USA > Indiana > Whitley County > History of Whitley County, Indiana > Part 6
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50
WHITLEY COUNTY, INDIANA.
and vote with concert of action. Abraham Cuppy was selected for clerk, Joseph Par- rett .. Jr., Nathaniel Gradless and Otho W. Gandy for commissioners, Benjamin F. Martin and Jacob A. Vanhouten for associ- ate judges. The election a few days after. ratified this action. If there were any votes for any other persons, there is neither record or tradition of it. The place designated by the state precept for holding courts was the house of James Parrett. Jr., but there being no such person in the county Richard Baughan notified the persons elected to meet at the house of Joseph Parrett. Jr .. on ground now covered by South Whitley. on the 7th day of May. In the presence of the officers elect and other citizens assembled. Baughan opened the election returns, de- clared the candidates duly elected and ad- ministered to them the oath of office on the 7th day of May. 1838. The board of county commissioners organized by electing Otho W. Gandy as president of the board and adopting the eagle side of the dime as the seal of the board of commissioners of Whit- ley county. The present seal of the board of commissioners was adopted January 4, 1840. and the organization was completed.
The first official act was to appoint Henry Pence assessor for the county for the year 1838: John Collins, treasurer: Benja- min H. Cleveland, three per cent. fund com- missioner. and Henry Swihart, county agent. The first tax duplicate, made in 1838, is still in perhaps as good state of preservation as when closed from active use and laid away in 1839. It consists of the straw board covers of a well worn atlas by Thomas T. Smiley, teacher, and published by the author in Philadelphia in 1825. It is eight by
eleven and one-half inches. It consists of eight leaves of a fairly good quality of foolscap paper, sewed in: only three (six pages) of which are used for names and taxes and the other five are scribbled over with figures, making calculations no doubt. to insure tax-payers that no mistakes were made in their computation. The handwrit- ing is unquestionably that of Richard Col- lins, whose name is inseparably connected with the early history of the county. He was the deputy of his brother-in-law, Abra- ham Cuppy. Descriptions of lands are not given nor is there any way to designate what persons are the owners of realty and who owned personal property only. The amount of taxable property is given in one column, in another the amount of county tax to be collected, and in another the amount of state tax to be collected. The amount of county tax totals two hundred twenty-two dollars and sixty cents, and state tax eighty dollars. thirty-two and one-half cents. The follow- ing is the list :
TOWNSHIP 30, RANGE 8, CLEVELAND.
Amount Taxable Property
Total Tax
Collins, John.
529.00
6.081/2
Collins, Aaron M.
70.00
2.051/2
Collins, Richard.
70.00
2.051/2
Chapman, Charles.
70.00
2.051/2
Chaplin, Stedman A ..
70.00
2.051/2
Chaplin. Moores P. . ..
70.00
2.051/2
Circle, Peter.
70.00
2.051/2
Creager, Samuel
34.00
1.64
Creager, Peter.
181.00
2.081/2
Cleveland, B. H. & F .. .
65.00
3.24
Creager, Adam.
65.00
1.25
51
Cunningham, John .. .. 65.00 1.25
Payne. David
250.00
4.121/2
Hapner. William. 65.00
1.25
Rice. William.
250.00
1.25
Kinsey, Lewis.
84.00
2.211/2
Rine, Joel.
I 10.00
2.51
Lesley, Daniel.
14.00
1.41
Snodgrass, John 169.00
3.19
McQuigg. Abner T .. .
14.00
1.25
Oliver. John.
14.00
1.25
Thomson. John.
50.00
1.25
Obenchain, Samuel ...
288.00
4.5614
Parret, Elias
288.00
1.25
Parret. William.
20.00
1.48
Parret. Joseph. Jr.
515.00
5.921/4
Parret. John
288.00
3.621/2
Parret, David D.
288.00
1.25
Parret. Anderson D .. .
288.00
1.25
Swihart, Henry.
110.00
2.511/2
TOWNSHIP 30, RANGE 9. ( Afterward named Washington township. )
Ecker, Joseph. 21.00 .2.41/2
TOWNSHIPS 31 AND 32, RANGE 8. (Richland ; and 32-8, afterwards Troy.)
Anderson, John
288.00
1.25
Cuppy, Abraham.
120.00
2.63
Burch, Zebulon.
97.00
2.37
Burns, John.
97.00 1.25
Cordill, William
97.00
1.25
Cone, Edwin
97.00
1.25
Cone, David.
18.00
.2034
Curtis, Levi.
50.00
1.821/2
Compton, Andrew
75.00
2.1114
Estlick, Thomas
52.00
1.851/2
Hayden, David.
88.00
2.2634
Hartsock, Samuel
158.00
3.061/2
Jones, John
18.00
1.4534
Kistler, Jacob.
94.00
1.00
Kistler. Jacob, Jr.
94.00
1.25
Laing, Adam.
94.00
1.25
Martin. Stephen
114.00
1.31
Perrin, Jesse S.
175.00
3.4114
THORNCREEK TOWNSHIP 32, RANGE 9.
Egolf. Adam.
146.00 2.93
Egolf. John.
65.00
2.00
Egolf, Henry
65.00
1.25
Egolf. Joseph. 81.00
2.181/2
Alexander, John H ... 81.00
1.25
Boughan, Richard. . . 405.00
5.9034
Gradeless. Nathaniel .. .
130.00
2.741/2
Gradeless, Milo.
130.00
1.25
Grable, Benjamin.
255.00
2.93
Grable, John
255.00
1.25
Hively. Jacob
18.00
1.453/4
Hively, Daniel.
58.00
1.911/4
Johnson, James.
70.00
2.051/2
Marcell. Jacob. 70.00
1.25
Martin, Benjamin F. . .
200.00
3.55
McDonald, William.
200.00
1.25
Oberly. Thomas.
200.00
1.25
Oberly, Zachariah.
200.00
1.25
Snavely, Jacob
200.00
1.25
Salts .. Frederick
200.00
1.25
Shriner. Peter.
I40.00
1.61
Neeper, James
I40.00
1.25
Shearer. Jacob.
140.00
1.25
TOWNSHIP 32, RANGE IO.
(Smith Township. )
Byran, John. .
. . . 1.25
Brumbaugh, Jacob. 160.00 3.09
Briggs, Jesse. 207.00 4.32
Blair, William. 267.00
1.25
Thomson, Ezra.
50.00
.571/2
Tinkham. Joseph.
I30.00
2.75
WHITLEY COUNTY. INDIANA.
.
52
WHITLEY COUNTY, INDIANA.
Braddock, John G .. .. .
52.00
1.85
Wolf, David.
236.00
3.961/2-
Crow, Joseph.
55.00
.631/4
Wood, Philetus.
210.00
1.25
Crow, James.
55.00
1.25
Zulman, James
210.00
1.25
Comperit, Francis.
1,920.00
23.08
Zulman, John
210.00
1.25
Dungan, Samuel
130.00
2.741/2
Roebuck, James
236.00
1.25
Davis, Isaac.
I30.00
1.25
Elmandorf, Jacob E ...
20.00
1.48
Fulk, Solomon
20.00
1.25
Garrison, Zachariah. .
79.00
2.16
Norris, John.
97.00
1.25
Garrison, Artimess. . . .
79.00
1.25
Gordon, James
113.00
2.55
Giger, Thomas.
14.00
1.4I
Gandy, Otho W.
150.00
2.97
Godfroy, John B.
132.00
1.52
Harter, George.
98.00
2.38
Jones, Benjamin.
92.00
1.06
Jeffries, Wyatt
100.00
1.15
Jones, James.
100.00
1.25
Kruzan, Benjamin
100.00
1.25
Lucas, Seth
100.00
1.25
Long, David E.
100.00
2.48
Long, Jesse W.
300.00
4.70
Long. C. W.
50.00
I.821/2
Miner, Byram D.
50.00
1.25
Miner, Samuel
324.00
3.721/2
Mayo, John R.
324.00
1.25
Noble, Silas
. .....
1.25
Nott, Thomas.
324.00
1.25
Pence, George C.
238.00
3.99
Pence, Henry .
238.00
1.25
Rousseau, James H ...
238.00
1.25
Sipe, William K .. . .
238.00
1.25
Smith, Samuel
75.00
.861/4
Spear, Jesse.
75.00
1.25
Sine, Jacob
250.00
4.121/2
Tulley, Francis
127.00
2.703/4
Turner, John.
I35.00
2.80
Vanhouten, Jacob A .. .
37.00
1.671/2
Vanmeter, William .. . .
228.00
3.87
Weller, Isaiah
210.00
2.411/2
TOWNSHIP 31, RANGE 9. (Afterward named Columbia.)
Shoemaker, Asa. . .... 65.00 1.25
TOWNSHIP 31, RANGE IO. (Afterward Union township.)
Bruce, George .. ... 1.25
Cleveland, Horace. ..
37.00
1.68
Gardner, Benjamin .. . .
109.00
2.501/2
Oman, George.
109.00
1.25
Perry, Talcott. I17.00
2.591/2
Pierce & Starkweather. 1,765.00
20.293/4
Pierce, Joseph .. 1,765.00
1.25
Starkweather, Robert .. 65.00
2.00
More, John.
165.00
3.15
Miller, Daniel
16.00
1.431/2
Nickey, Samuel.
97.00
2.37
Smith township was the most populous, Cleveland next, Richland next, and Thorn- creek close on the others. There was but one person assessed in Columbia township and one in Washington, but two in Troy. Martin and Perry, Jefferson being the only township in the county with no representa- tive on the tax list. Union had eight. The levies as recorded were one per. cent for county purposes and fifty cents per poll. For road purposes, seventy-five cents or one day's road work, for each one hundred dol- lars of valuation. For state purposes, fifty
53
WHITLEY COUNTY, INDIANA.
cents for each poll. On June 26, 1838, the board of commissioners established the com- missioners' districts, one, two and three of said county ; all of range 8 to be the first district ; all of range 9 to be the second district ; all of range 10 to be the third dis- trict, each to have one county commissioner. all to be elected by the voters of the county at large. The fifth township to be organ- ized and the first organized after the Whit- ley county machine was put into operation was Troy.
On the 3d day of April, 1839. Jesse S. Perrin and Stephen Martin met at the house of the latter to name congressional township 32 in range 8. Perrin was the first settler and lived at the extreme south line of the township near present Larwill. and Martin at the extreme north line of the township. Martin said: "You are an older settler than I am and have honored me by having the meeting at my house. You may name the township." He named it Troy, after the township in the state of New York from which he came. A petition was drawn ac- cordingly and signed by these two men only, was presented to the board of commissioners of Whitley county at their regular session on June 6, 1839, and an order entered of record that township 32, range 8, should be organized as a separate township, to be known as Troy, and that Price Goodrich should be appointed inspector to hold the first election. Following directly, or the next day, came the record establishing Union township. Early in 1839, two peti- tions were circulated in township 31, range 10, for the organization and naming of the township. One by George Oman, asking that the township be called Union, and the
other by Talcott Perry, asking that it be named Adams, in honor of President John Adams. Quite a rivalry was manifested, but Oman secured the most signatures and asked that Perry be appointed inspector to hold the first election. Perry fearing that any opposition before the board of com- missioners might endanger the organization, withdrew his petition and on the 7th day of June, 1839, an order was entered organizing the township 'and naming it Union.
Madison Switzer, David Bennett, Wil- liam H. Coombs and Daniel R. Bears were, by act of the state legislature of 1838, or- dered to proceed to Whitley county and lo- cate the county seat. They were to meet at the house of Joseph Parrett, Jr., on the first Monday in May, 1838. Switzer only appeared, and the board of commissioners adjourned till June 18th, at which time Swit- zer, Coombs and Bennett met, and after spending ten days examining sites and hear- ing arguments and offers, located the county seat on section 19, Union township, on lands now principally owned by William A. Clug- ston. The court house lot was to be near the center of the section about a half mile due east of the present Compton brick church. Lot Bayless, the owner of the lands, agreed to give the county $500, pay all ex- penses of surveying and location, and pur- chase a set of record books costing $100. The action of these special commissioners was very unsatisfactory, and the feeling was quite bitter. Corruption was charged against Bayless and others: A petition was signed by four-fifths of the people of the county, protesting against the action and presented to the legislature in 1839. The protest was so strong that the report of the
54
WHITLEY COUNTY, INDIANA.
commissioners was set aside and Isaac Co- vert, Samuel Edsall, John Jackson and A. S. Ballard were appointed a new set of com- missioners. These men, after a week's ex- amination and three adjournments, on the 16th day of October, 1839. made the follow- ing report, which was accepted by the people of Whitley county :
"We. John Jackson, A. S. Ballard, Isaac Covert and Samuel Edsall, after being duly sworn, proceeded to the discharge of our duties assigned us by law. After examining the several sites presented by those wishing to offer donations, and after making exami- nation of the several sites, do hereby estab- lish the permanent seat of justice in and for said county on section 11, town 31, range 9 east, as the best situation that can be had. "Given under our hands, this 16th day of October, A. D. 1839.
( Signed. ) "JOHN JACKSON, "SAMUEL EDSALL. "ISAAC COVERT. "A. S. BALLARD."
And the county seat was located as it stands to-day. The lands on which it was located belonged to Elihu Chauncey, a resi- dent of Philadelphia. It was fractional sec- tion 11, containing 443 acres. He was to donate half of said lands to the county and build a saw mill within the limits, on Blue river, which he did. Chauncey's deed. ex- ecuted February 1. 1840, in Philadelphia. recites :
"WHEREAS, Elihu Chauncey is the owner of a certain tract of land situate in Colum- bia township, Whitley county, Indiana. which has been selected by commissioners duly appointed, as the location of the county seat of Whitley county ; and.
"WHEREAS, Elihu Chauncey hath agreed to appropriate and convey to and for the use of said county, one-half of the lots into which the site of said town has been laid off : and.
"WHEREAS, a plat or map of the said site has been made containing twenty-eight squares, each square being sub-divided into eight (8) lots, except squares twenty-one, twenty-two and twenty-eight, which are di- vided into four lots each, which map had been certified and acknowledged :
"Now. in consideration of said premises and one dollar to him in hand paid, the said Elihu Chauncey releases and quit-claims to Richard Collins all the lots numbered 3. 4. 7 and 8 in all the squares except 21, 22 and 28, and in 21 and 22 lots 3 and 4, and in 28, lots f and 2, to have and to hold the same forever to the use of Whitley county as and for the location of a county seat."
Upon the first location of the county seat on the lands of Lot Bayless, he caused a survey and plat to be made by the surveyor of Huntington county, but the acts of the commissioners being set aside, it was never put on record. He subsequently filed a bill against the county for $246, services of the commissioners, surveys and procuring of the record books. The commissioners allowed and paid him the hundred dollars for the books and took and used them; also $102 paid the locating commissioners, but noth- ing for survey or other expenses, and he ac- cepted the allowance without appeal. At their regular term at Parrett's house in No- vember, 1839. the board of commissioners appointed Henry Swihart county agent, and agreed to meet on the site of the new town on November 25th of the same year, to
55
WHITLEY COUNTY. INDIANA.
adopt measures for laying off the new town. The board of commissioners, Clerk Cuppy and the sheriff appeared on time, but Henry Swihart not appearing, Richard Collins was appointed in his place. He being present. accepted and gave bond at the temporary county headquarters on outlot 26, on the west bank of Blue river, just north of the Pennsylvania Railroad and almost directly west of the Tuttle flouring mill. Asa Shoe- maker's house, more than two miles to the north-west. being the nearest place of habi- tation, the weather being cold and the ground covered with snow, the session oc- cupied but one day. Richard Collins was ordered at once to proceed with the survey and plat. The few straggling settlers who came in were invited to assist in naming the new town and it was done before adjourn- ment that day. Asa Shoemaker, whose wife was named Elizabeth, wanted it called Elizabethtown: Richard Collins wanted it called Beaver in honor of the Indian who once owned the nearby reserve; Little Tur- tle was also suggested. Finally at the sug- gestion of Abraham Cuppy, ably seconded by Vanhouten. the name Columbia was adopted and the new town was given that name of record on that 25th day of Novem- ber, 1839. and before any survey had begun. and the board adjourned. This was Thurs- day. On Friday, Collins began preparations for the survey, and on Saturday, under his direction, George Cromer, surveyor of La. Grange county, began work and prosecuted it vigorously. Just when it was concluded . we do not know, but it was finished before the spring of 1840. This first survey in- cluded only the town site. The remainder of the section was surveyed by the same man
in January, 1841, the county and Elihu Chauncey each paying half the expense.
David E. Long bought from Collins, county agent, in January. 1840, the lot on the north-west corner of Main and Van Bu- ren streets at a very low price, with the ver- bal agreement that he erect a building at once. He did put up a two-room frame building and had it open as a boarding house and hotel by the middle of May, 1840, the first house in the town. On the 7th day of April, 1840, the commissioners held a spe- cial session at the house of Zebulon Birch and ordered that the county agent be directed to advertise and sell or offer for sale as many lots as he may deem advisable on the 25th day of May. This was the last session ouf- side the county seat. On the 4th day of May. 1840. the board met at the hotel of David E. Long. in the town of Columbia, the county seat of said county of Whitley. On the following day it was ordered that con- gressional township 31, range 9. be organ- ized and called Columbia township, all other names having now disappeared. On the 8th day of September, 1840, there was filed with the commissioners a petition con- taining seventeen names, asking that con- gressional township 30, range 9, be organ- ized as a civil township. to be called Wash - ington, and it was so ordered. Daniel Les- ley was appointed inspector to hold the first election at the house of Abraham Lesley, on Saturday, the sixth day of the month. Thus Washington township held her first election two days after being admitted to the sister- hood of townships.
In the latter part of the year 1844. citi- zens of township 30, range 10, began cir- culating petitions asking an organization of
56
WHITLEY COUNTY, INDIANA.
the township. One asked that it be called Raccoon, another Jefferson, another Fair- field, and the fourth Polk. The competition became so animated that fears were enter- tained the commissioners would not author- ize organization. Finally, all names were withdrawn and a new petition circulated, leaving off the name and asking only for or- ganization, with the understanding that the supporters of the different names would ap- pear before the board and argue the cases. The petition was filed March 5, 1845, and the contestants agreed to appear the next day. Chauncy Hadley was the last to sign and endorsed on the back, Jefferson town- ship. On the day of filing, the commission-
ers, having heard of the jangle, concluded to pass upon it at once. Daniel Rice, president of the board, made the order on the back of the petition calling it Jefferson and it was so entered of record on the 5th day of March, 1845, and an election was ordered held on the first Monday in April. Michael C. Crowell was appointed inspector and the organization of Whitley county and all its townships was completed. The population of the county was, in 1840, 1,237; 1850. 5,190; 1860, 10,730; 1870, 14,399; 1880, 16,941 ; 1890, 17,768; 1900, 17,328.
The following tabulated statement gives the population of minor subdivisions from 1860 to 1900. the last census.
Minor civil divisions.
1880.
1890.
1900.
Cleveland township, including South Whitley town
2,295
2,516
2,774
South Whitley town
408
720
1,113
Columbia township, including Columbia City
3,583
4,396
4,364
Columbia City.
2,244
3.027
2,975
Ward i
1,081
Ward 2.
I,045
Ward 3.
849
Etna township.
577
580
535
Jefferson township.
1,523
1,577
1,468
Richland township
1,917
1,683
1,490
1,892
2,060
1,956
Smith township, including Churubusco town. Churubusco town
720
869
884
Thorncreek township.
1,488
1,322
1,338
Troy township.
924
945
847
Union township.
1,263
1,169
1.043
Washington township.
1,479
1,520
1.513
Minor civil divisions.
-1870-
-1860-
Total.
Native. For'ign. White.
Col'd.
White. Col'd.
Cleveland
2.041
1.999
42
2,04I
1,379
Columbia (b)
1,27I
1,177
94
1,269
2
1.016 (c)
Columbia
1.663
1.400
263
1.663
885
2
First Ward
355
327
28
355
57
WHITLEY COUNTY, INDIANA.
Second Ward.
255
217
38
255
Third Ward.
240
213
27
2.40
Fourth Ward.
217
182
35
217
Fifth Ward.
213
I68
45
213
Sixth Ward.
383
293
90
383
Etna (d)
429
427
2
429
Jefferson
1,263
1,199
64
1.263
871
Richland
1,723
1,659
64
1,723
1,257
Smith
1,232
1,2II
21
1,138
94
974
90
Thorncreek
1,343
1,253
90
1,343
1.037
Troy
894
886
8
893
I
1,140
Union
1,294
1,204
90
1,294
1.105
Coesse
192
I68
24
192
Washington
1,244
1,138
108
1,246
97-4
(b) Exclusive of city of Columbia.
(c) Also one Indian1.
(d) In September, 1860. Etna organized from the township of Washington, in Noble county.
We deem it worth the while of our read- ers to inquire into the causes that impelled the south one-third of Washington town- ship. Noble county, to separate from that county and join its future with Whitley county in 1859, Washington township being the south-west corner of Noble county.
Noble county was organized in 1836, two years prior to our organization. Sparta was its first county seat, but there is neither record nor tradition of any court house or other county buildings ever having been built at that place. In 1843, the county seat. or seat of justice, as it was called, was re- located at Augusta. Without an unkind word for our neighbor, it is just to say No- ble county was almost covered with lakes and swamps, especially the south and soutlı- west portion. A wild fastness, scarcely equaled by the jungles of the tropics. and to this day not entirely cleared away. Roads were run without regard to lines, and in
many cases a distance had to be traveled two or three times that of an air line or sec- tion line, and roads almost impassable in many places. The county was infested, nat- urally, from the condition of the surface, with thieves and robbers, who operated all over northern Indiana, north-western Ohio and southern Michigan. The Noble county regulators, a combination of citizens for the purpose of protecting life and property from these criminals, has a record of dar- ing well worthy of historical preservation. In one or two cases they did execute ob- noxious outlaws. A county seat anywhere located was almost inaccessible from other parts of the county, and there was continu- ous agitation for changes that were not en- tirely settled until commissioners appointed by the governor in 1886, appraised the prop- erty at Albion and settled the matter for all time,and the present court house was finished in 1887 at a cost of $114,000. In March,
58
WHITLEY COUNTY, INDIANA.
1843, almost immediately after location at Augusta, the court house was burned by an incendiary. Again, in 1844, the county seat was located at Port Mitchell and a court house and other buildings erected at a cost of $1.350. This was unsatisfactory to all but the nearby residents, and finally the lo- cation was fixed by vote of the people at Albion. in August, 1847. and on the 16th day of September, 1847, the county com- missioners ordered the records and offices removed from Port Mitchell to Albion and into a court house costing $4.045. A jail was also built costing $1.300. This court house was destroyed by an incendiary fire in 1859 and all the records in the clerk's office were destroyed except one order book which Samuel E. Alvord, then clerk, had at his home. Also a very valuable law and miscellaneous library. Matters were fur- ther complicated by the building of the Lake Shore Railroad through the county in 1858, building up the rival towns of Ligo- nier and Kendallville, near the extreme east and west lines of the county. each clamoring for the county seat or some upheaval or change in county boundaries that would make them county seats. From 1854 until the final building of the Grand Rapids Railroad in 1873, north and south through the county, near the east line. there was an agitation for the voting of subsidies which was very obnoxious to the people on the west side of the county. Preparations were being made for the building of a new court house at Albion, entailing a heavy tax, and it was built in 1861. at a cost of $11,000. The people were thoroughly disgusted with paying for court houses and having to hunt a new one every time they paid their taxes,
sometimes two or more days' travel among swamps and robbers, who were especially active at tax paying times.
Columbia City, with her Pittsburg. Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway completed, was the natural trading point for the people of south and south-western Noble county ; was nearer than isolated inland Albion, and a good road led to it from present Etna town- ship, almost air line. The route was well populated and travel over it safe. These and other questions were thoroughly dis- cussed, and an animated campaign began early in 1858 and continued through the win- ter. Petitions were circulated. speeches made and opponents to the change. mostly from other parts of the county, were almost driven out of the territory. A decided ma- jority of the voters signed the petition for the change, and petitions were filed in both counties in March, 1859. In Whitley county, the exact date was March 9. 1859. and was laid over to the next term of the commissioners' court as the law directs. On June roth, the board having heard all the proof and being satisfied the petition was signed by a majority of all the qualified vot- ers, and that the law had been complied with in both counties, ordered that the south third of Washington township. Noble county, be- come a part of Whitley county, namely : Sections 25 to 36, inclusive, in township 33. range 8. The signers of the petition were :
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