FREY PUTS FAITH AND HOPE IN ‘CHARITY’

This story by Mary Henrichs originally appeared in The Vidette-Messenger on April 15, 1978.

Caritas. The Latin word for “charity.”

Sculptor Fred Frey likes the sound of the Latin word. It reminds him of our classical heritage. And his sculpture sits in front of a neoclassical building.

Five fountains currently being installed along the west side of Caritas will provide a formal approach to the Porter County Courthouse, Frey believes.

And the sculpture, itself, incorporates a variety of symbols which Frey feels were appropriate  to the nation’s Bicentennial – the butterfly, the phoenix, the eagle and a guardian shield.

Two wings of the sculpture seem especially like those of a butterfly, the traditional symbol of resurrection and new life for both Christians and the American Indian.

Frey said the center pole of Caritas has the contour of a butterfly’s antennae and the top can be seen as the head of a bird.

The bird’s head in combination with the wings evokes for him the rebirth symbol of the phoenix and the flight of the eagle.

The third wing of the sculpture is a shield form with its outer edge curved like an archer’s bow.

This shape is in keeping with the tradition of putting guardian figures outside public buildings and Frey said he was careful to place the shield wing at a right angle to the courthouse doors.

Asked about his reaction to the public furor over Caritas, Frey said he believes people will eventually like the sculpture. “As it becomes familiar, it will grow on them,” he said, adding that some people have told him this already has happened with them.

He believes the work cannot be understood immediately. People ask, “What’s it for? What’s it all about?” without giving themselves a chance to appraise it, he believes.

Frey feels that citizens will begin to appreciate the sculpture when pleasant weather allows them to walk around it, to see it from many angles, and to sit beside it at the edge of the surrounding pool.

Frey designed the sculpture at the request of the Porter County Bicentennial Committee and under sponsorship of the County Arts Commission.

The $43,000 required to construct and place the sculpture was in the form of private funds raised by an ad hoc committee headed by Joseph W. Bibler, Northern Indiana Bank and Trust Co. president.

Janet Sullivan, arts commission president, said Bethlehem Steel Corp. donated the steel for the sculpture and “Fred Frey never got one cent” for his work.

The commission donated the final $2,000 which put the fundraising campaign over the top, Mrs. Sullivan said. That amount was one-third of the non-profit organization’s resources.

Frey believes very little tax money will be needed to maintain the sculpture site. Power for the fountain lights and pumps “won’t be expensive” and water in the pool and fountains will be recycled.

Caritas will be dedicated May 7 (1978) in conjunction with a forum on “Public Art and Porter County” to be conducted May 6.

People and cities are not static, Frey observed. “Who knows? Maybe in 100 years nobody will want to change the sculpture.”

May 15, 1936: PROPOSED COURT HOUSE DESIGN

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on May 15, 1936.

PROPOSED COURT HOUSE DESIGN

Pictured above is a drawing showing how the present fire-razed courthouse will appear when remodeled according to plans and specifications of Walter Scholer, of Lafayette, Ind., architect.

The building design without tower, steps and clocks has been tentatively approved by the Porter county board of commissioners. A few minor changes are expected to be made and final approval given the plan by the board at a meeting to be held Saturday, May 23.

According to Architect Scholer’s design, the cost of rebuilding the old structure will be under $150,000, the limit set by the county board.

The main changes in the exterior is the removal of the huge arched window above the portico on the north side. Three smaller windows will be substituted to give architectural balance. Front entrance steps are eliminated, and what is now the basement will be made over into first floor arrangement.

Changes will be made in the offices of the county superintendent of schools and county agent, and quarters will be provided for the county engineer and welfare board.

Second floor changes embody removal of the assessor’s office to the east side of the building where the south entrance is now located.

The clerk’s office and auditor’s office will be materially changed and the treasurer and auditor will share additional vault space. The county clerk will also receive additional vault space.

On the third floor, two court rooms have been arranged, with a new innovation in the way of arrangement of the judge’s bench, jurymen and witnesses. The jury will sit with their backs to the judge, and the witness chair,which heretofore has been located at one side of the bench, will be placed in front of the spectators’ benches, facing the judge and jury.

Other rooms on the third floor will be for the judges, court reporters, prosecutor, sheriff and court library.

The fourth floor will be given over to emergency rooms, with an additional court room. These rooms may be used for examination of public records by state accountants, tax board meetings, industrial board sessions and grand jury hearings.

March 26, 1991: They’ve come for fun and prizes since 1851

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on March 26, 1991.

They’ve come for fun and prizes since 1851

by William Thompson

The Vidette-Messenger

Fair Fun?

Through the years, 140 of them to be exact, the Porter County Fair has afforded county residents, and others from all over the area, the opportunity to view some of the most unusual and popular acts around. For example, Johnny Rivers’ World’s Only High Diving Mules once amazed fairgoers, as shown above in this photo, provided by former Fair Board vice-president John Poncher of Valparaiso. But he wasn’t sure just when they appeared.

The Porter County Fair will celebrate its 150th anniversary in the year 2001.

Carl Hefner, the summer festival’s longest-serving president, has had a long love affair with fairs, and he traces the evolution of the local event not in cold facts, but in memories.

Former Vidette-Messenger reporter Nancy Shurr recalls the early history of the fair:

The idea for the fair was conceived on June 14, 1851, at a meeting to organize an Agriculture Society and attended by prominent local citizens. The Porter County Fair became a one-day event on the courthouse lawn in Valparaiso.

It was attended by about 400 people and presented $80 in prizes for horses, cattle, sheep, swine, fruits and vegetables,  dairy products and farm equipment.

Following this success, a second fair was held October 14-15, 1852, with prize money increased to $100 and more categories added. By 1853 there was $300 in prize money and competition in butter, cheese, bed quilting and rug carpeting was added.

The fair was held on the courthouse square until 1859, when it moved to the old woolen mill grounds, west of the former Anderson Co. building. This site was used until 1862, when the fair was suspended due to the Civil War.

The fair did not reappear in Porter County until 1871, when the Agricultural Society was reorganized under the leadership of president A.V. Bartholomew. The fair was held in October of that year.

In July 1872, a 20-acre plot north of the Grand Trunk Railroad and just east of state Route 49 was bought by the society from Nathan A. Kennedy for $2,500. A fence was built around the grounds; buildings and stalls were erected; and the first fair was held on this site in 1872.

The parcel was later increased by acquiring nine acres from William Riggs in 1890 and the Old Fairgrounds was created, Shurr said. And it served its purpose will late into the 20th Century.

Because of the Depression, the 1931 fair went broke, and was the last held as a major event for a number of years, Hefner said.

The handsome gentleman at above is Golden Moose Cholak, a big name in professional wrestling in the 1950s and ‘60s. He also performed at the fair, sometime in the early 1960s, when he was the World Champion, according to the belt buckle.

In 1932, it became a two-day event with no entertainment; after that, it was run strictly as a 4-H show until 1943, when the Fair Board was resurrected and reorganized, thanks mostly to a man named John Avala Jones (who was a former treasurer of the Ringling Brothers Circus).

Jones brought the fair back to a five-day schedule.

By 1954, the fair had grown to a six-day affair ー with carnivals and entertainment booked once again. It was during this renaissance that Hefner took an interest in the fair.

He first became involved in 1948, assisting with the hog and swine departments. He happily worked this department until 1956, when he was elected to serve as Fair Board president, replacing Walter Hanrahan, who had served for 14 years. Hefner held the board’s top spot until 1989.

“The Porter County Fair is not a one-man show ー it’s an effort put together by an awful lot of people and I want to stress that,” Hefner said.

“I don’t know why I originally joined. I just love fairs; I never thought then that the fair would get to be the size it is now. I guess you’d say you like to work with people when you work with fairs.”

By the mid-60s, the Fair Board saw the need for more acreage, but city zoning regulations stifled expansion

“Obstructions were put in front of it (one old fairgrounds), so that the county commissioners couldn’t develop it much more,” Hefner recalls.

After years of haggling and in-fighting between the governmental bodies in the ‘70s, the Fair Board was finally able to move into the new Porter County Fairgrounds and Exposition Center in Washington Township in 1985.

The move allowed the fair an expansion from 29 to 80 acres, and it is held there to this day.

Managing the fair has never been easy for Hefner, a Pleasant Township farmer.

His most time-consuming responsibility is supervising all the department heads and coordinating their activities.

Filling empty positions, signing food contracts and booking the entertainment is a year round job.

And the fair is not without its share of bad luck. Though Hefner fails to recall exactly when they happened, he tells of four tragedies.

• In the early ‘60s, a commercial exhibition tent caught fire due to an electrical shortage. No one was killed or injured.

• In a freak accident once, a carnival employee had a gun go off when it fell from his pocket. The bullet ricocheted off of a carnival ride bar he was cleaning, and came back to kill him. Police took over the fair office that day, Hefner recalls.

• Another time a carnival employee died of a heart attack under a truck as he was taking refuge from a rainstorm.

• Another incident occurred in which a man fatally fell from a double ferris wheel, Hefner said.

But tragedies like these have not kept people away from rides, attractions and rural unity.

The biblical command ー “Thou shalt not judge…” ー certainly never applied to the county fair. It is a festival bent on judging everything, be it human, animal, vegetable or mineral.

Porter County Fair queens have learned grace over the years; a few have gone on to win state fair competition. Diane Lynn Martin, 1981 Miss Porter County Fair went on to participate in the Miss America Pageant as Miss Arizona, and later went on to marry a popular rock star, Hefner said.

March 21, 1931: HARRY OSBORN ON RAMPAGE HURLS ROCKS THRU CITY HALL GLASS BEFORE OVERPOWERED

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on March 21, 1931.

HARRY OSBORN ON RAMPAGE HURLS ROCKS THRU CITY HALL GLASS BEFORE OVERPOWERED

Howard Osborn, residing near the Nickel Plate depot, went on a rampage this morning in front of city hall station, and before being overpowered by Policeman Gordon Reynolds and Fireman Wilbur Cowdrey, threw large pieces of concrete through the glass door leading to the city council chamber stairway, and the windshield of the old police car.

One of the hunks of concrete, taken from broken parts in the street curbing, was aimed at Chief of Police Robert L. Felton. The latter had just entered the door leading to the stairway and reached the fourth step when the concrete came hurling through the glass and struck near his feet.

Osborn had a piece of concrete in his hand when Policeman Reynolds rushed down from the station above. He threatened to throw it at the officer if he came any closer, but Reynolds was not intimidated. He grappled with Osborn, and Cowdrey came to his assistance.

Osborn was placed in a padded cell at the county jail. All the time he raved against the police for some fancied wring that had been done him. A search of his clothes revealed $453 in bills, mainly of $20 denomination.

Jan. 6, 1951: Courthouse Records Sorting Is Going At Lively Pace

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on January 6, 1951.

Courthouse Records Sorting Is Going At Lively Pace

Sorting of old records in the record room on the top floor of the county courthouse building is proceeding at a fast pace under the direction of R.B. Heritage and Byron K. Henry, field examiners for the state board of accounts.

The work was started about 10 days ago and already a large amount of useless material has been called from the mass of papers in storage.

In order to deal with the disposition the old records and organization called the commission of public records was formed with judges of both courts county clerk, county auditor and county commissioners as members. Field examiners were included in the group along with representatives of abstract forms in Porter County Historical society in an advisory capacity.

It is estimated that about 10 tons of old records will be junked before the task is completed. Binders on a number of Records valued at from $5 to $7 will be salvaged and used over again.

Nov. 8, 1965: Signs Up 50 People Over Age 65

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on November 8, 1965.

Signs Up 50 People Over Age 65

By BARBARA STUHR

“For medicare, the magic age is 65,” Howard M. Jennings, district manager of the Gary Social Security office told The Vidette-Messenger today.

By 10:30 this morning Jennings had signed up approximately 50 persons for hospital insurance under the medicare plan at Social Security Day at the county courthouse.

Some of the persons who completed applications were drawing social security; some had never owned a social security number; but all were over 65. In fact, according to Jennings, one man was 94 years old.

“I’m just disturbed that more people over 65 have not realized the benefits they are entitled to,” he said.

Jennings added he’s also interested in those people between ages 60 and 72 who are still working at their own business and who must register a claim so that they will be eligible for health insurance when they reach 65 or stop working.

All persons over 65 are entitled to hospital insurance which will help pay hospital bills and will provide payments for skilled nursing care and other services in an extended care facility after hospitalization. Outpatient hospital services and home health services are also included.

Medical insurance however, is voluntary and costs $3 per month with the Federal government paying an equal amount toward the cost.

The voluntary program covers bills for doctors’ services and a number of other items not covered under the hospital insurance program. The $3 could possibly come from either a person’s friends, family, social security check, or township trustee.

Jennings and Social Security Representative Mrs. Evelyn Firzgerald will be in Porter county again next Monday, Nov. 15 at the Chesterton Town hall. The two will be available to answer any questions regarding medicare and to register persons over 65 for hospital insurance.

MEDICARE EXPLAINED一Howard M. Jennings, seated left, district manager of Gary Social Security office, today explained government’s health insurance program, Medicare, to E.F. Schwinkendorf, RFD 1, Valparaiso, at special Social Security Day in courthouse for persons over 65 years of age who wish to apply for benefits. Standing, Mrs. Evelyn Fitzgerald, Gary, field representative.

Oct. 11, 1935: Herbert Bell, Former Local Resident, Writes About Old Time Shows Given At Memorial

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on October 11, 1935.

HERBERT BELL, FORMER LOCAL RESIDENT, WRITES ABOUT OLD TIME SHOWS GIVEN AT MEMORIAL

(Editor’s Note: Herbert Bell, author of the following, resident, and a son of the late M.A. Bell, formerly a jeweler in Valparaiso. Mr. Bell is now located in Toledo, O.)

After layin offa the Old Hoam Towne Bugle all summit were back on skedule agin readin the Star Vidette and Evein Messenger all fer one price.

We aint goin to deny the fact that after skrimpin an savin we got together enough scrop to satisfay the circulation Mgr. just sos we could find out what has bin did about the court house.

Seams like the court house is goin the way them public works plans has went hear: out the back door.

Now that they is a war in mebee you could tell me how that fite between them too fellers on the drop curtain cum out over to the Memorial Opery House.

When I left town back in 1909 they was about to run one hue trus with a stabber on a gun.

Mebbe you remember the fast one Al. Heineman pulled on the town when he booked a one nite stand of a Burly Cue company and called it a musical komedy.

The komedy part cum when the little cutie over on the right end caught her foot in that little gold chain that ran around the stage. You know the one, strung on them short poles between the orchestra and the foot lights. Well this hear dame had black hair and when she lit out with her right foot she hooked the chain, lost her balance and fell fer the drummer.

Him bein a blond an the girl giving of her life’s blood fer him: havin tore her stockin foar she lit, or was she lit fore she fell; Mebee it as the “Turkish Texan Company or “Mr. Jolly of Jolliette”, I fergit which. Anyhow nobody asked for rain checks so Al kept the 30-70 or 40-60 what was komin to him.

An now dear readers it is time for me to “go to work and take and make my exit” as one of Al’s men would have said. Thanking you again fer your kind attention after the company has presented the third and last act of this time worn play the management requests that I bid you an all a kind good nite

—Herb Bell

P.S.—The drummer was Clarence Bell.

P.S. No. 2—August Wolf was leadin the orchestra

P.S. No. 3—The pianna player was sort of upset about the same tyme the girl upset herself on the drummir. Jellis?? Your tellin me.

—H.B.