Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on January 11, 1936.
SEEK FACTS FOR INDIANA HISTORY
BY LYNN M. WHIPPLE
Believe it or notーsome fifty prominent business and professional Garyites and three Valparaisoans Thursday night drove miles over treacherous ice-covered highways. Pointed their autos into a narrow forbidding roadway and drove to the top of the highest sand dune along Porter county’s stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline.
Gilded up the steep and winding ascent by dim lights atop the bleak, snow-covered, wind-driven ascent, the voyageurs found themselves at spacious, impressive Dunes Acres Club House, a far-famed summer-time retreat whose building was inspired by Gary’s celebrated schoolmaster. Dr. William A. Wirt.
And it was to go to school that the party of half a hundred curious individuals made what seemed at times a risky trip.
Inside Dunes Acres Club House, two great fireplaces did their best to overcome the wintery chill and lake-side dampness. Flames lashing sizable logs illuminated and, as they have through many centuries, cast a spell upon those assembled about them.
Believe it or notーthis group, accustomed to dodging the rigors of winter as much as possible, shivered and enjoyed it.
Believe it or notーthis group choked and sneezed and applied handkerchiefs to watery eyes, caused by heavy wood smoke, and got a thrill out of it.
And all this was just what the schoolmaster of the evening, Ross Lockridge, professor of history, Indiana University, had ordered. For there was design behind it all. For Professor Lockridge was prepared to hold school in a manner both old and new.
What he aimed at was setting and atmosphere. And that’s what he got when, following the schoolmaster, the group climbed the stairs leading to the lodge room which, like the main floor, was made cheery and tenantable by two great fireplace fires, and sat down for the program of the evening.
Purpose of the gathering was to permit Professor Lockridge to demonstrate, first hand, just how the new type of history, sponsored by the Writers’ Guide Division of WPA, works out.
“When the project was first announced it drew a lot of criticism. ‘What, more history?’ scoffed those who did not like the idea. They didn’t like the idea. They didn’t like the idea because they didn’t understand it,” he stated.
Dr. Lockridge then proceeded to explain the plan back of the nation-wide history getting and history writing project. He heads the Indiana section, and Mrs. Naomi Harris Phillips heads the Lake and Porter county section, under Professor Lockridge.
“We are not going to preclude old-fashioned, cold fact, history. What we aim to do is to go into the several historic divisions of Indiana (others will do the same thing in other states) and dig out the folklore, the colorful personalities who, in the past, have made history. We want to know exactly how they lived, what they did by way of sports and dance and song. In other words, we want to make the past live again through the daily lives of its people.”
Project workers headed by Professor Lockridge are now in northwestern Indiana gathering and assembling bits of local lore. Miss Zada Carr, Valparaiso librarian, is the local leader of the Writers’ build project. After all the material is in, it will be edited under Professor Lockridge’s supervision, and finally forwarded to headquarters in Washington for final preparation. When completed, Americans may read and “sense” the full history of any state, and part of a state.
To bring before the group assemble in Dunes Acre Club House an example of what is sought, Professor Lockridge told the story of the First Pioneer Hoosier, the French explorer, LaSalle, on whom he is an authority, having written a book which is published by the World Book Company, Chicago.
“Out here on the edge of Lake Michigan we should be able to visualize the time some three centuries ago when the only native Americans, Indians, had their dwelling,” said Professor Lockridge. “Except for a few buildings, this place atop this big dune, is little changed in setting from the time that LaSalle and his band of thirteen faithful followers, undertook the exploration of the Ohio-Mississippi valleys and the Lake Michigan area.” So graphic was Professor Lockridge’s recital that scarcely a person moved position during a forty-minute lecture on LaSalle and his troubles and triumphs.
Another feature of the program were Indian, French and pioneer songs, with Miss Marcella Duncan. Lafayette, as soloist. Songs were sung without accompaniment, just as they were originally rendered. The effect was surprisingly good. Miss Bernice Jenkins, Fort Wayne, presented Indiana, French and pioneer dances, encostume.
Rev. A.R. Evans, of Gary, field worker on the project, impressively delivered an old-time “Hell and Damnation” Pioneer Indiana sermon. A Presbyterian minister, Rev. Evans himself knew something of back-in-the-hills life as for years he rode circuit in Brown county. The setting for his sermon was a spot near Vincennes during the rule of Governor William Henry Harrison.
The aim of Mrs. Phillips and Dr. Evans is to obtain all the highlights of localized and district history of northwestern Indiana. Porter county individuals having historical data or information are requested to contact the Valparaiso librarian, Miss Carr. There are some 150 workers on the state WPA Writers’ Project Guide, with eleven supervisors. Those attending the Dunes Acres gathering from Valparaiso were: Mrs. A.R. Putna, former president of the Porter County Historical Society; Avery B. Weaver and the writer, both of The VIdette-Messenger.