LAFONTAINE By Ron Woodward LaFontaine, originally named the Wolf Trap and later Ashland, was laid out by Daniel Grant on January 13, 1845. Grant, a native of Kentucky and one of the first settlers in the area, named the town Ashland in honor of Henry Clay's Kentucky residence. Others have felt it was named Ashland because of an ashery A.G. Wells had established. The first house, a log dwelling, was erected by Jacob Sailors around 1846 and A.G. Wells opened both a store and ashery. Within a year a cabinet shop, blacksmith, saw mill, general store, tailor shop, post office and hotel were started The town took its name after the last chief of the Miami nation, Chief Lafontaine, who succeeded Chief Richardville. Chief LaFontaine was a portly man, tipping the scales at 240 pounds. He went with his tribe to their new reservation and was returning to Indiana when he fell sick at Lafayette and died. The town of LaFontaine was incorporated in the fall of 1880 and a board of Trustees was elected consisting of Judson Dispennett, president of the town board, Jerome H. Scott and William S. Poston also on the board; John Moore clerk and assessor; and, William Lindsey town marshall. The first postmaster was James Jackson who settled in 1850. He also operated a sawmill and invested in real estate. Other early postmasters have been Adam Parker, George K. Cooke, Stephen Leurs, C.H. Lines, B.F. Lines and J.U. Blood. John P. McKelvey and Mr. Jackson made the first addition to the original town in 1854. Hiram Kendall also laid out an addition in 1854. Other additions have been Adam Parker in 1870, John M. Logan in 1878, George T. Vandergrift in 1874. As the town has aged, the Meadows addition was added by Jim Blood and John Manning. Several new houses have gone up in the past five years to the south of Cook's addition. Foutainvue Mobile Home Park expanded west of their original plat. In 1881 LaFontaine had about eighty dwellings with a population of 500 inhabitants and three churches –Baptist, Methodist and Christian. The postmaster was James Blood. There were six doctors, W.G. Amsbury, -Burns, W.H. McGrew, O. O'Neal, S. Prokeny and J.W. Studley. Other businesses included H. Bannister who ran the hotel as well as a grocery store, 3 general stores run by Blood & Lines, Dispenet & Busick, Parker and Son, 2 drug stores run by J.W. Hackney and J.W. Moore, Fry & Armstrong in grain, blacksmiths George F. Johnston and Jacob Vandergrif, F. Linn livestock, grocers were Poston Bros and James N. Tyner, Sailors meat market, and J. Russell barber. There were two justice of the peace B.F. Lines and Daniel McNeal. In 1894 LaFontaine businesses included the William Beik saloon, two general stores run by H.U. Blood and A. Parker, two druggists, C.W. Criswell and George N. Geyer, Crumley flour & feed, 3 grocery stores Denrick & Straughn, Howard & Gruwell and F.S. Spiker, 4 doctors C. L. Dicken, J.L. Dicken, W.H. McGrew, M.E. Renner, J.S. Hale shoes and hats, LaFontaine Bank, 2 barbers T.L. Jordan and R.L. Martin, ,the Middleton Brothers printed the weekly newspaper the LaFontaine Review and job printing, 2 milliners Lantz & Sailors and Powell & Dillon, photographer J.L. Leyman, McClintock agricultural implements, Martin & Co. dry goods, the Moffit House run by John R. Moffit and the Central House run by William Tudendrick, Reed's Notions store, Palmer's saw mill, Pullman harness, Smith & Frushour meat market, and Scott hardware & agricultural implements. LaFontaine had two lodges Meto-cin-ia Lodge #533 I.O.O.F and F.&A.M. LaFontaine Lodge #295. The Masonic Lodge was begun in the fall of 1862 by master Edwards Ross of Wabash. Charter members were John L. Stone, Jehuy Bannister, H.K. Hendricks, George T. Vandegrift, William Snyder, William Woodyard and John F. Hall. The Lodge hall is on North Wabash Street. The Meto-cin-ia Lodge I.O.O.F. was organized in 1877 by Charles Hutton of Wabash. Charter members were Benson Buffington, O. Perry Preble, G.T. Vandergrift, Hiram Lindsey, William M. Stephens, F.P. Armstrong. A two story brick building on Branson Street was built by the Lodge and still stands. At one time they had over 100 members but by 1995 there were 23. In 1898 the lodge established a cemetery west of town which they still maintain. In 1995 officers were James Garrison, Hugh Cook, Charles R. Troyer and Charles R. Clark. Ashland Rebekah Lodge #862 was instituted June 9, 1947. Members still met at the LaFontaine Community Building. The LaFontaine Order of Eastern Star #301 began in 1904 and still remains active. In 1988 the Somerset Chapter #599 consolidated with the LaFontaine chapter. The churches of LaFontaine have been Antioch Baptist Church, the LaFontaine Christian Church and the LaFontaine United Methodist Church. The Methodist Church is the oldest of the three begun in 1839. They first met at the home of Henry Bruner, then at the America Schoolhouse and in 1858 built a frame meeting house costing $1,000. A new brick building was built in 1902 during the ministry of Rev. J.L. Hutchins. In 1927 a North annex was constructed. In 1974 ground was broken for an extensive addition and renovation. Its membership had grown to 292 in 1995. The Antioch Baptist Church began in 1840 west of town meeting in a log cabin built for the purpose of worship. In 1855 it consolidated with the Baptist Church in America. By 1860 it had 175 members. They build a substantial brick structure on N. Wabash St. The church had no musical instruments or stained glass windows. The building was heated with a pot-bellied stove until the late 1940s when a basement and furnace were installed. The building was sold to another Baptist group but became a Free Will Baptist Church. Another church moved in and has since departed leaving the building vacant. The Christian Church was formed November 4, 1877 by a division of the old Boundary Line Church. There meeting house in LaFontaine was dedicated in the fall of 1878. By 1914 it had a membership of 300. In 1915 a brick building was dedicated. The building had Tiffany designed stained glass windows. Much remodeling has been done since 1915. In 1995 it had a membership of 185. LaFontaine withdrew its incorporation status in 1883. It was not until 1904 that the present town incorporation went into effect. The first decade of the twentieth Century saw considerable growth in the community due to the oil and gas boom which occurred in the area. During the gas boom the community received its illumination from jumbo gas lights. LaFontaine continued to grow as the Big Four Railroad came through the area. The C. W. & M. Railroad was projected and partly worked on about 1868, and completed in 1873, since which the town became a major shipping center in the township for livestock and grain. This economic position was further enhanced when the Indiana Northern Traction Company built a line through the community in 1904. A powerhouse and workshops for the traction line were built and those structures have survived. In 1902 Clarks Hardware Co. moved from Darke County, Ohio to LaFontaine. The Clark brothers bought a hardware store on Main Street and added a tinning, roofing, plumbing and heating shop and called the business Clark's hardware. That same year the building burned and they moved into a temporary warehouse slightly back from the west corner of Main and Branson streets. In 1904, Robert, son of John Clark, bought Joe Clark's share of the business. In 1905 the hardware moved to the new Odd Fellows Building, 10 W. Branson St. Later, Rufus Clark, son of John Clark and Carl Schlegel, John's son in law, joined the firm. About 1916, Clark's Hardware bought the Somerset Hardware and made it into a hardware, tinning, roofing, plumbing and heating shop as well. Several years later Rufus Clark and Schlegel traded their share of Clark's hardware for the Somerset portion of the business. John Clark retired in 1918 and sold his half of Clark's hardware to Dewitt Brane. Five years later Robert Clark traded his share of Clark's Hardware for the tinning, plumbing, roofing and heating portion and moved the shop to the Pinkerton building, 23 W. Branson St. The shops were called Clark's Shop. In early winter, 1923, Clark's Shop was moved back to the southwest corner of Main and Branson streets in a building built by Clarks in 1914. In 1932, Howard Clark, son of Robert, bought a share. Ralph Clark another son, bout a share in 1936. They moved to 8 W. Branson into the Mason Garage building in 1942. Three years later Clark's shop bought the old horse barn on West Kendall St. The barn was converted into a warehouse at the back of the main Clark's Shop. A second warehouse was built in 1965 and on Jan. 1, 1966 Clark's Shop was incorp- orated. Galen Clark became the fourth generation to own a share in the shop in 1974. He was the son of Howard Clark. In 1915 O. W. Clark moved his grocery store from Richvalley to Lafontaine moving into a building standing at the northwest corner of Branson and Main St. where it became a fixture of the community until in 1971, when a new store on Indiana 15 was built. Robert Clark began working in the store as a youth and by 1938 was working full time. In 1948 he became the owner/operator of the store. Bob's wife Dorothy and daughters Deanna and Deb worked at the new store as did his grandchildren. It closed in the late 1990s replaced by a gas station/convenience store. By 1919 the population was 700. The businesses of LaFontaine included Joseph A. Misner as postmaster, stock buyers were Benjamin Banister, J.L. Davis, Ord Miller and John a Schuster. Doctors were Frank S. Browne and Marvin Fisher; Clark Hardware Co.; grocers Orrin Clark and Clarence T. Royce; Albert S. Crawford, harness maker; druggists Hugh Dare, George Geyer, and John L. Johnson; George Denton veterinary surgeon; John S. Finkenbiner, blacksmith; hardwares sold by Hardman Bros.and Dwight Painter; and Alvah Harvey garage. LaFontaine even had a movie theater – The Keystone Theater run by James Grant and Orra Pearson was the film operator. There was also the LaFontaine Bank; LaFontaine Herald published by Vivan Neal; general stores run by Joel Martin and Parker & Son; J.C.F. Martin & Sons grain elevator; Earl Mendenhall was the town baker; LaFontaine Telephone Company (Goldier Siders was the operator on duty); Schlosser Bros cream station, Bert Sharpe poultry buyer, Roy Smith barber and C.W. Stoner & Co. sold building materials. Conrad Morrow was the town marshall. There were three churches the Baptist Church with pastor John R. Daly; LaFontaine Christian Church, with Rev. Charles Aldrich and the Methodist Episcopal Church with the Rev. Gomer Hughes. By the 1950s area businesses included several grocery stores, drug store, hardwares, electrical appliance store, filling stations, garages, two bulk gasoline and oil plants, stockyards, sale barn, lumber yard, barber shop and two elevators. The first school kept in the area was taught by Eli Dillon in the summer of 1837. It was held in a log cabin owned by William Grant. The first brick school house was erected in 1876 at a cost of $5,000, and following a fire, an addition was built. The first graduating class of LaFontaine High School was in 1891 and consisted of Emma Logan Dillion. A new school was built on the same spot in 1908 at a cost of $22,000 with 50 high school and 180 grade school students. The LaFontaine High School was located on North Wabash Avenue about three blocks north of the center of town. In 1928 the gymnasium, assembly room, four additional classrooms, 2 restrooms and the principal's office on the 3rd floor were added with three flights of stairs made of marble. Later a cafeteria and new classrooms were added in 1949. At one time there were 612 students in grade 1 through 12. On December 27, 1961 a fire was noticed around 10:30 pm by Mrs. Robert Clark living across from the school. She notified the local fire department. By 11:30 it was burning out of control with several surrounding fire departments and neighbors assisting. By 12:15 the building was gone. After the fire children were taught in churches and neighboring schools till the new Southwood School was built. High School students attended Noble High School. After the fire the elementary school was rebuilt and reopened in 1964. Students go to Southwood High School following the completion of the grades. A remodeling project started at LaFontaine at the end of the 1995 school year. The PTO placed anew fencing and lighting at the ball diamond. A portable class- room was kept at the school and used for concessions and storage. A waterline was laid in 1994 and connection to the sewage system for restrooms at the diamond were accomplished. The LaFontaine Elementary houses kindergarten through 6th grade. In 1995 the enrollment was 194. The faculty at that time consisted of Tom Rigney, principal; Sandra Weaver, secretary, nine full-time teachers, four part-time teachers; 12 part- time personnel in various capacities; three cooks; and a full and part- time janitor. Other principals since 1976 have been Ira McClug, William Arnold and George Price. Progress was made in the fall of 1993 when LaFontaine was connected to the Wabash Telephone system, so it is no longer a long distance call. In 1994 the town got a recycling system. As part of the North Manchester Recycling Center, bins were put on town property north of the creek and the old sale barn. People are using the bins and helping to clean up the environment. The banking system has always been strong in LaFontaine. At one time the town had two banks. Farmers and business people of the community felt the need of a bank, so on March 11, 1893 group of progressive people formed a bank partnershipwhich became the LaFontaine Bank. Those involved were Jehu Bannister, James B. Bruner, James Crow, Kate Emery, John W. Harper, Joseph G. Harper, James McIllwain, Tobais H, Miller, John R. Moffitt, Frank Mossman, John Neff, Joseph Neff, Peter Neff, Adam Parker, and Jerome H. Scott. Paid-up capital stock at the organizational meeting was $16,500 and no single loan was to be made for more than $2,000. This was changed to $5,000 in 1901. An 8% dividend was paid to the stockholders each year for the first several years. The first cashier hired at $12.50 per week to operate the bank was J.G. (Gatch) Harper. Jehu (Boss) Bannister was elected first president and served until 1900. J.W. Harper served until 1902. The next president was T.H. Miller who served until 1922. On December 8, 1894 meeting Gatch Harper was re-hired as cashier at $800 per year, but he was to pay his own help from this salary. December 6, 1897 the board approved the purchase of a fireproof safe for $315. The bank began business in a building rented from Adam Parker for $8 per month with a three year lease. This building was just east of the barber shop. The bank finally purchased the building on June 17, 1902, for $1,000. A.P. (Bert) Harper became cashier on January 6, 1903, after the death of his father, J.G. Harper. 1907 was a rough year and was, in fact, called a panic year. The Wabash Plain Dealer for Tuesday October 29, reported that all county banks had ruled that a depositor could withdraw a maximum of $10 from his bank account in any one day. July 15, 1918, the lower floor of the east side of the building now housing the bank room was purchased from W.H. Logan for $3,500. An architect was hired to revamp the front, new furniture was purchased, and a vault was constructed. At the December 19, 1918 meeting, the cashier was instructed to insure the fixtures for $3,500. The first posting machine was purchased at this time; earlier all posting of checking accounts had been by hand. In 1922 W.H. Logan was elected president of the bank and served until 1931. Bert Harper continued as cashier. In 1928 the bank was robbed and Polly Waggoner, then an employee of 10 years standing, chased the thief down the alley, yelling at him to stop. The thief was later caught. Bank employee Paul Clupper grabbed an old revolver from a drawer and fired it at the fleeing robber, but the gun didn't work. Miss Waggoner conti- nued at the bank until 1970 completing 52 years of service. In 1929 a 12 ˝% dividend was declared and paid and in December 1931 G.B. Sailors was elected president. He served until 1937 with A.P. Harper continuing as cashier. On February 27, 1933, the directors called a meeting to discuss the deplorable condition of the country and the fact that they were low on cash. They sent Mr. Sailors to counsel with bank commissioners in Indianapolis to see if the bank could go on a 5% basis of withdrawals. Directors adopted a resolution in conformity with practically all banks throughout the state that withdrawals were limited to 5% at the close of business on February 17 and until further notice. March 6 another meeting was called and a bank holiday was declared by KL.F. Symons, bank commissioner, from March 6 to March 9. LaFontaine Bank was re-opened without loss to depositors. March 2, 1934, stockholders agreed to an assessment of 20% to bring the capital up to the required $16,500. The assessment totaled $3,300. In 1937 the bank failed to renew its charter as a private bank so it was necessary to reorganize as a state bank. The new charter was filed June 25, 1937 by A.P. Harper, C.E. Troyer, Grover Stremmel, Lloyd Green and J.B. Benner. Apparently, Troyer was president during the reorganization, but Harper was elected president in 1938 and served until his death in 1948. Maurice Price, Wabash, served as cashier for a short period. Rudy Paul was named cashier until his death in 1953 when O.G. Marshall was hired as cashier. Unfortunately just as Marshall began his duties, a fire started in the upstairs apartments over the bank and the bank sustained considerable water damage. Directors then bought the balance of the building, including the west half and the upstairs, from Mrs. W.H. Logan for $2,000. Marshall died in 1965, and Charles H. Shroyer was hired as cashier in May 1965. The bank had neither savings accounts nor certificates of deposit at this time. Some of the board members were reluctant to approve, afraid the bank would lose money, how- ever, they were cooperative and agreed to go along because the savings would be inve- sted out of the community. As a service to the community, these programs were initiated January 1, 1966. A drive up window was added in 1968, followed by a night depository and complete remodeling of the interior of the bank. Due to ill health, C.E. Troyer resigned as president effective December 31, 1972 and Shroyer was elected president. Orville Ramsey was elected chairman of the board and Mildred Charles was appointed cashier. Mrs. Charles had worked at the bank since May 1954. 1973 was another eventful year as the bank changed over to mini- computers. The bank still files by name and boasts, "You'll never be a number to us." Additional remodeling was done when the lobby was enlarged by one- third and carpeted. LaFontaine Bank had the distinction of being the second oldest continuously operating bank in Wabash County, the Roann Bank being older. In 1983 stockholders agreed to sell the bank to the First National Bank in Wabash. The bank continued to retain the LaFontaine name and First National sold to the Lincoln National Bank in Ft. Wayne as a holding company. In 1993 the holding company and First National sold out to Norwest Bank. John Fowler was the manager and others working in the LaFontaine branch were Marilyn Speicher, Donna Jones, Carol Snyder and Carol Cly. In 2002 the bank became the Grant County State Bank LaFontaine Branch with Ginny Sage the banks vice president and officer manager of the new branch. Customer representatives at the bank were Joanna Troyer and Edna Tait. The bank offered full-service banking for its customers complete with a drive-up window. Besides deposits and loans, the LaFontaine Bank offered mortgages, a trust department and alternative investments such as bonds, mutual funds and IRAs. In 1966 LaFontaine was put on a high priority list and ordered by the State Board of Health to install a sanitary sewer system. The septic tanks of the town were tiled into Grant Creek and was sending polluted water into the Mississinewa Reservoir. In 1968 the town was condemned, because of its pollution problem. However, this condemnation was regarded as more of courtesy gesture, so that the town could apply for Federal funds. A sewer retention basin or lagoon was constructed in a ten acre area west of town. This type of lagoon depended on the wind and sun to agitate the water and destroy the waste. After a new sewer system was installed and operating throughout the town, monitoring the water in the holding tank next to the creek revealed that the lagoon was not performing efficiently and that polluted water was again going into Grant Creek. After several unsuccessful attempts to make this lagoon efficient, water tests still showed traces of pollution. July 29, 1975 the original sewage retention basin was scrapped for a new aeration type lagoon system. Tests indicated that this new method worked efficiently. In November of 1975 the following people were elected for a four year term: Jack Harris, Ervin Garrison, Allan Sailors and Ruth Neimershein as clerk-treasurer.