MUNICIPAL WATERWORKS-- FOUNDING OF THE TOWN— COMING OF ANSON WOLCOTT— TOWN PLATTED— COMPETITORS— THE WOLCOTT INTERESTS— FIRST ADDITION— DEATH OF THE FOUNDER— EBEN H. WOLCOTT— THE DIBELL FAMILY— VARIOUS ADDITIONS— THE TOWN COMMISSIONED HIGH SCHOOL-- STATE BANK OF WOLCOTT— CITIZENS STATE BANK— CHURCHES AND SOCIETIES— THE METHODIST CHURCH— CHRISTIAN CHURCH— BAPTIST CHURCH— THE MASONS— I. O. O. F. BODIES-- OTHER LODGES.
The Town of Wolcott is the only place of any considerable size and commercial importance in the western part of the county. It is nine miles west of Reynolds, and there is nothing worthy to be called a settlement, either north or south of it within the limits of White County. As the surrounding districts are also productive and settled by a substantial class of farmers, while the townsmen themselves are energetic and enterprising, Wolcott has naturally grown and is growing. It has three elevators, operated by the Rich Brothers, the Wolcott Grain Company and the Farmers Co-operative Company; two good banks, several large and well-stocked stores, and quite an extensive plant, embracing metal works, sales depot for agricultural implements, barbed wire and other farmers' accessories and hardware supplies.
Further, Wolcott has three church organizations, several flourishing societies, a town commissioned high school of substantial standing, and a pneumatic water system, owned by the municipality. The power house is about half a mile west of town, the supply of water being first filtered through a gravel pit and then through an artificial filter attached to the pressure tank. Water was turned into the mains in April, 1915, and the people feel justly proud of their new waterworks, which furnishes them good water and provides them with adequate fire protection. The latter has seemed the most pressing need of the community since the recent destructive fire.
Princeton Township never increased so rapidly in population as from 1856 to 1860, it having become virtually an assured fact that the Logansport, Peoria and Burlington Railroad would pass through its territory from east to west. As the farmers and settlers had long rebelled at the hardship and inconvenience of hauling their products to Reynolds and buying their provisions there, it was also a foregone conclusion that some station would be established on the line easier of access than that place, which, over the abominable and winding roads of those days, often meant tiresome journeys of from ten to fifteen miles.
In 1858 the savior of the situation appeared in the southern part of the township in the person of Anson Wolcott. He was then in his fortieth year. A native of Oneida County, New York, he was educated and taught in the Empire State, and when twenty-one years of age went to Louisiana and studied law in the office of Judge Petts, in Claiborne Parish. He remained in the South about a year and a half, when he returned to New York, continued his law studies and in 1847 was admitted to the State Supreme Court at Buffalo, and in 1852 to the United States Supreme Court.
After practicing his profession for six years, Mr. Wolcott started for the Wabash country of Indiana, as he had purchased a large body of land on the line of the Pan Handle Road which had been surveyed through Princeton Township. Some place his purchases as high as 2,000 acres. He commenced at once to improve his land and also to buy grain of neighboring farmers for shipment to eastern markets. When the railroad was completed in the fall of 1860 he prepared to plat a town and arrange for a station under his own name. On the 15th of May, 1861, Mr. Wolcott platted his town on land described as follows: The commencing point of the survey is at the southeast corner of lot 8, block F, and is 180 feet distant at right angles from the center line of the Pittsburgh, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, and thirty feet west of the range line which runs north and south in the center of Range Street north, eighty degrees west, and the town is laid out parallel and at right angles to the railroad. Another description of the original town site is the eastern part of section 25 and the western part of section 30. The plat consisted of ninety-six lots, and the streets were laid out sixty feet wide. The east and west streets were named North, Jackson, Market, Scott, Anderson and South; those running north and south, Range, Second, Third and Fourth.
About the time that Wolcott was platted, two towns were laid out on the line of the railroad to the east—Clermont, a mile and a half away, and Seafield, double that distance. At one time Clermont was the leader of the trio, but subsided quite; while Seafield, at least, retired from active rivalry.
From first to last, for nearly forty-six years, Mr. Wolcott was the inspiration of the place. Soon after the town was platted he built sheds along the railroad track and commenced to buy and ship corn in large quantities. Later he erected a large grain elevator and promoted other enterprises, directly by investment and indirectly by encouragement. The corn crib which he erected was said to be the largest in the world, having a capacity of 45,000 bushels of ear-corn. Eben H. Wolcott, his son, had also come to the front in business, and his hay warehouse was one of the largest in the state. He operated two presses, each of which had a capacity of 36,000 bales for the season.
Tn 1865 Anson Wolcott made the first addition to the original town, consisting of forty-seven lots. Although he was highly and broadly educated, the founder of Wolcott confined his activities largely to business, but his few deviations from that path indicated mental resources of a high order. In 1868 he was elected on the republican ticket to the State Senate, where he did valuable service as chairman of the finance committee during the sessions of 1869 and 1871. He was afterward prominently mentioned as a candidate for Congress. Later, questions arose upon which he could not agree with his party and for years he was a leader in the national or greenback party, at one time being their candidate for governor.
Mr. Wolcott died at his home in the town he had founded on January 10, 1907, and his deep conscientiousness and broad ability, his public spirit and courtesy, his friendship and abiding affection, will ever be remembered by those who were influenced for so many years by those traits of his sterling manhood.
During the later portion of his life, which stretched into his eighty-eighth year, the deceased had transferred many of his business cares to the strong shoulders of his son, Eben H. Wolcott. The latter has succeeded to the good graces so long entertained toward his father, but has attained much prominence in public affairs. He is a member of the state board of tax commissioners, has been a state senator and has been mentioned for secretary of state and for governor.
After the Wolcott Addition of 1865, the area of the town site was not increased until January 2, 1893, when Messrs. Fox and Dibell added fifty-five lots. The Dibell family has been identified with the agricultural, business and public affairs of the township and the town since 1875, when E. L. Dibell, a prosperous Ohio farmer, came from Kendall County, Illinois, and bought a quarter section in Princeton Township. He developed a magnificent farm and one of his sons, Edwin J., has become one of the leading business men of Wolcott, a township trustee and otherwise prominent in local affairs. Elihu B., the eldest son, was largely identified with banking matters until his death about 1912.
Less than two weeks after the Fox and Dibell Addition was made, Eben H. Wolcott platted an addition of twenty-seven lots; in November, also of 1893, Fox and Dibbell added twenty-two lots; on April 6, 1895, Anson Wolcott, twelve lots, and on the 28th of October, of that year, J. B. Pierce made an addition to the town of twenty-seven lots. Other small tracts have since been added, so that Wolcott is not cramped in its growth. Its expansion has taken place mainly within the past twenty-five years—since 1890, when its population was only 256. For two years, from May, 1873, Wolcott was an incorporated village but was not then in a position to sustain such a form of government.
Wolcott has a thoroughly organized union school, classified as a town commissioned high school, of which Lewis E. Wheeler is superintendent and Earl Burget, principal. The force under the superintendent consists of ten teachers. The high school proper comprises more than eighty pupils and the attendance in the grammar and primary grades averages 220. The building is comparatively new, having been completed in 1901, and is equipped with the modern conveniences and educational appliances to carry out its curriculum and the requirements of a progressive community.
The business and industries of the town is financed through two substantial banks. The State Bank of Wolcott was established as a private institution in 1886, with Robert Parker as president and Elihu B. Dibell as cashier. It continued as such until 1904, when it was incorporated as a state bank with Mr. Dibell as president. W. F. Brucker as vice president and Louis Hinchman as cashier. In 1912 E. B. Dibell was succeeded by W. E. Fox as president. Frank G. Garvin became vice president and Mr. Hinchman remained as cashier. The present capital of the hank is $25,000; surplus, $12,500: average deposits. $160,000.
The Citizens State Bank of Wolcott was established in 1911. its officers, then elected, James Blake, president, who was succeeded by James C. Jones, who is still serving; David J. Pettit, vice president, who was succeeded by James Blake, still serving, and Charles H. Kleist, cashier. Its capital stock is $25,000; surplus, $2,000; deposits, $85,000.
Both churches and societies are in an active state at Wolcott, and indicate that its people fully realize the necessity of promoting the social, intellectual and moral interests of the place, as well as its material life.
The Methodist Church, the oldest religious body, was organized at Seafield soon after that town was platted, in 1861, but the class soon commenced to meet at Wolcott, as Mrs. Anson Wolcott donated ground for a building and it became evident that the latter town was destined to have a substantial growth. The Methodists completed their house of worship at Wolcott in 1873, and it was the second church built in the township—a neat frame, 36 by 40 feet. Rev. T. J. Reder is the present pastor of the growing society.
The Christian Church of Wolcott completed its building in 1873, soon after the Methodists had occupied their meeting-house. It was also a frame structure, somewhat larger and more costly than that erected by their fellow-religionists. The first trustees of the Christian society were J. B. Bunnell, Noble Nordyke, A. W. Dyke, Dr. M. T. Didlake (afterward of Monticello) and J. M. Brown. Rev. William Irelan, the widely known educator, was pastor of the church for some time in the '80s. A new and modern church was built in 1896, and the present society is in charge of Rev. Harry Huber.
The Baptist Church of Wolcott, of which Rev. G. W. Livingstone is pastor, was organized in July, 1889, by about twenty members who met at the Methodist meeting-house. In the following year Mrs. Solomon Rader gave the society two building lots and a substantial house of worship was completed in the fall of 1891. A parsonage was built in 1894. Rev. W. H. VanCleve was the first pastor of the church and the following were its first officers: Richard Pugh, Sr., and Solomon Rader, deacons; J. W. McDuffie, clerk, and J. L. Pitts, treasurer.
Following Mr. Van Cleve as pastor were I. W. Bailey, W. R. Puckett, J. A. Haynes, C. S. Davisson, C. L. Merriam, J. M. Cauldwell, R. W. Thorne, J. I. Slater, C. M. Pattee, L. O. Egnew; R W. Thorne and C. L. Merriam (second pastorates) and G. W. Livingstone.
Of the secret and benevolent societies, the Masonic fraternity has the longest record in Wolcott. The local body, which is known as Wolcott Lodge, No. 180, F. & A. M., was chartered May 30, 1866. Among the original members were John B. Bunnell, John B. Hemphill, William H. H. Rader and James O. Johnson. Mr. Johnson is the only living charter member. The first officers were J. B. Bunnell, W. W. M.; J. B. Hemphill, J. W.; William H. H. Rader, S. W. The present officers of the lodge, which numbers about seventy members, are: Frank G. Garvin, W. M.; A. J. Reames, S. W.; R. T. Holley, J. W.; George D. Dye, Treasurer; William H. Gerberich, Secretary. Mr. Gerberich has held the secretaryship since 1895, and so far as his fellow Masons are concerned it is a life office for him. The order owns the temple in which its members meet, the building having been erected in 1894.
Wolcott Chapter, No. 171, O. E. S., which also meets in the Temple, was organized April 25, 1895, with Maude Dye as Worthy Matron, and Elihu B. Dibell as Worthy Patron. Its present Matron is Maude Holdridge, and its Patron, E. W. Irwin.
The Odd Fellows have a strong lodge (Orion, No. 598), its membership being about 130. Its officers are as follows: Julius Evans, N. G.; Stanley Cramer, V. G.; Charles Gilbert, R. S.; A. J. Reams, F. S.; Eldon Ford, Treasurer. Orion Lodge, No. 598, was organized January 24, 1883, and, after the Masons, is the oldest fraternal body in Wolcott. The Daughters of Rebekah are also well organized and meet regularly in Odd Fellows Hall.
The Modern Woodmen of America organized Wolcott Camp, No. 4675, in April, 1897, with R. C. Thompson as Venerable Consul; Guy Clary holds that office at the present time.
Besides these bodies are the Knights of Pythias Lodge, No. 409, and Tribe No. 463, Improved Order of Red Men, each with about ninety members. The foregoing list fully bears out the statement that Wolcott is an active lodge town.