SERVING HENDRICKS COUNTY SINCE 1847
Page 2
The Republican
Delving Into Yester~Year
Local historian and writer Paul Miner takes items from
The Republican’s Yester-Year column to develop an interesting, informative and often humorous article.
To the Editor: I found scant news about early Clayville, later known as Clayton, in perusing newspapers across Indiana, other than the Terre Haute & Richmond Railroad made stops there beginning in 1852. There were only 10 homes and 43 residents in 1836. Z.S. and W.A. Ragan advertised their Clayton Nursery in the Wabash Express of Terre Haute in April 1859. Northeast of town, they cultivated and sold fruit and ornamental trees, vines, shrubbery and flowers. Notice for sale of lots in Claysville from the Danville Weekly Their catalog included straw- Advertiser, November 1850. berries, gooseberries, currants, _________________________________________________ grapevines, raspberries, and more. Z.S. was on the Sheep Committee for the seventh Indiana State Fair in 1858. Hogs in great numbers were dying from cholera in Clayton’s vicinity in September 1859. Farmers around Clayton “got up a wood hauling frolic” of 53 loads in a single day in November 1863 for soldiers’ families. Clayton, Danville and other towns contributed to the Indiana Sanitary Commission in April 1864. The commission raised funds and supplies for soldiers in the field. I can’t say precisely what Clayton and Danville gave, but the overall collection included a pair of pants, 246 pairs of drawers, 230 handkerchiefs, seven pounds of lint (for wound dressings), 1,416 pounds of dried apples, 90 gallons of pickles, eight pounds of soap, 12 combs and 644 bottles of whiskey. The day after Lincoln was assassinated, Clayton and area citizens met to express their grief and outrage. Professor Smith of Danville spoke of now-President Andrew Johnson as “having erred and brought upon himself disgrace, but that he had solemnly sworn that he would never touch the vile stuff again.” The professor must have been referring to Lincoln’s inauguration of March 4 when Johnson, recovering from typhoid fever, had imbibed some whiskey to counter the symptoms, and as a result slurred his words during his vice-presidential inauguration address. Clayton’s Dr. Thomas Franklin Dryden served as a hospital steward in the 15th Indiana Infantry during the Civil War, acting as assistant surgeon, and surgeon, and “although a little bit radical, is a fine fellow,” the Indianapolis Daily Herald declared in late 1867. He arrived in Clayton in 1866 and practiced there until his death in 1896. Clayton’s George Woodfill was waylaid in Indianapolis in late November 1869 by three highwaymen who relieved him of $4,700 in cattle money. He offered a $1,000 reward for the recovery of his money and the thieves’ arrest. Indianapolis Mayor Daniel McCauley received a breathless letter in May 1870 from Clayton’s James Rynerson (Box 30) wherein he offered to heat the entire city and run all the manufacturing using “the fires within the earth.” Rynerson needed $150,000 for the machinery, and $500,000 “or thereabout” for labor. “You may think this is impossible; but nothing is impossible,” Rynerson wrote. “The fire is there!” Masked men attacked 79-year-old Jesse Mason, a wealthy farmer six miles southwest of Clayton near Cherry Grove in mid-October 1888, but the bravery of his unmarried 35-year-old daughter and teenage son saved him. A young Stilesville fellow known as an idler had seen Jesse receive cash from the sale of timber and he conspired with another to take it. That night during a downpour they knocked and asked for matches for a lantern and when Jesse turned they opened fire, miraculously missing him, before barging in. Grabbing a chair, Jesse’s daughter attacked an assailant. He caught her hand and forced it into his mouth, biting down on her fingers. The son then ran in with a double-barrel shotgun, laid it on his sister’s shoulder and fired buckshot, the muzzle but three inches from the man’s face. His lower jaw blown away, he fell dead. How the sister’s fingers remained intact mystifies me. The confederate, who later confessed, fled into the night. The three Masons, torn over what to do next, dragged the corpse outside before the son ran to alert neighbors. By midnight, horsemen were scouring the area for the other assailant. Hundreds hurried over muddy roads to the scene and at noon the corpse still lay in the yard. An older man from Stilesville drove up and recognized his son. Subsequently, a third man was identified as the one who put the other two up to the robbery and attempted murder, gave them whiskey, and was on the scene. He “skipped out for parts unknown.” Paul Miner Lizton ______________________________________________________________________
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It’s News To Us
Birthday parties, new babies, anniversaries, visits from long-lost cousins -these items that make up the kind of news you only find in the pages of The Republican. If you have a local news item you’d like to contribute, you can call us at 317-745-2777, send by fax to 317-647-4341, e-mail to therepublican@ sbcglobal.net or drop by the office at 6 East Main in Danville. Our deadline for submitting news items is noon on Monday for Thursday’s edition.
Thursday, April 22, 2021
Yester~Year
The Republican has published local news weekly since 1847. We offer this column as a look back at events from our archives and to help connect today’s readers to the people and events in our past. ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of April 23, 1896 Pecksburg: Sam Campbell, of Hadley, Sundayed here. New Winchester: Every body had his best girl out riding Sunday. A number were airing new rigs for the first time. Avon: Spring has clothed our little village in green, white and pink. Coatesville is up to date. We have a bicycle club composed of three members. C. Davis and T. Crews started on a great run Sunday but only got to Amo. Owing to the heat and Crew’s overweight, he couldn’t stand it. Robert West and Will Gentry moved to Reno the latter part of the week. They have formed a partnership and will engage in managing a store of general merchandise. Amo: W.W. Ralston is having a bay window attached to his home. W.R. McClelland’s term as school trustee expires this summer and he says that under no circumstances will he be a candidate for re-election. In all probability, there will be an effort to elect a woman to this position. There are many who think the mothers should be represented on the board and they will urge their views this year. C.F. Hall has a pair of carrier pigeons which afford him considerable sport. He is training them to fly from Indianapolis to Danville. He has released them at Gale and they reached Danville in twenty-five minutes. From Avon, they flew to town in forty minutes. They are young birds. Saturday night, a cloud was noticed over the moon that attracted much attention. The cloud assumed the appearance of a lady, all the features being plain and wonderfully life-like, even to the sleeves of her dress,which were large enough for the most stylish. The sight was most wonderful. _____ ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO Issue of April 28, 1921 Bonds will shortly be sold for the construction of the Erasmus Brewer road in Franklin township. This road has been “in the making” for thirteen years. Avon: Jim Francis has built him a little store on Ford wheels. With two standing stores and two rolling stores, this people ought to be well served. Clayton high school has the largest graduating class in the county this year, there being 26 members. D.H.S. Notes: Harold Thompson, the manager of the “Annual” this year, is expecting them from the printers the first of next week. Coatesville: Harry Gilbert is home from attending the Western School of Telegraphy at Chicago. Clayton: The Bee Keepers of Hendricks county will hold a meeting here at the auditorium on Wednesday evening, May fourth, at 7:30 o’clock, when a state bee man will be on hand to address the assembled. Avon: John Gipson, of Indianapolis, has established an office and is hauling water from the famous spring on the Gipson farm and selling it in the city. Mushroom hunters were out in full force Sunday and farmers report that hills and valleys for miles around were scoured and combed clean of every sort of fungus growth that looked like it might be edible. Lee Bolton’s artists have just completed a large papering contract – that of making the interior of the sheriff’s residence look like new. The ceilings are high and the work was equivalent to a house of twenty ordinary rooms. The beautiful home west of town known as “Herschel-Anna” has been listed for sale. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, the owners, will probably occupy their residence on West Marion street. Dr. Thomas R. Barker is arranging to build a handsome new office building of brick on the site of his office. _____ SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of April 25, 1946 The first Avon Alumni banquet and dance since the beginning of the war in 1941 will be given at the Avon Gymnasium, Saturday evening, April 27. Miss Kathryn Westphal, daughter of Mrs. Jane M. Westphal, and Herschel A. Gentry, son of Mr. and Mrs. H.A. Gentry, all of Pittsboro, were united in marriage at the Pittsboro Christian church, Saturday afternoon. Principal E.H. McCleary, Lizton high school, presented diplomas to the eight members of the class. Danville’s high school track team won the Mid-State Conference track meet, Wednesday afternoon, at Washington high
school, Indianapolis. Bernard Deerr, first baseman, was elected captain of the Central Normal baseball team last week. A senior, Deerr is a veteran and has distinguished himself for his steady play and qualities of leadership. The Advisory board of Center Township, Trustee Ed Smith and Carey W. Gaston, attorney, met Thursday afternoon to consider a petition for the authorization of issuance of bonds amounting to $11,500 to cover cost of an addition to the Center Township school building. Prosecutor Lindol L. Lawson is confined to his home suffering from chicken pox. His son, Linn, recently recovered and his daughter, Sarah Ann, now has the disease. _____ FIFTY YEARS AGO Issue of April 22, 1971 Mrs. Marti McCoy of Danville took the “Best of Show” Sweepstakes award on her “Archaeological Doodle” at the 17th annual Hendricks County Art League Exhibit in the rotunda of the court house. The Senior Citizens of Hendricks County met, April 14, and celebrated their first anniversary with a covered dish luncheon at the Democratic Headquarters, Danville. The “Adobe Hacienda” of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Martin, Sr., 748 W. Mill street, Danville, will be featured on the third annual Tri Kappa Home Tour, May 15. Open auditions are set for Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m., by the Proscenium Performers of Brownsburg for their next play, “Don’t Drink the Water,” by Woody Allen. Thom Dean of Coatesville is among eight Indiana State University students majoring in music to have been named to the policy board planning ISU’s 35th annual Songfest, May 7. Amo: Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie Travelsted are the parent of a daughter, born April 17. She has been named Suzanne. The Danville Community Art Show, sponsored by the Delta Kappa Chapter of Tri Kappa will be in the Hendricks County Court House, April 26-May 1. Charles E. Hall has been officially appointed post master at Lizton. David Paul Allen, R.R. 1, Danville, has been named one of the 71 “Outstanding Students of 1971” at Butler University. _____ TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of April 18, 1996 Hendricks County Clerk Connie Lawson introduces the new PC and “big screen” television at the new Government Center, Danville, where the public will see a “rolling” election update on the TV. A new program offered at Hendricks Community Hospital, “Kids in the Kitchen,” is a hands-on learning experience geared for kids ages 8 to 12 years. The Greater Danville Chamber of Commerce announced the recent sale of 3.8 acres in its Commerce Park to Alitec Corp., which becomes the sixth business to locate in the business complex. Altec is a manufacturer of construction equipment. The second annual Avon Haunted Bridge Flea Market & Craft Festival will be Saturday, August 17, on the grounds of the Avon Junior Athletic Association. On Saturday, May 11, Danville Tri Kappa will have a Mothers Day/Spring Plant Sale in the Huntington Bank parking lot. The first annual Junior Golf Clinic and Tournament for ages 8-18 will be in June at the Hendricks County Golf Course, Danville. _____ TEN YEARS AGO Issue of April 21, 2011 Monday night, Danville Community High School senior Logan Cooper signed his official papers with the University of Indianapolis. He will play tight end for the Greyhounds this fall. It was an evening of sartorial splendor and indescribable talent at DCHS as six juniors and six seniors competed for the coveted title of Mr. Warrior. The title was awarded to senior Pierson Gulley. Vincennes University will located its new logistics center factory training equipment, classrooms, and state-of-the-art laboratories in Plainfield. Hendricks County Parks and Recreation is proud to announce the new Naturalist at McCloud Nature Park, Joe Reagin. The Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Hendricks County hosted a Service of Installation of the Rev. Andy Burnette on Sunday, April 17, at the church, 95 N. Jefferson, Danville. A surprise birthday gala was held April 9th for Jeff Herzog’s big 50th at the Roachdale VFW. __________
