West
Township
Discover the historic West Township
Ramsay-Fox Round Barn & Farm
18889 9th Road
Round barn, c. 1911
George Ramsay, builder
Marshall County is part of a group of four counties where the heaviest presence of round barns are/were located in the state and nation. This group also includes Kosciusko, Miami and Fulton Counties. Fulton County is considered the “round barn capital”. The Ramsay-Fox round barn is the last surviving true-circular barn in Marshall County. A twelve-sided barn also remains at the Clarence and Nellie Quivey Farm on South Olive Trail, Green Township. Compiled from two sources, it appears that Marshall County at one time had three twelve-sided barns and six true-circular barns.
Round barns were promoted by agricultural authorities and through farm magazines such as the Farm Journal. Often the barn developer published his own technique of construction in farm magazines. Professor F. H. King of the University of Wisconsin conducted research on the development of circular silos which led him to design a true-circular barn. His design became the prototype for future round barn development. Round barns were most popular in the Midwest with high numbers constructed in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. Indiana led the nation in the creation of round barns and continues today to have more extant round barns than any other state.
Sarah (Ramsay) Burch, though never living on the property, was responsible for the establishment of the farmstead. In the 1908 plat of West Township a residence is marked on the west half of the quarter section. In Sarah’s will, dated February 1912, she bequeaths to George W. Ramsay the amount of $900.00 stating “this amount is to also cover amount of money paid out by him for building barn on my farm”. George W. Ramsay was Sarah’s nephew, the son of Charles Ramsay. It is not clear if George W. also lived on the farm owned by Sarah, though he is listed in the 1910 West Township census with his wife, Ada (Medbourne).
Argos Izaak Walton League
Explore the Redevelopment of Argos Izaak Walton League
7184 E. 16th Road
Park Rustic/Craftsman, 1935-1937
William Foker, stonemason
The Argos Izaak Walton League property is a total of 17 acres of constructed fishing ponds, structures, and buildings developed as a fish hatchery and meeting hall for the organization dedicated to the conservation of natural habitat for wildlife. In 1929, they purchased and developed the first two acres of the property. In 1934, the remaining 15 acres were purchased. Through an agreement with the United States Bureau of Fisheries a clubhouse was constructed under the New Deal projects of that era. The building was constructed under the direction of local stone mason William L. Foker in 1935-1937, with glacial stones in the Craftsman style. Some of the period structures on the property include a stone gateway, two artesian wells, three stone picnic tables/benches, and a sluice; these date to the New Deal construction on the site.
Spearheaded by avid outdoorsman Wilferd M. Harley, the Argos Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America was created by Charter No. 68 on January 25, 1926; the initial name of the organization was Tippecanoe Fish Hatchery. Harley and seven other men who were anglers had made application to the State Department for minnows to be distributed in adjacent lakes and streams in an effort to replenish the rapidly depleting local supply of desired fresh water fish. The men began discussions in 1925 regarding the formation of a local chapter of the Izaak Walton League. William Foker, the stone mason, worked in both cut and uncut stone. In both methods he hand selected stone blending colors and shapes to provide a very aesthetically pleasing form to his creation. He is arguably one of the most accomplished masons in Indiana during the 20th century.
The Argos Downtown Commercial Historic District comprises approximately three of four blocks of the original business district, laid out in 1851. The town is situated along the north-south alignment of the Michigan Road. Original free-standing frame structures have given way to generally continuous facade lines of masonry constructed commercial structures built from 1883 to 1942. With few exceptions, the buildings retain a high level of character defining features of their original appearance. As with most historic commercial structures, the upper story facades are generally intact with a smaller number of storefronts retaining their historic appearance. A downtown revitalization effort in 1998 resulted in restoration style lighting, street trees, and partial brick sidewalks along Michigan and Walnut Streets. The Argos Public Library conducted an adaptive-reuse of the Schoonover Building at 118 N. Michigan St into its new home in 2008.
With the period of significance ranging from 1867 to 1942, the building styles are principally Italianate and 19th and 20th century functional, with some individual examples of other traditional Midwestern styles of the period also existing. The northernmost blocks were developed first and appear mostly as they did during the period of significance. One exception is the bank's acquisition and renovation of a 1920s era cafe for expansion space to the north in 1962. The corner lot on which the bank building is located was the original site of a frame flouring mill constructed in 1863. This structure was moved to the railroad when the bank was built and is still in existence. Just outside of the district, two frame buildings were demolished at the north end of the east side of North Michigan Street; one was the original two bay fire station with hose tower.