Sunday, August 4, 2024
SATURDAY SUNFLOWERS
Customers peruse offerings at Local Stems Farm yesterday at the Shelbyville Farmers Market on Public Square. | photo by JACK BOYCE
NOTEBOOK:
“Meet the Teacher Night” will be held at Coulston Elementary, Hendricks Elementary and Loper Elementary tomorrow, Monday, Aug. 5, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., for all incoming kindergarten through fifth grade students. Golden Bear Preschool’s “Meet the Teacher” event is set for Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2-5 p.m.
Shelbyville-based Capital Industries LLC, 1677 W 400 N, Shelbyville, adjacent to the Shelbyville airport, has been acquired by Acieta, an industrial robotics automation company headquartered in Waukesha, Wisconsin, Inside Indiana Business reported. Capital Industries, founded in 1999, is a manufacturer of full-service custom robotics systems.
The City of Shelbyville is hosting an inaugural downtown Fall Festival on Aug. 23. Various kids’ activities and shopping will be featuring throughout the day and the band Hello Weekend will perform 7-9 p.m.
The Boggs Society’s next free quarterly meeting is Wednesday, Aug. 21, 7 p.m. After a short business meeting, Mike Freeman of Freeman Family Funeral Homes will lead a program on monument restoration. Ken Gardner and Dave Witham have been repairing gravestones and Sandhill Cemetery, and Gardner can provide updates.
HOOSIER NEWS: Hoosier farmers are feeling the effects of low market prices. The average selling price of corn and soybeans have hit a recent low. In 2022, corn sold for $7.20 per bushel and soybeans for $15.70 per bushel. This year, corn averaged $4.35 per bushel and soybeans $11.50 per bushel, according to the USDAs National Agricultural Statistics Service. Weather patterns haven’t helped, and there are a lot of other factors at play. South America recently made huge strides in entering the global ag market by way of investing in technology and infrastructure upgrades. This caused an increase in worldwide supply and a decrease in demand. But as land rents and taxes continue to increase each year, farmers must still pay all the other bills that come from running a farm. One farmer told Indiana Public Media that consumers are unlikely to experience price changes at the grocery store from all these issues facing farmers in the immediate future. Most of today’s corn and soybeans become syrups for processed food, ethanol, or feed for livestock. If consumers see any price changes, it’ll be on the price of meat. (Indiana Public Media)
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580 West Taylor St.
Editor’s Note: The following is the next installment in a serialized version of “580 West Taylor Street,” by Joseph E. “Joed” Landwerlen. This chapter is entitled, “The House.”
by JOSEPH E. LANDWERLEN
The following is how I remember the house during the first few years that we lived there.
The Living Room
To enter our house at 580, you must climb three steps up into the front porch. To be quite honest, I am not sure why we always specified that it was the front porch, for we did not have a back one. If you walked by the hanging porch swing and opened the screen door, which you manually closed or else it would slam shut behind you, then you would open another door and be in our living room.
The living room's ceiling was about ten feet high with creamy white wallpaper pasted onto the ceiling. The side walls were decorated in large pink flowers with green leaves.
The windows brought in the perfect amount of natural sunlight, but if you wanted to dim the room, you would have to pull down the heavy rolling paper blinds and close the lace curtains attached to a nailed-in curtain rod. On the west wall was a couch and one central light bulb hanging on a wire down into the center of the room. If it wasn't for the windows, the room would always be fairly dark. The switch for the single bulb was found by the door leading to the porch. The wires for the switch were visible, stapled down to the wall and ended in the ceramic box that held the switch itself. There was a big old potbelly stove on the north wall of the room, sitting on a metal pad about five feet square. It had a flue pipe going out the top and ending up in the wall, to feed the hot exhaust into the chimney built into the wall as well. Two full coal buckets set by the stove with one on either side ready to refuel the stove, a poker and tongs sat nearby. And of course, there was a proverbial rocking chair that held lots of memories and saw a lot of use over the years.
For a couple of years, there were no floor coverings, just the wood floors, and a few throw rugs. A painting with a country scene hung on the wall above the couch. There were a few shelves filled with random trinkets and what-nots scattered along the walls and one or two curio shelves in each corner. I remember on Saturday night, Mom and Dad would set a big 17 gallon galvanized wash tub in front of the big old potbelly stove and start filling it with water heated on the kitchen stove mixed with cold to make our bathwater; youngest went first and then the next until we all had a bath.
Mom and Dad would take turns walking over to Grandma Wiley's, as she had a tub and hot water. When us boys got a little older, we sometimes also went there to take a bath.
The Dining Room
The dining room was wallpapered like the living room, and was entered from the living room. It contained two large sideboards, one in the southeast corner, and the other in the northwest corner of the room. Each had a small mirror above the three center horizontal drawers and two vertical doors, one on either side, and above that was a shelf that held curios. These pieces of furniture held all of the photos and important papers that the family had accumulated up to that time. There were not many photos taken at that time as cameras were not yet developed to the point of being in an individual's hands. The important papers in there were the life insurance policies that were taken out at the time of a child's birth. Most of these were written in the amount of $250 or $500, and each week, the insurance salesman would come around on Saturday and collect either 5 cents or 10 cents for each policy.
In the center of the room was a dinner table that grew in size as the family grew. The table was many things over the years, starting with a 2-foot by 4-foot white wooden table that my parents bought to set up housekeeping with. Tables became larger in size steadily as the family grew. It ended up being a 4-foot by 8-foot plastic top with chrome rim around the top with the 50s era chrome chairs with plastic backs and soft seat covers. And, of course, there was the ever present “high chair.” Above the table, a four-socket light fixture hung, but I don't think that it ever had more than two bulbs in it.
The telephone sat on the east wall on its little table with the local phone book nearby. Our first phone number was 1935. This phone was the type that was about 15 inches tall, and you talked into the mouthpiece that was on top and held the wire connected listening device up to your ear. If you wanted to make a call you lifted the earpiece off of its hanger and jiggled the hanger, and the operator would come on and ask you, “Number please,” and she would connect you to the person you wanted. It was also a party line, so that anyone on the party could pick up their earpiece and listen in on your conversation.
The only other significant piece of furniture was the ice box. The ice box was an insulated cabinet that had two vertical doors. One side held the blocks of ice that were delivered three times a week, and the other side held the food that needed to be kept cool, so as not to spoil. There was a drip tray on the bottom that held the water from the melting. That tray needed to be emptied often, and when we were able, it was us boys’ job to empty it.
SHS Courier Archive Highlights:
January 1975 (Part II)
Sue Hidy wrote an editorial about students attempting to smoke in school. “…back at school, between classes and after lunch, restrooms are left dirty with ashes on the floor and utilities. Guard duty has been made necessary and the doors of the stalls have been taken off,” she wrote. “Now smokers go into the stalls and stand on the seats of the toilets and smoke.”
Val Meek wrote a feature article about Mrs. Gusta Cassady, who had been with Shelbyville Senior High School since it opened with registration, Sept. 2, 1959. She had started her custodial work in the cafeteria, which was later transformed into the library. She had taken Minnie Berauer’s job. She said she had enjoyed many of her past co-workers, such as Harry Tucker, who by 1975 was in Major Hospital with a heart problem, and Kenny Burgess. “I have been called mom by many of the students, a few call me Grandma this year,” Cassady said. “I don’t mind.” She added, “I like the students very much. Most of them are very good boys and girls.”
“BMF are three letters well known around the intramural basketball leagues of SHS,” Bob Joseph wrote in a feature about the team that had played together since grade school. Gary Abner and Norm Browning were coaches of the only intramural team to have coaches. BMF was undefeated so far, and played in brown shirts with orange and white stripes on the sleeves. Team members were John Alexander, Erin McKenney, Abner, Terry Junken, Bob Joseph, Kim Sexton, Kelly Hindman, Eric Steffey and Mike Fancher. “Oh, by the way, if you’re wondering why Norm Browning’s name was excluded from the previous list of BMFs, it’s because we could not find a shirt big enough to fit him,” the article said. “Nevertheless, Norm is a true BMF.”
This Day in Shelby County History
News around Shelbyville and the surrounding area as reported on or about this date in history. Selections are curated from the Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department.
2014: Fairland’s annexation was approved on first reading, despite some concerns from farmers who spoke about the potential for increased assessment valuations. The town had discussed annexation, an effort to make the town actually look like it did on the map, for several years.
2004: The Shelby County Chamber of Commerce announced plans to partner with the Indianapolis Colts. Shelby County would receive special recognition and promotion during the Colts’ radio broadcast and inside the RCA Dome prior to and during a December game. Local residents were encouraged to purchase tickets for the game.
Mayor Scott Furgeson had set up live broadcasts on the internet of all meetings held in City Hall council chambers. The first live broadcast was of the Plan Commission meeting. Shelbyville was one of the first communities in the state to have the technology.
1994: The Shelby County Library board approved paying Old Hickory Furniture to build two display racks for the lobby of the library.
The state opened the new intersection of Michigan Road and North State Road 9, which allowed traffic to take an alternative route to North Ridge Industrial Park from North State Road 9. Previously, Rampart Street was the only artery connecting them.
The Hoosier Dome’s name was changed to the RCA Dome. The agreement with RCA was for $10 million over 10 years.
1984: The Shelbyville News inquired as to why Mr. and Mrs. Jim Debaun, 1440 Canterbury Drive, had a bird cage on top of their house. Mrs. Debaun explained that Sammy, a Blue Font Conure Parrot, had escaped a couple of weeks prior while the Debauns were cleaning its cage. “We’ll be eating breakfast in the morning and hear him flying around the house squawking. So my husband thought if he put the cage on the roof, maybe he would come home,” Mrs. Debaun said. “One thing’s for sure, our neighbors probably think we’re crazy.”
1974: The Shelby Eastern School District moved its administration offices to the former Union Middle School building near Rays Crossing.
Groundbreaking was held for the State Bank of Waldron’s new facility. Those present were Ed Haymond, John Haymond, Bob Laird, Gene Hess, Kenny Wheeler, Ron Laster, Earl Peek, Mrs. Fisher, Glenn Clapp and John Walters.
Division winners of the 1974 City-County Tennis Tournament were Bev Stevenson, Linda Frank, Beth Gallagher, Dee Ann Lockman, Rick Showalter, Tony Wilson and Greg Griffey.
1964: A newspaper photo showed Miss Loretta Sutton’s graduating summer kindergarten class, held at Major School. Students were Danny McQueary, John Davis, John Miller, Bobby Carnes, Tom Brooks, Dale Sutton, Jimmy Dunagan, Jimmie Schaaf, Ellen Nolley, Susan Kuhn, Bob Smith, Mike Waltz, Randy Hill, Mike Scudder, Steve Knopp and Debbie Lemon.
1954: The formation of a local Optimist Club was in the works, F. Gerald Woody, manager at Employment Security Division, and Charles Miller, owner of Miller’s 29 & Vine store, announced. Several locals had been attending meetings in Indianapolis, including Maurice Clayton and Lloyd Mellis.
Dr. Wilson Dalton stepped down as city health officer in protest of the city board of works transferring funds from his department without his knowledge. Dr. Dalton said the transfer left his department unable to operate properly.
Despite the expressed frustration of numerous fringe area residents, Shelbyville Mayor Philip Banawitz said he was firm in his position that those receiving city sewer services free would need to either be annexed into the city or have services cut off.
1944: Plans were underway for a 100th anniversary celebration at Geneva Methodist Church. The building located behind the church, which had been converted into a parish house, would also be dedicated.
School would return to session Sept. 18, Supt. W.F. Loper announced. The date was two weeks later than usual to allow students to assist with local canning operations.
1934: H.T. McCullough, athletic director and coach of basketball and baseball teams at Shelbyville High School since 1927, resigned to accept the Athletic Director post in Crawfordsville. He was to receive a considerably larger salary there, The Republican reported.
1924: Local police banned double parking downtown. The double lines of vehicles had pushed drivers to drive on the interurban tracks, causing several near-misses.
“How to Educate a Wife” was on at The Strand. “Has a husband the right to be jealous and poor at the same time?” a promotional ad asked.
1914: Remodeling continued at the Eagles Lodge. Cement was being poured in the basement to make a dining hall.
OBITUARIES
Wayne Eldon Bledsoe, 81, of Shelbyville, IN passed away Tuesday, July 30, 2024, at his residence. He was born November 29,1942, in Indianapolis, Ind., to Robert Harlie Bledsoe and Floy Jane (Epperly) Bledsoe. He married his high school sweetheart Judith “Judy” (Clarkson) Bledsoe on December 14, 1963, in Indianapolis, Ind., she survives.
Wayne was a graduate of Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis. He attended Indiana University in Bloomington and I.U.P.U.I. in Indianapolis. He had been a quality manager for 40 years, having worked for Dow Chemical in Indianapolis, United Technologies in Edinburgh, Freudenburg/NOK in Morristown, KS Bearings in Greensburg, O'Neal Steel in Shelbyville, and Fouricia in Columbus, having received many awards for quality improvement.
Wayne was smart, quick-witted and liked people. He loved fishing, gardening and was an all-around handy man and always kept his vehicles showroom clean. He also loved his dogs, Max and Scarlett. He was on the board of directors for SCUFFY in Shelby County.
Survivors include his wife Judith "Judy" (Clarkson) Bledsoe of Shelbyville, Ind., his much-loved son Michael “Mike” Bledsoe and daughter-in-law Tracey (Coulston) Bledsoe of Shelbyville, Ind., and a brother, Gary A. Bledsoe of Indianapolis. He was preceded in death by his daughter Kelly Lynn Bledsoe and parents Robert Harlie Bledsoe and Floy Jane (Epperly) Bledsoe.
Pastor Bill Turner will conduct a service on Monday, August 5, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. at Swartz Family Community Mortuary and Memorial Center 300 South U.S. 31 (Morton Street) in Franklin, IN and will be live-streamed at www.swartzmortuary.com/obituary/waynebledsoe. Friends may call Sunday, August 4, 2024, from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. at the mortuary. Burial will be at Second Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Franklin, Ind. Memorial contributions may be made to the Shelbyville/Shelby County Animal Shelter 705 Hale Road Shelbyville, IN 46176 or the American Heart Association 8720 Castle Creek Parkway East Drive, Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN 46250 or at www.heart.org.