From the Files of the Kosciusko County Historical Society

Editor’s note: This is a retrospective article that runs a few times a month on InkFreeNews.

Information for this retrospective series is courtesy of the Kosciusko County Historical Society.

Dec. 12, 1961 — The town of Milford was without a clerk-treasurer and minus one board member today after a controversy that began last month between board members and some citizens erupted Monday night.

During the meeting, clerk-treasurer Silas Howard resigned, and following the meeting, town board member Delbert Roderick also quit. Roderick’s appointment to the board in September was challenged by citizens who appeared at the session.

The controversy began when in November, Robert Wolferman was fired as the town’s chief marshal.

1836 — When the first settlers came to Bourbon Township in 1836, they found peaceful bands of Potawatomi settled at Ben-ack village along the Tippecanoe River.

Chief Ben-ack had a trading post and lived in the township many years with his daughter, Mary Ann, and her husband, John Peashway, and family, after the government had forced most of the Indians to go to Kansas.

The first settlers were James Parks and his wife, Elizabeth Hughes Parks, eight unmarried sons and two daughters, Polly and Penelope, and their husbands, Solomon Linn and John Greer, and families.

In 1837, a log building was erected and used as a church and school and for public gatherings.

James Parks died in August 1839 and a plot of ground was set aside as a “burying ground.” In 1849, a church was built on a corner of the “burying ground” and it was called the Shiloh Presbyterian Church.

Bourbon Township was organized in 1840. In 1842, it was divided and the south half was called Tippecanoe Township.

1836 —  Clay Township is bounded on the north by Wayne, east by Monroe and Jackson, south by Lake and west by Seward. Lake originally belonged to Clay Township.

The first cabin erected in Clay Township was built by Samuel Bishop, who sold his claim to Isaac Minear, the second pioneer in the township. Minear emigrated from Ohio with his family early in 1837.

– Compiled by InkFreeNews reporter Lasca Randels