1902

Years:	1899 1900 1901 – 1902 – 1903 1904 1905

Significant events from 1902.

January

• H. T. Smallwood sells 446 acres near Harrodsburg to H. W. Kiel of Chicago for $14,000. Kiel, who was opening a quarry, had amassed more than 1500 acres around the city.

• John Nichols begins remodeling the fire-damaged Banner Star store, owned by the Buskirk heirs and Mrs. Fee.

February

• The farm of the late George Stipp, southwest of Clear Creek, is sold at auction. E.W.G. Johnston buys 287 acres for $12,200, while Samuel Smith buys 152 acres for $3,800.

• Otto Worley buys the John L. Nichols House from Nichols himself.

March

• The stock of the Racket store is sold at auction. Mrs. Carrie Spear, one of the leading creditors buys up the stock and her husband reopens the store. It appeared the the previous owners, Martin and Greenslade, had gone bankrupt.

• George D. Hunter buys a lot on north College Avenue, south of A. K. Helton's residence, from J. A. Pike for $1,000. He intended to build a new home there.

• George Wingler, owner of a saloon in Stinesville, fires shots at burglars in the building. The thieves make off with $15 and a ten gallon keg of gin.

June

• 7th - Herman B Wells is born

July

• 13th - A new Baptist church is dedicated. At the corner of 4th Street and Washington Street, the new church had electric lighting and could hold 700 people. The Baptists had worshipped in an older brick building, the original home of the First Presbyterian Church, which they had bought in 1861 and rebuilt in 1874. Some of the bricks from that building were used in the walls of the new building.

September

• 27th - Edna Colson and Elizabeth Rush are whitecapped in Maple Heights.

December

• 15th - Freezing rain brings most of Bloomington to a standstill.
• 15th - Indiana University purchases a home to be used for care of smallpox victims. Demolished in 1957, it was on the current site of Templeton Elementary.

• 16th - An arsonist attempts to burn the dairy barn and stock of C.C. Harvey, just south of town. Quick work by neighbors helps to keep the damage minimal, but a week later a second attempt burns the barn and kills 8 head of cattle. Harvey accused the George Mitchener family of committing the crime.

• Ralph "Reddy" Williams opens the Red Ark, a lunch wagon on the east side of The Square. It provided indoor seating for 12. Mr. Williams was also the proprietor of the Red Owl on the opposite side of the square.

• The Oliver Brothers announce plans for a large new stone saw mill at their quarry in Victor.

Unspecified

• Joseph Swain leaves the Indiana University Presidency to take up the job of President of Swarthmore College
• Robert Laurent, sculptor of Showalter Fountain emigrates to the United States
• Lindley Hall is built on the Old Crescent, it was originally named Science Hall