Last November and December, the Montgomery County Historical Society welcomed new visitors at the beautiful Historic Lane Place, who dedicated their time to community service and gaining historical knowledge.
In November, after hearing about the vandalization of the Pattison Pavilion, members of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity at Wabash College dedicated a few hours of their time to give back to the community, where they disposed of garbage around the pavilion, updated society signs and prepared the flower gardens for this spring.
The Historical Society also received community service from the Wabash College Sphinx Club, who, in December, removed graffiti from the base of the Pattison Pavilion and prepared the grounds for our cherished event, Christmas at Lane Place. The Historical Society appreciates the help of those involved and looks forward to building a stronger connection with the college.
The Historical Society looks forward to working the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity of Wabash College to Lane Place, who anticipate dedicating some time to assisting with lawn care projects in the future. The efforts of the Wabash men this year will mark the beginning of a larger grounds project by the Historical Society, involving the renovation of our landscape and vegetation to promote a more appealing and welcoming atmosphere. In the future, the Historical Society looks forward to building a specific connection with the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity due to its historical relationship with Sen. Henry S. Lane. According to the International Phi Gamma Delta fraternity membership directory of 1898, Lane became an honorary member of the Psi Chapter of the fraternity in 1867, the same year he concluded service in the United States Senate. Before his initiation as an honorary member of the fraternity, Lane’s involvement with the college goes as far back as 1833 when he arrived in the city of Crawfordsville. From 1834-1836, Lane regularly spoke at the college, including academic clubs such as the Western Literary Society.
In 1834, two years after the founding of Wabash College, Professor Caleb Mills, the first faculty member at the college, taught astronomy to the citizens of Crawfordsville while Lane educated the public on the Constitution. Lane proudly served the Crawfordsville community, the Wabash College students, and the State of Indiana. This led him to assume a position in the Indiana State House of Representatives (1837-1840), United States House of Representatives (1840-1843), Indiana State Governor (1860) and the United States Senate (1861-1867). The efforts of Lane to serve his community, state and nation have forever sealed his name as an important figure in the history books of our beloved county.
Though the historic Lane Place stands silently in the center of the city and comes to life Wednesday through Friday and the second and fourth Saturdays through guided tours, the Historical Society wants to create a welcoming environment for visitors to enjoy every day of the week. By maintaining and improving our landscape, the Historical Society looks to give back to the Crawfordsville community by providing visitors with a beautiful space to enjoy.
