Brown Township (part 3 of 3)

M'Cray Cemetery

The McCray cemetery is located on the east side of the old state road, a short distance northwest of Wilkinson. Soon after Moses McCray settled in Brown township, in 1833, a beautiful girl who resided with her parents several miles to the northward ran away from her father's home in company with her sister, to keep a tryst with a young man whom she was to marry. The evening- set for the elopement was bitter cold, and the snow was deep and falling fast. The girl, faithful to her promise, reached the spot where the McCray cemetery is now located, where she was supposed to meet her lover. He believed the weather to be too severe for the girl to venture out and failed to meet her. She and her sister crawled into a hollow log to await his coming, but morning" dawned upon the frozen corpse of the bride-to-be. The sister lived long enough to tell the tale to Moses McCray, whose house was only a few rods distant, and who found their frozen bodies. Mr. McCray laid the body to rest on the spot where she died. He carefully protected her grave, and the following year built a school house nearby. In 1837 his own daughter, Sara, died and he buried her near the grave of the faithful girl lover. He then laid off, fenced and cleared the ground, and gave to the public the cemetery which bears his name, and where his own body rests. For thirty years he was trustee of the cemetery. He was succeeded by his son, John McCray, who gave the trusteeship to Robert Slaughter about fifteen years ago. Mr. Slaughter has been an efficient trustee, and with the help of the interested public has converted this pioneer cemetery into a beautiful burial spot.

Busy Housewives' Club

The Busy Housewives' Club was organized at the home of Mrs. J. F. Smith on February 4, 191 5. It was organized by the ladies of Wilkinson for the purpose of promoting interest in needlecraft and for social development. The club meets in the homes of the members on every second Thursday afternoon. The club is not identified or federated with any other clubs of the county.

Sunshine Club

The Sunshine Club of Wilkinson was organized in August, 19 14, and has sixteen members. It is not a member of either the county or state federation, but is conducted on the same plan with officers and executive committee. A well-arranged program is prepared, consisting of miscellaneous topics, such as domestic science, current events, Indiana history, Bible lessons, music, and care and education of children. The club meets on the third Thursday of each month, devoting the entire afternoon to the program aside from the time required to partake of the tempting refreshments the hospitable hostess has prepared. The club colors are pink and white. All the members are true bearers of their motto, "Scatter Sunshine."

The Wilkinson Band

The Wilkinson Band was organized by Aubrey M. Thomas on June 7, 191 5. It meets for practice at the town of Wilkinson and is composed of the following members : William White, Herman Cook, Elmer Hasler, Ward Julian, Ward Blakely, Arthur Harlan, Earl Johns and Lawrence Kennedy, clarinets ; Glen Johns, Roy Hassler, Ray Owens, Forest Yetter, Mattie Cook, Ferris Woods, Chester Kimmerly, cornets; Russel Yetter, Barren Cooper, Elmer Blake, Lawrence Johns and Fay Masters, altos ; Russel Orr, Robert Blakely, tenors ; Hoyt Blakely, Melbome Allee, Willie Judkins, Bertie Kuhn, slide trombones; R. D. Masters and Joe Bird, baritones; Virgil Whetsell and Clarence Walker, tubas ; Harvey Williams, bass drum ; Charlie Kimmerly and Glen Woods, snare drums.

The band has not yet purchased uniforms, but is getting well started and is preparing to play through the coming campaign. Mr. Thomas, the director, has had a long experience with bands and is an accomplished cornetist. For the past year or two he has also directed an orchestra that has played for several of the commencements in the county.

Shirley

The probability of a town became evident when the Cincinnati, Wabash & Michigan railway, now a branch of the Big Four, was constructed across the east end of Brown township, in 1890. The original survey of the town was made by John W. White and Sylvester Hamilton, in October, 1890, and consisted of twenty-three lots in Hancock county and a number in Henry county. Since that time the following additions have been made :

Only two buildings were erected in 1890, the residence of John Larimore and a blacksmith shop. C. L. Storer built a saw-mill, which was destroyed later by fire. In 1891 B. F. Taylor erected another residence and a business room, which he used for a grocery. The postoffice was also located in this building and Taylor became the first postmaster. In 1892 Joseph Steffey built a residence and John W. White erected a stone building on the corner of

The county line road, running north and south between Hancock and Henry counties, became Main street. It was still a dirt road and soon became impassable, dangerous even for travel on horseback. About 1892 a movement began for an improvement of this, street by graveling it. The work was accomplished under the law providing for improvement of highways by levying assessments on adjoining properties. A few more houses were erected before 1895, but the town was virtually at a standstill until that time. In that year the C. P. Kuntz Lumber Company was organized and began doing a large business. It burned in 1900. Beginning with 1895 and following, a number of lots were sold and about thirty buildings were constructed. Among them were the residences of A. C. Van Duyn, now an attorney of Greenfield ; Frank E. Garriott, later deputy county auditor of Hancock county ; A. S. Houck, Dr. Ralph Wilson, E. W. Varner, L. L. Camplin, W. L. Byrket and Shaw Brothers. Among the business men who had established themselves by this time were George F. Fouty and Frank E. Garriott, general merchants; A. S. Houck, druggist; H. S. Wales, hardware; John Lisher, meat market ; Shaw Brothers, livery stable ; Joseph Stef fey, blacksmith, and George Craig, barber. A local newspaper was also established, known as the Shirley Enterprise , which was published for two or three years. In the meantime the streets had been graded and street lamps had been placed at the principal street corners.

On October 11, 1898, a petition was presented to the board of commissioners of Hancock county, asking that the town be incorporated under the name of Shirley. This petition was signed by S_. S. Houck, A. Sherry, E. M. Johnson, William A. Johnson, Samuel Smith, James Allison, A. C. VanDuyn, Allen Robinson, E. M. Warrick, Samuel Price, J. E. Larimore, Joseph Robinson, F. E. Mauck, William Croank, G. C. Shaw, Frank Gebhart, John F. Warrick, Benjamin L. Byrkett, James Robinson, C. F. Wilkinson, Ike Larimore, Thomas Crouch, J. L. Shumaker, C. A. Franklin, W. O. Newton, F. E. Shaw, Charles E. Snider, Charles F. Metsch, Dan Ulner, Clinton Ridgeway, W. G. Burns, B. F. Taylor and W. T. Baker.

The board of commissioners ordered an election held on October 22, 1898, to give the qualified voters an opportunity of determining whether the town should be incorporated. Twenty-seven votes were cast in favor of incorporating, thirteen against it. A report of the election was made and the board of commissioners on December 13, 1898, ordered the town incorporated under the name of Shirley. At the first election for town officers held May 1, 1899, the following men were elected: B. L. Byrkett, clerk; Henry S. Wales, treasurer; Isaac Cronk, marshal; Milton D. Masters, Joseph Steffey and Sylvester Hamilton, trustees.

Business Development

In 1899 B. F. Martindale purchased from Robert Martindale all his holdings in Shirley. He then invited Messrs. Shell, Miller and Litzenberger to establish a glass factory in the town. They agreed on condition of receiving as a bonus a plat of ground, a gas well, and one thousand dollars in cash. These conditions were met and a bottle factory was put into operation according to contract. It was at first difficult to get dwellings and sufficient business rooms. Later in the fall of that year he also erected the bank building and donated about one-half of the first year's rent as an inducement to have a bank locate in the town. M. E. Woods accepted his offer and established the Bank of Shirley, which stands on the Henry county side of the street. In 1900 the Banner glass factory was organized, with D. Gabrielle, president ; Louis Waterloo, secretary, and John Lafever, treasurer. To secure this factory Mr. Martindale again guaranteed a bonus of one thousand dollars in cash and a gas well. Three hundred and fifty dollars of the cash bonus was subscribed by citizens of Shirley. This factory gave Shirley an increase of about five hundred people. In 1901 W. H. Wood laid out Woodlawn Addition, consisting of one hundred lots on the Henry county side of Main street. He brought the Baker Brothers window glass factory to the town, with a capital stock of twenty-five thousand dollars. The Hoseck Chimney House, operated by seven Hoseck brothers, came in 1901. The Shirley Radiator and Foundry Company was also established, which gave employment to about one hundred and fifty men and added greatly to the population of Shirley. In 1902-03 the population of the town was estimated at from fifteen hundred to seventeen hundred.

In 1902 cement sidewalks were made on Main street and a drainage .system was installed. Shirley has two rural free delivery routes, one established August 1, 1902, the other a year or two later.

Light And Water

The principal streets in Shirley were lighted with gas for a number of years. In 1913 the electric lights were installed. Ten years or more ago the town installed a gravity water system at a cost of fourteen thousand one hundred and fifty dollars. The tank has a capacity of thirty-eight thousand gallons, and has an elevation of one hundred and five feet above street level. For protection against fire the town also has a truck and hose. Before the installation of the present plant the town used a chemical engine as a protection against fires.

Several lodges have been organized at Shirley. A Masonic lodge has its hall on the Henry county side of the town. An Odd Fellows lodge also met at Shirley for several years, but has now been moved to Kennard, in Henry county. The Red Men have an organization, but the early records have been lost and it seems to be impossible to obtain an accurate history of the order. Maple Leaf Lodge No. 651, Daughters of Rebekah, was instituted in 1903. Among its first officers were Nellie Hodgin, noble grand ; Florence Lavalle, vice grand ; Grace Wink, secretary ; Gertrude Sedam, recording secretary ; and Minnie Doyle, treasurer. Shirley Camp No. 6358, Modern Woodmen of America, was instituted July 13, 1901, with seventeen charter members. It now has a membership of forty-two.

Shirley Friends Church

The Friends church at Shirley was organized in 1892 with twenty-nine charter members. The church has had a steady growth and at present has a membership of one hundred and ten. The average attendance at services is probably fifty. A Sunday school is conducted in connection with the church. Seven classes are maintained and many of the adult members of the church are in attendance at Sunday school. The congregation now worships in a neat frame house.

Shirley Methodist Episcopal Church

The Methodist Episcopal church in Shirley was organized in the spring of 1896 during the pastorate of Rev. S. F. Harter. He was preaching at Wilkinson at that time, and through the efforts of Mrs. Rose Franklin and Mrs. Mattie Steffey he was induced to come over to Shirley and preach for them. He preached that fall and winter in the school house, and in the spring of 1896 he organized the church with twenty-eight members. The church was dedicated in the spring of 1897, under the pastorate of the Rev. L. P. Pfiefer. The names of some of the charter members are, Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Taylor, Mrs. Harriett Kuhn, Mattie Steffey, Mrs. Gertrude Byrket, and Mr. and Mrs. Benton Jackson. The present membership is fifty-eight.

A Sunday school was organized, probably about the time the church was established. At present the average attendance is one hundred and seventeen. There are eight classes. The majority of the adult church members attend Sunday school. The superintendents for the past three years have been P. K. Sharky, Sylvester Hamilton and Edwin Kirkpatrick.

The parsonage was built in 1903, during Rev. B. F. Hornaday 's pastorate, and completed under F. B. Westhafer. It is a seven-room house, situated on the Henry county side of Shirley.

Mother Of God Roman Catholic Church

Previous to the organization of the Mother of God Roman Catholic church at Shirley, the members at Shirley and vicinity had to drive to Knightstown, a distance of eight miles, to attend services. It was in the early fall of 1902 that the Rev. Father Killian, an assistant at St. John's church, Indianapolis, came to Shirley to see what could be done toward organizing a congregation and building a church.

On Sunday afternoon, in the directors' room of the Shirley Bank, he met by appointment the following members : John Reddington, Martin Kuntz,

C. P. Kuntz, Stephen Higi, T. J. Demund, Anthony Kuntz, Mr. Mundren and H. Reddington. At this meeting they discussed plans of building and location of the church and before they adjourned had pledged three thousand dollars to build the church.

From this time Father Killian made from two to three visits a month to Shirley and held services first at the residence of William H. Kuntz, and later, after the congregation increased, at the school building, until the church was built. On October 2, 1903, the church was dedicated "by the Rt. Rev.

D. O'Donahue, then auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Indianapolis. At this time there was a membership of one hundred and thirty and services were held on the first and third Sundays of the month, with a full attendance. Four or five years later many of the families moved away and services were held only on the first Sunday of the month. Finally services were discontinued for several months. Father Killian then notified the members that he would come and hold services on Monday after the third Sunday of each month. The attendance is now very small and will not average more than six adult members at the services.

Disciples Of Christ

A congregation of the Disciples of Christ at Shirley was organized in 1900 in the Methodist church by the Rev. T. H. Kuhn. The charter members were B. F. Martindale and wife, Mrs. B. O. Hufford, John W. White, Alonzo Cross, Belle Cross, H. S. Wales and wife, F. E. Garriott and wife, Mrs. Ella Varner and Mrs. Belle Lisher. At present the church has a membership of sixty.

Among the pastors who have served the congregation are Carl Vanwinkle, one year; Rev. Gard, one year; E. B. Scof field, one year; Rev. Dailey, one year; Omer Hufford, four years; Rev. Payne, one year; Rev. Addison, one year; Rev. Wolff, one year; Omer Hufford, one year; T. H. Kuhn, one year; B. M. Blount, six months.

A Sunday school was organized and now maintains six classes, with an average attendance of about ninety. The superintendents of the Sunday school have been, Odom Durham, one year ; George Reeves, three years ; B. O. Hufford, ten years; H. S. Wales, one year, and Mrs. C. R. Rynearson, one year.

The congregation owns a frame church building, thirty-six feet by seventy feet in size. The building committee which had its construction in charge was composed of John White, H. S. Wales, F. E. Garriott, Alonzo Cross and H. C. Reynolds. B. O. Hufford was the superintendent of construction of the building. It was dedicated by the Rev. Harkins.

The Pentecostal Mission church and rescue home, as it is now called, was dedicated October 18, 1908, by Rev. J. W. Brown, of Wabash, Ind. William G. Moon, of Fairmount, Ind., was pastor and Ella Baldwin, matron of the home. The mission and rescue work was begun at Shirley by Ella Baldwin in 1902, in her own home and in the old library hall, later at the large mission near the depot. Services were held Tuesdays at 7 130 p. m. and Sundays at 2 130 and 7 :oo p. m.

The Alpha Club

The Alpha Club was organized in January, 1913, with eight charter members. Its purpose was social and civic improvement. The first officers elected were Mrs. W. W. Cooper, president, and Mrs. L. E. Moore, secretary and treasurer. The club has now grown to eighteen members. It promoted a "clean-up" day during the summer of 1914, at which the appearance of vacant lots was improved and receptacles were placed on Main street for waste paper. During the summer of 191 5 a children's public play-ground was arranged and equipped by the ladies.