Colonel "loses privy" while training Wabash Cadets

Colonel Henry B. (BeeBee) Carrington worked at Wabash College as the Professor of Military Science from 1869-1878 and took this position very seriously.  Since there weren't horses available to the student cadets, Carrington required the young men to be the "horses" by pulling the artillery field-piece.  Wabash cadets didn't appreciate the endless hours of training (most were opposed to war), and the conditions of the privy (which was nicknamed "Little Egypt").  Thus, measures were taken and a new target was encountered.  It is said, "Little Egypt was spread in fragments scattered half-way to Yountsville and the field-piece was destroyed."  Immediately, President Joseph F. Tuttle abandoned military training on the campus.  Carrington remained to teach mathematics, but, his heart enjoyed instructing America's youth in military tactics and left at the end of the academic year.

Crawfordsville's City Hall, designed by Carrington in 1872 cost $9,000.  This building housed the court rooms, fire department hall, engine rooms and the city prison.  Carrington also re-designed South Hall in 1876 on the Wabash College campus.

Magical Music Moments in Montgomery County via Flora Leontine Rogers

Flora Leontine Rogers was the music director at Crawfordsville city schools for 7 years during the 1920's.  This woman was able to increase the number of band students from 5 to 62 in just one year.  In 1925 the Girls Glee Club took first place in the state contest and the boys earned second.  The 1929 CHS yearbook stated, "Miss Flora Rogers drives the chariot, and drives it well.  As the years have rolled by she has added fine prancing steeds, such as the Band and Orchestra to her already prize-winning team.  Three cheers for Miss Rogers!"
Now, you have to be talented and well-liked to receive a write up this praiseworthy!  It is quite impressive the awards and number of pupils involved with Ms. Rogers musical endeavors.  Flora called Oklahoma home after she left Indiana and passed away there in 1965 at 86 years of age.

Wilkinson family ... fascinating fence invention

An interesting picture "showed" itself recently.  On the back of a photo (from 1897 or 1898) it states, "Decature - Daddy invented the machine to weave wire fence kabled hex curve wire."  He is shown here with Ina Wilkinson, Sylvia M. Wilkinson, Uncle Joe and Asher Wert.  Mr. Wilkinson celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary with Emma P. Thompson Wilkinson in 1926 and was also a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge at Alamo and the Christian Church.  The Wilkinson family lived at the junction of SR 25/32 (home below) or at the time known as Perrysville Road & Alamo-Waynetown Road.  This area was also called Myers Corner and the Ridge Farm School would have been located near their home.

Decatur - Daddy Wilkinson passed in May of 1927.

Pictured here; Fred A. Wilkinson, Emma P. (Thompson) Wilkinson,
Sylvia M. Wilkinson, Ina Wilkinson and Decatur Wilkinson 

Shady Nook School Reunion ... 1923

Shady Nook School was located at Tinkersville.  For those of you who have never heard of Tinkersville, it is where the neighborhood "tinker-er" lived.  It is said there was a Tinkersville in almost all areas.  But this particular one is in Section 21 of South Union Township at the intersection of 300 S/Ladoga Road and had several businesses including a blacksmith, grocery, sawmill, tile factory and wood shop.  Issac N. Martin donated the land for the school on 6 March 1857.  On the 1891 plat map, Ladoga Road was named Danville Road and shows the school in the northeast corner of Martin's property closer to Road 200 East.  Other nearby property owners, and probably families of the children attending the school, are surnamed Baker, Byrd, Chesterson, McCormick, Hutchinson, and Wilkinson.

9 September 1923 Shady Nook Reunion

Musket ball blows off middle finger of county resident

J. Frank Linn was born in the family homestead north of Mace in April of 1846.  During his time as a Civil War soldier Linn served in the Eleventh Indiana Cavalry but met misfortune at the battle of Nashville and lost his middle finger after being hit with a musket ball.  This staunch Republican became a wealthy farmer with land in several Indiana counties.

Frank and Nancy Linn, married April 1866
Frank died in June of 1907 and Nancy in February 1932

J. Franklin descended from James Linn, a revolutionary solder, who became a member of Union church (Walnut Township) on 17 February 1844.  

William S. Fry: Student, Soldier, Store Owner and Councilman

William S. Fry, born in July 1839
1. Attended Wabash College (and Preparatory Department)
2. Fought in the Civil War as a Crawfordsville Zouave for nearly two years and then enlisted in the C Company of the 108th Regiment Minutemen of the Indiana Volunteers
3. Married local girl, Lucy A. Wallace
4. Took his father's place as David McClure's partner at the "Trade Palace"
5. Became a dry goods merchant after leaving the McClure partnership
6. Put forth the motion for Crawfordsville to become a city in May 1865 and became the 2nd ward
councilman
7. Achieved all this by age 36 1/2 and was buried at Masonic Cemetery (6 January 1876)

Here William S. Fry is listed as a manager for the Christmas Eve Ball in 1858

This is the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) at the Crawfordsville Courthouse.  Fry was a member and is probably in the photo, but, unfortunately, all these men are unidentified.