Flashback Friday

Contributed by Teresa Douglass, Genealogy Specialist

Explore your Harrison County family history at the Frederick Porter Griffin Center on West Beaver Street in Corydon. The Griffin Center is open 9 a.m.- 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and offers numerous resources on Harrison County families. HCPL’s digital archives include 66 collections with a wide variety of historic photographs and documents.

This collage features a small sampling of the hundreds of photos available online in the Family Genealogy File Photos collection of HCPL’s digital archives.

Contributed by Teresa Douglass, Genealogy Specialist

Football season is underway, and few could have guessed that the Indiana University Hoosiers would enter it as the defending national champions. Almost no one in 1960 would have predicted it, since the Hoosiers finished that season 1-8, but the fans packed the stadium anyway. The images below show one of the first games held in IU’s newly built Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, when the Hoosiers took on the Spartans of Michigan State University (MSU) on October 22, 1960. That day was both the dedication of the new stadium and IU’s homecoming. Sadly, the Spartans won, 35–0.
Fortunately, the Hoosiers now have Curt Cignetti.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IU and MSU football players line up for a play at the 20-yard line in front of a packed crowd during the October 22, 1960 game. It was one of the first games held in IU’s newly built Memorial Stadium. Construction of the stadium, designed by architects Eggers and Higgins, began in August 1958, and the facility opened on October 8, 1960. The October 22^nd game against MSU was the dedication day for the new stadium and also IU’s homecoming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indiana University’s football team gathers in a huddle on the field during a game against Michigan State University in October 1960. The game took place in IU’s newly constructed Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana, and drew a large crowd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indiana University’s marching band creates the IU symbol as it performs on the football field at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. The October 1960 game marked the official dedication of the newly built stadium and the university’s homecoming.

For more images of this and other college football games and marching bands of the era, visit the Walter and Mina Fried Slide Collection and select College Football Games and Marching Bands.

Contributed by Teresa Douglass, Genealogy Specialist

These two teams from the Palmyra, Indiana FFA chapter placed second and third at the district land judging contest held in Orange County, Indiana, on September 29, 1954. The boys are not identified individually in the photograph, but the eight team members are Herbert Hoehn, Norbert Hoehn, Melvin Vance, Arvile Rudolph, Robert Davis, Harlan Adamson, Jack Rumbly, and Larry Martin. Their advisor, C. M. Foster, is standing at the far left in the back row.

Check out the HCPL Palmyra FFA collection, which contains a 1954-1955 chapter scrapbook with numerous photos and newspaper clippings, a newsletter, and a program and scorecard from a national land judging competition.

Contributed by Teresa Douglass, Genealogy Specialist

Take a look back at some favorite Corydon burger joints of the past with these print ads from the 1960s. Is anyone else getting hungry?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet you there after the game!

Austin “Jocko” Timberlake opened Jock’s Lunch at the northeast corner of Chestnut St. and Capitol Ave. in 1949. Known for its burgers, early breakfasts, and Saturday special pork tenderloin sandwiches, Jocko’s was a favorite spot for teens and grown-ups alike to meet and laugh with friends, catch up on local news and gossip, and grab some good grub. In business at the same location for over 50 years, the small diner became an iconic spot in the Corydon community, with its location widely known as “Jocko’s corner” long after the restaurant’s closure in 2000.

Have your cheeseburger and milkshake delivered to your car!

This print ad for the Dog-N-Suds drive-in restaurant features an image of the Corydon business where several vehicles are parked for curb service. The restaurant was located north of downtown on Highway 135 (current location of El Nopalito) and was a popular hang-out for teens and families.

Check out HCPL’s Businesses of Harrison County collection.

Contributed by Teresa Douglass, Genealogy Specialist

As the dog days of summer come to a close, we give a shout-out to our four-legged companions and take a look back at some well-loved canines of the past.

Dr. Guy D. Baker of Crandall, Indiana (left), and Paul Reynolds of New Albany, Indiana (right) are pictured at the 1947 annual meeting of the Hoosier Fox Hunters Association. The foxhound in the photo belonged to Reynolds and won first place in the derby at the event.

View Group Collection No. 1

The Griffin family dog, John Henry, leaps over the fence at the Porter-Griffin house toward Maurice Griffin in front of the home on Walnut Street in Corydon ca. 1910.

Patrick and Helen Porter Griffin sit near their fireplace with John Henry sitting at their feet.

View Griffin Family Photos

A young Bonnie Eckart (1933-2023) stands for a photograph with her dog Trixie ca. 1938. Bonnie was the daughter of Straude Ray and Myrtle McKim Eckart.

View Family Genealogy File Photos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Standing beside the logging truck on Harry Conrad’s farm east of Corydon, near the Grange Hall ca. 1936 were, from left: Clarence Crecelius, Tom Crecelius, Oscar Crecelius, and Alvin “Smitty” Smith with “Peanuts” the dog.

View People at Work 

Contributed by Teresa Douglass, Genealogy Specialist

September 8^th is International Literacy Day, which highlights the importance of literacy to individuals, communities, and societies. Public libraries have long played a significant role in developing literacy in their communities, so to celebrate International Literacy Day, we feature a page from an early Harrison County library register with entries from 1839-1878. During this period, residents subscribed to the library for a set period of time or paid a small amount with each loan. The list of works loaned out ranged from popular novels to books on travel, science, nature, history, and politics. Some of the most popular items checked out of the library were:

• Waverly novels – a series of wildly popular novels by Sir Walter Scott published between 1814 and 1831.
• The Pickwick Papers – the first novel by Charles Dickens published in serial form between 1836 and 1837.
• Plutarch’s Lives – Biographies of famous Greek and Roman men by Greco-Roman philosopher and historian Plutarch at the beginning of the second century.
• Ferdinand and Isabella – a work about the young Spanish monarchs whose marriage in 1469 led to the unification of Spain.
• Various nature field guides and sketchbooks on plants, gardens, botany, etc., and various medical guides.
• Travel and adventure works about faraway places – Egypt, Yucatan, Poland, & Russia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View the complete Harrison County Library Register, 1839-1878

Contributed by Teresa Douglass, Genealogy Specialist

Corydon Grade School students are pictured in front of their school ca. 1897. The frame, two-story school building was located on the northeast corner of Mulberry and Walnut Streets and served Corydon students until 1915.

Browse more photos in HCPL’s Harrison County Schools collection.

Corydon Grade School, ca. 1897

Several individuals in this photograph have been identified. For those for whom the name given is not a certainty, the name is followed by a “?”.

1st Row (L-R): Laurence Bennet, Hester Black, Nellie Williams, Cloe Frederick, Loraine Bulleit?, John Irwin, Jack Conrad, Unknown, Unknown, Curtis Lockhart, Walter Applegate, Bennet Caughlin, Keen Irwin, Royal Purple?, James Tabler, Bob Tracewell, George Miller, Marcella Webb, Emma Long.

2nd Row: ____ Steepleton, Willie Crecelius, Wilbur Miller, Unknown, Clara Anderson?, Faye Seig, Unknown, Bobbitt, Nell Keller, Monnie Conrad, Walter Cunningham, Waldo Hurst, Hardin Lemon?, Fritz Straub, Henry Sebrun, Mary Kirkham, Edna Lotich, Maude Davis, Clarence Lockhart, Nelly Funk, Forrest Swilte?, Willie Ball?, Grace Funk, Anna Chambers.

3rd Row: Laurence Garing?, Harry Funk, Harry Caughlin, Morris Kennedy?, Guy Bulleit behind Wilbur Miller, Mabel Jordan, Mrs. Ruth Funk, Slemmons Riely, Hattie Irwin, Unknown, Goldie McElfresh, Riely Bean?, behind Walter Cunningham, Tommie Long, May Crosier, Blaine Hays, Georgia Lemon, Cleve or Steve Blunk, May Feller, Emma Crosier, Elsie Lotick, Alma Lotich.

4th Row (starting just after Slemmons Riely): Bill Salts, Jesse Bennet, Lawson Reed, Ben Thornsbury, Ray DeMosse, Ollie Sebrun, Katie Emily, Nettie Lockhart, Louise Miller back of George Lemon.

5th Row: Bertha Sebrun?, Walter McGrain, Reed Culmer?, Wiley Patterson, James Applegate?, LaRella Bean, Alma Black, Blanche Elliott, Miss Ella Logan in back.

Contributed by Teresa Douglass, Genealogy Specialist

New Salisbury High School students pose for a photo outside of their school ca. 1946. No one in the photo has been identified.
See someone you can positively identify? Let us know!

View more photos in HCPL’s Harrison County Schools Collection.

Contributed by Teresa Douglass, Genealogy Specialist

These Laconia 1^st– and 2nd-graders look eager to get started. Even their teacher is smiling!

To see more photos, visit HCPL’s Harrison County Schools Collection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Laconia 1^st & 2^nd graders – 1939-1940

These children were 1st and 2nd graders at Laconia Grade School during the 1939-1940 school term. They posed for the picture outside of their school building, which was constructed in 1934 and served the community until 1986.  Individuals in the photo have been identified left to right as follows:

Front Row: Cletus Russellburg, Jack Briles, Jimmy Sample, Johnny Boone, Billie Crosier, Roselie Johns, Shirley Boone, Phyllis Ann Crosier, Mary Jones, Rosella Johns. (The Johns girls in this row are twins.)

Second Row: Margaret Ellen Crosier, Ruby Faith, Marilyn Beckort, Francis Timberlake, Joyce Denbo, Doris Williar, Alice Biddle, Mary Ellen Williar, ______ Howell, and Allen Denbo.

Third Row: Teacher Violet Rooksby (Gassert), Jimmy Allen Beanblossom, James Mathis, Maurice Russellburg, Lena Mae Kingsley, Donald Faith, Gene Best, John Maurice Ashton, Maurice Fisher Williar.

 

 

Contributed by Teresa Douglass, Genealogy Specialist

It’s back-to-school time already – summer goes by so fast, doesn’t it?

In honor of all our young scholars, this month we will feature Harrison County school groups of the past. We start with a group of first graders from Lanesville, ca. 1930. Visit the Harrison County Schools collection to view more photographs.

Lanesville 1^st graders – ca. 1930

These Lanesville-area first-grade students pose for a photograph outside an entrance to their school building. Many of the students have been identified.

Left to right in the front row are: James Simler, Alvin Hussong, Luetta Emily, two unidentified children, Orville Hussong, an unidentified child, and Mr. Prage, the school principal.

Middle Row: Kenneth Day, three unidentified children, Gertrude Lottick (teacher), Russell Loy, Donald Kinzer, and Francis Zollman.

Back Row: Florence Prage, an unidentified child, Dorothy Prage, two unidentified children, and Cecelia Gleitz.