USA > Indiana > Lake County > A standard history of Lake County, Indiana, and the Calumet region, Volume I > Part 32
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The board of public works was also established in 1905, with John L. Rhode, John F. Krost and William E. Russell as its representatives. Hammond, which was always careful about its conditions of sanitation. also established in that year a board of health, which was composed of Dr. J. T. Clark, Dr. John C. Pannenborg and Dr. Thomas Kohr. Ham- mond took over the waterworks, on which an option to purchase had been reserved at the time of the granting of the franchise, with Clarence N. Jewett as its first and present superintendent. John D. Smalley.
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present mayor of Hammond, became, in 1905, the city's first controller, a position he held continuously until be became Hammond's chief execu- tive, after which he was succeeded by Edward A. Aubry, who still holds the office.
THE CITY HALL
Hammond's city hall, remodeled in 1911, contains all the city depart- ments, except the fire stations. The municipal home is yet inadequate for a city of the size and wealth of Hammond, and will be replaced
LION STORE
HOHMAN STREET, NORTH FROM SIBLEY, HAMMOND
within the next four years by one of the finest city halls in the state. The present building represents an investment of $15,000.
FUNCTIONS OF THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT
In brief, the municipal government of Hammond is conducted under the provisions of the legislative act of March 14, 1867, or the general law for the incorporation of cities, with amendatory and supplementary acts since passed by the State Legislature. Like the governments of the state and nation, it is divided into administrative, legislative and judicial. The mayor, city clerk, city treasurer, city judge and members of the common council are elected for a term of four years which expires in January.
The mayor, as the executive head, appoints the heads of all the admin- istrative departments-those of finance, law, publie works, public safety and charities.
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LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
The city controller is the head of the finance department and he pre- scribes the methods of keeping the accounts in all departments, and issues all orders on the city treasurer, having, in short, charge of all matters concerning the finances of the city. In case of the absence or disability of the mayor, the city controller is the acting mayor, and in case of the death, resignation or impeachment of the chief executive, he becomes the mayor's regular successor.
From City Controller Aubry's last report, submitted in April, 1914, for the year ending December 31, 1913, the present status of the different departments of the municipal government is clearly set forth, as the report embraces annual statements from the mayor, city treasurer, city attorney, city clerk, board of public works, city civil engineer, street commissioner, building inspection department, water and fire depart- ments, depart of metropolitan police, city sealer, department of health, city electrician and city judge. From these sources the facts following are gleaned.
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES
In his report to the common council, Mayor Smalley summarizes the receipts and expenditures for 1913, as follows :
RECEIPTS
Water fund $ 94,868.07
Library fund 5,566.45
Police pension fund. 3,113.41
Firemen pension fund. 3,966.70
All funds, except trust, library and water 252,690.78
Total
$360,205.41
DISBURSEMENTS
Water fund $ 92,280.51
Library fund 5,353.78
Police pension fund. 2,872.00
Firemen pension fund. 5,661.07
All funds, except trust, library and water 264,290.97
Total
$370,458.33
Cash on hand January 1, 1913.
$ 43,825.67
Cash on hand January 1, 1914. $ 33,572.75
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LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
One wise comment by the mayor: "As the city inereases in pop- ulation, the financial requirement increases in proportion, and one of the difficulties encountered in the administration of a growing city is to solve the various problems of expenditure without increasing tax- ation. This can only be done by a just and equitable readjustment of the assessed valuation of the city."
TAX LEVY AND TAXABLE PROPERTY
The controller's report indicates that for the year 1912 the tax levy, upon which the receipts and expenditures of the succeeding year were based, was as follows, on each $100 valuation: for general purposes, $1.18; waterworks, 10 cents; bonds and interest, 18 cents ; street lighting, 18 cents ; library, 5 cents ; parks, 5 eents ; police pension fund, 1 cent; firemen pension fund, 1 eent; judgments, 13 cents; sink- ing fund, 1 cent. Total, $1.90.
The total taxable property within the City of Hammond, as returned by the assessor, after dedueting mortgage exemptions, amounts to $10,513,135 ; number of taxable polls, 2,689.
BONDED INDEBTEDNESS AND APPROPRIATIONS
The bonded indebtedness of the city on January 1, 1914, was as fol- lows: Old refunding bonds, $33,000; purchasing and repayment bonds, $56,000; waterworks extension bonds, $36,000; waterworks refunding bonds, $25,000. Total, $150,000.
In the following table is presented a summary of the appropriations, expenditures and balances for 1913 in connection with the various munic- ipal departments :
Departments
Appropriations
Expenditures
Balance
Finanee
$ 37,781.46
$ 34,650.46
$ 3,131.00
Public safety
84,289.00
78,146.15
6,142.85
Publie works
101,033.22
94,918.40
6,114.82
Health and charity
2,646.00
2.499.82
146.18
Total
$225.749.68
$210.214.83
$15,534.85
HAMMOND'S FUTURE TERRITORY
City Attorney Gavit reports the following interesting matter as hav- ing eome within his jurisdiction in 1913: "During the year 1911 an
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LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
ordinance was passed by the City of Hammond annexing all territory in North Township to the City of Hammond as far south as the Little Calumet River, and east to the township line dividing North Township from Calumet Township. A remonstrance was filed in the Circuit Court to the annexation by the owners of property residing in the territory sought to be annexed. During the year 1913 the question was sub- mitted to the judge of the Circuit Court at Crown Point, and there was a finding made by him that the territory included in the ordinance should be annexed to the City of Hammond, but that the annexation should not be complete, or the judgment effective, until five years from the date of its rendition. This judgment precludes any possibility of any other municipality acquiring jurisdiction over this territory, as it is now a part of the City of Hammond, but cannot be assessed for city pur- poses until the five years have expired."
ELEVENTH WARD CREATED
Ordinance No. 1159, as reported by the city clerk, creates the Eleventh Ward of the City of Hammond, and adds certain territory to the Sixth and Ninth wards.
SEWERS, PAVEMENTS AND SIDEWALKS
Peter J. Lyons, city civil engineer, has condensed much valuable information in his report. From it we learn that Hammond has over fifty-one miles of sewers, of which thirty-three miles is of the 18-inch size and of vitrified pipe; that it has more than forty-eight miles of macadam and brick pavement and eighty-eight miles of cement and brick sidewalks.
AREA OF CITY PARKS
The area of the city parks is thus divided: Harrison, 24.32 acres; Douglas, 19.95; Columbia, 11.87; Lake Front, 3.50; Franklin, 2.60; Central, 1.56. Total in parks, 63.80 acres.
RAILROADS IN THE CITY
The following railroads run through Hammond: Trunk lines- Michigan Central; Lake Shore & Michigan Southern ; Baltimore & Ohio; Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago; Chicago, Indiana & Louisville ; Chi- cago & Erie; New York, Chicago & St. Louis; Chesapeake & Ohio; Wabash ; Chicago, Indiana & Southern ; Pere Marquette.
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LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
Belt lines-Chicago, Lake Shore & Eastern; Baltimore & Ohio Chi- cago Terminal; State Line & Indiana City; Chicago Junction; Elgin, Joliet & Eastern; Indiana Harbor; East Chicago Belt.
Electric street railroads-Hammond, Whiting & East Chicago; Chi- cago, Lake Shore & South Bend Interurban ; Gary & Interurban.
NEW BUILDINGS
The building inspector issued permits for the erection of 723 strue- tures, classified and valued as follows: Business and factory buildings, $337,945; dwellings, $751,788; public buildings. $36,300. Total valu- ation, $1,126,033.
WATER SYSTEM
From the report of C. N. Jewett, superintendent of the water depart- ment, all the material facts are extracted concerning the waterworks, pumping station and the system of water distribution in general. In the early part of 1914 there were nearly eighty-two miles of water pipe in use of different sizes, as well as more than four hundred hydrants. The pipe was valued at more than four hundred and seventy-six thousand dollars; the six and a half acres comprising Lake Front Park, with the new waterworks for which it was the site, over fifty-six thousand dollars; three pumping engines, with a combined capacity of 22,000,000 gal- lons, and the old pumping station building, nearly fifty thousand dol- lars; triple expansion engine and two condensers, nearly twenty thou- sand dollars, and other equipment and minor buildings, which brought the total valuation of the system up to $742,940.
The early history of the Hammond waterworks is closely allied with that of the fire department. In the days of 1884, when the new town used the old-fashioned hand engines, the waterworks consisted of scat- tered surface wells from which water was drawn to extinguish the fire, but in 1887, when a steam engine was purchased, the old inadequate method was supplanted by an attempt at real waterworks.
The first building of the new plant was a one-story brick, 30 by 40 feet, which stood on the present site of the city hall. Its smoke- stack was sixty feet high. The original system comprised two Worth- ington compound pumps, each of 750,000 gallons capacity, two horizontal tubular boilers, one artesian well 1,700 feet deep, one standpipe, and water mains and fire plugs-all of which cost the city about sixty thou- sand dollars.
In 1892, because of city growth and increased requirements, there
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LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
was a shortage of supply and also dissatisfaction because of the quality of the water. Jacob H. Kasper was called upon to improve the system and up to this day he has remained as chief engineer and head of the department. In response to popular demand, in 1903 a new station was constructed on the lake front on two acres of land purchased for the purpose, and another one-story brick building 38 by 64 feet was erected with one 60-foot brick smokestack. The new works contained two boilers 5 feet in diameter and 16 feet in length, one Worthington compound condensing pumping engine with a capacity of 3,000,000 gallons per day. The intake and crib were 1,600 feet from the shore. The new main, which was a 16-inch cast-iron pipe over five miles in length, was laid, but every time it was tested it blew open, until Mr. Kasper made a successful test. This plant, which cost $120,000, was adequate for about four years only, when another boiler and a Gordon pump were installed, the latter having a 4,000,000 gallon daily capacity and costing about twenty thousand dollars.
But the City of Hammond was growing, and even this plant soon became inadequate and another works was constructed on the same grounds with an addition of two adjacent lots. The building was a one-story brick, 40 by 76 feet, with an 80-foot smokestack. The works installed four horizontal tubular boilers and one Worthing- ton compound duplex triple expansion condensing pumping engine, with a daily capacity of 6,000,000 gallons, making a total capacity of 78,000,- 000 gallons per day. The cost of the pump was $50,000.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Chief Peter Dilschneider, of the fire department, conveys the infor- mation that there were four stations in his system-that on Truman Avenue (No. 1) being headquarters for the chief and the members of Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 and Engine Company No. 1-altogether seventeen men ; Station No. 2, on Indiana Boulevard, is the home of Hook and Ladder and Hose Company No. 2, with six men ; Station No. 3, located on Calumet Avenue, houses Hose Company No. 3, with four men, and Station No. 4, on Calumet Avenue, is headquarters for Engine Company No. 4, comprising six men, and the assistant chief, William Nill.
About forty-five thousand dollars is expended yearly in the mainte- nance of the department, whose total equipment is given as follows: Two hook and ladder wagons, with 55-gallon chemical tanks; three com- bination wagons, with 40-gallon chemical tanks; two hose wagons; two Metropolitan steam fire engines, second size; twelve shut-off and seven open nozzles ; six shut-off chemical nozzles; ten No. 2 hand extinguishers ;
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LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
seventeen head of horses; over nine thousand feet of hose; two cellar pipes ; one revolving cellar hose; two Eastman deluge sets ; all apparatus being equipped with swinging harness and engines with heaters. The Gamewell fire alarm system connected with the department has over forty boxes and thirty miles of wire. The total fire department prop- erty is valued at $86,000.
POLICE DEPARTMENT
The police of Hammond have had several homes, the first of which was a little station, "a mere lock-up in a little shanty on Plummer Avenue and Morton Court." When the city hall was built the police were given a little hall-space in front, from which place, by a special arrangement with the county, they moved to the county building, where they remained until 1912, when they were given their present quarters in the city hall, which quarters are pleasant, ample and well equipped. The jail, which occupies the rear of the building, is clean, sanitary and adequate. In March, 1911, an auto-patrol and a motoreyele were purchased and in January, 1914, a second motorcycle was purchased. The Gamewell signal and telegraph system was installed by means of which the chief can come almost in instant communication with his whole working force. The Metropolitan police system obtains, only the appointments are now made by the mayor instead of by the governor, as formerly.
The city police force consists of a superintendent, two captains, a secretary, a sergeant, a chauffeur, a bailiff, twenty-six patrolmen and a merchant policeman. During the year 1913, 1,042 arrests were made, only 18 offenders being females; 361 were married and 681 single, and of the total number of arrests 618 offended on account of intoxication. Another division : Americans, 650; foreigners, 392. More than thirty- five thousand dollars is expended in the maintenance of the department.
PARKS AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH
Hammond has made progress in providing suitable recreation grounds for her people, as has been noted heretofore. A visitor thus describes them, in brief: "Seven restful places of this character have been estab- lished in Hammond, and at all hours of the day these are frequented by those who wish to get away from the heat and dust of the busy streets.
"Douglas Park, a wooded plot of twenty acres on Wolf Lake, is a favorite picnic ground. A shelter here affords protection in inclement weather. Harrison Park, twenty-four acres, is greatly enjoyed by the childen because of its wading pond. The depth of the water is such that
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LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
small children are quite safe, and they spend many happy hours here away from harm and amidst healthful surroundings. Tennis courts and a baseball diamond also help to make this park a popular place.
"Columbia Park of twelve acres, Franklin, Central and Maywood parks, totaling four and one-third acres, are each enjoyed by the public according as they may be found convenient."
The number of births reported by the department of health for 1913 was 599; deaths, 418. Pneumonia caused the greatest number of deaths, 52; then came diseases of the heart and blood vessels, 44, and stomach troubles, 40.
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Hammond Public Library, whose site is in Central Park facing HIohman Street, is a Carnegie institution and a high credit to the intel- ligent and progressive people of the city. The building, which was erected in 1904 at a cost of $28,000, is a tasteful two-story structure of cut stone, with tile roof, is handsomely furnished, and contains besides two beautiful reading rooms and a well-selected library of 14,000 vol- umes, a reception and business room for library officers and literary meetings, and a section devoted to the Youche collection of antiquities and historic relies. The public library is an interesting and restful place for both the resident and the visitor. It is maintained by an annual tax, which amounts to more than five thousand dollars.
The Hammond Public Library is governed by a board, of which Dr. W. F. Howat is president and Mrs. John F. Riley, secretary. The librarian, Mrs. Jennie L. Sawyer, has two assistants.
FIRST MOVEMENT OF SHAKESPEARE CLUB
Doctor Howat, who has been president of the library board since its organization, thus describes the preliminary steps which led to the organ- ization of 1904: "Sporadic efforts in the direction of establishing a library in Hammond had been several times made before the Shakespeare Club, a group of young ladies and gentlemen, most of whom were public school teachers, conceived the idea in the autumn of 1902 of founding a public library. With commendable energy and the courage born of enthusiasm and ignorance of the obstacles that were to beset their path, they proceeded to carry out their project. Here and there from time to time they were assisted in small measure by those of our citizens to whom the movement seemed practicable, and the nucleus of our present library was established with a collection of about fifty volumes. The infant
1
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LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
library was cared for by Miss Bloomhof, and was kept in her millinery parlors. At this stage of its existence the library was not absolutely free, but was for the use of its membership-an honor and privilege obtained on the payment of yearly dues of one dollar. So far the movement was purely a 'side-line' with the Shakespeare Club. But it was a 'side-line' that bade fair to overset all other functions pertaining to that organiza- tion, and as a consequence the Library Committee of the club was super- seded by an Advisory Board, which consisted of the original Library Committee plus three 'outsiders' interested in the work. About this time a very substantial addition was made to the library by Otto Negele, who donated $100, the proceeds from a musicale gotten up and directed by himself. This money went to the purchase of historical works.
FIRST PUBLIC LIBRARY
"A few months later it appeared proper to the Advisory Board to organize a public library in accordance with the Indiana statutes, authorizing and governing such movements. By the earnest solicita- tion of a committee of citizens appointed for the purpose by Mayor A. F. Knotts, a subscription of $2,000 for library purposes was secured, and in May, 1903, the first Public Library Board of Hammond was appointed, as specified by law, as follows: Mrs. J. G. Ibach, A. M. Turner and L. Becker, appointed by Judge McMahan of the Circuit Court ; E. Scull and W. Burton, who has since been succeeded by T. W. Kohr, appointed by the Comnon Council of Hammond; Rena Ames and Dr. W. F. Howat, appointed by the Board of Education. Following the organization of the board, the first act of importance was the purchase of the books of the Shakespeare Club.
"From that time a steady growth has taken place and at the present writing (1904) there are over 2,400 volumes accessible to the public. Most of these books have been acquired by purchase, though many have been donated. Chief among the donors of books stands W. B. Conkey, who has given over 400 volumes, and who will from time to time add to this collection. The clergymen of the city and several other citizens have also donated in the aggregate about 200 volumes.
"According to the modern conception of a library, we can no longer designate a large collection of books by that term. In the present-day sense of the term, a library consists of books, a home for the books, and a smoothly working system whereby the literary collection can be easily and safely accessible to those desiring to use it.
"The functions of a library are three-fold. First, entertainment ; second, education; and third, inspiration, or to put it in another way,
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LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
pleasure, profit and encouragement. Where these three functions are well balanced the public may be said to be deriving perfect results from the institution. The normal process in this work should be one of constant progression from the first to the second, and from the second to the third."
PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND EDUCATORS
Although the public school system of the City of Hammond is claimed by many to date from 1884, the year of the organization of the high school, and by others from 1894, when the first municipal board of education was appointed by the city council, there are not a few interesting events to be chronicled having a direct bearing upon the education of its young people through the medium of the common schools. Fortunately, the editor can rely upon an account of these early school matters prepared by a pioneer educator, who is now as well known in financial circles as he was among the teachers of the Calumet region twenty years ago.
FOUNDATION OF SYSTEM
In 1892 Prof. W. C. Belman, then superintendent of the schools of North Township, wrote the following history of the public schools of Hammond : "The public schools of North Township are the only schools in the State of Indiana whose limits include one city of 10,000 people, one incorporated village of 1,500 people and one community that is not incorporated of 2,500 people, and yet have a complete system of graded schools whose board of education consists of a township trus- tee, and its school faculty a superintendent and a corps of teachers thirty-one in number. The system is the outgrowth of a local neces- sity and that it is to the advancement of the schools is evident to all.
"Hammond, an incorporated city of 10,000 people, has had a won- derful growth; its advantages in a commercial way are superior to any suburb of Chicago. Located as it is on the Calumet River, with easy access to Lake Michigan, and having within its limits seven of the important railroads leading from south and east into Chicago, with twenty-five passenger trains each way daily, Hammond has all the advantages of Chicago with none of its disadvantages.
"The early history of the town is interesting, and but for the loea- tion of the G. H. Hammond packing establishment it might yet be unknown.
"In 1863 was erected on Hohman Street, between what is now Mich-
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LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
igan Avenue and Wilcox Street, the first schoolhouse, and here, during the winter of 1863-4, under the direction of Miss Amanda Koontz, was taught the first school in what is now the City of Hammond. The term was sixty days, the salary $20 per month, and the pupils, nine in number, were furnished by the following: Mr. Hohman 3, Mr. Good- man 3, Mr. Sohl 2. Mr. Drackert 1. one of these being younger than the law allowed.
"The following is a list of teachers who officiated in after years: Mary Lohse taught the winter of 1864-65; Mr. Smith the winter of 1866- 67 ; Mary St. John began the term during the winter of 1867-68. and Louise Dutton finished the term. Miss Louise Sohl, now Mrs. J. M. Beall, taught for two winters during 1868-69-70. Miss Teed taught the winter of 1870-71, was followed the next winter by D. Mckinney, but returned and taught the two succeeding winters, 1872-74. Miss Mary Harper taught the winter of 1874-75, and the old building with its old memories was left, the new building erected just south where the city hall now stands became the Hammond School. In the course of years the town had slowly grown, so that, when Miss Alice Sohl opened school in the autumn of 1875 she enrolled during the year sixty-eight pupils. The salary at this time had been advanced to $35 per month and the length of term increased to eight months. Miss Sohl continued to teach here for three years, when, in 1878, Mr. A. A. Winslow, with Alice Web- ster as assistant. took charge of the schools. The next year Doctor Forsyth and Alice Webster were the teachers, and in 1880 A. A. Win- slow, Miss Helen Winslow and Miss Alice Webster conducted the work. the primary room being in an adjoining building. During the sum- mer of 1881 and 1882 M. M. Towle, then trustee, erected a new building on the corner of Hohman and Fayette streets. The new building was two stories high and contained eight rooms, four of which were tin- ished at the time. Here in the autumn of 1888 Miss Agnes Dyer, as principal, with Helen Winslow. Emma Mott and Alice Webster opened school in what is at present (1892) our Central building. In 1882 Floyd Truax was appointed principal, but resigned in February and D. Me- Kinney was appointed to fill the vacancy. The school term during this year was eight months in length. During the summer of 1883 Trustee M. M. Towle completed the Central building and W. C. Belman, with the following teachers-Misses Cynthia Woods, Nettie Smith, Linnie Ousley, Mary Welsh, Mary Dunn, Madaline Laible-began the task of developing a system of graded schools. Since that time the schools have grown largely, both in numbers and period. C. N. Towle and Dr. W. W. Merrill have each filled the responsible position of trustee, and much that has been done is due to the earnestness with which they sup-
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