Looking Back • July 1923

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.

July 1, 1923

The Valparaiso Boosters defeated the Kouts All Stars yesterday afternoon at the fairgrounds by a score of 20 to 4. Buck Weaver, Booster third baseman, had four hits, including two triples. Jerry Callahan, Boosters’ second baseman, collected five hits including a home run. The Boosters had 20 hits against Chief Rainer and Babe Elkins.

Miss Frances Greeley, who for the last two years has been a student of dramatic art under the direction of Miss Edna Agar, is now playing ingenue leads with the Los Angeles Stock Company. Both press and the director of the company have highly praised Miss Greeley’s work and predict for her a bright future. Miss Greeley has received several flattering offers from large companies.

July 2, 1923

The golf course of the Valparaiso Country Club, located northeast of Valparaiso, will be formally opened on July 12 when a number of match games will be staged between club members and ladies of the auxiliary. The club now boasts of a membership of one hundred. Jack Burt, a member, recently made a hole in one on the course.

July 3, 1923

The second of Valparaiso’s new Seagrave fire trucks arrived here this morning from Columbus, Ohio. The machine is a city service truck containing the same equipment as the other truck, which was received here several weeks ago. The chassis of the truck, however, is longer. A test of the new truck will be made before it is turned over to the city.

July 4, 1923

Valparaiso Boosters defeated the Kouts All Stars at Kouts for the second time by a score of 4 to 3. The game was stopped in the sixth inning by rain. Buck Weaver’s triple and single accounted for several runs.

July 5, 1923

Valparaiso’s 17th annual chautauqua opened last evening with the presentation of the comedy play, “It Pays to Advertise,” by the Misner Players. The five days’ program, which was inaugurated last evening, is the Mutual-Morgan program. The chautauqua association was organized in 1906. The first chautauqua was held at Sager’s Lake in 1906 and has been held every year except three years during the World War period.

July 6, 1923

Ben and William Schenck and John Van Ness, of the Valparaiso Tennis Club, will represent Valparaiso in the Northern Indiana Tennis Championship to be held at Gary on July 23. The Schenck brothers will play in both the singles and doubles. They are favored to reach the semi-finals and possibly finals.

Charles Hansen, who with a companion by the name of Bower, murdered Charles Johnson, son of Mrs. Augusta Johnson, of Valparaiso, has filed a petition with the state board of pardons for clemency. The two murderers, who lived in Ohio, were members of a carnival company which visited South Bend and LaPorte. Hansen and Bower hired Johnson to drive them from South Bend to Plymouth, and near Plymouth the two men killed Johnson. They were traced by marks on a shirt laundered by a LaPorte laundry which was found near the body of the murdered man. Bower confessed to firing the shot that killed Johnson.

July 7, 1923

The referendum conducted by the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce on the new Valparaiso High School building project proved to be a fizzle. Only 175 ballots were sent back to the chamber. Of this number, 115 favored the proposition and 55 were against it. Five ballots returned were non-committal. Nearly 500 ballots were sent out throughout the city.

Kouts will soon have a lockup in which to place offenders against the law. The town board has purchased a building south of the Pan Handle Railroad tracks and the iron cages have been ordered. Kouts has been without a jail for some time and prisoners have been brought to Valparaiso for safe keeping.

July 8, 1923

Mrs. W. L. Ellis, age 50, of Lombard, Ill., injured in an accident at Wheeler Friday afternoon when an automobile was struck by a fast train on the Pennsylvania Railroad, died Saturday at Methodist Hospital in Gary. Her death brings the total to two. Mrs. William B. Randall, age 68, of Custer, Mich., was also killed. Mrs. Ellis was a sister of Mrs. Randall. The husbands of the two women were seriously injured. They are proofreaders on the Chicago Daily News.

Walter Q. Fitch, assistant county agent leader and member of the extension staff of Purdue University since his graduation in 1913, will succeed Prof. W. C. Latta, head of the Farmers’ Institute in Indiana. Mr. Fitch is a son-in-law of Judge and Mrs. H. H. Loring of Valparaiso.

July 9, 1923

G. L. Burns, formerly a member of the law firm of Burns and Powell, left today for Los Angeles, Calif., where he will locate and practice law.

July 10, 1923

L. H. Trott, who has been connected with the Parker Paint Company in Valparaiso, has severed his connection with the firm and will take a position with the New Jersey Zinc Company. Mr. Trott tendered his resignation as president of the Kiwanis Club today noon. He will leave for New York City Tuesday. His family will follow later.

July 11, 1923

P. T. Clifford & Sons, of Valparaiso, were yesterday awarded two contracts by the Nickel Plate Railroad for grading for double tracking near Cleveland, Ohio. Eleven miles will be graded in two contracts. Two steam shovels and a teaming outfit were sent to Cleveland today by the local concern to commence on the new work.

At a meeting of the boards of county commissioners and county auditors of Lake, Porter, Jasper, and Newton Counties yesterday at Water Valley, the matter of the survey of the boundary lines of the four counties, due to the recent enactment of the state legislature, was turned over to the county auditors with authority to do whatever is necessary to be done to make the proper transfers of land dis-annexed. The legislative enactment changed the boundary lines of the four counties from the Kankakee River to the center line of the Marble-Williams Ditch.

July 12, 1923

The Dunes Highway will be completed between Gary and Baillytown by August 15, opening the entire highway between Gary and Michigan City. A celebration of the opening will be made in some manner by the two cities on either end of the road. John B. Donahy, owner of the Donahy Restaurant in Gary, has purchased 5,000 feet of highway frontage at Tremont and plans to erect a summer hotel on the property. The building will contain from 75 to 100 rooms. A large dining room for the accommodation of motorists and transients will be a feature.

Contracts for the construction of the Burns Ditch, eight miles long, costing about $295,000 ($5.22M in 2023), will be let at the office of the clerk of the Porter Circuit Court on July 30. A. P. Melton, ditch commissioner, announced the news in Gary yesterday. Work on the ditch is expected to start September 1. When completed, the ditch will divert the waters from Deep River, which now flow into the Gulf of Mexico, into Lake Michigan. Twelve years ago, the first contract for the ditch was let at a cost of $227,000 ($4.01M in 2023) but was held up in the courts until a few months ago.

July 13, 1923

The Valparaiso Country Club was formally opened yesterday afternoon. The golf contests were the feature of the day. Thirty-five took part in the men’s events in which V. R. Despard was low with a 38 score. Frank Clifford was second with 43. Mrs. Thomas Benton had low score for the women with 59. Mrs. H. W. Harrold was second with 61.

Valparaiso University will not close during the month of August, nor will it close during the coming year, Dr. Horace M. Evans, president of the school, announced today. Dr. Evans’ statement was in answer to rumors going the rounds that the school would close permanently on August 14.

July 14, 1923

Lincoln Highway, from the Joliet Bridge to the Grand Trunk Railroad, will be opened for traffic by Monday, according to state officials. It was believed the stretch would be available by Sunday, but now the date has been set a day later. Porter County Road Superintendent Joseph Crowe has removed the dirt from the top of the road inside Valparaiso and the berms of the road have been built. Mr. Crowe has filled in several approaches to streets, such as Kinzie and others, to connect with the Lincoln Highway.

The Huntington Indians defeated the Valparaiso team at Huntington, 6 to 2, yesterday afternoon, registering a three-run lead in the first inning. The Valparaiso team was minus the services of its advertised 2-14 stars, Cicotte, Weaver, Felsch, and Risberg, of the Chicago Black Sox, which caused considerable embarrassment to Huntington club officials. Manager Deak Austin explained the situation by saying the four men had jumped the club.

July 15, 1923

Rev. George Schutes, of Logan, Ohio, new pastor of the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Valparaiso, preached his first sermon Sunday morning. Rev. Schutes was tendered the call to the local church, following the resignation of Rev. C. W. Baer, who went to Fort Wayne. A large crowd greeted him on the occasion of his first appearance in the local pulpit. Next Sunday the installation exercises for Rev. Schutes will take place. Rev. A. C. Cook, of Gary, will preach the sermon inducting the new pastor into full charge of the church affairs.

Kouts was victor in the baseball tourney held at Lowell on Sunday. Kouts defeated Lowell in a fast game by a score of 4 to 1. Chief Rainier held the hard-hitting Lowell team to three hits. Tim Murchison pitched for Lowell. In the afternoon game, Kouts beat Peotone, 5 to 3. Babe Elkins pitched for Kouts.

July 16, 1923

The old fire truck, the city’s first motorized fire apparatus, passed on today. The Seagrave Company, which took the truck in on the sale of the two new trucks, will be used in freight work in its factory at Columbus, O. R. H. McKettrick, who has been instructing firemen in the operation of the new trucks, drove the old truck to Columbus. Francis “Babe” Horn accompanied him on the journey.

July 17, 1923

All rumors to the effect that Valparaiso University will close at the end of the summer semester were put to rest following a meeting of the board of directors held yesterday afternoon. Dr. H. M. Evans, president of the school, announced that the trustees decided the school shall continue. For the past week, stories had been circulated the school would close but the directors at the meeting yesterday discredited these rumors.

July 18, 1923

Charles F. Lembke, prominent architect and builder, died this morning at his home, 304 North Morgan Boulevard. Death was due to a general breakdown suffered while in the midst of constructing the Hotel Lembke, Valparaiso’s new modern hostelry which will open in a short time. He was 56 years of age.

The Indiana State Highway Commission, at a meeting held July 10, added the road from State Road 8, two miles south of Hebron, and extending to Valparaiso, to the state road system. This was the word received today by Porter County Commissioner F. W. Alpen. The commission took no action on the Valparaiso-Chesterton Road on account of the state park not being located as yet.

July 19, 1923

Attorney W. J. Whinery, Hammond attorney, and Bailiff William Hardesty nearly engaged in fisticuffs in the Porter Superior Court yesterday. This happened during the Crumpacker-Knotts case growing out of the Mineral Springs Race Course at Porter, which was on trial before Special Judge William Isham, of Fowler. After the other lawyers had engaged in a legal battle over a transcript, Attorney Whinery said something about the handling of the 3,000-page document by Bailiff Hardesty. The latter called Whinery a liar and left the courtroom.

The Porter County Cow Testing Association, the oldest cow testing association in the state, will soon enter upon its eighth year of existence. J. A. Williams, of the dairy extension division, Purdue University, is in the county today in the interest of the association.

July 20, 1923

The American China Products Company, at Chesterton, has closed its plant for one week in order to investigate a condition in the plant wherein it is alleged certain employees are using sabotage methods to interfere in the manufacture of chinaware. It is charged that some foreign substance has been mixed with clay or applied to greenware so that a certain proportion of the product is destroyed during the manufacturing process.

Orville Irvin, former Valparaiso man, who has been connected with the Pennsylvania Railroad as brakeman and conductor for the past forty-three years, passed the final examination Monday and will be retired on a pension. Mr. Irvin was a brakeman on the old milk train back in the 1880s and 1890s, traveling between Valparaiso and Chicago.

July 21, 1923

Dr. George Keogan, former athletic mentor at Valparaiso University, and coach of the famous Valparaiso University team which held Harvard scoreless for three periods, was in Valparaiso Thursday visiting friends. Dr. Keogan is athletic director of public schools and head of public recreational parks at LaCrosse, Wis. He has received an offer to act as assistant coach at one of the largest universities in the country.

Miss Hope Drown, daughter of Clarence Drown, formerly of Valparaiso, is the star of “Hollywood,” Paramount’s big laughing comedy now showing in Chicago. A galaxy of over one-hundred stars are in the picture. Mr. Drown was manager for the Keith-Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles for a number of years.

July 22, 1923

Rumors to the effect that Valparaiso University would close August 15 were officially set to rest Saturday when Dean M. J. Bowman and Attorney Grant Crumpacker, representing the university, made full payment to J. F. Wild and Company, of Indianapolis, of a $10,000 ($176,818 in 2023) note which recently fell due. The fall quarter of the school will open on October 1, it was announced by Dr. H. M. Evans, president. Plans are being made for one of the biggest years since the war.

There was no baseball game at the fairgrounds Sunday because Manager Deak Austin, of the Valparaiso Boosters, was unable to come across the back salaries due to Buck Weaver and other players. A fair-sized crowd had gathered for the game scheduled with the Chicago Gunthers. The crowd who paid to get in received their money back.

July 23, 1923

A new baseball club was organized in Valparaiso last night at the old Elks’ Lodge rooms on West Lincolnway. William B. Forney was elected manager. A board of directors consisting of Charles L. Jeffrey, Robert Sievers, Fred Wittenberg, W. S. Lindall, Leland Benton, and Julius Albe were also named. Twenty-six fans attended the meeting. The new team will play Kouts next Sunday.

July 24, 1923

Women attorneys of the United States will congregate at Minneapolis on August 28 and 29 for the first-ever convention to be held in the United States. Mrs. Mae R. London, deputy county clerk, and Miss Anna Bushore, of the Kelly and Galvin Law Office, both members of the Porter County Bar, have received invitations to attend.

July 25, 1923

The Valparaiso Kiwanis Club, through its secretary, Fred H. Cole, today announced the opening of the Valparaiso Tourist Camp at University Ballpark. The camp was inspected yesterday by W. H. Williams, secretary of the Hoosier State Automobile Association. The camp was proposed a year ago by the Kiwanis Club and a minstrel show, tag day, and Kiwanis-Elks Baseball game were staged to raise funds. The building, used as a canteen during the World War, has been remodeled and is being used.

The Valparaiso Lodge of Elks voted last night to erect their new lodge building on West Lincolnway. A building committee of five members will be named by Exalted Ruler Reginald Felton to procure plans, specifications, and estimates of cost for remodeling the present building or erecting a new structure. The new building will be three stories.

July 26, 1923

Legal proceedings for the settlement of a dispute over the buildings and equipment of Valparaiso University, which has been brewing for some time, came to a head late yesterday with the filing of suit by Valparaiso University against the Cook Laboratories, Inc., the Valparaiso Realty Company, and H. K. Brown. The suit followed on the heels of a lease executed to the Cook Laboratories, Inc., by the Valparaiso Realty Company, leasing the university properties for a period of seven years, beginning August 20, 1923.

Mrs. Dee Helwer, of Valparaiso, is holder of the record for catching the largest black bass of the season. Last night near the channel of Long and Canada Lakes, near the Peter E. Fernekes camp, she snared a black bass weighing six pounds. It made the eleventh bass caught by Mrs. Helmer in Canada Lake since last Sunday.

July 27, 1923

At a meeting of the Merchant’s Bureau this noon, announcement was made by Mr. Williams, of Gary, an official of the Hoosier State Automobile Association, that the route of Yellowstone Trail through Valparaiso would be slightly changed. Instead of using Greenwich Street from Lincolnway to Linwood Avenue, the route will be on College Avenue. The change was made because College Avenue is bricked and wider than Greenwich Street, and a dangerous turn at Garfield is eliminated.

John W. Moreland, former registrar at Valparaiso University, has been elected president of Vincennes University. Mr. Moreland began his educational career in the district schools in Vigo County and furthered his education at the University of Indiana and Chicago University. For a number of years, he was instructor in Vincennes University and was also assistant registrar at John Hopkins University, Baltimore. A year ago, he resigned his position here to take a position of registrar of social science at Monmouth College, Monmouth, Ill.

July 28, 1923

At a meeting of the Valparaiso City Council last night, members of the police department were given a raise in pay from $15 to $25 per month ($265 to $442 in 2023). The council also purchased twelve acres of ground southwest of the city from William Hardesty to be used as a dumping ground. The city has been using the tract for dumping. It had an option to buy the tract, which expires in August.

Porter County Surveyor Floyd R. McNiece will soon begin the survey of lands north of the Marble Ditch, which will become territory of Porter County through a change of boundary line between Porter and Jasper Counties by the recent enactment of the state legislature. All land south of the Kankakee River, which was formerly the boundary line between the two counties, but which lies north of the Marble Ditch, will hereafter be in Porter County, and all land south of the ditch, but north of the old river bed, will revert to Porter County.

July 29, 1923

The Valparaiso Standards, under the management of W. B. Forney, defeated the Kouts All-Stars Sunday at the fairgrounds by a count of 2 to 1. Ray Knight pitched for the Standards and Chief Rainier for Kouts. The Standards scored in the fifth on Leland Benton’s triple and L. Block’s single. Two hits by Symons and Cashdollar tallied another run in the eight. Kouts escaped a shutout in the ninth when Babe Elkins, LaPorte pitcher, who went to right field, singled to drive in Matty, who had previously singled.

Contract for the construction of the Burns Fitch in Lake and Porter Counties was awarded here today by Col. A. P. Melton, of Gary, ditch commissioner, to the Walk Construction Company, of LaGrange, Ind., the contract price was $283,569 ($5.01M in 2023). For more than 13 years, the ditch has been bandied around the courts, injunction proceedings having stopped the former contractor, the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, from proceeding with the work. Recently, the injunction was dismissed, and the Chicago firm secured a rescission of the contract because of the bid made in 1912 and was released. The ditch will drain 40,000 acres of land in the Calumet and Deep River basins and straighten two rivers.

July 30, 1923

Dr. Reginald L. Felton, exalted ruler of Valparaiso Lodge of Elks, announced the building committee, which will obtain plans and specifications for the new Elks’ building on Lincolnway, as follows: Charles L. Jeffrey, chairman; Harry Pagin, M. R. Lowenstine, J. A. Wise, and Reginald L. Felton. William Daly is legal adviser.

July 31, 1923
A free picnic for boys will be given at University Ballpark on Thursday, August 9. The affair is being sponsored by the Valparaiso Rotary Club. An athletic program will be the main feature. Byron Smith is in charge of the event. O. F. Helvie will act as field marshal for the day.

Looking Back • June 1923

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.

June 1, 1923

Attorney Thad Fancher, of Crown Point, has sold 100 lots near the Dunes Highway in Porter County to the Poff Realty Company of Chicago, for consideration of $20,000 ($356,897 in 2023). Guy R. Cockley, of the Poff Realty Company, consummated the deal, the real purchaser being Stetson Chain Stores, of Chicago. It is the plan of the purchasers to erect a hotel on the site in the near future. Mr. Fancher will retain eleven lots.

June 2, 1923

The question regarding the raise in pay of members of the Valparaiso Police Department will come up at the next regular meeting of the Valparaiso City Council. The regular patrolmen are asking for a raise of $15 ($267 in 2023) over the present pay of $110 (1,962 in 2023) a month, and the chief from $125 ($2,230 in 2023) to $150 ($2,676 in 2023). The salary of the chief was formerly $150 per month, but this was reduced when James A. Jones resigned.

Valparaiso’s entries in the Chicago Daily News Gold Medal tennis tourney went to Gary this morning where they will battle for the honor of representing the Gary district in the finals in Chicago. Fred LePell, Kenneth Kimmel, Leslie Wade, Merton Lish and John Lowenstine made up the local players.

June 3, 1923

Valparaiso’s Boosters defeated the New Buffalo Independents yesterday afternoon at the fairgrounds by a score of 17 to 3. Valparaiso scored 12 runs in the first inning by lambasting the offerings of Manthey and Babe Elkins, the latter of LaPorte and Kouts. Buck Weaver led the local attack with two doubles and a single.

Four of Valparaiso’s entrants in the Chicago Daily News Gold Medal tennis tourney at Gary yesterday survived the initial preliminary rounds played Saturday morning and afternoon. Ben Kimmel was the only local player to go down to defeat. He was defeated 2 to 1 by Higgins of Emerson High School in Gary.

June 4, 1923

Drainage Commissioner S.P. Corboy, of Valparaiso, has received word from Pattee and Johnson, of Crown Point, attorneys, that the injunction proceedings have been dismissed against the construction of the Burns Ditch, from Broadway, in Gary, to Lake Michigan. The work on the ditch was stopped in 1914 when the Northern Illinois Public Utility Company filed an injunction action. The Great lakes Dredge and Dock Company, of Chicago, was awarded the contract in October 1914. Mr. Corboy will notify the company to carry out the terms of the contract the ditch will straighten Calumet and Deep Rivers.

June 5, 1923

The movement on the part of the City of Valparaiso to establish a new grade for sidewalks on Washington Street between Lincolnway and Indiana Avenue has fallen through by the refusal of two property owners on the south end to become parties to the project. The present grade was established some time ago by the city and it cannot be changed without the consent of the property owners. Some property owners who have been figuring on changing grades are threatening to go through with the plan.

June 6, 1923

Work on the new addition of the Schleman-Morton Company, north of the Grand Trunk Railroad on Campbell Street in Valparaiso, is progressing nicely. An engineer from the American Park Builders’ Association, Chicago, in conjunction with Porter County Surveyor Floyd R. McNiece, is laying out streets and lots in accordance with plans of the American Park Builders’ Association. The new addition comprises 112 acres. It is expected grading will be finished in six weeks. Sale of lots will begin about July 4.

Ben H. Urbahns, former Valparaiso man, who has been serving as deputy treasurer of Indiana for a number of years, will be a candidate for the Republican nomination for treasurer of the state. Mr. Urbahns served for four years under Uz McMurtrie as deputy state treasurer and is now serving as deputy under Ora J. Davies. He was a candidate against Davies in 1920 but lost out by a small margin.

June 7, 1923

Harry Diamond, of Gary, found guilty of a charge of slaying his wife, stood before Judge H. H. Loring this afternoon and heard the pronouncement against him. Judge Loring set October 12 as the date of execution at the Michigan City prison.

John F. Griffin, secretary-treasurer of the Chicago Mica Company, of Valparaiso, was yesterday elected to the directorate of the Indiana State Chamber of Commerce at the annual meeting at Indianapolis. C. H. Parker, Jr., secretary-treasurer of the Parker Paint Company, of Valparaiso, was appointed to the traffic council of the state chamber.

June 8, 1923

The verdict of a jury in finding Harry Diamond guilty of murder in the first degree and fixing his punishment at death in the electric chair is the first time a body of twelve men in the county has ever reached an agreement of this kind in a murder case in Porter County. The only other time a man was sentenced to death for murder in Porter County was in the case of Francis Staves, who murdered John Pelton in 1838. He was hanged on a lot just south of the Central School.

The Wolf property at the corner of Washington and Chicago Streets owned by the School City of Valparaiso was today sold at public auction at the courthouse steps to the Masonic organization of Valparaiso. Harold J. Schenck conducted the negotiations for the purchase. The Masons also own the lot at the corner of Franklin and Indiana Avenues (site of the PoCo Muse in 2023). It is proposed to build a new Masonic temple on the Wolf site.

June 9, 1923

Two Valparaiso tennis players are still in the running in the Chicago Daily News Gold Medal tennis tourney being played in Gary. John Lowenstine and Fred LePell are members of the local squad who are still undefeated. Phyllis Hisgen, of Valparaiso, is also undefeated in the women’s class.

The proceeds from the Elks-Kiwanis baseball game at Brown Field on June 14 will go to the completion of the automobile tourist camp in the east part of Valparaiso.

The Lincoln Highway from Schererville to Valparaiso will be completed within another week, contractors announced today. Construction work began in the spring of 1922. Before the close of good weather last year eight miles was completed. The road is hard-surfaced concrete and cost $222,000 ($3,961,563 in 2023). Shea & Company, of Hammond, had the contract.

June 10, 1923

J. E. Dreschoff, of the Oliver Hotel, South Bend, was in Valparaiso today and in company with representatives of a Chicago bonding house, held a conference at the office of H. H. Loring at the First State Bank of Valparaiso. The men discussed financing the building of Hotel Lembke, upon which construction was stopped some time ago. Mr. Dreschoff, in a statement this afternoon, said he believed the financing program would go through without a hitch.

Ransom Olds, a former Valparaiso boy, was accidentally killed yesterday morning while tuning up his racing car for races at the Roby Speedway in Hammond, Indiana. The car overturned while Olds was going at terrific speed. He was thrown high in the air and suffered a broken neck. His brother, Roy Olds, saw the accident from the grandstand. Olds was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Ransom Olds, east of Valparaiso. He leaves a widow, one daughter, five brothers and one sister, besides his parents.

June 11, 1923

One of the units of Valparaiso’s new firefighting machinery steamed down Franklin Street this noon to the Central Fire Station. The truck, which is a triple combination, six-cylinder Seagrave, arrived yesterday afternoon from Columbus, Ohio, over the Grand Trunk Railroad. A representative of the Seagrave Company from Chicago superintended the job and drove the machine to the fire station. Riding on the machine were city councilman S. E. Collins, Wilbur Cowdrey, John Deardoff, John Marks, and William Johnston. The truck attracted much attention. The other unit, a combination city service truck and pumper, will arrive here in a few days.

June 12, 1923

William H. Hardesty, bailiff of the Porter Superior Court, has entered the ranks of home builders. He has purchased land southwest of Valparaiso, recently given the title of city dump, from William Arnold. The tract contains twelve acres. He announced that it will be laid out in two-acre lots and houses will be built. The consideration named in the deal was $3,500 ($62,457 in 2023).

June 13, 1923

Fire of unknown origin last night at 11:40 o’clock caused between $30,000 ($535,346 in 2023) and $49,000 ($874,399 in 2023) damage at the Smith and Smiths’ lumber yard, the McGill Manufacturing Company, and the Pennsylvania Railroad along West Indiana Avenue in Valparaiso. Between $20,000 ($356,897 in 2023) and $25,000 ($446,122 in 2023) damage was done to the Smiths’ plant. The McGill plant was damaged, and a caboose, several gondola cars, and a fence along the Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way was also damaged. The new Seagrave pumper truck, which arrived here yesterday, but which has not yet been turned over to the city, was pressed into service to help out the old service truck.

Candyland, on West Lincolnway in Valparaiso, in the Horn building, closed its doors last night. Financial difficulties were said to be the reason. The business was established some time ago by a Chicago man who conducted a similar enterprise at LaPorte and Michigan City. The Horn building was remodeled, and costly fixtures were installed. Several changes in owners were made during the last year.

June 14, 1923

By a contract recorded at the office of John W. McNay here yesterday between William R. Curkeet, of Madison, Wisc., agent and trustee of the Francis A. Ogden estate, and Samuel H. Reck, of Gary, the estate agrees to sell 6,075 acres of land in the northwest corner of Porter County for $398,440 ($7,110,114 in 2023). The land will be made into a subdivision, it is said.

The American China Products Company, of Chesterton, has been awarded the contract to furnish $400,000 ($7,137,952 in 2023) of china products by the New York State Commission at Albany, New York. The commission is in charge of china purchases for more than thirty institutions in New York state. Deliveries will cover a period of twelve months.

June 15, 1923

The Valparaiso Lodge of Elks defeated the Valparaiso Kiwanis Club in a baseball game yesterday afternoon at Brown Field for the benefit of a free auto tourist camp at Brown Field. The score was 16 to 11. The Elks put the game on ice with a six-run attack in the sixth inning off Dr. R. C. Shurr.

Queens of the Golden Mask, the women's auxiliary of the Ku Klux Klan, held a big convocation at the Porter County Fairgrounds last night. About 400 women were in attendance from Porter County. A supper was served at 6 o’clock and later a parade was staged from the fairgrounds to the business district. Seventy-five candidates were initiated into the order. Five large fiery crosses were burned at the fairgrounds and one at the ruins of Valparaiso University’s Old College Building on College Hill.

June 16, 1923

Dr. A. O. Dobbins, wife Bessie, and daughter Betty will leave Monday on a two months’ eastern trip, which will embrace visits to Niagara Falls, Thousand Islands, Montreal, Washington, New York City, and Boston. Dr. Dobbins will enter Harvard Medical School for the summer months, taking a special course in pediatrics. 

Prof. B. F. Williams, of Valparaiso University, left yesterday for Cambridge, Mass., to attend the twenty-fifth anniversary of Harvard University’s graduating class of 1898, of which he was a member. The class of 1898 numbered 475, and between 200 and 300 of this number are expected to attend the reunion.

June 17, 1923

Buck Weaver’s home run in the ninth with three men on the bases and two down defeated Jimmy Ryan’s Chicago Romeos on Sunday at the Porter County Fairgrounds, 8 to 5. Weaver’s clout went into the racetrack in right field. Ray Knight pitched for the locals and was touched for 15 blows.

Miss Phyllis Hisgen, of Valparaiso, defeated Peg Hammet, of South Bend, in the final match of the Chicago Daily News Gold Medal tennis tourney at Gary on Saturday and won the right for her to compete in the interdivisional matches in Chicago this week as Northern Indiana’s girl champion.

June 18, 1923

Oil well No. 1 on the farm of J. C. Cavanaugh in Jackson Township, drilled by George Oliver, of Chicago, was plugged yesterday by O. H. Hughes, of Indianapolis. Hughes is an inspector from the department of natural gas supervision of Indiana. The state law requires that as soon as a driller abandons a well, he must report to the state and an inspector is sent out to plug the well. This is done by driving cedar blocks into the pipe, cementing the top, and sapping the same. A seal of the great state of Indiana is placed on the top.

June 19, 1923

Robert F. Winslow, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank B. Winslow, of Valparaiso, was graduated from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor yesterday and received the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery. Dr. Winslow has been honored by the University of Michigan with the appointment of an internship at Bellevue Hospital, New York City, where he will take up his profession of oral surgery. He plans to go to New York City on July 1.

June 20, 1923

Judge and Mrs. H. H. Loring will embark on a European trip tomorrow night. Judge Loring will close the April term of court tomorrow. While in Europe they will visit the World War battlefields in France and attend a banquet in Paris given in honor of Ambassador Myron T. Herrick. Judge Loring and wife will visit England, Italy, Austria and other countries. In England, Judge Loring will make a study of the English courts.

Prof. Harold L. Butler, formerly connected with Valparaiso University, and brother of Mrs. W. S. Lindall, of Valparaiso, has been elected Dean of the School of Fine Arts at Syracuse University. Prof. Butler is at present head of the School of Fine Arts at the University of Kansas at Lawrence. Prof. Butler was head of Valparaiso University Vocal Department at one time and also was head of the vocal department at Syracuse from 1903 to 1907.

June 21, 1923

Harry Diamond, of Gary, convicted of first-degree murder in the slaying of his wife, Nettie Herschovitz Diamond, and sentenced to the electric chair by a jury in the Porter Circuit Court, was taken to the Michigan City prison this morning by Sheriff William Pennington, Deputy Sheriffs W. B. Forney, William Mohnssen, and Jerry Lafrentz. Diamond will be electrocuted on October 12, if his motion for a new trial, scheduled to be heard on September 4, is overruled.

On account of complaints being registered by Porter County people in regard to speeding on the Dunes Highway, Prosecutor Field Ray Marine last Sunday detailed Constable Charles Adams and Chester Klineman to patrol the highway. Eleven offenders were taken before Justice Roscoe Huff at Porter and paid fines for speeding.

June 22, 1923

The Kouts All Stars, managed by Attorney T. E. Crowe, defeated the Valparaiso Boosters, led by Buck Weaver, at Kouts yesterday afternoon in eleven innings by a score of 5 to 4. Lefty Sullivan, of Chicago, pitched for the Boosters. It was his wild heave and some weird first-basing by Ray Knight which gave Kouts the tying run in the ninth after the Boosters were leading by a count of 4 to 1. Chief Rainier pitched for Kouts.

Memorial services for Sarah Porter Kinsey were held yesterday afternoon at the Methodist Episcopal church in Valparaiso. Mrs. Kinsey died at Catlettsburg, Ky., on July 22, 1922. Many prominent club women from all over the state attended. Rev. Henry L. Davis, of Greencastle, Ind., former pastor of the local church, made the principal address. Mrs. W. F. Torrance, president of the Indiana Women’s Club, and Miss Vida Newsom, a member of the general federation of Women’s Clubs, gave short talks eulogizing Mrs. Kinsey. Dr. H. M. Evans read a poem written by Professor B. F. Williams, who was unable to attend because of being in Cambridge, Mass., attending a reunion of his class at Harvard University. The body of Mrs. Kinsey, which had been reposing in the mausoleum at Graceland Cemetery, was removed and placed in a grave.

June 23, 1923

Peter Ludolph, for more than fifty-one years connected with the newspaper business in Valparaiso, is here from Los Angeles, Cal., visiting at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Schneider. Mr. Ludolph started in the newspaper business under Aaron Gurney, who published the Vidette fifty years ago. At one time he was the owner of the paper. For many years he was in the newspaper business in California.

Yesterday at the Pennsylvania Railroad Freight House, farmers of Porter County pooled 7,000 pounds of wool. E. D. Cain, of Washington Township, was in charge of the pool. The wool will be shipped to the Ohio Sheep and Wool Growers’ Association at Columbus, Ohio.

June 24, 1923

Buck Weaver’s Valparaiso Boosters defeated the Brooklyn Royal Giants from New York City yesterday afternoon at the fairgrounds, 8 to 4. “Slim” Anderson pitched for Valparaiso and held the Negro league team to seven hits. Weaver led his teammates at bat with three hits.

Saturday (June 23) was the hottest June day at the Flint Lake Pumping Station since the establishment of the government records at Flint Lake in 1915. Joseph Bradley, custodian of the records, reports a temperature of 97½ degrees on that day.

June 25, 1923

Garrett D. Conover, of Valparaiso, who recently was graduated from the dental department of the University of Michigan, has leased the front suite over the Vidette office on Washington Street and will open up a dental office on August 1. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Ransom Conover.

June 26, 1923

W. H. Sheaffer, a law student at Valparaiso University, and one of the best known and most popular athletes at the school, has joined the Schleman-Morton Company. He will assist in selling lots in two subdivisions now being opened, Forest Park, in Valparaiso, and The Pines, on Dunes highway, one-half mile south of Lake Michigan and close to Michigan City.

June 27, 1923

The French Cafe on College Hill was reopened this morning under the management of Steve Pappas. Mr. Pappas has installed new furnishings and the interior has been redecorated. The cafe was closed six weeks ago by Mrs. Mary Daniels, of Gary, who owns the building and formerly conducted the business.

The state highway commission will take over the road from Valparaiso that extends south to a point two miles south of Hebron and will connect with State Road 8. This was the announcement brought back today by Senator Will Brown, of Hebron and Porter County Commissioner F. W. Alpen, who appeared before the commission yesterday at Indianapolis. The taking over of the Valparaiso-Chesterton end will not be undertaken until the location of Dunes State Park has been determined.

June 28, 1923

Four Lake County murderers were brought to the Porter County Jail here today. The men held in custody to await trial in the local courts are Henry Jackson, Quinton Cameron, August Coleman, and John Johnson. Three more men charged with murder are to have their cases venued here it is said.

Work on the Dunes Highway near Baillytown, held up by refusal of property owners to sell right-of-way, will begin next Monday by the General Construction Company of Gary. Two miles of highway was affected by the action of the property owners. The appraisers appointed by Judge H. H. Loring in condemnation proceedings fixed the amounts of damages at $300 ($5,353 in 2023) to $1,100 ($19,629 in 2023) in three cases.

June 29, 1923

Captain W. E. Harris, who has been stationed at Omaha, Neb., for the last two years, was recently transferred to Fort Humphreys, Va. The trip from Nebraska to Virginia was made by auto. Captain Harris was accompanied from Valparaiso by Mrs. Harris, who has spent a short vacation here. Fort Humphreys is situated on the Potomac River near historic Mt. Vernon.

Harvey C. Varner, of the Specht-Finney Company, downstairs department, has been apprized he was the winner of a contest in Tipton, Iowa, for suggesting the best name for a corrugated steel trunk manufactured by a company there. Mr. Varner sent the name, “Metal Monarch,” and received first prize, $120 ($2,141 in 2023).

June 30, 1923

The Valparaiso City Council and members of the city board of education met in an informal session last evening at Valparaiso City Hall to confer regarding the building of a high school building in Valparaiso. A number of citizens, principally residents of the First Ward, were in attendance. The meeting had been requested by the school board. The board asked that the city come to the aid of the school authorities with a gift of $25,000 ($446,122 in 2023). It is planned to spend $200,000 ($3.57M in 2023) in erection of a new building.

June, the month of brides, was a busy one for Porter County Clerk Ross C. Jones and his assistants. Fifty-five licenses were issued this month compared to thirty-nine last year.

Looking Back • May 1923

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.

May 1, 1923

Noah S. Amstutz, of Valparaiso, has received an official invitation from the Port of New Orleans Board of Commissioners to be present at the formal opening of the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal on May 5. This project connects the Mississippi River with Lake Pontchartrain, relieving the City of New Orleans from a serious shipping handicap.

Porter County schools will hold a track meet and general athletic contest on Wednesday, May 9, at the Porter County Fairgrounds. Schools will be closed for the day. There will be one series of events for the high school, one for the grades, and one “free for all” for the girls.

May 2, 1923

Carl Zook, a former Valparaiso man, was awarded $5,000 in a settlement in U. S. District Court, Chicago, in his suit for injuries against the Pennsylvania Railroad. Zook was injured in March 1922, in Plymouth, when he fell over a draw bar.

Leighton Mount, Northwestern University student, missing since September, 1921, during a class rush at the school, and whose skeleton was found on the Evanston lakefront Monday night, was a former resident of Valparaiso. Mount, according to the police, was killed in the class rush and his body carried beneath the heavy stones. His father, J. L. Mount, was at one time connected with the Chautauqua Manufacturing Company of Valparaiso.

May 3, 1923

A judgment of $4,306.90 was awarded William Alyea, of Hebron, Wednesday night by a jury in the federal court at Indianapolis in a suit brought against the American Railway Express Company. The judgment was for furs valued at $3,712.85 shipped from Rushville to Hebron on March 30, 1920, and stolen on April 2 from the express company’s office at Hebron. Mrs. Alyea was notified of their arrival in Hebron but did not claim them. It was contended by the express company that the owners of the fur had been notified of their arrival and did not come after them within a reasonable length of time.

Last evening, a special meeting of the congregation of Immanuel Lutheran Church was held for the purpose of electing a successor to Rev. C. W. Baer, who resigned. After much deliberation, it was resolved to extend a call to Rev. George F. Schutes, from Trinity Lutheran Church in Logan, O.

May 4, 1923

The Yellowstone Garage on Linwood Avenue has been acquired by Joseph Zeller, who traded a 200-acre farm near Winamac, Ind., to Biven Coburn of Medaryville, Ind. The latter obtained the garage from Alexander Watt, of Valparaiso. Mr. Zeller will conduct the garage business himself in conjunction with his son, Donald Zeller.

Valparaiso’s Chautauqua will be held in July this year. E. W. Agar, president of the local association, has received word from the Mutual Morgan Bureau of Chicago that tentative dates of July 4 to 8, has been selected for Valparaiso. This would give the sessions a holiday and a Saturday and Sunday ensuring large crowds.

May 5, 1923

The Valparaiso City Council at a meeting last night decided to issue bonds in the sum of $19,000 to pay for the two new Seagrave fire trucks recently purchased. The issue will be spread over a term of three years.

The Valparaiso High School Senior Class staged “The Charm School” at the Memorial Opera House last night. Mrs. C. W. Boucher directed the production and Miss Darby was in charge of the music. Those taking part were: Eva Kruse, Paul Stevenson, Ivan Hayhurst, Ruth Van Arsdel, Margaret Timmons, Clarissa Ely, Alice Ludington, Mary Stoner, Alice Fabing, Myrtle Willing, Edith Richards, Delphine Corson, Ruth Hershman, Merle Dowdell, Ernest Lembke, Dickey Mitchell and Herbert Mitchell.

May 6, 1923

The Valparaiso Boosters, led by Buck Weaver, former Chicago White Sox player, defeated the Hammond Colonials at the fairgrounds on Sunday, 5 to 4. Callahan, second baseman of the Boosters, hammered out a home run. Webb pitched for the locals and was opposed by Frankie Simon. Each pitcher allowed five hits.

Rev. Ora E. Oxley, of Rolling Prairie, filled the pulpit of the Christian Church at Boone Grove last night, it being his first sermon as pastor of the church. He was greeted by a large crowd that filled the edifice. Several hundred members of a well-known organization from Valparaiso and Porter County were in attendance. Rev. Oxley succeeded Rev. Chester W. Jacobs, who left Boone Grove in February to accept a church pastorate in Illinois.

May 7, 1923

The Valparaiso Home Water Company today commenced work on the extension of water mains in several parts of the city. The beginning operations on Grove Avenue, Sunny Crest addition, Chautauqua Park, followed by lines on Evans Avenue, north of the Grand Trunk, extending west from Calumet, making the circuit on East Limit Street, near Kirchhoff Park, and there joining two dead ends. Three-quarters of a mile of pipeline will be laid at this time.

May 8, 1923

Work will start tomorrow on the Lincoln Highway, east of Valparaiso. The road will be closed to traffic. George T. Pearce, in charge of highway construction in Lake, Porter, and Jasper Counties, will begin getting berms ready for the asphalt penetration top, the contract for which will be awarded today at Indianapolis. The road to the Malone School in Washington Township will be improved this year, and next year from that point to the LaPorte-Porter County line.

May 9, 1923

Valparaiso and Porter County were blanketed last night in one of the worst snowstorms ever occurring in the month of May. The storm assumed blizzard proportions and embodied sleet, hail, snow, and abnormally low temperatures. In the rural districts, autos were stalled in the drifts, which in some places were six feet deep. Property, fruit, and sprouting crops were damaged.

Wallace C. Sutter, secretary of the chamber of commerce at Connersville, Ind., and formerly secretary for the Manufacturers’ Association at Marion, Ind., was elected secretary of the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce at the weekly meeting of the board of directors held this Noon. He will take up his new duties in the middle of next week.

May 10, 1923

The state highway department is asking Porter County to stand good for costs of obtaining the right of way not yet acquired for the Dunes Highway in Westchester Township. The department will conduct condemnation proceedings and the county will pay damages which can be done under the 1923 act. The amount involved is $3,500. The commissioners took no action upon the advice of Porter County Attorney Grant Crumpacker. If the county cannot appropriate money, then it will have to be raised by popular subscription.

Babe Elkins, pitcher; James Blande, first base, and Victor Schultz, utility member, of the LaPorte All Stars, have been signed by the Valpo Boosters. Elkins defeated Kouts three times last year and Valpo once. The three men will be in the local lineup next Sunday against the Hammond Elks here. 

May 11, 1923

Members of the Elks will have a horseshoe court in the rear of the lodge property at Washington and Jefferson Streets in Valparaiso. This was decided at a meeting of the lodge last night. A number of teams will be formed. The Elks and Kiwanis Club will play a series of matches, it was announced.

Nearly 300 eighth grade pupils in the rural schools outside Valparaiso will sit for final examinations to be held tomorrow at designated places in the county, Superintendent Fred H. Cole announced today. A short time ago, the number was 250, but since that time additional calls have been received, indicating the number will approach the 300 mark.

May 12, 1923

Rev. Clarence Mitchell, former pastor of the First Baptist Church of Valparaiso, is now pastor of the Columbia Baptist Church at Cincinnati, O. Since the year and four months he has been pastor of the church, 115 members have been added. The Mitchells have a new boy, Frederick Eugene, which arrived a month ago.

Nobody wants four-and-one-half percent gravel road bonds these days. Recently Porter County Treasurer J. G. Graessle advertised the sale of $122,500 bonds of the Payne, Carlson, Esserman, and Gloyeski Roads. Only one bid was received by the Citizens’ Savings & Trust Company, of Valparaiso, bidding on the $30,000 Payne Road issue.

May 13, 1923

The Valparaiso Standards defeated the Hammond Elks here Sunday, 13 to 3. Webb pitched for the Standards. Buck Weaver, of the old Chicago White Sox, played a fine game for the Standards at third base. The locals made fifteen hits.

Word has been received here that Rev. George F. Schutes, of Trinity Lutheran Church of Logan, O., has accepted a call to the pastorate of the Valparaiso Immanuel Lutheran Church. He succeeds Rev. C. W. Baer, who goes to the Redeemer Lutheran Church at Fort Wayne.

May 14, 1923

William P. Shadoan, of Somerset, Ky., former star athlete at Center College, Danville, Ky., has been signed to coach athletes at Valparaiso University during the coming year. He succeeds Earl J. Goheen. The new coach will take up his duties on September 1. Shadoan is a former teammate of Bo McMillan and “Red” Roberts, stars at Center College.

May 15, 1923

Herbert Douglas was elected captain of the 1923-24 Valparaiso High School basketball team at a meeting held yesterday afternoon. He received six votes to his brother George’s two votes. Douglas played at back guard last season and defeated LaPorte in the regional tourney here by dropping in two long shots from the middle of the floor.

May 16, 1923

The French Cafe on College Hill, owned by Mrs. Mary Daniels, has closed its doors. Its career was terminated Sunday night when a sign was placed on the front door stating that the accounts were on the inside. Lack of business was given as the reason for closing. The cafe was formerly owned by Wilford Foster, who sold it to Mrs. Daniels.

Flint Lake is benefiting from recent rains. Two weeks ago, a 2.61-inch rainfall was registered while 2.15 inches was recorded last night. The various ditches emptying into the lake are running good-sized streams at the present time.

May 17, 1923

The official school enumeration of Porter County, which includes boys and girls between the ages of six and twenty-one, was announced today by Superintendent Fred H. Cole. A total of 5,711 boys and girls is shown by the count, as compared with 5,864 in 1922, a net loss of 153.

The Gary and Valparaiso Interurban directors at a meeting yesterday decided to sell the depot buildings at the Gary and Woodville Junction. The former building has been abandoned for a new structure. The building at the Woodville Junction is larger than conditions demand and it has also suffered at the hands of vandals. Another small building will be used. The directors also authorized the purchase of 2,000 ties to be used in repairing the road between Gary and Valparaiso.

May 18, 1923

Yesterday after school, eighteen members of the Valparaiso High School Senior Class, who had been pupils under Miss Margaret Beer, were guests at a surprise party staged by her in Miss Mabel Benney’s room. The pupils were taught by Miss Beer at the Columbia and Gardner Schools.

A. R. Hardesty and Herbert Schleman have opened up an office in Hobart from which they will sell the remaining lots in the H. & S. addition located west of the brick yards. Mr. Schleman is living with Dr. A. C. Wickham and is considering locating in Hobart permanently.

May 19, 1923

Valparaiso University defeated St. Viator College yesterday at Kankakee, Ill., by a score of 9 to 1. Graham, of Valpo, allowed four hits, two of which were made by Clancy, St. Viator first baseman. Valpo did not make an error.

Members of the Ku Klux Klan ushered in their homecoming and May Festival being held here today by burning fiery crosses in every town in the county. Two burning sticks were touched off in Valparaiso, one at the courthouse square, and the other at the old college building ruins. At Chesterton, klansmen burned a giant cross on top of Mt. Tom in the sand dunes. This morning, members of the klan began arriving for the celebration. An automobile party of 100 cars arrived from Terre Haute. Two special trains over the Pennsylvania from Chicago and another of twelve coaches from Indianapolis also arrived.

May 20, 1923

Over 8,000 klansmen marched in the huge parade which climaxed the last session of the Ku Klux Klan festival and celebration held at the Porter County fairgrounds Saturday. The procession started at the fairgrounds and traversed the business district. Three bands furnished music. Estimates of the number of visitors in Valparaiso on Saturday vary from 10,000 to 50,000. Two hundred women and 500 men were initiated into the klan and ladies’ auxiliary. National officers attended the meeting, coming by plane.

Valparaiso University won the Western Interstate Baseball Championship Saturday by defeating Y.M.C.A. College of Chicago, 8 to 5. Walter Hiltpold, on the mound for Valpo, struck out eleven men. The win gave Valpo a clean slate of four wins and no defeats. St. Viator, DePaul, Columbia, Kalamazoo, LaCrosse, and Luther were other teams in the conference.

May 21, 1923

Eleven members of this year’s graduating class of the Valparaiso University Law School were admitted to the bar by Judge H. H. Loring in Porter Circuit Court this morning. Included in the number were Neil McEachum, Oliver M. Loomis, Gust Hoff, William Behanna, Herman Carter, Juan Herrara, William H. Sheaffer, Dewey Smith, Kenneth Williams, R. J. Wiltrout, and David Chesrow.

May 22, 1923

The work of selecting a jury in the case of Harry Diamond, of Gary, charged with slaying his wife, and shooting his Black chauffeur, William Armstrong, was halted in Porter Circuit Court this morning when the second venire of 40 men were exhausted. A second venire of 20 names was drawn by the jury commissioners. The state today indicated it was looking for the whereabouts of a girl alleged to be Diamond’s sweetheart, who is said to have about $40,000 of securities which belonged to Mrs. Diamond, and which disappeared following her death.

May 23, 1923

E. D. Hodges was re-elected president of the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce at a meeting of the directors held this noon. E. L. Loomis and Dr. Marx Ruge were named vice-presidents; T. L. Applegate, treasurer, and Edmund J. Freund, secretary. The election was to have been held in January but was deferred until it was found whether enough money could be raised to carry out the proposed program of the organization and insure the selection of a manager.

Paul Graham, star flinger of the Valparaiso University baseball team this year, has departed for Topeka, Kansas, where he has signed up with the Topeka team of the Western League. Graham won every game he pitched for the university, and two games for the Valparaiso Boosters.

May 24, 1923

A jury to try Harry Diamond, Gary wife slayer, was secured in Porter Circuit Court this morning. William Querry, the 102nd juror examined, was the last juror selected. Others on the jury comprise: William Arnold, Pleasant; Max Otto, Pleasant; Gus Greiger, Morgan; Jerome Bartholomew, Pleasant; Earl Knapp, Center; Charles Bowman, Jackson; William Winselman, Morgan; E. F. Bird, Westchester; Thomas Doyle, Jackson; and Don L. Richmond, Center.

Agitation has been started in Chesterton to compel the Valparaiso & Northern Railway to take up its tracks in that town. The persons advocating the step declare the tracks are a nuisance inasmuch as the railroad has ceased operation of its cars. W. J. Henry, of Valparaiso, vice-president of the railroad, is opposing the step. He believes the time will come when the operation of the railroad will be resumed, and that Chesterton will need the line.

May 25, 1923

An old vault in the rear of the Valparaiso Chamber building on Washington Street, formerly used as a storage of valuables when the post office was housed in the building, will be removed to the rear of the Modern Toggery Shop on Lincolnway by the Schleman-Morton Company, owners of both structures. The vault was formerly located in the rear of the building on the site of the present Lowenstine Department Store and was used by city treasurers to keep books, money, and records in days gone by. It was moved in the 1890s to the Salyer Building to use for storage of important papers.

Professors John R. Effinger, Dean of the College of Literature, Arts, and Sciences of the University of Michigan, made the address to the graduates of the Valparaiso High School at the annual commencement exercises held last evening at the Memorial Opera House. Attorney Bruce B. Loring, local grad and University of Michigan alumni, introduced the speaker. Professor C. W. Boucher presented the diplomas to the fifty-nine graduates, the largest class ever to be graduated from the local school.

May 26, 1923

The Jahns Bus, which has been operated between Valparaiso, Hebron, and Lowell, will instead begin to run between Hebron and Michigan City. The Lowell end of the trip proved unprofitable. The bus will start at Hebron, come to Valparaiso, and go through Chesterton and Tremont on his way to Michigan City. Two round trips will be made daily.

May 27, 1923

Work was commenced today by John Sievers, senior member of the firm of the Sievers Drug Company, on the erection of a new building on the lot just west of the Johnson Oil Filling Station on East Lincolnway. Harvil Brothers, of Valparaiso, will be the lessees of the structure. The building will have a floor space of 10,000 square feet. The site of the new structure was formerly occupied by the T. B. Louderback Blacksmith and Wagon Shop.

The Valparaiso Boosters baseball team, with Buck Weaver in the lineup, defeated the Chicago American Giants at the fairgrounds yesterday by a score of 7 to 5. Weaver led the Boosters with two doubles and a single.

May 28, 1923

Representatives of a bonding company and J. E. Dreschoff, lessee of the Hotel Lembke, are in Valparaiso today for the purpose of investigating the feasibility of floating a bond issue to take over the hotel and complete the building. Mr. Dreschoff has an option on the lease of the building which expires on June 1.

May 29, 1923

J. Earl Mavity was elected president; Bernard Szold, secretary and treasurer, and Ben Schenck, team captain, at the organization of the Valpo Tennis Club held last evening. Some 15 to 20 attended. Fred LePell, John Lowenstine, Phyllis Hisgen, Kenneth Kimmel, Merton Lish, and Leslie Wade having dignified their intention of entering the Chicago Daily News Gold Medal Tourney.

May 30, 1923

Valparaiso policeman Matthew Brown is one man who enjoys the distinction of having been an eyewitness to the knocking out of four homers by a ball player in a single game. It was in 1887, at the old West Side Baseball Park, Congress and Loomis Streets, Chicago, that this occurred. Dan Brouthers, of Detroit, a member of the Big Four, was the man who clouted the pill for the four successive homers.

May 31, 1923

The marriage business in Porter County this year is running light, according to figures compiled by Porter County Clerk Gust E. Bornholt. During the first five months, a total of 163 licenses were issued. May yielded 34 of this number. It is expected the entire year will not show more than 400 licenses.

Looking Back • April 1923

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.

April 1, 1923

The Maxwell Implement Company sold its Hebron branch to John Lee, of Mount Ayr, Ind. The local company recently sold its branch store at LaCrosse, leaving the Valparaiso store as their only interest.

A big truck of the Porter County Highway Department was destroyed by fire on the L.C. Bay place near McCool, Saturday morning. A tractor, small truck, and automobile were saved. Bay is assistant highway superintendent.

April 2, 1923

Three gravel road contracts were awarded by the county commissioners yesterday. The Koehler Road in Boone Township, went to C. T. Eadus, of Kouts, at $23,880 (≈$425,092 in 2023); the Flynn Road in Westchester Township to Ray DeMass, of Chesterton, at $16,400 (≈$291,939 in 2023); and the Bankson Road in Westchester Township to DeMass at $8,900 (≈$158,430 in 2023).

The Indiana Public Service Commission has approved the petition of the Northwestern Indiana Telephone Company, of Valparaiso, for authority to issue and sell $15,000 (≈$267,017 in 2023) in common stock to be used in payment of betterments and extension of plant.

April 3, 1923

Arthur J. Bowser, owner of The Chesterton Tribune, has sold the newspaper to John G. Graessle, county treasurer. Graessle will take charge at once. He will divide his time between the treasurer’s office and the newspaper. Bowser founded the paper in 1884, where Graessle was formerly an employee.

April 4, 1923

The Indiana State Tax Board has granted the petition of the School City of Valparaiso for the issuance of bonds to build a new high school building but has withheld final consent until the construction contract has been approved.

April 5, 1923

Edward R. Armitage, former Valparaiso newspaperman, right-hand man of Mayor William Hale Thompson, in Chicago, was loser in the city council race for alderman in the 41st ward in Tuesday’s election by 475 votes.

Harry Hodsden has filed a petition with the county board of commissioners asking appointment of four men as constables for the Porter County Anti-Horse Thief Association. H. I. Barnett, Elias Cain, William McGinley, and George Vann are the names of the prospective appointees. A similar petition filed some time ago was turned down by the board after objection had been entered.

April 6, 1923

The Valparaiso school board will proceed with plans for a new school building and will obtain them before asking the state tax board for authority to float a bond issue. The question of a building site may be placed before the new planning commission soon to be named by Mayor E. W. Agar.

Dr. H. O. Seipel has been appointed medical examiner in the 84th division headquarters, Fifth Army Corps, for Porter County. The position is connected with the activities of the Citizens’ Military Training Camp, held annually at Camp Knox, Ky.

April 7, 1923

Ogden Dunes, a 500-acre tract in north Porter County, is soon to be transformed into a deluxe subdivision. About $35,000 (≈$623,041 in 2023) will be spent on roads this year. An eight-hole golf course will also be constructed.

Announcement was made that work will stop on Hotel Lembke at close of today’s operations. It is planned to issue $70,000 (≈$1.25M in 2023) in preferred stock. With each two shares of preferred stock a share of common stock will be given.

April 8, 1923

Coach Ralph E. Schenck and his Valparaiso High School basketball squad witnessed the semi-finals of the National Interscholastic basketball tourney at Bartlett Gym, University of Chicago. Rockford, Ill., won, defeating Charleston, S.C. Rockford is coached by Erickson, formerly of Gary’s Emerson.

The Nuppnau building at the corner of Washington Street and Indiana Avenue in Valparaiso, purchased by George Murken, is being razed. It will be replaced by a new building and occupied by Murken, who operates a grocery. The Nuppnau building is a relic of Civil War days.

April 9, 1923

Samuel McNaught, of the state attorney-general’s office, and T. J. Rooney, federal prohibition officer, returned to Indianapolis today after a week’s investigation of liquor law violations. According to McNaught, Porter County is practically dry.

W. W. Hinshaw, formerly head of the Valparaiso University Music Department, and now connected with the Hinshaw Opera Company of New York City, will come to Valparaiso during the presentation of the Mozart masterpiece, “Cosi Fan Tutte” at the university Saturday night.

April 10, 1923

Miss Helen Schleman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Schleman, of Valparaiso, has been elected president of the Woman’s Athletic Association at Northwestern University. Miss Schleman has been accorded the honor of being one of the best three women athletes at Northwestern University.

A second addition to St. Michael’s American-Russian National Orphanage and Institution has been planned, according to a plat filed in the county’s recorder’s office. An addition opened some time ago has been sold out.

April 11, 1923

The case of Harry Diamond, of Gary, charged with the murder of his wife, has been moved here from Lake County. Joseph Conroy, of Hammond, and Frank B. Parks, of Valparaiso, will defend Diamond.

April 12, 1923

Murray J. Beach, of M. J. Beach and Sons, plumbers, Carl Black, son of former Porter County Treasurer, and Mrs. Henry F. Black, of Washington Township, narrowly escaped death by drowning in the Gulf of Mexico, off Biloxi, Miss., last Saturday. The men went out into the gulf in a submarine launch to see a whale which had been washed up on a sand bar. The boat ran out of gas and was buffeted about all night by huge waves before help arrived.

April 13, 1923

On display in the window of the James and LaForce Shoe Store on Franklin Street in Valparaiso is a pair of handmade boots made by Joseph LaForce, father of Mr. LaForce, for W. N. Anderson, of Pleasant Township, in 1879. LaForce conducted a shop over the Szold Department Store and employed ten hands. The boots were worn with full dress suits.

Abe Klein, Lincolnway clothier in Valparaiso, has leased a storeroom on Michigan Avenue, South Bend, and will open up a clothing store between May 1 and 15.

April 14, 1923

The Murken-owned Nuppnau building at the corner of Washington and Indiana may be the oldest building in Valparaiso. Controversy has been rife among the old timers since the Smiths’ Company began to raze the building to make way for a new structure. Old time photographs taken before the Civil War show the building was standing.

Fifty years ago today, April 14, 1865, the weather was considerably warmer than today, according to old timers. David Payne recalls he was driving cattle to the Kankakee River on a farm south of Lowell. While enroute to his destination he heard of the assassination of President Lincoln.

April 15, 1923

Valparaiso University defeated Notre Dame University yesterday, 9 to 8. Spurgeon’s homer and single were the single factors in the victory.

Harry Diamond, of Gary, changed with the murder of his wife, Nettie, and shooting of his Black chauffeur, William Armstrong, on a lonely road between Gary and East Chicago on February 15, 1923, is now in the Porter County Jail. His case was moved here from Lake County.

April 16, 1923

The Valparaiso planning commission appointed by Mayor E. W. Agar met last night at city hall to organize. E. S. Miller was named chairman, and J. E. Mavity, secretary. Two petitions were presented to the body. One pertained to a new grade school for Valparaiso’s First Ward.

Valparaiso University defeated the Michigan Aggies yesterday at Brown Field, 6 to 5. The locals pushed over five runs in the ninth.

April 17, 1923

Miss Mary Summerfield, of Terre Haute, Ind., has succeeded Miss Effie Weesner as assistant to Miss Mary Deegan at the Gardner School in Valparaiso. Miss Weesner recently resigned.

April 18, 1923

Claude Beach, of Valparaiso, has been named Porter County Chairman for the Citizens Military Training Camp Association. He will begin enrolling men for camp at Camp Knox, Ky., beginning July 27.

April 19, 1923

Will Brown and M. E. Dinsmoore have been appointed as members of the Hebron Library Board by Judge H. H. Loring, of the Porter Circuit Court. Miss Ora Bryant, the third member, was named by the Hebron Town Board.

Rev. Claude E. Hill, former local pastor, who has been pastor of the First Christian Church at Chattanooga, Tenn., has accepted a call to the church in Tulsa, Okla.

April 20, 1923

At a meeting of the Valparaiso Elks Lodge last night, steps were taken toward a new building by appointment of a ways and means committee headed by Charles L. Jeffrey. The lodge will sell the Dr. J. R. Pagin property and the building on West Lincolnway and build a new home.

Walter Hiltpold, Valparaiso University leftie, defeated Mt. Morris, Ill., yesterday at Mr. Morris, 10 to 2. Anderson, of the locals, made five hits.

April 21, 1923

Rev. Leigh Lawrence, of Menominee, Mich., visited here Thursday and Friday with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Lawrence. He has just returned from a tour of western states in the interest of the Episcopal church.

Valparaiso University defeated Columbia College at Dubuque, Iowa, yesterday, 4 to 2 in eleven innings. Columbia held a 1 to 0 lead until the ninth when Valpo tied the count. In the eleventh, Valpo pushed over three runs, while the best Columbia could do was a home run by McCauley, Columbia’s star pitcher.

April 22, 1923

John Lenden, age 64, who was known as the “King of the Sand Dunes,” was found dead in his dugout northwest of Chesterton Sunday morning by his brother. Lenden resided in the Dune region for many years and had little to do with anyone.

The Brown Supply Company, of Valparaiso, has filed articles of incorporation at Indianapolis. Incorporators are S. J. Brown, J. R. Linton, and N. E. Geiger. Capital stock is $25,000 (≈$445,029 in 2023).

April 23, 1923

Work on the deluxe addition to be built on the Lehman tract near Mineral Springs by Chester A. Wirt and a Gary syndicate was begun yesterday. Eight teams were placed on the grading work on the first 25-acre plot to be laid out. A graveled highway will be constructed from the property to the Lake Michigan beach, affording connection with a public highway. The Gary syndicate has leased the 580-acre Lehman tract for a 99-year period.

April 24, 1923

The will of Mrs. Maud Johnston, formerly of Valparaiso, was probated Monday in Cook County Circuit Court, Chicago. After bequests of $1,500 (≈$26,701 in 2023) to distant relatives, the remainder, $125,000 (≈$2.23M in 2023) was devised to three children, William and Edward Johnston, and Mrs. Charles Harvey.

The Bowlby Brothers, who have been conducting a grocery store on Haas Street, yesterday sold the business to A. Banister.

April 25, 1923

Creditors of Valparaiso University recently met at the university to discuss the financial aspects of the institution. Fully 90% of the total indebtedness was represented. The vote was unanimous to extend the time on the notes for two years. The new notes bear 5%. This will remove the heavy burden under which the local institution has been laboring for a period of at least two years. This does not include the indebtedness with the J. F. Wild & Company, of Indianapolis.

April 26, 1923

Valparaiso University defeated Loyola University yesterday, 9 to 7, for its fifth straight win. Loyola led 6 to 3, until the eighth inning, when Valpo scored two runs and came back with four in the ninth.

Carl Reichert, 27, of Cincinnati, O., federal board student at Valparaiso University, was found dead in bed at Corboy Hall this morning. He was a veteran of the First World War and had been shell shocked.

April 27, 1923

Work will be commenced next week in razing the LaForce Shoe Store building on Lincolnway in Valparaiso, owned by William Schleman, and a new building erected. The LaForce Shoe Store stock, purchased by M. Kline, of Cleveland, will be shipped to that city.

At the naturalization hearing held in Porter Circuit Court today, Mrs. Mary F. Stiles, on behalf of the Women’s Relief Corps, presented an American flag to Judge H. H. Loring. Each new citizen was also presented with an American flag.

April 28, 1923

Coach Ralph E. Schenck’s Valparaiso High School football team yesterday defeated the alumni and local ineligibles, 7 to 0. White, brilliant left half of the varsity crew, scored for the high school by a ten-yard run for a touchdown in the last quarter. Captain McCord and his mates checked the line smashes of the alumni.

A large barn, silo, and granary on the farm of John Froberg, 3.5 miles northeast of Valparaiso, burned this morning at 10 o’clock. The blaze was believed due to a backfire from an auto. Four calves and three horses were saved by Mr. Froberg. A bucket brigade saved other buildings from destruction.

April 29, 1923

Valparaiso University baseballers defeated Loyola University yesterday at Brown Field, 13 to 4. Valpo piled up a 10-1 lead in the first four innings by hitting the offerings of Dooley and Duffy consistently. In all, sixteen blows were registered, and Spurgeon and E. Johnson got three hits.

Valparaiso was represented at the meeting of the Indiana Dunes State Park Commission on Saturday at the Spaulding Hotel, Michigan City, relative to the matter of selecting the site for the new Dunes Park site. Attorneys Mark B. Rockwell and T. P. Galvin spoke for Valparaiso interests. LaPorte and Porter County interests are as a unit in believing the best location for the park-to-be is in the vicinity of Tremont.

April 30, 1923

Porter County schools will hold a track meet and general athletic contest on Wednesday, May 9, at the Porter County Fairgrounds. Schools will be closed for the day. There will be one of a series of events for the high schools, one for the grades, and one “free for all” for the girls.

Looking Back • March 1923

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.

Looking Back • February 1923

Image taken in the immediate aftermath of the Old College Building fire at Valparaiso University on February 15, 1923.

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.

February 1, 1923

College Hill residents want a fire station on College Hill, and a petition will soon be presented to Valparaiso City Council. Years ago, in the days of the old hose cart, a small station was maintained on the Hill. The cost of maintaining a station on College Hill would cost quite a sum, and it is doubtful whether the council would agree to such a move.

Rev. John Torrell, of Chesterton, who died last week, left an estate valued at $30,000 ($522,300 in 2023) according to letters of administration issued to his son, Dr. Emil E. Torrell, of Chicago, in Porter Circuit Court today. A widow and two children are the only heirs.

February 2, 1923

Residents of the First Ward of Valparaiso are interested in a new school building. Petitions are being circulated and will be presented to the city Board of Education. The city owns a site purchased a number of years ago. The First Ward residents declare the ward is the largest in terms of school children in the city. The recent movement to build a new high school building in the northwest part of the city has stirred up agitation for a new building in the First Ward.

Senator Will Brown of Porter County has introduced a bill in the state senate to reimburse W. E. Pinney, of Valparaiso, for taxes paid on meandering lands deeded by Mr. Pinney to the state, following a court decree holding the state was the owner of meandered lands along the Kankakee River. The Grassmere Land Company, owner of lands along the Kankakee River, litigated the proposition, and the matter was decided adverse to the land company.

February 3, 1923

Representatives of the Seagrave, American-LaFrance, Ahrens-Fox, and Stutz fire equipment companies attended an informal meeting of Valparaiso City Council last night and gave talks on the merits of fire engine equipment manufactured by their respective companies. The purpose of the meeting was to hear statements from the representatives of the companies regarding their equipment. Demonstrations by Ahrens-Fox and Seagrave companies are also to be made.

Valparaiso High School lost to La Porte High School at La Porte last night for the second time this season. The score was 38 to 13. Hedstrom, Wells, Pease, and Leliter led the attack for La Porte. Larson with five points and Shurr with four points were the best for Valpo.

February 4, 1923

A new residence property at Long Lake, east of Long Beach Hotel, just constructed by George Loomis, burned to the ground at 5:30 this morning. Mr. Loomis was preparing to move into the property this week.

Valparaiso residents awoke this morning to one of the coldest days of the winter. The thermometer at the Flint Lake pumping station showed eight degrees below zero. Furnace fires were kindled as never before. Few ventured out of doors to religious services.

February 5, 1923

The old College Building at Valparaiso University had a fire scare today. When a stove set up and attached to a closed flue in Room 8 on the second floor was kindled, the place filled up with smoke. The blaze was extinguished before any damage was done.

February 6, 1923

The Valparaiso Moose Lodge has gone on record opposing the traffic of narcotics. A resolution will be sent to President Harding to set aside a week to be known as “National Narcotic Week” to acquaint the public with the dangers involved in their use.

February 7, 1923

St. Viator College defeated the Valparaiso University basketball team last night at the university gym by a score of 36 to 22. St. Viator led at half time, 18 to 14. Valparaiso played without the services of Cadwallader and Riddle, star forwards. Harris and Anderson led the local attack. Winterhalter, Lyons, and Donnelly were best for St. Viator.

Miss Della Stokes was guest of honor at a dancing party given by her co-workers of the Lowenstine Department Store at North American Union Hall last night. Miss Stokes, who has been associated with the Lowenstines for a number of years, will accept a position with the McGill Manufacturing Company.

February 8, 1923

Mrs. Mary Sager, age 87 years, died today at her home at Sager’s Lake, south of Valparaiso. She was born in New York and was married to William H. Sager in 1858 inside the old Tremont House. Mr. Sager, who died in 1884, came to Valparaiso in 1854, and a few years later acquired Cheney’s Mill, now Sager’s Lake.

Chief J. A. Wise, of the Fire Committee of the Valparaiso City Council, and a local automobile man will visit Indianapolis in a few days to witness fire equipment demonstrations by the Stutz Company. Mayor E. W. Agar and members of the city council were also extended invitations but were unable to attend.

February 9, 1923

Punch boards are scarce in Chesterton. A few days ago they could be found in most any place. Constable Charles Adams, of Valparaiso, went to Chesterton this week with search warrants from Justice T. B. Louderback. He was sent by Prosecutor F. R. Marine. Adams confiscated a number of boards and also $71 ($1,236.11 in 2023) along with them. One proprietor was fined.

A horse owned by Ben Fleming, a local drayman, itched its nose so strenuously against an ornamental lighting post on Washington Street yesterday afternoon that the post was toppled over and badly damaged in its fall.

February 10, 1923

Valparaiso University defeated the Arkansas Aggies in a thrilling game last night at university gym, 28 to 27. Cadwallader’s basket just before the gun barked brought victory. Anderson made 14 free throws out of 19 chances. The Aggies outscored Valparaiso from the field, 9 to 7.

Professor Amos Ebersole, voice instructor at the Valparaiso University Conservatory of Music, has resigned to accept a similar position at North Dakota University at Grand Forks. Professor H. R. Roberts, of Gary, a former instructor at the university, will fill the vacancy for the present.

February 11, 1923

The Valparaiso High School basketball team lost to Hobart High at Hobart on Saturday evening by a score of 34 to 21. Valparaiso was badly crippled, having only one regular in the lineup, Captain Seymour. Injuries and flu kept four of the regular team at home. The second string Valpo five played good ball but were unable to get going in the small Hobart gym.

Word was received here Saturday night of the death at Indianapolis of Rev. H. L. Kindig, former pastor of the Valparaiso Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. Kindig was stationed here about 20 years ago.

February 12, 1923

Valparaiso University defeated Loyola University of Chicago here last night, 36 to 23. Captain Walter Hiltpold led the locals to victory with seven baskets. The Valpo reserves defeated Notre Dame freshmen, 27 to 26.

February 13, 1923

Because 11 teachers and over 300 children are absent from school because of illness, the Valparaiso Board of Education has ordered the schools closed until February 20.

February 14, 1923

Captain Norman A. Imrie, of Culver Military Academy, was the speaker last evening at a banquet of the Kiwanis Club in honor of the members, their wives, and those who participated in the recent Kiwanis Club minstrel. Field Ray Marine acted as chairman. Mr. Imrie was introduced by Professor Joel W. Eastman of Valparaiso University.

William Veasley, of Gary, was acquitted in the murder of Charles Green by a jury in Porter Circuit Court yesterday afternoon. Veasley was defended by Frank B. Parks and H. T. Miller. The slaying of Green took place during a card game near Gary, where a man named Carter was also killed. Veasley claimed self defense. He will now be tried for the murder of Carter in the Lake County Circuit Court.

February 15, 1923

The old College Building on College Hill was completely destroyed by fire early this morning. The building housed administration offices. Two men, Alvin Jones and a man named Bowen, who lived in the east tower, barely escaped with their lives. The loss will approximate $100,000 ($1,741,000 in 2023). The college library was saved. The building was built in 1859 with a few additions made later. It was the original home of the old Methodist college.

Ben H. Urbahns, formerly of Valparaiso and former Porter County Treasurer, has been appointed Chief Deputy Treasurer by State Treasurer Ora J. Davies. Mr. Davies’ term extends until 1925. Mr. Urbahns was formerly deputy under Uz McMurtrie, who preceded Mr. Davies as treasurer.

February 16, 1923

John McGillicuddy, well-known monument dealer and contractor, died this morning in the Mercy Hospital in Gary. He underwent an operation three weeks ago. He was born in Massachusetts 71 years ago and came to Valparaiso in 1859. He has been engaged in the monument business in Valparaiso for over 40 years. He was a member and trustee of the Elks Lodge.

Memorial services for Mrs. Sarah Porter Kinsey, wife of O. P. Kinsey, were held in St. Petersburg, Florida, Sunday, February 11. All Valparaiso people sojourning in St. Petersburg attended. Mrs. Kinsey died July 29, 1922. Twelve rose bushes were planted around the home of O. P. Kinsey by the sixty attendants, including one in full bloom given by friends and former students. The presentation of the roses was made by Mrs. Charles Carroll Brown, while Miss Center, a resident of St. Petersburg, who studied under Professor Kinsey, read a poem written by her husband and dedicated to his wife.

February 17, 1923

Lowell High defeated Valparaiso High last night at the university gym, 26 to 16. Kimmett, Love, and Kenny played well for Lowell, while Douglas and Larson showed best for Valparaiso. The Valpo Reserves defeated Hebron, 27 to 7.

Fourteen-inch ice is being put up at Flint Lake this week by the R. W. Lytle Ice Company. Mr. Lytle expects to fill his immense ice houses before the end of the week. A large force of men is employed. About 10,000 tons will be stored.

February 18, 1923

Sigurd Sorenson has been named by Mayor E. W. Agar to arrange for the installation of the local post of the United States Junior Naval Reserve. Mr. Sorenson is being assisted in the organizational work by R. H. Staude, Commander of the Robley D. Evans Post in Chesterton.

One hundred and forty-eight cars of livestock were shipped over the Nickel Plate Railroad from Valparaiso last year, according to a report made by Agent J. M. Fabing. Fourteen of the cars were double decked. The shipments were made to the Union stockyards in Chicago with the exception of nine cars to eastern markets. The shipments were composed of 1,196 cattle, 489 calves, 6,509 hogs, 578 sheep, and 18 goats.

February 19, 1923

Charles Pritz, age 40, a garageman from Knox, died in the Christian Hospital this morning from injuries received yesterday afternoon when his automobile was struck by a Nickel Plate train west of Knox. He suffered a fractured skull. The body will be taken to Ripon, WI, for burial.

February 20, 1923

Miss Rosemary Lawrence, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Lawrence, of Valparaiso, and Valparaiso High School graduate of 1917, has been appointed to the publicity committee for the Junior Girls’ Play at the University of Michigan where she is a student.

February 21, 1923

Around 100 citizens of Valparaiso met with the Board of Education last night in the assembly room of Central School. Myron J. Drapier, President of the Board of Education, extended the invitation to the citizens to attend. Mrs. E. D. Crumpacker, chairman of the visiting delegation, stated the purpose of the visit and called upon Mrs. Effie Earle to read a protest petition against the erection of a new high school building. It was suggested that a new ward building be built in the First Ward and the Central School be remodeled. A. A. Hughart, member of the school board, said the new grade building would be built in the First Ward, but that a new high school building is a necessity. He contended that remodeling of the Central School was out of the question.

W. F. Collins, manager of the Cash Meat Market, has been apprised that he had been declared winner in a contest of managers conducted by Tittle Brothers, owners of stores in a number of Indiana cities. Mr. Collins showed the greatest percent increase in business for the year 1922, more than any store entered in the contest. He will be given a free trip to California.

February 22, 1923

Clarence Gulbransen, well-known Wheatfield farmer, suffered severe injuries yesterday afternoon when he was struck by a falling tree. He was brought to Christian Hospital here. The accident occurred when a tree which had been felled lodged against another tree and Gulbransen and others tried to dislodge it. A fractured leg and spinal injury were suffered.

Harry Diamond, of Gary, charged with the murder of his wife, Nettie Diamond, and shooting of his chauffeur on a lonely road between Gary and East Chicago, on February 15, 1923, is now confined in the Porter County Jail. The venue of the case was relocated here from Lake County. W. J. Mathews, of Gary, McMahan and Smith of Hammond, and Frank B. Parks, of Valparaiso, are the attorneys for Diamond.

February 23, 1923

Fourteen teams will play in the district basketball tournament to be played in Valparaiso on March 2 and 3. The teams entered are La Porte, Michigan City, Valparaiso, La Crosse, Chesterton, Hebron, Kouts, Boone Grove, Westville, Union Mills, and Wanatah.

The Valparaiso City Council may adopt a zoning ordinance. E. S. Miller, a member of the council, attended a meeting at Purdue University last week and brought back much information on zoning. The zoning ordinance was advocated by Mayor E. W. Agar in his list of recommendations to the council when he assumed office on January 1, 1922.

February 24, 1923

The South Bend High School basketball team defeated Valparaiso High School last night at the university gymnasium by a score of 39 to 13. At halftime, South Bend led 22 to 9. Johnny Nyikos, with 20 points, led South Bend’s attack. Mike Shurr tossed in nine free throws for Valparaiso.

At its meeting last night, Valparaiso City Council rejected all bids submitted by five fire equipment companies for furnishing fire trucks to the city. The decision was reached after an executive session lasting until 11 o’clock. Representatives of the companies will be required to submit new bids and the same will be considered at an adjourned meeting next Thursday night. The bids submitted last night were considered too high.

February 25, 1923

An echo of the railroad wreck in Porter on February 27, 1921, found its way into the Porter Circuit Court today through two cases filed by Kelly and Galvin for the First Trust Company, administrator of the estate of Frances Anna Schwier and Fred Schwier, both of Michigan City. The latter is suing for the death of his son, Richard Joseph Schwier, who was a passenger on a Michigan Central train which figured in the crash with the New York Central train at Porter, resulting in the deaths of forty-one persons.

Valparaiso University defeated Concordia College last night at university gym by a score of 27 to 19. Last year, Concordia defeated Valparaiso 42 to 19 with practically the same lineup.

February 26, 1923

The Grand Trunk Hotel, at the Grand Trunk Depot, has been sold by Earl Inman to Ivan L. Hutchings. Inman is retiring because of ill health. Hutchings was formerly employed as a locomotive engineer on the Grand Trunk.

February 27, 1923

A petition filed today with Auditor B. H. Kinne is to be forwarded to the state tax board protesting against the proposed bond issued for the erection of a new high school building in the northwest part of Valparaiso. The petitioners contend the new high school building is not needed at this time: the present high school building could be enlarged to accommodate pupils attending the high school; the proposed site of the new building is not centrally located; and the proposal to erect a building on the site selected is an attempt to subordinate the intellectual and moral development of the school children to their athletic development.

February 28, 1923

Miss Rachel McGill, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. McGill, of Valparaiso, took a prominent part in the American Legion spectacle, “The Follies,” given at St. Petersburg, Florida, Monday and Tuesday. The play was staged at the Waterfront Ballpark, and Miss McGill was cast in the role of “Miss Atlanta.”

Yesterday was the birthday of Fred H. Cole, Porter County Superintendent of Schools and secretary of the Kiwanis, which met yesterday noon at the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce rooms. Mrs. Cole baked a sumptuous layer cake and provided ice cream in honor of the occasion.

Looking Back • January 1923

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.

January 1, 1923

Ralph E. Schenck, manual training instructor and coach of athletics at Valparaiso High School, and Freida Aldinger, of Evansville, Ill., a former teacher in the Valparaiso High School, were married in Chicago on New Year's Day. The bride is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and for the last two years has been teaching at Danville, Ill. She will come to Valparaiso the latter part of January.

January 2, 1923

Dr. H. M. Evans was installed as president of Valparaiso University in fitting exercises held in the auditorium at the chapel hour. The seating capacity of the auditorium was taxed to capacity. The new president was introduced by Elmer D. Brothers of Chicago, President of the Board of Trustees. Dr. Evans was connected with the university as a teacher from 1886 to 1896. He succeeds Milo J. Bowman, Dean of the Law School, who has served more than a year.

January 3, 1923

A question involving the pay of several Valparaiso city employees was raised yesterday when Porter County Treasurer J. G. Graessle, who also acts as city treasurer, held pay of warrants issued for the pay of Mayor E. W. Agar, City Attorney E. G. Osborne and City Clerk Grace Blachly. It is the duty of the treasurer to countersign checks covering all payments by the city. The action of the treasurer was due to advice given by state accountants, Mr. Frazier and Mr. Hammond, now working here. The mayor and clerk are now drawing $1,200 ($20,892 in 2023), and the city attorney $1,000 ($17,410 in 2023). It is contended that the salaries should be $900 ($15,669 in 2023) for clerk, $700 ($12,187 in 2023) for mayor, and $500 ($8,705 in 2023) for city attorney. A mandamus action will probably be instituted against the treasurer.

January 4, 1923

E. G. Osborne, city attorney, today announced his intention of donating $550 ($9,575.50 in 2023) to the city, representing the difference in his salary allowed by law and the amount taken by him for services rendered during the past year. Recently, Treasurer J. G. Graessle held up the pay of Mr. Osborne, Mayor Agar, and Clerk Blachly, on advice of the state accountants. Last August, Mr. Osborne informed the council he would not claim all his salary if the work was not greater than the preceding six months. His action in no way affects the status of the salaries of Mayor Agar or Clerk Blachly.

Postmaster A. N. Worstell and Deputy Postmaster Ben Smith have been swamped the last few days by holders of 1918 issue of war saving stamps. Thousands of dollars of the stamps have been redeemed. Only the registered stamps are handled by the post office officials. The banks are taking care of the non-registered stamps. These are being cashed daily.

January 5, 1923

Claims aggregating $18,000 ($313,380 on 2023) were filed today in Porter Circuit Court with Judge H. H. Loring by Howard Dailey, receiver for the Spring Water Ice Company of Valparaiso. Assets in the hands of the receiver are only sufficient to pay 20 cents on the dollar. Henry Smith, of Hobart, recently purchased the equipment of the company and the lease at Sager’s Lake for $4,000 ($69,640 in 2023) and will operate the business next summer.

January 6, 1923

Valparaiso High School won a thrilling basketball game against East Chicago last evening in the university gym by a score of 15 to 14. The game was marked with many controversies, arguments between the referee, time keeper, and coaches of the two teams. Coach Wilfrid Smith of East Chicago contended the whistle had blown at the time LePell’s basket was in the air and then argued the timekeeper had permitted the game to run over time. Valparaiso was given a foul, cast when Coach Smith went out on the floor and scored the referee, but muffed the chance to tie the score at 14 and 14. Then came LePell’s winning basket. While everyone waited as the ball was in the air as the whistle blew, the ball split the ring without touching it and the game was won by a single point. A mad scramble and free-for-all resulted. Valparaiso was handicapped by the illness of the Douglas twins.

Announcement was made today that the Pennsylvania milk train would be discontinued on Jan. 14. E. D. Hodges, local agent, stated that the train had not been paying expenses as many of the farmers were shipping milk by automobile truck. Another train will carry the milk now being shipped from here.

January 7, 1923

Automobiles of twelve persons were burglarized last night around Valparaiso and a vast amount of loot taken. Arthur Hanrahan, residing north of Valparaiso, reported that articles valued at about $40 ($696.40 in 2023) were taken from his automobile. Sheriff William Pennington is conducting a search for the thieves.

Fire of unknown origin gutted the E. L. Hibbell blacksmith shop at 55 Lafayette Street last night, causing property damage estimated at $2,000 ($34,820 in 2022). A welding machine valued at $700 ($12,187 in 2023) was a total loss.

January 8, 1923

Prosecutor F. R. Marine and Sheriff William Pennington are at loggerheads regarding the question of arresting all motorists without 1923 license plates. The prosecutor contends that it is unlawful to run cars with 1922 plates while the sheriff points out that the secretary of state has extended the time to get licenses until February 15. Meanwhile, an opinion is awaited from the attorney general.

January 9, 1923

W. A. Wirt and A. P. Melton, who have leased the Lehman tract in the north part of Porter County for the purpose of making it into a deluxe residential addition, were in Valparaiso today conferring with real estate men and announced they would begin developing the tract which consists of 600 acres on Lake Michigan. Lots in the addition will be leased for a period of 99 years, and restrictions made as to the construction of all buildings.

January 10, 1923

The question of a three-mile lakefront state park in the Porter County sand dunes was discussed at a meeting of the Dunes Park Association held in Gary yesterday. Delegations from Valparaiso, Porter County, and Michigan City attended. Daniel E. Kelly, who spoke for the Valparaiso interests, advocated a smaller sized park. Committees from the three counties will be named soon to visit the legislature and get a bill framed for a park.

Last evening at Altruria Hall, the Pharmaceutical Association of the School of Pharmacy of Valparaiso University was host at a banquet given in honor of the state board examination. Over 140 persons attended. Dr. H. M. Evans, the new president of Valparaiso University, gave a talk.

January 11, 1923

The L. D. Wolf property at the corner of Washington and Chicago Streets, now owned by the city of Valparaiso, will be reappraised following the failure by the school board to receive bids for its sale at an appraisement of $10,000 ($174,100 in 2023). The Wolf property was purchased some time ago by the school city for a proposed high school site. The war period, however, knocked out the prospects of building, and when time came for building, it was found the lot was too small to meet the requirements of the state board of education.

The case of Albert Bancroft and wife against the Town of Chesterton, a suit to enjoin the town from carrying out the construction of a sewer in the town, was concluded yesterday afternoon in the LaPorte Circuit Court before Judge John Richter. Four days were spent by attorneys in presenting the evidence and two days in arguments. Grant Crumpacker for the town of Chesterton and W. H. McVey, attorney for Gerald McGillicuddy, the contractor, spent a day in arguments. Judge Richter took his decision under advisement. W. J. Whinery of Hammond, and G. R. Williams, of Chesterton, represented the plaintiffs; C. W. Jensen of Chesterton, and Grant Crumpacker of Valparaiso, the Town of Chesterton, and Daly and Freund of Valparaiso, and W.H. McVey of LaPorte, the contractor.

January 12, 1923

Valparaiso University defeated Kalamazoo College at the local university gymnasium last evening by a score of 26 to 25. Long shots won for Valparaiso. Harris with five baskets and Anderson with four baskets and five free throws led the local scorers.

Ice cutting was started at Flint Lake today by Richard Lytle and Charles Griffin. The ice is good and clear and from eight to nine inches thick. Mr. Lytle and Mr. Griffin will sell to local people this year and not ship any.

January 13, 1923

Valparaiso defeated Froebel High of Gary at Gary last night, 32 to 14. Coach Ralph E. Schenck’s team led at halftime 15 to 10. In the second half, Valparaiso rained baskets from every part of the floor. Larson with five baskets and four free throws and G. Douglas with five baskets were the main scorers for the locals.

Miss Alice Parker, for the girls, and Sam Simon, for the boys, were the winners in the public speaking contest held at Valparaiso High School last evening. Five boys and five girls, all members of this year’s graduating class, participated in the contest. Others taking part were Margaret Timmons, Alma Horner, Eva Kruse, Ruth Crossland, Ernest Lembke, Dickey Mitchell, Frank Duncan, and Paul Stevenson.

January 14, 1923

The radio department of the Dodge’s Telegraphy School under the supervision of M. E. Packman, head of the department, has installed a receiving set in the office of Porter County Agent A. Z. Arehart in the courthouse basement. The aerial extends from the top of the flagpole in the courthouse to the top of the Benton and Krudup store. The highest point of the aerial is 190 feet from the ground, and the lowest point, 86 feet. The station will be used in getting crop and grain reports direct from Washington.

The Hoosier State Automobile Association, inside the Valpo Chamber of Commerce, has issued 1,550 licenses to auto owners since December 15. Miss Irene Lindell is in charge of the office. Many motorists are joining the Hoosier State Automobile Association, according to Miss Lindell.

January 15, 1923

Valparaiso University defeated Coach Ralph Young’s Kalamazoo College basketball team Saturday night at university gymnasium by a score of 22 to 17. Kalamazoo led at half time 16 to 10, but in the second half the Michigan intercollegiate champion for nine years and runner up last year in the National Intercollegiate Championship held at Indianapolis, was only able to make one point against the strong Valparaiso defense. Anderson, of Valparaiso, counted 10 free throws. Captain Walter Hiltpold’s strong guarding held the Kalamazoo team from scoring on a number of occasions. In the curtain raiser Valparaiso High defeated Rensselaer High by a score of 24 to 8.

January 16, 1923

J. A. Wise, a member of the firm of Wade and Wise, College Hill Printers, sold his interest in the business to Lewis E. Myers, who will assume control of the concern. George Wade, who is president of the company and a large stockholder, will retain his interest. The Wade and Wise Company was established in 1895, taking over the business originally established in 1877 by B. F. Perrine.

January 17, 1923

The Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce today took steps to notify Senator Will Brown that Porter County interests were opposed to the establishment of a state park in the Dunes region of north Porter County over two and three miles in length fronting on Lake Michigan and also is opposed to locating a park nearer than two miles east of Waverly Beach.

A telegram was received here today announcing the death of John Brodie, former well-known businessman and postmaster here. Mr. Brodie was employed by Freeman and Company, hay brokers, and was in the west investigating crop conditions for his firm when stricken. He was 75 years of age and came to Valparaiso in 1880 from Canada. He operated grain elevators at the Pennsylvania and Grand Trunk. He served as postmaster of Valparaiso under President Grover Cleveland from 1892 until 1896.

January 18, 1923

A bill introduced in the state legislature at Indianapolis Tuesday by Senator Will Brown of Porter County, legalizing the incorporation of the Town of Kouts, was passed unanimously. The town was incorporated two years ago but it was deemed best by the town authorities to have the incorporation passed upon by the legislature.

Valparaiso University's basketball team defeated Loyola University in Chicago yesterday 23-12. Valparaiso took the lead at the start and was never headed. The score at half time was 16 to 8, Valparaiso.

January 19, 1923

At a meeting of the Valparaiso Lodge of Elks last evening, a resolution was passed arraying the strength of the lodge with other Elk lodges of the nation against the sale and use of narcotics. The crusade was launched by Chicago lodges and is sweeping to every city in the county where an Elk lodge is located.

Valparaiso will be a member of the Northern Indiana Tennis Club, soon to be formed. At a meeting of the Western Lawn Tennis association to be held in Chicago on January 20, a charter will be applied for by local men who are behind the project. Two circuits are proposed, the western and eastern. Each team is to be composed of four men. Gary, Whiting, East Chicago, Hammond, Crown Point, Valparaiso, Michigan City, and LaPorte will form the west circuit Fort Wayne, Mishawaka, South Bend, Elkhart and other cities will form the eastern circuit.

January 20, 1923

South Bend High defeated Valparaiso High at basketball Friday night at South Bend by a score of 42 to 12. Both H. and G. Douglas of the locals were weakened by illness but played. South Bend with Johnny Nykos, Hollowell, and Rockstroh presented a trio of sharpshooters who scored seventeen baskets between them. The locals scored only three field goals and six charity tosses.

Valparaiso is to have a new high school. This was the announcement by the local board yesterday. Architects are being interviewed on various designs along the lines of a modern high school building. The building will be built on the Ball property on North Campbell Street. The plot consists of five and two thirds acres of land. The property was recently acquired by the school city at condemnation proceedings at a price of $6,000 ($104,460 in 2023).

January 21, 1923

Members of the Valparaiso Fire Department had a narrow escape from injury yesterday afternoon when a truck dashing at high speed blew a tire as the machine turned the corner at College and Union Streets. The front wheel of the truck was ground off. Luckily the truck remained upright. After the firemen had untangled themselves they rushed to the fire scene and extinguished the fire which had attacked the L. D. Erwin home, 457 Greenwich Street.

O. F. Helvie, whose name was mentioned in the list of persons aspiring for the Valparaiso postmastership, stated today he was not a candidate for the job. He said he had not made an application for the position by way of competing in the examination. He was opportuned by a number of persons to make the race on account of the fact that he was an ex-service man but turned down the proposal because of business reasons. He is a backer of A. N. Worstell for the job.

January 22, 1923

B. B. Morgan of Chesterton has been honored with the election to the presidency of the Indiana State Dairy Association which met at Lafayette. Mr. Morgan was also elected secretary of the Indiana Holstein-Friesian Breeders’ Association which met at the same place. The latter association will hold a state sale at South Bend in June.

January 23, 1923

A total of 21 head of cattle have been tested by Dr. A. M. Jacoby, state and federal examiner for tuberculosis, in Porter Township since the work commenced there about two weeks ago. The number does not include many cattle tested heretofore. Either Washington or Center Townships will be taken up by Dr. Jacoby.

January 24, 1923

The Maxwell Implement Company has leased the Sievers’ building on East Lincolnway, now occupied by Harvil Brothers’ automobile agency. The Maxwell firm will move to its new location next month. The company has been occupying the Empire building owned by W. J. Henry.

A. J. Worstell has sold his farm on the Valparaiso-Chesterton Highway, known as the John Rhoda Farm, to E. R. Getzinger, of Chicago. Mr. Getzinger is a Chicago businessman.

January 25, 1923

High praise was given to members of the Valparaiso City Board of Education yesterday by Dwight H. Perkins of Perkins, Fellows, and Hamilton, Chicago architects, following an inspection of the proposed site for a new high school building on the Ball property on North Campbell Street. In company with Superintendent C. W. Boucher and the board members, Mr. Perkins visited the site and declared the good Lord made the location for school purposes. The back part has a natural dip which can be fashioned into a bowl in a manner similar to those now in use by big universities.

H. B. Farmer, a resident of Jackson Township, died yesterday at Southern Pines, N.C. where he was spending the winter. He was 80 years of age. Mr. Farmer came to Porter County 23 years ago and purchased a large farm near Suman, now owned by J. E. Cavanaugh. At one time he was a professor of Greek and Latin in various universities.

January 26, 1923

Attorney Roscoe Powell, age 26, a member of the firm of Burns and Powell, with offices in the Bornholt building, died last night in the Christian Hospital of spinal meningitis. He was born at Coffeyville, Kansas, and was a graduate of the Coffeyville High School at the time Arthur A. Hughart, of Valparaiso, was superintendent there. Later he attended Valparaiso University and graduated in law in 1922. He took up the practice here with G. L. Burns. He was a World War veteran.

The complete right-of-way for the Dunes Highway between Gary and Dune Park Station was made available for immediate construction work yesterday when the Chesterton and Gary Chambers of Commerce pledged the purchase of two small tracts, the owners of which threatened injunction proceedings against the continuation of the state road. The tracts will be purchased from the owners in the names of the Chesterton Chamber of Commerce and deeds turned over to the state highway commission.

January 27, 1923

LaPorte High defeated Valparaiso last night at university gym, 25 to 9. The game was slow but livened up toward the end of the first half, 17 to 5. Hedstrom and Bass stood out for LaPorte. Shurr, Larson, Seymour, White, LePell, Brown, and McCord comprised Valparaiso’s lineup.

Beginning Monday, Miss Hazel Bielby, of Bloomington, Ind., will become history teacher in the Valparaiso High School. Miss Bielby was recommended by Indiana University. She has a bachelor's degree from Indiana and is working on her master’s degree.

January 28, 1923

Valparaiso University defeated Detroit College Saturday night at the university gymnasium, 28 to 16. It was sweet revenge for Coach Goheen’s outfit as Detroit defeated the locals earlier in the year. The score was 14 to 12 at halftime. Anderson with 14 points and captain Walter Hiltpold with 10 led the local attack. Valparaiso high lost to Lowell, 36 to 14 at Lowell Saturday evening.

A new pier, 135 feet long and extending out into the lake 100 feet, has been constructed at Summitt, Long Lake, by the Hillcrest Improvement Association. Last year the association built a pier 110 feet long on the east side of its property on Flint Lake.

January 29, 1923

Selling of cigarettes to minors in Porter County will be tabooed from now on, according to Prosecutor F. R. Marine. Many complaints have been lodged with the prosecutor from all parts of the county regarding the wholesale violation of the law. In the northern part of the county the law has been openly violated, and many of the cigarettes have found their way into the possession of young girls.

January 30, 1923

Porter County Commissioner F. W. Alpen, wife and daughter, and Mrs. Christena Alpen, who are visiting in Los Angeles, Calif., attended the funeral of Wallace Reid, the great moving picture star, whose burial took place at Los Angeles recently. In a letter to friends, Mrs. Alpen describes the huge crowd which attended the services and the many notables of the moving picture world who were in attendance.

January 31, 1923

Voters in Liberty Township voted six to one in favor of the Theodore Gloyeski gravel road in that township at an election held yesterday. The vote was 137 for and 34 against. The Gloyeski Road starts at Sam Wheeler’s farm at the Center Township line and connects with the Woodville Road at Woodville. The road is seven and a half miles long. It is an important link in the Liberty Township road system.

Materials to repair the students’ bridge over the Pennsylvania railroad at the Valparaiso University arrived today. The bridge was recently damaged beyond repair when an overhanging steel beam on a freight car caught one end of the bridge structure and toppled it over onto the tracks. The bridge materials were made in the company’s shops at Fort Wayne.

Looking Back • December 1922

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.

December 1, 1922

Addison N. Worstell was today duly installed as postmaster of Valparaiso. Following a checkout of John T. Scott, yesterday, Mr. Worstell assumed charge. The new official announced there would be no changes for the present. The salary of the postmaster is $3,500 ($62,085 in 2022) per annum. Mr. Worstell was accorded the plum on account of his services as head of the Republican County Central Committee for more than eight years.

The First Congregational Church of Porter has voted to change its denomination. It will henceforth be known as an evangelical church. Rev. J. D. Abel, who was called to the pastorate in April, is a member of the evangelical church, and his coming hinged upon the understanding that the church denomination be changed. Under the evangelical church, the congregation will have the advantage of well-organized support, the church having 100 pastorates in Indiana.

December 2, 1922

Freight conditions on local railroads at present are reported as deplorable, with not much improvement in sight. Poor time and a large quantity of freight are giving the railroad men plenty of opportunity to growl. Placing embargoes on shipments without reason has not alleviated the situation. Poor condition of the railroad rolling stock is held largely responsible for the failure of the railroads to give the proper service to the public.

A remonstrance signed by 785 taxpayers of Porter County was filed with the county commissioners and the county council, protesting against the using of any county funds or selling any bonds for the resurfacing of the Valparaiso-Chesterton Road or any other road in the county with cement, asphalt or any other material until some protection is provided for governing traffic over roads in the county.

December 3, 1922

Auditor B. H. Kinne has records to show that holding of the primary, the two sessions of the registration board and the holding of the general election this year cost county taxpayers $1.35 ($24 in 2022) per vote. The total cost will approximate the $9,000 ($159,649 in 2022) mark. The total vote cast for secretary of state was 6,600. More than 8,200 voters registered at the two registrations.

Valparaiso High lost to Elkhart on Friday night at Elkhart by a score of 25 to 17, and Saturday night at University Gym to Froebel of Gary by a count of 12 to 6. The Valparaiso High School reserves defeated Kouts by a score of 31 to 6 in the curtain raiser.

December 4, 1922

Two rooms of the new Wheeler High School were occupied for the first time yesterday. The remainder of the building will probably be ready within ten days. The new building has five classrooms for students; two recitation rooms, manual training and domestic science rooms and community auditorium. It cost $40,000 ($709,552 in 2022). Dr. A. O. Dobbins, township trustee, supervised the construction.

December 5, 1922

The first issue of The Valparaiso Daily Vidette from its new home at 23 Washington Street, across from the old location, was printed yesterday. All the moving has not yet been completed. The paper will print an issue later describing the new plant.

December 6, 1922

Trustee A. O. Dobbins, of Union Township, has two abandoned schools on his hands, one at Cherry Glen and the other, the Foster School. The law stipulates the buildings cannot be sold within ten years unless the majority of the people living in the school district sign a petition to that effect. As no one is interested except the man to whom the land would revert, it is not expected a petition will be circulated. At the end of ten years the buildings would be of little value.

Yesterday afternoon at 4:53 o’clock the new ornamental lights on Lincolnway and the business district were turned on for the first time in Valparaiso. A scheduled demonstration was called off because of bad weather. The number of lighting units turned over total 101, and the cost of installation was about $16,000 ($283,820 in 2022). The monthly expense to the city will be $2.50 ($44.35 in 2022), making the city’s monthly bill $650 ($11,530 in 2022). The ornamental lighting system movement was inaugurated ten years ago but did not materialize until early last summer through the efforts of Mayor E.W. Agar, Valparaiso City Attorney E. G. Osborne, and the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce. The General Electrical Company, of Chicago, was secured to make a survey of city illumination.

December 7, 1922

Henry W. Lenman, Chicago owner of property on Lake Michigan, has sold 582 acres of land west of Waverly Beach, under a leasing agreement, to William A. Wirt, of Gary. The annual rental will be $17,460 ($309,719 in 2022) a year, with the option to purchase the property in whole or part at $600 ($10,643 in 2022) per acre. The deal marks the second involving realty in the north Porter County section. Negotiations are underway by the Morgan interests for the sale of 320 acres at Waverly Beach to A. Murray Turner, Peter W. Meyn and others, of Hammond. A summer resort is planned by the purchasers.

Porter County taxpayers will pay increased taxes next year. The only exception will be in Liberty Township. Valparaiso’s tax rate will be $3.74 ($66 in 2022), an increase of fifty-two cents. Increases in Union, Morgan, Portage, and Westchester Townships and the towns of Porter and Chesterton were due to new school buildings, and increases in Pleasant and Boone Townships, and the towns of Kouts and Hebron were due to decreased assessments.

December 8, 1922

W. G. Windle and Son today sold their grocery store at 121 East Lincolnway to Harry Herrick. The same business was sold by Mr. Herrick three years ago to the Windles. The business then was located on West Lincolnway. The Senior Mr. Windle will retire because of ill health.

Mrs. Helen Herrick, Roger Wilson, Al and William Seff, Robert McGillicuddy, Edward Siercks and John Sievers, Jr., attended the opening of the $1,500,000 ($26,608,214 in 2022) Trianon Ballroom in Chicago last evening. Paul Whiteman’s orchestra was the headliner. The latter organization receives $25,000 ($443,470 in 2022) for one week’s play.

December 9, 1922

Peter J. Horn, veteran farmer and businessman of Valparaiso, with a carload of Duroc Jersey Red hogs in the International Livestock Show won great honors. The hogs took first prize for reds, and second prize on other classes, and sold for the highest price, 11 cents a pound. The hogs were raised on the Owens farm owned by Mr. Horn.

John B. Clifford, Jr., is now associated with P. T. Clifford and Son, local railroad contractors. Mr. Clifford has been general superintendent for Western Contractors Supply Company, of Chicago, and was also a member of the firm of Clapp, Norstrom and Riley, of Chicago. The local firm has a large number of contracts on hand for next summer.

December 10, 1922

Members of the fire committee of the Valparaiso City Council and Chief J. A. Wise will soon go to Chicago to witness a demonstration of firefighting equipment by the Seagraves Company. The Chicago company expects a new shipment of apparatus soon. It is planned to purchase two fire trucks for the city. The present truck will be traded in. The new trucks will not be available until early next year.

Valparaiso High lost to Emerson High of Gary at Gary last night, 21-13, in a fast game. Gary led at half time, 12 to 2, when Valparaiso was unable to cage its shots. In the second half the locals came back and outscored the crack Gary quintet, 11 to 9. Sackett, Cavanaugh, Kelso, Sturtridge, Ruman, Kerr, Momardt and Dunleavy comprised the Emerson team, and G. Douglas, Seymour, McCord, White, Horan, Shurr, Riddle, Lowenstine, Gordon and Parker was the Valparaiso lineup.

December 11, 1922

Oil drilling operations will soon begin in Jackson Township in the vicinity of Suman, George L. Oliver, of Chicago, who last year obtained leases of many acres in that township, stated yesterday that materials for building derricks already had been placed on the ground and active work would be commenced shortly. The location of the well will be near the one drilled some time ago when a workman was killed in a fall from a scaffold. Leases secured by Oliver comprise the lands of Mary Wilson, Gustaf Lindwall, Arthur Johnson, F. L. Beach, Almerton Crowe, Frank Johnson, Charlotte Lindwall and Andrew Holmgreen.

December 12, 1922

Three federal board students of Valparaiso University got in bad at Gary on Sunday when they were arrested on charges of assault and battery on a woman inmate of a disreputable resort. They were released by the authorities when witnesses failed to appear against them.

December 13, 1922

Valparaiso University defeated the Chicago Tecks basketball team last evening at the university gym, 42-12, and the Valparaiso University reserves won over the Gary Independents, 22-14. Anderson was the high point getter with seven baskets. Hiltpold and Harris collected five baskets apiece.

Federal board men of Valparaiso University were exonerated of any connection with an alleged disturbance in Gary on Sunday night in which a woman inmate of a resort was assaulted, when Alfred Lynch, 505 Freeman Street, Valparaiso, who says he is not a federal board student, assumed the blame for the affair. Lynch said the federal board trainees had no part in the fracas and assumed full blame for the affair.

December 14, 1922

Tom Novak, an alleged wild man, created some excitement at Hebron yesterday when nearly the entire populace of the town engaged in a roundup of the man. The trouble started when Novak attacked a citizen without warning. A posse captured him and placed him in jail. Sheriff William Pennington and Deputy Jerry Lafrentz went to Hebron after Novak. Another fight ensued before Novak was overpowered and brought to the county jail.

A boy scout troop was organized at Crisman. The troop will be affiliated with the Gary organization. The new troop comprises eight members. Allen J. Black, principal of the Crisman High School, is scoutmaster. He will be assisted by Robert Scofield. As soon as the troop is approved by the national headquarters, investiture and initiation will be held.

December 15, 1922

Complaints are being made by owners of large tracts of land in the north part of Porter County that thousands of young pine trees have been cut and are being hauled to Gary and Chicago for Christmas trees. It is estimated that 50,000 young trees have been cut in the dunes this week. Many of the tracts are being guarded to protect the young trees.

Chesterton Masons have taken the first step in their building program by acquiring a lot opposite the New York Central Depot on Broadway, of Mrs. Kleinman, at a consideration of $5,000 ($88,694 in 2022). The purchase was made by an agent who is holding it in trust until an organization is completed to take possession. The Chesterton Masonic Building Association is being organized and shares are selling at $10 ($177 in 2022) each.

December 16, 1922

Coach Ralph Schenck’s Valparaiso High School basketball team won its first game of the season at the university gym last evening, defeating the rangy lads from Culver by a score of 20 to 14. The game was fast and close throughout. Wade and Whitted, two Black players for Culver, were stars. Larson and White stood out for Valpo.

Members of the Ku Klux Klan, attired in white, staged a parade in the downtown district last night. About 125 were in the line of march. At the corner of Indiana Avenue and Franklin Street on a vacant lot, a huge cross was ignited. Reports were that a number of the marchers came from Michigan City, Knox, Gary and other cities.

December 17, 1922

The thermometer this morning registered 11 degrees below at the Valparaiso Home Water Pumping Station at Flint Lake. The lakes north of the city, and Sager’s Lake, south of the city, are covered with a thick coating of ice and preparations are being made to harvest the ice crop.

Dr. H. M. Evans, of Valparaiso, connected with the U. S. Public Health Service, will return to Valparaiso to spend his Christmas vacation with his family after a six months’ trip around the world as a member of Assistant Secretary of Commerce C. H. Huston’s party. The world-wide tour was undertaken on behalf of American trade and the development and protection of the fur, seal, and salmon industries of Alaska.

December 18, 1922

Word was received here today of the death of Thomas B. Wood, president of the Valparaiso Male and Female College in 1868. Mr. Wood was the son of Aaron Wood, Methodist circuit rider in the early days of the Northwest Indiana Conference. Mr. Wood was a resident of the local school following the presidency of Rev. C. M. Sims, B. Wilson Smith, Mr. Staley, Mr. Utter and Aaron Gurney.

December 19, 1922

Tony C. Dilley, of Bourbon, Ind., former Hebron man, and son of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Dilley, of Valparaiso, has sold his undertaking business at Bourbon to W. J. Williams & Son, of Gary. Mr. Dilley has been in Bourbon since 1905, and during that time has had 1,200 funerals. He disposed of his furniture business some time ago. He will look after his farming interests near Bourbon.

December 20, 1922

Joseph Wilgen, residing east of Valparaiso, visited Chicago one day and returned with the germ of an unconventional idea. Wilgen selected a low spot on his farm and caught enough water to form a small pond. The recent cold weather has frozen the pond to a depth of several inches and the kids in the Wilgen neighborhood are enjoying skating.

Rufus Snell, of Gary, a Black man held in the Porter County Jail for murder of Henderson Weaver, also Black, following the disagreement of a jury in Porter Superior Court, yesterday received a box of sugar cane from a sister in Alabama. The cane was eaten by Snell and a fellow prisoner, William Veasley, also awaiting trial for murder.

December 21, 1922

Valparaiso University defeated Crane College last night at university gym by a score of 41 to 23. Captain Hiltpold’s local crew were too big for the small, but fast Crane cagers. Coach Goheen used his second team after the first stringers had run up a 26-to-6 lead.

Valparaiso University students are in favor of the plan of Joel W. Eastman, of the university, to incorporate the industrial idea at the school in line with the policies of the school’s founders, Henry Baker Brown and O. P. Kinsey.

December 22, 1922

Herman Hagen, of Valparaiso, today received from Indianapolis a retired commission as colonel in the Patriarchs Militants, uniformed rank of Odd Fellows. The honor is in recognition of Mr. Hagen’s service to Odd Fellowship during 34 years as a member.

The town of LaCrosse was hit by a fire early this morning that caused a property loss of between $15,000 and $20,000 ($266,082 - $354,776 in 2022). The buildings burned were occupied by Goetz and Ness Meat Market and Grocery; Reed Brothers General Store, and the Goetz residence. The Jones Drug Store building was slightly damaged.

December 23, 1922

The new high school building at Wheeler was fittingly dedicated last evening with appropriate ceremonies. A fair-sized crowd attended. Talks were made by Lewis E. Myers, Trustee A. O. Dobbins, Edward Anderson, and Superintendent Fred H. Cole. Music was furnished by the Walker sisters.

Dr. A. O. Dobbins, who recently purchased the Dr. J. R. Pagin residence in Valparaiso, will move here on Jan. 1. He has leased rooms in the Premier Theatre building. Dr. Dobbins has practiced medicine in Wheeler for a number of years. At the present time he is closing his term as trustee of Union Township and had the honor of erecting the new high school building at Wheeler, dedicated last night.

December 24, 1922

The substation at East Gary owned by the Calumet Electric Company, of Hammond, which supplies power for the Gary and Valparaiso Interurban, burned to the ground today at 9 o’clock. The fire was discovered by a passing motorman. Only the bare walls of the brick building were left to mark the site. The loss will be in the neighborhood of $17,000 ($301,559 in 2022). The building, which was built about 12 years ago, will be rebuilt, but in a new location. The local interurban is now getting power from substations at Gary and Goodrum.

December 25, 1922

Valparaiso University’s basketball team won three of its four games on its recent road trip. Kalamazoo was defeated, 20 to 17; Michigan Aggies, 21 to 17, and Crane College, 41 to 23. The only loss, to Detroit, saw the home team outscored from the field, ten goals to six, but made the most of its chances at the free throw line, scoring 12 times.

December 26, 1922

The Dunes Highway, the beautiful new concrete trail through the duneland of northern Porter County will be completed about May 1, if present plans go accordingly. The road will cost $650,000 ($11,530,226 in 2022). Its total length is 23 miles. It is twenty feet wide of reinforced concrete, with a ten-foot berm on each side.

December 27, 1922

Sheriff William Pennington received a large, bulky package through the mail this afternoon. To his surprise when opened, the package contained a large edition of the Bible. The book was bound in leather. It was sent by Al Mace, of Lacota, Mich., a former Valparaiso resident, who had been a guest at the Porter County Jail on numerous occasions.

The Indiana Society of Sanitary Engineers has guaranteed work for all students of the plumbing course offered by the Valparaiso College of Economic and Cultural Arts of Valparaiso University. Contracts have been signed by officers of the society and school officials. A two-year course leading to a degree of sanitary engineering has been approved and perfected by both contracting parties.

December 28, 1922

A carload of tools to be used in oil drilling operations at Suman is being unloaded today. Mr. Condon, who will drill a well on the Jerry Cavanaugh place for George W. Oliver, of Chicago, will erect a derrick. Mr. Oliver has secured leases on hundreds of acres of land around Suman.

December 29, 1922

Valparaiso will lose one of its industries next week when P. Kenneth Brock moves away. Mr. Brock has been identified with the manufacture of shirts in Valparaiso for the last 3 ½ years. He came here from Chicago with the Kingley Shirt Company and was in charge of the company’s plant until the concern abandoned it and moved back to Chicago. Mr. Brock soon afterward started up operations on his own hook. He has taken a position with the Goshen Shirt Company at Cadillac, Mich.

Word has been received in Chesterton that Dr. C. L. Minges, formerly engaged in the practice of dentistry in Chesterton, died by suicide in Paris, France. Dr. Minges left Chesterton at the outbreak of the World War and enlisted in the dental corps. Since the war he has been living in Paris.

December 30, 1922

Dr. H. M. Evans was elected president of Valparaiso University at a meeting of the board of trustees held yesterday. He succeeds Milo J. Bowman, Dean of the Law School, who served as the school’s head since May 26, 1922. Prof. A. A. Williams resigned as vice-president and will continue as business manager and head of the mathematics department. Dr. Evans will be installed as the new president on January 1 at special chapel exercises.

Chesterton’s sewer case will be heard in Porter Circuit Court next week before Special Judge John C. Richter, of LaPorte. A remonstrance asking for a permanent injunction against the building of the proposed sewer which provides for drainage across the “boom” and northward to the Little Calumet River. G. R. Williams, of Chesterton; William Schneider, of Hammond, and Ralph N. Smith of LaPorte, are attorneys for the remonstrators. Charles W. Jensen is attorney for the Chesterton Town Board, and will be assisted by Grant Crumpacker, of Valparaiso. Daly and Freund are counsel for the contractor, Gerald McGillicuddy, of Valparaiso, and William McVey of LaPorte, represents all the defendants.

December 31, 1922

Dr. H.O. Seipel, coroner of Porter County, held forty inquests during 1922. Trains and auto collisions resulted in nineteen people losing their lives. Seven of the lot were members of the Hargot family, of Chicago, who were killed by a Pennsylvania train, west of Valparaiso.

The Valparaiso High School basketball team defeated the Valparaiso High School alumni last night, 23-16. The varsity consisted of George and Herbert Douglas, Kenneth Larson, Forrest Seymour, and Fred White. Walter and Werner Hiltpold, Jack Fabing, Earl Scott, Art Steward, and Edward Siercks made up the alumni squad.