Broad Park was a small unincorporated village in Putnam County, Indiana which was founded in the 1890s and had largely disappeared by at least 1960. It was located about 2.2 miles north of I-70 along S. County Rd. 1000 E.[1]

Village and post-office

The village was surveyed in 1893,[2] and named by Edward V. Ragland.[1] The name of the village was derived from the names of two local landowners, J. C. Broadstreet and Hugh Parker.[2][3]

A post office named Broadpark was established at Broad Park in 1892,[4] and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1903.[2]

According to a 1962 newspaper report, Broad Park at its zenith had "about 10 houses, a blacksmith shop, two-room schoolhouse, sawmill, barbershop, general store and an establishment dealing in buggies and farm implements." But by 1962, only two houses remained at the site, with a garage was operating in the former blacksmith shop.[3] A 1966 county history states that while Broad Park "still remains on the map", "all that is there today is a machine shop and a few other buildings".[5][6]

Namer

Edward V. Ragland was a teacher in Morgan and Putnam counties who had retired from teaching in 1891 to running a general merchandising business in the eastern part of Putnam.[1] Born on February 27, 1863 in Marion Township, Hendricks County, he had moved with his parents in 1868 to Illinois for 9 years, thereafter had returned to Morgan County and lived on his parents farm until going to Indiana State Normal at Terre Haute and then had taught for 9 years.[7]

Ragland dissolved his business partnership in Putnam after two years and moved back to Morgan County again, staying for 5 years, for 3 of which he was a postmaster.[1] He sold up again in 1899, spent a year selling livestock in Martinsville, spent 3+1⁄2 years in Franklin Township, Hendricks County as a farmer, and moved to Danville in 1904.[1]

Eponymous landowners

The eponymous landowners were based in Mill Creek Township (later to become Jefferson Township).

John C. Broadstreet

John C. Broadstreet was a farmer in Mill Creek Township, born on March 3, 1859 in Putnam County.[8] He owned a 108 acres (44 ha) farm.[8] His parents were James and Melvina A. Broadstreet,[8][9] and he and his brother Quinton were the grandsons of Thomas Broadstreet, the first settler in Washington Township, Washington County[10][11] who had settled 1 mile (1.6 km) from the western edge of the Township.[11] James, their father, was born in Putnam County after the grandfather moved there in 1825.[10][9] Grandafather and father were both Missionary Baptists and farmers.[10]

Quinton was a schoolteacher for 4 years, farmed a 450 acres (180 ha) farm, and was a Mill Creek Township trustee.[12][13] In 1888 he went into the real estate, loan, and insurance business.[9]

Hugh Parker

Hugh H. Parker was a farmer in Mill Creek Township, born on August 26, 1852 in Putnam County.[14][15] He owned a 230 acres (93 ha) farm on section 17 of the Township by 1887,[14] and later also owned 570 acres (230 ha) in section 8, extending across into Morgan County.[15] Hugh's father and paternal grandparents, of English extraction, had come to Putnam in 1827.[14]

William Parker, his paternal grandfather, had been the third settler in Mill Creek, with an 80 acres (32 ha) farm on section 17.[16] William Henley Parker, his father, had been the first merchant in Mill Creek, running a store and a post-office on the family farm in partnership with his cousin Joel Wright.[17][11][18] His maternal side was of German extraction.[14][18]

Hugh's elder brother Benjamin A. Parker had a farm near to where Broad Park would later be, until 1874.[19] His son Grover Cleveland Parker lived 0.5 miles (0.80 km) to the east of Broad Park.[20]

Hugh Parker was connected to John Broadstreet through his February 28, 1875 marriage to Sarilda Wood, daughter of Elisha Wood.[14][20] Elisha Wood in turn had married Rhoda Broadstreet, the daughter of Thomas Broadstreet, John's grandfather, on 1840-06-01.[21]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Hadley 1914, p. 228.
  2. ^ a b c Baker 1995, p. 76, Broad Park.
  3. ^ a b Guthrie, Wayne (28 February 1962). Farmers Named Broad Park, Indianapolis News
  4. ^ (2 April 1892).Broad Park, Greencastle Democrat
  5. ^ A journey through Putnam County history, p. 245 (1966)
  6. ^ Putnam County Map, Indiana State Highway Commission (1977) (Broad Park listed on southeastern portion of state map)
  7. ^ Hadley 1914, p. 227–228.
  8. ^ a b c TLPC 1887, p. 459, John C. Broadstreet.
  9. ^ a b c Weik 1910, p. 260, Quinton Broadstreet.
  10. ^ a b c TLPC 1887, p. 462, Quinton Broadstreet.
  11. ^ a b c Weik 1910, p. 192, Mill Creek Township.
  12. ^ TLPC 1887, p. 463, Quinton Broadstreet.
  13. ^ Weik 1910, p. 261, Quinton Broadstreet.
  14. ^ a b c d e TLPC 1887, p. 384, Hugh H. Parker.
  15. ^ a b Weik 1910, p. 372, Hugh H. Parker.
  16. ^ Weik 1910, p. 370, Hugh H. Parker.
  17. ^ TLPC 1887, p. 385, Hugh H. Parker.
  18. ^ a b Weik 1910, p. 371, Hugh H. Parker.
  19. ^ Weik 1910, pp. 371–372, Hugh H. Parker.
  20. ^ a b Weik 1910, p. 373, Hugh H. Parker.
  21. ^ TLPC 1887, p. 486, Elisha Wood.

Bibliography

Allikas: Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad_Park,_Indiana
No tags for this post.