TERRE HAUTE — Last week’s column introduced the topic of Vigo County orphanages and discussed the St. Ann Orphans Home for girls, the Rose Orphans Home, and the Glenn Home (also known as the Vigo County Home for Dependent Children). Jennifer Krockenberger’s three enlightening Web sites tell viewers all about these institutions, and can be found at stannsorphanshome.homestead.com/index.html, roseorphanshome.homestead.com, and glennhome.homestead.com. Her Web sites are detailed and instructional for any one wanting to know the history of these institutions, to see old and recent photographs, to search the censuses of each facility, or to connect with former residents of the homes.
Jennifer started her work in 2004 when she created her first Web site as a tribute to the Glenn Home, the last orphanage in Vigo County to close. An adoptee herself, who was never actually a resident of an orphanage, she is still keenly interested in the history of these institutions and the genealogical challenges that adoptees are up against when seeking their biological roots. She relates that searching for, and finding, her biological roots was a “life-altering experience,” Her story about her own experience is on her Web site www.bondedbyfate.com.
About 4 years ago, Lost Creek County Trustee Rick Long also became interested in the Glenn Home. He received a phone call from a man dying of cancer who was a former resident of Glenn Home. The man stated that he wanted to be buried in the Glenn Home Cemetery. As a township trustee, Rick is responsible for maintaining each cemetery in Lost Creek Township, but he wasn’t aware that there WAS a cemetery at Glenn Home. Meanwhile, Jennifer Krockenberger had found a map showing a cemetery on the property, but no one could locate it in the woods.
The search went on until April 2007, when the Glenn Home children’s cemetery was discovered with the help of several people, including members of Rose Hulman’s Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity that now occupies the old Glenn Home property and buildings. A single grave has been found, but there is death record evidence that at least 20 children are buried there. (See the Web site for the names of these children and a photo of the one known grave).
As the man responsible for all the township’s cemeteries, Rick Long wanted to honor those buried in the Glenn Home cemetery. But because the actual burial ground is in the woods and covered by thickets, it was decided to place a memorial to the orphans in a more public and accessible location. The Chamberlain Cemetery, located behind the old Glenn Home property on Old Maple Avenue, was selected.
So on Saturday, in the Chamberlain Cemetery, the Lost Creek Township board will dedicate a memorial stone to the memory of the children who died as residents of Glenn Home and to the legacy of the thousands of children and staff who once resided there. The dedication ceremony will be at 1 p.m., and will be brief. The public is invited. Due to the absence of parking in and near the cemetery, a shuttle bus has been set up. Those wanting to attend the dedication should park in the lot of the Victory Christian Church on U.S. 40 east of Seelyville to be taken by bus to the Chamberlain Cemetery. The bus will leave for the cemetery at 12:30 p.m.
Prior to the dedication ceremony, former residents and staff of the Glenn Home are invited to tour the campus from 9:30-11:30 a.m. by the fraternity. This event is not open to the public. Contact Lost Creek Trustee Rick Long at (812) 877-3415 for further information.
History
Genealogy: Vigo orphanage Web sites offer great detail
- History
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LOOKING BACK: 1962: Terre Haute Works of Allis-Chalmers closes
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: WBOW introduced some fine Valley talent
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BRUCE'S HISTORY LESSON: This little-known compromise may have saved the union
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Traveling Civil War exhibit makes history personal
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GENEALOGY: Virginia Historical Society takes on ambitious project
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: A blast from valentines past
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LOOKING BACK: 1962: Flu outbreak forces Schulte closed
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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Original copy of 13th Amendment at Lincoln Library & Museum
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BRUCE'S HISTORY LESSON: Freedom of religion — beliefs and actions
Because religious faith is, arguably, the quintessential example of our right to privacy, to say nothing of its prominent place in our First Amendment, throughout our history court cases involving the free exercise of religion have been handled with great trepidation and with particular care. One of the milestone “free exercise” religion cases, Davis v. Beason, was decided by the Supreme Court this week (Feb. 3) in 1890.
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GENEALOGY: SoCal Genealogical Jamboree coming up in June
The Southern California Genealogical Society announces its 43rd Annual Jamboree, to be staged for three days on June 8-10, at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel in Burbank, Calif.
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LOOKING BACK: 2002: Disco Ernie featured on Maury
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: Flashing the mayor's badge
This mayoral badge was presented to the Vigo County Historical Society by Elizabeth K. Schultz, the granddaughter of Samuel E. Beecher Sr., who served as mayor of Terre Haute from 1936 to 1940.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Deadly tornado devastates York in 1907
John T. Staff loved water and, particularly, the Wabash River.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Notorious Western desperado Ellsworth Wyatt captured in Clay County
In October 1892, Terre Haute police received a circular from the State of Kansas containing a description of Ellsworth Wyatt and offering a $1,200 reward for his capture.
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LOOKING BACK: 2002: ISU students honor Martin Luther King Jr.
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: News letter filled with wonderful local news
We recently received five bound volumes of copies of the “Terre Haute Onizette,” the Owen-Illinois Glass Company news letter for the Terre Haute Plant.
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GENEALOGY: Peyton, Downey, Fifer queries and a plea for help from Scotland
This week, we have several queries.
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Extension plans seminar on land use
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BRUCE'S HISTORY LESSON: Kennedy, Camelot, and other myths
This week (Jan. 20) in 1961, John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as our 35th president, and his tragic death by assassination notwithstanding, his was a mediocre presidency that, undeservedly, became the stuff of legend — in part because of his assassination.
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Actor to portray Lincoln at dinner for historical society
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GENEALOGY: Celebrate MLK Day with the Indiana Historical Society
On Monday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Indiana Historical Society will offer free admission to celebrate Martin Luther King Day.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Light Guards savor military and social experiences
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LOOKING BACK: 1962: 87 high school hoops teams compete in 47th annual Wabash Valley Tournament
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: A bottle of clove oil at the pharmacy
The Historical Treasure for today is a bottle of Clove Oil.
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LOOKING BACK: 1987: St. Mary’s Parish congregation celebrates 150th anniversary
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: Fire up the jukebox for a great night
The jukebox existed long before Glenn Miller’s “Juke Box Saturday Night” swing version.
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GENEALOGY: 1752 is one memorable year for genealogists
The year 1752 is one to remember if you have ancestors who lived in areas controlled by Great Britain; and this includes the American colonies.
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