USA > Indiana > St Joseph County > History of St. Joseph County, Indiana > Part 31
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Borageworts. - Hairy and hoary puccoon, smooth lungwort, stick-seed, beggar's lice and common hound's-tongue are com- mon; all other species rare. Comfrey belongs to this family. Smooth lungwort is often ealled "blue-bells." It is common in early spring about door-yards and along fences near dwellings. Common hound's-tongne flourishes along the roads; flowers a dull purple, appearing in early summer. Beggar's lice is a species of hound's-tongue.
Water-leaf Family .- Two or three species of water-leaf and Ellisia appear in cool, shady places. The latter resembles small tomatoes in leaf and fruit.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
Polemoniums or Phloxes .- Greek valerian, paniculate, hairy and divaricate phlox are frequent. The true wild sweet- William is very rare. Moss pink is more common in cultivation.
Convolvulus or Morning-glory Family .- The most common plant of this order growing spontaneously beyond the bounds of cul- tivation is hedge bindweed or Rutland beauty. Eight species of dodder ("love-vine ") may be found, all rare but one which appears like orange-colored thread growing on the tops of weeds. Wild potato-vine is occasionally found on woody hillsides.
Nightshade Family. - To this family belong Irish potatoes, tomatoes, egg-plant, bitter-sweet, matrimony vine, tobacco and Jerusalem cherry. The most common weeds of this family are jimson-weed, horse-nettle ("bull nettles "), common or black night- shade and two species of ground-cherry. The white-flowered jimn- son-weed (Datura Stramonium) is called common Stramonium or thornapple by Dr. Gray, while the purple-flowered he calls purple thornapple.
Gentians .- One beautiful species of American centaury, Ameri- can Columbo and five-flowered, fringed, smaller fringed, whitish, yellowish white, and closed gentian are found within our limits. " Horse gentian " belongs to the Honeysuckle family. Buck-bean is common in bogs.
Dogbanes .- Spreading dogbane and Indian hemp, in the bor- ders of thickets, are common.
Milkweeds .- Common milkweed, or silkweed, is common; has large, boat-shaped pods of glistening cotton. Swamp milkweed, butterfly weed, or pleurisy-root, whorled milkweed and two species of green milkweed are common in places.
Olive Family .-- It would seem more natural to us Westerners to call this the Ash family, as we have no members of this order about us except the five species of ash,-white, black, blne, red and green, the white being the most common. Some of these kinds are difficult for the beginner in botany to distinguish.
Birthworts .- Wild ginger is common in deep, wooded ravines. The leaf is kidney-shaped, plant but few inches high, and the root tastes like ginger.
Pokeweeds .- The common poke, with its purple-juiced clusters of berries, is well known.
Goosefoots .- Lamb's-quarters, or pigweed, a common weed in our gardens, is the type of this order. Beet and spinach are culti- vated plants of this order. Next in abundance to lamb's-quarters are maple-leaved goosefoot, Jerusalem oak and Mexican tea. Wormseed is a fetid plant, belonging to the genus goosefoot. Orache is becoming abundant in the towns and cities. Bug-seed grows on the borders of the lakes.
Amaranths. - The cultivated coxcomb, globe amaranth and prince's feather (red, chaffy spikes) illustrate the characters of this family. Pigweed is one of the most common weeds in cultivated
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
ground. The pigweed of the last paragraph should be called goose- foot only, or lamb's-quarters. White pigweed, generally known in the West as " tumble-weed," is abundant in some fields. Amaran- tus blitoides has recently become very abundant in our towns. At a little distance it resembles common purslane. Acnida tamaris- cina is common in sandy soil near the rivers and lakes.
Buckwheat Family or Knotweeds .- Goose-grass is the most ubiquitous member of this order, forming a carpet in every door- yard. A taller variety with wider leaves also abounds under the shade trees about the premises. Two species of smart-weed, mild water-pepper, water Persicaria and two other species of knotweed are all common. Out of 14 species of what appears to be smart- weed, only two are biting to the taste. Arrow-leaved tear-thumb, black bindweed and climbing false buckwheat are common vines. Pie-plant, "yellow dock " and sheep-sorrel represent another divis- ion of the knotweed family. The most common member of this division in this county is curled, or " yellow " dock; then follow sheep-sorrel (abounding in sandy soil), pale, water, swamp and bitter docks.
Laurel Family .- Sassafras is common along the bluffs and bot- toms of the rivers. Spice bush is common.
Mezereum Family .- Leather-wood, with its remarkably tough bark, is not abundant anywhere.
Sandal-wood Family .- Bastard toad-flax is rather scarce.
Lizard's-tail Family .-- Lizard's tail is common in swamps.
Spurges .- Spotted sporge, an herb growing more prostrate than all others, on cultivated ground; milky; no visible flowers. Three other species of spurge are almost common. Three-secded mercury, known in former years to inhabit only the dark forest, has followed to our city residences where it can find a similar situation.
Nettle Order .- Of the Elm family are the white and the slippery elm and the hackberry,-the first mentioned abundant, the other two scarce. Of the Bread-fruit and Fig family is the red mulberry, which is scarce. Of the Nettle family proper are the true nettle (rare), wood nettle (common), richweed, pellitory, hemp and hop. Richweed, or clearweed, like the mercury of the last paragraph, has followed man to his artificial groves and is very abundant on flat ground under heavy shade-trees, in some places. It is remarkable that botanists have placed in this order the osage orange tree of our hedges, the bread-fruit tree of the Pacific isles, the fig and the banyan, and the poison upas of the East Indies.
Plane-Tree Family .- " Sycamore," or button-wood, or Ameri- can plane. The true sycamore of Europe is a different tree.
Walnut Family .- Black and white walnut (butternut) are well known. Three species of shell-bark and two of smooth-bark, are common in this country. The list comprises the shag-bark, the Western shell-bark, the mockernut or white-heart, the pig-nut or broom, and the bitter-nut or swamp hickories.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
Oak Family .- This family comprises not only the oaks but also the chestnut, beech, hazel-nut and iron-wood. Some of the oaks hybridize so much that it is difficult to keep track of the species and varieties. White oak, of course, takes the lead here as else- where, but the black jack is about as abundant. The latter is usually the "second growth," and is as good as hickory for fire- wood. Bur-oak, scarlet oak and black oak (yellow-barked, or quercitron) are common. Laurel or shingle oak, yellow chestnut oak and red oak are occasionally met with. Laurel oak is so called on account of the shape of its leaves, and is also called shingle oak, on account of its being so good in pioneer times for clapboards. Two species of iron-wood flourish here. They belong to different genera, one having seeds in clusters of involucres resembling hops; hence it is called hop hornbeam. The other iron-wood or horn- beam is also called blue or water bcech.
Birch Family .- The red, or river birch is sometimes found along the rivers and creeks, the dwarf birch in swamps. Paper birch is rather common.
Willows.The most common willow, as well as the largest. is the black; then the prarie, glancons, heart-leaved, shining and long- leaved. The black and the shining willows have tough twigs which are very brittle at the base. Several other species of willow occur, but are rare. The quaking asp, or American aspen, the cotton- wood, balin-of-Gilead, Lombardy poplar and silver-leaf, or white poplar, are well known. Glandular-leaved willow is common about the head of Lake Michigan.
Pines .- The most common pines in this region are the white and northern scrub. Black and hemlock spruce and balsam fir may be found.
Arum Family .- Indian turnip (Jack-in-the pulpit) abundant; skunk cabbage common in wet places supplied by spring-water; green dragon common; sweet flag rare.
Duckweeds .- Two species common on the surface of ponds. They do not take root in the earth.
Cat tails .- Common cat-tail (a kind of flag) and a species of bur reed occur in wet places.
Pondweeds .- Several species grow throughout this country. Their habitat is in or under water.
Water-Plantain Family .- Arrowhead (two species, with several variations) is abundant. Has large, arrow-shaped leaves and white flowers in threes, and grows along the sloughs. Water plantain and arrow-grass are sometimes found, growing in same situation as last.
Orchids .- Showy orchis, eight or ten species of Habenaria, rattlesnake plantain, ladies' tresses, Pogonia, crane-fly orchis, adder's mouth, coral-root and five species of lady's slipper are found in this county, and Calopogon is common. The lady's slippers are
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
being thinned out rapidly by parties shipping them East, for a price.
Amaryllis Family .- Star-grass is common in prairies. It is a modest little grass-like plant, putting forth its conspicions, yellow, three-petaled flowers in June.
Iris Family .- The larger blue flag is becoming rare. BIne-eyed grass looks like the star-grass just mentioned, except that the flowers are white or pale blue. Its habitat is the prairie.
Yam Family .- Wild yam-root is a green vine sometimes seen in the woods.
Smilax Family .- Common green-brier, smilax hispida and car- rion flower are all not very rare.
Lily Family .- Purple trillium, or three-leaved nightshade, and the large white trillium are abundant: flower in May. One or two other species of trillium sometimes occur. Bellwort is an early flower in the woods. Smaller Solomon's seal and false spikenard are common. Wild orange-red lily is common in the margins of prairies which are not pastured and have never been broken. White dog's-tooth violet, white hellebore and great Solomon's seal are reported here. Yellow dog's tooth violet is abundant; it is a prominent flower in April, in the woods. Squill (eastern quamash, or wild hyacinth) is also found in this county. Wild garlic, having tops like our garden top-onions, and wild leek are common in low places not pastured.
Rushes .-- The bog-rush is a very common, yellowish, grass like herb along roads and paths, especially those leading thronghi the forest; but it is also found to some extent in all other situations. Common, or soft rush is common, and several other species are also common.
Pickerel-weeds .- Water star-grass, growing under running water in the forest brooks, is common. Pickerel-weed is occasional.
Spiderworts .- Common spiderwort is common. Day-flower is rare.
Sedges .- There are three or four dozen species of sedge growing within the limits of any one county, but they are all unimportant plants. They have a grass-like appearance, but can readily be dis- tinguished from the grasses by their having triangular stems and bur-like tops (seed clusters), while the grasses have round or round- ish stems. What is generally called lake grass along the rivers is a true sedge, and its English name is great bulrush. It is by far the largest of the sedges. The river club-rush is next in size.
Grasses .- Blue grass takes the lead for prevalence and utility. Next, two species of fox-tail. Besides these the most common grasses are white grass, rice cut grass, Indian rice or water oats, timothy, rush grass (two species), bent grass, wood reed-grass, dropseed (two genera); reed bent-grass, blue joint grass, porcupine grass, fresh-water cord-grass, Kæleria, Eatonia (two species), melic grass, fowl meadow grass and its congener, Glyceria fluitans, low spear-grass, red top, Eragrostis (three species), fescue (two species),
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
chess, Bromus ciliatus, reed (a tall, broom-corn-like grass growing in dense fields in the swamps of the river bottom), Hordeum pra- tense (a kind of wild barley), two species of lyme-grass or wild rye, bottle-brush grass, reed canary grass, Paspalum, wire grass, eight species of panic-grass, among them two kinds of tickle-grass, and one old-witch grass, crab-grass and barn-yard grass, sand-bur (in sand) and two species of beard-grass. About two dozen otlier kinds of grass can be found in the county, but they are all very rare.
Horse-tails .- Scouring rush and common horse-tail (especially along railroads) are common: two other species scarce.
Ferns .- Maiden-hair, brake, a spleenwort, a shield fern, a blad- der fern, one species of flowering fern and the sensitive fern are commmon in the order here named, while two or three other ferns may be found.
Club-Mosses .- Several species are found here, one being com- mon.
CHAPTER III.
ORGANIZATION OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY-ACTS OF THE BOARD OF JUS- TICES-FURTHER ACTS OF THE BOARD OF JUSTICES-ACTS OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
By an act of the Legislature, approved Jan. 29, 1830, the county of St. Joseph was formed with boundary lines determined as follows: "Beginning at range No. 2 west from the second prin- cipal meridian of the State of Indiana, on the northern line of the State, thence running east to where range No. 3 east intersects the State line, thence south with the range line thirty miles, thence west to range 2 west, thence north to the place of beginning." Its organized existence was to take effect from and after April 1, 1830, from which time it was to "enjoy all the rights, privileges and juris- diction which to separate and independent counties do and may properly belong and appertain."
Thomas J. Evans and Gillis McBane, of Cass county; Daniel Worth, of Randolph county; John Berry, of Madison county, and John Ross, of Fayette county, were appointed Commissioners to locate the seat of justice of the county, and instructed to meet at the house of Alexander [Alexis] Coquillard on the fourth Monday of May, 1880, for that purpose. After the county seat was located the agent appointed for the sale of lots was required to reserve ten per cent. out of the proceeds of the sale, and pay the same over to such person as was appointed by law to receive the same, for the purpose of a county library.
The qualified electors of the county were, at the time of electing a Recorder, Clerk and Associate Judges, to elect three Justices of the Peace who were to perform all the duties prescribed by law re- lating to the Board of Justices in the several counties.
All the territory lying west of the boundary line of this county was attached to it for civil and criminal jurisdiction, the citizens re- siding within its territory being entitled to all the rights and priv- ileges, and subject to all taxes and assessments, as if a part of the county.
Various changes were made from time to time in its boundary lines, territory being added to or taken from it at nearly every ses- sion of the Legislature. At the twenty-third session of the Gen- eral Assembly an act was passed and approved Feb. 16, 1839, fixing the boundary lines as follows: "Commencing on the north boundary of this State at the intersection thereon of the section line running north and south through the center of range + east,
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
thence south to the center of township 35 north, thence west to the second meridian line, being that line between ranges one east and one west, thence south to the township line between townships 34 and 35 north, thence west to the section line running north and south through the center of range one west, thence north by said section line to the north boundary of this State, thence east to the place of beginning." This remained unchanged until 1850, when by an act approved January 14 of that year, the following territory was taken from the county and attached to La Porte county: " Be- ginning at the present county line, at the northwest corner of sec- tion 22, township 37 north of range 1 west, thence with the north line of said section, and that of section 23, to the northeast corner of said section 23, thence south with the section line until it shall strike the Great Kankakee river, thence with said river to the present county line." Since 1850 no further changes have been made.
The first election held in the county was on the first Monday in August, 1830, at which time L. M. Taylor was elected Clerk and Recorder, and Adam Smith, Lambert McComb and Levi F. Arnold were elected Justices of the Peace. The naine St. Joseph was given the county from the river which flows through its territory.
On Friday, Ang. 27, 1830, having received their commissions from the Governor, the Board of Justices assembled at the house of Alexis Cognillard, L. M. Taylor, Clerk of the county, being present, and proceeded in the further act of organizing the county and the transaction of its business. The first entry upon the records of the Board is as follows:
" In pursuance of an act of the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, entitled an act to provide for the carrying the laws into effect in new counties, approved January the 2d, 1818; and also the act entitled, An Act for the Formation of the Counties of St. Joseph and Elkhart, passed and approved Jan. 29. 1830, the Justices of the Peace met at the house of Alexis Coquillard, in St. Joseph county, on Friday, the 27th day of Angust in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty.
" Adam Smith now comes forth and produces his commission from His Excellency, James B. Ray, Governor of the State of In- diana, commissioning him, the said Adam Smith, Justice of the Peace in and for said county of St. Joseph for and during the term of five years from the 11th day of August, 1830; and on the back of said commission is the following endorsement, to-wit:
STATE OF INDIANA, ST. JOSEPH COUNTY. SS.
Be it remembered, that on the 27th day of August, A. D. 1830, personally came Adam Smith, within commissioned, before me, L. M. Taylor, Clerk of the Circuit Court, and being duly sworn on his solemn oath, says that he will support the Con- stitution of the United States and of the State of Indiana, and that he will to the best of his abilities and judgment discharge the duties of his office as Justice of the Peace in St. Joseph county faithfully, and that he has not since the first day of January, 1819, either directly or indirectly, knowingly given, accepted or carried
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
a challenge to any person in or out of this State to fight a single combat with any deadly weapon, and that he will not kuowingly accept or carry a challenge to any person or persons to fight with any deadly weapon in single combat, either in or out of this State, during his continuance in office. Given under my hand and seal the day and date first above written.
L. M. TAYLOR, Clerk, [SEAL.]
Lambert McComb and Levi F. Arnold also presented like creden- tials, and the Board of Justices was then organized by the election of Lambert McComb as President.
The first order made by the Board was in the following terms: " Ordered by the Board of Justices of St. Joseph county, that John D. Lasly be appointed Treasurer of St. Joseph county for the year of our Lord 1830, and he is required to give bond and security in the penal sum of $1,000." Jaines Nixon was then appointed As- sessor; Daniel A. Fullerton, Collector; Benjamin Potter, Thomas Skiles and Jacob Keith, Constables; Jacob Cripe and John Heag, Overseers of the Poor.
At this meeting of the Board, in addition to the appointment of the officers named, fence viewers were appointed, treasurer's bonds approved, and licenses granted to Samuel Hanna and the American Fur Company to sell " fouren [foreign] merchandize " one year for the sum of $10 each.
The second meeting of the Board of Justices was held at the house of Alexis Coquillard on the first Monday in September, 1830. The first business transacted was the selection of Grand and Petit Jurors. Those drawn to serve on the Grand Jury were Samuel Cannon, Jacob White, John Clyburn, William E. Ahart, Adam Keith, John Banker, Samuel Leeper, Charles Lobby, Henry Cly- burn, Gamiel Drilinger, Zachariah Grant, Jacob Cripe, Benjamin Potter, James Nixon, Thomas Clyburn, Philip Fail, Louis Lan- comb and Joseph Adams. The Petit Jurors were Paul Egbert, John Drilinger, Daniel Eiler, C. B. Overrocker, John Whiticer, Benja- min Coquillard, Israel Rush, Barzillia Druliner, Jacob Harris, John Hague, Richard Harris, Nathaniel Steele, Samuel Johnstone, Jacob Egbert, John Ronleau, Jacob Ritter, Jacob Rhae, Alexis Coquillard, John Wills, John Skiles, Lewis Sherley, Joseph Rorer, Horace Marcum and Samuel Garwood.
FURTHER ACTS OF THE BOARD OF JUSTICES.
Sept. 14, 1830, a called session of the Board was held, at which time Thomas J. Evans was allowed the sum of $51 for his services in locating the county seat. John Berry was allowed the sum of $87; Daniel Worth, $108; Gillis McBean, $27, for the same pur- pose. William Brookfield was appointed agent of the county for the sale of lands, with bond fixed in the sum of $5,000. Alexis Coquillard and Lathrop M. Taylor were accepted as his bondsmen.
The county seat was located upon the farm of William Brookfield, section 27, township 8 north, of range 2 east, and a beautiful vil- lage was laid out by Mr. Brookfield and given the name of St. Joseph.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
At a special session, held on the 25th day of November, 1830, the Board ordered the agent of the county to proceed to make sale of the lots of the town, either by "private or public sale to the best advantage and interests of the county." Lots were to be sold one- third cash, onc-third in nine months, and the remainder in eighteen months, secured by forfeiture of the lots in case of non-pay- ment when due. A public sale was ordered to be held on the first day of January, 1831, and every three months thereafter, unless otherwise ordered by the Board.
At this session of the Board the county was divided into four townships, as follows: All the district of country lying west of the range line dividing ranges two and three west of the second princi- pal meridian was to constitute a township, to be known as Michi- gan township; ranges one and two west of the second principal meridian, Deschemin township; from the second principal merid- ian of the State until the center of range two east, German town- ship; all the district of country lying and being from the center of range two east of the second principal meridian of the State, and thence running east to the eastern boundary of St. Joseph county, Portage township. Michigan township comprised all the territory west of the county line to the State line.
Elections were ordered held on the 18th day of December, 1830, for the election of one Justice of the Peace in each township, except Portage; in Michigan township, at the house of Louis Sherby; in German township, at the house of David Miller; in Deschemin township, at the house of John Druliner. Aaron Stanton was appointed inspector of elections in Michigan township; John Egbert, in Deschemin township; and David Miller, in German township. Each of these inspectors was to hold his office for the year 1830.
This was the last session of the Board of Justices. In pursuance of an act of the General Assembly of the State, approved Jannary 19, 1831, county governments were changed, and in place of a Board of Justices, the government of the county was placed in the hands of a Board of County Commissioners.
ACTS OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
On the first Monday in September, 1831, the newly elected Board of Commissioners met at the house of Alexis Coquillard. Certifi- cates of election were produced and the oath of office duly taken by David Miller, Joseph Rorer, and later by Aaron Stanton. In addition to swearing to support the Constitution of the United States and of this State, the Commissioners were sworn not to receive, directly or indirectly, a county order for a less sum than its face. This was doubtless to prevent their speculation in the orders.
The Board at this session adopted a seal with the insignia of an eagle and the words "St. Joseph County, Indiana," around the mar- gin.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
N. B. Griffith was licensed to keep a ferry across the St. Joseph river at the east end of Water street, and the rates of ferriage were fixed as follows: For each person, 62 cents; for a man and horse, 12₺ cents; one horse and wagon or carriage, 25 cents; two horses and wagons, 31} cents; each additional horse with a wagon, 6} cents; for oxen in wagons, the same as for horses; loose cattle, 3 cents a head; hogs and sheep, 2 cents a head.
License for taverns, or for the purpose of retailing spirituons or strong liquors, was fixed at $5 each; for peddling wooden clocks, $8 was required.
The Commissioners appointed to re-locate the county seat, made the following report:
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