Whitley County - A Place Some Ancestors Called Home

My grandmother, Hazlette Brubaker, was born in Lorain County, Ohio but her parents were born in Whitley County, Indiana. All four of her grandparents were either born in the county or came here as young children with their parents. Seven out of eight great-grandparents came to Whitley County as young adults; the eighth great-grandparent lived in Huntington County, which borders Whitley on the south. Of her sixteen great-great-grandparents, nine lived in Whitley County. In addition, three 3rd great-grandparents also lived in the county.

In 1823, the county of Allen was created in the relatively young state of Indiana. Within that territory was the land that would, in 1838, become Whitley County. Four years previous, it had been put under the jurisdiction of Huntington County. All of that area was once the domain of the Miami Indians. The earliest white settlers came to the area about 1827 and by 1838, the population had grown sufficiently enough to be allowed to govern themselves. The first tax assessment, made in 1838, included the names of 136 men. How many women and children were living here at that time is not known. By 1840, the number of households had grown by 60% as shown by the Federal Census that year, which listed 219 households, and the total population of 1,237 for the county, which was comprised of 338 square miles. To say that it was sparsely populated would be an understatement!

It was in August of 1838 that the first of my ancestors came to Whitley County. These were the Goodrich and Joslin families and they purchased land in the northwest portion of the county. About 1843, Grandma Jones came to Columbia City. With her were her parents, Conrad and Mary (Swigart) Helms, and several brothers (you can read about the brothers in the post on Hell's Half Acre). They settled in Columbia Township. Also coming to Columbia Township at about the same time were Henry and Anna Robison. And William Hamilton Dunfee. His parents, James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee would follow a few years later though they lived in Jefferson Township on the eastern side of the county, bordering Allen county. By 1850 the population of the county had reached 5,190.

In 1851, eight year old William Brubaker came with his step-father and mother, George and Sarah (Foster) Parkison. The next year, Conrad and Indiana (Sisley) Stem arrived on the scene as did their daughter, Malissa, and her husband Jacob Wise. They lived in Thorncreek township, north of Columbia City. In addition to my grandmother's ancestors, my grandfather and his parents, Henry and Susie Phend, moved to Columbia City about 1898. In 1900, there were 17,328 people living in the county. As of .., the population was 30,707 which was predominantly white (98.37%). Native Americans constituted 0.36% while 0.19% were African Americans and 0.18% were Asian.

Of the actual homes of my ancestors, their physical houses, the only one that remains that I am aware of is the Brubaker home at the Goose Lake Farm. The old Scott School that my grandmother and her siblings attended is still standing, though abandoned long ago and now used for storage.

Whitley County has been, and still is for the most part, an agricultural community. There is some industry, mostly in Columbia City and along U.S. Hwy 30 which runs east-west through the center of the county. The other major highway is U. S. 33 which cuts through Churubusco in the northeast corner of the county connecting Fort Wayne with Goshen.

The landscape is nothing spectacular though it is quite pleasant. Rolling hills and flatlands, fields of corn and soybeans, along with lots of trees, wooded areas and a few lakes. I don't think there is a lot of tourism, other than people passing through on their way to someplace else. There are historical markers which note some events and people of the past, but there is really nothing to see at most of the markers, other than fields or trees.

Perhaps the most impressive landmark of the county is the courthouse in Columbia City, which was designed by Brentwood S. Tolan, of Fort Wayne. It was built about 1890 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The surrounding town square was added to the register in 1987.

The Service-Oriented Bike Shop

As I continue to gain familiarity with the bicycle industry, I am always curious to observe different models of bike shops in action. There is so much variety in inventory, atmosphere and business practices. Some bike shops cater to athletes, others to everyday riders. Some carry high-end products, others are budget-minded. Some are diversified in their offerings, others are quite specific. One model that I find particularly interesting is that of the service-oriented bike shop - a model where the focus is on service and repairs rather than on sales.






In the Boston area we have a few shops that lean in that direction, and one that truly exemplifies it.Hub Bicyclein Cambrige is described by its owner Emily as a "pro bicycle repair" shop.






Although an authorised dealer of a variety of brands with products available to order, on any given day Hub Bicycle carries little inventory. What they do carry consists mostly of accessories: lights, fenders, racks, baskets, bells.







There is no online store. Everything is about the in-person experience, the here and now.






And the customer who drops by for a tune-up, repair, or overhaul gets exactly that, instead of being encouraged to buy new parts or upgrade.








There is lots of flat fixing -Every time I've been to the shop, at least two customers had come in with flats within relatively short time periods. While elsewhere I have seen mechanics roll their eyes at this, at Hub it is treated as entirely normal. No job is too small.






The service-oriented shop is a great place to spot interesting vintage bikes, since bicycles of all ages and conditions are welcomed. Examining this saddle, I learned that Belt was a "Fujita Leatherworks" brand - supplied on early Fuji bikes.






Obscure French 10-speed from the '70s? Department store mountain bike from the '90s? Something with a no-name coaster brake hub of uncertain vintage? Other shops might tremble or cringe, but here such machines are welcome with open tool chest.






At the service-oriented shop, you are also likely to see quirky patch-up jobs and DIY repairs.






Funky decorations.





There are frames brought in for custom builds, which the shop is also happy to do - following the customer's suggesting their own.







There are bikes in for 650B conversions, single speed conversions, road to city conversions.






There are clinics and instructional courses for those who want to learn how to perform their own repairs and maintenance.








But for the most part, basic tune-ups and quick fixes for walk-in customers are what's happening.







The success of a service and repairs shop depends on the local culture. Hub Bicycle is situated in a busy, urban part of Cambridge MA, where it is very feasible to get walk-ins. Local cyclists will drop by on their lunch break or after work when they need something done. And when a shop like this is around, word quickly spreads. Lots of people in Boston own vintage 3-speeds, 10-speeds and old mountain bikes, as well as quirky modern city bikes that the mainstream shops don't quite know what to do with. A centrally located bike shop that is willing - and able - to work on such machines with a quick turn around time becomes a go-to resource.






Service-oriented bike shops are popular in countries where cycling for transportation is commonplace and doing one's own repairs is not. In Vienna I knew of several bike shops that opened at 7am, so that cyclists could stop in on their way to work. Passing by in the morning, there would sometimes be a queue out the door. Broken chains, worn brake pads, snapped cables, flat tires - absolutely normal to roll your bike to the shop and get it fixed while chatting with other customers and staff- much likeEllie Blue has recently discussed doing.




In North America, bike shops focusing on service and repairs are comparatively rare. As more people start riding for transport, perhaps that could change.

So, What was in that Box?

Well, it's been nearly 5 weeks since Denise Levenick issued a Treasure Hunt! A Challenge for Genea Bloggers so I should have had plenty of time to open and explore the contents of the box! But, as always it seems, time has gotten away from me and the box was still sitting in the same spot, unopened. Until last night.

I didn't really expect to find any valuable treasures within, but I'll admit I was a little surprised. It's been a little over two years since the box was packed up, and memory can be a funny thing. Just get my mother and her four siblings together telling family stories and you'll get five different versions of the same event! But I digress. Back to the box.

After cutting the tape and pulling out the crumpled newspaper that was used as a filler, the discoveries began. On top, several magazines, from the 1960s and 70s, in very good condition by the way, especially considering that they would have traveled with me to every duty station while I was in the Navy.

• Kennedy And His Family in Pictures by the editors of Look. No date on the cover but one of the inside pages has a copyright date of 1963. It probably came out the week after his funeral. I was a sophomore in high school. Inside the pages was a "First Day Cover" envelope issued by the post office on May 29, 1964.
• Flying Saucers was another special edition by the editors of Look, copyright 1967.
• Apollo 11: On the Moon was a Look special edition that came out in late 1969. Sunday, July 20th, 1969 10:56:20 P.M. Neil Armstrong declared "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." My youngest brother was graduating from Navy Basic Training at Great Lakes that weekend. Mom, my sister and I were there to visit him and spent some time glued to the television screen in the motel room.
• There is life on the Moon. . . was a publication of Pace magazine in August 1969 and includes essays from Arthur C. Clarke, Wernher von Braun, Ray Bradbury and eight other scientists and science fiction writers. It was billed as a "down-to-earth" look at space.
• Prizewinning Pictures from Life's photography contest was published on December 25, 1970. I was stationed at Norfolk, Virginia and pilfered this copy from the station library, where I was working at the time. I was hoping to get into the Navy's photography school.

Next up was a mess of cards, letters, photographs, and travel pamphlets. Just tossed in the box haphazardly. Most of the cards and letters are still in their envelopes. Birthday cards (predominantly that 50th milestone), along with notes from cousins and aunts. I haven't sorted through them yet to determine whether I want or need to keep them. They will temporarily go into another box for sorting at a later date. With the travel pamphlets were post cards and souvenir brochures, all from our trip to Mississippi and Louisiana the end of June and into July of ... Pascagoula, New Orleans, Monroe, Shiloh Battlefield in Tennessee.

Beneath that mess was a sheet of cardboard. At first I thought I had reached the bottom of the box but then realized I'd only gotten halfway down. Lifting the cardboard revealed, what else, but another box! Measuring 9x12 and 4" deep.

I totally do not remember this box! It may have been packed up when we sold the farm house in 1997, but I'm thinking it may have been earlier, back when I quit my job in Fort Wayne in 1986 and put all my belongings in storage for a year. Regardless, these are my treasures, rediscovered!

• My birth certificate, issued in 1969 to prove my age for joining the Navy. Why is it a treasure? It includes my mother's maiden name. Current birth certificates issued by the state of Indiana no longer have that, they just have the mother's first name.
• Several "at a glance" calendars from 1972, 1978, 1979. With sparse notes but enough to jog the old memory about certain events.
• Letters. Letters that I thought had been lost. In a way, I guess they were. Being boxed up for 10 or maybe 20 years. Most appear to be from my time in Japan (May 1977-May 1979) and through school (Indiana State 1979-1982). From family, and from friends long relegated to the back recesses of my mind. I opened several, but they are all going back into the box for now. I'm just not sure I'm ready for the flood of emotions they are bringing back. Long lost, found again. These letters won't be making it into the pages of this blog!

Personal treasures partially revealed, to be put back for yet another day. I can only wonder what will happen to them after I'm gone. Who will be the one to re-discover them then and what will they think? The question becomes, for me, is this: Do I really want someone else to find some of the letters? Taken out of the context of my life their true meaning is lost. And, as with most discoveries more questions will arise than will be answered.

So, there you have it. Are my treasures valuable? Intrinsically, yes. Monetarily, no. But as a family researcher, where does their real value lie?

I'm Not in Kansas Anymore!

Tuesday, May 10th - - It never crossed my mind that I'd spend nearly six days in Kansas, much less enjoy most of it! Crossing over into southeastern Colorado the countryside looked much the same as it had in western Kansas. Fields were under cultivation to begin with but as I ventured further south and west there were more vast expanses of prairie.



However, within a few hours, the view changed dramatically. Mountain peaks touched with a dusting of snow could be seen off in the distance. It wasn't long before they loomed much larger and closer. With the change in view came a dramatic change in daytime temperature – from a high in the upper 90s to a high in the mid 50s. Thank goodness that, unlike the air conditioner, the heater in the van works!





West of Walsenburg, Colorado on U.S. Highway 160/285.

My destination for the night was the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, near Alamosa. I had visited there once before, way back in May of 1979.





This time, Mother Nature was definitely not cooperating with me. The further west I traveled, the cloudier it got. Once at The Dunes, the sun would occasionally peek out from behind the clouds, but even then the lighting wasn't that great. This is the view from my campsite. The base of The Dunes is about a mile and a half distant.





The image above and those following have been modified. I was going to say “enhanced” but that is entirely dependent upon who is viewing the images. Since you aren't going to see the originals, suffice to say that I think these are an improvement over the originals, considering the lighting conditions at the time.





Human figures add a little perspective on the size of these dunes. They (The Dunes) truly are magnificent.



And from what I remember from back in 1979, they are extremely difficult to walk on. I did go out to the base of The Dunes but simply did not have the energy or stamina to go any further. Besides, it was getting late in the evening, a strong wind was blowing, and it was cold!





The quality of light was pitiful, and it was nearly gone, but the views were still awesome even though they can't truly be captured by the camera.

Fun in the Summertime!

Another picture of my grandmother (on the right) and her sister Jane. This time they are sharing a piece of watermelon. I don't recognize the background scenery so don't know where it was taken, but it was probably the summer of 1954.

And speaking of summertime fun, Jasia has published the Carnival of Genealogy, 49th Edition which "kicks-off" the 3rd year of the COG as well as summertime itself. Congratulations, Jasia, for starting the COG and keeping it going! I sure enjoyed seeing the variety of swimming attire displayed for all to see. What fun!


Jasia also announced the topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy: Family Pets! "Bring out those old photos of Snoopy, Garfield, Rex and Bob! Tell us the funny, charming, and cute stories about the pets you remember or remember hearing about. Introduce us to the furry, feathered, and scaly members who have a place on your family tree! The deadline for the next edition is June 15, .. and it will be hosted by none other than the flutaphone master himself, Bill West!" Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using the carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on the blog carnival index page.The pooch pictured above is Buster who was a loveable, loyal, fierce protector of the family for many years. Photo taken about 1985.

Jurassic Way 10 - Fineshade - Stamford

We parked at Fineshade, and walked from the car past the café, and round the wood - south, then east, then north. Some of the Jurassic Way signs are hidden away, so it's worth having a close look at the map. We came out of the woods on a track leading downhill towards the A43. On its way it passes an electricity substation, and as you reach the main road there's a small cemetery.



Cross the busy road into Duddington. Go past the pub, and in a short while take the first turning left down a steep hill.







You pass some splendid houses before coming to St Marys Church. The path goes through the churchyard.









At the other side of the churchyard we turned left, down to the bridge over the Welland, which marks the parish boundary between Duddington and Tixover, and the county boundary between Northants and Rutland.












Just after the bridge the path turns right into a field by the river.



There was a gate which someone had smeared with some kind of blue paint - we climbed it instead of opening it - at the hinge end, well away from the paint.












The path took us across a field and into a strip of woodland. We picked a shady spot to have coffee - watched by shading sheep in a nearby field.



We crossed another grassy field to the road to Tixover Grange, then turned right and walked along for a short distance. Just after the buildings of the Grange the footpath turned off through a hedge on the left, cutting off the corner of the road. We crossed the road when we met it again on to a long straight path - over half a mile - beside fields whose edges were full of poppies and marguerites. This took us almost to Geeston, which is almost Ketton. The footpath has been diverted at this point, but is clearly marked and fenced off. It continued along a narrow path behind some houses with huge gardens, until it met the road to Collyweston from Ketton.



We had to walk along the road for a few hundred yards, before the footpath turns off just after Collyweston Bridge. It heads uphill, and was a bit of an effort in the heat! After the third field we emerged on a track which becomes Ketton drift and leads into the village of Easton on the Hill. We spotted the village shop and the Bluebell pub, and it was lunchtime. Sandwich and a mug of soup for me and ciabatta salad and chips for Marta.

We ate heartily, and it was as well that we had only a couple of miles left to walk.









When we came out of the pub garden we turned along Church Street, past the footpath at Park Walk, as far as the church. The path now has three identities - Jurassic, Hereward and Macmillan Ways. Shortly afterwards we turned right and followed the path through fields and a small piece of woodland until we reached the railway - you're advised to stop, look and listen - though there's so much traffic noise from the A1 that the listening part is not easy. Once over the railway lines you go underneath the A1.



We were close to the Welland again, and crossed it by Broadend Bridge. The path led us straight into Stamford Meadows, past the plaque at the spot where Boudicca/ Boadicea chased the Ninth Roman Legion back across the river in AD61.



Time to drive back to Fineshade for a reviving and celebratory coffee, and we can say that we've walked the Jurassic Way.

Saddlebags as Camera Bags?

For the past two years, I have been using either my Carradice Barley or Zimbale 7L saddlebags, with the padded Zimbale insert shown here, as camera bags. This setup is convenient, secure and fits up to three full sized (SLR or medium format) cameras. The side pockets are great for storing film, a flash unit or other accessories.



But I am also ever on the lookout for a much smaller bag that will accommodate a single camera equally well without the extra bulk. The ideal bag for this would be just large enough to swallow a DSLR with a zoom lens attached, but no larger - so that it's tucked in behind the saddle without the sides sticking out. It would be fantastic if the bag had a padded insert, but not a dealbreaker if it does not; I can make my own. Finally, I would like for the bag to have the look and feel of a classic saddlebag: earth-tone canvas, that sort of thing.






A bag such at the Velo Orange Croissant, or the Berthoud it is based on, would be perfect for the job if just a tad larger. Unfortunately they do not quite fit my camera comfortably. It looks like the similarly shaped Acorn and Zimbale bags are slightly bigger, but I am not certain they are sufficient either.






After seeing the dimensions of the Carradice Zipped Roll, I thought that it would be large enough. But while the bag is large enough in itself, the opening is quite narrow and I cannot get my camera through. The Zipped Roll has now become the Co-Habitant's handlebar bag.






This United Pedal saddlebag I spotted at the New Amsterdam bike show had the same issue - the bag itself being the perfect size, but the opening too small to fit a full-sized camera through.






It occurs to me that a traditional Roadster saddlebag design could work as well - only made of lighter fabric, so as to make sense on a roadbike.




In this era of small-scale bicycle bag manufacturers, I think it would be a great idea for someone to design the perfect single-camera saddlebag. So many cyclists are also photographers and would love to carry an SLR on their roadbikes without having to mount an expedition-sized saddlebag every time.




If you carry a full sized camera in your saddlebag, what is your setup?

Gourd & Zinna Blossoms

Blooms on Redbud

The Belay Jacket Tutorial

Ryan Johnson bundled under a Fisson SL and a Dually layered over an "action suit" base, photo courtesy of Clint Helander





I write about, study, worry about,buy and use a lot of belay jackets. It hasn't always been so. And until relatively recently (only the last 10 years) in my own climbing career never actually used a "belay jacket". While at the same time for the last 30 yearsI have been intentionally tryingto climb "light and fast", all while not freezing my ass off. With varying amounts of success.



Sure, on the rare occasion I have carried what some would refer to now as a "belay jacket". But they were really just part of my sleeping system that allowed me to carry a lighter bag. Not anything Iintentionally wanted to climb in. And even then it would have to be pretty darn cold for me to be able to climb in those same jackets without over heating.







With out a belay jacket, and more importantly, without the knowledge of how to properly use a belay jacket, the idea of "light and fast",generally will mean something other than: light, fastand no sleep till you were off the hill.



At some point your endurance and your gear willlimited what you do in the mountains. The limit (which seems pretty well proven @ this point) for us was 40 hrs of continuous climbing. Better plan on a nap by hour40. Oreven better, a good bit of sleep to recover and better rehydrate from the effort.



It is the decision that you will likely go over 40 hrs that will determine what additionalgear you'll need for the required nap. Andhow much you'll likely suffer for the decision.



From the email the blog generates and the typical Internet traffic on "belay jackets" I see, it is obvious to me that there is some confusion on how a "belay jacket" is best used.



If you have any doubts the first thing you should do is read Mark Twight's EXTREME ALPINISM. The current crop of belay jacketswere specifically designed around theideaon a "action suit" for climbing and easily added over layers of insulation ( the "belay jacket") when stopped, to maintain body heat.



But here is the rub. Like many great ideas, it is how that idea is applied that counts.



Coolmuscles work more efficiently than over heated muscles.

If you don't believe that or don't understand it try a simple test. With the same clothes and effortrun a 10K in the rain @ 50F degrees and runthe same 10K @ 95F degrees



Now apply that lessonto your own climbing. Sure you need to survive. So you'll want to take the amount of insulation required to do so. But you also want to be efficient in your own climbing. Which will mean cool musclesare much better than over heated ones. Take theleast amount of weight that enablesyou to succeed.What you need and nothing more.



A jacket designed for a 60hr ascent of Denali's Solvak route is not likely the same jacket you will need for your local 6 pitch mixed line in the lower 48.



The belay jacket is part of your belay system. It is not, by defnition,a part of your "action" suit.

One is for climbing. Theother is an addition to your climbing suit, to retain the body heat you have just generated by climbing, to limit theeffects of nomovement while belaying.



It is important to differentiate between the two. A 60g Atom LT or a Gamma MX shell that are the major part of your upper body "action suit" are not part of your "belay jacket" system. In the opening picture for this blog Ryan is using a Fisson SL (76g) and a Duelly (152g) as his "belay jacket" system. That is a full 200+ g ofArcteryx's Therma Tek insulation! Early Spring can be prettycold in the shade on the Kahiltna.



The Atom LT Ryanclimbs in or the soft shell you climb inas a the main upper layer of your "action suit" is not a "belay layer". My guesswhereclimbersget into trouble is by thinkingthat a 60g Atom LT and a 100g SV...as good as the combo is to climb in...will then be aswarm as a Atom LT and Duelly combo. The 60/100 g combois not going to be as warm. You are talking 160g verses 230g combos.Seems obviousdoesn't it? But I have seen others suggesting exactly that.



It is bad math to add your action suit insulation to your "belay jacket" insulation. In other words take the insulation required in yourbelay jacket....just don't take any more than required.



It should be obvious by now that could be 60g or 260g depending on your objective.



I can't tell you how many times I have regretted not taking my own advice. Freezing my ass off at a belay, and then because I was chilled, leaving my belay jacket on to follow the pitch. Then almost immediately over heating mid pitch because of thatmistake. That is with just100g insulation for my Belay Jacket, even @ -30C!I would have been better off to start off cold and warm up on the pitch by climbing. My clothes would have stayed drier. I would have stayedbetter hydrated. And most importantly I would have been stronger overall on route. I am a slow learner. But I do eventually learn from my mistakes.





Here is a list of what is available from Arcteryx and Patagonia as an example of insulation in their various models. Depending on the temperatures any one of them, or any combination of them, could be used as the perfect "belay jacket".


Arcteryx:



60g coreloft Atom LT

100g corloft Atom SV

140g Coreloft Kappa SV

153g of Therma Tek Duelly

153g of Therma Tek Fission SL with GTX Pro Shell



Patagoniua:



60g of Primaloft 1 Nano Puff Series

100g Primaloft Sport Micro Puff Series

170g Primaloft 1 DAS (/ version)