HENRY COUNTY HISTORICALOG
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OFFICERS
John M. Jordan, President
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TPUSTEES
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Richard Pickering Ratcliff, Chairman
Mrs. Wilma L. Wampler Kern
Bohn lce
Mrs. Dorotha Hoover White
Mrs. Katherine Chesick Smith
Mrs. Mary E. Caldwell, Curator
Mrs. Bertha Van Hoy. Asst. Curator
Mrs. Mildred Davis, Asst. Curator
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Gerald A. Myers, Vice-President
Mrs. Mary Clift Morris, Secretary
Mrs. Mary Walcott, Financial Secretary
Mrs. Mary S. Wayman, Treasurer
lVeryslefter ol the Henry County Historical Society, Inc.
Telephone:
525-4028
_
APRIL, 1887
614 South 14th Street
New Castle, lndiana 47362
FOUNDED
Museum Hours:
M
onday th rou gh Saturday,
1:00 - 4:30 P.M.
Closed Sunday
Fall, 1973
Volume 1, Number 2
86th Semi-Annual Meeting
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October 18, 1973
"Electric Railroads in Henry County" w¡ll be Miles Marshall's subject
when he addresses the Henry County Historical Society Thursday
even¡ng, October 18 in the restored home of General William Grose. The evening will begin at 5:30 p.m. when the business sess¡on will be called to order.
Reports of the officers and trustees will be given in adddition to spec¡al reports. At 6:30 a light supper will be served with Marshall's program set for
7:30 p.m.
Miles Marshall is a native of PrairieTownship, Henry County. His parents
were Dr. L. C. and Burnice Marshall. Dr. Marshall was a pract¡c¡ng Mt. Summit physician for 50 years. Miles attended school at Mt. Summit and lndiana
University and is married to the former Cynthia Miller of Rush County.
Active in the affairs of Henry County for many years, Miles Marshall
farmed near Springport for 25 years, has served as Henry Circuit Court bailiff,
and ¡s a former member of the Henry County Election Board. Presently, the
featured speaker is the Emergency Employment administrator for Henry
County and a member of the board of d¡rectors of the Whitewater Valley
Railroad. The goal of this group is to restore the railroad along the towpath
of the historic Whitewater Canal. By the end of this year the W.V.R. hopes to
offer short passenger trips between Brookville, Metamora, Laurel, Alpine and
Connersville.
In September Mr. Marshall, his wife Cynthia, and his son and daughterin-law John and Ruth Marshall, purchased the Henry County News, lnc.,
which published "The News Republican," a weekly reach¡ng 2,500 Henry
County homes. Miles Marshall is a dedicated student of Henry County history and a former pres¡dent of the Henry County Historical Society, serving
from 1960 until 1965. Those of us who have heard him speak at club meetings and last year at various sesqu¡centenn¡al events on such subjects as
"Railroads of Henry County" and "Medicine Men of Mechanicsburg," eagerly
anticipate his address before the Historical Society.
President's Corner
As your Henry County Historical Society president since May and vicepresídent before that, I continue to be so very pleased and grateful for the
support, cooperation and encouragement given to the society program by my
fellow officers, the trustees, the curators, and membership and the county
off icials.
Thanks to this team effort, you will note the most recent improvements in
the museum and on the grounds when you visit. (For details, see the Trustees'
Progress Report.)
Even though many changes have been made with much progress the
result during the past several years, we still have more plans and hopes for
the future. In the back of our minds remains the dream of expansion so that
there will be more exhibit areas and larger meeting facilities. We earnestly
solicit your support in projects to come.
Let me emphasize that this is YOUR historical society and we welcome
your suggestions and criticisms. Also, from time to time, we need volunteer
help. lf you would be willing to donate some time, let us know. ln closing, I
sincerely hope you will be able to attend our semi-annual meeting October
18 at
the museum.
-JOHN
M. JORDAN
President, Henry Co. Historical Society
Trustees' Progress Report
One of the display areas generally excluded from any recent tour of the
Historical Museum has been the Hoosier Summer Kitchen. Following a
thorough renovation, some remodeling and restoration in the spring of 1969,
the "outside" kitchen proved to be one of the most popular areas of the
Grose mansion during the summer and fall of that year. But by the summer
of 1970 we regretfully locked the door to the general public for two reasons:
(1) the sifting of dirt from the ceiling made housekeeping impossible, and
(2) the room was the only safe repository for groundskeeping equipment
such as power mowers, gasoline containers, rakes, etc.
hardly aesthetically
compatible company for 19th century kitchen artifacts.-During the last year
another problem became evident: the roof not only leaked soot and dirt; it also
leaked rain-like a sieve! ln the spring "Henry County Historicalog" we indicated that the summer kitchen would be reopened this summer following the
installation of a ceiling. We didn't quite make the schedule, but by this time we
have happy solutions to report to you.
Thanks to the civic and historic concerns of a gracious lady in Spiceland,
we are pleased to announce the perfect gift of a small building to house our
,-
groundskeeping equipment: an old-fashioned smokehouse to be placed on
the lawn separate and apart from the Grose mansion. This is the gift of Mrs.
Grace Myer Hoover-a gift from her property to ours for al! to see and appreciate. The building measures 12'x16'x 12' and is painted white. lt is a
prime example of the 19th century smoke house, a building necessary to the
life style of any well-ordered 19th century household. Mrs. Hoover tells us
that her donation was influenced by memories of her late husband, Clifford
Hoover, serving Henry County as a former trustee of the Historical Society
and as a former county commissioner. lt is interesting to note that her son,
Myer Hoover, presently serves as a county commissioner. Out eternal thanks
to Mrs. Hoover for a gift that not only enriches, but also functions.
Our other problem-the leaks in the roof-has now been resolved. We
have awarded a contract to the Jennings Lumber Company, New Castle, for
removal of the old roof and replacement with plywood plus asphalt No. 240
shingles and galvanized roof edge. As we go to press, we have a pledge that
the work will be finished in time for you to see at the semi-annual meeting,
weather permitting. Let's hope for lots of those bright blue days this autumn.
The rewiring of the entire Historical Society Museum has now been completed. Charles W. Jones, Jr., our electrician from Springport, told me in
electrician's lingo that he put irì a "100 amp main and a complete re-wire"
and that if it were not for the energy crisis, we could turn on every light in
the building, plus two coffee makers, the ref rigerator and the electric rangeall at the same time-and nothing would blow! We've come a long way.
With the installation of carpet, we can now show you the Clothing Collection Room as a compteted project. Since the annual meeting in May we have
received f rom Roger Hammer two additional mannequins which have been
used quite effectively to exhibit period costumes. Because the unusual shape
of the Clothing Collection Room required some lengths of carpet not totally
used, it was possible to carpet the back stairs with the extra amount. This was
a coincidental bonus improvement.
Many of you have contributed pictures of various types and sizes to the
Henry County Historical Society and many others have had occasion to use
them from time to time. Would you have any idea how many pictureswe have?
During this past summer Richard P. Ratcliff, chairman of the board of trustees, spent untold hours indexing these pictures-all 1,000 of them. They are
now stored alphabetically and there is a cross-referenced index for easy
identification. Certainly Chairman Ratcliff deserves a big vote of thanks for
this tedious labor, which would have been attempted only by a dedicated
historian.
You will notice that the grounds look especially neat and well-cared for
this autumn. Our thanks to Bill Stairs and his daughter Margaret for this excellent and regular care of the lawn this year. Chairman Ratcliff also em-
ployed some members of the Spiceland Lions Club to help with brush clearing
and tree trimming early in the season.
At the August board meeting President John M. Jordan called our attention
to the need for revision or reconstruction of the Constitution and By-Laws of
the Henry Couny Historical Society. The constitution supposedly operative
at the present time was written and adopted in 1901. Many amendments have
been added over the years and the last proposals for revision were made in
1942. The instrument has become lengthy and cumbersome and obsolete.
I quote Rule No, 7: "Persons are forbidden to trespass upon the grounds or
buildings of the Society, and horses must not be hitched upon the grounds
except at place provided therefor and the custodian or other person in charge
must enforce this rule." Perhaps an overhaul is long overdue. A committee
was duly appointed for revision or reconstruction of the Constitution and will
be working at this task during the coming months. You will hear more of this
actÍvity at the annual meeting next spring.
Meanwhile, we look forward to greeting you on the evening of October
See you then.
L. (WAMPLER) KERN
Trustee of the Society
-wrLMA
ln Memoriam
Miss Mamie Applegate, New Castle
Mrs. Floyd (Erma) Fields, New Castle
Chester Kellam, New Lisbon
Mrs. Ralph (Helen) Bean, Spiceland
Dwight S. Beckner, New Castle
Mrs. A. O. (Lillie) Harding, New Castle
Attendance Figures
Total Attendance I'19721:
3,407
Attendance, January 1 through September 19, 1973 - - 2,034
School groups 1 B; Scout groups 18; Adult groups 6.
Our out-of-state visitors totalèd 119 for the first nine months of
this year,
Dues
Have you remembered your annual duesT lf you have forgotten to pay, please send $1.00 to Mrs.
E. O. Walcott, Financial Secretary,628 South 14th Street. New Castle, lndiana 47362. Forthose who are
not now members, this is a good time to join!
18.
For The Record
As of September 20, 1973, membership in the Henry County Hístorical Society totals 903, an
April meet¡ng. The breakdown ís as follows:
increase of 40 since our
Our
goal
Henry County
Indiana (Outs¡de Henry Counry)
Out-of-State ------
---- 558
-------176
169
1,000 members in 19741 We can reach this goal with your help.
Welcome New Members
Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Pierce, Hagerstown
Mrs. Martha Keith, New Castle
Mrs. Howard Huddleston, Cambridge City
Mrs. Connie Nelson, New Castle
Mr. & Mrs. Lee Shaffer, Sulphur Springs
Mrs. Olive Draper, New Castle
Mr. & Mrs. Alvis Pfenninger, New Castle
Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Myers, Springport
Mr. Ralph Bean, Spiceland
Mrs. John Dunaway, New Castle
Mrs. Stanley Warner, New Castle
Mr. & Mrs. George Conkin, New Castle
Mrs. Evangeline Peckinpaugh, New Castle
Jefferson Township Public Library, Hagerstown
Mrs. Dale R. Hopkins, Ft. Worth, Texas
Recent G¡fts
Mrs. Catherine Reynolds Parrett, Falls Church, Va
Mr. John Leonard, Florissant, Missouri
Mr. Andrew J. Crawford, Fairborn, Ohio
Mr. & Mrs. R.L. Hoover, Chicago, lllinois
Mrs. Fay Abrams, New Castle
Mrs. C. K. Raber, New Castle
Mr. John D. Allen, New Castle
Mrs. Lorena Sheetz, Lewisville
Mr. Wilford Thompson, Lewiwille
Mr. Rick Gann, New Castle
Miss Virginia Dickerson, New Castle
Miss Nina Hogue, New Castle
Mr. William Wessler, New Castle
Mrs. Willard Matti*, Middletown
Mrs.' R obert Wisehart, Middletown
to the Museum
Two white Sunday aprons, from Mrs. Maynard (Odessa Painter) Miller of Springport . . . . . 1864 wedding
dress, from Mrs. Thomas C. Evans of Spiceland. The dress had belonged to Mrs. Marcus Pickering, of Cadiz,
grandmother of Mrs. Evans
36-Star American Flag was presented by Mrs. Gurney Gray, New Castle.
The flag was carried by Capt. Richard Henry Harrison Tyner in the Civil War. Mrs. Gray also presented us
withasurgical kitcarriedbyElizabethMelville,anurseduringWorldWarl.....FromMrs.MargaretJones
Millikan we received one framed c€rt¡f¡cate for two shares of stock in the Northern Turnpike Company of
lndiana. The certificate wassigned by John Minesinger and was issued to Wesley Goodwin in 1859. Mrs.
Millikan also presented us with an elaborate baby dress found in the attic of the Maur¡ce Goodwin home
. . . . . Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, sent us their final report on the excavat¡ons of the lndian
Mounds on Elliott Avenue, New Castle . . . . . Richard P. Ratcliff of Spiceland presented us with a genealcigy
of the Symons Family
Mrs. W.G. Smith, Spiceland, gave us a copy .of the book Memorials of Deceased
Members of lndiana Yearly Meeting (1852) . . . . . From Mrs. Don Cordell of Los Angeles, California, we
received a genealogy of the Huddleston Family
Alice Boyd Freel of Lafayette presented us with an
1831 Coverlet from the Thaddeus Coffin family. ln addition, Mrs. Freel presented several Coffin family
photographs . . . . . The Charles A. Beard School Corporation, Knightstown, sent us a copy of the recently
published biography of L. E. Roçrs, superintendent of schools at Knightstown from 1920 until 1959. . . .
From the estate of the late Gilbert K. Hewit, New Castle, we received a collection of 22 golf clubs. lt was
Mr. Hewit's wish that the clubs be placed in the museum following his death. The clubs had once belonged
to several Henry County residents, now all deceased. A few of the former owners were Helen Coffin, Eva
Coffin. Grace L. Coffin. Bessie Coffin, Caroline C. Coffin, Dorothv Coffin. Harlie J. Pressnall. John C. Goodwin, E.G. McOuinn, Dr. George H. Smith, Dr. RobertA. Smith, Dr. Benjamin B. Harrison, Mrs. Charles
Jennings, Elmer F. Pídgeon, Arch Davis, Mrs. George lterman, Harry Turgi, Frank Baughman, Leonard
Mitchell, and John C. Koons
Mrs. Jeanette Bowman of Oakvílle gave us a doll that once belonged to
Mrs. Angelina Mourer, mother-in-law of Mrs. Cleo Mourer of New Castle . . . . . J. R. Crandall of Springport
presented us with a collection of school and church records from the Springport community . . . . . A
biographyof Elder Benjamin Franklinwassentourway by Mayhill Publications, Knightstown..... Johnníe
Holbrooks of Odessa, Texas, has presented us with a buggy jack and several miscellaneous items that once
belonged to the Hickman family of the Mt. Sumnrit-Springportarea..... From Wíllard Heiss, lndianapolis,
came part four of the Encyclopedia of American Ouaker Genealog¡y, containing 500 pages. This volume contains the monthly meeting records and the birth and death records for the followíng Friends meetings ¡n
Henry County: Greensboro Hícksite, Greensboro Anti-Slave and Orthodox, Spiceland, Raysville, Knightstown, Kennard, Clear Spring, and Cadiz .. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Thornburgh of lndianapolis are always
sending us items of interest. Recently we have received: an old doll (over 75 years old), a large collection of
clothing, a silk parasol, a brown silk taffeta dress belonging to Gene's grandmother Lydia Thornburgh, a
cane with ivory grip that once belonged to Hiram Thornburgh, the fírst white child born in New Castle, and
Simon Thornburgh's wedding suit (1889). Many of these items will fit nicely in our new clothing room . . . .
Mrs. E. G. McOuinn, New Castle, recently presented us with one of her velvet dresses from the Roaring 20's
and several miscellaneous items . . . . . Mr. and Mrs. Lowell H. Smith have loaned us four place settings of
silver, a butþr knife, sugar spoon, serving fork and serving spoon. These items belonged to Lowell's grandmother, Mrs. M. A. Hiatt, Fairmount, lndiana, andare presently being used in Gen. Grose'sformal dining
room . . . . . Thomas Hamm, New Castle, recently added J.A. Brown's Bible to our farge collection of family
Bibles . . . . . Roger H. Hammer, New Castle, came to our rescue recently by providing us with two mannequins for our clothing room.
New Books Dealing With Henry County
The book The Schools of Spiceland Township, Henry County, lndíana, went to the printers October
be available shortly before Christmas. Written by R ichard P.' Ratcliff and William L. Byrket, both
graduates of Spiceland High School, the book will be illustrated wíth 90 pictures and will sell for $2.25.
Copies may be ordered from the museum. Subjects treated are as follows: the Risk, Byrket, Brick, Old East,
Sugar Grove, Baldwin's Chapel, Dunreith, Ogden, and Newby-Griffin Schools, Spiceland Academy, Spice
land Grade and High School, and the Spiceland Alumni and Former Students Association, the oldest
organization in Henry County. Of special interest will be the section listing all the graduates of Spiceland
Academy and High School from 1870 unt¡l 1969 - n¡nety-n¡ne years!
The volume Early Cemetery lnscriptíons of Líberty Township, Henry County, lndiana, is the third
in the continuing series of published Henry County cemetery inscriptions. The first two volumes, comprising
Wayne, Greensboro and Harrison townshiplwere publíshed in 1966 by R. Thomas Mayhíll of Knightstown.
The Liberty Township inscriptions were recorded by Thomas D. Hamm, Matthew C. Morris and Jeffrey J.
Vawrinek, all members of the Parkview Jr. High School History Club, New Castle, Financing of the work
comes from the sale of the club's other publicatíons and from the Henry County Historical Society. Ten
cemeteries were recorded and are included in the work. The largest was the Batson Cemetery, with 621
inscriptions; the smallest was the grave of Christopher Long, comprising two inscriptions. The book will be
available later this fall. lnterested individuals may purchase a copy from the museum at $1.25 per copy. A
fourth volume, Early Cemetery lnscriptions of Spiceland Townshíp, Henry County, will be available next
spring:
Copies of the booklet Henry County Cemetery Epitaphs and lnscriptions are now available at the
museum. Price: $1.00. This is a joint publication of the Parkview Jr. High School History Club, New Castle,
and the lndiana Junior Historical Society.
Paul Lamberson, a member of our society, has just completed a history of the Schools at Straughn,
Dudley Township, Henry County. lf interested in this publication listing all teachers and graduates at
Straughn, society members might write Mr. Lamberson at his Dublin, lndiana addressforfurther details.
1
, and
will
Henry County Happenings
A $22,500 contract to reconstruct the Wiiour Wnght larmhouse at the Wilbur Wright Birthplace
State Memorial near Millville, Henry County, was letJuly 18th to Rainbow Constructíon Company of
Geneva, lndiana. This group of Amish construction workers only recently completed restoration of the
old mill at historic Metamora, lndiana. The original farmhouse .where the aviation pioneer aviator was
born was destroyed by fire in 1884. A later house on the site was razed several years ago. The lndiana
Department of Natural Resources found original foundations of the Wright home in excavations last year.
The reconstructed home atthe five-acre state memorial will be furnished with Wright family items or
authentic examples of the period. The structure will be completed later this Fall . . . . . The commissioníng
of portraits of General and Mrs. Omar Bundy to hang in the lobby of the new Bundy Auditorium at New
Castle was announced July 3rd by the Tri Kappa Sorority, New Castle. Elizabeth Dodds Shaffer, prominent Hoos¡er artist and an active member of the Henry County Historical Society, is the artist selected by
the sorority. Each of the portra¡ts will be full-length and almost life-size. Bundy Auditorium is the resultof
a magnificient bequest by Addie (Harden) Bundy, the general's widow. Mrs. Bundy died in October, 1g53,
leaving the bulk of her estate to the City of New Castle for construction of a suitable memorial to her
husband,aNewCastlenativeandWorldWárlhero.....DuringJulyofthisyeartheoldBurgerloghouse,
two miles east of Dunreith, was dismantled log by log by a crew from:Conner Prairie Pioneer Settlement
near Noblesville, lndiana. The 14O-year-old house wíll become part of the display atthat Earlham Collegeoperated development. John Burger built the unique log house (measuring 2Oby 21 feetl in 1833. Sam
Goldman, a prominent Henry County farmer living near Straughn, made the gift to Conner prairie Settlement. Mrs. John Burger's father was Capt. Philip Hedrick a soldier of the Revolution, who later settled
near Lewisville . . . . . On August 2nd the South Henry School Board approved the bid of Delucio and Son
for the demolition and removal of the S.E. Pickering Elementary and the Spiceland High School buildings.
The Pickering building waserected in 1917, replacing an earlierframe building, while the high school
building was erected in 1914, and served as the home of Spiceland Academy during the first seven years
following its erection. All work will be completed by December 31, 1973 .. . . . On July 2gth the old
Junior High School Building which stood for 78 years on a two-acre plot of ground bôunded by S. 14th,
Church, S. 1sth Streets and Central Avenue, New Castle, was reduced to rubble. Also knocked down by
the wrecking ball was its sister Bundy Building. At one time the old red brick buildíng served as New
Castle's High School, replacing the old New Castle Academy., razed about 1895. .. . . A recent museum
visitor was Mrs' Miriam Vagts of Sherman, Connecticut. Mrs. Vagts is the daughter of the famous historian
and Henry County natíve Dr. Charles A. Beard . . . . . Our Wayne County neighbor Mrs. Robert (pauline)
Montgomery of Cambridge City recently visited the museum to photograph our oil painting of Samuel
Graham, the noted Henry County coverlet weaver during the period '1830 to 1860. Her book on lndiana
coverlet weavers went to the printer September 1Sth and will include many illustrations of Graham,s work.
The book will be published by Hoosier Heritage Press, lndiangpol¡s, and will be available in time for Christmas.
'Sons
of
Henry County"
Ralph Harvey (b. Augustg, 1901)Mt. Summit, formerCongressman, 1gth Congressional District
of lndiana. Member, lndiana General Assembly, 1943-1947; Member, U.S. House of Representatives,
1947-1959,1961-1966.
Charles A- Beard (1874-1948) Native of Grant City and graduate of Knightstown High School
and
Spiceland Academy. Known while he lived as the "Dean of American Historians."
GeneralWilliam G¡rose (1812-1900) New Castle resident and Commander of the 36th lndiana lnfan_
try Regiment during the Civil War.
General Omar Bundy (1861-1940) New Castle native. Veteran of the lndian Wars, the Spanish_
American War, the Philippine lnsurrection, and a highly decorated officer during World War L
Wilbur Wright (1867-1912) Born on a farm northeast of Millville. Co-inventor of the airplane.
Clifford M. Hardin Native of Knightstown, former Chancellor at the University of Nebraska and
United States Secretary of Agriculture. 1969-1971.
Henry County
At a Glance
Act creating county passed legislature: February, 1821.
Organized as a county: June 1 ,1822
First County Election: June 1 ,1822
Origin of name: Named after the fiery Virginia patriot Patrick Henry.
Acres: 249,600.
Square miles: 400.
Population of county (1970 census): 52,603.
Number of townships: 13
Largest township: Prairie
Smallest: Stony Creek.
Number of incorporated towns: 16
Oldest communities: New Castle and West Liberty, both platted April 8,'1823.
Youngest community: . Shirley, founded November 27,1890.
Oldest church: Hopewell Friends Meeting (1823, Dudley Township).
Oldest businesses: Liebhardt Mills (Middletown, 1848). Jennings Lumber Company (New Castle,
1 865).
Oldest banks: First National Bank of Knightstown and First National Bank of New Castle, both organized in 1865.
Oldest fraternal order: Knightstown Masonic Lodç ('1844!..
Oldest organization: Spiceland Alumni and Former Students Association (1882).
First newspaper in Henry County: Knightstown "Federal Union" (1831).
Oldest newspaper in Henry County: New Castle "Courier-Times" (1841).
Number of high schools: Five (Shenandoah, Tri High, New Castle, Blue River and Knightstown.)
Present court house constructed: 1865-69.
Rivers, streams and creeks: Blue River, Flatrock River, Duck Creek, Fall Creek, Buck Creek, Montgomery's
Creek, Stony Creek, Applebutter Creek, Brook Bezor, Symons'Creek, Deer
Creek, Honey Creek, Six Mile Creek and Bell Creek.
Highways: lnterstate 70: U.S. 40 (Old National Road), 35 and 36; State highways 3, 103, 38, 109,234,
140 and 236.
Cooperating With the lndiana State Library
The following items were recently sent to the State Library to be put on microfilm:
Genealogy of the Current and Hobson families.
Genealogy of the Hiram Wesley Lyons family.
?il
ffii :i i::?,i:it Ts:Í':i'"J:'¿!,e
(1833)
1
83e)
Account Book ofJohn Long
Court Docket ( 1 825-1 838)
List of Henry County Property Owners (1850)
Record of Guardians Docket (1830-1844)
Probate Court Record Docket (1822-18441
Justice of the Peace Proceedings (18271
Record of Wills (1839-1842)
fownship Assessors Lists (1839)
Record of Committment of the lnsane
Henry County Court Docket (1835-1839)
Day Book of the Wink Family (1835)
And we have Willard Heiss to thank for lugging all these items to lndianapolis to be copied and
returning them to us.