USA > Indiana > St Joseph County > A history of St. Joseph County, Indiana, Volume 1 > Part 68
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On May 21. 1902, Eugene S. Willis, of Brooklyn, N. Y., was called at a salary of $1,200 per year, and on September 1 of the same year Francis A. Messler was engaged as assistant general secretary. When Willis and Messler began the work it soon reached its normal standing, and it was during the period of their associate work that the great event of our association life transpired.
A banquet, attended by the leading business
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
men of the city, was given in honor of the three Willis brothers, who were prominent Y. M. C. A. workers, and were here visiting their brother. The banquet was held in the New Oliver hotel on Saturday evening, De- cember 20, 1902. The day following a large Sunday afternoon meeting was held in the First Presbyterian Church, in charge of the four Willis brothers. About four hundred men were in attendance, and its influence was far-reaching. It was then that Mr. J. M. Studebaker, Sr., president of the Studebaker Bros.' Manufacturing Company, decided to make a Christmas gift to the local association, and addressed a communication to its direct- ors to that effect. But the gift was to be a greater one than even Mr. Studebaker himself then contemplated.
On December 31st, 1902, the Studebaker Bros.' Manufacturing Company closed the first semi-centennial period of its history, and to commemorate the founding of the great en- terprise, and its growth from a small shop, to the greatest manufacturing plant of its kind in the world, and in memory of the five broth- ers who had founded it, and built it up, the company resolved upon a monumental work in behalf of the Young Men's Christian As- sociation of South Bend. and pursuant to the resolution addressed a communication to the board of directors. as follows :
"South Bend, Indiana, December 31, 1902.
"Mr. E. S. Willis, Secretary Y. M. C. A. South Bend. Indiana.
" DEAR SIR :
"At a meeting of the board of directors of Studebaker Brothers' Manufacturing Com- pany this morning action was taken of inter- est to your association in South Bend, which is best expressed in the words or the resolu- tion itself, as follows :
" 'Resolved, That on this 31st day of De- cember, 1902, making the closing of the fif- tieth year since the founding of the business of Studebaker Brothers' Manufacturing Company, this board, desirons of carrying out the oft-expressed wish of each of the five Studebaker brothers that some day this com- pany would in the city of South Bend, where their business was founded and grown to its present proportion, erect some building which should be devoted to philanthropic purposes, and which should be in the nature of a me- morial and thank offering: believing that a gift to the Young Men's Christian Association of a permanent home will best serve this pur-
pose, we do hereby decide that this company will erect and present to the Young Men's Christian Association of South Bend a build- ing for its use as a permanent home; this to be done at the earliest opportunity, as speedily as possible, and that this intention be com- municated to the association and their dis- position thereon be obtained.'
"You will kindly bring the foregoing to the attention of your board of directors as early as practicable and transmit to ns their conclu- sions with respect to the offer. Anticipating your prompt action we are, with a Happy New Year for yourself and the Y. M. C. A. of South Bend, Truly yours,
"Studebaker Bros.' Mfg. Co., "By J. M. Studebaker, "President." On New Year's Day, 1903, a committee ap- pointed by the Y. M. C. A. directors respond- ed to the proposition as follows :
"South Bend, Indiana, January 1, 1903. "Studebaker Bros.' Mfg. Co ..
"J. M. Studebaker. President,
"South Bend, Indiana. "GENTLEMEN :
"At a special meeting of the board of di- rectors of the South Bend Young Men's Chris- tian Association, held on New Year's Eve, 1902, your committee consisting of Col. George M. Studebaker, J. M. Studebaker, Jr., and Clement Studebaker. Jr., brought to us your letter and a copy of the resolution passed by your board of directors, proposing to erect and present to this association a permanent home for its work.
"Immediately upon receipt of your gener- ous offer our board with one voice voted to accept the same. From the remarks of each present we can assure you that their gratitude was profound and they were unable to ex- press the joy and thankfulness they felt in their hearts. At their request the undersigned committee hereby tenders a formal acceptance of your proposition on behalf of the di- rectors and trustees of the South Bend Young Men's Christian Association and on behalf of the young men of this community who are to be the beneficiaries of this saered trust.
"It seems eminently fitting to us that such a monument as you propose should be erected here in memory of the five brothers who came to this city as young men, grew with its growth, contributed so largely to its prosper- ity and here met with such abundant success.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
We rejoice and feel thankful that the future association work in our beautiful city will al- ways be linked with a name that is as dear at home as it is well known and honored abroad. "Trusting that this gift of the New Year will also reward the donors with the same full measure of joy that we have experienced, we beg to remain,
"Yours very sincerely, "Marvin Campbell, "W. O. Davies, "F. A. Park, "Miller Guy, "Eugene S. Willis."
The Young Men's Christian Associations of the world have been the recipients of many magnificent gifts and subscriptions from the great merchants, bankers and captains of in- dustry, but the foregoing undertaking of the Studebaker Brothers' Manufacturing Com- pany eclipsed all former records in behalf of this movement, and stands today as the great- est instance and example of the vitality, strength and prosperity of this brotherhood of young men, now over seven hundred thou- sand strong. This single gift, made uneondi- tionally by a single corporation, involves the expenditure of over three hundred thousand dollars, in the purchase of real estate and the erection of the building.
Mr. Willis resigned at the end of his first year, and on June 1st, 1903, Assistant Seere- tary Francis A. Messler, was elected to suc- ceed him at a salary of $1,200 per year.
On August 14, 1903, the association sold its property at 122-124 South Main street for $17,000, but continued to occupy the building under a lease until July 1st. 1905, when it moved to No. 222 South Main street, into the building now owned by the Studebaker Bros.' Mfg. Co .. which they generously repaired and fitted up for a temporary home of the asso- ciation until the new building will be ready.
Mr. Messler had charge of the work until July 1, 1906, when he took up the work as general secretary of the association at Battle Creek, Michigan. He has been assigned a place in the front line of our secretaries. He was capable and efficient and an indefatigable worker. The association was prosperous under his management. When he first came into the field as assistant secretary there were but 125 members on the records; he saw it reach its high water mark at the end of the great contest in the spring of 1906, with 700 young men enrolled as members. At the close
of the contest a splendid banquet was given to the new members in Place Hall, at 226-230 South Lafayette street, and was attended by abont four hundred men and boys. He first organized a eanoe club and tennis club, in addition to carrying on the general work- in the other departments.
Mr. F. M. Armstrong succeeded as acting secretary from July 1st to September 1st, 1906.
On September 1st, 1906, Mr. F. W. Lillie, the physical director, was engaged to take up the secretarial work in addition to the con- ducting of the physical department, and is now acting general secretary of the associa- tion.
During the year 1907 the beautiful build- ing, the gift of the Studebaker brothers to the Young Men's Christian Association, was en- elosed. When completed, as it will be early in the year 1908, the South Bend association will have one of the most complete edifices of the kind in the world. All the pursuits sanctioned by the history and customs of the Y. M. C. A., physical, mental and moral, will be amply and elegantly provided for. It is in the doing of such work as the Studebaker brothers have here done that men of wealth and public spirit endear themselves to the people.
The following are the presidents of the South Bend Y. M. C. A. since its organiza- tion :
Clement Studebaker, Mar. 10, 1882, to Mar. 4, 1884.
Samuel F. Allen, Mar. 4, 1884, to Apr. 4, 1885. Dr. J. A. Kettring, April 15, 1885, to Sept. 19, 1885.
J. C. Neville, Sept. 19, 1885, to Sept. 21, 1887.
Wm. Mack, Sept. 20, 1887, to Sept. 21, 1892. W. O. Davies, Sept. 21, 1892, to Oet. 12, 1894.
Elmer Crockett. Oct. 12. 1894, to Feb. 6, 1900.
W. O. Davies, Feb. 6, 1900, to Nov. 23, 1901.
Miller Guy, Nov. 23, 1901, to Dee. 4. 1903.
Elmer Crockett, Dee. 4, 1903, to Sept. 21, 1904.
W. O. Davies, Sept. 21. 1904, to Sept. 25, 1905.
Christopher Fassnacht, Sept. 25, 1905, to -
Sec. 12 .- THE YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION .- What the Studebaker Bros.'
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
Manufacturing Company has done for the Young Men's Christian Association by the erection of the building referred to in the pre- ceding section that Mr. George Wyman and his wife, Mrs. Clara L. Wyman, have done for the Young Women's Christian Association, by the erection of the beautiful association build- ing on the west side of Lafayette street, be- tween Washington street and Colfax avenue, just north of St. James' Episcopal church. This is a three-story building with a basement, and is constructed of pressed brick with stone trimmings. As might be expected, the struc- ture is modern and complete throughout, and altogether suited to the taste, health and com- fort of young ladies. The accommodations are the most liberal, providing, as they do, for the physical, intellectual and moral wel- fare of the young women of the city, who seek to partake of its advantages. The building was constructed during the year 1906, and early in 1907 Mr. and Mrs. Wyman turned it over to the association, furnished and com- plete.
Sec. 13 .- HOSPITALS .- In 1873, after the burning of St. Joseph's old church, as related in section four of this subdivision, the Rev. Edward Sorin purchased as the site for a new church large lot, or square, number nine in Cottrell's First Addition, bounded by Cedar, Notre Dame, Madison and St. Peter's streets. It was believed that this site would be more central than the former location. It proved, however, that lot number nine was not so de- sirable a place for a church as had been an- ticipated. When, therefore, in 1880. the Rev. Michael Ph. Fallize became pastor of St. Joseph's and concluded that a new church building was needed, he determined to return to the grounds at the corner of Hill street and La Salle avenue. Some other use must there- fore be made of large lot number nine, and the little brick church building. It was then that this square was purchased by St. Mary's Academy, to be used as the site for a hospital. The old building was accordingly prepared for its new use, and the hospital was opened
in the year 1882. The people were not at that time accustomed to hospital service, and there was for a few years even a repugnance on the part of many sick persons to enter a hospital. The facilities for caring for the sick and in- jured became so apparent, however, and the good words spoken by the patients who had been nursed by the sisters were so generous and hearty that patients increased in number year after year; and after ten years' experi- ence it was determined that more room and a better building were needed. The new St. Joseph's Hospital was then planned, and on April 26, 1903, the cornerstone was laid with elaborate ceremonies and in the presence of a large concourse of people. The building. as now completed and furnished, is one of the most complete hospitals in the country. It is admirably adapted to its purposes, located on high grounds overlooking the city, with large and pleasant rooms and with complete mod- ern appliances and all conveniences for the careful nursing of its patients. This hospital is in charge of the Sisters of the Holy Cross.
The Epworth Hospital, whose handsome building is located at the northeast corner of Main and Navarre streets, originated in 1892 .. It was at first intended as a home for un- fortunates, and was in charge of the Woman's Home Missionary societies of the Methodist church and the Dorcas society of Milburn Chapel. Since that time the hospital has steadily grown in public favor, and is one of the best constructed hospital buildings in the state. Mrs. Clara A. Carr is the superintend- ent. The board of lady managers is: Presi- dent, Mrs. George M. Studebaker; vice-presi- dents ; first, Mrs. C. H. Myers : second, Mrs. F. P. Eastman, third, Mrs. J. B. Stoll; fourth, Mrs. Martha Hillier; secretary, Mrs. K. C. De Rhodes ; treasurer, Mrs. Charles Haecke ; finance committee, Mrs. Charles Arthur Car- lisle, Mrs. Charles Krieghbaum, Mrs. F. J. Lewis Meyer, Mrs. Charles Russ and Mrs. M. M. Stull. The board of trustees is: Presi- dent, Marvin Campbell : vice-president, Wil- liam R. Boyd; secretary, John Roth; treas-
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
urer. John C. Paxon : Col. George M. Stude- baker, Judge Lucius Hubbard, John Chess Ellsworth and Lloyd F. Weaver.
There is a unique custom established in the city, designed to secure contributions for the support of both city hospitals. It is called Tag Day, and was instituted chiefly through the efforts of Mr. Charles Arthur Carlisle. The day is observed at some fixed time in the pleasant weather in May or June, when an active and eager host of ladies place them- selves at conspicuous points in the city and distribute hospital tags to every comer. It is not considered in good form on those anni- versaries to be without a hospital tag pinned upon the breast. Those who are thus tagged contribute what they feel disposed to the good ladies, who thus toil from six o'clock in the morning until six o'clock in the evening in their sweet work of charity. The contribu- tions are divided equally between the two hos- pitals.
Sec. 14 .- HOTELS .- David Rohrer Leeper was born near the interseetion of McCartney's creek with the Michigan road, now Michigan avenue, just beyond the present city limits, January 12, 1832, and died at his home, on the Hights north of the St. Joseph river, in this city, November 27, 1900. IIe was identi- fied with the growth of this city from his in- faney, and had, especially during his later years, given a great deal of his time and at- tention to our early history. Of this history, did his modesty permit, he might truthfully say with Virgil's hero: "All of which I saw, and a great part of which I was." As repre- sentative and senator in the general assembly of the state, and still more as mayor of his city, , he won the admiration of his fellow citizens; yet his tastes were literary rather than political. He was fond of gathering up the facts of the early history of the city and county and then writing them out in an interesting story, in the simple and elegant style of which he was so consummate a mas- ter. In March, April and May, 1900, a few months before his untimely death, Mr. Leeper
wrote for the South Bend Times a series of gossipy papers on the early hotels of the city. Incidentally, these sketches contain neh his- torical matter and personal reminiscences. From them the greater part of this history of our hotels is taken, almost word for word :«
The history of the hotels of South Bend has in several instances been given more or less attention through the local newspapers and otherwise. If the present effort in the same direction should show in some particulars more detail and eloser approach to accuracy, it will be owing solely to the fact that more time and patience have here been given to the matter than would be practicable in the rush of ordinary newspaper work. Yet the writer did not flatter himself that his narrative was exhaustive or free from error.
Within its first decade there were, alto- gether, eleven taverns operated in the town. Just when the first two of these were opened may not at present be easily determined. The earliest documentary evidence on the subject known to the writer is to be found in the ree- ords of the county commissioners' court, where, at their first session, September, 1831, Calvin Lilly, Benjamin Coquillard and Peter Johnson were each granted a lieense for this purpose. On November 23, following, the ad- vertisements of Lilly and Coquillard appeared in the North-Western Pioneer, this being the second number of that newspaper; the first number is missing from the preserved file. Lilly's place is said to have been the first and Coquillard's the second, both dating back to 1830. These claims appear to be based solely upon tradition and cannot now be verified. Both Lilly and Coquillard boarded some of Brookfield's men when he was surveying the town plat in the spring of 1831, which may signify, as far as it goes, that they were keeping tavern at that date.
Mr. Lilly's announcement runs as follows : "SOUTH BEND INN. "Calvin Lilly.
"Has opened a House of public Entertain- ment on St. Joseph Street. His table is fur- nished with the best the country will afford- his Bar is supplied with the choicest of Li- quors-and his stable with provender.
a. Acknowledgments are due to Mr. H. S. K. Bartholomew, of Goshen, Indiana, for the use of these papers. Mr. Bartholomew is himself an enthusiastic student of our early history. He is president of the Elkhart County Historical Society.
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IHISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
"No exertion will be wanting to render gen- eral satisfaction to those who may favor him with a call."
This building stood on the northeast corner of lot 37, which is the irregular tract lying southwest of Vistula avenue and west of St. Joseph street. The property seems to have be- longed to Edmund Pitts Taylor, who adver- tises the same for sale, April 17, 1832, posses- sion to be given May 1, and described it as "a good frame house, two stories high, with a briek cellar-likewise a two-story hewed log house and kitchen, well ealeulated for a pub- lie stand and situated in as beautiful and pleasant part of town, as any other. The lot is 200 feet front on Pearl street."
May 22, 1832. the North-Western Pioneer makes the following announcement: "The Printing Office has been removed to the sec- ond story of the house formerly occupied as a tavern by Mr. Lilly. on the corner of St. Joseph and Pearl streets." St. Joseph street is here mentioned first, which may have some sig- nificance, indicating that this was then the principal street, the Michigan road not having been constructed, and the " dragoon trace " be- tween Fort Wayne and Chieago at that time crossing Bowman's creek near the present Henry Studebaker's barn, intersecting St. Joseph street at about Wayne, and then fol- lowing the former down to Pearl. The place was now certainly vacated as a hotel. It has not been possible to find out anything of its subsequent history. If part of the building was a frame, as is stated, it was most likely the first of the kind in the state north of Logans- port. E. P. Taylor, the owner, as is well known, was a brother of Latrop M. Taylor, one of the founders of the town, and came to this locality not long after his brother. Most people of today remember "Pitts" Taylor best as the owner and operator of a sawmill on the West Race, and his immense log piles on and about the present site of the stand- pipe and over the adjacent bluff.
The Union Hall, a "House of Public En- tertainment," in the language of that day, was owned by Benjamin Coquillard, brother of the elder Alexis, and father of the late Alexis, the well known capitalist and wagon manu- facturer. The building stood on the site of the L. F. Baker rooms attached to the rear of the present Citizens' National Bank. Some say the location was on the point across the al- ley ; but that is hardly probable, for Mr. Co- quillard did not own any ground there and it
is not likely that he would have built on ground belonging to somebody else, especially as his brother was half owner of the whole town plat. The frame that preceded the pres- ent brick and that was long known as the Har- ris corner, was built in 1838 bv Wm. H. Patte- son; and now, modified in external appear- ance, stands on the northeast corner of Jeffer- son and St. Joseph streets. Mr. Patteson was long a merchant in South Bend, was recorder of the county, and always a stauneh pillar of the Baptist church. The late "Deacon" Hatch called him "Praying Billy." The two were partners. They did business, as Hatch was wont to say, according to the scripture; they watched and prayed, Billy doing the pray- ing and Ilatch the watching. Humble as the Union Hall was in itself, it was nevertheless quite ambitious in its pretentions. The pro- prietor, in his advertisement, "hopes, by his long experience in the business, to give gen- eral satisfaction to those who may favor him with a call. His table is furnished with the best the country affords. His bar is supplied with the choicest of liqnors." His advertise- ment appears in the same issue of the paper as Lilly's, and his license also bears the same date as Lilly's; though it has been claimed -.- on what authority is not known-that the South Bend Inn was the first to begin busi- ness. It is not probable that his career as mine host was long continued. At any rate his last license was issued in September, 1832, and on November 10, following, the title passed to his brother Alexis, he having held it exactly one year.
Calvin Lilly in 1831 purchased of the orig- inal proprietors lots 28, 29 and 30, which com- prise the block lying on the west side of Michigan street between Jefferson and the first alley north, being 198 by 165 feet, or three-fourths of an acre. On this property he erected a one-and-a-half-story frame house, which was known as Lilly's Tavern. The proprietor took out a tavern license for this stand at the September term. It was in the bar room of this establishment that the first circuit court of the county was held on Octo- ber 29, 1832, with Hon. John R. Porter as the president judge. The session lasted but a single day. The first case was a divorce suit and was successful, thus establishing a reputa- tion for the state in this line which it has since zealously sustained. The second ease was for libel, and the third the prosecution of a woman for selling liquor to the Indians.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
A son of this defendant learned his trade as a tanner with Mr. Bugbee, and is now. if living, a respected citizen of one of the flourishing county seats of northern Indiana, having represented the county in the legisla- ture for one or more sessions. Mr. Lilly ap- peared at the commissioners' court for a tav- ern license the last time at the May term. 1834. March 9. 1835, he sold to John Fowler. and went his way to swell the tide setting as the star of Empire takes its way. From a rather eursory examination of the record, Mr. Fowler appears to have held but one license as tavern-keeper, this having been issued at the September term. 1835. What happened here for several years succeeding this date, cannot now be learned. But in 1837, Mr. Almond Bugbee, to whom the writer was in- debted for much of the information used in this article. boarded at the place, the location being indicated by a large swinging sign, which bore in sharp relief the. at that day. anomalous legend, "Temperance House."a By the way, in passing, it may be remarked that while drinking may have been quite as common in those days as at present, the cause of temperance was then perhaps given much more serious attention. Early in this very year the Rev. Alfred Bryant was at the head of a temperance movement which received 156 signatures, among which were those of the father, mother. two uncles and an aunt of the writer. These, indeed, needed no such for- mality for self-protection: for not one of them touched, tasted. or handled. Some reader may think that this laudable trait might have been better sustained among some of the very few descendants now living. Of those 156 whose names were thus enrolled, but one re- mains to tell the story. He had been in the village but a few weeks. The letters t. t. a. fol- low his signature, meaning teetotal abstinence, a designation he has ever since maintained. in letter and in spirit. It goes without say- ing, remarks Mr. Leeper, that I refer to our well-preserved and highly esteemed octogen- arian. Almond Bugbee. I do not know how long Mr. Fowler kept the Temperance House. The last occupant of the place in the Forties was James Doan. who was a blacksmith at the end of the West Race, and made the first steel plow known in Northern Indiana. He crossed the plains in 1849, the entire distance on foot. A year or two later his body, still warm, was found on the trail between Carson valley and Placerville, a. See Chap. 13.
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