Thursday, January 9, 2014

Aaron Wirt (Wert) and early Alamo businesses

Aaron Wirt (how his last name is spelled in Civil War documents) killed in October 1864 at the Battle of Cedar Creek, 11th Indiana
 Aaron Wirt, buried in Alamo, perished from wounds received in the Battle of Cedar Creek.  Aaron, was the 4th child (of 11) of David and Rebecca Balser "Wert."  He died October 24, his father died a few days later on October 30.  His littlest sister died just two months later.  Rebecca lived another 30 years after losing a husband and 2 children in a few week period. (In September 1859 Angeline Wert passed and November 1859 Elizabeth Wert passed - two more of David & Rebecca's children)
In the 1895 Crawfordsville City Directory (Alamo section) J.P Wirt (which is probably also Wert is Aaron's brother) and W.W. Wirt (Wiley - J.P.'s son) are listed.  In an article in the Crawfordsville Weekly Journal in January 1896.  J.P. Wirt and Company, the big general store in Alamo, was destroyed by fire.  The article states that Mr. Wash Titus was able to save the books and a few boxes of shoes.  The entire town showed up to be the "bucket brigade" to save the drugstore of S.S. Heath which was adjacent to Wirt's mercantile.  Because of spelling inconsistencies it is probable & most likely E.N.Wert (1864 Ripley Township Census) was this Civil War soldier's relation too.
The building on the right was the Alamo Academy which was built in 1868.  This photograph was taken in 1906.

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