Ligonier High School - Lance Yearbook (Ligonier, IN)

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3,...Mi,-.1! P ' QD i A 1,'I 'N saw: K ,ul Y XXX The Methodist, United Brethren, and Christian Churches of thirty-fi've years ago . CHURCHES PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. The first attempt to organize a Pres- byterian church in this vicinity took place upon the Haw Patch and at the house of Seymore Moses on July 3, 1836, and was known by the name of the Presbyterian Church of Salem. The Church progressed well until 1842 at which time the name of the Church was changed to Haw Patch and was taken into Logansport Presbytery. A couple of years later it connected itself with the St. Joseph Presbytery which was of the New School. This Church was in operation for a number of years, but finally a U great many of the members moved away, some into Ligonier. For a couple of years there was no pastor but Union Sunday School e meetings were held in the Opera House. This Congregation decided to 5 organize a Presbyterian Church and a Committee appointed by the Fort I Wayne Presbytery arrived July 1, 1889 to effect the organization. The : first pastor was Rev. E. Barr who remained with the Church for seven S years. The present building was erected on the site of the old Waverly - Hotel and was dedicated on December 21, 1890. .It was repaired and re- ' : modeled fourteen years ago and again about one year ago. Among the A 2 charter members were David Cunningham, A. W. Lyon, Jessie A. Rice, l S J. C. Zimmerman, E. W. Knepper, David Schwab, J. S. Hayes, R. D. Kerr, Q E F. E. Hepler, as Well as the Galbreath, McConnell, Dewey, Gerber, and E Treash families. Throughout its years it has had as members many of 2 the outstanding people of Ligonier. : E E j S. f' +-T-'X J an Page 22

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iI,'jZ'3'- A ' - 11 B -qfi Messy NNN 1 . Q LIGONIER S BANKS We are fortunate in having three banks that give such excellent service to the people of the community. MIER STATE BANK. The Mier State Bank began with the business transac- tions of Solomon Mier about the year 1856, when the people, having gained confi- dence in the young man, began to leavetheir surplus money with him at his store ln Ligonier and receive ln return certificates of deposit. In the latter part of the 60's, Sol Mier entered more extensively into banking and his place of business became known as the Banking House of Sol Mier. On January 1, 1900, the men who are now the ofllcers of the present institution, as- sociated themselves with the late Solomon Mier, and the Banking House of Sol Mier became known as the Banking House of Sol Mier Company. On June 15, 1905, The Banking House of Sol Mier Company qualified under the State law and became Mier State Bank, thereby being the oldest and largest bank in Ligonier and the .flrst state bank in the city. On June 9, 1925, the twenty year charter of Mier State Bank ex- pired and on that date a new charter was issued. ' CITIZENS BANK. The Citizens Bank at Ligonier was founded in 1868. Its founders, Jacob Straus and his brothers, Frederick and Mathias had been ln the general merchandising business in Ligonier since 1860, and their success and high standing in the community had made possible the opening of the bank. When this bank was organized lt opened accounts with two correspondents, one in Chicago, The Merchants National Bank, and the other in New York, the Chem- ical National Bank. The latter is one of the largest banks in the city of New York, and is a correspondent today as 'lt has been for flfty-nine years. In 1910 the Citi- zens Bank was incorporated as a State Bank. Since it was created fifty-nine years ago the Citizens Bank as always paid every U V liability upon demand and has never found it necessary to take advantage of time even under the most trying situations. . The growth of the Citizens Bank has been an integral part of the growth of . Ligonier. Its fifty-nine years of success have been a part of the successful growth . U of its home. The prosperity which has made this new home possible is made pos- I : sible by the prosperity of Ligonier. S U The insurance department is prepared to write fire, tornado, burglary, auto- U S mobile, and accident insurance, contract and fidelity bonds, and every other class : U of risk. 5 S The b'ond department offers a flne selection of First Mortgage, Gravel Road, S and Municipal Bonds as well as other types of securities of stability and merit. I I U FARMERS AND MERCHANTS BANK. The Farmers and Merchants Trust U S f Company was organized in May, 1908, with paid-in capital stock of fifty thousand B E dollars. The stockholders were comprised of prominent, well-to-do farmers and S S business mefl. lauringi the twenty-one years it has seen its surplus grow until it E -v N s now equa to t e cap tal. - E The bank has specialized on thrift and savings accounts. It has the largest line E : of saving deposits of any bank in Ligonier. This department has enabled many : nu people to place trust funds in the hands of the bank at a great saving of time and un : expense to themselves. The splendid success of the organization demonstrates what : : can be done by men who enjoy the confidence of the community and who have al- 1 : ways strlven to render the public a just account of their stewardship. : 2 ! : X . , s-. h 5 , g p A J LA Page 21

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' i-Y.,-.... f , ,A A 4 -K ,v---no-gag W' i 'f E Q-1 XYXX--lQ:Sf': O w sw, I U The Church has never been very strictly sectarian, and has catered to people who are not members of church. It has the usual organizations, the Sewing Society, the Social Hour, and the Young Peoples Society of Christian Endeavor. The Kings Daughters organization which has always been connected with this church has done much for local charity. METHODIST CHURCH. As early as 1831 ministers of the Metho- dist, Presbyterian and Baptist denominations began to appear about once a month and preach to the earliest inhabitants in the vicinity of Ligonier. Meetings were held in log cabins, barns and finally in schoolhouses. About 1842 the Methodists began holding meetings in Ligonier but the society, though probably founded in 1855, did not feel able to erect a church until 1846, when Henry Treer donated a lot to be used for religious purposes. There immediately followed the construction of the first church building in Ligonier. It was a small frame structure thirty by forty' feet but it served the purpose. Great revivals were held soon afterward and the membership grew. In 1855 there was another church building erected. Being remodeled several times it served until 1896 when the present M. E. Church was erected. This one was redecorated in 1914 and about a year ago both the chiirch and the parsonage were redecorated at a cost of sixty-five hundred dol ars. In 1877 two Wesleyan Methodist ministers, Rev. Charles Woodworth and Rev. Woodruff conducted a number of religious meetings in a tent on the public streets of Ligonier. A society was soon formed, many of the members coming from the Methodist Church already established in Lig- onier. Mr. William Lutey, resident of Ligonier, a very earnest Christian and a man of broad charity, immediately went to the head of the society. He furnished fifteen hundred dollars with which a small brick church was built on the north side of town on the corner west of where the U. B. Church now stands. Later this man bought a parsonage costing eight hundred dollars and presented it as a gift to the church. This society ex- isted for some time but finally discontinued and the members again joined the first Methodist Church. . This church has had a number of very strong men as pastors. in- cluding Rev. Beatty, now deceased, W. W. Maring, and Charles L. DeBow. Rev. Reynolds has been pastor for the last three years. The Church mem- bership is about two hundred and seventy-five. Connected with the church there are the Sabbath School, the Epworth League, the Womens Foreign Missionary Society, and Standard Bearers. CATHOLIC CHURCH. The Catholics began to assemble in about the year 1858, at which time Father Henry Fone, an itinerant priest began pilgrimages from Fort Wayne. But few Catholic families lived in Ligo- nier and vicinity at that time but finally sufficient finance was accumu- lated to build a small frame church. This was done in 1806. This with some little improvement was used until 1875 when it was entirely re- modeled at a cost of fifteen hundred dollars. .4-Y 1 J u Page 23