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HISTORIC TREASURES
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Gc 977.202 B62H
PUBLIC LIBRARY FORT WAYNE & ALLEN CO., IND.
ML
OVERSIZE
GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02138 8365
Gc 977.202 B62H HALL, FOREST M. HISTORIC TREASURES
NOV 1 1947
1
Historic Treasures, Compiled by Forest M. "Pop" Hall
Historic Treasures
True Tales of Deeds with Interesting Data in the Life of Bloomington, Indiana Univer- sity and Monroe County-Written in Simple Language and About Real People, with Other Important Things and Illustrations
Compiled and Published by
Forest M. "Pop" Hall --
Copyright Feb. 10, 1922 Forest M. Hall Bloomington, Indiana
Printed by INDIANA UNIVERSITY PRESS
Lokke Book Bindery Co. Bloomington, Ind.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Title page
1
Two Views of Bloomington's Public Square
27
Front pieces
2-3
The Coed 28
A Tribute
4
Site of Bloomington Was Wheat Field in 1818
28
Introductions
Railroad Passenger Stations
29
Preface
6
We Take Sky-Lark
30
A Message of Victory
7
Freight Yards
30
Table of Contents Continued on Page
8
Public Square during a parade
31
"Aunt Mollie" Stewart
31
9
On Moonlight Nights
32
O'd Monon Station
This Country of Ours
32
Indiana University Library
12
Religious Activities of Pioneers (with illustrations)
33
O'd Salt Works
16
Harmony Movement 3
36
James Parks, Sr., Wrote History
22
Congregation in Tears as Fairview Church Burns (with illus- tration)
38
Why Bloomington People Are Never Ashamed 26
Coed Sixty-nine Years of Age
39
Birds-eye view of Bloomington and Indiana University. 26 Largest Man in County 40
(Table of Contents Continued on Page 8.)
Page
St. Margaret's Hall
28
Indian Fighting of 1811-13
9
Life of Colonel Ketcham
14
Record of the Rev. George W. Terry
37
Monroe County's Magnificent Modern Court House.
First Incorporation of Bloomington
24
Our Old Town Pump
11
Remarkable Letter by Prof. Pering (with illustration)
17 "God's Acre"
22 Early-Day Preacher
2
Historic Treusures, Compiled by Forest M. "Pop" Hall
This work is dedicated to the coming gen- erations and my "Little Lady," Virginia M. Hall, on her fourth birthday, Jan. 21, 1922.
We found these tales of yesterday, And give without erasures; My innocents, so pure in play, To you we leave these treasures.
3
Historic Treasures, Compiled by Forest M. "Pop" Hall
336706
FOREST M. "POP" HALL
Life was ever an adventure, rich in acts- As simple deeds, they teach that beauty Lives on and on, as we know duty- Time tells her tale and leaves but fading tracks.
948
MAR 5
4
Historic Treasures, Compiled by Forest M. "Pop" Hall
A TRIBUTE
Sometimes you find a man with a heart so big you don't see how he carries it around. This kind of man doesn't sit on a gilded throne or have his breakfast served in bed. He just goes out and does things.
Pop Hall is one of these men. He has a heart that is measured in square miles. He has hit the line hard all his life. Still, I expect he's got more religion than most of us.
He has received several degrees from the University of Life. One is a Ph.D. in "Human Understandin'." He certainly deserved that degree. In his life he's made lots of friends. I'm glad to be one of them.
Mr. Guest was thinking of men like Pop when he wrote the following poem :
IT COULDN'T BE DONE.
By Edgar A. Guest.
Somebody said that it couldn't be done, But he, with a chuckle, replied, That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one Who wouldn't say so till he tried. So he buckled right in, with a trace of a grin, On his face. If he worried, he hid it. He started to sing as he tackled the thing That couldn't be done, and he did it.
Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that; At least no one ever has done it." But he took off his coat and he took off his hat, And the first thing we knew he'd begun it. With the lift of his chin, and a bit of a grin, Without any doubting or quiddit, He started to sing as he tackled the thing, That couldn't be done, and he did it.
There are thousands to tell you that it cannot be done; There are thousands who prophesy failure; There are thousands to point out to you, one by one, The dangers that wait to assail you. But just buckle in with a bit of a grin, Then take off your coat and go to it;
Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing, That "cannot be done"-and you'll do it.
From THE PATH TO HOME. Copyright 1919 by the Reilly & Lee Co. Reprinted by permission. Indiana University Memorial Campaign.
We need more men like Pop.
NOBLE C. BUTLER, '22, Director of the Campus Campaign Among Men of the Million Dollar Memorial.
NOTE-The critical eye will detect a number of typographical errors within the pages of Historic Treasures, which we do not care to excuse, but rather to point out with pride, as monumental evidence of the sincere efforts of our fellow-craftsman, O. A. Miller, superinten- dent of Indiana University Press, in speeding this work to completion, which is the largest job of printing ever to have been entirely printed and bound in the City of Bloomington, Ind.
F.M.H.
5
Historic Treasures, Compiled by Forest M. "Pop" Hall
INTRODUCTION
To gather up the threads of a community's unwritten history is to help that com- munity to complete the pattern of its life. General history shows only broad lines and deep colors. Local history supplies the minute variety of tone and shade. Yet local history is not to be confused with legend. Legend has its place in the tale, but the harder-earned treasure of fact is of more enduring worth.
In choosing Bloomington and its environs as the seat of his work, Mr. Hall has chanced upon a locality which is rich in interest. He has set himself the task of de- termining and presenting the facts of our local history. Such work is of value in itself, and it suggests a worthy precedent for all communities. Time runs away from facts. The local historian attempts to catch them before it is too late. The endeavor should call forth not only sympathy and interest, but practical encouragement.
C. J. SEMBOWER.
LOCAL HISTORIC TREASURES
I have read with much interest Mr. Forest M. Hall's chapters on local history as they have appeared in the local press from time to time. It has been a real pleasure to know that there is a man among us who has the faculty and disposition for this kind of work, and who is willing to give his time and energy to digging out and pre- serving in print so many interesting stories and personalities of the past. The col- lector of such material renders a valuable service to the community.
Mr. Hall has made a good collection of personal and historical material. It illus- trates vividly, and I have no doubt for the most part truthfully, the past life of Bloom- ington and Monroe county. For this unusual service Mr. Hall should receive the ap- proval and support of our citizens. It gives me pleasure to write for his work this brief word of commendation. He brings again to our knowledge the story of men and women whose lives and deeds should not be allowed to be forgotten.
Many of the things of which Mr. Hall has written are within the memory of men and women still living. But the time' will soon come when they will not be, for the places and faces that know them now will soon know them no more forever. It is well to preserve these accounts and to put them into easily accessible forms for those who come after us. It is a common observation that we are not interested enough either in our ancestry or in our posterity. We live too much for the present. We forget how interested in us those will be who may be here a hundred years from now; and we are prone to care too little, or we find it too difficult to learn, about those who were here a hundred years ago. A work like Mr. Hall's tends to correct this unfortunate tendency, and to enable us not only to preserve for the future the life of the present generation, but to recover, in some degree, the knowledge of the genera- tions that are gone.
These interesting chapters of Mr. Hall on our local history are in interesting and attractive form. For what he has done for this community he deserves its gratitude and appreciation.
JAMES A. WOODBURN.
1
6
Historic Treasures, Compiled by Forest M. "Pop" Hall
Preface
Those who look in this book for rhetorical composition, sublime metafors or ef- fusions may be disappointed; but those who care for worth-while deeds and facts of pioneer days talked of in simple, human interest manner, will find accounts of people's lives in every walk of our civil and military life of by-gone days. We have tried to tell some important thing of each community of the county, which should be preserved for our children's children. Some of these accounts may seem more complete than others, because our notes have been more complete, but we have been obliged to write and compile these stories in such order as we were able to obtain the facts; and, we have not designed to show partiality, except in recognizing the news value of the early day happenings to the citizens of today. The pictures may give future generations an idea of scenes in Bloomington and the community today, as do the present day topics we have written of in this book.
We are pained at the thought that, while the deeds of some Monroe County and Bloomington soldiers, as well as civilian heroes, are emblazoned in these pages, others no less worthy of note, are seemingly ignored. This is no fault of the compiler of this work. No fidelity on his part could have obviated the difficulty, from the fact he was compelled to find these facts alone-chiefly, through old books, conversation with older persons now living, and newspapers of the present period-verify by tracing old records of data. To all these helpful sources of information he feels humbly grate- ful, especially the citizens of Bloomington, the newspapers, and Indiana University, as without their support and encouragement this work would not have been possible
Now, as the work is sent forth, he cherishes but little hope that it will go through the fiery ordeal of criticism without being somewhat scorched; for
"He that writes, Or makes a feast, more certainly invites His judges than his friends; there's not a guest But will find something wanting or ill drest."
We undertook the arduous task of compiling stories of human interest and interest- ing data concerning history of Bloomington, Indiana University and Monroe County, Indiana-the labor of gathering these facts and compiling them in short, interesting narratives-with some misgivings; knowing, as we did, that more illustrious foot-steps had gone before, and that older and wiser heads had long been doing work of this nature. We have given credit to newspapers for each article printed from its files.
But, it seemed that the duty of giving the present and future generations the things we found in pioneer life, in a form the present-day reading public have grown to care for, was one not to be avoided; and we have endeavored to accept this duty with meekness. The result of our labor now goes to the reader, resting not so much upon the merit of this work as upon the intrinsic value of work and motives of others which inspired the actions recalled in "Historic Treasures".
But sufficient has been said to indicate the design and character of this work; therefore we close this preface by acknowledging our obligations to our teachers in Indiana University and the Rehabilation Department of the United States Government, for the development of what little ability we are able to use in preserving these Historic Treasures. We also appreciate the support of commercial concerns of Bloomington in 1922, who are represented in the last pages of this book.
Bloomington, Ind. January 21, 1922.
F. M. H.
1
7
A Message of Victory
the gauche sie
, ma droite recule Pu louséquence l'ordonne une a Vive générale, attaque d'usure pour le centre,
Ifoch
Facsimile of famous telegram written by Marshal Ferdinand Foch at the decisive stage of the battle of the Marne, when he hurled back the Germans from the gates of Paris, September, 1914. On his visit to Indiana, Marshal Foch presented an autographed copy of his message to Indiana University.
Translation: "My left is giving way, my right is falling back; consequently I am ordering a general offensive, a decisive attack by the center."-F. Foch.
"Every man is sometimes at the point where everything seems lost, where right wing is broken and left wing crushed. There is victory for him who can then say, as Foch said at the Marne: I propose to charge with my center."-William Lowe Bryan, President, In diana University.'
Historic Treasures, Compiled by Forest M. "Pop" Hall
8
Historic Treasures, Compiled by Forest M. "Pop" Hall
TABLE OF CONTENTS-Continued.
Page
It was Hard to Be Good 41
A Wild Spot in the Hills
105
Austin Seward
41
Hoosiers Made Fine Record in World War 42
Alone in The Mystery of Death 42
Armistice Day Proclamation 43
Foch's Famous Message
43 43
Soldiers' Monument at Rose Hill Cemetery 109
109
City Pays Homage 44
That Peace May Live
45 45
Names of Monroe County Heroes Who Made Supreme Sacrifice.
46
Indiana University Had Big "Honor Roll"
47
We must Prove Our Trust
48
Journalism Building 114
"Far West" Printed in 1833 and Other Old Newspapers. 115
Dudley C. Smith First School Teacher (with illustrations) 49 Earth Emerging From Torrid, Dry Period 110
Prof. D. E. Hunter Established First Graded Schools. 50 Making a Newspaper 117
Hardships Children of Pioneer Families Endured 51 Named Site Beuna Vista 117
Oldest Man in World? 117
117
Three Hinkle Brothers 54 Air Record 119
Medical Men Form Clinic
54
Old Seminary System (with illustration)
54
Mausoleum, Rose Hill Cemetery 119
Mt. Tabor, Once Thriving Village 119
School Lands of Monroe County
Name of "Hoosier" Now Commands Respect
58
Dr. Woodburn, on Sixty- fourth . Birthday (with Illustration) 121
Indiana Schools Get $1,623,785 From State. 12]
121
"According to Hoyle" 121
122
Scene on Indiana University Campus
122
Observatory at Indiana University
Says Rest of World Works While U. S. Plays
123
"City of Higher Learning" Receives Praise
Typical University Student Organization Houses
66 67 68
Bloomington's Postmasters Change in 1922 (with Illustrations). Bloomington's Post Office Building
124
Indiana University Buildings in 1915
First Piano to Enter Bloomington Is Returned
124
Annual Pow-Wow of Monroe County Ex-Service Men. 125
Burton Woolery 125
The Towne Quartette 125
American Legion Memorial 126
Names of Bloomington's Heroes Among Those of Indiana Uni- versity 126
The Widow's Soliloquy
First Store Established in Bloomington
Population of Bloomington in 1830
Condition Found in 1921 at Center of Population
72
The Harris-Grand 12"
Smithville Public School Building 128
128
What We See and Hear -- What We Think
73
Early Manufactories of Bloomington
Monroe Chapter American War Mothers
130
First Steam Mill Started
Bloomington Modern Hospital (with Illustrations)
132
Views of Bloomington Buildings
Ellettsville First Named Richland
133
First Railroad Built into Bloomington
Fairfax is Old Landmark
"Indiana, We're All For You"
135
Save an 1812 War Relic 77
Indiana, Our Indiana
Friendship Almost Was 77
Banking Houses of City
136
Cozy Ward in Bloomington Hospital
136
Stage Line and "Temperance House"
Bloomington Chamber of Commerce
Bloomington Architect Predicts Bright Prospects
80
Scenes in Great Quarries 80
Bloomington Election, 1921 80
Bloomington City Hall
View of University Library 139
Homes of the People from Early Times
Town of Harrodsburg Has Varied Career 140
Entrance to Maxwell Hall 140
W. W. Wicks Enlisted When Sent on an Errand 141
Above All Things-By "The Stroller" 141
The New Dollar 141
Henry J. Feltus 142
Water Supply Has Been Issue in Local Elections 142
Oldest Woman in County Is Ninety-eight 143
Class in University Hears Galli-Curci by Wireless Telephone. .143
A Winter Picture
89
First Settler to Bring Family
89
Old Court House
90
Tempting Old Log
91
Gosport Actor Wins Success in Role of "Abraham Lincoln" 148
Pioneers of Monroe County Drank Whiskey 91 Telescope in Kirkwood Observatory, Indiana University 148
Early Political Records of Monroe County 92
William Mathers, Soldier of Revolution
First Militia Regiment
Capt. Sluss and Daniel Lunderman Head Companies in Mexican War
94
Smithville Sprang Up With Railroad
94
Palestine Now Deserted
Crisis, Just Before War of Rebellion
Wayport and Hindoostan
People Thrown into Frenzie-Ft. Sumter Taken 97
Monroe County Organizes Ten Companies 98
Draft Ordered For State
99 The Sentinels 100
Incidents Worth Mention During Civil War 101
Along the Road 101 "Butter Nuts" Resist Law 102 Morgan Invaded Indiana 102
Typical Scenes in Training Camp 155
Disloyal Element Grows Bold 103
Great Celebration Held in Bloomington 104
Scene on University Campus 158
Advertising Section of Bloomington Representative Business and
Last Call For Men-Bounties Offered 104 100-Day Men Called 105 Professional Life in 1922 159
106
End of Civil War
Feats of Confederate Navy 107
Bloomington Woman 80 Years of Age Protests 107
108
A Good Spot to Wade
108
Company H, 195th Regiment, in Spanish-American War. 109 We've Drunk From the Same Canteen 111
Whip-Saw Enables Pioneer Woodsman to Build Home 111
Indiana University Campus Before Fire in Wylie Hall 112
Iron Was Mined in Monroe County
112
Monroe County Leads 48
First Library 48
Romance of Ancestors of Fee Family 52 53 Telephone Wires Could reach Moon 100 Times
Dr. David H. Maxwell Drafted Indiana Constitution
Early History of Indiana College (with illustration) 56 57 Hotels 120
Indiana University Lives Through Adversity (illustrations) Sacrifices of People in the Past
Entrance Drive to Indiana University
Dr. William Lowe Bryan (with illustrations)
"Kirkwood's Laws" Brought Fame
64 65 66
Indiana University Income and Expenses Given
Scenes on Indiana University Campus After Snow Storm
69
The Downfallen
The Team and Stiehm
Trustees of University Select Sites
69
Bankers Convinced Prospects for 1922 Business are Good
Historic Old Elm Trees
Care of Disabled Soldiers of World War Discussed 127
A Soldier's Last Letter 127
History of G.A.R. In United States 127
72 Residence Hall 127
Hard Times Faced Early Settlers
73
City of Bloomington Is Fortunate
Local Council of Women
Small Corner in Largest Furniture Factory in the World
129
Bloomington's Beautiful Modern City High School Building
130
Pioneer Fire Department Formed
74 75
Partnership Formed in First Days Lives 74 Years
131
J. W. Jackson, Old-Time Fire Fighter
Student Building
131
Scene Among Monroe County Hills 77
133
Counterfeiters and Crooks Run Out 137
"London Paper, 1834," Tells of Remarkable Invention 138 Salvation Army Work in Bloomington 139 Salvation Army Baskets Ready for Christmas Delivery 139
81 81
Where Finest Building Stone in the World is Taken from Earth .. 82 Bloomington Buildings in 1921
Old Geographical Designations
Street Scenes
Rural Scene in Picturesque Beauty Spot
Where One is Tempted to Linger
Scene on Indiana University Campus
Scene on Campus
Indiana University Celebrates 102d Anniversary 144
Circus Day Always Fresh in Memory 146
Marion Township has Magnificent Scenery 146
Indiana's Recent Awakening From Neglect of History 146
The Reporter and the Bible 149
Go to Colleges for Executives 149
Winter Scene on University Campus 150
No Longer a Mere Dream (with Illustrations) 151
State American Legion Endorses I.U. Memorial 152
Shell-Shocked, and After 153
Oldest Voters 153
94 95 95 The Years Haynes Proves Nation is Dry 153 153
35,143 Deaths and 67,850 Births 153
Real Deadwood Dick Dies
153
Complete List Monroe County Men in World War
154
U. S. Veterans Bureau 154
Indiana University Library 154
Scene on University Campus 157 Legion Makes Plan To Begin Drive for Members 158
123
.. 123
Indiana University Downs Purdue (with illustrations)
69 69
70 70 70 71 71
Families Are Growing Smaller
Pleasing Summer Scenes
75 75 76 76
Building of Bloomington 78 78 79 New $200,000 Masonic Temple 137
83 84 84 85 86 87 88
Monroe County Court Opens for First Term in 1818 90
93 94
Page
Parade a Mile Long
New Dollar Not to Show Broken Sword
Monroe County's Honor Roll At Close of Rebellion
The Student Building 47
Bloomington Had Representative Press
Indiana University School of Journalism is Pioneer. 114
Get-Together Home Coming Banquet Scene 118
59 61 62 63
Monroe County Medical Society
Old Unionville Scene of Horrible Tragedy
135
9
Historic Treasures, Compiled by Forest M. "Pop" Hall
Indian Fighting of 1811-1813 Recounted by Pioneer of Monroe County -- Work of Rangers Against Savages.
Colonel John Ketcham Wrote Account of Adventures-Scalped Indian-Many Murders and Depredations of Red Men Before Town of Bloomington Was Later Established-Early Scenes in Territory of West Fork on White River-Fought With General Tipton and Captain Boone.
Probably the most popular and well- known man among the pioneers of In- diana, and especially Monroe county was John Ketcham, whose titles showed great honor, as he was known as Colonel Ketcham, Judge Ketcham, and the Hon. John Ketcham, as rep- resentative in the Legislature-besides being chosen one of the electors of General Jackson.
Having come from fighting stock and a rather religious family, John Ketcham showed a character far above the average man, in his courage and charitable deeds; and to him, great credit is due for the prosperous and habitable condition of our county, and in a large part, the State of Indiana.
In the late years of his honorable life, John Ketcham, in his own char- acteristic language, wrote a detailed account of his early life as an Indian fighter and scout, along with a de- scriptive account of the Indian trou- bles of 1812-1813. A copy of which has been preserved by D. W. Ketcham, a descendant of Colonel Ketcham, which we are able to quote as follows:
Settled In 1811.
"I propose to give a short history of our Indian troubles of 1812-13," reads Mr. Ketcham's manuscript, "in that part of the Indiana Territory commonly called the 'Forks,' situated between Muscackituck and the Drift-
WE USED TO DISCUSS ALL IMPORTANT TOPICS OF THE NATION AND THE EARTH AT OUR OLD TOWN PUMP
In the old days, when the most important gathering place for political arguments, gossip, and chat was the old town pump, situated at the northwest corner of the public square, in Bloomington, there was not the ever-present smell of gasoline to inhale. Instead of driving old "Dobbin" to the pump for a drink, we now "crank up the Lizzy." This picture was taken some time in the early nineties, and shows the old pump, looking southeast, toward the Court House, at "Campbell's Corner"-Old hitchrack and court house dimly seen in the background. Trees, "as used to be" all around the square. Remember those tall derby hats worn by men in this picture ? Probably the mayor and town marshal. The absence of auto- mobiles in this scene is noticeable.
wood fork of White river, called by the Indians 'Hangonahakqua Sepoc.'
"In April, 1811, we settled on Sec- tion 14, Township 5 N., Range 4 East. Said section was made fractional by the Indian Boundary line cutting off the northwest corner.
"The Indians were numerous and friendly in that part of the Territory until after the Tippecanoe battle, which took place November 7, 1811.
Indians Murder Hinton.
"The Delaware tribe expressed dis- approbation of the battle, and many of the Indians left our part of the Territory then, but not all. We en- joyed peace, but not without fear, until April 7, 1812.
"About two and a half miles above our location there lived three fami- lies together-Hinton, Cox and Red- dick. Their horses grazed in what was called the Cherry Bottom, five or six miles above.
"Hinton started in the morning to get a horse for some purpose, but not returning that day, his friends went in search of him, and ascertained that their horses were stolen, and that Hinton was either murdered or taken prisoner.
"The circumstances being made known to our neighborhood, we all went in search of the missing man. When we arrived at the Cherry Bot- tom, two men were sent to examine the river shore, the balance were di- vided so as to sweep the bottom at one trip through.
"He was found shot through the head, stripped and thrown into the river. We laid him on a blanket, tied the corners over a pole and started home. Night overtaking us, we cut forks and raised the corpse out of the reach of wolves. A proposition was then made to John Ketcham and Noah Wright that if Ketcham would write a letter, and Wright take it to the Gov- ernor, then at Charleston, they would be exempt from helping to bring in and bury the dead-agreed to.
Three Indians Call.
"Next morning (Sunday) about 10 o'clock, myself and family were shut up in the house. I was lying on a pallet before the fire, when sudden- ly, without speaking, three Indians, each having a gun, pushed open the door and came in.
"I requested them to take seats. They placed their guns in the corner of the house and took seats. I took occasion to examine their guns, found them primed and loaded. It was not common when the Indians called on Whites to have their guns with them. Sometimes they had one, but that not loaded.
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