USA > Indiana > Allen County > Fort Wayne > Valley of the upper Maumee River, with historical account of Allen County and the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Volume I > Part 23
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" Samuel Lewis, who had charge of the Wabash & Erie canal office, was a man of the purest character and of superior business capacity.
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His wife, a lady of rare intelligence, was the aunt of Gen. Lew Wallace, who is adding to his high reputation as a soldier, enviable distinction as a writer. The house in which Mr. Lewis lived was a double log cabin, the latch-string of which was always out, a cabin which was rendered interesting in summer by the beauty and odors of the honeysuckles and climbing roses which covered its walls, and in . winter by the cheerful blaze in its ample fireplaces, and which was always made doubly charm- ing by the open-handed hospitality of its host.
"Jesse L. Williams, the chief engineer of the Wabash & Erie canal, was living at Fort Wayne in 1833. When the state engaged in an extensive system of public water works he was appointed chief engineer of the state, and went to Indianapolis, where he remained until the entire system collapsed in the general financial crash of 1837, and all hopes of its revival had been abandoned, when he returned to Fort Wayne, where he recently died, the last survivor of those whom I first met there. Few of our civil engineers have surpassed Mr. Williams in engineering skill, and I have never known his equal in industry and endurance. His labors as chief engineer of the Wabash & Erie canal, and other public works in Indiana, were prodigious, but he never failed to be equal to them. Week after week, and month after month, every day except Sunday, on which he always rested, he could be found upon the line of the public works, usually in the saddle, and in the evening, and until midnight, at his desk. Mr. Williams acquired a large property, and he was very for- tunate in his family connections. His wife (the daughter of Judge Creighton, of Chillicothe, Ohio), who is still living, is a lady of superior culture, who has always been distinguished alike for her social qualities and active beneficence. His sons, while they do not come up to their father's standard in energy, will not discredit the name which they bear. The men whom I have thus mentioned, with Robert Breckenridge, register of the land office, a man who possessed the best qualities of the distinguished Breckenridge family of Kentucky, of which he was a dis- tant connection; Marshall S. Wines, a man of extraordinary enterprise and force; John Spencer, receiver of the land office; Francis Comparet, and John B. Bourie, Canadian Frenchmen, who were just commencing what soon became a large trade in furs with the Indians, made up, with their families and a few stragglers, the population of Fort Wayne in the early summer of 1833. Since then I have been thrown among people of all grades; I have been brought into social relations with men stand- ing high in public esteem; but the men of whom I have spoken, after the lapse of more than half a century, stand out before me in bold relief as remarkably intelligent, enterprising, far-seeing, and withal kind- hearted, generous men. Nor ought I to conclude what I have thought it proper for me to say about my early acquaintances in the west, with- out saying a few more words about a prominent and remarkable man, John B. Richardville, who succeeded Little Turtle as [civil] chief of the Miamis. He was a man of great natural shrewdness and sagacity, of whom no one ever got the better in a trade. Nor did he find an equal
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in diplomatic skill among the government commissioners when treaties were to be made with his nation. 'He is', said Senator Tipton, who often met him in councils, ' the ablest diplomat of whom I have any knowledge. If he had been born and educated in France, he would have been the equal of Talleyrand.' Although he dressed like a white man, and lived in a brick house, he had a commanding influence over the tribe. He was watchful of the interests of his people, but by no means unmindful of his own. In all treaties, large reservations of the choicest lands were secured to him and not a few boxes of silver were set apart for his special use." Mr. McCulloch reached Fort Wayne on the 26th of June and remained to deliver the Fourth of July oration, and before he had decided to make his home here was attacked by the malarious diseases which every new-comer at that time had to undergo. He was desperately ill, but his courage and pluck carried him through. Then, reduced almost to a skeleton, he took possession of a little office Dr. Thompson had built for him and began the practice of law, which, how- ever, he abandoned in October, 1835, to begin as cashier of the branch of the State Bank that career in finance which has made his name a famous one.
Louis Peltier, before mentioned as the oldest native citizen of Fort Wayne, kindly furnishes for this work the following additional facts regard- ing the city in its infancy : Mrs. James Peltier came to Fort Wayne in 1807, with her uncle, Baptiste Maloch and wife, and lived where now stands Baker's saw-mill, east of which was situated a trading post owned by George Hunt. The first mission was at a shanty where the Methodist college now stands.
Baptiste Maloch and wife built a house on about the third lot from Clinton, on Columbia street, and there started the first bakery with Mr. Felix as baker. On the corner of Columbia and Clinton was situated a hewn log house (two-story) in which W. G. and G. W. Ewing conducted a dry goods store. East of Maloch's bakery Messrs. Anthony Davis and Walker had a dry goods store. Two lots from that Mr. Bourie kept a dry goods store. On the corner of Barr and Columbia streets Alexander Ewing kept a hotel. On the corner of Columbia and Barr streets (south side ), was situated a two-story house where Dr. Cushman, of Vermont, the first physician in Fort Wayne, lived. On the north side of Columbia street where Monning's mill is now, was a log house in 1824 -Suttenfield's hotel. There was a blacksmith shop adjoining the hotel kept by Madore Katchee. Between that and the fort, Francis Aveline, grandfather of the present Avelines, made buckskin slippers, principally for the ladies. Mr.
Peltier remembers when the fort was in good condition and Col. Tipton was acting as agent for the Indians, previous to his removal to Logansport. There was a porch extending around the fort under which a number of leathern buckets were kept, painted blue, and this constituted the fire department.
The original road of which so much has been said in connection with
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the proposed Maumee river bridge, ran about 200 yards from the present Main street bridge, west to the gas factory. On the northwest corner of Barr and Columbia, Samuel Hanna and James Barnett kept a gen- eral store, and Mr. Hanna's residence adjoined this. Squire Dubois and Samuel Stophlet had a tailor shop adjoining in a frame building. Capt. Bourie and mother lived on the adjoining lot. Capt. Brackenridge was next, in a hewn log building, where he conducted the land office. Tom Forsythe built a hewn log house next, which was afterward occu- pied by Brackenridge as a residence. Adjoining was a log house occu- pied by a shoe-maker named Halkins. Next was a frame house built by Mrs. Turner; next to that another frame house in which lived Mrs. William Ewing, which was occupied later by Bellamy, a shoe-maker. Adjoining that, where Schwieter's bakery now stands, James Barnett built a residence which was among the first brick houses in Fort Wayne. He also erected a building (frame) on the northeast corner for busi- ness purposes. On the northwest corner Allen Hamilton erected a frame building; adjoining which Tom Daniels put up a frame, in which he had a saloon. Next Chief Richardville kept a dry goods store, with John Forsythe as his clerk, and also Mr. Bruno. Benjamin Archer built a two-story brick next for a residence. William Henderson had a tailor shop in the adjoining building, which was frame; Henry Sharp had a hat store next; Zenas Henderson had a two-story brick building in which he had a hotel, bakery and saloon combined. As it had an ornamental front, Tom Swinney, the fancy painter of those days, spread a representation of two large eagles on the gable end of the house. On the northwest corner of Calhoun and Columbia streets was situated a story and a half brick house, with a log house adjoining, which was occupied by Robert Hood, justice of the peace. On the next lot was Hugh Hanna's carpenter shop, a frame building, with residence adjoin- ing. Mr. Douglas, teamster, lived next. Conrad Nill had a shoe- maker shop next to that. Then came the Free Mason hall, where the canal basin was. Opposite to this was the first tannery, a log structure. A brick hotel building stood next, built by Joseph Holman, who con- ducted the tavern. Oliver Morgan, sr., was next with a hardware store, and near there was Squire Comparet's frame two-story residence; then came Alexander Chapman, a carpenter, in a frame building; then the frame house of Aveline, the tailor, who was a bachelor uncle of Frank Aveline, who built the Aveline House.
At the southwest corner of Calhoun and Columbia was a one-story frame building, built by Mr. Ewing, and on the southeast was the dwell- ing of Mr. Bruno. East of that was Lillie's hotel, a two-story brick; then came the residence of Dr. Thompson, a one-story brick; the resi- dence of Comparet, one-story and a half brick; Squire Comparet's res- idence adjoined his father's residence, adjoining which was Comparet's store. The first house on the west side of Clinton street was a frame, occupied by Baptiste Becquette, silver-smith, adjoining which was his residence, a rude log house. On Clinton street at the corner of Main,
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Allen Hamilton occupied a two-story frame house built by Hugh Hanna; at the corner of Berry, Abner Gerard lived in a two-story hewn log house; at the corner of Wayne, a one-story frame was occupied by Mr. Comey; at the corner of Lewis, a one-story frame was occupied fifty years ago by Father Miller; at the corner of Berry, northeast, Messrs. Rue & Crane kept a bakery shop sixty years ago; and on the southeast Madore Katchee had a dwelling house fifty-five years ago. Mrs. Tur- ner's one-story frame house stood on the corner of Clinton and Wayne streets; on the north side of Wayne street, between Calhoun and Clin- ton streets, a brewery was kept by Henry Engle, fifty-four years ago. East of this lived a teamster named Strong.
At the northeast corner of Clinton and Wayne, where the Masonic Temple now stands, lived Zenas Henderson, who built a brick house; next to that was a frame house occupied by Mr. Whiteside, and at the northeast corner of Wayne and Clay streets lived Mr. Damen. On the second lot from Clay street on the south side, was a one-story frame house occupied by Taylor Frank fifty-four years ago, and at the corner of Barr and Wayne, was then a one-story frame owned by Mr. Weller. On the second lot south on Barr street, stood a one-story frame house occu- pied by Martin Noll.
The first hat shop was on Spy Run avenue, on Wells' reserve. It was owned by the Scotts, and was a one-story log structure, standing on the west side of the road, their residence being on the east side. North of Scott's was the residence of Mrs. Wells, a double log house, in which also lived Squire William Rockhill. From this place Mr. Rockhill moved to near what now is the McCulloch homestead, about fifty-five years ago; his house still stands on Greeley street. Colonel Wines, contractor, when he first came to Fort Wayne, also lived on the Wells' homestead. Adjoining the Wells' farm was that of Capt. Hackley, who married a Miss Wells. North of that some distance, Rudisill built the mill and also his residence.
Where the Foster block now stands was a two-story frame occupied by Col. Spencer, who had his land office on Main street in the public square.
On Court street, adjoining Spencer's residence, was a blacksmith shop, owned by Mr. Holloway. On the corner of Court and Berry streets was a log house which was bought by Grandma Anderson. On the corner of Berry and Calhoun stood a one-story frame house, owned by Mrs. Francis Minie, and aunt of Louis Peltier; the lot was 50x60 feet, and was bought by her for $500. Adjoining her lot on Berry street was a frame house in which the first gunsmith shop in Fort Wayne was established by Mosean, who also was a bell-maker. Next to that was the one-story frame residence of John Majors, a millwright by occu- pation. East from the government building was a one-story frame house built by Stophlet, and sold to Mrs. Peltier for $600, the lot being 60x150 feet. Next to that was a one-story frame where Madame Hinton resided. The corner of Barr and Berry streets was owned by Daniel Kiser.
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Opposite Hon. F. P. Randall's residence of the present day, was in IS35, a frame house owned by Patrick Ryan, who was a shoemaker. East of Ryan lived Dr. Thompson in a brick house. On Main street at the corner of Clay, was Cyrus Fairfield's blacksmith shop, and at the corner of Barr was a two-story frame house occupied by Hugh McCulloch,. in which place the first Mrs. McCulloch died. A two-story log house, on the corner of Calhoun and Berry streets, was owned by John P. Hedges. On the next two lots were two one-story houses, in one of which Squire Barnett and wife lived and died. Forty-five years ago Mr. Tinkham lived in a one-story frame house on Washington street, near Ewing. In 1842, an orphan asylum was built by Bernard Rekers, on the site where now stands August Trentman's residence, northwest corner of Wayne and Webster streets. Where now stands the Bruns- wick hotel was a sand bluff, and here the first garden stuff was raised and peddled by Grandma Morell, as she was then called. She also owned three lots where Jack Read's livery stable and Charles A. Mun- son's residence now are.
Forty-three years ago, the Hedekin house was built, and in 1842, Calvin Anderson, still living, became the first landlord. Betset Godfrey, of Detroit, had a bakery where the gas factory now stands. East of the bakery, Mrs. Charles Peltier lived over fifty-five years ago. On Superior street, at the corner of Barr, fifty-two years ago, stood a one story frame building, occupied by George Fallow, as a brewery; oppo- site, northwest corner, in 1834, was a blacksmith shop owned by Phillip Cook, and most of this was the fur packing establishment of Mr. Scho- vat about 1829; at the corner of Calhoun was a two-story log house in which Samuel Edsall's mother resided; and on the southwest corner, was a two-story frame house, built by Hugh Hanna and occupied by Capt. Bourie, in which Bourie and his wife both died; to the west of the latter was a cooper shop, owned by Gus Buerett, who made whisky kegs over fifty years ago. On Wells street, near the bridge, was a trading post kept by a man named Douglas. The first farm in Bloomingdale, in 1837, was owned by Hinton, who was Thomas Tigar's father-in-law. Another farm, opposite Swinney's, was owned by a man named Beeson.' Joseph Holman, a Methodist preacher, lived on a farm north of the river, near Lindenwood cemetery. Near John Orff's homestead was a one- story building, which was the first distillery; it was owned by Squire Rockhill and brother. The first batch of liquor made by them attracted the Indians, forty or fifty in number, who began drinking with tin cups while it was still hot and finally got so hilarious that the proprietors had to send to town for Col. Tipton and James Peltier, who worked a night and day before they could leave the riotous crew. Where Eckarts' packing house now stands, Squire Rockhill built the first saw-mill, fifty- four or fifty-five years ago. The next saw-mill was built by Anthony Davis, Abel Beeson, Mr. Douglass and Peter Duprez. Duprez and his wife were both buried in the little orchard where Beaver's mill was after- ward established. Before the saw-mill was completed, the owners
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became discouraged and were going to abandon the idea of corn-crack- ing, etc., when old Chief Richardville made them a present of $500, which encouraged them. He thought it might at some future date, keep his people from starving. On the opposite side of the river lived a Mr. Compton, who once became drunk and forced his son to go into a pen to unfasten a dog which he knew to be mad. The dog bit the boy, who afterward died of hydrophobia, which so enraged the Indians that they sought to shoot Compton, but were driven away.
Francis Comparet, mentioned above as one of the well-known early settlers of the city, was born at Monroe, Mich., October 12, 1798. That was then an Indian trading post, and his parents were engaged in that business. He was raised as a trader, and learned the Indian lan- guages. In 1819 he was married to Eleanor Gwoin, a native of that post, and in March, 1820, they came to Fort Wayne, where he at once began to establish himself as a trader, and traveled extensively through the Indian territory. His trading house stood east of the alley on the south side of Columbia street between Clinton and Calhoun. He was agent for a number of years of the North American Fur Company, and had Henry Colerick as a partner in 1832-33, and subsequently Peter Kiser. The latter firm built a distillery on the south bank of the canal, east of Comparet's residence, and Mr. Comparet built a flouring mill which was very important at that day. He was active and ener- getic in business, and rendered efficient service in advancing the interests of the city. From 1824 to 1829 he served as county commissioner, forming with William Rockhill and James Wyman the first board. He took part in the building of several saw- and flouring-mills, and con- structed the dam which forms the reservoir at Rome City, now famous as a summer resort. He had six children, all born in this city: Joseph, born in 1825, now resident of Washington territory; David, born in 1831; Alexander, born in 1833, now of Hicksville, Ohio; Theodore, born in 1835, now of Washington, D. C .; John M., born in 1837, now living at Blanco, Texas, and Louis, born in 1840, a resident of Des Moines, Iowa. In 1845 the successful career of Francis Comparet was cut short by death. David, the only one of his sons now residing here, was married at Fort Wayne in 1846, to Sarah Columbia, who was born in New York, in 1837. He was for many years identified with many of the leading interests of Fort Wayne. His son, Charles M. Com- paret, was born in this city in 1851, and was educated in the city schools. He first engaged in the grain business with his father, and was bailiff of the criminal court six years under Judge Borden. In 1882 he engaged in the manufacture of shirts at 47 Hanna street, at which he is still en- gaged, doing a prosperous business, and giving employment to twenty- seven people. He was married in 1882 to Emma Shell, who was born in Clark county, Ind., and they have one child, Charles W. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., the K. of P., and the Patriarchal circle, and is in politics a democrat.
Hon. Peter Kiser, one of the most notable old settlers of Indiana, is
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a son of Richard Kiser, who was born in Rockingham county, Va. Rebecca Mossland, his mother, was from Cape May, N. J. They emi- grated to Montgomery county, Ohio, where they were married in the year 1800. Peter was born in that county in August, 1805, or in 1810, as stated by some of the relatives, the family record having been destroyed by fire at an early day. Richard was a soldier in the war of ISI2, and was at Detroit at the surrender of Gen. Hull, at that place, in August of that year. In 1822 the family removed to Shane's prairie, in Mercer county, Ohio, then a frontier settlement. Having no schools to attend, the youthful Peter engaged as a hand on the flat-boats, which at that time conveyed the products of the northwest to New Orleans. As early as 1825, Mr. Kiser was employed by Gen. Tipton, then Indian agent at Fort Wayne, to furnish the meat rations for the Indians during treaties and other councils with them, which employment was continued by other agents, until 1846. In the early years of the emigrants' Indian mission at Niles, in the territory of Michigan, Mr. Kiser assisted in con- veying provisions to that station. For several years subsequent to 1838, he was associated with Francis Comparet, and then, having worked in the pork and provision business, he erected the first market-house at Fort Wayne, in 1835, and was the only butcher in the town. Mr. Kiser was married in January, 1842, to Rebecca Snyder, of Wells county, Ind., and they had eight children, all boys. In 1844, he commenced the mer- cantile business on Calhoun street. In 1828 he joined Wayne lodge of Masons, and has been a worthy member to this day. He has twice represented Allen county in the state legislature. He is still able, though feeble with the weight of years, to tread the streets of the city that has replaced the village at the fort, and he is esteemed as one whose busi- ness life has been characterized by honesty and integrity, whose relations toward his fellow men have been distinguished by unfailing kindness and benevolence, from whom the poor and needy have never gone empty- handed, as long as he had to give.
Cold and Drought .- There were two periods in the early days when the settlement experienced remarkable extremes of climate. The win- ter of 1831 was a most remarkable one. As early as the latter part of November, snow began to fall, and continued to lie upon the ground until the middle of March following; and the settlers, during this long season of snow, had a surfeit of sledding with their roughly-con- structed pole " jumpers," and by frolics upon the ice of the rivers sought to enjoy the " long and dreary winter." So intense, much of the time, was the cold and great the depth of the snow during this long winter, that -though the settlers suffered but little from lack of food-the animals of the forest were unable to find any prey, and the wolves, of which there were still vast numbers throughout the northwest, were brought to such a state of hunger, that their fierce howlings were nightly heard at Fort Wayne, and it was unsafe for the settlers to venture far beyond the limits of the town. But even in this condition, the wolves would never make an attack upon a man unless their numbers were sufficient to insure
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success. The Indians' stores gave out during the winter and they suffered much from hunger. Some of them, it is said, were reduced to such a state that they devoured carrion. Several of them were killed and eaten by the wolves.
The summer and autumn of 1838 were signalized by a drought of longer duration and greater geographical extent than had been experienced since the first settlement of the country. On the estuary of the Maumee no rain fell from the 3rd of July to the 15th of October, and at Fort Wayne there was no rain-fall of any consequence from July to Christmas. The St. Mary's was so low that no provisions could be brought down from Ohio, and the supply of provisions in town was finally reduced to two barrels of flour. It was not until the next March that three flat-boats came down, laden with flour and bacon and whisky, and the arrival of these necessities was duly celebrated. During this drought all the smaller streams throughout the region were exhausted and their beds became dusty. The wild animals of every kind found in the forests collected on the banks of the rivers, and even approached the town. The wet prairies became dry, the wells failed and even the bogs of the Black Swamp below, dried and showed great cracks in the muck. The excavation of the canal was then going on in the lower valley and the mortality among the laborers was frightful.
Treaties with the Miamis .- The first land in the valley of the upper Maumee ceded to the United States by the Indians was a " piece six miles square, at or near the confluence of the rivers St. Joseph and St. Mary's," and a piece two miles square at the portage to the Little river. To these tracts the Indians relinquished their rights at the treaty they made with Gen. Anthony Wayne, at Greenville, Ohio, August 3, 1795.
On October 16, 1818, a treaty was concluded at St. Mary's, Ohio, by which the Miamis ceded the region thus bounded: Beginning at the Wabash river, near the mouth of Raccoon creek, thence up the Wabash to the reserve at its head near Fort Wayne; thence to the reserve at Fort Wayne; thence with the lines thereof to the St. Mary's river; thence up the St. Mary's to the reservation at the portage; thence with the line of the Wyandot session on IS17, to the reser- vation at Loramie's store, thence to Fort Recovery; thence to the place of beginning. There were reservations to Richardville of nine sections, with the right to convey; to Francois and Louis Godfrey twelve sections, and so on, in all forty-eight sections. For this cession the government agreed to pay a perpetual annuity of $15,000, build a grist-mill and saw-mill, and furnish a gunsmith and blacksmith for the Indians, and give them annually 160 bushels of salt. On October 23, 1826, a treaty was concluded at Mississinewa, by which the Miamis ceded all their claim to land in Indiana north and west of the Wabash, and of the cession just mentioned, and they were to receive for the latter $31,040.53 in goods, and cash $26,259.47, and annuities of $35,000 in 1827, $30,000 in 1828, and a permanent annuity, to include the former
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