Lost Communities

Lost Communities
by Martha Owen, Heritage Collection Manager

Evelyn Lehman Culp Heritage Collection, Nappanee Public Library

What is a Lost Community?

A Lost Community is a town or settlement that no longer is in existence or whose stories  are hardly told or shared. These communities may have been a factor in creating a larger community.  Most of these communities have blended into the countryside but some can still be seen if you look closely. The information that has been collected on these communities has been through books, and interviewing families that lived in these communities. Nappanee has five lost communities, Gravelton, Hastings, Hepton, Locke and Stumptown, that are sprinkled through the surrounding area.

Locke

Locke is located on County Road 50 between County Road 3 and State Road 19.  It was platted on December 20, 1865. By 1873, Locke was a booming town, had two hundred residents and an abundance of shops and businesses that lined its streets. That boom did not last for long. By 1905, Locke had a population of twenty-five to thirty people and only one store. Its post office was closed in 1893. What happened to Locke?

Locke was bypassed by the B&O Railroad and the railroad decided on land two miles south.  The businessmen of Locke quickly reached an agreement with the B&O Railroad. It was decided that Locke would donate five acres (that they did not own) and grade the side tracks for free and the B&O would build a side track and passenger house.  Although Locke could not hold up its side of the bargain, it did put up a depot and passenger house on B&O land. It is still a mystery how this was accomplished. It can be believed that Locke gave Nappanee the push it needed to start. Many families started moving to Nappanee and they took with them their dwellings and businesses. The movement of business and people happened quickly and Locke was left in the dust.

Stumptown

Stumptown may be more difficult to find. It is located south of Union Center Church of the Brethren on County Road 11.  It may have been named Stumptown because the abundance of Stumps who lived there. When Daniel Stump first came to Union Township in 1838, he purchased twelve hundred acres of land and gave a parcel to each of his children. His son, Abraham Stump acquired the one hundred sixty acres south of Union Center Church. Stumptown never had a post office. This community was not officially a town/village but it had a general store and dance hall along with a sawmill. It was also known for its production of onions, potatoes and mint. These crops loved the muck soil that Stumptown had to offer. Poplar forest in the area kept the sawmill busy as they produced lumber for furniture shops in larger cities.

A memorable place in Stumptown, Geyer's Dam, was a large ravine and pond with an earthen dam that held back the water that drained into the valley. It is believed that glass from Nappanee's Lamb Brothers and Greene was mixed in with the soil to prevent muskrats from digging through the dam. There was also a community building there that was used for meetings and other community events. There were also ice skating on the pond.

Gravelton

Gravelton is located on County Road thirteen south of US Highway six right as you enter Kosciusko County. Gravelton's post office operated from 1876-1906. Gravelton peaked in population at seventy-five to hundred people. It was not a regular stop on the B&O Railroad but Gravelton had a train station. Those who wanted to ride the train would have to flag it down. It also consisted of a general store, blacksmith's shop, school, a couple of churches and about twenty houses.

The Milkshake train was the only train to have a regular stop. It was named milkshake for its bumpy ride. It would also pick up containers of milk that farmers placed by the tracks. It would travel to Chicago and then come back in the evening. Gravelton was also the site of several train wrecks. The worst train wreck took place in November of 1884 when a freight train and passenger train collided derailing seven freight train cars.

Hastings

Hastings is located at the corner of 1050 N and 425W in Jefferson Township in Kosciusko County. Hastings was described as "just a crossroads with a store, little brick school, church and a few houses sprinkled along the road." It was established in 1890 and the post office operated from 1891-1903. It was surrounded by swamps and given the nickname "The Island". Hastings, like Stumptown, was able to produce valuable crops, such as onions, hemp, spearmint, peppermint, cabbage and pickles. The area was a leader in these crops. At one time ninety-six percent of the nation's hemp was produced in this area. The cabbage was taken to Libby, McNeil and Libby Sauerkraut Factory in Nappanee.

Hepton

Hepton is located in the northwest corner of Scott Township in Kosciusko County. Hepton was platted by Jacob Conrad, who later relocated to Bremen. It had thirty-six lots but very few were sold. It owned its existence to a sawmill and was named for Carl Hepler's family. It consisted of a post office, school, church, tile mill, blacksmith's shop, peppermint distillery, creamery and general store. The post office operated from 1868-1881. It was also referred to as "Hecton" due to all of the Heckamans that lived in the area.

These communities have much more share than what could be put in this article. To find more out about these communities be sure to stop by the Nappanee Center (302 W. Market St.) and visit the Evelyn Lehman Culp Heritage Collection. Please help us keep these communities from being completely forgotten.

Resources:

Brenneman, Marcia. The Lost Communities of Western Elkhart and Eastern St. Joseph Counties of Indiana. 2010.

Chapman’s History of Elkhart County. 1881.

Coplen, Daniel. Kosciusko County: An Oral and Pictoral History. 1997.

Haney, Kenneth. History of Hastings, Indiana.

Stuckman, Noel. Oral History. 2013.

Weygand, James. They Called it Nappanee. 1974.

Other Sources

Nappanee Advanced News

Elkhart County Historical Museum

Historic Map Works Database

Elkhart County Atlas – 1874

Kosciusko County Atlas – 1879 and 1914

Lawrence Weaver

Levi Ulery Diaries

2017 Hands On Workshops for Repairs and Restoration of Vintage Homes: April through October

RESTORE MICHIANA: 

a partnership of Indiana Landmarks and 

the Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend and St. Joseph County

An annual series of lectures and hands-on workshops for owners of vintage homes, contractors and students. Learn best practices from experts in the field for a wide variety of repairs and restoration topics. 

Restore Michiana's goal is to preserve existing buildings through education and building skills in the traditional trades.

April 22                   Plaster/Drywall Repair            Paul Hayden

Learn to fix plaster and drywall problems yourself!

Overview of wall materials and lathe types, mixing plaster, modern drywall mud, taping and repair techniques, history of modern drywall and its use in rehab, safe practices and tips for making the tasks more manageable.

9:00 a.m. - noon at Kizer House, 803 West Washington Street, South Bend, IN

June 17                     Re-pointing Brick                                     Mark Johnson   

An all-day, hands-on preservation workshop, to be held at 66401 Walnut Road, Walkerton.

Mark Johnson, from the historic town of Madison, IN, will teach how to mix historic mortar, remove and replace damaged bricks, and re-pointing brick. Tools will be provided so you can learn these techniques yourself, and practice on a Local Landmark.  

9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  Lunch included.

Sign up today - you can do this!        

August 19                 Window Repair/Restoration       Seth Elder 

Don't believe the hype!  Your old wood windows probably do not need to be replaced!  Seth Elder of Dillsboro, IN, will help you determine the repair ability of your wood windows, and teach the basics of wood window repair and improving their energy efficiency. 

9:00 a.m. - noon at Kizer House, 803 West Washington Street, South Bend, IN

October 21               Woodwork                                      Dave Parcell

Learn to use stock trim to replicate historic trim.

9:00 a.m. - noon at Kizer House, 803 West Washington Street, South Bend, IN

Register today at

https://restoremichiana2017.eventbrite.com

Questions?  Call (574)235-9798

Chuck Grimm

Nappanee Center's anniversary celebration includes tribute to historian

Nappanee Center celebration includes tribute to historian

• By DENISE FEDOROW Goshen News Correspondent
 
• Nov 16, 2016
 

NAPPANEE — A large crowd showed up at the Nappanee Center Monday night to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the center, which houses the historical collection, the chamber of commerce and redevelopment offices and to honor one of the men who was instrumental in making it happen — Chuck Grimm.

The 10th Anniversary Committee, consisting of Martha Owen, heritage collection manager; Lana McCoy, assistant library director; Kayci Detweiler, communications specialist; and Kim Young, public service specialist, came up with several ways to honor Grimm, who died in March. A presentation was made at the end of the program.

The Nappanee Center was a collaborative effort of the city of Nappanee, the Redevelopment Commission, Nappanee Library and Nappanee Historic Preservation.

Library Director Lissa Krull provided the background of the center, stating that those entities met in April 2005 to discuss the collaboration. Krull said the Evelyn Lehman Culp Heritage Collection had outgrown its space in the library and there were collections that couldn’t be displayed. The Chamber of Commerce was looking for a new home. In October 2006, the city purchased the building and by the end of the month the Historic Preservation Committee was meeting at the center.

Krull said Chuck Grimm was passionate about preserving the heritage collection and finding a permanent home for it so both locals and visitors could enjoy it.

Krull offered special thanks to former Mayor Larry Thompson, former Redevelopment Director Larry Andrews and former Library Director Linda Yoder for their work to make the center happen. She said two people in particular are responsible for making the collection what it is today — Evelyn Lehman Culp and Chuck Grimm.

Former librarian and library board member Evelyn Lehman Culp started the drive for a heritage collection to have it in time for the city’s centennial celebration and the first time the collection was displayed was in 1971. In 1987, the first historic preservation commission was formed and in 1989 the heritage collection was renamed the Evelyn Lehman Culp heritage collection.

“Thirty-five years after that first display, we were lucky enough to have Chuck Grimm step up to keep Nappanee’s history front and center,” Krull said.

Former Mayor Larry Thompson recalled the first time he saw Chuck’s collection of Nappanee memorabilia. “I could not believe what I witnessed in your basement,” he told Carol, Chuck’s widow. “How organized and how extensive — I was blown away.”

Thompson said he thought, “If Dick Pletcher can build a furniture store around the oldest house in Nappanee we could make this happen.”

The challenge he was given by city officials was to make it happen without using tax dollars. Several key members helped to make it happen, including Virgil Miller of Newmar, which is why there’s a collection about Newmar in the museum.

Thompson said, “In my 20 years as mayor I had two special friends who helped me think outside the box — one was Chuck Grimm. If Chuck didn’t like it right away I knew public opinion wouldn’t.”

He said Grimm and John Leavitt acted as his barometer at times. “From the time we started on this building our friendship became deeper. It means a lot to me that we are honoring him in this way. No one could’ve believed that we wouldn’t have Chuck here celebrating the 10th anniversary.

“He loved this city more than anyone. I really miss the guy, but this is a place you can come and be close to Grandpa,” he told Chuck’s granddaughters.

Former Library Director Linda Yoder said it was an honor to be asked back and said being there was a reminder to her of what drive and passion could accomplish. She recalled meetings with Larry Thompson, Larry Andrews and Chuck Grimm and said, “We talked a lot about community pride, preservation and how that tied into the economy and tourism.”

She spoke of Evelyn Lehman Culp and said she became known for her colorful platform shoes and even though her feet were physically small they’d be hard shoes to fill.

“Chuck’s shoes are different — bigger, not as colorful, but they represent a dogged determination to persevere. He’s taken it even further than Evelyn may have imagined.”

Krull cited the 4,700 hours donated by Chuck and his wife Carol. Chuck worked 25 to 30 hours a week, continuously in pursuit of new items for the collection that now numbers more than 3,500 items.

“Chuck took great pride in preserving history whether it was listening to family stories in a barn or giving tours of the center to kids,” she said.

Grimm recently coordinated “Our Town,” a Chautauqua-type presentation. He worked with high school students to document the tours he gave; worked with the police to get the first jail cell, used from 1890 to 1972; cleaned up and part of the collection and designed and built mannequins to display the military uniforms. Grimm was named the 2011 History Educator of the Year by his peers on the historical preservation commission.

John Leavitt, representing the library board of trustees, started his speech with an observation that humored him. He said after listening to everyone speak it occurred to him, “If you had to picture two more polar opposites both in stature and demeanor it would be Evelyn and Chuck,” he laughed. “Evelyn asked for items for the collection, Chuck demanded them.”

“One word that kept coming up in regards to Chuck was passionate. It oozed out of him, particularly when it comes to Nappanee,” Leavitt said. “Chuck exemplified the simple everyday things people do. Nobody bled Bulldog Blue more than Chuck, but when it came time to support the Panthers he made the switch.”

Leavitt said so many of the iconic things in the collection are due to Chuck’s work — the infamous Foo car, the Max Gwin cartoonist collection, the Air Force One collection and more. Leavitt said the mannequins for the military uniforms that Grimm designed and built are now the prototype for the Indiana Historical Society. He told the visitors before they left to look around and see Chuck’s fingerprints all over.

“And if you listen carefully you just might hear his voice encouraging us to love kids.”

Commemoratives and Proclamations

Krull said the 10th anniversary committee had a hard time deciding on one way to honor Chuck so they picked three. Because Chuck designed historical placemats for the area restaurants to use at one time, they redesigned the placemats in his honor and they will be placed in restaurants.

Because he loved to give visitors a piece of Nappanee to take home, they designed note cards and asked them to pass them out to friends and family.

Lastly, as a lasting and permanent tribute, they created a plaque that read in part, “1,000 eternal attaboys” for Grimm, a fifth-generation resident.

“We will be forever grateful for his dedication and tenacity in keeping the history and spirit for the city and surrounding areas alive for generations to come,” Krull said.

Mayor Phil Jenkins shared how he sat down with Chuck and Dick Pletcher to get his Nappanee historical facts straight shortly after taking office. Jenkins said since he grew up in Nappanee he shared Chuck’s passion and promised that under his administration he’d continue to support and grow the Nappanee Center.

Jenkins read two proclamations: one for the anniversary of the center and one for Chuck Grimm, declaring Nov. 14 to be Nappanee Center Day and Chuck Grimm Day.

 The Nappanee Historic Preservation Commission will sorely miss our leader. We carry on his legacy and love for preserving the history of our community. 

Nappaneee Trivia #2

1. Who was the first fire chief in Nappanee?
2. What was the name of cartoon Smokey Stover’s fire chief?
3. What show was nearly canceled due to typhoid fever and a wild horse in 1900? 
4. What was rumored to be killing livestock on farms surrounding Nappanee in the late 1940s?
5. Who started the Nappanee Phone Company, digging posts and stringing lines to provide phone service to Nappanee?
6. What is the name of the two wheeled car that is on display in the Heritage Collection?
7. What crop was “king” in Nappanee in the early 1900s?
8. Where did the fire of 1937 start?
9. What item do we have in the Heritage Collection that was stolen from Floyd Gwin in 1942?
10. What tool did Evelyn Culp start using in the 1970s to preserve the histories of the people of Nappanee?
11. In 1899 what building stood where Topping Dental is now?
12. What fictional character inspired a young Nappanee boy to go into a career in aeronautics?  
13. What did Bill Holman do as youngster to help make ends meet for his family?
14. What festival in 1912 brought thousands of people to town?
15. What happened to Nappanee’s telephone operators in the 1960s?
16. Who designed Nappanee’s auditorium built in 1899?
17. How much could a good onion farmer make in a day in the early 1900's, equaling about 100 crates of onions? 

Find out the answers to these questions and more at Night at the Museum the Nappanee Center on October 9th, 2015.

October 9th Event: Night at the Museum

Come take a flashlight tour through the Heritage Collection at the Nappanee Center. For one night only history will come ALIVE!  The 30 minute tour through the museum will take you back in time to meet some of Nappanee's heros and innovators, you will help put out a fire with Nappanee's first smoke eaters, and listen in on the town's people as they chatter about life long ago in Nappanee.

Free tickets with designated tour times will be available at the library on Friday October 9th until 5 pm or at the door of the event.

A cast of over 30 actors dressed in period costumes will take you through time where you will find yourself in the middle of the action!   Night at the Museum has become one of Nappanee's favorite events over the last 5 years. Each year the event features different stories from the year's before.

For more information contact the Nappanee Public Library or Martha Owen at the Nappanee Center.

November 5th Event: The American Front Porch

At 9:30 am on November 5^th the Nappanee Historic Preservation Commission will host a presentation called “The American Front Porch”.  The presentation will be given by Paul Hayden, Preservation Specialist from Indiana Landmarks.  The event is open to the public at no charge and will be held at the Nappanee Heritage Center located at 302 West Market Street, Nappanee, Indiana 46550.

While the concept of the front porch was founded in past cultures and located at various parts of the globe, the front porch took on significant social status & a myriad of architectural styles thanks to American ingenuity.  Attendees will learn how the front porch evolved from the grand verandas of the Deep South before the Civil War era to the quaint bungalow porches of the American Southwest in the early 20^th century.  Of special note are the porches associated with the high Victorian period built in the elaborate Queen Anne style of late 19^th century.  The presentation will conclude with a case study of a large Italianate home in Elkhart that had its front porch removed and then recreated based on historic photographs.

Attendees are encouraged to bring photos of their own front porches to receive an onsite consultation about its care and restoration. 

Bridge to Stauffer Park : Open Again!

Last night the Summit Street bridge that crosses into Stauffer Park opened after being closed for repairs for over a year. This bridge has taken many Nappanee residents across the Berlin Court Ditch into Stauffer Park over it's long life, we are happy to have it back.

Then

Today

Brick by Brick; Saving Madison Street UPDATE

Click HERE read the original post about the Madison Street Restoration project.

2015 Nappanee Historic Preservation Awards

2015 Nappanee Historic Preservation Award Winners
left to Right Ben and Lori Hahn, Betty Johnson, Mayor Larry Thompson, Chuck Grimm.
 

 

Mayor Larry Thompson and Commission President Chuck Grimm



NHPC President Chuck Grimm presented Mayor Thompson with the Friend of Nappanee Historic Commission Award.


Betty Johnson,  Chuck Grimm,  Jeanie Duddley

Betty Johnson, former board member and long time volunteer with the Heritage Collection, was awarded Distinguished Historian Award.

 

 

Don Lehman presented Ben and Lori Hahn the Property Preservation Award for their Queen Anne style  home at 402 N. Hartman St.  It was built in 1905 for T.J. Prickett.  The 2 story home features wood frame construction with a rambling,  asymmetrical plan.  The home was intentionally designed with a number of gable heights and setbacks to give the appearance the structure had evolved over time.  These traditional style elements give the home an old fashioned charm that speak of a by-gone era.

Chuck Grimm, Don Lehman, Ben and Lori Hahn

Of special note is the large wrap around veranda that encompasses the southeast elevation of the home.  The broad, front steps are made up of glazed brick and cast stone and welcome both family and friends alike.  

The home was originally designed to take advantage of its corner lot location.  Many windows and doors of the home look out onto mature landscape made of towering old trees and other attractive landscaping

The Neighborhood Preservation Award was presented by Rocki Stillson.

The house at 352 N. Madison St. was built in 1871 for Ray Walters in the Queen Anne-style.  The exterior of the 2 story house features wood frame construction with an overall symmetrical plan. The structure is notable for its complex roof design made up of  a pent roof front dormer and a jerkin head gable to each side.  The roof line is further accentuated by the use of ornate cut wooden corbels and fish-scale shingles.

 

The welcoming front porch is constructed from rusticated cast stone that are topped by square wood columns.  The porch deck was designed well above grade to provide a relaxing retreat in the days before air conditioning.  The current owners have furnished their outdoor living space with comfortable wicker to compliment the Victorian style of their home.  

The exterior color of the home utilizes a traditional scheme of dark taupe for the gables, a medium sand color the siding and an antique white for the front porch.  

The property also features an oversized lot with mature trees, a hand-laid brick entry walk and a white picket fence.  

 

Award Winners and their families, Commission members and honored guests came together on May 7th for the annual Nappanee Historic Preservation Awards Presentaion

 

 

 

Congratulations to all the award winners and thank you to The  Hunsberger's, Jeff Kitson and all who helped make the evening a success.  

Brick by Brick; Saving Madison Street

Madison and  US 6 / Market street

What is happening to Madison Street? 
The Madison Street restoration project is currently underway.  Read on to learn more about the scope of the project and the history behind it.

The History

When Nappanee was platted on December 12, 1874 eight streets were indicated and named, they remain the same today.  Main, Market, Clark, Locke, Lincoln, Walnut, Elm and Madison.  Aside from Main and Market, all these streets existed only on paper at the time that the lots were sold. Most "streets" were covered in timber or were soggy with patches of cattails and swamp. 

The growth of Nappanee was rapid and in the early days of Nappanee the streets were hardly what we today would consider passable. They were dirt with stones, roots and even stumps in some of the side streets.  Not to mention the puddles, ruts, tracks and so much manure! The dust that a horse and rig would kick up was only relieved when the streets were mud from the rain and snow.  Wagons pulling loads from the railroad would sometimes get stuck in the mud on the way out of town. 

In 1884 over 1000 wagon loads of gravel were dumped in the streets and graded up to the center of the streets.  But it helped little, The News in 1899 reported "Below this three or four inches of mud and manure there seems to be a good foundation of gravel."

In 1899 the Town Board was petitioned for brick or paved streets. It was 1907 before they began. In 1908 they began laying brick. For concrete base, bricks, gutters and curbs for Main and Market the entire cost was $78.827.45 

The Bricks 

Many of the bricks in Nappanee's oldest landmarks were made here in Nappanee.  In 1879, a brick yard was set up between North Main and Clark Streets. Clay for the bricks came from the North Clark Street vicinity.  One of several brick plants on record made the bricks for the school house and for Nappanee's first brick house in 1879.  Delotter and Mellinger Company began the manufacture of bricks in 1884. Most of the buildings that were built from that time on were of Delotter and Mellinger bricks. They were the largest brick company in Northern Indiana, in 1891 over one million bricks came from their kilns. 

Brick was the material of choice for street construction for a time, through the 1920s and up until World War II.  Bricks, however durable they are, have to be laid by hand, one by one, Asphalt and concrete are cheaper and smoother so naturally they have emerged as the common material for most streets.  

Brent Warren looks at plans for the project

The Project

In Nappanee, we have but one street of brick left.  A portion of one of Nappanee's original streets, Madison Street between Marion and Market remains brick.It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the East Side Historic District, Roughly bounded by Market, Main, John, and Summit Streets.  The street is dotted with stately old homes that tell of our history.
Though the brick itself has withstood the test of time, the street is warped, sagging and wavy and does not match up with the paved streets that it intersects. It can make for a bumpy ride or worse.

Over 26 years ago, when Hartman Street was paved, the curb was taken out on Madison Street as well. Thanks to the community the street was not paved over and talks began on how to preserve and maintain the brick street.  

Brent Warren, Nappanee's Street Superintendent remembers hearing former city employee, Sam Adams, discuss the project in 2001 when Brent first joined the department.  Brent said, "I remember Sam talking about doing it a block at a time."
It was most likely the cost that made the project take a back burner time and time again over the years.  The city started setting funds aside for the project years ago.

In November 2014 the city put out a request for proposals for the work, plans drawn up by Commonwealth, to be completed in 2015. In December 2014, the city awarded the project to HRP out of South Bend. They will remove all the bricks, palletize them, bring the sub grade up to the existing curb height and then re-lay the bricks.  They are also cutting the sidewalks to open them for new ADA compliant crosswalks.  

Phase one began on April 13.  Phase One includes Market to the south side of Centennial.  Phase Two is Centennial North to Marion Street.  The contract states that they have 120 days from April 1 to have substantial completion.  This means that by the end of July the work should be finished. Warren has reported that “the contractor is doing his best to keep either Centennial or Walnut Street open at all times."  Of course this is only an ideal projection, a project like this has many things that can come up unexpected. Warren said that " one of the biggest challenges is you never know what you are going to come across...what could be buried under there for nearly a century." 

Check back for updates on the progress of Saving Madison Street.

If you have Madison Street  memories, historical documents, or old pictures that you would like to share please send them to rockistillson72@gmail.com