MEMORIES OF ISIAH
MILLER
by S. G.
Wright
Taken from the story of The
Upland Bank
Vol. 1,
Sept. 15, 1958
As a boy, Isaiah M. Miller's section of land was my favorite hunting
ground. In his west woods there was a large grove of paw paws (Indiana bananas), and four
large Bull hickory nut trees. In season there were thousands of mushrooms. Each time I
trespassed on Isaiah's land and he saw me, I was invited to the house for a long
lecture that would always wind up with Isaiah telling tales of what happened in the early
days at Millerton. He always referred to his land as Millerton. He told the story of how
he kept plowing the corn in dry years to bring up the moisture to produce a crop, while
most of the neighbors laid their corn by, when it was knee high, then would come begging
in the winter for corn. I can hear him yet as he added in disgust, " Some people are
just lazy." Then he would look straight at me.
Mr. Miles, who lived with Isaiah, very seldom spoke during these speeches, but
would always have a slight grin while Isiah lectured. The conversation would drift off
into pioneer tales. Isaiah would tell how his father and older brother walked to Ft.
Wayne and back in three days, to claim papers at the U.S. Land Office. It seems that
there was a mixup in their claim papers. I can see him yet clapping his hands with one
hand pointing north and saying, " They made a bee-line for Ft. Wayne and the U.S.
Land Office. First night out they lodged at Rock creek, walked into Ft. Wayne next
morning and all the was back to warren. For 25 miles north of Warren there was not a
house.
This was the road between Indianapolis and Ft. Wayne which they reached at
Warren. He would also tell how the fish were so plentiful and large in " The
Lake" (Dollar Lake), that when a saw mill was established on its outlet, the fish
would get into the mill wheel and would stop up the machinery.
Isaiah never married and when questioned about it, he would state that he was
just staying out of trouble. If my memory serves me right, at one time he drove a Metz
Roadster (two seater). Getting tired of blow-outs and punctures with his high pressure
tires, he trided filling the csings with oats to avoid this coninuous chore of tire
changing. Lorenzo Miles was related through Isaiah's mother's side of the family.
His grandfather was a shoemaker and wagoned his shoes to Cinn.
( note) In the 1877 Grant Co. Atlas, I.M.Miller owned 118 acres in section
one, Jefferson twp. The Lake is in the adjoining section.
JCT