From the Files of the Kosciusko County Historical Society

Editor’s note: This is a retrospective article that runs a few times a month on InkFreeNews.

Information for this retrospective series is courtesy of the Kosciusko County Historical Society.

1999 — Elder-Beerman officially opened its doors at 9 a.m. Oct. 15. The 56,000-square-foot department store is a prototype concept for the Dayton-based retailer.

From a 1974 article: In 1881, six human skeletons were found buried in a fire trench at a site located on the west shore of Pike Lake, Warsaw. According to the Indian State Geology Section to the Pre-White Man map in the historical society’s museum.

Another area where prehistoric Indian relics have been found within the past five to 10 years is near Palestine Lake. It is reported that one collector found a Yuma arrowhead, which is probably 20,000 years old, according to Waldo Adams of the Kosciusko County Historical Society, and Dean Ryan, of Milford reports that he found a paleo-point near Palestine. The paleo-point is a very rare arrowhead made between 7000 and 9000 B.C. says Ryan, who stores this find in his private Indian relic collection.

Between four and five prehistoric Indian campsites are located near Claypool. Three or four of these campsites are located a few miles south of Claypool and one site is located north of Claypool, states Ryan. Within the past seven years, Ryan has found between 300 and 400 perfect arrowheads on these four or five Claypool area sites. The arrowheads were made by Indians living in the Early Archaic Period sometime between 4000 and 5000 B. C.

Oct. 14, 1964 — William D. Metcalf, fire control technician third class, USN, son of Mr. and Mrs. William E. Metcalf, of Rt. 1, Leesburg, has been awarded a letter of commendation by the commanding officer of the destroyer USS Turner Joy for outstanding performance on duty during an attack on his ship by seven high-speed North Vietnamese motor torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin on the night of Aug. 4.

Oct. 21, 1836 — Warsaw was surveyed by Christopher Lightfoot, and W.H. Knott, proprietor of the town, filed his plat before Jacob Rannels, justice of the peace, Oct. 21, 1836.

Warsaw was named by Hon. John B. Chapman in honor of the capital of Poland.

Warsaw was in an early day an uninviting location, laid out as it was so near the lakes, the banks of which were skirted by tall tamarack and scrubby oaks.

The first cabin was built of tamarack poles by Matthew D. Springer.

— Compiled by InkFreeNews reporter Lasca Randels