A History of Plevna, Indiana and Community
Written by John Edward "Ed" Weisenauer
(b. 22 Dec 1881; d. 4 May 1976)
(Mr. Weisenauer was 86 years old when he wrote this account in July 1968.)
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| Photo credit: https://memoriesofjustanotherbabyboomer.blogspot.com/p/weisenauer.html |
Plevna, Indiana, a little hamlet founded in either the late 1860s or early 1870s, is located at the intersection of two roads, four miles north of Greentown or eleven miles northeast of Kokomo. The east-west road is now (and has been for many years) known as Touby Pike. At the time of the founding, the south-west section was a total mass of native trees and brush, while portions of the ground was used for farming. A long farmhouse stood about 40 rods north on the NE section owned by Ben Rogers, later by Peter Kingseed and Chris Lantz, and finally by H. J. Weisenauer. Also a log cabin stood on the west side of the road on the N.W. section, owned later by George Saul, a cousin of my mother. A little log building used for a store, and a log cabin nearby, stood on the N.E. corner of the intersection.
On the southeast section there were more houses. The Dawson farmhouse stood about 20 rods east on the S.E. section. The Dawsons owned the land on that section. At the corner was a doctor's office and his house was immediately south of it -- a house made from lumber and is still standing there. Further on south of the corner were three or four more houses owned by the Dreyer brothers, Sam, John and Bill, and Sam's father-in-law, Sam Irwin. The man who owned the store and lived nearby was a Mr. Bishop, and the doctor, a Mr. Steve Colescott. owned the office and house nearby on the S.E. corner. So this was Pleasantville (a former name for Plevna at that time) approximately 100 years ago. Not all the people who lived in Plevna at that time were Plevnaites, but the whole countryside for two or three miles around called Plevna their town. If someone asked someone who lived three miles north or east or west where he was from or lived, he would instantly say from Plevna. So Plevna, or Pleasantville, was a big town in area at most.
Some of the early settlers around Plevna at that time were the Kingseeds, Rogers, Kennedys, Kaufmans, Kendalls, Murphys, Sproals, Yoders, Millers, Lantzes, Shrocks, Troyers, Zooks, Masts, to the north. To the east were the Lorenzes, Ooleys, Fays, Kirbys, Michaels, Dicks, Gossetts, Warnicks, Peters, Holsteins, Olwins, Odumus, and a few more. To the south were the Howells, Fishers, Loops, Nuners, Pettys, Julows, and Uncle Abe Saul (my mother's uncle). To the west there were Zerbes, Marquois, Grafs, Schaafs, Henslers, Strausses, and Dotterers. So it was quite a community after all, and most of them did their trading in Plevna.
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| Detail: 1877 Liberty Twp map |
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| June 21, 1880 Census, Liberty Twp. |
Sometime in the late 1870s Mr. Bishop sold his store to a Mr. Henry Miller who enlarged it and built a house nearby. He operated the store for four or five years and then sold it to Alfred Troyer, who after a few years sold it to Eli Miller. Troyer had four boys, the second of whom was the same age as I. His name was Verne and later in life he became quite wealthy. The Troyer family moved to North Dakota after selling the store. Eli Miller operated the store until it burned down in the late 1880s. It was never rebuilt and that corner remains absent of any other building to this day.
About the time this store burned, a new store building was built across the road on the northwest corner. This was quite an imposing building. It was a long, two-storied building -- quite an addition to the town and community. It was built by a Jerry Mast, a native of the area, and who also operated a saw mill west of town just across the road from the White schoolhouse where the youngsters of the area went to school. This store was run by Mast for a few years and was eventually sold to a newcomer from Ohio by the name of Pete Remington. Mr. Remington, wife and daughter lived in quarters at the rear of the store that he added on the main building. They were very popular people and did quite a lot of business. Mr. Remington operated the store for several years until, I think about 1905, I don't know the exact year, but anyway he sold it to Henry Lorenz, a farm boy who grew up in the area. Lorenz also did a thriving business. In addition to running the store he ran a huckster wagon every day to outlying districts. He also became a very popular merchant. Unfortunately this store building burned down one night with all its contents. This happened along about 1917 or 1918. I have forgotten the exact year. It was quite a loss for Lorenz and the community, but he went to work and built a new building, the one that is now there on that corner. Lorenz sold his store in 1924 to Lantz Brothers, Floyd and Fred, who operated it until a few years ago when they both retired. It is now operated by Jack Lantz, Fred's younger son.
After the Miller Store on the N.E. corner burned, Miller traded his house and lot for an 80 acre farm just north of our home place and across the road from Aunt Martha Kingseed's home. The man who owned the farm was Noah Yoder, who ran a saw mill and sorghum mill right where Aunt Martha Kingseed's home now is, for several years prior to Auntie buying that land and building a new home. Yoder also operated a cider mill in connection with his saw mill and sorghum mill. His cider mill became a popular place for certain people of the area as he always had huge quatities of cider on hand in season, both sweet and hard cider. I can attest to the fact that the hard cider was always very potent. After Yoder traded his farm and moved into Plevna, and Mrs. Kingseed bought the land where his mills were, he sold his house and lot and moved to Michigan.
Now again on the S.E. corner Dr. Colescott's office was next to the corner and his house just to the south about 100 feet. He was a doctor here in the early days of the town and a very popular man. He and Uncle John Saul (Amos's father) worked together to attain a Post Office for the town, which was finally granted. Colescott became the first Postmaster, and he remained so until he sold his home and practice in about 1880 and Uncle John was appointed to succeed him. Uncle John was Postmaster for several years and was later succeeded by Pete Remington, I think in the 1890s sometime.
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| 1877 map: Pleasantville |
Colescott sold his home and practice to a Dr. Albert Miller (no relation to Miller who owned the store) but Miller sold the house and built a new one just east of the office. It was a two story square house, a very fine addition to the town. The Millers and my folks became very good friends. They had two boys the ages of Glen and I, and we played together quite often. Miller was a big, portly man with a huge red beard and mustache. He was well liked in the community and had a good practice. Miller served as doctor here for several years and finally sold out to Dr. Gordon and moved to Anderson, Indiana. His boy, Don, became a doctor and practiced in Indianapolis; the younger boy, Lora, became a civil engineer and was killed in an accident on a bridge construction project.
Dr. Gordon remained here as a doctor for several years and in 1903 moved to Converse and lived there until his death in 1930. Bofore he left Plevna, another doctor had come in the person of Dr. Rinehart who also was a good doctor. He was a doctor here for about 20 years. He moved to Frankfort and died a few years ago. We employed both Dr. Gordon and Dr. Rinehart. Gordon was present when Cliffie, Goldie and John were born, and Rinehart helped bring Stella and Charles in the world. They both were good doctors and we hated to see them leave the community. During the 1890s two other doctors practiced her for short periods. They were Dr. Abbott and Dr. Foust. Abbott was no good and did not stay long, but Foust was a young man and had great rpomise of a good practice, but he heard of another town with no competition and moved there.
Dr. Gordon sold his house and lot and office building in about 1899 and moved to a 17 acre tract of land just west of town. The buyer, a George Smith, tore down the office building and built a new store building right on the corner and went into business, which meant that Plevna had two stores now. Smith operated this store for about 15 years. Other owners of this store afterwards were Willie Kennedy, Arthur Gross, William Muncie, and Ed Drinkwater. After Drinkwater, Lantz Brothers obtained the building and converted it into a hatchery and feed store. It is still used by Jack Lantz as a storage room for foodstuff and supplies for his grocery store on the N.W. corner.
Now we go to the S.W. section, wherein lies the Saul farm. Years ago Edward Saul (my grandfather) and his brother, Abe, hearing of yet government land unsold, came by horse from Ohio to investigate this land. It probably was in the late 1850s or early 1860s. I have heard the deeds were signed by James Buchanan, who was then President of the United States. The land was uncleared of trees and brush and was offered for sale very cheap. Each one bought a 240 acre track of this land.
Edward Saul bought 160 acres on the southwest section of which is now part of Plevna, and 80 acres in the northwest section, while Uncle Abe Saul bought his land two miles south of Plevna, nearer to Greens Village, which is now Greentown. At that time it was a little village of very few houses. They bought their land and rode back home to Seneca County, Ohio. After a year or so Uncle Abe decided to sell his land in Ohio and move to his newly bought land in Indiana. He did this and began clearing his land and built a log cabin to live in. Edward Saul hesitated about moving to Indiana and decided to stay in Ohio, mostly because of ill health, and a year or two later he died. That left Grandmother Saul with nine children and 240 acres of land in Indiana to care for. So Uncle John, a stapling young teenager (her second hicld and son) said he would go out to Indiana and take care of the land, build himself a log cabin, and begin clearing of the trees and brush. He did this and never returned to Ohio again. After a year or two in Indiana, he wrote back home to his oldest sister, Martha, to come to Indiana and be his housekeeper. She came and they both lived in his new log cabin and she helped him do some clearing. The Kingseed family lived close by over on the northeast section at the place my father later bought. She got acquainted with Alec, a young man of the fmily, and they were soon married. In the meantime, my father had come out here on a visit and while here he bought the Kingseed farm, and they moved her in the spring of 1883. I was 14 months old at the time.
So after Aunt Martha got married and left, Uncle John wrote back to Ohio to his youngest sister, Aunt Hannah, to come to Indiana and be his housekeeper. She came and also helped him, and in a year or two she married a young man of the neighborhood, William Smeltzer. Uncle ajohn was evantually married and built a big two storied home. While all this was going on, he bought the 80 acres on the corner and Aunt Hanna Smeltzer had bought the west 80, and Uncle Steve Saul (John's youngest brother) and bought the 80 acres on the Northwest corner, all from their mother. In the meantime, Plevna had grown some. My father had sold a few lots off his place, and the Dawsons had also sold a few lots. Uncle Steve in owning the northwest corner began selling lots. So Plevna was beginning to be a boom town.
I mentioned before that a post office was established here through the efforts of mainly Dr. Colescott and Uncle John Saul, but the naming of the town or post office has to go to Uncle John's credit. The first name submitted was "Pleasantville," but that name was rejected for the reason that another post office by that name was in existence. So the name Pomroy was submitted, and was also turned down. At this particular time an awful war was going in Europe between Bulgaria and Turkey. The Turks had invaded Bulgaria and were laying siege on a Bulgarian City by the name of "Plevna." Plevna was quite a large city in Bulgaria and the people of the city were starving and dying for want of food. The news of the people's plight and suffering was front page news of all the leading newspapers of the time, and practically all the world sympathized with them. So Uncle John, an avid reader, submitted the name of Plevna, which was accepted and thereby became the name of the new post office and town. The city in Bulgaria is still in existence, but is now called Pleven, as you can see on the map of the country.
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| Map credit: Google Maps |
The town was enlarging, the farmers around and in the area were progressing rapidly to the extent that they needed a blacksmith very badly, mostly for shoeing horses and repairing machinery. So Uncle John, sensing the urgent need for a blacksmith, donated a parcel of land right at the corner of his farm to build a shop. So a new business was started. A Mr. Tyre operated the shop a few years then moved away and the shop was bought by Nick Richer, who operated it many years. Mr. Richer finally bought a lot off my father's place on the N.E. section, just north of the Miller store, and built a much larger building for his business. He later made farm wagons and other items that the farmers needed and used at that time.
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| Nicholas and Emma (Graf) Richer |
Mr. Richer sold his shop to Simon Kendall in 1900 and moved his business to Greentown where he continued wagon making operations on a much larger scale. Mr. Kendall ran the shop a few years, then sold it to Noah Hughes, a neighborhood young man who had married into the Abe Saul family. Mr. Hughes ran the shop a few years then sold it to Wesley Summers, who converted it into a garage as automobiles began to appear. That left the community without a blacksmith, so a few of the farmers around the area organized a company to build and operate a shop. A brand new building was built on the southwest corner that originally had been used for that purpose. Some of the smiths that were hired were Harry Shrock, Charley Miller, and Bill Lucas. This shop prospered for a few years and finally was abandoned for lack of business as tractors were taking the place of horses, and machinery repairs were made at garages and implement stores. Another early blacksmith in Plevna was Walter Gaylor who lived in a house in the northeast section directly east of the Miller or Troyer house. He also had a boy, Johnnie, my age. The Gaylors were very fine people and were good friends of my folks.
Eventually the Summers garage was sold to Roy Ebersole and later passed on to Ralph Bogue. Shrock Brothers, Emerson and Jim, with Bogue ran the place a few years then built a building on the norhtwest section a few rods west of the corner and took agency for the Oliver implement line, along with car and tractor repair. They are still there doing a thriving business, although they no longer work on cars, but do tractor work on all makes. Bill Meyers owns and operates the former garage on the northeast section now. He also has a good business.
A Mr. and Mrs. Joe Dilts operated a little store here in the late 1890s for a few years. They sold candy, tobacco and ice cream. The store was in a small building on the southwest section near the blacksmith shop. The Dilts had two daughters, Ona and Zenna. The older on married a local boy, Frank Fay.
This is about the end of business life of the community, both past and present, except that there is a veterinarian here at present, Dr. A. L. Keim. He has a wide practice and is very capable.
There has always been since I can remember and at present, a religious sect known as Dunkards or German Baptists. During the late 1860s, or nearly 80 years ago, they built a church here in Plevna on the west side of the N.W. section, about half way from our house to the stores, and that church is still standing there. Only a few alterations have been made on that building in all these years. This church has always been well attended. In former days nearly everybody attended their Sunday School and worship services. I remember going to Sunday School at this church about every Sunday when I was a youngster, and my mother used to attend their services regularly.
Earlier in its history, Plevna has had some minor industry. There were two tile factories in the area for a number of years, namely, the Klingman to the northwest and the Howell to the southeast of town. These two factories made drainage tile for farmers of the area to drain their swamps and ponds, which by the way, were many. Most of the tile used on my father's farm and the one I used to own were made by the Howell factory.
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| 1877 map: Tile Factory just south of Plevna (Pleasantville) |
Then there were sawmills. Jerry Mast owned and operated a sawmill one mile west of Plevna for a number of years. I will always remember this mill. It was located across the road from the school I used to go to, and at recesses and noon we kids would often play on and about the large supplies of logs that were stacked in the mill yard, and also would watch the men saw the big logs into lumber. Noah Yoder owned and operated a sawmill 1/2 mile north of Plevna for a number of years, and the Kendall brothers ran a sawmill two miles north of Plevna. Also there was a mill one mile east and a mile north of town, also one southeast of Plevna on one of the Howell farms. This man Yoder also owned a sorghum mill, as well as a cider mill in season, but these industries faded out years ago and are no more. Tile and lumber are still made and used, but are made in modern, up-to-date factories that are entirely different than the ancient method of production.
Sorghum mills are a thing of the past. Nearly every farmer in the community raised sorghum for sugar and molasses. I raised sorghum myself for a number of years until the mills got so scarce I would have to take it for miles to a mill. I know of one cider mill still in the area of Plevna. It is 2.5 miles southwest of town, owned and operated by Clarence Willetts.
Every farm used to have an orchard and the farms around Plevna were no exception. Every fall we would gather up apples and take them to the Yoder Mill which was about 1/4 mile away, to have cider made, which in turn would become vinegar. But the apple trees are gone, along with the mills, as well as the sorghum and mills.
Another industry that was popular and profitable at one time in Plevna has faded out. That was the Lantz Brothers Hatchery. They did a big business in hatching chicks for farmers in a wide area around the town, but farmers don't raise chickens any more. You can drive for miles in the country and not see a single chicken.
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| Image provided by Howard County Historical Society |
(Above photo: Floyd, Jack and Fred Lantz with bulldog "Betty" at the Lantz Bros. Hatchery)
Another ancient industry of former days in Plevna was cutting and storing ice in winter for summer use. Ice was easily available on numerous ponds in the area in winter and was stored in an ice house directly south of the building on the southwest corner on Uncle John's farm. The ice was cut in cubes and hauled by mudboats or bobsled, placed in the house, and covered with sawdust which was handy to get from the many sawmills around. The ice thus stored would usually last the community all summer. The owner of the project was usually the merchant at the time. Farmers around the town would donate their time and work to do the job. A small fee was charged for the ice when needed. But that industry is also gone and replaced by refrigerators and freezers.
Plevna had its social events along with its daily duties. Probably the most conspicuous was the homemade ice cream festivals that were held in the summer time at someone's house in the community. At one time in the early days there was the Woman's Aid Club that looked after and administered to the poor, unfortunate people of the area. In later years there was the Sewing Circle that met often in someone's home. Then there were the Spelling Bees and Cyphering Matches of the various schools of the community, which were popular in those days. They were held in the different one room school houses around Plevna, including the Plevna school. Great interest was manifested as to which school would have the best speller and cypherers. The Plevna School always had its share of winners.
The Plevna area had a group of fine singers along about the turn of the century -- a men's quartet, soloists, trios, duets, also a chorus of both men and women. The Dotterer brothers, Manny and Willie, Frank Graf, Monroe Kendall and Milt Troyer were some of the best men singers, while Verna Shaaaf, Pearl Olwin, Myrtle Michaels, were among the best women singers. They sang at many social events and gatherings and were very much in demand at other events.
In 1927 a group of people of the area organized a Plevna homecoming event and invited all former Plevnaites to come home and visit with relatives and former friends. The first homecoming was held in Myers woods, one mile north and 1/2 mile west of Plevna on the second Sunday in September. It was a big success, several hundred people attended from far and near. It was decided to have them every year. They held them until World War II and then abandoned them.
A few people who grew up in the Plevna area and got to be famous later on in life are: Johnnie Zerbe, born and raised 1/2 mile west of Plevna, was a noted Methodist Clergyman. Grace Sloan Overton, who grew up 1 1/2miles northeast of Plevna, became a nationally known lecturer and educator. Others who were well known in the educational field were John Nuner, Frank Bagwell, and Bea Johnson. In the political field, Laird Troyer, a former Plevna boy, was Mayor of Lansing, Michigan. Five Plevna men have held the Liberty Township Trustee office, namely, William Lowell, Rolla Dawson, William Fay, William Myers, and Kenneth Shrock. One of our present County Commissioners is a Plevna man, Ross Ingells, and Wayne Powell also held the office a few years ago.
The political life of our community has been varied. There was a time in the early days that almost everyone was a Democrat, but in recent years it has almost evened up between Democrats and Republicans. The political campaigns now are true to what they used to be when I was a boy. In the early days each party would try and outdo the other. They would have all-day celebrations with band music and marching and some notable man to give an address -- usually a Senator or Congressman. United States Senator Ben Tillman of South Carolina spoke here once on one of these occasions. That was a big day for Plevna. I think it was in 1888. I remember it very well although very young at the time. Each party would raise a pole and place a flag on top. Each party would compete as to the highest pole and a man to climb it and place the flag. But they don't do that any more.
Plevna has always been in the limelight of sports, especially baseball. There have been three or four crack ball teams here in the time that I can remember. In the early 1890s Plevna had perhaps the best team for miles around. (In those days every little town had its Ball Club). My father donated the ground for them to play on right close to town. Some of the early players were the Nuner brothers, Bob, the catcher, Jim, the pitcher. Jim Kirby was another pitcher. Some of the other players were Tim Kirby, Charles Sloan, Ed Schaaf, George Lantz, Bill Dawson, Lew Murphy, Wes Schrock, and a few more that I can't recall at the moment. Then around 1900 there was another club that had a good reputation. Some of the players in this club were Andy and Harry Shrock, Fred Rody, George Lorenz, Frank Bagwell, and Clarence Kauffman. Another good club later on was domposed of Ralph Kingseed, Dude and Peck Bagwell, Bill Julow, Mose Irwin, Spike Kendall, Fred Lantz and a few more. Later on and more recently a few Plevna boys were members of a Greentown Club that had a state-wide reputation. The Plevna members of that team were Herman Kern, Floyd Shrock, Dick and Chuck Weisenauer, Paul Cheek. Some of these boys also were members of the Greentown High School basketball team that had a good reputation.
Disaster has struck Plevna a few times in its history, especially as to fires. The Miller, Lorenz and Smith store buildings burned, the Keim barn and animal hospital building, the Frank King barn, Shrock and Murphy barn fires, and Julow, Beachy, Powell and Kendall, and Percy Shrock house fires. The King barn 1/2 mile east of Plevna, one of the largest barns in the whole area, burned one night in the 1890s. The Murphy barn, another large barn, was struck by lightning in 1899. The Ronald "Red" Powell house just south of town burned just recently.
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| 1895 newspaper account |
A record snowfall in February, 1912, isolated the community for a whole week by blocked roads. No mail was delivered the entire week. A killing frost and freeze occurred on the night of June 22, 1918, killing about all vegetation. Thousands of acres of corn were ruined in the area. I had 32 acres of corn out that year and it was about all ruined. A severe storm of wind, rain, and hail on July 12, 1925 did extensive damage to crops in this area. The floods of 1913 and 1943 did considerable damage to crops also. Plevna escaped the terrible tornado of April 11, 1965 which passed 4 miles south at Greentown where great damage was done.
Accidents and misfortunes were no strangers to Plevna. Perhaps the worst of these occurred on the 26th of June, 1926 when Hamilton Lantz, aged 12, was fatally injured in a two truck collision in front of the Lantz Brothers store. The boy died a few hours after the accident. Fred Lantz and a salesman named Willowby were critically injured in the accident, but both finally recovered. On December 13, 1895 Bob Nuner was fatally injured in a corn shredding on the Eli Michael farm east of Plevna. He was a catcher for the Plevna baseball club at that time. He was 28 years old and a very popular young man. A year or two later Joe King, 15 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles King, lost an arm in a hunting accident by the accidental discharge of a shot gun. On May 25, 1953, Mrs. Afton Kingseed was killed in an automobile accident at an intersection of two roads two miles northeast of Plevna. A few years earlier a young man, Woodrow Mast, was killed at this same intersection. Three years ago Mrs. Emanuel Troyer was killed in a car accident two miles north of Plevna. On May 7m 1963 Bob Kingseed was killed in an industrial accident in Kokomo. A few years ago the little son of Mr. and Mrs. Lowell Lantz was killed in a freak accident at the home of Emerson Shrock here in Plevna. A few years ago Mrs. Harry B. Shrock was fatally burned in a fire at their home in Plevna. On July 3, 1934 two local men, Gus Schaaf and Clarence Hamler died in a boating accident on a lake in Michigan. Their bodies were never recovered. Three years ago last February 16 a six year old girl, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Garr east of Plevna, and a salesman by the name of Tenneson, were killed two miles east of Plevna. This accident was only 80 rod east of where we used to live. I heard the the crash and was soon at the scene. Perhaps the most appalling thing that ever happened in the Plevna neighborhood was the murder of Ben Dotterer, a retired farmer living southwest of Plevna. This crime occurred on the night of September 2, 1901 when robbers invaded his home. Mr. Dotterer resisted their efforts to rob him and he was fatally beaten and mauled and died the next day. His wife was also badly beaten but recovered. This crime caused great excitement in the neighborhood, but the robbers were never caught and it remains a mystery to this day. I remember this incident very well. I was 19 years old at the time.
Would you believe it that Plevna had a saloon at one time? In the late 1880s and early 1890s a man by the name of Dan Bowland, who lived a few miles north of Plevna, operated a gin mill for a few years. He had a fairly good business going until some of the church people of the community remonstrated to the extent that he was finally refused a license to operate and was forced out of business. This saloon was located just west of Jack Lantz's store.
Plevna was the scene of an auxilliary Air Force Base during World War II. The main base was located near Bunker Hill and is now called Grissom Air Force Base. During the war a number of auxilliary bases were established about 20 miles around the main base for training purposes, and Plevna happened to be in line for one of these bases. This base consisted of 320 acres and comprised the Amos Saul, William Smeltzer, and part of the Spangler, Keim and Shrock farms. This land was right up next to town on the Southwest section. The farms were cleared of woods and fences and were tiled so many rods apart and paved runways were made. Hundreds of young men were trained here during the war and no doubt many of the ace fliers of the war got their training here. After the war the ground was reverted back to the original owner, but during the interval Plevna was a noisy and lively place.
After reading this story, one will no doubt wonder how Plevna got its mail. Living at the extreme east part of town was a family by the name of Mills who had a team of horses and covered wagon, or hack as we called it then. At first he would make a trip to Kokomo once every week to bring back supplies for the store and other articles that people needed, also the mail, and he hauled people there and back. Finally he got to going two times a week, then three times. Then in the late 1890s he sold his property and moved to Burlington, a town west of Kokomo. So two men of the town, John Peters and John Zerbe, rigged up hacks and made alternate trips every day of the week. They kept this up until Rural Free Delivery was started in 1898, I believe. At this time the Post Office was abandoned and everyone got mail from Free delivery service. About this time telephone service was established. This was another exciting time for Plevnaites, and the people thought, "What next?"
Up until the early 1890s what is now known as the Touby Pike was a dirt road. This road running east and west was graded and graveled about this time and remained a gravel road for several years. Finally it was blacktopped and is now a well traveled road. The north and south road was graveled in 1897 -- I helped haul gravel for this road in the summer of 1897. This road has been blacktopped for several years now. The Touby Pike was widened in 1958, ten years ago.
In the early days school houses were every two miles apart, and the children in Plevna had as their nearest school a building one mile west of town. We all went to this school until 1894 when a schoolhouse was built 1/2 mile east of town. The ground for this school was donated by my father. It was known as the Plevna School and had a large attendance. In going to the White School before the Plevna School was built, we sometimes had to walk the mile in bitter cold weather. Sometimes we were lucky to ride the hacks, but most of the time we walked, rain or shine, cold or mild. These one room schoolhouses are long since gone. All that remains of them are memories of the good old days, but the so called "good old days' have been given over better days for all concerned by progress in all its endeavors.
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| Plevna School - Burl Fisher, teacher |
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| Plevna School - Cliffie, Goldie and John Weisenauer |
All Weisenauer photos credited to Donna Beheler Fink https://memoriesofjustanotherbabyboomer.blogspot.com
The area around Plevna is and was strictly an agriculture one, which meant in the early days much hard, grinding work in manual labor, first in clearing the land of forest and brush, and ditching and tiling the swamps and bogs to make ready for the raising of crops. Not much of the land around Plevna was even entered until about 1870. Howard and Tipton Counties were the last two counties organized in the whole state of Indiana. It was known as Richardville County and later divided into two counties and named Howard and Tipton in honor of two well known men of that day. The western part of the counties from about Kokomo and Tipton on were settled much earlier than the eastern part. The eastern part and part of southern Miami and western Grant Counties were a vast swamp and uninhabitable, probably an old lake bottom. But the sturdy pioneers went to work and cleared and drained it, and today it is one of the richest farm lands in Indiana or the whole United States for that matter. Tipton County is rated as one of the best farm counties in the nation.
My father bought our old homestead from Mr. and Mrs. Peter Kingseed in the fall of 1882 and moved here from Ohio in February, 1883. I was 14 months old at the time. A small log house stood near the present house, which was built two or three years after moving here. The barn, which was part of the present barn, stood south of the house along the road. I can remember the barn in that location, but it was moved back east of the house where it is now and more added to it.
About half of the farm was cleared at that time, mostly the west part nearer the buildings. My father would manage to clear three of four acres every year for the next year's crops until he had it all cleared but about six acres. It remained that way for several years until a recent new owner has cleared it all out. A former owner of the farm, a Mr. Chris Lantz, had planted a large apple orchard near the buildings, and by the time we moved there it was in the bearing stage and we always had plenty of apples.
I remember very well helping my father clear this farm of brush and trees, although very young at the time. More room was added to the house in 1892 and again in 1900. Soon after buying this farm, my father sold a few lots off the place for new houses to be built by newcomers, thus adding a few more people to Plevna.
By 1901 I was married and bought a house and lot just south of our homestead, where I lived for five years and farmed my Uncle John Saul's place. In the fall of 1905 my father bought an 80 acre farm from Uncle Steve Saul, 1 3/4 miles east of Plevna. I sold my property in Plevna and moved to the new farm in the spring of 1906. After a few years I acquired this farm in my own name and lived there for over 60 years, selling it in the fall of 1966 and moving to Kokomo.
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| Weisenauer farm home in Plevna |
"This picture is of my great grandfather's house on Touby Pike east of Plevna. Besides my grandmother and all her siblings, my mother was born there, too. " Donna Beheler Fink
Donna Beheler Fink is the great-granddaughter of Ed Weisenauer, the author of this account.
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| Mariah Saul Weisenauer and granddaughter Mary Weisenauer |
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"The picture above is of my great great grandparents' house in Plevna. It is torn down now, but I remember going by it when I was young. My mother loved that house." Donna Beheler Fink
Mariah Theresa Saul b. 3-23-1864 in Bloom Twp, Seneca Co, OH
and died 2-9-1947 in Liberty Twp, Howard Co, IN. Mariah married
2-13-1881 to Henry Jacob (Jake) Weisenauer. Jake was born 8-8-1858 in
Likens Twp, Crawford Co, OH and died 8-26-1927 in Liberty Twp, Howard
Co, IN.
So after having lived in Plevna and community for over 80 years, I can justly be called an oldtimer. I have seen many changes made in the town and countryside around, from primitive to modern, examples of which -- dirt roads to paved highways, log houses to near mansions or ranch house, from forests and swamps to fine well-tilled and productive farms; modes of travel from horseback to automobiles and many more mechanical items for households and farming. Not only these changes, but I have seen many friends and people come and leave our community, many by death and others by better environment elsewhere.
Not many people of my age remain here yet. As I can recall, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Rody, George Lorenz, Arthur Clingenpeel, and myself are the oldest, all of which lived in the community practically all their lives and have seen the many changes made and seen generations come and go. Many people who grew up in the Plevna community moved to other places in later life. Many years ago a number of families, thinking they would do better, moved and settled in Arkansas. After a few years of living there, those that did not die there came back to Plevna. Others migrated to North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, Montana, California and other western states. Some went east to Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York, and others to Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Florida. But usually those that are still living come back occasionally for a visit to the old hometown.
Plevna was a great loafing place for farmers and local townspeople in the old days. Checkers and gossip were the main attractions. Almost every night the stores were full of loafers who came to spend the evening and play a few games of checkers, shuck a few hundred bushels of corn or shock a square mile of wheat or oats. Many a wagon load of corn was husked in the stores in season. Spittoons and ash trays were available and everybody enjoyed himself. Occasionally arguments would ensue and and nasty words would fling, but usually no one was hurt and all bad feelings healed.
Well, this just about covers the early and later history of Plevna and community to the best of my knowledge. Some of the earlier history recorded here is hearsay as it occurred before I was born, but most of the later history and items I know to be factual, because I remember them. No doubt the earlier history is true as I have heard it related many times in my life by reliable persons who were much older than I. There has been quite a range of progress from Plevna's beginning until now, and from present indications that progress will continue as evidence to the fact of new houses are being built in and around the places.
Additional History of Plevna
by Floyd Lantz
"Ed Weisenauer did a wonderful job compiling the data for the history of Plevna. This is the most complete history I have ever read, but there were a few things I wanted to add mostly for the benefit of my own family. I am adding this information to the founding of Plevna for the benefit of my grandchildren. My father passed away on 13 Sep 1935, and my mother on 6 Nov 1943."
Floyd Lantz, February 1970
Frederick Schaaf, my grandfather, was born in Katsenback, Germany in 1840, coming to the United States in 1850. He grew up to manhood in Tuscarewas County, Ohio. In 1862 he was married to Henerietta Sibert and moved to Indiana in 1871. He settled on a small farm 3/4 of a mile south of Plevna and opened up a boot shop making new boots and shoes and also did shoe repairing for over forty years. He had two sons, Edward and Charles, and three daughters, Callie, Emma and Verna. Callie died at a young age. Emma married George W. Lantz (my father and mother) and lived 3/4 of a mile west of Plevna and lived there until retirement and moved to Kokomo in the spring of 1920. Verna married Milton Troyer and lived on a farm west of Plevna and after retirement they moved to Kokomo. Ed and Charles lived in Plevna after they were married and did house painting and paper hanging. Ed later moved to Greentown and entered the grocery business and had a successful business until his retirement. Charles moved to a farm four miles east of Plevna but continued to follow his trade until his health failed.
Now to add more about business in Plevna. The first barber shop was operated by a Mr. Thomas Howe in the 1880s. Plevna was without a shop until 1911 when I opened a shop and worked at the trade for several years. When I quit my brother Everett Lantz continued in this business for some time until he moved to Kokomo and worked at the trade until his death on May 19, 1947.
I bought the grocery store from William Muncie in 1922 and in 1924 by brother Fred bought the Lorenz store. We combined the business and used my building for storage and retained the grocery store in the Lorenz building. I rented one room in my building to Bud Lantz and he operated a barber shop there until it burned in 1925. He opened a shop in Forest, Indiana and worked for several years until moving to Sarasota, Florida where he is presently operating his own shop. Elmer Kaufman was the last barber to operate a shop here.
The first garage in Plevna opened around 1910 and was owned and operated by Ben Mast and Percy Shrock. They sold the Kelly Springfield tires. This was a three and one-half inch tire that carried a 5,000 mile guarantee and was used mostly for Model T Fords. Everyone wanted a Kelly Springfield. After closing their garage Ben moved to South Bend and worked for Studebaker Auto Co. and Percy entered the gravel and road building business.
Eli Troyer told me that he and Charles Smith had a butcher shop just south of the store on the southwest corner. I do not know how long they were in business. Another store in the early days was owned and operated by my father, George W. Lantz, and if my memory is correct a partner in this business was Alf Troyer. I don't know how long they were in business but I can remember him telling me that he had some bad accounts and lost some money in this business venture. The building the store was located in is still standing and is the north part of the Myers garage.
Another mail hack driver I believe Ed (Ed Weisenauer) forgot to mention was William Murphy. I came here to the post office many times to get our mail. I remember we got the Cincinnati Weekly Enquirer, a good paper at that time. Imagine getting a weekly newspaper now!
Uncle Ed Schaaf told me when he was a boy he worked for John Saul. John put him to work setting out trees along the road, so all of the trees west of the store and south were set out by him. Most of those trees are still standing, having been planted about 90 years ago. He also told me there was a sawmill about 40 rods south of the store on the southwest corner. They built a narrow gauge track from the mill to the to the highest point on the northwest section (what was then the Glen Weisenauer farm). They would cut logs and load them on a flat car and start them rolling. The car would roll to the mill as it was downhill all the way. On Sundays they didn't have much to do for entertainment so the boys would push this empty car up the hill and ride it down to the mill. Boys surely wouldn't do that now -- too much work for a 3/4 mile ride.
Plevna had a Coronet Band and it was incorporated November 15, 1887. The only proof I have for this is the stamp shown on the following page [original account]. This was five years before my birth. Emerson Shrock has this stamp. He received it from his father and no doubt it was from his grandfather, Anninias Shrock, who was a musician.
The dates the houses were built may be of interest to some who read this. I received most of this information when we appraised the land in 1962-63.
1864 Ronnie and Emily Musgrave (Phillip Shrock and Bill Dawson lived in that house);
1870 Harry B. Shrock (now owned by Summey);
1874 Lela Beam;
1880 Marine Zook; c.
1880 Dr. A. L. Keim;
1884 Jake Weisenauer (now owned by Wayne Powell);
1887 Mary Myers;
1889 Amos Saul;
1890 Lowell Lantz;
1890 Lloyd Hensler;
1890 Jim Little;
1900 James Shrock;
1900 Mary Borton;
1910 Glen Weisenauer;
1914 Sadie Mishler (now owned by Ed Osborn);
1914 Della Shrock (now owned by Paul Zook); c.
1915 Percy Shrock;
1919 Emerson Shrock;
1946 Ralph Bogue (now owned by Kenneth Shrock);
1947 William Miller;
1948 Floyd Lantz;
1949 Fred Lantz (Jack Lantz);
1951 Verl Shrock;
1955 S. L. Marner (moved from Julow farm);
1958 John Horner;
1959 Mrs. Ira Lantz;
1966 Ronnie Powell;
1967 Darrell Brubaker;
1978 Don Winger (built west 1/4 mile);
1978 Jim Petas (built east 1/2 mile).
The business places in Plevna as of 1970 are:
Lantz Groceries and Feeds (Jack Lantz; bought by Dick Williams, October 1979)
Plevna Implement Co., Inc. (James Shrock; sold to Don Graves, January 1981)
Plevna DriGas (Kenneth Shrock)
Dr. A. L. Keim, Veterinarian (d. 19 Aug 1976)
Clip and Curl Beauty Shop (Carolyn Keim Donson)
Chem Flo Products Co. (Emerson Shrock)
