134. Randolph County Schools

WARD AND RIDGEVILLE, June, 1983.

  An Avilla, Ind., general contractor and land developer bought the land that formerly held the Ridgeville School and a Muncie real estate firm did likewise with the Ward School ground. The sales, if approved by the Randolph Central School Corporation, both brought well over the appraised value of the land.
  S.J. Pulver, Inc., Avilla, purchased the Ridgeville land for $7,000, and according to Steve Pulver, the firm plans to build an apartment complex for senior citizens. Harold Hindman, representing Advanced Real Estate of Muncie, purchased the Ward ground located in Saratoga for $6,500 but said he had no idea what the firm planned to do with the land at this time.
  Pulver, in describing his firm's plans, said the apartments would probably rent for between $175 and $250. He noted , However, that "we will be fortunate if we find time to do this within the next two years."
  When asked what plans Pulver, Inc., had for the land in the interim, he said he was open for suggestions. He said if the town wanted to use the property for something until his firm was ready to develop it, he would be glad to let it.
  There were about 30 bidders at both locations Friday and each town had its own interested citizens bidding for the property. However, the interest at Ridgeville seemed to be more overt.
  A Franklin Township-Ridgeville alumni group had been collecting money to bid for the property. The group wanted the property in order to turn it into a community park.
  Bidding on behalf of the Alumni was its president, William Sanders. Sanders went to $6,500.
  Over at Saratoga, Glen Oaks was bidding for the Ward property and apparently had intentions of turning the land over to the community of Saratoga. Oaks stopped bidding at $6,200.
  Just prior to the auction, one woman who had worked hard to raise money to buy the land for the city, stated the Alumni group had received donations from former graduates and friends of the community from throughout the United States. "We walked this town and the township collecting funds," she commented.
  As the auction was ready to get underway at Ridgeville, a cassette player was playing school fight songs-one of which was the old Ridgeville fight song. A couple of women in the crowd could be seen singing along with the tape.
  The 2.9 acres at Ridgeville had been appraised at $5,000 and the Saratoga land, a little less acreage, had been appraised at $3,500. According to the terms set forth for the auction by the school corporation, each property was to bring at least 90 percent of the appraised value or it would be re-advertised for sale.
  School Corporation Attorney Peter Haviza also advised those present at each site of the terms of the auction and that the land was not to be sold for the purpose of placing on it mobile homes.
  After the auctions, Haviza said the finalization of the sales will be undoubtedly be acted upon by the school board at its next meeting Tuesday night.
  Dana Cox, board member, served as auctioneer. Following the auctions, he said he felt there would be no problem in board approval for the sales since both pieces of land brought well over the appraised value.
  There has been quite a bit of concern over the Ridgeville land over the past few months. Many people in Ridgeville felt the land should revert back to the town. Many wanted it used as a park or little league park while others felt a park was not needed.
  Another bit of controversy arose because early on, the school corporation had donated a part of the Saratoga school ground to Saratoga since the community had been maintaining much of it for several years. Thus, many in Ridgeville felt the same thing should occur at Ridgeville.
  The school board, however, felt the Ridgeville interest in the land and the building, came to late and that the corporation could not afford to give the land away.
  It was decided, however, that if the land at Ridgeville did not bring $2,000, it would be given to the town.   Winchester News, June, 1983.


MONROE CENTRAL, October, 1971

  The 6th grade class at Parker Elementary elected class officers last week. The officers from Mrs. Davis' class are Jenny Cox, president; Joy Folkner, vice-president; Shirley Randall, treasurer; and Debbie Hobson, secretary.
  The officers from Mrs. Rarick's class are, Matt Shaffer, president; Mike Lewis and Lori Hensley tied for vice-president; Diana Darling, secretary; and Teresa Fouse, treasurer.

Miss Flame Candidates.  The annual Fire Prevention Day at Farmland took place on Saturday October 2. The day was started off by the crowning of Miss Flame which took place at 10:30. The new 1971 Miss Flame is Debbie Halstead.
  Debbie is a member of the freshman class and is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Glen Halstead of Farmland route 2. First runner-up was Jody Stanley, Jody is a sophomore and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Max Stanley, Parker route 1.
  Second runner-up was Janet Bailey. Janet is a senior and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Russell Bailey, 304 E. Henry, Farmland. Third runner-up was Debbie Silvers. Debbie is a junior and the daughter of mr. and Mrs. Raymond Silvers, Ridgeville.
  Following the crowning was a parade composed of 3 high school bands, drill team, fire equipment, baton twirling units, antique cars and pony riders. Awards were given to the best of each section.

French Club.  Bill Pursley was elected president of the French Club, Tursday, September 28, during a club meeting.
  Other officers were Denny Taylor, vice president, Susie Lamb, secretary and Rita Bullis, treasurer.
  The meeting was held specifically for the election of officers. Other members attending were; Linda Evans, Lisa Jester, Debbie Toney, Barb Watt, Donna Hiatt, Sherri Bales, Mike Hall, Dave Traub and Nancy Lewis. Mrs. smith is the sponsor of the French Club.

Elections.  Mike Thomas was elected president of the seventh grade class on September 19. Other officers elected were Mark Gard; secretary, Cindy Culy; treasurer, Kevin Cox; reporter, Cris Skinner.
  At the September 26 meeting, the seventh grade elected two student council members, Steve Starr and Dave Mosier. The class sponsers are Mrs. Parrott and Mr. Washler.


"SWAMP VALLEY"  Sept., 1970.

  "Swamp Valley" may not sound like a very romantic name for the institution in which students learned the three R's, but to the people who went there, it brings fond memories. Although the school was abandoned as an educational institution in the first decade of this century when rural consolidation began to out-date one room schools, it has held up well during its move from its "swamp valley location to its present site, and during its use as a storage shed on the Max Kolp farm west of Lynn.
  And surprisingly enough, a wall-map case which came with the building when it was moved, is in excellent condition today.
  The map case, dated 1880, 90 years ago, has an ornamental front leaf entitled "Bancroft's Pictorial Chart Of Geographical Definitions." The front map is, as its title implies, a picture of all the various types of formations- bays, valleys, mountains, islands, which will be found on a regular map, but here in true-to-life pictorial form.
  Next come maps of the various continents with natural boundaries as they were in 1880.
  Further on, the students were treated to vividly colored outlines of human structure- bones, muscles and internal organs. Not omitting a bit of propaganda, the mapmaker included three sketches of the human stomach, one entitled "normal stomach"; the next, the stomach of a "moderate drinker", showing slightly irritated lining; next the stomach of a "drunkard"- complete with a large ulcer.
  Most of the remaining one room schools in the county are built of brick, which have lasted better than the frame buildings. But Swamp Valley school is frame, and larger than most of the brick one room schools, with long windows and tall, peaked ceilings. As far as can be determined, there was no attic, although remains of the old cloakroom
 can be noticed.
  The school originally stood on the Paul Rogers farm, on county road 300. This was a rather swampy area, hence the name. Rose Willis Reed (formerly Rose Miller) who attended Swamp Valley school for eight years, recalls that there was a skating pond behind the school, which was much enjoyed during the winter. Mrs. Reed also remembers that there were never more than 20 pupils, but all drank from one tin cup at the water bucket.
  One interesting fact Mrs. Reed remembers is that the desks faced south, and as a result, the wall-map mentioned before was "upside down." As a result of that, Mrs. Reed adds, her map reading has been somewhat confused ever since. She tends to regard "south" as the top of the map instead of the bottom.
  After the school was discontinued due to the rural consolidation in the first decade of the century, the building was moved across the road to the Ted Harvey farm, where it now stands. The location is four and a half miles west of Lynn on Ind. 36. Harvey was the grandfather of Barbara Harvey Kolp, who, with her husband Max, now lives on the farm.
  The Kolps say they plan to donate the old map case with its maps and charts to one of the county's historical museums, either the one at the Lynn library or the Randolph County Historical Museum at Winchester.   Winchester News-Gazette, Sept., 1970. By A.M. Gibbons.


UNION CITY CLASS OFFICERS, Sept., 1959.

  Senior and Junior class officers have been elected at Union City-Wayne High School, it was announced today by Principal Robert Shank. Sophomores and freshmen will hold their elections Monday.
  The new officers are:

SENIORS - President, Bob Hiatt; vice president, Tom Miller; treasurer, Ted Leahey; secretary, Marjorie Ligon; student council, Patty Fitzmaurive and Ronnie Beisner.

JUNIORS - President, Susan Pyle; vice president, Ricky Weaver; treasurer, Judy Noonan; secretary, Sharon Simmons; student council, Randy Burkett and Julia Brooks.
  A new system of class elections has been introduced to promote citizenship and provide more knowledge of the democratic process, Shank said.
  Petitions must be signed by 10 per cent of the class and by three faculty members and candidates are permitted a week to circulate them. Candidates select campaign managers and are allowed to display three posters in the school.
  The campaign extends a week after which there is a rally and candidates and their managers are given four and two minutes respectively to speak.
  Ballots are printed for each class and the polls are open on election day before school, at noon and after school. Votes are counted before the class sponsor, the principal and two members of the class.
  Winchester Journal Herald, Sept., 1959.


RIDGEVILLE'S "STAN" COPE.

  Stanton Cope, who was a member of the 1938 graduating class of the Ridgeville high school and later a student at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, has had quite a bit of space devoted to him by Mr. Robert H. Reed in his article, "Farm Boy Champions" which appeared in the September issue of "The Country Gentleman."
  Stan, as most all Ridgeville folks will remember, was one of the shining lights on the local Cossack basketball team for three years.
  Several of the other schools will also remember him as the boy who usually, with the help of four other players, ended their dreams for championship teams in county tourneys.
  Stan was also a good student. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor C. Cope who lice about five miles west of Ridgeville.
  In order that you may read the article in part that refers to Stan, we wish to reprint it as Mr. Reed wrote it.  Mr. Reed says:

  "These winning teams were, of course, studded with farm boys. To pick the best of the farm boys who hail from Indiana would be an impossible task, but it is easy to pick one who is a great star - Stan Cope, who lives on a farm near Ridgeville, population 1000. As a sophomore last season, Stan sparked a fine Swarthmore College team through a highly successful schedule. He was one of the top men in the country, chalking up an average of 13.9 in fifteen games against major opponents.
  "Stan learned his basketball the hard way at Ridgeville High School. Basketball season overlaps with the cornhusking season in Indiana and there is considerable corn grown on the Cope farm. As is sometimes typical of country boys, Stan thought nothing of husking corn all day on a Saturday, walking five miles into town, donning his basketball suit and helping his team knock off another opponent, and walking home afterward to a well-earned rest.
  Although college seemed something of a remote thing for Cope, since the Indiana farm had known some bad years, the youngster kept whacking away at his studies. He graduated with thirty-two A's-a perfect scholastic record for four years. The reward for this diligence came in the form of scholarship offers from several colleges. Stan chose one to Swarthmore College, whose scholastic excellence overshadows even a fine athletic record.
  Stan has finished two years of college work with satisfactory grades, and Swarthmore has a reputation for being "plenty tough" in its requirements. Cope also played a creditable third base on the baseball team, and this past summer he carried home with him several technical books on football. He's going to take his 190 pounds out for Quaker football this fall. In spare time this good looking Hoosier boy waited tables and ran a laundry route to make himself self supporting at college.
  Stan Cope in many reckonings was the best college basketball player in Eastern circles last year. He is lightning fast on the maple boards, has a deadly aim for the basket and is a stone wall on defense. He hasn't a weakness. Bill Stetson, the able young coach of the Quaker five, is a little more conservative in his estimate of his star. "But Stan could make any college basketball team I have ever seen. He'd be a great star on most of them," he says.
  Athletics, incidentally, is a minor part of Cope's interests. He is headed for a degree in medicine.
  In the meantime it is encouraging to know of another Hoosier farm boy who isn't afraid to dig in against hard odds; who has demonstrated that abundantly he has within himself the stuff that success is made of.  Randolph County News, August, 1940.


WINCHESTER, Driver Marching Band. 1959.

  The Driver high school marching band began rehearsals Monday evening with 53 students present. Total enrollment for the band is 75 students, with 63 instrumentalists and 12 twirlers. The band will participate in the Indiana state fair marching contest on September, 3.
  Also beginning this week, band members will practice in groups of 10 students, learning the fundamentals of marching under the direction of six upperclass students. These student leaders are Ramona Arthur, Mary Paul, Judy Welbourne, Betsy Green, Pat Meek and Bob Keys.
  The 12 band majorettes have been rehearsing separately and include the following students; Judy Mills, Martha Roskosz, Barbara Walters, Jeanie Shively, Mary Ann Campbell, Jean Simmons, Carol Jennings, Beverly Barnhart, Evie VanLandingham, Joan Hendrickson, Pamela Lowe and Betty Ayres.
  The band will rehearse in the old gym. Students are urged to attend both the full band rehearsals and the group rehearsals so that they may qualify to participate in the state contest.   Winchester Journal-Herald, August, 1959.