


	NEWSLETTER of the North Manchester Historical Society, Inc. VOLUME XVIII, NUMBER 4 (NOVEMBER, 2001)



	Holiday Tour of Historic Homes To Be Held December 1st and 2nd
	Visitors to this years' Historic Homes Tour can choose between two viewing opportunities to enjoy six lovely homes decked in Christmas finery. The homeowners whose homes are included on this year's tour include Parks and Paula Adams, Jon and Suzanne Siebrase, James and Debbie Chinworth, Randy and Sharon Fruitt, Dan and Willoughby Naragon, and Kerby and Sabine Thomas. An evening candlelight tour is available Saturday, December 1, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. by reserved ticket. Visitors on this escorted tour will have the opportunity to meet the homeowners and learn first hand about their charming homes. The tours will depart from the

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	Strauss Center at Peabody Retirement Community located on North Maple Street between Seventh and Ninth Streets. Returning to the Strauss Center, the tour groups will be served luscious desserts and coffee. Tickets for the Saturday Tour are $15 each and must be purchased by November 28. The Sunday Tour will be held December 2, 2001 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Headquarters for the Sunday Tour will be the Blocher Room at the North Manchester Public Library. Tickets, brochures and refreshments will be offered by the Historical Society, along with a continuous slide presentation of homes featured on past tours. Tickets and a rest area will also be available at Victory Christian Fellowship Church, 112 West Main Street. Tickets for the Sunday Tour are $7 in advance and $9 on the day of the tour. Tickets are available at the North Manchester Public Library, Wabash Carnegie Library and area businesses. For ticket information call 219-982-4773 or 219-982-2054.
	Parks and Paula Adams Home

	Dr. Parks and Paula Adams - 102 East Third Street Original paving bricks from Main St. embedded now as a kitchen	Page Two




	door patio mark one of the many interpretive touches of Dr. Parks and Paula Adams' restoration of one of North Manchester's oldest landmarks, the L. J. Noftzger home, built in 1880. One of the first homes in North Manchester with indoor plumbing and gas lighting, this three-story red brick Italianate structure represents a labor of family love for the Adams, who rebuilt by hand the ornate porch columns and re-plastered the original ceiling moldings and gas lamp medallions with the help of their parents, children, friends and other relatives. In addition to the three gas ceiling lamps still remaining in the 12-room home, a massive, wood burning nickel-trimmed kitchen stove-now converted to electricity-and two black, painted slate fireplaces convincingly take the visitor back in time to a quieter, simpler era.



	Jon and Susanne Siebrase - 101 East Third Street Owned now by a family steeped in the lumber and hardwood business, the old "Ulrey place," built in 1888 by William Wood, gleams inside like a furniture store, thanks to Jon and Susanne Siebrase who have rebuilt, stripped, cleaned and polished or painted every piece of exterior and interior wood of the three-story, fourteen- Jon and Susanne Siebrase Home

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			room Italianate brick home. A showcase of primarily ash and walnut woodwork, their house features a gleaming wooden staircase just inside the front entrance, pocket doors and large openings between rooms trimmed with beaded, latticed arches, and a burgandy and dark green color scheme throughout. Among the many highlights of the home are a glazed tile fireplace, a new kitchen, with hand-crafted ash cabinets, and a new sun room constructed in keeping with the authentic décor. Museum quality antique furniture and lamps complete the century-old feel to the house. James and Debbie Chinworth - 201 W. Main Street Lovingly decorated with heirloom quilts and antique family school desks, this 1877 Italianate dark red brick structure features a Second Empire style roof that makes it stand out as an historical landmark on North Manchester's main thoroughfare. A breath-taking, sweeping curved staircase fashioned more than a century ago at the Goshen Sash and Door Company and brought down on the Big Four train greets the visitor as one walks into the front hall to admire


	Jim and Debbie Chinworth Home


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	Randy and Sharon Fruitt Home the twenty foot drop of the elegant stairs. In keeping with the elegant entrance, blue flocked wallpaper and carpet highlight the woodwork throughout the home, which has been remodeled several times to expand rooms, add bathrooms and a sunroom. Other highlights of the home include a furnished basement with sealed, painted rock walls, an oak dining table with eights leaves, a period guest room, and a modern kitchen with hickory cabinets and cream tile floor. Randy and Sharon Fruitt, 116 W. Main St. Owners of the Fruitt Basket Inn, Randy and Sharon Fruitt have furnished this 1904 neo-Classical and Queen Ann home with family heirlooms and collectible pieces that accentuate a golden oak interior. Double paned leaded glass doors and a columned entrance with egg dart beading greet visitors as they are ushered into a spacious summer parlor decorated in blue flowered wallpaper and blue, oriental style area rugs. A ribbon window with three leaded glass panels, a dish collection of rosebud chintz in an elegant, mirrored side secretary, and a matching set of fruited wood, inlaid end and coffee tables, ottoman and chairs, make this just one of the many resplendent rooms of the historical guest home. Four guest rooms, each decorated and furnished as period showcases, at the top of an elegant oak staircase attest to the home's history as North Manchester's premier bed and breakfast. [Continued on Page Six] Page Five






		Dan and Willoughby Naragon Home
	Dan and Willoughby Naragon - 302 N. Market St. Featuring what was once the attic studio of nationally recognized contemporary artist Denise-Horne Kaplan, the Dan and Willoughby Naragon residence is a three-story Neo Classical home built in 1896. Furnished with collectibles and antiques from Mrs. Naragon's Ohio-born Grandmother Yount, including a pie-safe, treadle sewing machine and china plate collection, the home has leaded glass front windows and door, a brick fireplace downstairs and a glazed ceramic tile fireplace in the spacious master bedroom upstairs, and beaded pocket doors throughout. Geometric oak flooring dominates the first floor, and a beautiful, expansive entry way and wide hall leads to an unusual staircase to the rear that climbs to the bedrooms on the second floor and to the attic with its skylights and artist's loft. A modern kitchen with ceramic tile floor and counter-tops and an added-on screened sun porch make this elegant historic home a liveable jewel Kerby and Sabine Thomas - 115 West Main Street Half a century old, the Kerby and Sabine Thomas home is a two-story, red brick, late Colonial Revival structure that has housed four pastoral families since it was built on the site of an old hotel by the
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		Kerby and Sabine Thomas Home

		congregation of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church. Elegant and spacious inside, the home is marked by the Thomas's Colonial color scheme, heirloom china, and love of hand-refinished antique furniture. Among the many unique items are Sabine's grandmother's china collections from Germany, which were buried by her family in Ludwigshafen to escape Allied bombing during World War II, as well as Kerby's great-grandfather's collection of old cameras and glass plate negatives and steam engine prints. Holiday visitors will be treated to a traditional German Christmas tree festooned with lighted candles. A modern kitchen, with beechwood floors and European trimmings, is one of the Thomas's many fine touches to this historic structure, which will be moved to South Elm St. within the next two years.

		Harter Family Played an Important Part in Early North Manchester History

	Thomas Carlyle wrote, "History is the essence of innumerable biographies." I am constantly reminded that the history of North Manchester is the combined history or biographies of so many people who have lived out their lives here. Some of the most interesting in our

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	early history were members of the Harter family. Joseph Harter, Sr. 1783 - 1861, born in Pennsylvania, and his wife Elizabeth Brower, born in Virginia, moved their family, together with the family of their eldest son, Eli, to the North Manchester community from Montgomery County, Ohio, in 1836. They came by way of Indianapolis and by wagon train. They settled on land just north of Eel River and east of the old Wabash Road. By 1837 Joseph and Eli had filed claim on 1795 acres of land in Chester township and 960 acres in Pleasant township. In 1839, Joseph and his sons built a saw mill and a grist mill near the site of a later dam on the Eel. They built flour mills at Laketon and Collamer and later, Eli operated a mill on Treaty Creek at the south edge of Wabash. By 1851 Joseph turned most of his business interest over to his younger son, Jacob and Joseph, Jr. The last of his real estate holdings was that part of town known as Harter's Woods, finally platted as Oak Park Additon. It is now a part of Warvel Park and the late residence of the Peabody family. Still part of Manchester's history. Pottawatomi Were Earliest Settlers Pres, Otho Winger did considerable research about the early Indian settlements near North Manchester. One was the settlement just north of the present College athletic fields believed to be that of the Pottawatomi Chief Pierish. He had a double log house with a fireplace and when he died he was buried just outside the house, somewhat under the base of the fireplace. This site was a well chosen one on a bit of a bluff where the river made a bend and where formerly two good springs flowed from the base of the bluff. When, in 1834 Richard Helvey made the first permanent settlement near North Manchester, this white settler chose the site of the old Indian village. Later the land was owned by the Cook family. Just north beyond the Cook homestead was the old home of Judge Comstock, one of the prominent pioneers of that early time and the father of Liberty Mills. Across the campus grounds, Indian trails led down to the Kenapocomoco. No doubt Indian braves of long ago held their games and performed athletic feats near the Chief's village.. And somewhere close to the present day road to Liberty Mills it is believed the first corn grown in this country thrived under the care of the Pottawatomi women. The Eel River was important for transportation and trade and Indian canoes and the white man's pirogues were a frequent sight. The single file march of Indian ponies and their riders followed winding trails along the banks. There were forests of hardwoods and nut trees, hickory, walnut, hazel and pecans. Maple syrup could be made and there was an abundance of berries for drying. There was also an abundance of wild animals especially beaver, but also bear, raccoon, lynx, fox, wild cat and even a rare buffalo. Deer were everywhere. In addition to the heavy fur trade in the area, wild game made an important contribution to the food supply. This history, too, we must not forget. Page Eight




	The Cupp Family This is material copied from a loose-leaf notebook give to Bertha Miller Neher Stine, its author unknown. The book was passed to her sister Edith Miller who added some notes. Then it came to Viola Neher Whitehead, then to the William Eberlys and now to us. The name Cupp is listed as spelled thirteen different ways. Jacob and Daniel Kopp arrived on the ship Nancy from Rotterdam as German immigrants. In Philadelphia they took an oath indicating that they had arrived in the early 1700s. The early Cupps were of the Lutheran faith. Jacob Cupp was taxed sixteen shillings, four pence on 25 acres of land, one horse and one cow in 1769. Mark Cupp was taxed for the same property in 1774. The relationship of these men is not clear. The book contains a copy of the will of Marcus Cupp (1780 - 1820) written in 1816 in Virginia, presented in court in 1820. "It is my last well and desire - being aged and infirm but of perfect mind and memory and calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men to die - I do make and ordain this to be my last will and testament. First I recommend my soul to God who gave it and my body to the dust to be buried in a decent and Christianlike manner. It is my last will and desire that my well beloved wife Margaret have the whole of the plantation whereon I now live, together with a negro boy Randel, the horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, household furniture, farming tools, wagon etc. or so much of the above mentioned things as she may wish to keep or have use for during her life. It is my will that my two stills and vessels be sold soon after my decease, and also anything else that my wife will not wish to keep." And he tells how his daughter Peggy should have $20 a year as long as she stays with her mother. One line of Marcus Cupp's descendants: Marcus Cupp and his wife Margaret had twelve children . Henry Cupp (1780 - 1867) married Susana Baker (1786 - 1824). They had eight children. Marcus Cupp (1811 -1905) their third child married Elizabeth Brower (1829 -1880). Of their ten children, three Sarah, John,

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	Emma) married siblings (Amos, Emma, John { Miller}). Sarah Elizabeth Cupp (1856 - 1930) their fifth child (of 9 girls, 1boy) married Amos B. Miller (1849 - 1929). Their four children were: Bertha Inez Miller (1873- 1948) married Levi M. Neher and m - 2 A. M. Stine Her five children were: Royal M. Neher married Helen Mahoney Viola Crystal Neher married Glen Whitehead Charles Kendal Neher married Ethel Sherman Galen Virgil Neher died of typhoid in 1925 Lauren Mark Neher married Katherine Smith Ida May Miller (1873 - 1944) married Otho Winger (1877 - 1946) Her two children were: Robert Paul Asa Leroy Miller (1855 - 1950) married Olive Deardorff (1886 - 1979) His five children were: Hazel Olive married Dale LeClare Mabel Edith Ralph Leroy married Christine Amour Betty Mae married Ralph McMacken Sara Frances Edith Alice Miller (1888 - 1975)

	Last Day of School During the passing years there were two great events of the school year: namely, Christmas, with its program of song, dialog, and recitations, along with the usual treat of candy and oranges, and the other, "The Last Day of School". On the last day of school, children all appeared in their Sunday clothes with clean faces and combed hair. The girls moved in groups, arm in arm, dressed in the best. Their chief decorations were their new aprons with strings tied in large bows; bright hair ribbons on the ends of long braids, or often with hair nicely combed and flowing loosely about their shoulders. The forenoon program consisted of class work which was constantly being interrupted by the incoming of fond fathers and mothers with their baskets filled in preparation for the "Big Dinner" Boards were laid upon the desks, making two or three long tables, upon which was placed the best of eats. Fried chicken, fried ham, sausage, butter, bread and honey, pies of all kinds, cake of all colors, cookies, jellies and jams were among the good things. Parents, teacher and the children all stood quietly about the tables until the blessing was said

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	then we all eagerly ate of our choice, until all were well-fed. After the tables were cleared away And the children had had their last play, All gathered at the call of the bell Each his part of the program to tell. Recitations, dialogs and songs were given by the children. Grade cards and reward of merit cards were passed out by the teachers. Some brief remarks concerning the splendid work of the teacher and of the school were often made by one or more of the patrons, and so in the midst of high tension and often tears, the day closed and another year had passed. from E. E. Frantz

	A Letter From Hot Springs In earlier days Hot Springs, Arkansas was one of the well-known cities of the United States and even today it has a fame far beyond its modest population of about 35,000. There are about 45 hot springs in the area with a constant temperature of 143 degrees. It is a famous health resort area and many retired persons have chosen to retire there. Millions of visitors come to drink the water and enjoy hot baths and the bottled spring water is for sale across the United States. The curative value of the water was known to several Indian tribes and it is believed that the famous explorer DeSoto visited the springs in l541. The following letter written in classic Spencerian style was written on stationery of the Hotel Josephine in Hot Springs, Ark. Nov. 13th, 1888 by Amos B. Miller to Dear Brother You have perhaps expected a letter from me ere this time, but I have simply neglected it and postponed it, as I am not very fond of letter writing at any rate, and while I am now taking baths regularly every day, I and the rest of the family, are giving our special attention to our hot water baths, which takes up all our time in the forenoon. I mailed you "Cutter's Guide of Hot Springs", from which you can gain some valuable information about the City of Hot Springs, its location, its people and its many peculiarities. There are a large number of eastern people here located as residents. There are people here from all the different states and territories as well as from many foreign countries, England, Germany, France,

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	China and also Mexico and Central America. Ailments innumerable, are seeking remedial agents here in baths of Hot Mineral waters. The Springs of hot water come up in the Stony Mountain, which is yet a U. S. reservation and perhaps always will be. The Government owns the Stony Mountain land from which all the most valuable springs flow and the land is not for sale. A fine U. S. Hospital is built on it by the U. S. where soldiers and sailors have the benefit of free treatment and free home while being treated here, which is a nice thing for them. The water is quite hot when it comes out of the rocky mountainside; hot enough to boil an egg. We drink hot water while bathing, people drink it as hot as hot coffee, in quantities from a pint to a quart and feel no disagreeable effects from it, while bathing in fact we like it. The water is so hot that no insect life can exist for one minute in it and is no doubt why it is so pure that any quantity does not even nauseate one. We take our baths at 100 degrees and 102 degrees and drink it at about one hundred and twenty five degrees, which is nearly boiling hot and it tastes pure and nice, and it comes out through the pores after the bath and makes people sweat like a "race horse". I think we are already benefitted from the course (sic). It is extremely hard to keep from taking cold between baths as the pores are full open. The weather has been very fine all the time since we came here except four days when it rained all the time. I thought once we would have another flood here like they had about two months ago when a water spout burst over the town and adjoining mountains and did so much damage and drowned eight persons in the rush of water. There is plenty of game in the mountains 20 to 30 miles from here and some deer is killed from 5 to 6 miles from here also. Deer, bear. turkeys, squirrels, o'possums etc. are said to be pretty plentiful. Last Saturday the girls and I went over town to the meat market and I think we saw at least 25 deer on market and big fellows, too. We have venison and plenty of it to eat. Everything is high here in the eatable line, consequently board is high also; at the finest hotels $25 per week for room and board for each

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	person is charged. Choice apples are worth per bushel $1.50, Irish potatoes of a good quality $1.00 to 1.25 per bu. Corn slip husked (Mo. style) 60 to 75 cents bu. There is no farming land close here that amounts to anything for that purpose, but out about 30 mi. people here tell me it is a fine farming country. There is quite a lot of cotton sold here in large bales 500 to 550 lbs. and farmers who market it, look from all appearances as though they are 75 years behind times. Some come in with little mules, some with one, two, four oxen hitched to old odd wagons that look as though they had been rescued from battlefields in 63 or 64 and some of the men look so dumb and ignorant (excuse us - ed) that one is led to believe they don't know "the war has closed". There are some colored people (excuse us again - ed) here that out rank some of the whites, (natives) in intelligence and they have a nice church here. They are at present holding revival meetings. We went out to their church Sunday night. It was a new feature to Ida and the girls. I attended some of their meetings while at the Warrensburg Normal school and it was nothing new to me. But they keep up noise ... enough to keep people awake by shouting and singing and two or three praying at the same time/ Hot Springs is an odd place; it seemed to have been created by the Almighty for a special purpose - that of healing the sick and curing the lame and paralized. The girls teased me to take them out on the mountain, so we, Gracie, Hazel and I, climbed West Mountain. It was so steep that we could hardly climb over the rocks, which in places are covered by


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	scrub oaks and pines. We rested several times before we reached the top, as I carried Hazel part of the time and pulled Gracie by her hand or they could not have made the ascent. It was so high and steep we could see for 30 miles or more over hilly bushy land. The street cars and mules far below us running on the streets seemed no large than childrens toys. We killed a mountain lizard and a poisonous snake up there. I wrote a letter to Robt Gallespie today. I see in the Chicago and St. Louis papers they had a terrible snow storm throughout Kansas last Friday. The heaviest early snow since 1878 - 10 years. I also noticed in the Chicago Inter Ocean that wheat in Wabash Co. Ind. was not doing well and was spotted and small with poor prospects and I suppose the "prophet" is already commencing to howl about wheat failing in 89. I recd. a letter from S. B. Fahnestock who holds a professorship in Columbus, Ohio Business College, stating Will F. and family are in Tennessee wintering there. Well I might write more but am at the end of paper. Resply A. B. Miller.

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