was also used for several years as a school-house. It was in this building that Mr. Henry Cooper taught, who is claimed to be the first regular teacher in Fort Wayne. Among the events of 1819, was the erection of a log house by Samuel Hanna, at the northwest corner of Barr and Columbia streets. In this log structure he and James Barnett opened a considerable wholesale store, which they successfully continued for several years. They brought their goods from the East, by the way of Toledo and the rapids of the Maumee. At the time of the first land sale at Fort Wayne, the purchasers, other than Messrs. Barr and McCorkle, were Alexander Ewing, who entered the east half, southwest quarter of section two-being the same land on which Ewing's and Rockhill's additions were afterwards laid out. The section of land across the river, in the forks of the St. Mary's and St. Joseph's rivers, known as the "Wells pre-emption," had been, by an act of Congress of May, 1808, set apart as a preemption to Captain Wells, who was authorized to enter it, when adjacent lands should be offered at $1.25 per acre; but having lost his life in the massacre at Fort Dearborn, in 1812, his heirs being authorized, entered it at the land sale referred to. The establishment of the land office, and the influx of population opened the way for the settlement of Fort Wayne, and in a few years quite a town sprang up at the forks, which has grown into the present populous city. CHAPTER XLIV. ALLEN COUNTY EARLY SETTLEMENT. ALLEN county was organized in 1823. Previous to that date it formed a part of Randolph county. The com missioners appointed to determi e upon a site for the county seat, were James M. Ray, of Indianapolis, W. M. Conner, of Hamilton county, and Abaithes Hathaway. In the early part of 1824, they agreed upon Fort Wayne as the proper place, and in the last week in May, in the same year, the first election for county officers for Allen county took place. The first session of the "County Board" was held on the last day of May in the same year, the Board consisting of William Rockhill, James Wyman, and Francis Comparet. The county officers, elected at the first election, were: Anthony L. Davis, Clerk; Allen Hamilton, Sheriff; Samuel Hanna and Benjamin Cushman, Associate Judges; Joseph Holman, Treasurer; H. B. McKeen, First Assessor; Lambert Cushovis, First Constable; W. T. Daviss, Overseer of the Poor; R. Hors, Inspector of Elections; Israel Taylor, Joseph Troutner, and Moses Scott, Fence Viewers; Samuel Rood, Supervisor. At the first session of the Board, three Justices of the Peace were elected, as follows: Alexander Ewing, William N. Hood, and William Rockhill. These gentlemen assumed the position, ex officio, of the "Board of Justices," taking the place of County Commissioners. The first session of this body was held on the twenty-second of October, 1824. On this occasion the Board gave notice of the location of a State road from Vernon, in Jennings county, by way of Greensburg, Rushville, and New Castle to Fort Wayne. These were true pioneer days in Fort Wayne. There were none of the present fine buildings that grace the city; no leading thoroughfares adorned with fancy teams; no colleges; no fine church buildings; nothing of the modern, fashionable order. But there were the rude taverns, the straggling Indian, the hardy fur-trader-in short, the unpretending pioneer. But few, if any, at this day, thought that Fort Wayne would ever become a leading city. Yet the place had its advantages for trade, and the penetrating business men of early times were not slow to improve them. Pioneer hotel life in Fort Wayne in 1824, is, to some extent, portrayed by an old bill of "tavern rates" which has been preserved. It reads as follows: "Per day, 50 cts.; breakfast, dinner and supper, each 25 cts.; lodging, per night, 12 cts.; whisky, per quart, 12 cts.; brandy, per quart, 50 cts.; gin, per quart, 371⁄2 cts.; porter, per bottle, 37 cts.; cider, per quart, 184 cts." Allen county had its taxation, and, we suspect, it was bothersome, too. Every male over twenty-one years of age had to pay fifty cents. And for each horse, gelding or mare over three years old, thirty-seven and a half cents; every work ox, eighteen cents; every gold watch, twenty-five cents; every pinchback, twenty-five cents; every four-wheeled pleasure carriage, one dollar. The State taxes were generally paid in wolf scalps, on which a bounty was allowed. The first circuit court held in Allen county was on the ninth of August, 1824. The judicial circuit then included Adams, Wells, Huntington, and Whitley counties. At this time, C. W. Ewing was made prosecuting attorney, and John Tipton foreman of the grand jury. W. G. Ewing was, on this occasion, admitted to the bar as a practitioner at law. At this session of the court an application was made for a divorce, and, says Mr. Bryce, "some indictments were found against parties for selling liquor without license, etc., at this term of the court-each being fined three dollars and cost. In one instance, for gambling, a man was fined ten dollars." The first master in chancery of this court, was Charles W. Ewing, then a young lawyer of much ability. "To show the difference between the manner of allowances of that day and this, when six times as much service was rendered in a given time, the records show that Robert Hood (well remembered by old citizens,) was allowed seventy-five cents per day for three days' service as bailiff to the circuit court; Allen Hamilton, sixteen dollars and sixty-six cents for four months' service as sheriff of Allen county; and Charles W. Ewing, for his services as prosecuting attorney, for the term, five dollars. This court, after a session of three days, adjourned on the twelfth of August, 1824, to convene again as the court in course. The following year, 1825, the board of justices appointed W. G. Ewing county treasurer; and the second term of the circuit court was convened at the residence of Alexander Ewing, on the sixth of June-Hon. F. Morris, of the fifth judicial circuit, a resident of Indianapolis, presiding-Judge Hanna * * officiating in the capacity of associate justice. James Rariden, and Calvin Fletcher were admitted as practitioners of law at this term-both men of considerable distinction in after years. Henry Cooper, a man of many estimable qualities, long since deceased, was also admitted to the bar at this term of the court, which continued only five days." The third term of this court was convened at the house of William Suttenfield, on the twenty-first of November, 1825, Judges Hanna and Cushman presiding. It was at this session of the court that a device for a seal was presented by Charles W. Ewing. Calvin Fletcher presented his commission and was sworn in as prosecuting attorney. The term in the following year, 1826, was held at the residence of Alexander Ewing, the same judges presiding; but at the next regular term, which was opened on the thirteenth of August, in the same year, Hon. Miles C. Eggleston, of Madison, presented his commission, as president judge, was sworn in, and presided during the term. Benjamin Cushman acted as associate judge; Cyrus Taber as sheriff, and Amos Lane as prosecuting attorney. A singular story is told of the trial and conviction, on a charge of murder, of Big-Leg, an Indian, who resided near Fort Wayne, at the term of the court held in 1830. "A half Indian and negro woman, whom he claimed as his slave, had been in the habit of entering his cabin during his absence, and taking his meat. After repeatedly warning her to desist, he at length told her that if she disobeyed him again, he would kill her. From her residence among the clan, of which BigLeg was chief, whose village was on the Wabash, a few miles. from Fort Wayne, with a view to escape the fate that she knew must befall her, after a further disregard of the commands of the chief, the woman came to Fort Wayne, and was soon employed by some of the citizens. Shortly after her departure, Big-Leg came to town, too, and wandering about, he soon discovered her washing, at a house then standing about what is now the southeast corner of Clinton and Columbia streets. Stealing suddenly upon her, with his long knife ready for her destruction, he plunged it into her with such force, that it is said the blade passed through her body, and she fell dead at his feet; whereupon he proudly ejaculated, 'Was'nt that nice!' Though no uncommon thing, at that period, for the Indians visiting here to kill each other, and for which no redress had ever been sought by the authorities, the citizens here, who were then largely outnumbered by the Indians of the region, were greatly incensed at this terrible procedure of Big-Leg, and the civil authorities at once had the chief arrested, and placed in the old county jail. His main plea was that the woman belonged to him-was his property, and that he had a right to do what he pleased with her. When told that he was to be hanged for the offense, he could not comprehend it, but seemed to get the idea that it was some such operation as that he had often witnessed in the use of the old steelyards by the traders in weighing venison, etc., and concluded that he was to be weighed until he was dead; which fact soon became commonly understood among the Indians of his tribe and the region here; and as he was a chief much regarded by his clan, they early sought to exchange him for one of their number, whom they considered rather worthless; but without avail. Having received some explanations as to his probable fate by hanging, or weighing, as he understood it, which he seemed to regard as fixed, he, with his friends, thought to have the experiment tried upon a dog, in order to see how the animal would act. Accordingly, while the chief was still confined in the jail, a number of his Indian friends collected about the outside of the prison, in view of a small opening, where the chief could look out and see the action of the canine as his Indian friends proceeded to execute him. Placing a rope around the animal's neck, and suspending him from a pole that had been arranged for the purpose, at the height of a few feet from the ground, by means of crossed stakes driven into the earth, the dog was soon dangling in the air. Observing the animal very closely through the grates of the jail, the violent throes and contortions of the dog at once gave him a great aversion to hanging, or being thus weighed till he was dead; and when the jailor again made his appearance, he urged that he might be shot, rather than be killed by such a process as that he had seen tried on the dog. When |