USA > Indiana > The Indiana centennial, 1916; a record of the celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of Indiana's admission to statehood > Part 19
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Carthage observed Admission Day, an address being de- livered by Will A. Hough of Greenfield.
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COUNTY CELEBRATIONS
SCOTT
October 14 was observed in Scott County as Centennial Day, when the county celebration was held at Scottsburg under the general direction of Frank Gardner as Chairman. The day, resplendent with autumnal tints illuminated with October sunshine, began with a parade in which many histor- ical features were introduced, contrasting past and present. Horseback riders impersonated important figures in state his- tory. Modes of travel and communication in the old days were portrayed by "prairie schooners" and the pony express. The school children arrived at the fair grounds where a pro- gram of exercises was given, including an "old-time school."
In the afternoon the business and professional men of Scottsburg marched to the fair grounds in a body when the more formal exercises of the day took place. These were opened by a song by two aged women, Mrs. Rebecca Murphy and Mrs. Perry Bailey, daughter of the old pioneer Baptist preacher, Isaac Coker, each said to be over eighty years old. The song "brought to the memory of many present the scenes and the songs of the long ago in the little country churches when Scott County was almost a wilderness."
The addresses of the day were made by two former resi- dents of Scott County, Col. Chas. J. Jewett of New Albany, and Judge James W. Fortune of Jeffersonville.
Hon. Willis L. Barnes of Charlestown contributed largely to the interest of the day by bringing to the celebration from his home an oil painting of Governor Jonathan Jennings, to- gether with a large number of other interesting exhibits in Indiana history which were displayed in the court house.
SHELBY
It took several different pilots to steer the course of Shelby County to a Centennial celebration, but it finally arrived. State Senator W. A. Yarling, author of the bill creating the Indiana Historical Commission, very appropriately accepted the Shelby County chairmanship. At the dinner at the Clay- pool hotel in Indianapolis, December 3, attended by members of the Commission and the County Chairmen he responded to the toast, "A True Bill." At the first of the year he found it necessary to resign the chairmanship and Rev. W. E. Carroll of Shelbyville was secured to take his place.
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He went enthusiastically to work, one of the first evidences of which was the Shelbyville Indiana Products Day dinner, February 22, one of the most successful in the State. He reported that 876 people were served under one roof, said roof being that of a temporary tabernacle which had recently been used in a union revival campaign. The diners were waited upon by fifty high school girls dressed in white, and ate to the accompaniment of the high school orchestra.
The schools of Shelbyville had a regular celebration of their own in May. On the 16th, Centennial public programs were given at the half dozen or more school buildings, con- sisting generally of a dramatic presentation of some period of state or local history. One building dramatized "The Hoosier Schoolmaster." Another presented the history of the county between 1816 and 1824 in a little pageant, "The Maiden Days of Indiana." In other instances, longer periods were presented by connected episodes and, again, more miscel- laneous programs were given. Two days later the High School Seniors, as a memorial to the Indiana author, Charles Major, who was a resident of Shelbyville, presented as a play, "When Knighthood was in Flower."
The county celebration was set for September 28-30. The central feature was a pageant, to finance which the committee in charge turned to the Chamber of Commerce, which as- sumed responsibility for the whole celebration, under the lead- ership of its secretary, Carrol R. Woods. F. L. Thompson was also actively identified with the promotion of the observ- ance.
The weather was not at all propitious, yet a very success- ful celebration was held, of which enthusiastic reports were received. The opening event was a baby show and parade in which great interest was manifested. An exhibit of relics was made throughout the observance. On the closing day, following a beautiful though not an historical parade, an ad- dress was delivered by Governor Samuel M. Ralston.
The pageant, presented at night, was written by W. W. Leslie and J. S. Johnson, both of the city schools. It was largely a pantomime performance, portraying primarily the history of Shelby County. An attractive pageant book was issued, illustrated on the cover page with pictures of Shelby's two illustrious sons, Thomas A. Hendricks and Charles Major.
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OUTLINE OF THE SHELBY COUNTY PAGEANT
Masque-Montamin, the Maize, or "The Birth of the Indian Race."
EPISODE I Indians of Shelby County.
Scene 1-Indian Life Before the Coming of the White Man. Scene 2-The Missionaries Teach the Indians the Christian Religion. Scene 3-William Conner, the First White Trader. Scene 4-Delaware In- dians Sell Their Land to the White Man. Scene 5-The Piety of the Indians.
Interlude I-Indiana becomes a State.
EPISODE II First Settlers and County Organization.
Scene 1-Whetzel's Trail, or the Naming of Brandywine. Scene 2- The Coming of James Wilson, First Settler of the County. Scene 3- The Surveyors. Scene 4-The First County Commissioners Organize the County. Scene 5-Locating the County Seat. Scene 6-The Sale of Lots in Shelbyville. Scene 7-Shelby County with Her Townships- Personified.
Interlude II-Johnnie Appleseed-Planting for the Future.
EPISODE III Pioneer Life of 1840.
Scene 1-Quilting Bee and Shooting Match. Scene 2-The "Loud School." Scene 3-Singing Class of Morristown. Scene 4-Husking Bee and Old-time Dance (Old Dan Tucker, Virginia Reel, etc.) Scene 5-Campaign of 1840. Tippecanoe and Tyler Too.
Interlude III-Dance of the States-"Secession."
EPISODE IV War Days in Shelby County.
Scene 1-Preparation for War-the Call for Volunteers. Scene 2- The First Company for the War-Presentation of Flag by Women of Shelbyville. Scene 3-News from the Front-The End of the War Approaching.
Interlude IV-The North and the South-Reunion.
EPISODE V Recent Progress.
Scene 1-Thomas A. Hendricks. Scene 2-Charles Major-When Knighthood Was in Flower. Scene 3-The Return of James Wilson (First Settler.)
Interlude V-Dance of Agriculture. Finale.
In the week following the Shelby celebration, the county was represented in the Centennial Cavalcade of the counties at Indianapolis by Miss Pauline Barlow.
SPENCER
Bearing the name of the gallant Spiers Spencer, and known as the Indiana home of the Lincoln family, Spencer County undertook the observance of the Centennial in the
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spirit that it had a great deal to live up to. Spurred on by this realization, under the direction of enthusiastic and effi- cient leadership, the county achieved an enviable distinction among its ninety-one sisters.
A newspaper man, W. W. Kellams, editor and publisher of the Rockport Democrat, headed the organization, and had the active cooperation of his "esteemed contemporaries" in the county, the Rockport Journal, the Grandview Monitor, the Dale Reporter and the Chrisney Sun. He had the whole county fairly networked with committees, and with commit- tees that worked. His general committee was made up of the chairmen of his central celebration committees and the chair- men of the township organizations, making thirty in all. He had two hundred committeemen distributed over the county. The chairmen of the most active central committees, followed by the township bodies, were: Finance, M. E. Hirsch; history, Mrs. Helen Baumgaertner; relics, Mrs. C. W. Halburge; markers, Allen J. Payton ; program, Frank Kincaid; pageant, Mrs. C. D. Ehrman ; chorus, Miss Myrtle Posey ; home com- ing, Chas. G. Davis; pioneer evening, Mrs. Bird Brown. Townships-Carter, M. L. Metcalf, Dale; Clay, D. F. Kennedy, Lamar; Grass, J. Fred Bergman, Chrisney; Hammond, Dr. L. F. Gage, Grandview; Harrison, Robert Widener, St. Mein- rad; Huff, Cullen Souder, Lamar; Jackson, O. L. Perry, Gen- tryville ; Luce, L. B. Wilkinson, Rockport; Ohio, A. P. Wright, Rockport.
Centennial activity in the townships began early in the year. In March and April several very worthy celebrations were given in the schools of the county, including the Nunn school in Luce township and the Lake Mill and Grandview schools. The first two were conducted under the leadership of parent-teacher associations. Citizens of these communi- ties entered heartily into the spirit of the anniversary. Some gave talks on interesting phases of state and local history. Present and past were contrasted in striking ways. Repre- sentations of pioneer life, the daily life of the farm and kitchen, were graphically made.
But the great focal point of almost the entire Centennial preparations in Spencer was the county celebration set for July 3 and 4, at Rockport, and very particularly, the county pageant. The latter was a heroic enterprise, heroically
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achieved, and too much commendation can hardly be given those who put through one of the few real county pageants par excellence, of the year. In the first place an artist prepared it, in the person of Mrs. Kate Milner Rabb, now of Indianapolis, but a former Spencer County girl. Both an artist and a gen- eral organized and directed it, Mrs. C. D. Ehrman, aided by such loyal lieutenants as Mrs. Helen Baumgaertner. For two months, Mrs. Ehrman traversed the county back and forth, arousing enthusiasm, assigning parts to the respective town- ships and drilling them in execution. A world of patience, tact, perseverance, bodily strength and sound nerves, was necessary to achieve the thing and Mrs. Ehrman proved equal to the demand. She had the whole county working toward a common purpose and the sequel was all that had been hoped- and more.
As a prelude to the celebration, a vesper song service was held at the fair grounds Sunday, when the old-time hymns were sung, and a brief address made by Rev. J. M. Daniel.
On Monday afternoon a county athletic meet was held and in the evening a pioneer entertainment, consisting of old- fashioned dances, which proved rejuvenating and popular. The relics exhibit was well arranged in that, instead of merely having it placed promiscuously, pioneer bedrooms, a kitchen, etc., were "made up" to represent more effectively the do- mestic life of our forefathers.
Patriotic festivities were opened on Tuesday morning of the Fourth by a great parade, in large measure historical, which was really preliminary to the pageant, the performance of which consumed the entire afternoon. As explained by Mrs. Rabb in a foreword, she purposed to show in the pageant, how the character of the county, as a community, had been developed. Many of the parts were taken by descendants of the characters portrayed, and, so far as possible, from the locality in which the incidents reproduced occurred. Six- teen hundred and fifty people took part before an audience of several thousand.
The Introduction gave a most effective symbolic portrayal of the Spirit of the Ohio, accompanied by two hundred water sprites, in floating robes of filmy white over blue. Through- out the greater part of the pageant, these sprites, skirting a lake in the background, in rhythmic movement suggested
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the rippling and the splashing of the river. Following these onto the scene, came the Spirit of the Forest and wood nymphs and the Spirit of the Fields, attended by the flower, fruit and grain fairies. In impressive procession all these were fol- lowed by those who invaded the Western wilderness-Indians, explorers, fur traders, missionaries, early settlers, British red coats and Captain Spiers Spencer. These disappear be- fore Columbia, to whom Virginia presents the new Indiana territory, whereupon the encircling nymphs and fairies take up the song, "Hymn to Indiana." This led up very effectively to the pageant proper, dealing largely with county history, as suggested by the outline.
EPISODE I The Indians.
Scene 1. Treaty of Fort Wayne.
Scene 2. The Meek's tragedy on Pigeon Creek, 1811.
EPISODE II The Settlers.
Scene 1. Arrival and location.
Scene 2. Log Rolling.
EPISODE III The Lincolns.
Scene 1. The Rockport home coming, 1819. Thomas Lincoln brings home his second wife, who is greeted by the children, Sarah and Abraham, and by Dennis Hawks.
Scene 2. The Mill, 1825. Abraham Lincoln is seen driving to the mill, where are gathered various men waiting for their corn to be ground. Arrived at the mill he engages in conversa- tion with the men, enrages a braggart by his joking recep- tion of a story, and reads to the men an editorial from the Vincennes Sun on slavery.
Scene 3. The Departure of the Lincolns for Illinois, 1830.
EPISODE IV The Mexican War-June, 1847.
EPISODE V Education.
Scene 1. The Pioneer School.
Scene 2. Laying the Corner Stone of the Rockport Academy, 1859. EPISODE VI The Civil War.
Scene 1. First Company leaves Rockport, July, 1861.
Scene 2. Fourth of July celebration at Rockport Fair Grounds, 1861. EPISODE VII The March of Commerce and Industry. Finale.
The giving of the pageant brought the county together in an intimate acquaintance and fellowship hitherto unknown,
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which was eminently worth while, to say nothing of its edu- cational function. One month later, on Centennial Day of the Grandview Chautauqua, the Centennial committees of the county enjoyed a reunion and picnic. Another by-product was the organization of the Spencer County Historical Society.
The pageant was financed by the proceeds of the day and by subscriptions, none of the latter being over ten dollars, and although no general admission fee was charged, a very considerable surplus was realized. This was wisely used in the placing of permanent memorials to mark historic spots. One was placed on the site of the Lincoln home at a cost of three hundred and fifty dollars; one marking the spot of the landing of the Lincolns on Indiana soil, for one hundred and fifty dollars, and for twenty-five dollars less, another in mem- ory of the first settler.
Though one of the counties most distant from the capital, Spencer was one of the most active in cooperation on County Day, October 6. Miss Esther Brown represented the county in the Cavalcade. In the procession of the counties, W. E. Hartley gave a striking illustration of Lincoln the rail split- ter, while A. P. Wright, on horseback, represented Spiers Spencer.
STARKE
Practically no interest in the Centennial was manifested by the people of Starke County. The Chairman, Hon. Ches- ter A. McCormick, editor of the North Judson News, did not take up his responsibilities in a convincing manner and made little impression upon his county. Even the newspapers al- most ignored the state-wide movement. As a last resort, the Centennial was made a poor appendage to the annual North Judson "After-Harvest Jubilee," which occurred October 5, 6 and 7. About the only Centennial flavor was that given by a display of pioneer relics.
Some school Centennial programs are reported by the county school superintendent, together with compositions on local and state history topics by pupils in connection with their work in English and History and Civics.
15-15997
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ST. JOSEPH
St. Joseph County is not richer in historical associations than she was determined to show her appreciation of them in observing in a patriotic and impressive manner the cen- tury way-mark of the State. As Indiana history really made its debut by way of the St. Joseph river through the French fathers, it was highly appropriate that the county should be one of the most active and enthusiastic in the State in due recognition of the past.
The county began early in its patriotic preparation. F. A. Miller, editor of the South Bend Tribune, became County Chairman in August of 1915, and began early to make the wheels go round, by enlisting the interest of the civic organi- zations in the Centennial project looking toward an epoch making celebration for South Bend. He drew to himself at once a tower of strength in F. B. Barnes, Municipal Recrea- tion Director for South Bend, who assumed the responsibility of investigating the possibilities of a pageant of which he be- came the director and motive force. He represented Mr. Miller at the State House Conference of county chairmen in December, thereby identifying himself and his county with the Centennial movement over the State.
On the invitation of Mr. Miller, the Indiana Historical Commission visited South Bend March 31 and April 1, for the purpose of giving impetus and encouragement to the plans being made for the St. Joseph County observance. On the evening of the 31st the Commission was given a dinner at the Hotel Oliver, attended by some seventy-five South Bend citizens, at which Dr. F. B. Wynn and Miss Charity Dye gave addresses outlining the possibilities of the year. In the after- noon, Miss Dye and Mr. Woodward, Director of the Commis- sion, held a conference with members of the county organiza- tion to consider the different aspects of pageantry in relation to the St. Joseph County situation. On the following day the Commission met in business session at Notre Dame Univer- sity, where it was the guest of Father John Cavanaugh, a member.
The first recognition of the year was given by the schools of the county, in which April 21 was announced as Centen- nial Day. It seems to have been best observed in Madison
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Township, in which the schools joined in a community observ- ance. Later, observances were held in Green and Olive Town- ships. A Centennial program was given in June at the St. Mary's Conservatory of Music under the auspices of the class of 1916.
On May 26 the Women's Civic Federation of South Bend gave a program in the high school auditorium, consisting of a series of tableaux on "The Spirit of South Bend."
The main Centennial interest, however, was focused upon the ambitious celebration set for October 2, 3, and 4, at South Bend, largely conceived and largely executed. The observance really began on Sunday, October 1, on the morning of which services of an historical nature were held in the churches of the city with large audiences in attendance. In the after- noon a sacred concert was given at Springbrook Park.
On the afternoon of the 2d a civic parade took place, fol- lowed on successive afternoons by automobile and industrial parades. On the forenoon of the 3d a tablet was dedicated, marking the site of the home of Vice-President Schuyler Col- fax. In the late afternoon a reunion of high school alumni and old students was held. Thursday was Pioneers' Day, with a reception from 10 till 2 at the rooms of the Chamber of Commerce. Music was furnished each day by the Pullman Band.
These features were all interesting, but the real attraction was found each evening out at Springbrook Park, where, on the banks of the historic St. Joseph River the Pageant of St. Joseph County was given, arranged by Mrs. W. K. Lamport and directed by F. B. Barnes, with Henry B. Roney of Chi- cago as Music Director. It was really a great spectacle rather than a pageant. There was no dialogue, the author leaving the dramatic action to tell its own story, assisted by an ad- mirable running statement of the history involved, printed in the pageant book on pages facing the episodes. The follow- ing outline is suggestive of the scope and treatment of the subject-matter:
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PROLOGUE
Father Marquette Passes on His Last Journey, 1675. Incidental Music-"The Angelus" from Scenes Picturesque-Massenet.
EPISODE I
Staged by Notre Dame University In charge of Prof. Emmett Lanihan.
Scene: Bank of St. Joseph River, Before 1675.
War between the Iroquois and Miami Indians. Smoking of the "Calumet" in Council. War Dance. Exchange of Gifts. (See Episode III).
Incidental Music-"Ma-Ma-Ma-Mimi-ga-ga"-Scalp Song-Sousa.
Incidental Music-"Cracovienne Fantastique"-Paderewski.
Incidental Music-"Scalp Dance."
EPISODE II
Scene: Bank of River near South Bend, 1676. Indian families enter from Portage and establish Miami Vil- lage.
EPISODE III
Scene: Bank of River near South Bend, 1679.
Enter Rene Robert Cavalier, Sieur de la Salle's Party, con- sisting of his historian, Father Louis Hennepin, Capt. Henri de Tonti, two other priests and 27 others, ship carpenters and voyageurs. They are joined by LaSalle (who has been lost) and "White Beaver," the Mohigan guide. The Miami treaty is made.
EPISODE IV
Scene: South Bend, 1820.
Pierre Frieschutz Navarre enters on horseback, trades with the Indians, meets a daughter of a chief from Pokagon's village.
They are joined by Joseph Bertrand, his wife, Madeline, and her father, Chief Topinabee.
Navarre marries the chief's daughter in the Indian way.
EPISODE V
Scene: South Bend, 1827.
Alexis Coquillard enters from river with his party.
Jean Beaudoin, a French youth of 16, first to jump ashore. The trading post is constructed. Mr. Coquillard brings his young wife from Fort Wayne. Fur Trading.
Dispute with Indians over "fire water."
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EPISODE VI
Scene: South Bend, 1827-1831.
Colonel Lathrop M. Taylor arrives. South Bend is laid out, Michigan road put through. The Johnson family arrive. Chief Pokagon drives through.
EPISODE VII
Scene: South Bend, 1830-1831. Father Stephen Theodore Badin arrives. Mr. Horatio Chapin settles. Marriage of Waceta and John Peashway.
Incidental Music-"Gloria from 12th Mass"-Mozart. Jean Beaudoin runs from Wisconsin to warn the settlers of Black Hawk's impending raid. Death of Jean Beaudoin.
EPISODE VIII
Scene: South Bend, 1840-1842. Departure of the Pottawatomies, accompanied by Father Badin. Music-"De Profundis". . Gregorian Chant
EPISODE IX
Scene: South Bend, 1842. Father Sorin arrives with seven other priests to establish the University at the Mission of Notre Dame.
EPISODE
Scene:
Mishawaka, 1840.
Building of Mishawaka.
EPISODE XI
Scene: Mishawaka.
Women's Club of South Bend visits Mishawaka.
Song by Mrs. E. B. Harris.
EPISODE XII
Scene: Mishawaka.
Blacksmithing.
Wagon Making.
EPISODE XIII
Scene: Mishawaka.
Spelling Bee.
Singing of geography lesson.
Singing of arithmetic lesson.
Milling.
EPISODE XIV
Scene: Mishawaka.
Corn husking bee.
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EPISODE XV
Scene: Mishawaka. Mishawaka burns, 1872. (Episodes X, XI, XII, XIII are given at nearly the same time, showing village life.)
EPISODE XVI
Scene: South Bend, 1840-1860. Entrance of South Bend pioneers. Village life. EPISODE XVII
Scene: South Bend.
Argonauts of '49 and '59 leave for the West.
EPISODE XVIII
Scene: South Bend, 1850. Schuyler Colfax returns to South Bend. He comes in an old-time coach.
EPISODE XIX
Staged by Spanish War Veterans, 21st Indiana Battery, Old Settlers and others.
Scene: South Bend, 1861.
News "Fort Sumter fired upon." Soldiers leave for the front.
EPISODE XX
Scene: South Bend, 1872. "Standpipe-Holly" controversy.
Leighton Pine favors the standpipe system.
J. M. Studebaker wagers a cow that the standpipe system would not be adequate for the needs of South Bend, and that it would not yield sufficient pressure to drive him from a position a short distance above the ground. John Hartman sells the cow at auction for charity.
EPISODE XXI Staged by Grand Army of the Republic, Schuyler Rebekah Lodge. Scene: South Bend. (We return to 1865.) Colfax speaks to the old soldiers. EPISODE XXII Old Soldiers Sing "Tenting Tonight." EPISODE XXIII
Scene: South Bend.
Pageant of Nations.
EPISODE XXIV
Patriotic Finale-Grand chorus composed of about 5,000 children from the Public and Parochial Schools of South Bend and Mishawaka,
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and about 1,000 members of choirs, singing societies and individual singers from the two cities and St. Joseph County.
The respective scenes were put on by various organiza- tions of South Bend and Mishawaka and by Notre Dame Uni- versity. Prof. Emmett Lanihan of the latter institution gave Mr. Barnes invaluable assistance in the arrangement and di- rection of the pageant.
H. B. Roney, who directed the music, gave an estimate of the performance in a published statement, which, though from one who had a large part in its presentation, is of some value in giving one a general impression of the event. The following excerpt is taken therefrom:
The pathetic passing of Father Marquette in his last illness, with the great band like a mighty organ interpreting the sorrows of his soul in Massenet's "Angelus" the Indian fight with their overwhelming num- bers to the music of "Custer's Last Charge;" the endless campfires and tepees of the Indian villages; the gorgeousness and splendor of those eagle-feathered, beaded and bespangled chiefs of the different tribes; the heartbreaking departure in seemingly countless numbers of the soldier-driven Pottawatomies, a scene of aboriginal tribal splendor never before seen, I believe in this country; the picturesque arrival of LaSalle in his fleet of real canoes on real water; the thrilling run of Jean Beaudoin and his tragic death in his sweetheart's arms; the long far- flung columns of children, literally thousands of them, stretching away in the dim light until their further lines were lost beyond the reach of the searchlights, then their forward sweep clad in our nation's tri-color massing in brilliant converging rays around a star spangled arc of blue, the magnificent Pullman Band and the wonderful electric lighting-these features unquestionably have never been equalled in the State, and I fully believe, in our entire country.
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