USA > Indiana > Tippecanoe County > Past and present of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Volume I > Part 15
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"One of the most characteristic examples of soil removal in Indiana through the erosive power of rainfall is seen in the territory drained by the Wabash river. This soil robbery of the land is directly traceable to the re- moval of the trees from a once thickly forested region. Of course, no one would want the entire state covered, as it once was, with woods, for this would leave us without land for farming, but enough of the forest should be left and perpetuated to prevent the menace that comes from excessive clearing of the land. In the southern counties of the state, where the hills abound, the land erosion is more noticeable than in the gently rolling sections."
This brings to mind a rare old oak tree on the road from Lafayette to Battle Ground, known as the "Big Tree"-a stately old bur oak-that stood in the center of the highway until 1904-5, when it was cut down, as it too greatly obstructed the roadway, which had also along its sides the electric road as well as the wagon road, up the Wabash valley.
"THE BIG TREE."
Concerning the giant oak tree that is above referred to, there is much of interest, both in the way of true history, as well as of traditionary statements. This tree was on land owned in recent years by John Emling and was a greatly admired land-mark of Tippecanoe county. It was certainly from one hun- dred and fifty to two hundred years old. When sawed down a few years since it measured five feet and some inches in diameter, and was sound, for the most part, throughout its entire trunk, only a few of its larger limbs be- ginning to show decay. It was cut into lumber and now adorns the hand- some residence of Mr. Emling, at the corner of Ferry and Ninth streets. Lafayette, where it forms the finishing for the rooms on the first floor as well as the elaborate stairway leading to the second floor. Its grain is indeed beautiful. While it is serving a good purpose and is much cherished by its owners, who know of the romance and poetry of its early-day history, yet it is missed to the great world about. who used to stop beneath its cooling
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branches in the mid-summer day, and admire its giant branches, as the storm swept through its great top, in the bitter cold and windy winter's day.
There is a generally credited story of how Gen. William Henry Harrison slept under the spreading branches of this forest king away back in ISII when he fought the battle of Tippecanoe. Another legend of this big oak is that many persons supposed for years that there was a large sum of gold hidden in the bluffs near this tree and there were many large excavations made in search for the hidden metal, but all to no purpose. Then the tree was made a guide-board for holding all sorts of legal notices and road de- scriptions, which caused it to become a target for nails and screws and not a few bullets were sawed from it when it was finally slabbed by the saw at the mill. Here many a weary Indian doubtless rested ; here the Indian maiden sat and listened to the murmurings of the flowing Wabash, near by, and here, too, the emigrant ofttimes camped for the night, using the boughs of this oak for his canopy. When the Black Hawk war soldiers went in pursuit of old Black Hawk, they halted by this tree and bid adieu to friends before tak- ing their departure westward.
Only within the last few years a lady wrote from West Virginia and wanted a leaf or a piece of bark sent her from the "Big Tree," for she added, "My husband proposed to me beneath that old oak tree."
It was styled the "kissing tree," the "big tree." "guide tree." "lover's tree," etc. No person who ever lived long within Tippecanoe county is with- out a real love for the tree "in the middle of the road," near the Indian Trail. And had each of its branches been a tongue, what a wonderful story it might have told of days on the Wabash long before the white men looked upon this section. The monarch of the forest is gone-what will ever take its place ?
Hail to the Oak-the brave old Oak, Who has ruled in this greenwood long ; A fearless king is he
When a hundred years are gone! There's a frown in his crown When the sun goes down And the fire in the west fades out. A monarch of all is he- The Oak, the brave old Oak. When a hundred years are gone.
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The accompanying illustration shows the "Big Tree," as it appeared until cut down in the spring of 1905.
In thinking of this splendid oak, one cannot refrain from repeating the familiar lines of George P. Morris, entitled
WOODMAN, SPARE THAT TREE.
Woodman, spare that tree ! Touch not a single bough! In youth it sheltered me. And I'll protect it now. 'Twas my forefather's hand That placed it near his cot ; There, woodman. let it stand, Thy axe shall harm it not.
(10)
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That old familiar tree, Whose glory and renown Are spread o'er land and sea- And wouldst thou hew it down? Woodman, forbear thy stroke! Cut not its earth-bound ties ; Oh, spare that aged oak Now towering to the skies!
When but an idle boy, I sought its grateful shade; In all their gushing joy, Here, too, my sisters played. My mother kissed me here; My father pressed my hand- Forgive this foolish tear, But let that old oak stand.
My heart-strings round thee cling, Close as thy bark, old friend! Here shall the wild-bird sing, And still thy branches bend. Old tree! the storm still brave! And, woodman, leave the spot ; While I've a hand to save, Thy axe shall harm it not.
CHAPTER IV.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
To have been in the vanguard of civilization and been the first white man to penetrate so goodly a domain as Tippecanoe county is, with the view of making permanent settlement is an honor, though possibly such honor was never fully realized by Peter Weaver, who late in the autumn of 1822 or early in the spring of 1823. left the civilization and little colony who had settled on the White Water river, in eastern Indiana, for the purpose of bet- tering his condition in the "New Purchase" on the upper Wabash, settling at the lower end of Wea Plain, on the south side of the river. It was at this point that he erected his cabin and commenced pioneering anew. He was one of those rugged, fearless frontiersmen, who knew well what hard- ship was and how best to encounter it in his newly selected home. He being fond of trapping, hunting and fishing, found here all that could be asked in this line of pleasure and with it came no little profit, for game was very plentiful in this section many years after his settlement. It may be said of this, the first emigrant settler in the "Kingdom of Tippecanoe," that he was brave, generous and hospitable. It is said that he killed more deer, wolves and rattlesnakes, caught more fish, and found more bee-trees than any other man between Vincennes and the mouth of the Salamonie. His son, Patrick Henry Weaver, was living in 1889 and was almost ninety-one years old at the date last heard from .*
Settler number two in Tippecanoe county was always a question, but it is known and was verified by public land records, that a settlement was made in the lower portion of Wea Plain, by Lewis Thomas, John McFar- land, John Coran, Truman Rollins, Daniel Curran, the Schoonovers, Huffs, and an old gentleman named Haines. These were all the next to come to Tippecanoe county to effect settlement.
Southwest of these, soon settled near Clark's Point, or later known as "Pin-hook." Samuel Clark, Peter Christman. Nimrod and William Taylor, Van Sant and Abraham Morgan, John Kennedy, John W. Odell. Samuel Rankin, John Dutton, John W. and Simon Crouse, and Abraham Evans. Fur-
*One account says Elijah Moore, who settled in Wayne township, was the first in the county-he came in the fall of 1822.
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ther east and north near Middleton (now West Point), were the Kisers, Hollingsworths, Huffs, etc.
The High Gap neighborhood consisted of William Dimmitt, John Brad- field, Moses Hacket. James P. Ellis, Dr. Durkee, Andrew Hoover, the Sher- rys and John Sheridan.
On the Little Wea were the Croses, Willies, Wylies, Crouches, Brun- sons, Judge Allen, the Foxes. Seymours, and Thomas Smiley.
At the upper end of Wea Plain, James and Joseph Hawkins, Baker Guest, John Provault, William Jones, Joseph Fell, William West, Peter Hughes, John Bear. John McGill, Isaac Galbreth and Robert Sterrett.
On the north side of Wea Plain there was a large French and Indian town which extended from the head of the bluff below the mouth of the Wea to where the town of Granville now stands. This was the famous Ouia- tenon (pronounced We-ah-te-non), sometimes abbreviated Ouia or Wea.
In October, 1827, Isaac Shelby, a distant relative of Governor Shelby, of Kentucky, laid out the town of Lagrange, on the southern line of Tippe- canoe county, on the west side of the Wabash river, hoping it would become a successful rival of Lafayette, Attica, Covington, etc. It did, in fact, become a uniform landing place for the river crafts, but ultimately went down.
In its neighborhood settled Jesse Douthit, Harvey H. Lyons, Noah Griggs. L. S. Westgate. William Williams, Daniel Gooden and Mr. Immel. Near the mouth of Indian creek were Elijah Godfrey, John Black, Wil- liam Payne. Alexander Croy. Michael Jones. Boxley and John Stanley.
Three miles east of the mouth of Indian creek was another neighborhood, consisting of James Bedwell, Robert Williams, Thomas W. Treckel, William, Benjamin and Samuel Knight, Francis Sunderland, the Cuppys. Starrets, Suits, James Emerson, H. Oilar, the Laytons, Russells. Samuel Bridgeman, Peter Caster, John Downey, Benjamin Crist. and others whose names have been lost with the lapse of time.
In the vicinity of the Wabash, opposite the mouth of the Wea creek. D. Patton and others in an early day laid out a town and named it Cincin- natus, but after a fierce struggle for existence, it fell by the way and even lost its place to a greater degree than did its rival Lagrange.
South of the Tippecanoe river, on the borders of Pretty Prairie, there was an early-day settlement composed of the following named persons : William Kendall, Moses Rush, Philip Runnels. Becker, Marquis and Samuel Starret. Farther to the south, between Pretty Prairie and Prophetstown, lived James and John Shaw. John Burget. Peleg Babcock, John Roberts, John S. Forgey and Thomas Watson.
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In the vicinity of Columbia (now Romney). were Enos Park, John Fraley, the Talbotts, John Kennedy. Martin Miller. David Martin and possi- bly others.
A few miles east. in the summer of 1832, a village was platted named Concord. In this neighborhood resided William Brady, Daniel Travis. Dan- iel Stoner, Resers Kirkendahl. the Johnsons, Eli Perkins, and a number of others.
Southeast of Concord, near Yorktown, were the Caulkins. Wells, Coles, Trindle, Baker, Parvis and Westlake.
On Lauramie creek, near the village of Cleveland, laid off by Hezekiah Hunter, in February, 1832, lived Alvin Pippen, James Carr, Isaac Wicker- sham, the Stingleys, Elliotts, La Rues, Keeler. Martin Roads and James Cowley.
About two miles southeast of Cleveland on the road leading to Jefferson, was another village called Monroe, laid out by William Major in 1832. Here was a cluster of families consisting of William and James H. Major, John Kilgore, Martin Lucas, James B. Hartpence, Michael Culver and a few others.
Northwest of Cleveland. in the direction of Lafayette, lived Jacob and Jasper Whetstone, William Heaton and the Kirkpatricks. Also Daniel Clark, Morgan Shortridge and quite a good many others.
In the vicinity of Lafayette were the Grahams, L. B. Stockton, Mr. Hilts, Knapper, Aaron T. Claspill, James Thornton, Jonathan Wolf, Gushwas, Gunkle, John Doyle, James Keene, Foreman, John Cockerell. Creeses, Wal- ter Freeman, Silas Simpkins. Peter Longlois. John Allen, Garrett Seymour and John W. Smith.
The early settlers in the vicinity of Fairfield, now known as Dayton, were : Timothy Horrman, William Bush. Samuel Favorite, Joseph Barton, David Redan, the Paiges, Rizers, Tooles, Samuel McGeorge, the Strothers, Steens, Staleys, John Robinson, Jesse Evans, Cleavers MeCurdy, Vincent and William Dye, James Wylie, Christian Barr and Mr. Ward.
In and about Americus, the town laid off by pioneer William Digby. who also founded Lafayette, was another settlement made up of the Stairs, John Cunningham, the Richardsons, Schoolcrafts, Stevensons, Stanfield. Gish, Benjamin Doty and Edward Brown.
Americus was laid out on the nearest eligible ground for a town to the mouth of the Tippecanoe river, where the Wabash and Erie canal was to terminate, according to the survey ordered by congress, which fact induced the proprietor as well as many others to suppose that it was soon destined
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to become a great commercial center which would ere long throw Lafayette, Logansport, Delphi and other then good-sized places entirely in the shade. Lots sold at high prices and all seemed sure of ultimate success, but when the canal was extended, and hard times set in all over the country from vari- ous causes, this budding metropolis soon faded away into insignificance.
Thus was effected the settlement of the various portions of Tippecanoe county. The later settlement is taken up in the chapter on "Townships" in this volume, where it is carried down to a time when none who came in were called "early settlers," but simply came in to swell and further develop what settlements had been planted by the hardy pioneers of the twenties and thirties.
CHAPTER V.
COUNTY ORGANIZATION.
By the provisions of an act of the general assembly of the state of Indi- ana entitled, "An act for the formation of a new county out of the county of Wabash, and for establishing the county-seat thereof," and approved January 26, 1826, it was declared "that all that part of Wabash county con- tained within the boundaries therein specified shall form and constitute a new county, to be known and designated by the name of Tippecanoe." Prior to that date "all the territory embraced in that wide district of land lying north of Montgomery county as far as Lake Michigan was called Wabash county, and was attached to Montgomery county for judicial purposes." The organization as above referred to was passed and approved by the governor, on the 26th of January. 1826, and the act took effect the following May.
Later, at a meeting of the board of justices of Tippecanoe county, the first after being chosen, the following proceedings had before them were spread at length upon the record :
"Be it remembered. That at a session of the Tippecanoe county board of justices, held at the house of James Brockman, the place appointed for holding courts within and for said county of Tippecanoe, at the hour of 12 o'clock on Saturday, the Sth of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-six: present. William Bush, Levi Thornton, Stephen Kennedy and John Russell, who now present their commissions from his Excellency J. Brown Ray, governor of the state of Indiana, and having their several oaths endorsed thereon. now take an additional oath of office not to violate the provisions of the fourteenth section of an act establishing a county treasurer. Whereupon the board now proceed to organize them- selves by electing one of their number a president of said board: and after counting out the tickets, it appears that William Bush received three votes. which being a majority of all the votes cast, the said William Bush is duly declared elected president of the board, and takes his seat as such. Where- upon the board proceeded to business. The board received the returns from the commissioners appointed to locate the county-seat of the county of Tip- pecanoe. Said commissioners located the seat of justice at the town of Lafayette, and received the donations from the following persons: \ bond from Reuben Kelsey for a warranty deed for ten acres of land off of the
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northeast corner of the east half of the northeast quarter of section 29, range 4 west, of township 23; a bond from Robert Alexander for a warranty deed for ten acres of land on the north end of the west half of the northeast quar- ter of the west half of the northeast quarter of section 29, in township 23, north of range 4 west: a bond from Samuel Sergeant for a warranty deed for ten acres of land east of the adjoining town plat of the town of Lafayette ; a bond from I. C. Elston, Samuel Sergeant, John Wilson and Jonathan W. Powers for a warranty deed for all the even numbered lots in the town of Lafayette, as laid down.
"Ordered, That the agent of the county is authorized to advertise the sale of lots in the town of Lafayette, to sell on the second Monday of Octo- ber next. Terms of sale, one-fourth the purchase money paid in hand, the balance in two equal payments.
"Be it remembered, That all that part of the county of Tippecanoe lying west of the Wabash river shall form and constitute a township to be known as Wabash township.
"That all that part of the county of Tippecanoe lying west of Big Wea creek shall form and constitute a township to be known by the name of Fair- field.
"All that part of the county of Tippecanoe lying south of Big Wea creek shall form and constitute a township to be known by the name of Randolph township. By order of the board.
"Be it remembered, That all elections to be held in the township of Wabash shall be held at the house of Francis Sunderland, during the pres- ent year, and that Robert Alexander be inspector of all elections in said township of Wabash for and during the present year; that all elec- tions to be held in the township of Fairfield shall be held at the house of James Broekman during the present year, and that James Thornton is appointed inspector of elections of Fairfield township during the present year; that all elections to be held in the township of Randolph shall be held at the house of William Dimmitt during the present year, and that John Provolt is appointed inspector of elections in the township of Randolph during the present year.
"Be it remembered, That Reuben Kelsey is appointed agent of the county of Tippecanoe by order of the board.
"Be it remembered, That Samuel Black is appointed treasurer in and for the county of Tippecanoe, by order of the board.
"Be it remembered, That James Wyman is authorized to vend foreign merchandise, after producing a certificate from the county treasurer for the
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payment of two dollars, for and during the term of one year, in the county of Tippecanoe. By order of the board.
"WILLIAM BUSII,
"President Board of Justices."
The house of James Brockman, where the first election was held in Fairfield township, was in the town of Lafayette. The house of Francis Sunderland, in Wabash township, where the first election was held, was situ- ated on the north bank of the Wabash river, opposite the mouth of Big Wea creek.
The first election in Randolph township was held at the house of Wil- liam Dimmitt, situated at the High Gap, at a point which a traveler once declared was "the prettiest place this side of heaven."
From the narrative already made of the beginning of the county gov- ernment of Tippecanoe, it is seen that the original townships organized were : Wabash, Fairfield and Randolph. The dates of the other ten sub-divisions, or civil townships in the county, and as known today, were fixed by their official organization, as follows: Jackson, 1828; Lauramie, organized in 1830 and then called "Cole:" Wayne, organized in 1871 ; Union, organized in March, 1871; Wea township, organized in 1857: Sheffield, organized in 1828: Perry, organized in autumn of 1828; Shelby, organized prior to 1859; Tippecanoe, organized prior to 1859; Washington was organized in 1832.
From the organization of the county down to 1859, according to a state law. each civil township was represented by three trustees, but in February of that year, the new law provided that but one trustee should be elected from each township in the county.
Annual elections had been held until 1869, when the law was changed to once in two years-biennial elections. The date was at the same time changed from April to October. Again in 1877 the legislature changed the date of holding the elections back to April.
The first persons to hold the offices of the county were: Circuit judge, John R. Porter ; associate judge, John Provolt; clerk, Samuel Hoover ; treas- urer, Samuel Black; sheriff, David F. Durkee; recorder. Daniel Bugher ; prosecuting attorney, E. M. Huntington : surveyor. Lawrence R. Stockton ; county commissioners, J. Brockman, W. Bush, Thornton S. Kennedy, T. Russell, A. Janny.
For a more complete list of all county officers, by years and terms, the reader is respectfully referred to the chapter dealing with the political his- tory of the county.
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TOWN AND VILLAGE PLATS.
Tippecanoe county has had numerous town plats, and their names have been frequently changed. and many are now defunct, yet the list as exhibited on the county recorder's book of indexes, is indeed long. The following is a list of the more important plattings and their detailed history may be found in the several township histories in this work :
Americus, in Washington township, was platted by the founder of La- fayette, William Digby, in 1832.
Battle Ground. in Tippecanoe township, was platted in February, 1858.
Chauncey (now West Lafayette, first platted as Kingston). in 1855.
Colburn. in Washington township, was platted in 1858.
Clark's Hill, Lauramie township. platted 1850.
Concord. in Lauramie township. platted in 1832.
Dayton, in Sheffield township, platted in 1827-30.
Granville, in Wayne township, platted August. 1834. now defunct.
Lafayette, original plat, in May. 1825.
Montmorency, in Shelby township, platted March 13, 1838.
Monroe, in Lauramie township, platted in 1832.
Romney, in Randolph township, platted in 1831.
Stockwell, in Lauramie township, platted in 1850.
Transitville, Washington township, platted in 1854 (now Buck Creek ).
West Point, Wayne township, platted in 1833.
Wyandott, in Sheffield township, platted in 1828.
TIPPECANOE COUNTY COURT HOUSE
CHAPTER VI.
COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
Here in Tippecanoe county, the same as in many other counties within the commonwealth of Indiana, the business of the county has not always been in the hands of wise. or even honest and honorable men ; that the tax-payers away back in the earlier years of the county's history always received value received for what was paid out, can not be truthfully recorded in this historical work. There have been here, as elsewhere, designing men. "grafters" and politicians who have not always executed the offices to which they have been elected with strict honesty and uprightness. However. it will not be prudent to rehearse and try. at this late date, to unearth such corrupt appropriation of the public funds. The building of county buildings. the bridging of streams and making of good highways throughout the county. attracted the attention of the county commissioners for many decades, until it has come to a more complete system and money is now more wisely disbursed and ac- counted for to the tax-payers.
The first county officers were: David F. Durkee. sheriff ; Samuel Hoover. clerk : Daniel Bugher, recorder; Samuel Black. treasurer; Lawrence B. Stockton, surveyor : J. Brockman, W. Bush, L. Thornton, S. Kennedy. T. Russell and A. Janny, county commissioners.
COURT HOUSE HISTORY.
As soon as Lafayette had been declared the legal seat of justice, the county offices were established and the real county government machinery was set in motion. From the date of organization of the county in 1826. the county rented rooms in which to hold court and keep the necessary of- fices. But in 1829 the first court house was provided for. It stood on the site of the present building and was, of course, a rude. small affair, but suited to the times in which it served. It was a two-story brick structure longer north and south than it was east and west. Later. on either side-east and west- smaller office buildings were built. and these all served the county until the second court house was erected. The old brick buildings were temporarily moved to leased lots where now stands the new postoffice, where the county
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business was transacted until the next court house was completed, after which the brick of which the original buildings were made were converted into the iron foundry south from the square and are still doing service in that foundry.
The original court house was followed by the second building, which was erected in 1845. It was a two-story building, of the old colonial style of ar- chitecture. It was well built and cost the county about five thousand dollars. It had upon its roof a good sized cupola. Additions and internal changes and modifications were from time to time made, and with such improvements it was the home of the county officials and courts up to the time the present more modern building was provided the county. The new building had long been needed, as the rooms for storing public records had outgrown their former usefulness. Luckily, however, no fire has ever been permitted to de- stroy the county's records, although in the forties a fire broke out in the old building, occasioned by a pipe or cigar, but happily was seen in time to be extinguished.
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