LAST TAPS FOR CIVIL WAR VET

ANGOLA'S LAST CIVIL WAR VET PASSES AWAY

------------------------------

Robert H. Snowberger Died Tuesday Morning - Only One Veteran Remains

----------------------------------------------

Angola's last surviving veteran of the Civil War, Robert H. Snowberger, passed away at an early hour Tuesday morning at his home on North Wayne Street from repeated heart attacks with which had been afflicted for the past two weeks.  His death leaves only one surviving Civil War soldier in Steuben County - Daniel Weisel, of Salem Township, aged 99.

Mr Snowberger, who was 92 years of age, was born in Ashland County, Ohio.  He served with Company D of the Seventh Indiana Calvary for two years and seven months.  His service was with the western army in Western Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas, his organization being engaged in subduing guerrilla warfare and outlawry in the territory passed over by the main army.  He was engaged for six months after peace was declared, under General Custer, of later Indian warfare, in effecting order in Texas.  His life after the war was spent in Steuben County, in farming, and later as a retired citizen in Angola.  He was quite active until recent weeks and took pride in representing the remnant of "the old guard" in public occasion.

He is survived by his wife and two sons by a former marriage.  

Funeral services for Mr. Snowberger will be held at the Klink Funeral Home on Friday afternoon at 2:00 o'clock, Rev. J. O. Rose officiating.  The burial will be in the Pleasant Lake cemetery with military honors by the Angola Post of the American Legion.

SNOW DRIFTS BLOCK TRAFFIC THREE DAYS

State and County Highway Gangs Fight
Valiantly in Snow and Wind to Open Roads
---------------------------------
RURAL SCHOOLS OUT

Steuben county was caught in the tight grip of Old Man Winter Sunday night, and throughout Monday and a greater part of Tuesday, local and through traffic was paralyzed.  Following a mild Sunday, a fifty mile an hour gale and heavy snow swept over the county during the night.  the temperature was not extremely low, dropping Tuesday morning to the lowest point reached during the storm to 11 degrees above zero.Seven inches of snow fell, according to weather reporter John B. Parsell, which produced .8 inches of water.  MOnday morning the highways througout the county were completely blocked and rural schools were closed for two days.  Two Pleasant township school busses were able to make their routes both days, and the Angola schools continued in session with depleted attendance rolls.

Mail and bus service was badly crippled.  The morning mail truck from the south reached Angola after noon on MOnday.  Rural mail service was abandoned for the day and partial service was given Tuesday.  Bus service to Fort Wayne was limited to one round trip and a singe trip on Monday.  Greyhound bus service east and west was reduced to one bus each way during Monday.

A single one of the double rear wheels on a Greyhound bus came off a west bound bus a short distance east of Angola, Monday noon, and the passengers were brought into Angola to await a special bus.  Twelve passengers were marooned here until evening, when a special bus arrived and tool the passengers on the journey west bound.

Freight traffic was brought to a complete standstill as the large trucks became stalled in the drifts or their wheels spun on the heavy layer of snow on the pavements.  These did much to block the traffic,  One truck was reported abandoned north of Angola, almost completely hidden beneath the snow which drifted over it at the roadside. The stat and county highway forces worked steadily to open the roads and did everything in their power to aid traffic through to cantral points.

The storm to be general through the central and western states.  Chicago suffered the most severely of any storm in recent years, as streets and elevated transportation was halted.

In Fort Wayne a school janitor died in the school house of heart failure after spending an hour in strenuous work of shoveling snow.

In Steuben county the blockade of traffic was the severest since the storm at Christmas time three years ago when bus traffic was paralyzed and passengers were obliged to remain three or four days at hotels and in farm houses until he highways could be opened.

Steuben Republican  February 1, 1939

 

EARLY MORNING FIRE

     Last Saturday morning about 7:00 o'clock fire broke out in Ford Willennar's Restaurant at the southwest corner of public square and in a short time the building and contents were beyond repair.
     Mr. Willennar had gone to the rear of the room to start fire in the gasoline stove, and when had lit the gasoline he turned away for just a moment, when the entire room seemed enveloped in flames.  As there was no noise, Mr Willennar is sure there was no explosion, and this adds somewhat to the mystery of the fire.

The building destroyed was the last frame on facing the public square, and had stood there for over fifty years.  It was owned by John A. Booth who carried insurance in the Ohio Farmers for $500.  The contents were also insured in the same company for $350, and Mr. Willennar claims his loss to have been about $700. No doubt Mr. Booth will at once erect a brick building on the site of the one destroyed, and Mr. Willennar will look for another location in which to conduct a restaurant.
     Eugene Coleman, stat agent of the Ohio Farmer's Insurance Company was here yesterday and settled the loss on the building, stock and fixtures.  The company was obliged to pay a total loss on the building and contents due to the lack of water and pressure.  The fire department never made better time or got to a fire in better shape, and it is said by a number of members of the fire department that had they have had proper pressure they could have put out the fire in a very few moments and the loss would have been but slight.\

Steuben Republican August 10, 1910

STEUBEN COUNTY WOMAN APPROACHES 100TH BIRTHDAY

The oldest person living in the confines of Steuben County is Mrs. Sarah Anspaugh, who will be one hundred years old on Oct 11, 1930.  Although confined to her bed and to a wheel chair as the result of injuries received in a fall several years ago, she is in splendid health and there is no reason why she should not live to round out a full century and enjoy the birthday celebration which is being planned at her home with her son, Jacob Anspaugh, one mile east and one-half mile south of Alvarado in Richland Township.  She takes a keen interest in things going on about the home and in the community and is proud of the distinction of having lived nearly one hundred years.

At times Mrs. Anspaugh is able to recall and talk interestingly of the things that transpired long before two-thirds of the present generation was born.  Her life history runs back through the development of this nation from struggling states to the greatest civil power in the world.  

Mrs. Anspaugh was the daughter of Samuel Cain and was born in Pennsylvania.  Her parents came to Williams county, Ohio when she was six years of age.  When she was seventeen years of age she was married to Jacob Anspaugh, and they lived in Williams County until 1865, when they moved to Richland Township in Steuben County, on the old Anspaugh place on-half mile east and one-half mile south of Metz, which was her home until two years ago, when her son Samuel who later owned the farm moved to Angola, and she went to live with her son Jacob. Their post office address is now Edon.

Seven children were born to Mr and Mrs. John Anspaugh for whom six are still living, one son dying nearly seventy years ago.  The survivors are all in good health and will all probably live to enjoy the coming centennial celebration of their mother's birth.  The are: Jacob Ansbaugh, age 80; Samuel Anspaugh, 78; Mrs Hester Kirk, 72; JOhn, 70; Amanda Flegal,67; and Grant 65.  Frank died at age 6.

There are nine grandchildren, Mrs. Clara Tingler and Mrs. Lura Metz, daughters of Jacob Anspaugh; George, son of Samuel; Mrs Clela Pervines, daughter of Amanda Flegal; Mrs. H. Barnhart, H.G., C.H., and Ralph, children of Grant Anspaugh, and Glen, son of John Ansbaugh.  There are eleven great grandchildren in her progeny.

Without doubt the community will join, at least by postcard acknowledgement, in the celebration of Mrs. Anspaugh's centennial celebration in October next.

Steuben Republican 1930

NOTE:   Mrs Sarah Anspaugh lived until the age of 102. 

The Carnegie Public Library of Steuben County

Local History and Genealogy Department 

Wishes All Our Blog Readers 

a Happy and Safe Holiday

From the Steuben Republican December 1929

MERCHANTS OPEN CHRISTMAS SHOW

CITY GLITTERS WITH COLORED LIGHTS AMONG GREENS

--------------------------

Stores Open Each Evening Until Christmas - Free Picture Shows Offered Children Saturdays

The merchants of Angola Formally opened the 1929 Christmas trading season Thursday evening by the unveiling of show windows and special lighting of the streets.  Angola certainly presented a handsome appearance on this occasion, and will continue to do so throughout the season.  Each one of the thirty-six lamp posts in the streets has been transformed into a Christmas tree, lighted with brilliantly colored lamps, surmounted by the large street globe.  Four handsome trees adorn the public monument place with strings of lights running from each post to the top of the monument, and a circle enclosing the mound.  Each tree has it's share of colored lights.  All of this has been prepared by the ingenuity of Cleo Gibson, city light superintendent.

Prof. Jackson's carol singers from the high school and David Hughes small band from the county schools discoursed music as the lights were turned on and the show windows unveiled at the signal of the ringing of the court house bell at 7:30 o'clock. The musicians then serenaded various business places, while merry throngs gazed in the beautiful store windows or visited the stores.

How the lights were taken to the top of the monument is a matter of inquiry from many sources.  It was first proposed to shoot an arrow carrying a piece of twine over the monument, and John Estrich was enlisted to do the Willliam Tell act.  John's aim going up was good, but the arrows were not heavy enough and the twine became entangled about the metal work of the statue.  After two arrows were hung up there in this way, the query arose, how to get them down?  This required some expert angling from a tall ladder, which was successful.  Then Virgil Wisner offered to throw a baseball over the statue, and his third attempt was successful, the ball carrying the twine which later pulled a rope over the shoulder of Miss Liberty, which sustains the light wires.

Merchants Ready For Large Trade

A visit through the stores reveals a fine array of Christmas goods brought here by our merchants.  A larger line may be found of course in large cities, but not a better line of the things that our people want.  Local shoppers will do themselves an injustice if they do not look over these stocks.

Many of the merchants are using these newspaper columns freely in carrying the message of their Christmas offerings direct to the home buyer in the home. Look over these advertisements while in the comfort of your home and make out your Christmas list.  More ads will appear next week.  

Stores Open Evenings

The Angola stores will be open evenings on every business day from now until Christmas.  In these comfortable well lighted stores you can do your shopping as conveniently in the evening as well as in the daytime.  Early purchasing is urged as it saves the customer much unnecessary last hour worry.

Free Picture Show Saturday

Angola merchants have arranged for free picture show matinees for the children commencing at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoons, at the Angola Opera House.  The theater was filled last Saturday afternoon with happy, merry children who greatly enjoyed this courtesy of the merchants and Mr. Brokaw.  Every child of fourteen or under will be admitted free again next Saturday afternoon.  The show will be "The Avenging Rider" with sound news.  Any adult who wished to attend will be admitted at the regular admission charges.

Free Poultry on Saturday Dec. 21 

The merchants committee is arranging for free distribution of poultry on Saturday afternoon Dec. 21 at 1:30 o'clock.  You may have your choice of turkey, geese, ducks, chickens, guineas, all free of charge except you must catch them youself.  They will be released on the streets - be here and get them and watch the fun if you don't get a bird.  There will be plenty of chances.

It will be to your interest to do your Christmas trading at home.

Steuben Republican December 11, 1929

"LITTLE MARY HARP"

Little Mary Harp, 97 Years Old, Wants a Doll Cab from Santa

"Little Mary" Harp has lived at eighty-three of her ninety-seven years as a patient in the Steuben county infirmary, and she establishes a record for age among Indiana infirmary residents.  She entered the Steuben

County Institution at the age of fourteen years in the year 1854.

The home that "Little Mary" entered was not a public infirmary.  At that time those needing assistance were boarded out and Mary was placed in the home of Mr Cobb, who occupied the little log house on the west side of the road which runs past the present county farm.  In 1863 the county purchased the land for a county farm and built a white frame house, the construction of which Little Mary watched with interest.  Some of that house still exists as a portion of one of the barns. Later she saw the erection of the fine brick building, which has been her home since then.

"Little Mary" was the third patient to be cared for by the public, and came there with her brother, David.  In their early years, because of their small size, they attracted much attention at the local fairs and public gatherings.

"Little Mary's" mother is buried in a grave at Golden Lake.  Her father was killed in the gold fields of California in 1849, and it was two or three years afterwards before the letter carrying information of his death reached this community.  She remembers the presence of Indians in this vicinity, and incidents of the Civil War.

However, "Little Mary" in spite of her advanced years, is still very active to the extent of her strength.  She is happy, contented, loyal and honest.

"Little Mary" acquired her name because it is a description of her interests.  She is a dwarf of about the size of s 100 year old girl and lives in the same period of mentality.  She is three feet, ten inches high and weighs fifty-four pounds.  Her chief  happiness is found playing with her doll "Vera," which appears in the above picture.  She still believes in Santa Claus, and is sure he will bring her on this coming Christmas day, a doll cab for "Vera."  **

 Steuben Republican December 8, 1937

* * Mary Harp died in December 1945 just a few days before her 105th birthday.  She is buried with her brother David at Old Angola Cemetery.