Today, we bring you one of Sylvia Henricks’ “Remembrances.” You can read more of Sylvia’s columns weekly in The Franklin Township Informer, or in her book From The Ash Grove (available directly from the FTHS, and via the web site).
Will it rain – or be cold and windy? Are there seats enough out on the terrace at the Meeting House? Will anybody come? Will there be enough punch and cookies – or way too much? Where did I put the notes for the speech I plan to make, thanking those that let us photograph their WP Outhouses? Where’s my camera?
So ran my thoughts as Sunday afternoon, September 16 approached. The second half of a “double event” at the Township Historical Society it marked the completion of a self-published booklet, Humble but Historic, The Surviving WPA Outhouses of Franklin Township produced by Faulkenberg Printing, Indianapolis. I planned to autograph copies of the book for the invited guests – and others who might purchase one. (The other event, at 1:30, was a Big Run Cemetery Tour by Dana Crapo who has researched the early years of the cemetery when, privately owned, it was known as the Smither burial ground. See next week’s “Remembrances.”)
As often happens, my worries were needless. The weather was perfect, and a good crowd favored us. My daughter Ann and her three girls handled the punch and cookies, with more cookies supplied by Society members. Granddaughter Molly took photos including the one below.
There was an additional attraction on the Society grounds. With thanks to Yolanda Hughes, one-time owner, and Kathy George of Bob Cook Realtors – and Tommy Grimes, who moved it to our lawn—our Society is the proud owner of an authentic WPA outhouse, to be restored, repainted and valued as an exhibit of The Great Depression Days.
