USA > Indiana > Whitley County > History of Whitley County, Indiana > Part 5
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self gave personal direction to the building of the fort at the confluence of St. Mary's and St. Joseph's rivers, now Fort Wayne. Enterprising Frenchmen at once established themselves and carried on a large trade with the Indians, having a water ronte direct to Lake Erie.
The earliest commandant was Sieur Courthemanche, and in his diary for 1681 he speaks of the superior otter skins pur- chased from the Indian tribes living north and westward about thirty miles from the post, and remarks the hospitality with which the Indians received his men. There can be no doubt, therefore, that white man visited Whitley county in 1681.
The story of La Salle's return to France, the royal favor and assistance, his return, his discouragements amid rising hopes and finally his death by violence in 1687, are not pertinent to this narrative.
In 1714, Gov. Alexander Spotswood, of the colony of Virginia, a man of energy and foresight, viewed with alarm the push- ing of the French into this undefined coun- try. He urged on the English king and ministry measures to reach into this country and take possession, as against France. The king and his advisers were slow to act, and the aggression first assumed shape through private capital and enterprise, and as early as 1716 they attempted to bribe the In- dians to their standard against the French, Naturally, the French used the same weap- ons, and thus white men encouraged and bribed the Indians into inhuman barbarism and treachery, and were the real cause of the trail of blood and savage warfare that per- vaded this country for more than a hundred years, during the claim and counter-claim of
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these countries, kept up until after the ces- sion of the country to the colonies, indeed lingering until after the second war with England in 1812.
In June, 1759, three hundred French militia and six hundred Indians marched from the Illinois country to the Mississippi, thence they went by canoes down that river, then by way of the Ohio and Wabash to its confluence with Eel river, thence up Eel river to a point near the headwaters of the Maumee (Fort Wayne), thence to Lake Erie. This great army came up Eel river to some point in Union township, Whitley county, and across to Fort Wayne on the trail already established by the traders.
French dominion practically ceased over the territory in 1761, though peace was not concluded with England till the following year, but the state of affairs in this country practically remained the same, the French contending after the treaty of peace that they were to have possession of the Maumee, Eel and Wabash rivers. George Crogan, of Pennsylvania, Sir William Johnson's sub- commissioner, visited the country with an escort in 1765, traveling from Logansport along Eel river to the Union township port- age to Fort Wayne. He records of his trip through what is now Whitley county, as follows: "We traveled along Eel river, passing through fine clear woods and some good meadows, though not so large as some we passed a few days before. The country is more overgrown with woods, the soil is very fine and rich and well watered with springs. This stream runs through as fine country as the world affords."
Throughout the English and French claim and occupancy of the territory, the
missionary priest was an occasional visitor to Whitley county, traders from Fort Wayne and from the Elkhart country came and went, soldiers and adventurers passed through, but no record or monument is left of their doings. Within our limits was neither fort nor stockade, though we were not far from the protected ramparts of Fort Wayne. Even the once busy carrying place between Blue and Elkhart rivers, known to French records, is lost and will never be found, though used by white men, and a veritable highway for the Pottawottamies for perhaps centuries, and entirely aban- doned little more than a hundred years ago. Gathering the fragments of history relating to this once important thoroughfare, study- ing the topography of the country, giving importance to early tradition and evidences as late as 1840, we feel quite sure the route struck Whitley county at or about Cold Springs and followed the little stream to Loon lake and wound deviously among our chain of lakes by way of Shriner lake, then a place of importance among the Indians, and that from Round lake it led almost di- rectly to the north line of section 17, in Smith township. The proof is not suffi- ciently conclusive to positively state this was the route, but all evidence obtainable warrants the belief that it was.
At the treaty of peace between England 'and the colonies, the mother country insisted on fixing the western boundary of the United colonies at the Ohio, but unaware of the richness that lay between, tired of the long war and with humbled pride, finally agreed on the Mississippi. The treaties by which the Indians were divested of their title to this section, are all of record in the nation's
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archives, but would be too tiring and con- fusing if attempted to be followed here, many of the monuments having long ago perished. The most important and the one worth considering in a general historical article, is that of Greenville, Ohio, August 3, 1795.
The first attempt at white man's civil local government over this territory was in 1778, during the war of the Revolution. when the English organized the county of Kent, Upper Canada, with seat of govern- ment at Niagara Falls. The north and east boundaries of this county were characteristic of the period; understood by those who made them perhaps at that time, but now indefinable by anyone, but the southern boundary was the fortieth parallel and the western the ninetieth meridian, so that pres- ent Whitley county is surely within the lim- its of the original county of Kent, Upper Canada. An election was held, and Wil- liam Grant and William McComb were elected as members from Kent county to a legislature that soon after convened at Ni- agara Falls. There is scant record in exis- tence of the work of that legislative body, and nothing that in any way concerns us. It is likely they did but little than resolve fealty to the crown in the impending strug- gle. After Great Britain had relinquished her sovereignty over ns, her subjects har- rassed the few settlers for many years, as- suming to control them in their helplessness. The colonies were thoroughly imbued with the fact that they were so many little sov- ereignties, independent of each other. They had fled from oppression of various forms in the old world. Their thoughts of govern- ment. religion and even family control,
were widely divergent, and it required the best statesmen and patriots, with the blood of the Revolution yet upon their clothes, to secure among them that tranquillity for which they had fought so hard and endured so much.
There were different colonial claims of ownership over the newly ceded territory not within the original limits of their re- spective colonies. Especially was this so in regard to this, the northwest territory, north of the Ohio river and west of Penn- sylvania. The question, after vexations, quarrels and delays, was finally settled by ceding all these claims to the general govern- ment, and the newly acquired domain be- came national. Massachusetts claimed this particular territory as against Virginia, but never attempted to exercise political con- trol, and ceded it to the general government, April 19, 1785. Virginia did exercise authority and control, and we were clearly a part of that sovereignty from the time British control lawfully ceased till the creation of the northwest territory with a territorial government.
October, 1778, (Vol. IX, P. 557, Stat- utes at Large) the general assembly of Vir- ginia organized the territory west of the Ohio and adjacent to the Mississippi, into the county of Illinois, and appointed Col. John Todd commandant, who exercised un- disputed authority and therefore settled the title in Virginia. Todd transferred certain powers to a Mr. Le Gras and a court was held at Vincennes. Thus, in October, 1778, we were Illinois county, Virginia, or Kent county, Canada, as the fortunes of war might decree between England and America.
English title extinguished and Virginia
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title ceded to the general government, July 13, 1787, congress passed an ordinance for the government of the Northwest Territory. It provided for the appointment of a gov- ernor for three years unless sooner revoked. He must reside in the territory and own at least one thousand acres of land. A sec- retary was to be appointed for four years and must reside in the territory and own at least five hundred acres of land. A seal was also provided, a rude form of government established and recognized. The creation of a national territorial government over the Northwest Territory dissolved the county of Illinois, state of Virginia.
On April 30, 1802, congress passed a law that when the territory within certain limits should adopt a constitution, it should be ad- mitted as the state of Ohio and thus Ohio became a state in the Federal Union in 1803, without ever having had a distinct territorial government. Ohio as it now is was never a territory except as originally a part of Northwest Territory. August 15, 1796, in the absence of Gov. St. Clair, Secretary Winthrob established Wayne county, and it was the third county in Northwest Terri- tory. This action caused some ill feeling between the governor and his secretary, the former believing such county government, so far away from the seat of territorial gov- ernment, might bring about a clash of authority, but the county was established with seat of government at Detroit and we became Wayne county, Northwest Terri- tory. The southern boundary began at the southernmost point on Lake Michigan and ran south-eastwardly to Fort Recovery, Ohio, passing through present Huntington county, taking in present Whitley county,
but the line was quite near the south-west corner of Whitley county. From Fort Re- covery the line ran almost due east through Ohio to the western reserve.
Upon the establishment of Indiana terri- tory, in 1800, Gov. William Henry Harrison thought best to define the line anew, and by proclamation, January 14, 1803, he declared all that part of Indiana territory lying nortlı of a line drawn from the southernmost point of Lake Michigan to Fort Recovery, to be Wayne county, Indiana territory, and we were changed from Wayne county, North- west territory, to Wayne county, Indiana territory, the seat of government still being at Detroit, that territory still being a part of Indiana territory. January 11, 1805, Michigan territory was cut off from In- diana territory with line as now between the states. There was no legislature in Indiana territory until after Michigan was taken off in 1805, but on the 7th day of March, 1803, Governor Harrison, by proclamation and without warrant of law, and it was. openly charged, for the purpose of further- ing some financial schemes of relatives, laid off the county of Dearborn, the line ex- tending from the Ohio river to the north line of the state, and at least far enough west of the east line to include all of Whit- ley county. The county seat was Lawrence- burg. In 1810, the legislature formed a county in the north-east part of the state and far enough south to include nearly, if not all of Huntington county, and to it was given again the historic name of Wayne, and we were included. In 1818, the county of Randolph was created by legislative act and we fell within its limits. In 1823, the county of Allen was created and we became
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a part, with Fort Wayne as county seat. The only record in Allen county affecting this territory was the naming of all original Whitley county, Murray township, Allen county, and the survey of the Goshen road through present Smith township. In 1834, Huntington county was created. and by the same legislative act the original boundaries of Whitley county were defined, but the act recited that we were attached to Hunting- ton county for judicial purposes.
The second record pertaining to Whit- ley county is in Huntington county. In 1834. Whitley county was, by the legisla- ture, defined and described as nine congres- sional townships, and was attached to Hunt- ington county for judicial purposes. As there was no organization of any kind here, there was no reason for any jurisdiction be- ing extended over the few straggling settlers except to protect their persons and property with law, should any occasion present, but this jurisdiction carried the right to extend local government over the territory should necessity arise. Allen county, in 1830, had located the Fort Wayne and Goshen road across its territory and through this county over the trail and substantially as it runs to-day through Churubusco, but few of the monuments by which it was marked exist to-day and no surveyor could ascertain at this time just where it did run, there having since been many changes of record in both counties.
The entire original county of Whitley was surveyed in the years 1828 to and in- cluding 1840, and books for entry were opened at Fort Wayne in March, 1830. The survey began in the south-west corner of the county, and all that part of township 30.
range 8 (now Cleveland township), south of Eel river, was surveyed in 1828, by Basil Bentley. In 1834, John Hendricks sur- veyed all of range 8, north of Eel river, being the remainder of Cleveland, all of Richland, Troy and Etna townships; the latter at that time was not a part of this county. Washington township was sur- veyed by Basil Bentley and William Brook- field in 1834. All of Columbia township, except the Reserve, was surveyed in 1834. by John Hendricks. The Reserve of four- teen sections, at Seeks Village, were sur- veyed in a whole tract, and report made and work concluded in October, 1827, by Chaun- cey Carter, and in 1840, the same man sur- veyed the reserve into sections to conform with adjoining lines. John Hendricks sur- veyed the whole of Thorncreek township in 1834. Basil Bentley surveyed all of Jef- ferson township except the reserve, in 1828, and Chauncey Carter surveyed the reserve in 1840. John Hendricks surveyed all of Union township except the reserve in 1834, and as before stated, Chauncey Carter sur- veyed the reserve in 1840. David Hill sur- veyed all of Smith township in 1829. All the lands in the county were entered or sold by the government at the Fort Wayne land office, except that ceded by the general gov - ernment to the state as swamp lands, and these were disposed of by the state from the Indianapolis land office and ran through many years up to comparatively recent time. Much of these swamp lands, considered worthless, have become, through drainage, the very best in the county. In 1833, Jesse W. Long entered one hundred and twenty acres, and George Slagle eighty acres, all in section 36, Smith township, and Absalom
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Hire forty acres in section 35, same town- ship, and this comprised all the entries of that year. In 1834, the entries covered three thousand four hundred seventeen and five-tenths acres, all in Smith township, ex- cept the north-west quarter of section 13. in Cleveland township, entered by M. P. C. Wood, and the north-west fractional quarter of section 7. in same township, by Morse P. C. Wood, undoubtedly the same person. By the first of January, 1836, there were one hundred and twenty-one tracts entered in Cleveland township, sixty-six in Richland, twenty in Washington, twenty-six in Colum- bia, fourteen in Thorncreek, ninety-six in Jefferson, thirteen in Union, fifty-five in Smith and none in Troy.
The price at which the land was sold by the government was one dollar and twenty- five cents per acre, in. lots to suit purchaser of not less than forty acres, and first come had first choice, but to us of to-day it would seem the early purchasers selected the poorest instead of the best lots. Such change has clearing and drainage made. that much of the first entries are the very poorest of our farms, and that so long rejected the very best.
Whitley county being defined in bounds and by congressional townships, but with no record distinctly its own, the residents of township 30, range 8, applied to the commissioners of Huntington county at their September term, 1836, for an order to hold an election in said congressional township for justice of the peace, which was granted. The date of that election is not preserved, but return of same was made to Huntington, on November 3, 1836, as follows :
Jesse Cleveland, Candidate.
Henry Swihart, Inspector.
Palmer Cleveland, Judge.
Samuel Obenchain, Judge.
Benjamin H. Cleveland, Clerk.
David H. Cleveland, Clerk.
The above six persons cast their votes for Jesse Cleveland: there were no other votes cast. This election was held at the house of either Jesse or Benjamin Cleveland : the weight of evidence is that it was at Jesse Cleveland's home, which was also the home of Benjamin H. At the time of hold- ing this election, it was decided to name the congressional township 30, range 8, Cleveland. Henry Swihart, many years after a resident of the county, proposed the name, which was seconded by Obenchain, and Swihart put the vote, himself and Obenchain voting aye, and no one voting nay. The four Clevelands refrained from voting. On January 2, 1837, Henry Swihart was allowed by the Huntington county board three dollars for making re- turn of the aforesaid election.
On Monday morning, May 15, 1837, the Huntington justices, John F. Merril and Leander Morrison, met to do business as a county board, but Jesse Cleveland, from Whitley county, had not arrived. Partly in pleasantry and also to show the exercise of authority. these officers ordered an at- tachment to issue for Cleveland. At one o'clock he was present, and after making full explanation, was purged of contempt.
After reciting in their record that these three were the only justices within the two counties, they elected Jesse Cleveland presi- dent of the board. They ratified the name of Cleveland for township 30, range 8, and as there were no other township organiza-
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tions, ordered that Cleveland township. in Whitley county, embrace all that part of Huntington county known as Whitley county, and all of Whitley county became Cleveland township, Huntington county.
Whitley county was named in honor of Col. William Whitley, who was killed at the battle of the Thames, in Canada, in the war of 1812, and the legislature at its session in 1833 and 1834 defined its boundaries.
On June 10, 1834, Samuel Smith entered the south-east quarter of section 34, in township 32, range 10, and in October of the same year located on his land and lived on it till his death in 1863. The largest early settlement was in the south -east corner of Smith township, and the few set- tlers gathered at the home of Samuel Smith on the 20th day of August, 1837, and all signed a petition to the Huntington county board asking that the township be named in his honor. Therefore, at its September term, 1837, it was ordered by the Hunting- ton county board that township 32 north. range 10 east, be organized and known by the name of Smith township, and that the remaining east half of Whitley county be added to Smith township and that the west half of Whitley county remain Cleveland township. An election was ordered to be held in said Smith township (east half Whitley county) on the last day of Novem- ber, 1837, to elect a justice of the peace. Richard Baughan was appointed inspector of said election and George Penn was ap- pointed road supervisor of said township. At this session it was ordered that all that part of the Fort Wayne and Goshen state road running through the north-east part of Whitley county comprise the first road dis-
trict of Whitley county, and that all persons living in the aforesaid Smith township (east half Whitley county) be attached to said road district.
Robert Starkweather, of Whitley county, was appointed commissioner to survey, re- locate and properly define said Fort Wayne and Goshen road through the county.
During the month of October, 1837, Na- thaniel Gradeless wrote a petition asking the Huntington county board to organize town- ship 32, range 9, into a civil township and or- der an election for justice of the peace. This was signed by Benjamin F. Martin, Adam Egolf, Joseph Egolf, John H. Alexander, Martin Overly, Peter Shriner, Daniel Hive- ly, Jacob Shearer and Jacob Brumbaugh. Opposite each name was given the choice of name for the township by each subscriber. Five chose the name of Thorncreek, in honor of the little stream in the north-west corner of the township, already called by that name. Two chose the name of Lake; two others had no choice. Accordingly, on November 6, 1837, the Huntington county board ordered that township 32, range 9, of Whit - ley county, be organized and known and designated by the name of Thorncreek town- ship, and that Nathaniel Gradeless be ap- pointed inspector of an election to be held at his house on the first Monday of Decem- ber, to elect one justice of the peace.
In view of the coming organization of the county the few citizens of township 31, range 8, began to bestir themselves for a township organization. The principal movers were William Rice and Edwin Cone. They per- sonally invited all the settlers to meet at the home of William Rice on the east half of the southwest quarter of section 5, on the 15th
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day of October, 1837, for the purpose of nam- ing the township and asking for an organiza- tion. David Hayden lived at the extreme north-west corner of the township. Just as he was entering the opening in front of the Rice cabin he met William Cordell and Zebulon Birch and they began an animated discussion of the richness of the soil. Each insisted be had the richest land. Arriving at the house, the discussion assumed a gen- eral form, and several others, each with just pride, told of the richness of his own land. Finally, Edwin Cone said he thought the matter for which they came together was already settled, that each man had very rich land, that was all rich and that they had already unconsciously named it Richland township. The remark was so timely that each good naturedly passed the pet name he intended to insist upon and all acquiesced in a name that had not been thought of be- fore. Therefore, on November 6, 1837. (same day Thorncreek was named) it was ordered by the Huntington county board that township 31, range 8, be organized and known and designated by the name of Rich- land township, and an election was ordered at the home of Ezra Thompson on the second Monday in December, 1837, and William Rice was appointed inspector of said elec- tion. This election was held near the north- east corner of the northwest quarter of sec- tion 9, and just west of the old family bury- ing ground of the Thompson family.
The legislature of Indiana, at its session of 1837 and 1838, declared Whitley to be an independent county from and after the first day of April, 1838, and Governor Wal- lace appointed Richard Baughan sheriff to serve until after the election. His
first duty was to call, advertise and cause to be held, elections at such places as he would dleem most easily of access for the voters, for the purpose of electing a county clerk, recorder, two associate judges and three county commissioners. There were but four organized townships, Cleveland, Smith, Richland and Thorncreek, and four places of voting in these townships were desig- nated as follows: One at the home of Lewis Kinsey in Cleveland township; one at the house of Andrew Compton in Rich- land township; one at the house of Richard Baughan in Thorncreek township, and one at the house of John N. More in Smith township. This election was held the first Monday in April, 1838. There was no fear of repeaters or illegal voters. Voters residing in organized townships were required to vote in such townships. Voters living in unorgan- ized townships were ordered to vote at such designated places as might best suit their convenience. There were no newspapers in which to give notice, but notice was required to be posted at twenty-five conspicuous places in the county, at least one in each con- gressional township. They were placed on trees along Indian trails, and on the doors of settlers' cabins. A few days before the election, a caucus of convention was called at the home of Calvin Alexander, on the creek in north-east quarter of section 33 in Thorncreek township, for the purpose of considering candidates for the offices. About twenty-five citizens attended. It was not like the latter day political caucus. All politics was eliminated and the settlers met to become acquainted, to discuss questions concerning the future of the new county and to select candidates fitted for the offices
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