Columbia Township (part 5 of 6)

Memorabilia By Thomas R. Marshall

In 1856 the justice's court was in full tli iwer. As witness the following advertisement in the "Whitley Pioneer:" "Esq. Bodley has removed his office to the building opposite the Tremont House where he is prepared to discharge any duty made encumbent upon him by the statute, nut neglecting to tie the marriage knot for those disposed to commit matrimony."

At the March term, 1844, the regular judge of the court was indicted for assault. Instead of appearing before his associate judges he endorsed upon the indictment, "I plead guilty to this indictment and wish the court to examine Mr. Long and assess the fine." This judge was James L. Gordon.

In 1856 a communication appeared in the "Whitley Pioneer" signed by three justices of the peace, to-wit : J. C. Bodley, T. A. Crabb and J. R. Baker, announcing that the law against profanity was in force and in the discharge of their future duties, they were bound to enforce it, and gave notice to the public accordingly. So far as heard from, this is the last time that the law against profanity was ever known to be in force.

For a while there was a probate court in this county. It met at the house of Richard Boughan on Monday. November 1 1 , 1839. Hon. Christopher W. Long, sole judge, Richard Collins, treasurer, Abraham Cuppy, clerk. Charles W. Hughes, father

A common pleas court was established in 1853 and continued until its abolition by the legislature in 1873. The judges of this court were Stephen Wilman, James C. Bodley, H. J. Stoton and William Clapp. Concerning the latter judge, Colonel McDonald has an amusing story which upon occasion, he can be prevailed upon to relate.

It will be a surprising fact to many people to know that the town of Coesse once elected officers as an incorporated village, but the records in the clerk's office show that on September 13, 1867, an election of officers for the incorporation of Coesse was held, resulting as follows : Marshal. John B. Imsie; treasurer. M. E. Doane ; assessor, William Greene; trustees, W. L. Barney, Fred Smith, Elijah Depew, Robert Steele and J. H. Root.

We cannot close this article without reference to the only execution of a murderer in the count}-. In the latter part of 1883, Charles W-. Butler, of Columbus, Ohio, followed his wife, who had fled from his brutality, to Pierceton and there shot her dead, as he had threatened if she left him.

After being confined in the Warsaw jail for a time he secured a change of venue and was brought here. He with others broke jail but was recaptured near bis home. He was put on trial Monday, .May 12. 1N84, before the following jury: Jacob A. Baker. Josiah Archer. Jacob W. Nickey, John 1\ Depoy, Joseph J. Pence, Lewis Deem, Alexander Ah .re. David James. James Blain. James Cordill, Thomas Jellison and Elijah Depew. Judge Van Long presiding. Michael Sicka- foose, assisted by William F. McNagny, i if Columbia City, and Lemuel W. Royse, of Warsaw, prosecuted. The prisoner was defended by Joseph W. Adair, of Columbia City. Lee Haymond. of Warsaw, H. J. Booth, of Columbus, Ohio, and Thomas E. Powell, of Delaware, Ohio.

hanged on the ioth of October, 1884, and at exactly 12:08 p. m. of that day he was swung into eternity in an enclosure built in the jail-yard. Frank P. Allwein, sheriff, personally attended to the details and sprung the trap. The law was soon after changed so that executions now take place in the state prison.

By Dr. Francis M. Magers

Some time previous to 1827 a squatter in the person of Andrew Mack built a cabin near the Fort Wayne and Goshen trail on section 4, where now stands the frame house owned by Martin Kocher. Andrew Mack was no doubt the first white settler in the then almost impenetrable wilderness which abounded with bear, deer, wild turkeys, wolves, wildcats and many other smaller animals. It appears that Mack was a great hunter and spent most of his time in hunting, trapping and fishing. His cabin frequently gave comfort and shelter to the wayfarer during his lonely journey from Fort Wayne to Goshen, Elkhart and the interior. It was for some years the only haven of rest between these villages separated by a distance of almost eighty miles. The "table d'hote" of this primitive hostelry consisted of venison, bear meat, potatoes and squash. If the epicure should ask for pie he would be politely invited to "go way back and sit down." If he asked for devil's food or angel cake he was told that the generation that gut up such food and pastry was yet unborn and that his fastidious taste must be satisfied

It is to be regretted that the place Andrew Mack came from and whither he went are unknown, but that he did locate at the above place is abundantly verified by Jacob Baker and Jehu Skinner, both of whom frequently related that they had partaken of his hospitality. Alpheus B. Gaff, a man of extraordinary memory and unquestioned integrity and who had the great honor of holding the office of justice of the peace for thirty-six years in this township, has frequently related to his neighbors the fact that the above named Skinner and Baker, with whom he was well acquainted, had told him of stopping at Mack's cabin as the only house between Fort Wayne and Goshen and Elkhart and that Baker had partaken of .Mack's hospitality as early as 1S27 and Skinner in 183 1.

During the very early settlement of Ohii >. Indiana, Michigan and Illinois the French- Canadian settlers and traders spread over nearly all that vast territory as traders and merchants among the Indians. Knowing the wants and propensities of the Indians, they sold them powder, lead and whiskey. John Baptist Godfrey, a Frenchman, was the second white man to settle in Smith township, came about the time Andrew Mack left and no doubt occupied the cabin Mack had vacated and with a small stock of goods that were in demand established a trading post. Godfrey and wife were not blessed with children, but an adopted son named Gregory Bundy, a tall and well proportioned young Frenchman, lived with them and afterwards kept tavern and sold whiskey on section 2, near the Fort Wayne and Goshen road on land now owned by Val Brown and known as the old Boggs farm. Godfrey in a few years found his business had outgrown the capacity of the Mack cabin, erected a more commodious one on the north side of the Goshen road, where now stands Martin Kocher's barn. Numerous settlers coming in, it became necessary to provide more room for his increasing trade and he built the most elegant and stately house in all "this neck of woods." The building was a hewed log house which some years afterward was weatherboarded with three-quarter inch poplar boards and in after years, up to about 1866, was occupied by James S. Craig, who razed it to the ground and built a substantial modern house on its site.

The facts are, as told the author by Aunt Katie Gordon, nee Hull, that Godfrey became insane and for several years retired to a room and was under the watchful care of his devoted wife. The Hull family were very early settlers on Eel river in Allen county and visited back and forth with the Godfreys. Adam Hull, a brother of Aunt Katie Gordon, especially being a frequent visitor of the Godfreys to procure his supplies of powder and lead, became almost a confidant of the Godfroys and during his visits was always admitted to Godfrey's room. The antecedents of Godfrey and wife, like those of Mack, are unknown. They died in 1845 anc' were taken to Fort Wayne and buried. Godfrey once traded horses with Daniel Geiger, father of Y\ illiam A. Geiger. Geiger had a very fine spotted pony and Godfrey said he wanted it for the express purpose of riding- it to heaven. Whether he traveled from this vale of tears on the spotted pony is not related by his neighbors.

During the decade from 1830 to 1840 cheap land and good soil began to attract many settlers to this territory and the sturdy pioneers began settling- here and there with their families, rearing their pole cabins by the united effort of wife and children, who were helpmeets in all the interpretation of the word.

Absalom Hire, the third settler, reared his cabin in the virgin forest in 1833 en section 5 on lands now owned by Mrs. David W .Nickey. The following year 1 [834) Francis Tulley, Richard Baughn. Jesse Long, John More, Samuel Nickey, Samuel Smith and Nelson Compton cast their fortunes in the wilds of this township. John W. Mure and Otho Gaudy were companion home seekers with their families through the unbroken wilderness of western Ohio and eastern Indiana, but unfortunately Gaudy became swamped near Monmouth and was obliged to remain there with his family till the following year. On arrival at his destination he was greatly surprised to find some one had raised a patch of corn for him and that there were a couple of well filled potato holes, all grown on his own prospective ground. William Vanmeter and Jesse Briggs, companion home seekers, came in 1835 and Zachariah Garison came in 1836.

At the close of 1840 the few families who had settled previous to 1835 found themselves surrounded by man}- neighbors, whose presence was frequently revealed by the crack of the rifle or the sound of the ax in felling trees and sometimes by the clang of a strange cowbell. In those early days the pioneer was familiar with the sound of his neighbor's cowbell as well as his own.

David Wolf, James Zollman. James Gordon, George Pence, William Cleland, James Crow and Jesse Spear took up their abode in the wilderness in 1836. Daniel Miller probably came the same year. Then came Jacob Xickey in 1839, Appleton Rich, George W. Slagle and Patrick Maloney, 1840.

John Blakely, David Gordon, James Mason, Simeon and Cinda Nott were also among the earliest pioneers of Smith township. Those early settlers who had the courage to hew out their fortunes in the wilderness left a progeny of honorable descendants scattered over the township and surrounding country. Many of them in after years went west and cast their lot as pioneers in reclaiming the prairies beyond the Mississippi river. There is probably not a state in the Union and but few countries in the world that are not represented by a descendant of some of the earlv pioneers of Smith township.

In 1835 one Bryant entered that part of section No. 22 known as the Jerry Krider farm and now owned by Josiah Wade. Mr. Bryant, more fortunate than many of the earl}- settlers, brought with him three grownup children, who assisted him in raising his pole cabin and clearing up his farm. In a few years the old folks died and were buried in Hull's graveyard on the south side of Eel river, where Mr. Hull and several of his family and others were buried.

The young people went away after the death of their father and mother and left a vacant cabin and some cleared land as a memorial of their unfortunate bereavement. Enoch Magart, with his wife and children, moved into the vacant cabin and took possession. Mr. Magart. like Mr. Bryant, did not long endure the joys and hardships of pioneer life.

Talcot Perry settled in Union township just across the south line of Smith township on the Fanny Vanmeter farm. The bill of fare in those early days did not contain apple pie or apple sauce and other delicacies to please the fastidious taste of the pioneer or to diversify the routine of pork. venison, wild turkey, cabbage, potatoes and corn pone. Soon, however, they were supplied with maple sugar and wild honey, and wild blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries and cranberries were the sources from which the delicacies of the pioneer came.

One bright and joyous Sunday morning, with hearts light in the anticipation of the enjoyment of cranberries and wild turkey, Mr. Pern- and Mr. Mag-art set out in quest of cranberries, which grew abundantly in a marsh in section 23, on lands owned now by L. F. Metsker, Mr. Perry on horseback, carying his rifle, as was the custom, and Mr. Magart on foot. Arriving at a point near a swamp in section 22, through which a road now runs about midway between B. F. Krider's farm house and William Deems's residence, a twig" caught the hammer of Perry's rifle and drew it back sufficiently to discharge the gun. the ball entering Magart's back and making its exit in front. Perry moved him near to a poplar tree and by the assistance of Brinton Jones and other neig'hbors he was hauled on a hand sled back to his humble home to his grief stricken family. Magart suffered great agony surrounded by his family and aided by the kind hands of his neig'hbors until night, when death released him from his terrible suffering and left a widow and orphans in a lonely cabin in the wilderness where howling- packs of wolves kept vig-il with the heart broken widow. Kind neighbors she had, but like "angels' visits" they were few and far between.

Talcott Peri"}- ever kept the sad incident vividly in his memory until November 11, 1845, he died and was buried in Concord cemetery, where a marble slab marks his resting place.

The pioneers lived in peace and harmony although surrounded by many privations, yet crime was hidden in the secret recesses of some breasts. In 1837 a Mr. Bowls, who had settled on the west side of Blue Lake, murdered his wife with a hand spike. Mrs. John More, who lived on that part of section 27 now owned by J. W. Jones, known as the John Jones farm, acted as the good Samaritan and prepared her body for burial.

Mrs. More found upon examination that the body was so terribly bruised as to arouse suspicion which finally culminated in the arrest and trial of Bowls. Similar to many other cases of the kind in the then wild west, no autopsy was held.

Mrs. More and Mrs. Francis Tulley, led by the hand of friendship and charity, took a prominent part in the preparation and burial of Mrs. Bowls and saw and heard all that was to be seen and heard by any one except the guilty conscience of the murderer, and were therefore subpoenaed as witnesses at the trial in Huntington, then the county seat.

Being' matured in hardships, as all pioneer woman must be. and determined to do their part in bringing' the guilty to justice, they mounted their sure footed horses as the rays of the rising sun began to appear and turned their faces toward Huntington, thirty-five miles distant, through an almost unbroken and impenetrable forest and no road to lead them to their destination. But those noble women, unmindful of wear and weariness of mind and body, guided their horses over logs and brush, through streams and bogs, alert always to the growl and snarl of wolves and the shrill snort of the nimble deer that often crossed their path, they wended their lonely way to the temple of justice, which consisted of a log cabin in Huntington. Who can imagine the disappointment and chagrin of those women when they learned at the close of the trial that the evidence was not sufficient to convict Bowls.

it was not their fault. Bowls soon after took his children and left for parts unknown. William Blair about this time, 1837, settled on the east bank of Blue Lake and was a noted trapper and hunter and followed the occuptaion of trapping and hunting and disposing of his products to J. B. Godfroy until about 1840.

About this time an old trapper came and stayed with Blair. For some time each one followed his usual occupation. One day when Blair was perambulating through the woods and marshy thickets looking after his traps he saw the old trapper taking and skinning- animals taken from his (Blair's) traps and a quarrel ensued.

Exasperated at the treachery of the man whom he had taken in and befriended, Blair killed him with a club. After sinking the body in the river near a log, Blair confessed to the crime and fled the country.

At this time the reins of justice were loosely held, as is usual in all new countries, and legal proceedings were of difficult manipulation and no effort was made to bring Blair to justice.

Some time after this a great flood came and is memorable by the early settlers as the "biggest rain that ever fell." The body of the trapper was washed out from its hiding place. Dogs and wolves had devoured portions of the body when found, which was reinterred by the neighbors. The sudden disappearance of Blair from the neighborhood excited a great deal of comment among the neighbors, among whom was Alexander More, then a bo) whose curiosity prompted him to ask his mother one night while watching al her bedside during- a spell of sickness whal was the cause of Blair's sudden disappearance. She told her son Alex that Mrs. Blair told her that Blair had killed the old trapper.

While reciting these sad accidents and heartless crimes we must not imbibe the notion that crime and wickedness was in advance of the progress of good. The children of early settlers were growing up and schools were to be provided for them. The first schoolhouse reared and dedicated to school purposes was on the northeast corner of Christ Long's farm now known as the Devault farm and the first teacher to call "books" was Ira Wiznar. Wiznar, beinghuman and like other teachers, had his troubles and tribulations, taught in Francis Tully's kitchen the next winter on account of petty disagreements among his patrons. The second schoolhouse reared and dedicate to purposes of showing" "the young scion how to grow" was near the comer of section 25-26 east of William S. Nickey's house. This temple of learning-, a log cabin. was built by the voluntary aid of surrounding neighbors. Jacob Nickey, Otho Gandy, Jesse Long, Nelson Compton, Absalom Hyre and Mr. Fellows and others united in building the cabin and furnishing it with puncheon floors, a clapboard d< 11 >r, puncheon writing desks, slab benches and a magnificent and extensive fireplace in one end, and lighted by eight by ten window lights. Sawmills and sawed lumber, it must be remembered, were merely heard of hut not in actual existence at this stage of the development of the country. The first teacher was Joseph Fellows, who afterwards became a doctor.

in different parts of the township and were called "subscription schools." A subscription paper was taken around the country by some one interested in school work and obtained subscription for one or more scholars at a stated sum per month. Sometimes the prospective teacher wielded the "subscription paper" among" the parents of the neighborhood and afterwards wielded the "birch" among his scholars.

These schools were taught in vacant cabins wherever found, one of which was located in Churubusco on the west side of main street near where the Vandalia Railroad crosses, another on Main street in a log" cabin situated on the lot where Misses Nettie and Annie Keichler now reside. Alexander Craig" taught in J. B. Godfrey's kitchen.

All 1 if the schoolhouses were primitive and supplied with the crudest paraphernalia and the ingenuity of the teacher was taxed to its utmost. Corporal punishment was in vogue those days and the teacher put in a good deal of his time wielding the gad across the backs and legs of the recalcitrants. His morning hours before school took up in" "books" were called were occupied with his keen edged penknife in making and repairing goose quill pens and "setting copies." A popular one was "Command you may, your mind from play." Steel pens were unobtainable and the goose quill was always on the market and in good demand during the winter months.

Isaac Claxton, who taught near the crossing of Main street and the Vandalia Railroad, was the first to introduce the teaching of geography by singing. He established geography singing" classes in the taught these at night, using "Pelton's Key to Geography" as his guide. It must be remembered that in the building of dwellings and schoolhouses and their equipments nails were not a necessitv and main- ingenious shifts were made by the early settlers.

Window g'lass and other hardware were procurable at Piqua, Ohio, more than one hundred miles away. Doors were hung on wooden hinges, whose squeaking was generally prevented by an application of a little soft soap and supplied with wooden latch with a buckskin string alwavs hanging on the outside. Clapboards riven from a nearby straight grained tree by an instrument called a "trow" were carefully laid on "ribs" and held in place by "weight poles" extending the full length of the roof, formed the covering of the cabin.

The seats or benches for schools were slabs split from a log and smoothed with a broad-ax and writing desks of the same material supported by pins driven into auger holes in the logs on one or. two sides of the schoolhouse. It was considered bv the smaller scholars quite an honor to occupy a seat at the "writing desk."

About this time the movement of taxation for public schools was agitated and became a political question that was very bitterly discussed between all classes. The Democrats in opposition and the Whigs in favor. The Democrats claiming it wrong to tax property owners who had no children for the benefit of those property owners who had children ami for the benefit of

The Whigs claimed the property of the country should he taxed for the benefit of the country and that free education was the greatest benefit to the country. The Whigs won and public schools were established and supported by taxation. This movement was of great benefit not only as an educational procedure but was of vast help to the man of moderate means in procuring a home. Great tracts of land at that time were held by speculators, who refused to sell the land they had entered at one dollar and a quarter per acre at a reasonable advance.

The tax for school purposes being assessed on their lands in addition to other taxes for general improvements, caused many to sell their lands in small tracts for prices ranging" around five dollars per acre. Thus the Whigs were building better than they knew, for that aspect of the question had not been agitated.

From this period on the structure of school houses took on a more pretentious appearance and a frame schoolhouse occasionally appeared here and there as a monument of the improvement of the country.

The congress of the United States had granted section 16 to each township for school purposes and about this time section in became renowned as the guidepost for the home seeker.

These were the days of old-fashioned spelling schools, when to be the best spellers and the "lasl one down" was the highest ambition that could possess a boy or girl.

chandeliers - their description is one of the lost arts. The teacher with a greasy tallow candle in one hand and the Elementary Spelling Book in the other pronounced the words. O, how the young man's heart would throb with joy when the school ma'am would ask him "please snuff my candle?" but how humiliating when he would snuff the light out, sometimes intentionally. Spelling schools were the principal entertainments and attended by the parents, who generally kept g-ood order.

The fond mother anxious to protect her children from disease and sickness provided them with the magic charm in the form of a little sack of sulphur or asafoetida suspended from a string around their necks. This talisman, however, did not ward off the omnipresent itch mite nor the voracious louse. The itch was as fashionable a disease as lagrippe or appendicitis of to-day, but afforded much more pleasure to the square inch than either of the latter. The persistent enjoyment of scratching was continuous day and night until life became a real torture, mixed with less and less of pleasure. Its possessor was shunned and abused, vet heartily pitied. Xo one shared his seat nor played with him. He was lonely and forlorn, with everybody's hand against him. The pugnacious louse afforded less enjoyment but was as persistent in attracting- one's attention to his specialty, which consisted in burrowing into the seal]) by means of his proboscis, armed with three sharp claws on each side.

Who does not remember the ordeal of the hue-toothed comb in the hand of his mother, while he reluctantly and irreverently knelt at her feet with head bowed between her knees and firmly held as in a vise, while she, intent upon catching every living thing upon the hair or under the hair, upon the scalp or. under the scalp?

The squirming and writhing and cry of pain unheeded, the process went on, and Tell of the thing's jest as they was - with unerring presure of the thumb nail pro- They don't need no excuse! - duced a report that sounded the death knell Don't tetch'em up like the poets does. of the pesterous "pediculus capitis." No Tel theyr all too fine fere use! - church bell's funeral toll could sound it bet- Say they was 'leven in the fambily - ter than that familiar "snap." Like the buffalo, the itch mite and the louse have about become extinct, and we should appoint a da}r of thanksgiving.

The old "town ball." "bull pen." "sock ball," "three or four hole cat" and "shinny on your own side," were plays of the larger boys. Anxious to get at the ball game, every one swallowed his corn bread, cold buckwheat cake, sometimes, about "butchering time" the meal was diversified with a piece of frozen mince pie. spare ribs, backbone and maple syrup, which was carefully placed in the dinner basket by the thoughtful Blow and blow tel the sound draps low

The 15th day of September, 1834, was a joyous da}' for Mr. and Mrs. Francis Tully. On that dav a little cherub in the person of Rosana first saw the light of day as the first white child born in Smith township and probably the first in Whitley county. Rosana afterwards married John Krider and is now living in Columbia City. The first in the township to mourn a loss by death was Wyatt Jeffries and wife over the death of a child in [834. The first potatoes that came into the possession of George C. Pence were procured at Beach Chapel in Thorncreek township, which he and his two sons, Henry and Abe, carried home on their backs a distance of six miles. Henry Pence and Richard Bowhan as traveling companions made a trip to Elkhart to procure com meal and other necessaries of life and all went well with them until they returned as far as the Indian camp on section No. 7, near where the old bridge was. Here their wagons broke through the ice and they were compelled to stay over night with the Indians. Next morning, after many strenuous efforts, assisted by the Indians, they got their wagons across the river and proceeded homeward rejoicing.

The young men who contemplated entering the state of matrimony had many difficulties to face. However, there were no barriers that could frustrate his plans. And for the lack of lumber the little cherub, when he made his appearance, was not rocked in the fine cribs and rubber tired baby cabs of today. A convenient poplar tree furnished the material for a sugar trough in which his babyship was rocked and put to sleep by the sweet lullaby of his fond mother.

When Henry Pence convinced himself that marriage was not a failure and resolved to try it he walked to Huntington to procure the necessary license. Henry, no doubt, had not heard of the laundered shirt, the ready made suit, the thoroughbred horse or the rubber tired buggy. His homespun and his home made suit was good enough for him to stand up in before the minister and declare his intentions.

Corn, being one of the staples of food, was often g'otten up in different styles, one of which was hominy, but not store hominy, as we buy it today. The hominy block was one of the necessities of every house, or at least every neighborhood. A block about three feet long- was cut from a suitable log, sycamore or gum preferred, and set on one end. On the upper end a fire was built and attentively looked after until a bowl shaped receptacle was burned sufficient to hold three or four gallons.

Sometimes the man who had time and was esthetic formed them with their crude tools into the shape of an hour glass. Into the receptacle or hopper the corn was poured (generally the eight rowed or flint was preferred), upon which warm water was poured and covered closely so as to soften and loosen the husk. After a certain time the corn was beaten with a pestle until the husk was well off the grain. The pestle consisted of a stick split at one end and surrounded by an iron ring- and into the split end an iron wedge was inserted. The product was finished by winnowing in the open air or by a fanning mill. The hominy was put into a large iron kettle, properly seasoned with salt, early in the morning and hung 1 <n a "crane" in the fireplace and cooked until evening.

The finished product when cold was cut in slices and fried or otherwise warmed and made a dish that would surely satisfy the taste of the epicure.

The wool was clipped from the backs of the sheep, generally by the wife, and well washed and hung on poles and fences or spread upon the green grass if such a spot was obtainable, to thoroughly dry. It was then put into blankets and folded up, using large thorns for pinning up closely, and taken to the "carding mill" ran by water power.

The most coonvenient "carding mill" for the pioneer of the township was in Thorncreek township at Beach chapel. The wool was formed into rolls and spun into yam on the "big wheel" and woven into all wool goods or with cotton chain into linsey, which was afterwards taken back to the carding mill and "fulled," the product of which was called "fulled linsey." Anxious and busy days were then spent by the family in anticipation of the new clothes that were cut out and sewed by the slow process of the needle and thimble. The gray stocking yarn made from the wool off the old black ewe was knit into stockings by the light of tallow dip or old iron lamp supplied with rag wick and fat.

We little know of the long and weary hours our mothers spent in securing comforts for their children while they lay sleeping sweetly in their trundle bed.

On Sunday mornings in well regulated families the members took a thorough bath with soft soap and water, after which they were attired in their cleanest and best and started to Sunday school and frequently (as Uncle Joe Pence tells us) with the motherly admonition "to not get your feet dirty."

Man_\' amusing incidents happened that ma}- not be devoid of interest. One Joseph Fellows, who taught the first term of school in the second school house in the township, was a Sunday school teacher. Ever}' one had a sheepskin in lieu of a saddle for horseback riding. Mr. Fellows, unfortunately, lost his sheepskin for several months. One day Joseph thought he saw a huge snake coiled up in a clump of bushes and hurriedly procured his rifle and shot at it several times, but his snakeship refused to budge or exhibit signs of distress. Joseph's father armed himself with a heavy club and cautiously advanced towards the snake to reconnoiter, and to his great surprise he found the object to be his long lost sheepskin and exclaimed with delight, "Joseph,- it's our sheepskin," which from exposure to rain and sun had curled up into a firm roll.

For many months Joseph underwent jibes and jeers of the neigfiborhood. One Sunday, while instructing' his Sunday school class and the story of Joseph being clad in various colors and sold in bondage was under discussion, he asked his class the question, "What did Joseph do?" when a little fellow rose up with great pride and answered '.'He shot his father's sheepskin." Joseph Fellows afterwards became a doctor and was killed in Ohio.

Although the pioneers were greatly interested in clearing up their farms and the preservation of themselves and families, manv of them were not negligent in their religious duties. Samuel Smith's name must be transmitted and honored as the first to organize a religious congregation. He and a few other early settlers met at Samuel Nickey's cabin and organized the first church in the township. The spiritual wel- fare of the organization was looked after by Samuel Smith, Otho Gaudy and an occasional itinerant minister until 1840. The first .meeting house in the township and also the first in the county was erected at Concord, it being a log building which served the purpose of religious meetings until about 185 1 or 1852. A frame building- was at this time erected under the guidance and energy of David F. Striker.

In 1S48 the United Brethren erected a church house on the southwest corner of Concord. Both of the houses of worship at Concord were used for the purpose for which the}- were built for many years, but they were finally abandoned.

Schoolhouses becoming more numerous were frequently used as places of worship, at which many exciting religious revivals were held, to which many of the families of early settlers are indebted for the good qualities transmitted to their posterity.

The women of those days were not imbued with the eagerness of the present day to exhibit their fine and costly costumes. The generation to use the plumes of the ostrich and skinned birds, costly ribbons and shirtwaists with wide, flowing- and rustlingskirts was unborn.

The maiden who went to "meeting" had abi rut sufficient expansion in her skirts to enable her to make a decent step in walking. The ten or fifteen yards of material for a skirt of the present day was unheard of and an abomination. The young man laid by his sickle or ax and went to "meeting" clad in his shirt sleeves and "every day The worn out cow hide shoes were zealously preserved, from which were made buttons which his mother sewed on his trousers. Saturday was the busy day of the g-ood mother, who occupied her time in doing her "Saturday's work." This consisted of baking bread and pies in the "out oven," scrubbing the floors with sand and water, brightening tinware and pewter plates with bulrushes gathered from the -nearby stream, patching and darning the worn and threadbare clothing of the family. The clothingstore or the boot and shoe store were not established. No doubt it is difficult for the present generation to imagine the condition our country would be in without clothing stores and shoe stores, but such was the condition of the pioneers. Here the reminiscences of Joseph J. Pence will illustrate the life of pioneers as it is almost a counterpart of every settler. It is given below in his own language.

Reminiscences By Joseph J. Pence

"My father came to Whitley county, arriving November 18, 1836. We came from Fayette county, Ohio. He had bought section 19 in Smith township for $1,200. There were ten children, of which I was the youngest, being five years old. They were Henry, Abraham, John, Absalom, Willis and Joseph J. and three girls. My oldest sister married James H. Rousseau, who was on the first jury that ever sat in the county. They moved west and are both dead. Sister Elizabeth married John Vanhouten and she lies in Concord cemetery. My youngest sister. Catharine, was the first wife of Michael K. Zorger.

The only settlers in Smith township when we came were Francis Tulley, Richard Baughn, Jesse Long, Samuel Smith and John More. More came a few months hefore we did. He was out hunting near Concord on November 18, 1836, and came across the tracks our horses had made and followed the tracks to see what new settler had come, blazing his way so he could find his way back. He found us at our land and said our horses were tied to bushes and our tent up and habitation established. The snow was nine inches deep.

Some months afterward Jerry Hartsock's uncle came to our hut in search of flour; said he had hunted two days without success. \Ye had eighteen pounds and could spare none. He went away with a very heavy heart and father called him back and divided with him.

It was in 1838 that Preacher E. Holdstock started to get married and the Indians stole his pony and he had to go afoot or miss getting married. He went on foot and stayed over night at Uncle Nat Gradeless'. Some years ago he was stationed in Columbia City as Methodist Episcopal minister.

The year after we came we had several hog's and one day we heard a great noise of dogs and hogs about eighty rods away. Father and a couple of my brothers hurried there and found the Indians had already killed one of our hogs and one Indian was just dragging the carcass onto his pony when father shot at him and he rode hurriedly away with a great yell. They all get away very fast, but though they had killed one of our hogs they did not get the meat. Father followed them nearly to their village on the Silas Brig'gs farm and then gave up

Father gave half an acre of land for a cemetery and Rousseau's child was the first burial and it went by the name of Rousseau's graveyard. My brother Absalom is buried there. There were about thirty persons buried there, Benjamin Harter being the last, about twenty years ago. My nephew, John Pence, the butcher in Columbia City, now owns the land.

In those early days in the summer we cooked on a fire built side of a log outdoors and until it became so cold we could not do so, then by a fireplace in the cabin built of sticks and clay mortar. We had a tub made by a neigLbor out of oak staves and bound by hickory hoops, but such a thing as a washboard was not to be had till brother John split out a piece of slab and with his knife cut irregular grooves in it. I often helped mother wash. She would wash the garments with her hands in the tub and I would then take them and facilitate the work by pounding them with a flat paddle on a block. One day I got tired and turned my paddle edgeways, nearly spoiling a garment, when my mother proceeded to use the paddle on me.

Fortunate was the family who had an ox team to go to meeting when there was any and our girls would cut the wool from the sheep and with their own hands put it through every process necessary up to their clothing and I think they were better looking than 1 he girls of to-day.

all tbe_v were thorns with which clothes were pinned to the pole or line. Our clothes were all made by hand and at home, from fibre to finish, and the scraps of all entirely worn i nit boots or shoes cut into buttons.

Our folks managed to have coffee of rye on Sunday mornings and later we had it once a day. All other hot drinks were of spice brush or sassafras, the latter indispensable for a month or two in the spring to get our blood in order. All the sugar we had was made from maple trees.

One day father and myself were dropping corn and brother and two sisters were covering it and the}' sent me home for water and the sisters wanted something good to eat. Mother had nothing to send but a piece of dry corn bread about four inches square. The girls were not pleased, but one of them said philosophically: "I have three articles of food - upper crust, lower crust and crumbs."

Fort Wayne was a sort of market, but food was scarce there. We often went to the Elkhart Prairie for corn, sometimes paying a dollar a bushel for it. Father once drove to Michigan City for supplies and was gone a long time.

The first mill we bail was Hall's, in Noble county, then Richard Baughn built one at the Barney place. I often went there with a sack of corn in the morning on a horse and waited all day without myself or horse having anything to eat. Once in the evening I was lying down and Baughn called: "Get up, Joey, the last grain of your corn is in the mill."

old log school house in Thorncreek township near where Charles W. Hivelv now lives. I was dressed in my linen pants and shirt, washed clean and gallowses properly sewed in place and my feet washed good and clean. The last admonition mother gave me was to be careful not to get my feet dirty.

At this same school house at a night "meetin' " ten boys made up to ask ten girls to see them safe home, and each agreed if he got the shake to hollow it right out. The girls found out what was going on and fixed up a job too. The boys lined up in front of the door and as each girl went out the usual question was propounded and in every case the response was "No." Every fellow bawled out. "Got the mitten." But when the girls found the predicament they were in thev recanted, livery fellow got a girl, but perhaps not the one allotted to him in the deal.

The first itinerant preacher who came to the neighborhood was Rev. Samuel Smith, father of William Smith, who was about Columbia till a few vears ago. He was sent by the Methodist Episcopal conference and preached at Uncle Nat Gradeless' house. He had a four weeks' circuit and preached every day or night at a different place, and I heard him say his Monday night audiences were generally the best. He preached also at South Whitley and Summit in Richland township in this county. Then came a man named Flammens, who preached several years.

Avas a Methodist Protestant, and was a good man and powerful preacher and did much good. His church finally played out and he went to the Church of God. He died some twenty years ago and is buried at the Garrison cemetery near Collins."

In 1852 and 1853 religious revivals were in progress and "camp meetings" were held in those years in "God's first temples" a little north of Mrs. D. W. Nickey's residence. Otho Gandy. M. Eaton and. Zachariah Garrison and others were the local leaders in the dissemination of religious thought. These meetings, like many others of the kind, were the scenes of many affrays and disorder. Luther Nott and Christ Long getting into a mixup, Long cut Nott with a knife. Abe Pence, acting as the good Samaritan and peacemaker, bound up Nott's wounds and poured on him the oil of kindness and induced him to take supper with him. After supper Pence persuaded Nott to join with him in keeping order, which he did to the great delight of everybody. During the meeting that evening" a drunken man came staggering down through the audience, and being unable to stop tumbled over the "bull pen." as it was then called, but is now denominated as the "mourners' bench" or altar. This was Nott's first opportunity to show his ability to keep order, and forthwith he took the drunken man under bis protection. However, Nott certainly relaxed his careful watch over his ward, whose name was Ben Madden, the Madden who was afterward hanged by the side of Keefer in Fort Wayne.

neighbors during high water and freshets, and in three or four years after Alphus B. Gaff and his brother George built the sec ind sawmill in the township, on the former's farm, also run by high water and freshets. Both mills discontinued business about 1863 or 1864.

In 1855 Joseph Brown erected a steam sawmill on the site which Val Brown's mill now occupies and has since been owned by Thomas H. Hughes and Tom Jones, Doctor Gandy and T. A. Rhodes, William H. Hughes and Thomas H. Hughes, S. G. Clark, Theodore F. Gilliland and Randolph & Brown, the latter of whom bought out the former in about 1884, since which Valorous Brown has operated the mill and made a large fortune. But Mr. Brown, like most other men, met with a misfortune in the total destruction of his mill by fire on the morning of June 16, 1906. He is now (January, 1907) building a large mill on the site of the old one.

Organization of Smith township, so named in honor of Samuel Smith, who came in 1834. originally included Union and Jefferson. Election for justice of the peace on the first day of November. 1837. by order of the Huntington county commissioners. First county officers elected on the first Monday of April. 1838. who met in May and organized. In 1837 the population of Smith township, which at that time included the territory of what is now Union and Jefferson townships, had increased so much that some more convenient civil and judicial movement became a necessity.

of November, 1837. Election was held at J. W. More's house, which is now known as the John Jones farm. J. \V. More was elected justice of the peace and Eli McClure constable.

John W. More was a man of more than ordinan- muscular strength and many wonderful feats are told of him. If his horse fell through a bridge or in a bog he only had to take him by the tail and pull him out. He was also a man of honor and a lover of justice and peace and it was well for some of his neighbors that he was exceedingly slow to anger. And in the administration of his office he was compelled by his sense of justice to render judgment against poor pioneers that caused his heart to ache. As an instance we will cite one case in which he entered upon his docket the following: "15th of January, A. D. 1840. Execution issued on the 27th to-wit : The plaintiff do agree that execution shall be stayed for one month -from this date by the defendant delivering to the plaintiff twenty dollars' worth of property which the defendant doth agree to do, and delivered to the plaintiff the following property, to wit : One side saddle worth $12: three quilts and one coverlid worth $8.00. this 27th day of January, 1840. February 29, 1840, received my damages on the above judgment.' Plaintiff."

The nth day of March. 1840. Justice Ali 11 ire had a very rushing business, as we find that he disposed of five cases similar to the following except names of parties, which we give "verbatim et literatim," which shows a -cry interesting period in the history of Smith township. On page thirty is recorded as follows: "Be it remembered, that on the ntli day of March, A. D. 1840. personally came before me John \Y. More, a justice of the peace in and for the county of Whitley, and state of Indiana, George C. Pence and Jacob Sine, overseers of the poor for Smith township, and made application for a summons for Benjamin Jones and Winifred, his wife, to show cause why they don't comply with an act concerning free negroes and mulattoes. servants and slaves, and on the 12th of the present month a summons is issued directed to Eli McClure, constable, returnable on the 1 6th of March, 1840, at ten o'clock a. m., and the said Eli McClure made return thereof on the 12th instant., served on the 1 2th of March, 1840. at which time, to wit, on the 16th of the present month, came the parties, and the cause being fully heard it is adjudged that there has been no cause shown why Benjamin Jones and Winifred, his wife, don't comply with the provisions of an act concerning free negroes and mulattoes, servants and slaves. And on the nth day of April, A. D. 1840, came Benjamin Jones and made application for an appeal on the above case, which was granted." On the same day at 12 o'clock a. m., "Wyatt Jeffries and Eliza, his wife. Lucinda Junes at 2 p. m., Brinton Junes at 3 p. m. and Claborn Pompy at 4 o'clock p. m., were required by the overseers of the poor to show cause why they did not comply with the provisions of the same act.

In explanation of the filing of the above suits it may be well to say that the legislature passed a law requiring all "free negroes, mulattoes. servants and slaves" on entering the state to give bond for five hundred dollars to indemnify the state against their becoming public charges.

monotony of Justice More's court was interrupted by the filing of a complaint by James Vaughn. It appears that a couple of men in passing through the country took lodging with Jacob Sine on the Goshen road north of Churubusco, and in payment of which one of them proffered a five-dollar bill, which Sine suspected to be counterfeit. But by the persistent assertions of the men the bill was taken and the two companions went on their way. Sine was yet unsatisfied and showed the bill to some of his neighbors who were at his house, among whom was James Vaughn, all of whom pronounced the bill a base counterfeit. Mr. Vaughn went to Justice More and filed complaint and a posse of men was sent on to keep in touch with the strangers, who had left the main road after traveling several miles, and went into camp for the night. With as much haste as possible James Vaughn had entered on Justice More's docket the following: "State of Indiana, Whitley county, Set: Before me, J. W. More, a justice of the peace of the county aforesaid, this day personally came James Vaughn, of the county aforesaid, who, being by me duly sworn, sayeth that on the 22d day of March, A. D. 1 84 1, at the county aforesaid, Alexander Smith and John Adams, late of said county, did on the 22d day of March, 1841. pass spurious money to the amount of five dollars in one bill on the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company purporting the same to be good, and further deponent sayeth not. James Vaughn.

against the said Alexander Smith and John Adams on the aforesaid charge and a subpoena for one witness directed to L. Nott, constable, returnable forthwith and afterwards, to wit: "On the same day, aforesaid warrant was returned by L. Nott, constable, executed, and the bodies of the said Alexander Smith and John Adams brougfit before me, who, after hearing the charge, pleads not guilty to the charge. After hearing the proofs and allegations it is adjudged that the said Alexander Smith is guilty of said charge and be recognized in the sum of two hundred dollars to appear at the next circuit court for the county of Whitley and answer to said complaint and in default to recognize to be committeed to jail of said county to be dealt with according to law. And that the said John Adams is not guilty and is therefore acquitted. And on the 23d day of March. 1841, a mitimus was issued direct to L. Nott, constable, March the 27th, 1841. the said L. Nott, constable, made return, T have taken the prisoner to the jailor as commanded.' "

It will be noticed that the prisoner was delivered to the "jailor," there being no jail in the county at that time. Rather than incur the expense of transporting the prisoner to Fort Wavne jail he was allowed his liberty and at the next term of court was tried and convicted and sentenced for two years in the penitentiary.

In the trial of this case John Adams, the pal of Smith, let his anxiety t>> tree his friend overcome his better judgment and swore that the bill in evidence was not the bill that his friend Smith had passed. The identification of the bill was so positive that Adams was taken from the witness chair and arrested and detained until the grand jury, which was in session in an adjoining room, found an indictment against him for perjury and arraigned before court. The whole procedure was completed in less than one hour.

The prisoner was granted a change of venue to Allen county, where he was convicted the following week and followed his companion in crime to the penitentiary for two years. The Smith trial was the first of importance in Whitley county and the jury adjourned to a big black walnut stump to deliberate on its verdict. Every man in those days was more or less a hunter of wild game and the barking of squirrels and the gobble of wild turkeys caused the bailiff a great deal of trouble in keeping the jury together and attentive to business. The jury consisted of George C. Pence, John L. Hamilton, John Buck. John Thompson, Jesse Briggs, Samuel Andrews, Joel McPherson, Louis Kinsey, Robert Gaff, James B. Smock, George Harter and Zebulon Burch. Justice More terminates his official career thus :

In the year 1848 the population became quite numerous by the addition of new comers and the establishment of a postoffice began to be agitated. Huntington, Fort \\ ayne, Goshen and Elkhart were metropolitan villages of the country where mail was received and distributed.

The name of the new postoffice was seriously discussed by (lie neighbors at Wl'ldon Riche's house where they had convened for tlic purpose of establishing it. Manx names were suggested and it living about the time of the Mexican war. the battle of Churubusco had been fought and won by the American army on August 20, 1847.

Miss Eliza Rich, who had taught school and consequently was considered authority, remarked to the assembled neighbors, "Why not call it Churubusco?" So it was unanimously decided to christen the new postoffice Churubusco in honor of the achievements of the American army in Mexico.

Miss Eliza Rich afterward married Sampson Jackson and resided with her husband in this township for many years. The}- now live in Fort Wayne with their children. The first postmaster, Joseph Scott, who kept a store on what is known as the Jacob Sine farm, who built a brick house near the site on which the postoffice and store house stood. This was the second store in the township, J. B. Godfrey having the first as is elsewhere stated. The ox, on account of the two-toed formation of his foot, was frequently used as a beast of burden, and was used by the mail carrier in preference to the horse on account of his ability to travel through deep mud. mire and swollen streams.

This was certainly very slow for the anxious lover to send his "billet-doux" to his sweetheart in the east, for which he must pay a "fippenny-bit" or six and a fourth cents.

Churubusco postoffice remained where established until 1853. at which time the Detroit, Eel River & Illinois Railroad was surveyed and on which a great deal of work was done during [853 and [854. William Buchanan Walker about this time laid out the town of Franklin north of the proposed railroad, ami David Craig laid out the town of I ui. m on the south side.

towns becoming the emporium of the country, "William B. Walker, a Democrat, was appointed postmaster under the administration of President Pierce.

The new postmaster removed the postoffice and all of Uncle Sam's paraphernalia in a red bandana handkerchief into his log cabin, the only house in town, and which stood on what is now lot No. 5, Walker's first addition and is owned by W. S. Candy.

Abraham H. Krider, now of North Manchester, presided over the destinies of the second postoffice in Smith township, surprisingly, probably to the present generation, without solicitation on his part.

Mr. Krider lived on the east bank of Round lake, on the northeast quarter of section 7. Thorncreek postoffice, frequently called by the citizens "Round Lake" postoffice, was established August 15, 1853, with Samuel Kinsev as postmaster, who came from Ohio and soon returned, having sold out his small stock of goods in Bloomfield to Samuel Deck, ( the postoffice going with the store) on January 16, 1854.

On July loth of the same year, Abraham Krider and others were cutting wheat just across the road on the farm now owned by McConnel. He heard a commotion and calls for help. When they arrived at the place they found Mr. Deck laving on the floor lifeless in his store.

He was hurried in Round lake cemetery. Warren Mason, who was postmaster at Columbia City, took possession of the postoffice and took it to Mr. Krider's cabin, about a half mile south of Bloomfield. The mail was carried from Columbia City b > Albion twice a week. On the approach of the mail carrier he would proclaim his coming by hollowing at the top of his voice, "Mail!" "Mail!" and the postmaster would jump from the log on which he was chopping and run to his cabin to change the mail.

It being unlawful to change the mail in the presence of others. Postmaster Krider was compelled to hang up a quilt at the foot of his bed, and there secure from the scrutinizing eves of his wife and babies, changed the mail. Krider did not long endure the arduous labor of postmaster. He sold out to Aaron Hyre in August and no one wanting the honor of postmaster. Mr. Krider took the paraphernalia and mail to Churubusco postoffice.

In 1871, on the completion of the Detroit. Eel River & Illinois Railroad, the town of Collins was laid out. A postoffice was established and called Collins, in honor of James Collins, the then president of the Detriot, Eel River & Illinois Railroad

This, like many other countries, became the resort of criminals of all grades. Noble county, especially, being probably more infested with horsethieves, counterfeiters, highwaymen and thieves than any other county. To such an extent was outlawery carried on, that a man hailing' from Noble count)-, was suspicioned and shunned from Maine to California, and from the lakes to the gulf. Yet Noble county was not more frequently the scene of the depredations oi blacklegs than other counties. Bui from its topographical features it furnished ideal hiding places in her heavy timber, marshes and tamarack swamps. It was one of the headquarters of an organized hand of criminals that spread over adjacent states. in [856, their lawlessness became intolerable and patience ceased to be a virtue. Organi- zations of regulators were made with the greatest scrutiny, lest a confederate of the blacklegs would be admitted. 1857, was a serious and busy year for Noble and adjoining counties in organizing and working out a campaign against the blacklegs.

On January 16, 1858, a demonstration was made in Kendallville by the Regulators of the surrounding country. The next day, January 17th. active hostility began by the arrest of a dozen or more of the most notorious blacklegs. This was in a few days followed by the hanging of Gregory Mc- Dougal, a tripple murderer and an all-round criminal, on Tuesday, January 26, 1858, at 2 p. m., on the banks of Diamond lake, near -Ligonier. This execution broke the backbone of the black-legery. Smith township was represented by several of her citizens as Regulators, but unfortunately, by the lapse of time, only a few of their names can be mentioned. Among them were Sampson Jackson, James Jackson, Western Ackley, Nathan Smith and Daniel Geiger. The writer taught school in the winter of 1856, near Avilla, and in 1857 and 1858 in Jefferson township, Noble county, and can attest that it was safest to be off the road at night.

In approaching the matter relating to the colored population of Smith township, we find man}- perplexities and erroneous views. It has been the general opinion that those who were of dark skin were of African blood, and in funning this opinion, physiognomy stature and actions of those of darkskin were not taken into consideration.

First. The original pioneers have all died and but few of their children are left in the neighborhood. Benjamin Jones, a native of Greenville county, Virginia, moved with his family to Greene county, Ohio, in 1825, and in 1835, moved to Smith township. Benjamin was the father of nine children, of whom we can mention Eliza J. Brinton, Peterson, Curtis B., James and Hulda. Wyatt Jefferies, a native of Greenville county, Virginia, came to Greene county, Ohio, where she married Eliza J. Jones, daughter of Benjamin Jones, in 1835. Wyatt Jeffries was of Indian and French extraction and the father of Augustus W. and Annie. Clayborn Pomp}', the uncle of Fielding and Dawson Pompy, came about the same time. These families may be considered the original stock of the colored population. Their zeal for religion and the elevation of themselves was manifested in the erection of a small frame church in 1861. and the establishment of a very neat cemetery nearby. The church was dedicated in December, 1865, by the Rev. Dr. Robinson, president of the Methodist Episcopal College, of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

In consequence of the deaths and removals to other parts, the membership became almost annihilated, and religious services and Sunday-school were discontinued, the house abandoned and torn down many years ago.

Thev were industrious, enterprising and moral. Some accumulated property in the form of real estate until they were among the largest landowners in the township.

It is a significant fact showing the wonderful mutations of time, that although Benjamin Jones, with his sons, who had large families, and the Pompys, who also had large families, are all dead or left the township, except Mrs. Peterson Jones, George Burdan and wife, and their two daughters, whose African blood is much attenuated, and three grandsons of Wyatt Jeffries. Mrs. Peterson Jones (Eliza Countee), is seventy-six years old and was born in Washington, D. C, and was married in Fort Wayne fifty-five years ago by the Rev. Ball, a Methodist minister. Peterson, at that time, was a hostler at a hotel, and after their marriage, they moved to Smith township on a farm.

Second. Herbert Jeffries, a native of Greenville county, Virginia, was married in North Carolina, to Ridley Pruitt, a French woman. Herbert was of French and Indian extraction and his children in this township, have always claimed to be free from African blood, which their stature and physiognomy does not belie. Herbert Jeffries and Ridley (Pruitt) Jeffries were the parents of Martha, Mortimore, David, Marcus, Nathan and Amorilla, all of whom were born in Greenville county, Virginia. Amorilla, the youngest daughter, being two years old when they moved from Greenville county, Virginia, in 1832, to Green county, Ohio, where they remained until 1843, in the spring of which year they removed to this township. Being of dark complexion and settling- in this township as neighbors and in proximity to those who were of African extraction, thev were

To such an extent was this sentiment among their neighbors that the right of suffrage was refused them until i860, when this family voted for Lincoln against the most urgent protests and demonstrations of their neighbors. To prevent a repetition of their again exercising the right of suffrage, the citizens of the township elected Wells Smith, a republican, as trustee, who declared that if elected, he would prevent them from exercising their rights by refusing to take their ballots.

This question of suffrage in connection with the strenuous times of the Civil war, created a political furor among all parties. The refusal of Mortimor Jeffries' ballot by Trustee Smith, was the straw that broke the camel's back, and he immediately resorted to the intercession of the courts. The case, on change of venue, was taken to Noble county, where it was bitterly fought by the best legal talent obtainable, but Mortimor lost out.

During- the trial one witness assumed to be an expert in distinguishing* traces of African blood by a critical examination of the hair. Mr. Jeffries' attorney presented to this witness a lock of hair clipped from the judge's head, which the witness, after a very careful examination pronounced to be African hair.

Mr. Jeffries did not lie down supinely, but being more determined to secure his rights, carried his case to the supreme court and was granted suffrage for himself and brothers, which they afterward exercised undisputed under the scornful eyes of some of their neighbors. Mortimor Teffries

Two other families by the names of Keen, from North Carolina, settled in the township sometime previous to 1850, who were of Indian and French extraction, a few of whose descendants are now living in the township. In industry, progress and education, these people have been the equal of their neighbors and as for morals and religion, have held equally as exalted a position, having many obstacles thrown in their path in school privileges until Mortimore Jeffries and his brothers achieved their victory in the supreme court.

In early days the water used for drinking and culinary purposes was obtained from dug wells of various depths. The country was not drained and shallow wells were quite common. They were generally walled up with niggerheads, sometimes with timber and at others a hollow tree was upended into the well and served for a wall.

The digging of these wells was frequently attended with more or less danger from "damps," which frequently proved fatal. A fatal occurrence of this kind happened on the Wolf farm, where now lives Xai Metsker. Ebenzer Maxwell, in about A.pril, [842, was digging a well, when one morning he was let down into the well to resume liis work, lie did not reach the bottom until he gave the signal tn his companions to draw him up, which his companions did with all the speed they could, but unfortunately, just as Mrs. Wolf (grandmother Wolf) was aboul to grasp him by the locks of his hair to pull him onl. Maxwell fell out of the bucket to the bottom of the well lifeless, in

About 1865, William Coulter brought to this township full-blooded Berkeshire hogs and sometime after, James Jackson secured Poland China and Cheshire and the improvement of swine was so rapid that "elm peelers" have long since become extinct.

Mr. Jackson was also among the first to introduce the Durham cattle. Scott Vanmeter was the first to introduce Polled Angus. Through the efforts of Noah Long and Evan Coulter, the imported Percheron. Norman, Clydesdale, Belgean and Coach horses have been introduced for man)' years, so that the surrounding country can boast of a superior grade of horses.

The topographical features of Smith township may be briefly described as hills. some of which are abrupt and interspersed with fertile prairies especially adapted to the culture of corn, onions and potatoes. These prairies furnish the best of blue grass for grazing. These hills and prairies are principally confined to the northern tier of sections. The middle and southern portion is level and rolling, furnishing an abundance of fall for drainage, systems of which have been inaugurated all over the township, so that many acres of land only a few years ago considered worthless are now in a prime condition of cultivation,

Cereals of all kinds are raised abundantly and to perfection in Smith township. It is also pre-eminently a grazing country. A great interest in the graveling of roads has been manifested in recent years and must of the main roads in the middle and southern portion are well graded and graveled, so that we travel over the old "corduroy" unconscious of its presence.

Blue Lake, a beautiful body of water about one mile long and three quarters of a mile wide, is situated in the northern part, surrounded on the north, east and south sides by bluffs, which make ideal sites for summer cottages, quite a number of which have been built on the east end by Thomas McGuire, and on the south side many others erected by O. Gandy. Mr. Gandy built a magnificent cement block residence here in 1906, for a permanent abode. Blue lake furnishes a pleasant summer resort for a great number of residents of the larger towns. Black and rock bass, pike and perch, blue gills and sunfisb furnish the piscatorian with remunerative rewards. The efforts at fish culture a fewyears ago is being rewarded by an occasional catch of vvaleyed pike.

Although Blue lake has been the scene of joy and pleasure to many thousands, it has also been the scene of the saddest hours of man}-. On April 17. 1856, Samuel Mc- Clintock, with his brothers and some neighbor friends, crossed the lake on their way to work for Pierce Brothers. After crossing the lake. Samuel and Nathan McGuire began a scuffling contest in which Samuel's ankle was injured so that he returned home accompanied by Nathan. On their return trip the canoe capsized and as both were expert swimmers, each one felt content to care for himself. Before making the opposite shore Nathan, who was clinging to the stern of the canoe, heard Samuel's cry for help.

On looking, Nathan saw Samuel go down and never to rise again. Nathan reached shore overcome with grief and became unconscious until the next day, when he pointed out the exact spot where his friend's body could he found, which was hoi iked out of its watery grave by Freeman Ford. Samuel AlcClintock was about sixteen years of age and left his parents, brothers and a sister to mourn their loss.

In April, 1893, Blue lake was the scene of another sad drowning, in which J. W. Powell, a popular salesman for a Toledo firm but living at Bryan, Ohio, lost his life and ex-Auditor Charles E. Lancaster, was only saved from a watery grave by the most heroic efforts of friends. Air. Powell was standing up in the boat and fired at a flock of ducks when the rebound of the gun threw him out and capsized it. Being loaded down with a belt of loaded shells and heavy clothing, he was rendered unable to help himself. He sank never to rise, till Robert Dolin brought him to the surface many hours afterward, during a terrific gale of wind. Lancaster, clung to the capsized boat until his last desperate effort had about failed, when he was rescued just in the "niche of time."

Again in the summer of 1898. a Mr. Koontz, of Fort Wayne, while fishing alone in a boat, fell overboard and was drowned, ft was g-enerally supposed that during an attack of some heart trouble he suddenly lost his balance ami was probably dead before he reached the bottom of the lake.

On July 28, 1002, a pall of sorrow overspread the country around about as the news Ml" one of the most popular young men 1 if the neighborhood bad met his death at the bottom of Line lake. Patrick Maloney, ever joyful and sprightly, but an inexperienced boatman, entered a leaking boat for the purpose of fishing. He proceeded but a short distance when he found his boat fast lilling with water and in his strenuous efforts to reach shore, he rfell overboard, and being encumbered with heavy rubber boots, he arose and sank the third time, when assistance was almost at hand. His body was recovered after persistent seach by his friends about nine o'clock the same night by his uncle, James Maloney. Patrick Maloney was twenty-eight years old, the son of John and Mariah (Hull) Maloney, and had been married but a few months to .Miss Maud Nickey, daughter of J. W. and Mina Nickey.

Louis Turnbull, a n experienced saw-mill man. was operating a mill near Collins, when, on December 16, 1879, the explosion of the boiler caused the most horrible and appalling catastrophe that ever happened in the history of Smith townhsip. Louis Turnbull, the proprietor, and his two sons. Robert and Wesley, their cousin Lorenzo Turnbull, and Elzie Gleen were the victims. Their bodies were torn and mutilated beyond recognition, except by the remnants of their clothing. Shreds of their clothing and bodies were found hanging upon the limbs of trees many feet distant and scattered broadcast over the surrounding debris. I he explosion was heard for many miles and when the near neighbors arrived and beheld the horrible and ghastly scene, there were bul few who had the courage to render assistance in gathering up the mangled arm-, legs and bodies of the unfortunate victims. Small shreds of mangled flesh hung dangling from almost every object in the immediate vicinity, which were carefully placed in baskets for burial. What remained of the bodies was neatly wrapped in sheets and decently interred in Eel River cemetery. The boiler was torn to pieces, some of which were thrown a quarter of a mile distant, which attested its soundness. In the opinion of experts the boiler was dry and the escape of steam prevented by the weight of a heavy scantling, which had been frequently used for that purpose, notwithstanding the many warnings by those who frequently visited the mill.

The schools of Smith township have always hovered around the apex of education under the efficient management of F. P. Loudy, present trustee, E. E. Stites, his predecessor and others gone before. The corps of teachers have been selected with care and generally from home talent. Among the more recent teachers of the public school may be mentioned, P. J. Maloney, T. B. McGuire, Zella McLain, Stella Pence, Ollie Pence, Edith Kent, Fred Metsker, Bulah Tulley, Ollie Krider, Bessie Magers, Hale Brubaker, Ed Beavers and others. The present corps of teachers are: No. I, Maud Griffith; No. J, Ollie Pence; No. 3, Hettie Zeigler; No. 4, Sadie McLain; No. 5. Edith Lynch: No. 6, P. J. Maloney; No. 7. Zella McLain.

Collins

In the two-story brick school of Collins is taught a three-year high school under the following corps of teachers: A. R. Fleck, principal; Tobe J. Krider. intermediate: Stella Pence, primary.

be questioned when we look over the "Roll of Honor" and see the names of those who answered the call of their country during the Civil war, in which may be mentioned the fact, the population of the township during the early sixties was not more than forty per cent, of the present population.

Roll Of Honor

"Ef the tide is runnin' strong, keep a pullin' ! Ef the wind is blowin' wrong, keep a pullin' ! 'Tain't no use to cuss and swear - AYastes your breath to rip and tear - Ef it rains or ef it's fair, keep a pullin'!

pullin' ! Ef you're in the ring to stay, keep a pullin' ! 'Though you can't see e'en a ray Sun is bound to shine some day. Got to come 'fore long your way. keep a

In [865 Churubusco consisted of one store building owned by Joseph Richards in which is now George B. Slagles' meat market, a tavern kept by W. B. Walker in the building owned by Jacob Keichler, used as a grocery and bakery, a small frame house on the corner where the Exchange Bank now stands, an old shack and residence mi the southwest comer of Main and Whitley streets, an old frame where Geigers' Teleph< me Exchange is located and a frame building adjacent to the railroad and now occupied by Dr. Bruce Hart as residence and office. The dilapidated house north of the electric water and light plant was owned and occupied by Alfred Jennings and an old log house now where E. E. Gandy lives. On the south side of the railroad, the saw-mill run by Thomas H. Hughes and Thomas Jones, a blacksmithshop in a woodhouse on the lot now owned by Ed Flanegan. Anos Yocum was the blacksmith who afterwards built a blacksmith shop and residence where James W. Burwell now keeps hardware. Grandmother Wolf lived in the house now owned by Joseph N. Richards and a small house north, where now stands Ed Flanegau's residence, was occupied by David V. Miller. The first harness shop was opened in this house by Alfred Hosack, who made his first set of harness for Dr. F. M. Magers in 1872. Hughs and Jones did an extensive- custom sawing- for the surrounding country and hauled the product of their mill to Fort Wayne, where it was difficult to dispose of the hest of it at ten dollars per thousand.

as business and enterprise was concerned until about 1870. The grist mill now owned by Jacob and Michael Keichler (now leased by VV. A. Geiger and John Deck), was built. A brief history of its building may be of interest. About 1869 the grist mill at Heller's Corners burned down and was a total loss. Jacob Hose and Alexander Hall came to ask what inducements Mr. Heller would offer them to rebuild the mill. They also came to Churubusco to investigate the prospect of erecting- a mill. The}' asked one and onehalf acres of land, all the framing timber and stone for the foundation. Through the energy and enterprise of James M. Harrison, ex-mayor of Columbia City, who was then clerking for his father-in-law. Joseph Richards, subscription papers were circulated by Samuel Jackson and Alex Craig, and in a few days more was subscribed than asked for. John Deck donated one acre of land and James M. Harrison held himself as security to Deck in the sum of fifty dollars for the half acre, which afterwards was paid by subscription.

Dr. James McDuffy donated seventeen large oak trees for the heavy frame and others delivered stone for the foundation. Hose and Hall contracted with J. W. lludsel for the construction of the building. Mr. Hudsel worked for several weeks without pay except what Mr. Harrison paid from his private purse. Finally about seven hundred and fifty dollars was paid, but the project became more visionary and uncertain.

At this. juncture John Deck was induced to buy out Hall, who. with Hose, completed the mill, the first wheel of which was turned by Joseph Kichler, Sr.. who was installed as the first miller. David Shillings and William Waterson afterwards purchased the property and sold out to the present proprietors, Kichler Bros.

In 1 87 1 the construction of the old Detroit. Eel River & Illinois Railroad was resumed and completed and the first through train was run in October of the same year and Churubusco became a booming town. Laborers and tradesmen of all kinds flocked in faster than houses could be built for their accommodation, and in a few years became the second town in population in the count)-. It soon became one of the best trading points on the new railroad, and still maintains that position.

Among those who took an active interest in the upbuilding of the town may be mentioned John Deck, Western Ackley, F. M. Magers, James M. Harrison, H. C. Pressler, J. E. Criswell and W. B. Wralker, etc. The merchants of the town were Harvey McCullough and Joseph Richards. F. M. Magers built the store room now occupied by J. H. Grisamer, and with William Ross opened up a dry goods, grocery, clothing", boots, shoes and drug's store about the time the railroad was completed. Business houses were in great demand and business and professional men came in so that in a short time it became unnecessary to drive fifteen miles to Fort Wayne when you wanted a piece of hoop iron, a suit of clothes or a fine silk dress. Ed Geiger, presait county commissioner, could cut your hair and scrape your face with a razor.

Among the substantial brick buildings which have taken the place of frames and the date of their erection may be mentioned : Keller & Kahn, a two-story brick, now occupied by L. Isay, in 1881 ; T. A. Rhodes, two-story brick, now occupied by Arthur Bros., in 1888; M. Kocher, 1892, occupied by the owner; Ida Forsyth, now occupied by Stamets & Frazier, in 1895; Exchange Bank, by ( >. Gaudy, in 1898; Smith Bros., in 1899. now occupied by J. W. Smith; Ort Bros., a two-room store, now occupied by the proprietors; S. Emerick, now occupied by the owner, in 1903 ; the Truth building, in 1903, now occupied by the Geiger Telephone Exchange ; Truth Printing Office and Dan Lung on first floor for saloon, restaurant and pool room. Besides the above, Churubusco merchants have large stocks of goods in frame buildings. Churubusco, "Busco," "The Blessed City," has become the best stock market on the Vandalia Railroad, which is carried on by Emerick & Madden and George B. Slagle and son Charles.

The sawmill owned by Dr. Gandy and T. A. Rhodes was rushed in filling orders for the railroad and building material for houses. Land was platted into lots by William B. Walker, John Deck, Western Ackley, F. M. Magers and others. Through the lepresentation of railroad officials the citizens purchased about four acres of land and presented it to them in anticipation that the town would be the location of the railroad shops.

But oh! how vague and dim were their ideas of railroad manipulations. In place of the railroad shops they built a grain elevator and stock yards. From inability to procure brick the business In fuses as well as residences were frame structures. The first brick house was built by Dr. F. M. Magers of brick of his own make in 1874. the Meth-

The same year (1875) under the trusteeship of George Gaff the brick school house was built. For some years previous to this the old school house in the south end in which James E. Witham resides became too small for the increasing population and schools were taught in different rooms wherever procurable. William Knisely taught in the room over Ed Geiger's store, also in the room over S. F. Barr's furniture store, which was built on lot No. 6, Walker's first addition, at which time the Corean millionaire, L. S. J. Hunt, was a young man under the tutelage of A. J. Douglas. County Superintendent. W. S. Gaudy and George W. Maxwell taught in the old schoolhouse. Afterwards, W. S. Gandy taught a term or two in "Ammonia Hall," as it was called from the fact that a livery stable was kept below and profusely evolved the fumes of ammonia. From the fact that there were different schools and as many teachers and their adherents a great deal of controversy and jangling was indulged in. On the completion of the new school house with four rooms a systematic grading was organized. The new school house, quite plain on its exterior and devoid of any attempt at modern architecture, answered its purpose but for a few years, when remodeling of its interior became necessary to accommodate the increasing attendance. Finally it became necessary to erect the twon m im frame building located upon the same lot, Churubusco's schools have flourished under the superintendeucy of J, B. Humphry from [883 to [889; W. W. Williamson in 1889 and 1800: A. R. Thomas. 1890-OT ;

The disciples of Esculapius and Hypocrates who have at various times located here are Drs. Magers. Kelly, Spratt. Criswell, Bimey. Modriker, Keller, Aldrich, Kester, Squires, Morrison, Briggs and Hart, of whom Drs. Magers, Criswell. Morrison, Briggs and Hart are at this date looking after the sick. Among the followers of Blackstone are Ed A. Mossman, Frank A. Brink, W. S. Gandy, J. W. Omdorf and George W. Keichler, and Ed C. Downey, Ed. C. Benward. notary public, real estate and insurance agent. Those who have represented the profession of dentistry are F. F. Cook, L. D. Palmer and George and Samuel Keiser, of Bryan, Ohio, who visited one week in each month for about eighteen years when, in 1895, F. B. Weaver became a permanent resident and dentist now doing business over L. Isay's store.

Churubusco, like other booming towns, gave the aspiring printer his opportunity, and in 1876 William E. Gross established the "Churubusco News," which eventually passed into the hands of Chase Milice. who changed the name to the "Herald." which almost died "a-bornin'." but was revivified by Daniel M. Eveland, whose political proclivities overcame his business judgment and issued a "red hot" Republican paper and made some very bitter criticisms of his Dem- ocratic patrons and their "grindstone conventions." Major J. R. Harrison, who was just out of his short pants, while entertaining' Mr. Eveland's daughter Lizzie in the printing office, came into possession of circulars containing very serious strictures of some Democrats which we doubt the major ever returned. In consequence of the withdrawal of many Democratic patrons, Mr. Eveland withdrew from the field of journalism in Churubusco. Colonel I. B. McDonald purchased the plant and installed William Haw and son as editors and publishers, under whose management the paper became as rabid a Democratic paper as it had been Republican. Haw & Son controlled the paper for a short time, when it passed into the hands of Charles and F. M. Hollis, whose careers as newspaper men were of short duration, and Colonel I. B. McDonald removed the plant to Columbia City.

Charles L. Kinsey and Lizzie Eveland established the euphoneous "Sunbeam" in 1878 and about the same time the "White Elephant," the protege of Anos Yocum, the postmaster, made its debut, both of which, like their proprietors, have "folded their tents" and left.

It remained for V. A. Geiger to make a success of the newspaper in Churubusco. He purchased the "Sunbeam" plant, which bad been chang'ed to the "Sunday People," and transformed it into the "Truth," which at this date is one of the most readable local independent papers of the surrounding country. "Virg," as he is called by friends, assumed control of the "Truth" during his boyhood days and has grown to manhood in its sendee. From the proceeds of his little printing plant he has established a complete cylinder printing machine run by a gasoline engine, with all the paraphernalia belonging to a first-class printing office, all housed in a two-story brick building of his own. V. A. Geiger and his father, William A. Geiger, in August, 1902, established a telephone exchange with thirty patrons, which has at this time increased to six hundred and fifty, with toll lines at Albion, Garrett and Fort Wayne, and whose lines can be used to all parts of Ohio, Indiana. Illinois and Michigan.

About the year 188S, William A. Allman, of Sturgis, Michigan, a deaf mute but wealthy and of good business qualities, established the first bank in a little frame building" where now stands Emerick & Madden^ meat market, "The Bank of Churubusco." with a capital of $10,000. Unfortunately by the loss of the health of Thomas Beals. the cashier, by exposure at a fire the affairs of the concern were amicably settled and the bank closed.

Soon after, about 1889, C. K. Hollingsworth established the "Citizens' Bank" in the came building with John Starbuck as cashier, which by the retirement of Hollingsworth and Starbuck was resumed under the same name by an organized stock company, composed of leading citizens and fanners, by John \\". Paris with William [Miller as president and M. L. Campbell cashier. This being" one of the links of the Zimri Dwiggins chain of banks, established in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, closed its doors the last day of May, 1893.

On September 11, 1893, Oscar Gandy established the "Exchange Bank" under the firm name of O. Gandy & Co.. with a capital of Si 0.000. The Exchnage Bank has al- affairs ami has increased its capital to $25,- 000. The present officers and employes are ( I. Gandy, president: E. E. Gandy, cashier; John A. Pressler, assistant cashier; Ursula Magers, bookkeeper; Minnie Anderson, stenographer, and George Gump, janitor.

In 1872 John Deck, to supply the increasing demand of the traveling public, built the hotel near the depot, which he sold to Alexander M. Long', who for some years operated it and sold out to Thomas Larimore, who some years after sold to George W. Stites, the present landlord.

Among those who acted as landlords during- the interim between Long and Larimore may be mentioned William Waterson, John W. Hutsel, Jr.. Joseph Parks, I. N. Keller, Fred S. Shoof and John Girdinck, and Thomas Larimore. who sold out to the present proprietor, George W. Stites. This hotel has been operated by Air. Stites or some of his children since 188.2. A Mr. Smedlev, a traveling man from Fort Wayne, was found dead in his room one morning with a bullet in his bead and a revolver clased in one hand. By misrepresentations the hotel became a little unpopular among the traveling public for a year or two.

Patrick Fullam has the honor of being a boarder at this house for the longest time. Patrick has made this his home since 1881. and has paid money enough for board to pay for the whole establishment. I lis sojourn at thi-. hotel has been about twenty-six years.

In 18X2, it becoming- necessary for the better preservation of order, uniform improvement and for the betterment of the sell. mis. the incorporation of the town was agitated by her citizens.

On June 20th and 21st a survey was made by C. P. Tulley of the territory and contained "one hundred and eighty-six acres, three roods and twelve rods of land." A census of the population of the territory was taken by Josiah F. McNear, F. M. Magers and J. W. Orndorf and showed 786 persons.

A petition to the county commissioners was presented September 9. 1882, by F. M. Magers, J. W. Orndorf, George W. Maxwell, J. F. Shoaff et alias for an election to decide the question of incorporation, which was granted, and said election was held on October 7. 1882, at the office of J. W. Orndorf. J. I1.. with Charles W. Walkley. inspector; V. P. Loudy and De Lavern Young, clerks. There were 160 votes cast, of which 106 were "yes" and 54 "no."

On the 1 2th of January. 1883, the first election for officers was held and resulted in the election of John Deck, Lemual Richey and George W. Maxwell as trustees; J. W. Brand, clerk; William C. Smith, marshal, and W. A. Geiger, treasurer. On January 24. 1883, the town board at an adjourned meeting elected the first school board consisting of John L. Isherwood, John F. Criswell and Jacob Keichler. The town and schools were carefully looked after by the two boards and on May 7. 1883. in accordance with the provisions of an act concerning incorporated towns an election was held at the office of W. S. Candy and resulted in the election of W. A. Geiger, hirst ward; Lemual Richey, Seeond ward; George W. Maxwell Third ward; F. M. Magers, clerk and treasurer; Charles Erickson, marshal. Political strife did not enter this election and the results were a mixture of Democrats and Republicans. On the 4th of Feb- urary, 1886, a contract was entered into by George W. Orndorf, George Richards and Edward E. Cutter as trustees with Charles Byers for the construction of a town hall for $820, to be completed on the 1st day of June, 1886. On November 29. 1886, an engine and hose cart were purchased of Rumsey & Co., of Seneca Ealls. New York, for the better protection against fire, for the sum of $967. The 1st day of December.

The vote of the board on the proposition is recorded as J. H. Grisamer and T. Ray Morrison in favor, and to the honor of Alex. B. Craig be it said, he voted in opposition. It was not long until the proverbial "elephant" was on hand seeking funds wherewith to be fed. Troubles mountain high came swiftly, litigations numerous and question of stock running at large, resulting in 102 voters who thought they could live without milk and 29 voters were sure they would starve if the cows could not run at large. The first fire company was organized on March 31. 1887, by the passage by the town board of ordinance 39 and afterwards Frank P. Loudy was chosen first chief, who has served continuously since.

In Jul}' and August, 1892, Main street was graveled and has proved to be the greatest improvement Churubusco has made, the contract being" let to O. Gandy and the gravel procured on the farm of George VV. Ott.

In 1898 a majority of the board of trustees of Churubusco decided that the town required more metropolitan utilities and to that end passed an ordinance and entered a contract for the establishment of an electric light and water plant at a cost of over $20,000.

The high handed manner and pugnacity with which the majority of the board entered upon this unpopular movement prevented even a referendum and called out from the public the most bitter criticism and condemnations. At least ninety-five per

Churubusco is now (in the beginning of 1907) living in the proud expectation of an interurban railroad from Fort Wayne to South Bend. The route has been surveyed and resurveyed with a subsidy of $10,000 voted, and the prospect for its completion among the laity is good. The grain market of the town compares most favorably with any town of its size in northern Indiana. The surrounding country also compares well with the best. The inhabitants are industrious and prosperous. Many are religious and moral and some are "virtuous and happy."