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 31
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 31
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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
At the election last mentioned Stanton Scott was elected trustee- treasurer ; Jason B. Blackledge, trustee-clerk ; and they were continued till the fall of 1853, so that they conducted and did the larger part of the school business up to that time. However, in each of the school districts having a sufficient number of scholars to justify a school there was a district trustee elected, who was later known as district school-director. Some of the others that were actively con- nected with the school interests up to 1853, were Gabriel Burgess,
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E. Harlin Philips, Samuel Hurt, James S. Williams, Samnel Watts, John Dawson, Henry King, John K. Reiff, Alonzo Loekwood, Abram Stahl, Stephen Proudy, James Green and others.
Not all the districts seemed to have schools the first year because of laek of sufficient funds to hire teachers, as the amounts were allotted somewhat according to the number of pupils enrolled.
It will be quite difficult to give the names of all the teachers, at first and their location, at which eertain persons taught, but it can be stated that Ann Lupton taught No. 8, known as Nottingham, in 1850-51, and that Lydia C. Watts taught at No. 2 in 1850, and at the same plaee in 1852; and a Miss Wood taught at No. 2 in 1851. The surprise will be at the small pay the teachers received the first few years, ranging about fifty cents a day and "boarded" by the patrons, or as it was termed "boarded around." Some as low as one dollar a week and board. Some of the teachers, from the first up to 1853, besides those mentioned, were Elizabeth Hulbert, Ilolyfurnas Wood, Mary Watts, Dr. Sawyer. Samuel Hurst, Wm. Gray, Roland Sparks, and others. It can be stated that Mary Watts taught four summer terms in the township up to 1854. These were at the Harper School, and one at the Scott School in 1853. For these first schools her wages were first $20.00 and board, and the last $30.00 per term and board herself. This before she was 19 years of age. Altogether she taught 18 terms in Nottingham Township, besides other places.
Brief mention may be made of a few more ineidents relative to the township affairs, and then the No. 9, or "Seott School" may be taken up and referred to more minutely, which will illustrate elearly in a general way what might be stated of most all the sehools for the first few years.
There were no funds at first with which to build schoolhonses, and it was necessary for the patrons to volunteer and contribute their labor, which they did with few or no exceptions, going into the woods which surrounded the site on which the proposed building was to be erected, and cut the timber, haul in the logs, and ereet the "old log schoolhouse." The few things that will be referred to as relating to the whole township, are as was stated previously, the first enumera- tion showed 149 pupils, and three years later, 168. That for taking of the enumeration the elerk was paid 25 eents, 3716 cents and 50 eents respectively. That the first tuition fund received in 1850, was $41.42 on January 1st, and on May 1st, $37.04, making a total of $78.46, an average of $8.71 5-9 to the distriet, but stated before, all the school distriets did not have a sufficient number of pupils to justify having schools.
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One might be led to think there would be no indifference or lack of interest in school affairs, after the "public" took up the educational interests of the commonwealth, but an incident or two will indicate differently. In 1851 an election was held the 30th day of August- Samnel Watts as inspector, Stanton Scott and John Dawson, judges and Jason R. Blackledge, clerk. That the electors present were Gabriel Burgess, Alonzo Lockwood, Judson Blackledge, John Dawson, Samuel Watts and Stanton Scott, and that of the six votes cast one candidate got three votes, another two, and another one vote.
The round log house at the "Scott School" was as indicated, built of timber in the manner referred to. The building was about 20x22 feet, cabled off, and roofed with clapboards held in place by "weight poles." The chimney was made of sticks and "mud," the floors of puncheons split from the timber, which, if it had been sawed and dressed, would have made elegant finishing for the best school- house or residence of today.
The seats were made of linden, or bass wood saplings, eight to ten inches in diameter, split in halves and dressed with an ax and draw- ing knife, with wooden pegs in each end for supports. The building was erected on a half acre of ground at the northwest corner of section 32, in said township, bought of one Martha Marmon, of Logan County, Ohio, who was paid $1.25 for the plot, she making this price to "encourage the educational enterprise of the locality." It stood with the ends to the north and south, the door being in the south, and in the north end was a large open fire place which would take in about four foot wood. The back wall and jambs were built of clay, pounded in behind wooden supports, in moist condition, well saturated with salt to help form a glazing over the surface and give it durability. About three feet from the floor on each side a couple of logs were cut and removed almost the full length of the house, and in the spaces, two sashes to each opening were fitted for the glass, so they would slide past each other, to let in air, and these were the windows. The cracks between the logs were "chinked" and plastered over with clay mortar. For a writing desk for this house a black walnut "slab" or board about 31% or 4 inches thick, three feet wide and about twelve feet long, that had been used formerly by one of the patrons of the new school for a "bench" to dress leather on, as he had been a tanner by trade. This bench was laid on two trestle benches, one under each end; can you realize what a superb writing desk this made as it was thus placed a little to one side of the center of the house, and that it was always a treat, a fair delight to be privileged to sit by it to study the lessons and write?
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The first schools were all summer schools up to about 1856 or '57, when the terms were changed to winter terms. The teachers at this particular place were, in their rotation: Catherine Hunter, 1850; Lydia C. Watts, 1851 ; Susan Karker, 1852; Mary Watts, 1853, and probably again in 1854; Mary Cole taught in 1855, but on account of sickness, did not finish her school. In 1856 Meriam Griest taught. Then the schools were changed to winter terms, and Jacob Mann taught in the winter of 1857-58, S. J. S. Davis, 1858-59; Hiram Tewksbury in 1859-60; Mary Watts again in 1860-61, and Benj. Shinn in 1861-62. Elizabeth Scott taught next, or soon after.
About this time the need of a new and better house was being felt and agitating the patrons of the "Scott School," and owing to the
FORTY YEARS AGO AND TODAY
fact that a house had been built a while before one mile east of this one, there was a disposition to move the location farther west, and after considerable of wrangling it was decided to build the new house on the southwest corner of the Scott farm, one-fourth of a mile west in section 30, and in 1868 or '69, a new frame house was erected under the trusteeship of Thos. Aker, and schools were taught here by Joshua Scott, Amanda E. C. Scott, two terms; Wmn. Lee, L. L. Howard, Estella Doster, and perhaps others, till about 1889 or '90, when the location was again changed back to the lot first secured of Mrs. Mor- man, and the present substantial and commodious brick building was erected under the supervision of Trustee Wm Higgins. Before leaving the local history of the "Scott School," which was No. 12, it will seem fair to state that four of Stanton Scott's children, two sons and two daughters began and finished the common school course here, and after further completing their equipment for the task, taught several terms, each, in the township, and one of them in Chester Township.
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They were Nathan M., Elizabeth, Elma Jane and Joshua. The late Dr. H. Doster, of Poneto, also began and completed the common school course here before attending college, and taking his medical course at Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Some of the "characteristics" of these schools were: First, that they were surrounded by dense forests, through which the pupils of the incoming and rising generation beat their way, and made their own paths and roads, as they chose, or as best they could, as up to about this time no regular roads had been laid out and opened up. Besides the dense brush and undergrowth in many places, the chief difficulties they had to encounter were logs and swamps, and often they were glad of the logs to help them across the swamps. For though the forests were practically full of beasts, birds and vermine, the chil- dren were often quite as interesting to them as they were to the children, and each enjoyed the exchange of glances and community of interests, one about as much as the other. And this was one of the "wheres," and will illustrate nearly all the others, that the children and youths of fifty and sixty years ago were taught their "A. B. C's.," and to spell out of the same old elementary spelling books-(Webster's) ; to write, and to read from that series of school readers -- (MeGuffey's), than which there never has probably been a better in the country in its helpful illustrations of emphasis and tone, and in the superior excel- lence of its literary character, up to the present time ; and to solve their mathematical problems from old Ray's series of helps, which were plain and common-sense in its examples and rules as illustrative of the science, and the principles involved ; and grammar, from Pine's series, where things were made plain with graduating rise from start to finish, etc.
With these surroundings, natural parks, which were full of life and energy of all kinds, those youths, who were measurably and neces- sarily free from care, inspired by nature's growing, blooming flowers of plant, grass, shrubs and trees, and by songs of birds, bees and in- sects, singing their own joyous, rollicking songs of childhood and youth, while they lived a life of joy and hopeful expectation ; may it not well be asked: Are those of the present generation making better .use of their time, energies, opportunities and privileges than did those of earlier times? If this can be answered in the affirmative, we may well quote the old axiom and almost trite saying: "The only value of bringing forward the past lies in its helping us to a better future." And so applied to these notes and sketches of earlier times may inspire to press hopefully forward and upward, and will elose with the other axiom : "Whatever in the past will help to make us stronger, more loving, more humble and tender, that let us learn and remember."
CHAPTER XVIII
ALL KINDS OF ROADS
BLUFFTON-FORT WAYNE PLANK ROAD-UNREALIZED RAILROAD PROJ- ECTS-THE MUNCIE ROUTE-FIRST TIES LAID IN THE COUNTY- DRIVING THE FIRST SPIKES-JOHN STUDABAKER, RAILROAD FATHER -HUGH DOUGHERTY DESCRIBES THE BUILDING OF THE ROAD-ROADS AND TRAFFIC IN 1865-JOHN STUDABAKER TO THE FRONT-CON- TRACT LET FOR MUNCIE ROAD-MR. DOUGHERTY IN CHARGE OF CON- STRUCTION-COLLECTING AT THE POINT OF THE GUN-HIS CLIENT NOT FAVORED -A RAILROAD OR NOT A RAILROAD ( ?)-FINANCIAL COMPLICATIONS-BUILDING OF THE SECOND RAILROAD-THIE "CLOVER LEAF, " OR BUST-THE CHICAGO & ERIE LINE-THE TRAC- TION LINES.
The necessity of building passable roads through Wells County was fully realized twenty years before a real start had been made in their actual construction. Wood was then plentiful, and gravel had not come into general use as road material. In fact, until the original railroad project which eventually materialized had been well under way, the substantial gravel road was a thing of the future.
BLUFFTON-FORT WAYNE PLANK ROAD
As early as 1848, in the second year of the Republican Bugle, of Bluffton, the first newspaper of the county, the local press noted that a movement was on foot for the laying of a plank road from the county seat to Fort Wayne. Naturally, the movement progressed, for that publication of January 6, 1849, gives an account of a public meeting held at the court house in Fort Wayne, December 16th previous, for the purpose of appointing delegates to attend the plank road conven- tion at Bluffton on the 19th. Twelve delegates were appointed, but only the following appeared at the convention: Hugh McCulloch (afterward a member of President Johnson's cabinet), P. Hoagland, S. Edsall, P. P. Bailey, H. B. Reed, C. W. Aylsworth and S. C. Free- man. The mere attendance of these men at the convention was suffi-
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cient proof of their zeal in the cause, for a trip from Fort Wayne to Bluffton those times, and especially at that season, was fraught with great difficulties. In some places the roads surpassed description. It was really amusing to see one of the horses walk on a pole and step on stumps, while another would be standing still with his head stuck into the mud up to his eyes, apparently meditating whether it were better to give up or make another effort to get out.
On arrival at Bluffton the delegates found some of the citizens in favor of a plank road to Fort Wayne, and some opposed, favoring a railroad instead; but the latter were readily convinced that a rail- road was impracticable at that early day, and joined the others in the plank road enterprise. They combined their forces and pledged them- selves to build ten miles of the road, and, if possible, to the county line. The road was actually planked from Bluffton to Fort Wayne between 1852 and 1856, except in some places it was graveled only, kept in repair for a number of years, toll paid on it, and then it was suffered to run down.
UNREALIZED RAILROAD PROJECTS
As early as 1840 to 1850 railroad projects were talked of, various routes proposed, etc., but the people were too poor to build railways, and Eastern capital was busier with the main lines running east and west, north of Wells County.
The route for the Fort Wayne, Cincinnati & Louisville line popu- larly known as the "Muncie Railroad," was surveyed through Wells County as early as 1852; but, before the work of construction actually commenced, the Civil war interrupted all railroad enterprises. In looking over the old files of the Bluffton newspapers, one constantly meets with the characteristic, universal wail of "O how long, how long shall we have to wait for those Eastern men to go ahead and build the railroad, as they have encouraged us to believe they would," inter- spersed with a setting forth of the advantages of a railroad "through this point" and to a certain other point beyond, with exhortations to the people to wake up and take an interest in it, and with news of some railroad meeting somewhere, or interview with some railroad magnate at some distant point, where some encouragement was con- tingently expressed.
THE MUNCIE ROUTE
In 1867-'68 Messrs. Hugh Dougherty, John Studabaker and others took the Muncie Route in hand and soon had the road built. They
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first signed bonds to the amount of $100,000, then canvassed the county for support, finally securing the endorsement of the Board of County Commissioners, who made an appropriation of the above amount. The work of construction then went rapidly on to completion.
FIRST TIES LAID IN THE COUNTY
As the traek was being laid south from Fort Wayne, on approach- ing the county line, great excitement prevailed in Bluffton, and a pleasant strife was indulged in for being the first to lay a tie within the limits of Wells County.
On Tuesday, October 12, 1869, a great procession, with a band of music, cannon, etc., went with wagons to the point, where a dinner was enjoyed, etc., and when the critical moment arrived, Hon. Newton Burwell and J. Gerry Smith (the Banner editor) carried a tie to the county line, or a little south of it as they thought, and dropped it in place. Next came W. B. Wolfe and J. J. Todd with a tie and laid it, claiming that Burwell & Smith's tie was not far enough south to be in Wells County. Many others also laid ties, continuing for several rods, amid music and cheers and roaring of eannon indescribable.
DRIVING THE FIRST SPIKES
By previous agreement, the honor of driving the first two spikes was conferred upon Colonel Hall, of Bluffton, and James Metts, of Murray. This occurred at half past three o'clock in the afternoon. Similar scenes occurred November 10th following, as the track reached Bluffton, at 11:30 A. M., where the first spikes were driven by John Studabaker, then the oldest citizen, and by William Bluffton Miller, the eldest male child born in this town. Lively addresses were deliv- ered by Levi Mock (then mayor ), J. J. Todd, T. W. Wilson and others, a free dinner was given in Studabaker's new warehouse, silver cornet bands played, everybody shouted, and the "Little Giant" cannon fairly split its throat in endeavoring to overtop the noise of the crowd. Indeed, it blew itself all to pieces, knocking even the wheels of its car- riage to splinters, and yet, providentially, no one was killed, and but one or two injured !
It should be stated that John Studabaker, above referred to, was for a time director of this road, and W. W. Worthington, of Fort Wayne, was superintendent for many years. Mr. Dougherty con- tinued to aid the road on its southward extension, until connection was made at Connersville with the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Road.
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For a time the name was the "Fort Wayne, Muncie & Cincinnati Rail- road," and subsequently the Fort Wayne, Cincinnati & Louisville Railroad.
JOHN STUDABAKER, RAILROAD FATHER
Doubtless, John Studabaker and his nephew, Hugh Dougherty, were the pillars which braced up the Fort Wayne, Cincinnati & Louis- ville Railroad so sturdily that it was able to stand alone. Mr. Studa- baker had been retired for twelve years as a merchant and had become the leading banker of Bluffton, and about the time the railroad project was most critical he discontinued the First National Bank, of which he had been president for five years, and associated himself with his brother, Peter, and Mr. Dougherty, in a reorganized institution which became The Studabaker Bank. Even before Mr. Dougherty appeared upon the scene of transportation development in Wells County, Mr. Studabaker had been much interested in the Bluffton & Fort Wayne. Plank Road, and in 1851 was identified with the proposed Fort Wayne & Southern Railroad, which rested for a term of years after having been graded through the county. It was, in fact, the father of the Fort Wayne, Cincinnati & Louisville Railroad.
HUGH DOUGHERTY DESCRIBES THE BUILDING OF THE ROAD
Mr. Dougherty had barely passed his majority when, in 1865, after having enjoyed some rather exciting Civil war experiences in Ken- tucky and Tennessee, he joined his unele in his grain and banking enterprises at Bluffton. He was therefore still very young when the railroad was put through. He thus describes those times and the special enterprise with which John Studabaker, Louis Worthington, of Cincinnati, himself and others were identified: "The writer's per- sonal knowledge of Wells County dates back only to November 5, 1865, at which time there was not a gravel road, railroad, nor any of the important ditches constructed. Bluffton being the county seat, was the largest town, having less than eight hundred inhabitants. The most important improvements in Bluffton at that time were three brick business blocks. The best and most imposing was built by John Studabaker, which included the east half of the Leader store and the building adjoining those on the north, and one brick building where George F. McFarren's store now stands, which was torn away some years ago to give way to the more spacious building which he now occupies ; the third one is now occupied by Cline & Zimmer's hardware
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store and was built by Drs. Melsheimer and MeCleery. There were scarcely any sidewalks and they were made of plank; there were no erossings, so that pedestrians had little use for shoe blacking, as they would not be able to eross the street after their shoes were polished without losing their lustre. The school houses of the town would searcely accommodate one hundred students and the seating capacity of all the churches could not be more than three hundred. The court house, jail and other public improvements were on the same line; the private homes were no more pretentious-and still the town was ahead of the country at that time.
ROADS AND TRAFFIC IN 1865
"There were no gravel roads, the farmers doing well during the muddy season if they averaged getting to town twice a month. On this account there was very little reading matter found in the country homes. Dr. B. F. Cummins, who had a large country practice, once said to me that he was always prepared with paper in which to do up his powders, as he could not rely on the people to furnish it. For at least three months, and sometimes as much as five months in the year, it was impossible for farmers to get to town with their wagons and, in order to get over the corduroy roads and through the mud, they were frequently to be found with a yoke of oxen or two horses hitched to the front wheels of a wagon, with a load of but two bags of wheat, the toilsome trip being necessary for the purpose of having the latter ground into flour for family use. The main outlet for trade was Fort Wayne. There had been, several years previous, a plank road built from Fort Wayne to Bluffton, but the planks had become worn out and in many places had broken through, which made it impossible for heavy freight to be hauled in a wagon, so when snow came in the winter with good sleighing all the teamsters in and about the town were employed to haul the produce and provisions to market. A hack made the trip one way each day to Fort Wayne and return. It usually had four horses, though in the muddy season of the year they were unable to pull the hack and its passengers, so that very often the latter were compelled to get out and walk a good portion of the way. The writer paid two dollars for his haek fare from Fort Wayne to Bluffton on his first trip here, which reduced his total wealth to less than four dollars. After leaving Fort Wayne and driving about seven miles, we found the road so bad that the passengers found it more comfortable and speedy to walk. We would not have complained of this, if we had not been compelled to assist in prying out the haek on several occasions.
Vol. 1-22
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This trip was made in April for the purpose of taking a view of the country, but the writer soon decided not to remain; later, however, in the following autumn he returned to stay.
JOHN STUDABAKER TO THE FRONT
"This condition of roads and transportation improved but little until the spring of 1868, when John Studabaker received a letter from
[Reproduced from old portrait]
JOHN STUDABAKER
D. T. Haines, of Muncie, saying there was a chance to get a railroad from Fort Wayne to Muncie; and thereupon Mr. Studabaker promptly joined Mr. Haines and Louis Worthington, of Cincinnati, at the Rock- hill House, Fort Wayne, where a number of gentlemen from that city met them, and at a conference it was proposed to construct the road, if Wells County would contribute $100,000 to the enterprise and if
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responsible private citizens would guarantee this amount by a bond to be executed by them therefor. Publie sentiment was strong enough to have voted a donation to this amount by the county, but there was no statute authorizing the vote or an appropriation for railroad purposes, so there was no other way to do but to create a sentiment strong enough to induce the county commissioners to appropriate the money without regard to existing laws. With that indomitable will and energy which have made John Studabaker's business life such a sue- cess, he proposed that the bond should be signed by four hundred eiti- zens, all real estate owners, he first putting his name to the bond. Then a canvass was made of the county, meetings held and speeches made, until the four hundred freeholders' names were secured. Im- mediately following this, Mr. Studabaker was made a director of the railroad.
CONTRACT LET FOR MUNCIE ROAD
"The contract was let to Byrd, Sturgis & Ney, of Fort Wayne, and the work was commenced and progressed for three months. The desire on the part of the people of Bluffton to have the road completed at an early date caused frequent inquiries to be made as to progress, when it was found that the contractors were not paying their hands, nor for the material, but that each member of the firm had received the pay for the monthly estimate and kept the money. The writer was sent by Mr. Studabaker to see what could be done to hurry the work along, when he accidentally overheard a conversation that divulged the fact that the Junction Railroad, of which Louis Worthington was the president and which was supposed to be furnishing the money to build our road, was in financial trouble. When this was reported to Mr. Studabaker he called Mr. Worthington, the president of the road, and a number of directors, to Fort Wayne, and at that conference it was decided to take the work away from the contractors and put it in the hands of a receiver ; and if any profits were made they were to go to the contractors.
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