Valerius Armitage, Canal Builder By Diana Vice Vice is an honorary regent and historian for the General de Lafayette Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. Valerius Armitage first arrived in Indiana in 1830 to work on the Wabash & Erie Canal. Who was Valerius Armitage? That was a question I asked myself after being asked to look through a large collection of canal-era artifacts bearing his name. The collection contains dozens of various legal documents, letters, and diary notes from the collection of Judge Cyrus Ball, a prominent attorney and pioneer from Lafayette’s earliest days. Judge Ball had served as an attorney for Armitage and handled his final estate.   For nearly 200 years, the Armitage papers have been in possession of the Ball Family, and since it was constructed in 1876, the collection has been stored in a closet of the notorious Ball House that was built by Judge Ball for his wife, Rebecca.   The papers include historical artifacts from For...

  Thank you to Mark Smith, Carroll County Historian, for providing historical information and stories related to our border county to the northeast.  Tippecanoe County and Carroll County pioneers had close connections during the canal days. This blog will be regularly featuring posts from the Carroll County Historian in commemoration of the America/Indiana 250 Celebration. By Mark A. Smith, Carroll County Historian              Our honored patriot, James Johnston, had three parts to his being: freedom, family, and faith.         His entrance into the world was on October fifth of 1755 on the Delaware River. His service came as he served as a volunteer from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, 1780 under Captain Samuel Flanegin. He also fought in South Carolina in the battle of Hanging Rock. His second enlistment came in 1781 under James Osburn, and Colonel Hobert Ervine’s Regiment of riflemen. Documentati...

  By Diana Vice Diana Vice is an Honorary Regent and Historian for the General de Lafayette Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. Evelyn Rosemary Frantz preferred to be called Rosemary.   She was a spunky gal who enjoyed her independence. She wasn’t afraid to share an opinion, and she loved a good laugh.   Born in 1921 to John and Velma Frantz, Rosemary graduated from Dayton High School and later the Home Hospital School of Nursing.   After graduation she worked her way to become the head of Home Hospital’s pediatric division. Rosemary’s deep love for her country inspired her to enlist in the United States Army Nursing Corp. where she served as 2 nd Lieutenant after completing basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. After her service in WWII, she continued her duties in the Army throughout the Korean War. I first met Rosemary at the Reformed Presbyterian Church in 1995. She was a founding member there and actively involved in the life of the congregati...

Dewey Club Sidelined by Judge after Violating Liquor Laws, or Not? Descendants of Early Tippecanoe County Pioneers Remain in Tippecanoe County: Kirby Risk, Del Bartlett, Herman Lodde, James O'Connor, John Cuppy, Dan Storms & Others By Diana Vice Have you ever wondered what it would be like to journey along the Wabash River during the early 20 th century in a steamboat? There was a short-lived Dewey Club that was established in 1898 by a group of fun-loving friends from Montmorenci, Indiana, who did just that.   On June 14, 1898, the Journal and Courier reported that around twenty people formed the Dewey Club to honor the hero of Manilla. [ Dewey was best known for his victory at the  Battle of Manila Bay  during the  Spanish–American War , with the loss of only a single crewman on the American side.]   Articles of Incorporation were drafted and filed with the Tippecanoe County Recorder by Philip Booher, George Burkley and Martin V. Erwin, with its object l...

  Could a Native American Benefactor Be Buried Alongside Father Hamilton? By Diana Vice There has been a decades-long mystery about who is entombed in a second burial vault in the church basement of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Lafayette, Indiana. The Reverend R. A. Hamilton, a local pioneer priest, is buried in one of the vaults, but the identity of a second person buried alongside the pioneer priest has been the subject of speculation since 1951 when the vaults were re-discovered during remodeling. A 1956 Journal and Courier news article revealed that during a remodeling and redecorating phase of the church building, the floor of the sanctuary was torn out, and it was then that the sealed vaults, side by side, were visible. Church officials were not certain in which vault Father Hamilton was buried as the contents of the remains were not marked. February 15, 1956, Journal & Courier News Father Hamilton, a pioneer missionary, was responsible for the erection of St. Mary’s Cathed...

Prehistoric Giant Bones Found Near Granville Bridge by William DeHart An article published in the May 27, 1911, edition of the Journal and Courier reports on the discovery of large prehistoric bones by Dr. William H. Dehart, a Civil War veteran and brother of Colonel R. P. DeHart. The discovery reportedly occurred during Dr. Dehart's youth, placing the event prior to the Civil War.  The bones were found near Granville in West Lafayette, Indiana, and t he ancient relics were ultimately transferred to the Smithsonian Institution. There have been recent claims that many giant human skeleton artifacts were destroyed by the government in an effort to conceal certain aspects of history from the American public . The status of the local artifacts is unknown. Is there truth to these types of cover-up claims, or is it just a conspiracy theory? Journal & Courier - May 27, 1911 Here's the original story if anyone wants to dig into what became of the DeHart bones: (Lafayette, IN) ...

  Judge DeHart’s Connection to the Daughters of the American Revolution By Diana Vice It seems that whenever I engage in historical research of a Tippecanoe County, Indiana, subject there is a connection to the General de Lafayette Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, which is why I frequently declare that, “All roads lead to the DAR.” Such is the case for Judge Colonel Richard Patten DeHart. In 1905, the Lafayette Sunday Times reported that the Oliver Ellsworth Chapter and the General de Lafayette Chapter of the DAR held their annual outing at DeHart’s Lookout Lodge in West Lafayette. “The event was held in commemoration of Flag Day,” the article stated. “The trip was made in a special car and about twenty-five of the Daughters attended. A basket lunch was served on the lawn in front of the cottage, and the husbands of the members were invited to partake. It was a most enjoyable affair and will be repeated each year by the D.A.R. chapters who are indebted to Colon...