Darlington - History - Holladay
Source: Darlington Library newsletter by Butch Dale
“The following article was written by Marian Holladay in 1977 for the Journal-Review”
How I would love once more to go into the town’s library and talk to Mrs. Jessie Delano who served as the very efficient librarian for many years. She knew where every book was on the shelves and helped suggest thethe newest book just in and how it would make interesting reading for a person. Mrs. Delano also was our good neighbor. I remember visiting my grandmother, who lived just a block from town. My father would give me a nickle which was a great luxury in those days. I would hurry down the alley to Bill Kell’s grocery store and on the way try to decide what I wanted to buy with all that money… Mr. Kell, a good natured, kindley man never tired of the youngsters standing for long periods of time trying to decide what to buy out of the “goodie” counter one made of glass and filled with all kinds of different penny candies. Maybe instead of candy, I would hurry with my best friend to the pool hall, owned by Damon “Skeet” Wray.There with a nickle, we could buy what seemed like a mammoth lollypop or a large school of vanilla ice cream, coated with rich chocolate on a stick. If you got lucky and received one with a pink center made of strawberry ice cream, you had a free one coming. In the back of the pool room, there was another room, a barbershop, operated by Glen “Bub” Carson and Emil “Slim” Greve.
I liked to take another way back to my grandmother’s house just to peek in and watch someone getting a haircut by these men or to smell the tonics, powder, etc. wafting out the door. Later, congenial, likable Lochard “Loch” Hankins purchased the establishment. Once more, I would like to see Everett Holladay riding on the seat of his rubber-tired wagon, pulled by two baby horses, delivering express and freight. One horse, Molly, was blind but knew every move to make with orders from her master. The other horse was called Pet. I would love to go to the bakery just to inhale those delicious aromas coming from inside. You could buy a piece of candy, square and made of a substance like a marshmallow. This cost a penny and had a mark across the center with a ring inserted into this mark. The rings had all different colors of “precious” stones and it took considerable time to decide what beautiful one to choose. I have never tasted crullers to this day like those made by the owners of this store. Allen Hopkins, Leland Everson and Ray Hicks were some of the owners years ago.
Bert Brainard and Earl Butler were funeral directors here about this time. Somehow I had a fear of their place and always had such a scary feeling that I wanted to tiptoe qietly past while castinga weary eye back until once more I felt safe.
I would like to go to the country again with my father, Otha Morrison known as “Ok” to his friends and acquaintances, who was perhaps the best-known carpenter and contractor here. On the way, father would point out many enjoyable things about nature to me – a squirrel, a rabbit, different kinds of trees, a good place to find mushrooms or maybe a place to catch some fish. He taught our family everything he knew about nature. My father poured the cement and made the sidewalk that runs from the Greenlawn Cemetery coming into Darlington from the east and it ran to the old Toll Gate House. The walk spanned the small bridge over a small stream of Honey Creek. An iron railing was placed on the north side of the bridge so tha tone can stand and view the creek. Our family also cared for the Greenlawn Cemetery for many years. This was quite a job, considering that all had to be mowed with the old type of hand mower.
Making a trip to the barbershop of Lou Burk with my mother for a haircut was boring to me, but as we waiting for our turns, I liked to look at all the bright-colored bottles of hair tonics and watch while he cut others’ hair. One of the Burk girls married “Hezzie” of the famous “Hoosier Hot Shots,” a group that played washboards and all kinds of peculiar musical instruments.
I would thoroughly enjoy making a trip to town with my mother to take a pair of shoes into Harry Hiatt’s Shoe Repair Shop. I loved the good, clean smell of the leather and liked, too, to watch him work. He also was a very good auctioneer. In the summer, I would particularly like to watch another neighbor, Tony Endicott work in his blacksmith’s shop. I liked to listen to the sounds of the anvil and would watch while he would shoe a horse or sharpen plowshares.
Husted “Shoney” Peterson work on radios and sold them, too. I still miss his happy, smiling face when I go downtown. Mr. Peterson also took care of the telephone troubles and lines many years ago. He was in charge of the Darlington Water Works Co., until his death.
Once more I would love to work in The Darlington Herald office for Charles Marshall. He stopped long enough for employees to have a break, joke or play tricks on each other. I would like to smell the hot smell of the “pigs” used in the linotype’s meltin pot, the odor of gasoline when someone was cleaning type the clean small of printer’s ink and the newspring. I would like to take time out from working on the newspaper, printed every Thursday to talk and joke with Edith Weesner, editor of the paper and sister of Charles Marshall.
Some night, I would like to sell tickets once more at Charlie Marshall’s Sunshine Theatre. When there was no television and movies were so good, huge crowds attended. I knew almost everyone in Darlington and nearly all stopped to exchange a word. Friendly people took time to talk then. There was also a popcorn machine right inside the front door – a delicious smell.
On Saturday nights, people had a hard decision to make – whether to attend the theatre or the regular square dance. My in-laws played for the dance and for amateur’s they were pretty good. Musicians included my brothers-in-law John Holladay on the guitar, and Lloyd Holladay on the mandolin; sister-in-law, Mrs. Joyce Brandenburg on the guitar; my husband, Charles Holladay on the five-string banjo; my mother-in-law, Ruby Holladay on the piano and her brother, Harley Cain on the fiddle.
Otto Cain ran the creamery here. I never cared to smell this too much but it was interesting to watch the procedure. I would like to watch for our milkman, Joe Booher, who delivered a pint of milk to us each day. I always watched closely for him in the wintertime, because I loved the delicious milk when it was just beginning to form crystals. I would hurry in with it, to stir it up for there was no such thing as homogenized milk then. It was icy cold and fresh.
Sometimes, when we had a family dinner at the home of my sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Abner Wekhoff, he would take all of us to Kenworthy Mill, which he owned then. Kenworthy Mill was located a half-mile from their home. He cautioned that we must be getting old and dangerous. We would go all the way to the top, watching carefully for loose boards, sagging boards, holes in the floor and all the while one could feel the top of the mill swaying back and forth very gently. It fascinated me and yet at the same time, it was a little frightening, too. He would not let us go in during later years for the old mill was falling apart. I missed it for it was such an intriguing place and so big. I liked to watch him grind flour in earlier days. Modern children will never see this.
Again, I would have to attend church services conducted at Riverside Park, also owned by my brother-in-law. A road led down to the park and there was plenty of parking space for all. Benches were made by Ab and they covered the south hillside. An organ was stored in a shed and brought out each Sunday. Services were conducted in late evening in summer and it was a most enjoyable time for all. While listening to the sermon, one could look around at all the things of nature, feel the evening breeze, hear the sound of water flowing gently over the dam, view the color of al the beautiful trees in fall and one felt as close to God there as he ever will on Earth, I believe. Baptism services were conducted there at times, also.
Who could ever forget Dr. Norman Peacock? He would make a house call anytime, day or night. He was rough but at the same time gentle and sympathetic. Somehow you always felt that soon you would be well after Doc’s visit. He once told my father than when he could not diagnose a case or knew someone could not get well, he almost became sick himself from worry. One time, my father was ill and Doc could not figure out what the trouble was. Unknown to him, my father already had false teeth. After studying for a while, Doc said, “Well, Okie, all I know to tell you is that you will have to have your teeth removed.” Dad just dropped his upper plate and sat there grinning. Doc looked up and promptly replied, “Well, I’ll be damned.” Dr. and Mrs. Peacock had two sons, twins Fred and Frank, both doctors with offices at Crawfordsville at the time this article was first published in 1977.
I would like once more to go into the hardware and used-furniture store of Aniel Booher, a kindly gent. My mother and I would look at all the furniture and finally decide on a used davenport or maybe a kitchen table and chairs et. Alva Warren later purchased this store and along with his son, Damon, sold all kinds of appliances.
During this period of time, there was another blacksmith shop downtown. It was owned and operated by kindly Homer Endicott. I liked to stop there.
Wally Cox was one of the town’s electricians years ago. The post office was ably taken care of by Kenneth Cox. Later, Lora Booher was the postmaster.
Bert Saidla ran an ice cream parlor and restaurant combined. Another restaurant, the Darlington Café, was capably managed by Cecil “Singer” Cox and his wife, Mabel. I particularly recall one restaurant here many years ago, “The Ally-Mo,” for I was the lucky winner in the name-the-new-restaurant contest. After owning the restaurant for many years, Cecil Cox and his brother, Keith sold the establishment. A few of the owners were Josephine Bartholomew and Kate Newby, Steven VanCleave owned the building at a later date.
John Rettinger was the photographer here in Darlington many years ago. I would have to go to have a picture taken once in a while. At that time, you could buy a penny picture. I was too shy to smile and Mr. Rettinger had quite a time working with me. But Mr. Rettinger was also a quiet, shy man and he understood. The town also had a very good watch clock repairman, Ed Stephenson. In those days Mr. Stephenson certain was the man who could do it.
How many remember Wallace VanCleave driving proudly down the street in his old-time Ford? He kept it polished and fit for a king with its many brass ornaments (even brass headlights) and a brass spittoon fastened on the side of the car. That car had more gadgets than you can imagine. Wallace was crippled in one leg and he had made an imitation horse out of metal, wood and material with a flounce all around the bottom to cover his legs. He would fasten this thing around his stomach, belted tightly down and prance about at all the downtown functions each summer. At the same time, he would use entriliquism to make the horse speak to all the children. It was such a delight for them.
In 1907, Milton H. Lidikay moved to Darlington and started a veterinary medicine practice. He had two sons, Harry and Henry. When Henry grew up, he became a veterinarian.
How I would love to sit down in my seat at school in the sixth grade room of Ed Miller. A tall, big man, he was aprt-Indian and moved as fast as anyone I have ever known. He could walk right up behind you and you would never hear a sound. When you turned around, there he would be grinning. Mr. Miller was one of the kindest, most lovable men around. He had a wonderful sense of humor. He knew exactly what children liked and each day we all looked forward to “story telling time.” He would spend about 15 minutes a day on a story that would continue for several days. He would tell us scary things that would make us shiver with delight. When he would come to a particularly spooky place, quickly he would slam a ruler down on a desk and all of us would almost jump out of our seats. I would also like to talk to my first-grade teacher, Mae Cox, who knew I was a very shy child and helped me overcome this a great deal by talking to me and being patient. Mae, too, was a wonderful person and a good teacher.
Carper “Carp” Crowder owned a combination tobacco and small grocery store. He was also a trustee of the Darlington School for many years and a good friend of my father’s.
Harry Yount was owner of another grocery store in Darlington. There you could find the most luscious cookies and chuck steak anywhere. Mother would send me to town for some items and cookies were enclosed in separate glass boxes. I wanted all but, of course, could only buy a dozen at a time. Here, too were ripe, golden delicious bananas.
Once more I would like to go into the drug store owned by two friendly men, Nathan “Nate” Lane and George Wever, with my mother to have an ice cream sundae and visit. Mr. Wever also worked as a barber for many years. Oscar Endicott was operating a barbership, too during the late 1970s and had done so for quite some time. I shall never forget Bob Holt Sr. who made a living by cutting logs and raising all kinds of produce to sell in the summer. A good-natured man who loved to talk, he raised the best watermelons and muskmelons that I have ever eaten. His porch and backyard were filled with all kinds of things to eat. Arthur Friend purchased the durg store from Nate Lane and George Wever many years ago. Later the drug store was sold again, to Mr. and Mrs. Gene Harmon.
What person can forget when they were a child and our neighbor, Jack Blanton would drive his old-time threshing machine from the barn and into the backyard and let it run each summer at least one time? The noise could be heard from block away and every child in town was there to view this huge, wonderful monster. When he would blow the whistle, what a thrill it was!
It would also be enjoyable again to watch John Mote, Jim and John Larrick, who were brothers and Claude Mullen bring their race horses and hitch them to sulkeys and take them to the training track about a half mile north of Darlington to practice for a big race. Some of these men raised their own horses and several won prize money at state fairs, carnivals and contests.
Mrs. and Mrs. Elmer Chambers’ owned the hotel and a dry-cleaning place, located on the west edge of Darlington. Howard Shirling became the owner and manager of the site, which became an apartment complex. Doctors who were located downtown many years ago were NF Peacock; Pollom; John Humphries; Cushman and R.E. Otten. Dentists were BO Flora; Seth Shields; Ned Thompson and Dr.F. Southworth.
Stil Emil delivered ice for quite some time Glen Biddle took over later. I remember this ice so very well because it took quite awhile to melt. Children would take a piece of newspaper, wrap a piece of the ice in it and chew or savor this goodie for a long time. It was refreshing and made excellent homemade ice cream.
Charles Gery owned the elevator for many years and John Lynch was the manager. Later, the elevator was sold to Harry Yount and family.
Metzger Lumber and Coal Co. was managed by Bill Butler and later Ralph Budd, Ed Love also sold coal. Bob Holt cut wood for the stoves and sold it to many people. Ben Carlson owned a grocery store as did Fred Hitch, Bill Kell, Fred Appel and Don Rentschler. Frank Miles had a shoe repair shop.
About the 1930s Buren Stewart and his brother, Beryl – better known to townspeople as “Skinny and Sam” – together took care of the plumbing needs of the town. Their building was a two-section one. Later, Eddie Bradshaw took over.
After purchasing the Darlington Herald from Charles Marshall, “Skinny” Stewart moved the equipment to the building that had housed the plumbing shop. The former Herald office was located in the building just west of Farmers & Merchants Bank. Mr. Stewart had many compliments about his shop as he bought a lot of modern equipment. “Sam” Stewart had horses for a hobby. He bred them and raised many race horses that won prizes in fairs. It was a real treat to watch those beautiful horses in action.
Herman Goss delivered homegrown vegetables right to anyone’s door with his wheel barrow. Garages in Darlington in earlier years were owned by Emery Charters, Louis Conrad, Marvin Branstetter, Ira Cain, Harley Cain and Henry Endicott.
Leonard Hutchens owned a junkyard and also did a lot of blacksmith work for folks all around the county. His shop was next to his home.
Harry “Buck” Royer owned a welding shop and did much work for Darlington. Lodges and organizations many years ago were Eastern Star, Masons, Rebekah Lodge and Pythian Sistesr.
Fred Haas and son, Raymond owned and took care of the saw mill here. The Pennsylvania Railroad ran through the town. Fred Kelly took care of incoming and outgoing messages.
How many recall the “noon” fire whistle? This was a big help as few people wore or carried watches years ago. It signaled the side the time for dinner and maybe a short nap. I recall Jim Thompson and his wife many years ago. They were our neighbors and they had a beautiful parrot in a cage on their front porch. At night the street lights were turned off promptly at 11 pm. It was time for everyone to be off the streets. John Buchanan and Tony Endicott were town marshals many years ago.
There were five churches in Darlington: Congregational Christian, East Christian, Methodist, Presbyterian and Friends Church (known to come as the old Quaker Church).
Note: a very odd ending but all that was in the newsletter – greatly enjoyed it though !!
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Source: Darlington Herald July 19, 1945 via Darlington Library newsletter by Butch Dale
Items from the First Commisioners’ Record Which Suggests That Time is a Revolutionizer
Deputy Auditor Maxwell has unearthed the first commissioners’ record of Montgomery County and has found therein a number of interesting items which read almost like fairy stories today. The record begins in 1823 and the name of Montgomery County’s first settler, William Offield, appears thereon as one of the first board of commissioners. The first board did not long endure for in 1824 two of the members resigned and the affairs of the county were then administered for several years by a commission of five justices. These in turn gave way in time to another board of commissioners. The following items from the ancient record will prove interesting:
In 1824 the commissioner were allowed $2 a day, a juryman 75 cents, witnesses 25 cents, county treasurer, $14.26 a year, and assessor $3 a year.
In 1825 a library fund was established but what ultimately became of it is not known.
In 1825 Henry Ristine was given the contract of cutting the trees about the court house and raking the chips out from under the building and underpinning it with logs so that the hogs could not nest under it.
The first prisoner in the “jail house” of whom there is a record was Jesse Keyton.
John Wilson was the first paid clerk of the county and he received $57.76 a year.
David Vance received the contract for making the furniture for the first court house and was paid for this the sum of $40. For quite a number of years the first court house had no chimney and in cold weather the business was transacted in a house for which $1 a day was paid.
The first retailers of liquors in the county were Robert Johnson. Henry Ristine, Eph Catterlin and Wm Nicholson are mentioned as the first men licensed as tavern keepers. Merchants were also licensed in those days.
Back in the twenties the sheriff collected the taxes. He gave bond for $5,000. The roads were then laid out in width from sixty to eighteen feet and took the name of the person in charge of their construction. The widest road was the Terre Haute Road, which was sixty feet. Road viewers were paid $1 a day.
In 1826 the court house had its first janitor, Robert Johnson. Henry Ristine kept the first pound.
The first claim ever cut by the board of commissioners was that of Samuel Maxell in 1823. He presented a bill for taking up a stray animal and had the bill cut down from $17 to $3.
Ambrose Whitlock laid the town of Crawfordsville out and every other lot was given to the county. W. P. Ramey was the county agent and he sold these lots as he could, the commissioners instructing him to part with no lot for less than $10. The county gave the lot now occupied by the municipal light plant to the Baptist Church and the lot where the First M. E. Church now stands to the Methodist Church.
In 1826 the court house was let to Silas Napp for a school house, the agreement being that he should put new window lights in to take the place of those broken out and that he should surrender the building when it was needed for the transaction of public business.
Back in the twenties wolves were numerous and troublesome and the commissioners finally offered a bounty of $1 for every scalp brought in. This was a rare bait and a number of farmers at once went into the wolf killing business. In less than two weeks the county treasury was bankrupt and the commissioners held a special session to revoke the order and cut the bounty down to twelve and a half cents.
The first person fined for assault in the county was a woman, Martha Hart, in 1827.
There was no end of trouble with the prisoners in the first jail. They were constantly breaking out and every page or so of the record shows where some man had been paid for returning a fugitive. Peter Smith was evidently a terror in the early times and it is shown where he escaped and was recaptured at least a dozen times.
The first defaulter of whom there is record was James Helverson, a tax collector, who in 1829 came out $7 shy. His bond had to stand the loss.
Ezekiel McConnell was the first school commissioner in 1831.
The following was the first tax list, made in 1823:
Horse, mule...$ .25
Oxen...$ .18 ¾
Silver watch...$ .12 ½
Male...$ .25
In 1827, the list was increased as follows:
For each male person over 21...$... 25
For each horse... $. ..37 ½
Yoke of oxen...$...37 ½
Each two wheeled pleasure carriage…$1.00
Each four wheeled pleasure carriage…$1.50
Each punch black silver watch……..$ .25
Gold watch...$1.00
Brass clock...$ .75
Liquor vender’s license...$15.00
Tavern keeper’s license...$8.00
The early commissioners used to establish the rates that tavern keepers could charge. The highest item allowed was $1.25 a bottle of wine. Lodgings were rated at twenty-five cents and whisky at twelve and a half cents a quart.
The board mentions J. W. Powers, Isaac Elston and W. P. Ramey as the leading merchants of the town in the twenties.
Commissioners…$37. 25
Assessor…$30.00
Baliff C. R….$34.00
Constables for coroner…$1.91
Coroner for an inquest…$5.00
For guarding prisoners…$5.00
Grand and traverse jurors…$156.00
Supervisors of roads…$33.40
Road viewers…$17.25
Judges of elections…$14.62 1/2
Stationery…$3.50
Associate judges…$42.00
For paupers…$28.56
Road tax list…$7.00
New jail…$633.09
Jailer of Vigo County for keeping prisoners…$79.34
Book for recorder…$9.50
School commissioner…$15.00
Collector of census…$17.00
Clerk…$60.00
Sheriff…$60.00
Treasurer…$34.53
Miscellaneous expenses…$5.06 1/2
Total…$1,330.01
Source: Crawfordsville Review 29 July 1899 p 8
Darlington News – The Boohers are in the majority in Franklin Township, there being more persons by that name than any other in the township. 16 families of them living in Darlington and all own homes except one and I will say there are 16 other families in town that are related to the Booher families. If we mistake not there are 11 families living in Franklin Township. They are nearly all Democrats, only three families being Republican. The old fathers and mothers who emigrated here and settled this county away back in 1831 and ’32 have long since passed over the river of death to their final reward!