These century-old historical excerpts were selected from the Looking Backward feature of The Vidette-Messenger newspaper, which are part of the PoCo Muse Collection. Originally, these bits of information appeared as larger stories in the pages of Valparaiso’s Evening Messenger and Valparaiso Daily Vidette newspaper publications.
John Fleming (1833-1928) in an undated photograph from the PoCo Muse Collection. Read about Fleming in the March 2 entry.
March 1, 1923
Ross A. Woodhull, formerly of Valparaiso, was returned a winner Tuesday in the city election held in Chicago. Mr. Woodhull, who was a candidate for reelection for aldermen of the seventh ward, was victorious by a majority of 3,000, running on the democratic ticket. He was endorsed by the press and a number of organizations.
The business building on South Washington Street in Valparaiso, occupied by Kauffman & Company, has been sold by Boris Kozlenko, owner, to Charles L. Jeffrey and Arthur A. Hughart, of the Farmers’ State Bank. The consideration was $14,000 ($244,934 in 2023).
March 2, 1923
The Valparaiso City Council last evening purchased two Seagrave Fire Trucks at a contract price of $23,000 ($402,392 in 2023). A reduction in the amount of $4,000 ($69,981 in 2023) will be forthcoming for the old truck chassis. The vote on the acceptance of the contract was 5 to 1, with Alderman Louis Gast voting against the proposition.
John Fleming, the second pioneer child born in Porter County, celebrated his 90th birthday anniversary yesterday. Mr. Fleming is enjoying good health and bids fair to reach the century mark. When he was born, Porter County was nothing more than a prairie. Mr. Fleming remembers well events happening 85 years ago. He is strongly against the prohibition law and predicts that in another few years another world war will occur.
March 3, 1923
The Valparaiso University affirmative debating team defeated the Huntington College negative team by a score of 2 to 1 last night at the university auditorium. W. G. Gilmore, C. O. Spriggs and A. T. Keene represented the local school. The subject discussed was: “Resolved, That the United States should cancel all war debts due here from the allies.”
Valparaiso High School cagers defeated LaPorte High School in a thrilling game in the sectional basketball tourney held at the university gym this morning. The result was a big upset as LaPorte was doped to win easily. The final score was 18 to 15. Both teams were tied at the end of the regulation time, 14-14. In the overtime, H. Douglas and White counted baskets and LaPorte managed to make only one point on a free throw.
March 4, 1923
Addison N. Worstell, who has been serving as temporary postmaster since the resignation of John T. Scott, has been appointed postmaster for four years. Action on the appointment was confirmed by the United States senate Saturday. Besides Mr. Worstell, five others took the examination for the postmastership. They were Howard Daily, D. L. Mitchell, Harry Steppel, Norman Green and E. C. Dowdell.
Michigan City won the sectional basketball tourney at Valparaiso University’s gymnasium Saturday night by defeating LaCrosse, 24 to 19. Michigan City led 20 to 19 with fifty-two seconds to go and Delts, of Michigan City, sank two baskets from mid-court. Michigan City reached the finals by defeating Valparaiso, 20 to 11, after Valparaiso had eliminated LaPorte in an upset. Linkimer, of Michigan City, scored eleven points for his team against Valparaiso.
March 5, 1923
A managers’ training school for telegraph operators was opened yesterday in the upper rooms of the Vidette building on North Washington Street in Valparaiso. The school has been operated at Niles, Mich., for the last 2 ½ years. Eleven students are at present taking training. F. W. Booher, an experienced employee of the Western Union, is in charge. Students will come from Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois to attend the school.
March 6, 1923
The 28th anniversary of the founding of the Valparaiso Woman’s Club was observed last night at Altruria Hall by a dinner attended by 112 women. The program was organized by the Civic, History, Home Economics, Art and Literature department members. The club was formerly called the Harriett Beecher Stowe Reading Circle.
March 7, 1923
Word has been received here from Fuzhou, China, of the death on February 3, of Miss Mary Avann, daughter of the late Rev. J. M. Avann, former pastor of Valparaiso Methodist Episcopal Church. Death was due to smallpox. Ms. Avann was placed in quarantine. Mrs. Avann and daughter left Chicago last April for China. She was secretary of the northwest branch of the Womans’ Foreign Missionary Society. For a time, Mary was in an American school for girls at Shanghai. She was sixteen years of age.
Miss Anna Mohnssen, secretary of the Porter County Farm Loan Association, received word today from Louisville, Ky., from L. B. Clore, secretary of the Federal Land Bank of Louisville, stating that the maximum loan limit of the Federal Land banks increased from $10,000 to $25,000 ($174,953 to $437,383 in 2023).
March 8, 1923
The Porter County Board of Commissioners has been requested by the Porter County Horsethief Detective Association to approve the appointment of four men as constables, recommended by the association. Under the law, the association is entitled to secure the appointment of constables, it is claimed. These men must be approved by the county commissioners. The constables and clothes with powers of police officers. J. H. Parker appeared before the board this morning and asked the approval of the body. According to Mr. Parker, appointments are being sought to assist local authorities in apprehending violators of the law, especially bootleggers and rum runners.
At a mass meeting held at the Memorial Opera House last evening, impetus was given to the movement to reconstruct the Old College Building at Valparaiso University, recently destroyed by fire. The sum of $1,295 ($22,656 in 2023) was pledged for seats at a play to be given by members of the Commercial Department of the university at the Memorial Opera House. Ross C. Jones auctioned off the seats. It is believed between $7,000 and $8,000 ($123,467 and $139,962 in 2023) can be realized from this source.
March 9, 1923
The oil well in Jackson Township, northeast of Valparaiso, being drilled by George Oliver, of Valparaiso, is now down to a depth of 800 feet. A hard rock stratum has been encountered and the drilling has been going slowly of late. Mr. Oliver intends to drill until a depth of 3,500 feet is reached, if necessary.
Judge John C. Richter, of the LaPorte Circuit Court, today handed down his decision in the case of Albert Bancroft and others against the Town of Chesterton, to enjoin the town from constructing a sewer. The finding was in favor of the defendants. Gerald McGillicuddy, of Valparaiso, was awarded the contract for the construction of the sewer which will cost $200,000 ($3,499,064 in 2023). Hearing in the matter was held in January at LaPorte, and Judge Richter took his decision under advisement.
March 10, 1923
Remonstrances will be filed against the petition of the Porter County Anti-Horse Thief Association for approval by the county board of commissioners of the appointment of four constables from among the members of the association. Four remonstrances are being circulated and are being readily signed. They will be filed with the commissioners as a protest against the appointments.
Judge William Hile, of Elkhart Superior Court, has been named special judge in the case of Mrs. Ida Crumpacker versus A. F. Knotts and others, to be heard in the Porter Superior Court next term. Judge Rose was first named as special judge but declined. Mrs. Crumpacker is seeking to compel the defendants to contribute toward the payment of a $30,000 ($524,859.65 in 2023) judgment obtained by the Manhattan Lumber Company and other creditors against her husband, Peter Crumpacker, growing out of the Mineral Springs Racetrack venture near Porter.
March 11, 1923
The Porter County Commissioners Saturday afternoon refused to confirm the appointment of four constables as petitioned for by the Porter County Anti-Horse Thief Association. A remonstrance signed by 138 citizens of Valparaiso was filed against the appointments. The four men recommended for appointment by the association were J. H. Parker, W. O. McGinley, George W. Vann, and H. I. Barnett.
A. A. Williams, who has been connected with Valparaiso University since 1890, Saturday resigned his position as business manager of the institution. Ill health was given as the cause for relinquishing the position. Mr. Williams, however, will attend to his duties as instructor in mathematics. During the presidencies of J. E. Roessler and M. J. Bowman, Mr. Williams served as vice president of the school.
March 12, 1923
A total of 125 seats have been sold for the play to be given by the Commercial Department of Valparaiso University for the benefit of the fund to be used in the rebuilding of the Old College Building destroyed by fire. The 125 seats have brought a total of $1,870 ($32,716 in 2023). This, with the program advertising, has boosted the fund to $2,080 ($36,390 in 2023).
March 13, 1923
The overall factory brought from Chicago through the efforts of the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce will be ready for business the latter part of the month, according to an announcement made today. Charles Prochep, Joseph Goldstein, and J. Henry, who purchased the old livery barn property on South Washington Street of G. C. Benney and T. J. Johnson, expect to have the building remodeled by that time. Machinery is being shipped from Chicago. Twenty-five to thirty-five people will be employed at the start of operations.
March 14, 1923
The rumor that the $4,000 ($69,981 in 2023) bank roll of Bert Annis, of South Bend, has been found west of Valparaiso near the spot where Annis and Miss Katherine McFarren were killed by a Pennsylvania train was denied by officials of the railroad, who made an investigation of the alleged finding. Attorneys for the Annis estate are said to have entered a claim with the railroad for the money. Annis was proprietor of a soft drink establishment in South Bend and was enroute to Chicago in an automobile when he was killed. At one time, he was president of the South Bend and Grand Rapids baseball clubs of the central league.
Judgment in the sum of $160 ($2,799 in 2023) was awarded against the Rehabilitation Club of Valparaiso University, publishers of the Reveille, in Justice C. L. Dille’s court this morning. Nelson Field, local printer, brought the action. The amount of the judgment was a claim due for the printing of the club’s publication. A garnishee action against a local bank to tie up funds of the organization failed when it was shown no funds were in the bank.
March 15, 1923
Six truck drivers were arrested near McCool and Crocker yesterday for driving over county highways with overloaded trucks. K. Clyde Bay, assistant road superintendent, acting on orders of Joseph Crowe, county highway superintendent, caused the arrests. All drivers pleaded guilty to the charge and were fined in Justice Claus Lenburg’s court.
The West Coal Company, at the Nickel Plate Depot, has been purchased by M. Coash & Son. Mr. West will devote his attention to his farming interest east of Valparaiso.
March 16, 1923
William Berry, 12, son of Henry Berry, an engineer on the Michigan Central Railroad, was struck by a Michigan Central Railroad train at Porter. The boy was observed at the crossing by Art Kubick and two others who were in an automobile waiting for a freight train to pass. The boy started across when another freight train passed by at about the same time. After the trains passed the boy was not seen. An investigation resulted in finding the body 200 feet down the tracks.
March 17, 1923
The oil well operations at Suman in Jackson Township, which are being conducted by George Oliver, of Chicago, have been closed down for the last week as Ray Condon, contract driller, was called home by illness in his family. Minor repairs in drilling machinery are also being made so deeper drilling can be done. It is expected work will be resumed next week.
The watchman’s tower on the Pennsylvania Railroad at Washington Street in Valparaiso is being moved today to Franklin Street. A large locomotive crane belonging to P. T. Clifford & Son is being used in the work. The change in location of the tower is due to the heavy traffic on Franklin, and the fact that several bad accidents have occurred at this crossing. The Washington Street gates will be operated by the watchman at the Franklin Street crossing.
March 18, 1923
A heavy precipitation of snow accompanied by weather of a colder variety visited Valparaiso last night. The weatherman predicted such a state of affairs and people were prepared for the latest onslaught of Old Man Winter. This section of the country has not received much snowfall during the present winter and a storm of such magnitude as last night has been expected.
Philip Corboy, son of court reporter S. P. Corboy, and a student at Valparaiso High School, has entered the Chicago Tribune Athletic Association Amateur Boxing tourney for high school boys in Chicago and suburban cities, to be held in Chicago on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of this week. Mr. Corboy is entered in the 175-pound division.
March 19, 1923
S. J. Brown, former manager of the Pennsylvania Elevator, has accepted the position of business manager of the Porter County Farm Bureau. Brown has purchased the Reid, Murdock, and Company building from Mark Palmer at the Grand Trunk, formerly used as a pickling station.
March 20, 1923
Walter Crisman was declared winner of the Portage Township declamatory contest held before a large audience Friday evening at Crisman High School. The subject discussed was: “Individual Disputes: A Program for Their Prevention and Settlement in Public and Quasi-Public Industries.”
March 21, 1923
Porter County Auditor B. H. Kinne today received word from the state tax board that a hearing in the matter of the objections of taxpayers of Valparaiso to a bond issue in the sum of $230,000 ($4.02M in 2023) for the purpose of erecting a new high school building, will be held in the county auditor’s office at 10 o’clock in the morning on Wednesday, March 28.
Owners and drivers of trucks arrested recently by Joseph Crowe, county highway superintendent, in his crusade against overloaded trucks, will appeal to the Porter Circuit Court. Attorneys have been employed by the Chicago concerns whose trucks were held up by the county.
March 22, 1923
Carl F. Mason, who planned the organization of the Valparaiso Ice Company, and for two years has been its manager, has resigned and will enter the ice cream manufacturing business in Valparaiso. He will be succeeded at the Valparaiso Home Ice Company by Rossman Sawyer, secretary of the company.
The Porter County contest of the Indiana State High School Discussion Association, held last evening at the Valparaiso High School Auditorium, was won by Lawrence Vedell, of Chesterton. Others taking part were Miss Leola Bickell, of Washington Township, and Walter Crisman, of Crisman High School.
March 23, 1923
Judge H. H. Loring, of the Porter Circuit Court, and Judge Pentecost, of Starke County, exchanged benches today. The transition was not permanent, and after the transaction by each jurist has been consummated, the homecoming will be staged. Judge Pentecost, who formerly lived in Valparaiso, is hearing the case of Foss versus Dittman, and Judge Loring is making up issues in a case at Knox.
Philip Corboy, Valparaiso’s entry in the 175-pound division of the Chicago Tribune Athletic Association Amateur Boxing tournament, was stopped in the first round of his scheduled six-round bout with Ed A. Slania, of the Opal Athletic Club, last night at the Ashland Boulevard Gym. Slania had too much ring experience for the Valparaiso fighter.
March 24, 1923
The Valparaiso City Council at its meeting last night passed an ordinance for the appointment of a city planning commission. The commission will consist of seven members, five to be appointed by the mayor, one to be elected by the city council, and the city civil engineer, who is an ex officio member. There is no salary attached to the position. The law provides that a tax levy of two to eight mills per $100 ($1,749 in 2023) may be levied for the expenses of the commission.
Mrs. Ada Reis-Benny, Mrs. M. S. Campbell, Miss Lois Mae Whitehead, Miss Ruth Montgomery, Miss Ida Campbell, Mrs. Ina Black, Mrs. Gretchen Billings, and Mrs. Edith Podreskey attended a recital in Chicago yesterday given by Ignace Paderewski, the famous Polish pianist.
March 25, 1923
Rev. C. W. Baer, pastor of the Immanuel Lutheran Church, has received a call to the pastorate of the Redeemer Lutheran Church at Fort Wayne. He will probably accept the call. A meeting of the local church congregation will be held to take steps to induce Rev. Baer to remain here.
G. Leonard Maxwell was elected president of the Porter County Fair for 1923 at a meeting held Saturday at the office of Porter County Agent A. Z. Arehart. Thomas Turner, of Hebron, was named vice-president, John R. Burch, of Valparaiso, secretary, and C. W. Benton of Valparaiso, treasurer.
March 26, 1923
Porter County is one of seven counties in the state to be offered a county club camp. The county was offered a camp this summer in appreciation of the splendid club work carried on in this county. To get the club camp here this summer, it will be necessary to have 75 boys and girls interested in the work. At the present time there are more than 150 boys and girls interested in the work. Porter County Agent A. Z. Arehart believes he will have no difficulty in getting the necessary signatures.
March 27, 1923
Claus F. Specht will open up a floral shop in the building occupied by the Oakland Auto Sales Room, 116 East Lincolnway, in Valparaiso. He will have a consignment of flowers for Easter tomorrow.
March 28, 1923
By a deal consummated yesterday in Valparaiso, Andrew Graciek, of Gary, became the owner of the resort property at Burlington Beach, Flint Lake. Mr. and Mrs. John Havlick, Mr. and Mrs. Gerson Kis, and Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Lasek were the owners of the property, having purchased it from Charles Specht several years ago.
Philip Zoercher, representative of the Indiana State Tax Board, held a hearing today at the courthouse in the matter of objections of taxpayers to the proposed bond issue of the School City of Valparaiso in the sum of $130,000 ($2,274,391 in 2023) to build a new high school building. Speaking for the objectors against the bond issue were Grant Crumpacker, N. J. Bozarth, Ira C. Tilton, and Mrs. E. D. Crumpacker. A. D. Bartholomew, attorney for the school board; C. W. Boucher, Mrs. John D. Stoner, A. A. Hughart, Mrs. Robert Whistler, L. E. Myers, H. W. Jessee, and H. R. Ball spoke for the school bond issue.
March 29, 1923
Prospects for Valparaiso’s new high school building look brighter today than ever before following arguments in the hearing on the proposed $130,000 ($2,274,391 in 2023) bond issue conducted by Philip Zoercher, state board representative, yesterday. Mr. Zoercher will make a report of the hearing to the state tax board. While it is not known just what action the state tax board will take in the matter, it is expected the outcome will be favorable on the bond issue. However, the state board will require the school city to show that it has a fair and reasonable contract.
P. T. Clifford & Son, Valparaiso contractors, were today awarded the contract for the excavation of some million cubic yards of sand for the Illinois Steel Company. The excavation, which is to start immediately, is on the site of the new Dunes State Park in the north part of Porter County. The sand is to be used by the Illinois Central for filling purposes at the Markham Yards and at Harvey, Ill. The material is to be loaded at the rate of 225 cars a day.
March 30, 1923
Condemnation proceedings will be filed tomorrow in Porter Circuit Court in an effort to obtain the remaining right-of-way for the Dunes Highway in north Porter County. The state highway commission at a meeting in Indianapolis yesterday adopted resolutions instructing Kelly & Galvin, of Valparaiso, to file suit. Five or six landowners will be made defendants. The state seeks 4,800 feet of right-of-way. Owners of land have been demanding an exorbitant price.
March 31, 1923
Yesterday afternoon at the office of Dr. H. M. Evans, President of Valparaiso University, trustees of the school held a meeting. Plans for rebuilding the administration building and for refinancing the entire institution were discussed thoroughly. The board adjourned to meet April 15, at which time the committees will make definite reports and final action will be taken on rebuilding and refinancing.
The case of Lily T. Ball versus the School City of Valparaiso, in which several rulings were made by Judge H. H. Loring of the Porter Circuit Court, regarding the right of the School City to condemn the Ball property on North Campbell Street for school purposes, has been dismissed in the supreme court. The plaintiff appealed from the decision of Judge Loring. Exceptions taken to the money damages awarded by the appraisers of the property is pending in the Lake Circuit Court at Crown Point. It will be tried next term. Grant Crumpacker, attorney for Miss Ball, while at Indianapolis several days ago, filed the motion to dismiss.