Anderson Herald from Anderson, Indiana • 39

1876 Centennial Oration At Elwood Remarks Still Timely Grandson of an early settler in Suranoson or an early settler in northern Madison County 0 fa intrusted to the states exclusive of each other and as a consequence the private interest of the one conflicted to Pittsborough started in 1838 Richland Township The following year three men James Anderson Mark Simmons andJ razier laid out a townand named it Quincy ages have seemed to prove that the ratio of vice increases as the ratio of population and wealth" he declares He cites the failures of great empires of the past Greece and Rome we profit by these examples?" Madison or Chamnesstown organized in Pipe Creek Township in 1849 There were three east and west streets and one north and south street which was and still is called Anderson Street The original town plot shows six lots north and 12 lots south of Main Street 1940 to accept the nomination attracting a crowd of about 250000 in one of the nation's largest political rallies ELWOOD Elwood had its beginning in 1852 when William Barton opened a general store at what is now Main and Anderson streets ELWOOD'S BIGGEST DAY Native son Wendell Willkie won the 1940 Republican nomination for President of the United States and returned to his hometown on Aug 17 When application was made to make Quincy a post office it was discovered there was a Quincy in Spencer County So the first post office here was called Duet Creel: founded in 1838 AndersonTownship Mount Pleasant in Richland Township in 1839 Rockport established at the present site of the skating rink Menden a all Creek Township village which ceased to exist in 1851 Alfont a hamlet which now appears only to be remembered for the eb 2 1924 interurban crash Moss Island Mills settlement in 1846 iw Tranbarger eulogized the founding fathers of the nation for the pledge of their lives their fortunes and their sacred honor in order to implement independence from Great Britain He also pays tribute to the colonial militiamen they marched over frozen ground through the drenching rains and bleak winds and biting frosts and snows of eight desolate winters Sick starving and almost naked they fought the proud British Lion and many of them died but behold the result! TheJ have given to us by this unparalleled sacrifice the American Republic A Republic that is so grand so beautiful so vigorous so great and so hopeful on the ground of her strength a Republic whose true gold is free speech free press free ballot free men and free schools They have given to us by this sacrifice the constitution of the United States that On June 1 1904 the building was dedicated Probably the biggest day in the history of Elwood was Aug 17 1940 Wendell Willkie accepted the Republican nomination for President of the United States Crowds were estimated at 250000 which had gathered to see and hear the Republican nominee jealousies existed in every department of employment for want of some be asked we no traitors in the singleness of power to establish uniformity in these departments The national treasury was empty "Andy with all these features of Inability and weakness staring the people in the face all became impressed that unless a stronger national government could be created the blessed spoils of victory gained in the Revolution would soon be lost Hence followed the decline and abolition of the Articles of Confederation and the Immediate origin of the Constitution Of the United Statesratified and went in full force April 30 1789 when George Washington took the oath of office on the balcony of old ederal Hall in the city of New YorkThe framers of the Constitution borrowed no exact model from any nation It was in a manner wrought from crude material It was elaborated by their own ideas of justice and wisdom and Extolling the glories of American independence and freedom Tranbarger nevertheless offers words of caution that the Union could fail citizens began a rebuilding program In 1930 the Monticello Manufacturing Co moved to Elwood Continental Can followed in 1935 with other small companies following suit The first telephone exchange had five phones installed in 1892 Today there are 9516 'L Leeson Sons department store was opened in 1870 The store was destroyed by fire in January 1934 In August 1934 a new construction was built on the same site A public library was started in Elwood May 3 1899 with a book stock of 1159 volumes and 12 magazines In 1901 Mrs Saylor wrote Andrew Carnegie asking him to donate $25000 for the erection of a library building in Elwood Carnegie offered the funds on a condition that an annual tax levy be voted by the council to provide a maintenance fund equal to 10 per cent of the donation An additional $5000 was requested which Carnegie gave with the same stipulations as before remedy suggests "bringing the school church and printing press into powerful requisition" to educate the present and coming generations "Then we must educate we musteducate for dangerous is it to the perpetuity of this great free government for an ignorant or an unrighteous man to wield the ballot Do some men of this condition know or care whether this man is capable or incapable for the office to which be aspires? Do they care enough whether that man is honest or dishonest? It don't so happen Then let it be the rule without exception to educate the head and heart of every one we make no such efforts we must perish If strong and beautiful prosperous and great today tomorrow we may be as Babylon or the Empire of the Caesars The natural tendency of all nations is toward barbarism We cannot stand still" The nation can enjoy vitality only through a vigilance continual vigilance according to the orator of 1876 "Even in our upward march to the more perfect fane of liberty clouds of adversity will surely darken our pathways yet if we be consistent with our constitutional principles the clouds will be quickly dispelled and our forward march be more swift patriotic camp? Do not some love power more than equitable liberty for all? gold more than patriotism? Are not the arteries of politics stagnated by the seeds of corruption? Do not blandishing office seekers thick and rapacious as the locusts of Egypt so to speak pervade this country and bold out the golden apples of patriotism when the whole of their patriotism lies in their own self aggrandizement and pecuniary ambition? Aye verily The greed of gain has usurped much of the modal spirit and patriotism of the fathers of this country The power of money today is second to Omnipotence in prescribing measures and manipulating laws for the public good or I might say the public disromfort" Does this have a contemporary ring? Do these words sound complaints of this age? The school teacher orator laments the blight that social bane that scourge of civilization intemperance He "is concerned that sectionalism may weaken the nation and as a Through the ballot we secure our rights and abolish our abuses If it (the ballot) be for an aspirant of some gifts of trust let it be predetermined by thecl most scathing and abstrue analysis that the character and capacity of the candidate is in every aspect suited to engage with the office towhichbeZl "aspires assured those who hold the of this government must know bow warned Tranbarger In addition to capability for office be called for high integrity in office holders who carry the banner of the4 United States should be so imbued strict integrity that no temptation tt matters not bow fascinating shalT deflect them from the paths of honesty Every officer should be a David of virtue and patriotism to strike down" the great Goliath of vice and corruption Temptation is surely an irresistible power Not only are the petty officers of the earth struck by its insidious tooth but members of Congress returning boards and even the chief magistrate of a great republic are not invulnerable admitting these truths who would be willing to exchange our government for any other upon and Cochran councilmen third ward and John irth and Willits councilmen fourth ward One of the first acts of the new administration was passage of an ordinance granting a franchise for a water system approved July 27 1891 about the same time a was granted for an electric light company The first electric cars appeared in Elwood the summer of 1893 The fire department was originated April 1 1892 Consisting of two regular and eight volunteers one wagon and two horses The police department was established in 1899 a new city hall erected at a cost of $35000 The first railroad came through in 1856 the second in 1872 These later became the Pennsylvania and Nickel Plate respectively With the discovery of natural gas in 1887 came many industries seeking cheap fuel transportation and location Some of these were Pittsburgh Plate Glass MacBeth Evans Glass Co Elwood Box actory Elwood Iron Works and many others Business and population boomed so that in 1909 in one decade the population had risen from 2284 to 19232 The first church in Elwood was the irst Methodist Episcopal in 1848 The Christian denomination arrived ip 1852 and in 1866 the Catholic parish of Anderson sent two priests to minister a mission at Elwood In following years churches of all denominations located in Elwood Grace Methodist 1865 Presbyterian 1880 Pilgrim Holiness 1895 Lutheran 1893 With the end of the gas boom the The growth of Elwood was comparatively slow until natural gas was discovered in 1887 Then the town began experiencing a boom In two years the population had increased to such an extent that a city government was advocated with an election April 27 1891 with 377 voting for a city government and 146 against The city was then divided into four disappearance of key industries local wards and the first election was June 9 1891 William A DeHority local banker was elected the first mayor Other officers were A Armfield clerk DeHority treasurer Hunter Jr marshal Brier and Jacob Kraus councilmen first ward Martin Hugh Lyst councilmen second ward Daniel Heck Ed note: A school teacher and orator Oliver Newton Tranbarger father of Eugene Tranbarger of 1222 Maryland Drive delivered an oration at Elwood in benor of the national centennial jest a century ago Some of Ma remarks are as timely now as they were ltd yean ago The town assumed the name of Elwood July 21 1869 and incorporated in December 1872 The population was slightly more than 300 persons and the principal articles of export were lumber and cooperate materials Elwood now had a brick schoolhouse a flcwr mill a hotel and several stores also a bank which William Barton established in 1870 Omaha final rival Bruin in Stoney Creek Township Crossing Stoney Creek Township Kellers Station built about 1857 Lafayette Township Nancytown Jackson Township a settlement' which lasted only a few months i rock of our political intellectual and domestic and foreign commerce religious salvation declaring in spirit that King Majority shall rule and not King Individual" While some people lament excessive with that of the others Rivalries and centralization of power Tranbarger pointed out the problems resulting from too little centralization in his praise of the Constitution was originated at a time in which there was discrepancy and despondency among the people of the Confederation Money was scarce oreign and domestic commerce was crippled and state jealousies gangrened the happiness of the nation Articles of Confederation devised eight days after the Declaration of Independence designed to bring the colonists into closer and more definite union were found after an experiment of six years to be inadequate to produce and sustain wonted harmony among the states In them was a want of coercive power to carry into effect the measures of the Articles of Confederation There was no power vested in the Continental Congress to punish individuals for a disobedience to those measures No power was given in those articles to impose or collect taxes for public service each state had that power exclusively vested within itself Likewise was the regulation of Villages ade Into 1852 Opening Of General Store Put Elw ood On Map orrestville started July 24 1850 in Boone Township Clarktown also in Boone Township i iiatory Towns or settlements which are gone from the Madison County scene but once held promise for expansion include: rankton Pipe Creek Start Told The first white settler in Pipe Creek named for Captain Pipe or Hopocan (tobacco pipe in Delaware) arrived in 1830 A number of others had arrived before the township was organized May 13 1833 taking a part of bm bm mom 1 I JL 1 SfRSC i W' WPK At ZA i a JT 4 wJBB TWsMiMHK'5 IT I I Vk 4 hl muk a I A A Gas Boom Brought Burst Of Growth To Alexandria Jackson Township and some territory from Richland Township One of these early settlers Joseph Sigler a Virginian who first settled at Strawtown took an 80 acre site which included some of the present town of rankton astride the boundary shared by Pipe Creek and Lafayette Townships To his land at the land office in ort Wayne required a five day horseback ride on the connected the state capital Vincennes with ort Wayne Sigler lived in a hollow tree stump while he cut and assembled logs for his house Howling wolves kept his nights exciting The town of rankton was laid out March 3 1853 by Alfred Makepeace and rancis Sigler Merchant Makepeace went to Cincinnati to purchase goods and hauled it to rankton by wagon Growth was stimulated by the Panhandle Railway which came through rankton in 1866 Just 10 years later a freight train plunged into Pipe Creek at rankton when the town bridge collapsed under its weight Incorporated in 1871 the town of rankton vied with Elwood for size of business district by 1879 with 11 city' Nocks The gas boom in 1887 resulted in the establishment of two window glass factories three fence companies a rolling mill a novelty works a flour mill and a saw mill The population jumped to 1796 before the gas failed and business began to decline The Methodist and Christian Anderson to Alexandria History records a one time population of around 15000 during the gas boom By the early Alexandria's natural gas supply was failing and most of the industries were gone within a few years and with them went the population and businesses Due to the genius of Charles Corydon Hall who came to Alexandria 1885 the town was finally stabilized Hall developed the process of creating rock wool and in 1906 along with Nathan Booth and Evans Lipponcott formed the Banner Rock Products Co which grew to be a company with assets of more than a million dollars It was eventually sold to the General Insulating Manufacturing Co which is now National Gypsum and was a major industry in Alexandria until 1972 Hall and his partners built a second plant which was sold to Johns Manville in 1929 and is today the major industry along with Rock Wool Industries Inc Today Alexandria is a thriving community living un to the name given to it by the Office of War Information churches were the first founded there during World War II Small Town beginning with worship in individual USA homes Alexandria owes its existence 'to canals trains and natural gas Without these three things the town might never have been The canal boom gave birth to the village in 1836 The railroad boom acted as a pick me up to the struggling town in the and the gas boom revived it 20 years later Micajal) Chamness the first white settler in Monroe Township settled here in 1831 on the east bank of Pipe Crefek approximately where St Rd 9 Crosses the creek Alexandria's growth from a settlement to a small town began in 1836 when John Stephenson and William Conner speculated that the proposed Indiana Central Canal would pass near the settlement and purchased the land on which the town now stands from Chamness Ninevah Berry was hired to survey and plat the town and on June 4 1836 the sale of lots began and so did first boom It ended four years later when the canal project was abandoned During this first boom Berry built the first store on the southeast corner of Berry and Clinton Streets the first church was built the first house was built on the corner of Canal and Washington streets by Dr Spence who WENDELL WILLKIE LANDMARK The former Elwood High School building 'renamed for therJote Wendell Willkierl940 Republican candidate for President haj been preserved as a major landmark of the community was the first resident physician a post office was established the first tavern or hotel was built by David Pickard on the corner of Harrison and Berry Streets and the first school was built by Pickard on the comer of Berry and Black Streets second boom came in 1876 the same year it was incorporated as a town Two railroads were completed the Cincinnati! Wabash and Michigan (Big our) and the Lafayette Muncie and Bloomington (Nickle Plate) bringing with them an era of prosperity to the struggling town The third and largest boom began in 1887 when the first natural gas well sunk near the east end of Washington St and Alexandria was off on a and wasteful fling" actories began flocking to the town the first bank was opened by Dr Braxton Baker the first fire department was organized phone service was begun in 1893 a hospital was built in 1894 by Dr rank Norse and the first library was begun with 300 volumes in 1896 Electrical power was introduced and by 1896 Alexandria was the only town outside erf Indianapolis to have electricity 24 hours a day On Jan 1 1898 the first interurban car in Indiana ran from r' 8 4 17 TO ir TH 9 2 bi Miim i 4 15 4.