1897-1901 William McKinley served as the 25th president
1897-1901 William McKinley President
1898 The Cammack Sawmill Burns
1898 The Cammack sawmill, the town’s only industry, burns and is not rebuilt.
1898 Yorktown Pike Ceases to be Toll Road
1898 The pole is removed and toll house destroyed on Muncie-Yorktown Pike. After 40 years, Yorktown Pike ceases to be a toll road. The county commissioners purchased the road for $1. All toll roads in the county are now free to use except for Muncie-Granville Pike. (8 Feb)
1898 The Morning News begins using Linotype machines
1898 The Morning News (Muncie) begins using Linotype machines, the first in the Delaware County (25 May) The Linotype machine, was developed in the United States in 1884 by a German watchmaker named Ottmar Mergenthaler.
The Linotype drastically sped up the printing process by its innovative technique of “line casting,” which placed entire lines of type for printing, rather than just individual letter typesetting. “Linotype” is a derivation from its full name, “Line of Type,” which describes the individual lines produced in lead. The machine revolutionized the newspaper industry and drastically increased the speed at which a printing plate could be produced.
International Printing Museum, 35-minute video on the Linotype machine
1899 Franchise for Electric Rail Through Yorktown
1899 A franchise is granted by county commissioners to George F. McCulloch for the electric rail road from Muncie west along highway through West Muncie, Yorktown and Daleville to the county line. To be completed by Sep. 1900.
1899 Yorktown Methodist Church Dedicated
1899 Dedication of Yorktown M. E. Church (25 Jun).
The church received its first deed in 1875 on land that was set aside by Oliver H. Smith when he platted the town. By 1898, the church had outgrown the structure. The building was moved and another church was built on the same site. The church sat on the corner of Walnut and High Streets in Yorktown on lot 90.
1899 Decision Against Muncie Pulp Co. for Polluting
1899 Appellate court affirms decision against the Muncie Pulp Co. for polluting the water of Buck Creek (21 Dec)
1900 Interurban Service Begins in Yorktown
1900 Interurban (electric train line) line between Muncie and Anderson begins with stops in Yorktown. (1 Oct)
1901 Death of President McKinley
1901 Death of President McKinley (14 Sep)
1901-1909 Theodore Roosevelt President
1901-1909 Theodore Roosevelt served as the 26th president