Community Letters

January 31, 2005

Dear Cody and the Fourth Grade Quest Class,

Thank you for your letter asking me about the future of Wabash. As Mayor of Wabash planning for the future of our City is a high priority. This first year in office has been a busy and exciting time for me. Much of my focus has been on developing plans for future projects. Together, with City Department Heads and other leaders of Wabash, I am working on several ideas to make our city a better place for everyone.

In the immediate future, there are several major projects which will benefit citizens of all ages. Within the next three to four years, the youth of our community will be able to enjoy a new bike park and skate park. Construction on a new YMCA will begin in the spring of 2006. This wonderful facility will be used by young and old alike. In the historical downtown area, revitalization will soon be taking place with new sidewalks, new curbs and trees-all part of the Streetscape Project. All Wabash County citizens will take pride in the new Wabash County Historical Museum opening soon.

To show how forward-thinking the people of Wabash are, there are also some long-range goals that will improve the quality of life in our community. The city has a Master Plan for the Parks. This plan contains maps and routes for a 15 mile trail system that will run from Paradise Spring to the Morrett Sports Complex. It will take many years before this project is finished, but we are committed to seeing it through to its completion.

Looking to improve the health and safety of our citizens, the city has taken on the task of separating the sanitary and storm sewers. This is being done at a cost of $10-$11 million dollars and will relieve many of the problems currently experienced during heavy rains.

It took a great deal of courage for our ancestors to try the arc lights on the courthouse. I hope that in another 125 years, the citizens of Wabash will feel the same way about the improvements being made at this time for our city.

I would encourage you and your friends to take courage from the past and make a commitment toward the continued improvement of our community. YOU are the future of Wabash.

Thank You,
Robert Vanlandingham, Mayor of Wabash

Quest
MSD of Wabash County
204 N 300 W
Wabash, IN 46992

Dear Katy:

First I want to clear this up, in spite of what Mrs. Sparling might have hinted, this old man did not witness the turning on of that light.

Hey Katy: It is good to hear from someone from my favorite group of kids-the Quest bunch. I have always enjoyed meeting and talking with your group.

Welcome Time Machine History of the Courthouse Wabash: the First City Lighted by Electricity Read the News Stories & Legends Who was Charles Brush? What are Arc Lamps? Timeline Photo Gallery Letters from the Community 100th Anniversary 125th Anniversary How We Did This Project Bibliography Credits Other Links
	We wanted to know how Wabash is planning for the future, so we asked the mayor and we got a letter from him. Photo from the Wabash Plain Dealer Read the letter from the mayor:
	January 31, 2005 Dear Cody and the Fourth Grade Quest Class, Thank you for your letter asking me about the future of Wabash. As Mayor of Wabash planning for the future of our City is a high priority. This first year in office has been a busy and exciting time for me. Much of my focus has been on developing plans for future projects. Together, with City Department Heads and other leaders of Wabash, I am working on several ideas to make our city a better place for everyone. In the immediate future, there are several major projects which will benefit citizens of all ages. Within the next three to four years, the youth of our community will be able to enjoy a new bike park and skate park. Construction on a new YMCA will begin in the spring of 2006. This wonderful facility will be used by young and old alike. In the historical downtown area, revitalization will soon be taking place with new sidewalks, new curbs and trees-all part of the Streetscape Project. All Wabash County citizens will take pride in the new Wabash County Historical Museum opening soon. To show how forward-thinking the people of Wabash are, there are also some long-range goals that will improve the quality of life in our community. The city has a Master Plan for the Parks. This plan contains maps and routes for a 15 mile trail system that will run from Paradise Spring to the Morrett Sports Complex. It will take many years before this project is finished, but we are committed to seeing it through to its completion. Looking to improve the health and safety of our citizens, the city has taken on the task of separating the sanitary and storm sewers. This is being done at a cost of $10-$11 million dollars and will relieve many of the problems currently experienced during heavy rains. <>It took a great deal of courage for our ancestors to try the arc lights on the courthouse. I hope that in another 125 years, the citizens of Wabash will feel the same way about the improvements being made at this time for our city. I would encourage you and your friends to take courage from the past and make a commitment toward the continued improvement of our community. YOU are the future of Wabash. Thank You, Robert Vanlandingham, Mayor of Wabash
	Photo by Quest Students	Quest MSD of Wabash County 204 N 300 W Wabash, IN 46992 Dear Katy: First I want to clear this up, in spite of what Mrs. Sparling might have hinted, this old man did not witness the turning on of that light. Hey Katy: It is good to hear from someone from my favorite group of kids-the Quest bunch. I have always enjoyed meeting and talking with your group.
	You asked me this question: If I had been living there in the spring of 1880 and the city of Wabash proposed to buy that “ contraption” on the dome of our Court House, how would I have voted? Don’t we have enough debt? Can’t people stay home when it gets dark! How can the birds sleep at night! Oh, I had such negative views, that I sure would have voted a big yes! The light was wonderful. Here is a true story that took place on that night of March 31,1880. A farmer living southeast of Wabash about two miles. He was a good Christian citizen, minding his own farm and business. On that evening of March 31 he had finished closing the barn for the night, and had headed up the dark path to the house. It was just 8 p.m., suddenly in front of him appeared an image on the ground, a shadow surrounded by a bluish haze. He turned and looked to the northwest, and to Wabash. What he saw was the whole sky above the site of Wabash covered with this strange blue light. The poor farmer ran to his house, yelling as he burst through the kitchen door. “Mother, start praying, the end of the world is on us.” In spite of this story, I would have voted: YES, YES. My regards to all of you Quest operators…. Sincerely, Jack M. Miller Retired Wabash Museum Curator
	As you can see the top half of this letter talks about our letter to Mr. Woodward and the bottom half talked about his letter to us. Sorry about the bottom half of the page something went wrong in the scanner. Everything else is explained in the letter.	Dear Class, Enclosed are some notes I have kept over the past years. I hope you can use them. Was it important? Yes and No. Yes because people in Wabash were willing to “think out of the box” and try new things. No, because it proved a central lighting system was inefficient. It was replaced within a few years by the Heisler lighting system, which is in use today. Also, in closing, during the last light celebration, students your age drew posters for the celebration. Every one of them showed an Edison style light bulb instead of an Arc light. In other words citizens of the county were and are unaware of their own history. Hopefully you can remedy that. Ron Woodward County Historian
This web site was created by the 2004-2005 fourth grade Quest class of the Metropolitan School District of Wabash County, Indiana.