The space was largely taken up by railroad news, the proposed Continental Railroad, being the prize the people were longing to secure. Meetings were being held each week to devise ways and means to raise the bonds asked by the projectors. John M. Dwyer was secretary of most of the meetings, which were addressed by railroad officials including Mr. Stackhouse, president. The soliciting committee was composed of the following gentlemen: John B. Peterson, Jabez Clark, J.W. Viant, G.W. Lawrence, William Sigler, Dr. James A. Wood, W.A. Clark, Leopold Bixenman, Herman Lepin, William Ackerman, J.L. Worley, Anton Carstens, Dan Hayden, J.H. Sanger, J.S. Evans, John Hale, Stanley Castle, J.A. Clark, Jonah Thorn, Hiram Wason, John Denney, Adelbert Palmer, Kal Burnham, Henry Dickinson, Jacob Baughman and Peter Burnham. A glance at the above list will reveal the fact that Father Time has not been idle during the past 21 years.
The following firms had advertisement in the paper: J.B. Cole, jeweler; "Uncle Dick" Mee Confectionery; "Bro." Chapman Confectionery; Vincent Hepp, blacksmith; G.W. Walters, drugs; George Mee, Union Hotel; Miss J. H. Northrup Millinery; Dan Lynch, livery; J.N. Burns, blacksmith; Post and Davis, drugs; Henry Jarrow, boots and shoes; Frazier and Jones, wagon shop; J.H. Hunt, harness; Herman Lepin, Lowell mills; J.W. Viant, general merchant; S.T. Sigler, general merchant; Andrew Moore, general merchant; M.Gragg, furniture; Samuel Nichols, blacksmith; Gragg & Rumsey, boots and shoes; Ward Price, general merchant; U.J. Fry, musical instructor; E.R. Bacon, physician; J.A. Wood, physician; Edward Curtis, veterinarian.
Daniel Merris was carrying the mail between Lowell and Hebron, and John Wilkinson performed a like service between Lowell and Crown Point. The former route was a semi-weekly and the latter a daily.
Rev. Harrison was pastor of the Methodist church.
J.M. Dwyer was erecting a new house in the north part of town.
Hale & McCann were putting up lightning rods.
Daniel Fry was engaged by the Lowell Mills as a miller.
M.L. Essick was a candidate for circuit prosecutor.
Tom Brown was republican candidate for governor.
Editor Beebe acknowledged a call from T.J. Wood, E.C. Field, M.C. Barnard, and John B. Peterson, all members of the legal profession in Crown Point.
At a citizen's meeting it was decided to celebrate the Fourth in Lowell. J.W. Viant acted as president of the meeting and T.H. Bonham as secretary. The committees were made up of the following gentlemen: Herman Lipen, John Hale, John Peterson, Dr. J.E. Davis, Frank Sherart, George Mee, Rev. John Harrison, John Dwyer, Dan Lynch, G.W. Water, Wm. Hale, U.J. Fry, T.H. Bonham, E.R. Beebe, John S. Evans, H.J.Hunt, J.E. Hale, H.P. Robbins and John Donch. The latter acted chief marshall.
George Mee announced that he would erect a large "bowery" that would accommodate thirty couples on the Fourth.
John Bryant, who by the way was largely instrumental in inducing Mr. Beebe to locate in Lowell, acted as the paper's agent in Hebron.
Prof. Tuthill's string band and a bevy of young ladies serenaded Editor Beebe.
James E. Hale came marching down the street early on the morning of the 31st of May, exclaiming, "Bully for me, I've got a pair, and this one is a nine-pound boy."
The mill pond (the glory of the town in the old days) was full of fish and the anglers were catching big strings.
N.J. Phillips erected a very neat fence round his dwelling property.
Mrs. McCain lectured on "Spiritualism" in the old Union hotel hall.
The paper stated that lightning would find it its business to strike a "Greeley" man in Lowell.
Mr. Lambert was teaming regularly between Lowell and Crown Point. (In the days before the railroad was constructed this teaming business was one of the leading industries in Lowell).
Mr. Burlow, one of Lowell's earliest settlers and member of the old democrat guard, announced that he and his wife would return to the Green Mountains, the scene of their childhood, and spend their remaining days.
The paper, after referring to the fact that Lowell has three fine brick churches, remarked that, "No man need stay away from church, for there is room for all."
The space in the paper was largely devoted to booming the proposed railroad, and Editor Beebe put up some strong arguments in behalf of the enterprise. His whole energy seemed to have been concentrated on securing the coveted prize, but after five years booming he threw up the sponge and moved the Star to Crown Point.
Miss Susie Newkirk accidentally fell from the top of the cellar steps at the residence of J.E. Hale and was severely bruised.
Marvin Warner, owing to ill health, advertised his store and store building at Orchard Grove for sale.
The paper stated that Jerry Kenney owned more sheep than all the rest of the sheep proprietors in Cedar Creek township.
The paper pictured Lowell a place of 3,000 people very soon after the Continental railroad is built.
Decoration Day passed without any demonstration of a public character.
At the city election in Valparaiso the democrats elected four out of the six officers. The following advertisements of Crown Point businessmen appeared in the paper: G.E. Eastman, dentist; Sailor & Burr, lumber; Peter Geisen, undertaker.
Green apples were quoted at $1.00; potatoes, $1.25; corn, 30 cents; eggs, 10 cents; butter 10 to 16 cents; lard, 8 cents; hides, 8 cents; chickens, $3.50 per dozen.
As Mr. Lynch and Mr. Hunt and their families were entering Crown Point early in the morning to catch the train for Chicago, their team became frightened at a boy trundling a wheelbarrow and sprung into a ditch, throwing the occupants out and badly bruising Mrs. Hunt. The others escaped with slight scratches. In those days when our people wanted to visit Chicago, it was necessary to start out in a private conveyance in the middle of the night in order to catch the early train out of Crown Point.
The Chicago Tribune went off "after strange gods" and espoused the cause of Horace Greeley. This left Chicago without a republican morning paper and the Inter Ocean was established to fill the "void."
Fuller brothers were heavy stock buyers and shippers.
The Presbyterians had just completed a very neat little church in West Creek.
The paper asked if Supervisor McNay was a "Jack of Spades".
Wool was selling for 75 and 80 cents a pound.
Uncle John Nichols had just recovered from a severe sick spell.
William Sigler was having a new tin roof put on his large store building.
M.A. Halsted, the "Father of Lowell" and to this day its most loyal defender, was a resident of Central City, Utah.
O.W. Graves was quite badly bruised by being thrown from a horse he was trying to mount.
Hack and Driscoll were talking of burning brick on a large scale.
D.T. Quackenbush, dentist, T. Cleveland and A.G. Hardesty, lawyers, and L.F. Edgerton, harness dealer, all of Crown Point, advertised their business in the Star.
A revised list of the Fourth of July committees appears in the paper: John Peterson, John Hale, Hermin Lepin, Dan Lynch, Jacob Baughman, K.M. Burnham, Jabez Clark, Jonah Thorn, Horace Gragg, H.P. Robbins, N.J. Phillips, Dr. J.E. Davis, H.J. Hunt, U.J. Fry, Robert Driscoll, Rev. John Harrison, J.M. Dwyer, E.R. Beebe, T. Bonham, Frank Sherart, John Hack, Mort Gragg, George Death, William Nichols, P.A. McNay, Ranson Kile, Hiram Darst, C. Lambert, John Stowell, Peter Klein, Tunis Franck, M.M. Lengfeld, William Frazier, N. Berns, G.W. Waters, W.H. Hale, Miss Mary Merrill, Mrs. John Lynch, Mrs. H.J.Hunt, Mrs. Ward Price and Mrs. John Viant.
Compiled from Lowell Star, June 22, 1872. Reprinted in the Lowell Tribune October 15, 1903:
The Grange met and formulated plans for the organization of a Farmers' Insurance Company. John Lynch represented the Aetna Insurance Company and could talk the business lake a veteran.
A new bakery opened for business in Lowell and the inhabitants felt very proud over the event.
The Fourth of July committees were, to use the language of the paper, sweating night and day to make the coming celebration the biggest thing of its kind ever attempted in northern Indiana.
Lowell suffered it first loss by fire Sunday, June 15th, when flames devoured the livery stable of Daniel Lynch and the blacksmith and wagon shop of C.M. Blatchely, located at the southeast corner of the public square.
Mrs. Harvey Sanger pleased the editor by presenting him with a quantity of luscious strawberries. Mrs. H.M. Dwyer did likewise by presenting him with a basket of delicious cherries. It meant something to be an editor in those days.
Compiled from Lowell Star, July 6, 1872, reprinted in Lowell Tribune, November 5, 1903:
The old mill pond swarmed with bathers nightly.
Wolves played havoc with Jerry Kenney's sheep at Orchard Grove.
Big hats and waterfalls eclipsed the face of the pastor at church. We still have the big hts with us.
The paper spoke of Uncle John S. Evans as "One of the moving characters that has the best interests of the town in it."
Miss Eliza Driscoll was the favored one chosen to represent the Goddess of Liberty on the Fourth. The paper stated that her part was a beautiful feature of the occasion and was carried out with exquisite grace.
The Fourth of July celebration was one of the memorable events in the early history of Lowell. The procession, headed by the Momence band and gorgeous chariot with the beautiful Goddess of Liberty surrounded by the Zone of State was a beautiful sight. The beauty and loveliness of Lowell was well represented. John Donch was chief marshal and H. Lepine, C.L. Templeton and Ed Demond, assistants. Two of these gentlemen have passed away. The glee club, under the supervision of U.J. Fry was a prominent feature. Prof. McCafferty failed to arrive and the Declaration of Independence was read by H. Bonham who was commander in general of the celebration. The orators were Major Calkins and congressman Jasper Packard.
The new Lake Prairie church was dedicated.
F. Wetzel advertised his new bakery in the paper.
Mart Driscoll opened his Exchange Hotel on East Commercial Ave.
Horace Gragg was painting his new residence and getting it in shape to occupy.
Prairie chickens were numerous and the nimrods were impatiently waiting for the open season.
Prof. Willie Tuthill went to Waterloo, Iowa, to act as instructor in Prof. Fay Parker's School of Music.
George L. Foster, whose home was in southern Kansas, was back shaking hands with his old neighbors and friends.
Gen. Packard and Major Calkins were entertained by Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Dwyer on the Fourth and the day following.
K.M. Burnham was experimenting with imported wheat and other valuable seeds which were sent to the Lowell Grange.
Miss Minnie Burnham, on of West Creek's pretty little ladies; placed a basket of very fine cherries on our desk.
Dr. Goman, of Hanover Township, presented the Good Templers of Lowell, per favor of Mrs. Eunice Ashton, a splendid picture, illustrating the home of an inebrate's family.
Several announcements of office seekers appeared in this paper; for sheriff, John Donch; for representative, Hiram Wason; for auditor, John Krost; for recorder, Amos Allman and John M. Dwyer.
J.C. Kenyon was erecting a new residence on his farm at Pleasant Grove. The editor says of Mr. Kenyon: "He is one of the oldest settlers, and can amusingly trace many a funny circumstance of days when even Lowell was not".
The date to vote on the proposition to levy a special tax to aid the proposed Continental railroad was set for July 15th, and the space in the paper was largely urging the voters to vote yes on the proposition. There was quite a lengthy article in the paper from the pen of Hiram Wason.
Several hundred teams were counted in Lowell on the Fourth, and the crowd was estimated at 7,000 by General Packard. In addition to the local attractions, Hamilton Brothers Circus and Indian Show was a drawing card. The circus people joined the procession as it marched from town to the "old speakers ground" east of the Methodist church and with their large band and Indians added materially to this feature of the day's program.
Compiled from Lowell Star of August 3, 1872, and reprinted in the Lowell Tribune of December 3, 1903:
On July 29th the thermometer reached 102 degrees in the shade.
Martin Turner was extensively engaged in bridge building.
Apples were plentiful and the winter crop promised to be large.
The law firm of Cleveland and Hardesty of Crown Point dissolved.
Wolves were pestering the owners of sheep in Eagle Creek Township.
James McCann and Ed Dummond were engaged in the lightning rod business.
Trustee Ward Price was advertising for bids to erect a school house in the Castle District.
T.J. Wood was nominated as a candidate for the office of circuit prosecutor by the democratic convention.
Rev. Tarr reported to the editor that lots of grain in his locality was going to waste owing to the lack of machines to save it.
Myron Warner was compelled to close his store at Orchard Grove on account of the precarious condition of his health.
John B. Peterson, of Crown Point, was nominated for common pleas prosecutor by the democratic convention at La Porte.
Mrs. Richard Fuller died at the home of her father, Mr. Hale, at Orchard Grove, July 26, at the age of 38 years. She left a husband and eleven children to mourn.
John Addison, while returning to Hebron from Lowell, stopped and drove wolves away from Thomas Huge's sheep in Eagle Creek Township.
S.D. Bryant, of Eagle Creek Township, 84 years old, worked three days in the harvest field and kept up his station binding with the best in the field.
Some 2,000 acres in the north part of Lake County, subject to overflow from the Blue Island dam, was sold at the land office in Indianapolis at prices ranging from $1.25 to $10.00 an acre.
R.S. Dwiggins, of Rensselaer, had just returned from a prolonged visit in New York City on business connected with the proposed Continental railroad and set the people along the proposed site crazy by assuring them that the road would surely be built and that he expected to see cars running by fall. (It was eight years before cars streamed into Lowell.)
Several "titled noblemen" consisting of Lord Barker and brothers and Capt. Blake purchased several acres of island and swampy land in the Kankakee River region southwest of Lowell and began the erection of elaborate buildings thereon. It was their intention to establish a hunting reserve and engage extensively in breeding fine stock. All their livestock and servants were to be strictly, "Henglish don't ye know?"
A distressing accident occurred on August 1, in which Jerome Fuller, son of Arthur Fuller, narrowly escaped death. He and a boy named Moore were hunting on what was known as the Big Island, located in the old mill pond. For some reason the gun carried by Fuller snapped two or three times, and he set the breach down on the ground to examine it to ascertain why it failed it discharge. It evidently "hung fire" as it suddenly discharged and the contents struck him in the shoulder, carrying about an inch of the collar bone, then striking the neck tearing away the muscles and three of the transverse processes of the cervical vertebra. William Hale was soon upon the ground and had the young man conveyed home and Doctors Garrish Bacon and Davis summoned to his side. After diagnosing the case the physicians would not admit of much hope of recovery. But to the surprise of everyone, Jerome recovered, but, of course, never recovered the use of his injured arm.
The potato crop was very large.
George Death engaged in the hardware business in Lowell.
Ague, the real old fashioned kind, was prowling around the marsh.
Peter Geisen, of Crown Point, was badly bruised by a runaway horse.
Jerry Kenny was building an addition to his house at Orchard Grove.
W.W. Cheschire was chairman of the Republican County Central Committee.
Sherman Nelson, of West Creek, died of consumption, after a lingering illness.
Wellington Clark announced his intention to move from his farm to Crown Point.
The Star office was moved from the Fry residence to the second floor of the Viant building.
A move was on foot to install machinery in the old factory building for manufacturing woolen goods.
A gang of graders began work on the proposed Continental railroad between Rensselaer and Francisville.
John G. Hoffman, living near Crown Point, lost one of his thumbs. He accidentally caught it in the cog wheels of a reaper.
There was talk of a Mr. Wile, of LaPorte, starting a private bank in Crown Point. Banks were a curiosity in those days.
The following gentlemen were candidates for county office on the independent ticket: J.S. Holton, sheriff; John Krost, auditor; Amos Allman, recorder.
Lightning struck a fence within five feet of a haystack on the farm of Mr. Plummer and within two rods of a barn filled with between fifty and sixty tons of hay, but fortunately, the property escaped destruction.
The Republican County Central Committee was composed of the following gentlemen: Center Township, W.W. Cheschire, Adam Schmal, William Krinbill; North Township, Joseph Hess; Hobart Township, R.C. Wadge; Ross Township, Amos Green; St. John Township, I.C. McCoy; Winfield Township, Jacob Wise; Eagle Creek, William Brown; Cedar Creek, R.W. Price; West Creek, K.M. Burnham; Hanover, JH. Irish.
Mart Driscoll advertised a dance to take place at his Exchange hotel. Music by Churchill's orchestra of Momence.
Just eight years to a day (August 21) before the death of Mrs. Burnham, her son, David Burnham, was killed in a tent at Atlantic, Ga.
J.W. Viant advertised as follows: 10 pounds good brown sugar, $1; nine pounds bight yellow, $1; 8 pounds white cane, $1; 7 pounds coffee, $1; salt, per barrel, $2.50.
The paper was advertising the brass band question, the town never having had an organization of that character.
Prairie chickens were plentiful and the hunters were bagging a good many.
A new school house had just been completed in the Stanley Castle neighborhood.
At a school meeting, J.F. Sutton was elected principal with U.J. Fry as assistant and Miss Jennie Craft as primary teacher.
Henry Dickinson raised a sweet potato that weighed four pounds. (It was considered a wonder.)
A grand hunt was arranged to come off October 24th. The losing side was to pay for the best game supper Mrs. George Mee, the clever mistress of the Union House, could prepare. Following is a list of the gentlemen who participated in the hunt: John Addison, Frank Sherard, Charles Dean, Cal Dean, H.P. Robbins, J.N. Moore, John Neishwander, James Hale, O. DeWitt, Mat Boney, G.W. Waters, James H. Sanger, R.W. Price, Dan Lynch, Lew Westerman, Thomas Flanigan, Frank Hilbrick, Joseph DeWitt, Cyril Sanger, Ed Dumond, Will Hale, Sam Nichols, A.E. Mahaney, J.B. Peterson, H. Purdy, Charles Castle, H. Clement, George Fuller, Henry Jarrow, Ed Mee, Al Davis, Mart Driscoll, John Rosenbower, Harvey Kenney, Milt Langfeldt, Dr. Davis, Mort Gragg, C.M. Blachley, Sidney Sanger, William Northrup, John Hack, S. Shafer, S.C. Beebe, Phillip Reed, James Reed, Fred Sunderman, William Surprise, Homer DeWitt, U.J. Fry, Martin Comeford, F. Sutton, M.M. Mee, Rant Kile, William Westerman, Henry Surprise, Hi Hunt, Martin Turner, Perkins Turner and J.J. McCann.
The following township officers were elected on October 8th: justice of peace -- Hanover, Michael Schreiber; Eagle Creek, George W. Handley; West Creek, Reuben C. Wood. Assessors -- Eagle Creek, B. Witfield, Cornelius Wise; Hanover, Fred Gerbil. Trustees -- Cedar Creek, R.W. Price; West Creek, James Brannon; Hanover, August Klaas. The following were elected supervisors of Cedar Creek township: first district, William Palmer; second, H.P. Cole; third, Alexander McNay; fourth, John McNay; fifth, Welcome Hill.
Teaming between Lowell and Chicago was a profitable business, both to merchants and teamsters, in spite of the five railroads in Lake County.
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