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 66
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THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE
volunteer his services for the regular army," said he. "The numbers for the draft have been drawn, and you now know whether or not
* ยท you will go with the first 687,000 or with the second. * I desire to warn all those young men whose numbers have been drawn and who will be drafted for the force to be mobilized September 1, that this is their last opportunity."
Many, thereupon, enlisted with the regular army and with the ranks of Battery B, Company E and Company B of the Signal Corps.
Governor Goodrich appointed Judge Sol A. Wood a member of the government's board of appeals in conscription cases.
THE REGISTRATION OF "ALIEN ENEMIES."
The stupendous task of registering the so-called "alien enemies" of the United States was made doubly heavy in Fort Wayne, owing to a combination of peculiar conditions. The President's proclam- ation of April 6 defined all German residents over fourteen years of age who were unnaturalized as "alien enemies." The laws of Indiana allow the right of ballot to all immigrants who have made their declaration to become American citizens and who have received their first naturalization papers, but who may not have received their full citizenship rights. As a consequence, hundreds of sub- stantial citizens, many of them prominent in the commercial and professional life of the city, were found to be "alien enemies," although at heart true and loyal citizens. Many of these who had not completed the process of naturalization, but who had exercised their votnig privilege for many years, were slow to present them- selves at the office of Special Deputy United States Marshal Harry W. Muller, who received his appointment from Governor Goodrich with the task of registering all "alien enemies" in Fort Wayne. An extension of time from June 9 to June 18 was found necessary, and at the end of that time a total of 850 men was recorded. With the registration of each man-except in a few instances-the deputy marshal issued a permit allowing the latter "to continue to reside within, to come within or pass through, be employed within, or con- duct business within, the areas (or zones) within one-half mile radius" of the manufacturing plants of the General Electric Com- pany, S. F. Bowser and Company and the Bass Foundry and Ma- chine Company, and the Pennsylvania railroad shops and east car shops, each of which institutions was engaged in government work. Each permit bore the photograph of the holder, and duplicate per- mits and photographs were held on file. To aid in the wearisome work of the registration, scores of volunteers assisted Mr. Muller and his advisory committee and assistant special deputy marshals, the two latter bodies being composed as follows :
Advisory committee : Fred S. Hunting, S. B. Bechtel, Dr. G. M. Leslie, E. G. Hoffman, E. H. Kilbourne, T. J. Logan, Charles L. Biederwolf, W. H. Scheiman, E. C. Miller, Judge John W. Eggeman, William M. Griffin, Rev. A. J. Folsom, William J. Hosey, Dr. L. P. Drayer, William Geake, Henry Beadell, L. G. Ellingham, Harry M. Williams, Herman Mackwitz, C. F. Bicknell and E. E. Greist. Assist- ant special deputy United States marshals : Anselm Fuelber, Charles J. Steiss, William C. Schwier, Adam A. Reinhart, R. E. Gerberding,
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583
FT. WAYNE'S ANSWER TO THE CALL TO WAR
1917
John Rissing, Fred D. C. Wehrenberg, George Eisenhut, Capt. Wil- liam F. Ranke, Sheriff George W. Gillie, John C. Capron, Harry G. Hogan, John Booth, Charles L. Biederwolf, A. I. Betz, Albert C. Pape, Heeley Link and A. L. Ward.
Among those exempted from the provisions of the "alien en- emy" regulation were "ministers of the gospel, city firemen and churchgoers in the actual going to and from their regular church services."
FORT WAYNE AND LIBERTY BONDS.
Previous to the date of the opening of the headquarters for the sale of "Liberty" bonds in the former rooms of the Hamilton Na- tional Bank, on the 4th of June in charge of E. H. McDonald, the people of Fort Wayne had not awakened to the significance of the appeal of Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo, but with the reali- zation that in its plea for the purchase of bonds to the amount of $2,000,000,000, the government revealed its real needs the ready response was reflected at the end of the ten-day sale by the total purchase in Fort Wayne of the city's quota of $2,800,000.
Charles H. Worden, president of the First and Hamilton Na- tional Bank, was named as the chairman of the Allen county organ- ization for the sale of the government bonds and a campaign of education was promptly launched. A body of business men, headed by Arthur F. Hall, conducted a one-day special campaign of solicit- ation, following the successful efforts of the large manufacturing plants and other institutions in formulating easy-payment plans for the sale of bonds to their employes. Many fraternal orders and other organizations were liberal purchasers.
Y. M. C. A. WAR FUND OVER-SUBSCRIBED.
The people of Fort Wayne responded patriotically to the na- tion's call to subscribe their share of the allotted $3,000,000 Young Men's Christian Association fund to care for the physical, mental and moral needs of the men in the state camps of mobilization. Of Indiana's apportionment of $150,000, the Fort Wayne district, in- cluding Allen, Whitley, Adams, Wells, Steuben, Huntington and DeKalb counties, subscribed a total of $14,232, or $2,632 more than the district was asked to raise. B. Paul Mossman served as the district chairman of the campaign, Edwin W. Peirce district secre- tary and Arthur F. Hall chairman of the Allen county committee.
THE CATHOLIC WAR FUND
Maurice C. Niezer served as the general chairman of the Knights of Columbus campaign to meet Allen county's quota of the nation's million dollar Catholic war fund raised during the closing days of July, for use in administering the welfare of the men in camp. Every parish of the county was districted for the systematic canvass. Alexander A. Kartholl served as the secretary and Othmar N. Heiny treasurer of the general committee. Captains of the city parish committees were: Cathedral, James B. Cahill; St. Patrick's, A. A. Serva; St. Mary's, Alexander A. Kartholl; St. Peter's, Julian F. Franke; St. Paul's, Edmund C. Nichter; Church of the Precious Blood, Robert E. Kelly ; St. Hyacinth's, Rev. Michael Swaitkowski ; St. Joseph's Harry F. Kennerk. County captains were. St. Rose (Monroeville), Dr. D. E. Kauffman; St. Louis (Besancon), Rev.
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THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE
George Moorman; St. John's (New Haven), Thomas Dowling; St. Patrick's (Arcola), Dennis F. Gorman; St. Vincent's (Academie), Michael L. Till; St. Aloysius (Sheldon), Rev. John B. Steger; St. Joseph's (Hesse Cassel) John B. Wyss. The total amount of the county subscription, over $9,000, placed the county next to Marion county (Indianapolis) in the size of the subscription.
THE "WAR" GARDENS.
The appeal from President Wilson and Gov. James E. Good- rich, early in April, calling upon all citizens to co-operate in the cultivation of the soil in order to avert a food shortage and pro- hibitive prices, met with a ready response from the people of Fort Wayne. Mayor W. J. Hosey appointed the following members of the Fort Wayne branch of the National Food Relief Committee : Frank H. Hilgeman (chairman), Abe Ackerman, W. F. Graeter, Frank J. Schlebecker, Carl J. Getz, Flora Wilber, Norma Erf and Maude Gaskins. Headquarters was opened at No. 810 Clinton street. Referring to conditions at the beginning of the campaign of edu- cation, Chairman Hilgeman said :
"The present high prices are facts that cannot be disputed. Note, for instance, cabbages at $350 per ton that ought to sell for $10, and potatoes selling for $4 per bushed that ought to sell for 50 cents. Beans that any farmer can raise profitably at $2 per bushel are selling for $10 per bushel, and flour, which is normally sold for $4 per barrel, is $16. Reflect upon these tremendous prices for a few moments and you will have a nucleus for a mighty forceful argument to encourage the planting of more food. The planting season is upon us, and it behooves everybody to 'get busy.' Remem- ber that the situation is worse than you can make it appear."
At once, three hundred citizens gave freely of the use of their vacant lots for the cultivation of vegetables. The committee fur- nished seed potatoes and beans at cost. Lots were plowed and har- rowed for one dollar. The products were the sole property of the persons cultivating them. Michael Costello and Councilman Frank J. Schlebecker assumed charge of the work of securing teams for the work. Soon the demand outstripped the equipment, which included a number of teams from the various city departments. To stimulate interest in the plan, many citizens addressed large crowds of workingmen at the railway shops and manufacturing plants. Early in the campaign fifteen hundred school children were enlisted in the garden movement. Secretary Richards, of the Indiana Hor- ticultural Society, addressed various civic and commercial bodies in a successful effort to systematize the early plans of the local committees. In May, B. P. Stonecifer, of Purdue University, was appointed to supervise the entire work of vegetable gardening in the city, assisted by City Forester Carl J. Getz and County Agent A. J. Hutchins. Fred W. Gray, of Terre Haute, Indiana, became the successor of Mr. Stonecifer in June. Mr. Gray divided the city into thirty districts, each under the personal supervision of a super- intendent. Hundreds of books on the subject of home gardening prepared by the national government were distributed, and the newspapers conducted a campaign of education along this line.
A systematic house-to-house canvass, by members of the Fort.
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1917
FT. WAYNE'S ANSWER TO THE CALL TO WAR
Wayne Boy Scout organization, secured the information that as early as the fore part of May 3,734 vegetable gardens had been decided upon. Of this number, 2,790 were in back yards. In 834 instances, large tracts were under cultivation. Less than 27 per cent. of the homes visited reported that no gardens would be cul- tivated. The boys who made the canvass left at each home a pam- phlet from which the following extract is made: "Every man, woman and child who can wield a hoe and make the earth produce food owes it to himself and to all of us and the government besides to do what can be done to increase the crop of food. Remember, we shall pay dearly in the winter for indifference now. America has never known what it is to suffer for food, but America will know to her sorrow unless she plants and sows. Be a patriot-not a 'slacker.' "
The municipal greenhouses in Lawton Park were brought into the plan when 35,000 cabbage plants were provided to all who desired them.
In July, Chairman Hilgeman, in an official report, stated that his committee had plowed 671 city lots and forty acres of ground, accommodating 460 families and 80 boys. The committee leased to 275 gardeners 486 lots and 112 acres of ground, the plowing of which was handled by the gardeners. A total of 1,157 lots and 152 acres were under cultivation. About 1,200 bushels of seed potatoes and 30 bushels of beans were disposed of by the committee at a sav- ing to the public of 75 cents a bushel on potatoes and 5 cents a pound on beans. A quantity of potatoes and beans was provided free to families in poor circumstances.
Demonstrations of the most approved processes of canning fruits and vegetables, arranged under the direction of Mrs. J. G. Schwarz, chairman of the home economics department of the Woman's Club League, and Miss Alma Garvin, of Purdue University, were opened June 25 in several of the public schools. Beginning July 23, demon- strations in the "cold pack" process were given by Miss Garvin at the Scottish Rite Cathedral.
ADOPTION OF "EASTERN" TIME.
For several months previous to the outbreak of the war, the suggestion that the city of Fort Wayne "set the hands of the clock one hour ahead" met with ready approval from many quarters. The recognition of the advantage of an extra hour of daylight in the afternoon to those who had planted "war" gardens hastened the official action of the city council, which, on the evening of May 1, 1917, by a vote of 14 to 1, adopted the so-called "daylight saving" plan, which became effective Saturday May 12.
WOMEN TAKE MEN'S PLACES IN SHOPS.
On account of the scarcity of men needed in the various indus- trial institutions of Fort Wayne, due to the call of many to mili- tary service, large numbers of women accepted employment in the places of men. In response to an appeal for one hundred women workers issued early in August by E. E. Greist, master mechanic of the Pennsylvania railroad, many were first engaged in the main shops, the east shops and the roundhouses of the company in Fort Wayne. Women's wages were made equal to those of men sim- ilarly employed. Suitable rest-rooms and other accommodations
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THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE
were provided. Here, as in the plant of the General Electric Com- pany and elsewhere, women and girls adopted the use of the "jump- er," a loose, one-piece suit of clothing, well fitted to their new field of usefulness.
BOYS' WORKING RESERVE.
The Boys' Working Reserve, a national non-military organiza- tion composed of youths between sixteen and twenty years, inclusive, whose members were needed to take the places of enlisted men, was organized through compulsory enrollment at the Harmar, Hanna, Hoagland and Jefferson school buildings in Fort Wayne and at various township centers, beginning August 13. L. O. Wetzel, direc- tor for Fort Wayne, and D. O. McComb, director for the township, headed the departments. Doctors C. J. Rothschild and E. A. Crull served as examining surgeons.
Hundreds of citizens contributed liberally to the fund for the purchase of a fully equipped Red Cross motor ambulance which was presented to the government. Mrs. John M. Gilpin led in the campaign for funds.
In addition to the recognition in this brief review of the war preparations up to midsummer of 1917, much in true praise could be said of the splendid work of hundreds of individuals who have given of their services in the various departments of the govern- ment's work, including the aviation corps, the medical departments and others-in truth, Fort Wayne and Allen county are strongly identified with every phase of the war which is designed to wipe tyranny from the face of the earth. "For these men will fight to make men free," observed the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette on the morning following the proclamation of the "draft" numbers-"fight to make democracy safe and autocracy and tyranny a hateful mem- ory of a bygone age-fight for a peace that shall persist-fight for a land that Washington wrought for, Lincoln died for, Wilson strives for!" And through it all, come what may, there will ever stand forth the noble work of the women whose first thought has been for the comfort of the boys who have gone forth to fight the world's battles that peace shall forever reign.
CONCLUSION.
In one of the earlier chapters of this work, written at a time when the horrors of a world war had not yet shaken the earth, these words appear :
"And the close of this book is but the beginning, for the greater actors, we doubt not, are to come in a day which is not ours."
Truly, these are days in which a new order of man is made; when individuals are lost in a union of purpose in a common service ; when love of country is broadened to a love of true men every- where; when a widened vision brings a deeper sense of loyalty and devotion to those things which are nearest and dearest to us all. In the day that is just beyond-the most glorious in the history of mankind-the people of Fort Wayne, in common with those of every other portion of our beloved America, will emerge from the envelop- ment of a common sorrow, mellowed and purified, and with a mind fit to receive the new order of things and to welcome, with a new joy, the tasks of the coming years. *
* *
(NOTE: The final words of this Pictorial History of Fort Wayne were written August 15, 1917.)
L
The Story of the Townships of Allen County
By Mrs. Samuel R. Taylor
INTRODUCTION
The following pages tell of the life and activities of the twenty townships of Indiana's largest county. Beginning with the arrival of the first settlers who came by canoe or pirogue down to the luxurious automobile of today the narrative is a fascinating tale of a people's progress. Also it is a story of privation and hardship in those early days when each township won its way to comfort through incredible toil and sacrifices.
From the time the courageous pioneer "made a deadening" to the well-fenced, thoroughly cultivated farm of today the time is not long. But the results prove it was no "dim and common population" that took up the struggle with nature in Allen County.
These "first families" were close enough to the Indian massacres to appreciate a safe cabin with no danger of an arrow' whizzing from the forest. They had ever with them the dread of .hunger and of malaria and all the inconveniences and privations a far-dis- tant market might bring. The housewife realized it was a great advance in luxury when at sheep shearing she was given the fleece, which with her own hands she could dye, card, spin, weave, and then cut into clothes for the family. The "fireside industries" have left many souvenirs in living-rooms as well as in attics. There are old candlemolds which served many a year at the fall candle-dip- ping, and the brass candlesticks and Betty lamps and lanterns which helped with "the light of other days." In more than one township were the old samplers which had served as "copy" to mark the household linen, and there were spinning wheels, and drop-leaf tables, and quaint mirrors to delight any collector.
Many old gardens with stanch hedges and old quince bushes have a corner that has supplied herbs for kitchen and for medicine chest since the arrival of great-grandfather from France. For most of the thrifty settlers brought seeds with them from home gardens in Ireland, Scotland, France or Germany.
And while Nature had thrown up many hindrances to be over- come by the settlers she had also provided more than one free gift. The glacial drift and boulder clay as well as the alluvial soils have made agriculture the safe basis of the county's, as it is of the state's, 587
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WAYNE TOWNSHIP
prosperity. A good hunter could keep his family supplied with meat or game, since elk, deer and even bear were easily found. There were large flocks of wild turkeys, ducks and geese, and everywhere were ruffled grouse. Passenger pigeons bred and roosted and their flight in incalculable hosts is one of the "grandfather tales" told at many a later fireside. Those who lived near the rivers could have fish for the taking. The venison supplied not only food, but the hide was used for the "buckskin breeches" of firm wearing qualities. A tree of wild honey was a happy "find" in the forest and the luxury of maple sugar was one of the gifts of the timber- land. Neighborliness, which is one of the great virtues of a country- side, soon found expression in co-operative activities which "lend a hand." Tales are still told of the old-time country frolics, the husk- ing with its fateful red ear, apple parings where great kettles of apple butter were "started," quiltings where the "Rose of Sharon," "Sugar Bowl" and other beautiful patched quilts were finished in intricate designs. With no self-sealing jars, or rubber bands, dried fruits were common, as were stone jars filled with rich preserves and marmalades. Old recipes are handed down in yellow note- books for "syllabub" and "floating island," "cherry bounce," or "peach cobbler" which prove that, at least on festal occasions, good cooks could show their skill.
And of this, descendants may read with real pride and all may read with pleasure.
* *
These stories of the townships have been written by Mrs. Sam- uel R. Taylor after much reading and many interviews with the few people left who can still see with memory's eye our country's early growth. Mrs. Taylor's trips to the different townships and her talks with "old settlers" were a labor of love, as anyone will realize who reads this record. It has taken vision and sympathy to select from the annals of each region those matters of interest which touch either the old life now past, or those facts vital to the generation of today. But just as you read of the Revolutionary or Mayflower ancestry or of the "crack marksman" of those earlier days you will also find a modern village's prowess in basket-ball given duc prominence.
L. G. D.
Wayne Township
At first view, the history of Wayne township seems inseparable from that of the village, town and city of Fort Wayne. Upon reflection, however, the annalist is reminded that settlement far outside of even Fort Wayne's present limits was begun before the village was incorporated, so that it would be impossible to maintain that the rural settlement was wholly subsequent to, or dependent upon, the village at the fort. Sparse indeed was the rural popu- lation, and composed of squatters rather than regular settlers, for the lands were not opened to sale until October 22, 1823. The pioneers of Fort Wayne were indeed felt very strongly in the settle- ment of the township of Wayne, many of them being the first large purchasers of lands in the close vicinity of the village. But pur- chasing and holding were not the same as settling, and besides the
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ALLEN COUNTY, INDIANA
full meed of honor has been paid to these pioneers in the earlier parts of this work. It is the purpose of these annals to tell the story of the few who faced the real and almost incredible hardships of wilder- ness life in what is now the prosperous township of Wayne. For some there were who attacked the soil of Wayne with no assistance from the garrison at the fort.
Somewhere on Shane's prairie, in 1814, a family of nine children were struggling up to manhood and womanhood handicapped by the privations of the settlers' life. The elder boys of this family some- times came as far as the low lands west of the fort in their quest of hay, which they cut standing ankle deep in water, and carried out in armfuls to higher ground to dry out. When in 1824 the father, Peter Edsall, fell in that unequal battle with circumstance, the family left the prairie and found a home in a cabin on the St. Mary's river, near the trail followed by the Indians on their way to trade at the fort. The Richardville reservation had been estab- lished before that time, the large tract, still remembered by many, lying on both sides of the St. Mary's from the extremity of Broad- way south to the township limits. There was human life, but no
white man near. Of what mettle these junior Edsalls were is told not only in the brief glimpse we have of their early fight for exist- ence, but in their subsequent career, which is not by any means confined to the city of Fort Wayne. The eldest, Samuel, later known as Major Edsall, and a much younger son, William S. Edsall, were destined to do great things for county and township, and even to serve the state. The first we learn of William Edsall is of his work on the corps of U. S. topographical engineers which was detailed to survey the canal route in 1826. Surviving malaria when others succumbed, venturing where others dared not, wresting education from the hard university of experience, there is scarcely a large public enterprise on record during the first thirty-five or forty years of Wayne township history in which these brothers took no promi- nent part. The Bluffton plank road, a highway of great importance, then and still, was originated and surveyed by the Edsalls; they constructed, by contract, the road bed of the Wabash railroad from the state line west forty-seven miles; they were instrumental in securing the second railroad connection also. The Edsall name was spread on many a page of the county books, and those of the state as well. We have no data to reproduce the progress of the other members of the family, but that Fort Wayne was the better for their presence is certain, and it is pleasing to have it recorded that the mother of these men did not remain in the lonely cabin on the St. Mary's, but shared her sons' prosperity in a home in the heart of Fort Wayne.
And there were others in Wayne township outside the charmed circle of the fort village. George Ayres, though an Ohio pioneer, deserves a vicarious place in Wayne's Hall of Fame as having been a landmark, or more correctly a sort of human guide post to the fort, occupying what was for many years the only white man's habitation between Shane's Prairie and the fort. Ayres' house stood near Twenty-four Mile creek, and the Edsall cabin on the St. Mary's was the next to boast white occupants, and Wayne township held it. Up to 1819 the fort was almost equally isolated every
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