September 6, 2011

The Spencer County Historical Society met on Tuesday, September 6, 2011 in the Rockport Library Genealogy Room.

The meeting was called to order by the president at 6:30 PM with 9 members and 1 guest present.

The minutes from the last meeting were read and approved.

The treasurer’s report was given.  

It was mentioned that the David Turnham marker was completed and back in front of Heritage Hills High School.  A member said that he had taken the marker to Grandview Aluminum Products on a Tuesday to have them do the repainting of the letters.  He had the marker finished by Friday.  The marker looks great and is once again legible.

The president introduced member, John C. Huffman, Professor Emeritus of Indiana University, who is a descendant of the Spencer County Huffmans.  He showed various maps that he had produced from the old public land surveying system and compared them to present day maps.  He told a little bit about how surveyors used to create the maps of the counties.  He also showed enlarged pictures concerning the Huffman Mill area.

A member brought up the Huffman Mill Bridge.  Apparently the county is unsure as to how they are going to proceed with the bridge project.

A member discussed the Honig project.  He showed a mock-up of what the markers would look like and read the wording that would be on each sign.  He also mentioned that $300.00 had been donated toward the project.

A motion was made and seconded to purchase the markers.  The motion carried.

A member said that he would help set the poles which would save on the cost.

There was some discussion about the Meeks marker that was mentioned in the June meeting.  A Meeks relative wanted the location in the Graff Cemetery to be more noticeable.  The president suggested a treated 4” x 4” post covered in vinyl with the word Meeks down the side.  Another member suggested marking the area with plastic chain.  The president was going to check on it.

The secretary mentioned that a GPS showed a Chautauqua Road near the Grandview Fire Station.  The president said that was the road of the old traction line that went into Grandview from Rockport.  It was near the Thurman farm (later where the Bill Machins lived) where the County Chautauqua was held.

The secretary read several letters that were sent with membership renewals.

A letter was read from a member concerning the cemetery records at Grandview and Newtonville.

The president had a request for a book “Huntingburg, IN Index to News Deaths, 1926-1941 from the Genealogy Room.  A motion was made and seconded to purchase the book.  The motion carried. 

There was the election of officers.  A motion was made and seconded to keep the same slate of officers.  The motion carried.

A member suggested that the Society do something in memory of Kris Manley, such as ordering a book to honor her.

The Genealogy librarian had talked to the secretary about copying the 1950 Rockport Journal in Kris’s memory.  The president is going to check about having it copied as the Evansville Bindery is unable to take the book apart.  He had been told that if it were to be photographed, there would be some loss of the columns on the inside.  It was decided that a partial copy would be better than no copy at all.  That would complete the past issues that needed to be microfilmed.

A member reported that he was going to talk to the Spencer County Leader about the “Lost Park” in Fulda.  The Heritage Park was mentioned in the Society newsletter, Issue 87, and had been discussed at the meeting in June.

The president mentioned a book he had purchased for the Genealogy Room – “This, Our Town - the 100^th anniversary of the Incorporation of Jasper, Indiana, July 21-28, 1966”.  A motion was made and seconded to pay for the book.  The motion carried.

A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting.  The motion carried.  The meeting adjourned at 8:50 PM.

The next meeting will be October 4, 2011 at 6:30 PM in the Genealogy Room.