USA > Indiana > Lake County > Report of the historical secretary of the Old settler and historical association of Lake County, Indiana, and papers. Crown Point 1911 > Part 2
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Every nation has its great women, England its Eliza- beth, Russia Katherine II, Austria Maria Theresia, our own country, in the time of distress and danger, Martha Washington. Prussia, or rather Germany, in its time of suffering and greatest humiliation, Queen Louise.
She was a princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, her mother died early and her grandmother, the Duchess of Hesse, a very refined and highly educated lady, took charge of her bringing up; she was trained in all noble virtues and scholarly attainments.
In 1793 she met Frederick William, Crown Prince of Prussia, in Frankfurt on the Main. He was so attracted by her true amiability and mental achievements, that they
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soon became engaged and were married the day before Christmas in the same year.
A few years of great happiness followed ; she was never happier than when she was at her country seat, Paretz, away from all the court festivities, and could enjoy the company of her husband and children, living a life of plainness and simplicity.
In 1787 Frederick William succeeded his father as king of Prussia. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Corsican conqueror took advantage of the weakness of the European rulers, of whom Frederick William III was one of the weak.
At first Frederick William did not desire to join Eng- land, Austria and Russia against Napoleon, and observed a position of neutrality, even against the advice of the queen and such men as Stein, Scharnhorst and other patriots. King Frederick William III at last in 1805, joined the coalition against Napoleon through the per- sonal appeals of the Russian emperor, the Queen and the patriotic party of his own country.
War followed. In the battle of Jena and Auerstadt the Prussian troops were badly beaten; and in 1807 the peace of Tilsit was concluded; the king was forced to submit to the terms dictated by Napoleon. Prussia had to cede half of its territory to France and suffer other humiliating conditions. During the negotiations Bona- parte took occasion to insult the Queen herself.
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After the defeat Berlin had been taken by the French. The royal family had to flee to the Eastern provinces. It was on this journey, that the following memorable inci- dent occurred. When the brokendown royal carriage was in the repairshop in some country village, Queen Louise was sitting by the wayside with her children; the chil- dren were hungry and asked for something to eat; in the hurry to get away from Berlin the Queen had forgot- ten to have a supply of provisions put up for the journey. There were five children, the three youngest ones began to cry, which brought tears to the mother's eyes ; the two. oldest boys, who were afterwards Frederick William IV, king of Prussia, and William I, emperor of Germany, tried to alleviate the suffering of their mother, went to a wheat field nearby and picked a bunch of the now his- torical cornflower and brought it to their beloved mother. The Queen, to pass the time, made wreaths of these flow- ers for her children.
To her two oldest sons, who were twelve and ten years old, respectively, she spoke the following words:
"My sons, you are old enough to understand and feel the afflictions and visitations which have come upon us, never forget this hour, for your mother one of the greatest suffering. Grow up to be men and heroes, worthy of your forefathers, th: Great Elector and Fred- erick the Great; free your nation from the disgrace, re- proach and humiliation in which it now pines; develop
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your strength and the genius of Prussia will descend upon you. Save your nation or die in the attempt."
Providence soon granted what this Queen and mother had wished for, although she was not spared to live to see it. In a few years the power of Napoleon was over- thrown and the king of Prussia, with the princes, to- gether with the allied powers, entered in conquered Paris and sent the Corsican away captive. And again, in 1870, history repeating itself, the same William, who as prince had gathered the cornflowers to console his mother, re- ceived at Sedan the surrender of Napoleon III, the nephew and in a sense the successor of Napoleon Bona- parte, whose house forever then lost the throne of France, and the once fugitive Prussian prince became the chief and emperor of United Germany, now the most powerful nation of Europe.
King William by the other German powers was de- clared emperor of Germany in the royal castle of Ver- sailles, the palace of the former oppressors of Germany. The blessing of his good mother rested upon Emperor William and eternal justice helped him to conquer an insulting enemy.
The words of Schiller are forever true: "There lives a God to punish and revenge."
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SOUTHEAST GROVE AND VICINITY. BY MRS. WM. BROWN
My father, Lyman Wallace, first came to Indiana in 1842, from Genesce County, New York. He was a clothier by trade and had to come very early in the spring to return and get his machinery in order by the time sheep were sheared. He took the boat at Buffalo for Detroit, where he purchased a horse and came through to Michigan City on horseback, then to Morgan Prairie, where he stopped at Ruel Starrs-a son of one of his neighbors, then on to Southeast Grove, Lake County. In riding across from Hickory Point, said he never saw so beautiful a country. Grass was so the cattle were feeding on the prairie. (An early spring here.) After looking around he purchased the south half of the O. V. Service's farm. On this was a house, 16x16 barn, an outdoor cellar to be used in summer, a well of good water-the well stoned from the bottom above the water, then planked above with oak.
He then went to Winamac and purchased 120 acres adjoining, returning home very much pleased with In- diana, saying to Mr. Starr: "You did not tell me the half." Mr. Starr said, "I could not ; it has to be seen." (I agree with him yet.) The next winter was very cold in the state of New York as well as here, and we did not leave for the west until the last of May-coming
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from Buffalo to Chicago by boat, and had a stormy voy- age. Reached Chicago the 3rd of June. Water froze on the boat that morning. My father had to get teams to bring the family and goods (brought our househeld · goods with us). He succeeded in getting three teams. Had to leave one load of goods in Chicago, as it took one wagon to bring the family-his wife and five daugh- ters. A nephew, Ozro Metcalf, also came with them. He came to the "Ten Mile House" the first day, left the next morning before sunrise and when we reached the Calumet, where the toll bridge was, had breakfast of fried lake-fish, warm biscuit and coffee. How we did enjoy it. Had lunch at Kadies and before sundown reached Centerville (now Merrillville). There we saw a number of Crown Point people coming from a con- vention.
Carlos Farwell told us "After crossing the slough and raising the hill turn to the left." So went to the top of the hill, but found no road, soon discovered the Crown Point people going. They had turned at the foot of the hill. We then went back and staid over night, but they could feed neither us nor the horses. A man with two daughters had just moved in and he had gone for supplies.
Sabbath morning reached Crown Point and stopped on the ground where the court house now stands. Major Farwell had grain in his blacksmith shop (where the Hack brothers now own) and there the men got grain
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for their horses. After feeding we started for the new home, passed William Clarks-where John Hack now lives and Ransom Williams across the road. Saw no other house until Mrs. Farmers', south of School Grove. A log house on a hill south owned by Mr. Hulock-his wife was a sister of Henry Farmer. The next house was Alexander Brown's-where the first frame barn was built, and is still standing, just this side of Southeast Grove. Thomas Clark's home was below the hill. He afterward traded this to Mr. Anderson for the home where Mr. Saurman now lives, he built the frame house on that place. We then passed the Cutler house, where every- one lived when they first came to the Grove if they had no home. Alonzo Cutler, of Laporte, owned the place, mostly timber. He sold twenty acres of the timber and my father bought the balance of the land-ninety-four acres. Sold one acre for cemetery and leased a piece for the school house, which is still used. Next came Orrin Smiths, both in the center of the Grove. Then the school house, where church services were being held. The school house then was just east of the section corners, nearly in the center of the Grove, and built of logs. We then drove on to our new home-which was at the other side of the grove. And what a home-sick family, things not looking good even to my father. The house was of logs; had the high fireplace that had smoked everything black. There were two rooms, one below and one above.
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The floor overhead made of shakes-which we were, at first, afraid to step on. Of course it was reached by a lad- der. The floor below was split logs, and not made very smooth. My father had a cupboard made in the east and used for packing goods in, then used for dishes, etc. after reaching here. Among all the families in the Grove there were but two stoves. All used fireplaces. We brought our rotary stove with us, and when we baked bread could cook nothing more, as the tin oven covered the top of the stove, but no bread ever tasted so good as that. Mr. Service had planted our corn and potatoes, but none were up. He had also sown wheat in the fall which looked fine till it headed, when we found more chess than wheat. We had no trouble in finding plenty to eat, however, as Thomas Clark raised more potatoes than he needed and Mr. Sherman furnished us with smoked meat to last through the summer, and my mother had brought dried fruit with her. We also planted and had a fine garden. In the fall my father built on a leanto for bedroom and they white-washed the logs of the old part to cover the smoke.
Other families in and around the Grove were Orin Smith, Ketchum, Parkinson-he and son George pur- chased the farm together. They had a better house than others-was larger and finished better-had cellar under board floor above and below, stairs and cellarway. George, who carried the mail from Laporte to Winamac,
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died the winter before we came. Was married to Olive Hixon a short time before he died. Edward and Fred- erick Flint and Thompsons were also here. On the north part of the Morris farm the house was empty. Orson and Alonzo Starr were farming and Mr. Servis had built a frame house on the north eighty. Of the three men who first settled in the Grove, Messrs. Morris, Orrin Smith and one whose name I do not recall, only Smith remained, and he soon left, finally going to Iowa as Mr. Morris had done. I think Olive Hixon was the first teacher there. The summer we came, Eliza Kinyon- now Mrs. Nichols, of Lowell-taught and my younger sisters attended. My oldest sister and I both taught in the log school house, she the winter and I the summer term. The children brought all kinds of books. After Mr. Townley came, I asked them to get books alike, which they did. I furnished my own blackboard. When Mr. Crumpacker taught, the joists overhead were so low he had to bow his head when he walked around, and always stooped to get in the door. Ellis Serjeant taught the last school in the log building. All meetings were held there. There were Associate Reform-now United Presbyterian church-Mr. Blaine pastor. The Episcopal and Protestant Methodist. Mr. Brown of Valparaiso preached occasionally, and Mr. Brooks, a Seventh-Day Baptist, who preached the first summer. He was the man who put up four frames for houses in Crown Point.
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One is now the hotel, built over. The Crumpacker house, McGlashions and one on the opposite side of the street. Mr. Brooks was a brother of Allman's last wife. We heard soon after leaving Chicago that there was to be a camp meeting in the Grove. The next week they came from far and near to the meetings. It was the Protestant Methodists, the best preachers coming Saturday and Sun- day. At one of these meetings we heard Alexander Brown had a young son and they had named him William Barringer. The Episcopal Methodists had their camp meeting in July, at Cedar Lake.
The disciplinarian of the Protestant Methodists showed the Episcopal Methodists were aristocratic, as they had closed doors at their class meetings and love-feasts, and the ministers communed first and by themselves, but their latch-strings always hung out.
The quarterly meetings were held at Pleasant Grove and Hickory Point, as Mr. Evans and Nichols had barns where they could meet.
The way of farming was quite different from these modern times. In breaking sod they would have from six to eight yoke of oxen on the plow, which cut a very wide furrow. Then men took an ax, stuck it in the ground, dropped the corn, then struck again by the side and the corn was planted; needed no tending as weeds did not grow, but the corn did and very large.
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Our market was Chicago. It took three days for the trip when the roads were good. One cold day my father butchered hogs; the next morning early started for Chicago with a sleigh. Went as far as Dolton the first day ; next morning the snow had nearly disappeared and he hired a wagon to take his load into Chicago. After selling the hogs and doing his trading (most of the trad- ing was done there) he started for home. The frost had gone out of the ground and made it very muddy. His wagon struck in a rut and broke the axle. He left his goods at Dolton and came home on horseback, waiting for it to freeze ere going back for sleigh and goods.
When the present school house was built, there were three townships cornered in the Grove-Center, Eagle Creek and Winfield. The building stood in Center. When my sister Cynthia taught she was told to teach only those living in Center. The people had built the house by subscription, and when the children told their parents there was a lively time, which ended by the chil- dren being allowed to attend the school. And when the commissioners met, Eagle Creek was made larger, tak- ing in the building.
The paper money at this time was called shin-plasters and would not pass in the East. We had gold money, the large silver dollar, two-shilling pieces, shilling, six- pence, five-france pieces that we put a six-pence with to make a dollar.
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Other early settlers in the Grove were: William Brown-whom I afterward married; came the year we did, forty-three reaching Crown Point on the 4th of July. He came from Schenctady County, New York. I first met him at a camp meeting held at Cedar Lake.
His brother John and Charley Templeton had come in 1840 with Alexander Brown-an older brother, father of Mrs. Thos. Fisher, John and Barringer Brown. John Crawford came in '44 and built his house that year. Mr. Crawford and Wm. Brown bought land adjoining, and Mr. Brown boarded with the Crawfords till he married. Mr. B. sold this land to Aaron McCann. After marriage we lived on the Wallace place six years, then built a house and moved onto land adjoining the Grove on the southeast, where we lived until '94, when we came to Crown Point. In the fall of '44 a number of families came from the state of New York-drove through. Most of them lived in the Grove through the winter. The Smith-Hogan families lived in Alonzo Starr's house, but left in the spring, going to the south part of the town- ship. Two Runnels families and a nephew, a Mr. Hogan, who was a carpenter and built my father's barn. Joseph Brey and a Mr. Thompson. Five of them died of typhoid fever that spring and summer. All but Mr. Smith's family went back in the fall. Thomas Temple came in the fall of '43 and built a house. He married a daughter
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of my father's by his first wife. A son, William Wallace, was also here a part of the time.
The Kingsburys came in '45. Loyal Starr came earlier but did not stay. Returned a few years later and bought the south part of the Morris farm. Lived here some years then went to Michigan. He still has three daughters in the county-Mrs. Lynch and Mrs. Brownell of Lowell, and Mrs. Bellman of Hammond.
William Fisher came in '50, his brother Thomas a lit- tle later. They built what is now the Zeisniss house, but later moved to the David Bryant farm, south of Eagle Creek. Both married pioneers' daughters-Nancy Bry- ant and Mary Brown.
Henry Burgess came later, as did the Donnaha and McCann families. There were also the Durlands, Posts and Petersons, who gave many soldiers for the war.
James Doak came quite early, then went back for a wife. He settled on a farm between School Grove and Southeast Grove. George Doak came later and settled near James; married Pleiades Kingsbury and after Mr. Kingsbury's death, moved to the Kingsbury place, where he still lives. Cochrans, too, were early settlers. Of the early settlers, Mrs. Crawford was the last to leave the Grove coming to Crown Point, where she died a month later. Of the large family of Edward Flint all are gone and only two descendants living in Lake County-Or-
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lando Servis and John Luther. Of the Wallace family but two are living, Mrs. Dunwiddie of Laporte and my- self. Mrs. Alonzo Starr of Winamac has just died.
Of the descendants of the early settlers in Southeast Grove are the Cochran brothers, May and Jay Doak, Alexander and Herbert Brown, Staley and Esther Don- naha, Mrs. Frank Abramson.
WILD FRUITS OF WEST CREEK AND CEDAR CREEK TOWNSHIPS. BY MISS E. M. HATHAWAY
Formerly there was an abundance of wild fruit grow- ing in West Creek and Cedar Creek Townships. But since so much of the timber land has been cleared the quantity of fruit growing wild has decreased, as nearly all of it grew in the woods.
The most important of these fruits were strawberries, raspberries, blackber s, huckleberries, wild cherries, crab apples, plums, grapes, elderberries and cranberries. They were all very useful to the pioneers of these town- ships.
Of the above list, strawberries, which ripened in June, were the earliest. These berries were found in the grass on the prairies or in the woods. They were very sweet and juicy, having a better flavor than the tame ones we
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use, but are now seldom picked because they are so small.
In June, July and August the raspberries, blackberries and huckleberries ripened. The first two mentioned grew in the woods, and the blackberries especially were very plentiful in a rainy season. Early in the morning of a July day a crowd of pickers might have been seen pushing their way through the tangled bushes after the luscious fruit. The wild blackberries were preferred to the tame ones on account of their size and flavor, and at the present time are used by those who have an oppor- tunity to get them. Huckleberries grew on low bushes along the marsh near the Kankakee river.
Wild cherries were growing and ripening at the same time the berries were. They were used for mdicinal purposes. There are some few trees remaining which cast a thick shade, but the fruit, which is small and bit- ter, is not used except by the birds. Elderberries ripened a little later. They were almost tasteless, but when cookd with other fruits, which gave them a good flavor, were used for pies.
September was the month of wild crabapples, grapes and plums. The crab apple tree bore a small green, bit- ter fruit that was edible only after being well cooked. Grape vines grew along the fences or by the trees, yield- ing their small purple fruit, which was used by the early settlers. The wild plums were also used, but there are very few trees left now.
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In the marshes in the northern part of these townships were found the cranberries, which ripened the latter part of September or the first of October. These berries, with the wild currants and gooseberries, are now entirely extinct, none having been found growing here for sev- eral years.
By request I write a short statement of the coming of my father's family to Lake County, Indiana .- Mrs. Maria B. McCarty.
It has been many years since I became a settler of the now closely inhabited section, Lake County, seventy- two years having elapsed, I being only five years old. Although so young, there are many instances which still are clear to my mind. I will try to give some of them in the best way I can.
In the year 1834 my father, E. W. Bryant, better known as Wayne Bryant, left Knox County, Ohio, to seek a home in what was then called the far west, and as to people and the bare convenience of life, I hardly think one could find in any part of the United State's a more destitute place as was Lake County at that time.
Our first winter was spent on Morgan Prairie. When in the spring of '35 my father with David Agnew came on to Lake County to secure a more desirable lay of
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land, which they found in the part which they called Pleasant Grove. Having done some work, such as cut- ting some house logs and making only a beginning of a house that they might hold their claim, my father and Mr. Agnew came back to Morgan Prairie for their fami- lies and their goods. In a few days all was ready and we started for what was to be our new home without a road to lead us on our way, only an Indian trail or path.
As the frost was just at that time coming out of the ground traveling was very hard and slow. Every slough was filled with water to the depth of a foot or more. We went plunging through mud and mire. Our way took us mostly through prairie, though we passed some groves, Hickory Point being one. We also spent a night in Southeast Grove. I think our presence at that place must have created great delight, for we were sere- naded by a large concourse of wolves, whose music was not altogether to our liking, so when the morning came we went on our way, leaving our serenaders to them- selves without any demonstration of our appreciation of their kindness. The distance to our new home from Southeast Grove was five miles, which place we arrived the same day about 2 p. m. Father soon prepared to make a fire by splitting some kindling and producing a bunch of tow (matches and daily papers were not then in use), but he for matches used a gun with a flint lock with powder, by snapping the lock the powder flashed
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and the tow took fire, and in this way the fire kindled. Perhaps there are some old settlers here who can describe a flint gun lock and the way of starting a fire by the use of a flint gun lock better than I have or can, though the memory of the first fire we had is very clear to my mind.
A kind of tent projected and we were prepared for the night. The traveling being so hard it was determined to drive but one wagon through and to double teams, and Mr. Agnew went back for the other wagon. It was Saturday when we reached our new home, and Sunday we had some callers, an Indian woman and two Indian men.
Monday father went in search of some one to help him to put up his cabin. He went to where Crown Point now is, where he found Solon Robinson, who told him of a man living some three miles south of us. In the time father was absent in quest of some one to help to build our cabin, mother, myself, two brothers-one being older and the other younger-Berkley was seven, I five and Anson was three. I think it must have taken some cour- age for mother to stay with only us small children so far from anyone, and not knowing how soon we might again have the return of our Indian visitors, but fortu- nately none came while we were alone.
Father went to see this man who lived south of us, whose name was Lyman Wells. Father found a young
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man staying with Mr. Wells whose name was John Dris- col. This young man came to strengthen the force in the erecting of a place of shelter for us. They must have worked very hard to get so much done, for in one day the cabin was raised, one side covered with clapboards and one corner floored with puncheon and we slept in our new house that same night. We soon had the house in good running order. Not many days after this David and Samuel Bryant came to visit us from Morgan Prai- rie. David Agnew had started to return to Pleasant Grove with the wagon which was left behind there coming up a very cold rain he lost his way and father and David and Samuel Bryant went the morning after the rain to look over the country, going north a mile or more they came to the body of a man whom they found to be Mr. Agnew, who had perished. Mr. Agnew was a brother-in-law to Mr. David and Samuel Bryant, also Elias Bryant, who that same spring became residents of our neighborhood, and in three or four short years our wilderness was blooming as the rose. We had schools and places of religious worship, and a great deal of vege- tation was produced and every one living in good carnest.
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THE KANKAKEE MARSH
During the years from 1850 to '60 my father, John W. Dinwiddie, frequently discussed with General George W. Cass and others, the question of draining the great Kan- kakee marsh. They attempted to secure an appropriation by the Indiana state legislature to drain and reclaim this large body of rich land.
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