7 of 8 Twins Pose Before Camera

"7 of 8 Twins Pose Before Camera" was the caption for a photo that appeared in the Journal Review on March 4, 1948. We had this photograph on our Image Database for years -- with no information other than the year -- until we accidentally found it in the newspaper while looking for something completley unrelated. The photo had a story, too, that allowed us to add much more to our database description! (So if you ever see one of our images and know more about it than what we provide, don't hesitate to tell us! That's how we improve our collection for you.)

Here is the Journal Review story that accompanied the photo: "Seven of the eight twins born at Culver hospital during the six-day period in the closing days of February 'blinked' innocently as they were photographed in the nursery at Culver hospital, with three hospital nurses holding three pairs of twins and the surviving twin of the fourth set lying in an incubator. Oldest baby in the group is Michael David Haworth, still in the incubator. He was born Saturday night, Feb 21, to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Haworth of Kingman. His twin sister died shortly after birth. The three sets of twins in the arms of the three nurses at the hospital, reading from left to right are: Becky Ann Sanders and Patsy Jean Sanders, twin sisters, born Tuesday morning, Feb. 24, to Mr. and Mrs. Leon Sanders, Ladoga, and being held by Nurse Ruth Steinkamp; Jane Jean Wharff and Wayne Martin Wharff, daughter and son of Mr. and Mrs. Otis Wharff, Covington street, Crawfordsville, born Friday morning Feb 27, and being held by Nurse Marjorie Martin, and on the extreme right -- Michael Lee Walker and Madonna Dee Walker, boy and girl babies born Wednesday evening, Feb. 25, to Mr. and Mrs. Noble Walker, of Jamestown. Nurse Osia Woodruff is holding the Walker twins."

Now we have names to go with the nurses and the babies!

What Was There?

As you travel around Montgomery County, have you ever wondered what certain areas looked like long before you came along? Now is your chance to find out! A web site called WhatWasThere has made it easy for people around the world to contribute to a project where images of the past can be superimposed over images from today (using Google Street View). WhatWasThere's objective is to create "a new human experience of time and space – a virtual time machine of sorts that allows users to navigate familiar streets as they appeared in the past."

Go to WhatWasThere and search by your city (e.g., Crawfordsville, IN) or zip code (e.g., 47933) to see some of the images that the Reference/Local History staff have already added. We have just a handful at this time but plan to keep adding! Where do we get our "old" pictures? Well, we use our ever-growing Image Database to find past views that we know we can place with current views.You are welcome to help us, too, if you wish to get a free account with WhatWasThere.

Armstrong Collection

 A collection of original photographs and family papers once belonging to Raymond and Margaret L. (Hollingsworth) Armstrong have been donated to CDPL's local history collection. Margaret was the daughter of Emmitt Hollingsworth and Mabel (Carmack) Hollingsworth of Vermillion County. The majority of the photographs relate to the Hollingsworth and Carmack families, but also include Asberry, Bowen, Brown, Weatherman, and Elder family members. This photograph shows a construction crew in Montezuma, Parke County. Please contact the library's Reference and Local History Department to view these items at (765)-362-2242, ext. 117.

Binford Family Collection

Several months ago, the Crawfordsville District Public Library's local history collection received about a dozen letters written to Evangeline Binford, daughter of Joseph Binford, a prominent local coal merchant. These letters were written about the time of Evangeline’s marriage to Hugh T. Gary in 1895. As a result of library research, descendants of Evangeline Binford were located, now living in the western part of the United States. Evangeline’s grand-daughter, Myrna Gary, not only was willing to provide the library’s local history collection with original family photographs, ledgers, her grandmother’s wedding gown, and other priceless family heirlooms, but also drove 1800 miles in a Winnebago to hand-deliver them to us! We thank Myrna for her part in helping Montgomery County preserve such a valuable part of its heritage. To view the image of the items Myrna donated, click this link: http://history.cdpl.lib.in.us/imagedb.html and type "Myrna Gary" in the keyword field.


Do you have photographs, diaries, letters or other pieces to the puzzle that is Montgomery County history? If so, please contact the CDPL Reference & Local History department at 765-362-2242 ext. 117.

Esther Detchon in Europe, 1914

Esther Detchon

Esther Detchon (1893-1980) was a popular Crawfordsville socialite.  She came from a prominent and wealthy family which made its fortune as doctors and businessmen.  Esther attended an exclusive private finishing school in Philadelphia after graduating from Crawfordsville High School in 1911.  In 1914, Esther went on a school-sponsored trip to Europe, where she stayed in first-class accommodations in Germany, Switzerland, Holland, France, Italy, England, and Scotland.  When World War I was officially declared in July of 1914, Esther and her classmates were stranded in Italy, where they applied for emergency passports at the American Embassy in Rome. Although officials assured them that American tourists were safe in Europe (as long as they curbed their curiosity and stayed out of dangerous situations), family and friends in Crawfordsville waited anxiously for word of Esther.  Weeks later, Esther arrived back in the United States, having paid $250 for passage on the Principe di Undine, an Italian liner chartered by a group of wealthy Americans.  Esther and her classmates, happy to be home, were also “disappointed because they had had no really exciting adventures.” (Crawfordsville Daily Journal, August 28, 1914) 

Esther (third from left) and her classmates

 Check out the library’s display of Esther’s travel photos, school scrapbooks, and more!

Happy Birthday, Beatrice Schenk de Regniers!

Caldecott award-winning author Beatrice Schenk de Regniers was born Beatrice Freedman August 16, 1914, in Lafayette, Indiana. As a young girl she moved to Crawfordsville, the town she claimed as her hometown. She graduated from Crawfordsville High School in 1931, left Crawfordsville to study in Chicago, and eventually moved to New York. She wrote over 49 books, primarily for children, over the course of her celebrated career (she died in 2000). Recently, the Crawfordsville District Public Library received a donation of a number of original photographs, yearbooks, and papers relating to the Freedman family, including several photographs of Mrs. de Regniers. The Library is thankful for the generous gift that allows our community to preserve the memory of our talented local author and her family. Happy 97th Birthday, Beatrice Schenk de Regniers!

Courthouse Cornerstone: 1875

The first Montgomery County courthouse was a log structure 26 by 20 feet wide, erected in 1823 on the same site where the current courthouse stands (on the corner of Main and Washington streets). This cabin was replaced by a brick structure by 1833 and lasted some 40 years before it was no longer sufficient for the county needs. Construction began on the third courthouse in 1874 -- the structure that still stands today -- and on May 6, 1875, the community participated in a large cornerstone ceremony, complete with parade and speech by General Lew Wallace. Into the cornerstone were placed photos, business cards, club membership lists, newspapers, pamphlets, advertisements, and so on -- anything that the late 19th-century dignitaries considered to be of interest for future citizens of Montgomery County. This cornerstone was carefully opened in 1986 and its contents revealed after more than 100 years of obscurity. You can look at most of these documents online now on our CDPL Image Database!

How to view these documents?


Go to the Image database and . . .

In the ID# field, put  20110708-*

OR

in the keyword search field type:  courthouse cornerstone