USA > Indiana > White County > A standard history of White County Indiana : an authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and county, Vol. I > Part 39
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Rev. J. H. Bristor succeeded Mr. Pardee, resigning on account of ill health, in April, 1892. The succeeding pastors of the church have been Revs. P. M. Fishburn, William Kenney, J. C. Anderson, M. V. Grisso, J. H. Dodd, A. W. Jackman, J. A. Parker, A. L. Martin and T. R. Spray.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AND NEW CHURCH
On May 5, 1901, during Mr. Dodd's pastorate, the note and mortgage held against the church property were publicly burned at the close of the morning services, indicating the release of the debt; but the rejoicing of the church members was of short duration, for on the 27th of the following August the house of worship and the parsonage were burned to the ground.
While a new church was rebuilding on the river bank at northeast corner of Bluff and Broadway, services were held in the Opera House and the Circuit Court room. The beautiful brick structure which has since been the home of the Christian Church was completed and dedicated March 17, 1903, and, together with its site, cost about $16,000. In February, 1904, occurred the death of R. Land, senior elder of the church, and one of its most active workers. Rev. T. R. Spray, the present pastor, has been in charge since September, 1913. The church has reached a membership of about 250.
THE ORPHANS' HOME By Mary Henke
There are probably a great many people in the city who do not know that at one time an orphans' home was instituted here by a number of women interested in charitable work and was conducted under their direction for about thirty years.
Mrs. Tirza Scott, of Royal Center, who has been visiting friends here for several weeks, was the first matron of the home. At that time Mrs. B. O. Spencer, who came here from Logansport, where she was interested in the care of children of the poor, found an eager audience in the women of this city, and it was not long before a home was established here for the care of children who were bereft of their parents or were in need of Vol. I-22
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help. The first children to be entered were the four children of Andrew Arrick, whose mother, when dying, had asked Mrs. Scott to care for them. Consequently, when the home was founded, they were placed under the motherly care of the matron. At that time it was not necessary for the parents to surrender complete possession of their children when they were placed in the home. Often little ones whose mothers died were placed there that they might be cared for properly, and whenever it was desired to remove them there was no restraint to such action. Poor or orphaned children were also given homes there. The home was established in the property belonging to Mrs. Cornelia Logan on the corner of South Bluff and Market streets, which is now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Mack Spoon and by Miss Lora Allen. After Mrs. Scott had successfully filled her duties as matron for several years she was succeeded by Mrs. S. R. Temple of Monticello, who was also a member of the society that established the home.
Among the women who have been interested in the home at various times and who are members of the Orphans' Home Association, are: Mrs. Frank Britton, who is now president, Mrs. Benjamin, Mrs. Elmira Richey, Mrs. Ellen Van Voorst, Mrs. S. R. Temple, Mrs. Engle, Mrs. Charles Gardner, Mrs. Isaac Davis, Mrs. Sarah Thompson, Mrs. Mary Davisson, Mrs. B. F. Ross, Mrs. Martha Rothrock, Mrs. Will Sargent and Mrs. McCollum. Only a few of these women were members of the association when the home was established, but they have all shown an intense interest in the work and have given a great deal of time and money towards the aid of needy children.
For a number of years after the institution was established, there were no funds in the county treasury and the women of the organization them- selves paid for the tuition and yearly support of the children, who some- ยท times reached as high as fifteen in number. They were entitled to the building but it was a number of years before outside help was received.
The death blow was given the institution about ten or fifteen years ago when a law was passed governing the care for charity children. By this act parents were required to relinquish all claim to the children placed in a charitable institution of this kind. As few of the parents would consent to such a sacrifice, the home here did not have enough occupants to warrant its continuance and from that time children needing homes were sent to Indianapolis or some other city. The women regard the law governing children in charity homes as cruel to both parents and children and consider the manner in which the home was conducted here as much more humane and just.
While the society now is not an active organization, it still continues its interest in poor and needy children and does a great many acts of charity. A fund which is in the hands of the treasurer, Mrs. Van Voorst, is used for that purpose.
SOCIETIES
Monticello is well provided with societies-benevolent, social and literary-and they largely account for its reputation as a desirable
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residence for all classes of intelligent people who realize the necessity of mingling with their fellows-all combining in a proper spirit of recreation and uplift.
THE ODD FELLOWS
The oldest secret and benevolent society was organized by the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows on the 30th of January, 1852. A dispen- sation for their lodge was granted on the 23d of the month upon the petition of M. R. Sheetz, J. T. Richey, W. R. Davis, J. R. Lovejoy, Samuel Barnes, R. C. Kirk and D. T. Spears. At the organization, a week later, the following officers were elected : William Davis, N. G .; D. T. Spears, V. G .; J. R. Lovejoy, Secretary, and J. T. Richey, Treasurer. Among the prominent men who early became members of the order were Jonathan Harbolt, Isaac Reynolds, Calvin Reynolds, the late Dr. William Spencer, David and Daniel McCuaig, Rufus L. Harvey, Dr. Samuel B. Bushnell, Judge Alfred Reed, Capt. John C. Brown, Judge A. W. Reynolds, Robert C. Kendall, Thomas Bushnell, Joseph D. Cowden, John Wilson and James Burns. The last survivor of the charter members was Daniel P. Spears, a resident of Morrison, Illinois. At the time of his death Capt. John C. Brown was the oldest Odd Fellow in the county, having united with the order at Hagerstown, Maryland, many years before the lodge at Monticello was institutued.
The order has prospered both in the increase of membership and financially in Monticello, and in 1902 erected a building at the southeast corner of Main and Washington streets, setting aside convenient quarters for the different bodies. The lodge itself (Monticello No. 107) has a present membership of 250, with the following officers: Thomas Spoon, N. G .; Richard Hinshaw, V. G .; John W. Nelson, Secretary, and J. M. Turner, Treasurer.
The Rebekah degree (Eudora No. 201) was organized in December, 1879, and Stewart Encampment, No. 159, in December, 1882. The present encampment has a membership of nearly 120, with officers as follows: William Lowe, C. P .; F. C. Gardner, H. P .; Ivan Shell, J. W .; John Bretzinger, S. W .; John W. Nelson, Secretary, and S. T. Whitman, Treasurer.
THE MASONS
The first Masonic body to organize in Monticello was Libanus Lodge No. 154, which was granted a dispensation by the State Grand Lodge on petition of Francis G. Kendall, James W. Bulger, William Russell, Wil- liam B. Gray, Alexander Yount, Robert W. Sill, Charles W. Kendall and William C. May. The Grand Master appointed Francis G. Kendall, Worshipful Master ; James W. Bulger, Senior Warden, and William Rus- sell, Junior Warden. Upon receipt of the dispensation, which was granted April 1, 1853, a meeting of the lodge was called by the Worshipful Master and the following minor officials elected: C. W. Kendall, Secretary ; Alexander Yount, Treasurer ; William B. Gray, Senior Deacon; Robert W. Sill, Junior Deacon, and William C. May, Tyler. Other early members
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to join the lodge were John Ream, David K. Ream, Rowland Hughes, David Turpie, John H. Lear, John B. Bunnell, Thomas Bunnell, Joseph Shafer, Samuel Shafer, Adin Nordyke, Cornelius Stryker, Thomas Beard, Thomas Wickersham, Job Wickersham, R. B. Wickersham, Israel Nor- dyke, John Large, James Richey, Orlando Mcconahay, Marshal Murray, Harrison P. Anderson, Peter R. Failing, William S. Davis, John Keever, Isaac M. Davis, James Parcels, William A. Parry, John Leach, William P. Koutz, Ansel M. Dickinson, Thomas Bushnell and Alfred Reed. At the present the lodge has a membership of 105. George F. Marvin is Worthy Master; George W. Gilbert, Senior Warden, and Frank L. Hod- shire, Junior Warden.
Monticello Chapter No. 103, R. A. M., was organized under dispensa- tion granted October 28, 1887, and by appointment of Madison T. Did- lake, High Priest; Marion Parrish, King, and Cloyd Loughry, Scribe. The chapter worked under dispensation until November 22, 1888, when it was constituted a regular body, with Madison T. Didlake as first High Priest ; Cyrus A. G. Rayhouser, first King, and Reuben M. Wright, first Scribe. The chapter has now a membership of 100, with the following officers: William N. Loughry, H. P .; Frank R. Phillips, E. K., and Joseph D. McCann, E. S.
Monticello Council No. 70, R. and S. M., was organized under dis- pensation on April 26, 1898, on petition of Madison T. Didlake, Joseph D. McCann, George H. Cullen, Julius W. Paul, William S. Bushnell, James P. Simons, James F. Brown, Hiram A. B. Moorhous and William H. Hamelle. It worked under dispensation until October 18th of that year, when it was organized under charter and present name, with Madi- son T. Didlake as Illustrious Master; James P. Simons, Deputy ; Joseph D. McCann, P. C. W .; Lewis E. Wheeler, C. G .; Hiram A. B. Moorhous, Treasurer; Samuel A. Carson, Recorder, and William S. Bushnell, Senti- nel. At present there are 100 members identified with the council, with the following officers : William H. Hamelle, T. I. M .; Samuel A. Carson, I. D. M., and Joseph D. McCann, P. C. W.
There is also a chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, which was organized under dispensation on January 15, 1895, and under charter, as Crystal Chapter No. 165 on May 22d of that year.
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS
Both the Knights of Pythias and the Pythian Sisters have organiza- tions. The former, known as Monticello Lodge No. 73, was organized October 29, 1877, its charter members being John H. Wallace, Emory B. Sellers, Henry P. Owens, James V. Vinson, Irvin Greer, Henry Snyder, John C. Hughes, Isaiah Bisher, Taylot Bennett, John T. Roach, Wash- ington Kuntz, George Baxter, Frank Roberts, Thomas J. Woltz, William R. Harvey, William Spencer, James E. Howard, Josiah Purcell, John T. Ford, John H. Peet, Albert W. Loughry, John H. Burns, T. Fayette Palmer and Samuel Fenters. The first officers were as follows: T. F. Palmer, P. C. (still active) ; J. H. Wallace, C. C .; J. T. Ford, V. C .;
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John H. Burns, M. A .; Prelate, Josiah Purcell ; M. of E., William Spencer, and M. of F., James V. Vinson (active). The membership of the lodge is over 150, and its present officers are as follows: Arthur Halstead, C. C .; L. A. Young, V. C .; R. A. Layton, Prelate; Jacob H. Hibner, M. of W .; H. J. Reed, K. of R. and S .; Claude Irelan, M. of F .; W. F. Bunnell, M. of E.
GRAND ARMY POST
Tippecanoe Post No. 51, G. A. R., was organized March 31, 1882, by Judge John H. Gould, of Delphi, and John C. Brown was its first com- mander. As the old Civil war soldiers drop away from year to year the organization becomes more and more reduced, but the few remaining veterans still cling to their post with old-time affection.
OTHER SOCIETIES
The foregoing by no means complete the list of the fraternal societies which have their headquarters in Monticello. The Modern Woodmen of America, the Maccabees (both Knights and Ladies), the Loyal Order of Moose, the Red Men and other orders have all their local representatives, some of them growing organizations.
WOMEN'S CLUBS
There are also a number of women's clubs in Monticello worthy of note. Among the oldest of these are the Nickel Plate Club, organized for both social and charitable purposes, which has done much good work toward civic betterment; the Coterie Club, social, organized in 1893; the Wednesday Reading Club, organized in 1892 for the purpose of "study- ing standard English literature and general history in a social club;" the University Extension Club, founded in 1895 in connection with the Chicago University ; the Chautauqua Home Study Club, a member of the great chautauqua system, and established in 1898, and the Equal Franchise League, organized in 1913 for the purpose of educating women on the suffrage question.
The first President of the University Extension Club was Prof. L. S. Isham, with Miss Pearl Jones, Secretary. Miss Eva Cosad has been President for about ten years ; Miss Nora Gardner is now secretary.
Mrs. Byram was the original president of the Coterie Club, and Mrs. Ida Jost, Secretary. Present officers: Mrs. C. D. Meeker, President, and Mrs. Myram Spencer, Secretary.
Mrs. Meeker is also President of the Wednesday Reading Club, its first president having been Mrs. James H. McCullum.
STREET VIEWS AT MONON
CHAPTER XXVI
TOWN OF MONON
INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN-ADDITIONS TO ORIGINAL SITE-HENRY M. BAUGHMAN-INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL ADVANTAGES-CLAY AND STONE INDUSTRIES-THE MONON BANK-STATE BANK OF MONON- THE TOWN COMMISSIONED HIGH SCHOOL-MONON'S PUBLIC LIBRARY -PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH-FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH- THE BAPTIST CHURCH-SOCIETIES.
Situated at the juncture of the two Monon lines, in the northwestern part of White County, Monon is a clean and substantially built town of 1,200 people. As the center of a large area of productive country, in grain, stone and clay, its natural advantages drew the attention of business men to the locality at an early day, and finally the precise location of the permanent town was determined by the construction of the Louisville, New Albany and Chicago Railroad and the platting of New Bradford, which displaced the old town of West Bedford.
INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN 1
The history of Monon as a town commences with the year 1879, when an incorporation was effected under the name of the old postoffice estab- lished in 1838; both the postoffice and the Town of Monon were then made uniform, and from that time dates a marked and substantial growth.
ADDITIONS TO ORIGINAL SITE
Only one addition was made to the Town of Monon previous to its incorporation, and that was platted only about a year after the laying out of the original town. On the 7th of August, 1854, James K. Wilson made an addition of sixty-three lots, lying north of the original plat, and on the 29th of September of the same year Benjamin Ball made a second addition of ninety-four lots in the northeast quarter of the south- east quarter of section 21. These sufficed to meet the expansion of the place for thirty years.
Benjamin F. Linville platted twenty-two lots as an addition to the town site, on April 15, 1884, and in January, 1885, Horace C. Lyman increased it by fifty-six lots. On August 1, 1889, William H. Hinckle made his addition of fifty-five lots, and he was followed, in December, 1895, by Emma J. Turpie, who platted her addition of 145 lots.
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HENRY M. BAUGHMAN
Emma J. Turpie, who made the addition heretofore noted, was the daughter of Henry M. Baughman, a pioneer of Noble County, Indiana, who settled near Reynolds in 1867 and was afterward engaged in busi- ness in the Town of Monon. He also owned and operated a large farm in Monon Township not far from the town.
INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL ADVANTAGES
In the winter of 1879 and the spring of 1880, soon after the town incorporation, William Scott and Company built an elevator in the east part of town with facilities for shelling corn and storing and cleaning
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MONON TOWN COMMISSIONED HIGH SCHOOL
grain. There had been several small elevators before, but the Scott plant had a storage capacity of 10,000 bushels and a cleaning capacity of 2,000 bushels daily, and was a manifest evidence of the growing importance of Monon as a grain center.
Both with the growth of its railroad facilities and the improvement of the surrounding country, Monon has continuously added to its standing in that regard and also became an advantageous point for the buying and shipping of live stock. There are two elevators and a mill in opera- tion, and the railroad provides convenient yards for handling cattle, hogs and other live stock.
CLAY AND STONE INDUSTRIES
In the early '80s E. G. Egbert and Company, proprietors of a local hardware store, commenced to develop the clay deposits at Monon, in the line of brick and tile manufactures, and the industry has been continued,
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intermittently, for thirty years or more. Plants are now in operation for the manufacture both of tiles and building blocks, and a mile south of town B. H. Dickson has a large stone crushing establishment which supplies the bulk of the material used in the building of the gravel roads of the county. Many of the farmers of the region also used the pulverized products of the mills as fertilizers.
THE MONON BANK
The substantial business and industrial life of Monon is also illus- trated by the fact that it sustains two good banks. The oldest of these establishments is the Monon Bank, established in June, 1892, by C. M. Horner, who has continued as its president. He commenced business as a general merchant in 1865, has continued as an active factor in the progress of the town and has a wide scope of interests. He is owner of the oldest elevator, proprietor of a large garage and largely interested in real estate. He has increased the capital of the Monon Bank from $10,000 to $25,000, and its deposits have reached $200,000. Its first cashier, George Baxter, was succeeded by W. C. Horner, son of the president.
STATE BANK OF MONON
This institution was organized July 2, 1906, with a capitalization of $25,000. There were about sixty-two stockholders in and around Monon and because of this the bank had an auspicious beginning. The first officers were : W. S. Baugh, president; Fred Thomas, vice president, and F. C. Cassell, cashier. The capital of the bank has remained the same as in the beginning. In 1909 T. A. Hollingsworth succeeded Mr. Cassell as cashier, and in 1910 Dr. John Stuart succeeded Mr. Thomas as vice president. In 1911 Carl Middlestadt succeeded Mr. Hollingsworth as cashier, and with the exceptions named the bank's official roster has re- mained unchanged. It owns its own modern bank building, which was. erected in 1913.
THE TOWN COMMISSIONED HIGH SCHOOL
The first schools of the township originated in the vicinity and on the site of old West Bedford and they flourished, in their way, during the '40s and '50s. Then New Bradford displaced West Bedford, and school accommodations were transferred accordingly. Fair schools were followed by better and better, by almost best, the culmination being the present Town Commissioned High School, under the superintendency of George F. Lewis. The principal of the high school department is M. R. Holtzman. Besides the superintendent and principal there are eight teachers. The building, which is in the north end of town, was dedicated in 1902. It is a handsome two-story and basement structure of brick, with stone trimmings, and contains fifteen rooms. Its dimensions on the ground are 103 by 101 feet. The heating, lighting and sanitary arrange-
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HISTORY OF WHITE COUNTY
ments, as well as working conveniences and appliances, are modern. The curriculum embraces the usual courses, including manual training and sewing-the latter branches being confined to the high school and the three upper grades of the grammar department. The average attendance is as follows: First grade, 46; second, 42; third, 32; fourth, 35; fifth, 32; sixth, 36; seventh, 33; eighth, 24; high school, 85. Total, 365.
MONON'S PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Public Library at Monon is also an educator of broad usefulness. It has a tasteful building of recent construction and houses 2,500 volumes for reference and circulation, and its patrons are drawn from all parts
MONON PUBLIC LIBRARY
of the township. The library was the outgrowth of the efforts of the Current Literature Club, the members of which collected its first 500 volumes. Mrs. Laura E. Winkley, wife of an old and respected citizen and who had taken much interest in the first steps taken toward the establishment of the library, was elected first librarian, and was followed in January, 1915, by Miss Emma A. Pogue, the present incumbent. The management of the Public Library comprises the following officers: A. D. Hornback, president ; J. H. Cunningham, vice president; Maude Bur- roughs, secretary, and Margaret Hay, treasurer.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
The churches of Monon are represented by the Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian denominations-the last named being the oldest. The Presbyterian Church was organized at West Bedford about 1839, and its first pastor was Rev. Alexander Williamson, who had already preached
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HISTORY OF WHITE COUNTY
at Monticello as the pioneer settled minister of that place. Among the early members of the church were Thomas Downey and wife, William Wilson and wife and Mrs. Kepperling. The present pastor is Rev. M. L. Rice, a man of seemingly boundless energy, who has interested himself in various industrial and business enterprises as well as in church- welfare.
FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Monon Methodism in organized form is more than half century old, but there were individual Methodists here at even an earlier period. The first society in Monon had its beginning in 1861, with Rev. J. L. Boyd as pastor in charge, and William H. Gibson and wife, John D. Moore and wife, Mrs. Theresa Duvall, Mrs. Susan Hebner, and William Shackel- ford and wife and others, whose names are unknown as members. William Shackleford was class leader and the class numbered fifteen. The place of worship was on South Arch Street, where M. O'Mara resides. This was also the place of Presbyterian and Baptist meetings and it is said the services were attended by all regardless of denomination.
The same building represented Monon's first schoolhouse, where the faculty embraced two teachers and two rooms were occupied by the pupils.
In the spring of 1870, the first Baptist Church was built, and this was used by the Methodists until 1882, when their first church home was erected at a cost of $1,500 on its present site. The parsonage, which had been purchased in 1868, was a one-story building adjacent to the church. The building was afterward enlarged by the addition of two wings to meet the needs of the congregation. But as the years went on. these additions were insufficient, and in the spring of 1908 ground for a new church was purchased at the northwest corner of Market and Fifth streets. One of the two dwelling houses on the site was remodeled for a parsonage in 1909, and in the spring of 1912 work was begun on the church superstructure of the elegant church now occupied. The site and building cost over $16,000 and on May 4, 1913, when the property had been cleared of all indebtedness, the church was dedicated with appropriate and impressive services. The dedicatory sermon was preached by Dr. H. A. Gobin, vice president of DePauw University, and other notables of the church were on the rostrum.
Rev. W. B. Morgan, the present pastor, assumed his duties in the fall of 1911, and ministers to the needs of about 320 members of what is officially known as the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Monon. Preceding Mr. Morgan were John L. Boyd, the first pastor ; Joseph Budd, Cole Brown, George Guild, Henry Fraley, George Mellender, William F. Jones, H. H. Middleton, J. B. Smith, H. B. Ball, W. Campbell, John E. Newhouse, R. H. Calvert, Whitfield Hall, Jasper I. McCoy, W. N. Dunham, G. A. Bond, Whitfield Hall (second incumbency), J. N. Har- mon, J. T. Stafford, C. H. Jesse, J. T. Reeder, A. M. Virden, A. L. Clark, W. H. Broomfield, D. A. Rodgers, A. C. Northrop and A. A. Dunlavy.
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THE BAPTIST CHURCH
As early as 1859 Rev. Lewis McCreary commenced holding occasional Baptist services in the schoolhouse at New Bradford. The interest thus aroused led, in January, 1865, to the regular organization of a church. The charter members of this pioneer Baptist society, who organized on the 14th of that month, were John W. Miller, Sarah Gazeway, John W. Cox, Theodore Hildebrand, Jerusha Hildebrand, Elizabeth Ann Hilde- brand, Esther May King, Margaret Dunlap, Anna E. Cox, Elder J. H. Dunlap, Julia Miller, Josephine Amanda Miller, Mary E. Sparrow and Margaret A. Chamberlain.
The little band of workers had a steady growth. In 1869 they began to build a house of worship, which they completed in October of that year. Its dedication-at which Rev. Mr. Stone officiated-marked the occupancy of the first church structure in Monon Township, and for several years it was shared by the Baptists with other denominations. The Sunday school was also a union establishment. In 1908 the church building was reconstructed, and at the rededication Dr. E. W. Louns- bury, then of Chicago, preached from the appropriate text: "The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former." The church has a membership of about 200.
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