NOBLE TOWNSHIP
The first settler in Noble County erected his humble dwelling in Noble Township, at a point 3 ½ miles southeast of Wolf Lake. The pioneer who thus planted the first seeds of civilization in a wilderness previously inhabited only by savages and wild beasts, was Joel Bristol, who arrived at his place of settlement on April 4, 1827, accompanied by his wife, his relations by marriage, Samuel, Isaac and William Tibbot, and three sisters, in all eight persons. Their nearest neighbor was on the Blue River in the direction of Fort Wayne, six miles distant. The nearest on the west, on the South Bend trail, was near Benton, in Elkhart County, about twenty-five miles distant. These they seldom saw, and for two or three years were dependent for companionship on the members of their own party, the only other human beings in the vicinity being the Indians, who were somewhat numerous and friendly, though arrant thieves and beggars. Thus they were practically shut out from the world, until 1831 the nearest postoffice being at Fort Wayne. About that time a postoffice was established on Perry's Prairie, at Henry Millar's, but was shortly afterward removed to Jacob Shobe's.
It was 1836 that the county was organized, nine years after the Bristol settlement, and by that time a number of other settlers had appeared in Noble Township and taken land on which they erected cabins. Among these pioneers, in addition to those in the Bristol party, were John G. Hall, John Skinner, John Shannon, Humphrey Nichols, Jacob Busz, and his sons, John, Simon and Henry, Jesse S. Sandford, Peter Becker, David, William and Washington Sandford, David Winebrenner, with his sons, Peter, Jacob and David, Jr., S. W. Murphy, Mr. Benner and family, Newman Scarlett, and his sons, Horace and Almon, Barney Scarlett, and his sons, Henry, William, Chester and Albert, Jacob Marker, Samuel Jones, J. W. Elliott, Alexander Swaney, Thomas J. Pickens, Rolan Stewart, Ephraim Scarlett, Ephraim Skinner, John Muncey, McIntyre Seymour, Patrick C. Miller, Thomas Smith, Esquire Knowles, Thomas Shepard, Jacob Haynes, Dr. Elias Jones, Andrew Humphrey, and many others. Some of these men settled in the vicinity of Wolf Lake, where the thickest settlement was made, including the greater part of seventy-nine persons who were land owners in the township in 1841. The Fort Wayne and Goshen road, or the wagon track which passed for such, was by that time dotted with rude log cabins, which were rapidly appearing also in other parts of the township. Newcomers, if desirable neighbors, were heartily welcomed, and aid given them in the erection of their cabins. During the first few years the law of "squatter sovereignty" prevailed, though after that lands taken up were regularly entered at Fort Wayne, which place was infested by a number of speculators and "land sharks" of various kinds, who used every effort to defraud immigrants of their money or land, sometimes, it is said, with the connivance of the land agents. If the latter statement is true, the average reader will almost condone the act of one pioneer settler in Noble Township who paid the agent for his land in counterfeit money, as elsewhere narrated in this volume.
Until a garden had been planted and the first vegetables raised, the new immigrant supplied the family larder mainly with the rifle, as deer and other wild game were numerous. One early settler, Ephraim Marker, is said to have killed more than 100 deer in a single season. Occasionally, also a bear was killed, and its meat utilized. The settlers were often annoyed by wolves, which killed their sheep, but in course of time the rifle thinned their numbers until they practically ceased to be a menace. A considerable quantity of meat, as well as furs, was obtained from the Indians, who exchanged the products of the chase for flour, vegetables, ammunition and other of the white man's commodities. Joel Bristol and John Hall, who kept tavern on the Fort Wayne and Goshen road, sold whiskey to them, which had the natural result, and when intoxicated the Indians were always a nuisance, and likely to become dangerous. The more hardy settlers were not afraid of them even when in that condition, and it happens that no serious cases of violence have been reported. There was little refinement in the primitive community. Of necessity the people lived close to nature, and among the men, at least, much rough horse-play was indulged in, occasionally resulting in a fight, when the vanquished was expected to treat the victor, whiskey-the exciting cause of most of the differences,--being also regarded as a universal remedy, not only for all sorts of diseases, but also for injured feelings and ruffled spirits.
The first notable improvement, aside from the log cabins and cultivated patches of the settlers, was a grist-mill erected about 1832 by John G. Hall, on the Elkhart River, where it was crossed by the Goshen road. Mr. Hall was previously carried the mail from Fort Wayne to Goshen on the back of an ox. He was an eccentric old bachelor, not lacking in wit, and, it is said, of a somewhat irascible disposition-such a man as would now be denominated as "cranky." He manufactured the first flour in the community, and in a short time erected a bridge across the stream, just below his dam, and charged a toll of two shillings for each wagon. His mill was provided with a "flutter-wheel," which communicated a slow motion to a set of "nigger-head" buhrs. At first he ground nothing but corn, but having soon provided himself with a better set of buhrs, he accepted other grain and did a flourishing business. The mill was operated for some ten or twelve years, and was then abandoned owing to the dam having been washed away.
About 1835 Mr. Elliott erected a saw-mill on a branch of the Elkhart River, in the northeastern part of the township. There was plenty of timber in the vicinity, including a considerable quantity of fine black walnut, which was lavishly used without thought of future scarcity. This mill was very useful to the early settlers, as it saved them long and difficult journeys. A few years after it was built it fell into the hands of Mr. Forker, and the original log building was replaced by a rough frame structure. About 1855 a sudden freshet swept away the dam, and as the patronage had largely fallen off, the old mill site was abandoned.
Soon after the year 1840 Samuel L. Smith erected a frame saw-mill on the site of the old grist-mill. He had an iron water-wheel and did good work. A new owner, Samuel Correll, about six years later made improvements both in the mill and damn, and did a good business for five or six years, when the inevitable flood put an end to the enterprise. In the meanwhile the cultivated area in the township has increased, and many of the old log cabins had been replaced by better buildings. Stores had been opened and the merchant now cooperated with the farmer, furnishing the latter with a nearer and more convenient market. Money became more plentiful and gave a stimulus to trade, and churches and schools were erected. This improved conditions of things was interfered with only by the outlaws, who flourished throughout the county for a number of years, but with their final breaking-up and dispersal, about 1858, a new and better era set in, and the improvement, in spite of occasional "hard times," has continued down to the present.
The Village of Wolf Lake was laid out in April, 1836, by a surveyor employed by Patrick C. Miller and Andrew Stewart, and consisted of seventy-one lots, on the northwest quarter of section 9. Wayne Street and Wolf Lake Street were ninety-nine feet wide, all others being but sixty-six feet. At one time the people of the village hoped that it might be selected as the county seat, but although several places enjoyed that distinction in rapid succession, the ambition of Wolf Lake remained ungratified. Mr. Stewart, one of the founders of the village, kept a hotel there as early as 1833, and about 1836 Thomas Shepard opened a tanyard. Thomas Smith, Sr., was the first merchant. The early growth of the village was not rapid, as in 1840, there were but six resident families. Six years after that, the population had increased to about twenty-five or thirty families, with a corresponding increase in the number of business men. A postoffice was established about 1837, with Pat Miller as the first postmaster. The office has now two rural routes. Other interests of the village may be found mentioned under their appropriate titles in different chapters of this volume. It has now a population of about 220. Its nearest banking point is Albion, seven miles distant, while the nearest shipping point is Kimmell, lying at a distance of six miles.
In November, 1849, Joel Bristol hired a surveyor to lay out a village on the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 25. It was called Nobleville, and contained forty-two lots, each full lot comprising a quarter of an acre, the streets being sixty-six feet wide. R. Bristol had fond hopes that in time it would develop into a good sized town, but though a few houses were built, and a grocery and saloon opened, the placed failed to attract settlers, and in time died out as a community settlement. A saw-mill was erected there just previous to the Civil war, by Fred Bidding, who operated it for a number of years, sawing large quantities of black walnut timber. He and his wife were finally drowned in Lake Michigan, and in later years another mill was built on the same site by the Ziegler brothers. Newman Scarlett burned a kiln of brick there as early as 1838, but the industries of Nobleville were transitory, and are now but a matter of brief record.
A later community growth is the little hamlet of Merriam, in section 25, which now contains two stores and two blacksmith shops, besides a flourishing Christian Church. As it is located on the proposed Lincoln Highway, automobile travel may in the near future materially increase its size and prosperity, and elevate it to the dignity of a lively village.
Robert M. Waddell, History of northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1920, Noble County, pgs. 417-419.