Alexandria Monroe Township Historical Society

1927 to 1935
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02-18-1927
The slayer of the Alexandria Police Chief, Opal J. Hughes, slain in Alexandria.

02-21-1927
A brief history of Alexandria, Indiana.

03-12-1927
State Road 28 may be extended to Muncie but more road must be constructed to complete the project.

04-07-1927
The Alexandria Police Chief Dolph Fuller was assisted by Officers Homer Manring of Alexandria Police Department, and Orestes Town Marshal, Robert Trice in a thrilling chase south of Alexandria this afternoon. The good work resulted in the arrest of Warren Bud Prewett 28, Virgil Halford 21, and Dale Shipley 18. The men were charged with theft of a Dodge touring car owned by Charles A. Bradford of Marion. Shipley was armed and only pleas from his companions prevented a shooting spree. Marshal Trice succeeded in placing a few shots in the touring car as the men attempted to escape. The men also confessed to robbing an Orestes grocery store a week ago. Several items that were taken were discovered in the car.

04-30-1927
Death of Isaac Goodman 96, the oldest man in Monroe Township and perhaps Madison County, died today at Orestes. He was born February 17, 1831 in Hawkins county Tennessee. He came with his mother to Henry county in 1840 and moved to Missouri and lived there till the Civil War broke out and then joined Company A of the Volunteer regiment in Missouri. His wife, Paralee Brown, of Missouri, passed away in 1920 after 62 years of marriage. Goodman and his wife came to the Orestes area in 1877. The surviving children are Mrs. Nancy Noble of Missouri, Mrs. Laura Waymire of Dundee, Mrs. Ethel Etchison of Anderson, Harrison Goodman of Gaston, and William and Ernest Goodman of Orestes. Another son, Richard, was killed when a tornado hit Orestes April 17, 1922. Services will be at the Dundee Christian church where he was a member. Rev. Noah Laren will conduct the services.

05-26-1927
Ralph Ferguson drove to Alexandria from Orestes yesterday morning and parked his Ford sedan on Harrison St. while he went to Anderson on the interurban. He returned at 11:00 p.m. and his car was missing. He notified the police and the car was found near the Alexandria City Hall. After a short investigation, it was found that Walter Spade had borrowed the car belonging to Fire Chief Herman Swift and returned the wrong one.

09-16-1927
The most disastrous fire in the history of Dundee occurred last night when the Urmston Grain Elevator burned before a crowd of nearly 3,000. The huge inferno was visible for ten miles and was a total loss. Leroy Urmston is the owner of the elevator and Samuel Welborn is the manager; both agreed that the elevator would be rebuilt. The blaze started in the extreme upper part of the building and quickly spread throughout the structure. The Orestes Volunteer Fire Department responded to the alarm arriving in the new recently purchased pumper. The team responded with a gallant effort preventing the fire from spreading to adjacent residences owned by Urmston and the Dundee Christian Church. Also saved were a large barn and several coal bins on the same property as the elevator.

02-09-1928
Two youths stopped at the Nickel Plate Crossing and fell asleep on the adjacent I.U.T. tracks as the long freight train passed. A traction car came along tooting and ringing the bell but failed to awaken the boys. The motorman stopped the interurban and the conductor woke the boys much to their surprise.

03-15-1928
Death of Mary Powell 86, formerly of Orestes yesterday. She died in New Albany at the home of her daughter, Emma Thomas.

03-28-1928
The freight house of the Union Traction Company enlarged at Alexandria.

04-05-1928
The Orestes Knights of Pythias leads all lodges in attendance. This is a very good article.

04-07-1928
Union Traction Company car number 290 that killed Charles Colsher a week ago had been a runaway car before.

05-03-1928
The Indiana Union Traction Company announces that annual income is declining.

05-31-1928
Mounds Park will possibly become a state park.

08-14-1928
Alexandria may get a swimming pool at Beulah Park.

08-18-1928
Old Fiddlers meet at Mounds Park.

12-11-1928
The elevator at the town of Gilman burned.

12-14-1928
Due to new paving on State Road 28, new rumors are circulating that the traction line between Alexandria and Tipton will close.

04-01-1929
William M. Seeley 87, Dundee dies. He was the general store owner.

04-17-1929
Nickel Plate trying out new train powered by gasoline and electricity.

05-06-1929
A passenger car on the Alexandria-Tipton interurban line split the switch at Harrison and Washington.

05-08-1929
Car and traction freight car collide at Fairview and Monroe in Alexandria. Motorman E.B. Leonard.

07-11-1929
A brakeman on a Big Four falls from a train at Alexandria.

07-15-1929
The brakeman that fell from the train dies from injuries.

07-18-1929
A low wire on Monroe Street struck a Union Traction brakeman causing him to fall from the interurban.

07-24-1929
Indiana Union Traction Company may be sold today.

07-25-1929
Bond holders approve the sale of Indiana Union Traction Company.

08-12-1929
Old Fiddlers may abandon their meetings after 17 years.

08-20-1929
A Mexican boy drowned in a quarry formerly used by the old plate glass factory west of the Alexandria Packing Company (Fraziers Canning Company).

10-03-1929
One hundred and twenty-five cars of the Union Traction Company was burned in a bonfire yesterday.

10-08-1929
A fast train on the Nickel Plate hit a switch at Alexandria and derailed demolishing part of the Banner Rock buildings.

05-27-1930
Two bridges between Alexandria and Orestes to be replaced.

06-06-1930
Union Traction to be sold by July 15, 1930.

07-01-1930
After 25 years, nine divisions of the Union Traction company will be sold. The company values its assets at $2,881,650 but has been operating in receivership for some time. At one time the company operated 445 miles of interurban and city lines.

07-07-1930
The Indiana Union Traction line was passed to the Indiana Union Traction Company.

08-07-1930
Band of negroes attack man and girlfriend in Marion.

08-08-1930
Alexandria gets a new fire truck. Also black youths hanged in Marion, Indiana.

08-09-1930
Troops reach Marion at daybreak.

08-10-1930
Mob victims buried at Marion today.

08-22-1930
Negro leaders seek removal of Marion sheriff.

10-11-1930
The plant of the Gordon Canning Company at Orestes owned by W.B. Gordon and under the lease this year to Shirl Brunson, was completely destroyed by fire about 11:30 p.m. Friday night. Machinery, equipment, and 3,000 cases of tomatoes were lost in the fire.

10-23-1930
A third arrest is made in connection with the hanging of two negroes in Marion.

11-14-1930
Nickel Plate Station closes at Gilman.

03-02-1931
Death of Andrew Jackson Perry 76, a retired Madison County physician. He was born on the old Jesse McMahan farm north of Orestes in Boone township, son of Doctor Wesley Perry and Sarah Ellis Perry. He married Lucy McMahan in 1890 and she died in May 1928. He had attended Indiana Medical School at Indianapolis and graduated in 1884. He practiced medicine at Orestes for three years before joining his father in Alexandria.

03-09-1931
Alexandria won its first sectional ever 35-21 over Summitville.

05-04-1931
Bob Blake of Alexandria Tigers and Orestes broke the Kokomo Relays shot put record by tossing the 12lb. shot 48 feet and 6 and one half inches, one inch further than the previous record. Bob broke the record that was established by Knee. Knee set the state record of 51 feet five inches and Blake is expected to give a good run for he has made several heaves of over 51 feet in practice.

05-18-1931
Bob Blake tossed the 12 pound shot 48 feet nine inches to win first place in the track sectional and advance to the finals at Butler University.

05-25-1931
Don Elser of Horace Mann (Gary, Indiana) won the 12 pound shot put competition by tossing the shot 52 feet 11.5 inches. Bob Blake of Alexandria High School, pitched the shot well enough to garner third place in the tough contest.

06-22-1931
The last interurban on the Alexandria-Tipton line will run on Tuesday June 30th.

06-29-1931
An old landmark in Monroe Township disappeared when a fire destroyed the farm of George Kelly north of Orestes. The farm had been built about 1855.

07-01-1931
Thirty-one years ago this summer, one of the old style open cars, such as the ones are used around parks and recreation centers yet today, pulled out of Alexandria and made the run to Elwood over new steel tracks which had just been completed a day or two previously. It marked the beginning of electric interurban service between Alexandria and Elwood and the service was continued without a break until last night when the last passenger car made its run and then went to the shops in Anderson. It was several months after the completion of the line to Elwood that the track was laid to Tipton.

08-11-1931
The interurban tracks on West Monroe Street in Alexandria will be removed soon.

08-14-1931
For the second time within the past four years, the elevator of the Urmston Grain Company at Dundee was totally destroyed by fire today. A smoldering heap of ruins marked the site of what was yesterday, one of the most modern elevators in the country. The structure was completely rebuilt with modern machinery following destruction of the old building in the fall of 1927. The blaze was discovered about 2:15 a.m. when first seen in the upper part of the structure. The Alexandria, Orestes, and the Elwood Fire Departments were called to the scene and although they could do nothing to save the main elevator building, they succeeded in saving the coal bins belonging to the Urmston Company as well as other residents, and the Dundee Christian Church nearby. A large amount of grain that was in the elevator was consumed by the fire and large piles of wheat and oats were still burning and smoldering this afternoon. One boxcar burned while another was pulled to safety. Leroy Urmston, owner of the company, asserted that the business would be rebuilt once again.

10-15-1931
Freight service was discontinued today on the Alexandria-Tipton interurban line.

12-30-1931
A very good photograph is displayed in the Alexandria Times Tribune of tiger athlete, Bob Blake of Orestes.

02-16-1932
The old Bronnenberg homestead may become a museum at Mounds Park.

04-04-1932
Bob Blake tossed the 12 pound shot 50 feet 6.25 inches to garner first place in the Northern Indiana Relay track and field meet at Notre Dame. He will compete Saturday in the state indoor meet at Butler Fieldhouse.

04-11-1932
Bob Blake of Orestes took first place honors at the state indoor meet at Butler Fieldhouse in Indianapolis April 9th. He heaved the shot 50 feet 4.5 inches to set a new mark in the event.

04-14-1932
Plans were being considered today for the rebuilding of the Orestes Fertilizer Company which was completely destroyed by fire last evening between six and seven o clock. The fire was discovered by one of the workmen that was returning to the plant after supper. There is no means of fighting the fire there and the flames quickly consumed the plant, due to the presence of a large quantity of oil and grease. The loss was estimated at $12,000 to $15,000 of which only $4,000 in insurance coverage was carried by the company. The plant was originally built years ago, but had been extensively remodeled and enlarged in recent years and equipment having been added. The fertilizer plant was owned by Urmston Elevators INC. This was the third major fire in three years. The previous fires were at Dundee where the old elevator burned about four years ago. Last year a new elevator was built to replace the old one and it too went up in smoke and has not yet been replaced.

05-02-1932
Bob Blake tosses the shot 52 feet 4.25 inches.

05-23-1932
Bob Blake wins the state shot put at 51 feet five inches.

08-15-1932
Irdel Hartwell 22, of Alexandria is in St. Johns Hospital at Anderson in very serious condition following a fall from a tree on the Dr. Cook farm south of Orestes. Apparently Hartwell crippled a squirrel and had climbed a tree to retrieve his game. He had reached a point within a few feet of where the squirrel disappeared and the limb on which he was standing broke, and he fell a distance of about 25 feet. A companion who was with him ran for assistance.

08-18-1932
The condition of Irdel Hartwell is still grave as a result of a fall from a tree.

08-24-1932
Several thousand show up for the dedication of Leach School in Lafayette township.

09-30-1932
The Indiana Railroad will soon abandon the line from Alexandria to Marion.

04-26-1933
Between eighty and ninety members of the Knights of Pythias, representing lodges at Montpelier, Muncie, Marion, Elwood, Orestes, Frankton, Lapel, Anderson, and Alexandria, met at the Alexandria lodge Monday night the 24th.

05-01-1933
For the first time in as many months, Robert Blake, star shotput artist of the Alexandria high School track squad was crowded out of first place in this event by Bruder of Technical, who finished second to Blake in the state finals last year. In the Kokomo meet Saturday Bruder made a heave of 52 feet 5.5 inches, far above his former mark. Blakes best toss with the iron ball Saturday was 52 feet 3.5 inches, but after the meet he took a 12 lb. lead ball, not so slick as the iron one, and threw it 54 feet 11.5 inches in one toss and 54 feet 5.5 inches in another. The four points that Blake earned for second place were the only points won by Alexandria Saturday, as they were competing against the cream of the states high school track and field men.

05-08-1933
Competing against some excellent talent from the schools in the North Central Indiana Conference at Peru Saturday afternoon. Huntington won the competition but the outstanding feature of the meet was Bob Blakes victory in the shotput. Blake tossed the twelve pound shot 53 feet and 7 inches, which was 7.5 inches better than the old mark.

05-09-1933
A large gathering of members of the Legion posts and auxiliary units in Madison county will be held in the Knights of Pythias Hall in Orestes. The affair was arranged by the legion post at Alexandria and is for the ex-service men of Orestes and community and their wives. W.O. Nelson of Anderson, state commander of the Legion, will be the speaker. The party will open with a parade at 6:30 p.m. followed by a chicken supper at 7:00 p.m. which will be served by the women of the Red Cross unit at Orestes. Music will be provided by the Plectrum orchestra from the Alexandria Baptist Church and Arthur Love of Summitville will give some vocal numbers.

05-10-1933
Some vigorous practice is being done this week by members of the high school track and field team in preparation for the sectional track and field meet at Kokomo Saturday. Blake yesterday tossed the shot 55 feet and 3.5 inches, 4 and one inches further than the present record.

05-22-1933
Bob Blake fails to set a new state record in shotput competition.

06-01-1933
The last tile mill at Summitville is being wrecked. Summitville for many years one of the leading drain tile manufacturing centers in this part of the state, is passing out of the picture so far as that industry is concerned. Two years ago the National Drain tile Company property was raised and the material it contained was sold, after it had been idle for ten years.

06-07-1933
One of the largest alcohol and whiskey stills ever revealed in Madison county was seized Tuesday afternoon by a raiding squad of city, county, and state officers, on the Dr. Fred A. Kimble farm, five miles southeast of Anderson near the Madison and Delaware county line. The still is the largest ever captured in the county, with the exception of the huge distilling plant found more than a year ago on the John Bronnenberg farm in Adams township. The large party of officers surrounded the barn in which the distilling plant was located and the two still tenders surrendered without any show of force. The huge still and apparatus was dismantled by the officers and hauled to the county jail on large trucks. There were only two gallons of alcohol found on location so a search goes on to find alcohol on the property of surrounding farms. Joe Galassi 27, of Springfield, Illinois, an Italian expert still operator was arrested along with Davico Dallagicons also of Illinois. The discovery of the Bronnenberg still led to the investigation which ultimately resulted in the indictment of 28 Anderson and Madison county residents, involving several public officials.

08-10-1933
Death of Hannah Heritage----In a grave beside that of her grandfather, Micajah Chamness, Sr., who died in 1840, nearly 100 years ago, the body of Aunt Hannah Heritage, 91, was laid to rest this morning in the Carver Cemetery north of Orestes. Only a few graves have been made there in recent years, but it is the burial place of many of the pioneers of this section of Madison county, many of whom passed to their reward a half century and more ago. Many of her kinspeople and friends were about the graveside as the casket was lowered.

01-02-1934
The Leeson store is destroyed by fire in Elwood.

01-08-1934
Workers are removing the interurban rails in Alexandria.

03-23-1934
The Orestes Packing Plant was almost completely destroyed by fire at 11:00 yesterday. Defective electrical connections could possibly been the cause of the blaze. The plant was valued at $20,000 and part owner, Clarence J. Palmer announced that plans are to rebuild the structure. The business was formerly owned by the Davis Brothers of Orestes but went into receivership several years ago. Charles DeHority and George DeHority of Elwood are also part owners. A night watchman is generally on duty but none was scheduled at the time. The fire department was also hampered by a limited supply of water and high winds.

01-01-1935
Alexandria to build a new post office.

06-08-1935
Traction business only a shadow of what it was at the peak period in 1919.
1919 $69,987,000
1920 $69.759,000
1921 $64,825,000
1922 $60,701,000
1923 $58,466,000
1924 $54,739,000
1925 $41,710,000
1926 $37,659,000
1927 $34,739,000
1928 $30,912,000
1929 $28,681,000
1930 $25,022,000
1931 $20,347,000
1932 $16,208,000
1933 $8,829,000
1934 $7,437,000
1935 $6,131,000

08-20-1935
Rock Wool founder C.C. Hall dies.

08-21-1935
C.C. Hall tells the story of pioneer days of the Rock Wool.

09-13-1935
Man robbed on Nickel Plate & thrown out at Alexandria.

09-17-1935
The Frazier's Canning Company of Alexandria is suing the Brunson Canning Factory of Orestes for possession of 5,000 tomato crates. Both companies have made statement claiming that they are theirs. Brunsons was said to have contracted from the same farm one year ago at a time which the crates were mixed. Fraziers claims that the crates that are their have the company initials on them.