HAMILTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER
Volume 38, Issue 4 Organized 1963 Nov Dec 2011

Hamilton County Museum of History Museum Resource Library Museum Gift Store Educational Tours Location
810 Conner St Noblesville, IN

Web E-mail Telephone & Fax

www.hamiltoncoinhs.org hamiltoncomuseum@att.net
317-770-0775

ANNUAL DINNER MEETING

DECEMBER 4, 2011 Noblesville Masonic Lodge 9th & Hannibal St GATHERING 6:00 pm DINNER 6:30 pm

Mailing Address
P O Box 397 Noblesville, IN 46061

Museum Admission
No-Adm.-Charge Suggested Donations $2/adult $1/child (6-18 yrs) 5 yrs. & under free Members always free

Catered by Posey Patch Catering Menu Pork with apples & stuffing Caramelized Green Beans Strawberry Salad & Rolls Iced Tea & Coffee Pie Buffet RSVP 317-770-0775 Sat. NOV 27, 2011 $18.00 per person

Hamilton County Historian

David Heighway

Newsletter Editor & Museum Director

Diane Nevitt Open Hours ThursSat 10 a.m.4 p.m.

AWARD CEREMONY HONORING Joe H. Burgess Irving Heath Susan Lucas Lucille Noblitt Don Roberts Joe Roberts Joseph G Roberts Nettie Ann Shoemaker Schembre ELECTION OF OFFICERS & 3 DIRECTORS PROGRAM SPEAKERSTEVE COOKResearching the Cook Family

The HCHS Home Cookin in Hamilton County, IN, Vol. I has been completed and is now for sale at the Museum. The price is $25.00 for non-HCHS members with a 10% discount offered to members. 150 recipes were contributed as well as many photographs and family histories/antidotes featuring families throughout Hamilton County. This book will be a treasure through the years. If you missed out on the opportunity to contribute for Volume I watch for information on Volume II in 2012.
LOOKING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS

OFFICERS

Serving

20102011 Wayne Township Adams Township Fall Creek/Delaware Noblesville Town-

Dorothy Young, President, Tabb Adams, V. President, Susan Lucas, Secretary, Vernon Young, Treas. ship DIRECTORS 2009-2011 David Heighway J. Stanton Renner Ron Wilson 2010-2012 Jan Phillips Mark Cook Open 2011-1013 Tim Clark Nancy Massey Judy Byrd BOARD ACTIVITY

Located in the Richwine building window facing Maple Street (9th & Maple) is a Nativity scene made up from the figurines that use to set on the Court House square. Michael Delk of Faux Flower is looking for photos of this nativity scene when it sat on the Court House lawn. Please call Michael and 317-770-0088 if you have such pictures you would share with him.

Noblesville Township White River/Jackson Twp Noblesville Township Noblesville Township Noblesville Township

For those of you who missed our October program at Stuckys Farm in Sheridan Indiana, you missed a REALLY GOOD TIME. Who knew there was so much that went into the making of apple cider and that there was a secret recipe. I just thought you squeezed some apples and drank the results. After viewing the cider room and learning how cider was made we took a wagon ride to the orchard and pumpkin patch. From there we went to the corn maze. No one was brave enough to walk through. The maze had a patriotic theme that was programmed into a GPS system and then the paths were made. It featured a flag & eagle among other designs. Very fascinating. GIFT TO THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY Irv Heath made a monetary donation to the Hamilton County Historical Society Restoration Fund in memory of his wife Rachel Waltz Heath. As stated in the Board Activity column these funds will be used in part to restore the 1876 Womens Cells on the second floor. There is much work to be done to bring these cells back to life, beginning with removal of many layers of paint, which means the loss of the graffiti. President Dottie Young and her daughter Emily Compton spent one Saturday in October documenting all the graffiti in all the jail cells, so while it will no longer be on the walls, it will be saved. Presentation of the graffiti for future visitors has yet to be designed. After paint removal comes plastering, wiring & heating, flooring, repainting, etc., etc. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

White River Township Noblesville Township Jackson Township ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Restoration committee for the 1876 Womens Cells have met and have contacted Indiana Landmarks for assistance. Committee members Tabb Adams, Stanton Renner, Ron Wilson, Vernon & Dottie Young and Diane Nevitt. Civil War veteran committee has begun the documentation of the markers at Crownland. Once all have been documented we hope to be able to repair or replace damaged markers through a grant. Members are Ron Wilson, Stan Renner, Dottie Young , & Susan Lucas, and Dan Freas from Conner Prairie.

restoration projects as well as many artifacts pertaining to . Hamilton County History. Don has presented many proThe following are bios on the persons that the HCHS is hon- grams for the Historical Society meetings & to other organizations.

BIOGRAPHIES OF OUR HONOREES

oring at our Annual Dinner Meeting. Listed will be the contributions they have made to the Historical Society and Im sure I will miss some of them. To list all their other accomplishment would make our newsletter as large as the book War and Peace.

Joe Robertsof Randall & Roberts at the beginning of our museum contributed many artifacts and photographs of Noblesville and Hamilton County. Most times when we were setting up a new display Joe would stop by with 2 or 3 copies of photographs pertaining to our subject. Any time he came across something that he felt would fit with our mission, he Joe H. Burgesshelped to start the current Historical Society would donate it to our cause.

in 1963. Joe served in many capacities within this organization from director to President. He served for 20 years as the Hamilton County Historian through the Indiana Historical Society and authored in the late 1960s the book Hamilton County and the Civil War. Over the years Joe has donated many artifacts and items pertaining to our countys history to our museum.

Joseph G. Robertsdirector and champion for Hamilton County history. Joe served on our board for more years then I can find records. He served on many committees to further the interest of the HCHS and has contributed many items . Joe also presented many programs for the Historical Society meetings and to other organizations within Hamilton County.

Nettie Ann Shoemaker SchembreNettie Ann was not a member of the Historical Society nor did she serve on the Irving HeathI first met Irv at a commissions meeting in board. She lived in Wayne Township on a farm that had 1978 when they were discussing the demolition of the Sher- been in her family for over 100 years. She registered it with iffs Residence and Jail. His comment to the Commissioners the State of Indiana as a Century Farm and had a sign in was I will chain myself to the porch of the Sheriffs Resiher front yard for many years. Nettie Ann passed away in dence if you come at it with a bulldozer. This item on the 2010 and left a monetary contribution to the Museum for agenda was tabled for further study and the meeting adwhich we are very grateful. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ journed shortly thereafter. Irv has championed the saving of

the Sheriffs Residence for a museum ever since. He served as treasurer for more years then I can find record of, worked above and beyond the call of duty on our campaign fund for restoration and has been a collector and donor of Hamilton County items.

Attention Hamilton County Historical Society Members:

The Indiana Magazine of History (IMH) wants you! Published four times annually since 1905, the IMH is a journal of record for Hoosier history. In addition to running fascinating articles about Indiana from the pioneer period to our Susan Lucasthe new kid on the block. Susan is the great- own time, we review books, interview Hoosier historymakers, and feature special roundtables on topics of interest great-granddaughter of Sheriff Franklin Thacker (1896-98) and she & her mother came by 2 years ago to donate a picture to todays history lovers.

of the Sheriff & his family taken on the front porch of the residence. She asked if there were volunteer opportunities and has been coming for 2 afternoons a week since that time. She has assisted in documenting artifacts, cleaning (just like you do at home) genealogy research, listing the Correll cemetery records on Findagrave.com and is now Secretary for the Historical Society. She is currently reorganizing our many files, i.e. church, cemetery, club & organizations, businesses and genealogy.

The IMH is running a special offer to welcome new readers from among the members of the Hamilton County Historical Society. If you order before January 31, 2012, we will send you two years (8 issues) of the IMH for just $40a savings to you of almost 20 % off our regular rate. To subscribe, just call or write us: IMH 742 Balantine Hall Indiana University, 1020 E Kirkwood Bloomington, IN 47405

Lucille Noblittserved on our board for many years and was board secretary from 1992 to 2003. Lucille along with her late husband Robert donated many items to the museum. Telephone (812) 855-4139. or visit our website: Lucille has been assisting Pres. Dottie Young and Director www.indiana.edu/~imaghist/ and follow the steps for subStan Renner on documenting the old one room school houses scribing. in Fall Creek and Wayne Township.
Be sure to identify yourself as a Hamilton County Historical

Don Robertsserved for many years as director of the Soci- Society member. We look forward to having you as an IMH ety. He has donated time, material and labor to many of our reader