Roughly seven miles southwest of Mooresville is the town of Monrovia, in Monroe Township, Morgan County, Indiana. Founded in 1834 (ten years after Mooresville), Monrovia was incorporated in 1995 and has a current population of 1,641, as of the 2020 U.S. Census, according to the town's website.
Google Map Showing Monrovia & Mooresville, Indiana
(Click Images to Enlarge)
Monrovia has a long and proud history, and Mooresville Public Library's Indiana Room has some of this information, but if you're really interested in Monrovia history, you should speak with the expert: Steve Reeder, a history & psychology teacher at Monrovia High School. Steve knows the history of Monrovia, Monroe Township (and neighboring Gregg Township), and northern Morgan County like the proverbial back of his hand. His general Morgan County historical knowledge is pretty awesome, too. When I have a question about Monrovia and vicinity, I contact Steve. So should you.
Steve Reeder
Monrovia High School
In 2021, Steve received the WISH-TV Channel 8 Golden Apple Award for outstanding teaching, particularly in preserving and promoting history (and, specifically, local history) for and to students and the overall community.
Steve works with students at Monrovia High School to create exemplary local history videos in his Monrovia Moments series, available to watch free on YouTube. Everyone interested in Monrovia history should definitely subscribe to this channel. You won't find better local history videos on the Internet.
A
few miles west of Mooresville, Indiana, is Gravity Hill (sometimes
called Magnetic Hill). Since horseless carriage days, people have
discovered that their motor vehicles, if placed in neutral, will roll uphill by themselves. At least, so it appears. Round objects, too, will do the same.
My
Library has many digitized newspaper clippings and handouts describing
the phenomenon over the years. There's also a video from an Indianapolis
public TV station online. Check out these links (below):
Gravity Hill is along Keller Hill Road, which is a really busy
highway these days. Drivers race along at around 60 miles per hour
(although we didn't officially use radar to clock their speeds, they all
exceeded the posted speed limit of 40 m.p.h.). Given that, and the
lack of any convenient pull-offs at Gravity Hill, I considered
it unsafe to attempt even a photo, let alone allowing a car to roll
uphill. Thanks to the Internet, however, there are plenty of videos and
photographs.
"Gravity Hill," from Episode #209 of Across Indiana (1991) (Courtesy of WFYI-Channel 20 Indianapolis) "Gravity Hill" (2009) by Lekshmi Radhakrishnan
"Mooresville, IN Gravity Hill" (2011) by Interesting Ted
It's
an optical illusion, of course. You could try it out for yourselves,
but, frankly, I think it's too dangerous, what with all the busy traffic
careening along the road WAAAAAAAY too fast. I wouldn't recommend it.
Downtown Mooresville, Indiana has its G.A. Keller building (constructed in 1907) and Columbus,
Indiana, has its C.M. Keller building (constructed in 1913). These two buildings resemble each other,
suggesting a similar construction plan, architect, or general contractor. Were the Kellers whose names grace these
structures relatives?
According to ourself-guided downtown walking tour, George
A. Keller (1859-1923) started his hardware and implement
business in 1885, purchasing Alexander Conduitt’s property on East Main Street
in downtown Mooresville. In 1885 George
constructed a one-story frame structure on the front of the property (nearest
the street) and used Conduitt’s residence (built ca. 1843) on the back of the property as a storeroom until it was
demolished in 1907.
In 1907, George began
constructing a new brick building, which bears
his name today.
The
G.A. Keller building is the light-colored brick structure in the middle
(photo ca. 1910 by J.P. Calvert)
(Click Images to Enlarge)
The
G.A. Keller building as it appeared in May, 2008
(photo by Mooresville Public
Library)
Until 1921 Mooresville
High School basketball games were played on the second floor of the G.A. Keller
building, which had a wooden floor and was the only space sufficiently large to
field a basketball court. Fans sat in
wooden chairs against the walls—essentially on the court itself—so
out-of-bounds was a tricky matter of straddling seated spectators to pass the
ball into play.
"Where Were MHS Basketball Games Played Until 1921?"
Grandpa Billy Bob's Mooresville History Super Fun Quiz 6
by Mooresville Public Library
(HINT: The answer is C. The Second Floor of G. A. Keller's Hardware Building)
Mooresville Times article about the new G.A. Keller building (June 6, 1907)
Enlarged article
Mooresville Times, June 6, 1907
During construction
George moved his old wooden store into the middle of East Main Street and
continued conducting business there while work progressed on the new brick
structure. Eventually, citizens
complained to local government officials, who pressured George to remove his
old quarters. George put the old
building on logs, harnessed a team of horses, and, with the help of several
stout fellows, hauled the structure to the southeast corner of West Main and
South Monroe Streets, where it remains today as a single-family dwelling.
Old
G.A. Keller building (constructed 1885) as a single-family home
at 155 West
Main Street across from Mooresville Public Library
(2009 photo by MPL)
After a quick research of George A. Keller’s genealogy, we discovered that his father, Frederick
Keller (1826-1908), moved (at age 22) with his parents and
siblings from Baden, Germany, to Morgan County, Indiana. George’s grandparents, David Keller
(1790-1864) and his first wife, Salome Keller, and his second wife, Margret
Keller (1810-1904), had several children, three of whom were boys. George’s uncles (i.e., Frederick’s two brothers) were named Michael Keller
(1823-1897) and Michal (possibly Michel or Michael) King Keller (b. ca. 1838-?). So we can safely rule-out uncles as “C.M.”
possibilities. Additionally, none of
George’s other relatives’ names appeared to have the initials C.M. Most of George’s clan are buried in the Mooresville
Cemetery, and nobody in the Keller family plot has initials
C.M.
So we searched the federal censuses for a C.M. Keller who lived in Columbus,
Bartholomew County, Indiana, around the turn of the 20th century.
Christian Martin Keller
(1860-1927) was listed as a plumber in the 1900 U.S. census. He operated his business, C.M. Keller & Company, in Columbus, and, according to the Complete Directory of Bartholomew County, Indiana, 1903-1904 (p. 182), he owned
(and presumably constructed) the C.M. Keller building in 1913, where, for
decades, G.C. Murphy’s five-and-dime store operated.
G.C.
Murphy Company (1950s) in the C.M. Keller building
at
415-417 Washington Street, Columbus, Indiana
(Photo
courtesy of Historic Columbus Indiana website)
According to Ancestry Library
Edition, Christian’s parents moved to Columbus from
Pennsylvania prior to 1860, the year Christian was born (in Columbus). So it doesn’t appear that Christian Martin
Keller and George A. Keller were related, at least as far back as the late 18th century family trees.
Since both Keller
buildings were constructed within a few years of each other, one may presume
that similar, popular architectural styles were incorporated. But it wasn’t “all in the family,” so to
speak.
Did
you (or any of your family) live through the earthquakes that struck
Morgan County, Indiana on Saturday, November 9, 1968 and Monday, March 8, 1937?
See the newspaper clippings below. (Articles courtesy of the Martinsville Daily Reporter, Monday,
November 11, 1968, p. 6; and Tuesday, March 9, 1937, p. 3.)
Mooresville Public Library has its own obituary database called LEGACY LINKS, which includes over 20,000 obituaries, primarily of deceased
residents of Mooresville and Morgan County, Indiana. This database has
been redesigned (in Fall 2020) to provide a more user-friendly interface.
October is nearly here, so we've got Halloween on the horizon. That means it's time to read some spooky books. Mooresville Public Library has plenty available to checkout, both fiction (call numbers FIC and the first three letters of the author's last name) and nonfiction (call numbers 133 and 398, generally, although there are other places to find them, too). Since this blog focuses upon Indiana-related (or, more precisely, Morgan County-related) subjects, I'll share the works of a few Hoosier paranormal writers.
Let's begin with Morgan County authors.
The Feeders at Night, by Aldo G. Gonzalez
(MPL Book Trailer #307)
Following a divorce, Aldo Gonzalez needed a new start and a new home. The house he found offered features not included in the real estate multiple listings. First, there were barely discernible footsteps and voices when no one else was present. Then, the horror escalated. Supernatural forces seemed to be feeding off the author. You'll want to read this real-life terror with the lights on. Check it out from the library's Evergreen Indiana catalog.
Haunting at Sycamore Lake, by Karl C. B. Muilliwey
(MPL Book Trailer #14)
Attorney Karl C. B. Muilliwey (a pseudonym) investigated a haunted house near Union City, Randolph County, Indiana, in 1992-1993. The author, who now lives near Mooresville, presents the evidence that an unseen spirit entity, who committed suicide in the barn on the property, lingered on the premises, wreaking havoc but causing little actual harm to the buildings or inhabitants. Muilliwey began as an open-minded skeptic but was finally convinced of the reality of the paranormal phenomena and their apparent spirit-source. Checkout the book with your Evergreen Indiana library card. Here's the catalog listing. Or you can buy a copy (Kindle eBook or paperback) from Amazon online.
Shelf Doll & Other True Paranormal Tales, by Karl C. B. Muilliwey
(MPL Book Trailer #110)
Muilliwey's son was the primary investigator in a poltergeist case near Centerton, Morgan County, Indiana. Muilliwey intended to write a short book about the case (hence the book trailer above), but publication fell through, and so we are forced to settle with this articlewe included in this blog. The purported spirit entity lived inside a doll on the shelf of a teenager's bedroom, and it was considerably more malevolent than Muilliwey's Sycamore Lake discarnate. We're hoping that someday this case will appear in book form.
The People in the Attic, by Doretta Johnson with Jim Henderson
(MPL Book Trailer #691)
Beginning
in 1987, Doretta Johnson and her family experienced a truly horrifying
house haunting in Madison, Indiana. Her 1995 book (written with Jim
Henderson) will chill your bones. From the safety of your armchair, it
makes a marvelously spooky read. Learn more here. Evergreen Indiana cardholders may place a hold on the book here.
Looking for Carroll Beckwith, by Captain Robert L. Snow
(MPL Book Trailer #3)
Of course, most of the spooky Hoosier books available to checkout from Mooresville Public Library were written by Indiana authors living outside Morgan County. Here are a few popular titles.
Captain Robert L. Snow, a retired Indianapolis police homicide commander, made a surprising discovery: He remembered details from a previous life as painter James Carroll Beckwith (1852-1917) that he could not reasonably have learned through ordinary means. As a police detective, Snow was highly skeptical, but he was also open-minded in his investigations. He chronicles his journey from extreme doubt to eventual conviction (in the truth of the matter, not in the criminal sense).The book is available in the library's Evergreen Indiana catalog.
Four Books About Precipitated Spirit Portraits, by Various Authors
(MPL Book Trailer #355)
In a previous blog post, we discussed the Bangs sisters of Chicago, psychic mediums who specialized in precipitated spirit portraits. These were purported portraits of deceased individuals that "painted themselves" without apparent human intervention. Camp Chesterfield, a spiritualist camp near Anderson, Indiana, displays several of these portraits in their Hett Memorial Art Gallery and Museum. (Read a PDF copy of the book, or, if you prefer paper, drop by the MPL Indiana Room and peruse one of its copies.) Many psychical researchers investigated the Bangs sisters and determined that their phenomena were genuine.
We featured Indianapolis resident May Wright Sewall's Neither Dead Nor Sleeping in a previous blog post. Sewall (1844-1920) was best known as an advocate of women's suffrage, education, and world peace. Few of her contemporaries knew that she was also interested in survival of bodily death, and she researched the subject for many years. She reported her findings in this 1920 book, published posthumously and reprinted in 2008 by Cather Press. It's available to checkout from the library's Evergreen Indiana catalog.
In my next blog post, we'll continue showcasing further haunted Indiana books by Hoosier writers. There will be plenty of scares to go around!
At the beginning of the 20th century, the population of Mooresville, Indiana, was about 1,200. During that time, local businesses employed roughly 2,500 workers, most of whom commuted to town from surrounding communities on the interurban railway. Among the largest employers here were Bolton Sorghum Factory (the world's largest in 1897), the Indiana Brass & Iron Bed Factory, two brick manufacturing facilities, and Fall Creek Furniture Company.
In the following installment of Mooresville Moments, a local history video series, Fall Creek Furniture Company is showcased.
Hoosier native Bobby Helms (Robert Lee Helms) (1933-1997)–perhaps best known for the songs “Fraulien” (1957), “Jingle Bell Rock” (1957), and “My Special Angel” (1957)–was born in Bloomington, but, in later years, was a resident of Martinsville (he’s buried there in Hilldale cemetery). He is a member of the Morgan County Hall of Fame. His Mooresville connection comes from the 1970s, when he owned a restaurant/nightclub, the Special Angel Club, which was situated at Five Points (between Mooresville and Waverly), where State Road 144, Kitchen Road, and Orchard Road converge. Learn more about Helms from this official website. (Click the images below to enlarge.)
Bobby Helms publicity photo (circa 1957)
Advertisement from the 1977 Mooresville High School yearbook, Wagon Trails
Advertisement from the Mooresville Times, February 22, 1979
Dr. James L. Cooper, professor emeritus of history at DePauw University, has a historical bridges database available online. Click the links below to find information about Morgan County (and other Indiana) bridges.
We also have two computer CDs with bridge photos to accompany the database information. They are available to checkout in our Evergreen Indiana catalog. Dr. Cooper has published books recounting the history of Hoosier bridges. These are available to checkout in our Evergreen Indiana catalog.
A decade ago, one of our library's volunteers investigated an apparent poltergeist case at a friend's house situated near Robb Hill Road, in Morgan County, Indiana. We will call the friend Imogene, because that's nothing like her actual name.
Click Map to Enlarge
Imogene's family had moved into the house in 2003. Apparently, a teenage girl committed suicide in the home five years beforehand, but no one in Imogene's family knew this before investigating. Imogene began experiencing paranormal phenomena a few months after moving into the house. These events occurred at first exclusively in Imogene's bedroom, which was, she subsequently discovered, the same bedroom in which the suicide occurred. Objects sitting on tables, a desk, the bed, and shelves were rearranged randomly around other places in the room and elsewhere in the home. Imogene alleged that neither she nor her family members had moved these items. She also began hearing thumping apparently coming from inside the walls of her room. Her parents found no structural causes of this noise, and nobody at the house claimed responsibility for the sounds.
One of Imogene's acquaintances suggested she use a ouija board to attempt communication with a disembodied spirit, assuming one existed and was causing the phenomena. Ouija board use can be dangerous to novices or frivolous parties, and so she sought someone experienced in psychical research who could protect participants from harm. A paranormal investigator was retained, and ouija board sessions began.
For those unfamiliar with this device, a ouija board has an indicator (sometimes called a planchette) that moves to letters of the alphabet to spell-out messages. Often numbers, plus the words yes, no, and goodbye, are included. Participants lightly place their fingers atop the planchette, which they allow to move by itself, although skeptics claim that the indicator is moved deliberately (or unconsciously) by someone touching it. Often, the planchette moves rapidly across the board. To safeguard from cheating, participants are frequently blindfolded, and an observer records messages on paper. This is hardly a fraud-proof means of communication, so it is commonly dismissed among paranormal researchers as unreliable. The primary investigator, however, had had some interesting results using the safeguards mentioned.
At first, the planchette spelled out nonsensical words, but fairly soon, intelligible messages began to appear. Purportedly, the teenage girl who committed suicide was communicating. (Her suicide was later independently established by talking with neighbors.) She called herself Emily and claimed to be an earth-bound spirit living inside one of Imogene's dolls sitting on a shelf in her bedroom. Numerous personal details were mentioned in the messages, some of which were independently confirmed by neighbors who had known Emily, but which were unknown to anyone investigating.
Occasionally, Emily (or whatever, if anything, was communicating) became irritated or abusive in her messages, and so sessions would usually end. Once, Imogene turned the doll in which the spirit supposedly resided to face the wall as a punishment for nasty comments. The planchette then became "highly animated," according to the primary investigator, stating that the doll should be turned back to face forward. Objects then began to propel themselves from the shelves, desk, and tables. Some struck participants without injury.
Certainly, something strange was occurring in Imogene's house. The alleged communications continued for several months and then abruptly ceased. Whatever the true explanation, it was quite an unusual experience for those involved. It certainly added to the local ghostly folklore of Morgan County.
