Village of Hebron

Porter County

              Hebron was located where it is because of the fact that two roads cross at this point. The first house was built by Mr. Bagley, about 1845. This was a log structure, and is now owned by D. Wolf and occupied by John Hoffman. The second house was built in 1846, by Samuel Alyea, and was the first store. Mr. Alyea put in a stock of goods that he might have carried on his back. This was a log house about forty-yards from the Corners. Mr. Alyea, after a while, took in E.W. Palmer, and they moved to The Corners. Alyea soon sold to Wesley Doty, and in a short time Doty traded his interest to Samuel McCune, who kept the store until 1858, when he sold to Thomas Davis, who closed out the stock. The second store was started by William Siglar, who, after two years, sold to his brother Eli, who ran the store a year, when he took his brother, D.T., as a partner, and they have runt he business in the same building ever since. This building stands on the corner of Siglar and Main streets. The first frame building was built by Mr. McCune. The first brick was built by Daniel Siglar for a dwelling, in the north part of the town, in 1867. The second brick was built by Sweeney & Son as a business block, in 1875. It contains the town hall. The name Hebron was given by Rev. Hannan, an Associate Reformed preacher, to the congregation that assembled here to worship, and in 1845, Rev. Blain was installed. He circulated a petition for a post office, and succeeded in getting one within the year, and it was called Hebron Post Office. Rev. Blain was the first Postmaster, and served for two years, when Mr. Morris was appointed, and served for the same length of time. John Hoffman took the office next and kept it in the woods half a mile west of where the town stands, for five or six years. Amos Andrews held the office during the war. J.E. Bryant held it for some years, and gave place to Loren Pomeroy, who had it for four years. Charles Carmen next took it for a year, when he resigned, and the present incumbent, Oscar Baird, took charge about six months since.

            The first lots were laid out in 1844, by John Alyea, who laid out three one-acre lots. He sold one to palmer, one to McCune, and retained one upon which he built a blacksmith shop. In 1849, Mr. James  had a tier of half-acre lots laid out on Section 14, on a street south and east of The Corners. The mill now stands on one of these. In 1852, the Siglar Brothers laid out a tier west of The Corners, on the south side of the street on Section 15. A few years later they laid out another tier south of this one. In 1864, the Siglar Brothers laid out quite a large plat of lots on Section 10, 11 and 15. In 1855, Patrick’s Addition on the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 10. The growth of the town has been slow and gradual. It received quite an impulse from the railroad when it came. In the last eight years there have been three unsuccessful attempts to incorporate the town. The last one was made during the summer of 1882.

             The Free Press was issued here from September, 1878, until October 1, 1879. H.R. Gregory was the editor. The Local News was printed here from October, 1879, until some time in 1880, by Mr. Mansfield. In 1856, George Washington Sampson located here, and remained about thirteen years. About the same time, John Quincy Roberts came to stay only a year and a half. John K. Blackstone is the oldest resident physician, having been here almost a quarter of a century, but he is not now in active practice. Dr. S.R. Pratt is of almost as long standing. Dr. Andrew Jackson Sparks was here for three or four years. Dr. Sales came in 1868, and stayed three or four years. Dr. Price died here in 1880. Dr. Woods and Dr. Carson are among those who have come in later, and are still practicing here. Dr. Carson came in 1880. Several attempts have been made by parties to start here in the law, but none of those who attempted it stayed for any great length of time. The first drug store was started in 1866 by Ross Bryant, who, after two or three years sold to Dr. sales, who closed out the stock. The second was opened by W.B. Doddridge, who is still carrying an extensive stock. George Stemble has charge of the corner drug store, which is owned by a party in Valparaiso. The firms that carry general stocks of goods are Bryant, Doud & Co., E. and D.T. Siglar, Wilson Morrow and H.J. Nichols. J.C. Smith and Thomas Clews have grocery stores. Conner, Doud and David Fisher compete in the hardware line. Mr. Beebe was the first to start a furniture store. The business changed hands a number of times, and is now owned by S.F. Andrews. John Baker and Mr. Rolliston have shoe shops, while Gus Weggen, William White, William Nelson and John Paramore do the blacksmithing. The first hotel was opened in 1849 by Samuel McCune in the frame house now occupied by Mr. George Mosier. After McCune, Tazwell Rice kept the house. He was followed by Harvey Allen, and he by John Skelton, who kept it last. The next hotel was the Pratt House, opened by Burrell Pratt in 1865, and kept by him two years. This was kept next by a Mr. Pratt, not related to the one above mentioned; he kept it about two years. Then John Brey took charge for a year, and he was followed by John Gordon for the same time. Harvey Allen then became landlord, and was in charge for three years. Then the house passed into the hands of the Siglar Brothers, who rented it for four or five years to a nephew, John Siglar, who was succeeded by the present genial and gentlemanly landlord, who took charge of the house in June, 1879. Since that time it has been known as the Bates House. The third hotel was opened in 1866 by Henry Smith, near the depot. This was run by Mr. Smith for five years, and then by Mr. Winslow for four years, after which it was bought by Mr. Poole, who is now using it for a dwelling. The fourth and last hotel built was the Central House, erected in 1878, by John Skelton. It was kept by Loren Pomeroy for two years and a half, since which time it has been used for dwelling purposes.

 Source: Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana. Historical and Biographical. Weston A. Goodspeed, Historical Editor. Charles Blanchard, Biographical Editor. F.A. Battey & Co., Publishers, 1882.