Lafayette Man's Body is Horribly Mangled by Train Cars

This story from the November 5, 1901, edition of The Call (Lafayette, Indiana) is personal, because it involves the tragic death of my 3x great-grandfather, Joseph Denis Egan. Grandpa Joe immigrated from Limerick Ireland in 1872 after his own parents died under tragic circumstances. This particular train accident occurred at the train depot in Fowler, Indiana. Whenever I travel through that area, I think of how the death of Joseph Egan, Sr. changed the course of history for my local Irish family.

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Jessie's Kids: Cary Home's First Residents & Roy Hanthorn's Peace Plan from Heaven

Jessie's First Kids Circa 1930: Roy Hanthorn far right, standing above all the others and surrounded by his siblings. By Diana Vice Roy Hanthorn became one of Jessie’s first kids. A Daughter of the American Revolution, Jessie Levering Cary was known for her good works in the community, so to honor his late wife, Frank Cary donated $45,000 in 1929 to establish the Jessie Levering Cary Home to help underprivileged and abused kids. The facility has been operating since November 30, 1930, and the residents are lovingly referred to as “Jessie’s Kids.” Franklin & Jessie Cary A photo captured an image of some of the home’s first residents in front of the building shortly after it was built. Identified in the picture are Roy Hanthorn and his younger siblings, Zilda, Dorothy, Cleo, Bill, Ed, and Bob, who had been transferred to Cary Home from the St. Joseph’s Orphan Asylum. Roy’s sad facial expression, an obvious sign that he was unhappy with his circu...

The Con T. Kennedy Story: From Orphan to Famous King of Carnivals

Did you know an orphan from Lafayette, Indiana, gained national and international fame for creating a multi-million-dollar carnival empire in the early 20th century? The humble beginnings of Con T. Kennedy, “the Carnival King” and his rags-to-riches rise to fame is an inspirational, true story about a boy who overcame many obstacles in life. He ran away from a Lafayette orphanage at twelve years old, headed west, and "grew up with the country." This story will evoke a roller coaster of emotions. It’s long, but worth the investment of your time. Orphan Never Felt the Loving Arms of a Loving Mother St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum (Photo courtesy of Preserve Historic Lafayette) The story begins with Cornelius T. Kennedy, an orphan about whom little is known regarding his family background. Cornelius was born in 1870 to parents of Irish descent. The 1870 census records show Cornelius residing in Jackson, Ohio, with his parents, Thomas and Hanora Kenn...

The Tragic Story of Patrick & Bridget Flynn & An Apparition at St. Mary's Cemetery?

The Tragic Story of Patrick and Bridget Flynn Flynn Family Plot at St. Mary's Cemetery By Diana Vice My husband and I are regular visitors to the St. Mary’s cemetery in Lafayette, Indiana. We enjoy cleaning unusual gravestones and visiting the gravesites of relatives and early ancestors. It was a pleasant summer day on August 2, 2025, so we chose to give the St. Joseph’s Orphans monument a good wash. My husband walked down the hill to retrieve water when he ran into an elderly man who relayed an incredible story about an apparition that frequently appeared at the gravesites of the Patrick and Bridget Flynn family. Rick Vice at St. Mary's Cemetery St. Joseph Orphan Asylum Monument The man stated that during a recent morning visit to the cemetery, he saw a gray-haired woman wearing a plain dress appear from behind the trees. She stopped near a group of gravestones on a hill near the winding road toward the southwest part of the cemetery, and just ...

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