Saturday, December 29, 2018
67. Old News-Winchester McDonalds, Lynn Library.
Sept. 1978, 40 Years Ago.
Ron Bristow, owner of a McDonald's restaurant in Portland, says that he will be opening up a franchise in the near future, although no date for the opening has yet been set.
"Definetly, I am going to open a McDonald's," says Bristow, who has owned the Portland franchise since 1974. He will be the owner of the local restaurant.
Although a projected ground-breaking date of the first of October has been set, Bristow says that he is still waiting on word from the McDonald's office for the go-ahead on construction. Details remaining to be cleared up include sewer clearance, according to the restauranteur. He hopes to have the final word sometime early next week.
Rodney Webb, of Winchester, whose father, Russel Webb, owns a piece of land in which the McDonald's Corporation is interested, says that the deal is not yet completely firm, although everyone is "Working in that direction." Webb declined to mention just what remains to be resolved, but did say that although the deal was very close to being completed, "No deal is 100 percent until you can see the building."
A real estate department, working out of the district office for McDonald's, in Indianapolis, will actually obtain the property for the site of the new restaurant, located near the intersection of State Roads 27 and 32 in Winchester. A franchise department located with the corporation's headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, then matches up prospective licensees with available sites. The franchise for the new store is then purchased from McDonald's.
Although the real estate department in Indianapolis declined to comment on the new site, sources in Atlanta did confirm that the Winchester location was being considered.
Bristow says that he knew that a site in Winchester would become available in the future, but did not think it would be before 1979. The opening came about sooner than expected. Since he is the owner of the nearest existing McDonald's restaurant, and the opening of a new store in Winchester may have an effect on his sales, Bristow was given the right of first refusal on the new location.
December 1939, 79 Years Ago.
Lynn has procured a new library through the aid of the federal government and the generosity of Mrs. James P. Goodrich, of Winchester, it was revealed yesterday by Merl Chenoweth, clerk-treasurer of Lynn.
Lynn's town board recently received word from Senator Frederick VanNuys to the effect that an appropriation of $9,483 for the construction of a new library building had been officially approved by the federal government.
The town prior to that time, had purchased a lot upon which the proposed building was to have been located, but between $7,000 and $8,000 had to be raised in some manner to receive the aid.
This matter was discussed with Mr. and Mrs. James P. Goodrich and at a conference in the Goodrich home with Mr. Chenoweth the matter was arranged as shown by the following correspondence:
Winchester, Ind,.
December 19, 1939
Mr. Merl Chenoweth,
Clerk-Treasurer, Elect,
Lynn, Ind.
Dear Mr. Chenoweth:
Confirming our many conversations with respect to building a library in the town of Lynn. I understand the town itself is unable to raise the money sufficient for that purpose.
I am advised, however, that the town is able to and will furnish a mutually satisfactory site and the federal government will furnish something in excess of $9,000. That it will require between $7,000 and $8,000 to finish the erection of the building.
This is to advise you that I will be happy to furnish the additional money: the library to be known as the FRIST MEMORIAL LIBRARY.
I am enclosing to you a certified check for $4,000 and will furnish the additional sum, not to exceed $8,000 in all, as needed to complete the building.
If for any reason the project does not go through, you will return the check to me.
Very truly yours,
Cora Frist Goodrich.
Chenoweth replied as follows:
Lynn, Ind.,
December 20, 1939.
Mrs. Cora Frist Goodrich,
Winchester, Indiana
Dear Mrs. Goodrich:
It is with pleasure that I acknowledge receipt of your certified check, dated December 19, calling for four thousand dollars, to be used in the construction of a library building in Lynn, to be known as the FRIST MEMORIAL LIBRARY.
I note that you will furnish an additional amount, not exceeding $8,000, as needed to complete the building.
No finer tribute could be paid departed loved ones than your whole-hearted, unselfish purpose in providing for this memorial. We shall endeavor to locate and supervise the construction of this building to the end that you will be pleased with it all. On behalf of the town of Lynn, represented by Trustees-elect Leland Thomas, Herbert Anderson and George Bascom, the schools represented by Will Moore, superintendent and Washington township represented by Donald Hinshaw, trustee, we thank you.
Yours very truly
Merl Chenoweth,
Clerk-Treas. Elect.
Mrs. Goodrich yesterday insisted she is not making this donation, but that it is being made in behalf of her father, Jonas L.P. Frist, and her mother, Amy Powell Frist, long deceased, together with a deceased sister and nephew, T. Juanita Frist Hecker and Jonas Sheldon Hecker, her son, Pierre, and her granddaughter, Nancy.
Mrs. Goodrich's father and mother moved to Lynn more than 70 years ago and the building located near their old home will be a tribute to their memory.
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
64. Randolph County Trivia. 12/19
1948.
The first ranch style home built in Winchester. Mr. and Mrs. Roger Green and 5-year-old Betsy are all moved in and practically settled in their new home at 540 West South street. Minor details are still to be taken care of, but for the most part the house is completely finished.
The ranch style house is the only one of its kind in Winchester and has caused considerable comment and attracted a number of visitors, including several from out of town.
The house has five rooms, including the living room, two bed rooms, kitchen and bath. Roger's store, "Green's Sporting Goods," is in a room adjoining the house on the west. The store is entered from a private entrance on West South street.
A long walk leads to the house entrance from a sandstone and red cement terrace on the east side. The living room has a large picture window which looks out upon the terrace. All floors are southern red oak which have been sanded and bruce finished. The woodwork is oak with a darker finish.
The kitchen has the convenient built in features with the cabinet tops laid with Formica in the mother of pearl finish. Walls are in rough plaster, one bedroom being done in pale rose and the other rooms being in natural color.
A partial basement houses the forced air furnace with a cooling system and storage cupboards. The house has an abundance of closet space and attractive built-in book shelves.
Lighting fixtures are all the ranch type of colonial brass. Predominating colors in the furnishings are chartruese and grey.
The house is a true ranch style and was built as originally designed except for a few very minor changes.
1874.
Fairview, Green Twp. from A Friend Of Good Order. As it has been some time since you heard from this place, I wish to inform the ladies of Winchester through the pages of the Journal that they do not know how to crusade against drunkenness effectually, so they had better come to this village and learn. One week ago today, one Jesse Bebo, a jail bird, brought some beer and "shot gun" whiskey to sell, and some of his associates got drunk that night and stoned a widow woman's house. The next day one George Vickroy, of this village, got drunk and Mrs. Vickroy heard of it so she went out and found her drunken husband. With a club in hand she led him off to the "doggery", went in and commenced to break bottles, glasses and turned over the beer kegs and split the barrels. While so doing the said Jesse Bebo run up to prevent her but she lamned him hard across the head with her club so that he beat a retreat and then returned to the attack again, but she stood her ground, fought, and bit and kicked until she cleared the place out and then walked her drunken husband home.
Jesse Bebo left the next morning for parts unknown and I think this is the right way to crusade, quicker than prayer and more effectual in this case.
1947.
New business. "Sullivans Drive-In", located at the west end of Washington street in Winchester will be opened for business Saturday at 5 p.m., it was announced today by Edythe and Horace L. (Pop) Sullivan, who also will continue to operate the B & B café at 128 North Main street.
The Sullivans, who have owned and operated the B & B for eleven years are members of the National Restaurant association and will continue their fine reputation in their new establishment, serving delicious quality food featuring Sullivan's special french fried chicken at all hours, pork tenderloin lunch, sandwiches, malts, ice creams and soft drinks.
The drive-in is being advertised as located on "West Washington street, route 32, watch for the sign." A big neon sign in front will show the way.
It will be one of the newest and most modern drive-ins in this section of Indiana, with plenty of parking space, full dining room and car service.
1953.
Huntsville Community Building. Dr. Edwin R. Garrison, administrative assistant to Bishop Richard C. Raines of the Indiana area, will dedicate the community building at Huntsville on March 15, 1953 at a 2:30 p.m. service.
The building, formerly the school and then a blacksmith shop, has been extensively renovated by members of Huntsville Methodist church and the community in preparation for its use as a social center. Even before the dedication, a fish fry, guest night for the W.S.C.S. of the church, and a young peoples gathering will take place.
Several years ago men of the community started a farm project on land owned by Walter Harper. A farm board, headed by Kenneth Pursley, planned the raising of crops, and this past year the moneys received from the sale of beans, wheat and corn were turned over to a building committee. The ground and old building already had been purchased.
Since the fall of 1952, the former blacksmith shop has been completely remodeled. An addition to house the kitchen, furnace and cloak rooms and rest rooms was added.
There is now a main room for community gatherings, and a smaller room at the back where children may play or small groups may meet.
Ralph Moore, chairman of the building committee, was assisted by Cecil Cox, Max Gordon, Howard Townsend and George Robert Hinshaw in the planning. Clarence Sheppard has supervised the wiring and many men of the church and community have helped with the work.
A women's group now is finishing the pine paneling in the building, and the following committee will plan for furnishings: Mrs. Otho Gordon, Mrs. James Dean Lane, Mrs. Gerald Sharp, Mrs. Robert Addington, Mrs. Ralph Moore and Mrs. Kenneth Pursley.
On Friday, March 6, members of the Modoc-Huntsville youth Fellowship will assist in the building also.
In addition to meetings of the women's groups, youth fellowship, and classes of the church, community groups will use the building for their meetings and special events.
1973.
The Randolph county liquor board approved the transfer of the wine and beer permit for the City Cigar Store, Winchester, from Raymond Hobson, former proprietor, to three brothers, Charles D. Hyre, Richard Hyre and David Hyre, the latter of Rochester, Mich.
Charles and David Hyre will operate the City Cigar Store, where they have been working to familiarize themselves with the business for the past several months.
On hand for the liquor board meeting were Chairman Bill Bertram, members Verlie Love and Ralph Chalfant, and State Police Excise Officer Duane Loos. (The position of State Alcoholic Beverage Board hearing officers have been eliminated by new law and the state police excise officers have taken over their functions.)
Raymond (Slick) Hobson, previous owner of the business, said that he purchased the tavern in 1948 from Walter Myers and has owned it for the past 23 years.
Hobson sold the business to Roger Capron in 1954 but bought it back in 1956.
The operation, which includes cards, pool, reportedly excellent food and the bar, is the last "stronghold of masculinity" in Winchester. Hobson noted that about every three months a woman comes into the tavern and is duly served, as required by recent "equal rights" legislation but women patrons are not encouraged. Charles Hyre added that the new corporation will follow the same general plan.
An interesting aspect of the interior of the Cigar Store is the west end of the bar, which is many years old. Hobson recalls that it was salvaged from the effects of the late Bud Irvin, who was a saloon-keeper at both Winchester and Union City at the turn of the century.
Undoubtedly the men who leaned on that part of the bar seventy or eighty years ago would be totally astonished to see a woman in the traditional men-only saloon.
(Employees that I remember when Slick owned the bar during the 60's were Jess Lykins, John Riley, Pete Retz, Jim Wysong and Bill Stonerock.)
1947.
"Number please?" a pleasant voice asks when you pick up the receiver of your telephone at any time during the day or night.
Few people look upon the telephone company as a merchant, yet it probably has more patrons daily than any other business organization. Without telephone service a community soon would be on the verge of collapse.
Winchester was offered its first company-owned telephone service in 1897 when a group of men bought out an exchange operated by the Fockler brothers. Stock in the organization, known as the Winchester Telephone Company, was $25 a share and it was necessary for a person to be a stockholder before he could be a subscriber. At that time there were about 25 telephones in service.
Around 1900 the company moved to its present location at 114 East Franklin street and in 1905 merged with the Eastern Telephone Company. The building served not only as a telephone exchange but also as a residence for the manager and operator.
First manager of the company was Albert Diggs. The late Alonzo L. Nichols, father of Merrill W. Nichols, Winchester attorney, was the first president of the board.
The company has grown by leaps and bounds and now with Winchester as the main office, operates exchanges in Saratoga, Ridgeville, Redkey, Dunkirk, Parker, Farmland, Lynn, Fountain City, Centerville, Cambridge City, Hagerstown, Greensfork, Modoc, Williamsburg, Losantville and Economy. Seven of these exchanges are automatic dial systems. Plans are now underway to convert Winchester to the dial system sometime after January of next year, and in the not too distant future convert all remaining manual exchanges into dial. Sunday
In the entire system 150 persons are employed, including 30 operators in the local exchange. Approximately 10,000 calls are handled through the Winchester board each day, in addition to from 600 to 800 long distance calls.
In 1944 the company built new offices directly adjoining the present building. The office is air conditioned and one of the most modern in Winchester today.
Vern Robinson, present plant superintendent, has been with the telephone company 35 years, joining the organization in 1913 after service with the Advance and Farmers Telephone Company.
Mary Anna Butts is office manager and Grace Berrard is assistant chief operator. Nellie Zumbrum Dienst, who died Sunday, was with the company for 27 tears and was chief operator when illness forced her retirement.
Monday, December 17, 2018
63. Zichts' Fire, 1973; "Shakerag" -where is it?
An explosion and fire ruined a two generation family business in Winchester Wednesday night. Zichts' Greenhouse, on the Huntsville road just west of the Penn Central railroad crossing was virtually demolished in the blaze, which was detected after 11 p.m.
Telephone lines were so jammed with callers attempting to report the fire that Winchester firemen did not get the alarm until 11:20 p.m. when Howard McCormick an area farmer who had seen the flames, got word through, Fire Chief Jake Gullett said Thursday.
Two Winchester volunteer firemen, the Rev. John Hess and Charlie Whitesel reported hearing a loud explosion and feeling the concussion as they were answering the fire alarm. Other reports were that there were either two or three explosions. Neighbors said the concussion shook their homes. Gullett said that a large two-inch gas main had been blown apart approximately a foot and a half from the large gas furnace at the rear of the greenhouse. The furnace, however, was apparently undamaged.
As the Winchester firemen arrived at the scene, flames were shooting high in the air through the broken panes of the greenhouse, dangerously close to the house of Mrs. Ray Zicht Sr., just west.
Gullett said White River volunteers who had also been called, arrived at the scene at the same time as the Winchester firemen and "were a big help."
Firemen fought the blaze in ten-above-zero temperatures, with ice, strong, gusty winds and snow adding to their problems.
Gullett said Winchester volunteers returned to the station around 1:30 a.m. Thursday but two firemen went back to the greenhouse at 3:20 when another small blaze broke out.
Thursday morning as Ray Zicht, Jr., present proprietor of the greenhouse, inspected the ruins, he said the loss was partially insured. "We can continue with the front part of the business", he stated (referring to the undamaged front display area, and cut flowers ordered from other companies) "but we're out of business for the time being as far as greenhouse plants are concerned." All the hundreds of dollars worth of growing plants in the greenhouse were ruined either by fire or cold. The worst of the damage was at the southern (rear) end of the building where a wooden shed addition was completely charred and gutted, and all the glass panes in the adjoining part of the greenhouse were broken, wires charred and other damage evident.
Fire Chief Gullett said he had not yet determined the actual cause of the blaze or explosion or which caused which.
Zicht, who lives across Beeson Drive west of the greenhouse, said he had inspected the building at 9 p.m. as he does every evening "and everything was perfectly all right then."
1956.
A small settlement sprung up two miles east of Deerfield, which boasted of a grocery, blacksmith shop, church and a school house. At that time, dinner bells were quite scarce and those not in possession of same on their farms resorted to a long pole, at which to one end was fastened a white rag. At the time when a meal was in the offering, one among the members of the home would raise and shake it as a token that a meal was ready for the workmen in the fields nearby. Hence this settlement came by the name of "Shakerag."
1956.
A small settlement sprung up two miles east of Deerfield, which boasted of a grocery, blacksmith shop, church and a school house. At that time, dinner bells were quite scarce and those not in possession of same on their farms resorted to a long pole, at which to one end was fastened a white rag. At the time when a meal was in the offering, one among the members of the home would raise and shake it as a token that a meal was ready for the workmen in the fields nearby. Hence this settlement came by the name of "Shakerag."
Friday, December 14, 2018
62. Deerfield Skating Rink
Deerfield Skating Rink advertisement
June 1947.
Our neighbor to the north of us, Deerfield, will have a roller rink, in the near future. Orville Kiser will build the building on the vacant lots just south of the Collins garage. The building will be 55 feet wide and 120 feet long. This will also be the actual measurements of the skating floor. The base floor will be cement with hardwood used for the skating floor. The building will be a one story structure. Additions will be built to the main building for the use of cloak rooms, counters for soft drinks, and a place for the skaters to change skates and to check them or buy them, whichever the person desires.
In the last few months, Deerfield has become a gathering place for young people and the addition of the roller rink will add more entertainment for the young folks. We wish the new venture success. Mr. Kiser is a former Ridgeville boy and a graduate from the local high school, class of 1937. For the past few years he has managed a farm seven miles east of Ridgeville located on the Harker Pike. Prior to that he was with his father, Irvin, in the dairy business.
Saturday, November 24, 2018
61. Randolph County Trivia
Randolph County Trivia
Journal Herald, May 22, 1948
First Television Set In Union City Is Purchased By Music Concern
The first television set in the Union City community has been purchased by Brenton's Music store, 207 North Columbia street, and will be put into operation as soon as adjustments can be made.
The set is a Belmont television receiver and arrived at the Union City business on Tuesday. A large aerial previously had been installed on top of the firm's building.
Following adjustments the set will be put in a location inside the store where there is the least interference with static.
The set cost $249.50 and its installation will be an additional $100.
John Brenton and his son, Robert, owners of the business, are now testing to see if the reception will be good enough for home use in Union City.
Technically, television can only be transmitted 40 miles with good reception. Since Union City is 71 miles from Cincinnati by air the closest city with a telecasting station, the Brentons are wondering how successful their receiver will be. They have reports that television out of Cincinnati has been received from locations 84 miles away, and Tuesday evening they were able to receive television from Cincinnati two different times.
For the present only station W. L. W. T., Cincinnati, can be received; however, telecasting stations are now being installed at Dayton and Indianapolis. In addition station W. L. W. T. is installing a booster station in Dayton, thus giving good reception to receivers in this area.
One advantage to be found in Union City is the fact that the town is on one of the highest levels in Indiana, and transmission of television is made much more receptive.
Journal Herald, June 1946
Beeson Golf Club
Claude Barnes while playing Saturday evening on the Beeson course teed off on No. 4, his ball hit a tree and vanished. He and his party gave up the search and began play on No's. 5 and 6. Claude then discovered he had made a "hole-in-one" by shooting off No. 4 into the No. 6 bucket.
There are witnesses to verify the truthfulness of this story.
Journal Herald, June 29, 1948
Excavating for Lynn Community Building Finished
Work is progressing rapidly on the new American Legion community building at Lynn, excavating being completed last week. All materials for actual construction have been ordered.
The structure, which will be built across the street from the school building, will be 46 feet wide and 120 feet long. First floor will be devoted to space for meeting rooms and dining room, while upstairs will be finished suitable for a skating rink.
Work is being done by Howard Marquis, Lynn contractor, who also aided in designing the building. Construction will be of Snarr blocks framed with steel.
David Clark, post commander, stated that when excavating started there was much soil to be disposed of in a short space of time and that it was sold to Lynn property owners at a nominal price per load, resulting in quite a sum of money to help pay for the digging.
The building is being constructed with funds raised by the Lynn Legion through popular subscription and from proceeds of various projects of the organization.
The Lynn post will meet July 13 at 8 p.m. in the K. of P. hall to elect officers.
Journal Herald, August 1942
Relic of 1918 to Go on Active Duty
A field gun that probably saw duty in the First World War is going back to work in World War II, but this time it may be used as part of a tank, or ship or a truck.
The gun, sent to the Spartansburg Cemetery association by the government in 1931, was sold last week as scrap and eventually will be converted into a war weapon for the present conflict.
Back in 1928 the Cemetery association bought a tract of land adjoining the cemetery, had it surveyed and set aside a plot 80 feet square for the erection of a soldiers' and sailors' monument. Three years later the monument was completed and Ed Chenoweth of the association wrote to the government inquiring about the donation of a cannon to place on the monument.
After checking a list of available field pieces sent by the government, a cannon then in Illinois was chosen and the request was sent to the government.
When the cannon came, the committee was disappointed to find it could not be unmounted and, since it could not be mounted in such a way as to add to the beauty of the monument, it lay unused for 11 years.
The group had several opportunities to sell the cannon but since it was government property, they refused. Finally it was sold to a Winchester junk yard to be converted into scrap for armaments for the present war.
The gun was evidently made of cast iron with a brass jacket, according to the purchasers, and weighed just five pounds less than half a ton.
Journal Herald, August 1937
Winchester Youth Center
Due to the philanthropy of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Goodrich, the youth of Winchester and vicinity will within the near future have access to what may be termed a "youth center" or community house.
Announcement of a gift from the Goodrich's to the city of Winchester was made Sunday by Mayor John P. Clark, which when all details have been worked out and the building ready for occupancy will furnish a meeting place, under careful supervision, for the youth.
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Goodrich recently purchased the Harry Magee property at 119 North Meridian street, just north of the Winchester Daily News and Journal-Herald offices, and will deed this property to the city as quickly as a few details have been worked out, probably this week.
The Goodrich's have always been interested in youth, Mr. Goodrich being one of the prime movers of Boy Scout activities in Winchester and a liberal contributor financially.
Along with the property will be donated money enough to remodel the building, the second story to be used for the caretaker's quarters, the first floor for a meeting and assembly room and the basement for recreation.
The two-story brick building is 90 feet long and 45 feet wide, the lot being 156 by 82 1/2 feet.
The city will file for a WPA project for complete remodeling.
The city council in special meeting a week ago accepted the gift and a community house fund was added to the proposed 1938 budget, asking for a 3-cent levy for maintenance. Possession is expected to be taken October 1.
Journal Herald, January 17, 1948
Union City Man is Harness maker for 54 Years
It has been nearly 54 years ago since George (Bud) Schricker, of Union City, got his start as a harness maker. He is believed to be one of the few remaining men in the harness making business today.
Mr. Schricker is a man with plenty of experience in the art of making all types of harnesses. He has spent most of his life in Union City, where he formerly operated a shoe repair and harness shop, and for many years resided in Kalamazoo, Mich., working in leather and uniform factories. For the past few years he has been serving as a foreman at Birck's Hardware store, 611 Main street, Richmond, Ind.
The veteran harness maker started to work for his father, the late Henry Schricker, in Union City when he was still in knee pants.
"I was about 14 years old at the time," he said.
Harness for sulky race horses are now his specialty. He has worked for many years, however, making leather boots, leggings, both for policemen and soldiers, doctor's kits, medical satchels and leather parts for the now forgotten buggy.
At the factory in Kalamazoo, Schricker worked on a $25,000 order for the Ringling Borther-Barnum and Bailey circus. He also can remember working on the harnesses for the New Orleans Mardi Gras many years ago.
As one watched Mr Schricker make a harness for a horse which will trot around a track at some distant county fair, the process seems simple. Yet, after he begins to explain the methods used, one becomes more and more amazed. The art of making a harness is far from that which meets the eye,
As told by Mr. Schricker, this is the procedure in making an average harness:
"The leather is shipped to the store from Buffalo and Chicago tanneries. All harness leather comes from Buffalo while calf skin is shipped from Chicago.
"The leather comes bundled and is laid out on a bench.
"It is then cut into strips for the straps of the harness. Some of the leather is 'blocked' for making the saddle."
"After the strips have been cut, the leather is then blackened with an ink called 'harness ink.' This ink is rubbed into the leather by hand.
"The buckles and the hardware come next and then it is ready to be sewn into shape.
"The thread is made of nylon and is oftentimes colored to add beauty to the harness. Some parts of the harness have more strain than others. They require heavier thread.
"After the pieces of the harness have been sewed, only the finishing touches are needed.
"The buckles are shinned and more blackening is applied to make the finished product more attractive," he said.
According to Schricker, one need not worry whether the harness will fit the horse. Adjustable straps take care of that.
"They will fit any race horse," he explained.
One difficult part of making the harness is the fact that the saddle must be sewn partly by hand. Mr. Schricker also does this job.
The saddle is that piece which goes around the horse's body. It holds the loops for the straps and sulky prongs.
Schricker is kept busy. One entire side of the rear of the Richmond hardware store is devoted to making harness and other leather goods.
The old-timer in harness making ranks is well-known to many Union City people. Way back at the turn of the century, he was busy working for his father in this city. Later he operated the Schricker Shoe Repair and Harness shop on West Oak street, where the Quick Cleaners and Shoe Rebuilding store is now located. He maintains his residence on West Hickory street, but has been staying in Richmond since his employment is there.
Journal Herald, October 1954
Court House News
If you believe things aren't tough all over, take a trip to the Randolph county courthouse. The court room and judge's chambers are floating in water coming through the unfinished roof recently torn off the county building.
The county agent's office also tusseled with the unwanted shower yesterday, but now has things fairly well under control.
At 10 a.m. Tuesday, the News and Journal Herald office received a call from the county extension office saying the judiciary department was knee deep in water, using mops and buckets to try and stop the flow from draining through the floor into the lower offices.
The statement proved to be true as Judge John W. Macy, Deputy Clerk Phyllis Gray and Courtroom Bailiff George Helms were slaving away with bucket and mop and Prosecuting Attorney Zane Stohler making a hurried exit from the room upon sighting the news photographer.
For some unknown reason, tragedy was averted in the library next to the judge's chambers as water came through the ceiling on all sides of it but failed to damage any of the valuable volumes.
As in all unpleasant happenings, some fun can be had and the work of cleaning up was progressing in a happy but determined manner. Judge Macy had his work interrupted at 10:30 o'clock as court was held in the library but he quickly dispensed with the legal duties and returned to mop and bucket.
One of the biggest laughs of the affair for visitors stopping in was Deputy Clerk Phyllis Gray with mop in one hand, bucket in the other and no shoes on. It was learned through Judge Macy, the young lass had the choice between dignity or ruining a good pair of footwear. She quickly chose the barefoot role.
With threatening skies and reports of more rain on the way, the officials of the mop and bucket are wondering if they are in for a night of it. Twenty-two buckets are now placed under various dripping spots, although it is not immediately in danger, the ceiling could buckle under an intense downpour of rain.
Anyone with an extra mop or a few old buckets can surely get work without much trouble at the courthouse. Just swim into the judge's chamber and apply.
Journal Herald, March 1948
Winchester Airport is Open on Road 32; Coxey's Airport Closed
Coxey's airport is no more! That is, by that name and location.
The new operation--known as the Winchester airport--is located three miles east of Winchester on state road 32. Coxey's airport east of town on the Greenville pike is closed.
But Everett Cox still is on the job as manager.
The new airport is approved by the civil aeronautics administration as Class I and is approved by the veterans' administration for private and commercial flight training.
Private flight training of all types up to instrument rating will be given.
Mr. Cox is licensed to give C.A.A. written and flight tests for private license. William Turner is employed to assist and is licensed by the C.A.A. to give single and multi-engine training.
The new airport has sufficient length runways to accommodate twin-engine aircraft. The shop is suitable for complete aircraft maintenance and services. A competent A.E. mechanic is employed at all times.
Hanger space is provided for twelve planes and more hangers will be constructed as they are needed. The main building is equipped with modern office and rest room facilities.
Winchester Journal Herald, October 1942
Kelly Tool Co. In WW II
An infant Winchester industry, The Kelly Tool Company, has moved from the old interurban car barn at the west side of town to a new location on Railroad Avenue at North East St., and was turning out 800 to 900 finished parts weekly to keep the Army, Navy and Air Corps. in the thick of the fight.
(While located at the car barn the company was also known as the Kelly Gunsight Company and made parts for bomb sights. Ralph "Rudy" Litschert made lenses in his own shop for these bomb sights.)
Journal Herald, May 22, 1948
First Television Set In Union City Is Purchased By Music Concern
The first television set in the Union City community has been purchased by Brenton's Music store, 207 North Columbia street, and will be put into operation as soon as adjustments can be made.
The set is a Belmont television receiver and arrived at the Union City business on Tuesday. A large aerial previously had been installed on top of the firm's building.
Following adjustments the set will be put in a location inside the store where there is the least interference with static.
The set cost $249.50 and its installation will be an additional $100.
John Brenton and his son, Robert, owners of the business, are now testing to see if the reception will be good enough for home use in Union City.
Technically, television can only be transmitted 40 miles with good reception. Since Union City is 71 miles from Cincinnati by air the closest city with a telecasting station, the Brentons are wondering how successful their receiver will be. They have reports that television out of Cincinnati has been received from locations 84 miles away, and Tuesday evening they were able to receive television from Cincinnati two different times.
For the present only station W. L. W. T., Cincinnati, can be received; however, telecasting stations are now being installed at Dayton and Indianapolis. In addition station W. L. W. T. is installing a booster station in Dayton, thus giving good reception to receivers in this area.
One advantage to be found in Union City is the fact that the town is on one of the highest levels in Indiana, and transmission of television is made much more receptive.
Journal Herald, June 1946
Beeson Golf Club
Claude Barnes while playing Saturday evening on the Beeson course teed off on No. 4, his ball hit a tree and vanished. He and his party gave up the search and began play on No's. 5 and 6. Claude then discovered he had made a "hole-in-one" by shooting off No. 4 into the No. 6 bucket.
There are witnesses to verify the truthfulness of this story.
Journal Herald, June 29, 1948
Excavating for Lynn Community Building Finished
Work is progressing rapidly on the new American Legion community building at Lynn, excavating being completed last week. All materials for actual construction have been ordered.
The structure, which will be built across the street from the school building, will be 46 feet wide and 120 feet long. First floor will be devoted to space for meeting rooms and dining room, while upstairs will be finished suitable for a skating rink.
Work is being done by Howard Marquis, Lynn contractor, who also aided in designing the building. Construction will be of Snarr blocks framed with steel.
David Clark, post commander, stated that when excavating started there was much soil to be disposed of in a short space of time and that it was sold to Lynn property owners at a nominal price per load, resulting in quite a sum of money to help pay for the digging.
The building is being constructed with funds raised by the Lynn Legion through popular subscription and from proceeds of various projects of the organization.
The Lynn post will meet July 13 at 8 p.m. in the K. of P. hall to elect officers.
Journal Herald, August 1942
Relic of 1918 to Go on Active Duty
A field gun that probably saw duty in the First World War is going back to work in World War II, but this time it may be used as part of a tank, or ship or a truck.
The gun, sent to the Spartansburg Cemetery association by the government in 1931, was sold last week as scrap and eventually will be converted into a war weapon for the present conflict.
Back in 1928 the Cemetery association bought a tract of land adjoining the cemetery, had it surveyed and set aside a plot 80 feet square for the erection of a soldiers' and sailors' monument. Three years later the monument was completed and Ed Chenoweth of the association wrote to the government inquiring about the donation of a cannon to place on the monument.
After checking a list of available field pieces sent by the government, a cannon then in Illinois was chosen and the request was sent to the government.
When the cannon came, the committee was disappointed to find it could not be unmounted and, since it could not be mounted in such a way as to add to the beauty of the monument, it lay unused for 11 years.
The group had several opportunities to sell the cannon but since it was government property, they refused. Finally it was sold to a Winchester junk yard to be converted into scrap for armaments for the present war.
The gun was evidently made of cast iron with a brass jacket, according to the purchasers, and weighed just five pounds less than half a ton.
Journal Herald, August 1937
Winchester Youth Center
Due to the philanthropy of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Goodrich, the youth of Winchester and vicinity will within the near future have access to what may be termed a "youth center" or community house.
Announcement of a gift from the Goodrich's to the city of Winchester was made Sunday by Mayor John P. Clark, which when all details have been worked out and the building ready for occupancy will furnish a meeting place, under careful supervision, for the youth.
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Goodrich recently purchased the Harry Magee property at 119 North Meridian street, just north of the Winchester Daily News and Journal-Herald offices, and will deed this property to the city as quickly as a few details have been worked out, probably this week.
The Goodrich's have always been interested in youth, Mr. Goodrich being one of the prime movers of Boy Scout activities in Winchester and a liberal contributor financially.
Along with the property will be donated money enough to remodel the building, the second story to be used for the caretaker's quarters, the first floor for a meeting and assembly room and the basement for recreation.
The two-story brick building is 90 feet long and 45 feet wide, the lot being 156 by 82 1/2 feet.
The city will file for a WPA project for complete remodeling.
The city council in special meeting a week ago accepted the gift and a community house fund was added to the proposed 1938 budget, asking for a 3-cent levy for maintenance. Possession is expected to be taken October 1.
Journal Herald, January 17, 1948
Union City Man is Harness maker for 54 Years
It has been nearly 54 years ago since George (Bud) Schricker, of Union City, got his start as a harness maker. He is believed to be one of the few remaining men in the harness making business today.
Mr. Schricker is a man with plenty of experience in the art of making all types of harnesses. He has spent most of his life in Union City, where he formerly operated a shoe repair and harness shop, and for many years resided in Kalamazoo, Mich., working in leather and uniform factories. For the past few years he has been serving as a foreman at Birck's Hardware store, 611 Main street, Richmond, Ind.
The veteran harness maker started to work for his father, the late Henry Schricker, in Union City when he was still in knee pants.
"I was about 14 years old at the time," he said.
Harness for sulky race horses are now his specialty. He has worked for many years, however, making leather boots, leggings, both for policemen and soldiers, doctor's kits, medical satchels and leather parts for the now forgotten buggy.
At the factory in Kalamazoo, Schricker worked on a $25,000 order for the Ringling Borther-Barnum and Bailey circus. He also can remember working on the harnesses for the New Orleans Mardi Gras many years ago.
As one watched Mr Schricker make a harness for a horse which will trot around a track at some distant county fair, the process seems simple. Yet, after he begins to explain the methods used, one becomes more and more amazed. The art of making a harness is far from that which meets the eye,
As told by Mr. Schricker, this is the procedure in making an average harness:
"The leather is shipped to the store from Buffalo and Chicago tanneries. All harness leather comes from Buffalo while calf skin is shipped from Chicago.
"The leather comes bundled and is laid out on a bench.
"It is then cut into strips for the straps of the harness. Some of the leather is 'blocked' for making the saddle."
"After the strips have been cut, the leather is then blackened with an ink called 'harness ink.' This ink is rubbed into the leather by hand.
"The buckles and the hardware come next and then it is ready to be sewn into shape.
"The thread is made of nylon and is oftentimes colored to add beauty to the harness. Some parts of the harness have more strain than others. They require heavier thread.
"After the pieces of the harness have been sewed, only the finishing touches are needed.
"The buckles are shinned and more blackening is applied to make the finished product more attractive," he said.
According to Schricker, one need not worry whether the harness will fit the horse. Adjustable straps take care of that.
"They will fit any race horse," he explained.
One difficult part of making the harness is the fact that the saddle must be sewn partly by hand. Mr. Schricker also does this job.
The saddle is that piece which goes around the horse's body. It holds the loops for the straps and sulky prongs.
Schricker is kept busy. One entire side of the rear of the Richmond hardware store is devoted to making harness and other leather goods.
The old-timer in harness making ranks is well-known to many Union City people. Way back at the turn of the century, he was busy working for his father in this city. Later he operated the Schricker Shoe Repair and Harness shop on West Oak street, where the Quick Cleaners and Shoe Rebuilding store is now located. He maintains his residence on West Hickory street, but has been staying in Richmond since his employment is there.
Journal Herald, October 1954
Court House News
If you believe things aren't tough all over, take a trip to the Randolph county courthouse. The court room and judge's chambers are floating in water coming through the unfinished roof recently torn off the county building.
The county agent's office also tusseled with the unwanted shower yesterday, but now has things fairly well under control.
At 10 a.m. Tuesday, the News and Journal Herald office received a call from the county extension office saying the judiciary department was knee deep in water, using mops and buckets to try and stop the flow from draining through the floor into the lower offices.
The statement proved to be true as Judge John W. Macy, Deputy Clerk Phyllis Gray and Courtroom Bailiff George Helms were slaving away with bucket and mop and Prosecuting Attorney Zane Stohler making a hurried exit from the room upon sighting the news photographer.
For some unknown reason, tragedy was averted in the library next to the judge's chambers as water came through the ceiling on all sides of it but failed to damage any of the valuable volumes.
As in all unpleasant happenings, some fun can be had and the work of cleaning up was progressing in a happy but determined manner. Judge Macy had his work interrupted at 10:30 o'clock as court was held in the library but he quickly dispensed with the legal duties and returned to mop and bucket.
One of the biggest laughs of the affair for visitors stopping in was Deputy Clerk Phyllis Gray with mop in one hand, bucket in the other and no shoes on. It was learned through Judge Macy, the young lass had the choice between dignity or ruining a good pair of footwear. She quickly chose the barefoot role.
With threatening skies and reports of more rain on the way, the officials of the mop and bucket are wondering if they are in for a night of it. Twenty-two buckets are now placed under various dripping spots, although it is not immediately in danger, the ceiling could buckle under an intense downpour of rain.
Anyone with an extra mop or a few old buckets can surely get work without much trouble at the courthouse. Just swim into the judge's chamber and apply.
Journal Herald, March 1948
Winchester Airport is Open on Road 32; Coxey's Airport Closed
Coxey's airport is no more! That is, by that name and location.
The new operation--known as the Winchester airport--is located three miles east of Winchester on state road 32. Coxey's airport east of town on the Greenville pike is closed.
But Everett Cox still is on the job as manager.
The new airport is approved by the civil aeronautics administration as Class I and is approved by the veterans' administration for private and commercial flight training.
Private flight training of all types up to instrument rating will be given.
Mr. Cox is licensed to give C.A.A. written and flight tests for private license. William Turner is employed to assist and is licensed by the C.A.A. to give single and multi-engine training.
The new airport has sufficient length runways to accommodate twin-engine aircraft. The shop is suitable for complete aircraft maintenance and services. A competent A.E. mechanic is employed at all times.
Hanger space is provided for twelve planes and more hangers will be constructed as they are needed. The main building is equipped with modern office and rest room facilities.
Winchester Journal Herald, October 1942
Kelly Tool Co. In WW II
An infant Winchester industry, The Kelly Tool Company, has moved from the old interurban car barn at the west side of town to a new location on Railroad Avenue at North East St., and was turning out 800 to 900 finished parts weekly to keep the Army, Navy and Air Corps. in the thick of the fight.
(While located at the car barn the company was also known as the Kelly Gunsight Company and made parts for bomb sights. Ralph "Rudy" Litschert made lenses in his own shop for these bomb sights.)
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
60. WW II Japanese Bombing Of USS Marblehead - Ernest "Tag" Huffman
WW II Japanese Bombing Of USS Marblehead - Ernest "Tag" Huffman
Winchester Journal, May, 1942
Ernest (Tag) Huffman, U.S. Navy
"I'd rather look back on it than have it coming up."
So said Ernest "Tag" Huffman, son of Mr. and Mrs. O.M. Huffman, who yesterday was interviewed at his home south of Winchester.
"Tag" a member of the crew of the U.S.S. Marblehead, came home Sunday, arriving from an eastern port where the badly damaged cruiser was docked for repairs after a sensational 13,000 mile voyage following the Battle of Macassar Straits with the Japanese last February.
Here is Tag's story as told to this writer:
The day before the battle, a group of Japanese bombers enroute on a mission of destruction had sighted U.S. warships while they were returning to join a group of Dutch based boats after encountering a superior enemy force the day before. Knowing too well something was going to happen, everyone on the Marblehead was ready, so said Tag.
Twenty minutes before the attack, reconnaissance planes notified the coming of the Japanese and every man was at his gun, waiting.
As soon as the enemy planes were spotted we started firing plenty soon, but our anti-aircraft guns were to small-although we forced them to make three runs at us before they could make a hit.
The speed of the ship and the clever maneuvers under command of the captain caused them a lot of trouble in hitting their mark. There were 37 Japanese "Betty" high-level bombers in the attack force, four groups of nine each and the leader. A smoke screen was thrown up to make them think the whole ship was on fire and thinking it was doomed they dropped no more bombs on the Marblehead, although the formation passed back and forth over it while bombing other ships.
When asked how they felt when the bombs hit, Tag said it gave you the most helpless feeling when they never even broke formation and just kept coming on with bombs falling like someone throwing sand at you.
In these simple words Tag made this reporter feel the utter helplessness and hopelessness of that crew of sailors on board, fighting against such great odds.
Two direct hits were made on the Marblehead, one well forward and one at the stern. A close hit damaged the side to such an extent that upon reaching dry docks, workers worked from the hole in the side like it was a large door. The hole was approximately 12 feet across the bottom of the ship, although they did not know this until reaching Java. The only inkling of so much damage was the fact that instead of drawing the usual 18 feet of water, they were drawing 27 feet.
The forward hit was the one which damaged the 'sick bay' where Tag was stationed. Whether it was psychic or an act of providence, it will never be known why the idea struck the third class pharmacist mate (Tag) to clear the hospital of patients. He and the other helpers got their patients out on deck and in the passageway and along with them, lay down on their stomachs.
In describing the wreckage of the sick bay, Tag said the hospital beds, made of 2-inch pipes, were twisted and wrapped as though they were made of little wires. All of the medical supplies were lost, but for just such emergencies these supplies are set up in various points on the ship so no lack of medical care resulted. As for casualties, five sailors were killed outright from shrapnel, 11 men died from burns and concussion injuries and two died from the effects of lethal gas caused from the fires.
Tribute to these last two who gave their lives was given by Tag for their bravery. They were ship fitters and after the bombing were checking for leaks in the smoke and water filled bottom of the ship. After the first one fell, on going down in the bottom, the other man thinking he had just tripped, followed him down and was also killed by the gas.
Of unusual interest was the description of the damaging of the ship's rudder. The direct hit had jammed the rudder, which made it impossible to steer the ship. One of the ship fitters went down into the wreckage and with an acetelyne torch cut it loose, so that with clever manipulation it might be guided. This ship fitter, Aschenbrenner, was to have been awarded the distinguished medal of honor, but tragedy intervened as he was one of the two men who died later from the lethal gas.
The ship was in drydock in Tjclatjap, Java for one and a half weeks and it was here the wounded were taken ashore, the more seriously wounded to a hospital up in the mountains, the less seriously to a local hospital. The latter, 17 in all, were later returned to the ship before sailing and the rest were rescued and sent to Australia before the Japanese came.
From Java the ship sailed to Tricomola, Ceylon, where beams that had been damaged were reinforced. Due to the rough passage they knew would be between Ceylon and South Africa, this was necessary or the boat, in it's present condition would have broken in two.
In South Africa, the important stop for repairs was made. This took three weeks, but from there they were on the last lap headed for South America. By that time they were all ready to get their feet on terra firma, so two days were spent there so that everyone might have a few hours leave.
They came into the Port of Pernambuco, or what used to be called the Port of Recife.
From there they were headed for the land of the free and in every word this reporter could feel the relief and happiness on reaching home port.
Asked why the ship took the route half way around the world, Tag said that it was not only to fool the Japanese, who thought the Marblehead had gone down, but because it was the least infested waters. In all the trip, their only time of sensing danger was the spotting of three submarines, but enough so that the ship could be turned toward them and there was nothing else for them to do but submerge. The speed of the engines was exceptionally good and the submarines did not bother much as it is the slower ships which usually become the prey.
Most of the injury to the men under Huffman's care was from burns. Most of these were more serious because of the light, tropical uniforms worn by the crew. As Tag said: "It was a lesson learned-whenever we are in action again we will put on all the clothes we can find. The heat and quickness of combustion of the bombs cause the first degree burns suffered."
Of course this reporter was interested in what was done for hospitalization after the sick bay had been so badly damaged, but again the keen-minded men in command of the ship took care of that. The hospital was set up in the torpedo work shop, according to Tag, where just across was a room full of bunks, four deep.
"It was bad," Tag said, "all the bunks were filled: they were lying on tables and even on the deck. But if you could have seen the reaction of all on board when the call came! We needed blankets and other supplies. Everyone gave more than his share. And talcum powder. We sent out a call for that and everyone on board, I believe, had some. I never saw so much at one time.
Tag paid high tribute to his captain when he said:
"He wasn't afraid of anything. He challenged every ship and well knowing the crippled condition of the Marblehead, he wouldn't run."
Tag is now a pharmacist mate third class and will, after his furlough has expired, enter a naval hospital training school for advanced medical training.
He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. O.M. Huffman, south of Winchester, and is now home on a thirty-day furlough, the first since August of 1939.
Winchester Journal, May, 1942
Ernest (Tag) Huffman, U.S. Navy
"I'd rather look back on it than have it coming up."
"Tag" a member of the crew of the U.S.S. Marblehead, came home Sunday, arriving from an eastern port where the badly damaged cruiser was docked for repairs after a sensational 13,000 mile voyage following the Battle of Macassar Straits with the Japanese last February.
Here is Tag's story as told to this writer:
The day before the battle, a group of Japanese bombers enroute on a mission of destruction had sighted U.S. warships while they were returning to join a group of Dutch based boats after encountering a superior enemy force the day before. Knowing too well something was going to happen, everyone on the Marblehead was ready, so said Tag.
Twenty minutes before the attack, reconnaissance planes notified the coming of the Japanese and every man was at his gun, waiting.
As soon as the enemy planes were spotted we started firing plenty soon, but our anti-aircraft guns were to small-although we forced them to make three runs at us before they could make a hit.
The speed of the ship and the clever maneuvers under command of the captain caused them a lot of trouble in hitting their mark. There were 37 Japanese "Betty" high-level bombers in the attack force, four groups of nine each and the leader. A smoke screen was thrown up to make them think the whole ship was on fire and thinking it was doomed they dropped no more bombs on the Marblehead, although the formation passed back and forth over it while bombing other ships.
When asked how they felt when the bombs hit, Tag said it gave you the most helpless feeling when they never even broke formation and just kept coming on with bombs falling like someone throwing sand at you.
In these simple words Tag made this reporter feel the utter helplessness and hopelessness of that crew of sailors on board, fighting against such great odds.
Two direct hits were made on the Marblehead, one well forward and one at the stern. A close hit damaged the side to such an extent that upon reaching dry docks, workers worked from the hole in the side like it was a large door. The hole was approximately 12 feet across the bottom of the ship, although they did not know this until reaching Java. The only inkling of so much damage was the fact that instead of drawing the usual 18 feet of water, they were drawing 27 feet.
The forward hit was the one which damaged the 'sick bay' where Tag was stationed. Whether it was psychic or an act of providence, it will never be known why the idea struck the third class pharmacist mate (Tag) to clear the hospital of patients. He and the other helpers got their patients out on deck and in the passageway and along with them, lay down on their stomachs.
In describing the wreckage of the sick bay, Tag said the hospital beds, made of 2-inch pipes, were twisted and wrapped as though they were made of little wires. All of the medical supplies were lost, but for just such emergencies these supplies are set up in various points on the ship so no lack of medical care resulted. As for casualties, five sailors were killed outright from shrapnel, 11 men died from burns and concussion injuries and two died from the effects of lethal gas caused from the fires.
Tribute to these last two who gave their lives was given by Tag for their bravery. They were ship fitters and after the bombing were checking for leaks in the smoke and water filled bottom of the ship. After the first one fell, on going down in the bottom, the other man thinking he had just tripped, followed him down and was also killed by the gas.
Of unusual interest was the description of the damaging of the ship's rudder. The direct hit had jammed the rudder, which made it impossible to steer the ship. One of the ship fitters went down into the wreckage and with an acetelyne torch cut it loose, so that with clever manipulation it might be guided. This ship fitter, Aschenbrenner, was to have been awarded the distinguished medal of honor, but tragedy intervened as he was one of the two men who died later from the lethal gas.
The ship was in drydock in Tjclatjap, Java for one and a half weeks and it was here the wounded were taken ashore, the more seriously wounded to a hospital up in the mountains, the less seriously to a local hospital. The latter, 17 in all, were later returned to the ship before sailing and the rest were rescued and sent to Australia before the Japanese came.
From Java the ship sailed to Tricomola, Ceylon, where beams that had been damaged were reinforced. Due to the rough passage they knew would be between Ceylon and South Africa, this was necessary or the boat, in it's present condition would have broken in two.
In South Africa, the important stop for repairs was made. This took three weeks, but from there they were on the last lap headed for South America. By that time they were all ready to get their feet on terra firma, so two days were spent there so that everyone might have a few hours leave.
They came into the Port of Pernambuco, or what used to be called the Port of Recife.
From there they were headed for the land of the free and in every word this reporter could feel the relief and happiness on reaching home port.
Asked why the ship took the route half way around the world, Tag said that it was not only to fool the Japanese, who thought the Marblehead had gone down, but because it was the least infested waters. In all the trip, their only time of sensing danger was the spotting of three submarines, but enough so that the ship could be turned toward them and there was nothing else for them to do but submerge. The speed of the engines was exceptionally good and the submarines did not bother much as it is the slower ships which usually become the prey.
Most of the injury to the men under Huffman's care was from burns. Most of these were more serious because of the light, tropical uniforms worn by the crew. As Tag said: "It was a lesson learned-whenever we are in action again we will put on all the clothes we can find. The heat and quickness of combustion of the bombs cause the first degree burns suffered."
Of course this reporter was interested in what was done for hospitalization after the sick bay had been so badly damaged, but again the keen-minded men in command of the ship took care of that. The hospital was set up in the torpedo work shop, according to Tag, where just across was a room full of bunks, four deep.
"It was bad," Tag said, "all the bunks were filled: they were lying on tables and even on the deck. But if you could have seen the reaction of all on board when the call came! We needed blankets and other supplies. Everyone gave more than his share. And talcum powder. We sent out a call for that and everyone on board, I believe, had some. I never saw so much at one time.
Tag paid high tribute to his captain when he said:
"He wasn't afraid of anything. He challenged every ship and well knowing the crippled condition of the Marblehead, he wouldn't run."
Tag is now a pharmacist mate third class and will, after his furlough has expired, enter a naval hospital training school for advanced medical training.
He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. O.M. Huffman, south of Winchester, and is now home on a thirty-day furlough, the first since August of 1939.
Saturday, November 17, 2018
59. OUT FISHING!
Not really, though I bet Mr. Mick wishes he was out fishing. He's been a little busy the past couple of weeks and his audience has suffered. The Randolph County Historical Society has been ripping apart the museum, scrubbing and cleaning artifacts, and using Mr. Mick's skills shamelessly.
He's amazing, as I'm sure you've all learned. An absolute fount of knowledge in all things Randolph County so he's been helping with placement of artifacts in the new layout at the museum. He's also a master carpenter so we've had him building shelves and repairing pictures frames. The man has not had any time to do his research and I imagine he's about ready to kill us.But the annex is done. Everything cleaned, everything in its new home.
So Mr. Mick will be back and running at full steam in the next week or so. Stay tuned and keep an eye out for more Randolph County history and the illustrious Mr. Mick.
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
58. Randolph County Trivia 11/6
Randolph County Trivia
1943.
Crime Does Not Pay- Zaltsberg, Passmore, Cole, Friend, Hawley;
"It sounded like a good idea at the time, but we don't think so much of it now," the five industrious Winchester High School pupils agreed Thursday a few minutes before the above picture was taken of them removing paint from the walk in front of the Union City High School.
The sixth member of the group, J.R. Zaltsberg, also of Winchester, "came along just to see that the others got the job done satisfactorily." He is pictured at the extreme left wielding a big stick in the Simon Legree role. The others who are removing a bright blue "Yea, Yellow Jackets-'43" from the walk with the aid of paint remover and brushes are Sonny Passmore, Jim Passmore, Bob Cole (it was his idea), Frank Friend and Harold Hawley.
According to our own report, the boys drove to Union City Monday night where they adorned the old bell mounted in the school yard and the school walk with various inscriptions lauding the Yellow Jackets. "This definitely was a mistake because on Wednesday night we met defeat for the first time this season....our fifteenth game," Sonny Passmore said.
The boys were apprehended by police in Winchester after being reported by someone who saw them placing their empty paint cans in a refuse container in the uptown district. The police traced the car license number, because the person who reported them thought they had been stealing gasoline. The rest is pictorial history.
Oh, yes! The boys wanted it mentioned that they will have to do time-and-one-half at school today for the studies they missed Thursday. School on Saturday!
1970.
A landmark of the Ridgeville community, the former A & C Stone Quarry, will be officially opened May 30, 1971, under the name of Lake Campeinnelle, according to plans of the new owners, Mr. and Mrs. John N. Laymon of Indianapolis.
The Laymons purchased the 65-acre stone quarry tract, located one mile east of Ridgeville, several months ago. The grounds include a 22 acre lake where quarry operations were carried on for about 40 years.
The original quarry site contained 40 acres of the Riddlebarger estate, when operations began in 1903 under the name, A & C Stone Quarry. In 1937, the year of Ridgeville's centennial, the pit was estimated as one-fourth mile long, one-eighth mile wide and 75 feet deep. The pit area increased during the five years of operation after 1937, especially in depth.
In 1937, the quarry employed 40 men and was running day and night. Steam power had recently been replaced with diesel engines at an installation cost of $30,000. The quarry was producing 100 tons of crushed stone per hour and in the same length of time manufacturing about 10 tons of dust.
Laymon plans to retain as much of the area's natural wooded beauty as possible in his 10-year plan for establishing Lake Campeinnelle (incorporated under the name of Surrey, Inc.). Old stone structures, once a part of the quarry buildings, will be renovated for use as shelter houses. They will also house art and craft festivals.
Early next year, construction will begin on a bell tower at the park entrance, housing offices and chimes. All buildings will be constructed in Tudor (Old English) style architecture, including the Laymon home to be built on the north side of the lake.
Chimes in the bell tower will play on the half hour and hour and on holidays there will be special music. Beaches and swimming facilities will be improved, including building of some shallow swimming areas. There will be no autos or other motorized vehicles allowed in the park. These will be put in an outside parking lot. Transportation in the park will be solely on foot and by horse-drawn vehicles. Tours are planned for visitors during the first year of the park's operation.
Other plans include a shopping center on the southeast side to contain around 40 buildings, all in Old English style and to be known as Surrey Downs. Bleachers will be erected on the northeast side to command a view of the entire lake area. Also, picnic grounds will be established in this same area.
Written by Lucille Thomas.
1919.
May 27 has been set aside as "Rat Day" in Randolph County. The Goodrich elevators of the county and the Union City elevators have offered prizes for the boy or girl who will catch the most rats and prizes for the boy or girl who will catch the biggest rat. The judging will be done by boys and girls chopping of the rats tails and taking them to the elevators where they were killed and the amount and size will be judged there.
Cash prizes will be given. A county prize will be given the youngster who catches the most rats.
Boys and girls, get busy and kill all the rats and mice you can!
1962.
A Winchester business which for 41 years has been operated by the same family is being sold, bringing to an end a continuous line of development that began as almost a pioneer effort.
Frank Metz, who will be 80 years old on October 9, explains that he founded the Winchester Oil company in 1921 as a bulk plant wholesaling and retailing oil products. The company is situated just east of the north end of Jackson street at the railroad, and Metz recollects that the site was "a mudhole" when he first began operation.
He started with one 12,000 gallon tank and gradually over the next few years added four more, including both fuel and gasoline tanks and later a tank of marine gasoline for outboard motors.
In 1944, Metz's son Carl (Slim) and his wife Myrtle (Mert) took over the bulk of the operation, and the family is selling out now largely because Carl has been in poor health. Metz has also built and operated a number of filling stations, the first three-pump station in Winchester, on West Washington street when Ind. 32 was first completed, built in 1926; he also built Fountain Park station, the first two-bay three-driveway station in Winchester in 1936. Metz's other son Dale helped with early filling station operations.
For eight years, in the early days of Funk's Speedway, Metz attended with a tankload of gasoline for the race cars, but abandoned that project when a careening racer narrowly missed his fuel truck and caused him to jump a fence to avoid being run over. Although Dale and Carl helped at first with the filling stations, Dale, now a post office employee, has for years had no part in the company business. . The Metz family also built a filling station in Ridgeville in 1930 and have operated, until now a filling station on West Washington street, Winchester.
Gasoline was scarcely the booming business it is now, in 1921 when Metz first began. However, he remembers that as the operator of onestop improvements had been added over the years, Mr. Metz was obviously sad at leaving a business which occupied half his lifetime. "I have had very loyal patrons," he said, thinking back. "I want to express thanks on behalf of myself, my son Carl and my daughter-in-law Myrtle, to those people for their loyalty over the years."
1948.
Georgetown. Situated one mile south of Farmland on the Winchester-Windsor turnpike was the village of Georgetown, platted in 1835 on land owned by John McNeece. At one time there were six dwellings there, also a tavern or hotel, a doctor's office, a general store, a blacksmith shop and a toll gate. For probably two or more decades this village had a lucrative business catering to the emigrants using this road.
In early spring hundreds of mover's wagons with their livestock traveled this road, some caravans not stopping, others pausing long enough for some repairs at the blacksmith shop and some loaves of bread, and again some would stop for a few days on account of sickness or to rest their jaded teams and foot sore cattle.
Always on Sundays there would be several emigrant wagons under the trees along White River for very few of these caravans traveled on the Sabbath day. Usually there were religious services of some kind.
Sometimes these emigrant trains consisted of half a dozen or so wagons, then again there would be as many as twenty-five or thirty wagons, several fitted for comfortable traveling and others loaded with feed for the horses and cattle and others with farming implements, tools of all kinds, seeds, such as corn, oats, potatoes, etc. There would be coops of chickens, ducks and geese. The sheep and cattle were driven but the hogs were hauled.
The tavern or hotel was for several years under the management of Henry Huffman.
Dr. Keener was the physician, as history records it, but much of the time there were two doctors here.
The blacksmith shop was a busy place. Many times the smithy and his helpers worked all night setting tires, welding chains and shoeing horses so the caravan could hurry on.
At daylight there would be the smell of wood smoke, meat cooking and coffee boiling. Soon the teams would be harnessed, wagons loaded and the emigrant train would be on its way. For some reason they usually sang when they began the days journey and many times their voices would be heard long after they were lost to sight in the morning fog along Cabin Creek.
Many times whole families from grandparents to tiniest of grandchildren, uncles, aunts, cousins and many neighbors were going west where land was cheap and easily tended, glad to leave their small rocky farms in the eastern hills not realizing how terrible droughts, prairie fires and grasshoppers could be, but the new countries were settled with brave pioneers like these.
As these people made good, soon there were great droves of cattle being driven east to market, sometimes hundreds of them passing Georgetown in one day.
These hoofs churning the wet roads into knee-deep mire in early spring and in dry weather great clouds of dust followed along the way.
Many discouraged homesick people came, caravans of them, with gaunt teams of oxen or horses, going back east to their old homes, hungry for the wooded hills, the sight of old neighbors and a good cold drink from the well at home.
When the Indiana and Bellfountaine railroad was put through in 1852 it was a bitter disappointment to the people of Maxville, Georgetown and Windsor that it bypassed. Each year there were fewer caravans with the outfits moving west and fewer droves of cattle, hogs and sheep being driven to eastern markets. Every year more and more traveled by rail and livestock was freighted to their destination, so at last Georgetown was no more.
Probably the toll gate was the last to go and it has been gone for sixty or seventy years.
1943.
Crime Does Not Pay- Zaltsberg, Passmore, Cole, Friend, Hawley;
"It sounded like a good idea at the time, but we don't think so much of it now," the five industrious Winchester High School pupils agreed Thursday a few minutes before the above picture was taken of them removing paint from the walk in front of the Union City High School.
The sixth member of the group, J.R. Zaltsberg, also of Winchester, "came along just to see that the others got the job done satisfactorily." He is pictured at the extreme left wielding a big stick in the Simon Legree role. The others who are removing a bright blue "Yea, Yellow Jackets-'43" from the walk with the aid of paint remover and brushes are Sonny Passmore, Jim Passmore, Bob Cole (it was his idea), Frank Friend and Harold Hawley.
According to our own report, the boys drove to Union City Monday night where they adorned the old bell mounted in the school yard and the school walk with various inscriptions lauding the Yellow Jackets. "This definitely was a mistake because on Wednesday night we met defeat for the first time this season....our fifteenth game," Sonny Passmore said.
The boys were apprehended by police in Winchester after being reported by someone who saw them placing their empty paint cans in a refuse container in the uptown district. The police traced the car license number, because the person who reported them thought they had been stealing gasoline. The rest is pictorial history.
Oh, yes! The boys wanted it mentioned that they will have to do time-and-one-half at school today for the studies they missed Thursday. School on Saturday!
1970.
A landmark of the Ridgeville community, the former A & C Stone Quarry, will be officially opened May 30, 1971, under the name of Lake Campeinnelle, according to plans of the new owners, Mr. and Mrs. John N. Laymon of Indianapolis.
The Laymons purchased the 65-acre stone quarry tract, located one mile east of Ridgeville, several months ago. The grounds include a 22 acre lake where quarry operations were carried on for about 40 years.
The original quarry site contained 40 acres of the Riddlebarger estate, when operations began in 1903 under the name, A & C Stone Quarry. In 1937, the year of Ridgeville's centennial, the pit was estimated as one-fourth mile long, one-eighth mile wide and 75 feet deep. The pit area increased during the five years of operation after 1937, especially in depth.
In 1937, the quarry employed 40 men and was running day and night. Steam power had recently been replaced with diesel engines at an installation cost of $30,000. The quarry was producing 100 tons of crushed stone per hour and in the same length of time manufacturing about 10 tons of dust.
Laymon plans to retain as much of the area's natural wooded beauty as possible in his 10-year plan for establishing Lake Campeinnelle (incorporated under the name of Surrey, Inc.). Old stone structures, once a part of the quarry buildings, will be renovated for use as shelter houses. They will also house art and craft festivals.
Early next year, construction will begin on a bell tower at the park entrance, housing offices and chimes. All buildings will be constructed in Tudor (Old English) style architecture, including the Laymon home to be built on the north side of the lake.
Chimes in the bell tower will play on the half hour and hour and on holidays there will be special music. Beaches and swimming facilities will be improved, including building of some shallow swimming areas. There will be no autos or other motorized vehicles allowed in the park. These will be put in an outside parking lot. Transportation in the park will be solely on foot and by horse-drawn vehicles. Tours are planned for visitors during the first year of the park's operation.
Other plans include a shopping center on the southeast side to contain around 40 buildings, all in Old English style and to be known as Surrey Downs. Bleachers will be erected on the northeast side to command a view of the entire lake area. Also, picnic grounds will be established in this same area.
Written by Lucille Thomas.
1919.
May 27 has been set aside as "Rat Day" in Randolph County. The Goodrich elevators of the county and the Union City elevators have offered prizes for the boy or girl who will catch the most rats and prizes for the boy or girl who will catch the biggest rat. The judging will be done by boys and girls chopping of the rats tails and taking them to the elevators where they were killed and the amount and size will be judged there.
Cash prizes will be given. A county prize will be given the youngster who catches the most rats.
Boys and girls, get busy and kill all the rats and mice you can!
1962.
A Winchester business which for 41 years has been operated by the same family is being sold, bringing to an end a continuous line of development that began as almost a pioneer effort.
Frank Metz, who will be 80 years old on October 9, explains that he founded the Winchester Oil company in 1921 as a bulk plant wholesaling and retailing oil products. The company is situated just east of the north end of Jackson street at the railroad, and Metz recollects that the site was "a mudhole" when he first began operation.
He started with one 12,000 gallon tank and gradually over the next few years added four more, including both fuel and gasoline tanks and later a tank of marine gasoline for outboard motors.
In 1944, Metz's son Carl (Slim) and his wife Myrtle (Mert) took over the bulk of the operation, and the family is selling out now largely because Carl has been in poor health. Metz has also built and operated a number of filling stations, the first three-pump station in Winchester, on West Washington street when Ind. 32 was first completed, built in 1926; he also built Fountain Park station, the first two-bay three-driveway station in Winchester in 1936. Metz's other son Dale helped with early filling station operations.
For eight years, in the early days of Funk's Speedway, Metz attended with a tankload of gasoline for the race cars, but abandoned that project when a careening racer narrowly missed his fuel truck and caused him to jump a fence to avoid being run over. Although Dale and Carl helped at first with the filling stations, Dale, now a post office employee, has for years had no part in the company business. . The Metz family also built a filling station in Ridgeville in 1930 and have operated, until now a filling station on West Washington street, Winchester.
Gasoline was scarcely the booming business it is now, in 1921 when Metz first began. However, he remembers that as the operator of onestop improvements had been added over the years, Mr. Metz was obviously sad at leaving a business which occupied half his lifetime. "I have had very loyal patrons," he said, thinking back. "I want to express thanks on behalf of myself, my son Carl and my daughter-in-law Myrtle, to those people for their loyalty over the years."
1948.
Georgetown. Situated one mile south of Farmland on the Winchester-Windsor turnpike was the village of Georgetown, platted in 1835 on land owned by John McNeece. At one time there were six dwellings there, also a tavern or hotel, a doctor's office, a general store, a blacksmith shop and a toll gate. For probably two or more decades this village had a lucrative business catering to the emigrants using this road.
In early spring hundreds of mover's wagons with their livestock traveled this road, some caravans not stopping, others pausing long enough for some repairs at the blacksmith shop and some loaves of bread, and again some would stop for a few days on account of sickness or to rest their jaded teams and foot sore cattle.
Always on Sundays there would be several emigrant wagons under the trees along White River for very few of these caravans traveled on the Sabbath day. Usually there were religious services of some kind.
Sometimes these emigrant trains consisted of half a dozen or so wagons, then again there would be as many as twenty-five or thirty wagons, several fitted for comfortable traveling and others loaded with feed for the horses and cattle and others with farming implements, tools of all kinds, seeds, such as corn, oats, potatoes, etc. There would be coops of chickens, ducks and geese. The sheep and cattle were driven but the hogs were hauled.
The tavern or hotel was for several years under the management of Henry Huffman.
Dr. Keener was the physician, as history records it, but much of the time there were two doctors here.
The blacksmith shop was a busy place. Many times the smithy and his helpers worked all night setting tires, welding chains and shoeing horses so the caravan could hurry on.
At daylight there would be the smell of wood smoke, meat cooking and coffee boiling. Soon the teams would be harnessed, wagons loaded and the emigrant train would be on its way. For some reason they usually sang when they began the days journey and many times their voices would be heard long after they were lost to sight in the morning fog along Cabin Creek.
Many times whole families from grandparents to tiniest of grandchildren, uncles, aunts, cousins and many neighbors were going west where land was cheap and easily tended, glad to leave their small rocky farms in the eastern hills not realizing how terrible droughts, prairie fires and grasshoppers could be, but the new countries were settled with brave pioneers like these.
As these people made good, soon there were great droves of cattle being driven east to market, sometimes hundreds of them passing Georgetown in one day.
These hoofs churning the wet roads into knee-deep mire in early spring and in dry weather great clouds of dust followed along the way.
Many discouraged homesick people came, caravans of them, with gaunt teams of oxen or horses, going back east to their old homes, hungry for the wooded hills, the sight of old neighbors and a good cold drink from the well at home.
When the Indiana and Bellfountaine railroad was put through in 1852 it was a bitter disappointment to the people of Maxville, Georgetown and Windsor that it bypassed. Each year there were fewer caravans with the outfits moving west and fewer droves of cattle, hogs and sheep being driven to eastern markets. Every year more and more traveled by rail and livestock was freighted to their destination, so at last Georgetown was no more.
Probably the toll gate was the last to go and it has been gone for sixty or seventy years.
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
57. "Old 44", The Cannon On The Court House Square-Don't Scrap It Or Scrap It?
Don't Scrap It.
Here is "OLD 44" a memento of the Civil War located on the southwest lawn of the courthouse in Winchester. "Old 44" fought in another war besides the one between the states; It battled against being scrapped for salvage during World War II, and only through insistence of the W.T. Sherman Camp 44, Sons of Union Veterans, is it still in existence today. As we recall it, and as Louis King tells it (Lou was then and still is secretary-treasurer of the Sherman Camp; Troy Simmons is commander), "Old 44" was up for scrap at the time Bruce Maxwell, now of Hendersonville, N.C. was Randolph County salvage director. Bruce, as was his duty, was taking everything he could get his hands on during a desperate, nationwide search for metal during the first year of the war. Somehow "Old 44" stayed intact, and then Lou, who followed Bruce as salvage director, began his campaign to save the old relic of the Grand Army of the Republic. He succeeded! This letter written way back then to the county commissioners will tell to what length maneuvers went:
"As past state commander of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, I have been approached by several of it's members, as well as other members of local organizations, protesting its removal at this time.
So long as there is such an abundance of scrap available, as is definitely shown when an organized drive has been made, we feel as if this cannon should not be scrapped, but should the time come when it is necessary that this take place, our organization will not only accede to the request, but will sponsor the drive.
This cannon is the only memento of the Civil War days now on display here, and there is that deep sentiment of reverence for those who, when our nation was assailed, stood as a living sacrificial wall between its perpetuity and it's dissolution, that prompts us to make this plea.
We believe that our organization is well enough known that its loyalty can in no way be questioned, and pledge our whole-hearted support in the prosecution of this war until right and justice prevail."
LOUIS KING, Secretary-Treasurer Old 44.
(This article appeared in the Sept. 10, 1953 Randolph County Enterprise)
Scrap It.
To the Editor From An Oldtimer:
On account of the desperate condition of the country for want of scrap metal, would it not be the patriotic thing to offer the brass cannon on the southeast corner of the courthouse lawn to our government to help alleviate the unprecedented shortage in copper and brass and thus put the old gun to use?
Here's a little history of the old gun as I remember it.
Early in 1880 Garfield had been nominated for president on the Republican ticket. Joseph Kemp, who was in the dry goods business on the west side of the square where the Hardman laundry is now, and Ace Kelly, a rare character about town, went to Chicago and bought this cannon from a junk dealer. This cannon was not used in the Civil War, it's baptisim with fire was in the old flax mill yard in the west part of Winchester.
They raised the money to pay for it among the Republicans of Winchester. It was splendidly equipped with a gun carrier and with a cassion with four high wheels under the equipment. A gun crew was organized and drilled for a few years in the basement of the courthouse, in summer, around town. Billie Reinheimer was captain of the squad of nine members as I remember, and George Ennis was drill master of the squad.
So far as I can remember the first squad was made up as follows: William E. Reinheimer, George Ennis, Shell Bark, Charley Kizer,---- Chills, James E. Watson, Jim Elie, Elmer Way, ---- Puckie, John R. Commons, ----Granger, James P. Goodrich, ---- Seth, James A. Lesley, ---- Artemus, P.E. Goodrich, Elmer Thomas, Jonnie Gugler, Grant Ennis was powder monkey, George Hiatt.
There were a number of other school boys and young men that trained with the above named. The regular squad was uniformed in blue trousers with red stripes down the legs and blue woolen shirts trimmed in red. What the caps were I don't recall.
Beginning with the 1880 campaign the gun squad was as much in demand as was the Winchester Cornet Band and their gaudy band wagon drawn by four of the towns finest horses. The only teamsters I can remember were Eb Hall and the colorful Dan Rock. The gun squad with their cannon went to large rallies for many campaigns to Portland, Richmond, Muncie, Greenville, Ohio, and other nearby towns.
In 1888 they went to a Benjamin Harrison rally in Indianapolis. They traveled to this big rally on a railroad flat car and loudly saluted the towns and countryside along the way with the roaring cannon and much gusto.
I would like to suggest that this old cannon with this history be sacrificed to help whip Hitler and the Japs. After this cruel, uncalled for war is ended and despotism and ruthlessness is banished from this good earth, we hope for all time, we can replace the old brass cannon with one used in this war, one baptized by the blood shed by our heroes from old Randolph County."
Respectfully submitted, An Old Timer.
(This article appeared in The Winchester Journal Herald, October, 1942.)
Here is "OLD 44" a memento of the Civil War located on the southwest lawn of the courthouse in Winchester. "Old 44" fought in another war besides the one between the states; It battled against being scrapped for salvage during World War II, and only through insistence of the W.T. Sherman Camp 44, Sons of Union Veterans, is it still in existence today. As we recall it, and as Louis King tells it (Lou was then and still is secretary-treasurer of the Sherman Camp; Troy Simmons is commander), "Old 44" was up for scrap at the time Bruce Maxwell, now of Hendersonville, N.C. was Randolph County salvage director. Bruce, as was his duty, was taking everything he could get his hands on during a desperate, nationwide search for metal during the first year of the war. Somehow "Old 44" stayed intact, and then Lou, who followed Bruce as salvage director, began his campaign to save the old relic of the Grand Army of the Republic. He succeeded! This letter written way back then to the county commissioners will tell to what length maneuvers went:
"As past state commander of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, I have been approached by several of it's members, as well as other members of local organizations, protesting its removal at this time.
So long as there is such an abundance of scrap available, as is definitely shown when an organized drive has been made, we feel as if this cannon should not be scrapped, but should the time come when it is necessary that this take place, our organization will not only accede to the request, but will sponsor the drive.
This cannon is the only memento of the Civil War days now on display here, and there is that deep sentiment of reverence for those who, when our nation was assailed, stood as a living sacrificial wall between its perpetuity and it's dissolution, that prompts us to make this plea.
We believe that our organization is well enough known that its loyalty can in no way be questioned, and pledge our whole-hearted support in the prosecution of this war until right and justice prevail."
LOUIS KING, Secretary-Treasurer Old 44.
(This article appeared in the Sept. 10, 1953 Randolph County Enterprise)
Scrap It.
To the Editor From An Oldtimer:
On account of the desperate condition of the country for want of scrap metal, would it not be the patriotic thing to offer the brass cannon on the southeast corner of the courthouse lawn to our government to help alleviate the unprecedented shortage in copper and brass and thus put the old gun to use?
Here's a little history of the old gun as I remember it.
Early in 1880 Garfield had been nominated for president on the Republican ticket. Joseph Kemp, who was in the dry goods business on the west side of the square where the Hardman laundry is now, and Ace Kelly, a rare character about town, went to Chicago and bought this cannon from a junk dealer. This cannon was not used in the Civil War, it's baptisim with fire was in the old flax mill yard in the west part of Winchester.
They raised the money to pay for it among the Republicans of Winchester. It was splendidly equipped with a gun carrier and with a cassion with four high wheels under the equipment. A gun crew was organized and drilled for a few years in the basement of the courthouse, in summer, around town. Billie Reinheimer was captain of the squad of nine members as I remember, and George Ennis was drill master of the squad.
So far as I can remember the first squad was made up as follows: William E. Reinheimer, George Ennis, Shell Bark, Charley Kizer,---- Chills, James E. Watson, Jim Elie, Elmer Way, ---- Puckie, John R. Commons, ----Granger, James P. Goodrich, ---- Seth, James A. Lesley, ---- Artemus, P.E. Goodrich, Elmer Thomas, Jonnie Gugler, Grant Ennis was powder monkey, George Hiatt.
There were a number of other school boys and young men that trained with the above named. The regular squad was uniformed in blue trousers with red stripes down the legs and blue woolen shirts trimmed in red. What the caps were I don't recall.
Beginning with the 1880 campaign the gun squad was as much in demand as was the Winchester Cornet Band and their gaudy band wagon drawn by four of the towns finest horses. The only teamsters I can remember were Eb Hall and the colorful Dan Rock. The gun squad with their cannon went to large rallies for many campaigns to Portland, Richmond, Muncie, Greenville, Ohio, and other nearby towns.
In 1888 they went to a Benjamin Harrison rally in Indianapolis. They traveled to this big rally on a railroad flat car and loudly saluted the towns and countryside along the way with the roaring cannon and much gusto.
I would like to suggest that this old cannon with this history be sacrificed to help whip Hitler and the Japs. After this cruel, uncalled for war is ended and despotism and ruthlessness is banished from this good earth, we hope for all time, we can replace the old brass cannon with one used in this war, one baptized by the blood shed by our heroes from old Randolph County."
Respectfully submitted, An Old Timer.
(This article appeared in The Winchester Journal Herald, October, 1942.)
Saturday, October 27, 2018
56. Randolph County Trivia 10/27
Randolph County Trivia
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| A Four-Way Generation |
1949.
A four-way generation is indeed something unusual, and it involves a certain amount of complications when one attempts to explain the various persons to the reading public.
The Stephen and Wolfe families of Winchester and vicinity comprise the four-way four generations pictured above. Their ages range from three and one-half months to 75 years.
This unusual family circle centers around Kellie Gene, three and one-half year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Stephen. Those in the group and their relation to the little tot are as follows:
Front row, from left to right, Mrs. Leroy Stephen, paternal grandmother; Gerald Stephen, father; Mrs Patsy Wolfe Stephen, mother; Mrs. Kenneth Wolfe, maternal grandmother. Back row, from left to right, Leroy Stephen, paternal grandfather; Mrs. Elizabeth McCamey, paternal great-grandmother; Mrs. William A Keister, paternal great-grandmother; William A. Keister, paternal great-grandfather; Robert Shandy, maternal great-grandfather; Mrs. Robert Shandy, maternal great-grandmother; John Wolfe, maternal great-grandfather; Kenneth Wolfe, Maternal grandfather.
1934.
Little hope is held by physicians for the life of Norman Wilson, 21, who was critically injured in an automobile accident north of Lynn Wed. night. It is thought that young Wilson is suffering from a broken back. The accident occurred when a car in which he was riding together with R.J. Tucker, a local resident and a man by the name of Hess, of Lancaster, Ohio, struck a large tire which had been lost by a truck, causing the car to swerve into the ditch and crash into a tree. Mr. Wilson is the son of Mrs. Myrtle Wilson of this city and was employed as a trucker at the General Glass Co. here. He was assistant manager of the local J.C. Penny store for 3 years and a graduate of McKinley High School in the class of 1931.
1948; Journal Herald.
"FREE ROOT BEER" With Every Order-Friday At 'NORMAN WILSON'S DRIVE-IN' Located At 'Pop' Lang's Certified Gas Station North Main Street-Winchester Featuring Hamburgers-Hot Dogs-Cheeseburgers- Coca Cola-Coffee- Pop Corn Open Sundays 2 PM To 12PM Monday Thru Saturday 4 PM To 12 PM.
1939.
Rally day Sunday at the Bartonia church was marked with special significance when the church was presented with a large 55-year-old American flag, holding interesting community history within it's folds. The large blue field of the flag contains but 38 stars.
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| The flag. The view is the flag folded in 4 layers draped over the ends of a quilting frame. Photo taken January 2020. |
The flag was presented following the Sunday school services by Mrs. C.F. Oliver at the request of Mrs. John Harter, John W. Morton, George W. Harter and Rev. S.F. Harter.
In the presidential campaign of Blaine and Cleveland, 1884, a Republican rally was held in Winchester with the $35 flag being offered to the community sending in the largest delegation on horseback. The delegation from Bartonia, with John W. Morton as captain, was the largest, so, therefore, it received the flag. Since that time the flag has been in the care of the Harter family. Mary Jane Harter-Stidham, deceased, had charge of it until about 1903; then it was given into the care of Mrs. John (Ida) Harter who has carefully guarded it since that time. It was at her suggestion that the flag be given into the care of the church for the Bartonia community.
According to the most reliable information, the above three named men, Messers Morton, Harter and Harter, are the only ones living who took part in the delegation from Bartonia.
Rev. S.F. Harter in reminiscence recalled that he rode a mule in the delegation and following their arrival in Winchester they continued south of town to lead in the delegation from the Huntsville community.
The Sunday worship was led by Rev. Ora Bogue, the present pastor of the church. At the noon hour a basket dinner was spread on tables in the church yard. The afternoon speaker was Rev. W.O. Powers, of Ridgeville, a former minister of the church 16 years ago. Short talks also were given by Rev. S.F. Harter and J.B. Hart, former residents of the community and members of the church.
A short history of the church is as follows: In 1848 the first class meeting was held at the home of James Bailey, who at that time lived about one-fourth mile west of the present local site of the church. Bailey had a store and inn in connection with his home. In October of 1849, Edward Barton, who lived where Robert DeBolt now lives, had the land surveyed and laid out the village of Bartonia donating the ground for the first church, which was built around 1850. This first church was replaced by the present building in the late 1880's, the first building being moved across the road where it was made into a dwelling house. Robert Bracken, Bartonia's local garageman now resides there. Edward Barton, adding "ia" to his name named the village Bartonia. While the Bartonia church has never had a large membership, it has been fortunate in being located where there is much neighborly kindness and love.
Through the efforts of the neighbors, friends and the Ladies Aid Society, the present building has just received a new coat of paint which adds greatly to it's appearance, and for which appreciation is extended to all who helped in any way by giving money, time and labor.
1948.
Announcement was made of the sale of the Winchester Bowling Center, formerly Falls Recreation, by Goldie and Buzz Falls to Walter Gilliom.
Mr. Gilliom, former owner of Sunshine Cleaners and more recently affiliated with the real estate department of the Emmet Smith agency, 203 South Main, has taken possession and announces that the alleys will be reopened next August 15 for the 1948-49 bowling season.
He plans, during the summer months, to sand and refinish the alleys, remodel and repair the interior of the building located at 120 North Main street.
The Bowling Center was operated the past season by Duane Wickersham.
1968.
The Frank Miller Lumber Company at Union City purchased the former James Moorman Orphans Home farm at auction, paying $502.50 per acre or a total of $84,922.50.
The farm had been abandoned some time ago as an orphan's home. It was founded for that purpose by James Moorman, a Winchester banker, in the late 1800's and operated under a board of trustees for many years. However modern welfare department foster-home policies had caused the operation to become obsolete. After efforts to find a use for it for some similar purpose had failed, the Moorman heirs sued for their share of the property and the money it would bring if sold at auction.
There were four bidders for the farm, Faye Fisher, the auctioneer, reported. A neighbor, Johnnie Owens, continued bidding up to $450. an acre, but Miller out-bid him.
The farm, located west of Winchester on Ind. 32, totals 169 acres of which around 80 are tillable, and 60 are timber, including 71 large walnut trees.
An office employee at the Miller Lumber Company said that the company hopes to make the acreage into a tree farm, and up to now had developed no further plans.
The employee said that it was the company's understanding that the woods at the home was virgin timber, but plan to cut it only as required and with maintenance and best development of the entire woods in mind.
1952.
Do you remember the old one-room school houses, the places where you got the Three R's-in one room from one teacher.
It hasn't been too long ago, as time goes, as witness the pictured "student body" of the old Swamp Valley school located 4 1/2 miles west of Lynn on state road 36-on the south side of the highway on the Paul Rogers farm. The building was moved away and all that's left now is the well casing where the school pump was. It was abandoned in the spring of 1917, the last teacher being Mrs. Leota Coleman.
But this accompanying photo was taken in 1911, or thereabouts, the picture being "retaken" by County Recorder Bob Cox from the original owned by Mrs. Belle (Oren) Byrum of Bartonia.
If you look at the top right, peeking toward the camera you'll see the teacher-Miss Alice Funk, now Winchester city health nurse.
Reading from left to right identification is made something like this;
BOTTOM- Ida (Cox) Phillips, Unionport; Hazel (Miller) Noy, Cincinnati; Belle (Oren) Byrum, Bartonia; Clyde Gordon, Parker; William Leach, Muncie; Charles Oren, Richmond.
SECOND ROW- Rose (Miller) Willis, Unionport; William Mills, west of Lynn; Walter Harvey, Lynn, deceased; Robert ?.
THIRD ROW- Mary Cox, Muncie; Ruth (Gordon) Pegg, north of Carlos; Elizabeth Mills, Lynn, deceased; Ethyel (Miller) Brown, Winchester.
TOP ROW- Elsie (Cox) Puckett, Palestine, Ohio; Paul Coggeshall, Winchester.
1970.
By tomorrow the restaurants of Winchester will be able to feed over 800 persons all at the same time and without an instant's notice, should such a situation ever arise-and handle, in addition, an uncounted number of drive-in customers.
A quick check this week revealed that there are six full fledged restaurants operating in the city (as of Saturday when the Winchester House opens), plus three taverns with emphasis on dining facilities, and two additional taverns which offer food as a state required sideline.
Among the longer established restaurants:
The Courtesy Café in the Hotel Randolph can seat around 100 in the two dining rooms and at a small breakfast bar.
The Rainbow Restaurant, located on East Washington street just east of the public square can seat around 65 in a dining room and at a large counter.
The D & J Drive-In on West Washington street at the edge of Winchester can seat 65, not counting drive-in customers.
The Bird Inn, on West Franklin opposite the hotel, although under new management is also a long established eating place, and can seat, at tables and the counter, around 35 customers.
Among the newer restaurants:
The Cove, on Union street opposite the swimming pool, seats 62 diners upstairs, and has recently opened a basement dining room which although largely for banquets, can be used for diners in case of emergency, and will seat 80.
The Winchester House, to open Saturday, located on North Main street at the former site of Jax Wearhouse, will be able to seat 212 eventually, when a basement dining room is opened. At present, the seating capacity is 56 in the coffee shop and 56 in the first floor dining room.
Among taverns which specialize in food:
The A & B, in the 100 block of North Main street, has been enlarged to include a dining room in addition to booths and a bar, and can seat an estimated 70 guests.
Perry's Pub, formerly Reeve's Café and now moved to a new location at the north end of North Main street, and greatly expanded, can seat 66 in the dining room and bar.
The Gaslight Inn, located on West Franklin street, has somewhat reduced it's food service but has a large dining room and can seat around 70 at tables and bar.
Other taverns with food as a sideline, but available;
The City Cigar Store, a men only establishment in the 100 block of North Main street can seat 36 in booths and at the bar.
The Anchor Inn, located opposite the Anchor Hocking Glass plant, offers the required sideline of food and can seat 45.
In addition to all of these facilities for sit-down diners, there is food available at numerous carry-out establishments:
Two pizza specialty shops, one The Pizza House on East Washington street, and one the Pizza King now relocating at the east edge of Winchester, have a limited number of chairs and tables but specialize in carry-out Italian type orders.
The D & J Drive-In, in addition to it's restaurant facilities, has a large number of park-and-serve stalls for motorists.
The Quick Chick Inn, a new carry-out on North Main street at the north edge of town, provides carry-out broasted chicken and trimmings.
The Dairy Queen, at the east end of East Washington street, offers carry-out fountain service and also provides sandwiches.
The A & W Root Beer Stand at the east edge of the city on Ind. 32 , sells not only root beer, but sandwiches and other carry-out food.
And for the tardy diner who finds all these restaurants, taverns and carry-outs bursting at the seams with standing room only, two of Winchester's drugstores offer food. Haines drugs, on Washington street provides soup and sandwiches in addition to fountain service; Leonards' on Main, offers sandwiches and fountain service.
1950.
In 1840 John and Catherine Diggs gave an acre of ground five miles south and one mile west of Farmland for a church.
A little group of Friends (Quakers) built the first church of the Poplar Run from logs cut there and in the immediate vicinity. It was covered with clapboards and had a stick and clay fireplace and chimney.
The meeting was recognized by The New Garden Quarterly Meeting in 1847 and it was called Poplar Run.
Mark Diggs gave land for a burying ground one-half mile east of the church John Diggs was buried in the Poplar Run cemetery in 1863.
The Friends usually had a school house near a church and the children were taken in a body to the church for mid-week meetings.
The Poplar Run log church was replaced by a frame building in 1856. This building was moved to Pinch and is now known as the Randolph County Seed Dryer. The first school house ended up as the first Nazarene church in Farmland. The last school house still stands across the road south of the church on the farm of B.C. Mendenhall and is used as a tool shed.
The present church was built in 1883 and seats had a partition between the sides for the men and women. An organ was placed in the church in 1901, but not with the unanimous approval of the older members. This church was remodeled in 1911, a basement and three class rooms being added.
In 1947 the church lot was landscaped and together with the grassy parking space it makes an attractive setting for the little white church.
The need for a residence for a full time pastor cams when the old Josiah Parker homestead could be bought. As it was forty acres laying on the east side of the road just across from the church, complete with farm buildings, it was purchased in 1943. The house was remodeled and partly modernized with plans to finish the modernizing later. There the pastor, Rev. Robert Morris, and his bride Marian established their first home.
Lester McNees, a capable young farmer, was selected to act as farm manager. All labor and machinery is donated for the planting, cultivating and harvesting of the crops and the proceeds are put into the treasury to be used as deemed best.
It is now thought that the good barn on the premises will make a desirable rustic parish house to be used for class meetings and other social gatherings.
______________________
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(Updated January 2020)
Thursday, October 25, 2018
55. Windsor Will Soon Be Under Water
News Gazette, April 1972
By A. M. Gibbons
(Editor's Note: The small town of Windsor, located on the "Windsor" road at the Delaware County line in Randolph County will be among the locations scheduled to go under water if and when the Parker reservoir comes into being. This is the story of Windsor's beginnings, its past, and its present.)
People in Windsor, like people in all the area mapped to be flooded if the Army Corps of Engineers carries out the Parker reservoir project, are mostly waiting just now, to see what happens. The degree of their interest depends on the degree to which they are involved--their family roots in the area, their businesses, their homes. Most of them have been in to see the big surveyors' map in Silvers' general store on the north side of the main street. Mrs. Silvers personally visited the offices of the Army Engineer Corps at Louisville, Ky. to get the map and other information and she is sure that the project will go through--that its confirmation before Congress next year is simply a matter of routine.
Many of the older residents, although they will be sad to see their town wiped off the map, feel that, "I won't be around ten years from now anyway."
In his history of Randolph County, Ebenezer Tucker commented in 1882 that Windsor, like many other towns, showed great promise but lost its major hopes when the "Bee-line" railroad was located north of the town in the 1850's. Tucker notes that "Windsor seems to have been aspiring. . . but the sad facts for Windsor and its ambitious denizens can neither be ignored nor changed. . . and her people. instead of mourning. . . may be thankful that. . . the means of solid happiness they still possess."
All professor Tucker's musings aside, Windsor was at one time a very busy little town--a center for farmers, for business and social life. Furthermore, located on the "Muncie-Winchester pike" it saw a lot of traffic. In earlier days of slower vehicles this traffic provided much trade for the town. Now, cars and trucks roar through on the main street, but less often stop.
Although most of the buildings are of no particular era or design (excepting two big brick houses at either end of the village, one apparently dating back to the mid-1800's and the other probably after the Civil War) each has an intensely individualistic air, like an old coat, much worn and patched but tailored to suit the exact needs of its wearer.
The wide main street is usually empty, except for the impersonal through traffic. Children casually ride bicycles or stroll along its edges. Their elders amble back and forth to visit a grocery or greet a friend. Most of the inhabitants have a fair idea of where every one else is, most of the time. Long naps are popular. Generally, one or two elderly men can be found in good weather, sitting on an ancient church pew which serves as a "liar's bench" under a pine tree.
You approach the town from the Randolph county side on the Windsor orad, a winding, tree lined, river bordered country highway, swoop down and around the loop, across a pretty creek and new bridge, negotiate a last steep bend and climb up to the main street.
All this--river, road, hill and town--have been blueprinted to go under water.
By A. M. Gibbons
People in Windsor, like people in all the area mapped to be flooded if the Army Corps of Engineers carries out the Parker reservoir project, are mostly waiting just now, to see what happens. The degree of their interest depends on the degree to which they are involved--their family roots in the area, their businesses, their homes. Most of them have been in to see the big surveyors' map in Silvers' general store on the north side of the main street. Mrs. Silvers personally visited the offices of the Army Engineer Corps at Louisville, Ky. to get the map and other information and she is sure that the project will go through--that its confirmation before Congress next year is simply a matter of routine.
Many of the older residents, although they will be sad to see their town wiped off the map, feel that, "I won't be around ten years from now anyway."
In his history of Randolph County, Ebenezer Tucker commented in 1882 that Windsor, like many other towns, showed great promise but lost its major hopes when the "Bee-line" railroad was located north of the town in the 1850's. Tucker notes that "Windsor seems to have been aspiring. . . but the sad facts for Windsor and its ambitious denizens can neither be ignored nor changed. . . and her people. instead of mourning. . . may be thankful that. . . the means of solid happiness they still possess."
All professor Tucker's musings aside, Windsor was at one time a very busy little town--a center for farmers, for business and social life. Furthermore, located on the "Muncie-Winchester pike" it saw a lot of traffic. In earlier days of slower vehicles this traffic provided much trade for the town. Now, cars and trucks roar through on the main street, but less often stop.
Although most of the buildings are of no particular era or design (excepting two big brick houses at either end of the village, one apparently dating back to the mid-1800's and the other probably after the Civil War) each has an intensely individualistic air, like an old coat, much worn and patched but tailored to suit the exact needs of its wearer.
The wide main street is usually empty, except for the impersonal through traffic. Children casually ride bicycles or stroll along its edges. Their elders amble back and forth to visit a grocery or greet a friend. Most of the inhabitants have a fair idea of where every one else is, most of the time. Long naps are popular. Generally, one or two elderly men can be found in good weather, sitting on an ancient church pew which serves as a "liar's bench" under a pine tree.
You approach the town from the Randolph county side on the Windsor orad, a winding, tree lined, river bordered country highway, swoop down and around the loop, across a pretty creek and new bridge, negotiate a last steep bend and climb up to the main street.
All this--river, road, hill and town--have been blueprinted to go under water.
Early history
Professor Tucker writes that Windsor is exactly on the Delaware, Randolph county line (just this side) and was recorded in 1832 by John Thornburg. A series of lots was laid out from then through 1877 by Thornburg, Jerry Smith, Stephen Dye and Thomas Reece. Streets platted were Mulberry, Oak, Main. The town is 5.4 miles west of Farmland and 9.5 miles north of Losantville.
Older residents recall that at some early time the town was called "Opal."
Tucker's history notes that the first business was a shoeshop (cobbler's) run by Isaiah Templin. Others were a small store and smithy operated by Andrew Knapp. The mill established by John Thornburg in 1827 was the only mill on White River. Later Windsor gained another "shoe shop." William Ludworth had the first wagon shop. At one time there were "three good stores and a grocery and other things to match."
Tucker adds that "merchants have been Garretson, Joseph and Moses Cranor, a goods stock; Stephen Dye grocery and dry goods." A man named Chandler had a "big business with two clerks." Other businessmen were listed as Andrew Dye, Lindle Thornburg, and John M Terrell, Nathan and Joel Thornburg, Joesph Johnson, Armfield Thornburg.
George Helm had the first hotel, which burned in 1856, but various owners continued to operate a hotel "to present time" (1882).
Tucker lists blacksmiths over the years as Knapp, Templin, T.W. Thornburg, Oliver BEck, A.J. Dickson, Davison, Hikus and Sudworth. Wagon shops were operated by Sudworth and George Dickson.
Doctors had been Dr. Davison, Dr. Farow and Dr. Chenoweth.
In 1882, there were two smiths, a dry goods store, two millinery shops, one wagon shop, one shoeshop, one tanyard, one sawmill (water and steam), one grist mill, one doctor, one post office, two churches, MEthodist and Christian; a schoolhouse; one IOOF lodge; 30 to 40 houses, and 134 people as of the census of 1880.
At that time, Tucker reports, Winsdor was a "quiet, orderly town with a people disposed to good things."
Remembers When. . .
Frank Jefferson, who now lives in Delaware county and has lived in and around Windsot most of his life, is 88, but despite some deafness gives a very clear account of past days in the town. Jefferson says his father, Joshua, operated a store in Windsor for years and the family lived there until 1907.
He recalls that at one time, Windsor was noted for the number of its lodges and secret societies with one of them meeting almost every night. He thinks that the town was then about the same size as now, possible larger by four or five houses.
Jefferson remembers hearing of one particularly exciting experience Windsor had back 80 or so years ago, when the Barnum and Bailey circus came through town. It didn't stop, just passed through, by-passing Muncie, but the event was as good as a performance. The circus traveled by wagon, and elephants were used to push the wagons in steep or muddy spots.
When Jefferson was a boy, he recalls, Billy Davis owned a general store in Windsor and there was also a blacksmith shop, a wagon shop (Milo Davison's) and paint shop for buggies and wagons.
Jefferson remembers the old brick Christian church at the southeast edge of Windsor (now demolished) where the congregation at revivals went into trances and "jumped the benches." This church has been replaced by the frame Christian church on Main street, where services are quieter. There was also then, as now, a Methodist church. In Jefferson's time, "Old Doc" Nelson Chenoweth was the town physician and lived in the brick house he had built at the west edge of the town.
Jefferson also recalls the big political rallies of election time with fireworks and "exploding anvils"; and Decoration Day ceremonies with a parade out to a grove west of town where the band and fife and drum corps music entertained the crowd.
The first telephone in Windsor, Jefferson remembers, was a toll phone in his father's store installed by the Bell company.
Around 1907, Jefferson recalls, Windsor almost came to a fiery end. The fire started in his father's store and excitement was increased by a stock of fireworks his father had bought which went off in all directions in the middle of the conflagration.
Other Recollections
Harvey Patty, who at 82 still runs a barbershop in Windsor and has spent all his life in the area, remembers that 50 years ago the town had two blacksmith shops tun by Jake Dickson and Albert Nestor and that in that general period there were three barbershops, three stores, and many lodges. Windor also was visited by an ice wagon, which brought ice all the way from Mills lake six miles to the east.
Now, Patty estimates, Windsor has around 45 houses, half a dozen trailers. The town also has two garage filling stations, one general store, one grocery, one barbershop. A modern restaurant prospered in the past decade but closed around three years ago. The population runs to around 140. Farmers from the surrounding area provide most of the business. By and large, Windsor exists very well, adapting to the modern world as much as necessary but maintaining a certain individual character not always to be found in today's small towns.
Both Frank Jefferson and Harvey Patty, however, raise some doubts about Professor Tucker's description of Windsor "back then," as a "quiet and orderly" town. Jefferson recalls that Windsor was "always wide open at midnight." Patty remembers a popular hang-out called 'The Blue Goose' which existed half a century ago and attracted the male population. Playing cards and shooting pool were always favorite pastimes. And some older people insist that at one time in the not too distant past, Windsor still had such a split personality that people going to church on Sunday morning had to walk around the crapshooters left over from the night before and still intent on a big game.
Many Lodges
The lodge ceremonies and entertainment added to the excitement. In the post Civil War days and up to the early 1990's, Windsor had more than its share of the then flourishing secret societies: The Odd Fellows, the Mason, the Red Men and their women's auxiliaries were among the groups which owned meeting places in the town and added to the social life of the entire area.
All that is gone now, but the little town still has a penchant for fun. Fiddle and guitar music are popular and it is reported on good authority that a card game can be found without too much trouble on some nights. As somnolent and quiet as Windsor is in the daytime, it still does not shut up shop as early as might be expected, and it still proves a certain amount of social life for the farmers of the area.
Many of the early names associated with the town can still be found either in or around Windsor--Thornburg, Reece, Dickson, Huston, in a network of interrelated families who have lived or owned land in Stoney Creek township or Windsor since its founding.
Occasionally, in flooding an inhabited area, the Army Corps of Engineers will move an entire village to another location. Even if they attempted this with Windsor, it couldn't be done. Windsor's entire reason for being, the surrounding farmland, will also be under water, as will its history and traditions. Once the water covers the present location of the town, the delicate fabric of history, custom and inertia which holds this little town together as a useful and functioning unit will be gone.
Meanwhile, on the bench under the pine tree, in the stores on Main street, and in the small houses and trailers, people wait, speculate, and shrug their shoulders to indicate their feeling of helplessness in the face of such large governmental doings.
"Men cannot lose what they never had so Windsor has not lost a greatness which she never possessed," Professor Tucker philosophized 90 years ago. But great or small, if the reservoir is built, what has existed now for 140 years, will most certainly be lost.
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