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Garrett Clipper’s Anniversary Edition January 20, 1936

Permission given by J. D. Kroemer

Submitted by: Arlene Goodwin agoodwin@ctlnet.com

GARRETT’S GROWTH FROM 1871 TO 1936

The history of the city of Garrett really begins in 1871, when the survey of the Baltimore and Ohio and Chicago railroad, known as the Chicago division, was made. Chief Engineer, J. L. Randolph, Charles Archaniel, T. G. Baylor, W. A. Pratt and Mr. Manning started the survey at a point which they called Chicago Junction, two miles south of Centerton, off the old Sandusky City, Mansfield and Newark railroad, which they had previously leased. The survey was made for a distance of 262 miles west from Chicago Junction, through Ohio, Indiana, and into Illinois to a place eight miles south of Chicago, where it intersected the Illinois Central railroad, the intersection was called Baltimore Junction and is now Brookdale.

Considerable difficulty was experienced in building the road of the Chicago division, because of the marshy character of the land in this vicinity. As this territory was heavily wooded, it was considered more practical to construct trestles over the swamps and ravines than to attempt to fill them by grading. The number of trestles built on this division was 396, and they would have made nine miles of continuous trestle if they had been connected. The largest trestles were west of Garrett and there were three of the nine miles mentioned east of here to Willard. The Big Marsh trestle, about four miles west of Bremen, was 3,832 feet long, and contained 319 pile trestles, four piles being driven for each trestle. In 1882 this trestle was filled with sand out of a pit on south side of the Walkerton coal chutes.

The highest trestle was four miles west of Defiance. It was thirty-five feet high and was known as White’s Mills. The trestle west of Garrett coal chutes was 1,142 feet long and was built over the Tamarack swamp. The swamp was so densely covered with brush and tamarack trees that the lake in the center of it was not visible from the railroad. The center of the lake was covered with peat eight feet thick, and had broken through in 1873 when the road was graded. When the pilings were driven the contractors claimed they drove some of the piles 620 feet, which claim led to court litigation. The surveyor claimed that he had sounded the lake and had found 82 feet to be the greatest depth. People thought at the time that the pilings had been driven at an angle into the lake. This trestle was filled in, in 1886 and ’87, first with clay, which proved to be too heavy, and then with old timbers and cinders. The track was supported on a pontoon of old car sills, and bridge stringers. Every morning the track would be down as the pontoon settled, as much as two feet overnight. J. R. Skilling, who had charge of the work, testified to this in his 1912 reminiscences, and said that to his knowledge there was sixty feet of pontooning crushed down in this sink.

How Site was Chosen

By 1874 the construction was nearly finished and the Baltimore Land and Improvement Company sent a special agent out to locate a suitable division point. The company was composed of John King, William Keyser, J. K. Cowen, J. L. Randolph and W. C. Quincy, Washington Cowen, father of J. K., was made special agent. A total of 604 ½ acres was bought by the agent for the site of Garrett.

The division point was chosen to be four miles east of Albion at a place known as Easter’s Crossing. But because enthusiastic speculators raised the price of their lands so high, Mr. Cowen abandoned the location and quietly came from Auburn Junction to the present site of Garrett. He negotiated with the farmers and closed the contracts for their land before they were aware that he was buying all the land around for a purpose. He purchased a total of twelve farms. With one of the farmers he had considerable trouble. The farmer’s name was Christ Long and he was mentally unbalanced. He lived in a one story log cabin with a dirt floor, and he and his hogs lived and slept together there. During the preliminary surveys, Long always met the engineers at the boundary of his land with a pitchfork and forbade their trespassing, which led to considerable parleying before they could enter. One day, however, one of the chairman pointed the transit rod at Long and he took to his heels, thinking it was a gun. When Cowen tried to purchase his farm, Long demanded payment in gold. Even after he had been paid in gold, he refused to move out of his log hut because he claimed he had lost $500 of the $1,500 he had received. He finally was crowded out by the buildings. His wife, some years previously, had eloped with another man and had taken Long’s ox team and wagon.

Cowen traced her through several states and two years later located her in Nebraska, and then had to pay her $15 to get her to sign the deed.

The fifty acres upon which Garrett was laid out cost, $17,000 and within six months a total of $90,000 worth of lots were sold from it.

Form New Township

Eight of the twelve parcels of land purchased by Mr. Cowen were in Butler township and four lay in Richland township. The town was laid out by Beverly L. Randolph and was situated in two townships. In June, 1876, a new township was formed and named Keyser after William Keyser, the second vice president of the B & O. The original plat of Garrett was recorded at Auburn on April 9, 1875, and was named Garrett in honor of John W. Garrett, president of the B & O. Nathan Tracy bought the first lot in Garrett, and O. C. Clark bought the two immediately after and constructed the first house in Garrett at the southwest corner of Randolph and King streets, housing a dry goods store and the first postoffice, on the second floor, with A. W. Pratt as the first postmaster, Mr. Tarney erected a two story house on his lot, which was what is now the empty lot at the southeast corner of Cowen and Quincy streets, and he ran a boarding house there for years. Business houses followed rapidly, a good many of them being two story and the owners living above with their families. Most of them located centrally in what is now the business section. It was nearly two years after the town was established before there was a school here.

In 1876 the town was incorporated, and the first town trustees were elected, Charles Linkenhelt, Hiram Hogue and W. E. Pratt, the trustees, appointed J. R. Skilling marshal.

Garrett continued as a town corporation until the spring of 1893. The first city officials were Charles W. Camp. Republican, mayor, William J. Martin, city clerk, B. Hunsel. Treasurer, and D. W. Dare, marshal. The councilmen were William Hathaway and David Seely, S. L. Fryer and E. P. Kenyon, William Hays and E. E. Clark. Mr. Camp held the office of mayor for three terms, serving nine years. E. B. Thumma succeeded him.

The other city officials under Mr. Camp were L. J. Gengler, attorney, and W. N. Hershberger, Dr. J. A. Clevenger, S. L. Fryer, O. M. Shrock and Emil Hill, councilman.

Mr. Thumma’s assistants were J. D. Brinkerhoff, attorney; William Watson, clerk; O. F. Clark, treasurer; William Schudel, marshal; D. O. North, engineer; G. C. Scott, superintendent of water and light; Timothy DeBrular, A. P. Moste, C. W. McLaughlin, R. Lantz, C. W. Camp, councilman.

In 1910 W. J. Frederick was elected mayor and after his death, his term was finished by Geo. M. Schulthess. Their councilmen were C. Lindoerfer, Leslie Stoner, Will Franks, M. J. Driscoll and Isaac Whirledge. E. M. McKennan was city attorney and W. A. Duerk was chief of police.

Dr. Clevenger Made Mayor

Dr. J. A. Clevenger followed Mr. Schulthess in 1914 and his council consisted of Mr. Whirledge, Mr. Lindoerfer, Mr. Farnks, Mr. Stoner and A. G. Houser. R. L. Hollopeter completed Mr. Houser’s term. Mr. Brinkerhoff again served as city attorney.

Mr. Schulthess served the next full term as mayor and Conrad Schomberg, C. L. Woodcox, J. E. Manion, C. E. Lewis and Mr. Stoner were elected to the council,
Mr. Lindoerfer finished Mr. Lewis’ term. E. B. Henslee served at this time as attorney.

W. B. Hays served only one year of the term that started in 1926. J. B. Brinkerhoff took the office when Mr. Hays resigned to become postmaster. C. E. Lightner, H.M. Van Lear, A. H. Stearns , R. E. Sarber and Mr. Manion were elected to the council. C. B. Hamilton took Mr. Stearns’ place when he moved to Willard. F. A. Nash served as attorney and T. H. Caffrey was appointed chief of police, which position he held until a few months ago.

In 1930 J. S. Patterson was elected to the office of mayor and his council consisted of Delbert Hartle, J. M. Trimble, C. N. McCully, Add Quince and Mr. Manion Following Mr. McCully’s death, A. R. Moore served, until he and Mr. Trimbel were transferred to Arkon, O., and Mr. Schulthess and J. F. Ansbro finished their terms. W.W. Sharpless had held the position of city attorney since he was appointed in 1830.

Some of the names which have been connected with the office of treasurer are Barney Hunsel, J. J. Stoehr, D. R. Hershberger, T. C. Little, A. J. Little, and H. E. Wert. Mr. Wert was elected to the office in 1913 and has held it ever since. The offices of clerk and treasurer were consolidated two years ago and he has since maintained that office. Walter W. Mountz was the clerk before C. U. Bowers was elected in 1913. Mr. Bowers held the office until it was abolished in 1933.

Marshals who served before Mr. Caffrey, some of them for short terms, were Albert Palmer, Walter E. Saxer, Gover C. Sapp, Harry Miller, Felix Vananda and Geo. H. Shisley, Clayton Bailey was appointed chief of police a few months ago.

The present councilmen are H. T. Lanigor, Chas. Ort, L. C. Swartout, Mr. Ansbro and Mr. Schulthess, Fred L. Feick was elected mayor in 1934. He has been an attorney in Garrett for years. He is very well know throughout the state and nation, having been state legislative representative to the B. of R. T., state representative from DeKalb county and conciliator of the U. S. department of labor during the World war. He is a hale fellow well met, genial and friendly. He is deeply engrossed in his duties as mayor and has the interest of the community at heart. He had been very valuable in his service as chairman of the highway committee of the Chamber of Commerce.

The Board of Public Works is composed of May or Feick, Mr. Sharpless and Mr. Schulthess.

Garrett Attractions

Garrett today has a population of 4,428 and is a choice location. It is within 20 miles of Fort Wayne and is only 150 miles from Chicago, the metropolis of the middle west. The county seat is only five miles distant. The city is easy of access with the important federal and state road 27 running through it, being on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, and at the junction of the interurban line. The shipping facilities are excellent. Garrett is surrounded by splendid farming country. It is an unusually active city, containing probably more social, fraternal and civic organizations than any other town of its size.

The sanitary conditions in Garrett are the best. The sewage system is modern and is maintained perfectly. The drinking water from deep wells is clear and pure. The city has about seven miles of paved streets and the eleven miles of gravel and dirt streets are kept well oiled and graded. The sidewalks reach to the farthest limits. All the streets and alleys are well lighted and the boulevard lighting system on the main thoroughfares is not excelled in any town in this part of the country.

As great a change has been noted with the passing of the years in the vehicular traffic and conditions of the roads about Garrett as in the state of Garrett’s throughfares. From the days when a trip into town in the old buggy or spring wagon on Saturday was the big event of the week and it was a day’s job to go "up street" to shop, now a trip fifty or a hundred miles away and back to Garrett hardly needs to interrupt the day’s work. There are few roads about Garrett which are not passable in the worst weather, and with important state and national roads and the county roads kept in excellent condition. Garrett is easily accessible from all points.

The business houses are attractive and improvements are constantly being made. The new buildings are substantial and modern. There is always a good deal of building going on throughout the city. Although there is a great demand for houses, the rents remain low and there is hardly a house available.

The community spirit has been maintained at a high pitch. There are frequent community celebrations such as the Christmas program. The annual county muck crops show is a Garrett project and has attracted huge crowds. The annual Halloween celebration is a great community event and provides an outlet for the natural spirit of the occasion.

The city maintains two lovely parks with shade trees, luxuriant shrubbery and beautiful flowers, one in the block opposite the hospital and the Catholic church, and the other opposite the high school building. Each adds a touch of beauty to its section of town. The city keeps the streets and alleys in excellent condition and cares for the shade trees along the streets.

The city’s third and largest park is now under construction at the southern edge of the city, in the blocks between Cowen and Peters streets. The projects which it is hoped will be completed by spring of 1936 are swimming and wading pools and an ice skating rink. When the park is finished it will provide facilities for a variety of other outdoor sports. The government has just contributed $21,000 of the $25,000 necessary to complete the work.

Has Fine Utility Plant

The water, light and steam heat plant is the city’s biggest utility. It was started in 1896 by a private company, consisting of J. D. Paul, C. B. Jones and Daniel Widmer. Dr. J. A. Clevenger is now the only living original stockholder. The plant was erected at a cost of $50,000, and the city purchased it after a short time, some time thereafter investing $10,000 more in improvements.

A fine addition was constructed in 1929 and all new equipment installed. The plant is up-to-date and very efficiently operated. A 250,000 gallon water tower was put into service in 1926 with a new gravity system which maintains a constant and equal pressure at all times throughout the entire distribution system, offering an unlimited supply of water in any emergency that might arise. That same year two high-speed horizontal electrically driven centrifugal pumps were installed in place of the steam power pumping. In 1932, the remains of the old plant were wrecked and removed to make way for an addition to the new plant which doubled its size. With a sinking fund established, the cost of the additions or replacements will not at any time exceed the net earning power of the utilities. The net operating revenues have exceeded the operation and construction costs so that it is possible that the tax levy of the civil city will be eliminated eventually. The rates have been reduced frequently to such an extent that they are not a burden to the consumer.

L. I. Klinker, the superintendent, and his family came to Garrett from Chicago in 1925. Mr. Klinker has had long experience in this line, and he has managed the city plant with great success. (Re: The Garrett Clipper – 20 Jan 1936)

PIONEER RESIDENTS OF GARRETT

In our Way Back When column which has run regularly for the past several weeks in The Clipper we requested information from all those people who have lived in or near Garrett for more than fifty years. Following is the list complied. It is probably not complete, but a big per cent of the people who are included were kind enough to furnish information about themselves and any members of their families who have been here that long.

There are at least three people on this list who are claimants for the honor of being the oldest persons in the county. They are: Mrs. Jos. Singler of South Cowen street, who had lived in Garrett for over sixty years and who will be ninety-three years old in February. 1936; Mrs. Jane Kryder, who lives with her daughter, Mrs. J. A. Walter, on North Randolph street and who will be ninety-three years old next June; Mrs. Rosie Schunk of South Randolph street, who will be ninety-one next July 4.

1841—Mrs. Jane Kryder was born just east of Garrett. She has a son seventy-two years old. 1855—Mrs. Dessie Clark; 1860—J. E. Raub; 1862—E. E. Clark; 1865—David Ross; 1868—Minnie Lehmbeck, Odd F. Clark; 1870—B. F. Lehmbeck, Mrs. Elizabeth Workman and David Barber; 1871—William Haynes; 1872—Mrs. George M. Schulthess, Chas. F. Ross; 1873—L. E. Treesh, Henry Wolf; 1874—Charles C. Lindoerfer, Mrs. Harry Collett, Mrs. Sarah Sembower and Mrs. Maud Updyke; 1875—Mrs. Henry Bartels, Mrs. Henry Reusze, John H. Schunk, Mrs. Rosie Schunk, T. A. Smith, A. B. Galloway. Mrs. W. A. Clefford, Mrs. Jennie Baker, Mrs. Jos. Singler, Mrs. Elizabeth Crow, Will Singler, Mrs. Sherman Leek, Mrs. J. R. Skilling, Chas. I. Lantz, Mrs. Chas., McLaughlin, C. E. Sherman. Mrs. Skilling has lived in the same house at King and Lee streets, ever since she came to Garrett. 1876—Alton Hathaway, A. G. Beber, Anna McCrystal, Mrs. Wm. Miller, C. B. Babbitt, Mrs. Nora Hoover, Mrs. John Schiffli, J. J. Loth, Mrs. Viola Hathaway; 1878—Mr. J. L. Cogley, P. A. Gengler, Mrs. T. C. Sargent, Rolla Kooken, J. E. Fisher, Mrs. Jacob Martz, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Gard; 1879—J. R. Gelhausen, Robt. Woodward, J. K. Johnston, A. C. Johnston, Frank E. Long; 1880—J. F. Ansbro, Mrs. Ida Clark, Francis Kagey, D. B. VanFleit, Mrs. Robt. Woodward; 1881—W. E. Strouse, Lewis Sapp, Clyde Stiles, Jay Clark, Mrs. Emil Hill, Mrs. Elsie McCully, Wm. Ward, Frank A. Smith, L. W. Eberle, Mrs. Wm. Haynes, Mrs. Clara Kennedy; 1882—Mrs. Mary Wigton, A. C. Cobler, Hal Stoner, Mrs. Frank L. Diederich, Mrs. Anna Hetenhouser, John Bloom, Mrs. J. A. Clevenger; 1883—Alva McDanel, Mrs. Odd Clark, Chas. Hopper, Mrs. Wm. McConnell, Mrs. Anna Stoner, Mrs. Ellamanda Cummins, Wm. Kemery, Ed Beeber, Mrs. Frank A. Smith, Mrs. Jennie Connor, Add Quince, Mrs. Will Bardsley, Mrs. F. H. Casteel, Mrs. Mary McFann, L. D. Mager, Mrs. August Diederich Sr; 1884—Mrs. T. C. Cobler, Mrs. Alton Hathaway, Mrs. John Slifer, Raymond Clark, Mr. and Mrs. John Zeek, Mrs. Louise Little, Dr. M. W. Johnston, Mrs. Floyd Jones; 1885—Mrs. Chas. Hershbell, Roy McKinley, Wm. Putt, Mrs. J. R. Gelhausen, Mrs. Ed. Beeber, Frank L. Diederich, Geo. M. Schulthess, Mrs. John Bloom. (Re: The Garrett Clipper – 20 Jan 1936)

GARRETT AND THE B & O RAILROAD

The history of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad in this section is so interwoven with the history of Garrett that in relating one the other is told.

However, some facts could not be included in a general history. A resume of careers of Daniel Willard, president since 1910, and T. K. Faherty, now superintendent of the Akron-Chicago division, and other information follow:

List of honorably retired men living in Garrett, Indiana: Frank Adams, James F. Ansbro, Lewis I. C. Baker, Charles E. Bass, John Bloom, Henry C. Breece, Berton C. Briggs, Anton Christ, Allen G. Cobler, Francis L. Conkle, Carl Diederich Sr., Edward Draime, William T. Eagan, Louis D. Forshey, Jacob R. Gelhausen, Friedrich Grischke, Carl Grischke, Phillip D. Handel, Harry T. Hathaway, Frank G. Heinlen, Cyrus D. Hood, William A. Howe, George A. Hughes, Frank Jankowski, John Jankowski, John K. Johnston, John Kleeman, Frank Klein, Louis Klein, Fritz Kobi, Michael Kruse, Charles R. LaFlare, Charles C. Lindoerfer, Jacob S. Lindoerfer, Jacob S. Loutzenhiser, Sherman T. Leek, Leo D. Mager, Clifford H. Martin, Gottlieb Maurer, James McDermott, Thomas M. McGraw, George Miller, Joseph K. Miller, Frederick Mabus Sr., Jacob H. Neil, Kary Pence, Add Quince, Ervin A. Rang, John A. Raub, George M. Ray, Henry Reusze, Jacob Richards, John S. Royer, John J. Ruhland, Lewis M. Sapp, John Schiffli, John H, Schunk, Elmer E. Smith, Frank A. Smith, John W. Steffen, William E. Strouse, Levern C. Swartout, Charles W. Walker, William Ward, Joseph Watier, Herbert G. Wilcox, Charles H. Wolff, Andregory Wojechowski, Charles E. Runion, R.F. D. 1, Box 45.

All of these men, with the exception of the one with address given, receive their pay checks at the agent’s office, Garrett.

Daniel Willard’s Career

Mr. Willard has spent more than fifty years, in continuous, active service, starting as a track laborer on the Central Vermont railroad near his home town of South Hartland, Vermont, when but a youth out of high school.

During the succeeding thirty years he was employed consecutively by the old Connecticut and Passumpsic river Railroad, the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern, the Soo Line, the Erie and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, advancing step by step until invited to become president of the B. & O., Jan 15, 1910.

In 1920, he was appointed chairman of the advisory committee of the Association of Railway Executives, and in 1921 was elected chairman of the board of directors of the American Railway Association. He is now a member of the board and of the executive committee of the Association of American Railroads. His is also a member of the board of directors and of the executive committee of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company and a member of the board of the Mutual Life Insurance Company.

In 1916 Mr. Willard was appointed by President Wilson as a member of the Advisory Commission of the Council of National Defense, and when the commission was organized, he was elected chairman, serving as such during the period of the war. He was also appointed chairman of the War Industries Board by President Wilson, in 1917.

In 1914 Mr. Willard was elected a member of the board of trustees of the Johns Hopkins university and has been president of the board since 1926. He has received honorary degrees from the University of Maryland, Dartmouth college, West Virginia university, Ohio university Syracuse university, Pennsylvania Military college, the University of Pennsylvania, Middlebury college, Massachusetts State college and the University of Rochester.

On the occasion of his twentieth anniversary as president of the Baltimore and Ohio, in 1930, he was given a testimonial dinner by the railroad labor organizations, which conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Humanity.

T. K, Faherty’s Career

T. K. Faherty was born at Harper’s Ferry, W. Va., May 20, 1877. He was educated in the public schools of his native town.

Mr. Faherty entered the service of the Baltimore and Ohio as fireman in November, 1897, becoming a locomotive engineer in 1900. He was promoted to fuel inspector in 1908 and road foreman of engines in 1910. In 1916 he was advanced to supervisor of locomotive operation, becoming road foreman of engines again in 1916 and the following year was made assistant superintendent. He has been stationed at various times on the former Philadelphia division, the Baltimore, Cumberland, Wheeling, old Ohio River, former New Castle and the Monongah divisions.

Mr. Faherty was made superintendent of the Monogah division, at Grafton, February 19, 1926, and was transferred in this capacity November 1, 1929, to Akron, O., in charge of the Akron division. When the Akron division was consolidated with the Chicago division, January 1, 1933, his jurisdiction was extended to include the territory of the Chicago division.

Division Superintendents

The following list of division superintendents is not complete. Record books of the years prior to 1889 were destroyed in the Baltimore fire.

F. H. Britton, started, Sept. 1, 1889; P. C. Sneed, started, Jul 1, 1891; F. C. Batchelder, started, Jun 1, 1898; R. M. Sheats, terminal superintendent, started, Oct 15, 1900; D. D. Carothers, started, Feb. 1, 1902; T. J. Foley, started, Aug 1, 1903; J. A. Spielman, started, Aug.1, 1904; F. C. Batchelder, started, Sept 1, 1905; B. W. Duer, started, Jul 1, 1907; T.W. Barrett, started, Feb. 9, 1910; J. F. Keegan, started, Jul 1, 1913; J. H. Jackson, started, Feb. 1, 1916; E. W. Hoffman, started, June 1, 1920; S. U. Hooper, started, March 1, 1922; H. G. Kruse, started July 1, 1926; T. K. Faherty, (Akron-Chicago division) and A. H. Freygang (deceased) (assistant superintendent),started, February, 1933.

Assistant superintendence now vacant.

The list of those in supervisory capacity for the Baltimore & Ohio here at this time follow: T. K. Faherty, superintendent, Akron-Chicago division, Akron, Ohio; W. A. Clefford, freight and ticket agent, Garrett; G. A. Upton, Division freight agent, Garrett; J. E. Fisher, train master, Garrett; J. M. Mendell, acting trainmaster; W. E. Frazier, road foreman of engines, Garrett; A. H. Woerner, division engineer, Garrett; William Carpenter, supervisor Defiance to Syracuse, Garrett; P. H. Carroll, signal supervisor, Garrett. P. F. Pence, care foreman. H. H. Vanderbosch, roundhouse foreman.

FIRE DEPARTMENT

The first Garrett fire department was organized by the B & O apprentice boys in 1884. There were fifteen members. I cannot recall all the names but will name those I can remember. Walter Nunn, William Seely, James Dunkin, Delmar Hill, Chas. Myers, Ed Gelhausen and Chas. K. Lantz. The fire apparatus was a hand pumper and hose cart. The water was furnished by a pump in the engine room at the B & O. At that time the water system of Garrett consisted of four blocks of 4-inch main. It started from the engine room, extended south on Peters street to King, east on King to Randolph, and south on Randolph to Keyser street. There were four hydrants, one on the corner of King and Cowen streets, one on the corner of King and Randolph, one on the corner of Keyser and Randolph, and one on the corner of King and Peters streets.

In 1891 the city fire department was organized with twelve members, who were: John F. Mager, Peter Behler, Chas. Lantz, A. W. Beehler, D. C. Beehler, Will Beechler, Harry Caldwell, L.J. Gengler, Tim DeBrular, Paul Seigel, Jack Murphy and Chas. Helfersty.

Also in 1891 the town board, which consisted of John Mager, Louis Sapp, Sam Teeters and G. W. Baker, purchased lot 17 in block 17 for $300 for the purpose of erecting a hose house. W. J. Frederick erected the house on Aug. 26, twenty feet wide by ten feet high, for $380.

In June the following year the town board authorized the marshal to give the members of the Volunteer Fire Department and the B & O Fire Department their poll taxes, which amounted to $1 a year, the first compensation they had ever received.

The fire department used the building which had been provided them by the town board until 1913, when they changed their quarters to the new city hall, where they have remained since. The original hose carts were used until February of 1917, when the city purchased the America-LaFrance fire truck still in use.

In July, 1931, the city and three townships, Keyser, Butler and Richland, bought the Boyer fire truck to be manned by the city firemen.

The present city fire department is composed of Owen Elson, Chas. K. Lantz, C. F. Lumm, L.C. Beber, P.B. Smith, G. C. Baysinger, L. A. Bryanski, Ralph Greenwalt, Hal Stoner, Russell Rowe, J. W. McGuire, Walter Coffing, Dewey Henderickson, Nate Hoeffel and Victor Carper. Fine club rooms were furnished at the city hall and business meetings are held there monthly. Fire practice is held once a month, also. Social affairs are held in the club rooms occasionally.

The Garrett Firemen are members of the Indiana Firemen’s Association and of the Northeastern Indiana Industrial and Volunteer Firemen’s Association. P. B. Smith of the local firemen is the president, and former presidents from Garrett were Geo. Shondel and Geo. Hetenhouser. The annual meting will be held in Garrett next June 10 and 11.

The members of the firemen who have served as fire chief and the years of their leadership are as follows: P. F. Behler, 1901-02-08; John B. Mager, 1903-04-05-09; Chas. Helferty, 1906-07; Chas. Lantz, 1910-14-15-16; A. W. Beehler, 1911-12-13-17-18-19; Nate Hoeffel, 1919-20-21-22; Arthur Stearns, 1923-23-25-26; Leslie Stoner, 1927-28-29-30-31; Owen Elson, 1932-33-34-35-36.

Charles K. Lantz is the only remaining member of the original Volunteer Fire Department who is still active in the organization.

GARRETT POSTOFFICE

Garrett’s postoffice has had a long and varied career. When the railroad first went through this section a mail office was established on the second floor of the frame building on the southwest corner of King and Randolph streets. Railroad mail was distributed through this branch to the officials in charge of building the road.

The first postoffice was established in 1875 in the building on the corner of Keyser and Cowen streets, north opposite the Garrett Herald office, with W. E. Pratt as the first postmaster. He was followed by Alexander Phillips, Mrs. Mary Thomas, H. M. Bicknell, E. B. Thumma, Charles Sullivan, Amanda Sullivan, Timothy DeBrular, H. M. VanLear, O. H. Betts, W. B. Hays and the present postmaster, A. G. Houser.

The postoffice has had many location in the 60 years of its existence. From its first site it was moved to the M. W. Johnston brick building on West King street, later to a frame building across the street; then a block further south; then to the room on West King street, where Griest’s barber shop is now, and finally to its present location in the Abell building on East King street.

The volume of the business of the Garrett postoffice has made a steady increase. The general receipts are substantial and the money orders have been extraordinarily heavy recently. There have been as many as 164 orders written in one day.

The employes of the postoffice have increased from two assistants and rural carrier in 1903 to the present force of eleven besides the postmaster. Walter Erickson is assistant postmaster and the clerks are Paul Grimm, Waldo Grimm and Carl Grimm, with Chester Starner and Harry Springer as substitutes. The city carriers are Dean Bechtol, Norval Withrow and Nelson Conkle and J. G. Lawhead is the rural carrier. Rural delivery was established in 1903. Mr. Bechtol and Mr. Conkle have served about twenty years and Paul Grimm and Waldo Grimm have been members of the force fourteen years. Mr. Lawhead had been rural carrier sixteen years.

The service in Garrett is the most efficient. The postoffice being situated on the Baltimore and Ohio and on the interurban, the star routes or mail delivery by truck, going through Garret afford rapid and direct delivery to any point. The star route from Fort Wayne to Montgomery, Mich., was established five or six years ago. And the star route from Garrett to Milford and return was installed just a few months ago. Air mail service has been reduced to 6 cents per ounce.

Mr. Houser was appointed postmaster in 1933. He is courteous and accommodating and is fulfilling his position to the utmost.

Word was received not long ago that the site for the new postoffice had been selected. It was announced that the southeast corner of Keyser and Cowen streets, a total of 125x150 feet, would be used, the properties of Dr. M. E. Klingler, Mrs. Clemma Beehler and D. B. & D. E VanFleit being cleared to make way for the $62,000 structure. Tentative plans were said to be for one-story and basement with and exterior facing of brick and stone trim. Twenty-five men will be employed during the entire building on the major and minor contracts, and 125 men will be employed indirectly in the production of materials to be used in the construction of the building.

The selection of this site will greatly improve the appearance of that section of the city and will probably tend to encourage the normal spread of the business section in the general direction.

GARRETT LIBRARY

One of Garrett’s most valuable assets is the public library, at the southwest corner of Houston and Randolph streets. The institution is comparatively new, having existed only since 1910.

At that time a group of people interested in the formation of a library met with the intention of raising by subscription enough money to buy books. It wasn’t until two years later, however, that a library board was formed. It was composed of J. S. Patterson, Francis M. Merica, A. J. Little, Mrs. Mary Copenhaver, Mrs. H. W. Mountz and Mrs. B. A. Byers. Grace Zerkle was appointed librarian of the 1,400 books and the library was situated above the, what was then Betts’ news stand on West King street. A city tax was levied for maintenance.

As soon as possible advantage was taken of Andrew Carnegie’s general offer to build a library if the site was procured by the library supporters. This was done under the leadership of D. B. VanFleit. The building was erected and opened to the public in 1915. At that time if contained 1,700 books, and at the end of the year the supply of books had been increased to 2,342, with 1,346 registered borrowers, and the circulation for the year was 18,409.

In 1926 Miss Zerkle resigned as librarian and her place was taken by her sister, Mrs. Lena Martin, her assistant at present is Mrs. Ethelinda Stroh. The last report stated that there were 2,927 borrowers, the number of books was 9,927 and the circulation for the year 44,165. The number of reference books is 3,050 and of periodicals 59.

The main floor of the library contains the general reading room, the juvenile section and a reference section. The seating capacity is 48. There are accommodations for 20,000 books. The basement contains an assembly hall large enough for small public gatherings a magazine file room and an unpacking room. The Health Culture club and the Athene club donated money for buying furniture. In the last year a new table and eight chairs have been added to the main floor equipment.

The Keyser township schools serve as branch libraries. Because of the library being hard to reach, the pupils and adults in Keyser township have the opportunity of using books which are sent to their schools about five times a year. About 40 books are sent at one time and the lot is changed regularly so that there is frequently a new supply.

The library is a neat and well-kept property. There are continual improvements, recent ones being five new roller maps, a lovely oil painting of Andrew Carnegie which is a gift celebrating his centennial anniversary, and a picture collection which will be on file in the file room on the main floor. School children occasionally submit art work for display and the librarian makes it a practice to keep displays of different sorts in the library all the time. There are more than a dozen miniature villages and historical scenes which are on display seasonally. Annually during National Book Week the library uses a store window for a showing of new adult and juvenile books. One of the finest sections in the library is the International Alcove, the books of which are sent by the Carnegie Endowment for International. Peace. There are both children’s and adults’ books and they are kept on reserved shelves. A new Webster dictionary, a new Columbia encyclopedia and a new atlas have recently been purchased.

The library board now consists of: Mrs. H. W. Mounts, president; W. A. Clefford, vice president; Mrs. W. G. Symon, secretary; W. S. Painter, Mrs. Mary Copenhaver, A. G. Houser and A. W. Gallatin.

The grounds surrounding the library are one of the city’s show places. In 1928 the prize given by the Chamber of Commerce for "better yards" was won by the library.

CHURCHES:

METHODIST

In 1876, when Garrett was of course in its infancy, a Rev. Welsh of Auburn, came here and organized a group of twelve charter members to form the Methodist Episcopal church. These member were: Mrs. J. G. Philbrick, Mrs. Margaret Stoner, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Zimmer, Mr. and Mrs. Mason Tarney, Mr. and Mrs. George Clarkston, Mrs. Magdalene Beehler, Mrs. Mary Reyher, J. W. Stoner and "Grandma" Darling. They held their meetings in an old frame building between King and Quincy on Cowen street that had formerly been used as a saloon. In 1880 they constructed a brick church on Cowen street just south of the structure now in use. In 1911 construction was begun on the present church.

Some time before that Rev. Perry Powell was minister and his word among the young men and boys of the community has never been forgotten. He organized the "Holy Grail", which had a large membership and a lasting influence in the church. The teachers of the Sunday school classes at the time of the removal to the new church were: Mrs. C. B. Jones, who held nearly every office in the church at various times and will long be remembered for her cheer and service. Mrs. Odd Clark, Mrs. Arthur Treesh, H. A. Hinklin, Mrs. George Childers, Mrs. Flo Reneman, Miss Ada Mountz, Mrs. J. G. Philbrick, Mrs. John H. Zeek, Mrs. Rebecca Hart, Dr. M. E. Klingler, Mrs. Fritz, Mrs. Hobart Wright, Mrs. H. W. Mountz, Mrs. J. L. Gehrum, Mrs. Frank Conkle, Mrs. Oda Englstrom, Mrs. Will Franks, Mrs. Margaret Stoner, Harry M. Brown and Rev. Charles Tinkham. Howard W. Mountz was superintendent of the Sunday school, J. D. Brinkerhoff was chorister, Archie Childers was secretary and Mrs. Maud Updyke was pianist.

Rev. Tinkham was here at the time the new church was built. The circles and classes of the church contributed money for the building. Rev. Tinkham remained in Garrett for nine years and his departure was greatly regretted.

Rev. B. H. Franklin came two years ago from Decatur. He is quite a sportsman and has made many friends in Garrett. He is a member of the Lions club and other civic organizations.

There are many societies in the church, including the Woman’s Home Missionary society with Mrs. H. F. Casteel as the president, the Womens’ Foreign Missionary society with Mrs. A. W. Gallatin as president, and their auxiliary to juniors the 3 M’s and Standard Bearers. There are the Ladies’ Aid, of which Mrs. David Wagner is president, and the Harmony, Elizabeth, Phoebe, East Side and Philathea Sunday school classes and Mary Martha Sunday school classes circles. The Sunday school classes which are particularly active are the Willing Workers, of which Mrs. Sherman Brubaker is president, the Mary Martha Class, of which Mrs. Geo. G. Gelhausen is president. The Philathea class, with Mrs. Grace Herberger as president, and the Wesley Brotherhood, of which E. N. Miser is president. Junior church contains the Epworth League, of which Eloise Conkle is president, and the Junior League, of which Mrs. Bert Milks has charge.

M. A. Sheets is superintendent of the Sunday School and Mrs. Sheets is leader of the choir. Dr. W. G. Symon is organist and Marguerite Conkle and Mrs. Harry Hill are alternates. The Wesley Brotherhood sponsors Boy Scout troop 162, of which Gary Woodcox is the master. W. S. Painter is president of the executive committee consisting of the board of trustees, of which H. W. Mountz is chairman, and the stewards, of whom A. W. Gallatin is chairman. There are now 826 members of the church.

PRESBYTERIAN

A congregation of the Presbyterian faith first met in the German Methodist church on Cowen street in 1905 or ’06, and finally were organized there with the Rev. Chas. G. Sterling as their minister. They rented the St. Matthews Reformed church for a period of a year and held their services there, and then for a time returned to the German Methodist church. Later they bought the Reformed church building and many of the remaining members of that church joined the Presbyterians. At that time the church was known as the Reformed Presbyterian church, but the name has since been reverted to its first form.

In the church there are several societies that are markedly active. There are two circles and two missionary societies. Mrs. Jordan is president of the adult society and Vera Silberg is leader of the younger group. The True Blue class had been very ambitious for the church and the Inner Circle has been deeply interested. Mrs. W. A. Clefford has been leader of the choir for more than 25 years. Mrs. B. H. Eastes is the charge of a missionary group of the children.

Rev. H. J. Jordan and his family came to Garrett 7 years ago from Benson, Ariz. Since he had been here the church has been redecorated and repaired. The True Blue class installed steam heat and also furnished radiator covers, the total cost being $1,100. They cleared that debt in about 3 years.

Rev. Jordan has taken interest in many affairs outside his church work. He is chaplain of the American Legion and has been important in the Boy Scout movement.

LUTHERAN

It was somewhere between 1865 and 1870 when Rev. Reichmann, then located at Avilla, began mission work among the scattered Lutherans in and around what is now Garrett, conducting services in the private homes of Harry and Fred Bartels. He was followed by Rev. Steinback. Later Rev. C. B. Preuss came over from Avilla and he obtained permission to conduct services in the Keyser public school-house. Under this leadership at Lutheran congregation was organized on Dec 10, 1887, under the name of Zion Evangelical Lutheran congregation. A constitution was drawn up an signed by the following eleven charter members: Albert Peters, Ernest Wedo, Carl Stahl, Christ Wagner, Fritz Kobi, Fritz Grieschke, John Schunk, John Kobi, Henry Reusze, Chas. Weiss and Gottfried Weiss.

Two years later this young congregation built its own house of worship on the corner of Keyser and Walsh streets, on a lot which was donated by the city of Garrett. Following is a list of the pastors who have served here: Rev. F. Keller, Rev. Otto Schumm, Rev. H. B. Kohlmeier, Rev. C. Giese, Rev. K. Krotke, Rev. G. Bloedel, Rev. E. T. Lochner, and the present pastor, Rev. Wm. Hartman, who has been in Garrett since 1927. Rev Hartman attended Concordia Seminary at Springfield, Ill. There are now 165 communicants in the church. They comprise a total of 70 families.

The church has just been newly papered and varnished inside and a program was given to celebrate the completion of the work. The Ladies’ Aid of the church withstood the expense, which was more than $100.

In 1923 the old building was raised and a basement put under it. It was repainted and re-shingled and the interior redecorated. A new heating plant, new pews, altar and pulpit were installed at a total cost of $4,000. Roy Mayfield, Fred Stoll and Rudolph Wessel were the building committee at that time.

The Ladies’ Aid of the church and the Z. E. L. Young People’s Society are both exceptionally active and their presidents are Mrs. John Dannenberg and Harold Dannenberg.

The Lutheran Ladies’ Aid is perhaps the oldest organization of its kind in Garrett. Those of the charter members who are still living are Mrs. Henry Bartels, Mrs. Rosie Schunk, Mrs. August Diederich, Sr., and Mrs. Herman Newman.

PAROCHIAL SCHOOL

The church school was established shortly after the church was. There are at present 20 pupils. Edmund Janetzke, a graduate of River Forest Seminary, is the teacher. In 1923 the school house, which stands back of the church, was raised, a basement put under it, and hot air heating and new furniture and modern equipment installed at an extra cost of $2,200.

CHURCH OF CHRIST

The Church of Christ, which has grown to be one of the largest churches in Garrett, had humble beginnings. A small congregation started to meet for Sunday school and occasional sermons by out-of-town ministers shortly after 1900. The Episcopal parish house on West Houston street was used as a church. These meetings were discontinues for a time and in 1905 the congregation was reorganized with less than 50 members.

Hunsel’s hall was used of a while and then the German Methodist church on South Cowen street was the meeting place. Finally the Gage dance hall on the site of the present church was purchased and used until the new church was erected there in 1917. J. Marion Small was pastor at the time the new church was built and the edifice cost about $25,000.

The present pastor is the Rev. Price Roberts. He and his family came to Garrett from near Elwood. He has been minister here for four years and in that time had held two evangelistic meetings. The membership has now reached a total of nearly 600. Since the Rev. Roberts had been here the indebtedness of the church has been reduced from $1,600 to $500. Recoping and repairing the roof recently cost $200, bringing the total debt of the church to $700.

The ladies of the church have several active circles. They are the Loyal Women’s class with Mrs. Kenneth Busz as president, Circle No.3 with Mrs. D. E. Nethercot, as president, the Loyal Aid with Mrs. J. D. Grimm as president, and the Bethany class with Mrs. B. O. LaRue as president. Mrs. Roberts leads the Junior Christian Endeavor Society and Ruth Wisenbaugh is president of the Senior organization of the same name. John Kettering is president of the Loyal Men’s class.

THE NAZARENES

The Nazarene church is one of the newer organizations locally. It was formed less than three years ago, in 1933, after having met for six weeks in the rooms above the Kroger store. There were 24 charter members. The meetings then were held in the frame building on the southeast corner of Cowen and Keyser streets. The congregation recently purchased the Oliver Pipes property at the corner of Randolph street and First avenue. The Rev. O. B. Gray and family occupy the house there and plans have been made for the erection in a near future of a church on the vacant lot.

The Rev. Gray and his family came to Garrett in August, 1935, from Parker, Ind. They have been highly successful in their work and the prospects for the Nazarene church are excellent. The pastor’s son William Gray, and his wife are both interested in the young people’s work. William Gray is a vocal teacher and Mrs. Gray is a teacher of music. They have organized an undenominational chorus club, which meets weekly in the rooms over the Kroger store.

BAPTIST

A group of seven women convened in the German Methodist church, which stood near the corner recently designated for the new postoffice, and organized the Baptist church in 1885. They were Mrs. C. N. Bell, Mrs. G. W. Mudd, Mrs. Frank Hartsox, Mrs. Thomas Stewart, Mrs. Sarah Cobler, Mrs. Lydia Osborne and Miss Addie Ford. Elder H. J. Finch of Auburn, was present and came to Garrett later as the first pastor. Rachel Traster and Sabina Bretz were baptized at the first meeting.

In a short time Hunsel’s hall was rented by the church for $2 a month. The Rev. J. M. Davies, the father of Mrs. Lotta Stewart of South Cowen street, was the first resident pastor. The Rev. C. G. Roadarmel, a brother-in-law of Mrs. Grace Eagan and Mrs. Geraldine Denison, was at one time the minister here. The Rev. Billy Pierce was also and outstanding pastor.

The Rev. and Mrs. Sam Hartsox were sent as missionaries from this church to Africa a good many years ago. Miss Goldie Nicholson is now serving as missionary to Japan.

The church, which stands at the corner of Cowen and Keyser streets, was erected in 1888 at a cost of $8,000. The following year a revival increased the membership considerably. In 1903 the edifice was remodeled at an additional cost of $3,000 and a $1,500 pipe organ was given to the church by A. J. Stewart in memory of his daughter, Effie.

The Baptist Young People’s Union, headed by Paul Brown, and the junior B. Y. P. U. are very active in the church. There are a Ladies’ Aid with Mrs. John Elllington as president and a missionary circle with Mrs. Lotta Stewart as president. The Children’s World Crusade is a missionary organization under the charge of Miss Fairie Cole. Four adult classes of the church meet monthly for business meetings and a unionized service. John Ellington is president of the men’s class.

The membership of the Baptist church has increased steadily and is now of a substantial size. Claude Hoover of Fort Wayne, is superintendent of the Sunday school, John Roos is senior deacon, Mrs. Stewart is the clerk, and Miss Thais Cobler is organist and choir director.

CATHOLIC COMMUNITY

The size of the Catholic community and the completeness of its equipment here are primarily due to the efforts of Rev. August Young, the town’s first priest. Father Young was born in France in 1842 and came to America nineteen years later. He was educated in Pennsylvania and came to Huntington, Ind., for his first work as a priest. He was given all the territory around Garrett for his work and conducted services for the first time where Garrett now stands in 1872. After the town was built he held meetings in a tent and in a year or so constructed a small church next to where the Catholic school building is. In 1886 he was assigned to the Garrett charge alone and at once erected his home, which is now E. M. Alley’s house. Two years later he built a two-story brick schoolhouse between his residence and the church. In 1893 it was necessary to enlarge the church. Four years later Father Young purchased eight acres of land and laid out Calvary cemetery, which is in the south-west part of town.

Father Young died twelve years ago, and his passing was mourned by everybody in Garrett, Catholic and Protestant alike, and by many friends elsewhere.

Building a New Church

Father Young after his retirement was succeeded in the pastorate by the Rev. Francis A. King, who labored for his eight years here to procure funds for the erection of a new church. He purchased the rest of the land at the southeast corner of Houston and Ijams streets, just opposite the hospital for the site of the proposed church.

Father King died in 1927, beloved of all who knew him, and in that same year the Rev. John G. Bennett came to this parish.

Father Bennett was born at Dunnington, Ind., and obtained his education at St. Joseph’s College, Collegeville, Ind., and St. Meinrad’s Seminary, Spencer county, Ind. He was for thirteen years assistant rector of St. Patrick’s church, Fort Wayne. Immediately after coming to Garrett he began the actual plans for the new rectory and church that both Father Young and Father King had so desired. The rectory was completed in a year, and dedication services were held for the church on Thanksgiving day, 1929. The church will seat 450 persons, and it cost approximately $80,000. The two structures add immeasurably to the beauty of the city.

They are in Italian Renaissance style, built of buff brick and terracotta. The priest’s sacristy to the right of the altar is connected with the rectory by a beautiful cloister. The basement of the church contains well appointed kitchen and pantries and a large recreation room which serves as a dinning room and for social affairs.

Father Bennett has done a great deal of good for his people and or the community. He has taken a great interest in civic affairs. He is a member of the Lions club, has served as president of the Chamber of Commerce, of which he is still an active member, and is secretary of the LaVoie Corp., which was started in Garrett, but is now located in Auburn.

Organizations in the church include the Holy Name society for men, with Frank Seifert as president, the Rosary society for the married ladies, with Mrs. Herman Richter as president, and the Blessed Virgin Sodality for the young ladies, with Ursula Vanderbosch as president. All are spiritual organizations. The East Side and the West Side circles are active socially. The Knights of Columbus and the Daughters of Isabella are Catholic orders. There is a club among the children in the parochial school called the Busy Bees.

Hospital Well Equipped

Father Young’s greatest work was the establishment of the Sacred Heart hospital. He purchased the property of W. G. Satterfield at the corner of Ijams and Houston, and immediately converted the residence there into a temporary hospital, continuing the plans for the new structure, which was dedicated in 1903. In 1918 considerable remodeling was done, and a large new wing was added. The total investment is now about $200,000. Father Young next doubled the capacity of the parochial school by building an addition.

The hospital has quarters for forty-five patients, with twenty private rooms that contain two beds each. The large operating room is completely equipped for surgical work. Several years ago the Tri Kappa sorority furnished the equipment for a modern nursery containing facilities for taking care of six babes, and some time later a complete delivery room was added. The sorority maintains these rooms.

The operating room contains a Scanlan Morris white-lined dressing sterilizer, steam heated, and a fine X-ray machine is located in a room nearby. Adjoining the operating room are the doctors’ quarters, including a counsel room, a lounge, showers and a solarium. The Psi Iota Xi sorority recently presented the hospital with an Oxygenaire, and oxygen tent for use in pneumonia and other similar cases.

There is a beautiful chapel in the hospital, and services are conducted by the chaplain, the Rev. George Hasser, who resides in the hospital.

The Sacred Heart hospital is the property of the Franciscan Sisters, a Catholic order whose mother house is at Joliet, Ill. The hospital is usually filled to capacity, and attracts patients from many points. It does not maintain resident physicians, but is open to all doctors, every facility being at their disposal, and the Sisters assisting in every way possible

In the annual report of last year it can be noted that of 462 cased admitted, 91 were part pay or charity. There were 1,002 meals served free to the poor, and the cost of free services rendered during the year was $1,545.36.

The number of the Sisters employed in the hospital, and in maintaining the Sister home is 17 and as teachers in the school is 6.

The Catholic school has at present 170 pupils in the grade and high school in Garrett. There are the full eight grades of grammar school and four years of regular high school training. The purpose of the church schools is to give religious training along with the school work. The burden of the church schools over the country falls only on the Catholic population, and it is estimated that about $200,000,000 is saved the taxpayers annually by these schools.

GARRETT PUBLIC SCHOOL

As soon as there were settlers here a movement was started for a school building in Garrett, and in 1876 the first school board was appointed. Dr. S. M. Sherman, Dr. A. S. Parker and N. W. Lancaster were the trustees appointed and they immediately prepared for the construction of a school house. Before building could be begun, the trees had to be cleared from the heavy wood, and a $6,000 structure was raised. That building still stands and is in use today as the Central grade school.

But before the school could be built a group of children started to study in an empty room on Cowen street, on the corner north of the Baptist church, which had been the Garrett News printing office owned by A. S. Parker. Butler township had purchased new seats and desks for its building and gave the old ones to the new school and Mrs. A. S. Parker was the teacher.

In January of 1877, however, the students were able to move into the new building.

In the meantime Father August Young had completed a new Catholic church and opened a select school there. Miss Josephine Bissett, whose father was foreman of the roundhouse here, was the teacher, and the school was maintained until the public school was opened.

A review of the early teachers in Garrett will be interesting:

1877—Miss Jackman, principal; Miss Collar, intermediate; Miss Widney, primary; 120 pupils.

1878—Wm. Baker, principal; Cora Everett, intermediate; Myra K. Zeigler, primary; 123 pupils.

1879—J. C. Otis, principal; Nettie Rowe, intermediate; Miss Zeigler, primary; 135 pupils; Miss Powers of Auburn, completed the principal’s term that year.

1880—Frank W. Rawles, principal; Emma Mills, grammar; Lottie Chilson, intermediate; Maggie Dolan, primary; 214 pupils.

1881—C. M. Merica, principal; Thomas S. Merica, grammar; Miss Mills, intermediate; Miss Dolan, primary; 238 pupils.

There was a steady increase in the enrollment and the teachers didn’t change so quickly from that year on. Garrett prided itself on having the finest school system in the county.

The first class was graduated from the Garrett schools in 1885 and there were but four members: Charles Sembower, William Ward, Lulu Milborne and Maud Tarney.

About that time the school house was completed at an added cost of $3,500 to accommodate the larger number of students. In 1900 the North Side building was built at a cost of $5,000, and in 1906 the high school building was constructed on the lots east of Central building. It cost $20,000, and was by far the finest school house in this part of the state. At that time F. M. Merica was superintendent. The Mericas had much to do with the progress of the school system here. F. M. Merica had served as principal before he was made superintendent, and his uncle, C. M. Merica, and a brother, Thomas Merica, had held the position before. They were a prosperous family whose parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Merica, lived on a farm south of the city, and the Mericas were always prominent in Garrett’s affairs.

High School Grounds Attractive

When the new building was completed there were 740 pupils in the public schools in Garrett. Elmer Harrel was principal, Mrs. Flora Thomson Jones was assistant principal and the teachers were: Will Franks, Harry M. Brown, Marie Spencer, Vera VanAuken, Dola Broughton, Georgia VanFleit, Mattie Dick, Geraldine Sembower, Ada Chew, Ethel Maloney, Nellie Carey and Eva Satterfield. Dr. J. F. Thomson, C. U. Bowers and S. B. McCullough served at that time on the school board. Some of the names which had been prominently identified with the board in previous years are: J. William Wagner, C. Reyher, H. F. Sembower, W. J. Frederick and Warren McNabb.

About 16 years ago conditions became so crowded in the schools that the board contemplated additions to the central buildings, but the age of the grade school building made those impractical, and finally land was purchased at the east end of Houston street, plans being formed for the erection there of a high school. What had been the high school building was converted into the junior high school. The new building cost $78,000. The grounds about the high school have become one of the show spots of Garrett, with a profusion of shrubbery and lovely trees. The building faces the new city park between Houston and Keyser streets and this park is growing prettier every year.

The high school building has been used for twelve years now, and a good sized addition to it will be started soon. It will contain the shops and sewing rooms now located in the junior high building, a lunch room, enough class rooms to house the junior high school student, steel lockers, and other necessities. At present there are a well-equipped kitchen, laboratories, commercial rooms, vocational rooms, offices and a library. Lockers and showers are provided for track and football boys, but these are not sufficient to care for visiting teams. The heating and ventilating system is modern.

The library has grown under the direction of Mrs. Helen Ellis to be an integral part of the school. There were few books in 1926, when Mrs. Ellis took it over, and there are now approximately 2,000 volumes. What was formerly the principal’s office has been transformed into a library and reading room, but considering the size of the school, this does not reach the standard size by one-fourth. The books carried are to a large extent reference volumes, and the school library carries only a small line of fiction, not intending to offer competition of the public library. However, the institution is one of great value to the students.

The appearance of the school land back of the building has been greatly improved in the last ten years by the draining of the swamps. Two tennis courts, two football fields, a baseball field and a cinder track have been laid out on what was formerly waste ground. The rest of the land is now lawn and trees have been planted. The school board has been improving that part of the property and the athletic association a few years ago constructed a fine fence around the track and fields.

Activity in Athletics

Athletics have been a part of the school’s activities for a great many years. Garrett is recognized a shaving one of the best athletic set-ups in northern Indiana, and it has been constructed since the building of the high school. First came the football field, with the other improvements being made gradually from time to time.

Garrett has teams participating with other schools in football, basketball, track, and in former years there have been baseball and tennis teams. Until a few years ago Garrett high school had girls’ basketball teams and they were recognized as state champions a number of times.

C. E. Bryan has been coach of the high school boys’ athletic teams since 1928 and Paul Bateman has been his assistant for several years, besides teaching agriculture. Coach Bryan teaches boys’ physical education classes. Sectional basketball tournaments have been held here for a number of years since the construction of the new gymnasium in 1927 and Garrett has been the winner of the sectionals three times. Garrett’s athletic teams and activities, especially the sectional tournaments, have brought much attention and credit to the city.

The high school students indulge in many extra curricular activities. The clubs represent the varied interest of the student: boys and girls glee clubs, dramatic club, Bible club, radio club, English club, athletic club, discussion club, etc. The Future Farmers club is affiliated with state and national organizations of the same name. Hi-Y club for boys and Girls Reserve and its freshman associate the Blue Triangle, clubs for girls have been active here for many years and all serve a worthy purpose. The high school band was started about six years ago and was fostered by the Business and Professional Women’s club, which raised money with the aid of other organizations for the purchase of the larger instruments. Fred Casner, a recent graduate of the school, this year took over the leadership of the band. The bank masters have received their compensation from private lessons to the members of the band. The school orchestra has existed for several years and is now under the direction of Gilbert Cobler. The members furnish their own instruments and pay for their own lessons, and they willingly play for high school functions an are often invited to entertain for community affairs.

Divided into Home Rooms

The Home Room programs are an innovation in the school. The total number of students is divided equally into ten home rooms. For a weekly study of active interest and worthwhile knowledge which is not received in high school textbooks. Intramural athletic activities are confined to the boys and the girls not indulging in basketball and other game except for their own entertainment in their health classes. Boys, however, have football, basketball, baseball, tennis and track. The high school contains and athletic association, which is affiliated with the state organization composed of the principals and coaches, with its purpose the control of training and eligibility rules.

The list of high school teachers follows: E. V. Minniear, principal and social science; Marie Thrush, dean of girls and English; Mildred Evard, English; Mrs. Helen Ellis, Latin and Librarian; Myra Montgomery, commercial; Marguerite McKinley, vocational home economics; Mrs. Nina Fitch, social science; O. B. Rose, mathematics; Paul Wilkinson, mathematics and physics; Paul J. Bateman, vocational agriculture; Russell Sherman, chemistry and English; C. E. Bryan, boys’ coach and physical education; W. G. Woodcox, industrial arts; Helen Jennings girls’ coach and physical training; Gilbert Coble music and art.

After the new high school was constructed the building used as the high school prior to that time was occupied by the junior high pupils and the fifth and sixth grades, while only grades one to four used the Central building. This arrangement continued until the beginning of the second semester of this school term on Jan. 20, 1936, when the whole arrangement was changed.

The unfitness of the Central building for further use necessitated the change. An addition to the high school will soon be started, the dimensions to be 85 feet 6 inches north and south and 227 feet east and west. The addition is necessary to take care of the 170 seventh and eighth grade pupils who were moved to the high school building at the start of the second semester. There is a little difficulty now in handling the additional students together with the 354 who were already there. Temporary class rooms were established, some classes combined and some periods eliminated to make way for the extra students until the addition is completed. Garrett will then have six year high school.

Along with the removal of the junior high school students to the high school, the pupils in the Central building were moved to the junior high building, grades one, two and three occupying the lower floor and grades four, five and six occupying the up-stairs floor.

With the shifting of pupils came another important change, the depart-mentalization of grades four, five and six. Classes in these grades are now conducted in the same manner as those in the high school, with the pupils going to different class rooms for instruction in different subjects from different teachers.

The junior high school building has the sewing and manual training rooms, and the school book store and a small library. Will Franks has been principal of the junior high school for many years but relinquished this position to go to the high school to finish his last year of teaching with the seventh and eighth grades. Other junior high teachers transferred to the high school by the change are: A. F. Morris, Miss Ella Trimble, Miss Ruth Harsh, W. G. Woodcox and Helen Jennings.

Teachers of grades four, five and six are: Jesse Ober, acting principal, Miss Lois Cobler, Miss Velma Hall and Harry Rahmer.

Teachers of the first three grades are: Vera Silberg and Lilah Gilbert, grade 1, Mrs. Martha Bardsley and Miss Gilbert, grade 2; Hazel Harvey, grade3; Mary Dean and Harry Rahmer, grade 4.

The North Ward building houses the first six grades and the teachers are: Archie Fretz, principal and grades 5 and 6; Olive Deihl, grades 1 and 2; Alice Hall, grades 3 and 4.

The fine looking gymnasium at the corner of Lee and Keyser streets was built in 1927 at a cost of $35,000. There is a large stage for the production of school plays and community affairs and a new loud speaker system was installed last year. Due to a lack of funds, the gym does not have the proper equipment for physical training classes, but it is hoped that it will be supplied soon.

The school board consists of Dr. J. W. Thomson, president, Dr. J. A. Clevenger, secretary, and D. B. VanFleit, treasurer.

Is Credited Highly

W. S. Painter came as superintendent to Garrett from North Vernon, Ind., in 1924. He is an upstanding person and has made a great improvement in the school’s record and discipline, tardiness and absences. Under the state board of education Garrett is judged in the first class commission and the high school comes up to the standard of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.

Men who have been members of the school board since 1907 include: C. H. Heinzerling, D. B. VanFleit, J. P. Gephart, H. M. Brown, Dr. J. W. Thomson, Dr. J. A. Clevenger, C. J. Rollins and Harry Brinkman. Mr. Heinzerling, Mr. Gephart and Mr. Rollins were on the board at the time of the building of the new high school. Some of the teachers are pioneers of the Garrett schools. Will Franks has the longest record of teaching, having taught here for fifty years. He started teaching in the township schools in DeKalb and Noble counties in 1878 and in 1886 came to Garrett. He claims he graduated in 1492 and truthfully says that he has attended every senior banquet given in Garrett for 100 years. He is beloved of his hundreds of former pupils and can count among then some three generations. He is the "grand old man" of the schools.

Ada Chew was known for many years for her knack at getting the children "Started right." She had the record when she retired in 1934 of having taught for fifty-two consecutive years, forty-one of them in Garrett schools. She was at one time principal of the Central building. She said when she retired because of ill health that she had hoped to die " in the harness," but she deserved a rest from those long strenuous years.

"Mattie" Dick Bradsley’s record is not far short of these. She is in her fortieth year of teaching her and taught in the county schools for five years before that. She can be proud of an unblemished record of patience and service.

A good many of our teachers are veteran, ten and fifteen years records being in order. Marie Thrush leads these by being in the twenty-first year here. She is also dean of girls and has an active part in the students’ extracurricular activities.

R. M. Merica was followed in the superintendency by M. D. Renkenberger, M. C. Huffman, Ray Pellet and George C. Carroll, the latter a Garrett product, now holds the position of superintendent of schools in Terre Haute. He was superintendent here when the new high school was built in 1922.

Among the early superintendents was Chas. Dugan, later president of a bank at Decatur.

BUSINESSES

GREATER GARRETT IMPROVEMENT CO.

When the Baltimore & Ohio removed its shops from Garret in 1925, local business interest under the leadership of Chas. Abell formed what was designated as an Industrial Committee composed of Mr. Abell, chairman, H. M. Brown, D. B. VanFleit, J. D. Brinkerhoff and C. H. Heinzerling. They were entrusted with a fund of $6,390 subscribed for use in the promotion of industries. An industrial secretary was employed and he made a contact with Louis J. Keller of Chicago, a brassier manufacturer.

Mr. Keller became interested in establishing a factory here and it was necessary to furnish him with a building. The Garrett Industrial Association was then formed, with Geo. M. Schulthess as president, W. T. Eagan vice president, Geo. H. Tuck secretary, Herman Stern treasurer, and with these officers H. M. Brown, Monte L. Green, Chas. Abell, D. B. VanFleit, O.C. Clark and C. B. Hamilton comprising the board of directors.

Stock was sold and the total amount collected was $23,329, including $10,000 subscribed by the Baltimore & Ohio. A fine brick building with 10,000 feet of floor space was erected on East King street at an original cost of $18,866. It was occupied by the Francine Brassiere Co., headed by Mr. Keller. As the business developed Mr. Keller needed more room and he and the industrial association collaborated in the erection of an addition of 5,000 feet capacity, costing $8,000. The company occupied the premises until July, 1834, and had a force at one time of 150 people.

The building was vacant for a time and was then occupied for several months by the Lavoie Corporation, which was engaged in building a new type of passenger bus. In the summer of 1935 the industrial association, with the co-operation of the Chamber of Commerce and the industrial committee, interested David Rothstein of Chicago, in establishing a garment factory here. He started operations with a few employees and now has about eighty-five people on the payroll, with the prospects of more being added in the near future, The plant is operated under the name of Nature’s Rival Co.

The Industrial Association several years ago promoted to help finance a foundry that is located on East Quincy street and is operated under the name of Garrett Brass and Aluminum Foundry Co. Through the efforts of the association, the Ira J. Mix Dairy Co. of Chicago, established a milk plant just east of Randolph street and north of the B & O station, This business is now being operated by the Fort Wayne Milk Producers Corporation and buys milk from farmers in the vicinity, in an amount of about 95,000 pounds a day. The company is a branch of the VanCamp Milk Co.

The Baltimore & Ohio has been represented on the board of the industrial association by its local chief executive. The other directors at this time are Geo. M. Schulthess, W. T. Eagan, D. B. VanFleit, Herman Stern, C. H. Heinzerling, J. D. Brinkerhoff, O. C. Clark, H. M. Brown and C. B. Hamilton, with Mr. Schulthess president, Mr. Eagan vice president, Mr. VanFleit secretary and Mr. Stern treasurer. Mr. Eagan took the place of the late Mr. Abell on the Industrial Committee. The latter organization aided Rosenberry Bros. in starting a wood working plant they are operating on East Quincy street. The laundry on West King street is another institution that has been established in recent years through the co-operation of the commercial organization.

HIENZERLING’S HARDWARE

The store known as "Heinzerling’s, the Pioneer Hardware," dates back to Garrett’s beginning. John L. Davis, an Auburn merchant, constructed a frame building on the southwest corner of Randolph at Keyser street in 1875 and opened the first hardware store in the settlement. In 1894 F. H. Mountz bought the business, which had been moved to a building on the present site of the Hershberger building, just south of the Garrett State Bank. Mr. Mountz transferred his stock to its present location at 120 North Randolph street, in the building newly erected there by Emil Hill.

Carl H. Heinzerling came to Garrett as a boy with his parents from Sandusky, O., in 1892. In his early teens he worked for John Lumm, father of Charles F. Lumm, in his tin shop. Then, he was employed in Clark & Teeters hardware, which was situated where the I. O. O. F. building is now. E. E. Clark sold his share of the business to S. S. Teeters and some time later A. J. Little entered the firm. Their business house was destroyed by fire July 1, 1900, and the partners constructed the building on West King street now occupied by Little’s hardware. Following the fire, Mr. Heinzerling continued there as a clerk until Sept. 1 of the same year. Then he entered the employ of Mr. Mountz, and on Sept. 14, 1904, he and John B. Coffinberry purchased the business. When Mr. Coffinberry died in 1912, Mr. Heinzerling became the sole owner. Since 1930 his son, Harry D. Heinzerling, has been associated in the business with him.

The main room of the hardware store is 25x125 feet in size, and several years ago a wing 25x65 feet was added to the back of the building, making it one of the largest hardware stores in the county. Mr. Heinzerling has a large stock of 25,000 items, featuring reliable and nationally known products. Well known merchandise includes General Electric refrigerators, ranges and household electrical appliances, Hoover vacuum sweepers, Sherwin-Williams paints and varnishes, American wire fencing, Maytag and Speed Queen electric and gasoline-powered washing machines, Keen Kutter tools, Aladdin lamps, Armstrong linoleum’s, and Glow Boy heaters. They carry high grade cutlery, Mirro aluminum kitchen utensils and Spaulding sporting goods, Winchester, Savage and Remington firearms, a full line of ammunition, and fishing tackle. They also specialized in farm and vegetable seeds.

Mr. Heinzerling has been a leading merchant for over 30 years, and has certainly been one of Garrett’s most constructive citizens. He has been very active in community and other affairs. He is considerable of a sportsman, being a member, and at present vice-chief of the Okoboji Indians, a national organization of trap-shooters, and a member of the Isaak Walton League, for the conservation of our game and fish and their habitat. He was for some years a member of the school board, and has been active in the Chamber of Commerce, the Lions club, the Country club, and is a member of the board of directors of the Masonic Temple Association. He is one of the three founders of the Creek Chub Bait Co., and also serves as a director of the Garrett State Bank.

METZNER’S LAUNDRY

Business has shown a very steady and healthy increase at Metzner’s Laundry since Harry E. Metzner of Fort Wayne, became owner and manager on Nov. 1, 1934. He purchased the laundry from Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Glenn and at that time the name was changed from the Garrett Modern Laundry to the present name.

Sixteen persons are employed at the plant on West King street. Miss Ilene Young of Fort Wayne, is forelady, Fred Jensen of South Lee street is superintendent and Mrs. Marion Dreibelbis is in charge of the office. Mr. Metzner manages the operations and divides his time between the plant and the Fort Wayne office of the laundry at 3508 South Calhoun street.

Two trucks are owned and used by the laundry to cover the routes. The territory serviced includes south to Fort Wayne, west to Wawasee, north to Kendallville and Angola and Pokagon state park, and east to Butler. Practically all the towns within that radius are reached. Virgil Swalley of South Cowen street and Victor Somers of Fort Wayne, are the drivers. The latter handling the Fort Wayne route and Mr. Swalley taking care of the Garrett and other routes.

With thirty-five years of experience in the laundry business before coming here, Mr. Metzner is well qualified to give his customers the best and most efficient service possible. The plant is equipped with the latest modern equipment and can and does operate on practically the same basis as a large city establishment. One of the new departments instituted since Mr. Metzner took over the laundry is the lace curtain department which cares for the laundering of window furnishings in the most modern way and the service is equal to that found anywhere.

The laundry enjoys a large business from the lakes north and west of here during the summer and is anticipating an unusually good 1936 season. Contracts for the laundry work for three large CCC camps in this section of the state were entered into at the start of this year.

Mr. Metzner wishes to comment on and thank the people of Garrett and vicinity for the fine spirit of co-operation shown to him and the laundry since he has been owner. Likewise, the people of Garrett and out of town patrons are appreciative of the excellent laundry service, which Mr. Metzner had made available to them.

Mr. and Mrs. Metzner live in Fort Wayne at 815 West Wildwood. They have a son and daughter, both married.

JUANITA’S BEAUTY SHOP

Juanita Eldridge Willson was trained for her beauty culture work by Opal Gordon Harvey at Auburn. She started her work as a beautician above the Gingery’s department store, and moved into the shop she now occupies in 1929. She had graduated for Garrett high school, and therefore was fairly well acquainted in town. And by dint of long hours, a courteous manner, and excellent work, she has acquired an enviable business. She has the best of equipment and an attractive shop. She gives permanent waves, marcel waves, shampoos and finger waves, manicures, facials and eyebrow arching. She is the agent for Contours and Marrow beauty preparations.

Mrs. Willson is an active member of the Sigma Phi Gamma sorority and has made many friends outside her business in Garrett. She is a member of and has attended conventions of the National Hairdressers Association and other societies.

HEINLEN’S DEPT. STORE

Jerome P. Heinlen had made a great success as a young merchant in Garrett. He is owner of the department store on North Randolph street known as Heinlen’s Dept. Store. Mr. Heinlen came to Garrett with his parents, the G. F. Heinlens, from Waukesha, Wis., when he was two years old. When he was only sixteen he entered the employ of the B & O in the car maintenance department. After two years he became a clerk in the Clark & Co. market, where he remained for eight years. In 1917 he entered the army and was located at Fort Wayne and Detroit. The following year he returned to this work at Clark’s.

In 1921 Mr. Heinlen started in the mercantile business for himself in the Slifer building on the west side of North Randolph street across from his present location. After four years he purchased the building from Mrs. Rozelda Hoover in which he is now located. It was at that time an old frame building, one of the early store buildings constructed in Garrett, built in 1885 by David E. Hoover. Eleven years ago Mr. Heinlen remodeled the building, practically rebuilding it, and it is now a fine structure with a large floor space and a fine apartment on the second floor where Mr. Heinlen and his family make their home. Mr. Heinlen also owns the Cities Service property at the corner of Randolph and Railroad streets. Five years ago he bought the filling station and grocery at St. Michael’s corner on road 27 five miles north of Waterloo.

Mr. Heinlen’s store is a fine department store with a large stock of staples, canned goods, notions, ready-to-wear and yard goods, The expressive slogan used by this store is "Everything to wear, to eat, to use." Mr. Heinlen has three rural huckster routes, and his is the only store in Garrett maintaining this service.

Mr. Heinlen is well known in this vicinity and he has supported civic enterprises and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce. He has been active in the American Legion and belongs to other fraternal organizations.

STUMPS GRAIN AND COAL CO.

The Stump Grain & Coal Co. of Garret owns a modern elevator located on East Quincy street that has served the farmers about Garrett in an excellent manner since the beginning of the century.

Charles Abell purchased the business in 1912 and built the modern and complete building which is still being used. The elevator had previously been managed by J. S. VanHouten, Charles Girardot, Fred Schulthess, Fyke Brothers and Hawley Bros. Charles Abell operated the business from 1912 to 1919, when a group of farmers purchased it and managed it by means of a board of nine directors. Mr. Stump bought the property from the Farmer’s Elevator Co. a year ago. The elevator affords splendid shipping facilities and enjoys an extensive business.

Since Mr. Stump bought the elevator he has installed a hammer-mill, a feed mixer, a new 15-ton scales, and has made various other improvements which greatly add to the service which can be rendered to the community. Mr. Stump handles all kinds of grain, salt, coal, seed, feed, fertilizer, fence posts, tile, farm machinery and farm equipment.

RIEDHART’S

Stanley Riedhart was born in the mountains of Austrian Tyrol. He comes from a family of thirteen children. As a boy he was a mountain guide and climber. He played the violin and sang in the world famous Passion Play presented in the village of Brixlegg in 1903. He learned the tailor’s trade at his father’s home in Austria. He left home when a young man, full of ambition to see the world. He worked in Paris, France, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland before he came to this country, where he intended some day to own his own home and business.

Mr. Riedhart’s uncle, Joseph Singler, a native of Austria also, came to Garrett in 1876 and opened two stores, a general merchandise and a meat market, at the present site of the Singler home on South Cowen street. After twelve years he moved his business to Randolph street where he had erected a new store building, which is still being used by the Reidhart Co. When Mr. Riedhart reached Garrett he was employed in the store, and in 1912 he purchased a half interest in the business. By 1919 he was the sole owner of the store and building, he immediately started improvements, constructing a new front on the store and an addition to the rear. He installed modern equipment, electric refrigeration in the meat department, steam heating and new lighting and fixtures.

Riedhart’s is one of Garrett’s few stores which has remained in one building for as long as fifty-nine years, and has had only one change of ownership since it was started in 1876.

Mr. Riedhart’s volume of business had shown a steady increase from year to year. He specializes in Little Elf Food Products, government inspected meats, dry goods and general merchandise. He has his own delivery system. Service to the community is his hobby, and his store is always a delightful place to shop.

Stanley, as almost everybody knows him, takes great interest in civic affairs and is active in many organization. He is first vice president and song leader of the Lions club, a director of the Garrett State Bank and a member of the board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce.

MEYER’S DEPT. STORE

Meyer’s Department store was established in Garrett in February, 1926, and now occupies the beautiful store building which Mr. Meyer built in 1931. He carries a complete line of dry goods and ready to wear, blankest, draperies and rigs, men’s dress shirts, work shirts, overalls and socks.

MOORE’S RESTAURANT

Moore’s restaurant is one of Garrett’s newest business houses, an also one of the most attractive. The building having been completely redecorated this fall before the restaurant occupied the rooms. It is a quiet, restful, and clean eating house, and the food is very good.

The proprietor, Geo. M. Moore, also owns the Temple Café in Auburn and it has been most successful. Practically all the employees of the Garrett institution are local people. Inspection of the modern kitchen is invited. Mr. Moore hopes to convert the basement into a large dining room to be used for banquets and private parties. We wish the institution a high degree of success.

GEYER- TATHAM

Authorized Ford Dealer

Ray E. Geyer is the present manager of the Ford agency located at the corner of Keyser and Cowen streets in the Ford garage built in 1924 by Chas. Abell. Mr. Geyer has had considerable experience in the automobile business. For four years he sold Fords and managed a Ford agency and for the past 12 years he has been located successively at South Bend, Cleveland and Fort Wayne in the auto finance business. Mr. Geyer and his family moved here last August.

W. C. Tatham is the Ford dealer at Waterloo, and is one of the oldest auto dealers in this part of the country, having been in the business for twenty years.

The Ford garage was constructed particularly to house the Ford agency. Mr. Geyer entirely renovated the interior of the building last fall and installed the latest shop machinery and equipment. The building is one of the finest in Garrett.

From 1924 to 1929 Gus Thompson was the Garrett agent, and in 1929 J. B. Dawson and Harold Korte took over the management of the institution. Mr. Korte left about four years later and Mr. Dawson continued in business for a time.

Victor Carper is in charge of the service department. He has had years of experience in Ford servicing and has as his assistant, Clifford Moses, with Edward Fetter mechanics helper. Servicing in done for all makes of cars. The Ford representative visited this garage the early part of December and said that it was one of the cleanest and best equipped in the entire territory. Mr. Geyer handles genuine Ford parts, Quaker State motor oil, Phillips 66 gasoline. The garage contains a large well-heated storage space. There is always on hand a large line of good used cars which have been reconditioned and are sold under guarantee.

The other employees are Robert E. Geyer, Earl J. Weaver and Estel Kester, salesmen, and Adelaide Cogley, bookkeeper.

The principal features of the new Ford for 1936, distinguishing it from all other makes, are the highly perfected V-8 motor, the torque-tube drive and the center poise riding quality. The excellent mechanical features combined with the beauty of the car make it one of the most attractive automobiles on the market.

GARRETT ICE COMPANY

The Garrett Ice Company was incorporated in 1922, and during that year construction of a modern ice manufacturing and storage plant was started. The first board of directors consisted of J. I. Morrison, A. A. Cole and A. O. Brong.

It was one of the first plants in this part of the country to be powered by a fuel oil, or Diesel engine. Every modern development in ice manufacturing equipment was incorporated in its construction, and the raw water system (a system of manufacturing ice from unheated water, properly softened and run through pressure filters) is at this time the one favored by leading engineers. The company’s docks are a regular icing station for the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, in addition to which the railroad purchases a substantial quantity of ice for purposes other then refrigeration cars. This is used on engines, cabooses, dining care, coaches, and in the local offices.

A large volume of wholesale business is conducted, the bulk of this tonnage being handled by owners of truck lines who make retail deliveries in surrounding cities, extending as far as Lake James. It is estimated that 50 per cent of the company’s entire receipts are derived from sources outside of Garrett.

Active officers of the company are A. A. Cole, president, and Mrs. Nova Cole, secretary. They carry a full line of ice refrigerators and say that there is a steady increase in the demand both for ice and for ice refrigeration. During five months of the year the plant operates 24 hours per day, the engineers working three eight-hour shifts. The business furnishes employment for five men the year ‘round, and hires more men during the busy season.

The ice company and the Johnson Coal Co., are affiliated and the coal company owns the land next to the ice company’s property on the north of the Baltimore and Ohio tracks. A large portion of the 800 feet of track frontage of the property is occupied by coal bins. A scale house encloses modern truck scales equipped with "Weightograph."

The ice company is known throughout the state for its modern equipment and its courteous delivery policy, and belongs to the Indiana Ice Dealers Association and the National Association of Ice Industries. The Johnson Coal Co. is a member of the Indiana Coal Merchants Assn.

GERIG FURNITURE CORP.

Gerig’s Furniture Store was incorporated in Garrett three years ago. Forrest Gerig has since started a store in Auburn, also. Both stores have been highly successful.

Gerig’s store on Randolph street in Garret has been the location of a furniture store since 1890, and it is one of the most attractive shops in town. Excellent taste is shown in the selection of the stock, The show window, large enough to provide the setting for an ordinary size house room, is always artfully decorated, and the arrangement of the stock in the store itself is very attractive. The employees are courteous and accommodating, and the delivery service is prompt.

Some of the nationally advertised products sold there are Simmons Beauty Rest mattresses and beds. Aladdin lamps and shades, Kroehler furniture, which is made by the largest manufacturers of living room furniture in the world and carries a lifetime guarantee on the construction, Heywook-Wakefield Early American furniture, Armstrong Linoleums, Bigelow-Sanford rugs and carpeting, also the largest factory of its kind in the world with a record of 110 years of service, Frigadaire and Kelvinator electric refrigerators, Zenith and Philco radios, Chambers gas stoves, Perfection and Boss oil stoves, ABC and Horton washing machines, and Kirsch, Lane and Anchor Venetian blinds.

KERN SERVICE STATION

The Kern Service Station at Randolph street and Third avenue at the south edge of the city was opened by Walter W. Kern, in 1926 after he moved to Garrett from a farm north of town.

Mr. Kern, who lives, with his family, at 914 South Randolph, has continued as proprietor and has built up a nice trade for his station, where he handles Mobilgas and oils, U. S. tires, Delco batteries, Mobil Freezone, candies, tobaccos and soft drinks. Mr. Kern also performs auto greasing and tire repairing services.

Mr. and Mrs. Kern have three children, Ruth, a freshman in Garrett high school and Mary Edith and Kathern, pupils in the grade school.

A. D. JOHNS INSURANCE

Automobile and fire insurance may be obtained from A. D. Johns of 304 South Randolph Street, who has been engaged in the insurance business since 1920, together with being a clerk for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company.

Since 1924 Mr. Johns has represented the Union Insurance Company of Indiana in selling automobile insurance, and he represents several companies dealing in fire protection.

Mr. Johns was employed as a brakeman by the B & O in May, 1907, and was promoted to conductor in 1913. He continued in this capacity until he was injured on the railroad at Napanee in 1918. He then started working as a clerk for the B & O and in 1920 also started selling insurance.

Belleville, O., was Mr. Johns home town, but he came to Garrett from Cumberland, Md., in 1907. He and Mrs. Johns were married in 1903 and they have two daughters, Mary Edythe, who teaches in the Huntingtown high school, and Beverly, a student at Miami University at Oxford, O.

ROYAL THEATRE

The history of the Royal theatre is one of the most interesting stories that could be written about any business in Garrett, and that is because so many people are interested in today’s movies of the early days.

Legitimate shows, musical programs and home talent shows always appeared in Wagner’s Opera House after that building was built in 1889. When the first moving picture machines appeared in town they were in the ferm of the "10c a look" machines still to be found at carnivals and amusement parks. Then came the nickelodeons, so named because of the admission price was everywhere, and for several years, five cents. The first movies were shown in a tent with sawdust floor, and camp chairs to sit on, on the vacant lot just south of Schunk’s garage. Fred Paul and Cummings were the proprietors of the "theatre." At the same time Joe Krantz, about 1907, opened a nickelodeon in the fame building now occupied by Sherwood’s Shoe Shop.

In 1908 the first real theatre was opened in the Zeek building on Randolph street just south of the bank. John H. Zeek established the Pastime theatre with all the latest equipment, which included a silver screen curtain in place of the cotton cloth screens used before that time, and picnic chairs to seat 150 people. He later put in 250 chairs, and in 1909 installed seats.

The Edison and S. & A. companies were some of the first producers and some of the stars who were well known in the early flickers were Francis X Bushman, Beverly Bayne, Alice Brady, Florence Lawrence, Florence Turner, Mary Pickford, Charles Chaplin, G. W. Anderson in Westerns, John Bunny and Emily Whalen, Katherine Williams in serials, Red Berry, a juvenile, Clara Kimball Young, Gloria Swanson, Hoot Gibson in Westerns, Alice Joyce, and Ham and Bud in comedies.

Chas. J. Rollins built the present Royal theatre in 1913. Some of the men who managed it were Alva Widmer, Raymond L. Behler, and H. A. Giles. Wayne Smith, A. C. Kalafat and H. E. Hart bought the Royal in 1929. The Pastime theatre was sold to Frank Owens in 1917, and then successively to Alva Widmer, Otto Heinzerling, H. D. Chapel and L. C. Swartout. Mrs. Giles managed both the theatres then for a time. The Pastime was closed in 1931 by Smith, Kalafat & Hart.

Mr. Kalafat is a native of Greece, having come to this country from his homeland in 1916. He went first to Hicksville, and then managed an ice cream parlor in Auburn for twelve years. Since his purchase of the Royal theatre he has managed it capably and has maintained a high standard of pictures. Apparatus for talking pictures was installed in 1932. Mr. Kalafat shows the most outstanding pictures of the major companies, including Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount, 20^th Century-Fox and Warner Bros. First National.

STERN CLOTHING CO.

Over twenty-five years of sincere service is the record of "Stern Value," the only store in Garrett which has had no change in either management or location in that time.

Herman Stern and Harry Weinberg came from Michigan City July 5, 1910, to look at the stock of the Leigh Hunt clothing store, which was for sale. This did not meet their requirements, so they decided to try to rent the Fountain building which housed the Rollins grocery, as Mr. Rollins was selling out.

Hiring a horse and buggy from the Denny Johnston livery, they drove out to see Richard Fountain and a leasing agreement was made, which was drawn up at the E. M. McKennan law office.

Then ensued a period of great activity. The boxlike show windows contained small panes of double strength glass. This was replaced with plate glass, but the size of the windows was not increased at that time. After arranging for the building of proper shelving on the interior, both partners left Garrett to purchase stock and fixtures. They took possession of the store Sept. 1, 1910, and had their grand opening on the fourteenth.

Many changes have been made since that time. Both windows and interior have kept pace with the trend of modern merchandising. Today their slogan, Stern Value, stands for "The Brightest Spot in Garrett," a store where value and integrity of purpose will continue to help build for Garrett an enviable reputation as a trading center.

GARRETT ELECTRIC & SUPPLY CO.

If one is looking for electrical or plumbing supplies or appliances he can be almost sure to find what he wants at the Garrett Electric & Supply Co. at 122 East King street, of which M. A. King is manager.

The business has been in its new location in the Clevenger building for only the last six weeks, moving there from the Schelter building at 212 South Randolph street. Mr. King started in business in Garrett in the Schelter building in 1920, doing electrical and plumbing work and handling supplies. After several years he moved his business to 115 North Randolph street and then back to the Schelter building, and now to its new location.

Besides the usual electrical and plumbing supplies the Garrett Electrical & Supply Co. also handles washing machines, electric refrigerators, glass and light hardware.

Mr. King came from Defiance, O., in 1911 and lived on a farm north of Cedar Creek before coming to Garrett in 1920. He and his family live at 304 East Quincy street.

NORTH SIDE SERVICE STATION

A combination service station and grocery store is operated by J. J. Smith at the corner of Randolph and Clark streets, called the North Side Service Station. Mr. Smith has been running the business for almost a year, taking it over after the death of the former proprietor, Paul Olinger.

Sinclair gas and oils are the products handled for automobiles, and in the store besides groceries are stocked candies, cigars, cigarettes, ice cream, baked goods and soft drinks.

Before going into business Mr. Smith had many years of experience in local groceries and meat markets. Mr. Smith and a daughter, Margaret, and son, Harold, live at 811 South Franklin street.

BAND BOX HAT SHOP

Back in the days of monstrous chapeaux, when large plumes and lifelike vegetable gardens were used to trim the creations of velvet and taffeta, there was of necessity always a millinery in Garrett. Some of the names familiar to the ladies of Garrett are Miss Stickney, who had a shop in the building now used as an interurban station: Mrs. Ella C. Vivian, who for a time had Mrs. Sattie Murphy as a partner, and Myrtle Shingleton and Lena Ressigue (Workman) as trimmers: Mrs. Frank Galnour, who worked in a shop where the postoffice is now; Mary Doughten Weaver, who started in what is now Lumm’s tin shop, and later moved to the room now occupied by Griest’s barber shop; Irene Herbolsheimer Erickson and Maebelle Little Stevens followed her in business there.

The Band Box Hat Shop is the only millinery shop in Garrett, and it enjoys a large patronage. Its owner, Mrs. Orris Umbenhour, is a clever milliner, has a selective stock and is very accommodating. She carries a nice line of inexpensive hats running from $1.95 up, and with berets from 50 cents up and also carries Gage and Sherman hats, and copies of exclusive millinery. She also handles Rollins hosiery and underwear and Formfit Thrill brassieres.

ZIMMERMAN’S DRUG STORE

Zimmerman’s drug store, at the choice location of the northwest corner of Randolph and King streets, is one of Garrett’s most important businesses and enjoys a patronage which justifies the service and accommodations which the management and employees show in their dealings with customers.

Th owner, John H. Zimmerman, is an experienced pharmacist, having followed the profession since 1910. He studied pharmacy at Tri State college in Angola and stresses the importance of the proper compounding of prescriptions. Filling of prescriptions always has been a large part of his business, as the number filled will testify; at the end of 1935 he had filled 36,678 prescriptions in the twenty-five years he has been engaged in the drug business.

Before taking charge of his present store in 1931, Mr. Zimmerman and his family lived at Decatur, where he was also in the drug business. Zimmerman’s drug store, although, of course, not under that name, has been in existence since Garrett’s first years. Charles W. Camp. Garrett, first mayor, started the business with a Mr. Carpenter as partner. Mr. Camp conducted the business by himself after Mr. Carpenter left, and was succeeded in the store by Louis N. Stoner. J. S. Patterson took over the business in 1903 after Mr. Stoner’s death and continued as proprietor for twenty-five years, retiring in 1928. He continues to own the building, however. Walter Veach and John J. Sowers, in succession, followed Mr. Patterson as managers for a short time before Mr. Zimmerman took over the store.

Zimmerman’s store handles the numerous articles related to the drug business. It has the exclusive Garrett agency for Nyal products. Toilet articles and cosmetic, greeting cards, stationery, wall paper, paints, varnishes, Whitman and Johnston candies, pipes, tobaccos and cigarettes, magazines and health foods are a few of the items handled. It also has the agency for the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. The store is equipped with a modern soda fountain, and for the last year and a half Zimmerman’s has been manufacturing its own ice cream with the new equipment installed for the purpose. Practically every kind of ice cream is made and it has become very popular with Garrett people.

Mrs. Zimmerman and their daughter, Ferne, who was graduated from Garrett high school last year, both help in the store, and their son, Forrest, also assisted until he entered the Indiana College of Embalming at Indianapolis in September, LeRoy White also is employed at the store.

Mr. and Mrs. Zimmerman and their daughter live at 213 South Harrison street.

GARRETT TELEPHONE COMPANY

The first telephone line in Garrett was owned by John L. Davis, owner of hardware stores and banks here and at Auburn. D. B. VanFleit and C. W. Camp purchased this line and brought the first telephone exchange to Garrett in 1896. It was located in the back of Webster & Co.’s store, where the Stern Clothing Co., is now, and Mr. Vanfleit was made the first manager. Miss Rena Hart was the first operator.

The Garrett Telephone Co. was organized in 1904, and that company and the Central Union exchange were merged in 1908, and the exchange was located where it is now, in the Abell building on East King street.

The company has a record of not missing a dividend since 1910, and the rates have not been changed since 1913. The company has maintained its property in good condition and owns real estate on East Keyser street back of the Masonic temple where it already has a garage and workshop and plans to erect a modern telephone exchange building.

THE GARRETT STATE BANK

Garrett is proud of The Garrett State Bank, whose soundness, conservatism and absolute reliability have held the respect of the community since the bank was established in 1893. There is no sign more indicative of the solid foundation and permanent prosperity of a city than its bank, and The Garrett State Bank has proved its worth for over forty years.

In 1892, the private institution, The Garrett Banking Co., was incorporated with a $25,000 capital and the following directors and officers: H. N. Coffinberry, president; D. H. Knisely, T.J. Knisely, F. H. Bogert and S. S. Shutt, directors; T. O. Mitchell, cashier. The following year the state incorporated the bank. In 1895 Chas. W. Camp became cashier.

The bank grew rapidly in its first years and the capital was raised to $50,000 with the Rev. A Young, H. W. Mountz, Joseph Singler, W. B. Satterfield, Karl Moyer, Fred Schulthess and Emil Hill becoming the new stockholders.

When The Garrett State Bank was first organized it was housed in one of the rooms in the Wagner opera house building. Sometime later the bank purchased what is now the Jas. Muzzillo building on Randolph street and occupied it until March 4, 1917. In 1916 the building was sold to Jos. Muzzillo and plans were advanced for the erection of the present home of the bank, which was completed in 1917. In 1931 low type fixtures were installed, and some of the offices were changed. It is now modern in every respect and is very well adapted to the needs of a general banking business. The total investment in the building and lot is about $35,000.

The policy of the bank has always been conservative. During the recent bank crisis its business remained on an even keel and it was ranked first in its class. The banking and financial service is complete, including commercial banking; checking, savings and Christmas accounts, commercial loans, collection department, trust department, safety deposit boxes and travelers’ checks.

The present officers are: M. Brown; vice president , P. F. Behler, cashier, A. W. Gallatin; assistant cashier, V. C. Steward; directors, Mr. Behler, J. D. Brinkerhoff, M. Brown, Mr. Gallatin, C. H. Heinzerling, H. W. Mountz and Stanley Riedhart.

The employees of the bank are faithful, and the fact that the personnel has shown few changes in the past twenty years is considered a big asset. All the employees are Garrett people, and their fathers, excepting in the case of Mr. Brown, are employed by the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. C. E. Gallatin, father of A. W. Gallatin, is an engineer, John L. Cogley, father of Miss Beatrice Cogley, is an engineer, and Arthur C. Steward, father of V. C. Steward is a conductor. Mr. Gallatin, Miss Cogley and Mr. Steward are all products of the Garrett schools, Mr. Gallatin having graduated from Garrett high school in 1914 and entered the bank in 1919. Miss Cogley graduating from the Catholic high school in 1922 and entering the bank in 1925; Mr. Steward graduating from Garrett high school in 1925 and entering the bank in 1927. It is very gratifying to the directors to know that these employees are people of proven integrity and that they have found it worth while and desirable to remain in the employ of the institution for such a length of time. It greatly enhances the value of the service that the bank is able to render to the community.

Mr. Brown, president of the bank, came to Garrett from Allen county and taught in the public schools. He has been connected with the bank since 1907, starting as assistant cashier. He is a past president of the Garrett Lions club and the Chamber of Commerce, and has been secretary-treasurer of the Greater Garrett Improvement Co. since its organization, was for many years a member of the board of education and is a member of the board of the Garrett Industrial Association. He is now a member of the Indiana Bankers. He has also been active in the Masonic bodies. Mr. Gallatin, cashier, is now acting as president of both the Chamber of Commerce and of the Garrett Country club and has been president of the county bankers’ association. He was for some years employed in the Garrett postoffice. He is now worshipful master of Garrett lodge, F. & A. M.

THE CLINIC

The Clinic, located at the corner of Keyser and Randolph streets, is the only institution of its kind in this vicinity and has developed an enviable reputation. The equipment has been kept up-to-date and the high standard of the staff and service has been maintained in the fifteen years since its establishment. New physiotherapy equipment was recently added.

Dr. M. E. Klingler and Dr. W. G. Symon are owners of The Clinic. Dr. Klingler has practiced medicine in Garrett almost thirty-two years. Before coming here he attended Ohio Northern university at Ada, O. He then taught school for eight years before he began the study of medicine. He graduated in 1904 from the Fort Wayne College of Medicine, which is now a part of Indiana university. His graduate work was taken at the New York Post Graduate hospital and at the Mayo Clinic at Rochester, Minn.

In 1904 Dr. Klingler came to Garrett and was associated with Dr. N. C. Browand for a time. Then he continued his practice alone, having his offices at his home on Cowen street, just south of the interurban station. In 1918 Dr. Klingler started the organization of a clinic when Dr. J. A. Sanders, serologist and bacteriologist and Dr. I. Z. Barber, eye, ear, nose and throat specialist, joined him.

In 1920 the fine new Clinic was opened to the public. It is constructed of the finest materials and contains a spacious reception room, business office, doctors’ offices, X-ray room, operating room and laboratories. The personnel consisted of Dr. Klingler, chief of staff, surgeon, gynecologist, and obstetrician; Dr. Sanders, Dr. C. E. Howard, internal medicine and X-ray; Dr. W. G. Symon, eye, ear, nose and throat specialist; Dr. W. M. Broughton, dentist; Dr. J. H. Ravenscroft, dermatologist; Iva Bittikoffer, business manager; Bernice Rettig, chief nurse; Lina Bright, X-ray technician; Lucile Teeters, dental assistant; Jessie Rafferty, laboratory technician; Dora Eldridge, nurse; Dorothy Steinmetz, office assistant; Alitah Wessel, office assistant; and Neva Klingler, general substitute.

Two of the doctors who have been connected with The Clinic since its establishment are Dr. W. K. Templeton, who came in 1922 and was here almost ten years, and Dr. C. P. Fox, here for seven years after 1926. Dr. Templeton is now at Riverside, Calif., and Dr. Fox at Washington Ind.

Dr. Klingler, Dr. Symon and Mrs. Bittikoffer remain of the original staff. Dr. Symon graduated from the University of Colorado in 1913 and later took a post graduate course in this same institution. He served as house surgeon in the City and County hospital at Denver and has since taken post graduate work at the Chicago, New York and University of Michigan Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat colleges. Dr. Symon is well-known throughout this vicinity as a skillful and efficient physician and surgeon, He has always been active in local affairs, being a member of the Lions club, the Chamber of Commerce, the Country club, and Masons and other organizations.

Dr. Klingler’s son, Maurice O., returned to Garrett in 1932 to enter The Clinic. He is a 1928 graduate of Indiana university and took his medical training in that school. His internship was spent at Ancon hospital, the government hospital at the Canal Zone, and the Robert Packer hospital and Guthrie Clinic at Sayre, Penn. He is also a member of the Chamber of Commerce and other organizations, and is a director of the Country club.

Dr. J. E. Douglas joined The Clinic staff in 1922 for two years and returned in 1933 as doctor of internal medicine. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois, and was a member of the staff at Baylor university, Dallas, Tex., giving instructions in X-ray, pathology and laboratory work. He is a member of the Lions club and the Chamber of Commerce.

Iris Vandrely is The Clinic nurse and Mrs. Douglas is assistant nurse, and Margaret Stefanska is the clerk.

Dr. M. E. Klingler has been prominent in civic activities ever since he has been in Garrett. He is a former president of the Lions club, was president for two years of the Chamber of Commerce, and has served on the board of directors for many years. He is a member of the board of directors of the Greater Garrett Improvement Co., stockholder of the Garrett Industrial Association, belongs to most of the local fraternal organizations and is one of the founders of the Country club.

The Clinic has recently opened an office for surgical consultations at 1030 South Harrison street, Fort Wayne.

All The Clinic doctors are members of the DeKalb County, Twelfth District, Indiana State, Northern Tri-State and American Medical Societies. Dr. M. E. Klingler had held offices in most of these organizations and is also chairman of the ex-internes of the St. Joseph hospital at Fort Wayne. He took the lead in the founding of the organization and served as first president of the Northeastern Indiana Academy of Medicine.

C. MURPHY

C. Murphy of 119 N. Second street is a competent painter and paper-hanger. He handles Acme paints and Imperial Washable wall paper. He has been painting since 1924, also working as a brakeman until 1929, and in this year also started paper hanging. His numerous jobs are proof of his satisfactory work. Phone 416-W.

HAYNES DAIRY

The Haynes Dairy was formerly located at the lovely farm of E. F. Haynes five miles north of Garrett. Eighteen years ago Mr. Haynes started dairying with his own heard of cattle. The business prospered and his son, Loyd, who had joined his father, moved the dairy to North Randolph street in 1921. He started at that time to pasteurize the milk, and was the first to pasteurize milk in Garrett.

During the years of 1928 to 1931 Loyd conducted a dairy at Kendallville, but came back to the business in Garrett upon his father’s death in 1932. Almost a year ago he moved the plant to its present site in his newly erected building on First avenue. It is a modern and complete plant, and will be one of the most attractive buildings of its kind in Garrett when the landscaping of the grounds is completed.

Mr. Haynes secures the milk for farmers about Garrett, and all the cows and milk are state tested. The milk of the best grade available is put through the pasteurizing process, which means that it is held at a temperature of 143 degrees for thirty minutes and then instantly cooled to 36 or 38 degrees. The milk is then filtered, bottled and stored at 40 degrees, and delivery is prompt.

Beside milk and cream, Mr. Haynes handles chocolate milk and orangeade. He furnishes employment for two other men, Frosty Peters and Victor Water. The plant is open for inspection at all times and Mr. Haynes invites visitors.

THE PALACE MARKET

The Palace Market has been under the management of Clarks since it was started in 1881, and its location has never been changed. E. E. Clark, one of the founders of the business, has been in this section longer than anybody of whom we have any record. He was born in 1862 on the old Clark farm just west of town. He and his brother, Frank, started a meat market in a frame building on the present site of the store. In 1887 another brother, Odd F., who had been in the ice business, joined the firm for a period of seven years. In 1893 E. E. Clark left the business for a short period in which he conducted a hardware store, returning to the meat market, however, and remaining in the firm ever since. In 1906 the son of Frank Clark, George J., purchased an interest and managed the firm for some years.

In 1913 the present owners and managers of the store came into the business. Nate Hoeffel came for Defiance, O., as an employee in 1904 and O. Chester Clark, son of E. E., had worked around the store as a boy and was employed steadily when he finished school. As soon as the partnership had been formed plans were made for an addition to the building to take care of the increase the business had shown.

Remodeling, improvements and a large addition were made to the original brick building. John T. Picker, who helped to build the first building, was the mason employed for the new structure. An extra investment of from $16,000 to $20,000 was made. The best of material was used and the show windows and store rooms were made very attractive. All modern conveniences were installed and the equipment in the basement and the meat rooms is of the finest.

The Palace Market carries everything in the line of groceries and meats. The firm owns the only coffee roaster in Garrett, and they sell unbelievable pounds of their coffee. At the time that they first started roasting their own coffee they conducted a contest among the school children of Keyser township and gave prizes to those offering the best names for their three brands of coffee. Pal-Mar received the first favor and Our Invincible and Palace Delight, won second and third places. They sell as much as from 12,000 to 15,000 pounds of this coffee per year, besides carrying all the popular brands of nationally advertised coffees. Some of the most widely known products they handle are Swift’s and Armour’s. Heinz 57 varieties and National Biscuit Co.

Both Mr. Hoeffel and Mr. Clark are enterprising and energetic business men. They and their employees give prompt and efficient service and are most accommodating. They both take an active interest in the Catholic church. Mr. Hoeffel had been prominent in the Holy Name Society of the church. He has been a member of the volunteer fire department ever since he came to Garrett and has held the position of fire chief. Mr. Clark has been president of the Indiana Retail Grocers and Meat Dealers Association, has served in the same capacity for the Chamber of Commerce, is a member of the board of directors of the Garrett Industrial association and was a member of the building committee during the construction of the factory building on East King street. He also has served as grand knight of the Garrett council of the Knights of Columbus.

SUPERIOR DAIRY

Ray E. Sarber, owner of the Superior Dairy, is a native of Garrett, having been born here in 1891. His father, H. E. Sarber, will be remembered as one of the early engineers here. The family formerly resided at the corner of Lee and High streets where the W. F. Alford family now lives. Ray Sarber has been in Garrett all his life except for five years, from 1916 to 1921, when he worked in Fort Wayne.

Mr. Saber started as a young man as ticket agent for the B & O in 1910. He was in the grocery business as a partner of Hosie Lanigor in 1912 and ’13 in the Swihart building where the gas office is. After he sold his business to Howard Denison he became a salesman until 1916. In that year he went to Fort Wayne, where he started a grocery at the corner of Sherman and Huffman streets. After two years he entered the dairy business in that city and then in two more years he became employed by the Nickel Plate railroad in the freight department there.

In 1921 Mr. Sarber returned to Garrett and entered the dairy business. He started on a shoestring, figuratively speaking, in a small storage shed on the lots his plant now occupies. He had to get permission from the state to conduct his business in that building until he could construct one according to the state specifications. A cooling system was his only equipment, and he handled only raw milk. His first order May 9, 1921, was for one quart of milk daily to the Chas. W. Addington family.

After eleven months in that small shack Mr. Sarber was able to occupy his newly constructed building. A year later he began the pasteurizing and clarifying processes. He added to his equipment until now his plant contains the best and the most modern of machinery. He uses stainless steel pasteurizers, the direct expansion cooling system, filters, and has recently purchased a new bottle washer and a automatic bottler. York ice machines furnish the refrigerant, and they make what is equal to five tons of ice per day for the cooling rooms and icebox. Everything is the plant comes up to the Indiana health requirement.

Five years ago Mr. Sarber expanded his business to include the manufacture of ice cream. He bought new equipment and enlarged his factory to contain two hardening rooms and a ten-gallon freezer. He opened a retail milk and ice cream store, the Green Lantern Tasty Shop, at 117 East King street several years ago and in the summer seasons operates agencies in surrounding towns. He makes a specialty also of chocolate milk and buttermilk.

The factory located on North Lee street houses the offices of the business. Mr. Sarber has five employees, three in the milk plant, including Woodward Fuller, Roy Hart and Harold Widmer, Bradford White in the office and Lemoine Oliver in the ice cream plant. His products are delivered on three routes.

Mr. Sarber has always been an energetic and ambitious business man. He contributes to civic enterprises and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce. He was formerly a member of the city council.

GARRETT LUMBER CO.

What is now the Garrett Lumber Co. has been located just north of the Baltimore and Ohio tracks on Randolph street since the woods were cleared there in Garrett’s early days C. B. Jones and son will be remembered as having established and managed the business for years. There was also a mill there. Following their deaths, the Garrett Lumber Co. employed a series of managers until the Robert Hixson Lumber Co. took the yard over in 1906. A. R. Dart was the first manager of the local mill for Mr. Hixson, and he was followed successively by F. P. Livengood and Charles W. Addington, who, with his family, was well known and prominent in the social life here. About 15 years ago the business changed hands and is again known as the Garrett Lumber Co. Andrew L. Denk, M. L. Rood and Paul Snyder were successively managers under this ownership. C. L. Wilson came to Garrett three years ago.

Mr. Wilson started in the lumber business in 1908 with the Elwood Lumber Co. In 1918 he became connected with the company he is now manager for, and managed a yard at New Carlisle, O., later going as manager to Union City, and then Churubusco. Since 1932 he has accomplished much for the lumber company here. The officers of the company are Peter Kuntz and Martin Kuntz of Dayton, O., and George Goodall of Auburn. The yard is always well stocked with lumber, hardware, paints, wire, fence posts and other items that make up the business. Since Mr. Wilson has been here, the yard has been cleared up, the buildings repainted, and their appearance generally improved.

The company is local dealer for such famous supplies as Johns-Manville asphalt an asbestos cement roofing in many colors, Enterprise paint, Pittsburg wire fence, Red Top steel posts, and Silentite Pre-Fit window frames. The stock of first grade lumber includes yellow pine, fir, cypress, as well as oak floorings.

Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are both very active socially, being prominent in church work and club and civic affairs. Mrs. Wilson is an officer in the country club, secretary of the Lions club, chairman of the local Boys Scout drive to raise a money quota in this territory. One of the Wilsons’ daughters Mrs. R. B. Streeper, wife of an American cousul, is now located in Nairobi, East Africa. The family formerly lived in Canton and Tientsin, China, and Teheran, Persia, where Mr. Streeper was in the diplomatic service. Mrs. Streeper has been sending home news of the Italian-Ethiopian war, the scene of which is within a few hundred ____of her home.

JOHN’S PLACE

John’s Place at 118 North Peters street has been in its new location only since the first of November. The decorations on the interior and the painting of the front of the building before the business moved in make it one of the cleanest and best appearing beer parlors in the city.

Besides handling draught beer and all kinds of bottled beers, John Denes, the proprietor, carries a nice selection of liquors and of wines and also serves sandwiches, chili and other short orders. He has a "carryout" license which permits buyers to take out liquor, wine or beer by the bottle. John’s Place has become well known for its large 10 cent glass of beer, and it is equally popular because the owner has been very careful to maintain order at all times.

John Denes, the son of Geo. Denes of 100 South Ijams street, is twenty-four years old and was born in Garrett. He attended St. Joseph’s school during the first eight grades and was graduated from the Garrett high school in the class of 1931. He opened a grocery store at 114 North Peters street in 1932, and with the advent of repeal started selling beers and sandwiches. This soon outgrew the grocery business and at the time John’s Place was moved from 114 to 118 North Peters street only a small line of grocery items were carried.

With more space and a more attractive building the new John’s Place is enjoying a wider patronage than ever before.

BACHTAL MOTOR SALES

A complete auto station including mechanical work and gas and oil service is operated by Edward (Ted) Bachtal at 1201 South Randolph street, where the business has been located since Mr. Bachtal first opened his garage in 1924.

At the time Mr. Bachtal was working as a locomotive carpenter for the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. When the shops were moved from Garrett, he devoted his entire time to conducting the business at this garage and selling Chrysler and Maxwell automobiles, for which he had the agency. He continued selling Chryslers until 1931, when he took the DeSoto agency, and in 1934 he changed to Ford cars, which he sells at the present time.

The Bachtal Motor Sales is made up of the original garage behind Mr. Bachtals residence and the service station which is situated on the highway just south of the residence. The filling station was added in 1930 and for four years Texaco gas and oils were handled, but in December of 1934 Standard products were installed, including Red Crown gas and Iso-Vis oils, Kendall and Texaco oils are also handled, as well as a complete line of Marfax greases. Cigarettes and candies also form part of the stock at the filling station.

Shortly after the opening of the service station Mr. Bachtal turned over the garage and mechanical work to Clarence Starner and spent all of his time at the station. Practically any kind of mechanical work is done on almost all makes of cars.

Mr. Bachtal has lived in Garrett since 1906, coming from Malinta, O., with his parents. Mr. and Mrs. Bachtal have two daughters who are students in the Garrett high school, Betty Beth and Kalista Mae. Both are musically inclined, Betty Beth plays the Hawaiian and Spanish guitars and Kalista Mae the piano and Spanish guitar. They appear frequently on the programs and Betty Beth has played a number of times over radio stations WOWO in Fort Wayne and WLS in Chicago. Both are members of the high school band.

SUPERIOR COAL CO.

Henry M. VanLear, owner of the Superior Coal Co. at the corner of Randolph and Quincy streets, is one of Garrett’s pioneer citizens who has been distinguished by his fraternal and civic activities. He was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. John D. VanLear of Shelby, Mich. His parents moved to Tennessee in 1885 and came to Garrett two years later. John D. VanLear operated a shoemaker shop at the corner of Railroad and North Cowen streets where the Einkopf residence is now. He enlisted for the Civil war at Auburn and organized Company A of the Indiana Volunteers. He served in the war in the years 1860 to 1865 and was with Sherman’s army on its famous "march to the sea." Henry attended night school in the rooms above Clark’s market and worked in his father’s cobbler shop in the daytime. And he later had a shop of his own on Randolph street. He entered the employ of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad in 1897 here as a brakeman and was promoted to conductor in 1905. He entered the coal business in 1925. One of his sons, Charles, is employed in the business.

Mr. VanLear has always been active in county and city politics. He served on the city council from 1926 to 1930 and was vice chairman of the democratic central committee from 1912 to 1916, when he was appointed postmaster for two terms of four years each. He was chairman of the water and light committee during the building of the new city plant, president of the Lions club in 1930 and is the present chairman of the local grievance committee of Britton division of the O. R. C. from 1910 to 1916 and is now serving his second term as chief conductor of the organization. He was exalted ruler in 1923 of lodge No. 1447 B. P. O. E., was president of C. N. Bell lodge No. 158, B. of R. T., for the year 1906 and for a number of years served on the grievance committee of the brotherhood.

NEW GARRETT HOTEL

The New Garrett hotel, known previously by several names, has existed for sixty years, since in 1875, and the real estate has changed ownership only once. It was erected by the Baltimore Land and Improvement Co., as the DeKalb house. The formal opening of the hotel on Jan. 1, 1876, was an elaborate occasion, long to be remembered.

The managers at that time were N. and G. Homer, and they were followed by Chris Kneicht, T. N. Blair, G. H. Forkner, David Ocker and Charles Ross. Mr. Ross changed the name to the Ross House, and it continued under that name under the management of H. N. Coffinberry, E. W. Ferris, H. A. Kingsbury and Geo. H. Oberholtzer. The name again was changed when Mr. and Mrs. M. Broughton took over the management, in 1905. It remained The Broughton a few years, and Ernest Reiter and Geo. J. Clark were later managers for brief periods.

In 1915 John Ueber purchased the property and changed the name to Ueber hotel. Mr. Ueber and Thomas A Moran were managers. Mr. Moran is a native of Virginia. After five years in the hotel he bought the bakery operated by Cal Smith which was located in the Smith-Swihart building on Randolph street. In 1925 he sold that business and went to Gary, where he was employed for four years by the United States Steel Corp. He and his family then went to Los Angeles and remained until 1933. Since that time Mr. Moran has again been managing the hotel here. For the period from 1926 until Mr. Moran’s return it was under the management of Frank M. Andres.

Mr. Moran is steadily adding improvements to the hotel building and has beautified the exterior. The dining room has become a popular eating place because of the excellent food, the courteous service, and the general air of hospitality. Mr. Moran serves weekly luncheons to the Lions club, of which he is a member, and the Chamber of Commerce enjoys its dinners there. Mr. Moran has been very active in the local council of Knights of Columbus and has been president for the past two terms.

MOUGHLER’S GREENHOUSE

After the B & O shops moved away from Garrett, I began to figure on something else to do aside from railroad work.

I was always a great lover of flowers, so began to make a study of flowers and plant life with the idea of eventually building a greenhouse and making a job for myself.

I realized that after man reaches a certain age it is difficult to find employment at my regular trade, and the thing for me to do was to make a new start. We now have a modern greenhouse in Garrett and our aim will be to merit you co-operation in making it a success, by always furnishing fresh stock.

I have been a resident and home owner of Garrett for the past 48 years. Our new business shows a steady increase and we solicit you patronage on a basis of quality and good reliable service.

We are at your service. Moughler’s Greenhouse & Flower Store 604 South Walsh street.

THE GREEN LANTERN TASTY SHOP

Mildred Alley Swartout leased the Green Lantern from Ray E. Sarber Oct 31, 1935. She has continued the sale of Mr. Sarber’s Superior Dairy products, but has changed the policy of the shop considerably by serving toasted sandwiches, salads, hot soups, hot drinks, besides all the fountain drinks and ice cream.

Mildred’s shop is attractive and she keeps the decorations seasonal and fresh. She had had a good deal of experience in catering and serving, having spent two years with Heinz 57 company as demonstrator. She also acquired valuable experience in the employ of Mrs. Miller Tea Room at Fort Wayne and the Morning Side Tea Room at South Bend. She plans to extend her business to include party catering and delicatessen.

Mildred is well known in Garrett. She was born here and graduated from Garrett High School in 1928, where she was a proficient basketball player and was known to all Garret as the peppiest yell leader the athletic association ever has had. She is energetic and enterprising and we wish her much success in her new venture.

E. S. ELAM

E. S. Elam of 800 South Franklin street has been engaged in the paperhanging and painting business in Garrett since 1901. In that year he came here and began working as a fireman on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad and worked at the decorating trade in his spare time.

He was later prompted to engineer and continues to operate his other business on the side. After he left the employment of the railroad in 1924 he devoted his full time to the business. Besides paperhanging and painting he does all kinds of wood finishing and handles the Sherwin-Williams paint line. He is assisted in his work by a son, George.

Mr. and Mrs. Elam have four sons and four daughters, George being the only one living at home.

HOUSER’S CLOTHING STORE

A. G. Houser has conducted a men’s furnishing store for 28 years and is one of the most prominent of the veteran business men of Garrett. His firm has always been reliable and progressive and Mr. Houser’s integrity has been an important factor in the development of the business.

Mr. Houser is a native of this community, having been born in what is now Cedar, southwest of town. He attended Huntington Business University and came to Garrett in 1902 as a stenographer in the Baltimore and Ohio offices. In 1907 he entered the clothing business with Roy Reyher. The partnership continued only five months, when Mr. Houser took the business over. He was located first in the building on the State Bank corner, then where Schunk’s filling station is, and then for seven years in the corner room in the Abell building at King and Randolph streets. At that time he carried a line of jewelry along with men’s furnishings. He discontinued the jewelry business and purchased a line of shoes in 1913.

In 1915 Mr. Houser erected the beautiful building on Randolph street in which he now has his store. He and his family make their home in the apartment above the store.

For 21 years D. E. Ocker has been employed in the business. Mr. Ocker has always been active in the lodge work and is well known around town. A few years ago Mr. Houser’s brother, O. D. Houser, came from Meridian, Miss., and he and Mr. Ocker manage the store. Some of the names of former employees at Houser’s are of interest now: Walter Erickson, who is now assistant postmaster here; Gerald O’Boyle, now at Grand Rapids, Mich., Bernard Christ, Herman Schiffli, now a machinist in Chicago, Lela Beinke Warner, now at Eagle River, Wis., Mrs. M. J. Smith, now at Cleveland, Sterling Ward and John Elam.

Houser’s Clothing store is the local dealer for such famous trade-marked merchandise as Ed. V. Price & Co. and M. Born & Co. made-to-your-measure suits and overcoats; Florsheim shoes "for the man who cares"; Star brand shoes for all members of the family; Emerson hats; Wilson shirts; hosiery, belts suspenders, garters and underwear, Cooper underwear; Wolverine horsehide work shoes; and Finck’s overalls that "That wear like a pig’s nose."

Mr. Houser has always taken a keen interest in the welfare of the community, and has boosted all its worth while enterprises. He has held various offices in the Chamber of Commerce, of which he was an original member, and has served for 15 years on the library board, on which he succeeded Dr. Frank A King. He is a trustee of the Masonic Temple Association, on the board of which he was secretary after its organization in 1914, and of which he is now president. He has been treasurer of the board of trustees of the Methodist church ever since the Rev. Charles Tinkham was in Garrett. He was for several terms secretary of the county democratic central committee and on Sept. 1, 1933, took the appointment of postmaster of Garrett.

EAGAN’S BAKERY

Eagan’s Bakery has been a Garrett institution for over twenty years. It was formerly owned by T. A. Smith and is the oldest established business in Garrett. Mr. Smith came to Garrett in 1875 and opened his bakery in June of that year. For many years he controlled the trade in this city. He did his own baking and his store occupied various locations until he sold it in 1910 to Claude Feagler. Mrs. Grace Eagan and Mrs. Geraldine Denison have managed the business since September, 1931.

They carry a line of all kinds of bread, delicious cakes, pies and cookies. They are always glad to receive special orders. They make a practice of carrying goods appropriate to the season. They may well be proud of their clean tidy shop and their wholesome and well-prepared foods.

BROSH GROCERY

Geo. Brosh several months ago opened a grocery store on East King street, called the Brosh Grocery. Mr. Brosh bought the house on the corner of King and Britton streets and made extensive improvements, converting the front of the first floor into a nice sized store room and put in a grocery and meat market. He has already developed a nice trade.

CITY CAFÉ

The present proprietors of the City Café are J. P. Gephart and his sons, Dale and Orlo. Mr. Gephart has been in business in Garrett for twenty-five years. He brought his family here from Chicago in 1910 and opened a ten cent store where Sherwood’s shoe shop is now, next to the Houser’s building. After a year he moved to the building which had been occupied by Thumma’s cigar store, now the site of the Niagara Café, and the following year he transferred his stock to the present site of the Thomas store. He remained there until he sold the business in 1929. He was then engaged in the real estate and investment business for four years. Two years ago he became actively concerned in the restaurant which he and his sons purchased from Quince and Owens in 1931.

Mr. Gephart is a member of the Masonic and Elks lodges, having served three terms as trustee of the latter, and is a charter member of the Lions club. He served a total of nine years on the board of education, being a member at the time the new high school building and the new gymnasium were erected. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and served on the highway committee of that body when the effort to bring state road 27 through Garrett was successful.

The restaurant now conducted by the Gepharts is long established and has been well known for many years. It has always been a rendezvous for the railroad men. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Coverdale established a good trade. Their restaurant was located in the frame building just north of the present rooms, where Fred Draggoo has the barber shop. When Henry L. Wehrly moved his jewelry store, Coverdales moved into the building. After Mr. Coverdale’s death, Mrs. Coverdale continued to manage the business until her marriage to Frank W. Owens. Charles Quince became Mr. Owens partner. After the death of Mr. Quince, Mrs. Quince assisted Mr. Owens until they sold the business.

INSURANCE TRUSTEES INC.

L. Dale Green manages Insurance Trustees Inc., an insurance agency which has been in existence in Garrett for twenty-five years.

Mr. Green came to Garrett twenty two years ago. He was born at Crescent Springs, Ky., graduated from Garrett high school, and attended Indiana university for three years. He was employed in the offices of the Baltimore & Ohio and left the service in 1924 as general foreman of the store department. He entered the insurance business then, the offices being in the same building they are now, and he moved to his present location at 108 East King street in December of 1935.

Mr. Green has been active in Garrett socially and is known as a competent golfer. He has served as president of the Country club, and several times has won the club championship tournament. He served as lieutenant of infantry in the U. S. Army during World War.

The agency handles every form of insurance, including life insurance and surety bonds.

BLAIRS’S NEWS AND CONFECTIONERY

Blair’s News and Confectionery, although a comparatively new business in Garrett, has taken its place as the leading newspaper distributor and as one of the most popular confectionery in the city.

The business, at 105 South Randolph street in a building owned by Mrs. Queen Abell, was opened on May 16, 1934, by Oscar Blair, the original proprietor. Since Mr. Blair’s death on Nov. 4, 1934, the business has been conducted by Mrs. Blair.

In the spring of 1933 Mr. Blair first took over the agency for several newspapers and sold and distributed them from the City Café until Blair’s News and Confectionery was opened.

Before the opening the building was completely redecorated on the interior, a new fountain was installed and booths were constructed along the side. The confectionery has come to be one of the most frequented places in town for soft drinks, ice cream and fancy dishes. In addition, candies, pipes, tobaccos, cigars and cigarettes are handled.

Newspaper carried are the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Herald-Examiner, Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette, Detroit Times, Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, Chicago American, Chicago Daily News, Indianapolis Star, and the Garrett Clipper. A large variety of magazines are also always on hand.

GEORGE DENES

George Denes has conducted an enviable business in Garrett since 1913, when he opened a grocery and meat market at 114 North Peters street. The business was located at that site until it was moved three years ago to 100 South Ijams street, in the same building as the family residence.

A large variety of groceries, cold meats, fruits and vegetables are handled by Mr. Denes, and for the convenience of his customers he keeps his store open until 9 o’clock in the evening on week days and on Sunday the hours of business are from early morning until 1 p.m. and from 4:30 until 8 p.m.

Coming to this country from Rumania where Mr. and Mrs. Denes were born and where they were married, the couple first went to Indiana Harbor, and a year later came to Garrett, where Mr. Denes was employed in the B & O shops until 1916.

All but the oldest of Mr. and Mrs. Denes five children were born at their residence at 114 North Peters street; Anna, now Mrs. John Laslea of Willard, was born in Rumania. The others are Nick G. Denes, high school athletic coach at Corbin, Ky., Johanna, now Mrs. Sam Dengel of Detroit and John and George at home.

KEYSER REALTY EXCHANGE

P. A. Gengler has conducted his insurance and real estate business in Garrett since 1909. His family is one of the few remaining who have been in Garret for nearly sixty years. His father, L. J. Gengler, moved his family from Auburn in 1878.

They resided in the house on Second street in East Garrett right at the jog in Quincy street, and the house still stands. His father was an oil supply man for the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, and came to be quite a character about Garrett, known for his broad German accent and his love of jokes and a good time.

Pete attended school in what is now the old grade school building on East Houston street. At thirteen he went to work for the railroad as call boy and then messenger boy and then, in 1889, became a brakeman. In 1906 he employed by the express company. In 1909 he opened an office in the basement under what is now Ralph Griest’s barber shop, and in 1913 removed to the building now occupied by C. I. Clark. In 1925 he purchased the building he now occupies. He sells insurance, real estate and has the auto license bureau.

SHEETS STUDIO

The Sheets Studio on West King street is the only photographic studio in Garrett and it has been here for almost twenty years. M. A. Sheets has had thirty-seven years of experience in the business and he and his family came from Fort Wayne, where he hand been in business for eleven years. He was first located in the frame building on the southeast corner of Cowen and Keyser streets, having his home and studio on the second floor. That building, which will soon be torn down to make way for the new postoffice, was one of the early buildings here, and was called the Chicago boarding house.

In 1921 Mr. Sheets purchased the Thomson building in which the business has since been located. The east part of the building was remodeled for the studio, the residence occupying the west part.

Mrs. Sheets assists in the business and does a great deal of the finishing work. They sell cameras, kodak films, picture frames and other articles associated with the business. They have made a specialty of portrait photography. The kodak business has grown rapidly the past ten years, and now half of the trade is concerned with film finishing, at which they are expert.

Mr. and Mrs. Sheets have been very active in the Methodist Episcopal church since they came to Garrett. They have both taught Sunday school classes at that time and Mr. Sheets had been superintendent of the Sunday school for the past four years. Mr. Sheets has been assistant scout master of Boy Scout troop 168 ever since its organization eight years ago. At one time served on the board of the Chamber of Commerce.

GINGERY’S DEPT. STORE

Except for a period of five years, there has been a Gingery Department Store in Garrett since 1895. In April that year Ira A. Gingery divided his store at Butler and established a business in the building now occupied by Blair’s news stand on Randolph street. Seven years later he moved to the building now occupied by the Thomas Store, and in 1911 moved to the present location of the store. In 1926 he sold the business to Mr. John Bosselman of Napoleon, O. Five years later in1931 Laird M. Gingery returned to Garrett to open a department store in the building formerly occupied by his father with an entire new stock. The room and windows were redecorated, modern fixtures installed, and the general appearance greatly improved.

Mr. Gingery’s stock is large and well selected. The shoe department, which was opened just a few years ago, is one of the store’s main attractions. Peters footwear for women, misses, boys and children, is featured. Hood Hygienic gym shoes, galoshes, rubbers and overshoes are sold. The infants’ department is complete and worthy of mention. Otherwise a general line of dry goods is carried, including Allen A. and Bobolink Guaranteed Hosiery, Henderson corsets, Quaker lace curtains, Kirsh window and drapery rods, Royal Mills underwear, Hymann Maid silk dresses, Laurel brand coats, Max Mayer kid and fabric gloves, Charna Lee silk underwear, silk, cotton and wool yard goods and a large selection of toys.

Gingery’s is always a pleasant place to shop. The clerks are courteous and Mr. and Mrs. Gingery make it their business to be accommodating and to give satisfaction in their dealings. Frank Krush, Mrs. Jennie Connors, Marian Kobiela, Rita Johnson, Ruth Beeber and Meredythe Clark are employed as clerks.

SIMONS’ GROCERY

Mr. and Mrs. Andrel Simon of 106 North Peters street have been residents of Garrett for thirty years, and Mr. Simon has been in business here since 1915. Mr. and Mrs. Simon were married in Roumania, their birthplace, and Mr. Simon came to the United States in the early part of 1905, going first to Willard and coming to Garrett six months later.

He went back to Roumania in 1910 and returned with Mrs. Simon and a daughter, Florence, leaving a son Andrew, with grandparents, and he came to Garrett two years later.

Upon arriving in Garrett in 1905 Mr. Simon started working in the B & O blacksmith shop and continued in this occupation until 1917. In the meantime, however, he opened a pool room at 104 North Peters street in 1915 which he operated until 1913.

In 1920 he built the property at 106 North Peters street and opened a grocery store, which he has operated ever since. Meats and dry goods also form an important part of the stock.

Mr. and Mrs. Simon have six children. Besides Andrew, who is now an internal revenue collector at Gary, and Florence, who is Mrs. John Bradin of South Cowen street, there are John, Nick, Isadore and Joan at home. Joan, the youngest, has appeared on a number of entertainment programs doing tap and acrobatic dancing with the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bradin.

HUGHERS DRUG STORE

Hughes Drug Store, located at 130 South Randolph street in the I. O. O. F. building, is the oldest drug store in Garrett, in point of continuous management. Worthy Hughes, the proprietor, became connected with the business in a partnership with J. S. Patterson in December, 1917, when they took over the Halter drug store.

At that time the store was located where the A. & P. store is now and it remained at that site until Jan. 1, 1934, when it was moved to its present location.

Mr. Hughes’ parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. A. Hughes, who died two years ago and five years ago respectively, came to Garrett in 1905. Worthy E. Hughes attended the Tri State School of Pharmacy and was graduated in 1908 in pharmacy. From that time he has worked continuously as a pharmacist, being employed in Fort Wayne drug stores until 1913, when he became employed in the Patterson drug store here. After Mr. Hughes and Mr. Patterson took over the Halter drug store in 1917 the partnership continued with Mr. Hughes operating the business, until 1927. In that year Mr. Hughes bought complete ownership.

A general line of drugs and drug sundries is handled, and this is supplemented by a soda fountain and a large supply of magazines, tobaccos and candies. Rexall products have been carried for the last five years. The building occupied was remodeled and redecorated before the business was moved to the present location.

Mr. and Mrs. Hughes, who were married in 1910, have one son, Robere, who is associated with his father in the business.

LUMM’S TIN SHOP

Charles F. Lumm has been in the sheet metal business in Garrett for 25 years, but the history of the Lumm tin shop goes back even farther than that. Charlie’s father came to this country from Heichburg, Germany, about 55 years ago. In Germany the Lumm family had all been tinners, Charlie’s father having learned the trade from his father and his uncles. Charlie’s father was in Auburn a short time, and then came to Garrett, and with his brother, Conrad, opened a tin shop where the Ross grocery is now. They moved their shop to the present site of The Clinic, and 50 years ago to the present location of the shop. Later the business was purchased by Charles Rodeman and then by Fred Groscop.

Charlie Lumm attended school here and afterward worked for his uncle Conrad in Toledo and other points in the east. About 25 years ago he came back to Garrett to be employed by B. C. Fitch. In 1912 he started his own business where the Bait company is now. He moved back to the original Lumm tin shop about 20 years ago.

Mr. Lumm does tinwork, roofing, spouting, ventilation, warm air heating, and carries a line of galvanized products in his shop. He does very satisfactory work, furnishes employment for two men, and has the only shop of its kind in Garrett.

Mr. Lumm belongs to a good many of the fraternal organizations in town and has been a member of the Garrett Volunteer Firemen ever since he came back to Garrett.

He is well known and well liked and has the respect of everybody in the community.

ORT’S JEWELRY STORE

Charles Ort is one of the leading business men of Garrett, and his jewelry store in the Masonic building at the corner of Randolph and Keyser streets is one of the most complete and beautiful in this part of the state. Henry L. Wehrly bought the jewelry business in 1907 belonging to E. R. Rowley, and conducted it in the building now occupied by the City Café. In 1911 Mr. Ort entered the business, and in 1926, some time after Mr. Wehrly’s death, he acquired the store. Two years previously, the business had been moved to its present location.

In spite of poor business conditions the last few years, Mr. Ort has maintained the high standard of his merchandise and has kept a complete stock of jewelry, silver, watches, dishes and electric appliances. He is agent for Elgin, Bulova and Gruen watches, 1847 Rogers and Community Silverware, Philco radios, Westinghouse, Norge and Crosley appliances, Maytag washers, and many other items.

Mr. Ort is watch inspector for the Chicago division of the Baltimore & Ohio and inspects the watches of 500 employees every month. He has the best of equipment for watch repairing, and maintains also a department for remaking of jewelry, and another for radio repair work.

Mr. Ort has always taken an active part in city affairs. He has been president of the Lions club, a leader among the business men and in the Chamber of Commerce, and is now a member of the city council. He has been instrumental in the organization of baseball and softball teams among the young men in town, and is known as a "good sport," with the interests of the young people at heart.

McLAUGHLIN’S

The McLaughlins are one of the pioneer families of Garrett. Claude McLaughlin, present owner of the garage on Cowen street, is a grandson of the first McLaughlin who came here. John G. McLaughlin came from Cumberland, Md., as an engineer on the Baltimore & Ohio in 1875. His son, Charles, was a machinist in the shops. In 1893 Charles started to build bicycles as a hobby and in 1899 he went in partnership with Frank Moses to form the Garrett Machine Works. The first site of the company was in the shed back of the McLaughlin home on North Randolph street. Later the shop was moved to the corner of Quincy and Lee streets, and then to the building now occupied by Metzner’s laundry on West King street.

In 1909 Claude joined his father in his business. They constructed the fine structure between King and Quincy streets on Cowen in 1914 which has since been used as a garage. Charles McLaughlin was at one time a city councilman and he was an active Mason. Since his death in 1930 Claude has continued the business alone.

The sale of Overland, Nashes and Dodges formerly was a part of McLaughlin’s garage business, but of late years it has been confined to extensive repairing. There are four employees and the garage is known all over the territory for its wrecking service and its excellent body and fender repairs, brake service and glass replacements. Willard batteries are handled and serviced. Mr. McLaughlin carries replacement parts for all makes of cars and does a large wholesale parts business in this community.

BOFF’S BATTERY STATION

Genial "Ed" Boff came to Garrett in 1921 from Defiance, O., to run a small battery station located in Kingsbury garage at the southeast corner of Randolph and Quincy streets. A few months after his arrival he purchased the station from the owner, Clayton Westrick, also of Defiance.

After the sale of the Kingsbury garage to Burch Hays in 1923, Mr. Boff moved to the lower floor of the Creek Chub Bait Co. for a few months, and later in the same year to the building on East King street now occupied by P. A. Gengler. The Garrett Auto Supply Co. operated by a Mr. Bell had closed up its business in that building and Mr. Boff purchased the stock and equipment. In 1925 he moved again, this time to his present location in the Clevenger building at the corner of King and Franklin streets. He now conducts a filling and service station selling Red Crown standard gasoline, Iso-vis D motor oil, Exide batteries and super-tread tires.

Ed is a hunter of no mean ability, and usually has around the shop a group of men and boys interested in sports, and his corner has become the popular site of exchange of high school news, reports of college athletics and the scene of tales of hunting and fishing.

TED’S REPAIR SHOP

The shoe repairing shop on East King street known as Ted’s Shoe Re-building Shop has been run by Herbolsheimers for over fifty years. Ted’s father, John Herbolsheimer, was a harness maker by trade, and conducted his business in the old Hunsel building at the southeast corner of King and Cowen streets. He began to repair shoes in 1894, and moved to the present site of the shop in 1893. His two sons joined him in the trade, Rupert starting fifteen years ago, and Ted starting in 1928. Their father has now been dead several years. Rupert has been engaged in garage work since about a year ago, and Ted has continued alone.

Ted Herbolsheimer recently remodeled the front and repainted his shop. It contains up-to-date machinery and he does all kinds of dyeing, shining and repairing. The Herbolsheimers are one of the pioneer families of Garrett, and they have held the business and respect of the community by their honesty, reliability and courteous service.

GARRETT BARBERS

Most of the barbers in Garrett are unionized and conscientiously adhere to the union standards of cleanliness and price. They are Fred Draggoo in the frame building on North Randolph street owned by the Elks; Mitchell Olinger and Zeno Haver, partners in the room next to the alley in the Brinkhoff building on West King street, which they have occupied for many years; Lute Fawkes on South Randolph street in the Behler building; Clarence Lantz in the Dr. Johnston building on West King street; and Ralph Griest in the Mrs. Flora Thomson Greene building on West King street.

PAUL’S PLACE

Paul Muzzillo, the proprietor of Paul’s Place at 115 North Randolph street, has been in business in Garrett for more than twenty years. A native of Italy, he came to Chicago in 1911 and two weeks later came to Garrett and worked for two years in the B & O shops before going into the confectionery and fruit business.

He started in the present building and then was located across the street at 113 North Randolph from 1921 until two years ago, when he moved his business back to the original building. The selling of beer was started a year ago and a supply of wines was stocked just recently. The sale of confectioneries still hods and important place in the business, however. Ice cream, candies, soft drinks, sandwiches and tobaccos are handled in a large variety.

RADIO SPECIALTY LABORATORY

Howard Patterson and John Freeze conduct this laboratory at 119 South Peters street, doing all kinds of radio repair work and selling new General Electric radios. Both are licensed amateur operators and station owners (call letters W9LOW and W9AYB), and furnish free radio message service to all parts of the United States.

They maintain up to date service equipment for any service problem, and also have public address equipment for rent. Both are deeply interested and expert in radio work and their services are in great demand. Phone 410-W.

DRAIME & SAXER

F. S. Draime and W. E. Saxer have been engaged in the painting and decorating business in Garrett for twenty-five years. They recently formed a partnership. Pittsburgh Plate Glass paints and Imperial Washable wall paper are used in their work. Phone 527-W.

PAUL H. SCHUNK, INC.

There has been a garage on the present site of Paul H. Schunk, Inc., at the corner of Quincy and Randolph streets since 1911 or 1912 when Leslie Stoner constructed the large stone building which was destroyed by fire some years later. Geo. Young, Wm. Burch Hays and Raymond Kingsbury owned the business at various times. Following the fire R. J. & C. B. Thacher of Auburn, occupied the building in its present form. They managed the business, selling to Ora Souder after several years. Paul H. Schunk purchased the garage in July, 1934, and has managed it since.

Mr. Schunk is a member of one of the pioneer families of Garrett and he was born here. He started work as a machinist helper on the B & O and then became a fireman. He was employed for a time then by the Auburn Auto Co. as a trouble shooter on the road. After nine years in that capacity he joined the Chevrolet company at Fort Wayne and was transferred at various times by that company in Elkhart, Logansport and South Bend. He opened a general repair garage at 713 South Franklin street in Garrett in 1931 and over a year later became a part of the Hi-Way Garage corporation. A year later, after purchasing his present business, he incorporated it and the firm became known as Paul H. Schunk, Inc.

Since Mr. Schunk took over the garage he has made several improvements including a stoker, a hydraulic hoist for lifting cars, new starting, lighting and ignition apparatus and other new equipment, and he has improved the lot next to the garage building for a used car lot. The company sells Hudsons and Terraplanes, International trucks and farm machinery, a general line of accessories and auto parts. And DX gasoline and motor oils.

The Garrett employees are George Fullmer, salesman, Ben Traster, mechanic, Clarence Wyss, body and fender work, Charles Traster, washing and polishing, Wm. Sobraske, Loren Shaffer and Clark Luttman, attendants, and Frances Sapp, office girl.

The Paul H. Schunk corporation has opened three more garages recently, at Kendallville, St. Joe and Auburn. These filing stations sell the same product as the Garrett station, and there is a total of twenty-one employees of the corporation. The Auburn and Garrett stations have twenty-four hour service. Extensive remodeling was done to the garage at Auburn at the corner of Ninth and Jackson streets.

Mr. Schunk has made a great success as a young business man. He is a steady advertiser and energetic and enterprising. He is an active Mason and Elk.

THE LOG CABIN

The Log Cabin on North Randolph street, featuring beer and entertainment, is operated by Frank Abram of 611 East King street. The sale of wine by the drink was started recently.

Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights of each week the Log Cabin band furnishes music for dancing. The Log Cabin was started after repeal in 1933 and has become very popular with amusement seekers of Garrett and surrounding cities. In addition to the sale of beverages lunches are also served.

Mr. Abram was born and raised in Butler. He has had an interesting career. He operated a motion picture show in Butler, and after it burned down he and Mrs. Abram, both musicians, took employment with the Sherman Kelly stock company in 1911, playing in the band and orchestra, Mr. Abram playing clarinet and saxophone and Mrs. Abram playing piano. In 1912 they joined the No. 2 show of the Colton Dramatic Co., traveling from town to town and taking leading parts in the productions. Two years later Mr. Abram started and managed the No. 3 show of the company. During the winters they played in vaudeville.

Mary Louise, their daughter, who had been active in dramatics here, made her first appearance when she was three years old at Lexington, Ky., in the Ada Mead theatre. They were in a musical comedy at that time.

In 1923 the Abrams came to Garrett and Mr. Abram bought a pool room from the Brinkman estate, where the Log Cabin is now. He operated the pool room until he remodeled it and changed it to the Log Cabin in 1933. From 1925 to 1928 Mr. and Mrs. Abram were on the staff of radio station WOWO, broadcasting as Abey and Mabel. They lived in Garrett all that time, however. They have one other daughter, Betty Jane.

R. L. BEHLER

R. L. Behler, proprietor of Behler’s Walgreen System Drug store, has had a varied business career since his graduation from St. Joseph’s parochial school in 1913.

He purchased the drug store, which is one of the oldest in the city, in March, 1929, from J. H. McCorkel.

The Behler drug store during the summer of 1935 became a Walgreen System drug store, handling Walgreen products among others, and during the summer Mr. Behler redecorated the interior of the store and made a number of improvements.

In addition to operating the drug store, Mr. Behler now handles the American Railway Express business, becoming agent for the company on Jan. 1, succeeding C. J. DuPont, who was agent here for twenty-five years and who was transferred to Huntington. The American Railway Express office is in the rear of the drug store.

After graduating from high school in 1913 Mr. Behler began working in the offices of the stores department of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad. He continued in this occupation until 1915, when he went into the moving picture business, buying the Royal Theatre from Alva Widmer. He completely remodeled the theatre, making a modern show house of it. The theatre was operated for ten years by Mr. Behler before he sold it in 1925 to H. H. Giles, and then Mr. Behler became local agent for the Metropolitan Life Insurance company. In two years he discontinued this work and became sales manager for the Wayne Overall Co. in Fort Wayne, but continued to make his home in Garrett. He worked in this capacity until he secured the ownership of the drug business which he now operates.

Although low prices are featured at the drug store, high quality merchandise has never been sacrificed to maintain the low rates. Mr. Behler carries a well selected stock of goods in conjunction with his drug trade. A new fountain was installed when the building was remodeled last summer and it is widely patronized. Schlosser ice cream is handled and all sorts of soft drinks and fancy dishes are prepared.

Mr. Behler come from a prominent and pioneer Garrett family. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. P. F. Behler of 304 South Harrison street. The family has always been prominent in Garrett activities and organizations and the elder Mr. Behler is vice president and one of the directors of the Garrett State Bank. The Behlers are members of the St. Joseph’s Catholic church and active in its affairs.

R. L. Behler at the present time is commander of Aaron Scisinger post of the American Legion, city health officer, and a director of the Garrett Country club, of which he is a charter member. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Garret Lions club, and the Garrett Chamber of Commerce. His picture appears on page 2.

Mr. Behler married the former Miss Loretta Manion, also of a well known Garrett family, sixteen years ago and they live with their two children, Mary Jo and John, at their home at the corner of Houston and Lee streets. They have one of Garrett’s most beautiful homes, which Mr. Behler constructed shortly after their marriage. It is built of buff brick.

Assisting Mr. Behler in his drug store is Miss Wilma Fosler, graduate of Purdue university and a registered pharmacist with three years experience. She had been connected with the store since last summer. In the express business Mr. Behler is assisted by Joseph Sapp.

HAFFNER;S 5 C TO $1.00 STORE INC.

On May 19, 1923, Delma L. Haffner opened a modest Five and Ten Cent store in the room now occupied by Blair’s News Stand in Garrett. This store was started on capital which was, for the most, borrowed. Business in this store was good from the first day and in Oct, 1924, a branch store was opened in Buchanan, Mich.

Richie L. Haffner, now vice president of Haffner’s 5c to $1.00 Stores, Inc., was the first manager of the Buchanan store. Business at this new city was also very good, and encouraged by the success of the first two stores, a third store was opened at Marysville, O., in April, 1925. The three original stores have prospered until the chain of stores now consists of twelve units. In addition to the first three stores the units are now located at Angola, Warsaw, Lebanon and Flora, in Indiana; St. Johns and Plainwell in Michigan; Watseka and Paxton in Illinois; and Mount Gilead, O.

The store at Angola was opened in April 1929, in a room at the west end of the business district, but was moved in December, 1935, to a room in the center of the business district. The store at Watseka, Ill., was opened in September, 1929, and the store at St. Johns, Mich., was opened a month later. The store at Lebanon, Ind., was opened in January, 1930. The present lease on this room contains a very valuable option of purchase of the two story brick building located in the center of the best business district. The store at Warsaw, Ind., was purchased in October, 1922, and the store at Flora, Ind., was purchased the next month. The Paxton, Ill., store was opened in June, 1934. In October, 1935, a fine store at Mount Gilead, O., was purchased and in November, 1935, a large store was opened in Plainwell, Mich.

Much time has been spent in obtaining the best locations for the various rooms. The lease at Marysville, O., is on a three story building with a modern two entrance front and the store at Buchanan, Mich., occupies a building built to Haffner’s specifications, also with a modern two entrance front. The store at Garrett is similar to several of the other rooms leased but is somewhat smaller in size than the larger stores in the chain. The headquarters office of the chain is at 214 South Randolph street in Garrett and the entire room is used for office, sample room and fixture construction. The organization is now in a position to fill and order for a complete store, from bare room to a complete store ready to open, in a matter of days.

The sales of the chain show a healthy average increase, limited somewhat by general business conditions, but increasing faster than conditions seemed to indicate. The actual sales for several years were as follows: 1923, $7,104.47; 1924, $12,012.35; 1925, $31, 795.86; 1926, $37,984.98; 1927, $50,619.33; 1928, $72,563.21; 1929, $114,870.39; 1930, $152,214.00; 1931, $140,290.83; 1932, $194,128.37; 1933, $181,396.20; 1934, $212,772.44; 1934, $242,065.99 ; Total $2,449,818.42.

Some idea of the size of the chain can be gained when the reader knows that the December 31, 1935, report showed $51,771.39 merchandise and $15,916.69 fixtures in the various locations. All financial business is done through the Garrett State Bank, each store remitting daily to the main office. All orders for merchandise for the stores are issued from this office also.

The company recently bought the Sarah Fountain building on Randolph street, and while it is not the intention to move into it in the near future, it was bought to assure the local store a permanent location if the present location is not available. The local payroll at time numbers as high as 20 names, with several Garrett residents employed at other points.

Up to the first of January, 1936, Mr. Haffner operated these stores as and individually owned institution, using only the profits of the business to increase the holdings of the chain, but in response to several individuals, who wished to invest money in the business, the chain of stores has been incorporated under the laws of Indiana and a small preferred stock issue will be made available about February 1, 1936.

H. A. HINKLIN

Howard A. Hinklin is an undertaker of forty-five years’ experience. He is one of the pioneer business men of Garrett. He was born in Hardin county, O., in 1876 and moved as a boy to LaRue, O. When he was only fourteen years old he started work with the local undertaker after school hours and in vacation time. In 1898 he went from school to join the Fourth regiment of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry. After being in camp for several months he saw service in Porto Rico for a few months and was discharged in 1899. He came to Wabash Ind., and worked for the S. J. Payne Furniture and Undertaking concern.

In April of 1903 Mr. Hinklin came to Garrett and took over the undertaking business associated with the furniture store of Mrs. S. Tonnesen. They were then located in what is now the Mountz building. Just two years later Mr. Hinklin started business for himself in a room on the first floor of what was then called the hotel annex and which is now the Creek Chub Bait Co. on East Keyser street. He also did upholstering, repairing and refinishing furniture for many years. He has always been in business alone except for two years after 1912 when he was in partnership with G. W. Iler.

Mr. Hinklin maintained just offices and sales rooms in different location until 1922 when he furnished the Mrs. Rose Creeger house on East Keyser street as a funeral home. After two years in that location he purchased the house on the corner of Keyser and Franklin street from L. A. Murphy which will be remembered as the old Henry Mountz home. Mr. Hinklin has changed the house to a certain extent and expects to do more to it soon in the way of improvements. He remodeled and redecorated the house, the carpeting, drapes and furnishings being extremely attractive. He also made an addition to the rear of the building where he has a garage for his ambulance and hearse. His work room and showrooms are located to the rear of the funeral parlors.

Mr. Hinklin had the first motor hearse north of Fort Wayne in 1916. His present hearse is a three-way loading, the most modern available. His equipment is complete and up-to-date. The funeral home is never left alone, Mr. Hinklin’s son, Robert, who assists his father is the business, maintaining his rooms there. Mrs. Helen Hinklin is her husband’s; assistant.

Mr. Hinklin has always been known for his satisfactory work and service. He is widely known. He served as health officer a number of years and was elected to the office of coroner for two terms. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce.

O. K. DePEW

The dry cleaning business developed by O. K. DePew under the name of DePew’s Dry Cleaners and Dyers was started in August, 1925. Mr. DePew is a former employee of The Clipper, having worked there from 1922 until 1925, when he opened his cleaning business.

The establishment was first opened as a small pressing and tailoring shop in the Patterson building back of Zimmerman’s drug store. In 1928, on land purchased from the Greater Garrett Improvement company at 712 West King street, he built a dry cleaning plant. The next year the size of the plant was doubled by an addition to the front of the building. The building is fireproof and the equipment is the finest. The plant operates under state license No. 229. The DePew’s Dry Cleaning plant uses chemical and filtration methods of Solvent Declamation. The solvent is cleaned and clarified in the plant at the speed of 1,350 gallons per hour. Each garment cleaned in the plant is washed in over 1,000 gallons of clean solvent. This leaves each garment completely sterilized. There is no better system of dry cleaning known.

The plant is completely equipped for the proper cleaning of the finest silks, upholstered furniture, cleaning and blocking of hats, cleaning and steaming of velvets, cleaning and grazing of furs and other services too numerous to mention.

Mr. DePew also does a custom tailoring business in men’s suits and overcoat. And experienced tailor is employed for repair work, alterations, relining, etc.

JOAN BEAUTY SHOP

The Joan Beauty Shop on South Cowen street is fairly new to Garrett. Its proprietors, the Misses Joan and Beulah Buettner, came here from Delphos, O., several months ago and purchased the beauty shop at 117 South Cowen street owned then by Mrs. Ed. Roffler. They have a clean, attractive shop and do excellent work. They give manicures, eyebrow arching, facials, shampoos, mareel waving, finger waving and permanent waves. The girls are graduates of the Warner College of Beauty Culture.

C. A. BITTIKOFFER

C. A. Bittikoffer, proprietor f the cleaning an pressing shop in Garrett for twenty-three years. leaned his trade in a tailoring shop in Benton Harbor, Mich. He operated a restaurant in New Haven for a year before he came here in 1912. He first located upstairs in the frame building that stands on the corner where Moore’s restaurant is now. Four years later he moved to his present location, upstairs in the C. C. Muhn building on East King street, where he also makes his home. Mr. Bittikoffer does not do his own dry cleaning, but presses and finishes the garments.

SANITARY DAIRY

The Sanitary Dairy is a fairly new business in Garrett, but its Garrett history date back for more than twenty years. The dairy was then started, and operated for several years by David Hoover, who built the residence and some of the dairy buildings on North Randolph street now occupied by the concern owned by Mrs. David Hoover and Joseph Ober.

Mrs. Hoover is at present in Florida and Mr. Ober is the active manage of the dairy. His father, Link Ober, following his trade as a mason, lived in Garrett for about twenty years until 1911. Joseph Ober was born north of Garrett and has always resided in this vicinity, having been a farmer in Fairfield township until he came to Garrett in January, 1934. Formerly, however, he was employed by the E. F. Haynes dairy for the year 1925.

The Obers have made considerable improvements to the property in the past two years. They have installed new equipment, including a new pasteurizer and electric refrigeration, and repainted the interior of the milk building, and they hope by spring to have done other repairing and improving.

The Sanitary Dairy keeps its own heard of cattle, which, with the milk, are tested regularly by federal, state and local inspectors. The cattle are kept as clean and sanitary as possible. Both pasteurized and raw milk and cream are sold and cottage cheese is a specialty of the business. Mr. Ober ordinarily employs two men, and several other helpers during the busier seasons.

CREEK CHUB BAIT CO.

The Creek Chub Bait Company was founded in 1916 by the late Henry S. Dills, who was a great fisherman and always was inventing a bait simulation, the action and appearance of natural fish food. After making a few lures he interested Geo. M. Schulthess and C. H. Heinzerling in the idea of manufacturing them.

The present officers of the company are Geo. M. Schulthess, president; Gordon S. Dills, vice president; C. H. Heinzerling, secretary-treasurer; and Sam F. Davenport, sales manager.

After considerable experimenting on different woods, white cedar was finally chosen as the best suited for the purpose. After further tests a proper finish was discovered for this wood and even to the present day the Creek Chub Bait Company is the only company able to satisfactorily use white cedar for bait bodies.

The first baits were fashioned in the basement of Mr. Schulthess’ home and in a short time the idea of a scale finish on lures was evolved. This operation was patented and entirely revolutionized the finish on wooden bait from that time. Later, one girl was employed to carry on the operations. The company then moved the factory into the upstairs of a house on the corner of Keyser and Cowen streets and as the business continued to grow the company moved to the building it now occupies on East Keyser street. About four years later it was necessary to enlarge this factory.

Since then sales have increased from year to year and are made not only in this country and Canada, but lures are sent to 48 foreign countries, France and Sweden receiving the largest shipment.

The sales demand in Canada is so large that a Canadian branch has been established, the work being conducted by the Allcock, Laight & Westwood Company, Toronto, Ont. Although in its infancy, the plant has been doing a large business and the prospects for its growth are fine. Each year the Creek Chub Bait Company sends a display to the Canadian National Exposition held in Toronto, which corresponds to the World’s Fair held in this country.

The company now employs more than forty girls and a number of men, all of whom enjoy their relations with their employer.

Two of the most important patents in the tackle business have been issued to this concern, giving it the control of the natural scale finish and the mouthpiece. The company developed approximately sixty different baits with thirty-five finishes, all covered by patents and made to look as nearly as possible like natural food for fish. The company has a total of 32 patents and has grown until it is now the largest in the world to exclusively manufacture artificial baits.

In the manufacture of these baits it is necessary to obtain machinery and material from all over the United States and some supplies are even purchased abroad. Practically all material has been made to specifications for each kind of bait. In the manufacture of each separate bait are over 125 different operations and the bait receives 15 different coats of paint, color and lacquer.

Creek Chub Lures hold the worlds’ records for the catching of the largest small mouth bass, weighing 12 ¾ pounds, large mouth bass weighing 22 pounds 4 ounces, muskellunge weighing 58 ¼ pounds, tarpon weighing 196 pounds on a wooden lure, and seas bass weighing 316 pounds on a wooden lure.

An extensive nation-wide advertising campaign amounting to $25,000 or $30,000 a year is carried on and advertisements are published in all the leading sporting goods magazines of the United States and Canada. Each year window displays are sent all over the country to dealers and catalogs are furnished to an individual mailing list of approximately 75,000 names. In addition to attending the Canadian National Exposition, the company is represented at several of the large sporting goods exhibitions in the United States each years. This not only tends to advertise the Creek Chub lures, but also brings the name of Garrett to the attention of thousands.

Sales representatives regularly call on the hardware and sporting goods jobbers throughout the country, who in turn distributor the lures to the dealers. Thus the company upholds fair trade, dealing and practices.

In spite of the general business depression, the company has kept all its employees and has turned out its usual amount of baits daily, experiencing in 1935 one of the best years it has ever had.

Between $2,500 and $3,000 is spent for postage yearly, helping to increase the pay of the local postal employees. The co-operation afforded by the post office and its employees had been greatly appreciated. In addition to the parcel post shipments, the bait company also makes a large number of express and freight shipments.

The sums spent with other businesses of the city, such as water, light, gas and steam heat, make to company a large customer.

The company has developed two new lures for 1936, which are a radical departure from the usual baits. They are made of metal and will be unique on the market.

GEORGE W. ILER UNDERTAKER

George W. Iler’s present undertaking business is the result of perseverance, determination and disregard for hardship. In 1898 when the Garrett car shops reopened after the years of real "hard times" George walked here from LaOtto seeking a job. He became a helper in the shops in May and his wife and he moved here in June. They now reside at 516 South Cowen street. His job paid him eleven cents and hour for nine hours a day, five days a week, with three cents a day going toward his insurance.

The furniture purchased cost thirty-eight dollars, in three and a half dollars monthly payments. Mr. Iler says they were without lights when they started here, and he bought a second-hand coal oil lamp for a quarter. The lamp was half full of oil, and that oil lasted the young couple the whole summer. W. Y. Johnston, the first master mechanic in Garrett, and his son, Frank, were at this time running a grocery store on Cowen street, and Mr. Iler asked for credit for the first month he was here. Mr. Johnston trusted him and they were firm friends from then on. After a few months Willard LaFlare’s father promoted Mr. Iler to car repairing, and a little later Elmer Creel, round house foreman, gave him a job firing an engine. After six and a half years he was made an engineer.

In 1912 Mr. Iler asked for leave of absence and purchased the undertaking business of John A. Moore which had been run in connection with Mr. Moore’s furniture store. The following year he attended the Askin Training School at Indianapolis and returned to Garrett in 1914. He opened his business in the old Singler building, which stood on the lot just north of the Singler home on South Cowen street and which had been occupied by the John B. Mager meat market. The next year Mr. Iler moved his business to the building he now occupies on South Randolph street. It was then a one-story brick structure, and in 1925 Mr. Iler rebuilt it, adding a second story, and making it a fine business house. The waiting room and office occupy the front and the show room and preparation and work rooms and garage occupy the rear of the first floor, and the B. of L. F. & E. lodge rooms are located on the second floor.

When Mr. Iler purchased Moore’s business he also bought his horse drawn vehicle from him, and did not have an auto funeral car until 1919. He now has a beautiful hearse and an ambulance.

Mr. Iler had conducted a successful establishment for twenty-four years. His aim and effort have been to please his customers and he appreciates the liberal patronage accorded him.

Mr. Iler has been active in fraternal affairs ever since he came to Garrett. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, of which there is no lodge here now, and of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen. Shortly after he entered this organization in 1901 he was elected treasurer and held that office for over ten years, during which time the chapter cleared a debt of $700 and raised their resources to almost $1,200. He served as president of the same lodge for eleven or twelve years. Mr. Iler also belongs to the Odd Fellows, the Masons and Garrett Country club. He backs all civic enterprises, being a member of the Chamber of Commerce. Mr. and Mrs. Iler have always been prominent in the Methodist church.

KEEN’S GENERAL STORE

In the same location the same building and under the same management is the unique record of Keen’s General Store since the foundation of the business by Wesley Keen at 700 South Randolph street on Oct 19, 1903.

The store was not as large at that time, however, and the extent of the merchandise handled was not as broad as it is now. In the beginning Mr. Keen handled only groceries, but within a short time he began stocking a general line of goods. For many years now the stock has included a general list of merchandise, including groceries, meats, dry good, notions, candies and tobaccos.

Mr. and Mrs. Keen moved to Garrett from a farm in Richland township at the time Mr. Keen opened his store. They have lived for many years at 804 South Randolph street. They have one son, Royal Keen of Fort Wayne, and one daughter, Mrs. Warren W. Harvey of Coronado, Calif.

ORA E. DONLEY

Starting in the garage business in 1921 in a small frame building at the rear of Mrs. Mary White residence at 514 South Randolph street, Ora E. Donley has extended his operations to such a degree in the last fourteen years that he now owns the newest and one of the largest and best equipped garages in the city.

The Donley Motor Sales began on a small scale when Mr. Donley took over the dealership of Hupmobiles in 1921. The business grew rapidly and in 1924 the garage was moved from its original location to a building on the alley behind the Frank Fouch home at 519 South Randolph. The business soon outgrew this site and in 1928 the Donley Motor Sales was moved to its present location, although not the present building, at the corner of Lee and Quincy streets.

In 1929, the following year, Mr. Donley had constructed a garage building to replace the blacksmith shop and two residences which occupied the corner and adjoining lots. This space finally proved insufficient for the ever growing concern and just last summer a large addition in the form of a display room and a parts room and tire room above it was constructed to the west side of the building.

Mr. Donley had the agency for Hupmobiles from 1921 to 1929 and in that time sold 72 of them. In 1929 he began the dealership of Chevrolet and continued until 1933, selling 350 new cars of this make. The Plymouth, Oldsmobile, and DeSoto agencies were taken over in 1933 and these are the new cars handled at the present time. So far, 300 Plymouths and 46 Oldsmobiles have been sold by the Donley Motor Sales.

Service products, parts, and all kinds of automobile mechanical work are available at the garage. White Rose gasoline and Alemite High Speed and Enarco motor oils are handled. A complete line of Chevrolet parts is carried for old Chevrolet owners and Plymouth and Oldsmobile parts are stocked for patrons who are buying these cars. Goodyear tires and Delco batteries are also a part of merchandise always on hand.

Ten persons are included on the payroll at the garage. The mechanics are Hubert Bowman, Clarence Binns and Leo Gaff, and the salesmen are Keith Kratzer, Kenneth Busz and Vergal White. James Williams was employed recently as filling station attendant.

Mr. Donley was born in Columbus, O., and came here in 1917 from Richmond, Va., when he became employed on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad as a fireman, at which occupation he has continues along with the operation of his business.

Mr. Donley, and his wife and two sons, one aged four years and the other five months, live at 301 East Quincy Street. Besides this residence and the garage Mr. Donley owns a house which he recently had moved to a lot in the 500 block on South Lee street.

A progressive business man is Mr. Donley, as the growth of his garage and his success in selling cars will prove.

ROSS & SON

With little more than a second grade education, but with a lot of ambition, Chas. F. Ross came to Garrett back in 1886 and started working at Clark’s meat market for his board and clothing.

Nineteen years later, in 1905, he had gathered much valuable experience and saved about $450, which he had in ten shares of stock in the Garrett Building and Loan Association, when he opened a butcher business on June 22, in a small frame building standing where his present store, the Central Market, is located. At that time he listed his stock of meats as being worth $45. He rented the store room from W. J. Frederick for $12.50 a month. Mr. Ross remembers well his first customer, Mrs. Geo. Collins, who lives at 300 South Cowen street, and she purchased 25 cents worth of veal steak.

When he was young Mr. Ross was unable to attend school for long, his school days being cut short after he had reached only the third week of the third grade. He attended school at Altona, where his parents lived. They came to Altona from Avilla, one year after their son was born there on Oct 14, 1873. During his brief formal schooling Mr. Ross had no opportunity to learn to figure, so he had to obtain this essential knowledge by himself. He got his start in the subject of mathematics one day when he bought some cattle by the pound. He was told the price and after the purchased he requested the paper on which the cost was figured. From this paper he got his first lesson in arithmetic

After coming to Garrett, Mr. Ross worked at the butcher trade at Clark’s and other markets in town until 1897. He then went to North Baltimore, O., and worked in a butcher shop until the spring of 1893, when he returned to Garrett, was married and became employed again at Clark’s meat market. He received $9 a week for four years, and then until he started in business for himself his wage amounted to $11 a week.

His lack of education and his struggle to overcome obstacles during the early part of his life make Mr. Ross’ success as a business man all the more unusual. He has been in business in Garrett since 1905, with the exception of a period of six months, and has managed to operate on a paying basis. Of the success Mr. Ross has had, however, most of it has come from his real estate dealings and the buying and selling of cattle. Hard work and being on the job have contributed in a large degree to Mr. Ross’ good fortune.

From the time he first opened his meat market (he soon added a stock of groceries and dry goods) Mr. Ross continued to operate the business in the same building until 1915, when the Odd Fellows constructed the present building. During the time of construction Ross meat market was located in a building across the street. From 1914 to 1916 Mr. Ross had Burch Hays as a partner in the business. Of interest is the "biggest day" Mr. Ross ever had in business, when he took in at his store one pay day in 1917 during the World war a little more than $3,200. This amount of sales was not made in one day, but that is the sum received in one day for meats and groceries which had been purchased and even in those times, it was considered a good day.

Mr. Ross went out of business for six months in 1920. He then purchased Hosie Lanigors’s cash and carry grocery business where Blair’s News and Confectionery now is and added a meat market. His son, Robert Ross, was associated with him in the venture. Mr. Ross’ next move was to buy out Rankin’s grocery and meat store when Haffner’s variety store is at present, and with P. J. Wagner as a partner, the store was named Ross & Wagner. Robert Ross bought Mr. Wagner’s half of this business in 1922 and three years later the father and son purchased the Ratrie business at the location of the original Ross market and where they have remained in business ever since.

At present the store carries a large line of groceries and meats, together with fruits and vegetables, baked goods, nuts and many articles of clothing and dry goods. At the farm where he lives with his wife a half mile south of Altona, Mr. Ross has a slaughter house and he furnishes a large supply of his meats from his own choice cattle. He also buys and sells a large number of cattle. Robert Ross is married and lives in Altona.

Mr. Ross and his son are well known as prize fight fans and rarely miss a heavyweight championship match.

DRS. J. A. CLEVENGER AND R. A. NASON

Dr. J. A. Clevenger is the dean of the medical profession in Garrett. He has practices medicine here for forty-seven years.

He taught school for five years near his home town, London, O., when he determined to study medicine. For two years he was a student at what is now the medical school of Ohio State University, and he spent two years at Vanderbilt medical school, and then interned at Hope Hospital, Nashville, Tenn. He graduated there in 1888 and came the following year to Garrett, which was then a town of between 3,000 and 3,500 people, and had only two doctors, F. B. Wood and J. F. Thomson. He hung out his shingle in the small frame building that still stands in the first block of East Keyser street. The building had two rooms and the other was occupied by the lawyer, Louis Covell, who lived with his family in the brick house at the corner of Franklin and Keyser streets where his daughter Mrs. Clara Baker, died a few months ago.

After about a year, Dr. Clevenger moved to the frame building that formerly stood between Heinzerling’s hardware and the Muzzillo building. About 1894 he built the office and residence on Randolph street now owned by John Roos. It was about that time that Dr. N. C. Browand of Fort Wayne, joined him in his practice for about six years. In the summer of 1897 Dr. Clevenger attended the New York Medical School and Hospital for post-graduate work. Dr. Frank S. Browne became his partner in 1903 for a few years. It was some time after that that Dr. Clevenger and Dr. J. F. Thomson were the only doctors in town, and it is safe to wager that for a brief period they took care of as much practice as all the doctors now have in Garrett. Those were horse and buggy days. Dr. Clevenger bought his first automobile, a Buick, in 1910.

From 1910 until 1913 Dr. Clevenger and his two daughters lived above what was then the Clark & Smith drug store, now Behler’s drug store, where he also maintained his offices. At the end of that time he built the large house on East King street where he now lives. A few years ago he remodeled the building, and now it contains, besides his home and office, eight apartments.

Ever since Dr. Clevenger came to Garrett he has been active socially and has taken a large part in community affairs. He has built several homes about Garrett, three in the south addition, and now has a beautiful estate on Lake George, near Coldwater, Mich., also. He was at one time prominent in fraternal affairs. He is the only living original stockholder in the city water and light plant, and has always been influential in commercial organizations. He had served as president of the Lions club and at present is a member of the board of education, on which he served several terms before. He was a city councilman in the nineties and was elected mayor of Garrett twice, in 1914 and 1918. He served on the board of health and held the office of secretary several terms.

The doctor is interested in sports and formerly owned a string of blue blooded race horses. He takes great pride now in his thoroughbred bird dogs.

Dr. R. A. Nason came a few months ago to be associated with Dr. Clevenger in his practice. Dr. Nason attended school in Ripon, Wis., and then went to the University of Wisconsin and the Rush Medical College of the University of Chicago. He took his internship for a year each at the Cook County Hospital, the Presbyterian Hospital and the Norwegian American Hospital, all in Chicago.

The doctors are members of DeKalb and Northeastern Indiana Medical Societies, the Indiana Association and Tri-State Medical Association and the American Medical Association.

MOUNTS & MOUNTZ

The law firm of Mountz & Mountz is composed of Howard W. Mountz and his son, Geo. E. Mountz. The senior Mr. Mountz has always lived in this vicinity, having been born and raised about three miles north of Ashley. He taught school in Franklin township for three years. He was graduated for DePauw Law school in 1894 and came to Garrett the following year as a partner of E. A. Myers. Mr. Myers quit the practice of law in 1898 and Mr. Mountz practiced alone of a number of years. In 1904 he entered into partnership with J. D. Brinkerhoff and they practiced together for nineteen years in the office Mr. Mountz still occupies on Randolph street.

Mr. Mountz has always been active in Garrett affairs. He has been president of the Lions club, was one of the organizers of the Garrett Country club, has served as master of Garrett lodge No. 537, F. & A. M., was president of the Garrett State bank for many years and is now a member of the board of directors of that institution. He served as Sunday school superintendent of the Methodist church for thirty years. He was president of the Garrett Expansion club at its organization in 1906 and has always been a member of its successor, the Chamber of Commerce. In connection with his profession Mr. Mountz belongs to the DeKalb County Bar Association, of which he has been president, and to the Indiana Bar Association. He served as city attorney for four years, and was elected representative of DeKalb county to the state legislature for the term of 1904-06.

George E. Mountz joined his father in business in 1933 upon his graduation from law school. After his graduation from DePauw university, where he was a member of his father’s fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi, he attended Harvard Law School at Cambridge, Mass. He was admitted to the bar in 1931 and was elected DeKalb county prosecuting attorney in1934.

George has become prominent in many activities since his return to Garrett. He is secretary of the Country club, active in the F. & A. M., program chairman of the Lions club, and vice president of the Chamber of Commerce. He has held the office of secretary of the DeKalb County Bar Association.

DR. N. M. NILES

Dr. N. M. Niles has been in Garrett a little over a year and maintains his office and home in the rooms above Meyer’s department store. His training consisted of one year laboratory technician course in Chicago, a year of practical experience in a laboratory, and then six years at Indiana University School of Dentistry, from which he graduated in 1934. He is a member of Xi Psi Phi dental fraternity.

He recently had his membership of Maumee lodge, No. 725, F. & A. M., of Fort Wayne transferred to Garrett lodge 537. He is an assistant scoutmaster of troop 162 and has taken an active part in other civic enterprises.

DR. R. M. BARNARD

Dr. R. M. Barnard has practiced dentistry in Garrett longer than any one else in his profession. He took his training in the Dental College of Indiana university, graduating in 1913 and following with a year of post graduate work, when he also was a teacher of operative dentistry in that school. He is a member of Xi Psi Phi dental fraternity. Dr. Barnard came directly from school to open his office in the rooms he still occupies above Little’s Hardware on West King street.

Dr., Barnard has supported all civic enterprises and has taken much interest in city and fraternal affairs. He is a charter member of the lions club. He had held all the offices of Garrett lodge, I. O. O. F., and is now serving his third term as exalted ruler of B. P. O. Elks, having been delegate from this chapter to national conventions at Miami, Fla., Kansas City, Mo., and Columbus, O. He is now treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of Fort Wayne District Dental Society, of which he has been president, and the State and National Dental Societies.

DR. D. M. REYNOLDS

Dr. D. M. Reynolds was born at Georgetown, Ill., and after graduation from the public schools attended the Vermillion Academy at Vermillion Grove, Ill., graduating in 1896. Then he entered the Medical College of Indiana university. He graduated from the medical school in 1900 and interned at St. Vincent’s hospital, Indianapolis. In 1916 Dr. Reynolds received an honorary degree from the Indiana School of Medicine.

Dr. Reynolds established a practice near and in Indianapolis after the completion of this training. He joined the army in 1918 and was discharged after a year with the rank of captain.

Then for two years he practiced surgery only in Indianapolis before taking post graduate work and internship in Chicago Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat college. But in Garrett Dr. Reynolds found an open field for general practice, which he has continued since he came here.

In 1920 Dr. Reynolds came to Garrett as the associate of Dr. F. A. King, and their offices were located in Dr. King’s residence at the corner of Randolph and Houston streets. Just about a year later Dr. King transferred to Benton Harbor, Mich., and Dr. Reynolds continued in the same office. Shortly after, Dr. J. H. McKinnon joined him in his practice. Dr. McKinnon remained here only a year and then Dr. Reynolds moved his office to the rooms above Little’s hardware on West King street and has since that time practiced alone. Two years ago he again moved his offices, this time to their present location in the attractive rooms in the rear of the Masonic Temple building.

Dr. Reynolds has established a good practice here and he appreciates the fine support afforded him. He has been a greatly interested member of the American Legion ever since coming to Garrett and has for two terms been commander of the Garrett Post, and was commander of the old 12^th district for a term. He is a member of the other fraternal and civic organization and of the Presbyterian church.

Dr. Reynolds’ son, R. Perry, has entered his father’s profession. He is a graduate of Technical High School of Indianapolis, which was for a time the largest in the world, of Wabash college, Crawfordsville, Ind., and is now a junior in the Medical School of Indiana University.

DR. J. W. THOMSON

Dr. John W. Thomson was preceded in his profession by his father, Dr. J. F. Thomson, who came to Garrett in 1876. He was a graduate of the University of Michigan and did post graduate work at Trinity Medical College, Toronto. In 1878 he married Sallie W. Johnston, daughter of W. Y. Johnston, first master mechanic of the Chicago division of the B & O R. R.

Dr. and Mrs. Thomson were closely associated with the early history of Garrett, and Dr. Thomson and Father August Young planned the Sacred Heart hospital. Dr. Thomson was a member of the school board for over 30 years and was active in medical societies. He served one term as president of the Association of B. & O. Railway Surgeons, and was an active Mason for 40 years.

Mrs. Thomson was an active club woman, belonging to the Twentieth Century, Athene and Delphian clubs, and was at one time district chairman of the Indiana Federation of Women’s clubs. Her two most active interests were the Ladies’ Aid of the Methodist church and the Red Cross.

Mrs. Thomson died November 20, 1923; Dr. Thomson died July 25, 1923.

Dr. John W. Thomson was graduated from the Garrett high school in 1902, from the University of Chicago in 1907 and Rush Medical college in 1909. After two years of hospital training he joined his father in the practice of medicine in 1911. He has practiced continuously in Garret since that date save for eighteen months service with the United States Medical Corps during the World war. He is surgeon for the B & O R. R. and the Indiana Railway, and has served as president of the county and district medical societies, and the Northeastern Indiana Academy of Medicine. He is now completing his third term on the school board.

Mrs. Thomson is a daughter of the late Geo. W. Spencer, who was for many years associated with the B & O R. R. She studied music under Ettore Tito Ruffo at the Chicago Conservatory of Music. While she and Dr. Thomson were stationed at Petersburg, Va., she taught vocal music in the Southern College for Women and was in the war camp Community Service in charge of the army women’s club. She taught for two years in the Garrett schools and has given private vocal lesson until just recently. She is a member of the Morning Musical club of Fort Wayne.

DR. F. A. HALL

Dr. F. A. Hall came to Garrett nine years ago due to an unusual occurrence. He was born and educated in New York, had taken a Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine degree from Cornell University in 1923, and practiced for three years in Oskaloosa, Ia. He became ill and he and his family went to New York, where he was in a hospital a short time. He had done considerable test work when he was in Iowa, and as a big percentage of the work was sent there from Indiana, he determined to look for a likely spot in this state to settle. He proceeded as far as Auburn, and after inquiring into conditions in this community, he finally decided that, there being no veterinarian here and other circumstances being auspicious, here he would stay. He purchased the home they now occupy on Cowen street and his offices are on the ground floor of the house.

At Cornell Dr. Hall was president of his fraternity, Omega Tau Sigma. He was instructor and investigator there of poultry diseases, and it was then he laid the basis for his present poultry disease work. He is now a member of the Northeastern Indiana Veterinarian Association, of which he has been president, the State Association, the American Veterinarian Medical Society, and the 12th International Veterinarian Congress. This congress was held in the United States for the first time in forty years when it met last summer in New York.

Dr. Hall has enjoyed a satisfactorily steady increase in his practice here. He is well known throughout this part of the state, and his practice extends over a wide area.

Every winter Dr. Hall tests chickens, including the stock of many of the hatcheries located near Garrett, and he has already tested this season more than 10,000 chickens, the number sometimes running up to 60,000. He is the federal veterinarian for testing for Banga disease of cattle of this district. The government at present has 100 herds of cattle in this county in the process of cleaning up. His small animal practice is extensive, and he does a great deal of surgery. Mrs. Hall ably assists the doctor and has been an important factor in building his practice.

The study of veterinary has developed into highly specialized practice. Formerly any good horse man was considered a horse doctor, and men who had no schooling or training in this line took the title of doctor and made their living by the practice of medicine and surgery for animals. Now, however, the qualifications for such practice are rigid. Training is intensive and limited to special students. Cornell University and New York University were some of the first schools to establish colleges of veterinary. Cornell last year admitted thirty students, twenty-eight of whom were college graduates. There were more than five times that number of applicants.

J. D. BRINKERHOFF

J. D. Brinkerhoff, witty and genial attorney in Garrett since 1901, was born in Wooster, O., in 1874. After taking an A. B. degree from Wooster College in 1898 he was teacher in Assiut Training College. Assuit, Egypt, for two years. Before his return to this country he toured Europe. He came back to study law at Wooster University for a year before he came to Garrett.

Mr. Brinkerhoff was assistant principal of the Garrett schools and taught in the high school for one semester before he completed his studies at the Indianapolis College of Law. When he returned to Garrett in 1901 he opened a law office on the second floor of the Little building on West King street, in the rooms now occupied by Dr. R. M. Barnard.

In 1904 Mr. Brinkerhoff went into partnership with H. W. Mountz, their offices being located where Mr. Mountz’ offices are now, on Randolph street. The partnership continued for nineteen years. In 1923 Mr. Brinkerhoff purchased the building he now occupies on West King street.

Mr. Brinkerhoff has been prominent in local affairs. He was first made city attorney in 1902 and has held that position for seventeen years altogether. He completed the term of Wm. Burch Hays as mayor when Mr. Hays became postmaster. His activities in civic organizations include a term as president of the Lions club, the presidency ever since its organization of the Greater Garrett Improvement Co., and membership on the boards of directors of the Garrett Industrial Association and the Chamber of Commerce, of which he has also been president. He is one of the founders of the Country Club and is a director of the Garrett State Bank. He has been president of the DeKalb County Bar Association, and was worshipful master of the F. & A. M. He and Mrs. Brinkerhoff always have been active in the Methodist church.

CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The valuable Chamber of Commerce of the city of Garrett was born about ten years ago, the direct outgrowth of the Garrett Expansion club and the Civic Co-operative club, organizations of a similar nature.

In 1906 the Expansion club was organized after the dissolving of the old Commercial club, which had flourished for several years. The Expansion club was incorporated with a capital of $10,000 and the money was used to put up buildings for enterprises that located in Garret, the use of the buildings to be free and long as the industry remained, the ownership of the building thus remaining with the club. The Expansion club brought the Wayne Knitting Mills to Garrett shortly after its inception and built a $5,000 factory on West King street, the building now being occupied by the Metzner laundry. The mills at one time provided worth for 150 girls and weekly payroll was $1,500.

The Expansion club was later changed to the Civic Co-operative and then in turn became the Chamber of Commerce, which at present has more than 100 members and has been the agency for great good since its organization. It fathered the Greater Garrett Improvement company and the Garrett Industrial Association. The Chamber aided a few months ago in interesting the Nature’s Rival Co. of Chicago, in locating here and the factory has steadily increased the number of its employees and of course its payroll. The Chamber of Commerce was instrumental in securing the routing of federal road 27 through Garrett. It is the promoter of the annual DeKalb County Muck Crops Show, which has come to be and important affair of the fall in Garrett.

The officers and board of directors at present are: president, A. W. Gallatin; vice president, George E. Mountz; secretary, A. A. Cole; treasurer, Dr. R. N. Barnard; directors, A. W. Gallatin, J. D. Brinkerhoff, C. H. Heinzerling, Dr. M. E. Klingler, Fred L. Feick, Stanley Riedhart, George E. Mountz, A. A. Cole, Dr. R. M. Barnard and H. M. VanLear.

The committees follow: membership, Dr. R. M. Barnard, chairman, Ralph Griest, Wilbur Stonestreet, O. C. Clark, J. W. DeWitt, Waldo Grimm, L. Dale Green, George A. Upton, Dr. M. E. Klingler, R. L. Behler, O. D. Houser; publicity, George E. Mountz, chairman, C. B. Hamilton; roads, Mayor F. L. Feick, chairman, W. W. Sharpless, George M. Schulthess, D.B. VanFleit, Jay F. Olinger; rural co-operation, Dr. M. E. Klingler, chairman, H. H. Custer, J. W. DeWitt, A. G. Houser, Melvin Kelham, E. N. Miser, D. E. Van Fleit, John Yarde, Albert Thrush, Wilbur Stonestreet, Ross & Son; entertainment, J. D. Brinkerhoff, chairman, Paul Grimm, A. G. Houser, C. B. Hamilton, Dr. W. G. Symon, W. S. Painter, Charles Ort, C. L. Wilson; city interests, C. H. Heinzerling, chairman, R. E. Sarber, Dr. J. A. Clevenger, L. I. Klinker, G. W. Iler, J. A. Meyer, J. S. Patterson, Charles F. Lumm; Retail merchants, Stanley Reidhart, chairman, Herman Stern, Roger Satterfield, Charles Ort, J. O. Little; industrial, H. M. VanLear, chairman, D. B. Van Fleit, Rev. J. G. Bennett, H. M. Brown, Dr. J. A. Clevenger, J. D. Brinkerhoff, W. T. Eagan, C. H. Heinzerling, George A. Upton and J. S. Patterson.

INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION

In 1920 reports were circulated in Garrett that the Baltimore and Ohio shops were to be moved away, one of the reasons for the move having been given as the housing shortage. A large group of citizens met with the purpose of remedying the situation. Thus the Greater Garrett Improvement Co. was started. It was financed by the sale of stock at $50 a share. Officers were elected as follows: president, J. D. Brinkerhoff; vice president, Wes. T. Eagan; secretary-treasurer, H. M. Brown; directors, the officers and John H. Schunk, J. T. McSweeney, O. H. Betts and Dr. M. E. Klingler.

The company immediately purchased 125 lots in Garrett and 61 ¾ acres of unplatted land from the Baltimore Land and Improvement Co., a contract was let to R. C. Wells to superintend the construction of eighteen houses on South Harrison and East Keyser streets. Mr. Wells was aided in the plans by Architect A. M. Strauss of Fort Wayne. Fifty-four thousand dollars of the capital was raised quickly by popular subscription.

Since 1923 the company has paid interest dividends totaling 60 per cent and since 1933 has paid liquidating dividends aggregating 40 per cent.

The houses built by the company are fine looking homes of two and one and one-half stories of six and five rooms respectively. They add greatly to the appearance of the streets they occupy. In spite of the B & O shops having been moved, the housing space was needed in Garrett and the venture of the Greater Garrett Improvement Co., was highly successful.

The officers of the company have remained unchanged but I. B. Hart and Claude McLaughlin have replaced the late Mr. Betts and Mr. McSweeney on the board of directors.

FIREMEN’S AUXILIARY

The Ladies’ Auxiliary to the Indiana Firemen’s Association was first organized in January, 1934, with the following charter members and officers: Mrs. Owen Elson, Mrs. Preston Smith, Mrs. Ralph Greenwalt, Mrs. George Baysinger, Mrs. Charles Lantz, president, Mrs. Nate Hoeffel, Mrs. Louis Byanski, Mrs. James McGuire, Mrs. Charles F. Lumm, Mrs. L. C. Beber, vice president, Mrs. Walter Coffing, Mrs. Dewey Hendrickson, Mr. Victor Carper, secretary and treasurer, and Mrs. Russel Rowe.

The first year was spent in getting acquainted and organized with monthly meetings and a few parties. Mrs. Carper was delegate to the state convention at Fort Wayne.

Mrs. Coffing as president, Mrs. Elson as vice president and Mrs. Rowe as secretary and treasurer, were officers for the second year, which saw many social activities in the club. The women aided the men with the repairing of toys for the poor children at Christmas time and served hot lunch and coffee to the men in the club rooms when they delivered the toys. Mrs. Lantz attended the state convention at Madison, Ind.

Officers for the third year are Mrs. Carper, president; Mrs. Baysinger, vice president; and Mrs. Greenwalt, secretary and treasurer. The organization is purely social, but the members aim to aid the fire department whenever possible, in order that the firemen can give the city their best service. All the regular meetings and most of the social affairs are held in the men’s club rooms in the city hall.

F. O. E.

The purpose of the Fraternal Order of Eagles is mainly social, dances, card parties and social affairs being a large part of the activities. The order however pays benefits to its members and sponsors old age pensions, Mothers’ day and unemployment insurance.

The local chapter was formed in 1906. The group first met in ‘Wagner’s opera house, but purchased the fine residence at the corner of Houston and Randolph streets from Dr. Frank King when he left Garrett in 1921. The building has since been remodeled and repaired and new furniture bought. It contains lounging rooms, social rooms, and well-equipped kitchen and dining rooms. J. P. McCarthy is custodian of the house.

The charter members who are still living are: Mitchell H. Olinger, Frank Hadley, Fred L. Feick, J. F. Ansbro, Zeno Haver, B. A. Williams, J. E. Miller, J. H. Youngblood, P. A. Gengler, J. H. Glenowich, B. M. Redmond, and J. H. Dolan. The first officers were: worthy president, R. L. Hollopeter; vice president, Harley Clayton; conductor, Mitchell Olinger; treasurer, Isaac Whirledge; secretary, Walter a. Rinehold.

There is at present a membership of 250. The officers are: worthy president, W. J. Coffing; vice president, Wm. Farrington; secretary, M. H. Olinger; treasurer, L. D. Mager; chaplain, G. J. Johnson; past president, P. B. Smith; inside guard, George Miller; outside guard, Dewey Hendrickson.

The district convention will be held in Garrett in January. There will be an all day meeting followed by a banquet in the evening. Two hundred visitors are expected to attend.

EAGLE LADIES

The Eagle Ladies’ club organized in 1913 with twenty charter members. The first meeting was held at the home of Mr. L. D. Mager. Mrs. Mager was made the first president and the other officers were: vice president, Mrs. Roy McKinley, past president, Mrs. Frank Wappus, conductress, Mrs. L. E. Johnson, chaplain, Mr. U. G. Bishop, inside guard, Mrs. James Dirr, outside guard, Mrs. Frank Hyde; secretary, Mrs. Allie Grant, treasurer, Mrs. Harley Clayton, trustees, Mrs. U. G. Bishop, Mrs. John Rider and Mrs. Ollie Owen.

The club was organized to promote the interests of the men’s association and has always co-operated in all its social functions. The present officers are: President, Mrs. Chas. Quinn; Vice-President, Mrs. H. H. Wilfong; Treasurer, Mrs. John Stefanska; Secretary, Mrs. Harold Widmer; Conductress, Mrs. Warren Royer; Chaplain, Mrs. Jesse Cramer; Inner Guard, Mrs. D. E. Ocker; Outer Guard, Mrs. F. W. Davis, Senior Trustee, Mrs. Frank Hyde; Trustee, Mrs. Steve Blaskie.

B. P. O. ELKS

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Garrett lodge No. 1447, was established in 1922 and in the few years since its inception had grown to be one of the largest organizations of it kind in Garrett. It is not entirely a social order, its purpose being largely charitable, and it has done much good in this community.

There were fifty seven members and the first officers were: exalted ruler, R. M. Mountz; and H. M. VanLear, O. C. Clark, George F. Slagle, P. A. Gengler, D. E. Ocker, N. E. Miller, M. D. Eagan, Harley Clayton and Ervin Zumbaugh.

There are at present 183 members. They occupy the rooms above the Place Market formerly used by the K. of C. lodge. Their social activities include card parties suppers and frequent dances. The lodge contributes funds to charity, besides giving candy and fruit to children at Christmas time, and it has made a practice of giving many baskets of groceries to the poor during the holiday season.

The officers now are; exalted ruler, Dr. R. M. Barnard; esteemed leading knight, Albert Carlson; esteemed loyal knight, Ed Rahrig; esteemed lecturing knight, Ralph Griest; secretary P. A. Gengler; treasurer, D. E. Ocker; tyler, Joseph Muzzillo; trustees, Tom Leeson, chairman, D. B. VanFleit and C. F. Lumm.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

In 1915 the first three degrees of the Knights of Columbus were conferred on a Garrett class in the Odd Fellows hall, Dr. E. J. McOscar of Fort Wayne , was district deputy. The charter was granted to eighty-two members.

The council met for some time in the Barney Hunsel building and two years after the erection of the Clark building on Randolph street moved into the rooms on the second floor, which it occupied until four years ago. The council went then into the Behler building and now is located in the upstairs of the Muzzillo building, There it has lounging rooms and a hall for banquets and dancing. There are 137 members now.

The activities of the council are mainly social, although it does charity work in its own ranks and contributes to worthy causes.

Father August Young and Father Francis A. King have been chaplains and Father John G. Bennett is the present chaplain.

The following have served the council as grand knight: Walter McDermott, J. T. McSweeney, Eugene Vogeding, C. M. Minnich, Steve Blaskie, E. B. Henslee, James L. Cogley, Ed Mies, O. C. Clark, R. L. Behler, H. H. Vanderbosch and T. A. Moran.

EASTERN STAR

Harmony chapter No. 76, Order of the Eastern Star, was organized March 17, 1887, in the Masonic lodge rooms then located on the third floor of the Clark building on Randolph street. Mrs. Carrie fanning, grand matron of Indiana and her husband, Dr. Fanning of Butler, administered the obligation to these brothers and sisters; Isaiah Decker, Dr. T. C. Sargent, Charles Hopkins, A. J. Stewart, T. A. Smith, David E. Ocker, Jennie Bicknell, Mary Lee, Dell Hays, E. Boardman, L. McLaughlin, E. Hoobler, W. J. Frederick and Mary Lantz.

The officers elected that evening were: worthy matron, Jennie Bicknell; worthy patron, A. J. Stewart; assistant matron, Blanch Stewart; secretary, Mary Lee; treasurer, L. Decker; conductress, Belle Ocker; assistant conductress, Emma Frederick; chaplain, Mrs. Boardman; warden, Dell Hays; sentinel, Thomas Cunningham; star points, Cora Sargent, Adah; Esther Smith, Ruth; E. Hoobler, Esther; Sarah Hopkins, Martha; and L. McLaughlin, Electa. At this meeting were initiated Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Paul, Mrs. J. F. Thomson, Mrs. J. W. Pelot, Mrs. F. H. Britton and Mrs. C. C. Lindoerfer.

The lessons of the order are scriptural, its teachings moral, and its purposes beneficent. In nearly 49 years there have been thirty-two worthy matrons, They are: Jennie Bicknell, Belle Ocker, Sallie Thomson, Cora Sargent, Eve Franks, Louise Philbrick, Kate Snyder, Rebecca Swihart, Eunice Gingery, Mary McKennan, Georgia VanFleit, Hattie Fralick, Nora Ramsten, Natalie Martin, Ellen Wilcox, Mary DeBrular, Maude Taylor, Mary Dean, Ethel Knisely, Eva Hughes, Lena Workman, Bernadean Rees, Elsie Rang, Florence Vanderbosh, Nordica McCully, Dora Brookmyer, Amelia Moening, Belle Roos, Edna Trainer, Alta Tribbal, Mrs. Cora Sargent and Mrs. Dell Hays are the only charter members living.

Master Mason in good standing in a Masonic lodge, their wives, daughters, mother, widows and sister, legally adopted daughters and half sisters are eligible to membership in this order.

The present officers are: worthy matron, Mrs. H. W. Benn; worthy patron, George Jones; associate matron, Mrs. Edward Jacko; associate patron, J. F. Gordon; secretary Miss Elsie Rang; treasurer, Mrs. Geo. W. Iler; conductress, Mrs. F. A. Hall; associate conductress, Mrs. Clarence Starner.

DAUGHTERS OF ISABELLA

The National Circle, Daughters of Isabella, comprised of 431 circles, is one of the outstanding organization of Catholic women in the United States. The circle was organized in the state of Connecticut in 1897 and in the course of thirty-eight years has attained a membership of 43,453.

The Daughters of Isabella Circle is an auxiliary of the Knights of Columbus.

The object of the circle is to promote charity, unity and friendship.

Between the years of 1931 and 1933 the vast sum of $1,597,483 was contributed to charity by the National Circle. This money was distributed to churches, missions, orphanages, the Red Cross, state charities and numerous other worthy projects.

The National Catholic School of Social Service, Queen Isabella Foundation, at Washington, D. C., is one of our favorite charities. In 1933, 1934 and 1935 the Daughters of Isabella contributed $60,000 for this educational purpose.

Our own state of Indiana has the distinction of ranking third in number of circles, totaling 42 with membership of 4,946.

Garrett’s circle organized July 27, 1923, with ninety-two charter members and selected the name of "Queen of Peace" circle. The present member ship is seventy-four, and Mrs. Frances Vanderbosch is regent.

The circle has adopted and annual "Tag Day" to help the Sacred Heart hospital. Its Christmas charities consist of donations of clothing and other necessities for the missions located at Cleveland, New Mexico.

The circle aims to carry its work on zealously, hoping to accomplish the ultimate end—"A mightier force for the advancement of good in the world."

Meetings are held in the Knights of Columbus rooms the first and third Tuesdays of each month. The present officers are: Regent, Mrs. H. H. Vanderbosch; vice regent, Mrs. Herman Richter; chancellor, Mrs. J. L. Cogley; custodian, Mrs. Steve Blaskie; recording secretary, Mrs. Clarence Wyss; financial secretary, Miss Marguerite Cogley; treasurer, Mrs. Kenneth Krider.

B. & O. VETERANS

The Grand Division of the Baltimore and Ohio Veterans Association was organized in 1913 and four years later the Chicago division No. 10 was installed at Garrett with 75 charter members. The object of the association is to create and cultivate a spirit of friendliness and sociability among its members, and to afford an opportunity for the discussion of any matter of mutual interest. Potluck suppers, business meetings and entertainment are given monthly.

There are at present 95 active members and 19 pension members here and the officers are: A. E. Coffing, president; W. F. Alford, vice president; Roscoe Rickett, secretary; F. O. Bamforth, treasurer.

L. B. Hart and W. A. Clefford are the only continuously active members. Meetings are held in the Engineer’s hall above the Palace Market.

O. R. C. AUXILIARY

Prospect Division No. 30, Ladies’ Auxiliary to the Order of Railway Conductors, was organized March 9, 1893, with twenty-three charter members. They and their first officers were: president, Mrs. Tom Squires; vice president, Mrs. Homer Phillis; secretary-treasurer, Mrs. J. A. Murray; senior sister, Mrs. W. E. Rice; junior sister, Mrs. J. P. Newell; guard, Mrs. S. B. McCullough; corresponding secretary, Mrs. D. DePew; executive committee, Mrs. Wm. Hays, chairman, Mrs. Eli Vaness and Mrs. Wm. Saager; and the Mesdames Ernest Robinson, M. H. Sweeney, J. G. Philbrick, Chas. Allen, F. E. Long, Sherman Parker, Jacob Roos, Sam Stahl, Harry Mason, Wm. Brooks, Ed Lapham and J. A. Barnaville. Only two of the charter members are living and they are Mrs. Newell, now Mrs. Louise Little of South Randolph street, and Mrs. DePew, now Mrs. O. F. Bell of Willard.

The 1935 officers were: president, Mrs. M. J. Stack; vice president, Mrs. H. M. VanLear; secretary-treasurer, Mrs. R. D. Rickett; senior sister, Mrs. Gladys Wharton; junior sister, Mrs. J. C. Smeed; guard, Mrs. W. F. Alford; musician, Mrs. Bessie Shisley; executive committee, Mrs. Nellie Kneisley, chairman, Mrs. A. W. Karr and Mrs. C. B. Babbitt.

B. of R. T.

C. N. Bell lodge No. 158 of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen was organized in 1885 and the first meeting was held on the second floor of the frame building owned by I. D. Moore which stood on the present site of the Menzenberger building on Randolph street. Later the meetings were held in the rooms, above what is now the Thomas store and then in a building owned by the Garrett State Bank just north of the first location the Lodge then moved in 1904 to the present location in the Emil Hill building on North Randolph street.

There were twenty charter members. They and the offices they held were: master, W. G. Dunn; vice master, Clinton B. Lewis; past master, J. W. Swartz; secretary, Chas. Hampton; financial secretary, J. M. Butler; chaplain, Frank Carner; warden, Delmore Shupp; conductor, Frank Cordell; delegate, John Leis; journal agent, John O’Connor; inner guard, F. J. Flanders; outer guard, Fred Miller; and J. J. Emmert, C. D. Marr, A. Coblet, J. Hite, Jerome Loretz, C. A. Foster; Harry Webber and Chas. McFarland. The only known living members are W. G. Dunn of Toledo, O., and J. J. Emmert of Manitowoc, Wis., and Clinton B. Lewis, passenger conductor living at Willard.

At the time C. N. Bell lodge was organized, conditions on the road were bad. Hand brakes were used entirely, air brakes being unknown to the freight brakeman. Only straight air was used on passenger trains. Brakemen received $1.40 per trip and the hours of service varied from twelve to fifty-five hours for a single trip. Over time and safety rules were unknown. The barkemen who passed through the link and pin days without the loss of part or all of this hand was fortunate. There were no rules of seniority and the engineer or conductor was free to select his choice for fireman or brakeman.

The officers elected to serve for the 1936 term are: president, H. H. Wilfong; vice president, Wilbur Myers; secretary, A. D. Johns; treasurer, Guy T. Conkle.

The local chapter has the distinction of having one of its members, David Wagner, high in the councils of the national organization. He is now a member of the Board of Appeals, elective at the national convention.

REBEKAHS

Kenner Rebekah Lodge was instituted in Garrett March 31, 1886. The grand master presided over the following charter members: Chas. S. Stewart, Effie Stewart, Thomas Stewart, Addison Stewart, Jos. Conrad, Matilda Conrad, A. L. Jones, Jennie Bicknell, Thos. Merica, Nellie Merica, Chas. W. Camp, Sarah Camp, H. Frank Sembower, Sarah Sembower, Ida Clark and Mary Thomas.

The first officers were: Chas. W. Camp, noble grand; Blanche Stewart, vice grand; Josie Thomas, secretary; Jennie Bicknell, financial secretary; Fanny Thumma, treasurer; Nellie Worden; warden; Sarah Sembower, conductress; Matilda Conrad, inner guard; Alice Gillmore, outer guard; Sadie Camp, left support to the noble grand; Alta Beehler, right support to the noble grand; Mary Thomas, right support to the vice grand; Ida Clark, left support to the vice grand.

Officer serving the Rebekah lodge for the ensuing year are: noble grand, Mrs. W. F. Alford; vice grand, Mrs. F. A. Smith; secretary, Mrs. Everett Chisholm; financial secretary, Mr. C. W. Rowe; treasurer, Mrs. John Roos.

TWENTIETH CENTURY CLUB

There are no record books of the Twentieth Century club, but there are some of the charter members of the Twentieth Century Literary Club in Garrett. It was organized about 1895 or ’96 for the study of history and literature. Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Mountz, Dr. and Mrs. M. W. Johnston, Dr. and Mrs. J. F. Thomson, Miss Ada Chew, Miss Martha Dick, Mr. and Mrs. D. B. VanFleit and Dr. and Mrs. Chas. S. Stewart are some of the names connected with the club that early.

After some years the club’s name was changed and the members became all women. The name Twentieth Century was adopted even later. At present the study is general, including book reviews, musical evenings, travel, history and political science. Meetings are held weekly on Monday evenings.

The present officers are: president, Mrs. J. D. Brinkerhoff; secretary, Ruth Milks; treasurer, Mrs. C. L. Wilson; leader, Mrs. A. H. Freygang. The office of vice president was held by Mrs. C. J. DuPont until she moved to Huntington, Ind., recently, and the position has not yet been filled.

B. & P. W. CLUB

The first meeting of the Business and Professional Women’s club was held in May, 1929, at the home of Mrs. Frank McDonald. The district director of the club took charge of the meeting and she was assisted by a Fort Wayne member and several members of the Kendallville chapter.

The club’s purpose is to elevate the standards for women in business and in the professions and to promote their interests, co-operation and friendships. Miss Mary Dean acted as temporary chairman and the first officers were elected as follows: president, Miss Marie Thrush; vice president, Miss Helen McDonald; second vice president, Miss Faye Sutherlin; corresponding secretary, Miss Elsie Rang; recording secretary, Miss Jennie West; and treasurer, Mrs. Le Roy Crawford. The other charter members were the Misses Lois Cobler, Ella Trimble, Bertha Dobbrick Mildred Evard and Louise Pierce, and Mrs. Wesley Keen, Mrs. Jennie Conners, Mrs. Chas. Hamm, Mrs. Henry Mies and Mrs. McDonald.

The present officers are: president, Miss Olive Deihl; first vice president, Mrs. Mark Stuck; second vice president, Miss Mary Dean; secretary, Miss Alice Hall, and treasurer, Miss Louise Pierce.

BEN HUR

Antioch Court No. 12 of the Tribe of Ben Hur was organized in Garrett in 1894. There were twenty-five charter members: Dr. Charles S. Stewart, E. A. Myers, E. S. Crumbaker, Mrs. Ella Vivian, Geo. W. Lackey, Mrs. Clara Baker, Mr. and Mrs. Theodore S. Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson Swihart, William Watson, Mr. and Mrs. Ivar Tonnesen, Mr. and Mrs. John Loveland, Harry Bovee, Lewis Betrand, Benjamin Warner, Ed. P. Kenyon, John Herbolsheimer, J. C. F. Miller, George Charleswood, Milton Nethercot, M. Campbell and Peter Newcomb. Dr. Stewart, now of Auburn, is the only charter member still in the organization.

Ben Hur is an order for fraternal insurance. It formerly met at several lodge halls in town and now has occasional meetings at the home of John Roos on Randolph street. The insurance has been maintained, but the social activities have been dropped. Mrs. Harvey Smith is now the chief and Mrs. Roos has been the scribe for eighteen years.

DELPHIAN CLUB

The Garrett Delphian society was organized Nov. 2, 1921, by Gertrude Bewtel of Chicago. It is a chapter of the national organization and the purpose of the club is a high education, personal improvement and social progress.

The charter members and their officers were: Mrs. H. L. Wehrly, president; Mrs. Howard Dean, secretary and treasurer; Mr. J. F. Thomson, Mrs. S. U. Hooper, Mrs. B. H. Eastes, Mrs. H. W. Mountz, Mrs. M. J. Archbold, Mrs. A. R. Moore, Mrs. C. C. Stiver, Mrs. I. A. Jones and Mrs. E. E. Smith.

The present active members include Mrs. Eastes, Mrs. Walter Coble, Mrs. Ethelinda Stroh, Mrs. H. J. Jordan, Mrs. Darel Hartle, Mrs. H. Henderson, Mrs. Ross Mann, Mrs. William Bardsley, Mrs. John Freeze and Mrs. L. C. Swartout. Mrs. Cramar serves as president and Miss Rang as secretary-treasurer.

AMERICAN LEGION

As everyone knows, the World war ended on Nov. 11, 1918. Shortly after this time there met in Paris what was known and has gone down in Legion history as the "Paris Caucus." The object of this caucus was to perfect an organization of those men who had served in the various American services with credit, so that they might be returned to civil life better equipped.

In 1919 in the city of St. Louis the first convention was held and then there was offered the opportunity to the ex-service men of the various communities to form posts and affiliate with the national body.

All communities had numbers of men newly arrived from the service, while others had not yet returned from France. The Garrett men who were eligible were convassed by interested leaders and a post formed. Aaron Scisinger, a sailor who died at sea, had been the first Garrett boy to lose his life in the war and the new post, No. 178, was named for him. Henry Clark Springer, a dashing young infantry captain who had just returned, was named as the first commander and the other charter members were: Ed Beeber, Ed Grischke, Geo. C. Carroll, John Rothwell, Allen Smith, Wm. Hathaway, Glenn Erickson, Louis Bapst, Chas. VanLear, Joe L. Sobraske, Kenneth Crevistion, Roscoe Sithen, Archie Childers, Arthur T. Brown, Bernard Elam, R. C. Hersh, L. Dale Green, B. B. Johnson, Harry Ferris, Paul Steward, G. R. Dean, Clayton Beeber, Fred Lindoerfer, Carl Mies, Dean Bechtol, Dan Farner, Harold Fuller, Carl Weaver and Geo. Heiniger.

Of the charter members six still reside in Garrett and three of them have been continuous members of the post. George C. Carroll had the distinction of being the only Garrett man decorated for bravery, being awarded the D. S. C. and the French Croix De Guerre. He had two captive balloons shot down with him in succession and he returned to observation duty each time. Chas. L. (Andy) Gard suffered the worst wounds of any Garrett boy, although two more members of the post, Charles VanLear and Harold Rodebaugh, have received and are entitled to wear the Purple Heart Decoration for wounds received in action.

During the years of its existence the post has followed as far as possible the program laid down by the national organization. The past commanders of the post are Clark Springer, George Carroll, Russell Mountz, Howard Tibbals, Don Kooken, Dean Bechtol, Karl Sliger, Melvin Treesh, Dr. J. W. Thomson, Dr. D. M. Reynolds, R. H. Crothers, J. G. Lawhead, Waldo Grimm, Clayton Bailey and Charles VanLear. Raymond L. Behler is the present commander and Waldo Grimm is the post adjutant. Dr. D. M. Reynolds is the only commander to hold the office twice and he was also district commander for one term. The Rev. H. J. Jordan has been post chaplain for the past seven years and has twice been the district chaplain.

The post has sponsored a Boy Scout troop for ten successive years, picking up the movement when it had been abandoned by all other organizations. The DeKalb County Voiture of La Societe 40-8 was founded by Garrett Legionaries, and Dean Bechtol of Garrett, is Chef De Gare with R. H. Crothers as correspondent at present time. The DeKalb County American Legion band was also founded by Garrett Legionaries and Carson N. Schlosser of Garrett is manager.

Rev. Fred Hill of LaGrange, is the present fourth congressional district commander of the American Legion and Dean Bechtol of Garrett, is the district Sous Ceminot of the 40-8.

Aaron Scisinger post now has a membership of about 125.

The present officers in Aaron Scisinger post are: post commander, R. L. Behler; first vice commander, D. L. Haffner; second vice commander, Carson Schlosser; adjutant, Waldo Grimm; finance officer, Harry Hill; post chaplain, Rev. H. J. Jordan; service officer, Dr. D. M. Reynolds; sergeant-at-arms Vergal White; athletic officer, Edward Manley.

LEGION AUXILIARY

The American Legion auxiliary is an outgrowth of the organization of War Mothers which functioned during the World war as an aid to the American soldier, sailor and marine, and came into being after the organization of the American Legion, the charter of Aaron Scisinger unit being dated March 19, 1921. The first meeting was held in Garrett city hall on March 29, 1921, at which time the following officers were elected: president, Helen S. Green; first vice president, Sallie Thomson; second vice president, Elizabeth Springer; third vice president, Myrtle Smith; secretary, Mary VanLear; treasurer, Florence Childers; and Historian, Lura Weaver.

The purpose of the organization is that of aiding the America Legion in carrying out the great program of peace time service to America to which the Legion is dedicated. Its first and major activity is that of rehabilitation of disabled veterans of the World war who still fill government hospitals and other thousands who are still struggling to regain and hold a place in civil life. It establishes and maintains contact between veterans in hospitals and their families and assists families of such veterans and those unable to work, and helps dispose of the products made in hospitals workshops. It gives a cheery Christmas to all veterans who are confined in hospitals on that day and helps to brighten homes which otherwise would have to count their Christmas as part of the war’s sacrifice.

The second activity is child welfare, aiding thousands of children every year to receive the necessities of life, placing destitute children in homes where they may receive a wholesome American upbringing, believing that the children of the men who lost their lives in the war or as result of service are entitled to equal educational advantages with other American children. It maintains a scholarship fund for war orphans. It is allied with other women’s organizations in a national defense conference which is helping to combat a movement which would strip America and leave it defenseless in a world where war is still a very present possibility.

Those eligible for membership are mothers, wives, sisters and daughters of American Legionnaires.

The past presidents of this unit are in order as follows: Helen S. Green, Lena Scisinger, Mary VanLear, Clarice Horn, Alta Tibbals, Nell Bechtol, Ruth Bohler, Iva Reynolds, Pauline Hassett, and the present president is Nell Bechtol.

The secretaries of the unit in the order of service are as follows: Mary VanLear, Clarice Horn, Alta Tibbals, Violet Delp, Mable Lawhead, Iva Reynolds, Bessie Williamson, Fleta Crothers, and the present secretary is Mildred Schlosser.

Helen S. Green and Sallie Thomas were delegates to the first state convention at Wabash and at this meeting Mr. Green was elected first district president and she was also elected State treasurer, at the state convention at Terre Haute the following year which office she has held for four consecutive years.

The Garrett unit has been hostess to the district convention four times and will again entertain the district in January, 1936.

Clarice Horn was delegate to the national convention held in San Francisco and Mrs. Green was delegate to the national convention in Omaha, Neb.

The community and general activities of the unit are increased from year to year as opportunity presents and the state and national programs expand. The annual sale of veteran made poppies on Saturday before Decoration day enables the unit to help the veterans who make them as well as other veterans and children in the rehabilitation and child welfare activities. Regular, business and social meeting have been held during the years. The most outstanding social meetings are in the observance of patriotic holidays and the Armistice day dinners.

The officer of the Legion Auxiliary for the 1935-1936 year are as follows: president, Mrs. Dan Bechtol; first vice president, Mrs. R. H. Crothers; second vice president, Mrs. Dana Garen; secretary, Mrs. Carson Schlosser; treasurer, Mrs. Don Kooken; sergeant-at-arms, Mrs. Richard Weideman.

KAPPA KAPPA KAPPA

Alpha chapter of Kappa Kappa Kappa sorority was founded at Bloomington, Ind., by Mrs. Beryl Holland, Alpha Chi chapter was organized in Garrett in 1913 with eight charter members. They were: Maud Camp, president; Gladys Halter, recording secretary; Margaret Spencer, corresponding secretary; Geraldine and Georgia Sembower, Mable Snyder, Zulah Thumma and Grace Zerkle. Marie Spencer and Mabel Clevenger were out of town at the time of installation services and they were initiated immediately upon their return to Garrett. Marian Merica was also an early member. Some of the other girls who were active in the early days of Tri Kappa here were Harriet Clark, Mildred Camp, Maurine Clevenger and Ruth Lindoerfer. Miss Lindoerfer at one time was a province officer and held and office in the state organization.

Tri Kappa’s principal object is charity. It originated with the purpose of supplying food, clothing and furniture to the poor at Christmas time and as much as possible throughout the year. A scholarship fund was started with a small amount of money and has grown to be one of the important features. These scholarships vary in size according to the needs of the student and are loaned without interest to worthy people who without some help would be unable to attend college. A state scholarship is given every year as a gift. The local chapter a few years ago furnished milk daily to under-nourished school children. It also furnished and maintains the nursery and delivery room at the Sacred Heart hospital.

The present officers are: president, Margaret Vanderbosch; vice president, Meredythe Clark; recording secretary, Mary Louise Woerner; corresponding secretary, Magdalene Steward; treasurer, Mrs. Bradford White.

ATHENE CLUB

One pleasant afternoon in October, 1901, these ladies, Mrs. C. F. Richardson, Mrs. Charles Camp, Mrs. C. B. Jones, Mrs. H. W. Mountz, Mrs. Ella Vivian and Mrs. Frances Zerkle, met at the home of Mr. Ezra Lollar and organized a study club. A constitution was framed. Each of these ladies invited three other ladies to come to the next meeting and they all signed the constitution and became charter members. They were, besides those named: Mrs. Adaline Baum, Mrs. Eva Franks, Mrs. Blanche Stewart, Mrs. Sallie Thomson, Mrs. Elizabeth Coffinberry, Mrs. Mary Little, Mrs. Josie VanFleit, Mrs. Mary Reyher, Mrs. Lizzie Reyher, Mrs. Jessie Casteel, Mrs. Minnie Jones, Mrs. Rebecca Bevard, Mrs. Allie Halter, Mrs. Ollie Eaton, Mrs. Ella Seymour, Mrs. Della Hayes, Mrs. Abbie Lynn.

"Athene," the name of the Greek goddess of wisdom, was chosen. The club decided upon the study of history, the political history of the United States and followed by that of England, France, etc. About 1922 the study was changed to travel topics for some time and since then the programs have been varied. The members say they have had good study, good times and good friendships. Some of the daughters are now members.

Mrs. Olive Byers wrote the club song "Athene." Mrs. Casteel was the first president and Mrs. W. G. Symon is now president.

Feb. 5 was chosen as Anniversary day and it has been the custom to entertain husbands and friends at this party. The program for Feb 4,1902 was:

Quotations from Bryant. Leader for lesson, chapter 7 page 151-169, Mrs. Rebecca Bevard; Along the James River, Mrs. Flora Lollar; Cavalier and Puritan, Mrs. Adeline Baum; "The Slave’s Dream." by Longfellow, Mrs. Mary Little.

The present officers in the Athene club are: president, Mrs. W. G. Symon; secretary, Mrs. D. E. Van Fleit; treasurer, Mrs. A. H. Woerner; critic, Mrs. B. H. Franklin. Mrs. S. O. Redman, who died Jan. 13, 1936, was vice president.

SIGMA PHI GAMMA

The Sigma Phi Gamma do considerable local charity work, including baskets for the poor at Christmas, clothing for the children, and they some years ago gave milk daily to the undernourished school children. The national organization sponsors and maintains a school in the Kentucky hills and Garrett chapter contributes regularly to this project.

The Garrett chapter had the honor of having one of its members, Mrs. Ralph Griest, elected to the office of province president for two consecutive terms. There is usually a local delegation to the national conventions, which have been held the past two years in Miami, Fla., and Washington, D. C., and will be held the next two years in Milwaukee, Wis., and Hollywood, Calif.

Pi chapter of Sigma Phi international sorority was installed in Garrett in 1926 by Delta chapter of Muncie. The Sigma Phi Gamma sorority was organized at Hartford City six years previously. There are now chapters in almost every state in the United States and in foreign countries. The purpose of the sorority is to improve and promote social and civic conditions.

The first officers were: president, Mrs. Fitch; vice president, Miss Ueber; recording secretary, Miss Hollopeter; corresponding secretary, Miss Fitch; treasurer, Mrs. Alford.

There have been ninety-one members initiated into Pi chapter. There are now twenty active members.

The present officers are: president, Mrs. Ralph Griest; vice president, Olive Deihl; recording secretary, Georgia Sanders; treasurer, Mrs. Marion Dreibelbis; corresponding secretary, Mrs. James Kennedy; historian, Mrs. Lyle Hunter; editor, Bette Cramer; social secretary, Mrs. John R. Wilson.

W.B. A. and ROSE COURT

Garrett Review No. 58 of the Women’s Benefit Association was organized in 1898. Mrs. Viola Hathaway is the only living charter member. The first class was initiated on Feb. 11 of that year, including Mrs. Jennie Baker and Mrs. A. B. Galloway among the thirteen members. Mrs. Kate Snyder was the first president.

Mrs. Sylvia Weir became managing deputy of this district in 1912 and she reports Review No. 58 to be outstanding in the district and in the whole organization. A district rally was held in 1912 and for the next twelve years the review grew in leaps and bounds. The review received a banner for its growth from sixty-one to over two hundred members in that time. Mrs. Minnie Loar was captain of the degree staff at that time and another banner for the excellence of the work in the state was given this chapter. Mrs. Chas. Hopper organized the first interurban meeting and while she was president was very active. In 1921 with Mrs. Fred Gruber as president the largest class was initiated. There were several supreme officers in attendance and Mrs. Sadie Barnes had charge of the floor work. In 1930 a flag of the order’s colors was presented to the local review for its achievements.

This review’s latest accomplishment is the organization of the Junior Rose court, "the flower garden of the W. B. A.," which was started by Mrs. George Tuck and Miss Rose Thompson, under the supervision of Mrs. Alda Goodwin, state junior supervisor. There were thirty-one charter members and at the time it was organized, Oct. 16, 1935, it was the only court in the state. On Nov. 16, the court exemplified the coronation of the queen and received the honors at the district meeting. There is to be a new class of juniors initiated in January.

The Women’s Benefit association is an organization controlled and managed by women. During its forty three years of life it has paid in death benefits over $49,000,000, much of which has come to Garrett people, and the order has grown to a membership of 250,000. That the W. B. A. has a place and work in the world today is undisputed and particularly in this community it has proved its usefulness through many years.

President, Miss Rose Thompson; Past President, Mrs. Warren Royer; Recording Secretary, Mrs. Ford Rugman; Treasurer, Mrs. F. J. Schivell; Junior Supervisor, Mrs. George Tuck.

VETERANS AUXILIARY

Anna Hopper Auxiliary No.7, the Garrett lodge of the Baltimore & Ohio Veterans’ Auxiliary, was among was the first of the chapters to be organized on the B. O. system. The organization was founded on Jan. 5, 1923.

The local lodge was named for the first president, who was the wife of Chas. Hopper. The organization was held in the city hall with Mrs. F. M. Howard of Newark, O, in charge, Mrs. E. E. Smith was the first secretary and Mrs. F.G. Heinlen was the first treasurer.

The purpose of the organization is social and afford the opportunity for the discussion of any matter of mutual interest with the employers. Those eligible for membership are the wives or widows of any white members of the B. O. Veterans, of which the women’s order is a supplement. Also all white female employees of the railroad who have worked for the twenty years may belong to the auxiliary if they choose, although they are eligible for membership in the veterans’ organization.

The present officers are: president, Mrs. A. B. Galloway; vice president, Mrs. H. H. Wilfong; secretary; Mrs. R. D. Rickett; treasurer, Mrs. John Frownfelter; ohaplain; Mrs. Amelia Dohms; marshal, Mrs. A. E. Cloffing; inner guard, Mrs. Nellie Kneisley; and pianist, Mrs. F. A. Smith.

CONDUCTORS

Britton Division No.138 of the Order of Railway Conductors of America was chartered at Garrett in 1887. The charter was signed by C. S. Wheaton, grand chief conductor, and Wm. E. Daniels, grand secretary and treasurer. The charter members were W. E. Rice, N. W. Blackburn, J. A. Riley, F. W. Duble, T. J. Harper, J. E. Montgomery, C. A. Cross, A. B. Tyrell, F. W. Gault, W. P. Bardy, T. J. Brickel, Robt. Blackburn, J. D. Colburtson, W. H. H. Daugherty, J. E. Barty, and C. Knestine.

The conductors’ organization is social, and it handles the members’ grievances against the company. Meetings are held weekly on Thursday, and in summer monthly, at the B. of L. E. Hall.

The officers for 1936 are: H. M. VanLear, chief conductor; A. E. Cofling, assistant chief; J. C. Smeed, secretary and treasurer; W. F. Alford, senior conducter; Lute Fawks, inside sentinel; A. W. Karr, outside sentinel; trustees H. M. VanLear, J. B. Hersh, and W. A. Stiles. H. M. Vanlear serves as the legislative committee.

PSI IOTA XI

In May of 1926 Alpha Rho chapter of Psi Iota Xi sorority was organized in Garrett. The charter members were Mrs. J. D. Moore, Julia Johnston (Mrs. Howard Schulthess), Dorothy Ratrie, Ethel Mae Murray (Mrs. N. T. Funk), Dette Skilling (Mrs. Geo Dean), Jaunita Wehrly (Mrs. Robert Miller). The first officers were; President Mrs. Moore; vice president, Miss Johnston; corresponding secretary, Miss Skilling; secretary, Miss Ratrie; conductress, Mrs. W. K. Templeton.

The purpose of the sorority is to further charitable enterprises and study the best literature and music. The local charity work consists or furnishing Christmas baskets, and the exclusive care of several families for the past two years. The sorority supplies eye glasses for to needy school children and has equipped a room at Sacred Heart Hospital. It gave an oxygen therapy machine to the hospital, which has proved it’s worth by saving the lives of many patients. The chapter also contributes to the Red Cross and all local charities, and helps with the sale of tuberculosis seals. There is a yearly contribution to the Riley Memorial hospital at Indianapolis.

The literary work of the chapter is furthered by lectures by prominent speakers and the sponsoring of a short story contest open to senior high school girls with awards for three local winners and a province prize of $25 and a state prize of $50. Each year a loving cup is presented to the valedictorian of the high school senior class and a ring to the junior girl judged by a faculty group as ranking highest in scholastic ability sportsmanship, popularity and personality.

The musical program includes entertainment’s given by local talent and sponsoring the Violet Reinwald dance revue each year. The proceeds from all money-making schemes are used for charity.

Alpha Rho chapter composed and presented the burial service adopted by the national organization.

There are at present twenty-nine active members of this chapter. Two of the charter members, Mrs. Howard Schulthess and Mrs. Norman T. Funk, are among these. The present officers are; president, Mrs. Marie Nagle; vice president, Mrs. John Gordon; recording secretary, Mrs. C. E. Miller; corresponding secretary, Medaia Stansbury; treasurer, Marguerite Conkle; conductress, Jessie Mae McKinley; assistant conductress, Dorothea Gordan; publicity chairman, Mrs. Paul H. Schunk; charity chairman, Mrs. Norman T. Funk.

W. C. T. U.

The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union is an organization of Christian women for the protection of the home and the abolition of the liquor traffic. It is one of the oldest societies in Garrett, having been started here a short while after the national union was begun in Cleveland in November, 1874. A few of the names connected with the club about fifty years ago are Mrs. C. B. Jones, Mrs. Rebecca Hart, Mrs. Mary Dickerhoff, Mrs. John Stoner, "Grandma" Darling and Mrs. Covell. Mrs. Mariah Cody, mother of Mrs. Ida Clark of South Cowen street, organized and was the first leader of the children’s union, the Loyal Temperance Legion, which started about 1890 and had weekly meetings in the basement of the Baptist church.

The local union was instrumental in passing the local option before prohibition. In 1910 the Garrett city funds were depleted and a group of the W. C. T. U. women volunteered to clean the streets and alleys. Nineteen members turned out with their rakes and hoes, and those of the group who are still living are Mrs. C. E. Clark, Mrs. J. A. Engstrom, Mrs. C. U. Bowers, Mrs. Lew Bachtal, Mrs. W. H. Bohls, Mrs. Jacob Nell, Mrs. Clarence Cobler and Mrs. H. B. Stevens.

For the commemoration of Jan. 16, 1935, Temperance Education Day, 600 school children signed the temperance pledge. For the years 1934-35 the local union of fifty members received an award as a "live wire" union under the splendid leadership of Mrs. B. H. Franklin as president. In the Fall Institute in 1935 the White Ribbon Recruit Consecration Service was held. The Garrett club organized a new union at Corunna. A Silver tea was held in the fall, Opal Olinger, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jay Olinger, received a silver medal as the winner of the oratorical contest conducted by the union in which five high school students took part.

The present officers are: president, Mr. J. A. Engstrom; first vice president, Mrs. will Franks; second vice president, Mrs. Walter Coble; secretary, Miss Fairie Cole; assistant secretary, Mrs. C. E. Bass; treasurer, Mrs. Jonas Veazey; pianist, Mrs. A. J. Stewart; assistant pianist, Mrs. Floyd Jones; chorister, Mrs. Nina Ober; assistant chorister, Mrs. B. O. LaRue.

Last October two delegates were sent from the Garrett chapter to the state convention at Frankfort. They were Mrs. Ober and Mrs. Engstrom. The 1936 convention is to the held at Fort Wayne. Prof. J. Raymond Schutz of North Manchester, will be the speaker on the sixteenth of February at a union mass meeting in Garrett.

AUXILIARY B. of L. E.

The Grand International Auxiliary of the B. of L. E. was organized in 1887, and the Garrett chapter, Pearl division No. 7, was installed in December of that same year. The charter members were the Mesdames S. D. Snyder, E. V. Hoobler, N. W. Kelly, C. C. Linoderfer, J. Niles, Jennie Baker , G. W. Fransheim, R. L. Traster, C. W. Hopkins, R. Lantz, I. D. Moore, E. Duble and Josh Baker. Mrs. Jennie Baker is the only charter member now active in the chapter.

There are at present about 80 members. The activities of the organization are confined to social affairs except for contribution to charity.

The present officers are: president, Mrs. William Ward; vice president, Mrs. C. E. Hart; secretary, Mrs. J. L. Harrigar; treasurer, Mrs. F. W. Crevistion; relief secretary, Mrs. Mamie Van Houten; chaplain, Mrs. S. D. Harvey; guide, Mrs. Howard L. Tibbals; sentinel, Mrs. Mollie Gills; Delegate to national convention, Mrs. William Culbertson; alternate, Mrs. Mary E. Hays; first trustee, Mrs. B. D. Harvey; second trustee, Mrs. F. G. Heinlen; third trustee, Mrs. J. W. Rider.

A singular honor was bestowed on the Garrett chapter when Mrs. J. R. Gelhausen was appointed in 1908 by the grand president, Mrs. W. A. Murdock, as inspector of 15 divisions in her territory.

THE BOY SCOUTS

Last year marked the silver anniversary of the Boy Scout movement in the United States. To tell the story of the national movement and all that scouting is and its history would fill volumes, indeed many books have been written on the subject.

Leaving alone then the history of the movement in general, we will concern ourselves with scouting in Garrett. Before the time of scouting, possibly forty years ago or more, Addison J. Stewart, whose name is still fresh in the memory of Garrett citizens, began to organize the boys of the community into groups for the purpose of teaching good citizenship. It was only natural then that when this great national movement was organized he should turn to it and become the first scout master in Garrett and indeed one of the first in Indiana. As he grew older and was unable to take the active part in boys’ work that he had for years taken, Mr. Stewart was forced to drop his troop, but until the time of his death he maintained and active interest in scouting and all that concerned it. As nearly as we are to determine a Christian church minister by the name of Nauss was the next to take up the torch and following him another minister had a scout troop. Then the movement languished until Russel Sherman of the public schools organized a troop again in 1924.

In 1925 the American Legion organized a scout troop which still survives. The scoutmaster of this troop is Dean Bechtol and his assistants are James Kennedy, Karl Mavis, Kenneth Sithen, Lyle Hunter, Nick Simon, Harold Rahrig, George Denes and John Nixon. Dr. D. M. Reynolds is chairman of the troop committee of troop 161 and the other committeemen are Dr. J. W. Thomson, J. G. Lawhead, R. H. Crothers and Vergal White.

In 1927 the Wesley Brotherhood of the Methodist church organized a scout troop which is known as troop 162. W. G. Woodcox has been the scoutmaster of this troop since it was founded and his assistants are M. A. Sheets, John Gordon, William Knisely, Dr. N. M. Niles and O. B. Rose. A G. Houser is chairman of this troop committee and the other members are Arthur W. Gallatin, C. O. Recktenwald, Charles Omohundro and J. A. Engstrom.

Sea Scouting—the older boys’ program in scouting—was introduced in Garrett under the sponsorship of the Lions club about four years ago. Oscar Fitch is the skipper and Paul Wilkinson is his mate. C. L. Wilson is the chairman of the committee for the Lions club.

The court of honor, which presents the awards to the boys and acts as a stabilizing influence, is headed by E. V. Minniear and is well organized. L. Dale Green is the scout commissioner for Garrett.

Three years ago H. W. Mountz donated to the Boy Scout movement a four and a half acre tract of ground south of the high school athletic field. Both troops have erected through their own efforts and labor splendid cabins on this ground.

Through the three scout organizations scouting is reaching approximately 150 boys in Garrett at the present time and the local troops rank among the best in the Anthony Wayne area, of which Garrett is a part.

LIONS CLUB

One of Garrett’s most valuable civic organizations is the Lion club. The club was established in the fall of 1925 and in its ten years of existence it has initiated many worthy enterprises. The club sponsors the annual community Halloween celebration, which does immeasurable good by entertaining the youngsters and the older folks as well. The club annually entertains the high school students and college students, thus promoting the ties that bind then to their home town. The club also aides the Red Cross and local charity organizations, and a few years ago helped to install a new branch of the Boy Scout organization, in the Sea Scouts.

The Lions club believes "there is not influence in the community more potent and powerful for the accomplishment of good than that of business and professional men unselfishly banded together for the purpose of promoting the general welfare of the entire citizenship." The creed of the club follows: L –Loyalty to the country, community and home. I—Individual integrity, in thought, word and deed. O—Our flag, our language. N—New ideals, new hopes, new ambitions in business and professions. S—Service that is founded on the Golden Rule. The slogan is : L-iberty, I-ntelligence O-ur, N-ation’s S-afety.

The present officers of the Lions are: president, C. H. Heinzerling; first vice president, Stanley Riedhart; second vice president, Rev. B. H. Franklin; third vice president, Albert A. Cole; secretary, C. O. Wilson; treasurer, Herman Stern; tail twister, Charles Ort; lion tamer, Thomas Moran; song leader, Stanley Riedhart; pianist, Dr. Wm. G. Symon, Committees follow: membership, Stanley Riedhart, A. A. Cole, H. D. Chapel and T. A. Moran; publicity, C. B Hamilton; J. D. Brinkerhoff, Rev. Franklin and Stanley Riedhart; education, W. S. Painter, Dr. J. W. Thomson, H. M. Brown and Dr. J. A. Clevenger; major activities, Charles Ort. H. M. VanLear, H. M. Brown and C. E. Bryan; entertainment, George E. Mountz, J. B. Brinkerhoff, Dr. W. G. Symon and Rev. B. H. Franklin.

The club holds its weekly luncheons at the New Garrett hotel on Tuesdays at 12:15.

AUXILIARY of B. of R. T.

In the year 1889 twenty-five ladies at Port Huron, Mich., organized an auxiliary for the promotion of the interests of the Brotherhood of Railroad Brakemen, which in later years has been known as the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. Sophia Granger was elected their first president. Four more of the officers of the first grand lodge are still living, Alma Rice, Ella Hunter, Charlotte Stuart, and Mae Walker.

The following year, 1890, Eureka lodge No. 7 was organized in Garrett with these charter members: Mrs. F. A. Mayfield, Mrs. Florence Collins, Mrs. Laura Rose, Mrs. H. Ruggles, Mrs. Lizzie Broughton Mrs. Edna Reed, Mrs. C. McCullough, Mrs. Nancy Smith, Mrs. Louisa McConehey and Mrs. Lucy Gingery. Mrs. Granger was still grand president, at that time and Mrs. Amy Downing was grand secretary.

The present officers are: president, Kathryn Steward; vice president, Sylvia Quinn; secretary, Gladys Johnston; treasurer, Emma Steward; conductress, Bertha Hughes; warden, Dorothy Brubaker; inner guard, Iva Burtch; outer guard, Bessie Herser; chaplain, Amelia Dohms; pianist, Karline Putt.

ODD FELLOWS

Garrett lodge No. 602 of Independent Order Odd Fellows was instituted Aug. 29, 1883, and met in the old Hunsel building at King and Cowen streets. The charter members were: Chas. W. Camp, Dr. T. C. Sargent, A. H. Phillips, Thos. H. Stewart, H. M. Bicknell, B. D. Thomas, H. F. Sembower, Lyman Lockwood and Henry Schelter.

The lodge meets every week and its purpose is social, and beneficial to members. In 1891 it built its own home on South Randolph street. The lodge rooms are located above the Hughes drug store.

The present officers are: Noble Grand, Henry Rowe; Vice Grand, W. F. Alford; Recording and Financial Secretary, L. C. Swartout; Treasurer, T. C. Cobler; Trustee, Walter Sithen.

B. of L. .F. & E.

Garfield lodge No. 203, Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, was organized by S. M. Steven, general organizer, of Terre Haute, March 8, 1884. The meeting was adjourned until March 10, 1884, when the lodge met and initiated Jacob R. Gelhausen, Morrie Smith, Harry Bradford, Robert Collins, Geo. W. Cattell and William A. Tank. The charter members were Harry Bradford, Joshua Baker, Robert Collins, Al Evans, Frank L. Elston, Jacob R. Gelhausen, Peter George, Geo. J. Hurley, Thomas Hamler, L. C. Lavell, George Metcalf, Thomas M. Mowry, George T. May, L. E. Parker, John H. Reneman, Morris Smith, David D. Smith, John Stiles, William A. Tank and Frank Whiteman.

The lodge was first located in the Hunsel building at King and Cowen Streets and now occupies quarters in the Geo. W. Iler building on South Randolph street.

The first officers in 1884 were Geo. J. Hurley, master; Joshua Baker, vice master; L. E. Baker, secretary; F. L. Elston, financier; L. C. Lavell, warden; Thomas Hamler, conductor; Morris Smith, chaplain; John Stiles, inner guard; Frank Whiteman, outer guard; Harry Bradford, past master; and Harvey Bradford, George Cattell and William A. Tank, trustees.

The oldest members in good standing are J. E. Cogley, 1889; Samuel G. Pierce, 1891; W. W. McClure, 1893; all wearing Forty Year continuous membership buttons.

There are 148 members at the present time.

A duplicate copy of the agreement between the Baltimore and Ohio and the engineers and firemen issued Dec. 31, 1886, effective Jan. 1, 1887, and signed by Vice President S. Spencer of the B & O is owned by James E. Cogley of South Franklin street.

The present officers of the B. of L. F. & E. are: president, W. F. Hyde; vice president, Richard Weideman; financial and recording secretary, O. T. Shafer; board of trustees, C. P. Omohundro, K. B. Smith and J. F. Campbell; grievance committee, C. D. Maxwell, chairman, Dale Russell and Richard Weideman; legislative representative, W. F. Hyde.

AUXILIARY B. of L. F. & E.

On Sept. 16, 1891, wives and mothers of the members of the B. of L. F. (as it was then known) met in the W. B. A. hall to organize and auxiliary to the B. of L. F. There were sixteen women in attendance. The charter was issued to them on the 19^th day of October, 1891, with the signatures of nineteen ladies all of whom are deceased, the last one being Mrs. Sarah Smith.

This organization was to be known as Garfield lodge No. 8. The officer selected for the first time were: Mr. M. E. Stoner, president; Mrs. Ellen Williams, vice president; Mrs. Lizzie Abrams, secretary; Mrs. Clara Hayes, treasurer; Mrs. R. J. Hart, chaplain; Mrs. Anna Phillips, past president; Mrs. B. C. Thomas, collector.

On July 12, 1889, the lodge held meetings in the B. of L. F. Hall located above Heinzerling’s Hardware, where it stayed until 1925, at which time it moved to its present location, which is above the Iler undertaking parlor.

In 1903 the membership was 23 and at the present there are 108 members in good standing.

The oldest living members are Mrs. May Phillips of Silvis, Ill., Mary Strouse of Frankfort, Ind., and Anna Cogley of this city.

The members in the early days had parties and dances, only they were called balls then. They had the May Pole dances and the Calico Balls, at which the ladies wore calico dresses and their husbands or boy friends wore calico vests and ties. These balls were held in the Wagner opera house. And believe it or not the ladies made and quilted quilts and sold chances on them to earn money for their treasury

The present officers include: past president, Mrs. Perry Sines; president, Mrs. S. I. Rensberger; vice president, Mrs. O. T. Shafer; secretary Mrs. Cornelius McPheeters; treasurer, Mrs. E. M. Alley; collector, Mrs. G. W. Iler; trustees, Mrs. H. G. Bohler, Mrs. Richard Hammond and Mrs. W. H. Hauck; chaplain, Mrs. Charles Lewis; warden, Mrs. Lawrence Andrews; conductress, Mrs. Owen Garst; flag bearer, Mrs. J. B. Spencer; inner guard, Mrs. Vegal White; outer guard, Mrs. Ora Souder; musician, Mrs. Carson Schlosser; magazine correspondent, Mrs. C. D. Maxwell; delegate, Mrs. Perry Sines; alternate, Mrs. Charles Lewis; medical examiners, Dr. D. M. Reynolds and Mr. O. Klingler.

F. & A. M.

The charter of Garrett City lodge No. 537, Free and Accepted Masons, is dated 1877. The first meeting was held the year previously in the hall over the Lancaster Bros. Store situated on the south west corner of King and Randolph streets. Samuel H. Shoaff acted as deputy grand master. When the lodge moved the first door south of its previous location R. W. John Leach was deputy grand master. The next year the lodge moved to the rooms over the Palace Market and remained there until the new building at the corner of Randolph and Keyser streets was completed, in 1924. The temple is a beautiful building with luxurious lounging and social rooms and banquet hall in the lodge quarters on the second floor, Ort’s jewelry store is located on the first floor.

The present officers of the Blue lodge are: worshipful master, A. W. Gallatin; senior warden, H. W. Benn; junior warden, Dr. W. G. Symon; secretary, H. B. Hill; treasurer, H. M. Brown; trustee, R. C. Wells.

Men who have been members of Garrett City lodge for forty years or more and the dates on which they took their degrees are: M. H. Broughton, now of Columbus, O., May 9, ’90, Aug. 4,’90, Oct. 20, ’91; Will Franks, May 16, ’87, June 6, ’87, June 13, ’87; J. H. Lantz, now of Willard, April 14, ’91, June 2, ’91, June 18, ’91; C. E. Lightner, now of Willard, Oct. 7, ’93, April 17, ’94, May 1, ’94; C. C. Lindoerfer, Feb 17, ’87, March 1, ’87, March 15, ’87; C. F. Richardson, now of Sturgis, Ky., June 27, ’91, Sept. 21, ’91, Nov. 2, ’91; T. A. Smith, May 17, ’81, March 4, ’84, April 1, ’84; H. G. Wilcox, Oct. 4, ’92, Oct 18, ’92, Nov . 1, ’92; J. H. Zeek, Aug, 3, ’83, Aug. 20, ’86, June 11, 1907’ C. H. Martin, Jan. 16, ’91, Jan 13, ’91, Feb 3, ’91.

G. L. Atwater of Philipsburg, Mont., and Wash Haverstick of Waukesha, Wis., are the only tow living charter members.

ROYAL ARCH MASONS

Garrett chapter, No. 129, Royal Arch Masons, was chartered in 1903 and the charter members were: Jeremiah Baker, C. E. Bass, C. W. Camp, J. W. Coleberd, H. L. Copenhaver, G. F. Elvin, B. S. Fralick, Will Franks, W. J. Frederick, Sumner L. Fryer, Wm. Gillis, A. F. Halter, L. B. Hart, D. E. Hilgarten, W. D. Johnston, Jas. Collins, F. M. Kircher, C. C. Lindoerfer, C. H. Martin, H. W. Mountz, Isaac Moore, E. C. Reyher, H. E. Sarber, S. D. Snyder, Job C. Smith, H. W. Thomas, Dr. J. F. Thomson, Edwin VanFleit and Glenn C. White.

The present officers are: High priest, C. H. Martin; king, A. W. Gallatin; scribe, Dr. D. M. Reynolds; secretary, H. H. Hill; treasurer, H. M. Brown.

ALTONS’S HISTORY IMPORTANT TO GARRETT

Although Altona has been in existence longer than Garrett, it was not until June 1906 that it was incorporated as a town, thirty years after the first settlers moved into the territory which is now Altona.

During its first years, Altona, which, it is said, was named for a town in Germany which was the home of one of the early settlers, grew rapidly as did many a pioneer town, but after its only industry, the lumber business, went out of existence and now new industries were added, the town grew much more slowly and for the last thirty years there has been very little change in the buildings and the make-up of the town in general.

About seventy years ago a man by the name of Robert Showers took up a west part of Altona. Several other homesteaders arrived shortly after, Harris Rogers buying the land where the southeast part of town is and men named Rich and Clay taking what is now the northeast part of town. Showers sold his land to James Downend and the latter laid out Downend’s addition, still named that. Rogers laid out an addition on his land which bears his name and Rich and Cady laid out the part of the town called Rich and Cady addition. Thomas Gard was also one of the earliest homesteaders.

Work at the lumber industry, which was established by Rich and Cady just north of the present overhead bridge in Altona, was the only means of livelihood except that of farming. As the territory was thickly wooded and there was a ready market for lumber, activities about the sawmill, began to bustle and additional workers began coming in. The lumber business lent it self to the work of clearing the land and this was the main reason it was started. Many of the present houses in Altona were built at that time, about sixty-five years ago, from lumber from this sawmill. All of the houses which are still standing and being used.

First School House

The community continued to grow and prosper. Roads were built, though they were impassable for about six months of the year. A frame school building was constructed on the knob or high place about a half block east of the present school building. One of the first teachers was Jeff Saxon of Auburn. The present building was constructed in 1877, but there have been additions to it since that time. The Altona school has always been under township supervision with the exception of the years immediately following incorporation of the town, from 1906 to 1910, when a school fund was provided and the school was run by the town. The teachers at the present time are Geo. Fee and Miss Violet Hall.

Henry and Abe Gettel were among the first settlers of Altona and they operated the first store. They constructed a store building near the sawmill and went into business. Altona had a post office in the early days in the Gettel store with one of the Gettles as postmaster. There was a post office in the town until 1911, most of the time in the Kooken store. After it was discontinued Altona people had to come to Garrett for their mail for several years before the rural route included Altona. The Kooken store which housed the post office is the building just west across the road from the present Rolla E. Kooken store. The other building was constructed in 1888 by the elder Kooken, John H., who died a few years ago, and it is still used as a storeroom and for other purposes.

With the coming of the railroad the settlers in Altona passed up a chance to make a city out of their community. When the construction of the railroad from Chicago Junction to Chicago was nearly completed by 1874, the officials sought a suitable division point. At first it was intended to locate the division point four miles east of Albion, but farmers thought they saw an opportunity to make a nice profit on their lands and put prohibitive prices on it. The high ground at the west end of Altona was the next site contemplated, but here also the farmers boosted the price of their lands, so Washington Cowen, the agent, went to the east side of the swamp which bound Altona on the east and bought land from the farmers without informing them of his reason. Construction began and the town of Garrett sprang up almost over night.

In 1876, after the surrounding territory was cleared of the best timber, the sawmill operated in Altona by Rich and Cady was moved to a site near Waterloo.

Trestle Connects Towns

Soon after trains started running through the town the numerous sparks from the engines made the Gettel brothers fearful of fire at their store beside the track, and Henry Gettel built and operated a store in the building now occupied by the Rolla E. Kooken store and Abe Gettel moved to Butler Center, where he engaged in the lumber business.

Many people came to work for the Baltimore and Ohio railroad and many settled in Altona. A trestle had been constructed over the swamp and lake between Altona and Garrett and during the rainy reason for many years the only direct route between the two towns was over this trestle. There were other passable routes, more or less trails, one coming into Garrett from the south and one from the north.

Altona has a volunteer fire department, which became a member of the Indiana Firemen’s Association in January of 1935. There was unorganized fire protection for many years before the fire department was organized in 1914; it had a chemical apparatus for fire protection for many years. In 1919 the first truck was purchased and in 1922 a new truck was bought and is till in use. At the present time the town board is contemplating the purchase of a new modern truck and the installation of an electric fire alarm system. J. C. Smith was the first fire chief, holding that position until 1921. Since then Jay Hall had been fire chief continuously. Other members of the department are D. J. Houser, John Watier, Louis Sobasky, Phil Anderson, Mike Mankowski, Frank Draime, Frank Leeson, Don Leeson and Frank Smith. The fire department’s headquarters is at the town hall.

Present officer of the Altona town board are Rolla E. Kooken, chairman; Kenneth Strock and Josh Baker, trustees; and Mrs. Gertrude Feagler, clerk-treasurer. This board took office January 1, having been elected last fall. The retiring board, which was the first to hold office for six years was composed of Mrs. Will Bradsley, chairman; Philmor Anderson and Frank Smith, trustees; and Mrs. Mabel Watts, clerk-treasurer. Mrs. Bardsley had been appointed in August of 1932 because of the death of Clarence DePew, and Mrs. Watts was appointed at the same time to take the place of Albert Harwood, who died the same summer. Mr. Anderson had been appointed to fill the place of Chas. Vananda, who retired in August of 1934 and who later died.

J. C. Smith had been treasurer of Altona for eighteen years before his death in April of 1934, and at that time the offices of clerk and treasurer were combined.

List of Town Officers

Officers of the town since its incorporation are: town board, 1906-1910—Chairman, S. O. Whitford; trustees, D. T. Houser, J. C. Smith; treasurer, Jonas Veazey; clerk, John Watier.

1910-14—Chairman, Frank Vananda; trustees, Ed Draime, George Monn; treasurer Sam Houser; clerk, John Watier.

1914-18—Chairman, John Watier; (1916), George Davis; treasurer, Newton DePew (Nov. 1916), J. C. Smith; clerk, Levi Shults (March, 1914) A. W. Harwood.

1918-1922—Chairman, D. T. Houser (Aug., 1919), Grover Feagler (Dec. 1919), John Watier; trustees, Frank Adams, John Roberts (died Jan. 1920), Will Watts (Died Dec. 1932); treasurer, J. C. Smith; clerk, A. W. Harwood.

1922-26—Chairman, Louis Sonbasky; trustees, Warren Stiles, Josh Baker, Jr., D. T. Houser, Martin Rommel; treasurer, J. C. Smith; clerk, A. W. Harwood

. 1926-30—Chairman, Louis Sobasky (June 1929), Chas. Vananda; trustees, Martin Rommel, Robert Ross; treasurer, J. C. Smith; clerk, A. W. Harwood.

Garrett tried to annex the town of Altona and the additions joining Garrett on the north in 1915, but the attempt failed. The case was fought in the courts, not so much by the town of Altona as by John F. Mitchell, a farmer and locomotive engineer living at the north edge of Garrett. In 1916 gas lines were extended to Altona by the Northern Indiana Fuel & Light company and in 1917 electric street lights were installed in Altona, the power coming from the Garrett municipal plant. Electric lights were also made available at this time to homes. About ten years ago the main road was paved through Altona.

The town hall was constructed from a residence during the regime of the first town board, and here all town meetings and board meetings are held. It also houses the fire department truck and equipment.

Outside of the ways mentioned Altona has changed little in the last thirty years. The population is listed at 343, and practically all of the workers are employed outside of the town, with the exception of those who farm.

ALTONA M. P. CHURCH

The Methodist Protestant church in Altona started with a small congregation in 1894. Fire destroyed the frame church in 1907 and plans were immediately laid for the erection of a new edifice. Dedication services were held in 1908 for the lovely new building. The cost of $5,000 had been liquidated by the date of the opening.

The Rev. P. W. Boxell was minister at that time and was an important factor in raising the necessary funds. Hazel Maggert, May DePew, Mrs. Lottie Fretz and Fred Darling all sang at the dedication services. Some of the subscribers to the erection funds were: John Maggert, H. E. Gettel, Ella DePew, Charles Weller, Frank Yarde, Benjamin Maggert, Edward Kelham, G. A. Adam, J. S. Veazey, A. H. McCormick, Frank Vananda, P. B. Graham, J. D. Shoemaker, D. B. Shumaker, Carey DePew, H. E. Rogers, W. O. Rogers, Claire Downend, Ollie Pressler, Henry Murray, H. C. Riccius, Maurice Forsyth, Mrs. John Maggert, Martha Dick, Kate Smith, Mrs. Martha Treesh, M. R. Allman.

Because of the difficulty at present of securing a minister, services at the church have been irregular since August of this year. However, Sunday school is held every Sunday morning and it is hoped that regular services will soon be resumed.

ROLLA E. KOOKEN

Rolla E. Kooken an Altona merchant, was one of the first residents of Garrett, coming here with his parents in 1878 when his father, J. H. Kooken, who died in 1927, took employment as a brakeman on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad.

At first the Kookens lived at the present site of The Clipper office, a little later moving to the upstairs of the building on the corner of Randolph and King streets where Moore’s restaurant is now, Dr. J. F. Thomson’s office being on the first floor. They moved to Altona in the fall of 1879.

Rolla E. Kooken started to school in the Altona school house. He attended this school in the first eight grades and then spent two years in Garrett high school, then starting to work on a B. & O. dining car, and then becoming night ticket, freight and express agent at Garrett.

Probably no other man in Garrett has held as many responsible positions as has Mr. Kooken. He worked in the ticket office at the grand Central station in Chicago, then took employment in the offices of the Illinois Steel company, advancing to department clerk, then chief clerk, then mill foreman, and before the mill closed in 1910 for two years he was night superintendent.

He then went to Virginia, where he was in charge of the lumber company and after two years went to northwest Canada, where he was employed as relief agent for the Canadian Pacific railroad and for the Dominion Express Co.

When the United States entered the World war in 1917 Mr. Kooken returned to Altona for the express purpose of enlisting in the army, but he was turned down because of defective teeth and eyesight and an injured foot.

Unable to serve in the army, Mr. Kooken secured a post in the efficiency department of the Pennsylvania railroad as test inspector. A year later he came back to Altona and bought out his father’s general store. He later was traveling salesman for Butler Brothers out of Chicago. Them on account of the illness of his wife, whom he married in 1917, they went to Virginia, and later to Florida, where he was employed by the Lake County Manufacturing Co. as superintendent of construction, building schools and public buildings.

He then went into business for himself in Florida, and later in Alabama, also dealing in real estate in both places. Before he returned to Altona in 1924 because of the illness of his mother, from which she died, he was at Sarasota, Fla., engaged as business manager for Paul Gilmore, who made water scenes for motion pictures there. After the death of this mother he became employed in the shipping department of the B & O rolling mills at Cumberland, Md., and in 1925 came back and took over his present business in Altona. During the last ten years, besides operating the general store and Standard gas station in Altona, he has engaged in real estate business in this section of the state and in Louisiana, making almost yearly trips to the south to handle his affairs.

In the recent town election at Altona, Mr. Kooken, running on the democratic ticket, was elected to the board of trustees.

In his real estate activities Mr. Kooken has bought and sold a large number of properties and farms, and in a number of cases has been a great aid to Altona residents in securing the ownership of their homes.

The general store which Mr. Kooken operates was started in 1888 by his father, across the road from the present site in a building built by the elder Mr. Kooken. The business was moved in 1920 to the present location. A general list of items is handled including groceries, meats, dry goods, baked goods, magazines, newspapers, tobaccos and confections. Standard gas and oils are handled at the filling station in front of the store.