NEWSLETTER
OF THE NORTH MANCHESTER HISTORICAL
SOCIETY, INC.
VOLUME III, NUMBER 4 (November
1986)
OLD SORREL—A condensation of a
monograph by his great grandson, Rev. Robert E. Walker.
By Orrin Manifold
Old Sorrel is the 1985 account of
Gilbert Moore, a Chester Township farmer and American
Civil War soldier. At the age of 43, father of eleven
children, he enlisted in the Union Army, fought in
Tennessee, was captured, and died in Andersonville
Prison. The account was researched and written by his
great grandson, Rev. Robert E. Walker. Moore was known
as “Old Sorrel” because of his red hair.
Born in Rush County and married
there in 1842, he and his wife, Delilah, and several
other families moved the next year to Wabash County near
Treaty, and then in 1856 he purchased an 80 acre farm in
Chester Township.
After the Civil War broke out the
Moores’ oldest son, John, enrolled in Company D, 47th
Indiana Volunteers of Infantry. Two of his brothers
would also serve in Company D. In August, 1862, Gilbert
Moore enrolled in Company F, 101st Regiment
of Infantry Indiana Volunteers. He was probably
recruited by Captain Benjamin Williams of Wabash. In
those days a well known man could enlist men and be
elected by them as an officer. The regiment met August
16 in Wabash for organization, speech making, and flag
waving. Joseph, age 18, and Jacob, 16, were old enough
to carry on the farm work.
On September 2 the regiment boarded
the train in Wabash in high spirits. At Noblesville late
in the evening local people fed them chickens and
turkeys, cakes and pies, melons and good coffee. They
were officially mustered into the army September 5 at
Camp Morton in Indianapolis, and each man received a
uniform, a blanket, gun, haversack, and canteen. He had
to furnish his own cup, plate, knife, fork, spoon, and
skillet.
Two days later they left by train
for Covington, Kentucky, to protect Cincinnati, which
was being threatened by Rebel General Kirby Smith. When
he did not come, the regiment boarded a steamer on the
Ohio River and sailed to Louisville, Kentucky. While in
Kentucky for the next several weeks, they found an
occasion to visit Mammoth Cave. They engaged in action
against “Morgan the Raider,” discouraging him from a
Christmas raid into southern Indiana and Ohio.
In the next months there was brisk
action in central Tennessee against General Morgan and a
concerted campaign in late June to drive the Rebels out
of central Tennessee. The northern troops pushed on
towards Chattanooga, where control of the railroads
there was the key to the whole area. Heavy rains over a
considerable period of time made nasty weather. Often
the men had to wade rivers and creeks that had
overflowed their banks. Several men died in the
hospitals around Murfreesboro.
Confederate General Braxton Bragg,
commander at Chattanooga, decided to make a stand along
Chickamauga Creek, a few miles from Chattanooga. The
battle continued for two days. The night between was
cold, but there could be no fires which would reveal
their locations to the enemy. In the outcome of the two
day battle the northern forces were defeated; but
General Bragg did not follow up on his victory, so the
Union Army claimed Chattanooga and held control of
communications and transportation. This made possible
the capture of Atlanta a year later and Sherman’s March
to the sea.
On the first of the two days the
101st from Indiana plunged into the battle
about noon. About 2:30 p.m. Confederate General
Alexander Stewart made an attack which pushed the Union
army back in this section. Lt. Richard Busick was
wounded and an officer ordered Corporal Gilbert Moore to
stay with him. When the Union Army pulled back, Moore
“refused to leave the lieutenant and was taken prisoner
by the Rebels”—as was also lt. Busick.
From the battlefield he was sent to a prison in
Richmond--probably by way of Atlanta and Augusta, since the Union forces
controlled any direct route. He arrived there September 29. It is not known in
which of the five prisons he was confined. Most of the prisons there were brick
tobacco warehouses, two or three stories high. In October General Robert E. Lee
suggested that there were too many prisoners in Richmond, so six brick or wooden
tobacco factories in Danville, Virginia, were hastily readied to receive
prisoners. Gilbert Moore and William Busick were sent to one of these Danville
prisons December 12, 1863. That day a smallpox epidemic swept through the city.
At some later time—perhaps in early
march, 1864—Moore and Busick were transferred to the
Andersonville, Georgia, prison. A double stockade of
twenty foot pine longs enclosed 26 ½ acres. Stockade
Creek—about five feet across and a foot deep—was used
for bathing, cooking, drinking, washing clothes, and
flushing out the sinks. As the war continued and the
prison population grew larger, the food deteriorated. In
all, 12,912 men who were imprisoned there died and were
buried in the cemetery. Disease was common—particularly
scurvy, diarrhea, gangrene, and dysentery.
Scurvy makes one’s extremities
swell to twice their size and the patient’s teeth often
become loosed and fall out. It is reported of Gilbert
Moore that “three hours before his death he pulled out
his teeth, then checked into the Prison Hospital where
he died that same day,” probably September 4, 1864, two
days after Atlanta surrendered to General Sherman.
Note: The above photograph
of "Old Sorrel" in Civil War uniform is from the collection of Nancy J. Reed.
Gilbert Moore was Nancy's ggggrandfather.
Other descendants of Gilbert Moore include Bette Reed,
Raleigh Walker and Rhea Schroll, all of N. Manchester.
If you would like to obtain a copy of the complete
monograph, please write to Robert E. Walker, 8958 John
Muir court, Elk Grove, California 95624.
THE BAY VIEW READING CIRCLE
Written by Harry Leffel
November 1957
[photo] This group of young men formed what was
known as a local chapter of the "Bay View Reading
Circle." We met weekly in a room above the Lawrence Bank
during the winter of 1896 and 1897 for study and
discussion of American Literature, American History, and
nature, for each of which, we had a text book.
In photo standing, from left to right: 1) Thad Arthur,
brother of Clem, associated with Clem in vegetable canning business at Red Key,
Montpelier, and Bluffton for many years. Never married. Died within recent
years. 2) Dr. Ira Perry, well known and remembered by many present readers of
the news. One of Manchester's best and most honored physicians of some years
ago. Deceased. 3) Otto Hamilton, a fine young man of ability and character. Died
in early manhood. Son of Samuel Hamilton, a leading citizen of the city sixty
years ago.
Those seated, left to right: 1) Thomas Hardman from west of
town. Taught school for some years, after which he joined his brother, Rolland,
in the implement and hardware business at Lafontaine. Thomas and wife still
operated the hardware at this writing. 2) Clem Arthur, graduate of North
Manchester High School. Studied law in his father's office, admitted to the Bar,
never practiced, but retains his father's law library. He taught school for
several years, then was employed as a teller in Lawrence National Bank. After a
time he accepted a position in Bank at Red Key, Indiana, where he was an active
and leading citizen in banking business. Later he established the canneries in
Red Key and neighboring towns as before mentioned, along with his brother, Thad.
He married, has one child, is now retired from active business. Is in good
health and enjoys to chat with friends. 3) Elmer E. Frantz, country boy from
west of town. Taught school for a number of years. Attended several colleges and
later graduated at Manchester College. Lived at Roann, Peru, and Huntington
where he taught science in the high schools. Engaged in life insurance business,
built a home in Huntington where they resided for 34 years. In 1955 moved to
Dallas, Texas where they celebrated their golden wedding in 1957. Retired now
from active duties, and engaging life, making new friends in a new climate.
[photo] This postcard picture of the North Manchester air
was donated by Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Burton of Roanoke, IN. Oscar Burton of Servia
was Mr. Burton's uncle. It is believed that the man on the far right is Sam
Michael. Can you help us identify others?
EARLY HISTORY OF NORTH MANCHESTER
The Town of North Manchester has a most beautiful natural location,
being situated on a level plain elevated some thirty feet above Eel River.
The first town plat was laid out in January 1936 by Peter
Ogan and Jacob Neff, Mr. Ogan having come from Ohio the preceding year. Among
the early settlers were Mr. Brewers, Henry Stricklers, Joseph Harter (father of
Joseph B. Harter). Mr. Stickler located on the south side of Eel River, early in
the year of 1836, west of where the grist mill was built.
The Harter family came from Montgomery county, Ohio,
reaching this place in September 1836 after a long and tiresome journey of three
weeks by way of Indianapolis and Logansport, Indianapolis being only a small
town at that time.
They left a thickly settle country and came to a wilderness
where there was nothing but Indians and wild animals.
Daniel Stone had begun a house near the site of the present
grist mill which they moved into, finishing it later and building an addition to
it the same fall. In 1841 or '42, he built a new house nearby, living there
until his death which occurred February 26, 1861.
In 1837 a sawmill was built by Joseph Harter on Clear Creek
or what was afterwards called Lantz Creek north of town. The first grist mill
was built in 1838 and 1839 by Joseph Harter, which was run by him and his sons
until his death in 1861. Before that, the early settlers had to go to Goshen to
mill, cutting their road through the woods.
There was one log cabin near where the Williams drugstore
now is, occupied by Peter Ogan.
The first log school house was built about the year 1839 on
the northeast corner of Third and Walnut Streets -- Mr. Hare's present home. The
first teacher was Thomas Keeler by name, teaching a three month's subscription
school He had about thirty pupils.
Both the Methodist and Lutheran churches were built about
the year 1845 on the present locations. The United Brethren people held their
services in the Methodist Church for a number of years. Religious services were
frequently held in the log school house in an early day. Dunkard services were
held in private homes in the winter season, and in the barns in the summer.
The first goods which were sold here were by the Barlow
Brothers of LaGro, who put in a general stock of goods in Peter Ogan's log
cabin, which was a double cabin.
Asa Beauchamp put up the first store building which was a
hewn log one on the northeast corner of Main and Walnut Streets. It was a
general store and the goods were bought at Richmond, Indiana, and hauled through
by him by team.
Soon after, William Thorn and Mahlon Frame (a brother of
the late David Frame) brought in a general stock of goods and opened up a store
on the corner where the Burdge drug store is located. For many years merchandise
and surplus products of this place were received and shipped to LaGro by canal
or rail.
The canal was built or opened up in 1837. The railroad (The
Wabash) was completed in 1854 as far as LaGro. Thus, freight had to be hauled in
wagons, and a plank road was built most of the way to LaGro in 1850, to
facilitate transportation.
SOME MEMORIES OF LAKETON
By Howard Ulsh As Told to Lester Binnie
My father’s full name was Manias
Jacob Ulsh, but he was always known as M.J. It was his
choice. He grew up in Seward Township, Kosciusko County,
Indiana, but was a partner in a grocery store in Laketon
as early as 1891. About six years later, he bought the
two-story, frame building that still stands at the
corner of Main and Lake Streets, recently owned by Don
Price. He operated a general store there until 1930.
During that time, he had been a partner in the Laketon
flour mill on Eel River and in the grain elevator that
stood near the refinery, at that time an oil pumping
station.
His general store was just that.
From the east entrance, shelves and counters lined each
side of the building. On the right were the groceries,
mostly canned goods, flour and sugar, with candy in a
display case, and near the front, a display case for
unwrapped bread. Dry goods occupied the shelves and
counters on the left side. Down the middle were counters
for such things as overalls and boots and shoes.
When I was a small
boy, the Laketon Post Office was located near the
east entrance and on the left side. Ernest Ohmart was
the Postmaster and Sherm White was the rural mail
carrier. The mail was picked up at the Erie and Vandalia
depots by John Price, a veteran of the Civil War, in his
spring wagon. The wagon also served as a taxi for
persons going or coming from the depot.
It is said that the first telephone
office was located on Lake Street in the upstairs room
now used as a museum. The telephone company was first
owned by a Mr. Harmon, who sold it to Frank Zimmerman
and moved to Wisconsin. Zimmerman also owned the
exchanges at Disco and Akron. During World War I, Mary
Fulton was the chief operator of the Laketon exchange.
She later became the second wife of Vernon Heckman and
helped him establish the Heckman Bindery. She encouraged
my sister, Verna, to learn to operate the switchboard.
That was sometime after the office had been moved to a
ground floor location on Main Street and north of Lake
Street.
Verna got about in a wheel chair
after falling from a hay mow as a child. The switchboard
was in use 24 hours a day except on Sunday, when it was
closed in the forenoon. Verna received 17¢ per hour for
daytime work and 11¢ during the night when only
emergency calls were to be made. When on night duty, she
slept in an adjoining bedroom and was awakened by a bell
near her bed. There was a printed directory, but many
people called by name, so it was necessary to learn the
names of 150 to 200 people and their location on the
switchboard. By helping Verna learn the names, I learned
them too. Sometimes I was employed as a substitute when
Verna or one of the other girls went on vacation.
In about 1888, an oil pumping
station was established on Long Lake. It was built as
one of several stations to pump oil from the wells in
Pennsylvania to the Standard Oil Refinery at Whiting,
Indiana. When the Pennsylvania wells began to fail, a
pipe line was brought in from Oklahoma by way of
Kankakee, Illinois. Part of the oil was then moved
through Laketon, east to New Jersey refineries, and for
export. The steam boilers, fired by coal, provided power
for the pumps, and the plant provided employment for
several engineers, firemen, maintenance men, and a
telegraph operator. These men served twelve hour shifts.
Oil is still being pumped through the lines, but the
plant has
been converted to a refinery.
The first depot for the Erie
railroad was built on the road south of the refinery and
across the highway from a grain elevator. This early
road crossed the river at a ford near the mill. After
this depot burned down, a new one was built on the road
south of the covered bridge. It was on the north side of
the tracks and on the east side of the road leading to
Ijamsville.
There was a large icehouse near the
road in which ice from Long and Round Lakes was stored.
Large quantities of sawdust were used as insulating
material. The ice was used in refrigerator cars that
transported fresh produce from the west coast and for
cooling the express car on the “milk train” that picked
up large cans of fresh milk for the dairies in Chicago.
A cooperative grain elevator was
built east of the depot in about 1915 and nearby, my
father had a coal yard and a place where he sold cement.
I believe there was a livestock yard there for holding
and loading cattle and hogs into freight cars. There
were many private ice-houses in and near Laketon. Some
were used by cooperative ice rings, others for local
stores like West’s Meat Market and my father’s store.
At one time there were four hotels
in Laketon. Dennis Lautzenheiser, my great uncle,
operated a hotel in a large two-story house, still
standing, southeast of the Laketon schoolhouse. This
house is said to have been built from trees that stood
on the lot. The uptown hotel stood on the lot north of
Earl’s Place. The lower story still remains, but the
upper part was removed many years ago. There was a hotel
near the flour mill. The dam for this mill was just west
of the Laketon Cemetery. The mill was operated for
several years, was burned, rebuilt, and later abandoned
when the dam was washed out.
The old part of the Laketon
Cemetery was first called the Ijamsville Cemetery,
but it is now under the care of the Laketon Cemetery
Association. This part was established on land that
was owned by Daniel Funderburg. The new part was
established in about 1909 on land my Grandfather
Sholty bought when he came from near Dayton, Ohio,
in 1854. The low ground back of the old cemetery and
between the two was created when the soil was
removed to build the grade for the Erie Railroad in
about 1883.
Cont'd next issue
Grace Von Studiford Opera Star
Grace Von Studiford was a North Manchester girl who made a
national name for herself in the early 1900's. She was an opera star who
performed in Chicago, New York, and other major cities in the United States and
Canada.
Mrs. Von Studiford was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert
Quivey of North Manchester. The Quiveys were part owners of a general
merchandise store which operated here for several years. The Quiveys had five
children who were Maude, Ralph, Grace, Claude, and Mary.
The children apparently inherited musical abilities from
their parents. Mrs. Quivey sang in area churches and Mr. Quivey played violin
although neither ever were professional musicians.
Little is known of the sons but the three girls stayed with
music all of their lives. Grace became the best known and she starred in light
opera including "The Merry Widow" and "Red Feather." She eventually married a
horse trader and settled in St. Louis.
Maude received musical training at the Conservatory of
Music in Chicago. She played in the Thomas Orchestra which today is known as the
Chicago Symphony. She later played organ and piano in the local Methodist Church
and the organ there was inscribed with her name.
Reprinted with permission from the August 16,
1973 News Journal.
DONATIONS TO THE MUSEUM
Among the items donated to the museum within the last year, are the
following:
Donated by Florence Trick -- Photographs, quilt top, 2
aprons, sunbonnet, folding fan, pinch nose eye glasses, iron, chid's shoe, metal
frame eye glasses, and a book, "The Works of the Apostles".
Donated by Herschel Merritt -- Small and large corn
huskers, and a photograph of the Jordan School & pupils.
Donated by the L.W. Shultz family -- Photograph of Margaret
Bixler's Summer School.
Donated by Flossie Garber -- Photograph of the Jr/Sr Play
at Central High School in 1921 and 7 tin type pictures.
Donated by Peabody Mfg. Co. -- 1 armchair desk, 3 school
desks, 3 ladder back chairs, aerial view photograph of Peabody, 2 photos of
Peabody building, photo of 1959 baseball team, Certificate of 1982 bowling
league champs, photo of Arthur Wagner's 50th year, and Tom Peabody's desk.
Donated by Sally Allen -- Wire frame eye glasses, Wedgewood
plate, a statue: "Lonely Lion", silverware, "Tribute to Harriman National Bank",
picture & letter to Mrs. Peabody's mother, and a letter to Mr. Cook from
brother.
Donated by Orrel Little -- Discharge papers of Alvah H.
McBride.
Donated by Ray Hardman -- slate pencils.
Donated by Mabel Hoff -- knitting machine & clothing.
Donated by Mary Ellen Willmert -- 90 assorted postcards.
Donated by Merlin Finnell -- N. Manchester covered bridge
postcard.
Donated by Lulu Trostle Lahman -- cup and saucer, meat
platter, sauce dish, and pictures of covered bridges.
Donated by Dr. L.Z. Bunker -- tea kettle, bread box,
photographs of Maude Krisher, Wabash Road bridge, early women of N. Manchester,
3 men & 7 women, postcard of Annie Oakley, and books: "Pillar of Fire" by
Graham, and "The Friendship Quilt" by Kuhn.
AN UNSUNG HERO
By Mrs. Harry Weimer
There are a lot of unsung heroes in every community, but
there is one from North Manchester who certainly deserves honorable mention:
CHARLES AMBRIDGE. For more than 33 years he worked with the Boy Scouts.
Charles Ambridge was a naturalized citizen who came here
from Canada in 1929. He worked first in a print shop for Ruby MacMahn and later
for Billings on the News Journal.
On January 24, 1957, he was given the highest honor of
Scouting, the prestigious Silver Beaver Award, for his then over twenty years of
active service in the Wabash District. John L. Ford read the citation at
the awards banquet, noting seven years as active Scoutmaster, four years as
Explorer Scout Adviser, four years as Troop Committeeman, three years as
chairman of the District Operations Committee, and two years as Institutional
Representative. At the time Ambridge was also chairman of a training
session for 98 Wabash District leaders: Scout Masters, Cubbers, Den Chiefs,
Explorers, and Jr. Scout leaders. William Visser, a professional Scouter
from Marion (who later became administrator of the Peabody Retirement Center)
was co-ordinator. Among the other Silver Beaver Award holders who welcomed
him to their rank were Arden Strauss, Nolan Walker, and Edward W. Hearn of North
Manchester and Owen J. Neighbors, Mark C. Honeywell, Arthur Grabner, Philip
Magner, Sr., and George F. Bosh of Wabash.
Twelve years later the 51st Meshingomesia Council Report
was dedicated to the memory of Charles Ambridge, who died that year. By
this time there were 65 honored Silver Beaver Award holders in the Council area.
The Meshingomesia Council had been organized in 1918 to
serve Blackford, Grant, Howard, :Miami, and Wabash Counties. The Boy Scout
movement probably began in North Manchester in 1929 with Dr. Beeman, Harold
Wolfe, and D. Arden Strauss as conveners. Among other leaders were Dale
Strickler, Lester Urschel, Wilbur Krider, Herb Priser, and Al Weimer.
During the '40s and '50s there were three troops in town. At that time
North Manchester had little to offer the youth---no parks with athletic programs
nor pool---only the movies, swimming at Long lake, and the annual street fair.
Concerned parents were grateful for the Scout camping programs, their summer
trips to Philmot Ranch and the Rainy Lakes Canoe Base area.
Camp Crossland and "Order of the Arrow" are still in
existence. Nolan Walker still vividly recalls his ride on the lumber truck
going to build the first building at Camp Crossland. Several men now in
their fifties, recall the thrill of finding an old school seat at Philmot Ranch
stamped "Peabody Seating Company, N. Manchester, Ind." On another occasion
several boys on a canoe trip received citations and badges for their part in the
rescuing an elderly camping couple stranded on an island in the Rainy lakes area
with a badly chopped leg accident.
Scouting paid off in various ways later in life. One
junior leader, Thoburn Speicher, became a chaplain in the Air Force, and another
works with the juvenile courts in a large eastern city. My own two sons
have carried on to receive Silver Beavers of their own and one earned the now
discontinued Ranger Horn. He began his life work as a national forester
with experiences under Charles Ambridge at Camp Crossland. The other son
is still in Scouting and has served on the national Council. It was my
privilege to be with him in England during the 200th year Baden-Powell Boy
Scouts anniversary program of 1976. We were delighted to meet up with
Father Eisenberger from our local St. Roberts Church, who was the honored guest
speaker of the evening banquet.
Mrs. Ambridge, when I interviewed her, laughed and said
most of their family disagreements occurred when she and the two daughters
wished to do something as a family, and Mr. Ambridge just couldn't leave because
of a Scout program. "Thank you," Mrs. Ambridge, for your forbearance.
This was tough luck, I'm sure, but we folk of the town who had sons to raise are
most grateful for Charles Ambridge's dedicated service to boyhood.