Adams County IN Archives History - Books .....Chapter VII Jacob Closs 1896
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 17, 2007, 7:50 pm

Book Title: Reminiscences Of Adams, Jay And Randolph Counties

CHAPTER VII.
    Jacob Closs, Sr., one of the pioneers of Adams County, was born in Mar
Binger, Prussia (Germany) in 1827, whose parents were John and Catherine
(Longerdiffer) Closs, who were among the early settlers of Adams County. In 1834
the parents emigrated to America, settling in Maumee City, Ohio, where they
engaged in farming until 1838, when they moved to Adams County, Indiana, a
distance of about one hundred miles.

    The subject of this sketch then being eleven years old he walked the entire
distance and drove eight head of cattle, arriving here January 1st, 1839. The
parents lived on the Zimmerman farm, east of Decatur, until 1840, when they
moved on their own land, one mile and a half west of Decatur, and lived there
one year, when they moved to the town of Decatur, being composed of four
families. The nearest trading points at that time being Fort Wayne, Indiana, and
Piqua, Ohio, to which latter place the early settlers were compelled to go to
get their groceries. It would take two weeks at that time to make the trip to
Piqua and return, as they had to go through the Black Swamps and were compelled
to stay three nights at one tavern in the swamps, being unable to make more than
one mile a day while crossing the swamps on account of the condition of the
roads. The first stage-coach between Fort Wayne and Piqua was driven over the
route about 1846, which carried mail and passengers and was drawn by four
horses. When they reached the Black Swamps the male passengers were compelled to
walk, each one carrying a pole in order that they might be able to pry up the
coach, which was often necesary while crossing the same. In 1843 the subject of
this sketch being then 16 years old, carried fifty pounds of flour from Pleasant
Mills, a small town on the banks of the St. Marys River, five miles southeast of
Decatur, to this city. The next day after arriving from Pleasant Mills with the
flour his father gave him fifty cents and told him to go to Fort Wayne and look
for work, at which place he secured work for three days at thirty-seven cents a
day. The next job of work was secured after a lapse of three days, at which time
he had but six cents in money, and that not being sufficient to enable him to
stay all night at a hotel, he was compelled to sleep in the ashry, taking his
six cents the next morning to buy a loaf of bread, which lasted him one day.
Being then out of money he went to the nearest store keeper and purchased a bag
on time and started for the cranberry marsh. The first day he stood in water
eight inches deep and picked one bushel of cranberries, which he sold to the
storekeeper that eening [sic] for seventy-five cents; returning next morning and
picking another bushel which he sold that evening at the same price. The next
job was working on a canal boat at ten dollars per month, payable in goods,
after which he hired out to drive horses to a packet boat for ten dollars per
month, but at the end of the month received but twenty-five cents and was left
stranded eighteen miles from Fort Wayne. He then walked to Fort Wayne and worked
two weeks for a man who promised to pay him fifty cents a day, but who, at the
end of that time, refused to pay him anything, after which he returned to his
home in Decatur. Shortly after his return home there was a circus in Fort Wayne,
to which place he and his sister Catherine, now the widow of Jesse Niblick,
deceased, walked to see the same, returning on the following day.

    After remaining at home a few days he and his brother, Motts, erected a
hotel building on the ground now occupied by the Old Adams County Bank, which
building is now situated by the river bridge at the east end of Monroe street.
At the time the building was erected there was no saw mills in the country and
they were compelled to split the lath and shingles themselves. The household
furniture in those days was composed of a few three-legged stools without backs,
a broad puncheon for a table, and bed-steads to match. The cupboard was made by
boring holes in the wall into which was driven pins and clapboards laid
lengthwise across the pins; the wash basin was an ordinary sugar trough, which,
for convenience, was always left outside the house. A kitchen clock sold for one
thousand pounds of bacon.

    The parents of Mr. Closs had six children, John, Motts, Catherin, William,
Mary and Jacob, of which only two, Jacob and Catherine, are now living. Mr.
Closs learned the shoemaker trade by working nights, which trade he followed
until 1848, when he and his brother-in-law, Jesse Niblick, engaged in the boot
and shoe business, which business he followed until 1874, when he sold out and
engaged in the grocery business, which business he followed for nine years,
after which he engaged in the jewelry business, which business he is engaged in
at the present time.

    Mr. Closs was married to Catherine Spuller, October 18th, 1855, at the St.
Mary's church at Fort Wayne, Indiana, by Rev. Father Edward Fowler. Mrs. Closs
was born August 23rd, 1835. Her parents were natives of Richland County, Ohio,
who emigrated to Adams County in 1838. Two children have been born to Mr. and
Mrs. Closs, Jacob, Jr., of the firm of J. Closs & Son, Jewelers, and Mary, owner
and manager of one of the finest millinary stores and ice cream parlors in the
city of Decatur.

    The  family are all members of the St. Mary's Catholic church.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Reminiscences of Adams, Jay and Randolph Counties

Compiled by Martha C. M. Lynch

Ft. Wayne, IN: Lipes, Nelson & Singmaster

Circa 1896

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/adams/history/1896/reminisc/chapterv473gms.txt

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