DeMotte, Indiana History 1997

30 Years of Growth
100 Years of Tradition

Contents

Foreword & Acknowledgement

Before the White Man/Coming of the First Settlers

DeMotte Grows into a Town

Early Transportation & Farming

The First Schools

Dredging of the Grand Kankakee Marsh

Leonard Swart (Interview)

Casper Belstra (Interview)

Northern Indiana Land Company

The Halleck Telephone Company

DeMotte Mercantile Company

DeMotte Library Grows

Cheever's Garage

Eighty Years of Community Banking

Fairchild & Tanner History

Earl Schwanke Article

Keener Township Fire Department

(Art) Lageveen Looks Back

Fire Almost Destroys DeMotte in 1936

Kankakee Valley Post-News

Asparagus & Truck Farming

Businessmen's Association

Lageveen Remembers Incorporation

Belstra Remembers When...

Kankakee Valley Schools

DeMotte Elementary School

(DeMotte) Christian School

Mark L. DeMotte

Charlie Halleck

Walter Roorda, State Representative

C-SELM

Van Keppel Construction Company

Fire Destroys Main Building at Kaper's

The Hamstra Group

DeMotte Historical Society

Tysen's Family Food Center

Belstra Milling

The Fire of 1992

United Methodist Church

DeMotte Christian Church

Community Bible Church

Calvary Assembly of God

Bethel Christian Reformed Church

First Christian Reformed Church

Faith Lutheran Church

St. Cecilia Catholic Church

United Pentecostal

First Reformed Church

American Reformed Church

DeMotte Town Court

Incorporation of DeMotte

August 10 Incorporation Hearing

September 1965 Incorporation

First Town Board Election

The First Town Board

DeMotte Town Council 1969-1997

DeMotte Town Hall

DeMotte Park Board

Wastewater Treatment Begins

DeMotte Chamber of Commerce

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DeMotte Historical Society, Inc.

The newest organization to make it into this version of DeMotte history is the DeMotte Historical Society, Inc. The group was incorporated January 2, 1997.

A nucleus group met in the fall of 1996 at the home of Fred and Shirley Zeck to discuss forming a historical society and work out details to get it off the ground. In addition to the Zecks', those present at the meeting were: Dick and Irene Evans, Art and Donna Lageveen, Joan Whitaker and Albert K. (Bud) Belstra.

Monthly meetings were decided on which would be led by Donna Lageveen until an election of officers was held. Mrs. Lageveen has served as president of the Hebron Historical Society. The first meeting after incorporation was the election and installation of officers. Arthur Lageveen, who had served as the first town board president after DeMotte was legally incorporated in 1967, swore in the new officers. They are: Donna Lageveen, president; Jack Hart, vice president; Norman Chappel, treasurer; Kathleen Van Der Molen, secretary. Directors are, Irene Evans, Bob Cheever and George Konovsky.

One of the goals of the Historical Society is to acquire a building to house a museum and serve as a meeting place for the group. For the time being the monthly meeting is being held in the DeMotte Elementary School.

Finding ones roots can be a fulfilling experience and the society hopes to help educate the community about the Kankakee River Valley area which is so rich in history and to collect items of historical value for the museum.