www.thepaperofwabash.com LOCAL POSTAL
PO Box 603, Wabash, IN 46992 (260) 563-8326
PATRON
Southwood’s boys basketball season comes to an end — Page 11 March 24, 2021
Proudly Serving Wabash County Since 1977
Saving history
Work to begin this summer on Hero Memorial
By Mandy Mahan mmahan@thepaperofwabash.com
“What’s interesting is that once you read one of the student newspapers, you want to read more”
FREE
Vol. 44, No. 2
Honoring heroes
Wabash High School launches online archive
Jeff Galley, Wabash High School vice principal and former history teacher, has had an interest in the past for as long as he can remember. He attributes his love of the past to family vacations that always included historical stops. “Those trips instilled a love of history in me that never left. It’s a large reason I became a history teacher. To teach others to have that same love and to understand the past and how it relates to who we are today,” he said. This passion for history has led him to start the Wabash High School Historical Archives, a virtual folder to hold documents and relics that supplement the history of WHS. “This year, Wabash High School is 152 years old and in May will be graduating our 149th senior class. Our current building was built in 1925, that’s 96 years and yet is as strong and beautiful as the day the doors first opened to students,” Galley told The Paper of Wabash County. “When you add in the fact that each student, all the teachers, staff and administrators, during those 152 years was a living, breathing, person, that’s a lot of stories that make up who we are as a school and community today. Stories that need to be told, stories that we want to tell. The fact that we still have so many of these original student publications and virtually all the student yearbooks that have ever been published by the high school, gives us the perfect opportunity to tell our story.” Galley first started sharing stories from the past through social media, and with positive feedback, decided to start the archives. “Over time I kept hearing people talk at how nice it was to see the old stories and pictures,” he said. “People would comment on the post about their time at Wabash High School and some of the things they remembered. One thing led to another and several weeks ago I met with our building IT about being able to put scanned documents on our website. Less than an hour later, things were set up and, as they say, the rest is history.” Galley has first started with finding and uploading the school newspapers. “I always knew we had ‘The Orange and Black’ as a student newspaper but in going through things I’ve discovered that in 1928 and 1929 we had what was called “The Wabash High Weekly” and I even found a single student newspaper from 1979 entitled “The Tomahawk Times.” Currently on the site we have student newspapers dating back to 1903 and 1904.” Although Galley hasn’t had much of a chance to look into the website metrics to see if the archives have been popular, he is confident that these archives are important and will draw people in. “What’s interesting is that - Jeff Galley once you read one of the student newspapers, you want to read more,” said Galley. “Not because the stories directly relate to us as they did to the students of the day but because the names of people in them are familiar. Names like O.J. Neighbours, and L.H. Carpenter, names that adorn school buildings today, Wabash are used in the school newspaHigh School pers to describe the actions of a vice principal then superintendent and princiJeff Galley uses a pal. Names of former community phone app to scan members like Phil Magner and Jack old student newsPorter, names of people that I myself papers to the had the honor of knowing, are the WHS Historical Continued on Page 7 Archives. Photo by Mandy Mahan.
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID WABASH, IN PERMIT NO. 233
Officials from Visit Wabash County, in partnership with the City of Wabash, is pleased to announce a Hero Memorial to be installed in late summer 2021. The memorial will be located just north of the Wabash River on south Wabash Street and will replace the hero banner program that launched in 2019 and concludes in the fall of 2021. “The Hero Banner Program was an incredible success,” said Christine Flohr, executive director of tourism for Visit Wabash County who helped manage the project on behalf of the City. “There are so few lampposts available compared to the number of individuals who wanted to purchase a banner in honor of their loved one, especially when you have to take into account the lampposts that hold Christmas decorations in the winter months. The Mayor A look at what the Hero and I knew we wanted to Memorial will look like. come up with another option Photo provided that would allow for more citizens to show gratitude for those who have served or are currently serving in the military, fire, and safety field.” The design for the hero memorial was created by David Hines, local engineer for Schlemmer Brothers Metalworks. The memorial will include three 7-foot stainless steel pillars with decorative caps. Each pillar will have the ability to display the names of 252 heroes. “The hero banner program was an idea I had seen in another community several years ago and thought it was a wonderful way to pay tribute to those who have served selflessly,” said Mayor Scott Long. “The response was humbling and overwhelming, and we recognized almost immediately that 133 “The response was available lampposts weren’t humbling and overwhelming, going to be enough going forward.” and we recognized almost The Hero Banner program is immediately that 133 available slated to end in September of this year, with all of the banners lampposts weren’t going to be being returned to the purchaser. enough going forward.” The future Hero Memorial will allow for people to purchase a - Mayor Scott Long recognition name plate to honor their hero, however, unlike the banners, the recognition plates will be on display permanently. The cost of the recognition plates along with a grant that was received from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs will help cover the expense of the installation of the Hero Memorial and its upkeep. “I am proud to have served my country and my community in the military and as a police officer,” said Long, “and I will never forget the brothers and sisters that I had the honor to serve alongside. Let this memorial pay tribute to their sacrifice for generations to come.” The on-sale date for recognition plates for the new Hero Memorial will be released later this spring by Visit Wabash County who will oversee the new program.
Published Weekly, Read Daily
FREE