SQUIRREL VILLAGE by Ron Woodward Stockdale located in Paw Paw Township, Section 35 Township 29 Range 5E, was platted October 26, 1839 by Thomas Goudy. It was originally platted as the town of Vernon. The community straddles both Wabash and Miami counties with 24 lots in Wabash County and 40 lots in Miami County. Each lot was 60 x 180 feet and alleys 20 feet wide. The major street was Main Street (now called River Road) running east and west and the County Line Road running north and south. A later addition to the town was the Butterbaugh Addition which consisted of 16 lots directly west of the Stockdale Mill all of which was in Miami County. Before white settlement an Indian village sat on the site called Squirrel Village after the creek which enters the Eel River near there. Both the creek and village were named for an Indian chief who occupied the land called Niconza which means squirrel. The village was described as "containing fifteen or twenty houses...mere huts or cabins of the rudest and poorest kind." An Indian trail ran from Squirrel's Village to present day North Manchester. Jesse Meyers an early settler of the region remembered Squirrel Village and told of seeing an Indian chief being killed there. Squirrel moved to the Eel River site sometime after 1824 and about 1838 removed to Pipe Creek, near Bunker Hill. This section of land had been originally part of a land grant made to Chief Aubenaube at the Treaty of Tippecanoe in 1832. Sometime prior to 1838 the chief apparently sold the land to a group of white settlers. One of the first settlers to the area was John Anderson who established a corn cracker and sawmill near the site. Another early settler, Benjamin Musselman, erected on Squirrel Creek a saw mill with a corn buhr attached. He constructed an eight foot dam which backed the water upstream one and one quarter mile. In 1838 suit was brought against him because it was believed that the mill pond created sickness among the settlers. The court decided against him and the mill and dam was removed. Later Thomas Goudy erected a grist mill on the banks of the Eel at Stockdale, possibly as early as 1836. In 1857 the old mill was washed away during high water. The present mill was then built by Baker & Rancke in 1857. At an early date there was a ford at Stockdale across the Eel. For many years the only bridge was at Roann. In rainy seasons this ford could be dangerous. Cal Patterson nearly lost his life at the site. He tried to cross during high water only to see his team of horses float away followed by himself. His father was standing on the opposite bank and he yelled to him "I can't make 'er Pa. Name the baby Calvin!" His life was spared and the baby girl was named Luella. In 1837 Jacob Heilman conducted the first school north of the Eel in the township. The school was held in the double log cabin of John Anderson on Squirrel Creek one fourth mile north of Stockdale. West of Stockdale was an old woman who distilled whiskey in a common tea kettle and obtained a livelihood by retailing her homemade squeezins to any and all. Her cabin stood on the road leading to Stockdale and many a passer-by found it a convenient stop to "warm their toes" in the winter and in the summer the "coolest spot" in the neighborhood. An early settler to the Stockdale area was Samuel Burdge, the only known Revolutionary War veteran buried in Wabash County. Burdge arrived at Stockdale @1841, with three sons and one daughter. He was born in Middletown, New Jersey, August 21, 1756, the son of Jonathan and Marry (Morris) Burdge. His father was a private in Forman's Regiment, Monmouth County, N.J. while Samuel was in Capt. Daniel McCleland's Company of the Cumberland County (Pa.) militia in 1780. Burdge married a Nancy McCar- ney in Cumberland County in @1811. She died shortly thereafter and he remarried, in @1813, Agnes Ann Johnson in Juniatta County, Pa. Burdge died in 1844 and was interred in the Stockdale Cemetery. His son James lived in a large house on the hill just north of Stockdale. His other son Johnson at one time had an interest in the flour mill. In 1976 a bronze marker was placed at Burdge's grave by the Frances Slocum Chapter, DAR. In 1848 the town of Stockdale was known as "the roughest, toughest, two-fisted, fightingest town any- where north of Eel River!" It was in that year that John Jones opened the first general store followed in 1850 by Thomas McKibben and John McCrea, Baker & Ranche in 1857. McKibben later went into busi- ness with Heston their store was called McKibben & Heston. It was a large store containing dry goods, groceries, hardware, iron, carpenter's tools etc. Other merchants have been Ferd, Willis, Dukes, Conner, Patterson & Shoemaker, Patterson & Gidley, Harshbear, Shoemaker, Lockridge, Baughman and Canfield. Jacob Heilman was a blacksmith and had a wagon shop as well. Other blacksmiths in the community have been Elias Bonewitz (1852), King, Lambert, Beitler, Peter Maurer (1870-8) and Shillinger (Shillinger & Baughman) 1868. A post office was established in 1853 with William Baker as the first postmaster but in 1882 it was discontinued and moved to Roann. Other postmasters were Heston, Hentz, Martin, Haines, Croft, Appleman, Ranche, Carper, Maury, and Baughman. The only church to be built in Stockdale was the Lutheran Meeting house (1855). It was a neat and comfortable frame building on Main Street on the east side of town. By 1882 the church had closed but was still in good shape and used by itinerant preachers of other denominations, such as a Rev. Swihart, who preached there. Close by was a school. By 1860 Stockdale had over 100 people. The town had two doctors Dr. W.W. Hurtz and David Miller, Elias Bonewitz was the town blacksmith, a shoemaker William Ferrington, two pump makers Lewis Coble and Henry Young, John McCrea ran a dry goods store as did Joel Strauss, David Howers and David Studebaker were wagon makers, Jacob Brubaker was a stone mason and Henry Leiter and William Baker tended the mill. In 1870 Stockdale had about 100 citizens. Elias Bonewitz and George Shillinger were the town black- smiths, Levi Patterson and John McCrea ran dry goods stores, Christian Craft ran the grocery, Reuben Baughman had a wagon makers shop and of course there was the mill with Arthur Heston the miller. The community had a social and cultural life as well. IOOF Shequoit Lodge, Number 365, was est- ablished on June 6, 1871 and for a time met at the mill. The lodge was organized by F.S. Hacley of Peru. Officers appointed for the new lodge were: Vice Grand, W.V. Beachler; Secretary, W.J. Smith; Condu- ctors, Hoover and Swager; Warden, John Guy; R.S.N.G., A.C. Hoover; L.S.N.G., -Lentz; R.S.V.G., H. Gilbert; L.S.V.G., C.H. Smith; R.S.S., George Mauger, L.S.S. J. Sanders; Inside Guard, J.A. Norris; Outside Guard, E.W. Lawrence. Charter members were J.D. Loder, A.S. Heston, A.J. Barnes, B.H. Rank, J.C. Appleman, W.P. Drake, W.L. Butler, A.W. Hoffman, C. Lockridge, R.A. Meek, Allen Daggy. By 1877 the lodge had its own building located on Lot 9 on the southeastern corner of Main Street and County Line Road. The location of Shequoit Lodge was changed to Roann June 22, 1880, where they met in the Gipe's Building. That same year the Eel River Railroad bypassed the town in favor of Roann and Stockdale ceased to grow and began to decline. A women's auxilliary to the IOOF was formed March 30, 1876 called the Zilliah Rebekah Lodge 170. It was moved to Roann in August of 1880. When organized it had a membership of forty-two. Charter members were John C. and Lizzie Appleman, Allen and Samantha Daggy, B.H. and Clara Rank, G.W. Drake, Catherine Mowery, R.A. and Zillah Meek. In 1873, George and Mary Keim wrote a letter to a friend of theirs - Solomon Shatto. The Keim's lived in the Stockdale neighborhood having moved there in 1856. They invited their friend to visit them and described the hardships of their life in the area. The letter was dated January 30th, 1873 Miami Co. Stock Dale Post Office and included the following: "Dear Friends: We are all well at present this is a cold winter. So far snow is not deep from 6 to 10 inches it has been very dry here for two years. Scarcely any rain to wet the ground and water is so low...I have 3 very good springs. Our last wheat crop was not a full one. Corn rather light in places on account of bull worms and grub worms. Still we have nothing to complain...only have 102 acres land there only was 20 acres under fence at hand I bought I commenst to clear every year 10 acres...had no house fit to live in...(now have) frame house 25 feet by 30 feet 2 story high under the whole. I commenst(1866) to build a barn 40 feet x 72 feet. Walls 8 feet high two story 16 feet high...one of the best barns in our county. By this time I had 8 or 4 hundred debt again Still I got along right well in 1870 I had little left. Then I wanted all new implement wagon trill plows cultivators harrows bobsled harness and 3 young horses that was hard to beat. By...1871 I had not much. Lets say it little pin money $30 But I had 3 or 4 hundred bushels white wheat 800 bushels corn 200 bushels oats or 6 bushels clover and all my carpenter tools in the barn 10 or 12 tuns good hay and $100 worth prime lumber on the 8 March 1871 I told Mary that we would go back to Perry County to see our friends and old neabors...but on 13 March it made a quick change about as the sun went down we went to our supper ...Mealh boy went in the barn and took a match and put fire in the hay and straw in less time- then 6 minutes the whole barn was in flames...Everything that was in the barn was burned to ashes we dun everything that men can dou. to save horses I kept in the stable ...my feet barley struck the floor till the hair on my head was burned had I not been so close to the door I would been burned. This boy was 14 or 15 years old...at Court I got him to the house of correction for 7 years...my loss was fully four thousand dollars and I had nothing insured...I had good neighbors they kept me in wheat and flour and as much corn as I needed until I got some of my own again. and maid me up $150 in money I have two horses wagon harness plows and farming implements. and some carpenter tools all new and the neabors...offered me money to build two barns and I now have a good bank barn it is not quite done this took a good deal of money and leave me some debt. Now friend Solomon I want you and Katherine to come and see us when you can take the train at New Port and come to Columbia City in this state there you can change cars and take the Detroit Eel River and Illinois Road to Roann station in Wabash County I have only 3 miles to Roann station if you rite to me direct all you letter to Stock Dale Miami County Indiana State." By 1875 the community consisted of a church, school house (No. 12), mill and 14 buildings used as residences and stores. Hanna L. Lockridge (lot 8) had a store across the street from the IOOF Lodge hall and directly to the west on lot 7 was the doctor's residence and office. In 1880 Stockdale was described as "a city of several houses, situated on the romantic banks of the Eel River... surrounded by a rich farming country...for our moral needs" there was the Evangelical Lutheran church. The Rev. Bradley preached every other Sunday. Bradley gave up his charge and was replaced by a Mr. Powell a graduate of Witemburg College. He was followed by A.F. Hershey. The mill was run by Appleman, Rank and Son who hired James McCauley. Reuben Bowman ran the general store. John A. Faust ran a huckster wagon. Dr. J.W. Marine was the local doctor soon to be replaced by Dr. T.J. Hen- derson. The school was run by J.W. Stewart who "weilds the birchen scepter." In June of 1880 heavy rains raised the Eel River up beyond the memory of the "oldest inhabitants" of the area. Much of the corn was completely drowned by the heavy rains. A rocking chair was seen gliding peacefully down the river during the flood. In 1881 heavy rains again filled the Eel River and brought with it large amounts of driftwood as well as a one-horse buggy and the roof of a shed. Occasionally the community of Stockdale became lively. One Saturday evening Charley Cooper and Charley Wines, teamsters employed by Stuith & Tillman of Roann, passed through Stockdale with a huge load of hay. Right in front of Bowman's store the load capsized and spilled into the street. The entire com- munity turned out to clean up the mess and send them on their way. Another time the village was thrown into "feverish excitement" by the report that a man had drown in Squirrel Creek. Nearly the whole town turned out to see for themselves. The man had been bathing when suddenly seized with cramps. He would have drown had not one of the crowd rescued him. In 1883 Emanuel Sanger took laudanum attempting to end his life. His wife, neighbors and Dr. Kidd saved his life. For a short time Stockdale had a dramatic company which promised productions during the fall and winter months. From time to time passing travelers of an artistic bent would put on shows for the com- munity. A Rev. Mr. Canter conducted a series of four- teen lectures on the Book of Revelations for the entire community. In 1881 the entire community turned out to "trip the light fantastic until the wee small hours of the morning." They had taken over the empty house owned by a Kautfield and all had a good time. In 1882 a Professor S.F. Pence gave a show at Stockdale consisting of slight-of-hand and a Punch and Judy show. In January of 1881 John Fausler opened a small stock of goods in the store across from the IOOF Hall. C. Longbridge resumed operations in the poultry business. That year was a cold one with plenty of snow. The ice in the Eel River was twenty inches thick. The water was so low that grinding at the mill was diffi- cult. Sleighing was all the rage in the community. The little boys of the town were in full force armed with sleds and every sleigh that went through town hauled a dozen or more. Jim McColly had resigned from the mill to go to Huntington and was replaced by a Mr. Courter. The year also brought a new manufacturing concern to the community. S.L. Pence began making brooms. It was rumored that the mill was for sale since both Rank and Appleman were moving to Roann. A fire destroyed the house of Jack Barnes which sat across the alley from the church. Fremont Barnes lost his trunk with $40 worth of clothes and $10 in money. William Baldwin and Frank Deardorf began a bridge across Squirrel Creek. By far the biggest business in Stockdale has been the mill. The property has passed through many hands before it reached Thomas Goudy who built the mill. From Goudy it passed to Rank and Baker (1858), to Jonathan Burdge, then Appleman & Rank, and then Holt & Son. During the Civil War, the mill contributed to the war effort by producing flour, which was made into hardtack, for the Union Army. In January of 1883 James M. Deck left Lynn's Mill at Belden on the Wabash River and moved to Stockdale with his family to work in the Stockdale Mill. He had plenty of experience with roller milling operations. Shortly thereafter in July of 1884 Holt & Son signed a contract with an Indianapolis firm to convert the mill to a roller mill. This work was completed by November of 1884. In March of 1886 James M. Deck and J.F. Smith purchased the mill. Deck became the sole owner in 1902. In 1909 turbines were purchased to replace the water wheel as a source of power. In 1915 a concrete dam was built up against the original timber dam. The mill then passed to James Deck in 1916 and Ad Krom in 1952. In 1964 the mill ceased production of flour but continued producing animal feed until 1972. In 2002 Dwight and Susanne Fouts purchased the mill and through the efforts of the Stockdale Mill Foundation have restored and opened the mill for tours. Among the efforts to preserve the mill they have raised the foundation 18 inches, 14 stacks of cribbing installed to lift the foundation back to a safe position, used hundreds of feet of cable to stabilize the structure, replaced roof and beams and restored the three large turbines that powered the mill. In 1887 an attempt was made to establish a saloon in Stockdale. Before very long the saloon keeper was snatched up and taken before the local Justice of the Peace paying a fine of $125. That same year a John Shamlin died in the community. His wife had a post-mortem examination performed by the county coroner to determine the cause. It was found that the man had died from an obstruction of the bowel which caused crowding of the liver against the diaphragm. During the 1930s, the Indiana State Highway Commission expanded highway activity by adding local miles to the state system. One such highway project to be included into the state road system in 1931 was State Road 16 through Stockdale. The new SR 16 ran from just north of Urbana to State Road 29 in Cass County. In later years the road would be extended in length. A concrete arch bridge was built across the river for SR 16 to cross over. This bridge has been said to be the largest concrete bridge in the world at the time. The bridge was replaced in 1969 by a five span, continuous pre-stressed box beam bridge. The out-to- out bridge floor length is 301 feet, including two spans at the end that are 45 feet each while the rest of the three spans are 70 feet each. In 2010 repairs were made to the bridge to increase its lifespan. In its heyday Stockdale had two hotels, a church, school, stores of all sorts, taverns, lodge hall, post office, doctor, blacksmith and residences. Over the years the community of Stockdale has slowly died. One business after another closing or moving away. Residents died or moved on with a few new faces moving in. One thing has stayed constant-the Mill. -----