Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 34, Number 177, Decatur, Adams County, 27 July 1936 — Page 41

1836 - 1936

lavements of B Century In Earns County

STEADY GROWTH MARKS CITY’S RECORD

tITER STATES [IITLOOK NOW KST IN YEARS | er Writes Revealing jc]c ()n “Decatur As I Have Known It” By JOHN H. HELLER is always more pleasant >ok ahead than to recite jast because the forward > r ‘ can have his own build his own air e < and avoid the unpleasbut to one. born and reariere and having lived al- , in this fair and lovely aunitv, Decatur has evieemed to be the finest on earth. earliest recollections, and go back a half century, is a of about two thousand pop,n. where every one knew his r citizens and a stranger was discovered and his pedigree ally analysed, where neighless provided the greater part s social life, where the church the center and the Golden was generally accepted. The Early Eighties those days, the early eighties, tur was completely surroundy dense, beautiful woods, in h wild game abounded, while >ld St. Marys river, winding its along the east side, provided and pike and other fish for s who loved the sport. Jes industries in thdsc days •wood working establish S, saw mills, heading and hoop Ties, wagon works and fumipUr.ts. Gradually the forests way to the woodman's axe in one decade practically dlsired and in place of the old (tries have come the sugar facand soy bean plant, the GenElectric. the Decatur Castings, k-Tyndall and Co. tile mill, le factory, the Cloverleaf imeries. the packing plant and rs to keep step with the ever Ing march of time. hen the wr i t started to 01, Decatur boasted one pubmilding, located where Central stands, a square frame of six is. This was moved, in about and used by J. D. Hale as a ! house and coal yard, being M on the site of the Christian th at Second and Jefferson in its place came what wa ight was the finest school is in all the world. It is now I as the Centra! grade buildA few years later ward buildall still in use, were built in south, north, and west parts own and in 1917 the present home and modern nigh school ling was erected at Fifth and ns The old St. Joseph school Fifth street was built in 1881 used as a Catholic parochial ol until the 8300,000 structure ourth and Monroe streets was led in 1925. Decatur Fires ’’standing in memory of the days is the famous fire which toyed the entire east side of down town business block be•en Monroe and Madison, ccurE ut about eight o'clock on Sun-

Committee Chairmen

■Rub u iP 'A. Roy Johnson ° r J °hnson, Decatur auction--1 • chairman of the floats com- " e f or the Centennial celebra- / tnder the guidance of Mr. H . oa ’ m ®ny local business firms , Boats in parades during ( *eek.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

; . _a » twfcbkJ/Xa > f - i < a *^ i WfcwWF - • jpkn- wt x ' VJBKsfibJ * Js£. filJBbJ

day evening, September 9th, 1882. Most of those were frame buildings and the conflagration was a blessing in disguise, for Mayor J. T. Merryman insisted and stuck to his edict that only brick structur es could be erected. Other fires which stand out in the memory of one, who as a youngster did his best always to beat the Are conipa.ny to the scene, were the Clever. Weeks. Vail heading factory in 18S3, the Jackson lumber yard at Madison and First streets in 1884, the old city hall on Monroe street on the eve of the primary election in 1899, the Big Store at the corner of Second and Madison June 28, 1903 and giving the Daily Democrat its first opportunity for an “extra"; the Fornax mills in 1905 and the Burt House on Christmas eve in 1906. First Brick Street—lß93 A half century ago Decatur, and Adams county for that matter, was each spring, a “mud hole. - ' We had nothing but mud roads in the country and not much better in this city, excepting for cobble stones along Second street, but in the “gay nineties” we began to step out. The first brick street was laid between Monroe and Jefferson on Second in 1893 and a year later this was extended to Adams street south. That same year, 1894, an election was held upon the question of building a macadam road from this city to Honduras in Kirkland township and as you may surmise, became a much argued campaign, in which the conservatives insisted that we young fellows would bankrupt the county (Continued On Page 42)

MEL Dee Fryback Dee Fryback, proprietor of the Adams county auto license bureau, is chairman of the Centennial concessions committee. p

Centennial Edition

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Ellingham Tells Os Early Efforts To Make Decatur Smiling City It Is Today Editor's note— Lew G. Ellingham, founder of the Decatur Daily Democrat and formerly its editor and publisher, now postmaster at Fort Wayne, played a dominant role for many years in Decatur's civic and business life. The following splendidly written article, rich in aneetdot'e and humor, will interest every reader and especially the many who associated in the enterprises he tells about. By LEW G. ELLINGHAM About the year 1902. some of we milk fed business experts concluded that it was up to us to have a business boom in Decatur. We spent hours, days and weeks collaborating. These series of earnest discussions took place either at the Democrat office. Curley Radamacher’s emporium and sometimes in the gloomy back room of a bankjust wherever, we for the moment, might happen to be.

Perhaps the first unanimous vote ever recorded in Decitur was when these tireless experts agreed that the business men should be organized into a club —house attached. From this time on every expert was going on high. We saw visions of leading the blind out of despondency, of making every business man love his neighbor, and even think a little more kindly of his competitor. Joy reigned supreme. We got the house, furnished it and then began the first test of our business ability—assessing the business men for enough to make the first payment. We tried it singly, then teamed and finally brought out the whole army of experts and bombarded every busi-

ness. industrial and professional man and institution in the city. We won our first battle. “Other Fish To Fry" The club house finally became rather popular. Cards, but not for profit was permitted. This brought a written p-otest fron. some enterprising member of the W. C. T. U. This protest was cussed and discussed at a regular meeting of the board of directors, and finally laid “on the table.” As I remember, the reason assigned being that we could not afford to tax our gifted minds upon trivial matters, when the future of Decatur cried aloud for the best that was in us. We had other fish to fry. Successful Lot Sale Then came another unanimous vote. It was decreed that we either possess by physical force or oth erwise, sufficient ground on the outskirts to plat into lots. These, lots we proposed to sell to our friends and foes alike, and to use this huge fund to lure great industries. So after being widely advertised we held an auction in the court room with Col. Fred Reppert as master of ceremonies. The room was crowded, standing room at a premium. And what Col. Fred did to we poor goofs. Practically every j lot sold for S3OO and up. I remem- i ber I got one of the highest priced ones and I think I am paying on it b

Decatur As Seen From A Mile Above

yet, although I have not owned it for years. The sale was an outstanding success and spoke volumes for the enterprise and worth of the city in which we lived. That First Auto Factory This lot sale received national mention, and as a result we had plenty of customers. Our mail was heavy and it was hard to si?, the wheat from the chaff — especially when it was all chaJY. In no time we had perhaps the first automobile factory in Indiana, and it lasted until the first car was ready for the market, and then the darn(Continued On Page 42)

Rev. L. W. A. Luckey W rites On Significance Os Changes Here (By Rev. Leonard W. A. Luckey, Ph. D., D.D.. of New York City, Formerly of Decatur In Adams County Cod painted the sunrise And the forests in beauty beyond compare; While our forefathers drained the swamplands And distributed glory everywhere.

I have your communication of the tenth inst. It was thoughtful in you to thus remember me. seeing I have not been a resident of Decatur for the past fifty years. I left Adams county in the spring of 1884. Let me assure you that I greatly appreciate your loving kindness in requesting a picture and asking me to write something for the special Centennial Edition of the paper you are now publishing. May 1 now commend and congratulate you on the effort and wish you abundant success. I like to think of the Adams Cohuty Centennial as a big Jubilee.. The Hebrew would call It Yobel, the Latins call It Jubllaeus and the French, Jubile. Wherefore it should be, and doubtless will be a joyful, thankful and happy mem-

Decatur, Indiana, Monday July 27, 1936.

NARROW-GAUGE HERE RECALLED Wm. E. Kintz Comments On Transnortation Progress In County “Well do 1 remember the old Cloverleaf “narrow gauge” railroad which ran through Decatur, southwest to Marion. Indiana,” said Wm. E. (Ed) Kintz, pioneer resident of west of Decatur, in commenting upon the progress of transportation facilities in Adams county. “At that time the rails were only about two-thirds as far apart as they are now. and the locomotives and freight cars were of a corresponding size. It has been fortyeight years since the road was widened, the entire job of setting the rails over, from Decatur to Marion, being done in one day. It was done on a Sunday, and the last, spike completing the job was driven before 3 o'clock in the aftern<x>n. each section crew having a certain distance of track to widen during the day.” The railroad cuts across the width of the Kintz farm and is still referred to by many of the old timers as the "Cloverleaf” line, although it was made a part of the Nickel Plate system many (Continued On Page 42)

.1 orable occasion. Truly, dearly, would I love to be present with you. Tlie end of a hundred years! The Centennial! What a glorious record and what a healthful, hopeful rejoicing it affords! The history is a wonderful challenge, of toil, j of struggle and endurance. It is replete in prayers, in progress, ini 1 perseverence and could not help reaching Its end in triumphant ' joy. And when we call' to our remembrance the many who have lived, worked from sun to 1 sun, prayed and died to make Decatur and Adams County what they really are it should inspire us to bind ourselves more closely in friendships and accord so as to Impress the whole body of our citizenry and even the uncounted Continued On Page 43)

Gives Personal Reminiscences Os Life In Decatur, 1871-1876 L_jl. HBfll I lUUf« H K 1/W - *j| w Jp ’ • By MRS. JOHN NIBLICK (Matie J. Studabaker) *

After completing the course of stuuy offered by the public schools of Decatur in June, 1871, my father, Judge David Studabaker. took me that September to Glendale Female College at Glendale, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati. We had to drive to Monroeville to get the Pennsylvania which was the nearest railroad to Decatur at that time. My father was a promoter to get the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad built through here and with Mr. William Perry of Richmond as president my father and the other directors met at Richmond for their final meeting just before Christmas, 1871, and I came there to join them. On Monday morning at nine o’clock the first train left for Fort Wayne. We all came on the first train that came to Decatur. There were crowds of people at every station to meet the train and at Decatur the largest crowd greeted us. A free public dinner was served near the depot and there was great rejoicing. Later on this road was extended to Petc/ky, Michigan, on Little Traverse Bay and it was well patronized. My father remained a director as long as he lived. Christmas In 1872 In 1872 at my Christmas vacation. three sisters, daughters of Judge Fraser of Warsaw, who were students at Glendale, came this far and stopped off over night to visit I us. My father hired a sleigh from the livery stable for us to meet the train and to show them the town. We drove up Main street and i stopped at the intersection of Mad I isffh and Second and had our pic-; tures taken by H, B. Knoff Photographer, from his studio window which was on the second floor of a two-story frame building where the Bell Grocery is now located. The picture is Interesting because the background shows Mr. Samuel Rugg's home, the only brick house ,

SECTION SIX

Census Figures | Given below is the total population of Decatur, Adams i county, Indiana, according to | the Federal Decennial Ceusus- | es of 1850 to 1930: | Year Number ■ 1930 5,156 1920 4.762 J 1910 4.471 | 1900 ?,142 | 1890 3,142 | 1880 1,905 I 1870 858 | 1860 532 | 18n0 231 | The population of Decatur , was not reported separately | I prior to the census of 1850. 4 • AERIAL VIEW The accompanying photograph is an aerial view of the city of Decatur. The picture was taken from an airplane flying at a of approximately a mile. The scene was taken from the southeast view. In the immediate foreground may be seen the St. Mary's river and to the lower extreme right, the bridge on highway 224. known as the Monroe street bridge. The First Christian church is plainly discernible in the lower left hand corner. Above and to the right is the Adams county court house. The St. Mary’s Catholic church and school house is at the extreme left, slightly above the center of the picture. The spire of the First Methodist Episcopal church shows above the Catholic school. The city municipal plant is clearly shown, well to the top of the picture and to the right.

in Decatur. Mr. Rugg was one of the founders of Decatur. When my father, a young lawyer, located in Decatur in 1852 he with some other young men roomed and boarded in this house with Mr. Rugg. After Mr. Rugg’s death, this house a ith the corner frame building was sold to a family by the name of Bollman. Their son, Mac Bollman, had a law office upstairs and they rented the lower room for a clothing store as the sign shows. Writes County History At the front of the Court House Square before the present Court House was built there were two (Continued On Page 42)

I I J WE9 i w >~ x fl I .fl Henry Thomas Henry Thomas, local cigar manufacturer, is chairman of the Centennial costumes committee. This committee has charge of all costumes of the historical pageant, which will be given the first three I nights of the celebration,

DECATUR IS “FINEST CITY” IN MID-WEST

Unique Position Due To Happy Combination Os Many Forces “Don’t sell Decatur short.” is how Arthur Brisbane might describe this city. A growing city, the home of diversified industries, situated in one of the richest agricultural regions in the world, populated by industrious ana democratic people is a community which needs no paid department to advertise its worth. A recent government survey shows that the per capita purchases in Decatur are $89.13 above the state average of $175.99. The report also shows a total volume of retail business of more than sl.366,958.72. Many factors have materially contributed to the economic prosperity of the city’s retail life. Chief of these has been the energetic and thrifty class of citizens in Decatur and its trading'area. Second in importance has been the diversification of both the industrial and agricultural community, which eliminate the possibility of complete unemployment or crop fail ure. Trading Center Decatur is a trading center in the true sense of the word. Differing from many cities in that it furnishes a market for millions of dollars worth of products. Farmers may sell sugar beets, live stock, grain, hay, soy beans, cream, eggs and many more items in the city. That they should spend the money in the city is only natural. Good roads in Adams county leading to Decatur since ths invention and improvement ot the automobile have made it easy to shop in the city. A new road, state highway 527 extending southeast to the state line towards Willshire, Ohio, has opened and developed a rich market. “Great White Way” Good and efficient public officials have managed local and county governments economically so that the tax rate is one of the lowest in the state. The municipal government through its efficient management of the city light and power and the city water department has brought remarkably low utility rates which have attracted new in-

dustries. Ornamental lights, furnished free current by the city, have produced a beautiful residential section and transformed Second and Monroe streets into the “great white way” best lighted business district in Indiana. Through the Decatur Democrat, delivered to the door of nearly every home In the city each evening and mailed to the majority of the rural homes each morning, tho merchants have an economical advertising medium. Adequate banking facilities are furnished by the First State Bank, with total deposits of $1,700,000 and assets of $1,900,000. it has not always been as easy (Continued On Page 42)

Centennial Heads

C. J. Lutz Clark J. Lutz, prominent Decatur attorney, is chairman of the Centennial program committee. Mr. Lutz also wrote ths history of the Presbyterian church for the special edition.

Civic, Religious, Social, Commercial, Industrial, Agricultural