Robert “Bob” & Rosalyn Jones

Robert “Bob” (1927-2011) and Rosalyn Jones (1943-2016): 1993 taped interview w/ Bill Spurgeon’s son; paraphrased in 2013 by Ann Garceau:

Bob came here in Oct., 1951 (thru around Oct., 1957) – was employed by the State Bank of Syracuse (had been here several times before as a bank examiner for the FDIC). Came back in Jan., 1964 – he and several others had formed a bank holding corporation and bought out the State Bank of Syracuse. He and Rosalyn were married in 1965, and she moved here. She graduated from college in 1966. Bob likes smaller towns; lake was certainly an attraction; tired of traveling; he reconsidered a former offer from the (Syracuse) bank and took it. At that time, the bank was primarily owned by Donald Vandeveer (former judge in the 1930s, lived in Milford) and son-in-law, Charles Purdum (an engineer who operated Sturm and Dillard Gravel pit – father instrumental in developing the gravel pit and died at a young age. Noble Blocker was the cashier (head operating officer). Board of Directors: Donald Vandeveer, Charles Purdum, Jap Jones (owned South Shore Inn) Noble Blocker, and Ralph Thornburg, Sr. (when he died, he was replaced by Ken Harkless).

Commercial development of the lake: Weatherhead Corp. opened here about the same time Bob came in 1951 (not much industry at that time). Lake development has been gradual –larger estates of prominent families at that time; more hotels – Tavern burned down; Sargent’s Hotel purchased by Eli Lilly; turned into lawn. In the 1950s, there was a gradual decline in terms of style of lake like large estates and hotels. The marinas have expanded. The development of the condominiums came in the 1960s beginning with Tom Leonard’s Bay Point – where Johnson’s Hotel had been. When Bob came here in 1951, there were virtually no commercial establishments in what we call Wawasee Village – Etter Real Estate was out there – basically nothing else. Starting in the 1950s, commercial development started and accelerated in the 1960s.

Sure that there are more permanent residents. For 15 years, Bob was president of the Turkey Creek Regional Sewer District (funded by EPA) which took polls of the lake concerning residents – about 10 – 12 years ago there were only 15 – 18% year-round residents. Seems to be mostly seasonal residents.

Bob originally lived south of town across SR13 from where the Catholic church is now. Then built (Pine Bros. built it) a home in 1954 or ‘55 in Jim Stucky’s new subdivision across from Syracuse Lake – bought 2nd and 3rd house he built (one for investment; lived in second house). Local people made relatively little use of hotels (Bob enjoyed Purdue Glee Club at the South Shore Inn) – weren’t good restaurants or bars in them. There was a theater at Crow’s Nest – first was a tent (shows were here one week and at Maxinkuckee another week). We’ve crowded in more homes over the years. Bob not a fisherman. Bob left in 1957; came back in Jan.’64 to be president of the bank; Bob came here/moved in 20 years ago yesterday (built present home on Wawasee – lived uptown Syracuse in an apartment before moving into home they built). Rosalyn became the Syracuse Public Library Librarian.

Town was closely knit. Pickwick, operated by the Panagos family, was big. The theater itself was owned by the Alliance Theater Corporation out of Chicago (Bob had managed a theater on a Wed. night for 4 years in Chicago for them). They ran a very good theater.  Rotary Club met at the Pickwick Lounge on Mon. evenings. Bob sang in the Methodist Church choir (in the Village). When Weatherhead moved here, a very active Newcomers’ Club was founded in which he was active.  Bob thinks there were 3 Mothers’ Clubs. Went to basketball games – no football in the schools.

 After married, Pickwick Lounge dropped out basically leaving Anchor or Sportsmans’ Bar downtown. For a while the Palace of Sweets was there for an ice cream store. Thornburg’s was already in the Village. Bob thinks the town was kind of torn apart in the 1960s with the development of the Village. Thornburg’s was not only a drug store but a social center (while working at the bank, Bob was in Thornburg’s 7 days a week for one reason or another – paper
on Sun., soda fountain/booths/tables). Thornburg’s was the social center of town. When Thornburg’s went to the Village, it became nothing more than a commercial establishment. The grocery stores uptown (Klink’s right next to the bank, Greiger’s next to it which later on was bought by Leland Clapp). Had dime store, theater active (tv just coming on in the 1950s), second drugstore – Burkholder’s across street (Hilbish had it before them). All the activity hummed around the uptown. The Village really began to destroy/erode that inner character of the community. The Beacon was always here; Solt’s was here near SR13; Foo and Faye’s had come here before I came here. Arguments for developing Village: always used parking; more accessible to the lake.

Compactness of the community included all the churches being downtown. Common for people to walk to Thornburg’s after church. Methodist church moved north of town in the 1950s (quite a dispute; hired a fund raising group out of San Francisco to get ball rolling; Lantz, Anglemeyer, Joe Shewman, Ralph Thornburg all involved in church). EUB and Methodist merged. The Church of the Little Flower was only Catholic church we had here for a while – Catholics tended to go to Ligonier for church. In the 1950s, the Spink was a Seminary; in the 1960s it became a prep school and led community to have more inter-church activities. Boat-in started in 1960s. Oakwood Park flourished more then; has nice retirement area. Now active ministerial association promoting unity. Churches support community food bank.

Thornburg’s originally on corner by old school, but by the 1950s they were on the corner of the Pickwick Block. May have moved in the late 1940s. Owners, Ralph and Blanche, originally came from Marion, IN. Blanche was Bob’s bridge partner for about 14 years. She used to talk a lot about the early days of Thornburgh’s Drug Store – made a reputation on good chocolate sodas. Social gathering place – quite a popular place.

Bob and Rosalyn live on Wawasee just east of the Spink. Permanent residents – neighbors more than those who are just summer residents. The area they live in was part of the Noll estate; Noll’s had the house next door. Tom Leonard had bought the estate – 250 ft. of lake frontage and the house – Bob bought 90’ from Tom, and Tom sold 70’ off on the other side. When Bob was here in the 1950s, Claude Mason began developing Sunrise Beach out here. He also developed Venetian Isles. When Bob and Rosalyn moved here, the Spink was a prep school. Priests were
very good neighbors. The prep school was active in the community. Bob and Rosalyn are pleased with the condos. Bob misses the charm/feeling of the seminary; prep school. Eli Lilly was neighborly and is missed as a patriarch on the lake and in town. Feels that Eli kept the property much better than it is kept now. Golf courses have been well-developed and popular.

Seth Ward is a big character. Bob declined to tell any stories about him. Eli Lilly did a lot for the library and the community. A lot of things he did monetarily he wasn’t doing for credit, he just did it because he enjoyed the community and wanted to contribute. Bob was president of the Pickwick Association that built the present Pickwick Block after it burned down on New Year’s Day (Jan.1, 1971). People invested in the Association – sold stock at $100 a share; Ken Harkless encouraged Bob to call Eli Lilly; Bob called Eli, and they met downstairs in the Lilly home, had a Coca Cola (term Mr. Lilly used), and Bob talked to him about the rebuilding of the Pickwick Block and the Association; would like to help, but indicated everything was all tied up due to his wife passing away and “Would $15,000 be all right?” Didn’t want anyone to know. As president of the bank, Bob couldn’t share Mr. Lilly’s contributions but did mention things for churches, the dam, retired the building program debt. Had neighbors in to talk on the porch; interested in Indian affairs –always had maps in the basement of Indian tribes. Roscoe Howard was one of Mr. Lilly’s favorite people. Behind the bank (to the south), Roscoe Howard had the electrical shop (on Huntington St.). Bob would go back there, and Mr. Lilly was sitting on a nail keg talking with Roscoe. Mr. Lilly was a solid addition to the community; he liked Wawasee, liked Syracuse, liked sailing, good to his help (Everett Miner was head of his grounds crew), kept his house in same character that his grandfather had. Bob was very interested in the Civil War. During 2 days at Chickamauga, Bob came upon a monument on a bluff/a hill where there was a monument that said here at this point an IN battery led by Col. Eli Lilly repulsed a charge by Longstreet. When Eli came in the bank, Bob told him about this, and Eli said, “Oh, that was my grandfather’s proudest moment. He talked about that, and he used to have members of that IN battery up here for vacations, and they used to talk about the battle of Chickamauga.” Bob didn’t know J.K. Lilly (brick house, middle property); some fellow from an Indy bank told a story about a company that manufactured miniature firearms, and J.K. bought whole inventory (built museum for it in Indy) and put them out of business – then they went into selling Arabic armor. Ralph Teetor left quite an impression on Bob. Ralph was blind from an early age. 3 different Teetor homes on lake – Ralph, Dan, and C.N. Bob told story about Ralph sitting on his hillside while Sudlow’s Pier Shop was putting in the pier. Ralph came down, felt around and said, “You’ve got that out there crooked, it’s off to the right about a foot and a half or two feet; it’s not in there right.” The fellows said they’d check it; they merely splashed around making a lot of noise, but not changing anything. Pretty soon Ralph came back down, and told them they hadn’t moved that a bit, so someone sighted it out, and he was exactly right! All the Teetors were prominent families – Bob misses those types of families with the big homes who were very generous.

Winters have a beauty all their own. Nice to have a quiet time after the hectic time of summer. Enjoys the peacefulness – quiet time. There are some snowmobiles on the lake. When Bob was doing appraising, he found several iceboats; now they seem to be coming back. Cross-country skiing also.

Regrets losing natural spots – marshy areas. Seem to be wall to wall houses. Real necessity to make the lake seem more than a humongous bath tub. Commends Dick Green and others for cleaning up area near former Chinese Gardens. W.E. Long was active in the community in the 1950s. Bob thinks people using the lake area in front of the Lilly property is in bad taste. We make much more use of the sand bar. Advent of the bass fishermen. Ecology – overcrowding. Sewer system is an improvement. Condos.

Fires: Bob and Rosalyn had a ringside seat for the Pickwick Block burning because they lived in an apartment across (Main) street. No fire when they had gone to bed at 2:00 a.m. after hosting a New Year’s Eve party. The Youth Center was in the basement of the Pickwick Block, and they’d had a dance there.

Tornado of April 3, 1974 hit some properties in Bob’s home area including Lilly property and airport.

Didn’t recall any celebrities offhand.

When Weatherhead was brought here, community got together and made a financial contribution; 5 people (Etter – realtor, Ed Stephenson), realtor, Roscoe Howard – electrician, Ed Kleinknight – Chevrolet agency, R. Leon Connolly – attorney) made up whatever the community didn’t contribute to get to the commitment. Bob feels that got the industrial base rolling. Liberty Homes had been here previously but had a fire and left. Bob believes Youth Center came in the 1950s. 

Etter helped develop Wawasee Village area in a way. Roscoe Howard and George Lamb had bought all the ground that eventually became the Village area; they eventually sold off parts of it with not much planning involved. Etter had most interesting signs like: “List with Etter and roll your rugs,” and various little jingles of that sort.

Bob had polio in 1956 – hospitalized for 19 weeks. Not long after that, all 3 realtors (Etter, Stephenson and another one Bob couldn’t remember name of) committed suicide. Stephenson had throat cancer. Oren Ragsdale committed suicide right down the way from Bob’s present home. There was a run of suicides in a relatively short period of time.

Byron Connolly was a memorable person; grocery store in downtown Syracuse; daily picked out fresh produce from market; if he wasn’t real busy, he’d carry Rosalyn’s groceries to their apartment. Very service-minded small-town grocer.

Interesting librarian – Ethel Bowser. Seemed like she was there forever; ran a very personalized library; very interesting. Klink’s was the first store that Bob remembers going south to the Village. Then sporting goods store went out there (now Country Mouse). Village growth seemed to accelerate in the 1960s. Mrs. Connolly was a legend with her La Petite (dress) Shop.  Bob could always tell when she had a sale, because when he came down from their apartment, he’d see people lined up down the street and up her stairway. Clothes were jammed in the racks, no dressing rooms, had to find corner to try outfits on. Probably one of the most successful retail businesses we’ve ever had in the community. The bank was the administrator of her estate.

Si Hire and Roscoe Howard each had electrical shops uptown. Roscoe’s brother Beanie had a plumbing shop. They were our major repair people. It’s been a very stable community. It’s unbelievable what’s happened to property values.