Cass County, Indiana - Chapter 17: Hotels or Taverns, 1913

The early taverns of our county could many an interesting and exeiting tale unfold, were someone living to tell them. In these rude log hostleries, dotted here and there in the midst of the forest, were gathered the pioneer and patriot who knew no fear, and often with them mingled the redskin but gradually yielded to the supremacy of the paleface.

The first hotel or tavern in Cass county was built by Alex Chamberlain, filso the first permanent settler, and the only house then within the bounds of the county. It might seem strange that a man would go out into the forest alone and start a hotel, but there were many traders, travelers and prospectors passing down the Wabash, and although his house was a primitive round log cabin, yet the lonely traveler was glad to find a resting place at night, where he could find shelter, not only from the storms but also protection from the wild Indian and wilder animals that infested the surrounding forests.

It was in August, 1826, that Mr. Chamberlain landed on the banks of the Wabash and began to look around for a business opening, being the only white man within the county. He knew that all great enterprises had small beginnings and as he was sure of at least one guest all the year around - ^himself - ^he put his money into the enterprise. He, no doubt, was a littlfe lonesome at first, playing the part of proprietor, clerk, bell boy, cook, chambermaid and guest, but the ** whoop" of the Indians and howling of the wolves without gave him something with which to occupy his mind during the dull season, when navigation on the Wabash was at a low ebb. Indian traders, agents and pioneers were soon found as guests and no doubt blood-curdling tales were told about the fireside of this cabin hotel. The hotel business prospered and the following year he required greater quarters and erected a twostory, double hewed log building near the site of his original cabin. In 1828 he sold this property to General Tipton for an Indian agency and built an exact counterpart a half mile to the west, where Heppe's soap factory now stands, and hung out his board sign, which bore the words: ** Entertainment by A. Chamberlain," which many of the old pioneers remembered long years after he sold the premises to Mr. Murphy, father of Trustee John A. Murphy, who continued the hostelry for some years in the thirties.

In 1829 the commissioners fixed tavern rates as follows: For keeping a horse over night, hay and grain, 50 cents ; for victualing, per meal, 25 cents; lodging, 12V^ cents; whiskey, per pint, 25 cents. The motive of the commissioners in making rates is not disclosed.

Ft. Harrison, Vigo county, Indiana, and from there to Logansport, where he became Cass county's first hotel keeper. In 1835 he moved with his family to Rochester, Indiana, where he died many years later. The second hotel in the county and the first to be opened in the original town of Logansport was built in the summer of 1828 by Gillis McBean, a sketch of whom will be found elsewhere. He erected a hewed log cabin on the southwest comer of Third and Market street, where Kreutzberger's block now stands, and ran a hotel for several years. In this cabin was born the first white child within the original town, Gillis McBean, Jr., December 30, 1829, a cut of whom appears in this book. This property was purchased by Cyrus Vigus, who operated a hotel with others under the name of ** Washington's Hall." In the later forties Alexander Bamett became the owner and erected the **01d Barnett House," a commodious two-story frame. Additions, with a long double decked porch in front, were added and was for many years the leading hotel in the city. It was torn down in 1885. About that year Mr. Bamett built the present Bamett Hotel, northeast corner of Second and Market streets, which still continues to be one of the largest and best hotels in northern Indiana, with the recent additions made by Dr. M. A. Jordan, the present owner.

Probably the third hotel was erected in 1829 by Alexander Wilson and Moses Thorpe. It was a two-story frame, on the northwest corner of Second and Market streets, where now stands the St. Joseph 's school and sisters' domicile. This was known as Thorpe & Wilson's Hotel and was often used for public officials prior to the erection of the court house. This hotel was later known as the Ashland House and in the forties Job Eldridge moved it across the street and occupied it as a residence and it is said is still standing on the south side of Market street, west of Second.

Jos. CuUen at this time erected the brick hotel for many years the principal hostelry in the city and this old hotel building is still standing and occupied by the sisters of St. Joseph school. Mr. Cullen, the proprietor of this hotel, was appointed an Indian agent and moved west in the fifties.

In the first settling of the county, hotel keepers had to secure a license and the records show that Israel Johnson was granted a license to run a tavern August 10, 1829. The location of Mr. Johnson's hostelry is uncertain.

W. S. Wright, in ** Pastime Sketches," states that Mr. Johnson built the first two-story hotel in the city, which was still standing (1907) on the south side of Market street, east of Second, but in 1838 he was running a business at 312-14 Fourth street. (See E. S. Rice paper in Historical Society collection.) Mr. Johnson was one of the early merchants and helped to develop the town, operated a warehouse, was grain dealer, pork packer and city councilman. He was bom in Pennqrlvania in 1803, came to Logansport in 1829 and died in 1866.

In 1829 H. B. Scott was proprietor of the *' Mansion House" on the southwest corner of Fourth and Market, and the records show that the county commissioners and court held their sessions here during the year. Later this was a substantial brick structure and was used for a hotel for many years under the above title. About 1837 Jacob Dorsey was the proprietor of a hotel, a two-story frame building, at 411 Market street and it is reported the same old building was remodeled and repaired and is today occupied by the A. T. Bowen bank.

The Leamy House was built about 1835 on the northwest corner of Fourth and Railroad streets. This was a brick building, owned and operated for many years by Philip Leamy and became the property of the railroad company in the fifties and was occupied as a depot for a time. Mr. Leamy was a prominent citizen and at one time a member of the city council and after his death his widow continued the hotel business until sold as above noted.

The Broadway House, some times designated as the Keystone House, was a three-story brick building, on the northwest comer of Sixth and Broadway, where the Tribune oflSce is now located. This building was erected in the later thirties by Job Eldridge. It then stood alone up in the woods with no other buildings near and it was ** dubbed'' ** Job's Folly," because everyone then thought it was foolish to erect such a big building away up in the woods, as it was then thought there would be no demand for hotels or business houses so far out in the suburbs of the town.

The Larimore House, a two-story frame building at 520-22 Broadway, was a popular "hostelry in the fifties and sixties and later the proprietor moved to a frame building at 515-17 North street, on the lot now occupied by the Murdock feed barns.

The following hotels were in operation during the sixties: Gifford House, I. R. Gifford, proprietor, comer of Second and Market streets; Pennsylvania House, Delinger & Co., proprietors, comer of Market and Walnut streets, and J. Gehring kept a hotel on the railroad between Third and Fourth streets known as the ** Gehring House." **The Nash House," corner of Sixth and High, was a popular hostelry for many years prior to 1875. Before the days of railroads the Bliss House on Burlington avenue and Colfax street, south side, was a popular stopping place for travelers on the Michigan road. The first railroad into Logansport had its depot near this hotel in 1855, before bridges were built across the Wabash land the Bliss House did quite a business.

The Klopp House on the north bank of Eel river, east of the Sixth street bridge, which is now used as a dwelling by Mr. Flannegan, was headquarters for northern teamsters who hauled goods to Rochester and Plymouth before the days of railroads.

The Pour Mile House on the Michigan road, operated by Enyarts and McDowells; the Seven Mile House, by John Guy, in 1834-5, by James Troutman from 1837-1848, by Mr. Lumbert and Wilson Booth from the latter date to 1862 or '63, when railroads killed the wagon traffic, and the Ten Mile House kept by Peter Demoss and later by Jos. Penrose. Hotels, during canal days, from 1839 to 1855, did a good business at Lewisburg and Georgetown, but the railroads have put the canal out of commission and killed the through wagon traffic on the Michigan road and there is no necessity nor demand for taverns along these once popular thoroughfares, and these country inns, around whose firesides the pioneers loved to sit and crack their jokes with the red man, have, with the pack saddle, the ox cart and stage coach, passed into ** innocuous desuetude.^'

This is an age of automobiles and flying machines. A trip to Bochester or Plymouti^ can be made before breakfast or after supper and no need of any intervening hotel to feed or house the weary traveler and his fatigued animals.

The principal hotels in Logansport at this time are: The Barnett, comer of Second and Market streets; **Murdock House,'' 317 Broadway, and the ''Johnston" and **Dunn" hotels on Eailroad street.