Clark County, Indiana - Chapter 13: The Tenth Decade 189i-I9oo, 1909

Chapter 13: The Tenth Decade 189i-I9oo

On March 27, 1890, the city of JeffersonviUe and the southern part of the county was visited by the most destructive cyclone in the history of the city. About seven o'clock p. m. it broke with all its fury, demolishing buildings and sweeping away property, but fortunately killing no one. In Louisville, however, scores of people were killed and the destruction of property was tremendous. In JeffersonviUe many buildings w^ere unroofed, many were partly clown, and many were so badly damaged that they had to be pulled down. About two hundred houses were ruined in the city alone, and at the time the damage was estimated at five hundred thousand dollars. The force of the w-ind was terrific, large timbers being blown across the river from wrecked buildings in Louisville, A skift' in the river was blown out of the water and into a house on Front street.

In 1891 the Car Works and other industries of Clark county were enjoying a period of great prosperity. At that time the Car A\'orks was employing two thousand men, and this year turned out five thousand and eight cars, valued at two million nine hundred thousand dollars, or one car for every thirt-five minutes. The sixty-three acres of the plant, with its five miles of track, was one of the busiest places around the Falls, the saw mill alone turning out ten million feet of lumber per year.

The Big- Four bridge, which had been in course of conftruction for several years, had reached that stage where the spans were being placed on the piers. In December, 1892, during a heavy gale, the large center span fell and shortly afterward the span on the Kentucky side followed. The collapse of the center span carried a score of men to death, but the fall of the second span resulted in no casualties. Three vears previously several lives were lost by accidents in the caissons, but the Phoenix Bridge Company repaired the damage and the bridge was finished and opened for traffic in September, 1895.^ ^ -

In the fall of 1895 the twenty-ninth annual reunion of the Grand Army of the Republic was held at Louisville, and Jeft'ersonville prepared to help entertain the old soldiers. Enough lunch stands and sleeping quarters were prepared to care for five thousand visitors, but the sandwiches went uneaten, the coffee undrunk and the cots undisturbed by sleepers. Half the population expected to make money during the festivities and half the population were disappointed. The owner of one impromptue lunch stand had ordered five hundred pies per day and he disposed of one pie. One genius erected five thousands seats on the river bank to seat the crow^ds during the display of fire works one night and he had one customer. The reunion was not a season of happiness so far as Jeffersonville was concerned.

In this decade another addition was made to Jeffersonville, called Ingram's addition. It consisted of blocks one to four and lays in Grant No. 8.

From 1890 to 1900 the transportation of Jeffersonville citizens was on a celebrated system of mule cars. This line of cars, which ran the whole length to Market street, was the butt of all jokers, but it was a great convenience to many and paved the way for the present system of electric cars, which has added so materially to the attractiveness of the city.

In 1893, a bill, presented to the Legislature by Willis Barnes, of Charlestown, was passed appropriating five hundred dollars for a monument to Gov. Jonathan Jennings. Jennings' remains had laid in the old cemetery south of Charlestown since June 27, 1834, but they were moved to the new cemeter}' in 1894, and the monument erected to mark his final resting place.

From 1892 to 1893 Clark county had the first company of the National Guard since 1877. The officers of this company were: Captain, L. C. Baird; first lieutenants, C. H. Kelly, W. W. Crooker and H. H. Thacker; second lieutenants, W. W. Crooker and H. E. Barrett. The company was called into active service during the strike and riots of 1893 and upon their return from Sullivan county were received by a great crowd of friends.

In 1898 the Spanish war found Clark county without a company for the first call, but this was caused by the call being filled by militia regiments. The second call was responded to by a splendid company recruited from nearly all parts of the county. Their service in the One Hundred Sixty-first Indiana Volunteer Infantry will be found in the chapters on the military history of Clark county. Their return from foreign service May 3, 1899, was the occasion of a great demonstration.

In October, 1899, was held a carnival of flowers on the occasion of the meeting of the Southern Indiana Press Association in Jeffersonville. The display of beautifully decorated carriages was a delight to the many visitors here at that time.

On December 10, 1899, Father Andran, the beloved priest of St. Augustine's Roman Catholic church, died. His death removed the friend and coun-

Clark Col'Xty Cul'Rt Holse Baird S History Of Clark Co., Ind

In this decade Jeffersonville and Clark county enjoyed all the advantages which belonged to other places similarly situated with the exception of street car and interurban service, but the next decade produced a service second to none.