By CHARLOTTE SIEGFRIED
Indian settlement of our area was slow because of the many
humid bogs, swamps and lakes, but in time the lure of abundant
furs, fowl, deer, buffalo and fish brought about their arrival.
The first inhabitants of Milford and Van Buren Township, excluding
possible pre-historic ones, were the Miami, who came about 1750,
and the more numerous and warlike Potawatomi, who arrived a few
years later.
By the time the first white men entered Van Buren Township, many
Indian villages existed. The principal village in our township
being that of Wawasee or Waubee, which was located off the southeast
end of present day Waubee Lake and contained about 75 tribesmen.
Wawasee was a minor Miami chief and the brother of the great Chief
Papakeechie (Flat Belly). Wawasee, like his brother, was quite
large and strong and wore a fish bone or silver through his nose.
After the tribes were removed to Kansas, Wawasee escaped, returned
to his ancestral home and finally disappeared into Michigan about
1839.
The first white man to make an impact on Van Buren Township was
the French Canadian trader, Dominque Rouseau, who built his post
between the present day sites of Milford and Leesburg. Dominique
is believed to have married first, a daughter of Chief Wawasee
and second, Aggie Ervin. The Rouseau family eventually moved into
Leesburg, where Dominique died in 1845.
In October of 1832, a treaty was signed near Rochester, Ind.,
and released for settlement land, which included Van Buren Township.
March 1833 saw approximately 30 families congregated to settle
on Little Turkey Prairie. According to history books, William
Felkner arrived just a few days before the others, claimed land
near what is now Waubee Lake, and built a home for his family.
Although it is disputed by some, the first white child to be born
in Kosciusko County is said to have been Rachel Felkner, born
to William and his wife, Mary Ann, on May 15, 1833.
A family tradition tells that his baby girl was at one point adopted
by the neighboring Indians supposedly to fill the void left by
the death of a little Indian princess.
Felkner, being a man of firsts; was the first county commissioner
from Van Buren Township and had first township school, log structure,
built in 1833, with John Woods as the teacher.
Milford, which is reported to have been at one time called "Pucker
Huddle," was platted on April 10, 1836, by Judge Aaron M.
Perrine, who named four streets for his children Catherine, Emeline,
Henry and James. Judge Perrine encouraged settlement of the town
by opening his home as a hotel.
The name Milford, or Mill on the Ford, was delivered from the
mill located near the ford across Turkey Creek on the south edge
of the village. A number of saw mills have operated on the creek
including those of John Robinson, who built one of the first houses
in Milford, and John Egbert, who also built a grist mill on the
creek in 1839.
As more people settled in the township and town, the need for
goods and services grew. A blacksmith shop was started in 1836
by Samuel Sacket and medical care was available by 1839 when Dr.
Nathan Chamberlin, also a postmaster, began his practice.
During this period, Joseph Godwin erected the first "real"
hotel, and merchants, Chipman and Dolittle, started their business.
Before railroads came to the area, a string of hacks and a stage
line operated every day except Sunday, and carried mail, passengers
and freight.
The years prior to the Civil War brought more settlement and increased
activity. By the early 1850's, the Methodists had organized congregations
and other denominations were beginning to form, Dr. Edward Higbee
even built his home, a large imposing home on South Main St. in
Milford, with a hospital for the Civil War wounded in mind.
Following the war, the community grew at a rapid pace, The Cincinnati,
Wabash and Michigan (later the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago,
and St. Louis or the Big Four) came in 1870 running north and
south and in 1874 the Baltimore and Ohio was built running east
and west. At their junction just north of Milford, a small community
sprang up and was known as Shakespeare, but later the name was
changed to Milford Junction.
Newspapers, which are always an indispensable part of any community,
first came into print in Milford in 1878 with the establishment
of the Times. The editor was J. A. Werntz, a dedicated prohibitionist.
The Milford Mail, which began in 1888, was the forerunner of today's
Mail Journal and was edited by W.E Groves, a Methodist lay minister.
Milford was incorporated in 1880 with the first officers being
Isaac Hall, president; John Hoppengarner, clerk; David Becknell,
treasurer; and James Hoffman, marshal.
Some of the businesses that were in operation by the turn of the
century were: Two grain elevators, which were operated by Whethen
and Hibgee and by Martin and Felkner; an ice house, located just
west of the present Waubee bathing beach; a furniture store and
undertaking parlor owned by Keltner and Brittsan (the first undertaker
had been Henry Heightsmith); many gravel pits and a marl pit in
Waubee Lake; a tannery; stockyards; implements; making of pottery
and the manufacturing of hot water heating systems.
Since 1888 the first successful bank, Miles and Higbee, had been
in operation.
Over the years fires have played a part in the town. Milord's
first industry, the hub and spoke factory that had been built
in 1876, was burned in 1880. Several times over the years sawmills
have been destroyed. And in 1902 the entire east side of the business
district burned to the ground.
In circa 1906 the Winona Interurban was completed and ushered
in a new era, making travel to other communities an everyday occurrence.
Agriculture and agriculture related businesses have always been
the mainstay of Milford and Van Buren Township. Not only have
crops such as corn, soybeans and wheat been grown and livestock
been raised; but onions, mints, pickles, (there was a processing
plant in Milford), hemp, and poultry have been profitable products
over the years.
Education had been an important segment of Van Buren-Milford area.
Following the early subscription system, the township was divided
into several districts with each having its own building, such
as the Crowl and Frog Pond schools. These institutions rarely
offered higher grades. In 1914 a new school was built in Milford
at the corner of Rd 15 and Emeline St. it replaced the one built
in 1878, which had been the first school in Milford proper. The
new structure served the area until it became necessary to provide
additional space. The old city park and croquet courts were purchased
in 1955 to build a schoolhouse grades one through five. The Lakeland
Community School Corp. (now the Wawasee School Corp.) consolidated
the villages of Syracuse, North Webster and Milford in 1968 and
Wawasee High School was formed. In 1982, due to deteriorating
conditions, the Milford Junior High School was demolished and
the students were moved to a new facility adjacent to the grade
school.
The Concord Church was the first church to be built in the township
in 1847. The first church building in Milford was constructed
in 1867 and housed the Methodist congregation. Today the Milford
area has many and diverse denominations. These include: Apostolic
Christian, Bethel Church of the Brethren, First Brethren, Our
Lady of Guadalupe, Milford Christian, Methodist, Church of the
Brethren and The Spanish speaking Assembly of God.
Social and service clubs have played an integral part in the lives
of the residents over the years. Some of the earlier groups were
The Grand Army of the Republic, Woman's Christian Temperance Union,
Children's Loyal Temperance Union, Horse Thief Protective Association,
Young Men's Shooting Club and numerous musical organizations that
performed at the opera house. Today Milford has many such groups
including Kiwanis, Lions, American Legion, Junior Chamber of Commerce,
two reading circles, Masonic Lodge, Parent-Teacher Organization,
senior citizens and many church related groups.
In 1986 Milford is a thriving town of about 1,200 people. The
town and surrounding community have the best of all situations.
The quiet and beauty of the lakes, woods and fertile fields and
the convenience of large shopping areas not too distant. Milford
Economic Development and Milford Area Development organizations
have successfully promoted the building of new housing and attracted
industry and new people. The community has a highly trained emergency
service available, a well-equipped volunteer fire department.
Two bank branches, a fine library, three doctors, a nursing home,
a dentist, a lawyer and two veterinarian facilities are located
in Milford to serve the area residents.
The town board members are Jean Treesh, president; Dennis Wuthrick;
Darrel Orn; Monica Bice, clerk/treasurer; and Bill Knowles, street
commissioner. David Hobbs is the town marshal and Aaron Rovestine
is the deputy.
Van Buren Township and Milford have successfully combined traditions
of hard work and recreation, agriculture and commerce and many
ethnic groups including a large Spanish speaking community, a
thriving Amish population and a growing Oriental group. Emphasis
is placed on home, church, school and community.
Warsaw Times-Union Thursday, September 18, 1986
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