Sweetser High School - Ti Pa Wa Ni Ca Yearbook (Sweetser, IN)

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old age of ninety-eight. One mile northeast of Sweetser was located the heshingomesia sugar camp. He and other Indiana came there yearly and camped among the hundreds of maple trees, that they might make syrup and sugar. Any modern history of these people of the forest would be incomplete without the name, Meshingomesia, the last chief of the hiamis. He was a friend to all the whites and was held in general good esteem, ' The early settlers of Pleasant Township found homes near the river, be- ' cause here they could find plenty of building material and there was natural drainage. The Mississinewa was once a navigable stream, and flat-boats passed up and down the river for commercial purposese Certain landing places were established where these boats could stop and trade with the settlers. A blowing of a horn or a bugle gave notice of their approach and all the settlers would gather at the landing and buy or trade their produce for the things they needede In 1828 Goldsmith Gilbert established a trading post on the river a mile above Suttonis Forde On the 9th day of October, lh25, David Conner purchased the store of Gilbert and made the first entry of land in Pleasant Township as well as in Grant County. Mr, Conner died in ldhh and lies buried just a short distance west of where his store stood. A Mrs, . Harter, his youngest child, was a resident of Sweetser for a number of years. In the year 1928 Samuel McClure built a saw mill along the river in Section Zh, the second mill in the county. In 1926 Henry Renbarger bought the east fraction of section 2h and shortly after three brothers, Jeremiah, Jeptha and Platt Sutton came and settled just north of the river, at the ford which now bears their name. Many, many others came later equally worthy, but too numerous to mention here. The pioneer life in this township was that of the other townships of the county. The first dwellings were cabins, one-story, often one-room only, of round logs unbarked, the chinks daubed with mud, the roof of clapboards, the same being held in place by weights instead of nails, a stick-chimney, a clay or mud hearth, windows few and small, the door homemmade, with wooden hinges, catch and latch, and the Wlatch-string hanging outen Surely his hardships were many, and to the present generation would seem unsurmountablea. Shortly, before 1912 an old lady of Pleasant township, one of the pioneers, told how the wolves at night.howled around their newlyebuilt cabin, which for the first few days and nights after its occupancy had only a quilt for a door. Although the old ioneers have raduallv gone to their iust rewards the have left 1. C tj , a wealth of stories of the Red Men, of Chief heshingomesia and his Miamis, and of their own hardships and tribulations in wresting a livelihood and a home from the wilderness. we the residents of Pleasant Township owe them our deepest gratitude for their fortitude, their courage, their bravery, and their pioneer characteristics which have given to us the green pasturelands, acres of golden grain, and many fertile fields, We are wealthy in land, tradition, and in history--we bow our heads in humble thankfulness. There were at one time several small villages in the township, but at present there are only Fox Station, Jalapa, and Sweetser. At one time Browntown was located in the southeast one-fourth of section l6. Fox Station is located approximately seven miles northwest of Marion. The Big Four Rail- POad and Union traction passed through it, and at one time it contained a grocery, smithy, a coal yard, and grain elevator, none of which are in opera- tion at Jalapa, ground, name is after a Cruz to the present time. Only a few houses now make up Fox Station. situated on a hill, across the river from the Mississnnewa battle- was laid out in 1bh9, by Jacob Sprecher, its first settler. The of Mexican origin, fSpanish pronunciation, Ha-la-pa.j, and was named town occupied by General Scott and his army on the way from Vera Mexico City. In 1877 it contained a schoolhouse, two churches, a . . ' .- .1 . r V n.,

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blacksmith shop, three stores, two mills, a post office, and fourteen dwell- ings. It is located about seven miles northwest of Marion. Sweetser, located six miles west of Marion on the C. Q O. and Penn- sylvania Railroads, was named in honor of James Sweetser, who owned a large tract of land south of the town. On September 18, 1871, Dr. Lanford Plater platted the town of Sweetser. At one time it was a thriving town of about thirty business enterprises among which were listed blacksmiths, a hotel, a butcher shop, a moving picture show, Sweetser Natural Gas Company, Sweet- ser Light Q Fuel Company, and job-printing. Two of the pioneer industries of Sweetser were tile factories, which are no longer in operation. Sweetser is now a wide awake town of about 900 population, with an accredited high school, a very active Methodist church, and several prosperous business concerns. The first church was built by the Methodist Episcopal denomination, in l8h7, on the Whiteman farm, and was known as Pleasant Chape, but long since abandoned. This denomination later established a church in Sweetser. The Methodist Protestants have a church at Jalapa and one at Xount Olive. WThe Church of the Brethern is at Cart Creek, two miles southwest of Jalapa. The first school house was built in 1832, on the Badger farm, later known as the Cretsinger farm. This school house was for many years used as a place for holding religious worship. These first school houses were very rude in structure and had much the appearance of the dwellings of that day. Within, at one end of the room was a huge fireplace, and the furniture was very crude, made by hand. About the only classes worthy of the name were the spelling and the reading classes. Spelling was then held in high esteem, but the method used then would not be received with favor now. All were required to Uspell for headu in classes, and some teachers were quite formal with this exercise. One school exercise, in which all were expected to participate, and one of more general interest, possibly, than any other, and that was Ugeography singing.U And it is surprising to know how much was learned in that way, and how lasting the information thus obtained. All the geographical facts and information were sung or chanted. There were no school bells or hand bells to call the pupils to classes, so the teacher usually hit the side of the building with a boa d and called, NBooksl Booksln In calling the roll at evening, as the name wasfgalled, the pupil walked to the door, faced the teacher, and uncovered, bowed'or courtesidd and passed out of the house. But these methods have all given way to new and generally better ones. A non-commissioned high school was established in Sweetser in 1891, with John O. Spurgeon in charge of the school for the next twelve years with Charles Grindle, James WR Anthony, and A. F. Wharton as successive trustees of Pleasant Township. In 1906 Sweetser became a certified high school and remained so until 1910, when it was commissioned with George E. Carter as superintendent, and Nelson L. Shockey in charge of townshi affairs. Miss Talitha Lines was the first graduate from the Sweetser high School, receiving her diploma with the 1910 class from the township schools at Mount Olive, Mr. Carter then entering a vigorous plea to the township graduates that they support the high school in Sweetser. Many who had high school work under Mr. Spurgeon in Sweetser became teachers in the county. It seems that the com ission was granted December 10, l909, and that Miss Lines graudated at the first opportunity. Mr. Spurgeon was followed by Otho Winger and Mn: Carter before the commission was granted. Pleasant is the historic township of the county. The people are prosperous, are honest and intelligent, and loyal to state and nation. we are proud to be called citizens of Pleasant township.