Fountaintown

Map of  VanBuren Township,  see Sections 14 & 15
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The  Shelbyville  Republican
 Monday December 1, 1947
Page 3 column 2
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YOUR  TOWN  OF  FOUNTAINTOWN
By Hortense Montgomery
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          Fountaintown barely escaped being in Hancock county; a little more and it would have been across the border but we’re glad the Fountains decided just where they did for Shelby county is glad to have it and its people a part of our county, and take part in our country affairs.
          A map of the county shows Fountaintown and Lardona as the only two villages in VanBuren township and both in the C.H. and D. railroad; but try to find Lardona ‘in the flesh’-you will look in vain for it isn’t any more; progress put it in the scrap heap.  Near to Fountaintown but in Hancock county are two small settlements known to fame, namely Stringtown which was just a row of houses along the highway with no business connections, and Tailholt, the place made famous by Riley and for that reason always a place to be revered.
          Fountaintown was platted according to Chadwick by  Matthew Fountain; the Rev. Sluter says  Ezra Fountain, but the fact of the matter is that Matthew and his two sons,  Ezra  and  Samuel  were the co-platters, December 23, 1854. The Fountains and  Benjamin Freeman  were among the very early merchants.
          The village is situated on the C.H. and D. Railroad, now owned by the B. and O. interests and when the railroad was completed in 1869 it gave an impetus to Fountaintown business.  The town came to have a population of 350 with a number of stores and industries.  It had a tile factory, pump factory, wholesale house, flour mill, a general store, dry goods store and three blacksmith shops.  "And," says  Mrs. Ernest Murnan, "like many small towns was quite a place for family gatherings on Saturday night."  And, we insert, Shelbyville is still like that.
          Fountaintown is located on State Highway 52 and before the new highway Road 9 passed through the center of the town.
          We find among the pioneer family names those of  Isaac Robinson,  James E. Smith,  Ben Freeman,  Clark Macy,  Enoch Campbell,  Nathan Moore  and  Marion Ayers. Nathan Moore is the great-grandfather of  Miss Georgia Moore  teaching now in our high school and her sister, Mrs. Marie Rohm.
          Marion Ayers  was named as a carpenter having built several of the earliest homes.  We thought we had learned something about our managing editor up at the Democrat but he disclaims knowing anything about any relationship-says he will look further into the matter if we don’t find any horse thieves, or such, in the family back in the pioneer days.
          Mr. Nathan Hardy  and  Mrs. Frank E. Bass, both of Shelbyville stem from the pioneer Moore family and, as you will notice, Mr. Hardy carries the family name of Nathan.
          Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor  is the oldest resident of the village and is an accomplished musician and artist.  Two of the old pioneer homes are the Moore home but not lived in by the Moore sisters, and the  Harvey Smith homestead now occupied by Margaret Smith a descendant.
          Fountaintown has two churches, the Christian Church first built in 1868.  The congregation is now occupying the third edifice built in 1918; the first Methodist Church was erected in 1874 and now occupies a new building erected in 1934.  Both churches are very active and aside from their religious purposes afford opportunities for social and recreational activities for the town and surrounding community.
          Five years ago the men of Fountaintown organized the Fountaintown Conservation Club to sponsor all matters pertaining to the welfare of their own. The women of Fountaintown are club-minded and The Tuesday Club is one of the high-rating clubs in the Indiana Federation of Clubs. There is the Home Economics Club of VanBuren township in which the women hold membership. Mrs. Ernest Murnan is the president of the Shelby County Federation of Clubs and she is also the post mistress of the town, whose post office is third class with a 67-mile rural route and train and truck service.
          The McCarter Telephone Company is an independent company owned by the subscribers; the exchange is located in one room of the oldest pioneer home of the town and is managed by two telephone operators.
          Fountaintown sends its high school students to Morristown where is the township’s consolidated school, but it retains a grade school built in 1915; this has an enrollment of 124 with a staff of four teachers.  It has a live Parent-Teacher Association which for special projects has purchased additional playground equipment and added to the school library.
          Until recently Fountaintown had a bank but that has been discontinued and the building is now used by J.H. Snyder, prominent businessman, for a private business office.  At present there is a general store, a restaurant, skating rink, telephone office, barber shop and poolroom, grain elevator, gas company, lumber yard, poultry house, post office, depot and express office, a garage, a beauty shop, a real estate office; it has one building contractor and one physician, Dr. Harry Nave.  This list would indicate that Fountaintown is a busy village with enough industries and professions to give employment to all its citizens.  The general store mentioned is owned by  Miss Moore  and  Mrs. Rohm  who followed a  Mr. Smith, and only these two owners have had charge of the store since the Civil War period.  Miss Moore and Mrs. Rohm are flower hobbyist and specialize in iris.  Tourists come from distant parts to see their beautiful blooms.
          Fountaintown claims as its most distinguished citizen  John W. Kern,  who had his boyhood years here and was later a United States senator, going to Washington from Indianapolis which was the home of their family at the time.
Contributed by Barb Huff

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