Eaton

Township Union

Location:
Coordinates: 40°20′23″N 85°21′13″W

CR 1034N, 150E, northeast portion of twp

Other Names:
Royton:
Rayton :
Eaton P.O.   [S12] -

Date Platted: 1854

Town Plat Map - 1874 -
- North-South Streets: Front, Hartford
- East-West Streets: North, Harris, South, Church, Greenville & Harrison State Road

Incorporated as a town, 10 Sept 1873 [S18, p 99]

Population:
1873: Population 178 [S18, p 99]
1880: 208 [S8, p 3]

Maps:
1870: "Eaton P.O." [S12] -
1874: Town Plat Map - Business Directory [S14 p 17] -
1876 Delaware County [S11] -
1900 Sanborn Map of Eaton
- Doc3732.pdf
- ( https://libraries.indiana.edu/union-list-sanborn-maps#Eaton 1900, 1910, 1920)

"Now Entering Eaton" - Ball State PBS, originally aired 10 Feb 2022 - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEaADu-D5Kc (2hrs, 5min, 14sec)
- Viewing Notes: Doc6265.txt

Post Office Data:

Post Office Established: 20 May 1856
Post Office Closed:
Post Office Names:
Zip Code: 47338
PO Location: SE corner of Harris and Hartford (1887) [S8, BC]
PO Location: NE corner of Harris and Centre [S10]
8 Nov 1897 -- RFD established with one carrier serving a population of 250 and a route length of 18-1/2 miles [S2, p 220]

- Postmark Description Only [S3, p 435]

Postmasters:

Established as Royton -- 23 May 1850
William Mitchell -- 23 May 1850
Changed from Royton to Eaton -- 20 May 1856
David Brandt -- 20 May 1856
Elisha Cass -- 25 Mar 1865
John Coulter -- 26 Mar 1867
William Hollingshead -- 2 Aug 1867
John Forman -- 22 Jun 1871
William A. Blair -- 3 May 1876
William A. Long -- 25 Nov 1878
William A. Blair -- 27 Aug 1880 (2nd Appt)
William E. Witmyer -- 4 Sep 1882
Zachariah Young -- 1 Jun 1885
Daniel Emdee -- 5 May 1886
William Freeman -- 2 Dec 1887
John M. Neff -- 3 Apr 1889
Evaline C. Neff -- 27 Jun 1892
William Freeman -- 14 May 1896 (2nd Appt)
Joel W. Hamilton -- 10 Aug 1900
Moses E. Black -- 2 Mar 1905
Samuel Morris -- 26 Apr 1909
Oliver J. Chapman -- 29 May 1913
Harvey C. Hyer -- 30 Jan 1922
Harvey C. Hyer -- 22 Mar 1930
Clyde Emdee -- 12 Jul 1934
Robert R. Saunders -- 9 May 1935
Albert T. Morris -- 30 Sep 1955

Thelma P. Doster: Had worked at Eaton Post office - Obituary: Muncie Star, 5, Feb 1994, page 2C

Sources: [S3, p 929, 930,1020] - [S6, p 43] - [S7] - [S8, p 3, 18, BC] - [S9, p 226] [S10 (1874)] - [S16 pages 33-46] -

Abbreviations:
- BC = Back Cover

Railroads:

- Interurban:
"The Eaton Power Station supplied power from Muncie to Bluffton and was one of the first targets of the New Indiana Railroad Management. . . ." S19, page 44 -

James Carter died this morning - 16 Nov 1871 - Putnam Diary - S18, p 122

First Gas Well 1876, 600Ft - New Well, 890 Ft - [S18, p 140]

First mill in Union Township opened by Francis Harris in early 1830s. Eight or nine years later was sold to firm of Carter and Johnson [S18, p 99]

Eaton Glass Works, 1891 - [S18, p 162]

A Gathering at the home of Ella Haven, 1919, South Meridian St., Eaton - Album of Yesteryear - Muncie Star, 14 Feb 1988 - Doc2694.pdf

Lake Erie & Western Railroad Crosses the Mississinewa River at south edge of Eaton - Photo & Caption - [Muncie Star, 19 March 1989] - Doc2695.pdf

Eaton Western Flint Glass Co - [Album of Yesteryear - Muncie Star, 29 June 1986, page 7B] - Photo and Caption - Doc2696.pdf

"Eaton Church to Celebrate Sesquicentennial Sunday" - [Muncie Star, 1 Aug 1990] - Doc2697.pdf

Eaton Merchants Semi-Pro Baseball Team, 1933 - Photo of team members with caption - [Album of Yesteryear, Muncie Star, 2 Feb 1986] - Doc2698.pdf

Union Traction Building, Eaton - Photo with Caption - [Album of Yesteryear - Muncie Star, 3 Aug 1986] - Doc2699.pdf

Eaton, the beginning - [S2, p 99]

Eaton Progress and Change - [S2, p 162]

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Cemeteries

Eaton Cemetery:

Location:
- Present-Day : South of Indiana Avenue, at the south end of Hartford Street, between S. Romy St. and S. Center St. on the north bank of the Mississinewa River, in the south part of Eaton
- 1887: South of Greenville Gravel Road [Indiana Avenue] at the south end of Hartford Street, on the north bank of the Mississinewa River. The Christian Church is shown situated in the northeast corner of the area. [S8, Back Cover] -
- Coordinates: 40.339125, -85.355650
-

"Copy of Plat by O. J. Chapman - Eaton Cemetery - 1st Burial - Mary Constable - by her Son-in-Law - Wilson Martin"

"East part Bought of Chas. Carter - West Part Bought of James Long, Surveyor"

"Delaware Co. History - Page 291 - By Will Brandt/ March 4, 1928"
Source: Old Plot Map - Doc0804.pdf

"About the year 1860 or 1861, Mrs. Mary Constable died, and her son-n-law, Wilson Martin, obtained permission of Charles Carter to enter the remains in a portion of his land, south of Eaton, with the privilege of founding at that place a public cemetery. Subsequently, negotiations were concluded with James Long for a tract adjoining, and, at a later date, two acres more were added. A substantial fence was constructed around the grounds, a large part of the work being performed by Mr. Martin and the County Surveyor was employed to lay off a number of lots, from the sale of which the money was derived to pay for the grounds. Among the occupants of this hallowed precinct are many whose bonds early helped to shape the destinies of the township, and whose names are inseparably interwoven with its history." S13 page 291,

Riverside Park

The Park Pavilion burned on 18 July 1923

Riverside Park Article (Gaslight Memories, p 32)

Riverside Park mention: Google Books Link, page 80

Riverside Park Photo Album

Bill's Day - 26 Aug 1914 S15, S20,

John's Day Parade - Eaton to Riverside Park - Doc0805.pdf (Newspaper or year unknown)
Caption:
"Parade of the Johns at Eaton"
"Eaton, Ind., Aug. 18. -- The above is a picture of the bands and Johns forming in parade for John's Day, which marched from East Harris Street to riverside Park. The parade was headed by the Gaston band, followed by the Johns on foot, then the Eaton band and gaily decorated carriages and automobiles, in which the Johns too old to make the trip on foot were taken."

Eaton Park - [Our Neighborhood, by Ruth Hillman - Muncie Star, 10 May 1993] - Doc2700.pdf

"Riverside Park: Important Role in Eaton's History", by Susan M. Smith - The Bulletin (Delaware County Historical Society), Jan-Feb 2020, page 6

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Ames Handle Factory Photo - Back of Old School Building, nd

Sketch of Downtown Eaton was by Garrie Morris, a 1931 Eaton HS graduate - Her Husband was Ettore Antonnini, a coach maybe at Central HS. Garrie once lived at 904 N Linden St in Muncie

The Eaton Robbery of 1925 (The Muncie Morning Star [Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana], Tuesday, 5 May 1925, Page 1, Col 8, Page 8, Col 6. and 6 May 1925, page 1, Col. 3, page 2)

Transcript of the articles presented in The DCHS Newsletter, Vol. 27, No. 3 (July-Sept 2012), pages 2-5. Published by the Delaware County Historical Society, Inc. Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana. www.The-DCHS.org

Eaton Paper Mill, 3 Oct 1929 - [Album of Yesteryear - Muncie Star, 9 Aug 1987, page 5D] - Doc2701.pdf

Eaton Store Scene, abt 1900 - [Album of Yesteryear - Muncie Star, 23 Oct 1988, page 6D] - Doc2702.pdf

Eaton Barbershop, 1903 - (Omer Fisher and Virgil Cruea) - [Album of Yesteryear - Muncie Star, 19 Apr 1987] - Doc2702.pdf

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Eaton WW2 German Prison Camp

"The Eaton Prison Camp" by John Harris, 1962 - [S23]
- Size of Camp: 17 Acres (Donated by Butterfield Canning Factory)
- Location of Camp: Northeast of the old Butterfield Canning Factory
- Present day County Rd 200E, East side, just north of Jefferson St., Northeast corner of Eaton
- Coordinates (Approx): 40.346056856352426, -85.35044504996392 [Google Maps]
- Camp operational: Jun 1945 to 1 Nov 1945
- Ages of Prisoners: averaged 17 to 25 years of age, but some in their 60s

John Harris talks about the POW Camp (he is about the 5th speaker) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEaADu-D5Kc (Aired 10 Feb 2022 on Ball State PBS)

- News Articles [S24]
- 1945 picture of the Prison Camp - Doc6202-001.jpg (2021)

http://munplhstrygenea.wordpress.com/the-eaton-prison-camp/ (14 Nov 2021: URL no longer functioning)

TheStarPress Online (Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana) "Stories of a Prison Camp" by Alyson Madsen - 1 Feb 2007
- https://www.newspapers.com/image/253923809/
- Has 1945 picture of the Prison Camp

WW2 POW Camps
- List of US WW2 POW Camps - Doc3433.txt - Link,
- Camp Thomas A. Scott, Fort Wayne, Indiana - Link,
- List (Wikipedia)
"German Prisoners of war in the United States" Wikipedia

Images:
- Ph13169.jpg- (Scanned from a copy of a Digital Image)
-

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Sources

Source Citation

Image
(Click for larger View)
(To Magnify larger image - use CTRL + )

Google Earth

Kemper, G.W.H., M.D., ed. A Twentieth Century History of Delaware County Indiana, 1908; reprint ed., Evansville, Indiana: Whippoorwill Publications, 1984. Bk3012.

Baker, J. David. The Postal History of Indiana, Vol. 2. Louisville, Ky: Leonard H. Hartman, 1976, Bk3010.

Repositories: Bracken Library, Ball State University and Anderson Public Library

Robbhaas Acc000092

WikiPedia Article

Baker, J. David. The Postal History of Indiana, Microfiche. Louisville, Ky: Leonard H. Hartman, 1976, Bk3010.

Repositories: Bracken Library, Ball State University and Anderson Public Library

Map of Delaware County, Indiana. Compiled by H. Lester Janney. Revised by Ward M. Harlan, 1965.

An Atlas of Delaware County, Indiana. Philadelphia: Griffing, Gordon & Co, 1887, reprint ed., Knightstown, Indiana: Mayhill Publications, 1971, Bk1849.

United States Official Postal Guide. Boston: H.O. Houghton and Company, April 1875, Bk1548.

S10

Bracken Library Special Collections. Ball State University. Map #61-2.

S11

Map: Delaware County, Indiana, 1876. (Published by Baskin, Forster & Co. Lakeside Building Chicago, 1876. Engraved & Printed by Chas. Shober & Co. Props. Of Chicago Lithographing Co.) David Rumsey Map Collection. http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~23110~790090:Map-of-Delaware-County---Published-# Accessed, 27 Feb 2012. Acc002078/Ph9386-001 to 041.jpg

Detail: Eaton, Union Township

From 1876 - Delaware County Map

Ph9386-008.jpg

S12

Map: Asher, Adams & Higgins. New Topographical Atlas and Gazetteer of Indiana, multiple counties including Delaware, Blackford, Madison, and Hamilton and others. Indianapolis: Higgins & Ryan, 1870, pages 19, 20. David Rumsey Map Collection. http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~33585~1171285:New-topographical-atlas-and-gazette?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No# Accessed 28 Feb 2012. Acc002079/Ph9387.jpg

Map Detail: Union Township, Delaware County

S13

Book: Helm, T. B. (Thomas B). History of Delaware County, Indiana: with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers. Kingman Brothers, 1881 (Reprint, 1976), Bk1595

S14

Book: Map of Delaware County Indiana: Indexed and Printed in Atlas Form from 1874 Wall Map. Original: Philadelphia: A.L. Klingman, 1874. Reprint: Muncie, Indiana: D & N Research, 1989. Bk3642

S15

Object, Ribbon from event - Bills Day - Riverside Park, Eaton, Indiana 26 Aug 1914. Acc000092/Doc1764.pdf

Notes:
1. I have a ribbon [flag] from this event. It is blue felt with gold lettering. It is in the shape of a triangle flag measuring 3.25" on the end and 5-7/8" on each side.
2. Text: "3rd Annual Bill's Day Aug 26 1914 Riverside Park Eaton Indiana"
3. This was contained in a small red velvet box (Acc000092) that belonged to ID0378 and given to ID0001 by ID0006 on 9 Nov 2001
4. I have to wonder if this was an event attended by William Alfred "Bill" Worthen, Mabel's father

Riverside Park
Ph4802.jpg

S16

Book: Lasley, Norma and the Delaware County Historical Society (Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana). Images of America: Delaware County. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2012. Bk3725
- Eaton School, page 41
- Interurban Cars, Page 38
- German Prisoner of War Camp: Page 43, 44
- Riverside Park Pavilion, page 45

S17

Book: Gaslight Memories: A History of Eaton's First Hundred Years. Eaton, Indiana: Eaton Centennial Committee, 1954. Bk3001

Book Notes - Doc1115.pdf

S18

Kemper, G W H. A Twentieth Century History of Delaware County Indiana. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co, 1908. Bk3012.

S19

Bradley, George K. Indiana Railroad: The Magic Interurban. Chicago: Central Electric Railfan's Association, 2001. Bk2897

S20

"John, Mary and Bill's Day" by Susan M. Smith. DCHS The Newsletter, Nov Dec 2018, Vol 6, No. 6 - Doc4927.pdf
- Started in 1905 with John's Day, Riverside Park, Eaton, Delaware County, Indiana
- Other names were added later
- 1923 the event moved to McCulloch Park after the pavilion in Riverside park burned down
- 1913 Bill's Day was Held at Riverside Park. Mentioned again in 1915 in a news article but no other references

S21

Flook, Chris. Lost Towns of Delaware County, Indiana. Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press, 2019. Bk4212

http://lostdelawarecounty.chrisflook.org/

S22

Eaton Directory: (1921-22 Muncie City Directory), Page 887

S23

"The Eaton Prison Camp" by John Harris, 1962. High School Term Paper written, Self-published and held by John Harris. Doc6102.pdf

S24

Eaton, Indiana POW Camp News articles:

"Consider the use of Prisoner Labor" Muncie Star, (Muncie, Indiana), 16 Jun 1945, Page 12, Col. 2., https://www.newspapers.com/image/249500026/ (accessed 14 Nov 2021) , Doc6205.pdf
CONSIDER THE USE OF PRISONER LABOR
Establishment of a prisoner of war camp at Eaton was discussed at a meeting held at the Y. M. C. A. Thursday evening, of about fifty canners, growers and county agricultural agents, in the event that the acuteness of the agricultural labor situation should warrant the need of prisoner labor. Plans were laid to take steps toward securing the camp if it should prove necessary.
-----------------------------------------
"Starting Camp for POW Labor" - Muncie Star (Muncie, Indiana), 28 July 1945, Page 12, Col. 6., https://www.newspapers.com/image/249682048/ (accessed 14 Nov 2021), Doc6204.pdf

Notes From Images:
- Construction will begin 30 July 1945 - Expect completion by the middle of August
- About 600 prisoners to be brought to camp to help harvest tomatoes and work in canning factories.
- Camp will serve an area of 30 or 40 mile radius
- Camp is 17 acres and adjacent to the Eaton Canning Company
- Prisoners will live in tents
- Other Indiana prison camps: Windfall, Austin, Morristown and Vincennes, with the main camp being Camp Atterbury.
------------------------------
"Fire Sweeps Eaton Plant; Loss is Heavy" Muncie Star (Muncie, Indiana), 27 Oct 1945, Page 3, Col. 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/249506285/ (accessed 14 Nov 2021), Doc6207.pdf

Notes From Images:
Fire Sweeps Eaton Plant; Loss is Heavy
- Douglas-Eaton Manufacturing Company
- Damage estimate: $15,000 - $20,000
- Firs started from a spark from an acetylene welding torch.
- Eaton Fire Dept., and a truck from Muncie battled the blaze
- Guards from POW camp aided in saving the building.
----------------------------------
Our Neighborhood, Dick Greene, Muncie Star (Muncie, Indiana), 16 Jan 1978, Page 4, Col. 4-6, https://www.newspapers.com/image/252475452/ (accessed 14 Nov 2021), Doc6206.pdf

Notes From Image:
"IN RECENT MONTHS I have written about the German prisoner of war camp that was at the northeast edge of Eaton during the latter part of World War II. The camp was on land whose use was allowed by Ralph Butterfield of the Butterfield Canning Company."
- After the war, Sunday School class of Eaton United Methodist Church sent gift of a box of clothing to Germany by Mr. and Mrs. Harry W. Dutro with a note giving their name and address
- Gift received by Paul Kern who had been in the Eaton POW Camp
- Kern wrote to acknowledge the gift and the correspondence continued over the years

----------------------------------------------------
"POW found U.S. prison preferable to German army", Muncie Star (Muncie, Indiana), 30 March 2006, Page 16, Col. 1-4, https://www.newspapers.com/image/253984901/ (accessed 14 Nov 2021), Doc6203.pdf
------------------------------------
TheStarPress Online (Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana) "Stories of a Prison Camp" by Alyson Madsen - 1 Feb 2007, https://www.newspapers.com/image/253923809/ (accessed 14 Nov 2021), Doc6202.pdf
- Has 1945 picture of the Prison Camp - Doc6202-001.jpg

S25