Early History of Carpenter
The Wabash Railroad built their line through Hamel Township in
1877. They erected a train station in Section 8, and named the
station Carpenter. It was named after Frank G. Carpenter, who was
killed by a train there (it is unknown who he was). In January of
that same year, H. Breed & B. Clark had erected their grain office,
and F. H. Clark, the railroad agent, established a general store,
which was attached to the grain office.
The town of Carpenter, located along the Wabash Railroad in Hamel
Township, north of Rt. 140, at Quercus Grove Road, was officially
laid out by Johan (John) Fredrick Opel, and the plat was recorded
May 9, 1877. Opel lived on a farm on the west side of Quercus Grove
Road. There were a few buildings on the land owned by Fritz (Fred)
Miller on the east side of Quercus Grove Road, and the town was
originally called Millersville in his honor. However, when the
railroad put in another switch near the train station, the railroad
ordered the town name changed to Carpenter. A post office was
established, with F. H. Clark as postmaster.
In the summer of 1877, Breed & Clark erected the grain house east of
the office, with a capacity of 5,000 bushels. In the Fall of 1877,
Peter Balmer built a house and opened a hotel. Another hotel, called
the Spooner Hotel, was opened by John and Katherine Braun. In the
winter of 1877, John Brown built a residence and blacksmith shop.
In 1880, the railroad company constructed a tank and pond. In 1881,
D. S. Shellabarger & Co., of Decatur erected a grain house south of
the depot, with a capacity of 30,000 bushels. T. H. Clark built a
business house in 1881.
Carpenter became an important shipping point for nearby farmers. In
1877, twenty thousand bushels of corn were shipped from this point.
The original Carpenter School was built in 1800. Another schoolhouse
was constructed in 1860 by John Koenig. This building, 22x20, was
erected for $373, including all benches, desks, and painting. George
S. Pomeroy served as the teacher for six months, for $196. A new
schoolhouse was constructed in 1880, on land bought from Johan and
Ida Opel for $150. The first directors of the school were: J. W.
Abert, John F. Opel, and Theobolt Rinkel. W. C. Daniels was the
first teacher.
In the year 1882, the businesses of Carpenter consisted of:
Physician – G. C. Gray.
General Store – Frank H. Clark.
Grain Dealers – D. S. Shellabarger & Co.
Grain Agents – B. Clark & Son.
Hotels – Charles Spruner, and J. H. Bange.
Blacksmith – John Brown.
Wagon Shop – F. Wehling.
Harness and Saddles – Louis Eckardt.
Shoe Maker – H. G. Lehrke.