The Mail-Journal, Volume 26, Number 25, Milford, Kosciusko County, 5 August 1987 — Page 13

Syracuse: An unusual hometown

|By JANET FENSTERMACHER I HOLLOWAY The sesquicentennial celebration marked 150 years that Syracuse has existed as a town and I lived there only parts of three of those years. Why, then, do I claim Syracuse as my home town and boast of the fact that I was graduated from the old Syracuse High School in 1951? Why have I subscribed to The Mail-Journal for so many years and yet don’t even know anyone well enough anymore to stop for a visit when I return to the area? As I read of the festivities held this summer, I began to analyze my feelings about this place which was such a brief but pleasant part of my life. To a 16-year-old girl raised in small north Indiana towns with a predominately rural atmosphere, moving to the resort area of Syracuse in 1950 was quite exciting. I knew nothing about the area even though my family had owned property on nearby Lake Webster for many years. During the first few weeks of my life in Syracuse, I learned a great deal about the community — far more than I had learned about other towns I had lived in., There were probably two reasons for this: the area, being resort in nature, was far more interesting than most, and the residents, even the teenagers, were very proud of the diversity and uniqueness of their hometown. The young people I made friends with, students at the old Syracuse High School, seemed to be authorities on the area and I soon received a great amount of information about my new home. They told me that the population of the Syracuse area was 1,600 in the winter and 16,000 in the summer. They knew which roads to follow and which turns to take to drive around the lakes, a favorite pastime during those three summers. They also knew who owned many of the cottages and also were familiar with the eating places around the lake. I remember the last day of school my senior year. One of the girls borrowed a friend’s convertible and six or seven more piled into it at noon. We drove to the old Louie’s Grill where we ate lunch and, as I remember, barely got back to school on time. Louie’s Grill was just one of many places in which to eat. Around the lake there were also The Guide, The Mandarin Inn, The Italian Villa, The Frog, The Sleepy Owl and Pennington’s A & W Drive-In. This was the end of the era of the lakeshore hotels and Johnson’s Hotel was still in operation. The Oakwood Hotel, at a church camp, was and still is a good place to go for an old-fashioned Sunday dinner after church. Our junior-senior prom was held at the South Shore Inn which provided a lovely setting for moonlit walks along the lake. I was saddened a few years later when the inn burned to the ground. No Village! Wawasee Village did not exist (almost the only business south of the city limits was the Overhead Door Company) and the only shopping “center” was downtown. I sometimes wondered how the few small grocery stores kept the lake and town population supplied with food. The area where Wawasee Village is now was where the July 4th fireworks display was held in pre-Flotilla days and before the current businesses began to spring up like mushrooms. On the south edge of town and out on Road 13 were Nelson’s Drive-In, Ferris’s Restaurant, and Morgan’s Drive-In. The latter was where we went to get their delicious strawberry pie and to meet boys from other towns. In town, the eateries consisted of the Wawasee Case, the Syracuse Case and the Dixie Grill where I worked as a waitress from 1950 to 1953. One could also get homemade sandwiches and sundaes at Thornburg’s Drug Store across the street. The lake area was a good place for young people to find work, especially in the summer because of the increased population. Golf courses and marinas were good places for the boys to work and many girls worked in the restaurants and drjve-ins. I was fascinated with the reversal of the seasons. In winter, the town seemed much like other towns I’d lived in with similar school and church activities to fill the long, cold months. And, as I had never been around a lake in the winter, I was interested in how desolate and yet strangely attractive it was with the emptyo cottages and the oft-frozen lake. The cottages seemed to be resting after a long, exciting summer and looking forward to the next one. I enjoyed being able to see the lake and cottages better without both people and leaves to obstruct my vision. A Double Life Perhaps the most impressive aspect about the Syracuse area was the way the people readily accepted the “double life.” With the advent of summer, I learned to look forward to Memorial Day weekend when most people came to open their cottages. I was surprised that the “locals” were not resentful of these people who

came and almost took over the town. I soon saw how the summer season was the most important time of the year for the businesses in Syracuse. The churches also enjoyed increased attendance and this was quite an adjustment for my family. My father was minister of the Methodist Church and we were used to summer being quite a slow season for activities. But at Syracuse, attendance was greater and more activities were held then than in non-resort towns. More than once, I was surprised to find that a certain couple or family, quite active, were not local members and would be returning to their own church in perhaps Indianapolis or Fort Wayne in the fall. I felt a little jealous of that “other” church and couldn’t believe that those people did not belong to us. I was in awe of the “lakers”, even though I discovered that they were not the “snobs” I expected them to be. (I forgot that I was a laker to the people at North Webster.) I envied those people their stylish sports attire, their speed boats and their carefree summers. I was amazed that many women and children moved to the area for the summer and the men commuted on weekends — I couldn’t grasp the affluence that made this lifestyle possible. But, in spite of the wealth and city sophistication of the lakers, I found that they were very nice people and not really so different from people in the towns I had lived in. No Ordinary Resort Most of the lakes I had visited had from very modest to fairly nice cottages but I was not prepared for the elaborate structures that werC fairly common on Wawasee. I had never heard of cottages that were winterized and even seemed to be as completely finished as permanent homes. I was told that some people spent time at their cottages in the winter to take advantage of the ice-fishing. Aud, of course, I was astonished at places such as the Eli Lilly estate. I began to realize that Wawasee was no ordinal resort area. I heard the stories of how the SpinksWawasee Hotel harbored Chicago gangsters during the 1920 s and was amused to learn that the hotel had been converted to a Catholic monastery as though that could atone for protecting the hoodlums of that violent era. I enjoyed the few opportunities I had to go inside some of the lovely summer homes. Occasionally our family was invited to the cottage of one of our summer church attenders for Sunday din-

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ner. After dinner we would visit while gazing across the lake and often take a speed boat ride. There were several times when my friends took me to visit in some cottages which were doubling as permanent homes. And on one occasion, a friend and I went with her father, an electrician, who was asked to repair the wiring in a basement recreation room. We were fascinated with the nautical decor; a sea scene mural on all four walls had cutout areas for the windows in the ships and lighthouses with tiny lightbulbs glowing through them This was also where I had my first experience with black live-in servants and we were met at the door by an elderly housekeeper we never did see the owners. The most enchanting and mysterious place was the Eli Lilly estate and we drove past it many times, wondering what it must be like inside. I am ho less curious today. My senior year was spent typically; I was busy as editor of the school newspaper (which was printed each week in the Syracuse paper) and literary editor of the yearbook. I was active in the music groups; the girls’ trio I was in entertained at various community functions and went to the state vocal contest. I was in the senior class play, won an essay contest sponsored by the local bank and achieved other academic honors. In my leisure time I was an avid fan of the school basketball team, worked an evening or two each week at the Dixie Grill, sang in the church choir, became a member of the local debutante group called The Junior Ladies, and went to movies at the Pickwick Theater. It was a happy year with good friends and good times. When summer came, we were glad for it and soon were involved in its pleasures. There certainly was no lack of things to do with the lakes providing swimming, boating, and water-skiing. These were days of no concerns as we boated sans lifejackets (we did have some in the boat), swam at night, and swam in areas with no lifeguards. I trusted my friends when they said they knew where the dropoffs were but weren’t we foolish! During the lazy afternoons, we often walked part way around the lake or at least to one of the miniature golf course where we would play for a while. We made friends with some of the young people who were summering in their cottages and never tired of “laker-watching.” There was no dirth of young people to make friends with for Wawasee was the place to go if you were from nearby places such as Nappanee,

Goshen, or Cromwell. We at Syracuse seldom left the area for a date or evening’s entertainment for we had no need to; we could even go square or round dancing at the Waco Dance Hall. Another of our favorite pastimes was to boat across Syracuse Lake to the channel connecting it to Wawasee where we tied up at Pennington’s DriveIn and bought our lunch. Mrs. P. baked pies daily and there was always a wonderful variety which we invariably indulged in. Then we would continue through the channel and dock at the Oakwood Hotel where we would swim and sun for an hour or so. When we got back to Syracuse it would be time for me to go to work at the “Dixie.” Town Came Alive I loved working the evening shift at the Dixie Grill because this was the time of the day when the town came alive. The day belonged to business and the local residents but at night the town was transformed and taken over by the lakers. These folks had spent the day on and in the lake and now, with the darkness, they came to town to shop, attend a movie, or frequent a tavern or lounge. The Pickwick Lounge was well-known for its live entertainment brought in from out-of-town and the Dixie stayed open on weekends until the last show was over. We could always expect a large group of people who came from the Pickwrick and weren’t yet ready to give up the evening. And many times we stayed open to feed the entertainers themselves as they unwound after an evening of work. These people seemed so sophisticated and I soon saw why they loved working in the late night hours, not wanting the day to end. My hours became much like theirs: sleeping until noon or later each day and working sometimes until 2 a.m. My remembrances of the local people are quite fond. Several of my schoolmates have become staunch members of the community. I have kept track of many by watching for familiar names in The Mail-Journal over the years. I have seen notices of marriages and births and deaths and I feel as though I have been watching the community from some exalted position. Prominent business people at the time included Doug Pilcher of the shoe store; Chris Kober in insurance; “Pop” Kroh of Thornburg’s; Noble Blocker, banker; “Si” Hire, appliances; Bart Cox with the newspaper; Fred By land, town marshal; and, unforgettably, Blanche and Frank Bates, owners of the Dixie Grill. The

Bates’ were quite colorful people and I remember many interesting episodes of their dealings with their patrons. They introduced me to many of the prominent lake people, among whom were the Hirshmans and the Eli Lillys. My teachers were kindly, gentle people including Lillian Hamman, Loren Longenbaugh, Leonard Barnhart, and Willard Gustafson. Miss Hamman was my English teacher and I still remember somtf of her philosophies. One was that she never gave an “A plus” grade because that would indicate that the student knew all there was to know and she was sure that was not ever true. I felt cheated by that theory but was a little inclined to see her point. “Gus,” our music teacher, worked hard with our band and chorus; he was a good friend and loved to tease us by switching the initial sounds of our names. The principal. Court Slabaugh, was convinced that I would never finish college, that I would quit to get married “like all the girls do.’’ I proved him wrong but never had the chance to tell him. Class Trip ’’ My senior class, 14 boys and 14 girls, enjoyed a class trip to the Shades State Park, chaperoned by Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Auer.,On the way home, we promised each other that we would not drift apart and we would definitely have a 10-year reunion. To my knowledge, it didn’t happen, although I have received invitations to the annual Syracuse Alumnae Association reunions. However, this year several of the class members organized a 36th year reunion and I was tempted to attend. But after over 30 years of not having any contact with most of them, I was reluctant. So what is it that makes me cling to the memories I have of my days at Syracuse? Maybe it’s the resort aunuspiiere, the friendly people I associated with, the number of interesting places to eat. Perhaps it’s the variety of activities one can be involved with, the change of the seasons at the lake, the quaint or lovely cottages, the memories of my senior year. Maybe it is the sophistication of the area with its almost urban atmosphere, the excitement of the “night life”, or the relaxation of the lazy summer days. Or maybe.,. it’s all of those things. For certainly, no town or city I’ve lived in before or since had all of those wonderful attributes. I’m proud to call Syracuse my home town.

l i “DIAL BEFORE YOU DIG BOOTH" TEAM MEMBERS — Harriett Ladd and Sharon Dustin, members of the United Telephone Community Relations Team make final plans for the “Dial Before You Dig” booth located in the Merchants Building at the Kosciusko County Fair. The booth will give information about location of utility property before digging.

'Dial before you dig' booth at fair

The United Telephone Warsaw Community Relations Team, along with employees of Northern Indiana Public Service Company, have a booth at the Kosciusko County Fair this year to highlight the statewide “dial before you dig” program. The program is designed to prevent damage to utility property which results in millions of dollars in property loss, personal injury and equipment failure every year. The booth will give information about the toll-free number people are encouraged to call to locate any utility equipment before they dig. There will also be pictures at the booth which show the damage done

Auction for Camp Millhouse

For years, Camp Millhouse has been available to all campers, regardless of ability to pay, because of generous support. However, the aging process has set in and Camp Millhouse is in need of a facelift To comnlete this job, a new series of fundraising events will be held in South Bend. “Theatre Night” at University Park East Cinema will be held later this year. A date has not as yet been set for this event. The annual pancake breakfast will be held September 27 at the camp. The “main event” of the year will be on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m. as the Children’s Dispensary and Camp Millhouse sponsor a benefit auction at St. Patrick’s Park, South Bend. The purpose of this auction will be to

Wed., August 5,1987 — THE MAIL-JOURNAL

when people do work without having located utility property first. The need to make customers aware is more critical during the warm weather months, according to Nanette Frantz, Community Relations Manager for United. Frantz added that the new fiber optic cable being installed by the telephone industry is very small and “can be cut easily without someone being aware of it if they haven’t bothered to have it located. It is also very costly to repair.” Persons attending the fair are encouraged to stop by the booth in the Merchants Building for information and to register for the prizes to be given away during fair week.

raise money specifically for a new kitchen at Camp Millhouse. The kitchen is serving 1,600 meals per week — far more than it was designed to accommodate. Anyone wishing to donate items for the auction should call the Children s Dispensary/Camp Millhouse office at 234-1169 by September 1. Largest lake The world’s largest lake is the Caspian Sea, says National Geographic. Houseplants need extra food, too Houseplants need extra food now to support new growth. Repot those that have outgrown their container and groom to reshape.

Old engine show in Michigan The St. Joe Valley Old Engine Association, Inc., will hold its 27th annual show on August 7, 8 and 9 from 9 am. to 6 p.m. at the Boot Hill Ranch, 1% miles east of Jones, Mich., on Bair Lake Street. Among those items on display will be steam and gas engines, tractors, sawmills, a threshing machine and a stationary baler. A steam tablets available for those having small models. All exhibitors will be given ribbons, plaques and free primitive camping. Display cards will also be furnished to identify their exhibits. The club will have booths selling barbecue chicken, pork chops, ribs, pie and ice cream. The Chuck Wagon from Marcellus will serve breakfast plus other food. The Three Rivers Civitan Club will have cotton candy, sno cones and homemade doughnuts. Entertainment will be provided by area bands and clown groups. Boy Scout Troop #414, sponsored by the Nazarene Church of Three Rivers, will be in charge of the flag raising and parking. There will be an area for flea markets with space available for a minimal charge per day. On Sunday, there will be a church service from 9:15-10 a.m. Pastor Carr from the Corey Church of the Nazarene will be the guest speaker. There will also be special music. There will be an admission fee charged per person, 12 and older, for the show (reduced fee admission for Friday’s show). Anyone wishing to bring an exhibit or needing more information may contact Gordon Bickel, president, at 616-244-8689; or Daisy Wagner, advertising chairman, at 616-435-7241. Serving our country

BRIAN M. YODER Army Pvt. Brian M. Yoder, son of Richard E. and Dardanella Yoder, r 3, Warsaw, has arrived for duty with the 394th Aviation Battalion, West Germany. Yoder, an aircraft electrician, is a 1985 graduate of Warsaw Community Senior High School. His wife, April is the daughter of Hanford D. Hall of Warsaw, and Etha M. Hall, Milford

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