James MOORMAN, better known as "Uncle Jimmie," listed in item 27 of his last will and testament as follows: "I give, devise and bequeath, in memory of the sacrifices and sufferings of the men who served in the Union Army from Randolph County, the sum of two thousand dollars to John W. MACY, William W. Macy and Joseph R. JACKSON as trustees of said sum, said sum to be invested in a monument of such design and character as they may select and may be placed in the east part of the Public Square of Randolph County, Indians, on which the court house id located.
From this nucleus of an idea has sprung Indiana's second largest monument.
Uncle Jimmie, a devout Quaker, came to Winchester in 1860 and started what was known as the "Old Winchester Bank." Because of his shrewd business ability, he became in his time a very wealthy man.
He was 66 years old when the war broke out. Being a Quaker he was supposed to be a "conscientious objector" but those who knew him believed he would have volunteered for the North had he been a younger man.
Now that the two thousand dollars was there, some legal action must take place to have a monument. John W. Macy, joint senator in the Indiana State Legislature, proposed a measure which would enable county commissioners to appropriate up to $25,000 for the purpose of erecting monuments to the Civil War soldiers and sailors.
After the bill passed, a group of ex-soldiers presented petitions signed by 3,914 voters and taxpayers requesting such an appropriation from the commissioners. They obliged so on the 20th of March, 1889.
After a carefully selected advisory committee had been chosen, the contract for the foundation of the memorial was let to Luther L. Moorman for $2,579. A hole 27 feet square and 6 feet deep was dug and filled with broken Bedford limestone and cement.
Next bids were submitted for the actual monument. A. A. McKAIN of Indianapolis was the successful bidder. Work was started in the summer of 1890 but completion was held up until the committee could decide what figure should be placed at the top. McKain had decided to use a figure calculated to represent the ancient war god, Mars at rest. The committee objected to this as well as that of a negro clad only in a loin cloth and armed with a spear. Someone came up with the idea of just using an ordinary soldier armed with the good old Stars and Stripes. All approved this figure and McKain was permitted to continue.
The work was completed in the spring of 1892 and the monument was turned over to the Commissioners to become county property.
The day set for the unveiling was to be a gala event. A letter asking Gov. Ira O. CHASE to be principal speaker was sent. Ex-Governor Isaac P. Gray was also invited to speak but he failed even to answer the invitation. A telegram was sent. He then answered that he would not be here.
In spite of all these reversals a program got underway at ten o'clock on the twenty first of July. Capt. WRIGHT and his famed artillery company stood with bared heads while I. P. WATTS delivered the invocation.
After the morning ceremonies were completed an interim hour was spent by the multitudes in feasting, either at picnic tables, restaurants or at food stands which had been erected to help the hungry crowds.
Immediately after lunch, a large retinue of veterans, accompanied by hundreds of enthusiastic citizens marched to the depot where they met Gov. Chase and marched him back through the gaily decorated street to the speakers stand, where the dedication ceremonies were resumed.
Promptly at 1:30 the bugle sounded assembly and the people at once jammed the east side of the square. Band music opened the exercises followed by invocation delivered by Rev. Dr. Spellman of Winchester, former chaplain of the 101st Indiana. A choir composed of 75 children sang "America" under the direction of Prof. Samuel WILLIAMS, after which the address of welcome was given by Capt. A. O. MARSH, Master of Ceremonies.
The ritual of the Grand Army of Republic was used in the unveiling ceremony. The ceremony was most impressive and drew thunderous applause from the crowds as each separate figure of the structure was brought to view. The band played the National Anthem as "Old Glory" was hauled to the peak of the flagstaff. Upon individual commands, William CHAPMAN removed the flag which covered the figure representing the Navy, Isaac SIPE unveiled the Cavalryman, S. O. FOX unveiled the Artilleryman and Oliver M. MILLS removed the flag from the Infantryman.
Governor Ira Chase was presented by Capt. A. O. Marsh and he gave an address of a congratulatory nature. He complimented the people of the county upon their patriotism. And so we have the story of the monument.
Monument Statistics:
Cost of Monument...….$23,000.
Foundation...……$2,659.
Total...…… $26,659.
James Moorman Bequest $2,000.
Cost to County $23,659.
The foundation and lower part of the monument is constructed of Oolitic limestone, while the upper portions are of solid Barre granite from Vermont. The lower section of the structure represents a fort with sixteen bronze cannons, 4 to the side. The figure representing the four branches of military service are each six feet, six inches in height. The monument is 67 feet high to the top of the granite shaft. The bronze frieze which encircles the shaft and bears bas reliefs of battle and military life scenes is six feet wide and twenty four feet long.
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Rural Free Mail Delivery.
Rural mail delivery service has been established in Randolph County to begin December 15, 1903 as follows:
CARLOS, route 29, population served 860, Elmer E, COGGSHELL carrier, J. E. IVESON substitute.
CRETE, route 34, length of route twenty three mile, population served 590, Ephriam B. ANDERSON carrier, Perry M. TAYLOR substitute.
FARMLAND, additional service, route 19, length of route twenty four miles, population served 550, Charles T, SNYDER carrier, David H. MORRIS substitute.
LYNN, additional service, route 31, length of route twenty five miles, population served 400, James BASCOM carrier, John H. PORTER substitute.
PARKER, additional service, route 20, population served 295, Wm. G. MOULTON carrier, Charles C. MOULTON substitute.
RIDGEVILLE, additional service, routes 12 and 15, population served 1,294, John COLLETT and Benjamin F. ARMSTRONG carriers.
UNION CITY, additional service, route 42, length of route twenty two miles, population served 645, Willard H. SMITH carrier, Claude H. SMITH substitute.
MODOC, Albert C. SWAIN carrier.
WINCHESTER, additional service, routes 8, 9, 10 and 11, length ninety one miles, population served 1,995, William D. REMMEL, Christopher C. PEELLE, William G. BATCHELOR and William F. WATSON carriers.
ADVICE TO RURAL ROUTE PATRONS.
1. Don't ask your carrier to wait while you address a letter or write a postal card. When you do, you ask him to disobey the law.
2. Don't have your wagon or other vehicles stand by the mail box so the carrier is compelled to get out to place the mail in the box.
3.Don't pile lumber, gas pipes, ladders or other long articles across the fence so the ends stick out past the mail box.
4. Don't put your mail box in an obstructed place, so that the carrier must drive across ditches, against fences and mud holes to get to it.
5. Don't drive up to your neighbor's mail box and tie your horse, so the carrier can not get to the box.
6. Don't have the flag up when there is no mail to be taken out.
7. Do not put mail in the box without raising the flag. If the carrier has no mail for you, he is not expected to go to the box unless there is mail to get out.
8. Don't drop money loose in the box. The law says you must wrap it.
If you put a letter and pennies in the box, wrap them together, so the carrier does not have to pull off his mittens and fish around in the box for them. Some real cold morning drop five or six pennies in the box, stay out until your fingers get real cold, then go to the box and fish for the pennies yourself and see how your carrier fares, but remember he cannot go in and warm when his hands get cold. He must be patient and pick pennies out of boxes all day while patrons sit close by their stoves and feel thankful that they are not rural carriers. Winchester Journal, Nov., 1903.
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Winchester Bus Station.
The Bus Terminal and News Stand, operated by Roy BUSICK, will move from its present location on S. Meridian and Franklin St., to a new office at 208 South Main St., on the west side of the block south of the public square. The new location was formerly the Peacock Insurance Agency office. Also operating from this office as it did from the former bus station, will be the Railway Express Service. January, 1961.
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Maxville Church.
Within the next few weeks the future of the Maxville church, formerly called Macksville, east of Farmland, will be decided. It's past has been recorded during the years that the church has stood and within its walls are many memories for its former congregations as well as neighbors and former residents of the community who are now living far and near.
The present structure has stood for only 49 years but before that there was a church, and before that, there was a church and before that there was the house of John SUMWALT, where the first services were held and organized back in 1821.
The first church was a frame building, built in 1838 near a mill owned by Rudolph GOOD, that stood near the river and along the west edge of what is now the old part of the cemetery. Mr. Good donated the ground for the church to be built on. This building burned mysteriously after being used only 9 years.
The second Maxville church was built in 1856, in the north west corner, and the now old cemetery was started around this building. The church was abandoned in 1914 and used as a residence for many years.
In 1914 the pr
esent church was built and its fate now lies in the hands of the Maxville cemetery owners and some cemetery board members do not know where many of these people now live.
Two hundred and fifty lot owners are not all of the people who would like to voice their sentiments about what should be done with the church building; but due to the lack of many addresses, it is impossible to contact the others who own lots in the cemetery.
William GREEN, retired blacksmith, has been president of the cemetery board for over 30 years. Other board members are Mrs. Altha HOBBICK, secretary; Russell MULL, Chase COOK, Reuben SHAW and Gene FOSTER.
Maxville and Farmland churches were on the Farmland circuit and the first minister was Rev. Ira HUFFMAN. The circuit was in the Richmond district of the Methodist conference.
The first janitor of the Maxville church was Boyce MILLS, who lives in Farmland. According to Mills; after the first two years, the church was unable to pay for his services but he continued doing the janitor chores without pay. Mills' son, Claud, has been caretaker of the cemetery for many years and on occasion takes care of the church.
The church is at present being used each Sunday by the Bible Deliverance group who are paying fifteen dollars a month for its use.
In 1930, the district superintendent gave the Farmland church board his permission to sell the Maxville church and it was purchased by the cemetery board for one thousand dollars. Mr. Green was also president of the Farmland church board at the time of the sale. At one time, according to Green the board was offered ten thousand dollars for the building but the sale was never completed.
Rev. Harvey THORNBURG, retired minister, has the distinction of conducting more funerals in this church than any other minister. His records show that he has conducted at least 800 funerals here. Quoting Re. Thornburg, he has held funerals here for "young, old, suicides, murders, good and the bad."
There have probably been fewer weddings in the Maxville church than any other church in the county according to Green and Mills, but nobody seems to know why.
For many years, Decoration Day exercises were held and former residents came back year after year from great distances to attend these services.
Often, prior to the sale of the church to the cemetery board, when repairs were needed, the members "pitched in" and did their own work. One particular year, the members rented land and planted a crop of oats and with the money received, repaired the ceiling of the church.
Now comes a time when an oats crop or even several hundred dollars will not restore the beauty to this structure or make the repairs that are so needed and if something is not done soon, what used to be a beautiful church will lose that beauty, inside and outside. Then it will become just another memory to join the many memories that are sleeping so peacefully in that corner near Farmland. By M. C. Barrett, Winchester Journal-Herald, October, 1963.
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