Broad Park, Indiana | |
---|---|
former village | |
Coordinates: 39°35′24″N86°40′09″W / 39.590076°N 86.669196°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Indiana |
County | Putnam |
Township | Jefferson |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
Broad Park was a small unincorporated village in Putnam County, Indiana which was founded in the 1890s and had largely disappeared by at least 1960. It was located about 2.2 miles north of I-70 along S. County Rd. 1000 E. [1]
The village was surveyed in 1893, [2] and named by Edward V. Ragland. [1] The name of the village was derived from the names of two local landowners, J. C. Broadstreet and Hugh Parker. [2] [3]
A post office named Broadpark was established at Broad Park in 1892, [4] and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1903. [2]
According to a 1962 newspaper report, Broad Park at its zenith had "about 10 houses, a blacksmith shop, two-room schoolhouse, sawmill, barbershop, general store and an establishment dealing in buggies and farm implements." But by 1962, only two houses remained at the site, with a garage was operating in the former blacksmith shop. [3] A 1966 county history states that while Broad Park "still remains on the map", "all that is there today is a machine shop and a few other buildings". [5] [6]
Edward V. Ragland was a teacher in Morgan and Putnam counties who had retired from teaching in 1891 to running a general merchandising business in the eastern part of Putnam. [1] Born on February 27, 1863 in Marion Township, Hendricks County, he had moved with his parents in 1868 to Illinois for 9 years, thereafter had returned to Morgan County and lived on his parents farm until going to Indiana State Normal at Terre Haute and then had taught for 9 years. [7]
Ragland dissolved his business partnership in Putnam after two years and moved back to Morgan County again, staying for 5 years, for 3 of which he was a postmaster. [1] He sold up again in 1899, spent a year selling livestock in Martinsville, spent 3+1⁄2 years in Franklin Township, Hendricks County as a farmer, and moved to Danville in 1904. [1]
The eponymous landowners were based in Mill Creek Township (later to become Jefferson Township).
John C. Broadstreet was a farmer in Mill Creek Township, born on March 3, 1859 in Putnam County. [8] He owned a 108 acres (44 ha) farm. [8] His parents were James and Melvina A. Broadstreet, [8] [9] and he and his brother Quinton were the grandsons of Thomas Broadstreet, the first settler in Washington Township, Washington County [10] [11] who had settled 1 mile (1.6 km) from the western edge of the Township. [11] James, their father, was born in Putnam County after the grandfather moved there in 1825. [10] [9] Grandafather and father were both Missionary Baptists and farmers. [10]
Quinton was a schoolteacher for 4 years, farmed a 450 acres (180 ha) farm, and was a Mill Creek Township trustee. [12] [13] In 1888 he went into the real estate, loan, and insurance business. [9]
Hugh H. Parker was a farmer in Mill Creek Township, born on August 26, 1852 in Putnam County. [14] [15] He owned a 230 acres (93 ha) farm on section 17 of the Township by 1887, [14] and later also owned 570 acres (230 ha) in section 8, extending across into Morgan County. [15] Hugh's father and paternal grandparents, of English extraction, had come to Putnam in 1827. [14]
William Parker, his paternal grandfather, had been the third settler in Mill Creek, with an 80 acres (32 ha) farm on section 17. [16] William Henley Parker, his father, had been the first merchant in Mill Creek, running a store and a post-office on the family farm in partnership with his cousin Joel Wright. [17] [11] [18] His maternal side was of German extraction. [14] [18]
Hugh's elder brother Benjamin A. Parker had a farm near to where Broad Park would later be, until 1874. [19] His son Grover Cleveland Parker lived 0.5 miles (0.80 km) to the east of Broad Park. [20]
Hugh Parker was connected to John Broadstreet through his February 28, 1875 marriage to Sarilda Wood, daughter of Elisha Wood. [14] [20] Elisha Wood in turn had married Rhoda Broadstreet, the daughter of Thomas Broadstreet, John's grandfather, on 1840-06-01. [21]