Goshen High School - Crimson Yearbook (Goshen, IN)

Page 9 text:

SERVICE Elkhart County began its organized existence in 1830. Witli the selection of Goshen as the county seat of E ' .lkhart County, in 1831, land was entered and sold to the highest bidders. Soon log cab- ins, houses, taverns, and schools began to spring up in this vicinity. It is uncertain at what date the first house was built in Goshen, but it is thought that it was erected by William Bissell and located at the present site of the Baptist Church. It was in this same house, a log cabin, where William Bissell served as the town ' s first postmaster. Among the early taverns was one con- ducted by Abner Stilson at the corner of Main and Lincoln Avenue. Here the Commissioners ' Court held session from May, 1832, until August, 1833, when the new courthouse was completed. The Hotel Alderman was originally named the Vio- lett House, and later Hotel Hascall, be- fore taking its present name. Some of the outstanding pioneers in this section of the country were Col. John Jackson, John D. Elsea, who served as Justice of Peace, and Mr. Irwin, who was influential in the building of early day schoolhouses. Azel Sparklin, who served as the minister of the Methodist Church, and Milton Amercer who was the head of the First National Bank when it was first organized, were other influential citizens. I nil II II 111 ill 111 II II II II II II II

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DEDICATION WE, THE CLASS OF 1937, DO HEREBY DEDICATE THIS CRIM- SON TO ALL PERSONS WHO HAVE SERVED GOSHEN AND THE COM- MUNITY. MAY WE WHO ARE YOUNG, INEXPERIENCED, AND HOPEFUL, LEARN FROM THEIR LIVES AND ACTIONS . . . THE JOY OF SERVING. T ' , I !i n i II II n li ii ii ii ii ii ii riii i ii ii ii

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SERVICE The first session of tlie Elkhart Count) ' Court was field in the home of James Frier, a man who was known to be the largest land owner on the prairie. There were a number of dwellings erected as early as 1832. As late as 1852 there were only 21 brick buildings, including the court- house and stores. Most of the houses were of log or a combination of log and frame. The earh ' schoolhouses were built of logs, with rough floors. The windows were of greased paper and blackboards were totally absent. The first regular school in (lOshen was held in the Methodist Church and the first building was erected for school purposes where the Episcopal Rector} ' now stands. School terms were at first onh ' three months in length and women were usually emplo} ' ed to teach the spring terms. The first superintendent of schools was Professor Ambrose Blunt, who acted in this office for a term of ten years. Now the handful of settlers has grown to a number well over 10,000 and churches, banks, hotels, and schools are numerous. We ha ' e a modern post oflFice, library and a splendid municipal utility plant. Our new A [ain Street is recognized as one of the best streets in the Middle West. We are proud to say that Goshen is considered tops in cities of its size in Indiana. All of this has been built on the foundations laid by these early pioneers who had the courage to start building a village on a lonely unsettled prairie. ■«U«3 Zr II 11 111 II II II I II II II II II II II II II