USA > Indiana > Northwestern Indiana from 1800 to 1900; or, A view of our region through the nineteenth century > Part 27
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Among our large industries may be named the manufacture of brick, of tile, and of what is called terra cotta. Some of the pioneers made brick as early as 1840, and probably, in some neighborhoods, much earlier, but only for home use. In these later years it has become a large, and in some localities, a leading industry.
In La Porte County two miles east of Michigan City is quite a large establishment where were made in 1897 four and one half millions of brick.
The special factories and large industries of La Porte and Michigan City are given in the notices of those cities.
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İn Newton County some brick are made at Mo- rocco and at Beaver City, also at Mt. Ayr; but the large factories are at Goodland, where also tile is made, and at Brook where terra cotta lumber is made "for the Chicago market." This terra cotta lumber, so called, is not what is generally called lumber. It is made of three parts clay and one of sawdust. But the sawdust is afterwards burned out leaving a porous kind of brick which may be cut with tools and will hold nails and screws.
In Jasper County brick for home use are made, also drain tile, near Rensselaer, at Remington, and near Pleasant Grove postoffice; but in this county the clay industry is not large.
Clay products are shipped into Starke County in- stead of being sent out.
In Lake County at Lowell and at Crown Point brick have been made for many years and also sonic drain tile, for the home market. Brick making com- menced near Crown Point, in 1841, when C. ME. Ma- son burned the first kiln. He made in the course of years several millions by the old and slow hand pro- cess. At Hobart is located the great brick shipping interest of the county, where "in April, 1887, W. B. Owen began the making of terra cotta lumber and fire proof products," which with the Kulage Brick and Tile Works, forms the principal manufacturing inter- est of Hobart. Of the terra cotta the State Geologist says : "Sixty car loads a month are shipped to all parts of the United States, the value of the annual output being from $60,000 to $75,000." He further says that there is only one other factory of the kind in Indiana, which is at Brook in Newton County, and only one in all the State of Illinois, The State Geolo-
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gist says of the five large downdraft kilns, each one hundred feet long; of the Kulage Company, that they "are probably the largest kilns of the downdraft type in existence," each being capable of holding 260,000 brick.
In Porter County brick are made at Hebron and Valparaiso and Porter, also at Garden City and Ches- terton.
The State Geologist, W. S. Blatchley, to whose re- port in "Clays and Clay Industries," indebtedness is acknowledged for special information, says : "Near the junction of the Michigan Central and Lake Shore railways, at Porter, Indiana, is located the largest pressed front brick factory in the State." It "has been in operation since July, 1890." Amount of capital in- vested in this factory is about $300,000. An immense supply "of front brick of many colors" is furnished by this factory, and special shape bricks of a hundred different forms, several millions in all being kept con- stantly on hand .*
One half mile east of this large factory is another establishment conducted by the Chicago Brick Com- pany, where "soft mud brick" are made for Chicago and for other markets at the rate of 35,000 a day for six months of the year.
Near Chesterton not only brick but tile are made as also at Valparaiso and Hebron.
The whole clay industry of Porter County requires the labor of many persons and secures the taking in and paying out of large sums of money. Like the frozen water, which we call ice, and the sand, the clay
* For a more full account see Reports.
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of Northwestern Indiana, brings in a large amount of money.
Handling sand and clay and ice makes for us three great industries. At Whiting is one of the great oil refining establishments of the world, owned by the Standard Oil Company. The crude oil is conveyed in two pipe lines running along the track of the Erie rail- way. One of these pipes burst in some way near Crown Point a few years ago, and quite a river of oil ran out before the break was mended. Some of the town inhabitants gathered up in barrels and vessels what oil they could store, and when the flow was entirely stopped the oil men set fire to the river. Then there was a grand sight. Such peculiar, black, and even beautiful, columns of smoke had never been seen in Crown Point before. Photographic views were taken which were highly prized.
The number of oil tanks at Whiting cannot read- ily be counted. Many hundreds of persons are em- ployed in the oil works, and quite a city has grown up through this industry.
At East Chicago hundreds are employed in carry- ing on these factories: "Inland Iron and Forge Co .; Grasselli Chemical Works; The East Chicago Foun- dry Co .; Famous Manufacturing Co .; Lesh, Proutt & Abbott Lumber Co .; Treat Car Wheel Works; Chicago Horseshoe Works; Groves Tank Works ; Seymour Manufacturing Co .; and East Chicago Tank and Boiler Works." These names have been taken from the East Chicago Globe, of "manufactories al- ready located" there.
Hammond has five quite large industries.
I. The G. H. Hammond Company Slaughter House.
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This, as the State Line Slaughter House, was com- menced about 1869. In 1872 about eighteen men were employed and three or four car loads of beef were shipped each day.
In 1884 about three thousand head of cattle were butchered each week and the beef was sent to New England and to Europe.
Now, in 1900, from five thousand to six thousand head of cattle and an equal number of hogs are put into shape for shipment each week.
Number of persons employed fourteen hundred. It is not so easy to get information now but the num- bers given above came directly from the present sup- erintendent.
2. The Pittsburg Spring Company. Number of men employed sixty-six.
3. The Simplex Railway Supply Company. Num- ber of persons employed three hundred.
4. The Canning Steel Plant. Number employed four hundred.
5. Last and grandest of all, the W. B. Conkey Printing and Publishing Establishment.
It is claimed that there is not another equal to it in the United States or in Europe; and one who goes through the different rooms, sees the machinery at work, and looks at what is accomplished by human skill, may quite readily accept the statement.
Hammond was just the place for such an immense industry, where room for buildings was abundant and where there would be no need for a second or third story, not suggesting a fourteenth.
The rooms, as implied, are all on the ground and cover an area of eighteen or twenty acres. Some of
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them are hundreds of feet in their dimensions. In the main printing room are running forty-two presses.
The folding and binding room is long and wide and high, with plenty of light from the sun-light with- out, and while the well-trained and nimble fingers of the girls who fold by hand accomplish rapid work, and show what trained human hands and eyes can do in acquiring a peculiar tact of manipulation, the amaz- ing if not fascinating features in the room are fixtures, the great folding machines, working as by clock work, folding up, hour after hour, the great sheets of six- teen pages, with the regularity of the movement of a finished chronometer. The invention of a self-binder for farming work was a great triumph of human in- genuity, but one may well stand amazed in looking upon the movements of a great folding machine.
In the composing room appears also another won- der of human invention, the type setter. In the bind- ing room the processes of gilding and of putting on the modern marble edges are interesting. *
The great driving wheel that furnishes the motion for so many machines and presses gives one a grand idea of power. And the mighty heater that keeps all these spacious rooms comfortable in zero weather is another grand illustration of concentrated and dif- fused force.
This Conkey Company commenced work in Ham- mond in 1898. The number of persons now employed is eleven hundred. The amount of work turned out in a year amounts to three million dollars.
* I visited this truly magnificent establishment March 27, 1900, and was shown through the different rooms, having an opportunity to see these different processes, receiving all the courtesies and readily obtaining all the information that I could reasonably request. T. H. B.
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A natural question would be, Where can sufficient "copy" be found to keep the type setters busy, so as to keep forty presses running in one room, and to keep all those girls and folding machines and gilders and binders busy month after month in the binding room? And the answer is, it comes from all quar- ters, comes from everywhere.
Books of various kinds are printed and published among them the American Encyclopaedia, Diction- aries, Story books for children, Catalogues, and many varieties of printed matter.
A periodical is sent out each month called
CONKEY'S HOME JOURNAL.
Northwestern Indiana, in the line of clay products, of oil, of meat for shipment, and of "the art preserva- tive," certainly has some large establishments not to be surpassed, surely, by any others in Indiana.
ADDENDA.
The main industries of Crown Point, omitted in their proper place, are these: I. Making brick at the Wise brickyard; 2. Sash and blind factory, L. Henderlong & Co .; 3. Making water tanks and cistern tubs, George Gosch; 4. Keilman factory, formerly Letz; 5. Cigar factories, four; 6. Crown Brewing Company, making lager beer. Also, 6. Raising poultry, Mrs. Underwood, T. A. Muzzall, Neil Coffin, I. Howland, and some others; and 7. Hack carriage factory.
CHAPTER XXVII.
SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS.
It is probable that quite early in the history of the world men learned the benefits of uniting, for bet- ter self-protection and for improving their condition, in organizations or compacts which bore various names and had various purposes. Whether from the first age of civilization, before the time of what is known as Noah's flood, living through that period of destruction, any traces of man's earliest organizations have come down to us is not easily proved; nor yet can it be entirely disproved. In well-chosen words Professor John Russell in 1852, before a "large and highly intellectual audience" declared : "Long before the period of written history, there existed an order of men, known only to the initiated." "It is the oldest human society in existence. The dim twilight of the early ages rested upon its broad Arch, yet through every period of its existence has it been the agent of onward progress." While some may question these statements, it is true that some forms of organization, some societies, are sufficiently old, while others are distinctly modern, very, very new.
The pioneers in these beautiful wilds retained their recollections of the old homes and of the associations and of the ties which had been pleasant to them there; and so, along with civil society and the new formed
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ties of social life, along with schools and Sunday schools and churches, they soon began to organize lit- erary societies and to form lodges, Masonic and Odd Fellows, to organize library associations, agricultural societies, temperance societies, and then Sons of Tem- perance Divisions and Good Templar Lodges ; and in later years study clubs and reading circles and the new orders of the present day came into existence in all our larger towns. No full account of all these need be here expected, but some mention of these organiza- tions belongs very certainly to our history.
One of the earliest, so far as appears, the earliest organization, was formed before we had much civil government. It has been incidentally mentioned in an early chapter.
It was called the "Squatters' Union of Lake Coun- ty ;" was organized July 4, 1836; and the original rec- ord says, "At a meeting of a majority of the citizens of Lake County, held at the house of Solon Robinson." The constitution adopted consists of a preamble and fourteen articles, is quite lengthy, is well written, and speaks well for the moral sentiments of these squat- ters. "Attached to it are 476 signatures." *
No evidence has been found that any other of our counties had a similar organization.
Literary societies and temperance organizations were among the earliest in these counties; although in 1838 was organized the Porter County Library As- sociation, elsewhere mentioned.
In June, 1841, by the efforts of Solon Robinson, Rev. Norman Warriner, and Hervey Ball, was organ-
* The Claim Register, the oldest document of Lake County, containing the constitution of that Union and the names attached, is in my possession. T. H. B.
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ized the Lake County Temperance Society. It con- tinued in existence about nine years, was for its day a grand organization, and gave place to a Division of Sons of Temperance.
That this organization succeeded well financially is evident, for over the door of the Court Street school house, a brick structure, on a memorial stone, may now be read : "In memory of Crown Point Division, No. 133, Sons of Temperance, who donated $1,000 to the erection of this building, 1859."
The number of literary societies, organized in the course of these many years, has surely never been counted. In nearly every township of Lake County one or more has had an existence, and probably the same has been true in the other counties; and for many of the young people, they accomplished in former years much good. Other organizations now take their places, or the public schools furnish for the pupils greater means of improvement, and, in some communities, the young people are now without the means of self-cultivation which these societies fur- nished. These belong largely to the past, and valuable as they were, and dear as their memories are in the hearts of some yet living, useful as they were to many who are now in active life, their names, even, cannot be recorded here. If some names were given, others would of necessity be omitted ; and so only this tribute of praise and this record of the sure fact of much en- joyment and much benefit having been derived from our scores and probably hundreds of literary societies, existing in the first thirty or forty years of settle- ment, are all in regard to them that can be placed on this page. Bright on "memory's walls" some of their scenes will linger long.
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One exception to the statement above is here made as a record appears, on a page that is "out of print," of a memorable discussion on Saturday evening, Feb. 5, 1870, considered at the time a grand discussion of a grave and great question. The question was Ought women to exercise the right of suffrage? The Orchard Grove Literary Society met that evening with the South East Grove Society. "Orchard Grove took the affirmative, represented on the floor by Messrs. Blakeman, Curtis, Jones, and Warner. South East Grove supported the negative, and was represented by Messrs. Benjamin, W. Brown, John Brown, and B. Brown. * The house was densely packed, stand- ing room being scarcely found for the crowds that assembled. Excellent order was observed nevertheless during the entire evening." The judges for that even- ing decided in favor of the negative.
Many such interesting discussions of important questions may no doubt be recalled to mind by some who are now on the shady side of life's meridian.
SECRET SOCIETIES OR ORDERS.
Of these called "secret," although not with entire propriety, as their places of meeting and members are known or may be known, the Lodges of Free Masons stand first. In Valparaiso the first one was organized about 1840. It was "No. 49." There were ten charter members. Nine charter members, about 1850, united to form Porter Lodge. Of this Rev. Robert Beer of Valparaiso, says, "the order has been verp flourishing and has kept itself very pure." Since 1840, masonic lodges have been organized in all our larger towns; and they have been followed by the lodges of Odd Fellows, of Foresters, Modern Woodmen, Knights
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of Pythias, Catholic Foresters, Daughters of Rebecca, Eastern Star, W. C. T. U., and other temperance organizations, Rathbone Sisters, Daughters of Lib- erty, Maccabees, Imperial Guild, and many others, for men and for women; and then by the various clubs, not altogether what are called secret societies, but organizations that usually have present only their own members. Among these are many ladies' clubs for various purposes. One of these at Michigan City has a name that belonged to an organization in Lake County many years ago, which was, so far as known, the first of its kind in Northwestern Indiana. It was called The Cedar Lake Belles-lettres Society. The one at Michigan City is the Belles-lettres Club. That Society-young people did not form clubs in those days-was organized in 1847. It met only once each month, and the chief attention of its members was given to writing. One of the memorable addresses delivered before these belles-lettres students and their friends was by Solon Robinson, author of "The Will." "The Last of the Buffaloes," and other stories, in which address he paid a high compliment to the cul- ture he found to be among the members, and referred to his having met the Indians for some consultation where they were living then.
The corresponding secretary at that time was noted for her beautiful penmanship.
Thus old names in time come round again as though they were new.
Study Clubs, Reading Clubs, Pleasure Clubs, Mu- sic Clubs, Commercial Clubs, and various kinds of clubs, are in our towns and cities now.
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COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES.
The Lake County Agricultural Society was organ- ized by the adoption of a constitution, August 30, 1851. The committee reporting constitution were, Hervey Ball, John Church, and David Turner. The first officers were, Hervey Ball, President; William Clark, Vice President; J. W. Dinwiddie, Treasurer ; Joseph P. Smith, Secretary. For six years the same President and Secretary were re-elected. The society was strictly agricultural. The first county fair was held Thursday, October 28, 1852. The first directors were: Henry Wells, A. D. Foster, Michael Pearce, H. Keilman, Augustine Humphrey, and William N. Sykes.
The Porter County Agricultural Society was or- ganized, so far as adopting a constitution, June 14, 1851, committee on constitution being, William C. Talcott, David Hughart, W. W. Jones, H. E. Wood- ruff, Aaron Lytle. In September directors were ap- pointed and probably other officers. The first fair was held on Wednesday, October 29, 1851. About four hundred persons were present. First Directors: W. A. Barnes, William C. Talcott, Azorien Freeman, H. E. Woodruff, H. A. K. Paine, W. M. Jones, A. B. Price, Walker McCool, and Ruel Starr.
The White County Agricultural Society organized December 7, 1857. The first county fair held in 1858.
The Pulaski County Agricultural and Mechanical Society was organized in 1872.
For other Agricultural Societies dates or data have not been found.
GRANGES.
In August, 1867, there was formed in Washington
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City an organization called . Patrons of Husbandry." It may quite safely be claimed that this organization came into existence through the efforts and influence of a citizen of Lake County, the founder of Crown Point, Solon Robinson. The following statements arc offered in evidence of this claim.
Being interested in agricultural matters he com- menced to write articles for the Cultivator, a leading agricultural journal, one, perhaps the first, being dated, Lake C. H., July 12, 1837. In 1838 and 1839 other communications followed, in 1840 as many as twelve, and in 1841 fifteen, and still others in other years. He also wrote for other agricultural papers.
"These various articles, by their style and from their locality, secured many readers, gained for their author much celebrity, and made his name familiar to very many farmer homes."
In March, 1838, he proposed to form an "Amer- ican Society of Agriculture." In April, 1841, he wrote an address "to the farmers of the United States," send- ing it out through the columns of the Cultivator. He proposed to make, that same year of 1841, an exten- sive agricultural tour, and made it, passing through several states, calling on many agricultural men. In October of 1841 an editorial in the Cultivator said: "It gives us great pleasure to state that our friend, Solon Robinson, Esq., the zealous and able promoter of industry, and the original projector of a National Agricultural Society, has safely arrived at Washing- ton, and that on the fourth of September a meeting was held in the hall of the Patent Office, at which the incipient steps for the formation of such a society were taken." Much more the editor adds, not needful in supporting this claim, only the closing words may
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be given, "and we cannot doubt his reception among his agricultural friends in the East and North"-Mr. Robinson had made a tour of some extent before reaching Washington-"will be such as to convince him that they will not be behind those of any portion of the Union in a cordial support to his great under- taking." This effort for a National Agricultural So- ciety, the credit for which belongs to Lake County, did not accomplish much. The country was not ready then for a permanent organization ; but in other years friends of the farming community took hold of the same idea, and out of their suggestions and plans grew the Patrons of Husbandry and the Grange movement.
The plan includes a National Grange, State Granges, and Subordinate Granges.
In Lake County there were organized, June 28, 1871, Eagle Grange No. 4, members in 1872 eighty ; October 12, 1871, Lowell Grange, No. 6, also with eighty members in 1872; Le Roy Grange in 1872 with twenty-six members. And before September, 1873, five others : Winfield, 41 members, Center, 57; Hick- ory, 40; West Creek, 25, and Ross, 27. Total mem- bership in Lake County, 388. In September, 1873, was held at Crown Point, a Grange celebration. The gathering was large and from nearly all parts of the county. Some probably came from Porter. The pro- cession of teams in close ranks, each Grange by itself with its banner, was reported to have been over two miles in length. This movement extended into the Southern States, where a great interest at first was taken in it, others besides farmers and planters finding a place in its ranks. Some other celebrations were held in Lake County, and a large one at Hebron. Yet
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in a few years the organizations ceased to be kept up. About two years ago, about 1898, the interest revived and there is now a flourishing Grange at Crown Point, organized in February, 1899, and also one was organ- ized or reorganized at Plum Grove.
How many are now in these counties has not been ascertained.
TEACHERS' ASSOCIATIONS.
Besides the annual county institutes held by the county superintendents according to the provisions of the Indiana School Law, the teachers in the coun- ties have formed voluntary associations subject only to their own regulations. These were organized: In Pulaski County, in 1876; in Jasper, in 1879; in Lake, in 1883; in Starke, in 1886. The dates of organiza- tion in the other counties are not at hand.
According to the Third Annual Report of the Pub- lic Schools of Pulaski County, sent out in 1898, J. H. Reddick, County Superintendent, and N. A. Murphy, Secretary. "The twenty-first annual session of the Pu- laski County Teachers' Association," was held at Win- amac "November 26 and 27, 1897." This would bring the first one back to 1876. According then to one mode of reckoning this association was organized in 1876.
The enrollment for 1897 was 118. The receipts as reported amounted to $129.67, and the expendi- tures to the same sum. Among the expenses as reported are, to one instructor $35-35, and to another $29.70, and for room rent $5.00. Of the instructors one was from Purdue University. Devotional exer- cises were conducted each morning by resident min- isters. Secretary of the Association Grace Wharton.
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OLD SETTLERS' ASSOCIATIONS.
I. The La Porte County Association was organ- ized November 20, 1869.
2. The White County Association was organized at the court house August 16, 1873. A residence of only twenty-one years required for membership.
3. The Lake County Association was organized at the court house July 24, 1875. A constitution was adopted and the names of members enrolled. The first meeting was held at the Old Fair ground, Sep- tember 25, 1875.
4. The Jasper County Association was also organ- ized in 1875, the first meeting of the settlers being held in a grove October 9, 1875, which was probably the day of organization. The first president was William K. Parkison, the Secretary was John McCarthy of Newton County. Names of the original members are the following, all settling between 1834 and 1840, the figures following each name denoting the number of years of the residence of each in the county : "David Nowles 41, A. W. Bingham 40, Jackson Phegley 40, Stephen Nowles 39, W. W. Murray 39, S. P. Sparling 39, S. H. Benjamin 38, W. K. Parkison 38, Thomas Robinson 37, Jared Benjamin 37, S. C. Hammond 37, H. A. Barkley 37, Joseph Spalding 36, Thomas R. Barker 35, Nathaniel Wyatt 35, Willis J. Wright 35, William Dougherty 35, Malinda Spitler 40, Jane Nowles 40, Mrs. Augustus Bingham 40, Mary Welsh 39, Julia R. Sparling 39, Amze Martin 38, Rhoda Ermin 38, M. Robinson 38, Phebe Nowles 37, Mary Parkison 37, Sarah Boice 37, Pamelia Cockerill 35, Minerva Wright 35, Elizabeth Benjamin 35." Some of the above named persons are citizens of Newton
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