Sec. 4. The circuit court and board of county commissioners, shall hold their sessions as near the centre of the county of Porter as a conven- ient place can be had until the public buildings shall be erected. T
"Sec. 5. The county of Porter shall be attached to the eighth judicial circuit of the state for judicial purposes.
"Sec. 6 .. The board doing county business, may as soon as elected and qualified, hold special sessions, not exceeding three during the first year after the organization of said county, and shall make all necessary appointments, and do and perform other business, which may or might have been necessary to be performed at any regular session, and take all necessary steps to collect the state and county revenue, any law or usage to the contrary notwithstanding.
"Sec. 7. This act to be in force from and after its passage."
The name of Porter was conferred on the new county in honor of Commodore David Porter, of the United States navy, who commanded the frigate "Essex" during the War of 1812 with Great Britain. Pur- suant to authority vested in him by an act of the legislature, Governor Noble appointed Benjamin Saylor sheriff, with power to organize the county by calling an election for judges of the probate court, county com- missioners, recorder and clerk, and to perform such other duties as might be necessary to perfect the organization of the county. An election was accordingly held on February 23, 1836, at which Jesse Johnston was elected probate judge; Seneca Ball and James Blair, associate judges ; Cyrus Spurlock, recorder; George W. Turner, clerk; Benjamin N.
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Spencer, Noah Fowts and John Sefford (some authorities give this name as Seffon), commissioners.
On April 12, 1836, the first session of the board of commissioners was convened at the house of C. A. Ballard, in Portersville (now Valparaiso), with all the commissioners present, George W. Turner aeting as clerk, and Benjamin Saylor as sheriff. One of the first acts of the board was to establish ten civil townships, which the records show was done as follows :
"Ordered by the Board, That for the purpose of eleeting township officers for the county of Porter, the following district of said county shall form and constitute a township to be known by the name of Lake. Commeneing at the northeast corner of Porter county, thenee south with said county line to the line dividing Townships 36 and 37, thence west on said line to the southeast corner of Section 31, Township 37 north, Range 5 west, thence north to the state line, thence east to the place of beginning.
"That the following territory shall constitute a township to be known by the name of Jackson : Commencing at the northeast corner of Section 1, Township 36 north, Range 5 west, thence running south with the county line to the southeast corner of Section 36, Township 36 north, Range 5 west, thence west to the southwest corner of Seetion 32, Town- ship 36, Range 5, thence north to the southwest corner of Lake township, thence east to the place of beginning.
"That the following territory shall constitute a township to be known as Washington : Commencing at the northeast corner of Section 1, Town- ship 35, Range 5, thence south with said county line to the southeast corner of Section 36 in said town, thenee west to the southwest corner of Section 32, Township 35, Range 5, thence north to the southwest corner of Jackson township, thence east to the place of beginning.
"That the following territory shall constitute a township to be known by the name of Pleasant: Commencing at the southeast corner of Porter county, thence north to the northeast corner of Section 1, Township 34, Range 5, thence west with the southern boundary of
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HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY
Washington township to the southwest corner of the same, thence south to the Kankakee river, thence east with the same to the place of be- ginning.
"That the following territory shall constitute a township to be known as Boone: Commencing at the southwest corner of Pleasant township, thence north with the western boundary of Pleasant township to the northwest corner of the same, thence west with the line dividing town- ships 34 and 35 to the county line, thence south to the southwest corner of Porter county, thence cast with the Kankakee river to the place of beginning.
"That the following territory shall constitute a township to be known as Centre: Commencing at the southwest corner of Washington . township, thence north to the southwest corner of Jackson township, thence west to the northwest corner of Section 4, Township 35, Range 6, thence south to the southwest corner of Section 33, Township 35, Range 6, thence east to the place of beginning.
"That the following territory shall constitute a township to be known as Liberty: Commencing at the northwest corner of Washington town- ship, thence north to the southwest corner of Lake township, thence west to the northwest corner of Section 4, Township 36, Range 6, thence south to the southwest corner of Section 33, Township 36, Range 6, thence east to the place of beginning.
"That the following territory shall constitute a township to be known as Waverly: Commencing at the southwest corner of Lake township, thence west to the county line, thence north with said line to the north- west corner of the county, thence cast with the northern boundary line of the county to the northwest corner of Lake township, thence south to the place of beginning.
"That the following territory shall constitute a township to be known as Portage: Commencing at the northwest corner of Liberty township, thence west to the county line, thence south to the southwest corner of Section 34, Township 36, Range 7, thence east to the southwest corner of Liberty township, thence north to the place of beginning.
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"And that the following territory shall constitute a township to be known as Union: Commencing at the northwest corner of Centre township, thence west to the county line, thence south to the northwest corner of Boone township, thence east to the southwest corner of Centre township, thenee north to the place of beginning."
Several changes have occurred since then in townships and township boundaries. For an account of these changes the reader is directed to the chapters on "Township Histories."
The first session of the board of commissioners lasted for five days. On the second day an order was issued for an election to be held on April 30, 1836, for two justices of the peace in Washington township, and one justice in each of the other newly created townships. The order also designated voting places in the several townships as follows: Wash- ington township, at Isaac Morgan's house; Jackson township, at the residence of A. K. Paine; Lake township, at the house of Edward Har- per; Waverly, at some suitable point in the town of Waverly; Liberty township, at the dwelling of Danicl Y. Kesler; Center township, at C. A. Ballard's residence; Pleasant township, at the house of Henry Adams; Boone township, at Jesse Johnston's residence; Union township, at George W. Turner's place; Portage township, at the dwelling of Jacob Wolf, Sr.
George Cline was appointed assessor for all that part of the county " lying north of the line dividing townships 35 and 36; Peter Ritter for all that part lying south of that line, and John Adams for the attached territory on the west (now Lake county). An allowance for $2.50 per day was made to C. A. Ballard for the use of his house for the five days of the session.
The election for justices of the peace was held on April 30, pursuant to the order of the board, and at the May meeting of the commissioners the other township officers-constables, road supervisors, overseers of the poor and fence viewers-were appointed by the board for each town- · ship. It was further ordered that an additional justice of the peace be elected for Center township, and the county was divided into three
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HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY
districts for county commissioners. All that part of the county lying south of the line dividing townships 34 and 35 was declared to cou- stitute the first district. North of that line and extending to the line dividing townships 35 and 36 constituted the second district, and the third district included all that portion of the county north of the north line of township 36. George Cline and A. S. Campbell, justices of the peace, paid in three dollars, which they had collected as fines for theft and assault. This was the first revenue received by the county. The act- ing county treasurer reported that no funds had been paid to him and Benjamin Saylor was appointed county collector.
The commissioners appointed by the legislature to fix the location of the county seat met at the designated time, and on the 9th of June made the following report : "That they met, pursuant to agreement, on Tuesday, the 7th inst., at the house of Thomas Butler, and were duly sworn 'to discharge the duties of commissioners to locate the county seat of Porter county, Indiana; that they proceeded to view all the sites on . Tuesday and Wednesday following, and inquired upon what terms the same might be secured; that after duly inspecting the different sites and taking into consideration all the matters to which the law called their particular attention, your commissioners concluded that the south- west quarter of Section 24, Township 35 north, Range 6 west, was the most eligible site for said county seat. Your commissioners accordingly gave notice that they were ready to receive proposals, if any were to be made, of this or other parts for such county scat. The commissioners received from the proprietors of said town (Portersville) and others donations of each alternate lot-192 lots to be laid out at or near the center of said southwest quarter of Section 24, Township 35, Range 6, and a donation of forty acres of land-part of Section 20, Township 35, Range 6, and donations of money, for a more particular description of which you are referred to the bonds filed herewith. Your commissioners then proceded to the said southwest quarter of Section 24, and located the county seat upon said quarter section, and stuck a stake which is half-way between the northwest corner and the northeast corner of the
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HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY
public square, on the north side of said square, and which by a line run with a compass was found to be south 53 degrees east 29 chains and 10 links from the half-mile post on the west side of Section 24. The donations made for said point were upon condition that said site and publie square shall be located as they are above described, and for which bonds are filed in the name of different individuals with the commis- sioners of Porter county. And the county seat of Porter county, as hereby established by the undersigned locating commissioners, is on the site above described; and the stake, havng the bearings above, is on the north line of the public square, and the alternate lots are to be laid off by the donors on said site-the southwest quarter, of Section 24, Township 35 north, Range 6 west."
This report was signed by three of the commissioners-William L. Earl, Matthias Dawson and Judah Leaming-a majority of those named in the organie act as passed by the legislature, Joel Long and Andrew Wilson for some reason having failed to qualify and report for duty. The bonds referred to by the commisioners and filed with their report were given for the payment of the money it was agreed to donate to Porter county by the proprietors of the county, the money represented by the bonds to be used for the erection of public buildings. These bonds were ten in number, and were given by the following individuals for the amounts opposite their respective names :
No. 1. Benjamin McCarty, Enoch McCarty, John Walker William Walker, L. L. Hillis and John Saylor. .. $500
2. James Hutchins 50
3. George Cline 100
4. A. S. Campbell 75
5. Isaac Morgan 100
6. Charles G. Minick 25
7. Thomas Butler 100
8. G. Z. Salyer 100
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HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY
9. Isaac Morgan 50
10. Rnel Starr 100
Total
$1,200
With the location of the county scat, the last provision of the act organizing Porter county was complied with, and she took her place among the other eonnties of the State of Indiana as a separate and distinct political subdivision of that great commonwealth.
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Vol. 1-4
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CHAPTER IV
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS
COUNTY REVENUES-TREASURER'S FIRST REPORT-LAKE COUNTY CUT OFF -- NEED OF HIGHWAYS-OLD TRAILS USED FOR ROADS-TRADE WITHI MICH- IGAN CITY-FIRST ROADS ORDERED BY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS-STATE ROADS-THREE PER CENT FUND-MICHIGAN CITY PLANK ROAD-ITS BANK-VALPARAISO & LAPORTE PLANK ROAD-ACT OF 1877-MACADAM- IZED ROADS-FIRST SESSION OF THE CIRCUIT COURT-NO COURT HOUSE -- SUBSCRIPTION TO BUILD ONE-SECOND COURT HOUSE-THE PRESENT BUILDING"-JAIL-POOR FARM-THE COUNTY ASYLUM-DITCHES-DIF- FERENT SYSTEMS DESCRIBED-RAILROADS-TRUNK LINES-RESOLUTIONS OF 1857-ELECTRIC LINES-VALUE OF RAILROAD PROPERTY IN THE COUNTY. 5
As stated at the close of the preceding chapter, the organization of Porter county was completed with the selection of a location for the . county seat in June, 1836. But the mere act of the state legislature, the report of a special committee to locate a county seat, or the acts of a board of county commissioners are small factors in the actual establish- ment of a county upon a firm and permanent foundation. What the county needs first is an intelligent, industrious, law-abiding population, numerically strong enough to produce a revenue sufficient to make the necessary improvements and place the public institutions upon a secure footing. In the beginning the population of Porter county was sparse, only 260 votes being cast at the election in August, 1836. And most of
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HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY
these few citizens were in limited financial circumstances, unable to bear the burden of heavy taxation.
In November, 1836, the county treasurer, William Walker, made a report for the first three months of his ineumbeney, showing his receipts to have been during that period $26.361/4, of which there was then a bal- anee on hand of $6.483/4. This report was not very encouraging, but the men who settled Porter county were men of courage and energy-men who were not easily dismayed-and despite the financial conditions they · moved steadily forward in their efforts to build up a community in this then frontier region that should be a source of pride to their posterity. How well they succeeded the present conditions in the county bear tes- timony. When the county was organized in 1836, all the territory be- tween the western boundary and the Illinois state line was attached to Porter, and the people in this region were placed upon the tax rolls. This territory was ereeted into a separate county by the act of the legis- lature, approved January 18, 1837, the principal provision of which was as follows :
"See. 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of In- diana, That all that traet of country defined, bounded and designated the county of Lake, agreeably to an aet to organize Porter county, and for other purposes, approved January 28, 1836, from and after the fifteenth day of February, 1837, shall be entitled to all the privileges, powers and jurisdictions which belong to other separate and independent counties of the state of Indiana; and that John Sailor, of Porter county, John B. Niles, of Laporte county, Israel Rush, of St. Joseph county, John Newell, of Elkhart county, and William Allen, of Laporte county, be, and they are hereby, appointed commissioners to locate and establish a seat of jus- tiee in said county, who shall meet for that purpose as hereinafter pro- vided."
By this aet Porter county lost the taxes from the territory now in- eluded in Lake county, but at the same time was relieved from the ex- pense of making improvements therein, so that the gain was equal to, if not greater than the loss. For some time the principal sources of rev-
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HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY
enue were the $1,200 represented by the county seat bonds, and the pro- ceeds arising from the sale of the alternate lots donated by the propri- etors of the county seat. These lots were sold by an agent of the county, and in a majority of cases were sold on time, interest bearing notes being taken in payment, hence the proceeds were not always immediately avail- able. Notwithstanding this precarious condition of the county funds certain improvements were almost absolutely necessary. One of the greatest of these needs was the opening and construction of highways. At the time the organic act was passed the only authorized road in the county was the government road from Detroit to Fort Dearborn. This road, which was opened in 1831, has been described as a""wild, rude pathway, fatiguing in its roughness, abounding in dangers, and often uncertain in its course. Yet over this line the government opened a mail line, the mail being carried in knapsaeks on the backs of soldiers, · and established a stage line through contractors. The road ran through : 'what are now Jackson, Westchester and Portage townships, and there- fore was of no practical benefit to the inhabitants in the central and southern parts of the county. Aside from this road the pioneers de- pended chiefly upon the old Indian trails for their thoroughfares.
Before the establishment of highways the people depended to a large extent upon the water-courses and the Great Lakes as avenues of travel and commerce. Michigan City was the nearest lake port of importance to Porter county, and it was to that port that the settlers went for their supplies or to market their surplus produce. The roads leading to this port were inferior, and at some seasons were almost impassable. The streams were crossed upon pole or log bridges of the most primitive character. The longest of these bridges was over the Calumet river. It was sixty-four feet in length and was divided into. three spans, two cribs having been built in the stream to support the ends of "stringers."
To remedy this state of affairs and afford better facilities for travel, the county commissioners at the June term in 1836, took the preliminary steps for the establishment of a number of highways. The first petition presented to the board at this session was for a county road "to extend
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HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY
from Portersville by the best and nearest route to the new erossway be- tween Andrew Taylor's and James Blair's, thenee to the county line, in- terseeting a road leading via Catheart's Grove to Laporte." In re- sponse to the petition the board appointed Wilson Malone, Morris With- am and James W. Turner viewers. At the same time Peter Ritter, Samuel Olinger and William Thomas were appointed to view a proposed road from the northeast corner of seetion 24, township 36 north, range 5 west, to the west line of the county via Casteel's mill on Coffee creek and Gosset's mill on Salt creek. In July the board appointed. Joseph Willey, Samuel G. Jackson and Jesse Johnston to view a country road from the north line of the southwest quarter of seetion 30, township 35, range 5, to Sherwood's ferry on the Kankakee river. Several new roads were projected at the September term of the commissioners court, though not all of them were built. Isaae Morgan, Reason Bell and An- drew Taylor were appointed viewers for a road from Portersville (Val- paraiso) to the county line near the mouth of Taylor's run. This be- came known as the Joliet road. Another road ran from the northeast corner of seetion 22, township 33, range 7, to Portersville-Henry Rinker, Isaae Morgan and John Shinabarger, viewers. Other roads ordered at this session were those running from Portersville to Thomas Snow's store; from Portersville to Elijah Casteel's mill; from Porters- ville to Athens, near Gosset's mill; from the new bridge on the Calumet · river at the mouth of Salt creek to Deep river, and from Portersville to the county line in the direction of Michigan City. The last named was intended to form a link in a road from Michigan City west to the state line. Seetion 9 of an aet relating to state roads, approved on February 6, 1837, provided :
"That Daniel M. Leaming, of Laporte county, William Frakes, of Porter county, and William Hatton, of Lake county, he, and they are 'hereby, appointed commissioners to view, mark and locate a state road from the town of Laporte, in Laporte county, on the nearest and best route to the town of Portersville (Valparaiso), in Porter county, thenee west by. the way of the seat of justice of Lake county to the Illinois state
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HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY
line, in the direction of Joliet, in the state of Illinois; Provided, however, That if the seat of justice in the said county of Lake shall not be located at the time of the location of the said state road, the commissioners aforesaid will proceed to locate said road on the nearest and best route from the town of Portersville west to the state line, in the direction of Joliet, in the said state of Illinois."
Some time prior to the organization of Porter county, the state estab- lished what was known as the "three per cent. fund, to be disbursed by an agent of the state in making internal improvements, etc. The office of state agent was abolished in 1835, and the fund placed under the charge of the state treasurer. By the act of February 6, 1837, "for the cqual distribution of the three per cent. fund," it was provided "That the sum of two thousand dollars is hereby appropriated out of the three per cent. fund to each of the organized and unorganized counties in this state as may accrue, for the purposes of improvement of such state roads or parts thereof, or to the construction or repairing of bridges in said county as the said board may order and direct, unless otherwise provided by law." 4
The addition of $2,000 thus made to the local revenues proved to be a great benefit to the people of Porter county, and it stimulated the build- ing of state roads. Pursuant to acts passed by the legislature of 1839, Philander A. Paine and William C. Talcott were appointed commis- sioners to locate a state road commencing at a point on the Valparaiso and Sherwood ferry road and running north on the line between sec- tions 19 and 20, township 35, range 5, to City West; A. S. Campbell and William C. Talcott were appointed to lay out a state road from Valpa- raiso west to intersect a certain state road at or near Preston Blake's; William C. Talcott was selected and authorized to lay out a state road from Valparaiso to City West via Thomas' mill, and Henry Rinker and William K. Talbot were appointed viewers for a state road beginning in Laporte county and running to City West, thence to Long lake to in- terseet a state road near the head of the lake. Encouraged by the assis- tance of the state, through the distribution of the three per cent. fund,
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