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
The Greenfield Daily Reporter
February 12, 1920
Page 1 column 2
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FOUNTAINTOWN
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Arthur House and wife were calling on William Bennett and family Sunday.
Richard Pearsall and family are spending a few days with Bert Willard and family.
Mrs. Rosa Chapman is on the sick list with the LaGrippe but is better.
William Bennett and family were shopping in Greenfield last Saturday.
Miss Marguerett Taylor was calling on Amos Chapman and family Sunday.
William Chambers and wife were calling on friends south of here Sunday.
John Willard and wife visited friends at Waldron last week.
Luther Chapman spent last Saturday and Sunday with Ben Harting, near New Palestine.
Roy Ensminger and wife were calling north of here Sunday.
John Willard and wife were shopping at Shelbyville last week.
Columbus Snider returned to Indianapolis Monday evening after a few days visit.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming
The Shelby Democrat
April 3, 1913
Page 5 Column 5 and 6
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FOUNTAINTOWN.
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Revival services are still in progress at the M. E. church.
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Walker were shopping in Shelbyville Saturday.
Roy Willard spent Saturday and Sunday with relatives in Irvington.
Margaret Taylor spent the past week with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Taylor.
W. E. Copple, of Pelham, is the guest of his daughter, Mrs. John Willard, this week.
Mr. and Mrs. John Willard spent Easter with Mr. and Mrs. John Colclazier, of Freeport.
Mr. and Mrs. Lon Blackford spent Easter with the former's parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Blackford.
Mrs. Bertha Piersall and baby spent Saturday with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bert Willard.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Murry, of Indianapolis, spent Easter with Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Kroenig.
Mary and Harley Copple, of Freeport, visited their uncle, Albert Copple, Satruday and Sunday.
Mrs. Bertha Beebe and children, of Greenfield, are visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Watts.
and children visited her uncle, E. E. Amos, of near Cumberland, a part of last week.
Mr. and Mrs. Dave Sexton, of Morristown, spent Saturday night and Sunday with their daughter, Mrs. Lee Rafferty.
W. H. Smith has returned home from Philadelphia, Pa., where he went to accompany his nephew Robert Smith, back to this place.
Mr. and Mrs. Jepathen Gillespie , of Veedersburg, Ind. have been the guests of the latter's father, John Johnson, for the past two weeks.
Miss Olga Snider and grandmother, Mrs. Ford, was the guest of the former's sister, Mrs. Hazel Tyner, of near Morristown, Saturday and Sunday.
The aid society of the M. E. church will hold its twentieth anniversary meeting Saturday night at the M. E. church. Refreshments of ice cream and cake will be served. Everybody is cordially invited to attend.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming
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