Articles about the Institute
Waveland Collegiate Institute
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana 27 February 1873 p 2
“Waveland news items – The trustees of the Waveland Collegiate Institute recently held a meeting at which they decided to go forward at once and build a new house. The old building has become entirely too small, so much so that part of the time two teachers have to occupy one room at the same time. They still lack some money, but believe they will be able to raise the amount by the time it will be needed. In the meantime the Trustees would be pleased to have all the friends of the school come forward and assist in the noble work. Mr. John Milligan is the authorized agent to receive such subscriptions. The site for the new building has not been definitely fixed, but the probabilities are that it will be built on the present site, as that seems to be more central and will accommodate more people than any other place they can get, without going out of town.
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 8 October 1868 p 5
Those who have had the fortune of visiting the Southern portion of Montgomery and adjacent parts of Parke and Fountain counties, have a great pleasure in store. The country for its beauty and fertility is not to be surpassed anywhere. We—Mr. Samuel Moore of Lafayette and self, made a circuit of 75 miles or so last week, and our first point was Waveland.
—There is not a town in the State which has about it a stronger moral atmosphere than this place. Rev. Mr. Irwin's church is well filled every Sabbath, and only six or seven out. of lie entire congregation are. not members of it. The other churches are equally as flourishing. The young men of the Academy make strong working force for these ministers and add not a little to the life and vitality of their churches. —There is not a saloon in town. The readers of the Journal are still familiar with the recent attempt of Rosler to establish a liquor stand there. The people are ready for another tilt with the whiskey ring should they try to make a rum hole out of their town.
Prof. Kritz has charge of the Academy, and has enrolled at present, 85 pupils. The Professor has made a great reputation lor himself, as a successful educator, and under bis management the school has attained a high degree of prosperity. It has in full blast two literary societies, and the impression which the Academy and its management makes upon an outsider speaks well of it.
After a dash into Parke and Fountain counties, we paid our respects to Alamo, and to some of its worthy people, among were Messrs. Gilkey and Stubbins. The Journal correspondents from this place have already written up the news. The new school building is an honor to the town and does great credit to its intelligent founders. The Methodists have a line church. There is also a free church where several congregations worship. The Presbyterians are making arrangements to build soon. It is thought that Rev. Mr. Steel, of Williamsport will be its pastor. The large brick woolen mills of Mr. Yount at Yountsville, is as great an attraction as is to be found in this or any other State. The main building with the wing recently added, and the boarding house on the hill, give an appearance of great thrift and large business capacity. Its builder, Mr. Yount, is a man of high social qualities and great public enterprise…Junius
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 31 Oct 1874 p 5
Our public schools opened on Monday last, in the old Collegiate Institute building. Harry Kleiser is Principal, assisted by Richard L. Rusk and Miss Ella Shellady. The school opens well and the Trustees are doing all they can to make every thing comfortable, so as to make it a success.
Source: Indianapolis Star Fri 16 Sept 1932 p 8
Hoosier Listening Post by Kate Milner Rabb
Girls initiated in a man’s college fraternity? It seems highly improbable, but Karl W. Fischer sends me the story which he discovered at Wabash College when reading through some minute books of the fraternity of which he was writing a history. The initiation took place at Waveland, Ind. The following is a transcription of the record as sent me by Mr. Fischer – “Hall of the Charlotte Elizabeth Society, Waveland Collegiate Institute: June 15, 1861. According to previous arrangements as many of the Greeks as could make it convenient assembled at Waveland today the commencement services and also of performing, the ceremony of initiation of our worthy and beloved sisters, Miss Emma Bennett and Miss Celia Croker. Through the influence of the sisters the use of the Charlotte Elizabeth Society Hall was obtained and the following members of Tau were present: Cleland, Dodda, Fairchild, Fullenwider, Harrison, Rhoads, Spencer and Sullivan. The sisters were then duly initiated and joyfully received into a full communion of our mystic order and now they are entitled to a brother’s love and a brother’s protection from every heart in Beta Theta Pi.” – So, here are some facts which show the reasons behind the move. One of Indiana’s early educators was a Mrs. Bethania Bennett, a widow who with a large family of daughters moved from place to place starting seminaries for “young ladies.” She visited several southern Indiana towns and during her stay at Hanover she became acquainted (or did her daughters?) with members of the Hanover Chapter of Beta Theta Pi. These frequent movings brought Mrs. Bennett and her “school” to Greencastle, and from there to Waveland. In 1856 Mrs. Bennett became superintendent of the female department of the Waveland Collegiate Institute which had been founded in 1847 under acts of the Presbyterian General Assembly of Indiana. The building was completed in 1849 and the name was first given as the Waveland Academy but in 1859 with the development of scientific courses it was altered. At that period the Wabash Beta Chapter was subrosa. The attraction of Mrs. Bennett’s daughters, especially Emma and her half-sister Celia, proved alluring to the Wabash boys and they were even more enthusiastic when they learned that Mrs. Bennett had been a confidant of the Hanover Betas and had often turned her home over to them. She did this also at Waveland and Miss Emma and Miss Celia embroidered Beta badges upon silk scarves for each of the members which were worn during meetings. It was largely in recognition of this friendship that the girls were initiated. When I wrote this story for ‘Beta Lore” in 1928 all the members present at the initiation were dead, but one of the survivors had been questioned a few years before and he said they were initiated by the regular ritual. “He was John E. Cleland, Wabash ’62 who then lived in Indianapolis. One of his daughters married Rev. John Alan Blair, Wabash 93 a vice president of Beta Theta Pi. He was a son of Mrs. Jennie Blair who died in Crawfordsville May 8, 1926 at the page of 93. In 1867, she was initiated by the Wabash Chapter in appreciation of her consistent friendship to the Wabash Chapter and for keeping the ritual and chapter records during the war between the states… “You are probably wondering whether the Bennetts married Betas. Celia married Dr. George E. Simmons and moved to California. Emma married Jerome Allen of Greencastle. Her three sons became members of the DePauw chapter – Charles Bennett Allen ’97; Joseph Percival Allen ’97 and Fred Jerome Allen, 1900. Her son-in-law is Clarence Arthur Royce, Depau 92 and his son, Allen Royce 28 was initiated at Amherst. “Sorry, I forgot another member. The son of the second generation is also a DePauw Beta. He is Joseph Percival Allen III Depauw ’30 and I think the son of JP ’97. If you are still listening that will end the yarn about the Wabash girls. I saw Mrs. Jennie Blair before her death but she was in no condition to recall any of the events which would have been interesting to read about. The Harrison who attended the initiation was Temple Cole Harrison Wabash 63. He was a worker for the Butler Chapter of Beta Theta Pi and I have a letter he wrote to a friend at Wabash in 1870 urging that the Wabash boys back the petitioners.”
Waveland Collegiate -- Highlights of article in Indianapolis Star (there is a photo of him too – quite dapper) 26 March 1918 – in obits - need in the Waveland Academy stuff
Death yesterday Maj. Wm J Richards Civil War vet – linked with Indianapolis newspapers. 78 years old. 1st Assoc editor of Lafayette Journal – worked for Laf News – Indianapolis Press – many years pres of Boys Club – Vice commander of Indiana Loyal Legion; Born Owen Co IN May 15, 1840 Maj Richards was educated at Waveland Collegiate Institute which after was merged with Wabash College from which he grad in 1861. Studied law – Co H 38th Vol Inf – long genealogy of Richards family dates back before Edward III of England – marr Mary Alice Hoover d/o Alex & Melinda Hoover – she died a few years ago – he was the 3rd of 10 children – Joseph 5 years younger became general attorney of Missouri Pacific – Wallace 5 years older died age 28 while in the quartermaster dept during Civil war – son Hugh R – grandson Wm Wallace Richards; two sisters, Mrs. Wm Allison of NY and Mrs. RS Hamilton of Roswell NM and two brothers Charles and Joseph H (Ft Scott Ks) Charles Iola, KS.