Pictorial and biographical memoirs of Elkhart and St. Joseph counties, Indiana, together with biographies of many prominent men of northern Indiana and of the whole state, both living and dead, Part 116

Author:
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago, Goodspeed Brothers
Number of Pages: 786

USA > Indiana > Elkhart County > Pictorial and biographical memoirs of Elkhart and St. Joseph counties, Indiana, together with biographies of many prominent men of northern Indiana and of the whole state, both living and dead > Part 116
USA > Indiana > St Joseph County > Pictorial and biographical memoirs of Elkhart and St. Joseph counties, Indiana, together with biographies of many prominent men of northern Indiana and of the whole state, both living and dead > Part 116

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

JAMES REYNOLDS. The subject of this sketch belongs to one of the earliest and most prominent pioneer families of St. Joseph county, Ind. James Reynolds was born in Wayne county, of the Hoosier State, near the town of Richmond, on August 12, 1824. He was the youngest of six sons born to and resred by Joseph F. and Mary (Starry) Reynolds, the former of whom was born in Frederick county, Va., October 5, 1785. He came of worthy Irish ancestors, who came from the Emerald Isle, and settled on Virginia soil in this country. Joseph F. Reynolds was one of eight children: James, Joseph F., John, Samuel, George. Mary, and two other daughters whose names are unknown. The paternal grandfather was a Revolutionary patriot, was a man of much strength of character, and reared his sons to honorable manhood. Of these sons James died in Greene county, Ill., leaving a family, but all are now

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deceased; Samnel diad in St. Joseph county in 1854, at about the age of fifty-seven years, leaving a family; George F., who died in Berrien county, Mich., at tha ad- vanced age of savanty-five years, also left a family, and the three daughters also reared families. Joseph F. Reynolds waa reared to follow the plow, or rather. he learned the details of farm work on the old Reynolds homestead in Virginia, and, so far as education was concerned, his advantages wera few and far between, the coun- try at that time affording vary maager and limited educational facilities, but. baing quick to learn, possessing a retentive memory, and being desirous of obtaining an education, he became a well-informed young man by self-application, and at an early day engaged in teaching school. He made his parents' honse his home until he was twenty-five years of age, at which time he removed to Kentucky, and in Bourbon county followed farming and school teaching for the short time that he remained in that State. From that point he went to Fairfield county, Ohio, where he was mar- ried and afterward moved to Missouri, but they were almost immediately driven out of this State by the Indians, and, glad to escape with their lives, leaving every ves- tige of their earthly possessions behind them, they came back to Indiana, and settled in Wayne county, all these trips, which occupied a number of years, being made by wagon, and the energy and enthusiasm with which he entered into his work showed that he possessed the essential qualities of the successful pioneer. Ha cleared sev- eral fine farms in Wayne county, and remained there until 1833, when he moved to La Porte county, this journey being made with an ox-team and a home-made wagon, and for a number of years rasided there on ranted land, himself baing unable to till the soil owing to the serious nature of a faver sore on his right leg, which eventually necessitated the amputation of that member. We, at this day, can hardly realize all the suffering and endurance that amputation implied. In that early tima surgeons were few, and good ones vary hard to secure. It may be said of those who operated upon Mr. Reynolds, thay lacked the skill that should have been theirs, and performed a bungling piece of work. There were no anæsthatics in those times, and the patient unflinchingly lay upon the table and had his limb severed from his body without so much as a groan or murmur, thus showing the grit and determination that was characteristic of the father and handed down to his noble sons. The most of his children were born in Wayne county, and the oldest were grown up upon their removal to this section of the country. He experienced pioneer life in Kentucky, Ohio, Missouri and Indiana, in the last-named Stata being a resident of two counties while they were in their primitive condition. He was a prononnced Whig and Republican, and an enthusiastic supporter of the "Mill Boy of the Slashes " (Hanry Clay). Ha was wall posted on the topics of the day, had decided and intelligent views on all subjects, and fraaly, aloquently and unhesitatingly expressed his views when called upon to do so. He interested himself in public matters to a considera- ble extent, and always commanded the deepest reapect in the different localities in which he resided. His death, which occurred on April 2, 1866, when he bad reached the age of four-score years and one, waa a source of universal regret in the com- munity where he had so long made his home, and where he had done so much to build up the county, and make it the fine agricultural ragion that it is. His wife was born in Frederick county, Va., in 1787, and remained there until har parents emi- grated to Ohio, and settled in Warren county, where she met and married Mr. Rey- nolds. She was reared in the faith of the Presbyterian Church, was a noble woman in every respect, and, owing to her husband's disability, she bravely and ably cared for her children in their young days, bearing with unflinching courage the trials and hardships of the pioneer. She died at the age of fifty years, ten months and twenty- three days. She bore her husband a good old-fashioned family of twelve children, eleven of whom reached maturity, their names being as follows: Minarva, who mar- ried William Sheridan, and left two children-John and Ann E., who are residents of St. Joseph county (she was born in 1810. and died at the age of seventy-four years); Stewart L. was married and lived in Missouri. Iowa, Michigan, and also St. Joseph county, and at his death left a family of six children-George W., Mary A.,

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Isabel, Joseph F., Viola and William D.); Stewart L. was born in 1811, and died in December, 1890; Elizabeth married Madore Cratee, and died December 18, 1852, at the age of thirty-nine years, leaving four daughters- Frances, Amanda, Margaret J. and Cynthia, two other children being deceased; John died in March, 1890, st the age of seventy-five yeara (he had been married, but all his children are deceased); George W. was born in 1816, and died in 1856, at the age of thirty-nine years, hav- ing married Mary Folsom, and reared three children-Frank, George W. and Kate (his widow married John W. Zigler); Fleming died in October, 1891, in La Porte county, lesving a family of four children-Loran W., James F., Emma and Joseph- ine (two children being deceased); Cynthia, who died June 18, 1844, married Andrew Foster, of La Porte county, by whom she had three children-John R., Mary E. and Anns E .; Margaret married Mr. Foster, the husband of her deceased sister Cynthia, and their union resulted in the birth of three children-Ella, Margaret and Clara (she died December 24, 1861, at the age of thirty-nine years); Ethan S. is liv- ing in South Bend, is a man of family, and of three children born to him one is living- Edwin B. (those deceased are Charley and Ethan A.); James, the aubject of this aketch, is the next member of this family in order of birth; Pamelia died February 5, 1848, at the age of twenty-one years, and was never married. The sona all be- came well-to-do men, and all were at first Whigs in politics and later Republicans. The mother of these children died in La Porte county in 1837, and the father in 1866 at the home of his son James.

James Reynolds attended the district schools in the vicinity of his home in La Porte county, but, like that of most farmer's boys, this included only the winter months, his summers being devoted to assisting on the home farm. He, however, having a good memory and strong intellect became well informed. He has always kept well posted upon the current events of the day, and is a great admirer of his- tories. He remained at home, lending valuable aid to the family's support, until he was twenty-four or twenty-five years old, when he started in life upon his own resourcea. The first investment he made for himself was in the purchase of a team of horses from his brother, Stuart, for which he paid $200, owning them but a short time, he had the misfortune to have the best one stolen by horse thieves, who were numerous and hard to capture in that day, there being poor telegraphic and rail- road facilities. He spent two years farming with his brother, John, at the end of this time he borrowed $7,000 and opened a general mercantile establishment st Buchanan, Mich., with John as partner, where he remained for three years, the business being wholly managed and conducted by James. His next move was to Dayton, Mich., engaging in the same business, and during the six years that he remained here he was prosperous and successful, but, owing to ill health, he waa obliged to abandon the mercantile business and again enter the pursuits of a farmer, moving to his brother John's farm and for two years working it on shares. In 1861 he purchased about 320 acres of land, and with his family moved to the same, where he still resides. From unsettled notes and accounts left from his mercantile business, and with profits from his farm, he was enabled to invest in other farm lands until he is now the owner of about 2,100 acres in St. Joseph and La Porte counties, all of which is composed of well-improved and valuable farms. He and his late brother, John, also own about 800 acres in Floyd and Delaware counties, Iowa, a fine farm of 200 acres in Berrien county, Mich., and about ten acres in Chicago, on which there is a stone quarry, twenty acres of valuable land in Sonth Bend also belongs to him, which ia soon to be laid out in lots. During the war Mr. Reynolds was loyal to the cause and assisted liberally toward the support of the wives and widows left at home. He was physically unable to pass the requisite examination which would have made him a soldier, but he furnished a substitute, who was liberally compensated. In 1890 he was elected president of the First National Bank at Buchanan, Mich., which position he still holds. He and his brother, John, formed a strong attachment for each other, more than most brothers, perhaps, they having lived for nearly half a century within a mile of each other'a homes

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hardly a day passing that they did not converse together. They also traveled quite extensively together, both for pleasure and business, making a long tour to Cali- fornia in 1869, visiting all important points of interest on the Pacific coast. They also enjoyed many other trips together. He makes his home on the old farm where he has lived since 1861, the tract comprising 350 acres of finely improved land on which is a beautiful brick residence and fine barns. The general surroundings, the well-kept lawn and hedges, show the thrift and enterprise that have ever been char- acteristic of Mr. Reynolds. In politics Mr. Reynolds has always been a Republican, and the interest which he manifests in the business affairs of life has made him one of the most popular and prominent citizens of St. Joseph connty. He was married in 1853 to Nancy S. Howe, daughter of Frederick and Mary (Bliss) Howe, which family came from the State of New York in 1835 and settled in Berrien county, Mich., where the father died when seventy-four years old, and the mother at the age of seventy-eight, 8 family of twelve children having been born to them: Alonzo, Desire, Francie, Hezekiah, George, Charles, William, Mary, Lucinda, Adaline, Nancy and Charlotte. William, Alonzo, George, Charlotte and Mary are dead. William died in infancy, Charlotte at the age of eighteen years. The rest of the children grew to honorable manhood and womanbood, and now have families of their own. Mrs. Reynolds was born April 17, 1827, near Truxton, Cortland county, in the State of New York, and was only a child when the family came to Berrien county. She was resred in the neighborhood where she now resides, was edu- cated in the public schools, and is a member of the Episcopal Church. She has four children: Zurelda, born May 18, 1856, ie married to Dr. Van Riper, of New Carlisle, by whom she has three children: James R., Zurelda and Franc. The Doctor is at the head of his profession, enjoys a large practice, and ie a public- spirited man. John F., the next child, was born October 12, 1858, is living at South Bend, is the cashier of the Citizen's Bank of that place, is married to Carrie Wells, and has two children: John F. and Wirt C. Clara, the next child, was born July 14, 1860, is the wife of Dickson Scoffern, and is living on a farm in Olive town- ship, one and one-half miles from New Carlisle. They were married in 1889, and Mr. Scoffern is a wide-awake and prosperous young business man. Estelle, the youngest of this family, was born Jannary 10, 1866, and is the wife of Clyde H. Baker, of Buchsnan. Mich. He is a general merchant of that place, and was born at Baker's Town, which was named after his people. He was reared in Berrien county, and is & Republican in politics, and on that ticket was elected township treasurer. He is s Mason, and in that worthy organization has attained to the Chapter. He and his wife have one daughter, Elizabeth H. Baker, who was born July 2, 1892. Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds are among the most popular people of the county and move in the highest social circles when they so desire. The Reynoldses are a worthy people, root and branch, and have every reason to be proud of their worthy ancestry and their untarnished name through many generations.

JOHN REYNOLDS, brother of James, was born near Lancaster, Fairfield county, Ohio, July 12, 1814. He was the second son and fourth child of a family of twelve children. His parents being very poor his chances for education were very limited; he, however, was a man who would absorb knowledge, school or no school, he being a person of great natural intelligence. He remained with his parents, most of the time living in Wayne county, Ind., until about fifteen years of age, when an incident occurred which changed the current of his life. He and his older brother Stuart had been working for a well-to-do neighbor, clearing some land. When the work was finished the farmer refused to pay the boys, saying he considered he was doing & very charitable act in allowing such poor boys to even work for their board. Stung to the quick by this harsh treatment and unfeeling taunt. John proposed to his brother to leave home and elsewhere seek their fortunes. The brother agreed to this, but the father upon hearing their intentions forbade their going. Nothing daunted the boys prepared to go, and were assisted by their mother, who got to- gether their few poor articles of clothing, fitted John out with a pair of rude home-

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made shoes with soles fastened with dog- wood pegs, and assisted in starting them out in the world to struggle for their existence. They started on foot for Fort Wayne, John Reynolds having only $1.31 in his possession, the savings of his early life. Their sufferings from cold and hunger were terrible on their long journey through the wilderness, but they struggled on, preferring to die rather than give up. Near Fort Wayne John got a positiou on a farm at $2 per month. He worked so faithfully he was soon promoted foreman of the workmen. It was here he got the foremanship of a gang of men on a contract for digging a great feeder to the Wabash & Erie Canal, and upon this work he threw up the first shovelful of dirt. At about the same time he learned the blacksmith's trade of a Quaker, and for many years worked at different times at this trade. In 1833 Mr. Reynolds came to South Bend and entered into several contracts and sub-contracte on the Michigan road, which was a State enterprise. In September of the same year he returned to Wayne county, and assisted the rest of the family to move to northern Indiana. After the family had settled Mr. Reynolds weut to La Porte county, where he followed the blacksmith's trade for three years, making $14 per month manufacturing plow points. He was then twenty-one years old, and getting together a farming and blacksmith- ing outfit, and in a roughly made wagon he went to Illinois, where he took up a claim which he worked during the day, while he labored at his blacksmith forge at night. As he was the only blacksmith in that region who understood welding by the use of borax, he was often kept busy all night at his forge, and frequently made $25 per night at blacksmithing. In ouly three months he was enabled to sell his Illinois claim for $2,000, and this sum gave him his first material start. He then returned to La Porte county and worked at his trade for a time, and later purchased a stock of goods at Hudson, that county, and entered the mercantile business at that point. He remained here for a few years, then removed to Hamilton, St. Joseph county, where, with his brother George as his partner, they sold goods. From Hamilton they went to Buchanan, Mich., and remaining there a few years the firm sold out and went to South Bend, again entering the mercantile business with his brothers George and Ethan, remaining in business here until George'a death. He and his brother George took some railroad contracts for the laying of ties and rails on the Lake Shore Railroad from Adrian, Mich., to Toledo, Ohio. The ties were purchased by their brother James, and out of this job they made considerable money. John got a contract for laying ties and putting in culverts, bridges, etc., on the Lake Shore Road, west from Toledo to the Indiana State line. His partners in the contract were unequal to the task, and let the burden fall upon his shoulders. At the same time the railroad became involved and left Mr. Reynolds to finish up his work unassisted. This he did. and for some time operated as a private enter- prise a section of the Lake Shore Road. The railroad company at last got out of its difficulties in about three years, and Mr. Reynolds sold to them his share of the line. He was also a very extensive contractor on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Rail- road. Shortly before 1860 he left mercantile pursuits, and from that time to his death devoted his ability to moneyed enterprises. In 1844 he was married to Clara Egbert, the daughter of John Egbert, a family prominent in the northern part of the State. Five children were born to them, all dying in infancy, except a daughter, Florence. Florence married Walter M. Howland, a Chicago attorney, and died in 1874 at the age of twenty-five years. The wife died in 1856. Mr. Reynolds was first a radical Whig. and afterward an unflinching Republican. In 1850-51 he was elected to the State Legislature. In 1862 he was elected to fill the vacancy in the State Senate caused by the resignation of Senator John F. Miller, and so great was the esteem in which he was held by all parties that he had no opposition. He again went to the Legislature in 1867, and in 1864 was a delegate to the Republican . national convention at Baltimore, that nominated Mr. Lincoln for his second term. He was one of the Blaine and Logan presidential electors in 1884, and otherwise figured in politics. He was a member of the Constitutional convention, and rendered valuable service there. When the war broke out he was fifty-seven years old, too

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old to do duty as s private soldier, although hia inclinations were that way. He did the next best thing, sent two substitutes to the front, and besides paying them handsomely, looked after their families while they were gone. All through the last days of the war, while matters looked so dark for the Union'a cause he was a trusted friend of Gov. Morton, and spent much of his time with the Governor at Indianap- olis. He was one Indianian who never for a moment doubted the anccess of the Union's cause. He never belonged to any religious denomination, but was a man with the most charitable inclinations, and enjoyed a reputation for spotless integrity. Sums were given for charity without the knowledge of the world, and many nieces and others were given a good home and a start in life from assistance rendered by John Reynolds. He died March 31, 1830, at his home in Olive township, having lived beyond the allotted three-score and ten years; living s life of toil, especially during the early portion of his career, while trying to obtain a start in life. At the time of his death he owned an interest, and was director of the First National Bank of South Bend, and also of the First National Bank of Michigan City. He was president of the Buchanan, Mich., Bank, and a heavy stockholder in the Union National Bank of Chicago. He owned real estate in the latter city, and a great amount of the finest farm land in St. Joseph county. Mr. Reynolda was a plain, outspoken man, stanch in his friendships, and loyal to those he thought in the right. He was s man of decided opinions, but always open to argument and conviction, on any subject. For these traits he was loved and admired by bis neighbors and numer- ous friends throughout the State. His advice was sought by young and old upon political, financial and social topics. Thus is given a brief outline of the lives of James and John Reynolds. They never hesitated to do any work of an honorable kind that presented itself, and possessing superior intellects, they usually succeeded in whatever they undertook. Their lives, although incompletely sketched, afford much food for contemplation from the young man withont capital beyond his own energy and innate shrewdness aod ability to wage the bitter warfare of life. It is a type of America's self-made men, a career worthy of emulation and imitation.

COL. L. M. TAYLOR (deceased), joint founder of South Bend, was born July 4, 1805, in Clinton, Oneida Co., N. Y. When four years old his parents moved to Buffalo and after two years' residence there crossed the lake and settled in Detroit. He was then six years old, and his brother pioneer, Alexis Coquillard, a native of Detroit, was seventeen. The boy of six and the lad of seventeen, who were a few years afterward to meet among the Indians and found the leading city of northern Indiana, never saw each other in Detroit. The United States and England were at war then, and young Coquillard was acting as courier between Detroit and Gen. Harrison's army in this territory. The Taylor boy remembered Detroit se overrun with hostile Indians marching about the streeta with scalps of white men dangling from their belts, and carrying the heads of their victims on poles. Then came Hull's advance to attack Fort Malden; his subsequent retreat back to Detroit; the attack of General Brock and the Indians under Tecumseh on the fort at Detroit; Hall's cowardly surrender-all of these were impressed on the mind of the six-year-old boy and he was glad when his parents, with hundreds of others, went to Malden, on the Canada side, and remained through the winter of 1813. When the troubles were over his parents crossed the Iske to Cleveland, and lived there three months, then moved to Lower Sandusky. After & four years' residence there, they settled in Montgomery county, Ohio. and remained six years, when they went to Fort Wayne, which was a prominent Indian trading post, in the recently admitted State of Indiana. There one of his sisters married an influential and wealthy Indian trader named Samuel Hanna, and young Taylor entered his employment. He had already learned the languages of the Pottawattomies, Mismis and other local Indian tribes, and developed such unusual business ability that he soon became Mr. Hanna's most trusted adviser. But young Taylor was anxious to strike ont for himself, and Mr. Hanna offered to back him in establishing a trading post in what was then known as "St. Joseph country." Young Taylor struck out in a northwest direction

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from Fort Wayne, and reached the site of the present city of South Bend Septem- ber 25, 1827. He was the second white man to locate on the future site of the city. His predecessor was Coquillard, the boy scout between Detroit and Harrison's army during the War of 1812. Alexis Coquillard had located here in 1822, and opened a trading store right on the spot of ground now covered by Pearl avenue, in front of the E. Pitts Taylor residence. When young Taylor came here Coquillard had abandoned that store and was in a new log building on the site now occupied by Miller & Lontz's coal yard, corner of Michigan and Water streets. Mr. Coquillard lived in a part of his house, and it was the only one here. He had great faith that the village would grow north from Water street instead of south. The southern Michigan country was settled, while south all was Indian country to the Wabash River. He advised young Taylor to locate his store near him. The site selected is now occupied by the residence of Mrs. Keedy on Michigan and Marion streets. Young Taylor found a spring of excellent water under the bank there, and also an overflow or back water, in the river where fishing was good. There were no streets of course. The site of the city was thickly covered with a growth of hickory, white, black and burr oaks. These were felled only as the settlers who came needed them for their log houses and for fuel. Mr. Taylor, with the aid of Indians, cleared a spot large enough for his trading post, and soon had a stock of goods. Mr. Coquil- lard saw in the slim young New York Yankee a competitor for the Indian trade, but their rivalry was always friendly, and the men always good friends, both working to a single end -to seea large town on this beautiful southern bend in the St. Joseph River. Young Taylor was physically tall, slim, fair of complexion, gentle in his manners, even tempered, and soon won the confidence of the Indians by his kindness and strict adherence to his promises. It was a rule of his life never to deceive any one, and he carried out this rule as religiously in dealing with Indiane as with whites. Among the Indians he was called " Massaquanquat," their name for a red haired man. He soon became known throughout the St. Joseph country for his fair deal- ings, and prospered. Mr. Taylor had been in his trading store but a short time when he saw it was out of the line of travel, and he soon changed to the site where the E. P. Taylor residence is, on Pearl avenue. This was right on the line of travel for the few white people passing through. An acquaintance immediately sprang up between the young merchant and Judge Peter Johnson's daughter, Mary, which ended in marriage. Judge Johnson was a useful pioneer, as were his sons Evans and Lea. He built the first keel boat used on the river to transport goods. He erected and kept the first frame house used as a tavern, on the site now occupied by the Coonley drug store. He built for his son-in-law, Mr. Taylor, the first frame building to be used as a store room. It was a store and a residence combined, and stood on the site now occupied by the Wyman store. The old red brick court- honse was built under his supervision. When Mr. Taylor's business justified he had his father-in-law build, in 1835, the large store-room on the corner of Michigan and Washington streets, where the Cushing drug store is now located. One of Col. Taylor's first investments, after he got a start, was the purchase from the Govern- ment of the large tract of " oak barrens" that is to-day known, not only to South Benders, but to all cirens and menagerie proprietors, as "Taylor's field." How good his foresight was is demonstrated by the fact that this large tract with, as yet, but one house on it (the residence of his son-in-law, Mr. Nicar), is but one square south and two squares east of the exact center of the city. They were often troubled by the Indians who, while under the influence of " fire water," made trouble for the settlers. On one occasion, early one morning, Col. Taylor heard a noise at the door of his store. He went down and opened it just as an Indian woman grabbed a club from an Indian standing in the door. Before Col. Taylor could ask what the trouble was, the woman killed the Indian with a single blow and then fled. Investigation showed that the Indian had killed her son a few minutes previous with the same club. In December, 1831, Col. Taylor called a meeting of the citizens to make an effort to have Congress establish a land office in South Bend. The bill passed the

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Senate but failed in the House. The legal organization of the county was January 29, 1830, sbout three years after Col. Taylor settled here. He was immediately elected clerk, recorder and auditor. He was at the same time postmaster, appointed by President Jackson, although & strong Whig. He was thus holding four public offices at one time, and two years later a fifth was added when he was colonel of the Seventy-ninth Indiana militis. The postoffice he kept in his store and the pigeon holes used then are now in the room where he died, together with his high desk and stool. He made young Tom Stanfield (afterward Judge Stanfield) deputy post- master, and afterward Lea P. Johnson acted in that capacity. He was so thoroughly honest in conducting the affairs of the postoffice that once when the mail carrier was sick and a colored boy brought the mail from Plymouth here, he refused to send the return mail back by him, because his oath required that he must deliver mail to none but white carriers, and Mr. Johnson had to make the trip to Plymouth. Iu the county affairs the same strict dealing was observed. At his own expense he built a brick office on the site now occupied by Martin's harness store on Michigan street, and used it for the county offices. The first year he was in office he issued three marriage licenses and the last one, 1837, sixty-eight. Col. Taylor was appointed .postmaster during Jackson's first term, when South Bend was made a postoffice town. He served through Jackson's second administration, and through a part of Van Buren's, but was removed for "offensive partisanship," as it is called nowadays, but although Col. Taylor was an ardent Whig, and generous in donations to churches he was never known to talk politics or religion. He was removed because he insisted on his right to vote for Harrison. The crowning work of Col. Taylor's life in con- nection with this city, was his effort, in connection with Mr. Coquillard, to have the county sest located here. It had been located by a board of justices on the farm of William Brookfield, a Government surveyor, and the indications were there was a "job" in it. The site was on the bank of the river, on what is now the James R. Miller farm, right at the head of Portage Prairie. Col. Taylor and Mr. Coquillard owned together, or separately, the land in and around South Bend. " They agreed to donate fifteen old plat lots to the county to be sold to build a courthouse and jail; a lot each to the Baptist, Presbyterian and United Brethren Churches, and Col. Taylor afterward gave one to the Methodist Church; three lots for the courthouse square; four acres of ground for a cemetery; also $3,000 in cash to be paid in three yearly installments. The offer was accepted, and all its agreements were carried out to the letter, and Col. Taylor lived to see it become what he predicted it would be-the leading city of northern Indiana. Col. Taylor retired from business with a competeoce, when he was about fifty-five years old. He had an ides that a man ought not to be in active business after his sixtieth year. As he grew older the habits of his earlier years with the Indians seem to come back. He was s widower, his wife dying in 1879; his three children, Thaddeus S. Taylor, Mrs. D. K. Wall, of Denver, Colo., and Mrs. Virginius Nicar, were married, and in spite of their per-

suasions he would live alone. At the Nicar residence was a large, well-furnished room, always in readiness for him, yet, though he visited his daughter several times a day, he rarely ate, and more rarely slept there, always insisting on going back to his rooms in the Taylor Block, where he died. He had learned to cook and take care of his room when an Indian trader, and he really enjoyed living over that early life in his last years. It will be seen by this hasty sketch of Col. Taylor's career that he was just the kind of a man for a pioneer. He was not a speculator, working for himself and to the injury of others. He was far-sighted and worked for the future of the town he founded, and for the benefit of all its people. He was above all else, honest to the fraction of a cent in all his dealings, whether as a public official or a private citizen. It is a record his son and daughters may be proud of. His death left but one of a large family of brothers and sisters, William C. Taylor, of Wadsworth, Cal. His brother, E. Pitts Taylor, for many years associated with him in business, and one of South Bend's pioneers, died September 2, 1887, having lived here since 1828.

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MEMOIRS OF INDIANA.

J. M. STUDEBAKER Was born in Adams county, Penn., October 10, 1833, and when a child of two years he moved with his parents to Ashland county, Ohio, where his father ran a blacksmith sbop. When he reached the required age he started to at- tend a country school and had to walk two miles to the school-house every morning. He attended school until he reached the age of fifteen years, when his services were required by his father in helping to support the family. In the fall of 1851 his parents moved to South Bend, Ind., and the following winter they lived in a log cabin four miles south of that place. The daily work of J. M. Studebaker during that winter was to start at daylight and walk a mile and a half to the woods where he cut two cords of wood each day. This wood his father hauled to town and all the money received for it went to him. In the spring the father of J. M. Studebaker moved to South Bend, and J. M. started to learn the wagon maker's trade with a Mr. Chockelt. After working with him for about six months he left his employ and went to work for his brothers, Henry and Clem, who were running a blacksmith shop. The following winter he made a wagon which his brothers, being black- smiths, ironed for him. In the spring of 1853 he gave thia wagon to a company about to cross the plains, for his passage to California. At this time he was bnt nineteen years old. Having borrowed $65 from his brothers, he started for Cali- fornia with this company on March 23, 1853, and reached that State August 1, 1853, having traveled by land the entire distance. In those days there were no such things as roads and many times the men had to take the place of horses in pulling the wagons across wide and deep sloughs. The trip through Illinois and Iowa was a very hard one. At that time Omaha had but one trading post. They also suf- fered many hardships in their trip across the plains. The company was possessed of over a hundred head of horses and it seemed to be the one great ambition of the In- dians to secure as many of them as they could, and it required good management and great watchfulness on the part of the men to retain them, and during the entire passage but six horses were stolen by the redskins. Having crossed the Humboldt desert, they reached Carson River Jnly 10, 1853. Besides being weary and worn with their long journey, many of them had the scurvy because of having been with- out fresh meat for so many months. The Californians knowing this to be the case with the emigrants, generally aent a substitute with a supply of onions to meet them and Mr. Studebaker at one time purchased twenty onions for which he paid $20 in gold. Upon reaching Hangtown, Cal., he had just 15 cents in his pocket. Here he entered the employ of Mr. H. L. Hines aa a wagon maker and his first job was a contract for making twenty-five wheelbarrows at $12 each. He remained with Mr. Hines until the spring of 1858, with the exception of three months during which time he tried bis luck at mining. Many times he worked all night long in repair- ing coaches and mud wagons so that they would be ready for service in the morn- ing. For four years Mr. Studebaker did his own washing and mending and also did the cooking for the entire company, and while the food was cooking on the stove, he waa at his bench at work. In the spring of 1843 he returned to Sonth Bend by way of Panama. Upon his return be purchased a half interest in the wagon business which his brothers, Henry and Clem, were carrying on. His life from that time to the present has been spent in assisting to build np their present business until from the making of one wagon in two or three weeks or even a month, they now make 160 a day.

HECKMAN BINDERY INC.

-8-4 000 1

SEPT 98

Bound -To-Please N MANCHESTER, INDIANA 46962

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Pictorial and biographical memoirs of Elkhart and St. Joseph counties, Indiana, together with biographies of many prominent men of northern Indiana and of the whole state, both living and dead, Part 116

Author: Publication date: 1893 Publisher: Chicago, Goodspeed Brothers Number of Pages: 786

Author:
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago, Goodspeed Brothers
Number of Pages: 786