Cass County, Indiana - Chapter 51: Noble Township, 1913

Chapter 51: Noble Township

Noble township, named in honor of Noah Noble, governor of Indiana at the time of its organization, is bounded on the west by Jefferson township, on the north by Harrison, on the east by Clay and on the south by Eel township, the city of Logansport and the Wabash river and lies within congressional township 27, north range 1, east. It is thus centrally and favorably located on the north bank of the Wabash, giving it a valuable and picturesque water-front, a most enticing place for pleasure seekers, a sportsman's paradise for fishing and hunting. The running water and beautiful scenery are a desirable asset. The township has a diversified surface and presented to the home seeker all the lays of land from the steep rocky hillside to the low level marsh lands, and its natural resources, stone quarries, gravel and sand deposits, valuable clays, timber and a rich alluvial soil, springs of crystal pure water, wild fruits and wild game, all these were valuable assets presented to the pioneers of this township. Again the natural advantages of mill-sites which the township possessed was a great inducement for the pioneer to locate in this division of the county and we find the pioneers, very early, locating here to take advantage of its many natural resources. Much of the surface was originally covered by a dense forest and other parts were open prairie. The southern part of the township is broken and hilly ; many ravines and hollows running back from the river on the south to the table lands to the north, near the center of the township; then the prairies to the north with several sand ridges interspersed. The township is well watered with numerous streams and water-courses which furnish abundant drainage. The largest of these is ** Cottonwood Creek" in the central part of the township, on which numerous mills were erected in the first settlement of the country. This creek runs in a southerly direction and empties into the Wabash near the line between sections 28 and 29.

Burley Creek which runs through what is known as '*Burley Hollow,'' a very romantic and picturesque ravine whose precipitious slopes are covered with native trees, empties into the Wabash a short distance west of Cottonwood creek.

The Parlow branch runs south and west and passes through ''Pitches Glen" or canyon which is the most picturesque place in the county; it has two distinct waterfalls, a cave and many unique natural formations. Perpendicular limestone cliffs on either side rise to a height of seventy-five feet or more, presenting in some places rough craggy rocks, in others the slope is more gradual and is covered with native trees; this with the waterfalls and the crystal stream flowing down the center of the canyon, presents wild and beautiful scenery harfiy equalled in northern Indiana.

Homey creek is a stream of considerable importance that drains the eastern part of the township, arising in the northeast comer, flows south and empties into Eel river at Logansport. This creek afforded water power to run mills in early days, which will be noticed elsewhere.* These creeks are all fed by numerous springs and therefore have a con- stant flow. The northwestern part of the township is drained by the small creeks that flow in a southwesterly direction into Crooked creek. This creek has been dredged in recent years and affords ample drainage for the swamp lands in that section, which have been converted into the most fertile and valuable farm lands and the waste places have all been reclaimed.

The eastern and southern half of the township was originally heavy timbered, consisting of walnut, poplar, oak, hickory, elm, sugar, ash, beech, sycamore, basswood and mulberry - some of the latter attaining a diameter of three feet and poplar and walnut were often seven feet in diameter. These, however, were ruthlessly destroyed in clearing the land and in some instances the grand old monarchs of the forest were felled in winrows and burned up. After the canal was completed a

There may be a controversy concerning who was the first settler in Noble township, as there were a number of ** squatters/' transients, who would built a cabin in the forest for the purpose of hunting, remain for a time and move out further into the wilderness where game was more plenty. Probably James Hood was the first permanent settler in the township. As early as 1827 or 8 he took a claim in section 20, but returned to Carroll county, and in 1829 returned to his claim and remained until his death some years later. He planted the first orchard in the township. He was a soldier in the War of 1812 and his remains repose in Shiloh cemetery. The same year (1829) Henry Garrett accompanied by his son Joshua and two sons-in-law, William and Leander Dixon, settled in section 22. Mr. Garrett was a prominent pioneer and built the first mill in the township. William Dixon was also an influential man and was the first and only county commissioner that Noble township has been honored with. He served during the building of the old court house in 1841 and his name was inscribed over the door of that building but was torn out in the building of the present court house in 1888.

In 1829 George Richardson settled in the southwest quarter section 16. It is claimed by some authorities that he came early in 1829 and was the first to settle in the township. He cleared (or his sons did) six acres of ground and raised a com crop and pumpkins that summer (1829). This was the first com raised in Noble township. Mr. Richardson was a great hunter and after living here a few years, game becoming scarce, he moved into the big reserve in Jackson township where he resided until his death many years thereafter.

During the year 1830, John Watts located on the southwest quarter of section 17, became a leading citizen, and raised an old-fashioned family of ten children, to-wit: Richard, Israel, William, John, Rhoda, Ailsie, Elizabeth, Martha, James and Eli; the three first lived to be old and prominent citizens of the township. Mr. Watts was a veteran of the War of 1812. He died in 1844 and his wife in 1836.

Eli Cotner came from Carroll county in 1830, and bought land in the northeast quarter of section 18. He set out the second orchard in the township and some of those trees are still standing, of immense size, survivors of pioneer days. Mr. Cotner did not believe in race suicide and was the father of the following thirteen children : William, John, Henry, Peter, Eli, Daniel, Easton, George, David, Samuel, Caroline, Mary and Sarah.

In 1830, Robert McMillen and his widowed mother Jane McMillen, located on section 18 and built a log cabin and began improvements, and soon after came his brothers George, William, James and Thomas, and his sisters Anna, Susan and Sarah. The same year came another family of McMillens, cousins of the former, John, Andrew and Linn McMillen, and settled in sections 21 and 22. The McMillen family became permanent settlers and were prominently and actively engaged in the promotion of everything that was elevating and Christianizing.

In the year 1830 Robert Gibson located on the southeast quarter of section 22 and his brother Joseph Gibson located on the northeast quarter of section 22; Benjamin Adair in section 21, where he resided until 1859 when he moved to Kansas, where he experienced many hardships on account of the border ruffian warfare being carried on there between the free soil and pro-slavery parties. He died there in 1874. His daugh-

John Adair in 1830 settled in the northeast quarter of section 19, where he built the first frame house in the township and also became the first Sunday school superintendent.

Alexander Scott settled on the southeast quarter of section 17, and the first religious services of the Christian denomination were held in his cabin conducted by Elder Scott, and this little band of earnest workers afterward developed into the organization of Shiloh Christian church.

The year 1830 saw a large influx of settlers among whom were such well kno¥m names as Daniel Dale, John Smith, Richard Howard, Daniel Harwood, Hiram Bamett, Dr. James Wilson, Joseph Washburn, Henry Weirick, Daniel Ellsworth, John Eistler, William Lewis, James Harper, Isaac Hodges, Andrew Fletcher.

In 1831 James Homey settled just north of Logansport on a creek that bears his name. He was for several years associate judge of the circuit court and served one term as sheriff in the thirties. His brother Solomon Homey was also an early settler and lived to a ripe old age.

From 1832 to 1835 came the following prominent settlers: Christopher Dale, Sandy Rector, Elizabeth Denbo, Isaac Louderback, John Cary, Joseph and Eli Oliver, Gen. Hyacinth Lasselle, William McKaig^ Ephraim Dukes, James Hensley, William Thornton, Joel Elam, Joseph Henderson, Thompson Barnett, Henry Baum, Peter Barrow, Samuel Bader, Dr. Quick, John Pickett, William Neff.

In 1836 came Joseph Corbitt, David Corbitt, James Corbitt, John Sellers, DeHart Booth, Dixon McCoy, Jacob Suming, Nathan Carey, Andrew Pontius, Capt. William Harrison. The following persons settled in the tO¥mship soon after: Jacob Bookwalter, Thornton Burley, George Trapp, Abraham Woolford, Hugh Hardy, and Hiram Butler, who was the first representative to the state legislature from Noble township and was elected in 1840. Later prominent names are: Harvey Thornton, Walker Henderson, Mishop Binney, Philip Ross. Harvey Brown moved from Logansport to Noble township and in 1844 was elected to the lower house of the state legislation.

John Brandt moved to the township from Logansport in 1847 and was interested in the milling business on Cottonwood creek, and that locality is still known as the Brandt settlement. He was a carpenter and cabinet maker and farmer. He was possessed of more than ordinary intellectual activity and was interested in science, and even in his old age would read astronomical and geological works with avidity.

Noble township was formally organized on March 8, 1836, and not long after the organization an election was held at the residence of Robert McMillen when Joel Elam, James Hensley and Robert McMillen were elected to form the first board of township tmstees, at that time composed of three members. There were but six votes cast at this first township election and it is needless to say the returns were in before midnight and the candidates were not held on the anxious seat very long, nor did they spend sleepless nights waiting for the count.

Noble township is pre-eminently an agricultural district. The south part of the township is generally self-drained by the hilly character of the land and the numerous creeks which fiow through it. Of recent years, many tile ditches, in the central and northern parts of the township, have been put in, until all the waste lands have been made productive - all kinds of grains, fraits and vegetables, indigenous to a tem- perate climate are grown. The sandy, porous soil in some parts produce the largest and finest watermelons for which the township is justly noted.

Noble township lying close to Logansport on the Wabash river and having numerous creeks fed by springs, furnishing convenient water power, was among the first townships to engaged in the mill industry. The first mill in the township was erected in 1831 by Henry Garrett mi his farm in the southeast quarter of section 22. Andrew Waymire was the millwright and did the mechanical work in its construction. He was the first, and for many years, the only millwright in the county and was employed to build a number of mills all over the county. This was a small grist mill for grinding com and buckwheat. The dam was built nortii of where the Delaware (Kuns) road crosses the creek. It was operated only a few years as the water power was not constant.

Gen. Hyacinth Lasselle erected the first sawmill in the township in 1833. It was located at the mouth of Cottonwood creek in the northeast quarter of section 29 and received its motive power from that creek. It was successfully operated for a number of years and was probably the only sawmill in the county outside of Logansport.

Hugh B. McKeen in 1835 built a sawmill near the south end of ** Pitch's Glen," near the present station of Kenneth and the power was derived from the creek flowing through the glen.

The first steam sawmill in the township was erected in 1846 by William McKaig and was located south of Gebhart in ttuB southwest quarter of section 16. It was operated by McKaig and Tuttle, then Uhl and Thompson became owners and they did a large business until 1848 when the mill with thousands of feet of lumber was destroyed by fire.

William and Richard Watts in 1847 built a sawmill on Cottonwod creek in the southeast quarter of section 20. The power was supplied by an old-fashioned over-shot water wheel twenty feet in diameter. This mill was successfully operated for ten or more years and John Brandt and Sons were the last operators. John Brandt built a sawmill on his farm in the northeast quarter of section 20, on Cottonwood creek in 1849 and in connection with this was a lath saw. Mr. Brandt operated these mills for many years. At first the power was supplied by an overshot water wheel but later a modern turbine wheel twenty inches in diameter was introduced. The saw was the old up and down style of pioneer times.

The Ferguson Brothers (James, John and Joseph), erected a steam circular sawmill, at Gebhart in 1860 and operated it until 1864 when Joseph Richards purchased it and installed a muley-saw. Later the property was purchased by Philip Ross and in 1866 by Jacob and William Davidson who continued to run it until 1884 when it ceased operations owing to a want of material.

These mills were erected by the Brandt Brothers in 1857 on Cottonwood creek from which it received its power at first by means of the overshot water wheel but later a *'Jim Leflfer' turbine wheel was substituted. This was the first and only grist mill in the township and Charles A. Brandt, who died January 28, 1913, was its first miller, followed by William H. Brandt who still resides near the site of this old waterpower mill which did a thriving business until 1881, when it closed down owing to newer processes and failure of water power and today there is not a mill in operation within the boundary of Noble township unless it may be a **ginmiir' illegitimately operated by some Italian near the Kenneth stone quarries.

In the early thirties Judge James Homey built a sawmill on Homey creek, in Noble township but the site of this mill is now within the city limits of Logansport just east of Michigan avenue. This mill was operated for some years and was a great convenience to the pioneers in that locality but it has long since passed into desuetude.

From 1869 to 1872 Isaac Rector operated a small shingle mill, making what was called cut shingles. The blocks of wood were steamed and then a knife operated by a % lever would cut the shingles, but it was not profitable and soon ceased operations.

The best quality of lime stone outcrops in the southern part of the township and during the activities of the old canal from 1840 to 1860 lime kilns were operated along the canal quite extensively and large stone quarries were opened, where scores of men were employed in quarrying and loading the stone on canal boats, which was shipped to the towns along the canal for building purposes as far as Fort Wayne on the east and Lafayette on the west. The stone used in building the old courthouse in 1841 was shipped by the canal from these quarries.

A mill to saw stones into slabs for building and other purposes was installed at Corktown on the canal during the forties but did not prove a great success and was operated only for a short time.

Casparis Stone Company in 1892 purchased the Dr. Fitch farm, at what is known now as Kenneth and established the largest stone crushers in northern Indiana, employing several hundred men and ship thousands of car loads of crushed stone, annually. About six years ago the company bought a tract of lime stone lands lying nearly two miles . west of Kenneth, have abandoned the latter and established their crushers at the new location called ** Trimmer'* where the company is carrying on an extensive business.

In the northwest comer of section 28 where flint lime stone abounds, in one comer of the rocky ravines is a large table rock of white sandstone, a remarkable and peculiar geological formation.

Before the days of the canal in 1838 coal could not be procured and blacksmiths had to use charcoal, and the business of making charcoal was quite an industry in Noble township.

The manner of preparation was to stand cordwood on end, making a round conical shaped pile, with several draught openings filled with kindling wood, after the manner of a modern brick-kiln ; then the whole pile of wood was covered over with mud and earth and burned to charcoal.

The first road opened up through the virgin forests of Noble township was the river road down the Wabash about 1830, and the second road of any note was the Chicago road which leads to Royal Center, and the third was the Laporte road which was straightened and now is known as the Pleasant Grove pike. These, however, were simply lanes cut through the forest, and were full of stumps, and in times of rain, mud holes. The roads were first opened up regardless of section lines and generally followed Indian trails. These have been straightened, as a rule, and placed on section lines, except the Royal Center pike which still angles through the township with little regard to surveyed lines. The ** White Post road,'' running westward through the center of the township, is an old road deriving its name from the blazing of trees and the erection of posts painted white in the western sections of the road through the prairies of White county through which it extended.

The first gravel road constructed was the Royal Center pike - built in 1884. It was built by a private company and was a toll road until 1893 when it was purchased by the county. The Pleasant Grove pike was built in 1878 by a company and after several years of operation the company became bankrupt because of suits brought against them for damages by Henry Heil who received injuries owing to neglect to keep the road in repair, obtained judgment and took the road to satisfy this judgment, but the road was worthless as a toll road and the county assumed control without any compensation to Mr. Heil.

The first and only free gravel road built in the township or county, by the county is the road along the north bank of the Wabash river about one and a fourth miles, crossing the railroad at Kenneth and extending west to the Welling stone quarry and another section was built on the Burley Hollow road, reaching to the stone school house. These roads were constructed by the authority and under the direction of the county commissioners and paid for out of the county treasury at a cost of about $1,000.

The Casparis Stone Company have improved the roads leading to their quarries with crushed stone. The first stone road to be built under the township line road law was constructed in 1911 - between Harrison and Noble townships, about five miles in length and known as the Brandt road. The first stone road built under the ** three-mile act" was the Ford's Crossing road in 1912, and designated as the JMeyer road. The first gravel road under the ** three-mile act,'* two miles of gravel and one of stone, and known as the Ross road, was built in 1912 and extends through Burley hollow, then west to the township line.

The second road under this act was built in 1912-13, designated as the Porlow road, extending from the north line of Eel township west on the Delaware road to section 21, thence north to the White Post road, thence east to the Royal Center pike. The abundance of gravel in the hills, and the stone crusher located in the township furnishes cheap road material, and all the principal roads are improved by grading and graveling.

Noble township being in close proximity to Logansport has no towns or villages, but has had stations on the railroads and canal which have traversed the township. Soon after the completion of the canal in 1840, William L. Brown erected a warehouse on the canal near Fitch's Glen to store his own grain from the adjoining farm and for some years bought and shipped grain and this point became quite a trading post but the business closed with the canal after railroads were completed.

The Chicago and state line divisions of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Vandalia Railroad traverse this township. There is a flag station, ** Verona,*' on the latter road near the northeast corner of the township. There is a side track here for the accommodation of heavy freight.

Gebhart is a railroad station near the center of the township and Ford's Crossing, another, to the northwest, both on the Chicago division of the Pennsylvania railroad. A postoffice was established at Gebhart soon after the road was completed about 1862 and John Davidson was the postmaster, but the office was discontinued about seven years later. Ford's Crossing was established in 1876 and a few houses built, a postoffice established, a country store opened, and an Evangelical church erected which were operated until about 1900, when Samuel Granel, who was the last storekeeper and postmaster, threw up the office and quit the store, and soon after even the church was removed and Ford's Crossing is only a flag station for southbound trains, as the northbound trains to Chicago now go by way of the Royal Center cut-oflf to avoid the steep grade north of Logansport.

Kenneth and Trimmer are flag stations on the state line division of the Pennsylvania. The former was established and a postoffice located there about 1892 when the Casparis Stone Company opened its quarries, but when the company moved its stone crushers to Trimmer Kenneth became only a flag station, and Trimmer is a regular station for local trains. The postoffice at Kenneth was discontinued with the establishment of rural mail service in 1903.

It is reported that the first railroad in the township was the ** Underground Railroad," which only carried **dark goods" and operated its trains after night, and that station agents communicated with each other by wireless telegraphy even in that early day. Abe Lincolfi, however, by freeing the negroes, caused the railroad to wind up its business,

Whilst the pioneers were largely dependent upon brawn and muscle for clearing the forests and developing the country, yet they were not unmindful of the value of an educated and weU-trained brain to guide their brawny arms, and early sought means to develop the mental faculties of their children as best they could in their forest homes.

According to the best authority, the^ first schoolhouse in the township was built as early as 1832 or 1833 on the Jane McMillen farm (her son Robert living with her at that time), situated in the southwest comer of section 18, not far from the west line of the township, and a Mr. Dunlap was the first teacher.

This was a primitive structure, eighteen feet square, made of round logs, chinked with sticks and clay mud, clapboard roof weighted down by poles, puncheon floor, fireplace made of nigger-heads, with a stick and mud chimney, a log cut out and oiled paper pasted over the opening for a window, under which a shelf made of a split log smoothed down with an ax and resting on wooden pins driven into auger holes in the logs, this constituted the writing desk for the entire school, who took turns at writing.

Seats were made of similar split logs resting on two wooden pins at each end ; the door, constructed of puncheons held together by wooden pins, hung on wooden hinges and fastened by a wooden latch. This was surely a wooden age, and certainly not an iron age, as not an article in the whole temple of learning was made of anything other than wood, except the mud and stone in the fireplace and cracks between the logs.

The first religious service held in the township outside of private houses was conducted in this cabin by Father Post, and the first Sunday school organized by John Adair. This house was replaced by a hewed log structure erected a mile to the south on the southeast quarter of section 19, about 1843, and in 1850 a frame house was erected one hundred rods to the southeast. This building was destroyed by fire and a stone schoolhouse was built in 1862 on the northwest quarter of section

The second schoolhouse in the township was built about 1833 or 1834 in the northeast quarter of section 22. Lewis McMillen attended this school in 1838 when Mrs. Bradley was the teacher. Dr. Joseph Thornton, in a well-written article on the first school in Noble township, says this building was erected in 1832, and describes the surroundings as follows: **As the children made their way through the forest, the deer, startled by their approach, would lift their heads, gaze and gallop away. The wolf, too, and bear were not strangers in the vicinity of this schoolhouse, but when the stars came out, they would make night hideous with their blood-curdling howls, at which little children would shrink indoors and cling to mother's side. Nor did mature men dare to go far from the sheltering roof after dark because of danger of attack from ferocious beasts. My brother once returning after nightfall from a neighbor's home, when passing the spot where the new schoolhouse was in process of erection, stopped to see what progress had been made. Out of the dense forest which lay all around came the sound of snapping and howling of* hungry wolves, and looking in the direction of the noise he could see the eyes of the wolves glaring like balls of fire out of the darkness. He must act quickly. Seizing a club that fortune had placed at his^feet, he hurled it at the pack of wolves with all his might, at the same time rushing at them with a shout. They turned and ran, and he was not long in reaching home, a quarter of a mile distant."

About 1837-8 a hewed log schoolhouse was built on the Eoyal Center pike near where the Indian creek road branches off, and Frank Harwood attended in that year, with William Lewis as teacher. This log house was purchased by Thompson Bamett and moved to College hill and used as a stable, and a frame building was erected on the site of Center schoolhouse. This was replaced in 1881 by the present structure. School No. 1.

What is known as **East Sandridge" school near the center of section 11, was built of round logs in 1836, and a few years later was burned down and a hewed log building erected. In 1858 this was replaced by a frame house, and in 1878 was moved and a brick building erected, and in 1885 it was destroyed by fire. A new house was at once erected in 1910 ; this was also burned down, when the present brick schoolhouse was erected. Among the early teachers at East Sandridge were Joel Elam, William Mitchell, Julia Ellis and Ellen Comingore; the latter is still a teacher in Logansport, having continuously taught school for over fifty years.

In 1840 a log schoolhouse was built on the southwest quarter of section 8 and in the same year a log house was erected on the northeast quarter of section 20, which was destroyed by fire, with all the scholars' books, in 1843. During the year 1847 a frame schoolhouse was built on the southwest quarter of section 21, known as Liberty school, and it was used also for holding singing schools, debates, and other meetings for many years, and **01d Liberty" became famous in the history of the township.

A frame schoolhouse was built in 1861 on the southwest quarter of section 24, just north of Logansport. This building was sold hy Trustee I. N. Watts in 1876, and abandoned as a schoolhouse. In 1862 a frame schoolhouse was built on the Watts farm, southwest quarter of section 17. This building was sold in 1881 and replaced by a brick structure. This was known as the "red schoolhouse," as the old house was painted red. A frame building erected in 1868 on the southwest quarter of section 9 was sold in 1892 and replaced by the present brick house by S. J. Carney, trustee. This school is known as **West Sandridge.'"

School No. 2, known as *' Walnut Grove," built in 1872, located on the southwest quarter of section 21, was closed in 1908 by Trustee Philip Busard, owing to the paucity of pupils.

In 1854-5 Miner Graham taught a school in an old house located in the southeast quarter of section 7. The Veal schoolhouse, located on west half of section 6, built in 1844, was later moved across the line into Jefferson township.

** Pleasant Grove" schoolhouse (district No. 8), located near the northwest corner of section 24, is a brick building erected in 1896 by Trustee W. W. Moss. There have been a total of twenty-eight different school buildings erected in the township, four of which have been destroyed by fire; ten log buildings, ten frame, six brick and one stone. There are at present seven schoolhouses, the estimated value of which is $8,000 ; number of pupils of school age, 280, and length of school term, 140 days.

The pioneers brought with them into the wilderness of Noble township the spirit of the Master, and never faltered in the discharge of their .religious duty, although no organization was effected or houses of worship erected for several years after the settlement of the township.

The first religious meeting in the township was conducted by Bev. M. M. Post (Presbyterian), at the cabin of Jane McMillen in 1831, who then lived in section 18. Father Post continued these meetings at regular intervals, and as a result of his labors an organization was effected in 1832, which soon increased to a membership of eighty.

Meetings were held at the residence of Mrs. McMiUen until 1836, at which time a hewed log church was erected, Jane McMillen donating the ground for the purpose, situated in section 18. Rev. Post looked after the spiritual interests of this little flock for several years and did much toward placing it on a substantial basis. He was succeeded by Rev. Robert Rankin, whose pastorate extended over a period of four or five years, and at the expiration of his term no other preacher was employed. The members continued to meet from time to time, but the congregation was finally disbanded, some of the communicants identifying themselves with the Logansport church and others living in Jefferson township, assisted in the organization of Pisgah church in that township. Deeds were never made for the ground on which the log church stood, and when the adjoining farm was sold the church structure was converted into a stable and abandoned for church purposes in the later forties.

A Sunday school was organized at the residence of Jane McMillen in 1831, with John Adair as superintendent, but this was disbanded with the church organization.

Meetings of the Christian denomination were first held in Noble township by Alexander Scott as early as 1832, but an organization was not perfected until 1854 under the leadership of Rev. Nicholas Myers. In 1845 an attempt was made to organize a society at the residence of Wm. P. Watts, but was not successful and it was not until December 1, 1854, that a permanent organization was perfected and measures taken to build a house of worship, on ground donated by John Watts in 1831, for burial and church purposes, situated in the southeast comer of the southwest quarter of section 17, Noble township.

The leading charter members were: Wm. P. Watts and wife, Mrs. Sarah Watts, John W. Oliver and wife, L#avina Rector, John R. Watts, Peter Cotner, Jacob Neflf and wife, and John Cotner. Soon after a subscription paper was circulated to raise funds to build a church and was signed by every one in the neighborhood, of all religious beliefs, as the church was to be open to all religious denominations, although nominally controlled by the Christian denomination.

The funds were soon raised and the contract for the construction of a frame church was let to Peter Cotner for the sum of $376.78. The work was done in the summer of 1855 under the supervision of Wm. P. Watts, Peter Cotner and Jacob Neflf as trustees of the church and building committee. The church was not completed until the fall of 1856. The dedicatory service was conducted by the pastor, Rev. Nicholas Myers, assisted by Revs. William T. Winegardner, E. Tillman and George Abbott. The first service held in the new church before it was plastered was the funeral of Mrs. Sarah H. Watts, wife of Israel Watts, who died May 10, 1856, conducted by Rev. Nicholas Myers. In 1885 the congregation had outgrown the capacity of the old church and the present frame church edifice replaced the original one. This is a commodious building 36x46 feet in dimensions and represents a capital of $1,500. The trustees who superintended its construction were Wm. P. Watts,. I. N. Watts, Samuel Ross, C. A. Brandt and E. E. McKaig. . The new church was completed and dedicated December 20, 1885, by Rev. John E. Puckett, a former pastor, assisted by Rev. Wm. Winegardner. The first children's day ever held by this congregation was in June, 1886, and these exercises have been continued each year to the present time. Memorial day services have also been held each year for more than thirty years at which time the soldiers' graves in the adjoining cemetery are decorated with flowers and flags. For many years preaching has been held once a month with three services, Saturday evening, Sunday morning and evening. In recent years the trustees have purchased three acres of land adjoining the church yard, on which is a beautiful grove of native trees, in which the annual Sunday school picnic is held. A well of pure cold water has been sunk on the lot, making this an ideal picnic ground.

A Sunday school was organized June 3, 1860, with Aaron Dawson as superintendent. For many years the Sunday school was reorganized every spring and only continued during the summer and fall, closing at Christmas with a grand celebration and Christmas tree. Since 1878, however, the Sunday school has been continued throughout the year. The following persons have acted as superintendents of the Sunday school: Aaron Dawson, I860; Isaiah Bickle, Elijah Tillman, George Bussard, P. K. Dill, Martha Bussard, Sol. D. Brandt, Joseph Winegardner, Samuel M. Blew, I. N. Watts, Jacob Cochley, Philip Bussard, W. A. Light, Emanuel Raver, James Lattourette, Mrs. Anna B. Brandt, Prank Hardy, Jacob Myers, A. O.

The present oflScers are : President of church committee, Philip Bussard ; clerk, Mrs. Etta Bussard ; treasurer, Anna B. Brandt ; deacons, W. A. Light and P. A. Bussard ; trustees, W. A. Light, Warren Ross, Elijah Leach, Frank A. Hardy, A. 0. Brandt.

The Methodist families who constituted this class formerly belonged to the Logansport church, but in the early fifties, under the management of Rev. T. S. Webb, presiding elder at Valparaiso, Indiana, and Rev. Wm. Reder, after a series of revival meetings held in the Soward or Liberty schoolhouse in Noble township, an organization was perfected about 1854. The following are some of the charter members: Wm. McKIaig and wife, Wm. Long and wife, Thomas Soward and wife, Thornton Burley and wife, Michael Bachman and wife, Edward Irvin and wife, Philip Ross and wife, Joseph Lattourette and wife, Dixon Mc- Coy and wife.

Wm. McKaig, Wm. Long and Thomas Soward were the first trustees and under their management a church edifice was erected, on land donated by Edward Irvin, situated in the southwest quarter of section 16, Noble township, and named after the presiding elder, Rev. Webb. The church was dedicated to the service of the Lord on February 10, 1855. The congregation flourished for many years, but being only three miles from Logansport many of its members affiliated with the city churches and Webb chapel was correspondingly weakened and suspended active work in 1881, but a Sunday school, for all denominations, was maintained and regular preaching held by different ministers. In 1908 a revival was instituted and a membership of forty-two secured; the old church building that had become dilapidated was remodeled and rebuilt and was rededicated on February 10, 1908, fifty-three years after the first dedication. Rev. W. C. Aye, the pastor, preached the dedicatory sermon from the same text (Song of Solomon 6-10) that had been used fifty-three years before, and Rev. W. S. Stewart read an original poem appropriate to the occasion.

gathered together a few of the faithful of this denomination at the residence of Samuel M. Cogley, a half mile east of Ford's Crossing on the Royal Center pike, and perfected an organization with the following charter members: F. B. Lutman and wife, Amos Sweigard and wife, Charles F. Sheets and wife, Samuel M. Cogley and wife, Jane, Ellen and Lizzie Cogley. Meetings were held at the residence of Mr. Cogley and at West Sandridge schoolhouse until 1881 when a commodious temple of worship, 30x40 feet, was erected at Ford's Crossing, being located in the southeast quarter of section 5, Noble township. This was a frame structure and had a seating capacity of two hundred. For sometime after the erection of the church the society took on, renewed energy and life and prospered, but deaths, removals and other reasons caused a decrease in membership and a gradual disintegration and in 1901 the organization was disbanded, the church building torn do\^Ti and moved to Royal Center. The congregation was without a pastor for eight years prior to 1901, but the Sunday school that was organized with the advent of the church was maintained until the final abandonment of the church in 1901.

John Watts, Sr., donated land for this church and burial ground about 1833, but he executed no deeds, and his son, William P. Watts, on April 21, 1855, deeded one acre, situated in the southeast comer of the southwest quarter of section 17, Noble township, and on June 6, 1885, Peter Cotner deeded one acre of land donated by James Hood, who also failed to make a deed, out of the northeast comer of the northwest quarter of section 20. Again, on August 15, 1904, William H. Watts deeded a tract of land adjoining the above to the trustees of the church. On August 13, 1904, the trustees made a plat of this ground, but it is not of record. This is a finely located burial ground, with groves of native timber back of it,^ which belong to the church.

This graveyard lies thirty rods south of the White Post road, on quite an elevated tract, has numerous monuments, but is unkept. A driveway leads from the road, through a gate and lane to the grounds.

On March 18, 1845, James Harper conveys to the commissioners of Cass county twelve rods square of ground near the center of the northwest quarter of section 22, Noble township, as a burial ground, with right of way to the same.

Israel Graham on February 23, 1853, deeded this ground to James Horney, trustee of Noble township, for a schoolhouse and burial ground. In that day there were three trustees, Joel Elam and James Hensley being the other, two. This burial place is situated in the northwest quarter of section 11 and is well located on a sandy knoll west of the schoolhouse, but is poorly kept by the township,- to whom it belongs.

First Burials - Ebenezer and Debora Harwood, grandparents of F. M. Harwood of Logansport, died 1836 and 1840; Daniel Harwood, son of above-named, died 1837; Sylvanus Harwood, 1846; wife of John Denbo, 1845 ; wife of Israel Graham, 1855.

James Homey established a family burial ground on his farm, two or three miles north of Logansport on the Clifton avenue road, in the northwest quarter of section 13, where Judge James Horney was buried in 1882, and Mrs. Homey in 1898 ; Solomon Horney, 1895, and several children and grandchildren from 1856 to 1880.

This little burial lot is situated about two miles north of Logansport and twenty rods east of the Kewanna pike on the old Shields farm, in the southwest quarter of section 13, Noble township, and not a half mile west of the Horney burial ground. Joshua Shields entered this land in an early day, and, like many pioneers, entombed his dead on some elevated spot under the boughs of the forest trees that surrounded liis lonely cabin home.

Formerly the Pleasant Grove road ran close by this burial ground, but when that road was straightened and graveled in 1878 it left this lot twenty rods to the east.

orchard. A few years later two children of John Conner, aged seven and five, were buried in this orchard on this hillside, but the house and orchard were destroyed. The little occupants of these graves sleep on regardless of their unmarked and forgotten graves.

Bookwalter Cemetery

This graveyard is situated in the corner of a field one-fourth of a mile north of Henry Seybold's residence and about one-half mile west of Burley hollow. It is fenced but grown up with bushes and briers and sadly neglected. There are probably seventy-five or more graves, half of which are unmarked.

Soldiers - Joseph Barron, Company K, Ninth Indiana; Marshall Burley, Company K, One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Indiana ; he died in the South in 1864.

Jacob Bookwalter, who owned the adjoining farm in the forties, donated this ground for cemetery and church purposes, but the church was never built.

On February 19, 1848, Mr. Bookwalter deeded a lot 14x21 rods in the southwest quarter of section 19, Noble township, to trustees of the Methodist Episcopal church. Christian Bodabaugh, Thornton Burley and John Adair, to be known as the Bookwalter meeting house and burial ground. On March 22, 1881, Thornton Burley and Jacob Bookwaiter, as trustees of the Bookwalter Methodist Episcopal churchyard, for the election of whom see Deed Record G, page 47, deeded back the above described lot to Jacob Bookwalter. On June 25, 1889, Jacob Bookwalter deeded the same to William P. Louthain, H. Price, G. W. Murphy, J. H. Ramey and Benjamin Gear, trustees of United Brethren church, for a burial ground forever.

They are to keep the ground in order and may erect a church. They have not kept the ground in order, and the place is abandoned as a burial ground. It is the fashion today to abandon and neglect the small pioneer burial grounds and build up large cities of the dead as weU as to leave the farm for the cities of the living.

But what is this lifeless clay That we so tenderly lay away? It's only a hut that I am quitting, It's a garment no more fitting. It's a cage from which at last^ Like a bird, my soul has passed, ** 'Tis an empty seashell - one Out of which the pearl has gone,*' The broken shell lies under the sod, The pearl, the soul, has gone to God.

First Birth - The first white child bom in the township was Asenath, daughter of James and Elizabeth Hood, in 1834, and the same year Eli, son of John and Martha Watts, was bom.

The first frame house in the township was built by John Adair on the northeast quarter of section 19, alK)ut 1833, and the first brick residence was built by Robert Gibson.

The first rural free mail route in the county wa^ established in Noble township in 1900, and Joseph Gibson was the first carrier. Since then complete free rural mail service has been established until every resident of the township has a daily mail at his door.

Cottonwood creek ran under the canal and during a freshet in June, 1844, the culvert under the canal became clogged with debris and washed out a section of the canal.

A packet boat named *' Kentucky,*' carrying United States mail and passengers from the west, ran into this crevice and was wrecked, killing three passengers. Several others clung to logs and were saved.

Jacob Summy was a cripple and a unique character in early canal days, who kept a little store and whiskey shop at the stone quarry euphoneously called **Corktown," from the number of bottles that were uncorked at that place. He reid the Scriptures and could quote it better than any minister, but he did not follow its teachings very rigidly. He had a fondness for old axes and had a collection of hundreds of all makes.

July 23, 1876, Jennie and Manda Pritchard, aged eight and twelve years, daughters of Hugh Pritchard, while starting a fire with kerosene were fatally burned and died a few hours after the accident.

In 1882 t\\e remains of a woman were found in Burley hollow, supposed to be a stranger and insane, as such a person had been seen in the neighborhood.

Daniel Ellsworth, an early settler, was found dead in the woods near the McKaig sawmill. Cause of his death a mystery. He reposes in Shiloh cemetery.

In an early day a workman, name unknown, who was helping to make repairs on the canal lock near Kenneth, was killed by a pile of heavy timber falling on him.

Timothy 0. Driscoll, in the fall of 1872, fell out of the door of a whiskey shop near Corktown on the old canal, and broke his neck - another victim of drink.

A prize fight was touched off at the old log school house that stood on the Royal Center pike where the Indian creek road branches to the north. Sidney Baldwin was the teacher. A number of large boys, among whom were Dave Barnett and Albert Thornton, arranged for a prize fight to a finish with bare fists.

also badly bruised and was confined to the house for three days. Mr. Baldwin attempted to interfere and stop the fight, but four of the big boys seized and held him until the fight was ended.

This is but one incident of the rough character of the big boys at school in pioneer days. They were often rough in their manners, but possessed big hearts as well as strong arms.

Perhaps no farm in the county is as beautifully situated, has more extensive improvements or more distinguished proprietors than this farm, now owned by the Casperis Stone Company.

This is fractional section 28, containing three hundred and seventyfive acres. Hugh B. McKeen, one of the first settlers in Logansport, entered this land in 1836 and built a sawmill at the mouth of Fitches Glen.

Peter Barron then occupied the farm, which was a part of the Barron reserve. About the year 1846, Col. William L. Brown of Logansport bought the farm and proceeded to improve it more grandly than any farm in the township. It occupies an elevated plateau about one hundred and fifty feet above the Wabash river, with a magnificent view across the valley of the Wabash, a precipitous hillside down to the river, and Fitches Glen, the most romantic canyon in northern Indiana, cutting its way through the limestone rock, through which flows a crystal stream over rocky ledges, forming beautiful waterfalls.

The house built by Mr. Brown stood on the verge of the bluflf. A stone wall five hundred or six hundred feet long and from five to twentyfive feet high extended along the hillside. The rest of the hill was terraced, presenting a castellated appearance.

At the west end of this terraced area were stone steps leading from the foot of the hill to the top landing near the veranda of the spacious dwelling which was surrounded by a beautiful level lawn, interspersed with handsome shade trees. A short distance west of the house was the famed Fitches Glen, from the brink of which you could sit in the summer shade and view the clear waters falling precipitously over the craggy rocks. To the east of the house were rows of shade trees, through which the road was constructed that wound around on an even gradient to the foot of the hill one hundred and fifty feet below. Large native sugar trees extending for half a mile along the crest of the bluff were topped and trimmed and many other improvements and changes made to beautify the place. Mr. Brown installed a hydraulic ram which forced the water from a spring in the glen to his dwelling on the hill. This was the most beautiful as well as the most lavishly improved farm premises in the county and Mr. Brown christened it * ' Chapultapec, " the Gibraltar of Mexico.

William L. Brown, banker, merchant, farmer, soldier, son of William and Eleanor (Lyon) Brown, was born in Ohio in 1817, and came with his parents to Logansport in 1840. His father was a merchant and died in 1859.

William L. Brown was married to Elizabeth Purveyance in 1849. Their children were William I., now residing in Logansport, Eleanor H., Frederick S., Daisy (Rizer), James A. and Charles H. Mr. Brown afl&liated with the Presbyterian church and had three brothers who were Presbyterian ministers. He served as a lieutenant during the Mexican war, was colonel of the Twentieth Indiana Regiment during the Civil war, and was killed at the battle of Bull Run, August 29, 1862. History ascribes to him the credit of being a '* brave man, a judicious officer and a rigid disciplinarian.'*

The following list of automobile owners is an indication of the prosperity of Noble township farmers and in striking contrast to the oxcart of eighty years ago :