USA > Indiana > Steuben County > History of Steuben County, Indiana, together withbiographies of representative citizens > Part 43
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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY.
circuits, some of which were as large as presiding elders districts are now, two years Presiding Elder in Muskingum Conference, three in North Ohio, and three in Tennessee, in the employ of the Missionary Board from 1872 to 1875. From his home in Dayton, Rhea Co., Tenn., he writes: "I have not lost my old itinerant fire. I would like to do some good yet, But, oh! I am so sorry that the church has got into contention over the secrecy question. It does not seem like the same church that I joined when I was a boy. Then we were all of one mind on that ques- tion. And it does not seem like the same in reference to its stretch after popularity. Then we were a plain, humble people." He gained his knowledge of theology by burning the midnight lamp, on horseback, and in his buggy. All honor to the old itinerants.
In 1876 Rev. J. Brown was Presiding Elder and Rev. J. N. Mar- tin in 1877. Rev. A. H. Dunlap traveled the mission two years, and lived in the parsonage. He was well liked, but on account of op- posing influences, and being shut out of school-houses during school terms, there was but little advancement. The Palmiter difficulty at South Camden caused several to leave the church. The spirit- ists or spiritualists at Harris' school-house for awhile held an organization. The Mormons thought to usurp Clear Lake, but found the people too intelligent. Brother Dunlap preached at seven appointments. He joined annual conference in 1874, and was ordained in 1878. He traveled several years in the itineracy, and the " Irishman" is now located on a farm in Ransom, Mich. He married Mary Baldwin, a sister of Rev. Burton Baldwin, of Metz, Ind.
In 1878 Rev. J. N. Martin was Presiding Elder and Rev. D. Holmes, Pastor. The want of meeting-houses was forcibly illustrated this year by thirty conversions and three accessions at the M. E. brick church at Otsego. Rev. David Holmes was born in Richmond, Va., in 1824, and at the age of nine was apprenticed to a shoemaker. He came to Williams County, O., in 1853, and joined the U. B. church the next year, and taught school. He entered the itineracy in 1856, and traveled twenty-eight years-four as Presiding Elder. He preached at nineteen appointments every three weeks, and re- ceived $170 for his year's labor. He reported about 600 conver- sions. In 1884 he took a transfer, and now resides at Princeton, Franklin Co., Kan.
The North Ohio Conference was held in Mt. Zion church, Steu-
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ben County, Ind., Sept. 3, 1879, Bishop J. Dickson, D. D., presid- ing, Rev. W. H. Clay, Secretary. Fremont Mission was raised to Fremont Circuit, for one year. Rev. J. K. Alwood, Presiding Elder of West District, and S. J. Colgan, who had been converted only about eight months, Pastor. Nettle Lake appointment of Hillsdale Circuit was attached to Fremont, but would not receive the preacher, nor the new circuit. This year there were thirty-eight conversions at South Camden and only eight joined the church. At South Cam- den class, Peter Seely, Wm. C. Johnson and Robert Seely were elected Trustees to build a meeting-house. Afterward R. Seely resigned and Orrin Odell filled the vacancy, and they built a good house in 1881.
Rev. Stephen J. Colgan, the youngest of eight children, was born near Stryker, O., Jan. 30, 1848, and brought up under Chris- tian influence; attended school at Bryan Academy, and became a school-teacher. At the age of seventeen he was converted in a meeting held by his oldest brother, J. R. Colgan, of the M. E. church. He had a call to preach, but, Jonah like, he " went west" and remained in a backslidden state until he became "obedi- ent unto the heavenly calling," in which he is meeting with success. He joined annual conference in 1880, and was ordained in 1882. Soon after he came to the work he married his second wife, Mary M. Godard, a school-teacher, and occupied the parsonage.
Rev. J. D. Snyder, of Waterloo, Ind., was Presiding Elder in 1880 and Rev. G. Robinett, Pastor. George, son of John and Mary Robi- nett, was born in Holmes County, O., March 28, 1838, and removed to De Kalb County in 1847. He was converted in a prayer-meet- ing at the age of seventeen, received license to preach in 1876, and ordained in 1880. He married Mary A. Geddes in 1858, who is an excellent companion in his pastoral work. His oldest son, John, is Leader and Superintendent of the Sunday-school at South Camden. He traveled Fremont Mission three years, and received seventy-five into church, and three church houses were erected. The first year he organized a class at North West, O., of twenty- five members, T. F. Whaley, Leader, and George Ward, Steward.
F. Brouse, C. Egelkraut and S. Lash were elected Trustees in Feb. 1881, to build a meeting-house at Clear Lake. M. and S. F. McElhenie built for them a neat frame 28 x 38 feet, at a cost of $942.19, not counting some work, and it was dedicated by Elder J. Brown, March 26, 1882, and called Sugar Grove Chapel.
St. Paul's Church, at South Camden, Mich., built by W. and E.
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Strunk, and cost $1,200. It is a neat frame 28 x 40 feet, dedicated by Rev. J. D. Snyder, of Waterloo, Jan. 8, 1882.
March 8, 1882, C. Hemry, Wm. Davis and B. J. Adair were elected Trustees, and built Summit Chapel in York Township, a substantial brick 30 x 40 feet, costing about $1,500, which was dedicated by Rev. J. Brown, Dec. 27, 1882.
March 3, 1883, a Board of Trustees was elected to build a church at North West, O., and began work, but not being properly incor- porated a second board was elected and failed, and finally Aug. 16, 1884, T. F. Whaley, G. Ward, Jacob Brosia, Fred Winters and J. Robins were duly incorporated, and finished the North West Chapel, of brick, which was dedicated by Rev. D. B. Keller Sept. 25, 1884.
Rev. Joseph Brown, of Salem Township, was Presiding Elder for 1881. He began as an itinerant in 1863, and has been Presiding Elder about six years. He has gathered many sheaves in life's harvest.
Rev. Daniel B. Keller was elected Presiding Elder in 1882 and continued three years on the West District. His parents live at Hudson, in this county. He entered North Ohio Conference in 1875, and was ordained in 1878.
SUGAR GROVE CIRCUIT.
The following is the fourth item of the report of the Committee on Boundaries at the annual conference September, 1883: 4. " That pleasant view appointment of Hillsdale Circuit be attached to Fremont Mission, and that it be raised to a circuit and called Sugar Grove Circuit. Rev. J. H. Crouse was assigned to Sugar Grove Circuit, and returned for the year 1884-'5. He was born in Wayne County, O., 1847, converted in 1879, admitted to annual conference in 1881, and ordained in 1883. He reported forty-one accessions last year, and has received about seventy his second year, having received sixty-one at Sugar Grove Chapel. He was a soldier in the late war, and now lives on his farm at North West. .
Pleasant View is a new frame church in North West Township, Ohio. The Trustees are: H. A. Hoverstock, J. M. Heiserman, G. Kent, W. F. Kentig and 1. A. McLain. Rev. Ira A. McLain lives at this class and has done much to establish the church there. He was recommended to the North Ohio Conference in 1876, and ordained in 1879.
Sugar Grove class has ninety-two members in 1885. The follow- ing is their list of official members of the class and quarterly con-
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ference: John McElhenie, Daniel Clark (deceased), Frederick Brouse, Cyrus Bronse, L. I. C.Young, Nathan Odell, Sen. (deceased), Wmn. J. McElhenie, Jacob Terry, D. B. Teeters, A. C. Cooper, Samuel Lash, Christian Egelkraut and B. M. McLouth. S. F. MeElhenie and Charles Ansley were appointed Assistant Leader and Steward for the young people's prayer-meeting this year. Among the older members we might mention G. W. Brattin, J. J. Berry, L. F. Gary, J. H. Jennings, S. Geedy, F. Winters, besides many younger brethren that will be heard from in the future. They have one of the best Sunday-schools in the county.
Summit class has sixty-one members: Martin V. Garn, George French, Charles Henry, Wm. Weiss, Henry Clock, B. J. Adair, Hiram Davis, Jos. Davis, Ed. Roberts (deceased), Wm. Davis, Dan. Gregg and David Welton complete their official list for the class and quarterly conference. John Barnes and many promising young people belong to this class. They have a good Sunday- school here, and also at each of the churches on the circuit.
Aunt Becca Hemry, Mother Brouse and the many good sisters will long be remembered by many a weary itinerant.
The Sunday-school work is prosperous in this vicinity. There have been three annual Sunday-school picnics at Sugar Grove, which were attended by seven schools in 1882, by eleven schools in 1883, and by thirteen schools in 1884, which were very encouraging to Sunday-school workers, showing by the thousands who attended, the interest that the people have in the good work.
Among the ministers that preached here many years ago were Revs. J. Thomas, E. H. Curtis of California, and Father John Hiscock, a Methodist local preacher who died in Jonesville, Mich., a few years since. He truthfully said, "How often the local preacher prepares the way for a revival, and the circuit preacher comes on and reports the success to conference."
RED-RIBBON MOVEMENT.
Steuben's citizens are as a rule temperate, and hardly a county in the State can show so few saloons and habitual drunkards. But so widespread is the monster evil of intemperance, that in the best communities there is still need for temperance work. There has been but one concerted effort made here, and that was the cele- brated "red-ribbon movement," which was pushed all through the Northern States by Dr. Reynolds in 1877. This leader visited all the large towns, remaining in each several days, until the move-
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ment was well organized; and then from these towns as centers, local workers and lecturers were sent ont over the country until clubs were formed at every possible point. The clubs received their name from the fact that the members wore conspicuously tied in a button-hole a small red ribbon. Dr. Reynolds himselt was a reformed drinker. The pledge which members were re- quired to sign was very strict, the use of sweet cider even being prohibited.
The movement was a little slow in reaching this region, but when it came the citizens were so familiar with its name through newspaper accounts of its wonderful progress elsewhere that they gave it a substantial welcome. Thursday evening, April 26, 1877, A. P. Johnson, of Lansing, Mich., after giving notice of his pres- ence in town, and intentions in prosecuting his work, met a large assembly of Angola's citizens at the M. E. church. There was aroused at once an enthusiasm quite unexpected in behalf of tem- perance. At Lansing, by the way, Dr. Reynolds had made a per- sonal campaign of one week, and had achieved unprecedented success. A club was formed whose membership rapidly swelled to over 1,000-half the voters of the city and surrounding town- ship. Lansing sent out local organizers all over Southern Michigan.
Mr. Johnson was very successful. The first night's work was encouraging, and another meeting was called for Friday evening at the east church; while on Saturday night the west church was occupied. The crowds became eager and earnest. The interest grew to an intensity incredible to one not a participant. On Sun- day afternoon and evening the several churches dispensed with their usual services, and in the interest of the cause of temperance, joined at Concert Hall in one grand mass-meeting. This assem- bly was by far the largest, most interesting and enthusiastic of any description ever held in Angola. A club was organized and went right at work. Some 400 names were enrolled at the meetings, and these were made honorable by the weight given to the onward movement. Of the persons so combined, old and young, many were not a little addicted to the cup. But they stepped boldly out of their old ruts and came up on the right side of the great and soul-stirring question.
Soon after, a club was formed at Jackson Prairie, which in a few days had a role of 102 names. This was organized by Rev. E. Hall, of Orland. A few other clubs were started at various points
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in the country, with more or less success. That at Angola had quarters fitted up in Jackson's Block and maintained the interest for a long time.
There was great need for this movement in our midst. No one could realize the extent of the habit of drinking until the turning began, and showed the depth and strength of the whisky ranks, when so many who were singularly devoted to the other side of the temperance question were constrained to break their old allegiance and enlist under the banner of reform. When scores of such be- gan to walk up to a new starting point, then it became apparent that there was a chance-a grand chance, to do good. And that good was done. Hundreds took hold of the matter with an ear- nestness never before felt. The formal organizations died out after a time; many broke their pledges; and some were disappointed at the result; but the fact is indisputable that some of the results of the red-ribbon movement were permanent.
DROWNED IN THE LAKES.
The beautiful lakes with which Steuben County abounds look innocent enough, and they afford abundant pleasure to those who seek it, but there are dangers which no ordinary care can avoid, and several persons have ended their lives when trusting too mneh to the kindly disposition of the water. A prominent case in point occurred Thursday, Dec. 27, 1877, when a fishing expe- dition resulted in the death of two of Angola's citizens, and the very close escape from drowning of three others. The names of the drowned were Simon L. Yandes and Samuel Truesdell. The others were David Yengling, H. Menzenberger and U. L. Piper.
These five men went to Silver Lake, abont three and a half miles west of Angola, for the purpose of fishing, and started from Castell's landing just before dark. The boat was a large, new and stanch row-boat, with capacity for carrying six or eight persons. After rowing around the east side of the lake a half a mile or more, and when it was dark, they struck a light and commenced fishing-having excellent luck. When at or near Ward's Cove at the southeast part of the lake, and not very far from shore, by some means which none of the survivors could explain, the boat suddenly tipped over and all went into the water. Yandes and Truesdell were at the time of the mishap seated in the stern en- gaged in rowing. The others were standing in the boat.
When capsized, all five of the men, though suddenly doused in
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the water, were entirely free from alarm or fear, and all retained their presence of mind, thinking the accident would amount to nothing more than a good wetting and the loss of a few fish. They were, of course, in sudden darkness, but thinking them- selves so near the shore they all called it a wet joke and counseled together as to the best course to take in the dilemma. In attempt- ing to turn the boat right side up, they, however, worked rather precipitously, and it turned several times over and remained bottom side up as before. They then thought it best to cling to it in that condition and try to work it toward the shore. After proceeding about fifteen or twenty feet they found themselves en- countering the marl-bed which characterized the bottom in that part of the lake. This was a serious disadvantage to them, for they could not find resting place or solid bottom. They, however, kept trying to advance the boat, and worked manfully and with presence of mind and calmness for half an hour or more, when it was discovered that they were making no headway and that the boat was held by the inverted jack-staff in the thick marl.
Mr. Yengling, who was at the bow, got under the boat and at last succeeded in disengaging the jack-staff. This took some time and the men were getting somewhat tired out with their exertions. They now began to cry for help, hoping that perchance somebody on shore might come to their assistance. But after calling for a long time, no help came. Their struggles in the water and mud, which now had on the surface a large quantity of kerosene oil from the jack-lantern, rendered them anything but comfortable, and some of them began to have fears that their success was by no means certain. The old gentleman, Yandes, was becoming quite exhausted and could do no more than to cling to the stern of the boat and keep his head above water. At last they suc- ceeded in reaching the bogs, but were now unable to get the boat any farther, and there was no bottom to the mud-only a soft quagmire over or through which they found it well-nigh impossi- ble to proceed.
Piper, Yengling and Mentzenberger, however, essayed to make their way through, a distance of about thirty feet, to the harder land. Mentzenberger's strength failed him and he sank between the bogs, but Piper, who seemed to be the stoutest one in the party, assisted him up several times, and they finally reached firmer ground. So also did Yengling, but in a very exhausted condition and unable to get farther. Truesdell and Yandes re-
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mained at the boat, having raised their bodies upon it somewhat. They could not venture to strike for the shore, but were told to await help where they were. Piper, after much difficulty, made his way through the woods to Mrs. Ward's house, nearly a half mile distant, and then to John Castell's. Mr. Castell and his hired man proceeded immediately with lanterns to the scene of the dis- aster, and found Yengling and Mentzenberger nearly chilled to death on the shore, whom they assisted to Mrs. Ward's house.
About the same time Silvester Lock and Ben Wheaton, who had heard the cry for help while a great distance from the lake, came to the scene and found that Truesdell had fallen from his po- sition on the boat and was dead in the mud. Yandes was still alive, but unable to move or scarcely speak. There also came Joseph Sharrett and William Henry and others; when, after much work in brid ging the quagmire, Truesdell's body was taken out and Yandes was rescued in an insensible state. Mr. Yandes re- vived sufficiently to express his desire to be saved, but in about five minutes after he was taken into the house he died. Mr. Piper went to the village and gave an account of the fatal advent- ure, and several of the citizens started forthwith for the lake. Yengling and Mentzenberger remained in the room with their dead comrades until vehicles from town came to carry them home, which they reached about midnight or after.
The next morning the corpses were brought to town and taken to the homes they had left the evening before, full of life and hope. These homes were now scenes of heartrending sorrow and lam- entation. On Sunday morning following the funeral of Mr. Truesdell was held at the Disciples' church, Rev. W. P. Als- worth, Pastor, officiating. In the afternoon, the funeral services of Mr. Yandes were held at the Methodist Episcopal church, Rev. G. B. Work, Pastor, preaching the sermon.
The funeral of Mr. Yandes was attended by the Odd Fellows, he belonging to the lodge at Anburn, from which town he had a short time before removed.
Mr. Yandes was born in Wabash County, Ind., in 1832, and was in his forty-sixth year. He was formerly Postmaster at Auburn, De Kalb County, and moved with his family from that place to Angola the summer of 1877. He was a harness-maker by trade, and worked for Israel Kemery at that business at the time of his death. He left a widow and nine children, in straightened circum- stances. Mr. Trnesdell was born in or near Goshen, Elkhart
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County, and was in the thirty-fourth year of his age. He was also a harness-maker by trade. He left a wife and three small children.
STEUBEN'S OLDEST INHABITANT.
For nearly five years this county enjoyed the distinction of hav- ing among its citizens a genuine centenarian. This was Willard Dewitt, commonly called "Grandfather" Dewitt, of Scott Town- ship. He was born in Herkimer County, N. Y., March 26, 1776, and died at his residence in Scott Township, this county, Jan. 28, 1881. He had consequently arrived at the advanced age of 104 years, ten months and two days. He was the father of eighteen children, twelve by his first wife (six sons and six daughters) and six by his second (four sons and two daughters). At the time of his death there were living of his first family one son, Daniel De- witt, a farmer of De Kalb County, fifty-nine years old, and a daughter somewhere in the State of Michigan; and of his second family four daughters were living, Linda, aged about seventeen; Eva Belle, fifteen; Nettie, thirteen; and Ollie, ten years.
He was first married in the State of New York, where he owned a small farm, when about twenty years old. This wife died in August, 1860, aged eighty-two years. The following April he was married to a Mrs. Sarah Mudd (nee Grubb), who had lived with her first husband less than two years, when he died, and who was the second time left a widow by the death of Mr. Dewitt, in 1881. She is yet living in good health.
Mr. Dewitt had been a farmer all his life, having owned a small farm in the State of New York. He sold this before emigrating to Summit County, Ohio, when he purchased a farm of 100 acres. He sold this, came to Indiana and settled in De Kalb County in 1843. He remained there twenty-one years, when he came to Steuben County and settled on the Roose farm in Scott Township. About 1870 he removed to Angola, and two years later he returned to Scott Township, where he lived until his death.
During our war of 1812 Mr. Dewitt served in Captain Ichabod Bartlett's company of New York militia, and for the last nine years of his life he received a Government pension of $8 per month, ob- tained for him by Lawrence Gates.
His funeral at the Methodist Episcopal church at Angola was very largely attended. He had been for years a devoted member of that denomination, and during the preaching of the funeral dis- course by Elder Wiggins, the speaker referred to an attempt made 31
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a year or two previous to prove that the old man had turned Uni- versalist. Before his death, Mr. Dewitt made the following denial of the statement :
" WHEREAS, There has been circulated in the Steuben Republican and, I am informed, in other papers, the statement that I had been a class-leader in the Methodist church, and now when over 105 years of age I am an Universalist, let me state a few facts: I feel very much grieved that any one should think the Devil had got me, as he did Mother Eve, to believe a lie that I might be damned. It is true that I have been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church for forty years, and filled various offices in that society and exhorted men to flee from the wrath to come. It is true I have been a member of the Wesleyan Methodist church for many years endorsing its reformatory principles. I am trying to live godly in Christ Jesus, and only regret whatever I may have fallen short in my efforts so to do. I believe there is a Devil to despise and re- ject; I believe there is a God to love and obey; a hell to shun, a heaven to gain. ' I am looking earnestly toward the place Jesus is preparing for me, that where he is I may be also, and I would dis- own the kinsman that wonld circulate so base a falsehood on an old man whom God has blessed and kept in the world for more than a hundred years. As many papers as have circulated the former, please copy. This is signed with my own hand.
"WILLARD DEWITT."
For some years previous to his death, his age was stated and be- lieved to be two years more than subsequent investigation war- ranted; hence the apparent discrepancy in his statement above that he was over 105 years at the writing of the letter, with the fact that he was less than 105 years old at death.
A LUCKY FIND.
In the latter part of November, 1884, while a carpenter at Hamil- ton, was engaged in making some repairs on the Sewell Flouring Mill, he came across an old can which was subsequently thrown ont doors. A boy by the name of William Renner, in passing along gave the can a kick with his foot and was greatly surprised to see a $10 gold piece roll out. A close examination revealed the fact that the can contained $250 in gold, and enough greenbacks of the issues of 1862 and 1863 to make the total amount $721.50. When the excitement over the finding of such a sum had somewhat subsided, the questions arose: How came the money in the mill? and
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to whom did it belong ? Persons who were residents of the county twenty years ago, remember that the then owner of the mill, a man by the name of Colton, was found dead in the building one morning, with every evidence that he had been strangled. He was known to have had a considerable amount of money a short time before, and as the money could not be found, suspicions were aroused that his death was not self inflicted, but that he had been murdered for his gold. No evidence tending to prove that he had been foully dealt with appearing, the coroner's jury re- turned a verdict of suicide; and in the score of years that passed, the matter had nearly passed from the public minds.
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