August 1, 1921
Ray Kenworthy of Porter Township, was named county attendance officer at a meeting of the county board of education this afternoon at the office of Superintendent Fred H. Cole. He is a World War veteran. The office pays a salary of $1,200 per year ($18,214.26 in 2021).
J. W. Brummitt and Glen J. Goddard, local real estate men, have consummated a big deal for Chicago and Knox parties. The total value of the property figuring in the deal involved $170,000 ($2,580,353.07 in 2021), and consisted of 157 acres of Porter County land, near Beatrice; 200 acres near Amber, Ind.; 640 acres near Francesville, and a hardware store near Amboy, Ind.
August 2, 1921
The Hour Committee has been appointed by the president of the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce to expand the membership of the chamber. It consists of twenty men who are pledged to give one hour’s work to the chamber each month.
August 3, 1921
Earl Goheen, graduate of the Valparaiso University law school, and left tackle on the football team for two years, has been appointed athletic director of Valparaiso University for the coming year. No provision has yet been made for forming an athletic association, but this is expected to be done at the opening of the fall term.
August 4, 1921
The Town of Kouts will soon have electric lights. The poles are all in from Hebron where the town will receive current. Stringing of wires will be commenced the first of the week, and it is expected current will be available the latter part of the month. The Main Street of Kouts will be lighted with ornamental lights.
The Porter County Commissioners yesterday ruled in favor of the town of Chesterton on its amended petition for annexation of land to the town. The original petition filed sometime ago called for annexation of a large amount of acreage. Before the annexation, Chesterton had 5,000 lots or considerably more than Valparaiso. A large amount of land was cut out in the amended petition.
August 5, 1921
Lieutenant Arthur T. Johnson, Chesterton aviator, shot down during the St. Mihiel Drive, September 12, 1918, will be buried from the Augsburg Lutheran Church at Porter Sunday afternoon with the American Legion in charge. Johnson was born north of Chesterton on March 21, 1896. He graduated from St. Augustana College at Rock Island, Ill.
Although the Porter wreck in which thirty-seven persons lost their lives occurred on February 27 last, Coroner H. O. Seipel is still receiving inquiries from people over the country asking about relatives believed killed in the wreck. Two inquiries were received this week from Los Angeles and New Orleans.
August 6, 1921
A remonstrance signed by fifty-five farmers of Jackson Township was filed with County Auditor B. H. Kinne yesterday against the bond issue in the Barnard Road in Jackson Township. The contract was recently let to Flynn and Small, of Laporte, for $83,625 ($1,269,290.85 in 2021), or at the rate of $30,000 ($455,356.42 in 2021) per mile for penetration asphalt. The objectors declare the price is exorbitant.
Yesterday a deal was consummated by the O. C. Fredericks Agency whereby Harold J. Schenck traded his property on Linwood Avenue under lease to the Phi Delta Psi fraternity of Valparaiso University to S. C. Wilson for a farm property three miles east of Westville.
August 7, 1921
Captain John F. Zajicek, of the United States Army, who was a major in the World War, has written friends here of his transfer from Washington, D. C., to the Philippine Islands. Captain Zajicek graduated from the engineering department of Valparaiso University and lived here before entering service.
A number of Valparaiso young men have formed an athletic club and have obtained rooms over the Szold Department Store on East Lincolnway. Gymnasium equipment has been installed for use of the members.
August 8, 1921
Mrs. Minnie Robinson, of Valparaiso, widow of Harvey W. Robinson, Civil War veteran, has obtained a pension after seventeen years of waiting. Due to inaccurate data furnished, the pension department was unable to act.
Miss Anna Mohnssen, of the county agent’s office has been notified of her appointment to a home economics course at the state fair at Indianapolis. Miss Mohnssen’s appointment has been confirmed by State Senator Thomas Grant, of Lowell, president of the Indiana Agriculture board. The Porter County Farming Association is sending Miss Mohnssen to the school as a reward for her efficiency.
August 9, 1921
Valparaiso University will push the half-million endowment for the institution. The fund now amounts to $200,000 ($3,035,709.50 in 2021) in cash and pledges. The work of raising additional money will be pushed forward by the school through the committee composed of the faculty. No attempt will be made to commercialize it, according to Dr. G. H. Stoner, a trustee of the university, said at a talk given at chapel exercises this morning. O. P. Kinsey also gave a talk.
August 10, 1921
Everything is coming earlier this year. The same applies to auction sales, according to Colonel George Wyman, veteran auctioneer. Mr. Wyman has eight sales booked for August and September. Many families are becoming disgusted with the poor return and are anxious to sell. Mr. Wyman believes the number of sales this fall will eclipse any year.
August 11, 1921
Porter County is one of the few counties in the state not to feel the horizontal increase order of the state tax board. Porter’s assessment is that property assessments increased by $6,540,490 ($99,275,139.05 in 2021), an increase of 5.8% over last year.
Rev. John W. Newsom and family will leave the latter part of the month for Rexford, Kansas, where Mr. Newsom will take a position with the Rexford Chamber of Commerce. His activities will be confined to the religious field. The town has two churches, the M. E. and Christian, but no pastor. Rev. Newsom spent several months in Rexford last year and was asked to return.
August 12, 1921
Roscoe Pool, of Wheatfield, formerly of Valparaiso, has sold his 180-acre farm north of Wheatfield to William Brandt, residing east of Sheridan Beach, Flint Lake. Mr. Pool took, in part, payment of eighty acres of land owned by Mr. Brandt near Flint Lake. The deal involved a total of $42,000 ($637,498.99 in 2021).
The Indiana Sanitary Engineering Association will establish a school for the training of students at Valparaiso University. An agreement has been entered between the trustees of the university and officials of the state sanitary engineering association where a school will be opened in September. The association will send an instructor here to take charge of the work and will guarantee a starting attendance of thirty students. The two campus buildings will be remodeled by the school.
August 13, 1921
A referendum vote by members of the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce of two propositions was as follows: For $1,200 ($18,214.26 in 2021) appropriation for city band, 72 for, 68 against; to permit street carnivals, for 34, against 106. Out of 496 ballots sent out, only 142 were returned.
The Inland Steel Company will soon begin the survey of its 640-acre tract of land in Portage Township. A large gang of surveyors will go over the property to establish boundaries of the area. The land to be surveyed fronts on the lake for nearly a mile and includes acreage around Lake Longius. Title to land around this lake has been in dispute for a number of years.
August 14, 1921
County Clerk Roscoe C. Jones left this afternoon for Indianapolis where he will receive the ballots from the secretary of state for the special election to be held on September 6, when the constitutional amendments will be voted upon.
Today R. C. Breth, manager of the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce, left for Madison, Wis., where he will attend the summer school of Community of Wisconsin. He will be absent until September 1. The chamber will be in the charge of Miss Irene Thompason, office secretary.
August 15, 1921
Fred H. Cole, county superintendent of schools, was recently elected for a new term of four years, began his new term today. Mr. Cole was elected in 1908 to fill the unexpired term of S. C. Ferrell, who took a position with the state superintendent of public instruction.
When he returned Saturday morning from San Francisco, Calif., where he went to attend the International Convention of Knights of Columbus, Rev. Father E. J. Mungovan, pastor of St. Paul’s Catholic Church, was presented with a new Buick Touring Car by the parishioners of the church.
August 16, 1921
E. F. Rainier has resigned his position as instructor at the Dodge Institute of Telegraphy, and with his family, will leave Nov. 1 for Los Angeles, Calif., to reside. The change is being made for the benefit of Mrs. Rainier’s health.
August 17, 1921
Lewis E. Myers was elected president; H. R. Ball, vice-president; T. L. Applegate, treasurer, and Edmund J. Freund, secretary, of the Valparaiso Hotel Company at a meeting of the stockholders at the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce rooms last night. About fifty persons, representing seventy percent of the membership, attended the meeting.
August 18, 1921
About 10,000 ballots will arrive here today or tomorrow from Indianapolis for the special election to be held September 6 when amendments to the state constitution will be voted upon. Three boxes will be received containing 9,820 ballots made up as follows: Voters in thirty-eight precincts, 7,670; absent voters, 150; reserve, 2,000.
Farmers in Porter County are coming to realize the value of alfalfa as a crop and this year more land is being planted with the crop. The assessors’ books this spring gave the county 922 acres, but it is estimated the amount is closer to 1,200 acres.
August 19, 1921
While enroute to the Farmers State Bank on Wednesday, A. A. Williams, vice-president of Valparaiso University, was robbed of $539 ($8,181.24 in 2021). Mr. Williams was carrying the money in a sack and was stopped by several students enroute. When he arrived at the bank the money was missing. Mr. Williams made good on the loss.
Word has been received here by Attorney Owen Crumpacker announcing the appointment of Walter H. Evans, formerly of Valparaiso, by the governor of Oregon, to a vacancy in the office of judge of the circuit court of Multnomah County, Oregon, in which Portland is located. Mr. Evans was re-elected district attorney of Multnomah County at the last fall election. He is a brother of Dr. H. M. Evans, and married a daughter of Erasmus Ball, of Valparaiso.
August 20, 1921
Boone Grove was defeated by Hamlet on Sunday, 5 to 4, in twelve innings. Boone Grove scored a run in the twelfth, but Hamlet pushed across two by the aid of errors. Maloney pitched a fine game for Boone Grove and deserved to win.
W. C. Sergeant, special policeman on College Hill, equipped with a motorcycle, Saturday arrested six speeders on West Lincolnway. All were fined in Justice T. B. Louderback’s court. Sergeant was to have worked Sunday, but his motorcycle refused to work and speeders escaped as a result.
August 21, 1921
A. E. Starr has taken a position at the Longshore and McMahan Grocery Store during the absence of F. L. Longshore, who is on a vacation. Clerking at the Longshore and McMahan store brought back recollections to Mr. Starr that he worked in the same building for Frank Hunt from 1866 to 1878 and later from 1911 to 1920 for Fred Joel.
Dr. Charles Gregory, of the plant disease department of Purdue University, will come to Porter County Thursday to demonstrate the hot weather method of treating wheat for disease and also to inspect seed potato fields using certified seed. Charles Keoppen, of Union Township, has had extra good success with certified seed.
August 22, 1921
An educational campaign to acquaint local citizens with what is manufactured in Valparaiso is being planned by the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce. Newspaper publicity and an industrial exhibit will comprise the campaign. At the present time there are eighteen plants in Valparaiso manufacturing sixteen different lines. It is the intention of the chamber to put the display before the public about September 1.
Last evening at the Rose Room of the Philley Confectionery, a farewell party was tendered to Mr. and Mrs. Walter Wright, who will soon leave for Texas to reside. Fifteen couples were in attendance, and following a banquet, the crowd enjoyed the evening in dancing.
August 23, 1921
Thirty-seven new houses were built in Valparaiso this year, providing housing facilities for forty families. In addition to the new homes there was considerable remodeling.
August 24, 1921
Mrs. W. H. Gardner, wife of William H. Gardner, former president of the Farmers’ State Bank of Valparaiso, has brought suit in Chicago against the brokerage firm of Babcock, Rushton and Company, for $300,000 ($4,553,564.25 in 2021). It is alleged W. H. Gardner, her husband, lost his entire fortune of $138,082.50 ($2,095,891.78 in 2021) in speculation and that the bank passed from his hands when he lost his holdings of capital stock.
August 25, 1921
William M. Sergeant, who has been manager of the Ladies’ Ready-to-Wear Department at Specht-Finney Company, has resigned to take a position with the Landauer Clothing Store at Lincoln, Ill. He will assume his new position on Monday.
E. F. Rainer yesterday sold his residence property at the corner of Calumet Avenue and Institute Street to county treasurer J. G. Graessle. Mr. Rainier and family will leave November 3 for California to reside.
August 26, 1921
In the preliminary handicap shoot, one of the events of the Grand American Handicap held in Chicago yesterday, Dr. Robley D. Blount, of Valparaiso, broke 97 out of 100 targets. The event was won by M. L. Fox of Emery, S. D., with ninety-nine.
A movement has been started by W. A. Briggs, of Crisman, for the staging next year of a celebration in honor of the one hundredth anniversary of the settling of Baillytown in 1822. Mr. Briggs has lived in the Baillytown vicinity many years and is interested in the early history of the county. Baillytown was settled by French trader Joseph Bailly. For many years it was an important trading post and gathering place for holding religious rites.
August 27, 1921
Dr. R. S. McElwee, of Washington, D. C., was speaker last night at the forum meeting of the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce. He spoke on the subject, “Bringing Ocean Ships to the Heart of America.” The speaker during the war had charge of much navigation for the government.
H. V. Deopker, of Kouts, yesterday purchased the Maxwell Implement Company and a stock of merchandise at Hamlet, Ind., of which he gave in trade an 80 acre farm in Morgan Township and town property in Kouts. He also purchased the Edward W. Trowell general store at Mill Creek, LaPorte County.
August 28, 1921
An Indian mound on the Charles LaCount farm in Morgan Township, excavated by the LaCount Brothers, has given up four skeletons believed to be Indians. The bones crumbled upon being exposed to the air, but the teeth were well preserved. The skeletons are large in stature. Tomahawks, pottery, and pipes were found near the bodies. The mound is twenty feet high and seventy-five feet across. The earth comprising the mound is clay texture, and proof against weathering. There are three other mounds on the LaCount Farm.
The Valparaiso Plumbing Company, owned by Lyman Dean and Sons, is moving to the Fitzwilliam building on West Lincolnway, recently purchased by the company. For thirty years the company has been located in the basement under the Meagher Drug Store.
August 29, 1921
Horn Brothers’ Quality Meat Market will have a new home. Work was commenced today by Cash Jones on the excavation of the lot just east of the present Horn building on Lincolnway for a new building. It is planned to have the building ready by December 1. It will be two stories.
Cottagers at Summitt, between Flint and Long Lakes, will have a water supply. J. D. Price, owner of many lots in the addition between Long and Flint has erected a building for housing the biler and pumping station with a pressure capacity of 1,800 gallons. It will supply 75 homes.
August 30, 1921
An American Legion post, to be known as Valparaiso University Training Post, will be established by federal vocational members attending the local school. A number of men attending the university obtained the services of Edmund J. Freund, officer of Valparaiso’s Charles Pratt Post, and through his efforts the necessary papers were sent here for establishing the post. Between 400 and 500 men are attending the local school.
August 31, 1921
The A. N. Worstell Real Estate Agency yesterday negotiated a big farm deal in which Valparaiso City Councilman A. J. Worstell sold his farm of 175 acres in Porter Township to John Rhoda, of near Flint Lake. Mr. Worstell took, in part payment, the Lake View Farm of thirty-four acres owned by Mr. Rhoda. The deal involved $45,000 ($683,034.64 in 2021).