ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: STEPHENSON RIFE ATTORNEYS
CORNERSTONE REVEALED
ABOVE: Recent construction and landscaping at the Shelbyville Post Office has revealed a long hidden cornerstone. | photo submitted by DAVID FINKEL
Thoughts on Bart Kaufman
Editor’s Note: I was in contact yesterday with Tom Graham, alumnus of Shelbyville High School, Indiana University and Harvard University, regarding this week’s passing of Bart Kaufman, who was a noted businessman and philanthropist, as well as a donor to The Addison Times. Graham gave permission for me to share his thoughts with readers. - Kristiaan Rawlings
by Tom Graham
Bart and I were baseball teammates for one year in high school. After that we lost contact until, many years later, we shared a project that led to our becoming close friends.
It started with an evening in 2000, early in my research for what became the book, "Getting Open." I sought out Bart because his father, Nate Kaufman, had played a key role in Bill Garrett's breaking the color barrier in college basketball. On that first reacquaintance, Bart and I "closed a restaurant" in Indianapolis, talking for hours about his father's backing of Bill Garrett, growing up in Shelbyville, and how Bart had sponsored a class at a predominantly Black Indianapolis elementary school, committing to pay their college expenses if they finished high school. From then on, Bart and I were close friends.
As soon as the book came out, Bart arranged and paid for an event at the NCAA Headquarters, in Indianapolis, where scores of books were distributed to NCAA officials and attendees. Soon after, Bart, Bob Hammel, and I began a years-long campaign to get Bill Garrett into the National Basketball Hall of Fame. That campaign was unsuccessful, but we did succeed in getting Indiana University to take the name of a racist former IU president off of the fieldhouse where Garrett played - and to rename it "Bill Garrett Fieldhouse."
I was lucky to see up close Bart's kind side, his strong sense of right and wrong, and his involvement in projects of public interest.
NOTEBOOK:
The following Shelbyville High School students were inducted into the Blue River Career Programs National Technical Honor Society last week: Bryce Bohlen, Yuriana Cruz-Hernandez, Hannah Dow , Alexandro Figueroa, Krishna Patel, Cassandra Pike, Abdiel Reyes-Lopez, Naomi Ricardo-Gonzales, Yuhan Ruan, Daisy Sosa and Madison Stewart.
A recent local tradition has been the Grinch hovering through the Shelbyville Holiday Parade via a Mohr Crane Services lift. This year’s Grinch was Jack Bassett, a freshman at Shelbyville High School. He told The Addison Times he landed this “lofty” position due to his grandfather working for the company. Bassett even happened to have a Grinch outfit in his closet, but otherwise, there were no trial runs. Friday was his first time in the harness. “I’m a little nervous,” he confessed while waiting in the staging area. But just like on stage, Bassett was a natural, the crowd favorite, at least until Santa arrived.
Thank you to every donor for your continued support as The Addison Times forges ahead to fund 2025 and beyond. We will once again provide a quarterly publication with extra news and photos in 2025 as a gift for your support of $100 or more. This past year, we’ve covered city and county meetings, our students, local business, primary and general elections, commercial and residential development, and, of course, daily local history. Please consider a one-time or monthly donation to The Addison Times, either online or via a check to The Addison Times, 54 W. Broadway, #13, Shelbyville, Ind., 46176. Thank you for your continued support of daily local news and history. I appreciate each of you. - Kristiaan Rawlings, Editor
NATIONAL NEWS: It used to be that bye weeks in the NFL were a chance for teams to recharge and come out roaring, with a noted improvement in their odds of winning the week coming off the bye compared to teams that hadn’t managed to have the extra time off. This advantage has all but disappeared. From 2002 to 2010, teams coming off a bye were found to have a 2.2-point advantage compared to non-bye teams in the game immediately following the week off. From 2012 to 2023, that fell to a 0.3-point advantage. What changed? NFL researchers point to a 2011 rule change as part of the collective bargaining agreement that said teams cannot spend the whole bye week practicing, and that players needed at least four days off. Turns out it wasn’t necessarily the R&R that was causing a bye week advantage, but rather the extra time prepping. (Wall Street Journal/Numlock)
Want the daily edition read to you? Struggling with your email provider filtering out your local news? The Addison Times Substack app will solve those challenges!
Courier Archive: Dear Santa…
Editor’s note: The following history article appeared in The Courier, December 1975.
Dear Santa,
I've decided to forgive you for forgetting my Porsche last year, but as punishment you might as well forget about getting any milk and cookies this year. But even the best of us choke upon occasion, so I've decided to give you another chance, Nick.
Well, now that we have that taken care of, let's get down to business. I would like the following (and no mistakes this year): a clay court, a pair of leopard-skin jockey shorts, whatever makes girls swoon, Jimmy Connors’ backhand, Jean-Claude Kily's sweater collection, Chris Evert, an "A" in Chemistry, all of Pancho Gonzales' commercials, a complete set of Bogart movies, Julie English's reverse dive, Manuel Orantes' forehand volley, Sam Ardery's poems, three cases of tennis balls, John Hartnett's jump shot, a Swiss bank account, a pet dolphin, Mark Campbell's mellowness, to be Elton John's optometrist, the coat Bogie wore in "Casablanca," Cosell's
humbleness, Clay Williams' fins, 17 pairs of tennis shoes, a complete volume of Ross Sobel's jokes, a first serve, a second serve, Ali's confidence, Susan Polakoff's curls, the Watergate tapes, a date, being able to do Bogart better than he did, a raise, a copy of "Scot Conrad's Original Obscenities", sex appeal, last year's MIP award, an unbreakable tennis racket, a pet zebra, whatever is so exciting about Robert Redford, "Elton John's Greatest Hits"', a ski slope, a Fanta Orange, a ringside seat for the Butler-Krieger Blushing Contest, a thick chest, a winning record, a ridiculously high SAT score, a by-line, a casino, command of the Swahili language, Mrs. Agler's grammar, center court at Wimbledon, a bicentennial jock and a pinch of writing ability.
Sincerely yours,
Steve
Dear Santa,
My name is Judith and I am a devoted Trekkie. Here are the things I want for Christmas.
I want a life-sized model of the Starship Enterprise, my own shore leave planet, a life-sized shuttle craft and my own Chekov, to pilot the Enterprise for me.
Thank you very much. Live long and prosper.
Judith
Deal Santa,
How does it? Like, I've been really good this year so there are a few special things I'd like to ask you for. I’d really like to have a set of keys to fit the locks at the county jail, not that I plan on being there, but like the Christmas spirit goes, help your brother. I'd also like a new switch blade, one with my initials in it this time; the last one got ripped off by the county sheriff. This one's not only for me but for my old lady - you know those pictures of me they have hanging in the post office? Well, do you think you could get a color blow-up of one of them for mom to hang on the wall? She'd appreciate it. I'd like some surprises too, but not like the ones you gave me last year when I found three cops under my tree
Thanks a lot.
“Byrds Brothers”
Dear Santa Claus,
As is the custom each time this year, boys and girls write to you telling what "good little children" they've been all through the year, and asking you for all kinds of presents.
This year, I'm not going to tell you "how good" I was all year because it's not so. Not being a perfect person, I have had my bad times and I have admitted when I was wrong.
I do wish that Christmas would not be so commercialized and that people would understand what Christmas is really about.
This is not to put you out of business, Santa, but I think that both presents and the spirit of Christmas should go hand-in-hand.
For my sole Christmas present, I am asking for the BEST senior year ever. I want mine to be something memorable, something that I can be proud of. If I am granted but this one gift, I would really be overwhelmed! Thank you, Santa!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
C.A.M.
Dear Santy Claus,
We just wanted to remind you that it will soon be Christmas. Since you forgot us last year, we thought that it would be nice to remind you of some things that we would like for Christmas. Last year, some nut left some sticks and stones under our Christmas tree and in our stockings instead of presents.
Scott (Stretch) Brown would like a new camera to replace the one that Mr. Myers stuck up his left nostril during play practice.
Stretch would also like a new nose.
Valorie Williamson would like a bigger window to jump out of when things get hectic in the SQUIB room
Although she does not know what she wants, Hillery will tell you when she finds out. If you should bring her something that she does not want, she will take it back to Sac's for the money refund. If you have a million dollars lying around, she would like it as a stocking stuffer.
Barb (Babs) Inlow would like a pair of water wings to wear in the pool so she won't drown. She would also like something dirty (no dirty handkerchiefs, please).
Big Scott Gahimer wants a Growing-Up Skipper Doll.
Terrill Appleby DEMANDS that you bring him a year's supply of red M&M's.
Debbie Linville wants George Wetter to finish (or at LEAST get started on) the division page drawings. She would also like an Electric Nutcracker with a battery-powered pick.
George Wetter wants someone else to do the division page drawings.
Cheryl McCormick wants a more advanced mind so that she can understand such difficult literature such as "Goldilocks and the Three Bears."
Lizzy Woollen asks for a flute with a complete digestive system. She wants something that has the same things in common that she does.
Jane McCormick wants a life-size, battery-operated doll of Robert Redford.
Debbie Phillips would like for someone else to dissect her fetal pig. Preferably someone who is male, tall, dark, and handsome. (Mr. Sever has already been refused.)
Teresa Sexton would like something dumb (of course).
Mr. Pitts would like to be 4 inches taller and 10 pounds lighter ... or is that 10 inches taller and 4 pounds lighter ... or is that 10 inches wider and 4 pounds heavier?
If you fail to bring us what we want, we will expose your seven dwarfs to the sun, tell the kids that you are a fake, and tell their parents that Christmas is a Communist plot.
THE 4TH HOUR SQUIB STAFF
Dear Santa Claus,
I have been a very good girl this year. So far, I have tried to cut down on my unlady-like habits.
I have cut my smoking down from 3 cartons to 1 carton a day, and I only use a fifth of Jack Daniels a week!!!! AREN'T YOU PROUD OF ME???
This year I want a new doll, G.I. Joe's friend, "W.D. The Ailing Athlete". Remember, that's
the doll whose ankles swell up when you dress him in his track uniform, and when you dress him in his swimsuit, he contracts a severe case of swimmer's ear.
(He also comes with a football uniform that never gets dirty.) Also, I would like a brandy snifter, an ice bucket, and a new lighter. I would also like a round trip ticket for one to Normal, Illinois for a two-week vacation. Fill my stockings with goodies and surprises.
Love,
Linda Lush
SHS Courier Archive Highlights:
November 12, 1975
Computers were used to generate report cards for the first time. It did not go smoothly. One student was sent down from each class to pick up everyone’s report card. Some had to wait 25 minutes to get their stack. Some students received three copies while others were left empty-handed. (“Some were quite pleased that their card could not be located,” Sam Ardery reported.) Kevin Thomas was pleased with his “A” in American Problems, even though he had never taken the course. Ann Hart was less pleased to see that her sex was listed as male. Pix Hendrick had supposedly passed a third semester of Driver’s Education. “Finally, we come to the teachers’ view on the matter. Many ‘I told you so’s’ floated through the halls,” Ardery reported.
Mr. Sever received an award from the March of Dimes after walking 15 miles and raising over $200. “Mr. Sever was presented the award first hour by Mr. Fallis, his ‘arch-rival’ in the walk-a-thon. While students watched in amazement, Mr. Sever carefully opened the box containing the plaque with a bronzed hiking boot on it. ‘It should have blisters on it,’ he said.” But Sever said Mr. Palmer deserved the award. “Mr. Palmer just ‘happened’ to collect assignments in his chemistry classes when very few students had them completed. However, being the generous person that he is, he offered the students an alternative. He said that any student could turn in their assignment the next day without losing credit if he or she sponsored Mr. Sever in the walk-a-thon.” Approximately 65 students took him up on the deal, pledging over $70.
McKay Road was being resurfaced with concrete instead of asphalt. A five-foot sidewalk was constructed on West McKay to State Road 44, and the slope of the steep hill on the east side of the intersection of Miller and McKay was reduced. Students complained the work should have been done in the summer.
Rec membership was down to 90. Less than 7 percent of SHS students were members. Jim Grimme, Junior Rec Board member, said lack of participation may cause The Rec to close for good.
Shelbyville Fraternal Organizations at the Start of the 20th Century: Part 6
Editor’s Note: The follow series was submitted by George Young, who grew up in Shelbyville. I appreciate Young’s efforts to consider the broader history of each once-local group. Look for Part 7 tomorrow.
by GEORGE YOUNG
This is the sixth installment of “Shelbyville Fraternal Groups” at the turn of the 20th century. Improved Order of Red Men - Kiowas Tribe #199 and Pocahontas, were two of many fraternal lodges in Shelbyville, Ind., in 1902. Shelbyville fraternal organizations thrived during that Golden Age of Fraternalism when 40 percent of the adult male population held membership in at least one fraternal order.
Like many towns then, Shelbyville was a hub for these influential groups—home to lodges such as the Modern Woodmen of America, Knights of Pythias, Elks, Odd Fellows, and the Grand Army of the Republic. Far more than mere social clubs, these organizations served as crucial support systems, offering camaraderie, financial aid, and a sense of belonging to their members in a rapidly changing world.
Published in 1902, Picturesque Shelbyville was a comprehensive representation of Shelbyville, Indiana's Official, Business, and Social Relations. Mr. Charles H Tindall, a major force behind this souvenir publication, included many Secret, Fraternal, and Beneficiary societies. One of the most extensive sections of this book showcased over 20 such groups, a testament to Tindall's dedication to preserving the history of these organizations.
Improved Order of Red Men, Kiowas Tribe #199
The Improved Order of Red Men (IORM) is a fraternal organization established in North America in 1834, initially claiming symbolic ties to the colonial Sons of Liberty. However, despite its patriotic intentions, the IORM has a complex history shaped by the problematic appropriation of Indigenous culture. For over a century, the group has adopted and adapted stereotyped representations of Indigenous culture—using Native American-inspired names, symbols, and rituals that bear little resemblance to authentic Native practices. This imitation is controversial, as it draws on Indigenous heritage without any direct cultural or historical connection.
The IORM’s practices include adopting “Indian names” for its members, designing ceremonial regalia based on perceived Native American attire, and naming organizational levels with titles like Sachem, Sagamore, and Keeper of Wampum. Local chapters, called “wigwams,” sometimes adopt the names of Indigenous tribes, like the Tecumseh Tribe #1 in Pennsylvania, without any formal ties to these tribal communities. The order also developed its own calendar, beginning in 1491—the year before Columbus’s arrival in the Americas, highlighting the group’s interpretation of early American history from a European settler perspective rather than an Indigenous viewpoint.
In its early days, the IORM excluded all but white men, maintaining a whites-only rule until 1974. While today it is open to people from diverse backgrounds, its traditions still embody outdated ideas about Indigenous culture, often causing offense to Native American groups and individuals who view these practices as insensitive and disrespectful. In 1935 the organization claimed a membership of about half a million but, by 2011, that declined to a little more than 15,000.
The IORM’s ceremonies remain private, though historical documents, like a 1905 Shelbyville newspaper article, reference initiation rites that evoke stereotypes of Native rituals, such as the “bewhiskered goathood,” a phrase whose meaning is unclear but seems intended to reinforce these stereotypes. The IORM used terms surrounding their district meetings like meetings held every “great sun”. In 1910 the IORM held a district meeting of 58 tribes in the Shelbyville City Hall. A grand parade after the meeting started from the wigwam on the public square. Another article mentions a group called Kiowa Haymakers, 199 ½ of the IORM, they elected a Chief Haymaker, Asst Haymaker, Overseer, Collector of Straws, Keeper of Straws. At a regular session IORM meeting in March of 1900, a recess was decreed by the Sachem. The doors flew open and in marched the sisters of the degree of Pocahontas headed by a band. It was the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the Kiowa Tribe. The newspaper said the ladies were equal to the occasion when the refreshments were served. Dancing was indulged into a late hour. This group appears to have been more into the social aspect than somber rituals of some other groups.
The Degree of Pocahontas
The Degree of Pocahontas, established as the female auxiliary of the IORM in 1885, further perpetuates cultural appropriation. Created as an organization exclusively for white women until its rules changed in recent decades, the Degree also uses Indigenous-inspired titles and regalia without authentic ties to Native traditions. Positions include Pocahontas (the chapter president), Powhatan (a male advisor), Prophetess, and Wenonah, each reflecting stereotyped interpretations of Indigenous identities. Local branches are called “Councils,” with meeting places known as “Tepees,” and members continue to use terminology disconnected from any legitimate Indigenous cultural authority.
Titles in the Degree of Pocahontas mirror those in the IORM, with roles like Guard, 1st and 2nd Warrior, and Lady Warrior, which appear to romanticize Native American figures while stripping them of context and cultural significance. Although intended as honors, these titles and roles do not reflect the diversity or complexity of real Indigenous governance or societal roles, often simplifying Indigenous cultures into caricature-like symbols.
The IORM and the Degree of Pocahontas illustrate the problematic legacy of cultural appropriation. While the organization claims to honor Native American heritage, its rituals and titles instead serve as reminders of the enduring impact of stereotyping on Native communities and the complexities of using Indigenous culture within non-Native organizations.
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 by The Addison Times from Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department materials.
2014: MHP employees had raised over $100,000 through an MHP Foundation initiative co-chaired by Terri Muldoon and Mona Bernard. Committee members were Kylie DeBaun, Bobbi Ebbing, Lacy Harness, Allison Hoeing, Marci Hungerford, Randy Isley, Michael Knoll, Gena Linville, Tammi Mitchell, Shelley Snyder, Joanie Thomas, Kelly Wagoner and Janna Zobel. Angela Gill was director of the Foundation.
2004: Hetty Gray and Dee Bonner teamed up to publish a children’s book, “A Bee on Your Face.” Gray wrote the story and Bonner provided illustrations. The project had taken nearly two years to complete. They held a book-signing at Three Sisters Books & Gifts.
1994: Construction was set for spring 1995 for Trotters Chase, a proposed 47-acre housing subdivision featuring 65 lots for single-family homes and 15 condominium buildings with four units each.
1984: Truman Rembusch, a former long-time Shelby County resident who had moved to Indianapolis, was recovering from stab wounds he received in a parking lot mugging there. Rembusch had once owned a string of central Indiana movie theaters and still owned five. He had been walking through the parking lot when the incident occurred. Rembusch was rushed to St. Vincent’s Hospital, where he was reported to be recovering.
1974: A leak in a gas line was ignited by a small torch in a garage causing substantial damage in a fire at 608 W. South Street. Bruce Riggins, who rented the garage, had been working on a 1969 car owned by his brother, Roger Riggins, when the fire occurred.
1964: Robert Lewis Prichard, 69, Morristown, retired after 47 years as a rural letter carrier. He was honored with a banquet at Blue Bird Restaurant.
Shelbyville High School senior Janet Grigsby won the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizenship Award. Runners-up were Linda Rund (Triton), Carla Shaw (Waldron), Janet Miller (Morristown) and Faye Stillabower (Southwestern).
1954: Earl Smith of Waldron opened a poultry and egg business under the name Smith Produce. Mr. and Mrs. Smith had been employed by the Wadley Company for 34 years prior to the recent discontinuance of the company’s Waldron store. The new business would be located in the same place as the old Wadley store.
1944: After a truck was hit by a New York Central train at the Walker Street crossing, the Shelbyville Common Council discussed ideas for added safety. One idea was to permanently close streets where numerous railroad accidents had occurred.
1934: Frank Labarbera, Shelbyville fruit merchant, spoke at a Rotary Club meeting about his recent trip to Italy. He said he ordered two glasses of beer and two dishes of ice cream, for which he was charged $2.65 ($60 in today’s money). “No more beer and no more ice cream after that. Everything is too high. I don’t see how the people live,” he said. Gasoline had been 90 cents a gallon. Coffee was 48 cents a cup.
1924: Rain and mud had caused several automobile accidents on Michigan Road. “Local garage owners were busy for several hours Sunday night pulling cars out of the ditch at the side of the road,” The Republican said. The road had been paved in the fall, but clay and dirt had been used on the side of the road. Drivers blinded by the rain had gone into the ditch. Over on West Locust St., Walter Winton drove his vehicle into a trench, which had been dug to install a sewer line.
1914: Dr. Morris Drake, a long-time and beloved local doctor, died. “A strong characteristic of Dr. Drake was that he carried sunshine as well as professional ability to every bedside he visited. His cheery disposition endeared him to this patients and made him a prime favorite among his acquaintances,” the paper said. Dr. Drake died at his home, 116 E. Washington St.
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: Freeman Family Funeral Homes & Crematory
OBITUARIES
None today.
If it wasn't for Nate Kauffman, I wouldn't have grown up at the Boy's Club with Swifty Bennett as a mentor. I know my parents feel the same way. I was unaware of the many accomplishments of his son Nate. I would love to know more. The Courier excerpts are good too. I'll not mention John Hartnett's jump shot. Have you ever seen that thing? Thanks, Kristian.
Excuse me, Bart Kauffman. Not Nate. Dan Thomasson would be another good profile