The Shelbyville News
Saturday January 17, 1948
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YOUR TOWN—NORRISTOWN
By Hortense Montgomery
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Rev. Sluter writing in 1880 names Norristown as the largest town in
Washington township. Mr. Chadwick writing in 1909 names it one of the defunct
places of the township. Both agree that it was founded in 1851 but Mr. Chadwick
November 22, while Rev. Sluter says "November 23," by David
and William Winterrowd and Henry Deiwert." Mr. Chadwick says "David
Winterrowd and others including Henry Deiwert." These little discrepancies
perhaps will make no difference as they were small villages, unless it could be
–and could it be? that many years from now some important historical matter or
some point in law hinged on some such seemingly unimportant matter. At any rate
we’re giving both recordings for future historians to bother themselves over.
Henry Deiwert was the first merchant who came to the settlement as early as
1845, the year in which Washington township was organized as a township. William
Winterrowd and other early dealers were Sylvester Gibson, David
Tuele, Dr.
W.A. Bodine and John Newton. James N. Norris was a physician for whom
the town was named.
In 1909 business was confined to "a small retail store and a shop or
two." When Rev. Sluter wrote the town has "several stores, two
churches and an excellent school building." Now there is one grocery store
owned by Mrs. Other Hatton and one filling station owned by J. C.
Scott. The village has an up-to-date beauty shop with the firm name of Helen’s
Beauty Shoppe.
Norristown has rural mail delivery service, its mail coming from Hope; before
that the mail was brought from Flat Rock. It is said that Norristown was one of
the very first places in the country to have rural delivery service. Early in
its history it had a post office and, for mail, the village was known as
Winterrowd.
The first school in the village, a frame building in the south part of the
town was succeeded in 1907 by a four-room school erected on an acre of ground
and this provided for a high school. About the spring of 1913 this building
burned and the present building now the Masonic Lodge building was erected.
Pupils now go to the consolidated school at Flat Rock. The present trustee of
the township, Raymond Patterson lives in Norristown. The last school
building was taken over by the Masons who have a flourishing order there of 200
members. They remodeled and refurnished the building and now have one of the
most attractive lodge rooms in the county.
One nice thing about the village is that its one church is a community church
which serves all the folks who wish to engage in religious services.
In speaking of the pioneers of these small communities one scarcely knows
whether they belong to the village or to the farm bordering the village. Here,
or nearer at least, lived the Van Benthusen family, a family with an
enviable pioneer record. Mr. George Parrish of East Hendricks Street,
Shelbyville stems from this family for his grandmother was a VanBethusen; there
were five brothers, all serving in the Mexican and the Civil Wars. One of the
brothers James was a member of the Constitutional Congress of Indiana.
Everyone has heard of the
Laura Spellman Rockafeller Foundation
dedicated to his wife by John D. Rockafeller as a memorial; but perhaps
few knew that Laura Spellman was a native of Shelby county and a member of the
Spellman family one of the eminent pioneer families of Washington township.
This
Foundation has since been merged with the Rockafeller Foundation.
Norristown has now about 18 or 20 homes representing a population of 70 to 75
persons, enough to make a homey and friendly community and to carry on
neighborhood projects with a spirit of co-operation.
Norristown is a small town but about two summers ago it made big headlines
all over the country with its snake of pre-historic size. It was a story to
match that of the flying saucers later one. Travelers were scared out of their
wits to get near to the serpent’s lair. The fun that Norristowners got out of
their joke can be imagined as they probably sat talking in small groups over the
rumors they had made. Well—everyone else enjoyed it too. And it won’t be a
bit surprising if, in a few years from now, that old serpent makes another visit
to the neighborhood and slithers through the fields.
Mr. Elihu Miller, rural circulation manager for The Shelbyville News
is a resident of this village.
Contributed by Barb Huff
The Shelbyville Republican
Wednesday Afternoon, December 18, 1935
Page 4
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NORRISTOWN
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A group of friends, old
and young, met at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Hendrickson
Saturday night near Norristown where they served a cooperative farewell
supper. The Hendrickson's will move to their new home on a farm near St.
Omer in the near future.
Mr. and Mrs. Albert
Ziegler and children spent Sunday with Mrs. Ziegler's parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Tucker, near Bengal. Mr. Tucker who recently underwent
an eye operation, is improving.
Tom Sturgeon,
from near Boggstown, spent the week-end with his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Lora Sturgeon.
Morgan Hendrickson
has returned to his house at Franklin after a few days visit with relatives
here.
Walter VanGorden
was a visitor in Shelbyville Saturday morning.
Miss Alive Petitt
was the overnight guest Thrusday of Miss Lucille Isley.
Mrs. Lena Wasson
visited her mother, Mrs. Lena Harker, in Columbus Sunday.
Mrs. Harker is quite ill.
Roy and
Paul Cochran, of near Lewis Creek, spent Sunday afternoon with Claude
Smith.
Miss Rebadene
Schoentrup of Shelbyville, and Ardell Deiwert,
of near Fairland, called on Miss Dena Deiwert Sunday
afternoon.
Mrs. Orlando Miers
and daughter, Joan, of Morristown, R. W. Strickler
and Mrs. Kenneth King, of Shelbyville, and Mr. and Mrs.
Guy Strickler, of Boggstown, were entertained at dinner Sunday by Mr.
and Mrs. Robert Smith.
Mrs. Helen Douglas
was a guest Saturday night of Miss Clara Thornburg of
Shelbyville.
Mrs. Grace Henry,
sister of Mrs. Frank Young, has returned to her home in
California after a visit of several weeks among friends and relatives here.
Mr. and Mrs. Varaldo
J. Deiwert and son, Jerry, of Columbus, were
entertained at dinner Sunday by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Smith.
Mr. and Mrs. Otto
Morgason entertained the Rev. A. R. Carlston, of
Cincinnati [the article continues].
. .
.
Mr. and Mrs. George
Torrence of Shelbyville, spent the week-end at their summer cottage
near the Cave.
Mr. and Mrs. Francis
Weber of Moral township, spent Monday with James
and Anthony Surpas.
Mr. and Mrs. Jay
Talbert were Sunday dinner guests of Mr. and Mrs. Noah Hill
and family of Milroy.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming
The Shelbyville Republican
Friday, October 21, 1898
Page 1
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CORRESPONDENCE.
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NORRISTOWN.
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Hard Wasson
is having a tubular well drilled.
At this writing Mrs.
George Starks is seriously ill.
Noah Buckler
has returned from a brief visit in Howard county.
Miss Anna Colby
has returned to Pendleton for the winter.
C. A. Hawkins and
family have become residents of Flatrock.
Mrs. M. J. Newton
is visiting her daughter, Mrs. Ira McCartney, at Bloomington, Ind., this
week.
Corporal Temp Ray
writes from Jacksonville that his health is good as is also that of Marshal
Chesser and Robert Titus.
Norristown will have
a polling place this year. And, by the way, don't forget to vote for
John Colby for justice of the peace and Charles
Douglas for constable. The Republican ticket is full of worthy
names from top to bottom.
James E. Watson
and A. M. Reed are billed to speak at the Cave on October 29
at 2 p.m. Let all voters come out and bear them discuss the issues of the
day. The bills for Democratic speakings invite only Democrats to come out
but we invite Republicans, Democrats, Populists and Prohibitionists.
TOUGH CREEK.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming
Norristown was laid out by David
Winterrowed, William P. Winterrowed, Joseph Winterrowed, and Henry Deiwert, November
22, 1851. Fifty-four lots, Main Street running east and west on the section line sixty feet wide, including
the county road and Main Cross Street running north and south forty-eight feet. The post office is called
Winterrowd.
It is said that Henry Deiwert was the first merchant
here as early as 1845, and that he remained about ten years. About the year 1850, William P. Winterrowd began
merchandising, which was continued several years. The leading merchants have been: Sylvestor Tillson,
David Tuel, Dr. W. A. Bodine and John Newton. James Eason, the present merchant,
has been there for some time doing a ood trade. The first physician was James M. Norris, for whom
the village was named. Dr. S. A. Kennedy is the only one there now. Farmer's Lodge, F. & A.M.,
No. 147, was organized May 27, 1853, David Conger was W.M., David Flynn, S.W., and
Jesse Moorman, J.W. This lodge is said to have a present membership of sixty-one. It is one
of the most prosperous country lodges in this locality, and owns the building in which the meetings are held. The
Grangers and Red Men formerly had organization here, but both have gone down.
History of Shelby County, Indiana, Chicago: Brant & Fuller, 1887, pg 451.
Copied by Phyllis Miller Fleming
The Shelbyville Daily
Democrat
Tuesday, January 26, 1886
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NORRISTOWN.
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Special Correspondence of the Democrat.
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NORRISTOWN, IND., Jan. 25, 1886.
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Miss Josie Lantz
is sick, and was not able to teach last Friday.
Born to Mr. and
Mrs. Charles Yancer, a boy, January 12th, 1886.
Quite a number of young
people of Flatrock attended church here last Sunday night.
Booker Alexander
and wife, from Harper's Ferry, visited the former's parents here last Monday.
Brother Jones began
a series of meetings here last Sunday night, and they will continue through all
next week.
Last Friday Mr.
Gore held a monthly examination in room No.2 of the school building,
which was claimed by some of the pupils to be rather "tough" for them,
but we would drop a word to them here and say that we must be prepared to meet
such questions all through life and if we will overcome them now while we are in
school, we would be more able to fight down other barriers which present
themselves.
Our Sabbath school met
last Sunday at the usual hour and elected officers for the year. Sister
Mat Newton resigned her position as superintendent and Sister
Knight was elected to fill the same position for the year. I can
say for Mrs. Newton that she has tried very hard to please all and discharge her
duties and she leaves her place in the Sabbath school with the sincere thanks of
all for her past services. I trust that all will try to aid the new
superintendent and make her burden as light as possible.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming
An 1882 "History" of Norristown
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