Morton High School - Top Hat Yearbook (Hammond, IN)

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HESSVILLE HERITAGE lf pecple were satisfied they would have stayed behind the Appalachians. ' If people were satisfied they would have stayed behind the Appalachians.” This is one man’s explanation for the settling of people in this area. Mr. V.E. Miff is a 78 year resident of Hammond. Though he wasn’t around during the “early years” of Hessville’s development as a young man he talked with the older residents who remembered the way things were prior to the turn of the century. Place yourself back to the year of 1890. If you were to walk to school on the routine path that you drive today, you’d find yourself at the site of a black powder plant. At that time, black powder was the only explosive usable in guns. Powder from this plant went to supply American forces during the Spanish-American War. Sometime around 1898 a big explosion occured at the plant. A man was killed and what remained of the building was left abandoned. Eventually, scrap was made of the metal remnants and foilage grew over the area. Mr. V.E. Ilrff, responsible for saving the schoolhouse, travels there daily to raise the flag and care for the maintainance. Hessville youth get into the spirit by riding in the Fourth of July parade. The parade traveled down Kennedy Avenue to 173rd Street. Eighteen-seventy, the first election year in the area, brought people from the entire township to Hammond to vote. That year 206 out of 286 potential voters cast their ballots. During this time, voters from as far as Hobart, Portage and Chesterton could vote only in Hammond. The men had no roads to use. They followed sandridges and it usually took a full day’s journey to get here. Those that voted had to remain until the votes were counted, which was usually the next day. Hessville’s namesake is Mr. Hess, the first North Township trustee. Mr. Hess came to the area in 1849. His first act as township trustee was to build the Little Red Schoolhouse. Prior to this time, an oak log school building (14ft X 16ft) was situated in Hessville. A teacher from a school in present- da y downtown Hammond came two days out of the week to teach. The Little Rea Schoolhouse was the first permanent brick building in North Township. It served as a school until 1898 when it was closed due to inadequate space. After it was closed, the school- house was used to hold public meetings and dances. Supposedly, it also housed the headquarters for William J. Bryan’s first presidential campaign. Ninety years age 43915 Grand lu used a pcwder factery

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NCW WHAT’S NEW WT| Guilty or Innocent? TV Television networks found coping with the “family hour” regulations a hassle. Shows between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. had to be suitable for the entire family’s viewing. ABC made Irwin Shaw’s “Rich Man, Poor Man” into a mini-series for television. It was presented in one hour programs on Monday nights. “Monty Pyton’s Flying Circus” brought audience viewing to a peak on Public Broadcasting stations. A slight guilt complex prompted many to send contributions to the publicly supported station, Channel 11. 03 C ' © 03 © O I— © ”Hey, sit cn it!” Fonzie, alias Henry Winkler, made his way into the homes of “Happy Days” viewers every Tuesday night. Equipped with his leather jacket and motorcycle, The Fonz” epitomized the Adjusting to: •Trices •Czcne watches •Bicentennial Minutes • Kecks being called ’’nets”

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CLP BICENTENNIAL After its move to Hessville Park and major uplift, observers are welcome to visit the Little Red Schoolhouse or hold public meetings. © © © o §5 O © O ©; CO c © © © © o CO Portraying militiamen in the Revolutionary War, Hammond residents act out their part in the Bicentennial parade. Where the Kennedy Avenue Post Office is located today, a two-room schoolhouse was built in 1899. Later on, two more rooms were added on to provide more space. There’s truth to the stories heard about boys dunking girl’s braids into inkwells. The usual form of any punishment was to stand in the cornier of the room. It was rare when a student received a beating with a rubber hose. When assignments weren’t finished, students had to remain after school until they completed them. Truancy wasn’t a real problem. Most%tudents were from farm families; therefore during the fall and early spring most didn’t attend because they had to help with the fields. It’s hard to picture Kennedy Avenue lined on both sides by free growing oak trees. Early residents made their income by selling berries and by growing grains. Fish, ducks and other game flourished in the clean lakes and were also sold. Vigilantes tried to keep things under control. The only police protection was the sheriff of Crown Point. By the time he made it out to Hessville, it was usually too late. Gamblers would often come out to the fields from Chicago and have rooster fights. Until around 1913, people lived simple rural lives. The population had stabilized at approximately 125. Then from 1913 on, Hessville began to grow. Railroads were constructed; men came with them. Factories followed the railroads and brought more people. The railroads cut down the big oak trees for fuel. People came to Hessville from as far as East Hammond to cut down the young oaks for firewood. A minority of residents saw their wildlife diminishing and made futile efforts to save what remained. The Briar East area was some of the last natural acreage left and was owned by the Nichol Plate Railroad Company. When the conservationists were bidding for the land, they were out bid by land developers. Mr. Miff summarizes America’s 200 years by saying it was: “Conceived in Discontent; Born in Revolution; Nutured on Dissatisfaction’’ Community— 21