USA > Indiana > Tippecanoe County > Past and present of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Volume I > Part 41
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In 1867 the general assembly of the state of Indiana passed a new gen- eral law for the incorporation of cities, approved March 14, 1867, from which time, up to 1905, by the provision of section ninety-six of said law, the city continued to operate as a municipal corporation under said act of March 14. 1867, and acts amendatory thereof and supplementary thereto.
In 1905 the general assembly passed an entirely new law for the incorpo- ration and government of cities and towns, entitled "An act concerning municipal corporations," approved March 6, 1905. in effect April 15, 1905. By virtue of section forty-one of this act the city of Lafayette has continued to be the same legal corporation as before the passage of the act, all former rights and liabilities remaining in full force.
CITY OFFICERS.
The following will show who have served as mayor, city clerk, treasurer and marshal or superintendent of police, since the incorporation of the city of Lafayette :
Mayors-James O'Brian, 1853 and 1854: Chris. Miller, 1855; John S. Williams, 1856, 1857, 1858: John Connolly, 1859, 1860; Thomas B. Ward, 1861-62-63-64: George Ulrich, 1865, 1866: John Petit, 1867, 1868; F. E. D. McGinley, 1869. 1870; Louis Kimmel, 1871-72; F. E. D. McGinley. 1873- '74: Elias B. Glick, 1876; Louis Kimmel, 1877- 78-79-80: F. E. D. Mc-
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Ginley, 1881-'82-'S3-'S4; James L. Caldwell, 1885-'86; William V. Stuart, 1887-'88; F. E. D. MeGinley, 1889-'90-'91-'92-93: Noah Justice, 1894- 95-'96-'97-'98-99-1900-01 ; Richard B. Sample, 1902-03 ; George R. Durgan, 1904, present mayor.
City Clerks-Daniel T. Holladay, 1853-54: James Higinbotham, 1855 : Thomas B. Ward, 1856; Michael P. Beegan, 1857: James Howe, 1858-'59- 60; John A. Brewster, 1861-62; Fowler McLaren, 1863-04: Daniel Hawk, 1865-'66; Joseph Schneider, 1867-'68; John S. Petit, 1869- 70; Jacob Kurtz. 1871-72; Timothy J. McCarthy, 1873-74: Jacob Kurtz, 1875- 76-77; Wil- liam Fraser, 1878-'79-'80; George H. West, 1881-82-83-84: John W. Fletemeyer, 1885-'86-'87-'88; Stephen J. Hanneghan, 1889-'90-'91-'92-93 ; Thomas W. Burt, 1894-95-'96-'97; James K. Risk, 1898-'99-1900-'01; Charles F. Williams, Jr., 1902-'03; Edgar Il. Andress, Jr., 1904-05, present city clerk.
City Treasurers-Luther Tolman, 1853-54- 55: George Ulrich, 1856- 57-'58; William Taylor, 1859-'60; George N. Ridgely, 1861- 62-63- 64- 05- '66-'67-'68; William Bayle, 1869-'70; James Tullis. 1871- 72; James A. Ries, 1873-74; William H. Ewry, 1875-'76-'77-'78: Collins Blackmer, 1879-'80; William Schilling, 18SI-'82-'83-'84; Ferdinand Welch, 1885-86; John B. McCuteheon, 1887-'SS; George T. Beardsley, 1889-'90-'91-'92-93 ; James H. Mitchell, 1894-'95-'96-'97; Frank DuTeil, 1898-'99-1900-'01 : Arthur W. Ab- bott, 1902-'03-'04 ; Barney Spitznagel, 1905-'09.
Marshals-Thomas J. Chissom, 1853-'54; John W. Godman, 1855 : Silas C. Hotchkiss, Silas Baird, 1856; Silas Baird, 1857; Ira A. Evans, 1858- 59- '60; Patrick Tobin, John W. Short, 1861 ; Patrick Tobin, 1862-03- 64; Charles H. Ruby, James Campbell, 1865 : James Campbell, 1866; James M. Rodgers, 1867-'68; August Williams, 1869-'70: George W. Clark, 1871- 72; Mortimer Sullivan, 1873-74-'75-'76: Michael Tigue, 1877-'78: Felix Con- nolly, 1879-'So; Dennis Sullivan, 1881-'82-'83-84: Peter M. Connolly. ISS5-'86; Edward Cunningham, 1887-'88; John A. Maule, 1889-'90- '91-92. (New office created) Superintendent of police, George W. Brown, 1893-'94-'95-'96; George A. Harrison, 1897-'98-99-1900-01-02-03-'04; Charles H. Powell, 1905 : Louis W. Schaffer, present officer.
CITY OFFICERS IN 1908-'09.
George R. Durgan, mayor; E. H. Andress, Jr., clerk: M. S. Andress, deputy clerk; James W. Schooler, city controller; Barney Spitznagel, city treasurer ; Albert Krabbe, deputy city treasurer; Arthur D. Cunningham, city
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attorney ; John B. Truman. city engineer; Thomas Hennessy, assistant city engineer; Thomas W. Field, city judge ; Michael G. Tigue, inspector scales, weights and measures ; Dr. W. D. Epperson, meat and milk inspector ; Charles H. Krabbe, street commissioner : A. A. Torrenga, timekeeper; Charles Mor- row, superintendent of parks; J. Fred Ley, superintendent of crematory ; John E. Camardy, superintendent of water works; Frank X. Metzger, assistant su- perintendent of water works; Joseph B. Beaucond, chief of fire department ; C. M. Johnson, electrician ; Louis W. Schaffer, superintendent of police.
THE CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The newspaper files show that the Lafayette fire company met at the old court house in the month of November, 1836, for the purpose of adopting a constitution.
In 1908 the department purchased what is known as a life net, for the purpose of saving the lives of those who might be imprisoned at some dis- tance from the ground, in a burning building. Nothing new and really useful escapes this efficient fire department. It received the premium recently from the National Board of Underwriters of New York City for reaching the one hundred per cent. mark in confining the fire to the buildings in which it had originated. It was the only department in Indiana that made such a record.
The present system of inspecting business houses each month, instead of each year, as heretofore, has greatly helped the department. First the owners of buildings are more careful about leaving inflammable materials about their premises, and secondly, the fire department members and firemen generally having occasion to visit the buildings for the inspection purposes, become fa- miliar with every entrance and possible exit, so in case of a fire in such build- ing, be it day or night, they are thoroughly posted as to the means of entrance to the building.
It was in 1840 that a test was made of the two fire engines brought to Lafayette, from the east, to demonstrate what they would do for the pro- tection of the city against the fire fiend.
At the present, 1909, the city is provided with four fire stations; it has three hundred and thirty-one fire plugs, a fully equipped apparatus and is manned by twenty firemen, paid by the city. A central engine house will be erected on North Fourth street the coming year on lots recently purchased of Doctor Pifer.
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CITY WATER WORKS.
In 1876 a good system of water works was provided Lafayette by issuing twenty-year eight per cent. bonds. Up to 1886 about three hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars had been expended on that water works system. At that date, twenty-three years ago. there was located twenty-six miles of main pipe. a thousand feet of service pipe and eight hundred and fifty water consumers. The capacity of the pumps on the canal at the north end of Third street was three million five hundred thousand gallons in twenty-four hours. An old history says of these works that "the reservoir is on the summit of Oakland Hill, about two miles southeast of the pumping station and is two hundred and twenty-seven feet above the low water mark in the Wabash river. The average pressure in the pipes is sixty-three pounds a square inch." The record shows that in 1887 the trustees of the water works were George M. Beach and William F. Frey ; superintendent. John Barnet.
Prior to the date of 1876, when these works were installed. there had been no regular system, but the city had always depended on cisterns here and there throughout the place for water as a safeguard against fire.
The first supply of water. under the 1876 original water plant, was derived from the Wabash river. direct by means of pumps, the capacity of which has already been given. From this plant has grown up, by constant improvements and enlargements as the city has grown, the elaborate system of today. The city controller's 1908 annual report for that year, ending in December, gives in substance the following figures concerning the present water supply. the equipment and other items naturally connected therewith.
In 1891 the old plan of taking the water from the river was abandoned and a system of tubular wells was installed. thus giving one of the purest, most health-giving waters found in use in any of the cities of this country. These wells now number forty-six and are six inches in diameter ; the aver- age depth is about thirty-five feet, the lower end of which tubes are standing in gravel and white sand and when too much gravel gets clogged into the · perforated ends of these tubes, they are blown out by steam pressure, thus making a uniform flow of clear water.
There are two pumping stations with this water plant-the old Canal street pumping station and the one at Columbian Park. At the old station are in operation two huge Worthington tandem compound condensing high duty engines, installed in 1897 and 1904 respectively.
At Columbian Park station may be found two one-million-gallon Worth- ington triple expansion engines. The total amount of water pumped by these
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two stations during 1908 was one billion one hundred and eighty-nine million gallons. The capacity of the main station is six million gallons daily. Thie last report shows that the receipts for 1908 for water rents was fifty-one thousand three hundred and thirty-two dollars. The expenditure was fifty- four thousand and ninety-four dollars. The average daily consumption of water by the people of Lafayette is about three and one-half million gallons. This water, in part, passes in and out of the great reservoir at Columbian Park every twenty-four hours the year round. There are now in use fifty-two miles of water mains in the city; three hundred and thirty-one hydrants for fire purposes ; drinking fountains, sixteen ; pumping capacity daily, six million gallons.
The water works have always been the property of the city. The value of "free water" in 1908 was nineteen thousand dollars, as against the fifty- one thousand three hundred and thirty-two dollars received for water rents. As compared with cities where the water is furnished by private corporations, Lafayette was ahead last year thirty-four thousand two hundred and sixteen dollars. This counts the free water as being paid for, as must be the case in water furnished by private companies. The total cost of this plant, including the high rate of interest on bonds, is one million three hundred and sixty- eight thousand dollars.
Lafayette has plenty of water; water for her numerous public institu- tions ; water for the many drinking fountains for man and beast ; water for the swimming pool at the beautiful park; water for private and public use everywhere. The great Columbian Park reservoir holds four million two hun- dred thousand gallons, which is used as a surplus. The general daily water consumed is pumped direct from these tubular wells, which afford the most perfect water for all purposes known to the world today. While many other larger cities are drinking and cooking with water that has been taken from the slums and filth-spots and then by a questionable process "filtered," as is the case in St. Louis and Omaha, from the dirty, poison waters of the Missouri, the populace here are using the pure water that comes from a clean gravel bed uncontaminated by any surface matter.
The present superintendent of these water works-which are the pride of the city-is J. E. Camardy.
THE CITY LIGHTED BY ELECTRICITY.
The first attempt at illuminating by electricity in Lafayette was early in the eighties, when the discovery was first developed into practical methods.
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The city ordinance relating to this subject reads as follows and was adopted March 3. 1884 :
"Be it ordained by the common council of the city of Lafayette. that per- mission and authority be and the same is hereby granted unto the Brush Elec- tric Lighting Company, of Lafayette, Indiana. and its assigns, to erect. con- struct, complete and operate electrical apparatus, to-wit : Poles, wires, lamps, insulators, etc., for conveying and furnishing electricity for purposes of light. heat, power, and other chemical and mechanical purposes in the city of Lafay- ette, and the said grantees, or either of them, or their employees are hereby authorized and empowered to use the streets, thoroughfares, public grounds and sidewalks belonging to or under the control of said city, as it is now laid out, or may be hereafter, for the purpose above stated ; and the right of way is hereby given said grantees, for a term of twenty years, through such streets, thoroughfares, public grounds and sidewalks, for erecting the neces- sary poles and laying the necessary wires and other necessary appliances, in, through, under, and over the same."
The Citizens' Natural Gas Company, organized about 1888, soon piped natural gas in from the central Indiana gas fields. Subsequently, this corpo- ration merged with the Lafayette Gas Company, which took over the stock of the City Natural Gas Company and the Lafayette Artificial Gas Company, as well as the Electric Light Company, all of which were really under one management. Samuel Murdock was a prime mover in this enter- prise and promoted it with much vigor and business ability. Still later, this company was merged with the Indiana Light Company that now operates in Peru, Wabash, Ft. Wayne, Frankfort and Lebanon, in this state, and at points in Ohio, including St. Mary's, Fort Recovery, Greenville, etc. Mr. Murdock is secretary and general manager of this vast system of lighting cities.
MERCHANTS' ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY.
In 1896 ten merchants united and erected a small electric light plant, on Ferry street, between Fourth and Fifth streets, where the present press-rooms of the Journal office are located. They started the plant to produce their own lights, with a capital of three thousand dollars. In the spring of 1807 they enlarged their business and obtained a franchise from the city and increased the capital to thirty thousand dollars. In 1902 they were granted franchise to enable them to add a hot water plant and increased the capital to one hun- dred and fifty thousand dollars. In 1908 they got a ten-year contract for lighting the city and increased the capital to two hundred thousand dollars.
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Their plant is now situated at the foot of Cincinnati street, where they produce electricity and hot water and power for distribution throughout the city. The name of the concern is now the Merchants' Electric Light Association. Of the ten original members but two now remain in the business. Parker A. Byers is president and Henry Rosenthol, secretary and treasurer.
STREET RAILWAY.
The first city ordinance in Lafayette relating to the construction of a street railroad was adopted March 5, 1883, and referred to the rights and privileges of a horse-car system of passenger transportation. Section one of such ordinance sets forth the giving of a franchise for twenty-five years to the Lafayette Street Railway Company, naming Freeland B. Caldwell, Charles M. Caldwell, James O. Lake, William B. Chambers and Frank D. Caldwell, and their associates as the organizers of such corporation. The franchise called for only a single track and that the power to be employed was to be "horses or mules only, unless otherwise permission shall be given by the council."
Section sixteen of such ordinance specified that this street railway was to be in operation and fully completed May 1, 1884. In four years from the date of this ordinance, electricity had been so far developed into a motive power for propelling cars that another ordinance became necessary in La- fayette, and one was accordingly adopted April 10, 1888, and by the following year the system had all been changed from horse cars to electric, this city being one of the early ones to introduce such rapid transit passenger cars. The company was then granted the right to make numerous extensions and to put in double tracks where required, and ever since then there have been many ordinances on the part of the city council regulating the speed. style of cars, kind of poles for carrying the wires, etc.
The system now extends as far to the north as Battle Ground, taking in different parts of Lafayette and West Lafayette.
HEALTII DEPARTMENT.
·
Of recent years the city of Lafayette has been a pronounced healthful place on account of the sanitary precautions taken to make the incorporation free from all disease-breeding substances. In 1908. based on a population of twenty-three thousand people, the department of health reported only twelve and eight-tenths deathis for every thousand persons. This has come
COLUMBIAN PARK
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about in modern years, by reason of the fact that the water works furnishes a very superior and pure quality of drinking water, coming from driven wells far below the surface; and also from the fact that much care is now taken to keep the streets and alleys clean. One great feature in this city, over otliers in the state, is that the rubbish and decaying materials are all disposed of in a crematory. The following report for the last year would have sounded strange indeed forty or fifty years ago, when cholera was rife in this section :
Number of loads of garbage collected and destroyed 1.913
Number of loads of garbage collected and turned over to feeders 600
Number of barrels of offal from poultry houses 1.922
Number of barrels of vegetables and from groceries 1,200
Number of tons of offal from butchers. 60
Number of loads of hops from brewery turned over to gar- deners 200
Number of fowls destroyed 2,080
Number of sheep destroyed 8
Number of calves destroyed
3
Number of dogs destroyed
318
Number of cats destroyed
456
COLUMBIAN PARK.
Every city should have its numerous parks ; some places have a greater need of them than others. Lafayette is situated within one vast park region, through which the Wabash valley courses. The old Indian trail, near the present Soldiers' Home, is accessible for one popular place of outing from this city; the Tippecanoe battle ground is another point of interest much visited. The city had, however, owned about fifteen acres of land to the east of the main platting, and about 1876 had converted it into a park. But little was accomplished in the way of improving it, save to keep the grass cut in the summer months and to provide some few rude swings and a tem- porary frame building that took the place of a better pavilion. It was con- sidered such sacred (?) ground that signboards adorned its surface, "Keep off the grass," at almost every possible point one might chance to enter the grounds. When the water works were put in and a reservoir made, the over- flow was allowed to form into a pool in the location of the present artificial lakes that adorn the spot. It was, in reality, of but little use to the populace of the city as a public park. But with later enactments a levy of three cents was made for the improvement of the place, to which was added about twenty-
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PAST AND PRESENT
five acres more, making about forty acres in all. The last tract and the commencement of improvements was in 1891, when Adams Earl was park commissioner, and at the suggestion of his daughter, Mrs. Charles B. Stuart, the park was named "Columbian," as it was being started during the year of the great Columbian exposition at Chicago. The first year or two the im- provements were very slight, if indeed any, but as taxes were paid in, the spot began to grow in beauty as well as utility. The keep-off-the-grass boards were taken down and people were admitted to roam at will and enjoy themselves unmolested. It has now come to be one of the most delightful parks in Indiana, and is annually being improved at an average of a three- cent levy of taxes. Here one finds boating, many a shady nook, islands, suspension bridges, water lilies, and a sparkling pool teeming with tens of thousands of the fishes that are kept for the interest of the frequenters of the park, but not to be caught. The artificial lakes are fed from the city water works and cost the city about one thousand seven hundred dollars per annum. Winding paths and trails and neat, safe swings of all descrip- tions, including merry-go-rounds for small children are to be seen in many parts of the park. There is also a large boat house and spacious pavilion. where seats are provided; also booths for refreshments. The swimming pool was the first of the real improvements in this park, and has come to be a very well patronized place for both sexes. The most of the improvements have been made since 1906.
During the last year or two the zoo feature of Columbian Park has been greatly added to, and a great interest taken by the citizens of Lafayette and they have made numerous and very valuable donations of animals to this de- partment, which bespeaks for one of the pleasant spots-a real interesting resort-in the near future. Already many excursions have come in from surrounding towns and cities to enjoy a delightful day in the shady nooks and beside the pure waters of the bathing pool and fish ponds of this already magnificent park.
Ladies' day in the free swimming pool is being generally observed by the ladies to the end that hundreds of girls and young women have become expert swimmers, thus being further able to protect life in case of an accident on larger water courses-lakes, rivers and ocean.
FIRST WABASH BRIDGE.
The first bridge over the Wabash at Lafayette was given its charter January 13, 1845. There had been one issued in 1836, but it was not util- ized by the construction of a bridge. But in 1845 a stock company was formed
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with the following as its directors: John Purdue, Nathan H. Stockwell. John L. Reynolds, Robert Heath and David Ross. The company issued twenty thousand dollars stock and the bridge was soon erected. It became a toll bridge with fare as follows:
Four-horse wagon teams, fifty cents ; two horses, twenty-five cents; one buggy, twenty cents ; man and horse, a shilling; foot passengers, six and a quarter cents : cattle and horses, per head, six and a quarter cents ; sheep and hogs, three cents per head.
LATER BRIDGES.
The next bridge charter was issued in December, 1863. for a Main street bridge over the Wabash. A twenty-five-thousand-dollar stock company was formed and divided into five hundred shares. This was also a toll bridge up to 1874-75, when the county purchased the Brown street and Main street bridges in Lafayette, since which date all have been free. The 1863 struc- ture served until 1889, when the present fine, modern steel bridge was con- structed under the supervision of Civil Engineer Everett B. Vawter. It cost about forty thousand dollars, and has a wide roadway, floored with brick and cement : also has street car section and foot walk. It was constructed for the county by the Lafayette Bridge Company.
Of the Brown street bridge it may be stated that on the site of the present fine structure that spans the waters of the Wabash, there stood the old covered wooden bridge which was erected in 1847 as a toll bridge and was in service fifty-five years. Hiram L. Kilborn was its builder. It was put in when Lafayette was yet "at the head of navigation" on the Wabash and had a wonderfully long and interesting history, could it all be told in history. The tramping of soldiers of three American wars were heard treading its plank floor. By reason of river boating a draw section had to be placed in the center of this bridge and through its portals came many a Mississippi steamer in the early days. It was owned by a company that also owned the Main street bridge, and toll was charged up to the time the county bought both bridges in 1874-'75. The county paid fifty thousand dollars and opened . up the two as free bridges. In all of those eventful years many a thousand by multiplied thousands of men, women and children, as well as countless numbers of horses, cattle and other animals had passed over it and paid tribute to its owners. However, when old and thoroughly dry and seasoned by age and weather exposure. Sunday morning. October 6. 1901, it was seen burning midway between the two shores of the stream. It was first discovered
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on fire at 1 :30 a. m. and could not be saved by any means available. There was but five thousand dollars of insurance on the property. To its frame was attached many telephone and electric light wires and for some time these systems were badly demoralized. The sight of this fire is said to have been at once awful and grand, reflecting back as it did upon a dark sky back- ground. It was seen for many miles around the city. It was either set on fire by an incendiary or by the electric light lines-no one will ever know which.
The county set about planning for the present bridge at that point, and in November specifications were at hand and only awaited the county's ap- proval. Wallace Marshall and Melville W. Miller drew the plans which called for an asphalt driveway-an innovation in bridge building at that date. On account of the filling up of the old canal, at the eastern extremity of this bridge, the new structure only had to be five hundred and eighty feet long. The new bridge was constructed in 1902, at a cost of about thirty thousand five hundred dollars. Melville W. Miller was the superintendent for the county, and received for his services the sum of three hundred dollars.
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