front cover art by William Sawicki The following account is from the Clinton County Sesquicentennial book released in 1980. It was written by Kenneth S. Power (1909-1997), who was born in Clinton County, practiced law in Frankfort, and was Mayor of Frankfort from 1955-1959. His father, Dan Power, had also been Mayor, and before that … Continue reading “My Clinton County” by Kenneth S. Power: Farm Life and Crime Fighting in early 1900s Clinton County
Deming & Thompson Co.
Deming & Thompson was a lumber and coal company started in Frankfort in 1887 when George L. Thompson (1860-1942), in partnership with his father-in-law Charles O. Deming (1835-1890), purchased the lumber firm of J.F. Morgan. They were located at 300 W. Washington Street and operated through the 1960s. To see what it looked like in … Continue reading Deming & Thompson Co.
Freddie Shaffer’s All Girl Orchestra
Here is a collection of photos and advertisements pertaining to Freddie Shaffer and His All Girl Orchestra. Freddie was a Clinton County musician who in 1938 formed an all-girl band, which in 1941 played on the first radio show broadcast from Frankfort. For more on Freddie and his band, read his Notable Clinton Countians page, … Continue reading Freddie Shaffer’s All Girl Orchestra
Abandoned Airports of Mulberry and Frankfort
Here is a great page on Abandoned and Little-Known Airfields in northern Indiana. It includes Stair Airport in Mulberry, created by John Robert Russ 'Pop' Stair, an aviation pioneer who opened an airstrip in Mulberry in 1928. He trained many pilots, including some who later went on to become astronauts. Another listed is Frankfort Airport … Continue reading Abandoned Airports of Mulberry and Frankfort
Notable Clinton Countians: Brigadier General James P. Ulm
Brigadier General James P. Ulm is director, North American Aerospace Defense Command Planning Staff, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. General Ulm was born in 1937, in Frankfort, Ind. He earned a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1961 and a master's degree from The George Washington University in 1973. The general completed … Continue reading Notable Clinton Countians: Brigadier General James P. Ulm
Notable Clinton Countians: George Maxwell Fowler
A life-long resident of Frankfort, George Maxwell Fowler, known to most simply as “Max”, was born on July 6, 1889, the second son of George Y. and Christina Kramer Fowler. While yet a boy, Max became involved with work at the Frankfort Morning Times, owned and published by his father. During the early 1900s, chronic … Continue reading Notable Clinton Countians: George Maxwell Fowler
Marvin Nickols Photos
The Historical Society thanks Marvin Nickols for sharing his photos of the Frankfort Roundhouse and other classic Frankfort scenes.
Notable Clinton Countians: Basil “Stuffy” Walters
Basil "Stuffy" Walters, a Frankfort native, started his newspaper career as telegraph editor for the Indianapolis Star in 1920. After a year, he moved on to other city papers, earning promotions to assistant editor, editor, executive editor, and finally vice president of the Chicago Daily News. Walters retired to Frankfort in 1961 and was inducted into Indiana’s Journalism … Continue reading Notable Clinton Countians: Basil “Stuffy” Walters
Notable Clinton Countians: Zerna Addis Sharp
Zerna Addis Sharp, often called the “Mother of the Dick and Jane reader,” was born near Hillisburg in 1889. Although Sharp never wrote any of the stories for the popular reading books, she selected the subject matter and storylines and supervised the artwork and layout for each book. She also named the characters and decided … Continue reading Notable Clinton Countians: Zerna Addis Sharp
Notable Clinton Countians: Freddie Shaffer
Freddie Shaffer was born and raised in Frankfort. Shaffer performed with the Fred Waring and Paul Whiteman orchestras before returning to Clinton County to teach music. In 1938, Shaffer established an all-girl band, starting with about 15 talented girls. The Big Band era was in full swing, and the girls were selected for their musical … Continue reading Notable Clinton Countians: Freddie Shaffer