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WAYNE TOWNSHIP
The first two or three settlers in Wayne
Township located on the site of Kendallville, where the first
log cabin was erected in the autumn of 1832, or perhaps the spring
of 1833, by David Bundle. It is said that he was assisted by
the viewers appointed to establish the Fort Wayne and Lima road,
along the route of which travel had already begun, as settlers
from Ohio, or farther east, first went to the land office at
Fort Wayne, and then came north to occupy the land they had purchased.
Bundle's cabin was little better than a wigwam, as it was very
small and the roof was covered with bark. The floor at first
was the bare ground, until he constructed one of rough clapboards.
In the fall of 1833 Mrs. Frances Dingman, whose husband had died
at Fort Wayne, while the family were in search of a home in the
Indiana wilderness, appeared at Bundle's cabin, and, having purchased
whatever right or title he had to the property, took possession
of it with her five or six children, several of whom had almost
reached their majority. Mr. Bundle disappeared and was no more
heard of in this locality. Mrs. Dingman, who was a woman of resolute
character, and was well provided with money, turned the cabin
into a sort of inn for the entertainment of the traveling public.
With hired assistance she cleared a few acres of land, and in
1836 erected, near the old log cabin, the first frame house in
Kendallville. In the following year she married Truman Bearss,
she and her bridegroom walking to the Haw Patch to have the ceremony
performed. Within the next two or three years other settlers
appeared on the site of Kendallville, including George Ulmer,
William Mitchell, Thomas Ford, Ezra T. Isbell, Henry Iddings
and Daniel Bixler.
Soon after this settlers began to buy land
in other parts of the township, among whom were Nicholas and
Daniel Bixler, Reuben Chamberlain, John Cosper, William and Stephen
Sawyer, John A. Forker, S. W. Gallop, Joseph Graden, Henry Grubb,
Erastus Harlow, Richard Horsley, George L. Kimmell, John Brundage,
and others, and in 1844 there were forty-two settlers residing
on land of their own. Others had also come in, but after a short
residence had left for other localities. The organization of
the county in 1836 caused a great rush for farms. The land was
cheap and a comfortable home could be secured with a little money,
supplemented by a good deal of hard work, of which the average
pioneer was not afraid. John Sawyer, who came from Knox County,
Ohio, entered several hundred acres a mile or two northwest of
Kendallville, on which land he found an Indian graveyard. He
was the first blacksmith in the county. As in most of the other
townships, the first settlers were often troubled by wolves,
some of which on one night in 1844, destroyed nine out of the
ten sheep belonging to John Longyear.
A tannery was conducted by William Welder,
on section 22, as early as 1845, and the leather manufactured
was sold to the settlers, who had it made into boots and shoes
for their families by journey cobblers, who traveled from place
to place in search of such employment. Traveling tailors were
also thus engaged to transform into clothes the cloth previously
purchased in quantity. Sometimes, however, the shoes were made
by the father of the family and the clothes by the mother, both
parents through practice acquiring dexterity in manufacturing
these home necessities. Log rollings and house raisings were
frequent, at which the men of the neighborhood assisted. It was
customary on such occasions to keep them liberally supplied with
whiskey, which cost at that time 50 cents a gallon. In 1840 a
sawmill was built on the Elkhart River, in the southwestern part
of thee township, probably by Stephen Sawyer or Joseph Graden.
It was operated first by Mr. Sawyer, but afterwards passed through
various hands and was in active service most of the time for
twenty years. The next sawmill was built at Kendallville, to
supply the old plan road with lumber. The road was extensively
traveled by runaway slaves from the Southern States on their
way to Canada, who were assisted to escape by some of the residents
along the road, especially by S. Whitford, John Longyear and
old Mr. Waterhouse. Mr. Longyear was appointed postmaster about
1850 and retained the office seven years. Mrs. Dingman, previously
mentioned, kept the first tavern, and about 1838 another was
opened, on the Fort Wayne road, by Luke Diggins. For the first
few years, the settlers were obliged to go to Brush Prairie for
corn, wheat and vegetables, and, as money was scarce, they paid
for them in other merchandise or in labor. It was customary at
the time taxes were to be paid for some settler who could be
depended upon to obtain from each tax payer the necessary amount
of money, and then proceed to the county seat, where the claims
of the county and state were adjusted. Mr. Weston often did this
for the settlers in Wayne Township. When the settler ha no money
the agent would accept furs or other articles in lieu of it,
which he would sell at the county seat and thus settle the claim.
The marshes in the township produced many cranberries, which
were gathered and sold, a small amount of cash being realized
in this way. The woods were filled with wild hogs and rattlesnakes,
which were killed whenever found, the former for their meat and
the latter because they were useless and dangerous. The history
of the churches and schools may be found in other chapters of
this volume.
By 1840 Kendallville had assumed the appearance
of an embryonic village. A post office had been established at
the cabin of William Mitchell a short time before, but a few
years later it was removed to the residence of Hiram Iddings,
and in 1848 to the store of Samuel Minot, established a year
or two before. The growth of the place was slow, as there were
not more than a dozen families there in 1849, Lisbon being then
a larger and more flourishing village. Mr. Minot built an ashery
and manufactured a considerable quantity of pearlash, which he
sold at Fort Wayne. He also erected a sawmill and did a good
business manufacturing lumber for the plant road. By 1857 the
population of Kendallville had increased to over 300, the most
rapid growth occurring in 1852, when it had become certain that
the Southern Michigan & Northern Indiana Railroad was to
pass through the village. More merchants and artisans arrived,
and Samuel Minot built a large, frame, four-storied gristmill,
which a few years later was purchased and improved by George
F. Clark. About the beginning of the civil war it fell into the
hands of Toledo parties, and after it had been heavily insured
it was burned to the ground, and the insurance money was demanded
and obtained. Damaging charges were made but were never substantiated.
F. & H. Tabor built gristmills in 1857 and in 1865, and sawmills
in 1859 and 1864. Luke Diggins opened the first hotel of consequence
in or about 1848. It was generally known as the "Calico
House," from the Dolly Varden style in which it was painted.
Doctor Cissel, the first physician in Kendallville, settled there
in 1850. Four years later Jesse Kime built the old Kelley House.
As time went on manufactures increased. John M. Sticht began
manufacturing buggies, wagons, etc., in 1868, and the business
was afterward continued by his son and others. Isaac R. Ayers
also engaged in the same business. Reed, Hamilton & Gallup
established a factory for the manufacture of handles and snow
shovels, employing from seven to twelve hands. Lucius N. Reed
for many years, starting in 1869, conducted a planing-mill, sash,
door and blind factory, a general hardware store and a large
lumber yard. A foundry was begun in 1856 by Williams & McComskey,
for the manufacture of domestic articles, implements and plows.
This establishment afterwards passed through several hands, until,
about the time of the war it came into those of Flint, Walling
& Co., who made a specialty of agricultural implements. In
1874 the plant was enlarged and the manufacture of pumps and
windmills introduced. It has since developed into one of the
larges concerns in the United States, an vies with the McCray
Refrigerator Company, a concern of comparatively recent origin,
whose extensive plant gives employment to a large force of workmen.
Kendallville was incorporated as a town
in 1863, at which time various public improvements were made,
street lamps being established, sidewalks built, and a sewer
system begun. Its dignity increased so rapidly that on October
6, 1866, it must needs become a city, and an election was held,
"Tim" Baker being elected mayor; A. A. Chapin, clerk;
D. S. Welch treasurer; James Vanness marshal; George Sayles street
commissioner; A. B. Park and John Emerson councilmen for the
First ward; K. B. Miller and Moses Jacobs councilmen for the
Second ward, and James Colegrove and George Aichele councilmen
for the Third ward. A code of city ordinances was adopted. A
few years before this a fire company had been organized, which
has since developed into a present department, provided with
good modern apparatus, and which minimizes the danger of disastrous
fires, somewhat too prevalent in former years. But such danger
cannot be completely obviated, even with the best fire company,
as was proved on March 21, 1914, when a conflagration destroyed
the city hall, on which there was an insurance of $20,000. This
hall was put up in 1907, at a cost of $27,000. The appraisement
of damages after the fire was $6,672.75, and $10,000 insurance
money was collected. The present fine building was then constructed
on the same site, at an approximate cost of $40,000. It is built
of brick and concrete and has two stories and basement, with
quarters reserved for the fire department.
A waterworks plan was established in Kendallville
in 1887 by a company which subsequently sold the plant to the
city, and it is now municipally owned. It is situated on the
east side, on the edge of Bixler Lake, though the water is obtained
from wells, the lake water being used only as an additional supply
in case of an emergency from fire. In 1917-18 the waterworks
were remodeled, and are now provided with a 500,000 gallon concrete
reservoir, and have a pumping capacity of 3,000,000 gallons in
twenty-four hours. Fire plugs to the number of 104 are placed
at convenient points throughout the city. The street-lighting
plant was installed in connection with the waterworks in 1893.
The commercial lighting plant, established in 1889 by a corporation,
was bought by the city in 1900, and in 1901 a new plant was installed
in connection with the water and street-lighting plants. In 1913
the present lighting system was installed, with Mazda lights
for street purposes. The Indiana Fuel & Light Company furnishes
the city with gas for heating purposes, which is pumped from
Auburn Junction in DeKalb County.
Kendallville City Park and grounds were
purchased three years ago, and are in process of improvement.
A bathing-beach has been formed on the shore of Bixler Lake,
and in a short time the place will be developed into a beautiful
and attractive resort. For a number of years telephone accommodations
were furnished by two companies, the Home and the Bell, but a
recent transfer of interests has left the Bell the sole company
now in the field. An account of the railroads, banks, newspapers,
schools and churches may be found in their appropriate chapters.
The post office is an international money order office, and a
postal savings depository, with four rural routes. It occupies
a fine new building recently erected at a cost of $46,300, and
which has been occupied since July 2, 1919. This office sold
$400,000 worth of war savings stamps, and during 1918 did a total
business of $500,000. The present postmaster, Guy C. Hart, who
has been connected with it since Jun 1, 1903, took charge in
June, 1916, succeeding Charles C. Weingart, who had been postmaster
for nine years.
The city limits of Kendallville now enclose
an area of 1,350 acres, and the city has a population of about
6,000. It is enjoying a steady growth, and the Gawthrop Inn,
a large and up-to-date hotel, with full modern equipment, s sometimes
unable to accommodate the large number of traveling men and other
transients having business in the city. Another large manufacturing
plant, in addition to those already mentioned-the Noble Motor
Truck Company-has been established within a year, and a number
of smaller concerns in various lines of manufacture, are doing
for the most part a good business.
The agitation for a public library in Kendallville
began as early as 1902, when a decided effort was made to establish
such an institution. It was not, however, until 1911, that the
Civic Club, made up largely of the members of the women's literary
clubs of the city, began a campaign to this end, that real progress
was made. In this effort it is but fair to say that scores of
active workers took part, but the names of two individuals stand
out prominently-those of Louis J. Keller and Mrs. C. W. Kimmell,
the former a man alive to every interest that may be of benefit
to Kendallville, and the latter the president of the Civil Club.
Largely through the efforts of Mr. Keller, a library site was
given the city, being donated by Samuel K. Jacobs and the heirs
of Moses Jacobs and J. Keller. In the meanwhile Mrs. Kimmell
worked energetically creating public sentiment, and actually
started a library. In this many good citizens helped, and, on
January 29, 1911, book shelves were placed in a room at the public
school building, and on February 4th the first books were loaned,
with Mrs. P. M. Teal installed as librarian. From this time on
rapid progress was made. Working under the provisions of the
new state law, a library board was appointed, the common council
in September levied its first library tax of eight mills on the
dollar, and at a special meeting of the Civil Club and the library
board, all the books, money and management of the library were
turned over to the library board. With an eye to the success
of the project, Mr. Keller was working incessantly for a donation
from Mr. Carnegie, and secured $12,000 under the regulations
of the Carnegie Library Fund. On September 18, 1912, the library
board, consisting of Charles Beckman, president, Mrs. L. A. Weinstein,
Mrs. J. E. baker, Mrs. Estella Bunyan, E. T. Porter, O. E. Michaelis
and L. J. Keller, entered into a contract with an architect,
Grant C. Muller, of Chicago, to furnish plans. George F. Diggins
was given the contract to erect the building, the corner stone
of which was laid July 19, 1913, and the library was formally
opened May 2, 1914. The cost of the building was $14,087.23,
added to which was an expense of $871.36 for additional furniture
and equipment. The librarian for the last five years has been
Mrs. G. B. Bunyan.
The Masons, Odd Fellows, and several other
fraternal orders established lodges in Kendallville at an early
period in its history, the Masonic Lodge being organized about
1862, and the odd Fellows in 1868. Most of the leading orders
are now represented in the city by lodges, including the Elks,
organized about seven or eight years ago, the Fraternal Order
of Eagles, the order of Ben Hur, Foresters, Maccabees, Moose,
Knights of Pythias, with the Pythian Sisters, Royal Neighbors,
Modern Woodmen, and perhaps one or two others. The Masons in
1903 bought the second and third stories of a three-storied brick
building, which they had occupied for a number of years, and
which has been fitted up with a club room and banquet floor on
the second story, the lodge room being on the third floor. Here
the different branches of the order hold their meetings. The
Blue Lodge has a present membership of about 250; the Chapter,
140; the Council, 130, and the Commandery, 250. ladies' lodges
exist in connection with the Odd Fellows, Maccabees, and Knights
of Pythias. There is also a Grand Army Post-Browand Post, No.
505-with a Ladies' Auxiliary.
The Kendallville Golf Club was organized
in 1916 and now has sixty members. The club has a nine-hole course
at the west end of Williams Street, ground being rented. A good
club house has been built, and the membership includes some of
the best known people in the city. F. B. Park is now the president,
and J. A. Jones, secretary.
The present mayor of Kendallville is U.
C. Brouse; clerk, O. E. Michaelis; treasurer, W. R. Gregg. The
city council is composed of H. K. House, O. E. Stiver, W. S.
Murphy, J. E. Lang, W. C. Harder and C. H. Kimmell.
Robert M. Waddell, History
of northeast Indiana: LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties,
Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1920, Noble County, pgs. 433-438. |
