Limberlost Notebook

by Curt Burnette /retired naturalist/tour guide at Limberlost State Historic Site

Article first appeared in March edition of Berne Witness

     Gene Stratton-Porter’s husband, Charles Dorwin Porter, was one of the leading  businessmen in Geneva. He was well known as a druggist and banker, but among the many other business enterprises he engaged in was hotelier. Charles built one of the first brick buildings in downtown Geneva in 1892, a portion of which would house the Geneva Bank which he had founded. The remainder of the building was the Shamrock Hotel.

     The Shamrock was not the only hotel in Geneva during that era—other hotels came and went while the Shamrock was in business. It housed travelers who came in by buggy or train (and car by the time it closed). The oil boom of the late 1890s and early 1900s especially kept the hotels busy. The Geneva Herald in its June 29, 1894, issue wrote “The Hotel Shamrock is crowded with oil men and commercial travelers. Landlord Ober has been compelled to turn guests away on account of lack of room. “ So, in that aspect it was eminently successful. But the Shamrock also hosted more balls, dances, dinners, meetings, and other events than any other hotel or hall in town.  This flurry of activities made it the social heart of Geneva.

     Among the many clubs and organizations that utilized the Shamrock for various functions were the Wednesday Club (co-founded by Charles’ wife Gene), the Epworth League, the Social Club, the Bachelors of the Shamrock, the Nighthawks Pleasure Club, the Geneva High School Alumni, and the Superior Oil Company. Individuals also made use of the Shamrock for a variety of purposes. Elaborate parties were given there. People hosted suppers for friends there. One young couple was married there.

     Even Berne folks came to the Shamrock. In the Berne column of the Decatur Democrat issue of January 6, 1898, it was reported that “A party of nineteen young people spent New Years eve at the Shamrock at Geneva, and an all-around good time is reported.”  And the Geneva Herald issue of January 18, 1895, said “A sled load of Berne’s fair and blushing maidens were entertained at the Shamrock Monday night by Pat Kelley, the popular young landlord.”

     Landlords came and went over the years, and at one point there was a bit of grousing about the hotel when it was without a landlord and closed for several months. Unfortunately, at that time, the Shamrock was the only hotel in town so there were no overnight accommodations for travelers. This hurt business for the town merchants and tarnished the town reputation. Eventually the situation was resolved to everyone’s great relief when a new landlord took over.

     Charles Porter sold the Shamrock hotel/bank building to the Bank of Geneva (which he had helped develop as the successor to his Geneva Bank and was already occupying the bank portion) in 1913. The bank was refurbished but the first floor of the hotel portion was converted into a business room and the second floor rented out to the Knights of Pythias. And so, the Shamrock, Geneva’s lively social heart for twenty years, quit beating forever.

By Terri Gorney Lehman/Member and Secretary of Friends of the Limberlost

Article first published in Berne Witness February 2026

     The Cardinal Club, an area birdwatching group, was formed in March 1948. Members chose this name from Gene Stratton-Porter’s first book “The Song of the Cardinal.” The first Adams County Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was held in December that same year. Participants were Berne and Geneva residents who belonged to the Cardinal Club. In the 1980s, the count date was set at January 1 and has remained so since, even though the Cardinal Club disbanded in 2015.

     In 2014, Larry Parker, the compiler for the Adams County CBC, asked if I would become the compiler. In 2015, I changed it from the Adams County CBC to a National Audubon Society 15-mile diameter circle. My husband, Randy Lehman, created the acronym SANJO (Southern Adams Northern Jay Ouabache) CBC. It includes all the Limberlost Conservation Area and Ouabache State Park. On January 1, 2026, birders from Muncie, Fort Wayne, Marion, Bluffton, and Huntington participated with local residents in this year’s count.

     Gene Stratton-Porter was an attendee and speaker at some of the annual Indiana Audubon Society meetings. She also served as an officer in the organization for a short time. She would be pleased that members of three Audubon chapters gathered at her home to help create a winter census of the birds in the area. The three chapters are: Robert Cooper Audubon Society in Muncie, Three Rivers Birding in Fort Wayne and Mississinewa Audubon Club in Marion.

     Every year, the count has included Northern cardinals. It is our state bird and a bird that Gene Stratton-Porter loved for its bright plumage and “cheery” disposition. Some other birds of note were towhee, hermit thrushes, northern pintails, Lapland longspurs and horned larks. The highest number of turkeys were reported on this count –over 70.

     This year a total of 30 bald eagles were recorded. Gene would have been in awe of that number. It is a bird she wanted to photograph, but was unable to do so as they were basically extirpated in her time in this area. It is now common to see eagles in Geneva and Gene would have no trouble getting a photo.

     Christmas Bird Counts are held every year from December 14 to January 5 all over the United States, Canada, and in a few other countries. Everyone is welcome to help with this count. It is a great activity to do with children by watching feeders in your own yard.

By Curt Burnette/Retired Limberlost State Historic Site Naturalist/Tour Guide

Article first published in Berne Witness January 2026

     In Geneva’s past, during the Christmas season, there were folks in town who deserved a lump of coal in their stockings. Or even a lump on their head, as one fellow who became too jolly found out.

     Even before the rowdy times in Geneva during the oil boom of the 1890s and early 1900s, the town was a rough and tumble place, even during holiday times. In the Geneva news section of the Decatur Daily News dated December 27, 1882, the Geneva correspondent stated “Christmas was here Monday with its usual accompaniment of fights, knockdown, drunken brawls, & c.”

     This is not what a person thinks of as the usual activities of Christmas Day! The reporter goes on to say “A repetition of the scenes will be enacted on New Year’s day, when all are invited to be present and see that Geneva, when she is at herself, can give a pretty good representation of the scenes enacted by the cow-boys of Texas. Admission, all free gratis for nothing.”

     The wild west on the streets of Geneva! Our reporter’s description of the following incident would fit well in a movie about a town in the old west. “A great big, wide, tall drunk undertook to run the town, Christmas night, but Marshal Heaston, requested him to let the “job out,” which he would not do, when Bill struck him on the “nut” hard enough to paralyze him, then conducted his “Royal Highness” to the calaboose to cool off.”  I figure “nut” referred to his “coconut,” slang for head.

     Supposedly, when Charles Porter married Gene Stratton in April of 1886, they lived in Decatur at first because Charles didn’t want to bring his young bride to such a rough-around-the-edges town. Charles had been established in Geneva with his drug store for many years, but he owned his boyhood home in Decatur, and this is where the newlyweds settled in.

     But, apparently, he felt Geneva had calmed down enough to move his family (daughter Jeannette had been born on August 27, 1887) there in 1888. Maybe it had, but a few years later the oil boom began and hundreds of young oil men from all over came to the Geneva oil fields, and drinking, gambling, and visits with ladies of the evening became commonplace. The Decatur Democrat on September 29, 1898, reported that “Geneva, the capitol of the southern part of this county is becoming a regular bowery in itself. During the past three months there has been all sorts of shooting and cutting affrays in the town.”

     Well, the oil boom petered out eventually and Geneva got over its wild and wooly phase. Nowadays, Geneva citizens enjoy a peaceful Christmas, as it was meant to be. There still may be a few folks around who deserve a lump of coal in their stockings, but, thankfully, there are no more drunks who wish to “run the town” on Christmas.