Porter County, Indiana - Chapter 10: Financial and Industrial, 1912

Chapter 10: Financial and Industrial

BAi^K IN POUTElt COUNTY - FII{ST NATIONAL - ITS SUCCESSORS - FARMERS ' NATIONaU. STATE BANK OF VAI^PABAISO TRUST COMPANIES - CHESTERTON BANK BANKS AT HEBRON BANK OF KOUTS PORTER COUNTY BANK

Tile Mills 5Iin0R Concerns Gener.Vl Industrial Conditions

The public funds of Porter county have generally been handled by men who believed in a conservative policy and economic administration of county affairs. Consequently there have been verj' few instances of misappi'oi^riation of public revenues or wanton extravagance in expenditures. The countj' auditor's report for the year ending on December 31, 1911, shows the receipts from all sources, including balances at beginning of the year, to have been $762,858.32, and the expenditures for the year were $612,083.22, leaving a balance in the county treasury of

These amounts were unpaid balances of tlu' origiiiid issue and constituted the entire bonded iudelitedness of the ftnmly, iigainst which the bahmce of $150,175.10 shows a healthy condition of the |)ublic finances. For the constniction of gi'a.vel roads bonds have been issued to the amount of $948,580, of which $274,748.50 have been paid, leaving an unpaid balance of $673,831.50. Ditch ])oiuls aggregating $27,701.95 have been issued, of which $16,218.74 have been paid, leaving tlie unpaid balance of $11,218.21. Gravel road and ditch bonds ;ire not strictly county indebtedness, being a lien upon the i)roperty bcnefilcd liy the improvement and paid liy the holder of such properts' the sMine as taxes.

According to the report of the State Bureau ol' St;ilistics for the year 1910, the bonded indebtedness of the city of Valparaiso, less cash in the sinking fund, was $69,772.57. Of the throe incorporated towns in the county. Porter reported a debt of $847.25, ^vhiIe Chesterton and Plebron were out of debt, the former having a ea.sh balance in the treasury of $797.27, and the latter a balance of $1,909.20. Taken altogether, these figures show that the county and municipal afraifs ln'.w; been managed MTth a view to promoting the general welfare of 1lie iieiiplr, llie indebtedness of the city of Valparaiso having been im lurcd fur 1he i)uri)0se of making much needed improvements.

During the teri'itorial days in Indiana, wry litlle ini/iuy was in circulation. Few banks had been established noitlr.'est of I he Ohio river, and these few wei-e conducted under laws so lax in iheir operation that

L;ik'r ill the year the liaiilc was fully (u-gaiiized ^vitll I'i'v A. Cass as jh^si- (le)i( and I\I. L. jMeClellaiid c.isliier. Tlu' first hoard I'l 'livectors eoii-i.^led ol' flu; president, Thomas S. Slantiehl, Josepli Pieree, AV. C. Taleotl. S. W . Smith, ]5. F. Sdieiiek and A. V. i>artlioloiiie\v. The hrst deposit in Hii\ liaiik \vas made on Noveiidier :i(), .18(1.'!, liy ]\Irs. ^luvy P. Broun. In 1882 - tlie original e.liarter 1'or twenty years lieiiifr ahont to expire- -I If bank was reorganized as the First National Bank of J''or1er Comit\-, w hii h oeenpicd the same building and was composed of the same stoekhold'is lliough the capital stock Avas increased to $100,000. The charter ol ih/ reorganized bank was dated .May 4, 1SS2, to run for t^venty years, tn .March. 1902, William Jolinston. Charles A\". Benton and others bled an ai)plication with the United Stales govrriniiciit for authority to organi/.i' the Valparaiso National Bank, to take the place of the old First Xali'iiu j Bank of Porter County. In response to the i^etition a charter was gi antrd and again the bank M-as reorganized. The Valparaiso National Bank i-, located on the west side of Wasbinglon street, opposite the court-hfais.'. A statement of the bank issued at the close of business on Jime 1-1. 1(112, shows the capital stock to lie $100,000. a surplus of .$20,000, and drpi.sii-. of $093,793. At that time the officers of the bank -were Charles "W. lien ton, president; Leslie R. Skinner, vice-president; A. J. Loudei'ha'-k ca.shicr; T. L^ Applegate, assistant cashier.

On November 23, 1874. a savings bank was started by the late -losipli Garduer. In the fall of 1878 the institution was incorporated as (he Farmers' National I5ank, with a capital stock of $:")(), 000, and op(Mied iis doors for business as a national bank on February 1,1879. The original stockholders -were Joseph Gardner, A. V. Bartholomew, II. B. lii'owii, .1. ]\r. Felton, ^Y. P. Wilcox, J. C. Flint, John Wark, Joseph E. Ilill -f. ,V. Bozarth and George A. Dodge. Joseph Gardner -was elected jin'oidrni and seiTcd in that capacity until his death in October, 1907, when bis son, AV. If. Gardner, was elected to the office, which Ik^ still holds. 'J'lie nijir!- officers of the bank at the beginning of 1912 were: AV. C. "\Vind!'\ lirst, ; P. AV. Clifford, second vice-iu'esideiit ; E. J. GaKhici, cashier; A. N. Worstell, assistant cashier. A statement is.sued b.\ the

The State Baiili oi' Valparaiso \v;k (/rtr;iiii/-(d in 3889 under the laAvs of the State of Indiana. It occujiics :\ lunidsomc and M'ell appointed building on the south side of ludi.ma avemio opposite the court-house and i; recognized as orie of the substaJdial financial institutions of Porter couat.y. A statement issued by this iiank on April 18, 1912, i-eports the capital stock an $50,000, the sui-plus fund as $12,500, and deposits of $409,817. At that time the office! s of tho hank were as follows: H. II. Loring, president; John AV. Sioli ;uid i'l-tfr J. Horn, vipe-presidcnts; Paul Nui>pnau, cashier j Murk \... Dickover secretary, and Clinton Jones, ' assistant cashier. Thesi^ ofii>/'-i-s wiiii the exception of the as.=sistant cashier, and William E. I'inin.y. H. 1*. Ci.irhoy, J. Lowenstiue, liohri-l, T. Wark and Charles B. Fosicr vrotjslitat,oil the board of directors.

I'll ailditiou to the three banks alujve inenfionfd, the city of Valparaiso lias two trust companies that do a bankitig business. The Thrift Trust Company was organized in l!Mi:;, ,iiid liat; its home in the same building as the State Bank. At the < los'- of business on Apr-il 18, 1912, the coinjiany issued a statement showJug (lie eai>ital stock to be $25,00(1 and deposits of $524,0*69. The officers at ( hat lime were : IT. II. Loring, president; John Tv. Sieh and P. J. Horn, viiM^-pi'csidenfs; Emma K. Pinney,''secretary ; Paul >>'ui)pnau, cashier

The First Tinist Company, wliieli is o|ii'iiilril in connection the Valpai-aiso Nation.-il Bank, was org^mizcd in 190G. In 1912 Charles W. Benton was president; Leslie 11. Skinnn-, \ ice-president, and A. AA', Cow'.irey, cashier. The capital stock of iliis tOi'jpany is $25.('00 and the depos-its amoiint to $183,772.

ties of about $25,000 and assets of $4,()iii' The Lowell Uank, in Lake county, aU" i Dwiggins a,nd his associates, A\'as i)la<'(il i the same time. A few- days later Elmci' committees from each of the two banks !" ment. "With them they brought a ba" contracts from purchasers of lots in llu committees rej)resenting the depositors ivln and they wei'e attached by the sheriff o\' ' then turned o\er everything to a board ut i York. A year or so later the receiver cIom having paid the depositors ninety -five pei March, 1897, IMr. Dwiggins mailed ea<-b <l maining five per cent, the total amountiu;:- W time the Citizens' Bank of Hebron liad 1 a capital stock of 25,000. The Banker's i gives the officers of this bank at that liiiit; : president: IT. W. Bryant, viee-presid( ni ; Nichols, a.ssistant cashier. The bank has a deposits of nearly $200,000.

:ke sdiiii- kind of a settle- some $50,000 in .- to\ui of Griffith. The to aceept these contracts ,' eoiiiity. Mr. Dwiggins ti-nslees and went to New ij) the affaire of the bank, cut of their losses, and in 'I'sitor a check for the re- Miiae $2,000. Li the meani or;.'aiii/ed in 1894, with li.etory for January, 1912, representative ol' tlie slate auditor ti)i)l< cliai'.L^^ of the iiistitutiou. Vitvker was subsequently sent to the penit' iiliary on the eha.vf^'e of bank wrecking. Some uf the eitizcus of ]vouis jimrhased tlie old bnihiinK and organized tlie Porter County ]!ank, whi^li opened its doors for business on July 31, liJOlt. In Januaiy. 11112, llie Banker's Diret-lory reported the capital stock of this bank as irirtjutil. surplus, !l;l,50l), and deposits of ^105,000. jMost oi' the stock in tins Porter County Ba)ik is held by local men and its niauagemenl is in the hands of well known citizens, H. A. Wright being president: J. d. Ovcnnyer, vice-president, and P. 0. Norris, cashier.

A postal savings l)ank was opened oJi -luly :!l, IfllT, in connection with the A''alparaiso postolHce, the first deposit licjng nujde on that dale by A. L. Brown. On August 1, 1912, tlic (l(|>osiis amounted to about $8,300. The postal savings bank at Chesi, ifoo was started about the beginning of the year 1912, and on August Ist had deposits of about $4',000. The small deposits in the Valpai-aiso Postal Savings Bank are accounted for by the fact that the people have confidence in the local banks and trust companies which paj^ better intcfcst mi deposits.

or the industries and occupations in Portei- c-ounly, agriculture has always stod at the head of the list, a position it will [nobably occu]iy for yeai-s to come. Located as it is withiu L-.ui\(ir''.MiL (.li.stance of the great Chicago markets and traversed by a ni;l\\(iil-. of railroads, tiie county offers splendid inducements to the fanjier iiiid llie dairyman. Some idea of the magnitude of the agricultural iulcrcsls may be gained froui the following figures, taken from the report of the State Bureau of Statistics for the year 1910 :

But it is in the xjroductiou of ha.y that Pojirr eounty excels. A(s cording to the report above quoted the produl-lj^)u of hay of various kinds in 1910 was as follows: more liuiolliy Iimv tluin I'orlor, and the cniiiity stood iitth in the piodiictiou of pi'airie or mursh h,iy. wliii-h lias for years been on.' ol' the leading- eiops ol' the K; ntakee viiih'N. As a means of proteelion to this industiy a Ilay J)(alers' Assoeiatiou was started in the suiumer of 188!), emln-iicing- all the territoj-y tributarj' to the Kankakee river. The objects of the association Avere deelared to he to ])revent the oa erstoeking of Uie market at the opci;iii<.': of the seasoii; to proeure ears for shiijnient; to expose dishonest loiiimission men, and in various other Avays protect the producers of hay. A meting was held at Kouts on August 7, 1889, and a number of Porter county farmers signified their willing-ness to join in tlie niovouient. It was impossible, iio\M_-\-er, to secure the complete eooiieration of all the hay producers over so largv a territory and the association came to naught.

During the year ]900 the farmcj-s of the count.\- sold 707 horses and mules, whieh brought i}!8S.515, ajid at the close of the year they had on lir.iid 12,09.1 hor.M-s and jindcs vahied at $754,244. Beef cattle to the number of 2,579 Mere schl for $76,160, and at the close of the year there were reported on hand 5.4 46 liead, valued at $138,367. The M-ool clip for the year equaled 24,162 pounds, which sold for $4,763. Sheep sold numbered 2,349, Avhich brought $11,072, and there were remaining on hand 3,962 head, valued at $19,632, The number of galloirs of milk sold during the year was 4,034,407, which brought $520, 2«1, ^nd there were nuuiceted 213,088 pounds of butter for $48,185. The sale of hogs was 16,724 head, for which the receipts were $198,925. Considerable attention has been given to poultry and in 1909 there were sold over $25,000 worth of fowls; 620,843 dozeji eggs, wliieli brought $125,764. It is worthy of uoie that in the national egg-laying contest conducted by the ^Missouri State experiment station in November, 1911, five liens belonging to E. A. Berg, of Dune Park, Porter county, took first prizcv Over forty diiferent varieties of hens were entered from all parts of the United States and Canada. Jlr. Berg's five hens laid 101 eggs during the month, Avbidi was nineteen more than their neai-est competitors, bringing the sih. i- cii]) to Porter countv.

As a nil> . the fainiers of Portei* county have been rciiCy and wilUiug to uuile in si e suiiport ot any iroATment for tlie advaiir-ement of agriciiltiiral iril rests. During tlie '70.s Griuiges of the Pa(rons of IIusbandrv were oruaiiized in different parts of the country and the cooperative )!j('thod of i>urchasi)ig supplies was practiced until the grange uioveiucnt xell into dcc;;y. At tlie clt'se of the j'eur 1S90 there were ten lodges of the Fariuer^' Alliance in the county, with a total membership of about 600. On Saturday, December 20, 1890, fifty-one delegates I'l-oui these ten subordinate alliaiiees met at the Opera House in Val])araiso and J'ormcd a county alliuiirc, with E. H. Merrifield as pi'esidont; David Keller, vice-president; Htate Jones, secretary; Johil M. Foster, treasurer; Daniel Bryant, chaplain; William (^allahau, steward; Gus Sehull/,, doorkeeper; "NVilliaia AUixwell, assistant doorkeeper; W. D. ITowell, lecturer; Leander Jones, business agent. S. P. Barker, organizer for the county, was in charge of the meeting. Unfortunately the usefulness of the Farmers' Alliance was destroyed by its "gettng into politics," and the members were deprived from i-ealizing th beneJits which might otherwise have i-esultcd froiu the organizatiim.

As an educational factor the farmers' institute has played an iiupoi'tanl part in the improvement of agricultural conditions throughout the country. It may be said that the farmers' institute is due in a great measure to the Mon-ill laud grant bill of 1862, but agricultural societies organized prior to the passage of that bill furnished the medittm for the successful establishment of the institute. Little was accomplished until after the close of the Civil w-ar, and in recent years the institutes are generally held in connection with, or under the auspices of. the state agrieultural colleges or some experiment station. Just when the first insiitutc was held in Porter county eaiuiot be definitely ascertained, but th,e county was one of the first in the state to adopt the idea, and the institutes have usually lieen well attended. In 1889 llie legislature passed an act authorizing the boards of county connui.ssioiu'rs in the several counties of the state to give financial aid and encouragement to farmers' institutes. This act was supplemented by tlie law oT 1907, which provided that the exp'-nse of one far)viers' institute in each county should be defrayed from the public funds, the amount so ai)pi'opriated to be equal to the sum contributed by the laeiubers in attendance, but in no ease was the appropriation to exceed $100. Prizes offered to stinnilate experimental work w'cre classed as "expenses."

Under the operation of this law- the most successful institute in Porter county up to that time was held in the iMemorial Opera House at Valparaiso, on January 8-9, 1909. Prof. James Troop, of Purdue University, was present and delivered an address, and the following otficci's were elected for the ensuing year: John W. KueM, chairman; B. L. Keene, secretary; Samuel Dille, treai>urer. Over 100 members were present at the county institute held at Valparai.so in April, 1911, when B. L. Keene was elected chairman; Virgil Johnson, secretary; cud Isaac Dillingham, treasurer. This institute was also held under the auspices of an instructor from Purdue Uni\.rsity. Institutes iichl since that time have been as follows: Kouts, December 28, 1911; Boone Grove, December 29, 1911; Valparaiso, January 16-17, 1912, when a corn and poultry show were the jirincipal features; Hebron, Januiuy 19, 1912; Chesterton, January 30, 1912.

Early in 1900 an effort was made to interest the farmers of Porter county to engage in the cultivation of sugar beets. A representative 01 the beet sugar factory at Kalamazoo, jrichigan, visited Valparaiso and announced that his company were anxious to locate a factory there, provided a sufficient number of acres could be planted to becK to keep the factoi-y running after it was established. At a meeting on March 3, 1900, Ibis representative, AVilliam Strong, presented statements from a nunibei' of Micliigan farmers shewing that Iheir beef crops had brought them from $-ll to $88 an acre. He offered to furnish all the sfcd necessary at fifteen cents per pound - fifteen pounds to the acre - the price of the seed to be deducted from tlic first payraeuf for beets after the crop had been matured. A iiuiiii : of I'ai-mers eiilered

Another instance of how the farmers of the county arc willing to cooperate for mutual protection may be seen in the case of the Farmers' Insurance Company. About the bct^iuiiiiig of 1902 insurance rates were advanced by the old insurance companies. On March 15th a iueeting was held to discuss the advisability of organizing a mutual insurance company. A large majority of those present expressed themselves in favor of the movement and a resolution was adopted that, as soon as the required number of names could be .secured, such a company be incorporated under the law's of Indiana. The organization was fully completed on May 10, 1902, with John W. Brummitt, president ; Joseph A. Stephenson, vice-president; P. A. jMarquart, seei'etary; Jasper N. Finney, treasurer. These officers, with Amos B. Lantz, B. F. Jones, Charles A. Anderson and A. W. Furne.ss, constituted the first board of directors. At the time of incorporation tlie company had risks amounting to $150,000, and within a year this had been increased to over .$500,000. During the first five years of its existence the company wrote over $2,000,000 in insurance chiefly upon the farm houses and barns in the county. On August 1, 1912, the company had about $2,855,000 insurance in force. Andrew Bickel was then president; Amos B. Lautz, vice-president; Peter A. Marquart, secretai-y ; Jasi)er N. Finney, treasurer; Charles A. Anderson, Martin L. Galln-cath, A. W. Fumess, and Cliarles Link, directors. Since the organization of the company it has paid 261 losses.

Several attempts have been made lo discover natural gas or oil wiliiin the county. Soon after gas was found in central Indiana a comi)any was formed at Valparaiso to bore for gas near that city. At a mcding held on February 19, 1887, at the council chamber, Chai'les Dickover, chairman of the committee on contract, announced that the liiil of 11. W. Carter, of Bradford, Peiuisylvani.i, had been accepted. j\Ir. Carter's proposition Avas to bore to the depth of 1,200 feet for $1,800, or to go to a depth of 2,000 fee) at the same rate - $1.50 per foot. A lot was seeurecL fi\)i]i iMayor liartlioloiiK'W near the carria-c Tactoj-y (now the JMica Works i and the work of (irilliiig- was coninicnccd. On IMay 0, 1887, the coiapiuiy wa.s iticorpofated with a capiUil stock of $50,000, divided iulo shares of $r.() each. The well was then 700 feet deep, the last ninety ieet of which had heeu through the Niagara limestone. At the depth of 800 feet the well was eased and the water pmuped out. TlmUessenger oJ' Alay 19th, in conLmentiiig upon the progress of the gas well, said:" This forenoon a depth of nearly 850 feet had been reached. The water l)ueket brought up a U!illv>- liquid smelling like dead Chinamen. It seemed like the perfume of sulphuretted hydrogen. ' ' The editor also predicted that gas would be struck within \ week, but the prediction failed of realization. ^U'ter going to a depth of 1,^^40 feet without finding any strong judical ions of gas, the project was abandoned.

In xVugust, 1893, some worknu-n angaged in drilling a well on the John Bnunmitt farm jiear Purnessville struck a pocket of gas which showed a strong pressure, but the supply was limited and was soon exhausted. The nien were not boring for ga.s, the object in sinking the well l)cing for the pni'pose of olitaining water.

In the summer of IIMII a runmr gained currency that some persons interested in oil and ga.s were endeavoring to secui'e leases upon Kankakee nuirsh lauds for the purpose of sinking wells in [jiat district. The Chicago Hunting and Fishing Club sank a well upon its preserves at Davis Station in Stai'ke county, but found nothing to repay the troul)le and expenditure. It is said that Joseph Leiter, of Chicago, was oiu; of the principal promoters of this undertaking.

Henry & Company drilled six wells upon the Keeves estate in the southern part of the county in the fall of 1901 and the early part of 1902. The sixth well, which was comjilcled in March, 1902, showed both oil and gas in small (luantilies. A puinj) was installed, but the field proved to be of short duration and no furtiier efforts were made to find gas or oil in that region.

History Op Pouter Cjounty 229

V.'i.ilville Mild Suiiianvillft near tln^ Baltiinoi'^ & Oliio railroad, by a of Valparaiso men - ITewilt, CoiiHas and LiglitcaJ). Here the oil was stnick at a deplli of 260 feet. It was a heavy oil, well adapted to lubricating uses and was pronounced by experts to be of superior quality, but the supply was too limited to justify extended operations.

All oil company was oryani/.ed at Valparaiso on Ajjril 25, 1903, with John P. Salzer, of La Crosse, Wisconsin, as president; Frank Scliaettle, of Mondovi, Wisconsin, vice-president; James W. Coultas, of Valparaiso, secretary; Albert Plantz, of La C!rosse, Wisconsin, treasurer; and William J. Ileiny, of Valparaiso, managing: director. Some 3,000 acres of land wei-c leased and about half a dozen wells were sunk. Oil was found ill .small f|uantities. It was of good (juality and commanded a high price, but the expense of ]>uiiiping was so great Hiat it consumed the profits-and the company was finally dis.sol.ed.

Several oil wells were bored near Sumauville on the Baltimore & Ohio railway in the spring of IHO.'j. Oil was found here at a depth of 275 feet. It was of fine (iualit\- for a lubricator, but in such small ([uantities (liat it had to be forced to the surface by pumps. This field was also aliandoned after a short trial.

In the fall of lfl06 the officials of the Knickerbocker Ice Company came to the,' conclusion that oil existed in the sandy districts iu the northei'ii part of the county. They secured oil leases on lands from Dune Park eastward along the Calumet river and the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railroad and began boring for oil, but soon decided that they were engaged in a futile endeavor and ceased work.

On Friday, i\Iareli 13, 190S, gas was stnick near Jackson Center by W. J. Heniy, of Valjiaraiso, who was engaged in drilling for water iVir the New York & Chicago Air Line. Concerning this well, the Valparaiso Messenger of tbcl4th says: "A four inch pipe, driven 332 feiit into the ground, gives vent to the gas. When the flow began there was 200 feet of water in the iiipe and it was thrown out with great force, rising in a c-,olumn twenty fn ' 'ligh. Will: the water, stones, clay, etc., were forced out. The gas slid! Mp to a hciiibt of aboul foiiy feet above the ^;i-oimd, .md its volume couliiiaei' un(Uniiiiishi''l tli-oiigliout last night and toda>'. The ji't w.i.s lit last iiight and the i)ir.-ir of fire could be seen for miles around." Some excitement attended Ihis discovery and many thought that the gas field of Porter county iiad at hist heen sti'uek. But the gas proved to he merely a pocket am! a. sluu't time the flow ceased. Since that time no further efforts I - \-e been made to find either gas or oil. ^ti

John I. Foster was pi'obablj' the first man in Porter county to manufacture any article for export, or J'or sale at home. He learned the trade of auger maker v>'ith his brother-in-law, a man named JIarvin, iu New York City. In the early '30s he came to Indi^ma, and about 1834 settled iu what is now Westchesii-r iownship, Porter oiinty. Here he fitted up a small forge and engaged in making one-i'vrh, inch and a half and two-inch augei-s, which found ready sale among the pioneers. His son, John Foster, rehdcs that in tlie winter of 183r)-:i(i he made up a large numbei- of augers and the following spring took them to Chicago. Upon his return home, when asked wliat he thought of Chicago, he replied: "It's a right smart little place." Mr. Fo.iter was also sometliing of a surveyor, and in the si)ring of 1835 laid out the of Waverly.

Among the early manufacturers of ^'alparaiso were the three bi-others - George C, Henry J\I. and Andrew J. Buel - who began the manufacture of wagons in 1839. George retired from the firm after a fewyears, Heniy retired soon afterward, Imt Andrew J. continued in the business until his death in 1868. Bi-ewer Bros, also hegan making wagons aboul 1he same time ns the Buels and carried mi a successful business for some years. Michael T>aiT\', a native of ('ounty Kerry, Ireland, came to Valpar'aiso about LS(i:') and formed a pai-tne)'shi]i with his brother 'IMiomas soon aflei' his anival for the pnijiose of making carriages and wagons. In .lanuary, 188S, they removed (heir factory into the old woolen mill Imilding and began ojieralio!! on a largeiscale. In May. 1887, AViniam F. Sponie-'i- acquired an iolerest in 1h<' faetoiy, whiili then oceii]iied al>out l^vo acres of ground and three buildings located between the Pittsbuvgli, FoT-t Waj'ue & Ciiieago and the New York, Chicago & St. Louis railroads. The monthly pay roll at this time amounted to about $1,000. A Hew years later the partnership between Barry and Spooner wa.s dissolved, tlie forincr going to some place in Illinois, and the works were discontinued.

John Sayloi- opened the first biickj'ai-d at Valparaiso, but tlie exact date when he began making brick cannot be learned. Others who liave engaged in that line oT business were Charles Briggs, Dickover & \Veaver, Moses Prazier, Chartier & Dumas, A. W. Lytle, and the Durands. In February, 1897, W. C. Goodwin, representing a Chicago brickyard syndicate visited Valpai-aiso and announced that he had secured an option on forty acres of land lying near the Pittsburgh, Port Wayne & Chicago railroad, one and a half miles west of the city, whei-e he expected to have a brickyard in operation ^vithin six mouths, with a dail>' capacity of from 50,000 to 75,000 brick. A test of the claj' showed that it was suitable for making first cla.ss brick, and the yard never was established. In fact that has been one of the drawbacks in the manufacture of good brick in the immediate vicinity of the city of Valparaiso.

A. Kellogg & Sons started a foundry' and machine shop at a comparatively early date, and in 1857 began the manufacture of furniture in connection therewith. The next year Daniel White and one of the Kelloggs established a planuig mill. In 18G4 White built a sash, door and blind factory on the coi-ner of Main and Monroe streets. This factory changed hands several times during the next few years, I)eing owaied successively by Wasser & Vastbinder, Alonzo Smith, A. Freeman and John D. Wilson. The largest planing inill in the city in 1912 was that of the Poster Lumber & Coal Company.

The Valparaiso Woolen Mill Company was organized in 186G, with a capital of $60,000. Among the stoekholdei-s were George, William and Julia A. Powell, H. R. Skinner and A. V. Bartholomew. The company began the manufai^tui'o of knitting yarns, jeans, liannels and blankets in 1867, but owing to the high prices that prevailed at the close of the war and the subsequent constant decline, the woolen mill was not a jn'ofitable venture. After a few years the Powells bought nii all the stoek and after nmniny the mill for awliile closed doAvn imtil times should grow better. In 1872 a pin faetory w-as started in place of the woolen mill and run for about three years, when it was removed to Detroit. In 1876 new machinery was placed in the woolen mill and tiie manufacture of yarns was again commenced. In j8S1 knitting machines were installed and the manufacture of hosiery was introduced. For a time the compaiiy iised about 500,000 pounds of wool annually and had a jnonthly paj' roll of .$3,700. Unable to compete with i]wwoolen mills located in larger manufacturing centere, with better facilities for shipi)ing and in closer touch with the great markets, liie Valparaiso mill finally succumbed to the inevitable.

In 18G7 Don A. alyer built a paper mill at the crossing of Washington street and the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & C'hicago railroad. About $20,000 capital was invested in the entei-prise and the montlily pay roll was about $550. The product of the mill v.as chiefly straw wrappers, some 1,000 tons of straw being annually used as raw material, producing from 700 to 800 tons of paper. When thi^ straw-board factories formed a combination, Mr. Salyer's mill was jnirchased by the trust and later was dismantled. Thus ended anolher Valparaiso industry.

Charles H. Parker, Sr., began the manufacture of varnishes, paint dryers, Japans, black iron enamels and paint specialties in 1871. His first place of business was located near the tracks oi' the New York, Chicago & St. Louis (Nickel Plate) railroad, about a tn .irter of a mile west of the present I\Iica AVorks. On June 18, 1889, bis factory there was destroyed bj' fire, though the safe, books and a few other articles were saved. The hose company and the hook and ladder company responded, but the nearest hydrant was so far away tl:-! the hose Ava."-' too short to reach from it to the faetory. Owing to the nature of the business it was impossible to secure insurance and the loss of $12,000 fell entirelj' upon Mr. Parker. Undaunted by the disa.s! r, however, he immediately made plans for rebuilding, but located on the ea.st side of the city, not far from tlie Graud Trunk station. Sul)sr(}i]ei)tly his three sons became associated mth him, and in ]^;9^^ Iht Imsini'ss was incorporated In 1912 the officers were Charles If. rarki'i, Sf., president and treasurer; ]M. F. I'arker, general mauagoi- and sccictary; Charles H. I'arker, Jr., superintendent, and E. i\I. i'arlsiT, mi'is manager. The business of the company has shown a steady iiua'ci'-r ever since the incorporation and it has become one of the largest piNuliiii'rs of asphaltum blocks in the United States.

At various times efforts have been made by llie calcrprising business men of Valparaiso to secure the location of new' manufacturing concerns in that city. At a meeting held on April 2, 188!), it was announced that $3,590 had been subscribed to a. fund v,-hich was to be offered as a bonus for the location of a pump faetifrx- by some pei-sons in the citj' of- Chicago. The following evening an'>ti: meeting was held and it was then reported that all but $300 of the )TM]uirod amount had been subscribed. A tentative organization was ctTccted and tlie directors were instructed to notify the Cliicji.oo parties lo get their raachineiy, etc., but the promoters evidently had cliangcd their minds and the factory was never established in Valparaiso. A month or so after this Charles H. Bluhm, of Michigan City, wj-ote to the mayor of Valparaiso making inquiries as to the prospects foi- the oi-ganization of a company to manufacture refrigerators. ITis ]'lan for the formation of the company did not meet with the aproval of the Valjiai-aiso people and the company was not organized.

In 1892 two brothers named Dulaney came from Canlou, Ohio, with a newly invented electric clock, which tlioy ])rop!ised io manufacture and sell outinght, instead of leasing them as awt: done by tlie Western Union Telegraph Company. A stock company \viis ['ovuied, most of the stock being sold in Valj^araiso and Chicago, a bnildoig was leased from Benajah "Williams, machinery was installed and the faelory started. About a month after it was opened a shei-iff fi-om Oi:io apj)cored on the scene and attached the machinery to satisfy tin- cianns of some of the Dulaney's creditors in that slate. Benajali WiHi.-Miis and d. IT. McGill sold tile haildiug to Ihf Didiineys for $27,500, taldug a mortgage for $10,000, stoek in the cnmpany to the amount of $15,000 (said to be wortli $C0,000 at par), and allowing llie purchasers to assume a morlgage indebtedness of $2,500. A few months later he sold the stock back to tliem for $15,000, receiving $7,5! i in cash and the remainder in promissory notes. Not long after this deal was made Williams resigned the presidency of the company and foreclosed the mortgage on the building, though he permitted the Dulaneys to remove the luachinery. ]\Ir. Williams was indicted by the grand jury upon the complaint of so)uo of the stockholders, but he was released by the court, ^vhich ordered a receiver' appointed and released certain Valparaiso people from liability. This was the end of an industry that was accompanied by disusfer from till' start. All tlic stocklioldcivs ever got out of it was a valuable experience.

In 189f) word was received in \^alparaiso that the Chicago Mica Company and the Chicago Wheel Company were desii'ous of securing a location souKivhere outside of that lify. A committee of citizens went to Chicago and persuaded Mr. Snyder. sident of the Mica Company, to visit Valparaiso and look over the ^j.^und. The woolen mill building wa.s pronounced by him to be the only one suitable for his purpose, and it was ^hen learned that another Chicago concern had an option on the building, which belonged to E. M. Hutchinson and Senator Culbert, of Llichigan City. This delayed matters for a short time, but on October 25, 1899, Mr. Hutchinson and ilr. Snyder met in Valparaiso and reached an undei-standing ^^hiell three days later resulted in a deal by which tlie building passed into the hands of the company. On February 28, ]900, the city council, upon a petition signed b.y 174 taxpayers, by a vote of five to three, donated $5,000 to the company and ordered the city clerk to draw a warrant for that amount. The Mica Comi)any is Valparaiso's largest manufacturing industi'y. According to a statement of the State Bui-eau of Inspection, seventy-tivc people are employ I'd. The mica bond insulators manufactured by this company are shipped to every

In 1905 James II. MeGill, founder .- ' the tern and president of llie local telepli'.ine ct facture of ele'ctrical specialties in the build ii tlie Kellogg foundrj' .uid machine slu>;) on W the Pennsylvania railroad station. C'lly a 1 employed, but the business has grown ;in1il ^l sar3' to enlarge the building, and in 1:m.j fix '^ reported fifty-two people engaged in I.,.'. facJ!; the loss reaching $50,000. Pearly iu the spring of 1905 the plant was rebuilt, the buildings being made as nearly iire-pi'oof as possibh; and a fire engine was installed as a precautionary* measure against I'lirllii) disaster. This company made an exhibit at the World's C.iumlijau Exposition at Chicago in lSf)3 which advertised its business v.l\ 'n-nthe civilized world and brought in a large ntirnber of orders, la V.)V2 the works at I'orter employed 90 men and were turning (uit .'tbi)iit 75,000 brick daily. The pressed brick made by this concern are subjected to a pressure of 2,800 tons, which renders them almost as solid as marble. The company also makes a velour, or rough finished hvick, which is becoming quite popular, ajiil a paving brick which is cl;iiiiu:d to be the equal of any in tlie country. An electric lighting plant lias been added to the equipment, so that tlie works can be run boih niglil and day, and even then the company iu August, 1912, was behind with its orders. The value of the company's holdings at Porter, inciudiug real estate, is something like $200,000. The main offices of the company are in the Chamber of Commerce building in Chicago.

In 1893 the Vienna Enamel Stamping Company, which had been established some years before at Porter, passed into the hands of a receiver. In August, 1900, J. T. Darling submitted a proposition *j:> ilie people of Porter that for a bonus of $10,000 and fifty building kits, he would purchase the i^roperty of the enameling comi^any and spend $20,000 in improvements to make it available for a glass works that would employ not less than 150 men. The Porter Land Company ofTerf d to convey 100 lots to those who subscribed to the $10,000 fund, and on May 27, 1902, the following officers of the Chicago Flint & Line Glass > oinpany were elected : Charles J. Bockius, of Marion, Indiana, president ; Louis. D. McCall, vice-president; W. S. Calder, secretary and treasurci'. The Porter Land Company gave $1,000 in cash and eiglity-fonr lots to secure the location of the works. On June 16, 1902, a heavy raiii flooded the ovens and three mouths were si)ent in pumping out tlic water. Other causes combined to delany the opening so that it as December 24th before the works actually began operations. Pinanci:illy llic f^lass fjiclory was never a great suocoss. On January 1, 11)05, i'itkiii & Brooks took a six moiilhs option on tlie property, but at the expiration of tbat period declined to close the option l)y purchase. Consequently, on July 1, 1905, the factory closed. In July, 1911, the works were dismantled, the stock and fixtures removed to Chicago, and a year later the inatter was in the courts for adjustment. A little later Pitkiu & Brooks uuule overtures to the Valjiai'aiso Co)iimercial Cluh, offering to locate their factory in that city upon assurance of a bonus of $8,000. Tliis sum was raised by tlie progressive citizens of Valparaiso, and a.t this writing - August 14, 1!)12 - a new building is well under way near the Joliet road bridge in Chautauqua Park addition.

Some years ago a merchant at Tlu'ec Oaks, Michigan, realizing that \vhalebo)ie was every year liecoming scarcer, set to work to discover a substitute.. After a number of ex}ierimcnts he found the most suitable jnaterial in the quills of the wing and tail featbei's of the common turkey. lie perfected his invention and placed upon the inai'ket the product known as "Featherbone." About 1897 a branch of the "Warren Featherbonc Company was established at Porter, the main works being at Three Oaks, j\Iiehigau. All parts of the feathers were utilized, the (juills forming the substitute for whalebone and the vanes or vexilla being used to make materials for upholstering, pillows, cushions, etc. The Porter branch was in operation but a few years. In January, 1905, the property passed into the hands of the Sail Mountain Asbestos Company, manufacturers of rubber and mica roofiing, fire-proofing materials. This concern in 1912 was the largest maunfacturing establishment in Porter county in point of the number of people employed, 105 persons being reported to the State Bureau of Inspection.

For the past twenty-five years J. L. Coovert has been engaged in the manufacture of drain tile at Valparaiso, his factory being located between Washington and Lafayette streets near the Grand Truidc railroad. ITis output has been about 200,000 i>ieces of tile annually. In recent yeai-s be has turned his attention to the maniifacture of a concrete tile. The report of the State Bui'cau of Statistics for 1910 also mentions brick and til>. mills tit .1 1011-12 a lock-nut factory wa< <im its name suggests - a lricl<-uut i)l and certain lines of railroial w( ik Among the minor manut;i' : several harness shops ;it Yalpa; factories, creameries and ice crcii^i Jactui-ics, etc. Most of these concci'ns are small, some having a capitid oi but a few hundred dollars, but all appear to be doing well. I?ei(l. ;\iui-doclj & Company have a dei)ot at Porter where thousands of cucuiif' - arc gathered for shipment for the )nain works at Hammond. Tiui^ industries of Porter county' iiave been prosperous in I'ecent yeais !; i.IriKed by the fact that from 1870 1o iniO the per capita wealth iii' ; - :! from ^;!76 to over .$700, and Ibis despite the fact that sevei-al coi.-H>'»;"Jt's ffiiled during that period. In 1870 there was one company doii'i'; bi.!«incs.s in the county that was incorporated with a capital of .^I i,<' <ii or over. Thii'ty years later the number of such corporations ha 1 ."-reascd 1o fifty-seven. Truly, this is not a bad record.'