Whitley County, Indiana - The whole text, 1907 (part 4 of 28)

At Eel river a council was held. The river looked bad. Compton could not swim and he was the head of the family. This is about the place of the grist mill at South Whitley. We only had one horse, an old tacky mare. Someone had to find the way across and the lot fell to me. I stripped to shirt and pants and straddled the old mare. I rode to near the middle, when the mare went down, but I got her up and got across. Then I went a few rods farther up and found a better place. AYe measured how- high the water came up on the mare and found it would come above the second sideboard of the wagon and wet everything in it. So we cut poles and put on top the sideboards, and piled the goods on top. All the partv got on top and rode across. The old sow kept close to the wagon and led the others across all right. One of the cows went about eight\- rods below and came near being lost and was got across with difficulty. I rode the mare across after the animals.

We got to Burch's, where Tom Jellison now lives, after night and in the rain. Burch's cabin was only 16x18. The family consisted of seven children and himself and wife. His son-in-law, Ditton. and wife were there. Mrs. Ditton was very sick and died next day. Into this distressed family, wet, cold and hungry, came Compton and wife and four children and myself and Holloway.

Another Pioneer'S Story

Mr. Joseph Pletcher, now living near Pierceton, was one of the early settlers of Whitley county, coming here from Ohio in 1843. Mr. Pletcher was in Columbia City . last Thursday, and gave Mr. S. P. Kaler an interesting written account of his experiences. He also made a pleasant and all too short call at the News office, extending his subscription another year. Although over seventy years of age. he is still very active and seems to be nearer fifty. His story as given to Mr. Kaler follows :

I will give a little historical sketch of our settling in Whitley county. My father's name was John Pletcher. Wre moved to Whitley county from Wood county, Ohio, in 1843, June 10th of that year being the first time T saw the little town of Columbia, now called Columbia City. Although father was a Dutchman, he had some Yankee traits, as he moved here with two yoke of oxen to a wagon.

an Indian took mother across in a canoe, and father waded across by the side of the oxen, and had hard work to keep the lead cattle headed across the river when they came to the place where the}- had to swim. He was in water up to his arms, but managed to get across all right.

We w-ere on the road about fourteen days and had lots of mud to contend with. as the roads were new and rough. When we landed at Columbia it was about sundown. There were two taverns in the town at that time; taverns they were called then, and if anyone used the word hotel he would not be understood. A man by the name of Long- had his building where Brand's drug store now is. but it was not vet reach- for business. Jake Thompson's tavern was about where the Clugston block now is ami there we stayed all night.

The next morning we pulled out to our claim, two miles west of town. Father had been there the year before and entered a quarter section where Dennis Walters now lives. I was eight and a half years old when we came, and can remember the Indians were here, a part of two tribes, the Pottawattamies and the Miamis. I don't remember how long they stayed after we came here, but I think about two or three years. A man by the name of French took the contract to move them west of. the Mississippi river.

As much as I can remember about the town of Columbia is that what is now South Main street was full of chuck holes with a good many beech and sugar maple stumps in the- way. There was one store in the place, owned by John Rhodes. Mr. Rhodes worked at the carpenter trade and his wife kept the store. We used to pick roots, such as seneca snake roots and ginseng, and wild berries and trade them for goods. In regard to the seneca snake root, I don't think any of the middle-aged people of the county know anything about it, as it disappeared a few years after we came here. More about the town : A two-story frame building, west of the public square, where the engine house now stands, was the courthouse, or was used for that purpose. It was moved down on East Van Buren street and the last I knew of it, a few years ago, it was used for a dwelling. There was a jail made of square hewn logs. An interesting incident took place in this old jail one evening. There were two Indian prisoners, John Turkey and Penimo. The latter concluded he had stayed there long enough, so he piled some stove wood against the wall and set it on fire, intending to burn a hole large enough to crawl out. When the fire began to make fair progress, Turkey became alarmed and began to gobble for help, awakening- the sheriff, Simcoke. He put irons on them, but a friend gave them a file and they took their cuffs off. One evening when the sheriff went in to give them their supper, they made a spring for the door and made good their escape.

This Penimo was a Pottawattamie and he had sworn vengeance on the Aliamis. saying he would kill the whole tribe. He did start out and killed two or three and the Miami's got so they were afraid to go to sleep in their cabins. They called on the authorities for protection and said they would give four hundred dollars to have him captured. This reward caused him to leave the neighborhood, but it was not long till he was taken prisoner down at Winamac, brought back to Columbia and put in jail.

The Miamis were in great glee over it, and I remember two old braves being at our place one day who were pretty well tanked up, as the saying goes, and were telling how white men were going to hang Penimo. They would go through the motions of putting a rope around his neck and then would jump up and give a whoop. But when the bad Indian broke out, they did not jump so high ; they said thafs the way the white men do, feedum, getumfat and letumgo. The}- said if they had him the}- would ti >rture him to death in a very cruel way.

Now I will tell of an experience we had with Indians on our farm. My brother Eli, when about four or five years old, happened to fall into the hands of two young Indians about eighteen or nineteen. He had started to follow mother to a spring that we carried water from, about a half mile south of the house. She told him to go back, but he waited till she got out of sight, then started to follow and got lost. He came out on the road that ran across from the squaw-buck road to the Warsaw road where Levi Mosher lived. The boys were just drunk enough to not care what thev did and when he saw them he hid in some weeds. They decided to have some fun with him, so they caught him and used various means to frighten him. Finally one of them held him while the other djeat him on the head with a club. He has the scars yet and could show them if he were here, but he is in Pasadena, Cal. When mother came back from the spring she asked my sister and me where Eli was and we told her he followed her to the spring. My sisters and 1 started out to hunt for him. but we did not find him. Father and a neighbor were stacking marsh hay down on what we called the big marsh.

where the great sink on the Pittsburg Railroad is now. The boys came along to where father and Mr. Smith were at work and talked with them a little and offered them something to drink. They went south about eighty or ioo rods, where they found Eli. It was right about where the barn now stands on the Samuel Scott farm, west of town two miles. 'When the lad got up after they got through with him, he happened to take the road to where father and Mr. Smith were working. When father saw him bloody from head to foot, he said that those Indians had been handling the boy, and after picking him up and taking him home, took his rifle and hunting knife and started out after the Indians. He hunted for them until eleven o'clock that night, but did not find them, and it is well that he did not, for he would have killed them or they him.

In the morning the boy was quite well and father had cooled down, but he went after them and found them about five miles south of our place, on what is now the Chris Kourt farm, where they had a big dance or dum-dum. He went up to the one he was acquainted with and as soon as he began talking the boy broke down and was very penitent, laying all the trouble to bad whiskey. Father said he would forgive him, but his companion was very sullen and could not be made to apologize or say anything. The first fellow then made a proposition to settle the matter by giving father $10 and a new Indian blanket. My brother kept the blanket until a few years ago, but finally gol 1" using it and it went to pieces. T could give a good many details on these hi'Jian narratives, but will cut them short.

I will go back to the year 1852. That year the wheat was good. My uncle, Henry Mowrey, had out forty acres on the Curtis farm south of Larwill, which is now Press Patterson's farm. He hauled it to Fort Wayne and got forty cents a bushel for it.

There are quite a number of birds that used to be here that are gone out and we will hear their songs no more. The quails. tin 1, will soon be gone, if the number of bird dogs and hunters increase. It is music to the ear now to hear one lone Bob White whistling, but makes one feel sad not to hear a reply. If I could have my way there would not be any bird dogs in the state at the end of three months. I often think when I hear boys talking about hunting and how many rabbits they killed, that they don't know anything about the turkeys, pheasants, black and gray and fox squirrels we used to kill when we were boys. We paid no attention to rabbits, but of course they enjoy their sport now as much as we did in the old days. Joseph Pletcher.

Old Settler'S Story

Among the very few earliest settlers of the county, Christian H. Creager, of Cleveland township, lives to tell something of the early days. Peter Creager with his wife and children, Adam, Christian H., Levi. Peter, John and Lydia, left Montgomery county, Ohio, October 26, 1836, and after nineteen days of travel and privation arrived in Whitley county, November 15. They brought along four horses besides the two teams they drove. Also five head of cattle, six hogs and three dogs with two wagons and one tent. There were no matches and all fires had to be started from striking a flash on a flint stone. Wolves were very plentiful everywhere. Christian Creager's story was told to the writer, as follows :

"We built a log cabin twenty-two feet square and moved from the tent and wagons into it on Christmas day. There were six families then, in all. in Cleveland township. We brought along a full supply of garden seeds, apple seeds and peach seeds. There are still some apple trees standing that grew from those seeds. We succeeded in preparing eight acres for crops the following spring, during' which time we killed twenty-eight rattlesnakes. We were obliged to go almost to Marion to a water mill on the Mississinewa river to get any bread stuffs but our larder was easily kept filled with deer, turkeys, pheasants and other game. We could be a little choicy as to our kind of meat. Deer would graze with the cattle and so we had plenty of venison fresh and dried ; the latter we called "jerk." The cows would drink leeches from the stagnant water and this caused "bloody murrain" and this caused us to lose twenty-eight head of cattle in a few years.

At the first election there were three votes polled, all Democrats and no struggle about electioneering or counting' votes. Indians were very plentiful and were always friendly with us and the other settlers and we traded with them a great deal. Once we went to Syracuse to Clawson's mill and the round trip took us ten days. On our return we met about 150 Indians and they stopped us and tried to hold conversation but we could not understand. We soon came up to their camp fire which was still burning. While we were looking around my attention was drawn to some fresh chopping in a large ash log. I took my axe and pried oft a large slab and there was a dead papoose. The night before we landed in the township for some reason the other Indians had killed a large male member of their tribe and buried him by digging a hole deep enough to stand him up and this way they buried* him, leaving him with head and shoulders above the ground. They left with him his rifle, butcher knife, tomahawk and bottle of whiskey, and built around him a log pen. These things did not long remain with their late master, but the body remained until it decayed and the head fell off. Doctor Joseph Hayes, of Collamer, picked it up and kept it until he died. His son then gave it to a doctor at Pierceton.

The first white person who died in Cleveland township was a man named Welch who was moving from Huntington to Goshen. He occupied a vacant cabin over night and took a severe case of colic and died suddenly. They made a rude coffin for him out of his wagon box and buried him directly in front of the house in South Whitley now owned bv John Edwards. The first person buried in the Cleveland cemetery was Jesse Cleveland and the first at South Whitley cemetery was Henry Parrett.

Wolves were very thick. Once father started me a little late in the afternoon to take some fresh pork to my brother-in-law, John Cunningham, about four miles from our house. There was a trail cut through and I had no trouble about finding the way but it got dark before I got there and the wolves smelling the fresh meat followed me in legions. I could see their eves flash in the dark in the bushes all around me. but they did not attack me. I rode up to Cunningham's cabin and tied my horse to the corner and we hurried the meat into the house but the wolves followed and howled around the house. We sent the three dogs out and they succeeded in driving them away for a short time, but the wolves turned on them and ran them back so frantically that the dogs came against the door with such violence that they broke the w< "Mien latch and fell over each other rolling into the house. The wolves remained howling about the house the greater part of the night. \\ ild turkeys and porcupines were very plentiful. I killed twenty-eight porcupines one season while hunting the cows and otherwise going about, without hunting them. Squirrels were so thick we had to kill them oft" to save our crops. I've shot eight off of one tree without going away. Once we had a squirrel hunt and a prize was given to the person who could kill the most. Fred Pence killed 138 and took the prize. Nothing was saved of them but their hind quarters and from that day's hunt over three barrels were hauled to Fort Wayne, besides everybody had all they wanted to eat and many were wasted. One bear was killed in what is now South Whitley where the VEaston & Burwell hardware store stands. Ii was shot by Joseph Parrett and when skinned the few settlers had all the bear meal they wanted to eat. It was a change from our regular diet and 1 thought it was the nd besl meal I ever ate. treams were fairly alive with fish and it was no trouble for any one to get all they wanted in a very short time. Streams that are now entirely dried up and plowed over or are but small wet weather ditches then abounded with fish. There were many valuable fur animals, among which were otter. I killed an otter and sold the hide for $8.50, a big sum of money for the times. Wild ducks and geese were more plentiful than tame ones now. Birds were so thick and sang so loudly about sunup that they drowned out the ring of the cow bell."

I did not realize what a task I had set for myself when I undertook to write an article on events of forty years ago. Not because there is a lack of material to select from, but from the abundance, to select items for a short article, that would he of most interest to my readers.

What a short period of time forty years seems to the old people ! What an eternity forty years seems to the young! Forty years ag'O Whitley county was woods, swamps, and mud - mostly mud - black stick}' mud. The roads during the rainy season were something awful to travel. The forests in many parts of the county were almost untouched. The timber that stood on what are now fine farms, if standing to-day would he worth more than. the farms are worth with all the improvements of houses and barns, and beautiful fields. Farming, after the timber was cleared away, was no joke for several years afterward either.

26th, the wheat crop was being eaten up on the stalk by the red milk weevil. What the weevil left was about all rotted in the stack by the excessive rains after harvest. This damaged and weevil eaten wheat, what was left of it. sold for $1.25 per bushel that fall. Flour sold in June, 1865, in Columbia City, for $7. 50 per barrel. Shelled corn was worth eighty cents per bushel, ear corn was Si. 00 per bushel. Oats were worth sixty cents, potatoes $1.25 and salt was worth $3. 25 per barrel. On June 13th, gold was worth $1.42 r_..

In 1865 Alex Hall was revenue collector for this district. Everybody who, after deducting S600 and taxes and insurance, had an income above these deductions, paid five per cent income tax. A large number of farmers and others who had made more than a living were called upon by Mr. Hall and asked to donate something to the government in the way of income tax. The list published at the time (August 2d) contains some interesting reading, perhaps I will give the list later on. Almost all whose names were on that list are now dead. About the largest item on the list was opposite the name of a farmer in Cleveland township. The question that was most discussed by the papers forty years ago was negro equalit}- and negro suffrage. It was feared, it seems, that the negro would supersede the white man, marry all the pretty girls and run things generally. The expected didn't happen, of course, and I for one am glad it didn't. It surely would have mixed things up considerably if the white women had all married negroes and the white men been compelled to marry Chinese and Indians. Whitley county was represented in the legislature by A. J. Douglas, who wrote very entertaining letters to the Post concerning the doings of the wise men who sat in the legislative halls with him. Many of the men who made history in our county were in the prime of life in 1865. I. B. McDonald and

The names of those who were the leading citizens of the county at this time can be seen better perhaps by giving the program for the Fourth of July celebration in Columbia City. The celebration was held in Shinneman"s grove. The program shows the following :

At the June session of the county commissioners there were five applications for license to sell whiskey, only one of which was granted. This reduced the number of saloons in Columbia City to five, two in Fiddler's Green, as across the river was then called, and J:hree on this side of the river. It seems we are a more thirsty li it now in Columbia City than the people of forty years ago, as we have nine saloons. I think, where we can quench our thirst, and then there is Blue river also.

The year of 1865 was full of memorable events. There was a call for 300,000 soldiers early in the year. On April 1st. Sheridan won a victory at Five Forks; April 3d, Richmond was occupied by the Union army ; April 6th, Sheridan routed Lee's forces; April 9th, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox; April 14th, Lincoln was assassinated by Booth; April 19th. Lincoln's funeral at Washington city; April 26th, General Johnston surrendered and about this date Jeff Davis was captured. In May, William Bowles and Horse}-, who had been convicted of conspiracv by a military court, were sentenced to hang-. The' day fixed was May 19th. The order for their execution was signed by Gen. Alvin P. Hovey, who was several years after elected governor of the state. Altogether 1865 was a stirring year. The south was in ruins and the north was filled with the returning soldiers. There was much bitter feeling everywhere and Whitley county had its full share.

Forty years ago the charges of corruption in "high places" were as fiercely made as they are today. Grant and Lincoln and Sherman and the United States senators were belittled and called all kinds of names, and if one believed the half that was said about these men they were a bad lot.

Grant was shamefully abused while commanding the army, but it was nothing compared to the abuse heaped upon him during his candidacy for President and after his election, ll takes forty years before a man's less is recognized.

severely criticized. How the government succeeded at all with all the opposition and obstruction placed in its way, is beyond understanding. The tariff, the money questions, the rights of the south and a hundred other questions, big and little, kept the country in a state of unrest, that to one who lived through it all makes the disturbances in Russia at this time look like "thirty cents" in comparison.

Great Britain's illy-concealed hostility to the north during the war, now that the war was over, claimed a good deal of attention during the closing months of 1865. All during the war of the Rebellion, England had permitted cruisers to be built and fitted out in her ship yards, to run the blockade and prey upon our commerce. France was not much behind England in her hostility to the north. The only friend in the old world we had at that gloomy period was Russia. We have as a people paid Russia back with interest for her friendship then, by turning our backs on her and openlv sympathizing with Japan. All you have to do to make an enemy of a man is to befriend him when he is in trouble. Nations are like men in this respect. It is a wonderful thing what changes can take place in ten years.

In 1805 the army had been disbanded and the soldiers had come home. The bitterness of the fearful strife was fresh in every one's mind. There were old scores and old grudges to settle, and a wound still smarting with pain had not time to heal. The epithets "negro lover," "copperhead." "black abolitionist." "traitor," and so on. were freely used in the papers of both sideSj which kept up for a time an ugly feeling all over the country. Ten years later, in [875, these epithets were losing much of their force. The war spirit was dying out. The ill feeling only broke out during the campaign years. The war editors were replaced by younger men. The passions of the people were cooling off. The fires of hate had died out to a few embers and a good many ashes. These ashes were blown about a good deal during the campaign years and got into the

There are so many things one could refer to which took place from 1865 to 1875 that it is hard to find a stopping place : but everything must come to an end and so must this article, and why not now ?

As these words are written, the people of Whitley county are much interested in the proposed building of two interurban railways through Columbia City and Whitley county. The one from Huntington to Columbia City, thence north-west through the county and on to Goshen. The other from Fort Wayne to Warsaw, paralleling the Pennsylvania railway and through the intervening towns. For the first named road subsidies have been voted. The people are skeptical and impatient of the delay. That they may know the vicissitudes through which other railroads and the canal were constructed across the county we have made this narrative unnecessarily full.

The Wabash Erie Canal

Long before the dawn of history, during the formative period of the earth's surface, that part of the world now lying between the headwaters of the Maumee at Fort Wayne and the Wabash valley to the south, through which a little less than three-quarters of a century ago the Wabash and Erie canal was dug; it was occupied by a stream which carried the united waters of Maumee lake, St. Joseph and St. Mary's rivers into the Wabash river below Huntington. This prehistoric Wabash Erie river was thirty miles long, from one to six miles wide, covering a part of Whitley county to the southeast and from sixty to one hundred feet deep. Little River is but a reminder of its powerful parent that was once comparable to the Niagara and Detroit rivers of to-day. There was Blue river, the large stream of this region. Eel river now, and for nearly three centuries, the most important of the two streams, was then a part of the valley with uncut channel.

In the earliest historic times. Fort Wayne was the gateway from the Great Lakes to the vast interior. From Erie, red and white men came down the Maumee to Fort Wayne, thence by a short land route either to the Wabash or to Eel river and away into the unknown.

Erie with the Ohio river. Himself one of the foremost engineers of the day, he sought all possible information from explorers and others, believing that in the future such a canal would be cut either via the route finally selected or by the way of one of the more western streams. Blue river or Eel river, from Fort Wayne.

In the summer of 1824. in a little out kitchen to the residence of David Burr, in Fort Wayne, Judge Hanna mentioned to Burr his vision of such a canal. Strange, but the other had witnessed the same waterway in his day dreams. Then and there was the foundation laid broad and deep in two master minds. The)- then and there decided the canal must be excavated. The1, consulted, they thought, they planned and overcame, but it was almost twenty years thereafter that their hopes were fully realized. They opened correspondence with the Indiana representatives and senators in congress and secured their favor, influence and co-operation. These efforts resulted in 1827 in a grant by congress to the state of Indiana of each alternate section of land for six miles on each side of the proposed line, through its whole length, in the construction of the canal. Strange indeed, bul a powerful opposition to the acceptance of this -rant by the state was organized in some parts and Judge Hanna was elected i" the legislature as the special champion of the 1 anal policy. The contest was long and bitter, but resulted in the acceptance of the grant. A thousand dollars was appropriated 111 purchase the necessar) engineering instruments and procure the survey and location of the summit level. Judge Hanna went to \Te« York and purchased the instruments, returning by way of Detroit, from which place he carried them on horsehack to Fort Wayne. Hanna, Burr and a man named Jones were made canal commissioners. Though good engineers' were scarce, one was procured and the 'work began on the St. Joseph river six miles above Fort Wayne where the feeder dam was afterward located. Burr acted as ax man and Hanna as rod man, both at ten dollars a month. The second day the engineer took sick and left the job for good, but Burr and Hanna completed alone the survey of the summit feeder. Then they had to rest for the next legislature to take action. Judge Hanna being again a member, secured the passage of an act for the construction of the Wabash and Erie canal, and thus originated the longest continuous line of artificial water then on the globe, and this section of the country was placed far in advance of most of much older parts of the United States. Then began a long array of hopes and discouragements of securing money and laborers, contractors and managers. The elevation of the Maumee above the level of Lake Erie at the head of the rapids is sixty-two feet, at Defiance eighty feet, at the state line one hundred thirty-five feet, at Fort Wayne one hundred sixty-three feet. The summit level of the canal was one hundred ninety-three feet above the lake, two feet higher than the marsh, which is the summit between the Maumee and Wabash rivers. The formal breaking of the -round was performed with great ceremony, just in time to save the land grant under the limitation of the act of congress.

Henry Rudisill was made chairman and David H. Colerick, secretary. A procession was formed and proceeded across St. Mary's river to the point selected, where speeches were made, after which Commissioner Yigus said with great solemnity, "I am now about to commence the Wabash and Erie canal, in the name and by the authority of the state of Indiana." He then struck a pick into the ground amid great cheers. Judge Hanna and others threw a little dirt, after which the procession moved back to town. At the time of beginning, $28,65 l nad been realized from the sale of the canal lands. A contract for the first fifteen miles, running westward from the formal point of commencing, was immediately let, and in the fall four more miles were let, extending the other way and including the feeder dam. Work was done in 1832 to the amount of $4. 180 dollars. In May, 1833, the remaining thirteen miles of the summit division were let, and in 1835 this division was completed to Huntington. On the 3d day of July, 1835, the waters of St. Joseph river commingled with those of Little River at Huntington, and on the following day, July 4th, the canal boat "Indiana" arrived at Huntington form Fort Wayne, with a large and enthusiastic crowd of people from Fort Wayne, who landed at the upper, or Burke's lock, and were greeted by the firing of an old cannon which Dr. George A. Fate had brought from Dayton, Ohio, for the occasion. Thus the old Wabash and Erie canal was completed through a corner of Whitley county three years before the county had a separate existence. Previous to this, the only place of marketing and securing supplies was Fort Wayne, but very early after the establishment of our county seat a road was opened up to Raccoon Village, by which ran the canal at the south-east corner of the county. Much of this air line road remains to-day, being the road east of town across Eel river, diagonally past Compton church and on to Jefferson t> iwnship. The canal was completed through Huntington county in 1836, but progress on the other end was not so rapid. Not until 1S43 was there navigation from Toledo to Fort Wayne and Huntington and to the west. Early in 1843 a line of packets were run at regular intervals carrying freight, mail and passengers, and continued uninterruptedly until trains on the Wabash Railroad drove the canal out of existence, in 1854. About the middle or last of July, 1854, the last regular run of boats was made ; after that it was used as any one chose, as a personal ditch. There is dispute as to when the last boat ran between Fort Wayne and Huntington. Some well informed persons say in 1867, while others put it as late as 1S73. So gradual was their obliteration that there is no way of ascertaining the exact time of the death of the canal. In 1847 the canal passed into the hands of three trustees, under the state debt act. Two of these were appointed by the holders of the bonds and one by the legislature of Indiana. The part running through Fort Wayne was sold to the Nickel Plate Railway in the winter of 1880 and 1881, and much of the old tow-path from Fort Wayne to Huntington is now used by the Fort Wayne and Wabash Valley Traction Company.

The Pennsylvania Railroad

both Ohio and Pennsylvania, for the building of a railroad from Mansfield, Ohio, eastward!)-, by way of Wooster, Massillon and Canton, to some point which the projectors might select on the Ohio & Pennsylvania line, thence to Pittsburg. Immediately after the war of the Revolution, the region west of the Alleghanies began to populate very rapidly. First came the tide of emigration over the mountains to western Pennsylvania, and then the stream did not stop until farther westward. Mansfield was a village in 1808. and by 1816 it was a place of some importance, and by 1820 it was the gateway to the west. The stream of emigration over the mountains continued to Mansfield, and all the Ohio settlers, north and west of the center of the state, came that way. From the first it was an enterprising place. At the date it received the charter for the above named, a railroad was in operation from that town to the lake. known as the Mansfield & Lake Erie, afterward the Sandusky, Mansfield & Newark- Railway, and for many years past a part of the Baltimore & Ohio system. Also a road was under construction from Cleveland to Cincinnati. Mansfield, just a little out of the route, allowed it to run a short distance to the west of her. building up a rival town at the crossing of this line and the Mansfield & Lake Erie. Wounded pride demanded that something be clone, and her foremost citizens secured the charter for the Ohio 6t Pennsylvania Railway, but securing a charter was far from building a railroad. Almost simultaneous, the same year, practically the same people secured from the 1 Him legislature a charter for the Ohio & Indiana Railroad, to run from Mansfield to

Bucyrus and Cpper Sandusky, thence to any point the builders desired on the Ohio & Indiana line, thence to Fort Wayne, Ind. Less than the ordinary amount of trouble was experienced in building east from Mansfield. Work began on the 4th day of July, 1849, at Seller's tavern, a point several miles west of Mansfield, which by some means became the western terminal of the Ohio & Pennsylvania Railway, and the eastern terminal of the Ohio & Indiana Railroad. The work was pushed rapidly and on the nth day of April, 1853, traffic was opened between Mansfield and Allegheny, a distance of one hundred and eighty-seven miles. It was not extended across the river and into Pittsburg until 1857. when it was connected with the Pennsylvania Central. The Ohio & Indiana road languished, but the other end overlapped and built on about three miles to Crestline, the crossing of the Cincinnati & Cleveland- road, completed in 185 1. The ambition of the Mansfield people was satisfied, or at least at rest. Judge Hanna, of Fort Wayne, the father of the Wabash and Erie canal, came forward as the savior of the Ohio & Indiana Railroad. He induced Allen county, Indiana, to vote $100,000 to the capital stock of the road. This was the turning point. Without it the line would have been long delayed and probably diverted finally over a different route. The project was strong in merit, but weak in funds. After almost despairing of some one to undertake the work with its chances, in 1852, Mr. Hanna induced Pliny Hoagland and William Mitchell to join him in taking the contract, which they did. It was taken in the name of Mitchell, from Crestline to Fort Wavne, one hundred and thirty-two miles, and work began immediately. After making some progress the means of the company were exhausted and everything at a standstill. Not only was the road in danger of defeat, but the private fortunes of Hanna, Hoagland and Mitchell were in great peril. A meeting of the creditors was called at Bucyrus, but the prospect presented was dubious and dismal, desperate and hopeless. Dr. Merriman, of Bucyrus, the president, resigned in despair of rendering any further service. Hanna was immediately elected. He rode the same night on horseback from Bucyrus to Crestline, thence by the railroad to Cleveland, and thence by boat to the east. In three days he was in New York pledging his honor and fortune, as well as that of his coadjutors, Hoagland and Mitchell. His action was daring and reassuring, and brought the needed funds. He struck farsighted capitalists who had faith in him. With this arranged, he hastened to Montreal and Quebec to redeem iron that had been forfeited for nonpayment of transportation. The crisis was past. Work was resumed, and in November, 1854, the road was completed into Fort Wayne, and before January 1, 185*5, there was regular train service from Fort Wayne to Crestline, and before June, 1855, the train service was continuous to Allegheny.

In 1852, the Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad Company was organized and chartered, and Hanna was made president, while straining every nerve to complete the road already on his hands. The means of building the road were to be derived from the sale of stock and bonds. The stock subscriptions in all amounted to less than three per cent, of the cost of building the road and were mainly paid in wild, uncultivated, and then practically worthless lands, town lots and labor. This real estate, however, was mortgaged for a million dollars, which was a great part of the cost of grading. Other cash had to be derived from the sale of bonds, and as it was a recent corporation with an unfinished right of way, these were not readily sold. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company gave the enterprise all possible encouragement and gave it some credit, which was a great factor in its success. The road was completed to Columbia City, on the 22d day of January, 1856, and on the following morning, the first engine, the "Mad Anthony," came into town. There was no station, and the engine bringing several representative citizens from Fort Wayne in an open freight car with boards for seats, stopped about ten rods east of the present passenger depot. They were met by a number of our citizens and escorted up town, returning about noon. On January 30, 1856, the following time card was issued and posted in Fort Wayne:

"On and after February 1st, a passenger train will leave this city daily at 7:30 A. M., arrive at Columbia 9 A. M. Leave Columbia at 5 P. M., and reach this city at 6:30 P. M.

The fare was eighty cents each way. It was before the time of round trip rates. When the road was completed here, considerable work and grading had been done farther west, and was progressing- at many points between Columbia and Plymouth.

On August i. [856, at a meeting of the officers of the three minor corporations, they were all merged into one corporation, known as the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway Company. This merger infused new life into the work, and early in November flie road was completed to Plymouth, and before Christmas, 1856, there was regular train service through Columbia from Fort Wayne to Plymouth. At Plymouth was already the southern terminus of a railroad running to LaPorte, and from that point there was a line in operation to Chicago. Thus there could be train service from Plymouth to Chicago by this route. There was some disposition to allow the western terminus to remain at Plymouth for awhile, but the progressive element of the new corporation pushed it rapidly to completion into Chicago in the spring of i857-

Detroit, Eel River & Illinois Rairoad

As early as 1861, an agitation began for the building of a railroad through the rich Eel river valley, with southern terminal at Logansport, to connect with the great Wabash system for the southwest, and with the northern terminus at some point on the Lake Shore Railway in DeKalb or Noble county. The war between the states sunn absorbed all attention and no action was taken. Just at the close of the war, the Logansport & Northern Indiana Railroad was incorporated, and a survey was made over substantially the route the railroad finally look. This corporation died and the Toledo. 1 0- gansport X- Northern Indiana Railroad was incorporated, inheriting from its predecessor the survey, some books, etc. This corporation secured the right of way over a number of tracts of land in Whitley and other counties, terminal grounds at Logansport and also did do a small amount of grading. In April. 1869, the following paper was filed and recorded in the auditor's office of Whitley county:

In pursuance to an order of the directors of said company, passed at a meeting of said board, you are requested to appoint one disinterested freeholder of said comity, under an act of the general assembly of the State of Indiana, approved March 11. 1867, who, in connection with a like freeholder of said county, to be appointed by the Logansport & Northern Indiana Railroad Company, shall constitute a board of appraisers to make a true and impartial appraisement of all the rights, privileges, interests, rights of way, franchises and properties of the Toledo, Logansport & Northern Indiana Railway Company.

And thus was established the new corporation, the Detroit, Eel River & Illinois Railroad, from Logansport, in Cass county, to Butler, in DeKalb count)'. The offices located at Columbia City, and two of our most distinguished citizens, president and secretary. Judge Collins at once entered zealously into the work, traveling on foot many times over the entire route.

One of the first acts was to show the good faith of the people at home. A petition was circulated and numerously signed asking that an election be held authorizing the county to pay as a public tax $100,000, taking stock in the company for the amount. It was found that $85,000 was the limit that could be paid under the law, with our amount of taxable property. Therefore, an election was held on the 16th day of June, 1869, for and against the payment of $85,000 with the following result :

An effort was made, a year later, to have Columbia township taxed for an additional $14,322, but it being unlawful, the commissioners did not call an election. Our people

The road was completed from Butler to South Whitley, early in July, 1871, and on the 25th day of July the contractors ran a free excursion from Columbia City to South Whitley, carrying over five hundred people. The train moved slowly and cautiously and was an hour and a quarter making the trip. The train was met by a very large crowd, and a procession was formed which marched to the grove, where a free dinner was served and many enthusiastic speeches made. The road was completed to Logansport and regular train service installed before the winter of 1 87 1 ; and until it passed into the hands of the Wabash Railway Company, it ran a passenger train from Logansport to Butler in the forenoon and back in the afternoon, and such freight trains as were necessary. In January, 1881, the line was leased by the Wabash Company for ninety-nine years, and they quickly built an extension to Detroit from Butler, connecting with their main line at Logansport, at once making it a trunk line, rivalling the best in the country. All the through passenger trains ran over the line to Buffalo, Boston and New York, and so continued for the nineteen years they held it. No sooner was the old Eel river road made a part of a great trans-continental line than a few men at Logansport determined to ruin it ami damage every town along its line. They brought suit on the ground that the Wabash old line was parallel and a competing line and could not hold it, terminating after nearly twenty years in ousting it. In December, 1890, it was sold to the Vandalia, and on December 31st the

Wabash ran the last of their magnificent trains over it. The next day began a service as antiquated and unsatisfactory as the old Eel river management could have possibly been, and is likely to continue indefinitely. They have made it from one of the best to one of the poorest, if indeed not the very worst in the whole country. Its termination at Logansport is north of Eel river. When the Wabash got it they tried to get a connection through the city to their line, but were spitefully defeated at every point. For a while they made the connection a fewmiles below the city at Clymers, but finding it was impossible that they could join their main line anywhere near the city the}- built from Chili, a distance of six miles into Peru. They still own the six miles of rusty, unused track. The Wabash fought the litigation for years, but finally gave it up. They began from their main line at New Haven, six miles east of Fort Wayne, and built across to Butler, striking their Detroit line, and began their service over it the day they quit the Eel river. The Wabash bettered itself. Logansport did itself no good, but the towns along the old Eel river line were damaged beyond computation.

The Nickel Plate Railway

The New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railway Company was organized in 1880. It parallels the Lake Shore Railway from Buffalo to near the west line of Ohio, after' which it parallels the Pennsylvania to Chicago. It was projected by the late Senator Brice, of Ohio, and his associates, for the sole purpose of sale to the Vanderbilts, whid 1 objecl was finally accomplished after

Vanderbilt had declared it a "string of worthless dirt, leading from nowhere to no place." It so threatened the business of the Lake Shore that its sale, the object of its building, was accomplished. It was first heard of here in January, 1881, and at once agents were at work buying the right of way through this county. Where a bargain could not be readily made condemnation proceedings were at once instituted. It was built through Whitley county in the summer of 1 88 1, and before the spring of 1882 there was regular service over the whole line. It runs almost east and west through the county, cutting the south third off the county from the north two-thirds. Along its lines were soon located the villages of Dunfee, Raber and Peabody. It also strikes South Whitley. For several years it was considered only a freight road, but recently excellent through passenger service has been inaugurated, and it is to-day regarded as one of the great trunk lines. It strikes no towns of size from Fort Wayne to Valparaiso.

The last of the railways to enter Whitley county is the Fort Wayne & Wabash Valley Traction Line. It runs from Fort Wayne to Huntington, practically on the line of the old canal of 1835. Through the corner of this county, it runs along the tow path of the canal. It was built in 1901 by Townsend & Reed, a construction company, and they operated it for a time, when it went into the hands of the McKinley syndicate and they built 011 t>> Wabash. November 4. 1904, it was acquired by the Fort Wayne &

Wabash Valley Traction Company, which line. The right of way in Whitley county still own and operate it. From the beginning, was purchased from Straus Brothers & Lee, it has given hourly service over the whole at about one hundred dollars per acre.

Public Buildings And Builders

The first public building erected in Whitley county was a jail, but it must not be presumed that the early settlers were so vicious that they needed a place of incavcreation more than a place for public business. The officers could not afford to occupy a court house had one been ready. They kept their meager records at home and the sessions of court were easily held at residences or Thomson's hotel in the new seat of justice. The early criminals were mostly drunken Indians or traveling professional outlaws.

On the 1st day of June, 1840, the county agent was ordered to advertise and sell on the 20th day of the same month the building of a jail described as follows : Eighteen feet long and sixteen feet wide, of hewn timber squared to eight inches thick and twelve inches wide, the wall to be sunk three feet in the ground and butt up even with the surface of the ground, with a single wall, then laid with hewn timber seven inches thick, double crossed, then continue the wall double, of the same size timber ten feet high, with a partition through the center, of the same size timber. Door to be cut out and hung with a strong shutter of oak plank one inch thick doubled. The shutter made with small window in center, four inches deep and eight inches wide. The upper floor to be laid with hewn timber eight inches thick, to be laid upon the plaits. To be covered with good joint shingle roof. One window in the outside wall two feet square to be checked with bar iron, bars an inch and a quarter thick and four inches apart, well fastened in wall. The outside door to be made of inch oak plank, double and crossed and covered with sheet iron. This building, put on the south-east corner of the public square, was built by William Blair for $490 and he was also allowed eight dollars for clearing timber and brush off the spot and two rods beyond each way.

The board of commissioners at a special session held June, 1841, ordered a court house built on the north-east corner of lot 7, in block 15, where the city building now stands. This building, thirty-six feet long and two stories high, was built according to specifications of the very best timber and strong enough to endure centuries. It now stands on lot 1, block 12, the original plat of Columbia City, at the south-west corner of Van Buren and Whitley streets, owned by Charles Eyansons' sons and used for a dwelling. It is in a good state of preservation ami looks like a comparatively new building, though built for sixty-five years. It was set on five large rocks and had a stairs go up on the outside. This first court house cost $41 1.50 and was completed about the first of December, 1841, but was put in use as a court house in October. March 6, 1S45, tne windows were ordered filled with glass, the fire-place torn out and a stove put in. The first story was used for holding courts, shows, public meetings and all other purposes and at one time by Thomas Washburn as a dwelling. James Washburn, at present one of the substantial business men of Columbia. City, was born in that court house in September, 1843. The upper story was used for various purposes ; one room was plastered and sealed and used for a time by the clerk and recorder. The other was used by the treasurer, sheriff and any other person who desired, and for almost any purpose.

On the 9th day of June, 1842, Henry Swihart, county agent, was ordered to contract for the building of a house thirty feet long by eighteen wide, one-story high, with two rooms, two fifteen light windows in each room, one door in the center partition and one outside door to each room. The record ordering the building does not say for what use, but it was always called the "jury building" by the citizens as well as by the commissioners in their dealings with it. It was on the south-west corner of the public square or court house lot. It was built by Benjamin Grable for $197. For a short time the treasurer used one room and the clerk and recorder the other. It was also used as a jury room and Warren Mason rented it fur three months and taught school in it. tin jury building was rather a general purpose place for everybody and everything. It was sold to X. 1). Torbet tor $13 in [853, who tore down and removed it.

In the summer of 1842, Jacob Frederich built a fence enclosing twenty-five perches at the south-east corner of the public square in a square form, the east side and south end of the jail to form a part of the fence, which was six feet high, with a heavy oak gate well hung and with good lock.

June 8, 1844, the commissioners ordered built what was called a fire proof office building forty-eight feet long, twenty feet wide, one-story high, ten feet in the clear, built of brick. The specifications, too long to be given here, read like it was to be a fortress that might withstand the best cannon of that day. There were two partition walls cutting the building into three equal rooms, two twenty-light windows in each room, with shutters of sheet and bar iron. A door to each room opening on the street covered with heavy sheet iron, and each door a lock of different style so that keys might not be interchanged. A fire-place in each room with a separate chimney for each. This was located on the north-east part of the public square. To be accurate, forty-eight feet west of Main street ; the south-east corner of the building six feet north of line running through the center of the public square from east to west. This was built by David Shepley for $1,250 and $2$ for extras, and completed in August. 1844. and the county treasurer at once occupied the middle room, the auditor the south room, the clerk and recorder the north room. The building faced to the east.

The new county officers' fire proof building was not completed until there began an agitation lor a brick court house, good and substantial, that might he used for the courts, conventions and general, opera house, and that might also hold the records and provide offices for the county officers. At the regular December term 1847. the commissioners ordered the county agent to procure plans for a new court house and at the March term, 1848, they adopted the plans of Hossler & Radcliff, architects, for which they paid $15, and full specifications were put on record. After having duly advertised for bids, on the 7th day of June, 1848, the contract was let to F. Araline & -Rinehart for $7,620. They failed to complete the contract by filing bond as required. Additions were then made to the specifications and on the 14th of June, 1848, the contract was let to Henry Swihart and Thomas Washburn, who completed it, and on the 1 2th day of October, 1850, it was accepted and paid for at $7,747.50. and on the following day it was occupied by the officers. The bell was installed in March, 1853, at a cost of $250. This same bell, no longer used for the simple purpose of making useless noise, is now each hour struck by a hammer from the court house clock to note the passing hours. On December 9, 1853, the commissioners made a solemn order as to ringing this bell, under the direction of either the sheriff or auditor: "To be rung during the setting of courts or any other public occasion. May be rung morning, noon or night, or at any other stated period or periods. Any other persons than auditor or sheriff may have it rung at any time by doing the labor of ringing it themselves or paying for the same." June 10, 1853, an order was made that the court room could be used only for the following purposes : holdings courts, political conventions, railroad conventions and all other meetings for secular purposes interesting the people, also for religious meetings and lectures on literary and scientific subjects. Church services were often held in it. It was as nearly the center of the square as the engineer could locate it. It was torn down in April and May, 1889. From the beginning there was trouble with the cupalo leaking and the records show not less than twelve appropriations for repairing it during the less than fifty years it was occupied. Otherwise it was an honest and substantial building, in a perfect state of preservation ..when torn down. For its day it was a first class court house, ranking with the best in Indiana.

At the February term of circuit court, 1 88 1, court was forced to adjourn because of defective chimneys. Judge Van Long appointed Richard Collins and I. B. Mc- Donald to repair the flues, which they caused to be done, but with little effect. At the March term of the same year the commissioners ordered C. H. Pond to draw plans and specifications for enlarging the building and improving it in several ways. The plans suggested an outlay of about $20,000. The board called into consultation some thirty heavy tax payers from all parts of the county and agreeable with the general sentiment it was not deemed worth the cost and for the present it was left alone. This started the agitation for a new building that might furnish protection from fire, vandalism and burglary. Soon after, the country was startled by the stealing of the records of an Illinois county and hiding them until by a series of maneuvers the county was obliged to pay $25,000 for their restoration. The loss of the records of Whitlev county could not be made good by any money consideration. It would involve the title to every foot of realty in the county, besides being irreparable in many other ways. Our records might be as easily stolen as a horse from a good stable and they might burn as easily as a common dwelling. The county treasurer's office was so small that not more than three or four persons could occupy the lobby at a time, which was a great inconvenience to the people in busy tax-paying time. That office had a little safe but little better than none and it could be easily loaded by a couple of men and hauled off by night. True, the treasurers were depositing the public moneys in the bank vaults, but frequently hundreds of dollars were taken in after the banking hours as an accommodation to the public and it was recalled that at one time over $40,000 remained in the safe over night. In December, 1865, the safe then in the county treasurer's office was blown up by burglars and an insignificant sum of money taken. A new safe was immediately purchased, but was too large for the little treasurer's office and was put in the auditor's office, where it remained until the new court house was built and in 1891 was traded on the present burglar proof safe in the treasurer's office. There was no sheriff's office at all. In the clerk's and auditor's offices the room was all occupied and many valuable papers had to be packed in boxes, almost inaccessible to the public. That there was most urgent necessity for something was apparent to everybody. The agitation went on, but politics was at red heat in a close county. The building of a new court house would be unpopular and the politicians dare not advocate it. Finally in 1888 the commissioners decided to build. Several citizens were invited to make trips with them to see a number of court houses in different parts of the country. Brent S. Tolan was employed as architect. The rink building across from the south-east corner of the square, the north side lots 3 and 4, block 18, north-east corner of Main and Market streets, was rented from Linvill & Mitten as temporary quarters for the county business. and on April 1. 1889, everything was moved in. The rear room was used as court room, the front divided into two rooms, the north side was used by the auditor and treasurer, the south side by the clerk and recorder, the sheriff's office was the whole building at large. The court house was sold to Hon. C. B. Tully for $150 dollars and torn down and .taken away in April and May, 1889. On the 1st day of April, 1891, just two years after, the new building was occupied and the people of Whitley county will have no more clamor for a new court house for a century. It is an elegant stone building, built without a job or a graft and at a sum almost half of what it would cost to-day. The time chosen was when material was at its lowest point since the organization of the county and lower than it will ever be again, unless some unprecedented business depression should strike the country. It was built by George W. Vanator and Joseph H. Baker, of Warsaw, for about $165,000, including the furnishing. The exact price we are unable to give, as in the last end of the work some things like grading and putting in walks were included in the court house expenses. The cost, however, of building and furnishing the house was about the sum stated. During the contracting and building of the court house George W. Law- rence was chairman of the board ; Chauncey B. Mattoon, auditor, and William F. Mc- Nagny, county attorney, or advisor to the board. These gentlemen determined to save every cent possible to the tax payers, to see that the work was honestly done and the materials just as specified and that there should not be one cent jobbing in it, and they succeeded and deserve the gratitude of the people.

The first court house, the old frame still standing at the corner of Van Buren and Whitley streets, was sold at public auction December 9, 1853, to Sylvester Knapp for $35.25, to be removed by May 1, 1854, which was done. On the same day the county officers' fire proof brick building at the north-east corner of the square was sold at public auction to Henry S. Cobaugh for $60, to be removed by June 1. 1854. For some reason unknown the contract was never carried out and the commissioners ordered it removed by the county under the direction of the auditor. About the cost of removing it was realized from the sale of material.

The old heavily built fence around the court house square, the only one ever built around it, was put up in the fall of 1852. The contract was let to Samuel Brown for $195, but he failing to do the work. Auditor Simon Wanderlich purchased the materials and managed the labor for the county and the total cost was $187.50. It was removed in the spring of 1884. In March, 1842, David E. Long and Asa Shoemaker cleared the forest from the court house square and to the middle of the streets adjoining at a cost to the county of $52.50. In September, 1852, James B. Edwards graded the grounds as they lay until 1891 at a cost to the county of $271.50. In i860 Joseph F.

Shoemaker planted the grounds with trees at a cost of $75. These, the second supply of nature, had grown to a beautiful grove and the grounds were used for conventions and all sorts of gatherings in summer for years before it was a second time denuded, on the building of the last court house in 1889. The losing of the grove from the square was attended with great regret by all our people. In 1891, after the completion of the present court house the grounds were graded to their present condition by the county under the direction of Eli W. Brown.

The first jail built on the south-east corner of the public square was partly burned and totally disabled by John Wheatley, a prisoner waiting trial for larceny in March, 1855. Immediately thereafter a jail and sheriff's residence was built on the site of the first court house removed, to-wit, on the spot now covered by the engine house and city offices. This was completed November 1, 1855, built by James B. Edwards at a cost of $5,224. It was constructed on poor plans, was insanitary and unsafe. All criminals charged with felony or grave misdemeanor were for years conveyed to Fort Wayne until wanted here for trial.

In 1875, the present jail and sheriff's residence was built, completed and occupied early in 1876. The contract price was $34,486. The architect was J. C. Johnson, of Toledo, and the contractor was James M. Bratton, of Huntington. This was supposed to be the very acme of safety, but in April, 1881. a prisoner confined one afternoon had by the use of a case knife sawed off the grates in a window and made his escape before the next morning and steel and iron experts were called to examine the grates and pronounced the iron almost soft as lead. Extra grates were immediately purchased by the commissioners, to be made of homogeneous steel, of alternate layers so soft as to keep the bar from breaking and so hard they could not be cut. So fearful were the authorities that the steel would not be right that on the arrival of the grates every blacksmith and metal worker in the county and- one from Fort Wayne were called to test them. They were first rejected, but on securing an expert who had them heated and cooled, they were accepted and placed. They have since defied repeated attempts to saw out. Again in February, 1884, the community was startled by the breaking out of jail of Charles W. Butler, the wife murderer, together with two criminals held for counterfeiting, and several for minor offences. They simply broke a corner out of one of the stone walls of the upper tier of cells, crawled through it and out of a hatch-way or opening in the roof. Examination showed these walls to be of one thickness of stone, eight inches thick, without other protection. A corner large enough for the men to crawl through was easily broken out. These cell tops and all other vulnerable places were then securely covered with heavy boiler iron riveted or bolted to the stone. Since that time there has b?eii no jail breaking and the building bids fair to answer the county yet for many years to come.

In March. 1857. the county purchased from James T. Long the north-east fractional quarter of section 16. in Columbia township, to be used as an asylum for the poor. The buildings then on the farm were used until the completion of the present brick structure, finished, accepted and occupied the first Monday in March,' 1865. The plans were drawn by C. H. Pond, who still lives in Columbia City, at a cost of Si 5. The contract was let January 30, 1864, to David J. Silver, of Allen county. The contract price was $11,900, but extras were added making the total cost, including a large cistern, etc., about $12,380. The old buildings were given to Joseph Yontz, the first superintendent, for taking them away. The present brick hospital building was erected in 1895. The superintendents, as near as we can ascertain, to the present were Joseph Yontz, about ten years and Stephen Haley one year, Asa Meredith, about ten years, Cyrenus Coplen, about twelve years, then Charles Dimick and William Minor, who is at present holding the position. The superintendent holds his place by virtue of appointment of county commissioners, makes bis reports to them and is always under their control and subject to their orders.

Postoffices And Postmasters

No part of the history of any people is tied, the means of communicating with dear more interesting than that which pertains ones left back in the eastern states was very to their communication with the outer poor and also expensive. Contrast our twoworld. When Whitley county was first set- cent letter postage with that of the 'thirties.

when there was no uniform rate of postage, charge being made according to the distance a letter was to be carried, and it being specified that a letter was to consist of one sheet of paper, two sheets requiring double postage, three sheets triple, and so on.

The charge for carrying a letter any distance not exceeding thirty miles was six cents per sheet, over thirty and not exceeding eighty miles, ten cents; over eighty and not exceeding one hundred and fifty miles, twelve and one-half- cents; over one hundred and fifty and less than four hundred miles, eighteen and three-fourths cents. For any distance over four hundred miles there was a flat rate of twenty-five cents per single sheet letter.

For newspapers, a rate of one cent a copy was made for distances not over one hundred miles, and one and a half cents for any greater distance, except that any newspaper 0 mid be carried to any point in the state where published, without regard to distance. for one cent. Thus any weekly newspaper cost from fifty to seventy-five cents per annum for postage. Few could afford even a weekly, and a daily paper was undreamed of by our people.

All other difficulties of frontier life out of the way, the expense, where money was so hard to get, made letters between families and friends few and far between. Then, too, the means of transporting letters was so slow and so very poor, that a large percentage of letters sent never reached their destination. Who has not heard the sad story told by some old pioneer, of hearing of the death of a parent, relative or friend, not a hundred miles away, weeks, even months, after it occurred. Practicallv were our pioneers shut out from the world, their isolation, their loneliness made complete. The early years were strewn with deaths from loneliness and homesickness. How, in their desolation, they magnified the advantages of old home. And again, if years afterward they were permitted to revisit the scenes of childhood, how different from what they expected, how disappointing. Rapid transit has almost annihilated that destroying monster, homesickness.

Our first settlers were obliged to go to Huntington, Fort Wavne, Warsaw or Goshen for mail, if they ever got a chance letter; and these towns were not accessible as they are to-day. It took days of travel to reach them.

South Whitley

At the organization of the county, there was but one postoffice in existence within its limits. The settlers on Eel river, about what is nov? South Whitley, made application in the fall of 1836, for a postoffice. The office was ordered established February 25, 1837. with David D. Parrett as postmaster, but the government could not and did not office was named Whitley. All mail addressed to Whitley, Whitley county, Indiana, went to the Huntington postoffice until the Whitley postmaster, or some one in his place, called for it. So with outgoing mail. If deposited with Parrett at Whitley, he held it until he could go or send it to Huntington.

the same clay the name of the Whitley postoffice was changed to South Whitley, as it still remains. Mail for South Whitley still came by way of Huntington, but the outgoing mail might be sent either to Whitley Court House or Huntington. Later it came also by way of Columbia.

July i. 1850, a route was established from La Gro, Wabash county, through South Whitley, to Warsaw, making a round trip once a week. A branch line was also established from South Whitley to Columbia City, making a round trip once a week.

July r, 1854, a route was established from La Gro, by North Manchester, Liberty Mills. Collamer, South Whitley, Clear Spring and Farmers to Warsaw, forty-one miles. Twice a week from La Gro to South Whitley, and only once a week the residue, with a weekly branch from South Whitley to Columbia City and back.

July 1, 1858. the route was changed, making Columbia City instead of Warsaw, the northern terminus. It ran from La Gro, North Manchester, Liberty Mills, Collamer. South Whitley to Columbia City, thirtythree miles, and back twice a week: but one of these weekly round trips left Liberty Mills out. This service continued until July 1. 1866. after which one route ran from Columbia City to South Whitley and Collamer. making a round trip once a week, and one route from Fort Wayne to South Whitley, Collamer and intervening points, making a round trip once a week; and this service continued until the mail was carried daily to South Whitley over the Eel River Railroad. The postmasters at South Whitley have been :

Columbia City

On the 14th day of May. 1842, a postoffice was established at the seat of justice of Whitley county. The citizens asked that it be called Columbia, but the department replied that there was already a postoffice by that name in the - state. A controversy then arose over a name. Richard Collins renewed his effort to call it Beaver, the name he tried to give the town. But during the dispute, the department named it Whitley Court House, and changed the already existing Whitley postoffice to South Whitley.

While Whitley Court House postoffice was established May 14, 1842, there was no mail service to the place until July 1st of the same year. During these six weeks or more, mail for the place was supposed to lie in the Fort Wayne postoffice till called for by the postmaster or some one for him, and outgoing mail had to be carried to Fort Wayne in the same manner. Then came a confusion between the two Whitley postoffices, that was very annoying and lasted until long after Whitley Court House had become Columbia City postoffice. Letters intended for either place often went to the other, and many found their way to the dead letter office and were never received by the party intended. As the business of the offices grew, this became SO' annoying that something had to be done. The long name was never popular and was not chosen by the people. Agitation for a change kept up from the first, but did not take definite form till the winter of 1853 and 1854. Finally, somebody called a meeting or election to be held in the new Court House, December 16, 1853, to decide the name. Richard Collins renewed the fight for the Indian name Beaver, and Dr. Swayzee led the fight for Columbia City. If it could not be Columbia, it could be that name with city attached. It would give the place a big name. Considerable acrimony was manifest before and during the caucus, but Columbia City won out, was certified to the department at Washington as the choice of the people, and on the 16th day of January, 1854, the day Lewis Dowell took the office, the name was changed. The railroads carried the name Columbia until recent years when they, too, changed to Columbia City. From Jul}- 1, 1842, to July 1, 1846, there was a weekly mail, onte round trip a week from Fort Wayne to Whitley Court House and back. The next year, on the establishment of Coesse postoffice along the route, it was included.

From July 1, 1846, to July 1, 1850, this route was maintained and also one from Columbia to Plymouth, by way of Warsaw and intervening towns, making a round trip once a week, distance fifty-one miles. Also the branch line from South Whitley ; a branch from La Gro to Warsaw.

A route was also established July 1, 1850, from Metea to Columbia, 55.36 miles, but October 1, the same year, this route did not come farther north than North Manchester. On same date, two more routes were established out of Columbia. One to Elkhart, one round trip a week. One to Wolf Lake and back, eighteen miles, one round trip a week, and July 1, 1853, one to Albion and back, twenty miles, one round trip a week.

Then came the Pennsylvania railway, and from July 1, 1858, to July 1, 1862, we had only the La Gro-South Whitley route and the Wrilmot and intervening offices route, and these were the only ones up to 1866.

From 1866 to 1S70, the Wilmot route was extended to Cromwell and we had the route to South Whitley and Collamer, this latter continued to the completion of the Eel River Railroad, and the Cromwell route

The next office established in the county was Summit, December 21, 1846. It was at the old town of Summit, half a mile west of present Larwill. where the Columbia and Warsaw state road crossed the Goshen and Huntington state road. Alexander S. Mc- Nagny, still living at the same place, was first postmaster, from December 21, 1846, to August 6, 1850. Then Henry McLallen took it and held it till December 30, 1851. He kept it at his house on the Kerr farm, eastern edge of present Larwill. It was not a desirable office and went begging to any one who would take it along the post road, the Warsaw state road. Alonzo Rodebaugh kept it from December 30, 185 1, to June 11, 1853. George D. H. Harris held it from June 11. 1853, ^11 February 18, 1854, when Henry McLallen was again induced to accept it and held it till August 17, 1861. During McLallen's last incumbency, the Pennsylvania Railwav was built. McLallen had moved down to the new town of Huntsville and the office had become desirable, attracting trade to the place where kept. The Republican part)- having come into power. Edwin L. Barber secured the office. Barber held it till November 4, 1865, when Abram J. Whittenberger was appointed, holding it till November 2, 1866, when Andrew Johnson's change of front gave it to Samuel S. Bonar, a Democrat.

Up to March 28. 1866, the name remained Summit, though many letters addressed to Huntsville reached the proper destination. On that day, the name was changed to Larwill, and so remains. It was on the Columbia-Plymouth route from its establishment till the route was discontinued when the railroad was completed. Mail once a week each way. Bonar held the office until March 26, 1869, when Edwin L. Barber was again appointed, and held it till October 9, 1871.

postmaster, near the north line of Troy township, each early incumbent keeping the office at his home. April. 4, 1849, lames Blain took the office and kept it till June 30, 1851. Rufus D. Keeney took the office from Blain June 30. 185 1, and kept it till June 23, 1855. On the "th of October, 1 85 1, Keeney removed it across the line into Noble county (now Etna township), and on same day the name was changed from Popano to Etna ; and on May 22, 1852, the name was changed from Etna to Hecla. Eafavette Lamson having laid out the town of Etna and living there, took the office June 23, 1855, and held it till Daniel H. Chandler took it December 6, 1859.

On the change of county, by which Etna township fell to Whitley county in 1859, the office again came into Whitley county. The following is a full list of postmasters from Chandler's time :

On the 29th day of February, 1904, the office was discontinued, the patrons being supplied by rural delivery from Columbia City, route fourteen. From the establishment of the office April 11, 1848, to July 1, 1850, there was no delivery of mail to the place. Mail for Popano remained in the Columbia City office until called for by the postmaster or some one for him. Also outgoing mail had to be carried to Columbia.

July 1, 1850, Popano was put on the route from Fort Wayne to Elkhart, but in October, 1851, it was put on the Columbia City and Wolf Lake route. From that time until the discontinuance of the office, it was on some route from Columbia City, with various terminations.

Though the Goshen road through Smith township was the earliest' thoroughfare, and the settlements among the verv earliest, there was no postoffice in the vicinity until the establishment of Churubusco September 11, T848.

Thomas B. Cunningham was the postmaster and kept the office at his house on the Goshen road, northwest of the present town of Churubusco. The name was taken from the place in Mexico, made famous by the Mexican war. Just how it got the name, remains in dispute. Some say an old fiddler in the neighborhood was constantly sawing off a tune, Churubusco, and that he was making his home with Cunningham at the time. When the town of Churubusco started, there were two plats and two towns, Franklin and Union. There was considerable controversy as to which of the three names should survive, but Churubusco won out, and both the town and postoffice settled down to it many years ago.

From the date of its establishment to Jul}- t. 1854, it was on the mail route from Fort Wayne to Elkhart. July 1, 1854, the terminus of the route was Goshen instead of Elkhart and continued till July 1, 1858, when it was on the route from Fort Wayne to Albion and so continued until July 1. 1870. when the old route was cut in two parts. Two round trips per week from Fort Wayne to Churubusco, and also two round trips per week from Albion to Churubusco, and so continued until the completion of the Eel River Railroad. -

This postoffice was established September 18. 1849. The town was then of fully as much importance as to-day. It was called Millersburgh, in honor of Ellis Miller, the merchant and proprietor. The petition asked the postoffice be called Millersburgh. but as there was already an office by that

Reed kept the ofrite in a small log cabin, on the spot where Ross' store now stands. Puffenbarger kept it in a building torn down. Haines in a cabinet shop. Since that time it has been kept in some business house.

The office, when established, was on the La Gro- Warsaw route, and on that being discontinued was from and to Columbia City, until the completion of the Eel River Railroad.

Loran

A postofnee was established at the little village in north-east Richland (then Troy township), called Steam Corners, or Buzzard's Glory, July 28, 185 1. We cannot ascertain the reason for the name, but William A. Clark was the postmaster and kept the office in his little store. He sold the store to James Grant, April 14, 1854, and the office went with it. The store burned March 24. 1855, and the office was discontinued.

The office was discontinued February, 1904, on establishment of county rural service. It was first on the Columbia City-Wolf Lake route, and until its discontinuance was on some route out of Columbia City.

A postoffice was established at Bloomfield August 18, 1853. -"^s Bloomfield is now off the county map, it is necessary to state that it was located on the line between section 1, Thorncreek township, and section 6, Smith township, and on the center line of these sections, a half mile north of the east end of Round Lake. The petitioners asked that it be called Bloomfield, but there was already an office by that name in the state. They then sent in two names, Thorncreek and Round Lake, and the former was accepted. It was generally called Round Lake postoffice by the people of the neighborhood. Samuel Kinsey had a little store at the place and secured the postoffice. He tired of frontier life, sold out and went back to Ohio. Samuel Deck, from over about Ligonier, bought him out January 16, 1854. and took the store and office that day. In July of the same year, Deck fell dead in his store, and was buried on the banks of Round Lake. Warren Mason, postmaster at Columbia City, went up next day and moved the office to Abraham H. Krider's cabin a half mile south of Bloomfield. on the east bank of Round Lake, and on July 2j, T854. Krider was commissioned postmaster. Krider soon sold out and moved near Churubusco. No one wanting the office in the neighborhood, Krider bundled up the effects and took them to the Churubusco office, that being the nearest, and Thorncreek postoffice passed into history after an existence of a year and eight days.

Postoffices were established at Laud and 'Washington Center on the same day, June 2j, 1855. Laud postoffice was kept at the homes of three different postmasters until the business grew to such importance that it was worth keeping at a place of business, in the little town of Forest, on the line between Washington and Jefferson townships, stretching a mile along the east side of section 24, Washington, and section 19, Jefferson.

When established, it was on the Fort Wayne and Liberty Mills route, thirty-two miles, making one round trip each week ; also making quite a number of other offices. This route was discontinued July 1. 1870. It was then put on the route from Aboite to Bracken (Claysviile), a distance of twenmiles, making one round trip each week ; and this continued until July 1, 1876, at which date a route was established from Columbia City to Laud, ten and a half miles, making a round trip two days in each week, and this continued until the Nickel Plate Railway was put in operation, after which a daily route was established between Laud and Peabody, a distance of four and a half miles. July 1, 1887, the route was changed to run daily between Laud and Raber, a distance of three and three-quarters miles, which was soon after shortened to three and a half miles, and so remained until Laud postoffice was discontinued.

Washington Center

This office was established June 27. 1855. It was not at the center of Washington township, as its name would suggest, but at different farm houses, usually about a mile south of the center of the township.

William Chamberlin was the first postmaster, and held it till May 24. 1856. Martin P>echtel then held it until January 19, [866, almost ten years, at his home now owned by Charles W. Alexander, at the north-west corner of the cross roads, a mile south of Washington Center. Then Sylvester Alexander took his turn and held it till' April 9, 1868, at his home on the quarter section just east of Bechtel's. His folks said the proceeds of the office did not pay for scrubbing the mud off the porch, and Andrew Clark took and held it at his house just south of Alexander's and across the road, until December 22, 1874, when he, too, refused to serve longer and the office was on that day discontinued. It was on the Liberty Mills and Fort Wayne route from its establishment until July 1, 1870. and from that time to its discontinuance on the Aboite and Bracken route.

This place is no longer on the map of Whitley county. It is on the line between sections 29 and, 30, Smith township, where the north and south road is crossed by the east and west, about eighty rods south of the north line of the sections. A postoffice was established in this neighborhood July 24, 1856, with Cornelius Fuller as postmaster, and lie held until November 29, 1859, when Harrison F. Crabill, who still lives near the Corners, was appointed. He held until July 21, 1864. when he resigned and the office was then discontinued. It was on the route from Columbia City to Albion, an entire distance of thirty-seven miles, with two round trips a week.

T. Jeffries as postmaster. He kept the office in his log cabin near the south-east corner of section 22, until he delivered it to his successor, James T. Bayless, April 5, i860, and he moved the office a half mile east and kept it at his residence until he turned it over to Eli Hatfield June 22, 1865. Hatfield kept it at his residence near the north-west corner of section 26, on the Libefty Mills road, until he turned it over to James Broxon, December 5, 1867. It was kept by him and his family until April 20, 1895, at the northwest corner of section 25, diagonally across the road from the cemetery. Marcus N. Aker held the office from April 20, 1895, until it was discontinued November 15, 1900, the patrons being supplied by rural delivery from Columbia City. Aker kept it at the northeast corner of section 27.

It was always on or near the Fort Wayne and Liberty Mills road, and from its establishment until July 1, 1870, was on the Fort Wayne and Liberty Mills route. It was 'then put on the Aboite and Bracken route. July 1, 1876, the route was curtailed to run from Aboite to Saturn and return, five miles and back, three times a week, and this continued until the Nickel Plate Railroad was in operation when the route ran from Dunfee to Saturn, five miles, and back, three times a week.

South Cleveland

This postoffice was established November 22, 1869, with George Gaff as postmaster, and was kept by him on the Goshen road north-west of Churubusco, until it was discontinued December 20, 1886. and mail addressed to that office was ordered sent to Churubusco. It was in section 4, Smith township.

Collins

An office was established at what was called Taylor's Station, now Wynkoop, on the Vandalia Railroad, March 14, 1S76, and Simon J. Peabody was made postmaster. Mr. Peabody at that time ran a very extensive saw mill and a little store at the place and quite a little village had sprung up. Mr. Peabody left the place in 1880, and by 1881 had taken his interests away, and the office was discontinued April 28, 1 88 1. The village has disappeared almost entirely. It is in section 19, Columbia township.

This office, at the once thriving village of Cold Springs, was established July 16, 1880. It is on the line between Etna and Washington townships, Noble county, but in Whitley county. It is a mile north of the north end of Loon lake, in the northwest corner of the north-east quarter of section 25, Etna township. The following persons have held the office:

Calvin C. Hyre, April 14, 1902, till the office was discontinued February 29, 1904, and the patrons supplied by rural route fourteen, from Columbia City. When established, it was put on the route from Columbia City, by Lorane, Hecla, Ormas, Wilmot, Indian Village and Cromwell, to Ligonier, three times a week. In 1884, the route was shortened to take in Lorane, Hecla and Ormas, then return, three times a week. This route was later extended to take in Cresco, and so remained until the office was discontinued.

This office was established January 16, 1883, the first of the new offices on the lately finished Nickel Plate Railroad. It has been held as follows :

This was the second of the new offices established at new towns on the Nickel Plate Railroad. It was established April 6. 1883. and was held by George M. Singer, who was murdered in his store. It was turned over to William McWhirter November 21, the proper name for Dunkard, and this 1895, and he still holds it. was a Dunkard settlement with a large brick

William Bogner, August 31, 1901, until the office was discontinued March 31, 1902, the patrons being supplied with rural delivery from Columbia City. This is the first case of the discontinuation of a railroad pi >stoffice in the count}'.

This office was established May 10, 1888. at the south-east corner of section 8, Thorncreek township. Edmund E. Hoffer kept the office at his little store until he sold the same to John J. Cotterly, and Cotterly became postmaster May 28, 1903. He moved the store and office a half-mile east and held it until discontinued on account of rural delivery from Columbia City, February 29, 1904. It had been supplied by the Columbia City, Hecla and Ormas route.