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Daviess County Historian Blog

Aug 30
3 min

Crystal McCord - The Last Full Measure of Devotion

Crystal E. McCord was born September 5, 1897 in Washington, Indiana, the daughter of Jabez McCord and Rachel (Arvin) McCord. In June...

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Jun 27
10 min

Washington's "Junior National Limited" Part II

Times and trends had changed by the early 1980’s. For a variety of reasons Drive-In movie theatres were no longer enjoying the popularity...

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Jun 18
7 min

Washington's "Junior National Limited" (Part 1)

This streamlined articulated trainset consisting of a scaled down version of a modern (circa 1950’s) General Motors “E” series...

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May 16
3 min

Billy Meredith--An Eccentric Millionaire

The lengthy obituary of William R. “Billy” Meredith (1843-1926) was printed on the front page of The Washington Herald newspaper. It...

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Mar 13
2 min

Dog Dispute Results in Plainville Shooting

Earl “Junior” Goodwin, Jr., 21, lived on a farm just outside of Plainville, Indiana. In the spring of 1943 somebody shot and killed...

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Jan 29
2 min

Washington Streetcars Ferried Passengers Around the City

The Washington Common Council in 1887 adopted an ordinance giving Washington Street Railway—a private company owned by James C. Lavelle,...

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Dec 11, 2023
2 min

Prairie Creek: A Gold Mine of Archaeology

Prairie Creek flows in a south-westerly direction across Daviess County from the Thousand Acre Woods to the West Fork of the White River....

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Nov 20, 2023
2 min

The Wilson/Beck House of Washington

The majestic, two story, red brick house at 103 E. National Highway in Washington is well-known as the “Beck House.” It was constructed...

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Oct 31, 2023
2 min

Ophelia H. Roddick - A Commitment to Education

Ophelia H. Roddick (1842-1923) was the daughter of Seth Roddick (1799-1841) and Nancy (Leggett) Roddick (1809-1895). She lived her entire...

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Oct 23, 2023
5 min

World War I Brought Upgrades to the Nation's Rail Network, Including Washington

The year was 1918. World War I has been raging in Europe for almost 4 years. The strain on US railroads to furnish transportation of...

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Oct 13, 2023
3 min

News of World War I Armistice Travelled by Rail

Among the many interesting artifacts to be found at the Daviess County Museum is this small piece of paper. It is a slip of what appears...

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Oct 9, 2023
2 min

Grand Theater Fire Update

The Marie C. Dosch: A Courageous Musician article about the January 11, 1926 Grand Theatre fire was posted September 20. When the article...

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Sep 28, 2023
2 min

Ephraim Thompson: A Young Man's Misadventures in the California Gold Rush

After gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in California, more than 300,000 people migrated west during the “California Gold Rush” from...

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Sep 22, 2023
1 min

Stephen E. Myers: A Photographic Record of a Professional

Stephen E. Myers (1883-1942) was born in Bogard Township, Daviess County, Indiana to Daniel J. Myers and Ada J. (Williams) Myers. He...

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Sep 21, 2023
2 min

Searching for the Elusive Whippet

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Mr. and Mrs. Ellis Trabant, a very amiable couple from Vincennes. They came into the Daviess...

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Sep 20, 2023
2 min

Marie C. Dosch: A Courageous Musician

Marie C. Dosch (1893-1976) was the daughter of John Dosch and Charlotte (Faust) Dosch of Washington, Indiana. She lived most of her life...

81 views0 comments

Sep 18, 2023
2 min

Benjamin J. Burris: A Daviess County Educator

Benjamin J. Burris was born in Daviess County, Indiana on March 19, 1882, the son of Tobias Burris and Flora (Cole) Burris. He attended...

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Sep 6, 2023
6 min

The Sears Building of Downtown Washington: A History

The Sears Building as we know it is where we bought tools, tires, batteries, and appliances when we were growing up, and I tried to get...

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Articles and photographs curated by the Daviess County Historian Team; Bruce Smith, Jeannie Eaton, Sarah Fry, Tom Bummett, & Chris Palmer.

Submissions? Contact daviesscountyhistorian@gmail.com

Questions or comments for the Daviess County Historian team? Email daviesscountyhistorian@gmail.com

Daviess County Historical Society & Museum

212 E. Main St. PO Box 2341 Washington, IN 47501

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