Sunday, December 4, 2022
GETTING CARRIED AWAY
The Grinch, carried by a Mohr Crane vehicle, attracts attention during the annual Christmas Parade on Friday night. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
BELOW: Max and Keshia Southern get a fast lap pulled by Louise of the Blue River Carriage Company as the parade procession nears Public Square from North Harrison Street. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
Spotlight on Fuller Center at Open House
A public open house was hosted at the Fuller Center, 126 North Harrison Street, home to SCUFFY (Shelby County United Fund For You), on Friday. Below is information provided to attendees on the home’s history. Tomorrow’s edition will include a history of the organization. | photos by ANNA TUNGATE
Home History
The Fuller Center, current home of the Shelby County United Fund (SCUFFY), is a historical site with a long and interesting story.
The home site's land was part of John Walker's addition to Shelbyville dedicated Dec. 6, 1823. The land was the site of a home for Thomas Andrew Hendricks. Mr. Hendricks was an outstanding local lawyer who represented Shelby County in the Indiana General Assembly from 1848 to 1850 and was a delegate to the Second Constitutional Convention in 1851. He went on to represent Indiana in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1851 to 1855 and served as commissioner of the General Land Office from 1855 to 1859. He then served as a United States Senator from 1863 to 1869, the Governor of Indiana from 1873 to 1877 and the 21st Vice President of the United States from March 1885 until his death on Nov. 25, 1885. He lived in another home built on that property prior to the current home.
In early April 1985, Jackie Meloy asked George Stubbs Jr. and the law firm of Stubbs and Stubbs to clarify certain dates regarding the Fuller Center Building. In a return letter dated April 16, 1985, Mr. Stubbs outlined the following information:
According to the abstract of title and Courthouse records, the present house was most likely constructed around 1893. That date is speculative. I base the speculation on the following information. First, I understand that the house was built by the Conreys. David L. Conrey took title to the real estate by deed dated February 28, 1867. The abstract shows that he paid $500 for the property. On Jan. 21, 1893, he put a $3,000 mortgage on the real estate. He deeded away the property Jan. 27, 1896, and the abstract shows a sale price of $12,000. Therefore, it appears likely that, because of the increase in the value of the real estate between 1867 and 1896, that the house was constructed during that period. The $3,000 mortgage in 1893 provides an indication that this would be the approximate time of the construction. The real estate was acquired by Jacob G. DePrez and Jennie L. DePrez, husband and wife, from David L. Conrey by deed dated Jan. 27, 1896. Jacob G. DePrez died in the early part of 1926 leaving Jennie L. DePrez surviving. Jennie died in 1940. During the administration of the Jennie L. DePrez Estate, the real estate was sold.
Minnie L. Fuller purchased the real estate in early 1941 (the Executor's Deed is dated Feb. 27, 1941. Minnie L. Fuller died January 9, 1961, at the age of 93. Under the terms of her will, the real estate went into a trust wherein Parrish Fuller was designated Trustee for the benefit of Virginia Fuller DePrez and her children (50%) and for the benefit of Parrish Fuller and his children (50%).
After the establishment of the trust, the real estate was purchased from the trust by Parrish Fuller and Hester Porter Fuller, husband and wife. The deed from the Trustee to the Fullers is dated March 30, 1962. They then conveyed the real estate to Shelby County United Fund, Inc. by two separate deeds, one dated March 30, 1962, and the other dated September 29, 1962. However, it should be noted that the plaque on the front of the building designates a date of March 30, 1962, as the date the house was gifted from the Fullers to the United Fund so I presume that this would be the logical date of the gift. It is unclear why the second deed was issued in September. Mr. Fuller also established a trust fund of $20,000 for care of the exterior to SCUFFY at the time of the gift and had the plaque made and attached to the front of the home to commemorate the gift.
Mr. Parrish Fuller during the 1962 End of Drive Dinner-made the following statement regarding the gift:
"How proud our mother would be tonight to realize she had made some contribution toward providing (SCUFFY) with a future and permanent home for all of your worthwhile endeavors. She loved her home dearly and told my sister and me many times how fortunate she was to acquire a home that General DePrez's father and mother had put so much of their lives into."
The home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 9, 1984.
Home Description
The Fuller home is an impressive two-and-a-half story Queen Anne Style structure. At the time of its donation, it contained 12 rooms, a separate building (used to house the laundry and summer kitchen), a full basement and attic as well as a garage and spacious yard. The house featured seven fireplaces (all made with different imported Italian tile), inlaid hardwood floors in different patterns, several original light fixtures, beveled glass pocket doors, carved pedestal oak stairs, and built-in bookcases in the library. The floors for each room have intricate wood inlays which appear to have been hand laid.
The original blueprints for the house are framed and hanging in the sitting room. When comparing those blueprints to the current structure, it appears that some changes were made from the rear hallway to the rear entrance at some point. The original side entrance and basement stairwell is now a first-floor bathroom. Also, there were major changes to the area housing the kitchen, pantry, back entrance, and servant stairs. The current kitchen area is much smaller and reconfigured. The former rear kitchen entrance door now leads directly to the basement stairs (with a side door leading directly into the kitchen) and the remaining area is now a separate room with some closet space and a new rear entrance door. Since none of the SCUFFY records indicate any major structural project, it is assumed that these changes were made prior to the donation by either the DePrez or Fuller family.
Over the years, many have searched for additional descriptions and photos of the home’s interior with no success. Although it appears that the main areas of the home retained the wood trim and neutral paint colors, some photos of the office spaces show they have been re-painted several times - once in dark burgundy with pink trim. The floors have been refinished in a dark wood tone and covered with large area rugs.
In the summer of 2022, the SCUFFY board authorized some cosmetic changes to the home to bring it closer to its original glory and added additional security to the building. A company was hired to sand down and clear coat the wood floors - which revealed the stunning original flooring. To showcase and preserve these floors, rugs were only placed by each outdoor entry. The walls in each room were repainted in colors more suited to the historical nature of the home and new landscaping was done to not only complement the home's exterior detailing but also to coordinate with the new downtown area. Cameras, additional locks, and outdoor security lighting was installed to add an extra layer of security to the property.
Fuller Home to Fuller Center
When the Fuller home was donated, it was considered one of the more valuable locations near the downtown area. It contained ample space for assembling the office operations of many of the participating organizations under one roof - which was one of the long-term goals of the SCUFFY Board at the time. In fact, the board had been in the process of looking for a suitable location to combine offices and had decided to tender an offer for the Fuller estate only a few minutes before being notified of the donation.
Everyone was excited about the new center and several volunteers worked to get the grounds in good shape after the initial home donation. A story is told of one board member - John Schoelchand - who was especially dedicated to this project. At the behest of the board, he worked to get certain trees planted between the sidewalk and curb on Harrison Street in front of the Fuller Center to add curb appeal. Unfortunately, not everyone was happy with this addition. According to the story, Mr. Schoelchand was confronted by the local police, who demanded an explanation as to why he had obstructed the view of traffic at the southeast corner of Harrison and Mechanic. Nothing is documented as to whether they were forced to remove the trees but it was noted that the area was later cemented.
On the morning of May 28, 1962, the Art Poe Moving and Storage Company moved the SCUFFY offices to their new home in the lower level of the Fuller house. This was done free of charge. Later that day, the agency offices of Red Cross, Mental Health, Cerebral Palsy, Cancer Society, Clothe-A-Child, and Girls Scouts were moved to offices on the second floor. The Girl Scouts also moved into the small building at the rear of the building (former summer kitchen/laundry) to use as a craft center. The lower level also housed a conference room for meetings.
The Fuller Home (renamed the Fuller Center) was formally dedicated on October 21, 1962, at a public open house. Today, the Fuller Center is still being used as the SCUFFY headquarters. Although many of the SCUFFY agencies have outgrown the offices at the Fuller Center and moved to larger locations, the building still houses the SCUFFY administrative offices, Turning Point offices and a remote office for the Girl Scouts.
Backed by the Full Faith and Credit of a Grifter
Dear readers,
Last night I was honored to be the master of ceremonies at my former law partner Jeff Bate’s surprise 60th birthday party. Several of his contemporaries/co-conspirators from SHS class of 1981 were in attendance, including Todd Bass, Brian Kiefer, Scott Olinger, Kris Leming, Kevin Rupert and Randy Moorhead.
Age is just a number, but 60 is a fairly large number. With that many years of memories, Jeff’s friends quickly turned the event into a roast. A good time was had by all.
With the party running late and the deadline for my column drawing near, I am typing as fast as I can. The best I can do this week is a few random thoughts. Enjoy!
Fruitcake News: A special thanks to loyal readers Emma Horner and Carolyn Moheban for bringing me a fruitcake. I always look forward to the arrival of the season’s first fruitcake. Back in the 20th century when I was in private practice, my law office was the drop-off location for unwanted fruitcakes. One year I was still enjoying fruitcake on the 4th of July. There is no better Christmas treat than a slice of fruitcake paired with a glass of eggnog.
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: Sam Bankman-Fried, the owner of FTX Cryptocurrency Company, managed to lose $51 billion of other people’s money in a blink of an eye. One moment he was happy as a clam playing hacky sack on a beach in the Bahamas and the next moment he was broke.
The grifters selling cryptocurrency to the public boast that it is better than regular money because it does not rely on the government. Funny, as it turns out, the government is more trustworthy than a grifter playing hacky sack on the beach.
Yesterday’s News: I enjoyed the report filed by our foreign correspondent, Prof. Todd Jay Leonard. It was all about vending machines. The professor explained that Japan has the most vending machines per capita of any country in the world.
The story brought back a memory of mine from 40 years ago. A one-armed man by the name of George Arthur was the proprietor of the Pure gas station located at the corner of S. Harrison and 4th Streets. Mr. Arthur’s gas station only had two gas pumps, but it had a most impressive row of vending machines. The machines were outdoors and stood in a line from one edge of his property to the other.
Japan probably captured the title of most vending machines per capita after Mr. Arthur went out of business.
One final thought: I wonder if any of those vending machines in Japan dispense eggnog?
BELOW: (Left to right) Kris Leming, Randy Moorhead, Jeff Bate, Todd Bass and Brian Kiefer help celebrate at Bate's 60th birthday party last night.
NOTEBOOK:
The Shelbyville High School girls basketball team (8-1) defeated Batesville, 58-26, yesterday. The Bears host New Palestine on Tuesday for a Pink Out game.
HOOSIER NEWS: Indiana University will create a science and technology corridor in downtown Indianapolis in an effort to boost STEM degrees as part of its ongoing restructuring of its 536-acre campus in central Indiana. The IU SciTech corridor will begin at the corner of Michigan and West streets, one of the main entrances of the downtown campus, and will encompass about four blocks, housing both IU and Purdue programs, IU President Pamela Whitten announced Friday during a board of trustees meeting. (Indianapolis Business Journal)
NATIONAL NEWS: The U.S. flu season keeps getting worse. Health officials said Friday that 7.5% of outpatient medical visits last week were due to flu-like illnesses. That’s as high as the peak of the 2017-2018 flu season and higher than any season since. The annual winter flu season usually doesn’t get going until December or January, but this one began early and has been complicated by the simultaneous spread of other viruses. The measure of traffic in doctor’s offices is based on reports of symptoms like coughs and sore throats, not on lab-confirmed diagnoses. So it may include other respiratory illnesses. (AP)
This Week in Shelby County" works by George L. Stubbs Sr. are owned by the Shelby County Historical Society (Grover Center) and used with permission.
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.
20 YEARS AGO: 2002
Southwestern third-grader Maury Sant was selected to be the featured artist in the Johnson County Suburban phone book. He was picked as the grand-prize winner in the Sprint Yellow Pages Creative Kids art contest. Sant had artistically represented his love for reading music with a trumpet and a trombone, Patricia Mink, his art teacher, said.
30 YEARS AGO: 1992
A cordless remote microphone was recovered after being stolen from Shelbyville High School. A 15-year-old boy living at the Shelbyville Youth Shelter had taken the microphone while visiting the school for a special activity.
Ziploc National Sandwich Day Contest judges may not have chosen Shelbyville youngster Josh Hamilton’s “All Mixed-Up” sandwich as America’s favorite, but the drummer from “The Tonight Show” did. Hamilton, a sixth-grader at Shelbyville Middle School, had appeared on the late-night show, where he and the six other finalists in the sandwich competition recreated their award-winning sandwiches. Drummer Brother Tain tasted all six sandwiches, pointed to Hamilton and proclaimed his sandwich the winner. Hamilton had entered the contest at the urging of his teacher, Ann Saunderman.
40 YEARS AGO: 1982
Standard Food Stores announced its central Indiana stores would give 5 percent discounts on food purchased by unemployed people. For identification purposes, Standard officials asked unemployed workers to cash their unemployment checks at the Standard store where they planned to buy groceries.
Local Democrats held a victory dinner at the St. Joseph Church dining hall. A newspaper photo showed U.S. Rep. Phil Sharp chatting with Jim Lisher and Linda Montgomery.
50 YEARS AGO: 1972
Ronald Hinchman, 30, a former Shelbyville schools teacher who had become an attorney, died of a gunshot wound at the home of a relative in Greenwood. Hinchman had taught at Thomas A. Hendricks school during the 1969-70 school year. He had previously served in the Peace Corps in India.
60 YEARS AGO: 1962
A vehicle, probably a large truck, smashed through the north wall of the Western Riders club house on the Gaines Road six miles northeast of Shelbyville. The driver left the scene. The building sustained a 6-by-3-foot hole in the wall.
70 YEARS AGO: 1952
Sheriff Robert Meltzer issued a warning to those planning to go out in the country to find a Christmas tree. He said that before cutting down a tree, permission to do so should be granted by the owner of the property on which the tree was located. He said he had received complaints from property owners, and cited a particular case in which a local man was still paying for a blue spruce tree which he had cut down from a future home site. The tree had been valued at over $500, which the man was ordered to pay.
Seven Shelby County young men were inducted into military service, bringing to a total of 249 the number of local men inducted under the Selective Service Act since 1950. The new inductees were Loren D. Hemingway, Gerald Briley, George Robison, James Gaunce, Joe Ed Moore, Billie Talbert and William E. Kirkham.
80 YEARS AGO: 1942
First word of the safe arrival of a Shelby County soldier on the northwest African front was received by relatives here. The first known soldier from here to set foot on African soil in World War II was Robert Kremer, son of Mr. and Mrs. Allie Kremer, 233 East Hendricks Street. At least three other Shelbyville sailors were en route to North Africa, but no word had yet been received on their progress.
90 YEARS AGO: 1932
Three local men were arrested after officers captured them running out of John Ford’s restaurant on East Washington Street after-hours. One man had his pockets filled with cigarettes and other tobacco when he was captured, yet he insisted he had not been inside the restaurant. A hat and coat belonging to him were found inside the store.
100 YEARS AGO: 1922
E.G. Reece, owner and manager of the Waldron Canning Company, and employee Robert Allen were badly burned when a vat of hot pumpkin exploded at the plant. A considerable amount of the pumpkin had fallen into the hip boots which they were wearing.
OBITUARIES
None today