For a print edition, please contact the editor of our Special Publications, Jennifer Mertz.

STORY INDEX Introduction Service still most important product at Ligonier Telephone Co. A black and white sensation: Tiny Screens a big attraction in early years of television A man works from sun to sun, but a woman's work is never done Indiana Extension Homemakers better the lives of families How to be a good wife The show goes on at The Strand: Kendallville theater survives decades of changes in the movie business Some movies forgettable, but not Cleon Point: Memories of colorful, longtime Strand Theatre manager live on Small towns once supported their own movie theaters 'You'd see everyone there': Kendallville residents have lasting memories of teen hangouts old and new Links of land and lakes: County, state officials worked together to establish Chain O' Lakes State Park William Jennings Bryan among among orators at Rome City's Western Chautauqua Dr. David Rogers - Man of mystery, and benevolence DNR restoration programs working: Once abundant wildlife returning to area Rise of girls athletics have changed face of school sports Decades of intramurals: Before the '70s, girls had limited athletic opportunities Ford Frick was reared on Noble county's sandlots: Baseball executive always considered himself a 'lucky fan' Ruth was greatest player ever: Frick Frick's predictions for 2000 not far off Small Wolf Lake big winner in 1942 basketball regional Four in a row: Finally with a gym of their own, KHS cagers went to 'Sweet 16' four straight years Ink to flow into 21st century at county's newspapers Broadcast media: Manahan was pioneer in Noble County broadcasting WAWK's history dates back to 1959 Soundwaves from the past: Ligonier museum has one of the largest collections of antique radios in U.S. Health trends: Changes through the century occurred in medicine, health care Scarlet fever, polio were early health scares From sanitarium to partnership: A century of Noble County's medical care Funeral directors ran ambulance service in county prior to '74 'EMS arrives in time for '74 tornado LaGrange County doctors once made house calls by horseback Country doctor delivered babies in his home and drove a Thunderbird Service to mankind condensed to footnotes of history Lengthy Mier-Straus rivalry ended with bank merger : German-Jewish immigrants had impact on Ligonier's history Who are the people of the Amish faith? A place to live, farm, worship, and raise families: Amish began settling in LaGrange, Elkhart counties in 1840 Two controversial religious sects from the 1970's have impact on Noble County Churches with rich heritages served parishioners in LaOtto, Ege LaGrange County doctors once made house calls by houseback By WANDA YODER The News-Sun LAGRANGE - Gone are the days of herbs, poultices and the doctors' house calls with his black bag. In the early part of the 20th century, most LaGrange County doctors made house calls by horse back or with horse-drawn carriages. Surgery performed was of a minor nature. Anything more serious than tonsillectomies was done at larger hospitals in larger towns outside of LaGrange County such as Kendall-ville, Goshen or Sturgis, Mich. As she remembers, Glova Sink, a 97-year-old resident of LaGrange County, her childhood physician, Dr. Charles Dancer of Stroh, made house calls in the mornings and reported back to his office for any incoming calls. He would then travel back out by horse-drawn carriage to make other calls as needed. Many late night calls brought danger. During such a call, Dr. William Grubb reportedly had a valuable horse mire and drown on the old beaver dam road south of Scott, a location that is now being farmed. Most doctors in the county in the first part of the 1900's were originally from the county. They would pursue their education in large cities, such as Indianapolis, Chicago, New York, etc. and then return to LaGrange County to practice. LaGrange County doctors were reported as having offices in their homes with connecting operating rooms where they performed minor surgeries. Small private hospitals were built by several doctors with connections to their offices. Almost all townships in the county had their own hospital. As time passed, fewer house calls were made to see patients. "There was at one time, and the building still stands in Mongo, a hospital started in 1893 by Dr. A. G. Grubb (the first hospital in LaGrange County) which contained 25 beds," Sink remembered. "It seems as though his brother-in-law brought some scandal to the hospital when several of his women patients died in childbirth. It was found that he carried a poison on his skin and contaminated the patients. After that, he started wearing rubber gloves." "If anyone needed an ambulance, we called the undertaker, a horse-drawn hearse in my day," recalled Sink. "Any life-saving equipment of course being absent from the early ambulances." "The LaGrange County Infirmary (or the County Home), located one-half mile west of LaGrange, was for those who were poor," Sink reminisced. The building, now apartments, was built on 150 acres in 1883. A small building to the west housed the insane. Occupants were expected to help with maintenance of the buildings, farm, maintain their rooms and help prepare meals, etc. Marie Marks reportedly started her own nursing home in 1952 in her home. Outgrowing the house in 1955, she located all of her patients in what had been an old hotel in downtown Mongo. In 1959, she expanded again, taking the 30 patients to the now unused old County Infirmary. Years of hard, caring work and illness forced her to retire from her profession in 1970. The LaGrange Nursing Home on North Townline Road and Miller's Merry Manor on Ind. 9 both opened in 1970. The need for a county hospital was first discussed in 1938. After World War II and post-war conditions improved, federal aid through the Hill Burton Act brought assistance and in June 1946, a board of trustees was appointed. It consisted of Mildred Gilbert, president; Anna Grady, secretary/treasurer; William Ballou, D. D. S. and Glen O. Keasy. Gerald Fisher and Jack Dunten served as council on bond and other legal issues. At about this time, polio was a frequent and frightening visitor to LaGrange County families, and fogging with chemicals was not noticeably interrupting the spread of illness. The new hospital was needed. Construction on the new facility began in 1948 on what was at that time the Gibson farm. There were 13 acres and it sold for $11,000. The total cost of the project amounted to $647,000. Edythe Gappinger was appointed administrator in August of 1949 and the hospital was dedicated Sept. 17, 1950, with 34 beds. Approximately 4,000 visitors attended the event. The population of the town of LaGrange in 1970 rose to 2,053 and in the county to 20,800. On July 4, 1970, ground was broken for a new wing. This was to become the medical floor and increased bed capacity to 62. The new wing was dedicated in September 1971 and new patients moved in on Oct. 17 of that year. In 1985, the hospital was sold to VenCare, Inc., a Louisville, Ky., based health care firm. Under contract with the county for 35 years, VenCare, Inc. continues to provide upgraded acute care hospital services. VenCare, Inc. has embarked upon a building program intended not only to increase the practicality of the hospital but also make it an attractive setting for county residents and other patrons to share in the LaGrange Hospital tradition of "neighbors caring for neighbors."