These century-old historical excerpts were selected from the Looking Backward feature of The Vidette-Messenger newspaper, which are part of the PoCo Muse Collection. Originally, these bits of information appeared as larger stories in the Valparaiso Daily Vidette and The Evening Messenger newspapers.
April 1, 1925
All records for fire calls in a three-month period in the history of the Valparaiso Fire Department were broken for the quarter ending March 31, when 58 calls were received at the local station. Only 135 calls were tabulated for the twelve months of 1924.
April 2, 1925
Russell A. Maudlin, operator of the Calumet Dairy on North Calumet Avenue in Valparaiso, died in the Christian Hospital on Wednesday evening of injuries received Wednesday afternoon at 3:55 o’clock when he was struck by a Pennsylvania passenger train at the Lafayette Street Crossing. Maudlin was delivering milk at the time of the accident.
Thomas Hines, of Pleasant Township, who signed a contract some time ago with the Valparaiso City Council to haul garbage for one year, yesterday began the work of familiarizing himself with the job. Hines will haul the garbage to his farm in the south part of the county and feed it to hogs. He will receive $150 a month, of which $25 per month will be held back for faithful performance of contract.
April 3, 1925
The body of Walter P. Stevens, who died in Los Angeles, Calif., will arrive here tomorrow morning and will be taken to his home, 207 North Washington Street in Valparaiso, where they will repose until time of the funeral on Sunday at 2:30 o’clock, at the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Andrew Wiernasiewicz, residing at Cooley Station, was arrested last night by Sheriff W. B. Forney and Deputy Sheriffs Burney Maxwell and William Pennington. Eleven barrels of mash were confiscated. An affidavit was filed against him in Porter Circuit Court by Prosecutor W. W. Bozarth and Deputy Prosecutor John P. Crumpacker. This is the second time the Cooley man has been arrested. In 1922, he was fined $200 on a charge of manufacturing liquor.
April 4, 1925
Steps toward the consolidation of the schools of Valparaiso and Center Township were taken at a meeting yesterday of the Valparaiso City School Board and Center Township Trustee Charles H. Crisman. It was brought out at the meeting that separate elections would have to be held in both the city and township. It is contended the schools of the two corporations could be conducted at a distinct saving.
James O. Cox, in a public statement today, declined to make the race for Mayor of Valparaiso, as suggested by a number of local people, and announced he would devote his spare time to the perpetuation of Valparaiso University.
April 5, 1925
Everything is set for the city election to be held in Valparaiso on May 5. E. W. Agar, John R. Burch, Harvey S. Cook, John J. McGuire, R. D. Raymond, and N. H. Sheppard are contesting for the Republican nomination for mayor, and William F. Spooner is unopposed for the democratic nomination.
April 6, 1925
Frank L. Hume, Chicago attorney, who acquired the Sager Lake property some time ago for a consideration of $70,000, has purchased 20 acres of land near Sager’s from the Lembke Brothers. The land lies south of the Nickel Plate Railroad and was formerly used as a brickyard.
Simultaneously with the announcement of the Grand Trunk Railroad to discontinue the operation of its milk train, came word today that the Pennsylvania Railroad will discontinue its milk train on April 26. Both companies complained that loss of operating revenue was responsible. Hearing in the application of the Grand Trunk to discontinue its train is being held at Griffith today before a member of the Public Service Commission. Much of the milk shipped to Chicago is now transported by auto truck.
April 7, 1925
Attorneys for Alex McCabe, Chicago gangster, found guilty by a jury in Porter Superior Court two weeks ago and given a life sentence for the slaying of Attorney Thad Fancher in the Halfway House holdup in May 1924, announced today they would file a motion of a new trial Friday when Special Judge W. H. Worden comes here from LaPorte. If the new trial is denied, an appeal will be taken to the Indiana Supreme Court.
April 8, 1925
Land located near the center of Lincolnway and Franklin Street in Valparaiso is held to be the most valuable of any in the city. Assessors valuing the land for taxation purposes have placed a value of $150 per front foot on the lots situated on this corner.
April 9, 1925
Valparaiso City Hall is glutted with literature and other advertising matters of manufacturers of fireworks, due to the fact that a general opinion seems to prevail that the city is scheduled to hold a monster Fourth of July celebration. Recent reports in the press that the city council indulges in fireworks displays from time to time have been responsible for the activity on the part of the fireworks companies.
The Schleman-Morton Company is promoting a novel real estate sale on April 25. Two pieces of property will be auctioned off. One is to be a business property on Washington Street and the other is a bungalow in the City View Addition.
April 10, 1925
Thomas W. Morony, of Valparaiso, is head of the cast of “Ivanhoe,” which the Haresfoot Club of the University of Wisconsin is producing in a number of the larger cities of the Middlewest. Last night, the club appeared at the Murat Temple in Indianapolis. Morony is president of the Haresfoot Club, which is the men’s student dramatic organization. Thomas is the son of Anna Morony, of this city.
Russell Nixon, son of Clinton and Mabel Nixon, of Valparaiso, leaves Sunday for a trip around the world. Nixon has been a member of an orchestra playing in southern states. He will ship with a University of Wisconsin orchestra, many of whom were former classmates, in the around-the-world cruise.
April 11, 1925
Porter County Treasurer William McGinley conducted a bond sale today at his office in which five different issues, aggregating $146,200, were sold. The roads were as follows: Clancy St. Clair Road, Center Township, $20,600; Allen Shinabarger Road, Union Township, $32,000; William Spencer Road, Pleasant Township, $16,600; Herman Detlefs Road, Morgan Township, $36,000; Joseph Shutske Road, Pleasant Township, $41,000. The City Trust Company Bank, Indianapolis, was the high bidder on the issues, paying a premium of $4,207 for the issues.
The Grand Trunk Railroad was authorized Saturday by the Indiana Public Service Commission to discontinue Trains No. 25 and 26, operating between Valparaiso and Chicago. The trains, which haul milk for Porter and Lake County farmers into Chicago, will be taken off on April 26. Loss of revenue, due to operation of trucks, is given as the reason for discontinuance of the trains.
April 12, 1925
The Valparaiso University baseball team journeyed to Elmhurst, Ill., Saturday and defeated Elmhurst College in the first baseball game of the season by a score of 24 to 12. Walter Hiltpold was on the mound for the locals, and after Valparaiso had assumed a commanding lead, he eased up with the result that Elmhurst was able to score at repeated intervals.
Anthony Przybysz, age 38, and Joseph J. Martin, 35, of Chicago were instantly killed today when their automobile was struck by a New York Central train at the 12th Street crossing in Chesterton. The men were returning to their homes in Chicago after a trip to Waverly Beach, Lake Michigan, where they had taken their families for a vacation visit.
April 13, 1925
R. McAuliffe, of Valparaiso, was among the winners in the bowling sweepstakes held at the Louis P. Peterson Alleys in Chicago, ending Saturday night. The Valpo man totaled 1,691 pins for eight games, and tied for fourth place with A. Carlson, of Chicago. He received a cash prize of $625. A total of 512 men enrolled in the classic, which was won by Jimmy Smith, of Milwaukee, with a score of 1,720.
George Gullstrom and Elmer Anderson, both of Chesterton, were taken into custody by Sheriff W. B. Forney last night on a charge of aiding the release of a rum runner from the Chesterton jail. The name of the prisoner freed is not known. Gullstrom was arrested on suspicion, and he confessed, implicating Anderson. Gullstrom has been in trouble before. He served a term of 2 to 14 years for attempting to burn a Chesterton church.
April 14, 1925
Fire originating from a Bunsen burner caused damage in the workshop of Dr. J. D. Keehn, dentist, in the rooms over the Brenner Drug Store on Franklin Street in Valparaiso. Passersby were attracted to the fire by a loud explosion. When firemen broke into the office, they found the fire making great headway in the work room. It was extinguished before it could spread to the dental office.
April 15, 1925
The celebrated Chesterton annexation case, in which the town board is attempting to add some 2,000 acres to the corporate limits of the town, is being heard before the board of county commissioners today. The hearing is well attended by Chesterton people. The main contention of the town board is that the territory to the north of the town is rapidly developing industrially and residentially, and if the town does not procure it, it will be irreparably damaged and the growth of the north end of the county retarded.
April 16, 1925
At the conclusion of arguments by attorneys this afternoon, the board of county commissioners took the Chesterton annexation matter under advisement and will announce a decision at their next meeting on May 4. C. W. Jensen and William Daly spoke for the petitioners, and George R. Williams and Bruce B. Loring talked for the remonstrators. At the close of the arguments, Porter County Attorney Grant Crumpacker advised the commissioners regarding the law.
Edward Rohweder, prominent Union Township farmer, whose big barn near the old Gordon School House, southeast of Wheeler, was destroyed by fire Feb. 15, resulting in a loss of $8,000, will rebuild on the site of the burned barn. The Moran Brothers, of Hebron, have the contract for the new structure, which will be 34x88 feet.
April 17, 1925
Valparaiso University will be represented in the annual Loyola Relays, to be held on Sunday, April 19, at Grant Park Stadium, Chicago. The Valparaiso squad will consist of nine men. Paavo Nurmi and Ville Ritola, famous Finnish long-distance runners, will compete in two special events on the program.
The agricultural class of the Washington Township School celebrated Arbor Day this morning by planting forty young maple trees under the direction of Mr. Meyer, agriculture teacher. Dorothy DeWitt’s civic class also planted an ash tree. The apple trees were raised from seed by the three young sons of Washington Township Trustee James Rigg.
April 18, 1925
Ruth Baker, of Valparaiso High School, won first honors in her division in the state Latin contest held at Indiana University, Bloomington, according to word received here today. Baker won in the county contest and was also successful in the district contest held at Rensselaer.
Valparaiso High School Music Club presented “Once in a Blue Moon,” Gordon Ibbotson’s operetta, at Memorial Opera House last night before a large audience. Lillie E. Darby, music director, was in charge, Mae Mavity drilled the ballet chorus. Principal actors in the cast were Gladys Sherburne, Mary Coyer, Bruce Gordon, Donald Will, Arthur Butler, Leroy Chumley, William Christy, Margaret Stinchfield, Virginia Fisher, Gladys Comstock, Charlotte Burk, Sedgwick Sanford, Guilford Dye, Elizabeth Lamprecht, and Kenneth Oldham.
April 19, 1925
Printing of ballots for the May primary election on May 5 were begun today, Valparaiso City Clerk Grace Blachly announced. Under the law, it will be necessary to print 3,070 ballots. This is one and one-half times the number of votes cast as the last election.
Frank and Ella Longshore, who have been living at Winfield, Lake County, will return Thursday to Valparaiso and occupy their home on East Erie Street. The general store business conducted by them at Winfield has been sold to a Hobart man.
April 20, 1925
The Marks-Wolf Company is remodeling the Valparaiso Independent Oil filling station at the corner of Indiana Avenue and Franklin Street in Valparaiso, wrecked yesterday by an explosion of gasoline. The entire front of the structure is being removed and will be rebuilt. Claude Leer, filling station attendant, who was in the building at the time of the blast, is reported to be recovering from his injuries.
The Mason’s Club held another of its delightful parties at the local club rooms last evening. A program was given, followed by cards and dancing. The ladies of the Eastern Star served lunch. The committee in charge of the affair included Dr. C. L. Bartholomew, Carroll Aylesworth, Frank Klages, Harry Albe and Guy Vaughn.
April 21, 1925
At a meeting of the board of education of the Valparaiso City Schools, a resolution was passed that the members compliment, in the most praise-worthy terms, the splendid showing the Valparaiso High School students have recently made in the state Latin, shorthand, typewriting, and bookkeeping contests. The resolution was signed by the board of education comprising A. A. Hughart, George Sheeks, and William J. Morris.
April 22, 1925
The milk train, plying between Valparaiso and Chicago, will disappear Sunday when the Grand Trunk places a new timetable into effect. The milk train is the oldest on the railroad and has been an institution of the line for many years. Members of the train crew, all of whom reside here, will be transferred to Battle Creek, Mich.
April 23, 1925
Rudolph “Duffy” Raymond opened his campaign for the Republican nomination for mayor of Valparaiso in a rousing speech last night at the Memorial Opera House in which he rapped the bootlegger and asserted that if he was elected, the bootlegger would be run out of Valparaiso. Raymond also took time out to refer to his opponents in the race. Though not mentioning any names, the speaker identified them as chief executive, deacon, freight agent, pill distributor, and young schoolboy. Raymond also scored the planning commission and urged a reduction of the police force.
Elmer Johnson, owner of two acres of land at Tremont, north of the South Shore Electric Line, in the Dunes region, has sold his property to the Indiana Industrial Land Company for a consideration of $10,000. The Johnson Brothers, who operate a store at Waverly Beach, have taken a lease on the property for five years at a gross rental of $10,000. At one time, the site rented for $25 per year.
April 24, 1925
After hearing arguments on a motion venire facias de novo filed by attorneys for Alex McCabe, Chicago gangster, convicted recently in Porter Superior Court for the murder of Attorney Thad Fancher, of Crown Point, and sentenced to life imprisonment. Special Judge W. H. Worden, of LaPorte, informed attorneys he would take his decision under advisement.
Ralph Wyand, principal of the Union Center School, was injured yesterday afternoon when he fell out of a window at the school while engaged in decorating the building for a high school play. He suffered a fractured left arm and an injury to his foot.
April 25, 1925
Owen L. Crumpacker and Frank L. Faley were appointed city election commissioners by Valparaiso City Clerk Grace Blachly to act in the May primary election. Two election inspectors were also named to fill vacancies. They were Phoebe Stinchfield in the Fifth and Herman Schultz in the Eleventh.
Newton Arvin and family will arrive in Chicago on May 12 on their way to Europe for a year-and-a-half stay. Arvin, a former Valparaiso resident, and a son of Fred and Jessie Arvin, is an instructor in the University of California at Berkeley. He has been granted a leave of absence by the school to study and travel abroad.
April 26, 1925
The body of a young woman, burned beyond recognition, was discovered opposite a lonely patch of woods on the Gary-Michigan City Highway (known today as U.S. Route 12), three miles northeast of Chesterton, Sunday afternoon. The victim had been shot twice through the head. An empty gasoline can was found nearby. The body was found by Frank Cook, an employee of the New York Central Railroad, living at Chesterton, and Fred Ruhe, farmer, living near Chesterton. The finding of a charred portion of a Gary newspaper led authorities to believe she may be a Gary resident.
A plan for the building of a new high school in Valparaiso was presented to members of the Valparaiso Rotary Club this noon at Hotel Lembke by Superintendent C. W. Boucher and Arthur A. Hughart, a member of the board. It contemplates the formation of a holding company among local citizens, the issuance of bonds to build the school, and their retirement by the school city in amounts permitted under the law until all have been liquidated. No action was taken by the club in the matter.
April 27, 1925
The murder charge against Anna Tulke, of Chicago, growing out of her connection with the slaying of Attorney Thad Fancher, of Crown Point, in the Halfway House holdup in May 1924, was dismissed in Porter Superior Court. Tulke was arrested along with Johnny O’Reilly and Alexander McCabe in connection with the murder. She has been in the county jail here for nearly a year.
April 28, 1925
Despite efforts of Porter County authorities and police of other cities to identify the partly cremated body of a young woman found northeast of Chesterton on Sunday, no clues have been turned up to establish who the victim is. A postmortem of the body revealed that the woman, in addition to being shot twice, was also stabbed in the heart. Authorities hope to establish identity by the victim’s teeth.
April 29, 1925
Charles Cook, Valparaiso Chief of Police of, died Thursday night in the Christian Hospital. He was stricken in his office on March 12 and an operation was performed. In addition to serving on the police department, Cook was at one time assistant county highway superintendent.
A big police dog from Chicago was today employed by Sheriff W. B. Forney in running down clues in the mysterious murder of an unknown woman, whose cremated body was found northeast of Chesterton on Sunday afternoon. The dog, for years a man hunter on the Berlin, Germany, police department, led the searchers to a spot three-hundred feet from the body where a lady’s gray slipper lay. A piece of burned stocking was found a short distance from the slipper.
April 30, 1925
One-hundred-and-two nobles of the Mystic Shrine of Hammond, Gary, and other cities came to Valparaiso last night to give an outdoor parade and drill for the benefit of local people. Because of rain, the Shriners were unable to do their stuff. Ladies of the Eastern Star, however, prepared a banquet for the visitors, and a program was held in Masonic Hall. Dr. H. O. Seipel acted as toast master, and talks were made by M. L. Dickover, A. N. Worstell, O. F. Helvie and Edmund J. Freund. Following this, the drill team performed.
A burned letter and a vanity were new clues found late yesterday by Porter County authorities investigating the murder of a young woman whose burned and mutilated body was recently found northeast of Chesterton. Authorities also announced another bit of evidence had been found but refused to divulge any information regarding it.