Timeline From The Past: Biomet Begins Operations
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.
July 11, 1979 — Biomet Inc., the newest full-line manufacturer of orthopedic devices, began operations south of Warsaw in December 1977, and has dramatically succeeded in topping the goals set by its founders.
The company produces reconstructive devices for both the hip and knee, and has current development projects under way for systems that will facilitate reconstruction of the shoulder, elbow and ankle. Dr. Dane A. Miller, Biomet’s president, added that many of the manufactured implants incorporate distinctively Biomet-designed improvements and innovations, all of which have been accepted by the medical marketplace.
The company provides a complete product line of fixation devices such as bone plates and screws that aid the orthopedic surgeon when treating broken bones. “And we are particularly pleased,” Miller continued, “with the acceptance of our new concentric hex, which is a device that is used to treat broken hips.”
July 11, 1955 — The public’s support of the “Pioneer Days” celebration held Friday and Saturday by Warsaw merchants was “greater than anticipated,” Max Hull, chairman of the retail merchants committee in charge of activities, reported today.
Hull also said that as a result of the enthusiastic response, Warsaw merchants had decided to make “Pioneer Days” an annual affair.
1883 — Previous to 1833, the area that is now Tippecanoe Township was inhabited entirely by the Pottowatomie and Miami Indians.
In 1846, the government bought the land from the Indians and hired two men, Mr. French and Mr. Jacoby, to take them (Indians) across the Missouri River.
In 1833, Benjamin Johnson, the first settler in Tippecanoe Township, came to Kosciusko county on a visit. After staying here two or three weeks, he returned to his home in Virginia. The next year he came back and lived with Joseph Hall for a short time. In June of the same year he went back to Virginia for his family and the next year moved on a small tract of land in section nine of this township, one mile west of North Webster, later known as the Johnson Farm. His son, Isaac, Ephraim Murheid, and Benjamin Yohn came at this time and settled on section 15. Mr. Murheid and Mr. Yohn came from Pennsylvania. Among these early settlers were George Middleton, Thomas K. Warner and William Devainey.
Abner and Charlotte Gerard came from Stark county, Ohio, in the fall of 1834. They, with a family of several children, located on a tract of land just one-half mile from North Webster and were the very first settlers of the village of Webster now known as North Webster, and at the same time purchased and owned one-sixth of the plat of the village.
– Compiled by InkFreeNews reporter Lasca Randels