Jamestown

The village of Eagleville was laid out in April 1853, by Simeon Gilbert and Joseph Hutchinson.  The village was later named Jamestown and the Post Office was called Crooked Creek. 

Alfred Fisher, now (1946)  eighty - nine years of age gives a little history of Jamestown village in the earlier days.  He was five years old when the family moved to Jamestown, and he grew to manhood there, and says that when he was a boy it was a busy little village. He saw a carding mill running and the grist mill running every day and night, packing flour in flour in barrels and hauling it to Coldwater, Michigan.  He also saw the cooper shop turning out barrels for the flour and a plaster mill in operation.  There were three blacksmith shops, one wagon shop, three stores, two doctors, a hotel, tin shop, shoe shop, paint shop, wagon jack factory, sawmill, cider mill and post office.  Now all is gone but one store and a garage.

The first school house in built  here was a very rude building, the steps were made of boxes. Another school house was built and then the final one in 1891.  The church was built in 1878.

The many lakes in this vicinity made it a happy hunting grounds for the Indians in the early days.  There was a tribe of Indians called the Pottawatomie that had their Indian camp east of the grist mill.  They had their burying ground over on Whig's landing.  Their Chief's name was Pokagon.  The Indian's name for Lake George was Lake Kapakunee.  John Nichols, who owned a large tract of land west of the village also had a stock of goods, which he traded to the Indians, whiskey being the staple.

 

Steuben Republican:  May 14, 1924, January 17, 1945, October 9, 1946

Steuben County Business Directory 1897 - Partial Listing

Flint
M.M. Bowen - Physician
John Colbert - Shoemaker
Geo D. Cleveland - Blacksmith
J.H. Denmore - Barber
Frank Golden - Saw Mill
George Mallory - Painter, Paper Hanger
Wm N. Hopson - Flour Mill
Hinmon - Cabinet Maker
Wm J. Huffman - General Merchandise
J. Lonsberry - Saw Mill
Lou Mabie - Cider Maker
M. Mallory - Carpenter
H.A. Nichols - Physican
Ward Philo - Postmaster

Crooked Creek ( Jamestown)

E. Brown - Live Stock
Collins & Sons - General Merchandise
Harding - Flour and Saw Mill
John Phillips - Carpenter
Oscar Williams - Shoemaker
E. B. Clark - Meat Market
A. W. Gillott - Grocery
Abner Miller - Wagon Maker
Gabriel Rau - Miller
F. B. Williams - Cabinet Maker

Nevada Mills

Clark Butler & Co - Flour Mill
Ella Cleveland - Dress Making
T.E. Lucas - Distiller of Peppermint
Frederick Neutz - General Merchandise
F Sherman - Physician
Cleveland Brothers - Saw Mill
George Kemp - Well Driver
F.D. Munger - Blacksmith
A Spangle - Blacksmith
James E. Terry - General Merchandise

York

C. Castle - Veterinary Surgeon
A.W. & C. C. Beech - Threshers and Saw Mill
J.B. Knisely - Notary Public
B.J. Dunnavan - General Merchandise
Oliver Fink - Blacksmith
Lydia Fink - Dressmaker
George F. Osfell - General Merchandise

Ray

F. E. Abrams - Druggist
Chapin & Co. - Blacksmiths
J.R. Fulton - Lumber Yard
S. Handy - Carpenter
C. Lewis - Meat Market
D. McTaggart - Physician
H Spaulding - Hotel and Livery
M. Cooper - Blacksmith
S. W. Duguid - Dry Goods Etc
O Hall - Barber
Peter Gibson - Stock Buyer
T. McNaughton - Elevator
E. Osborn - Feed Mill
Lewis Young - Postmaster

Helmer

Joe Dillman - Barber
H.S. Billman - Hardware
J. Bodley - Saw Mill
H. Baker - Carpenter
Homer Clausen - Painter
I. Hovarter - Groceries, Dry Good, Postmaster, etc.
Daniel Pray - Elevator
Pray & Son - General Merchandise
W. E. Sherrow - Druggist and Physician
H.E. Baker - Agent W&St L & P Railroad
William Reinhart - Mason
James Wagner - Mason
George Strawser - Blacksmith

Salem Center
W. G. Cary - Blacksmith
L.J. Clay - Druggist
M.B. Butler - Hardware
M B Butler & Co -  Manufacturer of Novelties
H. L. Cunningham - Physician
Kimsey & Marshall - General Merchandies
W. E. Kimsey - Breeder of Dorset Horned Sheep
Miss G. Ladaw - Dressmaker
S. Strawser - Blacksmith
A.D. Stevenson - Agent Agricultural Machinery and Carriages
Chas Brown - Cabinet Maker
J.A. Green - Blacksmith
G.M. Mills & Co - General Merchandise
L.D. Munger - Carpenter
Lewis Dole - Postmaster
J.E. Raub - Meat Market
W. H. Weaver - Barber and Shoe Maker
J.C. Woodford - Hotel
Newt Bodley - Carpenter
Daniel Sams - US Postal Carrier
M. Ransburg - Physician
E. B. Parsell - Book Agent
Cara Sisters - Dressmaker
Miss L. Shaffstall

Alvarado

James Kannel - General Merchandise and Postmaster
William Tingler - Saw Mill
William Gillmore - Cider Press
Leonard Alwood - US Mail Carrier
Albert Stieffel - Blacksmith
Frank Gilmore - Saw and Cane Mill
Williard Dewire - US Mail Carrier

Metz
H Austin - Blacksmith
M M Burch - Harness Shop
T Robinett - Grocery
J A Strong - Physician and Surgeon
Daniel Burkhart - Exchange Mill
James Kannel - General Merchandise
William Brothers - Blacksmith
A & J C Sickle - Carpenter
J Hand - Vet Surgeon
W J Healy - Barber
James Austin - Painter
C Rakestraw - Hotel
D B Gwift - Hardware and Tin Shop
B B Goodale - Druggist and PM
Ethel Warner - Millinery
John Trowbridge - Carpenter
William Reek - Sawmill
John B Goodale - Furniture and Undertaker
Frank Hoose - Mason
William Berry - Saloon

Gazetter and Complete Directory of Steuben County, Indiana 1897

Jamestown Township

I came to this township in the spring of 1835.  On the night of Saturday June 20, 1835; corn, potatoes and wheat were frozen to the ground.  There were only eight acres of wheat in the county that year and that was in on Jackson Prairie.  On Monday following, the commissioners started to lay out what is now known as Vistula road.  The first night I spent in Jamestown was northeast of Dewey's corners.  It rained and we had no shelter save what we were able to make with strips of bark from elm trees.  Only four quarter sections of land had been entered from the government, and the rest was vacant between Fremont and Orland except two pieces, one 92 of acres entered May 10, 1835, by A. Ansley, and 12 acres by C. Elmore, May 19.  I entered 80 acres June 27 and Barton Collins 386 acres on July 3, and built the first house in the township.

Orrin Preston entered  120 acres in September, 1835.  He started to mill one morning with an ox team and went from one mill to another until he was seven miles from Constantine, Michigan, where he was told by the miller he could not grind for him.  Mr Preston however, prevailed on him to grind the grist during the night.  He had gone over 40 miles.  It took people a week to mill in those days.  Now people think it hard to spend one day in that way.

The Mallory family came from Vermont in 1836.  There were eight children, five girls and three boys, and all lived near together.    Their father died in 1864, and the children were all at the funeral but one.  In 1868 their mother died and they were all at her funeral.

In the fall of 1865 a large family by the name of Depue came and bought land in Jamestown and Millgrove.  The first two generations have all passed away, but I have lived to see the fifth generation of that family.

There are now only four families in the township living on the land they entered.  Daughters of C. McCuller and B. Collins, E Leland and Harding.

George Harding - Jamestown Township
Early Settlers Meeting