USA > Indiana > Shelby County > Chadwick's History of Shelby County, Indiana, Vol. 1 > Part 33
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architects, and early in 1902 a contract was let for the construction of the building. The actual work was begun in May and in August the corner- stone was laid with appropriate ceremonies by the Masonic Order of the city, Grand Chaplain Joshua Stansfield delivering the address. The building was completed June, 1903. and was pronounced by good judges a genuine work of art. The architecture style is Ionie, the material Bedford stone. the interior furnishing being of quarter sawed oak, with frescosed walls and ceilings. The work and all the appointments are of the best. The first board of education having charge of this artistic improvement consisted of Harry C. Morrison, president ; Frank Bass, treasurer : William E. Blakely, secretary : J. H. Tomlin, superintendent. The selecting committee were J. H. Tomlin, chairman. Mrs. A. D. Williams Isaac Carter. Miss Aurilla Jeffers. H. S. Downey, Ida Lewis, librarian. and May Wood, assistant. The classification of books of the library is as follows : fiction, general works, philosophy, ethics, religion, church history. mythology, sociology. political science, political economy, law and constitutional history, administration, educational and international educational series, eus- toms and folklore, science. mathematics, astronomy, physics, geology, biology. botany, zoology, library of useful stories, useful arts, medicine. fine arts, archi- tecture, sculpture, drawing and painting literature, American essays. Ameri- can miscellany, foreign miscellany. English poetry. English miscellany : Travel - in Europe, Asia. Africa. North America, Mexico, and the West Indies : United States, South America : biography. American men of letters, Oceanica and polar regions, artist biographers. English men of action. English men of letters, famous women, juvenile literature, state and govern- ment reports, etc.
The library subscribes to twenty-six monthlies, eight weeklies and eight dailies. The books used in the library were eight hundred thirty-five, and those loaned thirty-six thousand thirteen, the total being thirty-six thousand eight hundred forty-eight. Total number of books in the library at the present time is nine thousand four hundred fifty-four volumes. The Dewey classification
- in the library and all books are catalogued by author, title and subject. and references are made to chapters in each book. In preparation for the shelves each book is handled about a dozen times and in circulation from three to six times. there has been an increase of about four hundred per cent. in the circu- lation since the beginning. The juvenile circulation is very large, often ex- ceeding the circulation of the adult fiction books, which is regarded as an im- portant item as fiction generally constitutes about seventy-five per cent. of the total reading. The present board of education and oversight consists of the following named ladies and gentlemen : Dr. S. P. McCrea, president ; George H. Meiks, treasurer: Isaac Carter, secretary : S. C. Ferrell, superintendent. The committee on selection are S. C. Ferrell, chairman : Mrs. F. C. Sheldon, Mrs. John D. Pugh. H. C. Morrison and Edward Lewis.
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This library opened with one thousand volumes upon the shelves and Miss Ida Lewis was appointed librarian. She is a graduate of the Shelbyville public schools and for several years previous to acceptance of this important position had been a teacher in the schools.
She received her instruction in librarianship at the Terre Haute State Normal and spent three months cataloging the books previous to the opening of the library. The books are classified and catalogued by the Dewey system and a directory catalogue gives the books by author, title and subject. Refer- ences are also made to chapters in books and articles of ten pages or more in length, so that the contents ( of the library) are promptly available.
When the work necessitated it. in 1902, Miss May Wood became assis- tant librarian, receiving her instruction from Miss Lewis.
When the library was moved into the new building (in June, 1903,) ac- cess was given in the children's room to a limited number of books in non- fiction and a record kept for several months to see the growth of this kind of literature. In three months it grew to three times what it had been before. Soon access to the shelves was given to the general public and has proven highly satisfactory to both patrons and librarian.
Perhaps the process through which a book passes in preparation for the shelves will be interesting and instructive, showing the labor put upon them before they reach the public. When a new order is given for books, each book is entered upon an order card and these cards are filed aphabetically by author. The source of the order is from a list kept throughout the year by the librarian and her assistant, also lists from each member of the selecting committee upon subjects assigned them by the chairman of that committee. These lists are placed on the order cards, with author. title publisher. price. person approving, etc .. and the cards arranged by subject. The list is then copied from the order cards and sent to the publishers, the order cards being retained as a check-list when the books come. When the books arrive they are placed on the shelves in the librarian's office, checked from the bills and order (list ) cards, examined for damage and the date of bill. price, firm of whom purchased noted on the reverse of the title page. The books are then arranged by subjects, alphabetically by author for accessioning. When entered in the accession-book, the author, title, place of publication, publisher, date of publication, size, binding, source, cost, and number of volumes, or copies are given. In this way this record forms a complete history of the book. The books are then stamped and pocketed and arranged by subjects for classifica- tion. A shelf of twenty-five or thirty books is then studied and a number given each according to its subject. This nuniber is then compared with the shelf list to avoid duplication and placed on the pockets in the book. To cata- logue each book five cards are written for it. except in fiction, which has four. These cards are an author card. a title card, a subject card. a printer's list-
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card and a shelf-list card. The references are also made which my require twenty-five entries. The charging card is written containing classification, author, and title of the book and placed in the pocket of the book to remain while the book is on the shelves and act as a charge when it is in circulation. The books are then labeled. the list written for the newspapers, the cards placed in the card catalogue, and the books are now ready for the shelves. In this process each book has been handled at least a dozen times.
In addition to the preparation of the books for the shelves, a set of records is kept as for any other business. This with the circulation and ref- erence department constitute the work of our library of today, if fully up to standard.
The Shelbyville library now contains over ten thousand volumes, exclu- sive of government reports and publications circulated. During the week beginning February 1, 1909, one thousand seven books-the largest during any one week-were circulated.
For three months, during the summer of 1907, Miss Lewis, the librarian, visited relatives in England and Miss Lillian Henley, now of the state library, substituted for her. At the same time, Miss Wood, assistant librarian, having resigned her position, Miss Bertha Bowlby was appointed to fill that position.
This library had always co-operated with the public schools and given them many special privileges and the pupils, in turn, have been among the best patrons. A graded course of supplementary work will scon be issued for the schools and from time to time new features will be added to make the library more efficient.
SHELBYVILLE DISTILLERY.
In 1857 the Shelbyville distillery was built and was owned and operated by various persons from time to time. In 1872 it became the property of John Beggs, who continued to run it up to May, 1883, when the main building was burned: the office, warehouse, cribs, cattle pens and all outbuildings were saved. Immediate steps were taken for rebuilding the distillery department. on the foundation of that which had been destroyed by fire. In 1883 the whole structure was rebuilt and enlarged. A change of ownership was also affected after which it was known as the Shelby Distilling Company. made up of the following persons : John Beggs, John E. Beggs, a son of the original proprietor, Henry Beggs, Reuben D. Harshman, an old distiller from Dayton, Ohio, and Robert Frazer, of Cincinnati. This company was organized July 28, 1883. with John Beggs as president. Henry W. Beggs, secretary and treasurer. Distilling was resumed by this company in November. of that year. The capacity of the plant was three thousand bushels of corn per day, but it was seldom run to its utmost capacity, as that required the great amount of
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over one million bushels of corn per year. They could put in the market fif- teen thousand gallons per day, on which the internal revenue tax was, at ninety cents per gallon, thirteen thousand five hundred dollars per day, or four million nine hundred twenty-seven thousand five hundred dollars per year.
Later an addition was made to the plant in which high wines and rectify- ing by a charcoal process of filteration was carried on. They also had a corn warehouse on the railway tracks that had a capacity of twenty-three thousand bushels. This was in addition to the storage for corn at the distillery proper. which amounted to eighty-five thousand bushels.
The government tax paid from August 1. 1886, to Angust 1, 1887, amounted to eight hundred forty-seven thousand four hundred thirteen dollars, besides four hundred eighty barrels of alcohol that was exported to Europe. on which no tax was paid. The government officers connected with this dis- tillery were four store keepers and three gangers. The number of hands en- ployed in this distillery in 1887 was an average of forty-five men. In 1886 this company bought and consumed two hundred ten thousand bushels of corn in Shelby county alone.
After the last named date the plant went through various changes and hands, sometimes successful and sometimes adverse. It was finally merged with the National liquor trust, ran for a time and finally closed. No liquor has been distilled here since then.
PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY -- THE GRANGE.
When the Grange movement struck the county it had many zealous devotees in Indiana, and the first lodge of farmers in this order in Shelby county was organized in 1873 and known as Pioneer. No. 152. Within three years there had been instituted in the county thirty lodges or granges, as they are known now. At Shelbyville was located Pomona Grange, which was of the fifth degree class in the order. Its object was the highest elevation of hus- bandry, and it also had the powers and functions of a high court. In 1876 the total membership of the patrons of husbandry or granges was something in excess of two thousand. They represented a capital of from three to five million dollars. These granges were of lasting good in many ways to the communities in which they were located. but so far as doing away with "middle men" in trade and commerce, they were not a success, and after a few years the stores and grain houses conducted under their supervision, went back into private hands. There are but few. if indeed any, more patrons of husbandry lodges, or granges in the county or state, and if so are occupying a legitimate sphere in building up agriculture by association with one another, thus producing the best results.
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MILLING IN SHELBY COUNTY.
Next to a suitable cabin in which to live, the matter of a place to obtain milling was uppermost in the mind of the early settler in Shelby county. These first settlers must at least be supplied with bread stuffs once a year from other sources than their own hands. The first crops, be they ever so abundant, gave only partial relief. there being no mills within the county. Hence the neces- sity of grinding by hand power, and many families were but poorly provided with means for thus doing. The tin "grater" was used by many, and in many cases the "heminy-block" was resorted to. It was more than three years after the first settler set his stakes here in Shelby county here before a inill was put in operation for the grinding of corn and wheat. Hence home-made flour was used, unless the settler took the time to "go to the mill" at White Water, Franklin county, forty miles away and wait days at a busy season of the year in taking his turn to get his wheat ground. A little later a mill was built and known as the "Quarry's Mill." near Moscow, Decatur county. Next came the home mills in Shelby county.
One pioneer who passed through those days of privation and difficulty has said "Was quite an undertaking-this going to mill. It was a two or three days' journey. Sometimes it was made by a pair of oxen drawing a two- wheeled cart : but frequently the farmer went on horse-back, seated on a big bag of grain. This made the journey tedious, and his return was anxiously awaited by mother and children. There are some recollections of 'going to mill' not in poetry of today, but in actual experience, that brings a tinge of sadness to one's heart. The true picture of weary watching wife and mother, when nightfall came and the pioneer father and husband did not return as ex- pected. Too many grists ahead of his was the true cause of his long delay. These were dismal phases of pioneer life in Indiana. When the darkness closed in upon the anxious mother by the half open doorway and crying children about her : the winds beating on the rude cabin, bringing to their ears unwel- come sounds, laden with howls of half starved wolves and when the inmates of the cabin were pressed heavily for something to eat. But generally speak- ing, the true housewife became equal to the emergency and sometimes pressed .the old coffee mill int , service and ground a mess of parched corn for the chil- dren to eat until the pioneer returned with 'white flour.' when a royal feast was enjoyed by all the family."
It is quite certain, from the best evidence at hand at this late day. that the first mill within Shelby county was that built by John Walker on Blue river, at the present site of the Shelby mills. This was a small frame mill. erected and running early in 1823. Nathan Johnson was the millwright. During the same year. Abel Summers built a mill in Marion which stood where later was built the Marion Flouring Mills. About the same time, possibly a trifle later.
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was built the Ira Bailey mill, on Blue river in the town of Freeport : this was managed by Lathrop Francis. This mill is still in an excellent state of preser- vation with stone piers, stone dam and1 stone race and flume and a high grade of flour is made there.
It was the law and custom at an early date to obtain what is known in legal parlance as an ad quod damnum, or a permit to construct a mill-dam, which provided for damages in case of overflow on crops, etc. Sometimes this right was waived, as settlers wanted mills, and they did not require the process to be perfected before actual milling was done. The record shows that Isaac Drake built and operated a flouring mill on the northeast quarter of section 25. township 11, range 6, on Flat Rock river, some time prior to the summer of 1823. when the writ was actually fulfilled. To nearly all of these mills was attached saw-mill machinery, as well as grist mill appliances. . \ few years later this branch of milling proved the better paying of the two, and large quan- tities of lumber were cut and sold for building purposes. Oak. poplar, wild cherry, black walnut, maple and other varieties of native timber were also cut and shipped to distant sections of the country, where suitable timber was scarce.
Coming to an account of the various mills that have been built and oper- ated in Shelby county from the early-day to now it should be said that in ad- dition to those already mentioned the Star Mills were established in 1856, erected by 11. P. Johnson, who was a noted grain dealer and pork-packer. The mill was located at Shelbyville and the upper, or fourth, story was all in one large room, fitted up for a hall, and it was called "Johnson's Hall." This place was used for all public gatherings, such as balls, theatrical performances, con- ventions, mass meetings, etc. In a few years Johnson, the proprietor, failed in business and badly involved many of his numerous friends here. He removed to Davenport. Iowa, and was succeeded by the firm of Porter & Dixon, grain dealers. and they in turn by Jasper H. Sprague, who dealt in grain. Next came Alonzo Swain and Lewis Neibel, of Jackson township, who dealt in grain and manufactured hominy. In 1867 Mr. Swain bought his partner's share in the business, and put in milling machinery, converting the grain ware house into a mill for the production of a good grade of flour and continued in such industry up to the date of his death, which occurred in 1872. After his death . the Star Milling Company was formed and was composed of Squire L. Van- pelt, Sidney Robertson, William A. Moore, George W. Kennedy, James Y. Stewart and Michael Snyder, of Hendricks township. It was sold to Peyton Johnson in 1875, and he conducted the same until 1879, when it was sold at Sheriff sale to Samuel Hamilton, a banker of Shelbyville, who bid it in for the amount of his mortgage against it, amounting to something like five thousand dollars. In 1883 George W. Kennedy and John M. Brown, a local lumberman of prominence, bought and remodeled the mill and put in a "new process" or the patent milling appliances known as the roller system of flour-making, then
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first coming into general use. It then had a capacity of one hundred fifty bar rels per day, and these men continued to successfully operate until the spring of 1887. when James B. Kennedy, son of George W. Kennedy, bought Mr. Brown out, after which the firm was George W. Kennedy & Son, who operated the mill for years. In 1892 the full roller process ( latest improvements) were added, and it now has a daily capacity of two hundred barrels of excellent grade flour. It is now the property of the G. W. Kennedy Milling Company.
The Water Mill. usually styled the "Shelby Mills." was the old original mill. to which the successor commenced operations many years ago, even be- fore the settlement of the county had amounted to much. Year after year its ponderous wheel revolved and its machinery clanked under the burden of its load. The first saw and flouring mill in Shelby county was built by John Walker in 1822. upon the present site of the Shelby Mills. Early in 1842 James Elliott purchased this mill property : it then consisted of an old grist mill with two run of buhrs, and the remains of an old saw-mill. The latter was im- mediately rebuilt. In the spring of 1844 John Elliott came to Shelbyville and took a half interest in the property, and the same year a wooden mill was erect- ed just above the race bridge, between the race and the river. In 18446 the saw- mill was removed and the present flouring mill built on the same site. It was greatly enlarged in 1856. being increased also to six run of buhrs. Its output was one hundred barrels a day at that time. The property in 1850 passed into the hands of Jacob Vernon and W. O. Rockwood. The latter was soon succeeded by Evans Elliott. under the name of Elliott & Vernon. Steam was added to the water power furnished by the river. On account of an accident the health of Mr. Elliott failed and he was compelled to retire from the busi- ness. In 1859 the mill passed to the hands of Alexander Cory, who hekdl the same at the date of his death in 1864. It was then purchased by David Kemp. but a year or two later it was purchased by William Elliott. David P. Camp- bell and A. O. Porter, who operated under the firm name of D. C. Campbell & Company. J. M. Elliott was admitted to the firm in 1866. Later the firm was known as Elliott. Kennedy & Company. In 1870 G. W. Kennedy sold his interest to John Messick, now president of the First National Bank, after which it was operated as Elliott & Company. In 1881 George E. Kent be- . came a partner. and two years later William Elliott retired. Mr. Kent taking his interest. after which the style of the milling firm was Elliott. Messick & Company. The mill was overhauled, remodeled and "roller mill" machinery placed in instead of the old time buhr system. In 1884 John Messick disposed of his interest to George W. Senour, and the firm consisted of the equal part- ners. J. M. Elliott. George E. Kent and George W. Senour, but worked under the name of Elliott. Kent & Senour. As it stood in ISS; this mill was fifty by eighty feet, and four stories high. It was about 1894 when this milling plant was remodeled and the patent. or "roller process" was installed, having a daily
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capacity of two hundred barrels. It is under the present proprietorship of C. H. Billman & Son.
At an early day what was styled the "Hanover Mills." in the northern part of the county, did a large flour-making business and rivaled, if not exceed- ed the mills at Shelbyville. But these mills have long since gone to decay, and little left to mark the spot once so busy with the grinding of golden grain, by water power and the old mill-stone system. In 1876 there were three differ- ent flouring mill plants in Shelbyville, and many here and there throughout the county. Saw-mills and tanneries were also located in various sections of the county, but owing to a changed condition of industrial life and activities in the country many of these once prosperous concerns have disappeared. hav- ing heen swallowed up by trusts and different methods which have come to ob- tain in our progressive land. The chief milling business of the county is now done at the two great flouring mills at Shelbyville.
REMINISCENCES.
(By Capt. T. L. Haymond. )
The following reminiscence is extracted from a booklet published in 1906. at Waldron, by Capt. T. L. Haymond. entitled. "The Haymond Family," and the same contains, among other interesting accounts of the carly day settle- ment of Shelby county, the following :
"Our people composed a colony of the early settlers of Shelby county along the old State road, and many of them located near Middletown. After the bill was passed authorizing a state road from Madison, on the Ohio river, to Lake Michigan, in 1822, and the same was surveyed, it was found to pass through Shelby county from southeast to northwest. It was on this road. near the crossing of Conn's creek, that our people -- the Haymonds. settled. It was here that John Moore and his father located a tannery, the first within Shelby county. John Moore afterward married Hannah B. Haymond. Sam- uel Monroe married Dorcas Haymond and settled on the east side of the Haymond colony, near the east line of Shelby county, and there established and operated a tannery many years. I have not the names of all this colony. but among them were: Owen and Thomas (commonly called "Long" Tom). They were smiths by trade, and after a while moved further west, when we lost trace of them. About 1829 William Haymond, cousin of my father and grand- son of Edward Haymond, of Revolutionary fame, came to the colony from Vir- ginia, bought a tract of land and founded Middletown. This tract was longer considerably than it was wide, for it only occupied the frontage on either side of the State road for quite a distance either way. It was not long until the town was settled and with the best class of people. It had a hotel built in the
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good old-fashioned way for comfort and convenience, with a wide porch in front, extending the whole length of the house, and "mine host" was one Joseph Cummins, who had immigrated to the colony from near Cincinnati.
"The smiths' shop was a fixture and was presided over by the genial oddity, Samuel Baxter, and if we are rightly informed the temple of justice was pre- sided over by one William Connor, who had heard of the colony and came from Kentucky. The first general store was carried on by David Lovett, who afterward moved to and died a rich banker at Greensburg. The distributer of pills and calomel was Doctor Robbins. He also moved to Greensburg, and died quite wealthy.
"John Haymond was also prominent in the affairs of the town and married Margaret Cummins. They built and made their home across the road oppo- site the hotel. There were many others prominent in the early history of this quite noted village, wir se names cannot well be given in this connection for lack of space. It is said that after a short time of prosperity, chills and ma- larial fever entered the homes of this heretofore happy people and were hold- ing high carnival.
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