Ligonier High School - Lance Yearbook (Ligonier, IN)

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- - -- X .--.... --f M--- S ,Z-X ,ng . ,....f 'f'v's avi, - r ' ' -1 -- -A-'A-'-V A-' H--xyXQ,.A.qwc' G 1 l K. l 1 l . if 1 , 1,1 I I , fl sf ' 1 l A 7 l ' l 1 f l 1 Q Intczzior of drug store owned by Mr. E. S. Reed in 1899. It was located in the build- ing now occupied by The Banner Printing Company. On the platform 10113 Q ' Sack's Orchestra, known as Bippens I , - A S--as-we-we eewas-4s-A--sees--A-Weeeeeeem I 1 l 1 l ot' the town, before there was any indication that Mr. Cavin's idea was beginning to 1 l take shape. The population in 1845 was fifty people, and when the Civil VVar 1 E broke out it had reached 1000. The present population is about 2500. l.ltlONlElt'S BOOM. Ligonier had its first boom in 1852 when it was assured that 1 the Northern Indiana Railroad would pass through the village. At this time a I I number of shrewd business men decided on Ligonier as a good place to locate: accordingly they bought land and opened mercantile establishments. Many of them were influential and successful Jews. They continued to come until the population within tive years quadrupled. For the size or population there are few towns in the United States which have so many citizens with so high a commercial rating. Al'I'I+JAIiANCI1I OF INDUSTRY. In 1847 an important industry was established by Taylor Vail who became owner of the foundry that had been in operation at Ro- chester. He moved all the apparatus to Ligonier where he continued the work of U the former owners, manufacturing all kinds of plow castings, a few cook stoves, pots, kettles, and various other useful articles and implements. In 1848 he sold out to Jacob Wolf who continued in the same line for two years. and then sold to Mr. lleall, who disposed of the property to lprobablyl George Ulmer and Sons in 1855. A few years later the property was destroyed by tire and was not after- , I X wards rebuilt. Two molders were employed and a few assistants, who, at the most X A -4 l Y prosperous periods of the enterprise secured a combined cash and book account of ' 11 E j about 51,200 per year. I . .. ii SAW MILL. A saw mill was built in 1852 and James Kennedy, Benjamin Ruple. X l and George Hussey conducted it three years without profit. The Fishers built and 5 operated one about 1856 continuing with success some six or eight years. Dodge and Randolph built one after the war. Fisher Brothers, soon after their saw mill had been erected built a grist mill near it., and furnished the village and sur- rounding country with tlour for a few years when the mill was abandoned and G 4 Albert Hanta and A. C. Fisher erected another. l l - - - . l KX XXX - ,ff I gxlXXkix..,,.... .-- l X 'si ' is 5 -1 -MDF I A 1 ' Pugc IJ

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Swv f 'ii M e is fig ...-. i -W as-',...,.N: The Ligonier Regulators, with J. C. Braden as captain who captured a band of horse thieves about fifty years ago. fThis picture was taken much later howeverj After they were captured the band of horse thieves was brought to Ligonier, and the people from miles around gathered here to watch proceedings. The Reg- ulators had decided to turn over to civil authorities all of the horse thieves except the captain, McDougal. They took a vote of the people to determine what was to be done with him. Those in favor of hanging him, took one side of the street, and those in favor of turning him over to the authorities with the other members of the gang took the other side. The vote was three to one in favor of hanging. The man was hanged to the limb of an oak tree which still stands near Diamond lake. J. E. Braden furnished the rope which the Regulators later burned on the thief's door- step with a threat for further revenge. Allen J. Ramsby, a brother-in-law of W. A. Cochran was a member of the Regulators at this time. Although he is now a resi- dent of Petosky, Michigan. He was born and raised on the Hawpatch. FIRST SETTLERS. The first settler was Ward Bradford, who built a house on lot No. 1, and who also had the honor of constructing the first bridge across the Elkhart River at this point. There were many settlers, however, located at this date in the vicinity of Ligonier, and Isaac Spencer who lived about a mile south, was the first to open a general store in a log building. He was the first county clerk, and finding merchandising not very profitable, he closed the store which was opened two years later by Daniel Stukey. In the autumn of 1844 Henry Treer, of the partnership Hill and Treer, of Fort Wayne, opened a general store, and, a year later, Hugh Miller opened a second one. Treer became somewhat embarrassed profitable fields of labor about the same time, and Taylor Vail, an influentialiand respected citizen of Ligonier succeeded Treer, The first permanent settler in the vicinity of Ligonier so far as can be traced was Jacob Wolf, who settled a little west of Ligonier as early as 18313 and those who came to join him were Gideon Schlotterback, Henry Engle, John Hostetter, and Adam Engle. Only two or three families lived in Ligonier in 1840 and almost ten years elapsed after the platting about 1846 and retired from the business. Miller likewi-se saw visions of more ,Z ,I N ' J 3 1 Page 12 I 5 'af W P Q lllllllllilllllillllllllllllll

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5 THE FIRST CITY COUNCIL OF LIGONIER First Row:-I. E. Kelsey, B. W. Cowley, Joel Yeager, Isaac Todd, W. K. Mitchell, and Daniel Green Second Row:-G. S. Woodruff, E. E. Reed, John Weir, Greely Zimmerman, and M. A. Hutchinson Third Row:-l-I. R. Cornell, Sol Mier, W. L. Jackson, and Mose Gilbert CITY GOVERNMENT Until thirty-five years ago, Ligonier was governed by a Board of Trustees of five members, which managed everything. The other town officers were a Clerk and a Treasurer. On February 15, 1872, the Council plan of City Government was adopted in Ligonier. At an election held on that day three hundred and fourteen voted for city government, only seventy-two against it. The first ofliceris of Ligonier were Mr. John Weir, Mayorg Mr. Edwin Reed, Clerkg Mr. Greely Zimmerman, Treasurer, Mr. Isaac Todd, Marshallg Mr. Melville Hutchinson and Mr. George S. Woodruff, Councilmen at large, Mr. Mc- Dowell, Councilman of the First Ward: Mr. Henry R. Cornell, Councilman of the Second Ward, and Mr. Will L. Jackson, Councilman of the Third Ward. At that time all these men were elected by the people. In 1925, Mr. L. R. Calbeck was elected Mayor of Ligonier, Mr. J. C. Kimmell, City Clerkg Miss Elva Foote, City Treasurerg Mr. Walter Robinson and Mr. William Bender, Councilmen at Large: Mr. Henry Vance, Councilman of the First Ward, Mr. J. B. Schutt, Councilman of the Second Wardg and Mr. Ralph Strait, Councilman of the Third Ward. The-se comprise the City Council of Ligonier. Four officers appointed by the Mayor are City Attorney, Mr. Chester Vanderfordg City Marshall, Mr. Lawrence Wolf, Night Watchman, Mr. Harley Bowen, and Street Commissioner, Mr. Ed Banta. The Street Cleaner, Roy Banta, and the Garbage Man, Ambrose Goudy are oflicers on contract. Page 14 ' f MAYOR L. E. CALBECK