1903

Years:	1900 1901 1902 – 1903 – 1904 1905 1906

Significant events from 1903.

January

• J.B. Smallwood buys 30 pieces of Bloomington property from Neal Meadows.

March

• The name of the town of Limestone is changed to Sanders.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That the name of the unincorporated town of Limestone, situated on a part of the west half of the southwest quarter of Section thirty-four (34), township eight (8) north, range one (1) west in Monroe County, Indiana, be and the same is hereby changed to the name of Sanders.

• The city of Bloomington annexes the Elm Heights addition.

• Dr. H. E. Strain buys the C. F. Reed lot at 527 N. Washington Street. He later builds a house on the property that still stands.

• The Armory building on south Morton Street catches fire. The blaze does about $350 worth of damage. The building was owned by Senator Duncan.

• Bids are taken for building a bridge across the White River at Secrest's Ferry near Gosport.

• Frank H. Scott, who owns a furniture and undertaking business on the south side of The Square, buys another furniture business on the north side from J.M. Smith.

• Robert Bruce Lockridge, an Indiana University athlete, is struck and killed by a misguided hammer throw from James H. Horne, the athletic director.

April

• 26th - A mob breaks into the home of teenagers Rebecca and Ida Stephens and their mother, and beats them severely. Joe Shively, a black man boarding with the family, is also beaten. The motive appears to be the interracial living arrangements. Later, Tib H. Cox, William Shinn, David Gray, "Pikey" Brannam, Lon Shaw, and a Mr. Jackson are arrested for the beating.

July

• 7th - Dr. J. W. Wiltshire declares Bloomington entirely free of smallpox, for the first time in the year.

• 16th - Bloomington Glove & Mitten factory begins operations at its new location. About 45 people were employed there.

• Preston Eagleson opens a barber shop in the Gentry building.

• R.M. Foster and brother close out their buggy and harness store, at 213 N. Walnut Street. They had been in operation for about a year.

• A new water pump with greater capacity is placed at the water plant.

• James D. Showers, president of the Midland Coal Company, makes an inspection trip to the Greene County mine.

August

• The Von Behren brothers, newly arrived from Louisville, open a hardware store in a vacant room adjoining the Todd grocery store.

On the Square

Businesses on The Square included:

• Mattie Jacobs, hairdresser, west side.