Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 March 1902 — THE KANKAKEE VALLEY. [ARTICLE]

THE KANKAKEE VALLEY.

Its History as Given by J. H. Harmon lit Rockville Tribune. The Kankakee river was probably the first stream discovered in Indiana. About the year 1678, the French discoverer, LaSalle, visited the Kankakee valley. After he find bis companions had spent some time in their boats on Lake Michigan, they proceeded up the St. Joseph river to about where South Bend is now located. Having heard of the Kankakee from Indians in that region, these heroic Frenchmen carried their canoes southwest to the headwaters of this stream. Putting their boats into the water, these adventurers traveled down the river into Illinois, and thence into the Mississippi. The valley includes wholly or in part the counties of Grundy,, Will, Kankakee and Iroquois in Illinois, and Lake, Porter, LaPorte, St. Joseph, Starke, Pulaski, Jasper and Newton counties in Indiana. On account of this stream being very crooked and shallow, thousands of acres of land on each side of the river have been for years covered with water most of the time. This was once a fine region for hunting racoons, opossums, geese and ducks, but this bind of game is quite scarce at present. Numerons small islands are found in this valley in what once was the marshy region. This is especially true in Starke county. Some of these islands are called Cherry, Grape, Hickory, Mink, and White \\Jbmen’s island. The latter is located in Starke and LaPorte counties, abouc six miles north west of Hamlet. This spot of land has a peculiar history. In the spring of about 1831, some white men were hunting and fishing along in this region and came across a party of Indians camping on this island, who were engaged in the same em ployment. Among this company of red men was a white woman. Whether she was a prisoner or living voluntarily with these men of the forest is not known. The white men named the island White Woman’s island, by which it has beeD known ever since. White Woman’s island included fully 35 acres of dry land, once mostly covered with oak timber. In the spring of 1900 the present owner of this piece of ground erected a large stock and grain barn on the Stark county side. Much of the frame timber is made out of Georgia pine, used in the celebrated Libby prison, in Richmond, Va., during the Civil war About twenty years ago this old prison was moved to Chicago, rebuilt, and used as a place,for exhibiting war relics and scenery. In the summer of 1899 the building was torn down to make room for the new and large coliseum building. The present owner oi the island bought much of the lumber and put it into this barn, and also erected a bridge across the river near his house. The lumber is probably 50 years old, having been used originally in Richmond as a tobacco warehouse. The timber is in a good state of pres erva.ion. It is mostly 14 feet long, 10 inches wide and all four inches thick. If this lumber could talk it would tell some sad things peitainingto the war of 1861 1865. Twenty years ago Lowell, Kouts, Hanna, Waikerton, DeMotte and Rose Lawn were quite noted as hay markets but within the past ten years this re gion has been chiefly used for the cultivation of grain and raising cattle. For a number of years marketing huckleberries was quite an industry in this part of the state. The black berries grow on the dry land while the blue ones grow on the bushes in the marsby land. The latter bushes often grow 12 feet high. The blueberries are of a better quality and are more numerous. The most noted huckleberry patch ever known in this region contained about 300 acres. This berry field was mostly in the northeast corner of Starke county, and overlapping into Marshall and St.' Joseph counties. For several years in August this field was quite a resort for picking and selling berries, selling dry goods, gambling, drinking and stealing. Several times the sheriff of each county was called out one or more times each season to arrest some violator of the law. Some amusing and serious events transpire during the berry season, and the owner of the land made considerable money out of the fruit. Numerous car loads were shipped from Waikerton during one season. A fire burned over the patch in August, 1891, and killed the bushes,

hence the industry in that community was greatly damaged. As late as 1896 thousands of bushels of huckleberries were shipped from this valley, chiefly from Walkerton, Konts, Prancesville and Wbeatfleld. Marvelous changes have taken place in this valley in the past ten years, especially in parts of Newton, Jasper, Pulaski and Starke counties. Hundreds of acres of land, once too soft to bear the weight of a horse, have been well drained and are now producing fifty bushels of oats to the acre, and yielding seventy bushels of corn. The soil in this region produces large and fine crops of buckwheat, potatoes and celery. This drainage has been effected largely thro’ ditching com panies, organized according to our state law. Previous to this, however, has been the influence of drainage associations, including members from counties. The Kankakee valley has a bright future before it. The sugar beet industry is attracting an increasing interest in this region, T?he next twenty years will probably witness a number of factories erected in this part of the state which will produce a fine grade of sugar, and enough to supply millions of people. The variety of industries resulting from different grades of soil plainly shows that our Oreatorknew what be was doing when he made the Kankakee valley.