Josephus Wolf was a well-revered man in Porter County, Indiana. His main partner, Martin Young, was his brother-in-law. Together they built up and owned most of Chesterton, Indiana. In fact, they built the first brick building in 1874.1 A devastating fire resulted in the destruction of most of the downtown area, in which they were rebuilt in brick. Wolf and Young were in business together and Young had stakes in Wolf's dairy farm. The pair soon had an entire block named after them and continued to rent and buy properties.2 Martin Young used his wealth to build the Martin Young house, which is also on the National Registry of Historic Places.
Josephus was also a part of the Lodge of International Order of Odd Fellows.3 According to an essay by Paula M. Nelson, lodges and any volunteer organizations helped society function. The lodges are a place where men can get together, regardless of ethnicity, religion, political views, or economic status and help the community.4 The lodges came together to help the communities and those struggling within it. Also, the men in these lodges were often held in high esteem, since most of them were pillars in the community. As stated in his obituary, Josephus was a well-admired and cherished by his many friends.5 Knowing that Josephus was so high up in the community and that he participated in voluntary activities, provides enough evidence to assume that he was an exemplary member of society. Josephus' sons helped build up Porter County after their father's death, but not as efficiently or on as big of a scale as Josephus.
Eva Hopkins and Jane Walsh-Brown, "A Brief History of Chesterton," (Chesterton, IN: Westchester Township History Museum, 2011), 5.
National Register of Historic Places, "Registration Form for Martin Young House, Chesterton, Indiana," 12.
The History of Wolf Mansion, 17.
Paula M. Nelson,“Civic Life in a Midwestern Community,” Jon K. Lauck, Gleaves Whitney, and Joseph Hogan, eds. Finding a New Midwestern History, (Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 2018), 102.
“Death Notice/ Josephus Wolf.”
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