Nappanee, Indiana

Daniel Bainter was the first to settle in Union township. He came in April, 1834, and built the first cabin in the township. It was 16 feet square and of split logs; no lumber was used. The floor was made of puncheons. It had but one door and window. Mr. B. split the board out for the door and had sufficient nails with him to nail it together. It was then hung on wooden hinges. This cabin stood near where his home now stands, on his farm in section 15. Mr. Bainter is still living on the farm which he entered. He was one of the first men in Elkhart county, having passed throngh here as early as 1827, going with his father to where South Bend now stands.

Passage source: History of Elkhart County, Indiana : Together with Sketches of Its Cities ... and Biographies of Representative Citizens : History of Indiana, Embracing Accounts of the Pre-historic Races .., published 1881.

A few years after Mr. Bainter settled here John Walburn moved into the township. He had come with a wagon from Ohio, driving his stock with him. He had to cut his road for some miles to get to his land. He reached his destination on the corner near where the school-house now stands, about sundown. He had hired his brother-in-law, William Albin, who lived at Waterford, to haul a load of lumber from that place for him. He cut a couple of forks and a pole, and setting- them up by some trees, made a shed which served for a house until he got his cabin up.

Passage source: History of Elkhart County, Indiana : Together with Sketches of Its Cities ... and Biographies of Representative Citizens : History of Indiana, Embracing Accounts of the Pre-historic Races .., published 1881.

The first ministers who preached through this section were the German Baptist, the Methodist, United Brethren, Mennonites and Regular Baptist. At present there are but three Church organizations in the township outside of the village of Nappanee. The first church was built by the Keformed a little east of Union Center, and was called "The Temple." The members have all left or died, and the building is long since gone. Tlie Regular Baptists were the next to erect a building. They have a very good house, on section 17. They have a good society here at present. The Mennonites have one church in the township, on section 19. Mr. Wisler is the pastor.

Passage source: History of Elkhart County, Indiana : Together with Sketches of Its Cities ... and Biographies of Representative Citizens : History of Indiana, Embracing Accounts of the Pre-historic Races .., published 1881.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Union Township - it names this place 20 more 20 times.