The name of the first permanent white settler in Orange Township is not now known, but it is probable that he appeared about the year 1833 or 1834, previous to which time it is likely that wandering hunters, trappers or traders had made a temporary sojourn within thelimits of the townships. The numerous swamps, forests, lakes and oak openings were favorable territory for wild game, and deer existed in large numbers; so also did wolves, while occasionally a bear was seen by the earliest settlers, though the last mentioned animal was not common. Among the first white men who took up land in the township were Eri Allen, William Wright, David B. Herriman, David Bidlock, Samuel Smith, David Law, Charles Law, David S. Field, Luke Diggins, Timothy Gaby, T. M. Watkins, Joseph Doolittle, William Imes, Stephen Harris, John and S. Corbin, J. F. Brothwell, Abraham Shears, Orli Watkis, J. A. Waldron, Archibald Crofoot, James Kelley, James Madison, William Latta, David P. Bowrie, Jacob Heater, Francis Comparet and William and Samuel Hitchcock. By 1844 about 150 persons had become land owners in the township.
During the early period of white settlement the Indians were quite numerous, one of their villages being located near the "Narrows" at Sylvan Lake, and the other in the western part, near Waldron Lake. They would mingle freely with the white settlers, entering their cabins unexpectedly and without ceremony, and annoyed involuntary hosts by their persistent begging for all sorts of provisions. If refused they would sometimes mutter threats, but were not considered dangerous unless intoxicated. As they got drunk whenever they had the opportunity, however, they had to be watched carefully. Several of the early settlers had fights with them, but no actual tragedy from this cause has been reported. The pioneers kept busily engaged in erecting their cabins and making clearings. Everybody worked except the youngest children, for there was everything to be done, and log-rollings and cabin-raisings, when all the men in a neighborhood united in the effort to aid a new arrival to get started, were frequent events, and, when the work was done, were usually turned into brief occasions of merry-making, the hilarity being increased oftentimes by copious potations of whiskey, which could be procured for about 50 cents a gallon, and which in those days was looked upon as one of the necessities of life, being used even by the women and children. It is hard to blame them when one takes into account the conditions under which they lived. Their work was hard, privations were many and trying to their constitutions, fever and ague were prevalent, there were no drug stores, and often no physician for miles around, and when they were cold, hungry and exhausted, whiskey temporarily revived their drooping spirits, and caused them, while its influence lasted, to take a more optimistic view of their condition and surroundings. With the advance of civilization and the increase of home comforts, it became less necessary, but in many cases the habit had been formed and was continued in spite of the numerous temperance societies which later sprung up. Indeed these very societies, such as the Sons of Temperance, had for their object moderation rather than total abstinence, and their most prominent members habitually used liquor, though professing to do so with discretion.
According to early records, the first saw-mill in the township was built by William Latta, in about the year 1836. It was located on the river, near the head of Sylvan Lake, and did good work for a number of years, manufacturing large quantities of lumber for the dam at Rome City, and culverts over the canal. Itwas more particularly famous, or infamous, as being a resort for the "blacklegs," horse thieves and counterfeiters who infested the county for nearly twenty years during the early period. Another saw-mill was built by John Weston on the outlet to the reservoir, and was a frame millm with an overshot wheel, and up-and-down saw. John Kessler succeeded Mr. Weston in its ownership and turned out shingles, lath, and other lumber products. Under the later management of the Geisendorffs it was permitted to run down. Leonidas Jennings owned a steam saw-mill on section 14, which was finally destroyed by fire, after which he became proprietor of another, and was still doing business in the early '80s. Another good saw-mill in the early period was one owned and operated on the John Corbin farm by Murray Cavier, and these mills were in time succeeded by others located in different parts of the township.
The Village of Northport was laid out in December, 1838, by Francis Comparet, owner and proprietor, on section 9. It was surveyed into blocks of twelve lots each, there being a total of 103 lots. Mr. Comparet was a Frenchman who had traded with the Indians for a number of years. After laying out the village he opened a store there, in which he sold calico and a few groceries, but his principal article of trade was whiskey, which he sold to white and Indians alike. As a liquor dealer he had a rival in Jacob Heater, whose place of resort, known as Heater's Hotel, was frequently by all the convivial spirits in the locality and surrounding territory. It was said that he had a mysterious jug from which he could pour any kind of liquor he desired. He kept a good tavern and made considerable money. Though Mr. Comparet sold his lots cheaply, failed to grow, and there were probably never more than a dozen families living there at any one time. David Law opened a store there early and sold goods for many years, and about 1837 a tannery was started, but after a short time its proprietor gave up the business, probably because he failed to make a living. As a village Northport long ago ceased to exist. Up to the death of David Law, who served as justice of the peace, and who died probably about 1876, the old Law "Hotel" was maintained with a small stock of groceries, nad its public room, with its wide fire-place, and old-fashioned tables, desks and furniture, was used as a justice court. The site of the old building is now the site of the widely known Catholic sanitarium, to be elsewhere referred to.
Previous to the building of the Fort Wayne-LaGrange plank road, the mail was carried on horseback from Fort Wayne to Lima. There was a postoffice at Lisbon before Kendallville was known. The next postoffice was LaSelle, an Indian village settlement about 1 1/2 miles east of the old Hill Mill, at the head of what is now Sylvan Lake. The mail carriers carried a key to the mail sacks, and meeting on the road any inhabitants known to them personally, would hand them the key. The persons would unlock the sack, look over the mail under the eye of the carrier, take any mail belonging to them, lock the pouch and hand the key back to the carrier. The carrier never unlocked a sack himself, but would deliver to the next postmaster what mail was left in the sack, and what might have been deposited by those whom he met on the road. The postage was collected on delivery of the mail, and the carrier's duty was also to collect on mail delivered en route.
The Pottawatomie Indian Village of Pa-Hed-Ketch-a was located in section 14, and on or near its site was the early store and lodging-house of the white men at the head of Sylvan Lake when the first highway bridge was built in section 14. From this point was an Indian trail which led to the later Village of Northport in section 9; also a trail which led to Fort Wayne by way of the old Village of Lisbon, north of Kendallville. An old wagon road could yet be traced in the early '50s on the banks of the reservoir, leading up the north bank.
The old Northport graveyard by 1915 was practically filled to its capacity, and about half the bodies had been removed from time to time. The old graves not fully filled were sunken, and the surface bore evidences of a large number of removals of gravestones and markers. This cemetery was opened about the time Northport was platted, in 1836, and was used by the inhabitants of Orange Township up to the time of the platting of the Orange Township Cemetery, between Rome City and Brimfield. Since then the old Northport graveyard has been used only as a Potters' Field. The inscriptions on the gravestones show that many of the pioneers passed away at a comparatively early age -- the result, doubtless, of hardships experienced, together with the early lack of physicians and reliable remedies.
About 1882 F. M. Buker, from the new Haw Patch country, bought 200 acres of the Geisendorff estates, and built a three-story and basement structure on the side hill of old Northport, detached the low lands, started celery gardens, and discovered new mieral springs. By 1886 he and his brother had built an extensive trout hatchery along the highway south and east of the large building. This business they carried on for awhile, but finding there was no money in it, they gave it up. During the summer of 1894 Dr. W. G. Geiermann visited Rome City and Sylvan Lake, and as, it developed later, interested the Catholic Order of Sisters of the Most Precious Blood, whose headquarters at that time were at Celina, Ohio, in the locality. He contracted with Frank M. Buker for the 180 acres of Hill Side Springs and low lands, the site being favorably looked upon by the Sisters as suitable for a Sanitarium and Sisters' Home. As physician in charge, Doctor Geiermann began improvements at once, in 1897, erecting what is known as the Hollow Block Building, and utilizing the Buker brick building as a sanitarium, known as Spring Beach Sanitarium. Here the wonderful Kneipp treatment was administred by him, by means of the magnetic mineral spring water, the curative properties of which were already so widely known that in the first season, before the erection of the above mentioned buildings, more than 2,500 visitors were attracted to the place. In 1902 an addition was built to the west of the Buker building, and a neat physicians' residence and offices were erected separately and to the east of the main buildings. In 1906 the Buker building, wiht the part added to it, was entirely torn down, and a large three-story, commodious and modern sanitarium building was erected, with a chapl on the third story. Again about 1910, additional improvements doubled the capacity of the institution, and an extensive power and heating plant was installed. The beautiful grounds form an additional attraction to visitors and guests, from 400 to 500 of whom are entertained or treated during the summer months, and from 100 to 200 in the winter. An account of the dedication of the chapel, in 1903, may be found in Chapter LXI of this volume.
The new Catholic burying ground was opened up in 1915. The sanitarium grounds include Water Street, Canal Street, Main Street, and the alleys, all listed as part of section 9. The sanitarium lots are used for he extension sanitarium chapel, power-house, hospitals, bath houses and beautiful park fountains, fruit and burying grounds. On lot 24 is located Spring Beach station.
Rome City, or Rome, as it was originally called, was laid ou in June, 1839. The proprietors were John C. Mather and Ebenezer Pierce, who laid out 216 lots of the usual size, and five out-lts on the northwest quarter of section 16. This was the school section, and the men above-named, who were township trustees at that time, were obliged to get the consent of the school commissioners before they could lay out the town. The trustees could derive no profit from the sale of lots, as the money realized belonged to the school fund, and was applied to the support of the first school taught in the village. It is said that Joel Doolittle built the first house -- a long, low, frame structure, in which he opened a little store, selling miscellaneous goods, including whiskey. After a few years he erected another building, a short distance east, and opened a hotel, which of course was provided with the inevitable barroom.
During the construction of the Northport Feeder Dam, an account of which may be found in the chapter on Highways and Railroads, the work, most of the time, was under the foremanship of Francis Aveline, who afterward built the Aveline Hotel at Fort Wayne. There were many Frenchmen employed, as well as Irish, and the two races did not always get along well with each other. When Mr. Aveline had made some progress on the north side, he received instructions to divide his gangs and open up work on the south side of the fill. He did so, retaining the Frenchmen on the north side, and placing the Irish on the south fill. The latter soon became dissatisfied with their accommodations, and under the leadership of a big Irish sub-freman, demanded that they be employed where they could be better accommodated. This resulted in a fight, in which the Irish, being outnumbered, got the worst of it, and Mr Aveline gave instructions that all on the south side, as they were with the Romans, "must do as did the Romans." Thus, the south side came to be known as Rome, which name was adopted by the county commissioners when the village was platted. Later, after the postoffice was moved from Northport to Rome, letters for some time were addressed to Northport Post Office, Rome, Ind., and when this custom was discontinued, the postal authorities gave the postoffice the name of Rome City.
In platting Rome the trustees reserved or platted a full square in the central portion of the village, set aside for township or school-building purposes. The five out-lots previously referred to, were each the size of the public square. The factories and mills being erected at the outlet of the reservoir, in the southwest quarter of section 9, business blcks and residences began to spring up on the north side of Front Street, which street formed the north boundary of the village plat. Thus did the business portion of the village find itself located on the extreme northeast portion of the plat, while the more extensive business was, and always has been, located outside and northward of the village plat proper. John Teal platted Teal's Addition of forty-eight lots previous to 1875, since which time many additions have been surveyed and offered to the public. As already mentioned, Joel Doolittle put up the first building for business purposes. It lasted until the winter of 1852, when it was burned down. The next was a two-story building, called the "Old Block," standing back from the Front Street of the village. A Good Templars Lodge was organized, and meetings held in the hall on the second story prior to 1862. In 1865 Capt. George W. Geisendorff bought the property and sold the west side to John Turk. As Mr. Turk completed his store-room, Mr. Geisendorff made some changes in the building, which was, it is believed, the old Hardy tavern, with a dance hall above. The first school in Rome Cit was taught in this building.
In 1868 one Doctor Franchler located an office in the buildig, and it was afterwards occupied by various merchants and others.
In 1845 Joel Doolittle built and operated the first regular hotel and mess-room, on lot 1-a -- a two-story building, with low ceiling, and provided with a bar-room. It was enlarged in 1849, and in May, that year, was run by William Bowyer, and called the "Rome City Tavern." In 1851 it was bought by James B. Kelly, who still further enlarged it, and it was now known as the "Mammoth Hotel," being the larges in northern Indiana at that time. A ball room was established on the third story, and about that time a ball was held there at which 375 tickets were sold at $3.00 each. In 1857 the property was bought by Steve Helmer, who called it the Lake Side Hotel. Later it passed through various hands until its destruction by fire in 1878. Another hotel, the Mansion House, was built in 1855, and operated by a company composed of Dr. W. W. Martin. John Helsinger, "Bill" Hill, John Weston, young John Mitchell and Cyrus C. Highbargin, a large livery barn being also operated in connection therewith. The building was located on Weston Street, and was long and two-storied. It passed through a number of hands, sometimes being occupied by families as an apartment house. In 1876 it was purchased by Millard F. Owen, who leased it to Doctors Yarnell and Charles A. Wilson, and the two physicians established a water-cure sanitarium, which was continued by Doctor Yarnell for some time after his partner had withdrawn from the enterprise. For some time Mr. Owen and his wife operated the hotel department of the enterprise. In 1877 Mr. Owen sold the property to his father-in-law, William R. Truesdall, who operated it as a hotel only, subsequently selling it to William R. Myers, who a year later leased it to families until it was burned down on March 5, 1883.
Mitchell & Weston are said to have opened the second store in Rom City, which they carried on with profitable results. George L. Gale was another early merchang. He was a strong Abolitionist, and after the enactment of the fugitive slave law, aided runaway slaves to escape to Canada. Among other early merchants were Edward B. Parkman, Arthur Miller, Andrew J. Cullum, Geisendorff & Gower, Kettel Brothers, Hamlin Brothers, Alexander Brothers (who kept the first express office). Adam Rickel, Mr. Ardee, John Bigler, H. G. Cobbs, F. N. Miller and others. The old Dixon store room was built by Jack Kessler and Jamez Z. Gower in the fall of 1863, nad was occupied subsequently by various merchants. In 1889 the postoffice was located in it by George H. Northen, nad at one time it was occupied by the Clipper.
The Island Park Assembly, which was continued for many years, and an account of which may be found in Chapter LXI of this volume, brought considerable business to Rome City, and caused the building of various stores, restaurants and hotels. In 1880 M. F. Owen and P. S. O'Rourke put up a restaurant building and operated a restaurant therein during the summers of 1880 and 1881. Then Mr. Owen bought his partner's interest, and, having moved the building, made it into a residence for himself. After further improvements, it was burned down in 1885. In the following year Mr. Owen sold the west part of the lot to Mark E. Smurr, who built on it and operated a hotel and barber shop. It afterwards underwent several changes, and passed through several hands until it came into those of Mr. Owen, who is now operating it as a hotel and restaurant. The Park Hotel, on the island, the Spring Beach Hotel and the Assembly Hotel, which was controlled by the Island Park Association, were, or have been for years popular places of accommodation for visitors. In 1880 Eden H. Fisher built a dance hall on the north side of Front Street, which was afterwards enlarged and made into a hotel. It was bought about 1885 by Josephus Burnett, who conducted it as the Burnett House. Later the upper part was occupied by the Knights of Pythias as a lodge room, and, after their removal to new quarters, by the Masons of Lodge 451. The last mentioned lodge was instituted in June, 1872, and received its charter in May the following year. Orange Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, was constituted in January, 1899, and a large number of members have been since admitted. The Pythian Sisters (or Rathbone Sisters) have also a lodge, which is known as Sylvan Temple, No. 186, and was instituted September 30, 1898, with fifteen charter members. Kerr Post, Grand Army of the Republic, was organized in April, 1900; and the Woman's Relief Corp in February, 1903, in which latter year also a Sons of Veterans Camp was organized. Sylvan Lake Council, Order of Chosen Friends, was established in 1881, but disbanded after an existence of twenty years.
Perhaps the most important industry ever established at Rome City was the woolen mill established by Bliss, Poole & Co. in 1855. A large, three-storied fram buildig, about 60 by 110, was erected, in which were placed "three sets of machines." Many of the farmers subscribed for the stock, pledging their farms as security. Under the management of Mr. Bliss the factory entered upon a season of great prosperity. Some sixty employees, nearly half of whom were women, were hired in the different departments, and the concern turned out large quantities of flannels, yarns, cassimeres, jeans, broadcloths, fulled-cloths, shoddy, satinet, doeskins, and similar goods. The business soon doubled and trebled the population of the village, and for some four years amounted to some $70,000 annually. Then the enterprise began to fail, it is said, for lack of funds, and a number of the farmers who had pledged their farms as security for the payment of their stock were compelled to sell out in order to get means to settle the claims against them. The property was finally sold at sheriff's sale, and was purchased by Mr. Bliss, who afterward traded the factory to Clement & Kennedy for another factory in Charleston, Illinois. The new proprietors failed to do much with it and the property fell into the hands of William Geisendorff, who ran it successfully for a few years, and then transferred it to his brother, J. C. Geisendorff, who owned it until it was destroyed by fire in May, 1874. As soon as William Geisendorff sold the factory to his brother, the former immediately erected another woolen factory at the village. The new concern, known as the Magnet Woolen Mills, occupied a building about sixty feet square, and gave work to some thirty employees. It was occupied two years, when it was vacated, but started up again after the other had burned, the property having been bought by Judge Clapp, of Albion, John C. Zimmerman, of Ligonier, and Capt. E. R. Fisher. These parties conducted it until 1877, when it, too, was destroyed by fire.
The ice business was started at Rome CIty in the fall of 1872 by J. C. Geisendorff, and subsequently reached considerable proportions, continuing to flourish until the introduction of artificial ice gave a blow to the business. A number of ice houses were erected, some of which burned down. From time to time, beginning with early days, smaller industries have flourished, but since the disappearance of the woolen mills. Rom City has been chiefly famous as a summer resort, which attraction it still possesses, notwithstanding the abandonment of the Island Park Assembly some years ago.
A grist-mill, early established, which was later enlarged and two stories added, became one of the largest and best flouring-mills in this part of the state, and a large local trade was bilt up under the management of various parties, including ZS. E. Geisendorff & Co., John W. Teal, the Hall Brothers, Andrew Axell, J. M. Shackleton, and Joseph Nicholson. The mill burned down in 1886.
The first school taught in Rome City was in the bar-room of the old Hardy Hotel, and iss Aurelia Andrews was the first teacher, in 1842. She also taught in the first log schoolhouse erected in the village. The ld town hall schoolhouse, a frame structure, forty by sixty feet, was built in 1858, and was used for school and curch purposes till 1870, when a larger schoolhouse was built in the grove, and went into use in the fall, with Prof. C. Curl as principal, and Mrs. Abbott as assistant. In May, 910, a contract was let for a new school building, to be seventy-one by seventy-one feet in dimensions, and two stories high, with a basement of pressed brick. The contract price was $22,000, and the building proved a credit to the town.
The removal of the postoffice from Northport to Rome City took place in 1854, but for two years afterward it retained the name of Northport. Mr. Sterns was the first postmaster at Rome City. He has had many successors, and the office has been moved a number of times. In July, 1916, it was advanced from a fourth class to a third class office, John A. Jennings being appointed postmaster, and he located it in his brick store-room on the south side of Front Street.
The village of Brimfield was laid out by William Bliss, owner and proprietor, on the south part of the east half of the southwest quarter of section 29, in March, 1861. Twenty-three lots were laid off by E. B. Gerber, county surveyor. The first house was built by Daniel Brumbaugh, who had located there in 1840. A station had been built by the Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana Railroad in 1851. The next settlers after Mr. Brumbaugh were Jacob Long and Reason Dye, and John and David Seeley opened a store immediately after the laying out of the village. Soon after, Kinney & Rhodes began selling hardware. John Seeley was the first postmaster. For some time Brimfield was commonly known as Rome Station, as before the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad was built, it was an outlet for Rome City factories and manufacturing enterprises. Judge Seeley built a saw-mill at an early date, and for a number of years it was flourishing concern. In May, 1855, a sad accident occurred in this mill, when, owing to the bursting of the boiler, Christopher, James and Washington Cooper, William Collett and A. C. Hewett were killed. The old saw-mill was torn down about December, 1894, having for some time previously been only in partial use. A hotel was established at an early date, and lasted until 1894, when it was burned and a smaller one was erected in its place. A good brick schoolhouse was erected in 1883. The first schoolhouse is now used as a dwellig-house while the second was moved to the present site of the United Brethren Church, remodeled into a church, and finally suffered the fate of so many early buildings.being destroyed by fire a few years ago. During the early years Methodist services were held in the second story of the schoolhouse, with a large attendance, but no church building was erected until 1875, when a brick church was built on the hill near the Bliss homestead, the society receiving much outside help. The congregation was at times connected with the Albion charge, and at other times with the Wolcottville charge. An Odd Fellows lodge was organized at Brimfield in August, 1881, with six charter members, and about the same time, or perhaps earlier, a most of the cultured people in the village. There are at present several local societies, one of which, the Busy Bee Club, is a lively social organization; and the Ladies' Aid Society is active in good work. Brimfield has a present population of about 300. Te postoffice has one rural route. The village is five miles north of Albion, the county seat, which is the nearest banking point. The Knights of Pythias also has an active lode which was organized several years ago.
In 1843 a log church was erected half a mile south of Wolcottville, the soecity (Baptist) being under the charge of Elder C. H. Blanchford. The building was in use until 1851, when a fram Baptist Church was erected in Wolcottville proper. The Methodists of Wolcottville early organized services at the seminary, and elsewhere, which were conducted until 1874, when a Methodist Church was buit on the south side of the county line street at Wolcottville, it being thus located in Orange Township. This church was remodeled in the summer of 1915. The Wolcottville circuit was organized in April, 1863, at which time the local church had twelve members. The first Methodist preaching at Wolcottville was by the Rev. T. B. Conley, who conducted services in the house of Mr. Taylor. In 1840 the Rev. Wade Posey began circuit preaching at the house of Ozias Wright, and early in the year a class was formed of five members. In the same summer a Sunday school was organized. Regular circuit preaching was supplied from LaGrange previous to the organization of the Wolcottville circuit.
On Saturday, August 22, 1896, Rome City and the vicinity was visited by one of the most fearful electric storms that ever passed over this county At times it seemed as if the whole artillery of heaven was let loose, so awful and terrific were the thunder-bolts and lightning. In the early states, about 7:00 A. M., the barn of George Clock, southwest of Rome City, was struck by lightning, and was totally consumed, together with all its contents of grain, hay and farming implements. Mrs. Clock was milking a cow in the barn at the time, and only a few feet from her, near the door, was Arthur Foose, a boy of twelve years. The thunderbolt struck young Foose, killing him instantly. One cow was knocked down near to Mrs. Clock, and back of her was a little kitten which was killed instantly. Mrs. Clock was severely shocked, but not much injuried [sic]. About an hour later the barn of James Burnett in town was struck, but did not take fire. A. P. Case, who was just across the alley, feeding his horses, received part of the bolt, and was knocked down, as was allso one of the horses. Within a radius of two miles eleven places were struck, and the telegraph wires were a complete wreck.
A number of years ago M. F. Owen excavated a mound, situated in a piece of woodland, on the east shore of the first "West Lake," on the north side of the old highway. On this mound had grown a large white oak tree, which, having just been felled, showed a growth of between 300 and 400 years. Among the roots of the tree was unearthed a skelton in a sitting posture, facing east, the bones of which crumbled rapidly when exposed to the air. There was found and preserved a root which had grown apparently into the ear orifice of the skull, afterwards emerging through the eye, and firmly attached thereto is a well preserved piece of the frontal bone, showing great development above the eyes.
Robert M. Waddell, History of northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1920, Noble County, pgs. 447-455