History of Lake County , Indiana    

HISTORY
OF
LAKE COUNTY .
CHAPTER I.

OUTLINE HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY , INDIANA . From 1834 to 1850.

EARLY SETTLERS.
According to the best authority now accessible, the best, indeed, now in existence, the Claim Register, claims were made or locations selected, in 1834, by the following named persons or for them: in June, William S. Thornburg, Thomas Thornburg, William Crooks, Samuel Miller; in October, Robert Wilkinson, who became Probate Judge and made his selection of a home spot on that stream called West Creek, Noah A. Wilkinson, Noah B. Clark, R. Fancher, Thomas Childers, Thomas Hornor, Solon Robinson, Milo Robinson; in November, T. S. Wilkinson, Robert Wilkinson of Deep River, B. Wilkinson, Thomas Brown, Jacob L. Brown, claim bought of Charles Wilson, Thomas H. Brown, William Clark, J. W. Holton, H. Wells, David Hornor, L. A. Fowler, J. B. Curtis, Elias Myrick, Thomas Reed: in December, W. A. W. Holton, Harriet Holton, then a widow, Jesse Pierce, David Pierce, John Russell, William Montgomery.

Persons made claims, that is the form used by the pioneers,-or selected locations, for their friends as well as for themselves, and there is no evidence that many of these named above actually made settlements in 1834. Those who did settle in this year were: Thomas Childers and family in School Grove, on "section 17," in October; William Crooks and Samuel Miller, probably in the summer; Solon Robinson and family on the last day of October, claim dated November, and spending that winter with him two young men, Luman A. Fowler and J. B. Curtis; Robert Wilkinson of Deep River and family in November.

In January of 1835 settlers were, Lyman Wells and John Driscoll; in February, William Clark, known afterwards as Judge Clark, and family, W. A. W. Holton with his mother and sister, and J. W. Holton with wife and child.

In the spring Richard Fancher with his family came to settle on the shore of the little lake which he had selected on section 17, a noted section for several years, but to his great disappointment he found out before long that on that section had been laid an "Indian float.'' As the year of 1835 advanced settlers came in quite rapidly. In April the "Bryant Settlement" was commenced. The names of these Bryants were, Wayne, David, Elias, and Samuel D.; and with them in this settlement was a sister, Mrs. Agnew. They called their location Pleasant Grove.

In May the "Myrick Settlement'' was made by Elias Myrick, William Myrick, and Thomas Reed; and Centre Prairie was settled by S. P. Stringham and J. Foley. Robert Wilkinson of West Creek also settled on his choice location, and north of him, in what became known as the West Creek woods, Thomas Wiles and Jesse Bond. In the fall of 1835 the large Hornor family came, David Hornor and four sons, Thomas, George, Amos, Levi, a daughter, Ruth, and other children, and Jacob L. Brown, a son-in-law. In this year also John Wood from Massachusetts made a claim, Robert Hamilton settled, Milo Robinson came from New York city , and Henry Wells of Massachusetts began his long residence in what became Crown Point .