USA > Indiana > Vermillion County > History of Parke and Vermillion Counties, Indiana : with historical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families > Part 15
USA > Indiana > Parke County > History of Parke and Vermillion Counties, Indiana : with historical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families > Part 15
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John H. Beadle spoke of Grant as a citizen. Dr. W. H. Gillum was in- vited to represent the Confederate army. He praised Grant for his military bearing and tact, and also for his great magnanimity in his final hour of victory over the South. He said that in his humane conduct that he had ex- celled all other commanders, either North or South. It was not blood and revenge Grant worked for, but peace and prosperity, and for these he con- tended and finally won over the "Lost Cause" which the speaker fought for in the Confederate ranks.
CHAPTER XV.
THE STATE TUBERCULOSIS HOSPITAL ..
At Rockville, the county seat of Parke county, is located the Indiana State Tuberculosis Hospital, and while it is a state institution, it is deemed a proper subject to be placed in the annals of Parke county. From facts ob- tained from the late Dr. H. B. Leavitt, the popular, talented and efficient su- perintendent, whose death was chronicled this autumntime, and from other sources, the following may be relied upon as the history of this institution to date of November, 1912:
After prolonged efforts on the part of the state health authorities, who had repeatedly shown the necessity of a state tuberculosis hospital, the Legis- lature of 1905 passed a resolution authorizing the Governor to appoint a committee to investigate the need of such an institution, and report their findings and conclusions to the next Legislature. The committee was ap- pointed and after a proper investigation it made a report to the Legislature in 1907, recommending that the state of Indiana needed a tuberculosis hos- pital and that two hundred and fifty thousand dollars be appropriated for that purpose, but the Legislature only appropriated enough to purchase a site and authorized the Governor to appoint a commission to locate and purchase a site. The committee was constituted as follows: J. N. Babcock, Topeka; Dr. Henry McClure, Indianapolis ; Benjamin F. Bennett, Greensburg; Isaac R. Strouse, Rockville; W. S. Holman, Aurora. This committee of five in- spected twenty sites in this state and hospitals in other states, and finally selected and purchased five hundred and four acres, three miles east of Rock- land is rich bottom ground, while the rest is rolling high pasture and woods. The commission made a report to the Governor and Legislature in 1909 and asked for an appropriation of three hundred thousand dollars for the pur- pose of erecting a hospital which would accommodate two hundred and sixty patients, but the Legislature appropriated only one hundred and thirty thou- sand dollars. The commission then proceeded to commence the erection of a hospital, first, an administration building, a power house to the rear, which furnishes steam heat, water and electric lights to the institution. Next to this is a steam laundry, with all modern equipment. On the sides of the adminis- tration building are two pavilions, one for men and one for women, connected
BIRDSEYE VIEW OF INDIANA TUBERCULOSIS HOSPITAL.
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with the administration building by means of two covered corridors. The ward buildings contain forty rooms each, with bath rooms, sun parlors, diet kitchens and nurses' rooms. The upstairs and downstairs porches run the entire length of the building except where the sun parlors run through them in the middle. The rooms upstairs are equipped with so-called Indiana con- vertible sleepers, a device used in no other state institution in this country. Each room is equipped with a bed, dresser and chairs. A corridor at the rear of the rooms runs the entire length of the pavilion and connects with the glazed corridor to the administration building. The glazed corridors from the pavilions to the main buildings have proved indispensable during cold winter weather. The administration building contains on the first floor busi- ness office, superintendent's office, examining room, operating room, X-ray room, staff dining room and board of trustees' room. The second and third floors furnish the quarters for the staff and employes. The laboratory, dark room and store rooms are located in the basement. In the rear of the admin- istration building are the kitchen and patients' dining rooms, and in the basement the ice plant and cold storage rooms, bake shop and the employes' dining room.
The commission then made a final report to Governor Marshall and turned the hospital and site over to him. The Governor accepted it on the part of the state and issued a proclamation October 31, 1910, and appointed Dr. Henry Moore, of Indianapolis, Isaac R. Strouse, of Rockville, and Dr. O. V. Schuman, of Columbia City, as trustees to manage the institution. This board qualified under the law and held their first meeting December 1, 1910. The Legislature of 1911 made an appropriation for maintenance of the in- stitution for two and one-half years at the rate of nine dollars per week for each patient, also made a specific appropriation to stock and equip the farm, build a roadway to the hospital and completely equip the wards, administra- tion building, power house and laundry. They also made an appropriation of five thousand dollars to erect ten houses for fifty patients. After the population of the hospital had reached one hundred patients, the trustees ad- vertised in various journals and received more than thirty applicants from eight different states for the position of superintendent. After due consid- eration and examination, Dr. H. B. Leavitt, of Worthington, Indiana, was elected as superintendent, and Dr. W. A. Gekler, of the Winyah Sanitarium, of Asheville, North Carolina, was selected as head physician of the hospital, which was opened for patients April 1, 1911, with one patient, a staff con- sisting of superintendent, head physician and matron and the following em-
(II).
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ployes : Two trained nurses, an electrician, engineer and fireman, laundry- man and assistant, baker, head cook, two waitresses in dining room, dish washer and two domestics, a farmer, dairyman, carpenter and teamster. The force has been added to from time to time as necessity demanded.
The operating and treatment room, which has since been more fully equipped, serves for the minor surgery and dressings, and various other treat- ments, such as nose and throat. The examining room, which is the office of the head physician, contains the chart records which are kept for all the patients. The chart system at the hospital is really a composite of the best systems in use in other public and private institutions of the country, and is second to none in the point of completeness and amount of information kept on file.
During the first year of its existence this hospital discharged thirty patients as cured ; that is, every sign of activity in the lungs on physical exam- ination had disappeared and the general condition equal to or better than that during usual health. This classification of cured patients is somewhat more exacting and less favorable for statistics than that of many other institutions, but is also much more reliable and trustworthy. The hospital has not been opened long enough to ascertain the percentage of relapses among these cured cases. The number of those in whom the disease has been arrested is about the same as those cured. Many of these arrested cases have, by taking care of themselves at home, resulted in cures. The term "arrested case" is applied to those who no longer present any of the symptoms of the disease and whose general condition is normal, but in whose chests there are still some slight signs of activity. Very few patients who have remained in the institution more than a week or two have failed to show improvement as manifested in subsidence of symptoms and gains in weight and strength. As is to be ex- pected, a number of patients have been admitted to the hospital who simply refused to stay any length of time and, of course, showed no brilliant results. The average gain in weight among those who gain is over ten pounds, while the average loss is about three pounds. In addition to the physical benefits the patients derive from their stay at the hospital, each one of them gets a first-hand object lesson in personal cleanliness and careful and proper dis- posal of sputum. They are, by means of pamphlets and lectures, given all the information possible concerning the disease so as to be of benefit to those about them upon their return home in an educational way. The law govern- ing the institution requires that only incipient cases be admitted for treat- ment, but it is often hard to draw the line between incipient and moderately advanced cases. It has been the policy of the institution to accept all those in
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whom a cure or at least decided improvement has seemed to be possible re- gardless of the amount of lung involvement. Advanced cases, in which the disease is limited to one side only can be treated by some means of artificial pneumothorax and if not cured, at least decidedly improved, but there are many cases which cannot be accepted.
Isaac Strouse, of Rockville, editor of the Tribune, above named as one of the original committee to select a site for this hospital, and who really had more to do with the final selection at Rockville than any other member of the committee, is now a trustee of the institution and since the death of Dr. Leavitt, has had active management of the institution. The people of Parke county will owe a debt of gratitude that years cannot repay, for the services Mr. Strouse has been able to render them in the matter. Since the death of Dr. Leavitt, Mrs. Leavitt has been appointed matron of the in- stitution, an appointment worthily bestowed.
CHAPTER XVI.
TOWN OF ROCKVILLE.
Parke county was organized in 1821. Rockville was laid out in 1824 and settled as the county seat permanently that year and received its name from the granite bowlders thereabouts. Gen. Arthur Patterson and Judge McCall donated twenty acres of land, Aaron Hand twenty and Andrew Ray forty acres, on which the public square and present business houses are lo- cated, in 1823-4, when a native forest was cut from the town site and Andrew Ray built the first house, a log cabin. In 1825 the town had between five and six hundred population.
After Rockville had reached its townhood, the first persons to come in were Gen. Arthur Patterson and Judge James B. McCall. They had just arrived and fairly got settled as the platting was accomplished. McCall was a surveyor of land. These two men erected the first business house, a large one-story frame, situated on the southwest corner of the Square, where now stands the Presbyterian church. Some years later it was raised to a two-story structure. General Patterson was a man of polished manners, very energetic and strong-willed; he was the life of the town, and its progress was largely due to his untiring energies. He was the father of Judge Patterson, of Terre Haute. McCall, his partner, was a surveyor and lawyer, but gave no attention to either profession while residing in Rockville. He died by his own hand, at Vincennes. In 1826 about a dozen families came in, but the town grew slowly. In addition to those named, were John Ashpaw, Jeremiah Ralston, Wallace Ray, the Lockwoods and Dr. Leonard and Dr. McDonald. The number was increased by James and Robert McEwen, who came in March and at once put in their tannery, the first in the county, aside from that of Caleb Williams, who located in 1821. James Strain, Sr., a tanner by trade, came in March, 1824, and went to work with Williams, but in a few years bought the machinery of the tannery and moved to Rockville. Both finally run down and were little used after 1850. In a couple of years the large trade carried on by Patterson and McCall attracted other business men to Rockville. Before 1830 Duncan Darroch, John R. Marshall, John Sunder- land and Persius Harris were all engaged in merchandising here. Harris was a Campbellite minister. Marshall and Darroch were in trade on the
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south side as early as the winter of 1826-7. Sunderland's store was on the southwest corner of the Square, on the south side of High street. Andrew Foote opened a store soon after and was in trade. for many years. Wallace Ray was the first postmaster and was succeeded by Matthew Noel, who was an early justice of the peace. Scott Noel came in 1826 and held many public positions, being postmaster many years. Jonas Randall came from Ohio in 1829 and erected the old Hungerford buildings. James Pyles was an early blacksmith. In 1832 he was keeping hotel. In 1827 there were two cabinet shops-small affairs-and there the household furniture such as had to be purchased was made and repairing done; also the few coffins needed were made and trimmed in these shops. Not long after 1830 James McCampbell and McMurty started in business. These men were merchants and pork- packers, and carried on a large trade with New Orleans. The next business men were Walter C. Donaldson and Erastus M. Benson, who opened a store. Tyler S. Baldwin, who, with Judge Bryant, had been reared among the Shakers in Kentucky, was also a prominent business man. George W. Sill and James Depew first clerked for Baldwin, but later became his partners. Sill arrived here in 1833, and continued in trade for twenty-five years. It is related that his "words were softer than oil." In 1836 Jeremiah Ralston was conducting a store in Rockville. Adamson & Robinson and Levi Sidwell all settled about 1836. The last named, in company with Mr. Rosebraugh, opened the first drug store, Robert Allen & McMurty being in trade about this date also. The firm of A. M. Houston & Company was composed of General Alexander, M. Houston, William P. Mulhallen and Pembroke S. Cornelius. Houston's partners were all young men, but he was a noted char- acter in Rockville and community. He had been a general in the militia and served under Jackson in one of the Indian campaigns. He was a South- ern gentleman, who had not altogether escaped Southern ways and vices. In his early days he had been a gambler, and had made and retained a good for- tune, and lived in elegance and ease. Later in life he was converted to the Christian faith and united with the Presbyterian church, in which he was ever afterward an active member.
The first millinery store in Rockville was established by Mrs. Lucinda Bradley, about 1837; her husband was a carpenter. Mrs. Lucy Smith and Mrs. Watson each had shops a little later. Another pioneer was Gabriel Houghman, who came in from Butler county, Ohio, in 1830, settling a half mile south of town, but in 1837 moved to the town and engaged in mer- chandising in the firm of Allen, Noel & Company : he soon bought Allen out. For twelve years he held public offices, first as deputy sheriff. then county
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assessor, sheriff three years, and in 1850 was elected to the Legislature. At that date he bought the Rockville House, on the northeast corner of the Square, where later the Rice block was erected.
In 1841 J. M. Nichols settled in Rockville and embarked in the tinning business, his being the second establishment of the kind in town, the first tin shop being that of Diocletian Cox, who had left before Mr. Nichols went into business. At a little later period came he who was later known as Gen. George K. Steele. He did a large business and was prominent as banker, politician and railroad promoter. Among the most universally admired and excellent business men that early Rockville ever had was Isaac Jarvis Silli- man, a New Englander, who also was in the milling business, an account of which is given elsewhere in this work.
Just at the close of the Civil war, a woolen factory was put in operation by Sill & McEwen, at least they started it, when one of the firm died, after which Nichols & Thompson completed it and operated it until about 1875, when it ceased to longer pay interest on the investment. The machinery was mostly sold and the factory abandoned. The factory was a three-story build- ing, forty by eighty feet in size. The property cost twenty-eight thousand dollars.
In 1829, Samuel N. Baker, from Kentucky, settled on the Leatherwood and started a pottery, in which he made red-ware till 1833, then removed to Rockville and built another pottery, which he operated until his death in 1860. It was continued by his sons, James H., Samuel and Charles, till 1873, when the last mentioned started one in the northeast part of Rockville, where for several years he turned out twenty-four kilns of ware each year, averag- ing upwards of forty thousand gallons of earthenware. In 1880 the old one was producing about twenty-four thousand gallons per year. Stoneware, such as crocks, jugs, vases and flower pots, were there made in large quan- tities.
The town has always been noted for its excellent saw-mills and, while the forests are fast disappearing from Indiana, there are still many fine trees being annually converted into lumber at the mills in Rockville. The business interests in Rockvillle, a third of a century ago, included these: Four gen- eral stores, one clothing house, three groceries, two boot and shoe stores, one harness shop, one provision store, three furniture stores, and undertakers shops, two jewelry stores, three agricultural and hardware stores, three grain warehouses, two newspapers, two carriage and two wagon shops, two black- smith shops, two saw and planing mills, two hotels, two boarding houses, three millinery stores, two banks, one photograph gallery, four shoemakers, one
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repair and machine shop, three saloons, two livery stables, two brick yards, one tile factory, two potteries, and several loan and insurance agencies.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRES.
From the pen of J. H. Beadle, who wrote on Rockville in 1880, we take the liberty to quote the following concerning early conflagrations in the town of Rockville :
"Rockville has been terribly scourged by fire. It had not suffered more than an average percentage of loss from this cause until 1871, when three conflagrations in that year burned out three sides of the public square. The first occurred on the night of July 4th, on the south side. The buildings were all wooden and, with the exception of the one on the southeast corner, rook- eries ; but to some the loss was not less severe on this account, though the aggregate was inconsiderable, when compared with the later fires, especially the one on the north side. This last took place on the night of September 17th. Starting in the old hotel on the northeast corner, it swept everything clean to the National Bank. Here was concentrated a greater part of the business and of course here was the greatest loss. Several of the best brick buildings in the town were in this row. The estimated loss, after the insur- ance was paid, was about sixty thousand dollars. The east side was con- sumed on the night of December 8th, seven brick front rooms being destroyed, besides less valuable property. The old hotel on the west side, where the new one is now building, was burned at another time. The south side fire was thought to have been accidentally caused by a crowd of drunken men; but the others were supposed to have been incendiary.
"The town has never had an adequate fire apparatus. It has a small engine which is more effective in relaxing vigilance and promoting fancied security than otherwise. So far as the appearance of the town is concerned, these fires have been an advantage; they made room for large, tasteful edifices which now cover the ground."
The last great fire was that of the night of November 16, 1906, when the National Bank block burned, causing a loss of thirty thousand dollars. The Terre Haute and Bloomingdale fire companies came to the rescue, but too late to save the property. This building had the old National Hall on one of its floors and was a fine auditorium. Dr. Goss lost his modern physician and surgeon's office in this block and he lost expensive apparatus, with little insurance on same. The city now has a better protection against fires than it has ever before had.
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The old opera house in Rockville was dedicated June 9, 1883, by John E. Owens. It was built by the Rockville Opera House Company, at a cost of thirty-five thousand dollars, and seated eight hundred people.
In the autumn of 1912 the new and strictly modern opera house was opened to the play-loving public. It was built by a stock company at a cost of twenty thousand dollars and easily seats eight hundred presons. The architect was W. H. Floyd, Terre Haute; builder, Edgar Jerome, Rockville. The stockholders are F. H. Nichols, president; Frank M. Adams, vice-presi- dent; Allen T. Brockway, treasurer; George L. Laney, secretary; Howard Maxwell, John S. McFadden, Sidwell Alden, S. F. Max Puett, J. M. Johns and D. M. Carlisle. The committee on building was Howard Maxwell, D. M. Carlisle and J. M. Johns.
MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
For thirty years Rockville was an unincorporated place, but in July, 1854, voted to incorporate, and the first election of officers resulted as follows : Board, Harvey L. Hoss, D. W. Stary, E. S. Terry, Isaac J. Silliman, James H. Sanderson; clerk, F. W. Dinwiddie.
The records are not in suitable condition to give lists complete. The 1912 officers are : Board, H. E. Marks, president; William F. Graham, Will- iam B. Thompson, E. J. Coleman, B. J. Hunnicutt ; clerk, William T. Patton ; treasurer, F. H. Nichols ; marshal, Joseph Boardman.
THE POSTOFFICE
The postoffice at Rockville is a third-class office. The present postmas- ter, J. H. Spencer, was commissioned March 1, 1906, and succeeded I. L. Wimmer, who had served one term, while the present incumbent is now serving on his second term. During his administration the office has handled over twelve hundred pieces of registered mail matter and not a single loss in the entire time. There are now seven rural free deliveries going out from this office. The last two years, ending March 30, 1912, the business of this office has been in excess of seven thousand dollars each year. Two assistants and the postmaster do the work of the office. The postal savings department of the Rockville office was instituted November 2, 1911, and has not thus far proved to be a large depository, but is increasing some. While its safety is acknowledged, the low rate of interest prevents many from depositing.
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WATER WORKS AND LIGHTING PLANT.
After several years of discussion, and with some opposition, an election was called to determine whether Rockville should be supplied with a system of water works that would make her on an equal footing with other towns. Finally, on May 1, 1893, such an election was held and the result was that there were found two hundred and eighty-three voting for the measure as against one hundred and fourteen opposition votes. September 5, 1894, a contract was let to sink, within the town limits, a six-inch well of the tubular type. In all, three such wells were sunk, but a sufficient flow of water was not found and the plan was abandoned and one was put down in the Little Rac- coon bottoms, on the farm belonging to S. C. Puett, where a heavy flow of pure water was obtained at the depth of twenty-five feet. July 31, 1895, the town board advertised for plans and specifications to erect water works, and on September 12, 1895, nine bids were opened for the construction of the plant. None of these bids was accepted, however. Public opinion was un- settled. The next move was to construct water works and light plant, com- bined, and this plan was carried into effect in August, 1903. There had been an electric lighting plant owned by private capital in Rockville for several years and this the town of Rockville purchased and combined the water works and electric light plant in one, since which both have given good and profitable service to the citizens and taxpayers. They now have forty-nine hydrants, situated at various points in the town ; a high stand-pipe and tower which throws water to a good height by direct pressure of the pumps. Im- provements at the plant and about the town are being made the present year.
A volunteer fire company is organized and with the water works system, aided by a chemical engine and hook and ladder appliance, the present fire chief, L. W. Brown, is enabled to do good service at fires. The water supply, at present, is derived from deep wells on the Raccoon bottoms, two and a half miles east from the town. There is also a well at the plant in town. which can be relied upon in case of fires. The water at the big well, east of town, is affording an abundance of the purest water.
CEMETERY AT ROCKVILLE.
The cemetery at Rockville has been in use since 1824. Up to 1883 there had been buried within this sacred enclosure over two thousand persons. The land consisted of a six-acre tract. The first to be buried there was a child of Pioneer Hann; she was buried on her father's own land, a part of his estate,
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