June 2021
White and Pulaski Counties, Indiana, Published by F.A. Battey & Co., Chicago: 1883

Every month, we will feature a portion of this book, published in 1883, with a historical perspective of Pulaski County.

It comes to you, warts and all! Mostly not warts, but some.

This month, we share: The Old Settlers’ Association of Pulaski County.


Photo: Andrew and Anna Thompson Moyer and children, Josiah and Cassie. Andrew and Anna were the children of "old settlers," and, at the time this photo was taken, the Old Settlers' Association was in its early days.
Kaity Stacy has taken over the care and tending of the flower boxes in front of the museum. With the help of her family, Tina, Josh and Aleks, she is taking care of the heirloom plants that are already there and will be planting the last box with suggestions from Kyle Sefchek.

I'm excited to plant new heirloom seeds, and I hope the county will be proud of how they evolve.
Cozette Mengerink is thankful for the opportunity to assist the Historical Society as curator. She hopes to follow a similar career path in the future. 

"I'm a recent graduate of Purdue University - Fort Wayne, where I received my bachelor's degree in Anthropology and a minor in Spanish. I turned 21 this past February and enjoy reading, crocheting, and doing other various outdoor activities in my free time."
A Curiosity
 
Ordered that the Sheriff of Pulaski County procure a House to hold Court in for the March Term, 1847, of Pulaski Circuit Court. 

Commissioner's Records Saturday March 13, 1847
For More On Bridges In General...

Visit the website for the Memorial Swinging Bridge Project and sign up for that newsletter.
Replacing A Bridge That Washed Away

Comes now Joseph Conklin and files his bid for the building of a bridge across Tippecanoe River at Winamac; at the point selected by the commissioners, To Wit; commencing at or near Jefferson Street where said Street strikes the Bluff on the East side of Winamac; or rather at the junction or near it of said Street with Water Street in said Town, thence to run across said River to bluff immediately below the gully or hollow where John Pearson has spoken of erecting a mill, Said bid being seven hundred and fifty dollars ($750.00) taking the voluntary subscription advanced at its full value, which said Bid is hereby accepted; provided the balance over and above the two hundred dollars heretofore donated by this Board to the erection of said Bridge (making five hundred & fifty dollars) can be raised by such voluntary subscription, and it is hereby ordered and decreed by the Board now in session that said Conklin so soon as the said Balance be raised or subscribed as aforesaid, come forward and give Bond with approved security for the completion of said Bridge on or before the first day of December 1847 and that there be an article of agreement drawn and entered into or signed by said Conklin and the Commissioners of the County as aforesaid."

Commissioner Book B March 13, 1847
We will include a link to the Memorial Swinging Bridge Project as it works its way toward the centenary anniversary.

The bridge was dedicated to veterans from Pulaski County.

Follow the progress by signing up for the monthly newsletter. Go to the website; the form is easily found!
This month in the newsletter (releasing on the 15th of the month):

  • Part 2: R.E. Nutt: The Man Who Built The Bridge
  • Overview of Indiana during WWII
  • Before The Bridge
  • Greatest Generation of Pulaski County: 1942, The First Year
  • Pulaski County Veterans of the Mexican Border Skirmish 1915-1917
  • Donors
  • Photo Gallery
The Red Skelton Radio Show Live!

Saturday, June 12
2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT
Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center
$15; $10 IHS member 

Sit back and enjoy an afternoon filled with Red Skelton’s comedy from his heyday in the 1940s  and 1950s! Experience a curated selection of Red Skelton’s radio scripts performed live,  followed by a brief talk on the life and work of one of Indiana’s most famous comedians. After, if your sides are not sore from laughing, take a look at some of Red Skelton’s original items straight from the IHS collections!  

This program will take place in the Basile Theater, where masks and social distancing are required. 
Summer Youth Book Club: "By Freedom's Light"

Virtual Program! Available Times:

  • Every Tuesday from 12 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. EST
  • Every Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. EST
  • Tuesday, June, 22, 2021 to Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Spark excitement around reading with a Summer Youth Book Club for youth ages 9 – 13.

Participants will meet once a week over Zoom and connect with peers across Indiana. We’ll explore important topics, contribute to great conversations, meet a special guest, and participate in hands-on activities led by our education staff.

Registrants will receive a package by mail which will include:
  • A copy of the book, By Freedom’s Light
  • An activity book with on-your-own and group activities
  • Some of the needed activity supplies

If you have any questions or would like to share any learning needs for your child, please contact Lauren Peightel, Manager of Engagement, at lpeightel@indianahistory.org.

Registration deadline is Monday, June 7, 2021

Guest: $20 | IHS Member: $15
Happy History Hour: Juneteenth - the Evolution of a Holiday

June 17, 2021
5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Online, Via Zoom

Registration closes 2 hours prior to the start of the program. (Free)

Juneteenth commemorates the day that enslaved people of Texas were freed (finally), following the end of the American Civil War, three years after the Emancipation Proclamation. From local to state recognition, and a movement to be a federal holiday, Juneteenth is American history. Join historian Sharon Gillins for a conversation on memory, tradition and the evolution of this day from Galveston to Indiana. 
From The Francesville Tribune July 13, 1972, Written January 1, 1971

This is a continuation of the poem, begun in the Newsletter dated June 2020. You can find past editions of the Newsletter HERE.

Stanzas 41 - 44
I see my Grandpa Myers get lost
When he just walked away,
He walked almost to Buffalo
Where they found him next day.
 
I see Nolan Brothers
And each one owned a store;
Frank always had on order
What you had asked him for.
I see Bill Hubbard selling cars
More than fifty years ago;
I see John Reams a plowing
The sidewalks free of snow.
 
I see Bert Burson tell a joke;
I see Charles Buckles lead the stud,
I see the streets of Francesville
Just one big sea of mud. 
Willard C. Myers is connected to the town of Francesville through birth and remaining family. We will continue to feature this poem until we have offered it to completion. Natives will probably recognize many of the people and places that will be mentioned.
A Gift That Keeps Giving

For the persons on your gift list that have everything they need, or for those who value history, make a contribution to the Historical Society in their name. We'll email a certificate that you can print and place in a stocking, an envelope or a frame. Find a convenient way to do that here.
The quick and easy way to make a contribution to the Historical Society is to utilize this QR code. We're trying to drag history into the 21st Century!

Thank you for considering this opportunity!
Indiana Landmarks

In addition to giving tremendous financial and technical support for the local Courthouse project, Indiana Landmarks provides a wealth of information about and support for vintage homes and factories, churches, barns and bridges.
Support Indiana Landmarks

Join to help save the historic places that make our communities more beautiful, more interesting, singular and special. LINK
Affiliate Membership

The Pulaski County Historical Society is an affiliate member of Indiana Landmarks. For information about the affiliate organizations around the state, and all of the exciting work they are doing, please head over to our Affiliate's Webpage.
Drive The Historic National Road

Indiana Landmarks Affiliate, Indiana National Road Association, offers a new driving guide.

Come experience the beautiful history Indiana has to offer! See the iconic trail that has helped to connect our great nation, visit iconic sites…and grab some good food along the way. Help us support the rich heritage these landmarks represent. 

Check it out HERE.
History Repeats

Pulaski County officials are wavering on the decision to rehabilitate the county’s historic courthouse in Winamac, potentially derailing a three-year effort to save the iconic building.
The move stands in stark contrast to the positive momentum in 2019, when commissioners voted unanimously to expand the adjacent Justice Center and fully renovate the historic courthouse. The endorsement marked the reversal of a 2018 decision to demolish the courthouse – an action that landed the building on Indiana Landmarks’ 10 Most Endangered List.
Follow the link to read this article from Indiana Landmarks.
President: Ryan Harrison
Vice President (& Past President): Kathi Thompson
Secretary (& Genealogist): Janet Onken
Treasurer: Lin Morrison
Curator: Cozette Mengerick

Terms Ending 2022:
  • Sara Kroft
  • Jolie Simmermaker
  • [Vacancy]
Terms Ending 2023
  • Mary Conner (also County Historian)
  • Becky Dilts
  • Steve Morrison
Terms Ending 2024
  • Brian Capouch
  • Karen Fritz
  • Judge Michael Shurn
Membership

$30 Individual
$40 Family
$80 Sustaining / Corporate


All members are welcome to volunteer with PCHS in any area of their interest and to attend meetings. Board meetings are held on the 3rd Thursday of every month, in person or via Zoom, or a hybrid.
If someone shared this email with you, you may not be on our email list. Just click the button. On the website, fill out the form, and BOOM! You'll be a part of history!
Contributors to this edition: Janet Onken, Kathi Thompson
To submit an article for consideration for this newsletter, send it via email. If you have photos, please submit them as well. We welcome all articles of historic interest regarding Pulaski County.