USA > Indiana > Northwestern Indiana from 1800 to 1900; or, A view of our region through the nineteenth century > Part 21
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Note. Most of the above statements in regard to Waverly are from the clear memory of Mrs. Sarah J. Stonex, of Le Roy, in Lake County, who was a daugh- ter of that pioneer, Jacob Beck, and who remembers well that village home of her childhood. She says that after City West was abandoned she, with some others, enterprising children probably and adventurous like herself, went over to City West and examined the houses, and they found one, counting closets and all, which was divided off into twenty-two rooms. This must have been the "Exchange" or the Bigelow hotel. She also says that she was at City West at the time of the burial of the young child that died there. This information, with other items of interest recorded in other places, was obtained in an interview with Mrs. Stonex November 7, 1899. Strange that a City West child and a Waverly child should have witnessed that frontier burial service, and find out that they both were there, after the passing away of sixty-two years ! It surely made a durable impression on the memory of each. Those two carly towns of the county of
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Porter died young, as infants die ; but the recollections concerning each live, as Christians believe that infant spirits live.
Note 2. When Joseph Bailly died, the French trader and settler at Baillytown, his wife and daugh- ters were in Chicago, spending, according to their custom, much of the winter season there. His death was quite unexpected. An Indian runner was sent at once as messenger to Chicago, but, swift of foot as he was, before he could reach there and the women re- turn, it seemed needful that the body must be buried. There was no embalmer to take charge of it. One of the setters at Waverly, therefore, Jacob Beck, the father of Mrs. Stonex, prepared the body for burial, and the brief funeral services were held before the return of the wife and the daughters.
Note 3. All those who travelled on that early stage road that went by the Holmes' tavern and the "Old Maid's Hotel," knew the "pole bridge" across the Calumet. How many rods long it really was is not probably known by any one now, but to a child, a boy who had been accustomed to cross the long cov- ered bridge that spanned the Connecticut river at Springfield, it seemed long, and surely not very se- cure. The most rapid and dangerous ride across it was probably made by a woman with a young child. the woman was driving a pair of horses, and shortly before reaching the bridge the horses had struck a hornet's nest, were frightened or stung, and began to run. The woman placed the child on the bottom of the wagon, put her feet on its clothing to keep it from being thrown out by the jolting of the wagon, an .? those horses ran the entire length of the bridge before she could check them. It seemed sufficiently danger-
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ous to have horses walk over that bridge, and passen- gers liked to walk also rather than to ride across ; but to cross it with horses on the full run was a fearful risk. Providential protection seems often to be over children.
TASSINONG.
Although not in the same part of Porter County as the three early localities that have been noticed, Tassinong, already once named, seems properly among early pioneer settlements to stand on these pages next in order to Waverly. At some time and by some one, when and by whom no record has been found, some woodland in what became Morgan town- ship was named Tassinong Grove. The early set- tlers in 1834 seem to have found the name already there, the Indians claiming that it was old then. It has been conjectured that the French once had there a trading post, but no real evidence seems to have been found. The name for us is prehistoric, as it was found there by the pioneers. But old as is the name for the locality, the village that the white settlers es- tablished was not among the earliest business centers. No record of a store is found till about 1846. The carlier merchants were Harper, Stoddard, their build- ings made of logs, Unmgh, Eaton, McCarthy, and Rinker & Wright. In 1852 there were two stores, two blacksmith shops, a carpenter's shop, a tavern, and some shoe-makers' shops. About 1855 a church building was erected. The organization was Prebyterian. The postoffice dates from 1840. After the railroad life commenced and Kouts as a station and town was established, Tassinong as a village de- clined. It can scarcely be called a village now, al-
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though its life has been quite different from its early sisters, Waverly and City West.
The living and growing towns of the present now claim attention.
At the crossing of the Chicago and Erie and Pan- Handle railroads, about five miles east from the county line and two and a half south from Tassinong is Kouts, a railroad station and so a growing town. It has a large school house, two churches, one Roman Catholic, one "Christian" congregation, but the house built by the people and undenominational, and a number of stores and dwelling houses, some of these quite fine build- ings. Population unknown, probably 250.
Hebron. Population 800 .- The old Indian village near the southwest corner of Porter County, where the Bryant and Dinwiddie families and others were early settlers, has been named as Indian Town. Here was quite a community of pioneers but no actual town life commenced. About two miles north of the In- dian village, in 1844, some lots were laid out where is now the town of Hebron, and in 1846 the first store was opened by S. Alyea, and the second by William Sigler, which soon became the store of his two brotli- ers, Eli and D. T. Sigler, known for many years as the Sigler store, and the building, on the corner of Sigler and Main streets, at the original "Corners" where north and south and east and west high- ways cross, is, in the year 1899, being repaired and rebuilt to be the drug store of Miss Hattie Palmer, who for some years has been keeping a large drug store in Hebron. The town grew slowly. The railroad in 1865 gave it some on- ward impulses. In 1867 D. T. Sigler erected the first brick dwelling, and in 1875 the first brick busi-
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ness block was put up by "Sweeney & Son." Hebron has now a two-story brick school house. Cost, $8,000. It has several brick business houses. The churches are four : Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian, United Presbyterian, and "Christian." A church called "Union Mission" was organized in 1877 with eighty members. This organization, although in 1878 erect- ing a building at a cost, it is said, of about two thou- sand dollars, did not long continue ; and in 1882, April 26, a Congregational church was organized, with about forty members, these having been for the most part members of the Union Mission church. This organization also had quite a short life. So Hebron has five church buildings and only four congregations. Estimated population eight or nine hundred. Hebron has some good dwelling houses, and, having been located in a grove, many of the dooryards have shade trees of native growth, mainly oaks, which add to the beauty of this town.
In Hebron is residing Mr. John Skelton, born in 1821, becoming a resident of Hebron in 1865, when there were six houses on each side of the main street, counting the country tavern as one, who has one recol- lection which probably no man in Northwestern In- diana can share with him, few probably in the entire State. He remembers distinctly, athough only about four years of age, seeing General La Fayette at Tren- ton, N. J., when he was on his way to Boston to lay the corner-stone of the Bunker Hill monument. He was placed, as a little child eager to see, upon a slight elevation, and that noble and noted man was carefully pointed out to him. That he then and there saw La Fayette Mr. Skelton is sure there can be no mistake. Of places for holding large open air assemblages
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Hebron has an excellent one. It is a grove of native growth, having the shade of old oak trees, the open square adjoining the Methodist church being large enough to accommodate some thousands of people. A permanent stand has been there for some years and seats, fastened securely, and compactly arranged, sufficient to seat eight hundred. With a little addition to the seating capacity, when needful, a thousand per- sons can be grouped very conveniently in hearing of a good voice. This is the annual meeting place of the ()ld Peoples' Association of Hebron, and sometimes of the Dinwiddie Clan. It is also a place for other public gatherings. It is fortunate for a town to have such a roomy and convenient place almost in the heart of the religious and school life, for open air assem- blages.
Boone Grove is the name of a station on the Erie road which has become a very pleasant village. As its name indicates it is in a grove, and the homes. have the benefit of shade trees of native growth. It ha's one church, known as Disciple, or "Christian," and there is a neighborhood around the village of good Christian families where Sunday school life has long been maintained and church-going habits have been cultivated. The entire Boone Grove community is intelligent and prosperous ..
Wheeler. Population 180 .- Village life commenced quite early near the present railroad station and town called Wheeler. A church house was erected and the Baptists and Methodists both had church organiza- tions. It was on the edge of Twenty Mile Prairie and also close to Twenty Mile Grove. The Harris, Peak, and other families lived near. When the Fort Wayne railroad gave a station here, it added quite an element
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of life, and yet but little growth followed. The larger business here is shipping milk. The town has a school and one church.
North from Valparaiso about ten miles, on the Michigan Southern and Michigan Central railroads, are three places near together, Chesterton, Hageman, and Porter; and a few miles west and south from these towns are the railroad stations of Crisman and McCool. A few miles northeast from Hageman, on the Michigan Central is Furnessville. A station on the Baltimore and Ohio and the Wabash is called Willow Creek, and one is on the Wabash, thirteen miles northward from Westville, called Crocker. These are the principal towns, villages, and stations of Por- ter County in 1900. One, Valparaiso, is a city; two, Hebron and Chesterton, are quite vigorous, substan- tial towns; Hageman, Kouts, and Wheeler, are, in size and business, probably next ; and the others are small as yet, with the elements of business and town life. Porter is not a county of many towns, twelve, including stations, have been named, and there are some quite large country neighborhoods with social centers, a school house, a postoffice, or a church.
Chesterton, is, next to the county seat, the largest place in the county. Village life commenced about 1852. It is said that its population in two years num- bered 300, "most of whom were Irish." Its growth afterward was slow. In 1882 its population was said to be 600. It 1880 there was established at Chester- ton the Hillstrom Organ Factory. Proprietor, C. O. Hillstrom. This has been quite an industry. The first brick building in the town was erected in 1874. Since then many substantial buildings have been put up. As will be seen in the chapter on industries brick
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abound in this part of the country. The churches of Chesterton now are Methodist Episcopal, Swedish Methodist, Swedish Lutheran, German Lutheran, Congregational, and a Roman Catholic. The first Catholic church building was erected in 1857. A brick church was built in 1876, and a few years later a par- sonage was added, making the value of the church property about sixteen thousand dollars. The Swed- ish Lutheran brick church of 1880 cost about five thousand dollars. The Swedish Methodist built in 1880. The German Lutheran house, 1881, cost about two thousand dollars The Methodist church of 1863 cost about the same amount. Present population about 1,200.
The town called Hageman was commenced in 1872 by Henry Hageman; the town lots were laid out by Surveyor William De Courcey in 1880. Its industry is brick-making. Population about 600.
Furnessville, called at first Murray's Side Track, and then Morgan's Side Track, has not made much town growth. The first frame building was put up in 1853 by Morgan, and the second was erected in 1855 by E. L. Furness, who opened a store in his basement in 1856.
VALPARAISO.
In 1834 J. P. Ballard built the first house where is now the city of Valparaiso. This is one of the tradi- tional records. Others say that when the original town was laid out there was no building on that, and that building commenced by different persons in 1836. The first store was opened in December, 1836, by Jere- miah Hamel, the second by John Bishop, and the third by Dr. Seneca Ball. First postmaster, Ben-
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jamin McCarty. It was quite appropriate that
he, as principal proprietor of the new county seat should be the first to hold this office, al- though he had not earned it in any way by residence there as had Solon Robinson, first postmaster at Crown Point. As it was with the other county seats, the business interests, the courts, the county officers, all required and produced some growth, but in those early years advance was not rapid. In 1850 it was in- corporated as a village. In 1865 it became a city. It had at one time some manufacturing establishments, but these closed up, one after another, and the great financial support of the city is now the large Normal college. In Valparaiso are nine churches, and the buildings of most of them are massive brick struc- tures. These are: The Roman Catholic, the Luth- eran, the "Christian," the Methodist Episcopal, the Presbyterian, the Baptist, the Mennomite, and the German "Reformed," and the Believers. In 1898 there were enumerated 1,595 school children, indicating at the most a population of about six thousand. The thousands of students at the Normal College each year are not a part of the real population. What the census enumerator will do with them this year remains to be seen. The more full detailed history of this town, extending over sixty-four years, can be found, up to 1882, in the county history of Porter. Since that work was written some new factories have started, ad- ditional school buildings have been erected, much building has been done on College Hill, new family residences have been built, and a massive court house has been constructed. The loca- tion of Valparaiso is among some hills, on some heights, and in some valleys, while all our other towns
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are on quite level ground. Some enjoy hills and val- leys and town lots that can be terraced up, height above height, and others like to build on a table-land or a plain or in a valley. The hills of Valparaiso give much variety to the town. The north part of the city is on level land. It is almost needless to mention, in such a college town, and one with such large and well- conducted public and parochial schools, in a town so old and with so many wealthy families, water-works and telephones and electric lights. Without these in this day such a city would not be. The water supply is from Flint Lake, north of the city about three miles. The Grand Trunk road passes along the level land on the north edge of town; the Fort Wayne and Nickle Plate, having crossed the Salt Creek Valley, pass along the south of the town.
CHAPTER XXI.
VILLAGES, TOWNS, AND CITIES OF LA PORTE COUNTY.
I. Westville, as at first laid out into town lots was on the northwest quarter of section 29, in town- ship 36, range 4. Additions were afterwards made. The first permanent residence was built by Henly Cly- burn in 1836. The first store was in 1848, proprietors, John and William Cattron, D. M. Closser in 1849, opening a dry goods and grocery store In 1850 there was established a blacksmith shop. In 1853 the Louis- ville, New Albany and Salem railroad was completed. A depot was built and Westville became a railroad town. For a time it had quite a rapid growth, mills and factories were started. It was incorporated Sep-
tember 9, 1864. In these later years it has declined rather than advanced. The churches are two: Meth- odist Episcopal and "Christian." It has had an ex- cellent public school ranking, at least for a time, with the schools at La Porte and Michigan City. Said General Packard in 1876: "Several years ago it was brought up to a high standard by Prof. J. G. Laird, and has successfully maintained it ever since." He also said that it "is recognized as one of the best not only in the county, but in all northern Indiana." Pro- fessor Laird was no ordinary teacher ; but the schools
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of the two cities of the county have made great ad- vance since his day, and the Westville school, excel- lent as it is, has hardly kept up with them. The popu- lation of Westville is now about 700.
2. Otis, north of Westville four miles, was first called by the Michigan Southern railroad people New Salem, or Salem Crossing. The Louisville, New Al- bany, and Chicago road named it La Croix, and this name the first proprietor of the place, Solomon Tuck- er, adopted. Its settlement commenced in 1851. Its location is on the northwest quarter of section 5, township 36, range 4. After the number of inhabi- tants was sufficient to entitle them to give a name to their village, they discarded both the railroad nanies and called it Packard, in honor of their representative in Congress. But he suggested a change of name, and in 1872, it was named Otis. That name it still bears. Its first settler, in 1851, was Matthias Seberger, who became station agent. The first store was open- ed in 1854 by George R. Selkirk, supposed to be of the Selkirk family, one of whose members gave the foundation for the story of Robinson Crusoe. Otis is now quite a little town, having a good school, a Polander Roman Catholic church built in 1872, and a Lutheran church erected in 1876.
3. Holmesville, east of Otis, on the southeast quarter of section 4, township 36, range 4, "northeast corner," dates, as a settled place, from 1833, when Jacob Bryant built a dwelling house and a saw-mill. After the location of the railroad in 1850, a small store building was erected, and in 1853 a warehouse. Some houses were built in 1856 and 1857, but it has not become much of a town.
4. But the oldest place in New Durham Town-
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ship to be called at any time a town, is New Durham, on or near section 14, about three miles northeast of Westville.
The first building was a log cabin in 1834 built by Leonard Woods. In 1835 there was a store. In 1837 a hotel was started, and in 1838 a wagon factory and a blacksmith shop. So the village continued to grow. In 1839 there was added a tailor's shop; in 1843 a boot and shoe factory; in 1846 a physician; and in 1847 was built a Methodist church, Rev. J. J. Cooper first pastor. In 1852 ,W. B. Webster made a "hun- dred and fourteen wagons and buggies and mounted three hundred steel plows."* In 1854 was built a frame school house, and still later one of brick. But in 1854 the postffioce was removed.
"This was an indication of the decline of New Durham, and the railroad having reached Westville, the pioneer town of the township ceased to be a place of any importance. Many of its buildings have been moved away. Some of them have gone to Westville, and so:ne are used for farmhouses.
"Though the town is gone, the rich lands of the prairie remain, a constant source of wealth."
5. Callao, or Morgan Station, is on the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad, described as "situ- ated in the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section" 2, township 34, range 4, laid out for a town in 1859 by W. A. Taylor. Village life com- menced, but much growth did not follow.
6. Rozelle was laid out for a town at about the same time, or in 1858, by Joseph Unruh, on the New Albany road about a mile south of Wanatah, and on
* General Packard.
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the northeast quarter of section 8, township 34 ,range 4. It was too near Wanatah which soon took away all its village life.
7. Wanatalı, as a railroad station and town began to grow in 1857, just before the completion of the Fort Wayne road. Being on the crossing of two roads, it had the advantage of its two little sister vil- lages and soon grew away from them. Joseph L. Unruh removed his store there from Rozelle, and in 1867, built a flour mill, putting in "three run of stones," and in 1876 it was considered "one of the best flouring mills in the county."
The McCurdy Hotel was built in 1865 by Frank McCurdy, was burned in January, 1875, was imme- diately rebuilt and called the Wanatah House. The "Enterprise" school house was built by a stock com- pany i11 1870. The stream that runs through the town was named, for some reason, Hog Creek, and south of Wanatah, in Dewey Township, in the Kan- kakee marsh, is Hog Island, on which was built the first school house of Dewey Township, in 1858.
The church buildings now in Waratah are German Lutheran, Catholic, German Evangelical, Methodist Episcopal, and "Christian."
Population about six hundred.
8. Hanna, population 300, like Wanatah, is on two railroads, and is, "geographically," that is, according to the land descriptions of Indiana, on section 8, township 34, range 3 west of the second principal meridian, which meridian corresponds to longitude 86 degrees 28 minutes west from Greenwich
As a town the growth of Hanna commenced in 1858. In 1865 George L. Dennison opened a store and became a grain buyer. For some years the
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Methodists and Free Methodists held their meetings in the village school house, but now the town has church sittings.
9, 10. Waterford ani Beatty's Corners, are the names of localities that gave some promise of becom- ing towns in the earlier years of settlement, but like many others, not on railroad lines, they soon failed to grow. Ordinarily that which does not grow dies. These were in Coolspring Township, which abounded in small streams and mill-seats and mills. This township lying south from Michigan City was one of the wildest in the county, having a good supply, not only of deer and wild turkeys, but also bears.
II. As early as 1833, the growth began of a village called at first Lakeport, but afterward Hudson, that "was once the rival of La Porte," and "a formidable one," says General Packard, "for the trade of the north part of the county." A school, a store, a black- smith's shop, a cooper's shop, and tavern started at once.
In 1834 a steam saw-mill was built which imme- diately commenced work, and in 1835, it seemed to be rapidly growing into a young city. There were two hotels, stages passed through the town, farmers came to sell produce and buy goods, and everything prom- ised commercial prosperity.
In 1836 there was promise of a canal from Toledo in Ohio, to New Buffalo on Lake Michigan. "Hud- son was wild with excitement." The financial crash came, the bubble burst ; Hudson as a town went down, as did many others in the early years.
12. Door Village is the name of a once quite pros- perous little town on Door Prairie, near the "Door," on the locality of which a cabin was built in 1830,
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and a second in 1832, and where in 1833 was erected a small frame Methodist church building. A store was opened the same year and a frame dwelling house built, a wagon shop also and a small hotel. In 1834 a blacksmith shop was added, and in 1836 the town was formally laid out under the supervision of the County Commissioners. Various kinds of business started in this new town, even to establishments for manufacturing fanning mills and spinning wheels and threshing machines. It was for a time quite a rival of La Porte. Two good church buildings were erected, one Methodist one Baptist, where for some years large congregations gathered. But the railroads passed through La Porte, they did not touch Door Village. Business left and it declined. There is little trace there now of its former life.
13, 14, 15. In Wills Township three villages were commenced in the pioneer times, before the railroad lines had indicated where the towns must finally be.
These were called Boot Jack, Independence, and Puddletown. The last named was the name given to a little lake on the borders of which a settlement was inade that became a hamlet but not a village. This lake is on section 9, in Wills Township. The village called Independence. also Sac Town, was on section 28, township 37, range I, and was laid out for a town in 1837, where it was expected a railroad would cross a canal, the lines of both having then been sur- veyed. Mills, stores, and shops, commenced busi- ness, but no railroad came and no canal, and the town of Independence disappeared as did the "visions of immense wealth" which the early settlers of In- dependence saw in their dreams .*
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