Source: NMHS Newsletters Aug 2001 and
Nov 2001
Harter Family Played an Important Part in Early
North Manchester History
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| Thomas
Carlyle wrote, "History is the essence of
innumerable biographies." I am constantly
reminded that the history of North Manchester is
the combined history or biographies of so many
people who have lived out their lives here. Some
of the most interesting in our |
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[Continued on Page Eight] Page Seven
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| early
history were members of the Harter family.
Joseph Harter, Sr. 1783 - 1861, born in
Pennsylvania, and his wife Elizabeth Brower,
born in Virginia, moved their family, together
with the family of their eldest son, Eli, to the
North Manchester community from Montgomery
County, Ohio, in 1836. They came by way of
Indianapolis and by wagon train. They settled on
land just north of Eel River and east of the old
Wabash Road. By 1837 Joseph and Eli had filed
claim on 1795 acres of land in Chester township
and 960 acres in Pleasant township. In 1839,
Joseph and his sons built a saw mill and a grist
mill near the site of a later dam on the Eel.
They built flour mills at Laketon and Collamer
and later, Eli operated a mill on Treaty Creek
at the south edge of Wabash.
By 1851 Joseph turned most of his business
interest over to his younger son, Jacob and
Joseph, Jr. The last of his real estate holdings
was that part of town known as Harter's Woods,
finally platted as Oak Park Addition. It is now
a part of Warvel Park and the late residence of
the Peabody family. Still part of Manchester's
history.
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Source: NMHS Newsletter Feb
1992--
The
Harter Family in Wabash County, by Don H. Garber
It all began with Andreas Harter
from Germany who signed an oath of allegiance in
Philadelphia, colony of Pennsylvania, to the King of
England on September 25, 1742.
Andreas was the father of eight children.
A son, Christian, and his wife,
Elizabeth Eller, were the parents of Joseph Harter, Sr.
The early Harter families lived in Pennsylvania,
Maryland, and Virginia.
By the nineteenth century many began moving into
Ohio and farther west.
Joseph Harter, Sr., 1783-1861, was
born in Pennsylvania and his wife, Elizabeth Brower,
1785-1856, was born in Virginia.
They moved their family, together with the family
of their oldest son, Eli, to the North Manchester
community from Montgomery County, Ohio, in 1836.
They came by way of Indianapolis and wagon train.
They settled on land just north of Eel River and
east of the old Wabash Road, on land later used as a dam
and mill site.
In 1835, 1836, and 1837 Joseph, Sr., and Eli
filed on 1795 acres of land in Chester Township and 960
in Pleasant Township.
In 1839 Joseph and his sons built a saw mill and
grist mill near the present dam.
They had interests in an early mill at the south
end of Mill Street.
[This had been established by the founder of
Manchester, Peter Ogan.
See Billings Tales of the Old Days, page 18.]
Joseph Harter and his sons
continued in early Manchester industry and real estate.
They built flour mills at Laketon and Collamer,
and later Eli operated a mill on Treaty Creek at the
south edge of Wabash.
In 1851 Joseph, Sr., turned most of his business
interests to youngest sons, Jacob and Joseph, Jr.
One may consider the last of this real estate
empire, if it was such, as that part of town known as
Harter’s woods, finally platted as Oak Park Addition,
now a part of Warvel Park and the residence of late Tom
Peabody [300 West Seventh Street].
Joseph Harter, Sr., was the first
resident preacher, elder, and moderator of the German
Baptist Church (Dunkard) and preached in German.
The records of the Harters’ early
residences are meager, but a cemetery was started east
of the Controls Corporation plant, and early family
burials were made there.
In 1878 Jacob and Joseph Harter, Jr., together
with other citizens, organized the Oaklawn Cemetery, and
all the Harter family remains were moved there.
The writer’s grandfather, Oliver
Harter, was four years old in 1836.
I have heard him tell of remembering that his
father and grandfather traded with the Indians on or
near the college athletic field, a former Indian village
site. One would
need to assume that this was a roving band of Indians,
as the village itself would likely have been abandoned
soon after the Treaty of 1835.
Joseph Harter, Sr., and his wife,
Elizabeth, were the parents of 11 children, some of whom
were life residents of the community.
Their oldest son, Eli, 1807-1890,
and his wife, Julia Ann Young, 1812-? built the second
house in North Manchester [which stood just west of the
present town hall.
Billings, page 17].
They lived many years on a farm one-half mile
south of State Road 114 on the Laketon Road at the
creek. The story
is told that during the time which the Eli Harters lived
there, the hired hand, Joe Crill, came in from the field
one day and told Mr. Harter he was going to California
and get enough gold to buy his farm,
He did just that and brought back $5,000 in gold
and bought the farm.
The Harters moved to the Treaty Creek Mill south
of Wabash, which they operated, built a substantial
brick house, and possibly never prospered so well after
that time.
Eli and Julia Ann were the parents
of 12 children, six of whom I will mention.
Elizabeth, the eldest, married Joseph
Lautzenhiser, and they lived in North Manchester.
A son, Amziah, was in the implement business.
Another son, Lincoln was a former postmaster in
North Manchester.
Oliver married Melissa
Blickenstaff, and they lived their married life on a
farm five miles northwest of North Manchester.
Their six children were Elliot, John, Joseph,
Julia (who married Sam Garber), Ovid, and Minerva.
Henry married Mary Dice.
They raised two sons and two daughters and lived
in Missouri some years, a few on short rations.
Henry spent his last years two miles southeast of
North Manchester.
Phoebe married David Butterbaugh.
She was the first Caucasian child born in North
Manchester [Billings, page 17].
They were parents of Henry, Julia (who married
John Shively), Esli, and Eli.
Joseph, a sergeant in the United
States Army, 47th Infantry, was killed
September 1862 in Kentucky.
Doretta married John Domer.
Domer was president of the Lawrence Bank in North
Manchester.
Their daughter, Emma, married Warren Dewey.
A son, Walter, was a medical doctor in Wabash.
Elizabeth, a daughter of Joseph
Harter, Sr., married Abram Switzer, who had a harness
shop in North Manchester.
They were the grandparents of Frank Switzer, a
former judge of the Wabash County Circuit Court.
Susan, another daughter of Joseph,
Sr., married Francis Eagle in Wabash.
Eagle was in various businesses there.
Jacob and Joseph Harter, Jr., the
youngest sons of Joseph, Sr., married sisters.
Jacob married Catherine Cowgill.
They built the large brick house at 202 West Main
Street, just east of the public library.
Their son, Dayton, was the father of three
daughters, Mrs. Nita Martin, Mrs. Mary Hidy, and Mrs.
Clarence (Kathy) Brady.
Joseph Harter, Jr., married Rowena
Cowgill, and they build the brick house on Main Street
directly across the street from brother Jacob.
They were the parents of two daughters, Emma, and
Mrs. Art Grace) Smith.
Jacob and Joseph Harter, Jr., operated a
drugstore (of sorts) at 116 East Main Street .
Israel Harter, 1806-1875, a nephew
of Joseph, Sr., and his wife Charlotta Kitson, came to
North Manchester from Ohio in 1837.
They first settled two miles west of North
Manchester on Clear Creek.
Much of their later life they spent on a farm
immediately east of the Main Street bridge.
Seven children were known and lived in this
community.
Many descendants are living.
The children were Henrietta (married Peter
Swank); Patterson; Stephan, a Civil War veteran,
1861-1865; Margaret (married David M. Shively); Martha
(married Samuel Miller, a bee expert and nurseryman who
build the house at 410 East Ninth); Tabitha (married
Charles Smith).
Israel followed his uncle as preacher and second
elder in the German Baptist Church.
Like many German immigrants the Harters were
Lutherans, but many became German Baptists.
[Some of this material was obtained
from the News-Journal and Lester Binnie’s Genealogy of
the Early German Baptists. Don H. Garber.]
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