The interesting book includes many histories of villages, towns, and cities of Lake County; programs and speeches for the Pioneer Centennial; memories of early settlers; Civil War stories as well as two poems that the old timer is proud to share:
Undaunted, O sturdy pioneers,
The vast uncharted wilderness you faced;
Unwan'ringly you set at naught the fears
Of lesser men, your faith in God you placed,
Then forward fared to seek and find that spot
Where journey's end, and roots of home dig down
Crude cabin home, yet truly home. -- why not?
Then store, school, tavern, smithy -- lo, a town!
So much we take for granted, we who dwell
As modern manner dictates in this land
You won for us through toilsome, tedious years;
But this, the hundredth year, we mark it well,
And looking back, respectfully we stand,
And give salute, Lake County Pioneers!
The second poem, written by the same poet, is about the heroes of past wars. She began with the War with Mexico in 1846. (The names of several heroes of the War of 1812 are carved in the granite memorial at Lowell's Olde Town Square Park, along with the names from all wars of the 1800's). --
Lake County Heroes
by Doris White Inscho
The call to arms! Across the miles it comes
By mounted messenger, by runner fleet, --
That cry, fife-shrill, those beating hoofs, like drums,
Arouse the pioneers to fever heat, --
To those adventurous hearts of Hoosier men
Their country calls in need and they must go!
Lake County sends a ready score and ten
To carry on the war with Mexico
In sixty-one, the fife, the drum once more!
The South has armed herself and will secede!
The nation faces bloody civil war!
To save the Union every man we need!
Ten thousand souls, -- men, women, children too, --
Lake County has, and yet one thousand strong
We see her sending forth her boys in blue, --
A pledge of loyalty remembered long!
Again the war clouds gather and the storm
Breaks frenzied with the sinking of the Main, --
The men assemble and the columns form
In readiness to go to war with Spain.
Lake County sends her boys to San Juan Hill,
To Santiago, to Manila Bay, --
Where patriots make their stand Lake County will
Perform her part with honor, come what may!
Across the water war has raged, has roared;
Across the water men have bled, have died!
In seventeen, the call to arms is heard, --
The Allies U.S.A. will stand beside!
Our hope is we shall end that awful war!
Again Lake County lads that call obey!
All honor they deserve, more praise and more, --
No praise too great for men as brave as they!
These are Lake County's men who went to war, --
God grant their number never need increase!
God grant the call to arms come nevermore!
God grant we now decree that wars shall cease!
We hail Lake County's men who went to war,
Who offered all they had in full release, --
Then, resolute we turn, and facing fore,
Hail future heroes walking ways of peace!
The poet and all of us who were here in 1934 had no idea at the time that the drums of war were already beating and that so many wars were to follow the 1900's and early in this century as well. Sadly, with a stanza for every war, her poem would be a very long one, concerning the "heroes walking ways of peace."
The interesting 1934 Lake County history book, as well as many other publications concerning the history of our county are available for viewing at the Reference Department of the Lowell Public Library.
"Say not our age is wiser -- if it be, it is the wisdom which the past has given that makes it so!" -- (author unknown) -- from the book, History of Northwest Indiana, 1900 by Rev. Timothy H. Ball, also available for viewing at the Lowell Library.
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