SOUTH WABASH By Ron Woodward South Wabash history began when the area was set aside in what was called the Great Reserve, 900 square miles of land south of the Wabash River stretching from the mouth of the Salamonie to the mouth of the Eel River. It has also been called the Thirty Mile Reserve. The Indian village of Al-lo-lah (Black Raccoon) was located at the top of the present day "Cut". In 1836 Elijah Hackleman described the village as "containing a few rude cabins and bark Wigwams." In 1838 the Miami gave up most of the Great Reserve although several chiefs were granted sections of land particularly Francis Godfroy (west of Vernon Street) and John B. Richardville (east of Vernon Street) in the Treaty at the Forks of the Wabash (Huntington). The rich fertile farmland attracted Daniel and Tom Hutchens, Stephen and William Jones, and Nathaniel Macy. They cleared the land, planted their crops and made a home for themselves. The beginnings of South Wabash was with the humble log cabins these first settlers constructed. These settlers not only brought with them their industrious habits but their religion as well. Many were members of the Friends Church. By November, 1848, they held their first meeting in the barn of Stephen Jones located on lot number 28 on Pike Street. After meeting for two years, they were granted Monthly Meeting status by the Northern Quarterly Meeting at Back Creek in Grant County. A ferry boat, large enough to take a wagon and four horses and some foot passengers, was operated across the Wabash River by the Mumfords and later Calvin Rice. A rope was fastened to trees on each side of the river and by use of pulleys pulled across the river. It cost one penny for people on foot; a man and horse 25 cents, and wagon and two horses fifty cents .In 1845 demand for a better method of crossing the river led to the construction of a puncheon type bridge built with private funds. By 1850 a covered bridge costing $3,500 was built. In 1851, a company was organized to build the Wabash and Mount Vernon Plank Road (now Vernon Street), which led to the bridge. The project was completed in 1858 and a toll gate erected on Vernon street run by a Mr. Ginter. By 1863 this plank road gave way to the county's first gravel road. In the late 1870s, another toll road was constructed from Wabash to Mill Creek. The toll gate for this road was located where Yankee Road joins Mill Creek Pike an area called "Monkey Town". The area received its name when one day a wagon load of circus monkeys, on their way to Peru, broke down at the toll house. Near the toll house was a blacksmith shop. The owner of the wagon did not have money to have the wagon fixed but offered to put on a show for the surrounding community. The local blacksmith agreed and since that time the area has been called Monkey Town. In 1861, a Water Cure Sanatorium was established by Drs. David D. Miles and Stephen D. Jones, where the south side fire station sets today. The building, constructed around a natural spring, was an impressive three story building in which patients were given baths, both hot and cold, rested or sunned themselves. Five acres of ground surrounded the establishment and provided facilities for relaxing walks and gymnastic exercise. Those afflicted with consumption, insanity, St. Vitus' Dance, Fits, rheumatism and neuralgia were encouraged to take the water cure. Shortly after the place closed in 1866, the Wabash Tribune noted that it had not been "financial success, but did enjoy some patronage for a short time. The presence of bathtubs where both water and plenty of soap were used would have had a beneficial effect even though the water had no power beyond that of cleansing." Dr. Miles published the Western Health Journal with Drs. Mary Bryant, Stephen D. Jones and E.T. Woodbury. As the Water Cure was beginning its operation the nation entered a troubled period in its history. On July 12, 1862, by executive order, John U. Pettit, was appointed commandant of a military camp which was to be established in South Wabash. Four regiments, the 75th, 89th, 101st and 118th, would rendezvous and march off to war from Camp Wabash. The camp was situated "a short distance from the river bridge...grounds for drilling are to the left of the road in an open field...Camp of the soldiers is to the right of the road, and it is indeed a delightful place." The men remained in camp here generally two weeks while the regiment was being raised, equipped, trained and officers selected. By August of 1862 1100 men were in camp. On Sundays as many as three thousand people would be in camp enjoying Sunday preaching and meeting with soldiers. In 1865, on 62 acres of the south side, David Coble and Mark Jones laid out the town of South Wabash. Its birth announcement in the Wabash Tribune on October 19, 1865 stated: "South Wabash Messrs. D. Coble and M. Jones have deposited in the Recorder's Office a plat of a new town situated in and composing three fourths of the North East quarter, of Indian Grant No. 38, in township 27, N. Range 6, East; immediately south of the Wabash river, to be called South Wabash. The streets are all 50 feet wide with 10 feet wide alleys." Quickly the community began to grow. John Pierson operated a blacksmith shop on Vernon street, a general store was located on the southeast corner of Vernon and Columbus. There were two churches, the Friends Church and the Middle Street Methodist Evangelical Church. Mark Jones began operation of the first circular saw mill in 1865 which would become a furniture factory in three years. In 1866, the Wabash Presbyterian Church bought the Rural Home Water Cure property and established the Wabash Female Seminary, a girls' preparatory and boarding school. The Seminary's founders believed it was not enough "to understand arithmetic, grammar, etc. Christian morality and ladylike conduct are important elements in a good education." The first class had fifty young ladies. After two years of less than expected attendance, the seminary admitted boys and the name was changed to South Wabash Academy. Students paid $5.50 a week for their room, board and tuition. In 1873 the school came under the control of the Friends Church. The Academy closed its doors in 1878. During the 1870s and 1880s social life in South Wabash expanded to include not only churches but the South Wabash Christian Union, the Literary Society, The Maccabee Band, and the WCTU. In 1885 the WCTU founded an Orphans Home in the old South Wabash Academy building. The building was rented for $120 a year and the matron was Mrs. Ora Jones. A fire completely destroyed the Orphans Home in 1888 and was rebuilt on the north side of Wabash- today called the Women's Clubhouse. By 1887, the town had 500 residents. There was a post office, a wagon shop, a shoemaker, grocer, barbershop with two barbers, a poultry dressing plant operated by Davis Hutchens, and a lumber mill and saw mill, run by D. Rand, Oliver Ridgeway, and Dawes and Smith, turning out 10,000 feet per day. Austin K. Hutchens was the community's broom maker. A new four room school house was so crowded with 155 pupils that a new building was being sought. South Wabash had a high school for several years beginning in 1884 and ending with incorporation into Wabash. By 1891 the town had grown to 600-700 residents, 250 of whom were children. A newly enlarged furniture factory was turning out 1,000 beds per month as well as tables, stands and washstands. Chestnut Street became the center of industry. The Jones and Whitcraft factory located there as did Adams and Printy furniture factory and the Gardner Brothers. Also located there was George King's fish pond and later the Rock City Rabbitry There was a South Side Cornet Band. A contract had been let for a new Vernon Street bridge and the road to it had been improved. On October 31st of that year, the town was annexed by Wabash. Less than a month later, the South Wabash Literary Society debated the question "Resolved: That the incorporation of South Wabash is more of a detriment to the citizens of South Wabash than a benefit." On May 27, 1892, a number of south side residents signed a petition asking to be disannexed. An equal number signed a remonstrance to the petition, asking to be kept in the city. In 1896 the Big Three Building was built on the northeast corner of Columbus and Vernon. Over the years many stores have been located with its walls including beauty shops, paint shops, restaurants, grocery stores, doctor and dentists offices, furniture stores, drug stores and mortuary. The Odd Fellows met upstairs as did the South Side Militia. In November of 1892 Company D, 4th Regiment, Indiana National Guard was begun in Wabash. Originally comprised of 60 members. By 1898 they were holding maneuvers and semi weekly drills in the Big Three Building. The company was called up by President McKinley for service during the Spanish American War. During the 1890s the South Side saw Vernon Street extended and the Vernon Street Bridge constructed. Incandescent lights appeared, fire department created and Cass Sayre appointed to police the area. Elisha Mills delivered the mail. In 1897 a new elementary school was built. By 1902 Linlawn High School was constructed on Mill Creek Pike. The first class to graduate was the Class of 1908 which had four graduates Loren Elliot, Lamoine Gilbert, Howard Ridenour and Russell Stouffer. On June 14, 1901, the first streetcar track was laid on the south side. That same year Frank Rettig, Sr., bought out Brett's hardware and established a machine shop on the premises. It was here that the first car produced in Wabash was made-the Rettig. It was built by his sons Lutz and Frank, Jr. They used an old buggy for the body and installed a gasoline engine in the rear for a power plant, the drive train consisted of bicycle sprockets, wooden gears and leather belting. One of the most interesting people to come from the South Side was Johnny (Ole) Olsen. As part of Olsen and Johnson comedy team they were top headliners in vaudeville and later on radio and movies. He attended the Conservatory of Music in Indianapolis paying for his classes by performing comedy while operators changed film reels in the old nickel film exhibition theaters. He later went to northwestern University. He worked for the mike Fritzel Follies on the old Keith Circuit. By 1925 he toured England and Australia where he appeared in two films. He returned to the U.S. in Monkey Business and turned down Billy Rose, Flo Ziegeld and Shubert Productions. By 1930 he appeared on radio. His three top movies were Fifty million Frenchmen, Gold Dust Gertie and Hellzapoppin. Hallzapoppin was a hit with the longest running musical record on Broadway until "Oklahoma". The Coate-Weesner building was built about this time on the southwest corner of Columbus and Vernon. Over the years it has been a grocery store, barber shop, headquarters of the Maccabee's, doctors office, photography studio and meat market. In 1909 the Diehl Machine Works located on the south side. A few years later Ford Meter Box would begin in the basement. Later, G.M. Diehl began construction of a swimming pool for the community that replaced the "old Swimming Hole" along the banks of the Wabash River. During summer months over 10,000 swimmers would use the pool located on Florence and Pike streets. The Cardinal Cabinet Company began on Chestnut Street in 1914 making period furniture in the Louis XVI, Renaissance, Tudor and Queen Anne styles. In 1927 merged with Spencer Table and Chair of Marion to form Spencer-Cardinal Furniture Corp. In 1955 it became Wagner Industries manufacturing automotive electrical parts. The South Side continued to grow gradually. The Southside Garage was built and rented to Gurtner and Van Nostrum. Its first storage tank had a capacity of 500 gallons. The first ready built houses appeared on the corner of Vernon and Pike built by the Wabash South Side Improvement Co. An area to the north where quarries had been was turned into a park known as The Glen or Glen Falls. Here people gathered for Sunday entertainments, picnicking and relaxation. At one time there were walking paths and flower gardens. The South Side Community Club was formed to improve the life on the south side. The Union Fibre Company, first rock wool plant in Wabash County, produced mineral wool at its plant on Chestnut Street and in 1936 became Eagle Pitcher Company. Later the plant became Art Metal and later Datavue Corporation. Midwest of Wabash, Inc. was also located at the site. By 1923 a secret organization known as the KKK emerged in Wabash County. At its height over 26% of the population belonged to the organization. It center was on the South Side at the Friends Church on Pike Street. Many of its members were also members of the Friends Church. Ira Dawes, pastor of the Friends Church, was also a state officer and for a time a member of the National KKK speakers bureau. One of the firs public demonstrations of the Klan was at a church service at this church when a fiery cross and an envelope full of money were left on the alter by five hooded men. The house just west of the church was called the Sewing House. It was here that sheets, hoods and other regalia were sewed together. In 1946 the Wabash Cannonball Motorcycle Club was formed and twenty acres of land on the Dora Road purchased for a race track. Still today races are held at the site. In 1949 Walnut Tree Cut was improved and State Road 15 opened through it. Businesses were attracted from Vernon street to this area. Some of the businesses located there have been Log Cabin Beauty Shop, Courtesy Electric, Walmer Plumbing and Heating Supply Co., Rockview Motel, WARU, Holiday House Carry Out, Swifty Service Station, Baer's Playland, B & K Drive In, Brandt Cycle shop, Farm Bureau Coop, Hilltop Lighting Centre, Hooks Drug Store, Mosier's, Fancy ice Cream Shoppe, Wabash Electric Supply and WAYT. In 1952 a new high school was completed and moved into. First called Linlawn it was later changed to noble Township High School which it remained until 1962. In 1961 students from Lafontaine began attending the school after a fire destroyed the Lafontaine High School. In 1962 the last class graduated and a new school Southwood High School took its place. The city bought the building and it has since been W.C. Mills Elemetary school named for W.C. Mills a longtime director of Community Service who lived on the South Side. The building was purchased from the Metropolitan School District on August 31, 1961. Major remodeling was initiated in June of 1962 which resulted in larger classrooms and more adequate auxiliary facilities. On February of 1963 elementary students enter the building. Robert Ellison was the principal.