History of Porter County, 1912County history published by The Lewis Publishing Company . . . .

Source Citation:
The Lewis Publishing Company. 1912. History of Porter County, Indiana: A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People and its Principal Interests. Volume I.  Chicago, Illinois: The Lewis Publishing Company. 357 p.

HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY

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CHAPTER XV

STATISTICAL REVIEW

COMMODORE PORTER - SEAL OF PORTER CIRCUIT COURT - OLD MAP OF 1810 - LIST OF COUNTY OFFICERS FROM 1836 TO 1910 - PRESIDENTIAL VOTE, 1836-1910 - GROWTH OF POPULATION - TABLES SHOWING VALUATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF PROPERTY - A LARGE MORTGAGE - CONCLUSION.

Porter county, Indiana, is the only county of that name in the United States. David Dixon Porter, for whom it was named, was a commodore in the War of 1812. Later he was promoted to rear-admiral, then admiral, reaching the highest rank in the United States. His son, Admiral David Porter, served with distinction in the navy in the Civil war and was nearly caught in a trap by a sudden fall of the Red river in Louisiana, in connection with General Banks' ill-fated expedition in 1864. The Essex, the ship commanded by Commodore Porter in the War of 1812, is represented upon the seal of the Porter county circuit court. Commodore David Porter's wife was the author of the song beginning "Thou hast wounded the spirit that loved thee."

At the time Indiana was admitted to the Union as a state in 1816 not much was known of the region now embraced within the limits of Porter county. An old map, printed about 1810, shows Lake Michigan near the center of the state - about where Elkhart and St. Joseph counties are now located - instead of at the northwest corner, and on a level prairie near the present city of Valparaiso is shown a mountain. Many of the names of streams, etc., have been changed since that time,

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and the course of the Kankakee river as shown on the map would indicate that it was prepared from incorrect data, probably largely a matter of tradition and conjecture.

The county was created by the act of January 28, 1836, and the first county officers were elected that year. Following is a list of the officers who have served in the various positions since the county was organized, together with the year in which they were elected.

Clerks - George W. Turner, 1836; John C. Ball, 1842; William W. Jones, 1850; Obadiah Dunham, 1854; E. J. Jones, 1858; S. W. Smith, 1868; R. P. Wells, 1870; John Felton, 1878; James R. Drapier, 1882; Edward C. O'Neill, 1890; Edmund L. Wilson, 1894; Charles S. Pierce, 1902; Gustaf E. Bornholt, 1910.

Auditors - George W. Turner, appointed in 1841 and for a time discharged the duties of both clerk and auditor; Philander A. Paine, elected in 1841 and resigned; Ellis E. Campbell, appointed in 1843; Rue1 Starr, 1843, served for a short time only; S. W. Smith, 1844; Reason Bell, 1858; Z. B. Field, 1866; Reason Bell, 1870; William E. Brown, 1878; John W. Elam, 1886; Melvin J. Stinchfield, 1894; Stephen P. Corboy, 1902; Cornelius A. Blachly, 1910.

Recorders - Cyrus Spurlock, 1836; George W. Salisbury, appointed in 1839 to fill the vacancy caused by the removal of Cyrus Spurlock; Obadiah Dunham, 1850; Edna L. Whitcomb, 1854; Thomas Jewell, 1858; Henry Stoddard, 1866; Thomas C. Shepard, 1874; William C. Wells; 1878; Joshua B. Bissell, 1886; Thomas H. Patrick, 1890; Anton R. Gustafson, 1894; William Gates, 1902; Harrison M. Castle, 1906, and re-elected in 1910.

Treasurers - William Walker, 1836; Thomas A. E. Campbell, 1838; George W. Salisbury, appointed in 1839 to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. Campbell; John W. Wright, 1840; Thomas A. E. Campbell, 1842; Elias Axe, 1844; E. Campbell, 1846; John Ball, 1850; William Wilson, 1852; O. I. Skinner, 1854; Warren Dunning, 1858; S. W. Smith, 1862; F. F. B. Coffin, 1870; J. W. Felton, 1874; J. W. Crumpacker, 1878; William Freeman, 1882; Cyrus Axe, 1886; Allen W.

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Reynolds, 1890; John Ritter, 1894; Henry F. Black, 1898; Henry B. Kenny, 1902; Lycurgus H. Coplin, 1906; Bernhardt H. Urbahns, 1910.

Sheriffs - Benjamin Saylor, appointed by Governor Noble in 1836; George Cline, elected in 1836; Charles G. Merrick, 1838; John W. Wright, appointed in 1843 to complete the unexpired term of Merrick; Moses Trim, 1844; Richard W. Jones, 1846; Vincent Thomas, 1850; Thomas G. Lytle, 1852; Thomas B. Cole, 1856; Stephen L. Bartholomew, 1860; Henry Binnamon, 1864; Robert Jones, 1872; James Malone, 1876; Charles W. Dickover, 1880; Elias N. Thomas, 1884; Sheldon P. Herrick, 1888; Joseph Sego, 1890; Heber Stoddard, 1892; Charles F. Green, 1896; Charles F. LaCount, 1900; Lewis M. Green, 1904; Clayton A. Wood, 1908, re-elected in 1910.

Coroners - The records regarding this office prior to 1880 are in a state of confusion, hence it is practically impossible to secure a correct list. Since 1880 the office has been filled as follows: W. C. Paramore, 1880; Andrew P. Letherman, 1882; Hayes C. Coates, 1888; Frederick G. Ketchum, 1894; Joseph C. Carson, 1900; Loren E. Lewis, 1910.

Surveyors - The statement regarding the office of coroner also applies to that of surveyor. An authentic list of the surveyors prior to 1880 could not be made up and it is therefore omitted. Billa Stoddard was elected surveyer in 1880, but did not qualify and Henry Rankin was appointed. The list since then is as follows: Henry Rankin, 1882; Armanis F. Knotts, 1886; Albert H. Cleveland, 1888; Henry Rankin, 1890; Thomas H. Carver, 1894; Henry Rankin, 1898; Alfred R. Putnam, 1904; Guy F. Stinchfield, 1906. Mr. Stinchfield still holds the office in 1912, having been twice re-elected.

Commissioners - Benjamin Spencer, Noah Fowts and John Sefford, 1836; J. Y. Wright, 1837; James Walton, Jonathan Griffin and John Jones, 1838; Joshua Hobart and John H. Whistler, 1839; Reason Bell, 1840; Jesse Morgan and John Dinwiddie, 1841; Russell Dorr and Nathaniel Sawyer, 1842; Thomas J. Field, appointed by the probate court in 1843 to fill the unexpired term of Colonel Whistler; Richard W. Jones and Samuel Olinger, 1844; Isaac Morgan and John Din-

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widdie, 1846; Walker McCool and Azariah Freeman, 1848; Ruel Starr, Asa Cobb and Alexander Chambers, 1850; Ira Cornell, 1852; H. E. Woodruff and John Hardesty, 1854; Asa Cobb, 1856; William Williams, 1856; Eli B. Lansing, 1858; S. P. Robbins, A. B. Price and William Stoddard, 1862; Edward C. Osborn, 1864; T. B. Cole, and A. B. Price, 1866; A. V. Bartholomew and S. P. Robbins, 1868; Andrew J. Harrison, 1874; L. P. Scott, 1876; Frederick Burstrom, Nicholas Pickrell and L. P. Scott, 1880; (It was this board of commissioners that ordered the erection of the present court-house. All three were re-elected in 1882.) James E. Carson, 1884; Jacob Link, 1886; James E. Carson and James S. Fulton, 1888; James S. Fulton and Jacob Link, 1890; James E. Carson and Peter J. Lindahl, 1892; Lee G. Howell and James S. Fulton, 1894; James S. Fulton and Peter J. Lindahl, 1896; Hans Bornholt and Frank Quick, 1898; John Bornholt and Charles W. Benton, 1900; Charles W. Benton and Frank Quick, 1902; Hail Bates and Charles A. Anderson, 1904; Andrew Bickel and Hail Bates, 1906; Amos B. Lantz, Andrew Bickel and Charles A. Anderson, 1908; Amos B. Lantz and C. A. Anderson, 1910.

Under the first constitution of Indiana, which was adopted and ratified by the people in 1816, representatives to the state legislature were elected annually. When Porter county was organized in 1886 it included the present county of Lake and was attached to Newton county to form a representative district. The constitution of 1850 provides for the election of representatives biennially. Therefore, the following list shows the election of a representative every year for fifteen years after the organization of the county, and one every two years from that time until 1910. This list is complete with the exception of a few instances where the records were missing or defective. These exceptions are noted.

Representatives - Benjamin McCarthy, 1836; Jeremiah Hamell, 1837; (No report for 1838 and 1839.) Seneca Ball, 1840 (the district was now composed of Porter and Lake counties); Lewis Warriner, 1841; Adam S. Campbell, 1842; Alexander McDonald, 1843; Samuel I. Anthony, 1844;

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Alexander McDonald, 1845; Harvey E. Woodruff, 1846; Alexander McDonald, 1847; Benjamin Spencer, 1848; Lewis Warriner, 1849; William H. Harrison, 1850. Under the new constitution Porter county was made a separate district and Gideon Brecount was elected the first representative under that constitution. He was followed by Artillus V. Bartholomew, 1852; Andrew B. Pierce, 1854; re-elected in 1856. (No record for 1858.) Robert A. Cameron, 1860; Levi A. Cass, 1862; Firmin Church, 1864; John F. McCarthy, 1865 (record not clear as to why this election occurred); Gilbert A. Pierce, 1866; William H. Calkins, 1868; re-elected in 1870; Theophilus Crumpacker, 1872; twice re-elected; S. S. Skinner, 1878; re-elected in 1880; Marquis L. McClelland, 1882; re-elected in 1884; Nelson Barnard, 1886; re-elected in 1888; Clement J. Kern, 1890; George C. Gregg, 1892; re-elected in 1894; Leigh G. Furness, 1896; re-elected in 1898; Elwood E. Small, 1900; re-elected in 1902; John N. Patton, 1904; Gustave H. Greiger, representing the counties of Porter and Laporte, 1906; re-elected in 1908 and again in 1910.

When the county was first established it was made part of a senatorial district composed of Laporte, Porter, Newton, White and Pulaski counties. In 1842 the district was changed to consist of the counties of Porter, Lake and Laporte. A new district was formed in 1859, embracing Porter, Lake and Jasper counties, and in 1863 the county of Newton was added. This arrangement lasted until 1871, when Lake and Porter were constituted a senatorial district. Porter county has been represented in the state senate by the following:

Senators - Charles W. Cathcart, 1836; re-elected in 1838; Sylvanus Everetts, 1840; Joseph W. Chapman, 1842; Andrew L. Osborn, 1844; Abraham Teegarden, 1848. (Up to this time senators were elected for two years. The new constitution made the term four years, but there can be found no record of the election of 1850.) Samuel I. Anthony, 1852; Morgan H. Wier, 1856; David Turner, 1859 (election made necessary on account of change in district); Ezra Wright, 1862; Erwin Church, 1866; Richard Wadge, 1870; D. L. Skinner, 1874; Thomas Wood, 1878; J. W. Youche, 1882; Mark L. DeMotte, 1886; Johannes

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Kopelke, 1890; William H. Gostlin, 1894; Nathan L. Agnew, 1898; T. E. Bell, 1902; Arthur J. Bowser, 1906; Frank N. Gavit, 1910.

Assessors - The office of county assessor was created by the legislature of 1891. Pursuant to the provisions of the act, the county commissioners of Porter county, on June 12, 1891, appointed Edwin L. Furness to fill the office until the next general election. Andrew J. Zorn was elected in 1892; William L. Freeman in 1896 and again in 1900; Cornelius A. Blachly, 1904; Eli N. Norris, 1908.

County Council - On March 3, 1899, Governor Mount approved a bill providing for a county council in each of the ninety-two counties of the state, the members of which were to meet annually in September, make levies and estimate appropriations for the coming year. By the provisions of the act the county was to be divided into four districts, one councilman chosen from each district, and three from the county at large, making seven members in all. The first council was to be appointed by the judge of the circuit court, and on May 23, 1899, Judge John H. Gillett appointed the following members of the council in Porter county: Claus Specht, A. L. Harper, Warren Harris, Fletcher White, Oliver P. Kinsey, James R. Malone and Sandford Hall. Mr. Specht declined to serve and William G. Windle was appointed in his stead. Subsequent councilmen have been chosen by vote of the people at general elections as follows:

1900 - Oliver P. Kinsey, Sandford Hall, Hail Bates, James S. Fulton, Leigh G. Furness, Warren Harris and Lee G. Howell.

1902 - Oliver P. Kinsey, Hail Bates, James S. Fulton, Sandford Hall, Lee G. Howell, Arthur J. Bowser and Warren Harris.

1906 - Lewis H. Robbins, Amos B. Lantz, Oliver P. Kinsey, Jasper N. Finney, Azariah F. Brody, Warren Harris and James Hodgens.

1910 - Clancy St. Clair, Herbert D. Scofield, John J. Overmyer, Jasper N. Finney, Azariah F. Brody, Charles F. Jones and Charles F. Leeke. (A list of judges and prosecuting attorneys will be found in the chapter on Professions.)

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The following table shows the vote of Porter county for the leading presidential candidates from 1836 to 1908:
 

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Of the minor party candidates, Van Buren and Adams, on the Free soil ticket in 1848 received 77 votes; Hale and Julian, the Free Democratic candidates in 1852, received 60 votes; Breckenridge and Lane, representing the ultra slaveholding sentiment in 1860, received 28 votes; General J. B. Weaver received 117 votes in 1880 as the candidate of the Greenback party, and in 1892 he received 129 as the candidate of the Populist or People's party. The same year Bidwell, the Prohibitionist candidate received 145 votes.

Porter county has never experienced a boom, but the increase in population has been steady from the time the county was organized in 1836 to the present time. The United States census of 1840 - the first after the formation of the county as a separate political division - reported the population to be 2,155. The next decade witnessed the greatest proportionate increase in the history, the population in 1850 being 5,229, or an increase of more than 100 per cent. In 1860 the population had reached 10,295, an increase of almost 100 per cent during the preceding ten years. In 1870 it was 13,903; in 1880 it was 17,229; in 1890 it was 18,052; in 1900 it was 19,175, and in 1910 it was 20,540. Taking the state as a whole, in 1910 the increase in population was 7.3 per cent over the census report of 1900, the smallest in any decade since the admission of Indiana into the Union in 1816. In 52 counties, or more than one-half the number in the state, there was an actual decrease of from one to sixteen per cent. Porter county held her place above the average, the increase during the decade being 1,365, or a little over seven per cent,

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notwithstanding the fact that there was a decrease in six of the twelve townships.

The increase in the value of property has kept pace with, or even outstripped, the growth in population. Figures prior to 1870 are not available, but since that time the valuation of all classes of property has grown from $5,245,055 to $21,805,960, the latter figures being taken from the tax duplicate for 1911. This wealth is distributed among the townships and towns as follows:
 

According to a statement compiled by the county auditor in the spring of 1912, the county, in its corporate capacity, is the owner of the following property:
 

One of the largest mortgages ever recorded in the state, if not the largest, was entered upon the records of Porter county in November, 1899. It was executed by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company to

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the United States Trust Company, of New York, and covered all the lands of the company from Maryland to Chicago. The amount represented by the mortgage was $165,000,000. It was presented to Recorder Gustafson by a special agent, whose duty it was to see that the mortgage was properly recorded in every county through which the line of the Baltimore & Ohio road passed. The document contained some 40,000 words, was printed and bound in book form, and attached to it were revenue stamps to the amount of $82,500.

CONCLUSION

Statistics are void of poetry or romance and are often dry and uninteresting to the reader. But it has been said that "figures do not lie," and the story of progress, the achievements of a people, can be told with greater accuracy in figures than in any rhyme or romantic strain. Even a casual analysis of the foregoing tables will give the analyst a fairly definite idea of what the people of Porter county have accomplished during the three-quarters of a century of her corporate existence.

Ninety years have passed since Joseph Bailly - the first white man to settle within the limits of the county - built his lonely cabin upon the banks of the Calumet river. Porter county was then a wild region of woodlands, sandhills, marshes and unbroken prairie, inhabited only by wild beasts and uncivilized aborigines. The war-whoop of the Indian was heard by day, and at night the howl of the wolf reverberated through the primeval forest. Across the prairies and through the glades, always following the line of least resistance, wound the sinuous trails of the red man. His rude canoe, propelled by his brawny arm, glided along the shores of Lake Michigan, or traversed the waters of the Calumet and Kankakee river, as he passed from village to village or sought fish or game for food.

Now all is changed. In 1832 the Pottawatomie Indians ceded their lands in Indiana to the United States government, and the next year

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the actual settlement of Porter county began. Step by step the intrepid pioneers forced their way westward, overcoming all obstacles and penetrating the unexplored wilds, and built up an empire in the wilderness. The war-whoop of the Indian and the howl of the wolf have given way to the whistle of the steam engine and the hum of civilized industry. Where once the Indian trail existed is now a fine, macadamized highway - over which the tourist skims along in his automobile - or the railroad with trains of coaches palatial in their magnificence rushing across the country at the rate of fifty miles an hour. In place of the rude canoe is the great steel steamer, which plows the waters of Lake Michigan, bearing tons of freight, the product of human skill and labor. The wigwam of the unlettered savage has been supplanted by the school house, and where once stood the totem pole the spire of the church points heavenward. Marsh lands have been reclaimed by an expenditure of thousands of dollars for ditches, the wild prairie has been brought under the dominion of the plow, the forests have been felled and converted into habitations for civilized man. The savage Indian, the wild beast and the uninviting wilderness have gone, never to return. The pioneers who conquered them have left to their posterity a record of dauntless courage, faithful industry, honorable achievement, and an untarnished name. Will the people of the present generation, in full enjoyment of the labors of their sires, leave as honorable a record to their descendants? A history of Porter county written three-quarters of a century hence will answer the question.

NAVIGATION OF
1912 HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY

PREFACE
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I - General Features
CHAPTER II - Aboriginal Inhabitants
CHAPTER III - Settlement and Organization
CHAPTER IV - Internal Improvements 
CHAPTER V - Educational Developments
CHAPTER VI - Military History
CHAPTER VII - Township History
CHAPTER VIII - Township History (continued)
CHAPTER IX - The City of Valparaiso
CHAPTER X - Financial and Industrial
CHAPTER XI - The Professions
CHAPTER XII - Societies and Fraternities
CHAPTER XIII - Religious History
CHAPTER XIV - Miscellaneous History
CHAPTER XV - Statistical Review

Transcribed by Steven R. Shook, November 2011

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