USA > Indiana > St Joseph County > History of St. Joseph County, Indiana > Part 67
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Jacob Eaton, a farmer on sec. 13; P. O., South Bend; is a son of Isaac and Margaret (Metzger) Eaton, both of whom died in this tp.,-the former Dec. 25, 1869, at the age of 94 years, and the late ter, April 23, 1863, at the age of 81 years; his father was a native of Virginia, and his mother of Maryland. Mr. E. was born in Maryland, May 1, 1819. His parents came to this county in Sep- tember, 1831, and first settled in this tp., afterward entering land on sec. 17, where they resided for a number of years. He was mar- ried in 1846 to Elizabeth Barnes, a native of Maryland, born Oct. 27, 1820; she is the mother of 7 children, of whom 6 are now liv- ing: Emma F., Clarissa M., the wife of Charles Jennings, a farmer of this tp .; Edwin D., Joanna W., Norman E. and Mark B. Mr. E. is a Democrat; he held the office of Tp. Trustee for 17 years. His education, when young, was limited, attending subscription schools, in log houses. He owns 225 acres of land, worth $50 per acre, all of which he has earned by hard work and judicious man- agement. He is the oldest permanent living settler in the tp. at present; he fished and swam in the lakes of this tp. with ex-Judge
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
Stanfield, and helped to clear the ground on which St. Mary's Academy now stands.
Theobold Guli, son of Theobold and Barbara Guli, was born in France in 1821 and came to this country about 1831. He was mar- ried in 1847 to Mary Chokar, a native of Germany, who died in 1853, leaving 4 children. He was married the second time in 1855 to Terace (Theresa) Emily, a native of Germany, who is now the mother of 4 children, all of whom are living: Edmond, Michael, Lora and William. Mr. G. and wife are members of the Catholic Church. He owns on sec. 20, 250 acres of land, worth about $70 per acre, and 100 acres of land in Penn tp. He is an industrious man and respectable citizen.
Samuel Jennings, a farmer on sec. 30; P. O., South Bend; is a son of Samnel and Matilda (Bargdoll) Jennings, and was born in this tp. in 1845; he is of English-German descent. His father, who died in 1874, was a native of New York; his mother, a native of Virginia, died in 1864. Mr. J. was married in 1870 to Mary Mil- ton, a native of Missouri, born in 1856; she is the mother of 3 ehil- dren : Lillian M., Harry S. and Asher M. He owns on sec. 30, 80 acres of land, worth about $60 per acre. His wife is a member of the Catholic Church. Politically, he is a Democrat. His educa- tional advantages were good, attended college at Notre Dame for several years. Mr. J. is now Assessor of the tp. In 1863 he enlisted in the army at South Bend, as a private, under the com- mand of Capt. W. W. Andrews, in the 21st Indiana Battery; he was in the service until the close of the war, when he was dis- charged, June 27, 1865.
John G. Kotz, a farmer on sec. 29; P. O., South Bend; Mr. K. is a son of Jacob and Anna (App) Kotz, both now deceased, and was born in Germany in 1822. He came to this country Aug. 11, 1840, and first settled in Ohio, where he lived about five years, and in the spring of 1846 came to this county; he became a resident of Clay tp. in 1847. In 1844 he was married to Christina Blind, a native of Germany, who was born in 1823; from this marriage they have 10 children, all of whom are living. Jacob, a wagon-maker in South Bend; George, a blacksmith in the same place; William, a farmer in this tp .; Daniel, an artist in Chicago; the following are still at home: John, Charles, David, Mary, Elizabeth and Matilda. Mr. K. and his wife are devoted members of the Evangelieal Church. Politically, he is a Republican. His educational advantages in Germany were good; he now reads fluently both the English and the German languages. He owns 160 acres of land, on sec. 29, worth about $75 per aere. Mr. K. is an enterprising, successful farmer. He built a large, two-story frame house in 1879, at a cost of $1,500.
Wm. McCombs, son of Lambert and Hannah (Hague) McCombs, was born in Wayne county, O., in 1818 and is of Irish-English descent. His father died in 1849, and his mother is now living in California, 92 years of age; they were natives of Pennsylvania and came to this county July 5, 1829. They first settled in German tp.,
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
where they lived for a short time and then came to this tp. In 1839 Mr. MeCombs was married to Eva Cripe, a native of Ohio, born Nov. 2, 1816; she is the mother of 9 children, of whom all are living: Betsy, John, Lambert, Maria, Samuel, Ellen, Hannah, Amanda and William. His wife is a member of the Dunkard Church. Politically he is a Democrat. He owns 247 acres of land, which he values at $60 per acre. Mr. McCombs was a very early settler of this tp., and is an honest, industrious man.
Thomas J. Sossomen, son of David and Elizabeth (Savidge) Sossomen, was born in this county in 1846, and is of Dutch descent. His parents, now living in Mishawaka, are natives of Pennsylvania, and came to this county about 1840. In 1874 Mr. S. was married to Salinda Shearer, a native of Indiana, and is now the mother of 2 children, Harvey and Harlow. He and his wife are members of the Dunkard Church. Politically, he is a Repub- lican.
George H. Stover, School Trustee and farmer on sec. 28; P. O., South Bend; was born in Virginia in 1839, and is of German descent. His father, Jacob, a native of Virginia, was born in 1807, and is now living with him; his mother, also a native of Virginia, whose maiden name was Sarah Nofsinger, died in 1871. Mr. S. came with his parents to this county in 1850 and settled in this tp., where he has lived ever since, and where his mother died. He was united in marriage in 1862 to Sophia Meyers, a native of Indiana, who was born in 1837, and they have 2 children, both living, William C. and Ella V. Mr. S. is a member of the Masonic lodge at South Bend, No. 45. Politically, he is a Democrat. His educational advantages were fair; he taught several terms of school and attended college at Franklin, Ind. He owns 40 acres of land, which he considers worth about $75 per acre. Mr. S. is now School Trustee, and the high esteem in which he is held as a citizen of the tp. is manifested by the fact that lie has held every other office in the tp. He is an industrious, enterprising man.
John B. Wrightsman, a minister and teacher, located on sec. 26; P. O., South Bend; he is a son of Samuel and Mary (Redpath) Wrightsman, natives of Virginia, and was born in Pulaski county, Virginia, in 1853; he is of German descent. His father is living in Botetourt county, Virginia, and his mother died when he was only an infant. He came to this county in 1875, and first stopped in South Bend, where he remained about two years, in the mean time, attending high school at that place; he also attended college at Huntingdon, Penn. He afterward moved into Clay tp., where he was united in marriage in 1879 to Miss Fannie Cripe, a native of this tp., born in 1850; she is the mother of one child, John Earl Cripe. Politically, Mr. W. is a Republican; his educational advantages were poor, being compelled to depend upon his own resources for his education. He has been a minister of the gospel ever since he was 15 years old, having united with the Church at the age of 14. He is now pastor of the German Baptist Church in Clay tp., and is a zealous Christian and an upright man.
GERMAN TOWNSHIP.
There is a peculiar, instinctive characteristic of man which seems to lead him, as it were unconsciously and imperceptibly, in the footsteps of progress and direct him to locate in that part of an unsettled country which is destined to become in the near future a country the most highly civilized, the most beautiful and fertile. It is probably to be attributed to this innate feature of finite man that German was among the earliest settled townships in St. Joseph county. Taken as a whole, there ean surely be no more desirable locality in the county in which to live than German township. Here everything exists in abundance, and the country is richly embellished with all the beanties of nature; and, all in all, it seems to be one grand and lovely combination of nature and art in which the former largely predominates; for, civilize the conntry all yon may, improve it all yon ean, and then bring to bear upon it the inventions wronght ont by all the skill and ingenuity of man; then compare its condition with what it was in its early, pristine state, when the timbered land was inhabited by the red man, and the prairies were covered with tall and waving grass, interspersed here and there with wild flowers which sent forth their sweet perfume as a presentiment of the coming future,-yes, do all this, strain your imagination to conceive and comprehend all these, and you will find the two conditions almost incomparable, with the present one gradually fading away like the rays of the set- ting sun. But no commendatory prelude ean do justice to the history of German township; plain facts must be presented.
Nov. 25, 1830, at a special session of the Board of Justices, the following order was passed: " Ordered by the Board aforesaid that from the second principal meridian of the State until the center of range 2 east, shall form and constitute a township in said county, to be known by the name of German township; and that the sheriff is hereby ordered to give publie notice to the citizens of said township, according to law, for the qualified voters to meet at the house of David Miller in said township, to eleet one Justice of the Peace in and for said township, on the 18th day of December next."
On the appointed day the citizens of said township met at the house of David Miller, and at that meeting elected Lambert MeCombs the first Justice of the Peace of German township.
We have been unable to ascertain definitely why the name " Ger- man " was proposed for this township; but all supposition in regard to the subject is based upon the fact that at the time of the
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
organization of the township nearly all the inhabitants of it were Germans or of German descent.
From the order passed by the Board of Justices it would be diffi- . cult for one to imagine the size of the township. Suffice it to say that it is quite small, being little more than half of a full township. It is township 33 north, range 2 east; is bounded on the north by the State of Michigan, on the east by the St. Joseph river (and beyond it lies Clay township), on the south by Portage, and on the west by Warren township. About one-third of the northern tier of sections of this township lies in Michigan, and on the east the line is quite irregular, owing to the indentations made by the St. Joseph river which marks the eastern boundary.
In noticing early settlements the greatest care must necessarily be exercised, for it is of the greatest difficulty to avoid all mistakes. Upon a few of the pioneer settlers of this township, who have long survived their contemporaries, we are dependent for the authen- ticity of this part of the history. Their statements differ; hence we kindly ask all those interested to overlook all unavoidable er- rors. Judging from the best authorities, Lambert McCombs, John Hague and William Brookfield were the earliest permanent set- tlers of the township; the former two came from Wayne county, Ohio, and settled in this township as early as 1829 or '30; the lat- ter, who was at that time the surveyor of all the Government land throughout this community, chose a situation in the township abont 1829, bought land on sections 34 and 35, and laid out a town, mention of which will be made hereafter.
About 1831 Brookfield's family went down the Kankakee river in a boat, and probably went to Texas. John Hague and wife died in Warren township, this county, and are probably buried in Ger- man township. Lambert McCombs went to Oregon and died there. Such has been the fate of the three pioneer settlers of German township.
In 1830 a great many made German township their home, of whom the following are a few: John Smith, who settled on sec- tion 32; David Miller, also on section 32; Christian Holler, on section 7; Joshua and Benjamin Hardinan, who came either in 1830 or in 1831. However, as much as two decades prior to the earliest settlement of the township, in the year 1810, a man passed through the territory, not then known as German township, com- ing from Detroit, Mich., who declared at that time that if ever this country was settled by white men he would be one of them; sure enough, in comparatively a short time the country, once wild and uncultivated, was settled by white men, and the Indians were thereafter soon removed; and true to his firm resolve, that man did come in 1831, and settle on section 27, where he remained two years and then went to La Porte county, and finally died in Wills town- ship; that man was John Cissne, father of Robert G. Cissne, now a very old settler of the township, and to whom we are indebted for a great deal of its early history.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
During the same year came Aaron Miller, brother of David, be- fore mentioned, and settled on section 23; in the same year came also J. D. Miller, son of Aaron Miller; Samuel Witter, who settled on section 16, and Samuel Good, on section 28; in the year 1832 came Jesse K. Platts, who settled on section 21, Jolin Witter on section 20, Daniel Wagner on section 16, Jacob and Samnel Ritter. In 1833 came Jacob Miller, a nephew of Aaron Miller, who settled on section 18. Simultaneous with him, and even before, came num- bers of others whose names it is not easy to obtain; suffice it to say, that from this date onward the township settled very rapidly, and a country soon began to don the robes of improvement, civiliza- tion and progress. Of the old settlers not yet mentioned, the fol- lowing may be named as having come prior to the year 1836: Jesse Frame, Prosper Nichols, James Nixon, Jacob Ritter, John and James Huston, Henry Denslow, James Good, David Hoover, Michael Smith, William Roe, Charles Roe, John Martindale, Eli Roe, Henry Brown, James R. McGee, Christian Smith, Mr. Over- acker, Scott West and Jolin Cripe. Henceforward the township became rapidly settled by an honest, intelligent, industrious class of people who loved the " sons of toil," and who, like them, earned their daily pittance by the "sweat of their face," and many of whose posterity still survive, well-situated citizens, reaping the reward of their ancestors.
It is altogether probable that Henry Smith, son of John and Nancy (Miller) Smith, was the first white child born in the township and, indeed, even in the county; he was born Sept. 15, 1829, and is now a farmer in the township on sec. 16; P. O., South Bend. The first marriage in the township was probably that of John Harris and Lavina Eiler; they were married, however, in Michigan, but were residents of this township. The first frame house in the township was built by Christian Holler, and is now standing on section 7, on the farm now owned by Jacob M. Whitmer. John Hague is said to have plowed the first furrow in the township.
In the winter of 1832, quite a remarkable little episode occurred, which for a time greatly frightened the few scattering inhabitants of German township: Jacob M. Whitmer, now a resident on section 7, then only a little child three and one half years old, went out one morning in pursuit of his father and accidently became lost. Search for him was immediately instituted by his parents and the neigh- bors; but all seemed in vain, and for three long days and two nights the lost child still wandered. enduring the bleak winds of winter. His sorrowful parents and 200 anxious friends who were in search of him, had given him up as lost forever and supposed him to have been captured by the Indians. Bnt about this time, when despond- ency and gloom had settled upon many anxious hearts of that community, Judge McCartney, now deccased, continued the search on horseback, when lo! by him the child was found and returned to its anxious, awaiting parents; and where before had been the shadow of gloom and sorrow, was now the sunshine of gladness.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
Some time prior to 1836 a grist-mill was built on the St. Joseph river, on section 27, by Shank & Downs, two millwrights; the mill was owned and controlled by William McCartney, who ran it for a while, doing a good business; but the mill did not long stand, on account of difficulty in securing water-power.
A very sad accident happened a short time prior to 1844. Jesse K. Platts, who has been already mentioned as a very early settler of the township, was killed by runaway horses. Upon a certain appointed day all his children were coming home to have a re-union; the day previous Mr. Platts went out into the timber to get some wood; his horses becoming frightened ran away. His cries of anguish were heard by Mr. Good's family, residing near by, who started immediately for his rescue, but only to find the man dead. No one was able to ascertain definitely how he met his sad fate, but they sup- posed him to have been killed by being crushed between the sled and a log. The following day all his children did come, but oh, what a spectacle met their view! oh, what a change! for in lien of a happy re-union of parents and children there was a sad and sor- rowful funeral of a man bemoaned by weeping children and hosts of sympathizing friends.
VILLAGES AND BUSINESS INTERESTS.
There is very little within the limits of German township which adds in any way to its business interests. By a careful examina- tion of statistical records and the removal of the dust from the pages of history of the days of by-gone years, it is found that there were at one time in German township three places which deserved the name of a town. An elaborate history of these towns it is impossible to give, as nothing can be obtained from the records, and very little from the old settlers now living.
Aug. 19, 1836, the town of Mount Pleasant was laid ont, on what is called the Michigan road, on sections 31 and 32. At this place, during the same year, the first and only postoffice that ever existed in the township was established, with Levi Wills as postmaster. There was once a dry-goods and grocery store kept by a man named Mar; there was also in the place at one time another small store; also two blacksmith shops, the first one of which was run by Joseph Barker. At one time in the history of the town John Tipton opened a boot and shoe store; and two hotels, the proprietors of which were Christopher Lentz and James R. McGee, once graced the little country village. But all these were of short duration, for the town was soon after vacated, and to-day not even a trace of its ruins remain to mark its former existence.
July 12, 1834, the town of Portage was laid out along the St. Joseph river on section 26. This place never became noted as a town. At one time in its history there were two stores in the place, one of which was run by Elisha Egbert; and there was also once a tavern in the place,-an institution very common in those days.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
And still another place is yet tobe mentioned; though last and least in size, it is by no means least in reputation; this place was St. Joseph, at one time the county-seat. In May, 1830, the Board of Justices located the county-seat of St. Joseph county at this place. Sept. 14, 1830, the town was laid ont on the St. Joseph river, about two and a half or three miles northwest of South Bend, either on section 27, or on sections 34 and 35. The land on which the town was located was tlien owned by William Brookfield, the Government surveyor. Nov. 25, 1830, an order was passed by the Board aforesaid for William Brookfield to sell lots in the town of St. Joseph; and one would naturally suppose, upon reading that order, that sales of real estate would be rife for a season; but how different must have been their expectations when not a single house was ever erected in the place. And at the meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, on the second Monday of May, 1831, an order was passed to have the county-seat re-located, the County Commissioners testifying that they were " of the opinion that pub- lic interest requires a removal of said seat of justice;" and after careful examination and due deliberation, the place selected was South Bend, then a mere village, now a prosperous city.
" A petition had been circulated among the settlers, and over 125 names were secured in favor of South Bend. The friends were very active and finally triumphed. Bonds were given by L. M. Taylor, Alexis Coquillard, Joseph Rohrer, Samuel Studebaker, Samuel Hanna and David H. Coldrick, in which they obligated themselves to pay the sum of $3,000, if the county-seat be permanently located at South Bend. Fifteen lots were donated by "Taylor and Coquil- lard for the use of the county, and lots No. 341, on said town plat, for the use of the United Brethren to build a church thereon, and lot No. 403 to the German Baptist denomination, and lot No. 234 for the Presbyterians, and four acres of land for a public grave- yard."
These liberal offers carried the day, and South Bend became the capital of St. Joseph county permanently, and the town of St. Joseph was vacated, to be remembered only as a thing of the past, bearing the lamentable motto, " It might have been." To-day nothing remains to mark the former existence of any of these towns.
There is a steam saw-mill in the northwestern part of this town- ship, on section 18. There are two dairies in the township: one on section 34, run by John Beyrer, established in 1879. Mr. B. keeps 18 cows, runs one wagon, and sells milk at South Bend; this is known as the " Portage " dairy. The other one is on section 26, on the St. Joseph river, and is conducted by Francis Johnson. He keeps 75 cows, sells milk at South Bend, and runs two wagons, making two trips daily each way; this is known as the " Riverside " dairy. Both are doing a good business.
No railroads cross the township; no lakes of sparkling water dot the prairies; no creeks water the low and timbered land save
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
one; this is a small branch of the river which cuts off a very small portion of the southeastern part of the township. But the sur- face throughout is beautifully diversified, and the tilled land responds richly and bountifully to the labor of the industrious husbandman. There is just timber enough in the township ade- quately to supply the wants of the inhabitants and make it one of the best townships in the county. Along its eastern line flows gently and ever onward the beautiful little St. Joseph river, which drains the St. Joseph valley and washes the shore on the eastern boundary of German township.
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.
As regards the first school taught in the township, there are some conflicting statements. Some say it was held in an old log house on section 27, and was taught by Dwight Dennings; others say it was on section 21, in the house of Jolin Martindale, who was the teacher in the winter of 1831. The first school-house in the township was a log structure, erected on section 19 by the peo- ple of the immediate neighborhood; this was about 1832, and Judge Farren was probably the first teacher in this honse. But the " days of small things " in the direction of log houses in Ger- man township have long since passed away, and to-day they have five good, substantial buildings, conveniently located throughout the township, where the children of the citizens are afforded eight months' school annually. The present school trustee is W. H. H. Ritter, also a farmer on section 29.
The first minsters of the township were Aaron and David Miller, who settled here very early and were members of the German Bap- tist Church. John Martindale, a Christian minister, and Robert Martindale, his brother, a Baptist minister, were early settlers and preachers of the gospel. Here in this small township, in its early history, these four good men preached the gospel in school-houses and in private houses where their hearers were wont to go and worship God " according to the dictates of their own conscience."
The first church built in the township was the German Baptist, which is a brick building, situated on section 18, and was built in 1851. The first pastor was Elder David Miller, who had organized the congregation about the year 1831. The following are a few of the charter members: David Miller and wife, Benjamin Hardman and wife, Christian Holler and wife, John Ritter and wife, Samuel Jones and wife, Joshua Hardman and wife and Samuel McMullen and wife. The present pastor is Jaines H. Miller, who holds regu- lar services in the church every two weeks. At present the con- gregation numbers about 100.
Baptist Church .- There was a man by the name of Zigler, a Methodist, who built the church abont 1854. The building was put up by the Methodists, but there being some incumbrance up- on it the Baptists took it off their hands and now control it. The
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