LaPorte County Communities
Cass Township communities include: Callao (historical), Rozelle
(historical), Joprice (historical), Morgan Station (historical), South
Wanatah and Wanatah. Thomaston is located at the corner boundaries of
Hannah, Cass and Prairie Townships. Schimmels [historical; also referred to
as Schimmelsville] was situated at/near the Dewey and Cass townships line.
Cass Township Research Contacts and Links
The Early Development and History of Cass Township, LaPorte County,
Indiana
The Early Development and History of Cass Township, LaPorte County,
Indiana
by Ann Mensch.
When La Porte County was established, in 1832, the area south of the
southern boundary of Clinton Township, which included the present Cass
Township, was part of Starke County , Indiana. The Early History of La
Porte County , by F. E. Schultz, posted online at The La Porte County
Historical Society website, it is reported that: "the people living in that
area had difficulty getting across the Kankakee River to go to Knox (the
county seat of Starke County) to pay their taxes, having to go east as far
as Lemon's Bridge. They asked to be annexed to La Porte County and this was
done January 28, 1842." The area first being called Van Buren Township.
Due to the very wet condition of Cass township, it was not until
1839-40 that any settlers made homes there. Among the early settlers of
Cass township were: Abraham EARHART; James and Thomas CONCANNON; William
SMITH; William BATTERSON; John WILLS and his sons Charles, John and David,
all of whom reportedly came to Cass township from Wills township; Isham
CAMPBELL; Adam LEEPER; Bishop BROCKWAY; E. V. WATERS; James and Richard
CANNON; Augustus W. VAIL; Hon. Edward EVANS; L. M. SHURTE and S. B.
RUNDLETT.
Towns and settlements began to spring up as the township was settled.
The earliest settlements including Callao or Morgan Station, Joprice or
South Wanatah, and Wanatah.
Callao (also spelled as Calloa) was situated on the Pittsburg, Fort
Wayne and Chicago Railroad. It was laid off and platted in 1859, by William
A. TAYLOR, one of the first merchants and the first postmaster; later this
office was held by A. W. VAIL and then Charles SCARBOROUGH. Callao was laid
out and several houses were built in it before the railroad was completed,
the citizens anticipating that the depot would certainly be located there.
William A. TAYLOR and William McLANE put up warehouses there and purchased
considerable grain. An attempt was made to build a steam mill, but the
proprietor died and the work was not completed. A Methodist church was
erected there in 1858 or 1859. The settlement also included other signs of
a town, such as: a blacksmith shop, a hotel, and a resident physician.
To the great mortification of the citizens of Callao, the depot was
located a half mile to the west, at Morgan Station, where a village soon
sprang up. The post office was moved to that location in the spring of
1861, and building after building soon followed, with the last to be removed
being W. A. TAYLOR's store house, until by December, 1861, Callao was
entirely vacated.
Morgan Station, however, began to flourish. At the beginning of
1862, it had two dry-goods stores, one hotel, several grocery stores, and
other stores and shops usually associated with such a settlement, and a
flourishing business was done there. However, by 1904, only a few houses
remained; the people preferring to go to Wanatah, which became the larger
center. It was reportedly a case of "the larger fish eating up the little
ones".
'Found Here:
http://home.att.net/~Local_History/Laporte-Co-IN.htm#Cass_Twp
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