Going to the dogs

This 1910 dog tag is rusted because it was buried in the ground for several years. Issued by the town of Seelyville, Ind., this tag is from the private collection of Wayne A. Langman, Terre Haute, Ind. Just imagine — someone’s faithful companion wore this lucky number 13 tag! Even “back in the day,” our domesticated animals needed to be licensed.

The town of Seelyville has several other items in its collection. View them here.

Seelyville is located on U.S. Route 40.

A tribute to Max Ehrmann

“You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.” These are a few of the words of Terre Haute poet and lawyer Max Ehrmann in his poem, Desiderata. A poem known throughout the world, Ehrmann was never given the proper recognition for his work. Indeed, through the years, many in Terre Haute forgot that a man from this city penned this work.

All of that has now changed as the City of Terre Haute celebrated in August the unveiling of a Max Ehrmann statue created by sculptor Bill Wolfe. The words of Ehrmann’s celebrated poem appear on a nearby bronze plaque.

In 1997, Mike McCormick, Vigo County historian, wrote about Ehrmann and Desiderata in an ad sponsored by Terre Haute First National (Financial) Bank, Wabash Valley Profiles: A series of tributes to hometown people and events that have shaped our history. The Vigo County Historical Society, 1411 S. 6th Street, Terre Haute, is the repository for this ad as well as numerous other ads sharing the history and people of Vigo County.

To view Ehrmann’s article click here. To read an article from the Terre Haute Tribune-Star about the unveiling of the statue, click here. To visit the Vigo County Historical Society’s collection on WV3, click here.

Celebrating a saint!

October is a very special month for the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind. The celebrating starts on Oct. 2, the birthday of this saint. She entered this world in 1798 in the village of Etables-sur-Mer in Brittany, France. Her parents gave her the name Anne-Thérèse.

On Oct. 15, 2006, during a ceremony in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI canonized her as a saint of the Catholic Church. Her Feast Day is celebrated Oct. 3.

Another special day is Oct. 22, Foundation Day. On this date in 1840, Mother Theodore and her five sister-companions came to the Woods. Every Sister of Providence knows the famous words spoken by Father Buteux on this historic evening: “Come down, Sisters, we have arrived.”

In the sisters’ collection on WV3, you can view some of the artifacts that belonged to Mother Theodore. You can also view her journals that were penned by her own hand. The earliest journals are written in French.

To visit the collection of the Sisters of Providence, click here. To learn more about Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, visit here.

Architectural drawings of Juliet Peddle

The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Archives, Logan Library, in Terre Haute is the repository for many of Juliet A. Peddle’s architectural drawings. Juliet, who was born in Terre Haute in 1899 and died in 1979, was an artist and architect.

The drawing at right is of the Vigo County Seminary (Old Seminary) that once stood on the site of the Indiana State Teachers Collegej (Indiana State University today). The transcription that accompanies the image on the WV3 site states, “The style of this building is quite characteristic of the architecture of the day. Greek revival lines which were the keynote of most of the architecture of the period from about 1820 up to 1850 or ’60 are evident in the shape of the structure, the pediment and cornice, and the pilasters or flat columns, all being suggestive of the Greek temple which was the basis of the style.”

To view this drawing from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Archives, click here. To view the entire Rose-Hulman Archives collection, click here.

Insult me? I’ll just sue you!

So, you think that people today dis one another? Well, back in 1798 people were insulting one another, too! And thanks to the Knox County Public Library, located at 502 North Seventh Street, Vincennes, court documents, like this summons, have been digitized so that anyone with access to the Internet can find such historical papers.

According to the description accompanying this document, “[This was a] civil court case in which Jossette Chabbotte charges Francois Loignon with slander and defamation. Chabbotte was suing for $500 in damages. The plaintiff's attorney stated that full satisfaction was received and requested that the case be dismissed. ”

To view this summons more closely, click here. To view other court records on the Wabash Valley Visions & Voices website, click here.

Photos and accounts of the 1913 flood

Anyone who lived in the Terre Haute area in June 2008 remembers the devastating flood that affected this area. In 1913, a tornado and flood terrorized Terre Haute and the surrounding areas.

According to Terre Haute’s Tornado and Flood Disaster, March 23-30, 1913, which was published by the Terre Haute Publishing Company in 1913, “The dawn of the week of Easter, March 23, 1913, brought with it to Terre Haute a week of flood and storm devastation which will go down in history as this city’s heaviest blow. To the south, a tornado, beginning at 10 o’clock on Easter night, laid waste to several hundred homes; claimed the lives of seventeen persons; resulted in the severe injury to more than 150 persons. …”

The booklet continued, “Long before the shock of this disaster had begun to wear away the north section of the city was inundated by the rise of the Wabash river, and at the same time Taylorville and West Terre Haute, across the river from Terre Haute, experienced the worst floods in their history.”

The Archives at the Vigo County Public Library has a plethora of documents, newspaper clippings and photos of this devastating week in Vigo County history. The Archives also has images from the 2008 flood. To learn more about each natural disaster, click here.

Discovering treasures

Do you enjoy immersing yourself in history? Do you love looking at old photographs? When you drive, do you enjoy getting away from the main highway and investigating old country roads? Do you visit antique shops hoping to find a treasure? You aren’t alone! And thanks to Wabash Valley Visions & Voices you can enjoy history from the comfort of your home!

Thirty-five organizations in the Wabash Valley are partners in this digital memory project. Open up the collections of any of the partners and you’ll be surprised at what you’ll discover. Take this 1920 Clinton Directory published by Clark-Elwell Co. of Champaign, Ill. What a treasure! Not only is it a directory of residents, but also businesses, churches, organizations and local governmental entities.

Check out this directory more closely by clicking here.