Nappanee Public Library
PLAY AUDIOThe Nappanee Public Library (NPL) has its beginnings in June 1916 when the Thursday Club got behind the idea of a Public Library and donated $31.50. The first Library Board Meeting was held May 6, 1919. In June 1920, they were able to purchase the present site for $9,500. The present site was the site of the John Keller residence. John Keller was Nappanee's first photographer and took 324 photographs prior to 1900. Those albums are in the Library's collection today. The original house still stands today when the Library built the 1936 building the house was moved to West Walnut Street beside the Living Gospel Church. The Library opened its doors February 5, 1921, and there were 1,500 books and 35 magazines, all donated. There were 231 registered borrowers on the first day. The first Librarian was Rachel Stier. A building fund for the original library building was started in 1925. The first money came from the Ladies Rural Club. Being able to rent out the house's top floor and adjoining building and also having rummage sales by 1935, they were able to accumulate $20,000. Sadly, the Carnegie Fund has run out by the time Nappanee was ready to build its library. Construction on the building began October 21, 1936, and the cornerstone was laid in December of 1936. The building was able to open on April 26, 1936. The Heritage Collection opened in 1971 and moved to the Nappanee Center in 2007. The Library is one of six Public Libraries to also have a museum. The Pletcher addition was added in 1985 to enclose the original Library and save it. The Library became one of three buildings in Nappanee to have some sort of structure either built around or attached. The other two are Kountry Kabinets and the Nappanee Center. The last addition to add the meeting rooms, office and children's department was in 2000.
A Need for a Fire Department
For the first eighteen years, Nappanee had very little fire protection. In 1878, Nappanee started to raise money for a fire company and they're fourth of July celebration was like never before; it had baseball, foot racing, climbing greased poles and catching greased pigs. All proceeds went to benefit the fire department. In 1888, the Nappanee News reported the need for a fire department. A business owner took precautions by having large barrels placed on their roofs. Many thought the whole village was a fire trap because all the buildings were wood.
Fairchild Building
PLAY AUDIO There was a bowling alley upstairs and it was possibly Keller’s Bowling Alley. It was the first site of McCormick Motors. It was also a Print Shop, Antique, and Graber’s Flooring. It burned down in 2008 by two men. The entire building was lost and the temperatures that day were so cold that the water in the hoses were freezing. Main Street turned into a virtual skating rink.
We have a Fire Department now what?
We have a fire department, now what? By 1892, the town started sinking three deep wells and building a waterworks. In June of 1892, two hose carts were purchased for $80 each and each one was inscribed with Nappanee Fire Department. On July 8, 1892, the two companies of twenty men each elected J.D. Coppes as the very first fire chief. The firemen were not paid but received only a rebate on town taxes and poll tax. It was decided January 15, 1900, that the firemen would be paid handsomely. $3 a year per man unless a 50 cent fine was imposed in each instance a member failed to answer a fire alarm. At the same time, each company was cut to 12 men.
Auditorium
PLAY AUDIOThe Auditorium was “The Finest Little Theater in Northern Indiana”. It was financed by public subscription and was built in 1899. H.F. Frazier was the architect.There were many Nappanee citizens who pushed for the auditorium to be built. They formed what they called the Auditorium Association. From its opening until WWI, it hosted the Nappanee Orchestra, locally-produced shows, band concerts, recitals, graduation and so much more.The Auditorium burned down on January 19, 1937. The fire originated in the Jet White Grocery that was below the Auditorium. The flames in the sky could be seen for miles and those not having heard the announcement by radio hurried to Nappanee. Many thought the entire town of Nappanee was on fire. All that was left of the Auditorium building was the west and north walls but they were leaning to one side.After the Auditorium burned down. It was found that there was a questions of the ownership of the building. It turned out the Auditorium Association only had ownership of the second floor and not the whole building. The Association deemed that they would not rebuild.
Pletcher Furniture Store
PLAY AUDIOThis building has gone from a livery barn to a restaurant. Until 1900 the building was owned by Alonzo Babcock. Around 1900, he moved from Nappanee to South Bend.In 1932, Clayton Pletcher moved his family to Nappanee and started their furniture company.The first store was on south Main Street. They later moved to this location about two-four years later. The Pletcher’s furniture business survived nine fires in its six decades including four total losses.After the Pletcher Furniture moved, Wolfberg’s Department Store moved into the store. This was a second location for this store the first one being in Wakarusa. They closed the Nappanee location in 1979 and the Wakarusa location in 1983.The building was later Anderson’s Woman’s Wear and Tap and Dine. In 2018, the building was completely gutted and remodeled for the brand new Ruhe 152 restaurant.
The Fire Bell and Whistle
Nappanee's very first fire bell was located on top of the Corner Hardware that was located on Main and Market Streets on the northwest corner. When the Auditorium was built in 1900, the old fire bell was replaced with a new and larger one. At the same time, four smaller ones were placed in each ward.A loud whistle on the pump house at the waterworks eventually replaced the bell. The change from the bell to the whistle wasn't a good one. It aroused no one. Someone was thoughtful enough to tap the fire bell a few times. Companies would respond in fashion. Fire reporting by telephone started in 1908. To clear the streets in 1926, the first electric siren was installed above the telephone exchange. The whistle on the Mutschler plant was also used to alert their workers of a fire.
Hartman Hall
PLAY AUDIOAt one time it was also known as Stahly Hall as well as Hartman Hall. It was the site of early town council meeting.There were also plays, and other entertainment held in Hartman Hall. Funerals were held there. Church held Sunday School in the Hall but they eventually moved to Coppes Hall when that opened.Downstairs was Hartman Brothers. At one time Hartman Brothers was one of the biggest general stores in Elkhart County. It was owned and managed by brothers Jacob, John and Tobias.The store originally started in Hepton in 1871 with Jacob and their other brother, Samuel. In 1873 the store transferred to Locke and in 1875 Samuel disposed of his interest in the store to his brother John and Tobias. In 1876 the brothers started doing business in Nappanee. It was not until 1879 that their entire stock and interests moved from Locke to Nappanee. Jacob and Tobias ran the Nappanee store and John had stayed in Locke.
The Fire Department's 1st Fire
The fire department's first fire was in 1892. It was the Nappanee Furniture and had $3000 dollars in damages. The waterworks was not yet completed so that meant that the hydrants and mains were not finished. They had to resort back to the bucket brigade. The newly-organized fire department was joined by Nappanee citizens. The Nappanee news made some suggestions. That women would provide the men with a pail of hot coffee when there was hard and prolonged work to do. It would prevent the men from looking for something stronger and others from hurting themselves by drinking cold water.
Napanee House
PLAY AUDIOThe Napanee House was Nappanee’s first hotel. Proprietors of the hotel included Sam Hartman, Fred Richmond, L.B. Winders, Mrs. Jacob Pippenger, and Edgar Pippenger.Napanee house had only one “p” because a former landlord paid a sign painter a $1 a letter and by dropping a “p” he saved himself a dollar.The Napanee House closed in March of 1908. It was purchased by the First National Bank and moved down two doors to make way for the bank structure. The hotel was turned into a harness shop.The Napanee House was eventually remodeled to be a restaurant and it known to citizens today as Hunter’s Hideaway.
Waterworks explosion
On January 25, 1893, the Nappanee Pump House exploded with terrible force and it was said the building was blown to atoms. Two men were killed and three badly cut and bruised. The force was so great that windows a block away were broken. Bricks and timbers were thrown in all directions. To provide emergency water needs, a portable engine was rigged to one pump and a temporary pump house was thrown up. In July 1893, a new waterworks and electric building was built.
Community Building
PLAY AUDIOThe Community Building opened in June of 1933. It was the largest gym in Elkhart County before North Side Gym in Elkhart was built. When the Community Building opened, it was dedicated to the citizens of Nappanee.There was an injunction filed against the City of Nappanee in hopes that it would block them from purchasing the property and stop them from foolishly building the Community Building in hard times. A judge concluded that the court could not decide whether or not the plan was foolish or wise, sound or unsound and that the court had no right to interfere in the matter.It served as a focal point for High School activities such as basketball games, dramas, and other school entertainment until 1958. Commencement was held there from 1934t to1958.Due to the lack of hot water, the Nappanee High School basketball team did not start practicing in the Community Building until October 1933.In November 1933, the Nappanee High School Bulldogs won their very first basketball game played in the building. They beat Mishawaka 32 to 21.Wrestling matches took place that drew large crowds. Wrestlers who came to Nappanee – Gorgeous George, Dick the Bruiser, Hans Schmidt, “The Crusher”, Farmer Joe, Cowboy Bob, Arab Sheik, The Assassins, and Bobby Heenan.The Community Building was heated from the steam across the Nappanee Utility Company that was located across the street. When the Utility Company was purchased by Nipsco, they ceased to heat the building.The Community Building had deteriorated so badly over the years that the local government felt the cost of repair would be too high. The building was demolished in 1972.
Hose Carts become a thing of the past
In 1916, the era of hose carts ended. The two hose cart companies sat down with the town board to raise funds to purchase a motor fire vehicle. In 1919, the town board paid $4,240 for a motorized job. It was given a try and water was thrown over over the flour mill. Six years later the city purchased another one. In 1947, they purchased a fire truck that was equipped for fighting fires in the countryside. Money subscribed by people in Locke, Union, Scott and Jefferson townships was used to purchase the truck.
Coppes Hotel
PLAY AUDIOJ.D. Rapp’s Meat Market had been on this site before the building was removed to make way for the Coppes Hotel. The Coppes Hotel opened in 1892 and it became Nappanee’s second hotel but its finest one. It was designed by H.F. Frazier. After Samuel Coppes sold his shares to Coppes Brothers to Daniel Zook in 1890. The construction of the Coppes Hotel soon followed.Imagine a brick structure with handsome galvanized iron front, with large plate windows. It also had a tin roof. The hotel had 20 first class bedrooms. The bedrooms were for convenience and comfort for transient traffic exclusively. The rooms had bathrooms, and closets in them. They also had hot and cold water in each room.The hotel was torn down in 1965 to make way for the First National Bank. Now present day KeyBank.
The Smokey Stovers
The Nappanee Fire Department is proudly known as the Nappanee Smokey Stovers. Smokey Stover was a cartoon character and cartoon strip created by Nappanee Native, Bill Holman. In May of 1962, Fire Chief Willard Naylor asked Bill Holman to use Smokey Stover. Bill wrote back and said that they could use Smokey Stover however you want. Each fire engine has a different design of Smokey Stover. Nappanee is the only one to use Smokey Stover as their mascot.
Price Hospital
PLAY AUDIOIn 1913 the Price doctors of Melvin (Delbert) and Willard decided to build a small building that would serve as an office and hospital. Their business had expanded very rapidly and the demand for surgery was so large.H.F. Frazier was the architect of the building and had been in charge of the construction of the building. It was one of the most modern and up-to-date physician’s office and hospital buildings at its time.Delbert and Willard practiced medicine together from 1900 to 1938. Willard’s son Douglas joined the practice in 1938. Douglas claimed he couldn’t practice medicine without an x-ray machine. Delbert objected and said that they could buy him out of the practice if they wanted an x-ray machine.Delbert went to open his own practice in his home. Douglas was called into war service January 1941. Willard carried on the practice for two years without Douglas. The hospital reopened after Douglas came home from the war.The building has since been offices and even a book store. Now today the building is being used as a spa.
