USA > Indiana > Newton County > A standard history of Jasper and Newton counties, Indiana : an authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and country, Volume I > Part 16
USA > Indiana > Jasper County > A standard history of Jasper and Newton counties, Indiana : an authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and country, Volume I > Part 16
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Rev. Christian Daniel, of St. Augustine's Church, is also in charge of St. James Church, at Newland. He held the first services in the public school there, in June, 1914, and by May of the following year a small frame church building had been completed and occu- pied. It was largely due to Thomas Callahan, who donated the site and contributed liberally in other ways, that such progress was made. The charge now embraces about twenty families.
ST. JOSEPH'S COLLEGE
About 1867 Bishop Luers of Fort Wayne organized St. Joseph's Catholic Church as an adjunct of St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum and Manual Training School. The asylum was conducted at Rensselaer for twenty years, when the orphans were transferred to Lafayette and Fort Wayne. Some 900 acres of land had been acquired about a mile from the county seat; but the founding of St. Joseph's Col- lege was of a later day, and resulted from a different movement.
In 1889 Bishop Dwenger, of Fort Wayne, offered Father Henry Drees, C. PP. S., the provincial of the Society of the Precious Blood,
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a tract of land on the edge of the Big Slough swamps a mile south of Rensselaer, on condition that he and his associates would found an institution dedicated to the training of Catholic youth. He accepted the offer, and in the spring of 1889 articles of incorporation were filed in the state auditor's office. Stone was procured from the nearby quarry and brick burned on the grounds, the early work being superintended by Father Anthony Dick, first pastor of St. Augustine's parish. The cornerstone of the main building was laid in 1891, and the south wing was completed in the summer of that year by Father Augustine Seifert. In the fall of 1891 the college
MAIN BUILDING OF ST. JOSEPH'S COLLEGE
was opened to fifty-four classical students, and in 1893 the new north wing was added, containing chapel, auditorium and drillroom for the military company. The faculty building, then known as the Minim Building, was built during the spring and summer of 1897, and opened to the junior students in the fall of the year. At that time the enrollment numbered about 100. In 1899 a beautiful college chapel was completed.
In the summer of 1899 Rev. Augustine Seifert, who was called away to reorganize the seminary of the Precious Blood Society, was succeeded to the presidency of St. Joseph's College by Father Ben- edict Boebner, who had been an instructor in that institution. Father Augustine returned to the college, as its head, in the fall of 1902, and in the spring of 1905 a spacious gymnasium was completed which
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also afforded accommodations for social, literary and musical enter- tainments. A large infirmary building, known as Dwenger Hall, was added to the group of college buildings in 1907, and in 1912 the man- agement completed power and electric light plants, a waterworks system, and an underground heating and wiring installation.
In the spring of 1913, Rev. Augustine Seifert resigned as presi- dent of the college, and was succeeded by Rev. Hugh Lear, who had been a member of the faculty since 1899. Soon afterward extensive alterations were begun on the gymnasium building, and the work was nearly completed when, in the spring of 1914, the structure was destroyed by fire. The Society of the Precious Blood furnished the rebuilding funds, amounting to $120,000, and the new gymnasium building, twice the size of the old, was ready for occupancy at the beginning of the academic year 1915. The gymnasium proper com- prises two rooms-one for basketball and other indoor games, and the other intended for permanent fixtures and apparatus.
The college auditorium will accommodate 800 persons. The library has a capacity for 40,000 volumes, and there are reading, play and clubrooms and all other modern facilities for social inter- course and improvement. Outside the college buildings are nearly eighty acres of attractive grounds, laid out in gardens, parks, ball grounds, tennis courts, tracks, shady nooks and walks. A concrete- lined pool also affords the means for swimming and skating in season. The campus is especially attractive to the student body, as thousands of trees have been planted upon it by its members.
SOCIETIES
Rensselaer is strong as a society (lodge) town. The Masons (first organized as Jasper Lodge No. 125) were established as early as 1851, the Odd Fellows (Iroquois Lodge No. 143) in 1854, and the Knights of Pythias (Rensselaer Lodge No. 82) in 1878. They are still the most substantial of the secret and benevolent bodies. On the other hand, one of the youngest of the lodges is among the strongest ; although organized as late as January, 1916, the Red Men of Rensselaer number over 190. The Order of the Eastern Star, Pythian Sisters and Rebekahs, ladies' auxiliaries of the Masons, Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias, also have organizations. To the foregoing array is also to be added the Catholic Order of Forest- ers, Royal Neighbors, Knights and Ladies of the Maccabees, Poca- hontas lodge (Red Men's auxiliary), Daughters of the American Revolution, Grand Army of the Republic and Sons of Veterans.
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Rensselaer Post No. 84, Grand Army of the Republic, was organ- ized July 12, 1882. Its successive commanders have been as follows : Horace E. James, E. L. Clark, James F. Irwin, Mordecai F. Chilcote, Nathan Bates, T. F. Clark, George Dexter, James A. Ramey, John M. Wasson, James A. Burnham, Ralph W. Marshall, Henry Grow and David H. Yeoman (present incumbent). When the new courthouse was built in 1896 the county commissioners set apart a room for the post, furnishing also light and heat, and dedicated Memorial Hall to the veterans of the Civil war. The membership is now less than thirty ; since the organization of the post it has carried 224 members on its rolls.
CHAPTER XII
REMINGTON
ALWAYS A GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK CENTER-ELEVATORS-STATE BANK OF REMINGTON-CORPORATION MATTERS-REMINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY-THE NEWSPAPERS-THE CHURCHES-FOUN- TAIN PARK ASSEMBLY.
Remington is an incorporated town of about 1,100 people, in the southern part of Jasper County, situated on the Pennsylvania line and in the midst of a prosperous agricultural district. The original rail- road in that section, the Logansport & Peoria, was completed in De- cember, 1859, but was not thoroughly organized for business until March, 1860. The railroad authorities had established a station at Carpenter's Creek, in the center of the fertile Grand Prairie, and soon afterward Jesse H. Fordice laid out the village of Carpenter. The name was subsequently changed to Remington, after one of its citizens who kept the second store in the place.
ALWAYS A GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK CENTER
From the first, Remington flourished as the market town and shipping center of Grand Prairie, with its bountiful crops of corn, oats, barley and forage. Cattle, sheep, hogs and horses have also found an ideal country in that region, with its unfailing water and grass supplies. When the railroad came, all these natural advantages were developed into a large trade in grain and livestock, but it was nearly a decade before the bulk of shipments warranted the building of elevators.
ELEVATORS
In 1870 Church & Hartley erected the first elevator, two years later Hathaway Brothers established the second, and in 1879 James Irvin built the third. At the present time, the local organizations which control the local grain trade and elevator business are the Kelley Grain Company and the Farmers Co-operative Company.
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STATE BANK OF REMINGTON
For the past eight years Remington's standing as a convenient trading and shipping center has been strengthened by possessing local banking facilities. The State Bank of Remington was organized in November, 1908, with a capitalization of $25,000. The first direct- ors were: James H. Gilbert, J. H. Biddle, S. G. Hand, Christian Hensler, Emil Besser, Elias Julian and W. I. Mccullough. The first officers : James H. Gilbert, president ; J. H. Biddle, vice president ; S. G. Hand, cashier ; F. L. Lough, asistant cashier. This corpora-
READY TO BE SHIPPED FROM REMINGTON
tion was composed almost wholly of men living in and around Rem- ington. They bought the furniture, fixtures and good-will of the First National Bank, which had gone out of business. The first important change in the affairs of the bank occurred on October 20, 1909, when Mr. Hand was succeeded as cashier by F. L. Lough, who has continued as such to the present. On January 1, 1912, the capital stock was increased $5,000, making it $30,000. On January 9, 1912, J. H. Biddle was elected president and James H. Gilbert vice president, and on January 2, 1913, Mr. Hand was elected presi- dent and Charles G. May vice president. The present officers are : S. G. Hand, president ; Charles G. May, vice president, F. L. Lough, cashier, and Mary Roush, assistant cashier.
The State Bank of Remington is the only bank in Remington, and has followed conservative banking methods from its inception.
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It was started primarily as a safe place to transact banking, and it has become to the citizens not only a place for banking, but a place of accommodation and for wise counsel. On May 1, 1915, the state- ment of the bank disclosed the following: Capital stock paid in, $30,000 ; surplus and undivided profits, $15,000; demand deposits and certificates, $242,000.
CORPORATION MATTERS
The original plat of Remington was dated July 27, 1860, and the town was incorporated September 6, 1869. The mayors, or presidents of the board of trustees, for the past thirty years have been Elkanah B. Vondersmith, Charles T. Denham, Fred A. Hicks and S. G. Hand.
Remington has enjoyed a copious supply of pure water since 1897, when the first of the three wells from which it is drawn was sunk. As they have been driven to a depth of from 540 to 740 feet and the supply is protected by an inclosed reservoir and tank, the drinking water is especially cool and pure. The water works have a capacity of about ninety gallons a minute. The water sys- tem is owned by the municipality. Since 1909 the electric light of the town has been supplied by the Inter-State Public Service Company, from the Monticello plant.
Remington has a good school conducted under the superintend- ency of G. C. Powers, with an enrollment of about 275. The build- ing was erected in 1889 at a cost of about $25,000, and an addition to it will soon be built.
REMINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
The public library is another institution which has a distinctive educational value, and, in accord with the rule, it is largely a creation of the women of Remington. It was through the efforts of the Federation of Clubs, an association effected for civic improvement by five of the social and study clubs of the place, that the movement for a public library begun. A library committee appointed from the Federation to conduct the campaign planned each step in accord- ance with the State Library laws, with the guidance of the Public Library Commission.
A canvass of the town yielded twice the number of subscrip- tions necessary and a donation paper circulated at the same time met with a generous response, both in books and money, making
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maintenance of the library possible until it should come into the benefits of the justified levy. A library room was fitted up and a successful book shower held. The removal to the public library of a large per cent of the school library books was effected and the loan of several boxes of books was obtained from the State Traveling Library.
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REMINGTON'S WATER TOWER
The management of the library was then transferred from the committee to the legally appointed library board. A librarian was chosen, and was aided by an organizer from the commission in the technical work of preparing the books for the shelves.
The library was then opened to the public the first of June, 1914, for two afternoons, and one evening of each week. A library tax was levied by the town council in July, 1914, and the privileges of the public library were then offered by the library trustees, on the
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legal conditions, to the township, and were accepted by the advisory board in September, 1914.
In February, 1915, the library board successfully sought the co-operation of the town council and township advisory board in the matter of securing a Carnegie Library. Through a site com- mittee appointed from the three boards a building lot was chosen, the Federation of Clubs contributing largely to the purchase fund. An architect was employed by the library trustees, plans were agreed upon, which were submitted to and accepted by the Carnegie corporation. Contracts for the building were let in September, 1915, and it was completed and formally dedicated May 30, 1916. The successive librarians were Miss Louise Hartman, Mrs. Lillian Barnes and Miss Mollie Shearer.
There are 2,584 volumes at present, with a monthly circulation of 1,828. A large measure of the credit for the successful achieve- ment of the library is due Rev. J. B. McNary, a member of the original library committee and president of the library board from its inception to the date of completion of the Carnegie building.
THE NEWSPAPERS
The newspaper history of Remington goes back to 1872, when the Journal was started by Messrs. O. E. DeForest and J. E. Dun- ham, but it was published less than two years, when the material was moved to Rensselaer. In October of the same year (1874) Shortridge & Winegarden commenced the publication of a republican weekly called the Guard; it proved a weak member of the guild and survived but a few months. Then A. J. Kitt and A. B. Clark came from Rochester, Indiana, and established the Record at Remington. In 1877 it suspended and soon afterward the Times was started by Charles Jouvenat, who continued its publication until the fall of 1878 when he moved the plant to Goodland. Charles Cox next launched the Reporter, in which O. W. Church became interested ; but in January, 1881, W. H. Coover assumed the management and changed the name to the News.
The Remington Journal was started in Remington, July 3, 1872, by Messrs. O. E. DeForest and J. E. Dunham. It was a seven- column weekly folio, neutral in politics. Charles M. Johnson bought the office in March, 1873, and continued the publication of the Journal until September, 1874, when it ceased publication, and the material was moved to Rensselaer. The Jasper Republican appeared September 18, 1874, being printed on the types and presses of the
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defunct Remington Journal. It was republican in politics, but otherwise unchanged in its general character from its predecessor.
The Remington Press was established in 1878 and among its early editors and publishers were George Majors, John and W. I. Mccullough, G. M. Babcock and Fred L. Griffin. Its present editor and proprietor, H. J. Bartoo, has been at the head of its affairs since August, 1912.
THE CHURCHES
There are four churches at Remington-the Methodist, organ- ized in 1859; the Presbyterian, established in 1865; the Christian, in 1867 and St. John's Catholic, founded in 1875.
The first pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church was Rev. J. H. Hull, and for a number of years after his pastorate the records of the society are quite incomplete. The permanent and prosperous organization dates from the pastorate of Rev. H. A. Gobin, which covered the years 1870-73. When the present house of worship was erected in 1871, it was considered the most complete edifice of the kind in the county, but was so outgrown that it was remodeled in 1899, and a larger and more handsome church is now in process of erection. The society now numbers 340 members and a strong movement is being carried forward under Rev. W. B. Warriner, the present pastor, to erect a new and adequate edifice. Between the pastorates of Rev. H. A. Gobin and Rev. W. B. Warriner, in accord with the church polity, the Remington charge has been served by twenty-two ministers, as follows: Revs. T. A. Meredith, E. A. Andrew, G. A. Blackstock, C. S. Burgner, Thomas E. Webb, J. A. Clearwaters, C. C. Haskell, J. Boicourt. W. H. Vance, L. Nebeker, E. B. Woodson, F. M. Cones, J. L. Greenway, James W. Worrall, A. H. DeLong, David Handley, W. R. Mikels, W. A. Mathews, H. M. Middleton, Charles W. Postill, R. H. Crowder (the longest pastorate, 1906-II), and J. B. McNary.
The First Presbyterian Church of Remington was organized April 29, 1865, by Rev. Horace A. Mayhew, J. C. Irwin and Elder Cornelius Hutton, who formed a committee appointed for the pur- pose by the Logansport Presbytery. The original membership was fifteen. The society erected a small frame church building in 1867, and in November of that year called to the charge its first regular pastor, Rev. William Patton. He served until May, 1869, when he was succeeded by Rev. Levi Hughes, who was killed on the railroad in November of the following year. Those who have served the
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Remington charge since, are the following: Rev. William Campbell, May, 1871-June, 1872; Rev. J. B. Crowe, September, 1872-Septem- ber, 1873; Rev. R. L. Adams, April, 1874-April, 1875; Rev. J. B. Crowe, September, 1875-September, 1888; Rev. William Kearns (supply), five months in 1889; Rev. J. L. Foster, May, 1890-May, 1891; Rev. John Crozier, June, 1891-December, 1891 (date of death) ; Rev. G. V. McKee, April, 1892-October, 1896; Rev. J. L. Griffes, November, 1896-March, 1901; Rev. J. Dyke, March, 1901- December, 1902; Rev. E. B. Whitney, July, 1903-May, 1908; Rev. Gibson Wilson, December, 1908-September, 1910; Rev. E. H. Bull, December, 1910-September, 1915; Rev. E. F. Lilley, since December, 1915.
The original church building was occupied twenty years, and was remodeled in 1887. As thus improved, it served its purposes for more than a quarter of a century. The cornerstone of the brick edifice now occupied was laid in 1913 and it was dedicated in June, 1914. The First Presbyterian Church has a present membership of 170.
FOUNTAIN PARK ASSEMBLY
Fountain Park, the headquarters of the Assembly or Chautauqua, is located about a mile northwest of Remington in a beautiful natural grove. The tract is included in the historical Carpenter's Grove, which covered an area of several hundred acres studded with oak, hickory, walnut and wild cherry trees. On all sides were expanses of prairie lands, which are now attractive and comfortable farms and homesteads. Carpenter's Creek, a tributary of the Iroquois River, flows between steep banks and meanders through a picturesque country.
Robert Parker, a banker and enterprising citizen of Remington, owned a portion of Carpenter's Grove along the creek and from which sprung several pure, living springs. It seemed as if nature had designated the locality for some high purpose. In 1895 he therefore set aside about thirty acres of his land, built a tabernacle, provided other accommodations for visitors, and on August. 13th of that year was held the first meeting of the Fountain Park Assembly for the purpose of discussing religious, scientific and literary sub- jects. The character of the meeting and the movement was essen- tially moral and religious.
The dedicatory lecture was delivered by John J. Ingals, the famous senator, orator and literateur from Kansas, and his subject was "The Perils of the Republic."
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Mr. Parker conducted the assembly as an individual enterprise for two years, when the project had outgrown his sole management, and an organization was formed, with regular constitution and by-laws, known as the Fountain Park Company. It was a stock concern, with Mr. Parker as president. In 1898 the company erected a large hotel, a cement dam was built across Carpenter's Creek for boating and bathing accommodations, and as required, other build- ings were added, especially for lodging and refreshing the large assemblies which gathered on the grounds. For these purposes the Pioneer Improvement Company was organized, of which J. H. Biddle has been president for a number of years.
The first cottage on the assembly grounds was erected in 1897; Fountain Park now contains fifty well-built structures. Until 1902 the assembly had been operated exclusively as a Christian Church enterprise. During that year the stockholders voted to change the by-laws so as to admit others to share in the enterprise, and a mixed board of directors was elected, of whom a majority should belong to the Christian Church. In 1904 the company incorporated with a capital of $30,000 and is now conducted as a union Chautau- qua, in charge of the Christian Church. A morning sermon is de- livered by one of that sect, but the lecturers are of all denominations.
Mr. Parker was president and superintendent until 1907, when he became financially embarrassed and resigned, his place being taken by W. I. Mccullough, formerly vice president. Mr. McCul- lough still holds the presidency. The vice presidents have been W. I. Mccullough, C. H. Peck, Walter L. Gum and J. H. Biddle ; the secretaries, Mrs. M. T. Didlake, Fred L. Griffin, C. H. Peck and Rev. J. D. Carson (Mr. Peck, present incumbent) ; treasurers, Dr. H. Landon and James A. Washburn. There are nine directors who serve for three years, three of whom are elected each year. Mr. Biddle was elected on the first mixed board in 1902 and is still serving. He is president of the Pioneer Improvement Company and Fountain Park Cottagers' organization, vice president of the Fountain Park Company and superintendent of the Sunday School department. In 1904 the company named leased the assembly grounds for twenty-five years, the sites for cottages being sub-leased to those who wish to build.
The twenty-second annual session of Fountain Park Chautauqua was held August 12th-27th, and the programme was musical, literary, humorous, earnest, artistic and entertaining; in other words, was varied, liberal and up-to-date. The Knights of Pythias, Odd Fel- lows and veterans of the Grand Army also had special days set Vol. I-11
.
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apart for them. As usual the two weeks of the assembly consti- tuted a notable event for Jasper County. About four years ago was organized the Ladies Fountain Park Improvement Association, which has done fine work in the way of beautifying the grounds and the tabernacle and adding to the comfort and enjoyment of visitors.
SIMON KENTON Compliments of the Parkison Family
CHAPTER XIII
MINOR CENTERS OF POPULATION
SALTILLO, THE PIONEER SETTLEMENT-THE FORKS SETTLEMENT, RENSSELAER'S EARLY RIVAL-THE BLUE GRASS SETTLEMENT- CARPENTER'S GROVE-DAVIDSONVILLE-HANGING GROVE-TOWN OF WHEATFIELD.
There were several settlements in Jasper County which promised well in the early days, but were blighted in the bud; others overtook them, the railroads consequently did not reach out for them as sta- tions, and, with the extension of the rural delivery, they are not now even designated as postoffices. The best known of these "might- have-beens" were Saltillo, the Forks and Blue Grass settlements, Davidsonville and Carpenter's Grove.
SALTILLO, THE PIONEER SETTLEMENT
Saltillo, in what is now Gillam Township, was the earliest center of population to be formed in Jasper County. Before the organiza- tion of the county, in 1838, it became quite a political center, but afterward did not maintain its prestige. It was at Saltillo that Wil- liam Donahue held the office of justice of the peace for several years, which, for the time, made it the seat of justice. The families of John Gillam and Joseph McJimsey located there about 1836 and others soon afterward. As the state road from Williamsport to Winamac went through the settlement, quite an impetus was given it toward villagehood. Also, the weekly mail went through town, after leaving a small contribution for Saltillo. But, at best, a few houses and a postoffice limited its growth.
THE FORKS SETTLEMENT, RENSSELAER'S EARLY RIVAL
As already stated, the first to arrive at the site of the Forks Settlement, the junction of the Iroquois and the Pinkamink, were Thomas Randle and George Culp, Virginians, who came from White
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County in 1834. They had secured a stack or two of prairie hay and prepared to make a claim there when a prairie fire destroyed the result of their labor, and they set out to see the Rapids, of which they had heard. But as before noted, they chose a site in the "forks" of the river, and were soon joined by others. In the sum- mer of 1836, Royal Hazelton returned to this section and joined this settlement, but soon afterward sold his claim to John G. Parkinson. The latter was a son-in-law of Simon Kenton, famous in the border wars of Kentucky and Ohio. The widow of Kenton came with her daughter to this settlement, where she died in 1856. Henry Barkley, Sr., came in soon afterward and gave his name to the township of Barkley. Others joined the settlement, as noted in preceding pages, and the community rapidly grew in importance. Here was one of the earliest points visited by itinerant ministers, Mr. Culp's house furnishing a place of worship. The first marriage was that of J. M. Iliff to a daughter of Mr. Parkinson, and the first death was that of an infant son of Mr. Randle. In this settlement also was the first blacksmith shop, store and schoolhouse in the county.
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