Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on February 22, 1936.
INCORPORATE CENTENNIAL
PERFECT PLAN TO CARRY OUT HISTORIC FETE
County and City Leaders on Committee Form Corporation to Promote Huge Celebration.
NOT FOR PROFIT ARTICLES SET UP
The Porter County Centennial, Inc., is to be the name of the organization to promote a celebration during the third week in August in Valparaiso, marking the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of Porter county.
Formation of the new corporation was made Friday night at a meeting of the central committee named sometime ago to promote the affair. Members of the board of directors of the new organization are to be the same as the old committee.
They are: O.L. Ananson, Valparaiso; Byron Smith, Valparaiso; L.L. Howard, Valparaiso; C.L. Bartholomew, Valparaiso; J.A. Fleishbein, Valparaiso; George Nelson, Valparaiso; Senator Will Brown, Hebron; M.E. Dinsmoore, Hebron; W. Newsom, Kouts; Herman [illegible], Kouts; G.M. Givens, Porter; Harold H. Bartels, Chesterton; H.A. Flynn, Chesterton.
O.L. Allanson, chairman of the old central committee, presided as temporary chairman of the meeting which was held in the chamber of commerce rooms in the Elks’ building. Twelve of the fifteen members of the committee attended.
The matter of incorporation was presented to the group by City Attorney J.A. Fleishbein, who is an attorney for the centennial group. He explained the various provisions of the new 1935 legislation bearing on organization of corporations not for profit making.
Attorney Fleishbein’s report on the various matters to be included in the articles of incorporation was adopted by the committee in toto.
Under the provisions of the new corporation the fifteen members of the old central committee are to form the new directorate to serve for one year from the grant of the incorporation papers. They are to be known as subscribing members because of the fact that each subscribed $10.
However, in the articles of incorporation, the names of only three of the group will be set out. They are O.L. Allanson, George Nelson and J.A. Fleishbein.
The purposes of the new organization will be to arrange and conduct a celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Porter county; raise and disburse funds; collect, distribute and publish historical data; enter into contracts; negotiate loans, and transact business of every nature that is properly connected with the celebration, and perform any other acts solely in the interest and promotion of educational and literary endeavors.
O.L. Allanson is to be the resident manager of the corporation with offices at 10 Lafayette street. The principal office will be located in the chamber of commerce office at 9 Lafayette street.
Attorney Fleishbein will send the incorporation papers to Indianapolis today and it is expected the charter will be received here on Friday of next week. As soon as the articles have been recorded in the county recorder’s office the new corporation will begin to function.
A meeting will probably be called for next Friday night at which time officers of the new corporation will be elected, and by-laws to be drafted by Attorney Fleishbein, Byron Smith and M.E. Dinsmoore, with help of other directors, submitted to the directors for adoption.
Following formation of the new corporation, the old central committee held a meeting and transferred its duties and activities to the new organization and then dissolved.
F.W. Alpen, temporary treasurer of the centennial organization, informed the group that Valparaiso university authorities will cooperate with the committee in permitting use of Brown Field for the pageant to be staged.
George Myers, chairman of the pageant committee, has already outlined a guide for collating the historical data in the various townships. These are being distributed to the different township leaders.
