BOONE COUNTY HISTORY PAGE
LINKS Scotland Bridge Pharmacies Langher-Frank Residence Lebanon's Square Boone County Courthouses Early Lebanon Businesses Hoosier Cabinets
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1859: Ralph Stark stated in one of his writings that the building at 112 N Lebanon St (currently Cowan Drugs) was built in 1859 by George and Al Coombs. Adjacent buildings to the south were built in 1865 and 1870 (Union Federal Building and Ellis Building respectively).
1909: The plat of Lebanon in 1909 listed a drug store at 112 N Lebanon St. The photo at right was documented to be C W Campbell Drug Store 1911: A photo gallery residing on the second floor of the building (accessed by the stairway open at the sidewalk level) indicates that in the 1911 Lebanon Directory, this studio is identified as Harvey's. 1916: This directory lists several drug stores. Some of these stores have ads in the directory and list the variety of products they carry. Not much is mentioned of prescriptions. One of the drug stores does show a picture of a man looking through a microscope. The drug stores listed are:
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Jan 20, 1893 - CW Campbell Drug,
112 N Lebanon St
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This photo is documented as Dr A B Jones' Drug Store, c. 1907. No address given.
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Interior of City Drug Store, c. 1922
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Newspaper image of City Drug, c. 1895
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Additional photos of the City Drug Store that was located at 106 S Lebanon St. |
City Drug, c. 1920s
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By 1930:
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Oak Drug, March 18, 1912
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Star Drugs
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Star Drugs
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1935: Mr Hammond dies. At this time a Melvin's Pharmacy is listed at Lebanon and South Sts with Cason's Drug Store on S Meridian St.
The City Drug Store has been purchased by Haag's and moved to the Northeast corner of Main and Meridian Sts.
The City Drug Store has been purchased by Haag's and moved to the Northeast corner of Main and Meridian Sts.
1936: The city directory of 1936 lists Oak Drug Store as Oak Drug Store Akerman Drugs with Akerman Drugs listed as Akerman Drugs Oak Drug Store. Mr Masters is listed as retired in the personal listings with L J Akerman and Robert Delue (R D) listed as druggists. Ruth Akerman is the clerk. The upstairs of 112 N Lebanon (former Harvey's studio) is listed as empty.
1939: The Akerman family is still operating Akerman Drugs. Haag's is still at 101 N Meridian, with Mitchell and Berry at 121 W Main, and now Rexall (formerly Star)
is listed at 118 N Lebanon.
1939: The Akerman family is still operating Akerman Drugs. Haag's is still at 101 N Meridian, with Mitchell and Berry at 121 W Main, and now Rexall (formerly Star)
is listed at 118 N Lebanon.
Haag's Drugs, c. 1957
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Akerman Drug, undated
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Akerman Drug, June 1, 1980
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Mitchell & Berry, May 1, 1977
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1944: Hammond and Mitchell becomes Mitchell and Berry (121 W Main) Today: None of the above pharmacies are still in operation with the exception of Akerman Drug, now Cowan Drugs. A northside store, Parkside Pharmacy, has been added. In March of 1990, the Lebanon Reporter featured an article with a photo of Bill Noland, Ross Pauley and Roy Isenhour painting Akerman Drugs purple or plum. August of 1993, the wooden facade was removed from the Gift Barn at 116 N Lebanon St showing Cowan Drugs. |
Cowan Drugs, c. 1983
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L J Akerman was an active community member. He was the first president of the local Chamber of Commerce and was a charter member of the
Rotary Club in 1920. L J’s son Delue (R D) was Chamber of Commerce president in1942 and again in 1953.
At that time he was also one of the re-chartering members of the local Kiwanis Club and became its president in 1958.
Rotary Club in 1920. L J’s son Delue (R D) was Chamber of Commerce president in1942 and again in 1953.
At that time he was also one of the re-chartering members of the local Kiwanis Club and became its president in 1958.
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FORMER LANGHER-FRANK RESIDENCE
129 Indianapolis Ave, Lebanon Built in the summer of 1891 by Fred Langhar and father-in-law Josephus Frank, the house was designed as a double and was occupied by both families. Unfortunately the house was ravaged by a devastating fire on October 18, 2019 and was later demolished. Ralph W. Stark collection |
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LEBANON'S SQUARE - through the years
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COURTHOUSES OF BOONE COUNTY
Were you aware that the current Boone County courthouse was the fourth one built?
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Artist rendering of the first Boone County courthouse in Lebanon built in 1832. It was a two-story log structure located on the north side of the courthouse square just west of the first jail which is just behind. Artist rendering of the second Boone County courthouse built in 1839-40. It was a small two-story brick building set in the center of the courthouse square where the current courthouse now stands. |
First Courthouse 1832
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Second Courthouse 1839-40
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The Third Courthouse 1856-57
A more substantial courthouse of Gothic styled brick with stone trim, was built in 1856-57, and cost $33,000.
The architect was William Tinsley, who designed Christ Church Cathedral on Monument Circle in Indianapolis, and Center Hall at Wabash College in Crawfordsville.
When Lebanon auctioneer Colonel J. B. Henderson shouted “Sold to that gentleman over there,” on the bright Monday morning of August 6, 1909, he had disposed of Boone County’s old brick (3rd) courthouse to George T. Miller, Lebanon contractor and his associate, Adolphus Wysong,a local businessman, for $15.00.
By one o’clock that afternoon, Miller had a force of men at work razing the structure preparatory to readying the site
for the erection of the present courthouse which was completed in late 1911, and dedicated on July 4, 1912.
Although careful to salvage every bit of resalable material, Miller is said to have lost money on the deal.
Local urchins were hired to clean mortar from the bricks for 10¢ per hundred. “It was a dirty, dusty, hand-scaring and back-breaking way of making a buck.”
So said Al H. Wynkoop, who was one of Miller’s youthful employees.
Among the dozen or so other “brick-polishers” were Verlin Busby, Hallie Hamilton, Irvin McDonald and Vivian “Red” Stewart.
Much of the debris and rubble, consisting mainly of broken bricks, stone and plastering, was dumped in low spots as fill on lots which
Wysong owned on the West side of Meridian Street and just north of Prairie Creek,
in the Tripps Avenue area. Written by Ralph Stark
The architect was William Tinsley, who designed Christ Church Cathedral on Monument Circle in Indianapolis, and Center Hall at Wabash College in Crawfordsville.
When Lebanon auctioneer Colonel J. B. Henderson shouted “Sold to that gentleman over there,” on the bright Monday morning of August 6, 1909, he had disposed of Boone County’s old brick (3rd) courthouse to George T. Miller, Lebanon contractor and his associate, Adolphus Wysong,a local businessman, for $15.00.
By one o’clock that afternoon, Miller had a force of men at work razing the structure preparatory to readying the site
for the erection of the present courthouse which was completed in late 1911, and dedicated on July 4, 1912.
Although careful to salvage every bit of resalable material, Miller is said to have lost money on the deal.
Local urchins were hired to clean mortar from the bricks for 10¢ per hundred. “It was a dirty, dusty, hand-scaring and back-breaking way of making a buck.”
So said Al H. Wynkoop, who was one of Miller’s youthful employees.
Among the dozen or so other “brick-polishers” were Verlin Busby, Hallie Hamilton, Irvin McDonald and Vivian “Red” Stewart.
Much of the debris and rubble, consisting mainly of broken bricks, stone and plastering, was dumped in low spots as fill on lots which
Wysong owned on the West side of Meridian Street and just north of Prairie Creek,
in the Tripps Avenue area. Written by Ralph Stark
Our Current Courthouse 1909-11
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The fourth and present courthouse was ordered to be built by the county commissioners in 1909 and completed in 1911.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 22, 1986. CLICK HERE to view the original Signed National Register of Historic Places application containing a detailed description of the courthouse. |
Photos depicting construction
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The Cornerstone and Time Capsule
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HOOSIER CABINETS
Boone Kitchen Cabinet
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Many are familiar with Hoosier cabinets, the stand-alone cabinet that could be custom-made for any kitchen. “Hoosier cabinet” has become a generic term for these uber-customizable baking cabinets manufactured by roughly three dozen companies, most located in Indiana. One of the most popular versions was the Boone cabinet, made in Lebanon.
Campbell-Smith-Ritchie Company manufactured Boone cabinets for at least three decades. The business first began as a mill and lumberyard established in 1867. George Campbell purchased the mill along with partner Frank Coombs around 1892. Son Coombs sold his share to James P Smith, who had previously owned a lumberyard in northwest Indiana. In 1900 Morris Ritchie sold his Lebanon grocery business and joined Campbell and Smith in the endeavor. While their primary business was milling and lumber, they also made door and window frames and decorative trim. The men had recently begun to dabble in creating kitchen cabinet when a fire in 1905 completely destroyed the mill and all their materials. The re-built on West South Street, adjacent to the Big Four Railroad. By 1907 they had incorporated the business and added furniture and cabinets to their collection. Within a few years, they decided to dis-continue their lumber manufacturing and center all resources completely on the rapidly growing cabinet industry. In the 1920’s, Boone Cabinets could be purchased for as little as twenty–five dollars or up to more than one hundred dollars for versions with two electrical outlets, a clock and an ironing board. Boone cabinets were similar to other Hoosier cabinets, with dozens of customizable features. These included a retractable metal top, a coffee mill, a knife sharpener, spice tins, a recipe holder, a flour mill and a pegboard. Cabinets could be ordered with glass or covered windows and would store utensils, dishes and kitchen staples. |
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What made the Boone cabinets stand out began with a simple marketing idea. An advertising campaign invited women to send letters suggesting needed improvements to kitchen cabinets. The Campbell-Smith-Ritchie Company placed an ad in the Ladies’ Home Journal, hoping to generate ideas for their new cabinets. The company received suggestions from 369 women. The idea that the cabinets were designed by women for women was turned into an inventive and successful campaign.
A few innovations made the Boone cabinets cutting edge for their time. Many of these features came standard with the top sellers, such as a built-in alarm clock, built-in desk, disappearing ironing board and electric light at the top. Others were extra, like a double electric socket and an Arcade Crystal coffee mill. The cabinets played upon women’s vanity as well, with a hidden mirror tucked into the cabinet for a quick touchup “when the doorbell rings”. Different styles could fit different home configurations. One version with a utility closet at the end could be built into a wall. Another was only thirty-five inches high so that it could be placed be-low a kitchen window. Cabinets even came with a stool that could be tucked back into the cabinet quickly without taking up additional space. The cabinets also came in a variety of finishes: white, white enamel with green decoration, golden oak, gray oak or gray enamel with multiple colors of decorative designs at the top. Campbell-Smith-Ritchie Company then named these cabinets for women: Mary, Helen and Dorothy were some of the best-selling models. Advertisements ran across the country in local newspapers and were most prevalent in the late 1920s. Many also boasted that the company was the oldest manufacturer of kitchen cabinets in the world. While not substantiated, the claim was very possibly true. The Hoosier Manufacturing Company in New Castle, Indiana, was on the heels of Campbell-Smith-Ritchie in creating storage options for kitchens. While the Hoosier Manufacturing Company was the first to create the Hoosier-style cabinet, both companies began manufacturing their separate built-in cabinets around the same time. |
Saturday Evening Post Advertisement
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At its peak about 150 people worked for Campbell-Smith-Ritchie Company. Employees could receive a custom cabinet for free. Like most other kitchen cabinet manufacturers, the company’s sales began to decline during the Great Depression. The company closed many manufacturing lines and focused on simply building built-in cabinets and oak breakfast tables and chairs.
Campbell and Ritchie were longtime Lebanon residents, but Smith never lived in Boone Coun-ty. Campbell and Smith died in the 1910s. Ritchie worked for the company until it was sold to Eugene Burford Rhodes, an inventor of another cabinetmaking company, in 1940. The business was bankrupt within a year. Campbell-Smith-Ritchie Company was located just a few blocks from the center of Lebanon. Three Boone cabinets are on display at the Strange Cragun House, not far from where they were manufactured in the 1920s.Two were in the home when it was donated to the Boone County Historical Society. Another found it’s way to Lebanon via an antique dealer hoping to find a home for the Boone cabinet she’d purchased but didn’t know how to refurbish. She discovered the cabinet’s manufacturer, which led her to the county historical society and she generously donated the item back to the community where it was first built. (Excerpt: HIDDEN HISTORY of BOONE COUNTY INDIANA, Heather Phillips Lusk. Chapter 34 Campbell, Smith and Ritchie) Can be found in our bookstore. |