Paris Township To St. Paris (#48)To New Paris (#49)To Rural To Gas City To Elwood Windfall To Kokomo

Fairfield Inn

Goshen, Indiana

May 21, 2022

Three Paris' in one day!!

My geographic knowledge of this part of the country is not so good. So here's a "zoomed out" map that shows my wanderabout yesterday. Detroit is east of Cincinnati? And Louisville is basically straight south from Indy?

My friend Chuck gave me some great ideas of places to visit around Columbus. For some reason I have felt a sense of urgency this week -- like I am on a mission from God to cram as many Paris' in as I can. So I will keep that list for next time around.

Where I stayed the night of May 19. I used points.

Marysville.

One of the small towns I drove through, Milford Center.

Big fan of post offices. If the post office in a Paris is open, I am now getting a postmark on one of my Going To Paris notecards. The postmistresses are happy to oblige.

I wish I had thought about making videos of my drives through Paris before now. Oh well, better late than never?

https://youtu.be/fuYQcEMeC84

New Paris is a village in Preble County, Ohio. The population was 1,629 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

New Paris was platted in 1817, and named after Paris, Kentucky, the former home of a share of the first settlers. A post office called New Paris has been in operation since 1820.

Geography

New Paris is located at 39°51′21″N 84°47′39″W (39.855952, -84.794170).[8]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.76 square miles (1.97 km2), of which, 0.74 square miles (1.92 km2) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) is water.

The village is at the intersection of State Routes 121 and 320, north of Interstate 70.

New Paris is just east of the Indiana state line.

The village is heavily dominated by cornfields, a staple of this area of Ohio.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,629 people, 715 households, and 431 families living in the village. The population density was 2,201.4 inhabitants per square mile (850.0/km2). There were 788 housing units at an average density of 1,064.9 per square mile (411.2/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 97.7% White, 0.1% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.4% of the population.

There were 715 households, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.7% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.

The median age in the village was 36.7 years. 25.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.6% were from 25 to 44; 25.8% were from 45 to 64; and 14.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.

After St. Paris, I drove through more "agricultural areas" (in other words fields) -- came across Fort Jefferson on my way to New Paris.

Fort Jefferson is an unincorporated community in Darke County, in the U.S. state of Ohio.[1]

A post office called Fort Jefferson was established in 1823, and remained in operation until 1906.[2] A memorial to historic Fort Jefferson is located there.[3]

Fort Jefferson was a fortification erected by soldiers of the United States Army in October 1791 during the Northwest Indian War. Built to support a military campaign, it saw several years of active fighting. Today, the fort site is a historic site.

Establishment

Located in present-day Darke County in far western Ohio, the fort was built under the direction of General Arthur St. Clair in October 1791 as an advance post for his campaign from Fort Washington against local Native Americans.[2]: 578  A square of approximately 100 feet (30 m) on each side, the fort was built of wood and intended primarily as a supply depot; accordingly, it was originally named "Fort Deposit."[3] Before St. Clair's army departed the fort, a court-martial was conducted for an unknown crime; the three soldiers who were convicted and hanged became the first whites to be executed in present-day Darke County.[2]: 578 

One month later, after St. Clair's army was badly defeated in battle near modern-day Fort Recovery to the north, the scattered remnants of his force reconstituted at Fort Jefferson. Because it was not intended to house many soldiers,[2]: 578  and because few supplies were actually stored at the fort,[3] St. Clair found the fort insufficiently large for his men; consequently, he took most of his surviving soldiers and returned to Fort Washington, leaving only a small garrison to guard his many wounded. It is believed that the garrison was under the command of Captain Joseph Shaylor.[2]: 578 

Siege of Fort Jefferson

The defeat of the American army in late 1791 left Fort Jefferson deep in enemy territory. Determined to drive the American soldiers back to the Ohio River, a Native American force (possibly under the command of Simon Girty) raided the fort in the early Summer 1792. This raid began on 25 June 1792, with an attack of one hundred warriors against a party gathering hay for the fort's supplies, and left sixteen soldiers dead or missing.[2]: 578  It is possible that another raid was conducted a short while later with the intention of capturing or killing Captain Shaylor. Local histories suggest the attackers exploited Shaylor's love of hunting by imitating wild turkey calls to lure Shaylor and his son into the woods. Captain Shaylor escaped the ensuing pursuit, but his son was killed.[2]: 579 

The fort came under siege intermittently for three years, as continued Native American attacks were made to neutralize the outpost.[3]

Wayne's campaign

As the United States Army prepared to return to the offensive in the western Ohio country, Fort Jefferson became more than an isolated location outside of the control of the hostile Miamis: projections were created of using the fort as a base for the protection of local settlers and for raids on nearby Native Americans.[3] When Anthony Wayne and his Legion of the United States, fresh from Legionville, began their expedition to avenge St. Clair in the fall of 1793, they erected a new supply fort at the site of Greenville, 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Fort Jefferson.[2]: 579  Nevertheless, they relied heavily on the supplies of Fort Jefferson in their campaign during the following year.[3]

After the war

After the end of the war, white settlers began to take up residence in the vicinity of the abandoned fort. A blockhouse was built by one nearby resident in 1810; by 1820, more settlers had built houses, a mill, and a school near the fort site. The settlement developed into Fort Jefferson, Ohio.[2]: 579 

In the fall of 1907, the Greenville Historical Society dedicated a memorial on the site of the fort.[2]: 579  Fort Jefferson was further recognized in 1970 when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The area designated as historic encompasses approximately 6.5 acres (2.6 ha).[1]

New Paris is a village in Preble County, Ohio. The population was 1,629 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

New Paris was platted in 1817, and named after Paris, Kentucky, the former home of a share of the first settlers. A post office called New Paris has been in operation since 1820.

Geography

New Paris is located at 39°51′21″N 84°47′39″W (39.855952, -84.794170).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.76 square miles (1.97 km2), of which, 0.74 square miles (1.92 km2) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) is water.

The village is at the intersection of State Routes 121 and 320, north of Interstate 70.

New Paris is just east of the Indiana state line.

The village is heavily dominated by cornfields, a staple of this area of Ohio.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 1,629 people, 715 households, and 431 families living in the village. The population density was 2,201.4 inhabitants per square mile (850.0/km2). There were 788 housing units at an average density of 1,064.9 per square mile (411.2/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 97.7% White, 0.1% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.4% of the population.

There were 715 households, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.7% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.

The median age in the village was 36.7 years. 25.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.6% were from 25 to 44; 25.8% were from 45 to 64; and 14.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.

2000 census

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 1,623 people, 692 households, and 446 families living in the village. The population density was 2,272.1 people per square mile (882.6/km2). There were 744 housing units at an average density of 1,041.6 per square mile (404.6/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 99.01% White, 0.31% African American, 0.12% Asian, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.12% of the population.

There were 692 households, out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $31,726, and the median income for a family was $36,402. Males had a median income of $27,870 versus $21,731 for females. The per capita income for the village was $14,422. About 8.2% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.8% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

New Paris is part of the National Trail Local School District. The National Trail School District campus is located 4.5mi from New Paris.

New Paris has a public library, a branch of the Preble County District Library.

Notable people

• Benjamin Hanby, wrote the Christmas carol "Up On The House Top" in New Paris in 1864

• Grayson L. Kirk, president of Columbia University, advisor to the State Department, and instrumental in the formation of the United Nations; was briefly principal of New Paris High School ([citation needed]

• David Purviance, minister and legislator

From Niche.com:

It was toasty all day.

Upon leaving New Paris and heading west, I entered Indiana within a few minutes; so remote Google Maps did not even welcome me to Indiana!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/af7239_533450c8d8d64dce87ecc860f2dd75c5/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

I thought it was pretty funny that there is a hamlet named "Rural" in rural Indiana.

Throughout the day I saw famers working in their fields. I assume it must be planting season for corn.

Most of the day the wind was hollowing. This flag shows the strength of the wind.

From the Gas City website:

Gas City, formerly known as Harrisburg, began as a “Boom Town” when an abundance of natural gas was found in the vicinity in 1887. The original settlement was platted on May 25, 1867. Noah Harris, the founder, was born on June 22, 1823 and died on August 7, 1913. Mr. Harris was a fur trader in his early years, later becoming interested in real estate and the nursery business.

Following the discovery of natural gas, several citizens formed the Gas City Land Company on March 21, 1892. Several days later, the name of Harrisburg was changed to Gas City. On April 4, 1892, the Gas City Post Office was established. The population at that time was 150. The name “Gas City” would imply that it got it’s name from the seemingly inexhaustible supply of natural gas. The pressure at the well heads was 300 to 350 psi. Because of belief that the supply was unlimited, the gas was used lavishly and not conserved.

The founders envisioned the population of the city to reach 25,000, so they leased all of the gas rights on thousands of acres, bought about 1,200 acres of land and laid out the central portion of it as Gas City.

The land company pledged to use the proceeds from the sale of lots to provide free gas, put in a sewer system and lay out streets. There was a wild scramble to purchase lots from $200 to over $1000 each. The city seemed destined to become a great metropolis.

Within three months, eight factories had moved in. Thousands of people moved in to work in the factories and start businesses. A bank, an opera house, hotels, rows of business offices, and numerous homes were quickly built. The demand was so great that many families lived in tents and shanties until their houses could be built.

With this boom came many attractions, especially along the Mississinewa river. A race track near the river drew huge crowds. “The Helen Boyd” a steam launch gave rides on the river and a buggy trail meandered along the river.

The population of Gas City was 3,622 in 1900, and almost 25 time that of 1890. Trains from the east arrived in the city daily.

Those were great days and had the gas not been squandered away, no doubt, Gas City would have become a large city.

One by one, the factories began to disappear. Some went out of business and others relocated. The city was built on gas and when that disappeared, the land was returned to raising crops. The Gas City Land Company was formally dissolved in 1904. Only two glass factories remained and they stayed in operation until the early 1980’s.

Gas City has survived. Though its name may bring odd expressions from outsiders who know nothing about its history and the gas boom days. To this day, it is a wonderful place to live.

The city has become that fastest growing city in Grant County. Its industrial part is nearly full and the city recently purchased a farm of about 65 acres to enhance capabilities of expanding its commercial and industrial base.

From Wikipedia:

Gas City is a city in Grant County, Indiana, along the Mississinewa River. The population was 5,965 at the 2010 census.

History

Gas City was first known as Harrisburg when settled on May 25, 1867, by Noah Harris. It became something of a boom town when natural gas was found in the area in 1887. The Gas City Land Company was founded on March 21, 1892, and the town of about 150 people changed its name to Gas City a few days later. However, as of 2022 much of the gas is depleted.

The Gas City High School, Thompson-Ray House, and West Ward School are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Gas City annually hosts the Ducktail Run Rod and Custom Car Show in the Fall. The "Ducktail Run," as it is known to locals, is a large car show featuring vehicles from 1972 and older. In the year 2020, the Festival had 2,020 vehicles register to appear. Gas City is home to the world famous Max's Barbershop located on Main Street in Downtown Gas City. Max's Barbershop has been a family business beginning with the original owner, Max Leavitt, and now under control by his son Craig Leavitt.

Geography

Gas City is located at 40°29′17″N 85°36′20″W (40.488190, -85.605649).

According to the 2010 census, Gas City has a total area of 4.56 square miles (11.81 km2), all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 5,965 people, 2,410 households, and 1,632 families living in the city. The population density was 1,308.1 inhabitants per square mile (505.1/km2). There were 2,597 housing units at an average density of 569.5 per square mile (219.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.2% White, 0.9% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population.

There were 2,410 households, of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.3% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.92.

The median age in the city was 39.4 years. 24.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.6% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 15.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,940 people, 2,393 households, and 1,643 families living in the city. The population density was 1,599.2 people per square mile (618.2/km2). There were 2,497 housing units at an average density of 672.3 per square mile (259.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.46% White, 0.30% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.56% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.52% of the population.

There were 2,393 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,940, and the median income for a family was $42,056. Males had a median income of $34,020 versus $23,482 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,295. About 8.1% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.

Instead of poles, all street signs in the city are held up with this "oil drilling thing."

Gas City was hopping on a Friday afternoon. There was so much traffic I thought I was at the beach. Motorcycles are big out here -- helmets not so much.

Next town, Elwood.

Elwood is a city in Madison and Tipton counties in the U.S. state of Indiana.[4] The Madison County portion, which includes most of the city, is part of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the small portion in Tipton County is part of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 8,614 at the 2010 census.

History

Elwood was laid out in 1853 under the name Duck Creek. It was incorporated as a city in 1891.

A post office was established under the name Duck Creek in 1855, was renamed to Elwood in 1869, and has been operating since.

By the 1880s, Elwood had become a sundown town, prohibiting Black people from residing within the town. In 1897, when a number of Black families attempted to settle in the town and they were driven out. The Evening Times, in Washington D.C., reported that for more than two decades Black people had not been “permitted to remain any length of time. This prohibition remained in place for most of the 20th century.

Elwood native Wendell Willkie accepted nomination by the Republican party for the 1940 presidential election by holding a large rally of close to 150,000 in the community. Although some prominent Black reporters, such as Marse Callaway of Baltimore, were allowed to briefly stay in a hotel downtown, others were unable to stay the night due to the community’s sundown status. Other Black people were discouraged from attempting to attend the rally at all due to the sundown signs posted at the city limits. These signs and policies remained in place for decades afterwards.

By the late twentieth century sundown policies were less strictly enforced, although as recently as 2002 law enforcement in nearby Marion considered Elwood to still be unwelcoming of Black people. In 2015, after Goshen, Indiana, passed a resolution acknowledging its history as a sundown town, Elwood’s own past became a topic of discussion. The mayor of Elwood stated that while he had had no knowledge of the racially exclusionary policies of Elwood’s past, he would address them if they were part of Elwood’s “lingering reputation.

Elwood was the site of a great political event on August 17, 1940. The Republican National Committee held a formal notification ceremony to recognize Elwood-born Wendell Willkie as its nominee for President of the United States to run against Franklin Roosevelt. Held at Callaway Park on the outskirts of town, the ceremony drew 150,000 people for what would become the largest political rally in American history at the time. People came in 60,000 automobiles, 63 special trains, 300 Pullmans, and 1,200 buses. The Indiana University band led a parade in which 249 other bands also marched in the procession. When Willkie stepped onto the platform, the crowd cheered him for ten minutes before he could begin his speech. However, oppressive heat and Willkie's underwhelming, flat speech left many disappointed by the end of the day.

Scary.

Windfall is a town in Wildcat Township, Tipton County, in the U.S. state of Indiana.[5] It is part of the Kokomo, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Windfall's population was 708 at the 2010 census.

History

Founding

Windfall was founded by James B. Fouch in 1853. Fouch platted the land with the goal of securing a train station in order to earn business from the lucrative lumber trade. He built the first sawmill in 1853. A Christian church was built just outside Windfall in 1854. The congregation moved to Windfall in 1866.[6] A Methodist church was organized in Windfall in 1857, with meetings taking place in a school house.[7] The Windfall post office has been in operation since 1855.

There is no definitive history explaining how Windfall was named, but a niece of James B. Fouch told a local newspaper in 1949, “The story has been told to me that Windfall was named by my uncle after a terrific windstorm had swept through the village.”

The village was incorporated on March 24, 1871 by a unanimous vote of the people who had settled there. As other settlers came to the village it grew opposite from the way Fouch intended. As a result, Windfall’s Main Street, the original street, is southwest from the center of the town. That same year, the Windfall Baptist church was founded.

Crime in the 1800s

Windfall has a notable crime history dating from just after its incorporation. In 1865, Noble Goff, a man once described as "respectable..but in later years had fallen into heavy dissipation and had made many enemies," was murdered with a hatchet while in bed. His wife was charged with his murder and served her time in prison. Henry Thomas was killed by a local doctor, Armstrong, in 1864 or 1865. He killed Thomas out of "jealousy," and claimed he was not guilty upon trial. The doctor was acquitted.

A few years later a man named Perry was killed in a local saloon over a game of cards. In 1867, a man named Gifford was killed by James Stewart. The two men entered into a fight at Stewart's house and Steward shot him. He was acquitted for self-defense. Finally, the work of a suspected arson burned down a large brick drug store and the nearby home of Dr. McAlaster in 1883.

1900s

As of the 20th century, the town was described as being "one of the most attractive communities in Tipton County." A large Methodist church was built and completed in September 1913. It cost $28,000 to build.

World War II[edit]

From 1944 to 1945 Windfall was home to a World War II German POW camp, Windfall Indiana World War II POW Camp.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 708 people, 279 households, and 190 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,441.4 inhabitants per square mile (942.6/km2). There were 324 housing units at an average density of 1,117.2 per square mile (431.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.2% White, 0.3% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.4% of the population.

There were 279 households, of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.9% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.10.

The median age in the town was 38.8 years. 25.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.5% were from 45 to 64; and 15.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

Early census

As of the census of 1910, there were 890 people. In 1900, there were 957 people. As of 1890, there were 561 people.

Economy

1800s

Just after Windfall founder James B. Fouch built the first sawmill in 1853, Josiah Ross built the first home in the town, which he used as a general store. Multiple storehouses were built by 1859, buying and selling products, including grain, to business via the railroad. A factory for stave manufacturing was built in 1865. In 1873, the Windfall Steam Flouring Mill was founded. A felloe factory was built in 1877 by Thornburgh and Hirons.

1900s

By 1914, the most lucrative industry in Windfall was canning, specifically tomatoes. The most prominent cannery was the Royal Canning Company.

At the end of a long day (10 hours in the truck) I arrived at the WalMart in Kokomo ready to hit the sack after stretching out.