Smokehouses (Following Paul Hadley's Footsteps)

Another Paul Hadley watercolor painting on display at Mooresville (Indiana) Public Library is "Smokehouse."  (Click here to learn more about Mooresville's favorite son.)

Click images to enlarge

Where was this smokehouse?  There must have been a gazillion smokehouses scattered around Mooresville and vicinity during Hadley's lifetime, and this one was no exception.  He probably painted it during the 1920's, and it likely appeared at his 1924 or 1931 exhibitions at Herron Art Institute in Indianapolis, where Hadley taught art during this period.

We've reviewed dozens of old local photographs, taken by longtime residents and professional photographers J. P. Calvert (1842-1917) and Manley Brown (1894-1968) (among other photographers), but we didn't see any smokehouses resembling Hadley's painting.

Jarvis P. Calvert (1842-1917)

Methodist Episcopal (M.E.) Church, Mooresville (1914)
(photo by J. P. Calvert)

Both Brown and Calvert climbed atop the Methodist Episcopal (M.E.) Church steeple (at the corner of South Indiana and East Harrison Streets in downtown Mooresville) to take panoramic photos of the town as it looked during the late 1880's-early 1890's and circa 1910 (Calvert) and in 1920 (Brown). That is WAAAAAAY up in the air--much too high for me.  Here's what they saw.

 J. P. Calvert's photo atop the M.E. Church steeple
looking southeast (late 1880's-early 1890's)

J. P. Calvert's photo atop the M.E. Church steeple
looking northeast (late 1880's-early 1890's)

J. P. Calvert's photo atop the M.E. Church steeple
looking northwest (late 1880's-early 1890's)


J. P. Calvert's photo atop the M.E. Church steeple
looking west (along West Harrison Street) (ca. 1910);
 MPL now stands at the end of the street on the right

 Manly Brown looking west along West Harrison Street
atop the M.E. Church steeple (1920)

 Manly Brown looking southeast along East Harrison Street
atop the M.E. Church steeple (1920)

Manly Brown looking north along South Indiana Street
toward the center of downtown Mooresville
atop the M.E. Church steeple (1920)

 Manly Brown looking south along South Indiana Street
atop the M.E. Church steeple (1920);
The Village Shopping Center now stands in the
open fields beyond the trees (upper right)

There were several small structures that resembled smokehouses (and, for that matter, outhouses, or privies) in these photos, but I saw nothing that looked like Paul Hadley's painting.  Maybe we should try our sense of smell.  Good way to differentiate smokehouses from outhouses.  Sadly, you can't smell what appears in old photos.  (The pictures themselves don't smell so great, either.)

Some of my younger readers may not know what use was made of smokehouses. Through the 1930's (and even later), there were in-town residents who, like their country cousins, raised livestock. Many had barns and outbuildings in their backyards to house these animals.  Pork was cured (preserved) by smoke in smokehouses.

So, as far as Hadley's "Smokehouse" painting hanging at the Library, we have absolutely no idea where it was located.  But wait!  Hadley painted other smokehouses, and we know where they were.  Does that count?

"Full Bloom," by Paul Hadley (1942)
(Click image to enlarge)

[Excerpted from Hardin, Becky, The Indiana State Flag: Its Designer (Biography of Paul Hadley with Anthology of his Paintings), p. 28 (1976).  Click here to find links to read a digital copy of this fine biography.]

In 1942, Omri Schooley lived in the smokehouse at 154 West Harrison Street. That's less than a block east of the Library.  Let's take a quick hike down the street and see how things look there now.

154 West Harrison Street Today

The smokehouse was at the back of the property.  In Hadley's "Full Bloom" painting, you can see the fence row and an outbuilding to the left.  You can see those today in the photo below.

The smokehouse in "Full Bloom" was situated

at the closer fence corner (in front of the white

object and automobile).  The wooden outbuilding

on the left (in the painting) is where the

tan, concrete block structure now stands

 

 

Another Hadley painting captured a white smokehouse at the Samuel Moore Rooker house, constructed in 1877 and located at 30 West Harrison Street. Rooker was the first European-descended child born in Mooresville after the town was founded, so he was named after the founder, Samuel Moore.  Rooker's granddaughter, Helen (York) Cook, and her husband, Claire Cook, lived there for decades.  

Newspaper Article About the Cook/Rooker Home

by Becky Hardin, Morgan County Historian

[Hardin, Becky, ed.  Morgan County Scrapbook, Volume I (1985).
Mooresville: Dickinson Publishing Co., p. 285.]

(Click images to enlarge)

Cook/Rooker House (2009)

The smokehouse was located behind the home, as you can just barely see in the digital scan below.  The original image of this painting (used in Hardin's book) was very faint.

 

"White Smokehouse," by Paul Hadley

and smokehouse shown attached to the

Rooker/Cook residence (1976)

[Excerpted from Hardin, Becky, The Indiana State Flag: Its Designer
(Biography of Paul Hadley with Anthology of his Paintings), p. 30 (1976).

Let's see what the smokehouse attachment looks like today, shall we?

 

Rooker/Cook smokehouse was located

inside the now-screened-in porch area

on the back of the house

Paul Hadley must have been fascinated with smokehouses as watercolor subjects--or perhaps they were plentiful within comfortable walking distance.  Hadley didn't drive motor vehicles, so he either had to walk around town to paint subjects or have his friends drive him to suitable landscape painting destinations.

 

Morgan County History Center & Museum

The  Morgan County History Center and Museum collects, preserves, studies, interprets, and exhibits significant materials relating to the history of Morgan County, Indiana, and it provides related educational services for the purpose of increasing and enriching public knowledge of the history of the county.  Morgan County, Indiana has a rich history. Sports legends, the Indiana flag, sanitariums, railroads, furniture factories, certain famous criminals, and fisheries are to name a few historical interests. There are many important artifacts and documents related to the county’s history that need to preserved and archived. Many of these items are in people’s basements and attics and are in danger of being lost as generations move on. 

The museum is located in the historic Blackstone House also known as the Disciple House, 127 South Main Street in Martinsville, Indiana (click here for a map).  The museum provides a positive image of the county and a destination for the public who visit the newly renovated town square. It will also provide opportunities for school and youth groups to visit and learn about their home community. In addition, it will be a resource for research for local historians and the public.

Please visit the Morgan County History Center & Museum website for operating hours and further details.

 (Description courtesy of the Morgan County History Center and Museum mission statement.)

 

 

A Southern Indiana Haunting That Will Chill You

In Madison, Indiana, Doretta Johnson and her family moved into a 4,100-square-foot dwelling in 1987.  There was a large main house along with a motel wing on two acres of land.  The asking price was $59,900.  For the late 1980s, that was unbelievably cheap.  Soon after moving in, they discovered the reason:  the property was haunted by something paranormal--and terrifying.

At first, there were just a series of strange events.  Fresh paint bubbled and ran down walls.  New wallpaper would not stick.  A fireplace stain returned shortly after it had been sandblasted clean.  These incidents could have been ordinarily explained readily enough.

Then much more bizarre and threatening things happened.  Objects levitated.  Shadowy apparitions abounded.  Writing mysteriously appeared on walls.  Horrifying noises clamored about.  Spontaneous fires erupted.  Family members were violently attacked, both physically and psychologically.  It must have been unimaginably scary.

Along with Jim Henderson, Doretta Johnson published a book in 1995 describing her family's suffering from malicious unseen forces.  Our book trailer below elaborates.

MPL Book Trailer #691

The People in the Attic, by Doretta Johnson with Jim Henderson

 

Full-blown haunted house tales like this are unusual but not altogether rare.  Since the mid-1960s, paranormal investigation has been popularized (and sensationalized) by nonfiction accounts, novels, movies, and television programs (especially since 1987, when the Johnson haunting started).  People are becoming less reticent in sharing their ghostly encounters.  What was once relegated to folklore has become somewhat respectable in certain parapsychological circles.  Academics as well as ordinary folks seriously examine such cases.  Spiritualists have been experts in the field for over 150 years.

Assuming the authors to be trustworthy--I have no reason to think otherwise--this haunted house tale is truly chilling.  You may not believe that it happened--in which case, consider it a striking work of horror fiction--but for those more open-minded, there is at least something going on here that invites careful study.  Of course, more than 30 years have passed since these events purportedly transpired, so perhaps it is too late for further investigation.  Such cases are not uncommon, however, and opportunities for "ghost hunters" to examine the paranormal close-up will doubtlessly present themselves now and in the future.  For myself, I would not have wanted to have experienced what Doretta Johnson's family lived through, whatever the cause.  But, from the safety of my armchair, it makes a marvelously spooky read.

Muilliwey Paranormal Book Reissued

Paranormal researcher Karl C. B. Muilliwey's paranormal book, Haunting at Sycamore Lake, first published in 2010, has been reissued by KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) in eBook (Kindle format) and paperback editions.  Copies may be purchased online on Amazon (click here).

You may learn more about this book from the book trailer and other video below.

Click Videos to Play

If you have an Evergreen Indiana (E.I.) library card, you may checkout Muilliwey's book from your E.I. library (click here to see the E.I. online catalog).

John Dillinger's Mooresville Home

 Click Video (Above) to Play

Just before 1900, John Dillinger’s father, John Wilson Dillinger, opened a grocery store in Indianapolis.  Young Johnny was born in 1903, and his mother, Mary Ellen “Mollie” Lancaster Dillinger, was hospitalized and died in 1906.  In 1912 John senior married his second wife, Elizabeth Fields, who was from Mooresville.  (Click the images below to enlarge.)

John Wilson Dillinger (left) with his son, Hubert Dillinger,

waiting to identify John Dillinger's body (1934)

(courtesy of APA/Getty Images)

 

Young Johnny’s childhood was average and unexceptional.  Although some biographers have painted young Johnny as a juvenile delinquent, those who knew him best recalled a friendly, good-natured, energetic, high-spirited child.  His youthful misdeeds were limited to relatively mild boyish pranks.  Young Johnny left school after 8^th grade to work in a variety of jobs, including messenger, machinist, upholsterer, and factory worker.

 

John Dillinger (circa 1922) (courtesy of Getty Images)

In 1920 John senior sold his grocery business and purchased a farm just north of Mooresville, his second wife’s hometown.  Young Johnny was 17 years old.  The Dillinger farm was located along Old State Road 267 (today’s North Monroe Street at Northridge Drive), northwest of where Paul Hadley Middle School is now situated.  The farmhouse was later owned by one of John Dillinger’s great nephews.

If you happen to drive by the Dillinger farmhouse, please don't disturb the occupants or owners.  The home is a private residence.  Also, you should probably ask permission before taking any photographs or videos.

 Dillinger Farmhouse in 2007

(courtesy of Google Maps)

Dillinger farmhouse in 1934 (photo by Walter

Ranzini/N.Y. Daily News) (courtesy of Getty Images)

 

McCracken House (1870-1951)

In this installment of Mooresville Moments, our local history video series, we learn about McCracken House, once a popular downtown destination for 80 years.

Click Above to Play Video

McCracken House was originally numbered as 23 West Main Street (in the late 1890s-early 1900s). This designation was subsequently changed to 25 West Main Street. McCrackens owned land surrounding their hotel/restaurant, leasing a building (just to the east of their hotel/restaurant) that was designated 23 West Main Street.  This became Dorsett Insurance Agency in the 1950s. After McCracken House was demolished in 1951, the lot remained vacant for a few years, becoming Worrall Propane Company in the early 1960s (see the 1962 Robinson's Mooresville, Indiana City Directory).

To watch other videos in this series, please visit our YouTube channel local history playlist.

Indiana's First Female State Legislator Was a Mooresvillian

Did you know that the first woman to serve in the Indiana General Assembly was born and raised in Mooresville, Indiana?

Julia D. Nelson (née Julietta Reynolds)

(1863-1936)

First Female in the Hoosier State Legislature

Click the Video (Above) to Learn More

Born in Mooresville on December 11, 1863, Julietta ("Julia") Reynolds attended the Mooresville Academy School until 1880, when she married Edward F. Nelson.  The couple moved to Indianapolis circa 1887.  Subsequently, in 1903 Julia and Edward moved to Muncie, Indiana, where Edward was employed as a pressman for the local newspaper.    (Pressmen operated the printing presses; not to be confused with a reporter.)  Julia served as chairwoman of the Delaware County Republican Women's Club during the 1920 elections.  She was also active in the women's suffrage movement, as well as organizations such as the Order of the Eastern Star and the State Assembly Women's Club.

Following the death of state representative J. Clark McKinley just before the November, 1920 election, Julia D. Nelson was selected as McKinley's replacement to represent Delaware County in the Indiana House.  Julia served one full term (1921-1923).  Her first speech before the General Assembly called for legislation for the care and support of poor parents by their children.  During her first year in office, she introduced five resolutions, of which the most notable were:

• House Bill 425:  To establish private hearings in criminal cases involving rape and in determination of paternity hearings.
• House Bill 322:  To establish an Indiana Motion Picture Board to examine, approve, and regulate movies shown in Indiana theaters.

In 1932, following Edward's death, Julia moved back to Indianapolis.  She died on May 27, 1936 and is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery.

Many thanks to the Indiana Commission for Women for information about Julia D. Nelson.

Come Closer to Paranormal Terror

Local author Aldo Gonzalez has written an autobiographical book about his house haunting experience.  Our book trailer elaborates.

MPL Book Trailer #307
The Feeders at Night
by Aldo Gonzalez

The book will soon be available to checkout from our Evergreen Indiana catalog.  Copies may be purchased from Amazon.com and the author's Facebook page.

In the Painter's Shoes (Paul Hadley Paintings), Part Two

We continue with our exploration of probable locations for watercolors painted by long-time Mooresville, Indiana resident Paul Hadley, designer of the Indiana State Flag.

As we previously blogged, an anonymous patron loaned several Paul Hadley paintings to the library, which are now on display.  Exactly where were these paintings made?  That takes a bit of exploring, both on the Internet and closer to home.

Margaret Colee's Pump House by Paul Hadley
(Click Images to Enlarge)

Hadley showed this painting at the 1939 Indiana State Fair, so it was probably painted around this time [Perry, Rachel Berenson. “Paul Hadley: Artist and Designer of the Indiana Flag.” Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History 15:1 (Indiana Historical Society, Winter 2003): 20-29].

Hadley's biographer, long-time Morgan County (Indiana) Historian Becky Hardin, detailed the history surrounding this painting:

• "Although Paul Hadley never duplicated a painting, he often painted in the same location under different conditions of light and atmosphere. This picture of Margaret Colee's pump house depicts a gray cabin, pink peach tree, and a bright blue sky.  Like most of his paintings it does not show a figure of animal or human being, but the tub, rainwater barrel, and copper bucket are necessary equipment for 'woman's work.' Owen (Tudy) Prescott, grandson of Mrs. Colee, says she hung milk and butter down in the well to keep [them] cool, and he thinks one of her uncles may have stored his 'home brew' there to keep it cool.  (Mooresville was a local option town before prohibition.) Prescott saw this picture in Lieber's window and tried to buy it but it was the property of Dr. Norris who moved to [the] Mooresville community to retire.  He had gone to Spain and lived with a family there to learn how to make frames and framed this one.  When Dr. Norris died his niece, Mrs. McMillin, gave the painting to the Prescotts.  He [Hadley] did a[nother] painting of this pump house with a gray sky which was purchased by John Herron Art Museum in October 1939 for its permanent collection."  [Hardin, Becky (1976). The Indiana State Flag, Its Designer (Biography of Paul Hadley with Anthology of his Paintings), p. 37. Mooresville, Indiana : B. Hardin.]

Grave Marker of Margaret Elizabeth Colee

Mooresville (Indiana) Cemetery

(Photo courtesy of Find-a-Grave)

(Note Death Year Discrepancy)

Margaret Elizabeth Colee (née Spoon) (1859-1951) is buried in section 7 of Mooresville Cemetery, but her grave marker lists her year of death as 1952. However, mortuary records from Harvey Funeral Home, which operated on South Indiana Street in Mooresville (and handled Colee's funeral arrangements), clearly state that Colee died of bronchial pneumonia on March 21, 1951, at the home of her son, O. W. Colee, in Terre Haute, Indiana, and that her services were held at Harvey Funeral Home on March 23, 1951.  This is confirmed by the newspaper obituary from the Mooresville Times, March 22, 1951 (front page).

Margaret Colee's Obituary

Mooresville Times, March 22, 1951, p. 1, col. 3

Front Page of the Mooresville Times, March 22, 1951

(Colee obituary is in column three near the bottom)

Enlarged Masthead of the Mooresville Times,

March 22, 1951

But let's return to the question of location:  Where did Margaret Colee live when Hadley painted her pump house?  According to the 1940 U.S. Census, Margaret Colee rented an unnumbered house on East High Street in Mooresville.  The 1940 Mooresville City Directory confirms this, indicating that she was a "housekeeper" by occupation.  She had lived there for many years.  Upon closer inspection, the 1940 Census stated that her house was situated between 204 and 222 East High Street.

Excerpt from the 1940 U.S. Census for

Mooresville, Morgan County, Indiana

Listing Margaret E. Colee living between

204 and 222 East High Street

The house no longer stands, but we can confirm its location by comparing existing structures' addresses.

 Westerly view from 222 (parking lot) to 218 East High Street

(red brick house), Mooresville, Indiana (March, 2016)

 Easterly view from what would have been

204 (tan building) to 218 East High Street

(red brick house), Mooresville, Indiana (March, 2016)

 From left to right:  (1) what would have been approximately

204 (tan building); (2) 218 (red brick house); and

(3) 222 East High Street (Edward Jones building),

Mooresville, Indiana (March, 2016)

Edward Jones Building

222 East High Street

Mooresville, Indiana

 (March, 2016)

Margaret Colee's house was probably to the right of the red brick house at 218 East High Street, approximately where the white garage now stands.  The pump house Hadley painted would have been located at the back of the lot.

Hadley was most helpful when he named this painting using the resident's name. Margaret Colee rented a house there for decades, and so it was fairly easy to locate in the historical record.

Next time, we'll search for another location from a Paul Hadley painting, which will take us about one block south of Margaret Colee's home to the house of Matthew Comer.