USA > Indiana > Whitley County > History of Whitley County, Indiana > Part 40
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ond church building was erected at the cross- roads a cemetery was laid out which now contains quite a number of graves.
Cornering the farms of Daniel Baker, Charles Baker and Joseph Stults, on section 20. is an old abandoned cemetery which was started about the year 1845. Jonas Baker owned the land at that time and the lot originally contained about one-half acre of ground but at the present time the space given to this city of the dead is a lot of about seventy-five by one hundred feet. A recent visit to this place revealed what time and neglect have done for many similar places in Whitley county ; it is overgrown with vines and shrubs and not one of the monuments or tombstones that had been placed at the graves by loving hands is now standing, but all are leveled with the earth, and the in- scriptions, many of which were quite artistic at the time, are now deciphered with diffi- culty. This cemetery was nicely located on a high piece of ground, at the foot of which winds a little brook and had it been con- tinued as a cemetery, could have been made a beautiful place. As near as could be as- certained from the inscriptions on the time- worn grave stones, the first person buried here was Jacob Shank, a young son of Henry Shank, who died in February, 1845. and as before stated was the first birth and the first death in the township, and the following April, Susanna, wife of Henry Shank, was buried here. The last person buried here was John Shank, who died April 16, 1865, aged fourteen years and six months. The oldest person interred in this place was Jacob Ollinger, who was born May 4, 1777, and died in 1855.
Some of the names of persons buried here are: Bills. Shank, Weybright, Har-
ber and Karns. About thirty years ago the remains of some of the persons buried here were removed to other burial places by relatives and friends and the place was abandoned as a cemetery. Fourteen graves were found but it is likely that there are several more which were never marked and are now grown over with grass and weeds and cannot be found.
The grave of an Indian child was found near the center of section 24 in 1844. A cavity had been chopped in a large pop- lar log, the remains of the child placed there- in and a slab of wood neatly fitted over the place. It was not disturbed further than to discover what it really was and the log laid there until time reduced it to mother earth again.
In early times wild game was plentiful in Washington township and many of the early pioneers were successful hunters. Deer and wild turkeys were quite numerous and occasionally a bear was seen. Wolves made night hideous with their howling and some- times the scream of a panther was heard at night in the woods.
Jacob L. Maring, who lived on section 24 from 1844 to 1864. has the record of killing fifty-seven deer and it said that he killed the first and the last deer at which he shot ; they were both bucks, and the last one was shot in Jawes Broxon's cornfield in Jef- ferson township. but it led the hunter a live- ly chase and it was in the vicinity of "Dev- il's Holler," in Allen county, that the game was finally killed. Anthony Poinsett and Robert S. Bell, of whom mention is made in the history of Jefferson township, often hunted in Washington township. The form- er had a double-barreled shot gun and when two reports in quick succession were heard
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in the woods it was known that Mr. Poin- sett was in the vicinity.
Robert S. Bell related that in 1844 he went hunting one day when there was quite a snow on the ground and at about I o'clock he killed a deer and dressed it, then hung the carcass on a bent sapling and started on his back track for home. It was getting dark when he reached home and the next morning he got one of his neighbors to help him and it took them nearly all day to get the game home, for they had to follow the tracks of the day before. Afterward, when Mr. Bell was better acquainted with the country, he found that he had killed the deer within a quarter of a mile of his own cabin. Mr. Bell also related that about two years later he was hunting one day when the snow was quite deep and having gone about two miles from home he saw a man with his sleeves rolled up above the elbows, raking and digging in the snow with both hands. When he came closer he saw that it was Jacob VanDorsen, and on inquiring the trouble. Mr. VanDorsen said that as he was about to shoot at a deer. the hammer had fallen off his gun in the snow and he was trying to find it but before the hammer was found the deer was gone.
Bazaleel Tracy once killed a wild turkey gobbler with a rifle and although he fired only one shot. the ball passed through the turkey's head and broke both legs and both wings. There was only one way in which this could be explained. The turkey was strutting and at the moment the fatal shot was fired it was about to pick up something between its feet.
John W. Johnson, who settled on section 10 in 1853, had the record of killing thir- teen deer after he came to the township. One
evening Mr. Johnson had gone to a neigh- bor's, and on his return and just after he had entered his cabin, a panther screamed near the door, having followed him home. A gun was fired to scare the animal away. Soon after this a panther killed a two-year- old heifer for Mr. Saunders.
John Kaufman was a successful hunter and killed a number of deer and much other game.
.An old resident of the township says that the last successful and genuine old-fashioned fox hunt in Whitley county was in Washing- ton township on Saturday, January 4. 1873. Captain F. M. McDonald was manager and Enos Goble secretary. Several hundred men and boys formed lines entirely around the township and pressed to the center. The lines started under the lead of captains at nine o'clock and at eleven o'clock they had a number of foxes surrounded in Peter Crea- ger's field. Six foxes were killed and- the carcasses sold at auction. They brought from one dollar and five cents to one dollar and thirty cents each exclusive of the scalp. At that time the county paid a bounty of two dollars and fifty cents for fox scalps. This law remained in force until March, 1883, when it was repealed.
About 1867 David Ummel was killed by falling from a wagon while going to Colum- bia City and on February 8. 1877, Luther Jones was killed by a falling tree near what is now Maple Grove church. January 29. 1889, Lewis Cupp was killed by a log rolling upon him while hauling logs near the village of Peabody and John P. Rittenhouse was drowned at the gravel pit near the north- western part of the township on June 17. 1888. and on May 5, 1885. John Wolford was killed by lightning at Peabody station.
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In January, 1880, Mathew Tracy, a res- ident of Washington township and a son- in-law of Martin Bechitel, mysteriously dis- appeared. He had gone to South Whitley on horseback and late in the evening. after taking supper at Rev. P. J. Ward's, the Baptist minister's, had started for home and as he did not reach home search was insti- tuted the next morning, which resulted in finding the horse in a corn field with the saddle still on but no rider; further search was made and on the bank of Eel river a package of coffee and a first reader that Mr. Tracy was known to have purchased for his little boy was found, also indications of a struggle and marks in the snow that appeared as if something might have been dragged into the river. It was believed by many that Mr. Tracy had been murdered and his body thrown into the river, but no further evidence to prove this theory was discovered and the mystery has never been explained. It has been rumored that Mr Tracy has been seen in the west and there are many who believe that he voluntarily absconded for reasons of his own and en- deavored to leave evidence that would con- vey the impression that he had been mur- dered.
In educational matters Washington township has had about the same experience as her neighboring townships. The first schoolhouses were built of logs with punchi- eon floors, slab benches and writing desks along the wall. At first the schools were sustained by subscription and usually con- tinued for eight or nine weeks during the winter. John E. Kates, who became a resi- dent of Washington township on October 2. 1840, says that his first experience in going
to school, he went with a sister and two brothers nearly three miles from home to a log schoolhouse in Huntington county, fol- lowing a blazed trail through the woods. In ivinter they started about daylight and did not get home until after dark. Once it rained all day and in the evening everything was afloat and before they got home they had to wade water up to their armpits and their clothing was frozen stiff.
Josiah Kates, Joseph Stults, William Stults. Enos Goble, William E. Merriman, Milton B. Emerson and John Alexander were among the first teachers in the town- ship. The first order to pay school funds to teachers was dated April 11, 1853, was for $26.50 and was issued to John Alexander. In 1858 the township was divided into nine school districts and each district had a log schoolhouse. The division remains the same today, but each district is now pro- vided with a modern brick school building, which is up to date in every way. The schoolhouses are located just two iniles apart over the township.
Under the old law all children between the ages of five and twenty-one years were enumerated and in March, 1858, the enu- meration of children amounted to one hun- dred and fifty-one males and one hundred and fifty-seven females, making a total of three hundred and eight pupils. Under the present law all children between the ages of six and twenty-one years are enumerated and the number enumerated in 1906 were : Males, two hundred and twenty-nine: fe- males, two hundred and nineteen, making a total of four hundred and forty-eiglit.
The old "Hickory" schoolhouse, or, as it was sometimes called. "Washington Hall."
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is said to have been the first institution of learning to be planted in Washington town- ship and was erected about sixty years ago, the exact date cannot be given. It was not a building of extraordinary facilities, but the way in which it was built and the mate- rial with which it was constructed made it famous. In dimensions it was sixteen by eighteen, with ceiling about seven feet high, and was constructed entirely of peeled lick- ory logs or nearly eighteen inches in diame- ter. The floor was made of hickory punch- eons : the writing desks were made by driv- ing pins into auger holes in the wall, on which a wide board was laid, and the seats were hickory puncheons with pegs driven in for legs. A horizontal window. eight feet long, containing one sash, admitted the light. The door was closed with a latch string and the roof was clapboards held in place by weight poies.
The first teacher was Josiah Kates and he was followed by William Stults, Abner Hines, Enos Goble, Zephaniah Johnson, William E. Merriman and others. Some of the pupils were: George W. Stults, Melissa, Anna and Mary Ellen Bechtel. Mathew Tracy, George, Henry, John E. and Eliza- beth Kates, David, George, Benjamin, Ja- cob and Mary Hennemeyer, John and Thomas Sickafoose, Thomas, Sabina and Mary Emery, Fanny, Elizabeth and Henry Huffman, Henry Decker, Martin, Lewis and George Weybright, Catharine and Elizabeth Shank, Elizabeth, Daniel, Margaret and Jane Baker, Elizabeth and Mary stults and perhaps others.
In winter one of the sports of the chil- dren was to take one of the puncheon benches and slide down the large hill just south of the schoolhouse, which was located
011 section 29. on the farm now owned by John F. Kepler.
About forty-five years ago this primitive schoolhouse was vacated for school pur- poses and a frame schoolhouse was built on the northwest corner of the farm owned by the late Frederick Morrell. This house was quite modern at that time and in dimensions was about eighteen by twenty-two feet. Harmon Holmn commenced teaching the first term of school in the building, but after continuing about two months, in some mys- terious way the building took fire and burned to the ground. The patrons were determined that education should not be abandoned and in two weeks' time they had erected a hewed log house and school was progressing at the same place as if nothing had happened. The teachers in this house were: Joseph Stults, Seneca Heath, Eliza- beth Kates, John Miller, Miss Henry and Sabina ( Emery) Wince.
In 1874 the log schoolhouse was vacated and a frame house thirty by forty was erect- ed on the southwest corner of the Henry Emery farm. Enos Goble was the township trustee and Edward Burch and Jacob Swartz contractors. This school district has been known as No. 9 and the frame building served the district until 1905. when the patrons of the school voted that they should have a new school building, similar to the one in District No. 4. and accordingly William A. Hauptmeyer, trustee, awarded the contract to R. F. Gardner, of Hunting- ton, for $3,570, and a brick structure with all the modern improvements was erected. Miss Florence Essig taught the first term of school in the new building and Miss Chella Kaufman is the present teacher.
The old frame schoolhouse was pur-
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chased by Thomas Emery and has been con- verted into a corn crib and wagon house. Some of the teachers who held forth in this building were: Julius A. Vergon, Louisa Goble, Addie Foster, Alonzo B. and James Joe Goble, Rufus C. Saylor, Martin Wag- ner. Frank Douglas, Lemon A. Connell, H. M. Carson, Robert J. Emerson, Lesta Em- erson. Carl Sonder, H. E. Emery, Lincoln L. Lee, Charles E. Weybright. Bessie Kep- ler and J. Lee Emery.
The first term of school in what is now district No. I, in Washington township, was taught by Jacob Huffer about 1853 in a log house that belonged to Elijah Johnson and stood about eighty rods west of where the present schoolhouse in the district stands. It was a subscription school of two months and among the pupils were two young ladies who were taller than the teacher and at the beginning of the term they did not know their "letters," but they learned very rapidly and at the close of the term they could read and spell quite well.
AAbouttwo years after this a log school house was erected on the southeast corner of section 2, where the Maple Grove church now stands, which was used for school pur- poses for about six years and among the teachers who taught in this house are re- membered : John W. Crowell, John Best. Simeon Huffman, Philander Ginger, etc. About 1862 the log schoolhouse was vacat- ed and a frame schoolhouse was erected for the district by Enos Goble, trustee, a few rods south of the crossroads, on the east side of the road. It is said that after the building was completed it was necessary to put in a center post to keep the house plumb, but Mr. Goble declares that the center post
was not in the contract. Among the teach- ers here were: Miss Adaline Foster, Miss Mary Ellen Bechtel, D. V. White and oth- ers. In the early 'seventies this house was destroyed by fire, Miss Irene Haney being the teacher there at the time. A frame schoolhouse was then built on the corner where the present school building stands. which served the district until the brick schoolhouse was built, the old house being sold to Jolin Gross and moved to his farm near by. Jacob A. Montavon taught the school at this place during the winter of 1877-78, but was taken sick and died before the term was finished.
In early times this school was known as the "Poor Hook" school, but while the name might have been appropriate at that time, it certainly is a misnomer now and is justly resented by the people of the district and the school is now known as the "Maple Grove" school. Charles R. Stoner is the present teacher.
The writer has been unable to collect any data of the early history of the school in District No. 2 in Washington township. this school is known as the "Shafer" school and in 1899 was provided with a modern brick schoolhouse with all the up-to-date conveniences of this progressive age. Jo- sephi Creager was the township trustee at that time and John Bennet was the con- tractor. Miss Dora Goble is the teacher of this school at the present writing.
More than fifty years ago a log school- house was built near the center of section 8. in Washington township, the location being then in the midst of a virgin forest and not near any public road. It seems strange that a schoolhouse should be so located, but the
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reason given is that it was the most con- venient for the pupils attending.
Reuben Long was one of the board of trustees at that time and Jacob Olinger was the first teacher. Some of the pupils at- tending this school were: Mrs. Lewis Wey- bright. Washington, Elijah, Jacob and Lewis Long, Mrs. Catharine Obenchain. Jolin and Albert Montz, etc.
This building was finally vacated for school purposes and a frame schoolhouse was erected about eighty rods west of the location of the present schoolhouse in dis- trict No. 3. on the north side of the Illinois road. Joseph Stults says: "I was township trustee at that time. One night there was a meeting of the patrons of the school and by the light of blazing logs a decision was reached that resulted in the building of the little 'red schoolhouse." "
This house served the district until 1881. when the present brick schoolhouse was built by William Chamberlin, trustee, and is the only one now standing of which the history of Washington township of 1882 says: "There are at present four neat brick schoolhouses, costing about $3.600." D. V. White taught the first term of school in the brick schoolhouse and some of the teachers who have served the district in the past were: John W. Stoner, Noah W. Krider. Amos E. Redman, Charles E. Weybright. Edward Metz. H. E. Emery, Mrs. Mae Carter, Wilbur Miller, J. Lee Emery. B. Frank Stickler and others.
In 1862 Joseph Stults, trustee, assisted by the citizens of the community, erected a hewed log schoolhouse where the okdl brick schoolhouse that was afterward built for district No. 4. in Washington township, is
still standing. Elizabeth Stults was the first teacher and she was followed by Frank Harber, John Bash, Mary ( Emery) Huff- man, Fanny ( Huffman) Emery and others. The log house was vacated for school pur- poses about 1872 and a brick house thirty by forty was erected in its stead by Enos Goble, trustee, David Shoemaker being the contractor. Martin Wagner was the first teacher and he was followed by Leroy Tho- man, Frank Harber, Rufus C. Saylor, Jo- seph Wagner, Hattie Shank. Frank Emer- son. Lemon A. Connell, Sherman Wey- bright. John Lung, George W. Laird. Charles Lawrence, Horace S. Kaufman, Charles E. Weybright, Marion Grable, H. E. Emery. Earl Henderson, Asher McCune. Rose Coverstone and Maud Obenchain.
After serving its purpose about thirty years, a more suitable building was needed and the patrons of the district voted for an up-to-date building with all the modern con- veniences. Charles D. Stickler was the trustee and the contract was awarded to .Waterfall & Son. of Columbia City. The building, which was erected in the fall of 1903. is of brick and is heated by hot air. Miss Florence Essig was the first teacher and was followed by Mrs. Bessie Keiser. The school is in a prosperous condition and has an enrollment of about forty pupils.
In 1878 Peter Creager, trustee, erected a substantial brick schoolhouse at the cen- ter of the township, which was provided with an ante-room for election purposes ; but man proposes and time disposes, and in 1882 the county commissioners divided the township into two voting precincts, known as north and south Washington, and or- dered that elections be held in the north
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precinct at No. 2 schoolhouse and in the southi precinct at No. 8 schoolhouse, so the election room at the center was no longer used for election purposes. This brick building replaced an old frame schoolhouse that had served the district for many years. Among the early teachers here are rement- bered Oliver P. Koontz, afterwards county sheriff; Rev. J. D. Coverstone, Miss Mollie Glazier, H. H. Wagner and others.
The brick schoolhouse served the dis- trict until 1901, when it was replaced with the present high school building by Charles D. Strickler, trustee, Erdman & Wyankoop. contractors.
Elisha Swan, who was one of Wash- ington township's teachers forty years ago, relates the following experience :
"I taught school in the old Red Front schoolhouse in district No. 6, about one and one-fourth miles west of the Maring's settlement. The house was made of planks, with the front end weatherboarded and painted red. Some of the schoolhouses in the township at that time were log houses. I had fifty-one scholars enrolled and an average attendance of forty-seven. One cold morning, soon after commencing the day's work. James Merriman opened the door and told us that the house was on fire. Every- body was excited. We boosted Adamı Metz- ler up through the scuttle hole in the ceiling. handed him a bucket of water and a tin cup and told him to be careful to get the water on the fire. The fire was soon put out and Thomas Merriman and Philip Wince brought an iron kettle, made a fire and heat- ed some water, then dug up the frozen ground and made mortar, with which they built a flue around the stovepipe. We went
on with the school work and they finished about noon.
"A few days later the school was again thrown into a state of excitement. A flock of wild turkeys crossed a fence a few feet from one of the windows of the school- house. Roscoe Kaufman ran across the floor and asked me to let him go home and tell his father about the turkeys. I let him go of course. Mr. Kaufman went after them, but did not get any, as some one had gone through the woods and turned the course of the birds."
In the early 'seventies the old "Red Front" schoolhouse was replaced with a substantial frame building by Enos Goble, trustee, and S. G. and D. C. Robbins, con- tractors. This building served the district until 1891, when it was vacated and a brick schoolhouse was built for the district and located one-fourth of a mile east and one mile north of the former location. This school is known as district No. 6, and Earl Moyer is the teacher at the present time.
The school in district No. 7, in Wash- ington township, is known as the "Catholic" school, as the schoolhouse is located across the road from the Catholic church and the greater portion of the patrons are of the Catholic faith. It is supplied with a sub- stantial brick schoolhouse and Miss Maggie Ness is the teacher there at the present time.
The school in district No. 8, in Wash- ington township, had about the same experi- ence in its early struggles as those in the other districts in the township. Some time in the 'sixties a frame schoolhouse was erect- ed for the district, but the architect evidently did not lay his plans as well as did the one who designed the great Mormon temple at
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Salt Lake City, as the building had not been completed very long until it became badly swagged and its ungainly appearance gave it a name that clung to the school for many years and it was known as the "Sway-back" schoolhouse, but by those who did not like
that name called it "Tracy" schoolhouse.
The old "Sway-back" schoolhouse has long since served its time and the district is now supplied with a modern brick school building and Miss Grace Alexander is the present teacher.
JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP.
BY R. II. MARING.
Jefferson township, located in the south- east corner of Whitley county, is the young- est township in the county in regard to both organization and settlement. It is a regular government township of thirty-six sections and is bounded on the north by Union town- ship, on the east by Aboite township in Allen county, on the south by Jackson township in Huntington county and on the west by Washington township.
It may seem strange to the present gen- eration that the first settlements in the coun- ty were made among the hills of the northern part, while the beautiful level land in Wash- ington and Jefferson townships were left ; but this is accounted for from the fact that at the time of the first settlements this part of the county presented a very forbidding appearance, a great part of it being covered by swamps and swales and the balance or higher portions were covered with a heavy growth of timber. Also at that time a great (leal of the best land was held by speculators. Lot S. Bayless, of Allen county, Samuel Hanna, of Fort Wayne, and Charles Lewis, of Huntington, were among the large land owners of the township. AAnother reason why settlers avoided this part of the county
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