Huntington County, Indiana - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 17 of those read), 1887

WARRE]Sr TOWNSHIP. - Warren originally formed a part of Clear Creek Township, and was set apart as a distinct division in June, ]8o3. It includes a superficial area of twentyfour square miles in the northwest corner of Huntington County, bounded on the north by Whitley County, on the east by Clear Creek Township, on the south by Dallas Township, on the west by Wabash County, and forms part of Township 39 north, Range 8 east, of the Congressional survey. The surface of the country is quite level, requiring artificial drainage to bring the greater part of the land into successful cultivatian. The soil is a black loam, very fertile and well adapted to general farming. All the crops grown in this part of the State being sure of rapid growth and large returns. There is perhaps a greater amount of drain tile used by the farmers of Warren than by those of any other township in the county, there being a perfect net work underlying all parts of the country. By this means large bodies of wet lands have been successfully reclaimed, and in localities once considered almost worthless are now to be seen some of the most fertile and best improved farms in the township.

Warren is a heavily timbered district, but the greater part of the dense forests which greeted the eyes of the pioneers has been gradually cleared and brought into cultivation. Timber is still an important factor in the township, and immense quantities are every year manufactured into lumber and shipped to various parts of the country. .

Settlement. - The first permanent settler withm the present limits of Warren Township, was George Sellers who moved from Stark County, Ohio, in the spring of 1836, and located a home m Section 11. He was a widower, and had a family of three sons and four daughters, all of whom lived in the wagon until a house could be erected, an undertaking which required a couple of weeks of very hard and laborious toil. Unlike many of the pioneers of a new country, Mr. Sellers possessed considerable means which by judicious investments in land enabled him as years went by to accumulate a handsome property. He died in the township several years ago. A son, George Sellers, .Jr., also an early settler, is one of the prominent residents of Warren at the present time. Thomas Staley was, perhaps, the next person to attempt a settlement in the township, his arrival anti-dating the year 1837. He came from Ohio, also, and settled in Section 3, where he lived for a number of years, disposing of his place in a later day and moving from the county. The place upon which he settled is now owned by Emery Slusser. George Slusser, in the spring of 1837, settled where Frank Sprinkle lives, in the eastern part of the township, and the same year the Hockensmith farm, a short distance east of Bippus, was settled by Henry Kuntz. Hiram Westover was an early settler in Section 9, and about the year 1840 or 1841, George Slusser, cousin to the Slusser above named, is reputed to have been living in Section 34. Conspicuous among the comers of 1840, was John Altman, who improved the farm where his widow still lives in Section 14. He was a man of intelligence, and in an early day filled the offices of Justice of the Peace and Township Trustee. C. Dailey, an early pioneer of Clear Creek, moved from that township to Warren, about the year 1840 or 1843, and settled where Dr. Trembley now lives on the present site of Bippus.

In 1838, John Funk, a native of Ohio, came to Huntington County, and a little later took possesssion of a tract of land in Section 15, which his father had formerly entered. He began improving the same in 1840, but did not become a permanent resident of the township until some time in the fifties. He cleared a small patch of ground and set out an orchard and in 1843, taught the first school in the township in a little log building on Section 14. Mr. Funk has always taken an active interest in the affairs of the township and is quoted as an authority on everything that pertains to its history.

As early as 1839 or 1840, one Michael Smith, rented the Finkenbiner place. Section 14, where in connection with farming he for some years carried on the shoemaker's trade.

Peter Kitt, in 1841, settled in the northeast corner of the township, and about the same year, William Guffin, Jacob ShuU and Ezra Thome moved to the county; the first named settling near the Whitley County line, Section 3, Mr. ShuJl in the same section, and Thorne in the southern part of the township.

The following settlers came in an early day and took an active part in the developement of the township, to-wit: George France, Daniel Dishung, Jacob Myers, David Shoemaker, Peter Gressley, John Byers, George Brugh, Samuel Funk, John T. Cook, and Mr. Noyer.

choosing the necessary township officials. Jacob ShuU was appointed Inspector, and the canvass of the votes showed the following officers elected: Christian Dailey, George France and John T. Cook, Trustees; William T. Guffin, Clerk; James White, Treasurer, and John Funk. Constable. The last board of Trustees was composed of John Funk, EHas Sprinkle, and Peter Elser. The first single Trustee was John Altman. The Trustee at this time is Thomas Bolinger; Justices of the Peace, Philip Bolinger and Levi Kuntz.

The first mill in the township was built by Joseph Miller^ about the year 1885, and stood on Section 23. It was started as a saw mill, but machinery for the grinding of grain was subsequently attached, thus relieving the neighbors of the necessity of traveling to remote parts of the country for their breadstuffs. It did a good business, was in operation for a period of six or eight years, and finally burned down. Messrs. Howenstine and Brightmire were the last owners. A steam saw mill was built at Claysville, some time in the fifties, by a Mr. Bolinger, which did a fair business for several years. It passed through the hands of different parties and was finally moved from the township. A Mr. Cole built a steam saw mill in the southeastern part of the township many years ago, which manufactured much of the lumber used by the settlers of that locality. At this time there are four saw mills in the township operated by the following men: Bradley Howenstine, Reuben Bentz, Mossman & Smith, and Mossman & Co. The other industries of the township are two tile factories, operated by Bender Bros., and George Eickard, and two large cider mills, by Bolinger & Krider, and L. Everhart.

The religious history of the township dates from quite an early day, many of the pioneers having been active members of the church before moving to the new country. The first meeting was held at the residence of George Sellers in 1839, by a traveling minister of the Methodist denomination, and later in the same year a society of the United Brethren Church was organized and a log building for public worship erected on the land of George Slusser, in the eastern part of the township. This house while erected nominally as a United Brethren Church was placed as the disposal of all denominations, and services were frequently conducted by various members. The United Brethren Society continued to increase in members and influence and early became a potent factor for good in the community. Many of the substantial citizens having been enrolled among its members. A new frame building was erected about the year 1875 or 1876, and at this time the organization is in a prosperous condition, supporting preaching at regular intervals and a good Sunday School.

The Lutherans organized a church in an early day, and erected a house of worship about a mile west of the village of Bippus. The society is still kept up and has a substantial mem- bership. The German Baptist was early represented in the township, and in 1881, that denomination in connection with the Evangelical Lutherans erected what is known as the Union Church, in Section 15, a large and commodious brick building representing a capital of about $4,500. Meetings are held by denominations. Elder David Krider preaching for the Baptists, and Rev. Thomas Bolinger for the Lutherans. The Brethren or progressives of the German Baptist order use the house at intervals also, their ministers being Rev. William Summers and Reuben Binkley. The Albright denomination or Evangelical Church have an- organization at the village of Bippus, which dates its history from about the year 1885. A beautiful brick temple of worship was erected in the summer of that year at a cost of $2,300. The present pastor is Rev. A. S. Fisher.

The first birth in the township was that of Thomas Staley, which occurred in the year 1839. The first marriage was solemnized in 1837, the contracting parties being William Delvin and Susan, daughter of George and Sophia Sellers. George Sellers, Jr., and Rebecca Stally were married in an early day also. The first death in the township was that of Mr. Noyer, who was accidentally killed by the falling of a tree in 1841. A couple of years later William Stally, while cutting a bee tree was killed by a piece of a dead limb falling upon his head. St. Peter's Cemetery in Section 15, is the oldest burying ground in the township, the first person laid to rest therein being Sarah, daughter of John Altman, whose death occurred in 1844. Jacob ShuU, one of the pioneers of the township, was the second' person buried at this place, his death occurring a little later.

The first orchards in the township were set out by John Altman, George Sellers and John Funk, and the first wheat was raised by George Slusser. The first road was the one leading from Huntington to Goshen, cut through the township as early as 1838. A section of this highway was cleared of logs the following year by John Funk.

Village of Claysville (Bracken Postoffice), in Sections 9 and 10, was laid out in an early day on the land of Hiram Westover. It early became the chief source of supplies for the surrounding country, and among its business men from time to time were James Ferguson, Smith & Blood, Frank Sprinkle and Thomas Bolinger. There are at this time two general stores, kept by Elias Sprinkle and William Moffat. Charles W. Fry is the resident physician of the place, and tbe village blacksmith is Robert King.

Bippus. - The Village of Bippus on the C. & A. Railroad in the southern part of the township was laid out into lots by Jacob Coblentz about the year 1884. Prior to that time, however, a small store had been started in the place by Joseph Sell, who for several years carried on the goods business in connection with his trade of wagon making. When the C. & A. road was constructed efforts were made to secure a station; but unfortu- nately for the village the depot was erected nearly a mile east of the town, a fact which hae doubtless prevented the place from becoming one of the flourishing towns of the county. Since the completion of the road, however, the village has been quite a good trading point, and has at this time three business houses kept by G. R. Stillwell, Sell & Co., and W. D. Suit, the first two handling general merchandise, and the last named carrying a full line of drugs.

The following medical men have practiced the healing art in the village at different times, viz. : Joshua Simons, Dr. Peters, William Deidrich, John Horn, J. D. Horn and G. D. Trembley, the last named being the present physician.

The mechanics of the village are Simon Bolinger and Philip King, blacksmiths; Jacob Lent, Ephriam Brightmire, Jacob Lament and J. W. Graybill, carpenters.

In the year 1884 a large saw mill was built in the village by Hoffman & Co., who subsequently sold out to Jacob Nye, Jr., and he in turn to Mossman & Co., the present proprietors. The mill does a very large business, and is one of the most successful industries of the kind in Huntington County. The other manufacturing interests of the place are a tile mill operated by the Bender Bros., and a hoop factory carried on by the same firm.