Online Edition 1882 History of Whitley County, Indiana. This is a work in progress. Expect to find error of spelling and formatting as I am trying to copy this into a form for the internet that people can use. If you are using a search engine please only seach for a surname. If you enter anything different in the smallest detail you will not find it using a search engine. The History of Whitley County is the single volume version and very scarce. The text is identical to the more commonly found Copies of Whitley and Noble Counties Indiana by the same publisher. The only original that I have personally seen was at the Churubusco Pulbic Library that I used for the privately printed reproductions made in 1975. It was in 1975 when I finishing the original Everyname Index to the 1882 HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY. And the Everyname index to Whitley County Obituaries (with suname cross references. If you find a great error please let me know. This is the first and roughest edition. This copy printed July 7, 2009. It will be updated as time allowsl Verson 1. 7 July 2009 Dr. Donald E. Gradeless [email protected] http://dr.gradeless.com Whitley County Historial Society Genealogical Society of Whtiley County COUNTY OF WHITLEY, INDIANA. ____________________ HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. ________________________________ ILLUSTRATED _____________ WESTON A. GOOSPEED, Historical editor CHARLES BLANCHARD Biographical Editor. CHICAGO: F. A. BATTEY & CO., PUBLISHERS. 1882. PREFACE. THIS volume goes forth to our patrons the result of months of arduous, unremitting and conscientious labor. None so well know as those who have been associated with us the almost insurmountable difficulties to be met with in the preparation of a work of this character. Since the inauguration of the enterprise, nearly one year ago, a large force has been employed — both local and other — in gathering material. During this time, upward of three thousand persons have been called upon in the two counties, to contribute from their recollections, carefully preserved letters, scraps of manuscript, printed fragments, memoranda, etc. Public records and semi-official documents have been searched, the newspaper files of the counties have been overhauled, and former citizens, now living out of the counties, have been corresponded with, all for the purpose of making the record as complete as could be, and for the verification of the information by a conference with many. In gathering from these numerous sources, both for the historical and biographical departments, the conflicting statements, the discrepancies and the fallible and incomplete nature of public documents were almost appalling to our historians and biographers, who were expected to weave therefrom with any degree of accuracy, in panoramic review, a record of events. Members of the same families disagree as to the spelling of the family name, contradict each other's statements as to dates of births, of settlement in the county, nativity and other matters of fact. In this entangled condition, we have given preference to the preponderance of authority, and while we acknowledge the existence of errors and our inability to furnish a perfect history, we claim to have come up to the standard of our promises, and given as complete and accurate a work as the nature of the surroundings would permit. Whatever may be the verdict of those who do not and will not comprehend the difficulties to be met with, we feel assured that all just and thoughtful people will appreciate our efforts, and recognize the importance of the undertaking and the great public benefit that has been accomplished in preserving the valuable historical matter of the county and biographies of many of its citizens, that perhaps would otherwise have passed into oblivion. To those who have given us their support and encouragement, and they are many, we acknowledge our gratitude, and can assure them that as years go by the book will grow in value as a repository not only of pleasing reading matter, but of treasured information of the past, and become a monument more enduring than marble. May, 1882. THE PUBLISHERS. CONTENTS HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY. CHAPTER I . Page County Officers, Table of ...............66 Business Firms, List of. ................ 108 County Seat, Location of. ...............57 City of Columbia, Platting of. ....... 101 Abstract of Assessors' Report ..........32 County Seat, Survey of. ..................58 Churches ...................................... 117 Blooded Stock ................................26 Election, First .................................56 Court, First ................................... 105 Boundaries .....................................12 Horse-Thieves and Regulators ........71 Election, First ............................... 102 Church and School Statistics ...........32 .Jurors, First Grand .........................61 Election Laws from 1838-52 ......... 103 Climatic Conditions ........................11 Jury, First Petit ...............................62 General Industries ................ 107, 111 County Agricultural Society ............23 Land Entries, First ..........................55 Grain Traffic ................................ 112 County Press ..................................27 Murder, The First ...........................63 Hotel, First ................................... 105 Cranberry Marshes .........................12 Naturalization, The First .................64 Marriage, First .............................. 105 Geological Features ........................21 Origin of Name ..............................56 Merchant, First ............................. 106 Hints on Drainage ...........................13 Perjury, First Case of. .....................62 Mill, First ..................................... 107 Lakes and Rivers ............................12 Pioneer Life ....................................73 Organization of Columbia City . ... .113 Mean Temperature ..........................13 Political Caucus, First .....................68 Organization of Township ............ 102 Medical Practitioners ......................21 Presidential Vote ............................71 Railroads ...................................... 113 Peat and Iron ..................................22 Probate Court, The First ..................64 Secret Societies ............................ 121 Railroads ........................................31 Public Buildings, First ....................64 School Officers ............................ 115 Sanitary Condition ..........................15 Settlements, First ............................56 School Revenues .......................... 115 State Ditches, Table of.....................17 State Roads ....................................72 Schools and Teachers ................... 114 Surface and Soil .............................12 Surveys, Table of. ...........................64 Settler, First .................................. 105 Tile Manufacture ............................18 Trial For Forgery ............................62 Sunday Schools ............................ 116 Whitley County Medical Associa- Whirligig of Politics. ..................... 104 tion ...........................................18 CHAPTER IV. CHAPTER VI. CHAPTER II. Bounty and Relief Funds ................91 Deserters, Arrest of .........................87 Cleveland Township ..................... 122 Arrival of Settlers ...........................51 Drafts, The .....................................85 Area and Population ..................... 123 French Traders ...............................44 Fall of Sumter, Excitement over.......76 Ashery, First ................................. 127 Hardin's (Col.) Defeat .....................41 Field Work, Record of. ...................91 Birth, First .................................... 125 Harmar's (Gen.) Expedition ............41 Newspaper Animosities.. .................78 Business Men................................ 133 Indian Customs ...............................61 "Pap Shoemaker's Fort" ...................75 Cemeteries . ................................. .125 Indian Trails and Villages ...............42 Public Sentiment in 1861.................75 Churches and Ministers ................ 131 Indians of Whitley ..........................35 Quotas, Condition of .......................88 Collamer Village .......................... 134 Little Turtle and Coesse ..................38 Roll of Honor ..................................95 Death, First .................................. 125 Mound-Builders .............................33 Soldiers' Aid Society .......................83 Early Elections ............................. 132 Seek's Village .................................38 Soldiers of the Earlier Wars. ............74 Indians, The ................................. 125 Treaties of Cession ............. 43, 45, 47 ,Soldiers of the Mexican War...........75 Land Entries, First ........................ 124 Treaties with the Miamis .................36 Volunteers, Roll of First.. ................78 Marriages, First ............................ 128 War Meetings .................................76 Merchants, Eariy .......................... 126 CHAPTER III. Mills, Early .................................. 126 Township Histories. Organization.................................. 123 Bench and Bar ................................64 CHAPTER V. Origin of Name ............................ 122 Boundaries, County ........................56 Roads ........................................... 124 Circuit Court,