Part 1 of our saga focuses on R.E. Nutt’s commitment to the bridge named “Memorial.” You can find that piece HERE.
Photo courtesy of the Pulaski County Public Library.
The Professional Saga of Mr. Nutt
A search of draft records during the WWI era discovered Mr. Nutt had registered for the draft in Pulaski County in 1918 at the age of 38. He listed his occupation as County Surveyor.By relying on the local newspaper articles during the building of Memorial, one would learn little about Mr. Nutt. The newspapers misidentified him as Herbert Nutt from Indianapolis, who used to live in Harrison Township, then as Hubert Nutt, Former County Surveyor. Whether he had been Surveyor of Pulaski or another county was not mentioned. As an aside, Mr. Nutt had been raised in Harrison Township but, as an adult, lived in Winamac. By 1923, he had moved to Kokomo. It’s unknown if he moved before or after the bridge was built.
With that date reference, the County Genealogist searched election records and found he ran successfully to be the Pulaski County Auditor three times. In those days, county elected officials held office for two years. In 1916 he ran as a Republican against the incumbent Democrat, Clarence Paul. Mr. Nutt won by about 300 votes. In 1918, he ran again against Democrat Simon Hickle and won by about 500 votes. In 1920, he ran against Democrat William A. Fritz and won by about 700 votes. He did not file to run in the May 1922 primary and moved to Kokomo shortly after leaving office.
Author’s note: One would assume that in a community as small as Pulaski County, the local newspapers would have correctly identified a man who had just left office after serving – apparently successfully – for six years, from January 1917 through December 1922.
Given the election information, the Pulaski County Public Library did a microfilm search and found Mr. Nutt’s campaign advertisements in 1916 and 1918. The photograph that accompanies this article was used in both years. (Apparently, he did not advertise in 1920.) Newspaper photos were grainy, but this original photograph was found with the records from the Winamac Masonic Lodge, which closed, and whose records went to the Lodge at Royal Center. Mr. Nutt at one time served as Grand Master of the Winamac Lodge.
Per bid advertisements found online, Mr. Nutt signed as an engineer. He is listed in the Indiana State Board of Registration Annual Report and Register of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (1921-22 Edition), once as Pulaski County Surveyor and three times as living in Kokomo.
From the Winamac Republican, October 26, 1916, is an article about the Republican candidates from the local party. About Mr. Nutt, they say, “Born in Pulaski county and having lived here and become familiar with the needs and observed the character of all parts of the county through bridge construction work and road construction work a nominee is presented on the republican ticket this year who is amply fitted for the work of county surveyor. R. E. Nutt never before sought public office at the hands of the voters of the county, but his business dealing with all who have come in contact with him mark him as a man in whom the tax-payers and citizens the county over can have utmost confidence. [Illegible] work in the engineering duties and drafting have fitted him for the accuracy that the office of surveyor demands, and his host of friends shows the high personal regard in which he is held, and stamp him for a fair and square public official if the citizens of the county so honor him at election time.”
The same statement appeared in the form of an advertisement for his election in the November 2, 1916 edition.
From his long-form campaign advertisement (Pulaski County Democrat, November 2. 2016):
To the Citizens of Pulaski County: There are a great many voters in the county whom I have been unable to see personally. I hope that no one will think unfavorably of me, or refrain from voting for me, on account of this. I have made the best canvas that was possible for me to make, but have been unable to cover the entire county.
If you should see fit to elect me to the office of Surveyor, I assure you that the office will receive my constant personal attention, that I will give you courteous treatment, and above all things a square deal to everybody.
I believe that my qualifications are such that I need not be backward about asking any voter for his support. I am competent to make all my own bridge plans, or any kind of drawings that would be necessary. I would be more than pleased to show you some of my work along this line, and let you judge for yourself as to my ability. I have had years of experience in estimating. This will enable me to place a correct estimate on the bridge, road and ditch work.
My experience with the practical side of all of this work, and the knowledge I have obtained by having years of experience in actually performing the work, have given me a very close realization of just what is necessary to obtain the best results. I wish to add that I have a mathematical education that will enable me to handle the work of the office with ease, should you see fit to elect me on November 7th.
The one thing that I want to get before the people is, that if I am elected, I can and will conduct the office in such a manner that you will not regret having supported me.
Thanking you for any support you may wish to ge [sic] me in this election, I am,
Sincerely yours, Russell E. Nutt. Republican nominee for County Surveyor.
A short-form version of the advertisement was found, but the paper and date are not on the printout. In it, he said, “I feel that my years of experience with almost all kinds of public work, of most of which I have an intimate knowledge, together with my ability as a draftsman and engineer, should enable me to be of great value to the taxpayers of Pulaski County.”
Professional Training as a Bridge Builder
Mr. Nutt built a bridge in Winamac that has stood for 98 years. Even so, finding local information on the man’s history as a builder of bridges proved to be nearly impossible. References were found in other places.
From the “Carmel Standard,” Friday (no date) 1926, published on the Visit Hamilton County website, is news of the dedication of Flowing Well at White Chapel. The following reference is made to Mr. Nutt: “The memorial was proposed in 1925 … to utilize this well as a public gift … Accordingly in 1926, construction was completed under the direction of A.H. Myers, general chairman of the committee; Russell E. Nutt, of Kokomo, a bridge engineer; Lincoln Purcell, of Carmel, and Wilson Kellam.”
His obituary, from the Kokomo Tribune in 1941, described him as a bridge builder and contractor.
A local obituary – newspaper unknown, but captured by the Pulaski County Public Library – described him as a bridge builder, “his last work in this vicinity being the bridge on U.S. Highway N.35 at the north edge of Winamac.” Some knowledgeable individuals are investigating the bridge to which we believe this note refers. If information is forthcoming, it will be published.
His obituaries, even the local one, did not mention Memorial Bridge. The local obituary mentioned that several Masons traveled to Kokomo to attend the funeral, and this writer has to wonder if her father and grandfather were among them.
His formal education was not mentioned in any obituary. In fact, the 1940 U.S. Census states Mr. Nutt’s education ended at grade 8. In those days “engineer” was fairly loosely defined. Professional licensing was just getting established. He could have called himself an engineer because of his experience and training. Surveyors were able to operate in that fashion, with little formal training requirements, until 1980.
Finding professional references vis a vis bridge building was a difficult task. Finally, our little “study group” spent some time investigating the possibility of his involvement with the Winamac Bridge Company.
Winamac Bridge Company
If people today are aware of the Winamac Bridge Company, they think of the Stearns Truss Bridge that used to traverse the Big Monon Ditch or the Woodruff Bridge that, while abandoned, still traverses the Tippecanoe River south of Winamac.
The Stearns Truss Bridge was designed by William E. Stearns and erected in 1905 by the Winamac Bridge Company. It is the only Stearns Truss Bridge known to still be in existence in the United States. It was placed on the National Historic Register with the work of a local Boy Scout as his Eagle Scout project, and with the help of the Pulaski County Historical Society. It was listed on the National Register in 2003 as “Pulaski County Bridge No. 31.”
In 2005, when contracts were let to clean the ditch, the bridge stood in the way. Set to demolish the bridge, the Commissioners instead accepted an offer from the Wabash and Erie Canal Park in Delphi to purchase it for $10. The bridge was moved and now, known as “Blue Bridge,” is part of their park in Delphi. It is no longer listed on the National Historic Register.
The Winamac Bridge Company also had a hand in the Woodruff Bridge, known also as the Wasson Ford Bridge. The Wrought Iron Bridge Company built the two-span through-truss bridge, a Pratt Truss, in 1890. Sometime around 1910 the north span was lost, possibly to flooding, and was temporarily replaced by a bowstring truss. The Winamac Bridge Company, around that time, replaced the bowstring truss with a Warren Truss.
The story of these bridges may or may not have anything to do with Mr. Nutt. In 1905 (Stearns Truss), he would have been twenty-five years of age. In 1910 (Warren Truss on Woodruff Bridge), he would have been thirty. We were able to connect him to the Winamac Bridge Company, but apparently, he moved to Iowa.
The Winamac Bridge Company was owned in part by John W. Frain, Mr. Nutt’s brother-in-law. Per information gathered by the Pulaski County Genealogist and the Pulaski County Public Library, Mr. Frain moved to the northwest part of the United States around this time. His task was to sell and build bridges for the company in that part of the country.
The 1910 U.S. Census places R.E. Nutt, his wife Hilda and their son Errett in the home of John W. Frain in Clay, Webster, Iowa, along with five other men, who were probably employees of the Winamac Bridge Company.
Our little “study group” concluded that R.E. Nutt was, indeed, an employee of the Winamac Bridge Company, thereby gaining the experience he touted in his election efforts and the training and experience necessary to build a bridge that would stand for a century.
The last installment will focus on Mr. Nutt’s connection to persons still living in Pulaski County.
Additional Information and Credits
See the database of suspension bridges built in Indiana here: https://memorialswingingbridge.com/suspension-bridges-in-indiana/
CONTRIBUTING TO THE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL HISTORY OF R. E. NUTT: Janet Onken, Pulaski County Genealogist; Jon Frain, Frain Mortuary; Jim Phillips, former resident of Pulaski County, who gathered relevant articles from the Winamac Republican and the Pulaski County Democrat; Russell E, Nutt Obituary from the Kokomo Tribune, June 17, 1941 and from a local paper; Errett Frain Nutt Obituary from the Kokomo Tribune, May 13, 1995; John Weaver (formerly) and Crystal Weaver (currently) with INDOT; Pulaski County Public Library.