Argos Izaak Walton League

Part 3 and last of a series on the Argos Izaak Walton League

New Deal Assistance
In 1934 the club deeded the newly obtained 15 acres to the United States Bureau of Fisheries in order to take advantage of federally assisted projects to communities across the nation which provided work for the unemployed. This would enable the construction of a clubhouse and additional fish ponds under President Roosevelt’s New Deal programs. The agency immediately constructed two new ponds west of the original ponds. The club began planning the clubhouse in 1934 and determined the various types and materials to be used for construction.

The construction of the clubhouse began in 1935 and continued through 1937. Historical records of the club document the excavation of the basement and pouring of concrete foundations and basement walls in 1935 and work being rushed in 1936 but not resulting in the finish of the interior. Regardless, the club began to use the building in 1935 for meetings. The list of requirements for the building included a basement with kitchen, dining room, and toilet room, and main floor for club activities. The building was “to be of timber frame construction veneered with native stone and two fireplaces (one on each level) also of native stone”. Although the building was wired for electricity, members used gas lamps and oil stoves since no lines had been extended to that rural location. The federal project constructed two additional ponds on the property in 1935, one on the north and south sides of the clubhouse. The driveways and stone gateway were also begun “which made possible access to club functions, fish fries, and various social gatherings”. A 1935 article in the Argos Reflector stated that a crew of 60 men was working at the fish hatchery site for the creation of new ponds. The same issue of the paper announced the taking of new enrollment for CCC camps in Marshall County. The age limit for junior enrollees was lowered to 17, making qualifying ages 17-25.

The town of Argos was the recipient of other New Deal work. According to the Argos Reflector, September 5, 1935, eighteen men, 47 laborers and a truck driver from the community began work in the town limits. An additional seven to eight men were expected to be employed after certification from the South Bend office (in May, 1934 Marshall County was placed under the South Bend district for coordination of New Deal projects) . The work performed included raising and leveling sidewalks, new sidewalks, construction of a water main, and relaying four blocks of brick pavement. Unskilled labor was paid $44 per month for 130 hours of work. State Road 10 was improved in 1936 and additional brick pavement was installed in town in 1937. New Deal work in Argos also included improvements to sewers and the enlargement of the town park from 1935-1939, cemetery improvements in 1936, construction of the Boy Scout Cabin in 1934 , school improvements in 1936-1937, construction of a library in 1934, and funding for the sewing and music programs in 1939. The town rescinded funding for the construction of a new town hall in 1937.

The architectural styling of New Deal projects tended to fall into one of two contexts: urban/residential and rural. Post offices, libraries, and municipal buildings tended to follow more refined architectural styles such as Colonial and Classical Revivals because of their placement in the urban or developing residential contexts. However, since much work was carried out in natural park settings under the program, a great number of New Deal work enlisted the use of natural materials, including readily available native stone, for the desired aesthetic of a natural appearance in their setting. Often the public works projects in Northern Indiana used native glacial granite fieldstone for building materials. In other parts of the state other locally quarried or available material was used such as limestone or sandstone. The materials were then adapted and configured into an architectural style often identified as Craftsman, a term that truly embodies the artisans and other workers whose hands are evident in construction.

The Argos Izaak Walton League clubhouse exhibits this desire for a natural aesthetic perfectly. Likely with their own interests in conservation and love for the environment, club members chose native field stone as the primary building material used for the construction of their clubhouse. The building has the appearance of a natural piling of glacial boulders. The use of native stone provides the aesthetic of the building being part of its surroundings as though it grew out of the land it occupies. Its walls and posts are larger at their base than their tops by the use of larger stones at the base and the gradual use of smaller stones as the mason laid the stones upward. Craftsmen were clearly utilized to create the stacked, tapered stone appearance and in the careful execution of doorway and fireplace openings. The building employs the use of a jack arch composed of individual stones over its main entry and a stone covered barrel vaulted shelter over its basement entry. The stone fireplaces inside also have stone arranged in a thoughtful design with individual stone voussoirs forming arches over their openings. Wood shingles are installed in the gabled ends of the building and in the faces of the porch roof’s sides, a continuation of the selection of natural materials. The building also once had exposed roof rafter tails but a new roof installation covered the rafter ends with fascia. This artful assemblage of materials exhibits the Craftsman style well.

The Argos Izaak Walton League clubhouse is constructed similarly to two other Marshall County buildings. The Conservation Clubhouse at Magnetic Park, Plymouth is similar in both plan and use of stone, and the Conservation Clubhouse at the Lake of the Woods, is also similar in its use of stone (both are New Deal projects).

Argos Izaak Walton League

Part 2: Heyday of the Organization

The League's Conservation Activities: ahead of their time

Early records in Harley’s handwriting log conservation and wildlife replenishment activities during the first few years of the club’s existence. Fish were received from the conservation department in 1926, 1927 and 1928 and were “planted” in local waterways including the Tippecanoe River (running through the southeast corner of the county) and at Eddy Lake, a small lake west of Argos in Green Township. Otto Grossman owned a farm bordering the whole north side of Eddy Lake. The club experimented with raising and releasing ring-necked pheasants; between 1927 and 1929 430 pheasant eggs were purchased from the state with local donations, this resulted in the release of 223 chicks. 1928 also was the first year of what would become an annual outdoor fish supper by the organization at Adams Landing on the Tippecanoe River. It was also noted in club records that “Waltonianism” was spreading rapidly nationwide and the Indiana state division began the publication of “Out-door Indiana”, described as a very small pamphlet with six pages in volume 1 published in January, 1927.

Establishment of the club's grounds

1929 is described in the club history as a year of “tremendous moment, and the events, and ultimate achievements, no doubt linger in the memories of the Argos Waltonians most auspicious.” The organization sought to raise awareness and support for their efforts by extending invitations to all sportsmen interested in fishing to the second fish dinner at Adams Landing. In preparation for the event the club constructed three brick ovens at that location, owned by R. R. Engels, a club member. Donations and pledges were received by 65 individuals and organizations at the dinner. This provided sufficient funds for the purchase of two acres at the northwest corner of 16th and Hickory Roads, Walnut Township, then owned by Harry Fleming. Volunteers immediately constructed a fish rearing pond with “teams, scrapers, and man power”. A flowing well was driven and piped into the pond and native stone was used in building retaining embankments. A row of willows was planted along the west bank of the pond. The west boundary was a small stream that flowed northeast into Deep Creek. The organization also continued its placement of fish into local waters in 1929 at Lake Syracuse and donated bass to the Fort Wayne hatchery and the state hatchery at Bass Lake.

The club continued its activities in the early 1930s. They planted trees on the new hatchery grounds on Arbor Day in 1930 and 1931. They fed quail during the winter of 1930. They continued to plant fish in area waters and expanded to Twin Lakes (West Township, Marshall County) and the Yellow River. It was noted in the club history that in February of 1931 “The Indiana Waltonian” began publication from Monticello, Indiana and included former Argos resident, Lawrence Corey on its publishing board. The May, 1931 issue of the Indiana Waltonian announced the arrangement of a large fish fry at Adams Landing on June 3rd under the leadership of the Izaak Walton League’s State Vice-President, Otto Grossman. Visitors to the event were encouraged to first view the new hatchery then follow the highway “well marked with road banners” to Adams Landing. A large tent was erected at Adams Landing for the event that included several speakers and dignitaries and over a thousand in attendance. Dr. Preston Bradley, the Izaak Walton League’s national president, and one of the original 54 founders of the national organization, was the guest speaker. Delegations from 18 communities in Indiana and one from Michigan and two from Ohio were in attendance. Short speeches were made by Grossman, Col. E. L. Gardner-Division President, William Collins-National Director, Rosco Martin-State Senator, Samuel Pittengell-US Congressman, and R. R. Engels-owner of Adams Landing.

In 1932, due to income from a contract with the State Federal Conservation Department, a new concrete holding pond was constructed adjacent to and just north of the rearing pond. In order to perpetuate the memory of Harley the hatchery was renamed from the Tippecanoe Fish Hatchery to the Wilferd Harley Fish Hatchery. In 1933 another contract was made with the conservation department which provided capital to purchase 15 acres directly west of the original hatchery site. The membership grew to nearly 60 that year and additional trees were planted. In 1934 the Argos chapter organized the Junior Walton Club with 64 members. This was the only active junior league in the state. With the junior club’s assistance 5000 trees were planted; weed land shelters and feeding protection for game were constructed. 1934 also saw an increase in membership to 80 individuals.

1934 marked an important achievement by the club that was recognized nationally. The James Lawton Childs Memorial Fund Award, which was given annually to the private hatchery producing the most fish in the nation, was received by the organization. It was the first time the award had been given to an entity east of the Mississippi River. The National Waltonian carried an article on the Argos chapter’s achievement in their June, 1935 issue with text written by O. L. Grossman. Grossman remarked that without conservation measures “we will have Kansas here in Indiana”. A photograph of the original ponds is included with the article. The award was celebrated with a large fish fry attended by over 400 people in 1935.

Argos hosted the 17th annual state convention of the Izaak Walton League in 1939 at their new clubhouse, finished two years prior. Otto Grossman was both host and the president of the Indiana state division. A banquet was held at the Grossman Building in the town of Argos. During the 1940s the Izaak Walton Safety League, a children’s club, met in the basement of the clubhouse. Grossman Funeral Home sponsored the organization and at one time they had 79 members. The building was also used by other organizations and for family gatherings, reunions, parties and special events.

Argos Izaak Walton League

The Argos Izaak Walton League Clubhouse is a product of Federal Relief Funds created during the New Deal work of the 1930s. This is a multi-part series on its history.

Part 1: History of the Club

Izaak Walton League of America History
Early in 1922, three Chicago fishermen discussed the formation of a fishermen’s luncheon club. They called together all of the men they knew who had an interest in the sport which resulted in a dinner on January 14th with 54 men in attendance. After much discussion it was decided to launch not a fishermen’s club, but rather a movement for real conservation. The group, known as the Original 54, established the Izaak Walton League of America. Williamson Dilg was the founder and leader of the organization. Dilg was described by a partner in the movement as a “visionist, a dreamer of dreams” and “far ahead of his critics, in pointing the way to greener fields, clearer streams and more abundant wildlife.” Dilg wrote a poem called “City Worn” which reflected his deep sentiment for the outdoors. The poem opens with this sentence: “I am weary of civilization’s madness and I yearn for the harmonious gladness of the woods and of the streams.” The organization’s name was chosen in honor of Izaak Walton’s philosophy of outdoor living, and the principles of true sportsmanship.

The organization’s mission was to conserve, maintain, protect and restore the soil, forest, water and other natural resources of the country. The League also worked toward educating the public on the importance of conservation. Dilg, the organization’s first president, was evangelistic in his approach for finding support for conservation as he hosted crusades to packed auditoriums across the country. His effort had significant results as state and local divisions of the organization were established in great speed and numbers. There were over 100,000 members within three years of the organization’s founding who applied pressure on political leaders for conservation. The organization established a Conservation Platform from which to focus its energies. The platform had a number of points including the eradication of pollution, restoration of drained areas and wildlife, and the protection and extension of forests.

The first chapter of the Izaak Walton League in Indiana was established in Muncie in 1923. By the end of 1924 there were 40 chapters in the state and 150 chapters by 1926. The group is credited with popularizing the conservation movement in Indiana during the 1930s.

Establishment of the Argos Chapter of the Izaak Walton League
Argos, Indiana is a small town in Walnut Township in southern Marshall County. Marshall County has two rivers, the Yellow and Tippecanoe Rivers, and many freshwater lakes. Much of the agricultural land in the county was drained and clear cut of timber for crop production. This was the case with the area surrounding the Argos Izaak Walton League property. The area on which the organization’s grounds were established is low land with natural springs and a high water table. A few farms were established in the area early in the county’s history and a county ditch was created from a stream to drain the land in the immediate area of the property for crop production.

Spearheaded by avid outdoorsman Wilferd M. Harley, the Argos Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America was created by Charter No. 68 on January 25, 1926; the initial name of the organization was Tippecanoe Fish Hatchery. Harley and seven other men who were anglers had made application to the State Department for minnows to be distributed in adjacent lakes and streams in an effort to replenish the rapidly depleting supply of desired fresh water fish locally. The men began discussions in 1925 regarding the formation of a local chapter of the Izaak Walton League. They were Harley, Jack Urshell, O. L. Grossman, William Middleton, Henry Kosanke, Dale Vories, Mel Engle, and Albert Kamp. The official petition for charter included 21 names; five additional names were signed to the charter once it was received from the League. The charter was held open for a time and an additional 20 names were added to bring the club’s membership to 46. The officers were Wilferd Harley, President; O.L. Grossman, Vice President; and H. A. Kosanke, Secretary/Treasurer.

The men who founded the club were local community leaders with a strong interest in the environment. Early rosters of members have names familiar in the history and business district of the community. Particularly noteworthy is Wilferd Harley. Harley as a young man became interested in the environment. He studied birds, watched their nesting and eating habits and would supply food for those who did not migrate south during the winter. His father, John, wrote that he liked to plant shrubbery and trees and “would, if permitted, have planted trees in every fence corner on the farm”. His greatest hobby, again as stated by his father, was the lakes and streams that he loved to fish. He became convinced early in life that the waters needed to be restocked in order to perpetuate the sport. Harley was a rural mail carrier for the Argos area and a member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge. In 1931, while waiting out a storm under a boat he and a friend had been fishing from on the Tippecanoe River, a tree fell and crushed Harley beneath the boat on the bank of the river. Harley was 38 years old at the time of his death; he was president of the club from 1926-1931. Dr. Frank Kelly assumed leadership of the organization after Harley’s death. Kelly was a physician and had established the Kelly Hospital in Argos. Otto L. Grossman had a well established mortuary business and ambulance service in Argos and served as the organization’s president from 1933-1936, and possibly longer. He was president during the construction of the stone clubhouse.

Lincoln Highway Byway

The Indiana Lincoln Highway Association has also submitted a state byway nomination for the Lincoln Highway across Indiana. In Indiana the original Lincoln Highway route was established by Carl Fisher, also founder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in 1913. The route went from the Ohio line into Ft. Wayne, then to Goshen, Elkhart, South Bend, LaPorte and Valparaiso before heading west across the Illinois line. The demand for a more direct route across the state resulted in what we know as the Lincoln Highway through Marshall County. Once it left Ft. Wayne the route traveled through Columbia City, Warsaw, Plymouth, and Wanatah before reconnecting with the original route in Valparaiso. This was established between 1927-28.

Heminger Travel Lodge, Plymouth 1937

In Marshall County the route passed through Bourbon, Inwood, Plymouth and Donaldson and unlike other portions of the road that became U.S. 30, the Marshall County portion of the LH is entirely intact. And what is even better is that many of the roadside architecture also exists from that time.

Faulkner Garage, Bourbon

The Indiana Lincoln Highway Association has already made their presentation to the Indiana Department of Transportation and are awaiting word from the Lt. Governor's office on the byway nomination. Just as the Michigan Road Byway was developed to encourage tourism in Marshall County, the Lincoln Highway Byway will also become a draw for communities along the route.

Michigan Road is heading for byway status

An application nominating the Historic Michigan Road between Madison and Michigan City, Indiana was submitted to the Indiana Department of Transportation on December 21st. The nomination was submitted by a steering committee composed of individuals from the counties through which the historic route passes; members include elected and appointed officials, Main Street, economic development and tourism directors, historians, and business owners. The nomination has received nearly 80 letters of support and endorsements from a myriad of boards and individuals along the route.

The Michigan Road was funded by the State Legislature in 1826, surveyed in 1829 with construction following in 1830. By 1836 the route was essentially complete across Indiana. The 270 mile stretch of road began in Madison and ended at Michigan City by way of the new state capital at Indianapolis. The primary purpose of the road was to spur development of the northern part of the fledgling state, as well as create access to shipping ports on the Ohio River and Lake Michigan. The road generally follows Highways 421, 29, 25, then Old US 31 to South Bend, then Highway 20 to Michigan City.

An organizational meeting was held in Logansport in May, 2009 for the formation of the committee. Co-organizers Jim Grey of Indianapolis and Kurt Garner of Plymouth began the effort to have Indiana’s first state commissioned road designated a historic byway with a meeting of interested parties in Rochester in January, 2009. After the formation of the committee, the byway proposal was presented in communities along the route including Madison, Greensburg, Shelbyville, Indianapolis, Zionsville, Argos, Plymouth, LaPaz, Lakeville, and New Carlisle, as well as at the State Byway Conference in Aurora and the Historic Transportation Conference in Delphi during 2010.

If approved by the state, the Historic Michigan Road Byway will tap into the growing heritage tourism industry, which could prove a valuable development tool for local communities’ economies. The road would become the first state byway to traverse the state in a north/south direction, tying the state together for tourism initiatives. The committee anticipates the inclusion of the byway on state maps, directional signage, and marketing materials as the byway moves from concept to reality.

For more information on the Historic Michigan Road Byway project contact the committee or take a tour of the road at http://www.historicmichiganroad.org/. The Historic Michigan Road is also on Facebook.

Menominee placed on National Register

The Chief Menominee Monument was listed to the National Register of Historic Places in December, 2010. The listing is particularly notable due to the rarity in commemorative sites achieving eligibility. The monument and the site at which it is located, was deemed to have considerable importance to the State of Indiana and the nation due to its purpose and origins. Chief Menominee was the peaceful tribe leader to the Potawotomie who refused to sell his lands, but was removed with his tribe on the Trail of Death.

The monument, dedicated in 1909, was the first monument erected to an American Indian. It was also the first commemorative site acknowledging the mistreatment of the American Indian in the nation. We salute the work of Daniel McDonald, Marshall County historian, author, and former state representative, whose unyeilding pressure caused the State of Indiana to fund the monument over 100 years ago.

The photograph is from the rededication of the monument in September, 2009.

upcoming meetings

May 14
July 9
September 10

All meetings are open to the membership. Meetings begin at 4:00 p.m. at the Marshall County Museum. Please feel free to contact Kurt Garner with any questions.

The Bourbon Christian School will be touring Summit the first of May & restoration of the Jacoby Church under the DHPA grant has begun!

Membership renewal is in May - please be watching for our renewal forms.