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 53

Author: Griswold, B. J. (Bert Joseph), 1873-1927; Taylor, Samuel R., Mrs. The story of the townships of Allen County
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Chicago : R.O. Law Co.
Number of Pages: 760


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 53


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The team at this time had been strengthened by the addition of several good players belonging to the Baltimore Oriole team, which disbanded at Fort Wayne. These included Robert Matthews (reputed originator of the curved ball and the slow drop ball), "Pat" Cassidy, Kelly and James Foran.


A tract of ground north of Camp Allen, in Nebraska, between the canal and West Main street, was converted into a baseball park for the lively contests which occurred in 1870 and succeeding years. The citizens raised a fund to erect a grandstand, the ornamental central section of which was christened "The Grand Duchess."


KEKIONGAS IN NATIONAL LEAGUE.


The early spring of 1871 found the celebrated Kekiongas in- cluded with the clubs of Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, Washington, Troy, New York, Cleveland and Rockford in the first National Baseball league. The team closed the season near the bottom of the percentage column, but it made a name for the live western city which was considered worthy advertising. On the 4th of May the team won a game from the Forest City team at Cleveland with a


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STRIKES-PAVING-STATE FAIR.


1864 1866


score of 0 to 2, the lowest score made in any game played in the


United States up to that time.


R. J. Fisher, as treasurer, took the team on the trip to the


"The I had a lively time getting our money, and caught the last coach as game with the Haymakers at Troy in June broke up in a row. expedition. Referring to one of these, Mr. Fisher says: panied the organization. Many interesting events characterized the man and owner of a large number of metropolitan theaters, accom- eastern cities. Sam Nirdlinger, of New York, later a theatrical


Abraham Lincoln President of the United States of America,


To all who shall see these presents Greeting: Know We. That reposing special trust and confidence in the Patriotism, Integrity and Abilities of Hugh & McCulloch, of Indiana_Thave nominated, and, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint him to be Secretary of the Treasury of the United States. -


and do authorize and empower him to execute and fulfil the duties of that Office according to law and to have , and to hold the said Office with all the powers, privileges and emoluments to the same of right appertaining unto him the said Hugh McCulloch -during the pleasure of the president of the United


States for the ting being.


CUA


Intestimony whereof I have caused these Letters to be made Latent and the seal of the United States to be hereunto affixed, Given under my ? my has Land lat the City of Washington, the Seventh~ day of March in the y Le year ofour Lord one thousand and eight hundred and Sixty Five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the Taghty-ninth.


Abraham Lincoln


By the President: William 18 Seconds. Secretary of State.


JUDGE M'CULLOCH'S COMMISSION AS SECRETARY OF THE UNITED STATES TREASURY. The original of the above interesting document is among the treasured papers of Charles McCulloch. It is the certificate of the selection of Judge Hugh McCulloch, father of Charles McCulloch, as the secretary of the treasury of the United States, by appointment of President Lincoln, and bears the date of March 7, 1865.


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THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE


our train pulled out for Boston. The excited crowd almost tore me in pieces."


ACTIVITIES OF 1864.


During the winter of 1864 thirty-five German-speaking Cath- olics organized St. Paul's Catholic church and erected a building at the corner of West Washington street and Fairfield avenue. Rev. Edward Koenig was the first pastor, followed by Rev. H. F. Joseph Kroll. Peter P. Bailey was appointed postmaster of Fort Wayne, to succeed Moses Drake, Jr., whose death occurred during


his second term. Jesse L. Williams was appointed by Pres- ident Lincoln to serve as a director of the Union Pacific railroad, a position which he held by reappointments of Presidents Johnson and Grant. Among the settlers of 1864 were Primus Scher- zinger, from Baden, Germany, jeweler; Edward Gilmartin, from Ire- land, railroad and telegraph construction contractor and lumber- man ; James H. Simonson, manufacturer ; Dr. David D. Wiessel, from New York, dentist; E. B. Kunkle, valve manufacturer, and A. H. Currier, from Maine, manager of the office of the Western Union Telegraph Company. A popular place of amusement of the


time was the Melodeon, or Palace Hall. Contractors Hall and Kimball built a wooden bridge "sided and roofed" across St. Mary's river at Main street; the bridge was replaced by the present iron structure in 1878. A mill for the manufacture of "print" paper, and a better quality of paper for book printing, was established by the Fort Wayne Paper Company, composed of Messrs. Freeman, Bard and Dublinski. A. G. Barnett became inter- ested in the venture in 1867. The plant was destroyed by fire in 1871 and was not rebuilt. The mill was located about five miles north of Fort Wayne on the right bank of the St. Joseph river. It was operated by water power.


ACTIVITIES OF 1865.


The Merchants National bank, with a charter dated May 1, 1865, opened for business at the northwest corner of Berry and Calhoun streets. The first officers were : Peter P. Bailey, president ; Dwight Klink, cashier; Peter P. Bailey, Sol D. Bayless, David F. Comparet, George I. Little and John Studebaker, directors. The institution, though considered safe, conservative and well managed, discontinued business in 1874. Royal Baking Powder, one of the most widely known products for household use, had its begin- ning in Fort Wayne in 1865, when Joseph C. Hoagland, druggist, compounded a combination of chemicals to meet the needs of the housewife. Samples of the powder, distributed to the homes of Fort Wayne, were found to meet with popular favor. Mr. Hoagland later removed to New York and entered upon the manufacture and sale of the article. In 1893 he declined an offer of $12,000,000 for his holdings. Later a syndicate of which William Ziegler was the head purchased the business. Thomas M. Biddle and Cornelius N. Hoagland were associates of Mr. Hoagland in the beginning of the manufacture of the product in Fort Wayne. . Among the settlers of 1865 was Mason Long, grocer and restaurant proprietor, who became known as the "Reformed Gambler." Mason Long was


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STRIKES-PAVING-STATE FAIR.


1864 1866


a convert to temperance in 1877, and he embraced Christianity in 1878 during a series of religious services held by Rev. J. R. Stone of the First Baptist church. Mr. Long, attired in a white robe, made an appealing address on the evening of his baptism. Soon afterward he discontinued the conduct of his restaurant and en- tered upon his country-wide tours, delivering addresses from the carriage in which he drove from town to town. As a reformed gambler he spread the gospel which drew thousands from ways of intemperance and wrongdoing. Other settlers of the year were L. O. Hull, wall paper merchant; Christian Kelly, town marshal; Dennis O'Brien, street commissioner; Celestine Trenkley, who, with Primus Scherzinger, engaged in the watchmaking and jewelry business; Ferdinand Tapp, contractor, and J. B. Downing, contractor and large property owner. A. C. Huestis and Montgomery Hamilton embarked in the wholesale grocery business. The Central Express Company established an office in Fort Wayne, with E. F. Reiter as agent. The first post of the Grand Army of the Republic was organized August 24, 1865. It was known as Post No. 2, District of Allen, Department of Indiana. The men who assembled at the Aveline house, with Colonel J. O. Martin, of Indianapolis, to form the post were Colonel George Hum- phrey, Major James S. Gregg, Captain Christopher Hettler, Lieuten- ant J. H. Ehlers, Lieutenant James C. Woodworth, Lieutenant Col- onel Chauncey B. Oakley, Captain Arnold Sauermeister, Lieutenant Henry M. Williams, Colonel Charles Case, Colonel Robert S. Rob- ertson, Lieutenant John H. Jacobs and Private Gustavus Boltz. George Humphrey was elected post commander, Henry M. Williams quartermaster and John H. Jacobs adjutant. This post was later numbered 72. "It died of politics," observed the late Colonel Robert S. Robertson. "Bickerings engendered by political strife bore fruit and resulted in dissolving the post without any official action of either the post or the department to declare it moribund, or give it funeral rites." However, with the passage of time, Sion S. Bass post was organized in 1881, Anthony Wayne post in 1883, George Humphrey post in 1888 and General Lawton post in 1900. The present Lawton-Wayne post No. 271 is the successor of the Anthony Wayne,


the George Humphrey and the General Lawton posts. The destructive ravages of foxes upon the sheepfolds of the farmers of Allen county brought into being a large organization of farmers and citizens of Fort Wayne, who indulged in fox hunts on an extensive plan. Strict rules governed the sport, in which scores of men partici- pated, each acting under instructions of the appointed marshals, with the result that the hunted animals were driven to a common center, where those who escaped the fire of the sportsmen fell a prey to the dogs.


ACTIVITIES OF 1866.


In May, 1866, Dr. S. B. Brown, dentist, performed the first operation in Fort Wayne for the removal of teeth without pain. The patient was a woman and the dentist was assisted by Dr. W. H. Myers. "This," observed a local paper, "is the new method of pro- ducing local anaesthesia by the ether spray invented by Dr. Richard- son, of London." In 1866, the city purchased the sites


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THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE


for the high school on East Wayne street and the Washington school, and Contractors Cochrane and Humphrey commenced building oper- ations at once. The original Hoagland school was also erected in 1865. Miss Swann (later the wife of Superintendent James H. Smart) and Miss Funnell served as the instructors of the first teacher training school. Other school buildings were erected by the city as follows: The present Hoagland school, supplanting the original wooden structure, was erected in 1899. The original Hanna school, Hanna and Wallace streets, was erected in 1869; enlargements were made at various times. The present Hanna school, East Williams and Lafayette streets, built in 1904, supplanted the old structure, which was for years used for manufacturing purposes. The old Presbyterian Academy, which stood on the site of the old high school building on East Wayne street, was removed to Harmar


DR. JAMES H. SMART.


Dr. Smart served with distinction as the superintendent of public schools of Fort Wayne for a period of ten years. He was born in 1841 at Center Harbor, New Hampshire, and came west in 1863 to engage in school work at Toledo, Ohio. In 1865 he assumed the superintendency of the Fort Wayne schools. As state superintendent of public instruction from 1870 to 1880, he attained to high honors, which gave into his hands the presidency of Purdue university.


FIRST HOAGLAND SCHOOL, REMOD- ELED.


The first Hoagland public school was erected in 1866, a one-story frame build- ing containing three rooms. At various times the building was enlarged until it contained thirteen rooms. The photo- graph of the remodeled building was made in 1876. The present Hoagland building was erected in 1899.


and East Jefferson streets and opened as the Harmar school. A brick structure which supplanted it in 1876 was torn down in 1914, and the modern building took its place. The original Rudisill school, Elizabeth and North Lafayette streets, was torn down to make room for a brick building on the same site, and this, in turn, gave way to the present building on Spy Run avenue, opened in 1914. The northwestern districts known as Bloomingdale3 and Bowserville were annexed to the city of Fort Wayne in 1871. Among the problems which the action brought before the authorities was the provision of school facilities for these districts. A one-room frame building was erected. To this two rooms were added the next year, and in 1875 the board purchased an additional lot, tore away the original building and erected an eight-room structure which was


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STRIKES-PAVING-STATE FAIR.


1864 1866


enlarged in 1884 by the addition of four rooms. This building gave way to the present Bloomingdale school in 1912. Three public school buildings-the Nebraska, Holton avenue and Miner structures- were erected during 1886. The Fort Wayne Normal was established, with Jessie B. Montgomery principal, succeeded in 1902 by Miss Flora Wilber. The present Lakeside and South Wayne school build- ings were erected in 1896, the new Jefferson building in 1904, the present high and manual training school in 1904, the James H. Smart school in 1909, the new Rudisill school in 1912, and the new Harmar


-


school in 1915. Among the settlers of 1866 were William H. Goshorn, born in Pennsylvania in 1836, who became county sur. veyor, city civil engineer and superintendent of public buildings; Judge Allan Zollars, who served with honor as a member of the legislature, city attorney, judge of the superior court, judge of the state supreme court, and in other responsible capacities; Colonel Robert S. Robertson, from North Argyle, New York, prominent as a member of the bar, lieutenant-governor of Indiana, a well-known historian of the middest west, and a leader in many public move- ments; Dr. James S. Gregg, prominent in the profession of medicine and surgery; Hugh M. Deihl, chief of police and for many years an active railroad man; Robert L. Romy, real estate dealer, and Frederick W. Kuhne, from Germany, who founded the abstract com- pany of F. W. Kuhne and Company. The Merchants Union Express Company opened an office in Fort Wayne with Dr. Read as agent. The cigarmakers formed a union.


NOTES ON CHAPTER XXXIX.


(1) The district and local elections of 1864 resulted as follows: Represent- ative in congress, Joseph H. Defrees; judge of the circuit court, Robert Low- ry, of Goshen, later of Fort Wayne; judge of the court of common pleas, James W. Borden; prosecutor of the circuit court, James H. Shell; prosecu- tor of the court of common pleas, Da- vid Colerick; clerk, William Fleming; county commissioners, John Shaffer, John A. Robinson and David H. Lipes. (2) Other city officers elected in 1865 were: Clerk, E. L. Chittenden; treasurer, John Conger; attorney, F. P. Randall; city engineer, W. S. Gilkinson; marshal, Patrick McGee; street com- missioner, P. Falahee; assessor, John B. Rekers; city councilmen, Henry Monning (resigned to accept the nom- ination of county treasurer, and was succeeded by David Hoit), William Waddington, B. H. Tower, Morris Cody, Pliny Hoagland, F. Nirdlinger, Dennis Downey, A. P. Edgerton, P. S. Under-


hill and B. H. Kimball; fire chief, Mun- son Van Geisen; board of health, Drs. B. S. Woodworth, I. M. Rosenthal and T. Mccullough.


As the result of a special election H. J. Rudisill was elected county auditor over P. S. O'Rourke, and Nathan But- ler was chosen county surveyor.


(3) Bloomingdale is the north side district of which Wells street (named for Captain William Wells, whose de- scendants pre-empted the Wells re- serve) is the central thoroughfare. It received its name from the broad fields of flowers planted in an early day by a Mr. Western, father of Mrs. George Strodel. The Bowserville of the earlier days was a section platted by J. C. Bowser, bounded by First, Fourth and Wells streets, and the alley between Orchard and Clark streets. The name is now generally applied to a south- eastern district surrounding the manu- facturing plant of S. F. Bowser and Company.


CHAPTER XL-1867-1870.


A Den of Thieves-The Beginnings of Hospitals-Build- ing of Four Railroads.


A reign of lawlessness-Burning of the rendezvous of the criminals-Henry Sharp, mayor-Beginnings of three hospitals, Hope, St. Joseph and Luther- an-The Criminal court-The first observance of Memorial Day-Building of four lines of railroad-The disastrous flood of 1867-The Fort Wayne Journal-Olympic theatre, Hamilton's hall and Ewing's hall-"The Ghost at the Vault"-Wallace A. Brice and his History of Fort Wayne-West- inghouse and his airbrake-The Rink (Academy of Music)-J. J. Kamm, postmaster-Washington Haskell and his original bicycle.


F ORT WAYNE, in 1867, suffered keenly under a reign of law- lessness, a condition which appears to follow every great war. For two years the city had been a paradise for gamblers and pickpockets thoroughly organized under the leadership of a notorious character, Edward Ryan. Their influence in politics and governmental affairs had reached an appalling state and public sentiment was ripe for revolt. Only one bold deed on the part of the criminals was needed to precipitate a war against them. This event occurred in February, when a stranger named Tucker was robbed at the depot of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago railroad.


As the news of the crime spread to the railroad shops a crowd of men numbering probably five hundred surrounded Ryan's saloon (formerly known as Carey's) on the north side of Railroad street, between Calhoun and Clinton streets, directly north of the old Penn- sylvania station, and applied the torch. The fire department made no attempt to save the structure. The state of the public mind is reflected in the comment of the Sentinel, which said: "We are not an advocate of mob law, and yet it is impossible to suppress the sympathy that all good citizens feel for the men who have rid the community of a terrible nuisance."


Ryan, who, with several fellow criminals, was placed under arrest, was given a hearing before Justice C. V. N. Milliman, in the courthouse, while a crowd of one thousand persons surrounded the building. Many of the men in the crowd were members of a vigi- lance committee organized at the courthouse the preceding evening in anticipation of possible hostile acts of the criminals. The accused men were released on bonds of from $5,000 to $15,000, and Ryan soon disappeared.


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THE CRIMINAL COURT.


Governor Baker appointed James A. Fay as the first judge of the Allen county criminal court, which was established by a legis- lative act of May 11, 1867. James W. Borden was the first judge elected to the bench of this court. Robert S. Taylor was the first prosecuting attorney, followed by Edward O'Rourke.


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THIEVES-HOSPITALS-RAILROADS


1867 1870


Judge Taylor was appointed in 1867 to the vacancy on the bench of the court of common pleas, caused by the resignation of Judge Borden. William S. Smith served as the prosecuting attorney of this court.1


HENRY SHARP MAYOR.


The municipal election resulted in the choice of Henry Sharp for mayor, over B. H. Tower, by a majority of 693. Mr. Sharp was a native of Albany, New York, and came to Fort Wayne in 1837. He was a hat manufacturer by trade. He was the first republican to be elected mayor of Fort Wayne, though his name headed a so-called citizens' ticket.2


A new law required the registration of all voters in 1867. The city was divided into nine voting districts and for the first time the citizens departed from the plan of using one central voting place.


THE BEGINNING OF THREE HOSPITALS.


The years 1868 and 1869 brought into existence three of the city's hospitals-Hope, St. Joseph, and Lutheran. As the result of a movement headed by Dr. W. H. Myers, the City Hospital-known since 1900 as Hope Hospital-was established in the former residence of William S. Edsall, at the southwest corner of Main and Webster streets. Neighbors forced the removal of the institution through injunction proceedings and a new site at the southwest corner of Hanna and Lewis streets was secured. In 1878 the City Hospital association was formed. At the request of the family of the late Jesse L. Williams, large donors toward the support of the institu- tion, the name of Hope Hospital was adopted in 1900. The site at the southwest corner of East Washington and Barr streets was occupied beginning in 1893. A training school was added in 1897. The site at the corner of Clinton and Suttenfield streets was pur- chased in 1916 for the erection of a six-story building to cost $125,000. In July, 1917, temporary quarters were occupied in the Ways Sanitarium on West Lewis street.


The existence of St. Joseph hospital dates from 1868, when the Rockhill house, at the southwest corner of West Main street and Broadway, was purchased by the St. Joseph Hospital association, of which Rev. Julian Benoit was the president and Henry Monning the secretary.


The mother house of the Poor Handmaids of Christ was estab- lished in connection with the hospital upon the arrival from Ger- many of eight sisters of a Catholic order. A nurses' training school is maintained by these sisters. The great expansion of this institu- tion has made it one of the most important in the middle west.


The Evangelical Lutheran Hospital association was organized in April, 1869, with Rev. W. Stubnatzy, president, and August L. Selle, secretary and treasurer. It was not until 1904, however, that the L. M. Ninde home, on Fairfield avenue, was purchased as the beginning of the present important Fort Wayne Lutheran hospital.


THE FIRST MEMORIAL DAY.


On the 30th of May, 1868, the people of Fort Wayne first united in the observance of Memorial or Decoration Day. The program was arranged by a committee composed of Rev. Nathan S. Smith,


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THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE


Colonel R. S. Robertson, J. I. White, Colonel George Humphrey and Homer C. Hartman, with Colonel Humphrey as marshal of the day. A parade, which formed at the corner of Harrison and Berry streets to march to Lindenwood, was composed of Jones' Silver Cornet band; little girls representing the states and territories, bearing flowers; Grand Army of the Republic and other veterans ; fire depart- ment, municipal officers and citizens in carriages and on foot.


A PERIOD OF RAILROAD ACTIVITY.


During the period of three years-1869 to 1871-four lines of steam railroad were completed to connect the growing city of Fort Wayne with the outside world. These lines were the Fort Wayne, Jackson and Saginaw road, the Grand Rapids and Indiana, the Fort Wayne, Muncie and Cincinnati, and the Fort Wayne, Richmond and Cincinnati.


The Fort Wayne, Jackson and Saginaw became an important branch of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern system (now the New York Central) ; the Fort Wayne, Richmond and Cincinnati road


ANZ.CA


THE OLD HIGH SCHOOL.


The illustration, reproduced from an early woodcut, gives a view of the high school building on East Wayne street, between Calhoun and Clinton streets, erected in 1867 by Cochrane, Humphrey and Company, contractors. The school was first occupied in September, 1867, at the same time that the original Wash- ington school was opened. The high school building was enlarged from time to time, and continued in service until the completion of the present magnificent structure on Barr street, between Lewis and Montgomery streets. The old building is still retained as the office of the superintendent and for emergency use during the temporary closing of other school buildings.


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THIEVES-HOSPITALS-RAILROADS


1867 1870


is now the southern portion of the Grand Rapids and Indiana road, controlled by the Pennsylvania railroad; the Fort Wayne, Muncie and Cincinnati road was later absorbed by the Lake Erie and West- ern, and forms an important branch of that system.


Construction work on the Lake Shore line to Jackson, Michi- gan, was begun at Fort Wayne, March 20, 1869, under the super- vision of A. J. McDonald, contractor. In celebration of the event the people of the town assembled at the point of the beginning of the work and listened to an address by Joseph K. Edgerton. The first train over the road, in 1870, carried a large crowd of Fort Wayne people to the Michigan State Fair at Jackson. This road had received $200,000 aid in bonds and money and twenty acres of land in Fort Wayne.


In November, 1869, the completion of the construction work of the Fort Wayne, Muncie and Cincinnati road was celebrated with a grand excursion of Fort Wayne people to Bluffton. "Temporary seats in the box cars were assigned to the ladies, while the flats were enjoyed by the gentlemen, standing," observed the Democrat. The southern portion of the Grand Rapids and Indiana road was not in service until Christmas day, 1871.


On Thursday, June 10, 1870, the first train northward on the Grand Rapids road carried to Sturgis, Michigan, Charles E. Gor- ham, superintendent ; H. D. Wallen, assistant superintendent; Oscar A. Simons, general roadmaster ; Jesse L. Williams, chief engineer and receiver; Pliny Hoagland, director; A. C. Probasco and the con- tractors.


From the time of the organization of the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad Company by the consolidation of three existing corporations, in 1857, the project had been beset by financial diffi- culties. Joseph Lomax, president of the company, resigned in 1866, and Samuel Hanna was elected his successor. The death of Judge Hanna three months after assuming his duties placed the responsi- bility of the leadership upon Joseph K. Edgerton, of Fort Wayne, who entered upon a five-years' service as president of the company.




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