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.

Feb. 24, 1972 — A suit has been filed in Kosciusko Circuit Court by the Stream Pollution Control Board of the State of Indiana seeking a mandatory and permanent injunction against the town of Silver Lake in connection with its sewage treatment facilities.

The complaint states that on May 18, 1971, the Stream Pollution Control Board issued an order to Silver Lake ordering it to cease and desist from discharging inadequately treated sewage into the body of water known as Silver Lake and ordered that construction of pollution abatement facilities be started by Jan. 1, 1972.

The state says the town continues to discharge inadequately treated sewage into Silver Lake after issuance of the order.

Feb. 9, 1956 — Pierceton High School owns the unusual distinction of having three brothers on the varsity basketball squad. They are the three Slusher brothers: senior Dick, sophomore Rex and junior John. They are the sons of Mr. and Mrs. James Slusher.

From a February 1932 “Remember When” Article:

It was quite customary for boys and men to bum rides on freight trains back in the day, and you could see men and boys stealing rides, hanging between cars — underneath on the rods and on the step behind the tender or coal car. Sometimes on the cow-catcher would be seen a more daring bum occupying a place in full view of the train crew, who were unable to reach him and cared not to make a special stop to eject him. At the depot, the bums would either hid or get off and then jump back on as the train started. Later on, railways began arresting bums. They usually got a 10-day jail sentence. Nowadays, towermen and railway depot employees telephone ahead, and policemen meet the ride thieves. In cold weather, it was not infrequent to see bums removed from trains sometimes frozen or half dead from exposure.

The curfew at Winona Lake rang every night promptly at 10 o’clock and every light in the park had to be promptly extinguished or policemen would call upon the cottagers and enforce the lights-out regulation. Persons after that hour were not permitted to enter or leave the park. Smoking was not permitted on the park grounds, dogs were ejected and sale of Sunday papers were banned. Mr. De Vol was the strict enforcer of these rules. Lon Howe later took over these duties.

An epidemic of typhoid fever was brought here during the convention of the Dunkards at Winona Lake and some 13 or more deaths were the result. Use of contaminated water taken from the Winona canal for drinking purposes at an eating tent on the banks of the canal was thought to have been responsible or to have helped spread the contamination which probably was brought here by some unknowing typhoid-carrier employed in preparing food.

– Compiled by InkFreeNews reporter Lasca Randels