Shelby County Indiana Genealogy, History

Shelby County, Indiana
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Populated Places

Fenns

Shelby Township History
Shelby Township Map

The Indianapolis Star
October 24, 1915
Page 4 Column 3
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SHELBYVILLE -- J. C. Smith's general store at Fenns, south of here, was entered by burglars, $40 worth of merchandise and $8 in money being taken. Residents of the community saw two men with sacks on their backs walking toward this city at midnight and they are believed to be the guilty parties.
Contributed by Virginia Latta Curulla

The Shelby Democrat
April 3, 1913
Page 5 Column 5
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FENNS.
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Mrs. Frank Davisson continues to improve.
The high winds last week did much damage in this locality.
Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Smith entertained Alvin Ray and family, Sunday.
Robert, Frank and Jesse Cherry spent Sunday as the guests of Floyd McCarty.
Hamilton I. Gray and family spent Sunday as the guests of John Hey and wife.
Miss Ruth Smith, who has been suffering from la grippe and tonsilitis, is much better.
Master Joseph Smith spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. William Orebaugh, of Shelbyville.
Mrs. J. C. Smith spent Sunday in Shelbyville at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Raymond Trees, who is quite ill.
William Diewert, wife and son, Ardell, of near Lewis Creek, spent Sunday as the guests of C. C. Dobbins and family.
Mrs. Lillian V. Cherry has returned home from Covington, Ky., where she attended the Lemmons-Kemmis wedding.
Rev. McKinnon will preach here Tuesday evening, also next Sunday morning and evening. You are cordially invited to attend.
Frank L. Cherry had a new root put on his large barn last week. The storms recently had damaged the old roof so badly that it was necessary to re-roof it with new material.
The Smith school, taught by Miss Glenn Murphy, of Shelbyville, will close next Friday. Miss Murphy had taught a very successful term. The McCarty school, taught by Miss Camille Whaley, of Shelbyville, will also clsoe the same day. Splendid programs will be rendered in the afternoon. You are invited at attend.
Mr. and Mrs. John Stephans entertained, Sunday, in honor of W. P. Schoenfield, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Stephans, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Johnson, Mrs. Ida Cherry, Willis Ray, Misses Hazel Harris, Camille Whaley, Pearl Cherry, Lydia Messmore, Margaret Johnson, Maude Smith, Inez Woods and Frances Smith, Messrs. Lon Cherry, Len Cherry, Bruce Brannin, Roy Weinantz, William Litz, and Wallace Johnson. It was Mr. Schoenfield's twenty-seventh birthday anniversary, and it surprised him for such a jolly crowd to visit him.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming

The Shelby Democrat
December 31, 1903
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FENNS.
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FENNS, Dec. 30. ---- The Sunday school here was well attended Sunday. The school presented the children with large sacks filled with candy and popcorn. The school also elected the following named persons to take charge of the school Sunday, January 3, 1904.

Superintendent, Roscoe Lee.
Assistant Supt., David Hey.
Treasurer. Roscoe Lee.
Secretary, Miss Pearl M. Cherry.
Assistant Sec'y, Miss Nancy A. Bruce.
Organist, Miss Hazel Harris.
Assistant Organist, Miss Nellie Cherry.
Teachers, David Hey, Opal Harris, Otto A. Lee, Cora Sanders, Leota Stephans, Margurite Davisson.

The township presiednt[sic], C. C. Dobbins, was present. He says the officers are well qualified to discharge their duties and predicts another prosperous year for our school.
"Old Santa" was here and made many of our folks happy.
Miss Grace Yarber visited her mother during Christmas week.
Mr. Robert Cherry received a handsome new violin for his present.
Smith & Nading have their large crib completed.
Cholera is still prevailing among the hogs in this vicinity.
C. E. Ensminger will move to a farm near the Wray church in the spring.
Several persons attended the play "The Christmas Carol" at Smithland Christmas eve. They were well pleased and say the attendance was large. About $20. was received as door fee.
Mr. William Fix and John Hey are spending the winter in California.
Mr. William J. Jackson and family have been here a few days visiting relatives.
Misses Grace L. Cherry, Jennie F. Drager and Pearl M. Cherry were the guests of their counsin[sic] Carey C. Dobbins Sunday.
Carey C. Dobbins is spending the holidays at home north of this place.
The storm Christmas night was the worst ever experienced in this vicinity. Several persons lost their hats, buggies were nearly blown over and people were frightened but no serious damage has been reported here.
We understand Shelby township has two candidates for trustee, namely, John Scheffler and Stephen D. Cherry.
Rob Smith has about recovered from his recent illness.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming

The Shelby Daily Democrat
Saturday, July 29, 1899
Page 2
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FENN'S.
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Special correspondence to The Democrat.
FENNS, Ind., July 28, 1899.
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Mr. J. K. Devening is able to be out again.
June Pherigo has returned from Minnesota.
Dave Hey visited Jesse Howe over Sunday.
Joseph Woods is visiting relatives at this place.
The basket meeting was well attended last Sunday.
Mr. Charles Jackson lost a valuable horse last week.
Mr. Leora Fix and wife spent Sunday with the latter's parents.
A. J. Cherry made a business trip to Boggstown last Wednesday.
John Hey contemplates bulding a house on his farm north of this place.
William Henry, of Shelbyville, was here Thursday, watchin' 'em thresh wheat.
Miss Zella Markley and Miss Fannie Collins spent Thursday with Mrs. 'Bert Cherry.
Miss Lillie Drager, a beautiful young lady of this place, spent last week with Indianapolis relatives.
Wiley Stafford had his best girl at church Sunday night. Wiley is all right if he is a little "Gray".
Our grain merchants are paying the highest price for all kinds of grain. Farmers should see them before they sell.
A. J. Cherry reported that he had thirteen acres of wheat that averaged twenty-eight bushels per acre. Pretty good, Uncle Andy.
There will be a Sunday School convention held at the Morrison school house, on the Norristown pike, Sunday evening, at 1:30 p.m. All are cordially invited to attend and make this a good meeting, as they have done in the past. President Fix is a hustler.
There will be an entertainment held at the Christian church on Friday evening, Aug. 4th. It will consist of music, songs, etc, and promises to be a grand affair. The proceeds of this entertinment is for the benefit of the Sunday School. A cordial invitation is extended to all. Come everybody. Admission ten cents.
PUMPKIN PIE.
Submitted by Phyllis Miller Fleming

The Shelby Democrat
April 21, 1892
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FENN'S.
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Special Correspondence of the Democrat.
FENN'S P. O. April 18, 1892.
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Farm work is rushing.
A. M. Jackson will work on the farm this summer.
J. W. Pherigo will attend the State convention as a delegate.
Mis Iva Devening was entertained Sunday by Miss Pearl Lanham.
Floyd McCarty is improving his residence with a new coat of paint.
Mr. J. W. Pherigo and wife were the guests of Nathan Stafford Sunday.
Henry Meloy says the "kids" may have the "rattle-box" but he prefers the "doll."
Sunday school was organized at the Christian church Sunday, with J. W. Parrish as superintendent.
The protracted meeting closed at the Christian Church last Tuesday night with forty new additions.
Miss Dora Turner after a lingering illness of several weeks, with pneumonia, is able to be about again.
MOONSHINER
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming

The Shelby Democrat
Thursday, February 25, 1892
Page 3 column 4
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FENN'S
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Mrs. J. C. Smith and children have been visiting her parents near Boggstown.
The farmers of this vicinity are making preparations to begin spring work.
June Pherigo looks very sad; he must have got the "hooks" Sunday night.
Misses Zellie Hess and Leota Fix were callers on Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, Sunday.
Mr. Henry Mahley is a retired farmer, having rented his farm to J. V. B. Fix.
Mrs. Hezekiah Smith, of this place is spending a few days with relatives at Shelbyville.
Mr. James Lee and family spent Sunday with his father-in-law, Rev. John Jackson.
I am sorry that I intruded on Out of Sign's territory, and will try and not do so again.
Mr. William Fix is all smiles and grins now, his best girl has returned home from a visit to Illinois.
Harry Long, the jovial Irish boy of the Slough, said he caught a "bear" last Thursday, but I s'pect it was a coon.
Messrs. Fix, Parrish and Pherigo are grumbling about losing money because they have not stock enough to drink up the water.
Mr. Ben McCarty, the noted coonhunter of this section has caught seven coons and a large number of oppossums in the past few weeks.
The McCarty's school celebrated Washington's birth-day very appropriately last Friday, a nice time was had, and some splendid music was furnished by the "Cabinsville quartet."
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming

The Daily Evening Democrat
Wednesday, January 23, 1884
Page 1
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H A P P E N I N G S
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In Various Part of the County
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FROM FENNS.
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Special correspondence of the Democrat.
Fenns, Ind., Jan. 23, 1884.
-- Harvesting ice is the order of the day.
-- "Oh! I'm so happy." Born -- To Mr. and Mrs. Lewis McCarty, a boy; weight ten pounds.
-- The verdict of the Republican jury in the Kennedy case was a farce and an outrage in the courts of Shelby county.
-- Some of our dudes were present at the fantastic hop at J. L. Wilson's, one night last week, and report having a merry time. Some mashes were made, I presume.
-- This is Leap Year. I ask pardon of having informed the young ladies and old maids of the same. Now, take advantage of the timid. Be exquisite, and you will succeed in capturing your prizes.
-- Notwithstanding the very stormy night, last Saturday evening, the educational meeting conducted by County Superintendent Dobbins was very well attended. Addresses were made by the county superintendent, J. W. Parrish and M. A. Cherry. These meetings held throughout the county are effective.
-- Democrats are getting tired of Republican rulers in this county. A great many good and influential Democrats where were a little off at the last election say next fall they expect to vote a straight Democratic ticket. They are disgusted with the verdict of the jury and the speech of Tom Adams in the Kennedy trial.
-- The model school conducted by our teacher, Miss Priscilla Weinantz,, Saturday, was a decided success in every particular. A great number of the patrons were present to witness the proceedings of the day. The patrons gave a grand dinner on the occasion. Mr. Dobbins presided as chairman in the afternoon. The teachers' methods were reviewed and criticised. Each branch was discussed by the teachers. One of the teachers brought up the difference of presenting language and grammar to the class, drifting off on difficult sentences used in recitations by the teacher. A long and interesting discussion followed in which the teachers became very enthusiastic. The next model will be held at district No. 9, Jeptha Humphries teacher. Everybody is invited.
-- The Sunny South is becoming very attractive to some of our young men, also to a few of our farmers. Jacob Possman, Frank Phillips and others concluded to pay the Southerners a visit. Mr. Possman has returned, leaving the others there to spend the rest of the winter months. He reports the vegetation of the South in a flourishing condition. Cotton almost ready to harvest, and fruit trees in bloom. With all these, which we have not, he says "there is no place for labor as good as Shelby county." Now a great many of our well to do farmers, become dissatisfied, thinking of the disagreeable winter weather, the long time to winter and feed stock, and to travel over the mud roads of which we have few, although we have numerous pikes throughout the county. Not thinking of the advantages we have and the many drawbacks and the scorching heart of the South desire to leave a county so rich and wonderul in its productiveness. I say be content. Be as the beaver, prepare for the winter, provide shelter for your stock, and above all do not grumble any more of muddy roads south of t his little place. Let us hear every farmer say we are ready to build a gravel road, to commence at the south end of the Columbus pike. Don't you say so, Mr. Editor? (Yes, Ed. Dem.)
BERTRAM.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming

The Shelby Volunteer
Thursday, January 25, 1883
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STAFFORD'S CORNER, Jan. 23, 1883.
The Corners are booming--another saw mill on hand.
"H horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse." It didn't take a kingdom for Nate Stafford to get possession of that Arabian steed which he now has; but it took his old shot-gun right along.
Geo. Hendrickson and Emma Fenn were married at Lewis Creek Baptist church on last Sunday evening by Rev. John Reece.
Samuel Lemasters having become tired of single blessedness, will take unto himself a better half some time during this week. Sam promises to give us a big oyster supper after he is married. Hurry up Sam; we are anxious to get a whack at those oysters. [Sam evidently beat our correspondent, as he was married Sunday evening. EDS.]
Your correspondent while nosing around for a few items, stumbled onto the ice company who were busily engaged putting up ice for the summer, and from whom he learned the following facts about the business: A few years ago scarcely any ice was put up by the farers, but now every farmer almost has his ice house and makes it a business to put up ice just the same as to get his wood for the coming year; and as the ice season does not last very long generally, it is a busy time with them, and the river presents quite an animated appearance, as they are all getting out ice at once, and not a few mishaps occur to mar the even tenor of their ways.
HOPKINS.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming

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