John B. Augsburger
(John B. Augsburger (1934-2022): 1993 taped interview w/ Bill Spurgeon’s son; paraphrased in
2013 by Ann Garceau)
…(My) folks bought out here in the middle 1940s, but ahead of that we rented some cottages over at Kale Island – here since he was 6 or 8 years old; lived in Milford entire life; started in super market business in Milford, in Syracuse in 1971 built store; originally lived on Lake Wawasee in the summer and maintained home in Milford; in late 1950s – 55 or 56 – sold home in Milford and lived here year around; one of the reasons we came here was to go swimming and fishing – mother and father went fishing every night – it was a big thing to troll at night – go around 8:00 to midnight- sis and I would lay in bottom of boat and watch for falling stars until we fell asleep every night to see who could see the most falling stars;
Ogden Island – Sunrise Beach had no homes – like grown up woods back there – my sister and I played cowboys and Indians and ran back in there; I remember there used to be a lot of garter snakes back in there – we’d see one every once in a while& see blue racers (snakes). When we got to be a little older – wasn’t 21 yet though – back in Johnson’s Bay which was nothing but woods – there was a dirt road that went back there & the kids used to drive back in there and have big bonfires and drinking beer – I remember one night, there were about 20 of us back there, we had a big bonfire – no one could even see, we didn’t think – all of a sudden a couple of sirens came back, so the ones that drove cars back there, they were stuck – the police were getting their license – they ended up getting in trouble, but there were a few of us who didn’t have cars because we lived right here- we just jumped and swam across Johnson’s Bay – clear across the back bay – and didn’t get caught.
Tom Tuttle and his brother (Dick) lived around the corner back in here & we used to run around with the Tuttles some. There were very few neighbors; not too many people year around – maybe 10% in 1950s; we never saw a school bus come down – now 2 full loads of kids are picked up on the end of Ogden Island; now about half the people are from Ft. Wayne (in this area)
Winter: As a little kid we were only here on holidays; cottages weren’t as well winterized; always had a fireplace going; ice skated; Dad fished through the ice; some had sailboats on ice in the ‘40s & ‘50s
Ogden Island: A lot of the homes were built in the 20s & 30s – few lots were left in 1950s; 1956 – Johnny was going to IU & did a report on lots on Ogden Island & other things in the area– maybe 5 or 6 vacant lots on the whole of Ogden Island.
Milford High School: Graduated in 1952; Milford & Syracuse were big rivals; on Sat. nights, they’d load their (family) cars with eggs and get in egg fights & before you’d go home you’d have to go to someone’s house where the parents weren’t home & wash the cars real good because they were smeared with eggs! We always thought of Syracuse as a larger town because they had a bowling alley, drive in restaurants, and a few things. We’d come to the larger town. A&W Root Beer Stand (Shrimp Boat). Angler’s Cove was here in Johnson’s Bay (Ogden Island) – now someone bought that and put a tennis court on it. Big thing on Friday night was going to the drive-in restaurants and drive –in movies – Warsaw and Goshen. Did build a drive-in movie between N. Webster and Syracuse – Industrial Park now. As things slowed down they made it an X-rated one – now completely gone.
Parents/family: Fishing together; Johnny used to set pins for a tip of a quarter at the end– parents were in bowling leagues at Pickwick block uptown, Movie theaters – going with parents; packing a lunch and eating out on the lake – seldom see a boat; had about a 12 foot Starcraft with a Martin motor – a motor my uncle invented up in Wisconsin – eventually Johnson bought them out – my father sold those motors so I remember we were in the grocery business, but his sideline was he was selling those outboard motors – 40, 60 maybe 90 horsepower.
Finally got his own sailboat after he got out of IU – got married the end of his Senior year; my first years, we (he & his wife) built a home and lived on Waubee Lake which is Milford Lake for 5 or 6 years; then bought on Wawasee – everybody’s goal was to live on Wawasee Lake in their life. Bought from his father who owned a home on the lake & lived there for a number of years; moved to South Shore Condominiums & lived there 10 years and then came back to the old place – tore it down and built a home there.
Raising his children here: more boating activity; daughter started water skiing at 3 years old – she joined ski club & entered state ski meets; not the fishing/trolling; sunbathing; Sand Bar – not a draw when Johnny young.
Johnny remembers big patches of reeds out 200/250 feet – big patches elsewhere; as he got older he spent a lot of time at the supermarket so Sun. afternoon was to relax; sailboating became a hobby as he became older.
Syracuse commercial development: one of Johnny’s goals was to have a supermarket in Syracuse – saw development south; open land from Klinks/beauty shop/drugstore building south; Augsburger was the first to buy property south of that; business is about a 5/6 mile radius (9700 people in that area) – North Webster store has same drawing area; used to be lakers would load car with groceries before left hometown, but saw trend that they did more shopping here – furnish all their needs & are as competitive as anybody – even start buying clothes up here. Term laker has always been here, now a lot of these are full time residents – of course he loves lakers being in the business! Big change in way the lake is used – jet skis, which directions boats should travel around lake.
12 Years as a State Senator – 1976-1988
…father had been in the IN Senate for 2 terms ahead of son for 8 years so we were actually in the Senate for 20 years. Father started out and got into Natural Resource Comm. & son was Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee. Wetland Bill was by far the most controversial thing Johnny go involved in. 3 developers were trying to develop wetlands they owned and wanted to fill – Don Byrd, Elridge & Jack Mason. Big issue got into what wetlands do. Really NEED wetlands – place for runoff and things. Called Communists in their committee meetings – had to call police & have people ejected; it got to be such an emotional issue. Developers & home builders association were together against environmentalists and people living on the lake. Wordage defining wetlands was tricky – used aerial photos to define them; Federal Army Corps of Engineers have jurisdiction in some cases – a tough issue where couldn’t please everyone. Personally feels lakes in general may have to be protected from overuse. Johnny’s next door neighbor is Gary Webb who sells Sea Doos – maybe sell 2-300 a year. Tried to get him to pass a bill that couldn’t park your boat within x feet of shore. Wetland issue had died down. Wawasee Property Owners’ Association has been a real beneficial thing for lake as far as
information; sewer system getting together. When he was in Senate, found out littering in lake was a small fine while littering along highway was big fine – got that equalized. Concern that cruisers with porta johns may need to be inspected to be sure they are sealed. People in general that do boat are not littering. People are more environmentally conscious. Recycling is beyond expectations – landfills are not the answer.
Father owned 3 adjacent properties on Ogden Island – vacant lot in between, this was a small, non-winterized cottage with a fireplace only about 600 sq. ft. – main home was pier #81 & lived there a number of years; tried condo living for 8 years, but really wanted to be on Ogden Island because we loved sunsets; hate to tear down history but told couldn’t have what we wanted without tearing down – wanted to move little house, but would have had to cut down 2 trees – built a house around the trees that looks like it has been there for years – copied archways, kitchen in same place, improved visibility, make it a lighter home, openness, improved insulation; neighborhood beginning to be more and more year around; remodeling influences rest of neighborhood; old homestead – pier #81 just last year has been redone; pier #80 has been completely remodeled; Ogden Island is lot of Ft. Wayne people – about 40 minutes away; some people moving there because they want their kids in the Wawasee school system – education.
Seems like people born and raised on water never leave it or want to get back – it gets in your blood – John Augsburger
According to John’s daughter, Kerri Warstler: “He would ski once a summer to show he still could. He was in his 60’s or maybe 70 here.
Personalities: Some factual but rather off color Seth Ward stories. One good one about Seth’s photographic memory, Lincoln spray painted silver, Johnny’s Mom hoped she would inherit it – didn’t, case of tuna a week for his cats; Tommy Tuttle and his brother story about oil drums. Gary Mayfield lived 3 cottages – one of the first people who lived down here, kind of like the Godfather of the whole lake, I thought, maybe it was because I was just a young kid – he knew all the fishing holes; anybody who wanted to know anything about the lake on fishing went to Gary Mayfield – everybody knew Gary Mayfield on the lake – he was kind of the Godfather of this part of the lake. Seth Ward turned out to be a real character.
Major events: remembered very vividly the South Shore (Inn) fire – friends home with him from college – had gone over to South Shore in the boat that night to dance, the lower part – had a jukebox, not a band; stayed there close to 1:00; we were sitting on the porch & saw a fire on the south shore so we went out in the boat and sat right in front of it and watched.
Uncle was a locksmith in Goshen, was called to work on the Spink safe cause they couldn’t get it open – someone patted him on the back & he turned around & it was Bud Abbott and Lou Costello.
Tree roots just go down to the waterline and spread out. Tornado came through here in 1980 & dropped down between his house and neighbor; used to be a lot of trees here; storms come from the SW and take some of them.