RUNNING THE FERRY 



these swamp islands which were never found 

 by their owners. Horse stealing in those days 

 was a very frequent occurence. Ars. Eaton 

 died in 1857 and was buried beside her hus- 

 band in the family burying ground near the 

 landing. After the death of /Ars. Eaton a man 

 by the name of Sawyer cam in possession of 

 the old ferry. He built, a bridge in "57." As 

 the bridge was not substantially built the ice 

 and high water of the following spring took it 

 out. Sawyer then ran the ferry again and car- 

 ried mail for three or four years. He also put 

 up a sawmill on the banks of the river and did a 

 good lumber business. Many of the logs he 

 sawed were rafted down the river. In 1860 he 

 sold out his business to Enus Baum, who oper- 

 ated the mill and ran the ferry for a few years. 

 Baum built a bridge that stayed in and was 

 used until the close of the war when the County 

 Commissioners of Porter and Jasper Counties 

 jointly took over the bridge and made it free. 

 Later on they made a grade through the swamp 



105 



