USA > Indiana > Adams County > Standard history of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana : An authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and country, Volume I > Part 20
USA > Indiana > Wells County > Standard history of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana : An authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and country, Volume I > Part 20
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40
THE LIVELY EAGLE
In 1863, A. J. Hill, who had been ably editing the Eagle for sev- eral years, commenced his honorable service as a soldier of the Civil War. His record is given in the chapter on "Military and War Mat- ters." While he was away at the front, from that time until May, 1865, the Eagle office was a lively place. The plant was leased by Mr. Hill, and in 1864 re-leased to Callen & Hudgel. Dan J. Callen was a sharp, bold writer, and said things in the Eagle about the condnet of the war which caused his arrest by Federal authorities and his trial before a military court at Indianapolis. When Captain Hill returned to the Eagle, in 1865, its affairs had become more composed under the editorial and business management of James R. Bobo and T. Adlespurger. Mr. Hill continued to publish and edit the paper until November, 1874, when he sold it to Joseph MeGonagle, who discontinued the Eagle and started the Decatur Democrat.
THE DECATUR DEMOCRAT
In May of the preceding year the Decatur Herald had been started as a rival of the Eagle by Seymour Worden, then county auditor, and James R. Bobo, county attorney. When Mr. McGonagle bought the Eagle of Captain Hill and discontinued it, the pub- lishers of the Herald also ended the existence of that paper; so that the Decatur Democrat occupied the entire field.
In 1879 the Decatur Democrat passed to the ownership of
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S. Ray Williams, and in 1881-83 it was in the hands of Capt. A. J. Hill and Roth & Cummons (of Bluffton). Norval Blackburn was its editor and proprietor from the fall of 1883 to August, 1896, when the office and plant were sold to the Democratic Press Company, in which Lew G. Ellingham held a controlling interest. Mr. Ellingham, although still a young man, had had newspaper experience at Win- chester and Geneva, and in 1894 had moved to Decatur and founded the Democratic Press. In August, 1896, the stock company which he formed purchased the Decatur Democrat. In July of the fol- lowing year he became the owner of all the stock of the Democratic Press Company, and on January 12, 1903, founded the Daily Demo- crat. Mr. Ellingham purchased the daily edition of the Decatur Journal in July, 1906, and consolidated it with the Daily Demo- crat. The Journal had established the pioneer daily of Decatur in 1897, while under the editorship of Frank E. Everett, the paper then having been alive for a period of eighteen years. Both the daily and weekly editions of the Democrat have since been pub- lished by the Decatur Democrat Company, of which John H. Heller is president and Arthur R. Holthouse, secretary. Mr. Heller also has the editorial management of the paper. Mr. Ellingham had con- trol of the publishing company until November, 1910, when he was elected Secretary of State and, assuming that office, turned the edi- torial pen over to Mr. Heller, who had been associated with him for many years and who had managed the Daily Democrat since its foundation. In May, 1916, Mr. Ellingham purchased a half-interest in the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette and sold his entire interest in the Decatur Demoerat to Mr. Heller.
DECATUR EVENING HERALD
The Evening Herald, of Decatur, is an ontgrowth of the De- catur Journal, the first number of which appeared September 16, 1879, with D. G. M. Tront as editor and George S. Staunton as pub- lisher. It was the second republican newspaper published in the county, the Young American, which was established about three years after the birth of the party and which suspended in 1860, being the first organ of the republicans in Adams County. Within a dozen years from the founding of the Journal, in 1879, Mr. Trout had been succeeded by E. A. Phillips, then the veteran of local editors; Shaffer Peterson, E. D. Moffett, B. W. Sholty, Kirby & Andrews, and William E. Ashcraft. Mr. Ashcraft, in 1892, installed the first steam power press at Decatur. From that year until 1906, when the Jour-
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nal went into the hands of a receiver, the plant and the good will of the paper were owned by Douglas & Porter, Frank E. Everetts, C. M. Kenyon, and Harry Daniels. Soon afterward Philip L. Andrews, who had served a term as postmaster, was a lawyer by profession, and earlier still a school-teacher, assumed charge of the Journal as its editor and business manager. In 1911 the Decatur Herald Com- pany was incorporated to conduct it. Mr. Andrews is identified with the paper as city editor. The active officers of the company are as follows: Morton Stults, president; C. A. Butler, vice president ; C. F. Davison, secretary-treasurer, editor and manager.
BANKS OF DECATUR
The industries and business of Decatur maintain the general eur- rent of their activities through the medium of three financial insti- tutions-the Old Adams County Bank, the First National Bank and the People's Loan and Trust Company. An account has already been given of the indirect origin of the Old Adams County Bank, when, as early as 1857, Joseph D. Nutman, the old store-keeper, started a pri- vate concern called by some of the local business men a "shaving office." Just before the Civil war broke out it was moved to Fort Wayne, and no further attempt was made to found a similar institu- tion until nearly a decade afterward. In 1871 Mr. Nutman and Jesse Niblick became associated in a private banking enterprise, under the name of Niblick & Nutman. In November of that year, Robert W. Allison, then a merchant at Buena Vista, and David Studabaker, a Decatur lawyer, were admitted to the partnership, the style of which became Nibliek, Nutman & Company. In 1872 Mr. Nutman retired from active membership, the firm name becoming Niblick, Studabaker & Company.
In August, 1874, the Adams County Bank was organized under a state charter, with a capital of $50,000, which was increased to $75,- 000 in 1882. Jesse Niblick was the first president of the bank, and it was under his management, in 1876, that the building it still occupies on the northwest corner of Second and Monroe streets was erected. David Studabaker was its first vice president. The first charter of the bank expired in 1894, and it was renewed under the name of the "Old Adams County Bank." Jesse Niblick was then succeeded by his son, William H. Niblick, and the father and founder of the bank died in October of the following year. The new president did not long survive his own election, as his death occurred in November, 1896. William H. Nibliek was succeeded in the presidency by Robert
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B. Allison, the first cashier. Charles S. Nibliek, another son of Jesse, was elected cashier of the bank in 1896, and in December, 1906, be- came its president at the resignation of Mr. Allison. Since that time, or, officially, since January 1. 1907, Edward X. Ehinger has been cashier of the bank.
In 1914 the institution was rechartered under the name of the "Old Adams County Bank." It has a capital, at the present time, of about $10,000; surplus of $10,000, and resources of $1,200,000.
The First National Bank of Decatur was founded in that place in 1883. On the 16th of July, of that year, it was incorporated by these residents and stockholders of Deeatur and Delphos (Ohio) : Dr. T. T. Dorwin, president ; Henry Dierkes, vice president : Gus. A. Kolbe, cashier ; J. D. Hale, Godfrey Christen, B. W. Sholty, Ilenry II. Myers, Daniel Weldy, R. S. Peterson, J. H. Hobrock, Henderich Chrishaner, L. C. Miller, John Dirkson and J. B. Holthouse. On the 15th of the following month the bank was chartered and opened for business, with a capital of $50,000 and the officers named. In 1895 the capital was inereased to $100,000. Since its organization, the First National has paid out over $250,000 in dividends to its shareholders. Its sur- plus and undivided profits amount of $26,000 ; average deposits, $875,- 000; total resources, $1,100,000.
Since the founding of the First National Bank of Decatur its man- agement has comprised the following officers : Presidents -- Dr. Thomas T. Dorwin, 1883-93; P. W. Smith, 1893-
Vice presidents-Henry Dierkes, 1883-87: P. W. Smith, 1887-93; Daniel Weldy, 1893-95; J. B. Holthouse, 1895-99; W. A. Kuehler, 1899-
Cashiers-Gus Kalke, 1883-86; Henry Oberwagner, 1886-87 : R. S. Peterson, 1887-94; C. A. Dugan, 1894-
The People's Loan and Trust Company is the youngest of the city's financial institutions. It was organized in January, 1915, with ยท the following officers: James Rupel, Bryant, Ind., president; John La Follette, Portland, Ind .. vice president : Mathias Kirsch, cashier ; W. A. Lower, secretary. The capital of the company is $50,000; re- sources. $330,000.
Mr. Rupel died early in 1918. He retired as president of the trust company in November, 1917, Mathias Hirsch succeeding him as presi- dent.
INDUSTRIES
Decatur has never striven to become a manufacturing center. with all that term implies-smoke, dirt, unsightly blots on the city and un-
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sanitary conditions, which always accompany congestion of popula- tion, whether in large or small areas. The manufactories which have arisen naturally and in response to a compelling demand, on the other hand, have been supported and encouraged. As the city is the center of a large, productive and thrifty country a number of industries have been established and have flourished, especially within recent years. The sugar beet factory, the tile works, the Adams County creamery, the Hoosier packing plant, the egg case manufactory, the saddlery works and the glove factory, are all institutions in point. These and others are logical and practical outgrowths of the natural productive wealth of this section of Indiana, stimulated im- mensely by special war conditions. Further, in the encouragement of legitimate and feasible enterprises the Decatur Retail Merchants' As- sociation, with a number of similar predecessors, has accomplished good results within recent years.
HORSE SALES
Right in the class named is the large business in the sale of horses, which, for many years past, has given Adams County a national fame. The first large sales commenced in Decatur about a decade ago and the business has expanded so rapidly since the commencement of the world's war that they are now held regularly semi-monthly. The horses are purchased by experts in a territory with a radius of about a hundred miles from Decatur, and by the later part of 1917 the sales were averaging fully 400 head every two weeks. The great bulk of the sales was being placed by the U. S. Army, mostly for the cavalry and artillery service. As an expert in this business, or industry, no man in Indiana and Ohio is more widely known than Daniel W. Beery.
HOLLAND-ST. LOUIS SUGAR WORKS
There is one industry in Decatur which is the acknowledged leader -the manufacture of sugar from beets as demonstrated at the great plant of the Holland-St. Louis Sugar Company. The capacity of the plant is 1,000 tons daily, with at least fifty tons of valuable by- products. The latter consists of the fiber, or pulp, which is left after the sugar is extracted, and a good grade of potash manufactured from the sirupy elements which fail to crystallize. The dried fibre is sold to dairymen and poultry dealers and is said to be an effective stimulant to milk-production and egg-laying. At the plant proper some 250
.
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people are employed, night and day. It is no uncommon sight to see a hundred great open freight cars overflowing with the beets des- tined for the factory, which have been bought and shipped in by the buyers of the plant from the farmers of northeastern Indiana who have thus carried out their contracts with the Holland-St. Louis Sugar Company. Thus the industry gives employment to hundreds outside the actual manufacturing plant. The Decatur concern em -. ploys fifteen field men, under a local manager, who contracts with growers in the spring for specified tracts devoted to the raising of sugar beets, and, with the gathering of the erops in the fall, actively
HOLLAND-ST. LOUIS SUGAR PLANT, DECATUR
engage in the loading of the raw product and see that it is properly shipped to the factory. The field men, or agents, have under them seventy-five or a hundred men at the way stations, who attend to the manual labor of getting the beets aboard the cars, on their way to Decatur.
The Deeatur manufactory is a branch of the parent enterprise established at Holland, Michigan, and there is another at St. Louis, also in that state. Of the three plants the Decatur factory has out- stripped the others. Their combined output is now 25,000,000 pounds annually, and they plan to increase that by at least 5,000,000 pounds in 1918. The Decatur plant commenced operations in October, 1912, its construction' having been under the immediate supervision of William Kremers, who had been identified for twelve years with the
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Holland enterprise, and is still superintendent of the branch at this place which has since outgrown the parent stem.
THE CHURCHES
The nine churches of Decatur cover altogether a period of seventy years, or the biblical three score years and ten, indicative of the fact that the religious life of the city is fully matured. Several of them were established to meet the wishes of German Protestants, who were especially strong in the earlier years and are still largely repre- sented in the membership of their descendants going to make up such churches as the German Reformed and the Evangelical Association. A large proportion of the St. Mary's Catholic church is also composed of German-Americans, many of whom would even refuse to be hyphen- ated. Decatur as a moral and law-abiding city certainly owes much to these elements of its population. The membership of the Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist and Christian churches is principally drawn from the descendants of early settlers from the East, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and the older counties of Indiana, with later accessories from the country at large.
ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
St. Mary's Catholic church obtained the first real foothold in De- catur and the Methodists organized about a year after first mass was celebrated by the local members of that faith. In 1836 Jacob L. Rugg, John Reynolds and Joseph Johnson platted the town of De- catur and the first named gave the square for the court house; also lots for four churches, including the Catholic. In the spring of 1838 Father Mueller celebrated the first mass in Decatur at the house of George Fettich, a little colony of Catholics having gathered at the place. Two years afterward, when their number had somewhat in- creased, Father Hannow eame to the charge. In January, 1841, he solemnized the first Roman Catholic marriage at Decatur between Timothy Coffee and Margaret Mueller. The first Catholic baptism in the hamlet was that of Minnie Holthouse. The third local priest was Rev. Joseph Rudolph, under whom the cemetery in the south- eastern part of the village was purchased. In 1846 Father E. M. Faller began the erection of the old frame church, the timbers for which were hauled to the building site by oxen through the deep mud. Until it was completed mass was said in the Fettich house, the Closs Tavern and the old court house. Father Faller also added to
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the church property until it comprised half a block of land, upon which have since been erected the present house of worship, the priest's house, the Sisters' house and the school building. The first priest's house was built in 1852 and, what at the time, was called the "new" priest's house, in 1885. In 1873 the "new brick church" was finished and the Catholies of St. Mary's worshipped in it for more than thirty years, or until it commenced to he spoken of as the "old church." In 1907 a large two-story addition was made to it. The original brick schoolhouse was completed in 1881.
After Father Faller's service until 1865 quite a number of priests came and went. In the fall of the year mentioned Father John Wem- hoff was placed in charge of St. Mary's parish, and it was under his pastorate that the move for a brick church was put under way. Father S. Von Schwedler completed it, and he was followed by Rev. J. Nus- baum, who gave place to Father H. Theodore Wilken. Father Wilken served St. Mary's church longer than any other of its resident priests, his pastorate extending from July 23, 1880, until his death, October 20, 1913. Rev. Julius A. Seimetz, the present incumbent, assumed the charge in February, 1914. There are 300 families within his jurisdic- tion. The parochial school has an enrollment of 275 pupils, with eight teachers.
METHODISM IN ADAMS COUNTY
Although the special theme of this portion of the Decatur chapter is the local Methodist organization, there are several outside matters connected with the subject that should be mentioned. Fortunately, they have lately been recorded by a veteran of the faith, Rev. W. J. Myers, who, as historian of Adams County, prepared a paper for the "North Indiana Conference History." Condensations are here made from his complete and interesting paper.
Decatur and the county were fortunate in the character of their first settlers. Like Jacob of old, they "erected an altar wherever they lodged for the night." Among these pioneer Methodists may be mentioned William Heath, Charles W. Merryman, Joseph R. Smith, Jeremiah Andrews. Levi Russell, Thomas Archbold, Thomas Fisher, Ezekiel Ilooper, John Reynolds and Samuel L. Rugg. Of that list, as will be seen, are the proprietors of the original town of Decatur. In 1839 a regular Methodist class was organized in the Andrews-Smith- Merryman neighborhood, afterward called Washington. At South Salem, Monmouth and Pleasant Mills, classes had already been formed. In 1844 the Decatur class suffered a great loss in the death of John Reynolds.
SCENES DURING OLD HOME WEEK AT DECATUR, OCTOBER 14-19, 1912
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DECATUR'S FIRST METHODIST RESIDENT PASTOR
At the first session of the North Indiana Conference, held at Fort Wayne in that year, the Fort Wayne distriet was organized with Decatur as one of its eireuits, and Elijah Lilliston was sent as its first resident pastor. Ile found loosely organized classes at Decatur, Washington, Salem, Pleasant Mills and Mt. Tabor (now Bobo). "But he enrolled the members, organized them, planned to visit each elass every two weeks; and so the work went on under these untiring eireuit preachers, the classes sometimes meeting in the log schoolhouses and at other times in the homes of the different leaders. Rev. D. B. Clarey was an especially stirring brother, as he was a fine singer and a good speaker. Some of his protraeted meetings were so swelled in attend- ance that they overflowed the bounds of the schoolhouse and had to be held in the court house.
FIRST METHODIST MEETING HOUSE
In the meantime the Methodists at and near Pleasant Mills had so increased in numbers and confidence that they decided to erect a house of worship; and they did complete one, about 1847, a mile east of that place which they ealled Hopewell meeting house. It was the first Methodist church building in Adams County, and is even said to have antedated the old frame St. Mary's by several months.
PROGRESS OF THE DECATUR METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
The summer of 1851 also witnessed the building of a fair-sized frame ehureh by the Deeatur Methodists at the corner of Front and Jackson streets, and during the succeeding fall Rev. M. M. Hahn was sent to the eireuit as pastor. More than forty years afterward the church was made into an opera house. A number of pastors followed him in quick suecession; notwithstanding, the Deeatur church pros- pered and a parsonage was built. In 1860 it became a station with Rev. Thomas Comstoek as pastor. The Civil war seriously depleted the church membership and also split the church into factions. Rev. E. W. Erriek went into the Union army first as eaptain and then as ehap- plain. After the war, disturbanees gradually adjusted themselves. A number of pastors followed, and in 1881 Rev. J. B. Carns so increased the membership of the church that a handsome new brick house of worship was commeneed at the corner of Monroe and Fifth. It was not dedicated until June, 1882, under the pastorate of Rev. M. A.
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Lague. In 1890-91 the two-story frame parsonage was built and the church grounds enlarged, Rev. J. B. Work being pastor at the time. In 1896 a large addition was made to the church building, which ex- tended the accommodations both of the auditorium and the class rooms. In 1899 the North Indiana Conference held its annual ses- sion in the enlarged and improved audience room of the Decatur church. The society, with all its auxiliaries, has steadily increased un- til its membership is more than 800. Rev. Fred F. Thornburg, the present pastor, has been serving since April, 1916.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
The Presbyterian church was organized in September, 1840, by Rev. Isaac A. Ogden, a member of the Presbytery of Miami. The initial meeting was held in the court house, and the following were the charter members : Samuel A. Patterson, Julia A. Patterson, Sam- uel Allen, Harriet Allen, David Allen and wife, William Allen, George Caskey, Elizabeth Caskey, Mary Watkins, Mrs. Elizabeth A. Patter- son, Mrs. Rebecca Rice and Adam Showers. Samuel A. Patterson and David Allen were the first ruling elders. The lot originally given by the town proprietors to the Presbyterians for the erection of a church building, located on Fourth Street, was afterward sold and out-lot No. 6 purchased. As early as July, 1844, a meeting was held to commence the erection of a meeting house. Plans were adopted in the following year, but nothing decisive was accomplished for nearly ten years. In 1850 the society again decided to erect a church, and in the following year bought two lots (Nos. 329 and 330) of Samuel L. Rugg for $35! On one of these the first house of worship was completed in 1854. The first settled pastor of the church was Rev. John H. Nevius, who remained thirteen years. During that period, until the building was completed, services were generally held in the court house. The church was completed early in 1854 and on February 6th of that year all the pews (except one reserved for the pastor) were sold at auction. It is said that the highest price paid for a pew was $26, and the total amount received was $796.25. The sale was not for one year, but for as long as the building should stand. This was not as long as expected ; for the meeting house was burned in November, 1862, and in the fol- lowing year the edifice was completed at Five Points-the intersection of Second, Adams, Mercer and Winchester streets-which, for more than forty years, was noted as the first brick church to be built in Adams County.
Among the earlier pastors of that period may be mentioned
1
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OLD HOME GATHERING AT THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN OCTOBER, 1912
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Revs. Thomas Elcock, Norman Jones, C. A. Kanouse, A. J. Reynolds and 1. T. Holt. During Mr. Jones' pastorate, 1872-77, a parsonage was built. In 1905 the Presbyterian meeting house was again partially destroyed by fire; the furniture and the inner walls of the structure were so badly damaged that a new building was erected on the site of the old. It is still occupied. It is said that the preacher in charge at the time of its construction, Rev. E. A. Allen, furnished the one-tenth part of the cost of the building and its equipment and furnishings. During the past ten years the pastors serving the Presbyterian church have been Rev. Alfred Fowler (1906-07) ; Rev. Richard Spetnagle (1908-10) ; Rev. William H. Gleiser (1911-15) ; Rev. J. C. Hanna, since February, 1915. The present membership of the church is 250.
DECATUR BAPTIST CHURCH
The Baptists of Decatur organized many years before the Civil war, but had no house of worship, and during that disturbing period most of the original members scattered and the society virtually was lifeless until its revival in the summer of 1884. At that time an organization was effected by eighteen members and in 1886, while Rev. D. B. Record was pastor, work was commenced on a brick house of worship on the east side of Fourth Street near Adams. It was com- pleted in the following year. The permanent re-establishment of the Baptist society at Decatur is largely due to the labors and influence of Mr. Record which covered many years. Within the past decade the church has been served by Rev. E. E. Bergman, Rev. C. E. Ehle, Rev. T. L. Jones, Rev. R. N. Ball, Rev. F. G. Rogers and Rev. G. Butler. The society has a present membership of about seventy-five.
ZION REFORMED CHURCH
The religious body above mentioned was organized in November, 1861, and a house of worship was erected during the same year. The combined church and school occupied near the corner of Jackson and Third streets is a substantial building. The original structure has been improved to meet present-day requirements. The membership of the church has reached more than two hundred, and in the nearly sixty years which have passed since the society was formed the fol- lowing have served as its pastors : Revs. Carl Jaekel, William Spies, G. Beisser, H. W. Vitz, E. W. Kruse, George Grether, L. C. Hessert and L. W. Stolte.
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