USA > Indiana > Northwestern Indiana from 1800 to 1900; or, A view of our region through the nineteenth century > Part 34
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Note. As Brookston is south of township 26, and so does not appear on the map, it was not named among the other towns of White County.
SOME PECULIAR RECORDS.
I. Immunity from what is called the common lot. Mr. and Mrs. H. Boyd of South East Grove were married in 1843, and had three children and thirteen grandchildren, and their first death was that of the mother and grandmother, Mrs. Boyd, who died in May, 1899, nearly eighty-two years of age. For more than fifty-five years death made no call at any of their homes.
2. An instance of longevity. Mrs. Betsey R. Wason, born in Wilton, New Hampshire, in August, 1818, a member of the noted Abbot family, was mar- ried to the Rev. Hiram Wason in October, 1844, was with him in pastoral life at Vevay, Ind., and came with him to Lake Prairie, where he became pastor of the Presbyterian church, in 1857. She was for many years an active and devoted woman in church and Sunday school work, a leader in society, having been a teacher for many years in her earlier life. Having lived and labored together for more than fifty years, Mr. Wason died in June, 1898, in his eighty-third year of life, and Mrs. Wason died December 15, 1898, eighty years of age.
3. Longevity yet more rare. Peter Surprise, the father of Henry Surprise,who is well known in the central and southern parts of Lake County, has been for several years reported as over one hundred years
531
MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS.
old. His exact age is not known, but it is considered sure that he is as much as one hundred and five years of age.
4. A large household. Julius Demmon was born in the East July 24, 1821. He came into Lake County about 1838, and in June, 1850, was married to Miss Nancy Wilcox, and commenced farming. He began life with but little property, but, as a careful and sus- cessful farmer, he accumulated, until he became owner of about two thousand acres of valuable land not far from Merrillville. He had six sons and six daugh- ters, all of whom married and settled within some three miles of his home. He died in October, 1898, and at the burial services there were gathered eighty members of two generations, six sons with their wives all present, and six daughters with their hus- bands, all present, and sixty-one grandchildren, these nearly all present, making some eighty-two or three, beside the minister and Mrs. Demmon's sister, Mrs. Inez Gibson, who stood for a few moments in the crowded room for a short service before the body was removed for burial. That minister, who had stood amid many groups gathered around their dead in In- diana and Illinois and Alabama, and amid large house- holds, never expects amid such a peculiar group to stand again.
The city of La Porte, in regard to its burial ground, called Pine Lake Cemetery, shows that its inhabitants have reached a high grade of civilization. It is situated about two miles north of the city, "was laid out under the State laws in 1835, and contains forty-seven acres." The first president of the associa- tion was Gilbert Hathaway. President for many
532
NORTHWESTERN INDIANA.
years, General Joseph Orr, under whose directions the grounds were improved, and these improvements with its natural advantages render it "one of the most beautiful places in La Porte County." And for those who know La Porte County that is saying much.
PAPERS AND PERIODICALS.
The names of the papers published in these coun- ties will here be given, followed by the names of the editors of each, the editors being generally also the publishers.
I. Newton County. At Kentland, The Kentland Democrat, Edward Steinback, and Newton County Enterprise, H. A. Strohm. At Brook, The Brook Re- porter, O. B. Stonehill. At Morocco, The Morocco Courier, W. W. Miller. At Goodland, Herald and Journal, A. J. Kitt. At Rose Lawn, Review, J. W. Crooks. In all six.
2. Jasper County. At Rensselaer, Democratic Sentinel, James W. McEwen, Jasper County Demo- crat, F. E. Babcock, Journal. Leslie Clark, Repub- lican, George E. Marshall. At Remington, The Rem- ington Press, Griffin and McNickol. At Wheatfield, Kankakee Valley Telephone, F. H. Robertson. In all six.
3. White County. At Monticello, Evening Jour- nal, C. M. Reynolds; Monticello Herald, J. B. Van- buskirk ; White County Democrat, Clarke & Simons ; White County National, J. C. Smith. At Wolcott, Wolcott Enterprise, E. A. Walker. At Chalmers, The Chalmers Ledger, W. A. Watts. At Brookston, The Brookston Gazette, George H. Heeley. At Mo- non, Monon News, W. D. Harlow. At Idaville, Ida- ville Observer, B. E. McCall. In all nine.
533
MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS.
4. Pulaski County. At Winamac, Democrat- Journal, "Established in 1857," bought by the present editor, M. H. Ingrim, in 1865, then Democrat, con- solidated with the Journal in 1884; the Winamac Re- publican, "Newton Brothers, Publishers," C. W. Rid- dick; Pulaski Democrat, J. J. Gorrell. At Star City, Star City News, C. W. Riddick. At Monterey, Mon- terey Sun, Young Bros. At Francesville, Frances- ville Tribune, E. D. Knotts. At Medaryville, Adver- tiser, H. C. Schott. In all seven.
5. Starke County. At Knox, Starke County Dem- ocrat, S. M. Gorrell; Starke County Republican, John L. Mooman ; The Knox Crescent. At North Judson, North Judson News, J. Don Gorrell. In all four.
6. La Porte County. At La Porte, La Porte Ar- gus, H. E. Wadsworth; La Porte Herald, E. Molloy ; La Porte Republican, C. G. Powell; La Porte Bulle- tin, Catholic American, Harry B. Darling. Monthly. At Michigan City, Michigan City Dispatch, J. B. Faulkner; Michigan City News, Robb & Carpenter ; Frei Lanze, Karl Freitag, Kirchenbote, Antone Hudster, Ph. D. Congregational Conference. At Wanatah, Wanatah Mirror, L. J. Gross. At West- ville, Westville Indicator, Charles E. Martin. In all eleven.
7. Porter County. At Valparaiso, Messenger and Evening Messenger, E. Zimmerman; Porter County Vidette and Star-Vidette, Welty & Cook; Porter County Journal, G. W. Doty; Evening Hoosier, E. E. Small; Independent Forester of America (month- ly), Frank H. Klier. At Chesterton, Chesterton Trib- une, A. J. Bowser. At Hebron, Hebron News, A. W. Barnes. At Kouts, Record, R. E. Helms. In all ten.
534
NORTHWESTERN INDIANA.
8. Lake County. At Crown Point, Crown Point Register, A. A. Bibler (Bibler & McMahan, publish- ers), now in Vol. 43; The Lake County Star, J. J. Wheeler, in "twenty-ninth year;" Crown Point Freie Presse, Henry Barck. At Lowell, Lowell Tribune, Ragon & Ragon. At Hobart, Hobart Gazette, Smith & White; Hobart Cyclone, Z. E. Irvin. At East Chi- cago, East Chicago Globe, Allison P. Brown. At Whiting, Whiting News, J. H. Barnett; Whiting Sun, Cecil Ingham. At Hammond, The Hammond Trib- une, Percy A. Parry; Lake County News, S. E. Swaim; Hammond Daily Republican, Porter B. Towle; Deutsche Volks-Zeitung, Wilhelm Schnett. In all thirteen. Total number sixty-six.
A VETERAN JOURNALIST.
Among the four quite aged men now residing in Crown Point is Mr. John Millikan, an aged and now retired journalist. He was born in Delaware County, Ohio, July 16, 1814, while war with England was still going on, and his birthplace was called Fort Morrow, a fort built on his grandfather's land. When twelve years of age he commenced in the town of Delaware to learn the art of printing. In February, 1837, then twenty-two years of age, he came to South Bend, and as a practical printer he commenced his editorial life on a paper called the Free Press. This paper was at length bought by Colfax and West, who changed its name to the St. Joseph Valley Register, and Editor Millikan, in 1845, removed to La Porte, where he purchased of Thomas A. Steward the La Porte Whig. This name, in 1852, was changed to La Porte Union. In 1867 he left the newspaper line and went to Chi- cago, but in 1871 returned to Indiana and resumed
585
MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS.
at Plymouth editorial work, purchasing there and pub- lishing the Plymouth Republican. After six years in Plymouth he made one more change and came to Crown Point in 1877. He soon commenced the pub- lication of a new and interesting paper called the Cosmos, but before long he purchased one-half of the Crown Point Register, a paper established in 1857, and not very long after he obtained the entire interest and control of this paper and published it success- fully until 1891, when already seventy-seven years of age, and for a time in rather feeble health, he sold all his interest in the Register and retired to a more quiet life. He is a good printer, has been a judicious editor, and has spent fifty years of a long life in printing offices at South Bend and La Porte, at Plymouth and in Crown Point. Although now eighty-six years of age his step is quick like that of a vigorous man of sixty, his hearing is remarkably good, and all his fac- ulties seem to be unimpaired.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
SOME STATISTICS.
The following table will show the increase of our counties in population according to the Census Re- ports. For 1900, estimated :
1860.
1870.
1880.
Lake
9,145
12,339
15,09I
Porter
10,313
13,942
17,227
La Porte
22,919
27,162 30,985
Starke
2,195
3,888
5,105
Pulaski
5,7II
7,801
9,85I
White
8,258
10,554
13,795
Jasper
4,291
6,354
9,46.4
Newton
2,360
5,829
8,167
Total
65,192
87,869
109,685
Lake
23,886
38,902
39,
Porter
18,052
19,540
19,
La Porte
34,445
39,837
39,
Starke
7,339
12,000
II,
Pulaski
II,233
14,640
14,
White
15,671
17,787
18,
Jasper
11,185
13,974
14,
Newton
8,803
9,669
IO,
1890.
1900.
1900.
Total
130,614
165,349
Note. In the first column of figures for 1900 the population as given, or estimated, is three and one- half times the number of the school children, as enum-
537
SOME STATISTICS.
erated in May, 1900, for Lake, Porter and La Porte Counties. For the other five counties it is only three times the number of the school children. In the second column for 1900 the figures are given for the number of thousands which it is estimated the census of 1900 will give, and a blank space is left for filling in the other three figures when the census enumeration is published. The accuracy or want of accuracy of the estimate will then plainly appear. Those who study statistics as to population will take an interest in the investigation. It appears from the table as given that in 1880 the population of La Porte County was more than double the population of Lake County. And as now estimated the population of Lake is nearly equal to that of La Porte, as the school children are in number nearly equal. No one need be surprised if the census of 1900 gives a larger popu- lation to Lake County than to La Porte. It is quite possible that Lake will come up to 40,000. In a few months we will know.
It is interesting to compare with the population the number of children of school age, as they are enumerated in May of each year by the township trustees. The following figures are from official sources :
1880.
1890.
1900.
Lake
5,360
6,753
11,115
Porter
5,126
5,907
5,583
La Porte
11,108
11,55I 11,382
Starke
1,87I
2,72I
4,000
Pulaski
3,636
4,20I
4,880
White
4,114
5,182
5,929
Jasper
3,396
3,965
4,658
Newton
2,743
2,789
3,223
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NORTHWESTERN INDIANA.
In La Porte County were, in 1880, 63 colored child- ren. In Michigan City in 1880, of children, 2,080, in La Porte 3,439, in Westville 283.
It appears from the above figures that the school children in Lake County have more than doubled in number in the last twenty years. The population also of Lake County has much more than doubled. This increase has been largely in North township where the population in 1880 was 2,540. Hammond had then a population of 699, Whiting of 115, and East Chi- cago was not. Now the school children of Hammond are 3,621, of East Chicago 876, and of Whiting 640. Of Crown Point they number 700. Children in Rens- selaer 697, of Valparaiso 1,348. The proportion which the children of school age bear to the entire popula- tion is quite different in the different counties. Let 11s take the year 1880. Three times the number of school children in Lake, 16,080, give nearly a thou- sand more than the population. In Porter that same will give nearly two thousand less. The same in La Porte County, 33,324, exceeds the population by two and a third thousand. In Starke the same ratio ex- ceeds the population by five hundred. In Pulaski the excess is a thousand. In White, which is like Porter County in regard to children, three times the school children, 12,342, will give fourteen hundred less than the population. In Jasper an excess appears of seven hundred more than the real population. In Newton County alone the proportion of one to three nearly holds good. Three times 2,743, 8,229, slightly exceeds the population, which is 8,167. But taking the year 1890 as a criterion of the real proportion which the school children bear to the entire population and the following results appear: Excess of population in
539
SOME STATISTICS.
Lake County, above three times the enumeration, 3,627. In Porter excess only 331. And in 1880 the excess was 1,849. In La Porte three times the enum- eration in 1890 exceeds the population by 208, in- stead of, as in 1880, by 2,339. In Starke three times the enumeration exceeds the population by 824. In Pulaski the same exceeds the population by 1,370. In White the same is less than the population by 125. In Jasper the excess above the population is 710, and in Newton the same is 436 less than the population. It appears then that the population is sometimes much more and sometimes much less than three times the number of the school children.
In an ordinary, agricultural community three and a half times the number of children will usually ex- ceed the population.
The following view of town population, taken from the census reports, is also of interest :
1880.
1890.
Goodland
628
889
Kentland
982
918
Rensselaer
968
1,455
Monticello
1,193
1,518
Winamac
835
1,215
North Judson
165
572
Knox
316
790
La Porte
6,195
7,126
Michigan City
7,366
10,776
Westville
627
522
Hebron
715
689
Valparaiso
4,461
5,090
Lowell
458
761
Hobart
600
1,010
Crown Point
1,708
1,907
Whiting
1,408
East Chicago
1,255
Hammond
699
5,428
540
NORTHWESTERN INDIANA.
From all the foregoing it is quite evident that, in several particulars, Lake County, in the coming century, will take the lead of all these northwestern counties ; and it becomes its inhabitants, as well as those of the other counties, to see that between the manufacturing interests of the lake shore towns and the agricultural interests of the central and southern parts of these shall come no clashing and arise no strife. From the fertile lands of the Kankakee Valley, and from the rich farms north of the "shore line" and south of the large valley, much of the true wealth of this region is to be produced ; and well will it be if all the thousands in the towns and on the farms will work together for the common good.
CHAPTER XL.
A WEATHER RECORD.
Along with its general, its church, and its Sunday school history, Lake County has a weather record kept with more or less fullness of detail from 1835 up to 1900. It may be that other counties in the State have such records ; perhaps they have not. This in Lake County was commenced by Solon Robinson ; it has been kept up by members of the Ball family, and by Rev. H. Wason of Lake Prairie, until now. Whether it will be continued after 1900 ends is un- certain. Some extracts from it are here given. The full record would fill quite a volume. To some this will be of interest. For such it is here :
"1835. Winter mild until February; then exceed- ingly severe weather. 1836. A very wet summer. 1837. An excessively wet one. 1838. A summer of severe drouth and great sickness. The La Porte County record is: 'The year 1838 is somewhat memorable as the "sickly season." ' Bilious complaints were prevalent, and very few escaped. There were not enough remaining well properly to care for the sick."
1839. February and March warm and wet. April 3 gardening commenced. 1840. Winter mild. In February rains and fog, and, 29, very warm. March 25 and 26, plowing. 1841. Winter quite mild. 1842.
542
NORTHWESTERN INDIANA.
This winter of 1842 and 1843 called the "hard win- ter." Many cattle starved to death. Winter com- menced November 17. William Wells of West Creek, perished with cold returning home from mill at Wil- mington in Illinois. February 18, sleighing good, forage for cattle scarce and cattle in many places dy- ing. April I, snow deeper than at any time before this winter, from fifteen to eighteen inches in the woods. 16 (1843), Alfred Edgerton crossed Cedar Lake on the ice. No grass for cattle. May 8. Vege- tation but slightly advanced. Cattle barely find suffi- cient food. So ended, at last, 'the hard winter.'
Winter of 1843 and 1844, mild. 1884. summer very wet. Winter of 1844 and 1845 unusually mild. Win- ter of 1845 and 1846 less mild but not severe. 1846. Summer very dry. Long continued hot weather. Very sickly. The summers of 1838 and 1846 are the two most noted for sickness in the annals of Lake. Among those who died in 1846 were, June 21, Ann Belshaw, at the Belshaw Grove, and, October 25, Mrs. Elisa- beth Horton, mother of Mrs. J. A. H. Ball, at Cedar Lake. Winter of 1846 and 1847 mild. 1848. no spe- cial note. 1849, summer wet. High waters in July. Cholera prevailing. 1850, 1851, ordinary years. 1852. April II, no grass, no plowing. May I, cattle can live. 1853. Another backward spring. April 26, cattle can barely live on the grass. May II. This is the four- teenth day in succession it has rained. The sun has not shone twelve hours during the time. Winter of 1855 and 1856 snowy and cold. Winter of 1856 and 1857 severe, with deep, drifting snows. 1857. Crops in the summer unusually late. No winter grain, rye or wheat, cut till in August, but the yield good. The crop of spring wheat was considered the best ever
543
A WEATHER RECORD.
raised in the county. Some raised forty bushels on an acre. S. Ames of Lake Prairie sowed three acres May I, and gathered ninety-six bushels. Corn was sold for fifteen cents a bushel. 1858. A wet spring and summer. July 8 and 9, mercury 100 degrees. September 10, a splendid comet appeared; very bril- liant for several weeks. 1859. A cold and backward spring. June 5, very white frost; II, frost ; July 4, light frost ; afterwards hot; 12th. mercury 104 degrees from 10 a. m. till 4 p. m .; 13th, 104 degrees; 15th, 105 degrees at noon ; 16th, 102 degrees from 12 m. to 5 p. m. ; 17th, 100 degrees at I p. m. ; 18th, 104 degrees at I p. m. 1860. Cold January. April 27, hard frost ; June I, light frost ; August 10, 12, 14, light frosts. 1861. Cool summer. May 2, hard frost ; 4, hard frost ; 5, tornado, hail and rain ; 30, white frost ; July 2, light frost. 1862. March 20 and 21, snow fell for tewnty- four hours. April 4, severe hail, stones larger than hickory nuts; 21, hard snowstorm; May 20, hard frost ; June 9, white frost ; July 19, severe storm. De- cember mild. No sleighing. 1863. An open winter. Cranes and wild geese occasionally all winter. A cool gummmer followed. Frost every month. August 30, a hard frost that killed vines and corn; October 30, a snowstorm; 31, snow in depth three or four inches. 1864. January I, known as the 'cold New Years.' Wind and snow. Mercury below zero 20 degrees. Intensely severe out in the wind. Mercury below zero 2, 18 degrees ; 3 and 4, at zero; below, 5, 6 de- grees ; 7, 20 degrees ; 8, 16 degrees ; 9, 7 degrees ; Il, 5 degrees. Cold till January 23, then springlike till February 16. March I to 10, robins, blue-birds, larks and frogs appeared. In September frosts. In No- vember Indian summer. In December mercury below
544
NORTHWESTERN INDIANA.
zero six times, from four to sixteen degrees. I865. June 20, severe storm, hail. wind, and rain. July a wet, and mostly cold month. Indian summer again in November. 1866. A cold February. Mercury below zero on several days. 1867. Generally dry through the year, and quite warm. 1868. A steady, cold January. March warm and pleasant. July hot with frequent showers. Mercury at 94 degrees, 96 de- 15, 105 degrees. 1869. Trees loaded with ice. Wild geese appeared in January ; February from II to 14, frogs, snakes, and larks as in April. The summer that followed was called the wet summer. The follow- ing is a more full record for January, 1869:
"The month just closing has been remarkable, in the county of Lake, for its even temperature, its amount of sunshine, its mild winds, its general, uni- form pleasantness. No snow of any amount since the sheet of ice of the first week, and very little mud. Ex- cellent wheeling, no rain, no storm, day after day, week after week. South wind, southeast wind, west wind, north wind, east wind-still pleasant weather. It is said that such a January has not been experienced for some thirty years. For a winter month it has been truly delightful."
"Cedar Lake, having been covered with one strong sheet of ice, then again all open, can now, in the lat- ter part of March, be crossed with loaded teams. Quite an unusual occurrence."
The following is another record : "During the year 1867 there was in our county one cloudless day, September 28th. On the 27th a speck of cloud was visible before sunrise, on the 29th one was visible after sunset. During 1868 no cloudless day was ob- served by a close observer. At Rochester, New York,
545
A WEATHER RECORD.
some years ago, eighteen such days were observed in one year, and thirteen in another. There are few such days at the south end of Lake Michigan ; yet there are many delightful ones, the sky as deeply blue as that over Mount Auburn, and fleecy clouds as beautiful and lovely as float anywhere."
1870. January 12, wild geese appeared ; mercury 45 degrees. May, July, and August, warm and dry months. October a fine month. Says a farmer, "Our best corn year." 1871. In January of this year were those remarkable days, commencing with rain and frost, and continuing so changeless, that gave us the most magnificent ice views, so far as records show, ever witnessed in this latitude. Commencing Janu- ary 14, the sheet of ice continued over everything for two weeks. Immense damage was done to forest trees. Fruit trees were broken very much, but the injury to them did not prove to be serious. The winter scenery during those two weeks was indescribably grand. All the boughs of all vegetation were covered with ice that weighed the evergreens and smaller trees almost to the earth, and when the sun shone the brilliant crys- tals everywhere almost dazzled the eyes of the beholder. One evening, during those two weeks, the rays of the setting sun, with the redness of a glow- ing summer brightness, shone upon the tree-tops, and they flashed in that red light as though hung all over with myriads of rubies. Such a scene of resplendent beauty none here ever saw before. The temperature day after day was mild ; very little wind; considerable sunshine ; but the whole world around seemed bound in unyielding fetters of ice. It was like living in a fairy land. or in arctic regions without the cold and the darkness. Existence itself, amid such beauty, was a
546
NORTHWESTERN INDIANA.
great delight. But rare elements of the magnificent in nature seemed to be combined, when at length mo- tion again commenced in the outer world. Then at midday, in the usually silent winter groves, the con- tinuous roar of the ponderous, falling crystal masses, the breaking of loaded boughs as the wind began to rise and try their strength, the danger to which one was constantly exposed, were sufficient to rouse into excitement the dullest nature.
Between Crown Point and Cedar Lake the road was rendered impassable for days by an icy blockade ; all our woods still show the marks of the giant power that was laid upon them; the like in our history was never known before. The ice sheet extended from Southern Michigan in a southwesterly direction into Illinois ; its width being some twenty or thirty miles. and Crown Point lay near the center of its course. At Chicago snow fell to quite a depth instead of the rain which here froze at the surface of the earth.
In June the locusts came in immense swarms, keeping themselves mostly upon the forest trees. They were especially numerous in the woods north of Lowell; south and southwest of Crown Point; and in the eastern portion of the county. These locusts stung the timber, but no serious results followed.
In October strong winds prevailed. The summer was very dry, and unusual fires raged along the marsh and in the islands of timber. It seemed as though what the ice and the locusts had left unharmed, the fires were commissioned to destroy. The October fires of 1871, in and out of Lake, will long be remem- bered.
Although a very dry season,and many wells failed, and cattle suffered severely from thirst, yet the corn
547
A WEATHER RECORD.
crop was good, the oat crop was good, and grass was abundant.
1872. The winter commencced with no heavy fall rains and no mud. In January there came quite a fall of snow and a few cold days, but on the whole the win- ter was mild. Spring came, yet very little rain, no mud, no bad roads. Showers in the summer; very little rain. Vegetation grows, but cattle suffer, wells dry up, and it seems as though the fountains in the earth would fail. Since 1869 we have almost forgotten what a rain storm is or a muddy road. The summer of 1872 has proved an unusually abundant fruit sea- son. The corn crop has been abundant, the oat crop fair, and the grass crop good. A late and pleasant autumn with but little rain and no mud. No bad roads since the spring of 1870.
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