Marshall County, Indiana - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 2 of those read), 1881

P., as was stated under the head-line. The editor stated, in an editorial note, that the "dream" would undoubtedly be read with interest, and many would wonder who the author could be, and remarked that he was "a boy in his teens." Twenty-seven years have taken Mr. Packard out of his " teens,' and his initials now are as well known to the peoples if his full name were given. Many things predicted in the "dream" that were considered impossible of fulfillinent have almost literally come to pass. There were no railroads through this part of the country then, and the question of railroad communication had not been thought of, and the idea of traveling by rail from New York to San Francisco was considered a flight of the imagination as difficult of fulfillment as the building of a railroad to the moon. The predicted artesian well, with a flow of water sufficient to supply the city of Plymouth (even if it contained a population of thirty or forty thousand) with water, except as to the height to which it rises, is literally fulfilled in the magnificent flow of water from the artesian well in the north part of town, and before the date (1920), the time set for the fulfillment of all the predictions in the " Dream of the Future," nothing is more certain than that Plymouth will be supplied with water from this source. The prediction in regard to the iron bridge across Yellow River is fulfilled; also that concerning the introduction of steam-power printing presses, and the erection of brick buildings on Michigan street in the places where the old wooden structures used to stand. The light by which the city suddenly became so brilliantly illuminated, which almost equaled the light of the sun, has been fulfilled by the discovery of what is known as Edison's Electric Light. Several predictions are contained in the dream that are not yet fulfilled, and possibly never will be. In time, however, some of them will become established facts. '' Woman suffrage' is predicted, and has so far been realized as to have bronght forth a constitutional amendment by our Legislature. The removal of the capital of the United States to Columbia, on the Mississippi River, aerial navigation, and the use of electricity in place of steam, are among the predictions that are not impossibilities, and may become fixed facts in the year 1920. All in all, the predictions, in the light our current history. The dream is too long for insertion in full, and only such portions as relate to Plymouth are herewith given, The dreamer, after contemplating the progressive age, looking back upon the past, and then upon the present, goes on to say: "'Indulging in these reflections, I soon fell into a deep reverie, and the first thing I knew I fonnd myself in a large car which was filled with several hundred people, all engaged in spirited and lively conversation. Turning to a middle-aged gentleman who sat near me, I inquired where I was, and where we were all going to. Looking strangely, but good-humoredly, at me, he replied that we were on board the express train of cars which run daily between the cities of New York and San Francisco; that we were then within a few minutes' run of Plymouth, a large city in Northern Indiana, to which place he was then traveling, but that most of the passengers on board were going to the Western States Oregon, California and others. I told him my destination was Plymouth, Ind., and I was very happy to have the acquaintance of one so well acquainted with the place as [ supposed him to be. 'T will be of all the assistance possible to you, for you appear to be a stranger in these parts,' was the reply of my kind-hearted friend. 'Yes, I am at present indeed a stranger, but not so in days gone by. These once were my native hills, that have oft resounded to the sound of my childish yoice, and Plymouth, our destination, was my place of residence in my school-boy days - was the place where hope, expectation, joy and pleasure were joyfully commingled together in childish imagination and fancy. I left that place in the year 1852, and have ever since, until the present time (1920), been living in a secluded situation in Europe. I have come over to this country for the purpose of once more visiting my native land, and to lay my bones with those of my friends who have gone before me, for you see I ain very aged and near the grave.' "

After detailing a lengthened conversation in regard to the running of trains of cars by electricity, The Mammoth Daily Plymouth Banner, in which the proceedings of the National Female Convention were given in full, the Bloomer" costume, which was in vogue in those days, the dreamer continues:

"While we thns sat conversing. the cars suddenly halted before a splendid passenger house, and the conductor entered and announced our arrival at Plymouth. On stepping out of the ear, Iwas almost deafened with the shouts of the cab boys, and the noise and confusion of the assembled multitude. My friend beckoned me to follow him, and we both entered, with numerous others, an elegant omnibus, which my friend said would convey us to one of the best hotels in the city. In vain, as we rattled over the paved streets, did I strain my eager eyes to discern some vestige or trace of the village of my youth, but 'twas all in vain."

"Having an inclination to become more acquainted with this wonderful city, I requested my friend to take a walk, to which he readily consented. As we passed along, I inquired if there was not a street in the city called Michigan street. He replied that there was, some distance from here, such a street, and wished to know if that one had any greater claims on my memory than any other. I replied that it had, it being the principal one in the yillage when I left, and that I there might discover some vestige which would reeall to my remembrance a faint idea of the little village as it appeared when I left, which idea had been entirely erased from my memory by the surrounding scenes and excitements which completely filled my whole mind with wonder and After passing through several magnificent streets, we finally entered one which he called Michigan street. I immediately recognized the grounds, for they appeared as familiar to me as when I left. The same little river flowed gently by, looking as natural as ever, with the exception of a cast-iron bridge.

of the ancient wooden ones that used to decorate this street when this place was but a village, and which were occupied by the good old honest tradesmen and mechanics of olden time. Taking a cireumspect view of the thousand signs of every description that blazoned forth in glaring capitals the name and occupation of its occupants, I discovered, on a large, extensive building, one which attracted my attention. It was as follows: ' Drugs, Medicines, ete., Wholesale and Retail, by I. H. Pershing.' I immediately entered, hoping, at the same time, that it might perhaps be a son, or some other relative, of a druggist by the name of Pershing who used to keep a shop here in ancient times. I was very agreeably surprised to find that such was the fact. It was indeed the son of the old druggist, who was an intimate acquaintance of mine. I accordingly presented myself as an old acquaintance of his father's, and was received very cordially by him. We then entered into conversation, and he gave me a brief history of all the events which had transpired as far back as he could recollect. He informed me of his father's death, which had happened long since, although he had attained a good old age before he passed from earth. At his request, I followed him into an adjoining room, where was presented to my view a marble statue, carved from the most highly polished Parian marble. I recognized it at once. It was a fac simile of my old friend Pershing. There he stood, as natural as life, with a bottle of Wilder's Ointment in one hand, and a large work on temperance in the other. It was so like life I couldscarcely refrain from going up and taking him by the hand."

And then the conversation turns on the arts of sculpture and painting, after which the dreamer made a visit to the office of The Mammoth Daily Plymouth Banner, On entering the composing room, he found the type being set by machinery, a prediction that has since been fulfilled, but has not been bronght into general use. He then continnes:

"We next entered the press room, which was a spacious apartment, containing several mammoth power-presses, one of which was in operation, working off several thousand copies an hour. As I stood gazing on the scene presented, I thought that if Franklin was permitted to revisit the earth and enter one of the printing offices, he would be ready to exclaim: 'Oh, enterprising man! when will thy ingenuity cease to be racked to its utmost to obtain perfection in the arts and sciences?) * * * From here we continued our walk until we arrived at the water works. which supplied the whole city with the purest and coldest water. It was an artesian well of great depth, from which rushed a continuous column of water, with such impetuosity as to ascend some fifty feet perpendicular in the air, presenting a scene that was both sublime and beautiful." The dreamer then yisited that portion of the city oceupied by the principal churches, and the Union College, which he learned was the most celebrated college on the globe, being richly endowed with an income of $500,000 a year.

After visiting a monument, on which he discovered, exquisitely carved in large, plain letters, the names of those who took a decided stand in favor of temperance in the years 1851 and 1852, the city suddenly became lighted. So sudden was the change from darkness to the most brilliant light (which almost equaled | the sun) that his brain reeled and he fell prostrate. The fall aroused him from his reverie, and his dream was over. After expressing a desire to deal with facts, and paying a glowing tribute to those engaged in the eause of temperance, he closed with the

"T would say to the friends of education, unite your efforts in forwarding this glorious cause, this elevator of the human family, by which man is brought to appreciate his intellectual powers and know that he was not made to Jive and die a mere nonentity, but was made for great and noble purposes, and that it was his essential duty so to improve his mind as to be able to fulfill his part whilst living here in this world of trial. I repeat that education is the only sure foundation for the improvement of society and promotion of enterprise, morality and religion. And farmers, you, too, are as much interested as any one.

the Legislature for a grant of land for that purpose. We must not let our State fall behind her sister States in the support of public schools. How near my dream may be reailzed, or what great changes may be wrought here against the year 1920, we know not, but we do know that this is a wonderful age of im- | The intelli- | gent reader who has seen many of these predictions fulfilled | in the Marshall County Republican in the spring of 1859, the following extracts are made, only making such changes and additions as the lapse of twenty years makes necessary:

Up to the year 1832, Marshall County was inhabited exclusively by Indians. In the spring of that year, Samuel D. Taber and Charles Ousterhaut settled on the Michigan Road, the former about three miles and the latter about one mile sonth of Plymouth, and Robert Schroeder about five miles north of Plymouth, and Abel C. Hickman near what is now the town of Argos. About this time, that part of the Michigan Road between Logansport and Michigan City was surveyed, located and let out to econtractors. All our citizens have heard of the Michigan Road Lands, and it may be well to briefly explain their origin.

In 1828, or near that time, the Pottawatamie Indians gave to the State of Indiana a quantity of land, which was to be applied toward the construction of the Michigan Road. The Indians designed, it is supposed, to give one section of land for every mile of road that passed through their territory, which then reached from near the northern line of the State to within four miles of Logansport, a distance of about sixty miles. But the treaty is said to have been so worded that the State obtained one section for every mile of road from Madison to the mouth of Trail Creek, where Michigan City now stands. The lands thus obtained were called Michigan Road Lands. The precise time when these lands were first brought into market, the data is not at hand to state; but they appear to have been for sale as early as 1832. They were first offered at public auction, and the lots remaining unsold were subject to private entry. During the year 1832, a general treaty was made with the Indians, by which most of the lands within the limits of Marshall County were ceded to the United States.

In the fall of 1834, the Michigan Road, from Logansport to Michigan City, was completed. Before the completion of this road, persons who journeyed from Logansport to South Bend followed an Indian trail, which, crossing the river below the town of Plymouth, and near where*the Plymouth Brewery now stands, then took a northeast direction, not far from the present line of the La Porte road, to about two miles beyond Blissville. It there turned to the north, crossed Pine Creek near Knott's Mill, to Potatoe Creek near North Liberty, and then passed by way of Sumption Prairie to South Bend. From the neighborhood of Logansport to Plymouth, this trail passed not far from the Michigan Road, generally to the west of it, through Marshall County.

In September, 1835, most of the lands within the limits of Marshall County were brought into market and offered for sale at La Porte, where the land office was then located. Of this land office, Mr. Robb was Register, and Maj. John M. Lemon Receiver. The sales were attended by a large number of persons, and among them were a large number of speculators. Many choice lots were bid off at $4 and $5 per acre; some, perhaps, were sold at a higher price. The speculators succeeded in obtaining large quantities of land on the Burr Oak Flats and in other parts of the county.

During the year 1835, the county, ontside of Plymouth, received a considerable addition to her population. It is impossible to give the names of all who came that year. There are no records to show who they were, and the lapse of time has caused the memories of the old inhabitants who have been consulted to be somewhat treacherous. Among those who are remembered are David Van Vactor, Grove O. Pomeroy, John Ray, James Nash, Thomas Packard, Elihu Morris, John Gibson, Lot Abrams, Robert, Abraham and John Johnson, John Houghton and family, John L. and Norman 8. Woodward, Robert and Lewis Beagles; Charles Cook came in 1834; also, Charles W. Morgan, I. G. Roberts, David Cummins, A. J. Johnson, Mrs. Pruda Elliott, David L. Gibson, Peter Gibson, Mrs. H. B. Pershing. Under the head of " Old Settlers' Society " may be found a long list of those who came in an early day.