The Mail-Journal, Volume 11, Number 24, Milford, Kosciusko County, 10 July 1974 — Page 8

THE MAIL-JOURNAL —Wed.. July 10. IW4

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Barbee Chain of Lakes

By ANN WICKERSHAM The Barbee Chain of Lakes is made up of six lakes: Big Barbee, Little Barbee. Kuhn, Sechrist, Sawmill and Irish The Kosciusko county lakes are located north and west of North Webster. The Barbee Lakes were at one time known as Barber’s Lakes. About 100 years ago a man

■t?"’ i 11to Jr i i« i i uT K “liSpBB •‘All * ’ w* aT* MORGAN’S GROCERY AND ICE HOUSE — This picture was taken around 1*25 at Morgan’s Landing. It doesn’t look much like a grocery store of today. The building is no longer a grocery and has been made into a year round home. •’

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named Barber purchased the land around theses lakes from the United States government and the lakes were for many years known as Barber Lakes. It soon became quite easy for visitors to mispronounce this name and thusly the name “Barbee” Lakes Acreage Survey A 1965 survey shows the

following acreage in each of the lakes: Big Barbee, 304 acres; Little Barbee, 74 acres; Sechrist, 105 acres; Irish, 182 acres; Sawmill. 36 acres; and Kuhn, 137 acres. Morgan’s Landing This reporter talked with Mrs. Bertha Wertenberger, whose grandfather and grandmother were probably the first to settle on Big Barbee Lake, at the least, the first to build a cottage on the north side of the lake. Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Morgan came to Barbee in 1898. Their son. Fred, met and married a gal from Larwill in 1899. About 1913 they started renting cottages, as Morgan’s Landing. During the year 1925 or 1926 they purchased the small grocery from Arnetta Hudson's sister. They also had an ice house. In 1920 Bertha Morgan; granddaughter, married Bob Gwin, who died in 1931, at which time, brother Stanley Morgan, graduated from college. Stanley and Bertha started a small dance hall, owned by the Lincoln family and now known as Barbee Hotel. Barbee Hotel The Barbee Hotel is one of the oldest hotel sites in Kosciusko county. The first hotel was built in 1897 by Charles Hover and was called Hotel Ormand. The hotel was the vacation hare of the early fishing enthusiasts It could only be reached by rai to Warsaw, then by horse and buggy to Barbee Lakes. It was a half day

FISHING IN IMS — Frederick MorgAk. UlowUg Ms calcli. al Morgan’s Landing. 58 jears ago. Times h|ve changed much with the old wooden fishing boats almost extinct on Big Barbee Lake, being replaced with speed boats with motors ranging up to 225 and 240 hp.

Round Bam festival July 12-14 at Rochester

ROCHESTER - Fulton county’s fourth annual Round Barn festival, cententg on this city, opens Friday. July 12, for a three-da y week end run. All of the features that have made the festival so popular with visitors the past three years remain on the schedule, with some promising additions. The top attractions, of course, are Fulton county’s 13 round bams, which make this area the Round Bam capital of Indiana. Tours of the barns will leave the courthouse square in Rochester at regular intervals throughout the three days. Visitors may choose one of three tours, which also include stops at a restored one-room schoolhouse and antique farm tractor dsplays. The annual Round Barn festival parade, attracting bands. and floats from throughout northern Indiana, will begin at 10 a m. Saturday. Special features in the festival this year are a period fashions dkess revue. Saturday at 6 p m.; a stage revue of hit Broadway songs on the courthouse square at 4pm and 7.30 p.m. Saturday; a

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A sJmSmHbS ANDERSON CLUBHOUSE — Most people living in the Barbee Lake area today would ask, “Where is it?” It is located just west of the bridge between Big and Little Barbee Lakes, known today as Barbee Landing.

journey from Warsaw to the hotel location. Destroyed, Rebuilt In 1922 the hotel was destroyed by fire and was rebuilt in 1923 by Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Lincoln of Indianapolis. Mr. Lincoln was a relative of President Abraham Lincoln. Many well known personalities stayed at the hotel.

western square dance Friday night of Eighth street and a muzzle loading rifle shoot Saturday and Sunday. All the tested festival features return. They include a Carnival of Arts show, concession booths featuring homemade foods and handcrafted items, a horse shoe pitch Saturday afternoon, flea market and antique show, a fanner's market and a firemen's waterball contest. There will be a water ski show on nearby Lake Manitou Sunday afternoon. The museum of the Fulton County Historical societywill be open daily. Sunday morning an outdoor church service will be held in front of the Fulton county library Much of the Festival's fame comes from its homemade foods. These include pancake and sausage breakfasts Saturday and Sunday, chicken and noodle dinners Saturday and Sunday, iron kettle ham and bean suppers daily and chicken barbecue daily. Most of the Festival activity centers in downtown Rochester, where visitors can secure information concerning the outlying events.

John Dillinger, the outlaw, stayed at the hotel periodically, while terrorizing this part of the state. Carol Lombard, famous movie star and one time wife of Clark Gable, frequently stopped overnight, to visit an uncle who lived near the Barbee Lakes. In 1944 the hotel was purchased by Mr. and Mrs Gray Riley. They operated it until 1954, when it was purchased by John and Velma Ball. The Balls came to the Barbee Lake area from Michigan. The Balls now reside at 201 North Maple street, Warsaw. Hudson Family Another oldtimer, Arnetta Hudson, started coming to the area in 1917 and built a cottage in 1920. Mr. and Mrs. Marvin (Bud) Lawson and son Rex, moved to the area in 1931. Mrs. Lawson is the daughter of Mrs. Hudson. Barbee Conservation Club The Barbee Conservation club was organized in 1932 by Gary Winders <of Indianapolis and Stanley Morgan. The first president was Clarence Buzzard. The present building was erected in the fall of 1938 and spring of

Historical attraction at New Harmony

Indiana has many interesting and often unique historical attractions to offer Hoosiers and out-of-state travelers. One historical site well worth including in vacation plans this summer is the community of New Harmony in southwestern Indiana Over 150 years agq, New Harmony was the site of one of this nation’s first experiments in communal living. Today, New Harmony reflects an aura of quiet beauty and simple charm to all who visit its several historical and unusual attractions. In 1814 Father George Rapp brought his followers, the Harmonists, from Germany to settle in their 30,000 acre purchase 27 miles northwest of Evansville.

You'll Find Them All At — BISHOP'S WAWASEE BOAT CO. Worth Shore - lohe Wawasee s Century little Dude ✓ Boston Whaler Johnson ✓ Hurricane 'l6' & '2o' s Silverline Sylvnn Starcraft Phone: 457-4404

1939. Bud Lawson was a charter member of the club. Barbee Hoosier club was organized in 1936 by Mrs. C. M. (Cara) Lincoln. Jot-Em-Down Store The Jot-Em-Down store, in the center of the Barbee Lake area, was started in 1932 by John Stover of Huntington. Herb Niccum owned the store for many year. The store has changed owners many times in the past several years. Christian Church Camp This reporter was unable to find much information on the Barbee Christian church camp. It is thought by some residents to have been started in the late forties or early fifties. The first channel was dug in Barbee Lake in 1946. Vacation Area The Barbee Lake chain is known fa- its summer sports at the present time: fishing, skiing, swimming, paddle boats, pontoons, sailing and during the winter, ice fishing. People travel many miles on week ends and for vacations to enjoy the Barbee Lakes area.

The Harmonists, holding property in common, built dormitory living quarters, a church, granery. brewery, saw-mill and brick yard, and linen, cotton and oil mills. 1 With a population of approximately 1,000 persons, the Harmonists soon produced far more than needed by the commune members and began to market the surplus. By 1824 the Harmonists left the commune and Robert Owen purchased the land to begin a new experiment in communal living. Owen believed that through improved environment, man’s character and habits could also be improved. Education was to be the keystone <rf the settlement.

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