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 52
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
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 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89
466
THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE
and Alfred D. Brandriff. The bank started with a paid-up capital of $100,000, which was shortly afterward increased to $400,000. Successive presidents of the First National bank have been Oscar A. Simons, John H. Bass and Charles H. Worden. In August, 1905, the White National bank was consolidated with the First National. In April, 1917, with the consolidation with the Hamilton National bank, the name, First and Hamilton National bank, was adopted. The institution has had a continuous history of prosperity.
"SHINPLASTER" CURRENCY.
During the war period the scarcity of small change, which had proven a great inconvenience in all matters of trade, had encour- aged the circulation of a large number of private "tickets, tokens and checks" which passed as money in all Fort Wayne transactions. The withdrawal of silver from circulation made the system almost a necessity, but its abuse and the uncertain value of the substitutes for money finally resulted in a conference of merchants and others, at which James Robinson acted as chairman and Watson Wall as secretary, to consider some more satisfactory method of meeting the situation. A committee composed of R. W. Townley, B. W. Oakley, W. T. Abbott, Watson Wall and William Jacobs conferred with the banks and with the council with the result that the council decided to issue orders on the city treasurer to the amount of $10,000, in sums less than one dollar, beginning January 1, 1863.
The appearance of the "city scrip" caused the withdrawal of most of the private substitutes for money of small denominations.
This temporary currency was commonly known as "shinplas- ters," because of its small size. The first issue, in denominations of fifty cents, twenty-five cents, ten cents and five cents, was printed on paper six and one-half by two and one-half inches in size. A sub- sequent issue was printed on sheets five and one-half by two and one-half inches in size. The "shinplasters" were redeemed by the city as soon as silver currency was returned to circulation. This fractional paper currency bore the portraits of the mayor, Franklin P. Randall, and the city clerk, Louis T. Bourie.
HUGH M'CULLOCH, COMPTROLLER OF THE CURRENCY.
In 1863 Salmon P. Chase, secretary of the treasury department under President Lincoln, offered to Judge Hugh McCulloch, of Fort Wayne, the newly created position of comptroller of the cur- rency of the United States, an honor which came as a surprise to the banker. The acceptance was promptly made, however, and within two years the state banks throughout the nation were super- seded by the national, and all was accomplished without the disturb- ance of business conditions. The success of Judge McCulloch led to his appointment as secretary of the treasury in 1865, a position he held under appointment of three presidents.
THE FIRST BASEBALL CLUB.
In the midst of the distressing news from the fields of battle, but at a time when it appeared that the struggle was soon to end, a number of Fort Wayne young men found time to form their first baseball organization, known as the Summit City club. Many of the members of the club of 1862, however, soon were enlisted in
L
1862 1863
POLICE-BASEBALL-"SHINPLASTER" CURRENCY 467
their country's cause, and some died on the southern fields of car- nage. A few are active citizens of Fort Wayne today.
At a meeting held April 23, 1862, Charles S. Brackenridge was elected president of the club, William B. Fisher secretary and Thom- as B. Shoaff treasurer. The members were Dr. C. C. Kingsbury, E. L. Chittenden, Byron S. Thompson, Charles McCulloch, Samuel Lewis, J. D. Bond, Dr. A. J. Erwin, John W. McArthur, H. J. Olds, W. B. Chittenden, T. L. Jefferds, F. P. Drake, W. L. G. Thompson, W. R. Nelson, F. A. Stapleford, William Brady, C. B. Woodworth, S. C. Ayres, M. S. Robinson, George A. Kauffman, J. G. Bryant, John E. Hill, H. H. Robinson, E. C. Rurode, H. Wilder, A. H. Hamil- ton, Joseph B. Fry, William A. Dripps, Washington Haskell and Lafayette M. Bowser.
J. K. EDGERTON CONGRESSMAN.
Joseph K. Edgerton, of Fort Wayne, was elected to congress in 1862 over William Mitchell, of Kendallville, by a majority of 436 votes, after a memorable campaign. Mr. Mitchell had won the 1860 election by nearly 3,000 votes. Prior to 1860 Mr. Edgerton had been a whig, but he became a stanch supporter of Stephen A. Douglas. His popularity in Allen county two years later is shown by his polling of a plurality of 2,600 votes over his opponent, Joseph H. Defrees, of Goshen, in the race for congress; nevertheless, the opposing vote of the remainder of the district was sufficiently strong to defeat him.1
ACTIVITIES OF 1862.
A "Society of St. George" was organized "to render aid and assistance to such English persons as may need it" as a result of war service. Thomas Tigar was the president and T. Stevens secre tary. C. L. Centlivre established the "French" brewery.
Four of the well-known new residents of the town in 1862 were John D. Sarnighausen, state senator and editor of the Fort Wayne Staats-Zeitung; Edward L. Craw, from Cleveland,
The TREASURER of the
January 12/863
001:3660
(((City of' Fort Wayne Ind. OR BEARER
WILL PAY TO ALLEN HAMILTON & 10
TEN CENTS out of any money in the Treasurynot otherwise appropriated Allowalty the Common Council"Januaryis, 186' on account of General Expenses
L.J. Boure Y. Randall CLERK
MUNICIPAL "SHINPLASTER" FRACTIONAL CURRENCY.
The decision of the Fort Wayne city council to issue fractional currency to the amount of $10,000, beginning January 1, 1863, brought relief to the people who could not obtain coin of the smaller denominations for the ordinary trans- action of trade, on account of the withdrawal of silver coin from circulation during the war of the rebellion. The city scrip was issued in denominations of 50 cents, 25 cents, 10 cents and 5 cents. The 5-cent notes bore the portrait of Mayor Randall, and the 10-cent issue the picture of Louis T. Bourie, city clerk. The illustration is a redrawing of a bill owned by James Trythall.
.
468
THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE
deputy postmaster and real estate dealer; John W. Orr, from West Virginia, identified with railroad work and in the retail oil trade, and William Tagtmeyer, from Prussia, active in railroad work. D. W. Jones, of Grant county, Indiana, established the Fort Wayne Gazette, an afternoon daily paper. Succeeding owners of the Gazette were Isaac Jenkinson and Homer C. Hartman, James R. Willard and Amos R. Wright, Robert G. McNiece and D. S. Alexander, J. J. Grafton, James B. White, General Reub Williams and Q. A. Hossler, Keil Brothers (S. D. Keil and Frederick W. Keil), B. M. Holman and T. P. Keator, C. C. Miller, N. R. Leonard and Frank M. Leonard, Charles R. Lane and M. E. Beall. In 1899 the Gazette was merged with the Fort Wayne Journal, to form the Journal-Gazette, a morning democratic publication. After three years of effort to obtain sufficient financial support Francis S. Aveline completed the construction of the Aveline house, which
6 Cord
A RELIC OF THE WOOD-BURNING LOCOMOTIVE DAYS.
During the period in which wood was used as fuel on the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago railroad, farmers and woodmen along the route provided a vast amount of firewood which was piled up near the right-of-way. Much of the road was built through dense forests. Whenever a locomotive was halted to take on fuel, the engineer was required to deposit with the woodman a brass check and these were surrendered when the woodman received his pay from the company. During a period of blizzards, one locomotive burned seventy-five cords of wood between Fort Wayne and Chi- cago. The brass check here pictured is the property of R. B. Rossington.
HARRISON
CALHOUN
STREET
JEFFERSON
CATHEDRAL SQUARE
CLINTON
LEWIS.
STREET
STREET
STREET
BASE BALL
STREET
GROUND
DOUGLAS AVENUE
MONTGOMERY
ST
FORT WAYNE'S FIRST BASEBALL GROUNDS.
Contrary to the general impression, the Keklonga baseball team was not the first to be organized in Fort Wayne. In 1862-six years before the organization of the Kekiongas by Charles F. Taylor and R. J. Fisher-the Summit City club was formed, with Charles S. Bracken- ridge as president. (See Chapter XXXVIII.) At that time Allen Hamil- ton donated the use of his vacant grounds, now a crowded business section west of Calhoun street and south of Lewis street.
was building during this period. The Aveline house was located at the southeast corner of Berry and Calhoun streets, site of the present Shoaff building. Originally it was a four-story brick struc- ture and the largest hotel of the region. D. J. Silver was the build- ing contractor. In January, 1863, the hotel was finished, but the proprietor found himself embarrassed by conditions which are revealed in the comment of one of the newspapers of the day, which observed that "this house, now finished, remains unopened for want of means to furnish it. This being so, are there no moneyed men here to aid in the opening? The edifice is a credit to the city, and without being opened is only a thing of beauty." The situation was relieved by the substantial assistance of public-spirited citizens,
1862 1863
POLICE-BASEBALL-"SHINPLASTER" CURRENCY 469
and the hotel was opened with a grand banquet later in the year. One of the toasts of the evening bore the title, "Washington Hall and the Aveline House-the First Represented the Primitive Con- dition of the City, the Latter Our Present Growth and Prosperity." The Aveline house entertained some of America's most noted people during the forty-five years of its history. It was destroyed by fire on the morning of May 3, 1908, with the loss of twelve lives.
ACTIVITIES OF 1863.
Residents of Fort Wayne who dated their coming in 1863 in- clude William P. Breen, from Terre Haute, Indiana, a leading mem- ber of the legal profession of Indiana; William V. Douglass, from New Hampshire, active in real estate and insurance circles ; Gottfried Schmidt, tailor; Samuel M. Hench, from Port Royal, Pennsylvania, judge of the criminal court, judge of the superior court, prosecutor of the criminal court and chief of the law and miscellaneous division of the comptroller's office of the United States treasury department; John C. Eckart, from Pennsylvania, cigar manufacturer; Daniel Ryan, from Junction City, Ohio, justice of the peace for twenty-nine years; George W. Ely, from Oswego, New York, merchant and coun- cilman, and S. C. Lumbard, from New York City, insurance man, organizer of the first telephone company and an active factor in many public enterprises. The county built a bridge across the Maumee at East Main street to replace a former structure which had passed into a state of decay.
NOTE ON CHAPTER XXXVIII.
(1) James H. Schell, of Goshen, was elected prosecutor of the circuit court in 1862, and David Colerick prosecutor of the court of common pleas. The county elected Pliny Hoagland state senator, and John P. Shoaff and Ochmig Bird state representatives.
County officers elected in 1862 were: Clerk, William Fleming; sheriff, Wil- liam T. Pratt; treasurer, Alexander Wi- ley; surveyor, J. W. McArthur; record- er, Clement A. Rekers; coroner, John P. Waters.
CHAPTER XXXIX-1864-1866.
Strikes and Early Labor Unions-First Street Paving -The State Fair.
The strike of the employes of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago rail- road-Troops sent to protect property-The earliest labor unions-The railroad men and the printers-Fincher, the organizer-Bitter opposition to Lincoln's policies-Helping the needy families of the soldiers-North Side (Lawton) park is purchased by the city-Fort Wayne entertains the Indiana State Fair-The Pomological society-The first street paving- James L. Worden mayor-The original Kekionga Baseball team-The town "goes mad" over the coming national game-The Kekiongas spread the fame of Fort Wayne-In the first National League-Peter P. Bailey postmaster.
A LTHOUGH the year 1877 is remembered as the time of the greatest industrial upheaval in the history of Fort Wayne, a widespread strike of shopmen and trainmen of the Pitts- burgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago railroad extended its activi- ties to this city during a period of weeks during 1864. All depart- ments of the Fort Wayne shops were closed, four hundred men were idle and troops were sent from the east to guard the company's property.
The trouble was precipitated in January by an announcement of the railroad company that all wages after a certain date would be paid in company warrants instead of national currency. The employes, fearing these warrants would be redeemed only at a discount, presented a vigorous formal protest. The company declined to change its plans of payment. The men ceased work.
An orderly parade of 500 strikers and their friends marched to the office of the superintendent of the western division of the road, H. A. Gardner, and made a formal demand for their wages due.
In the midst of the trouble with the shopmen the company was called upon to meet a protest from the engineers and firemen based upon alleged smallness of pay in return for long hours of service. When these men left their posts no trains on the system except those carrying the United States mails were allowed to move. The engineers asked for a raise of wages from $75 to $90 per month, while the firemen insisted upon an increase from $35 to $45; both demanded that the runs be reduced in length from one hundred miles and more to seventy-two or eighty miles per day.
The railroad company, fearing that the strikers might injure or destroy their property at Fort Wayne, asked for military pro- tection, and a company was sent from Pittsburgh.
"With fixed bayonets they entered the city but to find peace and quietude," says the Times. "They went into quarters in the various shops with the ostensible purpose of guarding them from harm," but there proved to be no need of their presence and they were soon returned to the east.
470
471
STRIKES-PAVING-STATE FAIR.
1864 1866
THE FIRST LABOR UNIONS.
The difficulty between the company and its employes was soon adjusted to the satisfaction of the parties involved. After the set- tlement of the strike Charles D. Gorham succeeded H. A. Gardner as superintendent of the western division of the road.
The railroad men had, in 1863, formed the first organized body of laboring men, known as the Fort Wayne Union of the Brotherhood of the Footboard. This organization, however, was abandoned, and the union became Local No. 12 of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, whose charter bears the date of December 12, 1864.
While the Brotherhood of the Footboard was in existence the members of the printing craft organized a local known as the Fort Wayne Typographical union the charter of which body was dated August 29, 1864. This union maintains that it is the oldest in Fort Wayne, as no other organization possesses a charter bearing an earlier date. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, on the other hand, claims an existence dating from 1863.
In December, 1865, a prominent union labor leader, Jonathan C. Fincher, visited Fort Wayne. He was a Philadelphia machinist and the editor of Fincher's Trade Review, a pioneer in the eight-hour movement. A torchlight procession, headed by O'Niel's band, escort- ed the speaker through the streets to Colerick's hall. An impression of Fincher's address is reflected in this comment by the Gazette :
"Guided by sound, practical men such as Mr. Fincher has shown himself to be, this movement may be made to result in much good to the laboring men of the city without at all interfering with the rights of others. We wish it abundant success. We will aid it all we can, and trust the laboring men of Fort Wayne will at once organize their associations and engage in the great battle for the improvement and elevation of their class."
BITTER OPPOSITION TO LINCOLN'S POLICIES.
Allen county was the center of determined anti-Lincoln senti- ment during the campaign of 1864. A great majority of the people opposed the president's war policies from the beginning, and "Old Abe" was not infrequently denounced through the public prints and from the platform as a traitor and a destroyer of his country. The spirit of the people is shown by their vote in Allen county, of which Lincoln and Johnson received only 2,244, while Mcclellan and Pendleton were favored with more than double the number- 4,932.1 Upon the proclamation of the defeat of Mcclellan, John W. Dawson, publisher of the Fort Wayne Times, announced in disgust that the publication of the paper would be discontinued.
HELP FOR THE NEEDY.
The honors of war in the field were not unaccompanied by severe suffering and want in the homes of large numbers of the soldiers. Although many individuals and societies already had rendered much assistance to the needy, the work was now undertaken in a larger and more united way by the organization of the Fort Wayne Relief society, which entrusted the task to a committee composed of Sam- uel Edsall, John H. Jacobs, Jesse L. Williams, Henry Baker, John S. Comparet, William Meyer, A. M. Orbison and Bernard Trentman,
472
THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE
whose duties required the securing of gifts of firewood from the farmers. P. O. Blaisdell and G. F. Stinchcomb, with the assistance of Samuel Edsall, served as a finance committee. Over $1,000 in cash, three hundred cords of wood, eighteen hundred pounds of meat, eighty barrels of flour and a large quantity of other supplies brought cheer to one hundred and thirty-five needy families. "When the donors come to settle their accounts with Him who settles all things," said General Chairman Edsall in his report, "they will find every load of wood and every dollar to their credit, and it will be a great assistance to them in crossing the River Jordan."
LAWTON PARK.
The city authorities, supported by a growing civic pride, pur- chased, on the 24th of January, 1864, the major portion of the lands which now comprise Lawton park. In the beginning the tract was known as the City park, later as North Side park and, finally, in honor of General Henry W. Lawton, by its present name.
The purchase was made from William Fleming, S. B. Bond, C. D. Bond, W. H. Jones, Hugh B. Reed, Henry J. Rudisill and J. W. Dawson at a cost of $35,500. The balance of the tract was purchased in 1866 and 1881 from Mathias Mettler for an additional sum of $37,255.
In 1872 the city council donated to the Fort Wayne, Jackson and Saginaw (New York Central) railroad twenty acres of the west portion of the park for a right-of-way and railroad shops.
FIRST COUNCILMANIC ACTION ON PARK PURCHASES.
The first action taken by the city council toward the purchase of park lands-other than that of the acquiring of Old Fort park in 1863-was that of the evening of November 14, 1865, when the council "Resolved, That the mayor and city attorney be and are hereby required to communicate to the city council their opinion as to whether the city can purchase real estate for parks or public grounds upon bonds or evidence of debt in payment therefor."
FORT WAYNE ENTERTAINS THE STATE FAIR.
Fort Wayne drew to itself enviable attention as the city of entertainment of the Indiana State Fair in 1865. In response to an invitation from the Allen County Horticultural society, supported by liberal financial contributions from citizens, the exhibition was held from the 2d to the 7th of October on grounds which now form a portion of Lawton park.
Several large, barn-like buildings were erected for the displays and the fair was opened under favorable conditions. The gates registered 2,100 admissions and the total receipts from all sources amounted to $14,000, which figure was far in excess of the expend- itures for premiums and all other financial obligations.
For convenience a pontoon bridge was built across the St. Mary's river to connect the grounds with the town. A swampy section of the fair grounds was converted into a small lake from the center of which spouted a fountain fed from the waters of the feeder canal.
473
STRIKES-PAVING-STATE FAIR.
1864 1866
Among the leading local promoters of the exposition were I. D. G. Nelson, a leader in horticulture; Robert S. Taylor, who had charge of Fine Arts hall, and Henry J. Rudisill, superintendent of the Floral hall.
Fort Wayne manufacturers were well represented at the fair. Included among these were : French, Hanna and Company, woollen cloth and yarn; Peter Kline and Kelcher and Saxton, boots and shoes ; Weiser and Company, tanned leather; I. N. Topliff, carriages; C. Stanley and Thomas Stevens, wagons; C. Schmidt and Company, files; Olds, Hanna and Company, wheels; Bass and Hanna and Mur- ray and Bennigan, engines.
In conjunction with the state fair the Indiana Pomological soci- ety held its sessions and drew to Fort Wayne some of America's lead- ing fruit growers.
During the fair Governor Oliver P. Morton addressed a large street audience from the balcony of the Aveline house. The fire department entertained the visitors with a parade and a demon- stration of the efficiency of the fire-fighting equipment of the town.
THE FIRST STREET PAVING.
Six squares of Nicholson wooden block paving were laid during 1865-three on Columbia street and three on Calhoun street. Kim- ball, Bond and Fleming were the contractors.
"And so we have our first Nicholson paving," observed the Gazette. "The old rattling planks are out of the way, the holes are filled up, the mud and mire are driven out, we hope, for twenty years to come."
JAMES L. WORDEN MAYOR.
Upon the completion of his work as a member of the supreme court of Indiana, Judge James L. Worden returned to Fort Wayne and was elected mayor of the city at the May election .? After serv- ing less than one year Judge Worden resigned the office in order to give attention to his legal practice, and Benjamin Saunders was chosen to fill the vacancy.
THE ORIGINAL KEKIONGA BASEBALL TEAM.
The first baseball team in Fort Wayne to bear the magic name of Kekionga was formed in 1866, although it was not until 1871 that the team of that title appeared as a part of the original National league. The captain of this first organization was J. R. Hoagland, and the following named players completed the roster : William Hadden, Joe Bell, Hugh M. Diehl, S. C. Lumbard, John Aveline, C. D. Gorham, F. A. Gorham, Robert Milliman and Martin H. Miller. This club during the winter months continued as a debating and singing society.
In this year, also, the Summit City team was reorganized, with J. E. Hill as captain and George J. E. Mayer, Simonson, Simons, George W. Stevens, Charles Prentice, Joshua B. Prouty. Scott, Cas- sius Miller, Hiram Moderwell, Metcalf, John A. Shoaff and Cook comprising the line-up.
Fort Wayne was represented in the first state baseball associa- tion, formed at Indianapolis. One of the rules adopted by the
474
THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE
association declared that "any club which plays practice games on Sunday shall be expelled from this association."
The organization of the Kekionga and Summit City baseball teams in 1866 was followed in 1867 by the formation of a number of other lively clubs, including the Twightwees, the Concordia Em- pires, the Keystones, the Socials, the Athletics and the Mechanics.
The Kekiongas elected Robert Milliman president, F. A. Gorham vice-president, C. D. Gorham recording secretary, H. B. Ayres cor- responding secretary and Bramble treasurer. Hugh M. Diehl was the captain of the "first" nine. In 1870 the Kekionga baseball team elected the following officers : President, Silas McManus (succeeded by Charles M. Dawson) ; directors, Max Nirdlinger, Charles M. Dawson, Frank Wolke, D. H. Towne, George J. E. Mayer; players, D. H. Towne, George J. E. Mayer, Charles M. Dawson, Silas McManus, Paul Schroeder, Wheeler and Sprandle.
The Kekionga baseball team, as finally organized, was the result of a meeting held on the north steps of the courthouse, in response to a call issued by Charles F. Taylor and Robertson J. Fisher. Among the original members were F. A. Gorham, now (in 1917) of the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Trust Company; Charles D. Gor- ham, of Fort Wayne, former superintendent of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago railroad; Hugh M. Diehl, late chief of police and airbrake instructor of the Pennsylvania lines; Cassius Miller, a Chicago salesman; William H. McMullan, undertaker, and George J. E. Mayer, John W. Stophlet and Martin Miller (deceased).
During the 1870 season the Kekiongas became the champions of Indiana, and their fame spread to the entire baseball world. The team made a tour of a number of cities, including Wabash, Logansport, Lafayette, Laporte and South Bend, Indiana, and Dan- ville, Decatur, Springfield, Bloomington, Peoria, LaSalle, Ottawa, Joliet and Chicago, Illinois. At the close of the Chicago game row- dies stoned the omnibuses in which the Fort Wayne boys were riding and some were severely injured by broken glass.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.