History of Hamilton County Indiana, her people, industries and institutions, Part 21

Author: John F. Haines
Publication date: 1915
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1051

USA > Indiana > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton County Indiana, her people, industries and institutions > Part 21

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The policy of the organization has been liberal towards young musicians, and some of its best players are young men who were taken in as boys when they were hardly large enough to handle their instruments. These young men, along with others more mature in years and ability, have succeeded in keeping up an organization which has been of great benefit to the people, especially so to young men desirous of becoming musicians. From its membership some splendid performers have gone out.

Throughout the existence of this band a spirit of loyalty to the organiza- tion and to the officers has prevailed and the success of the organization has been brought about by that spirit of loyalty and by the persistent efforts of its officers. At its concert given at the Wild Grand Opera House in April, 1914. the band celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary. Among other num- bers played on this occasion was the great Tannhauser Overture, by Richard Wagner. a fact indicative of the progress that has been made.

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CHAPTER XV.

TOWNS AND VILLAGES.

SHERIDAN.

Sheridan, the second town in size in Hamilton county, is situated in the southwestern part of Adams township, on the Monon railroad connecting with Westfield, Carmel and Indianapolis to the south and Chicago to the north. The town was laid out in 1860 by Egbert Higbee on the south side of the pike road running east and west. Higbee gave the town the name of Mill- wood. On the north side of the road, opposite Millwood, Caswell Boxley laid out an addition to the town. Some years later, when application was made for a postoffice at this point, it was found that there already was a Millwood in the state, so the towns on both sides of the road were united under the one name, Sheridan.

The pioneer business men of Sheridan were P. G. Pearson, 1866, harness shop: Dr. H. Moore, general merchandise. In 1866 Egbert Higbee built the first flouring mill at Sheridan, but for some reason the mill was not. operated for two years. In 1868 three men, Cyrus Jessup, Eliel Jessup and J. P. Peason, went into partnership with Mr. Higbee and under their joint management the mill was put into operation for a short time. It then changed hands and finally was purchased by J. P. Peason and operated for years under the firm style of Peason & Son. In the early years a saw mill was operated in connection with the grist mill.

The Methodists organized the first church in Sheridan. This was in the winter of 1867-68, and Rev. R. A. Newton was the prime mover in the organ- ization. Meetings were held in the school house until 1870, when private houses were used for worship. In 1873 two lots were purchased of Caswell Boxley and in August work began on a new house of worship. Owing to the panic of 1873 work was suspended for a year. The church then was com- pleted at a valuation of two thousand four hundred dollars. Rev. J. V. R. Miller preached the dedication sermon. During this service two hundred dollars was raised on the church debt.

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VIEW N.OF CORNTHWAITE Et QUERO IND.

A VIEW OF CICERO

BAN

DRUGS

MAIN STREET. LOOKING NORTH. SHERIDAN

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The town of Sheridan is situated on section 31 and 32 of Adams civil township, in the northwestern part of the county. It was platted by Egbert Higbee in 1866, and is today the second largest place in the county. Its business interests are varied and rapidly increasing in magnitude. A recent history of the town, compiled by a resident connected with the high schools of that place, gives the following facts: "Sheridan has many progressive leaders to take care of her stores and shops. It would be interesting to know that Egbert Higbee, a resident of Elizaville, was the man who laid the plans for Sheridan and called it Millwood. Doctor Moore established the first store on what is now the corner of Second and Main streets. This was a general store, in which was kept for sale a little of everything. Just a little later James Heatherington started a store where John Stahl's house now stands. Other stores were soon added, including one by P. Q. Pearson and John Wilson. C. Boxley started his store at the corner of Second and Main streets. These men soon sold to other parties. Hamilton Emmons started the first drug store in the town. John Francis was first to establish an exclusive grocery store. May Emmons was the first person to start in the millinery business. Uncle Tom and Aunt Kercheval kept the first boarding house and entertained travelers. Old Mr. Saxmon started the first undertaker's shop, on the corner of Georgia and Third streets.

"Ten years later, the Union block was erected by various dealers. Frank Gregory had the first clothing store, and Henry Langhner had a small grocery stock; T. M. Smith had a hardware store where the Golden Rule store now stands. Owens Brothers, in Union block, also had the first bakery in town. The first bank was established in 1886, in the same building that the first grocery was established. Ed. Thistlewaite came in about the same date and had three stores and owned much land near by. He marked off a race course, and commenced a park improvement, but it was never completed. Arza Smith had several stores and now owns the flouring mills. By 1890 many dealers came in and business was very lively. Store after store were added. until all kinds of merchandise were to be purchased in the town.

"From the above date on nearly all these names which follow are famil- iar to the reader : John Branson, W. E. Cox, Raleigh Davenport and others were in the grocery trade: C. E. Elliott, dealer in drugs, etc. The present- day dealers are inclusive of these: Henry Laughner, a pioneer of the town. Kercheval & Chew, L. Waite, Henry Kinkaid, grocers; druggists, C. E. Elliott and Timmons Brothers; dry goods dealers, C. E. Gregory, Stanley & Willwerth; Hutchins, Norman and Eudaley and Tol Collins, clothing; jew- elers, E. Ridgeway, A. S. Rowe and L. E. Heaps. There are two hotels,

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three banks, a music house, two furniture stores, owned by Antrim & Camp- bel!, and two flour mills, owned by Smith & Drake.

"In 1889 there was established a molasses factory, which is still running on South Georgia street, by George Simon.

"In 1908 there was established the Weaver Lumber Company on Ohio street. The same was burned in 1913.

"The A. Smith elevator for grain was started in 1896 and is still running.

"The Sheridan Packing Company was started in 1909 and is still run- ning. This plant is owned by William Hotinger and Homer Dunham.

"In 1902, on Ninth street, was established the present creamery by Tay- lor Wilson.

"The Palmer Lumber Company, established in 1886, on Georgia and Main street, is still running and owned by George Palmer.

"As early as 1872 a saw mill was started by James H. Emmons; the same year the Harding mill was put in operation by J. H. Flanegan; also the same season was established an elevator by Ed. Thistlewaite. The same is now operated by Stahl & Drake.

"From early in the seventies to 1886 the following enterprises were founded in Sheridan: Wagon and buggy shop, by George Dixon; the grist mill, in 1872, by Pearson & Company : the cooper shop of Joseph Beard; the saw mill of Mace & Remson, another by Owens Brothers; a tile factory, by Eli Hiatt, 1874; brick plant, by Fristoe Brothers; a tile and brick plant, by Henry Thistlewaite; a stave factory, where the Methodist church now stands; the heading factor, in 1886, by Eber Teter & Company, and a planing mill, by Duncan, Baker & Company."

DATE OF INCORPORATION.

The town of Sheridan, first known as Millwood, was incorporated in 1886. Owing to the fact that all the municipal records were burned in the great conflagration of May 4, 1913, there cannot be obtained much of the early history of this incorporation, but it is known that the following served as clerks and part of the time as clerks and treasurers of the place : A. C. Scott, Ambrose Colby, W. E. Clements, N. W. Cowgill, E. M. Richardson, F. A. Lovell, Oscar Macy, I. N. Hinshaw. Charles E. Crouch, W. J. Woods and J. W. Lindley.

The officers of 1915 are: President of the board, W. S. Bradfield; town clerk-treasurer, A. E. Dickey: other. members of the board, W. A. Scott, Marshall Billings; town marshal, John T. McCarty. The bonded indebted-

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ness of the incorporation is at this date nine thousand five hundred sixty dollars. Many years ago the town owned its own electric light plant, but in 1912 it was sold to a private corporation, which also operates the waterworks. This company has two deep wells and a large reservoir. The town has a volunteer fire department, with the marshal as its chief, and there are about a dozen members in the service, but all men who are able-bodied attend fires and do their share of the work. In 1913 the town erected a fine two-story brick city hall, costing six thousand five hundred dollars, in which are the council rooms and town offices, as well as the fire department and its equip- ment.

The fire above mentioned destroyed a large part of the business portion of the place and one of the churches. The fire caught in the planing mill and with a wind blowing on that eventful Sunday noon at the rate of forty miles an hour it was impossible to stay the flames' rapid advance over the place. Sparks and cinders were carried by the wind in one case a distance of thirteen miles, at which point it started another fire.

CONDENSED MILK FACTORY.

The Indiana Condensed Milk Company's plant at Sheridan is among the largest of its kind in the country. It was established about the year 1900 by W. N. Wilson, succeeding the old butter works that had been there many years before this latter organization. Mr. Wilson was accidentally killed by the explosion of a sterilizing equipment. After this sad event his sons and the family carried on the work and soon greatly enlarged what had been commenced in a small way by the father. Today it is an immense concern and uses from six to eight thousand gallons of milk daily. This is collected in a radius of ten miles of Sheridan by means of thirty teams drawing large milk wagons. The company employs about fifty men and women in the work of producing a very superior grade of condensed milk, which is put up in tin cans ranging from one-half pint to one gallon. "Wilson Milk" is known everywhere. The company sells in great quantities to the United States gov- ernment and to large steamship lines. At one time, when the milk was scarce, the proprietors had to ship milk from southern Indiana and as far north as Wisconsin in order to fill their orders. They also freighted many hundred tons of milk from Lebanon. this state, a distance of eighteen miles, on motor trucks, but this was not satisfactory and the company established a plant at Lebanon as large as the one at Sheridan, which is still in successful. operation. This was installed in 1914, at a cost of forty thousand dollars.

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The first receipts of milk at that branch amounted to twelve thousand pounds daily, but has materially increased. Seventy-five persons find employment there. From ten to twenty thousand dollars monthly is paid out to the farmers in the surrounding vicinity of Lebanon.

This industry overcaps all others in the town of Sheridan. It is a great financial benefit to the farming community. Taylor Wilson, son of the founder of the business, is general manager and watches every point in the working of the large concern. The stock of the company is almost entirely in the hands of the Wilson family.

ARCADIA.

The town of Arcadia is situated nine miles north of Noblesville, in Jackson township, on the Lake Erie & Western railroad and the Indiana Union Traction line. Arcadia was founded in 1849 by John Shafer and Daniel Waltz and laid out the following year by Isaac Martz. Since its founding the town has had a steady, healthy growth, both in business and the number of its good residents.

Except for a few years, during the time natural gas was at its height, Arcadia has been largely the center of a prosperous farming community rather than a factory center.

The first store was opened by Josephus Mundle in 1852 on the corner of Railroad and Main streets. Two years later he disposed of his entire stock of merchandise at auction and Isaac Martz opened a store in the same place. Subsequently early merchants included Mr. Myers, G. B. Scribner, Seth Maker, J. S. Carroll, John I. Caylor and William T. Smith.

The first flour mill was built by Isaac Martz in 1863. The following year he added a saw mill and operated both for about four years. He then rented the milling property to his sons. Subsequent owners included G. W. Myers, Arthur King, G. W. Marsh and R. G. Stannard. The building is a frame structure thirty by forty feet, the main section being two and one-half stories high. It has three runs of burrs and is run as a custom mill. W. B. Gentry erected a steam elevator, a frame building forty by ninety feet, having a storage capacity of eight thousand.bushels. A steam saw mill was operated by Niedham & Tucker, furniture being one of the products.

In 1873 D. B. Dickover began operating a planing mill at Arcadia, manufacturing all kinds of building material, which he sold principally to the home markets. In 1879 he added a heading mill, which had a daily average

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Main St., Arcadia, Ind.

THE ATED

STREET SCENE IN ARCADIA

LOGS OUT ON WM KINZER NEAR CARMEL, IND. FARM 362-6.

A HAMILTON COUNTY PRODUCT

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output of twenty-five hundred pieces. In 1876 P. D. Horn began the manu- facture of wooden suction pumps in the old depot at Arcadia. He did all the work by hand and manufactured about seventy-five pumps a year.

As early as 1872 Arcadia enjoyed the distinction of having a band called the "Arcadia Cornet Band." It consisted of thirteen members, which com- bination of numbers did not prove unlucky, for the organization lasted many years.

SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.

After the passage of the school law of 1852 the people of Arcadia took added interest in school matters. In 1869 the township trustee erected one story of the school house and a stock company added the second story, thus making four commodious rooms. The first term in the new building was begun in the fall of 1871, with C. T. Ships as principal. He was followed by U. B. McKinsie, who held the position three years. The cost of this build- ing was five thousand dollars. The average attendance of pupils in the early days was one hundred and fifty. This building was used until 1913, when a beautiful new building, including a township high school, was erected.

The first church in Arcadia seems to have been erected by the Evangeli- cal Association in 1864, but four years afterward the building was sold to the Methodist Episcopal church. The Emanuel church, about two miles east of Arcadia, was built as early as 1848 by the Germans. The first building was destroyed by fire and the following year another one was erected, at the cost of six hundred dollars, the members donating their labor in the construction of the same. The Christian church was organized by Carey Harrison in 1845, and the first church building was erected in 1850. In 1866 a new church was built on Main street.

The first physician of Arcadia was Hugh McNeal. He was born near here and when very young began studying medicine. After a few years' practice here he moved to Pennsylvania. Perhaps the best known physician of the earlier times was Doctor Startzman. He came from the east and practiced here until his death. During the latter part of Startzman's life Dr. Silas Blount began studying here. His home was east of Atlanta, but most of his practice was obtained here. Doctor .Gallaway came here about this time and practiced for three or four years, then moved to Noblesville. The present physicians of Arcadia include Doctors Hicks, Ray, Rodenbeck, Moore and Mercer.

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COMMERCE AND INDUSTRIES.

About twenty years ago the first factory was started in Arcadia. Since that time there have been two window glass factories, one lamp chimney factory, one bottle factory, one glass dish factory, one canning factory, one brick factory, two elevators, one feed exchange and one planing mill.

The first factory was a window glass factory. It was destroyed by fire soon after it was started. All the above mentioned factories have burned but the canning factory and the dish factory, which are still running. The brick factory was destroyed in the spring of 1907 and was immediately rebuilt for a bottle house. This was purchased by the High Pressure Bottle Works Company, which sold it in a few months to the Globe Bottle Works Com- pany. This latter company made bottles for about two weeks. The firm then ran short of money and the factory was shut down and placed in the hands of a receiver. In the fall of 1913 it was sold to the D. C. Jenkins Glass Com- pany, of Kokomo, which rearranged the machinery and on June 3, 1914, the factory started to making glass dishes and has been running since.

The canning factory, which is owned by C. M. Martz, does a very profitable business during the tomato season.

Two elevators are owned by the same firm, the old one being used for a storage for baled hay. These are owned by the Hollett-Winders Grain Com- pany. which deals in grain, coal, feed, flour, tile and fence posts.

Most of the stores up to about the year 1875 carried general merchandise, no man dealing in one special line. In many cases dry goods and groceries were combined with articles of another order. Kreag first came to Ar- cadia in 1874. In 1880 the Burg & Gentry partnership was formed. This continued. until 1899, when each partner went into business alone. Trietsch & Bardonner were merchants about 1888. In 1885 a partnership between Dickover & Soul was formed. Not long after Dickover sold out to Elmore. Later Soul sold his share to Fenner. In 1889 Elmore & Fenner turned the business over to Wolff Brothers. William Wolff had come to Indiana in 1867 and had been in business for himself for some time before his brother, Frank. joined him. They remained in partnership until 1902. Dickover & Brown first formed a partnership in 1897. There was no change until 1904, when Noble bought out Dickover's share. In 1909 Brown sold out to F. Noble, who continued the business until 1911, when he sold out to Carl Major.

About 1882 the first drug store in the town was opened by John Orr,

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who continued it for a number of years, finally selling out to his son, Charley Orr. The latter held it about two years, then sold it to W. Rodenbeck, who still owns and operates it. Perry Winders, who had been associated with various enterprises in the town before, started a drug store in 1897.

In 1882 John Teal started a small hardware store. It has passed through various hands. John Waltz, Heisser Brothers, Lower, Arcadia Hardware Company, and Bob Myers, who now owns it.

Guy & Walker owned the first hardware store, which now is in the possession of Hill Brothers.

Many changes have been made in the grocery stores and meat markets. but the most important ones remain, Marshall Branson, James Caylor, Mal- lory, J. Gentry and Dawson. The dry goods merchants are Frank Wolff. William Wolff, Charles Major, Joseph Triesch and the New Bargain store. Kreag & Shaffer have the furniture store.

CICERO.

Cicero is situated in the southeastern part of Jackson township. The first stock of merchandise here was placed on shelves by Duncan Hannaman in 1835 at the corner of Jackson and Van Buren streets. The next dealers were Baird & Beasley, in 1837, at Main and Jackson streets. This building burned in 1861 and other stock was purchased and sold in part for a while by this firm. Later they sold to Jesse and Ellis Evans, who continued in trade until 1843, in which year they retired with a competency, selling their store to Wooster & Loeher.

In 1846 John D. Cottingham opened a store on Buckeye street. selling the same in 1856 to Neal & Thompson. Among the other pioneer dealers were Daniel Kemp, W. H. Pickerell, G. W. Myers, William Neal, Reeves & Sanders and Good Brothers.

In 1880 Cicero was the best town in the county, aside from Noblesville, the county seat. For many years it was the only voting place in the town- ship, the first election being held in December. 1833. Here the first postoffice in the township of Jackson was established. The early postmasters were as follows: Henry Jones, first; then followed Jesse Evans, John Criswell, William Neal, John D. Cottingham. Samuel Bissell. Ed. Reeves, Asberry Andrews, Richard Andrews. William Porter and T. D. Neal, who served from about 1873 through the early eighties. Since then the postmasters have been those named further on in this chapter, where the later history of Cicero is given in detail.

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In the early days a tannery flourished here. It was situated in the west part of town and was established in 1845 by Mr. Buskirk, who sold it to Henry Martz, who conducted it till his death. George Ross then assumed con- trol and operated it until 1874. He then sold to Simpson & Son, who operated it till in the eighties, when the tanning industry throughout the entire country gravitated to the larger cities and into trusts and combinations. This tannery made large quantities of upper leather from calf, goat and sheep skins and also made a very excellent grade of harness leather.

In 1867 the Cicero flour mills were erected by John Martz and Isaac Grissom. This mill changed hands many times in a decade and in 1879 was in the hands of Jacob Stehman. The dimensions of this mill were thirty by forty feet, with four run of burrs, propelled by a forty horse-power engine and had a capacity of thirty barrels of family flour daily. With time it went down, like most mills in small towns in the country-flour now being produced in the larger milling centers. A saw mill also was operated at Cicero for many years, from 1878 on, and cut thousands of feet of lumber annually for many years.

Later industries, however, overtopped all the pioneer concerns. The great discovery of natural gas brought to this town the two large glass works, one making all sorts of bottles, the other making fancy pressed tableware in great quantities. Over seven hundred men were at one time employed here and business was aglow with prosperity. Four furnaces were run by the bottling plant and all conditions here bid fair for the creation of a large manufacturing center. With the failure of gas, however, the plants re- moved to Kansas and other points where gas and cheaper fuel could be secured. This was a hard blow financially to Cicero and the town perhaps has seen her palmiest days as a manufacturing point. Nature and commerce have combined against her enterprising spirit and left her only the support found in the retail selling of goods to the surrounding farming community.

In passing, it may be well to name some of the most important factors .of the town in 1880. Good Brothers, Simpson & Son, P. Six & Company, Sanders Brothers, Scherer Brothers, J. N. Kinder, all in the general dealers list; David Hull, cigar maker; J. N. Kinder, hardware; Edmons & Cook, farm implements; physicians, Drs. S. T. Dunham, S. M. Warford, I. M. Sanders, A. R. Tucker, H. H. Stout : attorneys, L. O. Clifford, William Neal, John Neal, W. L. White. Joseph Roberts: furniture, Edson & Gerber and George Jacobs ; meat market, Hauk Brothers and J. Willits.

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PRESENT-DAY BUSINESS.

Following is a list of the business firms of Cicero in January, 1915: General dealers, E. E. Clawson, Conaway & Lively, Ralph Crum; grocers (also handling shoes, etc.), A. J. Carey, Marshall Smith, Ed. Stewart, Peter Marshall; hardware, A. Barnes, F. A. McKnight; furniture, George Shoe- maker ; drugs, Collings Drug Company, Barnett Drug Company; blacksmiths, Sorenson & Peterson, John A. Harbaugh; Mr. Turner also does wagon work ; news stand, Icel Shoaf ; restaurants, A. L. Carey; hotels, The Johnson and The Kessling; livery, Claud Crum and Mr. Vestal; bakery, K. Sperry ; harness shop, S. T. Dunham; jewelry, I. Shoaf, James A. Meissen; tobacco stores and pool rooms, Thomas Caughman, Oakley Woodward; barber shops, Case & Carson, Ralph Crum; tinner, George Buchanan; ice dealers, George Dale, C. B. Shearer; photographer, I. Shoaf: automobile garages, C. L. Wilson, Timmons & Stern; shoe makers, J. W. Havens, Clay Lang- ford; grain elevators, E. E. Corthwaite, Robert Porter; lumber, Cicero Lum- ber Company, B. B. Woods, manager; stock dealers, V. L. Harrison, John Leaming, John Timmons; physicians, Drs. B. A. King, H. H. Stout, Ed. Havens, Dr. Tomlinson, E. B. Mendenhall; dentist, Dr. J. O. Meissen ; veter- inary, Dr. J. R. Carson; cement block works, Faultsch Brothers; brick con- tractors, William Webster; repair shop, Fred Creig; clothing, E. Flannigan; milk station for Polk Company of Indianapolis, E. A. Holmes, manager; realty dealers, John Reed and Mr. Maries; feed stable and tinsmith work, J. R. Smock; fruit and popcorn, George H. Dale, known as the "Hamilton County Popcorn King"; "Opera Hall," Case & Collings, over Collings' drug store ; millinery, Mrs. Staley; farm implements, George W. Wiggins; skating rink and summer park, C. B. Shearer.

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History of Hamilton County Indiana, her people, industries and institutions, Part 21

Author: John F. Haines Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1051

Author: John F. Haines
Publication date: 1915
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1051