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While in the middle of renovation of the upper floors of Eleutherian, Ian Cart found notes on aged and deteriorated paper. This Editor has viewed the notes and read many of them.

These little fragments of paper are a joy to read. Some of them, however, can only be read in pieces. The notes were apparently passed back and forth in class. The following is a small percentage that has been deciphered.

 

Ella,

Did you get mad when I asked America to go to get  a drink with me? I would have asked you, but I didn’t know whether you would go or not. What did Mr. James do with his bognet (?) he got at Mr. Rector’s? Was it a nice one?

                                     Aggie Landon ( this may be Agnes Landon)

 

March 30th 1876

Well, I liked it very well when he spoke in English. I could understand some words that he said, but when he was preaching in German ,and I took the fidgets and could not sit still. I think he is a right good preacher.

                                      Sadie

 

Kattie,

Are you going to come to the singing tonight? And if you are, may I have the pleasure of escorting you home? If no write and tell me.

                                           Your friend,

                                           ( illegible)

 

 

Pencils and chalk were also found beneath the floor boards. As well as some newspaper articles (chewed by mice). All seem to date around 1875-1876. Eleutherian was still operating as a college at this point. The people mentioned in the notes are unknown at this time. 

 

 

 

The citizens of Lancaster welcomed the great war of the States with mixed emotions. On one hand , an end to the cause that they had fought so hard to end. On the other hand, it meant  the possible loss of life from within their own community.

    Lancaster was no different than any other community, north or south. There was no shortage of volunteers from the Lancaster area.

    They young men that attended Eleutherian

College rushed off to enlist. A number of them never returned. Including :

 John Baxter, Russell Record, Isaac Elliott, Edward Tibbets, Theodore Johnson, John Hughes, William Hughes, Thompson Saulsbury, Calvin Gillett, Linus Literal, Zephaniah Delap, and Frank Shaw.

    The college continued to operate with most of its male students serving in the war. Professor William Brand served as the President through the war years.

 

The chapel of the college was used for Union fundraisers. Every penny earned went in support of the war effort.

  At the beginning of the war the Indiana 6th was formed in Jefferson County, Indiana. This group used the Eleutherian grounds for training.

    In July 1863 Lancaster felt the fringes of war on a local level. John Hunt Morgan made his appearance on Indiana soil. The first alarm came when Morgan entered into

Deputy and Paris, Indiana.

Citizens quickly began to hide valuables and organize what home guard was available.

Morgan never came into Lancaster, but after being turned away in Vernon he took Dupont. A town four miles north of Lancaster. Once again the people panicked. Again Morgan avoided Lancaster.

   The war ended and the community welcomed home the soldiers in Lancaster style.