The Mail-Journal, Volume 6, Number 22, Milford, Kosciusko County, 2 July 1969 — Page 4

Buttermilk Point Was Jarrett Land

Buttermilk Point was Jarrett land and was for years called Jarrett’s Landing byf people who were familiar with uhe several points on Lake WauXsee. Bently Jarrett came to Kosciusko county in\ the 1840’s and settled on the beathunting and fishing land he c«ild find , . . that of the southeastern tip of Nine Mile or Turkey Lake. However, it’s not Bentley who lake historians remember but his son Lewis who acquired the land” called Jarrett’s Landing and later Buttermilk Point’. Bently moved his family to Turkey Creek township from Virginia. He was of French Huguenot decent, with his ancestors imigrating to America from France at the time of the religious persecutions. When the Jarretts arrived at the lake they built a three - sided cabin of logs. This was the custom of the early days and the fourth side was enclosed with skins of animals. The cabin was eventually incorporated into a farmhouse. Lewis Jarrett One of the couple’s sons, Lewis was born in 1826 and married Fannie Stiffler in 1845. He was 19 and owned 126 acres of land extending from the south shores of Lake Wawasee to and including two of the small lakes which eventually became part of Papakeechie lake. The couple had 10 children. Fannie Jarrett died in 1877 and in 1878 Lewis, by then a Civil War veteran and wealthy patriarch of the lake, married Elizabeth Hathaway Smith Todd. He built his new wife a modern frame house and the old family cabin was used by hired help and visiting relatives until it became an eye sore and was torn down. During his marriage to Elizabeth he became the father of two more children — Jess born in 1879 and Goldie Alice born in 1884. Like many of the settlers who homesteaded along the shores of Wawasee the Jarretts earned their living by hunting, trapping, fishing and farming. When the city folk came to the lake with their fancy rods and reels in the late 1800’s and laws were passed to forbid the use <)f nets, the Jarretts like the Morrisons began to fight for their rights and their livelihood. ' Outwitting game wardens became a popular sport around lhe lake and many old timers familiar with the area became quite skilled at the game. When Lewis Jarrett died in 1893 his wife Betty became pro-

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prietress of what was soon to become Buttermilk Point. Jarrett is buried with other members of the family in the North Webster cemetery. The life of Elizabeth Hathaway Smith Todd Jarrett is an interesting one in its own right. She was the daughter of Braford and Verleta (Dickson) Hathaway and was born in Ohio on July 27, 1843. She was married to John Smith in November of 1862 and one year later became the mother of a son, Elisha. John went off to the Civil War leaving’ Betty to care for their young son. Elisha, however, died when he was 16-months-old and Betty was left alone. Still young, 22, she married Andrew Todd who was a 48 • year -old minister with eight children. They had a son, Grant, who died when he was nine and a daughter, Martha, who became Mrs. William Hendrickson. When Martha was three Betty was once again a widow. Thus, with the death of Lewis Jarrett, Betty became a widow for the third time. To make a living for herself and. her youngsters she sharecropped the Jarrett land. . ° The Milkhouse Lewis Jarrett had built a milkhouse at the edge of the lake. It was cooled by a spring from which flowed ice-cold water. Jarrett dug out an area around the spring, walled it up and caused it to flow through the log milkhouse, thus cooling the house and keeping the milk from ingWhen the summer folks began to build their hotels and« fancy cottages on the northern shore of Wawasee the excursion boats came into being. These boats would come across the lake into Jarrett’s Landing and turn around before starting back. Now, it was logical that city folks would want to rest before beginning the trip back across the lake and it was logical that Betty Jarrett should make some extra money for her family by letting these strangers from the city rest on the shores of her land ... so she sold them buttermilk and other items from the milk house to refresh them after their boat trip. By 1893 it was necessary to build landing docks for the boats and the milkhouse was famous. Soon the name Jarrett’s ’Landing was dropped and people began to call the area Buttermilk Point. When the children were all grown only the youngest Goldie

Scenes from the past. . . Milk A. J| •** KKact at v I ftf Jflßig F MEW. THE OLD MILK HOUSE — The Jarrett milkhouse at Buttermilk Point was a quaint building built by Lewis to cool the family’s milk supply. In later days when city folks came to the lake the quaint building fascinated the visitors who weren’t used to seeing log cabins. Betty Jarrett and her daughter Goldie Alice served the early lakers buttermilk and other dairy products from the milkhouse as excursion boats stopped at the point for a rest. . jpgggug «, .... - * X ’• .. ' . * .... SYRACUSE LAKE — Above is a picture of Syracuse Lake, sister lake to \yawasee and head of the Turkey, as it appeared years ago on a picture post card. The lake, like Wawasee, now caters to the summer season and is full of beautiful homes and summer cottages. A variety of summer time fun can be found here to delight the entire family.

Alice, remained at Buttermilk Point to help the now aging Betty with her tasks. Goldie married ‘ William Edgell who worked at the cement plant in Syracuse. When her-husband 'was transferee! to Kansas Goldie elected to stay behind and continued to care for her mother at Buttermilk Point. Betty Jarrett died in 1911. In 1914 the property was sold to Charles AV. Johnson and a new era began at Buttermilk Point. Johnson converted the land into a Ccney - Island type amusement nark complete with merry go round, dance hall, zoo and ether forms of entertainment which delighted the city folks. He also built Johnson’s Hotel which still stands today on the former Jarrett Land. Goldie Alice Jarrett Edgell McNees and her family stayed on at Buttermilk Point to help Johnson with his new establishment. The old Johnson hotel is still open for overnight, guests. Another landmark has recently been built in the area of Buttermilk Point, as a matter of fact, the new owners of the land are concerned with saving the history of the point and are in the process of working with Eli Lilly to secure a state historical marker to preserve the past. The new landmark is the Bay Point Condominium which when completed will add another touch of stately -‘beauty and gracious living to Wawasee./ The condominium is being built just to the north Johnson’s hotel, on the old hotel site. It is the only condominium in the state and is being built by the South Shore Development corporation at a cost of $2 million. X>pen house was held last week

2 PETERSEN KALE ISLAND BAIT HOUSE

dnd for the 18 units in the first building. The first occupants moved in on Monday with others following in July according to reports from corporation president Tom, Leonard. The condominium will consist of 54 units when completed. The entire site covers some four acres of land. Other modern homes and summer cottages also dot the shores of Buttermilk Point. The old milk house, which is long gone, remains as p<yt of the history of Wawasee that will be long remembered by jnany. FISHING SLOWER BUT STILL BITING Fishing in this area has slowed in general. Kosciusko county reports catching bluegills on Pike and Irish Lakes. Tri-County reports some bluegills and redears. At Lake Wawasee there are catches of Northern pike, bluegills and bass. ' In Steuben county, bluegills are biting good on Crooked, Golden Lakes and Little Bauer Lakes. At Silver Lake, northern pike are biting well. Jimmerson lake reports littlemouth bass. Bluegills are biting at Adams. Atwood Lake and Dallas Lake chains. Big Lake and High Lake in Noble county are yielding good largemouth bass fishing. Westlake Chains are yielding crappies. Trout fishing is fairly good in 'Pigeon River. ,

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RACING AT PHOENIX DOWNS ON JULY 5 AND 6 The Nappane? Pony Racing Association will sponsor pony harness racing ,at Phoenix Downs, one mile east of Nappanee on US 6 on Saturday, July 5, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, July 6, at 2 p.m. Phoenix Downs Raceway has a modern well lighted track for evening racing, new steel grandstand, adequate parking area, pony rides, camping and picnic area. There will be some of the fastest trotters and pacers from Ohio, Illinois, Michigan and Indiana at these races. PACK 47 SPENDS DAY AT PIONEER TRAILS Cub Scout Pack 47, dens 1,2, and 3, spent Wednesday, June 25, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Pioneer Trails. Upon arrival the boys all received a gift of a scarf slide and a knot tying kit. They enjoyed swimming, the use of the rifle range, a nature hike and demonstrations on scout crafts and archery. They also enjoyed eating a sack lunch. Den mothers who accompanied the boys were Mrs. Jim Keller, Mrs. Robert Hall and Mrs. John Hurd. Mrs. Thomas Gilbert, Mrs. Earl Eppert and Mrs. Georgia Buster, Syracuse, spent Friday in Indianapolis.

Kiifiv \ < \ Mmii I fan *44* . *J-r -wJU 1 ~ ~ - -■ - -- I -*—• ■ ■iMagr*--— w ’ BAY POINT —-Above is the first unit of the new Bay Point condominium as it appears near completion on the southeast shore of Wawasee. The building, a beautiful structure, appears to be situated on what was Jarrett land. Plans are to place a historical marker at the site to keep Buttermilk point and its history alive in years to come.

taiziNJOf Well, one’s down and another one to go. ( The Mermaid Festival, with ' all its sideshow appurtenances and emphasis on the lakes surrounding the tiny community of North Webster, is over, a new queen was crowned (and cutie 1 king and queen, too), and dutiful North Webster Lions have cleaned up the streets and fairgrounds. North Webster has returned to normal. Now it’s the Syracuse Police and Firemen’s annual fair coming up. They’ve given us the dates of July 8 to 12. The fair concessions and rides will be set up at Syracuse city park as usual. The big “to-do”, however, will be the parade at 5 p.m. Saturday night, July 12. Formation of the units will be at Liberty Coach Drive-Away on road 13 south of town. The parade will move up Huntington street to the stoplight, then east past the reviewing stand. LaVada Dean, who is doing the considerable amount of leg work to tie all and sundry details of the fair together, said they hoped to have an unusually good fair this year. ♦ ♦ ♦ We have the word on good authority that nationally famous sportscaster Chris Shenkel has purchased a summer home on Morrison Island, Lake Wawasee. The great Shenkel is a native of the diminutive community of Bippus, Ind. « * * We have it on good authority that land has been purchased at the south end of Lake* Wawasee for the construction of a sewage disposal plant, which will service homes in that area and a proposed motel and dining room facility. More on this as it progresses. ♦ « ♦ G*W Pizza, a very fine local industry, doesn’t want any publicity on this, but we feel it should be mentioned that they have picked up the tab for one member of Wawasee high school who is now on the European tour with the School Band and Chorus of America. ❖ * * Young Scott G. Arnold said he would send us a card from some point on his westward trip with his parents, Lakeland superintendent and Mrs. Don Arnold, and Vicki. We got the card, which stated simply: “I promised you a card. Here it is. Scott G. Arnold.”

It was postmarked Yosemite National Park, Calif. * * * Tuesday, July 8, will be the public hearing at the court house in Warsaw for a three-way license for Homer’s Bar, located in North Webster. Two busy beavers who helped put together the prize-win-ning (second place in the float class) float on which Carla Singrey (“Miss Flotilla”) rode in the Mermaid Festival parade Friday afternoon, were not on ‘ hand when the parade came off. In the final moments of putting the float together, Walt Miller (husband of Opal whose beauty salcn sponsored Carla* was struck across the arm by a falling beam. Seeing this, and somewhat overcome by the plus-80 degree heat, Barb Beemer got sick and had to leave. Lovely Peggy Hughes, who has to be described as statuesque and striking, was chosen “Queen of Lakes” from a group of 26

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contestants, with another * Syracuse beauty, Marta Juday, as first runner-up. Miss Hughes was. entered as “Miss Americanism” and was) sponsored by the North Webster American Legion, and Miss Juday was entered as “Miss Texaco.” If one wants to go a step further, second runner-up arid “Miss Swim Suit” was Ginger Shipley, entered as “Miss North Webster?” It looks like old Wawasee high walked away with all three top spots. LAKELAND YOUTH NEWS By Tom Kitch There will be a dance Friday night from 8:30 to 11:30 at lhe Youth Center. The'music will be by The Caste from Elkhart. Memberships are now due and new members are |ivited.