These historical excerpts from one century ago were selected from the Looking Back feature of The Vidette-Messenger, which are part of the PoCo Muse Collection.
August 1, 1920
Three men tied for first honors in the registered shoot held by the Valparaiso Gun Club at Burlington Beach, Flint Lake, yesterday. They were William Hunsley, Valparaiso; W.E. Phillips, Jr., and Robert Hedge, Chicago. All broke 143 out of 150. Fifty-two shooters participated in the shoot.
August 2, 1920
The Public Service Commission of Indiana has granted the petition of the Valparaiso Lighting company for an increase in gas rates effective Sept. 1. The principal averment of the lighting company in its petition was that the increase in operating expenses would cause a deficit in the company’s earnings and not permit it to set aside proper sums for depreciation and return on invested capital.
August 3, 1920
The electric line supplying farmers from the vicinity of Long Lake, north of the city, to McCool, will soon be in operation. The Calumet Supply company of Hammond will provide the current. The line is twenty-one miles long, and the cost to the farmers is about $40,000.
Sol Ramsey, attorney T.H. Heard, George Fernekes, and two Chicago men, rendered ill several days ago by eating toadstools for mushrooms, are reported improved. The men ate the toadstools at Long Lake. Others rendered ill in the last few days by eating mushrooms are County Clerk G.E. Bornhort and Miss Hattie Anderson.
August 4, 1920
George Revoir and Hugh Mooreheard, two young business men of Syracuse, N.Y., passed through Valparaiso yesterday in their return to Syracuse from Joliet, Ill. They covered the 1,100 miles from Syracuse to Joliet in four days and made the trip without mishap. Harley-Davidson motorcycles were used.
August 5, 1920
The Porter County board of review met in session today to act on the total valuations, change them when necessary and return the revised figures to the state tax board as per order received yesterday by Auditor B.H. Kinne. A horizontal increase in all taxing units was ordered by the board.
The Chicago and Erie Railroad is making purchases of land along its right-of-way in Porter County, indicating the company intends shortly to begin double tracking its line. Daly & Freund, local attorneys for the railroad, are handling negotiations for the company in this county.
August 6, 1920
Milk went up in Valparaiso today. According to an agreement made by the local handlers the price will be fourteen cents by the quart and eight cents by the pint. The action was made necessary by the fact that dealers will have to pay a $2.80 rate during August, September and October, an increase of fifty cents.
August 7, 1920
At a recent meeting of the trustees of Valparaiso University, Frank Baackus, vice-president of the United States Steel Corporation, was named trustee.
August 8, 1920
Louis Perissa, a student at Valparaiso University, was the victim of a stabbing affray on College Hill last evening about 11:30 o’clock. Alexander DeGeorge is being held in jail charged with the stabbing. DeGeorge said he found Perissa in his home when he returned. The latter claimed he was asked by Mrs. DeGeorge to come to the home for a book.
August 9, 1920
Valparaiso’s population in 1920 given by the government at 6,518, is far from correct, according to E.M. Burns. Taking a poll of the voters for the republican central committee, Mr. Burns found 680 voters in the second ward. Multiplying by two, a small ratio, gives the ward a population of 1,630. The census figures show 700. According to the school census figures there were 222 children between the ages of twenty-one. Added to Mr. Burns’ figures gives a population of over 900 with children under six years of age still uncounted.
August 10, 1920
A farewell party was tendered Charles Lape and wife by 20 members of the Young Married Folks’ class of the Methodist Episcopal Sunday school last evening at the Lape home. Mr. Lape has been president of the class. He is taking a position as manual training instructor in the South Bend schools. J.W. McNeeley has been selected as president of the class to succeed Mr. Lape.
August 11, 1920
Dr. C. F. Rickard, chiropractor will soon go to Pittsburgh, Pa, to locate. He has sold his business to Dr. C.R. Wickham, of Davenport, Iowa, who will take charge Sept. 1. He will be located in the office of Dr. Rickard on West Jefferson street.
August 12, 1920
The Valparaiso Home Ice Company has purchased the property at the corner of Lafayette and Monroe streets for the site of its new ice plant. The Baker Ice-Making Company, of Omaha, Neb., is now designing the machinery for the new plant.
August 13, 1920
Fifty-eight graduates received degrees in the annual commencement exercises of Valparaiso University held this morning at 10:30 o’clock at the university auditorium. The address was delivered by President Daniel R. Hodgdon, Valparaiso graduates were Verna Summer, Vera Conover and Edith Weems.
August 14, 1920
Porter County Republican women plan to be active in the coming election. Yesterday meetings were held in Morgan and Washington Townships. Mrs. C. W. Boucher and Mrs. E. D. Crumpacker were the speakers at the Morgan meeting held at the Adams Church. A number of Valparaiso women spoke at the Washington township meeting held at the home of Mrs. Gwilym Jones. They included Mrs. Frank B. Chester, county chairman; Mrs. J.G. Keenan, Mrs. Effie Earle, Mrs. Amos Lantz and Mrs. W.E. Harris. Officers were named.
August 15, 1920
Adrian J. Ponton of this city has been selected by County Clerk Roscoe C. Jones as his deputy to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of W. L. Copeland, who recently left for Portland, Ore., to enter the law practice. Mr. Ponton is a graduate of Valparaiso University.
August 16, 1920
County Agent A.Z. Arehart yesterday began moving from the county surveyor’s office where the county agent has been temporarily quartered for some time, to the newly remodeled quarters just completed by the Foster Lumber and Coal Company in the northwest corner of the court house basement.
August 17, 1920
County Auditor B.H. Kinne today received a notice from the state tax board that no horizontal increase in local taxable valuation will be necessary in Porter County. The assessed valuation of the county is $63,662,260, of which Valparaiso has $6,626,440.
August 18, 1920
Prof. George W. Neet, head of the educational department at Valparaiso University, and Edward A. Anderson, registrar, today tendered their resignations as members of the faculty, Prof. Neet has been with the school for many years.
August 19, 1920
Glen J. Goddard, of this city, has traded a 120-acre farm near Hebron for a garage building and contents at Montery, Ind., owned by Henry Pagis, and also a 120-acre farm at San Pierre to John Wulff for the latter’s 160-acre farm in the Hughart settlement, northwest of Valparaiso.
August 20, 1920
The seventy-third Indiana regiment which is in reunion in Chesterton, held its camp fire at Waverly Beach on Lake Michigan last night. Judge H.H. Loring of Valparaiso, Judge Job Barnard of Washington, D.C., and Arthur J. Bowser were the speakers. The reunion closed today with the election of officers. Only three Porter County members of the regiment are living.
August 21, 1920
Dr. Harvey S. Cook of Worthington, Ind., is going to locate in Valparaiso and has leased the room soon to be vacated by the Ladies’ shop over Wark’s Hardware. He is a brother-in-law of Alfred R. Putnam. The Ladies’ shop, conducted by Mrs. R.P. Wolfe, will move to the Zimmerman building on North Washington street.
August 22, 1920
The Bloch Hotel is undergoing extensive remodeling. The Foster Lumber and Coal Company started work today on improving the third floor. All rooms are being plastered and oak floors and trim are being put in. The second floor was recently remodeled.
August 23, 1920
Sheriff W.B. Forney Saturday at sheriff’s sale sold the plant of the Gary Lime and Brick Company in Portage Township, to a group of Gary and Valparaiso men for $12,899. The buyers held a judgment of $58,901 against the property in foreclosure proceedings.
August 24, 1920
The Polk School of Piano Tuning is the model for the first piano tuning school to be established in Tokio, Japan. The founder is R.T. Kirkushima, who attended the local school. Many Japanese homes now have pianos and organs.
August 25, 1920
Miss Mabel Flint, of this city, has accepted a position as instructor of public school music in the Missouri State Normal school at Calpe Girardeau, Mo. She will leave Sept. 1 to take up her work. For six years Miss Flint has been an instructor in the Valparaiso High School faculty.
August 26, 1920
Work on excavating for the new Standard Oil station at the corner of Lincolnway and Napoleon St., was started yesterday. The new structure will cost $20,000, and will be modern in every respect. The building will be of brick construction.
August 27, 1920
The Daly School in Liberty township is to be rebuilt and ready for occupancy by January 1, according to Trustee Ira M. Biggs. Children at the Daly school will be accommodated at other schools until the building is ready.
August 28, 1920
Valparaiso Republicans will make a trip to Marion, Ohio, on Sept. 11 to visit Senator Warren G. Harding, republican candidate for the presidency. A special train will be run over the Pennsylvania railroad from Gary.
August 29, 1920
City schools are facing a dearth of quarters at the present time. The city board of education has tried to remedy the matter by leasing additional space in various buildings, but has been unsuccessful. The need of the new building is apparent, but the cost of construction is beyond the finances of the board at present material and labor costs.
August 30, 1920
Football practice at Valparaiso university will start Wednesday. Coach George Koegan and a number of players arrived Saturday. The game with Harvard at Cambridge, Mass., on October 9 is the goal toward which the university coach and players are working.
August 31, 1920
The first Labor Day parade ever staged in Valparaiso will be held on Monday, Sept. 6, when all labor unions of the city will take part. The parade will be headed by the A.F. & M. band, composed of union musicians. It will be held at 10 a.m. and all local union men will participate.