Porter County, Indiana - Chapter 3: Settlement and Organization, 1912

Just who were tlie first white men to visit Avhat is »ow Porter county, or when that visit was made, is largely a matter of conjecture. It is known that about the middle of the seventeenth century the French fur traders were engaged in active operations in the region of the Great Lakes, and it is quite probable tliat some of them passed through the coxmty, but they made no pernmncnt residence there nor left any record of their aets. In 1672 the two Catholic missionaries - Father Allouez and Father Dablon - traversed the country from lake shore to the Kankakee river, stopping at the Indian villages and studying the characteristics of the couutiy. Their visit is the first of which there is any authentic record. The following year Father Marquette, on his return eastward from the ]Mississip])i river, ])a.s.sed up the Kankakee river with six of his companions. Upon reacliing the source of that stream they

In 1679 Robert Cavilier, Sieur de la Salle, set out iVom Canada J'or the purpose of discovering the ilississippi river and dosi'ctidint,' if to its moutli. His company of some thirty men, among wliom were Henri de Tonti, Father Hennepin and Sieur de la IMottc, passed down llie Kankakee and Illinois rivers. On that occasion. La Salle failed to reach the mouth of the great river, and in 1680 he returned eastward by land, passing through Porter county on his way to Frontenae. In 1681 he again started westward - this time with a much larger company - follow-' ed the lake shore, and in April, 1682, reached the montii of the 3Iis.sissippi, where he laid claim in the name of France to all Die country drained by that river and its tributaries, giving the country tlie name of Louisiana in honor of the French king. By this act of La Salle's Porter county became a dependency of France. A Catholic mission Mas established on the St. Joseph river in 1711, under the charge of Fatlier Chardon. In a short time a number of traders gatliered about the mission, and in tlfeir trading and trapping excursions penetrated as far westward as the valleys of the Calumet and Kankakee.

All northern Indiana became a British possession in 1759, and tliree sprang up a Spirited rivalry between the French and English for the control of the fur trade. The latter made but little headway, however, for the reason that the Indians remained loyal to the French, who understood their language and had for years been on friendly terms with th4;.m. Louisiana was ceded to Spain by the secret treaty of Fontainebleau in 1762, and nineteen years later the Spanish authorities decided to take possession of the territory about the head of Lake ^lidiignu. Accordingly an expedition Mas sent out from St. Louis in the Minter of 1781, under command of Don Eugenio Pierre. This expedition consisted of a considerable body of Spanish soldiery aaid about sixty Mestern Indians. Althoiigh Don Pierre was permitted to occupy the country without bloodshead or resistance, his victory was of comparatively short duration, for the treaty of 1783, between the newly recognized republic of the United States and (Jivat P.rilaiii, fixed the western boimdaiy of the United States at the ^li^si.ssippi i-iver, and Spain was soon foi'ced to acknowledge the claims of 'lie new government. The Biitisli retained possession of the post at Detroit and continued to exercise dominion over the country to the westward until 189G, when Porter county really came under the authority of the United States.

By an act of Congress, May 7, 1800, the territory north- "west of the Ohio river was ili\ided and William H. H. Harrison was appointed govenor on the l^jtli of the same month of the newly established Territory of Indiana. The next day John Gibson, of Pennsylvania, was appointed secretary, and a few days later 'William Clark, Henry Vanderburgh and John Griffin were appointed territorial judges. General Harrison arrived at Vineennes on January 10, 1801, and two days later convened the court. 'I'lie session lasted until the 26th, and in that time the governor and tlie .iudges adopted certain regulations for the government of the territory. As these regulations had the force of laws, they may be considered as the first legislation of a local character affecting what is now Porter county.

The first movement of the United States toward exercising authority over the country around the liead of Lake Michigan was in 1803, when J Col. John H. Whistler was directed to es.stablish a fort at the mouth of the Chicago river. Colonel Whistler made the voyage from Detroit to the site of the proposed fort in a government vessel called the "Tracy," which is said to have been the first boat of any size to enter the Chicago harbor. His expedition, which marched^b.y land from Detroit, passed along the southern shore of Lake IMichi^um. The fort was completed in the spring of 1804 and was named Fort Dearborn. It became the headquarters of the fur traders operating around the head of the lake, and wielded considerable influence over the Indian inhabitants of Por. ter county. Trappers and hunters increased in numbers along the Calumet and Kankakee rivers; corn was cultivated upon the prairies and taken to the fort to supply the white people there, the trafSc being car-

Still no white man had cstalilishcd a pcrinauent domicile witiiin the limits of Porter county, and it was not until 1822 - six years after Indiana M'as admitted into the Union as a state - that the smoke from a white man's cabin told that the Caucasian had taken possession. In that year Joseph Pailly located at the place afterward known as Bailly Town in Westchester township. His cabin of unhewn logs stood upon the north bank of the Calumet river in the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 27, tox^Tiship 37 north, range 6 west, though at that time the government survey had not been made. At the point where he located his cabin the Calumet has high banks, which doubtless influenced him in the selection of a site for his home in the wilderness. That he acted with autliority is evidenced by the fact that he was in possession_ of the following document:

"The bearer of this paper, Mr. Joseph Bailly, a resident on the border of Lake IMiehigau near St. Joseph, has my permission to pass from this post to his residence aforesaid. Since Mr. Bailly has been in Detroit, his deportment has been altogether correct, and such as to acquire my confidence ; all officers, civil and military, acting under the authority of the American Goverment will therefore respect this passport which I accord to Mr. Bailly, and permit him not only to pass undisturbed, but if necessary yield to him their protection.

Mr. Bailly was a French Canadian, born in Quebec in 1774, and prior to his settlement in Porter county had been engaged in the fur trade. During the War of 1812 he had been captured or arrested by both the

British and American troops, but he maiiitaiiied a strict neutrality and declined to bear arms on either side. He married a woman who was part Ottawa Indian and brought her with him to i'orler county. Tliere he established a store and in a little while built uj) a yood trade with the Indians. In this woi'k he was materially aided by bis wife, who thoroughly understood the Indian language and customs, though she .also understood French and readily adopted many 'oT the customs of civilization. Bailly's place soon became widely known. Travelc-i-s, voyaguers, traders, trappers, missionaries, adveutuf''rs and government officers or agents alike found shelter and entertainment within the hospitable walls of the French trader's cabin. In later yeai's religious exercises were held there and it became a rallying point in time of danger. .

To Mr. and Mrs. Bailly were born five children - a son and four daughters. The son died in 1827 at the age of ten yeajs. The eldest daughter Eleanor joined the Catholic Sisters and for souie yeai-s wa-s the mother superior of St. Mary's at Terre' Haute, Indiana; the second daughter, Esther, married Colonel Whistler, and resided in Porter county until her death ; Rose Victoire, the third daughter, married Francis Howe, a civ^ engineer of Chicago, and after his death took up her residence on the old homestead in Porter county; Hortense, the youngest, became the wife of Joel Wicker, who was the pioneer merchant of Deep Jliver, Lake county. Upon a sandy knoll about three-quarters of a mile north of the bouse is the family cemetery, which received its first offering in 1827, when Mr. Bailly buried there his only son and erected over the grave a large oak cross bearing the inscription : ' ' To-day, my turn ; tonion-ow, yours; Jesus Christ Crucified^ have mercy upon us." lie also erected there a small log building called "the chapel," though ]\Ir. Bailley's granddaughter, Frances R. Howe, in "The Story of a French Homestead," published in 1906, says; "This building was not a chapel, but merely a shelter for those who went to pray at the foot of the cross, as did all the household on Sundays and Holy Days. There \vas no appointed hour for a visit, neither was there any public prayer. The rule

Mr. Bailly himself was buried in Ihis li1lli> cemetery in December, 1835, other Catholic members of the family rest tliei'o, and the spot if, regarded as "consecrated ground."

Other white settlers were slow i^ coiiiiiiv and for more than ten years Joseph Baillj' was the only iicniicncnt wliile rosidont in Porter county. By his fair dealing he won the eonfidrnce of the Indians, from whom he purchased large quantities of fin-s. Tlieso he shipped to Mackinac in row boats, and oceassionally he visited Quebec to look after his commercial interests. He spent a portion of his time at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he had established a Irading post, to which the western Indians brought him furs from the Rock Mountaiii country, and even seal skins from the northern Pacific coast. Tliese were exported from New Ol-leans to Prance. By the time of tlie treaty of 1832 his Porter county establishment had gi-own to six or eight log cabins, in which lived his French employees who assisted him in his fur trade. By treaty with the Pottawatomies in the fall of 1832, the lands in Porter county were thrown open to settlement. In 1833 a stage line, operated by Converse & Reeves, was started between Chicago and Detroit, and with its establishment began the actual settlement of Porter county. In that same j«ar Jesse Morgan came from Virginia and located on section 6, township 36, range 5; a short distance southea.st of the present town of Chesterton. His house became a sort of station of the Chicago and Detroit road and was soon widel.y known as the "Stage House." His two brothers, William and Isaac, came at the same time and settled in Washington township on the prairie which still bears their name. Others who came in 1833 were Adams S. Campbell, of Chautauqua county. New York; Reason Bell, of Wayne county, Ohio; George B. Cline, of Union county, Indiana; and Henry S. Adams, of Jefferson county, Ohio, all of whom selected homesteads on Morgan prairie. The last named was accompained by his mother, his wife and three daughters. Seth Hull, who was probably the first man to locate a claim in what is uow Center township, .settled on the site of Chiqua's Town, but soon aiterward sold his ehiim to J. S. Wallace and "went farther westward into Illinois. A Fronrh fur trader estaWishcd a post near the place later known as Morgan's School House in Westeliester township and it is said sold eleven b* rds of whiskey - his chief article of merchandise - in one winter. Samuel Flint came into Wa.shington township, and is credited with having made the first improvements at Prattville, and there were ^a few others, most of whom were without families and did not remain in the county.

The year 1834 witnessed a larger inauigration. In tliis year occurred the birth of the fii-st white child in the county - Reason Bell, son of Reason Bell, Sr., who had settled in Wasliiuglon township the preceding year. Just a month later Avas borrr Ilamiali, dtiughter of Jesse Morgan, in Westchester township. Earty in the year came J. P. Ballard, who built the first house in the city of Valparaiso, or rather upo)i the site of the present city. A. K. Paine built the first dwelling and took up the first claim in what is now Jackson township; Thomjis and William Gosset selected claims in Westchester township; William Thomais, Sr., Jacob Beck, John Hageman, John I. Foster, William Frame and Pressley Warnick brought their families and established homes in the same township; in Wasliington township Jacob Coleman, James Blair, Isaac Weminger, Ruel Starr and James Bauu were added to the population; Joseph Bartholomew, Henry Adams, George, Jocob and John Schultz, and Benjamin Spencer settled in Morgan township. In June Owen Crumpacker came from Union county, Indiana, and was probably tlie first settler- in Liberty township. He was soon joined there by William Downing, Jerry Todhunter, Elijah Casteel, Peter Ritler and Thomas Clark, generally referred to as "Beehunter" Clark.

.In 1835 the first sale of Porter county public lands was lield at Laporte. Practcallj' all the men who had talccn claims in Porter county were present, and there were a number of liiddei-s from a distance. A mulatto named Landy Gavin, who had purchased his freedom for $600, settled in Westchester township, but subsequently removed to Michigan

City. R. Cornell, Eli Hendricks iind a few otlicis settled this year in Westchester township, and the first settlriiK lU was made in Boone township by Judge Jesse Johnson, who was suoii followed by Isaac Cornell and Simoon Brj'ant. By the time of tljc hind salfs at Laporte a large number of new settlers had come into AViisliiiiKton township. N. S. Fairchild, Archie De Mimn, Cliarlcs Allen, Josi;ili Allen, Rinier Blachley, Morris Witham, William Billings, licwis Comer and a number of others settled in ]\Iorgan to\\'nshii), most of them bringing their families, The first settlements were made in Tbiion township in this year, but it is not definitely settled who were the fii'st men to locate there. Jaelvson township received a lai-ge number of mw cifizcus, among whom WQre William Barnard and Benjamin ]\Ialsliy. Sevei-al hardy pioneers were also added to the population of Portage township, where Reuben Ilurlburt and a few others had settled in 1834. Pleasant township M'as likewise settled in 18.35, by William Trinkle, John Jones, and a man named Sherwood. A number of claims were taken in Porter township, Newton Frame, Samuel and Isaac Campbell, Isaac Edwards, Jacob AA^olf, Elder French and David Hurlburt being among the early settlers in that locality.

In ]\Iareh, 1835, the commissionei-s of Laporte county, who at that time had jurisdiction over all the territory west of that county extending from the Kankakee river to Lake Michigan and west to the western boundary of the state, inchuling the present counties of Porter and Lake, issued an order for the division of this region into three townships, as follows:

"The township of Waverly to be bounded on the north by Lake Michigan, east bj' the Laporte county line, south by the line between Townships 35 and 36 north, and west by the line through the center of Range 6 west. The toAvnship of Morgan to be bounded on the north by the south line of Waverly township, east by the Laporte county line, south by the Kankakee river, and Avest by the line through the center of Range 6 West. The

At the same time the commissioners ordered an election in each of the three townships for two justices of the peace and other township officers, and designated the voting places as follows : In Waverly to^vnship at the town of Waverly, a new town which had just been laid out by John Foster about two miles uortliwest of the present town of Chesterton ; " in. Morgan township at the residence of Isaac Morgan, and in Ross township at the residence of Cyrus Spurlock. In Waverly township thirty-two votes were polled. John J.- Foster and Elijah Casteel were elected justices of the peace; Owen Crumpacker and Jacob Beck, constable^ ; Eli Hendricks, superintendent of roads ; Jesse Morgan and William Frame, overseers of the poor; Alexander Crawford and Edmund Tratebas, fence viewers. Twenty-six votes were cast in Morgan township. Adam S. Campbell and George Cline were chosen justices of the peace ; T. A. E. Campbell and Jones Frazee, constables; Henry Jlinker, supervisor of roads; Reason Bell, Sr., and Jacob Coleman, overseers of the poor; Benjamin Saylor and Jacob Coleman, fence viewers. Ross township now constitutes the county of Lake and the result of the election therein is not germain to the history of Porter county.

The establishment of these townships and election of officers marks the introduction of local civil government in Porter county. During the year follomng this election there was but a slight increase in the population of the county. The actual settlers devoted their attention to the improvement of their claims, the construction of roads, the establishment of schools, etc., and speculators overran the countj' seeking investments that would found their fortunes, but few of these speculators located within the confines of the county.

Pioneer life in Porter county differed but little from that in other new countries, and for the benefit of the present generation it may not be amiss to give a brief description of the industrial and social customs of that period. In the prairie districts the matter of clearing the ground for cultivation was a comparatively easy matter, but where the land was covered with a growth of timlier more labor was involved. After the trees were felled and cut into suitable lengths came the "log rolling," w^hen the neighbors would gather and pile tlie logs into heaps convenient for burning. These log rollings were often contests of physical strength, and the luckless individual, who could not "keep \ip his end of the hand spike" was made the subject of good-natured badinage. The house raising was an event of importance. AVhen the logs were collected upon the site M'here it was proposed to erect the cabin, the settlers would frequently come for several miles to assist in the "raising." Four men skilled in the use of the ax Avere selected to "carry up the corners." These men sat astride the logs as they were hoisted upon the walls, shaped a "saddle' upon the upper side of one log and cut a notch to fit it in the under side" of the next. By this means the cracks between the logs were made smaller and the walls rendered stronger. After the walls were up the door - there was usually but one - the Avindows and the fireplace were sawed out and the ends of the logs supported by an upright piece held in position by wooden pins. The opening for the fireplace was generally four or five' feet across and about the same in height. Outside the wall of the cabin a pen was built and lined with heavy clay walls as high as the top of the fireplace or a few feet above. On top of this pen smaller sticks were used and the w'hole was plastered with clay or mortar to a height a foot or two above the roof of the cabin. The openings between the logs were "chinked "with pieces of timber which were covered with clay or mortar to keep out the cold. Usually the floor was of puncheons, smoothed on the upper side with the broadax or adz. The door was frequently made of rough boards or pieces of timber rived out with an instrument called a frow. It was hung on wooden or leather hinges and provided with a wooden latch, to which was attached a string which ran through a small hole in the door. To gain entrance one had but to pull the string and lift the latch. At night the string was drawn inside and the door was locked. This custom gave rise to the expression "The latch string is always out," to indicate that one would be welcome at any time. These frontier cabins were often constructed without the use of nails, or hai'd-

Money was scarce in the early days and few ^rere able to hire help. Hence the custom of exchanging work among the pioneers was a common one. In addition to the log rollings and house raisings there were wood choppings and corn huskiugs, when the entire neighborhood would go from house to house, taking care of the corn crop or laying in the supply of winter fuel. Among the women there were quiltiugs,, rag cuttings, in which the material for the rag carpet was prepared, wool pickings, apple parings, etc., the last coming only after orchards had reached a bearing age. There were no stoves, and the cooking was done in primitive utensils at the huge fireplace, the housewife often wearing a large sunbonnet to protect her face from the heat while she was preparing a meal. From a pole in the throat of the chimney was suspended a large iron kettle, in which were boiled meat and several kinds of vegetables at the same time. Bread was baked in a long-handled iron skillet, which was placed over a bed of coals and after the doiigh was placed therein covered with an iro'n lid upon which hot coals were heaped in order that the bread might bake fi'om top and bottom at the same time. Nearly every settler kept a few sheep and the spinning wheel and the loom were to be found in almost every household. The wool or yarn was dyed with indigo»or the bark of trees and woven into cloth, which was then made into clothing by hand, as the sewing machine was not invented until years later. "Store clothes" were extremely rare, and nearly every one wore "homespun." Light for the cabin was generally provided by tallow candles, made by dramng a cotton wick through a tin cylinder and then pouring melted tallow around it. When the tallow cooled it was draAvn from the mould and laid away until needed for use. Candle moulds usually consisted of four, six or eight cylinders in a single frame. Artificial light even of this simple character was often scarce, and is was no uncommon thing for the family to sit in front of the open fire until time to retire, the fire giving the only light in the cabin.

as foot racing, wrestling, pitching cjuoits or horseshoes, etc. Another common sport was the "shooting match," in which a spirited contest in markmanship with the rifle occurred. Bayard R. Hall, in his "New Purchase," thus describes one of those matches: "The distance was stepped off and marked - eighty-five yards off hand and one hundred yards with a rest. The rests were various, some of the marksmen driving forked stakes in the ground and placing on these a horizontal piece, some using a common chair, some lying flat with a chunk or stone before them for support, and yet others standing beside a tree the barrel near its muzzle pressed against the boll. For targets each man had a shingle carefully prepared ^^d^h, first, a charcoal-blackened space, and oij this for a ground a piece of white paper aliout an inch square. From the center of the paper was cut a small diamond shaped hole, which, of course, showed black, and two diagonal lines from the corners of this intersected each other at the center of the diamond, thus fixing the exact center of the target. About this point, with a radius of four inches, a circle was drawn, and any shots striking outside of this circle lost the match to the marksman. Each contestant had three sliots, and if all struck within the circle and outside the exact center the measurement was taken from the center to the inner edge of the bullet hole. These measurements were then added up, and the one having the shortest 'string' won Ithe prize."

In every settlement there "was one or more who could play the violin, though he was generally known as a "fiddler." His services were frequently called into requisition, as the house raising was nearly always by a "house warming," which meant a bounteous supper and a few hours spent in dancing the minuet or the old Virginia reel. Then there were the singing schools, in which the song book kno^vn as the "Missouri Harmony" was generally used, the debating clubs, mock legislatures, etc. In winter bob sled pai'ties formed one of the principal sources of pleasure, and after the district school was firmly established spelling school furnished popiilar entertainment. To one who lives in the present day of macadamized roads, automobiles, electric lights, telephones, inter- urban railways, popular places of aiausemeut, and the various othr r conveniences of modern civilization, the life of the pioneer may seem crude and commonplace. Ti'ue, that life was one of hardship in m;my respects, but the frontiersman "s wants were few and easily supplied. It should not be forgotten that these sturdy pioneers who marched boldly into and subdued the wilderness paved the Avay for the many blessings the present generation enjoys, and as one reflects upon tlieir labors and victories he may agree with Roliert Burns that

Morgan and "VVavei-ly townships remained under the jurisdiction of Laporte county until the legislative session of 1836. On January 28, 1836, Governor Noble ap|)rovcd an act "to organize the count}' of Porter, and for other purposes. ' ' The full text of th.at act is as follows :

"Sec. 1. Be it citactcd hy the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That from and after the first day of February nevt, all that tract of country included in the follo\ving boundary lines, shall form and constitute the county of Porter, to wit: commencing at the northwest corner of Laporte county, thence running south to the Kankakee river, thence west with the bed of said river, to the centre of range seven, thence north to the state line, thence east to the place of beginning. And all that part {)i the country that lies north of the Kankakee river, and west of the county of Porter, ^^athin the State of Indiana, shall form and constitute a new county, to be known and designated by the name of Lake county.

"Sec. 2. That the county of Porter shall, from and after the first day of February next, enjoy and possess all the rights, privileges, benefits and jurisdictions, which to separate or independent counties do or may properly belong.

"Sec. 3. That Joel Long, of Kosciusko; Andrew Wilson, of Fountain county; Matthias Dawson and Judah Leaming, of Laporte county; and William L. Earl, of St. Joseph county, be, and they are hereby appointed commissioners agreeably to the act entitled 'an act fixing the seats of justice in all new counties hereafler to be laid off.' The commissioners aforesaid shall meet on the fii-st Monday in June next, or any day thereafter they may agree upon, at the house of Thomas Butler, in the said covmty of Porter, and shall proceed immediately to perform the duties required of them by law; and it shall bo the duty of the sheriff of the county of St. Joseph to notify said commissioners, either in person or by writing, of their appointment, and for such service, said sheriff shall receive such compensation as the board doing county business of Porter county, shall deem reasonable.

"Sec. 4. The circuit court and board of count}' commissioners, shall hold their sessions as near the centre of llie coimty of Porter as a convenient place can be had until the public buildings shall be erected.

"Sec. 6.. The board doing county business, may as soon as elected and qualified, hold special sessions, not exceeding three during the first year after the organization of said county, and shall make all necessary appointments, and do and perform other business, which may or might have been necessary to be performed at any regular session, and take all necessary steps to collect the state and county revenue, any law or usage to the contrary notwithstanding.

The name of Porter was conferred on tlie new county in honor of Commodore David Porter, of the United States navy, who commanded the frigate "Essex" during the "War of 1812 with Great Britain. Pursuant to authority vested in him by an act of the legislature, Governor Noble appointed Benjamin Saylor shcriiT, with power to organize the county by calling an election for judges of the probate court, county commissioners, recorder and clerk, and to perform such other duties as might be necessary to perfect the organization of the county. An election was accordingly held on February 23, 183C, at which Jesse Johnston was elected probate judge; Seneca Ball and James Blair, associate judges; Cyrus Spurlock, recorder; Georgp W. Turner, clerk; Benjamin N.

On April 12, 18^6, tlie tiisl session of the board of commissioners was convened at the house of (!. A liaUard, in Tortersville (now Valparaiso), with all the cominissioners incscnt, George W. Turner acting as clerk, and Henjamin Savior as shcnll. One of the first acts of the board was to establish ten civil l(l^\nsllips, which the records show was done as follows:

"Ordered by the Board, That for the purpose of electing township officers for the county of Porler, the following district of said county shall form and constitute a towjiship to lie known by the name of Lake Commencing at the northeast corner of Porter county, thence south with said county line to the line dividing Townships 36 and 37, thence west on said line to the soutlu-ast corner of Section 31, To\\Tiship 37 north. Range 5 west, tiieuce north to the state line, thence east to the place of beginning.

"That the following territory shall constitute a township to be knowia by the name of Jackson -. Commencing at the northeast corner of Section 1, Township 36 north. Range 5 west, thence running sonth with the county line to the southeast corner of Section 36, Township 36 north, Range 5 west, thence west to the southwest corner of Section 32, Townshin 36, Range 5, thence north to the southwest corner of Lake township, thence east to the place of beginning.

"That the following territory shall constitute a to\vnship to be known as Washington -. Commencing t;t the northeast corner of Section 1, Township 35, Range 5, thence south with said countj'^ line to the southeast corner of Section 36 in said town, thence west to the southwest corner of Section 32, Township 35, Range 5, thence north to the southwest corner of Jackson township, thence east to the place of beginning.

"That the following territory shall constitute a township to be known by the name of Pleasant : ('ommencing at the southeast corner of Porter county, thence noi'tli to tlie northeast corner of Section 1, Township 34, Range 5, thence west with the southei-n boundary of

Washington township to the soulhwi^,!. udrncr of the same, thence south to the Kankakee river, thence east with the same to the place of beginning.

"Tliat the following territory yliall eonstiliite a township to he known as Boone : Connnencing at the southwest corner of Pleasant township, thence north with the western boundary of Pleasant township to the northwest corner of the same, thence west witli the line dividing townships 34 and 35 to the county line, thence south to the southwest corner of Porter county, thence east with the Kniiluilcee river to the place of beginning.

"That the following territory shall constitute a township to be known as Centre: Commencing at the southwest corner of Washington < townsliip, thence north to the southwest corjier of Jackson township, thence west to the northwest corner of Section 4, Township 35, Range 6, thence south to the southwest corner of Section 33, Township 35, Range 6, thence east to the place of ])cginning.

"That the following territorj' shall constitute a township to be known as Liberty : Commencing at the northwest corner of Washington township, thence north to the southwest corner of Lake township, thence west to the northwest corner of Section 4, Township 36, Range 6, thence south to the southwest comer of Section 33, Township 36, Range 6, thence east to the place of beginning.

"That the following territoiy shall constitute a township to be known as Waverly : Commencing at the southwest corner of Lake township, thence west to the county line, thence north \vith said line to the northwest corner of the county, thence east with the northern boiindary line of»the county to the northwest corner of Lake township, thence south to the place of beginning.

"That the following territory shall constitute a township to he known as Portage: Commencing at the northwest comer of Liberty township, thence west to the county line, thence south to the southwest corner of Section 34, Township 36, Range 7, thence east to the southwest corner of Liberty township, thence north to the place of beginning.

"Aud that the following territory shall constitute a township to he kuowii as Union: Commencing at the northwest corner of Centre township, thence west to the county line, thence south to the uortin\est corner of Boone township, thence east to the southwest corner of Centre township, tlience north to the place of heginning. "

Several changes have occurred since then in townships and township boundaries. For an account of these changes the reader is directed to the chapters on "Township Histories."

The first session of the hoard of commissioners lasted for five days. On the second day an order was issued for an election to he held on April 30, 1836, for two justices of the peace in Waslwngton town.ship, and one justice in each of the other newly created townships. The order also designated voting places in the several townships as follows : Wa.sliington township, at Isaac Morgan's house; Jackson township, at the residence of A. K. Paine; Lake township, at the house of Edward Harper; Waverlj', at some suitable point in the town of Waverly; Liberty township, at the dwelling of Daniel Y. Kesler ; Center township, at C. A. Ballard's residence; Pleasant township, at the house of Henry Adams; Boone township, at Jesse Johnston's residence; Union township, at George W. Turner's place; Portage township, at the dwelling of Jacob Wolf, Sr.

George Cline was appointed assessor for all that part of the county * lying north of the line dividing townships 35 and 3.6 ; Peter Ritter for all that part lying south of that line, and John Adams for the attached territory on the west (now Lake county). An allowance for $2.50 per day was made to C. A. Ballard for the use of his house for the five days of the session.

The election for justices of the peace was held on April 30, pursuant to the order of the board, and at the May meeting of the commissioners the other township officers - constables, road supervisors, overseers of the poor and fence viewere - were appointed by the board for each township. It was further ordered that an additional justice of the peace be elected for Center township, and the county was divided into three districts foi- county commissioners. All tliat part of the county lying south of the line dividing townships 34 and 35 was declared to constitute the first district. North of that line and extending to the line dividing townships 35 and 36 constituted the second district, and the third district included all that portion of the county north of the north line of township 36. George Cline and A. S. Campbell, justices of the peace, paid in three dollars, which they had collected as fines for theft and assault. This was the first revenue received by the county. The acting county treasurer reported that no funds had been paid to him and lienjamin Saylor was appointed county collector.

The commissioners appointed by the legislature to fix the location of the county seat met at the designated time, and on the 9th of June made the following report: "That thej^ met, ]iursuant to agreement, on Tuesday, the 7th inst., at the house of Thomas Butler, and were duly sworn 'to discharge the duties of commissionei's to locate the county seat of Porter county, Indiana ; that they proceeded to view all the sites on Tuesday and Wednesday following, and inquired upon what terms the same might be secured; tljat after d\ily inspecting the different sites and taking into consideration all the matters to which the law called their pai'ticular attention, your commissioners concluded that the southwest quarter of Section 24, To^vnship 35 north. Range 6 west, was the most eligible ^te for said county seat. Your commissioners accordingly gave notice that they were ready to receive proposals, if any were to be made, of this or other parts for such county seat. The commissioners received from the proprietors of said town (Portersville) and others donations of each alternate lot - 192 lots to be laid out at or near the center of said southwest quarter of Section 24, Township 35, Range 6, and a donation of forty acres of land - part of Section 20, Township 35, Range 6, and donations of money, for a more particular description of which you are referred to the bonds filed herewith. Your commissioners then proceded to the said southwest quaiier of Section 24, and located the county seat upon said quarter section, and stiick a stake which is half-way between the northwest corner and the northeast corner of the public square, on the north wide of said square, aaid which by a line run with a compass was found to be south 53 degrees east 29 chains and 10 links from the half-mile post on the west side of Section 24. The donations made for said point were upon condition that said site and public square shall be located as they are above described, and for which bonds are filed in the name of different individuals with the commissioners of Porter county. And the county seat of Porter county, as hereby established by the undersigned locating commissioners, is on the site above described ; and the stake, havng the bearings above, is on the north line of the public square, and the alternate lots are to be laid off by the donors on said site - the southwest quarter, of Section 24, Township 35 north. Range 6 west."

This report was signed by three of the commissioners - William L. Earl, iMatthias Dawson and Judah Leaming - a nuajoi-ity of those named in the organic act as passed by the legislature, Joel Long and Andrew Wilson for some reason having failed to qualify and report for duty. The bonds referred to by the commisioners and filed with their report were given for the pajaneut of the money it was agreed to donate to Porter county by the proprietors of the county, the money represented by the bonds to be used for the erection of public buildings. These bonds were ten in number, and were given by the following individuals for

With the location of tlie county seat, the Inst provision of the act organizing Porter county was complied witli, and she took her place among the other counties of the State of Indiana as a separate and distinct political subdivision of that great commonwealth.