100 Years Ago This Week: May 18-24

From The Indianapolis Star, Thursday, May 23: The Boy Scout executive board has decided on a permanent camp site for the Boy Scouts of Indianapolis and has authorized $30,000 (2017: $497,763) to purchase the site. The 90-acre Vandercook farm, northeast of the city and west of Ft. Benjamin Harrison, was selected as the ideal place. The site is rolling country with about 35-acres of tillable land and 55-acres of beautiful old forest woodlands. The farm has a half mile frontage on Fall Creek, and executive board secretary Fred Stilz described the tract, “The beauty spot of the world.” Scout Executive Francis O. Belzer believes the site can be made ready by early June for summer for camping. Owing to the high cost of building materials, the only substantial structure contemplated at this time is the construction of a mess hall.