Dear Old Wabash

It is not uncommon for me to receive a call or an e-mail from an alum with an offer of a donation to the Archives. In this posting I would like to tell you a little bit about two items that came to the Archives recently.

Greg Miller [W1983] contacted me about an unusual cap he had just purchased, double billed and in good shape. I couldn’t wait to see it and here is a picture of this unusual hat.

Right away I knew that this was a class cap and in perfect shape, too! Not only in great shape, but the only one of its kind here in the Archives. A truly great gift from Greg.

For more of the background on class items, it was the custom for classes to choose one article of clothing that all members purchased, read more about this in another blog posting from December of 2008  http://blogs.wabash.edu/dear-old-wabash/2008/12/02/class-of-1913/

For the Class of 1891 this was their class cap and what a beauty! One of the true luxuries of the Archives is the great student workers that we have here. I asked one of them, John P.[W2013] to see what he might find out about this class and here is his research on the class of 1891:

Motto:  Hitch your wagon to a star

Colors: Pink and Pea Green

Graduating Class: Largest graduating class up to that date with 34 students (including one from Tokyo)

The hat is more fully described in this entry that John found in the “Locals” column of The Wabash of January, 1891, “The Seniors have blossomed out in class caps.  They are a novelty.  Made of black cheviot cloth and trimmed in orange satin, with the figures ’91 stamped in satin.  They have visors both before and aft.  They are something original and were imported for the occasion.”

As I was looking for information on the class caps I came across some information that put another gift to the Archives into better focus. Among the people I work with frequently are the folks with a passion for local history. The Director of the Lew Wallace Study Preservation Society, Larry Paarlburg is one of those most interested in Indiana history. Larry and his family have their roots in Kirklin, Indiana and he had often mentioned his family’s connection to Wabash. One day Larry dropped in with a cap from his great uncle’s things. Here is a picture of Larry’s gift to the Archives.

As his great-uncle, John Kutz [W1914] was quite a baseball player, we assumed that this might be an early baseball cap. Here is a picture of John in his Wabash baseball uniform.

It was only while searching for information on Greg’s gift that I found the real story of this colorful hat. It was not a baseball cap, but the cap chosen for the class of 1914. It was nicknamed the “Sunflower” and the Bachelor gave us the rules for the wearing of it, “All freshmen must wear freshman caps in Crawfordsville every day of the week except Sunday. All other varieties of headgear are liable to confiscation at any time, except on Sunday, and at any place, except social functions in the evening, matinee dances, and afternoon weddings and teas.” In another Bachelor entry we get a slightly different take on the tradition, “See to it When you appear in the holy precincts of our royal institution of learning, except on Sundays and holidays, that ye adorn your empty bone with the gaily colored headgear provided for that portion of your swiney anatomy.” Just like the language from the Rhynie, Read and Tremble posters so familiar to Wabash men of a certain era.  This tradition of picking out different caps for different classes morphed into one hat for all the classes – the familiar red cap with the fetching green bill.

So now we know a little more about both of these hats. This posting is a great way to highlight the value of gifts to the history. It also is a reminder to me to say again to all who have given,  to Greg and to Larry and to all who offer these treasures – thank you!

The road that runs between the football field and mud hollow has had a few different names. It was originally known as the Perrysville Turnpike and was a toll road. On a great map that we have here in the Archives it is known simply as the road to the Shades and Turkey Run. Whatever it is called, if you follow that road west you will end up at the bridge at Yountsville. In this posting I would like to take a look back at this Sugar Creek crossing and how it has changed over the years.

Progress in the post World War II era meant big public works projects and among these were the extensive construction projects on the nation’s highway systems. A prime example of this activity is the bridge over Sugar Creek at Yountsville. The Yountsville area was a center of commerce for much of the 19^th century. From Yount’s Mill flowed a steady stream of woolen cloth and manufactured goods. The Mill provided uniforms and blankets to the Union Army during the Civil War. Folks from all over knew that good woolen cloth could be purchased by the bolt in the store at Yountsville.

The following eight photographs which document this massive construction project are from the files in the Robert T. Ramsay, Jr. Archival Center at Wabash College. They were taken during 1949 and follow the various stages of the massive project. I am sorry to say that I don’t know the name of the photographer, but what an amazing set this is!

The covered bridge at Yountsville was a rare two-lane bridge. In this first photograph, we can see the bridge as it was in the late 1940s. (PD 392-01)

 In this photo shot from the bed of the creek you can see the buildings perched on the edge of the hill, which included a restaurant. (PD 392-05)

In preparation for demolition the siding has been removed from the structure, revealing the graceful structure of the wooden bridge.  (PD 392-03)

This picture from another viewpoint shows the old framing and the embankment on the west side of Sugar Creek. As a testament to the soundness of the construction, the structure spans the creek without supports and appears to be solid. (PD 392-04)

The covered bridge was replaced by a modern bridge that fed into a new road, a speedier two lane highway. In this picture we have a good view of the road project. (PD 392-06)

This photo shows both the old bridge and its connecting road. We also can get a sense of the scope of the project. This view is looking toward Crawfordsville from a hill in Yountsville. (PD 392-07)

In this photo the new bridge is in place. Taken from the Yountsville side of the creek, this shot shows the land as it appears today. (PD 392-10)

This last photo is a view of the bridge as it nears completion. There is one last section of the foundation to be finished and the road deck is being added. (PD 392-11)

The covered bridge at Yountsville was clearly a structural marvel, wouldn’t it have been nice to have saved it! What a treat that would be, to walk across the creek on a double covered bridge! As with so many of our covered bridges, it was torn down in the name of progress. We can at least be glad that it was replaced with this lovely span. The bridge at Yountsville is a beautiful arch which thousands travel under as they canoe and kayak our most treasured resource, the river we know as Sugar Creek.

1951 was a year of big changes on campus. As the excerpt from the Wabash Alumni Bulletin of 12/1951 reports, alums on campus for Homecoming were surprised at the changes.

 Don Cole and his clear-eyed cartooning caught the spirit of the surprised alumni with another of his fabulous Wally Wabash cartoons as an enterprising Wally offers maps to alums to help them find their way – for a small fee, of course!

Gone is the old Forest Hall which was moved south of old South Hall. This is a picture of Forest in its new location. When the college moved Forest Hall again in the mid-sixties,  the basement was repurposed for a campus services garage just south of Baxter Hall.

In the article there is also a mention of the Tapy house in transit. Here is a photo of that in process. It looks like a bit of a tight squeeze between Goodrich and the Chapel.

To alums, it must have been a little unnerving to return to Wabash and find everything so completely changed. But time marches on and all of this hubbub was in preparation for construction of the long awaited student union building – initially named the Campus Center – rechristened as the Sparks Center in honor of the president who was so passionate about a central place on campus where students, faculty and alumni could gather. The Scarlet Inn has served as the scene of many a heated, yet respectful, discussion. The Great Hall which offered a dining option for independent men and a place to host our own banquets. Prior to the Campus Center, our banquets were at the Masonic Temple or the Crawford Hotel.

The Wabash College campus is a work in progress, never finished. What a change the Campus Center made in the life of the College with its bowling alley, pool tables, television and private café. Different needs for different times create a drive to improve the student experience. It has always been this way and will continue to be so. I just love to look back while at the same time wondering what will happen next at Dear Old Wabash.

Over the holidays our family went to see the new Spielberg movie about Abraham Lincoln. We really enjoyed it.  I was especially interested in the sets and costumes and very interested too in the portrayal of Mary’s companion and dress maker, Elizabeth Keckley.

In 2009 as we were preparing an exhibit we called, “Lincoln in the Library” we were looking closely at the items from our collection related to our 16th president. One of the more interesting books in our collection was Behind the scenes, or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House.

This book by Elizabeth Keckley is a real treasure. This memoir was written shortly after the Civil War and published in 1868. It was intended as a defense of Mrs. Lincoln who was under intense, and mostly negative, scrutiny at that time. Elizabeth Keckley was a black seamstress with a substantial D.C. clientele. Her story is amazing! She was born into slavery and taught to sew by her mother.  She eventually purchased her freedom and that of her son. She was incredibly talented and hard working and built quite a business in Washington, D.C. Elizabeth had an influential clientele in the District and among them was Mrs. Jefferson Davis, later the First Lady of the Confederacy.

Keckley created Mary Todd Lincoln’s inaugural gown and, based on that excellent work, became Mrs. Lincoln’s friend, constant companion and dressmaker. Through this service, Elizabeth Keckley became very close to Mary and was, in fact, her closest friend and confidante in Washington. It seemed that this woman understood the temperament and sharp tongue of Mrs. Lincoln.

Mary Todd Lincoln was a controversial figure and much maligned in the press of the day. In the 1868 Preface, Keckley explains her reasons for writing this frank memoir, “If I have betrayed confidence in anything I have published, it has been to place Mrs. Lincoln in a better light before the world…My own character, as well as the character of Mrs. Lincoln, is at stake, since I have been intimately associated with that lady in the most eventful periods of her life….To defend myself I must defend the lady that I have served…”

Here are some links for more information on this fascinating woman.

This is an article from the Washington Post about the efforts to find her grave and place a marker on it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/02/AR2010060202631.html

This is a brief biography of Keckley which is part of a web site from the Lakewood, Ohio Public Library that focuses on women in history.

http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/keck-eli.htm

The book was “controversial” and Robert Todd Lincoln, the only surviving child, had the publication pulled. Yet some copies survived and there are reprints available, including one on the shelves in the Lilly Library. It reads like a chatty session with a very dear friend. If you are interested in the Civil War, or Lincoln, or just a good read, I would recommend this fascinating memoir.

This week has been a busy one for all our seniors as they complete their comprehensive examinations. In a salute to their hard work, I offer this photo.

This 1989 creation might be one of the best bench paintings ever, “Physics Comps Essay: Explain briefly, but in depth, God’s contribution to the creation of the Universe.” In that one sentence is every student’s conundrum, “explain briefly, but in depth”. The seniors come back early from winter break and many of them study here in the Library. Gone is the horseplay, gone is the lighthearted joking around. These guys are serious and focused!  As comps week is passing, our seniors are walking a little taller. They have made it through the last, great challenge as a Wabash man. Now to finish well in their classes and on to Commencement!

November has finally arrived in Crawfordsville. The Monon Bell game had unusually balmy weather but on Monday we returned to the grey days that I associate with Thanksgiving. At this time of the year the wind is sharp, the clouds are low and it feels like it could snow at any moment. It is a time to stay home near a warm fire. It is a time for reflection. November is not a month that I think of as a time for launching an ambitious new plan. Yet 180 years ago this month that is exactly what happened here in Crawfordsville, Indiana.  A determined group of Presbyterian missionaries and laymen, gathered at James Thomson’s brick house just down the street on November 21, 1832. They united to create a school in this “Wabash Country” for educating those men who would become preachers and teachers.

The story is well known to most members of the Wabash family, a story of determination, grit and providential events. It is also a tale of the men who gathered at that meeting. For a Chapel Talk by Emeritus Professor of Chemistry David Phillips on Edmund O. Hovey, a founder who served Wabash long and faithfully, click this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so5eN1SFrBc&feature=plcp.

In this blog posting I want to look at another man who was at that meeting 180 years ago. John M. Ellis was born in Keene, N.H. in 1793. Ellis, like Edmund Hovey and Caleb Mills, was an alumnus of both Dartmouth and Andover Seminary. Ellis too entered the ministry and came to the West with a zeal for education. Ellis’ first posting was in Illinois and it was not long before he had decided to open a school of higher learning in the area.  Jacksonville was the area Ellis selected. He began by soliciting subscriptions and purchasing land. Ellis laid out a building and in 1830 Illinois College held its first classes.

In an effort to learn more about this driven man, I found a 1913 Wabash Magazine article about Ellis by Horace Carter Hovey [W1853], Edmund’s son, in which he describes the founding, “A little more than eighty years ago, namely, on November 21, 1832, five ministers and three ruling elders met at “the Old Brick House” in Crawfordsville, Indiana, with the design of establishing a college for the upper Wabash Valley. The ministers were James and John Thomson, Edmund O. Hovey, James A. Carnahan, and John M. Ellis. It is of the last named man that we would now more particularly speak; for the reason that his name is less frequently mentioned than those of his associates, although chairman of the meeting, and among the earliest to agitate the project for which the meeting was convened. It was also Mr. Ellis who led the band of home missionaries in prayer the next day, as they all knelt in the snow, after driving the corner stake for a building to be erected on the site given for the purpose by Hon. Williamson Dunn.”

Horace credits the impetus for the founding meeting to Ellis and continues, “In 1832 Mr. Ellis was first made an agent for the American Education Society, and the secretary of the Indiana Educational Society. In this capacity he took an active and prominent part in the deliberations that led to the founding of Wabash College. It was probably at his suggestion that the meeting at the Brick Cottage referred to was held, at which he presided and Edmund O. Hovey was secretary. A public meeting of citizens was held the next day, and a liberal subscription was started, Mr. Ellis himself being a generous donor. Although never officially identified with the institution, he retained his interest in it to the end of his days.”

“According to my recollection of him, Mr. Ellis was tall, very dignified and of a commanding presence. Yet as he visited at my father’s hospitable home his manners were affable and agreeable, and the impression made on my boyish mind was that our guest was sincere and simple-hearted.”

Such devotion and hard work does not come without a cost and in 1833 Ellis paid dearly. Again, from the 1913 Hovey article, “While laboring for the Indiana Educational Society, making long trips on horseback through the Wabash Valley, he met one day a man from Jacksonville, where he had not been for about two months, and asked him for the news. Imagine his distress on being told that his wife and children had died of cholera.” The cholera epidemic had hit Jacksonville hard taking ten percent of its citizens in this outbreak. Mrs. Ellis was an educator as well, running a boarding school for girls out of her home. Fifty years later a former student was moved to tears describing the death of a beloved teacher and her two children, “…all three being laid in the grave at the same time.” John M. Ellis was devastated and returned to the East for a time.

But Ellis’ contributions to the future of Wabash were not yet complete as it was during this time that Edmund O. Hovey had been sent east to raise money to fund the new school at Crawfordsville.  Horace tells the story, “It was at this period that my father went East for secure funds for the College, visiting in succession Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Boston and New Haven, barely raising enough to cover his expenses. Sitting in his room at the old Tontine Hotel in New Haven, he wrote his resignation of every office in connection with the College, signing it, ‘Yours at the point of desperation, E.O. Hovey.’ Just then Mr. Ellis called on him, and on hearing the letter read, said, ‘Do not send that; but go and see President Day, Professor Woolsey, and others of the Yale faculty, and hear their story of the early struggles of that institution.’

“As told by Dr. Woolsey, the Yale men advised him [Hovey] to try the rural places in New England. His first success was at Amesbury, Massachusetts, where he raised $50. Next came Newburyport, Massachusetts, where he raised $425. Thus he went from town to town, till he was encouraged to approach and secure, as President, Dr. Elihu W. Baldwin, at that time the most popular minister in New York City. Had it not been for the opportune encouragement given by Ellis to the weary agent who was “at the point of desperation,” Wabash College might have expired in its infancy, instead of being put on a firm and lasting foundation.” President Tuttle later remarked that, “If that letter had been sent, the college would have perished. It was not sent and Wabash College lived.” It was John M. Ellis again working in the interests of Wabash.

This Thanksgiving, one hundred and eighty years to the day of the kneeling in the snow, we remember those whose hard work built this place, those whose careful stewardship kept it alive in tough times and those whose hard work sustains it yet today and give thanks for Old Wabash!

Here is a headline for all  Little Giants fans…

This headline is from the Bachelor for the first ever MONON BELL GAME in 1932. While today we refer to the series as the “Bell Game,” that is not quite accurate. The trophy, a locomotive bell, was given to the rivalry in 1932 (our centennial year) by the railroad which ran the train from Crawfordsville to Greencastle – the Monon Line.  That first year neither school won it as there was a scoreless tie – 0 to 0. It is a great rivalry and it is amazing how close the series remains. For every single statistic connected to the Monon Bell, follow this link as the wizard of all things statistical, Brent Harris, has them together at this address:

http://sports.wabash.edu/sports/2011/7/25/FB_0725114739.aspx?path=football

And to close our annual show of boosterism, here is a great photo of a group of Wabash men celebrating the 41-26 victory in 1984. Have you ever seen a happier bunch?

Good luck to the men of the scarlet!