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Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum, 1013 North Long Drive, Syracuse, IN (2026)

05/30/2026

🌅🚤 “IF YOU GREW UP AT WAWASEE, YOU KNOW THIS CONVERSATION” EDITION 🚤🌅

You’re at the lake.

Someone mentions an old cottage.

Immediately, three generations of Syracuse people begin confidently explaining:

“Well… before THAT was there…”

And suddenly nobody is eating anymore because:

Grandpa is talking about when Oakwood had fewer cottages.

Someone’s uncle swears he remembers when fish were bigger.

A cousin insists:

“I knew Jim Fick.”

And somehow, within seven minutes, someone says:

“Nathaniel Crow practically owned half the lake.”

(Which… honestly… wasn’t that far off 😄)

This week’s history challenge is a tribute to one of the most important families in early Lake Wawasee and Syracuse history:

The Crow–Fick-Doll-Dull family.

From Nathaniel Crow, one of the area’s earliest settlers and largest landowners… to Lucy Crow, Ben Crow, Martha Crow Fick, Nellie Crow Dull whose family stories, memories, stewardship, and generosity helped preserve pieces of local history for future generations.

Syracuse and Lake Wawasee would look very different without them.

Today’s challenge explores land, lake life, preservation, education, community leadership, and some stories that only longtime Syracuse people tend to know.

As always:

❌ No Googling❌ No asking the relative who somehow remembers everybody from 1947❌ No changing your answer after someone in the comments “just happens” to know 😄

Let’s see who really knows Crow–Fick history…

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🟢 EASY QUESTION — “Nathaniel Crow & Early Education”

According to local history, what important early community institution was associated with Nathaniel Crow and the Crow family area?

A. Syracuse’s first high schoolB. The Crow SchoolC. The first railroad depot schoolD. Oakwood Seminary

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🟢 EASY QUESTION #2 — “How Big Was Big?”

By the time of his death, Nathaniel Crow had accumulated approximately how much land around the Syracuse/Lake Wawasee area?

A. About 100 acresB. About 300 acresC. About 550 acresD. About 1,200 acres

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🟡 MEDIUM QUESTION — “Lucy Crow’s Role in the Community”

Nathaniel Crow’s daughter, Lucy Crow, contributed to the early Syracuse area by serving in what role?

A. PostmasterB. Church organistC. School teacherD. Hotel manager

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🟡 MEDIUM QUESTION #2 — “Ben Crow’s Community Role”

Before his death in 1893, Ben F. Crow belonged to what fraternal organization?

A. FreemasonsB. Knights of PythiasC. Odd FellowsD. Elks Lodge

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🟠 MODERATE QUESTION — “The House That Stayed”

According to family history, what was the original purpose of the house that eventually became the Crow’s Nest?

A. A boarding house for fishermenB. A summer hotel for Chicago visitorsC. A home for Nathaniel Crow’s son Ben and daughter-in-lawD. A lakeside tavern

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🟠 MODERATE QUESTION #2 — “A Famous 1930s Lake Memory”

One of the museum’s fascinating pieces of 1930s Lake Wawasee motion picture footage was produced by whom?

A. Jim FickB. Nathaniel FickC. Col. Eli LillyD. George Miles

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🟠 MODERATE QUESTION #3 — “Nathaniel Crow & Industry”

What structure was modernized by Nathaniel Crow and eventually owned by his son, helping make its flour famous in New York City during the 1800s?

A. A grain elevatorB. The flour millC. A railroad warehouseD. A sawmill

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🔴 HARD QUESTION — “The Crow’s Nest Story”

According to family history, after Nathaniel Crow built the house for Ben and his wife, what surprising thing happened?

A. They immediately opened it as an innB. They sold it within two yearsC. The couple chose to live in Syracuse and never moved inD. It burned and had to be rebuilt

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🔴 HARD QUESTION #2 — “Nat and Jim Fick and Stewardship”

The Fick family became closely associated with stewardship of which well-known lake property?

A. Cedar BeachB. Crow’s Nest Yacht Club propertyC. Oakwood Inn groundsD. Johnson’s Bay cottages

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📚 Why We Share These Stories

History is only preserved if people are willing to share.

The photographs tucked in drawers.The film reels and VHS tapes sitting in closets.The stories told at family reunions and lakefires.The memories that begin with:

“You know what used to be there…”

Please consider sharing your photographs, videos, stories, documents, and time with the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum.

Many of the stories we know today only survived because someone cared enough to pass them on.

And to the Crow–Fick-Doll-Dull family — thank you for helping shape the story of Syracuse and Lake Wawasee ❤️

05/29/2026

Let’s see how everyone did…

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🟢 EASY QUESTION (Nathaniel Crow Edition)
Correct Answer: B. Lake Bethel Church

Nathaniel Crow donated land for what became Lake Bethel Church, one of the earliest churches serving pioneer families in Turkey Creek Township.

To understand why this mattered, you have to understand who Nathaniel Crow was.

Crow arrived in the Syracuse area around the late 1840s when the region around Lake Wawasee was still heavily wooded and only lightly settled. George Miles repeatedly referenced Nathaniel Crow because he became one of the area’s most important early settlers and landowners.

Crow built his fortune through farming, horse trading, labor, and careful land purchases. Over time he accumulated hundreds of acres surrounding Lake Wawasee, particularly on the east side of the lake. By the time of his death in 1912, Crow had become one of the dominant landholders in the region and had helped shape much of the future development around Wawasee.

But Nathaniel Crow did not simply accumulate land — he invested in the community.

By donating land for Lake Bethel Church, he helped establish one of the area’s earliest gathering places. In pioneer communities, churches served as much more than places of worship. They were gathering centers for weddings, funerals, social meetings, education, and support for isolated families.

At a time when roads were poor and travel difficult, churches often became the center of rural life.

An especially neat historical detail: a 1918 photograph of Lake Bethel Church was recently identified, helping preserve the visual history of a building connected directly to Nathaniel Crow’s legacy.

Why this matters:
Nathaniel Crow helped shape not only the land ownership of Lake Wawasee — but also the early institutions that helped transform wilderness into community.

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🟡 MEDIUM QUESTION (George Miles Exclusion Question)
Correct Answer: D. Serving as Syracuse’s paid official town historian appointed by the state government

This was the trick question.

George Miles was employed by the State of Indiana, but not as a paid historian.

Miles worked within Indiana’s conservation and fish hatchery system, giving him firsthand knowledge of northern Indiana lakes and their natural history. His work connected him deeply to Lake Wawasee and surrounding waterways.

But George Miles never held an official government position as “historian.”

Instead, he became something arguably more important:

Syracuse’s unofficial historian.

And Syracuse is lucky he did.

George Miles recognized something most people overlooked:

The people who remembered pioneer Syracuse were growing old.

So he started documenting their memories before they disappeared forever.

He interviewed longtime residents.

He asked questions.

He recorded stories that many people would have dismissed as ordinary:

• What businesses stood where
• Early hotels and boarding houses
• Mills, schools, churches, and transportation
• Horse and buggy travel
• Lake fishing traditions
• Steamboats and railroads
• Local accidents, tragedies, and strange events
• What life looked and sounded like before paved roads

Many of his writings appeared in “Do You Remember?” style columns where older residents recalled life in Syracuse decades earlier.

Think about how remarkable this is:

George Miles was interviewing people who remembered a Syracuse with:

• Dirt roads
• Wooden sidewalks
• Horse-drawn transportation
• Steam travel
• Pioneer settlement
• Native Americans still remembered locally
• Civil War veterans living in town

Without George Miles, much of this history would likely be gone.

In many ways, he became Syracuse’s historian because he cared enough to preserve what others might have forgotten.

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🟠 MODERATE QUESTION (Straight from George Miles)
Correct Answer: B. The rumble of wooden bridge planks when horse-drawn carriages crossed

This may be one of the most charming details George Miles ever recorded.

George Miles wrote that vacationists staying on the north side of Lake Wawasee could hear:

“the planks of the bridge across the ditch near the present Warren home rumble when a horse and carriage would cross it.”

Pause for a second and imagine that.

Today we associate lake sounds with:

• Boat engines
• Jet skis
• Golf carts
• Lawn mowers
• Traffic

But George Miles preserved evidence of a completely different lake experience.

The lake was quiet enough that people across the water could hear the wooden bridge boards rattling beneath horses and wagons.

This was the bridge over the ditch near what Miles identified as the Warren home.

In many ways, this tiny detail tells us something profound:

Lake Wawasee once moved at a completely different pace.

Transportation looked different.

Sound traveled differently.

The atmosphere itself was different.

Visitors came by:

• Horse and buggy
• Steamboat
• Train to Syracuse
• Carriage to the lake

Sometimes history is not just buildings and dates.

Sometimes history is the sound of wagon wheels echoing across water.

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🔴 HARD QUESTION (Straight from George Miles)
Correct Answer: C. Ice shoved onto shore and knocked down trees, which Charles Jarrett later replanted

This story almost sounds impossible today.

George Miles described a dramatic event at Lovers’ Lane, located between Col. Eli Lilly’s property and the Sargent Hotel, where massive sheets of lake ice shoved violently onto shore.

The force was so powerful that:

24 trees were knocked down.

Not branches.

Not limbs.

Entire trees.

People today sometimes underestimate the power of ice movement on northern Indiana lakes. Before shoreline engineering, seawalls, and modern stabilization, large winter ice sheets could create incredible destructive force.

According to George Miles, workers — described as wreckers from Indianapolis — were brought in to try to save the damaged trees.

Eventually:

They gave up.

Then enters one of the great local characters in George Miles history:

Charles Jarrett, described as part Native American , took on the task himself.

Miles recorded that Jarrett replanted the fallen trees.

And astonishingly:

They grew.

Why this matters historically:

Lovers’ Lane became one of the most scenic and romantic stretches of Lake Wawasee shoreline, especially during the hotel and early resort era.

George Miles preserved not only the event — but also the resilience of local people who solved problems when outsiders failed.

It is exactly the kind of local story that disappears if nobody records it.

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⚫ IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION (Straight from George Miles)
Correct Answer: B. Carrying three strings of fish from their shoulder dragging on the ground

Yes.

Dragging on the ground.

George Miles recorded that before modern conservation and fishing regulations:

“It was the customary thing for fishermen to carry three strings of fish reaching from their shoulder to drag on the ground.”

He also wrote that someone could go fishing on Lake Wawasee and return:

“after an hour, with a tub full of fish.”

That sounds unbelievable today.

But it tells us something important about old Lake Wawasee.

Fishing was once extraordinarily productive.

The lake supported tremendous populations of fish long before:

• Modern shoreline development
• Heavy boat traffic
• Invasive species concerns
• Creel limits
• Size restrictions
• State-managed fisheries

For many families, fishing was not just recreation.

It was food.

George Miles’ descriptions suggest a culture where successful fishermen returned with catches so large they became part of everyday conversation.

Imagine walking through Syracuse with fish literally dragging behind you.

You would absolutely become the talk of town 😄

And imagine posting that photo on Facebook today…

Half the comments would accuse you of photoshopping it.

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🏆 BONUS QUESTION
Correct Answer: B. A pig

This story came directly from George Miles’ famous “Do You Remember?” writings.

Miles recalled that:

Alf Roberts and Jim Benner were butchering, and Alf Roberts was carrying a rifle to shoot a pig when the gun accidentally discharged.

The result was tragic:

Dow Bilderback was accidentally killed.

Why include stories like this?

Because George Miles understood that local history is not just major events.

It is also:

• Everyday people
• Tragedies families remembered for generations
• Small moments that shaped community memory
• Stories repeated around tables for decades

A major history book would never include something like this.

George Miles did.

And because he wrote it down…

We still know the story today.

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🏆 FINAL SCORECARD

6/6 → Certified Syracuse History Rain-Day Expert 🌧️
4–5 → George Miles would probably let you help lead the museum tour 😄
2–3 → You have definitely listened to stories around a lakefire 🔥
0–1 → Assigned remedial George Miles reading during the next rainy weekend

05/23/2026

🌧️☔ MEMORIAL DAY RAIN EDITION: “WELL… I GUESS WE’RE LEARNING HISTORY NOW” ☔🌧️

Lake plans canceled? Pontoon still covered? Someone in your house has already checked the radar 14 times hoping the giant green blob magically disappears?

Excellent.

That means it’s officially Syracuse history season.

Today’s challenge comes directly from the writings of George Miles — the local historian who spent years preserving stories, photographs, memories, and details of Syracuse that otherwise might have disappeared forever. Frankly, if George Miles had not written so much down, half of us would still be arguing at family gatherings about what used to stand where.

So while the rain taps the windows and somebody insists, “It’ll clear up by 3:00” (it won’t 😄), let’s see who the real Syracuse & Lake Wawasee history experts are.

NO Googling. NO asking grandparents. And definitely NO pretending you “totally knew that already” after someone else answers.

🟢 EASY QUESTION (Nathaniel Crow Edition)
According to George Miles’ historical writings, Nathaniel Crow donated land for what important early Syracuse institution?

A. Syracuse High School
B. Lake Bethel Church
C. Syracuse Town Hall
D. The first railroad depot

🟡 MEDIUM QUESTION (George Miles Exclusion Question)
George Miles spent years preserving Syracuse history before many firsthand memories were lost. Which of the following was NOT something George Miles became known for doing in his historical work?

A. Recording memories of longtime residents who remembered early Syracuse
B. Writing detailed histories about mills, hotels, businesses, and community life
C. Collecting stories of early settlers, fishing, transportation, and town events
D. Serving as Syracuse’s paid official town historian appointed by the state government

🟠 MODERATE QUESTION (Straight from George Miles)
George Miles wrote that vacationists on the north side of Lake Wawasee could hear what sound from across the lake near the Warren home?

A. A steam whistle from Goshen
B. The rumble of wooden bridge planks when horse-drawn carriages crossed
C. Church bells from Milford
D. Ice cracking near Johnson’s Bay

🔴 HARD QUESTION (Straight from George Miles)
George Miles wrote about a dramatic event at Lovers’ Lane between Col. Eli Lilly’s property and the Sargent Hotel. What happened?

A. A fire destroyed the trees
B. Flooding washed the lane away
C. Ice shoved onto shore and knocked down trees, which Charles Jarrett later replanted
D. A tornado destroyed the road

⚫ IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION (Straight from George Miles)
According to George Miles, before modern fishing regulations, what was once considered common for successful fishermen returning from Lake Wawasee?

A. Bringing back only enough fish for supper
B. Carrying three strings of fish from their shoulder dragging on the ground
C. Selling fish directly from boats downtown
D. Fishing only at night with lanterns

🏆 BONUS QUESTION:
George Miles mentioned that one Syracuse resident accidentally shot and killed Dow Bilderback while trying to shoot what animal?

A. A deer
B. A pig
C. A raccoon
D. A fox

05/22/2026

🟢 EASY QUESTION

What mode of transportation did several of Syracuse’s earliest settlers use to arrive here?
Correct Answer: C. Covered wagons

Background:

Many of Syracuse’s earliest pioneer families came to northern Indiana by covered wagon, often traveling from Ohio through rough, partially cleared wilderness. Roads were primitive or nearly nonexistent, and families frequently slept beneath or inside the wagons during the journey.

George Miles preserved firsthand recollections from some of Syracuse’s oldest residents during the town’s centennial period. For example, Minerva Benner, daughter of Preston Miles Sr., recalled coming to Syracuse 82 years earlier by covered wagon from Ohio, describing how children played behind the wagons during the day and slept in them at night while parents slept underneath. Jane Bachman also remembered arriving by covered wagon and having to leave belongings in Fort Wayne because roads became nearly impassable.

This helps illustrate just how isolated Syracuse was in the 1830s–1850s. Before railroads, settlers endured long overland trips through timber and muddy roads simply to establish farms around what was then still wilderness.

🟡 MEDIUM QUESTION

What famous Syracuse gathering place once stood where the Star Store would later be located?
Correct Answer: B. Kern’s Hall

Background:

Kern’s Hall was one of Syracuse’s most important early community gathering places. Before modern entertainment venues, community halls served as the center of social life. Kern’s Hall hosted:

dances
political meetings
traveling entertainers
lectures
civic gatherings
social events

In many small Midwestern towns, these halls functioned almost like a combination of a theater, civic center, and event venue.

According to George Miles, the location later occupied by the Star Store had previously been the site of Kern’s Hall, making it one of the town’s best-known early gathering places. The hall represented an era when downtown Syracuse revolved around in-person community events long before movie theaters or modern entertainment existed.

🟠 MODERATE QUESTION

What original local landmark name was later changed to Oakwood Park?
Correct Answer: C. Conklin Hill

Background:

Before becoming Oakwood Park, the area was known as Conkling Hill (often spelled Conklin/Conkling in local histories).

George Miles wrote that early Syracuse residents knew the area by this original name long before the Evangelical Church developed it into the Oakwood Park camp and retreat grounds. In one of Douglas Miles’ recollections, he specifically describes rowing past “what was then Conkling Hill, now Oakwood Park” while hauling stave bolts across the lake.

The location was important geographically because it sat near the Channel and became a prominent landmark for early lake travel.

For local history enthusiasts, this is a great reminder that many familiar Wawasee landmarks had very different names before the resort and camp era transformed the lake.

🔴 HARD QUESTION

According to Douglas Miles, what unusual item did the Oram family keep inside their log cabin near Kale Island?
Correct Answer: C. A pool table

Background:

This is one of the most fascinating—and strange—stories in Syracuse history.

The Oram brothers (Kale, Tom, and Mike Oram) were mysterious Englishmen who settled near what became Kale Island at Nine Mile Lake (now Lake Wawasee). Douglas Miles described them as educated, refined gentlemen who spoke proper English and avoided profanity. Some locals even speculated they may have been aristocratic or wealthy men hiding from their past.

Inside their rustic log cabin in the wilderness, they somehow kept a pool table, which must have seemed wildly out of place in pioneer-era Syracuse.

Douglas Miles wrote:

“The Orams had a pool table, and English fashion, plenty to drink, but never any carousing.”

Imagine early pioneers visiting a remote log cabin surrounded by forest and marshland only to find a proper English-style billiards setup inside. It adds to the mystery surrounding the Orams and helps explain why Kale Island became such a famous local curiosity.

⚫ IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION

According to George Miles, why were Big and Little Buck Islands given their names?
Correct Answer: B. A large buck deer was shot there from the smaller island

Background:

This story goes back to Syracuse’s earliest hunting days, when deer were abundant around the lakes.

George Miles explained that “Uncle Jimmy” Rentfrow, an early settler and legendary deer hunter, was responsible for the naming of the Buck Islands. According to the story, a large buck deer was shot from the smaller island, leading the islands to become known as Big and Little Buck Islands. George specifically references having previously told the story of how Rentfrow “came to give their name to Buck islands.”

The broader historical context is fascinating: in the early days around Nine Mile Lake/Wawasee, deer, ducks, geese, and fish were so abundant that George Miles repeatedly said modern generations could scarcely imagine it. Hunting and fishing were central to survival and recreation, and many local place names grew out of memorable events like this one.

These Buck Islands also later became important landmarks near the railroad crossing and Channel area as Wawasee developed.

This is a fantastic “impossible” question because even many longtime locals probably wouldn’t know the actual origin story.

05/17/2026

A Heartfelt Thank You to Bill Beemer and the Beemer Family

The Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum would like to take a moment to honor and express our sincere gratitude for the life, generosity, and community spirit of Bill Beemer and the Beemer family.

Over the years, Syracuse has been shaped by people who quietly gave of themselves to make our community stronger, more connected, and more meaningful. Bill Beemer was one of those people.

Bill loved Syracuse. He loved Lake Wawasee. He loved this community and believed deeply in giving back. Whether serving as chairman of the 1987 Syracuse Sesquicentennial, helping organize celebrations that brought neighbors together, leading local organizations, or serving as president and board member of the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum, Bill dedicated countless hours to preserving and strengthening the place he called home.

A WWII Navy veteran, businessman, civic leader, lake enthusiast, and friend to many, Bill lived a life of service. From participating in Fourth of July traditions along the lake to helping celebrate Syracuse’s history, he understood something important: communities only stay strong when people care enough to invest in them.

Recently, the Beemer family honored Bill’s legacy through a generous gift to the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum. We are deeply thankful for this meaningful contribution, which will help preserve and share the stories, photographs, artifacts, and memories that make Syracuse and the Wawasee area so special.

Historical preservation only happens because of people like Bill — individuals and families who understand that our local history matters and deserves to be protected for future generations.

To the Beemer family, including those who still proudly call Syracuse home, thank you. Thank you for your kindness, your generosity, and for helping ensure that the story of Syracuse continues to be preserved for generations yet to come.

Bill’s love for this community leaves a lasting legacy — not only in the organizations he served, but in the memories, traditions, and history he helped protect.

Thank you, Bill. You helped preserve the story of Syracuse. We are grateful, and you will not be forgotten. ❤️

05/16/2026

Anyone related to Mrs. Frank Younce, daughter of Jacob and Sarah Ott or Mr. Daniel Searfoss, a former night policeman in Syracuse? These individuals would have been alive around 1909. According to George Miles’ articles these families held pictures of Henry Conrad. The museum does not have any pictures of Henry Conrad and would love an opportunity to scan a pictue if it still exists. Thank you for any help!!!

05/14/2026

🚨 SYRACUSE & WAWASEE HISTORY CHALLENGE 🚨

After last week’s trivia, we discovered two things:

Everyone in Syracuse apparently knows what “BCB” stands for.
Some of you may secretly be descendants of George Miles himself. 😄

So now we’re stepping things up with MULTIPLE CHOICE.

That’s right… no more vague guessing or “my grandma told me once.” Now we separate:
• the casual lake people,
• the serious history buffs,
• and the people who have spent so much time reading old Syracuse Journal articles that they can smell the sawdust from Hillabold’s mill.

Let’s see who the true experts are this week!

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🟢 EASY QUESTION
What mode of transportation did several of Syracuse’s earliest settlers use to arrive here?

A. Railroad cars
B. Steam boats
C. Covered wagons
D. Canal boats

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🟡 MEDIUM QUESTION
What famous Syracuse gathering place once stood where the Star Store would later be located?

A. The Pickwick Theater
B. Kern’s Hall
C. The Wawasee Pavilion
D. The Miles Opera House

——————————————

🟠 MODERATE QUESTION
What original local landmark name was later changed to Oakwood Park?

A. Cedar Point
B. Black Stump Point
C. Conklin Hill
D. Dillon’s Landing

——————————————

🔴 HARD QUESTION
According to Douglas Miles, what unusual item did the Oram family keep inside their log cabin near Kale Island?

A. A pet raccoon
B. A printing press
C. A pool table
D. A cannon

——————————————

⚫ IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION
According to George Miles, why were Big and Little Buck Islands given their names?

A. Deer often swam between them
B. A large buck deer was shot there from the smaller island
C. Indians used the islands for deer hunting ceremonies
D. The islands resembled deer antlers from above

——————————————

Please put your answers in the comments!

No Googling.
No calling your grandparents.
And absolutely no consulting the guy at the lake who “knows everything about Syracuse history.” 😄

05/14/2026

Ok, we said once a week, but we couldn't wait...Apparently the entire Syracuse/Wawasee area has unanimously decided the answer is “BCB.” 😄

At this point, if you didn’t answer BCB, you may need to turn in your local resident card and spend a week at the edge of Lake Wawasee reflecting on your decisions.

Honestly, we’re impressed. The comments section filled up faster than the Channel on a sunny Saturday in July. Either everyone knows their local history… or Syracuse residents have mastered the art of confidently agreeing with each other.

Good news though — you were ALL correct!

This confirms two things:

• People around here know their history.
• Never underestimate a community raised on lake stories, Wawasee athletics, and grandparents who remember every business that ever existed downtown since 1932.

These businesses were part of the era when Syracuse was growing alongside the railroad, tourism, and the popularity of Lake Wawasee as a summer destination. Every storefront had a story, and many longtime residents still remember where certain stores stood, who owned them, and what they sold — which is exactly why preserving local history matters. 😄

05/10/2026

Syracuse Trivia Challenge of the Week

Presented by the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum

EASY

What was the original name of Lake Wawasee before it was renamed?

A. Cedar Lake
B. Turkey Lake
C. Syracuse Lake
D. Oswego Lake

MEDIUM

What transportation system helped transform Syracuse and Lake Wawasee into a major resort destination in the late 1800s and early 1900s?

A. Interurban trolley
B. Erie Canal
C. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
D. Lincoln Highway

HARD

Why were the historic “Turkey Creek Ditch” and “Syracuse Ditch” legal battles so important to early Syracuse?

A. They determined county borders
B. They controlled water levels and mill power rights
C. They created the railroad route
D. They established the town cemetery

05/10/2026

The Lake Bethel Church was one of the earliest churches established in Turkey Creek Township and stood near the northeast side of Lake Wawasee near present-day Syracuse. The church became an important spiritual and community center for many of the pioneer families who first settled the area during the mid-1800s.

Pioneer settler Nathaniel Crow and his wife Eliza Airgood Crow donated land from their original property holdings for the church, cemetery, and nearby schoolhouse. Historical family records indicate the land for the Lake Bethel Church and cemetery was provided in the early 1860s, with the cemetery formally deeded in 1860.

Nathaniel Crow was born in Champaign County, Ohio, and arrived in Kosciusko County around 1845, only a short time after Native American removal from the region. He first purchased land in Van Buren Township before eventually acquiring property in Section 24 of Turkey Creek Township near Lake Wawasee. Through farming and additional land purchases, the Crow family eventually owned more than 560 acres around the lake and became one of the most influential pioneer families in the area.

The church stood beside what became known as the Lake Bethel Cemetery, where Nathaniel and Eliza Crow are buried along with many descendants and early settlers of the area. Historical sources note that remnants of the church foundation could still be seen many years after the building itself disappeared. A one-room schoolhouse also stood nearby, serving pioneer children of the community.

The Lake Bethel Church represented more than a building — it reflected the determination of the earliest settlers to establish faith, education, and community on the Indiana frontier. Long before modern roads, electricity, or lake development, families gathered here for worship, funerals, meetings, and fellowship. The church became deeply tied to the history of the Crow family and many other pioneer families who helped shape the Syracuse and Lake Wawasee area.

This newly discovered 1918 image is therefore incredibly significant. It provides one of the earliest known visual records of a church that played a foundational role in the history of the northeast Lake Wawasee community and preserves a direct connection to the pioneer era of Kosciusko County.

This photo exists today because one person was willing to share it with our community. It is the only known copy to exist and easily could have been lost to time forever.

Please consider sharing your own photographs—especially those of historical significance—before they are swallowed by time and lost to future generations. Even a single image can help preserve the story of a family, a school, a church, a business, or an entire community.

A sincere thank you to the individual who wishes to remain anonymous for allowing this photograph to be shared and preserved for our community. Your generosity has helped ensure that a piece of our local history will not be forgotten.

Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum

05/30/2026

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