We will take a little trip down memory lane for this, giving a history of the park as well as the entryway. Along the way we’ll touch upon the Winamac Conservation Club’s stone fireplace, the historic pavilion, the artesian well, the Memorial Swinging Bridge, and a major donor. We won’t dwell on the bridge, because readers of this website get enough of that!
History of the Park
Photo by Kathleen Thompson, December 2021.
The land now occupied by the Town Park is situated on a natural and beautiful peninsula in the horseshoe bend of the Tippecanoe River. Tradition holds that this area had been a Native American campground.
For purposes of this article, we’ll just say that Pulaski County was formed by the State Legislature in 1835, and the Town of Winamac in 1839. The forced removal by militia of Native Americans from this part of the state – in 1838 – started at Twin Lakes, less than 22 miles from Winamac. It was known as the Trail of Death. The writer hates to leave it at this, but this article focuses on the history of the park entryway.
This writer has to say that she is fascinated by the history of her family, when and how they entered the county, how the towns and townships were formed, and just about everything that has to do with the “white” history of the State of Indiana and Pulaski County. That history can begin when Indiana became a state (1816), when the United States of America became a country (let’s just say 1776), when the continent was owned by a variety of European governments … To be frank, the history of these regions goes back centuries. Those stories will be told another day.
White settlers began to populate the area of Monroe Township, where Winamac is now situated, in 1838. When Winamac was platted in 1839, the peninsula and some surrounding properties were owned by W. C. Barnett, a pioneer resident. A county map published in 1873 shows the property still in his name. The area was known as Barnett’s grove, or Barnett’s peninsula. It was used as pasture for milk cows that were owned by several residents. Some of the virgin timber had been cut off, but it was still heavily wooded with second-growth trees. From local stories, it was a great place to graze cattle, or, if you were careful about where you spread your blanket, to go for a picnic. (I love that line. It was stolen from a newspaper….)
Andrew Keys ran a ferry boat across the river to transport passengers and stock and teams from town to the peninsula. Pearl Street Ford circa 1900.
In 1891, the land was purchased by John C. Nye, then a Winamac attorney, later to become Judge of the Circuit Court. He fenced off an area for cattle and added incandescent lights. While Mr. Nye owned the land, from 1891 to 1908, he allowed citizens to use the peninsula as a park. He also commissioned, through his father, the construction of an octagon pavilion.
John C. Nye has bought from Horace Terry and Mrs. Hulda Agnew the six acres forming the point of the peninsula in the Tippecanoe river, paying $450 therefor, and he now owns the entire peninsula. When spring opens he will have the remainder of it cleaned and trimmed the same as has already been done to the east end, and will build a house over there to be occupied by a man to have charge and look after the grounds. He will also build a sort of office or waiting room in which his friends may loaf and smoke and tell their Sunday school experiences. A kite-shaped race trace a mile long clear around the point is not an impossibility. No use talking, the park is bound to become one of the most beautiful spots in Indiana. Pulaski County Democrat January 15 1892
The 1907 plat map shows the peninsula as “Nye Park.”
Over time, Mr. Nye discovered that trying to hold attractions that would raise money was not enough to cover taxes and expenses. Unable to sustain the park, Mr. Nye sold the land in 1908 to Ben Herrick. The new owner planned to convert the land to private use. On the day he began cutting trees, citizens banded together to raise funds to purchase the property. They raised enough on the first day to retire the debt, $5,000.
The foot bridge to Nye’s park was put in position the first of the week, but the heavy rains of last night raised the river so high that it was washed out. Not much, if any, of it got away, but it is badly twisted out of place. The dance that was to have been given by the young people’s club in the park pavilion tonight has been called off on account of the “flood effects.” It is said that several boats were broken from their moorings by the sudden rise of water and took quiet trips down the Tippecanoe. Pulaski County Democrat July 2 1903
Private Park Association
A private group, the Winamac Park Association, was formed. The organization purchased the land, allowing the “river park” to be used free-of-charge by citizens.
1933 view looking toward the octagonal pavilion.
The park across the river is to remain a park. There will be no cutting away of the timber or other devastation of this beautiful work of nature. For some time there has been on foot a movement looking toward the purchase of the property, and this has now taken definite shape. Part of the purchase money has been paid and the deed made out.
The property is to be bought and held by a stock company of citizens who have the interests of the town at heart enough to invest in the project. The purchase includes all of the peninsula, the old ball park and circus grounds, the east line being just west of the house and garden across the bridge where Ben Herrick and family now live. Mr. Herrick retains that part of the property and the timber he has cut, but the beautiful portion of the park, including the pavilion, is transferred to the company, the figure being $2,500.
1933. view of boaters near the bathing beach.
Plans for maintaining the park have not yet matured – little has so far been considered except means for securing it. The purchase is prompted simply by the general feeling that it should be kept what nature intended when she made it and put the old Tippecanoe around it – a beauty spot. It is hoped that a permanent foot bridge can be built across the river, arrangements made for the accommodation of public gatherings, and the place kept in condition generally for outdoor recreation. Are YOU in? Pulaski County Democrat March 19 1908
Fourteen years later, in 1922, the Park Association found itself in the same situation as Mr. Nye. They could no longer afford to maintain the park with the meager fees they were able to raise. The association reincorporated in order to raise funds. Also, at the end of 1921, the Winamac Kiwanis Club had been formed. The two organizations joined forces and imagined Winamac as a tourist destination.
The Park Association raised enough money to improve the river park on the peninsula. They purchased and installed new playground equipment, bath houses, a band stand, a dance pavilion and other amenities. A dedication ceremony was held on July 23, 1922, to celebrate the newly outfitted park.
The erection of cottages in the park across the river is to be started at once. Plans were made at a meeting of the building committee and directors last night, and builders are being asked to submit bids at another meeting next Monday evening, at 8 o’clock. The plans are at the Reidelbach Bros. office. The committee of course reserves the right to reject any or all bids, but hopes to be able to let a contract at that time for immediate work. Propositions are also being received on playground equipment.
West Side of Park / Artesian Well
It cannot be determined from Town minutes, but either the descendants of Mr. Nye approached the Kiwanis Club, or the Club approached them. They family still owned land on the west side of the river. The plots of land included the plot upon which the historic artesian well was located. The area by the well was also the site of two local fords from the town to the park, and it was the place that both permanent (that never lasted) and temporary bridges were placed at the foot of either Main Street or Pearl Street.
A representative of the Kiwanis Club approached the Town Council with the idea of purchasing the land. Minutes were not specific, and it is unknown if the Town, at that time, envisioned another public park. While their intent was not clear in the minutes, they were amenable to the purchase. Water Street was vacated, and by 1923, this area had become a campground. The work of preparing the property fell to Kiwanis.
Permanent Footbridge
Either through invitation or self-driven in this regard, R. E. Nutt spoke to the Park Association about a suspension bridge that he believed could be installed for $2,000. The Association approached the Town, asking them to share expenses on a 50/50 basis. The Town agreed, so long as they did not have to pay more than $1,000.
Minutes from the Park Association were not found, but the two local newspapers kept townspeople up to date about plans for a bridge, a permanent bridge that would connect pedestrians from the town to the park, that would allow out-of-town campers to make use of park facilities.
Signage: Memorial Bridge: Dedicated to the soldiers and sailors from Pulaski County.
The Park Association announced that bids would be received for a permanent bridge, with a requirement that it be completed by June 1. While they expected several quotations, only Mr. Nutt placed a bid. By the time the quotation was developed in March, prices of cement and steel had risen dramatically. The bid was for $3,197. The Town was represented at the meeting, steadfast in its determination to pay no more than $1,000. The bid was tabled to allow the Association to meet with Kiwanis and determine a path forward. Before that meeting could take place, however, a member of the Association went from business to business to raise funds. $1,600 was raised in a matter of days, giving them hope of moving forward.
One has to consider the time. In 1923, The War to End All Wars was still a raw memory. Pulaski County delivered 662 men to the War; thirty-three did not return. When the contract was signed with Mr. Nutt on April 6, 1923, the combined group of town leaders had determined the bridge should be dedicated to “soldiers and sailors” from the Civil War forward. Thus, it would be named “Memorial.” The completion date was pushed to July 1. Mr. Nutt left almost immediately for Chicago to procure supplies, and construction was underway by early May.
The Plan Comes Together
While Memorial was under construction, the Kiwanis Club put their members to work. The new town park was given a general clean-up and put in shape for use by auto tourists. “Combination dining tables and seats for the use of picnic parties” were constructed. Two camp stoves were erected and a cinder walk from the well to the footbridge was installed.
On the “river park” side, the Park Association made additional improvements. A twenty-foot-wide graded cinder drive from the road entrance to the park was installed to enable two rows of cars to pass. It extended through the park as far as the bathing bench. Another band stand was erected with lumber remaining from the previous footbridge, and a permanent refreshment stand was built that contained kitchen conveniences and refrigerator. An additional bath house was built containing eighteen private compartments, an office, and separate sections for men and women. Bathing suits were purchased for rental for men, women, and children. This bath house was for persons who could afford to pay. The bathhouses erected the year before were still available to the public at no charge. Gravel and stones were dredged from the beach, and depths on the now-sandy bottom were marked for bathers. Two additional diving boards at various depths were added. Steps were built to the water’s edge and a number of seats were placed on the bank for visitors to watch water sports.
All work on the two parks was completed, and Memorial was dedicated on July 4, 1923, on schedule. Information about this county treasure, this veterans’ memorial, can be found at www.memorialswingingbridge.com.
The Park Moves Into The Future
The 1930s brought several turning points to the Winamac Park. Stock was transferred and the land became the property of the town of Winamac. Plans for the gateway were made and busts of Native Americans were carved to adorn the entrance. Completed in 1934, the gateway has received national mention for its artwork.
The Winamac Conservation Club was created in 1933. In 1940, the club financed a fish hatchery pond and erected a large open fireplace. The Club built a bird sanctuary and observation hut in 1941.
In 1931, Richard S. Rogers retired the park debt, with some stipulations, and he established a trust fund of $5,000. The $5,000 was to be dispersed upon his death, which occurred in 1945. His gift was used, in large part, to build new restrooms in 1950. The structure was to be made up of two small buildings, standing at opposite ends of a concrete slab, connected by a roof. Rest rooms, “equipped with electric pump and running water” would occupy one building, and the other would accommodate a concession stand.
In June of 1948, the Town of Winamac officially extended its boundaries to include the park.
In 1950, the Town Council granted control of the north end of the park to the fair board for use by their fair. The agreement was to run for thirteen years, giving the fair board the right to build, equip and maintain that portion of the park. Because the town could not lease park grounds, the fair board was given only partial control, during the month of August.
This ends the thumbnail sketch of the park. Read on to learn more about certain aspects of the park. As this piece is intended to be the story of the stone gateway, that story will come at the end.
Looking Ahead
March: Part 2: Artesian Well / West Side of Park
April: Part 3: Pavilion, Winamac Conservation Club, Mr. Rogers Retires Park Debt
From Counties of White and Pulaski, Indiana: Historical and biographical By Weston Arthur Goodspeed, F.A. Battey & Co., 1883.
Continued Enlistment
Early in 1864, the enlistment received a new impulse. About two-thirds of a company were furnished for the One Hundred and Twenty-seventh Regiment, and about the same number for the One Hundred and Twenty-eighth. Thus the enlistment went on during the year 1864, quite a great many going out as recruits for the old companies. The One Hundred and Forty-second secured about half a company from the county. Companies A and H of the One Hundred and Fifty-first were almost wholly from Pulaski, the men being mustered in January and February, 1865. About the 15th of April, 1865, the welcome order was received to cease enlisting.
Bounty
In August, 1862, the County Commissioners appropriated out of the county treasury the sum of $25 for the family of each volunteer who would enter the company that was then forming. This was the first county bounty. The second was in December, 1863, when there was ordered paid to each volunteer, under the last call for 300,000 men, the sum of $100. These were the only bounties paid by the Commissioners during the war. Large amounts were paid, however, by townships and localities for volunteers to clear such places from drafts.
The first draft—that of October 6, 1862—has been mentioned. The second occurred in October, 1864, at Michigan City, the system having been changed in May, 1863, from counties to Congressional districts. The conscript officers of the Ninth District were: Commissioner, James B. Belford; Provost Marshal, W. W. Wallace, whose commission was revoked in the following November, and Kline G. Shryock took his place; Daniel Dayton, Surgeon. The names of the assistant conscript officers who were appointed in Pulaski cannot be given.
Early in 1865, the militia of the county had been so reduced by previous enlistments and drafts, that it was perceived that another draft would have to be made to meet the new calls, or rather the call of December 19, 1864, for 300,000 men. Every effort was made to escape the calamity. Heavy local bounties were offered for volunteers, and many responded, and the majority of the townships thus cleared themselves.
A few men, however, were drafted, as will be seen from the following table, made out by the authorities at Indianapolis on the 14th day of April, 1865, at which time all efforts to raise troops were abandoned, Lee having surrendered at Appomattox.
Number Of Men Furnished
It is impossible to give the exact number of men furnished by Pulaski County during the war; but the effort will here be made to give the approximate number.
There had volunteered prior to September 15, 1862, 494 men. As the county more than filled her quotas under subsequent calls, counting the drafts of October, 1862, October, 1864, and March, 1865, about the number of men furnished can be obtained, if the quotas are known.
The calls of June and October, 1863, for a total of 400,000 men would make the quota of Pulaski under the “First Enrollment,” in the next to the last table above, not far from 125 men. The calls of February, March and July, 1864, required 145, 67 and 163 men respectively.
The call of December 19, 1864, the last of the war, required eighty-six men, and under this call there was a deficiency of fourteen, owing to the sudden closing of the rebellion. It was estimated that not less than 100 men left the county to enlist, owing to the fact that heavier bounties were offered elsewhere.
The county then furnished 494, 125, 145, 67, 163, 86 and 100 men, less the deficiency of fourteen under the last call, a total of 1,166 men. This number includes the enlisted, the drafted, the “veteranized” men, and the men who left the county to enlist, and were credited elsewhere.
The following regiments contained Pulaski County men: Ninth, Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fifteenth, Seventeenth, Twentieth, Twenty-sixth, Twenty-ninth, Forty-second, Forty-sixth, Forty-eighth, Sixty-third, Eighty-seventh, One Hundred and Twenty-seventh, One Hundred and Twenty-eighth, One Hundred and Forty-second and One Hundred and Fifty-first.
Only two companies were fully organized in the county. These were Company H of the Forty-sixth, and Company B of the Eighty-seventh. The officers of the first were: Captains, Felix B. Thomas, George Burson, James W. Brown, and James F. Mitchell; First Lieutenants, George Burson, James W. Brown, James F. Mitchell and Martin L. Burson; Second Lieutenants, James W. Brown, J. F. Mitchell, Martin L. Burson and John E. Doyle. The officers of the Second were: Captains, James W. Solders, George W. Baker and William W. Agnew; First Lieutenants, G. W. Baker, W. W. Agnew, William Poole and Richard M. Hathaway; Second Lieutenants, Enoch Benefiel, William Poole and James B. Holmes.
THIS TOPIC WILL BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT POST, WHICH WILL GO UP ON MARCH 15.
From Counties of White and Pulaski, Indiana: Historical and biographical By Weston Arthur Goodspeed, F.A. Battey & Co., 1883.
Disloyalty
About this time a sentiment in opposition to the war began to be manifested. The editor of the Pulaski County Democrat, a young attorney named Rufus Magee, adopted ultra measures in espousing the cause of his party. His paper had much to do with the feeling in the county hostile to the war. The Knights of the Golden Circle also made their appearance, and added their influence to the general ill-will. I
t was nothing unusual to hear men publicly state that they would not assist, by a solitary dollar, a continuance of the most unjust war. The names, “Copperhead” and “Abolitionist” began to have a sting, and more than one black eye and bloody nose resulted from an injudicious use of them.
Butternut breastpins became fashionable. The “nigger” and all his sympathizers were made the objects of suggestive ridicule. “Secessionist” was the word that was flaunted in the face of many, but nothing good was thereby accomplished. It only served to array, unnecessarily, neighbor against neighbor.
The Democratic Convention of the Ninth Congressional District was held at Winamac on the 7th of August, 1862, on which occasion several thousand people assembled. W. J. Walker, of La Porte, presided; Maj. Gardner and W. J. Gridley were two of the Vice Presidents. The delegates of Pulaski County were H. P. Rowan, W. S. Huddleston, F. B. Thomas, W. C. Barnett, G. E. Wickersham, J. B. Agnew, Samuel Decker, A. Starr and T. H. Keys.
The President of the convention, in his opening remarks, stated that two important subjects were before the citizens present for consideration. To put down the rebels of the South by the bayonet and the Abolitionists of the North by the ballot.
Hon. David Turpie, of White County, was nominated for Congress after an exciting contest. A long series of resolutions was then adopted. The political acts of Schuyler Colfax, then in Congress from the Ninth District (now the Tenth), were severely denounced. The Convention declared that the rebellion must be put down; that no money should be paid out of the public fund to the negroes that had been freed in the District of Columbia; that the established institutions of the South (meaning slavery) should not be interfered with ; that they were in favor of the “Constitution as it is and the Union as it was;” that the doctrines of secession and abolition were alike inconsistent with the Constitution; that all secret organizations which favored a resistance to the execution of the laws should be disbanded; that the soil of Indiana belonged to the white man, and the State Constitutional clause inhibiting free negroes and mulattoes from coming into the State, there to live and compete with the labor of the white man, should be enforced, and that the valor of the Indiana troops in the field was a source of universal pride.
The result of the convention in the county greatly increased the opposition to the war, if any interference with slavery was contemplated. The strong position that secession was inconsistent with the Constitution did much to mollify the ultra Democrats of the county, and encourage enlistments as long as the slavery question was overlooked.
The Draft
As the time that was fixed for the draft approached, it was apparent that the county would not wholly succeed in clearing herself. The draft was announced at first to take place on the 15th of September, 1862; but, at the last moment, the date was postponed to October 6, to give all townships abundant opportunity to free themselves.
This draft was not levied because Indiana was behind with her quota, or because any county was behind; but was ordered to compel some townships in each of the greater number of counties (all but fifteen) to furnish their allotted quotas of men. There were townships in some counties so hostile to the war that, up to the autumn of 1862, scarcely a man had been furnished, and the object of the draft was to compel such localities to come to time, and thus equalize the burden of providing men and means.
All the townships of Pulaski County except three had furnished their quotas. These three were Tippecanoe, Rich Grove and Franklin. On the 15th of September, the date first fixed for the draft, there were due from the first 9, from the second 2, and from the third 5; total 16. Between the 15th of September and the 6th of October, when the draft was levied, how many of the sixteen men required were furnished by volunteering cannot be stated, though doubtless a few.
The Draft Commissioner was J. W. Eldridge; Provost Marshal, R. M. Gill; Surgeon, F. B. Thomas. The draft was conducted in the Odd Fellows building, Maj. Gardner, blindfolded, being the drawer. Considerable feeling in opposition to the draft was manifested, though the proceedings were not interrupted. The facts upon which the draft was based were as follows: Total county militia 957; total volunteers already furnished 494; total volunteers now in the service 467; total exempts 101; total subject to draft 856. The drafted men were taken to Indianapolis, and they who did not furnish substitutes entered the service.
Suppression Of The Democrat
During the year 1863—the darkest for the Union cause while the war continued, owing to the fact that the doom of slavery was publicly announced, and to the further fact that a great many throughout the county were bitterly opposed to a continuation of the war in the interests of an abolition of slavery—the enlistment of volunteers was almost at a standstill.
It was publicly stated that the abolition war must cease, and that no more men ought to be furnished. Public speakers, at home and from abroad, violently attacked the administration, and some of them went so far as to council a resistance to drafts and enlistments.
The Democrat was very bitter and outspoken. It denounced the suspension of the habeas corpus by the President as a most unjust and unwarranted proceeding; declared that Valladigham was a martyr; violently assailed the military order of Gen. Burnside requiring newspapers and public speakers to cease encouraging and counseling a resistance to the war measures of the administration; and even went so far us to attack Gen. Hascall for his connection with an order curtailing the privileges of the public press and the liberty of free speech.
The result of this procedure on the part of the Democrat provoked Gen. Hascall to issue an order suppressing the paper, and requiring its editor to appear before the military authorities at Indianapolis to answer for his rebellious conduct. Satisfactory assurance having been given of better conduct in the future, the editor was permitted to resume the issue of his paper. This was in May (about), 1863.
The feeling in the county at this time was severe and vindictive; but it was seen that the Government was terribly in earnest, and open resistance was avoided. This state of affairs led to a great falling off in the number of men furnished for the service. Various recruiting officers appeared, however, and secured small detachments of volunteers. Several recruits were secured for the old companies already in the field.
From Counties of White and Pulaski, Indiana: Historical and biographical By Weston Arthur Goodspeed, F.A. Battey & Co., 1883.
Three Months Men
Within two weeks after the fall of Sumter, about fifteen men left the county, going to Logansport, and joining the Ninth Regiment, destined for the three months’ service. A squad of about ten of these boys assembled at Winamac, to be taken to Logansport in wagons.
Photo: Civil War Soldiers are served a Thanksgiving meal in November 1861, photo from the Rapid City Journal.
Quite a crowd gathered on the street as the time for their departure drew near. Just before they left, Stephen Bruce addressed them in a short speech, praising them for their loyalty and bravery, adjuring them never to allow the flag to trail in the dust, and promising that they who left families behind need borrow no trouble, as no one would be permitted to starve as long as he continued operating his grist mill.
Away the boys went amid the cheers of their fellow citizens, and the tears and lingering farewells of loving friends. It was but a short time after this that other men began to leave the county for the three months’ service. It has thus been estimated that under the call for 75,000 volunteers, about thirty men entered the service from Pulaski County.
The First Company
As it was thought that the rebellion would be brought to a speedy close by the three months’ men, the further enlistment of volunteers in Pulaski County languished until fall, when Dr. F. B. Thomas was commissioned to raise a company for the three years’ service. The enlistment of men was begun and continued during the months of September and October, 1861.
Volunteers were secured under the stimulus of a big war meeting, where loyal and fiery speeches were made, patriotic airs were sung, and beautiful ladies with bewitching smiles passed round the fatal enlistment roll. The company was quickly raised, and the election of officers resulted as follows: F. B. Thomas, Captain; George Burson, First Lieutenant; James Brown, Second Lieutenant.
The company was mustered in on the 5th of November, and soon afterward was ordered with its regiment, the Forty-sixth, to the front. There was much excitement in the county while this company was being enlisted. Col. G. M. Fitch, of the Forty-sixth, came and spoke at Winamac and other places. Capt. Thomas held meetings at Winamac, Pulaski, Monterey, Francesville, Medaryville and other places, securing at each place a few volunteers for his company. Mr. Burson was also active in all these meetings.
At last, when the company was ready to depart, a splendid dinner was spread out for the boys in Lane’s Hall. Every provision which bountiful stores could supply, and every luxury and convenience which love could suggest, was placed upon the board, and the heavy tables groaned under the weight as if in protest. Ah, it was a feast the boys remembered long afterward, when “hard-tack” and “sowbelly” were ravenously devoured, or when the fare was little better than nothing in the gloomy prison hells which Southern cruelty had devised.
How they gorged themselves, as if a forecast of the future was shadowed before them! Whole turkeys disappeared as if by magic. Pies, cakes, jams, jellies, without limit or number, were speedily put where they would do the most good. At last, the feast was over, good-byes were spoken with pale lips and streaming eyes, but brave hearts, warm kisses and embraces were passionately exchanged for the last time, and all hearts were rent with unspeakable anguish. Slowly the long train pulled out with its human sacrifice. They were gone.
Quite a number of three years’ men, however, had left the county for the war before the departure of the company of Capt. Thomas. These men left the county to enlist, and were credited to where the companies to which they belonged were raised.
When the Ninth Regiment was re-organized in August, 1861, and mustered into the service for three years in September, about one-half of Company D was taken from Pulaski County. Besides these there were a few in other companies, notably G, of the same regiment; and there were in the whole regiment not less than about seventy men from the county.
There were also a few men from Pulaski in the Thirteenth, Fifteenth, Seventeenth and Twentieth Regiments. There were but a few from Pulaski in the last-mentioned regiment when it first took the field; but during the progress of the war many others joined it as recruits. Owing to the fact that the county was comparatively small, and could not furnish many full companies, her men went in small detachments to various regiments, were often credited to other counties where such regiments were raised, and, as no proper record was kept, the facts cannot now be traced.
About one-third of Company A, of the Twenty-sixth Regiment, was from Pulaski. The men were mustered August 30, 1861. One-half of Company C, of the Twenty-ninth, was from Pulaski, the men being mustered in during the months of August, September and October. Besides the company of Capt. Thomas in the Forty-sixth, two other companies had a few men from the county.
During the winter of 1861-62, scarcely anything was done to raise men for the war. This was not due to a lack of proper interest in the struggle, but was because of the cold weather.
Early in the spring, volunteering was revived, and received a fresh impetus, from the fact that the citizens had begun to realize the stupendous character of the war, and were fully determined to do their share in ending it. Men began to leave the county, entering the Forty-eighth, Sixty-third and other regiments. Several recruiting officers from other counties appeared, and steadily drained Pulaski of her best men.
In July and August, 1862, war meetings began to be held in all parts of the county. Schoolhouses, churches and other public buildings were thus used. It was announced that unless the county’s quota was full by the middle of September, a draft would surely take place. This was sufficient to rouse the citizens to their best efforts.
Dr. James W. Selders was authorized to raise a company, and was commissioned Captain. Meetings were held all over the county, and soon his company was full. About twenty-five men joined Company E, organized in Fulton County, and commanded by Capt. Troutman. There were also a few Pulaski men in Company A, and others. All these men entered the Eighty-seventh Regiment.
From Counties of White and Pulaski, Indiana: Historical and biographical By Weston Arthur Goodspeed, F.A. Battey & Co., 1883.
The Rebellion
During the latter part of 1860 and the early part of 1861, the warmest interest of the citizens of the county was centered upon the important political changes that were overshadowing the country. Some felt the coming storm, and accurately predicted the prolonged and dreadful results. Others had no fear that the American people would have the courage and hardihood to spring upon the country a gigantic civil war in the support of any principle likely to be involved.
Photo from Images of America, Pulaski County, Karen Clem Fritz, Arcadia Publishing, 2009. This is of the C.L. Guild Post, Grand Army of the Republic of Medaryville, Memorial Day 1911.
As State after State in the South passed ordinances of secession, all the better citizens of each party were united upon the question of supporting the administration of Mr. Lincoln and upholding the constitution and the laws. As yet the all-important question of slavery had not been seriously considered as to its partial suppression or total obliteration ; and all those bitter sentiments and controversies which were to array one section of the North against the other, almost to the extent of open war, were yet unknown, and the county, as a whole, was united and hopefully tranquil.
The Fall Of Sumter
When the news of the fall of Fort Sumter swept over the country like a flame of fire, the most intense excitement in all places prevailed. The suspense in Pulaski County was bewildering. The first reports depopulated the rural districts, suspended all agricultural and other pursuits, and flooded the towns, telegraph offices and news stations with vast crowds of excited, indignant and determined citizens.
All former political antagonisms were speedily relinquished. Men everywhere forgot their daily employment, and gathered at crossroads and villages to discuss the political situation, denounce the rebellion and encourage one another with hopeful and loyal words.
Every heart was disturbed with direful misgivings. Old men who had passed through the political storms of half a century, who had learned to put their faith in the nobility of the American character, who had seen the Government rise like Neptune from the sea, serene and sublime, until its broad dome shed its protection upon the lowest of God’s creatures, turned away in tears, sick at heart, from the dark, desperate and forbidding aspect.
Many were palsied with sickening fear at the vision of the horrors of civil war, and, regardless of the safety of the Government, turned first to the protection of their loved ones. Still others flew to the doubtful consolation that no sacrifice of life and property could be too great to quell the rebellion at all hazard and maintain intact the Union of the States.
But public sentiment soon recovered from the shock. Men by the thousand, with Spartan hardihood, signified their anxiety to go out to their country’s battles. Mothers tendered their sons; wives their husbands; maidens their lovers; children their parents; parents their children; sisters their brothers—all were intensely eager to show their devotion to their beloved country. And the opportunity was not wanting.
Excitement At Winamac
Within a week after the news was received that Sumter had been surrendered to the rebels, a notice was circulated in Winamac and vicinity that a public meeting would be held at the court house, to consider the state of the country, and to take some action in response to the call of the President for 75,000 militia. Some 400 persons assembled, quite a bevy of ladies being among the number, and the meeting was addressed, first by the Chairman, who, in a brief speech, announced that the object of the call was to arrange matters so that any volunteers asked for could be quickly and easily secured and dispatched with promptness to the field.
Dr. F. B. Thomas was then called out. He spoke at length upon the political issues of the day, declaring that while he had not cast his ballot for the Republican ticket, still he was heartily in favor of supporting the administration of Mr. Lincoln in the “vigorous prosecution” of the war and the immediate crushing of the rebellion. He was loudly cheered at the conclusion of his remarks, and then other speakers followed in rapid succession, amid great excitement and intense loyalty.
Almost all the leading citizens of Winamac were called out, and all were greeted with tumultuous applause. James W. Eldridge delivered an eloquent speech. He was followed by Byron T. Lane, W. C. Barnett, H. P. Rowan, A. I. Gould, W. S. Huddleston, Stephen Bruce and others. The burden of every speech was, that it was the duty of all loyal citizens of any party to cast aside political prejudice, and rally as one man to the support of the Constitution and the Union.
It is stated, however, that there were men present, and quite a number throughout the county, who were conscientious in the belief that the Southern States had the right to leave the Union if they saw proper to do so, and that the constituted authorities had no right to coerce them to remain. They were champions of the doctrine of State Rights—a doctrine that has done more to embitter the North and the South against each other during the preceding half a century than any other cause except slavery.
They believed that the administration was violating the Constitution in levying war to prevent States from leaving the Union. The effect of former Congressional legislation on this question was felt not only in the South, but in all the North. Men who had been bred as far north as the Canada line, believed not only in the sovereignty of the States, but in the “divine institution” of slavery as well. This was the inevitable result of Congressional teaching, where the knee had constantly been bent in abject servility to both doctrines on the floor of the highest law-making power. It was then no wonder that humble citizens in Pulaski County had been so impressed with the horrid heresy that they sincerely believed as John C. Calhoun and Jefferson Davis believed.
At the outset of the war, when it was yet thought that the question of slavery would not be seriously considered, several citizens of the county, believing that the Southern States had the right to leave the Union, quietly opposed a continuation of the struggle. Later, when it was seen that slavery, as well as secession, was doomed, they were outspoken and bitterly energetic in opposing the course of Mr. Lincoln.
At this first meeting above mentioned, no sentiment save loyalty was publicly expressed, but here and there could be seen an ominous shake of the head, and a prophetic warning quietly uttered. J. W. Eldridge, W. J. Gridley and G. T. Wickersham were appointed a committee to prepare resolutions expressive of the sense of the meeting. The resolutions, about ten in number, were adopted after some comment. They embodied, in substance, the burden of the speeches that had been delivered that afternoon, and were thoroughly loyal and determined.
From Counties of White and Pulaski, Indiana: Historical and biographical By Weston Arthur Goodspeed, F.A. Battey & Co., 1883.
Introduction
From the time of the first settlement in Pulaski County until the great rebellion of 1861, with the single exception of the brief but brilliant campaign in the land of the Montezumas, nothing had transpired to disturb the peaceful pursuits of social life and the steady observance of civil liberty and law. Mothers and maidens had never felt the anguish of separation from loved ones at the stern call of a nation at war. Children had grown to manhood without ever seeing a soldier in military dress, and their loving hearts knew nothing of the sad, wild, glorious things which go to make up war, save what they had read, or what they had been told by their grandfathers who had been with Harrison, or perhaps with Washington.
Photograph from Images of America Pulaski County, by Karen Clem Fritz, Arcadia Publishing, 2009. Original photo from Alyce Onken. Francesville veterans of the Civil War, photo believed to be in the early 1900s.
The old militia system which had been so efficient and popular during the old Indian wars on the frontier, and directly after the close of the war of 1812-15, had loosened its hold upon the public mind during a protracted period of profound peace. Prior to the war with Mexico, a more or less nominal organization was effected and carried on in Pulaski County, and annual musters were enjoyed by large and motly crowds, more intent on frolic and roystering than improvement in military discipline. The cities and larger towns of the State were the only places where military drill was appreciated, and where strict discipline and military pride attained a proficiency nearly equal to that which prevailed in the regular army.
An enactment of the State Legislature, in 1831, provided for the enrollment of all able-bodied militia, and the formation of regiments in the various judicial districts; but the law was largely inert, owing to a lack of sufficient interest due to the sense of public security which the peaceful times afforded. In about the year 1842, or early in 1843, however, a militia organization, called the “Winamac Rifle Rangers,” was completed at the county seat, and, on the 15th of April, 1843, an election of officers took place at the house of Eli Brown, with the following result: For Captain, Rufus Brown, 26 votes ;John P. Miller, 8; First Lieutenant, Stephen Bruce, 33; Second Lieutenant, Frederick Klinger, 20; John R. Price, 13; Thomas H. Keys, 1; Ensign, Job J. Holmes, 15; Thomas H. Keys, 6; Luke Hacket, 1. The one receiving the highest number of votes for each office was declared duly elected.
Soon after this, the company met for parade, on which occasion hundreds were present to see the evolutions of the company, and enjoy the sport. But within two or three years the military fire died out, and was not again kindled until the Mexican war, when another organization was partly completed, but soon abandoned.
In 1852, owing to the unsettled state of internal public affairs, the system was again revived by legislative enactment, and each Congressional District was required to thoroughly organize its militia. This law met with general public favor and response. The County Commissioners directed the Auditor to procure from Indianapolis the quota of arms due the county under the law. This was accordingly done, and the arms were distributed to the members of the new company of militia.
For a few years, until the novelty wore off, the militia mustered quite often; but about the year 1857, the arms were returned to the capital of the State, and no other call to arms was made until 1861. After this war, or in 1876, the militia was again organized, and guns were obtained from the State; but in 1879, the system was again abandoned, and the muskets were returned to Indianapolis.
Mexican War
So far as can be learned, no man, then a resident of Pulaski County, served his country in the war with Mexico. A company was organized at Logansport, with Stanislaus LaSalle, Captain; W. L. Brown, First Lieutenant; D. M. Dunn, Second Lieutenant; G. W. Blackmore, Third Lieutenant. Another was organized at Crown Point, with Joseph P. Smith, Captain; William H. Slade, First Lieutenant; Samuel N. Whitcomb, Second Lieutenant.
Doubtless, each of these companies contained men who, some time in the past, made Pulaski County their abiding place. The following is as perfect a list as could be procured by the writer of the men who served in the Mexican war, and who have since resided in the county. There may be some mistakes in this list: John P. Liming and his son, Andrew Liming, the latter now a resident of Van Buren Township, also served in the last great war; Zemariah Williamson, who died in the service, and whose father secured his land warrant of a quarter-section in Van Buren Township; Peter Lane, who formerly lived near Winamac; Mr. Updegraff; O. H. P. Grover, an early resident of Winamac, who served in the Logansport company in the First Indiana Regiment; Charles Humphrey; J. B. Agnew, a resident of Winamac and one of its most prominent citizens, who lost his leg in a skirmish with Mexican guerrillas; Mr. Phipps, John Hodges, E. P. Potter, Charles Hathaway, G. H. Barnett and Francis H, Snyder. Doubtless, this is but an imperfect list. It would be interesting to give a more extended account of the military services of each of the above men, but this is impossible, owing to their scattered location.
Andrew Liming, yet living on the same farm, obtained from the Government in virtue of his military warrant, was in the Third Indiana Regiment, and participated in the battle of Buena Vista. He was a young man then, in the prime of life, and recalls vividly the details of that decisive battle. He denies positively the alleged cowardice of Indiana troops—a stigma that was unwillingly borne by them until wiped out by scores of gallant achievements during the last stupendous war.
He insists that the Second Indiana, which was posted on a plateau about 200 feet high, and on the extreme left of Gen. Taylor’s battle line, did not leave the field until ordered to retreat by the Colonel; and even then the momentary disorder into which the men were thrown was wholly due to the fact that they had not been drilled to retreat—an important and vital omission in the military education of a true soldier.
His own regiment, the Third Indiana, was posted to support Washington’s battery, which was so well served that, when Santa Anna endeavored to force the pass in solid column, the storm of shot and shell was so terrific that his swarming legions were sent flying back in full retreat. Then it was that the Mexican commander flanked to the right and fell upon Taylor’s left, forcing the Second Indiana back across a deep ravine, and gaining the rear of the Government troops.
Another important point insisted upon by Mr. Liming, who was so situated that he could see all the movements of both armies, detracts somewhat from the credit usually accorded Jefferson Davis (ex-President of the Confederacy). He states that Davis had nothing to do with repelling the charge of the Mexican Lancers after the Government troops had been flanked, except, perhaps, the moral effect which the presence of his men afforded. The command of Davis was back some four hundred yards from the front, and simply served to support the regiments which forced the Mexicans back across the plateau.
The boys who went to Mexico must not be forgotten under the shadow of the last great war. It was no holiday undertaking to go from the comparatively cold climate of the Northern States to the hot and peculiar climate of Mexico. The appalling sacrifice of life from disease abundantly attests the peril which the men assumed for the country’s good. Many were left there in lonely, deserted and forgotten graves, and the rugged cactus comes and kisses with its crimson blossoms the silent mounds where they sleep; the rich flowers of the stately magnolia shed their fragrant perfume around; the long festoons of silvery moss hang pendant above the quiet graves; the rustling wind and the dancing rain pay their passing tribute to the glory of the departed; and over all the strange, bright birds of that sunny clime chant the sad requiem of death. The boys are gone, but their names are living jewels in the bright casket of memory.
Information about General Pulaski is included in the Memorial Swinging Bridge Project posts because… well… the bridge was dedicated to “soldiers and sailors” from Pulaski County. Since our county was named in his honor… well… here ya go!
Photo from Wikipedia
The truth is that we’re not 100-percent positive why we pronounce the name of our home ‘pə-LAS-sky’, when the Polish name is pronounced ‘pə-LAS-kee’. It’s been that way for longer than anyone can remember. However, we know enough to make an educated guess.
In the late 1830s, between the 1835 legislative act approving the establishment of Pulaski County and the official organization in 1839, George Terry moved to the Winamac area from nearby Cass County. Mr. Terry had come to Indiana from Upstate New York. His father, Charles, lost his life due to wounds suffered during the Battle of Sodus Point in the War of 1812. The battle was fought near Fishville, New York, which was renamed ‘Pulaski’ — pronounced with a long ‘i’ rather than a long ‘e’ — upon incorporation in 1832.
Our best guess is that Mr. Terry carried the mispronunciation from New York to Indiana. The opportunities for long-distance spoken communication being non-existent, locals had no way of knowing that the final syllable should have sounded like a long ‘e’. What’s your guess?
Memorial, a suspension footbridge, spans the Tippecanoe River, linking two parks from the Winamac Town Park system: the Artesian Well Park and the Winamac Town Park. Memorial is the only suspension bridge to cross the Tippecanoe River. (See database of suspension bridges in Indiana HERE.)
Memorial is a single-span suspension-type bridge, 200 feet long and five feet in width. On each side of the river are steel towers, approximately thirty feet high and embedded in concrete bases. Two steel suspension cables, each one and one half inches in diameter, stretch from tower to tower. The ends are attached to concrete anchors embedded in the earth about fifty feet behind each tower. The deck is suspended from vertical steel suspender cables, each one inch in diameter. The deck, originally made of creosote material, is suspended at a height presumed to be well above danger from high water.
Long inclines to afford easy access on each side are held in place by concrete walls reaching back as far as the cable anchors.
After inspection of the bridge towers, from tower markings on the eight legs of the towers, it was determined they were constructed by the Chicago South Works, a subsidiary of Illinois Steel. The markings are consistent with steel markings in the 1910 and 1920s time frame, and the rivets appear to be factory done. The South Works was located at the mouth of the Calumet River, just over the Indiana state line. It would have been well known to a bridge engineer from Winamac.
From this information, it was determined the towers were shipped as one piece. It was prefabricated, ready to set up as a “kit.” One railroad car would have contained the “surprisingly few” number of parts. According to the former employee of the Indiana Department of Transportation assisting with research, Mr. Nutt would have done the site layout, determined the span length, determined the height above potential flood waters, and determined the footing depths.
The Property Before Memorial
The land now occupied by the Town Park is situated on a peninsula in the horseshoe bend of the Tippecanoe River. Since the time Winamac was settled, pedestrian travel from the town to the peninsula was accomplished at the fords found at the foot of Main Street or Pearl Street. The first “permanent” iron bridge at that location was constructed in 1886. After it washed away, another bridge was placed in 1892. That bridge had to be moved immediately when the sand on the river bottom caused the walk to settle unevenly. When that bridge was eventually destroyed, the Town resorted to temporary wooden bridges placed “in season.”
The peninsula was privately owned, but from 1891 to 1908, the owner had allowed citizens to use his land as a park. When Mr. Nye sold the land in 1908 to a man who planned to clear the trees, the Winamac Park Association formed. The Association purchased the land, and the “river park” was born.
The Park Association re-incorporated in the early 1920s with the purpose of raising funds. They used those funds to equip the park with playground equipment, bath houses, a band stand, dance pavilion, and other amenities. They held a dedication service on July 23, 1922. Also in 1922, on the other side of the river, the Town purchased the artesian well and surrounding land to develop as a campground.
Memorial Is Born
In 1923, the Town Council, Park Association and newly-formed Kiwanis Club came together to discuss the future of the area. A permanent bridge was conceived to provide pedestrian travel from the town and its new campground to the river park. The goal was to establish a premier tourist destination for the area.
Pulaski County, having laid to rest thirty-three servicemen from The Great War, was still in mourning, along with the State and nation. Feelings being strong, as plans for the bridge progressed, the organizers decided it would become a memorial to soldiers from Pulaski County who served in all wars, from the Civil War forward. Thus the name, Memorial.
While Memorial was under construction, the Winamac Kiwanis Club put their members to work. The park just below the artesian well was given a general clean-up and put in shape for use by tourists. “Combination dining tables and seats for the use of picnic parties” were constructed. Two camp stoves were constructed and a cinder walk from the well to the footbridge was installed.
On the river park side, a graded cinder drive from the road entrance to the park was installed about twenty feet wide, enabling two rows of cars to pass. It extended through the park as far as the bathing bench. Another band stand was erected with lumber remaining from the previous footbridge, and a permanent refreshment stand was built. Even more bathing facilities and two additional diving boards at various depths were added. Gravel and stones were dredged from the beach, and depths on the now-sandy bottom were marked for bathers. Steps were built to the water’s edge and a number of seats were placed on the bank for visitors to watch water sports.
Memorial was dedicated on July 4, 1923. Among the attendees at the dedication ceremony were a number of gray-haired Civil War veterans, veterans of the Mexican Border Skirmish and The Great War, and Gold Star families.
Memorial has been an important part of the recreation and culture of Winamac and Pulaski County since 1928. Owned by the Town, it is nevertheless a County icon, used by countless children, adults and families to traverse the river by foot from one park to the other, or to stand in the middle and watch the river, or to gather for senior class pictures. For walkers, the bridge is part of the mapped walking trail in the town park system. For veterans, the bridge holds a particular significance, because it stands as a permanent testament to their service and sacrifice.
Information about General Pulaski is included in the Memorial Swinging Bridge Project posts because… well… the bridge was dedicated to “soldiers and sailors” from Pulaski County. Since our county was named in his honor… well… here ya go!
Photo from the Polish American Cultural Center
Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski was born of aristocratic parents on March 6, 1745, in the province of Podolia, Poland. Often referred to as ‘Count Pulaski,’ he never actually carried this title or referred to himself in such a manner. However, in a letter (mentioned below), Benjamin Franklin stylized Pulaski as such.
While he was a young man, his native land was overrun by Russian troops during the reign of Catherine the Great. During extended fighting against the invaders, his father and a brother were killed, another brother was banished to Siberia, the family home was burned, and his mother and sister were forced to flee for their safety.
At 27, Pulaski was a leader of forces seeking to wrest Poland from Russia. He was considered a hero, but this honor was short-lived. Falsely accused of an attempt on the life of the king, he secretly disbanded his troops and fled his country to France, where he briefly spent time in a debtors’ prison.
Through Benjamin Franklin, then a minister to France, Pulaski was granted permission to go to America. Franklin advised General Washington that Pulaski was famed for his “bravery in defense of the liberty of his country” and that he “may be highly useful to our service.”
He arrived in Boston in July 1777. Upon his arrival, he wrote to General George Washington, saying, “I came here, where freedom is being defended, to serve it, and to live or die for it.”
Because Washington was unable to grant him an officer rank, Pulaski spent the next few months traveling between Washington and the US Congress in Philadelphia, awaiting his appointment. His first military engagement against the British occurred before he received an appointment, by way of volunteerism, on 11 September 1777, at the Battle of Brandywine. As a result, on 15 September 1777, on the orders of Congress, Washington made Pulaski a brigadier general in the Continental Army cavalry. Later that winter, Pulaski compiled the first set of regulations for the cavalry, earning him the title “Father of the American Cavalry”. The general faced not only a shortage of men and horses, but also dissension in the ranks: some subordinate officers chafed at taking orders from a foreigner. Not wishing to be a source of discord, Pulaski resigned his commission as commander of the cavalry.
Despite that setback, Pulaski soon presented a new plan to Washington: an independent legion consisting of 68 cavalrymen and 200 infantry that would allow Pulaski to be of greater service to the fledgling American nation. Washington accepted the idea and recommended it to Congress, which sanctioned it in March 1778. This would later become known as ‘Pulaski’s Legion’ and was sometimes supported with personal funds, which he obtained from his sister.
Following action in New Jersey and New York, the unit was ordered south. In May 1779, Pulaski’s forces saved Charleston, South Carolina, from the British, and he was acclaimed a hero.
During the siege of Savannah, Pulaski rushed to the aid of French troops; in so doing he was wounded in the upper right thigh by grape shot. The wounded general was carried from the field of battle and taken aboard the privateer merchant brigantine Wasp, where he died two days later.
The historical accounts for Pulaski’s time and place of burial vary considerably. According to several contemporary accounts, witnesses, including Pulaski’s aide-de-camp, reported that Pulaski was buried at sea near Tybee Island, Georgia. Other witnesses, including Captain Samuel Bulfinch of the Wasp, however, claimed that the wounded Pulaski was actually later removed from the ship and taken to the Greenwich Plantation in the town of Thunderbolt, near Savannah, where he was buried in a torch-lit ceremony to elude grave robbers.
When the City of Savannah erected a 55-foot obelisk in Monterey Square to honor Pulaski during the 1850s, examiners exhumed the Greenwich Plantation grave believed to contain his remains. They pronounced the bones similar to a male the same age and height as the general. City officials reburied the remains underneath the monument in 1854.
When plans were made to disassemble and renovate the Monterey Square monument in the fall of 1996, the Pulaski DNA Investigation Committee exhumed the grave and had DNA taken from the remains compared with that from members of the Pulaski family buried in Eastern Europe. Supporters of the theory that Pulaski’s body lay in Monterey Square stressed that the skeletal remains revealed injuries similar to wounds suffered by the general. Results of the DNA testing, however, did not prove to be conclusive because of water damage to the remains. On 9 October 2005, the 226th anniversary of the Siege of Savannah, the City organized special funeral services and a final re-interment ceremony at Monterey Square to honor the fallen soldier.
Either through invitation or self-driven in this regard, R. E. Nutt spoke to the Park Association about a suspension bridge that he believed could be installed for $2,000. The Association approached the Town, asking them to share expenses on a 50/50 basis. The Town agreed, so long as they did not have to pay more than $1,000.
One has to consider the time. In 1923, The War to End All Wars was still a raw memory. Pulaski County delivered 662 men to the War; thirty-three did not return. When the contract was signed with Mr. Nutt on April 6, 1923, the combined group of town leaders had determined the bridge should be dedicated to “soldiers and sailors” from the Civil War forward. Thus, it would be named “Memorial.” The completion date was pushed to July 1. Mr. Nutt left almost immediately for Chicago to procure supplies, and construction was underway by early May.
Within two weeks after the fall of Sumter, about fifteen men left the county, going to Logansport, and joining the Ninth Regiment, destined for the three months’ service. A squad of about ten of these boys assembled at Winamac, to be taken to Logansport in wagons.
During the latter part of 1860 and the early part of 1861, the warmest interest of the citizens of the county was centered upon the important political changes that were overshadowing the country. Some felt the coming storm, and accurately predicted the prolonged and dreadful results. Others had no fear that the American people would have the courage and hardihood to spring upon the country a gigantic civil war in the support of any principle likely to be involved.
From the time of the first settlement in Pulaski County until the great rebellion of 1861, with the single exception of the brief but brilliant campaign in the land of the Montezumas, nothing had transpired to disturb the peaceful pursuits of social life and the steady observance of civil liberty and law. Mothers and maidens had never felt the anguish of separation from loved ones at the stern call of a nation at war. Children had grown to manhood without ever seeing a soldier in military dress, and their loving hearts knew nothing of the sad, wild, glorious things which go to make up war, save what they had read, or what they had been told by their grandfathers who had been with Harrison, or perhaps with Washington.
Information about General Pulaski is included in the Memorial Swinging Bridge Project posts because… well… the bridge was dedicated to “soldiers and sailors” from Pulaski County. Since our county was named in his honor… well… here ya go!
Information about General Pulaski is included in the Memorial Swinging Bridge Project posts because… well… the bridge was dedicated to “soldiers and sailors” from Pulaski County. Since our county was named in his honor… well… here ya go!