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CHAPTER XIV

ELKHART'S PUBLIC MATTERS

CITY CONTROL OF PUBLIC UTILITIES-THE TOWN CORPORATIONBECOMES A CITY THE CITY COURT-POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS-PROF. D. W. THOMAS AND THE SCHOOLSMRS. A. E. BABB-MRS. MARGARET STEVENS-BRICK CENTRAL SCHOOL BUILT-WARD SCHOOLS ERECTED IN 1873-83-HIGH SCHOOL BUILDINGS-ADDITIONS AND SANITARY IMPROVEMENTS (1886-90) HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING OF 1893-PROGRESS FROM 1894 TO 1900-GRAND HIGH SCHOOL OF 1912-OTHER SCHOOL HOUSES SCHOOL STATISTICS SUPERINTENDENTS AND HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS GENERAL CITY PROGRESS SINCE 1905THE NEW MUNICIPAL BUILDING-ELKHART-CARNEGIE PUBLIC LIBRARY-ELKHART POSTOFFICE-PUBLIC PARKS AND CEMETERIES THE SOLDIERS' MEMORIAL-ELKHART GAS AND FUEL COMPANY THE ELKHART WATER COMPANY-THE INDIANA AND MICHIGAN ELECTRIC COMPANY.

The public departments and public utilities connected with either the village or city corporation of Elkhart were of gradual growth. The "bucket brigade," which was organized as a crude protection against fire even before the place became a village in 1858, did not develop into the present paid department until 1894, and the village marshal did not grow into a metropolitan force governed by a board of commissioners until about the same time. Among the utilities of general use not directly controlled by the municipal corporation, but public in all their essentials, gas was first supplied, then water, and lastly, electricity.

CITY CONTROL OF PUBLIC UTILITIES

Of course, under the statutes of the state regulating the granting of franchises to private corporations engaged in furnishing public

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utilities, the city is empowered to become a stockholder in any concern so privileged. Twenty-five years is the maximum term for such franchise. Before a contract can be entered into it must be approved by the Board of Public Works, which, in turn, must present a proper ordinance to the Common Council confirming such contract. Thus the public is protected by both the state and the city.

Although the free schools of the city are usually not classified as public utilities, strictly speaking they lead them all, and the board of education which has direct control of them is more a creature of the state and the county than of the city. Of all the institutions working for the betterment of the community, the public schools were most established as a system, crude though it was, when Elkhart was embodied as a village.

THE TOWN CORPORATION

In 1858 a petition, signed by many of the electors of the place, was presented to the county commissioners, and in response thereto the board ordered an election for voting upon the question of incorporation. The vote was taken on June 29th and out of 216 ballots a majority of fifty-four was in its favor. Accordingly, the Board of Commissioners declared at their September session that the village be incorporated as the Town of Elkhart. The first trustees chosen were P. Morehouse, Virgil Young and A. P. Simonton.

BECOMES A CITY

Elkhart remained in the list of towns for seventeen years. In that period the population, the manufacturing and commercial interests and the territorial area had expanded rapidly, and it was the verdict of the progressives that the old form of government had been outgrown. Therefore, on April 28, 1875, the issue of city or town government was placed before the citizens. Result: For incorporation, 575; for a continuation of the town system, 561. On May 11, 1875, the following officials of the first municipal government were elected: Mayor, Henry C. Wright; clerks, Ben Brown and J. D. Wood; treasurer, Henry Bearup; marshal, C. J. Gillette; assessor, B. O. Manchester; civil engineer, C. M. Proctor; chief of fire department, E. A. Campbell; attorney, O. T. Chamberlain.

Councilmen first ward, Charles Walley and John Cook; second ward, C. W. Green and S. S. Strong; third ward, D. S. Simonton and William Gravit; fourth ward, John Salkeld and Frank Jauriett; fifth ward, Jacob Arisman and J. S. Kinsey; sixth ward, Taylor Arisman and David Kegereis.

THE MAYORS OF ELKHART

The mayors who have served since that time have been: J. R Beardsley, 1876-78; A. M. Tucker, 1878-80; C. G. Conn, 1880-83;

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P. J. Parmater, 1883; Norman Beckley, 1884; Dr. S. M. Cummins, 1885; Daniel Weaver, 1886-87; Everett Goldthwait, 1888-89; Stafford Maxon, 1890-1; Otis Thompson, 1892-93; Henry B. Sykes, 1894-8; Dr. Porter D. Turner, 1898-1902; C. T. Greene, 1902-10; Ellis M. Chester, 1910-13; Frank E. Smith, 1914-.

THE CITY COURT

Elkhart has had a city court since 1876. It was organized by the first Common Council of Elkhart by M. F. Shuey, of that city, in

response to a demand by lawyers who protested against the loss of time and inconvenience occasioned by going to Goshen when it was required to conduct litigation arising within the corporate limits of Elkhart which fell under the jurisdiction of justices of the peace. Between 1881 and 1891 the court was of little more consequence than as pertaining to matters usually discharged by notaries public, but its jurisdiction was adjusted and broadened by a legislative amendment engineered by O. Z. Hubbell, in 1891, and under the new municipal code of 1905, by which the term of all city officers was fixed at four years, the duties of the municipal judge were also extended in scope and importance. The city judge has now exclusive jurisdiction over all violations of municipal ordinances, and concurrent jurisdiction with the Circuit or Criminal Court, in all cases of petit larceny. If a case is brought before him in which he considers that the punishment which he is authorized to assess is not adequate to the crime charged against the defendant, he may hold the prisoner to bail for his appearance before the proper court, or commit him to jail in default of such bail.

POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS

For some years a marshal was elected by the people to preserve order. Now, under a state law passed in May, 1893, there is an adequate force under the executive direction of a superintendent and under the general superintendence of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners, the members of which are appointed by the governor. Daniel Weaver was its first president.

In 1894 the paid Fire Department of Elkhart was organized, with Mac Dotson as chief. The central, or No. I station, is at the old City Hall on Franklin Street, and there are four other houses in different parts of the city for the protection and operation of the steam and chemical engines, hose carts and hook and ladder. For most purposes the pressure in the water mains is sufficient protection against fire, but engine power is always available.

The fire alarm system has been especially improved of late years; in the year 1915 alone, twelve miles of fire alarm wire was strung. All of the horses have also been taken from the Central Fire Station and a motor truck installed at No. 2. It is the intention to equip all the outside stations with motor-driven apparatus.

From the last accessible report of Chief Alex Dotson (year end

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