The directory of 1884–85 — Polk's second canvass

1884–85 · POLK'S INDIANA STATE GAZETTEER, VOL. III, PP. 743–745

Two years on, the town has grown by the gazetteer's own count and still banks out of town. "WALKERTON. A growing town of 900 inhabitants, situated in Lincoln township, St. Joseph county, on Pine creek, at crossing of I. P. & C. Div. W. St. L. & P. and B. and O. R. R's, 20 miles southwest of South Bend court house and 29 southeast of Michigan City. Plymouth is the banking town. Walkerton has 4 churches, a graded school of 4 departments, public hall, 2 hotels and a weekly newspaper — Visitor. The chief support of the town is derived from the fertile agricultural [country] by which it is surrounded. Grain, wool and lumber are the chief exports. Ex, B. & O. and U. S. C. W. N. Stephens, postmaster." Where the 1882 header carried two newspapers, the 1884 header carries one — the Visitor alone; the Republican's last directory sighting is 1882, and its end is undated in the record read. The flour mill now stands as Rogers Bros.

The listings: Arlington J W, druggist; Barkley Abraham, grocer; Baugher Adam, carriagemkr; Beall Brenton H, lawyer; Behrens Bros, general store; Burger Michael R, blacksmith; Candle Wm L, wagonmkr (the 1882 Caudle, under the directory's second spelling); Comer George W, justice; Cotton J Willis, Agricultural Implements, Sewing Machines and Pump Dealer; Cunningham Andrew, hardware; Curtis & Covert, blacksmiths (the 1882 firm reversed); Endly Joseph, druggist; Ewing George D, photographer; Florence House, J. M. B. Giberson, proprietor — its advertisement adds "Sample Room on the First Floor; Bus to and from All Trains; Livery Connected With the House"; Giberson J M B, proprietor Florence House; Hale Wm C, meat market (the 1880 Reece & Hale, now Hale alone); Henderson E T, lumber and grain — a grain dealer at directory strength, the trade's named hand in 1884; Hostetter Henry W, live stock; Hudelmyer Samuel, general store; Jones G W J, Livery, Sale and Feed Stables; Kern C J, saloon and dry goods; Kime M C, grocer; Leibald Ernst, carpenter; Leslie George H, agt B. & O. Ry.; Libbey Cornelius B, jeweler; Mintle H S, propr Walkerton Visitor; Moore C W, physician; Morehouse Cyrus, shoemkr; Nicoles Samuel J, lawyer and justice; Orr J, vet surgeon; Paul George, restaurant; Place D W, real estate; Puffenberger I, physician; Quinn James, saloon (advertisement, p. 743: "Choice Brands Wines, Liquors and Cigars"); Richmond C M, druggist; Roderick Daniel J, justice; Rogers Bros, flour mill; Ross S F & Co, hardware; Ruple A B, harnessmkr; Scutt M A, dentist; Smith J C, notions; Smith Lafayette, tinner; Smith Michael F, physician; Smith Sarah L, milliner; Stephens C W N, general store; Stephens G S, painter; Stevens, Hare & Co, general store; Stevenson Amos H, justice; Taylor Jacob, grocer; Thompson Noah, meat market; Townsend O F, barber; Varner Reuben, Livery, Sale and Feed Stable (advertisement, p. 743: "First-Class Rigs Furnished at Reasonable Prices"); Vincent E J, furniture; Walkerton Visitor, H. S. Mintle, publr; Wolfenberger John, saloon; Wolfe Maggie B Miss, milliner, dressmaker and fancy goods (advertisement, p. 745); Wolfe Thomas J, clothing. Two name conflicts stand in the directory record and are printed, not merged: Chapman's jeweler is "G. E. Libbey" (came 1871), the directories' is "Cornelius B. Libbey," watchmaker in 1882 and jeweler in 1884; and Chapman's shoemaker is "U. F. Townsend" (came 1870), the directories' barber is "Townsend O F" — Howard independently gives "O. F. Townsend, of Walkerton" as the barber from whom Sydenham Ewing learned the trade, so the O. F./barber pairing stands in two sources against Chapman's single U. F./shoemaker line, and all three print as written.

Sources:

1. Polk, Indiana State Gazetteer and Business Directory 1884–85, vol. III, Walkerton entry, pp. 743–745, read whole (LDS Genealogy transcription).
2. Howard (1907), vol. 2, Sydenham C. Ewing sketch (O. F. Townsend, barber).