The Vidette-Messenger Centennial EditionThe 1936 special edition celebrating Porter County's centennial year . . . .
The following article has been transcribed from the August 18, 1936, issue of The Vidette-Messenger, published in Valparaiso, Indiana. This particular special edition focuses on Porter County's centennial celebration and contains a 94-page compendium of Porter County history up to that time.
Return to the index of articles from The Vidette-Messenger's Porter County Centennial special edition.
Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso,
Porter County, Indiana; August 18, 1936; Volume 10, Section 4, Page 4.
EARLY DAY HOTEL
The Tremont
Hotel, pictured above, was one of the first hotels in Valparaiso. It was built
on the site of the present Farmers' State Bank building by Jeremiah Hamel, and
part of the building was used by him as a general merchandise store. Back of the
building was a lovely garden, flowers and small fruit, and oak trees. Afterward
it was used as a hotel. In 1854, James C. Maxwell was operator of the Tremont
house. In that year he announced that an omnibus would run daily from his hotel
to connect with cars on the Michigan Central and Michigan Southern and Northern
Indiana railroads. At the same time Molnay Carr was running a stage line between
Valparaiso and Crown Point. In 1855 Job D. Bonnell, who carried the mail between
Valparaiso and Crown Point announced he would run a two-horse carriage for the
accommodation of passengers. During the Fremont campaign in 1856, the Tremont
house was changed to Fremont house. The building later was destroyed by fire. In
the foregoing picture the first man at the left is Erasmus Galbreath; the third
man is a Civil war veteran named McConnell; next to him is a Mr. Brown,
proprietor of the hotel, and the last man is Nigger Hank, a barber.
Article transcribed by Steven R. Shook