Miami County, Indiana - Chapter 10: Towns and Villages, 1914

Chapter 10: Towns and Villages

List of Towns that Are or Have Been in Miami County - When Founded and By Whom - The Pioneer Settlers - Early Industries AND Business Enterprises - Schools and Churches - Why Some Towns Perished - JIiscellaneous Events - Population in 1910 - List op Present Postoffices.

In the settlement of the lliddle West there were among the early arrivals a numbers of promoters and speculators, who entertained dreams of becoming the founders of cities. Through the influence and activity of these men, numerous townsites were preempted and towns laid out, a few of which survived and grew, many failed to meet the anticipations of their projectors, some never got beyond the "pa[)er'' stage, and still others perished from inanition in their early infancy. Occasionally, some fortunate event, such as the building of a railroad or the location of a county seat, would give permanence and stability to one of these towns, which in time would develop into a city of more or less prominence. But in almost every such instance other towns near by would be the sufferers and in time would disappear entirely from the map, the logic of events being too strong for them to overcome.

Miami county was no exception to the rule, though it is quite probable that fewer towns within her borders were projected on a purely speculative basis than in some other localities. Examination of old plats and atlases show over forty towns, nearly one-half of which are no longer in existence. The complete list of these towns and villages includes Amboy, Anson, Bennett's Switch, Birmingliam, Browiiell, Bunker Hill, Busaco, Caiy, Chili, Converse, Courter, Deedsville, Denver, Doyle, Five Corners, Florence, Gilead, Grandview, Hooversburg, Leonda, Loree, JIcGrawsville, Macy, Mexico, Miami, Miamisport, Nead, New Santa Fe, Nieonza, North (irove. Paw Paw, Peoria, Perrysburg, Peru, Pettysville, Pierceburg, Ridgeview, Santa Fe, Snow Hill, South Peru, Stockdale, Stringtowii, I'liioii City, ITrbana, Wagoner, Waupecong, Wheatville and Wooleytown. The hi.story of the city of Peru - the only city in Miami county - is given in the preceding chapter, and below will be found the history of the various towns and villages in the above list, though in the case of some of those that are no longer in existence, it has been found impossible to secure enough information concerning them to give a eomprelieusive account of their career.

The Pan Handle Railroad was completed through Miami county in 1867. In August of that year John Ptomey, Bennett Fellows, John A. Lamb and Abi.jah Ridgeway laid out the tonii of Amboy on section 23, four miles west of Converse, as a station on the new railroad. About the time the town was laid out, Elisha Clark established a large steam sawmill there and a little later the firm of Lowder & Smith put up a second savraiill. Both these mills did a good business while the timber lasted, and large quantities of lumber were sliipped from Amboy during the early years of its existence. About the mills a village soon grew up and other lines of business were introduced. The first merchant was Benjamin Bond, who opened a store in the late summer of 1867, at the corner of ilain and Pennsylvania streets. A little later a two-story building was erected on the opposite corner and there J. F. Overman opened his store, but two years later removed to the town of Miami. The third merchant was William Patterson. Lowder & Smith erected a grist mill in connection with their lumber business, and William Reynolds built a planing mill before the end of the year 1867.

The first physician to locate in the town was Dr. J. A. Baldwin, who began practice there in the fall of 1868. After him came Dr. H. D. Ilattery. Dr. John Wright and Dr. E. K. Friermood. Some of these doctors remained but a short time. Dr. I.saac Carey was also one of the early practitioners at Amboy.

In November. 1871, B. B. Lamb laid out an addition to the original plat and not long afterward a second addition was platted by E. C. Fellows. Reynolds' addition to the town was made in August, 1875. These additions were soon settled upon and improved and in 1881 the town of Amboy was incoiporated.

The first schoolhouse was a two-story building, with two large school rooms, which was erected in 1872 by public donations at a cost of $3,300 and was known as the Aeademj-. Subsequentl}' it was leased to the authorities of Jackson to\\iiship for a graded school. A few years later the township erected a second school building, in the same section of the town, at a cost of .$1,500. It was not long until the demand for better school accommodations resulted in the sale of both the old buildings and the erection of a new one, at a cost of over $25,000. During the school yuar of 1912-13 seven teachers were employed iu the Amboy schools, three of them in tlie eommissioned high school department, and the amount paid in salaries was $4,100.

Amboy has two banks with a combined capital of $23,500 and deposits of about $150,000. The town also has a local or Home Telephone Company, a large canning factory, a creamery, a flour mill, a lumber yard and a score or more of well stocked mercantile establishments. In 1910 the population was 521, an increase of 119 since the census of 1900. It is one of the live towns of iliami county and is the principal trading center and sliipping point for a large and rich agricultural district in the western part of Jackson and the eastern part of Harrison townships.

In May, 1853, Thomas Jameson, Eli Freestone, Michael Taylor and Beu.iamin Griffith laid out the town of Anson at the junction of sections 14, 15, 22 antl 23, about a mile east of the present town of Denver, in tile western part of Kichlanti township. At that time the Cincinnati Peru & Chicago Railroad was being surveyed through the northern part of the county, and the founders of this town hoped that it would be on the line of the new railroad. When the Indianapolis, Peru & Chicago Railroad passed farther to the west the plat of Anson was vacated, hence it never got beyond the paper stage.

Shortly after the completion of the Lake Erie & Western Railroad, the people living in the southern part of Deer Creek township asked that a station be established for their accommodation. Accordingly Bennett's Switch was laid out on a tract of land belonging to Baldwin M. Bennett, of New York, afU^r whom the village was named. A few years ago the Indiana Union Traction Company extended its line from Indianapolis to Peru, pa.ssing through the village of Bennett's Switch, which wa.s made a station on that line also. The town has never grown to very large proportions, the last United States census giving the population as 133. It has two general stores, a grain elevator operated by James M. Coucher, and some other business concerns, and does considerable shipping.

ing 122 lots. Soon after the town was laid out a steam sawmill was built and for several years lumber was the chief article of export. At one time Birmingham boasted a flour mill, a blacksmith shop and a general store, in addition to the saw-mill, but these concerns have all moved to more favorable localities. The town was projected solely for speculative purposes and it failed to come up to the expectations of its founders. ^Vith the general decline of business, trains quit stopping there, and all that is left are a few residences and the schoolhouse. The reason given for the abandonment of liirmingham by the railroad company is a tribute to the strong convictions of Mr. Caulk, who was the railroad agent at that time. He refused to sell tickets for Sunday excursions or to post bills adyertising such excur.sions, and inasmuch as the station did not suppl.y the company with a great deal of business, it was decided to close it - not only on Sunday, but for all the time.

A recent map of Miami county, published by Rand, McXally & Company, shows a small hamlet called Bi'ownell in the southern part of Section 1, in the northeast corner of Peru township. The same authority gives the population as 12, accompanied by the statement that these few people receive mail by rural delivery from Peru. Browiiell is a stopping point on the "Winona Interurban railway that runs from Peru to "Warsaw, but it has no business interests of any consequence.

-Just south of Pipe Creek, in the southeast corner of Pipe Creek township, lies the town of Bunker Hill. It was platted 1851 liy Alexander Galbraith, James Myers and John Duckwall. The original plat included 46 lots and in June, 1852, Mr. Duckwall platted an addition of 24 lots. James Myers, one of the proprietors, built the first house in the town in 1851 and the second was probably the dwelling of Andrew Bache, which w-as built later in the same year. For a time the growth of the town was rather slow, only ten or a dozen houses having been erected in 1858. In 1859 the postofifice was established at Bunker Hill and aliout the same time, perhaps a little earlier. Dr. Hubbard opened the first store. The store of Ewing & Howard was opened in 1861, at the corner of Fourth and I\Iain streets. In January, 1868, the Pan Handle railroad was completed. As this line crosses the Lake Erie & "Western at Bunker Hill, the coming of the new railroad added to the growth and prosperity of the town. New additions w-ere laid out south of the Pan Handle, the first house in that part of the town having been built

The first physit'ian wa.s Dr. Hubbard, who also was the first merchant. It is related to liim that lie carried his medicines in a small tin pail and that he was never in "too tiig a luii'ry."' on his way to visit a patient, to stop long enough to trade hor.ses. Tlu' second physician was Dr. J. A. Meek, who located there in the spring of 1858 and continued in practice for many years.

About the close of the Civil war SanuuH Valentine started a tin shop, and a little later a man named Lane began business as a cabinetmaker. The first hotel was opened in 1868 by George Larimer, near the junction of the Lake Erie and Pan ILindle railroads. William Hendricks' sawmill was built about tlie same time. Li 1870 Jasper H. Keyes started a newspaper called the Village Netvs, and in 1871 the first hardware store was opened by C. T. Miller. During the next five years a number of new business houses were established in Bunker Hill. An election was held on October 21, 1882, to vote on the question of incorporating the town. At that election eighty-four voted in favor of the incorporation and thirty seven against it. The county commissioners canvassed the result of the election on November fi, 1882, and the same day ordered the incorporation of Bunker Hill.

The town was divided into three election districts and the first election of town officers occurred on November 15, 1882. Robert C. Foor, n. P. McDowell and Cyrus Baker were chosen trustees; J. A. Meek, clerk and treasurer; ^Villiam Jones, marshal; and John Bazner was appointed the first street commissioner.

A Baptist church was organized here some years before the town was laid out; a Methodist church was also organized at an early date; the Evaneglical church had its beginning about 1859, the Catholic church was organized in 1874. All these denominations have comfortable houses of worship, except the Catholics, which parish has been discontinued.

A two-story brick school house was built in 1868, and subsequently an addition of two rooms was added. This building remained in use until about 1895, when the school board decided to erect a new one. Boiuls to the amount of !};7,000 were issued by the board and the new building - a two-story brick, 55 feet square - was erected by the contractors, Baker & Davis, for $6,740. During the school years of 1912-13 six teachers were employed in the public schools, three of whom were in the high school department, and the amount received by the teachers in salaries was $3,364.

restaurants found in towns of its size, lodges of several of the leading secret orders, and in 1910 reported a population of 668, a gain of 100 during the preceding decade. In addition to the Lake Erie & Western and Pan Handle railroads, a line of the Indiana Union Traction Company passes through the town and adds materially to the transportation facilties. In point of population, Bunker Hill is the fourth town of the county, being exceeded only by the city of Peru and the towns of Converse and South Peru.

Little can be learned of this old town. An old atlas of iliami county, published by Kingman Brothers, of Chicago, in 1877, contains a map of Indiana, which shows Busaco as a station on the Lake Erie & Western Railroad, about a mile north of Denver. It was probably one of th- towns projected purely as a speculation and perished without leaving a history.

This old town was located on Honey creek, on the southeast quarter of section 22, in Harrison township, and not far from the Jackson township line. A congregation of Wesleyan Methodists and also of the Friends or Quakers had churches here at an early date, but little can be learned of the business enterprises of the town. After the completion of the Pan Handle Railroad and the establishment of Amboy, about a mile way, Gary sank into insignificance.

Chili is the only town of importance in Richland township. It was laid out by Jesse Mendenhall in October. 1839, and the plat was recorded under the name of New Market. The original plat showed twenty-two lots and six streets - Broadway, North, Third and South, ranning east and west, and Bluff and Lime, running north and south. One of the first to locate in the town was Daniel Lander, who built a small store and put in a stock of goods. Mr. Lander was the first postmaster at Chili and was for many years a justice of the peace. John Belew started a harness shop while the village was still in its infancy, and in 1845, N. C. Hall opened a store in a log house. Dr. W. J. Chamberlain located there about ihe same time and was the first physician to practice his profession in Chili.

ing of the Lake Ei'ic & Western, aliout tliree miles west of Chili, whieh detracted soniewh;it from tlie jirowth of tlie latter place. In 1886, the Peru & Detroit raili-oad was 1)iiilt from Peru to riiili, wliieh offset, to some extent, the eompetition otl'cn'd by Denver. This road is now u.sed by the Winona Tnteinrhan line, which connects Chili directly with the county seat.

A ^lethodist church was organized about the time the town was laid out and subseiiucTitly a Baptist congregation was formed. Both have neat ciiurch edifices and are in a prosperous condition. There is a graded school here, so that the educational advantages are as good as in many towns of greater size.

In inOO the United States census re])orted Chili a.s having a population of two hundred and forty-five and ten years later it was two hundred and seventy-five. The principal business enterprises are the mill and two general stores. Chili is a trading center and shipping point for a considerable portion of the rich Eel river valley. It has a telephone exchange, telegra'ph and express offices, etc.

When this town was laid out in April, 1<S4!), by O. H. P. Macy and Willis Elliott, it was given the name Xenia. The first hou.se was erected by Henry Overnum the followinji' summer. It was a log structure fifteen by eighteen feet .md stood on the Delphi road, now known as iliami street. Later an addition was made to the building, in which the first stock of goods ever brought to Converse was offered for sale. In order to reach the "store, "" customers were compelled to pass through the living rooms of Mr. Overnum 's fanuly. James Mote, a carpenter, and Joseph Brazington, a cabinet-nuiker, were among the early settlers. The former built his residence at the corner of Marion and Jefferson, and the latter at the comer of Jefferson and Sycamore streets. In 1852, Mr. ]\Iacy, one of the proprietors, erected a building for mercantile purposes and opened the first general store of conse(|nence in the town. This building was altciward occupied for several years by Daniel Mendenhall. Other early nu'rchants were John and Quiiicy Baldwin Christian Life, Cooper & Scott, John Grimes and Elisha Draper.

The original plat of Converse embraced a small tract in the northern part of section thirty-two and showed thirty-two lots and four streets - Jefferson, which runs north and south and is crossed by Wabaish, Marion and Sycamore. About a year after the town was laid out all these lots had been sold. In ^March, 185(), 0. TI. P. Macy and Thomas Addington platted an addition of forty lots. F. i\I. Davis' addition to the town, consisting of twnety-nine lots, was made in 1867. and two years later J. "\Y. Eward and J. X. Converse each platted additions, the aggregate of which was thirty-two lots. Several additions have been made since that time as the growth of the town demanded more room.

Converse, or Xenia. as it wa.s then called, experienced a boom soon after the close of the Civil war, when the Pan Handle Railroad was built through the town. Then a number of saw-mills were established in the immediate vicinity and large quantities of lumber were shipped from Converse, scavcel.y a day passing without one or more carloads going out to some of the factories in the large cities of the east. E. S. Lee established a planing mill and stave factorj' about 1869. A mill for making tow from flax was afterward added and the firm of Lee & Patterson carried on this line of business until the destraction of the mill by fire in 1874. A. B. Fisher began the manufacture of staves in 1870 and a few years later John Coyle started a tow and flax mill. Fisher removed his stave factory to Union city about 187.5, and Coyle, after operating his flax mill for some time sold out to Lehman, Rosenthal & Kraus, of Peru, who removed the mill to that city about 1879 and 1880. Other early industries were the flour mill of Wright & McFeely, which changed hands a number of times during the first decade of its existence, and the tanneiy started by A. -J. Saxton, about 1866.

In 1873, the aiiditor of Miami county directed the surveyor of the county to lay off and plat all the irregular lots in the town so that they could be listed for tax purposes in a systematic manner. The survey was accordingly made and the plat filed by the county surveyor has since been known as the official plat of Converse.

A second boom came to the town upon the discovery of natural gas in the vicinity and a number of new manufacturing concerns located at Converse. Among them were the Xenia Hoop Works, the Woolen Mills, the Hoosier Canning Company, the Peerless Glass Company, the Chandelier Works, a carriage factory and the Malleable Steel Works. When the supply of gas failed some of these factories were discontinued or removed elsewhere.

The first hotel in Converse was opened by James ]\Iote and a large part of his patronage came from prospectors who visited the new town in quest of business opportunities. He was succeeded bj- Clayborne Wright and in 1868 a regular hotel building was erected by George Wood on Jefferson street, a .short distance soiifh of the railroad. It was destroyed by fire in 1884.

In 1868, Charles P. Thew, a journalist who was not afraid to venture, started the Xenia Gazette, an account of which, as well as its successors, will be found in the chapter on Educational Development.

The first school house ereeted for the aeeoinodatioii of tlie chihlren of tlie town was built in 186(5. It was a modest frame building and stood in the western part of the village. By 1872 it became too small to serve the purpose for which it was erected and a two-story brick building took its ])lace, at a cost of !|i8,000. Two rooms were afterward added to the building and as thus remodeled it was used until about ]8!)C, when the persent commodious building was erected at a cost of $25,000. In 1894 the superintendent of the town schools made application to the state board of education for a commissioned high school and, afteian investigation as to the condition of the schools, the state board granted the commission early in 1895. In the school year of 1912-13, there were ten teachers (Mii])loyed in the Converse public schools and they received in -salaries $5,021.50.

A fire department was organized on July 1, 1885, with twenty-two mendiers, and those who have witnessed its work assert that it is one of the best of its kind in the state of Indiana. Converse also has a well equipped system of water works, using both the direct pressure and stand (jipe methods. The supply of water comes from tubular wells, over two hundred feet in deptii, in which the water has risen to within six feet of the surface, affording an abundance of pure limestone water for domestic use and fire protection.

About two years after the town was laid out a class of Wesleyan Methodists was organized and a little later a small log church was erected. After several years dissensions arose among the memliers and the last meeting of the church was held some time in 1870. The United Bi-ethi'en church was organized in 1856; the Methodists a year before that (late; the Christian church in 1868, and the Presbyterian churcli in 1870. A more complete account of these; congregations will be found in the chapter devoted to church liistorj\

The Converse of the present day commands a large trade from the people living in the southeastern part of Miami county, the northwestern part of (Iraiit ami tln' northeastern part of Howard. It is the principal shipping point on the Pan Handle Railroad between Marion and iiOgans]>oi-t. Convei-se has ;i bank with a ca[)ital stock of $25,000, a Home Telc|)h()ne Company, some manufacturing enterprises, a large grain elevator, nioi-e than a score of mercantile establishments, and a numbei- of handsome residences. The United States census of 1900 gave Converse a iiopnlatiDii of one tliousand four liiindrcd iuid liftecn. About the time tliat report was issued the supply of natural gas gave out and in 1910 the popuhition was officially rejjorled as one tliousand one hundi-cd and sixty-four. A It hough these figures show a decrease ill the iiiiiiibi'r 111' inhabitants, there has been no dimiiiulioii of energy on the part of the people of Converse and- the town holds second place in iliarai county, being excelled in population and wealth only liy the city of Peru.

The Miami County Agricultural Association holds its annual fair and races at Converse and every autumn it is the Mecca for the people of ;Miami county, the citizens of Peru usually turning out in large numbers to this, the only fair in the county. Converse has for a number of years suppoi-ted a summer Chautau(iua. which is likewise well attended.

Courter

Six miles north of Peru, on the Lake Erie & Western Railroad, is the little handet of Courter. It was laid out in August, 1869. liy R. F. Donaldson, on the northeast (juarter of section thirty-four, in Jefferson townslnp. The original plat consisted of twenty lots and no additions to the town have ever been made. At one time there was at Courter a general store, a blacksmith shop, a public school, and it was at center of trade for a considerable agricultural district. Courter now consists of a few dwellings and only one train each way daily stops at the .station. The few inhabitants are supplied with mail by rural delivery fi-om Peru.

In June, 1869. the Cincinnati, Chicago & Louisville Railroad, popularly known as the " ' Huckelberry Line," was completed through the northern part of Miami couny and William Deeds built a warehouse on his farm in Union townshij), on tin- line of the new road, for the purpose of handling grain and produce. In September following E. H. Hill opened a general store near the warehouse. The town was regularly laid out July, 1870, by Albert Deeds and Samuel U. Leedy, the original plat consisting of eighty-four lots. In December, 1872, -Mi-. Leedy laid out on addition of twelve lots and Mr. Deeds afterward made an addition of sixteen lots. E. H. Hill was the first postmaster. In 1910 the population was one hundred and twelve. Deedsville has several general stores, a grain elevator, a creamery, a public school house, a money order postofficc, from which one rural route emanates, and does considerable shipping.

road was beiug built tiiroiip:]! Miami roiuity. The- original plat iiieluded sixty-five lots in the northeast quarter of section twenty-one, north of the Eel River (now the Yandalia > Railroad, and east of the Lake Erie & AYcstern. In the development of the town it extended into rnion and Richland township, whieh caused some eonfusion with regard to taxes, schools, etc., and in response to a petition of the citizens the county commissioners changed the township lines so as to throw the town all in Jefferson. Among the earliest residents, after the town was laid out, were Frank :\Ioody, .\sel Griffith. W. IT. Howe, David and William Fetrow, and Jeremiah Johns. The first residence was erected hy Mr. Moody, who opened a blacksmith shop, the first industrial concern to he established in Denver. TV. W. Fetrow started the first store and Mr. Oriffith built a steam saw-mill. fJrimes & Charles opened a general store not long after the town was surveyed, and the firm of Constant Brothers in ISTfi established a jilaning mill, etpiipped with machinery for the manufacture of liarrel hoops and various articles of wooden ware. Cloud & Son ei'ected a flour mill in .1880, but about eighteen months later .sold out to a stock compan.y. This company in turn sold the mill to Amey & Newbold, who refitted it with modern machinery.

Denver College was founded in 1876, a building was erected and school was opened with every indication of success, but aftei- a somewhat varied career the company was disbanded and the building was turned over to the public school authorities.

In November, 1883, Dr. 0. F. Snook issued the first number of the Denver Sun, the fii-st newspaper to be published in the town. An account of this newspaper and its successors will be found in the chapter on Educational Development.

Til LS73 the Denvei' I\Iethodist Kpisi'Opal rliuiTli was organized and a house of worship was ei'ected the same year. Later the Baptists and Seventh Day -Vdventists organized congregations and built church edifices.

The Denver of today has a hank with a capital stock of $10,000, a cooperative telephone company, a large basket factory, several good mercantile establishments, a money order postoffice with two rural delivery routes, a good public school building, and ships large quantities of grain and other farm products. Several attempts have Ix'cn made to incorporate the town, the last in the winter of 1913-14, but so far all have failed of realization. The jiopulation in IHIO was eight luiiidrcd and fifty.

Rand McNally's atlas of Jliaini county shows a liamlet called Doyle on the east side of section nine, in Jefferson township, a short distance from the southeast corner of the township, ;ind vouchsafes the information tliat the inhabitants receive nuiil 1)y rural delivery from Peru. Strictly speaking, Doyle is not a town. It is merely a siding on the Lake Erie & "Western Railroad for the accommodation of the adjacent farmers in the shipment of live stock, etc.

In the southwest corner of Allen township a settlement grew up in an early day, which became known as Five Corners, on account of its location at the intersection of roads leading in five different directions. No town was ever platted there, but the converging roads made it a point easy of access and it became the center of trade for a large territory in the northwestern part of Miami county, as well as for portions of Cass and Fulton counties. About 1857, a large general store was opened at Five Comers by the firm of Moses & Williams, who sold out to Nathan Shackelford some five or six years later. William Harp succeeded I\Ir. Shackelford, but remained only about eighteen months, when he closed out his stock. A postoffice was established in 1859, with Nathaniel Bryant as postmaster. After the railroad was completed to IMacy the postoffice was removed there, trade was diverted to the raih'oad town and in a few years all that remained of the old settlement at Five Corners was the Methodist church and a few dwellings.

On October 20, 1849, Alexander Galbraith filed for record a plat of a town kno^ni as Florence, located on the southeast quarter of the southwest ciuarter of section 29, township 26, range 4, on the north bank of Big Pipe creek. This town was situated about half way between the present town of Bunker Hill and the old village of Leonda. The plat shows sixty-six lots, btit it does not appear that any buildings were ever erected in Florence.

This is one of the old towns of Miami county. It was founded about 1840, by Adam E. Rhodes, who settled upon the site in 1835. The original plat consisted of twenty-nine lots and two squares in sections 12 and 13 of range 4 and sections 7 and 18 in range 5, a little northwest of the center of Perry township. Dr. E. H. Sutton located in the village, about the time it was laid out, and practiced his profession there for some fifteen years. Among the first residents was a man named Swayzee, M'ho opened the first store. William H. Wright started a general store in 1845 and Zera SuthcrlMinl lirijiiii in the same line of business about a year later. Otlier (>arly intTchants were William D. Smith, James T. MeKiiii and 0. P. llohler. Peter Onstatt removed his blacksmith shop from liis farm, al)Out two miles and a half southeast, and was the first to follow that vocation at Gilead. Samuel Essig had established a small tanyard on the site of the village as early as 1837, and it was one of the primitive industries. Caple Brothers built a steam saw-mill in 1868, and A. M. (!rogg and his partner made some of the plows used l)y the early farmers of Perry township. Joseph Watie was for many years a general merchant. lie sold his store in 1913 but is still postmaster.

The Metiiodists organizeil a ehureli at Gilead as t'arly as 18-l:i and three years later a Presbyterian congregation was formed. A Masonic lodge was organized in ISljd.

After the completion of the Indianapolis, Peru & Chicago Railroad, and the Eel River Railroad, the village of Gilead began to show signs of decline. It remained the jjostofifice and trading point, however, for a considerable territory in the northeastern part of the county, and upon the completion of the Winona Interurban Railway a few years ago the village took on the appearance of renewed activity. In 1910 the population was reported as being one hundred and sixty. The principal business enterprises are the saw-mill and two general stores. Gilead has a good i)ulili(' school building and a number of neat homes.

The old town of Grandview was laid out tty J. ]\I. Dickson and John Wilson on June 1, 1854. on sections 7 and 8, township 25, range 5, about a mile east of the present village of McGrawsville. The original plat .showed fifty lots and was filed for record on August 1, 1854, by Benjamin F. Shaw. The town never fulfilled the hopes of its founders and seems to have perished without leaving any history.

Situated near the line dividing sections 3 and 10, in the northwest corner of Perry township, was the old village of Iloover.sburg, the history of which has been ])ractieally lost. About all that can be learned of it is that it was named for one of the pioneer families in that part of the county and that it was a trading point in an early day. A i)ostoffice was once located at Ilooversbui'g, but the people in that neighborhood now receive their mail by rural <leliverv from the office at Wagoner.

Shortly after the completion of the old Peru & Indianapolis Railroad the little town of Leonda, situated about a mile north of the present town of Bunker Hill, became one of the principal trading points south of the AVabash river. Leonda was projected before the railroad was finished, having been laid out by Harvey Hoover and Jacob Pottarff in ISol. The original plat showed seventy-two lots, with the railroad running directly through the center of the town. Not long after Leonda was laid out, Walter P. Shaw opened a general store. Other early merchants were Jacob Arnold and Samuel Jones, the latter also conducting a hotel. A postoffice was established in the early '50s, with Joseph Arnold as the first postmaster. Bunker Hill was laid out about the same time and spirited rivalry commenced between the two towns. When the Pan Handle railroad was built, crossing the Lake Erie & Western at Bunker Hill, the postoffice was removed to that town and Leonda gradually declined until now it is remebered by only a few of the old settlers.

This village is a station on the Pan Handle Railroad, in the ndrthern part of Clay township. The railroad company put in a siding there in 1888 and soon afterward E. B, Bottorff opened a genei'al store. He wa-s succeeded after a time by M. P. Conn. Thomas & Smith established a saw-mill at Loree a short time after the siding was built and a postoffice was located there a little later. In 1910 the population was given as thirty . The saw-mill and the general store are the oidy business enterprises.

About two and a half miles east of Loree, on the line between Harrison and Clay town.ship, is the little hamlet of jMeCTrawsville, which is a station on the Pan Handle Railroad. About two years before the railroad was completed to this point, Nelson McGraw built a small store - only eight by ten feet - and put in a small stock of goods. When the railroad was finished a siding was put in here and the name of McGrawsville was given to the place, in honor of the pioneer merchant. A church was soon afterward built on the Clay township side of the town and a blacksmith shop was opened. D. F. Deisch succeeded Mr. McGraw in the mercantile business, enlarged the store and increased the size of his stock. The general store is now owned by T. R. Dawson.

In . I line, lS(iO, (icorgc ami Anderson Wilkinson laid nut a plat of twenty lots where the town of Macy is now located and gave to the place the name of Lincoln. William Cordell soon after i)urchased one of the lots, upon which he built a blacksmith .shop, and John Inscho. a cai-penter, built the first residence. Before the close of the year George Wilkin.son opened a stoi-e. A liltlc later J. W. Ilnrst and A. L. Norris formcil a partnership and purchased the stock of Mr. Wilkinson. For several years the firm of Hurst & Norris was the leading mercantile concern of the town. The town grew so rapidly that in 1869 a lai'ge addition of eighty lots was made to the original plat by Wilkinson & Powell. Louden Carl purchased a lot in this addition and removed his store from Five Corners. Alonzo Hudson established the first drug store and David Goldsmith the first clothing store.

A steam saw-mill was started, soon after the town was laid out, by J. L. Peek, who later sold an interest to John Garner. The firm of Peek & Garner then remodeled the mill and converted it into a Hour mill. The first physician was Dr. James McKee, who was soon followed by Dr. M. !\L Boggs, and the first hotel was opened by II. C. Ewing.

The first school house was a frame building in the southwestern part of the town. It was built some time in the '70s, and was afterward enlarged by having a second story added. In ISSO the township graded school building, a Ijrick structure of eight rooms was erected, at a cost of something over .$6,000.

In 1869 the postoffice was removed from Five Corners to Lincoln, but it was discovered that there was already a postoffice called "Lincoln" in Cass county, and, as the postal regulations prohibited two oilices of the same name in the «ame state, the name of ''Allen" was adopted. In time this gave rise to confusion, and as goods intended for the town of Lincoln, in iliami county were sometimes delivered to Lincoln, in Cass county, the people of the town in 1875 petitioned the county commissioners to change the name to ^Macy, for David 3Iacy, president of the Indianapolis. Peru & Chicago Railroad, which was accordingly done, and a little later the name of the postoffice was changed to correspond. In 1884 an election was held to vote on the (luestion of incorporation. A ma.iority expressed themselves in favor of the proposition and the town of ^Macy was accordingly incorporated. The first board of trustees was compo.sed of A. C. Waite, M. Freeland and Jeremiah Hatch.

A Methodist church was organized in this locality some twelve years before the town of Macy was laid out. The Christian church was formed in 1868. These two congregations are the principal religious societies in the town, though meetings are occasionally held liy other denominations.

While Macy has never grown to l)e a large town, each succeeding census since its establishment has shown a slight increase. In 1010 the population was three hundred and twenty. The town has a bank M-ith a capital stock of $10,000. a local telephone company, several general stores, three hardware and implement stores, a hotel, a weekly newspaper, a grain elevator, a money order postoffice with three rural routes, telegraph and express offices, lodges of several of the leading secret and benevolent organizations, and is the trading center and shipping point for a large and rich agricultural district in Allen and Perry townships. At the beginning of the year 1914, Macy was out of debt and had a surjilus of $1,400 in the town treasury.

county. When the first settlers camo into the Eel river valley, one of their great needs was a tra(lin<j post of sonic kind. As indneement to some adventurous tradrr to luciite in th:it pari of tlie eount.y the town of Jlexico was laid out in Au-just, ls:{4, by .John B. and Simeon AVilkinson. The original plat included one hundred and twenty-six lots, which would indicate that the proprietors were actuated somcw hat liy a spirit of sj)ecnlation. Soon after the town was laid out a trading post was established by Bearss & Kwing, who carried on successful business for several years. The following year Asa Leonard built a large two-story log house and engaged in merchandising at Mexico. Washington Osborne was another [)ioneer merchant ; Noah Sinks and John Ilartpcnce also sold goods in the town during its early years, and the firm of Train, Mason & Spencer operated a large store in the '50s.

Other early industries were the tailor shop of Samuel Brown; the shops of James ^lason and a man named Leslie, blacksmiths; the wheelright shop of a Mr. Becl, who was also a cabinet maker; the fanning mill faetoi-y of Frank Edwards; Joseph Oldham's tannery, and the ashery of John Griswold. The first hotel was the River House, which was opened by Jacob Wilkinson shortly after the town began to showsigns of growth. By 1850 all the original lots were improved and the talk of a railroad created some interest in the future of the town, hence in August, 1854, the railroad additions of forty-five lots were platted and placed on tiie market. Other additions have since been made to Mexico, which has succeeded iu "holding its own."

The ilexieo Methodist church was founded in 1835 ; the German Baptist, or Dunkard church was established about two years later; the Baptist church was organized in 1861, and other denominations have held meetings iu the town at various periods in its histoi-y.

When the Eel Rivi-r Railroad was built through the county in tiic early 'TOs, the town of Mexico experienced a revival. The Mexico J\lanufacturing Company was incorporated in ^lay, IHTti, for the purpose of making furniture, bank and office fixtures, etc. Several new enterprises were pro.iectcd about the same time, some of which are still doing business. According to the census of IIJIO, the population of Mexico was then five hundred and twenty-one. The town has a good public school building, a large woolen mill, established in lftl:{, a bank oi'ganized in ll)i:j, and there are several general stores, hardware and implement houses, so that Mexico is the su{)ply point for a considerable portion of the rich Eel river valley.

In .Augusl, isll). tile originid plat of ^liaiiii was laid out by James Ilerrell and soon after the first house was built 1)V Alexander Blake.

It was a log structure and was used as a store by the owner, who was the first merchant in the village. The first plat included forty-five lots and five streets - Fulton and Cherry, running east and west, and ilain. Elm and Walnut, running north and south. In the spring of 1851, ^Villiam H. Cox made an addition of fifty-one lots, and the next year Richard Miller and Isaac Herrell platted an addition of seventj'- two lots. Austin Herrell opened a store in 18.51 and was closely connected with the business affairs of the town for more than twenty years. In 1870 he built a mill, which he conducted for several years. Another mill built about the same time was that of Ebenezer Humrickhouse, which was removed to Walton, Indiana, in 1880. The first sawmill was built by Alexander Blake, about 1852. A sawmill was in operation here as late as about 1894, when it was abandoned by the owners, Pomeroy & Keyes, who removed the machinery elsewhere.

A Methodist church society was organized in this neighborhood about the time the village of Miami was laid out, perhaps a little before that date, and this congregation built the first house of worship in the town. A Masonic lodge was organized in 1851 and an Odd Fellows' lodge in 1866. The latter was disbanded some years later. In 1910 the population of Miami was reported as three hundred. The principal business interests of the town at that time were a tile factory, two general stores, a grain elevator, and some minor concerns. Miami has a money order postoffice with one rural route, and a bank was organized in the summer of 1913. Miami has been noted for more than a quarter of a centry for its annual meetings of the Tri-County Old Settlers Association.

Xead is a small hamlet in Pipe Creek township. No regular plat of the place has ever been filed in the office of the county recorder, but the latest maps of Miami county locate it upon the southeast quarter of section 12, about one mile north of Big Pipe creek and four miles southwest of the city of Peru. Nead has a good public school and a general store and the population, according to Rand, McNally, was forty in the year 1910.

An old map of Miami county shows the village of Niconza on the southeast quarter of section 15, township 29, range 5, a short distance north of Squirrel creek, in the eastern part of Perry township. Little can be learned of the place, farther than that it was an early

Histoky Of Mia.Mi County 197

The original plat of this town was filed for record on Mareh 16, 1854, by William North, and was recorded tinder the name of Moorefield. It consisted of twenty-nine lots. In the fall of 1867, when the Pan Handle railroad was completed to the town, two additions were made to the town - Cohnv's, consisting of fifteen lots, and Parks', consisting of thirteen lots. Aliout that time the name was changed to North Grove. The first business house was erected by Abraham Colaw, on the corner afterward occupied by the linn of Stitt & Lee, and Solomon Yonnee opened a blacksmith shoj) soon after the town was laid out.

Early in the year 1912 Leonard G. Stitt and a number of other residents of North Grove presented a petition to the county commissioners asking for the incorpoi'ation of the town. On February 6, 1912, the board issued an order for an election to be held on the 27th of the same month, when the citizens living within the territory it was proposed to incorporate should vote on the ((uestion. At that election fifty-six -votes were cast - thirty -nine in favor of incorporation and seventeen against it - and on March 6, 1912, the hoard of commissioners ordered that North Grove be made an incorporated town. In 1910 the population of No7'th Grove was reported as three hundred and fifty. The town has several stores, particularly the grocery and di'Ug store of L. (i. Stitt and the general store of Claude Jones, two grain elevators, large lumber interests, a Masonic lodge, a good public school building, a money order postoffice with one rural route, and the usual number of small shops found in towns of its size.

About 1840 Richard .Miller established a trading post on the tract of land entered by him just north of Bachelor creek, in the eastern part of Richland township, A settlement grew up about his store and in April, 1847, the town of Paw Paw was regularly platted and recorded. Among the early mechanics and industries were James Wright, blacksmith; .\lvin Kite and George King, wagon makers; George Brown and Lawson Humphreys, cabinet makers; Richard Miller, tannery; a hat factory; and a Dr. Jones was the first physician. When the Eel River Railroad was built trade was diverted from Paw Paw to other towns and it is now one of the deserted villages of Miami county. Paw Paw

Situated on the picturesque Mississinewa river, in the eastern part of Butler township, is the old town of Peoria, which was laid out by Isaac Litzenberger in October, 184.'). The first house was built by -Joseph Younce and the first store was opened l)y ^Mr. Litzenberger, soon after he had the plat surveyed. Moses Falk was an early trader here and Dr. John C. Helm was the first physician. A postoffice called "Reserve" was maintained here for several years, deriving its name from the reservation granted to Ozahshinciuah, which lay just above the village. Peoria was at one time a trading point of considerable importance, but its greatness waned with the building of the railroads and the diversion of trade to other towns. James Long, postmaster and general merchant, has lieen a prominent figure in Peoria for many years.

Early in the Near ls:j7 John R. Wilkinson and Matthew Fenimore purchased a tract of land in the southern part of sections 1 and 2, in the western part of what is now Union township, and there laid out the town of Perrysburg in June of that year. The original plat consisted of thirty-six lots, ilatthew Fenimore established a trading post there aliout the time the town was laid out, and two years later Periysburg (contained aliout lialf a dozen residences, a tavern, the store, a blacksmith simp and a church. William Burnett was one of the early hotel keepers and Dr. Henry Howe was one of the pioneer i:)hysicians, perhaps very first to practice his profession in the village. Before the Lake Erie & Western Railroad was built, Perrysburg was the center of trade for a large district of the sui-rounding country, l)ut after that much of its trade went to the new towns that grew up along the railroad. At the present time the principal business interests are the brick and tile factory, two general stores and a blacksmith shop. The population in 1910 was one hundred.

In the eastern part of Richland township, on the Eel river and the Vandalia Railroad, is the village and postoffice of Pettysville. It was platted by Daniel Petty, who opened a store at that point when the railroad was built in 1872. A postoffice was established a little later and is still in existence, one route from it supplying mail to the adjacent rural districts. G. T. Orimcs is the present postmaster. Pettysville rei)orte(l a jiopulatiou of sixty in liHO. It lias a general store, a grain elevator and ships considerable quantities of grain, live stock and other

The old town of Piereehurg was platted in tiie spring of 1853 by John H. :Miller, Simon Suavely, F. W. Wiiite and Daniel Mendenhall. The original plat consisted of forty-eight lots, about one-half of which lay in "Wabash count.v and the others were in sections 10 and 15, in the eastern ])art of Erie township. Little can be learned regarding this old village, but it does not api)eai- that it ever became a place of much importance as a trading point.

Although this town is incorporated and has a government of its own, it is practically a part of the city of Peru. It occupies the tract of land once owned by Daniel R. Bearss, just north of and adjoining the city limits and the history of its industries, schools, etc., is given in the chapter devoted to the city of Peru.

In the spring of 1845 Ebenezer Fenimore laid out the town of Santa Fe, on the southeast quarter of section 32, in the exti*eme southern part of Butler township. Soon after it was platted William S. White opened a general store and when the town was two years old it boasted a sawmill, the store, a schoolhouse and perhaps half a dozen residences. In 1850 an addition of twenty-six lots was made to the town. Fenimore & Hritton built a mill on Pipe Creek, near the town, and operated it until it was destroyed by fire in 1869. Santa Fe was a thriving little place until the Pan Handle Railroad was built, when much of its trade went to Amboy and lIcGrawsville. Upon the completion of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, a station called New Santa Fe was established on that line about three- fourths of a mile north of the old town. There is a grain elevator at the station and since the building of this railroad there has been a slight revival of business in Santa Fe. The population iti 1910 was 150.

and Elijah Lieuranee, on section 3, township 25. range 5. The proprietors of the town established a large steam saw mill tliere about the time the plat was filed and soon after a blacksmith shop was opened near the mill. A little later a man named Lawson started a general store, which became an important trading house for the surrounding country, ilr. Lawson was killed by a falling limb striking him on the head, while he was on his way from Peru with a wagon load of goods, and his successor in the mercantile business at Snow Hill was Parker Hollingsworth. Jesse ^filler started a cabinet shop about 1854 and a number of the articles of furniture he made are still to be seen in the homes of some of the old settlers. After the completion of the Pan Handle Railroad Snow Hill began to decline. Jesse and George Bower bought the lots as they were offered for sale and finally succeeded in having the plat vacated.

The plat of South Peru was filed for record on September 12, 1873. by Laban. Elizabeth, ilaria and Rachel Armstrong, and William Erwin, whose wife was Elizabeth A. Armstrong. It consisted of thirty-eight lots, but several additions have since been made, the most notable ones being the additions of Cole and Armstrong. The town is situated in the northern part of Washington township and is separated from the city of Peru by the Wabash river. A wheel factory was started on the south side of the river two years before the town of South Peni was laid out. It was afterward converted into a furniture factory and was burned in 1876. Other industries were a packing house and a brewery. The population in 1910 was 866. In January, 1914. a movement was started by the citizens of the town to secure the annexation of the suburb to the city of Peru. The ordinance of annexation was passed on March 10, 1914. (See the chapter on the City of Peru.)

The old town of Stockdale was located on the line that divides Miami and Waliash counties. Tiie larger part of the plat was in Wabash county, but a portion of the town was in the extreme southeast corner of Perry township. Stockdale was laid out liy Thomas Goudy in 1837 and for a number of years it was the principal trading point for the early settlers of that region. When the Eel River (now the Vandalia) Railroad was built and the town of Roann grew up only a short distance awa.y, the village of Stockdale ceased to grow and after a few years began to decline. A decade after- the completion of the

About two and a half miles southeast of Mexico was onee a settlement called Stringrtown, from tlie fact that there were a number of houses "strung" along both sides of the Peru and Mexico road. Evans Bean had a general store here at one time and there was a grist mill operated by John S. Winters. The mill w^as finally destroyed by tire, the store was removed to some other locality, and the last business concern in Stringtown was the cabinet shop of a man named Ireland. After his removal to Mexico the other residents one by one departed and nothing of the old settlement remains.

The town of I'liioii City was laid out by George Ilill in April, 1861, on the southwest quarter of section 31, township 29, range 4, about two miles west of present village of Deedsville. The original plat consisted of seventeen lots. On some of the old maps of iliami county this place appears as "Union," but little can be learned regarding its growth or the cause of its decay. It probably succumbed to the inevitable when the railroad was built and the towns of Macy and Deedsville came into prominence as trading centers.

On April 21. 1854. Andrew Wolpert filed with the county recorder a plat of a town to be known as Urbana, located in the northeast (|uarter of section 12, township 25, range 4, a short distance north of the present village of McGrawsville. The plat shows eighteen lots, but the town never became a place of much importance, owing chiefly to the fact that McGrawsville had the advantage of the railroad and drew the trade of the neighborhood.

This village is a station on the Lake Erie & Western Raili'oad in the extreme northwest corner of the county. It is the outgrowth of the railroad and in 1910 reported a population of 105. Wagoner has a saw mill, two general stores, a money order postoffice with one rural route, and is the shipping and supply point for a large farming district in the nnrthwestcni i>art ol' IVIiami and the southei-n part of Fulton county.

Waupecong is the largest town in Clay township. It is situated within one mile of the Howard county line and about four miles east of Bennett's Switch. When tlie plat of the town was filed on A])ril 20, 1849, by James Highland. Jacob Ilight and Andrew Petty, it was given the name of "White Hall. Andrew Petty established a trading post and was also interested in the luml)er business. Otto P. Webb put in a large stock of goods soon after the town was laid out and carried on successful business for several years. Other early merchants were H. D. Hattery, Andrew Cable, George W. Lawver and Joseph and Henry ilygrant. The first physician was a Dr. IMorehead. A man named Miller established a sawmill at an early day and a steam flour mill was erected some years later by John Sraucker, who sold out to Jacob Slirock. Although some distance from a railroad, Waupecong has continued to be the principal trading point for a large and rich agricultural district in the southern part of Miami and the northern part of Howard county. The population of the village in 1910 was 205.

An old map of ]\liami county shows the village of Wheatville as being situated on section 36, in the southern part of Perry township. The writer has been unable to learn anything coneeniing its founders or the date when it was established. It was evidently a place of some importance at the beginning of the Civil war, in 1861, as the adjutantgeneral's reports contain the names of a number of Miami county volunteers who gave their address as Wheatville, and one of the companies of tlie Indiana Legion was known as the "Wheatville Guards."

Amos Wooley and his thi-ee sons came to ]\Iiami county in 1846 and settled in the northwest corner of Richland township. The young men were mechanics and soon after their arrival they started a blacksmith and wagon shop on their father's farm in section three. A few years later William Harp, a son-in-law of the elder Mr. Wooley, opened a general store. A settlement grew up about the store and shop, which in time became known as Wooleytown. Peter Hand & Son engaged in the manufacture of grain cradles, which were sold throughout Miami and the adjoining counties, and J. M. Hoffman had a shop from which he turned out looms for weaving rag carpet and all sorts of woolen fabrics. After a few years .Mr. Hand removed his store to Five Corners and Abraham r.eedy l)ecame the merciiaiit at Wooleytowii. After the bnilding of the Lake Erie & Western Railroad and the founding of Denver, only two miles away, Wooleytown began to decline and within a few years all its former greatness and prosperity had departed, never to return.

The following list of postoffiees in Miami county is taken from the Official Postal Guide for July, 1913. The figures after the name of each indicate the number of rural free delivery routes emanating from that office. Amboy, 2; Bennett's Switch, 1; Bunker Hill, 1; Chili, 1; Converse, 3; Deedsville, 1; Denver, 2; Gilead; Loree, 1; McGrawsville, 1; Maey, 3; Mexico, 1; Miami, 1; North Grove, 1; Peru, 12; Pettysville, 1; Wagoner, 1. All are money order postoffiees and tlie offices at Converse and Peru are authorized to issue international money orders, good in foreign countries.