The History Of Hebron City
People, businesses, and events have evolved and continue to evolve to create history. Prior to being first settled by Judge Jesse Johnson, the location of Hebron, Indiana was a prairie of approximately two square miles, with a southerly located Potawatomi village referred to as “Indian Town.” As cited by the Lewis Publishing Company, a story was passed on that an Indian chief created havoc at Simeon Bryant’s cabin in 1836. Simeon and his family lived in Hebron. The United States had gained access to those lands in 1832. The chief drew a circle with chalk to represent the land of his tribe and threatened to kill Simeon Bryant’s wife. Eventually, the Indians were sent west of the Mississippi River to live in reservations. As the state of Indiana was being sectioned into townships, Boone township was created in April of 1836. The township’s board of commissioners would meet at the house of Jesse Johnston for elections, in which only twenty men in the township could vote at that time.
When deciding on a location for Hebron, “the Corners,” or intersection of the two main roads, was selected as the location. With the location being so close to the Kankakee River, the majority of the land was fertile; therefore, agriculture was the major occupation for the people of Hebron. Corn, cereals, potatoes, and vegetables were some of the crops raised in this area. By 1837, more settlers and their families arrived, including Isaac Cornell and Thomas Dinwiddie. In 1841, the actual layout of Hebron began, with the first homes constructed out of logs, in which many of these families began to settle.
After many attempts of trying to construct and maintain a schoolhouse for these families, Hebron established a school that was taught by Mary Grossman in 1842. This school eventually burned down, yet some significant teachers from early Hebron schools included Alexander Hamilton, Ellen Hemes, Sarah Richards, and James Turner. Many of Hebron’s first schools were used for education, housing, and religion. Although the Bethlehem Church of Associate Reform Presbyterians was established in 1838 by Reverend Hannan, the name was actually converted from Bethlehem to Hebron in 1845. During this time, a post office was created, and the town was named Hebron, with the influence of Reverend Blain, Hebron’s first postmaster. Prior, Hebron residents traveled to LaPorte to receive and deliver mail. With people, came businesses. Responsible for the layout of three one-acre lots at the “Corners” in 1844 was Mr. John Alyea. One lot served as John Alyea’s blacksmith shop, while Mr. Palmer and Mr. McCune purchased the others. In 1846, Alyea constructed Hebron’s first goods store in close proximity to the crossroads, which eventually transformed to a new store after Alyea’s partnership with Palmer. James, the Siglar brothers, and Patrick also contributed to laying out tiers of land throughout the town of Hebron. Further, McCune created Hebron’s first frame structured tavern in 1849, which eventually became the Stagecoach Inn Museum. The home was later ran by Rice, Allen, and eventually Skelton. As the Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad was constructed to support the Union at the time of the Civil War, Hebron began to grow during the 1860s.
The Grand Kankakee Marsh became a prime location. This was because it was a key hunting ground. Furthermore, Burrell Pratt established an additional hotel in 1865, called the Pratt house, which stood at the corner of Route 231 and Main Street. Although it lost its status as a hotel, it continued to thrive as the Heritage Bar and Restaurant in Hebron until 2015, when it was torn down and replaced by Casey’s General Store. Eventually, Ross Bryant opened a drug store in 1866, followed by Daniel Sigler’s first brick home in 1867.
In 1875, Sweeney & Son constructed the first two-story brick building in Hebron, in which the top story served as the town hall. Bumstead’s County Directy reported the 1911 town government of Hebron to consist of Blanchard (president), Rathburn (clerk), Bagley (treasurer), Fry and Nichols (trustees), and Phillips (marshal). As Hebron began to add a brickyard, creamery, and other trades, they also established the town’s first newspaper in 1878, which was edited by H.R. Gregory. Finally, after many attempts to incorporate, Hebron became an official town on March 5, 1890 with a population of 689 residents. Since then, Hebron’s growth slowly progressed from 794 people in 1900 to 821 in 1910. Resulting in part from the draining of the Grand Kankakee Marsh, Hebron experienced an influx in population. Not only that, but the construction of the Opera House in the 1900s and the passenger trains that ran from Hebron to Chicago beginning in 1936, were also two major contributors to the influx in population for Hebron. The Opera House provided entertainment, while the passenger trains provided work opportunities. Over time, Hebron has seen significant changes from its original businesses. The location of the original railroad depot, for example, became the location of the town Walgreens. In 1944, the railroad depot was relocated behind the Stagecoach Inn.
Although some businesses have thrived in the small town of Hebron, many businesses failed due to the proximity to entertainment, shopping, and services outside of town. The town’s only supermarket, Patz’s Market, that opened in 1964, closed in 2017 after serving the town for 53 years. As of 2017, the businesses in Hebron consisted of gas stations, Walgreens, Dairy Queen, a bowling alley, small restaurants, convenience stores, a library, and other small businesses.
To conclude, one iconic business of Hebron, Indiana that flourished in Hebron’s history and was still standing as of 2018 for a different purpose than originally created is the Stagecoach Inn. Mr. McCune built this in 1849 to serve people traveling from Detroit to St. Louis. Although it was originally created for stagecoach travel, it was also used by hunters and fishers who came to the Kankakee River area. Travelers could stop here for rest and dining. As of 2018, the building was still located at 127 North Main Street yet served as a historical museum. Inside of the Stagecoach Inn museum, visitors could view historical furniture, building construction, appliances, weapons, and even photographs and newspaper article of historical events. This building presented opportunities for historical travelers in the past, and then opportunities for Hebron residents curious to learn about the history of their hometown.
