LAKETON BY RON WOODWARD Laketon was laid out on September 8, 1836, by Hugh Hanna, Isaac Thomas and Jacob D. Cassett. It quickly became a center of township business and on the 8th day of September 1836 and was made the voting place of the township soon afterwards. At firstthat time it was simply a point on the old Indian Trail down the Eel River from Manch- ester, and consisted of a few log cabins, blacksmith shop and a mill built by James Cox. William Johnson and Ira Burr were the first merchants of the place. There were ninety lots, the streets running north and south being Pottawatomie, Spring, Main, Mill, Tamarack running north and south; and running east and west wereEel, Wabash, Lake, Wayne, east and west. There have been several additions to the town, Petrie's aAddition August 1, 1866, fifteen lots; Mend- Mendenhall's aAddition Oct- ober 1, 1867 26 lots; and Ijamsville aAddition south of the river. By 1850 there was one store kept by Mr. Whittaker, a smith shop by George Hoover, two frame houses and three log houses in which lived David Hoover, George Hoover, ? Lowry, Mr. Whittaker, and Squire Musselman. Merchants in the community have been Burr, Johnson, Whittaker, Comstock, Smith, DePuy, Lautzenhiser, McFurst, David War, Petnel, Bender, Sholty, Thomson, John Ward. Doctors have been DePuy, Lowe, Marshal, Waddell, Sampson, Climer, Miner, Mooney, Wells. Blacksmith shops have been run by George Hoover, Alexander Duncan, John Duncan, Walter, Hager, Long, Teal, David Warner. Wagon shops kept by Duncan and Helvy. A drug store was run by Dr. Peter Bender. The grist mill begun by James Cox was replaced in 1855 by a mill run by Bowersock & Mendenhall and Harter Bros and later by Jacob Strauss. The first Laketon covered bridge was constructed in 1858 and stood until 1874. It was replaced in 1875 by a Smith Truss structure covered bridge 165 feet long with 12 foot overhang on each end. It was a covered bridge 16 feet wide, 14 feet high and was built by the Smith Bridge Company. In 1881 Laketon had a population of 400 with two churches and a graded school. Justice of the Peace at Laketon was Lewis Keagle. Adam Grisso ran a boot and shoe shopp made to order, A.C. Huggins ran a grocery and notions as well as the Post Office, J.E. Mohler ran a drug store but also sold toilet articles, oil, glass and paint. J.W. Rager was the town blacksmith, M.P. Sholty ran a dry goods store also selling clothing, Queens Queensware and general merchandise. Commercial printers in town were Wells & Sewell. In 1882 Laketon had its own newspaper the Laketon Free Press but by June 16th it had ceased operation. It was replaced by Charles A. Richards Laketon Herald which lasted until January of 1884. In 1884 the businesses were J. E. Mohler drugstore, P. Bender drug store, dry goods Robert Thompson & Son and J. Ward & Son (who bought out M.P. Sholty), A.C. Hug- Huggins grocery, Jacob Strauss saloon, Frank DeBolt barber shop, David Warner blacksmith, James T. Cloud hardware and tin shop, Henry Ogden undertaker, ? Lautzenhizer hotel, David Ramp wagon shop, High School, United Brethren Church. Postmasters have been John Smith, Mrs. George Shafer, Dr. Bender, Jesse Williams, ? MacNeal, Forrest, Sarah Forrest, Samuel Petrie, e , A.C. Huggins and Henry Ogden. In 1894 Laketon had the following business, 3 general stores run by F. Groshoon, R. Thompson and Son, and M.J. Ulsh, George B. Bender ran a drug store and jewelry store, Mrs. Bender ran the hotel, a saloon and lunch counter run by Michael Holland, another saloon run by Lewis C. Mobley, A.C. Huggins groceries and notions, 2 blacksmiths J.L. Jones and S.H. Stone, Henry Ogden was the postmaster and ran the hardware and tin- ware store, M.P. Sholty ran the grist mill, George Weber was the barber, W.Y. Wells the physician and Orton Witzel ran a meat market. Around 1910 Laketon had a community band. Some of the members of the band were Earnest Anderson, Charles Guinnup, Otie Guinnup, Arlie Henry,Asa Ireland, Rob Moyer, Allen Ogden, Rolla Ohmart, Howard Rager, John Rager, John Tryon, Charles Weaver, Hugh Wells, Loren Wetenberger, and Joe West. The band played at 4th of July celebrations and in surrounding communities as well as at the Friendship Home at Lukens lake. In 1912 the Laketon State Bank was opened in a small frame building located on the northeast corner of Main and Lake Streets. It remained in operation until sold in 1930. President of the bank was S.D. Henry president, George Frederick vice president, E.L. Bright cashier and Violet Ogden assistant cashier. The board of directors included Henry, Frederick, Lyman Metzger, William Frey, A.M. Robinson, John Tryon and H.W. Rager. From 1930 until about 1945 Ed Tyner ran a drug store in the building and in the back part Mary Oldfather had a beauty shop. In 1945 Joe Carroll took over the drug store. In 1963 Mariette Holle took over the store and it became Mary's Sundries. Later it became Earl's Restaurant and today is known as the Bluebird Caf‚. At various other times this building has been a doctors office, millinery shop and at one time a noodle factory. In 1923 The Roann Basket Company had a branch in Laketon. Between October and November the company had woven nearly 4,000 baskets. In 1924 Ray L. Kline was acclaimed one of Indiana's best beekeepers. In that same year Edward Ogden completed an incubator cellar west of Laketon and installed an incubator of 3,000 egg capacity. On March 31, 1925, the little hamlet accustomed to a peaceful existence suddenly became a hot bed of activity. An unusual car was seen cruising around Laketon especially the bank. At 9 a.m. a Ford Touring car pulled up out front of the bank. Two young men got out and looted the bank of $1,969.31. One of the men put a gun in the face of E.L. Bright, the head cashier and ordered him and Mrs. Violet Ogden to put their hands up. They quickly sped away after emptying the bank. Robert Fulton, S.A. Pence and R. Stranglin jumped into a car and gave pursuit but soon lost them. The bank carried insurance but detectives tried to find who had committed the robbery. Many thought that it was Harry Pierpont and/or his brother Fred. Harry was stopped by police in a small town several counties away after paying for his meal with ten dollars in quarters. Over $100 dollars in quarters had been taken from the bank. However, Bright and Ogden could not identify him or his brother. Later Harry Pierpont took into his gang a young man called John Dillinger and gave him his training in bank robbery. In 1929 the population of the was 450. Settled in 1876. It is a village on the Erie and Pennsylvania Railroad ,was 450, with ain Pleasant township, 12 miles north of Wabash. It has a bank, and Christian, Methodist Episcopal, Wesleyan Methodist and United Brethren churches. Grain and livestock are shipped from it. It also hads an American Express office and Western Union telegraph. H. Bruce Henry was postmaster. During the 1930s several murders occurred in and around Laketon. On April 11, 1934 Zach Sweazy killed Charles E. Capes in a shotgun duel. Sweazy had been living with Capes daughter Mabel. He blamed Capes for keeping them apart. Sweazy hid in an out- house where he beat and threatened Mrs. Capes with a razor. She yelled for her husband to get a gun which led to a gun battle in the house. Sweazy was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. July 3, 1936 a series of events began to unfold that made national news and also police magazines throughout the country. John D. Bryant and girlfriend Marguerite Renkin were driving from Detroit to Kentucky when their car was stopped near Laketon. They were robbed of $61 dollars and Bryant shot and killed. The crime went unsolved until July 20, 1936 when Harry Singer murdered three members of the Fielding W. Caufman family. Both were partners in crime. He buried the family in the barn and continued to live at the farm for two weeks until neighbors became suspicious. He confessed to the Bryant robbery/murder and Caufman family murder and was electrocuted in December at Michigan City.. In April of 1942 Robert E. Huffine owner of the Laketon Machine Shop moved his business to North Manchester. Huffine required more space for production on war orders said to total more than $150,000. During the war Laketon schools lost several teachers to the draft including the band director at the high school, D. Arthur Wilson, and 5th grade teacher Marion Martin. During World War II Laketon High School lost four graduates; Staff Sgt.Max E. Baker, LT.Neil M. Mylin, Aviation Machinists Mate 2nd ClassWillard W. Ogden and Army Air Corp Cadet Carl W. Oldfather. In 1953 Laketon there were about 279 residents. Businesses included Albert Butler's barber shop, Buckeye Pipe Line Co., Carroll Drug Store, Economy Garage & Welding Shop, Erie Railroad Passenger & Freight Office, EUB Church, Laketon Elevator, Lake- ton Garage, Laketon Locker, Laketon Marl & Gravel Co., Laketon Nurseries, Laketon Produce, Metzger & Dixon, and the Wesleyan Methodist Church. There was also the Laketon High School, American Legion Club House, and the Pleasant Township fire Department. During the 1950sThe town of Laketon during the1950s had the largest increase of industry in the county. The largest addition to the town was in 1955 when the Laketon Refinery Co. purchased a plot of land from the Buckeye Pipeline Corporation and set up a refinery for oil products. Buckeye officials sold their pumping station located on, on the west edge of the town, when they found a pumping station located farther west could save them money. They con- constructed a new pumping station at North Judson, the center of their pipelines that run into Chicago. The refinery hireds between 35 and 40 men to operate the plant. The town still has Long Lake, located just north of the main business district, that dreaws thousands of people each summer for fishing, picnic and swimming. During 1958 Paul Hathaway and Phil Oppenheim, North Manchester businessmen, promoted a new housing addition on the south side of the lake. The new addition was is called Sandy Beach Estate and in early June, sixteen new summer cottages were under construction. In 1955, members of the Laketon American legion constructed a new wood frame home on the west edge of the town. Most of the work was done by the 75 Legion members. The small town had with a population of 394 with a shrinking has a small business district which includeding a grocery store, a poackage drug store, welding shop, machine shop, barber shop, creamery, drive-in restaurant, elevator and a filling station. 104 homes made up the community. Laketon Nurseries which hadve expanded considerably during the last decade, including the establishment of a new sub-headquarters at the Ind 15 and 114 intersection wasis the largest business. The nurseryies also constructed a new showroom at their old address. A new bridge also was built across Eel River to replace the old covered bridge that had been built in 1875. The new cement bridge was finished in 1956 at a cost of over $100,000. Other new companies establishing businesses in Laketon have been the Laketon Trucking Co. and the Waltz Construction Co. The trucking firm, a branch of the Pierceton Trucking Co., constructed a new building in the downtown area. The large building houses the large tanker and semi-trucks used in transport products from the Laketon Refining Co. The construction company erected a new frame building on the west half of the town and uses it as an office and a storage house. Bob Ohmart and Donald Arnold set up an office in the downtown area and setting up a dealership for a stone company. The pair sold stones and bricks for outside constru- construction. During the 1960s Laketon youth were again called upon to serve their country this time in Vietnam. Tommy R. Miller who graduated from Laketon High School served as a Hospital Corpsman. On March 5, 1966, he was shot and killed in action running to help wounded marines. The 1960s and 1970 saw ups and downs in the business life of the community. In September of 1969 the Laketon Elevator was struck by fire that damaged it so badly that it closed in December of that year. In 1972 Raymond Pence who ran the Pence grocery store closed. The Main Street Store sold to Larry Rohrer and became a church until 1977 when it reopened as a general store. That same year Moyer's Nursery closed and was sold to Ira Denny. Not all was gloomy for the community. Poston's Pantry across from the school was open from 1972 to 1977. In 1972 Ross Briner managed Calf Starter Inc. 1973 saw Alan Blocher move Blocker Trucking to Laketon and Glen Voris opened a sign company. In 1974 Laketon Refinery built a new business office and Ralph Warren moved the Warren Trucking Company to Laketon. Harvey's Bait House opened and closed within the year of 1975. Prices Body Shop also opened and closed but in 1976. Tthe same year Jesse Trickle sold Main Street Service Station to Charles Vanyo who then sold it to Gene Floor who in turn sold it back to Charles Vanyo. Also the same year Wwaltz Bridge Construction Co. closed after 22 years of business. There was some bright news when in 1976 D&M Machine Shop was bought by Bond Flex Rubber Co and expanded. Thelma's Beauty Shop moved to Butler's Barber Shop on Main Street. However that was followed by the closing of Albert Sims printing and Mary's Sundries which closed and became the Laketon Coffee Shop. In 1976 for the U.S. Bicentennial the community opened a Historic Hall with the hopes of keeping Laketon's past alive. Items were on display in a vacant storefront. It was later moved to the top floor of the old Laketon fire station. When the new Laketon- Pleasant township fire station was opened a room was set aside for the Historic hall to display the memorabilia. Also in 1976 Laketonian Days were begun. This is a three day celebration of Laketon and its heritage. Besides the regular vendor and craft booths one would find at any community fair the Laketon Historic Hall is open. There are also kids games, Horse Shoe pitch contest, Garden Tractor Pull, car show, and of course a parade. On January 15, 2010 the Laketon Post Office was closed. A local resident said of the closing "It's a sad, sad thing that the post office is closed. We were dependent on the post office. It was a gathering place for people to meet up and talk."