USA > Indiana > Allen County > Fort Wayne > The pictorial history of Fort Wayne, Indiana : a review of two centuries of occupation of the region about the head of the Maumee River, Vol. I > Part 33
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In the spring of 1828, General Tipton secured the removal of the land office from Fort Wayne to the mouth of the Tippecanoe river, the site of the present Logansport. Here a large portion of the annuities of the Indians were distributed. At the treaty grounds here were gathered each year the traders of the entire region. The occasion was made especially attractive to them since the law of 1819 gave to the Miamis an annuity of $15,000, while the Weas, Pottawattomies and the Delawares received a total of $9,500-certainly a "stake" worth playing for.
Not less than fifty traders were attracted to the place on the occasion of the treaty of October, 1832. Goods to the supposed value of $365,729.15 were distributed in three days' time. Charges of extortion brought an investigation of the government, and J. W. Edmunds, sent to investigate the claims, found that the Indians had been cheated out of the greater part of their annuities.
Blankets were sold for eight and ten dollars each; red flannel brought 57 cents per yard; bleached shirting, 971/4 cents; tin cups, 121/2 cents; red cotton handkerchiefs, 40 cents; calico, 25 cents; silk vests, $4; coffee boilers, 75 cents; thread, $2 per pound; hats, $5; knives, 40 cents; powder, 40 cents a pound, and other articles and commodities at prices entirely out of keeping with the prevailing figures.
CHAPTER XXIV-1829-1831.
The Village Incorporated-"Underground Railroad"- The First Courthouse.
The village decides to incorporate-The original town trustees-Swamps and underbrush-Laws governing the river ferries-Fort Wayne, a station on the "underground railroad"-The slaves pass through the village-Earli- est permanent Catholic and Protestant churches-The Big Leg murder- Keel boats on the Maumee-Trade over the St. Mary's-The government authorizes the state to sell the military tract at Fort Wayne-The doom of the old fort-Taber's addition platted-The first court house-Cheap rent at the "transfer" corner-The steamboat from Defiance-A cruel winter.
F OR SOME TIME, previous to 1829, the more enterprising cit- izens of the village of Fort Wayne had given serious thought to the question of incorporating the town. The matter had occupied a good deal of attention during the summer, and the opposition to the plan seems to have faded away by the autumn time, for, on the 7th of September, in response to the call of leading cit- izens, a meeting was held to take final action. The debate was brief and enthusiastic. Judge William N. Hood presided over the session, and John P. Hedges, as secretary, recorded the decision of the vote to the effect that "there was a majority of two-thirds of the persons present in favor of incorporating the town of Fort Wayne in the county of Allen, state of Indiana."
The next step was the election of officers held just one week following the mass meeting, and the brief but lively campaign for the honor of holding the first official positions of the newly-created town, resulted in the choice of Hugh Hanna, John S. Archer, William G. Ewing, Dr. Lewis G. Thompson and John P. Hedges, to serve as a board of trustees for one year. Benjamin Archer served as presi- dent and John P. Hedges as secretary of this first election.
Fort Wayne continued under its primitive form of government for a period of about eleven years. During this time, the following citizens, in addition to the original members, served on the board of trustees : Samuel Hanna, Zephaniah B. Tenney, Francis Comparet, James Hudson, William N. Hood, Moses Scott, Isaac Marquis, Matthew Griggs, Abner Gerard, William Rockhill, John E. Hill, Joseph Holman, Robert Brackenridge, John Spencer, Joseph Mor- gan, David Rankin, Henry Work, Nathan Farrand, William Luckey (removed), Lazarus B. Wilson, William Suttenfield, Hugh Mc- Culloch, Joseph Berkey, Samuel Edsall, John B. DuBois, James Post, Robert Hood (removed), Joseph Ensworth, C. H. Hubbard, Joseph Sinclear, William L. Moon, John Reese, Benjamin Smith, George W. Wood, L. B. Bellamy, Daniel Reed and I. D. G. Nelson.
THE FIRST TOWN OFFICERS.
The first town officers named by the trustees of the "Fort Wayne Corporation," as it was known officially, were: Assessor, David 288
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Pickering, salary, $5 per year; treasurer, Joseph Holman; collector of taxes, Abner Gerard; marshal, James Barnett, salary, $2 per year; supervisor of streets, Matthew Griggs, salary, $6 per year. Succeeding assessors to 1840 were John P. Hedges, Anthony L. Davis, Joseph Morgan, Joseph H. McMaken, Henry Work, G. F. Wright, Joseph Ensworth and S. M. Black. Those who served at later times in the office of treasurer were Henry Rudisill, James Daniels, James Hudson, Henry Cooper, Joseph Morgan, Henry Colerick and George F. Wright. Collectors of taxes succeeding Abner Gerard were Thomas Rice, Thomas VanAnda, Samuel Cas- sady, Wilson B. Barlow, Samuel Stophlet, Joseph C. Silvers, Humph- rey Roberts, Lysander Williams and S. S. Morss. The following marshals succeeded James Barnett: David Pickering, Lewis Arm- strong, Thomas VanAnda, Samuel Cassady (removed), Wilson B. Barlow, Thomas Pritchard, Samuel C. Stophlet, Joseph C. Silvers, Humphrey Roberts, Lysander Williams and S. S. Morss.
A TOWN OF SWAMPS AND THICKETS.
One of the most trying problems which confronted the trustees during the period of the years preceding 1840 was the elimination of swamps and underbrush which covered a large portion of the present downtown section of Fort Wayne. Even as late as August, 1834, a "vigilance" committee composed of John B. Bourie, James Wilcox, John P. Hedges, Allen Hamilton, John B. Bruno, F. D. Lasselle, Samuel Hanna, Joseph H. McMaken, Thomas Pritchard, Samuel Hunter, William Luckey, John B. DuBois, Horatio N. Clark, Moses Young and James Post, appointed to examine into the general conditions, reported that it was thought advisable to proceed "with- out delay to fill up the low places and drain the same, and also to grade the streets for the general benefit of the health of the town." Immediate action was taken to drain a swamp on Calhoun street and "cut down or grub all the brush in the streets south of Berry street." Henry Work and F. D. Lasselle were allowed "twenty-five cents per rood, lineal measure, for cutting off the brush on Wayne, Barr and other streets."
In March, 1837, John B. DuBois was authorized to circulate a petition to secure funds to drain the streets "according to a profile drawn and prepared by David Quinn, engineer." A. F. Frink, John Ritchie and others were engaged to prepare plans for a general system of drainage.
Among the earlier undertakings were the removal of "swamps or mud-holes" at the north end of Clinton street, on Calhoun street just south of Columbia, and on Barr street. The latter was drained by the construction of a ditch "along the south side of Berry street to the west side of Clinton and to the dam." In December, 1836, the town trustees met "in a committee of the whole to take up con- sideration of the means to drain the cellars and remove the nuisance of dead matter in this corporation."
EARLY RECORD-KEEPING.
That the earliest records failed of completeness is shown by the report of a special auditing committee, appointed in 1832, com- posed of John Spencer and Joseph Holman, who said :
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"The records of the years 1829 and 1830 were well made up, with the exception that there was no expose made of the receipts and expenditures during those years."
The report adds that while the books show that fines and fees were collected for various reasons, no record of the amounts of money received was made.
The members of the town board received fifty cents for each session attended, and were fined a like amount for being absent, except in the case of the president of the board who was required to pay seventy-five cents. James Post, for the use of his house as a meeting place for the board during the greater part of the eleven years of the existence of the town as a corporation, was paid "two dollars for candles and room rent" per year.
THE RIVER FERRIES.
With the increase of the population of the adjacent lands the need of a ferry across the St. Mary's river caused the board of justices to encourage the establishment of such a convenience by placing a low license fee of one dollar annually for its maintenance, and establishing regulations to protect the proprietors. It also fixed the rates of service as follows: Footmen, 61/4 cents ; man and horse, 121/2 cents; horse or cow, 61/4 cents; hog or sheep, 3 cents; oxen, 25 cents; wagon and two or more horses, 50 cents. Zenas Henderson and Company, the first to apply for a license under the new regula- tion, in 1831, were permitted "to keep a ferry across the St. Mary's river, at the crossing at the old ford, where the county road crosses leading to Pigeon prairie, in Michigan territory [near the site of the Wells street bridge]." Mr. Henderson was required to give bond in the sum of $500. The law required that the operators of a ferry be the owners and proprietors of the land on both sides of the river or creek on which such ferry was established. No other ferry could be situated within one mile either above or below unless deemed necessary for the public convenience. The ferryman was required to "give passage to all public messengers and expresses, when re- quired, without fee or reward for the same, from time to time. The ferryman was subject to a fine of $40 for demanding or taking a greater sum for ferryage than that fixed by law, but he could charge a double fee if required to be broken of his rest in the night to give a lift to a late traveler. All men employed with ferries were ex- empted from militia duty and from serving on juries.
THE FLIGHT OF THE FUGITIVE SLAVES.
On the 10th of October, 1829, a strange and motley company of negroes and whites passed through the streets of the town of Fort Wayne-a procession made up of the "passengers" and "conduct- ors" of an "underground railroad." Probably it was the first of its kind in this portion of the middle west. Later, many willing anti- slavery advocates in the north gave systematic aid and protection to many escaping slaves of the south, who were safely landed across the Canadian border. The story of this "underground railroad" is preserved in a unique manuscript record, now yellow and crum- bling with age, written by Frederick Hoover; it is owned by his great-granddaughter, Mrs. Charles A. Dunkelberg. It bears the
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date 1829. Mr. Hoover was a member of the prominent Quaker family whose head was Andrew Hoover, a member of the Society of Friends included in the exodus from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. In 1806, Andrew Hoover and others came to Indiana and established the settlement which became Richmond, in Wayne county. Samuel Hoover's story is given in the biblical language employed by many of the Quakers even to the present day.
"Now it came to pass that in the first year of the reign of John [John Quincy Adams], who was governor of the united provinces and territories of North America, that the Ethiopians in the province of Kentucky were sore vexed by reason of their taskmasters," reads the manuscript which tells of the flight, "and they lifted up their eyes toward the land of Indiana, which lieth toward the north country, over the great River Ohio, as thou goest toward the city of Brookville [in Franklin county, founded in 1807]. Now Indiana is a land flowing with milk and honey, and they said, therefore, let us flee thither, peradventure the people of the land will deal kindly with us and deliver us out of the hands of the oppressor. So the people gat them away by stealth and fled into the land of Indiana and gat them possessions in the land. Howbeit they were sought
Now it came to piafs that by the 11 th day of the 10th month, that the people drew near to the city of fort Wayne moreover the havple were afraid to pass through the city because they feared there were men of belial in the city who would evil entreat them- but the leaders encouraged the people to be of good cheer , The people therefore sent the leaders into the city to confer with the chief men to know if the people might pays peaceably through their borders moreover , they said they would not turn to the right hand or to the left hand and if they took any thing from there they would give his- ces of silver. The men therefore departed and confer- 2) with the chief men of the city, and they let the people pass through even through the principal street, after that they had bought food for themselves and Chrovender for the beast, so they departed and took the way as one goeth towand the city of Ie- fiance down the river Maumee and incamped
of praises on the river and there the people sang songs to the ford for his mercies in delivering them from their enemies.
THE STORY OF THE FUGITIVE SLAVES.
The above is a fac simile reproduction of the Hoover manuscript describing the escape of runaway negroes, on their way from Kentucky to Canada in 1829. The original is owned by Mrs. C. A. Dunkelberg, whose great-grandfather, Fred- erick Hoover, a member of the Society of Friends, led in the rescue. (See 1829).
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by the negro-hunters." The narrative relates that these negro hunters, "sons of belial," caught "Saby, wife of Isom, and fled, but certain men of the land pursued the men of belial and delivered Saby." In like manner these "certain men" rescued two other slaves, George and Jacob, but "the children of Ethiopia said there- fore one to another, Wot ye not that if we tarry in this land we shall be spoiled of our possessions ; let us, therefore, make ready and flee even unto the land of Canada."
The story of the departure of the slaves, under the protection of their deliverers, relates that "the people murmured because of the bitterness of the waters of the brook Mississinnewa," and gives a detailed account of the journey across the Wabash and to the St. Mary's. When they reached the neighborhood of the city of Fort Wayne the fear of the people lest the town should contain "men of belial" who would "evil entreat them," caused a halt while the Quakers conferred with "the chief men of the city," and made an agreement that if the procession be allowed to pass through the city the strangers "would not turn to the right hand nor to the left hand, and if they took anything from thence they would give them pieces of silver."
After the procession had passed through the village the people encamped on the Maumee and there the people sang songs of praises to the Lord for his mercies in delivering them from their enemies.
Before the slaves were safely placed in Canada, the party encountered many interesting adventures. "Sarah, the wife of James, chode with Nancy, the wife of Robert, concerning their stuff," but when the leaders cautioned them that their conduct would bring reproach upon the whole congregation, Robert, whose surname was Hopkins, "spake unto the leaders, saying, We have divided the stuff and have settled the matter. Howbeit, they lodged no more together even on the whole journey." The narrative records that when "Thomas went to help Saby and her daughter Nancy over the water and over the mire they all together fell into the water and into the mire; howbeit they drew them out all together and when they had put on changes of raiment the people journied for- ward." Arriving at the outskirts of Detroit, after passing through Defiance, Ohio, and Monroe, Michigan, the leaders "spake unto them, saying, Tomorrow we must pass through City Detroit, over the great river into Canada. Ye must, therefore, shave off your beards and purify yourselves with water; ye must also put on goodly raiment so that haply ye may find favor in the eyes of the men of the city and they may let you pass peaceably through the city into the land of Canada to inherit it." The passage was made successfully, and "the people rejoiced greatly because of their deliverance from their enemies and from the hands of those who sought to deliver them into bondage." After they had "imparted good counsel," the Friends bade farewell to the fugitives and re- turned to Richmond.
FORT WAYNE'S FIRST CHURCHES.
We now turn our attention to the consideration of the first permanent Catholic and Protestant churches in Fort Wayne. It is of more than passing interest to note that while the Jesuit fathers
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were the first representatives of the religious orders to visit the site of Fort Wayne in the sixteenth century, their labors left no perma- nent results; it was not until the year 1830 that any Catholic leader visited Fort Wayne and stamped his name in the history of the community.
Near the opening of the year Very Rev. Stephen Theodore Badin, the first priest to be ordained in the United States, made a visit to the Catholics who had settled here, and offered mass in the home of Francis Comparet. Father Badin was vicar general of the diocese of Bardstown (near Louisville), Kentucky, and of the diocese of Cincinnati, under the jurisdiction of which Fort Wayne was placed. Father Badin came to Fort Wayne in the following year to assist in the purchase of a site for a church which later became St. Augustine's. It is now the widely-known Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, and its site, which contains several of the schools of the denomination, as well as the bishop's residence, is a property of immense value.
On the occasion of this second visit Father Badin performed the ceremony of baptism over Peter Gibaud, infant son of Peter and Mary Gibaud; the sponsors were John Baptist Becket (Be- quette) and Theresa Duret, his wife.
Rev. Father Pecot, of Vincennes, visited the parish in 1832.
Among the noted Catholic visitors of 1835 was the Rt. Rev. Simon Gabriel Brute, first bishop of Vincennes. Fathers S. P. Lalumiere, Felix Matthew Ruff, J. F. Tervooren and M. Jeancoir also preceded the first regular pastor, Rev. Louis Mueller, who came in the following year. In this year was completed the purchase of
MSno Ban Fortwayne Lawy 2 9830 Difu I arrived have on last Sunday morning after a very unpleasant Journey of two weeks. The roads were Extremely has and waters high- Jeans loaded with Good and furniture arriver a few days after me. They were detained a tous derable time on the road by high water , we had the misfortune oflosing one of our best work battle Road) the Blooded Surrain. I am well Please with Fort wayne and the Country aroundit, The Citizens appear to be very attentive and obliging to Strangers
I Remain yours Respy Houdesile
WHEN HENRY RUDISILL CAME TO FORT WAYNE.
Henry Rudisill, one of the foremost Fort Wayne men of his time, came to the city in 1830 to care for the interests of Barr and McCorkle, the original proprietors of the town. The above fragment of a letter preserved by Miss Eliza Rudisill was written to John T. Barr, of Baltimore, Maryland.
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a portion of the present Cathedral site. The preliminary arrange- ments for the transfer were made on July 18, 1831, when a large part of the property was purchased for $100, although the transfer appears not to have been completed until 1835, when the property was deeded by Samuel and Eliza Hanna to the church authorities. The preliminary purchase was made in the name of Francis Com- paret, but subsequently the property was deeded to a committee com- posed of Mr. Comparet, Francis D. Lasselle, John B. Bruno, Charles Hillsworth and Michael Hedekin, by whom it was later transferred to the ecclesiastical authorities of the diocese. The canal laborers were liberal contributors to the purchase fund. The first building was not erected until two years later.
In a case at law entitled "Saint Augustine Church vs. Samuel S. Barr and the unknown heirs of John T. Barr, deceased," filed in 1831 by the church, the latter sought to have a deed executed for the property from John T. Barr, who had died before executing the deed. In this document the property is described as follows : "One acre of land on the south part of the town of Fort Wayne, adjoining the land of Allen Hamilton on the north side of Hamilton's land and on the east side of the road leading from Fort Wayne to Piqua [later called the Piqua road, and now known as Calhoun street, Fort Wayne's chief business thoroughfare], being an acre of land where the Saint Augustine church now stands."
The successors of Rev. Louis Mueller were Revs. Julian Benoit, J. H. Brammer, J. H. Guendling, P. F. Roche and John R. Quinlan. (See Chapter XXVI.)
Coincidental with the establishment of the first Catholic church, a Protestant organization of the Methodist Episcopal faith was founded. Although Rev. James Holman, a Methodist preacher, had located at Fort Wayne and discoursed on the Bible teachings as early as 1824, it was not until 1830 that Methodism began to secure a foothold in the town. In this year, Rev. Alexander Wiley, a presiding elder of the Ohio conference, came to Fort Wayne to establish a mission which formed a part of his conference district. Rev. Nehemiah B. Griffith was placed in charge of this little branch organization which was known as the Maumee mission. In 1836 an attempt was made to build a church. A lot on West Main street, between Webster and Ewing streets, was secured, and a large frame structure was erected, with an imposing steeple and gothic windows. The congregation was unable to secure the funds with which to complete the building, so it was torn down and the prop- erty reverted to the Ewings. Several places of worship were used until the first permanent building was erected in 1840, at the corner of Harrison and Berry streets, site of the Anthony hotel. In 1835 the Indiana Methodist conference organized the Fort Wayne circuit, with the Maumee mission as its principal charge.
The pastors of this mission and its successors, the Berry street church and the First Methodist Episcopal church, have been Nehe- miah B. Griffith, Richard S. Robinson, Boyd Phelps, Freeman Farns- worth, James S. Harrison, S. R. Ball, James T. Robe, Jacob Colcazer, B. A. Conwell, George M. Boyd, Hawley B. Beers, J. S. Bayless, J. W. Smith, Samuel Brenton, Amasa Johnson, William Wilson, Homer B. Benson, C. W. Miller, J. D. G. Pettijohn, Milton Mahin,
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Milton Beaver, John Hill, N. H. Phillips, W. S. Birch, A. Marine, Jacob Colcazer, Frost Craft, C. G. Hudson, J. K. Walts, D. C. Wool- pert, J. M. VanSlyke, M. S. Marble, C. C. Cissel, H. J. Norris, J. K. Walts, C. A. Rowand, J. K. Cecil, D. H. Guild and A. G. Neal.
The Presbyterians, too, were awakened to the opportunity of establishing a place of worship in the village. In 1829, Rev. Charles E. Fuhrman, in response to an appeal issued by citizens headed by Allen Hamilton, was sent to the frontier town by the Presbyterian board. In his report, Rev. Mr. Fuhrman said: "The people are hospitable and have more intelligence and liberality of feeling than any similar town I have found in the country." (Jesse L. Wil- liams's "History of the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Wayne"). The visit of Rev. Mr. Fuhrman resulted in the sending of Rev. James Chute, in the year 1831. On the 1st of July, under a rude shelter of boards near what is now the junction of Columbia and Harrison streets, he organized the First Presbyterian church, with twelve members. Smalwood Noel and John McIntosh were chosen to serve as elders. Among these charter members were Mrs. Ann Turner and Mrs. Rebekah Hackley, daughters of Captain William Wells and grand-daughters of Chief Little Turtle; both had been baptized during the service of Rev. Isaac McCoy. Mrs. Turner and Mrs. Hackley had attended a Catholic seminary at Bardstown, Kentucky, and were women of culture and intelligence. Forty-four citizens united in subscribing an amount sufficient to guarantee a yearly salary of $258 for the pastor. The signers of this paper were Samuel Hanna, James Barnett, Anthony L. Davis, William Rockhill, Samuel Lewis, Abner Gerard, J. L. Britton, Samuel Edsall, Dr. Lewis G. Thompson, Mrs. Ann Turner, William Suttenfield, Samuel Brown, Thomas Daniels, James McIntosh, Jr., James Daniels, Philip Klinger, James D. Klinger, John D. Klinger, William Caster, Robert Hood, Henry Rudisill, Rebekah Hackley, Matthew Griggs, Mason M. Meriam, John Jeffcoat, Hill and Henderson, Lewis H. Davis, Isaac Patterson, Francis Alexander, Hiram Weese, Simon Edsall, John B. DuBois, Charles S. Griggs, William Wilson, Lewis Armstrong, John McIntosh, Hugh Hanna, Smalwood Noel, David Archer, Wil- liam N. Hood, Z. B. Tenny, J. H. Griggs and Allen Hamilton.
Between 1831 and 1837, the church held its meetings in the school house, the Masonic hall, a carpenter shop, store rooms and the court house. The pastors of the First Presbyterian church, succeeding James Chute, have been Daniel Jones, W. C. Anderson, H. S. Dixon, Lowman P. Hawes, J. G. Riheldaffer, Jonathan Ed- wards, John M. Lowrie, Thomas D. Skinner, David W. Moffat and Henry B. Master.
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