A Great Gift!

The name of Wabash College is one that resonates with anyone who has ever had a connection to it. Mention it to an alumnus and chances are you have a new friend. Wear a bit of Wabash gear as you travel and who knows who you might meet. The same is true if you live in Crawfordsville, mention that you work at Wabash and chances are you will hear a story or two about Wabash. Just recently this happened but the outcome was even better than a passing story. Dr. Anne Bost contacted me recently about her neighbor, Bobbie Gegner, who had a photograph, was I interested in it as a donation to the Archives? Yes indeed was the answer. The photograph arrived yesterday and it is really an amazing picture. 

This is, as far as I know, the earliest photograph of Wabash College. Taken in 1875, this photo is about 7 .” in width x 5” in height, a large photograph. The size and clarity make the photograph a great gift. The only other copies that we have of this image are much smaller. They were used as photo inserts for paperweights.

To illustrate the size of the other copies I scanned one beside a penny. Measuring a little over 3” wide you can see it is a small image. There is simply a great deal more detail on the new photo and by scanning at a higher resolution we have a clearer view of the campus at this time.

Wabash in 1875 was striding into a new era. Center Hall as originally planned was finally finished. The addition of the north and south wings gave the college a beautiful new library, a spacious chapel, large classrooms and room for proper science labs. We were a decade beyond the Civil War and its hardships and President Tuttle was in full stride, raising funds and generating support for the work of Wabash.

The image below is of the Center Hall Library located in the main floor of the north wing, currently the Business Office. Sixteen foot tall ceilings offered two floors of alcoves around the edges of the Library. Donors were encouraged to donate enough books to fill an alcove and in return received naming rights to it. Thus in our collection we still find volumes with bookplates that carry names of long ago donors.

The photograph just given shows us a college which has grown beyond its pioneer days. The Wabash of 1875 is all grown up and ready for the future. It is a great image and what a delight to be able to share it. It really is a great gift!

To read more about Wabash history go to: http://blog.wabash.edu/dearoldwabash/