The History of Michigan City
Michigan City is situated on Lake Michigan in the
northwest corner of the county. It was laid out by Maj. Elstin and Samuel
Miller. General Orr joined the Major and his company at Crawfordsville,
and accompanied them in the Fall of 1831 to Michigan City. The Major had
just purchased the site, and with his party was intending to lay off his
town, but on reaching the spot he found his prepared plat did not square
with the shore of the Lake and the banks of Trail Creek. The General, being
something of a draftsman, quickly settled the question by drawing one that
did with his finger on a draftboard of clear sand, and for which he received
a present of a corner lot.
Michigan City was incorporated Feb. 8, 1836. A mayor, five aldreman, three assessors, etc., were duly elected, and at a very early day this town entered upon its career as a full fledged city.
It certainly has many natural advantages, but for some reason has not received that aid from outside sources that other towns have.
The harbor of Michigan City is a good one, and will be soon greatly imporved if sufficient means are appropriated. July 4, 1836, Congress appropriated $20,000 for the construction of a harbor at Michigan City. Since then the following appropriations have been made: March 3, 1837, $30,000; July 17, 1838, $60,733.59; June 11, 1844, $25,000; August 20, 1852, $20,000. Voluntary subscription from the citizens to the amount of about $109,000 has been raised. In 1867 Congress appropriated $75,000, in 1868 $25,000, in 1869 $31, 500, in 1870 $25,000, in 1871 $15,000, in 1872 $50,000, and in 1873 $50,000.
Steamers and sail vessels run between this town and Chicago and all the more important towns along the shores of the great lakes. The Michigan Central Railroad passes through this city, and it is the terminus of the M.C. & Indiana R.R. and the New Albany & Chicago R.R. The facilities for transportation and transit are of great importance, and the city is now rapidly developing in its material interests, and promises to become one of the leading cities of the State. It has a light house, now kept by Miss Kate Colfax, a cousin of the Hon. Schuyler Colfax of South Bend, and a penitentiary.
Iron ore is shipped from the upper lakes to this port in transitu to the Pennsylvania furnaces, and bog ore abounds in the marshes that lie adjacent to this city. A field is here open for capitalists with assurance of an ample return for the outlay.
Sulphur springs of different kinds are found near Michigan City; and the river, by a comparatively trifling outlay, can be made exceedingly servicable in the lumber and iron transportation.
Early Settlement.
Jacob Furman, aided by Benj. R. Bryant, built the first log cabin in August, 1833, on what was called Peck's Corner. Asa Harper helped suvey the city. Samuel B. Webster built the first frame house in the city.
The Michigan City Gazette was started ub the Spring of 1835 by Samuel Allen, aided by Polaski King and others, and this is said to be the first paper in the country.
Among the old settlers were George and Fisher Ames, who came in 1834; Wm. Teal, before 1834; David Sprague; George Selkrik and mark Selkreeg, brothers; Simon Ritter and family, R. Cowden, W.H. and Charles Goodhue, Thompson W. and John Francis - latter having been a member of the legislature and mayor of the city, Richard Inman & Co., Jacob Bigelow, L. Woods, Judge Lawson, Wm. F. Miller, John Holiday, Chauncy C. and Lyman Blair, Austin Chittenden, B.C. Potter, W.B. Gustin, David Behan, J.M. Hichcock, W.P. Ward, Samuel Dresden, Samuel Booth, O. Leeds, H.M, Hopkins and others.
Wylis Peck was the first mayor of the city, and W. Higgins the present mayor. The first German family was A.A Voigt and five sons, who are all in the city and vicinity.
The city has an excellent system of graded schools.
The public high school building will seat 800 pupils, and cost $45,000.
This information comes to you Free by the folks at CDGenealogy.net.
All rights are reserved 11-2005. The above information is transcribed just as it was written in an old 1874 Indiana Atlas.