Southern Tour (continued from page 1)
7. Turn right on SW 60 and make note of the old school house. It was one of 75 school houses reported in Decatur County.
8. Driving up the hill on the left, you will see the Mr. Pleasant Church. It was established in 1856 and if you notice ... there are two doors, one for the men and one for the women to enter and exit. Folklore says women sat on one side of the church and men on the other side. It is said the custom continued until about 25 years ago. It was the first Methodist Church in Decatur County. The present building was constructed in 1858 at a cost of $ 3,000.
9. Traveling on, you enter Gaynorsville, about 10 miles south of Greensburg. The town was named after the first family to settle. Born in Ireland in 1890, John Gaynor came to America with his wife and built a log cabin in what is now Gaynorsville. They owned a loom and wove rugs and carpets from rags and discarded clothing. A 1-room school educated the children of Gaynorsville and nearby Rodney from 1880 until the last graduating class in 1914. Kids were then bussed to Letts in a hack powered by two horses. Gaynorsville once had a sorgum mill, broom factory, gristmill, blacksmith and general store. A huckster wagon traveled on the nearby roadways sounding a cow horn. Folklore says women would trade their produce for flour, sugar, cornmeal and whatever groceries were needed.
10. Continue to CR 700 S and turn right. You are heading towards letts, founded in 1868. It was started at the intersection with Indiana 3 and the Letts Road. The railroad came in the early 1880's and it is told that founder, Allen W. Letts, was instrumental (with a keg of whiskey) to persuade officials to locate the railroad in Letts instead of other locations. It is also reported that a college was once located in Letts.
11. Turn left on CR 350 W. A short distance you will drive upon the center of population of the United States. Yes ... it was in 1890 and identified on the farm of Alfred M. Armstrong who had settled on the land in 1821. A monument made of Bedford stone, 10 feet high weighing 9,500 pounds was set on a base five feet deep of cement and broken stone, was placed on the spot, Friday, May 8, 1891. The monument was sponsored by the Chicago Herald News, owner of the Chicago Tribune.
The Greensburg Standard newspaper reported "all livery stables has their number of rigs engaged and there will be no opportunity to borrow your neighbor's as he will use it himself. A special train will leave Greensburg at noon, returning around 5 o'clock at a rate of 35 cents for the round trip." It is told that horses and buggies lined the road for nearly a mile in each direction and an entire 40-acre field was filled with horses tied to every available tree or shrub. The land was once described of unbroken forest prior to development.
12. Continue south on 350 W. Folklore says Zacharian Boicourt (Zach) conducted Old Settler's meetings in the area two miles north of Westport. Zach was a descendant of a pioneer family and knew of old time meetings where booths were set up for entertainment, games, refreshments and speakers were brought in to learn of what was going on in the world. Believe it or not ... it was reported that as many as 10,000 people came to visit during the 4-5 day event. The meetings were discountinued after 1914.
13. Turn right on 1050 S. You're at Gaslight Corner. Look for the gas light, exactly like the old gas street lights used in early days, still usable today.