Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 June 1885 — A History of Rensselaer. [ARTICLE]

A History of Rensselaer.

B. F. Louthain, editor of the Logansport Pharos, is one of the “Offensive Partizans” to be appointed to a post-office. It has been already asked, with a good deal of pertinence, why, if President Cleveland had a right to revoke Ex-President Arthur’s proclamation, opening the Winnebago lands to settlement, he could not go one step further and reyoke Ex-P resident Lin coin’s prdclamation, liberating the slaves. It is now becoming apparent that Mr. Cleveland’s slow brain is at last beginning to realize that his action in this matter was another of his numerous mistakes, and he has, in effect, suspended the order, to await the action, of congress on the matter. Now, that such good progress has been made in draining off the surplus water from the surface of Jasper county, the next problem that should engage the attention of our citizens, is the question of better roads. We know of no other way by which the value of property in the county could be so easily enhanced, and the desirableness of the county as a place of residence so much increased, as by improving the public roads. The matter of gravel roads, especially, ought to be agitated, And if it be at all practicable, to make gravel roads in this county, at present, it ought to be done. ' »

John 8. Williams, editor of that pestilent and demoralizing sheet, the Lafayette Sunday Times, a paper which thrives on filth and slander, innuendos and general cussedness, was met on the street of Lafayette, Monday morning, by Mrs. Helen M. GougarJ whom his paper has repeatedly villified and persistently slandered. The much injured woman, smarting under his oft repeated insults, struck him in the face with her parasol, whereupon, in a cowardly manner he struck her upon the head with a heavy cane, and then sought shelter in th e Lahr House. Williams, being the sort of man this great reform administration loves to honor, was lately appoint ed Third Auditor of the Treasury and was home on a vacation at the time of the trouble.

No one knows better the utter dishonesty and falseness Of the democratic cry of “turn the racsals out,” and the wholesale charges of corruption against republican office holders, than the democratic leaders themselves. The very slowness with which they are making changes in the civil offices of the country, is proof positive of this fact If the republicans office holders were, even in a remote degree, such a gang of thieves and scoundrels as the democratic speakers and writers have long represented them to be, the first, duty of this democratic administration if itself were honestly and sincerely desirous of reform, should have been to make the Clean sweep which Office-Grabber Hendricks promised his adherents last fall. But the truth is, the various departments of the government'are filled with a trained, capable and honest body of public servants, and not only is the democratic adminintration unable to find any excuse vfhich will Justify them in the face of their professed Civil Service Reform principles, in turning them out of their places, but they are actually rnctble to carry on the multitudinous and complicated affairs of the Government, without the aid of those apery. men „ whom the democratic paity h^s ; ?o long and so cruelly p ahaere.i. ■ '< ' '

(Note: —The following interesting sketch of the history ,of Rensselaer, • was read at the Third Annual (Commencement of Jthe Rensselaer High School, Thursday evening, June 4th, 1885, by John Eugene Spitler, one of the graduates. Except with some very slight abridgments, it is published exactly as read by the author.-ED-itor Republican.) , The first white settlement within the limits of Jasper county was made in 1835, by George Chip, and Thomas Randle, of Va. At Gray’s tavern, op. the Tippecanoe, they met a Mr. Morris, who had just completed a survey of this section of the country, and lie advised the two home-seekers to visit the forks >f the Iroquois, which are in Barkley township. They folio wed his advice, examined the country round about, but found no place to suit them as well as the forks, where they removed in May, 1835. In 1836, they were joined by John G. Parkisbn and Henry Barkley, Sr., who, at that time, were also searching for homes in the wilds of the west. These were soou followed by scores of others.

The first white settlement in Rensselaer, was made in 1836. by Joseph D. Yeoman. This place was chosen on account of the ad vantages of the river. He erected his little leg cabin on Washington St., near where the race bridge once -stood. His farm extended from Weston’s grove to Angelica St. Here for three years he cultivated and improved his farm, with no companions but his family and the Indians. He was then, joined by Wm. Mallatt, who took a claim, on the other side of the river; and improved a farm; but not to the extent that Mr. Yeoman did his, for besom lost his claim by an Indian float, owned by Mr. Kenton. No doubt but that Mr. yeoman thought his farm would soon follow, and he did not have long to wait, for James C. Van Rensselaer, a merchant, of Utica, N. Y., a descendant of a wealthy patroon family, who had failed in business in 1837, became the. owner of an Indian float, which gave him possession of Mr. Yeoman’s land, together with all its improvements, for which the latter, of course, received nothing. Mr. Van Rensselaer conceived the idea that he might lay out a town here, as he had the advantages of the river, and this locality had already been mentioned for the seat of the county, and that by doing this he could redeem his large estate in the East, which at that time was |much incumbered. So Mr. Van Rensselaer had the original plat of the town laid dut in 1839, w’hich was recorded June 12th, of the same year, in the Deed Record 1, Pages 90 and 91. The towm was first called Newton, but the name was changed to Rensselaer, in 1844. The county seat was located here in 1839, and the first Court held in March, 1840. The location of the county seat caused several families to settle here, among whom was tnat of George W. Spitler, who at that time was County Clerk.,

The mill, now owned by E.N. Hyland, and run by steam, was built, in 1839, by Mr. Van Rensselaer; it was run by water power, up to the time the dam was taken out, in 1883. This mill, when first built, was the best northwest of Logansport. It seemed as'if Mr. Van Rensselaer was about to realize his most sanguine expectations; but fate decreed it otherwise; for he asked most exorbitant prices for his laud, and tried to monopolize all the business, so much so, that he prevented emigrants from settling here, and in the surrounding country, and hence retarded the growth of the village. . Mr. Van'Rensselaer died March 12, 1817, and his remains now repose in Presbyterian churchyard. Soon after his death, his family returned to their eastern home.

The first white child born in the town was J. J. Yeoman. The first couple to unite in the holy bonds of matrimony, were: Edward Dryer and Mrs. Elizabeth Barr. The first death was that of Mrs. Ezra Steward. In 1850 there were but 25 houses in town, all told. As it is the nature of mankind to worship a Superior Being, our forefathers were no exceptions to the rule, for in the early history of the town they held religious services at private houses. The first house for public worship was erected in 1848, by the Methodists. This church had already been founded iu the county, in 1834, by E. G. Wood. Their present membership is about 150. The Presbyterian church was organjzedin Jasper county in 1847, by Rev. Edward W. Wright. Two years later, they erected their building for worship. Present membership, about 50. The Missionary Baptist chuych was organized at this place in 1851, present membership, about 40. The Free Will Baptist church was organized in the county in 1853, by Rev.

Peter Lansing. In town, they held their first meetings in 1871, but owned no chprch building until 1884, when, under the auspices of Rev. B. F. Ferguson, one was erected on the corner of Susan and Van Redsselaer Streets. It has a membership of about 100. The Church of God was organised in 1860, by Rev. Vfm. Shockey. Present membership, about 40. The Catholic Church was organized in 1867 1 , together with an Orphan Asylum, about one mile south of town, by Bishop Luets. In iBB3 they erected the brick church, on Division St. Membership, about 250.

Though churches may be the first -necessity of any community, yet they .alone would not make a prosperous town, for the people need newspapers, to give them an account of what is transpiring, in the daily walks of life. So, as early as 1853, we find the Jasper Banner published here. This ceased in 1851; John McCarthy was its editor. This paper was bought by subscription, and was to remain neutral; this it did not do, for, in 1856, it united with the Democratic party. This caiised great dissatisfaction in the Republican ranks, and, in 1857, they founded the Rensselaer Gazette. After repeated changes, in names and proprietors, it now stands as The Rensselaer Republican, with Gearge E. Marshall, as its editor and proprietor. James W. McEwen, formerly of Monticello, this state, founded the Democratic Sentinel in 1877, and still continues its publication. There have been other papers started here, but continued only a short time. The offices of the earlier days did not confer the dignity upon, their holders that those do at the present time, for they were then kept at the homes of the c officers; but this caused no inconvenience, as the records were not so voluminous as now, and very little business, was transacted by the cdufity. The first Court House was a small log building, erected on Cornelia St., between Front and Van RensselacrSts., near the place which Grand-mother Morgan now owns; this was replaced, in 1845, by a two-story frame building 31x36 ft., on Cullen St., on the lots east of the present Court House. It Was erected by Mr, Van Rensselaer, at his own expense. The court room was below and the offices above. In 1857 this building Was replaced by the present brick Court House, at a cost of about $12,000. . In January, 1865, it was partially destroyed by fire, and nearly all the lecords were burned. It was afterwards repaired at a cost of about SI,OOO

' Jasper county, like alt other counties, soon saw the need of a jail, and this being the county seat, it was erected here. The first, jail was erected in 1847 it was nothing more than a tight box, made of logs, with a small window and a door. George W, Spitler was the contractor, for which he received four blocks in the original plat of the town. In 1856 it Was torn down and removed, and from that time until 1882, when our present brick jail was erected, the prisoners were kept in the jails of the, neighboring counties.' We think that the people of Jasper county had some money at an early day, for we are told that the first bank was under Grandfather Spitler’s hat, they did not assign any name to it however. But in 1854 Mr. Allen May established two banks at this place: The “Bank of Rensselaer” and the “Farmers’ Bank.” These were.kept in a building located hear where Joe Hardman’s jewelry store now stands. They ceased operation in 1856. In 1855, another bank was established, in the building now occupied by Dr. Loughridge as his office. This bank at first went under the the name of McCcy & Sons. After many changes in names, it now stands as A. McCoy &T. Thompson. This bank was moved to its present situation in 1860. In 1880 R. S. Dwiggins started the “Citizens’ Bank.” In 1883 John Makeever and Jay' Williams the “Farmers’ Bank.”

It was not until quite recently that the people of Reusselacf opened up communication with the outside world by railroads. Although several railroads have been surveyed through our town, and one graded, we did „not succeed in getting one until 1877. Since then the growth of the town has been quite rapid. The vacant prairie on the east has been interspersed with cottages, and everywhere old wooden buildings are disappearing, to give place to structures of a more substantial character, and modern style? such as the Nowels Block, Opera House, Makeever House, etc., until now. the places of business alone number 77, representing 81 different vocations and' professions, and the population has increased to nearly 1.500. . . ‘ ' Now we have spoken of the churches, of the press, of the courts and qf the jails; yet there was one thing still wanting, and that was the school; for 4t is the school that cultivates the mind, and ■ thus prepares us, the children of to-day, ; to bear the great responsibilities of to-

' I ? morrow.’ Though Rensselaer did hot maintain or start the first school in the county, yet we see her coming bqldly to the front, in 1811, with George W. Spitler as her first teacher. The first school was taught in a blacksmith shop, in the rear part of the lot on which Purcupile’s Restaurant now stands. Up to 1863-„the’ schools were taught, around in the different parts of town; in the Court House; in the old buildings commonly known as-the “Old Shanghai^? 1 “Old Ark” and “Liberal Corner. Next they were removed to the present old school building, which was erected in the spring and summer of 1863. It then consisted of three rooms, two below and one above. In 1867 an addition of two rooms was erected to this build" ing, which then constituted the present old school house. Th 1883, dur trustees saw fit to have our present school house erected, which cost $11,334. It contains eight rooms, seven of which are used for school, and one for a store-room and laboratory. The records of the school seem to hove been lost, or there were none kept, until 1867-8;' at that time they had 80 days of school a yehr, instead of 180 as at present. The number of pupils enrolled was 203, but it has increased until now there are 400. The number of teachers employed Was four; a*t present.it is seven. Not much attention was paid to our schools until 1877. In that year, by the skillful management of the trustees, S. P. Thompson, M. F. Chilcote and Ralph Fendig, it was made a graded school, and placed under the management of G. W. Allen, who, three years later, graduated a class of eleven, Mr. Allen was followed by Wm. DeM. Hooper, who, two years later, called on the citizens of Rensselaer to attend the Second Annual Commencement of four graduates. C. P. Mitchell succeeded Mr. Hooper. Mr. Mitchell was succeeded by P. H. Kirsch, our present Supt. Since Mr. Kirsch has taken charge of our schools, several important changes have been made. Our HighSchool has been “made a four year course, instead of a three, as formerly; Latin has been introduced; and our school has haefi made a Commissioned High School*