The
MEGAPHONE
Elwood, Indiana Elwood High School(s)
Volume 8, No. 3 Thursday, March 1, 2007
Contents
-- Page numbers are active links --
Page 1 . . . In and Around Your Hometown -- Nancy Sumner
Page 2 . . . Panther Den Birthday & Anniversary Calendar -- Nancy Sumner (Our Calendar Girl)
Numb3rs -- Fuzzy Logik
Page 3 . . . My Life As A Little Boy -- Dewey W. Smith
The Importance of Being -- at Least Part -- Irish -- by Karen (Stine) Hollies
Page 4 . . . Our Winter Friend, Mama Bear -- Diane (Usfo) Peters
When You Care Enough . . . To Send the Very Best -- Diane (Usfo) Peters
Page 5 . . . Washington Grade School -- Jane Ann (Seright) Lemen
Page 6 . . . Franklin College: A Tradition -- Cindy (Benedict) Odom
Ode To A Compulsive Sears Shopper -- Cindy (Benedict) Odom
Page 7 . . . Hall Clock -- The Joyous Return
Page 8 . . . The Ladies -- Julie (Stout) Crim
The Cardinal Rule -- . . .
In and Around Your Hometown
by Nancy Sumner
Well, it just takes one little mention -- actually only 3 sentences from last month’s Hometown news --
Winter has settled in Elwood and it seems to me that many folks are huddled indoors waiting for the first robin! It’s pretty slow around here. There have been no snow storms, the schools haven’t closed for bad weather days and trash pick-up days are on schedule!
-- and the weather goes crazy!!
Nancy’s shovel!
Boy, did I open a bag of bad apples with that one!! You’ve read about it for the last two weeks – Elwood, almost 18” of the white stuff, schools closed for 3 days and another day on a two hour delay, trash pick-up cancelled for the entire week! I’m sorry! Believe me, even my aching back is sorry!! But we survived and now all that white stuff is starting to melt, thunderstorms are on the horizon and I’m looking for construction plans for an ark! So… how is your day?!
Last month I mentioned that I would finish the story of the 100 block of South Anderson Street… so let me continue:
Louise Romine had brought up the fact of a possible new building or construction in that block because of all the new bricks neatly stacked on pallets behind the buildings. For those who live in Elwood, we now know that is not exactly true. The fact: two more buildings are being demolished and by spring another parking lot will appear in the downtown area. The 100 block of South Anderson is slowly losing its character as more buildings and businesses bite the dust. This past month, Adams Millworks closed up and sold all equipment and wood supplies. Adams was located next to the Chamber of Commerce on the south side next to the alley.
I have a historical and genealogical connection to one of the two buildings being demolished. After the fire of 1960, there were only 2 original historical buildings left standing in that half block. One was the former offices of Max Cook, Attorney. That building was built in the early 1890’s. Next to the Cook bldg. and adjacent to the alley was the Stieglitz bldg. constructed in 1890-1891. My interest began 3 years ago after being contacted by Frank Stieglitz wanting information on his family who came to Elwood in the late 1880’s.
One great-uncle was Carl Stieglitz who owned a grocery on west Main Street near the county line. Another was Louis Stieglitz who worked with the early glass factories, After a few years he built a two story business building in downtown Elwood. The first business was called the Pittsburgh Saloon & Restaurant. (They migrated from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.) From grainy pictures, it looked like the place to sit-a-spell in the early muddy days of Elwood. There was a mirrored wall with shelves to hold an assortment of "beverage" bottles and a long massive wooden bar. The old bar area reminded me of the current bar and mirrored shelves of Wolff’s Tavern on South A Street. The ceiling was made of tin squares and there were several spittoons positioned throughout the establishment. The upstairs of the building was the living quarters for the family.
Through the years – actually 125 years – 111 So. Anderson St. and 113 So. Anderson St. were homes to many businesses. The upstairs of the buildings housed families, lawyers, tailors and in later years, there were apartments. But as with anything, if it is not kept in good repair, deterioration progresses rapidly. That leads us today to the demolition of two more buildings in our city.
In January of this year, Helt and Son Construction began demolition procedures on New Year's Day. But the demolition process was something that I have never seen before! Instead of bringing in a crane and other equipment to knock the walls in and everything cascade into the basement, Helt and Son Construction is bringing down the walls one brick at a time!
That’s right... one brick, then another, then another... etc! To date, only the Cook building is completely gone. But wait… that’s not right either! Remember last month I told you the Smith-Alsop Paint store was torn down and another building put in its place. Well, when the new building was constructed, it was built with only 3 walls! The fourth wall was the existing north wall of the Cook building! Can you imagine?!! A new 3-wall building was attached to a 65 year old building with no future thinking in mind! Maybe the insurance would only pay for 3 walls!! So today, a very old deteriorated structure is being removed with the exception of its north wall which is now the south exterior wall of the Edward Jones Company. The Edward Jones building has 3 walls of concrete block and one wall of brick and plaster on the outside!
As the back, front and upper side of the Cook building came down, it was also discovered that the Cook building was also only built with 3 walls!! When the Stieglitz building was built in 1890-91, it must have been the only one there because it has 4 walls. The buildings after that were just attached!
Another interesting point in all this is the palletized "new" bricks. Truth be known, they are not new at all. The bricks are being scraped and cleaned and being shipped to Las Vegas for new construction use. Honest! I wouldn’t make this stuff up! To create an old look ambience, old brick is being used in the new casinos. Go figure!
Stieglitz building Former Cook Building Ed Jones bldg.
This picture was taken from the back. The buildings are being torn down back to front. More demolition pictures are available in the Yahoo!Groups Den pages for photo albums. Look for Stieglitz and Cook buildings.
Before I close, I just want to mention one other weather phenomenon that occurred on February 21, 2007.
Frozen fog!
I’m outta here! Have a great March!
Your Hometown Reporter,
Nancy Sumner
Elwood, IN