USA > Indiana > St Joseph County > History of St. Joseph County, Indiana > Part 83
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Gustavus Rosenwinkel, Pastor of the Lutheran Church, Misha- waka, was born Feb. 10, 1850, at Hesse Cassel, Prussia. His parents were Henry J. and Anna (Hoff) John, who died on ship- board while on their way to America in 1854. He was then but four years old and was taken and adopted into the family of Henry Rosenwinkel; was reared on a farm in Du Page county, Ill., until 15 years of age, when he entered Concordia College at Fort Wayne, Ind. Here he remained at hard study for six years; he then took
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a three-years' course in the Concordia Theological Seminary at St. Louis, Mo. He began his ministerial labors in 1874, in the town of Warsaw, Wis., where he labored for two years and three months with success, having four congregations under his jurisdiction. In November, 1876, lie began his labors with the Mishawaka Church. He also has charge of the Church at Woodland, in Madison tp. He was married in April, 1875, to Miss Catharine Katt, by whom he has 3 children, viz .: Gustavus, Hugo and John.
John J. Schindler was born in Buffalo, N. Y. Feb. 11, 1851; his parents were Andrew and Rosa Schindler, natives of Germany; he was educated in St. Joseph Academy; came to Mishawaka in 1864, and engaged in the flouring mills of Mishawaka for eight years; then, in 1872, established a hotel and saloon in company with his brother, the real estate being owned by their mother; they also carry a stock of groceries, and do a good business. Mr. S. is, besides, an insurance agent, and agent for ocean steamship lines. He was married, May 4, 1879, to Miss Christina Fierstos, by whom he lias one child, Ollie; they are members of the Catholic Church.
Charles F. Shinn was born in Mahoning county, Ohio, May 23, 1837, and is a son of Abram and Margaret (Wilkins) Shinn, natives of New Jersey; he was reared on a farm nntil thirteen years old; at this time he began in life for himself, working by the month for different parties; in 1870 he brought a portable saw-mill to this county and located with it upon sec. 31, Penn tp., where he operated it until 1879, and sold it. It is now owned and run by W. Cook. Mr. Shinn was married Feb. 16, 1860, to Miss Mary Boner, dangh- ter of Andrew Boner. He is now engaged in farming on the origi- nal place (sec. 31), and owns 60 acres of valuable land.
John W. Smith was born in France May 1, 1814; his parents were George and Margaret Smith, who came to America with their family in 1828. They remained in Canada three months, when they removed to Stark county, Ohio. In 1835 they removed to this county, where they found plenty of hard work to do in clearing away the logs and brush and preparing the way for the prosperity of future generations. Mr. Smith was married in 1833 to Miss Lucy Ann Weaver, by whom he has had 10 children; 9 are living, viz .: Susannah, Catharine, Mary A., Lucy A. and Eliza, Adam, Geo. W., John M. and Helen. Mr. Smith is engaged in farming and stock-raising on sec. 32, and owns 120 acres of valnable land. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are members of the Lutheran Church.
William C. Smith was born in Clinton county, Ind., June 27, 1838; is a son of John and Margaret (Logan) Smith, the latter a daughter of John Logan, one of the pioneers of Clinton county. The first ten years of his life was spent on a farm; he went to Champaign county, Ill., in 1857, but soon returned; he peddled cook-stoves throughout Northern Indiana for two years, and in 1863 came to Oceola, where he engaged with the L. S. & M. S. R. R. Co. as watchman; he soon afterward became the agent at this
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place, and except five years, has held that position; was married in 1861 to Miss Adelia James, by whom he has had 5 children; Chas. A., William J., Marion W., Minnie M. and Cora Bell, who was scalded to death when two years old. In 1863 Mr. Smith lost his right arm when in the act of coupling cars.
Cornelius Smyser was born in Adams county, Pa., ten miles east of Gettysburg, Dec. 20, 1820; his parents were Michael and Re- becca (Terree) Smyser; he attended school with the Studebaker Bros .; was brought up on a farm until 17 years old, when he learned the carpenter's trade; but this not agreeing with his health and taste, he abandoned it at the age of 20. He went to Wayne county, Ohio, with his parents in 1838, and in 1841 he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and engaged in gardening. This he afterward abandoned and worked in a lumber yard awhile. He was married in 1845 to Miss Ann Eliza Wilson, by whom he had 8 children; 7 living, viz .: Alonzo W., Melissa J., Eliza, Ida, Josephine, Emma and Albert. He came to this county in 1852, and is engaged in farming and stock-raising. Mr. S. resided 11 months in Pike county, Ill. Mr. and Mrs. Smyser are members of the M. E. Church.
Jacob C. Snyder, mechanic and farmer, Mishawaka, was born in marion county, Ohio, Sept. 17, 1825. The first eleven years of Mr. Snyder's life was spent on a farm; at that early age he manifested snch a desire to use edge tools that he was apprenticed to a carpen- ter. At the age of 18 years he had so mastered his trade that he superintended the erection of a large barn for his father, who, in consideration of that work, gave him his time. He followed his profession until 1850, when he married Miss Catharine E. Arthur, and removed to Madison tp., this county. Here he engaged in farming until 1865, when he removed to Mishawaka to educate his children, of whom there were 6; there are 5 now living, viz .: John W., Arthur B., Henry J., Schuyler H. and Sarah M. Mr. Snyder pursued his profession in Mishawaka until 1879. He is this year (1880) attending to his farm adjoining Mishawaka. His sons are all mechanics also. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder and their children, Henry J. and Sarah M., are worthy members of the Baptist Church at Mishawaka.
John Squires was born in Butler county, Ohio, June 12, 1810, and is a son of Burges and Sophia (Case) Squires, natives of Ver- mont. He was brought up on a farm and educated in a subscription school, which was taught in a round-log cabin; the seats in this pioneer school-house consisted of split logs, as also did the writing desks and the floor; the fire-place was very large and in one end of the room; the chimney was made of sticks and mortar on the out- side of the house; the base of the chimney was in a triangular shape, built up for five or six feet with split logs or puncheons, inside of which were placed dirt and stone. In 1828 Mr. S. removed to Elkhart county, Ind., settling on Pleasant Plain, near where Elkhart now stands. He states that there was then an Indian burying ground on the present site of the town of Elkhart. In
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
1830 he visited McCoy's mission in Michigan, near where Niles now stands; while there he helped husk corn; lie came to this county in 1831. He was married in September, 1837, to Miss Frances Furrow, by whom he has 9 children, viz .: Mary, Sarah A., A. Helen, Benjamin D., Norman N., Charles E., John S., Frances A. and Ida E. For 20 years Mr. S. engaged in the lumber busi- ness, but is now engaged in farming and stock-raising on sec. 6. Another historical fact in connection with the history of Mr. Squires should have a prominent place in this biography. He was in Fort Stevenson with General Harrison when that place was attacked by the British, and states that Harrison would not attempt to hold the fort, and was on the point of evacnating it, when one Col. Croghan asked for 100 volunteers to help him defend the fort. This number he readily obtained and successfully held fort, while Harrison and the remainder of his army retired into the woods some distance away to await the result. He says that the honor of defeating the British at that time rightly belongs to Col. Cro- ghan and his 100 brave volunteers, instead of to Gen. Harrison, as history gives it.
N. L. Strong was born in St. Joseph county, Mich., Ang. 23, 1847, and is a son of Elisha and Maria (Stevens) Strong, the former a native of the State of New York and the latter of Ohio. Elisha Strong emigrated to Michigan in 1834, and now resides in Oregon. N. L., the subject of this sketch, was reared on a farm a part of the time. He received his education in Michigan and in Salem, Oregon. He came to Mishawaka in 1870, where, in July, 1878, he married Miss Mary Chandler, by whom he has one child, George. He engaged in the livery business for some time in Salem, Oregon; he is now in the same business in Mishawaka, and is doing well, with a capital stock of $3,000.
John C. Strunk was born in Bedford county, Pa., Dec. 16, 1837, and is a son of Joseph and Catharine Strunk, natives also of Penn- sylvania. Mr. Strunk was reared and educated in Greensburg, Ohio, receiving a portion of his education in Greensburg Seminary. For 13 years he taught during the winter seasons, working at the milling business during the summer seasons. He removed to Elkhart in 1860, where he kept grocery for three years. He was married in 1862 to Miss Mary J. Johnson, daughter of Henry Johnson. He came to Mishawaka in 1864, and is the present City Marshal for this place, serving his second term. In 1878 he made a trip to York county, Nebraska, bought some land and returned. He is a member of the I. O. O. F.
James L. Thorp was born in Cass county, Mich., May 18, 1836, and is a son of James M. and Prudence Thorp, natives of Delaware, who emigrated to Michigan in 1834, and returned to Delaware in 1837, where James L. was reared on a farm until 12 years old, when his father died. He then lived with his uncle, William Tharp, then Governor of Delaware. He received his education at the Milford (Del.) high school. He came to Cass county, Mich.,
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
in 1854, and in 1858 to Milwaukee, Wis. He there was in the employ of the omnibus company until 1865, when he located in Mishawaka. He was married in 1868 to Miss Julia A. Young, and they have 5 children: George, James, Emma, Frank and Ida. He runs a respectable saloon in Mishawaka, and has a large custom.
R. T. Van Pelt, M. D., was born in La Porte, Ind., May 4, 1850; was reared in La Porte and Kankakee county, Ill., where he received his education; his parents are Ryan and Catharine Van Pelt, of Walkerton, this county. He read medicine under Dr. Smith and Prof. Gunn, of Chicago, and graduated at the Rush Medical College, of Chicago, in 1876; he thien practiced one year in the hospital at Chicago, also one year in Kokomo, Ind., and in 1878 located in Mishawaka, where, by close attention to business he is building up a good practice.
Daniel Vrooman, sec. 17, was born in Schoharie county, N. Y., March 11, 1811, and is a son of Bartholomew and Hannah Vroo- man, natives also of New York. He was reared on a farm, but early learned the molder's trade in Ohio, where his parents had moved when he was but five years old. He first came to this county in 1832, but returned soon. He was married in 1834 to Miss Hul- dah Whitney, by whom he had 5 children: James, Martha, Ada- line, Fannie and Charles. He removed to this county in 1845, and worked at his trade five years. Mrs. V. died May 29, 1875; and he again married Sept. 9, 1876, this time Mrs. Rhoda Gay, who had 6 children by her first husband; 5 of them are living, viz .: Frank, Anna, Ira, Eddie and Hattie. Mr. Vrooman owns 149 acres of land, besides some town property in Mishawaka, and has made it all by his own exertion.
Christian Wambach was born in Germany March 27, 1846, and is a son of Gustus and Anna E. Wambach. He early learned the shoemaker's trade; came to Trumbull county, O., in 1860, and to Mishawaka in 1868. He was married Feb. 23, 1868, to Miss Mar- garet Dielman, by whom he has had 6 children; of these, 5 are liv- ing, viz. : Annie, Johnnie, Louisa, Minnie and Emma. Mr. W. is engaged in the boot and shoe trade in Mishawaka, and does a good business.
Henry Weis was born in Penn tp. Feb. 26, 1847, and is a son of Christian and Anna Weis; was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools. In 1874 he married Miss Eliza Beyler, daugh- ter of George Beyler, of Marshall county, and they have 3 children, Mary A., George I. and an infant girl. Mr. W. owns 120 acres of valuable land on sec. 28, and is engaged in farming and stock-rais- ing; he and his wife are members of the Evangelical Association. Christian Weis, deceased, father of the above, was born in the town of Berne, Germany, in 1803. In 1831 he emigrated to America and located at Canton, Ohio, where he engaged in farming. In 1833 he married Miss Anna Heim, by whom he had 11 children, 9 of whom are living, viz .: Christina, Elizabeth (now Mrs. Zimmer. inan, of Mishawaka), Ulrich, Peter, John, Henry, Mary (now Mrs.
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Knss, of Mishawaka), Joseph and William. He came to Marshall county, Ind. in 1840, and to this county in 1847; he was a successful farmer and stock-raiser, and a very hard-working, industrions man. Prior to his death he owned 385 acres of land. He died Sept. 17, 1876, loved and respected by all. He was a worthy member of the Evangelical Association. Mrs. Weis is a member of the same Church.
J. H. Whitson was born in Lancaster, Pa., Oct. 7, 1830, and is a son of Micah and Mary (Mercer) Whitson. He was reared on a farm, and educated in the common school and at Kennet Square, Chester county, Pa. At the age of 14 years he was apprenticed to a machinist, and he soon learned his art and became very efficient. He afterward engaged in lumbering for a few years. In 1852 he became foreman in the Toledo Iron Works, which position he held until 1856, when he came to Mishawaka. He was married in August, 1854, to Miss Emma Zimmerman, by whom he has one daughter, Jessie. Mr. Whitson was brought up a Friend. Mrs. W. is a member of the Episcopal Church.
Wm. Whitson, superintendent of the wood works of the St. Joseph Manufacturing Company, was born in Lancaster county, Pa., Jan. 23, 1818, and is a son of Micah and Mary (Mercer) Whitson, deceased. He was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools. He early learned the use of tools, and has always been a mechanic, although he never served an apprenticeship. He was married in 1839 to Miss Elizabeth Fulton, a distant relative of the renowned Robert Fulton. They have 7 children, viz .: Anna, Elva, Loretto, Mary and Adell (twins) Wilzue and Viola. Mr. Whitson came to Mishawaka in 1869, where he has since been foreman, as above stated. He now has his second wife, formerly Mrs. Jane C. Wright, a native of Adams county, Pa. They are both members of the society of Friends.
John W. Wiggins, farmer, sec. 4; was born in Canada Dec. 3, 1840, and is a son of William and Margaret (Glenney) Wiggins, the former a native of England, and the latter of Ireland; he was raised on a farm, and received a common-school education; went to New York in 1865, and came to this county in 1867. He was mar- ried in New York in 1867, to Mrs. Antoinette Gay, by whom he has had 4 children; one living, viz .: Jennie. Mrs. Wiggins died in January, 1875, and in September of the same year Mr. W. mar- ried Fannie Glover, and they have had 3 children, two of whom are living, viz .: Nora and Edith. Mr. Wiggins is a member of the M. E. Church, while Mrs. Wiggins is connected with the Christian Church. He owns 90 acres of land and is engaged in farming and stock-raising; in politics he is a Republican.
Simon Yenn was born in France May 11, 1840, and is a son of Theobald and Christina Yenn, who emigrated to Stark county, O., in 1845. Simon was reared on a farm, and educated on a farm. He was married in 1862 to Miss Josephine Roth, by whom he has had 9 children, 8 living: Simon M., Mary J., Harriet E., Clara O.,
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
William H. and Franklin J. (twins) George E. and August B. He came to Mishawaka in 1863. He commenced the grocery business in 1868, and now carries a stock of $3,000 to $4,000, consisting of groceries, provisions, crockery, glassware, etc., and is doing a large business.
Charles Zimmerman was born in Germany Feb. 3, 1827; was reared on a farm and educated in the public schools of his native country ; is a tailor by trade, and came to Mishawaka in 1868, where he carries on merchant tailoring, and is doing a good business. He was married in 1856 to Miss Magdalena Linsenmyer, by whom he had one child, Magdalena. Mrs. Z. died in 1857, and in 1861 he married Elizabeth Weise, by whom he has 5 children: William, Emma, Mary, Edward and Clara.
PORTAGE TOWNSHIP.
This is 37 north, 2 east, bounded on the north by German and Clay townships, on the east by Penn, on the south by Green and Centre, and on the west by Warren, and contains 28 square miles, being four miles north and south by seven east and west. The middle of the south side is near the geographical center of the county. It is one of the first townships organized in the county, and as its history is the same as that of South Bend, the capital of the county, we proceed immediately to give a full account of this enterprising city.
SOUTH BEND.
When Alexis Coquillard established a trading post at the south bend of the St. Joseph River in 1824, for the purpose of traffic with the Pottawatomie Indians, little did he think that around this post would grow up a thriving, bustling city, with mannfactories afford- ing employment to thousands of men, and whose articles of manu- facture would be shipped to every part of the civilized world. But all this was accomplished in less than 50 years. The Indian, the sole occupant of this land at that time, was sent farther west, and where the wigwams of the braves were erected, now stand the stately mansions of the whites. Change is written upon every hand. The location of the town was well chosen, and was appre- ciated by the traveler and others as early as 1830. Says a corre- spondent of the Indianapolis Journal under date November 30, of that vear:
" Having lately traveled throngh the north part of Indiana, I am of the opinion that a description of it will not be without interest to your readers. Traveling west, I passed the southern bend of the St. Joseph river, at the intersection of the Michigan road, where it is supposed the seat of justice of St. Joseph county will ere long be established. This town, I have no doubt, will in a very few years become one of the most important towns north of Indianapolis, and it is a misfortune that the law of the last session authorizing the partial opening of the Michigan road, did not canseit to be opened to the St. Joseph at this bend, where salt manufactured at Canan- daigua, New York, of a quality far superior to any manufactured on the Ohio, is now selling for $3.50 per barrel of five bushels. I am pleased to learn that a large number of wagons from distant settlements have come to this place, through the prairie without a road, for loads of this indispensable article."
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
The early history of South Bend is closely identified with the his- tory of the county, and the history of one is the history of the other, therefore more attention will be given to a later period in what fol- lows.
THE NAME.
South Bend was so named in consequence of the town being lo- cated upon the south bend of the St. Joseph river, and therefore only expresses locality. Several attempts have been made to change its name; column after column of newspaper articles have been writ- ten in favor of and against the proposed change. The name St. Joseph's City was once proposed and found many advocates, but was rejected by the people, and so the name remains as originally bestowed upon it by Alexis Coquillard and his associates in the beginning.
LOCATION HERE OF THE COUNTY SEAT.
The first commissioners appointed by the Legislature of the State for the location of the county seat selected a place about two miles down the river from South Bend. This did not please the people, and a petition was circulated, and the signature of nearly every voter in the county obtained, changing it to this place. The proprietors of the place offered very favorable inducements to secure. its location and the change was made.
When it was settled that South Bend should be the county seat, confidence was instilled in the minds of the settlers and those who desired to locate here, and improvements were at once commenced. The town was laid out, lots sold at a fair price, buildings were erected, and South Bend at once began to reach out. Its growth was slow for some years, but it has never once taken a backward step. A steady growth has always been kept up, which has in the last few years been quickened by the introduction and enlargement of its manufactories, but never exhibiting a mushroom growth.
REMINISCENCES OF SOUTH BEND.
A writer in the St. Joseph Valley Register, in 1876, when the minds of men were being drawn to historical events, thus writes of the early days of South Bend:
"South Bend was quite a prominent point in the Indian country long before any town was laid out. Niles and Mottville were the first laid-ont towns on the St. Joseph river, but long before they were first settled the American Fur Company had a trading post at South Bend, for the sale of Indian goods and the collection of furs, which drew around it quite a little settlement of white peo- ple, directly or indirectly engaged in trading with or living off the Indians. Then as far back as 1827, Col. Taylor opened an Indian store at this place, so that when the county was first organized,
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
South Bend had two dry-goods stores. These two establishments, and the few people who collected around them, made it, before it had a name, more attractive to cmigration than either Niles or Mottville.
" In 1831 the new town began to put on the airs of a village, though standing trees were not ent out of Michigan street until the next year, except as needed for fire-wood or fence rails. The Michigan road was cut out in 1832. This cleared the standing timber from Michigan and Water streets, and gave us all the room we needed for street purposes. All that part of the table-land between the river and what we call the bluff, was covered with a beautiful growth of oak and hickory-mostly burr oak from 40 to 50 feet high. By proper thinning ont and careful preservation of the rest, South Bend might have made one of the most delight- fully shaded towns in the United States.
"Among the leading men of 1830-'31 were Alexis Coquillard and Lathrop M. Taylor. They were the Indian traders. Coquil- lard at that time had charge of an Indian store owned by himself and Comparet, of Fort Wayne. It was successor to the American Fur Company's store. Taylor had charge of one owned by him- self and Judge Hanna, of Fort Wayne.
" Samuel L. Cottrell moved into the St. Joseph valley as early as 1827. He was the first elective sheriff in the county. He was a large and powerful man and rather combative in his younger days. He served as sheriff two terms afterward. He was always regarded as an honest man, and faithfully and promptly discharged his official duties. St. Joseph county never had a better sheriff than Samuel L. Cottrell.
"There was considerable building in the new town in 1831, though the houses were small-mostly log cabins. Peter Johnson built a story-and-a-half frame house on the corner where Coonley's drug store now stands, in which he kept hotel for many years. Benjamin Coquillard also kept a house of entertainment at the junction of Pearl and Washington streets, and so did Calvin Lilley, on the ground where E. P. Taylor now resides, at the corner of St. Joseph and Pearl streets. Alexis Coquillard also commenced the erection of his new dwelling-house, the same now owned by Joseph Miller on Michigan street.
" In the spring of this year Peter Johnson built the first regular keel-boat for general freighting on the St. Joseph river. I do not remember her name, but I remember well seeing her launched. It was done with due ceremony. A man stood on the bow with an uplifted bottle of whisky, and as she sailed into the water, broke it over the bow, thereby insuring the boats future success. This boat did the freighting on the river that year and its share of busi- ness for many years afterward. The venerable Madore Crate, still living in our midst, was her captain. From that time until rail- roads were built into the St. Joseph valley, the river was the great highway over which the merchandise into and out of the county
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
was transported. Several steamboats were engaged in the business from 1835 to 1852.
" Horatio Chapin also, at this time located in our midst. He started his goods from Detroit by way of the lakes as early in the spring as he could, but they did not reach here until July, when he opened the first general dry-goods store not connected with the Indian trade. He commenced business in a hewed-log cabin on St. Joseph street, on the lot where Mrs. Massey now lives. He was about twenty-eight years old, and as strict a Presbyterian then as when he died. I remember his goods came up the river on Satur- day afternoon, and were immediately piled out on the bank of the river, but there were no teams to be had to haul them up to the store that afternoon. Next morning there were plenty, but next morning was Sunday, and no man or beast could work for him on that day. So the goods had to lie there, exposed to the weather, with nobody to look after them until Monday morning. He was one of that kind of men that if he said the horse was 16 feet high he would stick to it; at least he never would be argued out of it. If he changed his opinion it would be of his own volition, not from what any one else would say. For the first year or two he did quite a thriving business, and then he was unfortunate in losing two stocks of goods on the lakes. He was the first county school commissioner, and as such had charge of the sale of the sixteenth section of school lands. This office was held by him for several years, and as long as he would keep it, always discharging his duties up to the spirit of the law; as he did everything else.
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