Marshall County, Indiana - Chapter 6, 1881

Chapter 6

Porte street, on the north by Harrison street, on the west by Plum street, and on the east by Water street. Lot No. | is now occupied by Stansbury & Co. as a hardware establishment. The numbers then extend northward on Michigan street to the north boundary, then on the west side of Michigan street to La Porte street, and soon. Since then numerous additions have been made, until the surrounding territory for a mile or more in every direction has been taken in.

In the winter or spring of 1835, Oliver Rose opened the first store in Plymouth. His storeroom was a log building which stood upon the lot now occupied by Charles Palmer and the law office of Charles H. Reeve, on La Porte street, between Michigan and ' Center streets. Mr. Rose also commenced farming operations on quite an extensive scale, for those days, on what is known as the Goodsell place, just north of town. When he came to the county, he was accompanied by our worthy and esteemed fellow-citizen, Gilson 8. Cleaveland, who still abides with us.

During the summer or fall of 1835, Uri Metcalf and Milburn Cole became residents of Plymouth. -The latter gentleman afterward erected a saw mill which stood a little to the north of the site now occupied by the Plymouth Flouring Mills. During the same year, Judge Grove Pomeroy erected a frame building of respectable size, on the southwest corner of La Porte and Michigan streets, which was known at that time and for a number of years afterward as the "Plymouth Hotel." Mr. Pomeroy was the landlord and carried on an extensive business in entertaining travelers, as the general land sales, which commenced about this time, brought many persons into the county from different parts of the United States. This hotel was considered the half-way house for the stage line from Logansport, Ind., to Niles, Mich. Ten years later, after the opening of the Michigan road, the stage line through this place, from south to north, was considered one of the main thoroughfares of the State, and many who read this' will remember how Old Jake Rhinehart would blow his tin horn, crack his whip, and come dashing into town on his four-horse rock-away coach. The whole town would be ont to greet him and to see who the new arrivals were. A hack also made regular trips between Plymouth and La Porte, and both of these lines furnished the only means of transportation until the completion of the railroads, in 1857-48.

Among those who were prominent citizens of Plymouth from 1536 on, for many years, the writer calls to mind James Bannon, who kept a boot and shoe shop and the post office, in a small wooden building on the east side of Michigan street, on the space now occupied by H. Humrichhouser's brick building. He went to California during the gold excitement of 1849, and if still living his wherabonts are unknown. John Cougle kept a saloon in an adjoining building, but later erected a large frame building on the corner north of Packard's new bank building, which he occupied as a dry goods and notion store until his death occurred, twenty or more years ago. He drank to excess, which perhaps was the cause of his taking off. He was strictly honest and straightforward in his business transactions, but entertained some very peculiar notions. Before his death he purchased a coffin and stored it in one of his rooms, so that it might be on hand when wanted. He was of the opinion that it was a handy thing to have about the honse, and is said to have encased himself in it several times before his death occurred, to satisfy himself that it was a perfect fit. He owned a fine bass drum, and almost every pleasant evening gave an exhibition of his skill on that detestable instrument, in front of his place of business. Later he was re-enforeed by Lorenzo D. Matteson, with his snare drum. Mr. Matteson was an artist on his instrument, and the two made a full band, with some to spare. Robert Rusk, an eccentric genius, ran a tin shop on the east side of Michigan street. His establishment was destroyed by the disastrous conflagration that occurred March 22, 1857. He died long ago. Joseph Griffith was another early settler well known in his day. He was Prosecuting Attorney at one time, also Postmaster. He met death by the accidental discharge of his gun, while ont hunting, more than a quarter of a century ago. He was always ready to offer himself as a living sacrifice for the amusement of the people. At a cireus once on a time, the clown was going to perform the difficult act of balancing a chair containing a man in it, on his chin. Joseph offered himself as the victim. The clown turned the chair upside down, and Joseph inserted his legs between the rounds in good shape, and after being adjusted in front of the audience, the clown left him to his fate. The uproar was terrific, and became greater when the victim had to throw himself down on the ground, backward, to extricate himself. He was always getting into such scrapes. Once a juggler was about to perform the difficult, feat of breaking a dozen eggs in a silk hat without soiling it. Up went Joseph's

Some time during the year 1836, a store was opened by Hobson & Gregory in a log building, on the grounds now occupied by the | Centennial Opera House. Mr. A. L. Wheeler settled in Plymouth in the fall of 1836, and immediately erected a large store building on Lot No. 1, which he filled with an extensive assortment of goods. A man by the name of Benjamin Kress was selling goods in the north part of town, near the court house square. Chester Rose and David Steel were also merchandising on a small scale.

In 1838, five persons in Plymouth were engaged in the practice of medicine, viz., Drs. Crum, Griffin, Alvord, Jones and Jeroloman. The latter, however, who was sent out as a physician for the Indians, remained in the county but a short time. Dr. Crum had been practicing in the county for some time prior to this date. He was distinguished in his day for the discovery of a " pill* that took his name, and was warranted to kill or cure in twenty-four

The summer and fall of 1838 will long be remembered as the "sickly season,' and these doctors, poor and inexperienced as they were in the practice, had more than they could properly attend to. The spring of that year was very wet, cold and backward. About the first of June. when the marshes were filled, the weather became dry and oppressively hot. Cases of sickness began to appear about the Ist of July, and the number of these rapidly increased as the season advanced. Entire families were prostrated., Not more than one person out of fifty was perfectly well, and many suffered for want of proper attention. The most common disease was fever and ague, but other and more violent forms of fever and malarial diseases were also prevalent. Several of the early settlers died during this season, among whom were KE. B. Hobson, Oliver Rose, Julius Hutchinson, Hugh Galbraith, Simeon Taylor. Jacob Shoemaker, and many others. This sickness seriously retarded the growth of the town and county for many years. Many became discouraged, and left for other parts as soon as their health and circumstances would permit. But a great change has taken place since then, and no more healthy place can anywhere be found.

The legal fraternity began to be represented here in 1838. William Lwnis settled in Plymouth in that year, and engaged in the practice of law. Some two years afterward he was elected Recorder, but died shortly after his election. In the fall of that year, R. L. Farnsworth opened a law office in Plymouth, whera he followed his profession for something like a year. Subsequently he removed to South Bend. William G. Tevalt and Jonathan §. Harvy, attorneys, came here not far from 1540, and practiced law for near two years. But space will not permit special mention of half the original geniuses that figured in Plymouth in an early day, and the writer hastens on to matter of more importance.

Plymouth was organized under a charter granted by the Legislature, under an act approved February 11,1851. In 1853, | the population of Plymouth was 670. In the fire of 1857, all the books and records in relation to the corporate organization were | destroyed, and therefore the particulars cannot be obtained. It seems, from the proceeding of the Board of Corporation Trustees, held January 30, 1855, that a proposition to surrender the charter After considerable discussion, the following |

Resolved, That surrendering the charter granted by the Legislature of this State, on the 11th of February, 1851, incorporating the town of Plymouth, this corporation will and does hereby become incorporated under the general law of the State of Indiana, for the incorporation of towns, defining their powers, ete., approved June 11, 1852, ag provided by the 56th section of said act.

Rufus Brown was President of the Board at that time, and Miles W. Smith, Clerk, both of whom are dead. April 7, 1857, the following resolution appears on record:

Resolved, That, whereas, on the 22d day of March, 1857, the office of A. C. Capron, the Clerk of this corporation, was destroyed by fire, and all the books, records, tax duplicates, assessment rolls, maps, orders, vouchers, receipts, ete., of the corporation were entirely destroyed, the Clerk is ordered to replace the same as far as possible.

At this meeting, Mark Cummings, teacher of the school, was ordered to be discharged after the 10th of April, owing to the small number of pupils in attendance.

to the Board of Corporation Trustees, requesting them to order an election of the voters of the town, for the purpose of taking the sense of the people as to the expediency of changing the ~ government of the town from a corporation to a city, was circulated. The requisite names were procured and presented to the Board, who ordered an election to be held on the 25th day of April, 1873. The election resulted nearly three to one in favor of " city." There were 327 yotes cast, of which 244 were in favor of a city government, and $3 against it. The proper steps were then taken, and the old corporation was dissolved and the city government set in motion. In May, 1873, an election was held for city officers, in which politics was left ont of the question, there being but one of Democrats and Republicans, Horace Corbin haying the honor of being the first Mayor. The annual exhibit of the first year under the new arrangement, proved to be entirely satisfactory. The old corporation was in debt about $1,000, with only $156 in the treasury to pay it with. The total receipts during the year ending May, 1874, were $10,579.22, of wiich about $2,000 were for fines and licenses. After paying all expenses incurred by reason of the new order of things, salary of Mayor, two policemen, printing of ordinances, street work $2,490.06, the redemption of about one-half of the outstanding orders, issued prior to the city organization, there remained in the hands of the Treasurer, $3,086.42. The financial condition of the city at that time was, total liabilities, $772.95; balance in Treasury, $3,809.42; balance over liabilities ,$2,936.47.

During that time and since, valuable and permanent improvements have been made equal to any city of its size in the State. Michigan, La Porte and Garro streets have been graded;

2,000 have been expended in building cisterns for the use of the fire department; an engine house, equal to any in Northern Indiana, has been built at a cost of about $5,000, and a schoolhouse, second to none in the State, has taken the place of the old seminary building. The city ordinances are strictly enforced, and as a result peace and quiet reiyns within our borders.

Fire Companies

Protection Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 was organized by the filing of its constitution in the Clerk's office, February 24, 1858, twenty-three years ago. The following were the original

Plymouth has had its full quota of fires since its organization. The most destructive conflagration of record occurred on Sunday morning, March 22, 1857, The fire was first discovered in the rear of the building, oceupied and formerly owned by Robert Rusk, on the east side of Michigan street, on the lot now occupied by Nussbaum & Mayer. The alarm was sounded about | o'clock in the morning. The buildings were all of wood, and there being no fire department in those days, and not even so much as a "bucket brigade," the citizens betook themselves to removing the contents into the street, knowing that any effort they might make to save the buildings would prove entirely fruitless. The intense heat occasioned by the burning of an entire block of buildings, aided by a brisk northeast wind, carried the fire to the west side books and papers of the company were in the law office of Amasa Johnson and were destroyed. Nothing in regard to its organization appears on the present record. Torrent Hose Company, in connection with 4 the Engine Company, was or- % ganized December 8, 1865. R. W. Comfort was the first Foreman, and Sigmund Mayer, Seeretary. These three companies are organized into what is called a Fire Department, under the - direction of the City Council.

City Hall

The City Hall and Engine House was completed in the fall of 1875, by R. MeCance and W, P. Beatisn, contractors, at a cost of $4,200, The construction of the building was under the immediate supervision of Alfred Morrison, Platt MeDonald and W. D. Thompson, at that time members of the City Council. The building is thirty-four feet wide by fifty feet in length; the walls are thirty-five feet high, eighteen inches thick to the second story, square and fifty-nine feet high. The first story is in one large room, in which are kept the implements of the Fire Department, consisting of one hand engine, hose cart, hook and ladder, ete. The upper story is divided into two rooms, one for the Fire Department and one for Council's Chamber and Mayor's Office. The building is large enough for the use of the city for many years tocome. The building is the best of its kind in Northern timated at from $75,000 to = $125,000. Fully four-fifths of the business establishments were destroyed, upon which was an insurance of but $5,000. A careful estimate of the actual > eash losses at the time footed up $62,050,

Another disastrous fire occurred January 3, 1866, consuming the entire block on the west side of Michigan street, between La Porte and Garro streets, and resulting in losses | amounting to from $50,000 to $75,000, with but little insur- : ance.

Augnst 1, 1872, Hoham's Block, containing eleven busi- 7 ness rooms, situated on what is known as the bank lot on the river, fronting on La Porte street, was entirely consumed by fire. The entire row of buildings was owned by John Hoham, who sustained a loss of about $12,000. The total loss sustained by the business men oceupying the rooms was about $32,000, on which there was an insurance of only $3,000. The sufferers were J. ©. Kern, O. H. P. Bailey, John Gartner, Dr. J. J. Vinall, Nicoles & Maxey, Col. Poe, A. O. Shultz, P. Stegman, C. Bergman, B. Nussbaum, J. W. Cleaveland Wileox & Leonard, M. Ruge & Co. With characteristic energy Mr. Hoham at once commenced cleaning away the rubbish, and now fine brick buildings have taken the place of the old wooden structures.

Plymouth Post Office

The post office is the most important branch of the public service, and is entitled to a passing notice in this connection, It ought to be an easy matter to sketch its history, as a record is mado of all matters connected with it, but like everything else, the

William G. Pomeroy was Postmaster from 1835 to 1837, under Andrew Jackson. Mr. Pomeroy was a Whig. Amzi L. Wheeler settled in Plymouth in December 1836, and being a Democrat, and believing that "to the victors belong the spoils,'relieved Mr. Pomeroy, under Martin Van Buren, from 1837 to 1841. In 1840, Harrison was elected, and Mr, Pomeroy again took the office from 1841 to 1845, James K. Polk was elected in 1844, and James Bannon took charge of the post office asa Democrat. Under Taylor, in 1849, Joseph Griffith served until some time in 1850, when he accidentally shot himself, from the effects of which he died. Levi C. Barber was then appointed to fill the vacancy. Taylor died July 9, 1850, and Mr. Barber served out the remainder of the term under Fillmore. The administration changed again upon the election of Franklin Pierce, and D. McDonald was appointed, and relieved Mr. Barber in the spring of 1853. He held the office a portion of the term and resigned, when John K. Brooke was appointed to fill the vacancy. On the inauguration of James Buchanan, James F, Van Valkenburgh was appointed. William C. Edwards also served a portion of the time under Buchanan. President Lincoln appointed O. H. P. Bailey, who assumed control of the office in 1861, and served until the death of Lincoln, in 1865, when President Johnson relieved him and appointed Gideon Blain. Mr. Blain served but a short time when Mr. Baily was again re-appointed and served until the election of President Grant. John M. Moore then received the appointment, but was taken sick and died before he assumed the duties of the office. William M. Kendall, (present incumbent) was then appointed, and served out Grant's first term, was continued under his second, and is now serving out his third term having been appointed by President Hayes.

The first bank organized was under the Free Banking Act of 1852. It was called the Plymouth Bank, and had an authorized capital of $200,000, all in the name of George O. Jennings, of New York. The articles of association declared that it should commence operations in Plymouth on the 5th day of October, 1852, and continue until the 5th day of October, 1872. It was a Peter Funk concern and soon collapsed.

We put forth a special caution against the above-named ''Cat."" In the long list of frauds, this one ranks as the most fraudulent of them all, It professes to be located at Plymouth, Ind., but our correspondent at that place informs us that he has no knowledge of such banking house at that place. Plymouth is quite a smull place, a few dozen houses, and is it not strange that its oldest and most noted citizens are ignorant of the locality of its banking houses? The Bank of Plymouth must have a habitation somewhere, and that somewhere must be at Plymouth, [nd., for it has firstrate quotations in certain '' Detectors,' and it would be uncharitable to say that the proprietors of these Detectors would lend their countenances to frand, quarterly. Therefore as the citizens of Plymouth know nothing of such bank, our patrons will continue to refuse its issues us heretofore, and in the meantime we will quote it among the feline institutions without a place of abode.

The Marshall County Bank was commenced May 1, 1854, and was to continue until May, 1872, but suspended not long afterward. The capital stock was $100,000, divided into 1,000 shares, all

About 1858, A. L. Wheeler erected a bank building, arranged with an excellent vault and other conveniences, expressly for the transaction of financial business. A branch of the Bank of the State of Indiana occupied the building for some time. After it was transferred to the Fletchers, of Indianapolis, Mr. Cressner took charge of it and removed it to the rooms, up-stairs over N. S. Woodward's building, on the west side of Michigan street. Mr. Wheeler opened a bank in the building which he continued to operate until 1865, when he diverted his means into other channels.

A branch of the State Bank was established and occupied Mr. Wheeler's building until 1870, when the Plymouth Bank was organized, with A. L. Wheeler, Banker; E. R. Wheeler, Cashier. Mr. Wheeler closed his bank in the early part of 1878.

The First National Bank of Marshall County was organized about 1872, with a capital of $50,000, M. A. O. Packard, President; James A. Gilmore, Cashier. Mr. Packard, the President, has erected a magnificent bank building on the southeast corner of Michigan and Garro streets, at a cost of probably $25,000. It is the finest business building in the county, and is a monument of the good taste and enterprise of the owner. .

The Exchange Bank of Buck & Toan was organized several years ago, and is managed by the proprietors in connection with their extensive hardware establishment. They occupy a new and elegant two-story brick-building, erected by them in 1878, expressly for the transaction of the business in which they are engaged.

Directory

In 1876, a Directory of the city of Plymouth, containing 380 pages, was published bya Mr. T. A. Holland. It contained about 140 pages of historical matter, prepared for the Plymouth Democrat, February 24, 1876. The most unaccountable thing connected with the work was the insertion of the historical matter alluded to without mentioning the source from which it was taken.

The following is an extract from a response to the toast, "Our City - Retrospective," by Hon. C. H. Reeve, at the commencement exercises of the Plymouth High School, in 1878:

Go back with me, in imagination, and look at the town as I saw it. Where stands' your classic school building was a forest of great trees, and beneath them were resting the bodies of a few of the earliest settlers, just gone before. Where stands the commodious station of the Great Trunk Railroad were the outlines of a rude burial-place in the forest. On the corner diagonally opposite where we now are was a common log house in which lived the father or uncle of Mrs. Griffin. Where is now the brick block east of us was a rough log store, and on the opposite corner a log tavern. Where are now your finest residences, the wild deer passed and re-passed in the forest without fear, ¢

Later, there stood on the corner where Mr. Dial lives, a rude schoolhouse of the old type, and on the lot north of Mr. Williamson's was an unsightly one-story structure, used asa church, Where Mr. Freese lives was un uncouth, one-story, unpainted building, used as a court house.

A few poor dwellings dotted here and there, and between the tangled undergrowth of hazel, oak, hickory, sumach, blue-grapes, bitter-sweet, pigeon-berry and other growth, interspersed with large trees, covered the earth. Around was a forest and marsh, and swale and swamp.

Leading westward, a narrow sinuous path, worn deep in the ground, was the trail of the Indians to their mission on Twin Lakes. Northwest another led away to their settlement on Pine Creek. Southeast, another led to the settlement on Tippecanoe. The Michigan road to South Bend, and Yellow River road to La Porte, our only open streets. The waterfowl frequented the surroundings here in numberless flocks. The long trails of squaws, papooses and ponies in single tile, with the male Indians on foot, armed, wending their way in the narrow paths and along the roadside to the larger towns of La Porte, South Bend and Logansport to trade, and in and around where now the white man's skill has given us our pleasant little city, wild nature - in many things as Columbus found it on our shores - held somber court and greeted all who came.

In consequence of the early opening of the Michigan and Yellow River State roads through the Indians' country while they owned it, we were always fortunate as to mails. Always one daily from north and south, and one every other day from east and west. The great coaches on good roads, and the huge mud-wagons when the roads were bad, The driver's tin horn giving notice of his coming, drew the few residents together to see who was traveling. When the road was hard the four horses came into town at aspanking gait, and at other times they moved like snails, not unfrequently getting stuck between the river and where is now the tannery,

Where Wheeler's Block is now, A. L. Wheeler had a one-story frame store, and where Abe Becker is now, the Carters, of Michigan City, had another, in which Gilson S. Cleaveland and Charles Palmer, severally, were educated as merchants.

Johnson Brownlee and myself were about the only young men of Marriageable age at one time, and we rambled from the river to the tanhery on moonlight nights, in the middle of the road, and sang songs and whistled in parts, as full of romance as if we were born princes. He clerked for Wheeler, and worked as a tailor on the counter, at least to make his own clothes, and I thought nothing of walking ten miles to attend a suit before a country justice for $2 or $3, which I never got sometimes.

H. B. Pershing was a tailor, and worked in a little shop where Brooke's cigar store now is. John Cougle kept a little one-story grocery and lived where Humrichouser & Dial do business. James Russel had a harness-shop where Lauer'sstore nowis. Lester, Charley Wilcox's father, had a gunsmith's shop where Becker & Wolf are, and acted as Justice in the front part.

Grove Pomeroy, I think, Frank Dawes, John Houghton and William M. Patterson, whose descendants are among us, and others, successively ''kept tavern" on Corbin's corner. William C. Edwards lived where H. A. Work does now, and was Constable, and Joseph Evans, later, kept tavern where Haslanger does.

I cannot pause to go over more particulars. But few are left of those who played marbles on the streets, watched the flies buzzing about on the lazy days, sat in the sun when the ague came on, and waited for the town to grow and settlers to come in; while the amusements were hunting and fishing, and plenty of leisure for it. Messrs. Wheeler, Palmer, Cleaveland, Belangee, Edwards, Fuller, Hervey, Pershing, Houghton, David How, the McDonalds, Woodwards, Mistresses Dunham, Dawes, A. P. Elliott, Maria Elliott, How, Griffin and a few others alone remain who have seen the changes of forty-two to forty-six years, since the treaty of Tippecanoe, when the Pottawatamies gave their great inheritance to the white man, and the county was organized.

In 1852, 1857, 1866 and 1873, sweeping fires laid our little town waste, and left our people - with their limited means - well-nigh penniless, With their accustomed energy, they sprang, Pheenix-like, from the ashes, and again built up as best they could. While no effort has been made to create a manufacturing locality, our growth has been permanent and substantial, and is not ahead of the country. Little by little the forest and the swamps disappeared, the frame took the place of the log building, and the bricks the place of the franies. The mud roads gave place to the graded streets, and the winding paths to the comfortable plank walks. The steam car took the place of the mud-wagon, and the plumed hearse the place of the hand bier. One by one the most of the pioneers have gone back to dust, and the few remaining ones will soon follow.