From the Files of the Kosciusko County Historical Society

Editor’s note: This is a retrospective article that runs a few times a month on InkFreeNews.

March 11, 1971 — A seething family disagreement boiled into a flaming tragedy late Wednesday when a young Warsaw man was killed by a shotgun blast. His 15-year-old stepson is being held in connection with the slaying.

The victim, Dale Alfred Bragg, 31, of 124 W. Prairie St., died of massive hemorrhaging from a shotgun wound in the back.

His body was found in the parking lot at Murphy Medical Center, approximately a block from his home.

Bragg walked toward the hospital to apparently seek medical help after the shooting but collapsed and died less than 100 yards from the medical facility.

His stepson, James Allen Dill, a sophomore at Warsaw Community High School, was taken into custody shortly after the 10:15 p.m. shooting and is being held in the county jail on a preliminary charge of murder.

March 13, 1968 — A Kosciusko Circuit Court jury late last night convicted local barber Earl C. Evans of assault and battery in the “roughing up” of an 11-year-old boy last Oct. 31, but could not agree on the guilt or innocence of Warsaw Mayor Paul (Mike) Hodges.

The jury of eight men and four women deliberated for approximately six hours and 20 minutes before returning to the courtroom at 10:30 p.m. to announce its verdicts.

Early 1900s — In the early 1900s, the ice business was one of the largest industries in Warsaw.

Two local ice companies took care of the Warsaw and Winona Lake area and a wholesale outlet shipped to all parts of southern Indiana the year round.

Local ice companies were operated by Ernest Clase and Dr. W.L. Hines, who operated the Warsaw Ice Co., and John Collins, who operated the Collins Ice Co.

The Warsaw Ice Co. was on Center Lake on the north end of Buffalo Street, and the Collins plant was on the east side of Center, near the site of the Band City Oil Co.

The wholesale ice company, owned by Henry Kithmer, of Indianapolis, shipped ice in large refrigerator freight cars. His ice houses were on the east side of Center, the west side of Pike Lake and the west side of Eagle Lake.

1859 — Silver Lake is the only village in Lake Township. It was surveyed and platted by Jacob Paulus March 8, 1859, and until the completion of Cincinnati, Wabash and Michigan Railway, was one of the most prosperous towns in the county. The original name was Silver Lakeville, but the latter syllable was dropped.

Jacob and Daniel Paulus were the first merchants of the village and in their log store house the first post office in the township was located. Jacob was postmaster and kept mail in a dry-goods box.

– Compiled by InkFreeNews reporter Lasca Randels