From Palace to Jail

(Click on image to enlarge)
Lewis E. Barnes circa 1912. Image courtesy of the Hobart Historical Society.

Calvin C. Shearer's business partner (and former Hobart Township Trustee), Lewis E. Barnes, ran for Lake County Sheriff in the autumn of 1916.

I found it rather amusing that out of Hobart's 741 votes that election day, the Prohibition Party got only three. The Socialist Party got 12.

… And Lewis Barnes got elected sheriff.

His new role would mean a couple of big changes. For one, he thought it best (or perhaps he was required) to move to Crown Point, the county seat. That meant selling his house at the corner of Main and Seventh Streets in Hobart — a "palatial home," rhapsodized the News, adding that his new residence would be an apartment in the jail building. Attorney Roscoe R. Peddicord became the palace's new owner.

And Lewis also thought it best to resign from the Barnes & Shearer partnership, the better to devote himself to his new duties, I suppose. He and Calvin ran a notice in several issues of the Gazette: "Notice is hereby given that the firm of Barnes & Shearer will be dissolved by mutual consent on Jan. 1, 1917, and that Mr. Shearer will become successor to that firm…."

Lewis' friends threw a big reception for him on the evening of December 19, 1916, in a newly built garage on Main Street. In spite of a bad snowstorm, several hundred people turned out to say goodbye to Lewis and wish him well in his new job and his new home.


Sources:
♦ "Attorney Peddicord Buys Palatial Home of L.E. Barnes." Hobart News 7 Dec. 1916.
♦ "Give L.E. Barnes Big Reception." Hobart Gazette 22 Dec. 1916.
♦ "Greeting and Farewell to Sheriff Barnes." Hobart News 21 Dec. 1916.
♦ Hobart High School Aurora Yearbook, 1912.
♦ "Notice to the Public." Hobart Gazette 22 Dec. 1916.
♦ "Official Elections Returns." Hobart Gazette 10 Nov. 1916.