Merom Conference Center Meet & Greet!

Photograph of Union Christian College teachers and students from 1894. 

Wabash Valley Visions and Voices (WV3) will be hosting a Merom Library Meet & Greet Wednesday, Sept. 30th at 1:00 pm at the Merom Conference Center. The presentation, given by WV3 Project Director Cinda May, will highlight the digitized collection of the historic Merom Conference Center. 

The Merom Conference Center began as the Union Christian College in 1859. Merom was selected to house the twenty-seven acre facility over five other potential destinations, winning the bid of the "New Light Church," now formally known as the United Church of Christ. The New Light Church was seeking for a faith based institute of learning to be erected in Indiana, prompted in part by Rev. E.W. Humphreys,  a cheery Welshman who had arrived in Merom in the early 1850's. At the time, Humphreys was promoting education in the Merom area as well as teaching at the Merom Bluff academy, which was being housed in the former court house. A bid of $35,000 sealed the deal-- on May 17, 1859 Merom was chosen as the future site of Union Christian College. The college would remain rooted in the heart of Merom until its close, which followed commencement exercises on June 4, 1921. 

Union Christian College Faculty and Assistants, April 27, 1984. 

Brown, Robert A. Story of Union Christian College Merom (Sullivan County) Indiana 1859-1924.
     Prairie Creek, Indiana: Robert A. Brown, 1981. Print.

Country Stores

John Like's General Store, Monroe City, Indiana. 

A trip down memory lane, provided by the Wabash Valley Visions and Voices archive, brings to light the swift differences between our past and our present. Quickly these juxtapositions educate us on the difference between then and now. A prime example being a  task most of us complete on the regular, and seemingly with little inconvenience. "Out of necessity, country stores, or general stores, got their start during the colonial period for the many pioneers who lived outside urban markets. Many owners... began as roving peddlers and once they had accumulated enough capital and inventory, they often established permanent locations in settlements where there was a need and likely profit" (Weiser). Before the installment and development of the supermarket, a cache all for all things necessary, small family-owned general stores supplied local communities with basic needs: "In addition to often being the only provider of 'store bought goods' and the post office, the country store served other roles, including the social center of the community" (Weiser). The country general store, a community epicenter, was an important part of rural business and industry. John Like's General Store, pictured above in 1910, was located between 10th and 11th streets in downtown Monroe City. Clothing, household goods and bolts of cloth can be seen displayed in the narrow shop. Below, the Prairieton General Store is pictured with customers gathered on the porch beneath a sign advertising "Groceries, Hardware & Drugs," as well as inside near the stove.  A horse and buggy can be seen to the left of the building patiently waiting for the potential long ride home.

Prairieton General Store, Prairieton, Indiana. 

Prairieton General Store Interior

Weiser, Kathy. "Country Stores." Legends of America. Legends of America. Feb. 2013. Web. 14
     Sept. 2015.