The Shelbyville Republican
Monday November 24, 1947
Page 2 column 2
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YOUR TOWN — OF FLAT ROCK
By Hortense Montgomery
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Flat Rock has fine praise from Dr.
Sluter, its first historian, in 1880, he says that the township
is better watered than any other in the county, the surface is gently
rolling and undulating in every direction and that the soil is
superior quality. He continues, “The people are prosperous and
there is not a tract of land but that is owned by the people living
on it.” The township is crossed by the Flat Rock river, one of
the most picturesque in this part of the country. In pioneer days it
was broader and deeper than now and Dr. Perry of Shelbyville,
whose maternal grandfather, John White, lived in Flat Rock
tells that in the early days there was a ferry boat that plied the
river, was moored at Flat Rock and used as a pleasure craft; however
it was made sometimes to serve a practical purpose by carrying
produce up and down the river. Mr. White was one of the pioneers of
the village and was in charge of a branch of the Hageman
undertaking firm, and at times was a carpenter who had a hand in
building a number of the early homes of Flat Rock.
Washington township was organized in
March of 1845 but as early as 1839 a road was cut through the woods
to Shelbyville. The village of Flat Rock was platted January 4, 1885
by Thomas Wooley on a plan consisting of 42 lots.
The town was situated on the
Pennsylvania Railroad. This and the fact that it is the center of a
fine agricultural country leads one to conclude that shipping grain
was a part of Flat Rock’s industrial life. The Nading family has,
from early times, been identified with the elevator business, John
and William Nading, were grain merchants but when the elevator
burned it was never rebuilt. Other pioneer businessmen were Wesley
Nading and C.P. Isley, general merchants, and
Alvin
Moore, who operated a sawmill.
Canning factories today have taken the
place largely of grain warehouses and saw mills. Flat Rock now has
its third canning factory, the first one being located in the center
of town next to the railroad station; a second one, located in the
same place was burned and now the third one, called the Flat Rock
Canning Factory, does a big business and furnishes work for many of
the village folks. At one time there was a creamery located here.
The people of this community have been
known of as honest folk and they were no more willing to permit
dishonesty in other people than they were to practice it themselves. In the 80’s there was established a Horse Thief Insurance Club.
“This helped,” said Mr. Chadwick, “to bring to justice many
horse thief gangs then going thru Indiana, and if a horse was stolen
and could not be found all members of the club chipped in and paid
the owners for it.”
Among the homes of Flat Rock are two
or three of the pioneer homesteads which stand to remind the moderns
of pioneers and pioneer home life. One of these, known as the Clifton Girton
homestead, is now owned and occupied by the Herschel Blades family; another is the
Thomas Wolley home, recently purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Blades, who are remodeling
it to be their future home. The Charles Potter home is
now occupied by the Martin Porters.
Two new home attract the attention and
admiration of travelers through and visitors in the town, and are
owned by the Martin Nadings; the larger brick house was built
several years ago and the last one was completed just a little more
than a year ago, with all the modern conveniences known to the
building craft the grounds are beautifully landscaped. Mrs. Nading
is quite a gardener and experiments, in her conservatory, with choice
plants she gathers in her wide travels. The folks in Flat Rock are
as proud of these two homes as are their owners.
Flat Rock has the Washington township
consolidated school and here are brought the pupils from Lewis Creek
and Norristown. There are two churches, the Christian and Methodist
churches, the latter is in the process of having a new unit added,
and oil heating plant installed and the interior redecorated. These
improvements were begun during the pastorate of Rev. Cross,
now of Shelbyville, but the war, scarcity of materials and high
prices have retarded the work far into peacetime years.
The village now has two grocery
stores, a hardware store, a feed mill, two filling stations and a
blacksmith shop. The railroad station is still there but the road
has no passenger travel; for some years there was a caboose on the
freight that passengers could use if one didn’t care too much when
he started or how soon he got there but even that has been
discontinued. There is a post office in the town.
Among the residents in the public eye
are Dr. J. A. Davis, who is new the president of the Indiana
Tuberculosis Association, and Mrs. Lulu Wertz, who has just
ended an outstanding tenure of 16 years as county attendance officer. And one of our informants says facetiously “And Flat Rock has the
usual small village ‘Cracker Barrell Discussion Club’ which
discusses and settles all of the problems of the world.”
Contributed by Barb Huff
The Shelbyville Republican
Thursday, October 14, 1937.
--------------------
Flat Rock.
----
[This is only the end of the article.-pmf]
Mr. and Mrs. Omer Seward have moved from the Nading residence.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank McGuire and Herb Endicott, of Indianapolis, spent Tuesday evening at the bedside of J. A. Endicott.
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Colby, of Connersville, spent the week-end here visiting relatives.
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Weinantz had as their guests to Sunday dinner Mr. and Mrs. Russell Weinantz and children, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Cochran, Mr. and Mrs. Warren Clark, Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Weinantz and son, and Mr. and Mrs. Donal Hilt and family, of Greenfield, and Mrs. Lou Hilt, of Seymour, and Miss Hannah Dickman of Shelbyville.
Mr. and Mrs. William Porter, Jr., spent Sunday with Mrs. Porter's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Ray, in Shelbyville.
Mr. and Mrs. L. E. Wewton[sic] and sons, of Moorfield, W. Va., are spending a week with Mrs. Newton's father, Louis Blades, and other relatives. Mr. Blades will return home with them for a visit for a few weeks.
Mr. and Mrs. Hershell Blades and daughters and Mr. and Mrs. Homer Striddelmeier and sons, of near Columbus, spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. William Porter, Sr.
Hershell Newsom and B
Mrs. Nellie Newsom, of Solumbus, attended the Grange meeting Tuesday evening.
Copied by Phyllis Miller Fleming
The Shelby Republican
Tuesday, February 13, 1906
Page 1
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FLATROCK.
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Hon. Adam F. May was in
Shelbyville Saturday.
Henry C. Andrews
and family visited relatives in Flat Rock Sunday.
Wallace Thompson,
of near Alert, visited his sister, Mrs. Kate Hawkins, Friday.
Marshall Higgins
was over form Edinburg Sunday. 'Shall still looks natural.
Marion Hogan
and Clem Higgins were in Edinburg Friday. The results
proved it.
Tildon Essex
and a party of friends were in Flat Rock Saturday, having come over from Hope in
Mr. Essex's big automobile.
Jesse C. Scott
is in Indianapolis this week caring for a consignment of horses, which is father
has shipped to the city for sale.
How many of you good hose
wives after carefully tending a lot house plants for the last eight moths let
them freeze last week?
The teachers of
Washington township held their institute for this year at Flat Rock
Saturday. Trustee Henry Wertz and his teachers are
closing a very successful year of school work. The Flat Rock schools will
close in about five weeks.
Ira Spurlin
has returned to his work as a brake man on the Pennsylvania R. R. Ira has
been off duty for about a month. He was laid off on account of an injury
to his hand, and improved the opportunity to get married to Miss Grace
Hilt, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Hilt of this place.
Bernice, the
little daughter of Fayette Wright is quite sick of some kind
of throat trouble. She was very ill Saturday, but at last report was a
little better. There has been a great deal of sickness in this
neighborhood but the cold weather of the last week brought some improvement, in
most areas.
Mr. and Mrs. Herman
Weinantz, who have resided with the parents of the former since their
marriage last fall, have commenced house keeping in the old Weinantz homestead
one mile south east of Lewis Creek. Mrs. Weinantz was formerly Miss
Eva Drake, daughter of the late G. W. Drake.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming
The Shelbyville Daily Democrat
Tuesday, September 26, 1899
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Owing to the many petty
thefts that have taken place in and around Flat Rock within the last few weeks,
the Flat Rock Horse Theft Detective Association has issued its annual call to
take steps to arrest the perpetrators, by hiring detectives and offering rewards
for the detection of criminals. The first meeting of the year will be at
the school house Sept. 27, and the second meeting will be on Saturday, Sept. 30.
at the same place, to receive new members. The Association wants to get
100 members in the company.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming
The Shelbyville Republican
Friday, October 21, 1898
Page 1
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CORRESPONDENCE.
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FLATROCK.
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William Jolliff
is very sick with dropsy.
Thomas Hawkins spent
this week in Chicago.
James Harris
has gone to Boonville to work.
James Hilt
has returned from Indianapolis
Bedna Young
moved his household goods to Boonville Monday.
Quite a lot of rotten and
spoiled corn will be the result of the rainy weather.
Prof. Charles Hawkins
has moved into the property recently purchased of Bedna Young.
Martin Higgins, of
Middletown, and John Higgins, of Anderson, were visiting here last
week.
Ora Treon
shipped his goods to Missouri this week. He has rented his farm to Samuel
Davis.
Dr. Connelly
and family, Katie Hawkins and John Stater
and family spent Saturday in Columbus.
Miss Ella Clouds
has returned from Dillsboro, Ind., where she spent the summer with relatives.
It is a self evident fact
that our school property here needs a good well drilled to furnish water for the
pupils and teachers.
Mrs. Nora V. Nading
spent Sunday in Richmond with her son, Martin, and
nephew, Bruce Wright, who are attending Earlham College.
Thomas Hawkins
has placed a new seven barrel oil tank in his cellar. It is also filled
with three self-measuring pumps so the oil can be drawn from the same upstairs.
The section hands worked
all day on Sunday. The president of the Pennsylvania lines is expected to
pass over the road the 20th and everything must show up in fine shape.
Rev. Frank Coyle
arrived from Beardon, Tennessee, Saturday evening. He preached at the
Christian church Saturday night, Sunday and Sunday night. He will probably
locate here.
The friends and neighbors
of Mr. and Mrs. James Beckley gathered at their home Tuesday
night and profided them with eatables of most every kind. It was also Mrs.
Beckley's birthday.
Shelby county can knock
the socks off of most anything in the farm product line. John Stater
entered in the big pumpkin contest at Columbus last Saturday and carried off the
prize, a new overcoat, with his hundred and thirty-five pound pumpkin. His
son-in-law, William Winterrowd, followed with a hundred and thirty-two
pounder and secured a suit of clothes. Shelby county, especially the
southern part, is some "pumpkins."
The Flatrock band is now
a reality sure enough, the following gentlemen composing it and managing the
following instruments: Dr. H. M. Connelly, cornet; Charles
Porter, jr., cornet; Everett Herrod, cornet; Walter
Porter, clarinet; Adrian Chambers, slide trombone; Warren
Fateley, alto; Artie Muldoon, alto; Clarence Thompson,
baritone; Pitney Cowles, tuba; Harvey Vaniman, bass
drum; Harry Gay, snare drum; Fred Kollmeyer, of
Columbus, instructor.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming
A Shelby County, Indiana,
Newspaper
Friday, January 22, 1897
------------oOo------------
FLAT ROCK.
---------------
Thomas Hawkins was at Hope Saturday.
Noah Scott was at Shelbyville Saturday.
Mrs. Dr. Connely, is able to be out again.
Mrs. Solomon, of Hope, was here last week.
Nathan Shaw is suffering from rheutatism.
The show was back again the first of the week.
Charles Erdman, of Greensburg, was here Saturday.
Services each night this week at the Christian church.
Rev. C. E. Hesteris[sic] still engaged in a revival at Marietta.
William Skinkle arrived Saturday from Orongo, Missouri.
Elza Monroe was here Saturday representing the Cave Mills.
Mrs. James Beckley is visiting Mrs. S. Carney, at Rushville.
Mrs. Wells, of your city, is visiting at George Hildebrand's.
Mrs. Charles McCartney is spending part of the week near Hope.
Wilbur Israel, of your city, was down here Friday on legal business.
A. A. Whaley is having a well drilled. Deiwert & Green, contractors.
The K. of P. boys have been receiving some new recruits recently.
Charles Danforth, the Columbus broom man, was here last week.
James Phillip is home from Indianapolis where he has been woring.
Rev. C. E. Hester was called to Rushville as a witness on a trial Monday.
Miss Minnie Chesser spent Sunday with her parents near Lewis Creek.
Thomas Vinnege, of Hope, was transacting business here one day last week.
Miss Tishie McQueen was visiting Lillian and Jennie McQueen last week.
Col. Ed. Wolf, of Rushville, was here Tuesday with a full line of straw hats.
Quite a number of teachers congregated here Saturday to attend the institute.
Messrs. Mahony and White, two Indianapolis dry goods drummers, were here last week.
Miss Gertie Moore, of Indianapolis, and Miss Dosie Spellman spent Sunday here with James Spellman and family.
James Spellman, our butcher, sold some lard to Mrs. Marone Heck, of Norristown. She returned the same claiming it contained tallow or suet, and a slight altercation took place which resulted in an affidavit being filed against Spellman. The trial was called Friday in 'Squire White court, but on account of the sickness of one of the witnesses it was postponed and was venued to Allan Conger junsdiction[sic] to be tried one day this week.
Copied by Phyllis Miller Fleming
The Shelby Republican
Thursday, March 2, 1893
----------oOo----------
FLATROCK.
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Thomas Hawkins moved to town Monday.
John Kirkwood is on the sick list with lagrippe.
Dan Wertz is suffering with neuralgia of the face.
Will Endsley transacted business in Hope, Tuesday.
D. J. Deiwert is engaged in buying poultry for McLane.
Pet McLean transacted business at Indianapolis last week.
Miss Nettie Bristol spent Sunday with friends at Shelbyville.
Moore & Bristol have received their machinery for the new factory.
Will Nading and John A. Tindal were looking after business here Wednesday.
Frank Bowman has moved to Columbus. John and Ed Herrod will occupy his farm this summer.
George W. Rapp and family have returned from a two week's visit with relatives and friends at Bengal.
Nading Brothers are receiving quite a large amount of corn, having received sixty loads one day last week.
The annual meeting of the stockholders of the Flat Rock Creamery and Butter company, will be held March 11, 1893, for the purpose of electing five directors.
Wertz & Young are having more bad luck than anybody, having broken their saw-mill again. They have not been able to run more than half time since the first of December.
We notice among the applicants for graduation honors who attended the graduation examination, held last Saturday, February 24, at the Flat Rock schoolhouse in this township: Misses Emma White, Cora Roberts, Jennie Stafford, Fannie M. Bone, Messrs. C. F. Porter, Walter L. Porter, Riley Hogue, Thomas Bone, Clarence Thompson and Adrian Chambers. From the earnestness with which the applicants were applying themselves, Washington township should furnish her own teachers next winter, and we believe she will.
UNCLE RASTUS.
Copied by Phyllis Miller Fleming
The Shelby Republican
Shelbyville, Indiana, Thursday, February 23, 1893
-------oOo-------
FLATROCK.
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The saw-mill has closed down during the night and will only run during the day.
Moore & Bristol have the frame-up for their factory for making can filling machinery.
We are in no way responsible what "Uncle Rastus" writes for the Democrat.
Thomas Hawkins has a public sale next Saturday preparatory to moving to our village.
Charles Deiwert is running an employment agency especially for the benefit of widows.
A gentleman from Kansas was here last week looking after the interests of Mrs. Nora Nading.
We have a sensation of unusual proportions, but cannot give it to the public for a week or two.
Misses Betie and Tissa McComas are spending a few days with relatives and friends at Shelbyville.
Mrs. Lottie VanGorden and Mrs. Jennie Woolley, of Columbus, visited relatives here one day last week.
Henry Coffman will shortly become a citizen of our village, having purchased T. J. Conger's property.
Frank Coyle will work for Lish McKnight this summer. Thomas Hawkins will occupy the house vacated by him.
The Pythian Sisters will give an oyster supper and entertainment at the Castle hall in March; a grand time is expected.
Trustee Porter has purchased the ground of William Nading upon which to erect a four room school building. Work will be commenced as soon as the weather will permit.
We cannot understand why the writer for the Republican from Lewis Creek should be continually slurring our trustees in regard to bankrupting the township.
Copied by Phyllis Miller Fleming
The Shelbyville Republican
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Thursday, October 25, 1883
Page 3
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FLATROCK FLASHES.
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Flatrock, Ind., Oct. 20, 1883
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The growing wheat never
looked better.
The Sunday school is
prospering finely.
The voice of the
corn-husker is again heard in the land.
Frank Conger
took in the Louisville exposition last week and reports a good time.
Bible reading at the M.
E. church on Wednesday evening. Let all come and take part.
The new grain-dump at
this place is rapidly approaching completion and will soon be ready for loading
grain.
Mr. Chris Girton,
of your city, is building a new house on this farm near here, which will be
occupied by Mr. Lemons.
At last a jolly
shoe-maker has pitched his tent in our magnificent city, and will look after the
soles of our citizens during the coming winter.
Our wagon-maker was
rushed with business last week all on account of the spokes dropping out of a
couple of carts, while the boys were driving along.
The rat company of this
city marshaled their hosts one morning last week and make a charge on an old
barn in the suburbs, and after a hard struggle came off victorious without the
loss of a single man or dog.
Alvin Moore
is rushing things through in the saw-mill line. He is making an
improvement to his mill in the shape of a cozy little office which will add
greatly to the comfort of the employes.
The Rag-tag base ball
club played a match game with the Bob-tail club, of this city last
Saturday. The game was intensely exciting throughout and resulted in a
draw game. Several good runs made during the game--we mean runs to get out
of the way of the ball; and a number of good catches would have been made if the
boys hadn't fallen down before getting to the ball. The striking elicited
immense applause from the audience, who were seated on top the fence. The
bat was hit several times when the striker was not looking, which proved
conclusively that the boys will become first-class strikes in the near
future. The game will be continued next Saturday evening, when a big time
is expected. Come donw and bring a bat; we havn't[sic] anything to strike
with but a wagon spoke, nevertheless we're the boss club and don't you forget
it.
OLD RUSH.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming
~ ~ ~
Plat of the Town of Flatrock
Description of the Bearings.
The Streets running East and West are laid out with the Section Line. The streets running North and South are on a magnet line.
Explanation.
The lots are all four rods by Eight rods except Lots 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, and 42 , which are described on the plat. All the streets are fifty feet wide except Broad Street, which is Sixty feet. The alleys are all Twenty links wide.
Laid out January 4th 1855 in the North Half of the North West Quarter of Section Thirty-five Township Eleven, Range Six East.
Signed: Thomas Wooley, Proprietor
State of Indiana §
Shelby County §
Before me, Aaron Fix, a Justice of the Peace, in and for Said Coutny this 2nd day of May 1855, Thomas Wooley acknowledged the above plat to be his own act and deed. Witness my hand and seal this 2nd day of May 1855.
Signed: Aaron Fix, Justice (seal)
Recorded June 21, 1855
John S. Campbell, recorder
Transcribed by Melinda Moore Weaver
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