Milan's history portrayed with stories, photos

Among the many collectibles at the Milan Sesquicentennial, a book that covers Milan's 150-year history ranked high on the purchase list of both "locals" and visitors who came into town for the celebration.

Milan, Indiana: A Storied Past is co-authored by Darlene Gerster, a Milan High School graduate, and Roselyn McKittrick, proprietor of Milan Station Antiques and a founder of Milan '54, Inc.

"It has been a great working friendship," both agree as they sign books for purchase at the Milan Museum.

Both had thought about the possibility of such a collection of Milan history. In fact, Roselyn's sister had done a similar one for her community, and Darlene had delved into her own family history for many years and knew the process of research.

More than two-and-a-half years ago during one of her many visits to her family who reside in the area, Darlene had brought some items for the museum. Her mother had told her about the book so while they were chatting with Roselyn, Darlene offered her help in putting the 150-year history together.

"I had written some training programs for Motorola and also had worked on our own family history. Roselyn and I decided I would come to Milan from Bloomington at certain times, and she would set up interviews for me."

"We changed the format several times," Roselyn says, "but after looking at other books of history, decided on 100 pages with lots of stories, memories, and photos."

For most of two years - they began the book in April 2002 - Roselyn and Darlene searched through boxes of Milan history, visited the Public Library in Indianapolis, and recorded interviews from those in the area who had deep roots in the Milan community.

"Several who were interviewed for the book are not living now," the authors tell me. "It is so sad that before we were able to publish and to celebrate the Sesquicentennial we lost Mrs. Genevieve White, Chet Nichols, Don Voss, and Joyce Boyd."

All had contributed stories, photos, and memories during the collection of information. In fact, Joyce Leasure Boyd's sketch is a part of the section of poems by Roxanne Harrington on pages 74-75.

"Lots of people just walked in from the street to give us information," Roselyn says.

"A lady from California - Pearl Berner - provided information for the section on MIWOGCO Hotel (pages 26-27)."

According to the book, Pearl Berner remembered the fire that destroyed the MIWOGCO (an acronym for Milan Water, Oil, Gas Company) on the night of February 15, 1928.

The four-story mineral springs hotel on the site where the Milan Elementary School now stands was owned by T. H. Thompson, who had struck the mineral springs when he was drilling for natural gas for the Veneer Mill. The hotel opened on October 4, 1920, and Pearl Berner's father, mother, brother, and sister all worked there.

Reading the pages dedicated to the MIWOGCO Hotel is definitely an interesting step back in time with stories from Jean Stute, the granddaughter of T.H. Thompson, and her daughter Joan Stute Platt about the guests from Cincinnati who came to the hotel.

The section also includes the diary of a "sweet young miss" who shared her thoughts about the hotel with The Milan Commercial after a week's stay there.

Roselyn tells of a man from Cincinnati who visited the museum and told her about having sold tickets when "they barnstormed the plane." This very interesting account follows the MIWOGCO Hotel story and is titled "The Great Venture: The Cloud Coupe," pages 31-34.

Darlene notes she was able to find microfilm of both the Milan Times (1900-1901) and The Milan Commercial (1926) in the Indianapolis Public Library. The Milan history book also gives credit on the "Acknowledgment" page to the Ripley Publishing Company for information from early editions of The Versailles Republican and The Osgood Journal.

Finding a title for the book became a family affair at Roselyn's house one Thanksgiving. "My kids had been following me on all of this. At
Thanksgiving dinner they all started on title suggestions. But it was Tom's who won over all the others. He suggested Milan, Indiana: A Storied Past."

Both ladies credit Donna Cambra for the very attractive layout and the use of eight sections appropriately titled "Milan Scrapbook." Cambra is a graphic artist from Indianapolis, whom Darlene describes as very talented in visual artistry.

"She was able to bring her special visual artistry to this project to turn these words and photos into a Milan family album," Darlene notes.

Each of the seven chapters is headed with a pulled quote chosen by Darlene to fit the content of the chapter. Darlene credits Nancy Goddard, a copyeditor, for ensuring clarity and consistency in the manuscript and Philip Gillaspy, World Arts, Inc., for "guiding us through printing decisions and ensuring a quality product."

The last three pages are titled "Milan Memories" and have been left blank for the reader to write down his own memories and photos. "You are welcome to bring what you write to Milan Station Antiques to be kept with the collection of Milan stories and photos," the authors added.

Because winning the Indiana High School Basketball Championship in 1954 was such an important event in Milan's history, the authors decided to have it printed in a different color of paper and to use 16 pages - or one signature - for stories, photos, telegrams, and good wishes.

"We wanted the section to stand out so we chose a cream shade of paper. Then we included memories from several special people about what the championship has meant to them: Roger Schroder, Tari Plump, Kelli Plump Piechocki, Barter Dobson, Betty Huffman Dobson, William "Gus" Moorhead, Glenda Hensley Ashcraft, and Randy Combs."

For economy in printing costs, the authors went with 2,000 copies of the book. Since its publication a few weeks before the Sesquicentennial Celebration over the July 4 weekend, the sales have gone really well. "Some people have bought a copy for everyone in their family."

Co-authors Gerster and McKittrick, as well as members of the 1954 State Championship Team and Mrs. Mary Lou Wood, have signed copies of the book. In fact, during our interview both authors were kept busy signing additional copies for customers who came in to the museum.

Milan, Indiana: A Storied Past is available at Milan Station Antiques & Collectibles on Carr Street in downtown Milan. All proceeds, according to the authors, first go to cover publishing costs with the profit to be donated to Milan '54, Inc., a nonprofit organization, to be used to create a 1954 Milan Basketball Museum.

The "Preface" of the book ends with this statement from Darlene Gerster, writer and researcher, and Roselyn McKittrick, advisor and researcher:

"Besides the facts and dates, we hope this history captures what it was like to live in Milan during these scores of years, what might be described as 'the spirit of the place.' If it feels like you are holding a family album in your hands, then we have, in some small measure, captured the spirit of Milan's storied past."

MARY MARGARET MOORHEAD PHOTO

Darlene Gerster, former Milan area resident who now resides in Bloomington, and Roselyn McKittrick, proprietor of Milan Station Antiques and a founder of Milan 54, Inc., sign copies of Milan, Indiana: A Storied Past for customers. Co-authors of the Milan history from 1854-2004, the ladies share their experiences in the two-and-a-half-year venture.