The Vidette-Messenger Centennial EditionThe 1936 special edition celebrating Porter County's centennial year . . . .
The following article has been transcribed from the August 18, 1936, issue of The Vidette-Messenger, published in Valparaiso, Indiana. This particular special edition focuses on Porter County's centennial celebration and contains a 94-page compendium of Porter County history up to that time.
Return to the index of articles from The Vidette-Messenger's Porter County Centennial special edition.
Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso,
Porter County, Indiana; August 18, 1936; Volume 10, Section 1, Page 7.
Kankakee River and Marshes Were Sportsmen's Paradise From the Days of Indians
Through 200 Years of White Men
When the first
white explorers, traders and trappers visited the Kankakee region, running
through the northern edge of Porter county, and extending for miles in either
direction, they reported a limitless extent of swamps and marshes, frequented
only by wild animals and unfriendly savages.
Venturesome hunters and trappers explored it thoroughly and it soon became known
as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, fishing, hunting and trapping
sections in the Middle West.
The name of the Kankakee was A-ki-ki, meaning wolf Land River, and originated
according to some authorities from a band of Mohicans who called themselves
"Wolves", and settled on the banks of the St. Joseph river, near what is now
South Bend, just prior to the advent of the early explorers.
It is claimed that from this band of Indians that Charlevoix, the French
missionary, in 1721, recruited his force on his voyage to the Mississippi by way
of the Kankakee.
The prairie marshes of the Kankakee in the early days varied from two to fifteen
miles in width and there were hundreds of small islands from one-half to twenty
acres in size scattered throughout the course of the stream. On some of these
islands the sycamore and the oak grew to a very large size grape vines were
everywhere and the huckleberry bushes grew in profusion. The swamps were a
favorite haunt for nearly every variety of game birds, including several species
of the snipe family, the wood duck and many other species of ducks. It was a
nesting place for wild geese and thousands of them frequented a particular
section of the march which became known as Goose Lake. It was a natural home for
the mink and the muskrat and raccoons were found in great numbers. The otter and
beaver were found in a limited extent compared with the muskrat, but lynx and
wolves were common.
The amount of fur taken in the Kankakee region cannot be estimated. Indians,
Frenchmen and Americans all engaged in it during different periods and in the
early half of the nineteenth century, the output of furs rivaled, if not
exceeded all other sections. During this period white trappers who had gradually
replaced the fast disappearing red men had better equipment and the season's
"take" materially increased to such an extent that the Kankakee swamps were
known not only in this country but in Europe as well. It is known that the yield
as late as 1872 when steel traps were in general use, was 30,000 muskrat skins
and thousands of skins of other fur-bearing animals which were sold to traders
by trappers in the Kankakee region.
Many of the smaller islands in the Kankakee river were early appropriated by
trappers for headquarters and after 1850 hunting clubs erected substantial
buildings and made many improvements on some of the larger islands.
One of the first settlers to locate on the banks of the stream was George Eaton
in 1836, who with his family had a log cabin on the right bank of the river near
Pottawattomie Ford. He began life as a ferry man, operating what was known as
Eaton Ferry and twelve years later had the contract to carry the mail across the
Kankakee swamps, there being a mail route established at that time between
Michigan City and Rensselaer.
In the winter of 1849 he built a toll bridge across the river which was burned a
short time after its erection, but Mr. Eaton continued to operate the ferry
until 1857 when it came into possession of a man named Sawyer who continued to
operate the ferry and carried mail for several years. He built a saw mill and
did a good lumber business, floating logs down the river. Later Enos Baum
operated the ferry and mail and about 1863 he built a bridge which was taken
over by the county commissioners of Porter and Jasper counties about 1865.
Near the bridge, later called Baum's bridge, a party of hunters, millionaires,
from Pittsburgh, built a club house in 1876, and called it the Pittsburgh Gun
club. Nearby another club house was built by a party of hunters from Louisville,
Ky. In 1873, the Columbia Hunting club, composed of business men of Hebron,
built a club house on Deserter's Island, famous years ago as being a
headquarters for deserters and fugitives from justice.
Heath & Milligan, of Chicago, bought land on School Grove Island and in 1869
built a Sportsmen's resort named Camp Milligan and it soon had a wide
reputation. Visitors came from many American cities and even from abroad to
hunt.
William Parker, said to be of noble birth, and Captain Blake, were English
visitors in 1871 and were so pleased with their experiences that they returned
the next year with Mr. Parker's brother and built the Cumberland lodge which
soon became known for the lavish expenditures indulged in its maintenance. A
fine dwelling house and barns, kennels of choice hunting dogs, Alderney cows and
fancy bred horses were a part of the costly establishment which after the return
to England of the Parker brothers became the property of some Chicago business
men who maintained it for a number of years.
There were many trading stores which did a large business on some of the
conveniently located islands, among them were the stores of Bertrand and LaVoire
on Red Oak Island kept by a Frenchman named Laslie. Mike Haskins made his
headquarters on Indian Island which had been the hunting and camping grounds of
the Pottawattomie Indians even before the era of the white explorers.
Werich writes in "Pioneer Hunters of the Kankakee," that Haskins was on guard in
Harrison's army at Tippecanoe and detected the approach of the Indians, firing
the first shot of alarm which indicated their presence. Shortly after the close
of the Civil war some prairie farmers who owned swamp land bought Indian Island
and formed the Indian Island Saw Mill company.
During this period the business along the river had reached such proportions
that several steamers were in operation hauling freight and supplies, and this
service continued for many years. John Condon established headquarters on one of
the islands which was a favorite resort for Chicago sportsmen. H. J. McSheehy,
of Logansport, Ind., in his first hunting trip in 1876 used the first
breechloaders on the Kankakee and they were soon in general use. General Lew
Wallace, author of Ben Hur, and Benjamin Harrison, later president, were
frequent visitors at the Indianapolis, Terre Haute and Rockville club house near
Baum's bridge.
The Kankakee Valley Hunting club, composed of Chicago explorers built a club
house on Indian Island in 1908, but duck shooting became a thing of the past
very shortly through the drainage of the swamps and the club houses were
removed. Allen Dutcher was the first trapper with headquarters on Grape Island
and John France and James Cotton came into possession of Dutcher's property in
1876. While France was absent on a trip Cotton was murdered but the murderer was
never apprehended.
Other old time trappers who were noted in this region were Joshua E. Essex and
J. E. Gilson, who had a hunting cabin on Shanty Island; Sam Irwin with
headquarters on Little Bench; John Hunter, who lived on School Grove Island;
Eben Buck, who was known for his ability to skin and dress more hides than any
many on the river; Bill Granger and two brothers, Jerry and Holland Sherwoods,
for many years successful trappers; Honey Bee Sawyer, Marion and Filander
Stevens, Joe Casen, Hod Folsom and Charles Carman, note bee hunters; Harrison
Folsom and Rens Brainerd, distinguished in being the first trappers to use steel
straps on the river, which they put in operation in the fall of 1845, and are
said to have the first American trappers on the river.
J. Sylvester Werich was a noted trapper for years on the Kankakee. His
grandfather, Dye, was the first settler on Horse Prairie in 1836. Werich is the
author of a very interesting publication entitled "Pioneer Hunting on the
Kankakee." LaBonte, a French fur trader, was the first white man to settle on
French Island. Two or three French families lived on the island with LaBonte.
There were also a few members of the Pottawattomie tribe who had been permitted
by the War department to stay in the Kankakee region. Among them were two famous
chiefs named Killbuck and Shenbana. It was on this island that a complete outfit
of counterfeiting tools, dyes, plates and so forth was found, evidently an
outfit which belonged to a gang of counterfeiters which in the early sixties
made their headquarters on Bogue Island.
The Kankakee marshes constituted the largest body of swamp lands in the state,
approximately 500,000 acres in seven counties in which the river drains.
Reclaiming these marshes was an early thought of the settlers and in 1858 a
large ditch was excavated. A law passed by the legislature made possible
organized drainage effort on a large scale and the Kankakee Valley Drainage
association was formed to reclaim a large section. The powers given the
association by law did not meet with general approval and formidable opposition
against the association was developed with the result that its promoters decided
not to proceed with their plans and the organization was permitted to languish.
Regardless of hostility and opposition of a large section of farmers and other
citizens, another ditch was dug in 1870 and this was followed by dredging the
Kankakee tributaries. In 1884 steam dredge boats were brought into service and
the south as well as the north side of the Kankakee river soon had many large
ditches.
Investigation showed that the removal of a ledge of limestone rock at Momence,
Ill., about seven miles from the state line would have an important effect in
lowering the water in the Indiana marsh section. The matter was brought before
the Indiana legislature and in all there was appropriated $80,000 to be expended
in the removal of the ledge, which was removed under the direction of J. D.
Moran & Company in 1893.
Wealthy business men from Pontiac, Ill., formed the LaCrosse Land Company in
1900, and purchased 7,000 acres of Huncheon brothers, long time residents of the
Kankakee for $165,000. Other tracts were also acquired. One of the associated
companies, the Tuesburg Land Company, originally purchased 4,480 acres. Another,
the McWilliams Land Company, purchased 5,280 acres, and in a short time the
LaCrosse Land company and its associated companied owned more than 50,000 acres
of land.
These companies with the cooperation of many private landowners combined their
interests and controlling more than 40 miles of river front engaged in a court
struggle that lasted for years, the victory finally going in favor of the land
company.
The Kankakee Reclamation Co. was organized in 1902, having for its object the
deepening, widening and straightening of the Kankakee river which rises near St.
Joseph county. This company proposed by a system of ditches to cut out bends in
the river, shortening its course and increasing the fall of the water per mile.
This work consisted of a ditch from Section 24 in Hanna township, where the
Place ditch ends, to the Porter county line. Through cutting out the bends
forty-five miles of the length of the river was reduced to seventeen miles and
the fall of water increased from 4.34 inches per mile to 14.2 inches per mile.
It is said 150,000 acres of land were reclaimed in LaPorte and Starke counties.
The Place ditch is 22 miles long, and drains an area of 22 miles. It cost
$66,000 and took two and a half years to construct. The Machler ditch was
constructed under the authority of the LaPorte circuit court. It is ten miles.
The Conk ditch is fourteen miles ling.
The "Danielson Arm" of the Place ditch is river work which makes the Place ditch
practically a river ditch. Through its construction, sixty-five miles of the
length of the river has been reduced to twenty-miles and in connection with the
ditch of the Kankakee Reclamation company, 111 miles of the length of the river
has been shortened to thirty-nine.
The reclamation of Porter and Lake counties' marsh lands were given early
attention and great progress was made. The main courses are the Singleton ditch
named after W. F. Singleton, who was formerly agent of the Lake County
Agricultural society, and the Ackerman, Griesel, Hart and Brown ditches. Large
tracts of land have been reclaimed in both counties.
The present main ditch channel of the Kankakee river from the eastern LaPorte
line to the western Lake county line and into which all lateral ditches feed is
composed of the Miller ditch from the LaPorte county line to Mud Lake, the
Kankakee River Improvement ditch from Mud Lake to the Pennsylvania railroad to
the Porter county line, the Marble ditch from Porter county to Water Valley, and
the Davis ditch from Water Valley to the Illinois boundary or western Lake
county line.
The drainage of the Kankakee by the Marble and other ditches has been in recent
years been a controversial subject between those who claim that the construction
of the vast network of ditches has resulted in thousands of acres of and being
thrown open to cultivation, and those that claim that the destruction of wild
animal life of the Kankakee territory for hunters and fishermen from all parts
of the middle west removed one of nature's greatest works of art, and robbed
Porter county of one of its greatest assets.
A recent move to restore the marshlands through CWA federal funds was made. A
crew of 75 men made a survey of the marshlands but the project has never been
undertaken.
At the present time the Marble ditch, the new bed of the Kankakee river is
almost destitute of water. Trees along the Kankakee bottoms have died for lack
of water. It is asserted that the normal rainfall of the region has been vitally
affected by the draining of the swamplands, and that lands previously fertile
are now unfit for farming purposes.
Article transcribed by Steven R. Shook