History of Porter County, 1882County history published by F. A. Battey and Company . . . .
Source Citation:
Goodspeed, Weston A., and Charles Blanchard. 1882.
Counties of Lake and
Porter, Indiana: Historical and Biographical. Chicago, Illinois: F. A.
Battey and Company. 771 p.
HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY
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CHAPTER XIII.
BY G. A. GARARD.
PLEASANT TOWNSHIP -- ORIGIN OF NAME -- FIRST ELECTIONS -- FIRST SETTLERS --
FIRST EVENTS -- OLD FRENCH FORT -- SCHOOLS -- CHURCHES -- INDUSTRIES --
OFFICIERS -- CRIME -- CALAMITY -- KOUTS.
THIS township was formed at the time of the "general division" in 1836, and its
name is said to have been suggested by its pleasant location.
First Election and First Settlers. -- The following is a record of the
first election:
"At an election held at the house of Henry Adams, Pleasant Township, on the 3d
of April, 1836, for the purpose of electing one Justice of the Peace for said
township, the following votes were taken: John Bartholomew, Joseph Bartholomew,
George Shultz, Henry Adams, William Billings, Martin Reed, Morris Witham, Enoch
Billings, John Adams, James Witham and Charles Allen. Total, 11. We, the
undersigned, Inspectors and Judges of the Election, do certify that Lewis Comer
got eleven votes for the office of Justice of the Peace. William Billings,
Inspector; Enoch Billings, Morris Witham, Judges."
An election was held December 24, 1836, in Pleasant Township for one Judge and
one Justice of the Peace. Seneca Ball received nine votes for Judge, and John
Adams nine for Justice of the Peace. The following persons voted at this
election: Morris Witham, Charles Allen, William Trinkle, William Billings, Jacob
Shultz, Thomas Adams, Henry Adams, R. Blachly and John Adams.
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The following is a list of the first and early settlers as far as attainable: J.
Sherwood and family, about 1834; William Trinkle and family, fall of 1835; John
Jones and family, 1835; George Eden and family, 1837. Among the other early
settlers were Hisel Coghill, Isaiah Meadows, Reuben Meadows, Oliver Coles, Luke
Asher, Mr. Chandler, John Adams, John Bartholomew, Joseph Bartholomew, George
Shultz, Henry Adams, William Billings, Enoch Billings, Martin Reed, Morris
Witham, James Witham and Charles Allen. Nearly all of these were here as early
as 1836, as will be seen by the lists of voters above given. Mr. J. Sherwood and
family located near the Kankakee River, in the southwestern part of the
township. Mrs. Sherwood remarked to Mrs. William Trinkle, in 1835, that she was
the only white woman that she had seen for two years, with the exception of a
sister of Mrs. S., who lived with her.
Early Events. -- The first birth was that of Henry Trinkle, born to
Gillie Ann and William Trinkle on December 2, 1835. The first death was that of
Jeremiah, a son of J. Sherwood. He was buried at what is now the Widow
Bonesteel's farm, where there are only a few graves. The first marriage was that
of Alexander Wright to Miss S. Jones, which occurred about 1839. The usual
hardships incident to pioneer life devolved upon the settlers of Pleasant
Township. For some years the milling was done at Michigan City, and much of the
trading on the Wabash. Great as were the hardships of these early days, there
was a feeling of freedom on the frontier, and a spirit of fellowship and general
good-will that made life here endurable to all, and enjoyable to many. Mrs.
Trinkle, the oldest living settler now residing in the township, says: "If I
were young again as I was when I came here, I should be glad to go and help to
settle a new country." Mrs. Trinkle tells many interesting incidents of Indian
times. The Kankakee Marsh was a sort of "Indian Paradise." Here game and
fur-bearing animals abounded. When settlement began, the outlines of an
abandoned fort near the Kankakee, southwest of where Kouts now stands, were
quite distinct, and traces are yet to be seen. It was at a point where two
Indian trails crossed the river, and is the only place for a long distance where
the river and marsh could be crossed readily. It seems to have covered four or
five acres, and, in 1836, bore marks of long disuse, for there were young trees
of two feet in diameter growing on what seemed to have been embankments of the
fort. The Indians were peaceable and punctual in the fulfillment of promises.
When they came to borrow, if unable to talk English, they would indicate the
number of days for which they wished to keep the article by holding up as many
fingers as there were days to elapse before they expected to return it.
Schools. -- The pioneer school of the township was taught in a small
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log schoolhouse about the year 1838. This house stood on Section 13, Township
33, Range 6, and was built by the voluntary labor of the neighbors, of material,
the most of which was found near at hand. The light that entered this primitive
schoolhouse came through the door, and through greased paper that answered for
window glass. There was one good thing about these paper "panes;" the grease
rendered the paper translucent, but not transparent, so that light was admitted,
but the children could not see out. It was used for school purposes for three or
four years, when it was burned. The schools held here were supported by
subscription.
The first patrons were George Eaton, who sent two sons, John Berrier, who sent
two children, John Jones, who sent five, and William Trinkle, who sent two,
Nancy and Henry. The second schoolhouse was of the same kind and located on the
same section, but larger than the first. This was used for several years. The
third schoolhouse was built near the site of the first one. This was the first
frame schoolhouse of the township. There are now seven houses, all of which are
frame. The average cost of all, except the house at Kouts, is about §500. The
one at Kouts contains two rooms, and cost $1,000. It was built in 1876. There
are eight school districts in the township. District No. 3 has no house now. It
had a frame house, which was built in 1860, and burned in 1879. The house in
District No. 8 was built in 1880, at a cost of about $500. The houses in the
other districts were built prior to 1860. The teachers for 1882, are as follows:
In District No. 1, Alice Sanborn; in No. 2, B. A. Maugher and Sarah Welch; in
No. 4, Flora Wilcox; in No. 5, Mary G. Noel; in No. 6, L. Sanborn; in No. 7,
Sadie Turner; in No. 8, Jennie Wyley.
Churches, etc. -- The first religious services of the township were held
at the house of John Jones in 1836. Mr. Jones, although not a regular minister,
often preached in the neighborhood, and occasionally in adjoining communities.
These informal devotional meetings were changed from house to house at first,
and at a later day from schoolhouse to schoolhouse. The only regular church
building of Pleasant is the present edifice of the German Lutheran Church at
Kouts. It is a frame, built in 1880 at a cost of $600. The present minister is
Rev. Julius Dunsing, who has served the church one year. Before him, Rev. Philip
Smith was pastor. He was the first minister in the new church, and conducted the
dedicatory services. Meetings were held in the schoolhouse for about seven years
before the church was built, and services were held for a time in private
houses. The one to organize the society was Rev. Philip Smith, now of
Valparaiso. The present membership of the church is seventeen. The only regular
cemetery of the township is that located on Section 12, Township 33,
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Range 6. The first one interred here was a little boy of Mr. and Mrs. Milton
Wright, in the last part of the year 1842.
Industries. -- The township has been strictly agricultural throughout its
history. It has never had a grist-mill, and only one saw-mill permanently
located. This was on the Kankakee River, near where the bridge now is. It was
built by Joseph Hackman and run by him for some time. He sold it to James M.
Pugh, who converted it into a portable one, about two years ago. There have been
several portable saw-mills at different times and places within the limits of
the township. A cheese factory was established about five years ago by H. A.
Wright. It ran a short time and was closed.
Officers. -- The present officers of the township are, William Trinkle,
Trustee; James H. True and Simon Witham, Justices of the Peace; Stephen D.
Johnson, Road Superintendent, and S. G. Couch, Assessor.
Crime. -- There have been three homicides committed within the limits of
Pleasant Township. In 1879, W. Swett was shot by Charles Chase; the same year,
Charles Askam was shot by Mcintosh, and in 1880, Brainerd Taft shot John Dutton.
Fatal Casualty. -- A very sad accident occurred to a Welsh family named
Pugh, in 1873. They lived near the Kankakee. Mr. J. M. Pugh, the father, was
plowing not far from the house; some marsh grass was rather troublesome, so he
requested his daughter, Sarah, to bring some fire from the house and burn the
hay. She brought the fire at once, and stood watching the hay burn when a sudden
gust of wind blew the flames toward and around her; her clothing took fire, and
before help reached her she was fatally burned. She took a few steps, fell and
was carried home. She lived in intense agony until 4 o'clock the next morning.
It was about 2 P. M. when the accident occurred.
Village of Kouts. -- The only town that the township has ever produced is
the town of Kouts, situated in the northwestern part, on the Pittsburgh,
Cincinnati & St. Louis Railroad. This town was laid out by B. Kouts and took its
name from him. He built the first business block which is now occupied by Dr. L,
Atkins. The second business house was built by Brown and Dilley; the third was
built by K. Williams. The post office was established here in 1865, with H. A.
Wright as Postmaster, who held the office until 1881, when S. E. Douglas, the
present incumbent, took charge of the office, which lie has held up to the
present time. The Chicago & Atlantic Railroad has reached town within the last
year, and as Kouts promises to be the only station on either road in the
township, its prospects are quite flattering. Counting the floating population
brought in by the building of the new railroad, there are perhaps 300 people in
the town. It has two general stores; one kept by B. Kouts, and the other
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by H. Rosenbaum. There are two drug stores; one is kept by S. E. Douglas, and
the other by L. Atkins. A grocery is kept by Mrs. Margaret Williamson; E. R.
Kosanke keeps furniture; D. A. Stark furnishes hardware; H. A. Wright and J. H.
Hodkins sell implements; John Shultz and Joshua George make boots and shoes;
William Kee and William Cinkaski do the blacksmithing. The town has two saloons
and one church. The Hodjins House is kept by J. A. Hodjins, and restaurant by
Albert Spencer. A hay barn, belonging to a Chicago man, is operated by H. A.
Wright. Dr. Sprague and Dr. Kellogg located here, but did not stay long. The
town is regularly laid out and platted. Three additions have been made to it and
entered of record by Mr. Kouts.
NAVIGATION OF
1882 HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY
PREFACE
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I. - EARLY HISTORY OF COUNTY
CHAPTER II. - EARLY HISTORY COUNTY (Continued)
CHAPTER III. - MILITARY HISTORY
CHAPTER IV. - VALPARAISO AND CENTRE TOWNSHIP
CHAPTER V. - WESTCHESTER TOWNSHIP
CHAPTER VI. - BOONE TOWNSHIP
CHAPTER VII. - WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
CHAPTER VIII. - MORGAN TOWNSHIP
CHAPTER IX. - UNION TOWNSHIP
CHAPTER X. - JACKSON TOWNSHIP
CHAPTER XI. - LIBERTY TOWNSHIP
CHAPTER XII. - PORTAGE TOWNSHIP
CHAPTER XIII. - PLEASANT TOWNSHIP
CHAPTER XIV. - PORTER TOWNSHIP
CHAPTER XV. - PINE TOWNSHIP
Transcribed by Steven R. Shook, February 2012