USA > Indiana > Adams County > Standard history of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana : An authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and country, Volume I > Part 19
USA > Indiana > Wells County > Standard history of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana : An authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and country, Volume I > Part 19
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40
IMPROVEMENT OF STREETS
The late '80s and the early '90s witnessed rapid improvements of a publie nature in Decatur. In 1889 the work of macadamizing some
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of the streets, which had been agitated ever since the place was in- corporated as a city, commenced in earnest, under contracts mainly proscented by Rice & Bowers and Robinson & Gillig. Within the succeeding five years most of the wooden walks on the main streets were replaced by those of cement. and not a few of the thoroughfares were improved with brick pavements. Second Street, which for ten years had been distinguished by its "cobble stone" pavement, was elad in a brick suit from Monroe to Jefferson, in 1893. In the fol-
CR BRC
AURAS
ETAL MES SNOMY
BARLEY
TYPICAL STREET IMPROVEMENTS
lowing year the improvement was extended to Mereer and Win- chester streets at the Five Points. According to the figures furnished by City Engineer L. L. Baumgartner there are now nearly fifteen miles of improved streets. of which eight miles are of briek and six of macadam. In 1906 the city council required Second Street north of Madison to be provided with cement walks at least five feet in width, and that move was the commencement of the systematic improvement in that line which has brought so marked a change for the better in the general appearance of Decatur's most frequented thoroughfares.
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There are now about thirty-two miles of sidewalks within the city limits.
PUBLIC UTILITIES OF THE '90s
The very complete and strictly modern municipal plant and sys- tem through which the citizens of Decatur are furnished water and electric light and power in abundance were placed in service in Jan- uary, 1896. The Edwards Electric Light Plant had been started as a private enterprise, in 1892, and a number of are street lights had al- ready been installed for the city. In the same year natural gas was first piped in from the Camden field. As private consumers had also patronized the Edwards Electric Light Company, the public was being placed in an appreciative attitude toward these utilities and con- veniences. In 1894 the Citizens Telephone Company had also been placed in operation and Decatur could talk and cooperate with Berne and a large extent of adjacent country. Private enterprise and man- agement had advantageously placed these conveniences and agents of progress within general reach, and the citizens of Decatur were, on the whole, satisfied with this arrangement. But, in the matter of water supply and the better protection of property interests against fire, the sentiment increased in strength favorable to the establishment of a municipal plant, fully responsible to the city for its efficiency. When that point had been decided, it logically followed that the means of supplying both water and electricity should be combined in one plant. Under modern mechanical conditions the two are natural twins.
CITY PARK
The present site of the plant used jointly by the water and light departments of the municipality was bought by the city from the board of county commissioners in September, 1892, and is known as City Park. It is irregular in shape, 337 feet on Maple Street, 537 feet on Park, 437 feet on Fifth and 475 feet on Third, and contains 190,969 square feet, or 4.384 acres. The power house, two reservoirs and ten wells are all located on this ground. The location is readily accessible, being about four squares from the business section.
The original plans and specifications were thrown out, first, he- cause the Toledo Construction Company to which the contract was awarded did not comply with certain necessary requirements and, secondly, because the city engineer pronounced themu inadequate to meet the probable future of the city. Thus the fall of 1894 and the
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early spring of 1895 passed, with the waterworks still uncertain. An- other attempt to commence the work in May, 1895, under a new set of plans and specifications, was prevented by injunction proceedings through the courts.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE WATERWORKS
Then the Decatur Waterworks Company was formed, with G. Christen as president and E. X. Ehinger as secretary. On June 5, 1895, the company named was granted the right to construct, main- tain and operate a system of waterworks in Decatur, and, with that authority from the city council contracts were made for the building of the works with the Howe Pump and Engine Company of Indian- apolis, Indiana. The plant was erected by the Indianapolis concern and turned over to the Decatur Waterworks Company on January 7, 1896, for the contract price of $63,500, with certain minor amounts which were added as extras due to changes in the original plans. This price did not include real estate or drilling of wells. The city had previously contracted with a firm of well drillers for the latter work, so that the total cost of the water department, as originally installed, was $71,144.51.
THE ORIGINAL PLANT AND SYSTEM
The original building consisted of the rooms now occupied by the water pumps and the air compressor, and the one occupied by electric engine No. 2. The latter was the boiler room. The two Worthington pumps were installed in their present location and the air compressor was placed in the basement, being moved to its present location at the time the room containing electric engine No. 1 was built in 1897. Originally, three boilers were installed. These are now used as feed- water heaters, having been replaced by two of the present set of boilers in 1909.
The original installation consisted of wells Nos. 1 to 7, inclusive, and the old, or No. 1 reservoir. The pipe lines in the distribution system comprised eleven miles and ranged in size from four- to twelve-inch pipes.
ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT INSTALLED
In 1897 the city decided to install an electric department and engine No. 1 was purchased and the addition to the station building
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erected. Owing to the increase in electric current consumption, it was found necessary, in 1907, to add several units to the electrical equipment. The present boiler room was then built and equipped as now, and the new engine No. 2 installed in the old boiler room.
No. 2 RESERVOIR BUILT
During 1913 the fire underwriters recommended certain changes and additions to the water plant and, as a consequence, reservoir No. 2 was built in 1914. Some improvements have also been made in the distribution systems of both departments, the electrical distribution growing faster than the water.
COMBINED WATER AND ELECTRIC SERVICES
The combined plants now serve practically all the industrial estab- lishments with electric current for power and lighting, and water for all users, as well as fire protection and street lighting for the entire city. There are about 860 electric light consumers, 50 electric power consumers and 700 water consumers. All such services are metered. According to the latest accessible figures supplied by the city water and light department, the water system has cost the mu- nicipality nearly $184,000 and the electric plant $82,000. Allowing for depreciation of property, it is estimated that the present value of the waterworks is $134,000 and of the electric plant and system, $54,000.
The chief items in the cost of the construction of the water de- partment were as follows: Real estate, $8,820; source of supply (wells, etc.), $20,147 ; distribution system (cost of pipes, laying, etc.), $91,833; paving, $42,842.
WATER SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION
The water supply is drawn from ten deep wells located in the north part of the plat. Nine of them are eight feet in diameter and one, ten feet, and they have an average depth of 250 feet. Most of the wells are pumped by compressed air. There are two storage reservoirs, the older one being 33 feet in diameter and 21 feet deep, with brick walls 3 feet thick at the bottom and 22 inches at the top, and a brick floor 14 inches thick. It is covered by a circular brick house, well ventilated and lighted. The capacity of the old, or No. 1 reservoir, is 135,000 gallons. The new reservoir, completed in March,
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1914, is of reinforced concrete, 56 feet in diameter and 14 feet in depth. It is covered with a flat concrete roof 8 inches thick, supported by 10 columns and thoroughly ventilated. The side walls are 9 inches thick and the floor, 6 inches thick. It is connected with piping in such a way that either reservoir may be out of use for cleaning, or both may be in use at the same time. The capacity of the second reservoir is 214,000 gallons. The cost of the old reservoir was $5,580; of the new, $3,999.
The water distribution system embraces nearly 13 miles of pipe, mostly 4-, 6- and 8-inch, divided as follows: 6-inch pipe, 35,268 feet ; 4-inch, 13,886; 8-inch, 10,245. The cost of laying the pipe was nearly $70,000.
COST AND DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT
The cost items embraced in the electric department since it was established in 1897 are as follows: Real estate, $3,780; building, $8,817 ; steam generation equipment, $9,818.53; generating equipment, $23,460; auxiliary equipment, $8,577.25; distribution system, $26,- 892.95; miscellaneous supplies, $500. Total, $81,845.73.
The electric distribution system comprises two are circuits, a primary and secondary circuit, all being generally carried on the same poles. There are only a few poles carrying individual circuits. There are more than 100 are lamps and Watt alley lights. In the arc circuits 70,636 feet of wire are used; in the primary, 126,779, and in the secondary, 189,780.
SUPERINTENDENTS OF WATERWORKS AND ELECTRIC SERVICE
The present superintendent of the joint plant, Martin J. Mylott, has been connected with the service for many years, and has had much to do with maintaining the departments up to a high grade of ef- ficiency.
John W. Tyndall was first superintendent of the waterworks, serving from 1897 to 1904; H. B. Knoff, 1904-06; W. E. Fulk, 1906-08; C. Vogt, 1908-11, the management of both waterworks and electric service being combined in one superintendency during September of the latter year. Martin J. Mylott was superintendent of the electric light and power system in 1897-1900; A. E. Rose and W. Stephenson, in 1900-01, and Mr. Mylott during the succeeding decade. Since Sep- tember, 1911, he has been superintendent of both departments of the city service.
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THE PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDINGS
Decatur has always given much attention to matters relating to its public schools. As has been stated, the first of its buildings specially dedicated to the education of its juveniles was a small round log house located near Jackson Street east of Second. This was displaced by a little frame schoolhouse at the corner of the streets named, and when the town was incorporated an even more pretentious building was erected and opened-a six-room two-story frame, corner of Jef- ferson and Fourth streets. It cost $3,000, was 40 by 60 feet in di- mensions, and was in use until 1886, when it was sold to Henry Krick and moved to Second Street, where it is now used as a warehouse and store. In 1880, when the building had become uncomfortably crowded, a one-story frame schoolhouse was erected on the same lot for the primary pupils.
When the old frame schoolhouse was moved to Second Street, the city commeneed the erection of what was then a large modern Cen- tral schoolhouse. It was completed July 1, 1886, at a cost of $16,000. and was then described as: "The present model schoolhouse is two stories in height, contains eight rooms and is heated by furnace ( Smead & Company, of Toledo). It is all paid for, and there are no bonds to pay interest on. The course of study now in use was adopted in 1879, when Dr. S. G. Hastings was principal."
When the first Central Building was opened to pupils there was an enrollment of 521 in the Decatur schools, with an average daily attendance of 372. The teachers' payroll amounted to $3,216 for the year and the total expenditures for school purposes fell a little below $4,000. The High School offered a three years' course, fitting pupils either for college, or for the "school of life." There was also a one- year post-graduate (normal) course for the training of those who planned to teach. Classes had been graduating from the high school since 1881. Although improvements were made in the furnishings and accommodations of the old Central Building during the twenty years of its occupancy, in 1906 the growing demands of the higher grades resulted in a large addition being made to the southern portion of the structure. With that increase in accommodations, no other or larger schoolhouses were erected until 1917, when the magnificent high school building now occupied was virtually completed.
Besides the Central Building and the new high school, Decatur has three two-story four-room buildings to accommodate the pupils of the west, north and south wards.
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SUPERINTENDENT WORTHMAN'S HISTORY
Martin F. Worthman, the present superintendent of schools, has furnished the following information concerning the local educational system of today.
"The first temple of learning in Decatur was a log school build- ing erected on in-lot 270 just across the street from where the new Interurban station now stands, and was built in 1839. Up to this time Adams county had two other school log buildings. One in Root township, (Gorsline School), and the other one in Washington Town- ship, (McHugh School).
THE HIGH SCHOOL, DECATUR
"The Decatur first log school building was thirty feet long, twenty feet wide and eight feet high. It had a puncheon floor, stick chimney, a fire place, five feet wide, puncheon benches without any backs, and a door on wooden hinges. Greased paper let in the light and kept out the wind. Straw mixed with mud plugged the cracks. In 1841 a box stove replaced the large fire place. This building was a com- munity centre. It was used for school works, for church gatherings, for town purposes, for singing school and for spelling bees. The first teacher in this building was Parker Wise. He received $12.00 a month.
"In 1845, on account of crowded conditions a second school build- ing was built at the rear of the lot on which the first one stood. The
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second building was a 'chip out of the old block,' its capacity was doubled, the stick chimney was replaced by brick and stone. It was ceiled with green lumber consequently there was no lack of fresh air. Candles at first furnished light for their airy debates 'and singing schools.
"In 1854 the School Board erected a frame building, one hundred feet by one-hundred-two, by fifty, on the lot where the two buildings now stand. It cost $3,000. This building contained 6 rooms and a box stove in each room. The mill boards, glass windows, seats with backs, white washed walls, were features newly added. In 1886 this building was moved from the Central school lot to lot 45 on Second Street. This building which at one time was the fountain for out- pouring of wisdom is now a seed store and a coal exchange. Mr. Carrol and Son occupies it at present. After this old frame building was taken away it was replaced by a brick structure. The cost of erection was $11,990. Mr. Solomon Linn was its contractor. This building contains the ' Rutten Smead' ventilation system and the . Rut- ten Smead' heating equipment. However in 1906 on account of crowded conditions the school board added a large assembly room for the high school and two rooms for eighth grade work. This addi- tion cost $7,790. Mr. W. M. Christen was contractor.
"In 1889 David Studabaker sold in-lots No. 243, 244, 245, to the Decatur school board for $700. Upon these lots the West Ward building or Riley building as it was named was erected in March, 1917. It was named after James Whitcomb Riley. The erection of the Riley building cost $6,747.
"On May 27, 1893, John Nibliek and William Blackburn, allowed a contract for a school building in the Third Ward. Robison and Selly erected the north ward building, as it now stands, at the cost of $9,495.
"On January 9, 1896, A. J. Smith and J. E. Kern contracted with Mr. J. W. Merryman to erect a school building in the First Ward at a total cost of $8,702.
"In August, 1917, the Decatur School Board composed of R. D. Myers, J. S. Falk and A. D. Suttles, entered into a contract with E. S. Peterson, a contractor from Chicago, to build a new high school building. This new high school building stands at the corner of Fifth and Adams Street. Its capacity of twenty-eight rooms is fitted out with the newest and latest equipments. It has indireet lighting system, ('Split System') for ventilation and heating, inter-communi- cating telephone system, and vacuum machine for sweeping and shower rooms. The building is completely a fireproof structure and will cost
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the school board $93,000. The building including the gymnasium and auditorium was to have cost $128,000 but since there was a lack of funds the erection of a gymnasium and anditorium addition will take place later. However at present the board is trying its best to secure enough money to erect this at once."
The superintendents of the Decatur public schools from the or- ganization of the high school in 1878 to the present time have been as follows : S. G. Hastings, 1878-1881; C. G. White, 1881-1883; G. W. A. Lnekey, 1883-1887; C. A. Dngan, 1887-1891; J. Lewis, 1891-1892; A. D. Moffett, 1892-1897; W. F. Brittson, 1897-1899; H. A. Hartman, 1899-1906; Wm. Bechler, 1906-1909: E. E. Rice, 1909-1913; C. E. Spaulding, 1913-1916; and M. F. Worthman, 1916 -.
The enrollment of the Decatur High School for each year begin- ning with 1878; also total enrollment of both grades and high school, together with the number in the teaching force, is as follows :
SCHOOL YEAR-
HIGH SCHOOL
IN GRADES AND HIGH NO. OF SCHOOL TEACHERS
1878-1879
19
303
6
1879-1880
33
303
6
1880-1881
26
308
6
1881-1882
23
357
8
1882-1883
20
411
8
1883-1884.
24
456
9
1884-1885.
34
395
8
1885-1886
40
445
9
1886-1887
39
534
10
1887-1888
39
543
10
1888-1889
46
554
11
1889-1890
44
585
11
1890-1891
37
637
12
1891-1892
60
658
13
1892-1893
43
749
13
1893-1894.
56
727
17
1894-1895
10€
758
17
1895-1896
108
826
18
1896-1897
105
835
18
1897-1898
78
785
19
1898-1899
81
766
20
1899-1900
76
826
21
1900-1901
67
818
22
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ADAMS AND WELLS COUNTIES
IN GRADES
HIGH
SCHOOL YEAR-
SCHOOL
AND HIGH NO. OF SCHOOL TEACHERS
1901-1902
66
737
23
1902-1903.
67
817
23
1903-1904
69
777
23
1904-1905
69
718
23
1905-1906.
84
767
23
1906-1907
83
737
23
1907-1908
98
741
24
1908-1909
111
781
24
1909-1910
138
797
24
1910-1911
155'
781
24
1911-1912
170
818
25
1912-1913
206
880
26
1913-1914.
208
974
28
1914-1915
215
940
29
1915-1916
209
932
29
1916-1917
187
930
29
1917-1918.
178
928
29
THE DECATUR PUBLIC LIBRARY
Decatur is also fortunate in having one of the most complete and best-managed libraries in Northeastern Indiana. It is in the busi- ness center, nearly opposite the court house, and occupies an elevated and imposing site. The movement which finally culminated in the established library was launched in 1904 by a few club members and the Board of Education, George Woodward being at the time presi- dent of that body. In July of the year named a Public Library Board was formed comprising Rev. E. A. Allen (president), Sara Y. Ken- yon (vice president), C. J. Lutz (secretary ) and E. X. Ehinger ( treas- nrer) ; with Mesdames Morrison, and Ellingham, and T. C. Corbett, members. On the 24th of October, 1904, a donation of $10,000 was secured from Andrew Carnegie, which was increased on June 8, 1905, to $12,000. A lot on South Third Street was then purchased; plans and specifications were accepted from Oscar Hoffman, Mann & Chris- ten were awarded the building contract, and minor specialties in the construction and finishing were arranged.
The library building was dedicated and presented to the city on July 19, 1906, and as it now stands the ornate property is valued at abont $15,000. In June, 1905, Miss Annette L. Moses was elected
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librarian ; in the following August, President Allen moved from the. city and Mrs. Elizabeth Morrison was chosen head of the Library Board, serving as such until September, 1912. In September, 1905, M. Kirsch was appointed to succeed Mr. Allen as a member of the Board. In 1905 the School Board also transferred its library to the Carnegie building, and as the collection numbered about 1,000 books, with another 200 added by citizens as gifts, that action may be said to mark the funding of the institution on a substantial basis.
The building is beautiful, convenient and, in every respect, mod- ern in its architecture and appointments, and, what is more to the point, with Decatur people, it is purely a home product, architects,
THE DECATUR PUBLIC LIBRARY
contractors, builders, furnishers and supporters being all residents of the city. The library itself is maintained by a tax of seven mills on the dollar of city property.
. In July, 1908, H. B. Heller succeeded C. J. Lutz as secretary of the Library Board, and Mrs. C. D. Lewton was added as a member. At the same time Miss Nellie M. Blackburn was placed in charge of the Sunday work, to succeed Miss Jessie Blossom. In August, 1914, Miss Nellie M. Blackburn was elected assistant librarian.
The reports of the work accomplished from year to year show a steady development in all directions. The circulation has increased from about 9,000 to 27,000; at the present time the actual number of volumes is 8,000; periodicals, 38; newspapers, 7. In October, 1915,
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Washington Township was made an auxiliary, a tax of two mills on the dollar being assessed for the extension of such privileges; nine substations were also established, to accommodate the corresponding number of school districts. The influence of the Decatur Public Li- brary is therefore active and widespread. Its present official Board is as follows: President, Mrs. John Niblick; vice president, Mrs. C. D. Lewton; secretary, H. B. Heller; treasurer, E. X. Ehinger ; members of the Board, Mrs. Mary Eley, M. Kirsch and T. C. Corbett.
PIONEER LOCAL NEWSPAPERS
The local press of Decatur has been active for seventy years, hav- ing experienced its full share of ventures which have fallen by the wayside; the living progeny comprises two newspapers, the Democrat and the Herald. In their columns are crystallized the news of the county and the country, the sentiments of the local community and the political views of Democracy and Republicanism.
The first newspaper to appear in Decatin was the Gazette, which was issued in the summer of 1845 by Joshua Randall as pro- prietor and James H. Smith as editor. It was a Whig paper, and in 1851 was purchased by John W. Peterson, who, in the following year sold it to James B. Simcoke.
THE ADAMS COUNTY DEMOCRAT
Mr. Simcoke discontinued the Gazette and in 1852 established the Adams County Democrat. The original owners of the Gazette lived in Monmouth, which, in the year named was considerable more of a town than Decatur. It was larger and its outlook was con- sidered by many to be brighter, as it was then on the direct line of travel between Fort Wayne and Western Ohio. But Mr. Simcoke was confident that Decatur was the coming place, and acted ac- cordingly in making the county seat the headquarters of the new Adams County Democrat. He was an ardent advocate of the Fort Wayne, Decatur & Piqua Plank Road, which was designed to slightly change the direction of the current of travel so that Decatur, on the western shore of the St. Mary's River, should be included in its course. This was brought about largely through the activity of Mr. Simcoke and the Democrat, and the Piqua Plank Road stim- ulated Decatur as nothing had before. The town and surrounding country settled quite rapidly; so rapidly, that a rival newspaper entered the field in 1857. As editor Simcoke was also County Clerk Vol. 1-13
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Simcoke, he had political rivals to meet, as well as those of news- paperdom. The Democratic party was divided into several national factions, which had their counterpart in Adams County. Mr. Sim- coke was a Breckenridge Democrat, and played a losing game both in politics and newspaper warfare. He was wounded when the De- catur Eagle was founded as an opposition Democratie paper in 1857, received a terrible thrust when Breckenridge was defeated for the presidency in 1860, and in 1863 his political and journalistic status had reached such a low ebb that the Adams County Democrat sus- pended altogether. Although he still supported the paper, T. Adles- purger had become its owner, as well as a candidate for county auditor. W. G. Spencer had succeeded Mr. Phillips as editor of the Eagle, and he was also opposing Mr. Adlespurger in the race for the county auditorship. Mr. Spencer was elected to the office and the final qui- etus was placed on the career of the Adams County Democrat.
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