By BARBARA BARBIERI
Wells County’s Historical Society held their annual meeting Monday evening at the Wells County Public Library where the featured speaker for the evening was Ryan Ingram, a Blackford county history promoter.
Those attending were welcomed to the event by Jim Sturgeon, the group’s president. Connie Brubaker, vice president, presented a slate of officers that were elected for the next club year, that included Sturgeon as president; Brubaker as vice president; Marcia Hottop, secretary; and Lynn Elliott, treasurer.
Board members will include Pat Wall, Becky Behning, Paul Geiger, Larry McAfee, Susan Price Samantha Acosta, and Roger Scherer.
Sturgeon reminded members of programs that had been presented by the group over the past year including the annual ice cream social and visit from the Old Fort Model A Cars, A Night at the Museum, kid’s tours of the museum, the printing of the “History of Wells County Schools”, and Christmas in the Mansion, to name a few.
Treasurer Elliott reported a balance of $43,973.21 and explained that coming expenses would include replacing the museum’s crumbling back steps, construction of a handicap ramp entrance to the museum and a new roof for the carriage house. Proceeds from the sale of the “History of Wells County Schools” will be used for the projects and that $6,000 has been contributed to the handicap entrance project.
Following the business meeting speaker Ingram and members of his Montpelier History Club were introduced. He proceeded to tell of his early interest in history as he visited antique stores with his mother and discovered a bottle that had been made in Montpelier.
It led to his intense interest in local history and to his becoming a teacher of the same. He then showed a video of the History Club kids in action as they researched Montpelier native Jimmy Risk and then letters written by Benjamin Granville Shinn to family members during the Civil War. It involved the kids working together to decipher cursive writing, to gain knowledge for their findings, to save history in a booklet.
Members of his History Club range in ages from 6 years to teenagers and meet weekly at a Montpelier Church. Ingram explained that their next investigation may be into the
“Eight Ghost Buildings in Montpelier.”
