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Wabash National Corporation announced purchase of the vacant Schwab Safe Company plant, containing 86,275 feet of floor space, and about four acres at Main Street and Earl Avenue. Schwab had announced in 1997 that it was moving manufacturing operations to a newer plant at Cannelton, Ind. The fast-growing Wabash National had purchased $51 million worth of assets of the bankrupt rival Fruehauf Trailer Corporation during 1997.
Eli Lilly Company reported a 22 percent gain in income during the fourth quarter of 1997, largerly on the strength of drugs made in its Tippecanoe Laboratories at Shadeland. These included the anti-depressant Prozac, a new schizophrenia treatment Zyprex, and a new estrogen known as Evista. Lilly's consistent record of profits placed the Lilly Endowment in the lead among American charitable foundations. The Lilly Endowment stood at $12.7 billion, having passed the Ford Foundation's $9.4 billion.
The U.S. Justice Department passed on the merger of St. Elizabeth and Home hospitals. A not-for-profit corporation named Greater Lafayette Health Services will manage the hospitals, and expects to save them $50 million in five years by reducing or avoiding duplication of expenses, especially the costs of duplicated technology. Each hospital, which will bring an estimated $90 million in assets to the deal, will be 50-50 partners in the operation. The arrangement guarantees local control of their operations in the future.
The City of Lafayette began building Fire Station No. 8 in a rapidly developing new southside area at South Ninth Street and County Road 350-South. Itt will enable the City to close a firehouse built in 1894 at 718 Wabash Avenue. The city will give the old structure to Fairfield Township for government for offices.
Habitat For Humanity volunteers from 32 area churches completed construction of the local program's 48th home for qualifying low-income buyers at 825 South Second St.
BACKGROUND: The Journal and Courier on page A1 contained a story about recently developed information about the Underground Railroad.
Central Catholic High School's boys' basketball team won the state Class A championship.
Governor Frank O'Bannon signed into law Rep. Sheila Klinker's bill toughening penalties for causing injury or death by shaking infants, and funding educational programs aimed at prevention.
City officials closed the 104-year-old No. 4 fire station on Wabash Avenue after men and equipment moved to the new No. 8.
The Census Bureau estimated Tippecanoe County population at 138,307 on July 1, 1997.
Lafayette Parks and Recreation officials unveiled an Indianapolis consulting firm's plan for a revamped Columbian Park. It will contain the stadium, zoo, a new aquatics center, green space, a commons area and quiet zone. A series of public hearings and meetings followed.
Indiana enjoyed record low unemployment with a rate of 2.9 percent, and Tippecanoe County's 1.9 percent was a local record.
The old Lincoln School building, for 20 years a home for the family of Nguyen Van Kinh, former South Vietnamese army colonel, will reopen for 11 single room housing units for homeless. Lafayette Transitional Housing, Lafayette Neighborhood Housing Services, and other agencies are jointly supporting the "Lincoln Center for the Homeless" which was dedicated on Aug. 5.
Purdue Research Foundation will build a second "business incubator" structure in Purdue Research Park at Cumberland and Kent avenues to open in 1999. Such a building put up in 1993 now houses 30 companies; the new one may generate up to 140 jobs.
Parent companies of Tippecanoe County's two largest banks - Bank One and First Chicago NBD - announced plans to merge and form the Midwest's largest bank, subject to review byfederal and other authorities. If and when approved the new bank will control half of the local bank deposits.
The City of Lafayette closed South Ninth Street from Beck Lane to near Twyckenham Boulevard for widening to four lanes and sewer installation, and at the same time began a major enlargment of Armstrong Park. Plans called for a 4-acre fishing pond with fountain, relocated basketball and tennis courts, a children's play area, expanded parking, and development of a third baseball field to allow Bronco, Mustang and Pinto summer leagues to use their own diamonds. Completion of all but the basefield field was set for spring, 1999. Ninth Street was reopened in late October, 1998.
Schwab Safe Company, having closed its Lafayette manufacturing plant, moved its corporate headquarters staff of about 30 to a new building on Professional Drive, north of Indiana 38 east.
Renfro Development Co., Indianapolis, unveiled a $36 million plan for "Wabash Landing," a west-bank riverfront complex of retail stores, theaters, restaurants, a parking garage, housing, a promenade and river landing, calling it "The Downtown West Lafayette Never Had."
Robert Mohr, 49, Denver, Ind., a Norfolk & Southern Railroad freight train conductor, climbed to the front of a braking engine, suspended himself from a guardrail and by kicking her off the tracks saved 19-month-old Emily Marshall near South Eighth Street. Mohr received a Governor's Heroism Award in July, listing in Esquire magazine's "New American Heroes" issue in October, and was nominated for a Carnegie Award.
Lafayette's Parks and Recreation Department opened Munger Park, 26 acres between Union and Greenbush streets, east of Belt Railway tracks and the Public Service Indiana power substation. It was named for attorney Thomas Munger, 90, and his wife, the late Alice Munger, who gave $100,000 to the Lafayette Parks Foundation toward the $300,000 development. Amenities included a retention pond, a sometimes-dry detention pond for area drainage; a shelter house, restrooms, picnic tables, an .8-mile asphalt paved pathway for walking, jogging, running, bicycling or rollerblading, and two playgrounds. Mr. Munger left a hospital bed in order to attend the dedication, saying "it's great," and received a Grand Marquis award from Mayor Dave Heath.
Developers revealed plans for Coyote Crossing, a 6,945-yard 18-hole golf course to be built on 335 acres east of Harrison High School and opened in June, 2000. Other investors will be developing 378 homesites around the golf course in a residential subdivision named Winding Creek.
Governor Frank O'Bannon appointed Lafayette attorney Margret G. Robb, 50, to a seat on the 15-member Indiana Court of Appeals, effective July 6.
Purdue University opened the 7,300-yard, 18-hole Kampen Course, the result of redesign of the former Purdue North Course. The old South Course, with improvements, was renamed Ackerman Hills.
The first tenants occupied the refurbished Historic Lahr House Apartments in the block on the east side of Fifth Street between Main and Columbia streets. The privately financed project incorporated elements of the 1831 Lahr House and the 1856 Milwaukee Block, a business structure mostly fronting on Columbia.
After arriving in the community in 1994, Union Federal Savings & Loan, based in Indianapolis, announced closing of its four Tippecanoe County branches. Union Federal had obtained only about $40 million in deposits, about 2 percent of the community's $1.7 billion.
PNC National Bank, downtown Lafayette's largest employer of 450 persons in three leased sites, announced that it would move operations to Charlotte, N.C. The jobs were in the credit card division of PNC Bank Corporation, based in Pittsburgh, Pa. Some employees had started years before in the Purdue National Bank before it became Bank One. PNC entered the Lafayette market when it bought Bank One's AAA Auto Club credit card business in 1996, when it had 325 employees. In late 1997 PNC boosted employment to 450 when it added a collection service center.
Purdue University dedicated its 120,000 square foot Food Science Building. The Food Science Department had formed in 1984 with nine faculty. Now 20 faculty instructed 150 undergraduate and 50 graduate students.
A listener survey reflected the growth and size of commercial radio in Tippecanoe County, ranking WKOA FM 105; WEZV FM 95.3; WKHY FM 93.5; WASK FM 98.7; WASK AM 1450; WAZY FM 96.5; WAZY AM 1410; WGBD FM 97.5; WGLM FM.
Lafayette Habitat for Humanity dedicated its 51st home at 2006 Stillwell St. Since its inception in 1985, Habitat for Humanity's 225 volunteers have given an estimated 150,000 hours to housing projects, each home requiring an average of 2,500 man-hours.
Someone crashed a pickup truck through the east (Fourth Street) doors of the Tippecanoe County Courthouse and set it afire, evidently in a bombing attempt that could have destroyed the 113-year-old landmark. Lafayette firefighters put out the blaze only to find hundreds of gallons of gasoline, and other explosives and flammables, unignited in the bed of the truck. An investigation by local police, agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agency began. On Aug. 11 the county placed heavy concrete barricades outside the east doors to prevent future vehicular intrusions.
Developer Mark Scharer hosted open house at the 71-year-old former National Guard Armory at Ninth and Union Streets, renovated and remodeled for apartments.
Fairfield Manufacturing Company, with strong sales of a locomotive traction gear product line, will add 20,000 square feet of manufacturing space, expecting to increase its employment level of 1,325.
Greater Lafayette Public Transportation Company, 25 years old, announced its decision to use the new name CityBus, and to introduce newly designed buses.
Tippecanoe County government let contracts to widen McCarty Lane for 1.5 miles between Creasy Lane and County Road 500-East, and to extend sewer lines further east, under Interstate 65, to County Road 550-East.
The City of Lafayette began extending water and sewer utility lines in the direction of the town of Dayton, and prepared to annex 1,576 acres, including the SIA automotive plant and 100 homes east of Creasy Lane, west of Interstate 65, between 200-South and Indiana 38.
State and federal regulatory agencies approved the proposed and long-awaited merger of Banc One and First Chicago NBD. The action set in motion a series of bank developments, among them the need for Bank One to divest itself of numerous NBD bank branches and services. Union Planters Bank, based in Memphis, Tenn., later acquired the divested assets and prepared to enter the local banking market.
St. Elizabeth and Home Hospitals will operate under a single Greater Lafayette Health Services board. John Walling will be CEO and Doug Eberle president. Joining them as board members will be Roger D. Branigin, Jr.; Dr. Jeffrey P. Brown; Sister M. Jane Marie Klein; William J. Lammers; Sister M. Corita Last; Kevin D. Leahy; John K. McBride; Sister M. Marilyn Oliver; Sister M. Rose Agnes Pfautsch; Sister M. Blanche Rausch; Dr. Wendell A. Riggs; James Shook, Jr.; Jay G. Smith; and Stephen M. Thompson.
A $50,000 grant from Wabash National Corporation assisted sponsors of the sixth annual Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament. This year 570 teams from several states participated. Profit of $60,000 will help assorted local charities.
At its annual dinner the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce saluted a number of long-lasting businesses and industries, among them Warren Industries, Inc., dating to 1923 and marking its 75th anniversary year. The firm, still making paper products that include puzzles and games, is now owned by RoseArt Industries, Inc., of Livingston, N.J., and employs about 200. Another honoree was United Way, founded in 1887 in Denver and started locally 75 years ago with a "community fund" drive that netted $23,000 to assist nine social service agencies. The 1998 United Way goal in Tippecanoe County is $4 million. The organization has raised more than $60 million since its inception.
Thomas Fihe left as West Lafayette public schools superintendent, and the school board continued its search for a successor after hiring Gerry Knorr, retired Fayette County school superintendent, as interim superintendent in W.L.
Developer Herman Renfro, Indianapolis, unveiled more detailed plans for the proposed Wabash Landing project on the West Lafayette levee. Phase one would contain a retail-restaurant-entertainment complex. On Oct. 28 Renfro said three plaza areas eventually might link a pedestrian walkway through the Sears property with businesses on both sides and a six-story parking garage at the southwest corner of Brown Street and Tapawingo Drive. One floor of retail space and five floors of apartments are planned around a 700-space garage.
Dedication of nine-foot granite monument took place in Greenbush Cemetery honoring 38 Confederate and 22 Union soldiers believed buried there since 1862 and 1864 respectively, and heretofore considered "unknown." Researchers from Indiana and Tennessee and other Civil War buffs, together with the Tippecanoe County Civil War Roundtable members, participated in the research and dedication ceremony.
Employment was estimated at 1,325 at Fairfield Manufacturing's plant on Sagamore Parkway, where United Auto Workers Union members, about 1,100 in all, ratified a new three-year contract. The plant produces custom gears used in the rail, mining, agricultural, construction and materials handling industries. In July, Steve Clough took over as president and CEO at Fairfield, founded in 1919.
In an "off year" election swept by Republican candidates for county and township offices, Republican Ron Alting defeated former Mayor James F. Riehle for election to the Indiana Senate. Alting will replace Democrat Mike Gery, of West Lafayette, who decided against running after serving six four-year terms. State Rep. Sheila Klinker, D-Lafayette, and Rep. Sue Scholer, R-West Lafayette, won re-election.
The United Way campaign raised $4,042,022, which was 1.4 percent above its goal.
Wabash National Corporation announced plans to occupy and use empty Schwab Company factory space acquired 11 months earlier, and purchase of remaining General Foods factory space on County Road 350-South. Employment has reached 3,800, owing in part to development of DuraPlate, a substance made by bonding vinyl to sheet steel for semitrailer bodies.
Owner and general manager Brad Cohen said the professional Lafayette Leopards baseball team, which played the past five summers, will suspend operations indefinitely because there is no longer a league.