LaPorte County, Indiana - Chapter 9: Development - the Smaller Centers, 1904

It was not long after the country put on an appearance of advancing civilization, that centers of manufacture, and of industrial and commercial life, began to be formed. It was natural that the store, the postoffice, the church, and the school be located near the sawmill or the grist mill to which the settlers frequently resorted. Those who were engaged in mechanical, industrial or commercial pursuits would have their houses near their place of business. There the preacher, the teacher and the doctor would reside. Others, attracted to the - spot by the advantages to be derived from society, would make their homes there if they could do so. Hence there came to be centers of civilization or hamlets and villages, some of which, according to the law of the sur¬ vival of the fittest, became towns and cities ; while others disappeared, leaving only a few vestiges of their former life and activity. The surround¬ ing country settling up so steadily reminds one of the star dust of which worlds are said to be formed, and these centers of civilization remind one of the nuclei which are said to grow into worlds and go whirling through their orbits. Or, these villages and towns are like the ganglionic centers of the nervous system. It is proposed in the present and following chapters to notice the cases which LaPorte county presents of this process of formation.

early settlers of New Durham township. In 1832 the township had gained so many settlers that it attained almost to a community. In 1833 James W. Payne, John P. Noble, Eliza Cole, Henry N. Cathcart, W. F. Cattron, John Warnock and J. R. Reed arrived. In 1834 John Charlesworth, Thomas C. Reynolds, William Reed, M. S. Wright, M. W. Robertson, Ralph Loomis, C. R. Robertson, William W. and W. L. Webster and Shep Crumpacker became settlers. In 1835 J. M. and J. G. Warnock, James M. Ray and Samuel S. Davis located in the township. Some of these became distinguished names. It was not long before there were, in New Durham township, four centers of civilization.

The first was New Durham. The first house in this hamlet was a log cabin in which Leonard Woods had a store. This made the spot a place of resort, and as a natural result a hotel, a wagon factory and blacksmith shop and other branches of business located there. In 1837 it had become quite a village, and a postoffice was established there, with William Taylor as postmaster. In 1847 Joseph Davis filed a plat of the village, in the office of the county recorder. But the rail¬ road came to Wcstville and in 1854 the decline of the village was marked bv the removal of the postoffice to Beaver Dam, where Sylvester GofF was appointed postmaster. Many of the build¬ ings of New Durham have been moved awav ; some to Westville, others to serve as farm houses, and there are few remaining signs of its former life. During its best days John Armstrong es¬ tablished a store, and Henry Herrold a black¬ smith shop, at the crossroads at the head of Flood's grove about half a mile distant. So great was the rivalry between these two settlements that the latter called New Durham "Pinhook," and in return was called "Squatham," names which still attach to the two localities. At New Durham there are now only a few houses, a church, a schoolhouse arid a cemetery ; and Squatham can hardly be distinguished from any other spot in a farming country. But though the village is gone, the rich prairies and beautiful groves remain.

The second village in New Durham township was Holmesville, which took its name from Hiram Holmes, who owned the land where it was located. Here the first nucleus of a settlement was a saw¬ mill, whose proprietor, Jacob Bryant, built the first dwelling house, a frame building made of lumber sawed at the mill, later occupied by John Moorman. This was in 1833. The plat of the village was filed for record October 2, 1855, but it grew little after the location of the railroad in 1852. In 1852 a postoffice was established, with one Prosser as postmaster. In an early day two suicides occurred here, several persons have been killed on the railroad, and there have been several railroad accidents near by. In the eighties Samuel S. Davis, a very enterprising man, was postmaster, and Holmesville had a combined grocery and saloon. The people of the locality are mostly Germans and Poles. The place is so small that it can hardly be called a village, but it is in the midst of a good farming community. Several of the Lake Shore Railroad employes have their homes there.

The third village to be formed in New Dur¬ ham township was Otis. The first name of this place was Salem Crossing, given to it by the Mich¬ igan Southern Railroad in 1852, which was the name recognized by the United States government when the postoffice was established there. Mat¬ thias Seberger was the first postmaster. When the Louisville, New Albany and Chicago - now the "Monon" - Railroad was built through the place in 1853, that corporation named it LaCroix. As it was confusing to call the place by two names, years afterward some offered as a sub¬ stitute the name of Packard, after the Hon. Jasper Packard, at that time the representative to Con¬ gress, and for a time that name prevailed ; but the modesty of that gentleman led him to recommend another name, and accordingly, in 1872, the name was changed to Otis. But it is still LaCroix in the county recorder's office. Matthias Seberger was the first settler in Otis, arriving in 1851. In 1853 the Michigan Southern Railroad was com¬ pleted, and Matthias Seberger served as ticket agent for both roads. During the Civil war all who went south from northeastern Indiana were compelled to come to Otis and take the Monon line, the hotel was always full of travelers, and it was a lively place. Otis now contains a Lutheran church, a Catholic church and school, five or six general stores, a drug store, a few saloons, a hotel, a number of dwelling houses, and the shops which usually go with such a settlement. Being a rail¬ road junction it is the home of a number of sec¬ tion men. It is located among the hills, and con¬ tains quite a large proportion of those who have come from other countries.

The fourth and most important town in New Durham township is Westville, whose original plat was recorded May 1, 1851, by W. and J. A. Cattron. It was then a small village. Subse¬ quently an amended plat was filed by which seven lots were added to the original plat. This is called Cattron's addition. There have been several other additions, of which the Concannon addition is the largest, unless we reckon the two Henly Clvburn additions together. There are also Henton's, Smith's, and Ray's additions. On February 14, 1864, a meeting of the citizens was held at the new schoolhouse, to consider the ques¬ tion of incorporating Westville. Azariah Will¬ iams was chairman and W. L. W'ebster, secretary. On motion of W. B. Webber it was voted that steps be taken toward incorporation, and the chair accordingly appointed W. B. Webber, James Concannon, William C. Martin, D. C. Standiford and W. L. Webster, a committee to carry out the purpose of the convention, and on September 9, 1864, the county commissioners incorporated the town. The first election after incorporation oc¬ curred on September 15th, and the first charter election on the 16th of the following November. Westville to-day has a population of about five hundred persons, a private bank, one drug store, two general stores, one hardware store, two sa- loons, one restaurant, two churches representing the Methodist Episcopal and Disciple denomina¬ tions, two barber shops, one shoe shop, two blacksmith shops, a meat market, some good buildings, a fine brick schoolhouse where good high school work is done, a cold storage and a weekly paper called the Westville Indicator. It is pleasantly situated, at the junction of the Monon and the Wabash railroads, and has a rich surrounding country. It has always been a heavy grain market.

Among those who have helped to make New Durham township and its centers may be men¬ tioned E. Ansley, who came from Michigan and became a successful dry-goods merchant at West¬ ville, carrying a large stock ; Levi J. Benedict, who came with the first family, and learned to rival the Indians as a marksman with the bow and arrow', and became a successful farmer ; William H. Benedict, his son, a hardware merchant of Westville ; E. M. Bryson, the machinist, faithful soldier, mill owner and lumber dealer ; Hiram Burner, the surveyor and farmer ; Dr. Charles P. Cathcart, a Westville physician; H. M. Cathcart, son of the Hon. Charles W., who engaged in farming and furnishing wood to the Lake Shore Railroad ; James L. Cathcart, the farmer and army quartermaster; Charles Cole, a Westville mer¬ chant. grain-buyer and hotel-keeper ; B. A. Daggy, the farmer ; George L. Daggy, his son, a business man of Westville; Samuel S. Davis, the farmer and leading spirit of Holmesville ; John Dille, the planing mill owner, of Westville; Benjamin Flood, the stockdealer, much respected as a pub¬ lic-spirited man ; Janies Flood, his son. the school teacher and farmer; Dr. Brook B. Freeman, an army surgeon and Westville physician ; Jared Gardner, stock-raiser and farmer ; and Evan Henton, who engaged in the butchering business in Westville.

Christopher Herrold, Jacob Herrold, Daniel W. Hibbard, the "jolly old bachelor/' and Hon. Jack§on Hosmer all engaged in farming and stock-raising. Francis M. Howell became a farmer and blacksmith ; Joseph H. Irwin, a shoe¬ maker in Westville. and Wesley E. Keith, a farmer. Joseph R. Kimball operated a portable sawmill in Westville. James Livingston added bee culture to farming and stock-raising. Charles Ludwig followed stock-raising. Sloan D. Mar¬ tin was a miller by trade, but lost his life in the Civil war. Charles McClure became one of Westville's most enterprising merchants, and Christo¬ pher McClure, his father, became an ardent pro¬ moter of churches, which is a very important and necessary use in settling a new country.

Others to swell the list of these workers are John W. Nelson, who served in two companies of the Civil war, and afterwards became pro¬ prietor of the Otis House at Otis; Algernon S. Orr, who spent a large part of his life in California, and then came to New Durham township and settled near Westville, and finally in LaPorte, though he spends his winters in the south ; Joseph Reed, who came to the county with his parents and was reared and remained a farmer; Benjamin F. Shunk, Levi Wolfe and John Walford, who engaged in farming and stock-raising. Mr. Wolfe, when camping with his parents on their way to the county in 1833, saw the wonderful falling stars of that year, and ever afterwards de¬ clared that the sight made a powerful impression on his mind.

There also is E. S. Smith, one of Westville's enterprising merchants, a graduate of Oberlin College; William J. Smith, the Westville shoe¬ maker, furniture dealer and manufacturer of chairs ; Dr. Abram G. Standiford, a school teacher and graduate in medicine, who had a wide practice in the county; Dr. William F. Standiford, his son, who succeeded his father in practice at West¬ ville; Dr. C. R. Warren, physician, surgeon and druggist at Otis ; Richard H. Wilkinson, a preacher in the Methodist Episcopal church and afterwards a farmer; and Henry Wing, hotelkeeper and merchant at Otis. These are some, not all, of those who, by fulfilling their uses, have contributed to make New Durham township a success.

In 1894 Condonville began, in the northeast part of the township, on the Lake Shore Railroad. It was named after Thomas Condon, who still lives near by. He built the first store ever in the place, and a postoffice was soon established, with him as postmaster. In 1899 he sold to the Baxter brothers (Charles and Albert), one of whom has since died. They put the grocery in the rear room and the bar in front. In 1903 William Glancy bought and now conducts the place. The post-

Scipio township also settled rapidly after 1832. William Brayton, William Garwood, Hon. Jacob R. Hall, and Elmore Pattee settled in Scipio in 1833 ; Alexander Crane, Henry P. Crane, Joseph McLellan, N. W. Closser, Isaac S. Evans and Messrs. Irwin, Mason and McCray, in 1834; Ben¬ jamin Butterworth, Aaron Kidder, Avery Free¬ man, Levi Black, Alva Mason and T. B. Cole, in 1835.

The only center in the township is Door Vil¬ lage, which was laid out in 1836. It was once a flourishing town and contained stores, a hotel, boot and shoe shops, wagon and blacksmithing shops, tailoring establishments, a foundry and threshing machine factory, etc., etc. But in 1852 the railroad came to LaPorte and fixed the center of traffic there, which ended the flattering pros¬ pects of Door Village. It is now a very quiet place, containing a church, a schoolhouse and town hall, a blacksmith and wagon repair shop and some good dwellings. It is situated in the midst of a rich and productive farming country, near to the market of LaPorte.

The history of Scipio township is largely the biography of the following persons: Robert J. Anderson, who came in 1837, a consistent member of the Society of Friends, and beloved by all who knew' him. His wife still lives, at a very ad¬ vanced age. She is a sweet spirit, with a clear mind, and is ripe for the great change for which she waits. William A. Banks, merchant, farmer, stock-raiser, speculator in sheep, breeder of fine horses and cattle, dairyman, and now postmaster at LaPorte. Morgan L. Brink, Henry Craft, James H. Crichton, Joseph H. Donly, Isaac N. Evans. Hon. James Forrester, William B. Ham* mond, Daniel M. Henry, Robert Kerr, Daniel Kimball. Samuel S. McCormick, Andrew Mc¬ Lellan, Thomas Messenger, Andrew Nickell, An¬ drew J. Rogers, Hon. George Rogers, Zachariah Teeter and Robert White, several of whom are still living, all became farmers ; and indeed in this township, where there are no centers of trade, there are few other occupations. Frederick R. Earle taught school for many years ; Charles Gar¬ wood, though a farmer and stock-raiser, engaged in threshing, always using one of the Rumely ma¬ chines: Albert S. Hall and his brother, William A. Hall, farmers, both became connected with the banking firm of Hall, Weaver & Company, of LaPorte. Jacob R. Hall, the father, was a re¬ markable character, working his way up from poverty to affluent circumstances. He was a natural business man, of great nerve, pluck and endurance, who turned his hand to building houses and roads, especially the Michigan Road, and who endured great hardships as a pioneer. He became the possessor of the beautiful spot known as Round Grove where he erected fine buildings, an owner of bank stock, a state representative, and the friend and acquaintance of many eminent men. Ben Nordyke, a deaf mute, taught for a time in mute schools, and then became a farmer of Scipio. M. J. Ridgeway with success gave his attention to the raising of shorthomed cattle and Norman and Hambletonian horses. C. B. Simmons, after spending many years in California, and in the Union army, came back to his boyhood's home and engaged in farming and stock-raising. He was lately chairman of the LaPorte county Republi¬ can central committee. These are only a few of the sturdy, and in many cases remarkable, men who have made Scipio township one of the most intelligent and prosperous townships in the state ; and in this they have been faithfully aided by their families, whom it is impossible to name here.

The following is the complete list of the trustees of Scipio township, as furnished by Mr. I. N. Evans. It covers a period of over fifty years. With the exception of N. P. Huckins and B. B. Gates, all were still living when this list was given, February, 1904. All were Republi¬ cans excepting the present incumbent, who is a Democrat: - G. F. Brayton, N. P. Huckins, B. B. Gates, H. C. Loomis, I. N. Evans, C. B. Simmons, W. A. Banks, C. H. Loomis, Charles Peterson, A. S. Orr, Jr., George W. Rogers.

After the termination of the Black Hawk war the settlement of Kankakee township became so rapid that it was impossible for one to keep pace in his acquaintance with the new arrivals. Among the newcomers were Nathan B. Nichols, Leonard Cutler, Joseph Reynolds, Ebenezer Rus¬ sell, George W. Barnes, Ludlow Bell, Dr. B. C. Bowell, James Drummond, J. Austin, Benjamin DeWitt, and the Harvey, Salisbury and White¬ head families. Rev. Calita T. Preston and his brother, Enoch L. Preston, with their parents, and also Joseph Stauton came in 1833. J. P. Austin, Thomas D. Brown, John N. Fail, Joseph H.

In the summer of 1835 a cabin was built by William Hunt near the eastern line of section fifteen, in Kankakee township. In the fall an¬ other was put up on the south side of the road. A store soon followed, which was a frame building erected by Amzi Clark, which passed through the possession of several owners and was burned in March, 1873. A postoffice was es¬ tablished in 1835, with S. G. Hunt as the first postmaster. There followed frame houses, shops, other stores, a schoolhouse, a church, etc., etc., until, in 1837 the town of Byron was laid out. All through the forties we find Byron in its glory. It had its halls for public meetings, in which tem¬ perance and other societies held their sessions, whose doings were reported in the local papers at LaPorte and Michigan City. It had its ware¬ house where large quantities of grain were stored. It was a heavy wheat market, trade was l^rge, its merchants prospered, the travel through it was great, its hotel was full of guests, sometimes so full that even the floors were covered with sleep¬ ing travelers, and there was great activity on its streets. It was of such importance that, on Au¬ gust 25, 1849, an addition was made to it by Elias Lowe. Had the railroad passed through the place Byron would have lived and prospered, but the road passed to the north of it, and from that that day Byron was doomed. Its buildings have been burned, pulled down or moved away, there is neither store, shop, tavern nor church within its limits, and only a few houses remain where once there were so much life and prosperity.

A mile and a half to the north of Byron there was a little cluster of cabins known as Nauvoo. The first was built by Ezekiel Provolt in the spring of 1831. This was followed by two others built by West and Irving. These cabins soon came into the possession of W. J. Walker, who bid in the premises, though the settlers remained in them for a time. In January, 1852, the North¬ ern Indiana Railroad, now the Lake Shore, passed through this settlement, and from that time Nauvoo increased and Byron decreased. A survey was made and a plat of the village re¬ corded on the 26th day of November, 1853. Walker gave it the name of Poitland, which is still its legal name under the laws of the state,

A visitor to the place in February, 1862, writes thus of it : "There are signs of improvement in several parts of Portland. Mr. Rowe, successor in drygoods business to Louis Griffith & Com¬ pany, has a very fine brick building nearly com¬ pleted for his store. There are two stores owned respectively by Mr. Rowe and Mr. Kirstead, one hotel kept by Mr. Montgomery, several groceries, a postoffice, a wagon shop, blacksmith shop ; two churches, a Christian and a Presbyterian, and a very large, fine schoolhouse in which there are several departments. John G. Laird, one of the most accomplished teachers in the west, has charge of it. There is also one good steam flour¬ ing mill, several sawmills near by the town, and all the facilities are there to make the town de¬ sirable to live in. Elder Lord, of LaPorte, had just commenced a series of revival meetings at the Christian church there, and the Good Temp¬ lars have a flourishing lodge/'

Rolling Prairie is pleasantly situated and commands a large business for a town of its size. It contains at the present time about four hun¬ dred people, three general stores, one drugstore, two blacksmith shops, two saloons, and a grain elevator at the station ; for the town has always been a great shipping point. It has a Presbyter¬ ian church, a Methodist Episcopal church and pastor, and a Disciples church and pastor. It has Masonic and Odd Fellows lodges, a tent of the Maccabees for both ladies and gentlemen, and a post of the Grand Army of the Republic. It also has a creamery and is pleasantly situated in a rolling country on the Lake Shore Railroad. It has many things to commend it as a desirable place in which to live.

Among the settlers of Kankakee township, whose names have received public notice may be mentioned Samuel J. Anderson, who came in 1837, and possessed a fine farm ; C. L. O. Bell, who held a number of township offices and be¬ came a successful farmer ; A. C. Rowell, a farmer and owner of a sawmill and cider mill ; James H. Buck, who became a farmer, a captain in the Union army, and is now president of the LaP.orte Savings Bank ; Orville Buck, farmer and promo¬ ter of improvements in the township ; Isaac Bush, who held several township offices ; Benjamin De-

\Vitt, a farmer, one of the early pioneers who came in 1837; Samuel Downing, extensive farmer and trustee of the LaPorte Savings Bank ; Will¬ iam Downing, who though liberally educated be¬ came a farmer : B. S. Fail, one of the first white children born in the county : Ransom P. Goit, a native of the county, a merchant in Michigan, but afterwards a farmer of Kankakee township ; Caleb Harvey, farmer, stock dealer and raiser of large quantities of wheat; oats and corn ; John Hatfield, one of the first to locate in Rolling - Prnirie after it was platted bv Major Walker; Fred Heiman, John Hillman, Nicholas Hoover and William Lown, all farmers.

Jacob S. Martin came to the county in 1847 and afterwards graduated in medicine and became a physician in Rolling Prairie. John Martin, John Miller, Miner Nesbitt, Asa C. Pease, John Proovolt, James Powell and William W. Proud, became fanners and reared families from which have come many of the good people of the town¬ ship. D. W. Rynearson. a farmer, was also a hunter and trapper, and killed large numbers of foxes and deer. Philip D. Sharpies, M. P., be¬ came a physician and druggist in Rolling Prairie. Peter Shtipp held the office of county surveyor and a number of township offices. W. B. Stevens became a merchant in Rolling Prairie, carrying a large stock of goods. Logan Taylor and Chester Towner became successful farmers. Samuel B. Webster and Daniel S. Wells became farmers and held important township and county offices. M. L. Walt received a liberal education and gave his time to teaching. William B. Wilson, M. D., was the first physician to locate in Rolling Prairie and soon had a large practice. These are only a few of the men who, though of different religious and political creeds, worked unitedly for the prosperity of their township. Isaac N. Whitehead and C. W. McCarty may also be mentioned in the list of Kankakee's prominent citizens.

The next township to develop was Michigan, and then Center; but, reserving these for an¬ other chapter, we pass on to Pleasant township. Among the settlers who arrived in this township after 1832 are given the names of Silas Hale, Oliver Classon, John Wilson, Andrew Harvey, and Asa Owen, who came in 1833. Valentine Nicholson also came very early. Ralph Loomis, George S. McCollum and Samuel Stewart came in 1834. James Van Valkenburgh and others came in 1835. The following also are named as early settlers: Griffin Treadway, John I. Cran¬ dall, George C. Havens, W. A. Place, Stephen Norton, W. W. Burhans, D. E. and I. B. Coplin, William Everhart, John Van Rust, G. W. Stew¬ art, J. R. Stewart, Charles W. Wing, Seth Way, Curtis and John B. Travis and others.

Pleasant, as the name indicates, is a beautiful township, consisting mostly of upland prairie ly¬ ing between the Little Kankakee and Hood creek. Under the labors of these settlers it soon began to develop. It has only one village, which is Stillwell, the junction of the Grand Trunk and the Lake Erie and Western railroads. The former has a large coaling station here, which em¬ ploys several men and gives much life to the vil¬ lage. Three sets of section men - two of the Grand Trunk and one of the Lake Erie, have their homes here. There are also two general stores, which have a large trade. The Friends have a chapel and resident minister, there is a graded school, a town hall, a hotel, a resident physician, and the village is the center of a good farming community and a point from which considerable grain and hay are shipped.

Among the men who have given their ener¬ gies to the development of this township are the following: Ziba Bailey, a strong Union man in the Civil war, a justice of the peace and a success¬ ful farmer; George Bosserman, who visited the township in 1836 and settled here and became a prominent man; Christopher and Charles Bielfeldt, W. W. Burhans, David E. Coplin, Nathan W. Crane, James O. Crowl, Fred Dietrich, Fred¬ erick Geer, James M. Hannum, Jr., Frank Mill, O. J. Parked, John A. Reeve, William Tobin, John Whitmer, John P. Oakes and John D. Wil¬ son, all became farmers, and indeed, farming is about the only industry in this prairie township. C .E. Young, M. D., was formerlv a phvsician in Stillwell.

A few days before this writing, Christopher Bielfeldt passed away ; that is, on February 25, 1904. He was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, April 5, 1827, and thirty years later, in 1857, he came to LaPorte with his wife and two children. His residence in the county was continuous from that period. He followed farming for many years accumulating a snug competence as the result of frugal industry. He moved to this city a number of years ago to enjoy the fruits of his labor, and and in the quiet life of his retirement, surrounded by his children, to whom he was devoted, he en¬ joyed the respect of the community and the love of his children until death in the deepening shad¬ ows of his years brought the everlasting sleep and closed the chapter of life. The funeral services were held in St. John's Lutheran church, on the afternoon of February 28, the pastor, Rev. P. Eickstaedt, pronouncing a eulogy in both German and English.

In Wills township Jacob Gallion, Jesse Wil¬ lett, Nimrod and Jesse West and J. Clark were all early settlers. In 1833 Joseph Starrett bought an Indian float and settled on it. Indian floats were land warrants issued by the government to the Indians; they were assignable and therefore did not protect the settlers but generally found their way into the hands of speculators. In March, 1834, John Bowell, wife and family came from Clark county, Indiana. Among them was A. C. Bowell, of Kankakee township, mentioned above. In November of the same year, James Drummond, son-in-law of John Bowell, came with his wife. In April, 1866, John Bowell and his wife both passed away within a week of each other, and their remains were buried on the same spot where they encamped when they first en¬ tered the township, where the cemetery after¬ wards was located. George Hunt with a family of six sons arrived in 1835. John and James Wills, James Drummond, Isaac Miller, Asa War¬ ner, Jacob Miller, John Cissne, Andrew Shaw, David Stoner, Howell Huntsman, Mr. Kitchen, Dr. Chapman, Matthias Dawson, Asher White, Edmund Jackson, Joseph Lykins, John Suther¬ land, William Ingraham, Scott West, John Hefner, Jesse Cissne, William Nixon, William West, Gab¬ riel Drollinger, Andrew Fuller. John Vickory, Nimrod West, Jacob Glygean, Jonathan Stoner, John Clark, George Belshaw, Samuel Van Dalsen, Martin Baker, Jesse Cullum, John Galbraith, Benjamin Galbraith and Mr. Gallion, besides many others whose names it would be difficult to obtain, were all residents of this township in 1835. This may serve to. show how rapidly the county was being settled.

In 1835 a trading post was opened by an In¬ dian named Rice, in a spot afterwards known as Boot Jack. Rice left the following year, but quite a settlement grew up there, containing a tavern, a store, shops, etc., etc. How the place came by its queer name is a mystery. Some say it is because a fork in the roads resembles the crotch of a boot jack, others that a drunken trav¬ eler who was expelled from the tavern turned and shook his fist at the place and in derision called it Boot Jack. The place once had some pretensions, but was never platted as a town, and no signs re¬ main of its former activity.

Another settlement in Wills township was In¬ dependence or Sac Town or "Sauktown" as it is called. This was platted as a village, the plat being recorded on May 12, 1837. R was expected that a railroad and canal would be built through the town and form a junction with each other at this point, and for a time there were visions of coming wealth; stores, shops, mills, and a tav¬ ern followed, but neither railroad nor canal ap¬ peared, other railroads drew the centers of ex¬ exchange away, stores became closed, mills were moved away, and to-day Independence is marked only by a church, a schoolhouse, and a few other buildings. But it should be remembered that with all these extinct villages, the rich farming country and farming interests remained.

Recently (March, 1904,) James L. Monahan celebrated his eightieth birthday at his home in Michigan City. He was born in Clark county and settled near Sauktown, LaPorte county, in 1834, and he has been a resident of the county, therefore, during the last seventy years. He moved to Michigan City twenty-one years ago. He was in vigorous health, and if he and Mrs. Monahan had lived until April 1, next, they would have celebrated their fifty-eighth wedding anniversary.

Another little center in Wills township with a queer name was Puddletown, on the shore of a lake by that name, in section nine. It was never platted as a village. At one time it contained a steam sawmill, which was moved there from In¬ dependence, also stores, shops, and other signs of life ; but like other such settlements after the establishment of railroads elsewhere it deterior¬ ated as a village until now only a schoolhouse re¬ mains.

Among the names of the useful men in the history of Wills township we find the following: Dr. B. C. Bowell, a farmer and practicing phy¬ sician ; Broadrick Bunton, Jesse Coleman, John L. Couchman, Richard Cranmer, George Dawson, Joseph Curm, O. Dawson, David Harris, Philip

Haussauer, Joseph Hostotler, Jared Drollinger, Duncan M. Hunt, Jacob R. May, John P. Mills, Harvey Norris, John C. Parker, Joseph Reese, Daniel H. Roysdon, David Stoner, Jacob Weisberger and John W. Zeigler, all farmers or farm¬ ers and stock-raisers. L. C. VanDusen was first a farmer and then a merchant. Hon. William H. Calkins, lawyer representative and congressman, is well remembered. These men and many others helped to develop this rolling, diversified, and productive township.

Springfield township does not have as much good soil as some other townships, but it is well timbered, its soil is warm and adapted to fruit¬ raising, and by fertilization yields good crops. A ride through the township discloses good homes and farm buildings which indicate pros¬ perity. It has a few marshes which with drain¬ ing would make excellent tillage. In 1833 Gil¬ bert Rose, Hiram Griffith, John Griffith and Erastus Quivey became settlers. In 1834 C. R. Madison, Ingraham Gould, Michael Fall, Ezekiel Blue, Abner Ross, Aaron Conklin, John Johnson, Henry S. Allen, John White, A. N. Shippe, Josiah Redding, and others came. James V. Hopkins came in 1835, but settled afterward in Michigan City, Solomon Ross in 1834 or 1835, and Phineas Hunt in 1835.

In 1833 the town of Springville was surveyed by Daniel M. Learning, who laid it out for Judah Learning, the original proprietor. The plat was filed for record August 19, 1835, and a postoffice was established in March, 1840. It took its name from a spring of pure, cold water in the vicinity. Here also, as in other places, stores, postoffice, different kinds of shops, and even a bedstead factory appeared. The place had a tannery, a tavern, a steam sawmill, and many other signs of prosperity. Springville was on the Michigan road and was the main traveled route between Niles and Michigan City. This was made great account of by the people, who adver¬ tised that travelers would save eight miles by coming through Springville instead of through LaPorte. This advertisement took, and in 1842 the Springville hotel was enlarged to accommo¬ date the increase of travelers. One of the lines of what is now the Lake Shore Railroad was sur¬ veyed through this place, and it seemed probable that the road would touch this point. This raised high hopes for the future of the town, and in the forties Springville even aspired to become the county seat. But the locomotive bells at LaPorte and Michigan City rang the knell of Springville, and to-day only a town hall, a church, and a few dwelling houses remain, though the place is with¬ in a stone's throw of the embankment of the Pere Marquette Railroad, which was built in later years.

Near the northwest comer of the township, within half a mile of Lake Michigan, on the Michigan Central Railroad, is Corymbo, which was platted as a village and the plat filed by Craigie Sharp, who became the first postmaster. It was once a village of log houses, it had a steam sawmill, and a store; but they are gone, and only a few buildings are left. It has been a great shipping place for wood.

This place is not without a tinge of what seems like romance. In the thirties and forties a gang of conterfeiters infested the locality, un¬ der the leadership of two men called Van Vester and Stroud. They had their headquarters in a cabin surrounded by dense willows and other growth, situated on a dry knoll. But they were finally detected, as such criminals are sure to be. Van Vester died in the state prison, and Stroud is said to have been lynched in Illinois for horse¬ stealing.

Among those who have contributed to the development of Springfield township may be mentioned Joseph Ashton, Joseph W. Field, James V. Hopkins, Calvin W. Hayes, E. S. Organ, G. W. Shippe and John A. White, all farmers ; Amos J. Ross, who chose to follow mill¬ ing, as did also Charles Vail, who erected a saw¬ mill and followed the lumber business until his death, when the business was continued by his sons. Several mills have been worn out on the same site.

Galena is the only township not traversed by a railroad, and without a village. No attempt has ever been made to make one. There are a church and cemetery at Hesston, and there used to be a store and postoffice there. Several times a store has been in operation there, but there is none now. At Hatch's Mill there are a postoffice, a store, and a town hall, the upper story of which is used as a lodge room. The inhabitants are re¬ markably intelligent, and the people assembled in that hall might well be taken for a city audi¬ ence. Anyone on riding over the county and en¬ tering Galena township, in the vicinity of Hatch's Mill, will be impressed with the fact that he has came into a new atmosphere of civilization. The community has a genius and character peculiar to itself. One is struck with this as soon as he gets over the ridge into the more open country. This township has never had a saloon, and has always been noted for temperance, law and order, and the thrift of its people.

George W. Barnes, who came in 1833, is sup¬ posed to be the first settler. He was a man of great force of character. In the same year came William C. Cummins, Wrightman Goit, Shubal Smith, Richard Miller, Sylvanus James and John F. Torbert. In 1834 came Hiram Bement, Mat¬ thew Mayes, Daniel Baldwin, Aurea and Basil Sperry, William Waldruff, Sans H. Austin, Byron Cadwalder, John Morrow, Joshua Jordan, Elijah - Bishop, Micajah Jones, John Cooper, Ephraim Cooper, Jesse Jones, Oliver Porter, James Paddock, Charles Francis, Joseph Fuller, James Jones, Abram Purcell, Joseph Henderson, J. H. Francis, Luke Francis, W. W. Francis, Scipha Foster and Zachariah Teeter. And in 1835 came H. E. Smith, Charles Morrow, W. W. Fuller and Hiram Bement, Jr.

Among those who came later and figured in the development of this township are Charles O. Barnes, a farmer; Wesley Barnes, who followed butchering and then farming; Martin Bates and Benjamin Beal, both farmers; George H. Bean, first a lumberman and later a farmer; Joseph Biege and William H. Billings, also farmers; David F. Birchim, who came with his parents in 1835, and after the death of his father took charge of the farm ; Benjamin Brewer, the black¬ smith and farmer ; Edward S. Cadwell, a farmer, who worked his way up from a bootblack and papermill boy to become township trustee, justice of the peace, etc. ; Albert Coe, for fifteen years a railroad man and then a farmer ; Hon. Eugene W. Davis, who came with his parents in 1833, when Galena was a part of Kankakee township, and be¬ came a preacher of the gospel, state representa¬ tive, a writer for agricultural journals, and who has recently celebrated his golden wedding.

become a wealthy farmer. William W. Finley when of age left the farm to become a miller, and owned several flouring mills. Martin Foster fol¬ lowed his brother Scipha to the county and be¬ came a successful farmer. W. W. Fuller, from a hard-working boy in a sawmill, became a farmer, a justice of the peace, and notary public. James Galbraith became a Galena farmer, and his son John C., a school teacher and then a farmer. Thomas Griffin, of Irish descent, became a sturdy farmer and achieved success against great ob¬ stacles. J. B. Hatch became the operator of a sawmill and threshing machine. Jacob S. Heck¬ man came to the township with his father, Jacob, in 1835. The father was a sturdy pioneer, clear¬ ing away the forest and advancing the interests of the neighborhood, and the son followed in his footsteps. P. M. Hess followed farming, store keeping and milling. Hesston is named after him. David Hudson became a lumberman and farmer; Anton Leliter, of German descent, rose from poverty to success in farming and reared a large family ; James Paddock, a pioneer of 1836, settled on the farm he ever after occupied, and filled important public offices; and A. H. and James Paddock, his sons, became successful farmers.

To the above may be added the names of Will¬ iam Roda, a farmer; Edmund T. Smith, a farmer and operator of a sawmill; Robert K. Smith, Julius C. Tappan, Edwin Teeter, Captain A. B. Austin and Samuel Wilson, all became farmers. George H. Teeter became state representative. Elizabeth Woodmansee came in 1851, a widow with four boys, and located in a dense forest, where, on account of the wild beasts, it was a terror for any one to live. I. D. and J. L. Wood¬ mansee, her sons, became dairy farmers, making superior butter for the Michigan City market. Some of these people received a good education in LaPorte, which was then a college town.

These are some of the men who brought La¬ Porte county under* cultivation, and built its towns and villages. They had just the genius and character necessary to settle a new country. A remarkably large proportion of them had an¬ cestors in the Revolutionary war, and in the war of 1812; ancestors who fought the Indians as well as the British, and were inured to hardship, and had nerve and daring. And the blood of these ancestors ran in the veins of our pioneers. Many instances might be given, some of which will ap¬ pear as we proceed; but here we content our¬ selves with only one. Henry P. Crane, mentioned above as one of the pioneers of Scipio,had a grand¬ father in the Revolutionary war under Washing¬ ton, and a great-uncle, who was captured by a party of six Indians who were going to burn him, but the Indians finding a bottle of brandy among his effects became intoxicated. The uncle freed himself, killed the entire party, cut off an Indian's head, and took it back to the regiment as proof of his story.