236. Randolph County People, Places & Things.

RCHS Blog Post Number 236. 

Randolph County People, Place & Things.

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McProud

Published in December 1886. 

     James McProud, of Green Township, has determined to make his future home in Kansas and left for that state last Thursday the 7th. Mr. McProud is an old citizen of Randolph county and during the war was a good soldier, as he has always been a good citizen. We cheerfully commend him to the friends he is sure to make in his new home and wish him great prosperity.

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Camp Modoc

Published in 1968. 

     Work has started this fall on another private commercial recreational enterprise in Randolph county. Orris TAYLOR and Clyde NORTH are working cooperatively on the project located in Union township, two miles south of the junction of highway 1 and 36.

  Construction of a nine and a half acre lake was started in late October. The depth of the lake will vary from 3 feet to 15 feet, with total storage capacity of 20 million gallons. Also, an additional 6 million gallons of temporary storage will exist, thus reducing floodwaters by this amount. The lake will provide fishing, boating and swimming when completed. The lake will be filled from surface runoff from a 165 acre watershed.

  Campground and picnic facilities are also under construction. A well has been drilled and a pavilion and bathhouse have been started. Access roads will be installed after the lake has been completed.

  The area involved consists of 44 acres and will be called "Camp Modoc." Target date for opening is June 1, 1968.

  The soil Conservation Service is assisting in the design and installation of the lake with some cost-share through the 1967 ACP Special Report.

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Pole Raising

Published on September 10, 1884.

     The Republicans of Green Township will have a meeting at Emmitsville. A 150 foot tall pole is to be raised by a traction engine. Gov. Porter, Gen. Browne and Major Gordon are the speakers advertised. The pole is an Ash tree cut from the farm Of George WISE Sr. which was formerly known as the David BOOTS farm.

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Hearse

Published in Lynn Herald in 1957.

By Lena WELCH

     A striking contrast with our present automotive world is the hearse used by Joel PARKER of Arba when he was an "undertaker" there. The horses for the vehicle were supplied by Russell THOMAS, who was associated with Joel Parker prior to Thomas coming to Lynn in 1913.

  Needless to say, this was never used as an ambulance, as an ambulance as ambulance service was as unknown then as the motor vehicles. Reason, no hospitals to go to. Finished in shiny black with black draperies, equipped with the very latest in rubber tires, black horses were usually supplied for transportation.

  JOEL Parker was the son of Jesse Parker and the grandson of Thomas Parker who was one of the early settlers in Greensfork township, entering his land in the year 1814.

  Frank Parker, who for many years owned and operated a store in Arba, is a son of Joel. He has three children, also in the community. Mrs. George Browne, Mrs. Henry Myers and Kenneth Parker. The hearse is at present located at the home of Kenneth.

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Adams

Adams Family genealogy file at RCHS.

     This is from a hand written note in the Adams family file at the museum; Adams Genealogy Hester WATSON (mother of) Cathrin Watson of Sharpsburg Ky., Scotch Irish descent married Thomas Adams. Eleven children were born James, Soloman, John, Thomas, Aaron, Watson, Hiram, Marie, Easter, Nancy & Christina Adams. Aaron Adams Sr. was born near Sharpsburg, Bath Co. Ky. June 8-1807. He was married to Mary HART, daughter of John and Phoelyian (GODFREY) Hart. Ten children were born. John Thomas and Phoelyian were born in Ky. Aaron Adams and his family moved to High Land Co. Ohio and then moved to Spartansburg Randolph Co. Ind. The other children were born here Marthy, Godfrey, James, Catherin, Josiah, Aaron and Samuel.

 They lived one mile and a half South east of Spartansburg.

  Mary Hart Adams was buried in the south east corner of the Old Part Spartansburg Grave Yard. Aaron Adams died Sept. 8, 1868 at South Salem and was buried in the extreme north east corner of the Norwitch grave yard on the John RANEL farm one mile South east of Spartansburg, Randolph Co Ind.

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Clenny

Published in November 1886. 

     William Clenny and wife, of South Bend this state, are visiting relatives in Randolph county. They are both well known former citizens of Washington township, Mr. C. being a son of the late Curtis Clenny, one of the pioneers of that township and brother to John W. Clenny and Mrs. Clenney a sister of Strother BRUMFIELD's. We regretted to notice that Mr. Clenny seems quite feeble.

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There were 15 newspapers in Randolph county by 1899. 11 weeklies, 3 dailies and one was issued twice a month.

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Wilt

Published in 1886. 

     George Wilt's spring wagon was overturned on the way home from the Masonic banquet in Winchester Thanksgiving evening, caused by one of the horses shying at something at the side of the road. Fortunately none of the occupants of the wagon were hurt beyond a few slight bruises, and no damage was done. Mrs. Wilt is a large fleshy woman, and as the wagon started to go over she cried out, "We're going, George," and George says she did go hard enough to make a small sized earthquake.

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A.T. Engle & Sons closing.

Published Winchester News-Gazette.

May 14, 1988.

By Janet Fuller.

  Back in an earlier time, before electronic musical instruments and rock videos, a youngster who loved music and who happened to live in Winchester soon found a home away from home at A. T. ENGLE & Sons music store located at the northeast corner of Main and Franklin streets. 

  You would walk into that store 40 years ago or so and be greeted by either Mrs. Clyde (Ethel) Engle or Mrs. Harry (Mary) LITTLE, who would offer to assist you. You would sometimes take them up on their offer, but most of the time you would browse through the records and musical accessories and sheet music by the hour.

  Finally, if you really had something special in mind, you would ask one of the women if your "treasure" was in stock and if it wasn't, could they order it. The answer was often "yes it's here somewhere" and after a bit of hunting, either Ethel or Mary would emerge from the depths of the store clutching an RCA Victor recording by Mario Lanza or Patty Page or Bing Crosby. But if the sought-after recording (or sheet music or whatever) was nowhere to be found, Ethel or Mary would grab a notebook and a catalog. The item would be hunted up in the appropriate catalog and the proper identification numbers would be jotted along side your name.

  "It should be here in a few days," the women would inform you.

  Then, if you were lucky like I was, you would run into the store during your noon break from school on about the third day, and after school and every day there anxiously awaiting the arrival of the prize record or music.

  If you were a musician, you would go to the store to purchase reeds, rosin, guitar picks, instrument straps, mutes, etc. The list of supplies was endless, and again, if it couldn't be found somewhere in the voluminous store (three stories and a basement), it would be ordered and, again, your name and the pertinent information about the item wanted would be noted in the lined order book.

  Well, A. T. Engle & Sons, is in the process of "going out of business" and nearly all of the merchandise is gone, just a few items remain. The final day for the store will be May 27, when the building is slated to be sold.

  How do the present owners-operators feel about the pending closing of the 100 year old business. For Gene and Martha Louise (Engle) ELLIOTT, who recently moved from Winchester to Muncie, the closing is a bittersweet occasion. They are looking forward to retirement and being able to travel and enjoy themselves. Yet, the closing of the store is also "the end of an era" and sad.

  Martha Louise Elliott is the granddaughter of A. T. Engle and her father was one of the "sons", Clyde, mentioned in the store's name.

  According to notes made by the Elliott's son, Tim, in 1968, A. T. Engle came to Winchester in 1888 and purchased a house at 227 W. Third Street. He started a small music store at his home, selling Story and Clark organs. He also gave music lessons.

  A few years later, he moved his business downtown, to the middle of the block on the east side of the courthouse square. (Martha Louise believes it was about where Webb's Jewelry store is now located and then later moved to the present site of Stallion Sportswear Company (former G. C. Murphy Store site). Later he moved to the store's present location.

  Martha Louise notes the third floor of the present building was built from bricks from the second Randolph County courthouse (the present courthouse is the third courthouse) which was demolished in 1866.

  Clyde Engle, according to Tim's notes, joined his father in the business in 1912 and Clyde's brother, Clarence, joined in 1919. After the death of A. T. Engle, the two sons continued the business. Clarence died in 1960 and Clyde and Ethel continued as owners until their son-in-law, Gene Elliott, became a partner in 1965. Martha Louise became a partner in 1979.

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Would you like a book to learn more about local history? 

Randolph County, Indiana 1818-1990
Commonly referred to as "The Red History Book"
Compiled by the Randolph County Historical Society, 1991, Second reprint 2003.

To obtain your own copy of "The Red History Book" stop in at The RCHS Museum Shop or send an email to arrange placing a mail order.

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