History of Marshall county, Indiana, 1836 to 1880, etc

Front matter

V^STO/^ OF MARSHALL COUNTY, INDIANA. 4 1836 to_ 1880. (ft Carefully Written and Compiled from Official and other Reliable Sources, By daniel McDonald. " He that -writes, Dr makes a feast, more certainly invites His judges than his friends j there's not a guest, But will find something -wanting or undress," To WHICH IS APPENDED MAPS OF ITS SEVERAL TOWNSHIPS. CHICAGO: KINOMAN BROTHERS, LAKESIDE BUILDlNl". 1881. I INTRODUCTORY^ TO satisfy a general desire among the older inhabitants of Marshall County, the writer has been induced to compile, from such data as are at hand, a history of the organization and early settlement of the county, and such other items bearing on the subject, as could be obtained from those still residing here who were participants in the scenes and incidents of nearly half a century ago.

The writer is well aware that county histories are, as a rule, stale and unprofitable, so far as the general reader is concerned, but to those personally familiar with what has transpired in the past, nothing can be more entertaining. The writer claims to be no historian. He came to this county in 1836, when a mere child; when the county was also in its infancy, and almost a wilderness, with no schoolhouses, no churches, no county seat nor court house ; and as he has grown to manhood, has seen it developed, year by year, until now it numbers a population bordering on twenty-five thousand, with churches and schoolhouses on every hand ; one of the best court houses in the country ; a county jail of the same style of architecture ; seventy miles of railroad ; over two hundred miles of telegraph wire, and everything else that goes to make up one of the best counties in the State.

Time is passing swiftly away. A few years more and half a century will have gone since the first white settlement was made, and the few now living who were here then must soon depart to that " undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns." While they yet remain, it is deemed advisable to obtain the facts within their knowledge, and place them upon permanent record for the benefit of those who shall come after they are gone. In the preparation of the matter for this work, the writer has not the remotest idea that perfection will be attained ; on the contrary, he is absolutely certain it will not, therefore the reader must not expect it. His experience in gathering statistics from various sources has already convinced him that the correct data in all cases cannot be obtained. During the period of the organization of the county, and for many years afterward, the records, especially as to dates, were very deficient.

Chapter I

— Base and Meridian Lines— Survey— General Features— Lakes— Rivers — Michigan Road— Railroads— Tribute to Yellow River Valley— Townships, Union, Genter, Green, Bourbon, Tippecanoe, German, North, Polk, West, Walnut— How Bounded— Towns and Villages— Plymouth- — Bourbon— Bremen — Argos— In wood — Tyner — Marmont — Maxenkuckee— Tippecanoe Town— Teegarden— La Paz— Walnut — Panama — Linksville- -Donelson — North Salem — Clayton— Elizabethtown- Sligo— Population. . . .11

Chapter II

— Dream of the Future— Michigan Road— Indian Trail — Lands Brought Into Market — Early Settlers. . 15

Chapter III

— Rivers and Lakes— Indian Names— Wolf Creek Yellow River — Platt's Run — Pine Creek — Yellow Branch — Tippecanoe River — Deep Creek — Lake Maxenkuckee— General Description — Club Houses — Poetic Tribute — Lake of the Woods— Pretty Lake— Twin Lakes— Flat Lake— Galbraith Lake — Dixon Lake — Mud Lake — Manitou Lake — Lost Lake— Muck-Shaw Lake— Magnetic Flowing Wells —Analysis of Water— Marshall County's Navy. . . 17

Chapter IV

— Concerning the Noble Red Man— Their Reservations — Villages— Tragic Death of Aubbeenaubbee and Marshall — Anthony Niago— Nis-wa-gee— Removal of the Indians — Speech of Menom-i-nee — Indian Mounds — Indian Relics — How Arrow Points are Made. ... 20

Chapter V

— Preliminary Organization of the County— First Meeting of Board of Commissioners — Seal Adopted— Commissioners' Districts — First Elections — Where Held — Judges and Inspectors— Those Living who Voted Then- Legislative Enactment — County Seat Located— Organization of County into Townships— Report of Locating Commissioners 24

Chapter VI

— Plymouth— Original Proprietors— First Store— Saw-Mill— Grist-Mill— The Plymouth Hotel— Prominent Business Men— Personal Sketches — Doctors — Sickly Season — First Lawyers — Corporation Organization — Organization of City Government — Public Improvements — Fire Companies—Names of First Firemen — City Hall— Disastrous Fires — Plymouth Post Office — Postmasters — Banks — Plymouth Bank — Marshall County Bank— Wheeler's Bank— State Bank — First National Bank— Exchange Bank— City Directory—Retrospective Review .27

Chapter VII

— Court Houses— First Court House— Second Court House— Third Court House— Laying Corner Stone —Address— Free Dinner for 10,000- Cost of Building, $105,- 000— First County Jail— Contract— Cost, $399— Second Jail —Cost, $2,380— Third.Jail Cost, $22,000-County Asylum. . 31

Chapter VIII

— Courts of Marshall County— Circuit Court- Probate Court— Commissioners' Court— Common Pleas Court— Judges 34

Chapter IX

— Politics— First Election after Organization- Candidates— Election— Where Held— Names of Voters- Presidential Campaign of 1840— Official Vote for President, 1840 to 1880— Presidential Issues, 1840 to 1876— Total Vote of County, 1840 to 1878— Majorities lor President, 1840 to 1876 — Registry Law— Numbering Ballots— Political Changes in the County— Disturbances at the Polls— Manner of Holding Conventions— An Ancient Political Document — Politicians who Have Occupied Prominent Positions. . CONTENTS. VI Page.

CHAPTER XIX

— Telegraph Lines— Electricity— Batteries- Ground Wires — Alphabet — Signals — New Beginners — Operators — Henry Congle, First Operator — Paper Instruments —Reading by Sound— The Telephone— First in Plymouth. . 77

CHAPTER XX

— State and County Officials— Senators— Representatives— Clerks— Auditors — Treasurers — Sheriffs — Recorders— Surveyors— Coroners— Commissioners— Biographical Sketches 79

CHAPTER XXI

— Untimely Deaths— Suicides— Deaths by Accidents—Brief Record of Over One Hundred Deaths— Deaths from Natural Causes— Sickly Season 88

CHAPTER XXII

— Miscellaneous Items— First Marriage License—Occupations in 1840— First Treasurer's Report- County Statistics, 1836— First Merchant— Saw-Mill— Grist- Mill — Estate — Guardianship — Judgment — Indictment- White Child Born in County— Lawyer— Doctor— Blacksmith —Newspaper— Wheat and Corn, 1856 and 1879— Mortgages. 92

CHAPTER XXIII

— Ghosts and Goblins— Haunted Houses- Suicide by Hanging— Ghosts, How They Live, Move and Have Their Being— The Haunted Barn— The Babington House— Midnight Visitors— A Ghost Story—" I Will Meet You at Phillippi "—Exciting Amusements. . . . 95

CHAPTER XXIV

— Union Township— Organized May 1, 1838— Early Settlement— Log Cabins— Going to Mill— Neighborly Acts— Fever and Ague— First Doctors— First Schools- Knights of"St. Crispin— Preachers— Petitioners for Township— Marmont— Maxenkuckee— Historical— Names of First Settlers— First Cemetery 101

CHAPTER XXV

— Center Township— Organized in 1836— Introductory— First Settlers— Township Trustees— Merchants and Landlords— County License— Transporting Goods by Wagon— Pearson ville— In wood — Lycurgus — Cemeteries — Miscellaneous 104

CHAPTER XXVI

— Green Township— Organized in 1836— Description— First Election— Constables— Fence Viewers- Overseers of the Poor— First Sheriff— Petition for Tavern —Wolf Creek— Mill— Drowning of Bliven— Early Settlers — Terrific Explosion— Four Persons Killed. . .121

CHAPTER XXVII

— Bourbon Township— Organized January 6, 1840— Petitioners— General Description— Bourbon Town —Additions— Incorporated in 1865— Officers— Description of Bourbon— Old Settlers— College Student— Newspapers- Business Firms in 1866— Future of Bourbon— Pioneer Farmers' Club— Untimely Deaths— Destructive Fires- Manufacturing Companies— A Living Spring— Railroad Station Agents— Spirit Hall— The Telegraph— Express- Bourbon College— Benevolent Societies— Miscellaneous. . 122

CHAPTER XXVIII

— Tippecanoe Township— Organized March 9, 1842 — Names of Petitioners— Tippecanoe Town — Descriptive Review— First Settlers— Suicide— First School— Justice— Ben-ak — Accidental Deaths— H. C. Montgomery- Murder of an Unknown Man— D. F. Ray— Township Trustees—Flouring and Woolen Mills— Incendiary Fire. . . 133

CHAPTER XXIX

— German Township— Organized May 11, 1838- Boundary — Clayton— Bremen Organized October 21, 1851 — Additions — Incorporated in 1871— Officers— Fire Department—Fires—Post Office— Church Organizations— Masons —Odd Fellows— Township Trustees— Turnverein Germania —Cemetery— Schools— Old Settlers. 134

CHAPTER XXX

— North Township— Organized May 1, 1838- Name Changed to Dallas— Re-changed to North— Old Settlers—Robert Schroeder— D. S. Conger— David Cummins— LaPaz— Linksville— Walnut Hill— Plank Road— Cranberries— Huckleberries— Lake of the Woods 139

CHAPTER XXXI

-Polk Township— Organized March 4, 1845- Petitioners— Tyner City— Incorporated— Incorporation Dissolved—A Serious Fracas— Elizabethtown— Blissville— Teegarden— Detective Association— Teegarden Milling Company—Magnetic Springs— Huckleberry Marsh— Death of Thomas Tyner 141

CHAPTER XXXII

— West Township— Organized March 8, 1854 —Boundary— First Township Officers— Early Settlers- Charles Cook— James A. Corse— Ed Dwinnell— Indian Names — Donelson — Old Forge — Barber's Mill — Indian Chapel 143

CHAPTER XXXIII

— Walnut Township— Organized June 9, 1859 —Meeting to Organize— Name Selected— Fremont and Sidney Vacated— Argos Located— Fredericksburg— Mastodon Relics— Argus Manufacturing Company— Public School Building— Medical Society— Argos Incorporated— Abel ('■ Hickman, Oldest Settler— Biographical Sketch— Miscellaneous 145 BIOGRAPHICAL. Acker, W. J Between 122-123 Abrams, J 149 Brooke, K. K 106 Buck, C. C, 107 Bender, Hon. J. S., 107 Borton, T. A., M. D., . . . . . . 108 Brooke, Ed S., ..... Facing 65 Bailey, James V, 108 Bearss, D. R., . . . . . . . .132 Barnhill, Rev. Hugh S 149 "Bremen Pump Co," 138 Corbin, Hon. H 108 Cook, Charles 144 Dickinson, D. L., . . . . . . . 109 Dicks. J. T., M. D. 109 Dumph, Philip, 138 Dietrich. J. R., . . . . . . . . 138 Evans, Joseph, ....... 110 Hill, W. W 110 Houghton, Thomas K., ...... 110 Houghton, Thomas, ....... 102 Huff, Charles, 149 Hults, U. S., . . . . . . . .102 Jacoby, John, .......

Ill Jacoby, Daniel, Jr., ....... Ill Jones, P. O., ....... 112 James, M. B., . . . . . . . . 130 Klinger, O. P., ....... 112 Koontz, J. H., .... . 138 Kendall, Col. W. M., 112 Lee, Thomas B., ....... 130 Logan, Leonard, .... 141 McDonald, Thos., ..... Between 114-115 McKelvy, Samuel, ....... 113 Orr, Isaac, . . . . . , . .114 Plymouth Republican, ..... Facing 65 Packard, Hon. M. A. O., . . . . . . 114 Place, J. L., . . . . . . . . 115 Palmer, J. A., ........ 115 Pomeroy, Grove O., ...... 115 Parks, Hon. JO., . . . . . . . 131 Parker, Eli, . . . . . . . . 103 Plummer, WO, ....... 132 Reed, James C, Between 116-117 Reeve, Hon. C. H., ....... 116 Reynolds, George R., ...... 117 Robertes, A. W., . . . . . . 117 Rhinehart, Adam, ....... 145 Railsback, W., ...... 150 Sumner, Col. Thomas, .... Between 118-119 Siders, John W., Facing 65 Soice, John, ....... 117 Sear, William, .... ... 132 Scofield, William, ... . . . . . 140 Schroeder, R„ .....

Between 140-141 Thayer, Hon. II. G., . ...... CONTENTS. vn Page. Tescher, Frederick, . . . . . -». .119 Thomson, A. L., . . . . . . . 120 Taber, Cyrus, . . ... . . . .120 Tuttle, Washington, ...... 120 Westervelt, Joseph, ....... 120 Wilcox, Charles H., . ... . . . 121 Webb, Isaac P., . . . . . . . .143 Vanschoiack, L. T., ...... 103 Voreis, D. R., . . . . . . . .103 Yellow River Mills, . . . Between 138-139 LITHOGRAPHIC VIEWS. PLYMOUTH CITY. Borton, T. A., residence of, . . . . Facing 30 Brooke. K. K., residence of, .... Facing 31 Court House, . . . . . Between 30-31 Dickinson, Dwight L., residence of, . . . Facing 104 Jail and Infirmary, ..... Between 30-31 McDonald, Hon. Daniel, residence of, . . Between 114-115 Public School, . . ... . . Facing 73 Packard's Bank Block, . . . . . Facing 105 Thayer, H. G., residence of, . . . . .

Facing 114 BOURBON TOWNSHIP. Acker, W. J., residence, store and lumber-yard of. Between 122-123 Keller, George, residence and meat market of, . Between 130-131 Lee, Thomas B., residence of, . . . Facing 130 Sear, William, residence of, . . . . Facing 123 GERMAN TOWNSHIP. Bremen Pump Works, ..... Facing 138 Dietrich, J. R., residence and business block of, . Facing 134 Knoblock & Co., A. J., "Yellow River Mills," . Between 138-139 Thompson, A. J., residence of, ... Facing 135 NORTH TOWNSHIP. Logan, Leonard, residence and mill of, . . Between 140-141 Scofield, William, residence of, ... Facing 140 POLK TOWNSHIP. Webb, Isaac P., residence of, ... . Facing 141 UNION TOWNSHIP. Houghton, Thomas, ..... Facing 102 Parker, Eli, residence and store of, Facing 101 Vanschoiack, L. T., Between 102-103 WALNUT TOWNSHIP- Page.

Barnhill, Hugh, Facing 147 Huff, Charles, ....... Facing 149 Railsback, William, Facing 148 TIPPECANOE TOWNSHIP. Bearss, D. R., ...... Facing 132 PORTRAITS. Acker, W. J., and Wife, .... Between 122-123 Brooke, Ed S., Facing 65 Bearss, Ephraim, ..... Facing 132 Cook, Charles, and Wife, ..... Facing 145 Evans, Joseph, ...... Between 118-119 Houghton, Thomas, and Wife,. .... Facing 102 Hults, U. S., ....... Facing 103 Huff, Charles, and Wife Facing 149 Jacoby, John, and Wife, .... Facing 112 Jacoby, Daniel, and Wife, .... Facing 112 James, Marshall, ..... Between 118-119 Klinghammer, John, .... Between 118-119 Lee, Thomas B., and wife, .... Facing 130 McDonald, Thomas, and Wife, . . , Between 114-115 Orr, Isaac, and Wife, .... Facing 112 l'lummer, William C., and wife, .... Facing 103 Parks, J. O. A .

Between 118-119 Pomeroy, Grove O., and Wife, .... Facing 117 Robertes, Andrew W., and Wife, . . . Facing 117 Reed, James O, and Wife, . . . Between 116-117 Rhinehart, Adam, and Wife, .... Facing 145 Railsback, William, and Wife, .... Facing 148 Siders, John W., ..... Facing 65 Sumner, Col. Thomas, .... Between 118-119 Schroeder, Robert, and Wife, . . . Between 140-141 Taber, Cyrus, ...... Facing 117 Thomson, A. L., . . . . . Between 118-119 Voreis, D. R., and Wife, ..... Facing 103 Webb, Isaiah, and Wife, ..... Facing 141 MAPS. Marshall County, . ... . . . . 9 Union Township, ..... Facing 101 Center, Between 104-105 Green Facing 121 Bourbon, Facing 122 Tippecanoe, Facing 133 German, Between 134-135 North. • Between 138-139 Polk Between 140-141 West Facing 143 Walnut, -. Facing