Pioneers of Marion County by Wm. Wm. M. Donnel, 1872

Joseph and Alloys Bauer

Joseph and Alloys Bauer, who reside in the western part of the township, were natives of Hanover, Germany, from whence they came in '33 to Indiana, and from there to their present residence (section 19) in '48 and '49. Joseph made his claim and Alloys purchased his of Leander Bennett, a temporary settler, who had came from Illinois in '46.

Just previous to the commencement of the severe winter of '48 and '49, Joseph had procured the grinding of four bushels of meal at Burch's, on White Breast, and on this, with pounded hominy and what little grinding they could occasionally get done on Helm's hand mill, they subsisted all winter. Leander Bennett had also taken a sack of corn to Burch's; but being unable to get it ground soon, he returned without it, thinking he might be able to go or send for it another time. But the snow soon put an end to all hopes of the kind till spring. And then, after so long waiting, he found that the mice had made nests of the sack and taken their winter's subsistance out of its contents. A fortunate circumstance for the mice.

During the first two or three years residence here the Bauers, being destitute of any kind of earthern vessels, barrels or even boxes, or lumber to make them of, used wooden troughs to store their provisions in.