Some history of Grandma's home town

Raub,

The Wea Plains, and

The Cattle Barons

Brian Capouch

brianc@palaver.net

sunnycrestfarm.org/raub

Yesterday was the sesquicentennial

of Raub's founding!!

Exploring Raub's creation myth

Places and people that played major roles
The historical context of the times

Places:

It all starts on the Wea Plains

(Click for list of Tippecanoe county markers)

Why the Wea Plains?

Natives were already intensively farming there
Soils are naturally well drained
Prime farmland--just like Benton County
Acquired via the Treaty of St. Mary's (1818)
- Our area was later, 1832 via The Treaty of Tippecanoe

That map is INCORRECT!!

Wrong v. Right

People:

James and Suzanna Hawkins

Very early (1820s) settlers on the Wea Plains
- Shadeland Farm
Quakers--part of Underground Railroad
Co-founders of the Farmer's Institute
Their children were well-connected
- daughter Eliza married Moses Fowler
- daughter Martha married Adams Earl
- son James Jr. married Jane Sumner, Edward's daughter

Springvale Cemetery

Greenbush Cemetery, moved from High Gap

Jacob Raub, Sr. 1796-1849

Went from New Jersey to Ross Co. Ohio 1820s
Moved to Tippecanoe County 1836
Likely founded grain business later run by his sons
His wife Maria from the noted New York Ostrander family
- Dr. Tobias Ostrander -The Mathematical Expositor
- Dr. Edward Ostrander - First physician in Ross Co., Ohio

Mintonye Cemetery

John Raub 1805-1849

Little is known about his life
Most likely followed his older brother to Indiana
Married Caroline Earl in Tippecanoe Co. 1837
Died in 1849, buried in Sumner Cemetery, Earl Park
- Odd, no record he ever lived near Earl Park
- Earl Park wasn't platted until 1872

Sumner Cemetery

Subsequent generations of the Raub family spread out over the area

Locations of communities found by Raub family

Area towns founded by Raub family members

South Raub

Raub

Earl Park

Chalmers

Adams Earl (1828-1895)

Came to the Wea Plains in 1836
Lafayette banker, grocer, trader
Railroad executive
Interest in packing and slaughterhouse in Chicago
Crystal Ice Co. Kankakee
Partnered with his brother-in-law Moses Fowler
Early importer of Hereford cattle
- Successor to his in-laws at Shadeland Farm

Springvale Cemetery

Moses Fowler (1815-1889)

Original business partner of John Purdue
Banker, Farmer, Cattleman
Partner in Chicago slaughterhouse
Sold groceries and dry goods
Railroad Founder with Earl etal.
Founder/benefactor of Fowler
Said to be richest man in Indiana
Owned thousands of acres of Benton County
- Originally partnered with Earl and Raub
- Also owned big farm abutting Brookston

Springvale Cemetery

Adams Danforth Raub (1840-1918)

Father was John Raub, mentioned earlier
- Mother was Caroline Earl
- Namesake of his mother's brother
Married Nancy "Nanny" Hardesty Jones
- her sister married Senator Daniel Voorhees
- Raub's stepson John Paul Jones was prominent lawyer in Washington D.C.
Platted both Raub (April) and Earl Park (July) in 1872
- Earl Park partners were Adams and Martha Earl

He was also an author

Sumner Cemetery

He was one of the "Land Barons"

Prairie Land Barons

(also known as the "Cattle Kings")

*Moses Fowler 25,000
*Adams Earl 11,000
Edward Sumner 36,000
*Parnham Boswell 12,000
Cephas Atkinson 12,000
*Adams Raub 6,000
Lemuel Milk 65,000
J.M. Gaff 16,000
*Alexander Kent 25,000
James Goodwine 10,000

Henry L. Ellsworth

Benton County's Ur-Baron
From Connecticut; Commissioner of U.S. Patents
Wrote a famous book about this area
His project failed, but his ideas survived
The rest of his story is beyond today's scope

Sumner was a very relevant baron

Edward Culver Sumner (1811-1882)

Nothing to do with the Wea Plains!
Born in Vermont
- stops in Scioto Co. Ohio, Fountain Co. near Newtown
Came to Benton County (York Township!!) in 1846
- Original homestead at "Sugar Grove" (aka Sumner's Grove)
Eventually owned vast acreages in Benton and Iroquois counties
His daughter married James Hawkins, Jr.