Timeline From The Past: Opera House Block, Murder Indictment, Mentone History
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.
May 16, 1979 — A Marshall County grand jury has recommended the death penalty for three men indicted Tuesday for the March 6 murder of Bourbon businessman Claude (Murph) Yarian, 68.
Held without bond in the Marshall County jail at Plymouth are Larry Perkins, 20, Rt. 5, Plymouth; Duane Schuh, 25, Box 9, Etna Green; and Larry Williams, 21, of 312 Harrison St., Plymouth. They were indicted on charges of felony murder, conspiracy and armed robbery, and the Marshall Superior Court grand jurors recommended the death penalty under the new Indiana felony/murder statute.
A fourth man, George Redman, 21, of 305 E. Shaffer St., Bourbon, was not indicted by the grand jury and remains in custody in the jail here on a charge of conspiracy to commit burglary.
May 21, 1977 — The Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission met in executive (secret) session Wednesday night and hired Daniel W. Richard as director to replace Robert Orcutt, who resigned from the position effective March 31.
May 21, 1966 — Taking part in the coronation march at last night’s Warsaw Junior-Senior Prom were senior king Mike Niles and queen Ivy White. They were elected by members of the senior class.
May 1882 — The land now occupied by most of Mentone was part of the 80 acres purchased from the government in the 1870s by William Blue. It was next owned by Benjamin Blue, then by John Vantreese and later purchased by John Morgan. Albert Tucker bought this land from Morgan’s widow and also 15 acres from Samuel Lee.
About this time, the Nickel Plate Railroad was laid and there was much discussion about a town being built.
In May 1882, Albert Tucker, founder of Mentone, surveyed the plat where Mentone now is located and laid out the town as far east as Morgan Street and west to Elm Street, except the northwest corner.
This land was owned by James Blue, who later laid it out and it became known as the Blue Addition.
William Kintzel built the first house in the new town; construction began Sept. 5, 1882, and the house was completed and occupied Nov. 5.
Charles Dillingham, son of David and Sarah Dillingham, was the first male child in Mentone, and Dessie Mae Sellers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Sellers, was the first female baby born in the new town.
Mrs. George (Sarah) Myers named the town after reading an article in a newspaper about Mentone, France. She suggested it be called Mentone and the name was accepted.
In December 1885, the town was incorporated.
1874 — In 1874 the Opera House Block was built in Warsaw somewhat on the order of the Empire Block.
Mrs. Billy Williams had lived on this ground. The old Williams home sat toward the east end of the lot. At the west end of the lot was a frame Presbyterian church built about the time that Robert and Jane Cowan came to town in May 1851. The church was pushed down the street a block, the Williams house was moved away and the opera house block began to take shape.
It had a good hall in the second story capable of seating 1,500 people. Steps went up at the east end. At the top was the ticket booth and to the north the entrance both to the big hall and the gallery. The floor in the main auditorium sloped to the west. The stage was large and a curtain screened it.
The opera house was the showplace of Warsaw for 40 years.
– Compiled by InkFreeNews reporter Lasca Randels